Joy and Reflection

MPearlwort, Unintentional Villain
MLP: FiM
Romance
Adventure
Tragedy
A Thestral mare flees her town to seek a cure for an illness that has infected her entire town. Along the way she finds love, deals with prejudice, Alicorn politics, foreign invasion, and discovers that the world ends because of her.
Narcotics
Non-con
Death
Alt. Universe
OC
Crystal Ponies
Sunset Shimmer
Bat Pony
Halira · 235k words · 65 8 · 1.4k views

Source

Thousands of years in the future, Pinkie Pie goes to seal the reflection pool after a young pony once again has used it. While doing so she takes time to reflect about her role and the burdens she carries.

Thanks to Alias_the_J and Cosmic Eclipse for edits.

Chapters (1)

Comments ( 18 )

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Golden-Buddle

Golden-Buddle #1 · Feb 13th, 2017 · 2 · ·

Random_User

Random_User #2 · Oct 30th, 2017 · 3 · ·

While she is in not among my favorites, Pinkie is the one that would deal the best with become immortal, in my opinion. This story has the perfect balance of hope, melancholy, and Pinkie being Pinkie, and it touched a soft spot for her that I did not know I had. Thank you for sharing this wonderful piece.

Starlight Nova

Starlight Nova #3 · Nov 10th, 2017 · 1 · ·

Before I read this, I must know: How'd the reflection pool get unsealed?

Halira

Halira #4 · Nov 10th, 2017 · · ·

8540873
Ponies digging. The city of Harmony (once Ponyville) has tons and tons of history buried underneath so ponies dig to learn about their past.

Halira

Halira #5 · Dec 25th, 2017 · · ·

8629854
There is another story of mine in the same universe, but it has a decidedly different tone. While it features the future alicorn versions of our ponies, most of them are in the background. I have considered writing additional stories earlier in the timeline.

Halira

Halira #6 · Dec 26th, 2017 · · ·

8630453
You can read Pearlwort, Unintentional Villain, which is currently in progress at 152,000 words in as of this moment. It takes place in the final days of the alicorns of this timeline. The story follows original characters and their dealings with the alicorns show many of the alicorns have gone morally grey over the centuries. Sunset Shimmer, as an alicorn, is a primary supporting character through much of the story.

The story takes its time, and as of where I am at in writing the alicorns are still all living and the threat has not yet been revealed. For the moment it seems just like a story about the two main OCs relationship, but bad things are coming.

Halira

Halira #7 · Dec 26th, 2017 · · ·

8630453
I also welcome anyone else to write stories in this universe. You likely have to read at least part of Pearlwort to get a good idea of the general rules and context of everything, but 6000 years of time gets plenty of design space. And while the period that Pearlwort takes place in shows the alicorns at their worst, they did take a long time to get to that point.

There are some side stories I would like to eventually write in the universe that are mentioned in passing in Pearlwort; the time Starlight and Sunset pretended to be one another for 50 years, the tale of Petunia Paleo and the mirror, the Time of Madness, the vampire siblings, and that is just touching on the things mentioned in passing.

Stellar Light Sparkle

Stellar Light Sparkle #8 · Jul 28th, 2018 · 1 · ·

A lovely story. The world-making in this is thick, but not heavy on the details to get through, yet descriptive enough to understand what Pinkie's telling you. Her habit of breaking the Fourth Wall is always an endearing thing, too, and can make for a great plot device.

Thirty alicorns? Well... I guess you have the Main Six, Sunset and Starlight as well, and If Shiny makes the grade, I can see them having a big family of them. (In one of my stories, Alicorn Shiny and Cadance will give Flurry Heart two sets of siblings, two lots of triplets and all alicorns).

Makes me think about the future for my own alicorn, Stellar...

SunlightSwift

SunlightSwift #9 · Dec 8th, 2018 · 2 · ·

"Joy is funny like that, it can't exist if you don't accept the sadness too."

What a powerful line. And that's what joy and reflection means isn't it?

Golden Fang Ryu Shenron

Golden Fang Ryu Shenron #10 · Feb 4th, 2019 · · ·

"In truth it can be hard getting too attached to ponies. They are born, they grow up, they marry, and have fillies and colts of their own, become grandparents, and then pass on. It seems all in the blink of an eye. Some of my fellow alicorns get really, really detached from ponies because of this, and I must remind them of all the laughter and joy they brought us. It is part of my job being the one that remembers and is responsible for spreading joy. Memories remind us of all the joy we had and can still have even if there can be some sadness to laughing about times long past. Joy is funny like that, it can't exist if you don't accept the sadness too. I have spent many a night recounting stories of Granny Smith and Big Mac to Applejack. She will laugh at them, and then get a little sad because she can no longer remember them herself and feels bad for it. I tell her that it is my job to make sure all that happiness is never forgotten, and she shouldn't be sad because she has had so many happy moments through her life, as I list off more examples from more recent memory that I know she shall recall. We laugh about those as well; but I can't help feeling a bit sad, because I know that those memories she will forget someday as well. This is my blessing and my curse."

As will all your friends...but you can share the burden, together.

Joy is funny like that, it can't exist if you don't accept the sadness too.

So...powerful.

"All things fade to just memory," she says in a dull monotone voice.

Indeed they do...lost in time and space....

Pinkie picked herself from the ground. "I know, but sometimes I need a different type of ear," she giggled, "or eye to vent to."

Only you would Pinkie Pie...only you.

Pinkie came up and wrapped a wing around the other alicorn. "Some things just never change."

indeed they don't...and sometimes, that's just the way that some like it.

Loganberry

Loganberry #11 · Apr 21st, 2020 · 1 · ·

Shamefully late review notification for you. In short: a nicely believable (but of course different) Pinkie, and a nice sentiment about joy. Feels like an old-fandom fic in some ways, though, eg that odd fourth-wall scene and the use of "plot".

Halira

Halira #12 · Apr 21st, 2020 · · ·

10193445
Thank you, much.

Commentpony

Commentpony #13 · Oct 5th, 2020 · · ·

This story was a true masterpiece. Thank you for writing it.

Sanitizer

Sanitizer #14 · Nov 15th, 2020 · · ·

This story has honestly made me wish you expanded this timeline. This was a masterful way of opening this world up. I am excited to read Pearlwort, Unintentional Villain.

Halira

Halira #15 · Nov 15th, 2020 · 1 · ·

10533563
I'm not going to lie; I wasn't entirely happy with how Pearlwort turned out. It had its fans, but it was an early attempt at a longer story, and it shows. The final third part of the story goes off the rails in terms of pacing, it had plot points that needed more development, and it has severe editing problems. It had great ideas, but the execution required more work. I take it as what it was, a learning experience. I have often considered going back to it as a rewrite, but never have been able to give it a serious go.

Sanitizer

Sanitizer #16 · Nov 16th, 2020 · · ·

10533583
I will keep that in mind when I read it.

Maybe once you finish your lastest story you will entertain the thought of rewriting the story. It would be quite interesting to see what you change in "Pearlwort, Unintentional Villain." But alas, hindsight is 2020, and time is always a precious commodity.

jasha3558021