Smoky Shield

Smoky Shield hails from the small and dreary town on Hollow Shades. Her young life was

relatively uneventful, although her parents noticed her affinity for rule-following early on. The

life of a foal in Hollow Shades was more rough-and-tumble than that of foals in higher-end

towns and cities, so Smoky got into her fair share of arguments and brawls. This experience gave

her fighting experience and a few scars, but paved her way into the Guard. She earned her Cutie

Mark by defending another foal from harassment in her early teens, and the incident was

witnessed by two guards who happened to be visiting the town for a census. They complemented

Smoky for her tenacity and told her that she could have a future in the Guard if she worked for it.

Smoky took that information to heart, exercising and reading up on Royal Guard requirements.

She elected to enlist with the Night Guard, and did so when she reached the proper age. The

training was grueling and intense, but the experience Smoky had gained from her younger years

helped her to make it through. She graduated near the top of her class and was stationed at the

Palace, a prestigious posting for a new Guard. Soon after her graduation, Smoky met a palace

janitor named Skylight. The pegasus’ quick wit and charm intrigued Smoky, and the two met

regularly over the course of two years. When Smoky was twenty-three, Skylight proposed to her

at the Grand Galloping Gala. She gleefully accepted, and the two were married in a small

ceremony two months later and moved into a small apartment near the castle. Since then, Smoky has served the Guard faithfully.

(Image credit: DipFanken)

Smoky Shield is concise and by-the-book at all times. She puts her duty first, even above her own health, which can sometimes be detrimental. However, Smoky often doesn't know when to bend the rules or leave her job behind, meaning that many see her strict enforcement of the rules and laws as overzealousness or bullying.