The Day Equestria Stood Still FAQ's · 2:23pm May 5th, 2015
Prologue:
Q&A 1: Why does it sound similar to the Greek Myths of the Gods and Titans as well as other references? Why do they sound very "mary-sue" or "gary-stu"?
Well, before some asks, who are the four alicorns and the subject of stating "they are mary-sue's or gary-stu's", I want to first state that these alicorns are immortal but not invincible. Before writing the story, I created the characters first, in which I gave them specific skill sets, representations, etc. Their power is no-were god-like, for each of them have their flaws. In addition this is one of 7 stories so I will introduce each one in different stories, to have readers understand them a little bit better.
Q&A 2: Who is speaking?
The character who is speaking is one of the Creator's guardians, Timaeus, Master of Time. He will be revealed later in this story as well as the sequel.
Q&A 3: What references do they have other than Mythologies?
When i write a story, I always start off with character creation and be as detailed as possible (yes, i am extremely detailed). Example, the four alicorns of darkness have a biblical reference to the "Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse". In addition, if you count the syllables in Armageddon, Revelation, and Apocalypse, you'll notice there are four syllables. And if you count how many horsemen were there, their are four; Famine, War; Conquest; and Death. I can go on further, however I may add all the details on my deviantart group page, for better explanation.
Chapter 1:
Q&A 1: Is this alicorn an alien?
Well, you could say both yes and no; however there are two reasons for that. One, he was imprisoned outside Equestria by the Master of Space, due to how intelligent he is. By that, the Guardians and the Creator felt, if he and his brothers were imprisoned in Tartarus, this alicorn would orchestrate a jail break. Instead of imprisoning him in Tartarus, he was put in isolation to prevent such an attempt. Two, for those who enjoy sci-fi will understand that Extra-terrestrials are known to be highly intelligent than man, so this alicorn is known to be the intelligent one. (HINT: Out of the eight alicorns i mentioned in the prologue, this alicorn is the Element of Intelligence).
Q&A 2: Why the meteors?
The meteors act as "beacons", because due to his imprisonment, he has become weak, corrupting his focus as well as his memory (without brain food, you can't function). Also, while he was summoning this type of magic, you'll notice he needed time to recuperate (One reason why these alicorns are not gary-stu's. Like his brothers and the guardians, using ancient magic drains there power quickly, making them quite vulnerable. Yes, they are unlike the unicorns and alicorns we see in the series).
Q&A 3: What does Winter Wrap-Up have to do with this?
The reason why I wanted the story to take place at that time was because this alicorn represents fire and (from what I read) most meteor showers happen at the same time in a single year. In this case, I chose the month of the end of Winter and the beginning of Spring.
Chapter 2:
Q&A 1: How big was the meteor shower?
The meteor shower spread all over Equestria. The big chunks of magic, multiplied and enlarged themselves into large rocks. Once they crashed down, they became crystallized.
Q&A 2: Why did the crystal decay and explode?
Serving as beacons, the Crystal scans the location to identify if the area is hostile. If hostile, It will destroy itself, by exploding. To further understand the purpose of the crystals, this alicorn wants to make sure where he lands, he's not caught off guard. (HINT: You will understand why he doesn't like being distracted).
Q&A 3: What is the Crystal Empire's role in this?
The Crystal Empire, was once a Temple. Yes..........a Temple, for this alicorn. And once the crystal destroyed itself, the alicorn knew the Temple was converted into a Castle by its successors. (HINT: A longer history behind the Crystal Empire would be revealed later in the trilogy.)
Chapter 3:
Q&A 1: Why the dramatic/creepy entrance for the alicorn?
I wanted to give readers the suspense on what is going to happen. The character is supposed to "strike fear" towards the ponies because of his dark appearance.
Q&A 2: What happened to the guards in the beginning? Did they die?
No worries, no pony dies. They are just knocked out unconscious. A common thing you'll see from this alicorn.
Q&A 3: Who is the Archivist and why was she arrested?
The Archivist plays a massive role within the trilogy. For Halo fans, she may strike a resemblance to the Forerunner, Librarian and her will to assist the Master Chief. In this case, but rather not ruin the rest of the story; she will be close to Twilight on her travels, as well as revealing secrets to her and her alone. In this story, she was arrested, because the Princesses, pressured by the event thought this was some kind of a preemptive strike and felt she was involved as the "bait". So yeah, you could say the Princesses were panicking to a point where their lack of judgement kicked in.
Chapter 4:
Q&A 1: Zecora? How many characters are you bringing in? Why?
EVERYPONY! YES! EVERYPONY! That is mainly because Equestria will face one of its original conquerors and will take almost everypony to take him down. SPOILER: The Gryphon Kingdom will also get involved later in the trilogy.
Q&A 2: Khaoios? Tell us more about him?
Khaoios is the third brother of the original rulers, and is known as the Element of Intelligence. Now, Khaoios along with the Artifact that he possesses, is a reference to the Greek Titans Prometheus and Coeus. Both were known to be the Titan Gods of Intelligence. The Artifact, which is obviously a torch, represents Knowledge (Fire is the key natural resource for engineering and was heavily used in earliest civilizations). Now, science fiction-wise, Khaoios is also a reference to the villain Khan from the Star Trek Series (Original and 1982's Wrath of Khan). Other references are Smaug from the Hobbit, and Ur-Didact from Halo. Of course, in the Prologue on how the alicorns of darkness represent the Four Horseman, Khaoios represents the Horseman of Conquest and from the four elements of life, he represents fire.
Q&A 3: Strangely he didn't attack both Princesses until a couple of lines later. Why did he delay himself?
As mentioned in the beginning, Khaoios is not powerful physically, but mentally. He studies his opponents, so he can locate a weak spot, and once he finds it, then he attacks, leaving his opponent in shock. Also, the eight alicorns use ancient spells which drains there power much faster than standard level magic used by unicorns and alicorns in the series. In this case, Khaoios monologues while recuperating at the same time.
Chapter 5:
Q&A 1: The Princesses were defeated and Khaoios is no where to be found. Where did he go?
Well, as I mentioned before, Khaoios needs to recuperate after a battle. Since he's not a "brute-force" type of character, he needs to retreat and plan his next moves before he could proceed any further. Think of him as a military strategist who plans moves first, then commences attacks.
Q&A 2: This is perhaps the first time we've seen Twilight become somewhat enraged to a point she wants vengeance. Why did you do that?
I did that because through this trilogy, the survival of Equestria will depend on her decisions and her decisions alone. You could say she's being tested, but this is more of "if the Princesses were not there, how would you handle this global situation". Of course, you could say she dealt with something similar with the Everfree forest, but this one is more of a global matter.
Q&A 3: The Archivist mentions Tirek and Khaoios. Have they met before?
Secretly, Tirek and his brother Scorpan were in Equestria, twice........yes twice. The first time, Tirek and Scorpan tried to infiltrate Equestria, but were defeated almost to death by the four alicorns. Deeply wounded from battle, Scorpan begged the alicorns to spare Tirek's life and his own. Rarely do they do that, they alicorns spared there life, under one condition. That condition was to never return to Equestria. Accepting the condition, they left Equestria. In addition to leaving, there memories were wiped clean by Timaeus, a week after they were defeated, by order of the queen (and a week after that was the battle between the Guardians and the Original Rulers). The Second time, they appeared was of course during the time were Scorpan alerted the Princesses of Tirek which resulted in his imprisonment.
Q&A 4: The Archivist seems to know a lot on what's going on? What's her secret?
Her secret, she is the Archivist, who is put in charge of classified records of Equestria's past. Why she won't reveal it is because by order of the Guardians and Creator, it would be better off left hidden to avoid future conflicts.
Chapter 6:
Q&A 1: So now that the Archivist is free, and Khaoios is reported to be attacking Cloudsdale. However, when Rainbow Dash realizes her birthplace was untouched, she returns to Ponyville. What occurred there?
Khaoios commonly "baits" his opponents. In other words, he knew about the Wielders of Friendship, but he wanted to observe each one of them. After noticing Rainbow Dash's element, it gave him the opportunity to think on how to attack them, even if that means working on one specific pony.
Q&A 2: Khaoios attacks Ponyville and the Mane Six use there Rainbow Powers on him, but end up failing. How is that possible. We thought the magic of friendship can overcome evil?
True. However, not everything is invincible. You'll see that throughout the trilogy, that Khaoios and his brothers understand friendship and that teamwork can not only succeed, but fail as well. He knows its power and its drawbacks, which he was able to block it, using an ancient spell. Unfortunately with the assistance of the Archivist, Khaoios was knocked into the Everfree forest. Knowing that the short battle resulted in a draw, Khaoios was forced to pull back after suffering heavy damage. After getting hit, you'll notice that he found there power quite unsuspecting.
Q&A 3: Now you bring in Daring Do? What's her role in the story?
Well, although she may be an archealogiest, tomb raider, writer, etc. it is revealed that in one of her adventures, she stumbles upon a fortress which wasn't an actual fortress, but a basilica. The basilica she entered once housed one of the ancient libraries of Equestria. It was also the location on where the Master of Time used to reside. You could say this library is a reference to the Ancient Library in Constantinople.
Q&A 4: Kinda weird that Khaoios gave them five days to find a way to defeat him. Most villians would demand something, like information, an object, etc.
Yes. That's the twist. Besides looking up information about how to defeat them, he was basically telling them, find information about him and the rest of Equestria's history. You'll noticed the truth at the end.
Chapter 7:
Q&A 1: Now we have Doctor Hooves, Doctor Cabaleron and now this Unknown Pegasus General? How does the Archivist know about them?
Spoiler revealed: they are the Secret Apprentices of the Guardians. There task is not only to act normal around ponies, but to monitor there progress. More info on them will be reveal throughout the series.
Q&A 2: San Palamino Desert? Sounds similar to the ancient Egyptians?
That was the intention. San Palamino Desert has a secret, that lies 2000 feet below the surface, to be fully isolated from the surface.
Q&A 3: Khaoios has taken control of Manehattan. Why would you choose that?
Well, I'm actually from New Jersey and been around New York City myself, but I added that because of its size. Not to mention, its calmly seen in certain films where New York City has been the key area for action films.
Chapter 8:
Q&A 1: Cadance hears voices when she leaves the Princesses room. Who is it and why did he call her by her real name?
The Master of Time was the one speaking to Princesses Cadance and in respect, both the Guardians and the Original Rulers address a pony by there full name, NEVER by there nickname. Although agree with it, she kept what she heard to herself.
Q&A 2: Now the Temple of Inception? First off, what is it? Second, why do you mention Temples, Basilicas, Obelisks, Pyramids, Mausoleums, etc. Why not castles?
Okay, first, the Temple of Inception, is the "biggest and mysterious structure that is the main home of the Creator, and the Masters of Time, Space, and Distortion. Felt it was the perfect structure to house there main territory. In addition, like historical Temples, Basilicas, etc. they have one of almost everything you would find in those type of structures. A. Stain glass windows, Mosaic Art, Hieroglyphics, Monoliths, and Towers (there are 3 towers each for Time, Space, and Distortion, and the Main dome as Creation). Now for the second part, historically speaking, structures that is considered "holy" tells a better story when it comes to history. That's because of the art, architecture, and style. Castle's tend to be empty, leaving nothing but emptiness (though the structure may still stand, there is barely any artifacts left. In addition, I find Temples more ancient than I do with Castles.
Q&A 3: Khaoios does quite a bit of boasting about his title and on who he is. Kinda reminds us of Smaug from the Hobbit?
Yes. Khaoios strikes a resemblance to The Hobbit's, Smaug, and in addition, Halo's Forerunner, The Didact. Both characters are intelligent and also tend to boast on how superior they are.
Chapter 9:
Q&A 1: General StoneColt Hoover? Where did that name come from?
Simple...General Stonewall Jackson, and FBI director J. Edgar Hoover. Both men were tough-as-nails and had low tolerance levels. In this case, you'll notice how the General becomes all "rude" towards the Wonderbolts and the Princesses. He too knows secrets, and due to poor judgements the Princesses made, he responds that its there fault on what occurred. As for the Wonderbolts, he is rude towards them because he worries about them. Basically on the outside, he's an SOB. Inside, he's compassionate and is willing to protect ponies, even if that means he has to act mean around them.
Q&A 2: The Wonderbolts mention the "Boar-War". What was that?
Not highly mentioned in the story, but it was a war on a distant land that threatened Equestria. It was a more of a "secret war".
Q&A 3: So, another voice was heard, only this one was towards Twilight. Who was that?
It will be revealed later in the Epilogue, but it is the Creator.
Chapter 10:
Q&A 1: As they arrive at the Temple of Inception, Rarity says its massive. How big is it?
The Temple of Inception, from how its described...its double the size of the Vatican. Yet, I wanted it to be that big because of its sections. The Throne Rooms and the Library at the biggest.
Q&A 2: Interesting that The Temple of Inception has that many secrets. How did you manage to come up with the idea and why is it kept a secret?
Well, if you think about it, we all have that issue in reality with government cover-ups. Pretty much what you are reading is a "cover-up" and only partial information is given. They are doing that for both good and bad. Bad because its a secret and many hate secrets, and good because it prevents global panic.
Q&A 3: Why wasn't Khaoios first attacked when they all arrived?
Khaoios has taken the city hostage and the only way they can beat him is by outsmarting him. Remember, Khaoios focuses on a plan, but if he becomes confused, he will have to rethink all his plans.
Chapter 11:
Q&A 1: What was the information Twilight received from the Temple after reading the book?
She obtained the secrets just by reading the first words. Basically, her horn glowed which took affect by recording the book to memory.
Q&A 2: The Bridge? Doesn't that sound like the American 1998 version of Godzilla?
Yes. I chose the bridge because when Khaoios loses focus, he becomes somewhat clumsy of his actions.
Q&A 3: Surprisingly, the Mane Six didn't summon there Rainbow Magic again. Why can't they do it again, where their fully recovered?
Khaoios will once again flee, and it would make the situation longer and draining. Their objective is to stop him once and for all.
Chapter 12:
Q&A 1: When Khaoios retrieves the information from Twilight, he performs that spell in a similar fashion to what Tirek does, only with his horn and not through his mouth?
Yes. The information Twilight kept was extracted from her horn and the power was consumed by Khaoios using his horn. Think of it as an electrically current between electrical towers.
Q&A 2: The Mane Six rescue Spike successfully along with the Artifact in had, drives Khaoios mad. How does a calm character suddenly become out of control.
Its like stealing candy from a baby. Steal it and the kid flips out. Khaoios highly depends on the Artifact for his strategies and without it, he's completely outnumbered. Without proper strategy, he's somewhat screwed, leaving him no choice but to go full force.
Q&A 3: Falling to his death? Really? Sounds like a common thing I would find in the ending of a Disney animated film?
Yes, that is true. Falling to death is quite interesting, especially in the water. When Khaoios was struck by the lightning bolt, he fell, dragging the bridge with him and of course, he doesn't resurface. For the most part, I always found that death more dramatic for a villain.
Epilogue
Q&A 1: Now that Khaoios has fallen, the Architect mentions that its just the beginning?
Yes, it is the beginning, as in the return of the Bronco-Titans. Like I mentioned before this is one of seven stories I'll be writing.
Q&A 2: Why did the Archivist take the Artifact when it was held at Canterlot?
The Artifact is a important object that was not meant to be used or found. Think of it as the Ark of the Covenant or the Holy Grail.
Is the name inspired by the name of the movie "The Day The Earth Stood Still"?
Because if not... I don't believe you.
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Lol, yes it is. One of my favorite sci-fi films. In this story, the antagonist, Khaoios represents both Klaatu (the intellect) and Gort (the destruction).
What about questions not answered in this FAQ? Where do we ask them?
3363493 You can ask them, :D