//------------------------------// // First Analysis // Story: Equestrian Fanfiction // by Lise //------------------------------// Girls, I’ve come to a big decision. With the new scrolls coming out, I’m putting my wing at analyzing the chapters as they appear. I know I’ll never be as good as MixaMax, but it might be fun :) Here goes! (I’ve read a few spoilers, but this is the first time I’m reading the scroll. Comments are done in the process of reading so I might end up contradicting myself :P ) Midnight Castle: Everhere, Vol 7, Chapter 1, Backwards Treasure The title makes me think of a treasure that is lost in time. From what I’ve read S.Child doesn’t like to write about time travel, so I doubt it’s that. Maybe it’s a cursed treasure? Time to find out! :D We start with Danny having a dream while in college. I like the new environment. It presents a slightly older (and much more mature Danny) and also fleshes out the world a bit. He wakes up in the middle of the night, all in sweat, but can’t remember what just happened. His roommate (I’m saying it now – Loki best character ever. He sort of reminds me of Rainbow Dash.) tells him he said something about a crown, so Danny drops everything and and heads home. Danny goes back to his house (which is five minutes away) and we get to meet Molly. I’m not sure how to feel about grown up Molly. She’s no longer a comic relief character, but with everything in the past I can’t think of her as anything else. It was funny how she pretends she’s over her crush on Bellucio, but the moment he appears goes all swoony. The rest of the gr8 appear one by one, and we learn what they have been up to: Bellucio is in modeling school (big surprise), Eric and Karl are in different colleges. Omni got enlisted in cadet school (O.o I don’t even want to ask) and Blazen was vague what he had been into. Megan is working in the Skyla corporation (maybe that’ll be a theme of this series?) and couldn’t make it. They catch up and Danny is just about to tell them that he’s started to have dreams again, when the lights go out and they are all attacked by some new enemies (The Warlockwings). Bellucio fights some female warlock (I already know that will be Euryala). Things start to get ugly, but then Hades emerges and teleports them away to his mountain shrine (yay magma clouds, also yay finally we get to see Hades do something). We learn that a new threat is about to appear (of course Hades cannot tell them more or help them because of some oath-bond.) He tells them that they must “keep the crown from reaching the Everprince.” (No idea what that is, but it sounds way awesome!) Hades then kicks them out back in Mistmount. We then get a long sequence of events exploring the daily life of the main cast as they go on about doing stuff (and a new subtle level of Molly antics). Of course, each of them gets attacked by the Warlocks, who also know of the crown. Giving them the slip (Molly’s new fighting moves was a nice touch. Also, wow Bellucio! “I’ve been taking mage-defense lessons” is best phrase ever. Calling it will become the “bottles” of series 7) everyone goes to Blazen’s secret hideout (huh?) where Caprice lives (huh?!?) and tells them that portal magic has been in flux lately. No mention why Eric didn’t know about this, since portals are his thing. Megan arrives, then there’s a long discussion about the crown and the new threat. Megan says she remembers a memo on the subject (quite convenient) and says she’ll ask about. A few jokes are exchanged and she leaves. As everyone goes to sleep Blazen and Caprice sneak away and Caprice whispers that maybe they must tell the others what is going on, but Blazen refuses. (Foreshadowing!) We then see Megan talking to a mysterious contact from the Felina corp saying that all corps are seeking the crown because of the star alignment (this is so The Mare on the Moon)! Next morning everyone gathers and go to raid the Felina corp. The raid was described pretty neat. I love how we got cool combos of divine powers and tech weapons. S.Child is a genius! They find what they are looking for and go to a desert (Called it! :P ) where they find some booby-trapped temple. (A bit too much Daring Do here, but still cool.) They reach the treasure and surprise, Euryala… I mean “an unknown Warlock” attacks. The warlock defeats them all and is about to get the treasure, when Omni appears all commando style and beats her up. (Omni best humie! :) ) Of course, Omni being Omni, he puts the crown on his head, splitting reality into three. We then learn that because they have found the crown, they must find it again in each reality so as to keep it. (This was crazy! Took me three reads to understand. If I got it right, the crown is both eternal and nowhere. So in a way it’s split in many realities and in order to get it, they must get it. That’s why the crown is Ever Here? This is both so cool and confusing. :P ) So at the end we have Danny realizing this, after a talk with Hades (in a reality where Zeus and Poseidon never existed). To sum up: Danny, Molly, and Eric are in reality Hades (poor Molly); Megan, Blazen, Karl are in reality Zeus; Omni, Bellucio, and Euryala are in reality Poseidon (very ominous, since Euryala went all crazy when she learned.) Overall, I loved it! Still not certain about Euryala and the older Molly. Love Loki and the new way the main cast react. The world is phenomenal, and the idea of reality morphing is out of this world! :D So, what do you think? Did you like my analyses? PrinceEric @PrinceEric: Why aren’t you in my school? I’m so tired of airheaded colts and brainless mares… oh, hi, RRBB. :P Wonderful work. I agree that the story was the best ever. The whole reality thing had me going “No, they didn’t!” Not only is it ingenious, but ponies actually have to think to get it! I know I could never have come up with something as clever. I might ask my brother to see what he thinks (him being more the target audience). My only fear is, I hope it doesn’t alienate readers. PaintDrop @PrinceEric: way to go, Prince. :) I really think you should do this for every chapter. It’s nice reading your thoughts as you describe stuff. And I still don’t know how you managed to compress everything in one post. If it were MixaMax we’d have seven threads maxed out before we get to the first Hades meeting. :D I have a few theories, but will wait till next chapter before I say anything. Have you noticed how they give us the next title of the next scroll at the very end? S&S = max teasers! Any theories what “The Shatterstone” is? Do you think it’s one of the new powers the grand 9 will get? LyraHands @LyraHands: That was mean. At least I won’t get into a hissy fit about Molly stealing "my" Bellucio :P Chapter was pretty good. Writing could have been a bit better (dialogue was too telly to be real) but keeping in mind we’re competing with comics now, it’s fine. The premise bends horseshoes, though! Sometimes I think that there really is a portal to the human world and that S.Child uses it. Oh, and Euryala is meh at best. MixaMax Hello, I’ve been keeping my eye on this site for a while. Honestly, I was skeptical it would survive more than a week. I’m pleased that it did! It’s a wonderful environment for a mare (or stallion) to learn critical thinking, get feedback, and take part in some of the most thorough and friendly exchanges of opinions I have ever seen! Not only that, but some of the works are of professional quality (or close). With a bit of help I think the authors could be quite successful. I myself have dabbled in fanfiction, mostly in Daring Do circles, but would love to be part of this vibrant community as well. “Nightlings forever!” :) @PrinceEric: good job. I’ll send you a few pointers, but for your first time you did really well. I am impressed. Keep it up! :D DarkSparkle “Nightlings forever!” :) It has begun! Brace yourselves! MixaMax