“Remedial Lessons” will be accepted into the Archives. As far as I have seen, the story concept is fairly new and original. Chrome Myriad stitches together some effective – but not overwhelming – world building, with some equally effective character development, to present a story of finding peace in life’s fray.

The characterization is spot-on. Although we only get a short scene with Celestia, Chrome handles her character very well, making sure to put the right touches on her politeness, patience, and deliberation. For a scene of 1500 words, Chrome does a great job of keeping her character consistent with the show. He handles Twilight Sparkle no less carefully, making sure to accent her nervousness with an equal measure of excitement, and her curiosity with an almost-equal measure of caution. Her conversation lends a bit more personality towards the world building elements of the piece, ensuring that the information feels relevant and interesting, at least in Twilight’s eyes. Twilight’s concerns certainly feel realistic, and although Twilight may be younger than Luna, Chrome does an excellent job making sure she does not seem overly naive.

Finally, Luna is handled extremely well. In the fray of all the Luna-based stories out there, it is difficult to remember that there are only really two episodes – four if you count the show’s pilot – that really focus on Luna. Although she may have a bit of mischief in her, she is fairly slow to speak for the most part. Her experiences make her a very difficult character to properly establish because quite frankly, nobody has lived a thousand years in the starry black padded room of space. Chrome does his best to capture that inclination towards isolation, and the result is very satisfying. No longer does Luna understand solitude as a punishment, but as a necessity. It is a tool for centering oneself. Her explanation of the Void’s Well room is not one of an introvert, but rather one of wisdom, finding enlightenment where most find raw emptiness.

The message the piece conveys is very well established, and it is where Chrome Myriad’s story building really comes together and shines. Luna reveals that the room carries more than just a temporary peace and quiet. It holds a lasting peace through the example of the candle. Though its beams cannot strike the walls, the light still shines, and its effects can be seen elsewhere. All of the previous points of the story that at first seemed irrelevant – Twilight’s anger and the metaphor of the night sky, for example – come together into this singular powerful statement: the world is never as dark as it seems.

For a story of 6000 words, the payoff is phenomenal. Chrome Myriad combines effective narration, strong characterization, and world building into a work of art. I highly recommend reading this story.

- The Plebeian

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Wow. Truly glowing praise coming from an author of your caliber. It's a shame I only just found out it had been accepted. It makes me happy knowing someone found meaning in my writing. This makes me want to write a new story.