Brief poll, plus fanart (in a non-visual medium) · 4:27pm Mar 9th, 2015
So I've been surfing the MLP subreddit and came across a pic by an artist whose canon I adore, specifically as it relates to Rarity, Spike, and their eventual life together. Siansaar has created a fascinating hybrid creature--the dracony--that I rather like as a concept, so I'm contemplating making it canon for the NLL universe. Normally I don't poll for opinions (see: Glitter Shell), but in this case, it seems a tad unfair to just shuffle a potentially disruptive new element into the timeline without giving the fans of said timeline the chance to voice their opinion in one direction or another.
Make no mistake, if I like the idea enough, I'll make it part of the world regardless of the response here, but I do like to hear what people think, and I'm interested in any discussion on the matter.
These blogs need a [-snip-] function for situations just like this, to hide long walls of text behind a cut. Anyway.
Additionally, River Road was kind enough to write a song as fanart for the story, and I have recreated it below (with some difficulty, since formatting doesn't copy/paste 
):
To the tune of Taylor Swift's Shake it Off
The different voices are in different formats by speaker:
Silver Spoon
Scootaloo
(AB and SB)
[DT]
I don’t have what it takes
Got nothing in my brain
That’s what ponies say
That’s what ponies say
I am out of reigns
Impossible to tame
At least that’s what ponies say
That’s what ponies say
But I keep moving
Running, flying, scooting
Got a thousand blueprints
In my mind
And I know I will be alright
And one day I’ll make all ponies fly (fly fly)
Be it earth ponies or pegasi (si si)
You just gotta have some faith and try (try try)
You just add it up
Add it up
This is gonna be my greatest show (show show)
And I’m gonna teach you all I know (know know)
You will see how far us two can go (go go)
If we add it up
Add it up
Now just follow my lead
If they don’t want to see
How awesome you can be
We will make them see
I’ve felt so alone [you will be alone]
Thought I was on my own [we are on our own]
I just didn’t know,
Know where I could go
But now I’m moving
Won’t take more abusing
Getting all these new friends
By my side
Saying, "It's gonna be alright."
And we’re gonna make all ponies fly (fly fly)
Be it earth ponies or pegasi (si si)
I just gotta have some faith and try (try try)
We just add it up
Add it up
We are gonna ace this stupid test (test test)
We are gonna be the very best (best best)
No more slacking off, no time to rest (rest rest)
We just add it up
Add it up
Add it up, add it up
We, we, just add it up, just add it up
We, we, just add it up, just add it up
We, we, just add it up, just add it up
“Diamond Tiara, what's the Ponythagorean theorem?”
“What?”
“Oh Luna… It’s you. You’re the one who made me think I needed you.”
"Yer sick, you know that?"
"Get out! Get out of my house, get out of my face, get the BUCK out of my life!"
"Why? Why did you have to say that?"
"You...you agree with her, don't you?"
Ooooh-ooh
Just a single word is what it takes (takes takes)
And you watch the world around you break (break break)
And the feeling that you just can’t shake (shake shake)
That it won't add up, won’t add up
When there’s nothing you can do or say (say say)
And you watch your best friends turn away (way way)
You have lost your chance to make them stay (stay stay)
And it won’t add up, won’t add up
Add it up, add it up
You try try, to add it up, add it up
You try to just add it up, add it up
And you know it won’t add up, won’t add up
It's you're story do what you think is best.
scootaloo
Why is No Longer Lost a universe now? Can't it's stories just be nice what if stories? I see too many universes going around.
Though, I am hoping for more of, "The Most Unlikely Places". It's a fun read.
After looking through everything Lavender-related I could find, I have accepted her as my new overlord tyrant. May her enemies fall before her cuteness.
As for entering the story, I don't mind. As long as the updates keep coming.
2862744 - what's wrong with universes?
I think you can do that with the [page_break] tag.
2862744
When I develop a fanon universe, it will generally be consistent. You'll be able to know what characters to expect, how they're supposed to act, what the other characters think of them, and so on. Most of the time, it doesn't really matter, especially where one-shot fics are concerned, but the NLL continuity is 3.5 stories long (two of which are unpublished in their long form), and it's important that the universe stays consistent. Not to you, maybe, but very much to me. After all, if I make reference to Mr. Cake trying to get Scootaloo taken away from her parents in TMUP, anyone who doesn't know TMUP is in the NLL continuity is going to call bullshit because in the show canon, the Cakes are decent ponies. They aren't in the NLL universe. Same with other fanon-specific points of reference, like who is with whom and so on. It's important to me, anyway, that my readers have those points of reference, because the NLL world is very large, very deep, and complex. It would seem a shame to let that complexity languish, and it would be cumbersome to have to explain the nuances of the world every time I mention a non-canon element (Glitter, for example).
To counterpoint, these stories aren't really AU, either, because they don't alter things which are already canon (except for a few names, Octavia's in particular), but just add to the existing canon with, as you said, a little bit of "What if?" In any event, if I want to write a non-NLL fic, I'll be able now to just mention in the description of NLL fics that they're in the NLL universe, and everything else is outside of it.
I'd really have to see how "draconies" are introduced into the story and what purpose they serve before I can say which side of the fence I am on.
Then again like Scootaloo96 said, it's your fic do whatever the hell you want to do with it.
As long as I get more chapters of TMUP I'm still relatively happy.
I think... you might not like some of the reactions you get to introducing "draconies."
I'll read almost anything as long as it's compelling but lots of people react poorly to it. Especially since the "dracony" is, nine times out of ten, created to facilitate Sparity. Which is probably the most controversial ship that doesn't involve Flash Sentry.
Edit: if you must, please please change the name. That word is just... ugh.
It's a shame "Draconequs" is taken, really.
I'd prefer it if you didn't. I've never really liked the spike/rarity ship (I think it's the age difference). But it's your story and you can do what you want, i'm not going to stop reading if you do it.
2864274
2863116
I'm a little surprised. I didn't realize Sparity was going to be the sticking point, rather than the introduction of a non-canon species. If I might ask, what ship do you usually give Rarity, if not Spike?
2862968
Why only relatively happy?
2865815 well given that Spike is a child, almost anyone but Spike.
2865815
I tend to be cautious about non cannon species as well (and even some cannon ones such as breezies), however it tends to be a matter of execution rather than concept as long as it's not to outrageous. I typically don't ship rarity much, but pretty much anyone other than spike. I also am not a huge fan of way to much same sex partnerships in stories. Don't get me wrong i'm definitely ok with same sex stuff, but not every character in a story needs to be gay.
Awww... I have to say, I'm a bit disappointed about the lack of feedback.
3007319
Yeah, it's a pretty common problem on Fimfic, unfortunately. Granted, it's a problem everywhere, but generally speaking, people don't really provide feedback to artistic pursuits online. I suspect most people just don't realize how important even a simple sentence like "I really liked [their favorite part] because [reason]" can be to an artist.
3012470
*nods and hugs* I know that problem very well.
3012470
Well, I'll go ahead and give more feedback if it is still open to it.
I would be 'alright' with the addition of the species, if it fits the workings of the story. It is your work, you do what you feel you need for it to flourish. It's the same with my reaction to the Apple family being somewhat opposed to same-sex couples as a ideological pov. I accept it for the fic, but not necessarily agree with it at all. In my head, AJ/RD are the closest to official as ships of the M6 go, but I can shove my fanboy-rage mentality aside for a good story.
That said, the reason I would not be smiling at the idea is the reason others have pointed out. The Sparity ship. I despise it. I outright hate it. It's not just the age, but the concept of it all around. I will admit a good portion of this is my general dislike of Spike. I've never been a fan of the character from Season 1 on. Every time they make an episode that centers around him it clamors for last place on my list of enjoyed episodes with all the other Spike centered episodes. Because of this, anything that might 'legitimize' the ship is automatically cast negatively in my mind.
I will admit to enjoying a bit of the art related to it, such as this one, only because Motherhood did a lot for Rarity. Still ,a piece of me dies every time I enjoy one of those images. :P
Just my 2 cents. Either way, I'll keep reading. ^^