Fanfiction Review: Going Up

Another day, another review. And today, we're looking at a charming little story called Going Up by Chris. originally written for the Hearth's Warming Care Package competition and for Kiki, a seven-year-old diagnosed with brain cancer. It ultimately placed sixth, but it also shares some fantastic company, so if you want to check out the other stories, check all of the entries out here. In the meantime, let's look at this one and see how it holds up.

SYNOPSIS:

During a muffin-filled breakfast, Carrot Top mentioned to Derpy that she would like to fly. Obviously, such a thing is impossible; Carrot Top is an Earth pony and lacks the necessary body parts for flight. But when you have Derpy hatching a crazy scheme to make it a reality, it turns out nothing is quite impossible...

REVIEW:

Going Up is ultimately a rather silly story, and rather than try to cover it up, it fully embraces the story's ridiculousness every step of the way. The narrative feels like something your parents would read to you as a child during bedtime, filled with small observations about the world around the ponies and poking a little fun at the characters at the same time. For example, it opens with a three-paragraph overview of how capable the smell of fresh muffins is when it comes to giving the day a fresh start.

Ultimately, it is this same charming, friendly narration that makes the story work as wonderful as it does. Much of the humor comes from the description of the two ponies' activities and conversations, from Carrot bemoaning having to pull weeds to becoming flustered when Derpy asks her about her weight. (And then gets caught lying about it.) The way the two interact is one of the sweeter things I've read, and feels far more real than even some of the Derpy/Dinky stories I've encountered. But all of that pales in comparison to how Derpy ultimately makes Carrot's dream a reality. It's a solution that makes no sense using real-world logic, but it's presented in such a way that you just buy into it, even if the narration pokes fun at the audacity of it all.

I've said in the past that Carrot Top/Derpy is one of my favorite fanon representations of the two. The comic that initially paired the two up was a charming little story with a funny non sequitor punchline, and works using the same theme have kept up the dynamic between the two. This story, however, manages to utilize the two in a different way than most, keeping things from being a simple Odd Couple scenario and making them feel like real people, even as it plays off of Carrot Top's befuddlement with Derpy's behavior.

Writing-wise, Chris shows some very good word choice throughout, keeping things from being too simplistic but also around the level that a child can understand everything that's happening. The story leans rather heavily to the telling side of things at points, but that is mostly a consequence of the humor itself, and is used to great effect. It's also at just the right length, never stretching itself beyond the rather basic plot's ability to support itself.

FINAL THOUGHTS:

This is a fantastic story and I heartily recommend it to everyone. It's a short, charming, simple little tale of a pony with an impossible dream and her friend who found a way to make it come true. So stop reading this uninspired sod of a review and click the link now! THIS I COMMAND!

...Sorry. It's very good. Just give it a read.