Muddled, distracted, and ineffectual, Cloudkicker isn't exactly the sort of carer most ponies think of when they think of reliable older sisters. Her own sister, Alula, certainly doesn't. She doesn't think of anything; she just does things! Like a proper pegasus is supposed to do! Yeah!
If she ever thought at all, she might think how lucky she was...
So let me get this straight, Cloudkicker is a dreamer and an idealist. Her parents, however, were staunch supporters of the old-guard mindset. Pegasi rule, everyone else drools. They didn't like the fact that their daughter wasn't exactly like them nor that she was hanging out with weaklings like Fluttershy and Derpy. I also suspect that Alula is more than merely a sister. I suspect from the demolition of the family home and her bad memories is that her parents gave her an ultimatum and threatened to disown her for "impugning the family name" or other such toxic garbage. Cloudkicker fled and now lives as happily as she can in a town that she feels relatively confident her parents wouldn't even deign to use a rest-cloud over, much less actually visit. This is complicated by the fact that Alula is a hot-headed firebrand of a foal who finds pegasi history a bit too fascinating for Cloud's tastes.
I feel helpless. Like, I want to do what I can to help Cloudkicker, but even if I could, I don't know how.
Am I supposed to feel this way?
Like so many fantasy settings, Equestria is terribly short on psychiatric help and counseling.
I liked this.
I tend not to like things with Cloud, but I liked (sorry Chengar baby. Love your other works, but your CClouds a bit too much of your bog standard anime Sue for my tastes) In opposition to her counterpoint, our Cloudkicker here is a good mare, albeit a somewhat addlebrained one, a dreamer, as noted below, but a good hearted sort woefully unprepared for something, ie parenthood, she shouldn't have to deal with but has to. And Alula is your usual healthy pegasus filly, hard headed and full of piss and vinegar ready to bitch slap the world, frog its mare, and sit on its couch and ask "what are you going to do about it." Take note fellow aspiring writers: both have actual personalities. They have thoughts, goals, and indeed flaws of their own. Writing people as people... what a concept!
As for Cloud herself... hmm..... well, I'd try to steer Alula towards the no doubt more warrior scholar ways of the past then the post collectivist jangoist fuck tards they've become.
Oh, there’s a whole mire of deep issues here that Cloudkicker’s just barely gliding over. Excellent work in portraying the desperation that defines her every moment and fuels her search for literally magical solutions to the problems she can barely admit she has.
At least we got more of your Dinky at her finest. Thank you for an exquisite heartbreaker of a story.
This is the strong stuff, right here. The sort that hurts, because this is really a tragedy, isn't it?
That was surprisingly dark, especially with the insinuation that her face going weird is some kind of seizure or something outside of Cloudkicker's control.
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Fantasy? This is a problem throughout basically all of fiction (and the US is only slightly better).
Really good read, with the implications of darkness without going too overtly into it. I'd love to see more!
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Given we don't see too much starvation or homelessness or drug abuse in equestria, I'm going to say they probably have something of a mixed market economy, and so probably have more accessible mental health care and less mental health triggers than the United States, capitalist dystopia that it mostly is.
I just read this last Tuesday, but I felt like I needed to re-read it already because it has a lot of subtext and small details that I didn't get the first time.
It really is a 'slow burn' that was bugging the back of my mind for days.
This is rather sad and Alula will get into trouble if she doesn't change her attitude. They both need therapy badly since neither of them can be considered well adjusted. Cloudkicker seems to be aware of the problems with Alula at least but does not have the skills to deal with her sister. I suspect that if Cloudkicker were to move to Ponyville things might improve because she can actually get help there. I am not sure if Cloudkicker herself understands why she does some things.
Just wanted to say this is a wonderfully sad and nuanced piece.