Timeline

I like lists. Timelines are like lists of events. Therefore, I like timelines.

It's said that if you write without a map, you'll never be able to make a map from your writing. So I made a map through time. In the interest of keeping myself consistent, I've constructed a timeline for the Near-future Ponyville series.

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Present-day—My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic

Major Reoccurring Character Ages
Sweetie Belle: 8
Scootaloo: 8
Apple Bloom: 9
Spike: 9
Applejack: 18

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(Loads of time)
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7 years—Fahr Drill

Main Character Ages

Rumble: 15
Pipsqueak: 15
Button Mash: 15
Featherweight: 16
Snips: 16
Snails: 16
Spike: 16
Big Mac: 27

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8 years—Lord Mayor Applejack, The Unmitigated Disaster

Main Character Ages

Applejack: 26
Celestia: 1,073 (Give or take)

Rumble: 16
Spike: 17
Featherweight: 17
Twilight Sparkle: 24

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9 years—Scootaloo Will Fly! (WIP), Nature in the Wild

Main Character Ages

Scootaloo: 17
Rumble: 17
Sweetie Belle: 17
Apple Bloom: 18
Spike: 18
Rainbow Dash: 25

Pipsqueak: 17
Button Mash: 17
Dinky: 18
Snips: 18
Twist: 19

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10 years—That Proverbial First Step (WIP)(1), Sugar, Snails, and What that Entails (Planning Stages)(2)

Main Character Ages

Sweetie Belle: 18
Button Mash: 18

Snails: 19
Twist: 20

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The timeline will be expanded going forward, but for now I just wanted to pull together a quick example of where the stories sit in relation to each other. I'll probably get off my butt and make a pretty graphic when I actually get the (heh) time.

1 <Button Mash and Sweetie Belle must travel to the griffon homeland and beyond to prevent the devious archaeologist Dr. Caballeron from opening Pandora's Box. Novel, Adventure, Romance>

2 <Snails goes through life with his head in the clouds. What’s he see up there that’s so interesting? Short Story, Slice of Life, Romance>

Comments

[Seether00]

Does this timeline intertwine with Background Ascension at all?

[MyHobby]

2351332

Does this timeline intertwine with Background Ascension at all?

Nope! The two series are 100% irreconcilable, and 100% separate!

Doesn't mean I'm not gonna keep writing Background Ascension, though. I've never been good at writing one story at a time. As soon as Blueblood's Ascension Part III ends (which is very soon) I'll be able to focus on Background Ascension a little more.

[Meridian Prime]

Wait, so RD and Twilight are 16 in FiM? That pretty much makes Celestia the most irresponsible teacher in existence.

[MyHobby]

2351884

Wait, so RD and Twilight are 16 in FiM? That pretty much makes Celestia the most irresponsible teacher in existence.

Firstly, in this series, I see "adulthood" (as in, being a productive member of the society/expected to have a job) being around sixteen, because it has that nifty medieval feel to it.

It kinda does show Celestia in a bad light, but that's sort of the way it works in Equestria. Younger kids are given pretty big responsibilities in their kingdom. Twilight, aside from being mature for her age (in some ways), very smart, and very powerful, has also earned every bit of trust Celestia's given her. It's only gotten stronger as the years have gone by.

Phenomenal cosmic powers, don'cha know.

Plus, our dearly beloved princess is not exactly perfect. She's gonna make occasional mistakes, which hopefully turn out as well as Twilight did.

I figure Princess Twilight is at least 18, giving that whole princess destiny thing a softer blow. If I don't assume that, it gives me pause.

But sixteen feels pretty right, given how she and Dash act during the first season. They're at the place where they have dreams and actively seek them, but still have a ways to go.

In the end, it's headcanon that doesn't have much pull on the stories, aside from giving myself a starting line.

[Meridian Prime]

2359184
Fair enough - as long as you can defend it with a reasonable argument, any headcanon is a good one. It's certainly an interesting explanation for their behavior.

[MyHobby]

2366920

Fair enough - as long as you can defend it with a reasonable argument, any headcanon is a good one. It's certainly an interesting explanation for their behavior.

I think way too hard about how their world works. I always try to have an answer for why I do this or that, otherwise it's too easy for folks to poke holes in it.

[Mobytums]

So these stories tie into events in later releases? I knew that your Blueblood's Ascension stories did, but that's a given what with their obvious relation. I like this!

I guess I'm just the kind of person that likes to be told what story to read and in what order.

Well, good sir...it's readin' tahm.

[MyHobby]

2495138

So these stories tie into events in later releases? I knew that your Blueblood's Ascension stories did, but that's a given what with their obvious relation. I like this!

These stories are all set within a cohesive, built-up world. Even if the stories aren't quite related to each other except in minor reference, they all contain elements of that world. It's a world that'll continue to be built up as time goes on and more stories get written.

That, and the characters tend to cross over. A minor character in one story could be major in another!

I guess I'm just the kind of person that likes to be told what story to read and in what order.

You an' me both, brudder. Though I can't count the times I've bought a book at a garage sale only to find that it's the second in a series. It leads to some interesting reading experiences.

Well, good sir...it's readin' tahm.

I hope you enjoy them, good gentleshark!