These little stories are meant to flesh out the "Love Will Set You Free" universe a little more. Each will focus on a different character (or in some cases, pairing).
They will make little sense unless you've read "Love Will Set You Free" and "L'amore è femmina (Out of Love)".
Characters:
Love Is Blind: Scootaloo, Gilda
Love Unlimited: Apple family (Ponyville branch)
Would You?: Ancient element bearers, 5,000 years ago
Waterline: Spike, Apple Bloom, dragon OC
Love Me Back: Applejack, earth pony OC
I'm a Joker: Trixie
Zaleilah: Spike, Apple Bloom
Aphrodisiac: Twilight, unicorn OC
Chapters (8)
Hello there. Welcome to these little side stories for "Love Will Set You Free" and "L'amore è femmina (Out of Love)". Unlike those two stories, these vignettes don't have an overarching theme, and there's a reason they're not tagged "Adventure". Instead, they are meant to flesh out the "LWSYF" universe a little more, focusing on characters that deserve a few more words - in this particular chapter, Scootaloo and Gilda.
Others will follow, whenever I get an inspiration for them. These stories are also meant to keep me writing, because if there's one tip you always get where writing is concerned, it's that you need to keep doing it constantly to get better at it. Thus, chapters will be added whenever I get another idea for them. A few things that are dancing around my head at the moment: Sweetie Belle and her problems in keeping up a relationship, hinted at in "La La Love"; Rarity and Fancy Pants adapting to the role of young parents (or not quite so young; we have no clues as to how old Fancy is); that same for Big Macintosh and Fluttershy; Applejack finally finding a special somepony (an unintended void I couldn't fill within the constraints of "L'amore è femmina"); Twilight coming to terms with her #1 assistant living his own family life; the aftermath of "Suus", "L'amore è femmina"'s prologue, showing how Applejack deals with Spike and Apple Bloom in the wake of the mistake she made. I won't necessarily write all of these stories (though I can say with absolute certainty that I will write that last one someday), and if you have anything else you wish to see, write a comment or PM - I'll try to get it in there, as long as it fits the parameters. What parameters? Well:
-It should deal with (some of) the characters from the Two Stories, preferably focusing on characters other than Spike and Apple Bloom, because they were more or less the central characters of those two stories.
-It should expand on something that was hinted at in those stories, or deal with a question that came to your mind that wasn't answered in them.
-Please do not ask for a sequel to "L'amore è femmina". I might get around to that eventually, but that's not what these side stories are for. A little foray into the future is fine, as evidenced by the first story, but it shouldn't be too far, because I don't want to constrain myself as to where and when I might have a sequel take place.
Oh, and before I forget: this vignette is named for Lithuania's entry to the 2012 ESC, "Love Is Blind" by Donny Montell. Lyrics here. The song finished third in Semi 2 with 104 points, proceeding to the finals, where it got lost in the shuffle, probably due to a very unlucky draw (#4), and finished 14th with 70 points. It's not my kind of song at all, and I honestly don't get how this made it to the finals in the first place. "Don't Close Your Eyes" finishes last, and this piece of tripe scores over 100 points? How?
Oh, my... This pairing
Well, I'll read it anyway...
This concept you talk about is really interesting. I'd like reading about Trixie's life before and after LAEF, since she's a character that deserves more attention. Also, a story focused on Granny Smith and her thoughts on how the life of her family has changed across the years with AB and Mac relationships (including what she thinks about Spike and Fluttershy as new family members and the possibility of AB having hybrids, since this is a sensitive topic), their status and duties as new Elements and AJ's adventures as an Element of Harmony would be great, since she's the voice of reason on the Apple family and her most mature member; sure she has something to say about how canon and your two stories had changed her life. Also, she's a great character filled with humor and wisdom, she deserves more attention. That is, um, if you want
Would I have to read both? Are their spoilers from the sequel who's name I forget?
1229711 That depends on the individual side story, but for the first one, yes. Not so much because it contains spoilers, but because it won't make too much sense without having read "L'amore è femmina".
1229802
Great, so this goes into the print-later pile.
being perfectly honest i thought when gilda said: "Not since RD. I'm not even sure if-" i thought she was going to say "i know what is love... baby dont hurt me dont hurt me no more"
Here we go. I've wanted to write this little side story ever since "Suus". Warning: no shipping in here, unless you count the established Spike/Apple Bloom pairing.
This chapter is named for Bulgaria's entry to the 2012 ESC, "Love Unlimited" by Sofi Marinova. Lyrics here. The song finished shared tenth in Semi 2, tied with Norway, and ultimately failed to proceed to the finals on tiebreakers. Perhaps someone should have told Sofi that a big dance number like this doesn't lend itself to a solo stage performance.
Hm, wonder if there'll be a part two, for spike that is.
1289849 Possibly, but I wanted to focus on the Apple family in this one. The reconciliation of Spike and Applejack is a different story, at least to me.
1289867 Ah, I see well glad that might happen, thought that'd be interesting, but write whatcha want.
Hippogriffs now?
1304319 I don't belong to the "reproductive magic" school of FxF shippers. A male dragon and a female pony procreating, fine (and supported by a lot of fantasy literature where dragons can produce offspring with pretty much any species), but a female griffon and a female pony? That goes beyond the possible in my universe.
1304547
Ok.
As Big Mac and Apple Bloom were talking, this line of dialogue popped into my head:
Bloom: You and AJ nearly destroyed what Spike and I had, Mac. How do you think you can apologize for something like that?
Mac: But we didn't, and I don't think we ever could.
Bloom: Huh?
Mac: What you have is real, and it was wrong for us to try and ruin it for you. But the fact that you're still with him...shows exactly how wrong we were. So I'm sorry we tried to destroy your relationship. But the truth is, we couldn't do that, because you can't destroy love.
But perhaps that would have been out of character for Mac.
You know, if you keep doing these time jumps, the next story will take place when they're eighty!
1304547
That's beyond possible in any universe, barring genetic engineering, artificial insemination, and unicorn magic.
1343392 I don't really think this needs to be said, does it? The facts of the story (in its entirety) should be speaking for themselves, really. They're meant to be, age and species notwithstanding. (And yes, finding your very special somepony at this young an age would be considered unusual even in this universe, as evidenced by the conversation between Rarity and Sweetie Belle in chapter 5 of "L'amore è femmina".)
1343395 Actually, the next story is meant to give a little background as to how the Elements of Diversity came to be in the first place. The first segment of that story takes place 5,000 years ago.
So, here we are again. This time, a little bit of backstory for the Elements of Unity and Diversity.
This chapter is named for Belgium's contribution to the 2012 ESC, "Would You?" by Iris. Lyrics here. This song never made it to the finals, crashing out of the first semi with just 16 points, finishing second last (or 17th). And honestly, I can see why - boring song, bad singer, one of the worst of the year.
Whoa.
this chapter was awesome!
Oh goodness. This is what happens when too many different media get me into a really sad mood. Object lesson #1: Reading the latest chapter of "The Jewellery Box" and then watching the mid-season finale of "Doctor Who", while also reminiscing about a certain scene in the Star Trek novel "Sarek", makes for one very sad little author. Sorry for getting so sappy in this chapter, but I just had to get this out of my system.
This chapter is named for Ireland's contribution to the 2012 ESC, "Waterline" by Jedward. Lyrics here. The song finished sixth in semi 1 with 92 points, proceeding to the finals, where it got stuck between two of the best ballads of the night (Macedonia and Serbia), finishing 19th with just 46 points.
I can understand having to get something out of your system. This was a nice fic.
THAT EXPLAINS NOTHING!!!!!
Da fuck!
I guess we're supposed to presume the elements are intelligent?
1385922 They needed to rebuild after their destruction. What else really needs to be said?
As for their sentience, well, they pick bearers in this universe, so there has to be something of that kind to them, but I regard it as instinct, not intellect.
1385922 Okay, thinking about this again, I might add a little something to that chapter. Not much, just a little more explanation.
"Would You?" has been reworked slightly. A few paragraphs have been added after the first section. Have fun with it.
What!? Apple Bloom died!? How dare you! Kill off a character like this! She's not allowed to die! She's supposed to live forever!
Stop reminding people of mortality!!!!
1390864 Do I sense a hint of irony there?
1390988
How's that now? Oh...right. Well, they're not supposed to die of old age! What I meant was character's aren't allowed to age!
1391489 That would have made stuff like the wedding rather awkward, don't you think?
1391676
No...not really.
1391899 Characters aren't supposed to age. When exactly is it supposed to stop, then? Because I do think that pre-teens getting married is just the teensiest bit awkward...
1391917
Really? I thought you were European.
1440073 There really was no reason to mention it in this one, other than perhaps to add a little more shock value to Lightwing's realization what she's gotten herself into.
This side-story collection isn't complete yet, after all.
Oof. This was quite a bit more difficult than I expected.
Let me address one thing, pre-emptively, as it were: Yes, I'm shipping a member of the Mane Six with an OC. Considering the dearth of stallions in Ponyville, there really weren't that many possible candidates for Applejack's significant other, and using Caramel or anyone like that would basically amount to using an OC anyway. There are very few stallions in the series canon that aren't already a) taken within this universe (Fancy Pants) or b) complete idiots (Blueblood). Soarin' has a little more personality, but I wanted an earth pony for AJ, considering that her family's quota for unusual relationships has already been fulfilled by her siblings.
Also, this particular character (Shovel Blade) is an idea I've been carrying around with me for months - a loner not by choice, but by necessity. I've seen so many stories of the "someone falls for the mysterious loner" type that I thought I'd give this a little twist.
This chapter, lest I forget, is named for Turkey's entry in the 2012 ESC, "Love Me Back" by Can Bonomo. Lyrics here. (I intentionally used a clip from the contest itself, just so you could see the stage performance, including the "man-boat", the single funniest moment on stage this year.) The song finished fifth in semi 2 with 80 points, progressing to the final, where it ended up in seventh place with 112 points. As an aside, this song had the biggest discrepancy between televoting and jury results this year; it finished fourth with the televoters and 22nd with the juries. Maybe the jurors thought the man-boat was tacky or something...
1459534you will expand on this in some way down the line right?
right
Interesting...very interesting indeed. This series of stories are now in my favorites.
Says the guy who went and shipped her with an undertaker.
1461040 He's an earth pony with a "standard" earth pony kind of job (if not talent). Go ahead and try saying the same thing for Fluttershy (who is as far removed from your standard pegasus as possible without losing the wings) or Spike (who is no pony).
1461476 Considering how far you went out of your way to portray him as strange and unusual (particularly having a number of characters remark about this), calling him "standard" is like calling Big Macintosh verbose.
1461491 *sigh* Alright, perhaps I did use the wrong words. I did say, though, that I wanted an earth pony for this role. Also, he's strange, but certainly not as far out there as, say, Pinkie.
1461631Good Lord, will you ship Pinkie with someone? Now that is something i would like to see.
I like where this is going so far. Bit I was hoping to see more of Spike x AB, before she dies, after the incident, and when she finds out that she's pregnant.
1607983 Actually, that's not what the side stories are for, really. I might elaborate further on this universe somewhere down the road, but the side stories are meant to explore the nooks and crannies of what's already there, but hasn't had its day in the limelight in the main stories. "Waterline" is an exception to that because I had just seen "The Angels Take Manhattan" and needed to get all the feelings out of my system somehow, and also because I wanted to show how I see the "December" half of a Mayfly December Romance (thank you, TV Tropes!) deal with being the survivor.
Sorry for the long break and the extremely short chapter. Last Saturday's episode finally gave me the inspiration I needed to write this particular vignette, and perhaps it'll get me back on track for some new ones.
This chapter is named for one of this year's worst Eurovision entries, Georgia's "I'm a Joker". Lyrics here. The song managed a theretofore unprecedented feat, becoming the first entry from Georgia to not make it past the semifinals, finishing 14th in semi 2 with 36 points, about 36 more than that ridiculous thing deserved.
1741247 Wow, that was terrible... not the chapter obviously! It was great, but the song... ehhhh. Good chapter sir.
1741441 It's a three-way race for me between this, "Suus" from Albania and "Euro Neuro" from Montenegro as to the worst ESC song of 2012. I think "I'm a Joker" wins out because "Suus" may be screamed, but it's at least competently screamed, and "Euro Neuro" is so bad it's funny again, especially the video.
So Trixie was a teen mother whose family threw her out into the street when they found out. And she was forced to give up her daughter. I hope to see more of this, but I know you add to this series, when inspiration hits you, with whatever comes to mind. This was a nice little story.
1741485 It will be complete either way soon enough. I picked the ESC 2012 theme back when I started, and I'll stick with it, meaning there are at most five more chapters to go. Providing I can find room for chapters like "Euro Neuro" or "The Social Network Song".
ALL MY FEELS!