Thanks to Seattle's Angels for their review of this story!
Winter is at it's apex in Ponyville, but the year is not long for the world. New Year's is in full swing at Sweet Apple Acres. Two spent nags, mugs of cider in their hooves, sit before a roaring fire and find that their score is not yet settled. In the fields, a quiet blanket of snow and an emotional rollercoaster await. It's time to step outside.
(The song featured in this tale, "What are you Doing New Year's Eve?" is a favorite holiday song of the author. It was written in 1947 by Frank Loesser, and popularized by the author's favorite voice in music, Ella Fitzgerald.)
Cover Art By: Nemo2D. Used c/o blanket permission.
Chapters (1)
Absolutely wonderful. This was a great addition to one of the best episodes that has come out of the show, and you kept them both well in character!
Apples vs Pears, never surrender! Nice little (subjectively, over 10k words) story about family and the holidays. Looks a bit underappreciated at the moment.
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Yeah, I was insistent upon releasing on New Year's Eve to accommodate the story, but it seems many other folks had that idea and this got pushed off the front page pretty fast. Ah well. 10K is "little" to me - I have trouble stopping myself!
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Granny Smith is a more interesting character to write for than I think people give her credit for. I'm glad you enjoyed it, it was a pleasure to write
Very sweet.
I was honestly afraid it would turn out they died in that snow, and I'm relieved I was wrong. Maybe now Granny and Gran Pear can team up against the Orange Cousins.
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Oh gosh no, that...would have ruined it, I think. It sounds like you agree. Glad you enjoyed!
This fanfic has excellent characterization of both Granny Smith and Grand Pear. The fight was a long time coming. As the Element of Honesty, Applejack realized that her grandparents had to be honest about their feelings before they could truly reconcile. If they continued to let their negative emotions fester beneath the surface, the two former rivals could never truly bond.
The pacing is expertly executed as well. Even though the story is more than 10,000 words long and not much actually happens, it never drags.
However, this fanfic could use an editor. I found several mechanical errors, inconsistencies, and some strange word choices. I won't list them all, but here are a couple that jumped out at me:
Technically, Grand Pear still has adult children.
Crow's hooves?
There are some terms that are impossible to equinize without making them sound entirely nonsensical. This is one of them.
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The passage is referring just to the deceased children in that case, and 'crow's hooves' is just a play on 'crow's feet', heh.
Glad you enjoyed it! I was kinda surprised it went on that long too for it being just one scene where...honestly yes, not a whole lot happens. I'd intended it to be a shorter story, but my words have a tendency to get away from me when I really get into an idea. I find it tough to write things under 5k when I really get going!
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Yeah, I understood that it's a play on crow's feet, but it still doesn't work because (1) crows don't have hooves, and (2) hooves don't look like the wrinkles around one's eyes.
Sorry to be so pedantic, but my tolerance for horse puns has a limit, and that one went over it.
But I am glad that you let this story go over your projected word count. I think this story is better for it.
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Ponies both do and do not know what hands are, too. MLP is funny like that
Yeah though, this was supposed to be a tiny little side project...and it sort of got out of hand. I honestly just wanted a story where I could insert my favorite holiday song, and this is what built up around it.
What a lovely story. Rest in peace, Bright Mac and Pear Butter, and shower your blessings upon your kin.
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