I, Monster - The Sketchbook · 10:47pm Jul 9th, 2023
Okay, this is it. The big reveal. The final answers at the end of the road.
Tomorrow I mark my tenth year on this site and fandom. I started watching the series and reading the fics a bit before the date, but joining here marks a nice date to remember anyways.
And to celebrate a bit, I wanted to share the last pieces of I, Monter I had on hand. It's previous part, Actually, I'm Dead is by far my most successful story on this or any other site, ever. I hold both dearly in my heart, as well as the partnership (and friendship) I had with Nightwalker writing both. As well as you, guys, for reading. I'll never take any of you for granted, always thank you for reading and supporting us.
And again, terribly sorry I never got around finishing this weird trip of black magic, life and death, and self identity. Yes, those were the intended ethos. I don't know how successfully I got them into the story, but thanks to Nightwalker they got more than the ramblings I usually do.
So, with no further ado, here are the last matterial related to I, Monter. I'll make a separate post for Actually, I'm Dead's sketchbook in order to properly tag it.
The Lost Chapters
Chapter 5: Remorse and Chapter 6: Redeath were already good for publishing, sans the last edit. The fact I was so held on my studies, and later my job, to put the needed effort to properly coordinate with Nightwalker and finish the editions is probably the root of the problem. Here we get the last moments of Trixie in Ponyville before moving onto the bigger plot and conflict.
Chapter 7: The Night Calls Me In is a more 'sketch' episode, with loose scenes and looser continuity between the, I guess this is as far as the story ever got.
The Sketchbook
This is the more complete one, including where the story was going and the end-all of it. Yes, there wasn't going to be a third instalment or a sequel hook. I, Monter would have been the end of it. I won't say more because I think you guys deserve the surprise of finding out.
All left say is cheers to ten more years (or maybe move over to Scribble Hub. IDK)
thanks for the stories and to ten more years to you too
Well
I'll always love what you did write even if it'll never be finished. For I understand the feeling.
Here's to the future and whatever you do next amigo
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Thanks both of you.
FFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFF
I like this story. Too bad to see that it will never be completed.
Well, at least I can officially put the favorite in it.
Congrats on the ten years and good luck in your next project. You got talent for writing.
Ah, the definitive end of an era. But eternal limbo is darkly fitting for this poor, abused version of Trixie isn't it?
There are no more tales to be toooooold.....
I have an unfinished longrunner fic of my own, and this post is actually a really strong motivator to revive it and see the final two chapters published. I, Monster is a story I've long been aching to have closure for. If even one of my followers feels the same way about my work as I do about yours, I have a responsibility to deliver.
And since the sketchbook contains no actual sketch of Monster Trixie Version 3, I of course have to share the placeholder image I've had in my mind for the past four or so years.
Godspeed in all your non-Fimfiction endeavors. And thank you, Wave. For everything.
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I've told you, multiple times, I have no intention to talk to you. Mostly because you have lied about my person and talked on my behalf. Do not pretend we're on any good terms. We are not.
Please, stop talking to me or commenting on my work.
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Yeah, it's been a hard thing to do and admit this far ahead. I'm not happy about having to do this, but also I can't keep asking people to wait for something I'm just not capable of doing. Once again, sorry for not delivering on such responsibility.
I really hope you do well with your story. My best wishes.
Also, yeah. Trixie wearing the Hellspawn suit was basically the thing at the start of I, Monster.
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All well and good. As stated, we're all grateful for this final update and send-off. To get nostalgic, I first discovered your prequel fic via it's TvTropes page. The Canterlot bar scene remains my favorite individual chapter. Lightning Dust is such a natural companion for Trixie. This may be too bold, I think she's a better companion for Trixie than the canon choice of Starlight.
As a closing note, your blog post pondered whether the theme of identity was communicated well. It absolutely was, and is the centerpiece of why the fic is so compelling. When every part has been replaced, what is left that can measure a mare? That quandary directly inspired one of my own fics that is a shameless sci fi repackage of Dead. Amulet-scarred Trixie even makes a cameo in chapter 2.
Your story has a bigger positive legacy than you know. Permit yourself some pride in that.
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I think we and the show's writers got approximately the same idea for Trixie/Lightning and Starlight/Trixie, respectively. In both cases, it's about and old baddie halfway through their redemption arc meeting another one at the start of it. So, the later learns about the former's mistakes, but also gets on her nerves because it reminds them of what kind of pony they used to be.
The interesting part about this is that Trixie fills diametrically oposite roles on each version. In ours, she's the older, wiser guide to the daring Lightning Dust. While in canon, Trixie is the daring one, and Starlight the lightning rod to keep her honest.
I just read Call of the Wire, and it was pretty amazing. I really liked how it went about the identity issue in particular.
And I'm really glad people did like it.
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Okay, fvck it. You're obviously not respecting the very simple boundary of "don't talk to me", so considers this the last "fvcking leave me alone" before I block.
Very interesting to see how the story was planned to go. It had a lot of room built in for vignettes while twilight was couch surfing, and for different storytelling styles during each of her stone phases.
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An idea that didn't even make it to the sketchbook was a chapter titled "In Absentia" (it was a reference like most of the story, to a horror Chilean comic named Dr. Mortis and a sequel with the same tittle). It would have been about the lives of the Mane Six, Spike and Lightning through the aftermath of Dead, in the style of small vignettes; Spike cooking Trixie's chile, Lightning adjusting to not having her wings but still doing physical training, Twilight starting and advancing her research...
And yeah, the idea was to explore different 'dark narratives' through Trixie's dreams under the Omega Sanction. The first one was straight up turning the fantasy world he created into a post-apocalyptic landscape (with cues from Skyrim), and the one-shot Weltendämmerung started off as another base.
Sad to see this, but glad you did
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Yeah. I don't regret pulling the plug, but I do regret it came to it. There's a whole "don't be sad it ended, be happy it happened" thing going on here.
I'm finally here but I just can't start to read. It just feels wrong. Or more like incomplete. Like trying to recreate some favourite home food, that was always made by parents, but even if you have the recipe, heart and skills to perfect the dish, it will always taste incorrect.
Oh boy, here we go