The Taste Of Grass, COMPLETED. · 7:20am Dec 20th, 2011
Finally, it's done. Chapter thirty, the final chapter of The Taste Of Grass.
111,179 words. I wrote a fair-sized book.
I am exhausted, but happy; I would like to think I made a decent account of myself with this work. I hope so, anyway.
I laughed too much at Windfeather's Lovecraftian end. Hee! Love and harmony as the ultimate Elder God horror. Yay!
A part of me feels bad, though, you should know. Even though it would have probably gotten me catcalls and disparaging remarks about my artistic lack - oh how I just wanted to do a simple, easy, happy, smiles all around ending for Caprice. I wanted so much to just end this story with Caprice and Alexi watching their grandchildren play at their hooves and Summerland Village be the best, most famous, most triumphant village of all, and have Celestia and Luna be personal friends with Caprice and have Buttermilk... I don't know, become Twilight Sparkle's lover and have Pumpkin marry Big Mac and... well, you get the idea.
Instead I made myself cry, and right at the moment, I am thinking maybe Mary Sue's might not be all that bad, because at least they are all smiles.
But then, clearly, I must consider smiles candy, and too much candy rots the mental teeth.
Sweet Luna, why do I have to be such a pretentious artsy-fartsy git. I should have just given everypony the ultimate happy ending.
That's how I feel right now.
Maybe, after the hurt stops, maybe I'll like it. Maybe I won't think I suck, then.
All I can say, to you, my faithful readers is that I tried to give this story the most honest ending I could, I suppose because Caprice and Alexi and the rest became real to me, and I couldn't just betray them with an easy, unlikely, unreal ending. It just seemed like it would be cheap, and I couldn't do that to them.
If I chose wrongly, forgive me. I did my best. If, maybe, you thought that The Taste Of Grass was, in the end, worth your time, I would just be so incredibly glad. I can only hope so.
I need some sleep. I've been churning this story out at like 3K a day. Whoo.
-Chatoyance
Don't worry; the idea of Caprice and her immediate family being treated like crap because regular ponies would have done the same damned thing is the right way to end her story. Perhaps in another tale in the universe, you could have one of the more outspoken members of the Mane Six (
say) ask her what the hay she expected, sugarcube.
This story was very much worth my time, have no doubts. Now all I have to do is wait for your next story.
...there will be a next story right?
As down as you may feel right now, know that you made the right decision as a writer. Life isn't always happy endings, even for our beloved ponies.
We have read all 111,179 words that you wrote Chatoyance. We stuck with you through the whole story, And I cannot tell you how "worth it" it really is. The characters became real for all of us, and we understand what you meant in your feelings about the mary sue ending. Although the happy smiles ending would have been preferred by some, we all know what happens to authors that play favorites with their ideas. Looking forward to whatever projects you have in your future.
It had a damn good run and you have worked quite hard. Enjoy your rest.
I miss them already.
You know, Chatoyance, I'm of two minds about the ending (not Windfeather, he totally deserved it) - I also think that maybe, just maybe, there is room for Caprice to have been wrong.
Let me explain - I have to totally agree with the ponies not being quite so perfect. For all Equestria is better than Earth - less selfish, mean, cruel and cold - the ponies within it are quite clearly able to be snooty, greedy, avaricious and nasty. It makes sense that having instant wealth and gratification taken away would make many angry... but I don't think the ponies of Summerland would have stayed that way, and truth be told they built something longer-lasting. No, you don't suck, but the jump made the about-face hard to take. Don't take this harshly, but I made the same mistake with Twist in the tail - and I only jumped a month! I went back and filled it in, and I think it's a better story for it... but it's still not anywhere near as good as this.
Maybe the disgruntlement would have stayed long enough for Caprice to leave, with her family, for the 'good' ponies to disperse - and I'd feel a bit miffed too if my 'future' were decided by one pony pissing off a goddess - but I think that the remainder would trudge back to their town, and then... they'd feel a glimmer. A twinge. An unfamiliar feeling, one they'd thought they'd lost. Call it pride, but call it civic pride. They made Summerland. All on their own.
I think they'd wake up one morning, open their shutters and realize that they made Summerland, and they are Summerland. And then they'd feel great remorse over what they did to Caprice.
Maybe they'd never find her again - if she's as good at hiding and manipulating as she thinks she is, she could have gone undercover only too well. They'd never find her... to thank her.
I think, should she ever have visited Summerland again, that there would be a statue in the centre of their now-thriving, famous town, with the famous, award-winning race-track and the amazing grown goods, and very own attached sky-castle. I think it would have four ponies on it, maybe five. One would be Alexi, another would be Buttermilk, another would be Pumpkin and possibly her foal - and the last would be Caprice, and they would thank her, for every day they live there.
2320
This is now my headcanon. Wait, does that even make sense to say about fanfiction? Oh who cares, HEADCANON.
You did the right choice for the story,
the only thing I would have wanted was to see at least one
pony in the town swayed by Alexis defense of his Caprice after her actions the save Summerland (I can't imagine his reaction would have been anything but the utmost support for her),
perhaps a foal of the newfoals that had never known wealth nor fame, only the love of the her parents and that of the herd and for her to see just for a moment that there was non of that love in there actions of the town.
Its was at least wonderful to know that Dr Roselyn had finally allowed herself to go home, even though the last paragraph made me stop reading because it made me cry to hard to continue.
I know that this is one of those stories that will stay with me long after the show itself has ended.
To say that it was worth my time is an incredible understatement, it was as full of pleasure as when I discovered the show itself.
A grander Hearts Warming Eve gift I could not have received.
Thank you for this tale.
^^ forgot the name
2321
so, Headfanon?
^^ Apparently you can't make your name show up... soo third time is the charm.
//Newfoal #3
I'm satisfied.
There is one important thing not shown: Alexi and Caprice still had a chance to live a very long, happy life together even after Summerland. Caprice made a mistake. One that condemned her to regret, but not eternal misery. She never lost her family, nor their love.
Thank you. It has been too long since I last enjoyed a new story from you. This is what I was waiting for.
-Verreaux
AAAAAAAAAASTOPADDINGTOMYTODOPILEAAAAAAAAAAA
You don't have to post it for us to share, but whipping up a little alternative ending might, at least, help. It doesn't need to be High Art, it doesn't need to dodge the cliches. If putting a little happy, sappy, hugs-all-around alt. ending on "paper" helps you drop your emotional funk, go for it. But think hard before you do: you risk cheapening the rich emotional layers you've built. Then again.....holy crap some of those layers were heavy.
Sometimes an emotional roller coaster ends up where a real one does - back at the lowest point.
I wish that this story had never ended, and that we could have followed them through all those years after Summerland Village...