Of Twists and Gainax Endings · 2:28pm Oct 29th, 2013
... You all remember InsertAuthorHere's lovely blog about "Darkness Induced Audience Apathy"? You know, about how the ending of Background Pony felt like an Diabolus ex Machina?
... I got an even worse ass-pull for you.
Picture this, a welding of canon, 5000 Years have passed in the pony world, while five years have passed in the human world. In one world, present, is G4, Friendship is Magic, in the other world is Megan, from the G1 series, five years older. The ponies come to Earth as diplomats, specifically the Mane Six, and Megan must groom them for a horse show while experiencing, basically, PTSD over the events she had a hand in in the series and a little beyond that. eventually coming to terms with her childhood.
... Thus, "A Mighty Demon Slayer Grooms Some Ponies" sounds like a very interesting story. And honestly, yes, it is. It really is.
... And then Chapter Eight came along.
My reaction is this, provided oh so well by Doug Walker as the Nostalgia Critic:
I am not the only one whom had this reaction, and alas I cannot spoil how LEGENDARILY AWFUL the ending to the story is. I can't. I wish I could, but you would have to read it for yourself. I can, however, some it up in two tropes.
Gainax Ending.
Diabolus ex Nihilo.
It was that bad, people. No build-up, no sense in it. The revelation in the ending just comes out of NOWHERE! Give Background Pony some credit -and I loathe Background Pony- at least that ending, for its own Diabolus ex Machina, made a trickle of sense in its stupidity. This? This just... UUUUUUUUGH!!! It's worse because otherwise, the story indicated leading up to a sweet feels ending, but nope! We GOT to have villainous crap and a sequel hook that will likely go nowhere.
I'm sorry to rage. This is minutes after I read that chapter.
Ok what happen Snow? Did the humans turn out to be evil conniving bastards and enslaved them or the ponies conquering the humans?
Never mind read the comments.... seriously? Seriously? What in God's Name was he thinking!
1463538 No idea. It's one of the dumbest twists ever, though.
1463581
Honestly I'm surprised the Luna fans haven't tried to lynch him yet. I've read some twist ending, and so far the other MLP fic that pulls that crap was one that have tyrantlestia and TwiLuna with absolutly no build up to either one of them.
I read that article on Darkness Induced Audience Apathy, and it seems insightful.
It really does seem like DGD fumbled on this last chapter. The implications this has for Celestia and Luna and the whole established history of Equestria certainly are jarring, and the "rekindling" of Megan's "inner fire" kind of pulls the rug out from under the personal healing she went through in the previous chapter....
However, I find it hard to believe he could not have known we'd have this reaction when he made this decision. I therefore hold out hope the he does still (somehow) know where he's going with this, and that it will be justified. Maybe it can be taken as mostly a problem with execution, rather than ultimately a bad creative choice.
I would be a lot more upset if this really were the end of the story. But he has promised us a sequel; one where I hold out hope that he manages to turn this around into something more admirable.
1463585
... I'm a Luna fan... not a blind one, but still a Luna fan. XD
1463604
Some part of me hopes you're right, but there still so much RAGE. Like Linkara at the end of every Marville comic review.
At the same time, I don't want a sequel to this story. Not if it completely butchers Luna and Celestia. I'll repeat, if there was a twist, I expected -though admitted this was stupid- either Celestia or Luna to be a second life for Wind Whistler, memories of the past life coming to light with alicornhood, and having a feels-saturated reunion and closure... not that.
I really can't believe this chapter. Like, at all. How can any author, especially one that appeared as talented as this one judging from the previous chapters, buttfuck his own story like this? Like, what was he thinking?! This was just unspeakably, horrendously, disgustingly bad. It felt like one big "FUCK YOU!" to both the readers AND the show itself. I have seen a lot of fanfic authors disrespect and utterly rape Celestia's character, but what this author did really takes the crown.
Really, my mind is utterly blown. This is a "Biblical Monsters" level of awful twist ending. Heck, even Aegis Shield's "Celestia vs Luna" asspull ending wasn't as horrendous as this one! Cupcakes, Rainbow Factory and Sweet Apple Massacre COMBINED have a more plausible plot than this twist! Good lord, I know I'm repeating myself but: what was he thinking?! In a way, I really am impressed. It takes talent to sink your own story like this, it really does.
I'm just speechless. Stunned. Baffled. This goes beyond jumping the shark. This is jumping over the shark so high you're on your way out of the solar system to come into an orbit around Alpha Centauri.
I need a drink.
1463711
... This is not jumping the shark... This is worse than jumping the shark. Again, Doug summarizes it best.
... I have no drink, but would you accept a hug?
1463759
I would be happy to accept that hug.
1463762
By the power of Celestia, Luna, Cadance, and Twilight Sparkle, thou shalt be embraced!
...
*hugs Keeper*
1463769
Hugs make everything right. Most of the time, at least.
Yay!
1464107
Yeah, most of the time... *sigh* As stupid and non-sensical as I thought what any twist would be... my stupid thought still made more sense.
1463711
Biblical Monsters was a GOOD fic! It was very powerful. It affected me for a day or so after reading it. I can understand why people would be taken aback by the ending, but you can't say the ending was bad just because it was "shocking" or "overly tragic". The fact still remains that it flowed with the overall plot, and I think the point the author was trying to make was well made.
Comparing Chapter 8 of Demon Slayer to fics like Cupcakes, Rainbow Factory, or Sweet Apple Massacre, I think is truly unfair, as those stories were clearly written entirely for shock value. This latest chapter of Demon Slayer is, at worst, an unintentionally grievous misstep, but it should not be lumped in with your typical "shock" fics.
The biggest problem I have is what this implies about the characters of Celestia and Luna. I think just about any storyline can be "good", if it is executed well, but as things stand now, Davidson is on thin ice. At the moment, his choice seems frivolous and irresponsible, and disrespectful to the characters, but I hold out hope that he has indeed thought about this ahead of time and plans on salvaging the story from this latest bombshell. I very much look forward to reading what he will surely have to say for himself in his next blog update.
1464412
Edited my earlier post to you.
1464424
Finding some way to make Celestia and/or Luna a second life for Wind Whistler might have been interesting and emotionally satisfying, if pulled off right, but it also would have been a stretch, I think.
Like you, I hope these characters will not be "butchered", but Davidson has not been one to make "horrible" writing choices as a rule. This could just be an exception....
If Celestia and Luna are still the same characters we know and love, but simply have been "influenced" by Grogar and Tirek, as if from post-hypnotic suggestion over the years, then I can probably live with it. But then how will he explain the, you would think, incompatible motivations of these respective characters? It's an open question, and one that I HOPE Davidson has thought about. It's just not clear until we know more.
1464440
Yeah, I'm acknowledging it would have been a stretch... but it is less of a stretch, at least to me, than what we got.
I'm sad to say that, unlike you, I assume the worst, simply because... well, the twist itself. If I recall what I read, didn't they physically TRANSFORM into the villains? ... I think it's pretty safe to say that, yeah, Celestia and Luna have been butchered for the sake of a twist that doesn't make any damn sense.
This fic did not need an 'epic sequel' or a lead to one. It needed a full resolution. -_-
I just read this chapter...
Horrid does not even begin to describe it.
1464472
I know!
1464412
It wasn't the shock of the twist as much as the twist itself that was retardedly stupid. Even more disgusting were all the 'understanding' reactions towards such behaviour, and even some people saying they'd have done the same in that situation! Fimfic is honestly populated by people who's first solution to a problem would be to smash in its skull with a sledgehammer. Talking it over? Being civilized, calm and explaining stuff? Screw that! It's skull-bashing time! Sorry, but no. There was nothing good about that. 
No offense, but Biblical Monsters was good up until the stupidity of the final chapter. "Pony princess show up at your door and misguidedly wants to help earth. First thing that comes to your mind? Bash her skull in with her sledgehammer! Yay humanity!".
Likewise, my problem wasn't so much the "shock" of Demon's Slayer twist as the twist itself. Words can't even begin to describe how friggin' stupid it is, to the point where the plot of those fics I mentioned would be more plausible than the proposed "plot" of that "twist". If only the "shock" was the extend of my dislike for the twist, it'd be much easier to swallow then! Mind you, this is all strictly my opinion, but given the reactions so far, it appears I'm not alone in having it.
1464486
It wasn't the "first" thing that came to mind. The narrator/protagonist human character was a good guy, for the most part. He and Adams were just misguided by religion, and by the fear of the unknown. Those commentors who said they might do the same thing in that situation, were simply putting themselves in the shoes of the human characters, with the ideological and emotional influences they were under, and the kinds of unknowns they were dealing with. Say what you will about religion and superstition, it takes a certain amount of emotional maturity to acknowledge that about yourself. That was the harsh lesson of that story for me, and the fact that it came at the cost of Twilight's tragic death only solidified the impact. Really, the dumbest thing about that story was the level of naivete displayed by Twilight in describing what Equestria would "impose" on earth, but that was more or less believable, given Twilight's innocence and lack of experience.
All that said, I understand the negative backlash so far against this Demon Slayer twist. I'm just doing my best to be cautiously optimistic. If it turns to really be nothing more than an inexplicably sucky ending, then I will join you in your absolute disappointment.
1464699 *blink* Cautiously optimistic...? ... If you say so. I'm personally being reasonably pessimistic.
1464705 Whatever makes you happy....
DGD is seriously going to have to rethink some things if he even wants to salvage this.
1464727
Indeed.
1464716
That's just it. Nothing about that last chapter makes me happy.
I cannot fathom what the author was thinking. Even if I were to try the same it certainly would not have gone that rout. If I were to pull villains out of my ass I would chose to do it in a manner that makes a bit more sense then that.
I mean for god sake since this is a fan fiction there are so many other options that actually work why did he have to pull this. When the big reveal scene started I thought it was going to someone from Megan's past... Someone she had good attachments too. A pair of friends that managed to survive all the trouble and hardship and now led Euquestria into the utopia she wanted it to be, though with flaws. Then I kept reading... and reading... and I got to the end.
After I got to the end I proceeded to slam my face into my desk until the stupid stopped.
1464755
Hm... Yeah, I agree. I mean, yeah, there was my stupid 'either Luna or Celestia is a regretful incarnation of Wind Whistler' theory, only basis being the amount of focus on her slippage, but heck, Surprise being Celestia would have been better than what we got!
I remember a comment uttered by a very tired man who just got done dealing with his co-workers over conference call. I feel it applies here.
"STUPID SHOULD HURT!" -ManMorv
1464791
... Yep.
1464734
Well, as you're probably aware, I'm hoping to adapt this story into a comic series. I think the first seven chapters at least are good enough to merit that. I do so love what he as done, overall, to unify G1 with G4.
So if there is a bright side to all this, the planned comic adaptation will give certain parties, such as myself, the opportunity to "re-imagine" certain aspects of the story (Similar to the alternate ending in the movie version of the Watchmen, vs the original graphic novel version). But of course, what to change, how to change it, and even whether to change it, will all depend on where he thinks he's going with it. Hence, my cautious optimism.
1464811 You won't go wrong if you give the ending that the fans wanted. Yes, the first seven chapters are good. Depressing, but still good. After Chapter seven I though we were heading for a fresh start for Megan, a chance for her to begin healing. That is what everyone who read the story was looking for in it.
If that had happened none of us would be hear bitching about the result. Had he done that he would have had everything wrapped up in a nice neat little bow and had one of the more satisfying stories on the site. He would have been able to revisit it at any time and introduce the return of the villains, the determination of the little religious girl to help her or any of that stuff. That could have been done in an actual sequel instead of forcing it down our throats right now.
As it is the only thing that would make me feel this pissed off right now is reaching then end of Borderlands 2 and after Lilith gives her cheesy line, Handsome Jack shows up and kills you and the others. All that bullshit and you aren't even allowed to win the fucking game. That would piss me off to the same levels of what this author pulled.
1464699
Yes it was. Did they try to talk to her? Did they even attempt to explain why what she was suggestion wouldn't be a good idea? No. They just immediatly went for murder. Sorry, but there's nothing deep or profound about that. It was just all-around idiotic. Furthermore, if that is really the first solution that comes to the commenters' mind when they see an adorable thing like Twilight say something like that, then they need help. Fast. Sorry, but there is nothing emotionally mature about those commenters admitting they're borderline psychopaths if their first instinct about seeing a purple pony princess naively suggesting to improve earth is to bash her skull in. Nothing at all. It's disturbing and more than a little sad, yes. But it's not deep and it doesn't give the story an ounce of credit or quality. It was just a dumb, stupid twist to once again show the stupidity of humans too dumb to think and open their mouths before grabbing the nearest murder weapon. It would make for a good, cynical parody of certain humans, if the author hadn't meant for it to be taken serious.
I do apologies if I come across as a bit short, it's just that I did not like that twist at all and it still manages to get under my skin to this day. I fear we'll have to agree to disagree when it comes to this.
1464897
I think you're forgetting how much they were threatened by the magical ability demonstrated by Twilight, and her report that there were many unicorns and alicorns like her with similar mysterious and potentially "frightening" abilities. That's what disturbed them. They used the example of the natives being taken over by the Europeans. They wouldn't want to risk "talking" about it, if they suspected force might be used against them anyway, and they would have no means to counter it. Twilight's "adorableness", while compelling in most situations, has no bearing on the above issues. I think your argument stems more from a place of emotional attachment to the character, rather than an objective analysis of what the story is saying. It certainly isn't some thoughtless "humans are assholes" story, as you're suggesting.
Regardless, I don't want to get into a long-winded debate here. I've made my position clear. If you still don't agree, then I suggest we just agree to disagree.
1464893 Assuming I get this far in the comic (and I certainly Intend to), it might be a relief at that point just to give Megan her happy ending and leave it at that anyway. I'll probably run a poll, or otherwise invite the input of readers/watchers on how I should handle it. This is down the road of course, as I still intend to remain faithful at least to the first seven chapters, but it's something to think about. :)
1464925
Actually, it does. They spent days getting to know her first. Even if they didn't know her completely like lifelong friends would, they still would have gotten a pretty good gauge of her character and personality during that time. And yet still they didn't even attempt to talk to a person they got to know for days and knew the reasonable and kind personality of. Nope, just straight up murder, like any sane, rational human being would do to a person they just spent days getting to know better. Sorry, I don't buy that.
1464991
It's not like they were getting to know an ordinary human that they felt they could understand. Even if she were a human, a mere few days might still not have been enough. But to them, Twilight was a strange mythical creature that was not even SUPPOSED to exist. Their only reference was the Bible, and their religious influences, to come to a conclusion about her. They knew the story of the natives being taken over by the Europeans, and so their "reaction" was to project that tendency onto the ponies and suppose they might do the same thing.
It's easy for us to say that the ponies would never have invaded earth, but the humans in this story did not know that. Those who acknowledge that they might do the same thing in the same situation are not "justifying" the humans' actions here. They are just acknowledging how they might be susceptible to the same paranoia, if they were dealing with similar gaps in knowledge while under a similar perceived threat.
It's a flaw of human nature to project your own shadow onto others, especially those you don't understand. It's a kind of survival mechanism. This does not mean "humans are assholes", but it is nonetheless a flaw of ours that needs to be acknowledged, so that it can be avoided. I think it's good that this story explored that, and its potentially tragic consequences.
Well, apparently DGD was "surprised" by the reaction.
There goes my cautious optimism. Well, if he re-writes it, hopefully it will be better.
1465136 Saw that coming.
You know, i think Davidson's eighth chapter is what really made it clear to me exactly WHY the idea of G1 being G4's past seemed to always rub me the wrong way: Because it ultimately winds up weakening both generations in the process.
1532664
Hm... a fair point, Bob-dude. A fair point. "Canon Defilement" is the trope.
1534730
That, and (if you'll forgive my incoming rantish ramblings) it doesn't make any damn sense from a world perspective. I mean think about it, Equestria needs its sun and moon to be manually lower and raised, Dream Valley (and the other Generations for that matter) DON'T. That's kinda of a big difference wouldn't say? Or the fact that the pony's look thicker/have different muzzle shapes then the G4 ponies, or the fact that unicorns like Twilight (as shown in the season four two parter) are capable to teleporting through solid objects while it was specifically pointed out in G1 that unicorns couldn't wink out between object, open spaces sure but cover them with a net or get them in a jail cell and their screwed. Or just the fact that Dream Valley seems to have more bipedal races then you can shake a stick at, whereas with Equestria that seems to be limited to teen/baby dragons... and Minotaurs.
But I think the real things that just bugs in with those kind of stories is the fact that they always miss the chance for a wonderful examination of the differences between G4 and the other Generations, of clashes of culture and fish out of water type of stories. Instead it's just "Oh, we know all about you guys and your big bad past villains because history records." Weeee.....
But yea, I've gotten everything I wanted to say (outside of the fact that I do just wish that SOMEONE would write a straight up Crisis style MLP crossover and be done with it), sorry if it came off as too rude or the like.