So I had an epiphany for Feathered Hearts last night... · 7:42pm Sep 19th, 2022
But I’ll get to that in a second. First, I’d like to once again warmly welcome new readers to the story, and thank everyone who gave feedback. There were plenty of posts along with a lot of discussion and even some outright debate in the comment section. All I ask with regards to the latter is to please keep it civil.
With regards to that debate...
It’s about whether humanity (and chiefly the USA) could fly/drive heavy bombers or other large military assets through the portal. I’m going to end that debate by saying: no, that’s not possible. By my canon, 1) the portal isn’t big enough, 2) it doesn’t allow for vehicle passage, which would fry any active electronics, and 3) Equestrian wards would instantly detect and block any contraband, which does include things like gunpowder or radioactive material. However...
That is not to say that a smaller-scale intervention can’t happen, and as there is a huge clamor for it, it eventually will. But keep in mind, folks: I have to keep this story at least halfway grounded in reality (or at least, the reality of the AU), so no, you’re not going to be seeing aircraft carriers, armored divisions and air wings deployed. As for what you will see?
Well. You’ll have to wait to find out, but I am researching it with the help of my military vet prereaders. 
Even so, you’d need a well-connected organizational genius on this side of the portal to make it happen, to stand up the necessary logistics train so that additional human forces can get into the fight in enough time for it to matter...
Before you get too excited, remember that the war is barely a day old at this point, and humanity is only just starting to learn that something might be wrong across the portal. So you’re going to have to wait a bit for this to happen. But don’t worry—there will be plenty of things the Marines can do in the meantime, even without reinforcements. And other races yet to enter the fight.
And as for my epiphany...
It happened while I was out walking, regarding how the Griffons in Aricia actually learned that our heroes were at Lake Languid. And it makes perfect sense; far more than how I was originally planning to explain that. You can expect it to be worked into what’s coming, which I don’t think I’m spoiling to say will be an absolutely epic battle with not one but two twist endings.
It’s a very good sign that I’m actually looking forward to writing it. It’s an even better one that this has become a story that writes itself—that tells me what it wants and what to do. It happened in the chapter before this latest one, when I ended up modifying my own writing plans not just mid-chapter but mid-sentence when I realized—much as Gilda did—that they’d be killed if they went through with their original plan and proceeded to Yoke, and why. That forced me to think and come up with a new plan on the fly, and Gilda’s thought processes there directly reflected my own.
I’m glad, as it gave us a much richer environment in Lake Languid and a dug-in defense on the slopes of an abandoned Changeling Hive from which human and griffon alike can shine. And now, it’s happened again with this latest revelation I had, which just turned my plans for the place on its head.
But so be it. I’ve found that sticking to the plan isn’t as important as simply having a plan to start, and then letting it evolve as you go. Even if you do something you didn’t originally mean to, it’s fine as long as it’s a natural progression that sprung out of your story.
So when can we expect the next chapter?
Not right away. 
I appreciate that folks are hungry for more, but I have to keep a promise to finish off the closing chapter of Harmonic Resonance first, and October will be mostly given over to writing Unleash the Magic in the runup to Halloween. I will be working on C&C when I need a break from clop, however, just as happened here.
So your patience is appreciated, along with your enthusiasm, folks. And if you’d like something else of mine to read in the meantime, I again invite you to check out my completed two Firefly stories, which I honestly think are the best war epics on Fimfiction, detailing the Great Pony/Gryphon War from seven centuries past that’s been mentioned repeatedly in C&C.
If you haven’t read them, check them out. Their half-million combined words are full of interesting characters and lore along with spectacular battle sequences. They should keep you busy for a bit. And sorry to keep plugging them, folks, but I think they’re woefully under-read for how good they are.
There is a saying:
Plans are nothing. Planning us everything.
I am rather random writing things. A rough script is there but I have to work a lot harder to get to your quality.
Looking forward to your next updates
I can only recommend reading the storys.
I loved them ♡
And let's be honest, stories that employ this are numerous to the point of being cliché. I completely agree that we need to stay grounded in the internal consistency of this alternate reality.
In Ukraine, they were, and still are, receiving up-to-the-minute info on everything Russia is doing but this required years of collaboration taking place between both the US and Ukraine. It's just not politically - to say nothing of logistically - possible to send so much as a Humvee to the GK from the other side of the Atlantic that came from the portal in Equestria, that came from some American base in the Pacific, that came from CONUS in a day or two after finding out about the war. This is quite a different thing from writing in gemstones that can carry tons of automatic rifles and ammunition.
It's still scary to jump out into the wild blue yonder and have events begin to change massive chunks of your original plan the way Equestria Mystery Dungeon is doing to me. I know no plan survives first contact with the enemy but this is just getting stressful!
Oh right. For anyone wondering, I am writing Equestria Mystery Dungeon again.
Your friends are with you, Aragorn. We will last this night.
I agree that your Firefly stories are underread.
8 year US Army vet here. If you need any insight just let me know.