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@Muumi

Yeah, I kinda had that point in mind as well, just didn't mention it for some reason. It's a fairly popular idea that the power of divine beings is directly proportional to the amount of followers they have.

As for Nightmare Moon, I think the magic at work there ran on negative emotions, rather than positive ones. So instead of friendship, it required hatred as a power source. There was plenty of that to go around in those days, presumably.

I suspect Celestia might have even kept a small cult dedicated to her sister to ensure that Luna wouldn't croak the instant the tainted magic was removed. It would also explain why she is absent so often, since she's busy socializing with her coven of followers. Presumably the cult was also kept in cultural stasis for all that time so that Luna would have an easier time settling in, which would explain why she had trouble with her initial incursion into more modern society.

@Muumi, Brownmane

Wow, I like that idea! I hadn't really thought about it before, but it makes sense. Without followers/friends, an alicorn would simply disappear… Kind of like that Star Trek: TOS episode ("Who Mourns for Adonais") where they find the Greek god Apollo, I guess.

That episode relates to the idea of how they can die from loneliness as well… "A god cannot survive as a memory." As immortal as they may be, there is a point after which even a god cannot return.

Ah, I love relating MLP:FiM to my other favourite shows…

Well dress me in a skirt and call me Brownmare, what do we have here?

Eight minutes, that's nearly half the episode right there! Not sure if I should watch…

Now as to our discussion, I'm not complaining, but dang, the hypotheses around here have spun straight into the cosmos! I don't think the existence of the alicorns is any more dependent on their subjects than a normal pony's depends on friends to live. Which is not to say there isn't a connection there, I just don't think it's the all-deciding factor.

And although I wouldn't use the word "cult", I will say that the bat ponies do seem to have a unique affiliation with Princess Luna, so that's certainly something.

So alicorns need the love and adoration of their subjects in order to live?
Sounds a lot like Chrysalis actually…
Not sure if that supports or breaks the theory.
Could Chrysalis just be a kind of 'corrupted alicorn' whose need for love has twisted itself into the desire to conquer other civilizations as we've seen?
Either way, she must be stopped!
Related:

Interesting… In terms of my fan comic; some of these revelations, I have not only expected, but planed for, and in fact; it's now stronger now that some of this information is out.

Now I don't have to make an OC character for the villain of my second planed Arc…

…And the Only OC's I'll have to make are the 7 or so Paradox Duplicates of Rainbow Dash, Twilight Sparkle and Vinyl Scratch. The 3 Clones of Dash. A single Dragon. And 9 Characters of a race of Angelic Fox people I stole from Pathfinder RPG; plus one's Pardadox Duplicate that takes the form of an Evil Draconic Devil. Not to mention 8 Pokemon, a Digimon; And then there's a Guild House's A.I. and maybe a Shinigami.

-Actually, that's a lot… And I still need to find minor arcs in which to introduce the other 40 Canon-y ones.

And who knows what crystal ponies will do to that number!

…

I take my victories where I can find them.

The teaser trew a few things into question… one is what is this thing that celestia expects twilight to be ready for? She mentions a new level of study later on, but there's probably more to it. Also the fact that she aperently can use dark magic since she pretty much copied the power that king sombra has as a demonstration.

I'm excited alredy, hope season 3 turns out excelent.

I don't think I'll watch that preview. I like some spoilers here and there but that's a pretty large chunk of the episode regardless of weather it's that spoilery or not.

@Discussion about Alicorns
Maybe they'll do a little backpedaling to explain what the deal is with them this season, but I tend to think that size is just relative to magnitude of power because when woona lost her powers, she became the same size as Cadence. Or maybe the only difference is that Celestia and Luna are bigger than Cadence because they ate way more cake than she did.

Yep. She'll wish she ate that cake instead when she realizes she can't throw the damn sun around.

If you talk about the video, please spoiler it from now in (<div class="spoiler" title="Your Title Here">Your massive spoiler here (pressing enter ONCE before writing your massive spoiler will prevent it from having small text)</div>) The same goes for any kind of spoiler.

See, the thing is, I will read small text spoilers and look at pics, but not watch videos. AT ALL. I haven't even watched the songs that came out months ago. So make sure to say if you spoiler is a video/related to a video for us full- and semi-spoiler-free users.

PLEASE. AH WANT TO BE MOSTLY IN THE DARK.

I've never understood why some prefer to be left in the dark. But I understand the rational.

The thing that makes both sentences true is that I often have the opposite effect to watching spoilers to what most people get.

I get excited, and when the subject rolls around for real, that excitement gets reawakened. And I feel so… Indescribably… Good.

The usual rational for not watching Spoilers is that its going to cause them to not be surprised, and that ussually causes less enjoyment for them.

And… That's okay I guess. But I'm rarely surprised anyways. It comes with the territory of living in this day and age. And such, if I can't enjoy it When it's been thoroughly spoiled, I've failed as a genre savvy audience member.

In fact… It's ussually the spoilers that get me interested. And in fact, it was a whole bunch of spoilers involving derpygate that got me watching MLP in the first place. Having only seen a short clip on YouTube(dubbed over with legend of Zelda), I later spoke with a fan of the show who said all about how out Favorite Blond with demoed eyes spoke… And about the backlash that followed when they changed her voice.

-that spoiler got me interested enough to watch through both entire seasons.

My mind, it grabs for the strings, and attempts to make sense of them, and that curiosity drives me forward. And spoilers play on that, and give me some huge boost in enthusiasm.

Now excuse me while-

Aww, but I do love you guys too. My first actual pony community really. You did notice I said 'as one of the first' and not 'the first?';)

Anyway, hope you guys are doing well! Send me a KYM pony someday and I'll put her up if I can!

Haha! Well Burning, I'm not sure whether you should be scolded or congratulated at this point. One thing's for sure though; I'm totally getting in on this KYM pony design thing now. (I was planning to anyway, but now I'm even more motivated.) Thanks Calpain!

GODDAMIT! Random we missed a chance to get Calpain to log in and find his new username would be "Great Judas".

Millenial Dan wrote:

Haha! Well Burning, I’m not sure whether you should be scolded or congratulated at this point.

More like praised infinitely as a saintly being.

Well, I'm still taking pictures. Go ahead, Dan.

Now we have to do this, and do it good. An EQD post is at stake.

I warned you

Be sure to say that spoilers are in your links. Please, and thanks.
-Verbose

WE START A REVOLUTION!!!!

burning_phoneix wrote:

GODDAMIT! Random we missed a chance to get Calpain to log in and find his new username would be “Great Judas”.

Admit it. It would have been way funnier if you had changed his Archivist title to that, instead of his username.


And one more thing about that video clip. This isn't technically spoiling anything, so I don't feel the need to put it under a spoiler tag.

I just wanted to say that I seriously love LOVE LOVE that Pinkie Pie animation and expression, when she appears near the end of the clip.

That will not fix the hole you left in my heart, as you chose Neogaf above us. I though what we had was special Calpain, all those moments that we spent together on KYM. I was doing great, but then you came along and opened up old wounds you inflicted yourself.

I will not be fooled by your treachery again.

@Calpain

Helped the survey get recruits twice and posted the results from the first one.

Not in the least.

Ah… must be getting close to November. Only about 11 days left!!!!!

Converting the Timer to Australian time… I'm going to have to stay up all night on the 10th, until 1AM on the 11th

…I'll go stock up on coffee. And it would be nice if someone could point me in the general direction of where I can see it in a timely Fashion.

-Man I sound old…Like the Era and Queen our state is named after.

Ponified Hint:

@Spoilers
Oh yeah if they keep the speed with those spoilers most of season 3 will be revealed before even the first episode was shown officially. I mean 8 minutes here, tomorrow a couple of more minutes, you guys are watching the new season bit by bit. But i will stay strong and just wait those 11 days, time flies so there is nothing to worry as long as you keep it fair and my own spoiler detection works fine.

@Muumi
Ah hell no, Pinkie Pie in Season 3. Dropping such a heavy spoiler, how dare you?

I will not be able to enjoy the show anymore…hur dur, hodor!

@KYM Pony challenged
This could become interesting now, as the stakes have been raised.

Okay guys, thanks to some days off from school due to Hurricane Sandy, I finally got around to getting those drawings uploaded.

Now, it's OC time:
(These are all ponified versions of my Lego characters. Cutie marks are the on bottom right of each picture.)
I took the Bronyland Personality Test channeling each of them to find out what Mane 6 character they are most like. Results are under each image.

Score
He is most like Rainbow Dash.

Klutz
He is most like Fluttershy. But if they had a Derpy option, I would've gotten that for him. Basically, Klutz is Derpy. They're both clumsy, well-meaning, and a little dim. I created Klutz long before MLP: FiM was even released, so it's funny how they're practically identical.
Another funny thing is that his head shape is the same as the Crystal Pony stallions in the spoilers, but I drew this before the spoiler came out.

Jed
He is most like Pinkie Pie.

Furst
He is most like Twilight Sparkle.

Spoilers EVERYWHERE! I want to see… But I can't…

I saw a girl with a Pinkie Shirt at work today.

Made my day.

@Boxfigs

Do you increase the contrast of your images so that the pencil lines show up clearer? If not I recommend it (Photoshop or GIMP will do)

Pencil lines often appear fainter than they really are on camera but rather than draw darker lines, I always increase the contrast by 50%. Works much easier.

@Spoilers

These are seriously getting out of hand. I'm trying my hardest to be totally unaware of what's going on in season 3 but already at least one spoiler leaked past my defenses and reached my eyes on this very thread. Thanks a lot, guys. I might have to steer clear of this place until the season starts

@Alicorns
I really, really don't want to type up my tl;dr about them
I really don't
Partially because you guys will deconstruct my argument and make me feel stupid, the other part because I'm a lazy-ass

Mandatory Luna, hipster edition:

Pyro:

@Alicorns
I really, really don’t want to type up my tl;dr about them
I really don’t
Partially because you guys will deconstruct my argument . . .

Hey, what are friends for? (I'm kidding, we would never do that! No way!)

. . . the other part because I’m a lazy-ass

Man, get those fingers typing! I want to see a five-page overthink essay on my desk by tomorrow morning.

@New S3 video

I decided not to watch it. Some spoilers are okay for me, but 8 minutes and two songs is pushing it big time.

I have been looking around and there seems to be a growing rumor that Twilight might become an Alicorn.

I honestly do not know if this is true or not, but it will be interesting to see if Studio B does take this route and how the dynamics of the story line will change. So my question is, what is your opinion on this possible plot development.

So my question is, what is your opinion on this possible plot development.

>your opinion on this possible plot development
>possible plot development
>plot development

If Twilight does become a alicorn, then it would either be:

1. Temporary
2. A dream
3. The end of the series

The series doesn't have to end with Twilight becoming the new princess of Equestria, but a lot of different things (and heavy things) would have to occur for that to happen. Luna and Celestia would have to "go somewhere" and potentially die/fade away into nothing (which seems to be too heavy for the series so far.) Twilight could become a third princess, but it doesn't seem likely.

(However, her name being between the two (Luna=Moon, Celestia=Sun, and Twilight=just after sunset) lends itself to that.)

Also, the fact that Twilight would become an alicorn would be heavy in itself. Why would she become an alicorn? Who would make her an alicorn. Is Twilight really that powerful as a unicorn? Would she take on that nigh-immortality thing that the two princesses have?
 
It's not entirely outside of my thinking, but I don't expect what needs to happen for Twilight to become an alicorn to actually happen (i.e., death/removal of the princesses and her transformation in the first place.)

Where exactly have you heard this?

@Buried
Technically, no one has 'heard' it as it has never been explicitly stated by Hasbro.
However, some interesting things have popped up in a couple official photographs.

The shot on the left is from some press event (in England, I believe) and the plushes on the right were spotted in the shot of the office of the person directing the official plush line.
Both seem to contain a winged Twilight.
That's the source of these rumors.
I was actually going to bring it up myself a while back but I wasn't sure if it would be considered a spoiler or not, so I decided to pass just in case.
Now that it's out, I might as well chime in.

My opinion?
Well, it would definitely raise a whole hell of a lot of questions.
If a normal pony can become an alicorn, where did Celestia and Luna come from?
Why only Twilight and not any of her friends despite all of them being so heavily connected?
Why would it happen and what would the new balance of power be afterward?

Now, I typically take the stance that just about anything can make a good story with everything depending on the writing and acting to make it believable.
I'll say the same in this case, but add that I would really prefer it not happen.
Turning Twilight into a princess would massively shift the core dynamic of the show in a completely unnecessary way.
Unless it was pulled on in some spectacularly amazing way, it would always feel like a forced insertion of another alicorn by the toy line marketing department.

@Twilight Princess

…

Now all we need is a wolf and a friendly Imp.

-But seriously. If this happens, I'm not going to be all that worried. It will be a thing, but it's not likely to change the dynamic of the show… much.

…At least, it doesn't have to.

As for why Only Twilight, I think it's because their ascensions would be a sort of "Slow Cascade", starting with the bottleneck of their power (Twilight is the Element that seems to focus the others.) Before gradually, the others gain their crowning moment of Ascension to Alicorns.

Only problem for me with this possible development, is This may require a small recalculation to my fan comic. Good thing I can always throw in a hand wave and say the shirt I draw her with has been hiding her wings the whole time.

-Hasbro may put a similar trick later after she becomes Alicorn and go "Okay, you're an Alicorn Now, Just cast an illusion spell and you can blend into the populace again. No-One will notice."

That Strategy won't ruin anything for me, but I'll laugh my ass off if it turns out I'm right.

Only one downside will come through all this. a whole bunch of people will consider its now acceptable to use Alicorn OCs as the main character is one… which is a bad idea to start the story with.

… However, on the flip side, it will make it acceptable to write a story where a pony rises to Alicorn status. Which is better than starting the story as an Alicorn for the simple reason that it doesn't Ruin the Cannon quite so much. And Its actually a common mythological theme, even if its hard to pull off.

I havent seen the S3 spoiler yet, I'll be back when the risk is gone and the new season begins

@Muumi

How dare you spoil that there will be good animation in season 3? Can… barely… resist… urge… to… watch…

I'm more interested in a well-animated Pinkie Pie than I am in the actual plots or spoilers.

@Alicorn Twilight

Personally, I don't see it as entirely unreasonable. Hasbro loves them some Alicorns and customers love them some Twilight Sparkle. Win-win, as far as sales are concerned. And besides, it's not like it would be certain to make for a bad episode. It could be pretty cut-and-dry: Princess Celestia gets sick and Luna must care for her, or the Princesses have to leave for some reason, and in her absence she bestows upon Twilight the powers of a GODDESS. Cue fairly cliched story about the lessons of responsibility: Twilight goes power-crazy, cameo appearance by Uncle Ben, Twilight turns back to a Unicorn at the end, yadda-yadda. Studio B Ahem DHX Media Vancouver gets to tell a possibly interesting story, Hasbro makes bank. Marketing options and no earth-shattering, Equestria-shaking ruinations of canon.

If Twilight becomes an Alicorn, it'll be temporary. One episode, or maybe even a two-part season finale if they're doing that (don't spoil it for me if it's already common knowledge that they are, pl0x). This might even be more likely than unlikely, especially given the physical evidence.

And we'd get badass fanart.

A while back at work, I saw some kid come in wearing one of the Fluttershy "Fus Ro Dah" tee shirts. Next day, I'm off work, but I go pick up my brother and he tells me he saw a guy with Twilight Sparkle's cutie mark on it. Two days later I'm at work again, and I overhear two guys a few aisles over talking about Fluttershy. I figured bronies might have been showing up so often since we just got the card collector's tins in, but I went back to check and apparently nobody but me has picked one up. Still pretty cool to know there's so many bronies in the area.

Also, I just noticed Veggie55 used to be a member here as well.

@Alicorn Twilight
I've seen the pic from that European con or whatever, but I thought it was just a mistake. But I didn't notice the plushie wings before. Huh… that's interesting. I really can't see this being a permanent thing. I kinda think it'll be a one-episode thing, like Rarity's wings. If they're gonna really push the merchandising like this, though, I'd be more inclined to say a two-parter than just a single episode like Sonic Rainboom.

Please, please, please don't quote massively long posts, especially when they're on the same page.

Also, use links for images if you want to exhibit more than, say, three. We've sorta agreed to those guidelines, so we can avoid what just happened: having to scroll through two massively long posts, one that is essentially a double post.

@Username will suffice.

Please, and thanks.

RandomMan Edit: Spoiler buttons can also help, keeps the images intact. Here's the code:

<div class="spoiler" title="Herpaderp"> Your images. </div>

@Making new alicorns

@Alicorn Twilight

Okay, just because I'm the only one that addressed this question… I'm going to ask it outright:

What if this is not only happening… But it's a permanent change?

Well?

Edit: Also, am I the only one suspicious that something the one or two (probably) post crystal empire teaser spoilers Don't include Is images of Twilight? Think about it.

@Calpain Iscariot

Et tu, Calpain?

Et tu?

@ZeroBlue4
I doubt that if Twilight actually becomes an Alicorn it will be permanent, unless they are ending the series/ making the show afterwards a re-titled series (akin to Justice League, then Justice League Unlimited). The show has a semi-negative continuity feed and, though some shows with a negative continuity feed do make some changes like this, it is uncommon. I personally doubt if change like this occurs it will be permanent, unless there is some way that she can switch between being an Alicorn and unicorn. But even then, that's not really "permanent".

The problem is, it is entirely possible that a Negative Continuity show can begin to develop a Positive Continuity. Or even mix Positive and Negative continuity.

-Not Probable, but possible.

And that's why I ask.

Back to topic, there's also the question of why such Permanent merchandise as a plush would be made. Those kinds of merchandise don't tend to be made for a one episode thing except in extraneous circumstances; otherwise it would grant even more confusion than disobeying the Negative Continuity would.

But that's more justification for me asking the Question than proof. And this was not supposed to be a question of "WILL it be permanent?"

So I ask again: "What if it IS permanent?"

-No Dodging the question, like our friend here kinda did, mostly.

-No denying the possibility, as that's dodging the question.

JUST the "What If?" question.

Could someone please explain to me these concepts of Negative/Positive continuity.

And just in case, I am also spoiler shy.

Positive Continuity- stuff happens, people remember, it becomes important later.
Semi-Negative continuity- Nothing important that happens is ever important again, save for a few rare instances. Stuff may be mentioned again, but rarely does it make a permanent impact on he show as a whole.
Negative Continuity- There is no continuity, Period.

If that doesn't explain it, a Weird Al song "Everything you know is Wrong" is a great way to illustrate Negative Continuity.

@ZeroBlue4
Its Hasbro. They made Star Wars action figures based on characters that I still have to have pointed out on the screen to find. It would not surprise me if they are just trying to cash in on a "it was all just a dream"-esce sequence. If my memory serves me correctly they made a Rarity toy with butterfly wings, which was certainly not permanent
It certainly is possible for it to move towards a more developmental continuity. However, I think Hasbro originally didn't like the idea, and so the show went the way it did. Things may have changed since then though. We'll just have to see.

As for "what if", what do you mean by this exactly? Are you asking our personal opinions on the subject (it will somehow "ruin" the show or make the show better), or more of the over analytic type of how the new addition to the equestrial pantheon works out in this world? Or, alternatively how the show will handle it?

In Regards to that last part… Both.

How would Twilight Sparkle staying an Alicorn affect the fandom?

How would it affect the world of MLP?

The questions are inter-related.

Personally, I err on the mildly positive in case of how I'd take it. I have no idea how the others would take it.

As for the world. I don't know… I really don't.

Edit: I had no idea until you said so, that Hasbro did all that. /Shrug. I still think It's got a possibility of confussing those who don't see the episode. Rarity less so since fairy ponies havn't been shown outside of her. But with Twilight I suspect the reaction of kids would be "but Twilight doesn't have Wings!" since… Well… Winged unicorns already exist.

But then again, from what you say about Hasbro, they aren't concerned with confusion with merchandise.