13 - The Wild
The platoon came to a halt where the race trail sharply veered northward. Amidst the dense forest, Nyx was aware it would eventually curl back eastward, leading back to the familiar territory of Ponyville. Her focus shifted to the platoon’s leader, Lieutenant Daisy, known by the callsign ‘The Daisycutter,’ standing beside her.
The lieutenant had taken a liking to Nyx, her conversational tone relaxing over the course of the journey. This change was exclusive to Nyx, as Daisy maintained her hardened military demeanor with everyone else, including Rumble. Nyx wondered what it was about her that might have made Daisy regard her almost as a friend. Had they crossed paths before? If so, Nyx had no recollection of it.
Daisy retrieved a well-worn map from her pack, unfurling it on a sturdy tree stump. Nyx, A.Pone, and two corporals gathered around as Daisy traced their route with a steady hoof. “The map indicates there should be a nearby path,” she announced, her resolve evident. “We have to keep heading west, straight into the Wild.”
Indeed, the region west of Whitetail bore the ominous label “The Wild” on the map, a territory ponies rarely ventured into, and if they did, it was against better advice. Not that the Wild was anything like Everfree, a place teeming with inexplicable dangers and a curse that generated monstrous creatures seemingly out of nothing.
By contrast, the Wild was merely that. Wild. Nyx recalled her friend Apple Bloom’s story from their childhood about the time she was nearly devoured by a chimera out this way. But an armed platoon of twenty-two was not the same as a defenseless farmer filly and her big sister.
Nyx’s eyes scanned the map, her curiosity piqued by the unfamiliar terrain ahead. After a brief search, Windy called out, having located the path they were seeking. It was a rugged trail that broke off from the race trail before descending alongside an embankment into the increasingly dense forest below.
It was a notably rough start, the supply wagons barely navigating between the thicker saplings that lined the edges of the winding path. Several soldiers took the lead to clear the way, while Nyx and Windy remained close to the wagons, nudging them telekinetically whenever they threatened to tip over. The ambient sounds of the forest that surrounded them had also shifted, becoming increasingly unfamiliar and amplifying the sense of isolation from civilization.
As they advanced along the overgrown trail, vines and brambles clawed at their progress, making the journey laborious and uncomfortable. Nyx couldn’t help but feel a creeping unease, the unfamiliarity of this remote section of the forest weighing on her. Windy, too, seemed on edge, her eyes darting around the thick woods as if it might swallow her up, never to be found again.
The unicorn decided to voice what she was feeling. “How much further will it be like this?” she asked, her misery evident. Dinky, for her part, was silent though Nyx wondered how much of a strain this was putting on her friend.
Nyx responded to Windy, injecting a touch of sarcasm to lighten the mood. “It stays ‘nice’ like this for some time. Eventually, it leads to the fire swamp, and beyond that, the bayou. But we should be fine; it’s not like the chimeras carry guns or anything.”
Windy grumbled sourly, “Oh, that sounds like heaps of fun.”
Their journey soon brought them to a wide, shallow stream, where an aging wooden bridge had succumbed to the decay of time. Crossing was no longer an option, so they waded through the water, the squelching of their hooves in the silt adding to the discomfort of their already arduous trek.
Half way across, Nyx looked back, seeing Dinky still standing at the edge of the stream. Windy, who had been walking beside her, had only begun the reluctant crossing herself.
“You coming?” Nyx called back to her friend.
Dinky hesitated, looking miserable. Her eyes locked with Nyx’s. “I don’t really have a choice, do I?”
“You can’t just pop over to the other side?”
Dinky shook her head. “I’ve never been here before. Remember, I can only jump to places I’ve been.”
Nyx had forgotten because she knew her mother could teleport to places she could see. “You’ll just have to walk then. It’s alright. A bit gross, but it’ll wash off.”
Dinky made a grimace and began walking into the stream, the sticky muck no doubt enveloping her hooves just as it had Nyx’s.
With his hooves splashing slightly in the water, Rumble landed in the stream next to Dinky. “Come on. We’ll do it together.”
Dinky returned his encouraging smile and the two plodded on through until eventually reaching dry land again.
On the other side of the stream, the trail began to show signs of improvement. Daisy turned to Nyx, her gaze steadfast as she spread her map open once more. “Nyx, you and Flitter fly ahead and scout for zebras or any other potential threats. We need to be aware of any surprises before we reach the fire swamp. Our rendezvous will be this clearing, marked here on the map. By the time we get there, the troops will be tired from pulling the wagons. We’ll take an hour to rest and do drills. Windy will send up a flare every ten minutes to guide you back.”
Nyx nodded in acknowledgment, eager to assist. “We’ll do our best.” With those words, she and Flitter took to the skies, leaving the dense forest below and embarking into the unknown.
As the midday heat gradually yielded to early afternoon, Nyx and Flitter soared through the sky, their sharp senses attuned to potential threats. Nyx’s T.E.I. spell, an impressive feat of thaumatic spellcrafting authored by one of the preeminent scholars at the science academy, stood as a testament to modern magical engineering.
Although Nyx herself lacked the ability to cast the spell, the technological marvel resting at the base of her horn bridged the gap in skill. This device could be encoded with spells crafted by one pony, enabling them to be cast by another without the skill. While the theoretical underpinnings lay beyond Nyx’s interests, it had become all the rage among the science nerds at her mother’s institute.
In contrast, Flitter was a natural empath. All changelings were attuned to the emotional landscape of the Lifestream, but the results were more nuanced, akin to smell or taste. For Flitter, a person’s anger manifested like a bitterness or foul odor, intensifying as she approached the source. As a seasoned empath, her understanding of others’ emotions had evolved into a reliable skill.
Nyx’s indicator was different, augmenting her vision and specifically highlighting an aggressor, but only to a short range. There were other distinctions, such as the fact that hostile animals showed up for Nyx but not at all for Flitter. Nevertheless, by working together, the duo had effectively pinpointed the sniper’s position last week in time to save Dusty. Today, the lieutenant had wisely employed their teamwork for this scouting run.
Flitter turned her gaze toward Nyx in flight, her voice tinged with curiosity. “So, Nyx, how are you feeling about the mission so far? What do you think of these ponies we’re traveling with?”
Surveying the breathtaking vista surrounding them, Nyx contemplated their journey. It felt like a surreal dream, an erstwhile impossibility now unfolding before her eyes. “It’s still hard to believe, Flitter. I never thought we’d be here, on a real mission. I do like the ponies of the platoon so far. They’re funny, how they talk—especially A.Pone. He talks so gruff, but he comes off like someone from the comics, you know?”
Flitter chuckled. “I agree; they are fascinating. I’ve sensed various emotions among the soldiers, which they are really bad at hiding, by the way. Many are relaxed or even bored, while others genuinely relish this venture into the unknown. But it’s the unicorns that concern me; they seem to be struggling the most.”
Nyx’s curiosity was piqued. “Dinky? Why would she be struggling? She didn’t hide how eager she was for this mission, despite my protests.”
Flitter pondered the question. “It runs deeper than that. I sense something’s been brewing within her for a while, only now surfacing. Oddly enough, it might have to do with not teleporting around like she usually does. Sticking with the same group of ponies isn’t normal for her.”
Nyx found the insight intriguing. “It hasn’t been that long,” she pointed out.
“True, but for someone whose life resembles a humming bird, used to constant movement, this must feel strange. It’s just an impression, though; I could be wrong. What’s your take on the lieutenant? She seems more open to you than the rest of us, though it’s not clear to me as to why.”
After a moment’s reflection, Nyx replied, “She’s pretty intriguing, I’ll admit. It’s like she knows me and yet at the same time doesn’t know me. What do you make of that?”
“Well, you are a public figure, whether you like it or not,” Flitter remarked with a knowing look. “Consider that toy of you that Dusty had. That is your public image. I can say one thing for sure, though: her curiosity about you is off the charts. She’s probably never spent any time around an alicorn before, so it’s not terribly surprising.”
Nyx rolled her eyes. She wondered if she’d ever be able to shake the whole ‘public image’ thing. When could she just have a normal life like a normal person? “Flitter, she’s a lieutenant in the Lunar Division. If she knows Luna at all, alicorns shouldn’t be that mysterious to her.”
“You and Luna are close. Don’t forget that the princess has a very different relationship with her subjects than with her friends.”
Flitter had a point. “Fair enough. So here’s a weird one—why do you think almost the whole platoon is made up of earth ponies? Not a single pegasus among them.”
Flitter speculated, “Pegasi might be less enthusiastic about enlisting due to their very heavy casualties early in the war. Earth ponies, especially the young ones, often believe they’re invincible.”
Nyx nodded thoughtfully. “That makes sense. And we wouldn’t want to discourage our most effective fighting force, would we?”
“Exactly,” Flitter agreed.
As they continued their flight, Nyx’s gaze swept across the landscape. The southern mountain range leveled out, curving off to the southwest on the horizon. To the east, Canterlot Mountain had vanished from view, but ahead, to the west, a thick, smoky haze loomed. The trees there had darkened, an unpleasant odor wafting toward them.
Flitter broke the silence, identifying the ominous sight. “So that’s the fire swamp?”
Nyx responded wryly, “Not the best vacation spot, it seems.”
Expressing concern, Flitter asked, “Are we really going to walk through that, Nyx? It’s going to be miserable.”
Nyx’s tone reflected the same sentiment. “I don’t see any way around it. Let’s go a bit further and wrap it up. I haven’t seen a hint of zebras the whole flight, just the occasional predator here and there. How about you?”
“Same…” Flitter echoed. “I’ve felt nothing either. I’m pretty certain there’s no zebras at least as far as the fire swamp. We should get back and let them know. We don’t want to be stuck in there after dark.”
Appreciating Flitter’s practicality, Nyx agreed. With some daylight left, they had a decent chance to reach the bayou before nightfall, provided all went smoothly.
Committing their course to memory, the two friends turned back, soaring eastward with the breeze. In the distance, a brilliant flare burst into the sky, followed by an explosion of colorful fireworks. Nyx shook her head with a wry chuckle. “Windy sure knows how to express herself. At least it’s hard to miss.”
The pair of scouts gracefully touched down in the clearing, where the platoon was taking a brief respite. Glancing around, Nyx saw a mix of weariness and energy among the soldiers. The three wagon pullers, their fatigue etched in every movement, contrasted with the bustling energy of others engaged in various activities.
The clearing had been divided into distinct areas, likely at Lieutenant Daisy’s direction. Several soldiers were engaged in combat drills, including hoof sparring as well as weapons practice. At the far end, a black stallion led marksmanship practice, the crackling shots reverberating toward a line of paper targets on wooden posts. Spotting Flitter in the distance, he signaled her to join. With a nod to Nyx, Flitter excused herself, trotting toward the sharpshooters.
Lieutenant Daisy was working with Dinky and Rumble. They had pulled Rumble’s lancer frame out of its wagon, examining the device as its thin metal framework climbed up Rumble’s legs and spread over his body. Nyx had seen these devices in the past, but never up close. The lancer frame was probably the most important innovation to come out of the Former Villain’s Initiative, since the start of the war.
Upon approaching the trio, Nyx saw that Daisy was showing Dinky how to reload Rumble’s autoguns. Dinky’s attention was riveted onto the instructions she was being given, a good sign that she was feeling useful. Rumble’s gaze caught sight of Nyx for a moment, prompting a smile from them both.
“Now repeat that ten more times,” Daisy ordered before her attention shifted to Nyx. Her initial formality softened. “I didn’t see you come in,” she said to the alicorn, her tone warm. “What have you found?”
“Can I see your map?” Nyx requested.
Daisy retrieved her map from her pack, laying it out on a substantial rock. At this, Nyx used her hoof as a guide, tracing the scouted route.
“We’ve scouted to here,” she began. “Everything from here to here is clear, but beyond this point, I started spotting predators. Nothing to worry about, but the fire swamp will be difficult to see through, so we’ll want to get out of it before it gets dark. The trail forks multiple times, veering away from our intended path, but we found a route here and here that should guide us all the way through.”
“Good work, Nyx,” Daisy commended. “I appreciate the update. We’re taking forty-five to rest and hone combat skills. I like my ponies sharp. It’s my first time with this platoon, and I want to know what I can expect.”
“Done all ten, Lieutenant!” Dinky’s voice rang out as she approached, radiating satisfaction.
“That’s what I like to see, Dinky. Spend a few minutes with the rifle and scattergun soldiers, ensuring you know their ammunition needs and where it’s stored in the wagon. After that, you’re dismissed until we depart, which is forty-five minutes from now.”
“I won’t let you down,” Dinky declared before vanishing. She instantly reappeared next to a soldier across the clearing, causing a mild start. Nyx chuckled, shaking her head as she observed her friend in action.
“If Dinky can teleport as well as she claims, she’ll make the perfect resupply pony,” Daisy remarked.
Nyx admired the practicality of the idea, realizing she hadn’t considered Dinky’s unique talent in that light before.
Just then, Platinum Dawn, one of the stallions who had pulled the wagons, nearly collided with Nyx and Daisy as his attention fixated on Rumble soaring overhead, autoguns deployed. Swiftly regaining composure, he saluted his lieutenant.
“Shouldn’t you be resting, Platinum?” Daisy asked.
“I am resting,” the sturdy dapple-grey replied with a grin, passing a pair of apples from his pack to the lieutenant. She thanked him and extended one to Nyx.
“Come, sit with me a moment,” Daisy invited Nyx. The two made their way to the clearing’s edge, where naturally smooth rocky formations provided comfortable seating.
“You’ve fought zebras before,” Daisy stated as they settled in.
“Yeah, a little,” Nyx replied. “I’m not supposed to, but it happens sometimes. Like lately, we’ve been testing this short-range threat detection spell. Ended up walking right into an ambush we weren’t ready for.”
“That’s why they call it an ambush,” Daisy noted. “But then there was the incident at the school.”
Nyx winced. “Feels like everyone knows about that now.”
Daisy raised an eyebrow with a bit of a scowl. “Why do you do that?” Her tone bordered on annoyance.
“I… I mean I know I’m not supposed to get involved, but—”
“What? No, why do you hide from heroism?”
Nyx blinked. “Heroism? I thought you were talking about what I did to the zebras after the attack.”
Daisy’s expression became perplexed. “You killed them, right? From what I heard, it was rather… spectacular. But you saved the colt. That’s what matters, is it not?”
“Of course it is!” Nyx blurted out.
“So don’t hide from it. You were a hero that day, and the good you did is what matters. Yes, this war is awful, but we do what we have to if we don’t want our loved ones to die.”
Nyx paused, considering Daisy’s words. The whole thing was turning into a muddled mess in her mind. Her expression became pained as the age-old conflict in her heart resurfaced. “My purpose is to protect ponies,” she said simply. “I’m not hiding from heroism. I… I’m just not supposed to kill anyone.”
“Who told you that?” Daisy asked.
“It’s just what’s right. Isn’t it?” Nyx replied, feeling increasingly unsure.
“Nyx, you’ve clearly spent a lot of time learning to fight, or Princess Luna wouldn’t have sent you with us today. Did you think you could just fight off the zebras without killing them, and they’d all run away like in a child’s comic story or something?”
Nyx said nothing. Had she really thought this? Had some naive part of her childhood still clung to the belief that you could resolve conflicts with a mortal foe and they’d just give up and go away?
“No, I know what you’re talking about,” Nyx replied at last. “I used to think that. When I made the vow, it never crossed my mind that I might have to take a life. I know that’s sometimes the only way it works, even though I hate it.”
The lieutenant spent a moment pondering Nyx’s words. “Was this your first time? Having to kill to save someone, I mean,” she asked.
“I…” Nyx sighed, shaking her head and not really wanting to dredge this up again. “About three years ago, I stopped an assassination in Aria. Well, mostly stopped.”
“I remember hearing about that,” Daisy said. “What happened?”
Nyx’s voice softened as she recalled that day. “Arkadian special forces had infiltrated the city. Over twenty of them attacked during an induction ceremony, assassinating the new captain and taking out a bunch of civilians in a chaotic attack. I ended up killing all of them, but the war spell put me in the hospital. It was the first time I’ve saved ponies in a way that ended up causing the deaths of others.”
Daisy nodded, taking a bite from her apple. “That would mess up anyone who wasn’t trained for it. I don’t envy you. Tell me about this vow you mentioned.”
Nyx considered it a personal matter, but since she brought it up, she might as well explain.
“I made a promise to Luna and Celestia many years ago. Because I was physically stronger than my loved ones, and I could endure more than they could, I dedicated my life to protecting ponies. I didn’t realize how conflicted I would feel about it when the war began. Ponies started dying and there wasn’t anything I could do about it.”
“Yeah, I see the problem. How old were you when the war broke out?”
“Sixteen,” Nyx replied.
“So you were just a child when you made this vow. It’s commendable, but did you really think you could protect every pony?”
Nyx nodded, feeling her gut tighten. Childhood guilt still clung onto her heart, despite her attempts to shake it over the years.
Daisy shook her head slowly, her face full of sympathy. “I’m sorry you had to carry that burden. But by now, you understand how things are. You simply can’t save everyone.”
“It was a big hit to come to terms with that,” Nyx admitted. “And another big hit when I knew that sometimes I’d have to kill my enemy in the process.”
“And what about the zebras?” Daisy asked.
“I never made a vow to protect them. I’m not out to kill them, but my commitment is to protecting ponies, however stressful the war makes that for me.”
“Have you considered renouncing the vow? Just for your conscience’s sake, I mean.”
“I can’t. It’s who I am.”
Daisy nodded. “I can respect that. But if I might give some insight, what happened at the school was a success, and you should feel good about it. Don’t ever let anyone tell you otherwise.”
Nyx nodded. “I understand.”
Daisy continued, “Nyx, you’ve been on a journey with this vow that has become your identity… And that journey is not over.”
Daisy broke from the topic with a sudden shake of her head and an astonished smile on her lips. “But wow, that day in Aria! I guess that’s what it’s like being an alicorn?”
“Sorry, what?” Nyx asked, raising an eyebrow and unsure of Daisy’s direction.
With a satisfied crunch, Daisy finished her apple, expertly tossing the core away. “Well, from what I’ve heard, your abilities could be downright catastrophic. If legend is to be believed, a single alicorn can wipe out large armies or level mountains.”
Nyx stared at her for a moment, trying to decide if she was being serious. The earnest expression on her face made Nyx guess she actually might be. At this, it was all she could do to fight back a burst of laughter.
“Haven’t heard that one in a long time, Daisy,” she said, suppressing a chuckle and wiping an eye with a hoof. “I wouldn’t put much faith in the old bedtime stories. Alicorns aren’t the titans that the ancient legends talk about. Those stories are just made up to give little colts and fillies interesting pony-tales to read.”
Daisy pondered this for a moment. “Hmm. Well, someone must have had a vivid imagination then. Someone seemed to think alicorns were terrifying.”
Nyx considered this. Alicorn power was largely a mystery even to her. Luna had strongly hinted that Nyx may end up remembering further war spells that Luna had crafted in ages past. But nothing on the scale of the ancient legends. Even Luna herself had no such power. Perhaps the stories were merely hyperbolic.
“Well, I’m not saying we can’t do some pretty scary stuff,” Nyx conceded. “I mean, you’re right about Aria three years ago. I accidentally turned twenty-three zebras into meat confetti. It nearly killed me, though. It’s not something I can use in a fight just because I want to. And in a war this size, it wouldn’t tip the scales anyway.”
Daisy shook her head with an amused chuckle. “So, you can’t defeat entire armies with a wave of your hoof and make my platoon famous for winning the war, then.” She poked Nyx in the side in jest. “That’s too bad. We sure could use a ‘legend’ like that right about now, wouldn’t you say?”
“I don’t know, Daisy,” Nyx said with a more serious tone. “All the alicorns in those stories weren’t the slightest bit interested in helping out with pony concerns.”
“Perhaps you’re right,” Daisy remarked, thoughtfully. “Perhaps you’re right.”
Nyx finished her apple, glancing across the clearing to the soldiers engaged in marksmanship training. Flitter was still there, taking aim at a paper target. Nyx could make out the smile on her face as one of the stallions guided her aim.
“I never expected Flitter to take an interest in weapons training,” Nyx mentioned absently.
Daisy followed Nyx’s gaze. “Midnight’s our best shot with a rifle,” she commented. “That black stallion over there with Flitter. Of course, A.Pone likes to think he is. And with a crossbow, he’d be right.” She paused, watching for another moment before letting out a chuckle. “Somepony seems to be enjoying herself.”
“She sure is,” Nyx replied with a subtle smile. “It’s good to see. I worry about her sometimes. She’s been through so much, but she hides it well most of the time.”
“You’re welcome to join them if you want. We’ve still got time before we head out.”
“Me? Oh, guns really aren’t my thing, Daisy. Thanks, though.”
Daisy looked pointedly at her. “It occurs to me that I have absolutely no idea what kind of fighter you are. I mean, unless your thing is always to incinerate your opponent?”
“That was an accident,” Nyx emphatically declared. “I have no idea what happened there.” Luna’s warning lingered in her thoughts, reminding her that this kind of thing, or worse, might yet happen again. She shrugged off the sudden chill that ran down her back.
“Blades, then? I’m partial to those myself, though a good rifle is essential at range.”
Nyx glanced at Daisy’s forelegs. “Wait, those are real?”
Daisy held up a hoof, revealing a slightly yellowish thick metal band just above the fetlock joint. Her other foreleg sported its twin, making a matching set.
“I thought they were just jewelry.” Nyx had seen aurora blades in action many times. She always wondered how they worked, the operators seemingly able to control their form with a mere thought.
Daisy gave a nod, and the metal flowed like liquid out, curving and solidifying into the glinting edge of a deadly blade before finally retreating back into the decorative form of a foreleg band.
“I didn’t think ponies could control Arkadian liquid metal,” Nyx commented in astonishment.
“We can—it just takes training and practice. Are you skilled with that sword you’re carrying?”
Nyx telekinetically drew her new sword from its scabbard, giving it a flourish for a moment. “This one’s a lot better than my old one,” she commented. “I’m still getting used to the improved balance.”
Daisy whistled in admiration. “May I?”
Nyx passed the sword to Daisy.
Daisy examined the sword for a moment. “It’s beautiful.”
“It was a gift from Luna. It means a lot to me. She trained me on the sword years ago.”
Daisy stood up, returning the sword to Nyx’s grip. “Show me.”
“Pardon?”
“Time to show me what you’re made of, Nyx. You and me, one on one.”
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its never easy to accept, especially if you are a medic or any other member of emergency services.
Interesting potrail of Dinky here, I always imagined she had little trouble getting Dirty.
Also, you used person, do you really think that would fit with the ponies? No offense
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Yes, ponies are people. Not to say they are humans. But yes, people.
To quote Wikipedia...
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just wondered as its almost always the word pony to replace person in meaning
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Yeah I really don't get into the whole ponification thing myself.
I'm trying to become professionally published, and that's a bad habit in the real world of writing.
So... what did you think of the lieutenant and her view of alicorns?
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its interesting
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Cool. What did you find interesting?
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as silly as it sounds, i sadly, already forgot the exact prt
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I only ask because I spent the last three weeks designing and writing the very impactful and intricate plot elements having to do with her, and this chapter is simply thick with foreshadowing.
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And I think you did well. About dinky, just saying
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Story's not just about Dinky, you know. ;)
She's about 3% of the story.
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Sure, just found it interesting how she's hesitant to get dirty
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Can I perhaps have a link to it?
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Sure thing I'll PM you.
I don't think Fimfic allows the linking of M-rated stories in the comments of non-M rated stories (this one).
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I think it does but please do PM me
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Hmm you never got it? I sent it a week ago.
Sorry for the late comment, I was busy with IRL stuff.
Interesting chapter. Nice to see Nyx and Flitter interacting with the soldiers. Daisy and others are quite interesting, don’t feel like they are here for background or something. I really like the way characters are written.
I liked the conversation between Nyx and Daisy about her vow. Nyx promised to be the protector of ponies, and this is determined to fulfill it. I like how committed to this she is. Granted, even as strong as she is, she cannot save everyone, but she can try to save as many as she can. I agree with Daisy that in the war, some things need to be done. I disagree with her in the idea of renouncing the vow, as I guess trying to follow it is what matters, even if you cannot reach 100%. The best way for Nyx to protect ponies would be to stop the war, and since Zebras are led by fanatics who believe that Nyx and Luna are the harbingers of end times, negotiations are not an option, unfortunately.
It was also interesting to see Daisy’s opinion on alicorns. I mean, it is understandable that she holds them in high regard. Equestria was ruled by alicorn for over a millennium and prospered. Celestia and Luna have enough magical power to move the sun and moon around. I guess the idea of alicorns toppling mountains wouldn’t be too far-fetched, but it was probably just excerregagion (keyeword, probably). Also, I remember that Twilight said something along the lines of Nyx having the opportunity to help not only ponies living now, but also in the future, for as long as there are stars in the sky. I guess this is the greatest strength alicorns have, multiple lifetimes of experience and knowledge that can help spearhead ponykind into prosperity and development. However, as seen in dreams of Nyx and said by Luna, Nyx might achieve the ability to just reshape reality to her whims, and then she would be able to topple a mountain, but the problem is that she will also be able to topple civilization. That’s if these dreams are true, but they are within the realm of possibility.
Also, I very like the style of this writing. Honestly, this and Flurry in Time are the highest quality fics on this website.
Good luck in writing. Waiting for the next chapter.
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I sincerely thank you for your comment. It's refreshing to see that the carefully laid out lore and foreshadowing is not lost on the audience.
Honestly, it's comments like this that help me decide whether I'm going to watch youtube, play videogames, or do writing on any particular day. Writing a story like this takes effort, and seeing that the effort has been well-comprehended by a reader is fuel for that effort.
As for the specifics you mentioned, you're definitely understanding the situation as-intended for this phase of the story. As the story continues and more is revealed, you will see how it all fits together. A lot of stuff is coming! This will be every bit as grand and complex as Flurry in Time.
Oh, one thing I should mention to you specifically, since you've read FiT first... You've seen how Nyx turns out after all this. What Black Feather is... is how I take Pen Stroke's filly and turn her into that. I'm not sure if you've ever read Past Sins, but the way Pen leaves her at the end of the story is a very long ways from how I've got her ending up. It was Past Sins, toward the end of the story, that set up her vow to the princesses. I was inspired by this to finish her character arc because I wanted to see how she ended up. The vow is central to this, though the vow is a child's vow and it needs to be handled as such. At this phase of Nyx's life, in Black Feather, that vow shapes who she currently is, but in order for her to become who she will be, she has to go through a few... adjustments. That is this story.
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I am glad to help. I know that writing stories (especially long and quality ones) is hard. I wish you good luck in writing.
Well, I haven’t actually read Past Sins. I’m a latecomer to the fandom (got here in late 2021), so I haven’t read all of the fandom classics (but I read Fallout:Equestria and enjoyed it). I am quite interested in Nyx’s journey to the status she will have in Flurry in Time. She will have to get through quite a character development.
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If you do find yourself reading Past Sins, I'd be interested to hear your thoughts on the direction I've taken the character.
In chapter 13, note Daisy asked how old Nyx was when the war broke out. Nyx's age is... a bit of a weird concept, given her origins in Past Sins. She showed up as a ten-year-old child and a good part of the story is her being raised by Twilight. Midway through the story, she's forced, against her will, to become adult Nightmare Moon and to assume authority over Equestria and bring eternal night. Toward the end of the story, she defends Ponyville vs a bunch of invading Everfree monsters. She's injured and submits herself to the princesses' judgement. This is where she makes her vow, and she's restored to being a child again. So her vow was made when she was "ten" even though it had only been a short while since her creation. Then in my story, the war breaks out six years later, hence "sixteen" that is the answer she gives Daisy.
I give you free advice if you don't use shit non-canon characters like Starshit Himmler, Tempest Shadow and other hated by everybody you can have about thousands additional readings from the fans who love MLP and Nyx. Not just downloading, search in text editor and closing with immediate voting down. Keep Discord out and everything will be even better. And the best part this doesn't requires any work because these who can only ruin never bring anything worthing mentioning. 90% of MLP worthing mentioning based on 2 1st seasons. And 9% out of 10% remaining it Twilicorn.
If you mix a barrel of honey and a spoon of shit you'll have the barrel of shit. You don't eat honey with any amout of shit in it. I wonder why fic-writers don't understand that.
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Hi there.
Could you please quote the specific thing in my story you are referring to?
I'm unsure what your comment was about.
Thanks!
Starlight and Tempest’s weapons research institute, the ‘Former Villain’s Initiative’
Non canon and hated characters mentioned. That's enough. A spoon of shit destroys any amount of honey.
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Uh...
Wait, are you saying that you downvoted my story because I simply mentioned two MLP characters you didn't like?
They aren't even characters in my story. It was a passing reference because people on fimfiction love references. It's not part of the story.
I mean, I get that you don't like how Starlight was introduced in the show. I don't either. I think the whole communist camp was awful. But that's no reason to hate on my story.
This is not communist camp but typical totalitary sect. Very widespread in USA. Were very widespread in tsar Russia, everywhere they can find a lot of territory to hide from the government. They work the same way everywhere. But in USSR Starshit Himmler would go in a prison VERY fast. Not only for the sect. BTW the whole idiocy with her living in Twilight's castle reminds one classic Soviet comedy movie from 1965.
But anyway if she disappeared and was never mentioned again she would remain just another boring small criminal (too small for reall villian) deserving no more than police attantion. And this character can't exist in the same universe with Nyx.
Tempest Shadow is a war criminal. But... nobody cares? Seriously?
If you mention them then you're agree with them.
And I should read it whole to find out? "Notepad++" and search for names work faster.
References to what they don't like?
People love references to what can be considered as "brony memes". Like "Cakelestia" or "Cupcakes" with "Rainbow factory". Sometimes this works especially in something short and pure humoristic. But in big texts unneseccary references often look like cheap fan-service or even out of place.
BTW https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Skoptsy old sect in Russia which practiced castration. Because all wrongs in the world from sex. Just replace sex with cutiemarks.
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No, this is definitely not true. The reference is only for MLP fans. Referencing a character's name does not mean I agree that the character is good in the show. The story doesn't need the reference. It's just for the MLP fans.
I don't think we're in disagreement about the awful things in real life that you've made reference to...
Well, you were interested in the story enough to download it and find out if any characters you don't like are mentioned at all... Do you realize that there are thousands of stories on this site that have Starlight as an actual character? She's not a part of my story at all. "Former Villain's Initiative" was supposed to be funny. -_-
This entire argument is ridiculous, you realize. This is a MLP fanfiction website. Starlight is part of MLP. Most people here like these characters. But you've really demonstrated why fanfiction is such an awful thing, because it carries so much baggage. Writing original fiction doesn't come with random people showing up complaining because you included a character's name they happen to hate from the show.
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For what it's worth, I agree with this. Those things are awful. But I don't go around downvoting every single thing I disagree with. I have better things to do with my time.
Also, when I first started this project, nine years ago, that was during a time when all the fanfic on this site was written to include as many MLP references as possible. That was considered "good writing" or clever. Now, every time I see that kind of thing in stories, I just groan.
But honestly, you really should chill about other people mentioning by name characters you don't like. I mean have you even seen where the show went in season 9? Starlight is the least of the show's problems at this point.
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Show me on the diagram where the bad pony touched you
Downvoting for a reference? That is.....
Let me make it straight any objective explanation what's wrong with Starshit Himmler ends up with her defenders starting to humilate Twilight Sparkle. The character which created the fandom. Are they really MLP fans? Or may be people who mix MLP with EG are MLP fans?
I was interested in Nyx story. I think we contacted before because I commision the art with her. https://www.deviantart.com/beltar1
Downvote just for tag. Including EG and anything else. If I'm not lazy. And I'll not comment on them because I don't care about them.
Because of? Because it was made by Hasbro? The 1st mistake. Official is not canon Let's take "Star Wars" for example. I'm not fan of SW but will say thed episodes 7-9 are not canon. They'are not canon just because they contradict canon movies in personality of main protagonist.
Luke Skywalker in Ep 6 has balls to come to Dart Veider to bring him on the good side.
Luke Skywalker in Ep8 is coward which tried to kill his apprentice in sleep because he saw some doubts in him. After that ran away.
How Luke from ep 6 can be Luke from Ep 8? They've nothing in common. (By the way the whole fan-made world was ruined thx disney.) They're not the same character no matter how many billiond disney paid for copyrights.
And why I would treat as a part of MLP character which looks came directly from bad Mary Sue fanfic ruins everything and obviously was inserted for leftish propaganda? Why I would treat EG as a part of MLP when I liked MLP's disign but instead of my lovable ponies I got these antropomorphic abominations?
All my friends from pre MLP time who are familiar with MLP hate them. And I even looked statistic for Fimfiction. There're no fanfics about Himmler which as popular as fics about Twilight. What's more there are huge drop of fanfics about Trixie after she was shipped with Himmler. BTW Fimfiction statistic says that nobody cares about G5.
It's not because MLP turned this idea in Saddam Hussein's song from "South Park. Bigger. Longer and Uncut".
Its not my fault that I'm so evil
It's society, society.
And how people supposed to know this?
If I would write a fic I would never mention anything I don't like or especially I hate.
Just non-proffesionalism and it becomes boring really fast.
I dropped to watch it after season 6. Because I had it enough. And when Starshit Himmler was humilated by pegasi foal which was later put in Tartarus I just laugh. You defended one Mary Sue which humilated M6? Now you have another Mary Sue which humilated the 1st one. Why you're not happy? You defended the strange messages the show translated since S5? Now it forgot all this "friendship", "forgiveness for every villian" and put a child in a jail. Or don't forget these pathetic "student six".
It's impossible to kill what's already dead and decayed but it was Starshit Himmler, the destruction of Twilight's library (this is literally desecration) and whole S5 who began all this.
I didn't watch EG past 1st "movie".
And there're lot of people who did the same. They just don't care what happened in S8, S9 or another EG movies.
I want to point out one thing. You write fic based on cartoon. Why? May be because it's important to you? I comission a lot of Nyx art. May be because I care a lot. I see something important not another cartoon show. There're ten of them which I think are good but I'm not fan of them. A lot more I think don't deserve any attention or even complitelly stupid and I'll never comment on them because I don't care. Watched one time and forgot.
Some time ago I made this https://docs.google.com/document/d/1dKOg9PtGkDwfdvdHABtYwi1E4uwckrNY/edit?usp=drive_link&ouid=110498048517340343240&rtpof=true&sd=true (Nyx vs Starshit Himmler comparison)
Because it's really important for me and I understand why it's important to me. It's important to me how the characters act and how they treated. So I don't understand why are you so surprised. Fans take things extremally serious. You can visit fanfiction.net in their search engine exists checking for pairing because fans take pairings very serious. Remember how angry were HP fan when Hermiona didn't marry Hurry? And you wonder why I use name search.
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Yes, I understand what you are talking about here.
And I want to point out one thing to you then. I've made this point clear in my blog posts as well.
It is this: I left the MLP fandom years ago... For similar reasons you are upset with much of the changes.
We both felt the same pain, but we responded differently.
MLP was important to me as well, before it got so messed up. I began this writing project in late 2014, before Tirek even. Starlight did not exist yet. The show was midway through season 4. It still had the same feel more or less that it had from the start. And I had just read Past Sins, which inspired me to go into writing and finish her character arc as an adult. That was important to me. Important enough to dedicate years of my life to writing an amazing story that showed Nyx being what she promised to be at the end of Pen Stroke's story.
Over the years, I ended up caring more about Nyx's character than even the original author. If you look at how Pen's sequels turned out, you will understand why. So you're not in a position to try and educate me about what it feels like to have something very important to me come out of the fandom. To me, it was extremely important to write a respectful and epic tale about how Nyx turned into the hero she was set up to be.
But a series of things happened that shaped my vision. Originally, I had my fic tied in with the Fallout: Equestria universe. After a while, I decided to remove all references to that and pull away from that community. I also had to deal with Nyx haters that literally conspired with one another to mass downvote my original story. I don't know if you were around for the Nyx hate but it was a big thing several years ago. Thankfully, they have moved on.
I also had to deal with very harsh "tutors" when it came to the art of writing well. My journey to becoming a skilled writer was filled with a great deal of strife and conflict, but I persevered because the project was very important to me.
Eventually, MLP began its decline. It got progressively worse and I stopped watching the show midway through season 8. My friends tell me season 9 was basically unwatchable for anyone who loves how the show began, so I abandoned it. The show died of dementia, a slow and painful experience for loved ones rather than a quick or clean death. I get that. And I also objected when Starlight was introduced, though it didn't turn me into some kind of maniac on a literal crusade to purge all references to the character from all the fanfics on a site dedicated to MLP fanfics... I don't know if you realize this, but you cannot purge rot. You just have to walk away.
And so we did. My friends and I all walked away from the show in mid 2019 and decided to begin our brand new original intellectual property where we literally purged out MLP references themselves from our work. We spent years developing our own universe from absolute scratch, with our own races, tribes, characters, and settings. And it is amazing. Rather than taking the negative approach, like you have, attempting to salvage the unsalvageable, we decided instead to become creators of something new and clean and inspiring. Something we were in complete control of that Hasbro had no influence or sway or even legal authority over.
But here's the honest problem: I had already written a tremendous amount of really good content in this story before this decision to split off. And that content has just sat on the shelf with nobody able to enjoy it for quite a lot of years. I moved on to write the start of our new saga, but Black Feather just collected dust, waiting for the day when the saga's narrative got to the point where my version of the character Nyx became an adult and I could write the non-MLP version of Black Feather.
Then... there's the complication of a former colleague who was wishing I'd complete the MLP version of the story and publish it. He sent me a message (well, actually it was an 8000 word manifesto) five months ago declaring that he had both the right and the intent to rewrite MY story and publish it here on Fimfiction. I don't know if you understand, but legally, that presents a serious problem with my intention of publishing my work professionally.
So I made the decision in early August to publish my MLP version myself on Fimfiction. Things were going rather well, but I realized that the story was far too long and I did not want to dedicate several more years of my life to writing the MLP version of my work. That's when I decided to shorten the story and give it a new and better ending. This ended up requiring several chapters to be added to bring a character into focus a lot sooner than before. That brings us to where we are now...
Because this is the MLP version of things, I obviously didn't purge all the MLP references from the story. In fact, the most recent chapter added a rather frivolous reference to Starlight and Tempest in a throw-away line about a weapons research company that I figured would tickle the funny bones of some MLP fans... You know, because this is literally a MLP community... Harmless, right? How was I supposed to know that there was some unhinged anti-Starlight CRUSADER literally running around trying to purge this CANON MLP character from a MLP fanfic website.
Because guess what? CANON is decided by the owners of the property, not the fans. Hasbro decides which characters are canon and which are not. And like it or not, Starlight is canon. Maybe not in your headcanon but you said she's hated by thousands and non canon. Sorry mate, this fandom has accepted all the stuff Hasbro added to the show you and I once loved. I've moved on. I think you should too.
The cruel irony here is twofold. First, the line I added truly was frivolous and made me cringe adding it. I've since taken it out, for what it's worth. There is no reference to Starlight or Tempest in my story now. I honestly don't care. This is not to acquiesce to your whims... on the contrary, I actually agree with you that frivolous references weaken an otherwise epic story. If you hated Rumble as passionately as Starlight, and advised me to remove him, I'd tell you to go make love to yourself. But I don't need the reference so I took it out and now your complaint is simply barking at the wind.
The second irony is that you... probably would truly enjoy our original universe that we've made. You'd love the world building and the characters and the story plots we have lovingly designed over the years that one day will be published elsewhere and feature all the same stuff we originally wanted for our MLP work but instead turned into an original and unique world that has none of the corrupt themes that have taken over on this site. You'd very likely rejoice over what we have built...
But we are adults over there. We don't run around pissing all over stories we don't like on a fan site that has rejected the values we hold dear. Instead, we build and create. We moved on. I'm only here because I wanted to finish this amazing story in a timely manner, and it was written in the MLP format. I will convert it to our original IP later. Yes, we are adults. It would be nice if you were too.
As I said copyright property doesn't mean canon. Canon is internal integrity. Sometimes it can be broken intentionally or here and there in some minor things. But serious plot holes and contradictions are not accessible. When the copyright owner said that something is white and then says that this is black? This means what? That something is grey? No it only means that copyright owner doesn't understand what to do and the writers are just people. The people make mistakes sometimes very big mistakes and sometimes they don't care at all.
I don't know if you had expirience with other fandoms before MLP.
Before MLP I became "The Lion King" fan. And I didn't understand from where all this second pride in it's sequel came. I tried to find explanations for myself but finally I understood the simple truth. It's just non-canon. It's made by another studio second rate one which made cheap content. Nobody from original creators were involved. They could not even draw Simba correctly. They didn't care about original movie just inserted they typical stamps they used in their other works. I have strong suspition they didn't bothered to watch the original. And Disney didn't bothered about any respect for people who watch their movies. They just made defective products and placed their respected label on it. We know how it ended for them.
And you know the funny things? Before so called "The Lion King" 2 they officially printed a seria of 6 books named: "The Lion King Six New Advantures". Which include Simba's son Kopa and totally contradicts the sequel. But they're official too. And therefore they're canon too. People still trying to merge them somehow. But that's impossible just by story the time-line. And the same time-line says that Kovu and Kiara can't be close in age to each other because Kiara was born after Scar was killed but Kovu himself says that he knew Scar. So Kovu is much older. In human scale no less than 6-7 years older. Which makes TLK 2 impossible even in it's own logic.
But when "The Lion King 1 1/2" was released it became even more funny because people who insisted that TLK 2 is canon began to refuse TLK 1.5 as canon. Because it's a parody. No way men. There's no mark saying that it's a parody you watched it and decided that it's a parody. And I watched so called TLK 2 and decided that it's just nonsence and something impossible in TLK world. Check and mate!
And from my expirience the situations when franchise is broken are rather common. Sometimes copyright owner gives permission to somebody produce their own stories but ignores them. In case of MLP it's IDW. They worked legally but Hasbro doesn't consider their comics as canon. So it's very complex question what is canon. Sometimes even copyright owner doesn't know for sure what is THEIIR OWN canon how it happened with "Star Wars".
And all this made me absolutly sceptical and cynical about official content. What Lauren Faust did is canon. Everything else is an object to discuss. There're people who stopped to watch MLP after Twilicorn. I like Twilicorn for it's potential in fic-writing but at least I understand why these people are so angry.
My story what I did yesterday and how I ended up here.
1) I looked what the piece of picture has more likes on derpibooru. Turned out it's the one with somebody name Stygian.
2) Who's Stygian?
3) Goooogle. So this worthles piece of pony was the main antagonist in S7. Nightmare Moon will die from laugh.
4) Let's check how may fics about him on Fimfiction.
5) 65! Really? Only 65 fics for the Season boss villian? Congratilations bronies you made my evening. YOU DESERVE THAT.
6) Since I'm here let's check for Nyx.
7) So here I'm. Download a couple of things and do the base search. See the reference and ready to delete the file and forget about it but for some reason decide to tell what I think about it.
If I had access to the server I would erase everything because if your characteres are so good then make your server and show what you can do without Twilight Sparkle. But if you thought that I search something just to downvote. Well I'm not net programmer to do a script which will search such a content and downvote it. But may be I should learn?
I read "Past Sins" in 2014.
Never bothered about haters because.
1) Fics and their characters are not canon by definition they can't hurt you they can't hurt the franchise. So I don't understand why bother about something you don't like and don't affect you. Yes I'm familiar with this phenomena here and there but this's not I consider as serious.
2) Hating requires knowledge. Like reading 200k words size fan-fiction. Not everybody will do that and it's very easy to ask the hater to substantiate their PoV or GTFO.
3) I know some people hate fanfition as a phenomenon and Nyx is the most popular OC so she can be the 1st target but I always so this as not understanding what's fanction and who writes them. Normally there's nothing to discuss with such people and they're harmless.
4) Downvoting of fics based on other fic is pointless because there're not many of them and fans will download them anyway if they don't see something against that in description.
I've nothing against complete AUs.
So you stopped care about the show and therefore if somebody would ask you why you didn't include something from from S9 you would tell that you never watched that and you don't care about that. Which effectively makes everything from the point you dropped non-canon for you. Not just you didn't watch but will watch eventually but you will never watch it and you don't want to know what happened after the point you dropped.
Just like me having a couple of adult Nyx pictures in Twilight's library. And anybody who will even mention this crystal castle will have the direction where they should go and where they should said castle insert.
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Bernard did originally post the comic there, yes.
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Thank you for clarifying your thoughts. I appreciate it.
I must help you understand some terminology. What you are referring to is headcanon. I will explain.
I urge you to read this link to the wikipedia page on canonicity. You see, 'canon' simply means authoritative. It isn't "what makes the most sense". That is headcanon.
Take my Littlehorn story for example. It is my headcanon of what happened with the Littlehorn tragedy in Fallout: Equestria. But Kkat did not authorize this. What she wrote, even if I do not agree, is canon.
So 'canon' is authoritative to what the author has created, and 'headcanon' is subjective to what the reader believes makes the most sense.
Headcanon – something which we assume can be or should be true without explicit confirmation. If Cadence exists there can be a lot of other alicorns. Not confirmed but if you took her from somewhere we can take more from the same place. Pandora Box opened. Cadance is not immortal and no match to REAL alicorns. Otherwise we’ve problem with 2 first episodes. If there’re other alicorns why they can’t deal with NMM?
There’s a joke about Jew who came to bathhouse with a Christian cross on his neck and been told to take on the pants or take off the cross.
By proclaiming something non-canon I just deny the possibility of that. I can treat as canon something proclaimed first. Luke Skywalker from Ep 6 is canon. Luke Skywalker from Ep 8 is not canon. This is typical “pants or cross” situation. Or don’t treat as canon anything. The Simba’s cub in the end of “The Lion King” must be male because of the explicitly shown rules of lions’ society in the movie.
On the smaller scale we can take the episode where steam engine is pulled by the stallions. Something never repeated and therefore proclaimed stupid and non-canon by MLP itself. But why this scene appears in the first place? Because the screen-writer wanted to joke. Obviously. The joke turned to be stupid and we broke not just 4th but all other walls so we see not the show but it’s backstage.
Here we’re, a story is not a history which really happened and therefore absolutely objective, a story is artificial construct. And it’s consistency is result of the creator’s work. When everything done correctly we don’t think about that and pretend to believe in the fictional world. If not, we began talk about canon, plot holes, stupid writers and etc. And the story can be changed by the owner.
I don’t see MLP anymore. I see worthless writers who don’t have any respect to the things they were hired to work on, to me as a consumer of their product, to anything. They produce “pony-product” which looks like was written under heavy drugs, or with intention to insert some out of place message, or just grab more money until closed. And I don’t understand why I should see it as the Sacred Writings. Incompetent writer is not authoritative for me.
Judaists deny New Testament. And this's much more serious claim than our little talk about canonicy of commercial work made by random hired people for salary.
But there’s bigger problem all this last season heresy displaces the canonic image of the characters and the world. People begin to see not Twilight from S1-2 but “princess of friendship” with all her stupidy. They don’t understand MLP anymore newcomers see nothing interesting and leave. That’s why Hasbro’s heresy must be openly rejected. You can’t just run from it. It kills even what was healthy because there’s still “pants or cross” situation, and people blindly believe in canonicity of the last seasons.
There was episode in S6 with Daring Do fan who thinks degraded books are not canon (I know a lot of such men it’s very widespread). Looked like “we don’t know how Lauren Fast made it but please love our product”. Miserable and disgusting. They only added more mess and ended up with brown pants. Again.
And imagine I got enough money to buy out G4 and EG then officially as new copyright owner proclaimed everything I hate as non-canon, removed it from any legal places to see it and hired new team to make new seasons the way I like? New season 5, Twilight’s library in place and even bigger, no Hysterical Horse with her concentration camp and “hard childhood”, no “reformed” Diamond Tiara, Discord leaves Equestria forever… I suppose any appeals to copyrights in terms what is canon will be ridiculous.
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Well, I'm not going to insist you use the same definitions as me. I'm just saying how these terms are generally used, as I've spoken with quite a lot of people who consistently use the term 'canon' to mean whatever was made by the authors and 'headcanon' to mean whatever the fans believe in their own minds.
As for MLP itself, it's pretty clear that both you and I are in agreement that the show had a very strong, powerful start. Then after a few years, diversity, equity, inclusion, and a massive loss of the original vision gradually eroded away that strong, powerful start. Ultimately, it became nothing like the show we originally loved.
It's been four years since I left the fandom, meaning I don't browse the forums here, don't watch any fan content, and generally don't even discuss MLP in any way with anyone apart from when other people start the conversation. So I've really stopped caring about it. I used to be a lot more active, though I also had a young daughter at that time. In early 2020, her psychotic mother stole her away and I've had no contact since. She'd be sixteen now. But we had a great time talking MLP for about six years there. Those were good times.
Now, I'm literally only here to finish Black Feather because of a commitment I made to do so. I've also made a few friends from the fandom over the years, so that's a value to me.
I wish you the best, and I hope you are able to heal the wounds in your heart from the betrayal you felt by the show's creators. I know it can hurt and we sometimes react strongly when things we treasure are corrupted. So I do understand your passion for it. But because I've stopped caring about MLP at all, I don't have much emotion dedicated to the show's downfall anymore. Mostly because I've pulled my writing project out of MLP and am writing independently. Good luck to you whichever path you choose!
The statement that canon comes from authoritative source is self-evident, because if I consider something as canon I agree that it comes from an authoritative source. The question what is authoritative source? The obvious logic tells that only the author can be authoritative source. But there’re problems:
1) Betrayal from the author. This happens. Sometimes it leads to pure ignore of everything since certain moment. I didn't read anything Pen Stroke wrote after "Winter Bells". Or I read about 80 pages of "Road Home" and was one of the many who was angry with Flash Sentry. I suppose this was the main reason why people didn't read it.
2) The loss of the author when IP changes the owner or the author doesn’t work for the owner anymore like it happened with MLP G4. There’re IPs tens of years old which changed the owner many times and were rebooted several times. They can have a lot of profics which status is unclear even for the owner of IP. Big things like movies, TV shows are made by huge collectives. Sometimes we can address the authorship to the movie’s director and screen-writer or other person which had the last word but often we know only copyright holder which can assign the development of IP to anybody. And copyright holder is not the author even if IP was developed by their order.
So normally I see the IP and it’s consistency as the only source of truth. In fact, when we start talking not about IP itself but about who made it and copyright owners there’s something very wrong. It’s like bringing a “my dad says that” argument in the debate between 7-years old.