Once again, rehashing a lot from the Concept Sketches post, and also the OG post that started this AU! (Lapis is the reason for the AU being called Draconic Destinies, hehe.)
Now as Opaline's heir, Lapis was meant as a ruler for when Opaline "stepped down." Of course, that just means that Opaline was just going to be ruling from the shadows, puppeteering her daughter into her bidding. Other than that, Lapis and Opaline are pretty unchanged storywise in the series. I do like both characters, though I would definitely tweak a few character beats a lot more, especially on the "revealing that Lapis is working with Opaline."
Important to note: Opaline is a half-dragon half-alicorn tyrant in this AU, ruling over the Dragon Lands, after winning in the Gauntlet of Fire (referencing S6 - E5) and becoming the Dragon Lord further down the line. After being shunned by Twilight, Opaline declares war. Twilight creates and uses the Unity Crystals to hide the pony races to keep them from Opaline's wrath. It was meant as a temporary plan, but given the events of the G5 Movie, that wasn't the case. But Opaline will get her own post after Lapis'.
Onto the main topic: I changed a lot about Lapis' character, and I mean it. I didn't like the tie in with Lapis' father being Alphabittle, it felt... forced and sudden. So, instead I switched things up!
Opaline is now Lapis' actual mother. Instead of the flat "I saved you, now you're my servant," shtick, I flipped it. Lapis is the idealized vision of Opaline, more pony than dragon--(as this is what Opaline thought was the reason for her shunning from Twilight and ponydom as a whole)--and Lapis was the only hatchling that Opaline kept from her brood of eggs.
Again, rehashing the details of the Concept Sketches post, along with the OG post that started this whole AU up!
The Empress's concept is this:
Opaline was a half-dragon half-alicorn, hoping for greater recognition after being shunned for being a half-breed for her entire youth. When the Dragon Lord calls for the Gauntlet Of Fire (S6:EP5) again--while Twilight is in Equestria's seat of power at this point in time--Opaline takes her chance, and wins.
With this victory, she establishes herself as a dictator/tyrant of the Dragon Lands, and deigns herself to come to Canterlot's doorstep, inclined to be welcomed by her fellow rulers. She is not. Twilight, understandably, doesn't welcome tyrants into her court. Angered, Opaline declares war on Equestria, and conflict ensues.
After ponydom takes a fierce battering, Twilight does what she must to protect Equestria. She creates the Unity Crystals (G5 Movie) with her (and other's) magic along with the Elements, in order to protect and hide as many ponies as possible to cease the conflict altogether. The magic crystals work, but with an unintended side effect. Although the crystals concealed the three tribes, it sapped them of their magical properties over the centuries. While it was meant as a temporary fixture, the ponies still fighting draconic forces lost, and thus the crystals' protective seal was never lifted.
When the events of the G5 Movie occur, it creates an Aurora Borealis, alongside a powerful magical surge, which obviously gains the Empress's attention, to which Lapis is sent into investigate undercover and squash the possibility of a renewed pony rebellion, as the Empress obviously doesn't want her iron rule to be thwarted after such a long time of certainty and quelling the enslaved ponydom.
Finally, the next post is two BG characters I liked from the show: Jazz Hooves and Rocky Riff! After that, will be all the references put together in a big group.
