Change From Below

[SPOILERS BELOW]. Let's take a moment to talk about what an incredible ending that Make Your Mark, Chapter 6, The Root of All Evil: Pt 2 had. Not only did Misty finally confront her abusive mother figure; not only was a Tirek-scale threat to all Equestria averted with a wave of bright shiny hope, and a bright shiny song...but the power of friendship prevailed in the profoundest way possible.

Every ideal that Sunny Starcout ever believed in was put into practice - not just by her or her friends, but by the entire world. (Or at least the known world).

Think about the very beginning - how MLP: ANG started with an Equestria deeply divided. How it ended with earth ponies, unicorns, and pegasi daring to take a brave step forward - to abandon the racialized fears they'd all grown up to internalize. How the earth ponies of Maretime Bay turned their backs on the fascist demagoguery of Sprout, and the racist fear-based economy of his mother, to take a brave step forward into the unknown.

...A world where the three pony races might kinda sorta maybe start to get along.

Then, in the Make Your Mark series, we saw that dream hit multiple speed bumps. Posey and her Karenhood. Resentment of unicorn and pegasus magic. We saw Sunny continue to try to show others the way - not through pedantry, but through participation in the struggles of others.

She built a community garden to bring folks together. She turned the local military weapons facility into a television studio owned and operated by and for the citizenry, and she did so - not as a maternalistic authority figure, but by turning to the community itself, and taking its feedback seriously (even if the populace wasn't entirely sure what they wanted).

And then there's Pipp - the princess who often comes off as a self-obsessed, and egoic social media influencer. Here, she strives to use that influence for good. Even though her musical number in front of Princess Opaline failed to accomplish anything directly, it was the reprise of that same song that got all of Equestria singing. It was the voice of a child who looked up to Pipp, and believed.

My Little Pony, both G4 and G5, always emphasized friendship, and how it's power was in the unity of its diverse peoples (horses). The Tree of Harmony acted as a sort of Divine Will that chose to condense the very special magic of this very loving civilization into the Elements of Harmony, and bestow them to a chosen few to wield on behalf of the many.

Here, in the gathering of ordinary ponies around the trees, we see Equestrian magic come full circle. The song that that child sings - the song that all of Equestria sings - it is the root of their very civilization. It is the magic that powers everything!

It doesn't derive from the magical trees, but rather, feeds them, and nourishes them.

The beauty of this finale is that nothing the main characters do actually saves Equestria at all. At least not directly. It's the masses of ponies in Bridlewood, Zephyr Heights, and Maretime Bay who save themselves with the simple lessons that they've clearly taken to heart.

Think about what a huge leap this moment is from the beginning of A Next Generation, when Sunny first stormed the expo and attempted to convince the citizens of Maretime Bay through preaching and sign-waving.

The best thing about the great victory over Opaline is that it showed just how much had changed since friendship returned to Equestria - not just in ponies' adoption of Sunny's model of interracial equality, but in Sunny herself - her willingness to grow as a leader amongst, and alongside them. Her only role in any of this has been to give folks a nudge in the right direction - to get involved in their struggles, and to help them to see the best in themselves.

As fantastical as rainbow lasers and friendship trees may be, this is actually a pretty darn realistic look at how social progress actually happens.

If you, like so many of us, take a look at the state of the world, and feel heartbreak and despair, remember: change starts at home - in your community. Make a difference. Get involved.

Discuss.
-Sprocket

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Comments

[Reese]

"She turned the local military weapons facility into a television studio owned and operated by and for the citizenry"
IIRC, wasn't it a general community center sort of place that just included a television studio as one of its facilities?

"it was the reprise of that same song that got all of Equestria singing"
...I somehow completely missed that! I was already going to thank you for sharing your thoughts at the end of this, but that detail seems worth of being specifically called out! Thanks!

And, indeed, thank you in general for sharing your thoughts and perspective. :)