Applejack lives comfortably in her life of thankless farm work. Sometimes, though, she can't help but feel insignificant beneath everything life keeps throwing at her. When her little sister asks her to help practice for a school play, she is reminded of her own youth, back when she dreamed of being a famous actress in Manehattan. But that was all just childishness, she keeps telling herself. However, with a some subtle encouragement from Rarity, Applejack does something that she never thought she would ever again.
Chapters (1)
Who's gonna read this, I wonder? I hope it isn't too bad
I'm sorry for butchering Shakespeare, if anybody cares btw.
Very nice story. I liked it.
Near twenty thousand one shot with what looks like an ability to understand grammar? Props to you, author. Adding this to my 'actually read it later' list
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The fellow's dead, I'm sure he wouldn't have been able to mind too much even if that'd been what you'd done. You've written a very good story that was worth sacrificing some sleep for, so good on ya.
Oh... my... gosh...
That... was... AWESOME!
I'll tell you why I really like this - you've taken the character of Applejack and fleshed her out into a real, living, breathing mare with a past, ambitions, skills, loyalties and insecurities. You really helped us get into her mind and helped us understand why she did things like go to Manehatten and why she decided to return to Ponyville. I liked Applejack the Actress; I wonder if she's a good mimic too, copying all the others' voices and mannerisms that she's learnt through observation. I think it is in character that she would work herself mercilessly and forget that she needs to rest and have enjoyment or she'll tire and eventually break. I think that she was coming close to breaking in this story too; I suspect that Rarity understood that and that is why she did what she did.
I like how you portrayed the CMCs. Too often, they are potrayed as a bit too mature but you showed them as a bunch of pre-teens playing at being adults and trying to find who they are. More important, you showed them as playing; losing the thread of their latest crusade and just being fillies.
Rarity was also done well. It would be in character for her to be ambitious for her friends as well as for herself. She would like to see Applejack as the toast of Broadway, Twilight sitting on the Chief Counsellor's bench beside the Princesses, Rainbow Dash to be Captain of the Wonderbolts and so on. Unfortunately for her, she sometimes forgets that her own ambitions don't necessarily reflect others' desires and it is very difficult for her to accept something like Applejack 'settling' for a life on her farm with those whom she loves. Maybe that's a life lesson that she needs to learn.
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I'm glad you liked it
I do enjoy it when people comment on specifically what they enjoy or dislike in my stories, and I really appreciate the comment.
One of the best things about fanfiction is the whole "what if" factor. I try to capitalize on that by putting characters in situations that I would be interested in seeing them in. In this case, I got the idea of bringing AJ out of her comfort zone. "Hmm, what if AJ had some kind of hidden ambition despite her apparent homeliness?" I do like to think that the Mane Six are more than just stereotypical cartoon characters; why wouldn't AJ have some kind of "girly" inclination deep inside her? This was really fun to write.
You did a great job with this, mate! Congrats! If it hasn't already happened, this deserves it's own EqD article. I was shocked by how well-written this is and how spot on your charcterization is. 9/10--would read again
I have two nitpicky criticisms: One, the Rainbow Dash segment seemed insignificant in the long run and made the story longer than it needed to be, and two, I think you could have come up with a better name than Shakespony, mate. xD
Very small criticisms in the long run, I had a fantastic time reading this and look forward to checking out whatever other work you may or may not have. :)
Great read. Really took AJ's character to somewhere believable.
I confess when she said spirit at first I wondered if she meant Caliban but Ariel feels a far better fit n_n You didn't butcher Shakespeare at all. i'm sure he would be bemused but pleased to know how much enjoyment we still gain from his works.
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I wish I could have figured out a way to properly ponify all of the character names. Mariel? Calibuck? Alonsoats? Trotculo? Hmm...some of those weren't actually that bad. I certainly didn't want to use the original names. I love Equestria's little quirk about being just like our world, but with magic and slightly different names. It would have felt weird to me--nay, offensive--to do it any other way. But, since new names didn't really come naturally to me at the time of me writing this, I just named them according to their titles/roles.
I didn't actually plan this story with the intent of using the Tempest. I was struggling with what play I wanted Applejack to be in until I realized, hey, I still have this copy of the Tempest I read in class last semester. What better material to use than Shakespeare to get my readers interested? I think it worked out real well. I think that my portrayal of Applejack has quite a bit in common with Ariel.
"We're a special kind of people known as- show people!"
That was an enjoyable read. Iimaginative too
Very imaginative and creative to