You guys know how way way back when Gen4 was first starting, we assumed it would be awful and Faust was a sellout? And it turned out not to be? That's why we whine about everything now; we're deliberately lowering our own expectations so we can be amazed by how awesome the new stuff is! This theory is so much more likely then my last blog post.

So, way back in the season one dearth, people were writing "And then suddenly Twilight was an Alicorn" fics. When Twilicorn was officially announced, the fandom went completely bonkers and raged. When the episode came out.... it was actually not too bad. Maybe not EPIC but hey, kid's cartoon.

Now, anybody who's spent enough time on FIMfic has seen the "Ponies turn into humans" fics, right? Like Ponyfall, or my friend Nanashi's "More then a dream." And now we have Equestrian girls, to which the fandom has replied by... going completely bonkers and raging. While I haven't seen the trailer myself, I've caught a few glimpses of GIFs and it doesn't seem to be horrific yet... though maybe not epic. Hmmm.

Maybe we're not upset that it'll be terrible. Maybe we're upset that by taking ideas from fanfics, the writers are sort of "locking down" possible storylines and that any future story about that kind of thing will be called a spinoff of that one episode. But we think that's immature, and so resort to claiming that the episode is horrible in advance.... only to shamefacedly make peace afterwards. We're a jealous fandom, I guess.

Season four prediction: There will be an episode in which SOMEPONY WE KNEW AND TRUSTED WAS ACTUALLY A CHANGELING ALL ALONG! And there will be bonkers raging.

The girl that writes Becoming Fluttershy? She has another story. I convinced her to publish it, but she thinks it's awful.

Go prove her wrong.

And give her hugs.

Let's talk about this important part of pony culture. What is a cutie mark?

"A symbol on a pony's rump!"

...yes, and then again no. Or rather, that is only the VISIBLE aspect of a cutie mark.

Remember, all ponies are magical. That is, they have magic. Yes, even the earth ponies and pegasi have magic. But overload a pony with magic and what do you get?

Yeah, that can't be healthy.

So the problem becomes, how do you prevent a pony from going into a lethal state of magical overload? The answer is to realign the pony's aura for maximum magical efficiency.

Enter the cutie mark.

At some point during puberty, a pony hits an epiphany about themselves. So deep is this epiphany, so profound, that it shapes their lives from that moment on. On a more biological note, their personal aura is shifted into something that represents that vital identity, meaning that magic flows through it whenever the pony does something related to their vital identity. Which, obviously, is quite often. The initial realignment also prints a symbol on the flanks of the pony in question.

Here's the thing: That vital identity? That is NOT a special talent.

Do not misunderstand, special talents are IMPORTANT. They're usually the initial trigger, and the primary method of expressing a pony's vital identity. THat's why adults often tell foals that a cutie mark represents a special talent; it's a good guide, and correct a good 75% of the time. But witness Rarity: her special talent is finding gemstones, but her vital identity is finding beauty. Not MAKING beauty, in the shallow sense that some fashionistas might, but FINDING it. Even more, when Applejack gained her cutie mark, she did not go off to become a miner, but instead attempted to satisfy her urge to find beauty... but by making it, proving she did not have the vital identity that matched that cutie mark. The fact is, a cutie mark matches WHO YOU ARE, not WHAT YOU DO. More then that, it matches WHO YOU ARE AT YOUR CORE, not the constant shifting of the conscious mind.

"All I really need's a smile smile smile..."

Pinkie doesn't need to party. She parties so others can be happy. Applejack didn't earn her cutie mark bucking trees or running finances; she earned it when she realized she belonged at Sweet Apple Acres. The CMC don't fail because they try the wrong things; they fail because they don't bother to examine themselves. In fact, given the sheer magical power Twilight had, it could be argued that her cutie mark is NOT an expression of her core identity, but rather a desperate survival mechanism triggered by her magical overload; she only really "found herself" that time the spark flickered in her eyes.

Now, it is possible IN THEORY to grow up without a cutie mark. In practice, however, that would lead to a lot of magical overload related medical problems. I would be unsurprised to learn that Twilight had a few... conditions. Heck, her, Pinkie, and Rainbow probably fit in the "I'm so filled with magic I need to bleed it off constantly" category, medically speaking. It's even worse for Pinkie, since all Twilight has to do is cast spells and all Rainbow has to do is fly fast but Pinkie has to either make everypony happy all the time or find alternative methods of bleeding off magic, lest she risk insanity. Still, they're alive.

Now, if you're in the know you will realize this blog was prompted by an argument over whether the "fusing" in the ponyearthverse could change a cutie mark. In the end, I would have to say... no. True, the personality is changed, but the core components, the Vital Identity, remains the same or at the very least equal to the Vital Identity of the human half. In fact, given the "complimentary" personalities of most pairs, the vital identities are usually compatible enough as to be almost indistinguishable.

And yes I am aware, very much so, of the Markus Dash double Cutie Mark. But, minor spoiler.... there is a reason for that.

AND NOW YOU NEED TO DANCE IN THE COMMENTS!

My latest project, a command-driven tumblr story. Click the pic and give the Pone some commands, okay? She's kinda scared being all alone.

I will not put up the next chapter.

Until Matt puts up the next AJ chapter. So go bug him here or there.

a thing I'm a part of just so you know.

Why yes, I do have a Sombra fanfic!

I would love to compare it to the other Sombra fanfics out there, but it's so difficult. Just browsing "Sombra" only works if Sombra's in the title. Hence, the need for a Sombra character tag. But how to do this? I don't know, but the admins do!

So if you please, would you kindly contact them and politely request a Sombra tag?

Have you heard of Kid Radd? No? Here's a mirror, the original site disappeared with updating browsers.

Kid Radd is a completed, pixel-art base webcomic of some fame. The plot deals with a society of video game characters who have escaped from their game and now live in the world of cyberspace, exploring the relationship of heroes, villains, minor enemies, and NPCs across a mix of genres. Our titular character, Kid Radd, must learn to be his own person outside the 8-bit platformer he hailed from, because soon enough it turns out he is the only person between a conquering overlord and the whole of sprite society.

This comic was started ten years ago, and now I have decided to make an audio-visual reading of it. The recent release of Wreck It Ralph totally influences this decision.

But in order to do so, I need somebody to pull out the original graphics, and somebody to make background music and sounds, and somebody to animate the original graphics. I've already got a few voice actors, though. Post your interest below, as well as an e-mail contact, and I'll send you an invite to the G-mail group. We'll be taking this, chapter by chapter. That's 29 chapters, just so you know. Right now we're still working on chapter 1.

R U RADD?

The night before last, I had the strangest dream involving the latest arc of the Pony POV series. I PMd the author, and he suggested I post it up here. So here goes.

---

Twilight was on a great sandy plain, spike and the other elements a small distance away. She suddenly spotted a wanderer, approaching her with an air of solemnity she had not ever seen.

"Hey! You! What's going on?"

The figures stopped in front of her--it had been far and now it was close, but in this mad world that was nothing--and gave her a grave look. It.... was like a seapony, kind of, hovering above the sand, though instead of flippers it had arms. No neck bound its head to its body, though its pale mane cascaded round its green fur. In one hand it held a long brown staff, capped with a paper lantern in the style of ancient Neighpon.

With the other hand, it reached out... but paused, inches from her face. Then it retracted.

"...Who are you?"

The wanderer snorted. Then, he spoke in an old dry voice. "I am not who. I am but a fragment of one who watches. He dreams even now, unaware that his heart has sent me."

"Wait.... you're a Shadow?" Twilight backed up. She had heard of these beings on occasion....

"Hmmm. Perhaps... but then again perhaps not. The Shadows who Make cannot touch this world. But the Shadows who Watch will not let it die, for they have found it full of that which they love." The wanderer peered at the unicorn. "I cannot speak the grand secrets, but I can give out some advice, though whether your conscious mind will remember is not something I can determine. She who was once Twilight Sparkle, know this: Fate is used to create destiny, and it can come in large amounts. Even before the reign of madness, you had more fate then most, but now you are only held in check by that which you rightly oppose. Be wary of your power when Discord is gone."

"Twilight! Who are ya talking to?"

The unicorn turned to Apple Pie. "What? This guy!"

"Who?"

"This--" Twliight looked back, only to see there was no trace of the wanderer. Wanderer... "....was right there..."

***

The entire floating sea felt the giant ripple, as a strange being appeared in the center of their waters. Then they heard the voice.

"Hear me, dwellers of the calm ocean. You have great love of music, as do I; remember your songs, but do not let them dominate you. The time soon shall come when veils are lifted and your rest shall fall, but know this: Friends will come in all shapes. Learn to trust their song, and always remember your own."

Another ripple signaled the disappearance of the being, and the seaponies succumbed once more to Discord's mental illusions. Still, Water Blossom and a number of others felt strangely on edge, as though something was different, not wrong but not right, a shimmer in the waves.

***

The wanderer sighed, looking down at the sleeping form. Gently he placed his lamp against her skull. "You were a child, so long ago when this started, and have endured so many many years of torture and fear, always on the cusp of losing yourself... You remember the days of harmony. But even when Discord is defeated, those days will not return. You must prepare for the turmoil that follows, as those who have known nothing but Discord all their lives will be confused and frightened."

He paused, glancing around cautiously.

"But... I suspect you will find love will grant you the greatest strength."

In her sleep, the unicorn smiled. The wanderer looked at his own hand, and then was nowhere again.

***

Rancor growled at the newcomer. "Hey! Who are you?"

"You are not important yet, though I believe you will be. I come to speak to your brother."

"Hey, do you know who you're talking--?!"

Time froze. Discord leaned forward. "Hmm. You are.... No, you can't be a Shadow."

"I am but a dream of one."

The chimeriac king laughed. "Well this is new! I'm the subject of a Shadow's dream, oh how precious. Oh, go on, tell me what you want, anything!"

"...You have lost sense of that which made you great. Now you rely on your power alone."

"Ha. As if that frightens me. The Shadows who Make do not guard this world anymore. You have no power here--"

"You are right." The wanderer bowed. "I am just a dream. You on the other hand are nothing more then a mockery of what you once were, grown old and weary by his own machinations. You have become detached, uncaring, and though you wish to connect once more you find that you cannot. Even your chaos is predictable."

Discord gave the wanderer a cold, long stare.

Eventually, he spoke. "So, you're just a dream then?"

"Yes."

"Then DREAM OF THIS WORLD NO MORE." And he snapped his fingers.

-----

Then I woke up to a dream within a dream with a gray city, and I used this black ball like a scooter, and there was a bit where I adopted to personas, one as a hero in green toa armor and another as a villain in a red hood. And then I woke up in the real world. So yeah, that happened.

In other news I intend to get a new chapter of one of my stories up by the end of the day.