Dio

I'd personally include at least his rank in the Guard and to keep in mind whether he was enlisted or officer. While he is now discharged from the REA, his standing in the Army when he left will still leave a mark on his mindset and how he chooses to conduct training for his flight/prep school. Other than that, looks good.

My one objection is the concept of "buying cows." According to the show, cows are self-aware and are not treated as second-rate citizens of Equestria. That said, they can occasionally get themselves into trouble and may need some nudging in the right direction. Can I propose that they own a ranch where many cows are boarded rather than owned?

Hi, just a minor nitpick I've got. I'd like there to be some clarification on whether her badger can actually linguistically understand her like a familiar or if she is merely embellishing as children are apt to do. I'm presuming it's the latter, but I'm just making sure we're on the same page! Other than that, looks good!

My only nitpick is him changing the leaves with the storm he made. I would have said that he scattered the colorful leaves already on the trees during his storm. We don't see ponies changing the actual color of the leaves, even in the Running of the Leaves. However, this is a minor tweak and will not hold the application back.

That silly little grin on his face, the excited swish of his tail and little stamps of his rear hooves; it was immediately apparent that Blueblood was pleased with the results, inanely so. If only until he knew what was going on behind the scenes! With a little luck and a bit of creative scheduling, however, that wouldn’t be the problem.

"Your majesty, don't be too hard on her. She is, after all, only a lesser noble, and clearly not fully aware of the niceties of Canterlot society."

Celestia smiled but said nothing in reply. He honestly thought that Lanceguard would be punished? What a ridiculous n-- Celestia cleared her throat to stifle a giggle, taking another sip of her tea afterwards to complete her cover. It wouldn’t do to lose her composure now!

Blueblood responded to her instructions to continue his lessons accordingly, bowing his head as he spoke. "As you command, my liege."

“Very well. You are dismissed.”

As Blueblood made his exit, moving out of earshot, Celestia chortled merrily to herself. The Princess picked up her quill once again and began scribbling a series of notes, detailing logistics and cross-referencing event organizers and promoters who would be able to put something together on such short notice. It wouldn’t be easy, but what pony could say no to charity? Or the princess for that matter?

To Lanceguard, a proper palace summons:

Lady Lanceguard,

Your presence is requested with Her Solar Majesty, Princess Celestia. please report to the Rhododendron Room in the Southwest Colonnade of the palace complex at 4:30PM this afternoon. The Princess will see you there. If further arrangements are required or rescheduling is necessary, please contact the reception desk in the foyer of the palace proper.

Celestia paused in mid-turn, shaking her head as if to clear her thoughts. It was that aetheric static again. Being down here so close to the singularity was like being in a room with a thousand speakers all blasting nothing but static.

“Celestia, wait!”

“Luna, I’m giving you the best possible chance of success. You must--” Celestia took a step back as Luna brushed past her. What was she--

“We’re not gods, Celestia. No matter how hard we try. They’ll see you coming sooner than they will me. Your white coat in the dark could give us all away. If you took the lower path there could be passages to hide in if need be. And... seeing as the guardas are also white, not to mention they can’t fly, and neither can Whooves-- I’ll have to go alone.” Luna whirled around to face Celestia as she spoke, her declaration echoing in the hallway. The smaller alicorn looked Celestia dead in the eye, her hooves firmly planted, refusing to budge.

Celestia could do little more than stare blankly back at her sister. Luna had always been the more headstrong of the two, tackling problems head-on and never hesitating to confront what she believed to be an injustice. This was in stark contrast to Celestia’s gentle demeanor and her penchant for diplomacy. Even after all the years, those traits were still there, if obscured by her awkwardness at adjusting to the new world in which Luna found herself in.

It was clear that Luna wished to place herself at the front, using herself as the bait. Back to the front, just like times long past. As much as it pained Celestia to let her go, Luna was right. The doctor needed her to defeat the queen and Luna needed her with a clear head. Besides, once Luna made up her mind, it was unlikely that even Celestia would be able to change it.

“Come along, ‘Tia!” The Doctor said. “Allons-y!”

There it was, the Doctor’s signature battle cry. It was time to go. Celestia looked to Luna one last time, a mixture of distant sadness and quiet understanding in her eyes.

“I’ll go. But promise me... promise me that you’ll stay safe...” she whispered before she turned, following Doctor Whooves down, down, down, towards the sound of churning aether.

Personally I'd include his rank and whether he's enlisted or officer (looks like enlisted from his description), as this will give you an idea of how training and military culture should be affecting his life. However, this will not hold up the application process; it's just something to keep in mind as you RP.

Finalized before I get too detail-obssessed.

Feedback is still welcome.

Everypony stop.

I'm all for discussion and exposition, but this level of immaturity is aggravating and appalling. Is it too much to ask for people to be polite to each other? A bit of common courtesy goes a long way.

The staff has discussed the "Lunar Guard" issue and our decision was that Luna's protective detail ARE members of the Royal Guard/REA you see around Canterlot. They merely wear a different uniform type to indicate their association with Luna. They are NOT a separate army.

Let me try and address the OP's questions:

The pegasi that pulled Luna's chariot during the Nightmare Night episode gain their bat wings and dragon eyes and any other slight alterations of appearance from a cosmetic spell.

The Lunar Guard would take orders from whoever their commanding officer is. The commanding officer of one company would not issue orders to a platoon from another company unless that specific platoon was attached to his company for a mission. Thus, the Lunar Guard would not be taking direct orders from Shining Armor unless they were attached to his unit for a specific mission.

It should be noted that the REA/Guard forces currently use a similar organizational setup to the US Army in terms of board canon. Thus, the rank of "captain" is not the highest rank; an army captain would lead a company of soldiers, not the entire army. The way our current RP system is set up, there are no players for upper echelon military brass and it is likely to remain that way; it is much easier to be social with a captain or lieutenant or sergeant than it is to just bump into an active-duty colonel or general and expect to carry on small talk.

As for rivalries, this board isn't about Solar Empire vs. New Lunar Republic. We're at peace here in Mane RP and Luna and Celestia are NOT going to war with each other, so the concerns about Night Guard needing to be able to fight Day Guard are unwarranted. The only rivalry I could see is the friendly intramural rivalries that naturally arise (eg: Alpha company beats Bravo company in hoofball or has better PT records) in such a fraternity.

As for Destriers, it was a proposed concept a long time ago that was designed to provide a set of loose guidelines for knight-themed ponies. The Destriers are not an army and their role in society is more of a monastic order that preaches virtue and self-control rather than warmongering and lack of temperance.

To summarize:

• "Day Guard" and "Night Guard" are ALL "Royal Guard" or REA and all play for the same team.
  
• They just have different shifts and are assigned to protect different princesses!
  
• The bat wings, etc. are a spell.
  
• DON'T BE DONKEYS TO EACH OTHER!
  

"I was at the Pooflehoofs' cocktail party, one of the many social engagements I simply must attend when I noticed a group who were observing something over in the corner. I went to investigate, and was almost stabbed by a unicorn filly who was charging about in the most undignified manner."

Undignified indeed. Celestia had heard the name Lanceguard before, one of the champions in the local competitive jousting community, though her sort of joust was more oriented toward formal sport than historical reenactment. Still, the fact that Blueblood had begun with a disparaging remark of another was telling enough. This was going to be good.

"...Nevertheless, I requested politely that she restrict her antics to the jousting field, if she had to do it at all."

Politely. Of course. The last time that Blueblood had attempted to be polite, he had ended up with cake on his face in addition to the hooves of a very angry lady unicorn. As Blueblood continued, Celestia nodded at the keywords. Entirely reasonable. Demanded. Demeaning. All part of the vernacular of high society to be sure, but all codewords for “I made a faux pas but would rather push my blame upon another.” The Princess nodded sagely as Blueblood finished his tale of woe.

Celestia took a dainty sip from her teacup before gently setting it upon the conference table and thoughtfully putting a hoof to her chin. Despite his best efforts, Blueblood had telegraphed very clearly the fact that he wanted out of this comedy of errors via her intervention. Of course, the Princess would have none of this. It was a fact of life that a pony must be held accountable for his or her actions. Blueblood was not exempt from this.

Of course, the question remained. How would she best educate him in this fact of life? It would teach him nothing if she merely forbade the contest. It would also teach him nothing if the contest were resolved quietly and in private. Furthermore, it would be entirely rude and un-princess-like if she were to dismiss him without another word, though she very well could have done so. Oh what a dilemma!

But what was this? A little idea crept its way into Celestia’s mind, sparking all sorts of plots, plans, and pranks, titillating that little mischievous bit she had never fully shed from her youth. The Princess had a plan... the perfect plan.

Lanceguard’s jousting tour had been struggling with both poor advertising and lack of general interest in the sport. As it turned out, a local foals’ hospital had also been struggling with a recent dearth of donations, a matter which had been presented to her just a few hours ago in that same conference room. This would work beautifully.

A joust for charity! The honorable Blueblood against the grizzled veteran Lanceguard! The fight of the decade! The local promoters would be all over this! And the best part? It was all for a good cause, a cause that even Blueblood couldn’t worm his way out of. Regardless of the outcome, everypony would be a winner... except perhaps the Duke himself.

“I completely understand,” Celestia smiled, the mischievous lilt remaining in her voice. “Don’t worry one bit, my dear Blueblood! I will personally ensure that this matter is resolved. In fact, I will have the adjutant file a formal request for Lanceguard’s presence now.”

The princess picked up an idle quill from its inkwell and proceeded to scribble down instructions on a bit of palace stationery. Borne on the aether, the page folded itself neatly and vanished in a puff of green flame, bound for the adjutant’s desk out front.

“In the meantime,” the Princess said, replacing the quill in its inkwell, “Do continue your training. I think it suits you quite well. Besides, it would be quite rude to so abruptly terminate your lessons considering you have already committed both your trainer’s time and your own.”

(( A fundraiser for the foals’ hospital? Check. A promotional event for competition jousting? Check. A clueless Blueblood? Check. Mix ingredients. Bake in coliseum for a day. Profit.))

I'm not an RPer, but say you make two OCs one is a unicorn and one is a pegasus and they are good friends whom room together. The unicorn's special skill is stage magic. If the unicorn use their magic to manifest batwings without added weight (or other special wing type) would that be permitted in the mane RP? (Naturally the spell would have to be repeated after a set amount of time) This would be similar to Luna's guards.

The only reason I ask is pure curiosity.

This seems like an oddly specific scenario. I would like to reiterate that making a flier look different but still allowing them to fly is fine. But turning a non-flier into a perfect flier without a lot of work isn't kosher.

That's what the WIP tag is for

I've already tweaked my local copy and I'll be pushing the changes to Canterlot shortly.

ಠ_ಠ

Shining Armor

Equestria is my home, but the Crystal Empire is my charge. I’ll do all in my power to protect it just as I did my homeland.

RP Type: Mane RP

Name: Shining Armor, REA

Sex: Male

Age: Stallion

Species: Unicorn

Coat colour: White

Mane/Tail colour & Style: Ultramarine with streaks of navy and sky blue.

Eye colour: Blue.

Cutie Mark: A pink star inscribed on a purple shield, with three more stars above.

Vector by ZuTheSkunk on DeviantArt.

Physique: Fit from REA service, but handsome rather than rugged, as his work is mainly conducted in urban, civilized areas.

Origin: Canterlot born and raised.

Occupation: REA officer, rank of Captain. Currently on special assignment in the Crystal Empire.

Motivation: The love of his wife Cadence. To protect Equestria. To carry out his duties with honor and integrity. Knowing that his sister will someday do great things.

Likes: Canterlot, seeing the world, learning about different cultures and civilizations, accompanying Celestia and Luna, his wife Cadence, ponies with zeal, his sister Twilight, pride in a job well done, wine, tea, the military life, hay fries (a guilty pleasure)

Dislikes: Dishonesty and deception, bugs, apathy, anypony who tries to mess with his sister, boastfulness, office swill coffee, higher math

History

Born to an author and a professor, it seemed unlikely that Shining Armor would follow the path that he did. But from the very beginning, Shining Armor was curious and energetic, testing his magic at every turn and always finding ways to break out of his crib and explore. This only escalated further when his sister Twilight was born. Now he had somepony else to explore with! Between the university and their energetic foals, his parents had their hooves full.

The two siblings could not have been more different. While Twilight was bookish and spurned socializing as she grew up, Shining Armor was out making friends and getting to know the world of Equestria. In school, he viewed every field trip and social event as a new adventure, tackling every social challenge with aplomb.

Playing soldier was not uncommon for colts of Shining Armor’s age. He spent many an afternoon after school linking up with his friends, protecting the citizens of equestria from dragons, criminals, and rogue griffons in mock battles in the parks. They often watched the Guard patrols go by, marching in step with them and saluting the watch commanders just as the soldiers did. By day he would play soldier. By night, he would read of their history and customs and commit to memory the codes of conduct befitting of a soldier.

One day, Shining Armor’s class went to tour Canterlot’s REA garrison. As he gawked at the stately halls, gazed upon the magnificent suits of ceremonial armor that the Guard wore, and listened to the pride in the REA lieutenant’s voice as he described his work, he realized what he wanted to be: a Royal Guard! He went right up to the lieutenant and told him of his intent.

Amused with the colt’s enthusiasm, the lieutenant began quizzing Shining Armor on Guard procedure and history. What began as curiosity quickly escalated to admiration as Shining Armor answered every question with his own personal knowledge no matter how obscure or complex the answer. Shining Armor concluded by repeating to the lieutenant what he’d said earlier: “I want to be a Royal Guard!” Impressed, the lieutenant asked permission to keep him after the field trip, which was quickly granted. He brought Armor before the garrison captain, who also grilled Armor on his knowledge and reaffirmed his dedication.

“I can’t make you a guard right now,” the captain said. “But I know you’ll make a fine soldier some day. Come back and see me after you’ve finished school, then we’ll talk.”

“I’ll be the best, sir,” Armor quipped. “I promise I’ll be back.”

When Shining Armor returned to his class, everypony was staring. What happened? Did he step in something? Was something stuck to his collar? When Armor turned around, it was his cutie mark, the marker of his zeal and desire to learn, lead, and excel. The desire never faded; the dream persisted well beyond a high school whim, becoming a goal that drove him to succeed to the utmost degree.

Upon entering Canterlot University, he enrolled in their ROTC program while studying history and political science. Graduating with honors, Shining Armor finally received his commission as an officer of the Royal Equestrian Army. While most of his duties involved garrison rotations and base guard duty, he carried himself well, even submitting proposals to the watch commander for improving the efficiency of the patrol routes and minimizing downtime during changing of the guard. For his exemplary service, he was promoted to Captain and put in charge of coordinating palace security.

Mi Amore Cadenza

Twilight and Shining Armor’s parents were often busy with bookkeeping and teaching. Still, they needed somepony to watch Twilight while Shining Armor was at school. Their answer came in the form of a very special pony, Mi Amore Cadenza. Upon their first meeting, Cadence and Shining Armor immediately hit it off, becoming fast friends. While Shining Armor attended school in the city, Cadence took care of Twilight between her own classes. In their downtime, they carried on endlessly about what they had learned that day and what adventures they planned on having the next day.

Even after Twilight grew up, Cadence and Shining Armor kept closely in touch. Finally, they met again in Canterlot; Shining Armor now a handsome captain in Her Majesty’s Royal Equestrian Army and Cadence now a beautiful alicorn Princess. The embers that had been smoldering for years finally ignited, with Shining Armor proposing marriage shortly after. The changeling incident only served to reinforce their unique bond. Their love now tempered in the flames of conflict, they stood ready to face anything -- together.

The Crystal Empire

There was never any doubt in Shining Armor’s mind that Cadence was a very important pony. But when he and his wife were suddenly summoned to Celestia’s throne room, he finally understood just how important she was. Celestia tasked them with a very important job: defending the Crystal Empire from attack until Twilight could recover the Crystal Heart, a relic of immense power.

Keeping Cadence safe and in good spirits was as much a trial for Armor as it was for the princess. Seeing his wife suffer to keep safe the ponies of the Crystal Empire was never something that Armor desired, rendered even more difficult when his magic was crippled by King Sombra’s corruption. But in the end, Twilight was able to locate the Crystal Heart, restoring Cadence’s magic, and driving Sombra out for good.

When Cadence was finally revealed as the Crystal Princess, Shining Armor requested reassignment to the Crystal Empire to be with his wife and to help bring the Empire back up to speed with modern Equestria. While he still maintains ties to the REA in Canterlot, he currently makes his home in the Crystal Empire as security coordinator and prince consort.

Personality

Shining Armor will never hesitate to put himself in harm’s way to help another pony, be it the average pony on the street or Princess Celestia herself. He maintains an open-door policy at his office at the garrison and welcomes occasional stops to chat in addition to his scheduled meetings. Despite his choice of military career track, Shining Armor is not as uptight as much of high society Canterlot. His no-nonsense attitude and trust in his command to do its job has endeared him to the enlisted mares and stallions in the Guard and earned the grudging respect of the officership. He is able to transition between addressing officers and enlisted with ease, making him a valuable asset to the Guard.

While he is very straightforward and to the point on duty, the Captain is friendly and informal when off duty. Shining Armor does his best not to bring his work home with him, feeling that the stress of the job should remain firmly within the confines of the garrison. He retains his gregarious and fun-loving nature from his youth and never hesitates to extend the hoof of friendship if he can help it.

Twilight will always be his kid sister and best friend. Even grown up, they make time for each other to swap stories, play games, read books, and reminisce about old times. Cadence will always be his lover, confidant, and complement. Nopony is as near or dear to Shining Armor’s heart and he never hesitates to let her know it. Whether the newlyweds are engaged in playful banter or enjoying a quiet moment together, the bond they share is unmistakable and nigh unbreakable.

Miscellaneous

Though Shining Armor never liked large bugs before (especially centipedes), his brush with the Changelings escalated his dislike to a minor phobia. While he rarely loses his cool, his discomfort is immediately obvious if something with chitinous plating and more than four legs walks into the room.

The Captain is intelligent and well-read, sharing a love of books with his sister. However, while Twilight gravitated to the hard sciences, Shining Armor focused on social sciences. He holds dual degrees in history and political science, with concentrations in military history and international relations, respectively.

Shining Armor was once asked to be a poster model for an REA recruiting office. When he agreed, one of the stallions in his unit pasted captions to the posters as a prank. This spawned a rash of similar pranks across the base, quickly elevating Shining Armor’s handsomeness to memetic status. The incident gained him the nickname “Ridiculously Photogenic Stallion” among the Guard which still persists in some circles today, much to his chagrin.

Portrait

Shining Armor in Guard Commander’s ceremonial armor.

Old application:

Captain Shining Armor

No matter where I go in Equestria or what my station is in life, you will always be my sister, Twili. Never forget that.

RP Type: Mane RP

Name: Captain Shining Armor, Her Majesty’s Honor Guard

Sex: Male

Age: Stallion

Species: Unicorn

Coat colour: White

Mane/Tail colour & Style: Ultramarine with streaks of navy and sky blue.

Eye colour: Blue.

Cutie Mark: A pink star inscribed on a purple shield, with three more stars above.

Vector by ZuTheSkunk on DeviantArt.

Physique: Fit from REA service, but handsome rather than rugged, as his work is mainly conducted in urban, civilized areas.

Origin: Canterlot born and raised.

Occupation: REA Captain

Service Record:

• Cadet. Canterlot University Reserve Officer Training Corps. Graduated cum laude with degrees in history and political science.
  
• 2nd Lieutenant. 1st Battalion “The Princess’ Own,” 83rd Magus Regiment. Served on garrison duty throughout Canterlot. Promotion to 1st Lieutenant after faithful service and assignment to Princess Celestia’s protection detail during one of her trips abroad. Offer extended to transfer to IV Order of the Honor Guard shortly afterwards. Transferred to Alpha Squadron, IV Order upon review of his credentials.
  
• Captain. IV Order “Hoplon,” Her Majesty’s Honor Guard, Royal Equestrian Special Forces. Promoted to Captain and given command of Alpha Squadron after his former commanding officer was promoted to OPCENT administration. Assigned as the commander of the security escalation during the Changeling incident.
  

Motivation: The love of his wife . To protect Equestria. To carry out his duties with honor and integrity. Knowing that his sister will someday do great things.

Likes: Canterlot, seeing the world, learning about different cultures and civilizations, accompanying Celestia and Luna, his wife Cadence, ponies with zeal, his sister Twilight, pride in a job well done, wine, tea, the military life, hay fries (a guilty pleasure)

Dislikes: Dishonesty and deception, bugs, apathy, anypony who tries to mess with his sister, boastfulness, office swill coffee, higher math

History

Born into a family of unicorn scholars and professors, it seemed unlikely that Shining Armor would follow the path that he did. But from the very beginning, Shining Armor was curious and energetic, testing his magic at every turn and always finding ways to break out of his crib and explore. This only escalated further when his sister Twilight was born. Now he had somepony else to explore with! Between their university work and their energetic foals, his parents had their hooves full.

The two siblings could not have been more different. While Twilight was bookish and spurned socializing as she grew up, Shining Armor was out making friends and getting to know the world of Equestria. In school, he viewed every field trip and social event as a new adventure, tackling every social challenge with aplomb. In spite of their differences, he always did his best to make time for and look after Twilight, handling homework, playdates, and bullies with equal ease.

It was during a bullying incident that Shining Armor discovered his affinity for shield spells, using his aetheric barriers to shield a young Twilight from a particularly persistent schoolyard bully’s hooves. Regaining her composure, Twilight quickly seized the opportunity, sending the bully flying with a burst of magic and a splash of snark, something the two siblings still laugh about to this day. It was this event that gained Shining Armor his cutie mark, representing both his desire to protect his fellow Equestrians and his devotion to family, specifically his sister. Twilight and Shining Armor share an exceptional sibling bond, reflected both by their similar cutie marks and their strong affinity for the arcane.

Playing soldier was not uncommon for colts of Shining Armor’s age. He spent many an afternoon after school linking up with his friends, protecting the citizens of equestria from dragons, criminals, and rogue griffons in mock battles in the parks. They often watched the Guard patrols go by, marching in step with them and saluting the watch commanders just as the soldiers did. Gradually, his playful pastime became a quiet appreciation for the armored ponies that watched over Canterlot day and night.

One day, Shining Armor’s class went to tour Canterlot’s REA garrison. As he gawked at the stately halls, gazed upon the magnificent suits of ceremonial armor that the Guard wore, and listened to the pride in the REA lieutenant’s voice as he described his work, he realized what he wanted to be: a Royal Guard! This dream persisted well beyond a high school whim, becoming a goal that drove him to succeed to the utmost degree.

Upon entering Canterlot University, he enrolled in their ROTC program while studying history and political science. Graduating with honors, Shining Armor finally received his commission as an officer of the Royal Equestrian Army. While most of his duties involved garrison rotations and base guard duty, he carried himself well, even submitting proposals to the watch commander for improving the efficiency of the patrol routes and minimizing downtime during changing of the guard. He also served on rotations with Princess Celestia’s personal security detail.

For his exemplary service, his commanding officer recommended him to Operations Command: Central, who offered him a place with IV Order’s diplomatic protection corps. Through several years of service, Shining Armor worked his way to the rank of Captain, eventually coming to command his own squadron of REA Honor Guard. His unit specializes in providing protection services for the Princesses as well as any visiting foreign dignitaries.

Mi Amore Cadenza

Twilight and Shining Armor’s parents were often busy with bookkeeping and teaching. Still, they needed somepony to watch Twilight while Shining Armor was at school. Their answer came in the form of a very special pony, Mi Amore Cadenza. Upon their first meeting, Cadence and Shining Armor immediately hit it off, becoming fast friends. While Shining Armor attended school in the city, Cadence took care of Twilight between her own classes. In their downtime, they carried on endlessly about what they had learned that day and what adventures they planned on having the next day.

Even after Twilight grew up, Cadence and Shining Armor kept closely in touch. Finally, they met again in Canterlot; Shining Armor now a handsome captain in Her Majesty’s Honor Guard and Cadence now a beautiful alicorn Princess. The embers that had been smoldering for years finally ignited, with Shining Armor proposing marriage shortly after. The changeling incident only served to reinforce their unique bond. Their love now tempered in the flames of conflict, they stood ready to face anything-- together.

Personality

Shining Armor will never hesitate to put himself in harm’s way to help another pony, be it the average pony on the street or Princess Celestia herself. He maintains an open-door policy at his office at the garrison and welcomes occasional stops to chat in addition to his scheduled meetings. Despite his choice of military career track, Shining Armor is not as uptight as much of high society Canterlot. His no-nonsense attitude and trust in his command to do its job has endeared him to the enlisted mares and stallions in the REA and Honor Guard and earned the grudging respect of the officership. He is able to transition between addressing officers and enlisted with ease, making him a valuable asset to the Guard.

While he is very straightforward and to the point on duty, the Captain is friendly and informal when off duty. Shining Armor does his best not to bring his work home with him, feeling that the stress of the job should remain firmly within the confines of the garrison. He retains his gregarious and fun-loving nature from his youth and never hesitates to extend the hoof of friendship if he can help it.

Twilight will always be his kid sister and best friend. Even grown up, they make time for each other to swap stories, play games, read books, and reminisce about old times. Cadence will always be his lover, confidant, and complement. Nopony is as near or dear to Shining Armor’s heart and he never hesitates to let her know it. Whether the newlyweds are engaged in playful banter or enjoying a quiet moment together, the bond they share is unmistakable and nigh unbreakable.

Miscellaneous

Shining Armor, as his name suggests, specializes in barrier spells. This was most famously used to shield Canterlot from possible invasion by the changeling swarm. Under normal circumstances, Shining Armor can maintain personal barriers with little trouble; however the city-sized dome he found very taxing. The problem was exacerbated by the slow leech of his power by the Changeling Queen.

Though Shining Armor never liked large bugs before (especially centipedes), his brush with the Changelings escalated his dislike to a minor phobia. While he rarely loses his cool, his discomfort is immediately obvious if something with chitinous plating and more than four legs walks into the room.

The Captain is intelligent and well-read, sharing a love of books with his sister. However, while Twilight gravitated to the hard sciences, Shining Armor focused on social sciences. He holds dual degrees in history and political science, with concentrations in military history and international relations, respectively.

Shining Armor was once asked to be a poster model for an REA recruiting office. When he agreed, one of the stallions in his unit pasted captions to the poster as a prank. This spawned a rash of similar pranks across the base, quickly elevating Shining Armor’s handsomeness to memetic status. The incident gained him the nickname “Ridiculously Photogenic Stallion” among the Guard which still persists in some circles today, much to his chagrin.

Portrait

Shining Armor in Guard Commander’s ceremonial armor.

Personality is a bit thin. Part of the personality is any personal quirks or preferences she has. How does she try too hard to be "cool"? Is she successful? Does she use any particular rhythm motifs in her music? Does she prefer a particular set of sample tracks? Do little things in the crowd get to her?

Little things like this help flesh out the character and give you additional material to work with in RP.