Kobold King he/him Posted May 23, 2015 Report Share Posted May 23, 2015 Subatomic Nighthounds invading your house - There really needs to be an exterminator Epic now. Voidus! His pony has to look like this. No ifs ands or buts. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TwiLyghtSansSparkles she/her Posted May 23, 2015 Author Report Share Posted May 23, 2015 His pony has to look like this. No ifs ands or buts. You mean…this pony spends his life calling for miniature Nighthounds, drawing them closer in a never-ending war for dominance and safety? Dang. No wonder he was so eager to retire. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kobold King he/him Posted May 23, 2015 Report Share Posted May 23, 2015 (edited) You mean…this pony spends his life calling for miniature Nighthounds, drawing them closer in a never-ending war for dominance and safety? Dang. No wonder he was so eager to retire. "Here Nighty-nighty-hounds!" Yeah, I'm beginning to see how this could be the stuff of a little filly's nightmares. On another note. I'm trying to find a more neutral, easily recognizable profile picture for myself. Which works best... Or should I just go back to being steampunked Doctor Whooves? Edited May 23, 2015 by Kobold King 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TwiLyghtSansSparkles she/her Posted May 23, 2015 Author Report Share Posted May 23, 2015 "Here Nighty-nighty-hounds!" Yeah, I'm beginning to see how this could be the stuff of a little filly's nightmares. On another note. I'm trying to find a more neutral, easily recognizable profile picture for myself. Which works best... I'm leaning towards the purple, personally. Or should I just go back to being steampunked Doctor Whooves? Episode spoilers: Wait. If Epics have nightmares, and this whole cutie mark business was a long protracted nightmare….does that mean Luna intruded on Apple Bloom's nightmare just in time to help her resist Calamity? Was the episode back in Season 3 where she convinced Scootaloo to face her fear an attempt to keep Calamity away from the little pegasus? Is Luna simply guessing when she steps into a nightmare, or can she see the future and know that when Calamity arrives in her world, he'll choose those fillies specifically? Are her intrusions a war against a force that has not yet arrived? Is she trying to thin Calamity's ranks before he comes? Did Celestia have Luna released just in time to stop Calamity? Will Hasbro continue to ignore the crossover potential here? I say go with whatever you like. The rest of us will support you and get used to whatever you choose. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kobold King he/him Posted May 23, 2015 Report Share Posted May 23, 2015 Episode spoilers: Wait. If Epics have nightmares, and this whole cutie mark business was a long protracted nightmare….does that mean Luna intruded on Apple Bloom's nightmare just in time to help her resist Calamity? Was the episode back in Season 3 where she convinced Scootaloo to face her fear an attempt to keep Calamity away from the little pegasus? Is Luna simply guessing when she steps into a nightmare, or can she see the future and know that when Calamity arrives in her world, he'll choose those fillies specifically? Are her intrusions a war against a force that has not yet arrived? Is she trying to thin Calamity's ranks before he comes? Did Celestia have Luna released just in time to stop Calamity? Will Hasbro continue to ignore the crossover potential here? I say go with whatever you like. The rest of us will support you and get used to whatever you choose. So since Apple Bloom's nightmare centered around negative results of her cutie mark, does that mean Epic Bloom's weakness would have been people seeing her cutie mark? In any case, agreed. Seeing Luna defend the CMCs from Calamity's wicked clutches would be... ...Epic. Thanks. I'm leaning towards this current green one, but considering that for all practical purposes this is my face when I'm on here, I'd like to make sure I'm not picking something that makes people cringe whenever they see me posting. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TwiLyghtSansSparkles she/her Posted May 23, 2015 Author Report Share Posted May 23, 2015 So since Apple Bloom's nightmare centered around negative results of her cutie mark, does that mean Epic Bloom's weakness would have been people seeing her cutie mark? In any case, agreed. Seeing Luna defend the CMCs from Calamity's wicked clutches would be... ...Epic. Thanks. I'm leaning towards this current green one, but considering that for all practical purposes this is my face when I'm on here, I'd like to make sure I'm not picking something that makes people cringe whenever they see me posting. The only thing that would make that episode more Epic would be if a pug worldhopper brought an army of Protector Dogs to the aid of those Calamity planned to choose. Just stay away from any manga-fied Nighthounds and you'll be all right. Speaking of manga-fiying, I did Nathan yesterday. Again, not exactly how I pictured him, but close enough. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mailliw73 he/him Posted May 23, 2015 Report Share Posted May 23, 2015 Oh and Mailliw, it only just registered with me as well but retreating to Washington over a bridge would be rather over complicated for the Destructors, given that the Megler Bridge no longer stands and that's now where Icesteelkeep is. The next chance to cross the river would be 45-50 miles down the road. Not impossible but it seems like a longer trip than is necessary, especially with a wounded along. I cleared that with Sirce already. He said that Winterspell wouldn't be too worried about them crossing as long as they didn't cause a ruckus. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TwiLyghtSansSparkles she/her Posted May 23, 2015 Author Report Share Posted May 23, 2015 (edited) Also, thanks to Vaidd, we now know that the total human-to-Epic ratio at the very beginning was about 1:10,000—though that has diminished significantly since so many normal people died. I did the math, because why not, and discovered that (if I did my math right) the pre-Annexation Epic population was about 700,000,000, or seven hundred million. Since it's mostly normal people who died (he said that at the time of Steelheart, Newcago had a population of about 250,000, and it was considered a large city) I think it's safe to assume that the Epic population hasn't decreased as much as the human population has. Maybe it's down to five or six hundred million at the lowest. That's a lot of sparking Epics. Isn't it, Voidus? Edited May 23, 2015 by TwiLyghtSansSparkles 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kobold King he/him Posted May 23, 2015 Report Share Posted May 23, 2015 Also, thanks to Vaidd, we now know that the total human-to-Epic ratio at the very beginning was about 1:10,000—though that has diminished significantly since so many normal people died. I did the math, because why not, and discovered that (if I did my math right) the pre-Annexation Epic population was about 700,000,000, or seven hundred million. Since it's mostly normal people who died (he said that at the time of Steelheart, Newcago had a population of about 250,000, and it was considered a large city) I think it's safe to assume that the Epic population hasn't decreased as much as the human population has. Maybe it's down to five or six hundred million at the lowest. That's a lot of sparking Epics. Isn't it, Voidus? Scootaloo, asking the tricky questions. 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mailliw73 he/him Posted May 23, 2015 Report Share Posted May 23, 2015 I think you mean the Epic to human ratio, Twi. That's an insane number. 10,000 epics for every human? 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TwiLyghtSansSparkles she/her Posted May 23, 2015 Author Report Share Posted May 23, 2015 (edited) I think you mean the Epic to human ratio, Twi. That's an insane number. 10,000 epics for every human? I knew I'd done something wrong with the notation. Whelp, this is the last time Twi ever decides to math on her own, so enjoy it while it lasts. Edited May 23, 2015 by TwiLyghtSansSparkles 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kobold King he/him Posted May 23, 2015 Report Share Posted May 23, 2015 I did the math--or rather, Google calculator did the math--and applying this number to Oregon's pre-Calamity population there should be around three hundred and ninety Epics native to Oregon. I'm not sure whether that fits with the population density we've shown so far, though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TwiLyghtSansSparkles she/her Posted May 23, 2015 Author Report Share Posted May 23, 2015 I did the math--or rather, Google calculator did the math--and applying this number to Oregon's pre-Calamity population there should be around three hundred and ninety Epics native to Oregon. I'm not sure whether that fits with the population density we've shown so far, though. We've only shown four cities, and we've been vague about the population density in each one, so I don't know how we'd go about applying it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kobold King he/him Posted May 23, 2015 Report Share Posted May 23, 2015 We've only shown four cities, and we've been vague about the population density in each one, so I don't know how we'd go about applying it. Well when I took the current population of The Dalles and multiplied it by 0.0001, I learned that there should only be 1.5 Epics from The Dalles. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kobold King he/him Posted May 23, 2015 Report Share Posted May 23, 2015 Double post with the full results of my Google survey, rounding up: Portland should have an Epic population of 61 The Dalles should have an Epic population of 2 Corvallis should have an Epic population of 6 And Astoria should have a whopping Epic population of 0.9. Or just 1, rounding up. I guess we'll need to invoke Calamity's special favor after all. 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TwiLyghtSansSparkles she/her Posted May 23, 2015 Author Report Share Posted May 23, 2015 (edited) Well when I took the current population of The Dalles and multiplied it by 0.0001, I learned that there should only be 1.5 Epics from The Dalles. In other words, "not universally." Though I am strangely curious as to whose powers are so weak and lame that they only count as half an Epic. Anyway, I think there's something to be said for Epics migrating from city to city. Newcago, after all, probably attracted out-of-towners, and I'm sure Babilar did the same. So it's entirely possible that the one measly Epic in Astoria had taken over until Lucentia decided she wanted a coastal city to rule, which in turn drew other Epics who were attracted to the infrastructure, which drew other normals who were sick of scavenging, which drew more Epics. Also, Kobold, your comic inspired me. The Princess of Friendship's hooves clacked against marble as she made her way across Celestia's throne room. One princess coming to see another at her request. Odd, but she still had trouble considering herself a princess. To her mind, she was still Twilight Sparkle, here to see her teacher. Her teacher's face was creased with exhaustion. Twilight knew there was protocol, but she also knew that this was one of those times when Celestia preferred to dispense with it. Joining Celestia at one of many stained-glass windows, she spoke without preamble. "What's going on? Why did you call me here?" "My sister," the princess said. "Does she ever speak of her days in exile?" "No," Twilight said. "Not really. I mean, I don't see her very often, so I wouldn't know, but…." She trailed off. Celestia's gaze had not moved from the window—her cue to study it. Unlike other windows, which depicted scenes of history or legend, this one showed only the sky. Violet glass, dappled here and there with white, painted the void between planets; a larger white orb stood for the moon. Near the moon was a large red star. "Is…is this something she saw?" "It is." There was something else there beside the exhaustion, and Twilight knew her teacher well enough to recognize it. Her insides twisted. Worry. "Tell me, Twilight, what do you see?" "Um….it looks like space. That's the moon, and that's a star of some kind." "Have you ever seen it before?" "No." She paused. "How could Princess Luna see something that wasn't there?" Celestia sighed, seating herself on the floor, closing her eyes in a moment of silent contemplation. "When my sister was in exile….strange things happened to her, Twilight. Things even I don't understand." Twilight moved closer to the window. There was nothing unusual she could see, nothing but the moon and that strange red star. "She explained it as best she could, and as I understand it—" She shook her head. "I was a fool. I didn't believe her. I commissioned this window to appease her. I should've done it as a warning." "About what?" "She saw the future, Twilight. My sister claimed she saw visions of what was yet to come. I told her it was impossible…." Twilight flew upward, just enough to get a better look at the star. Just an ordinary red star, a bit too close to the moon, but— No. She could make out a shape in the dot. Not a star, but an alicorn. His coat was a brilliant red, and he smiled as though he knew something. A sharp smile. A cruel smile. Celestia sighed again. "She saw the future, Twilight. She saw him." Edited May 24, 2015 by TwiLyghtSansSparkles 7 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kobold King he/him Posted May 23, 2015 Report Share Posted May 23, 2015 (edited) Though I am strangely curious as to whose powers are so weak and lame that they only count as half an Epic. Anyway, I think there's something to be said for Epics migrating from city to city. Newcago, after all, probably attracted out-of-towners, and I'm sure Babilar did the same. So it's entirely possible that the one measly Epic in Astoria had taken over until Lucentia decided she wanted a coastal city to rule, which in turn drew other Epics who were attracted to the infrastructure, which drew other normals who were sick of scavenging, which drew more Epics. Also, Kobold, your comic inspired me. The Princess of Friendship's hooves clacked against marble as she made her way across Celestia's throne room. One princess coming to see another at her request. Odd, but she still had trouble considering herself a princess. To her mind, she was still Twilight Sparkle, here to see her teacher. Her teacher's face was creased with exhaustion. Twilight knew there was protocol, but she also knew that this was one of those times when Celestia preferred to dispense with it. Joining Celestia at one of many stained-glass windows, she spoke without preamble. "What's going on? Why did you call me here?" "My sister," the princess said. "Does she ever speak of her days in exile?" "No," Twilight said. "Not really. I mean, I don't see her very often, so I wouldn't know, but…." She trailed off. Celestia's gaze had not moved from the window—her cue to study it. Unlike other windows, which depicted scenes of history or legend, this one showed only the sky. Violet glass, dappled here and there with white, painted the void between planets; a larger white orb stood for the moon. Near the moon was a large red star. "Is…is this something she saw?" "It is." There was something else there beside the exhaustion, and Twilight knew her teacher well enough to recognize it. Her insides twisted. Worry. "Tell me, Twilight, what do you see?" "Um….it looks like space. That's the moon, and that's a star of some kind." "Have you ever seen it before?" "No." She paused. "How could Princess Luna see something that wasn't there?" Celestia sighed, seating herself on the floor, closing her eyes in a moment of silent contemplation. "When my sister was in exile….strange things happened to her, Twilight. Things even I don't understand." Twilight moved closer to the window. There was nothing unusual she could see, nothing but the moon and that strange red star. "She explained it as best she could, and as I understand it—" She shook her head. "I was a fool. I didn't believe her." "About what?" "She saw the future, Twilight. My sister claimed she saw visions of what was yet to come. I told her it was impossible…." Twilight flew upward, just enough to get a better look at the star. Just an ordinary red star, a bit too close to the moon, but— No. She could make out a shape in the dot. Not a star, but an alicorn. His coat was a brilliant red, and he smiled as though he knew something. A sharp smile. A cruel smile. Celestia sighed again. "She saw the future, Twilight. She saw him." Does the name "Steven Lawrence" mean anything to you? Your explanation for Astoria makes sense, especially if the wastelands surrounding the city were depicted as mostly barren of Epics. I'm more concerned about The Dalles, considering the city's small size and the low profile it keeps. Oh, and that mini-fanfiction? I cannot give enough upvotes for that. Edited May 23, 2015 by Kobold King 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TwiLyghtSansSparkles she/her Posted May 23, 2015 Author Report Share Posted May 23, 2015 Does the name "Steven Lawrence" mean anything to you? Your explanation for Astoria makes sense, especially if the wastelands surrounding the city were depicted as mostly barren of Epics. I'm more concerned about The Dalles, considering the city's small size and the low profile it keeps. Oh, and that mini-fanfiction? I cannot give enough upvotes for that. Right. Of course. For The Dalles, I'm not sure. There are a lot of small towns in Oregon, meaning that many of them might've spawned one, maybe two Epics max. Those Epics could've gone to The Dalles toward the beginning of the crisis and just stayed. Others like Deathwish could have gone from town to town, pulverizing anyone who got in their way until The Dalles turned out to be more than they could handle. And there's also the possibility that some towns spawned multiple Epics, while others spawned none at all. Trauma is the key here, so it's entirely possible that some towns had more than one Epic who fit the criteria while others didn't, which skewed the results. In other words: I think we have more leeway than we think we do. To be honest, that was the only scene that really stuck out in my mind. I'll add more if I think of it, but if anyone else wants to add a scene, I wouldn't object. Thanks! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mckeedee123 he/him Posted May 24, 2015 Report Share Posted May 24, 2015 (edited) For The Dalles, I'm not sure. There are a lot of small towns in Oregon, meaning that many of them might've spawned one, maybe two Epics max. Those Epics could've gone to The Dalles toward the beginning of the crisis and just stayed. Others like Deathwish could have gone from town to town, pulverizing anyone who got in their way until The Dalles turned out to be more than they could handle. I would expect for there to be some Epic dispersion into the countryside from large cities. I don't think most Epics would choose to live in the place where they grew up, as that would wreak havoc on their paranoid little minds. Edited May 24, 2015 by Mckeedee123 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TwiLyghtSansSparkles she/her Posted May 24, 2015 Author Report Share Posted May 24, 2015 (edited) I would expect for there to be some Epic dispersion into the countryside from large cities. I don't think most Epics would choose to live in the place where they grew up, as that would wreak havoc on their paranoid little minds. Exactly. Go to a big city, or even a larger town with an existing or rapidly-forming Epic infrastructure, take what power you can, and be feared yet unknown. Even after killing just about everyone who was likely to know them, I think only Epics who'd grown up in the cities would stay there, and even then, those with the ability to travel might do so. Especially since trauma can be tied to location, and the smaller the town, the easier it is to run across a location that triggers bad memories. In big cities, "trigger locations" can be more easily avoided. Edited May 24, 2015 by TwiLyghtSansSparkles 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+Slowswift he/him Posted May 24, 2015 Report Share Posted May 24, 2015 Okay, so it might be a bit longer 'til I get that post... I swear I'll try to get it up tomorrow. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
A Joe in the Bush Posted May 24, 2015 Report Share Posted May 24, 2015 Blackwave will be waiting around during the night, and will start doing thins tomorrow morning. Have I mentioned how much I enjoy writing this slontze? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TwiLyghtSansSparkles she/her Posted May 24, 2015 Author Report Share Posted May 24, 2015 (edited) Meanwhile…. The sun was setting, and Luna's chambers were strewn with papers. Celestia would have called the room chaotic, and perhaps it was. Scrolls lay on the floor, half-unfurled and weighed down with elegant paperweights. Scraps of parchment were scattered between them, or lay fanned out like playing cards on her desk. Yet there was an order to it, an order Luna had attempted to explain to her sister. An order that had earned her an upraised eyebrow and a fond chuckle. It was better than questions regarding her sanity. Luna threw another glance out the window. Celestia had to lower the sun. No matter how much Luna might beg for more time, she knew the order must be upheld. It wouldn't keep him at bay, but it would keep Equestria beholden to its laws. Him. Memories knocked at the door of her mind. The cold blackness of space. The serenity of white stars, breaking through the furious, panicked fog. Red light. A promise. A threat. Tendrils of pale blue magic wrapped around two scraps of parchment, holding them at eye level. Windy Hazel. Unicorn. Fled a nightmare about leaving Ponyville. Refused aid. Scootaloo. Pegasus. Woke from nightmare about rejection. Faced fear. Found friend in Rainbow Dash. Luna underlined the last few words. Found friend. The result of Scootaloo's courage had been the thing that saved her on that day in the Forest, years ago. The harmony that broke through the calamity in her head. The peace that had allowed her to embrace her sister again. Calamity. The name still gave Luna a shudder. She could still hear his voice, from the day he'd spoken…. Focus on the task at hand! There was so little time left. Too little time to fully review her notes, to determine which fillies were most at risk. Which colts, which mares. He didn't discriminate. Wouldn't discriminate. Scootaloo went to the side of the room for those not at risk. Windy Hazel went to the opposite side. She returned to her notes. As promised, Celestia took her time in lowering the sun. The light beyond her window dimmed slowly, turning from gentle white to gold and orange. Her notes shifted sides. The at risk pile grew. And grew. And grew. Then, darkness—and red light. Hello, Luna. The voice, the same voice, echoing through her head though she heard no words in the room. She gritted her teeth. Did you miss me? Edited May 24, 2015 by TwiLyghtSansSparkles 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kobold King he/him Posted May 24, 2015 Report Share Posted May 24, 2015 Meanwhile…. The sun was setting, and Luna's chambers were strewn with papers. Celestia would have called the room chaotic, and perhaps it was. Scrolls lay on the floor, half-unfurled and weighed down with elegant paperweights. Scraps of parchment were scattered between them, or lay fanned out like playing cards on her desk. Yet there was an order to it, an order Luna had attempted to explain to her sister. An order that had earned her an upraised eyebrow and a fond chuckle. It was better than questions regarding her sanity. Luna threw another glance out the window. Celestia had to lower the sun. No matter how much Luna might beg for more time, she knew the order must be upheld. It wouldn't keep him at bay, but it would keep Equestria beholden to its laws. Him. Memories knocked at the door of her mind. The cold blackness of space. The serenity of white stars, breaking through the furious, panicked fog. Red light. A promise. A threat. Tendrils of pale blue magic wrapped around two scraps of parchment, holding them at eye level. Windy Hazel. Unicorn. Fled a nightmare about leaving Cloudsdale. Refused aid. Scootaloo. Pegasus. Woke from nightmare about rejection. Faced fear. Found friend in Rainbow Dash. Luna underlined the last few words. Found friend. The result of Scootaloo's courage had been the thing that saved her on that day in the Forest, years ago. The harmony that broke through the calamity in her head. The peace that had allowed her to embrace her sister again. Calamity. The name still gave Luna a shudder. She could still hear his voice, from the day he'd spoken…. Focus on the task at hand! There was so little time left. Too little time to fully review her notes, to determine which fillies were most at risk. Which colts, which mares. He didn't discriminate. Wouldn't discriminate. Scootaloo went to the side of the room for those not at risk. Windy Hazel went to the opposite side. She returned to her notes. As promised, Celestia took her time in lowering the sun. The light beyond her window dimmed slowly, turning from gentle white to gold and orange. Her notes shifted sides. The at risk pile grew. And grew. And grew. Then, darkness—and red light. Hello, Luna. The voice, the same voice, echoing through her head though she heard no words in the room. She gritted her teeth. Did you miss me? This is really cool. Easily better than most of the crossovers over on Fimfiction.net. (Am I the only one waiting to see an honest-to-goodness Epic pony? ) 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TwiLyghtSansSparkles she/her Posted May 24, 2015 Author Report Share Posted May 24, 2015 (edited) This is really cool. Easily better than most of the crossovers over on Fimfiction.net. (Am I the only one waiting to see an honest-to-goodness Epic pony? ) What're you talking about? We have Lightwards and Nighthound and Deathwish and Funtimes and Timeport and.......oh. You meant on the show? Nightmare Moon acted a lot like an Epic, and so did Discord to an extent, though I'd like to see an honest-to-goodness Epic pony too. Edited May 24, 2015 by TwiLyghtSansSparkles 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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