Dusk Haven

I hear this. Those in power should not seek it for power's sake. They accept it to serve. I did not magically appoint myself "Princess". The ponies decided that's what they want me to be. I can't wait for you to create this world. I hope you will let me see it someday. You are always welcome in mine.

I don't see why not. It just has to make sense in your world building. There are plenty of ponies who are weak in body, but strong of will and mind. Thats the true strength. I can't see your OC being a liability at all. In the beginning, I used an enchanted cloak I made that only hid my wings and magical aura. I looked and sounded just like I did without it. When I had to retreat from public life so Luna could return from her banishment, I made an entirely new glamour that was far more advanced, with a different look and all. I established the rules for glamour magic in some of my very first chapters, so everypony knew the rules of the world they were about to enter. I'm written as a tragic character, because I am. I get tired of being the protector instead of the protected every now and then.

I introduced Skyros as the land where many Alicorns originally came from long ago in my work. I think we can make it happen that you've been in the universe a while. When you say "Off camera," it refers to something that has already happened, but the reader or viewer didn't see it. If you say "She had already learned her lesson from past mistakes", we know something happened to the character to place her in a particular frame of mind; we didn't see those events because they happened "off camera" or "out of sight" of what we see as observers. Does that make sense? That sounds good. Now I need to think of a way for them to cross paths.

The original idea was to be playful, but I didn't communicate it properly. However, I do see the appeal in what you are saying about using Alicorn status as a leg up. Thank you for the reply. The event has been super fun!

As a writer, I’ve always believed I owe my readers and fellow dreamers my best — not perfection, but presence. The care to craft something alive, with color and heart. That’s the standard I hold myself to. But I stumbled recently during the Running of the Leaves event. There was a moment in play — a light exchange with a batpony — where I said something along the lines of, “Luna said batponies were refined, elegant, and graceful. You are none of those things.” Written out like that, without tone or breath, it reads sharper than it was ever meant to. The truth is, it was meant as teasing — a bit of friendly banter between equals. What I’d intended as playful wit landed instead as a barb. The emotion behind it never made it to the page. It’s a simple mistake, one born of haste. I’d written between duties, rushing to stay part of a moment I didn’t want to miss. And in that rush, I forgot that words without tone can become their own kind of weapon. I worry I soured the air of the scene. The story fell quiet afterward, and though I know these things happen in shared spaces, I can’t shake the feeling that I was the one who tilted the balance. I hate that. I never want my words to wound where they are meant to welcome. Still, this is what writing teaches — that even missteps have lessons. Slow down. Let the heart speak as much as the mind. And remember that tone, like magic, lives in the pauses as much as in the prose. To @Nitobit, I apologize with all the care in my heart. Until next time, - Dusk "Lily" Haven

Apologies, I was referring to my story, yes. We could always use the MLP version of the multiverse: Mirror portals! Two ways would be to meet you initially in your world, then invite you to my world, or we could already have met of camera, and you arrive directly in my universe by personal invitation. As for mapping out, it depends on what you want to do there. Is it a general meet-and-greet, an introduction to my universe, or a discussion on a specific topic of your choice? We can get you into the world, and we can account for how you got there. Now, we need a reason! Sounds good.

Sounds fun! I apologize, I didn't see your response from Friday. Magic in Equestria is nothing more than what you have already said you know. One thing I never overly explained in my world was how it all came together, just that it was. You can come up with your own theories during the role play when you are ready to tackle the subject. Or the whole role play could be a discussion about what each thinks magic is. That could be something you and I could do with just one-on-one RP. You might be surprised by what ideas you can conjure while RPing. My world-building is tied to the show, yet it diverged about 25 chapters ago. I would be happy to discuss it. I know the initial idea was for a three-way conversation between Twi, you, and me, but would you like a warm-up session to map out our interactions and get a baseline of each other? I am currently in this world for the Running of the Leaves event. We can meet in your world, my world, or this MLPForums world (I consider a nexus point where all worlds collide). Thoughts?

It's been some years since you said this. Is it still true?

Hello @Berry-Bliss-Sundae, Are you still active and taking commissions? Thank you for your time.

I'm up for anything. A discussion on magic sounds fun. Talking out our lives as Alicorns could be fun too. I'm very much into world-building, and as we go, we can follow what feels natural in the conversation. If you wish to add anyone else, I'm good with that, too. What do you think?

Twilight and her friends are the living embodiments of the Elements. When Harmony needs a voice, they become it. When Harmony drifts too far from Balance, they act for the good of every creature in Equestria. But Harmony isn’t theirs alone. It’s in the soil, in the air we breathe, in the space between every heartbeat. It exists everywhere life touches. I’ve kept Balance for over two thousand years. It’s not the same as Harmony — but they need each other to survive. And in all that time, I’ve seen far more ponies, yaks, Kirin, and the like choosing to live in love and community than to war against one another. That’s what gives me faith. It was. Those were good years.

I try to enforce a moral code in relation to my glamour magic. I won't imitate another pony alive or dead, but I created an entirely new look for the few times I had no choice but to interact with ponies who might know me. I would point to Autumn Reed as a good example. To your second point, traveling by hoof takes a long time, and the world is large. I rarely visited the same village twice in a pony's lifetime. The further you get away from the city, the more culture changes you experience. Ponies out that way aren't used to help from the capital. Communication in those days was slow. So they learned to fend for themselves. It's why I chose to stay in those outer rim places. I could help more. All the races I encountered had one thing in common. They all wanted Harmony. What that looked like varied sometimes, but generally, we all had that in common. I remember learning how to cook several delightful dishes from the ponies just north of Galloping Gorge. It was an honor to teach there. So many talented and gifted ponies came through on the regular. I learned from them how to stay young at heart, and I taught them how to survive in the world with Magic and wits. Twilight, oh dear Twilight, I remember when she was a young thing, maybe 7 or 8, she tried to make a tiny whisp for Nightmare Night. Instead, it shot into the sky and exploded into sparks. Her poor mane was frizzled, and there was a small bit of smoke coming from the tip of her horn. She put too much fear into the spell. She was afraid of failure, and that time, she did. She learned that night to pour calm and love into spells like these. She conjured it fine after that. The delight on her face was precious. Earning your Alicorn status is better than being born into it, in my opinion. When you are given it, there is a lot of time figuring yourself out, your duty to the world, and how far you can go without becoming a tyrant or disrupting Harmony or the Balance itself. Not all naturally born Alicorns are good, like Opaline. When you earn it, you've refined those skills, so you get the power when you mostly have an idea what to do with it. You don't have to wrestle with your own identity. That's just my opinion, though Sounds Fun!.