Friendship is Card Games: The Fall of Sunset Shimmer · 1:13pm Jan 29th, 2023
With the second layer of backlog and my most recent contest resolved, we return to the previous threefold rotation of fan animation, webcomics, and official novels. Specifically resuming the interrupted exploration of Minty Root’s work.
Let’s pick it up with The Fall of Sunset Shimmer, a retelling of the closest thing we have to canon information on Sunset’s time as Princess Celestia’s student.
Ah, opening on lowercase-s sunset. Nice touch.
Celestia sighing and saying “I know” in response to Luna just walking onto the balcony is the kind of sibling energy I wish we got more of on the show. Though later appearances did provide a good amount of that. Also, curious to see we’re starting post-premiere.
Minty continues to knock it out of the park with nighttime lighting.
Ah. I hadn’t caught on that this was the princess summit until we got to Twilight and Spike’s room. In hindsight, the heart filigree on the balcony and, you know, the crystals in the hallway should have been tipoffs.
The slow reveal of the mirror portal is almost Disney-esque. Gorgeous work.
It feels like there’s a lot more emphasis on the staccato percussion of hooves here than in the show itself. I think part of it is the lack of background music in most shots. There’s nothing to distract from keratin on crystal. Really emphasizes the isolating feeling of being alone at night in someone else’s house.
Much more emphasis on the portal’s surface as a liquid. Possibly too much, but again, the echoes do a nice job of underscoring Celestia’s isolation and feeling out of place.
Ooh, brilliant transition to the flashback. Though the lighting doesn’t quite work for an allegedly late sunrise. Granted, the door to Celestia’s closet may just seem bright in comparison to the gloom within.
“That’s meant for very highly skilled students.”
As I’ve said before, Celestia does not improvise well when given less than a generation of lead time. That was basically the worst way to dissuade Sunset from looking into something.
Wait, was this the Star Swirl the Bearded Wing, or are giant hourglasses just part of Canterlot decor? (It could also be Twilight’s tower. There’s something amusing about Celestia using the place as an attic before housing Purplesmart.)
There’s always something bittersweet about seeing Sunset excited about watching Celestia in action. An innocence that we know will crash and burn in time. That look of shock as she actually makes contact and realizes just what she’s trying to do is a wonderful touch. Great communication of something more abstract through the characters’ expressions.
The shots of Canterlot do look a bit more model-like in the daylight, but they’re still gorgeous.
Some of Sunset’s classmates are more paradoxical than others. Given how both comic and show Moondancer are present, to say nothing of Dinky, it’s definitely intentional. I, for one, appreciate going whole hog with the more nonsensical arts of the source material.
Ouch. This is definitely presenting Sunset more sympathetically, given that she actually does reach out to another pony for a group project… and not only does she get snubbed, Minuette literally teleports behind her to reach her preferred partner.
I love the frustration and desperation in Celestia’s voice as she tries to explain the benefits of friendship in the simplest terms she can. But Sunset just can’t process them. She just doesn’t see the point. To paraphrase a bit of music metacriticism, talking about friendship is like dancing about architecture.
The bit about “doing good things” and Celestia’s response is especially nice. Without personal connections to offer other perspectives, one’s definition of “good” goes unchallenged and can easily drift into self-righteous tyranny, propelled by the conviction that no one else knows what’s best for them.
Celestia’s explanation of how to make friends also has outstanding delivery. You can hear the millennium-old ruler of nations struggling to verbalize the absolute basics of social interaction. If she ever had to put this kind of thing into words before, it’s been centuries since.
Again, portraying Sunset as someone who doesn’t dismiss the value of friendship but simply does not comprehend it is a fascinating take. Really brings a new meaning to “I didn’t know there was another way.” Mind you, there is the question of how much Celestia knows of what’s meant to be her own flashback, but she may be filling in the blanks with assumptions and secondhoof information.
Heh. Moondancer hanging out with Moondancer.
Excellent body language in that scene. “Um, hi! I swear I’m not stalking you or anything! I’ll just… go now…”
“You’re telling me you can figure out the fundamental of magic, but simple friendship is too hard for you?”
Wow. Wow. The fact that this is Celestia’s flashback actually works quite well here. I can definitely see her blaming herself for failing to understand Sunset’s needs and dismissing her struggles without fully knowing what Sunset actually did in her attempts to make friends. An unfortunate echo of Luna, and one that Celestia may have only seen in hindsight. (And it’s not like she ever really understood the depths of Twilight’s anxiety either.)
Ordering her student to study the magic of friendship. It’s like Celestia knew the framework but not the kind of pony for whom it would work best. Given her prophetic visions, that could well be the case.
Kind of surprised Moondancer didn’t go for the exclusive access to privileged information, but that mare does have her pride. Even Twilight was barely able to bribe her into trying social interaction again.
I do have to wonder who authored that scroll. This could be a setting where Star Swirl only discovered the mirror portal rather than built it, or it could be by a later researcher who looked into the device.
“I tried everything you told me!”
“Did you?”
That question’s probably been nagging at the back of Celestia’s mind ever since this confrontation.
The hypocrisy accusation has some merit. Celestia doesn’t exactly have a rich social circle, but it’s not easy when you literally and figuratively stand head and withers above everypony else.
And another sunset. Lovely work with using the solar cycle as a way to punctuate the short. The accompanying Nightmare-tainted moonrise makes Sunset’s accusation hurt all the more
Celestia’s admission that she doesn’t know anything about friendship may have come from a place of emotional distress… but there’s also the theory that Twilight’s friendship reports were intended for the teacher as much as the student. Celestia was progressively demystified as FiM went on, but one could read that as her learning to step off her own pedestal and reconnecting with ponies personally.
Also, Sunset not even being there for an apology that’s clearly cutting Celestia to the quick is an excellent added layer of tragedy.
Hearing Twilight’s muffled shout about Sunset stealing her crown does raise some questions about the timeline of infiltration and reminiscence, but this is meant to be a journey through memories and emotions, not necessarily time and space. Even if it is funny to imagine Sunset returning to Equestria, nearly bumping into Celestia, and cautiously working her way around the old mare, who’s gone near-catatonic during her flashback.
Ah. Yes, this is definitely meant to be more symbolic, going by how the Bearers and Spike are suddenly there. It’s not clear how much time has actually passed outside of Celestia’s mind. Also, hi, Pinkie.
I’m always a sucker for the edge-on shot where someone walks through a portal and doesn’t come out the other side.
Excellent moment with the rest of the Bearers looking to Celestia for guidance after Spike runs through the portal, as is her little smile. She knows she did right by this student, and she has faith that Twilight will help Sunset when she could not.
There is the question of whether Celestia knew Sunset would come here and now, or if she simply hoped. Either way, lovely take on their relationship and the missteps that took it down a dark path. Let’s see how I can commemorate it:
Powerspear Patrol 3W
Creature — Unicorn Soldier
First strike, vigilance
Whenever Powerspear Patrol blocks, create a tapped Powerstone token. (It’s an artifact with “T: Add C. This mana can’t be spent to cast a nonartifact spell.”)
The Empire’s return brought a wave of magical and military innovation.
2/3
Partner Assignment 4W
Sorcery
Create a 2/1 white and black Inkling creature token with flying and a 3/2 red and white Spirit creature token.
The conjuration program at Celestia’s school expects students to summon a wide variety of helpers.
Solar Archon 4WW
Creature — Archon
Flying, vigilance
Creatures can’t attack you or planeswalkers you control unless their controller pays X, where X is your devotion to white. (Each W in the mana costs of permanents you control counts towards your devotion to white.)
4/5
Tempt with Secrets 1U
Sorcery
Tempting offer — Learn. Each opponent may learn. For each opponent who does, learn. (To learn, a player may reveal a Lesson card they own from outside the game and put it into their hand, or discard a card to draw a card.)
“Want to hear something weird?”
Scholar’s Hourglass 2U
Artifact
Whenever you draw a card, put a sand counter on Scholar’s Hourglass.
T: Add U.
2U, T, Remove seven sand counters from Scholar’s Hourglass: Shuffle your hand and your graveyard into your library, then draw seven cards. Put Scholar’s Hourglass on the bottom of its owner’s library.
Paradox Engineers 5UU
Creature — Unicorn Wizard
Assist (Another player can pay up to 5 of this spell’s cost.)
Ward 2 (Whenever this creature becomes the target of a spell or ability an opponent controls, counter it unless that player pays 2.)
When Paradox Engineers enters the battlefield, if it was cast with assistance, the assisting player creates a token that’s a copy of it.
4/4
Lunar Alignment 2B
Enchantment
If it’s neither day nor night, it becomes day as Lunar Alignment enters the battlefield.
Whenever you planeswalk, each opponent loses 2 life and you gain 2 life.
As long as it’s night, the planar die cost 1 less for you to roll.
Bridges of moonlight span the Multiverse.
Illicit Research 3B
Sorcery
Exile the top card of target player’s library. As long as that card remains exiled, you may play it and you may spend mana as though it were mana of any color to cast that spell.
Cipher (Then you may exile this spell card encoded on a creature you control. Whenever that creature deals combat damage to a player, its controller may cast a copy of the encoded card without paying its mana cost.)
Lost in Regret 3BB
Sorcery
Until end of turn, each instant and sorcery card in your graveyard with mana value 1 or greater gains “Flashback — Pay life equal to this card’s mana value.” (You may cast a card from your graveyard for its flashback cost. Then exile it.)
Celestia wept. “I did it again, Luna.”
Moonsickle Coven 5B
Creature — Unicorn Warlock
Assist
Deathtouch
When Moonsickle Coven enters the battlefield, each player who didn’t spend mana to cast it sacrifices a creature.
Luna’s absence inspired many strange rites.
2/2
Touch the Sun RR
Instant
Touch the Sun deals 4 damage to you. Add an amount of R equal to the damage sources you controlled dealt to you this turn.
“You ever burn yourself on the stove as a kid? It was like that, but with my soul.”
—Sunset Shimmer
Brutalize 3RR
Instant
Target attacking creature deals damage equal to its power to each creature defending player controls.
The tears in Sunset’s eyes held her back. It took her ten extra seconds to disable the guards.
Clover’s Protection G
Instant
Shuffle up to X target cards from your graveyard into your library, where X is the number of cards put into your graveyard from your library this turn.
Draw a card.
After the Lethemancer, Clover kept backups of all his important memories.
Royal Cache 3GG
Sorcery
This spell cost 3 less to cast if you’re the monarch.
Return two target cards from your graveyard to your hand. Exile Royal Cache.
“I don’t try to hoard anything. The castle just has a lot of storage space.”
—Princess Celestia
Celestial Dynamics 2
Sorcery — Lesson
If it’s day, it becomes night and it can’t become day next turn. Otherwise, it becomes day.
Draw a card.
Students are strongly discouraged from applying the theory. The moon is easily irritated, after all.
Scroll of Gateways 3
Artifact
3, T: Draw a card.
T: Roll the planar die. Activate only as a sorcery.
“Every mirror is a gateway to a distortion of our world. Portals merely open the door wider.”
—Star Swirl the Bearded
Archive Sentinel 5
Artifact Creature — Unicorn Golem
When Archive Sentinel enters the battlefield, draw two cards, then put a card from your hand on top of your library.
Unearth 3U (3U: Return this card from your graveyard to the battlefield. It gains haste. Exile it at the beginning of the next end step or if it would leave the battlefield. Unearth only as a sorcery.)
3/4
Dinky, the Chrononaut BGU
Legendary Creature — Unicorn Wizard
When Dinky, the Chrononaut enters the battlefield, search your library for a nonland card and exile it with a number of time counters on it equal to its mana value. If that card doesn’t have suspend, it gains suspend. (At the beginning of your upkeep, remove a time counter. When the last is removed, cast it without paying its mana cost. If it’s a creature, it has haste.)
When you cast the exiled card, return Dinky to its owner’s hand.
2/2
Diarchs’ Bond 2WB
Enchantment
If it’s neither day nor night, it becomes day as Diarchs’ Bond enters the battlefield.
Whenever day becomes night or night becomes day, return up to one target creature card from your graveyard to the battlefield.
Now and forever, the sisters are connected.
Uncertain Observation 2RG
Sorcery
Discard your hand, then draw a card for each creature you control.
“Sunset thinks nothing of trying to raise the sun for me, yet the idea of friendship terrifies her.”
—Princess Celestia, journal
Sunset, the Lonely Star 2UBR
Legendary Creature — Unicorn Wizard
Noncreature spells you cast cost 2 less to cast.
You can’t cast creature spells.
(ur), Discard a creature card: Draw a card.
“I have Celestia. Why would I need anypony else?”
4/4
Celestia’s School
Plane — Ungula
Whenever a player casts a noncreature spell, that player creates a 1/1 blue Unicorn creature token.
Whenever you roll chaos, spells you cast this turn have affinity for Unicorns. (They cost 1 less for each Unicorn you control.)
Fall of Sunset, along with Tale of One Shadow and Fall of the Crystal Empire remain my favorite Fan animations for FiM.
Given who her (possibly step)father is, that's not necessarily an error. Given who her mother is, it's not necessarily not an error.
Sense? What fun is there in making sense?
(Assume Discord is using her as a onesie again)
Pretty sure that's a fingernail part horses therefore don't have.
Inside Baseball Alert: The Inkling token is a Strixhaven thing, not a woomy thing. Lots of Strixhaven things in this set, because school.
Stupid Complicated Game Alert: if you cheat out the Moonsickle Coven, you will have to sacrifice a creature. If desired, you can sacrifice the coven itself.
Celestiaregret, along with Woobie Luna, is one of the venerable and strongest driving forces of the fandom
To be fair, she more or less snubbed her and her group of friends not long before this. Minuette could still be salty over that. Heck, they all could still be salty about it. Sunset more or less told them they were losers compared to her. Not that they couldn't have tried to bury the hatchet and connect with the socially-awkward mare, of course, I'm just saying that's probably how they felt.