Following the Summer Breeze trial, Rose finds herself packing and preparing.
Along with the Equestrian Equality Envoy, Rose will travel through Equestria, arguing for her cause. However, when she finds that her actions could have an even greater impact than anticipated, Rose must make a choice.
What would you sacrifice for change? Equestria itself?
This story follows the events of Dysphoria, Arc 1: Introductions, Arc 2: Ponyville, Arc 3: Canterlot, and Arc 4: Summer Breeze.
This story is now finished, but I've got something you might be interested in: Dysphoria, Arc 0: Octavia
Chapters (10)
I like the setup for this arc, I hope later in the story we get a feeling for each city Rose stops at and more development on Dusk and the two other new characters. Good start!
Well, when they go to Cloudsdale, we can at least hope that Rainbow Dash and/or Fluttershy will be there for support.
I have a feeling that this whole trip is going to be "flying by the seed of one's pants" given how un-rigid the schedule is. Yes, there has been preparation, but.
And now for my favorite time of the day.
Responding to comments!
(Seriously, my favorite time, no sarcasm. I'm serious).
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I'm glad you like the set up
I do plan on developing the new characters and Dusk quite a bit, as well as establishing each city as unique. However, I have to introduce one more story element and another major player first, but that's what the next chapter is about.
I hope you like it
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We'll see. I think I talk about this in the next chapter. I can't remember off the top of my head though (and even if I could I probably wouldn't say). Stay tuned
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Aren't those the best trips though? What fun is keeping a rigid schedule?
[Says me, as I make sure that I have Friday's content ready]
I would like to see someone challenge Rose's marehood by kicking her in the nads. Mainly because I am a dick and this would amuse some dark part of me. Partly because she is going to meet violent resistance garunteed and that's the light heartedest way I can think of to do
If I were you, I'd just ignore me. Adding it to the group.
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I'd never ignore you Krass, you're too awesome for that
2574927 I... I Don't know why I am laughing... but I am.
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Well, if she is anything like me, it wouldn't hurt as much as it would for guys. Mine aren't exactly in my body map which has the apparent consequence of not being as sensitive to pain there (I've racked myself a good number of times on the frame of my bike while mountain biking and was able to just continue with not more than a shrug).
I read that entire part in John de Lancie's voice. Being a Trekkie for my entire life has made that even easier for me than reading things in Morgan Freeman's voice.
Also, YAY FIRST COMMENT
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You mean Discord's voice, John is just a character he voices
Cartoon Q goes along for the ride! I really hope he has interaction with the other characters though, I can't see Discord
botheringtalking to Rose throughout the entire trip.I agree, Discord is tons of fun to write.
Things got a whole hell of alot more interesting with the addition of adiscord.
>discord
>Coming along
Spaghetti errywhar
Well I can honestly say this is a HUGE surprise. Not an unwelcome one either. This will be interesting...
So which state can we compare Cloudsdale too?
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Imagine a mix between the stereotypical south and spartan society. Prideful in being separate from the rest and following the general tropes you would associate with the stereotypical south.
I hesitate to name an actual state, because I haven't been to many and I don't want to generalize based on what I've seen in the news, so it's more like a representation of a mindset rather than an allusion to an actual place.
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Good enough I guess, I would never of thought of Cloudsdale being more of a southern themed city/town compared to Ponyville since Ponyville is more of a middle of nowhere country town. Oh well maybe Ponyville is that cool liberal part of the south.
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I tend to not think of it as due to geography but due to culture. Ponyville was made by the Apples, and it is the place where the elements of Harmony migrated to to live. I see it as the perfect little town of friendship and love. Obviously it has problems, but the populous tries to be concenscious.
Pegasi (we learnt from hearths warming eve) were warriors and warriors tend to be the ones less accepting of change (as shown by certain civilizations throughout history).
Cloudsdale struck me less as "Southern" and more as just traditional culturally, like thedarkprep said. Being a history major, here's a couple of analogies to explain.
People tend to think of the black community as more liberal in terms of civil rights because of their community's own civil rights struggles, but a large portion of that community is actually quite opposed to LGBT civil rights due to religious beliefs. The same is truth of the North; while definitely more liberal and more accepting than the South, the American North is, in certain areas, less accepting than one might expect due to the higher number of Catholics, which is historically a more traditional denomination, though that's started to crack in recent years.
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So.. what I've learnt is that you have two settings for comments.
Thoughtful analysis using historical context and "FIRST"
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You forgot the third and most important setting - intense trolling.
And this is why complete isolation from the majority is stupid.
Glad to see they had some big guns though.
Why does it have to be the south that's the big LGBT-hater?That's a small minority of a large and diverse population; most people are either neutral or pro-LGBT. Have you ever been to Atlanta? You won't find a more pro-LGBT rights city in the eastern region. The real haters are the Midwest and the pseudo-south (Florida).
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I just said stereotypical south, so the stereotype, not reality.
It's an idea not tied to a particular place and I'm not tying it into any specific state because of that.
All my experience is what I've seen in NC, what I see in the news, and the social stereotypes that are commonly used, meaning that I understand I don't have the context to attach a real world location to this, and therefore I'm not
Ah, great dialogue and great way of introducing trans-exclusionary radical feminists. I didn't expect anything like that in this arc!
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Well, I seek to surprise
I'm glad you're enjoying the Arc
I can't believe I forgot to favorite this story and almost missed out on reading this immediately. Wait, the thing that causes the chaos in all of Equestria is going to be Evening Rose declaring her love for Dusk. Aw, that's so sweet. This is the most elaborate shipfic I have ever read. It's adorable.
Joking aside, I'm really enjoying this. It is interesting how Evening Rose is easily entering the role of activist. It's just the fact of her existing, being herself, and interacting with other ponies that is her being an activist.
That reaming was fucking glorious!
Hm, patriarchal society ruled over by mares for thousands of years?
Eh, why not.
Good one on Rose for being able to get out of that sticky spot. Though forgive me if I find a tangible autograph line something a bit odd for a rights activist. But yeah, feminism. I won't go there but I've never been too impressed by their reasoning or arguments.
Cant wait 'til monday, and forgive me but are any of these actually gonna last longer than a day?
Hang on, I think I have some burn cream around here somewhere...
Okay first off, Timetables comment sounds stalker-creepy. Like they were willing to go to any lengths to get Rose on board.
Second her final thanks to Dusk really comes across as a stockholm syndrome. He blackmails her into helping, tell hers nothing, plays mind games with her and she's grateful to him? It just feels like a hugs change from where she was before and feels really jarring and uncomfortable.
I'm sorry but I'm going to have to pass on this one. Rose feels completely different from when we left her and since we weren't shown that change it feels abrupt and worrying, much like if she was replaced by a changeling. I honestly keep expecting her to go back to the camp and find out Dusk has brainwashed her into their perfect little tool.
Up til now this has been a wonderful series but this is where I say my goodbyes and sadly leave a downvote. I am sorry and my likes of the other stories won't change.
2626620
Better late than never
I'm just glad you're still enjoying the story, hopefully I can continue to entertain for a while longer.
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I love your reactions.
My editor was like "So this is what it's like when you argue with the voices in your head huh?"
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Yea.. I know. I tried writing it backwards (where it was a stallion arguing the opposite) but every time I tried it turned to crap.. That and that arguement I got into was one that I wanted to portray as well as possible, since it really stuck with me.
Oh, as for the chapters. Each chapter signifies a stop, for however long they are there. Next chapter will have them in Los Pegasus for more than one day, but it will all be posted together, for example.
Anyway, Monday should be fun, assuming I fix a major oversight on my part (which I only just figured out). Still, I have today and tomorrow to do it right? All will be well.
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These arguments with Discord are waaaaaayyy too familiar for comfort...
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No need to apologize, I'm just happy that I managed to entertain for as long as I did, and I'm sorry I was unable to keep it going.
I can completely see your point, and I guess the problem is due to how I wrote Dusk.
He was supposed to be the morally dubious, forceful, and ethic-lacking fighter with his heart in the right place. Someone Rose would clash with, disagree with, and fight with, but not someone she would hate. The idea was that she would see that he was right, but that he was doing things wrong, learning things from him, both in what ways she should be like him and in what ways he shouldn't.
He was never meant to be hated, and as such, Rose accepting him, thanking him for giving her a push, and the like was meant to be more natural (in that it would be Rose learning to see past his obnoxious personality for the sake of an ally).
That's not how he came across, and i see that now. I saw it in the comments and in the various conversations people had about him. I just didn't know how to fix it.
Anyway, I say this not to make excuses. The fault was mine as the writer. I didn't write him the way I should have and then I didn't do anything to adapt events to the new perception of Dusk. Your concerns are valid..
I merely say all this to explain what happened.
Anyway, thank you so much for having stuck with it as far as you did.
Know I'll miss your comments.
*hug*
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Well, the main reason it probably sounded weird is that you grew up in a patriarchal society and it might as well have been Blue-Orange morality.
Pretty much, despite being their beliefs, it's so foreign to you or I, that it seems off and alien despite everything. I never meant multi chapter, just multi day anyways.
Cant wait ta see what we have for tomorrow
Feminists are one of my least favorite kinds of people. They're always going on about not getting paid the same as a man, not being treated the same as a man, all of that. It doesn't help that it's crap. And then they're almost always pro-choice, which is a idealology I completely dislike. I'll be fair, it's really just the militant ones I dislike, but it's still a fine line. Anyways, great chapter, great arguement, great dialogue, great everything. I'm very impressed.
This is a very delicate chapter to me. Almost to the point where I don't want to make a direct comment on it for fear of breaking it. But it makes me think with the imagery of the destruction of the buildings, and Discord noting what he loves about chaos, that the immense change in Euqestria may involve him more directly than I once thought.
Giant Rose crushing buildings under her hooves; you know? when I was reading arc1 I could never think this story would turn this way.
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*hugs*
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What can I say? Pent up aggression
Don't worry, she'll be back to normal size by next chapter
So, like, discord has straight up legitimately confirmed body alteration magic, so when will she, y'know, ask. Or he could offer I guess.
Either way, tearing down a city is a wet dream of one of my characters and this continues to be enjoyable.
2641387 Coudsdale would've been funnier this way.
Well this was "nice". I figured Dusk would crack after that, but an actual mobilization was slightly unexpected. Nice execution, but why didn't he lock the door? Anyways, consider my bloodlust satiated... for now.
Cant wait for the next chapter!
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It's a tent, so I guess he could have zipped it up but it didn't occur to me at the time.
In any case, I'm glad your bloodlust has been satiated for now. All those lives saved
I really enjoyed the conversation between Rose and Discord, and fun destruction!
Kill them with kindness?
More like brutally executed with kindness.
That scene with Rose and Dusk was really special and it's great to see another side of Dusk. Also Rose has a ship? WHO IS IT!?