This story is a sequel to Wherever You Find Love
It's a new year for the students at Canterlot High, and with it comes new teachers and new students. But some things from the old year still linger, and for Sunset Shimmer and her friends, the specter of Anon-A-Miss still looms large. Though apologies have been made, they aren't enough to erase the pain, and sometimes things have to hurt a lot more before the pain can really go away. What's needed most for them right now is a doctor, and thankfully, Principal Celestia knows a good one.
My thanks to FinalLegendZero and diablo4000 for their assistance in hammering out the kinks on this story and suggestions. My thanks also to RQK for editing assistance to help this story flow with their own story, "Reflections".
Featured on 1/15/2017 and 1/22/2017!
Part of the Quiververse
Hey there. Thanks greatly for getting this story started. I really appreciate you going to the effort. Once again, excellent job on the exchanges, emotional content and future chapter set-up in all the right places. Not much to say other than I am really going to be looking forward to more of this as soon as time and inspiration will allow.
And so it begins. You're off to a strong start here - it's already feeling a lot more realistic than Wherever You Find Love. Keep up the good work.
A side note, to anyone else reading this comment, I highly recommend you go read those the stories EchoWing referenced here - they are, imo, the best two pony fics ever written.
7221782 Thanks! I'm pleased to say that I'm almost done with the second chapter, though I'll be a while in getting it out there. Want to get progress made upon the third before releasing it. Still, I think folks will like it.
7221909 Thank you, and thank you for your help in getting this straightened out. I hope you enjoy the whole thing once it's finished.
7221955 You're quite welcome. And thanks for the heads up. :-D I'm definitely willing to be patient.
7222004 Fantastic.
Look forward to this story! I love it already!
7222567 Well I seem to recall you suggesting nightmares, so I'm not surprised by that.
7223064
i may of suggested it, but you writing the idea and already looks great.
Plus really happy to see a newest story from you continuing the series, love you're work.
Once again you've created a story I'm excited to read more of, with minimum mistakes in any way, shape, or form.
Speaking of mistakes:
Should be 'should' not 'shouldn't'.
should be 'is it?' not 'isn't it?'.
It may just be me, but this makes it seem like Sunset is the one making the complaint, her being CHS' newest tutor and all.
Need to put a 'that' after 'Equestria'.
Oh, and Echo, if you want me to make the mistakes list a PM in the future, just let know.
7223483 Thanks very much.
7223972 Gah! Thanks as always for pointing these out. And yes, a PM with all the typos and whatnot would be welcome in future.
I can't find anything for a correction pm.
Oh well, there's always next chapter.
This, was perfect!
I love it!
7255483 You nearly had one thing. Thankfully, I caught it before I posted the chapter, so I saved you a little trouble.
And I went into this story planning on using that line. Glad you approve!
Hey there. Very good job on this next chapter. Sorry I took so long to review it. Anyway, as I admitted earlier in your blog, I know extremely little about Doctor Who other than the insultingly obvious. Still, as I aforementioned, very good work on this chapter. The exchanges, emotional content, humor and future chapter set-up were all well done in all the right places. I will definitely be looking forward to more of this as soon as time and inspiration will allow.
7260061 Thanks. Fortunately, it looks like the next installment will be fairly soon, definitely within a week or two at least. Beyond that, well, who knows?
7260167 You're welcome. And thanks again. :-D As for when the chapter after next is coming, well, I get that real life issues have to take priority and quality is more important than speed.
Hello there. Thanks immensely for getting the next chapter up. I really appreciate you going to the effort. Once again, wonderful work on the exchanges, emotional content and future chapter set-up in all the right places. I will definitely be looking forward to more of this as soon as time and inspiration will allow.
7362575 Thanks! I'm optimistic that the next chapter will be up before the end of the month. Be warned, however, it'll be a little heavier in content than this one was.
7363149 You're quite welcome. And thanks for the warning.
Nice chapter. Love the character interactions.
7364551 Thanks. I was really glad for the chance to have Trixie and Derpy talking in particular; humanizes Trixie a bit and gives Derpy a little development. Plus, I think they make for an interesting pairing.
...and not that kind of pairing, thank you.
7364638
It does do that for them.
Also, the thought never crossed my mind.
I also really liked Sunset's choice of introductions with Sparkler and Rose. Great ice breaker there.
7366594 All shall be revealed by story's end, I promise. And I'm glad folks are liking Sunset's comments there - I thought up that line out of the blue, and knew that it had to be used.
Ok, I have to admit something: I actually thought Derpy was the Doctor's new wife and totally forgot that she's in high school. Oh well.
7381530 It isn't wrong for you to think that way. I ship Derpy and Doctor Whooves pretty hard too.
BTW, the title AND the description alone tells me it's the same crap. So no, I'm not reading this forgiveness load.
7453951 ...I'd say that you should wait until the thing's finished before you judge the whole, but I get the odd feeling that you've already made up your mind.
7454621 He thinks a story that ended with Sunset publicly declaring that the Rainbooms aren't, weren't, and never will be her friends, the Crusaders not forgiven by their sisters, and the entirety of the CHS student body literally wanting to lynch the Crusaders, is a forgiveness story. Same with a story that has Sunset become a bitter, emotionless wreck afraid of opening up to anyone, and the Crusaders routinely beaten to a pulp by the student body for what they did. And despite him claiming that he wants a story where Sunset just moves on and abandons the Rainbooms, he condemns Small Muffin's In a Time of Need for being a "forgiveness story", despite it going down that very route he calls for. So unless you intend to go full grimdark, just ignore him.
7456123 Ah. Well, he's definitely on the wrong website.
That ending. Ohhhhh, boy.............
I hope the CMC learn fo this, it be a fitting punishment to knwo they destroyed those bonds between them.
This ending reminds me of this fic, ina way, it shows how Sunset was affected by Anon-Miss
The aftermath.
http://www.fimfiction.net/story/340985/bitter-tears-an-anon-a-miss-fanfic
It's so easy to think that, just because something looks fixed, it actually is. In reality, though, if a problem isn't treated just right, it is only hidden, and festers in secret, until it makes itself known once more, worse than before. It can be something obvious to the whole world, like an infected wound becoming gangrenous, or it can be something only the affected know of, like a broken bone regrowing crooked. Relationships are much the same. If a problem between two people isn't discussed and resolved, but merely swept under the metaphorical rug, then it will resurface, be it in something as dramatic as a violent confrontation, or as subtle as the silent suffering of someone who thinks no one cares about what they're going through and that making it known would just burden others.
Unfortunately, our society today is the perfect breeding ground for this "out of sight, out of mind" mentality. More and more, people care only about what things appear to be, rather than what they are. MLP's greatest failing is that it fosters ideas that perpetuate this problem, such as that facts should be subservient to opinion, justice should be subservient to harmony, righteousness be subservient to friendship, rather than the other way around, as is the natural order of things. And many of the solutions to problems in the show are exactly the kind of actions that, in real life, would only cause even greater suffering in the long run.
This is why the original comic is so terrible, at its core. It tries to paint a picture of everything being fine in the end just by pretending the whole fiasco never happened, when in reality that just left the guilty triumphant and the innocent to suffer. There's far too much injustice in the world today as is. We don't need more in the things we turn to for refuge from that.
But here, now, things are finally out in the open. Things may certainly look unpleasant now, but a problem can't be solved unless it is first acknowledged, and in some situations, the only cure for an ailment may look to an outsider as counterproductive, even actively harmful. But now that the true issue has been exposed, it can be fixed - even if that fix may be extremely painful in the short term. The only question now is, just what kind of problem is this? Is it a gangrenous limb, amputated to save the rest of the body? Or is it a crooked bone, broken anew so that it may truly heal?
Whelp, yep that's a cliff hanger there at the end. I know this is the best place for the real healing to begin from but it still is heart wrenching.
Hey there. Thanks greatly for getting the next chapter up. I really appreciate you going to the effort. It took a while, but was well worth the wait. Once again, great job on the exchanges, emotional content and future chapter set-up in all the right places. I'll definitely be looking forward to more of this as soon as time and inspiration will allow.
7456920 The sad truth is that sometimes, things have to get worse before they get better. Things are definitely getting worse right now.
7456928 There's still consequences to come for the Crusaders. They aren't quite out of the woods yet, and won't really be for a while.
7456930 Time will tell, but yeah, you're pretty clearly saying things I've come to notice myself. Certainly something I've been trying to take notice of with my stuff, even if I haven't always managed it.
7456947 Was going for heart-wrenching. Wasn't certain how well I'd managed it.
7457467 Thanks. Got my fingers crossed that I'll get the next one done by the end of this month.
I actually teared up when reading this... waiting for the next chapter is going to be torture.
7457834 I'll do my best to alleviate that torture as quickly as I can.
7457516 Sad, but true, unfortunately.
And indeed they are.
Oh now I hope the cmc will get punished more for this
7458542 I can assure you that the Crusaders will continue to see repercussions for the Anon-A-Miss postings, both later in this story and in later tales, but why would they be punished more for what happened in this chapter? They were the catalyst for all of this, but it was ultimately what the Humane Five did that caused Sunset's current distress.
You know, it's kinda sad when fanfics can make better stories and handle sensitive issues better then canon can ever do.
Honestly I'm not surprised that Sunset won't trust anybody of the humane 5 for a long time.
Good job with the story, though, I'll keep an eye on it.
7470831
Unfortunately, it's to be expected in this case. The very premise the show is based off of - that friendship and harmony are more important than anything, even justice and righteousness - is inherently flawed. If you take a careful look at the show, ignoring the emotions and opinions of the main characters and focus on the moral, and you'll actually find plenty of injustices and acts of wickedness either handwaved or portrayed as good things in the name of that base premise (especially in the later seasons). You'll also find many unfortunate implications and abhorrent ideas based off that initial premise that many pony fic writers have, unfortunately, embraced wholeheartedly (most glaring examples being its support of absolute rule (which, when you look at it objectively, is really just slavery on a larger scale) as long as the ruler (or rulers, in the case of oligarchy like in the show) is "benevolent", "wise", or "just", the idea that manipulation and deception are perfectly acceptable if they are in the name of the "greater good", and likability and public opinion being considered more important when evaluating which side is right in a conflict rather than the facts).
MLP may be an entertaining cartoon with interesting characters, but as a morality show (which it started out as, and arguably still is), it fails miserably.
7470831 Give it, and her, time. And thanks. Diligently at work on the next chapter as we speak.
Why are updates taking so long!?
7533459 Real life. My job called me in for a lot of mandatory overtime last month, and couple that with my OCD tendencies and the odd shopping trip, and I found myself with very little time to write.
I can assure you, however, that the next chapter is about half done, and I'm optimistic that it will be out before the end of this month. After that, I don't know - I'm working on another story that I hope to have out on my second anniversary here, but I'm cautiously optimistic that this one will finish by year's end.
7471159 Well, an objective analysis of the merits of different styles of government are kind of beyond the scope of the tv show. But that said, I will point out that every system of government has its flaws, and what makes or breaks a culture is how well it weathers the storms when they happen.
Something a friend said to me, for instance, a long time ago has stuck with me ever since. He told me that we don't really live in a capitalist democracy. What we live in, he asserted, was a Consumerist Plutocracy. His assertion was that we as a culture have been conditioned to find value in the things we own, and that in order to feel better, we have to buy more stuff. And that it's a plutocracy, because wealth is the only qualifier that determines who gets elected. The recent election shenanigans are proof of that. No one not sitting on literally billions of dollars has a hope of being elected in the US. Ever. So, in the end, it's about the rule of money and who dies with the most stuff.
All that said, what matters here is that, whether he's right or wrong, society still continues to stumble along, somehow. Compared to how badly Western Civilization has gotten it every now and then, the occasional moral gray zone action by the Princesses is practically a model of cultural perfection by comparison. So I'd say that, cultural imprinting aside (which can cause us to champion our preferred cultural model over another simply through knee-jerk assertions that 'ours is better,') the diarchist society presented in MLP is probably culturally more stable, if prone to top-down abuses from time to time. As long as society stumbles along, it all tends to work out in the long run.
7564325 The root problem of your argument is that you assume stability is the most important quality of a society, rather than morality. Yet one only needs to look at the Third Reich or the USSR under Stalin* to know that this is a terrible measure of a society's value.
The problems you state with the USA do exist, I won't deny that. But have you ever stopped to ask why it's like that, when it truly was a constitutional republic at the beginning? The answer is because we abandoned the Judeo-Christian values our nation was built on in favor of materialism. We haven't become morally bankrupt and materialistic because of bad government; we have bad government because we have embraced moral bankruptcy and materialism.
As for your defense of the alicorns' rule; there's nothing "gray" about it. Claiming ownership of another human (or in a setting like Equestria, sapient) being is inherently evil, yet to rule absolutely is to declare ownership of every human (or sapient) in an entire country. It's slavery writ large, the fate of the commoner decided by the whims of the elite. Equestria's absolute oligarchy may be more stable than a constitutional government, but its very foundation rests on the idea that some sapients deserve to own the rest. To defend absolute rule is to defend slavery. Are you willing to defend slavery in the name of stability? And this isn't even getting into the moral problems of Celestia's at least occasional use of manipulation and deception (which again, isn't "gray", but inherently evil).
*I mention under Stalin specifically because the USSR was comparatively unstable under Lenin and Gorbachev, and because Stalin was by far the most evil of the Soviet dictators. Note that those two reasons are connected - the USSR was stable under Stalin because he was the most evil of the Soviet dictators.
7564474 Hmm. I'm going to sidestep the assertion that a religious value system was used to define the US, especially when the US constitution specifically states that it was intended to exist without the influence of a religious imperative. Essentially maintaining the separation of Church and State in the new organization. While I understand a lot of people in the US want to believe that a Christian ethos is necessary for their nation to exist, that belief often tends to ignore the fact that the nation was founded with the guarantee that religion would not become a defining condition for either rulership of, or membership in, the culture.
I'm also trying to identify where in the MLP episodes there's mention of the Princesses claiming ownership of a sapient person? You could claim Celestia "owns" Philomena, but consider the episode she's introduced in. If the phoenix didn't want to be rooming in the palace, nothing could force it to. Same goes for Owlowiscious. And as for Spike, it's pretty clear that Twilight considers him to be either her younger brother or her son, depending on your point of view. While I'm sure there's examples of the Princesses exerting "influence" over people, I'd be hard pressed finding even a single example in any era here where the leader didn't at some point exert "influence" over others for their own purposes. In that sense, every single leader is guilty of that one at some point in their career path.
(Oh, and anyone who claims Fluttershy "owns" all those animals she cares for... Really? She had to seriously "woman up" to push the Breezies out the door so they could go home, and they're about as clingy as sapient creatures get. Not a single creature stays there that doesn't want to, you can be sure.)
So, where exactly, are the examples of intentional enslavement of sapient creatures?
7564503 Funny how you claim that you want to sidestep the issue of morality, then immediately start talking about it. But to address the issue, the Constitution does in fact protect religious rights, but that doesn't change the fact that it was Christians who founded the USA under Christian values, and that the moral and societal decay of the USA, and of western civilization in general, is directly linked to the abandoning of those issues in favor of materialism.
The entire rest of the post is an amazing exercise in missing the point. The alicorns are absolute rulers. As such, they can decide to alter any facet of their subjects lives at any moment for any reason. As such, they own their subjects. That they choose not to at the moment doesn't change the fact that they legally can. As I said before, absolute rule is slavery writ large.
7564545 This is becoming flame-y, so I'm going to step away for a day or two, so that calmer posts will prevail.
That said, you're right that I said one thing and continued on to post another. My apologies. Sometimes I'm as guilty as stream-of-thought posting as the next person. I just don't equate a monarch or diarch in this case with slavery. If they actively policed the borders, prevented people from leaving, and called out the military against anyone who disagreed against them, then you'd have a point. (That's what they did in the USSR, for example.) But I don't see any of that behavior in Equestria. Given that they have a Mayor in Ponyville, who is presumably an elected official (although I recall a fanfic once asking what she calls herself when she's not elected,) I suspect what they have is closer to a constitutional monarchy, with greater executive power in the hands of the princesses. Then again, with the Elements of Harmony acting as your cultural backstop, it's hard to establish an absolute slave-state without someone calling down the Orbital Friendship Cannon on you. So in that sense, it could be seen as a cultural safety net preventing the princesses from abusing their authority too much.