Batbrony

54 minutes ago, Goat-kun said:

Pip and Dinky are abhorrent aberrations spawned by vile heresy. 

Them's some fighting words, sir, and not the good kind.  No time for my usual Hooves Family post now, but all I can say is she don't take too kindly to her little muffin's name getting dragged like that. 

Also, I think we need some clarification here, because now I'm confused.  Is "Little Pip" the star of Fallout: Equestria, or Pipsqueak from the show?  Because from what @Jeric said a few posts ago it sounds like it's show Pip, but I don't think his name has ever been Little Pip, and that is exactly the name of the Fallout: Equestria character.

Ooooooooooo, I am so angry right now!

Now calm down sweetie, please!

No!  I refuse!  These moo-hams are seriously picking scary Not-Celestia and scary Not-Rarity over my Doctor?  Talk about bad taste!

Gotta admit even I don't quite get this one.  I mean, how are two magical, tyrannical overlords supposed to work on the same team when they BOTH want to conquer the world... for themselves?

Oh you poor, silly, foolish mortals, you've got it all wrong.  I don't want to conquer the world.

Um... you don't?

Nooooooo.  I want to conquer THE UNIVERSE!!!

Pffffftttttt... only the universe, darling?  I would've expected more out of someone as, well... garishly gaudy as you.

What. Did. You. Say???

Only that I wouldn't settle for one universe.  Several sounds much nicer.

Who said anything about only one?!  Surely not I!!!  Nay, I SHALL CONQUER EVERY KNOWN REALITY THAT EVER WAS, IS, AND EVER WILL BE!!!  FOR I AM DAYBREAKER!!!! MWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!!!!!!

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SERIOUSLY, WHY ARE YOU IDIOTS VOTING FOR THESE TWO???

Mommy, why is she so loud?

Because nopony ever taught her that it's polite to speak with your inside voice when around others, muffin.

Uh, mom, you might not want to throw shade at the sun tyrant when she's right by dad.

You dare criticize ME tiny grey pony!

I do.

Oh please, do tell, darling, why on earth you would?  I need to hear this.

Yesssssssssssssssssssss.  Please, do tell.

It's quite simple, really.  You may be a tyrant of the sun, and you a (admittedly fabulous) tyrant of the moon, but I.  I. AM. HIS. MUFFIN. AND. HE. IS. MINE!!!!!!  And nopony threatens my muffin, my kids, my friends, Equestria, or anypony else I love!!!  So let me make one thing clear: if you truly do both get the privilege to play buckball for the fate of the universe with my Doctor, my muffin, you'd best play your hardest, play as a team, and I swear, if I hear that you so much as harm a single hair on my Doctor's head, there is no place, no single, solitary corner of Equestria or any square inch in any single universe or reality where I won't be able to find you and do things to you that you will never be able to speak of until the end of time, for even the mere memory of it will make you shudder in fear!!!

...

...

Do you believe her too?

I'm. Not. Saying.

Sheesh, mom.  Where does all that come from?

All from love, sweetie! 

Yayyyyyyyyy!!!  We have the scariest mommy!

You sure do, sweetie, you sure do.  Don't worry though, ladies, I can handle these clowns.  I have a phone booth after all!

Wasn't it called something else?

Shhhhhhhhhh, Carrot, they don't need to know that!

I'M NOT SCARED OF YOU, OR YOUR PHONE BOOTH!!!  Her on the other hoof... maybe.

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BOO!!! 

QUIT IT!!! 

Be safe, Doctor!  Have fun storming the castle!

Er, not sure there is one sweetie.

Oh, I'm sure there'll be one at some point. 

OK, as much as I hate to admit it, we may need the one scary changeling left in the world (as far as we know at least) to make it to the next round.  I know she's kinda, ya know, evil and all, but she is pretty powerful nonetheless.

Pass.

No evil bug queen!

Come on guys, don't make this a thing where I'm the contrarian with you guys every single time!

Oh I'm not, Starry, but have you forgotten this little incident?

OK, OK, OK, that's a fair enough point.

Mhm.  Nopony threatens my little muffins and gets away with it!  Oh I'll change my tune the second she tries to make up for everything she's done, but right now she's still as evil as ever.  So until that day of moral redemption from her comes she's on my... Dinky, cover your ears.

OK!

So as I was saying, until that day comes, she's on my shit list.

Right, right, yeah, I get that.  So who should we be sending forward instead?

Well you know I'm a sucker for anyone donning a cape and cowl (like yours truly) so I figure Mare Do Well is a good rep!

But... we don't even know who Mare Do Well is.  All of the ponies who have been her before are present and accounted for, so... who is she?

Don't care, as long as it's Mare Do Well, I'm cool with it.

Well at least it's not too far out there as far as a team member goes.  I gotta say that sky pirate is a pretty good choice too.  Not that I'm endorsing piracy or anything, she just seems pretty friendly and seems to have a good head on her shoulders, especially when it comes to leading a team.  So that just leaves the third spot.

Oh oh oh!  Quiet Pie, Quiet Pie!!!

Her name's Marble Pie, Dinky.

Yeah her.

*sigh* Why?

Cause she's super strong!

What in Equestria makes you say that?  In fact, where the hay is she even?

Oh she's in a cave.

What cave?

A cave I saw her dig with her bare hooves when she got frightened by the scary bug queen and mean dragon and ran off.

Oh... ... I guess she is strong.

Yup! 

Good eyes, Dinky!

So, uh, what do ya think is gonna happen if Chrysalis does end up on that team?

Oh I wouldn't worry about that.  I mean, who'd be stupid enough to vote for an unapologetically evil tyrant to be a part of one of 32 teams fighting to save our reality?

*Derpy checks the votes* 

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I am disappointed in you, moo-hams.  Very, very disappointed. 

#VoteMareDoWell #VoteCaptainCelaeno #VoteMarblePie

C'mon, we're already late to the first round!

We're not even involved in the first round, mom!

I know, but that doesn't mean we can't try to sway the vote.

OK, so what're you thinking?  I mean we got a guy who I'm pretty sure played sports through at least college, a Royal Guard, a super strong rock farmer, yeah, these all definitely look like good choices for a buckball tea-

Nah, Zecora's gotta be our number one priority.

Uhhhhhhhh, Zecora?  Um... why?

Amethyst, Amethyst, Amethyst, haven't you seen where they're competing?  They're in the Everfree Forest!  Who else do you know who actually lives in the Everfree Forest... besides, ya know, cute critters and really scary monsters and plants?

Well I guess that's kind of a good point.  But we should still definitely get at least one of these guys-

Oh, don't forget Ms. Melody, nothing wrong with classing up the group a bit.

Good thinking, honey!

What in Equestria does 'classing up' the group have to do with putting together a solid buckball team???

Don't worry sweetie, there's three spots, so we should be able to get at least one of those stallions on there.  Let's see, how about-

Oh, oh, oh, oh!  Don't forget Gummy!

Oh my goodness, that is SUCH a good idea, muffin!

Howwwwwwwwwww???  How in the slightest is filling the third spot with a baby alligator, without any teeth I might add, a good idea?

Pffffftttttttt, good one, Star.

Excuse me?

Dinky's right, ya know.  Clearly you just don't understand what an X-factor a baby alligator can be on a buckball team.  They're full of all kinds of surprises.

Really?  Because all I've ever seen him do is walk around, gnaw on Pinkie's mane and tail, and stare vacantly at Celestia-only-knows what.  Dad, seriously, help me out here.

Well ya know, Amethyst, as crazy as it sounds, I think they might just be onto something.  I've seen my fair share of crazy things, and let me tell you, there's something uncanny about that Gummy.  Definitely a 'more-to-him-than-meets-the-eye' kind of deal.

...Ya know what, why do I even bother trying to be the sane one?

If it helps at all, Star, I'm just as confused and skeptical as you are.  Not that that'd change anything, after all, I couldn't even stop Derpy from raiding my fridge while we still shared the same cottage.

Not really, but thanks for trying, Carrot.  Thanks for trying.

Did you get all that, everypony, oh, I'm sorry, every 'moo-ham'?  Vote for Zecora, Octavia, and Gummy for the first round!

Yeahhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!!!!!!  GO TEAM GATOR-RIFFIC!!!!!!!!!!!!

GAH, MUFFIN MOUNTAIN!  Wait... this isn't the majestic peaks of the Muffin Mountain.  But... this isn't Ponyville either. 

What the hay... MOM, WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE???

Oh, Amethyst, there you are!  And what am I doing here, we live together you silly filly.

Well, yeah, but... nevermind, what are you doing HERE!  In case you haven't noticed, this isn't our house.

Yeah, looks kinda more like a creepy old temple of some kind.  Oh, and it's in the middle of the jungle.  Oh and there's eight other ponies with us.

Wh- AH!!!  Where the buck did you all come from?

Amethyst Star, watch your language!

Oh geeze, sorry, it's just... who the hay is all here?  Vinyl, the prince of the Crystal Empire, Photo Finish, a whole bunch of ponies I don't even know and, *gasp* OH MY GOSH, IT'S DARING DO!

Oh yeah, it is Daring Do.

Mom, how the hay do you know who Daring Do is?  You don't read those books!

Oh horsefeathers... uhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh, let's just say your father's Hearts and Hooves Day present last year was me dressing up as her for... reasons that will remain unspoken, and I will leave it at that.

...

...

Well great, now I can't ever enjoy Daring Do ever again, thank you sooooooooooooooooo much!

Yeah to be honest, I didn't need to know that either.  The body pillows with me on them have been bad enough.

Oh sweet Celestia, it's really you, THE Daring Do!  But wait, you're not real... you're a fictional character.

Uhhhhhhhh... yup, that's right, totally a fictional character!  Who the hay are all you ponies anyway and what the hay is going on here?

It appears we've all gone and stumbled somehow into a strange pocket dimension of some kind with hundreds of other ponies scattered across dozens of different regions, yet we're all still capable of hearing, seeing, and interacting with one another.  It's really fascinating stuff!

Oh my goodness, Doctor, sweetie, is that you?

It sure is, Derpy!  You doing alright, honey?

Yeah!  Well, as well as I can in the middle of the jungle with our daughter, Vinyl, and a bunch of other ponies I don't know, including a fictional character.  Where are you?

I'm... how do I put this?  I appear to be in the Dream Realm.

But how's that possible?  I thought we'd just determined that this is a dream.

I'm not sure that's what it is.  Not entirely at least.  There's definitely dream magic at work here, but something else as well.

Is Dinky with you?

No, she's... right below me somehow, but in Trottingham.

Trottingham's beneath the Dream Realm?

No, it's... nevermind, this is all very confusing even for me.  Dinky dear, you alright?

Oh yeah daddy, I'm great!

Dinky, there you are!

Hi mommy!  

Are you OK, muffin?

Oh yeah!  Miss Fluttershy's here, and my friend Sunny, and a really pretty pony who's really nice, and a super lucky pony, and a pony who talks like dad but a lot more seriously, and a really big and old pony with a beard, and a hipster that keeps annoying Miss Fluttershy, and a pony that keeps talking about killing zombies, raiders, and nuclear apocalypse, and for some reason a really mean cat lady.

Well... she certainly seems to be making friends.

Sorry sweetie, I missed most of that.  There's this poor little blind filly I'm trying to help direct, and the presence of a monstrous living nightmare and what I'm pretty sure are evil versions of Celestia and Rarity... for some reason... is not making that easy!  Carrot's here though, so that... kinda makes it better.

Oooooo, Carrot's there!  HI CARROT!

Derpy, is that you?  What the hay is going on?  One minute I'm in the middle of a great dream about getting the best shiatsu massage from Aloe and Lotus, the next minute I'm surrounded by my neighbors, some ponies I don't know, a Saddle Arabian, and a bunch of nightmarish entities, AND FOR SOME REASON EVERYPONY IS CALLING ME GOLDEN!?!?! 

Well that was your first given name at birth.

YES!  But nopony is supposed to know that!  IT WAS MY NAME FOR ALL OF FIVE MINUTES BEFORE MY PARENTS CHANGED IT TO CARROT TOP, GAH!!!

Don't worry everypony, we'll figure out what's going on.  We just need to get a handle on things.

Oh, I already know what's going on.

Everyone: YOU DO?!?????!?!?!?!?!?

Mhm!  Mister Discord was here earlier apologizing to Miss Fluttershy.  Said something about somehow having more cider than even he could handle and crossing over the Dream Realm with his Chaos Realm and the only way everypony was gonna be able to get out is if we all set buckball teams and play each other for some reason, which is all going to be determined by voting from these weird things he call 'moo-hams' in another dimension entirely that have little sausages where their hooves should be, and they all somehow know about all of this going on and are dictating these events as we speak.  At least I think that's what he said.

Everyone:  

Hey mommy, can I go play with the nice nuclear apocalypse pony?  She said she could teach me how to blow a raider's head clean off from 200 yards away!

Go ahead, muffin.

Yay!!!

Well, this is certainly a pickle we're in, isn't it?

A pickle, dad?  Try more like an existential crisis from Tartarus!!!

Now calm down, everypony.  It seems pretty straightforward to me.  All we have to do is help the moo-hams determine who the best ponies are for representing us in the buckball tournament, and as soon as everything's over with, we'll be out of here.  Piece of cake.

Huh... ya know when you put it like that, this almost starts to make some kind of sense.  Almost.

Thanks Miss Daring Do.  For a fictional character, you sure are nice!  I'm gonna have to start reading your books!

I agree with the pathetically puny pegasus!!!  This tournament is our best chance to escape to the real world! 

That sounds positively fabulous, darling (not to mention, deliciously wicked).  With that said, I think it's obvious who should represent our little group.

Oh, so you're talking now, huh ladies?  And who just might that be?

Heheheheheh, simple, the three godlike beings standing before you, of course!  I, the great Daybreaker, this lovely creature called Nightmare Rarity, and the almighty Tantabus will easily crush any competition standing in our way!!!  Even mere mortals such as yourselves should be able to understand that!

Yeah, I think I'll take a hard pass on that.

Same.

No kidding.

Y-y-yeah, what... what they said.  Big... giant... scary ponies and nightmare monster thingy. 

OK everypony, you know what to do!  We gotta look out for each other and somehow find a way to get the best ponies possible as deep into this tournament as we can!  And uh, hey, moo-hams?  If you're actually real and are listening, we could really use your help getting the, ya know, good ponies further along in this thing.  So if it's not too much trouble, we'd really appreciate if you gave us as many votes as possible and not, ya know, some of these terrifying monsters and villains and... weird cat ladies that seem to be stuck with us.  LET'S DO THIS!

Seriously?  This is really our plan?  We're really going through with this, mom?

Yup!  We sure are sweeti- oh wait, hang on, I knew I was forgetting something!  If this is a dream and chaos realm, then I should be able to- AHA, GOT IT!

Got what?

My suit of course!  Now I'm ready for anything.  C'mon Amethyst, into the fray, FOR EQUESTRIA AND THE MUFFINS!!!  HYAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!

WHERE IN THE HAY DID YOU FIND YOUR BATSUIT IN THE MIDDLE OF A JUNGLE, AND WHERE THE BUCK DID BANE COME FROM??????

Your mom's the Batmare?

Um... noooooooooooooo- wait, how has a fictional character heard of the Batmare?

Ummmmmmmmmmm... dream magic and chaos magic, I don't make the rules!

This is going to be the most surreal experience of my life, isn't it?

COME AT ME EVERYPONY!  HAVE A TASTE OF JUSTICE, I GOT PLENTY FOR ALL OF YA!

GO GET 'EM HONEY, YOU GOT THIS!  ALLONS Y!!!

Yes, yes it is...

Stay tuned for the ongoing adventures of the Hooves Family - Derpy Hooves, Doctor Whooves, Amethyst Star, and of course Dinky Doo, + Carrot Top... and a shitload of other ponies along with them, as they make their way through the whacky, wild, wonderful ride that will be the 2018 MLP Forums World Cup!!!   Until next time, everypony, this is Batbrony signing off.  I'M OFF!!! *cue dramatic exit*

1 hour ago, Jeric said:

Ctrl + Shift + Delete. Try that and see if the images start showing up. 

I didn't try this, but whatever happened, I'm able to see the brohoof images now on my posts, at least in this thread.  Thank you to whoever did something, if anyone did!  It's a Christmas Eve miracle!   No wait... even better...

In the wake of the latest update, a most peculiar issue has popped up.  I can still brohoof/react to people's posts, and I see their brohoof count.  But for some bizarre reason, I cannot see any brohoofs or other reactions to my own posts/status updates (I get notified when they happen, I simply can't see them).  Any advice or solutions for rectifying this?

OK everyone, that is a wrap!  Elley-Ray extends her thank you's to everyone who asked questions and participated and wants everyone to know that she had a great time getting to interact with all of us.  We hope this was a truly enjoyable and special event for you all, and thank you to everyone who partook so that our very special guest had some great questions to answer.  Happy Holidays, everyone, hope this was a fun and enjoyable addition to your festivities!!! 

I will get some other comments made by Ms. Hennessy up later that weren't directly tied into her responses to questions but were still really great nonetheless, but right now I have to grab some dinner, later everyone!

9 minutes ago, A.V. said:

Ms. Hennessy, which season of the show is your favorite?

She's not around anymore to answer, A.V., but I believe based on her responses that Season 7 would be her favorite simply by virtue of the fact that this was the first season she got to be a part of the show itself, which has been very special and meaningful for her.

3 minutes ago, MegaSean45 said:

Hello, Ellen! Very nice of you to take the time for talking to the fandom! If you're allowed to say, are you doing any voicing in season 8?  

Hi MegaSean45, as I said above, Elley is not around any longer, but she did confirm earlier in our conversation that she is indeed still with the show and doing voice work, at the very least as Mistmane and some of her other characters like some of the Changelings they have her voicing, and she would love to do more roles on the show in the future, like that of a villain even.  Thanks for asking! 

44 minutes ago, Sunset Rose said:

Ms. Hennessy,

I've actually got one! It's a rose-tipped quill over a sheet of parchment. A personalized symbol of my passion for literature.

 

How difficult do you think it would have been for the bearers of the elements of harmony to accomplish the same things they have if they were only half the age are now?

Elley-Ray Hennessy: "I think that those qualities they have are timeless and that their age wouldn't change anything.  I think that their core energy is what comprises the Elements, and that's what matters most.  Mistmane and the other Legends, for instance, their qualities are as much a part of their core values and those haven't changed at any point in their lives.  They already have all the magic, so even if they were half their ages, I think they would be all the same."

43 minutes ago, Techno Universal said:

Okay soo...

1. What would you think if my ponysona OC that was 100% based off myself in real life was an alicorn stallion that was a combination between all the elements and theoretically could possibly be the original creator of equestria?

2. How would you react to Hasbro liking the head canons and theories of a young adult from the fandom so much to the point that they invite them to be one of the new head writers for the show?

3. Would you think that the storyline of the show in the future would more focus on what real threatening problems there are in our society so the show could actually be interpreted as something that we can follow to save ourselves from possible extinction?

Elley-Ray Hennessy: "That is AWESOME!  I think that is so awesome.  One, I love stallions.  But to combine all the elements?  That is like odd.  That is like something so powerful, huge, Techno Universal, I love it.  Would it have light shine out of it's eyes?  Would it have certain... how would you tell it was comprised of all the elements? What would it look like?  What do you think it would look like, Techno Universal?

I think that is the best thing ever.  I think that Hasbro should give the fandom some role in writing for the show, to a certain extent.  Unfortunately the second that new and better writers start getting hired by the show, inevitably, someone else is gonna lose their job, so that's one reason Hasbro is hesitant to bring in new people, especially from outside the industry.

I would love to see that.  We can use stories that are happening right now in the real world to create great storylines and episodes, stories about how people come together and share ideas and their belief systems.  You're allowed to write whatever you want, so I think we should use it as a powerful platform."

37 minutes ago, Sunset Rose said:

Any unconfirmed fact about her that isn't immediately clear in the show. Some of the ones I know of are that Celestia really loves cake and struggles with her diet because of it. One saying that she actually wrote the old storybook that Twilight was reading in the pilot of the show. (I don't know if this one is confirmed or not, but) whether or not her use of the elements of harmony on Nightmare Moon was when her hair changed from the pale pink color to that pastel rainbow she has now.

Elley-Ray Hennessy: "Fan theories are all based in truth to some extent, so whatever you believe about the story you see, it's your truth.  So what do you believe about her?

34 minutes ago, PathfinderCS said:

Any chance we'll see you at any conventions this year?

Also; open to voicing any deer if they show up in the show? ^^

Elley-Ray Hennessy: "I would so be a deer if I got the chance!  I post animals of all kinds on my Twitter and would love to play any kind of animal in the show.  The closest I've come to playing a deer is when I got to play a bison and a moose.

I'm going to three, possibly four conventions next year, not allowed to say which ones yet, but yes, I am going to conventions next year."

30 minutes ago, Woohoo said:

Since you can voice act, can you sing as well?

Also, am I asking too many questions? 

Elley-Ray Hennessy: "I love you Woohoo, you are not asking too many questions!  I can sing very much so, I've been nominated seven times for Best Actress for the Dora Mavor Moore awards, which are like a Canadian version of the Tony Awards.  I'm more of a character-singer than an operatic singer, and in most animation series you have to sing.  As a character singer, I sing more in character than utilizing vocal talent."

10 minutes ago, Woohoo said:

What are your favorite episodes of the show?

Elley-Ray Hennessy: "That question is hard for the same reasons that the favorite characters question was.  I love every story, I love stories and going to the movies and just being able to watch them unfold.  I tend to like the ones I was in the most since they meant something to me, but I think all of the episodes have a great message.  Some are sillier, more fun than others, some are quirky and outrageous - like when Rarity was the punk rocker - and I love when the writers switch things up and make things different.  The Season 7 finale was great for me and seeing what the writers did with it.  Some of the finales are better than others, and I thought the Season 7 finale was pretty great.  I love how all of the Pillars are so different and have all of their different strengths and backgrounds."

6 minutes ago, Sunset Rose said:

Ms. Hennessy,

Are there any fan theories about Princess Celestia that you would like to see adopted?

Elley-Ray Hennessy: "I'm not sure what you mean, could you clarify what you mean by fan theories?  What are some of the ones about Celestia?"

18 minutes ago, TheRockARooster said:

Hello Ms. Hennessy, I managed to catch you as Mistmane and I think it was amazing.

 

I wanted to ask, who was your favourite voice actress to work with?

Elley-Ray Hennessy: "Tabitha.  We were all in studio for all of the MLP episodes we did and all the shows we've done together in Toronto.  There are so many great voice actors and they are all so spectacular, I don't want to leave anybody out.  But I love my friend, and she is devious and funny, so when you record with her she plays games that make everyone laugh and keeps the energy high for everybody.  She also always brings cookies and treats for everybody when we record, which makes the sessions even better."

18 minutes ago, Sunset Rose said:

Ms. Hennessy,

If you had a cutie mark of your own, what do you think it would be?

Elley-Ray Hennessy: "I would have the letters 'L-O-V-E in a circle and wings projecting from the V going around the circle.  I believe that words have energy, and it would look like a pretty eye with wings.

What would your cutie mark be, Sunset Rose?"

17 minutes ago, Rhythm Red said:

Ms. Hennessy,

1. Who is your favorite pony?

 

2. What is your opinion of the brony fandom?

Elley-Ray Hennessy: "Honestly I can't pick.  That's like asking what my favorite color is.  I even like the villains, I just love all of the characters.  I love Rarity because of Tabitha being my bestie, but I love Derpy and I love Luna too, I love Andrea's characters, I love Cathy Weseluck's characters, all of them.  So I'd have to put my favorite character as 'all of the above.

The brony fandom, I think, is phenomenal.  I love them, I keep saying they are my people and that I have found them.  They're all my people!  This fandom, it's the world I want to live in."

1 minute ago, Woohoo said:

What was your opinion on My Little Pony before joining the cast?

Elley-Ray Hennessy: "It was for awhile a wild, unexplained universe for me.  Like I said earlier I mostly knew about the show because of my BFF Tabitha, and I would see the response she'd get from the fans, and that just made me want to be a part of this crazy, huge universe and the pony fandom.  It's incredible and unlike anything I've ever seen, and I've been doing this work for 37 years.  Never seen anything like the MLP fandom.  It's like a comet hit and everyone exploded into sparkle dust and friendship, and I love that anyone can be in this fandom and be whoever they are and no one is disrespected.  I've always been outside the box when it comes to what I put on, so I love that you can be a big Army guy, muscle-bound, over 300 pounds and wear a tutu and unicorn horns and no one bats an eye."

Just now, Sunset Rose said:

Ms. Hennessy,

You said that Tabitha St. Germain is your best friend, so I have a good idea what the answer to this is, but how long have you been watching FiM?

 

Elley-Ray Hennessy: "From the beginning in 2010.  Started out with me just supporting Tabitha, but then I realized that I loved the show so much, and it's great seeing how much the show has changed since it began."

1 minute ago, PathfinderCS said:

Ms. Hennessy, who is your favorite princess and why is it Twilight Sparkle?

Also; every thought of voicing a villain in MLP at some point?

Elley-Ray Hennessy: "I love all of the ponies so much because they're so different and such great friends.  I have such a hard time picking one, but Twilight Sparkle, for sure, definitely my favorite princess.

Ya know what's so funny?  I have on my audition board playing a villain on MLP, because I've already played a great hero and legend on MLP in Mistmane, and now I want to play a female villain and find the heart of her, see her get reformed."

2 minutes ago, PoisonClaw said:

Hello, Ms. Hennessy! I sure you've heard this before, but we're honored to have you take time out your busy schedule to answer questions. I myself have two questions I'd like to ask, if that's okay.

1) I have a friend who would like to get into Voice Acting. In your opinion, what would you say is the hardest part about getting into Voice Acting?

2) You're friends with Tabitha St. Germain? That's awesome! I bet she's a joy to work with, isn't she?

Okay, that last one wasn't really a question, but still... 

Elley-Ray Hennessy: "Thank you so much for that, bless you, that's very nice of you to say and I feel that giving back is so important to make you guys understand that you guys are a part of us and this show as much as any of us who work on it are.  I'm giving this time because you're giving me the time.

Voice over work requires being a good storyteller.  We tend to read lines nicely, but not so much with an emotional response.  Find a mentor, a teacher, a coach.  Work with them on it. Go get an agent.  If you want to change the vibration of the planet, the joy is in the risk taken in the play.  If you want to be an Olympian, you gotta work every day.  You're gonna fall down, you'll not always be perfect.  You gotta do it because you love playing the game.  You love watching the game. But you know what? Coach will say get on the field.  You'll be scared auditioning, so once you start doing it, it doesn't matter how you do, if you fumble, you do it because you care.  You gotta be disciplined.  Pro golfers hit 2000 balls/day for 2 years to start to be a pro.  Do it every day, do it at home.  Voice memos, do it on your phone, doesn't matter what the character is, just do it!  I teach to hundreds of students all over the world.  They're all full.  The students want to be storytellers.  Go to university for four years, they tell you your're never gonna voice. Did that help? No.
Don't just sit back in your apt.  Ask someone.

Tabitha St. Germain is unlike anyone I know.  She's the most generous and talented person I know on the planet.  Everything about her makes me a better person.  It's a total celebration to know her.  Her and I did a lot of theater shows.  Stage shows, animated series here in Toronto.  She's on the West coast, I'm in the middle of the country, and it's a huge country, 6-hour flight but I get out there and we see each other all the time."

2 minutes ago, Techno Universal said:

Okay well honestly I've always had these questions waiting to be asked to someone on the show but I guess it's about time!

1. So would there eventually be an episode that would be focused on people's OCs from the community?

2. What would you think if our society became a utopia in the near future where us and the ponies from the show were living together and we were constantly getting inspired by the ponies?

3. Do you think it would be possible for a universal OC that's a combined of the main six to end up being created as someone's ponysona?

Elley-Ray Hennessy: "These are the things you should send to Hasbro, tell them this is a great idea that they should do!  That is a phenomenal idea, but VAs and such, we don't have any control over that.  Hasbro needs to hear that straight from the fans and community, and I absolutely think that they should do an episode where the show ponies meet lots of the fans OCs.  I think that is such a great idea, I would literally contact Hasbro and tell them they should do this.  It would just be so awesome to see the fans and show coming together in a way like that.  I love that idea, Techno Universal, get on that!

As far as I'm concerned, the ponies already exist alongside the humans in the fandom, and how it operates.  The way in which it has inspired so many in the fandom, that's the utopia made real already.  Look at how big the fandom is, how much the movie grossed.  People don't realize how big it is, and how many people are invested in this show.

As for your third question, why not?  I think anything is possible, and that would be insane.  She'd be like the hoof-goddess, some kind of combination of all of their elements.  I could see her being like a Galadriel."

Ms. Hennessy, you've had all sorts of acting roles in a variety of mediums throughout your career.  What originally inspired you to become a voice actress?

Elley-Ray Hennessy: "I was always involved in storytelling when I was young, and went to theater school at the University of Windsor for Bachelor of Fine Arts in Theater.  Told me to never do film or television because I was too tall, etc.  Told me I would never do voice work either because I have a raspy bottom-end to my voice.  When I graduated, I got invited to the Shop Festival in Canada, one of its major theaters, and my first big animation series was in the Alf Animated Series.  Just worked consistently in film, television, and theater ever since, and have even directed and cast series.  I've done close to 300 theater productions and over a hundred films and television series.  Never let anyone define who you are, your authentic hero lives in its ability to communicate with the world, and storytelling is the best form of communication in the world, I think.  If you're true to form and yourself, your world and fandom will react in kind and respond positively.

Our world is so quick to judge. We've developed some attitude chips in us.  I think we have to fight very very hard to love our fellows.  It's very difficult for us.  To reach beyond the veil to say you're supported, you're here.  There's so many wonderful storytellers in us, and so many in mlp.  There's a reason the show is so successful.  It's not just because people have the voices. It's what they're telling.  It's about coming together, supporting each other."

9 minutes ago, Woohoo said:

Hey Elley, how's your day going?

Elley-Ray Hennessy: "My day is spectacular!  I always try to find the good in every situation.  I choose to be happy, and thriving, and successful, and love to share my joy with others.  So I just want to say Woohoo, I hope your day is going great too!"

6 minutes ago, Sunset Rose said:

Hello Ms. Hennessy!

Were you approached for Mistmane's role or did you approach Hasbro/DHX yourself? And how easily did it go over for you?

Elley-Ray Hennessy: "I put My Little Pony on my mission board, my bucket list, and wanted to be on the show.  I spend a lot of time in Vancouver, and after I got an agent there, I put it on my mission board because I'm best friends with Tabitha St. Germain and learned about it from her.  I eventually got an option for the show, it was almost fate.  Since I have a raspier voice I usually do Changeling voices, but the voice director loved me and I got a callback audition and got Mistmane.  It was incredible for me that Mistmane was introduced by my best friend's character, Rarity, and the character is close to my heart because of what she gives up for those close to her.  I hope to have an ongoing contribution to the show, and you have definitely not seen the end of Mistmane, but I am also looking forward to doing other characters in the show.  Thank you very much for that question, Sunset Rose."

4 minutes ago, Prospekt said:

Hi Ms. Hennessy! Who is your favorite character you have ever gotten to voice? What about them made them so enjoyable?

Elley-Ray Hennessy: "Mistmane.  And I have done thousands, but it was a dream of mine to be on the show, and when I got on the show was magical enough.  But what the character stands for, to me, is so vital to me, and I am so, so proud to be a part of the show.  I love the message, I love the character, and I love the fandom and all of the fan art, paintings, sculptures, etc., that they produce.  It makes me proud knowing I can affect a group of people like that through one of my characters, and it makes me feel like I'm a part of something quite profound actually.  Some roles stick with you longer than others, but you love them for all kinds of different reasons no matter what because they're an expression of yours."

2 minutes ago, Sunset Rose said:

Ms. Hennessy,

Have you ever had any ideas for your own for a cartoon or children's show? If you have, can you tell us about it?

Elley-Ray Hennessy: "I have ideas all the time, Tabitha and I are always coming up with stuff for fun because there's so many ideas that you can come up with and bring to the table.  You can bring limitless ideas to the table.  I've got this idea where the aliens meet the animals meet the humans meet the gods.  They all meet on the same level.  You take the soul of the extraordinary thing.  They all meet on the same level.  My students have an exercise where they all do inanimate objects. Rake, chair, door.  And they put a name on it.  And these, if you could see the phenomenal characters my students have created.  They all have personality. They're alive. (like beauty and the beast)It could be a pear, tree trunk, shoe... it might have human features, you created, there's something phenomenal in that.  You don't want to be involved in gender, age, sex, colour.  It includes everything and everyone.  It's all the same, it's just energy."

5 minutes ago, Mickey Adaptus said:

Ms. Hennessy, did you feel like you could relate yourself to Mistmane? As in, did you feel like you really where becoming her when you voiced her lines :)?

Elley-Ray Hennessy: "This makes me cry. You get really involved in her. I got really involved in her.  She went to magic school, came back powerful, it broke her heart to see her friend turn to the dark side.  She had to save her friend, to save everybody.  You have to fight for light ,beauty, love.  When I voiced it you transcend yourself in a weird way.  This character is what we all want to become. Selfless, faithful, etc.  I hope in my heart I try to do that in my life.  So there are lessons. The beautiful thing about voicing these characters is they're archtypical. She's a legend, mother theresa, she did something great.  When you voice a character like that, it changes you. It makes you aware of what you're required to do."

Good afternoon, everypony, and welcome to MLP Forums and Poniverse's latest Community Guest Q&A!  Please join me in welcoming Elley-Ray Hennessy, the voice of Mistmane and a couple of other minor characters in MLP:FiM this past season.  In addition to her work on MLP:FiM, Ms. Hennessy has 79 total acting credits to her name garnered from over 30 years of voiceover, television, film, and theatre acting, including in shows like Goosebumps, Babar, and Redwall, and films such as It Takes Two and Phantom of the Megaplex.  This marks the first time that MLP Forums and Poniverse have ever had an actual member of MLP:FiM's voice cast as a guest, and we could not be more excited to have her joining us! 

First things first, I must clarify how this Q&A will be unfolding, so PLEASE read this carefully.  Ms. Hennessy will not be answering questions in the thread herself; instead, I and a few other staffers will be relaying questions to her and the answers she gives us in a Skype conversation to this thread.  If you see that I have quoted you in this thread, it is because I am answering your questions with her replies via my own profile.  Rest assured, Elley-Ray herself is coming up with any responses we post, and you should feel free to ask as many questions as you want as we always do in these Q&A events.  So please, ask away, but just keep your eye out for me to be the one quoting you any time one of your questions is answered.

Just a couple more things before we begin.  Seeing as Ms. Hennesy is an actual employee of both DHX and Hasbro on account of her work with the show, we have to lay some ground rules similar to when we've hosted guests like Ward Jenkins.  While you should feel free to ask whatever you want within reason, keep in mind that many questions, especially those that pertain to her work on the show, may be ones that Ms. Hennessy is unable to answer on account of confidentiality agreements with the studio and her employers.  We want to have a great time with our first VA guest, not get her in any trouble with her employers or act like obnoxious or self-entitled hosts.  

If you'd like to learn more about her, you can visit her own website here, her IMDB page here, and her Twitter page here.  That's all I've got for ya'll this afternoon, everypony, so without further, ask questions of Ms. Hennessy to your heart's content!

I'll start with a fairly simple and basic question to get the ball rolling: Ms. Hennessy, you've had all sorts of acting roles in a variety of mediums throughout your career.  What originally inspired you to become a voice actress?

On 12/2/2017 at 4:34 PM, Woohoo said:

Never thought we'd get an actual voice actor from the show. How many strings did you have to pull?

It was super easy after I offered to make her a totally boss friendship bracelet.  Now if you'll excuse me...

On 12/2/2017 at 5:33 PM, Yellow Diamond said:

Batbrony has friends in high places.

That, or he's gone back to abducting guests and threatening them with his Batman voice.

(1) Yes I do 

(2) That only happened once 

(3) I THOUGHT WE SWORE WE'D NEVER SPEAK OF IT AGAIN, YELLOW, WTH??? 

On 12/2/2017 at 5:49 PM, Storminess said:

We all know pretending to be Batman wins major pts. 

Pretending? 

On 12/2/2017 at 5:52 PM, Jeric said:

 

 

He simply said, "Hey want to hang around some fans for a while ... and especially me ... 

 

On 12/2/2017 at 6:07 PM, Sunset Rose said:

Excellent work @Batbrony! I usually dodge these kinds of things, but I think I'll be there for this one. ^ ^

Huzzah, hope to see you there, same Bat-time, same Bat-channel! 

On 12/2/2017 at 6:09 PM, Woohoo said:

Whatever @Batbrony did to make this happen, I probably shouldn't doubt it. I can't even imagine MLPForums without him 

Oh stop, you making me blush.  No seriously, stop, all of you, this love thing is weird and- OH GOSH, WHAT ARE YOU ALL DOING, GET AWAY YOU MANIACS!!! 

Thank you, @StrawCherry, hope you can join us on the day of the Q&A!!! 

Good morning, everypony!  I've got some exciting news for you all this morning and I'm sure you'll feel the same way once I've shared it.  Fillies and gentlecolts, it is my distinct pleasure to announce that on Saturday, December 16th from 3 - 5 PM EST, none other than Elley-Ray Hennessy, the voice of Mistmane and a couple of other minor characters in MLP:FiM this past season, will be joining us as our next Q&A guest.  In addition to her work on MLP:FiM, Ms. Hennessy has 79 total acting credits to her name garnered from over 30 years of voiceover, television, film, and theatre acting, including in shows like Goosebumps, Babar, and Redwall, and films such as It Takes Two and Phantom of the Megaplex.  This marks the first time that MLP Forums and Poniverse have ever had an actual member of MLP:FiM's voice cast as a guest, and we could not be more excited to have her joining us! 

Now, seeing as she is an actual employee of both DHX and Hasbro on account of her work with the show, we have to lay some ground rules similar to when we've hosted guests like Ward Jenkins.  While you should feel free to ask whatever you want within reason, keep in mind that many questions, especially those that pertain to her work on the show, may be ones that Ms. Hennessy is unable to answer on account of confidentiality agreements with the studio and her employers.  We want to have a great time with our first VA guest, not get her in any trouble with her employers or act like obnoxious or self-entitled hosts.   And trust me when I tell you this based on my interactions with her, Ms. Hennessy is very excited to join us as well and really loves the fandom!  If you'd like to learn more about her, you can visit her own website here, her IMDB page here, and her Twitter page here.  That's all I've got for ya'll this morning, everypony, and please, share this announcement anywhere you can!  We would love to have as many visitors as possible to ask questions on the day of the Q&A, and be sure to prepare some of your own before you show up.  Have a great Saturday, everypony, I'll see you in Poniverse Events for the Q&A in a couple of weeks!

7 minutes ago, Superspy said:

Oh sweet Gibus Engineer. *gets a nervous look* I don't think I want to know how you trolled Discord when he became a 'friendly'.

Who says I’m done trolling him?  Let’s just say it’s an ongoing process.  Remember, I am an immortal alicorn princess over a thousand years old, after all... many of my finest troll jobs have taken years of planning and execution before they fully play out.  I’m kind of an evil genius that way.

1 minute ago, Superspy said:

Sounds like you have your hoofs full with them. Have they ever tried to troll you? And if so how did you troll them back?

Oh they know better than to even try.  The last time any pony besides my sister attempted to troll me, it eventually escalated to an international conflict that ended with Griffonia turning into a dump and the yaks becoming an isolationist nation.  Ahhhhhhh, memories, good times, good times. 

1 hour ago, Superspy said:

Hmm true. O-on the maternal instincts part! So who would you think more of as your daughter, Twilight, Cadence, or Sunset?

I’m sorry, none of those names ring a bell to me.  I do love all my students in their own special ways, though.  It was loads of fun teaching Mistress Love Doctor how to hook ponies up with each other without them even knowing it, I still have a blast doing my best to drive Book Smart crazy in subtle ways behind her back, and as for Bacon Hair?  Well... I won’t lie, her mane just makes me hungry and I don’t even eat meat.  Unfortunately she eventually found out that that was my favorite thing about her and I’m pretty sure that’s why she went through that whole “evil megalomaniac trying to take over two parallel worlds” phase.  Always annoying when that happens.

33 minutes ago, Superspy said:

Hahahaha! Hey what do you think of Shining armor's voice? Doesn't it sound a bit like a girls?

Not particularly, no.  I may have ragged on him a bit when he first began dating Cadance, but that was most likely my blasted maternal instincts kicking in.  Once she explained that he more than fit the criteria a significant other should for the Princess of Love (in alllllllll the right ways, if you know what I mean ), I mostly stopped being so hard on him.  Mostly. 

25 minutes ago, Superspy said:

Oh! I honestly didn't expect a response your highness. I thought that you might be busy trolling Luna or some other pony. It's an honor to meet you. So if I may, which pony do you like trolling the most apart from anypony at the castle?

My dear subject, there is no competition whatsoever... I take equal delight in trolling any of my subjects!  Why, what kind of a princess would I be if I weren't willing to spend a day harassing any of my subjects while acting like a goose?

5 hours ago, Superspy said:

I never will Oh sexy sun goddess!

*blows dust and cobwebs off of this thread and coughs when some of it gets stuck in her throat*

Ack!  What in Tartarus was that?  Wait... someone's in this thread again???  Dear me, it's been years since anyone indulged me with a response.  Well then, now that you're here... how may I help you, my loyal subject?  Go on, ask away, don't be shy!  I won't bite... 

...

...

...

What, why are you looking at me like that with that expectant look?  What did you expect me to say something as cliche as 'much'?  I said I won't bite, why in Equestria would I just turn around and say much?!  Why in the world would I ever bite any pony???  You ponies are so strange sometimes, I swear...

HOLY CRAP, SO MANY NEW CHARACTERS PERMANENTLY IN THE SHOW NOW, YAY!!!! 

That Star Swirl reunion with Celestia and Luna at the end was fantastic and I hope we get to see more of the Legends of Magic in general.  Also, that was a big ass group hug at the end of that episode. 

Well, Season 7 has come to an end.  My full review of this finale and the season won't be out for some time but I can safely say that Season 7 closes as my new favorite season of the show after five years of Season 2 being my favorite season.  It was a blast as always taking this journey all season with ya'll, everypony, and I cannot wait till we get to do it again next season.  Lots of exciting new opportunities have been opened up by the end of this season, and I can't wait till we get to see where the show goes next in Season 8!  Until then, everypony, this is Batbrony signing off.  I'm off! *cue dramatic exit* 

4 minutes ago, Jeric said:

Re: Somnambula and Pinkie ... an argument can be made that personality traits =/= the representative elements and virtues. 

I agree, I do, that episode in general where Somnambula was first introduced was just botched in so many ways that it made it harder accepting Pinkie as her counterpart.  She was the best part of it (Somnambula) but the rest was so clumsy and badly written and edited.