DarkArtificer

It's fine, Loud. Very few people are able to be online constantly. I know I'm not able to.

@Strong Copper That's completely fine! It was a drink brewed with magic, who knows what strange effects it may have? Not to mention the possible ways I could play off of that; the plans are already brewing! @Loud Opinion The chances of a cult are about as likely as they are in the show; unlikely, but possible.

In order; Twilight and her friends are at the Gala. They attend every year, allowing ponies to meet the ones who saved the world on several occasions. Not applicable since they are at the Gala. That's entirely up to you. I have the main plot, several plans in play, and a few miscellaneous things going on here or there. The rest is improv, something any DM, whether it stands for Dungeon Master or Directional Manager, quickly learns to become skilled at.

The tender nodded with a small smirk adorning his muzzle. "Of course I still have the Minotaur brew. You didn't see anypony come take it, did you?" Fire quickly filled a mug of the Minotaur brew and levitated it onto the counter. "As with the Royal Pink, be careful. This stuff is strong and wasn't really meant to be drunk by ponies." "I must admit," The tender started, "I'm rather surprised you met a Gorgon and lived. They tend to be rather hostile, from what I've heard. I'm not too sure if it's true or not." "Tail's said that one day the hair just started to fall off. He said he expected something like a Pig's tail, only to be left with the rather strange appendage. I and the others will keep an eye out for an changes in his story; he'll be asked his tail's story several times throughout the night." "Good work. Keep an eye on him. I'm not fully sure if he's involved with them or not, but it's better than taking a risk." Princess Celestia replied.

Apologies, I made the mistake of replying without fully reading your earlier message. Up to this point, she's learned everything up to the Wedding Invasion, plus several more lessons in the following years. I'm not too familiar with the earlier episodes so I can't specify what lessons she's learned. At this point; Twilight and the other Elements are rather well-known. Nightmare Moon, Discord, and Chrysalis have all happened, as well as Sombra. Most of Equestria know of them, though not many know them. This was shone a little when Fire Brand, the Bartender, mentioned Fluttershy.

Twilight is still studying friendship, so it would work. She just isn't the Princess of Friendship.

Currently, Luna, Celestia, and Cadence are the only Princesses. As it is, I'm not sure if Twilight will become a Princess. This is set a few months after the Canterlot Wedding Invasion. Everything before that has happened in this story, with some AU changes. One such example is Princess Luna returning almost two decades ago, rather than a year at most.

Yeah, the Advanced Roleplay section is called as such simply because it requires messages to be more descriptive, which is a very important point in the way I run roleplays. There are always way to make a response better, either by rewording it or by adding more to it.

I think, for the Advanced Roleplay minimum, the character limit is actually 800. I've noticed a few times that ~750 didn't work, but 870 did. Try being more descriptive of facial expressions and social cues. Some people talk with their hands; does Thorn talk with his hooves? Some speak rhetorically, others like employing metaphors and other figurative language. Dialogue helps character count a lot and is relatively easy to write. Another sentence or two might bring you past the limit. This message right here is a little under 550 characters.

With Bartender The tender smiled and pushed the bits back. "Nothing here tonight has a cost, sir. Everything has been provided for by the Crown. He levitated a small bottle out and poured a glass of it. "This is a sweet cider from Appleloosa. It's not very alcoholic, though it is. It's also very sweet, which should be plenty for you." When the bird flew you, he chuckled. "You certainly have a way with animals. You kinda remind me of the Element of Kindness." He turned to Strong Copper when he spoke. "I didn't say anything really important. The Royal Pink hit you harder than I thought, though. You said something a little strange after your eyes went a little dull." Fire looked Copper over in concern. "You feeling okay, sir?" With Winter Bolt "Think on it for a time, Mr. Bolt" Princess Luna said softly. "This offer will remain open, even after tonight ends." "Don't be afraid to take some time and think fully on what you want. There's no shame in taking time to decide what exactly you wish to do with your life." Princess Luna stood up nodded to Winter. "Pardon me, Mr. Bolt. It's time for my sister and I to switch in greeting, though I think she already left. If we don't meet again tonight, have a good night. Mail me your response, if you haven't decided by the end of the night." The Lunar Diarch walked away, heading toward the entrance of the palace, ready to greet ponies for several hours before her sister took her place.

With Survivor Hoof "If you wish to be called Survivor, then simply call me Celestia." She replied hopefully. It was very rare when she could convince a pony to drop her title; she hoped Survivor would do so. "Thank you for your kind words, Survivor. Very few ponies try to understand the burden that befalls my sister and I, and not just because of our immortality. Fewer still succeed in understanding us." When Survivor complemented her, she giggled lightly. "So very rarely do I ever meet a pony willing to flirt with me. Perhaps you had an ulterior motive for coming here tonight?" "In any case, there are several forms of refreshments here tonight. If you seek something alcoholic, I recommend heading to the bar." Celestia said, pointing her hoof toward a small stand with two ponies in front, one of which she recognized as 'Tail.' "If you seek something not so strong, there are a variety of non-alcoholic beverages from all over Equestria. Soft cider can be found here, as well as punches and other special drinks." With Blue Thorn "So you honestly have no idea what caused it?" The tender asked curiously. "I guess it seems pretty useful, though. I'm sure it makes grabbing things easier, since you aren't a Unicorn."

With Survivor Hoof "Right this way, Mr. Hoof. There's several tables laid out in the banquet hall, even containing selections from a separate section of Equestria, not just Canterlot. Not any more." She started walking, ignoring the reporter behind them. "After last year's Gala, my sister and I decided to change the entire reason behind the Gala. No longer is it for the rich and the 'noble.' Now, it's for everyone, not everypony." "As for if I think anypony could do a better job for me?" She asked rhetorically, something she picked up from her sister. "Yes. Over the course of my rule, I have met numerous ponies that may have made a better Prince or Princess than I have. I don't dare make a republican system, like the Minotaurs, though. If I did, I fear who would come to power in between those very good ponies." "To answer your question more simply, Mr. Hoof, yes, there are ponies who could do better than I. There is nopony who could do it for as long as I have, simply because they are not immortal." She simplified.

The tender nodded, quickly pouring some into a tall glass before levitating it over to Thorn's tail, taking a moment to examine it, though no strange emotions showed on his face. "Like I told the Unicorn, here," The tender started with a respectful nod. "Be careful. This stuff is incredibly strong; far stronger than anything else you have ever tried." After Thorn spoke to Copper, the tender quickly spoke. "If you don't mind me asking, would you be willing to explain just how your tail came to be? It's really interesting; I've never seen a pony with anything like it." As the Unicorn levitated the glass, he used his already-lit horn to cast a short-range telepathy spell. "Your Majesty, I'm conversing with Tail right now. As you believe, he doesn't seem out of place. More like a normal pony with a strange feature. I've asked him the origin of his tail, though I don't know if he'll answer." "Good." Came Celestia's reply. "Be careful not to blow your cover but tell me what you discover. Good luck, Fire Brand." "Thank you, your Highness."

"I'm not so sure that's smart, sir. This is a brew made by Alicorns, for Alicorns." He said honestly, then stopped as he paused to think. "Though, we were told that we were allowed to serve it." The tender levitated a small shot glass out and poured it gently. Rather than falling quickly into the glass, it fell slowly as if time was slowed. Knowing the effect was likely noticed, the Unicorn simply smiled. "This brew has been imbued with magic from both Alicorns, which has had a rather strange effect on the drink. I've always noticed that this seems to affect magic-users harder than any other, so be careful if you decided you want to keep it." Placing the shot glass of softly glowing pink liquid in front of Copper, the tender smiled and nodded. "Good luck. You might just need it, if the stories of this are as true as I think they are."

"Er," The tender began hesitantly. "That's Royal Pink, a brew made for our Princesses since nothing else could affect them. Are you sure you want that?" As he spoke, the tender levitated a large, clear bottle filled with a glowing-pink liquid. The only emblem was a vague Alicorn shadow on the bottle. As he spoke, though, he also levitated a small keg on the stand. The wood cask was clearly aged, likely to make the drink within stronger. It smelled stronger than all the rest, minus Royal Pink which, oddly, had no scent to it. "This brew was imported from the Minotaur lands, Labyrinth. I don't know too much about it's specs, but I know it's considered the strongest mortal brew in the world. Surprisingly enough, it has no name, though it's got plenty of nicknames. Word is that it can easily put a pony out. Minotaurs, though? Not so much."

With Winter Bolt Princess Luna hummed to herself, taking a small sip from her drink. "Unfortunately, there's no shortage of weather ponies. It seems almost every Pegasus seeks that job, though it makes sense." She set her drink down, continuing to think. "There are a few flight-based jobs, as well as a project that may or may not succeed." The Lunar Diarch turned and looked at Winter, a contemplative look on her muzzle. "We have a need for explorers; ponies who expand the reaches of our maps. The south is entirely unexplored past a certain region. You can also be a deliverer, transporting goods by air, though that's not easy work. Scouts, too, are in need. Ponies who fly over our land and keep and eye out for anything suspicious. While my Guards are very skilled in this, there aren't many of them." "As for the project? I seek to reclaim our old Castle, in the Everfree. Naturally, we need to tame it. I don't seek to tame the full Forest, just a path to the Castle and around the ruins themselves. The first step is taming the weather in the region, though, as I've said, it may not work. Even if it does, it would be dangerous, Mr. Bolt." With Blue Thorn "Of course, sir. We have several ciders, beers, and other brews from around Equestria. Is there anything in particular you are looking for?" The tender asked as several bottles levitated from a cart behind him and onto the wooden counter, each one designed differently and emanating a different scent. With Survivor Hoof Princess Celestia sighed, gratefully that he was trying to cheer her up, even if it wasn't really working. "Is it so strange that my sister and I don't really want to be remembered any more? I admit, my sister and I took pride in our positions when we first began to rule. We believed we simply deserved it, simply by right of defeating Discord." "Now, though? Now we just want to be normal. To be able to go among our subjects without being treated any differently than anypony else. Instead, if we try, we're bowed to, our every word is considered an order or fact, and we're practically worshipped." "Is it any wonder we mastered transformation spells so long ago?" She asked rhetorically.

Update: The 9-month-old was found safe. The Amber Alert was cancelled.

With Strong Copper Behind Copper stood an average-height pony. His coat was a drab gray, his mane a simple dark white. His eyes were an unremarkable brown. He was clearly an Earth pony, the lack of wings or a horn proving as such. His only apparel was a simple, black coat. When Copper turned around, he spoke. "Ah, forgive me, I thought I recongized you." His voice, too, was simple, neither high, nor deep. It wasn't cultured or country. It just was. "Your coat was familiar. I thought you were- nevermind. My apologies, sir. Have a good night." The strange pony walked away, revealing his cutie mark for a short time. It was a single, unbroken black spiral. He headed deeper into the palace, likely toward one of the ballrooms. After a moment, an armored Minotaur followed slowly, his armor clinking together almost silently. With Winter Bolt "Wonderful! I'm glad you decided to accept my help. What are you interested in doing, Mr. Bolt? My programs have a wide variety of options; quite possible nearly every job that exists in our fair land, some of them more dangerous than others." She replied. "Sister, the Bull and, ah, 'Blank,' went deeper into the palace after Blank spoke momentarily with Strong Copper." "Keep an eye on them." Came the reply. "My Guards have already been ordered such." Luna mentally agreed. "My Lunar Guards are already trailing them from the rafters. Tail and Claw are being watched as well." "I don't think Tail is a threat; he seems to be just a normal pony. My Guards checked his background; there's no hint of crime in Mr. Thorn's past." "I'll keep an eye out anyway." Luna said.

With Princess Luna "So little?" Princess Luna asked in despair. "I could help you, Mr. Bolt. I don't like when ponies have less than they deserve. I would like to help you, if you'll let me." "I won't lie to you, though." She adds. "I'm impressed that you do so well with so little. Very few could have ever done so well with the same funds you have now. I may have never known your situation if you hadn't mentioned it yourself." Princess Luna hummed as she teleported away quickly, returning with a large bottle of a pink liquid, which she proceeded to drink from the bottle. After she drank some of it, she lowered the bottle and spoke. "Very few drinks are made the same way they used to be. I'm honestly slightly disappointed. Now, only my sister and I know how to ferment Royal Pink. Would you like a drink?" Princess Luna glanced to her side to see a tan-ish Unicorn entering the room, seemingly looking for something. That's one of the ponies my sister invited. Reaching out mentally, she touched her sister's mind. "Tia, I believe Copper is here. He's in the banquet hall at the entrance." Her reply came quickly. "I'll likely be there in a moment; I'm speaking to somepony right now." "Fair enough, Tia. I'll see thee later." Luna replied. With Strong Copper "You seem familiar." Came a voice from behind Copper.

For anyone who saw my message, it was an utter error on my tablet's part. Thanks, Copper. It helps I've been apart of several RP's, while also writing my own little fanfiction. Geez, I just got an Amber Alert on my phone...

Yeah, it has been. Last night wasn't the best of nights for me. I'm pretty good right now; it takes a lot to anger me, and I cool off quicker.

@Jedishy Agreed. I've been taking the opportunity to write, too.

@Jedishy I don't know if you're still awake or not, but thanks for the offer, and the praise. It's all good now, or rather, it's getting there. My reply is up, though you may not reply until tomorrow.

"It's quite literally is melted snow. After being purified magically of any dirt or other debris, the snow is melted slowly, then re-cooled to make it a good temperature for drinking." Princess Luna explained. "The snow itself comes the peak of Canterlot Mountain. It's brought down and preserved, once again, by magic." Her voice drops to a much softer tone. "Mr. Bolt, you mentioned that you had no money left? What do you mean?" She was worried for him; it always bothered her when other ponies struggled for anything. It reminded her too much of how she and Celestia used to live years ago, long before Equestria had ever formed. Sometimes, it physically hurt her when she move down the street and see homeless ponies; it was why she pushed to have a homeless shelter built in Canterlot. Luna remembered when she ended up having to pay for it out of her own coffers. "Don't be afraid of telling me the truth. I won't think any less of you. Sometimes, ponies just struggle."

Sorry if the reply is a little off. I'm severely distracted right now and physically shaking from anger. I'll be back on either later tonight or tomorrow morning.