Twilight's appreciation for the beauty of the night sky has only increased with Luna's return, especially after they meet to discuss her latest addition. One meeting becomes two, becomes a regular outing, it's no wonder they would grow
Got a whole lot of selfish, self-absorbed ponies forcing their own beliefs onto their betters here. And it sure isn't Celestia and Luna.
I'm actually physically disgusted with Twilight and Cadence by this point. How can there be NO understanding? Love should at least count for the attempt to comprehend while struggling with the overflow of emotion. I've been through worlds of hurt and betrayal greater than either of them have faced and still took the time to see things from the other side before rendering my judgement of the situation and the people in it. World-saving heroes are that much more petty?
Never thought I'd be calling Twilight of small mind and heart, but here we have it.
6447582 That. Except for the betrayal part. Never expected of myself to feel disgusted with 'Twilight'.
Close-minded, selfish, delusional and arrogant. Everything that is worst in the pony race. This is not a princess. Much less of 'friendship', capital F or not. Kill her, burn her body and scatter the ash on the wind. She has nothing to offer this world.
Ouch... just damn. Is this really how it ends? A jagged smoldering pile of resentment and shattered peace? The lingering promise of an eventual third entry to the series is a little comforting, because this make the Empire Strikes Back look like a ball of sunshine and rainbows. But most importantly, it doesn't feel resolved. Yes, sad ending is sad; I got it, but this feels incomplete. Which I guess it is since I still have an epilogue to read. Just let it be known that this is harsh and soul crushing chapter.
Got a whole lot of selfish, self-absorbed ponies forcing their own beliefs onto their betters here. And it sure isn't Celestia and Luna.
I don't think it's fair to expect Twilight to give up a lifetime of being reared in a society with an incest taboo, soon after having her own affection spurned by Luna, and immediately after learning that the one pony she loved, trusted, and worshiped more than any other was the one who had stolen Luna's heart.
Now if Twilight returns from her trip abroad and elects to hold a grudge eternally over this, even after seeing Luna and Celestia come to terms with their relationship and handle it maturely, then she'd certainly be going overboard. But now, in the moment, when it's all raw and right in front of her? In context of the story, it'd have been OOC of her not to be angry and resentful.
Well, that was a disastrous note to end on. Leaves a sour taste in my mouth to see such levels of arrogance and vitriol. How Twilight can expect to be called the princesses of Friendship after that disgusting display is anybodies guess.
Not that Celestia made things any better unfortunately. Her reactions often make her seem like she's young and inexperienced, not a thousand year ruler of her nation. Letting Twilight treat her and Luna that way and then just walk away is unacceptable, yet she is struck mute like a shamed filly? Where are all the adults at?
Will be interesting to see how any of this is resolved, if it even can be resolved. Some ponies in this mess need to do some serious soul searching to come out as anything but petty.
Edit: Saw the previous chapter had been rewritten, removed my anger at cadence as I need to read the new version.
I agree with CommisarSilver, this chapter left a really bad taste in my mouth, especially considering your comment that you might continue the story. I really hope you do -- there's a lot of resolution waiting to happen here.
I really thought it would be a plot point that the maid was still in there to clean the bathroom when Luna dragged Twilight back to her room to have that conversation in "private".
This story ended rather disappointingly, but at least, the tags and the cover image didn't mislead me in that regard.
While reading the story, you never actually broke my suspension of disbelief, but having read some other comments, I have to agree that neither Cadance nor Twilight acquitted themselves particularly well here as far as openmindedness is concerned.
I have to give you credit where credit is due - the way you described Cadance's impressions of how she senses the princesses' love with her special talent makes it sound like it looks exactly how any other romantic / carnal relationship would look like, which is exactly as it should be. That Cadance then blatantly refuses to believe the incontrovertible evidence right in front of her, outright denying reality, that's... not totally unbelievable, but it is disappointing. I'd honestly expected better of her. Of all ponies, Cadance is the one I'd soonest expect to be able to come to terms with this.
Twilight's reaction is more believable than Cadance's, but all the more disappointing in that she is unable to adapt. The shock is perfectly in character, and even her being grossed out I take no issue with. But her being unable to move on from either of these doesn't ring true to her character. The Twilight I've gotten to know over six seasons of MLP always struck me as more adaptable than that. She has her neuroses and her first, instinctive reactions to events are often different from the ones she ultimately decides on after reasoning things through, but she is typically able to accept an unpalatable reality and then put aside her misgivings so she can continue on.
For me, the resolution of the last few chapters ruined what was otherwise an amazingly well-written and at times funny story. You also do subtle foreshadowing really well. The attentive reader could tell pretty early on in this story that the Spa Sisters were going to be another incestuous couple, and there were several more things like that which could be reasoned out way before they actually came up in the story. With enough of the puzzle pieces, it's possible to guess things ahead of time and stay a little ahead of Twilight in her discoveries, which made this story so much more fun for me to read. You managed to strike that balance of subtlety really well here, and that is admirable.
The only thing that was left open is how things would play out between everypony's reactions to the secrets being revealed and that part didn't go well. It's regrettable that you left things open this way, when the expected and downright necessary sequel doesn't seem to be forthcoming.
Twilight is just...I have NO words for it. And Cadence? Don't even ask me what I think. True, in real life, I don't personally believe in incest, but these the sisters do, and at least I'm able to stomach that fact and at least tolerate it.
Well, shit.
I knew this was coming, but it still hurts.
Brutal. Brutal, and brutally good. Nicely done, finely wrapped up.
Got a whole lot of selfish, self-absorbed ponies forcing their own beliefs onto their betters here. And it sure isn't Celestia and Luna.
I'm actually physically disgusted with Twilight and Cadence by this point. How can there be NO understanding? Love should at least count for the attempt to comprehend while struggling with the overflow of emotion. I've been through worlds of hurt and betrayal greater than either of them have faced and still took the time to see things from the other side before rendering my judgement of the situation and the people in it. World-saving heroes are that much more petty?
Never thought I'd be calling Twilight of small mind and heart, but here we have it.
6447582 That. Except for the betrayal part. Never expected of myself to feel disgusted with 'Twilight'.
Close-minded, selfish, delusional and arrogant. Everything that is worst in the pony race. This is not a princess. Much less of 'friendship', capital F or not. Kill her, burn her body and scatter the ash on the wind. She has nothing to offer this world.
WOW!!!
Like How We say here in Mexico: "Ya valio"
This is super intense.
AWESOME!!!
Ouch... just damn. Is this really how it ends? A jagged smoldering pile of resentment and shattered peace? The lingering promise of an eventual third entry to the series is a little comforting, because this make the Empire Strikes Back look like a ball of sunshine and rainbows. But most importantly, it doesn't feel resolved. Yes, sad ending is sad; I got it, but this feels incomplete. Which I guess it is since I still have an epilogue to read.
Just let it be known that this is harsh and soul crushing chapter.
6447582
I don't think it's fair to expect Twilight to give up a lifetime of being reared in a society with an incest taboo, soon after having her own affection spurned by Luna, and immediately after learning that the one pony she loved, trusted, and worshiped more than any other was the one who had stolen Luna's heart.
Now if Twilight returns from her trip abroad and elects to hold a grudge eternally over this, even after seeing Luna and Celestia come to terms with their relationship and handle it maturely, then she'd certainly be going overboard. But now, in the moment, when it's all raw and right in front of her? In context of the story, it'd have been OOC of her not to be angry and resentful.
Well, that was a disastrous note to end on. Leaves a sour taste in my mouth to see such levels of arrogance and vitriol.
How Twilight can expect to be called the princesses of Friendship after that disgusting display is anybodies guess.
Not that Celestia made things any better unfortunately. Her reactions often make her seem like she's young and inexperienced, not a thousand year ruler of her nation. Letting Twilight treat her and Luna that way and then just walk away is unacceptable, yet she is struck mute like a shamed filly? Where are all the adults at?
Will be interesting to see how any of this is resolved, if it even can be resolved. Some ponies in this mess need to do some serious soul searching to come out as anything but petty.
Edit: Saw the previous chapter had been rewritten, removed my anger at cadence as I need to read the new version.
I guess I'm kinda underwhelmed. Things have piled up but very few have been resolved in any way. This feels more like a halfway point then an ending.
I agree with CommisarSilver, this chapter left a really bad taste in my mouth, especially considering your comment that you might continue the story. I really hope you do -- there's a lot of resolution waiting to happen here.
I really thought it would be a plot point that the maid was still in there to clean the bathroom when Luna dragged Twilight back to her room to have that conversation in "private".
NOOOOOOOO I DEMAND ANSWERS!!!!!!!
XD
MORE!!!!
This story ended rather disappointingly, but at least, the tags and the cover image didn't mislead me in that regard.
While reading the story, you never actually broke my suspension of disbelief, but having read some other comments, I have to agree that neither Cadance nor Twilight acquitted themselves particularly well here as far as openmindedness is concerned.
I have to give you credit where credit is due - the way you described Cadance's impressions of how she senses the princesses' love with her special talent makes it sound like it looks exactly how any other romantic / carnal relationship would look like, which is exactly as it should be. That Cadance then blatantly refuses to believe the incontrovertible evidence right in front of her, outright denying reality, that's... not totally unbelievable, but it is disappointing. I'd honestly expected better of her. Of all ponies, Cadance is the one I'd soonest expect to be able to come to terms with this.
Twilight's reaction is more believable than Cadance's, but all the more disappointing in that she is unable to adapt. The shock is perfectly in character, and even her being grossed out I take no issue with. But her being unable to move on from either of these doesn't ring true to her character. The Twilight I've gotten to know over six seasons of MLP always struck me as more adaptable than that. She has her neuroses and her first, instinctive reactions to events are often different from the ones she ultimately decides on after reasoning things through, but she is typically able to accept an unpalatable reality and then put aside her misgivings so she can continue on.
For me, the resolution of the last few chapters ruined what was otherwise an amazingly well-written and at times funny story. You also do subtle foreshadowing really well. The attentive reader could tell pretty early on in this story that the Spa Sisters were going to be another incestuous couple, and there were several more things like that which could be reasoned out way before they actually came up in the story. With enough of the puzzle pieces, it's possible to guess things ahead of time and stay a little ahead of Twilight in her discoveries, which made this story so much more fun for me to read. You managed to strike that balance of subtlety really well here, and that is admirable.
The only thing that was left open is how things would play out between everypony's reactions to the secrets being revealed and that part didn't go well. It's regrettable that you left things open this way, when the expected and downright necessary sequel doesn't seem to be forthcoming.
Twilight is just...I have NO words for it. And Cadence? Don't even ask me what I think. True, in real life, I don't personally believe in incest, but these the sisters do, and at least I'm able to stomach that fact and at least tolerate it.