Name: Valerian (Prince)

Nicknames: Val, Eri (mostly by his sister)

Parents: Flash Sentry, Twilight Sparkle

Age: 17

Body/Appearance:
Valerian is about average height for a stallion, but he is more on the thin side. He takes good care of himself and always seems to be very clean. No one has asked him about this- some assume it’s to impress mares, others; to uphold his image as a prince- the truth is, he just can’t stand dirt and clutter. His mane and tail are both really soft and his friends and family often touch it or muss it up to tease him. (Deep down he feels a small twinge of satisfaction that others take notice of his grooming, but would never say so.)

Personality:
The best way to describe Valerian would be “no-nonsense.” To the extreme, he can be an antisocial recluse, totally absorbed in his work. He doesn’t hate other ponies; he would just rather be doing something other than socializing or participating in trivial activities. Those who don’t know him well may think him to be cold-hearted and selfish, but he does care about helping those in need, which does through herbal remedies instead of kind words. He has fairly high confidence in himself and those who dared to bully the son of Princess Twilight about his interests or body shape eventually gave up because he wouldn’t even show the slightest signs of being bothered. He sees nothing wrong with having hobbies that are considered more feminine.

Relationships:
At first, Flash Sentry was concerned that his son was looking at flowers and butterflies and staying inside and reading instead of being outside and playing with the other colts, and that his physique was hindering him from doing so. He eventually learned to accept it when he realized it was truly what made Valerian happy. Twilight never had a problem with it, until she decided it was time for Valerian to start learning more spells, and he didn’t seem interested. With his mother’s constant persuasion, he obliged and learned various spells with ease. Twilight doesn’t understand how a unicorn wouldn’t want to learn all about magic, especially one as gifted as Valerian, but she’s patient with him and hopes he’ll develop more of an interest later in life. He learns a new spell occasionally, as he figures it might come in handy and he knows it makes Twilight happy.

Though Val and Dawn often disagree as siblings do, they're very close with each other. Dawn admires how dedicated and intelligent her brother is, and Valerian appreciate's his little sister's curiosity and friendliness, and helps her through her problems (that involve more logical solutions.)  

Valerian wasn't particularly interested in making friends and is typically very self-dependent, but he eventually grew used to his current group and says that they're "tolerable," which they know means he actually sometimes enjoys their company. Dovetail and Lionheart are the most similar to his own personality, so he often talks to them, about more serious matters, but Magna, Kite, and Oasis help Valerian to have fun and be more social.  

There was a point in which Valerian had a big crush on Oasis, but had no idea what to do, and one day in a rush of too much emotion, he kissed her (or whatever the pony equivalent of that is.) Oasis didn't really like Val in that way, but she helped him feel less embarrassed about it and they moved on in friendship. Valerian still likes her, but he's buried it deep inside so as to not humiliate himself or put Oasis in that position again. 

Val enjoys seeing his cousins... usually. Orizzonte is kind of like a rough but loving older sister, and Lance and Radiance like learning from Val. He's not very experienced with somewhat younger ponies (besides his sister), so sometimes Radiance's energy can be a bit much for him. 

He often meets with Zecora, as he greatly respects her knowledge of natural cures. 

Talents/Abilities/Cutie Mark:
Though Valerian is quite gifted in magic, he sees it more as an asset and part of who he is rather than something to study and explore. At a young age, he took an interest in biology, and a bit later, began to focus on flowers and other plants. He discovered through reading that he could help others by using plants. He got his cutie mark when he used valerian root to help Dawn get some sleep when she was sick, which both his parents greatly appreciated. It became one of his favorite plants, as it is his namesake and both beautiful and helpful.

 Some say Val has the ability to give the death stare. When ponies make comments about his cutie mark or bother his friends, or say something completely illogical, his cold, piercing glare is often enough to make them reconsider what they've said. (It's way more intense when he's wearing his glasses.)