In many ways, Featherweight is your typical colt. He loves his dad, he has a best friend, does well in school, and is generally well liked among his peers. Despite his limitations, he's pretty content with his life.
However, when a classmate receives some devastating news, those limitations might just mean he is the only one who can help.
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Featured on Equestria Daily!
Thank you so much for reading!
NOTE: This story began its life in 2013, so we're operating on some very outdated canon. Think somewhere in between Seasons 3 and 4. It is what it is.
Eternal thanks, snuggles, pizza, and beer to totallynotabrony, Petrichord, Phaoray, and Captain Unstoppable, without whom this story wouldn't have seen the light of day.
Check out this postmortem blog to see how this came to be.
Have an upvote.
Still, a wonderful story if a little awkward around the last bit. I would see that happening that way with the situation everyone is in and it makes a wonderful, grounded scene. Pun intended.
A beautiful slice of life. The lunch scene is also adorable.
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Yeah, despite what multiple people told me, I still think I rushed the very end. Meh, whatever. Thanks for the kind words!
Drat, now you want to make me beat up Diamond Tiara again.
What about his mom?
Oh, god, and the superhero he identifies with... is the chatterbox quipster that just can't shut up, even if the villains kill him. That's great.
Dude, that was awesome. The combination of fanon and canon only discovered later made such a nice touch to the whole thing. To be honest, the idea of ponies being mute—Featherweight and Vinyl Scratch being the best (if only) potential examples—has always been something I really appreciate and like to think about how it would work. Sign language is difficult as it is (I took some classes, it's actually kinda fun if you get to use it); I can barely imagine doing it without fingers.
Sure, maybe the end was a tad rushed, but it was really sweet. Great job.
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Well, if you read the story, you'd know that she's dead. Furthermore, she died when Featherweight was barely two years old, so he has no memories of her.
This was a good one
that said...
One visit to Castle Library later
"You do know there's such a thing as biomancy right?"
"Bioma... look, Prin..."
"Twilight, please."
"Twilight... I'm touched I make you feel that way, but I'm focused on kiddo right now, and still on my..."
"What, what do... no! Biomancy. Its a germane field of study that involves healing. We just futz around with his tissue, and in a few sessions, boom, he's a chatty Cathy once more. We could even get Scootaloo to fly again. Bit riskier, but still doable."
"And you didn't because..."
"Well, we were a bit busy getting a turtle to fly."
"So you went full Celestia, got it."
"Great, lets go get your gimpy friend then Featherbrain."
"Weight."
"Can't, I'm on a mission! I'd say we were off to make you both contributing members of society, but pegasus, so... Wait, how can your son make that gesture without fingers?"
Now that was a sweet little slice of life and despite your uh... Prognostications toward your doubts that you've related many times before posting anything, you've still got the chops my boy! Definitely got the chops! Seriously, this was a real good one. Few tears to the eyes and everything... I swear if you're smuggling Onion Ninjas again I'm calling the cops.
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S-Staaaahhhhhpppp...
But honestly, thank you for the kind words! I really hope I can continue this little spurt of writing. I have so many stories to tell.
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Oooh I know that feeling. Sadly I don't have the writing chops many here do. But the ideas man, THE IDEAS! They drive me mad.
Gosh, I love this story to bits, I'm not even sure where to begin!!! So I suppose I'll start with the line that immediately got quoted as soon as I read it:
This is quite possibly the greatest phrasing and best sentence to visualize that has ever been written.
This! Thisthisthisthisthis!!! I could not possibly begin to express how much I love this character interaction and a close friendship and story is developed in just a few actions; Pipsqueak's little "It's a dense language" is another example of mates being silly guys that is honestly, worthy of a quote board. The characterization on Bulk Biceps is subtly really sweet and soft throughout all his interactions, and the way Scootaloo having a Bad Day is portrayed, plus her character apart from the Crusaders, is really top-tier! This is a fantastic writing style that is very enjoyable to read, like the literary equivalent of a tiramasu, or elegant red velvet or chocolate torte with buttercream-meringue icing. (.....sorry, I haven't eaten today....)
Few and far between are stories with a silent protagonist who manages to express what they want anyway, and Featherweight? *chef kiss* Hats off to how well you handled a mute/disabilities, and especially to his ending little speech about how things "never get easy, but they do get easier." Little moments like his quip about "only having three ponies to talk to, and one of them is your dad", his untranslated in-joke in the beginning, the way he punches his head against Bulk Biceps, and the blush and silly smile were all far cuter than is reasonable. I also appreciate the few hiccups in speech patterns like Bulk laughing too hard to tell Scoots what Featherweight said, Pip's nicknames and requested repetition of Featherweight's accusation so he can hear him, and "Is that an itch, or are you agreeing with me"; those were all nice touches that really made the story.
This was definitely a top-tier story, a real creme de la creme, and I'd look most forward to whatever may come next; keep on writing!
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Thank you so much for the kind words, friend! Not gonna lie, Pipsqueak's character was probably my favorite part about this one. Though truth be told, I lifted his personality from someone else. In my all-time favorite fan fic Earth & Sky, Pipsqueak is very much as you see him here: boisterous, brash, adventurous, huge motormouth, and acts so fast he misses certain social cues. Of course in that fic, he's all grown up, but the idea of him being like that as a tiny colt was too adorable to pass up.
Above all, I tried my best to get across that Feathers is very much okay with his life, despite how tough it is. He and his dad live in a tiny house, Dad works multiple jobs to keep food on the table, and Feathers himself has a disability. But he still maintains his upbeat look on life. Also the idea that the ponies around him, Pip in particular, don't even care that he can't talk. Yeah, the only ones who can really understand his sign language are his Dad, Cheerilee, and Pip(kinda), but I would assume he carries around pen and paper if he really needs to communicate with somepony else.
Anywho, thank you again for reading and the kind words, my dude!
Hey.
Nice.
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Hey.
Thank you.
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Yo.
You're welcome.
Buttsniffer.
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no u
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Squak
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ur mum ghey
10388909
probably
Comfy AF. Say, wouldn't Featherweight sign in his dreams, considering he's never actually spoken with sound?
10461483
I like to think he's hearing himself speak with his "ideal voice." That's why Dream Scootaloo says his voice is "so manly and cool."
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God, aren't those two adorable?!
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Yes. Yes they are.
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It sucked when that artist removed all their work from Derpi.
Really great story. The only thing I would change is Featherweight invited Scootaloo to come see the Wonderbolts with him
This had a really nostalgic feel, both with how early it is set in the show, and because of how much it reminded me of reading some of the stories of Bad_Seed_72. The handling of disability in here was just great, too.
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Thanks so much! Yeah, I was a tiny bit nervous about portraying a disability that not only do I not suffer from, but I don't even know anyone who does. I can only imagine what Scootaloo would be feeling, and I hope I did that justice.