Soldier

The **Soldier** is a character in *Magical Girl Policy*. She lived in the Ardent Empire thousands of years ago and died in the Ardentia Civil War, but she is present in the Spirit Guard's visions. Her actual name is unknown, as it is rendered as the unintelligible "⊈⍝⎅⎅≭⌬ƥȜ" in the visions for unclear reasons. She was the lifelong bodyguard of the Princess, who she joined in a plan that ultimately led to the creation of the Spirit Guard. In the modern day, Mallory Drake is her reincarnation and successor.

## Appearance

The Soldier was tall and muscular with an imposing figure. She wore red armor marking her as a royal bodyguard and carried a large sword. She is assumed to resemble Mallory, as the Spirit Guard transformation alters the user's body to be closer to their predecessor's.

## Personality

The Soldier was trained from a young age to be a bodyguard to the Princess, and took her duties with deadly seriousness; one who carelessly approached the Princess risked being deemed a threat. She was apparently rather strong-willed, as even out of battle her determination would channel into her sword and electrically charge it. She was part of the Princess's plan to sabotage the survival of the Ardent Empire and create the means to protect Earth, but did so more out of loyalty to her charge than attachment to the plan itself.

## Abilities

The Soldier had an aura with tenacity as its primary component.

As an Ardentia trained in empathokinesis, the Soldier is assumed to have had a notable empathokinetic perception.

She was trained in combat empathokinesis, most notably using it to enhance her physical strength. She was also apparently learned in military tactics, as she collaborated with the Knight in planning the battle for the gateway to Earth.

She used a large sword as her weapon, which could conjure lightning in response to the emotions she channels. Her strong intoning of determination could make her sword's electrical charge appear even when she was not in combat.

The Soldier is assumed to have had the same set of empathokinetic powers as Mallory's Spirit Guard Tenacity form.

## Biography

### Background

The Soldier was born into a family that traditionally raised its members to be the Ardentia royal family's closest confidants. The Soldier was assigned to the Princess since the two were children, and was trained to serve as her personal bodyguard. At some point during the Ardentia Civil War, the Soldier agreed to aid the Princess in a secret plan to protect Earth from threats such as Platicore, the Other Power, and even the Empress, as the gateway to the planet with young peoples became the last remaining means of escaping the destruction of the Ardentia homeworld. The two were joined by the Scholar, Mender, and Shrine Maiden. After an assassination attempt on the Princess, the Soldier began sharing a room with her. The Shrine Maiden, not long after agreeing to the plan, was locked in an inquisition cell by the Church of the High Spirits for her unannounced return from the field to the capital city, but the Princess and Soldier show up to free her, with the Princess lying past Vice-Archon Liff in order to justify this sudden pardon and making the Maiden a lady-in-waiting to the Princess.

The plan to save Earth involved allowing the Empire to die, having the Shrine Maiden request the High Spirits to reincarnate the Princess's team as humans when their powers will be needed, and the Scholar creating powerful foci to be used by said humans. During the final battle for the gateway, the Princess's team was paired with the Knight's as the last line of defense while the Empress fought Platicore directly and the Atsah on Earth were completed their side of the gateway. The Soldier and Knight worked to together to create the battle strategy. The Mender created a barrier around the gateway while the Scholar placed the foci within the iris and worked to sever the link between the Empire and Earth, with the others fighting off enemies and turning impatient Ardentia away, claiming the warp was not yet ready. The battle devolved into chaos when the ruse was discovered and the Other Power approached. The Scholar successfully disabled the warp, but Platicore broke through the barrier at the last moment and was the only one to make it to Earth. The Princess's team was killed by the Empress for their insurrection, and everyone else is assumed to have died in battle or to the Other Power.

Thousands of years later, the team's reincarnations are born, with the Soldier succeeded by Mallory Drake. During her freshman year of college at Schuyler Adamson University, Mallory used a focus left by the Scholar to become Spirit Guard Tenacity and protect Earth using powers inherited from the Soldier, learned of her past life, and experiences events from her predecessor's life in visions.

While Angela was still on the SAU Cheerleading Team, Mallory had a vision of the Soldier and Princess that helped her realize how burdened Angela actually was, which spurred Mallory to tell Angela about how bad of an influence having Cammy as friend has been on her.

### Week 5

Robynne has a vision of the Shrine Maiden being freed from her cell by the Princess and Soldier.

## Relationships

### Princess's team

The Soldier was assigned to be the Princess's personal bodyguard since the two were children and was constantly at her side. The Soldier had the Princess's safety as her utmost concern, and would start sharing a room with her to fend off potential enemies. The Soldier's loyalty had her agree to the Princess's plan to protect Earth despite being the least invested among the team. She is not known to have had strong personal connections to the Scholar, Mender, or Shrine Maiden, but as the Princess's bodyguard she was familiar with her charge's friends. The Knight also cooperated with them, working with the Soldier to strategize the protection the gateway to Earth, but was not told of their true goals.

### Empress

The Soldier is assumed to have had some loyalty to the Empress as a member of the military, but her devotion to the Princess was strong enough to betray her ruler. This opposition was presumably kept secret, but its discovery during the battle for the gateway to Earth ultimately led to the Empress killing the the Princess's team, but their plan succeeded in dooming the Empress to die on the Ardentia homeworld.

### Mallory Drake

Thousands of years after the Soldier's death, the Princess's team's request to be reincarnated as humans when their powers are needed is granted, with Mallory succeeding the Soldier. Mallory inherited part of her predecessor's soul, including the Investiture, as well as several empathokinetic abilities, though she was unaware of any of this at first. Using a Spirit Stick left by the Scholar, Mallory becomes Spirit Guard Tenacity, a form that lets her access the Soldier's powers and instincts. After transforming for the first time, Mallory sometimes receives visions of the Soldier's life in her sleep.