Chapter 16: ER 250 Q&A and Sequel News · 10:55pm Oct 16th, 2015
And at 16 chapters, over 105,000 words, Empress Rarity's 250th Birthday comes to an end.
I have absolutely loved writing this. It has been a fascinating, and a truly wonderful experience. I want to thank everyone for their support and love of this story. Thank you for all the favorites, the comments, and the follows. Thank you very much for what you have done. This story defiently wouldn't have happened if it wasn't for Autumnschild and I feel like he deserves a standing ovation. Not only was it his story, Princess Twilight Sparkle's 500th Birthday and kicking off the Birthdayverse that made this possible, but also his invaluable services as a editor and great friendship.
But the story isn't over. The sequel, Empress Rarity's 251st Birthday is coming out January 2016. It'll continue the story, nearly a year after this one left off. Twilight and Rarity will struggle to piece their friendship back together. Blueblood will continue his plans against the known pony-world. Plus action from Princess Cadence, Captain Shining Star, Lady Merry Sapphire, Lieutenant Silver Dash, and Commander Onyx as they embark on their own adventures to stop a war. And Discord will be getting more popcorn. It will be an exciting, multi-arc story filled with all sorts of excitement and humor.
I cannot wait.
What I want to do next with this blog is open up a little Q&A and answer questions or comments (like things you want to see more of or less of in the sequel) about ER250, and ER251. I will answer to the best of my ability, without giving away future works or spoilers. So whatever your question or comment is, shoot, and I'll try to answer it without spoiling anything.
Q the first: Who is best pony?
And why is it Pinkie Pie?
3475263
Silly dobbin, that's not how you spell "Rarity". Silly dobbin
I just want to say, I haven't read a single word of the fic, and only very recently added it to my Read It Later.
But all the same, I just want to congratulate you on finishing this massive undertaking!
First off, I want to say that this story is a work of art, and I anxiously await the sequel! Secondly, what happened to Twilight's niece? (I can't remember her name) Thirdly, where's Shining Armor? (or did I just not notice any mention of him?) Fourthly, WOULD SOMEBODY JUST KILL BLUEBLOOD ALREADY???!!!!! HE'S A - ahem - slimy, conniving, backstabbing, traitorous son of a draconequus.
(no offence, Discord)
Congratulations, man! Not many people can boast writing such a long story, let alone such a good one as well. It was a helluva read, and I can't wait for more.
3475321
Thank you very much for your words and for adding ER250 to your Read it Later list. I hope you will enjoy it.
3475382
Thanks, it means a lot to hear that. It was a blast to do it.
3475359
Thank you very much. I can't wait for it either. It's going to be awesome.
Cassandra, with her nickname of Cassie. She is first introduced in Princess Twilight Sparkle's 25th Birthday. Can't say much beyond that.
Shining Armor is still alive. He is in Princess Twilight Sparkle's 505th Birthday. To sum it up, he's engaged in a conflict most dire in keeping the demons of Tartarus from spilling out and invading Equestria. He plays a fairly prominent role in the story and I don't want to spoil too much with it.
Blueblood has become a personal favorite of mine. He didn't start out that way, but he became the villain archetype that I like the most. The cunning, ever planning mastermind. He's the sort of white collar villain, prefers others to do his dirty work, but he'll get his hooves dirty if he needs to. And when he does, it means serious stuff is going down. He is going to be... "worse" in the sequel. Who knows, maybe he'll even explain what he is.
Well you've already hinted at Discord so that answers one question I had about the series. I am curious as to Twilight and Rarity's connections with the decedents of there other friends though. Weather they keep in touch or try not to as to avoid meddling.
Any further questions will probably need me to re-read the story. As much as i loved this the details get blurry after so long. Great ending to this and I can't wait for Jan!
As far as what i might like to see coming up it might be nice to see more of there personal lives.. or lack there of outside of there duties to the crown. Do they decide to trust their hearts to anyone knowing they'll outlive them or dose somepony manage to get in? If capable do either of them bear any foals in there long years alive?
I disliked the ending. It felt like the only one who resolved anything in the final plot points was Blueblood.
The good story finished in Rarity's mind and everything since that has been the cliffhanger to the sequel. Don't get me wrong; it is engaging and well written on a technical level, and I will certainly be reading 251st, but that cliffhanger felt too large and long for what's supposed to be the end of a story.
Contrast with something like Together Forever (and its sequel, Winter Storm). Each of those resolved the primary plot points in their own story, and then within a chapter or two they finished with a cliffhanger waiting for the sequel.
Heartbroke at the end of er250 lol. Twilight and Rarity ha an argument. D: Heart broke!!!! However, I'm still very much in love with the story. I'm excited for ER251.
3475690 Blueblood can get worse??!! Fingers and feathers crossed that Twilight and Rarity show him what power really is.
3475692
I've been trying to figure out a decent way to explain this, and I think I got it.
Twilight does a better job than Rarity in keeping track the family lines. Being in Equestria helps a lot. As for interference that really depends on the situation. Generally, they let them live their lives, and if they cross paths then cool. For example, Twilight's student in Princess Twilight Sparkle's 500th Birthday is a descendant of two or three of her friends, and that was one of the reasons why Twilight choose her. But Rarity had no idea about that until she was told in Princess Twilight Sparkle's 505th Birthday. You do have cases like Silver Dash and her brother Prism Bolt where Rarity knows Silver Dash fairly well, and so does Twilight, but they don't know Prism Bolt very well.
That's possible to do a bit of that. I did try to show in this story that Rarity doesn't have much of a personal life anymore due to the responsibilities and weight of her own crown. I would imagine since the Equestrian government is structured differently, and has a diarchy, that Twilight has more free room on her yearly schedule.
This is the really hard one to comment on. Because this is stuff we have talked about, but haven't done much more than hint at. Autumnschild and I have spent some time mapping out the Mane 6's lives; who everyone ends up with, and the... love life of all four of the immortals; Celestia, Luna, Rarity, and Twilight.
You might see more of their love life in later stories. Twilight I can't comment too much on because she is in Autumnschild's department, but she does have some flings in life, one of them is briefly mentioned in Princess Twilight Sparkle's 505th Birthday. Rarity hasn't had much romance since she became a ice cube, which is a separate incident from her becoming a crystal unicorn. Commander Onyx might be the closets thing she's had in a century. She did have a little thing with Luna, but that was broken off. To my current knowledge, neither have ever married. But that could change.
For bearing kids, Twilight might be able to. Rarity on the other hand is barren due to her physiology. That's actually a extremely sensitive and painful topic for her. In Empress Rarity's 250th Birthday Sombra tempts her with visions of her ultimate dreams, one of which was a filly and a colt playing in a sandbox behind Carousel Boutique. That was meant to hint at a dream Rarity wanted, but that she'll never get. Not without certain sacrifices.
3477078
We'll have to see.
3476008
I think Blueblood is really the only one that had a good day. Everyone else's was crap. Except Gale Wing's, the Griffin Ambassador. He had a pretty decent day. And those bat ponies. Maybe Silver Dash, but that's more moot than anything. But everyone else seemed to have a very negative resolution with their lines. Rarity and Twilight is nearly foremost, I would argue that Party Hats is pretty depressed too because of the way the party ended.
Indeed, a lot of ground work had been laid with this story for preparation on the sequel. I would say that when ER251 comes out, ER250 will be seen much more as an appetizer. Because it does serve to just get you ready for what comes next. But I've read a few trilogies that pull stunts off like this. One of my favorite is the Voyage of the Jerle Shannara by Terry Brooks.
I had thought about doing arcs within the story. Part one would have been chapters 1-16. Part two would have been chapters 17-33. And a Part three (if needed) would be chapters 34-49. But that felt too messy for me.
Your story is genuinely engaging. I can't wait for the New year to read the sequel
Well, that was a trip. Rarity still having so many cracks in her psyche and has full control over Sombra's dark crystals (or at least it can manifest when she's angry) that can null Twilight's magic or at least shield against it? Will be interesting to see if Twilight tries to tap into that dark magic as Celestia showed her in the past that she used on Sombra's door. A whole year to give Twilight time to come up with even MORE contingency plans? That's never a good thing.
It was SO good seeing Rarity take so much charge there. Man, and things were going so well. That Blue Blood is something else... literally! What the hell sort of magics or pony is he under all that to essentially be able to control so much magic he think he'd be able to take on the two reigning empresses?
I wonder if that Grand Belle stuff will be addressed in the next fic. Would it matter now that a member of her family is the inventor? Guess we'll have to wait and see. Equestria is going to be in a tizzy if they attempt to make Rarity's people suffer with that. I wonder how far Rarity would go? Would the griffons still dare to deal with Rarity if Equestria gets involved with demands for them to cease talks? I somehow doubt it but not like it'd matter with those papers Twilight all but signed that she didn't sign. :P
Man, wish Autumnschild has a Rarity POV book. As much as I love reading, I still have trouble getting through all those to get all the Rarity stuff. Got through the windigo stuff though. That was really nice. But that's just my own problem. Too many fics and not enough time. At least yours captured all the needed parts, but would be nice to have a POV edition of his works. Though I imagine that'd be a tall order. xD
Glad he made the series though. Certainly did make quite the AU. And of course we wouldn't be here without him. So yeah, can't wait to see more of the Crystal Empire and its struggle to become a respectable independent nation.
Hell with the sequel, I want to know what happened 200 years ago. With Cassandra and why did Celestia and Luna really leave their thrones behind and go into hiding?
Mind making a place holder for bday 251 and a link to it so i dont miss a thing when it comes out?
3482744
One of those things I can't comment on, sorry. But don't loose hope with it either.
3482819
It's not a big thing I like to do, but I made myself a promise that I would come back and personally notify you on when ER251 comes out.
I have just submitted it. It is being reviewed and should be posted sometime today or tomorrow. (I can't remember how long it takes the reviewers to approve of a story. It's been a while).
3482819
Here is ER251: http://www.fimfiction.net/story/312203/empress-raritys-251st-birthday
Thanks, can't wait to see where this goes.