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Azure

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I felt like I needed to do something like this for Azure. Lately all the images I have been drawing of him are either awkward moments or cute ones. It's time to try and get back to his bad assery and be tough Lunar Guard Pony I originally made.

Azure is courageous and has a deep sense of honor and loyalty to Princess Luna. His ancestors swore their allegiance to her 1000 years ago before she became Nightmare Moon. After witnessing the defeat of Discord, they swore their services and that of their descendants to her. Even when she turned they remained loyal and were later exiled from Equestria for leading a coup against Celestia. They never forgot their duty though and so waited for her return. 1000 years later Azure is the only surviving member of this once proud herd of soldiers, through sheer luck he managed to escape their slaughter at the jaws of a massive pack of Timber Wolves. He blamed himself for being too weak to save them, he still to this day blames himself. But after being depressed for what seemed like an eternity he was determined to not be consumed by his despair. He then saw that the Mare in the Moon was gone, he knew exactly what had happened due to the legends of his herd. So he finished burying his loved ones, burnt the compound so as to leave it all behind for good, packed his equipment and he returned to Equestria in hopes of serving a princess he had only ever heard about.

Upon his arrival, he was not welcomed with open arms. Shining Armor knew what he was the moment he noticed his curved horn and tuft ears. He sought to imprison Azure, as we the protocol if the Nights ever returned, but Celestia stepped forward and gave Azure full pardon. Azure was then permitted into the Academy where he proved his martial skills quickly. Though being a Night, he was not well liked by the rest of the guards. It was after a lot of hard work he was finally accepted into their ranks. He was appointed to the Lunar Guard as was his wish, though he was stuck with just guarding entrances or patrolling the gardens. He had not yet met Luna despite his deepest wishes. Then one evening while he was on duty, he heard a voice coming from the Gardens. It was a mare singing, her voice entranced him and he found himself following the sound. There, in the center of the Garden he saw the most beautiful mare he had ever seen. She was wearing a travelling cloak but he saw her horn, bright blue mane, dark blue coat and cyan eyes. He thought he had walked into a dream or had been placed under a spell. When she finally noticed him she smiled and beckoned him over. He felt his knees shake as he walked up to her and she asked him who he was. Azure Night gave her his name and told her that he was a member of the Guard. She beamed at him saying that she had heard that a Night had returned and became part of the Guard. She asked him a bunch of questions about how the Nights were doing and where he came from, but before he could answer, a voice from the Castle called for her to come inside. As she turned to leave Azure asked her what her names was, she said "I am Princess Luna". She revealed her wings from beneath her cloak and sure enough it was her. She flew back up to the castle calling back to Azure that she hoped to speak with him again. Azure stood on the spot as though he had been struck across the face. He could not understand the feelings he was experiencing, for he had fallen in love with her, the princess he had sworn his life to protect. He was not exactly comfortable with these feelings because the Nights' upbringing forbade their members from having these feelings towards Luna. They painted her as a Goddess and thus her purity must be safeguarded. Azure could only think that the legends did not do her beauty justice, but he sought to hide these feelings of attraction towards her, figuring that it was mostly just from shock and that they'd go away. They didn't, he continued to hide these feelings as best he could, though not well enough as his subordinates and team members will tease him from time to time whenever they catch him glancing towards Princess Luna. Luna would find Azure during his shifts and engage him in conversation, hoping to learn more about what happened to the Nights and more about Azure himself. Soon he grew more comfortable around her as she would tell him tales about his ancestors and what it was like as a princess 1000 years ago as he told her what happened to them after she was banished to the moon. Whether she came to share his feelings remains to be seen.

Sometime after Discord's return it became clear to Azure that they could not rely on the Elements of Harmony and their bearers. With Princess Luna's permission he formed the Mares Marginis, a group of four warriors who take risks and do what others cannot or will not. This team consists of a zebra named Moonshine who was a failed healer but excellent battle mage, a Robin Hood type griffin named Nightengale and a wingless brute of a dragon named Crater. All swore allegiance to Azure due to their own desires of finding purpose. It wasn't long before they gained a reputation for being both reckless and dangerous, sometimes leaving towns in ruins, though casualties caused by them have not been confirmed. Despite this they get the job done. Their defining moment that solidified them as great warriors was during the Changeling attack where they fended off much of the hive and protected a number of civilians from being captured. Azure's bravery in this confrontation (though their defeat due to numbers was close at hoof) and his leadership skills earned him the respect of his fellow guards whom had once ridiculed him for his ancestry and also granted him the rank of Captain.

Azure might be a unicorn but his magic is not that great. He never could get magic blasts right and his magic barriers are lack luster. The only real magical skill he has is in levitation. He is proficient in wielding two swords at once with his magic. However this does not mean he will just stand there and let the blades do the dirty work, his most common tactic is to use those swords as feints and when an enemy blocks them he is already on top of them and pounding the foe's face with his hooves. Although he is a decent tactician he mostly makes it up as he goes as the battlefield is fluid and there are too many variables.

On many of Azure's missions he has nearly lost his life due to his refusal to quit. It was ingrained into him from an early age to never quit, never retreat, never surrender and never compromise. To some he seems to have a death wish but his utter lack of fear of death can be credited for how he's survived as long as he has. This also leads him to not being able to take failure very well, punishing himself severely in the aftermath. For example, when Princess Luna and Celestia were taken by the Plunder Vines, Azure felt mortified that his princess was kidnapped and held captive while he was unable to rescue her. So much so he insisted that the Mares Marginis flog him once for every second that Luna was gone. Thankfully Luna calmed him down and assured him that everything was alright, though he swore to never let it happen again so long as he drew breath. Unfortunately it wasn't long before Azure punished himself again. When Tirek arrived to take all of Equestria's magic, he banished the princesses to Tatarus. The Mares Marginis were ordered by Luna at the time to take as many civilians into hiding as they could and protect them, but Azure grew worried and rushed back to Canterlot only to find out what Tirek had done. In a rage he tracked Tirek down who was searching for Princess Twilight Sparkle. The Mares Marginis stood to challenge the powerful centaur, who amused them by giving them 5 minutes to try and stop him. They failed miserable and once the 5 minutes were up, Tirek stole their magic as well. Not one to give up, Azure got up on shaky legs and tried to make his way to Tatarus. But within a few moments Tirek was defeated, the magic restored and the princesses returned. Azure could not bear to celebrate with the others and so he put himself through a hellish punishment, disguised as training. When Luna burst through the door, she forced him into the infirmary so he could be patched up telling him that she forbade him from doing such things and yet he still did it. She asked him repeatedly why. After being asked a number of times Azure finally confessed that it's because he can't bear to lose her like he lost his herd. He said he's not strong enough to bear it and so he'll do what ever he can to become stronger than any pony so that he can protect her, because he loves her. Finally confessing his feelings for her, Luna simply gave him a quick slap across the face, called him an idiot, smiled, and hugged him. As she departed she said "We're friends aren't we? Please rely on our strength too."

Despite his skills as a warrior and calm exterior, deep down he is an emotional wreak. Having killed his cousin who sought to bring their family to ruin and received the scar on the right side his face because of it as well as an emotional scar in his heart. The slaughter of his father, mother, aunts, uncles, grandfather and little sister have left even deeper wounds in his heart that have yet to heal. The cloth on his left front hoof is all he has left of his family, a ripped piece of the Night's Tapestry which told the story of the Night's history, their oath to serve Luna, their coup, betrayal and exile. He tends to shut out others for fear of suffering losing them as well and his reckless nature and pride have made even small losses hurt more.

When it comes down to it though Azure Night is one of the most loyal and dependable soldiers in the royal guard and will never back down from any who threaten Equestria or his beloved Luna.
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Krudocian's avatar
I love his armor! :D He looks to be a tough guy ^_^