SPOILERS, as if it needed to be said. Read with discretion, if you care.

I'll say this. "Magical Mystery Cure" is not a bad episode. It is however a very, very, very, VERY, VERY, VERY incomplete one.

Let's start with the summation. In Ponyville, it appears that the other members of the Mane Six have been switched around in their occupations and lifestyles because of their Cutie Marks, the indicators of their destinies, being swapped. Naturally, this causes some depression and stress among them, like Fluttershy becoming increasingly terrified at the unamused crowd she's trying to entertain while bearing Pinkie's mark or Rainbow Dash being subjected to the ol' "bound in a cauldron" gag by animals she can't tame like her Fluttershy's mark implies. Twilight is horrified by this switch, especially when she learns that it was her fault. (She had received from Celestia a spell created by Starswirl the Bearded-who's the quintessential posthumous wizard character-that was incomplete. Being the student she is, Twilight recited it in an attempt to decipher what it could mean by "destinies" and all...within proximity of the Elements of Harmony.) Throughout the episode, she sets out to right the wrongs by essentially reminding the characters of their true passions-be it having Fluttershy talk to the animals or Dash fix up the checker-patterned clouds-all to a conclusion where the incomplete spell's natural end is that the key is (rather predictably) friendship. And, since we all saw this coming, this is revealed to have been the final test conducted by Celestia as the final step in Twilight's ascension to alicornhood.

So...that's all it takes? Ikay, let me get my misguided friend to their workplace after they were given faulty directions. Where's my wings?

I'll say this, I do like the premise of the first half of the episode. In a series that builds around destinies and true passions and stuff of the like, it's fascinating to address the concept of being pushed into a painful situation because it seems as though destiny is telling you do so. Although I personally have never seen the Cutie Marks as a marker of some twisted deterministic worldview and see them more as indicators of true passions, the conflict is still valid. We see how these characters react when they feel pushed to betray their true passions because some indicator says you have to abandon your animal care abilities because it says you have to entertain. There was a genuinely interesting element to seeing the characters' reactions and such and some sadness felt seeing them try so hard to do something because some indicator says so.

But here's my first major problem with the episode: it's not explored enough. Due to it being a Twilight-centric 20-minute episode, we really don't see much of the other Mane Six aside from small snippets showing the character singing of their frustrations and despair. How did they come to this conclusion that because they've one Cutie Mark different, they're meant to be like the other? Did they fight against it before succumbing? Was there more depression and inner turmoil? What more could be said about their situations? This isn't explored enough. There's enough material here to be make it worthy of its own episode, if not a two-parter. But they don't explore the ramifications of a mark switch in a universe that is built around discovering one's true passion. (Yes, I will call that as opposed to "destiny". Although if you want to use the classical definition of "destiny", it's more like what will happen at the end, not throughout the journey.)

This segues into my next problem with the episode: it feels like they were attempting to condense a much larger storyline. Seriously, the episode feels like a TV musical special that they crushed to fit in the perimeters of the 20-minute story. I have to ask why. Like "Keep Calm and Flutter On" (the reforming Discord episode), this story was rushed and not allowed to flesh itself out more. Honestly, this story really suffers because of the decision to cut it short. It feels like I'm watching an non-indicative "...in Five Seconds" vid trying to cover everything within a small amount of time. No, for a story like this, it should have been expanded. Explore the afflicted character's new lives made all the harder by this apparent change in destiny. Really get into the whole "destiny" issue the series likes to bite at with its talks of Cutie Marks and such. And, honestly, strengthen the solution. While the literal "Power of Friendship" message isn't delivered too poorly because it actually works with the message of friends emphasizing their support network, it's too immediate and, admittedly, obvious. So basically, the whole issue with true passions and destinies is because you lose sight of your friends? Alright, if you say so.

And it might strike some as a bit dickish that Celestia would give Twilight a spell that, for all intents and purposes, messes up her friends' lives, for the sake of a final test. Um, wouldn't it have been better if Twilight discovered the spell herself and thus acted to save her friendship and fix a mistake she made-as opposed to a deliberate test that briefly left her friends in depressed states? That honestly could have made for better character and plot development, showing that Twilight really has the qualities of being a leader without it being some cosmic BS. (And if you want to get into that rhetoric, so it becomes more about her actual talents and character rather than a path set by conjured destiny.)

That said, not a bad episode-just so painfully incomplete and unexplored. And as I've said before, while I partly disagree with her ascension, there is storyline potential and new possibilities to explore. And I guess if all fails, there's always the IDW comic.

I think The Redemption of Show Bucker is a deadfic that probably should be removed. I'm not sure if I can continue the story as it's essentially run into the ground.

Also, did I become a fan of MLP too late or something? A lot of people I knew who liked and supported MLP are now criticizing if not outright hating the series. Kinda get the feeling I started liking this series at a bad time, you know?

Well, the story is not getting off to a good start. If it continues to be met with disapproval, I will delete it immediately.

Sorry fir the odd writin here. A've just bin tryin tae write in Scots, anither o ma resolutions fir 2013. Fir ease, A'll gae back tae writin in regular gab.

Firstly, I am trying to revisit and complete The Redemption of Show Bucker at some point. I previously hit the wall on that story as it was originally planned as a oneshot piece, but expanded into what will hopefully be a four-chapter work. Overall, I have sizable chunks of the story written out, I still need to fill in all the gaps. So there's that. I feel I should at least try to keep another fanfic of mine from collapsing into a deadfic.

I also have another one planned but I obviously won't be spilling the details here. I will say that it works with my interest in writing a story involving Derpy Hooves and Doctor Whooves/Time Turner. I've been particularly fascinated by that Derpy character after coming across multiple "Save Derpy" videos and art pieces. I have to say, the reactions are interesting to observe. And quite tearjerking at times, such as the pieces that incorporate her fanon daughter Dinky begging people not to take her mother away. Or nightmare fuel-inducing when it comes to Derpy's possible fates of corruption, repurposing, and/or outright eradication. Needless to say, it has inspired something of an idea for me.

If A can gae anywhaur wi these fanfics...

So far, the only real MLP merchandise I own are two MLP shirts and a Fluttershy "Yay!" pin. Today, I was browsing Hastings and visited the kid's section to see if Sonic the Hedgehog #243 had arrived yet. I was wearing my Doctor Whooves T-shirt (my only Black Friday purchase) at the time, which thankfully received no weird looks. Until I got to the Hastings.

A little kid came around the corner, possibly having looked at leftover Hunger Games merchandise on special, and stopped. He eyed my Doctor Whooves T-shirt and froze, as if he saw some eldritch abomination in place of the good equine. Then he pointed and screamed "BROOOOONY!" before running off to hide away behind the bookshelves.

Little kids. Go figure.

As you can see, after two months or so, I finally added another story to this account. "Wide Gray Sky" I call it, after debating between that and "Silence is Golden". I don't think I need to cover its events and description since the story speaks for itself (if I can use such terminology with the knowledge that "Wide Gray Sky" is my experiment at a silent narrative). It's also, in a bizarre way, my first shipping fic here, although I don't know if it can be truly called as such. It's more like "Trixie's attracted to Twilight and doesn't want to be alone anymore", but I don't think they have a category for that yet. Nonetheless, I have to admit that MLP has rekindled a sort of writing spark in me. Well, at least when it comes to fanfiction. I don't know. It's either that or a desire to not have a one-story account here. Either way, progress!

I have one more fanfic project at this time that requires some touching up and gap-filling that, with any luck, I'll get published here on FimFiction pretty soon. Then maybe, more ideas will come. Hard to say.

Perhaps introducing myself with a blog post concerning fanfic advice was not the best idea. Seeing it, I felt like I was coming off as egotistical, not the best stance to take when you're a new guy on such a site. Although I get the feeling hardly anyone read that post, I'm gonna just make a better introduction.

Essentially, I joined this website to display the fanfic "What Memories May Come" which I had composed as a gift for a good friend and MLP fan. He felt it would be a good means to branch out my writing and whatnot, to which I sort of agree. I've already covered this a lot in my basic Bio on my profile, so I'll make this quick.

My name is Zero. I like certain characters and elements of MLP but am not a brony or real fan in the sense. Although I have indeed come across some well-written fanfics on this site, MLP is not really as much of my thing as it probably is with a lot of you. But I like getting any writing opportunity I can get and, honestly, it just feels great to have actually composed and completed a fanstory after a massive burnout period. I may end up writing a sequel or even prequel to "What Memories May Come", as I've probably already said somewhere around here, if the story picks up enough. Although I'm not expecting it to. Honestly, I'm just a new guy and I've read stuff on this site that makes my work look incredibly amateurish by comparison. But hey, niche work is niche work. Hope you enjoy it.

Just a random note: I don't ship any characters of this particular series. But I've fond some works of Twi/Luna and that DJ pony/that orchestra pony to be nicely designed. Yeah, I have a bad tendency to forget characters' names, even if I just read a story repeatedly informing me of names not long before. I usually refer to that DJ pony as "Rei" due to her sharing physical characteristics with Rei Ayanami from Neon Genesis Evangelion. I also never remember that male Wonderbolt's name either, usually calling him "Pie Man" because of the Internet meme where he's apparently really fond of pie. Weird, huh?

Fanfiction Notes (from my DeviantArt essay "One of Those F-Words")

Advisory: This blog entry contains some mature subject matter concerning fanfiction composition and thematic elements. Read at your own discretion.

I thought this might apply to this site as well after I finished "What Memories May Come" for my friends. Please no disrespect to any fanfiction writers out there, but I figure I might as well throw out a blog someone would actually wanna read. It's basic fanfiction advice/notes coming from a guy who's been trying for years and years to complete fanfic projects. Overall, I hope this isn't an intrusion. Feel free to ignore this post as I progress here.

• When attempting a fanseries, especially one trying to play the crossover game, don't go for something completely overwhelming in scope unless you are more than capable of managing it. Creating your own mythos with existing characters ala League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, Anno Dracula, or Philip José Farmer's Wold-Newton family can lead to exciting and grand possibilities. But going further than you can manage, be it by mixing canons or being on the eighth story in the story, can be self-defeating.

• If your work is a series that will rely on too many retcons and rewrites in order to function because you want to incorporate so many newer elements (be they newer interests or attempts to fit in with a series' canon), it might be too much for you. If you're one of those fanfic writers capable of pulling this off, consider yourself lucky.

• Try your damndest to fix idiot plots (i.e. stories that only work because everyone behaves like an idiot, especially if it's completely against how the character would act). They happen, trust me. They can happen without you realizing it. It's not your fault if it happens. It's your fault if it's still there after the revision process.

• A mature/"darker and edgier" work does not always require gorn or massive amounts of cussing or so much Rule 34 that Encyclopedia Dramatica would blush. Sadly, that doesn't register with a lot of people who missed the point of Watchmen.

• I'm going to tell you this now. There is absolutely nothing wrong with a romance/shipping fic as long as it has substance. You can branch out your favorite canonical pairing or play up the what-if couple ideas. There's a grand level of potential. My personal recommendation? At most, make your pairing a major plotline of your fanfic but not the main one. Throw in a backdrop of war and governmental assaults. Mix and blend genres. Make your couple multifaceted and interesting. Play up their flaws and redeemable qualities. Don't hinge the entire work around a faux-educational rant about what you think the writers should have constructed.

• Even if you utterly hate a character, please refrain from adding another mindless hate fic to the pile. Yes, it feels satisfying for a moment but it's a waste of words when you could just as easily make the character more likeable/redeemable than their canon form you hate or even just not write about them at all. The exception to this rule is if you wish to make a work where a Karma Houdini is punished. But please, add more to the story than simply having the bad guy gunned down.

• While we're at it, we have enough pointless contes crueles littered all over the Internet. We really don't need another "Cupcakes" or "Rainbow Factory" clone cluttering up the works. Come on, people. The horror genre is my passion, but we have plenty of mindlessly grimdark stories.

• Mary Sues are a dangerous character type because they don't permit character development and they make the story self-serving instead of entertaining or insightful. You know them as the Bella Swan and Chris Thorndyke folks. Please avoid them at all costs unless perhaps you're trying for a kind of parody or satire. (An example of this would be Lila from Hey Arnold!)

• The pairing you hate will still have supporters and shippers that are decent and sane. This applies to many things but I know most will apply it to pairings. Consider this with the straight and lesbian pairings you're bound to find on this website.

• There are other forms of comedy besides Schadenfreude. Try adding some wit, wordplay, and sarcasm into that blend of cruel Tom & Jerry slapstick and Ren & Stimpy grossout humor. You'd be surprised how effective dialogue, exchanges, and rants can be. Daria and Home Movies are great examples of this.

• Male fanfiction writers, I'm going to be frank with you here. Fanservice is not bad in of itself but it mustn't be the limit of your female characters' potential. You know the basic rule: don't objectify female characters. But I'm also gonna tell you this. This is the age where writing female characters can be met with accusations of sexism if you give them or deprive them of flaws. Just look over how characterization plays a role in your work. Are they there to just be eye candy for the male demographic in Megan Fox fashion? Are they only a prop or a means to an end like the MacGuffin Girl whose only purpose is to be used like a makeshift Philosopher's Stone? Are they laden with "girly" pink aisle stereotypes that would make Lauren Faust and Hiromu Arakawa puke their guts out? Think about equality and gender-neutral traits when crafting women and girls. They'll have relatable flaws and redeemable qualities, just as you would apply to the next male character. And for the love of God, avoid that Bratz bullshit.

• Remember that there do exist Double Standards that are sexist against males too. Despite what some might say, men are not the expendable gender and rape/violence towards men is just as bad as it is towards women. Remember, horrific shit happens to everyone regardless of gender, associations, orientation, ideologies, and so on. And it's not less bad because it happens to a dude.

• If you make every character an asshole or bastard with no redeemable qualities, prepare for no one to give a shit whether or not their slice-of-life shenanigans go anywhere. TV Tropes calls it "Darkness-Induced Apathy" for a reason. Don't pull any Wanted or Allen Gregory crap unless you want to lose your audience. You can be dark and deep without having to make every last individual a jackass beyond help.

• It's not wrong to make a character based off yourself or give your interests to your favorite character. Just keep it in perspective and not raise it to promotion levels. See the rule on Mary Sues.

• Rape is not love nor a tool to justify your number one pairing. Be it yaoi, yuri, or straight works, rape is a traumatizing event that shouldn't be treated lightly because someone thinks their seme should make an uke out of an unwilling participant to catch a thrill. Please be considerate.

• In most cases, it's better to go with the "Don't Like, Don't Comment" rule. The last thing you need is a dozen people countering you with bitchy calls of "Then why are you reading/looking at it?"

• As with writing fiction, it's always good to read other works like those related to your subject. Just be diligent and prepared for the worst spelling mistakes, self-serving prophecies, and demented premises. The Internet is a vast place and there's not enough brain bleach to go around.

• Have fun with it. Or at least have an open enough mind to craft a fanfic to please your friends. But if it is something you don't feel comfortable with, don't be shy about admitting it. Otherwise, have fun. Story writing should be an enjoyable experience.