FimFiction Link - Short ID: 224306/i-watch-the-moon
Published: Oct '14 — Dec '14
This story was way, way better than I expected. To start with, it is an independent interpretation of Luna and Tuna. Set more or less during S1, it uses S3 Luna while eschewing Luna Eclipsed. Celestia, noticing that Luna is troubled, calls in Twilight to help.
At first, I expected a Luna is Sad story. This is that, and certainly the opening chapters paint that picture vividly. However, it is also immediately apparent that this fic does not fail where so many have, by characterizing Luna as a petulant child. No, Luna's characterization, while dark and certainly spiky, comes through with tremendous strength as she tries, fails and succeeds to connect with the ponies around her. Twilight is also perfectly captured, as she and her friends try, succeed and fail to understand Luna and befriend her. One particularly interesting thing to observe is how the other characters behave as they lose and regain patience for Luna.
If it is not immediately apparent from the start then it surely becomes so as Luna goes through phases of connection and disconnection, manic energy and apathy, this is a personal story about depression. It hurts the story in some aspects, mostly by removing any clear arc from nearly all of it, and one aspect I found frustrating was the twice emphasized message to the reader to get help and medication. Otherwise, this is a clear case of the success that is said to come with writing what you know. The SoL tag is accurate, despite the subject matter, the story covers a long series of varied encounters between Twilight and Luna, occasionally including the rest of the M6 in scenes that don't overstay their welcome. Celestia, of course, is a frequent and welcome visitor.
In the end, I can't really say this is a romance fic, but it is certainly an excellent Tunafic and decidedly an excellent FiMfic. Also, being an independent interpretation of Luna, expect some odder headcanons. A last point to mention is that the story makes extensive use of Elizabethan English, and is not always correct, but at least is used to good effect, showing Luna's emotional state.