Dysphoria, Arc 4: Summer Breeze

by thedarkprep

9. Epilogue?

So that was Arc 4. What did you think?

As I'm sure you noticed, this Arc was a lot different than the previous one. For starters, it focuses more on trans issues. Also, it is more dialogue heavy and uses the narrator less (which was my goal for this Arc). Lastly, it has longer chapters.

Hopefully you enjoyed the new style since Arc 5 will be a continuation of it.

Oh, and speaking of that, Dysphoria, Arc 5: Equestria is now online, so I would go check it out.

This Arc will take place all throughout Equestria, and will be more character driven, which to me is always a good thing. I'll just go ahead and say that I'm very very excited about this Arc.

Arc 5 will consist of 10 chapters and it will follow the same release schedule, with new chapters every Monday and Friday at 6pm EST.

Oh, and a few notes I want to make.

A lot of people have asked about what's going to happen with Summer going to school. I also feel like it's important to note that Dusk has a history before coming into the story. Both these stories need to be explored and they are not the only ones. However, I am just one person. As such, I want as many of you as possible to get involved with the group I made Dysphoria, and to get involved with Project Universe.

Doing so will allow you to create your own story with your own perspective grounded in the Dysphoria Universe. I will also be looking for people to write Chronicles: Summer Breeze and Chronicles: Dusk among other characters.

More info in the group page.

As always, I cannot thank you enough for all the support you've given me as this story has progressed. I really cannot put into words what it is like to have you all still reading after this long, and what it's like getting to answer to your comments and hearing your feedback.

I thought my story was going to be ignored, and I've never been more glad to be wrong.

Well, at the risk of this being my shortest Epilogue? to date, I must say that I don't really have much else to comment on.

I love you all,
-thedarkprep

Author's Note:

By the way, I've been working on Arc 5 and thus far (before editing) the word count is as follows:

Chapter 1: 4,150
Chapter 2: 8,103
Chapter 3: 5,498
Chapter 4: 6,816
Chapter 5: 7,985
Chapter 6: 10,659
Chapter 7: 6,000

That's probably going to change some after editing, but I can't imagine it'll change much. That's 49,223 words or 116 pages thus far with 3 more chapters to go.

yea...

Comments

[Themaskedferret]

Very interesting and appealing fun but the last chapter really bothered me. You suggest that Rose is allowed to choose to join Dusk or not but that's blatantly untrue. she is never given the choice of helping him or not. She is forced to help him. she makes her peace with that and that's great but she never gets the chance to say no.

[thedarkprep]

2572692

You know what, you're right.

I guess this more of her doing it on her terms and becoming ok with the role and responsibility. It IS a change in her character and shows growth but that does not mean that she could have refused. Dusk would have forced her to go through with it regardless.

Huh, I just depressed myself.

Still, I wouldn't change how I did it. Sometimes we have to do the best with what we're given. Even if its unfair, and Rose could have said no to Dusk helping, except she wouldn't. Dusk would have still helped, but she didn't know that.

Hell, based on her character was there ever a choice?

You've given me a lot to think about

[ValorlordV5]

In my opinion, Dusk was right all along. Responsibility isn't limited just to things we control or choose, but includes anything one can help with. Rose might not like it, but she can help others, and that means that she is responsible in that she must help. And Dusk was completely right in telling her that, even if his methods weren't the purest out there. People hate to admit that this is true because of that old idea that people should keep to their own affairs, but it comes to that responsibility thing again; if you can make someone accept their responsibility, you should. It's hard to admit, because it means that we often have to assume control of unfair situations, but that's life. We can't help it.

[Themaskedferret]

2573274

*Blinks and blushes* Um you're welcome? I wasn't trying to argue that it should've happened any differently, just that saying she had a choice was incorrect.

[thedarkprep]

2576349

Oh, I know you weren't arguing, I was just thinking out loud on whether or not I would change it and why.

You brought up a really good point and it got me thinking.

[Altair4]

I'm still not sure I like Dusk at all after this arc, but then he is meant to be a political activist.
He's coming over more Peter Mandelson than Peter Tatchell at the moment.

For reference: Mandelson is the dark lord ,nee the prince of darkness, who redefined machiavellian while running british politics from behind the scenes for a decade and is probably evil. Tatchell pretty much does Dusks job at Outrage! amongst others and is probably not evil.
I can not imagine two more different LGBT related political figures, If mandelson ran outrage in real life the war for equality would have been won in a unofficial meeting years ago (although no-one who values their conscience would want to find out exactly how.)

I've met them both ever so briefly, Mandy bought a Brompton from us, (Tatchell's bike was crap).

[thedarkprep]

3196143

I really appreciate it

I've been tracking your progress through my stories through your comments and favorites and it's kept me smiling

[thedarkprep]

3344784

Hope I don't dissappoint ^_^

[Divine Path]

Dusk is an interesting character. His manipulative tendency might truly be for the best

Within this world,
finally at ease and resting.
Let this desire for friendship Kay bare at the table of bliss;
pansy there be no strife upon this wonderful dream.

Excellent work, dear Author!
Yet the story does not end here.

[lunas_servant]

I give this Arc another 5 out of 5. You continue to impress with the dept and your characters. They are not always what they seem on the surface and that is what sets you apart from other authors. Even you make us hate a character as much as Dr. Theory, you completely flip the script and show that he's not a bad stallion, just misinformed.

[ElkinFencer10]

5232078
I don't know how much you read history or follow politics (I teach the stuff, so I read a lot about it), but you'd be surprised just how critically important that kind of legislation is and how many consequences their repeals have that you wouldn't expect.

[lunas_servant]

5232811 I think I can see that now. i guess before I was just looking at it from my own perspective as opposed to seeing what the bigots would see.

[ElkinFencer10]

5236484
Everything going on in America right now with voting - taking away early voting, voter ID laws, restrictive polling places, short windows of time to register, etc - are all because the Supreme Court struck down the Voting Rights Act. That one law's nullification has had FAR reaching consequences.

[lunas_servant]

5236603 if they would allow us to access a virtual polling place using all of our personal information, that would triple voter turnout

[Officer Hotpants]

6747152
Agreed.

[NikitaKitten]

Another day, another bath, another arc re-read.

This arc manages to feel like it's merely bridging the gap between the slice of life story of the previous arcs and the campaign trail of the next arc, yet still delivers important character growth for Rose and information about trans issues. In terms of story content it's far from my favorite of the arcs, but the style and technical details are definitely an improvement. Bravo.

On to the next arc! I need to brace myself for the storm that I know lies ahead in the fifth and final arc...

[Ice Star]

Rose really feels unprepared for the road ahead, but I suppose on some level that is expected. This was a good return to some of the interpersonal drama that really acts as the highlight of the series, but in terms of debates and politics, I feel like it needed a lot more work, especially to effectively paint the struggles of the world in a unique way. We see that ponies are starting to reach out to Rose, but very little of Rose becoming more of an expert. She's one pony, and she's expected to essentially set the standards for her nation while not having a lot of the expertise or social connections (to other advocates, researchers, etc) that even human trans advocates do. In that regard, Equestria comes across as really fractured in terms of social networking. This really feels like something that could have been capitalized on during the initial run of the series to emphasize and discuss the difficulties of these kinds of struggles in a mostly rural nation, and then discuss how the main six could come in to help out. Here, it comes across as mostly unintended. Either way, I'm wondering how things might resolve in the final installment.

At the same time, I'm sad that there is only one more story left before the prequel.