Astral Mirage

By Azure Envy

• August 19, 2014




Age: 29

Gender: Male

Species: Pegasus

Personality: Quiet and reserved, Astral usually keeps to himself. Generally calm and good-natured, Astral is always there to lend a helping hoof to any pony in need and is impressively loyal to those he calls friend, almost to a fault. He also tends to be rather stubborn and has a tendency to stick to his guns no matter what, both a blessing and a curse. That said, he would never knowingly let his pride get in the way of somepony's safety.<br /><br />While not one to boast, he is very proud of his considerable skills in flight thanks to his training as a youth alongside some of Equestria's finest to ever take to the skies. Emphasizing finesse and agility over raw speed, Astral practices and drills daily both as a means of continuously striving to improve his flying in addition to the simple joys of the wind whipping against his face and around his wings, something he wouldn't trade for the world.<br /><br />He is generally averse to revealing too much about himself or his family, fearing that others may dismiss him as a member of the spoiled Canterlot nobility. Sometimes he is frustrated by the feeling of being cast in his father's shadow while struggling to make a name for himself.

Backstory: Born into a well-to-do family in Canterlot with an illustrious history of service in the Royal Guard, Astral Mirage's upbringing was strict and regimented under his father, with his mother taking a decidedly secondary role. His father, an elite pegasus guard in service to the Royal Crown Princess Celestia had imbued in Astral the behaviors and mannerisms befitting a stallion of the nobility, pruning him as a candidate to serve Princess Celestia when he came of age. As a long-standing member of Celestia's most trusted personal bodyguards, his father often spoke highly of her rule to Astral, believing that Celestia's governance had brought unprecedented peace and stability to Equestria and in return his service to the crown and eventually Astral's would be one of the greatest honors any pony could possibly hope to attain.<br /><br />However, as much as he respected his father and the Princess, Astral had other plans. While he did well in school, scoring near the top of his class in most subjects, his interests lay elsewhere. To say that his father was disappointed would be a colossal understatement. In order to make peace with his father, he enlisted in the Royal Guard and spent several years doing the rounds, patrolling the castle grounds. His lack of enthusiasm was obvious to both his commanding officers and peers, but due to his father's influence, command had often turned a blind eye.<br /><br />The thought of leaving the guard weighed heavily upon him. He could not escape the feeling of being trapped. While many ponies might trade the world for the opportunity was given, Astral knew that it was not for him. As he expected, the conversation did not go over well with his family. He left home shortly afterward with no more than a knapsack filled with some supplies and a bag of bits his mother had insisted he take along. Astral knew of a friend in Ponyville who had offered him a place to stay, at least for now.<br /><br />He spent the next few days wandering about the small town of Ponyville. It was much different than he remembered. Of course, he had only been once, traveling with his family as a colt. Largely sheltered from the world outside Canterlot, Astral was filled with almost colt-like wonder as he explored his new surroundings.<br /><br />Lucky for him, his rigorous guard training regimen imparted upon him marketable skills in today's modern Equestrian job economy. That is to say, he found work as a farmhand at Sweet Apple Acres. It was hard work and he returned home each night sore and aching all over, but it earned him enough for a place to stay and kept his belly full. The small bag of bits he carried with him would be for emergencies, just in case. Though, he might've regretted not taking more. Maybe just a little.<br /><br />