Reading Reaction #1 part 11

I present the final Reading Reaction to Sweetie Belle Gains a Soul and the ending of my first Reading Reaction.

Chapter 40: Plan set in motion

It had taken me several last pages to tear out all the letters that I needed. Nopony ever reads the author’s notes anyway, but Twilight wouldn’t know that those were the pages I had used.

I do feel like I’m one of those oddballs who actually does read the authors notes most of the time.

“I thought Zombies are dumb,” Spike yelped from a room far in the castle. “How did they manage to avoid my mud trap?”

Depends on the franchise Spike but generally yeah they are pretty brain dead.

“You said probably. Why did you say probably, Twilight? I was right, wasn’t I? There are zombies on the lawn!”

Spike’s about to become Crazy Dave first the mud trap, and the gardening and now “the zombies” on the lawn.

“Watch out, zombies! I’m seeking Twilight on you!”

Grammar error alert!!! The first one of the story I’ve seen and it’s 40 chapters in.

“Sweetie Belle, was that you? If you wanted to make a point you could have just said it to my face, you know?” She turned around and directed her horn light back into the hallway. “Wait a moment… What’s this here?” She swung around. “Sweetie Belle, did you just take a dump in my castle!?! Ugh! That’s beyond indecent!”

She already knew it was Sweetie proving that Sweetie Belle is still just a kid despite all the magic and the sneaking about.

Chapter 41: Confrontation

“Anonymous?” she smirked. “You signed it with ‘Sweetie Belle’ on the bottom. There was also your hoof print on it. As a matter of fact, your hoof prints were all over my foyer. There was even your face-print on the floor and beside it—your tushy-print, for some reason… Was all that really necessary? It took Spike the whole night to clean up the mess you made. And why do you keep picking fights with doors? What the flock is going on inside your head, Sweetie Belle?”

Poor Spike gets traumatized thinking it’s zombies and then he has to clean all of the mess she left behind up when Twilight could easily magically help him but instead she forces him to clean. Legitimately the most bullied character in the show and even in a lot of fanfiction!
Also Sweetie really does seem to have an issue with doors.

“You know, not being able to burst into a song could be a sign of a depression. If you don’t cure the mental disorder early on, it could afflict you for life.”

Interesting in the pony world not bursting into song is a sign of mental health decline. Makes sense & fits the universe but I’ve never read such a concept in a fic or online. I hope more people use or implement this concept in the story.

“Same with Spike. He used to make a mess of every room by flapping his big spiky wings, but he became a happy, home trained dragon without them. Besides him, there weren’t any wingless dragons around, yet he didn’t miss the excess appendages since he never even inquired about them.”

This confrontation is very interestingly written but the part I really wanna mention is how F’ed the pony society is when it comes to dealing with problems. Cutting off Spike’s wings just because they caused a few messes is deeply disturbing but also speaks way too much to things in our actual society.

I shook my head. With magic on my side, there wasn’t anything else that I needed. Something still felt off, though. Perhaps it was just the jitters. I was anxious to put an end to our encounter. That must have been it! “Tough luck, Twilight. Want to hear my proposal now?”

concerned but also excited as to where this next chapter will go.

Chapter 42: Bring it on

“I'll mark it with your battered corpse under my hooves!”

This chapter and this line remind me of the another fic I’ve read titled “Dark Spectrum: Public Enemy” which is one of my favorites in terms of a darker alternative so this is already a great fight scene.

A blast of energy near me exploded. The shock wave swept me off my hooves. When I crashed face-first on the ground, the world went black.

This was a great fight and the channels paint a very vivid picture of what’s happening plus I love the fact that Sweetie is powerful but she is just blasting her newfound power in all directions trying to overpower Twilight while Twilight is being smarter showing who has more battle experience. In a lot of ways the way you describe it reminds me of a complex anime fight!

Chapter 43: Power Unrestrained

I charged the surrounding channels, forming a protective dome. I grumbled through my teeth. She forced me into defense. Somehow, I needed to gain the upper hoof again. I formed a sphere of energy inside my horn and projected it toward Twilight through the opening in my shield.

Thought the fight was over but I’m glad it’s not to be honest it’s very entertaining to read about.

Right above her, I rode on my shield bubble with a grin on my face. “Let’s see how you like it when I take away your control!”

She’s absolutely lost her sh*t hasn’t she
It’s as entertaining as it is worrying.

Chapter 44: The Final Form
Yes Sweetie is reaching her true power

“Oh, but I want punishment! I want to be the embodiment of it.” My lips crawled up my teeth to form a grin.

That’s a badass line!!!

“Energy patterns—changed; Inner flows—rearranged!” Her clothes evaporated from her body as she floated closer. “You should not trifle with an Alicorn, little pony!”

This whole chapter just needs to be an animated fight scene it’s so epic to read and I would fund the person who animated it. And apparently the chapter name wasn’t about Sweetie Belle.

“Try to catch me, pony.” I saw a black figure in the sky, flying away from the ditch I was in. Did Zex just save me? He actually kept his promise...

I knew we could trust the scamp.

Chapter 45: Recap

“She—met a zebra.”

Our rhyming queen Zecora? Or the other one?

“I… I went for a drink… But I kept looking back to the entrance all along! Nopony could enter without me seeing it. Except when I was drinking from the stream. I wasn’t looking at the entrance then, but I tried to swallow really fast, despite the coldness of the water. I also peed at the same time so I could return to the entrance as soon as possible.”

WTF this poor clone has some issues thanks to Sweetie’s treatment of her.

“I heard the crack of a branch. When I looked forth, I saw a zebra on the other side of the stream. The golden wrists on her foreleg jingled as she backed a few steps.”

Yay I’m so glad Zecora is in the story again even if it’s only someone telling us about it.

Chapter 46: Talking to Myself

My foreleg moved by itself and kicked the book in the water. “Not important!”

I love the way the author portrays the difference between the power and Sweetie’s empathy/true self it’s an interesting contrast without being too much of a Yin and Yang situation.

“You’ve heard my name before, little filly. They speak of me with distaste nowadays, but that’s merely because I was defeated. Only winners get to write history books, you see? There was a time when my name was spoken in fear and adoration. I might not be getting the respect I deserve for a time, yet my very name still holds its former glory even after ages past. I am—King Sombra.”

I knew it was him!!! But the line about winners writing the history books is true in reality and fiction and I love it when antagonists bring it up. Though knowing Sombra he has no ground to stand on when it comes to morals or challenging what’s good vs what’s evil.

“It’s because you robbed me of them! But I’ll make them my friends again. I have the power to do so. Ponyville is where I’ve lived all my life. I’m going to make it my home again, and I won’t let anything stop me!”

She still doesn’t understand that the power won’t solve everything and that she is a major part of the problem not just Sombra.

“This time it’ll be different. I’m different. Nopony can stop me from fulfilling the plan. Most importantly, you can’t stop me. You’re only in control of me when I let you. And I’m not letting you manipulate me anymore. This used to be my body, my mind and my life. I’m taking it all back!”

Oh boy!

Chapter 47: Farewell

“You won’t make any more of us?” the other one whimpered. “Weren’t we good enough for you? We tried so hard!” They both sniffled and shook their heads.

I feel kind of bad for them but not bad enough to be sad for them because the whole clone thing was odd but also really interesting.

Between the writing and the hole laid the knife. It was covered in red.

I kind of expected it but as shocked it was described not just implied but I do know I should know better then to underestimate how far Bad Dragon will go at this point.

I opened my eyes and gazed at the knife. Even in their last moments, they thought of me, yet I had done nothing to earn their adoration. I was never as close to them as I should have been. I wasn’t connected enough—to myself.

Surprisingly deep but I appreciate her finally growing and starting/finishing her characters arc.

They wouldn’t be ignorant of me for long, though. I would take control of my destiny. It had always been traditional to receive gifts on a birthday I intended to break the tradition. On that day, a celebrator would become the gift-bringer.

I don’t even know if there is any hope for her anymore but I guess the next few chapters are what determines who she is and if she can return with any semblance of herself from the dark.

Chapter 48: A Long Way Back

The shade of the boulder attracted me more than the ominous Twilight’s artifact. I decided to cool down a little before pressing on to the battle of my life. The princess was immortal. Surely, she could wait for my surprise visit a little longer. After I sat down and leaned my back against the hard surface, I took the book in my hooves.

Here comes the redemption arc/the moment Sweetie realizes she isn’t alone and Twilight does care in her own twisted way.

The book dropped off my hooves and a note fell from between the pages. When I turned it over, I saw the text written in pink, curly handwriting. There was just one sentence: Happy birthday, Sweetie Belle!

dun! Dun! DUN!!!!

I put the book in my saddlebag beside my daddy’s knife and looked in the direction of Ponyville. My lips curved into a grin. The lost filly was coming home!

Bad dragon certainly knows how to twist things around I thought for sure this was the moment Sweetie changed or the seed of change was planted but instead it hardened her resolve and made the unhinged filly stick to her plan.

Chapter 49: Making Ponyville My Home

The score with Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon would have to be settled at a later time. Twilight was most deserving of my attention. I needed to pay her a visit first. Everypony else would have to wait their turn. I didn’t want to deal with all of them at once. Not yet.

Those two are so lucky she is going after Twilight first because they have time to flee or may get lucky if Twilight wins.

The silhouette before me faded fast, but she needed to know! I took a big breath of air and yelled out as loud as I could, “I’m sorry for everything!” The surrounding world spun, and I couldn’t keep my balance, anymore. The shaky foreleg crumpled, and I fell to my side. I lifted my head and extended a forehoof toward Twilight. “Please forgive me.”

I suspected that’s what was coming but the story got me to believe she was actually going to kill Twilight for a minute there. But it is wild that she actually went through with the cutting.

Just before my head slammed down, I felt the cushy caress of Twilight’s shield on my body. It embraced me and lifted me up from the dirt I was drenched in.

Awww that’s surprisingly wholesome and cute considering everything else that this story has featured. Well on to the epilogue/finale

Chapter 50/Epilogue:

The clapping spread among the confused ponies, but there was one in the back row, who seemed to be immune to the social pressure. The black pony with the red mane didn’t clap. He just shook his head and trotted away.

This is a strange Epilogue but I appreciate the sense of Normalcy and the way you…..
…..Is the black pony with a reddish mane SOMBRA?????!!!?????

Scootaloo rolled her eyes. “You lay unconscious in the hospital…”

Okay that got a snicker out of me!

Apple Bloom pushed the box even closer. “That’s why we decided to offer you the position of an Honorary Cutie Mark Crusader!” She opened the top of the box. There was a clothing inside it.

Amazing friends considering the circumstances and what she was doing.

Apple Bloom took a step toward Sweetie Belle and cocked her head. “Hug?”

Big claps 👏 what an amazing journey and a well rounded albeit dark take on the pony world in the form of a fanfiction.

Story link: https://www.fimfiction.net/story/126539/sweetie-belle-gains-a-soul

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Thank for reading this far if you have and sticking with me through this whole extended Reading Reaction process.

Comments

[Pete100]

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