After talking with Orion and Duvet for a while last night about Flitter's backstory, I came up with an idea which could profoundly improve the story's appeal to new readers.

Most of you know Flitter's heartbreaking backstory. But this comes through in the story in bits and pieces exposited over many chapters. Orion was saying the whole incident with Fluttershy could even be a flashback or something rather than being told to the readers by Flitter in chapter twelve. This reminded me of how I've been thinking of maybe including a flashback about it in the interlude planned between acts one and two.

But here's a better idea. I could depict Flitter's day of tragedy at the end of the prologue! This is perfect because the prologue takes place in the Crystal Empire three years ago anyway. Currently, it ends with Cadence and Twilight talking about applying some unknown defensive strategy to protect the city. The prologue ends right there without saying what happened, and we find out in the following chapters that it had vanished. It's only four weeks after the prologue that the city does vanish. So from a continuity standpoint, the prologue is actually an ideal place to introduce Flitter as a changeling and show what happened and how she came to live with Nyx & Rumble.

It also makes the prologue instantly much more emotional and character driven while relieving some of the exposition burden off the following chapters.

5883771 Now this I can see working out quite well for Flitter's backstory and possible appeal for her... And yeah, it does alleviate some unnecessary (not at the moment really but with his idea in mind, they end becoming not needed since everyone will know her backstory by then) exposition for her...

5883771 , Alright, I suppose.

5883771 I certainly would leave some of the exposition backstory in the story... but this is a good idea. However instead instead of giving us a really in depth look into flitter's life... i would make it a "flashbulb memory".. think.. where where you when you heard about 9/11 ( or the kennedy assasination for the really old farts haha) kind of deal... instead of having her go through her entire history of surviving famine or say her rejection by fluttershy etc, portray her immeadiate reaction to her hearing that the crystal empire has vanished ( of course part of that reaction could be the triggering of thoughts about the famine, having to live a double indentity etc)

5896187

I won't be divulging her *entire* backstory in the prologue, but actually depicting the day the Crystal Empire disappeared (from Flitter's POV) would fit nicely with the previous section with Twilight & Cadence, especially since what happened with Fluttershy happened on the same day.

I could have her go directly to the train station after Fluttershy's reaction to her. It would flow pretty well. And the whole reason for doing this was mostly to provide some wider continuity to the Flitter/Fluttershy rift which gets resolved in chapter ten. Currently, there's just not enough indication to the reader that this is a thing until just before it gets wrapped up.

5896192 well true, fleshing that out more would not hurt