The Midsummer Theater Revival rolls back around for the fifth year in a row since its return, and Coco Pommel reassess her role in leading the event. When she struggles to step down from her seat at the center for the sake of the community's future, she comes across another who has recently done the same.
Entry for Shaslan's May Pairings 2025 hosted by the Original Pairings group.
Edited by: eclair_de_xii
Preread by: Jymbroni, Alchemik, and Scriblits Talo
Cover Art: Watching the City at Sunset by B.K on Bluesky
Chapters (2)
Never would've given thought to the idea of shipping Celestia and Coco, but you absolutely sold me on the premise.
That was cute. Good work!
As an adult with very little free time to immerse myself in plying a trade/artform rather than merely reading about it, I can completely relate.
Oh. I've gotta put this one down on the read later list. Ive been planning out a Coco/Luna story for a while now, so this is relevant to my interests! The contrast between the sisters always helps reveal interesting insights for the other.
Who new that if you paired Celestia and Coco it would be the former who came across as more adorably insecure?
This was adorable. I always struggled to wrap my head around Celestia being such a terrible actor, but you solved that brilliantly: I found myself at the edge of my seat in eager anticipation before I even realized this was romance—I was so enchanted; I forgot the tags.
Definitely had me feeling 'present' in the story.
Thanks for writing!
Rego, you continue to be a master of unique ships. I know how much time you had to get this one in, so color me impressed. That was adorable.
I'm so happy that you were able to grind through and finish this story. The premise you had was so unique coupled with it being Celestia and Coca dealing with theater stuff had me hooked.
This short story, despite being only two chapters long, was amazing to read. As I was reading the end of it, after I finished, I felt so happy and fulfilled in life because this story was like eating a bag of my favorite candy, and now it's making me want a bag of Swedish Fish gummy candy as I write this.
All in all, I loved this unique shipping. I was hesitant at first, but now I'm all for it. Thanks again.
(P.S. I really need to read more of short stories like these, if it can grant me these amazing emotions and feelings, I am all for it when I need something cozy.)
12197706
That's what May Pairings is for, an excuse for me to take a break from writing long fic rare pairs and write a short rare pair. Never not be rare pairing at the moment.
12197775
Thank ya kindly! I do apologize for the rought state you probably read it in before I got around to eclair's edits. I'm glad you enjoyed it regardless.
12197900
Never have I ever had such super hero swoop in to save my writing at the last second. I've already told you in multiple places to the point you're sick of hearing it probably, but thank you so much. You saved me from having to shake AP down to beg him for an insanely fast editing turnaround.
Also, yes. Very relatable. I have seen so much art yet I can't draw any better without practice.
12197998
Hope to see what you think later.
12198030
What a twist!
12198043
One of the reasons I like to write close to canon is finding creative ways to make sense of lore given to us by Hasbro. This one was a real headscratcher, but I'm glad it landed for you.
12198127
Thank you for your kind words, Alchemik. Always love to hear from you.
Also, to my future self: Please, never again. Sweet Celestia, I am getting too old to pull an all-afternoon-er that rolls into a half-nighter.
I was dead all Sunday.
12198387
It was fun taking an episode I thought was fine and an episode I didn't like because it relied on cringe humor and tying them together to make something that would bridge the pair's interests and goals. I might not have liked Celestia and especially Luna retiring since the latter barely had any time to rule the night after her return, but immortal retirement really helps ground both Celestia and Luna to make them far more available for shipping with other ponies.
12198753
Swedish Fish is a good choice. I pretty much do unique ships in all my romance fics since I like the challenge of finding ways to make off-the-wall couples work. Plus, I find height gaps to be fun, and Coco is canonically short (at least compared to Suri).
static.wikia.nocookie.net/mlp/images/6/6f/Rarity_sees_Suri_and_Coco_S4E08.png
I know she's slightly futher in the background than to Suri, but Coco is 100% a cocoa bean.
Beeg poni hug for smol poni mare.
This story is such a snore fest, where this story failed, "Twilight's trip to the Mojave" wins anyday. Like, what's even the story here? Coco pommel stressing over sewing dresses like THAT'S the worst thing to have ever happened, when Twilight fought off 4 giant geckos on her own when her magic was down. Do you think Celestia hiding under a rock is any more interesting than what Breakmouth did on chapter 4... Like helloooooooo???
Survival of the fittest and this thousand year old goddess wants to whine about improv classes??? PLEASE MAKE IT MAKE SENSE!! This is why Celestia is the worst of the mane 6 and the princesses combines, even Rainbow Dash is better than her, this is just sad but maybe not sadder than when twilight had to barter for that unicorn so she could use her horn to reinvigorate her magic (sure she survived but those are spoilers for chpt 6 soooo dont read ig) anyway this sotry needs a looooot of work if its going to reach aynwhere close the magic level of twilight's strip to the mojave which in itself is a
radioactive pip boy
12199173
Never read anything to do with Fallout: Equestria, so can't relate.
Pfft... she lost her magic and had to resort to physical combat? #SkillIssues
static.manebooru.art/img/view/2020/8/19/161663.gif
12199173
This almost feels like a comment on the wrong story, if it wasn't for you actually referencing plot points, you're coming in saying it's boring and that they're angsting about stuff that isn't as important as survival. Did you not read the tags? This is a fluffy short romance story, they're not in a setting where moment-to-moment survival is something they're worrying about.
It's about a romantic relationship blossoming between a retired ruler and a seamstress buddy. It might just not be your type of story, I found it the opposite of boring, it doesn't "need work", it accomplishes what it set out to do well. The only thing it needs is more, I want more damn it.
edit: also, the weird shilling / constant comparison to another story that while I haven't read it seems to be in an entirely different genre is... weird
This was a very good, very interesting story. It's also a pairing I don't remember seeing before and you make a really good job at showing how and why these two might mesh well.
Also, a thing that I found really interesting is how Celestia was written. Disconnected or disinterested Immortals are kinda boring to me, it's a trope that is extremely trodden and I don't like it. So it was very fun to see Celestia written as very much so not that
This passage in particular. In the fanfic I am writing (slowly) I run Celestia like Superman (specifically thinking of his "world of cardboard" speech in the Justice League cartoon), so incredibly powerful that she has to hold back, but she still cares and values the lives of everything around her, I can easily picture her sitting though hours of monotonous bullshit because it makes someone happy, and it doesn't matter that she's bored, it meant a lot to the other party and what's a few hours in the life of an immortal.
Also, "Celestia being so hard-stuck in princess customer service mode that she's started to lose who she is underneath" is also something I find is always interesting.
12199315
I recently joined a Discord server that has a lot of zoomers in it. The post felt like their type of Dadaist humor that is popular with them. Plus, they added it to their "Very Good" folder, so I assume this is just an example of unhinged humor. Don't sweat it.
12199321
I don't enjoy writing the "superior aloof immortal" either. I much prefer how I feel as I age, becoming more and more empathetic to those around me. I don't think you can rule a land like Equestria which runs of love, friendship, and harmony for a thousand years and become too detached. I do think you can become estranged though, which is where this Celestia comes from. I do also have an OP Celestia variation, but you'd have to read a lot more words to get to her. I'm glad you enjoyed this take of her. If I hadn't powered through drafting the second chapter from word 400 to the end over the course of 14 hours, I would've enjoyed writing it more.