Considering looking into the main story and am curious: what's the local cannon on bat ponies/ thesterals/ lunar pegasi. Particularly about the time of The Catch?

Dunno about in the Catch, but by the time of the Chase, lunar pegasai are somewhat rare. Most of them are part of Luna's Myrmidons and are basically flying tanks. In the Chaseverse, they're super strong, have bat-like senses, can eat meat, and have a natural affinity for shadow magic. Of course, on the flipside, they're sensitive to light and more vulnerable to loud noises, harmed by powerful light magic, and have stronger instincts.

4605527

Discord took everything that was beautiful and good with the solar pegasi and made it ugly and horrific. A grotesque mockery of itself.

Lunar pegasi are monstrous creatures. (Don't call then bat ponies, they take offense) Some of them are just as large as Celestia in height, but are far, far bulkier. They were created by Discord to hunt down and exterminate the equines resisting him. Luna used her moon magic to seize control of them and turned them against Discord.

Now, over a thousand years later, in the modern age, lunar pegasi are dying out. Nature is resetting itself. The chaos magic that created the lunar pegasi is now fading out, and as a result, lunar pegasi are not what they once were.

They are fierce, honourable creatures. Born warriors, gifted with shadow magic, able to go in and patrol dreams with Luna, and they keep shadows and demons at bay. They prowl the night keeping their solar cousins safe, never asking for thanks, or even recognition.

They are superiour in almost every way that matters. Sentinel, a character in the Chase, is a colt. His hearing is so acute that he can hear the heats beating of those all around him, and he listens constantly to know that his siblings are safe. (There is a rule, do not touch Sentinel's little sisters.) He eats meat but feels guilty about it, it is a source of constant strain for him. Sentinel is shockingly gentle, rather shy, non violent as much as he can be, well spoken, likes to write, likes to draw, and is known for his patience while looking after his smaller siblings.

Just don't hurt what he loves.

4605618

They also have a terror-inducing shrieking hiss, if I'm not mistaken.

4606060

Yes. Shadow magic.

Discord took everything that was beautiful and good with the solar pegasi and made it ugly and horrific. A grotesque mockery of itself.

What. . .what did he do to the Earth Ponies then?

4606056

What about during The Catch; aka; before Luna's return?

4606056

Though I do very much agree with the philosophy that evil has no substance in and of itself, and is only good that has been corrupted.

4606144

They guard Celestia too. Zealously.

4606129

Same thing he did to Applejack and Pinkie Pie when he took away the horns and wings of and

For Discord, the earth ponies had nothing of value worth taking. He sees them as no threat.

I dont think Luna plans to let her Luna Pegasi to die out. she possibly would find some way to keep them going.

4606174

4606056

Discord took everything that was beautiful and good with the solar pegasi and made it ugly and horrific. A grotesque mockery of itself. Lunar pegasi are monstrous creatures.

They are superiour in almost every way that matters.

How does this work?

4606707

Because. Solar pegasi are harmonious creatures meant to live within the bounds of nature. They are a part of the balance.

Lunar pegasi are chaotic creatures created with a single minded purpose: Destroy the equine race! They exist outside of balance.

If you are going to make a monster, why play nice and make a monster that is super easy for the good guys to beat? I mean, really... who does that? Idiots, that's who! **Tents fingers and lets out an evil laugh**

4606714

You're still calling them monsters even though for the last > 1000 years they've been, "Honorable... keeping their solar cousins safe, never asking for thanks, or even recognition."

4606828

If you were to ask Sentinel, he would proudly tell you that he's a monster.

4606828 A monster, in control of his own evil nature, is, still, a monster.

Everything on lunar pegasus is increased. Resistence, size, stamina...hunger, instincts (and we know that not all instincts are good), lust, love, passion.

Once kudzu said that they are like kryptonians, but as far as it goes to the mental field, they´re like vulcans. They have emotions, they don´t deny it, but they have to keep those emotions constantly under control. Sentinel, for example, is in that age of sexual discovery, and he is having terrible problems trying to keep his instincts under control. Not only that, but he suffered a couple of experiences where he prettu much turned enemies in meat goo, without wanting to do it. So, for him, the world is made of paper (remember in Justice League Unlimited last chapter, when Superman said that, against Darkseid, he don´t have to hold, that he could use all his mighty ?). For him, being around foals, little sisters, pregnant mothers, it´s sheer terror all the time. He just need to lost control, or being slightly less carefull ONE TIME and he can kill his entire family.

And that´s Sentinel, who is still a colt, and slightly weaker then the average male (females are bigger, stronger, and Myrmidons are off the scale, being trained to the limit of what hey can reach).

It is very interesting to see they fighting to keep their nature in control. Being meat-eaters they, sometimes, have issues when they´re near other ponies. Not that they would eat then, they are not animals. But other non-meat-eaters ponies have trouble seeing then eat meat.

He sees them as no threat.

Neither did all those mirror invaders, I have to wonder how many died trapped in a tomb of thorns?

On the one hand I'm glad he never did that, as it seems the Lunar Pegasi have it pretty rough both physically and socially.
On the other hand, virtually everyone underestimates us. I get that until Berry Punch made the kick felt round the world Earth Ponies were generally ignored. Nothing more than farm equipment. Even in the story Bucky is appalled to find out Earth Fillies and Colts don't get IQ tests.
How did things go this way after brilliant mares like Smart Cookie, or savvy business stallions like Filthy Rich?

4606833

If you were to ask Sentinel, he would proudly tell you that he's a monster.

Is that because he's spent his life being told he's a monster by ponies that feared him because he's stronger then they are and a meat eater? If he went and lived with the griffons who are stronger than an average pony and eat meat themselves; would he just be a person then?

What is the definition of a monster?

4607475

Fair enough, I get your description of Sentinel; but I'll ask you the same question. What does monster mean? Is it potential, temptation, belief system or action?

4608904

Sentinel is proud to be what he is. He is a good monster. He knows he is a big scary brute. Or will be. He is unnatural. He is a supernatural abomination.

4608923

So the definition of a monster is being strong looking scary to other people?

4608950 Sentinel sees himself (and, probably, other lunar pegasus too) as monsters due to their nature. Their origin is monstruous, they´re a mockery of another species (solar pegaus) created to destroy an entire race by an evil being.

So it´s only natural they feel this way.

This does not mean that, now, once freed from Discord influence, and saved by Luna (to whom they offer madly loyalty) they´re are monsters. But, still, the taint, the original sin, is there, They see thenselves as monsters. They have the capacities of monsters. And, thus, they focus they´re very lifes towards proof thenselves better then this.

4609375

Fair enough; though to me when you say 'monster' now all I hear now is 'power'.

Evil is only a corruption of good, and the stronger angel will become a fiercer demon. If you have a group of people with great power who choose to help ponies rather than feed on them, that's what you call heroes.

(Also I'm not sure how you call something a mockery if it is "superiour in almost every way that matters")

4609419 If Bizarro were stronger then Superman, then he would be superior to him ?

See how hard is to definy the question ? It´s not only ´bout pure power. Solar pegasus are beings of beauty and harmony. Lunar pegasus are beings of chaos and fear. They are VERY aware of this fact. They feel guilty for this, for being meat-eaters, for being that strong and powerfull, for being able to kill even without wanting to do so. At the same time they are very proud of being usefull to protect those that are inoccent, they feel like this is their redemption, a chance to make up for their awfull nature.

The original sin keep coming to my mind to describe then. There is this taint, they´re born with, and the only thing they can do to make up for the taint is to dedicated their lifes and well beings to justice and peace, while being tools of war and destruction thenselves.

4608950
4609441

Imagine if an M1 Abrams tank became sapient and grew a conscience.

It would acknowledge that it was still a tank. (Much like Sentinel acknowledges that he is a monster) Some things cannot be changed. But the tank would also bring up the fact that it was now capable of making choices. It could choose to do good or evil. It was more than a weapon, a machine made for war. It could choose to fight, or it could choose to cause terror. Or, if given the right circumstance, it could protect those that it bonded with.

But deep down, it would know, it was still a tank. A killing machine made for a specific purpose. Nothing in the whole wide world could change it from being a tank. Better to acknowledge your nature, try to make peace with it, and then use it for good purposes so you can move on.

4610073

I understand your meaning, though it is a very different one from what I would use for 'monster' or 'abomination'. I see nothing inherently shameful with being a weapon. Anyone with enough streangth, intelligence, charisma, money, political power, discipline or patience could potentially cause a great deal of harm, or good to the world; and, to me, simply come under the broader category of 'power'.

I suspect most of the six hundred or so people who have read up to the recent chapters of The Chase have had their ideologies shaped at least partially, for better or worse, by your own. In the wider scheme of things, that could easily mean more power than if you could punch through brick walls and shoot lasers out of your eyes. I wouldn't call you a monster for having that ability to write; but I might consider Erika Mitchell a monster if Fifty Shades of Grey is everything I hear it is in romanticizing domestic abuse.

4612534

Not to spoil to much about the Chase, but things get pretty dire past a certain point in the story. It is decided that Discord had a good idea, and in a very pragmatic move, the choice is made to create more monsters. They are acknowledged as abominations, because they are most unnatural, but they are also praised as heroes.

For both the lunar pegasi and the Shadowbolts, a vast majority of the public sees them as monsters. They are scared shitless of these hulking terrors of the night. Sentinel, like so many others before him, understands how most other ponies see him and chooses to protect them anyway.

Bringing up the excellent point, what defines a monster. Sentinel is an unnatural abomination, but chooses to do good.

But there are lots of solar ponies, the supposed good ponies, and they do the most vile things you can imagine, up to and including necromancy.

Sentinel is a monster by birth, called as such through no fault of his own; while others are monsters by action, made such by the actions they commit.