Chapter 5 Part 4 Up! (Feb 20th) · 7:29am Feb 20th, 2021
Part Four is up.
I know you will have questions. A lot of questions. And I wish I could answer them now. I do. But I can’t. I can’t because anything I say could spoil everything upcoming, and I don’t want to do that.
Buckle up: it’s going to be a wild ride.
I also have a random aside that has nothing to do with this part or chapter. I’ve been rereading the story (as part of my process of going back and massaging a couple of things I wanted to improve, wording and such) and I came across a moment a lot of people commented on back on Part 2 of Chapter Three, but that I never bothered to actually address in any author’s notes. Because at the time I didn’t want to stifle the speculation that Fluttershy was the mastermind faking her death.
Specifically, I’m referring to this bit:
“Same,” I agreed, shivering right along with her. “These executions are downright excruciating. I dunno what kind of sick stuff goes on in Monoponi’s head to make him come up with them.”
For just a moment, I saw a flash of cruelty and malice sparkle in Fluttershy’s eyes, before it quickly faded. “You’d be surprised at what a well-developed imagination can do.”
This confused people at the time, and looking back I can see why. So what my intent behind this was as an oblique reference to show episodes like Putting Your Hoof Down, which suggested that Fluttershy had some anger issues that she was repressing because of all of her anxiety. How much anger is debatable, but there had to be some to justify all the hate she was spewing at Rarity and Pinkie. I’m not the biggest fan of that episode because it hurts to see someone like Fluttershy act like a complete jerk like that, especially to Rarity and Pinkie who are both precious cinnamon rolls that need protection, but it’s canon behavior so *le shrug.* So basically all I was doing with her statement there was referencing her anger issues and possible revenge fantasies she may or may not have had.
Plus she draws manga. I mean come on, she’s got to have some creative cruelty knocking around that brain of hers.
So in case anyone was wondering, there’s your answer. There’s a lot of little bits of character moments I’ve injected into this story that are in one way or another references to episodes or moments that were defining or stuck in my head when it came to the characters. A lot of them are more obvious, like Twilight’s Lesson Zero faces, but some of them are a bit more obscure.
Also I’ve thrown together a short little oneshot about Twilight taking a DNA test. I uploaded it earlier tonight. It’s just a short little bit of silliness on my part, but it’s the kind of thing I plan to write some more of while I figure out what to do for my next major writing project. Not necessarily silly, but short stuff. Whatever tickles my fancy.
Not going to lie, this chapter broke me. I sincerely hope Rarity and Trixie nail Adagio's ass to the wall for what she's done.
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This chapter also broke me, when I wrote it. It was distressing, for many reasons. But it had to be done.