Trees of Redemption · 10:45pm Oct 17th, 2018
Firstly, friendly reminder that there's less than a week until the Villain Exchange Program deadline! Be sure your stories are submitted to the group.
Now, on to the meat of the blog. Season 8 spoilers ahead if you're not caught up and care.
It should come as no surprise than given the events of "What Lies Beneath" and "School Raze," I'm planning more fics where Sparkalon/Namepending Castle/Twilight's house/Little Tree/Junior/Ember's personal Ponyville snack bar demands that the Tree of Harmony explain her actions. However, I'm not sure if I should just write more chapters of "Holy Crap, Mom, What the Tartarus!?", write a single two-chapter story, or make their discussions into a full-fledged trilogy. As such, I'm asking for audience input. What do you think will be the best way to approach the issue?
Just more chapters of the existing one seems sensible to me.
I'd at least do it as a new story, since Holy Crap Mom is complete and someone not following you won't see the update. As for the rest, more conversation is likely more fun, Especially if things are significant enough to draw in neighboring trees (*cough*Stumpy*cough*) to chat
It would be easier, I admit, to add more to the pre-existing story. I guess it all depends on whether or not you think they (the stories) are a whole new discussion or a continuation of the first talk. Although, given the title and subject matter, I think it's safe to say that I see a pattern in all three
The problem is like this.
Unless someone is tracking "Holy Crap, Mom, What the Tartarus!?" they won't know you updated. And I don't know about other people, but I very rarely track One shots. Instead if its amazing enough I follow the author.
After all, if they plan to write a sequel to the one shot, or write another interesting one shot, this will make it pop up. This has burnt me once in the past (When an author extended a One shot) that I know of, but most of the time its a safe bet.
I am not sure how many people click blog posts, however posting a blog post about an update to HCMWT would ping people's feed, so that could be used to share the information.
I don't know if HCMWT was featured, as if it was, posting a second chapter will obviously hit the feature box again (at least briefly) in the bottom 3 spots, and that changes the numbers.
However overall, if you want to guarantee the most people see it, a second story is the best idea.
However, I am now definitely going to track HCMWT just in case.
I'm fine with whatever, as long as it gives me more funny shenanigans. That said, given that most of your followers probably aren't tracking Holy Crap Mom, they'd miss any updates unless they read this blog and took action accordingly. Posting new oneshots as a trilogy would make more logical sense. Of course, you'd have to come up with more titles, but you're good at that.
I think a sequel fic would be for the best in the long run.
Aside: Your DerpyKirin avatar is friggen adorable
New story.
I've also assimilated "namepending castle".
Have the Tree of Harmony explain that it likes testing ponies just like Discord does, and not be too concerned if Little Tree dislikes the idea of trapping teenagers underground forever. (Which was definitely not a bluff).
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"Moooom, that kills people!"
"Harmony isn't always nice, dear."
"You really need to get out more."
"I'd love to, but that apparently kills people."
4955030 Ooh, have little tree ask big tree why it dresses up like Twilight Sparkle, there's a lot to unpack there!
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Again, I point out this comic.
orig00.deviantart.net/53ee/f/2018/271/2/7/22_friendship__other_t_by_bjdazzle-dco046b.png
Now I kinda want to see the family dynamic between the Tree of Harmony and its parents.
All six of them, because I'm sure they'll each have some different reaction here.
And the Castle's grandparents going "d'awww" and taking her side for once. Because that's how grand/parents are.
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Oh, and also ----
Did the Student 6 just decide to never tell Twilight about their encounter with the spirit of the Tree?
I figured they just were too tired at that moment, and maybe got distracted with exams and such afterwards. But at some point, the subject of discussion might've come up. Hay, it could've even been the next time Twilight talks about the Tree of Harmony in class. That'd certainly be a way to get out of homework... or get more, having to help her study the Tree.
But yeah... how exactly would Twilight react to learning the Tree of Harmony almost locked six innocent students of hers up in the basement, and did Discord-knows-what else? (Not like she'd care about the fate of some "magical clones"...
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I mean... "Harmony isn't always nice" and the subsequent deduction of "Harmony is not always friendly", ergo "Harmony does not always align with Friendship" is probably a hard pill to swallow for the Princess of Friendship. Medium existencial crisis, at the least.
Which is probably one reason the Tree kept quiet towards Twilight & Co.
"Even Trees make mistakes"
(Possible chapter title?)
And again, with the reasoning provided in the story in question, I refer to a previous comment of mine:
Just imagine the disasterous timeline where Harmony decided the outcome of blasting Nightmare Moon with the Elements was for her to friggin' melt and shrivel away in front of a traumatized Celestia.
Imagine a timeline, where Celestia lost her faith in Harmony.
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Cozy did ask them not to, though they might after she's thrown in Tartarus.
As for that chain of logic, given the parentage joke, is it really so surprising that the Tree sometimes takes after Star Swirl?
As for Luna... You didn't think that was her original body, did you?
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I suppose not. Doesn't mean Starswirl hasn't made his own mistakes (blaming Stygian without question, using a certain alternate reality as a dumping ground, ...), and it does sometimes take an outsider who isn't putting him on a pedestal yet can weigh in an argument (aka Starlight) to point out his flaws.
If the driving force of good our heroes rely on (and, I suspect for many of them, don't question its judgement - Celestia and Twilight in particular), really does make grave mistakes and questionable judgements, then perhaps somepony with the right perspective who can weigh in an argument (aka the Pillars / its parents) can talk some sense.
Plus, it certainly would be fun to get a full family reunion - Discord would certainly think so.
(Also, you could replace "Twilight finds out the Tree isn't perfect" with "Celestia finds out the Tree isn't perfect" and mirror their reactions. I have a hunch Celestia puts the Tree on a pedastal as much as Twilight did with Celestia once. The aftermath of the two alone dealing with the revelation could be interesting.)
(Also also: Woops, saw you were "last online 31 minutes ago" (which was around 30 minutes ago now) and decided to expand on my earlier comment rather than post a new one. Finished editing and re-editing just about when you posted your reply. Not sure if you saw that.
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