It Is Recommendsday, My Dudes #70 · 7:49pm Jul 20th, 2022
After last week being so heavy and dark, this week I'm going for far more cheery fare. In specific, this week's weird connection is 'stories in which Derpy stares down a demigod to get her daughter the best Hearth's Warming present.'
And the first of those stories would be When We Took Back the Stars by Dubs Rewatcher.
Dinky has a simple wish this year for the holiday: she wants to see a shooting star. They're a myth, you see, having not been seen for a thousand years. But now Princess Luna has returned! She's even in town for the Winter Moon Festival! So Derpy does the sensible thing and goes to request a shooting star for her daughter. Unfortunately she also does the Derpy thing, making Luna think she's a dangerous lunatic. It isn't until Twilight gets involved that things settle a little - but Luna still refuses. Even if she were willing, she can't do it. She's lost the stars. But that excuse isn't enough for Derpy.
Now a lot of this is about Luna - and I've always been a sucker for redemption tales. Since this is S2 Luna (shortly after Luna Eclipsed), she's got a lot on her mind. It's a great bit there, made better by just how damn earnest Derpy is. You can proper feel Luna's frustration and regrets, and it's a wonderful little gut punch.
And Derpy's side of things is a blast, too. Dinky and Sparkler bicker like proper siblings, Derpy's well-meaning and earnest (if hapless), and the whole thing's just sweet as hell. She's determined enough to go up to a literal deity-figure and say "You're wrong, now make my daughter happy" and that's just fun.
In all, it's a damn cute story connected to a heartfelt redemption tale. Great stuff.
On the other side, we've got something just as sweet but a little more on the comedic side: Derpy Fights Santa Claus by hamster wizard.
The opening is similar: little Dinky has a wish for a Hearth's Warming present. This time, it's a Penny Pegasus doll. Unfortunately Derpy's a bit cash-strapped this year. Fortunately her friend Bulk Biceps tells her a secret way to get whatever present you want: you have to defeat Santa Claus in battle.
So Derpy trains under a master so she can have a martial arts battle with Santa Claus at midnight on Christmas Hearth's Warming to get her daughter a present.
Look. I'mma be real with you. If you see that last sentence and didn't immediately go "Yes, I need to read this" then nothing I say past this point is going to convince you. Because that concept alone, to me, is a must-read.
Beyond that, it's also damn sweet. Poor Derpy tries so hard, and to be Equestria's Best Mom she's willing to go hand-to-hand with Santa himself. All while balancing the fact that her daughter's in her room asleep right over there. That's love for ya.
New or catching up? Try Recommendsday: The Index for your story needs!
there are few things that could make me want to read a story so much as a title like "Derpy Fights Santa Claus" :D
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I know, right? There's damn near nothing I can say that's a stronger 'read me' pitch than the story's title.