Winging and Praying · 12:48am Jan 20th, 2016
Well, "On a Wing and a Prayer" was posted without incident. I'm relieved at this, given the trouble I had with "Wherever You Find Love". Anyway, here's some post-story fun for all of you.
First off, this was intended as a Breather Episode. Given what went on in "Wherever You Find Love", I thought we were due one. That said, yeah, it's a pretty heady one, given the revelations and development for Flash Sentry and his relationship with Twilight. That's probably why so many dislike the story, the fact that Flash Sentry's in it. He exists, people. Deal with it.
This story was inspired by blog posts by Reality Check, specifically ones he made regarding Scootaloo and her apparent inability to fly. The posts are, alas, gone. Long story short, he objects to her being permanently unable to fly. I'm inclined to agree, as he's listed numerous in-story methods of non-winged characters achieving controlled flight and it seems horribly cruel to deny such to Scootaloo if she's actually handicapped. And her actually being handicapped is something that has never been outright confirmed by the people running the show. Even Lauren Faust has flip-flopped on the matter - when she was in charge, Scootaloo simply hadn't gotten the hang of it, while recent interviews suggest that she doesn't object to Scoots being unable to fly.
So I thought to myself, what could cause a pegasus to be unable to fly? Magic deficiency? Some medical condition? The show isn't giving us answers, but given Scootaloo can move fast but seemingly can't get lift going, odds are that it's simply Faust's original statement that she simply hasn't figured out the trick yet. Still, this is something that should logically be looked at, hence Flash suggesting she see professionals about it. I'm not saying what could be the cause behind her inability to fly - I'm definitely not saying that she's a premie like my take on Flash - I'm simply saying that she should consult a doctor about it, if it's that much of a concern. I plan on her flying in my stuff at some point, but things aren't quite fixed yet about how she'll get there.
It also gave me an opportunity to flesh out my version of Flash Sentry a little and incorporate a few bits of fanon, both popular and self-developed. This story isn't the whole of his backstory - I've hinted at more in my other works - but I like to think I've given him some reason behind why he is the way he is, both as a human and as a pony. And yes, I do think his human self had a similar backstory, albeit without the premature birth thing - his comment about not hurting the ones you love was deliberate foreshadowing. He's the product of his environment, and between what his biological father did and what he came to learn from his stepfather, he's grown into who he is now, and refuses to be like the man who provided half his DNA. Granted, his pony self has slightly more of a chip on his shoulder due to the flight issue, but by now, he's mostly over it. That's a story for another time.
And as for Flash's flight capabilities? He can fly about as well as the average pegasus, but he won't be outracing a Wonderbolt.
Finally, in light of "Crusaders of the Lost Mark", I thought it might be an interesting idea to put Diamond Tiara into the picture. As said in the past, I had my own ideas for a redemption story for her and Silver Spoon; that episode pretty much crystallized things with DT for me in regards to her mother. Add to it some creative interpretation of the DT/SS Friends Forever comic, and it helped to paint a very clear picture for the poor filly. Anyway, this gave me a chance to both provide some foreshadowing for that future tale of mine, and pay homage to deadpansnarker's excellent story "A Mother's 'Love'". Plus, it shows that abuse comes in more forms than just physical - Spoiled Rich is definitely emotionally abusive towards Diamond Tiara, even if she doesn't recognize it as such. But then again, as I've said in my own stuff, monsters don't see monsters when they look in the mirror.
Anyway, I'm glad that folks have enjoyed, and I'm hoping to get to the next installment of the Quiververse sometime next month. For those wanting a teaser, well, Princess Luna will be a big part of the story, and it will have its roots in two episodes of the series.
Yeah, I remember that thread, it was one of the few that I agreed with RC on (I personally think he's a thoroughly unpleasant individual who is also a darned good writer), and came away with it with similar views, views that seeing an alternate version of Rainbow Dash with a prosthetic wing in the season finale only reinforced. And yeah, Scootaloo does need to see a doctor about it soon. And I do want to see your take on what the deal is with her parents.
Edit: and I'm really hoping Filthy Rich sees how horrible Spoiled is, and gets Diamond Tiara away from her.
3700154 I didn't agree with him on some of his political and religious views, but my issues with them didn't make me think any less of his capabilities as a writer. My worst problem with him is that he had a tendency to let his opinions cloud his judgment a bit too much and not be really objective about things. Didn't stop him from being right sometimes, but still, there are merits to keeping an open mind.
As far as Scootaloo's parents go - in my mind, she does have them, and they're probably earth ponies rather than pegasi, but I'm not in a rush to do anything with them. I'm still hoping that the show will find some justification for bringing them in next season, though those hopes are dwindling.
As for Spoiled Rich, rest assured, I have very firm plans for her in my works. And she won't enjoy them.
3700235 That sums up my opinion of him quite nicely, and I am genuinely sad to see his stuff get taken down. And it's not like he's the only writer I enjoy and respect despite vehemently disagreeing with their beliefs. And that there is, not to mention the charm of an opinionated firebrand, even one you disagree with.
And yeah, I pictured her parents as Earth Ponies too ... in my headcanon, her mom works at Berry Punch's bar, and often isn't home until late, and her dad is in the guard, and isn't home very much. I'd like to see the show's take on them as well.
Glad to hear that Spoiled is getting her comeuppance. She's by far the Worst Pony of Season 5.
I'm glad that his works are still out there on other sites, but I do wish he hadn't taken down his blog posts. There are a number of things I planned on implementing in future works that were directly inspired by his issues and complaints with various episodes - heck, I spent two or three stories addressing his issues with the first Equestria Girls movie - and I'd love to have them handy as reference. I just hope he hasn't deleted his comments too.
My only regret is that due to real life, it will be a very long time before I do anything firm in regards to Spoiled Rich. I'm cautiously optimistic that the story featuring it will come out next year or so, but you know what they say about plans.