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Illuminating Invitation (MLP: FiM AU)

Voted best in category in the Users' Choice awards.
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jason1stlegion said:
I've admittedly been somewhat skimming the last few chapters from lack of time, but what is this referring to? I don't recall any instance where Sunset explicitly didn't trust Voice, although the maid thing certainly caused discomfort and she's a bit concerned now about where Voice might have gone. (EDIT: And there was the Flighty thing, of course, but I still didn't get the feeling that Sunset was distrusting or requesting unreasonable concessions beyond what one would conceptually expect of another pony there)
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Alivaril said:
Really, I wasn't happy that this situation had come about at all. It sounded like Voice had looked at Flighty's budget concerns and unfettered worship, thought that the situation was ripe for demon-style bargaining, and somehow decided that it was appropriate for Her to act like a more traditional Outsider for Her own amusement.

To say that I was disappointed would be an understatement. I had thought that Voice was better than other Outsiders, was actually properly benevolent rather than just focused on Her own entertainment no matter the consequences. The young mare wrapped around my neck proved that wasn't a safe assumption, and I had nopony to blame for it but myself. Voice had even told us that 'Demon' was one of the names She took, and I'd easily accepted that it was a name given to Her by those opposed to Her and Her anchors.
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Her opinion of Voice definitely took a fair bit of a hit from the prank. There is certainly a bit of distance between them now. Combine that with Voice pulling a Zion and experiencing all those feelings it might be a bit much.
 
GrimTheMad said:
I wonder if the implication here is that Discord so completely fucked the world during his reign that now it needs ponies to artificially control what used to be natural processes. The sun, the moon, the stars, the weather, even the seasons themselves are all things that don't just happen anymore- they need to be done.
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This is very common fanon, supported by the fact that just about all of written history in the show seems to post-date Discord and the brief glimpses of the world as ruled by Discord we get.
 
I think this chapter was very good, though I wonder if the pacing would have worked better if the Voice scene were pushed off till later, so that we don't get instant confirmation that Cadance is right about her being so badly affected by the taunting.

(Of course, that also depends on what's coming up next chapter - if we're getting more Voice-POV segments or even just getting her back on screen at all, there's not a lot of choice for when to place the scene...)
 
Spellflame said:
I think a piece of voice may end up taking permanent residence in equestria
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That was actually essentially part of the original agreement between Sunset and Voice:
Alivaril said:
The necessary components for fulfilling my price can also be considered an additional boon. My price is as follows: This part of me is to stay in your world until you, as my summoner and anchor, die permanently. I define permanent death as the demise of your mind or soul, not your body. That, I will restore to a prime state should it be destroyed or sufficiently damaged, including due to age
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Given the rest of the agreement is about helping Sunset become an immortal alicorn, it basically would be permanent.
 
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Temporary Threadmark: User's Choice Results
  • Informational
    • I'm ecstatic to report that Illuminating Invitation won the User's Choice awards for Best New Work and Best Ongoing Fic! Thank you very much, everyone! Alongside simple validation, getting people past the "eww ponies" reaction is difficult, and I'm hoping that recognition will help.

    ...This is the part where I would like to push out some kind of a bonus update, but I'm actually sick at the moment so it might be "delayed" instead (although probably still faster than the 1k words/day minimum I've been maintaining). 😅

    Happy New Year!
     
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  • Informational
    • I do wonder a little when this story will be coming to fimficition, however.

    Needn't be said, it's bound to rise to the top there rather quick all things considered, if it managed to get this high on SV :V
     
    egoo said:
    I do wonder a little when this story will be coming to fimficition, however.

    Needn't be said, it's bound to rise to the top there rather quick all things considered, if it managed to get this high on SV :V
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    Kaizuki said:
    I second this Ali

    Get paid
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    For one, I did want to avoid the temptation to canvass on Fimfiction if the contest started to go south. SV's User's Choice was an SV contest, yakknow? Involving other sites would defeat the purpose.

    Now that it's over, one of these days, I'll get around to commissioning a cover for the fic (probably a cast "group photograph" with Cadance pushing a nonplussed Celestia into position/frame, as well as the classic "Voice looks fairly normal but her shadow has tons of tentacles or eyes"), and subsequently posting it on fimfiction with said cover.

    But it is not this day. :p
     
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    OverReactionGuy said:
    Wait this fic is about ponies? I thought it was about eldrich horrors.....
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    Alivaril said:
    Even with the innate pressuring from Harmony's presence, it was a mistake for Voice to think that she could ever fit in. She was indeed a little grazer, prey, too weak to even assert herself in multiple different places simultaneously without placing herself at risk of genuine harm from corporeals — but she was also a Trespasser. She had to chain herself to willing corporeals to even exist here, and it was very difficult for her to significantly affect reality without working through them.

    Voice could imitate them, wear their skin, even use their magic. But she would never be one of them.
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    always has been
     
    infinityDivided said:
    Either she was too out of it to pay their 'stories' even the slightest bit of attention, or Changlings are actually really fucking good at what they do.
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    DATA-POINT:
    Voice didn't realize initially the strict requirements in this world for ascension to Alicorn and it took her being prompted to realize the issue.
    Spies and infiltrators operate best when targets are distracted. An ant is targeted only if it is seen.
    I don't know what habits Voice has, but I can tell that they are hurting due to their mistakes... of presuming that this species held together by trust more than self-interest wouldn't be offended and lightly rebuke them when they violate that trust.
     
    Guyman said:
    I don't know what habits Voice has, but I can tell that they are hurting due to their mistakes... of presuming that this species held together by trust more than self-interest wouldn't be offended and lightly rebuke them when they violate that trust.
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    Its not the rebuke that got her, really, its that Sunset clearly noticed that Voice was upset and regretful and only used it to wring out concessions instead of actually caring.

    (From Sunset's PoV, she didn't realize how upset Voice was, didn't think she really required sympathy, and was prioritizing Flighty- in addition to all her usual issues with admitting to herself that she actually cares about people and being a porcupine.)
     
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