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Dark Qiviut

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  1. Dark Qiviut
    I'm so not sorry here, 'cause I have a huge bone to pick with the climax in this mess of an episode.
     
    Until No Second Prances, Princess Luna's admission to self-harm during Magic Sheep was the darkest scene in the show. A flawed princess couldn't figure out any way to forgive herself, so she created the Tantabus to torment her. To say it's creepy is an understatement.
     
    That changed when No Second Prances aired. Just before her grand event, Starlight and Trixie fell out, and Trixie went into a state of hopelessness. She felt there was nowhere for her to go. Second chances. Third chances. Gone. She could've stopped her stunt, because she can't teleport, and being digested by a manticore meant certain death unless someone else was there to help. But she went ahead anyway knowing fully she can't escape by herself.
     
    So why the hell didn't Starlight or Twilight try to stop her before she shot out of her cannon?!!
     
    Her life was in danger. She was giving up! Trixie admitted to attempting suicide, and neither one of them bothered to get involved even though they can hear her. If Twilight didn't tell Starlight the moral, who knows if Starlight would've gotten involved in teleporting Trixie out of the manticore's stomach in the last minute.
     
    What if Trixie successfully killed herself? Twilight and Starlight would've been consumed with guilt for the rest of their lives. Starlight won't deserve title of Princess Pupil, and Twilight the Princess of Friendship. Twilight would've been partially responsible for the suicide of someone who parted with her on good terms. Twilight forgave Trixie; there was no reason for her to not trust Trixie and sabotage Trixie's friendship with Starlight. She's the Princess of Friendship; it's her damn job to think about the implications of her actions. She didn't and almost cost Trixie her life. And she stood there and watched Trixie verbally quit.
     
    Yesterday's climax is the worst scene of season six so far and the cherry on top of this terrible episode.
     
    The hell with No Second Prances!
  2. Dark Qiviut
    The following is my post in the SandersForPresident forum on Reddit.
     

     
    I'm Jewish, and I grew up with a proud Jewish ancestry and family. I'm not very religious, but that doesn't make any less proud to be Jewish. But just because I'm Jewish doesn't mean I shouldn't be critical of Israel's actions towards the Palestinians. President Obama's criticisms of Israel were a start, but I didn't feel it was enough. When I watch debates, I see very little, if not no, criticism of Israel's actions.
     
    A reason why I follow and support Senator Sanders's Presidential campaign is the fact that he's not afraid to say the unpopular opinion if he believed it was the right thing to do. If he was going to win, he was going to win his way. His staunch defense of the LGBT community in the 80s and 90s is one such example. One of the most refreshing stances I've seen in political campaigning is the fact that he was going to treat Palestinians like people and not suck up to the common American political lobby taboo of being discreet when criticizing Israel. He did that when he skipped AIPAC and defended the Palestinians' humanity in Utah and in the tabloids when he called Israel's response to terrorism in 2014 disproportionate.
     
    But the whole segment during the Democratic Debate was, IMO, his most powerful response of the Israel-Palestine feud yet for a few reasons.
    The platform in which and where he stated it. NYC has a really proud Jewish and Arab population. By declaring that we as a people should stop stereotyping Palestinians and treat them with the respect they deserve in NYC, he makes people aware of the treatment the Palestinians receive. This is virtually the first time anyone spoke for the Palestinians' humanity, and he broke an American taboo on a very grand stage. He really shaped up a possible future of American politics, not just the DC; it won't surprise me that a future Presidential or VP debate will discuss how to treat both sides fairly. Foreign policy was said to be one of his weaker areas of his campaign, if not the weakest. When she dodged Sanders's challenge to admit whether Israel's response was disproportionate or not, she looked really weak in that field, and foreign policy was supposedly one of her biggest strengths. As someone who takes foreign policy seriously, her statement was a huge wake-up call for me. Sanders himself said it. By having Sanders, a Jewish man who went to Israel, state that we need to treat Palestinians with respect in NYC on a national stage will generate a reception, be it positive or negative. It's going to make people wonder about the whole Israel-Palestine conflict, even for a split second. The fact that he mentioned poverty in the Palestinian regions, especially Gaza, is something we don't talk about at all.

    As a Jewish New Yorker, thank you, Senator Sanders, for having the courage to support our Palestinian family and friends. Palestinians are people, and the fact that we stereotype them is one of our most shameful aspects in American society. Your vocal honesty and support for humanity is hopefully a stinging moment that helps evolve America.
     

    Toda once again.
  3. Dark Qiviut
    Season six has arrived, and my blog has been at a semi-standstill lately. To rev it up, why not publish tops and bottoms for last season?
     

     
    Episodes:
     
    Bottom-5 episodes:
     
    5: The Hooffields and McColts
     
    The offensive parody doesn't respect the (horrible) history of the real-life feud the Hatfields and McCoys once had. People died from their feud with each other, one of them executed for murder. This episode trivialized that conflict and used rural Southern stereotypes to boot. Combine that with terrible dialogue, pushing Fluttershy to the background until the time was right, and flanderizing Twilight, this episode is skip-worthy.
     
    4: Brotherhooves Social
     
    Transphobic unfortunate implications are abundant here via its use of the Man-in-a-Dress trope. Why do so many transwomen get so offended by the trope? Because the media and society altogether use it to abuse transwomen and force them to conform to gender roles and social norms; it becomes a major struggle for them to live as themselves when they're constantly bashed. To top it off, the joke is men literally being in a dress, nothing more. Usually, the MiaD comedy from the trope is cringe comedy and through stereotypes. BM's cover was blown through stereotypes, including the falsetto voice, "powder your nose," Rainbow Dash's sexist line, and the obvious Adam's Apple joke. This isn't like Derpy's unnecessary censorship; the unfortunate implications exist here, and it's no surprising to see Big Mac's attempt at drag offend lots of people. On top of this, the whole setting is mean-spirited; the folks said nothing with the intent of letting BM screw himself up, yet Apple Bloom becomes the unfortunate victim of the conflict. Even worse, the drag queen side-plot is filler; you could've written the same episode without it being bogged down by offensive jokes. Silver-Quill hypothesized BrS as a parody of stereotypes; if it is, it failed miserably.
     
    3: What About Discord?
     
    Talk about an episode with a broken approach. Since Discord became reformed, much of his humor is pop culture references and parodies, but it's exploited to the point of overkill and one-dimensional here. Twilight, the lead character here, was written to be the antagonist in this entire thing, but given her whole history with him and their OOC attitude, she had every right not to trust him. Unfortunately, the moral of being able to express yourself was ruined when Discord admitted to setting her up. By doing this, Discord becomes OOC, and Twilight's suspicions throughout were validated.
     
    2: Appleoosa's Most Wanted
     
    The worse attempt at comedy in the entire show. Troubleshoes doesn't want to live his life feeling cursed, yet we're supposed to laugh at him every single time he slips up and gets hurt. How the hell are we supposed to laugh at him when he doesn't deserve comedic karma? To make that worse, all of Appleoosa's responsible for the story of TS being a dangerous outlaw, because they ran him off when he was a little colt AND framed him. When he initially caused the pyramid of hay to fall, stakes were raised, but during the climax, it's suddenly written to be a joke?
     
    1: Princess Spike
     
    My most hated episode of this season and the second-worst-written episode overall. This whole thing's a complete mess. Spike written to be an incompetent idiot. Spike then written to be a greedy idiot. Spike then written to be framed as his greed causing all the chaos when his selflessness, not his greed, caused it. Dragon Sneeze Trees in Canterlot. Everyone in Canterlot acts like an idiot — not chopping down the trees, fixing the pipes — just because "Princess Twilight" says so. Then there's that ending with hugely sexist implications all but confirming how little DHX cares about his role in his episodes.
     
    Dishonorable mentions: Tanks for the Memories, Do Princesses Dream of Magic Sheep?
     

     
    Top-5 episodes:
     
    5: The Mane Attraction
     
    Easily the best Applejack episode, period. Often, when her stubbornness takes a role in the conflict, it's a personality flaw she must overcome. Here, it's played as a strength for the first time, as she suspected something was wrong with Coloratura. The Magic Inside is S5's best song and one of the best in the whole show.
     
    4. The Cutie Re-Mark
     
    Best two-part finale. Was Starlight's redemption condensed? Yes. But it also did a hell of a job foreshadowing Starlight into redeeming herself. It's not about the what, but the why and how it came about. Starlight was a villain, but believed she was doing the right thing. With her utopia crumbled, revenge without knowing the consequences made sense for her. Spike had one of his best roles in a two-parter, and Twilight herself had her best characterization and role as Princess of Friendship. For Twilight and her friends to elect Starlight as her pupil is one the best decisions the show's ever made.
     
    3. The Cutie Map
     
    Best two-parter. Well-written. Excellently paced. Starlight was introduced as the show's best villain. Characters other than Twilight had to solve Starlight's terror and beat her. Our Town is the series's best villain song with its delightfully creepy tones. Awareness of the dictatorial implications are everywhere. It's a psychological horror flick, and it's more genuine than the stereotypical snuff "horror."
     
    2. Amending Fences
     
    Best Twilight episode. Twilight herself was fantastically written, worried about how her old friends would react and tried to right a wrong when she abandoned Moondancer. Moondancer, for that matter, is perhaps the most realistic one-shot character in the show. Her pain, reasons for self-reclusion, want for nothing with Twilight or her old friends, and anger are all real. The moment where she verbally called out Twilight for not showing up and anguished it within her for all this time is gut-wrenching; it's the first moment of the entire show that made me cry. While the moral isn't stated, it's noble: What made be inconsequential to you can have a lasting impact to those around you; beware of the implications.
     
    1. Crusaders of the Lost Mark
     
    AKR's original swan song, and the best CMC episode. It's a musical episode packed with so much info, but it's paced really well. The CMC have been breakout characters since season two, and they showed it with their most mature outing. Diamond Tiara has been flat for most of the show, but CotLM changed that by giving her the character development she rightfully deserves; out goes the rich bitch and into a much more mature and likable DT. And then that moment where they finally get their cutie marks is one big ol' slap to the status quo, and at the best time. The CMCs began their quest thanks to her; with her redeemed, their quest comes full circle. It's Magical Mystery Cure done right.
     
    Honorable mentions: Bloom & Gloom, Slice of Life.
     

     
    Full episode ranking (in order):
    Crusaders of the Lost Mark: A+ Amending Fences: A+ The Cutie Map: A+ The Cutie Re-Mark: A The Mane Attraction: A- Bloom & Gloom: A- Slice of Life: B+ Castle Sweet Castle: B Scare Master: B Canterlot Boutique: B- Hearthbreakers: B- Made in Manehattan: C+ Make Friends but Keep Discord: C+ The Lost Treasure of Griffonstone: C The One Where Pinkie Knows: C Rarity Investigates!: C Party Pooped: C- Do Princesses Dream of Magic Sheep?: C- Tanks for the Memories: D+ The Hooffields and McColts: D+ Brotherhooves Social: D+ What About Discord: F Appleoosa's Most Wanted: F Princess Spike: F


     

    Moral:
     
    Bottom moral:
     
    Friendship is all you need to rebuild a community (Lost Treasure of Griffonstone).
     
    Griffonstone isn't a community; it's a kingdom, and a kingdom's a combination of dozens of communities. Secondly, the entire kingdom has no economy or agriculture; the griffons ask or demand bits for everything because God knows if they'll survive tomorrow. It'll take decades, at least, to rebuild this bankrupt land. Lastly, friendship is magic here, but friendship should never be treated as the be-all and end-all; the fact that it is during a time where friendship won't fix everything makes this moral very dishonest.
     
    Dishonorable mention: To get over your oppressive guilt, just say it, and it'll immediately go away (Magic Sheep).
     
    ———
     
    Top moral:
     
    Everyone matters in a story, whether they are main or in the background (Slice of Life).
     
    One of the biggest reasons why the background characters are so popular is because they do something. When they do something, we notice it, and we create headcanon territory from there. Background characters enrich Equestria's life. Without them, then why the heck should we be so engaged with their world? Unrelated, but observe the crowd: Every single one of them matters, and for them to stay in the same spot regardless of the camera angle tells us as the audience to pay attention. SoL's excellent moral is my all-time favorite of the show.
     
    Honorable mention: Consider the consequences of your actions. What may not matter to you may affect others' lives (Amending Fences).
     

     
    New characters:
     
    Characters that appeared on screen prior to S5 (even when in the background) don't count, so no Minuette, Twinkleshine, Maud, Igneous, Cloudy, and so on.
     
    Bottom-3 new characters:
     
    3. This stallion who whined about needing Twilight to patch up his friendship with another pony because of a seat. *facehoof* If Princess Spike couldn't get any stupider…
     
    2. The yaks of Yakyakistan: They are a combination of two classic stereotypes: vikings and indigenous people. They speak really broken English; have a very primitive, war-first ideology; don't understand more modern technology; don't have manners; and are isolated from all walks of life.
     
    1. The Hooffields. Obnoxious, imbecilic, and with stereotypical southern accents. They're the classic rural southern stereotype.
     
    Dishonorable mention: Tree Hugger (classic stoner hippie stereotype).
     
    ———
     
    Top-3 new characters:
     
    3. Coloratura. With Lena Hall voicing her, Coloratura really shines in her range of music. The Spectacle is good (albeit with seizure-inducing visuals), but The Magic Inside gave us who she really is. A singer who knows how to put emotion into music and deliver one of the most emotional numbers in the entire series.
     
    2. Starlight Glimmer. The best villain in the show and the only villain with a satisfactory redemption thus far.
     
    1. Moondancer. To reiterate from above, of the one-shot characters, she's one of the most realistic this series has ever had. Her torment and internal conflict are all real, and she's someone nearly all of us can relate to.
     
    Honorable mentions: Our Four (from Starlight's village), Limestone Pie.
     

     
    Mane Six (Spike counts, BTW):
     
    Bottom M6 character:
     
    Rainbow Dash.
     
    The biggest problem with Fluttershy up to season five was her stagnated characterization to the point of flanderization. Nowadays, RD's character feels the most flanderized; in her one lead episode (Tanks for the Memories), she led one of her worst performances of the entire series by knowingly disregarding everyone's lives just to keep Tank awake. Yeah, she shared a role with Pinkie, and it was really good, but her solo episodes have crawled to a standstill as far as good characterization is concerned. As a big RD brony, how poorly she's been characterized since season three is a total shame.
     
    Now we're at the point where Dash episodes are more in common with Spike episodes. Yes, Dash has had a collection of better episodes, but she seems to work much better with a companion or in a secondary role, ala Griffonstone and Rarity Investigates. But when she's the central character now, when the episode's bad, boy, does it suck!
     
    Dishonorable mention: Spike (just because Princess Spike is so much worse!)
     
    ———
     
    Top M6 character:
     
    Pinkie Pie.
     
    In which season four was Pinkie Pie at her worst (Filli Vanilli, I'm looking at you!), season five corrected it by giving her the best characterization of the show, including in her own episode. She's not degraded into being either random for the sake of it or stupid anymore. Her humor has purpose and adds to the story while not making her dumb or mean. More of this Pinkie and not the idiot!Pinkie, please!
     
    Honorable mention: Fluttershy.
     
    ———
     
    Full M6 rank (in order):
    Pinkie Pie Fluttershy Applejack Rarity Twilight Sparkle Spike Rainbow Dash


     

    Moment:
     
    Bottom-3 moments:
     
    3. Big Mac's Adam's Apple reveal. There are so many drag queen and transgender stereotypes in this episode, including methods to hide or reveal his disguise. This is the worst. How it's revealed, the detail, and the closeup makes it one stereotypical gross-out joke. But this gross-out joke isn't funny. It's disgusting. Even worse is it's such an easy joke to make, you see it coming from a mile away, and it ruins a pretty sweet song.
     
    2. Discord admits to intentionally not inviting Twilight just because he can. The entire episode builds upon the idea that Twilight is jealous of her friends and Discord because she missed out on so much despite the fact that she has every reason to not trust him. But when Discord admitted to being a jerk just because, the episode's moral of not to bottle up your emotions is disqualified, and Twilight's suspicions of him throughout were validated.
     
    1. Spike given a dragon sneeze bouquet. The scene prior was actually rather sweet, for they help him rebuild the gem statue. But the event was nullified with the intent to plug in a very tasteless joke to confirm Spike's status as a buttmonkey. But the status worsens by the fact that he's the only main male character. For a supposedly pro-feminist show, to affirm the buttmonkey status for him opens up serious sexist implications.
     
    Dishonorable mentions: Rainbow Dash stating she won't go easy on Big Mac 'cause he's a stallion; the construction worker stopping his work on the pipe because "Princess Twilight" said so; Discord threatening Tree Hugger in the climax.
     
    ———
     
    Top-3 moments:
     
    3. Twilight apologizing to Minuette, Twinkleshine, and Lemon Hearts. Amending Fences excellently subverts the ol' reunion cliché by having her three main friends in Canterlot forgive her and treat her skipping of town blasély. Simultaneously, it makes her reunion with Moondancer more impactful and crushing to watch.
     
    2. Starlight Glimmer's reformation. Starlight's redemption is Sunset's antithesis in terms of execution and method. Rather than forcing a redemption through a Deus Ex Machina brainwashing her and resetting her whole personality, Twilight gave Starlight the opportunity to change and become a better pony. Start giving the true Magic of Friendship a chance. Starlight chose to redeem herself. The fact that she chose to change makes Starlight's redemption so much better than Sunset's: It's more genuine.
     
    But this is also just as great a moment for Twilight Sparkle. Since her ascension, her execution as Princess hasn't always been the best. This scene epitomized why she's the Princess of Friendship and why I now support the Twilicorn. It's her best characterization as an alicorn yet.
     
    1. The CMCs deciding to follow Diamond Tiara after she lost badly and fell out with Silver Spoon. No one would blame them for saying good riddance to her after what she did to them, especially Scootaloo. But for them to acknowledge what she did was awful, yet believe what she did doesn't mean they shouldn't care about her safety shows how mature they are. After leaving a terrible first impression in season one, they improved into becoming breakout characters. This one moment showed us how far they've come and foreshadowed the cutie marks they were going to get at the end of the episode.
     
    Honorable mentions: The CMCs getting their cutie marks; Steven Magnet intentionally slicing off his mustache.
     

     
    What I want for Season 6:
     
    Continued growth for Starlight. Re-Mark implied an addition of Starlight as part of the Mane cast, and The Crystalling further enforces that notion. Of every character introduced thus far, she's the best candidate to be a part of the team. She's learning the true Magic of Friendship, has a close friendship with Spike now, and will learn more later this season. Don't be surprised if she comes into her own following the season finale.
     
    Better characterization for Spike and Rainbow Dash. The Crystalling was his best characterization since Lesson Zero. Less of him being a butt of jokes and more of him as a legitimate character who belongs with the Mane cast. Also, better characterization of Dash as a lead. If I want to compare her episodes to Spike's, I want the comparison to be a positive, not negative!
     
    Cut down on the stereotypes. They're a shortcut and a major flaw in this show. If you're going to use stereotypes, then why the hell should I believe you care about the quality of your work? This show is supposed to teach people (especially kids) that people are more than just false representations, but this show sometimes screws this up badly. Put in some effort into your tropes!
     
    A more consistent quality of work. This show's good, but it's also really inconsistent sometimes. You have good work, and then you have work that flops so badly. Does it need to be perfect? No. But it deserves better. More consistent effort into high-quality work.
     
    Watch out for unfortunate implications. I hammer this all the time. Unfortunate implications are terrible because of the unintended real-life consequences they could have on us as an audience. The fact that kids are impressionable is one key reason why the "it's a kids' show" strawman fails miserably. Poor execution, poor wording, a terrible moral, you name it. Season five did better, but it can also do better.
     

     
    Verdict:
     
    Season five is my most favorite season of the show thus far, and it may be the best one, too. While it did some wrong, the pros are excellent, and each and every mane character seemed to grow, learn, and mature, even when their episodes aren't exactly the best. Unlike a lot of family shows, the writers spit on the status quo and helps create fresh ideas as a result. Twilight's adjusting to her role as Princess of Friendship. Starlight is a pupil now. The CMCs got their cutie marks. You name it. Larson, Levinger, and AKR won't write for season six. (AKR's now with Disney.) But Josh Haber is the new lead writer, and hopefully, he can keep the current team in check for season six.
  4. Dark Qiviut
    After The Cutie Re-Mark concluded season five and began a near-four-month-long hiatus, season six opened with The Crystalling. Sticking to the show’s tradition, it’s a two-parter, and Part 1’s synopsis is as follows:
     
     
    Even though my standards have been extremely high, my expectations were fairly in the middle thanks to the official previews. Thankfully, the previews didn’t properly gauge its quality, and it came out much better than I thought.
     
    The best part of this episode happens to be Starlight. Re-Mark never stated it, but the ending hinted a possible change to the status quo: Starlight joining the Mane cast, thereby forming the Mane Eight (the other being Spike). This two-parter doesn’t waste any time introducing Starlight to a very intimate conflict, and the audience sees us her undergo a wide range of emotions, especially nervousness. By making her nervous at points in The Crystalling, the audience knows that DHX (mainly Haber, the writer here) isn’t whitewashing her redemption. There’s a process to her post-redemption; this is merely one step.
     
    If you watched the previews, one of them showed the Mane Six being introduced to the baby without Spike. The episode gives a very clear reason why he’s absent. Needless to say, The Crystalling is easily his best role since Lesson Zero (or EQG, if you count the spinoff, too).
     
    No episode is without its flaws, and there are a few. One of the show’s bigger weaknesses is the need to pump out as much exposition as possible early. Because of this, the dialogue felt a little mechanical here and there. But once it was over, the dialogue became much smoother. Secondly, there’s one scene in which the citizens of The Crystal Empire had their brains replaced with Idiot Balls. As for the baby, you’re either going to like her for being cute and innocent or dislike her for being annoying.
     
    But none of it detracts from the overall quality of this two-parter. Is it better than The Cutie Map or The Return of Harmony? No. But it’s nowhere near the average quality of the pilot or Princess Twilight Sparkle and the horrid Crystal Empire. It’s very coherent and juggles the A and B plots nicely without splicing any important details. Of all the two-parters, it’s possibly the best paced. A good start to Season 6!
  5. Dark Qiviut
    I talked about this on here and friends on Skype over the weeks, but I'm feeling pretty resigned.
     
    I don't how many users from the Sonic Stadium Message Board are on here, but longtime users there know how fervent I am when it comes to supporting Sonic. I've been a fan since my dad lent me his Genesis and games (including Sonic 1) since 1991. But these days, my health comes first.
     
    You see, ever since I was a kid, if I played games too long or too many times, my eyes started to twitch. The games had so many jerking actions and lights that my eyes and the muscles around it tire and lose control. I tended to ignore it, but then I stop after getting bored or playing too long and wait for the twitching to stop.
     
    One day in 2000, the gaming caught me. I suffered a photosensitive seizure. Literally one of the scariest days of my life. Since then, I cut down on my gaming and took very serious measures to stop it from ever happening again. This included playing games — since Adventure, Sonic games only — in a very bright room from a corner during the daytime and when I was fully awake. This included only playing games in short bursts (about fifteen to thirty minutes with an equally long break). If I felt any twitching signs, games go off.
     
    Well, now that I'm much older, I must think about my life in front of me. This includes considering my health. I haven't attempted to play any video game for over a year now. The last time I attempted, I thought about my photosensitive eyes and immediately turned it off. I loved playing Sonic, but the majority of the video games out there are way too dangerous for me, and I don't want to play a video game that could kill me. This includes Sonic. No hobby is worth risking triggering an epileptic seizure, period.
     
    As a result, I accept the fact that my days of playing video games are over.
  6. Dark Qiviut
    For a while, season two was my favorite season, followed by 1, 3, and 4 depending on my mood. (Four's a better season than three, but I found it less fun and enticing to watch beyond a couple of episodes: Pinkie Pride and Testing Testing.) Season five changed that:
    Cutie Map is the best season premiere. Slice of Life is a wonderful, seriously underrated, hilarious thank-you letter to the fanbase and an excellent 100th episode in its own right. Season featured the best episode for Applejack (The Mane Attraction), Twilight (Amending Fences), and the CMCs (Lost Mark). Cutie Re-Mark is the best two-part finale and seriously underrated. The Cutie Map, Amending Fences, and Lost Mark are three of the five best episodes of the show. Lost Mark competes with The Best Night Ever as this show's best. Best villain (Starlight). Scare Master is easily the second-best Fluttershy episode. Easily the two best redemptions of the show (Tiara, Starlight). For the most part, excellent characterization for Fluttershy, Pinkie, Twilight, Spike (secondary roles only), and Applejack. I had major issues with some of the characterization in season four, particularly Pinkie Pie and Twilight. Pinkie Pie was in character for the entire year. Fluttershy and Twilight improved for the most part. Prior to this season, I was a very vocal critic of the Twilicorn, and season four did no favors by shoving her role to the side and one-dimensionalizing her character for the most part. Season five took advantage of her role as Princess of Friendship (for better or worse), brought back plenty of that adorkable flavor that made her so endearing, and used her growth and maturity over the seasons to further impact the episodes (AF, Cutie Re-Mark). Twilight convincing Starlight to give the Magic of Friendship a second chance and becoming her teacher is her finest moment as Equestrian princess. At this time, season five (and portrayal of Twilight) turned me into a Twilicorn supporter, not dissenter.

    Now, my order is 5 > 2 > 1 > 3 ≥ 4.
  7. Dark Qiviut
    Author's Note: This was initially uploaded in early 2015, but decided to take it down to revise it. It's done and finally back up. More will be added when I come up with them.
     


    Did you ever get any ideas in your head and want to post them? That's what's going on from me lately. Over the past few days, I posted a couple of blogs analyzing specific aspects of FIM. Quite a few here have already seen them, but for those who haven't, here they are, and I'm going to describe why I wrote them. Flash Sentry: A Critique of His Character
     

    Flash has been very divisive in this fandom. Many like them, but plenty more absolutely dislike him. I'm among those on the heavily dislike side, and I now consider him my least-favorite character outside of the stereotypical bully dragons from Dragon Quest. However, far too many people on the negative haven't really posted such a thorough negative essay of why he sucks as a character. Even I'm at fault with that. This is a response to get down to the nitty gritty.
     
    I actually had an idea of slamming the "Flash stole you waifu" strawman before offering some suggestions to mend him, but I felt it would undercut the entire analysis. Instead, I left it out, and I think it's for the better. Let my analysis breaking down why he's so disliked kill the inane "joke" for me. Discord's Morality in The Return of Harmony
     

    Discord remains to be the greatest villain in Friendship Is Magic because his three-dimensionality and wit help him feel and act even more evil than the others. But his more unique character origin is he abides by specific morals despite being evil and never strays away from them. Those morals are introduced in one line of dialogue and affect not only his character, but entire arc. "The Cutie Map" Analysis
     

    After the season five premiere aired, there were so many details and themes to discuss about it. You had Starlight Glimmer's propaganda and three-dimensional characterization, authentic representations of real-life cults, the inspiration of "In Our Town" (plus the notorious meter), and the name of name for the village. This analysis combines as a first impression. "Slice of Life" Analysis
     

    Friendship Is Magic aired its 100th episode, Slice of Life. Rather than the Mane Six, the background characters are predominantly focused. Even with the fanservice, this semi-polished story is not as shallow as perceived. It's a "thank you" letter with plenty of strengths. Tanks for the Follies
     

    Tanks for the Memories is a pretty divisive episode. A lot of bronies love it for the emotional connection and ability to weave in the concept of grief without using death. Others really despise it for the lack of stakes and justification of Dash's actions. This analysis slams TftM. Princess Murphy, Meet Prince Brokenwriting!
     

    Princess Spike is my most hated and worst episode in season five. This explains all that went wrong with it. Two Little Things: A Small "Crusaders of the Lost Mark" Analysis
     

    CotM is season five's best episode. But it wouldn't be great without two crucial points. Both of them look small quantitatively, but really bring the episode together and increase its quality. Starlight's Redemption Is Better and More Satisfying Than Sunset's
     

    My boldest proclamation in the entire show. Starlight's redemption is Sunset's, but done way better and in a much more satisfying, fulfilling way.

    A lot of longtime users here know how deep I really get into my reviews. They're not quickies like MrEnter (with some exceptions), Voice of Reason, Josh Scorcher, etc. I'm extremely meticulous with my work and not afraid to narrow onto small points, good or bad, to get my point across. My reviews for the IDW Holiday Special and Rainbow Rocks demonstrate how my review style has evolved. On the upside, it gives you an insight over the product's possible quality.
     

    Downside, overall reviews offer little focus on specific content. They combine all points into one blob. Because my points aren't presented chronologically, they're spliced. Disorganized. This is one reason why I stuck with Wind Chaser's method to provide a subhead and then explain the strengths or flaws within them, sometimes carrying them later. It makes my reviews more presentable than my famous list format and allows me to focus more deeply into a subject. But it's not enough.
     
    Rather than focusing on multiple points to present an overall conclusion of quality, I focus on one or two subjects at a time in the Analysis Series. Take what I want to explain and really go in-depth. In both of my EQG reviews, my negative comments about Flash are very small. To present a more focused essay title and topic allowed me to really get into why Flash wasn't a good character. I wouldn't have been able to do that if my topic was so loose. My analysis of Discord's morale is exactly the same. It's less than half the size of my FS analysis, but I still presented a really focused subject. Instead of writing only a couple of pages of Discord's overall character, I got down perhaps five to eight pages of one important subtext of him.
     
    Now, the Analysis Series isn't an end to reviews. Instead, the Analysis Series allows me the ability to focus better on specific subjects and get down to the point. Think of the Analysis Series as a semi-evolution to my reviews.
     
    Another part of the inspiration, albeit tiny, came from the rash of insightful topics I posted in Show Discussion in the past. Unfortunate implications in various episodes. The evolution of the morals from simple and absolute in seasons one and two to the grayer and mature in S4. Simple or grand: how would you like the S5 finale? They gave me a little idea over what to deliver.
     
    So what ideas do I have in my back pocket? Well, I always have a few.
    Celestia: Unfortunate Tyranny
     

    Princess Celestia is a divisive character. Plenty love her for being a kind and caring ruler over Equestria while simultaneously teaching Twilight the lessons of friendship. Plenty dislike her over how her poor decision-making makes her untrustworthy. I used to really like her, but her poor execution is too loud to ignore. Her poor execution dates back to early season one. Tyrantlestia doesn't still exist in the fandom for no reason; several examples will detail her terrible decision-making and the following implications. Toiling Rage
     

    Sweetie Belle caused some controversy by acting really enraged over how her play was overshadowed by Rarity's amazing dresses. There are times in this show where a character can really make a terrible, cruel mistake. Even when the character is in the wrong, you can understand it. Sweetie's actions were wrong, but understandable. I plan to break down the long buildup and why it never made Sweetie Belle out of character or unlikeable. The One Scene
     

    Some of you have already seen it. Some posters, including myself, have been critiquing the three finales post-RoH lately. One of them is how too often they tend to focus on the One Scene. Instead of focusing on natural progression, many concentrate on one very boisterous scene. Instead of a filling salad, viewers eat crappy fast food from the factory instead.
     
    What I plan for this is to take to specific finales — ACW, Twilight's Kingdom — and what makes the One Scene ineffective. Fun visually, yet quickly dated. Plus, there will be suggestions to improve the finales while keeping the One Scene. Rarity Takes Manehattan's Moral
     

    The main moral of Rarity Takes Manehattan is how even though someone took advantage of her generous spirit, she shouldn't give it up. It's a very great moral, but it's arguably a surface moral. What I have in mind is how the secondary, yet most important, moral is to not let someone's vindictiveness stop you from changing your best personality quality. Rarity's biggest personality quality is being generous to a fault, but all of us have specific ones. My goal for this analysis is how this moral can apply to everyone beyond the generosity. The Broken Elements
     

    For the first three seasons, the Elements of Harmony were used as a blunt weapon to control and defeat evil. When evil disrupted harmony, harmony fought back. In Equestria Girls, Twilight's Element of Magic was accidentally transported to Pedestria. What permanently damaged the reputation of the EoH occurred during the battle outside Canterlot High. This is an analysis of the climax and the implications surrounding the Elements changing Sunset's character. Scootalove in Scootaloo's House
     

    Flight to the Finish incorporated many powerful scenes, all having to do with Scootaloo's gradual realization over her inability to fly. Throughout the series, Scootaloo expressed her want to emulate Dash for physically and emotionally. A Dash Lite. The most powerful of them all occurs as she cleans up her room, realizing her dreams were crushed.
     
    This is an analysis of the scene itself. Its planning stages are how Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle saw Scoots' inability to fly, Scoots' history of admiring Dash and wanting to be her, breaking down the scene itself, and then the growth of Dash's relationship with Scootaloo. The Exposition Express
     

    One of FIM's biggest sins in season four was revived from season one: the inability to set up a conflict without having to dump everything to its audience. It isn't just once, either. Plenty of episodes tell you the conflict before it starts. One common dumping ground is while riding inside the train from Over a Barrel and later The Friendship Express.
     
    Exposition can be handy when done right, but this will be a critique of why mandatory exposition hurts the story. Also, instead of using TFE as strictly filler to tell the audience, three examples will be used — A Canterlot Wedding, Rainbow Falls, FIM #25-6 — of how we can fix this filler into scenes that are more active, useful, and showing. If there's exposition, it will be ancillary, and I'll be using some examples of how exposition was used correctly. Pinkie Pride's Theme
     

    Season four is chock-full of some really mature themes, including ones that should've occurred a long time ago. Pinkie Pride has one of the most mature themes in not just FIM, but all of family television. What if there's someone who can not only the same talents as you, but are actually better and more renown than you? Friendship Is Magic breaks down the cutie mark into what their individual talents are, but carry some unfortunate implications over how one pony can carry that talent and not anyone else. Pinkie Pride calls out that commentary, and it partially affects the conflict. Fluttershy, the Indentured Servant
     

    Trade Ya's most controversial scene occurred near the end where Rainbow Dash trades Fluttershy for the one-of-a-kind Daring Do book. Plenty of bronies accused both Dash and the DD fan of treating Fluttershy as a slave. Is it accurate? Not quite. But they're on the right track, and it doesn't make the rash decision any more justifiable. In fact, this is one of the five worst scenes in season four. Currently, my plans are to incorporate some history of indentured servitude (which means making it more of a scholarly analysis) and then tie in why this scene is so disgusting with its history and Equestrian lore. Wheat Grass & Flax Seed
     

    Rarity's Micro is the third-best out of the ten in the series. Two key reasons why it's one of the creams of the crop is easily Rarity's relationship with two hippies: Wheat Grass and Flax Seed. These very likeable characters play off very well with Rarity's desire for the high life and her eventual decision to improve their wellness center. Wheat Grass and Flax Seed will be analyzed (from their personalities to their clothing and cutie marks), along with headcanon tandems with the rest of the Mane Six. Slaying the Dragon Lore
     

    Dragon Quest is easily described in two words: sexist, xenophobic. Even if you discount the sexist first half of Act 1, the two labels never dissipate. If it's possible, they stay persistent and accentuate thanks to the dragons. These dragons are everything any brony should be horrified by: stereotypical male bullies. The lead red dragon in particular is the stereotypical alpha male bully. This episode killed the lore of the dragons, and the purpose of this analysis's purpose is to break down the horrific implications the stereotypes have on not just the show, but the base demographics, too.
     
    What implications?
     
    The perception that all teen males behave like these dragons: stupid, careless, stereotypical, treating femininity as vile, and a complete disregard for human life.
     
    The blatant xenophobic message of how ponies are godsends compared to dragons even though their horrid attitude was partially responsible for Spike for choosing to migrate in the first place.
     
    What makes this moral itself so broken.

  8. Dark Qiviut
    Every time someone uses the word "emo," they appropriate it with someone self-harming, becoming sad, and possibly being angsty, among other things. That's not what "emo" is. Nobody has a damn clue what it truly means!
     
    "Emo" is short for "emotional hardcore" — a style of rock music inspired by hardcore punk characterized by complex arrangement of instruments and expressive lyrics. "Emo" has nothing to do with depression, self-harm, angst, introversion, and the color black. The second you use emo to describe an individual who's sad, clinically depressed, etc., you reinforce very bigoted stereotypes.
     
    Depression is a very real illness that approximately 350 million people suffer from. To live with it can be an enormous struggle. By appropriating "emo" with a real illness and real emotions, you show complete ignorance and inconsideration towards more than 250 million people. Appropriating "emo" with real-life implications is ableism, and it's disgusting!
  9. Dark Qiviut
    Coming out of the closet as LGBTQ+ is more impactful than coming out of the stable as a brony. But that doesn't mean coming out of the closet as a brony shouldn't be taken any less seriously. I live in a very liberal society, have a very liberal family, and hugely hate gender norms. The liberal feminist in me is proud to live in this type of society.
    Not everyone is so lucky. Often, people in many socially conservative areas like the Bible Belt depend on living through social and gender norms to survive. Dating back several decades, there's a sociocultural fear of men liking feminine products, including FIM.
    A few years ago, a brony on here was bullied by his family in real life after he came out as one. Some members here might remember reading it when it first surfaced. I still do.
    Michael Morones attempted suicide as an eleven-year-old because he was bullied for liking FIM.
    A brony was bullied by classmates for bringing his Dash backpack to school. Rather than punishing the bullies, the school blamed the victim for it by telling him not to bring it because it was a bullying trigger.
    Near BronyCon in 2013, Mom and I talked with a brony who came from Kentucky with friends. He was a proud brony to us, but back home, he was a closet brony: He really believes his family will spew ableism and homophobia towards him if they find out.
    Other anecdotes where male bronies are called "gay" or "autistic" simply because they love the show are out there. Other bronies witness blatant homophobia and sexism by their family and keep their love for FIM in the closet as a result. Bronies ought to be able to express their love for the show and not be stuck in sexist gender roles. Closet bronydom doesn't live in a vacuum.
    The opinion — hell, even the idea — that anyone needs to refocus on how they live because they fear they'll be bullied for liking the show by their friends, peers, or family is one of the most homophobic, sexist, ableist, and overall dangerous morals I've ever heard. Anytime I hear something similar, you admit you don't give a damn about social justice.
    What makes this opinion so harmful? You blame the victim. Rather than blaming gender roles, you blame closet bronies. To blame closet bronies for being in the closet is to scapegoat a girl/woman for wearing attractive clothes for having men/boys gawk at her. Whenever you say, "It's your fault for being in the closet, brony," you're actually telling the LGBTQ+ community to stay in the closet. Nobody should be forced to hide who they are and what they like. You send genuine unfortunate implications by downplaying a very real fear.
    The common solution to closet bronydom is to just admit you're a brony. This is no less dangerous than One Bad Apple's moral. Just like how there's no one solution to the bullying epidemic, there's no one solution to closet bronydom. Some families don't care about their peers being bronies. Some merely tolerate it. Some can disown them for bring a brony because they refuse to give up on it. To many of us, this looks trivial, but to some closet bronies, it's anything but. Parents have disowned their kids for something much smaller; if that can happen, so can closet bronies for liking a show. Each problem is individual; what works for one brony may not work for others. You can't throw a blanket solution and hope it works. Real life doesn't work that way.
    Like I wrote before, coming out as LGBTQ+ has far more impact than any brony coming out as a brony. But once again, that doesn't mean we shouldn't treat the issue of bronies keeping their love for FIM in the closet with respect. Closet bronydom is a byproduct of a larger societal problem: It exists because society peer-pressures us as a people to live by social and gender constructs. Nearly all of us feel the pressure of pandering to gender norms every day for our entire lives, even if that pressure is a smidgen. Sometimes, fighting them is no problem. Sometimes, it can be a royal struggle. Many bronies succumb to this pressure. We should be aware of that.
    Social justice and civil rights aren't picks and choices. They intertwine and affect each other. The fear of shame just for liking a product that "violates social normality" — male bronies liking a feminine product — is a very real social and feminist issue, and we should be sensitive towards it.
    Why feminist issue? Feminism breaks down and eliminates gender inequality. Normally, girls and women aren't persecuted for liking feminine and masculine products. But whenever we see women being ostracized by gender norms, don't ignore them. Extend our hands to help them fight these norms. Remember, closet female bronies and closet bronies of minority genders exist. Sexism towards men liking feminine products dates back generations; FIM/bronydom is one example. As a people, extend our hands to help them, too.
    Endorse the idea that anyone (male, female, or minority gender) can love the show without fear of gender roles and the people who support gender roles bullying them. Challenging social and gender ostracization as a whole impacts communities vying for civil rights, including the LGBTQ+, African-American, Muslim, and so on. By spreading awareness to sexist roles and challenging them, you're telling other communities that they can do the same. Downplaying closet bronydom and trivializing this sexist societal problem tells us you don't care about not only challenging social constructs, but also addressing the civil rights issues the other communities face.
  10. Dark Qiviut
    Trigger warnings are something society should mind to. Content warnings in film and TV, for example, are there because the content could trigger a reaction that can offend some.
     
    My problem with how people in sites like Tumblr abuse trigger warnings. How? Painting triggers with an absolutist brush, exploiting the TW concept, and treating the system as be-all-end-all. Triggers are individual. What may trigger one person may not for others. Those guys aren’t spreading awareness. They’re exploiting it. That hurts the people they’re claiming to help.
     
    Want to spread awareness, guys? Treat triggers and the trigger warning concept with respect.
     

     
    (X-posted from Tumblr.)
  11. Dark Qiviut
    Part 1
    Part 2
    Part 3
    Part 5
    Part 6
     
    For easy sake, two stretches of dialogue are color-coordinated. You'll get the color matched to the character first, and then just the color dialogue.
     

     
    Keeping contact
     
    Family is one of Pinkie's values. Like Dash's view on friends with the ReMane Five, if any of the Mane Six believes they can't be friends with Pinkie anymore, God forbids what happens. When she witnessed the Mane Six suddenly acting suspicious, she honestly believed they don't want to come to her parties nor want anything to do with her. Her heart fell completely apart. Enter Cheese Sandwich; when Dash accidentally insulted her party practices, Pinkie's poofy hair deflated.
     
    For those who read the first three parts, Pinkie Pie and Sunset have a close sisterly relationship, but Sunset chose to reunite with her biological mom and dad in Equestria for a couple of days and then alternate back and forth every morning. But after Pinkie peaked through Sunset's journal and then said they'd be better without her here, it'd crush her. Think about the fact that Sunset'll have to decide where to live once the portal closes. Not a chance would she want to be separated from her sister.
     
    Solution: Vainly as it may be, there is a way for the two to communicate while Sunset is away with her mom, dad, and young brother. Before Sunset temporarily departs, she hands Pinkie her journal and special pen. Anytime she wants to contact her, use it. She'll receive the message, and she'll write back as soon as possible. No portal will close this. One hug to her and the rest of her friends, she departs through the Portal along with Twilight, Spike, and Princess Celestia. Pinkie tries to follow, but her hand only touches stone.
     
    Back in Canterlot, she sees a lot has changed. The Reflection Room, which had gray and white when she ran away, was painted red and gold. Celestia's copy of Sunset's journal sat to her right. The door to leave the room was in front in white brass. Sunset was shocked that Twilight was an alicorn and that Spike was a dragon. When they left the room, the ReMane Five, Cadance, Shining Armor, and Luna awaited. Sunset couldn't believe it when she saw Luna.
     
    Sunset: The legend…really is true.
     
    Luna bowed: Princess Celestia fondly told me so much about you.
     
    Sunset: I don't understand.
     
    Twilight: It's a long story.
     
    As they walk to Sunset's family's quarters, everyone explained what happened during all that time, from the Elements of Harmony being freed to Luna's redemption to Twilight's ascension. It was Twilight's first assignment as Princess of Equestria since her coronation, and Twilight felt the portal open through her horn.
     
    Sunset: But how can you feel it open through your horn? Is it the alicorn underneath your horn that caused it?
     
    Celestia: I did, too. Little sister, did you?
     
    Luna nodded.
     
    Spike: Not me, but my spines tingled. *shiver* Colder than the coldest day at The Crystal Empire.
     
    They kept talking till they arrived in the quarters. Sunrise Shimmer, Dawn Shimmer, and a younger Flash Sentry awaited. She hugs her mom Sunrise first. When she tried to hug her father Dawn, Sunrise refused to let go, but hugged her tighter. But she did pull away and hugged Dawn; her eyes glossed. But when she started to hug little colt!Flash, tears began to drop. Eleven years away, and she missed so much, including seeing the birth of her brother.
     
    That afternoon, she returns home to Grazewood, a small town off the western Equestrian coast. Warm, salty air reminded her of her early days as a filly. The Shimmer home is atop a quiet hill, looking down upon the rest of the town, and groves of rose pines act as an exclave. Her room upstairs had been barely touched.
     
    When she sees her room, immediately she hops onto the center and sighs. "Feels good to be home."
     
    From those words, she's quickly reminded of her home back in Pedestria with the Pies, but she hides it from her parents.
     

     
    What to do while back home?
     
    From how I envision it, it's to try to cook, clean, meet up with old friends, and just doing hobbies she loved doing while she used to live in Grazewood. However, as she's lived in Pedestria's Canterlot City for so long, she had trouble using her magic, impulsively clutching with her hooves instead.
     
    Before she goes to sleep, she takes out her journal and writes a letter to Pinkie Pie back detailing her adventures and trials in Grazewood. Pinkie writes a note back detailing how hollow her home feels with her not being there. Dawn and Sunrise feel the same way when she ran away, and she writes that they and Pinkie are a lot more in common than she once thought.
     
    "How?"
     
    "A deep affection for family. Caring for their loved ones. Holding tightly onto fond memories. Wanting to make others happy."
     
    "Like me in a nutshell."
     
    "More like a hatched gator head."
     
    "Huh?"
     
    "Pinkie in Equestria has a pet baby gator named Gummy."
     
    "WHAT?"
     
    "Don't worry, Pinkie. Gator and Pinkie apparently keep each other in great company. Pinkie — the one here — says he appreciates it, so I believe her. Anyway, the day after tomorrow, I'll be seeing you and the others. Can we meet in Sugarcube Corner for some lunch? Maybe lemongrass shortbread?"
     
    "Anything for my big sister."
     
    "XOXO."
     
    "XOXO."
     
    Next day, she spent plenty of time catching time with older friends, having lunch in a diner with four old friends, three Earth ponies and one unicorn: May Flour (unicorn, Acres's older sister, female), May Z. Acres (EP, Flour's younger sister, female), High Grant (EP, male), and Ol' Chipper (EP, male). The two May's had been working at the windmill and flour mill near the edge of town, as their dads had grown older and needed help working, and the sisters agreed to pick up some of the slack. Ol' Chipper, in his gruffy yet happy-sounding personality, began to take part in negotiating antiques trades. High Grant's still studying for advanced universities and unsure what to really do down the road, but he's thinking of spending time doing charity work to folks who need it. Sunset explained her adventures in the human world, described the portal, and why she came back.
     
    Chipper: Do you think about coming back to this Canterlot City?
     
    Sunset: Every second since I came back here.
     
    Acres: But you don't want to be separated from your family here.
     
    How can I? They're just as much a family as the Pie family over in the human world.
     
    Grant: But Pinkie lives in Ponyville, and her family lives in Slateyard.
     
    Not that Pie family. The other Pie family, and they all live in the same house is the suburbs.
     
    My bad. So, what do you plan about it?
     
    I don't know, Grant. Why should I be forced to choose which family and universe to stay? Because Equestrian magic says so?
     
    Flour: *clears throat* Sunny dear, magic is flexible here. You can create new magic anytime as long as you put in the effort.
     
    But there's a standard to the portal on both ends. After ten days, the portal will be closed for several years. I don't want it to happen again.
     
    *swallows water* Who says it needs to close after ten days?
     
    But it won't open or close because Celestia says so, Chipper. It's been cast a spell.
     
    An ancient spell, Acres. God knows where it is now.
     
    Everyone: Huh?
     
    Never heard that before.
     
    Figure of speech I learned from the other world.
     
    After they split, she quickly wrote two notes asking Celestia, Luna, and the Mane Six to meet by Irviger Square at 6 PM local time; copied a map using magic; and asked a postal pegasus to fly to Canterlot and then Ponyville's Golden Oak Library as fast as he can. Then, she spent time catching up and playing with little Flash, who looked a lot like the Flash from Pedestria. (She never told him this.) They played some sports she learned from the human world, including soccer, softball, and basketball. Then they spent some time playing with a kitchen playset, and she cooked him one of her favorite treats as a kid: wood-burnt banana leaves with a side of radish.
     

     
    Keep the portal open
     
    How did Twilight decide to keep the portal open in RR? Through a very lazy joke of coming up with a contraption to force it open. When isolating the joke to the movie alone, it could sound like a good joke in the making. But the film also plays the threat seriously, and the portal has a strict canon rule dating back to the former. In short, the joke becomes a Deus Ex Machina to thrust Twilight and Spike back in the film.
     
    Solution: That evening, after spending time with her brother, she walked to Irviger Square (a little park full of small birth trees and swings). On cue, Celestia et al showed up, and Sunset has to talk. She tells them about her conversation with her four friends, including not wanting to be separated from either family, and the art of loose magic.
     
    If there's a way to figure out how to force open the mirror…
     
    Celestia: There is a way.
     
    Everyone looks at her.
     
    Twilight, do you remember what I said to you about the mirror's magic?
     
    Twilight: I think so. You told me that it was created by an alicorn named King Arion thousands of years ago.
     
    Rainbow Dash: Time out! There were other alicorns than the princesses?
     
    Princess Luna: Alicorns have had a long history. My older sister and I may be famous, but we, Cadance, and Twilight were never the only ones.
     
    How alicorns evolve have always remained a mystery. Even the best scientists have limited knowledge of them. Luna, Cadance, and I are naturally-born, and hundreds of other past alicorns are, as well. King Arion was also naturally born. Some of them earned their status over time, like Twilight for solving Star Swirl's broken spell.
     
    Applejack: So, what does the hooha have anything to do with this King Arion?
     
    Luna took out an old scroll, and she and Celestia used magic to hover it and make projections.
     
    Long ago, King Arion ruled an ancient city in the eastern hemisphere. He was a little temperamental, but he always had a liking for his people. Not once did he believe others were worse than him. He had a tremendous amount of respect for others, and they had tremendous respect for him in return. Unfortunately, despite being an alicorns, successful flight he could not. Legend has it was that he was born with a condition called penna mortem. He was never able to fly.
     
    Where he lived depended on trade for survival, because it was a desert climate with no land to cultivate. But nopony was able to make it through long distance. Not even pegasi were capable of surviving hours of nonstop flight. In order to make life for his ponies easier, he scavenged dead cities where civilizations came and went. He was able to find thousands of old bones of the three popular pony races. He collected them into his castle and used magic to cremate them.
     
    Pinkie Pie: That sounds pretty icky.
     
    'Twas worse back then, Ms. Pie. In his country, cremation was taboo. A crime serious enough for abdication…and exile.
     
    Golly.
     
    So, he had to keep the project a secret?
     
    More. He had to cremate all the bones underground, disguise the nasty burning smell, and lie to his most trusted diplomats so nopony outed him.
     
    After several years of processing the bones and creating a spell to create shatterproof glass, he spent long days drafting the perfect spell to travel long distances without risking thousands of lives. At last, he came up with the right one to create a portal from one country to another. It was a secret only he and rulers from other kingdoms knew, and they kept them all the way until their deaths.
     
    Spike: *taps finger on his nose* …interesting. But what does that have anything to do with Star Swirl?
     
    This happened just before Luna was born. After King Arion died, a massive threat polluted innocent minds to turn on one another and kill off his whole kingdom. Apparently, someone broke from the hate curse, found him, and told him about it. He couldn't strip them of their powers nor defeat them like other unicorns. So he had to come up with another plan to get rid of them. By chance, he was able to locate Arion's mirror along with the spell scroll accompanying it. He changed the spell by making the portal a point of no return instead of a tunnel for trade. He lured the evil into the portal, and order was restored in the kingdom. In honor of Arion, his unnamed country was called Arion Stratus, for most of it was high up in the sky.
     
    I don't think the story ends there.
     
    Our adventures have always been topsy-turvy. I doubt his were any different.
     
    *chuckle* Rather than coming up with a spell to defeat the enemy and permanently seal up the mirror, it was always able to open and then shut. Star Swirl attempted several times to close the loophole in the mirror, but he was never able to. So, he sealed it in the hidden room in Canterlot Castle and instructed me to look after it in his will.
     
    *as she and Luna wrapped up the scroll and put it away* I told Luna everything about it when she returned home three years ago, and she looked after it anytime I was away for diplomatic duty.
     
    *looks down on the ground* Sometimes stuff like this makes me glad I was sealed in the moon.
     
    Everyone: *gasp*
     
    Rarity: Your majesty! Why would you say something like that?
     
    Being a princess isn't always easy, and I wasn't mature. If I learned something like this as a young foal, I might've been overzealous enough to try to find the mirror and seal it myself.
     
    Fluttershy: Princess Luna—
     
    Please, Fluttershy. Call me Luna.
     
    Luna…ooh, how should I say it?
     
    Worry not.
     
    Really? Well…that's one of the craziest things I've ever heard. Nopony deserves to be sealed anywhere! Not in the moon. Not in stone. Nothing! Please, don't ever wish you were glad to be sealed.
     
    Cannot help feeling that way, Fluttershy. I can't promise thou that.
     
    I understand, too, Luna. Dash remembers me in a mess after I believed nopony liked me anymore.
     
    *sigh* You guys don't know this, but Pinkie had gone bananas and spent time planning a party with a bag of flour, turnips, and rocks. *to Pinkie* Pinkie, you're a great friend. Never scare me like that again. Pinkie promise?
     
    *to Dash* Cross my heart and hope to fly. Stick a cupcake in my eye. *to Luna* Luna, look around you. You have so many friends. Me, Twilight, Celestia, Spike, and everyone else. We'll be here for life!
     
    If you want anything, ask any of us. I'm always one letter away.
     
    *walks over, pats Luna's horseshoe* And you've got a new friend-for-life, too. *kisses her cheek* Me.
     
    Thank you, everypony. What you said means a lot to me.
     
    We're all very welcome. Now, if I recall correctly, you can't replace curses on a whim, can you?
     
    I'm afraid not, Rarity. *takes out another scroll and projects it* The only forms of innate magic known to horned ponykind are lifting, relaxing, pulling, pushing, transferring, and levitating. Not everyone has mastered them. You can create new magic like Star Swirl's spell that Twilight closed, but you can't simply change it without finding the actual source.
     
    So, if we can find the actual source for the spell, then we can revise it, and we can have the portal open, so you can visit both families whenever you like, Sunset!
     
    After missing my brother's birth and realizing how much Mom and Dad from both worlds really love me, it'd mean the whole world to me and them that it stays open.
     
    There is a very big catch. If you revise the spell wrong, then you run the risk of it going haywire. Wasn't there a barrier that blocked anypony from coming to Equestria, Sunset?
     
    I felt Pinkie's hand touching the base of the Colt, but it didn't go through, like I did.
     
    Apparently, Star Swirl has a spell to prevent anyone who possesses no magic from voluntarily entering the portal. You need a very convincing, plausible reason to enter the Reflection Room. Luna, Spike, Twilight, and I went into the room to try and find you.
     
    Sunset Shimmer, you never told us why you went to this world, anyhow. Why did you go?
     
    I wanted to run away.
     
    Why, Sunset?
     
    Because I thought Mom and Dad counted on me to become the best and most successful unicorn alive. I felt like I had a path to great things, but I kept floundering. Every schoolpony who bullied me convinced me they were going to hate me for failing. *sniff* Why in God's name did I ever think it was a great idea to run away in the first place?
     
    *pays Sunset's shoulder* It's okay, Sunset. It's okay.
     
    No, it's not. Rather than hating me, they missed me and were proud just for trying to do my very best. I worried them for eleven years for nothing! *sigh* Sorry. Everything's spinning right now.
     
    When I was a youngin, Mom and Dad could care less 'bout school tests and being the best in class. They only want me to put whatever effort I can. If I succeed, apple pie for me. If I fail yet still put in the effort, I got the best apple pie with whipped cream and blueberries on top Equestria can find.
     
    First time I ever heard a bigger and better reward for failing.
     
    Nopony likes failure, Twilight. But no matter what happens, you're always a daughter to me, and I'm always proud of you.
     
    *to Twilight* I think we'll all feel this way when my sister, Applejack's, and Scootaloo get their cutie marks someday, darling. *to Sunset* Sunset, I guarantee you your mother, father, baby brother, and your family in the other world will always be proud of you.
     
    Thank you, everypony. Yet…what if we try to revise the spell, but we fail?
     
    I'm afraid that will cause several implications, including uninvited guests infiltrating both dimensions, opening gates to other worlds, or closing it forever. *looks at Sunset, who's frozen in fear*
     
    *Luna puts a comforting hoof on her shoulder*
     
    Don't think about that now, Sunset. I want you to have the best days here and in Canterlot City with the Pies there.
     
    *Sunset relaxes, smiles bravely*
     
    Yeah, don't worry about worrying. Leave the worrying to us.
     
    That's a clever way to put it, Rainbow Dash. So, first thing tomorrow, everypony?
     
    Good idea. How about we start searching in Star Swirl's study, wherever it is?
     
    There are several in Canterlot. I remember two the most, one of them just downstairs from Celestia's study and another not far from mine.
     
    The study I was in before…running away…used to belong to Star Swirl, too. Perhaps a split into a few groups to find it?
     
    Sounds like a good plan.
     
    I'll help, too.
     
    Excellent. Now, can y'all please stay here for a few more minutes? I'd like to say goodbye and prepare to travel for Canterlot tonight.
     
    Take as long as you need. We'll wait.
     
    She spent about twenty minutes packing (including her journal with quill, telling Pinkie she's leaving for Canterlot tonight) and then said temporary goodbyes to Dawn, Sunrise, and baby Flash. Afterwards, after a Sunset "OK," Celestia teleported everyone to Canterlot. As everypony searched the next day, Sunset traveled through the mirror to rendezvous with the human ReMane Five back in Canterlot City.
     

     
    More to come in later entries.
  12. Dark Qiviut
    Tomorrow afternoon, at least one player will be voted into Cooperstown, who in turn will be enshrined. Another player, on his fourth ballot, has a great shot of getting in. You have two more with an outside shot of getting in, though perhaps unlikely.
     
    For those who are curious, here is the official Hall-of-Fame ballot. The closest to make the HOF last year is Mike Piazza at 69.9 percent. He might get in this year. Ken Griffey, Jr., a first-time person on the ballot, is getting in. Out of the 130+ ballots, Tim Raines and Jeff Bagwell are above the 75% threshold, but they may not get in because you have more than 300 unannounced.
     
    One very key process to voting for the Hall is its limit. You can abstain (which won't affect the percentage) or submit a blank ballot (which decreases everyone's chances). But you can only vote for ten people maximum. You can't vote for any more. As a result, it becomes extremely difficult to fill out. You have several writers of the BBWAA who literally spent hours and days filing out the ballot.
     
    So, with that, here's my unofficial ballot:
    Ken Griffey, Jr.
     

    Self-explanatory. 630 home runs, ten-time Gold Glover, 1997 AL MVP, .284 average, was the fastest to hit 400 home runs when he hit it in 2000, and a hell of a person off the field. Mike Piazza
     

    Because of the suspicion of steroids, what should've been a first-ballot HOFer is on his fourth ballot. The most home runs by a catcher (396, 427 altogether), the greatest hitter in Met history, nearly won the NL Triple Crown in 1997 (.362, 40 HR, 124 RBI), two-time NL MVP runner-up, career 142 OPS+, 1993 NL RoY. As catcher, the all-time leader in HR, slugging percentage (.545), OPS+, and offensive WAR (65.9) for catchers. Barry Bonds
     

    I don't give a damn if he took steroids. Because it wasn't illegal in baseball (unlike gambling), it's fair game. 762 home runs, was second all-time in RBIs (when it became an official stat in 1913) by the time he retired, 7-time NL MVP, single-season home-run king (73 in 2001), 14-time All-Star, 8-time Gold Glover, most BB and IBB (2,558 BB, 688 intentional). Roger Clemens
     

    Same thing as Bonds. 354 wins (third all-time in modern era), 4,672 K's, 3.12 ERA, seven CY's (six in the AL, one in the NL), 1986 AL MVP, back-to-back Pitching Triple Crown, two-time WS champion. Edgar Martinez
     

    Look up all the stats. He's one of the greatest DH's in history. .312 average, .418 OBP (fourth-highest since WWII, c. 5,000 plate appearances), responsible for the two most important hits in Mariner history in the 1995 ALDS: 8th-inning grand slam off John Wetteland in Game 4, The Double in Game 5 to clinch the series and keep the M's in Seattle. Tim Raines
     

    Why the hell he isn't in the Hall? I don't get it. Even without the Sabrmetrics, he's a first-ballot HOFer. 808 stolen bases (fourth-most all-time, 84.7% success rate the highest at a 300-SB attempt rate), one of the greatest switch-hitters ever. Trevor Hoffman
     

    Potseason numbers aside, he was as elite a reliever as he can be. 601 saves (second-most all-time), 88.8% save success (third-most at 300 save opportunities), many thirty-save seasons, did it for almost his entire career with one of the greatest Bugs Bunny changeups. Jeff Bagwell
     
     
     
    PED suspicion, I don't care. He was one of the greatest players in Astro history. 449 home runs. Superb baserunner. 1994 NL MVP. .297 average, 1,529 RBIs, 1991 NL RoY, 202 stolen bases. He should've been in the Hall of Fame a long time ago and shouldn't be penalized because of PE suspicion. Mike Mussina
     

    Not as glamorous as everyone else, but he's a HOFer. 270 wins, one than 100 over .500. 7x GG winner. Pitched his whole career in the AL East during the Steroid Era, 60% of his games in Fenway, Oriole Park, and Yankee Stadium. During the DH era, the most wins of any AL pitcher. At .638, the same winning percentage as Jim Palmer. Curt Schilling
     

    Since 1900 with at least 3,000 IP, best K/BB ration at 4.4. Struck out more than 300 in a season multiple times. An amazing postseason pitcher (including the bloody-sock game in 2004). Outside of Randy Johnson and Clemens, he was one of the best starters ever. He deserves more HOF votes than what he's got.

    And if I didn't have that limit, I'd vote for maybe seventeen. Jeff Kent, Fred McGriff (SERIOUSLY underrated!), Gary Sheffield, Jim Edmonds, Larry Walker, Billy Wagner, and Alan Trammell would be on my ballot.
     
    ETA: Replaced Wagner with Jeff Bagwell. Hare are my reasons why he should get in:
     
    Billy Wagner:
     
    His biggest pitfall is his innings accumulation. He pitched under 1,000 in his career. But during his time, he was amazing. 1,196 K's (highest live-ball K/9 average at 11.9; best live-ball WHIP at 1.00), 7-time All-Star, 2.31 ERA, 422 saves.
  13. Dark Qiviut
    Part 1
    Part 2
    Part 4
    Part 5
    Part 6
     

     
    The catalyst
     
    Remember Fluttershy's personal insults to Rarity and Pinkie in Putting Your Hoof Down and Pinkie maliciously triggering Fluttershy's fears three times in Filli Vanilli?
     
    I do.
     
    What were the problems?
     
    In PYHD, Fluttershy went above and beyond anything she did when under Discord's trance. Knowingly, she went after the very core of who they are and calling them worthless. Pinkie's and Rarara's actions are a lot like our own; it's so personal, we feel their pain. Voice of Reason's explanation that she might've done that subconsciously is a valid point, and there is a clue that it was once she looked at the pool of rainwater. But the clue isn't explicit enough, and her actions earlier in the third act come across as being self-aware. It's the most OOC moment in season two.
     
    Pinkie Pie is many things. "Stupid" and "malicious" ain't two of them. Her appearance in FV is flanderization and out of characterization of her at her worst. If she triggered Fluttershy's stage fright once, became aware of it, and then apologized for it, then I'll believe her. Instead, she kept on going, didn't react when she got tapped on the head or glared at by the ReMane Four, continued to trigger her fear, acted like she had no idea 'Shy was going to react like that when Pinkie's aware of how sensitive she is, never apologized for it, and rubbed in Big Mac's injury in front of him. Cutting her out entirely increases the episode's quality from bad to average at most.
     
    So, here's the question: How to rectify that? By showing that 'Shy was truly subconscious and make Pinkie react in a way that hurts Sunset, but immediately realize she said a really bad thing. But the words linger in Sunset and make her wonder if it was truly best to spend a little time in Equestria.
     

     
    How can she be convinced to come home?
     
    …Yet, Sunset just isn't going to just snap her fingers and decide to leave. Remember, bad memories from her past linger. Think about Simba from The Lion King. He believed he killed his father and king, so he ran away, found paradise, and was able to thrive as an exile with Timon and Pumbaa. In this concept, Sunset is in self-exile because she fears she's a failure. But unlike TLK, she remains in contact, yet they believe she's brainwashed. And just because she communicates with Princess Celestia doesn't mean she wants to return.
     
    Solution: After Sunset and Pinkie have their big fight, Sunset spends a little time on her own, this time sleeping in Dash's house for the night. Next day, Sunset starts to feel guilty for being involved in that fight and return home from her sleepover, but Pinkie isn't home. Instead, she sees Twilight Sparkle, Maud, and Rocky having some tea. Twilight and Sunset converse, and Sunset decides to show TS a project in the unused garage. Two electric scooters charged in the back; helmets, goggles, and pads lay in wait. Twilight and Sunset change into clothes to protect them from possible scraping in case they fell, and they put on the pads and helmet. Twilight suggests having lunch in the Pristine Café, which is located in the Little Central neighborhood in the quiet part of the central city.
     
    They roll along Pedestria, starting in the outer shell before hitting a road in the big park. Sunset begins to admire Twilight for being able to drive the scooter on her first try, but Twilight stops when she arrives at the suspension bridge separating the side town and the central city. There, Sunset shoots on by, gold and red magic trailing behind her. Twilight restarts the scooter, catches up, and zooms by. There, she sees the others waving, including Pinkie forcefully. Sunset notices and scoots by with a massive glare at her, leaving Pinkie to sulk.
     
    Sunset follows Twilight to the Pristine Café, where Princess and Principal Celestia are having some coffee. Sunset can't recognize the two until Princess Celestia takes out her crown from her backpack. Sunset starts questioning what's going on, and Spike jumps out from inside Twilight's backpack. Princess Celestia and Twilight told her that the portal between Equestria and Pedestria is open. They all adventured here to find her, rescue her, and reunite her with her family. Sunset starts to lose it, accusing the two of forcing her to return to a place she doesn't call home anymore. Canterlot touted her as an up-and-coming protégé for Princess Celestia. Instead, she's the biggest disappointment. Principal Celestia wonders what's going on, but Sunset had none of it and took off. Principal Celestia stared crossly at Princess Celestia and Twilight.
     
    As they and Spike proceed to tell her the long story, Sunset drives to Sugarcube Corner for some lunch and then heads back home. When she returned, Pinkie was sitting by the table, sulking. Sunset accuses her of using that to feel guilty. Pinkie says she does. But Sunset said if she really felt guilty, then she wouldn't say that the Pie family would be better without her in the first place. Before Pinkie can say the next sentence, Sunset said if she knew her journal was private, then she wouldn't have bothered to snoop and out her. Well, now the story feels complete, and there's nothing it can be done to hide it. Not from the Pie family. Not from the rest of her friends, and especially herself. Maybe it'd be best to return home, after all.
     
    "But, Sunset, this is home!" exclaims Pinkie Pie.
     
    "I wish it was." Sunset leaves home and speeds off.
     
    Pinkie Pie calls the others to tell them that Sunset has run away. They alert Twilight of the same. By phone, Pinkie tells Twilight that she may be going to her real home. Twilight, Spike and Princess Celestia race to the galloping horse statue, where the others were. They ask a guard standing in front of CHS if they saw a girl with gold skin and gold and red hair. He said "no." Princess Celestia decides to find out and heads back through the portal. When she comes back, she said she saw her friends, but nobody saw Sunset. As they fan out and find her, the guard alerts the police and tells them to find her. Everyone searches for her, but finds nothing, and pictures of her begin to be posted instructing people to call police if they spot her. All of Sunset's friends and classmates ask if they spotted her somewhere, but she simply vanished. They call her every minute or two, only to head to her voicemail till it filled up.
     
    The search continues into a gigantic park within the city. No sign. They walk past an empty little-league baseball field and onto a hill behind the outfield walls. Pinkie sits down on the top under an orange tree and tries to call her, only to reach a full voicemail. Pinkie tries texting, but no reply. She leans forward, feeling very angry at herself and blaming herself. Applejack responds curtly that she said really bad things, but she doesn't believe their close bond will collapse. She's just angry. Pinkie doesn't believe her. She thought she really wanted to come home to this Equestria. Twilight and Celestia also begin to feel guilty, believing they put too much pressure on her at a very vulnerable time. She just couldn't handle it. Then, Flash Sentry gets involved and tells them a little story about how he and his little bro once got into a very nasty spat when they were younger. It took several days, but they made up, and they're now closer than ever. Pinkie said that they argued over something petty; she said the family will be better without her. Flash understands, but believes she'll forgive her.
     
    "I forgave her a long time ago."
     
    Scooter in tow, she climbs to the top of the hill where everybody wondered where she was and that she scared everyone. The scaring never came across her mind. She was so confused and so angry, she wanted time to be alone. She was on top of the field most of the day, but left before they showed up. She returned when she heard them call for her. When one of her classmates stated that there's a police search for her, she decided to call Mr. and Mrs. Pie and the police immediately after; she and her friends state in both that they're together through the video-capturing MuzzleVision, and she apologizes for running away. The search is called off. In the meantime, Sunset asks if she and Pinkie can spend a little quality time alone, which they agree. Sunset tells Pinkie that tomorrow, she'll return to Canterlot to meet her parents and brother, but she'll be there for a couple of days to get acquainted. She'll head back to Pedestria for a couple. Then alternate time with them and then in Canterlot, starting every morning until the portal closes in eleven days.
     
    Pinkie: By then, you'll have to choose where to call home.
     
    Sunset: Unfortunately, I'll have to.
     
    Pinkie: But which?
     
    Sunset: I don't know. I mean, you, Maud, Limestone, Marble, and your friends have been my family since I came to this world, but I can't leave Mama and Papa back in Canterlot worried for my safety, either. I need to confront my past and return.
     
    Pinkie: And what if you decide to stay in Canterlot?
     
    Sunset: *sigh* I don't know, Pinkie.
     
    Pinkie: (starts to cry) If you do, it's because of me.
     
    Sunset: Shhh. Don't blame yourself.
     
    Pinkie: I can't help it, Sunset. I can't help it.
     
    Pinkie hugs Sunset and sobs quietly on her chest.
     
    Pinkie: I'm so sorry, Sunset. Can you ever forgive me?
     
    Sunset (caresses Pinkie's hair, tears down her own eyes): I forgive you, Pinkie.
     

     
    Get them closer
     
    Did anyone here watch The Secret Garden from 1993? *raises hand* For those who haven't seen it, as Mary Lennox sleeps, her cousin Colin Craven (who had just begun to learn how to walk after spending almost his whole life confined to his bed fearing he was going to grow with a back deformity or die at a young age) clumsily walked from his room to Mary's without anyone noticing. They want to figure out a way to contact his father. Mary tries to find his address in his room. Instead, old pictures of Colin's family were in his drawer, including his mom (who died from falling off a swing and resulted in Colin's premature birth). They spent all night looking at the pictures and wound up falling asleep on the same bed with the pictures lying on the foot of the bed.
     
    Solution: That night, Sunset heads over to Pinkie's bedroom, feeling a little nervous about tomorrow. Pinkie assures her everyone will be there, and Pinkie's well-prepared with the many alarm clocks before the 9 AM departure. Pinkie's nervicited.
     
    Sunset: That's not a real word, Pinkie.
     
    Pinkie: Soooo.
     
    Sunset chuckles.
     
    Pinkie theorizes Equestria as some kind of magical land. The early pictures of Sunset as a unicorn were cute, and she thought about how Sunset was as a unicorn or if there are ponies just like her. Sunset says there may be, but other species exist. Sunset asks if she'd like to see some photos from her own childhood, and Pinkie accepts. Minutes later, Sunset returns with her journal along with loose photos of her early life in Gifted Unicorns. They displayed Sunset as a baby with Dawn and Sunrise Shimmer, her Grazewood home, and then images of a happy filly Sunset with a towering Princess Celestia, an Equestrian alicorn.
     
    Pinkie Pie: Don't alicorns stand for the horn of dead unicorns?
     
    Sunset gaped.
     
    Pinkie (perplexed): What?
     
    Sunset: Never heard that before.
    The conversation kept going past the notes, loose photos, and into old photos of their own childhood together. It lasted through the night. Unbeknownst to them, they wound up falling asleep while leaning their heads on each other.
     
    Knock-knock.
     
    Sunset and Pinkie slowly wake up.
     
    Maud: Breakfast.
     
    After Maud puts down their meals and walks away, Sunset and Pinkie realize they dozed off together. Yet, they don't care.
     

     
    It's a bit moot, but for those wondering, for me, preparing for a draft is much easier when I write dialogue in script format rather than prose. During my early days of writing fanfiction, I had a lot of trouble writing character dialogue; often, they're too formal and stiff. It's one of the reasons why I elected to go to Playwriting class when I was getting my writing Associate's. By focusing on writing a script, I remove all of the description and focus on who the characters are and their respective voices. If it doesn't work, I can change it without many problems. Afterwards, when I resumed fanfiction writing, I used my lessons into practice, spending chapters writing nothing but scripts as a draft before restructuring it to prose.
  14. Dark Qiviut
    A few years ago, I had drafted concepts for an EQG rewrite. I never posted it because it's incomplete, and I was too lazy to finish it. After The Coffee Pony and I chatted on Skype about how quirky EQG's timeline is (some of the effects are in his latest blog), I got the idea to re-energize it.
     
    Some ideas are a spur of the moment and may get scrapped. Some I'll press forward.
     
    If you want to see the extra parts, the links are located at the bottom of the blog.
     

     
    Pedestrian timeline
     
    If we're going by Equestria canon, the portal is said to open once every thirty moons. When applying real-world logic, that's every two-and-a-half years. In between the two times the portal was open, Sunset had spent her last three years in Canterlot High. When applying Equestrian canon, she was an adult who ran off into the portal, yet Pedestria aged her back to a teenager. So, the audience should assume that it took maybe fourteen years for Twilight to grow from a filly to an adult.
     
    Except in EQG1, the characters state that the portal only opens for three nights; once its closes, that's it. In Pedestria, the portal laws operate the exact same thing. So, the timeline in Equestria and Pedestria are synchronized, except when they're not.
     
    Solution: Permanently synchronize the timeline. Instead of running away when she was an adult, Sunset runs away as a filly.
     

     
    Sunset's characterization
     
    Outside of its mumbo-jumbo continuity, her characterization is EQG's biggest flaw. In EQG1, Sunset is a quarter-dimensional, mean-girl stereotype who couldn't care less about friendship. During the climax, she dons Twilight's crown to create a Diabolous Ex Machina. She was defeated by a Deus Ex Machina, and the DEM literally reset her character. Contrary to what Rainbow Rocks and Friendship Games claims, Sunset didn't change on her own. The Elements of Harmony beat her into changing and forced that change for her. Why is this a problem? The films portray her redemption as self-built, but the real Sunset is replaced by a brainwashed version of her. By comparison, Starlight's redemption is far superior because we saw how she decided to change and learn without any magical interference.
     
    Solution: Scrap the whole angle. No villain Sunset. No Ex Machinas. No nothing. Sunset Shimmer can have her temper and be smart, but she doesn't need to be a stereotypical alpha bitch.
     
    Oh, and scrap v!Snips and v!Snails, too.
     

     
    Where does she live?
     
    In the main canon, SS's home is very ambiguous. The one time we had any idea she lived, it was cut by Pinkie inviting all of them to a slumber party. But in the Holiday Special, Sunset is shown to live in the CHS library. In other words, she's homeless.
     
    Solution: Clamp on the ambiguity immediately. Give Sunset Shimmer a home to actually live in. Have her live in a shelter during her early years. Then someone in Pedestria eventually adopts her. An early idea is to have the Pies adopt her.
     
    Why the Pies? Because Pinkie Pie has a huge soft spot for her family. Even though she's different from the rest, it doesn't mean she can't love them, and vice-versa. The Pie adopt Sunset as one of their sisters, and she can be tutored to write, cook, and clean.
     

     
    Flash Sentry
     
    Flash hasn't been a good character in the slightest. Now that Sunset is present in the current canon, he replaces her as the main series's flattest and most stereotypical character. Ironically, in Friendship Games, he actually got some character in his three brief appearances, but he was there purely for comedic filler. As a character, his biggest problem is the fact that he's completely tied down to his and Twilight's crush on each other. All of his potential is thrown out the window because of how Hasbro wants him to be in there and how much DHX tries the best it can to do away with him.
     
    Solution: An earlier draft has Flash completely cut from the rewrite. But scrapping him is too cheap to try and work him out. In the EQG canon, he would be a charitable worker, class president, and mentor for fellow CHS students who struggle to pass. In the FIM canon, he and Sunset would actually be blood-related siblings, as he would be her expected brother when she runs away, and she has no idea that her parents were about to have another baby.
     

     
    Why does Twilight only enter the Human World and not the others?
     
    Why didn't the ReMane Five get involved?
    In EQG1, Celestia said that they're Equestria's last line of defense. But because the crown went into another dimension, wouldn't the remaining Elements of Harmony be useless? In RR, Twilight stated that them going through the portal would only cause confusion.

    In layman's terms, "Twilight's more important than you. You don't like it? Screw you!"
     

    Solution: Twilight and Spike travel to Canterlot for her very first business meeting, and she'd have to be there for a week to help her and Luna. That night, the business meeting is adjourned, and Twilight and Spike sleep for the night. Suddenly, she feels very strange magic piercing through her horn, and she wakes up. Illuminating her horn, she heads across Canterlot's dimmed halls to search for the source. She finds the source, but there's no door. She tries to come up with magic to reveal what's behind the wall, but nothing. She paces about to find a solution when the door suddenly reveals.
     
    She opens it; inside is a mirror bolted on a wall with red and gold trims. Old studies were around, including a book with a sun symbol on the cover. She looks at her reflection, but it doesn't show up. She hovers a hoof over it and caresses the glass; her hoof slides through. But before she can try to pull herself out, she gets sucked in and arrives in front of Canterlot High on a cool, late-summer night. She wiggles her fingers, looks at her boot-covered shoes, and finds a reflection through a puddle of rainwater in front; everything changed. Frightened, she crawls right back through the portal and is back inside Canterlot. Celestia, Luna, and Spike await her.
     
    Celestia tells Twilight about Sunset Shimmer and her history as Celestia's formerly prized student. Shimmer's mom and dad sent her off to Canterlot when it was discovered that she is capable of producing different kinds of magic based on different times of the day. But her parents believed she can evolve her magic and become even greater. She passed the entrance exam easily, and Celly elected to try to groom her. But after one year, Sunset's studies struggled. With all the weight on her her, her magic spluttered, and she spent days without sleep just to complete her homework. Celestia fought with a decision to transfer her studies and study something else with better ease so she doesn't have to struggle, but Sunset pleaded to remain with the program.
     
    But as another school year began, she struggled with the weight more, and then other students started teasing her for being Celestia's failed pupil. The students were punished, but their hurtful words didn't go away. It got so bad, she let her magic erupt, and students had to flee because Sunset's magic was out of control. Celestia had to intervene, calm her down, and suppress her magic. Celestia elected that evening to take her out of the program and travel with her to psychology visits. Sunset was, however, able to get away from Celestia's magic-cuffing spell. Believing she was a failure to Celestia and her family, she decided it was time to run away.
     
    That night, she packed up her bags and a journal she wrote in to report her progress to Celestia and wandered around Canterlot's halls. She couldn't find anywhere to go because all of the windows and doors were blocked. She thought about finding a way to actually find peace, when her horn throbbed, and a door magically appeared. She walked right through and found herself into a room where a mirror hung on the wall. She caressed her hoof on the mirror and sucked herself in, crying "HELLLLLLLP!" Celestia woke up with a start and teleported to the room, but she was gone. She ran right through the mirror to find herself in Pedestria, but Sunset Shimmer had already disappeared. Celestia searched all over, but couldn't find her, and her inability to walk and act like a human didn't help. Retreating one day, she researched the mirror. Even though she lived in Canterlot Castle since Luna was first sealed, it used to be owned by Star Swirl himself, so maybe his background can come up with research. As it turned out, it wasn't Star Swirl's mirror. It was King Arion's, one of the early rulers of a kingdom during a time long before Equestria and the first registered alicorn. He was able to create the mirror by mixing cremations of all three unicorn races. He wrote spells to create magical glass in order to travel from one part of the world to another. Instead, he found himself visiting worlds far more violent than his. So he abandoned the project. Eons later, Star Swirl discovered the mirror and refined its magic, but nopony knows what he did with it. All they know is it's only open for two weeks at a time. When it's closed, it stays sealed for eleven years. Legend has it that because it's so dangerous to travel through, he kept it locked up. Because she couldn't find her before the portal was about to close, Celestia had to leave. At the age of six, Sunset Shimmer was lost in a foreign world.
     
    Every night, she went to the Reflection Room and try to communicate with Sunset, but got nothing until eight years later when writings of Sunset's adventure appeared, along with pictures of doppelgangers of what would become Twilight's friends in Equestria. Her friends exhibited the same traits as the ReMane Five in Ponyville. But most importantly, each of the five exhibited one trait that defined the Elements of Harmony. That was one of the reasons why she elected to prepare the Summer Sun Celebration in Ponyville on the 1,000 of Luna's sealing and why she assigned Twilight there. Celestia believed it was the best opportunity for all six to grow as friends and eventually free Luna from her own anger.
     
    Each night, she would write back, and Summer would reply back, too. Summer would also direct messages to her parents, along with a brand-new brother named Flash Sentry. But the parents' words felt painful, according to Sunset, so she'd reply to her parents hesitantly. Sometimes, they'd have a conversation for a few hours, but the portal remained closed. During that time, Celestia decorated the Reflection Room in her colors, including placing her cutie mark right above the mirror.
     
    Tonight was the first time in eleven years that it opened, and Celestia said it's the time to bring Sunset home. But Celestia can't do it alone. She wants Twilight to come find her and bring her home. Spike asks to come, too, because he believes he can help. They accepted. They prepared for their journey, including food, water, human clothes, and money that Celestia was able to get by finding them loose on the street. Before they go, Celestia tells them they only have two weeks to find her and convince her to come home. Luna to alert Sunset's family and Twilight's friends. Because it's an emergency, Celestia asks Spike to write a main emergency note in a red pen on white-coated parchment. With one breath, he ships them off, and Celestia, Twilight, and Spike search for her.
     

     
    More to come in later entries. In the meantime:
    Part 2
    Part 3
    Part 4
    Part 5
    Part 6
  15. Dark Qiviut
    The worst written scene in all of FIM is Vice Principal Luna interrogating Twilight in her office. Luna bought into "evidence" of photos that were clearly cut out and glued together. The whole scene has no tension, because it lasted barely over a minute. Flash's moment of intervention could've been removed in favor of the Mane Six or Luna not falling for that stupid trick. It's so broken, it turned the first film into a colossal failure, and nothing after would save it.
     
    But my most hated part of all of FIM occurs during the climax. Sunset Shimmer was presented as the mean-girl, alpha-bitch stereotype and turned into a she-demon from a Diabolous Ex Machina, and then the EoH are acted by a Deus Ex Machina. The EoH defeat Sunset Shimmer…and completely destroy her character.
     
    Sometimes we can get tired of redemption stories in the show, and part of it is twofold. One for the villains not being well-written, the other for having the redemption story be poorly done. Redemption stories by themselves, though, aren't bad or good. You need the execution to be good to make it satisfying.
     
    Including the IDW comics, Sunset Shimmer's redemption is the second-worst in ALL of Friendship Is Magic. Worse than Sombra from Siege of The Crystal Empire. Worse than Discord. Worse than Luna/Nightmare Moon. They're better than Sunset's. One exception is Radiant Hope from Siege, because she's a complete Mary Sue, lured in villains to sabotage the Empire, and watched others get hurt and killed all for the goal of reviving Sombra without a shred of guilt.
     
    The one big problem with Sunset's redemption and the idea of me thinking of forgiving her is the fact that the Sunset seen in EQG1's resolution, Rainbow Rocks, the Holiday Special, the shorts, and Friendship Games isn't Sunset Shimmer. What we see in the films is the Elements of Harmony replacing her original personality with a brainwashed version of her. This is how the Elements want Sunset to be. This is the Elements influencing Sunset's psyche and development through a personality they created.
     
    Sure, she has the same memories, clothes, hair, and voice. But there's more to a character than those. The mannerisms and natural development from villain to protagonist matter, too. Sunset never had that. She never had that moment where she actually chose to change for the better. She didn't decide during the climax that she was going to try and make things up. The EoH's version of Sunset is the one doing all the redemption for her. As a result:
    Her whole redemption lacks any conviction. The scripts try to tell the viewer that Sunset is the one who caused it, and she's the one who can change it. But how can Sunset change it when the real Sunset doesn't even exist anymore? The quality of Rainbow Rocks and Friendship Games worsens. Each of their plots is partially about Sunset's redemption and spreading her wisdom to others. But neither acknowledge how Sunset became the way she is. They acknowledge her defeat, but that's it. In fact, both films flimsily hide her complete character change.

    Villain!Sunset is flatter than Flash, but the current Sunset is completely fake by how forced her transformation and development are.
     
    Sunset's current personality has factually way more dimension than the prior. There's no denying that. And there are reasons why she is popular. But when it comes to something like a magical lobotomy, I don't care if Villain!Sunset was a stereotype. If I want to see Sunset redeemed, I want to see Sunset redeemed, not a brainwashed figure in her place. To this day, it's my most hated aspect of the spinoff. What the EoH did was so evil that Equestria Girls hasn't recovered from that scene. Until they settle it once and for all rather than treat her redemption as something she chose throughout, it won't.
     
    The way she changed is similar to Nightmare Moon's defeat and change back to Luna. But even the first film screws it up. Princess Luna grew so jealous of Celestia that she turned herself into a completely different pony. Nightmare Moon is Luna, but Luna isn't NMM. The EoH relaxed her anger, bitterness, and jealousy and reverted her to the Luna of old.
     
    Now, contrast Sunset's with Starlight Glimmer. Unlike Sunset, Starlight is the best villain this show's ever had. Rather than re-write about her, I'll quote my analysis:
     
    A lot of people focus on the what and the time (the latter being an okay reason) and not the why. Take a look at why The Cutie Re-Mark showed she became the way she was and focus on obvious details.
    Starlight and Sunburst were blank flanks, and the episode pins down that he was her only friend at the time. When Sunburst saved Starlight from the book collapsing on her, he got his cutie mark. His friends and family celebrated, and they never saw each other again. In what was supposed to be one of the best days of Sunburst's life, Starlight lost someone she cared for most.
     
    Now, on a more complete scale, does that sound rather petty? Yes. Even Starlight admitted it by saying "he moved on, and I didn't." She knows it's a petty feeling, but the event that etched deep in her subconscious triggered anger for cutie marks and the thought that if it happened to her, she won't let that happen to anyone else so they don't feel the same pain. She never blamed him. Each time this event was addressed, she always blamed his mark, not him. Sunburst was an equal to Starlight, but when he got it, he was seen as the really special pony in her town. To her, he achieved a much higher status, while she was still stuck there. Those things don't go away, especially when you're a kid.
     
    Unlike Sunset, who wallowed that she never found another way even as a teen/adult mare, Sunburst was sent off to Canterlot while Starlight was still a foal. Kids are impressionable, and what may look like simple, petty feelings to us as adults can leave a lasting impact on kids. It doesn't matter if she talked with her family or not. If this kind of event created a trauma trigger as a kid, talking to parents won't go away so easily.

    In short, cutie marks and the idea that the cutie mark = someone may be more special or better reminded her of that event. Their cutie marks are trauma triggers, and they can be just about anything. That's why she created Our Town and repressed others' talents. She believed by repressing others' talents, everyone will be on equal level, and she'd create true friendship and true harmony. Unlike the other three-dimensional villain Discord (who willingly manipulated the Mane Six), Starlight truly believed she was doing the right thing. But when she was outed and her entire world crumbled, Starlight became angry, desperate, and hungry for revenge. If she lost her comfort and her home, then Twilight will suffer, too.
     
    Why Twilight?
    She led her friends to Our Town. As the Princess of Friendship, she bears similar responsibilities to Cadance, Luna, and Celestia even on a lower level. Alicorn princesses have a lot of weight in their words and ideology. Current Equestrian canon relies on the princesses' decisions, because they affect everyone else around them. She has a higher class status. Twilight Sparkle tried to figure out a plan to free the townsponies from Starlight's totalitarianism. Focus on the scene outside Sugar Belle's bakery. She kept her friends in check when they were arguing and pointed her head at Double Diamond. Secondly, while they were all locked inside Starlight's jail, they had to come up with a plan. Twilight was the one who helped lead the idea of Fluttershy being the one to find clues and defeat Starlight, for she was the one who bought into them. 'Shy outed her, but Twilight helped plan the ruse.

    Even when Twilight told Starlight that her interrupting the Rainboom, Starlight didn't believe her, accusing her of lying and being egotistical. This indicates not that she doesn't care, but in reality is completely unaware of the consequences.
     
    But what changed and started her path to redemption are three things:
    Starlight being extremely startled by the wasteland. Observe by how said that there's nothing here. This expression:

     
    Remember why "show, don't tell" is lauded. By showing reactions and details, vivid images embed subconsciously. The clearer the image, the more impactful. That image was the mark of when her ascension began. And it was here where the audience truly realizes that what see saw from Starlight as evil isn't what Starlight thought as evil. This led to the flashback scene in her hometown followed by the climax and resolution. Starlight snapping at Twilight when she hoped Starlight'd change her mind. It was one of the most literally insane soundbites I've ever heard. Starlight wasn't just fighting hard to gain revenge on Twilight. No longer did she focus on the wasteland. Literally, she lost control of her own conscience and showed a moment of fury. Starlight looked…lost.

    Even though the climax didn't rely on lasers and topographical destruction, it was one of the tensest in this show's history. Twilight and Spike's lone path to returning the timeline to normal was stolen and on the verge of being destroyed by a unicorn trapped in her own psychological destruction. Insane fury brimmed in her eyes and bled on the parchment. The loss of her friend plus the loss of the town she helped rule ate her up, including still denying the destruction of her timeline.
     
    There, Twilight demonstrated how far she'd come. Rather than literally fighting her, she had to convince Starlight with Twilight's own lessons she learned. Rather than take her out physically, she had to help her and convince her that this path wasn't worth it. And even if Starlight as worried that what happened with Sunburst could happen again:
     
    And after Starlight agrees to take her hoof and let the Sonic Rainboom occur, Starlight's redemption was Sunset's done correctly. Rather than forcing a redemption out of her and brainwashing her into redemption, she gave Starlight the opportunity to choose redemption. By letting her choose, you see the character's thoughts, actions, and consequences all in one go. Her redemption feels genuine.
     
    But to make that better, becoming Twilight's protégé makes her redemption feel very satisfactory. She chose to face the consequences, but rather than force her to spend time in exile, Twilight elected to teach her so she can use her powers for good. She knew Starlight was powerful, but rather than let her go with no direction, Twilight believes her leading Starlight into doing good things will allow her to use her magic expertise and knowledge for the benefit of everyone. More importantly, it recognized one of Keep Calm's flaws, even if backhandedly: Discord was redeemed because Celestia assigned them. Celestia didn't assign Twi, Twi decided to herself.
     
    Also, the comparison between the Equal Four and CHS is apples and oranges. The CHS were frightened of her from the start and hated her. The Equal 4 (and by extension, the rest of Our Town) didn't hate her. They felt betrayed. If the four didn't want to forgive her, who can blame them. But they believe Starlight's apology was genuine and forgave her.
     
    For those who are curious, here's my ranking of redeemed antagonists/villains, from best to worst.
    Diamond Tiara Starlight Glimmer Trixie Nightmare Rarity Gilda Discord Nightmare Moon Snips & Snails (EQG) King Sombra (Siege of the Crystal Empire) Sunset Shimmer Radiant Hope

  16. Dark Qiviut
    Sometimes, we as a people focus at just the big things and overlook the little. The bigger, more boisterous details we see in the show are the most upfront, but objectively good episodes like this, Slice of Life, Amending Fences, The Mane Attraction, and The Cutie Map are beyond the grand. Little pieces of detail are often overlooked. More often than not, they're the glue that holds the pieces together.
    Would the moral for Slice of Life make any sense if the animation and position of all the characters were inconsistent? Would The Cutie Map's setting feel creepy if the dull colors, equal sign layout of the town, lack of town name, and the nervousness of the mares during "Our Town" were completely opposite? Would Moondancer's resemblance of Twilight make sense if she looked like somebody else? Would The Magic Inside be as powerful and emotional if Ingram sterilized her voice?

    The one answer for all four is no. Each of the details have poignant purposes. Change 'em in any way, and you damage the credibility of the story.
     
    Crusaders of the Lost Mark is no exception. There are very obvious moments that helped shape the story. But two littler moments really gave the episode shape.
    Princess Celestia assigned the Mane Six into removing the hibernating dragon. Why is this a problem? It makes Celestia look inept as a leader. If she didn't know about the dragon at any point, then perhaps the journey to remove him would have some weight. Instead, "Please move the dragon for me; I'll sit idly by and have some tea." Why do you have to make Twilight and her friends do the job for you? If the Mane Six knew about it from the start and decided to try to move him on their own, then I'd buy the story much better.
     
    This ain't the case for Crusaders of the Lost Mark. So many bronies' favorite moment of season five is the CMCs receiving their Marks. And who can blame them? It's a fantastic moment that capped off a truly remarkable journey to earn 'em. But my favorite of this season is them following Diamond Tiara to see if she was okay.
     

    Think about this. Throughout the show, Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon bullied the CMCs. Mocked them for their lack of mark. Bribed and manipulated them into releasing mean gossip. Coerced Babs Seed to turn on Apple Bloom and physically abuse them. Mock Apple Bloom for not wanting to participate in Family Appreciation Day. Bashed Scootaloo in ableist language. Will you blame them if they saw Diamond Tiara lose her friendship with Silver Spoon and chuck any goodwill at her away? No!
     
    Instead, they felt worried and followed her to see if she doesn't do anything reckless. With that moment, the Cutie Mark Crusaders show to us as viewers how much they have grown. If this happened in, for example, season two or mid-season three, then it'd be out of place and (dare I say) out of character of them. However, over the years, they developed into fantastic, well-rounded, mature characters. They're still child characters, but they grew as much as anyone in the main cast, if not more so. They didn't sweep any of her evil under the rug; they followed her and were worried for her wellbeing while acknowledging the gravity of her terrible deeds.
     
    If Cheerilee asked the begrudging trio to follow her and see if she doesn't do anything reckless, how much would you buy the story's credibility? Not much. The musical and overall plot would carry little weight, because it comes across as a homework assignment thrust upon them rather than a choice to help her. By deciding to help her, the journey to Diamond Tiara's redemption and the CMCs earning their cutie marks makes so much sense. What do Keep Calm and Magical Mystery Cure have in common? They each try to come up with very significant outcomes that break the status quo. But their inferior pacing damages the story's credibility. Besides being self-contained, observe how long it takes from the beginning of the episode to the end. Discord's redemption and Twilight's ascension took place in at most twenty-four hours, if not shorter. Discord is a god who shoved chaos at everyone's expense, and he became reform before sundown. In the morning, Twilight was a unicorn having a typical morning; that night, she became an alicorn princess. These are two significant moments canonically, but them being crammed in a twenty-four-hour window is incredibly implausible.
     
    In Crusaders, that problem was settled during Act 2. After seeing Diamond Tiara's mom psychologically abuse her, and Diamond Tiara hit rock bottom with no clue to figure out how to change, the Crusaders elected to come up with a plan to help redeem her. By having the time skip, the audience is told that they didn't rush their plan. Instead, they thought about how to help her change.
     
    This is why the criticisms of Tiara's rushed redemption is misguided. If the Crusaders decided to immediately ask her to come to the clubhouse, and the Crusaders earned their mark that evening, then I can understand. But the time skip shows the Crusaders' ability to pace their plan AND forces DT to think about what happened yesterday. The script didn't make her forget about her falling out with Silver Spoon or Spoiled's abuse. She constantly reminds herself, and we're reminded back. It drove the point very subtly and was focal into Tiara's envy inside the clubhouse, the chase sequence, and Tiara finally standing up to Spoiled.

    The time skip makes the sequence from the CMCs plastering more paper on the wall to their reward at least a two-day conflict. By making the conflict last two days, four major plotlines paced through spectacularly, and you don't have to worry about it feeling rushed. More importantly, as a result of the Crusaders willfully helping their enemy change her ways, making her a good friend, and Tiara realizing her capability of using her talents for good on her own, Tiara's redemption feels incredibly real, and the payoff at the end is so satisfying to watch multiple times over.
     
    There are so many reasons why CotLM is the best episode of season five and the second-best overall. These are two. Small quantitatively, yet so important to the story's quality.
  17. Dark Qiviut
    This was a hell of a lot better than I expected.
    Everything Twilight did to desperately try and fix everything makes so much sense. She tries to fight Starlight mentally and physically, but SG was so hellbent on revenge and the pain of her past, she'd do everything she can to stop it. Don't look at the fact that SG lost her only friend as the cause. Look at how she lost him. The second he got his mark, she never saw him again. In other words, if he never got that mark, everything will be completely different. She'd still be home. Sunburst won't go off to Canterlot. They'd still know each other. No cutie mark, no memories of her past.
     
    Like that, her actions, as evil as they were, feel plausible. Without the pain of individual cutie marks, then no one would have to feel the same pain as she did. No wonder why she concocted the spell of the equality mark. There are two great morals to the story.
     
    a. You can never change your past. You can only change your future. Starlight can't change what happened with her in the past, and thus she can't inflict the same pain on Twilight. But she can change how she goes about things. Restart viewing cutie marks and friendship altogether in a much more positive light and use it for good.
     
    b. One moment makes a difference. This calls back to a similar moral from Amending Fences: You might see the moment as inconsequential, but to others, it can make a really big impact for better or for worse. Twilight's decision to skip Moondancer's party helped change her for the better, but it changed MD for the worst. For Starlight, it's the same thing. Her one moment back home makes a big impact on her life, but she was so hellbent on revenge that she never stopped to think about how the one moment from Rainbow Dash changed everyone's lives around them. It'd make everyone's lives miserable, even herself. The way it ended may be a little cheesy, but it's the good kind. Starlight assumes that by changing the way the Mane Six would meet, Starlight won't have to have her village collapse. But she never foresaw how it'd hurt her, either. The only way for her to actually see it is to take Starlight to an apocalyptic future and then use this and how Starlight grew to being the mare she was to try to change her for the better.
     
    What happens here is way more fulfilling than Sunset Shimmer's. Sunset's whole character was reset, and you saw her redeem herself as a completely different character. Starlight never changed her character. Instead, she was convinced, and she willingly accepted Twilight's apprenticeship. As a result, Starlight's addition to the Mane Six (now Mane Seven or Mane Eight, if you count Spike) feels more genuine.

    I'll need another viewing to gauge its quality, but right now, I'm loving The Cutie Re-Mark.
     

     
    Source: S05:E25+26 - The Cutie Re-Mark
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