I'm writing a story which features a Night Guard OC, and in it, the Night Guard often has a tougher job than the Royal Guard, as they often face racism and fear from ponies, most commonly from the rich/upper class/nobility, and also from the Royal Guard itself (although this latter is rare).

Is it plausible for trained soldiers to put up with these prejudices from citizenry, especially from upper class ponies? Has it ever happened in real life, in our world? How would I go about writing such prejudice realistically?

And considering that Luna is the one the Night Guard protects, how would she and Celestia deal with the prejudice against her soldiers? Would she try to enact laws to prevent this? What's stopping her from doing so?

Also, how would ponies be prejudiced against thestrals? I already have a rough idea, in that:

1. They are derided for being exclusively carnivorous, feeding on birds, rodents, etc.
2. Most ponies are more fearful/ skittish around thestrals, because of stories/hearsay/myth.
3. Related to the above, there is a lot of mystery and misconception surrounding thestrals, because most ponies don't interact with them often.

Is there anything that can be changed or added to the list above?

I mean you cpuld also tie it into the idea that thestrals fought alongsode nightmare moon if you wish to portray that. You could alternatively make it so that thestrals give of an aura that makes many other pinys naturaly affraid of them weither it be through there arnour there character or just as a whole. Night timr could make ponys skittish as they are diurnal (for the most part) and thestrals are mostly nocturnal.

The potrayal of racism is a little more complex do you make it so that theu fear thestrals so much that it shows in there behaviour or that they are openly hostile? How much do you want this racims to show ? Is it blind racism or does it have some form of grounds for it ?

Ponies are prey creatures and thestrals can appear almost predatory and the ponies are against the idea of other races.
also the appearance is really different so ponies would not act nicely especially nobles who do not like anything that isn't another noble

are they actuality equestrian citizens ie did they do a brake away government after they backed the wrong horse in a coup
this on is almost certainly not one to use this time, are they real or is it a uniform illusion like the day guard
one that may work better for you is were did they come from, dragon hybrid changed by discord or nightmare moon?
and lastly you dont need reasons. herd think "your different and therefore a threat" is not an unreasonable root level psychology for a herd herbivore

6385893
My idea is they are an offshoot of the main pony race and were granted citizenship and the opportunity to serve in the military during a period of conflict with gryphons or some other race. The nobles were reluctant, but the thestrals were effective nighttime soldiers, and their combat prowess was too good to pass up. Luna was the one who formed them into her personal Night Guard after this period.

6385871
Well, the alicorns that are supposed to represent all pony tribes have no bat-like elements we can see... so that's one possible source for it, too. Have them not be considered ponies at all, but bats first.

But most of it would be a regular fear of the unknown, really. The bat ponies would have to be doing something to actively maintain such an image, certainly in the setting of the show. Ponies do come around to strange things once they get to know them.

Can't really give more advice beyond the stuff I've done in stories myself, but that's the gist of it: take into account how pony society as a whole tends to act around strange things, get a good reason for why it's not adressed yet (blaming magic usually works) and make sure you work out how this parallel society actually functions. Are there only bat soldiers, or do they have bat bakers, bat barbers, bat smiths, bat singers? And if so, where are they hiding? If not, then who is providing them these services and why do these individuals not make it public? Those are the questions you'll want answered.

If it's mostly the higher-ups in society... why would you need a reason? They're jerks to everyone beneath them, it doesn't make the bat ponies special in that regard. A regular Royal Guard will get the same snobbiness thrown his way.

Also, please make sure you write an actual story with a plot. It's a real easy mistake to spend all your energy on a pitch, only to have it be deflated by

"Sounds like a great setting, but what's the plot?"

Edit: actually, the other option, the easiest one, is to make it about their history. Bat ponies and regular ponies had a conflict once, both sides did bad things, but the high society ponies are the ones still holding a grudge over it. Something along those lines is nice and easy, separates Night Guard from regular, lets you make some ponies be the bad guys while keeping it in line with show look and feel.

Honestly, look up Voetnam and the anti war movement. More oft than not, people of all kinds were very antagonistic towards the US soldiers, calling them all things like baby killers, gov dogs, trained killers etc etc.

Predatory appearance and fought alongside NMM are both solid. In my headcanon the thestrals also eat meat having to supplement their diet with game since I have them living inside forests with only small-scale agriculture along their rivers and streams that flow through them. They also have a penchant for guerilla warfare tactics that might be considered dishonorable to ponies.

My most recent story has a ton of headcanon on them you're welcome to if you can get past the genre.

6385896
In regards to bat pony society, my idea is that they have a relatively low population that's somewhat sequestered from mainstream pony society.

As mentioned in a reply of mine before yours, they were granted a sort of citizenship during a period of conflict, and even then, it was done so reluctantly on the part of the nobility. Their nature means that they take to military service easily, and serving in Luna's guard is actually a tradition among them, a sort of informal 'compulsory military service' they perform. I'm thinking this is done in part due to Luna having a hand in giving them a place in Equestrian society, limited as it is.

After this period, I think they have a choice to carry on serving, or head back to their homes. I think the thestral community would be similar to a bat colony, where multiple families congregate. The thestrals in charge will assign responsibilities to individuals based on merit and ability for the mutual benefit of the colony. Child rearing is probably a communal activity, in which foals are placed in creches and educated and cared for by matriarchs.

As to how they are treated by nobles, I agree with you that the Royal Guard would probably deal with the same BS as the thestrals do.

So I guess one way to adddress this problem would be to have thestrals put up with even more BS than the Royal Guard deal with. That is to say, if a Royal Guard (hypothetically) hands a parking ticket to a noble, said noble will grumble and complain, but pay the ticket eventually. But if a thestral does it, then it's suddenly a personal attack on them, the thestral's clearly abusing his authority, "my father will hear about this!", piss and moan, etc.

In other words, the nobles believe that the Royal Guards are loyal, stalwart soldiers, even if they're a pain in the flank, but the Night Guard are a barely restrained menace, always overstepping their authority and need more supervision and oversight than the ponies of the Royal Guard, despite the fact that they largely do the same jobs.

All this is just ideas, obviously, but I'd like help developing them further.

6385912
I stand by my previous remarks.

6385935
That's okay.

One problem I have is how would Luna deal with this prejudice against her soldiers and thestrals in general. I imagine she'd be upset that they are facing such problems.

One idea I have is that every attempt she or Celestia makes to alleviate their problems via legal channels is stymied by nobles in parliament. Obviously I'm trying to draw inspiration from real life, but I'm not sure if this scenario plausible enough.

6385871

There can be many reasons. I will list the ones I use myself.

First, thestrals just look creepy. Well, according to the usual ponies. Their predatory look unnerving for regular pony. As well as their diet (which includes meat... despite the fact that ponies ib my headcannon are as omnivorous as thestrals).

Second, if the enemy is afraid of you, then half of the victory is already yours. Because of that thestral actively support their reputation.

Third, not so widely known in my headcanon, is peculiar properties of their reproduction. Simple ponies have a chance to be born, into any of the three tribes. In thestral case, this will not happen. Any foal born in a mixed marriage will be pure-blooded thestral. And their offspring will never manifest features of any of the three tribes of ponies. The only reason why the three tribes of ponies not extinct lies in thestral isolationism.

The last significant cause is thestral magic. From time to time among them born foals exhibiting overwhelming magical potential, sometimes at a sufficient level to fight on equal terms with alicorn. And, unlike pegasi and earth ponies thestral are able to use this magic. But... not having the natural focus they have to use substitutes. The substitute they use is blood magic. It is natural that this form of magic creates such impression.

6385871 Regarding racism od an ethnic group in the military, look up the Harlem Hellfighters from World War I and what they had to deal with. Then look up the details of Vernon J Baker in World War II specifically during The Battle For Monte Casino.

6386187

Just looked up the Hellfighters; it's a fantastic example, though also tragic. In fact, the story of the Hellfighters lends itself well to the formation of the Night Guard, as I detailed earlier in this thread.

6386195 You could also go the route of having the Thestrals be a subspecies of Pegasus which developed after the unification of the three tribes so that the Ponies do not believe they are attuned to Harmony like the main three tribes. You could also association with Nightmare Moon (even better if the association was false and never happened). Have it be a malignant, intentional error on the part of a historian because of some personal grievance against Thestrals. You could even make it a belief that Thestrals are 'not made in the Princess' images' almost like a religious zealot mentality.

6386248
A false association to Nightmare Moon is very plausible indeed. That's definitely going in the story.

6386267 Glad I could provide an idea.

Is it plausible for trained soldiers to put up with these prejudices from citizenry.

I don't see why not. People have to put up with other people's shit all the time--and that's without years of military discipline and training.

Has it ever happened in real life, in our world?

Janissaries--the elite bodyguard of the Ottoman Empire--where originally Christian slaves kidnapped during various wars. Eventually, their prestige and discipline elevated them to a social status rivaling the native Turkish nobility. I would assume much to the chagrin of said nobility.

How would I go about writing such prejudice realistically?

You'd have to add depth to the reasoning. People would be prejudiced for different reasons. Some might buy into good old fashioned species superiority, some might fear them for their association with NMM, some might be doing it for political (funding the Royal Guard over the Night Guard) or practical (why have a costly separate Night Guard and not just merge them with the Royal Guard?) reasons, some might have had a bad experience or someone they knew had a bad experience and that's colored their opinion, and some might have a blending of multiple reasons.

Then, you have to have them act on it realistically. Only the most obvious assholes would do the obvious "racist" shtick. There's always going to be subtlety and layers to people's reactions. Everyone wears some kind of social mask when they're out in public.

And, you can always flip things around. Maybe someone sincerely believes they're helping the bat ponies--maybe by integrating them with the Royal Guard or increasing a sanitized PR campaign--when, in reality, it only reinforces the issues their facing. It's always good to mix up the standard plot points when you can to cast new light on a well-worn subject.

What's stopping her from doing so?

Canon's pretty much a void when it comes to Equestria's political system. I'm always fond of a Parliament to muddle the waters with politics, but there could be other avenues. Maybe the nobility hold far more power than canon lets on and they can thwart reform efforts thanks to a de-centralized Holy Roman Empire-esque system. Maybe the Privy Council holds clout and they restrict reform efforts. Maybe the courts have bound the Princesses hooves and they act more as figureheads than absolute rulers. Maybe, after NMM, in a bid to reassure the country, Celestia ceded most of her, and the diarchy's, authority.

And, of course, whatever you choose can be mined for plot. Maybe Luna's still used to the old absolute ways and has difficulty adapting to modern political norms. Maybe she even refuses to do so after seeing the situation her Night Guard's in, sparking a constitutional crisis--the choice is up to you on what you want to do.

changed or added to the list above?

I'd make them omnivores, not oblate carnivores. There's just too many genetic issues in having a pony species that can't digest plant material--not to mention the issues involved in sourcing all the meat. There needs to be roughly 100 prey animals per predator to sustain a predator-prey dynamic.

6389188
These are some great ideas here. Thanks in spades.

I was a bit reluctant to make them omnivores, since I figured doing so would just tread old ground, and I was tired of seeing thestrals eat fruits and insects all the time. A purely carnivorous diet (they eat frogs, rodents, birds, even bats) was one of the reasons I figured they face so much prejudice.

Maybe they also eat veggies for seasoning/flavor? We already do that in our world, and I suppose it gives them the full range of protiens and minerals they need. Maybe also roots/ tubers?

6385871
Are there any chapters out yet?

6396395
Still working on it. Should be done soon.

6396949
Ok thank you.

probably bat pony is divided nation:

1) Night guard Royal guard, night division. Night guard is disband by Celestia after NMM. Descendants of capital garrison of the night guard. Approximately 20%

2) Night guard. The order to disband will be made after approval by the Princess of the Night. А lot of troops on the borders of Equestria. Ignore Celestia and Canterlot, cooperate with local government. Approximately 70%

3) The descendants of the survivors who escaped from Equestria. Hate Celestia and Equestria. Approximately 10%.

The very warm relationship between the three groups makes ordinary racism a minor problem.