Chapter Notes for 28, 29, 32, 33, 34 & 35 · 2:24am Jul 5th, 2023
Chapter 28
Lyra present at the Best Young Fliers Competition
See for example this screenshot, right above Rainbow Dash’s head:
Chapter 29
Tea of the lost kirin
As of Season 1, the kirin are certainly lost. And being a Chinese mythological creature, they are a reasonable origin for Equestrian tea.
“I ran into a cockatrice in the Everfree.”
That was the episode “The Stare Master”.
“I myself am strange and unusual.”
Chapter 32
Grace of Green Gables
This is the Equestrian version of Anne of Green Gables. That book’s first sequel was Anne of Avonlea, which is a hard title to equestrianize. The second sequel was Anne of the Island.
Sugarcube Corner’s only table
It’s true—Sugarcube Corner only has a single table for guests to eat at. See Aurek-Skyclimber’s comprehensive visual study based on screenshots.
There was an open grassy yard behind Sugarcube Corner
Aurek-Skyclimber has another study, “Map of Ponyville Photo Guide v3.2” that covers this, but it’s easier to see on Naptime’s Map of Ponyville v2.0.
Truffle had appeared with the wagon he always pulled around.
OK, I made that up—Truffle doesn’t pull a wagon around everywhere he goes.
Chapter 33
I’m finally ready to add 
as a character tag.
All the descriptions of Rainbow Dash’s house
I made extensive use of the Cloudominium Gallery entry in the Friendship Is Magic Wiki. Here for example is proof that Rainbow has pegasus neighbors with their own houses with fluted columns:
SOARB
Equestrian version of The Rocketeer, by Dave Stevens. Although my description of the comic cover is based on the movie poster:
This chapter.
So, for a long time I was on the fence about including this chapter or not. If I included it, I thought I would be obligated to write chapters about Spike bonding with Pinkie Pie and Fluttershy as well, and I couldn’t get those chapters to work. And it’s not like anything in this chapter mattered for the overarching narrative.
And then at the last second, I thought of the next chapter…
Chapter 34
Planet Wars
Star Wars. I figured in the Equestrian setting, the stars are just lights on the Sidereal Sphere, so nopony would associate aliens with them. Oh, and of course I’m referring to the cantina scene. I don’t think the word “iniquity” was actually used, but I imagine that it’s an active part of Obi-Wan’s vocabulary.
Maretopolis: The New Frontier
Maretropolis is the name of the setting for the Power Ponies. DC: The New Frontier is a multi-award winning limited comic series.
Uncanny M-Factor
Uncanny X-Men. The issue depicted here is roughly Uncanny X-Men #170 from June 1983, when the X-Men member Storm becomes the leader of the rogue group of mutants known as the Morlocks after winning a trial by combat. The giant robot is a Sentinel, a mutant-exterminating machine that featured in other issues of the series. Here’s my inspiration for the Storm vs. Sentinel part of the cover, from issue #98:
Eastern Griffish Protectorate
My idea is that the former Griffon Kingdom is now a group of rival “protectorates”, in a sort of cold war with each other. The Griffish Isles protectorate is the one that Lemon Peel comes from, and corresponds to Cold War-era Britain. The Eastern Griffish Protectorate is Soviet Russia…sorta.
Clear Mount and Tall Smithy
The Morlock arc of Uncanny X-Men was written by Chris Claremont and drawn by Paul Smith.
Lightning, morelacks, Guardians.
Storm, Morlocks, Sentinels.
The Power Ponies vs. M-Factor
I’m thinking specifically of Avengers #53 from 1963:
The “pony with angel wings” character is Angel, an X-Men. (An “X-Man”? Whatever.)
Chapter 35
Romaine
Equestrian version of “Roman”. Not canon. Not invented by me.
The Hayseed Swamp article
Note how the remains were found of both Meadowbrook and her mother.
