Stardust Live

I think it's time to have my OCs breathe a little bit in between writing the fic I'm working on, and what better way to do so than with an ASK thread! So, here is ASK THE ILLUNANATI! What is the ILUNAnati? Mostly a little joke to poke fun at unhinged conspiracy theorists and bronies who are wayyyyyy too deep into lore to realise that it's a show aimed at children. In universe, it is a secret group dedicated to protecting and aiding Princess Luna. The more paranoid ponies believe the group wants many things; world domination, control over Luna, to do away with Celestia, any number of weird goals. That is, if people believe they exist at all. Which they don't. Totally don't. So, let's meet them! Whisper Blue : Female, Earth Pony, works as an Archivest at the Royal Canterlot Library within Canterlot Castle itself Crystal Clear: Female, Unicorn, works as a Junior Assistant at the Equestrian National Observatory Silver Song: Male, pegasus, Opera Understudy. Ask away!

All the Mane 6 have their anti-fans/haters and people that just don't care for them. I've seen plenty most of the Mane 6, but not many for Twilight? At least, none that weren't Alicorn Twilight vs. Unicorn Twilight, which was ... an odd war to watch unfold in real time way back then (my gosh, has it really been so long??) Does anyone else just not like Twilight at all? With the others, I can point to moments in which I find food moments or mature moments, even Rainbow Dash, my previous least-liked character (due to how she reminded me of a lot of people as a kid), but Twilight I just can't find it in myself to think of good moments for her, even ones given by others. I just find her obnoxious, rude, privileged beyond all measure, and ... ugh, I don't like her! Does anyone else feel the same way?

When Pinkie is on, she is ON and right, with brightness, helpfulness and goodness. However, when she is off, she is SERIOUSLY off and I really dislike her, i.e. when she was needlessly making Fluttershy's anxiety worse, or annoying the hell out of Cranky. It really depends on the scenario and who is writing her, at times she can be sweet and good but other times she is, how you say, 'a bit much'

Holy guacapony! I CAN FLY! I CAN FLYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY!!!!

Are there little moments in the show that you love? Either visually or audio? Some of the faces pulled are great, and some of the landscapes are just fantastic. Here's a couple of mine: Trixie just saying 'teacup' over and over again in the most excited, squeaky voice. '"Teacup! Teacup, teacup, teacup! Teeeeeacup!" Princess Luna stroking the guard goose sitting on her lap, judging everyone else in the room. I like to think the guard geese are absolutely hostile to everyone but her. "Sis-terrrr, ANOTHER false alarm by Shining Armour's GUARD GEESE" I don't know why, the inflections slay me Sunset Shimmer automatically trying to 'stand' properly on her hind legs when arriving back in Equestria before remembering she walks on all fours now

WARNING: DISCUSSION OF DROPPED MOVIE CONCEPTS AHEAD!! ... So the idea of the villain being some lost forgotten brother of the Royal Sisters called Cosmo (Cosmos?) was initially floated before finally settling on the Storm King/Tempest due. I admit, I get a kick out of the idea of introducing a never-mentioned brother, as I just imagine the epic meltdowns from very unreasonable bronies and those that take the canon waaaaaay too seriously. Generally, would I have liked it? Not really, I wish they had just kept the Sisters as the only alicorns and made Cadance a Pegasus Princess and Twilight a Unicorn Princess, and later find an Earth Princess. But would I have liked to have seen a male alicorn, if they had decided on that design? Heck yeah! Would I have liked it in the main MLP show? Again, not really. What about you? How would you have reacted to a new, secret (and evil) brother for Celestia and Luna? Do you think the fandom would have had a meltdown? Twilight: How could you have had a brother I didn't know about?!? Luna: You're one to talk Twilight: ... okay, well, yes, you have me there. But still!! I know what Celestia had for breakfast 359 days ago!! It was toast with marmalade and blueberry jam!! Celestia: ... Backing away, backing away slowly now

I admit ... I LOOOOOVED this scene!! I really, really, REALLY don't like Twilight, and I liked the snap as it felt in-character due to old bad habits and the stress of the situation, plus it kinda shows itself later in that quiz episode. Do I think Twilight would hurt her friends? That's a hard no, not unless she was pushed beyond her limits, like in the Return of Discord when her friends were Discorded and were attacking her first and she lost her patience and her temper was slipping too.

I really liked the style on the Princesses and Tempest! I don't think it really made the main ponies look too good, those big sparkly googly eyes ...

(This might not be the right area, if it isn't please tell me!) I've made an account on FIMFiction to post my WIP antidote story to a well known and infamous work (antidote story = taking the premise and world and doing a rescue or fix themed story) and I am waiting for the second approval as my story wasn't formatted properly the first time. Is FIMFiction the most popular MLP-FIM story site? Or is there another that is best suited? Because the story deals with a world that is very much rated M it limits to where I can post it

... I gotta admit, I'm making the same face as your avatar with THAT thought!

Cadance ascended via the story 'Twilight Story and the Crystal Heart Spell'; she was a lost pegasus raised by Earth ponies, and Celestia turned her into an alicorn and adopted her as a niece I love the prosthetic crystal horn!! I might use the idea of crystal dust or shards in helping to repair the horn, since both pieces of the horn will be available

Spinning off from the discussion about wither or not a unicorn can still use magic with a broken horn ... Can a horn be repaired? I will look into wither rhino horns can be, but something tells me no. Tempest's entire motivation on the surface was getting her horn repaired. Storm King said he was her only chance and promised to do that for her; does that mean Equestria cannot do it? Or does it need immense magic? I am pretty sure there was a background stallion in the show in a hospital with a broken horn. Does it depend on where or how? What about an alicorn horn? I am going to be writing a story in which an alicorn's horn will be restored or attempted to be restored, so I like all thoughts on it. Unicorns seem to feel their own horn, as Rarity winced when Sweetie Belle swatted her active horn in Ponyville Confidential

When will fans realise that genetics means next to nothing in FIM??? It's a kid's show with designers, not tangible DNA or programming to generate new characters! I really hope that Luster Dawn isn't related to Starlight and Sunburst; I tire of ponies knowing other ponies and being in the 'right' crowd or family to get a leg-up (think Twilight). Plus, as other people pointed out, it wouldn't make sense to have her know next to nothing about Twilight and be reluctant about friendship considering Starlight's journey and connection to the Mane 6/School of Friendship job

Oh my goodness, THIS!!! I can't think of a single interaction outside the mane 6 and that one time RD agreed to help Rarity pìn a dress, but made it super clear she hated being still

Sometimes the friendships in MLP really don't make too much sense to me. I know friendship is magic, and it's possible to have friends with wildly different tastes ... but sometimes it really feels they were thrown together, and would either not talk to each other or be enemies otherwise. Rarity and Fluttershy = I see being friends, though meeting would be a lot different. I really liked Rarity taking the time to reassure Fluttershy and understand her nerves and feelings, and their trips to the spa are lovely. Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy = I didn't see being friends AT ALL but the backstory at Flight School and the time spent dealing with Zephyr Breeze throws a different light on it, it was a better look than Hurricane Fluttershy and Dragon Quest at least. So, childhood friends, with some meetups. Rarity and Pinkie = both like a social event, but have wildly different ideas about it. I think Rarity would find Pinkie a bit much, and Pinkie would find Rarity quite stuck up Rainbow Dash and Applejack = OOF, rivals! If they did meet! I can even see arguments over the weather schedule! 'It can't rain today, ah just planted mah newest saplin's! Your darn rain will wash 'em clean away!" Rarity and Applejack = the shipping in this couple really makes no sense to me! Deadly enemies! Twilight Sparkle and Rainbow Dash = classic jock vs. nerd sometimes, and I can see them looking down on each other, it was like that for a lot of Testing, Testing, 1, 2, 3 Pinkie and Twilight = Twilight was visibly annoyed at Pinkie, and Pinkie's loud personality would clash with early Twilight's reserved and borderline hostile nature. I see Twilight avoiding her whenever possible, and wrongly thinking she's empty-headed That's just some off the top of my head. What are your thoughts? I genuinely think most of them would NOT be friends with each other outside of the plot

I love the attitude!! I will see how much she is here before I make a decision. I would have been happy with 'bad' sunset or reformed sunset. I always liked her leather jacket, though the cooler colours in her later outfits really set off her hair very well too. *Still crossing fingers for Princess Luna and Princess Cadance!*

Have you ever had the urge to 'fix' or correct a fanfiction or popular fan world/setting? Like, the idea has merit but you don't think it's used the best way, or you REALLY don't like the idea of the world (especially the violent or gory ones) and want to either make everything better or save it? I've come across fics with really promising ideas, but the characters are either very flat or acting very OOC, despite the fact they COULD work in the setting. Same with some stories set in alternative universes, like the Sombraverse, or fan universes (I won't name any as I don't want to pick on anyone). One universe had a really infamous and terrible theme, and I just really had the urge to set up a fic detailing a fight back/resistance, starting with the Princesses or major characters and working outwards from there. Anyone else get that urge?

^ This! Sunset went from insulting Twilight foil to Precious Bacon Hair Princess and I loved her growth. It makes me wonder what she'll do in the future. Will she stay in the human world forever with trips back to Equestria? Will she move back to Equestria eventually? Will she go onto collage in the human world? Or start a career? I can see her becoming a councillor of some sort or advisor

I really liked the changings when they first appeared, but I was disappointed by the other appearances. I didn't like the showing in the comics either, apart from the panel where Chrysalis is guarding the rest of the drones/soldiers/hive while they are cocooned (or seem to be ...). I think the show really missed a good point with them, and I am so so unhappy with the change in Thorax and how Chrysalis went from a Queen that would do anything to feed her people, to an abusive dictator. So what would I do different, or what would I liked to have seen? Well ... The Royal Wedding was fine, really liked Chrysalis saying she was doing it to feed her people. I liked that her goals were more than just 'power' or 'because I'm evil'. Feeding your hive is a pretty relatable goal With Thorax, I would change the source of his issue. Not have him be 'born good', I would make it that he simply cannot feed like other changlings, and hides it or cannot relate to the rest of the hive. Chrysalis doesn't know what to do, as she's never encountered the problem before after a changling matures up Changlings can feed on other emotions, but love is strongest. Thorax went through a metamorphasis after being overwhelmed with love and feeling it instead of feeding on it. Wouldn't it be cool if it was akin to the mayfly situation; sure, you can mature up, BUT it comes at the cost of your lifespan. The reason they feed on it is to prevent this change, and only Chrysalis is able to feed her subjects and nourish them with love as larvae/grubs without becoming overwhelmed (as well as being the only fertile Changling). This would show that she is more than just 'evil', give her a reason to be the shape and size she is and a reason she is Queen, and make her look less like an idiot who doesn't know what's going on in her hive This wouldn't be included in the show and goes into headcanon territory. The fandom likes to make jokes about Chrysalis having a foal sired by Shining Armour when he was being mind-controlled or duped by her disguise. Yeeeah that's technically the big R, but what if we take the basic idea without the deception. Make it so Changing Queens mate with the three main pony subspecies in a cycle (Earth, Pegasus, Unicorn) in order to keep fresh blood in the hive and maintain the hive's strongest points. Flight from pegasi, as all changlings can fly, magic from Unicorns as all Changlings can shapeshift, and Earth for health, fertility and strength. When the 'time is right' Chrysalis will have a Queen grub, similar to insects, to take over once she reaches towards the end of her life to continue the cycle. You could have Chrysalis the first, or be the latest in a long line of Queens. Ideas? Anything that should be changed?

Yeah, Luna retiring never sat well with me. Nor really Flurry taking over after her mother after such a short period of time. Sure, common for regular ponies, but aren't Princesses supposed to kinda live longer? Twilight seems to already be grooming a successor, unless Luster decides to go Sunset on us. How will Twilight cope with a student that doesn't turn out the way she wants?

That's a critical point. Neither her parents nor Celestia have really taught Twilight how to deal with 'failing' or not being the best. Twilight becomes hysterical at the idea of missing a test, failing something or just simply not 'winning' in academic terms (the trivia contest, for example) and seems even offended when other ponies are more knowledgable than her (Sunburst, Starlight at times). Her parents have encouraged super-unhealthy behaviour, and Celestia has not made that better

That would really, really depend on the way it's done. I liked Lesson Zero, it perfectly shows catastrophising, something that anything with anxiety will be closely familiar with, and the reactions of her friends were very realisitc as well. It was one of the best possible shows for Spike as well, being calm and direct and not entertaining her wild thoughts. She was genuinely terrified when Celestia was angry at her (really, the way she said 'TWILIGHT SPARKLE!' would put the fear in anyone). But at this point, Twilight has been through so much, she would automatically assume that Celestia being mad at her for most reasons would be the work of an illusion or trick before thinking it was a genuine thing. The only thing that would turn that hero worship would be if Celestia were deeply angry and disappointed that Twilight failed in something or overreacted to something, akin to Lesson Zero. Twilight would mentally break down, but there might be a way in which to turn it into a clash of ideals, something that Celestia says should have been done one way but Twilight did another, and Twilight refuses to back down on her way as being best. She's been shown to be bullheaded when she thinks she's right, and there will be a sweet spot where that stubbornness would overrule her worship of Celestia, especially if we go with S9's kinda-cringy narrative that the Princesses are 'useless'. It's a good point that Celestia never asked Twilight if she wanted to be a Princess. She never asked if she wanted to be an alicorn, I honestly thought Twilight would become a unicorn princess, and it would fit if they had kept Cadance a pegasus Princess rather than make her an alicorn too. Twilight's thing is magic, and even when groomed for leadership, she seems most content at studying and being on her own with some social gatherings. It just comes across as Celestia pushing Twilight, but not in a 'get her out of her comfort zone' way, more in a 'I need you to grow this way to become my heir'

Twilight worships ONE of the Princesses; she worships Celestia. And I don't see how Celestia would allow her to cling to her skirts after she 'retires', Twilight seems to have just taken to the title by wearing Celestia's skin and is it possible to communicate after that 'retirement' that would pretty much be Sailing Into The West or dying in most other series?

True, but she seems to think Twilight will do okay as a named ruler without someone else of equal status. Sure, she has her friends, but if you are a Princess, your friends can't directly challange you, especially when some cannot fly and some cannot do magic. Cadance seems to be the only person in Twilight's family to give her actual advice. Her mom comes across as a few puddings short of a bakery

Funko pretty much makes a POP! out of everything and anything they can get their hands on and are sure will sell (and even some stuff that ... kinda would never sell). With the MLP line, it was only a few ponies that got the Funko treatment. Some I understand (Twilight, Pinkie, Fluttershy), but some I don't (Celestia, Spitfire). Why weren't the Mane Six completed? Why was Celestia picked for POP! treatment? Why wasn't Luna added, or Cadance considering the Royal Wedding? Why not other fan favourites, like Lyra and Bon-Bon? I'm honestly confused as to why Rarity and Applejack were left out. Any ideas? I would have LOVED a Luna and Cadance POP! (I know about the vinyl figures, I am talking about POP!s specifically)