Letters From a Little Princess Monster
Trains, Strains and Explosive Pops
The sweltering heat of the Everfree Forest sent long trickles of sweat down the inside of Sergeant Chives’ mottled armor, making the sensation of the two heavy magic suppression donuts strapped to his sides feel much like wet bags of concrete smushing up against him with every step. They had been following Princess Cadence and Prince Consort Shining Armor through a narrow forest trail for several hours now with no sign of the monster and no sign of a break. His first encounter with the creature had been several months ago, and if not for the few minutes of stark terror and the giant glassy crater of devastation left behind then, it would have been easy to dismiss their trips into the trackless forest since as some sort of cruel hazing ritual. He had just stepped over a rock with his eyes tracking to the left when it happened.
An iridescent flying insect with multiple body parts had caught his attention, glittering a spectrum of colors as it flew by. Before he turned his eyes back to the path, a small flicker of purple in the deep green forest nailed his hooves to the ground. It was only for a few moments that he was captured in that piercing gaze from the scarred and tortured face before Monster vanished into the forest like a ghost, but the image still could bring him wide awake in the middle of the night with a muffled scream.
* * *
Chives felt naked.
Even while wrapped in his Royal Guard armor, standing on the train platform within sight of a few dozen other ponies all wearing far less than him, he still could feel a chill breeze blow through the thin steel and evaporate the sudden film of sweat that had suddenly covered his body. The heavily-enchanted mottled armor that he had worn so many times into the forest was safely sitting on a shelf in Canterlot, miles away, as well as the two heavy magic suppression donuts that he had cursed so many times on their long slogs through the Everfree. There were many dangers he had faced in his years as a Royal Guard, but he had never pictured himself wishing for an entire regiment of reinforcements to face off against one small unicorn filly with mournful eyes.
But even his ongoing panic was abruptly interrupted by a loud pop from off to one side, and then what seemed like every firework in Ponyville began screaming and roaring off into the sky. He stumbled as he tried to look both ways at once, feeling a crushing pain around one leg that triggered a certain disconnect in his panic.
Training kicked in despite the weirdness of the situation, or perhaps because of it. The blossoms of red and blue were fairly pretty, and distracting as all heck, particularly when one would whizz down the train platform and explode fairly close, which caused him to wince in pain. It took effort to look around the train platform for any possible assassin taking advantage of their inattention in order to attack Prince Blueblood, but it seemed the residents of the little town were either watching the light show with awe, or ignoring it as if the explosions were routine.
He took the time while the fireworks banged and popped to revise his opinions on the little filly, who seemed so much smaller and much different up close. There was something going on that was definitely above his pay grade, or perhaps several somethings that would require a few quiet words to the Prince Consort when they returned to Canterlot. But until then, he had a job to do. After one last scan of the area as his duty commanded, he turned his attention to calming down the little filly, her trembling body wrapped around one armored foreleg and with her nose buried in his neck.
It is extremely difficult to be afraid of a monster who is clutching frantically to your leg and whimpering in tears.
* * *
Prince Blueblood came striding out onto the train station platform, giving a brief annoyed glance at the fireworks show the locals were putting on for his arrival. Their timing was atrocious, starting before he even made an appearance, without a brass band of any sort, and not nearly enough fireworks for a proper display, but then again, he had not scheduled this trip so perhaps that was as good as this plebeian little village could scrape together on short notice. With a disparaging snort, he sent the rest of his servants to procure a suite at the local hotel before striding over to his auntie’s two guards, who seemed to be playing with some of the local ragamuffins.
“You there! The photographer. Direct me to the library at once. I have business with Beatrix Lulumoon.”
The little pegasus aiming the camera at the sun-drenched village ignored him, of all the gall, but Blueblood did get a response. There was a small unicorn filly who had been the victim of some sort of horrible painting incident wrapped rather firmly around Sergeant Chives’ foreleg, and she looked up with a blubbering sniff and a curious expression. “Beatrix?”
Blueblood bent down and looked at the little mottled filly’s tear-smeared face while trying not to frown at her untidy appearance. She blinked back tears and looked back, dividing her attention between him and the few pops and sizzles of leftover fireworks detonating. “She’s at the library. It’s a big building full of books. You know what books are, don’t you?”
Both of her little ears folded back and the terrified glances she was casting at the few popping fireworks remnants turned into an intense glare at him, with a cute little squint that was supposed to be intimidating. “Yes.”
“Well, direct me there at once. I haven’t got all day, you know.”
“Go ahead, Twilight,” said Featherweight, who had not moved from his camera viewfinder. “I’m doing a timed exposure. We’ll meet you over there.”
* * *
Blueblood trotted through the little town with his nose properly held up in the air, following the little filly with his two clanking guards trailing behind. There was something he was missing in the situation, and that missing puzzle piece itched at the back of his mind, but Trixie could be counted on for at least this one bit of information.
At least with a little bourbon.
* * *
Monster obediently stood outside the library with the two guards, waiting for Mister Prince Blueblood to come back outside. He had been very insistent about having a private conversation with Trixie, and the two guards had settled into a stoic position at either side of the library door to prevent any interruptions, but something still bothered Monster about one of them. She eyed the earth pony, feeling the touch of the spirits of earth on his metal-wrapped hooves, but realization did not dawn until she stuck her nose into his mane again and gave a deep sniff.
She sat back on her haunches and looked up at him. There should have been some fear in her liver, but she could only see the terrified soldier in mottled armor deep within the hostile forest, and think of how she had hurt him.
“I’m sorry.” Monster sniffed. “I’m sorry for scaring you so much in the forest. And for throwing rocks at you. I didn’t mean to hurt you.”
The earth pony guard blinked a few times, then got down on one knee to wipe away her tear with an armored hoof. “Apology accepted. And on behalf of all of the ponies in our task force, I’d like to apologize to you.”
“Why?” Monster reached out and gently tapped his armor with one hoof. “I was a bad pony. I hurt other ponies. I hurt you. You protect ponies.”
“Well, yes, but…” The guard trailed off and a small smile began to make its way onto his face. “I tell you what, let’s try this again.”
He stuck out a hoof. “Hello, my name is Sergeant Chives and this handsome lug to my side is Specialist Stanchion. What’s your name?”
“Y-you can just accept me like that? But I killed. I’m a murderer.”
The big guard shook his head. “Nopony in the task force was seriously injured while we were trying to catch you, other than Specialist Beeswax, and it was his own fault for hitting that bee’s nest with a stick. He may have been friendly with normal bees, but your forest bees pack a wallop.” The jocular smile on the guard’s face slowly melted away as the expected joke fell flat, but before he could go farther, the other guard knelt beside him.
“Twilight Sparkle, the race of changelings owe you gratitude beyond measure. The invasion of Canterlot could have cost the lives of hundreds of ponies and changelings alike. When you were captured, you had every right to use every tool at your disposal to escape, even to the destruction of our hive. Had you not thinned our ranks, the love of our new Queen could never have broken us of our cursed hunger, and we would still be a slave to our baser instincts, monsters preying on the ponies that Sergeant Chives here is pledged to protect. As am I. You were the one who saved us, and you should never feel guilt for that victory.”
Her voice was very small in the morning air. “I almost killed you all.”
“But you didn’t.” The disguised changeling picked up Monster’s hoof and held it to his warm breastplate. “I felt your confusion and anger when you confronted Queen Chrysalis; all of us did. Our lives were yours to take, and for just a moment, I was glad. I had become a monster, stealing what I could not be given and plotting to destroy the ones who I had pledged myself to protect. You took those chains away, and had it taken the sacrifice of all of us to save even a few from that fate, I would have given my life willingly for that goal.”
They talked for a while in front of the library while the busy townponies went about their business in the distance around them. The big guards were very good listeners, and she found herself talking about things that had bothered her ever since Luna had been freed. They assured her the new princess was adapting well to rejoining her sister as a ruler over Equestria, making the castle staff scurry around like the occupants of a shaken firefly lantern while catching up on her current events. But they could not answer if she had gained any new friends other than relating a funny story about one silly pony who had kissed her and begged for her hoof in marriage.
It seemed the life of a Princess was a lonely one, with few ponies able to maintain a close relationship with one who held such power over them, although Stanchion seemed very proud of Cadence and just a little resentful of Shining Armor. He reassured Monster that her brother already knew about what she had done, and was nearly a basket case with badly concealed worry about her. She would have asked more about her family except for the abrupt exit of Mister Prince Blueblood from the library, trailing smoke from his tail as he sprinted for the distant town fountain.
While the guards galloped after their charge, Monster slipped into the library where Trixie was holding a bottle in her magic and glaring at her departing guest. She shifted the bottle from side to side while muttering, eventually sitting it back down on the table with a growled, “It would probably just break on his thick head and set the rest of him on fire. Hello, Menace. What are you doing here this morning?”
“Hello.” Monster fidgeted in place. Obviously Trixie was not in a mood to allow her into the library, but there were so many books calling to be read while waiting for the rest of her friends to show up. “Could I please…”
“What? Come in? Make breakfast? Get an autograph?” Trixie yawned and turned around to plod into the library, the unopened bottle trailing along in her wake. “Come on in while you’re deciding. I’ll make coffee. Do you have any idea what that racket was that woke me up this morning?”
* * *
The last crate had just finished smoldering by the time Comet Tails emerged from his safe bunker of boxes and crates at the train station freight platform. Cold Front was nowhere to be seen, but knowing her luck, she had probably landed in a box full of ice cream when the fireworks had begun to explode. He picked through the glowing remnants of the fireworks shipment with a scowl and a sudden yank back of his hoof as it found a particularly hot coal.
“Hey, Tails. Does this mean we can go back to Canterlot? I don’t think we’re needed to supervise the fireworks now.” Cold Front casually strolled out of the train, the pair of somewhat squishy ice cream cones dripping in her magic being held in front of her as she detoured around a few still smoldering fireworks fragments. “The dining car freezer is going out and they were giving away their ice cream. Good luck, eh?”
“Wonderful luck, CF.” He took the offered ice cream cone in his own magic and gave it a despondent lick. Sitting in the middle of a burnt shipment of fireworks with ice cream beat the heck out of just sitting in the middle of a burnt shipment of fireworks, but it took a second and a third lick to cheer him up enough to continue.
“We’ll just have to go back and get replacements out of the warehouse. Hey! You there! Yes, you. Come here for a minute, please?”
Comet Tails scribbled on a note for a minute while floating a few bits over to the little unicorn filly, who looked around the smoking railroad freight dock with an unmistakably guilty expression. From the patterns of smoke on her pristine white coat, she had been extremely close to the launch site when the fireworks went up, and from the way she kept looking at him, she obviously expected some sort of accusation. Finally as he got near the bottom of the note, she exploded with a sentence that had apparently been building up inside her under immense pressure.
“I’msorryforlightingyourfireworksIonlywantedtolookatthemandmyhornmadesparksandtheywentoffandI’msorryandIpromiseitwon’thappenagainsandwhydidyougivemetwobits?”
“Because I want you to run a note over to Princess Celestia’s student, Trixie. Don’t sweat setting the fireworks off by accident.” He paused and pointed to the silvery comet adorning his own smoky coat. “It’s how I got my cutie mark, after all.” Comet Tails folded the piece of paper up and passed it over to the blank-flanked filly, who grasped it in her mouth instead of her magic and scurried off.
“Well, that’s it for today,” said Cold Front, popping the last of the ice cream cone into her mouth and chewing happily. “Back to civilization in plenty of time for me to finish work and play with my coltfriend tonight.”
“Yeah. I suppose.” Comet Tails kicked a piece of fireworks debris and frowned. “I really wanted to meet The Great and Powerful Trixie, though. Maybe tomorrow when we bring up a fresh batch.”
The two unicorns went back into the train, leaving behind an entire freight platform covered with boxes, crates, and shipping containers, and on every one of them, a sign.
Property of the Great and Powerful Trixie
Well, it was a bit much for Celestia to hire a Ewe-haul... (edited thanks to j-grizz)
I have no idea what to comment
That moment when you realize. 'The thing that just attached itself to my leg has more kills to it's name from one instant, then all the living members of the royal guard put together.'
lol
3930719
Derpy probably would've dropped them all anyway.
I had the sudden urge to hug her with all my strength ..
3930719
Ewe-Haul, surely
Great
I do wonder where all the money for these fireworks comes from.
So, fireworks? Five guesses as to who is responsible, and they go by the abbreviation CMC.
Oh god my heart *dies*
Looks like the Sparkle/Guard/Changeling rapprochement (not at all how I initially thought this was spelled) is going pretty well.
I'd have been more surprised if Blueblood's meeting hadn't ended like that.
Oh Sweetie.
Figures.
So close, Blueblood, and yet so far. Featherweight actually said Twilight's name right in front of him, but Bluey was too busy sticking his nose into the air to notice.
The spirits of fire seem to really like Sweetie Belle's mane. Cooking, fireworks...
Great chapter
3930895
Your next thought is "Can I keep it".
3931264
Yes.
You know, back in The Monster in Twilight, it would have been ridiculously easy for you to write Twilight as a villain protagonist or even a tragic heroine. Nobody would have blamed you for either portrayal. Yet, you really did keep her morality and it shows in extreme hindsight she feels guilty for the twelve years of hell she raised on the guards and the near genocide of the Changeling race in self-defense.
And for that, you're an amazing author.
Ok this has been bugging me for a while, is twilights current mane like it is in the show or is it something else?
DDDDAAAAAAAAAAAAWWWWW
Come over here Monster, Let me hug you. Everything's okay, nopony is mad at you.
3931645
No, the next thought would be:
"That's incredibly badass."
Then:
"Can I keep it?"
3932106
My words. You stole them.
OOOOOO! AHHHHHHHHH!
The amount of adorableness in this chapter was unbelievable. Well done.
I like to think Trixie is a direct linear descendant of Star Swirl. Why? Because of the stealth pun with the beard and the amniomorphic spell, that would make her Beatrix Potter.
Sadly, like the fellow who tries to bulldoze Arthur Dent's house, all that survived the many generations in between was the same taste in hats.
Also, fantastic bit with Twilight and the guards. A shame we didn't get to hear any of the conversation between Trixie and Blueblood, but I think I can guess the gist.
And the liver's a novel place for fear. I'm guessing that's more zebra culture, probably involving a rhyme with "shiver" at some point.
In any case, great... subchapter, I guess? Let's go with that. Looking forward to more.
3932250
"Can I get your autograph?" may or may not enter into the process at some point, depending on the pony doing the thinking.
3931264 Good point, I'll change it. I forgot the ponyfication of the term.
3935373 I would think *every* unicorn would claim to be directly related to Starswirl, just as every single royal claims to have an unbroken line back to Princess Platinum. I would think a full review of historical records would show the Princess gave birth twice a year for 120 years in order to have the children that are claimed.
3933605 I credit my subject matter.
3932005 Well, I have this mental picture of the fluffy mess that her mane was in after the first episode Rainblow Dry, but if it were that way, Rarity would have tracked her down by now and tamed that mane regardless of the consequences. This will come into play when Monster learns to be herself instead of trying to be somepony else.
3931815 I just reflect the awesomeness of my readers and my subjects.
3931552 Well, Blueblood does eventually make the connection. And she's not really who he expected to get the information from. And on the topic of Sweetie Belle, remember we're dealing with the classic elements here, Air (Scoots), Earth (Apple Bloom), Fire (Sweetie), and Water... Hm. Maybe Peep Sprout can be a Seapony. Shoo be doo be doo.
3931513 And Tallgrass volunteered to live in the same house as her. I suppose there are benefits.
3931457 Equestrian Family Insurance. You're in Good Hooves, with us.
3930895 Well, they were mostly greys. But think of the XPs.
3941658
Water has been traditionally connected to magic in mythology, so Twilight herself could easily hold the spot in the CMC.
After finally sitting down and giving The monster in the Twilight a go (I had seen the name float up a number of times, but never got around to reading it) ... and then promptly getting sucked in and barreling my way through straight to this point (chapter 17 of Letters) ... my main thought is: why didn't I do this sooner?!?
I admit I didn't think the premise would be something I'd enjoy - there's just something about a mentally deranged filly from the get go that didn't quite resonate with me - but boy was I proven wrong (probably helped along the way that we never really dwelt on the feral filly Twilight, but jumped straight to a timeskip). By the end of the first chapter I could already tell this was the start of something special, and by the time the end of the first fic rolled around, I was ready to stand up and applaud you for writing such a fantastic piece. While there are plenty of good works out there, and some great ones, it's truly rare to encounter something of this quality.
Your characterization is extremely strong and distinctive and your ability to weave words to summon forth a particular mental imagery is superb. Combine the two, and the result was a tale that you could feel as much as read it and have the events all but play out before your eyes. From Celestia's fragile grace and palpable weakness as the weight of the world bore down on her shoulders - so strong yet so brittle it all but felt she would crumble away at any moment where one to touch her - To Twilight's limited ability to perceive and analyze the world that made her come across all the more raw and heartfelt in a primal sort of way for it - to the CMC who truly felt like children, innocent and simple and all the more endearing for it, to Nightmare's callous disdain and wicked temper that all but radiated from her - it was, in a word, magnificent. Rarely have I seen characterization this strong and brought forth with such intensity and clarity, which made this an absolutely immersive tale to read.
The humor is great and character interactions come together pretty seamlessly - the CMC interactions with Monster being the epitome of it all, and it was absolutely endearing watching the bunch befriend and accept the scarred and panicked unicorn with no prejudice, preconceptions and with the sort of innocent earnestly that only children posses - again a bunch of characters that you captured superbly well, both in terms of personality and in genuinely portraying them as children.
And it was a nice contrast to the way Shining and Cadence went about it (I wonder what their thoughts are on the fact that a bunch of children accomplished in weeks what they couldn't in years) - extend a hoof in friendship and companionship and allow the Monster to come to you on her terms (and gain a loyal friend and protector in the process), as opposed to trying to force her in to submission and doing something she doesn't want - and in turn earning an enraged and extremely powerful unicorn who tosses trees at them.
Indeed, I wasn't sure how well I'd like idea of a nigh feral Twilight, but in the end it turned out to be pretty fascinating. It was kinda heartbreaking to see her struggle to string quarter-way coherent words together and yet fascinating to see how she perceived the world in her own simple yet effective primal way, and how she had all but become part of the Everfree's food chain - sitting somewhere on the top. I think I could read about her misadventures in the Everfree as she leads the CMC all but on a tour around the place, and how all the monsters give the group a wide berth because of the purple beast The candy sticks serving as a makeshift stress relievers for the poor unicorn was immensely amusing as well, and probably my favorite running sort-of joke through the whole fic.
All in all, Twilight/Monster was a fairly fascinating character all the way through - both in her more primal ways, and in her increased level of coherency post the changeling hive incident. The way she handled her magic - as a blunt instrument as opposed to the swiss army knife she is in the show made good sense as well - both in terms of it corresponding to her mental state (while still retaining the natural, instinctive affinity she has always had for it), and it being a case of bringing the right tool for the right job - because a big hammer is probably better for trying to survive in the Everfree than much of her fancier magic, which is more situational, if just as powerful. Charming in its simplicity ... and makes sense considering she is pretty much self-taught at this point, and most of the her pressing needs are battering away monsters trying to eat her and guards trying to catch her. I could gush some more on this no doubt, but I imagine by this point, besides boring you to tears, I have made the point I enjoyed your handling of the characters rather clear :P
You have even made me tolerate Trixie in your story, which is something of a feat - normally I can't stand the blue windbag and any and all attempts to force-feed me some sobful backstory of hers that people are so fond of doing usually only makes me roll my eyes and abandon ship, but here I feel you have done her justice. Yes, she an absolute snob with arrogance in spades and ego the size of Luna's moon - and you have embraced that image and aren't making excuses for it. Instead you have made her pretty entertaining to follow when she is on screen (because who doesn't like to see someone dislikable be dragged in to all sorts of shenanigans that she has to sort through), while giving her the occasional bout of usefulness and competence that aren't out of character and actually justify her presence. Well done.
Characterization aside, the plot was highly enjoyable as well - the alternate handling of Nightmare's return and the epic fight that followed was intense and did justice to all involved and the different set of bearers made perfect sense (and them not being powerful enough due to their youth to power the Elements without consequence a nice twist) - after all, Twilight is still the element of Magic (a connection made during her flare as a filly, I imagine, if not before), feral or not, the cornerstone which would bring the other elements together - and those companions aren't quite as predestined.
Twilight's intended sacrifice and how it eventually played out by Trixie finally doing something useful and selfless in all these years (which was proptly ruined by complaining about not having her own wings, of course) to the reunion of the sisters ... well played, all of it. All in all, I couldn't have been happier with the way things turned out (aside from that absolutely hideous coloring you subjected poor reborn Twilight to ... whyyy?!?) and it was an absolute joy to read - inspiring experiences like these aren't often found on this site, or the world of fiction in general.
I have one question though, regarding Monster's appearance - why was she so completely unkempt upon her introduction? I had initially assumed she spent her days and nights prowling the Everfree while sleeping in caves, bushes, trees and whatever else assumed-safe domiciles the forest would provide, with bathing and appearances the furthest thing from the mind, but then it was revealed Zecora had picked her up since day one. That being the case, wouldn't Monster show more than some slight sights of grooming, but overall still looking like a disaster, if she has been in constant care of the Zebra and having a home to sleep in? Obviously some of it is unavoidable as she spends her time frolicking around the forest and getting in scuffles with its inhabitants, but I'd imagine being subjected to Zecora's care would lave her somewhat better preserved than that :P
----------
Regarding Letters from a little princess monster up to chapter 17 ... hm, I must admit it hasn't quite gripped me the same way the first story did. It's still incredibly well written and the characterization is as strong as ever, but the story feels to have lost its edge, sort of. Which is fair enough I suppose, as this is mainly about Twilight settling in to her new life in Ponyville and not a mad quest for the fate of the world (or is it?? Keep Twilight happy lest she yank the Sun down!) as you can't have constant excitement all the time, but it feels like that with the departure of the adult Monster, much of the raw, primal edge that made this such a vivid tale went with her.
Of course I'm more than happy for Twilight and her ability to re-experience the childhood that was robbed from her and have her shot at a normal life - or as normal as a hideously colored alicorn with lots of baggage can have - but at the same time I lament the departure of the five CMC and their grown up yet absolutely weird companion who watched over the group in her own way as they pranced around the Everfree, and in turn they looked out for her and her emotional needs.
That dynamic has been sort of lost now, and Twilight/Monster/Menace/The Watcher Who Brings Pain has essentially become yet another simple Cutie Mark Crusader - it doesn't feel like Twilight any more, or like Monster, just ... another little filly getting in to filly-level shenanigans with the rest of the crusaders and doing largely inconsequential and childish stuff. I have a somewhat hard time connecting the character we have now with the one we had in the first story, because it feels like an almost different one entirely, save for her love of books.
The Adventure tag feels misplaced on this story and it feels like the Slice of Life one would reflect its nature more, as thus far it has pretty much been about the episodic but not terribly exciting adventures of a not-quite-Monster in Ponyville. She may have regained her potential for growth once again and has had her brain fixed, or in the process of being fixed, which is doubtlessly a good thing, but in the meantime we are left with a character who feels like a regression compared to first story Monster - Monster may have been saddled with a number of issues that I wouldn't wish on anyone (except those I would), but her intelligence was still there in a primal sort of way and she possessed a definite level of "street smarts" that the new one doesn't. And she actually knew how to write without errors, even if speaking was an issue. Not to mention the raw aptitude for magic she displayed all the time.
I have no doubt Twilight will retain much of her old attributes as she grows up again and will be much better off for it as she will no longer be impaired by the damages she suffered the first time around, but in the meantime we are sort of stuck with a filly who doesn't seem to posses the instinctual academic intellect she had before, has to relearn how to write and what certain words mean, and has apparently lost the ability to do anything meaningful with her magic in the meantime and generally engages in childlike shenanigans. It's still entertaining and endearing of course, but ... in some ways, it feels like a step back from the edgy awesomeness that was before.
Enough of my ranting though I suppose, who knows what awaits me in the chapters I have yet to catch up with, perhaps I am ranting here over something that has already changed in later chapters. Onwards and upwards, then!
4530507 You know, I have a hard enough time keeping my ego in check without comments like this :)
Characterization, particularly of Trixie: “You have even made me tolerate Trixie in your story” One of the things people do wrong in stories is to take a loved/hated character and change them in a way counter to their central character traits. Trixie is a royal pain in the rump, but there’s no malice in her; she’s an opponent, not a villain. Monster takes all that up to 11, giving an egotistical blowhard dropped into a situation far above her head an opportunity to grow (or glow, if she had not gotten that first Puppet spell correct).
It takes a strong mental image of the character and how they would react to a situation before you can even think of writing them into a major part of a story. I like to think of Pumpernickel who went from a generic Night Guard who got his tail stuck in a door to a co-star in a half-dozen of my fics. The tail in the door was a throwaway gag, but right after that, I had Celestia talking to him, and in order to make the conversation work, I had to build a page of backstory, and add to it as time went on. Monster was hard to characterize, and I had to use both internal and external viewpoints to keep the focus on her state and how it was changing.
Coloring: Why, she is just looking her absolute best. Marigold is Best Unicorn. Look for some colorization changes around Chapter 28. There’s a reason why I introduced Oz. Nuff said.
And for her general appearance, for a unicorn whose coat is half or more scar tissue and who has mental issues that result in her not going home for days or more at a time, she’s not bad. As of Chap 26 she’s got a full mane of mixed curls and straight hairs, but that will change.
Yes, Letters is lower-key than Monster intentionally. There still are adventurous spots and sad moments (only Monster can make an ice cream sculpture of an Urlock seem normal), but Ponyville is the only place in Equestria where every insurance company has redlined. Still, putting Trixie and Twilight in the same town is bound to have some negative property value effects. (Look, there went the stage.)
Thanks again for your feedback, and I hope to entertain you with my scratchings for a long time to come. Come on in and look around.
Beatrix Lulumoon? No Wonder she goes by Trixie.
*Property of the Great and Powerful Trixie*
You made a BIG POINT about her having MONEY PROBLEMS. were the heck did she got money for fireworks?
5805969 probably some of her stuff from Canterlot.
6150553 ikr i knew there was some kind of explanation and btw good icon choice those comics are hilarious
6505457 Could I possibly get a link to said comics? you've piqued my interest
6505457 link plz?
Agreed
3935373
Lack of common sense: check.
Lack of self preservation: check.
Little magic to their name: check.
Great control over what they have: check.
I'd say a few other things got passed down.