The Witching Hour 176 members · 13 stories
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Chaotic Ink
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Okay, so do some of you remember how in a few journals I posted how I hate the stereotyping of alicorns in fanworks and that I swore I'd add my own alicorn OC into my already large menagerie? Yes, no, maybe? Well, I've finally come up with her beta design, as well as an excuse to also add in sea ponies! Now, before you guys read her description, she's introduced in the second half of season 3 when Midnight and the gang head north to find her father and the Storm Clan after Twi's ascension, so I guess minor spoiler warnings ahead (I did try and limit them as much as I could).

Endless Blue: Alicorn. Born in the town north of the Great North Swamp, her parents headed further north after her birth, fearing ponies might think they were trying to overthrow Celestia. They managed to make it to the same mountain range the Storm Clan inhabits and lived there until Endless Blue was about eight. Around this time, their home was attacked by (something) and both her parents were killed. She was out playing and came back to find them dead, their killer still eating them. Out of grief and rage, her magic went out of control and she killed the creature, then bolted to the nearby ocean. As she cried by the water’s edge, fish began to collect around the rock she was sitting on and she found she could understand them. Close by she found a cave and made that her new home, using parts of her old home, to be close to her new friends. In a year she’d learned a spell for breathing underwater, allowing her to swim along with her friends, learning the ways of life in the sea. This is how she gained her cutie mark and came across a sea pony pod. After some time and adventures, the pod adopted her as one of their own, one sea pony mare becoming her adoptive mother, which also gains her a younger brother, giving her a new family. It’s soon after his that she ran into the draconequus Calypso, who’d been following the feel of a strong magical presence.

At the time of Midnight’s arrival at the home of the Storm Clan, Endless Blue is a twelve year old recluse whose only friend outside the sea ponies and fish is Calypso. Midnight meets her when she flies off to think about what Celestia told her about the kirins. While weary of Midnight at first, Blue comes around when Calypso introduces them and when it’s clear Midnight isn’t there to bother her. When things start to get heated around the clan, Midnight brings all the foals to stay with her to keep them out of harm’s way. Blue and Norik (another dragon-born kirin who you all will meet earlier in the season) don’t get along at first, but gain respect for each other when a (insert creature here) attacks them and the two older children fight it off long enough for the rest of them to get into the ocean and under the protection of her adopted pod.

When the others return to collect the foals, she’s found out by the others and an argument immediately arises about what’s to be done with her. Midnight and Calypso argues that she should be left alone as this is her home while Celestia, Luna, and Twilight argue that she’s an alicorn, which makes her a princess, a notion both the kirin and draconequus scoff at. The argument continues until Blue’s adopted sea pony mother intervenes. She tells Blue that the pod is about to begin their five year migration, which takes them away to the griffin coasts across the sea and far to the south, so the pod won’t be around for much longer. Furthermore, blue is a pony of the land and should be with her own kind, and what a way to join it! Blue, however, refuses, saying that with her spell she could go with the pod or simply fly overhead with them to their new home. Things continue like this until Calypso asks Midnight if there are any large bodies of water near Ponyville, which is where the clan and all the colonies, rooks, and others are planning to go. Midnight remembers that rather large lake she pulled that large squid out of once (from that episode where the CMC are going around town looking for their cutie marks, which I think is the Show Stoppers episode) and says that it could theoretically sustain a small pod, but doubts they’ll choose to be land-locked into such a small home. Overhearing this, Blue’s mother agrees that the pod would indeed not agree to it. Blue is heartbroken over this, until Celestia proposes that the lake be connected to a nearby river which eventually leads out to the sea, allowing some access to Ponyville from the sea. Blue’s adoptive younger brother, young and eager for adventure, chimes in that he doesn’t want to leave his sister behind and that he’d like to see this new water and land. They both eventually pester her into agreeing to go to Ponyville with Blue, provided the princess keeps her word about connecting the lake to the sea.

When they arrive back in Ponyville, Celestia and Luna agree to leave Blue in town to learn Princess-dom alongside Twilight. This is often undermined by Calypso and Midnight. She quickly becomes friends with Fluttershy, for obvious reasons, and amazingly Rainbow Dash. Once she really learns how to fly (her parents were an earth pony and a unicorn) she becomes addicted to it, often racing with Rainbow and Windrunner.

I got her name from a line from the anime "Blue Submarine No. 6".

A world of endless blue. To us, death, but to you, an endless utopia.

She's got an ocean blue coat and her mane is the same crystal blue color of tropical waters. Her eyes are sea green and her cutie mark is a ring of fish surrounding two cresting waves. In the Witchingverse, alicorns are a lot like the greek or roman gods in that they represent something. We've got the Alicorn of the Sun, the Alicorn of the Moon, the Alicorn of Love, the Alicorn of Magic, and now the Alicorn of the Sea.

Bits for your thoughts?

5237347 All I can say is that after the whole Flurry Heart nonsense I gave up on adding any alicorn O.C.s ever. No one gives then a fair shot at being different than those red and black Mary Sue trope carnivals that are pervasive and awful. And if anyone does they are so few in number that it never amounts to anything meaningful. So I got out before I really got in, it seems to be the only path let alone the only sensible one.

Well done or not you're in for a lot of grief Ink, all of it unjustified given how hard you work, but it'll be there all the same.

I like the idea but the way it is executed will be a huge factor (unfortunitly) as to how people will react to it. I'm not as shallow as a lot of people but I do have to agree that most alicorn OC's are rather poorly.... umm i'm trying to think of a nice, or at least less cruel, way of phrasing this but I got nothin

Chaotic Ink
Group Admin

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5237461
That's why I like Lily Peet and her stance on alicorn OCs. It bugs the hell out of me that a draconequus, a creature that is canonically more powerful than an alicorn, is never given so much grief as an alicorn OC. And you're right; execution and presentation are big factors in how a character is received, but that goes for ANY character. Midnight could easily have been a "Mary Sue" in a lot of ways, but because of the way she's been portrayed, folks obviously like her. Even the fact that she can turn into a full grown wyvern at will, something that many have said is OP (and I agree, looking back, but I always wanted a character who could do that) yet they still don't scream "Mary Sue" and leave. I think I got more flak for Season 1's Chapter 7 and Midnight and Sapphire coming out gay than that.

As for flak for making an alicorn OC, I've got the bull's-eye shirt ready along with my "Come at me, bro" picket sign. The biggest problems holding alicorn OCs back is 1) people, for some weird-ass reason, still consider them gods so they have to be uber special. 2) "Lauren Faust said there can only be two alicorns, and that's Celestia and Luna!" Really? So, folks out there are still butt-hurt over Cadance, Twilight's ascension, and Flurry Heart? Grow up. Lauren Faust left the show of her own free will and any vision she had for the show left with her. It would be like a ship's captain retiring but the crew complaining how the new captain isn't doing things the old captain's way. It's not his ship anymore and if you don't like how it's run then leave. 3) Yes, unfortunately too many people have written alicorn OCs poorly, which has certainly set back their use in fanworks, but damn it, this fandom has made such great things and has certainly created beautifully made and highly praised fanfiction that it boggles the mind that we won't even give alicorn OCs a chance.

I'm sorry for the rant; it's not aimed at either of you, but damn it this has to stop. I'll take the hits because this is something that deserves a chance to be treated better. I just hope that if the show is still going by the time I get her into the story, I can inspire others to ignore the detractors and the Faust zealots and write about their own alicorn OCs.

And on a final, somewhat unrelated note, how's that kirin OC of yours coming along, Bryan Luna?

5237539Don't worry you won't be taking the hits alone. You'll have me in your corner to help take the hits cause like you I believe that alicorns can be used without being a Mary Sue. The problem is getting others to open there eyes and see that instead of just looking at it and going "Nope" and leaving with no other words on it. That sort of attitude ruins many ideas for multiple reasons that I don't want to go into detail about. Also don't worry about ranting, if you need someone to listen to blow off some steam then look me up I don't mind being a verbal punching bag if it means that it'll make one of my favorite authors feel worlds better.

Chaotic Ink
Group Admin

5237622
:twilightsmile: thank you for your support.
Her introduction is still a ways off, but putting this up now is a good indicator of how folks feel on the matter.
Mind you, this was uploaded on a group dedicated to my story, so unless I try I don't think I can do much to really have you guys scream "oh my god, why would you do that!?" at me. Still, feed back is feed back :eeyup:

Don't worry I think waking up over a freeway upside down would be a clear indicator that you dun fucked up somewhere:pinkiecrazy:. But I don't really see that happening, At least not anytime soon anyway.

Count me in on your side too when backlash starts coming for this. As someone with a set of alicorn OCs himself, it always hurts a little when I see stories and authors getting rejected because they get involved with the concept of alicorn OCs. The paradox of having the Spanish Inquisition ("Alicorn OC Witch! Burn Her!") in a fandom of a show based on friendship and harmony always makes the brain hurt. You have to wonder if they missed an episode or two...
I would also warn you to be prepared for silence. I've seen it happen to others, they've got a moderately popular story rolling along at a nice clip and an alicorn OC gets introduced, and... Wow, five in twenty people just switched their upvotes to downvotes, and wouldn't you know it, not a single one of 'em bothered to leave a comment. It's almost like they know they can't win that tired old argument but are too [insert adjective of your choice here] to admit it. Oh... wait...
I'll be honest, if you were less of a writer, I'd warn you to stay away from alicorns. I've seen fledgling authors crushed and driven away by the opposition. You know what you're getting into though, and you have the skill to do this well. If you'll permit my waxing poetic, "Ride on Brother, and know that we ride with you. You have our blades. Into the breach."

5237539

And you're right; execution and presentation are big factors in how a character is received, but that goes for ANY character

Way more so for an alicorn Ink. I've seen your work though, so I'm think she'll be pretty interesting as an O.C.

And on a final, somewhat unrelated note, how's that kirin OC of yours coming along, Bryan Luna?

I think Tempest will actually be ready for a more full presentation soon Ink. I still need to figure out what she looks like exactly and some more background info and she'll be ready. As for Embershine well, I need more time there.

Well I'll just say that I like her, she seems like she'll fit right in with you're story. :pinkiesmile:
I'm also glad that you're going to do what you want despite what others may say, can't change things if we don't try. :twilightsmile:
We'll love and tolerate the fluff out of them. :flutterrage:

That's all from me. :pinkiehappy:

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