There are many things which Luna is still trying to catch up with in the modern world, and entertainment is high on that list. She appreciates some of the current musicians, enjoys a few books, and sees the potential in cinema. But when she doesn't enjoy being at a play, she's going to say something about it.
And when a Princess talks, a lot of ponies listen.
(Part of the Triptych Continuum, which has its own TVTropes page and FIMFiction group: new members and trope edits welcome. This story takes place shortly after the events of Good For Nearly All Princess Labor, Public And Private, but no knowledge of that story is required for this one.)
Chapters (1)
Holy cow, you're on a roll with new stories.
On today's episode of Luna Ruins Things, Luna attacks .... the Marx Brothers?
So I take it this story was inspired by the episode Horse Play?
I feel like I'm missing a reference here.
And now I want Luna to see one of Trixie's performances.
I can't help but wonder how many times Luna does this per day.
Maremmamo? I think I can guess the meaning from context, but I'm still curious about the etymology.
Ah, there's the rub. Those wounds are a lot fresher for her, and the sisters are virtual opposites in any case.
I can hardly blame Luna for wanting the catch-up period to be over with already. To finally step out from under Big Sister's excessively protective shadow and do something on her own. But Uncle Ben's Maxim comes in and reminds her that she's not who she used to be, and that sends her down a distressingly familiar road. At least there's a familiar face at the end of it.
Also, am I crazy, or did we just get the name of their mother?
In the end, Bridleway will flourish and Luna has a much healthier outlet for her opinions. Thank goodness for both. And thank you for an excellent look at another glimpse of the sisters' lives in this world.
8897452
Coincidence of timing. The actual base concept dates back to February of last year.
And with this posting, all four of those stories have now been written.
There is an ocean here. You may write about a ripple on its surface, but you also provide a glimpse at the true depth. This particular wavelets appears to have formed over (and because of) something akin to the Mariana Trench...
You know that I wish for more for your version of the sisters, but Luna finding a seneschal would be a good start.
I’m surprised that only a couple of… The Producers on Saratoga Way—Flim and Flam, perhaps?—realized what Luna’s reviews would do. ”Springtime for Sombra,” anypony?
for the benefit of new readers...she means after becoming an Alicorn.
YAY! Judge Luna!
There is, of course, one field of criticism which even the most vicious slams and biting words are counted as positives.
Food critic.
so, Luna was the original bearer of Generosity? interesting.
8897488
You mean Diviner? I think that's just Luna's first Seneschal... Although, Meaningful Names and all... That would be an accurate name, but it's stretching my belief?
Then again, Fancy Pants is just as accurate.
----
So many things to comment on, so I'll just pick out the ones that stuck in my mind a lot?
... I thought there'd be some reference to Lottery Lunacy, as a similar way things might go wrong, Celestia having done this in the past, and learned some lessons that Luna hadn't yet, or something. ... But no. Hmm.
I thought the Brothers were gonna be Filmflam. Was wrong, obviously.
----
Nightmare Rarity references, with her being Luna's Seneschal, who was the one with Nightmare??
And how she's the dirtiest fighter! Whoo!
----
AbsurdlySpaciousSewer reference! Lol!
Luna's dream really impacted me a lot more than I thought it would...
8897662
Not in canon. According to the flashbacks in the S4 premiere, Luna was the Bearer of Loyalty, Honesty, and Laughter.
vignette.wikia.nocookie.net/mlp/images/9/92/Elements_surrounding_Celestia_and_Luna_S4E02.png/revision/latest?cb=20131126005314
"the head of the most-irrationally pro-Diarchy newspaper in the city"
Hm. That paper appears to have been called the Palace Bugle in Good For Nearly All Princess Labor, Public And Private. Did the name change, did another paper take the position, is this an out-of-universe mistake, or something else?
Hm, neat take on typewriter (and writing system) mechanics. :)
"Opera, Abolishment Therefore"
"Opera, Abolishment Thereof"?
If not, I'm afraid I'm not sure what you're saying there.
8897778
That's not a part of Triptych.
Seems about right.
8897904
I assumed as much, but I can't remember how Estee divided the Elements between the Sisters. Jog my memory?
8897611
Surely Zesty Gourmand had some positive words for those restaurants she gave high ratings to.
8897548
Does that mean they get away with it? Or does Luna make it clear that she thinks it's a deliberate fraud, in which case there will be an endless series of legal battles?
8897975
One each, with four other pones standing with them.
8897991
Yes. She enjoyed the rice, the fresh sea salt and the meticulously cleaned toilets.
This story reminded me of that scene from Amadeus, where the Emperor yawned during an opera and almost shut down the performance that night.
8897672
Quite valid point on Diviner. An immortal's life is going to have more than one important event that begins with someone else's death.
On a wholly unrelated note, I get the feeling that the Les Grifferables review would've been even more scathing had the play been set in Prance, on the entirely legitimate basis that it would've been set in Prance.
Also, the Bialystock Maneuver might have worked this time, but if they try it in Manehattan—and knowing those producers, they probably will—it'll likely go horribly right without royal intervention...
Ein! Zwei! Drei! Vier!
Demons of love, ceiling above,
Can't keep our feelings chained!
Demons of love. 'Gainst such a shove,
Tartarus can't complain!
Well you can have Kerberos guard the gate,
But hearts in love can always wait.
Demons of love, ceiling above,
'Cause we'll stay demons of love.
8897975
There were six Element Bearers, and the other four weren't immortal.
Writing reviews under a pseudonym would have allowed Luna to express her opinion with out issue. Not really a problem with the story, it's reasonable nopony might have thought of it.
8897975
As I recall, we know who four of the Bearers who took down Discord were. Two are alicorns now with a healthy dose of PTSD , and the third Was Starswirl, who became a monster due to his obsession with why the sisters -became- and he did not. The other three... I get the distinct impression they didn't survive. Starswirl bore Magic, and Hurricane was Honesty, but I don't think we've met their Laughter or Kindness yet outside of vague recollections. Celestia bore Loyalty, as confirmed in The Night Before Nightmare.
8897489
Is there a new list of oncoming project somewhere?
Ooooonnnn the next episode the Judge Luna.
8898681
Which story are you referring to exactly?
8897548
I have to wonder what Luna would think of the Equestrian versions of movies like "Airplane!", "The Naked Gun" or "1941". All these would seem to fall under the "...chaos isn't funny" umbrella.
8897778
That came out after the ball was already rolling on Triptych lore, so it's a deliberate divergence from canon. Wasn't sure if you were aware.
--
Amazing piece here. I love new morsels of info on Sisters backstory. Sad at some parts, which i dig. The ending was fantastic and funny. The clients are real! The rulings are final!
8897672
Actually, I suspect Diviner was Luna’s last seneschal, the one she had just before Nightmare. Possibly the one whose death pushed her into Nightmare.
Another haunting deep dive into character and soul, this time into the most alien and infothomable of MLP’s characters, and your story made her more real - and dear - to me than any other I’ve read in years!
Just... keep doing this. You amaze me!
Now this I truly enjoyed. And this brings up just how out of touch Luna is. The interesting thing is Celestias solution. A Seneschel. And the perfect choice for the role. Hopefully one that will last longer than six seconds.
8899148
Point Luna at Monty Python’s Flying Circus and watch the ensuing fireworks!
I haven't read any of the Triptych Continuum (at least I don't think so), but this nice but also... off kilter?
I get the idea of "Celestia's words have massive influence over society", but the idea that Luna's words would gain similar influence (ignoring the whole 'Luna has been gone for 1000 years'-aspect) in such a short amount of time is... contrived?
8899606
Herd instinct is a big thing with Estee's ponies; they're very susceptible to group-think, bandwagons, mob-formations and mass hysteria.
As well as meekly following an alpha.
I feel like this is actually a show of how different someone can be from canon. Because a Luna who doesn't like slapstick isn't going to giggle when Apple Bloom attempts to gavel in a CMC meeting in a dream results in a squeaky toy noise
8899745
Herd instinct doesn't work like that.
But fan fiction I guess.
8900211
There's probably a more apt sociological or psychological term for it, that's just the term I use when I think about it.
Honestly, I think Ponies Are Dumb Smucks Of Whom Are Divided Into Blindly Loyal And Blindly Disloyal ruins a perfectly good idea. 'Cos I think Luna-the-Critic would be absolutely hilarious to read. Frankly, those reviews sound like they'd have had me stitches rendered in full, so boo to pony idiocy, boo, booooo, I say!
8899148
Parody only really works if you have at least a crude undertstanding of what is being parodied, so it would depend a fair bit on what Luna has already been made aware of. That said, Airplane and Naked Gun also have enough just visual sight gags, I think, to work even in absent that. (I knew about aircraft disaster movies, but I've never seen one.) I would also highly debate they are "chaotic," being among the best executed parodies around (the sort of thing we haven't seen the like of since, more's the pity) and that meaning organisation. Improvisation is chaotic - properly-executed parody is PLANNED.
I actually would suspect Luna might find at least the parts that were not parodies she'd didn't understand entertaining. ("And don't call me Shirley," (or the Equestrian equivilent) for example, needs no real depth of understanding, nor does Striker's "drinking problem." It's not like Luna doesn't have a sense of humour.)
Estee? You wanna weigh in on this?
(Actually maybe that's a really good question for Estee for one o' them blog-doofers - what DO all the major players find funny? Even Pinkie's preferrences, though doubtless broad, would be interesting...)
8899606
8899745
Plus, a pretty substantial chunk of the population very literally worships the Princesses.
8901109
Worship Celestia, sure.
Worship Luna, who was missing for a 1000 years? Uhhhh... sure... Not like that wouldn't change society...
8901213
I use a more extended timeline than the show: one year per season. By this point on the calendar, Luna has been back for nearly three years and has resumed the bulk of her public duties. Many ponies don't necessarily see her as an equal to Celestia, but the nation does largely recognize that she's some part of the leadership and they'd better act accordingly. Canterlot tends to have a slightly better picture, and those ponies with a little personal experience quickly realize she isn't somepony to cross. Additionally, while the Nightmare may be gone, a certain amount of fear still lingers -- especially since just about nopony knows what actually happened, and thus associates too much of it with Luna.
(On an international scale, the most terrifying line in Celestia's diplomatic arsenal has become "Let me go see what my sister thinks." A lot of sapients decided they should try to deal with Luna instead because she was so clearly the weaker, and so a number of diplomats have essentially been bulldozed back over the border.)
So part of what happens is leadership: follow the one at the front of the herd. Another portion is nervousness which hasn't gone away: if she doesn't like it, then maybe I shouldn't be caught there. A touch is worship: those who perceive Celestia as divinity have little trouble extending this to a direct relative. And a significant percentage is groupthink. The shows Luna criticized didn't lose all of their ticket sales: there are always those who can hold onto their own opinions (outside of an outright mass public panic: it gets harder then). But enough patrons turned away or asked for refunds to make the productions unsustainable.
Beyond that, we're within the sin of character interpretation. This is the local Luna: she reflects her original, but there's been enough time for changes. And I've been assured that I should, and will, be tormented for that.
So it goes.
And of course there are actually people who think that's what critics are for, to tell you what is an is not good and would have reacted that way even if the critic hadn't been a princess
I've been slowly working my way through your blogs for fun, so I remember reading the one where you talked about the Cocoanuts. Three things that stuck out were the outdated jokes, the soggy paper, and the way that everyone looked like they were being eaten by fleas. Luna commented on the first, is experiencing the inverse of the second, and so only has to wait for the film version to appear to properly hate it.
Sometimes you've gotta be judgemental.
8901241
To be fair, I think more or less everyone did (since that's pretty frequently the case in a lot of shows) until that one episode in season five.
(Which caused me personally to go through all the episodes prior in an attempt to guage whether or not that was actually possible or whether that was Pokémon level bollocks; the results are, while it is pushing it a little, but yes, by-the-by.)