Line #27 Characters/SoldierOfTheNight


1	[[foldercontrol]]
2
3	!!Wind family
4	A blended upper-middle class family of Pegasi residing in suburban Cloudsdale, with kin spread out all across the country.
5	[[folder:Stormfire]]
6	The main protagonist of the story, a rookie Lunar Guard from Cloudsdale with a dark past trying to make it in his chosen career path.
7	* AntiHero: Although well-intentioned and a decent enough guy overall, Storm is ultimately a flawed lead protagonist, and has numerous {{Jerkass}} moments throughout the story. Stubborn and rebellious with a [[SirSwearsALot sailor mouth to boot]], he has an extremely complicated relationship with his stepfather and clashes with him frequently, holding a several-month-long grudge against him at one point and refusing to even entertain the possibility of seeing eye to eye with him. Storm is also impulsive to a fault, making oftentimes rash decisions that end up causing him a lot of trouble in both the short and long term, and costing him relationships with those closest to him.
8	* BullyMagnet: Is heavily bullied by his classmates for how he stands out in both Cloudsdale and the Griffon Empire.
9	* CluelessChickMagnet: Storm is generally blissfully unaware of it but he attracts a lot of female attention due to his physique and easygoing personality.
10	* CreatorCameo: Stormfire is based on several aspects of Skyfire Storm’s own personality and life.
11	* DaddyIssues: Stormfire has difficulty finding any common ground with his estranged stepfather and the two have a very complicated, fraught relationship despite the genuine love that exists between them. Having spent his childhood in a single-parent home Stormfire is also hugely defensive of his deceased biological father and struggles to move on from his death on the battlefields to the point where it begins to seriously complicate his already brittle bond with High Wind.
12	* DarkAndTroubledPast: Stormfire was born and raised in an Equestrian expat community buffering a foreign warzone, witnessing several wartime atrocities including devastating and indiscriminate bombings and countless deaths in his early foalhood.
13	* HiddenDepths: Loves watching hoofball on TV and is highly knowledgeable and passionate about the sport. This proves to be a bonding moment for him and his stepfather when they go to assist Grandma Hail Storm in Detrot.
14	-> '''High:''' [while sitting down to watch a game on TV] You know, I used to play hoofball back in high school.
15	-> '''Storm:''' Seriously?
16	-> '''High:''' Yep. I was actually one of the top hoofballers in the entire county and was close to signing a contract to play for the Cloudsdale Cavaliers.
17	-> '''Storm:''' [in awe] That’s awesome.
18	* LonelyTogether: Storm and Blue bond through their shared experiences of growing up friendless in suburban Cloudsdale.
19	* MetalHead: Storm is big into heavy metal music, especially that of the progressive variety. Lilli uses this as a way of connecting with him after he moves to Vanhoover.
20	* MilitaryBrat: The son of a soldier in the Equestrian Army, Stormfire’s quest to know and understand his deceased father is what forms the basis of the story.
21	* MisunderstoodLonerWithAHeartOfGold: Stormfire struggles with socialization in no small part due to his “outsider” status, despite being an all-round nice guy. He finds that he barely fits in anywhere despite being an Equestrian like his peers all are due to both the circumstances of his birth and his shy, reserved nature; and although he claims that it doesn’t bother him much he still silently yearns for company.
22	* NiceGuy: Can be abrasive and brash at times but is still a pretty likable guy to be around, certainly a lot kinder than his stepdad and brother both are.
23	* SirSwearsALot: For a kid character Stormfire has quite the potty mouth in the earlier chapters. Justified somewhat given that he spent the first ten years of his life in what was essentially a foreign warzone surrounded by Griffons who hated him simply because he "stood out". Despite mellowing out with age he remains quite profane into adulthood.
24	[[/folder]]
25
26	[[folder:Equinox Moon]]
27	The wife of High Wind and the loving and supportive mother of Stormfire, Gust and Mist Wind. Equinox is hugely devoted to her children but can be fearsome when angered.
28	* GoodParents: Equinox is a loving and doting mother to Stormfire and stepmother to Gust and Mist and is always there for them whenever they might need her.
29	* MamaBear: Equinox is hugely protective of her son while they are living in the Griffon Empire and tries to provide him with a foalhood that's as normal as possible even as war rages all around them - with High Wind's assistance they are able to eventually escape the country in the wake of it.
30	[[/folder]]
31
32	[[folder:High Wind]]
33	A rough and tough, yet ultimately good-hearted and caring weather pony from Cloudsdale. One of Equinox's closest friends in high school, High Wind fell in love with her the moment she and Storm moved to Cloudsdale and married her almost a year later, despite still reeling from the sudden death of his wife in a tornado. Although it took a while for Storm to get used to High, he’d eventually accepted him as his stepfather after saving him from a gang of local bullies. Storm's relationship with his stepfather is complex from the start and full of ups and downs.
34
35	* AbusiveParents: Downplayed. Forces Storm to follow in his shoes and bristles at the thought of his stepson having a mind of his own and wanting to sign up for a public service that benefits everyone.
36	* TheAlcoholic: High struggled with alcohol in his youth, using it as an escape from the stresses of his day-to-day life even as a teenager. Though he is able to quit initially, he relapses in the wake of his wife’s tragic death, which almost costs him his job, family, and life. By the time of ''Soldier of the Night,'' he is completely sober once more, and this time is able to stay on the wagon for good.
37	* AntiHero: Though a stern, no-nonsense disciplinarian with a narcissistic personality and a fragile ego, High also has a good heart and genuinely loves his wife and kids.
38	* AntiVillain: Decidedly becomes this over time. Although well-intentioned, High Wind is a corrupt and self-absorbed corporate executive who is so into his job he goes to immoral lengths to ensure his kids—namely his estranged stepson—follow in the same career path as him. Despite wanting his kids to be happy and live financially-secure lives all he succeeds in doing through his heavy-handedness is widening the chasmic rift that already exists between them.
39	* BrokenAce: A former star hoofball player, High had a bright future ahead of him in his youth, almost being scouted to play for the local team while not even being out of high school yet. Unfortunately, a serious injury costs him that opportunity, and he is forced to seriously reevaluate his life as a result. High continues to lament what could’ve been even decades later.
40	* CorruptCorporateExecutive: Downplayed. Over the course of the story High Wind rises through the ranks of the Cloudsdale weather factory, eventually taking up the post of transfer manager. Motivated by a desire to meet his transfer quota so as to get a promotion and hell-bent on seeing one of his kids follow in his hoof-steps High Wind invests particular time and effort into training Stormfire up to be the best weather pony he can be. Unfortunately for him, however, Stormfire has other plans regarding his future and so High Wind eventually uses his position and bargaining power within the factory to send Storm off to Vanhoover for a year-long internship despite the latter having not consented at all.
41	* DisappearedDad: Also downplayed. High loves his kids and is present in each of their lives but is emotionally distant and has a hard time at forming any sort of connection with them for a number of reasons.
42	* HairTriggerTemper: When angered High Wind can be verbally abusive towards his children, but this backfires on him constantly and he is eventually forced to start keeping it under control.
43	* GoodParents: Genuinely loves and cares about his kids and is always ready to be there for them despite being an extremely distant jerkass towards them.
44	* JerkWithAHeartOfGold: High Wind fits this trope like a glove, being a prideful and egotistical Corrupt Corporate Executive with an insatiable desire to see his kids follow in the same career path as him and meddling in their lives to ensure they do so. Although motivated in part by genuine love and concern for his children all High succeeds in doing is driving them further away from him, Storm especially.
45	* LaserGuidedKarma: Lampshaded by High in Chapter 42, where he openly admits his belief that his recent physical and mental health problems and issues at work are the result of karma for what he did to Storm. Equinox dismisses this, however, and implores him to go on leave.
46	* MyGodWhatHaveIDone: Has this realization upon finding out that Storm had a serious accident in Vanhoover that almost cost him his life. Although he attempts to apologize to his stepson for what he caused Storm is having none of it and finally cuts all ties with him.
47	* PapaBear: Despite his gruff, no-nonsense demeanor and his questionable behavior as transfer manager High Wind is a loving, caring father and stepfather who only wants the best possible shot in life for each of his three children even though he goes completely the wrong way about it.
48	* ParentalNeglect: High Wind is a victim of this trope, having been raised by a loving yet cold and emotionally-distant father who enforced his will onto both his sons with no consideration. His attitude towards Stormfire is partially a reflection of that.
49	* ParentsAsPeople: For all his faults High Wind is a genuinely loving father who only wants what’s best for his family and his children to carry on his legacy by working in the factory. Despite working increasingly long weeks and steadily drifting apart from his wife and kids as a result High is still adamant that he can provide his family with the life he and Equinox dreamt of when they were both young.
50
51	[[/folder]]
52
53	[[folder:Gust Wind]]
54	->'''Stormfire:''' [while arguing with Crash Cymbal, Gust’s former drummer friend] “My brother may be an asshole but he’s at least trying to get better.”
55
56	Storm's elder stepbrother, a struggling guitarist whose life is turned around and improved by Storm's actions. Later on in the story, he begins work at a music store and later takes ownership of it after its previous owner retires, marrying the owner’s daughter also.
57	* BigBrotherBully: Gust is initially resentful towards Stormfire for coming into his life and is also embarrassed by his stepbrother's lack of cutie mark - over time this progresses onto full-on bullying behavior and his abuse becomes physical. He does become better though in the end and eventually comes to regret his assholish ways.
58	* BigBrotherInstinct:
59	** On occasion Gust displays protective behavior towards his younger brother and eventually stands up for him before his equally-assholish friends, becoming one of his closest friends with time.
60	** For his younger sister Mist Gust is a protective older brother who is always there for her wherever she needs him.
61	* BookDumb: Gust isn’t the most academically-oriented stallion and focused mostly on charming mares and his band throughout high school rather than on any educational pursuits. Despite this he is highly intelligent and manipulative, using his charisma to fool others.
62	* ChildProdigy: Was taught to play guitar by his uncle at a young age and is very talented. In spite of this he only claims to know covers and hasn’t written any original material in his life.
63	* CoolBigBro: Gust eventually becomes this towards Stormfire after the latter is able to get his band a gig at his high school prom; although he has his doubts about whether or not he can keep this going he resolves to be the best big brother he can possibly be.
64	* HairTriggerTemper: Much like his father Gust has a fierce temper and can be easily angered by even the slightest provocation—it almost always backfires on him though and he eventually learns to keep it under control.
65	* JerkWithAHeartOfGold: In spite of his uncouth behavior Gust is actually a cool guy who grows to genuinely care about and respect his younger brother despite their initial mutual animosity towards each other.
66	* LazyBum: Gust is a notorious slacker with no real goal in life besides playing music, considering it the one thing he is truly good at and using it as an excuse to not try out anything else. He gets a reality check from his family though which implores him to make something of his skill despite the utter failure of The Lightning Bolts.
67	* TheStoner: Implied. According to Stormfire Gust and his friends are all fond of recreational drugs and enjoy getting high together but Gust denies this.
68	* TroubledButCute: Popular amongst mares in high school for his looks, rebellious, anarchic streak and his involvement in numerous local bands, namely The Lightning Bolts, which he co-founded.
69	[[/folder]]
70
71	[[folder:Mist Wind]]
72	Storm's younger stepsister, an excitable and ditzy, yet kind-hearted and wise weather mare who helps Storm stick to the right path.
73
74	* CoolAunt: Mist is that towards her nieces and nephews, a cool, quirky aunt who basically treats them like her own kids.
75	* GenkiGirl: Mist is a bubbly and excitable mare with a lust for life that’s unmatched by any of her family members and an uncanny knack for randomly appearing in places when least expected.
76	* NiceGirl: One of the nicest characters in the story. Mist has a heart of gold and is always ready to help anyone who needs her assistance.
77	* WiseBeyondTheirYears: Mist is a wise, sage-like presence in the story despite being two and four years younger than Storm and Gust respectively, always willing to offer her brothers advice and moral support.
78	[[/folder]]
79
80	[[folder:Cyclone Shield]]
81	A doctor. High, Blossom and Fast’s deceased father, Hail Storm’s husband.
82
83	* AbusiveParents: Of the psychological kind. Cyclone was not a good father to his sons and was cold and distant, inflicting his will upon them as they both grew older instead of letting them carve their own path in life and leading to friction and both becoming withdrawn and estranged from him. High Wind’s eventual relationship with his stepson mirrors this to some extent.
84	* AllInTheManual: His name is not revealed in the story itself but rather in the character reference sheet Skyfire constructed for it.
85	* DisappearedDad: Is revealed to have been killed in a carriage accident in Canterlot in 1991, and his sons continue to mourn him even fifteen years later despite the acrimonious relationship between them.
86
87	[[/folder]]
88
89	[[folder:Hail Storm]]
90	High, Blossom and Fast’s mother, Equinox’s mother-in-law and the grandmother to Gust, Storm and Mist.
91
92	* ScatterbrainedSenior: Implied to be suffering from dementia or Alzheimer’s disease owing to her absentmindedness and poor memory by the time Storm and High come to look after her in 2005.
93
94	[[/folder]]
95
96	[[folder:Fast Wind]]
97	High Wind’s younger brother, a carriage salesman in Detrot and part-time musician.
98
99	* BigFun: Is quite overweight from a poor diet and sitting behind a desk but is able to shed some pounds by the time his brother and nephew come to town.
100	* CoolUncle: Fast is this to Gust Wind and Stormfire and Mist to a lesser extent, with High Wind acting as the uptight straight man a lot of the time.
101	* SensitiveGuyAndManlyMan: Fast acts as the sensitive guy to High’s manly man.
102	[[/folder]]
103
104
105	!!Breeze family
106	Part-time flight coach and weather pony Star Night, her husband Solar Breeze, their son Lonestar and their daughter Blue Night.
107
108	[[folder:Blue Night]]
109	Storm's marefriend and eventual wife, a music teacher at the local high school originally from Mareami and the daughter of Storm's flight coach in Cloudsdale.
110	* BettyAndVeronica: Blue is the Betty to Lilli’s Veronica, a sweet, friendly mare with a shy demeanor and a kind heart.
111	* BrokenBird: Starts off as this prior to befriending Storm and gradually starts to come out of her shell the more she spends more time with him.
112	* BullyMagnet: Was heavily bullied as a filly upon moving to Cloudsdale and has suffered from depression and self-doubt as a result.
113	* ChildProdigy: A skilled musician who has been playing piano since she turned 5. She also plays the guitar and sings.
114	* ElegantClassicalMusician: Blue is a highly skilled and classically-trained pianist, and has been playing for most of her life. Storm notes her style of playing to be very elegant and refined, and she has taken part in many recitals throughout her childhood and teenage years.
115	* LonelyTogether: She and Stormfire are both kindred spirits owing to their shared experience of growing up essentially friendless in suburbia.
116	* MisunderstoodLonerWithAHeartOfGold: Blue is one of the kindest and sweetest characters in the story despite being rather withdrawn and socially isolated—her isolation and immense anxiety stems from being bullied as a filly for her musical skill and lack of cutie mark.
117	* NiceGirl: Blue is a kind and warm-hearted mare with an immense passion for music that prompts her to pursue it as a career path.
118	[[/folder]]
119
120	[[folder:Hurricane Force]]
121	Hurricane was, prior to becoming Storm's best friend, a cruel, heartless and sadistic bully who continuously tormented Storm and his friends; his aloof and violent exterior however masks the a broken stallion who was left orphaned after the deaths of his parents and raised by a neglectful grandmother.
122
123	* TheAtoner: Comes to regret his actions sorely upon entering high school and eventually sincerely apologizes to Stormfire for the way he treated him.
124	* BullyTurnedBuddy:
125	[[/folder]]
126
127	[[folder:Lilli]]
128	A female lifeguard and weather pony from Vanhoover whom Storm befriends in Chapter 27. For a short while soon after they become a couple and Storm is left guilt-stricken knowing that he was actively cheating on Blue.
129
130	* AmicableExes: Storm and Lilli eventually drift apart and split on mutual terms, pledging to remain friends even in spite of their breakup. Although Storm doesn’t see her for years afterwards he thinks about her constantly even after getting back together with Blue, before eventually meeting her once again in a Cloudsdale shopping mall. They’re both married to their respective spouses, with Stormfire now being a proud father and Lilli expecting a foal of her own, but make good on their years-old promise to remain friends. Stormfire even introduces her to his young daughter Sky as a special friend of his.
131	* BettyAndVeronica: The Veronica to Blue’s Betty, a kindhearted, yet vivacious and flirty mare with a fiery spirit and a rebellious streak.
132	* NiceGirl: Much like Blue, Lilli is a friendly and warm-hearted mare, albeit a far more outgoing one. Skyfire Storm deliberately characterized her as such to subvert expectations of her being a conniving love interest.
133	[[/folder]]
134
135	[[folder:Clear Skies]]
136	Lilli's mother and the transfer manager at the Vanhoover Weather Factory, a kind and motherly mare who takes it upon herself to help Storm in any way she can.
137
138	* GoodCounterpart: Downplayed. While High Wind is by no means evil and [[AntiVillain isn’t a ‘villain’ per se]] Clear is still his much kinder and more empathetic and understanding counterpart, and a much better parent overall, going out of her way to ensure Storm’s safety and wellbeing during his time in Vanhoover and respecting his life choices and decisions.
139	* GoodParents: Clear is a devoted mother to her two children and is the primary breadwinner for her family.
140	* MamaBear: Is one towards her son and daughter and becomes a surrogate one to Storm throughout his time in Vanhoover, going so far as offering to pay for his medical expenses after he suffers a debilitating injury during training and trying to convince him to sue when the factory bristles at the thought of providing him injury compensation. When Storm finally questions her assistance she insists that is the right thing to do and that she’s simply doing it out of the goodness of her heart.
141	* ParentsAsPeople: Clear works long hours at the factory, mirroring High Wind as his Vanhoover counterpart. Although she loves her children dearly and spends every moment she can with them she still has a lot of things on her plate, which might make her seem distant at first. In addition to attending conferences and assisting in the day-to-day management of the factory she also has to look after her husband, a PTSD-stricken war veteran who works long nights as a Lunar Guard.
142	[[/folder]]
143
144	[[folder:Windward]]
145	Lilli's father and a Lunar Guard in the Vanhoover Royal Guard. A PTSD-stricken combat veteran, Ward is jovial and full of humor despite his personal issues and forms a friendly relationship with Stormfire, encouraging him to reconsider life in the Guard.
146
147	* DeadpanSnarker: Ward uses his wry, dry sense of humor as a coping mechanism for his mental health issues stemming from past service and is well aware of [[LethalChef how awful his cooking is]].
148	* GoodParents: Strives to spend as much time with his children as possible despite working long night shifts in the Guard and sleeping for much of the day as such, and is ''utterly terrified'' of the thought of losing them should he be drafted once more.
149	* FantasticRacism:
150	* HiddenDepths: Lived in Central Equestria for a while as a kid in a small town named Horseshoe Falls, about 30 miles away from Cloudsdale. It’s how he’s able to determine Storm’s accent so quickly.
151	* LethalChef: Ward is terrible at cooking but has a sense of humor about it and takes it in stride. Lilli even admits to Storm that one time he burned a manticore steak so badly while trying to make it spicy by basting it in a homemade hot sauce, the fire department actually thought it was a gas leak and sealed off half their street.
152	->'''Ward:''' [having food with Storm while on patrol together] “Hey Storm.”
153	->'''Storm:''' “What?”
154	->'''Ward:''' “Did you like your lettuce and tomato sandwich?”
155	->'''Storm:''' [nods] “Yep.”
156	->'''Ward:''' [smirks wryly] “Good to know ''someone'' appreciates my…culinary skills.” [a beat] “Want something to drink?”
157	* ParentsAsPeople: Ward loves and lives for his wife and children and due to his PTSD is ''absolutely terrified'' by the exceedingly-remote possibility of being re-enlisted in the event of a hypothetical second Great Griffon War as that would mean he would lose them both again. As traumatizing and horrific as the war was for him it most definitely left him with a much deeper appreciation of the small, simple things in life, and he now strives to live each day to the fullest with the ones closest to him.
158	* ShellShockedVeteran: He likes to hide it and put up a normal-seeming facade but having fought in the Equestrian Army during the Great Griffon War and witnessed horrific acts of violence against both ponies and Griffons alike, Ward is ''deeply psychologically scarred'' by what he went through. Suffering from severe PTSD, vivid, recurring nightmares and intrusive thoughts of a future ''second'' war between Equestria and the Griffon Empire, even a news report on TV is enough to trigger feelings of intense dread and anxiety within him. Luckily though, Ward’s family and friends are all there to be by his side and he is also well aware of the fact that he is one of the “lucky ones.”
159
160	[[/folder]]
161
162
163	[[folder:Rainwynd]]
164	Am old friend of Storm from the Griffon Empire now living in Detrot, MI. Implied to have moved to Equestria several years after Storm and his mother moved there themselves, she becomes a famous actress almost overnight after auditioning for a blockbuster film which earns millions at the box office.
165
166	* PrecociousCrush: Rain admits that she had a foalhood crush on Stormfire when they were both kids, and Storm is positively taken aback despite already being taken by Blue.
167	* TinyGuyHugeGirl: An inversion of this trope. Rain is of average height but when Storm meets her again she is happily dating a burly, bulky, absolutely ''giant'' stallion fittingly nicknamed “Behemoth” who dwarfs even Storm himself but is by all accounts a BruiserWithASoftCenter.
168
169	[[/folder]]
170
171	[[folder:Summer Blossom]]
172	Hurricane's marefriend and eventual wife, a mare from Baltimare who briefly dated Stormfire in freshman year before abruptly breaking up with him for Hurricane.
173
174	[[/folder]]
175
176	!!Cloudsdale Weather Factory
177
178	[[folder:Tornado]]
179	High Wind’s superior and Stormfire’s former boss at the Cloudsdale Weather Factory, a former guard and soldier now trying to lead a peaceful life in the weather industry.
180
181	* AmbiguousDisorder: Tornado is prone to extreme outbursts of rage that he targets at “new recruits,” as he calls them, though whether or not these are the result of him pressing his trainees to do their best or a genuine mental disorder is left unclear. What is clear is his struggles with post-traumatic stress disorder following the several years he spent serving Equestria in the army.
182	* AntiVillain: For all his faults and abuse Tornado is ultimately a PTSD-stricken former army captain who at times seems to believe that he’s still fighting the war he left behind. It’s what drives his initial mistreatment of Stormfire during his training stage, and he is hugely remorseful for it by the end.
183	* {{Expy}}: Is at times very similar to the character of Terence Fletcher from '''Film/{{Whiplash}}''', but is presented much more sympathetically. Ironically Skyfire claims to not have seen that film until long after his chapters were written.
184	* OddFriendship: His eventual relationship with Stormfire has shades of this but is played straight, with the two genuinely seeming to like each other by the end of Storm’s training.
185	* ShellShockedVeteran: His inability to let go of the war and him being haunted by his brother’s death in combat is the result of PTSD.
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Context Characters / SoldierOfTheNight