Reflection on a Past Series, and a Glimpse at a Future One · 5:09pm Aug 1st, 2023
Hello everyone!
To be honest, I don't have a good reason to be making this blog post. I try not to talk about stories I'm working on before they're ready, but considering how long it has been since I last left off with the series I am about to talk about, I figured it would be appropriate to give an update on what I'm working on.
As many of you know, I got my start here a bit over a year ago working on the Royal-Tea Series. I've been a part of this community since about 2012, and the groundwork for the series started in my head all the way back then when Princess Celestia was still this mysterious, larger-than-life figure. Exploring her character in ways that the show didn't was the basis for my idea back then, and this remained largely unchanged even as the years went on and she and Luna got way more fleshed out. I didn't write for many years due to some confidence issues in my ability to write at a level of quality that I would be happy with, but now that I've done so, I believe that even with the many stories I have created since, the Royal-Tea Series is my magnum opus.
I told the story I wanted to tell. It's a story about the reader and Celestia falling in love and enduring all sorts of trials and tribulations together, ultimately culminating in their showdown with the First. However, more than that, it serves as a reflection of the lessons that I myself learned as I experienced this wonderful community throughout the years. Themes of belonging, existence, purpose, potential, regret, change, and of course, friendship, are all important to me, and I wanted to convey those themes in a similar (albeit less heavy-handed) manner to the show. I don't mean to toot my own horn, but I feel good about the finished product.
Thus, we move on to where the Royal-Tea Series canon officially left off. As some of you may know (and more of you probably don't), Posteri-Tea is the official epilogue to the series, and it introduces the reader and Celestia's daughter, Hopeful Skies, while establishing that the couple has a second child on the way. However, there is one more story that takes place after this epilogue, even if I didn't mark it as a sequel. That story is Delicate Sky, which follows Hope as she realizes the changes that are about to occur in her life following the birth of her earth pony brother, Passing Comet. This story is what I want to address here.
Compared to many of my other works, it went somewhat under the radar. This is fine, of course, as I don't write stories for the sake of popularity. Plus, by not marking it as a sequel to Posteri-Tea, I may have caused some confusion regarding the context surrounding the story. That said, I do not regret this decision, as Delicate Sky is the starting point for my next long-form series.
This next series, tentatively titled the "Passing Skies Series," has been on my mind for a long time. I've been doing a lot of work behind the scenes establishing the overarching narrative, what events should go where, and so on. I've written out several key scenes across a few of the stories to come, and I am very excited to share the finished product with you all... eventually. It is nowhere near ready for me to share, but I am excited to be working on it all the same. Like the Royal-Tea Series, it has been on my mind for a few years, and it has been a joy finally putting my ideas to paper.
The series will, predictably, focus on Hopeful Skies, the shapeshifting half-alicorn, half-human daughter of the reader and Celestia, as well as her earth pony brother, Passing Comet, as they experience the joys, confusion, and sorrow of growing up. I will admit that I am a bit trepidatious about sharing this series. Not only am I employing some narrative ideas that I'm not used to, like telling stories from the perspective of children, but the series is ultimately darker than a lot of what I typically publish. That's not to say there is excessive gore or death or anything like that, nor am I saying that there won't be plenty of fun/comical antics to be had, but the themes and morals that I want to convey are a lot heavier than what you all might be used to seeing from me. However, to me, this idea is something I can't keep to myself forever. It's a story deeply personal to me, and I feel that it needs to be told.
Of course, for now, I still have other stories that I am working on. Once Stoking the Flames is completed, I have quite a few more ideas I want to get through before finally tackling the Passing Skies Series, so I won't provide a date or anything. Otherwise I'd just be setting us all up for disappointment, hehe. 
So... yeah, that's the current state of things. As always, thank you for your time, and remember to be kind to one another!
Good to hear! As a huge fan of yours, I feel kind of ashamed I haven’t read the Royal-Tea series, so I guess now is as good as time as any!
Keep up the good work, Runic! You’ll always have a fan right here!
I still need to finish up the Royal Tea series honestly, but I can't wait to see where the sequel goes. I understand how you feel about making a new series with new story elements your not familiar with, I'm doing much the on my own end so I wish you the best and I know with your writing it will turn out great.
Well the main focus on the Mane 6, there's other creatures that didn't get the time to shine. Even beyond the lands of Equestria. Maybe a thousand words slice of life stories.
For those of you are a most fan favorite background character out there, give them a role to play.
- MLP: FiM
- Romance
- Comedy
- Slice of Life
Derpy has something really, really important that she needs to do tonight! Uhh... what was it again?- MLP: FiM
- Romance
- Comedy
- Slice of Life
Everyone knows that Cadance is the "Princess of Love." You have a few issues with that.- MLP: FiM
- Romance
- Comedy
- Slice of Life
When "The Great and Powerful" Trixie asked you to be in a relationship with her, you were absolutely ecstatic. However, it doesn't take long for you to realize what the consequences of such a relationship really are.- MLP: FiM
- Romance
- Comedy
- Slice of Life
The Dragon Lands are extremely dangerous, especially for someone soft and squishy like you. At least there's one dragon willing to keep you from getting burned.Any other MLP characters will get their moment.
Most importantly of all, enjoy it. Enjoy doing what you are passionate about and all will be alright.