Warning: Long blog is long. · 5:48am Aug 8th, 2012
Let me first say that if you're only mildly interested in TMiaHM and don't care about the guts of the story, my headcannon, or why things happen the way they happen, feel free to skip this post. Also, mild spoilers to Ch5/IM1, as a heads-up.
Next, allow me to say: "These are not the updates you're looking for." Sort of. If you're looking for things to turn 180 degrees, for Nightlight to suddenly become hyper-competent, to just give Luna a piece of his mind, put hooves in her face, or just to quit, you're going to be disappointed. None of those can happen, because they're either out of character for him, or not useful to me as an author.
1. People don't change over night. Ponies don't either. 'Nuff said.
2. Nightlight can't/wouldn't do anything overt to a princess. We're talking about snapping to the point that he's willing to consider assault on a semi-deific being to whom he owes his allegiance. In my experience, people/ponies like him are more likely to run away, to varying extents, than take offensive action. Honestly, he'd be more likely to... take action against himself than against Luna. Sad fact.
3. If Nightlight quits, the story's over. At that point, it becomes trollfic. It's not intended to be one.
But on the otherhoof, this chapter is not like chapters 1-4. I'm not running the schadenfreude train on him (at least, not in the same way), and Nightlight doesn't screw everything up. Of course, and much of it isn't actually about him. He doesn't do much of anything in this chapter. He and Luna have no actual interaction. He listens. He talks a little bit. He gets some thoughts in order. The reader gets to meet the last little bit of his (tiny) social support structure, and Berry returns. I'll address her later in this post.
But firstly, I'm going to address a bunch of things of varying sizes and concerns from readers etc.
Characters: Many people are saying that TMiaHM is full of unlikable characters. Sure. Everypony in this story is fundamentally flawed. Every single one (Nabokov, anyone?). Some are more flawed than others, but everypony, like everybody has problems. Some are easy to see. Nightlight's a coward. Luna is a harsh mistress. Head Chef Ala Mode is egotistical. Star Quill doesn't own her failures. Harvest Moon's a cloud-cuckoolander. Origami is weak. Some flaws are less obvious. The reader might not see what all of them are, because they won't come up.
On the subject of which: Point of view. Why does everypony seem to be working against Nightlight? There's so much to which the protagonist isn't privy. Nightlight doesn't know why other ponies do what they do or what makes them tick - he just calls them like he see them. In many ways it's bad story telling - it's one thing to have knowledge the characters don't, it's another to keep knowledge from the readers. Perhaps Harvest Moon has a perfectly good reason for trying not helping him, from her perspective. Perhaps Snowy Slopes has a perfectly good reason for choosing Nightlight as Lunar Hoofservant. Perhaps Luna thinks she's being reasonable... or perhaps thinks there are more important things. Noon Nap's just a jerk.
Now, on the subject of jerks: Why is everypony in Canterlot Castle a huge jerk? Well, most ponies, like most people, aren't. And even if they are, you don't have get along with someone personally to work with them professionally. But when you're in a rigid, bureacratic hierarchy? Everypony has a pseudo-religious devotion to their job? There are multiple folks who consider their own ends in addition to the greater good? Add to that the return of a forgotten goddess and everything gets tilted upside down. Ponies stop making rational decisions. The system breaks down, because suddenly there's neither procedure nor tradition telling them what to do. Everypony is either trying to make a decision and avoid making a decision, and everything conflicts. Everypony is freaking out.
Now, a few things specifically brought up in comments:
Why does Luna have her season 2 appearance? My headcannon: when she attuned with the moon/stars/night (once Tia willingly relinquished them), her appearance changed. Headcannon.
Why do ponies use 'Discord' as a swear, when Twi had never heard of Discord? Technically, the viewers don't know that she didn't. She didn't know what was causing the weirdness in Ponyville, but when the girls got to Canterlot, Celestia begins her explanation before anypony asks what happened - possibly for the edification of ponies like AJ or RD. Furthermore: language. Language is weird. Words stay in it long enough that we forget their original meanings. The word 'ass' is derived from the aft end of a boat. Didja know that? So why can't pony-swears be the same? Also: Discord is just a good swear.
You're making references to Fallout Equestria! Why yes, amongst several other things. The biggest, most overt reference (not counting Berry's quoting of the Bible) hasn't been mentioned in the comments yet.
Why are your tags the way they are? I've heard one or two people suggesting that the 'dark' tag be added here. The story certainly isn't idealistic, and a lot of the ponies are... well, not nice. But there's no murder, death, gore, overwhelming danger, (illegal) drugs, or anything that usually merits the 'dark' tag.
Then there's the 'comedy' tag. I almost put it. In the sense of the greek comedy, sure, it is. It's the story of a character's improvement over time. But... that's not what most people think of as a comedy nowadays, even if the story is a little bit surreal, to boot.
And then people complained when there were no tags; I presume they were worried about Luna getting shipped. That won't happen.
Why does Princess Celestia allow all this stuff to happen in her castle? 1) It's not normally like this - breakdown of normalcy. 2) Do you think she knows everything that's going on in the castle? 3) If she didn't have an enormous tolerance for fools, what's up with Prince Blueblood?
Why are there so many stallions in the castle compared to the rest of Equestria? Good question. Because most of the characters I write are male.
Why do the servants start Ch1 thinking Luna's not real when she had a room preserved in the castle? Spectacular questions, and I actually have an answer to these. Headcannon goes: That room was never preserved for her. There weren't guards outside of it until the return. As my headcannon goes, Luna's never been in Canterlot Castle before this. It was built after she rebelled and was banished, because Celestia couldn't stand to be in the Castle of the Royal Pony Sisters without Luna. At the time, the room was built with Luna in mind, awaiting her return. It never used, never guarded, and practically forgotten in the meantime. Eventually, it just became 'that weird room with weird furniture'. Ponies forgot.
Segue to Chapter Five: Why does Luna talk in regular-ish speech when talking to her sister (or herself, as we saw in Ch4)? She uses formal speech when addressing those below her and uses normal dialect to those of equal standing. Presumably, there was a third form for speaking to ponies of higher status. Anyways, language and grammar shifts over time, and the varying forms were dropped into regular Equestrian.
About Chapter 5: Berry Punch is back. Yeah, I know, she's showing up a bit much. In a lot of ways, she appeared in ch3 just so she could be here, so that's that. This is Nightlight's first real turning point, the first time he really makes a choice for himself, and he needed his sage there to give him the nudge he needed. She'll probably return in the future, but not until she's needed. That shouldn't be for a while.
Intermission 1: And now for something completely different. This is, in some ways, an example of how Nightlight can perceive things totally wrong, through no fault of his own. It's a short conversation between the Princesses, of which Nightlight is not aware. If it seems somewhat out of character for the sisters... well, that's okay. They don't act the same around each other as they do around others.
Chapter 5 and Intermission 1 are posted. Read, don't read, love, hate, do whatever.
Then have fun. Ponies.
Very respectfully,
~NavyPony
Thanks this makes certain things a lot more understandable.
Interesting. I shall keep this information in mind going into the rest of the story.
Many understanding have now been understood. If you understand what I'm saying. dl.dropbox.com/u/31471793/FiMFiction/emoticons/misc_Fluttershy_umad.png
... wow... thanks for this! As the EqD pre-reader for your work, going into chapter 5 and intermission 1 will be a lot easier now.
The tags work for me. I'm enjoying this as is. Keep it up.
I for one, welcome our new Lunar Mistress.
I don't think I had many of these complaints, if I did I don't think I actually posted them. Sometimes it's best to let an author do what he is doing, and to just read along. There are times when it's needed, but as far as I can tell our friendly author here is doing a fantastic job with this story. Didn't it get featured on Equestria Daily?
I have yet to read the most recent chapter. I think I shall enjoy this.
You're writing a fantastic story, Mr. Author, keep it up!
I for one, welcome our new Lunar Mistress.
I don't think I had many of these complaints, if I did I don't think I actually posted them. Sometimes it's best to let an author do what he is doing, and to just read along. There are times when it's needed, but as far as I can tell our friendly author here is doing a fantastic job with this story. Didn't it get featured on Equestria Daily?
I have yet to read the most recent chapter. I think I shall enjoy this.
You're writing a fantastic story, Mr. Author, keep it up!
Very interesting! Can't wait for the next update