Lead by Fair Esteem, the Royal Advisers of Equestria stopped a young female pegasus named Endowa because she was on her way to carry out an abortion. In hopes of saving the life of the unborn foal, they decide to bring Endowa before Celestia to see what the Ruler of Equestria has to say concerning the matter.
Although reluctant to terminate the pregnancy, Endowa feels that she is entitled to choose an abortion because the pregnancy was the product of a stallion that betrayed her trust and raped her.
So how will the verdict play out?
Will Princess Celestia protect the right of the unborn foal to live or will she affirm the mare's right to choose?
OC Artwork: dbkit
Background: Tamalesyatole
Vector: MattyHex
Chapters (1)
You know, I really dislike being talked down to by another author, especially when it's such a heavy-handed polemic. Edit: Thank you for removing this author's note, I suppose.
This isn't Sunday school. You are among your peers and elders.
p.s. You missed a few things in your attempted in-story analysis of the situation, anyway.
[EDITED COMMENT]
Eight downvotes on my original comment just because I enjoyed the story? Thanks for that, everyone. Your downvotes have made me see the error in my ways.
In all seriousness, I still have great respect for the story and don't believe it should've been placed in passive-aggressive groups like "the badfic bin". Hide under whatever wall of excuses you want, 'it's a buffet for critics' or whatever, but all those groups serve to do is make a pariah out of the author and rake in more downvotes. If anyone in those groups were real critics, the whole thing would be titled "stories in need of improvement", or "We want to help you make this better'. All people want to do is tear down what rustles their jimmies.
Yes, this story has flaws. It covered most bases in a fairly non-biased yet moral fashion, but not all of them. It didn't have to be an MLP fan fiction, but some people are simply more comfortable covering sensitive topics through a pony lense to 'coat the pill in chocolate', if you will. Whether you think it's the mother's choice to end the life of a developing and irreplaceable human being or not, it doesn't matter. It's just a childish move to dump stories you didn't like in a group and humiliate the author for his hard work.
I'm pretty pro choice so it's really interesting to see something like this.
That is definitely an itnersting tale. I was at first worried it was gonna take one side, but i am glad that it looked into both sides of the argument.
Wow. Think highly of yourself, don't you.
I believe my opinions would end up being inflammatory and will keep them to myself. If anyone cares to hear them, message me and I'll give my opinions, but I will not place them here.
However, I like the story, and good job taking on a hard topic.
6362883 not as fatnastcally itnersting as your comment though
Interesting fact: horses can abort at will (they do so in the wild if resources are scarce)
6362850 where are you actually reading that from? Admittedly i skimmed through to avoid potential facepalm and or cringe but i cant find those... "questions" anywhere?
You really can't express controversial topics through the medium of pony fanfiction. That's not how this works. If we were being honest, why the fuck do we need a lesson in the first place? Are we all so beneath you in intellectual thought that your only way to reach out to our primitive minds was to invoke it in a way we are comfortable with? This was about as comfortable as spooning a lathe.
Edit: Upon the authors removal of his note, I still stand by my point that we really shouldn't try to hit on controversery so much, especially with topics as heavy handed and divisive as this. While it's great you've got the stones to try it, it's still one of those things that should be tread on lightly. There's land mines out there man.
I also apologize for directly insulting you, it's a habit I've formed when I'm trying to argue a piece of my mind.
To actually address something other than the (edit: now-removed) author's note - you could have just used this image instead of the story, due to how poorly-argued your points are:
i.imgur.com/b4Bpf0B.jpg
It is safe to say that you have not studied the issues your message-fic is about. This straw mare, "Endowa" (why the bloody deuces would you use that name for anyone ever?), receives little to no legitimate consideration of her concerns; instead, Celestia (standing in for the implied moral authority of the author) only considers that those other straw ponies who essentially arrested her are not living up to their values (edit 2: and "you're hypocrites, so I'll let her do what I see as killing her baby" is not a good argument either). This is a critical error when your cover description appears to promise a serious discussion of both sides.
I'd be happy enough to know there was something to this fic other than the message, but there honestly isn't. There isn't even any real characterization to be found anywhere; all of these ponies could be anyone (except for any canon ponies), and that the foal ends up being Princess Cadance has no real weight to add to either the message or what little story there is to tell.
I mean, your spelling and grammar aren't bad, and the story isn't incoherent, but it lacks colour or impact, so the message was the biggest thing the story had going for it - and you blew that.
6363111
It was an author's note. I guess it is gone now.
Moral of the story is be more careful next time you crazy mare.
6362850
Are you suggesting that this author's option to exercise his own personal views in the form of pony fiction is not permitted, while everyone else is somehow permitted to do so? Why the double standard?
You know very well that authors on this site write about controversial topics all the time and express views which many people find offensive.
I'm not a fan of author's agenda driven stories...buuuuut...
I think this is an interesting story. Bold choice in title... a little too bold. I'd try for more eloquence if I were you. Unless you're actually going for the big attention grab.
All in all, I noticed a few grammar mistakes, I'd get an editor to comb over it for you. As well as any future stories.
I like the fact that you used the typical strawman arguments for both sides. Bold move, but I'm sure you raised a lot of hackles, and as a result, many readers probably never made it to Celestia's response. Yes people will jump ship in the middle of a fic like that if you hurt their fewweings.
I like the fact that Celestia does in fact sit on one particular side of the divide, since nobody is ever truely neutral, but unlike her idiot advisers, didn't force her opinions on Endowa, and was in fact, trying to get her advisers to see just how wrong they were in dragging the pregnant mare through their moral mud.
People have paper thin skin these days and I'm convinced most of the down votes come from people who didn't even read this. Though you've got to admit, you made no attempt at being subtle. Which is not good when tackling a topic like this. For the sake of good storytelling, you need to work on that aspect.
6363174
I'm pretty sure I implied nothing of the sort in objecting to being talked down to like someone who never graduated Sunday school. Why the hostility and force-feeding of words?
Alright lets go three main lessons you asked me to identify
1. Tackling and during pregancy is safe so rugby and football are on the cards
2. your kid might be bill gates and make you very rich when you're 74
3. the more faceless the character the stronger the agenda it is pushing
There we gooo
6363189 You were talked down to?
6363197
Did you not read what I quoted in the comment you replied to?
6363199 Oh, I get it now. You are objecting to the "what are these 3 lessons" question.
I'm sorry, but your response comes off as a bit touchy to me. You can read a condescending tone into his statement, or you can read a neutral tone into it. When I read it, I didn't see any "talking down" so your response seemed a bit uncalled for. I guess it all depends on what was intended with his tone. I've seen enough of this author's work on Youtube to know for certain that he is a very soft-spoken individual who wouldn't deliberately talk down to anyone.
Just a reminder to you - if you're gonna write a story like this, it only works if the reader cant tell what your opinion is, else you end up with 14 different anonymous self inserts walking around .
Because this is just a fic basically stating your opinion in a very long winded way it quite honestly has little to nothing to do with mlp at all you could have written it about anonymous beings and then shoehorned mlp in at the last second for all it matters.
6363211
Mate, he actually said "there are lessons I am teaching you, do you see them?"
In doing this, he positions himself as some kind of authority.
That is a quintessential teacher-student/adult-child interaction.
The story and the (now-removed) author's note, good intent or not, is how a Sunday school teacher presents an issue to a child.
That is not an appropriate interaction for the actual audience.
He is not my father, my pastor, my deity, my teacher, or any other authority.
There is no way in which this is not condescending.
6363229
It's not really that condescending unless you really want to be that offended.
6363229
I see. Well then, that is unfortunate. Although...
I have to disagree in principle, that "teaching someone something" implies authority. People teach me things all the time, and they are not my authority. If someone points out a lesson in life, or a scientific fact, or a biblical truth, or even a nugget of learned wisdom they picked up, I don't interpret this as them positioning themselves over me as an authority figure. I take the lesson for what it's worth, and if I gained something useful from it, I thank them.
To simplify this into mathematical formulas, if A is the authority, and B quotes A to C, then B is not projecting himself as an authority over C. However, if C does not recognize the authority of A, then C will automatically assume that B is projecting self-authority. This is a misconception on C's part because it was never B's intention to project self-authority.
6363229
Personally, I think you're taking this a little too personally.
6363246
This entire paragraph is inapplicable to the actual situation. The author has not presented the work of an authority to anyone; he has presented his own material. You might have a point if the situation you outline were actually occurring.
To the rest: there is an extreme difference between learning things and someone you do not know and have not paid to do so insisting on teaching you. Of course you learn something new every day, but you do not - and should not - listen to people who run up shouting at you to think a certain way.
I'm not further replying along this line of conversation. I can't believe we're actually discussing this in the first place.
6363262
Um...then don't read the story? Believe it or not the words on the screen will not kill you. The internet has yet to gain such power.
Of course you're the kind of person who'd say free thinking and open discussion is a BAD THING.
The complete incarnation of Fimfiction crafted into one single human, you guys.
6363276
I don't know why you've attempted to insult me every single time we've interacted in the past ten months, but I'd love it if you stopped. It's unbecoming of you and unpleasant in general.
6363283
I think....I know who you are? Maybe? I honestly don't remember. I haven't been active here in ages.
But sure, I can't say I haven't spoken to you in the past.
6363289
Really, it doesn't entirely matter if you remember. You've already done enough by belittling and personally attacking me here.
6363251 recently... Proper Noun has gotten bit too... 'rude' for the lack of better word... I wounder why?
edit: and here we go... seriously you need to chil mate! chill like a pirate!
6363299
Maybe you perceive this because some people like to substitute personal attacks for personal inquiry.
6363246
I have not read this story, nor do I intend to, so I will not comment on its content; I'm not in any position to do so. What I will comment on is this:
There is nothing anywhere in that statement that is a "mathematical formula." I don't understand why you would think that there was. There are the beginnings of a logical argument, yes, but not a "mathematical formula." I fully understand that this will come off as lecturing or condescending, but I honestly do not care about that; there is no possible way for me to overemphasize the importance of knowing the difference between the two.
6363301 I just think you need to chill out a bit mate!
6363305
I'm quite calm at the moment. But if you really wondered why it seems to you that I'm (insert negative statement here), you would ask instead of joining a bandwagon of public attacks on my character. Pardon my skepticism.
6363313 no I just think you are easily offended... You just sound like one of those guys who yell "racism/sexism/homophobia alert!" at everything even when it is not intended to be racist/sexist/homophobic.
sjerecords.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/images-414.jpeg
6363319
Gosh, it's almost like someone tried to talk to me as though I were a fifth-grader at the oldest, and then others followed up by personally attacking me for objecting.
6363305 I think she needs to go verb a noun.
6363319 you have no idea how much i enjoyed reading that comment.
6363328 well considering this story has 20 DISLIKES no one is objecting you for disliking it... what we ARE objecting is that you are making an objection at things that ARE NOT THERE. Just don't be offended at tiny things and miss the big picture.
Like I said
meanjoefunstory.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/mr-freeze-copy.jpg
edit: and here goes dislike rampage... seriously bro chill.
6363342
Are you seriously telling me I wasn't being treated like a Sunday-schooler or insulted by other users (including yourself)? Or is there something I'm missing here?
6363349 INSULTING... LOL Bro you were NOT even close to being insulted. We are just saying that we find your attitude of being offended by everything hilarious. Just don't be offended at everything. For all things this author isn't trying to be too preach ( OK I admit that authors note was bit annoying but its gone now...) and no one is ganging up on you. If you would jusr relax and chill we wouldn't be having this discussion would we. Just chill out for a bit.
6363362
Being insulted, not being insulting.
6363342 No, I can assure you that I was being insulting. On purpose.
6363365 fixed still my point still stands
static4.fjcdn.com/comments/3591006+_2d4ef4f8eafa8b2a4b7f6ab9e8ddab60.jpg
6363367
I noticed.
6363369
It kind of doesn't stand. I'm already fairly chilled. All that happened was I was personally attacked for saying, and then defending, that I felt talked-down to.
6363373
why were you feeling talked down to anyway? I didn't felt it and no one else did.
6363379
I have already explained why, at some length. It would contribute nothing for me to re-post everything I already posted.
edit:
I question the underlined part, especially as I was in a chat with several other people who felt the same way at the time and one person posted what looked like a similar objection here.
6363373 I actually do agree that this story is rather preachy, and poor preaching at that.
6363383 I read it and it seems that you think you don't want to read any sort of controversial material... if so why read it? No one is forcing you to.