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Author: PK
Antipodes (All Links)Description: Set in the far future after Celestia and Luna mysteriously vanished and the sun and moon froze in the sky, Antipodes the the story of two ponies thrust out into the harsh new world on an adventure to uncover what happened to the world so long ago.
Lodestone (Sequel Part 4 - Does not require reading Antipodes)
Antipodes Audio Book Channel (Chapter 1+2+3 So far!)
Fan Art
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396 comments:
Is it not five-month? March 13 to August 13 is 5 months.
ReplyDeleteOr am I missing 30 days somewhere?
Anyway GO YOU!
There is a sense of grandness in this story... Like a clear night sky, by ones own perspective a vast and empty expanse for as far as one could ever hope to reach, and yet at the same time filled with light and form from things larger and more brilliant than is possible to comprehend. And just when you think you might drift away, lost forever, friendship and love pulls you back down to Earth.
ReplyDelete@icekatze
ReplyDeleteholy shit, man.
I think this is the single highest praise I have ever received.
Totally sincere here- thank you. That meant a lot to me. I've gotten pretty involved in this story over the months and it's hard not to feel emotionally attached to the world and especially the characters. Something in this comment just got to me right now, man.
Thank you.
Things like this are why I write in the first place.
(and to respond to the other dude, I count march as one of the months because I started writing on the first of march. Only got posted on the 13th because that's how long it took me to finish my drafts of chapters 1 and 2, which is retrospect are pretty awful. I plan to rewrite them eventually with the skills I've learned in the intervening moths.)
The dragon has to be Spike. And if he is, what the fuck happened to him.
ReplyDeleteI love the story. I love the charaters, I love the plot, I love the action, and I definitely love the romance.
Great job on the story! It was a nice read and I look forward to future parts :).
ReplyDeleteIt's also nice to see how you've progressed in ability since the start, it may not be as obvious to you because I read the whole thing up to part 20 in a couple of days. That being said there are some things I think you need to look out for when writing like the movement of your ponies. The use of trot and canter didn't always seem to fit in with the scene or current action. Also your characters sometimes moved to a point they were already stood at.
Keep up the good work!
Hey, PK. Think you can help me with my story. i need some help regarding character creation. Can you lend a hoof?
ReplyDeleteAt the moment, I need a pegasus filly.
ReplyDelete@PK
ReplyDeleteYou're most welcome, though I still feel like I ought to be thanking you for taking the time to write this. :)
@flutterguy58
ReplyDeleteI am so bad at character creation, seriously. My weakest point. Sorry :v
*Sees this right before going to bed* OMFG BUCK YES!!! *Cries tears of happiness*
ReplyDeleteNew chapter! Yayyyyyy
ReplyDeleteI liked this one a lot. Nice, personal and quiet, the way things ought to be after something as epic as the one preceding it. Good job!
ReplyDeleteAlso, don't sell yourself short on character creation - you've made some damn fine ones in this story, and their evolution has been very gratifying to watch. I eagerly await the next part. :)
So simple, yet so elegant.
ReplyDeleteTruly worthy of being 6-starred right next to Fallout: Equestria.
Hey, it's 110 from the doc. This story is awesome. As always. I'm liking where it's going, and it's great that Jigsaw is getting more chances to shine.
ReplyDeleteAbout the Incendia-Tiptoe thing... I really hope that doesn't become the main romance focus. Jigsaw and Tiptoe are so cute together, and tbh I would rather not see that upset by lesbian shipping.
Keep up the great work, PK.
Short review: LOVE IT, definitely one of my top fanfics! <3
ReplyDeleteLong review:
I really like how you managed to incorporate Incendia into the "Party" without being a perfect fit, because in reality, no new pony is a perfect fit, right away at least right away. Though frankly, I really do feel bad about Incendia, at least after a certain paragraph....
It seems to me that you take an interesting approach to tantalus's feelings (not that a know what a dark dragon's feelings are), not saying its bad, just, interesting. Though I really can't wait for more of him having "self-thought" moments" where he begins to question himself.
Jigsaw is really interesting character, can't wait for him to "start sh*tting magic batteries" (actual docs quote)also, I love how you describe him "feeling" the machines, want moar.
Now, ONTO criticisms:
-I didn't really like the second to last line, seemed like the "this" is slightly odd when your first read, after a second time reading it, I got it, but still...
-Incendia needs a friend, case closed.
- Tiptoe as jigsaw's "anchor"? I love the idea, but i something about is irking me, have no clue what.
-Incendia reminds me of Rainbow Dash for some reason, not sure if this is good or bad.
Can't think of much else, I'll try and update this when I can, if I can. Also, first review, hope it was helpful.
aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaTHIS STORY IS AMAZINGaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa
ReplyDeleteI'm pret~ty sure Jigsaw has a bit of a Scottish Accent.
ReplyDeleteNo, scratch that. He has to have a Scottish accent.
Got any Scottish friends, PK?
@Gmzamz
About Incendia reminding you of Rainbow Dash, well... Unless you're one of those who firmly believe Rainbow Dash is a Fillyfooler, I don't know what else to make of your statement in all honesty.
@ActionScripter9109
ReplyDelete>and tbh I would rather not see that upset by lesbian shipping.
>lesbian shipping
So what you're saying is...
This is a great story! Just a few minor typos, et cetera. While they're little things, it does break the flow of the reading when one has to look back at a sentence.
ReplyDelete"there was a small platform with mats for the guests of honor to sit on" You're not supposed to end a sentence in a preposition.
"Princess Celestia's school for Gifted Youngsters" The school was called Princess Celestia's School for Gifted Unicorns.
"but for all her power, she was still pony" "Pony" is not an adjective. Either she was still *a* pony, or she was still equine.
"Tiptoe hurtled hear over heels" I think you mean head over heels.
"It had been like that for as long as anyone could remember." Do you mean anypony?
"tiptoe had curled up on the seat next to him" You forgot to capitalize her name.
"went hurtling around the inside of the subway car until in finally came to a stop" I think you mean *it* came to a stop.
"The rapidly approached the source of the light" I think you mean "They rapidly approached".
"and another after 5,000 years" I think you mean "and again after".
"in instantly killed any living thing" I think you mean "it".
"The smell of green plants were" You either mean "The smell of green plants was" or "The smells of green plants were".
"Try some, they're delicious!" This is a comma splice; it should be "Try some; they're delicious!".
"oversized wheels were positioned" You forgot to capitalize the first word of this sentence.
"It felt as though the magic inside him was writing" You probably mean /writhing/.
"few feet away from him, he back still arched" You mean her back, not he back.
"Nobody had ever shown her affection like this" Do you mean nopony?
In Chapter 6, you describe the dragon's lair. You state that the force field is on the left, and then you state that "However, the most conspicuous area in the room lay to the left". This seems odd, as the "However" makes it seem as though you intended them to be on different sides of the room.
"Princess Celestia and Luna vanished because of" I think you mean Princesses Celestia and Luna.
"Celestia, Luna, and a young ward named Twilight Sparkle both vanished" This list has three elements, so it say they all vanished, not they both vanished. "Both" is reserved for lists of two.
"it is he who you seek" I'm fairly certain that should be "whom".
"as the passed the pedestal" You must mean "as they passed"
"as they two ponies walked forwards" You probably mean "as the two".
"cut off by what appeared a torrent" You either mean "cut off by what appeared to be a torrent" or "cut off by what appeared: a torrent". The former is less awkward than the latter, in my opinion.
Other than that, great job! :D
I look forward to reading the rest. (I'm only on Chapter 8, though, so no rush! :P)
@DantE.MusT.DiE
ReplyDeleteWhat I meant was how she was a "secret agent" and was much more interested in "boyish" things, than say, Rarity. I suppose I wasn't very clear on that, So sorry for that.
"His explanation seemed way to simple" You mean TOO simple.
ReplyDelete"Jigsaw glanced over his should" I think you mean his shoulder.
"Alarms blared all around the Jigsaw and Tiptoe" Is Jigsaw going by "The Jigsaw" now? Who does he think he is, Batpony?
@Nulono
ReplyDeleteIf you're going to keep at pointing out the typos, could you note which chapters these individual typos are in from here on out so I'd have an easier time correcting them? I appreciate the effort and for these I could just ctrl+F through the first eight (or so) chapters to find them, but that can be unnecessarily time consuming in later ones. >;
I demand moar.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteTo create relatable characters in a world where civilization has vanished and put them in a quest where the stakes are as high as they can get is by no means an easy task, but you sir have made it.
ReplyDeleteThe use of the cutie mark mythos to create our starting opinion on the protagonists is nothing short of great: Jigsaw´s “supernatural engineering powers” and limitations reflect upon what kind of pony he is. “Machines are easy, ponies are complicated”, not only to repair but to understand and interact with.
Tiptoe´s special talent amounts to being unnoticeable, that and her being a pegasus in a world where pegasi are less needed that ever appeals to that side of us that sometimes may feel worthless, useless or unfairly kept from success. But she keeps trying and even gets to impress us, showing that if we keep trying we can stand against the odds.
The antagonist on the other hand is incredibly hard to understand, but this is a good thing. Sometimes the villain´s goal lacks any real sense (taking over a world pretty much deserted for example), but Tantalus has been through the death of everyone he once loved, the destruction of his homeland and millennia of solitary reclusion while the one responsible for his misery has yet to be punished. So even if we only get a tiny sliver of his background at the time it´s not hard to accept him as the bad guy until we get a greater insight into his past.
On a personal note, this is the first pony fic I read and the one that got me into them, so all those hours I could have spent studying but instead used to read more and more fics are entirely on you PK! Nah, but seriously, great job so far and please excuse any and all mistakes, I don’t usually write much in English.
>The face-your-inner-fears enchantment is extremely overused as a tearjerker
ReplyDelete-Overused ?
Funny thing... I'm pretty sure this is one of the few rare times I saw this used in the many MLP:FiM stories ?
Also... it was Luna, not Nightmare Moon. Or rather, it was some sort of magical remains of her spirit, in this place.
(Luna can be mysterious and cunning, without being ''Nightmare'', you know ?)
Just saying.
Odd fact : Even after 21 chapters, I still have difficulties at remembering (all the time) which one between Tiptoe and Jigsaw are the Unicorn(male) and the Pegasus(female).
ReplyDelete...yeah, their name just doesn't seem to click with their sub-species, in my mind. Incendia is very easy to remember though ;).
CH.21 :
>"I don't suppose we can eat these." She prodded absently at the pine needle carpet.
-Try the pine cones, they are tastier and crunchy ;) (reference bonus)
>She couldn't help her inability to do magic
-Well, forgetting the random-magic of the Celestial Orb, that is.
-----
>"I can feel them.
-Them ?
>Tiptoe, I'm carrying pieces of the goddesses.
-Pieces ?!
...waaaaaiiit what !
No, no, no, that can't be... It was ONE(1) orb of Celestia to the Unicorn(or pegasus... I confuse their name), and ONE(1) orb of Luna to the other pony... I'm quite sure it was like that, really.
I remember I had found ''this'' (each of them having a different orb, one having the Moon and the other having the Sun) quite interesting, because it was like one being like Celestia and the other being like Luna.
Each one would have been sharing part of the powers of the ancient Princesses, like the previous 2 Sisters, but here it would have been between 2 Lovers.
I will re-read (or quick-search) the last 10 chapters, if I have to...
(20)>Jigsaw began to walk slowly towards where the sphere hung
>he raised his head until the very tip of his horn broke the silvery surface of the sphere.
(14)>The fragment of Celestia in the center of the room
>it was when Jigsaw had seen it before.
>Jigsaw then lowered his horn and touched the point of it to the sphere.
Oh damnit all... I should have known that this was TOO perfect and potentially interesting to be true...
(sigh) Whatever now... *grumble*
-----
WE DEMAND MOAR!
ReplyDeleteWhy do you make the story so interesting? D: Now I have high expectations of myself and others
ReplyDeletePKayyyyyyyyyyyyyy :<
But seriously, Good job. This story is absolutely fantastic. Somehow you managed to make an extremely complex tale easy and fun to read. Most writers either get bogged down in the details, or (like me) forget to provide any. You have a perfect balance of detail and action. And probably some of the best character development I've seen in anything!
Now, tell us more about Rarity's Gem! And Antimony! And will Cendy (because I totally forgot to spell her name....) ever find love?
So apparently somepony went out and made an Antipodes TV tropes page, which can be found here: http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Fanfic/Antipodes
ReplyDeleteY'all should go prettify it. And thank you for making it, whoever you are :3
One of my few complaints with this story was the that the characters didn't feel very fleshed out to me. While the story itself was amazing the characters felt like personality vessels to carry the plot along from point to point. Then you had to go in and make Chapter 19...I actually didn't read it until just now. Whenever somepony tries to convince me to do it I tend to subconciously not want to, so it took me a while to finally read it.
ReplyDeleteI was not let down when I did. I'm glad to see you put a lot of effort back into this story, and I can't wait to see more.
http://thx4clkn.blogspot.com/2011/08/antipodes-proofreading-002.html
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteI probably should've posted this a LOT sooner, but I had a lot on my plate. Anyway, I was that Anon you were chatting with on the 8th in the morning (I can't remember ever finding out my number), when you went on Chapter 19 (I believe) in order to get a reference for Chapter 20. Haha, you thought we were Google Docs glitch ghosts until I engaged you in conversation.
ReplyDeleteAnyway, I must say, fantastic job you're doing on the story so far. It's one thing to have one OC well-developed amongst a sea of other familiar, already characterized characters, a la "Past Sins." It's another to be like this one, where the cast is pretty much entirely OCs, and still have it come off as a damn good, exciting read. And while the aforementioned "Past Sins" is definitely my favorite of all the FiMfics I've read, this one is certainly a close second. You've managed to make me genuinely care about the cast of the story, which is no small feat. I also, as I mentioned then, like the flow of the story, as it moves along smoothly without rushing, and without, as I put it, "bullshitting around on unimportant details."
However, I must point out one glaring error that I'm surprised no one else has pointed out (unless that Nulono guy above me pointed it out in that blog post which I was too lazy to read): in Chapter 4, Antimony is an earth pony. In Chapter 19, Antimony is a unicorn. Which is the correct one?
Speaking of Chapter 19, HOLY CRAP WAS IT AWESOME. Not much else I can think to say.
As for Chapter 20, nice use of the Precision F-Bomb! I was starting to think it could never be done properly with ponies, but you proved me wrong.
As for me talking about how I was finally updating one of my stories on FF.net after nearly 8 years (and the other after 5.5), here's the link to my FF.net profile, so that you can feel free to peruse them, and then mock my past self's ineptitude at writing, or do whatever you feel like: http://www.fanfiction.net/u/463185/
Finally, I would like to end by saying I think this would be a PERFECT theme for Incendia, not just because of the fast, intense melody, but the lyrics, especially to the chorus: http://youtu.be/UgUkZcW-HKY
I need an update....
ReplyDeleteStory is gonna be on hiatus for a few more days. Major projects in the work as well as real life stuff that came up.
ReplyDeleteRest assured, though, the next update will be BIG. ;D
This is an awesome story. My only complaint is that the chapters feel short, and that you take your time writing them.D:!
ReplyDeleteBut neh, i know you can't really control the speed or the amount, i've tried to write some fanfics before, with no results.
I'm ashamed to say that my speed at reading has become my bane, i finished all the 21 chapters much too quickly...damn, now i want more.
Update! Ah got a craven for some Antipodes.
ReplyDeleteArgh sorry! Look for the new update this weekend- I've been SO INSANELY BUSY it's not even funny. The big update will probably have to wait a bit, i'm super sorry, but hey! A new chapter.
ReplyDeletepk this is how a shipping should be not just a romance but a story about two ponys who have nothing but each other good job man cant wait for next chapter please hurry
ReplyDeleteOPS
ReplyDeleteforgot to make the docs public
it's fixed now
hehe, creaky bed
ReplyDeletePK, you are a boss. This story rocks, and I stayed up till 3 am just to read the update. Worth every second. Keep it up, and know that we're cheering you on!
ReplyDeleteAlso, I love the way you treat Jigsaw and Tiptoe's relationship. Not in the forefront, not rushed, not played out in heavy innuendos and sex scenes (*cough* FO:E *cough*), but instead worked into the storyline naturally and sparingly, so that it comes off as sweet and genuine. Well done.
@ActionScripter9109
ReplyDeleteHee, I'm glad you think so! Sorry I had to keep you up till 3 AM- even when I set myself a deadline, I am still a procrastination king.
The relationship between the three mane characters in one of the things I really am trying to focus on right now, I'm glad you're enjoying it and that I'm getting across what I'm trying to get across effectively :)
OMYGOSHOMYGOSH! Its too late to stay up and read the new chapter... but I'm going to read it the first chance I get tomorrow... technically today in my timezone but I haven't gone to sleep yet so that doesn't count.
ReplyDeleteCant wait! :D
Yay, this month just flew right by! Great to see another chapter, and I can't wait to see how the audiobook turns out. Here's to a great audition!
ReplyDelete@Nova25 Hello! This is the anon whose comment you were commenting on! :) I have a name now, things are much better.
ReplyDeleteWhen I said overused, I meant more in terms of epic stories with fantastic elements than pony fanfics. I generally try and judge stuff based on the overall literary canon more than just on ponystories, if only because I'm more familiar with the former than the latter. In any case, as I said, PK made it work great despite the commonality of the scene.
And I didn't mean that NMM was the one doing the testing, I meant that it made sense to test ponies that way because attacking their mental weaknesses to see if they'd break would be a good way of seeing who would be susceptible to becoming an NMM-style creature. Luna's mental weakspot was what allowed for her corruption, remember? And you wouldn't want that happening to someone who got into the inner sanctum of Canterlot, I imagine.
Hope that clears things up!
Anyways, the latest chapter was a welcome addition to the story! I do not envy Incendia's position, and I've got a friend right now who's... basically in exactly the same one. It'd be funny if it wasn't so damn unfortunate. Hopefully PK will bring that to a head soon, 'cos watching Lady Firepony suffer is painful. Very well written, but hard to read.
Mysteries abound, as usual! Hopefully this latest city's secrets won't be as sinister as Stalliongrad's. I suppose that's not saying much, since Stalliongrad's evil was pretty intense. Still. Here's to hope, eh?
Tiptoe and Jigsaw happened, pretty much for certain. So that's a thing. Wonder where that'll go...
Can't wait for the next chapter, PK! This one set up some interesting stuff, and you always capitalize adeptly on your tension-building. :)
MOAR, DAMNIT! MOAR!
ReplyDeleteDragons gonna be Spike...
ReplyDeleteI think..?
I've got a horrible feeling that something bad is going to happen in Totemhoof. If not some kind of sinister plot from within the city, than almost certainly due to Tantalus showing up at an inopportune time.
ReplyDeleteThe thought of him "writing a letter," makes me worry that he's going to be able to "send" it to Jigsaw since he has a shard of Celestia inside him now.
Also: I'm sure Tiptoe is just giggling at Jigsaw's failed attempts to fix the squeaky bed, you know how he can be around things that aren't working properly. :P
... SO I SEE YOU FINALLY DID WHAT I'VE BEEN TELLING YOU TO DO SINCE LIKE CHAPTER 10
ReplyDeleteTHANKS BRO
I couldn't help but be reminded of Watership Down when the three stangers were leading them into Totemhoof.
ReplyDeleteAwesome chapter PK! This cult... I have bad, bad feelings. Somehow, the fragments Jigsaw is holding (or perhaps his ability to absorb fragments?) is going to end up disturbing some ritual and getting them burned at the stake or something.
ReplyDeleteAlso, the fact that they all three believe Tantalus is dead? Not good. Not at all. They stand a 0% chance against a surprise attack!
Finally, I just want to say that you are breaking my heart for Incendia, you Meanie McMeaniePants! Somewhere, when everything is all said and done, this story needs to have a happy ending for her, too. Not just a bittersweet one.
I've read 22 chapters in a row, it's totally amazing
ReplyDeleteProofreading notes:
ReplyDelete"Jigsaw assumed he must be the leader" You must mean "he must've been".
"fabric seemed to shimmer" You must mean "fabric seeming to shimmer".
"Any enemy of Tantalus' are friends of ours." You must mean "enemies of Tantalus are".
"state of disorganization, we're really" Comma splice. That comma should be a semicolon.
"The continued to make their way" You must mean "They continued".
Jigsaw: "Hey, Tiptoe... There's something I've been meaning to ask you, possibly since I first met you."
ReplyDeleteTiptoe (smiling): "Yes? What is it?"
Jigsaw: "What's a toe?"
Tiptoe: "..."
I don't normally comment or say anything in the chat (unless it's inane banter), but I have to say that this is one of the few stories that I compulsively check for updates. And it's always worth it.
ReplyDeleteThanks for writing this, and I await more updates - no rush, mind you.
PK,sorry for the arrogance, but how do you plan to do a chapter on time? Which framework? (I hope half a year waiting for a new chapter will not have to)
ReplyDelete>We may not have advanced as far as you Stalliongrad ponies did, but we did make some new discoveries.
ReplyDelete-Well ? I think it's one of the VERY rare times they talk about their town and their 'society' ?
>"The next fragment is located halfway around the world. On the sunny side.
-Still have NO idea of how many 'orbs' there is... could be 4, could be 100. Maybe it's 6, like the number of Elements there... was... Wait a minute ?
I might not recall *everything* that was mentioned in the story so far, but... I'm quite sure there was virtually NO mention of those super-artefacts-of-doom, yet ? Why is that ?
Were they left out of this story ? They would be an odd thing to remove ?
>It was time to write a letter.
-I can honestly say that I have NO idea or theory of who, or to what, he may be sending a message ?
>A green carpet was laid out under their hooves and small shrubs with bright red berries were becoming increasingly common, along with rolling hills.
-Seems like it's quite 'alive' there... I don't remember, are they back in the 'not mortal by heat or cold' zone (the band of land between the 2) ?
>the village was almost entirely isolated from the surrounding countryside.
-Yeah... I really think they are in the 'safe zone' between the Hot and Cold halves.
-----
>"Oh, my, yes. We've had several refugee groups trickle in over the last day or so, ever since Tantalus' latest attack.
-Ah, it's good to know that ponykind (a good chunk of it) hasn't been completely annihilated a second time. They know about Tantalus ?
... I'm starting to really wonder about various things now... I mean, is this village there since 10 000 years ? 8000 ? 5000 ? ...and the town of Tiptoe/Jigsaw ?
And, since I'm thinking about it... Stalliongrad. With 10 000 years worth of living AND dieing ponies, well, what did they do with the corpses ? That's A LOT of bodies, for a fix and limited amount of space and ponies... And, since their city was 'closed' to the outside... after 10 000years, surely inbreeding must have been a (severe) problem, no ?
And, what about resources ? Stalliongrad might had have the technology to recycle things for the 'most' part, but still, I doubt it was 100% efficient... and other tiny/small towns/villages (mostly about those underground) surely didn't have the same recycling techs and stuff (about 66% to 80% of the surface world is a desert or cold wasteland, and a lot of underground things surely don't age well with little to no maintenance, after even just a few centuries, so after several thousands of years ?) ?
That ''10 000 Years'' thing is introducing A LOT of bad variables ? (and quite a few questions) ...
... Yes. Yes, I do wonder about things a lot. Some times more than others(times) ...
>The moon has provided for all our needs and we lend it our devotion in thanks."
-What ? They are in the 'cold zone', really ? Those pegasi must work darn fast to be able to heat that whole ENTIRE place, so that plants and food can grow, plus the surrounding lands (since there's no Sun... and that the Moon only reflect an insignificant amount of heat, plus only about 1lux of light even during full moon) ?
The village should be in the 'middle/safe zone' in order to survive.
Heat from the Moon ? : http://www.thenakedscientists.com/forum/index.php?topic=24481
Enough light from the Moon ? http://www.thenakedscientists.com/forum/index.php?topic=11315
Also, in the story... The 'hot zone' can kill you in like 1-2 hour, but you can apparently survive SEVERAL hours(and even an entire night) in the 'cold zone', if you have just a small fire...
... Wow ? I'm not entirely sure why I'm thinking THAT much tonight, compared to other times ? Must be the full moon or something ? ...
-----
@Nova25
ReplyDelete-----
>two of you are going to have to share a bed. I hope that won't be an issue." >She blushed intensely and mouthed "Jigsaw!" indignantly, though her small smile betrayed her true feelings.
-Ah, a touch refreshing humor. :)
Hey PK, this is Anon 73 from a week ago, in chat! (Though you probably knew that) It was fun chatting with you, Anon 9907 (I think) and Rocker32703 (can't remember his anon number anymore). Gawd, we got so off topic, but damn if that wasn't one of the most fun conversations of my life! Also, I still feel kind of guilty that I accidentally got 9907 to read "Sweet Apple Massacre." Anyways, good chapter! I would say more, but I am completely fucking brain dead right now. So, I hope to chat with you again in the next Google Docs chapter!
ReplyDelete@PK
ReplyDeleteI have been read this entire freaking fanfic in two sittings, just to learn that it isn't even finished yet?!?!?! You bastard.
jk, in all seriousness, this is probably my 2nd favorite fanfic yet. I actually held off on reading it for a long time just because of the fact that it's OC ponies, but now, just because of how good this one is, I might go and read some others.
I really hope that things end well for Incendia, she reminds me of me at a few points in my life, so I connect with her pretty well.
Jigsaw is just epic. Jus' saiyan.
Also, you made me d'aww a couple times from Jigsaw being as freaking smooth as he is.
This comment is probably pretty big now, so I'll stop. Can't wait for more chapters.
~Nemmisis
Absolutely loved the story so far! Never expected OC Ponies to be so thrilling. A good idea, with plenty of potential for the next 4 fragments of Luna and Celestia, and I can't wait to see what you do if all of them have been collected. Could it bring the Gods back, and restore Equestria to its state 10,000 years ago, or will there be another twist...
ReplyDeleteGuess it depends on how long you want it to go on for.
Can't wait for more of it!
Normally I avoid OC ponies pretty hard, then I saw the recommendation and rating. And I truly love this.
ReplyDeleteYou did an amazing job writing this. A few times I thought there was something lacking, then it was immediately addressed. I love a good story with a bit of shipping. Adventure stories that completely avoid it tend to be weak (even Dangerous Business has a little) - romance exists and is hard to ignore, and you use subtlety well (except maybe... chapter 22).
I love that the plot isn't contrived. Many fiction stories rely on things that just need to just happen to line up all deus-ex-machina-like, without mention of how unlikely the events are and without anyone orchestrating anything. The only part that just happens to fit together (Stalliongrad was running out of power sources as Jigsaw came along and the resistance was dying) is not terribly out there. When characters come together and are all like "I've never met you before, and I'm the only one of my kind with this super-unique skill you need that has been seen in 10000 years" and everyone else is like "OMGMETOO", it gets stupid, fast. You don't make that mistake here.
Observations as of chapter 22 [SPOILERS]:
for Tiptoe and Jigsaw, either they haven't tried to get help for their home tribe while they still believe they might be able to save somepony, their reaction to their home being destroyed was so... mild, they haven’t had time to think on it, or they really are going as quick as they can. It seems you might be using that last one, but in that case it’s really odd if they haven’t told Incendia (have they? I might’ve missed it) and that they don’t seem to think about it at all, especially with all the romance. Something about the ponies being sort of serious and aware really struck me in the first chapters. They were each given a lot of character depth, too. You noted that there were people saying quality dropped - those two reasons I gave are probably why. As for direct criticisms: Tantalus really seems... out there, as a character.
Most of those issues develop from the length of the story. Large parts of it are absolutely amazing, and those set the standards I wrote the above paragraph on. Hope that helps - will definitely keep reading.
You cannot comprehend how much I love this story.
ReplyDelete23 on Fimfiction.net! =D
ReplyDeleteConfound these ponies. They drive me to read.
ReplyDeleteNormally I don't read any fanfic, too busy working on my own one. But this one seems AMAZING.
ReplyDeletePersonally, I LOVE OC ponies, I mean think about the possibilities: Their personallities, their stories, their relationships...UNLIMITED.
Be sure I'll read it.
so pretty much what we have here is a luna cult or something?
ReplyDeleteAck! I'm going to have to wait until tomorrow to read it. >_<
ReplyDeleteAnother fanfic with +20 chapters... hmmm do not know if i can handle this much fanfic
ReplyDelete@PK
ReplyDeleteyou have some basic structure problems as you some times as in repeating an explanation side by side. but i will say this is an amazing story line. very well done in deed. just a suggestion tho after you finish writing set the paper down and go play games or something do something else then come back and proof read it'll help. Sorry i cant really type at the moment i basically shattered my hand so ya. good luck and well done.
I think it's funny that people stay away from OC character stories. I personally like them better. Obviously, I like any fic I read to be well written with good plot and characterization, and if that much is true, than in my mind OCs or background characters are better to read about than the mane cast, because any personality or history created for them doesn't distract from the canon. It can be really hard to write someone with an established personality so that it feels right.
ReplyDeleteHmm... I think that I maybe.. I understand whats... ok, no. I think I'm possibly more confused as to what the deal with Totemhoof is. (Yes, I ended that sentence with a preposition.) I mean, I'm starting to think that those nervous ponies that were out picking berries when our heroes first arrived might have been newcomers themselves. Just how many of the ponies working up in the clouds are new recruits? Mr. Mean Old Meanie Pants Pegasus seemed like he might have been the only one up there who knew what was going on.
ReplyDeleteWhen I read that the town was bustling when they woke up, for a moment I thought that I was just imagining the sense of dread, but the incredibly strange way everypony is acting soon kicked it back into overdrive.
Either that, or there's the sinking suspicion that there's a fragment of Luna hidden in that tower and when they take it away, it will open Totemhoof up to attack from Tantalus.
Well, ominous behaviors or no, it was nice to see Tiptoe have a good day. :) A nice chapter.
ReplyDeleteI made you some fan art. :)
ReplyDeletehttp://ponibooru.413chan.net/post/view/70200
Read all 23 chapters in one go, it was pretty good. I know I'll be monitoring this story until it reaches its conclusion. Also one little peeve of mine, when Tiptoe and Jigsaw are being attacked by the giant snake thing whilst in the control center in chapter two? You say, "The terror and chaos in the sphere had kept her from realizing the true gravity of the situation. Their lives were in danger!" The sheer ridiculousness of those two sentences made me laugh until I cried.
ReplyDelete@icekatze
ReplyDeleteThis is my new background and is absolutely amazing. THANK YOU SO MUCH.
You're most welcome. It was the least I could do. ^_^
ReplyDeleteI have... misgivings about these moon worshipers, I just know it will go belly up eventually and be antipodes version of ARIBU.
ReplyDeleteI normally tend to stay away from fan fics. I personally don't like shipping most of the time. I gave this one a poke though, and I must say, I really liked it. The character development is excellent, and I love the plot! I read all 23 chapters in one go. OC ponies I usually find to be unrealistic, for a variety of reasons, although I really like these two. The shipping here is also natural, and although this sounds strange, I like the envy that Incendia feels. It creates more future tension between the group, and I'm not sure, will the envy get to a point where it'll threaten to break up the group? Although if you choose to go in this direction PK, I would caution you to be careful. I'd really rather not see Antipodes turn into a romance fanfic, because that's not what it's supposed to be.
ReplyDeleteAlso, I was curious as to exactly how long Tiptoe and Jigsaw had been teacher and apprentice together? I'm not sure if it was mentioned, but I'd like to know how long it was. I mean, when they were first introduced, it seemed like the two of them were together for some time, and not just recently put together.
Another note, this is just me, but I LOVE the background stories and history of anything. So when Tantalus was getting into the history of what had happened, I was as interested as Jigsaw was to learn what had happened. If you could take some time to further develop the history of what happened, I'd love to hear that.
Building off of that, it was said that both Celestia and Luna had disappeared. But so had Twilight Sparkle. I would absolutely love to find out what happened with her, and where exactly the three of them ended up.
And were you planning on throwing the Elements of Harmony into this story in anyway? I mean, they ARE the most powerful magical artifacts known to ponydom. Help defeat the quintessence of evil or something? Whatever happens I'll love to read it.
I think that the only criticism I'd give this (aside from the few mechanical and grammatical errors here and there, but that hardly matters) would be the length. I like stories that take time to be weaved out, and every detail elaborated on. The chapters are very nice, although at times, I felt a bit rushed, like there was more that could be said, but wasn't. If you could write more details about everything, and write more per chapter, without it getting tedious, then good sir, you would be an excellent author (although you're quite good as it stands haha).
PK, whether or not you go through all the comments on here these days, all I can wish for is that you do take a look at mine, and perhaps reply if you'd be willing to? :3
@goldenCapitalist Also, if anyone was interested, I particularly loved just staring at the main image for Antipodes and listening to this song: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FqjKLRzA30g&list=FLp0TwhYPJAefeSzB7wqA7RA&index=5
ReplyDeleteI read all my comments! I may not respond to all of them, but I read all of them. :3
ReplyDeleteHey PK! I'm disappointed. Not in the latest chapter (it was great as usual). I'm disappointed in the fact that I missed out on joining in the Google Docs chat when this chapter was first posted! But I was busy with school and all that shit... so, yeah. And I just finished the chapter right now! I'd say more, but I'm too tired to think. Blah.
ReplyDeleteWhoa, dunno why noone else noticed, or at least didn't post.
ReplyDeleteBut anyway, was reading (so awesome btw), but the teleporter code: 62442. Number pad code for MAGIC no?
Hehe, I see what one did thar :D
I humbly request another update! Soon! :3
ReplyDeleteQuick question/suggestion:
ReplyDeleteSeeing that the updates are so far apart between each other, would you possibly be able to give a small synopsis of previous events, right before the story continues? Like how shows give those 30 seconds or so of recap.
Also UPDATES? WHERE ART THOU?
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDelete@goldenCapitalist
ReplyDeleteUpdates are far apart between each other and you suggest adding more work to them? Just skim through the previous chapter you lazy git. :)
@Kaiser Gah, if you must poke holes in my comments be that way :3. At the very least I'd still like to see longer updates.
ReplyDeleteNew chapter coming very soon. :3
ReplyDeleteChapter is done! just waiting on madmax.
ReplyDeleteYEESSSS
ReplyDeleteDigging the new image! Now, time to read the next chapter!
ReplyDeleteStuff about to go down with Tiptoe oh snap
ReplyDeleteSomeone must make a comic...
ReplyDeleteGet back to work we want more!
ReplyDeleteDoes this mean Incendia is going to try and make Tiptoe love her now? I really hope not, that is why I really like Incendia so much, yes she may love Tiptoe, but she didn't try to get between her and Jigsaw. I was hoping she would finally find someone in this creepy town.
ReplyDeleteLoving Chapter 24! I really hope Incendia can catch a break that doesn't involve burning any bridges. Even if its just for a little bit.
ReplyDeleteI may have frothed a bit at the mouth at this latest cliffhanger, but I'm ok now. Feeling much better really. I've got my particularly patient pants on, because when I cant stand to wait, I need to sit down and they're very comfortable you see... Yes. You may notice that I'm typing crazy type. Thats because my mind is still spinning a bit, but no longer frothing at least.
Anyway. Golden Capitalist mentioned something about the elements of harmony and I had a sudden thought. There are six elements of harmony, and there are six shards of Celestia/Luna out there. Coincidence?
For some reason, when they first get above ground reminds me heavily of Gurren Lagann. As for the story itself, I'm really enjoying it right now.
ReplyDeleteI never really read OC fanfics before, but you sir have opened my eyes. I read chapter 1 to 24 in one sitting, which took me longer than I expected (went to bed at 6 AM).
ReplyDeleteAnyhoo, thanks for the great story, you've got another fan.
Wow! I almost feel as though I should apologize for waiting this long to read your story. The setting you've built is fascinating, and your characters are incredibly likeable. I started with a couple chapters during my lunch hour at work, and immediately opened it back up when I got home this evening!
ReplyDeleteCount me as another devoted follower, eager to find out what happens next!
P.S. You might also want to send a(nother) big thank you in Madmax's direction - it was her art for Ch 24 that got me curious enough to start reading.
"We need to talk."
ReplyDelete-End of chapter.
HHNNNNGGGG!!!
I need the next chapter!
I just got caught up in this story, and finished 24 last night, and now you just update with 25?
ReplyDeleteYay!
Wow, someone dropped a little worm in my ear about fiery grey unicorns in this fic. This blows my mind because... well... I have a fiery grey unicorn in my fic. But this was obviously done first! o.O
ReplyDeleteI don't feel as original anymore! D:
... <.< Will totally read this. :3
Chapter 25 rolls around, and the plot thickens. All three of the currently resolving threads are very interesting to me (Incendia's predicament, the mystery of Totemhoof, and the greater mystery of just-what-the-heck-happened-to-Equestria). It's great to see that retrieving this fragment will be even less morally simple as taking Stalliongrad's, and I eagerly await the next part.
ReplyDeleteThings seem to happen quite slowly with this story, but that hasn't kept me from being invested in it, so good job there!
Another nice update, still wonder what's going to happen.. more questions pop up than get solved..
ReplyDeletei just started reading this yesterday and have already finished all 25 chapters, why did i hold off on reading this for so long its fantastic!!
ReplyDeleteI have followed since chapter one, I am going to say this story still intrigues me and keeps me eagerly awaiting future updates.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteFor the longest time, I would see Antipodes updates, and want to read it because of the interesting synopsis and the awesome cover art (Thanks Madmax!), but I would just put it off, thinking "I'll get to it eventually..."
ReplyDeleteWell, I finally did, and I love it. Freeow! I power read all twenty-five chapters, and I am still amazed at just how well put together the characters are. With many fan fics I read, I feel that I am tolerating at least some of the cast, but with Antipodes, find myself involved with each of them, empathising and even anticipating. I actually like them, each for their own reasons, and it's wonderful!
So. . . um. . . thanks, PK, if you read this. It's interesting just how few comments this story has, even for how long it's been out, now that I think about it. Keep up the good work!
What I don't get is why isn't this receiving more and more rates.
ReplyDeleteI'm up to chapter eighteen and I can see the blatant rise in quality from chapters one to ten as well as eleven to eighteen.
It's gone from a cute story to a compelling tale, which is mind blowing! I mean, these chapters are what... two thousand words in length and so much has already happened!
I must say, I'm impressed. I can't seem to get a chapter out with less than twenty thousand words and you seem to accomplish much much more with each step.
My hat is off to you, brony. =3
Haven’t read ‘those’ stories in a long while, more than a month... I still remember the main details though, or I think so at least.
ReplyDelete-----
>the scarlet unicorn huffed and turned, proceeding into the cathedral.
-Well... even 10 000years later and a cataclysmic disaster of ungodly proportion, apparently there’s still ‘jerks’ and ‘snobby’ people/ponies in this post-apocalyptic future.
*The More Things Change, the More They Stay the Same* / Proverb - Alphonse Karr
>After generations of oppression and fighting, this was the ultimate fate of her people?
-Yeeeeah... I also ‘scratch my head’ on that one...
>the most pristine bloodberry petals this side of the Divide!
-Divide... The Great Divide... Why does that reminds me of something ?
Yet, I can’t seem to remember of what exactly... Some Historical thingy ? Fallout New Vegas DLC ?
>From the outside, all Ironmane and Aurora could see was a swirling ball of fire, brighter and more intense than anything they had ever seen before.
-I do hope this ‘cottage’ is made of sturdy stone, and not a tree-house (or just made of wood).
>Outside, from one of the many street-posts, nine loud buzzes announced the time.
-Mmh ? With no moon or sun rotating around the planet... I guess they kept ‘’alive’’ as many clocks as they could, back in the days and up to now (and one day figured out how to make them, synching with the old clocks’ time).
-----
It had been a long time, not sure how much I ‘liked’ the previous parts, but I remember that the story was relatively interesting...
So... CH.24 ? It was good and interesting, yes, focusing on Incendia (which is becoming more and more important in the story, as far as I can see) and giving some more ‘subtle’ hints about what will probably happen to be a : ‘’Group of crazy cultists’’... can’t have a post-apocalypse without them (and some form of ‘zombies’, usually).
@Nova25
ReplyDeleteCH.24 (damn... always forget to add the CH's number)
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDelete@Sotha
ReplyDeleteThanks for the kind words! For the record, I DO read all my comments- I may not respond to all of them, but I do read them.
As for why there are so few comments, I'm going to guess it's because it's posted in so many places and because i'm usually there in the docs chat to absorb comments before they're posted. if it was google docs only, and I was never in the chat, I wouldn't doubt it would be in the upper 1,000's or 2,000's. Or at least I can dream ;)
as for why there are so few ratings, though, ponyshrug.jpg
Considering that some people write/read comment(s) (only) here, and on DA... I wonder, if I should post only here, on DA, or both ? For ‘this’ story, that is.
ReplyDelete-----
CH.25 :
>culminating in the giant, decrepit radio tower on the west hill, complete with the mysterious glowing silver orb and shimmering cables snaking up it’s side.
-Just thought of something... In Stalliongrad they used a Sun piece/orb, and here they seem to apparently be using a Moon piece/orb.
First city had the ‘crazy power-hungry tyrant’, and I would almost bet that this town will have ‘crazy creepy-fanatical cultists’.
>Do you know the legend of Nightmare Moon?”
-Somehow, I find that odd that they would know THE legend about Luna becoming Nightmare Moon, one even older than 10 000years (11 000+ ), when back in the days most ponies didn’t know about it (and it was only 1000years old at that time).
And yet... they apparently forgot a very important technique for manipulating the clouds, that is barely older than 1500years.
>He had about to say “the caves.” “-place I grew up knew the old stories.”
-Wasn’t ‘’Stalliongrad’’ underground too ? ...so, technically it was a ‘cave’ (though a big and tall one).
>It’s first and most obvious use it regulating our day and night cycle. It turns off and on on a strict 12-hour schedule.
-Ah... well this solve one of my questions in my CH.24 comment.
‘’It’s first and most obvious use it regulating’’ : Is there an error with the second ‘it’ ? ‘’use it regulating’’ sounds odd.
>an underground bunker belonging to the Luna side of the Grand Cataclysm.
-Wait ? The ‘’Luna side’’ ? ...you mean as in the ‘side’ of the planet, or as in ‘Luna VS Celestia’ kind of side ?
You surely meant the first one, because I’m pretty sure to remember that the mentions (so far) point toward both of them fighting together (yet losing, for some suspicious and unknown reasons) against the demon-possessed Spike thingy, still... maybe it’s the way it is said that gives it a second possibly-confusing meaning.
>Docked to a large tower was a Lunar Battleship.
-dot dot dot ? You know... when I hear ‘Lunar Battleship’ I think ‘’Spaceship’’...
>Flown by Luna herself, it was supposed to be a huge armored balloon
-Not a big balloon... with armor ? Balloon with armor ? Mmmh ?
Wait a minute ? An ‘airship’, buried underground, made a long time ago, and found after a planetary cataclysm ? ...that’s the second half of Final Fantasy 6, with Setzer and Daryl's Tomb, all over again ! ...Yay :D. (Though I doubt they are gonna fly around the world in it, any time soon, isn’t it ?)
>Why had they docked an airship hundreds of feet underground? More pressingly, how?
-I also wondered that in FF6... and I don’t think they ever explain ‘how’ in the game either ?
>“Some way to take the fragment and still keep the city functioning.”
>“I’m open to ideas.”
-Huh, electricity ? Seem rather obvious, though it’s the ‘How’ they are gonna do it, that is now the main question.
>It didn’t hurt that Tiptoe’s yawn had been just about the most adorable thing he had ever seen.
-You can just imagine the ‘awwww’. ;)
-----
Chapter that ties up the day(and chapters) of the 3 main ponies... in a relatively interesting way, I have to say.
Will the ‘Thing’ be hungry mana-leeches ? Will there be crazy-cultists-ahoy ? Will they are fly their own private airship : http://colorsymphony.deviantart.com/art/Steampunk-271346233 ?
All the next episode of ! : *Insert title* !
I do have a request to make, PK. I would much like to see an addition of a Table Of Contents in the beginning of each chapter on Google Docs. I realize that would be an annoying amount of work for you, so it's not obligatory, but I'm sure that many readers would find it rather convenient.
ReplyDelete@Lumen
ReplyDeleteYou mean, like a 'space' where all the links of the all previous chapters would be listed ?
...isn't this page 'that' and more ?
Come on, man, you are killing me here... I need more! What must I do to get another chapter? Don't make me beg. Please don't make me beg.
ReplyDeleteBlagarg i want moaaahahar
ReplyDeleteThis is gonna be awesome in the next update but i has a question, in the story it said luna celestia and twilight all dissapeared so does this mean that there will be twilight fragments? But in all honesty incindia is by far one of my favorite ponies(besides firewall geez what is it with me and fire ponies?) but i have a creepingly odd suspision that tiptoe is going to end up being bi
Not that wouldnt be awesome for everypony involved right?
@gamblinpony
ReplyDeleteikr right? fire pones are the best ponies.
Also I have to say PK, this is one of best fanfics iv'e read. I'm so hooked and enveloped by the storyline, I managed to read most of the chapters in one sitting; I was totally engrossed. I'm really looking forward to the next update and what the rest of the story holds.
thanks for being awesome
@Lafter
ReplyDelete...and I thought I was the only one to notice that firepony connection. Incendia is like Firewall, just a girl, and cooler, and less snarky
The suspense is killing me. D:
ReplyDeleteAwesome! These chapters keep geting better all the time.
ReplyDeleteLooking forward to moar!
@PK
ReplyDeletei know you probably get this a lot, but whats the estimation for the date of the next chapter's release. Thanx
CockyBrony
@CockyBrony
ReplyDeleteSoon! Eventually. At some point.
Holy hell, I -finally- got around to making good on my promise to read this story, and DAYUM.
ReplyDeleteI'm going to become one of those insufferable bronies who whines "Y U NO UPDATE ANTIPODES!!!1!" in every nightly fic listing. This is EPIC, and when I say EPIC, imagine each letter 150 feet high and formed out of polished granite.
Anitpodes and TtEoAP, School Daze and Transcendence; these are a few of my favorite things.
Story is amazing, I'm on Chapter 25 ATM. The only I don't like is the F Bomb out of nowhere, and the same-sex attraction action condoning, if that makes any sense.
ReplyDeleteI have yet to find a FanFic that I have like, except for the one I LOVE! this one is just truly genius. It is well crafted and detailed and compliments the series without having to be set in it. you took MLP and made it your own, and then shared it with us! it's like having a second show. I fell in love with all the characters, gained hatred for the villains and cried for the lost heroes. I have tried other fics, but they get weird with the main/backround characters, or are too crazy. plus yours is really well written! keep it up! you give me hope in the world of fan fiction
ReplyDeleteNo apology is needed, as long as the updates keep coming ( even if there is a wait ) I am a happy brony. n.n
ReplyDeleteI'm not sure if it was just because I came into reading this last chapter straight from Fallout: Equestria, but it felt rushed to me. Everything progressed a bit too quickly, skimming over the top of several large story pieces, going from seizure-ish things to war to fragments and explosions and love confessions which wasn't followed up on in the hospital or anything and end. Chapter over. I don't mind so much the advance in the story, but this was all a bit too sudden. From memory, it doesn't compare to your other chapters, but like I said at the top, it's not fair to compare anything to Fallout: Equestria.
ReplyDeleteWE NEED A MOVIE/TV SHOW OF THIS NOW!
ReplyDeleteCH.26 :
ReplyDelete>And the unicorns use some of the worst magic I've ever seen. Huge fireballs, ponies turned inside out, the works.
-Well, first one is rather ordinary, last one is rather... huh... ‘’original’’ (though, a not very efficient use of magic) ?
>looking as though it was suspended in a brightly glowing thunder-egg.
-A thunder-what now ? ...are we supposed to know what the thing is ? Aside from being ‘egg-shaped’, I presume ?
>“Why is the ceiling black?” Incendia asked, staring up.
-I bet on an opening mechanism that will ‘open’ the ‘’roof’’... originally the entry-point for the airship.
>“I hope you know what you’re doing. Because from here I’m not seeing too much difference between you and him.”
-Well, what a weird and random thing to say ?
Clearly, a pony trying to save what’s left of a dieing world, with a minimum of casualty, is soooo very similar to a malevolent ageless demon-thing trying to conquer OR annihilate all life on the planet... ... ...of course ?
>“We’re in the most powerful battleship from before the fall. I intend to use it.
-Yay ! Go, Go, Overkill :D !
>It was in no condition to be doing what it did, and my repairs were very haphazard. I think we have to try to at least get it flying, though.
-Ahhh... I see. So, that’s how you go from ‘Super Overkill Battleship’ to simple ‘airship’, in a still satisfying manner ? ;)
A 1-time only ‘’I Win’ button. Gotta love those ancient weapons, always so reliable for what use is left in them. ;)
-----
A relatively great Chapter, yes... but I just thought of something ? We had the whole previous Chapter (plus a bit of the one before) being like an ominous warning of what danger might come in the town, relative to the strange cult-thing, the ‘’fragment’’, Tantalus, and then... Bim-Bam-Run-Boom, all done.
I mean, it was great and all, but the ‘’transition’’ seem to have been a bit fast (or is it ‘’steep’’ ?), no ?
@Nova25
ReplyDeleteAlso... Sethisto just changed/upgraded the blogger/thingy for posting messages or ?
It looks... similar to before, but a bit different at the same time ?
*shrug* Seems to be handling the same as before, that's what important.
As much as I love this story, chapter 26 was just... eh. Around the end it began to get better, then at the very end it took another dive. It feels incredibly rushed, and the two major events early on were just portrayed in a terribly rushed fashion. It ruined any semblance of me being shocked by or actually caring about either the war or Jigsaw's freakout, I'm sorry to say.
ReplyDeleteDon't get me wrong, I'm glad to have more information on the backstory, and now have a better idea of where the story is going, but these seem rushed too. There are just some key things that I noticed that didn't really make sense to me, and I feel it can be attributed to the rushed feel.
I've loved your story up to this point, (It's my favorite finfic thus far) and I'm sure that I will love it in the chapters to come, it's just that this chapter seemed incredibly rushed. I hope this isn't an ongoing trend from here on out, because for such an amazing storyline to be ruined by time constraints would probably kill me and several others as well.
You are a fantastic writer, PK, and I really mean no offense with this comment, just some things I've noticed.
@Scoopicus
ReplyDeleteSpeaking specifically about the backstory, backstory is always difficult to create, especially in what is an entirely new world. This is just me, but anything short of "everything and then some" is not enough. But that's the love of Tolkien speaking in me. I loved his book the Silmarillion, the book that essentially told the entire backstory to Middle-Earth. Anyway, yes, the first introduction into this backstory is going to feel a little rushed, because it isn't the central focus of the chapter. If PK devoted an entire chapter to backstory, he could very eloquently fill it up, of that I'm sure ;).
@goldenCapitalist
ReplyDeleteGranted backstory is difficult to introduce, but that's not what's getting me. It's just the way he conveyed the events that took place in the chapter in addition to the new information he laid down. For example, the Followers of Tantalus. They were just so spontaneously introduced, which isn't normally a bad thing if you're going for shock value, but said shock value just wasn't there. It just felt too... dry. Even the suspense leading up to the war scene was very fast and just didn't have too much of an effect on me. Sure, it made me wonder what was going on, but when it got to the point of introducing the Followers it felt like more of an answer than a revelation. This is just my personal opinion, but I would have made hints towards this whole war thing much earlier on. That way there would be the pretension that something is going on, and it would make the reader want to dig for a few chapters to find it, rather than blowing it all up in their faces right then and there.
Like I said, I'm not trying to dis PK's story. It's my favorite one on the internet. I'm just trying to offer my two cents on the latest installment.
@PK
ReplyDeleteBRILLIANT!!!! absolutely loved it!!!!
so much awesome!
... now the wait for the next chapter.... EAGERLY!!!
Great new chapter! No need to apologize for the delay, as long as you don't do it to us again! ;)
ReplyDeleteNice use of the battleship. I appreciate how you were able to work it into the story to win that one battle (sort of) without giving them a superweapon and ruining the rest of the story.
Also... Incindia, I'm glad you said what you wanted to say before you died. But I bet you planed on dying a little sooner when you said it, didn't you? Aaaaawkwaaaard! XD
@PK not soon enough :(
ReplyDeletehttp://i39.tinypic.com/121ss8x.png
ReplyDeleteSOON
@PK More Spike! Fantastic. I am so excited right now.
ReplyDeleteExcellent writing! By the way, I know its a bit late, but I just wanted to say you definitely accomplished your goal on chapter 19. Splendid work.
ReplyDelete@PK
ReplyDeleteHello. I love your story but don't like waiting this long for the chapter updates...
Are you too busy to keep up with it or something?
Just asking.
@Pheryx
ReplyDeleteBasically. School's been kicking my ass.
@PK That evil SOB took over Spike and made him kill a pony. I want that cold-hearted monster to suffer, horribly, for a really long time.
ReplyDelete@Alondro
ReplyDeleteFrom what I understand, it's a 'Demon' of some sorts that took over Spike... ''pain'' wouldn't mean much for that kind of Entity.
But... something almost worst than death for a demon (in adventure/RPG at least) is to have all their plans destroyed, after having been outsmarted... then a quick and brutal death, of course.
NO SPIKE, DON'T DO IT!!! :(
ReplyDeleteThe flashback part was great. It's good seeing where Tantalus comes from. I was wondering if the conversation between Jigsaw and Incendia was going to move the story forward or just be awkward for the sake of awkward, but at the end, when they were talking about, well, talking about mares, I saw the point of it all for the story. Excellent work using something that was expected to drive them apart to help bring them together.
Short, but still a great chapter. I can hardly wait for the next one. :)
Oh, and... HAPPY 1 YEAR ANNIVERSARY ANTIPODES! :D
@PK
ReplyDeleteloved it :)
It was brilliant. Loved the direction of this chapter, with Incendia talking to Jigsaw and finally really confronting her love for Tiptoe.
I just hope the next update will take slightly less long. I nearly had a heart attack when I saw update :)
Also the flashback bit was awesome. I hope you plan to fill us in more about the transformation from Spike to Tantalus in the future
Oh, and HAPPY BIRTHDAY ANTIPODES :D
CockyBrony :D
@PK
ReplyDeleteloved it :)
It was brilliant. Loved the direction of this chapter, with Incendia talking to Jigsaw and finally really confronting her love for Tiptoe.
I just hope the next update will take slightly less long. I nearly had a heart attack when I saw update :)
Also the flashback bit was awesome. I hope you plan to fill us in more about the transformation from Spike to Tantalus in the future
Oh, and HAPPY BIRTHDAY ANTIPODES :D
CockyBrony :D
Curiosity has gotten the better of me regarding Rubidium. Hypothetically, if Incendia and the rebels were able to overthrow Rubidium, what then? They would still need an Attenuator or replacement to power the shield. It doesn't seem like Tantalus would leave the city alone just because Rubidium is no longer around.
ReplyDeleteAlso, when did Cerulean defect? At first, it seems like it was only very recently: Cerulean says "It was the final straw. ... So, I gathered up all the information on the tower as I could, released the lockdown, and defected." But earlier Incendia said "That is, until Cerulean here came along. She brought such a wealth of knowledge with her that we couldn’t turn her away." The same paragraph implied to me that Cerulean leaked knowledge that allowed Incendia to build a teleporter and the remainder of the chapter also suggested to me that Cerulean had been leaking info to the resistance for a while. Or at the very least, Incendia was familiar with and knew Cerulean well.
@Sigma
ReplyDeleteIncendia didn't fully understand what or how the Attenuator worked- she probably thought there was some other way to maintain the shield, or to shrink and use another power source. Honestly, she was more concerned with the fight than one came after, I think.
Also, Cerulean had been feeding information anonymously for a long time, but only revealed herself very recently. Hope that answers your questions!
@PK
ReplyDeleteThanks PK! I'm still not completely convinced with Cerulean's situation ("...all the years I had already sacrificed in his service!" - not really in his service if you're leaking information) but it's not a major plot point, so I won't over-analyse it too much.
Back to waiting patiently for the next chapter now...
MOAR I NEED MOAR TO READ
ReplyDeleteMOAR I NEED MOAR TO READ
ReplyDeleteCH.29 :
ReplyDelete>Tongues of flame sprouted from the ground at her feet and shot towards the sea serpent
-‘’It’s not very effective.’’
>"Jigsaw!" she shouted, "It can regenerate!
-Can regenerate ? I see...
The adventurer in me is telling you to use fire, but since it’s a sea serpent with access to water... use Acid !
>The serpent's trunk-like body shot out of the water like an arrow
-Quick Time Event ! A+A+B+Image of a boot+Image of what-the-heck-is-this-button?+B
>Tiptoe fortunately jerked away from the spray of water, and the serpent's deadly bite missed her by several feet.
-Success ! ;)
>it manifested as a small sun that raced directly into the spine of the serpent.
-What, no ‘’grenade’’ thrown in the big-ugly-monster’s mouth ? That would have been interesting.
>For a moment, the serpent's headless body began to flail sickeningly
-Good thing it wasn’t a hydra...
>At least When she was fighting
-‘when’ (small error)
>with the pumps running on max all the time now, they're probably going to burn out in ten years instead of a hundred.
-...just how many ‘’water purifiers’’ (is it a whole machine, here, or just a ‘chip’ like in Fallout ?) did ‘’they’’ planned in extra ? I mean... it has been 10 000years+ now... did they really planned for ‘THAT’ long ?
>We saw our very society collapse around us
-Just to be sure... my memory might need some refreshing... For how long did they left that ‘’town’’ again ? 2weeks ? Surely, not more than 4weeks, right ?
Much of the town’s government and like half its population died, and some of the basic elements of society... ALL collapsed in a mere 2-4 weeks, after surviving for 10 000years ?
>Jigsaw was so stunned he couldn't speak. Tiptoe, however, managed to squeak out "E-execution?"
-*In their mind, or more probably just in the one of Incendia* ‘’Mmh... I wonder how easy it is to collapse a 10 000+ years old cave ?’’
>"Wasn't there supposed to be a fragment here?" Jigsaw said.
>"After all that, after all we just went through, you appear now?
-That’s how it works. You complete the tedious chain of quests and side-quests, kill a horrible oversized boss, THEN receive the reward.
-----
*shrug* Interesting chapters... Nothing much else to say.
PK, throw Cendy a bone. The poor girl is so lonely.
ReplyDeleteI made this
ReplyDelete(Sorry if this is a double-post)
http://www.4shared.com/photo/vLHNyVoG/Incendia_Heart_pony.html?
Hiya. New reader here, and my 2 cents on the first 29 chapters.
ReplyDeleteFor your first story, it's pretty damn good. The plotline keeps it interesting, I want to find out more, and I feel for the characters. Unfortunately, it always seems a little abrupt. I think it lacks descriptions, it doesn't flow as well as I would like it to.
Regardless, you're at 29 chapters and counting, so you're obviously doing *something* right. I eagerly await the next chapters! Keep up the good work!
@metapsionic
ReplyDeleteI agree. Antipodes was the very first bit of creative writing I ever did and I feel like my inexperience shows in the early chapters. I just hope the plot is interesting enough to pull you along as I improve. (at least, i hope I've improved!)
I find Jigsaw's internal struggle with the goddesses very intriguing. And it looks like they can't catch a break, if the forest is against them!
ReplyDeleteThanks for the update, I'm eager for more :-)
>"If there is a fragment here, wouldn't that make three? As in one full goddess?
ReplyDelete-3 fragments per princess-goddess ? I think it MAY have been mentioned before, but only in a comment I think... not sure when exactly.
>"It will only last a few hours," Incendia warned. "We can't count on it to keep things away."
-She just has to re-cast it every 3-4 hours then, nothing big. Sure, it might make for an odd night of sleep, but waking up 2(maybe 3) times in one night is still a viable solution.
>it feels like they're far away and being blocked in the same way I am. It has to be a fragment.
-A fragment... is blocking ALL the other fragment from going 'whatever' ? I don't see the logic in this.
Also, isn't 'Jigsaw'(the male unicorn, right ?) the one with the fragments in him ? Then why a fragment would prevent him from ''not dieing'' (healing himself, the poison), you know ?
-----
Well, it was a pretty interesting chapter, but I don't quite get what's up with ''the'' fragments or ''this'' specific fragment ?
@Nova25
ReplyDeleteForgot the chapter... : CH.31
LOVE THIS STORY
ReplyDeleteunfortunatly for me i my already see the ending (which would be one in 3 seperate endings) in my head but i HATE it because i can ruin the story for myself oh well i hope there are plenty of chapters ^^ and keep up the good work (but i would love it if the chpters came out faster im so impatient but ill wait if you need the time to write well im patient for quality only and again LOVE THE STORY)
@Frostbite
ReplyDeletebtw been a brony for less than a month
Omg omg omg! Luna's back! I'm so excited! Can't wait to read some more!
ReplyDeleteNow, im at work on my phone so im goimg to try and keep this short, and will prob shower more praise to the great pk at a later point when typing isnt so annoying.
ReplyDeleteI started reading antipodes about a week ago on my phone during my lunches and breaks at work, amd just finished chapter 31. My first thought was "goddamnit pk, how dare you cliffhanger me like that" however when the entirety of everything caught up I was amazed. this is definatly one of the best fics ive read amd what makes it even better is sitting down in a short period and getting to see the amazing growth pk has gone through as an author. I enjoyed the first few chapters enough to keep reading and seeing the story progress amd evolve kept me here for 31 chapters. Its amazing to see how far you have comepk. And I cant wait to see how far you go. You have entraped me in a way few storys ever rely manage to and im on my toes waiting for the next ,hapter. Thank you u for sharing this wounderful story with us
Didnt do a very good job of keeping it short did I >.<
ReplyDeleteYay Luna!
ReplyDeleteTartarus seems like a really dangerous crafty devil. I'm glad we have a goddess on our side, but I have a bad feeling about all this.
Update: Complete...
ReplyDeleteWell, that's my queue to start reading!
Chapter 1, here I come! :D
It....it finally ended. This is one of the last great fics that was started before the end of season 1.
ReplyDeleteIt has been a truly great journey. Thank you, PK, for this work of fanfiction. It's one of the few that I know and remember.
@Bombedrumbum
ReplyDeleteHave you read this Bombe? This sucker's huge! And ancient! I might have to give it a look.
PK. Long have I awaited this day. The day I finally settle down and read... ANTIPODES.
ReplyDeleteWow, I haven't seen the blogster way of commenting in a while.
ReplyDeleteThis does look like an interesting story though, so I might as well read at least some of it.
'Bout damn time :V
ReplyDeleteWow. Given the events of the previous chapter, I really didn't expect this to be done so soon. Hope it wasn't rushed. Oh well, on to reading.
ReplyDeleteAll of my favourites seem to be ending. I'll have to go digging for more soon.
CH.32 :
ReplyDelete>He is merely unconscious, in a healing sleep. I am using his body as a sort of mouthpiece."
-Yay, Luna. One of the Princess is ''technically'' back... now, to see 'where' (they)she will go in the not-so-distant future...
>"Forgive us, Princess," Incendia responded quickly, breaking the tense silence. "We've been through a lot today."
-Also, we kinda haven't seen or bothered to care about ''Princesses'' in about 10-THOUSAND years !
I think she can understand their current reaction... hopefully.
>"His blood?" Incendia asked. "What do you mean?"
-How do you bet he's the descendant of one of the Main 6 ?
>He used his power to cut my sister off from order and… corrupt my nature.
>For a time, he managed to corrupt me. You know I was banished to the moon, correct?
-''Tantalus'' is... Nightmare(Moon)..? What a twist !
(Was this story started before Discord was introduced ? I don't remember.)
*shrug* Heh... not sure it's good, or if it would have been better, if 'it' had been its own character/villain, instead of a 'technically pre-existing' one renamed.
>"Have I ever told you that I love you? Both of you," Jigsaw said, with a genuine grin.
-Polygamy ! :D ... ... ... ;)
>"She certainly told us a lot," Tiptoe said wearily.
-Information dump... but it was pretty good/well done.
-----
Well, this one was quite interesting.
I heard next chapter is the last one... I wonder how the stuff about the Princesses coming back, going to places, fighting big-bad-guy/final boss, and all that stuff will be ''compressed'' into 1 single chapter ?
Surely... there will be an epilogue, for complementary stuff, right ?
@Nova25
ReplyDeleteepilogue's built in, it wasn't long enough to warrant splitting.
I am really enjoying this series, it takes the MLP series to a new level and puts that much needed adult/brony feel. I am always traveling, due to my military career, and this material kept me more than entertained the ENTIRE flight back from afghanistan. Thanks for writing this, keep it up and hopefully all you artist out there will make more drawings from this story!
ReplyDeleteSo...Spike was totally gone then? Did he die at some point when he was completely overtaken, or did he die along with Tantalus?
ReplyDeleteThis story started about a week or so before I joined the fandom. It is the longest running story I have followed, and the first to be completed.
ReplyDeletePK, thank you for writing and sharing Antipodes, and for sticking with it through to the end!
I do have a question regarding how you wrote the story. Did you have the whole plotline planned from the beginning, or did each event sort of come to you as you were writing?
I just want to thank you, PK, for writing this and sharing it with us. I've been reading Antipodes since only a few chapters were up, and it was well worth following through to the end.
ReplyDelete@Corrington Wheeler
ReplyDeleteWow, that's fantastic! Thank you so much for your readership and your service!
@Sigma
ReplyDeleteI had the whole story sketched out from the beginning, and stuck to that outline pretty much exactly until after chapter 19, where I deviated quite a bit, but the ending is pretty much the same as my original draft.
Yo PK, I hope you're still reading the comments.
ReplyDeleteAnywho I'm really enjoying Antipodes so far, haven't quite finished it yet, but I was hoping you'd consent to doing an interview about it once I've finished reading?
For reference it'd be a simple Q&A, like the Kkat interview on Google Docs.
@The Numberman
ReplyDelete>Yo PK, I hope you're still reading the comments.
-...huhhh ?
Well, look up 1 'block' and the answer ye shall get.
@The Numberman
ReplyDeleteYeah, i'd be up for that!
@PK
ReplyDeleteSometimes our best ideas can come when we deviate from our plans! I was curious as Antipodes is quite long, and has been going for about 18 months. I rarely plan longer than about a week into the future...
I'll definitely keep an eye out for if you decide to write anything else!
CH.33 :
ReplyDeleteThis ending should *NEVER* had been.
It breaks... ruins... it's not anything that should be called an ''ending''.
...it was so great, BEFORE this point... before the end of 'the end'...
I'm beyond disappointed.
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDelete@PK Fantastic! I've still a little while to go though. Hopefully will get it done in the next couple weeks.
ReplyDelete*several weeks late to the party*
ReplyDeleteNice to see this fic finally wrapped up and finished. It was a very nice story and a memorable adventure. The end was a bit rushed and felt a bit cliche, but if I'm not mistaken this was your first fic, so I'm very impressed. Good work all around!
« My name is Inigo Montoya. You killed my father. Prepare to die. »
ReplyDelete... My name is Nova25. You killed my desire to read stories. Prepare to be read carefully. ...
---
One atrocious ending managed to finish off the desire to read fan-fictions... by some odd turn of fate, a ''sequel'' is given the chance to try and break the curse of apathy its prior casted on the entirety.
Bad memories, in a mind that can't forget, are their own curse.
-----
Lodestone, CH.1 :
>Several decades after the heroic actions of Jigsaw, Tiptoe, and Incendia restored the princesses
-And the traitorous, pseudo-dramatic, rushed nonsense that ''pretend'' to hold the name of 'Ending'.
...I sense we are out on a rough start.
>I can hear them outside. Hundreds of them, spilling over each other and pounding their hooves into the dirt
-Zombie-ponies ? Post apocalyptic cannibalistic tribals ? Let's find out.
>I don't think anypony ever figured out what "thumb" meant
-Am I to guess that EVERY single races, except ponies, were eradicated from this world, or that they have yet to discover Griffons and etc ?
>"This is a fragment of Tantalus' phylactery," Flicker finished.
-That's... incredibly dumb and possibly dangerous ?!
That 'demon-thing' was essentially their ''Satan'', which cause the End of the World... pretty sure you would have to be stupid or suicidal to have even just a nail clipping from 'Him' !
Also, I'm in the impression that the Princesses would have made a high priority to find and destroy every traces of 'Him', no ?
>but almost all of them had been taken into government hooves for display.
-... Really ? -_-
Yeeeeeeah, that's not gonna end badly or anything.
>I'll help you out here: they found somethin' frozen in the ice up there; somethin' that doesn't look like the usual stuff.
-I swear, if it's an 'Esper'(or the likes) I'm gonna laugh really hard.
>Until the day they opened the vault.
-Suddenly, I can't help but think this would be awkward, if it so happened this was the ''gate'' of Tartarus.
>I remember seeing the strange, obsidian spire in front of me, symbols beginning to glow
>I had just woken up from the dead.
-...the 'Marker' from Dead Space ? Hey, waiiiiiit a second ?
>>Hundreds of them, spilling over each other and pounding their hooves into the dirt
-Hmm ? Seems like I might not be far from the truth..?
---
Sequel. Separate story. First chapter...
... ...Ok. This chapter had all the ''vibes'' of a RPG, down to the ''adventure hook'' at the tavern and the recruiting by a group of ''dungeon dwellers''.
This was interesting, more than I hoped it would be... more than the minimum hope of what I thought I could spare because of its past ties.
A 'standalone' story. One that seems to merit that we forget its bitter past.
Maybe.
Lodestone, CH.2 :
ReplyDelete>"I think it might have had something to do with my survival," I said. "It's a fragment of Tantalus' phylactery."
-Mmh. Well then ? Dark spire, shard of a phylactery... Throw some magical copying energy-thingy, and you get a Dark Spire of the Dead. Maybe.
>dying. That’s not something a pony just walks away from.
-Unless you're a Lich, but that's a whole other thing.
>It was just a little bit too large to easily fit in one of those big saddlebags
-I claim false representation ! The crystal-spire thingy looks much bigger on the picture.
>its most obvious property— it’s magnetic.
>“It’s all electric,” I said. “There’s no magical devices running down here.”
>“Magic just doesn’t work near it.
-Anti-magic crystal-''stone'' thing ?
Wait... Magnetic effect ? I'm not an expert in that field, but wouldn't *METAL*ic objects and electricity be affected by whatever 'magnetic field' the Dark crystal generates ?
Since the ''anti-magic effect'' part as a range, a 'field', why wouldn't it be the same for the ''magnetic effect'' of the Dark crystal ? This doesn't seem very consistent.
>We need to study the lodestone, and to do that, we need to study you.
>a small syringe floated out of the saddlebag
-Ahh... (possibly crazy) scientist/leader obsessed with result ''At all cost!'', I see ?
Not sure the 'Princesses' will appreciate, when they hear about all this... if this EVER comes up, of course.
>Whatever had been clamped around my horn seemed to inhibit magic.
-Barely a few decades and they ALREADY re-invented/found ''magic inhibitors'' ?
>“I can’t,” she said. “They’ll kill me.”
-''Civilization'' is BARELY starting to reform and we already have ''Crazy leader(s) who will kill all, for results and keep secrets'' ? Damn ?
If I didn't know better, I would think that I'm watching Humanity right there, and not ponies.
>It was was sharp
-One 'was' too many.
>I hadn’t killed him! The lodestone didn’t just bring me back, it brought anypony back!
>It was okay!
-Famous last words.
>I watched him bite her neck, tearing off a huge chunk of flesh. He didn’t eat it. it just fell to the ground.
-Zoooooooombiiiiiie ! Also, 'It'.
>The hammering sound I was hearing was from one of them smashing his head into the side of a tree over and over.
-Now, really ? I'm honestly wondering, if the author didn't just take the idea of the game 'Dead Space' and combined it with ponies ?
It's too close for being JUST a coincidence there.
>The golden chain that held the fragment of phylactery was pulling me towards the mountain.
-The 'blue' crystal is telling the player... I mean pony... where to go ?
>Inscribed at the base of the statue was one ornate word: “Canterlot”.
-Wait..? So, the 'Base' was ''somewhere around, at a distance'' from Canterlot, but... wasn't the mission set at the *Arctic*(region), if I remember last chapter ?
But, considering this been several decades, and the planet is warming up more and more... and remembering, from the previous story, that Canterlot wasn't THAT far from the ''middle/temperate'' strip... Again, *Arctic* ? Canterlot ?
There seem to be some inconsistencies with that location, or a (significant) lack of precisions... because I don't think Canterlot is in this planet's Arctic region (whatever old or new one), since this would mean that the last story's Heros would have died in a few minutes JUST walking outside (even before reaching the castle itself).
-----
Again, it seems interesting, but... it seems more and more like a 'barely modified/adapted' version of the idea for the game 'Dead Space'. The only thing missing is the ''stomping on the dead-er enemies'' thing.
Still, not bad, just strangely similar.