A long and awesome story by Pacce of the many mustaches!!aEt/eFG7JWB over at /co/. I never really liked Gilda much, but once again fanfiction has changed my attitude about her.
I posted this awhile back, but if you have ever read the Book "A Seperate Peace," you would find a lot of connections with this story.
That is not a bad thing, as they are not identical, just similar. Still, I can see Gilda as definitely Gene (the friend that is slightly unsure of themselves, and end up hurting those close to them). And Dash/Firefly are basically Gene's friend split into two characters.
We need a serious fucking Makeup Episode, or even a Gilda special focusing on this story. The thing is, based on what I know of the MLP FiM demographic, this stuff ACTUALLY APPLIES to a lot of people. Let's face it, 4chan loves this show, and also needs to be taught some about making up with freinds and staying in touch.
At the very least I want Gilda and Dash to be friends again! Along with OP ( Or whatever the correct term here is ) my view of Gilda is changed. I now have a fucking connection with this show. My life is just now going to shit, and I really needed something like this. The show itself is helping, but this is like dropping a lake on a desert.
@Anonymous Wow. That is a hell of a response. But yeah, I wrote this story reflecting that behind every jerk or bully is someone who has their own hurt that they don't know how to deal with. Also, I kinda figure that even if someone makes a huge mistake, that if they're really sorry, they deserve the chance to be forgiven. I'm glad this has meant something to you, it kinda makes all the time I put into this silly pony fanfic worth it...
You are an awesome writer. This is grade a stuff here, top tier. Seriouly, if I was in charge of the show, I'd hire you. This is some meaningful stuff, and you are a real artist, man.
As for my other point, I really think this should at least inspire some stuff in the show. Someone needs to send Lauren a copy or link her here, but she should really see this. I could even see it happening, all they would need would be Gilda sending a letter saying that she's sorry she freaked, and wants to make up for it. She could even become a full on member of the show, slowly learning how to fit it. It would even have a great moral, too, about how Gilda learns how to share her friend.
...they could even have Derpy deliver the letter...
First, awesome pic of Gilda there! I love seeing this side of Gilda, though I always vaguely imagined she was trying to emulate a cool older brother and missing the core of what makes someone "cool". But yeah, ditto everything everyone's said!
I do have one critical comment, though: "Show, don't tell." For example, "After her run, Gilda was exhausted, but ecstatic. Gilda had completely wiped the floor with Stormy." Gee, that would have been an exciting scene to read, don'tcha think? And what is it like for Gilda to be exhausted and ecstatic? What is she experiencing and what does it look like? Are her muscles burning from the exertion? Is she her tail twitching with excitement? How did Stormy react? You've got a decent start here, but I think a little more expansion would make it really shine!
@LordOfTheWrongs I agree on the critique. This was the first real thing I wrote in forever and so I sorta botched it in a couple of places. Maybe I should go through and clean it up...
*slow clap* Bravo good sir, this has to be one of the most well written and exciting fics I've read. Of any series. This truely is good enough that I hope it becomes an episode! A two part episode would be great =D
Honestly, this was amazing!!! i mean....WOW i cant ever put into works or words to express how good this was were not invented yet! I'm sure that this will be on my top 5 of best stories i have ever read ever for the rest of my life!!! i mean iv book marked this page and the document like 15 times to make sure i never forget this!!! THANK YOU FOR POSTING THIS and to Pacce, thank you oh lord!!! *cry of joy!!!*
This was a very beautiful story my friend. I think you really nailed Rainbow and Gilda's characters. It left me feeling very nostalgic and melancholy. To give you honest criticism it did sort of fall apart in a few places, BUT I would not even hesitate to put this in my top 4 pony fics. It has inspired me to improve my own fiction. Thank you.
I just read this and it is amazing. It explains so much about why Gilda was pissed with Pinkie Pie, even if the humiliation parade was a horrible coincidence I think she was somewhat justified in her reaction. I know I would have lost it with them after that sequence.
As for the instructor, Firefly, hoo-boy. Forgiveness for her, she wishes, I mean she ignored Gilda because to do otherwise would have been 'hard'. Then after she starts to feel better about everything and befriending Dash, she steals away any time they could spend together with the reasoning Gilda should be grateful for what minute amount of time they can talk.
You can bet that this particular instructor would be getting a visit from me, followed by numerous things that I cannot say without implicating myself. All I can say is that at the very 'minimum' they would require a closed casket.
Oh my gosh.......I honestly don't even have words. You just showed me the true power of literature. I never have read anything that gave me a real emotional impact (besides Bittersweet, that one is flippin epic). This was the first time a written story has ever made me cry, and cry I did. You just shoock my normally stoic soul with emotions I honestly never felt before. Bravo, you are a master artist. This fic is Legendary!
This story is old as dirt (relatively speaking, of course) so I don't expect you to read this, Pacce, but still, what the hay.
Fanfiction has been my fandom guilty pleasure of choice for quite a while now and after reading your stuff on here I can say that you rank amongst my favorite writers in all of that.
Non-committal gushing aside, on to the story. First of all screw you for skewing my view of Gilda so badly. Seems like everyone hates her after her episode but because of this I cant help but think of her as being sympathetic. As others have said I would be curious as to what would happen if the writers for the show got ahold of this. Either way I do thing Gilda should get a redemption episode.
I could spend time going over every detail as to why I absafuckinglutely love this story but I'll just cut it to the most important part: I think you did a fantastic job of providing a logical path of character development for Gilda in a short story context and it was really fun to watch.
Other than that I loved your characterizations and some of the cameo roles. Surprise and Firefly were nice touches both just for the sake of reference and in their personalities. Firefly's letter at the end actually managed to make me choke up a little bit which gets you bonus points.
Anyway, this post is TLDR so to summarize: Who's awesome? You're awesome!
To the two anons above. You have no idea how much what you both said means to me.
This was a hard one to write and it's really good to know the effort wasn't wasted.
In the show she was a bully who was also best friends with one of the mane cast, that fascinated me with all of its possible interpretations. So I endeavored to make a story that didn't so much excuse Gilda (which would be an insult to the character), but explain her. From everything I've seen said about this story, I succeeded.
Thank you all. I'm glad I didn't let you down... even if it coulda used a couple more days of cleaning up.
i made this blog simply to give this man and his amazing story, which made me cry of how beautiful it was, a 5 star rating. you sir have changed me feelings completely changed about Gilda
I don't typically read fanfic of any kind, but I'm really glad I made an exception when I saw this. It was an excellent read. The characters and whatnot were all done perfectly - I might as well have been watching an actual episode. I would kill to have an episode like this, or to get a bunch of art based off this fic. Anyway, I'll definitely be keeping an eye for fanfics this awesome in the future.
P.S. Derpy getting bullied? My heart nearly gave out.
Oh, good. My slow clap modulator is still functioning. Sweet sweet Celestia, that was a wild ride. All I ever thought about Gilda was "Who the f**k does she think she is?" Now, I know who the f**k Gilda is, and all I have to say is that this needs to be canon. Seriously, I don't know if anypony from the show will ever read this, but it has to happen.
I used to think of Griffon the Brush-off as the worst episode in season 1, but the whole episode just makes so much more sense with the background you've created that I really wish this was canon. Here's hoping we'll get to see more of Gilda in season 2 and get some real character development instead of just making her some mindless bully. 5/5.
This show is great because of the depth of the characters and all the little things we can as human beings derive from what we see. We get so many little quirks and characters ticks from just watching their face expressions, their actions and their demeanor the ponies of G4 feel real, like very nice human beings.
This is the reason why one-shot and background characters are given so much attention and following, we as a fandom seem to want the same depth out of all the characters in the show. None of the main six are just a caricature of someone one, there are someone and proud to be who they are, whatever failures they might have. The background characters in the other hand can't be given enough attention for this to happen and thus we give them our fan created background stories, we develop their personalities deeper than the show ever will, we create a real thinking being.
This is why I love this fic, because there is an actual reasoning behind the actions we saw, there is a background, there is an explanation to why would a pony hang out with such a creature. It tells us why would anyone act the way she did, it gives her that little degree of goodness that makes a human being, well, human. You made Gilda more real than anyone could and I really hope that the creator of the show eventually return to Gilda as she is probably one of the greatest opportunities to teach a lessons to children about self and friendship.
I fear they might not be able to do as a great job as you did though, so I feel sad about it, but at the end of the day I also feel happy because now this exist and if someone ever manages to revive the show far off into the future they will have great material to work with.
Kudos if you still read this, hopefully we can get to see more of this world you created here.
Manly tears... This story is so moving. I really wish Dash and Gilda could have a make up episode now. Others have said much better than I could on why this story is so great. I will just simply add that this Needs to be listed as 6 stars!!
Wow! New comments! Let's see: Um. Thanks! It's really great to see that folks still read this despite that it's a little messy here and there (will SO fix it one o' these days).
My thanks to the anon who especially mention the Derpy scene, that was my favorite to write.
And thanks to everyone who said that Gilda felt more like a full character because of this. It was my goal to give out a possible interpretation for her personality and friendship with Dash without going "Wah, she was abused and misunderstood." That kind of thing is boring and actually takes away from the character for me.
She made her choices and has to deal with the consequences. I'd LOVE it if she apologized in the 2nd season and shows up once or twice to snark along with Rainbow Dash. Cause I'd hate it if they totally took away her jerk card, but I'd be more than okay if she just toned it down around Dash's other friends.
And again, thank you all for reading. Glad to know I didn't waste my time writing it.
Though I still think Gilda kinda deserved what she got..... Mainly for treating Derpy(Happy?) like that even when she hated being bullied herself.(hypocrisy much?)
Maybe ill manage to wrack up the courage to write a short story one of these days.... hell, maybe people might even like it xD Everyones gotta start somewhere right?
@Zanzibar Yeah Gilda did get what she deserved. But maybe she also deserves a chance to apologize, but that's out of my hands. And hey bully the unpopular, make friends with those who don't like them. It works! Too bad Fluttershy WAS popular... Oops on her part.
@Zanzibar Also, go for it dude! World needs more writers. Just don't be afraid to think outside the box.
Oh and thanks for mentioning the Derpy scene. That's my favorite. I had been posting this in chunks on 4chan and up until then folks were all, "Oh man, Gilda was just a misunderstood kid!" Then I said, "Nope, she choose to be a bully of her own free will." And gave her the perfect victim, one the audience was already predisposed to like AND a character who just wanted to be Gilda's friend.
The worst thing about this fic is that it was written so early that I fear that many newer Bronies will miss it.
Your restraint from painting Gilda as a tragic figure who was simply misunderstood, and your careful insistence that Gilda be held responsible for her actions, is the kind of thing that really holds it above most of the fics that attempt to do similar things for the one-shot characters. Many fics for similar characters try to use the backstory to justify or excuse their actions in the canon material, and you wrote it basically perfect in that you explain why Gilda may have acted why she did, but still show that it was her choice to act the way she did.
Your use of the G1 ponies as counselors who have their own failings and try to hide behind them was also quite masterful, particularly Firefly being the unintentional catalyst for many of Gilda's steps towards self-destruction.
That goes so far above 6 stars its not even funny. I didnt even clinch or shed a tear at cupcakes but this really got too me and i gotta say im amazed, you got a real talent. 10/5 stars
Am I late to this party? Just six months late? Eh, not so bad! lol...
But seriously, this fic is amazing. Was just catching up on the Bronyville podcasts and heard it mentioned. Gives Gilda a lot of depth, really lets you understand who she is and why. It's easy to feel like she got slighted in the cannon, getting such a small spot and no chance to make it right. This goes a long way towards making up for that.
Desrevs 10/5 stars and a special episode and even a freking book made outta this, but if it wasnt on cupcakes page, i probably wouldnt have even read this :(
Hey asshole where the hell's the rest of this?! I want epilogue. I want happy ending-something! WHAT THE HELL HAPPENS?!!! RAAAA! You take me through all that and she writes letters-the frak?!!! NEED RESOLUTION! WHY do writers do this. Yes I imagine things should get better from here-but I don't KNOW that! Yes this story is 6-Star material-no freaking question. There's just one fatal flaw-HULK WANT MOAR!!!
i have cried on two fanfics, the first being the alternate ending to rocket to instanity where pinkie dosnt die, and the other was this. maybe its because i was always the loner at camp, but i felt happy for gilda when she met dash,then dissapointed in her when she became bully, then sad when i realized that she was angry because she felt like she lost dash. you sir have breathed life into a one demensional character. this is gilda canon be damned, this is gilda's story. every bit makes sense, all her faults are believable, and i now forgive her for everything exept tormenting derpy and roaring at fluttershy. this is the true gilda.
Well I know I'm several months late but...DAMN this was an amazing story. You did such a wonderful job fleshing out this character and making her a sympathetic figure. I'm not ever going to be able to look at Gilda the same way - as far as I'm concerned, this is the canon story. I am also impressed how you manage to handle time, how even such dispersed events as the start of camp, the end of camp, and the visit to Ponyville (as well as the aftermath) flow so smoothly from one to the next.
... I cried way more than once reading this story. I genuinely hated Gilda based off of her appearance in the show, but I have to say I now have a great amount of respect for her. What you were able to do with this is nothing short of superb. You turned one of the least likable characters in the fandom into one many, many people can relate to, and respect.
I want to personally thank you for this story. I am grateful for having had the opportunity to read it, but am now sad it's over.
Well wow... that, was an amazing fic. I was already a fan of Gilda, before I read this... and now... holy moly, you've affected me deeply with this one.
Pacce, In the many years I've tried to read fanfic to supplement my dedication to a series, I have never gotten past the first page. In my opinion, all fanfics are horrible. They're just a bunch of crap stories made by fans to fulfill their Mary Sue, make some non-canon stupidity, or to pair up characters.
That is...until I read this. This was the first fanfic I have ever read all the way through.
I browsed EqD, passing over all of the fanfic updates like always. Somehow this one caught my eye. I thought back to the episode how Gilda was a jerk, but was somehow best friends back in Jr Flight Camp with Rainbow Dash. The idea of a story to help explain Gilda's side of the story interested me as I have friends I've forgiven for being jerks in High School.
I decided to go for it. As I read the last words in the story, I was only thinking of why Hasbro didn't think of a story about forgiveness yet. I sure hope they do one in Season 2.
As for my outlook on fanfic, it has changed...well, only in this demographic. All FF6 fanfics still suck. I read this 10 days ago. Since then, I've read 8 different fanfics in the Archive, and I've got many others in my queue. I'll be reading "The Things We Need" as my first attempt at a shipping story.
This was a very powerful story. It teaches us to forgive old friends. When your friends hurt you, they can still be held accountable. I'm sure Gilda learned a strong lesson in the end. I'm glad this was my first fanfic. I don't think I would've started reading fanfics if this didn't come first.
Wow, that ending brought a tear to my eye. Gilda always seemed like she had to have more depth than just what's shown considering how she was willing to put her friendship with Rainbow above her desire to be "cool" when she does the Junior Speedsters Flight Camp chant. This fic perfectly explores that dimension of her character and comes to the same conclusion I did - that she couldn't have left the events of Griffon the Brush-off without running off and crying somewhere.
I like this fic. A lot of fics have taught me something valuable, but that's only because I read a truly gross amount. The ratio of teaching-fics to bla-fics is very low. This fic taught me something about friendship, regret, and 'dealing'. Thank you for teaching me!
Need Description?
Description: Gilda joins the ranks of the Junior Speedsters Flight Camp and learns something about life in the process when she befriends a rainbow-maned trickster.
Enjoyable. It gives Gilda some depth and adequately explains her motivations. It's a rather depressing fic and it made me think again about how sad Griffon the Brush Off really is. Gilda and Dash both lose their best friend in that episode. Dash gets a new one in the form of Pinkie, but Gilda is left with nothing. And she'd probably be too proud and spiteful to do anything like what she does at the end of this fic.
62 comments:
Why I do declare this to be the greatest story of all time!
ReplyDeleteSomeone get that handsome man a trophy!
Damn excellent.
ReplyDeletecitizen_kane_slow_clap.gif
This REALLY needed the google upload.
ReplyDeletehttps://docs.google.com/document/d/1R0b6sVBK5irdDpxpCtZtGeVDVo2Ea5O2NDLoCuC41y4/edit?hl=en&authkey=CO3Gk5EK
@Pacce
ReplyDeleteHeel yah it did! 11 images! joo crazy!
I posted this awhile back, but if you have ever read the Book "A Seperate Peace," you would find a lot of connections with this story.
ReplyDeleteThat is not a bad thing, as they are not identical, just similar. Still, I can see Gilda as definitely Gene (the friend that is slightly unsure of themselves, and end up hurting those close to them). And Dash/Firefly are basically Gene's friend split into two characters.
Still. Read the whole damn thing and loved it.
I enjoyed this after reading I don't hate gilda anymore.
ReplyDeleteSOMEONE SHOW THIS TO THE WRITERS OF THE SHOW.
ReplyDeleteWe need a serious fucking Makeup Episode, or even a Gilda special focusing on this story. The thing is, based on what I know of the MLP FiM demographic, this stuff ACTUALLY APPLIES to a lot of people. Let's face it, 4chan loves this show, and also needs to be taught some about making up with freinds and staying in touch.
At the very least I want Gilda and Dash to be friends again! Along with OP ( Or whatever the correct term here is ) my view of Gilda is changed. I now have a fucking connection with this show. My life is just now going to shit, and I really needed something like this. The show itself is helping, but this is like dropping a lake on a desert.
To the guy who wrote this:
Thanks, man.
@Anonymous
ReplyDeleteWow.
That is a hell of a response.
But yeah, I wrote this story reflecting that behind every jerk or bully is someone who has their own hurt that they don't know how to deal with.
Also, I kinda figure that even if someone makes a huge mistake, that if they're really sorry, they deserve the chance to be forgiven.
I'm glad this has meant something to you, it kinda makes all the time I put into this silly pony fanfic worth it...
@Pacce
ReplyDeleteThanks, man. I mean it all, too.
You are an awesome writer. This is grade a stuff here, top tier. Seriouly, if I was in charge of the show, I'd hire you. This is some meaningful stuff, and you are a real artist, man.
As for my other point, I really think this should at least inspire some stuff in the show. Someone needs to send Lauren a copy or link her here, but she should really see this. I could even see it happening, all they would need would be Gilda sending a letter saying that she's sorry she freaked, and wants to make up for it. She could even become a full on member of the show, slowly learning how to fit it. It would even have a great moral, too, about how Gilda learns how to share her friend.
...they could even have Derpy deliver the letter...
Well, hopes are hopes. Thanks again man.
There are so many great moments in this story. It's mostly responsible for turning around the opinion of Gilda on /co/ I think.
ReplyDeleteAw that story was so cute
ReplyDeleteFirst, awesome pic of Gilda there!
ReplyDeleteI love seeing this side of Gilda, though I always vaguely imagined she was trying to emulate a cool older brother and missing the core of what makes someone "cool". But yeah, ditto everything everyone's said!
I do have one critical comment, though: "Show, don't tell." For example, "After her run, Gilda was exhausted, but ecstatic. Gilda had completely wiped the floor with Stormy." Gee, that would have been an exciting scene to read, don'tcha think? And what is it like for Gilda to be exhausted and ecstatic? What is she experiencing and what does it look like? Are her muscles burning from the exertion? Is she her tail twitching with excitement? How did Stormy react? You've got a decent start here, but I think a little more expansion would make it really shine!
@LordOfTheWrongs
ReplyDeleteI agree on the critique.
This was the first real thing I wrote in forever and so I sorta botched it in a couple of places.
Maybe I should go through and clean it up...
Goddammit, this actually brought tears cresting to my eyes. Good show.
ReplyDelete*slow clap*
ReplyDeleteBravo good sir, this has to be one of the most well written and exciting fics I've read. Of any series.
This truely is good enough that I hope it becomes an episode! A two part episode would be great =D
Honestly, this was amazing!!! i mean....WOW i cant ever put into works or words to express how good this was were not invented yet! I'm sure that this will be on my top 5 of best stories i have ever read ever for the rest of my life!!! i mean iv book marked this page and the document like 15 times to make sure i never forget this!!! THANK YOU FOR POSTING THIS and to Pacce, thank you oh lord!!! *cry of joy!!!*
ReplyDeleteThis was a very beautiful story my friend. I think you really nailed Rainbow and Gilda's characters. It left me feeling very nostalgic and melancholy. To give you honest criticism it did sort of fall apart in a few places, BUT I would not even hesitate to put this in my top 4 pony fics. It has inspired me to improve my own fiction. Thank you.
ReplyDeleteGilda has definitely been my favorite for a while now, so idk if that's swaying me but
ReplyDeleteI LOVED THIS STORY
EVERYPONY READ THIS
I just read this and it is amazing. It explains so much about why Gilda was pissed with Pinkie Pie, even if the humiliation parade was a horrible coincidence I think she was somewhat justified in her reaction. I know I would have lost it with them after that sequence.
ReplyDeleteAs for the instructor, Firefly, hoo-boy. Forgiveness for her, she wishes, I mean she ignored Gilda because to do otherwise would have been 'hard'. Then after she starts to feel better about everything and befriending Dash, she steals away any time they could spend together with the reasoning Gilda should be grateful for what minute amount of time they can talk.
You can bet that this particular instructor would be getting a visit from me, followed by numerous things that I cannot say without implicating myself. All I can say is that at the very 'minimum' they would require a closed casket.
5/5 stars, great story.
i need gilda to return to the show. i need her and dash to be best friends again.
ReplyDeleteI'm pretty sure I'm crying manly tears right now. Excellent work.
ReplyDeleteOh my gosh.......I honestly don't even have words. You just showed me the true power of literature. I never have read anything that gave me a real emotional impact (besides Bittersweet, that one is flippin epic). This was the first time a written story has ever made me cry, and cry I did. You just shoock my normally stoic soul with emotions I honestly never felt before.
ReplyDeleteBravo, you are a master artist.
This fic is Legendary!
This story is old as dirt (relatively speaking, of course) so I don't expect you to read this, Pacce, but still, what the hay.
ReplyDeleteFanfiction has been my fandom guilty pleasure of choice for quite a while now and after reading your stuff on here I can say that you rank amongst my favorite writers in all of that.
Non-committal gushing aside, on to the story. First of all screw you for skewing my view of Gilda so badly. Seems like everyone hates her after her episode but because of this I cant help but think of her as being sympathetic. As others have said I would be curious as to what would happen if the writers for the show got ahold of this. Either way I do thing Gilda should get a redemption episode.
I could spend time going over every detail as to why I absafuckinglutely love this story but I'll just cut it to the most important part: I think you did a fantastic job of providing a logical path of character development for Gilda in a short story context and it was really fun to watch.
Other than that I loved your characterizations and some of the cameo roles. Surprise and Firefly were nice touches both just for the sake of reference and in their personalities. Firefly's letter at the end actually managed to make me choke up a little bit which gets you bonus points.
Anyway, this post is TLDR so to summarize: Who's awesome? You're awesome!
This fic is legendary!
ReplyDeleteTo the two anons above.
ReplyDeleteYou have no idea how much what you both said means to me.
This was a hard one to write and it's really good to know the effort wasn't wasted.
In the show she was a bully who was also best friends with one of the mane cast, that fascinated me with all of its possible interpretations. So I endeavored to make a story that didn't so much excuse Gilda (which would be an insult to the character), but explain her. From everything I've seen said about this story, I succeeded.
Thank you all.
I'm glad I didn't let you down... even if it coulda used a couple more days of cleaning up.
i made this blog simply to give this man and his amazing story, which made me cry of how beautiful it was, a 5 star rating. you sir have changed me feelings completely changed about Gilda
ReplyDeleteI don't typically read fanfic of any kind, but I'm really glad I made an exception when I saw this. It was an excellent read. The characters and whatnot were all done perfectly - I might as well have been watching an actual episode. I would kill to have an episode like this, or to get a bunch of art based off this fic. Anyway, I'll definitely be keeping an eye for fanfics this awesome in the future.
ReplyDeleteP.S. Derpy getting bullied? My heart nearly gave out.
Easily the best fanfic I've read so far. I used to hate Gilda...but now, after reading this, I like her. I'd love to see a sequel to this.
ReplyDeleteIt was great, but sad. I don´t like sad :(
ReplyDeletePacce, once again you show your quality.
ReplyDeleteThat was beyond moving, well-knit, and truly inspired. You have a vast imagination.
Bravo, good man. Celestia bless you.
Oh, good. My slow clap modulator is still functioning. Sweet sweet Celestia, that was a wild ride. All I ever thought about Gilda was "Who the f**k does she think she is?" Now, I know who the f**k Gilda is, and all I have to say is that this needs to be canon. Seriously, I don't know if anypony from the show will ever read this, but it has to happen.
ReplyDeleteI used to think of Griffon the Brush-off as the worst episode in season 1, but the whole episode just makes so much more sense with the background you've created that I really wish this was canon. Here's hoping we'll get to see more of Gilda in season 2 and get some real character development instead of just making her some mindless bully. 5/5.
ReplyDeleteThis show is great because of the depth of the characters and all the little things we can as human beings derive from what we see. We get so many little quirks and characters ticks from just watching their face expressions, their actions and their demeanor the ponies of G4 feel real, like very nice human beings.
ReplyDeleteThis is the reason why one-shot and background characters are given so much attention and following, we as a fandom seem to want the same depth out of all the characters in the show. None of the main six are just a caricature of someone one, there are someone and proud to be who they are, whatever failures they might have. The background characters in the other hand can't be given enough attention for this to happen and thus we give them our fan created background stories, we develop their personalities deeper than the show ever will, we create a real thinking being.
This is why I love this fic, because there is an actual reasoning behind the actions we saw, there is a background, there is an explanation to why would a pony hang out with such a creature. It tells us why would anyone act the way she did, it gives her that little degree of goodness that makes a human being, well, human. You made Gilda more real than anyone could and I really hope that the creator of the show eventually return to Gilda as she is probably one of the greatest opportunities to teach a lessons to children about self and friendship.
I fear they might not be able to do as a great job as you did though, so I feel sad about it, but at the end of the day I also feel happy because now this exist and if someone ever manages to revive the show far off into the future they will have great material to work with.
Kudos if you still read this, hopefully we can get to see more of this world you created here.
By Celestia, this was amazing.
ReplyDeleteManly tears...
ReplyDeleteThis story is so moving. I really wish Dash and Gilda could have a make up episode now. Others have said much better than I could on why this story is so great. I will just simply add that this Needs to be listed as 6 stars!!
Wow!
ReplyDeleteNew comments! Let's see:
Um. Thanks! It's really great to see that folks still read this despite that it's a little messy here and there (will SO fix it one o' these days).
My thanks to the anon who especially mention the Derpy scene, that was my favorite to write.
And thanks to everyone who said that Gilda felt more like a full character because of this. It was my goal to give out a possible interpretation for her personality and friendship with Dash without going "Wah, she was abused and misunderstood." That kind of thing is boring and actually takes away from the character for me.
She made her choices and has to deal with the consequences. I'd LOVE it if she apologized in the 2nd season and shows up once or twice to snark along with Rainbow Dash. Cause I'd hate it if they totally took away her jerk card, but I'd be more than okay if she just toned it down around Dash's other friends.
And again, thank you all for reading. Glad to know I didn't waste my time writing it.
Manly tears, Pacce... Manly tears...
ReplyDeleteI don't know how else to put words on my reactions to this fic. Keep being awesome!
Great story!
ReplyDeleteThough I still think Gilda kinda deserved what she got..... Mainly for treating Derpy(Happy?) like that even when she hated being bullied herself.(hypocrisy much?)
Maybe ill manage to wrack up the courage to write a short story one of these days.... hell, maybe people might even like it xD
Everyones gotta start somewhere right?
@Zanzibar
ReplyDeleteYeah Gilda did get what she deserved.
But maybe she also deserves a chance to apologize, but that's out of my hands.
And hey bully the unpopular, make friends with those who don't like them. It works!
Too bad Fluttershy WAS popular...
Oops on her part.
@Zanzibar
ReplyDeleteAlso, go for it dude!
World needs more writers.
Just don't be afraid to think outside the box.
Oh and thanks for mentioning the Derpy scene. That's my favorite. I had been posting this in chunks on 4chan and up until then folks were all, "Oh man, Gilda was just a misunderstood kid!"
Then I said, "Nope, she choose to be a bully of her own free will."
And gave her the perfect victim, one the audience was already predisposed to like AND a character who just wanted to be Gilda's friend.
This deserves a 6-star rating.
ReplyDeleteThe worst thing about this fic is that it was written so early that I fear that many newer Bronies will miss it.
ReplyDeleteYour restraint from painting Gilda as a tragic figure who was simply misunderstood, and your careful insistence that Gilda be held responsible for her actions, is the kind of thing that really holds it above most of the fics that attempt to do similar things for the one-shot characters.
Many fics for similar characters try to use the backstory to justify or excuse their actions in the canon material, and you wrote it basically perfect in that you explain why Gilda may have acted why she did, but still show that it was her choice to act the way she did.
Your use of the G1 ponies as counselors who have their own failings and try to hide behind them was also quite masterful, particularly Firefly being the unintentional catalyst for many of Gilda's steps towards self-destruction.
I agree with the above: This deserves a 6-star.
Agreed Tenchi, from now on I shall make a reference thread and bump it so other can read it, this is just amazing, nothing else can be said.
ReplyDeleteAlso, how do make something 6-stars?
@Pacce can I use your fanfic in the celestia radio contest??
ReplyDeletehttp://ponify.me/2011/fanfic-friday-dramatic-reading-contest/
it says so in the rules that I need your premission and I really love that perticular fanfic
greetz rainbowdutch
Great fic! Also just want to say I really like your depiction of Derpy Hooves. Best in the fandom I think.
ReplyDeleteThat goes so far above 6 stars its not even funny. I didnt even clinch or shed a tear at cupcakes but this really got too me and i gotta say im amazed, you got a real talent. 10/5 stars
ReplyDeleteAm I late to this party? Just six months late? Eh, not so bad! lol...
ReplyDeleteBut seriously, this fic is amazing. Was just catching up on the Bronyville podcasts and heard it mentioned. Gives Gilda a lot of depth, really lets you understand who she is and why. It's easy to feel like she got slighted in the cannon, getting such a small spot and no chance to make it right. This goes a long way towards making up for that.
I like this Gilda. I really do. :)
Desrevs 10/5 stars and a special episode and even a freking book made outta this, but if it wasnt on cupcakes page, i probably wouldnt have even read this :(
ReplyDeleteMarvellous.
ReplyDeleteAs many have said above, I never thought I'd end up caring about Gilda so much...
Hey asshole where the hell's the rest of this?! I want epilogue. I want happy ending-something! WHAT THE HELL HAPPENS?!!! RAAAA! You take me through all that and she writes letters-the frak?!!! NEED RESOLUTION!
ReplyDeleteWHY do writers do this. Yes I imagine things should get better from here-but I don't KNOW that!
Yes this story is 6-Star material-no freaking question. There's just one fatal flaw-HULK WANT MOAR!!!
WTF This quualifies for a 6-sat not a 5-star
ReplyDeletei have cried on two fanfics, the first being the alternate ending to rocket to instanity where pinkie dosnt die, and the other was this. maybe its because i was always the loner at camp, but i felt happy for gilda when she met dash,then dissapointed in her when she became bully, then sad when i realized that she was angry because she felt like she lost dash. you sir have breathed life into a one demensional character. this is gilda canon be damned, this is gilda's story. every bit makes sense, all her faults are believable, and i now forgive her for everything exept tormenting derpy and roaring at fluttershy. this is the true gilda.
ReplyDeletethanks for an awesome story
9001/5 stars and a brohoof go to you
Well I know I'm several months late but...DAMN this was an amazing story. You did such a wonderful job fleshing out this character and making her a sympathetic figure. I'm not ever going to be able to look at Gilda the same way - as far as I'm concerned, this is the canon story. I am also impressed how you manage to handle time, how even such dispersed events as the start of camp, the end of camp, and the visit to Ponyville (as well as the aftermath) flow so smoothly from one to the next.
ReplyDeleteWonderful, wonderful work.
... I cried way more than once reading this story. I genuinely hated Gilda based off of her appearance in the show, but I have to say I now have a great amount of respect for her. What you were able to do with this is nothing short of superb. You turned one of the least likable characters in the fandom into one many, many people can relate to, and respect.
ReplyDeleteI want to personally thank you for this story. I am grateful for having had the opportunity to read it, but am now sad it's over.
Thank you,
-Shake
Well wow... that, was an amazing fic. I was already a fan of Gilda, before I read this... and now... holy moly, you've affected me deeply with this one.
ReplyDeleteGilda is now my favorite character.
Pacce,
ReplyDeleteIn the many years I've tried to read fanfic to supplement my dedication to a series, I have never gotten past the first page. In my opinion, all fanfics are horrible. They're just a bunch of crap stories made by fans to fulfill their Mary Sue, make some non-canon stupidity, or to pair up characters.
That is...until I read this. This was the first fanfic I have ever read all the way through.
I browsed EqD, passing over all of the fanfic updates like always. Somehow this one caught my eye. I thought back to the episode how Gilda was a jerk, but was somehow best friends back in Jr Flight Camp with Rainbow Dash. The idea of a story to help explain Gilda's side of the story interested me as I have friends I've forgiven for being jerks in High School.
I decided to go for it. As I read the last words in the story, I was only thinking of why Hasbro didn't think of a story about forgiveness yet. I sure hope they do one in Season 2.
As for my outlook on fanfic, it has changed...well, only in this demographic. All FF6 fanfics still suck. I read this 10 days ago. Since then, I've read 8 different fanfics in the Archive, and I've got many others in my queue. I'll be reading "The Things We Need" as my first attempt at a shipping story.
This was a very powerful story. It teaches us to forgive old friends. When your friends hurt you, they can still be held accountable. I'm sure Gilda learned a strong lesson in the end. I'm glad this was my first fanfic. I don't think I would've started reading fanfics if this didn't come first.
Thanks
-Equine-nox
Wow, that ending brought a tear to my eye. Gilda always seemed like she had to have more depth than just what's shown considering how she was willing to put her friendship with Rainbow above her desire to be "cool" when she does the Junior Speedsters Flight Camp chant. This fic perfectly explores that dimension of her character and comes to the same conclusion I did - that she couldn't have left the events of Griffon the Brush-off without running off and crying somewhere.
ReplyDeleteI like this fic. A lot of fics have taught me something valuable, but that's only because I read a truly gross amount. The ratio of teaching-fics to bla-fics is very low. This fic taught me something about friendship, regret, and 'dealing'. Thank you for teaching me!
ReplyDeleteNeed Description?
Description:
Gilda joins the ranks of the Junior Speedsters Flight Camp and learns something about life in the process when she befriends a rainbow-maned trickster.
And now I don't hate Gilda. With this fandom, it's pretty much impossible for me to hate any of the characters.
ReplyDeleteEnjoyable. It gives Gilda some depth and adequately explains her motivations. It's a rather depressing fic and it made me think again about how sad Griffon the Brush Off really is. Gilda and Dash both lose their best friend in that episode. Dash gets a new one in the form of Pinkie, but Gilda is left with nothing. And she'd probably be too proud and spiteful to do anything like what she does at the end of this fic.
ReplyDeleteVery touching story. I loved what you did with Firefly and Surprise.
ReplyDeleteSo... this is the first ever 6-Star story?
ReplyDelete