Ah ha ha ha! Oh, wow, I love you guys! This is the nicest reception I've gotten yet!
I hope you all enjoy the chapter. Next time, our main player gets the opportunity to tearfully reunite with Discord. And by tearfully reunite, I mean there might be some efforts to make him weep.
Also, we've seen Jillian's trail. It's not true, but I'm picturing her as a Mother Theresa character, all wearing a habit over her tattoo sleeves...
Now there just remains Spike finding out Crazy Dan is his father, thus making Dan Tamara's son-in-law once removed. Or something?
A few chapter left. I gave you some warm and fuzzies- now to kick it up a notch with some violence and explosions. Because I love you, and that's the Goof Theorist way.
Does this mean that when Tamara transported herself to Equestria, she unintentionally brought along the entire area around her as well? We saw Linda as a dryad. Does that mean that Dan and Jillian were transformed into other forms as well? Based on your comment, one would assume Dan was changed into a dragon (and if he's Spike's father, he could still be alive), but I'm unsure of what to guess Jillian's new form would have been.
Not only those two, but if 'settlement' meant multiple buildings rather than just the one, there could possibly have been other people brought to Equestria as well.
I really liked this chapter and, as always, I'm looking forward to more!
7104241 The comment about Dan being Spike's father was just a joke, hon. As for Jillian, you'll need to wait a bit to find out about her. Let's just say that things got odd after Tamara left.
I'm so glad you actually updated today. I've been getting loads of alerts from the evil overlord list fanfic and I keep checking and hoping that one of them is yours and THIS ONE IS! Excuse me while I actually go up and read it.
You know, I was just thinking after catching up last night that Tham'ra may have to set up her own time loop (and possibly create FiM). I kind of hope not, because I really want her to have a happy ending now, but I could see that being the way of things.
7102067 No, monosexual. Heterosexual would make no sense here, since Tamara is female and disavowing interest in men. Monosexual is the opposite of bisexual; it means you're interested in one sex and one sex only.
7104954 This fic is canon through season four- which is to say, the events in here line up with the show as well as the show's canon past does. Tamara doesn't go back. Lauren Faust is a distinct person who in no way appears in this piece. Frankly, writing real people into stories gives me the willies- sort of like how most movies star 'insert name here' as 'generic president'. Because depicting a living president's daughter as being kidnapped is in poor taste.
This is a 'filling in the gaps' kind of story. It exists in all the spaces that canon doesn't cover, as opposed to the fanfictions which change the content of the story's actual timeline.
I enjoy both types, but hadn't written this kind yet.
This latest thing has me worried...an entire settlement? that could mean that the entire town she lived in died horribly from magic/radiation exposure.
This story was way too noisy in the beginning, but when it resolved into a coherent narrative of Tamara and her budding witchcraft, it started to round out nicely. Between the immersive scenes and clever banter, I really enjoy your writing style. The fact that I'm reading this story at all is a pretty good testament to that. It normally makes me physically ill to try to read a story about someone's deadpan snarky overpowered OC who's friends with all the mane 6, and also related to Princess Celestia going and inserting themselves in the world's significant historical events, even a good one. If there's anything I hate worse than fixfics, it's fics that don't change anything and just stand there on the sidelines commenting on the events, like the world's most enviable MST3Ker. At least you're not writing a story about Equestria Girls high school drama.
If I had to say one thing I liked most about this fic, it's the quiet moments of recovery and learning with Oak and Heather out on the pony frontier. Still disappointed that you didn't go very far with that. I liked how she fought with Discord, so dirty that even he got caught off guard. Actually I was surprised that Tamara didn't turn out to be Discord. They're both cut from the same cloth, so to speak. Tamara's bookmobile was also really neat to read about, and I found myself excited as a purple unicorn with how much her books endured and survived, all starting with "YAK SMASH!" The exodus from Dream Valley (snerk) was great too, albeit the fling with Winter had me facepalming more than once. (When you go 40 years without an accident, then find yourself wilfully raising your tail twice for some stallion, you don't get surprised when your pregnancy turns out to be prophecied and foretold.)
I'm surprised you didn't mention the consequences of that little appetiser Tamara sent packing back. He must have had quite a lot of hatred in his heart when the windigos reached him.
Oh and what the heck was that bit about the end of the world? Seriously throw us a bone here!
7107258 A pleasure to have lured you over from your preferred reading sphere! I'll count that as a personal win.
As for the first few chapters in Equestria: I do my best to imitate (fiction-wise, anyways), life. The Heather and Oak portion of the story was its own arc, more or less, which served to knock Tamara out of her 'hide here til it makes sense' rut. It had to end, though I'm fond of those chapters too, myself. I try not to add extraneous details, though I'll admit I'm fond of those extra, world-building tidbits, but I'll be damned if I don't fail in that, sometimes.
The thing was, the thing with Winter wasn't an accident. At that point, Tamara had been there long enough -four decades, remember?- that she was trying to find something like a comfortable life. The whole prophesied children thing was a big disruption for her, along with Winter's death. At that point, her life plan had been 'have a couple of adorable, future librarians, settle for remembering my past/future friends fondly'. Quite a turn from 'raise two god-slayers'.
I have to have some foreshadowed secrets, don't I?
I just finished catching up on this story after picking it up on a whim, and I've been praising it up and down to anyone who'd listen.
The banter and lore dropping spread out all of the place (instead of concentrated in infodumps) really sells the story to me. Also the feels, that entire reunion scene with Celestia and Luna really tugged on the heartstrings. As did Tamara's first heat with Oak Branch, and especially her first heat with Winter.
This story is very clever and painted the past as a silly, if very dangerous place, and for that I love it. It also incorporated quite a bit of G1 stuff, and for that I can really appreciate it.
Though I'm still curious how Megan fits into everything.
Next time, our main player gets the opportunity to tearfully reunite with Discord. And by tearfully reunite, I mean there might be some efforts to make him weep.
And this might even be possible, now that he has the beginnings of a conscience. Having a friend means that Discord is now emotionally capable of understanding what it would be like to be forcibly separated from your loved ones for thousands of years. (On the other hand, he might pfft it all off as "well, if I hadn't, then history as we know it wouldn't exist and since your existence here depended on that, that would have broken the space-time continuum, so see, it all worked out").
7107414 You know, aside from the whole "Oh hey it's Starswirl" thing, and the business with "Gee I wonder where the royal sisters are." I just got the impression Tamara isn't the most perceptive of ponies. Statistically yes, the chance of her crotch goblins being Celestia and Luna are next to nothing, but given her luck in life, she really shouldn't have been surprised.
7107875 Maybe, but that's the kind of thing I expect from a story that's mostly humor. In a more realistic context, nothing has happened to change Tamara and Discord's respective power levels. She's learned a lot more, but if she'd learned a spell that could immobilize Discord and hurt him, as opposed to "find the Tree of Harmony, take the shiny rocks off it and turn him to stone", wouldn't she have sent it to the girls in case they needed it? Discord plays dice with his own eyeballs and sets his ears on fire to be funny. Tamara would have to have a spell that could hold him still, keep him fully corporeal, and stop him from retaliating. That seems like a tall order, given that it takes her time to construct a spell in her head, and Discord can apparently see and rewrite them.
On the other hand, Discord has very few defenses against an emotional attack, now that his "what me worry" shield has been penetrated.
7107888 The very definition of being too close to the problem, I suppose. And frankly, no writer wants a character that's too self aware- it's harder to have them screw up in hilarious and tragic ways.
Also, crotch goblins: I nearly felt a rib crack from laughter, at that.
7107733 Infodumps are tricky things. Sure, a wall of text here or there could be helpful, but usually it's better to integrate things into the story naturally. Like how most fantasy series has an affably ignorant main character. Bilbo didn't know life outside the Shire, Luke Skywalker was a desert farmer, and so on. These characters have to naturally learn about the big bad universe beyond themselves, allowing the reader to do so at the same time. And that makes the reader sympathize with the character, which is one of those ultimate goals to writing good fiction.
As for Megan... I'm not going to lie, that is going to end up pretty fucked up and tragic. Cue speculation!
7108129 You are implying Discord wouldn't enjoy Tamara twisting his legs into pretzels, until he cries and begs for mercy.
7108133 But you have to admit she could have been facehooving harder, when she finally realized that she had given birth to Luna and been raising "Prince Solaris" all this time. I suppose I could let Tamara off the hook though, what with having just given birth and all.
To be fair, from the closer reading I've given this, I don't think Thar'ma has ever treated Discord with any kind of civility. Her first interaction was using an overpowered sneak attack in response to his greeting. Her second interaction was to try and trap him in time, and taking herself along for the ride. All Discord did... was changing the time she appeared in, and removing himself from the effect.
And to be fair to Discord, if your opponent was using time-travel magic to send you and herself to the future, you'd expect her to use it again after being sent to the past.
In short, she kind of deserved it, and there was every indication that she should have shrugged it off and appeared only moments after she left, from Discord's perspective.
That, of course, ignores that it was all planned by him in the first place, which it may have been. I mean, she did ascend immediately afterwards, and then found Linda, and by extension the Tree of Harmony. She would have never found Linda if she hadn't been sent to the past.
I've given this story another reading, and there are a few things that sort of stick out, looking back.
One of them is the whole songs aspect. I mean, Pinkie Pie in a flashback admits that actually happens, but I don't recall Thar'ma ever mentioning it in her recollections, outside of barsongs.
Another is that she hasn't respected Linda's last wish, of telling the others goodbye on her behalf.
7112442 The songs thing wasn't an aspect I ever got into, too deeply. I plan to do so more with my next story, but here it's just flavor. Any more would cross the line into 'unnecessary detail'.
You're right about the Linda issue, though. You'll see something of the sort in the coming chapters. Thank you for reminding me!
I figured she was saving the Linda issue for later, to not tank the mood. Also, since she found Linda by trying to use her ability to sense Discord, she must have second thoughts about their relationship now, that she can sense him (and can't she still sense him? He is freed, after all.)
"Calm yourself, Tia," said Luna, leaning over me. "Nopony cares, nopony knows, and it hasn't ever mattered. I'm proud to call you sister. Even in my madness, I never considered you any less a mare than you were."
I feel like you should have given some kind of reaction towards Princess Celestia, er... issues... instead of avoiding it.... Havent read all of it cept a little downward, but I noticed you didn't have anyone mention anything afterwords.
Ah ha ha ha! Oh, wow, I love you guys! This is the nicest reception I've gotten yet!
I hope you all enjoy the chapter. Next time, our main player gets the opportunity to tearfully reunite with Discord. And by tearfully reunite, I mean there might be some efforts to make him weep.
Also, we've seen Jillian's trail. It's not true, but I'm picturing her as a Mother Theresa character, all wearing a habit over her tattoo sleeves...
Now there just remains Spike finding out Crazy Dan is his father, thus making Dan Tamara's son-in-law once removed. Or something?
A few chapter left. I gave you some warm and fuzzies- now to kick it up a notch with some violence and explosions. Because I love you, and that's the Goof Theorist way.
Was actually reading this yesterday as a refresher because I loved it so much.
Michael Bay is pretty much shedding tears and giving you thumbs up somewhere right now.
'didn't get the joke' OMG Batman refrence!
7104112
Does this mean that when Tamara transported herself to Equestria, she unintentionally brought along the entire area around her as well?
We saw Linda as a dryad. Does that mean that Dan and Jillian were transformed into other forms as well? Based on your comment, one would assume Dan was changed into a dragon (and if he's Spike's father, he could still be alive), but I'm unsure of what to guess Jillian's new form would have been.
Not only those two, but if 'settlement' meant multiple buildings rather than just the one, there could possibly have been other people brought to Equestria as well.
I really liked this chapter and, as always, I'm looking forward to more!
Yes! Explosions and exposition, two of my favorite things!
7104241 The comment about Dan being Spike's father was just a joke, hon. As for Jillian, you'll need to wait a bit to find out about her. Let's just say that things got odd after Tamara left.
7104263 Aw, really?
Well, either way I'm excited to see how things are explained.
so either equestria is the future of earth
or
stuff falls to equistria alot
I'm so glad you actually updated today. I've been getting loads of alerts from the evil overlord list fanfic and I keep checking and hoping that one of them is yours and THIS ONE IS! Excuse me while I actually go up and read it.
Man this story is just so much fun. How so few have read it is beyond me.
My only question is how she's going to react to Discord...or did I miss a part saying he'd been re-stoned/never reformed?
7104313 'Evil overlord list fanfic'? I'm intrigued- care to explain and/or link?
7104539
Story of an evil lord who does things by the book: http://www.fimfiction.net/story/292640/chronicles-of-an-evil-overlord
Beware! TVTropes page ahead
The evil overlord list: http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/EvilOverlordList
THE HUMBLE AND NOT AT ALL SCARED TRIXIE IS PLEASED BY THIS DEVELOPMENT!
(yay trixie is here )
You know, I was just thinking after catching up last night that Tham'ra may have to set up her own time loop (and possibly create FiM). I kind of hope not, because I really want her to have a happy ending now, but I could see that being the way of things.
7102067
No, monosexual. Heterosexual would make no sense here, since Tamara is female and disavowing interest in men. Monosexual is the opposite of bisexual; it means you're interested in one sex and one sex only.
7104954 This fic is canon through season four- which is to say, the events in here line up with the show as well as the show's canon past does. Tamara doesn't go back. Lauren Faust is a distinct person who in no way appears in this piece. Frankly, writing real people into stories gives me the willies- sort of like how most movies star 'insert name here' as 'generic president'. Because depicting a living president's daughter as being kidnapped is in poor taste.
This is a 'filling in the gaps' kind of story. It exists in all the spaces that canon doesn't cover, as opposed to the fanfictions which change the content of the story's actual timeline.
I enjoy both types, but hadn't written this kind yet.
7105570
You'll hear no complaints from me! I'm glad I'm not the only one who thinks the "RPF" thing is super creepy.
7106261 Everybody is doomed!
Er, seriously. This is a semi-historical fic, so just about everybody died a long time ago, from the show's perspective.
This latest thing has me worried...an entire settlement? that could mean that the entire town she lived in died horribly from magic/radiation exposure.
This story was way too noisy in the beginning, but when it resolved into a coherent narrative of Tamara and her budding witchcraft, it started to round out nicely. Between the immersive scenes and clever banter, I really enjoy your writing style. The fact that I'm reading this story at all is a pretty good testament to that. It normally makes me physically ill to try to read a story about someone's deadpan snarky overpowered OC who's friends with all the mane 6, and also related to Princess Celestia going and inserting themselves in the world's significant historical events, even a good one. If there's anything I hate worse than fixfics, it's fics that don't change anything and just stand there on the sidelines commenting on the events, like the world's most enviable MST3Ker.
At least you're not writing a story about Equestria Girls high school drama.If I had to say one thing I liked most about this fic, it's the quiet moments of recovery and learning with Oak and Heather out on the pony frontier. Still disappointed that you didn't go very far with that. I liked how she fought with Discord, so dirty that even he got caught off guard. Actually I was surprised that Tamara didn't turn out to be Discord. They're both cut from the same cloth, so to speak. Tamara's bookmobile was also really neat to read about, and I found myself excited as a purple unicorn with how much her books endured and survived, all starting with "YAK SMASH!" The exodus from Dream Valley (snerk) was great too, albeit the fling with Winter had me facepalming more than once. (When you go 40 years without an accident, then find yourself wilfully raising your tail twice for some stallion, you don't get surprised when your pregnancy turns out to be prophecied and foretold.)
I'm surprised you didn't mention the consequences of that little appetiser Tamara sent packing back. He must have had quite a lot of hatred in his heart when the windigos reached him.
Oh and what the heck was that bit about the end of the world? Seriously throw us a bone here!
7107258 A pleasure to have lured you over from your preferred reading sphere! I'll count that as a personal win.
As for the first few chapters in Equestria: I do my best to imitate (fiction-wise, anyways), life. The Heather and Oak portion of the story was its own arc, more or less, which served to knock Tamara out of her 'hide here til it makes sense' rut. It had to end, though I'm fond of those chapters too, myself. I try not to add extraneous details, though I'll admit I'm fond of those extra, world-building tidbits, but I'll be damned if I don't fail in that, sometimes.
The thing was, the thing with Winter wasn't an accident. At that point, Tamara had been there long enough -four decades, remember?- that she was trying to find something like a comfortable life. The whole prophesied children thing was a big disruption for her, along with Winter's death. At that point, her life plan had been 'have a couple of adorable, future librarians, settle for remembering my past/future friends fondly'. Quite a turn from 'raise two god-slayers'.
I have to have some foreshadowed secrets, don't I?
I just finished catching up on this story after picking it up on a whim, and I've been praising it up and down to anyone who'd listen.
The banter and lore dropping spread out all of the place (instead of concentrated in infodumps) really sells the story to me. Also the feels, that entire reunion scene with Celestia and Luna really tugged on the heartstrings. As did Tamara's first heat with Oak Branch, and especially her first heat with Winter.
This story is very clever and painted the past as a silly, if very dangerous place, and for that I love it. It also incorporated quite a bit of G1 stuff, and for that I can really appreciate it.
Though I'm still curious how Megan fits into everything.
7104112
And this might even be possible, now that he has the beginnings of a conscience. Having a friend means that Discord is now emotionally capable of understanding what it would be like to be forcibly separated from your loved ones for thousands of years. (On the other hand, he might pfft it all off as "well, if I hadn't, then history as we know it wouldn't exist and since your existence here depended on that, that would have broken the space-time continuum, so see, it all worked out").
7107754
I'm pretty sure the effort would be more along the lines of twisting his legs into pretzels until he cries for mercy.
7107414
You know, aside from the whole "Oh hey it's Starswirl" thing, and the business with "Gee I wonder where the royal sisters are." I just got the impression Tamara isn't the most perceptive of ponies. Statistically yes, the chance of her crotch goblins being Celestia and Luna are next to nothing, but given her luck in life, she really shouldn't have been surprised.
7107875
Maybe, but that's the kind of thing I expect from a story that's mostly humor. In a more realistic context, nothing has happened to change Tamara and Discord's respective power levels. She's learned a lot more, but if she'd learned a spell that could immobilize Discord and hurt him, as opposed to "find the Tree of Harmony, take the shiny rocks off it and turn him to stone", wouldn't she have sent it to the girls in case they needed it? Discord plays dice with his own eyeballs and sets his ears on fire to be funny. Tamara would have to have a spell that could hold him still, keep him fully corporeal, and stop him from retaliating. That seems like a tall order, given that it takes her time to construct a spell in her head, and Discord can apparently see and rewrite them.
On the other hand, Discord has very few defenses against an emotional attack, now that his "what me worry" shield has been penetrated.
7107888 The very definition of being too close to the problem, I suppose. And frankly, no writer wants a character that's too self aware- it's harder to have them screw up in hilarious and tragic ways.
Also, crotch goblins: I nearly felt a rib crack from laughter, at that.
7107754 Or it could be both!
7107733 Infodumps are tricky things. Sure, a wall of text here or there could be helpful, but usually it's better to integrate things into the story naturally. Like how most fantasy series has an affably ignorant main character. Bilbo didn't know life outside the Shire, Luke Skywalker was a desert farmer, and so on. These characters have to naturally learn about the big bad universe beyond themselves, allowing the reader to do so at the same time. And that makes the reader sympathize with the character, which is one of those ultimate goals to writing good fiction.
As for Megan... I'm not going to lie, that is going to end up pretty fucked up and tragic. Cue speculation!
7108129
You are implying Discord wouldn't enjoy Tamara twisting his legs into pretzels, until he cries and begs for mercy.
7108133
But you have to admit she could have been facehooving harder, when she finally realized that she had given birth to Luna and been raising "Prince Solaris" all this time. I suppose I could let Tamara off the hook though, what with having just given birth and all.
7108460
Good point. :-)
7108467
"Oh, please! Have mercy!"
"I WILL BOIL YOUR BONES TO MAKE MY BREAD"
7107754
To be fair, from the closer reading I've given this, I don't think Thar'ma has ever treated Discord with any kind of civility. Her first interaction was using an overpowered sneak attack in response to his greeting. Her second interaction was to try and trap him in time, and taking herself along for the ride. All Discord did... was changing the time she appeared in, and removing himself from the effect.
And to be fair to Discord, if your opponent was using time-travel magic to send you and herself to the future, you'd expect her to use it again after being sent to the past.
In short, she kind of deserved it, and there was every indication that she should have shrugged it off and appeared only moments after she left, from Discord's perspective.
That, of course, ignores that it was all planned by him in the first place, which it may have been. I mean, she did ascend immediately afterwards, and then found Linda, and by extension the Tree of Harmony. She would have never found Linda if she hadn't been sent to the past.
7108133
I've given this story another reading, and there are a few things that sort of stick out, looking back.
One of them is the whole songs aspect. I mean, Pinkie Pie in a flashback admits that actually happens, but I don't recall Thar'ma ever mentioning it in her recollections, outside of barsongs.
Another is that she hasn't respected Linda's last wish, of telling the others goodbye on her behalf.
7112442 The songs thing wasn't an aspect I ever got into, too deeply. I plan to do so more with my next story, but here it's just flavor. Any more would cross the line into 'unnecessary detail'.
You're right about the Linda issue, though. You'll see something of the sort in the coming chapters. Thank you for reminding me!
7114981
I figured she was saving the Linda issue for later, to not tank the mood. Also, since she found Linda by trying to use her ability to sense Discord, she must have second thoughts about their relationship now, that she can sense him (and can't she still sense him? He is freed, after all.)
So, Tamara's friends followed suit and became founders, then? Interesting...
goes without saying, but no
femme fatale
Well, didn't the tear of reality close up?
Okay now this has gone into pure fun comedy territory wheeee
I feel like you should have given some kind of reaction towards Princess Celestia, er... issues... instead of avoiding it.... Havent read all of it cept a little downward, but I noticed you didn't have anyone mention anything afterwords.
FAVORITE LINE IN THE WHOLE STORY!!!!!
What's the difference?
8724753
I see one better.
What about Cadence?