Questions about Macintosh Apple: The Ghost Rider · 8:18pm Nov 28th, 2015
Hello everyone!
Today I decided that I am going to do a little blog about Macintosh Apple: The Ghost Rider and answer some questions that I am asked a lot about the story, and also to have you guys ask me about the story. Some of these answers will be vague because I don't want to spoil anything. Without further adieu, some of the top questions about Ghost Rider!
1. Why is Big Mac the Ghost Rider?
This has been a question many people have asked, and thought it had been an odd choice. Most people thought Fluttershy would have made a better Ghost Rider or somepony from Appleossa. While I admit, the idea of a Fluttershy Ghost Rider does intrigue me, and Braeburn as Ghost Rider is a cool idea (check out the picture here) Big Mac to me was the best choice for Ghost Rider. Now am I a little bias because Big Mac is my favorite pony? Yes. But there is far more to it than just that.
For starters, I needed a pony that would be willing to sell their soul to the devil. This was the main reason I could not use Fluttershy here, I can't see her making a deal with the devil for anything. When I tell people this they ask, why would she not sell her soul for Angel or one of her friends if they were dying? For me, I see Fluttershy understanding the circle of life, and that sometimes you can't control who lives and who dies, and as someone as close to animals as she is, and a vet, she has probably seen her fair share of death and if she was a true vet, probably put some animals down. To me, she would not sell her soul because she understands the natural order of things and would not upset the balance of life.
Outside of that, many people wondered why not use one of the Main Six or another country pony. I didn't want to use the Main Six because they are all very powerful on their own, and to combine that with the power of Ghost Rider would have made them very overpowered. Besides, we have already seen crossovers with the main six as heroes, just look at the Power Ponies or whatever its called. It has been done already. With using someone from Appleossa, well, I started to write this before I watched all the episodes so I didn't know other ponies to use. Even if I did, Big Mac would still be my choice.
This is because Big Mac to me would be willing to sell his soul in order to protect his family. While we all want to believe Applejack runs the farm, I have always thought it was Mac and Granny. Before Twilight came to town, ya she probably did run the farm but with all the Elements of Harmony stuff and other adventures she does not have the time to do it. Big Mac has to protect the farm and his family, leaving him with a lot of responsibility. This leads me to believe that he would be willing to give up his very life to protect his family, being a perfect victim of the Devil.
2. Where is Discord?
Lots of people have been complaining about the lack of Discord in the story. You would think the Lord of Chaos would be high on the Rider's list of souls t feed on.
Discord will appear.
3. What's the deal with the MacDash Shipping?!
Chapter 11 has turned off so many people, and it kind of sucks. I thought it was a nice ending that would have people wondering why it happened all of a sudden. Most people thought I just wanted to have a random sex act in the story so boom! Shipping! Now, anyone that knows me knows that I love MacDash! Its my OTP and I scare other MacDash shippers with how hard I ship it. There is more to this though, and a few people have seen that.
When I started to plan this story, I actually was thinking of pairing Mac up with someone different. I needed a pony that would want to find out the truth behind Wild Blaze, and once they found out would still accept him. This was actually very difficult, because I couldn't think of any other pony but Rainbow Dash. I actually tried to make an argument for Fluttershy that she would not care if he was the Ghost Rider, that he was still the same pony as ever, but how would she find out? I don't see her following Wild Blaze or the Ghost Rider around to see him transform, and really none of the others I saw doing that either. Ya, maybe Pinkie Pie, but she would not be able to keep such an important secret.
This is why to me, Dash was the only character I could use for a love interest. We have seen her get jealous and try to get the attention of Ponyville back on her. So with a pony appearing and stealing all the attention from her adopted nephew was the perfect scenario to make Dash hate Wild Blaze and try to connect him to the Ghost Rider.
4. Which Ghost Rider are you using?
There are a lot of F***ing Ghost Riders out there. I really made my own, combining elements of different Riders into one. I needed a Ghost Rider that would be more than just a vigilante, I needed something extra dark and twisted for the world of MLP because we never see anything like that... you know... except for Sombra exploding. So I needed a Ghost Rider that would be so demonic that Mac would never want to go home for he was a host to such a demon, and to be a pony that criminals truly feared.
That is all I got time for today. But please leave questions about the story you would like to have answer! I shall do it as soon as possible!
Capt. U
To let you know. I love macDash shippings. They are su much fun to read. I love them. I was happy to see you put those two together in your story.
Will there be changelings in the story? And will you need some OCs for said changelings?
But more importantly will there be something with Luna or should I say Nightmare Moon? Not that she'll be in the story but more so with Luna dealing with some consequences during here time as Nightmare?
On the MacDash, I have no problem with it, and like it as far as pairings go. The way you went about it was just kind of weird.
Having RD go from "This guy is such a jerk I hate him SO MUCH" to "Mac is alive AJ is going to be so happy WAIT what does he mean he doesn't want to tell them" to "okay, sexy tyme nao!" was honestly jarring, even with the explanation.
I also maintain that the Devil has been a pretty stand-up guy during all these shenanigans, and Mac's grudge and suspicion toward him is completely unfounded.
3575517 There will be no Changelings. To me they are necessary evil. They need to feed off love to survive. Kind of like the bear that kills a camper, ya it's evil but the bear was doing it to survive
3577347 I have been thinking of reworking that. I would love to get suggestions on what you think I should do instead
3578400 Ok then, thank you for answering my question.
3578465 As for Luna, she will have a role
3578522
3578400
Oh, cool!
Well, the Devil could at least stand to defend himself whenever he does something "evil", probably in a smug "surely you saw this coming" way. Yes, Granny Smith burned to death, but she got to spend an extra year with her family in perfect health. Maybe not what Mac signed up for, but it was a totally legit service provided to the Apple family.
3578772 I meant the MacDash part lol
3578772 He's the devil. Honestly, do you really need a reason to hate the DEVIL? Well, here are some.
1. He can be held accountable for alot of problems in the world, pony or not.
2. He did, infact, murder granny smith. Weather it was a year later or not, he did murder her. (Yes, the fire counts as murder. We know for a fact that he did it.)
3. He took mac's life from him, and he did the same for hundreds of other riders.
4. He's the fuckin' devil.
3583602
I'm one of those people that can't resist playing devil's advocate. Only, you know, literally, in this case. I don't always root for the villain, but I always like to point out when he's gotten a bad rap.
1) How can The Devil be held accountable for Equestria's (as an agnostic, I'm not going to start arguing with anyone about whether Satan is causing trouble IRL) problems? The Devil as portrayed here is just running the uglier half of the spiritual criminal justice system. In fact, seeing as he unleashed the Ghost Rider into the world, he's actively culling the population of horrific criminals with horrible, demonic vigilante justice. There's obviously a system here, and the Rider is playing by its rules. When he was dropped in a den of criminal scum, he immediately sensed the undercover cop and spared him. If we consider the Ghost Rider an extension of The Devil's will, he's providing a public service.
2) It's true that he killed Granny Smith. But only AFTER saving her and leaving them all alone for a year. So it's really more like he deferred her death than really murdering her. A year of good health, living with one's loving family is worth a lot, and I'm not convinced that Big Mac would have said no if The Devil had explicitly made that his offer instead of "sign this contract and I'll save her life what you want to read it hahahano kthnx bai."
3) This has always been a point of contention with me. It's stated that Mac's soul is gone and that his life was taken from him, but what does that actually MEAN? Obviously he's now infested with a demonic justice-hungry monster, and that creates certain complications, sure, but Mac was the one who decided to leave "forever". Except not really, because he comes back and hangs out with his family and hooks up with Dash and everything actually goes pretty well even with all the midnight murdering.
I'm not going to say that Big Mac made the wrong choice by abandoning his family, but that was HIS CHOICE, not some arbitrary cruelty The Devil inflicted on him.
4) Satan has always had an unfair rap, and Original Sin is bull
. Tree of knowledge was a set-up, and the Allmighty knows it. WAKE UP, SHEEPLE!!
3583705
3583602
You two are missing the true evil force at work here. The one behind it all...
3583862
Yes, true, but flame-string-of-numbers was talking about The Devil specifically.
I'm sure Celestia will get what's coming to her eventually.
3584233 Not her
3584364
Well, I'm out of ideas.
3584437 Whose the one who made Mac leave his family? Who brought the Ghost Rider into existence? That created this reality?
...
...
...
Me
3584459
But you also hooked him up with Rainbow Dash, so honestly, your karma is pretty solid, here.
No, I feel like this is definitely Celestia's fault, somehow.
3585078 True, and MacDash is so flipping adorable. However! I did just unleash a demon army on Canterlot
3585938
And thank Tzeentch you did! Finally, Shining Armor gets to do something besides being victimized by enemies of the state. I mean, even considering Sombra womped him, this is one of his better performances.
This is an interesting that I honestly wish more writers used to answer questions.
I'll admit the MacDash did not supprise me but that has less to do with it making sense in the story and more with the fact that this is your story. MacDash is your pairing and I have come to expect it in your works. It's never bothered because as a Major Big Mac fan I think your stories are awesome and you tend to make a valid argument for the pairing.
If I was to make one change in this story regarding MacDash I would say have there have been an attraction between the before Big Mac 'died'. Nothing serious, maybe have had Dash ask Mac out but then the fire happens before they have a date. So Dash wouldn't mourn the loss of her love but the loss of what could have been.
I'll admit I know very little from the comic book version of the Ghost Rider. Basically what I know is that its a flaming skeleton on a motorcycle with chains and the penace. You have all four of those things so I'm satisfied.
Besides, I'm enjoying my self greatly.
As for questions
1. Will we ever get to see the events that were aluded to between Mac and the Devil? There were honestly some really awesome sounding confrontations that I would love to see (who wouldn't want to watch Ghost Rider take on a dragon)
2. Just how strong is the Devil? How does he measure against the likes of Discord or the Royal Sisters?
3. Will we see Angels in this? I mean aside from just alluding to them.
4. Will we be seeing more of the investgator?
3588973
1. Possibly
2. Unsure.
3. Possibly
4. Yes
Sorry that the answers are vague. Lots of those questions are in future chapters.