Mane 6 Shipping and Thoughts · 5:15am May 19th, 2015
Given all the different shipping possibilities between the Mane 6 alone, and how they’ve been written in fanfics around here (either well, poorly, or not at all so far as I’ve seen), I thought I’d write a generic blog about all the possible Mane 6 ships and my thoughts on each one (in no particular order). I obviously don’t expect everyone to agree with me— these are just my opinions.
Twilight/Rainbow Dash: Even though I'm not a huge fan of this one, I can see this. Rainbow was the first pony Twilight encountered when she got to Ponyville. I could see some sort ‘first impression attraction’ here from either side, despite how the actual encounter played out. And after Twilight’s ascension, her addition of wings gives the two of them more potential time together, which could blossom into something more.
Twilight/Fluttershy: The wing addition idea mentioned above doesn’t really work with Flutters, I would say. Flutters has never been a strong flyer— she wouldn’t be a good choice for a teacher. Frankly, I think Fluttershy would be pretty hard to ship unless it’s someone she already has a history with, and she doesn’t have much with Twilight.
Twilight/Pinkie: From Pinkie’s perspective, I could see her being shipped with practically anyone just because of, well, Pinkie logic, but in reality, I think she’d be pretty hard to ship. She’d definitely be a bit much for Twilight. While I’ve seen some pretty cute Twinkie stories, I personally just don’t think they’re a great pair.
Twilight/Rarity: I really don’t see any reason for these two to be shipped. They have very little in common, though Rarity’s obsession with high society could be reason for her to appeal to Twilight’s… previous self, I guess? On top of that, with Spike as part of the equation, this would just be horrible, in my opinion— it’d be like rubbing it in his face.
Twilight/Applejack: While I’ve seen this potential ship in a number of stories, it usually tends to revolve around AJ hiding a crush from Twilight. Frankly, I don’t see any root for the crush in the first place, unless AJ happens to be turned on by intellect, which there’s no basis for, so far as I’ve seen.
Rainbow Dash/Rarity: I could actually see something here… kind of. If Rainbow is using her tomboyish personality to hide an actual interest in femininity, Rarity would definitely be the one to oblige. Other than that, though, I don’t think this would work very well— Rarity sees RD as way too brash, as far as I can tell.
Rainbow/Pinkie: I could use an argument stemming from the events of “Griffon the Brush-Off” to say NO WAY from Rainbow’s POV, but I don’t think it would be fair. Personally, though, I think Pinkie is just a little too obsessed with RD for some reason. I don’t know if Rainbow could handle Pinkie.
Rainbow/Fluttershy: This is the first on the list that I’m going to say absolutely. This could definitely work. Flutters and RD have been friends since childhood. There is most definitely the possibility that after years of friendship, something more could blossom from it.
Rainbow/AJ: This could be a case of competitive friends becoming rivals, then evolving into something more. This ship is rather common, and while I won’t say I’m a fan, I could definitely see it as a possibility— they have quite a number of things in common.
Rarity/Pinkie: I really don’t see anything happening here. I feel like these two are just way too incompatible for anything to ever work— Pinkie is too chaotic, and Rarity likes to be organized. I don’t think the whole ‘one balances the other’ idea would work with them, either.
Rarity/Fluttershy: This could certainly work. Given their routine spa days with each other, Fluttershy and Rarity already have one thing in common that’s just an indulgence of theirs, and based on what I believe I’ve seen in other media, there are numerous other things they have in common, so I can definitely see this ship working.
Rarity/AJ: This is a very common ship that I’ve seen— the classic ‘opposites attract.’ Frankly, I’m not a fan, but I can kind of see it happening, given that the two of them have stepped in each others’ hooves, however briefly.
Pinkie/Fluttershy: I really don’t think this would work. Despite Fluttershy’s character development over the seasons, she’s still pretty timid at heart, and Pinkie is just way too chaotic.
Pinkie/AJ: I have to say, I don’t know if I’ve ever even seen this ship done before, likely because I have a feeling a lot of people think on the same wavelength as me (though I could most certainly be wrong)— what would the basis of the relationship be? I don’t see much in common between the two of them, personally. Especially if they did turn out to be family— incest is wincest?
Fluttershy/AJ: I don’t think I could really see anything happening here. I feel like the only time we ever saw a lengthy, direct interaction between Flutters and AJ was in “Bats,” and AJ wasn’t particularly thrilled.
Well, that’s basically it. You guys are welcome to agree, argue, praise or berate me, whatever. If you’d like to give some proof/headcanon about a reason why something should or shouldn’t work that contradicts my opinions, you are absolutely welcome to do so. I’m really not one to write a lot of shipping stories, so if any arguments arise in discussion that give you an idea for a story, I say go for it.
Twilight/Rainbow Dash: NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO! We are no longer bros. No. Longer. Bros.
TwilightMane 6/Rarity: As well as canon and extended canon showing that Rarity has a huge thing for stallions.
Rainbow/Fluttershy: reminds me of Cidershy, where Rarity was giddy at the prospect of Shy admitting there was something between Dash and herself.
I try to avoid mane 6 shipping where possible, these days. While I might see some characters as possibly gay (cough cough cough Applejack cough cough cough) due to a single line deliberately misheard, and Pinkie Pie as possibly being bi/pan… these days I've come to prefer seeing them shipped outside the Mane 6.
And the poly fantasy has to die in a fire! Not saying that poly relationships can't work, but 900000% of the poly fics here are wank fantasies.
Now, who do I like seeing shipped these days?
Rainbow Dash and Big Mac (ultra-adorbs one by Mr Maximus, as well as the unrequited love between Mac and Rainbow in Keeping it Simple), TwiLuna (which is hard, cause canon is starting to show Twilight is straight for hairless apes) as well as TwiMac and Twirilee(??)… and basically Applejack with anyone because she is best fucking pony.
I will admit, there are a few TwiPie fics I have adored, particularly Causality, but for most parts, the shipping between most mane six members seem to be what the author wants, or based on a flimsy excuse (like TwiDash and the opposites attract trope)
Actually, I will say this, I don't mind, and in fact do like fics that buck the trend of Mane Six ship fics, with a sad ending, such as unrequited love, or say the breakdown of a relationship.
Incidentally, both of those things have been on my 'to write' list, and both involve Rainbow Dash shipped with one of the mane six. Anyone would think I don't like Rainbow Dash given I am wanting to write these miserable fics about her.
Not really big into any of the mane 6 being shipped with each other, but you already know that.
Howerver, here is some things to add to your stuffs in the post.
Rarity/Fluttershy: Fluttershy has been show to be very knowledgeable about the making of cloths and stitching styles (that episode where Rarity makes the dresses to their specification). So that's something else.
Pinkie/AJ: Even if they are somehow related, they are so far removed from each other is doesn't really even count. Both of them are bakers. Even Pinkie has said how good a baker AJ is.
And like Anonymoose said, Rarity likes the cock, a lot... especially with her thoughts on Trenderhoof. Sorry Spike, you are just too much of a 'baby' for her.
3079833
In order:
— Honestly, not a huge fan of TwiDash myself, but I could see it happening. Small edit has been made.
— Agreed, but how many times have people said "screw canon"?
— Actually haven't read that one, but a lot of authors seem to like Flutterdash either way.
Frankly, while I have no issue with gay ships, I'm not a huge fan of any of the Mane 6 being shipped together either. However, as obviously mentioned, I can see some of the pairings potentially working.
Yes, the poly fantasies have got to go. They're just unnecessary. Though a recent addition to my edited stories, courtesy of RarityEQM, was a nice little fluff of just cuddling. Given the lack of a Romance tag, even if it had hints of a couple of ships, it didn't really hint at a poly fantasy— I'm cool with that one.
3079840
Why does it not surprise me you'd want to write endings like that?
3079883
See above response to the Moose about thoughts on general M6 shipping.
— The 'other things in common' for Rarishy included that bit, I just didn't explicitly say it
— Truth about the baking for Apple Pie, but I really don't see much else.
And yes, it seems pretty clear Rarity is incredibly low on the Kinsey scale, but for all we know, it could be a really good cover (I wouldn't believe that for a second, but you never know these days).
3080045
Yeah, I have been trying to work out where ponies sit on the possible-kinsey scale (i.e. where might they possibly sit) and I would say she would be either a zero or a one. Not saying that people can't write her gay, but it takes a lot to convince me. The comics lately have really hammered in that fact, what with her crushing on nearly every stallion in the Good Bad and Ugly comic, as well as her date with 8Bit in the Chryssy comic. And her going gagga over the deer guard in the Everfree comic.
So yeah, you really gotta work hard and write well to convince me otherwise. Actually, one that did do that was A Dragon's Love, which I actually put in one of my SYMNHRB blogs. But then that goes back to my love of non-happy endings.
And as for why I like reading and like writing those kinds of stories (remember the original ending for DaD!!!) is because too often stories focus on the parts of a relationship that are fun and new and exciting (I remember listening to an ObabbleScribler episode lately that put it perfectly), but rarely focusing on the times where a relationship is hard, and takes work to keep going, or in the case of some (like my Pinkie/Dash story I was looking at writing) the sad end, be it the untimely death of the relationship, or the untimely death of one of the partners.
Most getting together stories are pretty much the same, following very similar tropes. Usually because, and I know I will offend a lot of people saying this, but the bulk of the writers and audience on this site only have Hollywood romance to go by. Keeping a relationship going, though, takes work, and there are usually a lot of tears. You face hardships together, and sometimes those hardships are each other.
I think that is why a lot of the reasons for the mane six getting together fall short for me. A few common interests might be enough to start a relationship, but if that was all there was then you'd be hard pressed to convince me it was going to last much longer than a few weeks or months.
I mean, by that, I could say "Hey, LD, you like ponies, I like ponies… come to australia, we'll bang, okay?" And you'd be all like:
derpicdn.net/img/2012/7/27/59030/full.gif
Don't know where I was going with that.
3080045
Actually, here's a good q, where on the Kinsey Scale do you think the mane 6 are, and why?
For me:
Twilight: I'd say about a 2, mostly because of the introduction of Flash Sentry. Before that, I would have pegged her at a 3, but with Flash I'd say a one, but because I love my Twi ships, I will split the difference and say she sits at 2.
Applejack: A big old 6. Because of this:
Nope, what she was trying to say was she was a big ol' lesbian. At least, that is what I think.
Also, in the comics, she's always rolling her eyes at the other girls going gagga over stallions—YES I KNOW THIS IS FLIMSY REASONING BUT GIVE ME AT LEAST ONE GAY IN THE MANE SIX!
Rainbow Dash: Sadly, Ace doesn't fall on the Kinsey scale, but I would have to say I see her as an ace, or if not, I'd say probably sitting somewhere around a 2, with very little interest in it.
Pinkie Pie: I can see Pinkie Pie going one of two ways. Pansexual (which I guess on the Kinsey scale would sit at about a 3), because she seems to see past people's outward appearance, so I could see her not letting a thing like gender dictate who she would like. The other possibility is a zero, and being rather strict about it. For example, Feathers of Blue and Gold shows a Pinkie that comes from a very traditional family, with very traditional family values.
Her happily explaining to the mane six (and Rainbow and her marefriend) that filly fooling comes from Discord… well, when I read that in Feathers, it gave me chills, cause I know people like that. Or knew. Not anymore because fuck them in the face with lasers.
Rarity: 0. Enough said.
Fluttershy: Like Rarity, we have seen her eyeing stallions in the comic, particularly good king handsome Sombra. Maybe she could be pushed up to a 1 or a 2, but I doubt it. Unnnnnnnnnless she was a 3, and she has another secret basement. Dommeshy I can totes see.
Outside that… (and for extra credit)
Spike: Ponysexual deviant. Also, a cougar hunter.
Celestia: I'd say a zero, as much as I'd like to believe otherwise. Thousand year long relationship with handsome Sombra kind of says she's pretty committed to cock, as 3079883 so charmingly put. Would that still be a hot beef injection?
Luna: I could see her as a 1 to 3, but believing herself to be a 0. I'd say on that side of the scale because she did mack on Big Mac.
Cadance: Shining-sexual.
Discord: √2 with a bit of a thing for Fluttershy. Lol.
CMC: THEY'RE FUCKING KIDS. (And I mean they are VERY young, not that they copulate with children!)
Big Mac: Kind of a hard one, as he was poisoned into loving someone on the show, and was trying to avoid all the females in the Zen and the Art of Gazebo maintenance… so possibly ace, possibly gay, or possibly TOO BUSY LOOKING FOR NAILS!
Which is a shame, cause Fleetfoot would have totally nailed him!
Can't think of any outside of those, because they don't have enough presence in the show or comics to say.
Edit:
And the Cakes. Big old swingers. 100%