Friendship is Card Games: Don't You Forget About Us · 12:27pm Dec 10th, 2017
When last we left the main comic line, King Sombra’s girlfriend literally cured him of not being a pony. Also of death.
Thankfully, this storyline isn’t going to try to top that.
Wow. This one dives right in, doesn’t it?
The orphan bird is, in fact, a creature of medieval legend. And a Christ allegory, which isn’t too surprising for the time period, but is more than a little disturbing when transposed into Equestria. Though living alone and uncared for does map well to a pony interpretation of Hell.
Of course, the part where the allegory breaks down is how floating eggs are most likely rotten, though that may only apply to chickens and not orphan birds.
I would not be at all surprised if Rarity actually said “gasp” rather than merely gasping.
The turul is also founded in real world mythology, specifically Hungarian. It’s also a symbol of both Hungary and… Transylvania. Huh. I do love it when pony dips into such a wide swath of legends.
I do have to love Diamond Tiara dismissing crowns. Clearly hers is the best and all others are as irrelevant as they are superfluous.
That said, while I can see how it will work as an incentive, the idea of a teacher giving one student no homework for a week feels like a bad idea for several reasons.
And that, Rarity, is why it’s a good idea to pick unknown flowers with telekinesis. Except when it isn’t. I wouldn’t be surprised if there were some plants that reacted violently to magical fields.
“Blank flanks! What do you see with your loser eyes?”
I stopped and scrolled back to check, but no, I have no explanation for how or why Snips and Snails have branches lodged in their nostrils.
For a moment, Apple Bloom channeled Homer Simpson.
Always nice to see Silver Spoon’s sycophancy has its limits, even before the election incident.
Diamond, your talent is literally telling other ponies what to do. You are bossiness personified.
Wow. Snips and Snails have gone full Lord of the Flies in what, fifteen minutes? And judging by the fillies’ reactions, they’ve already read that in class.
Huh. I wonder what upset the bear so much. Snips and Snails never got a chance to wander off and do something stupid to it.
When Snips said “use your horn,” I didn’t think he meant “as a digging tool.”
Huh. Shades of the hobbits hiding from Ringwraiths. I can only hope that nopony’s keeping the One Ring of Urson on their person.
I don’t know what I like more, the Peanuts dancing or Apple Bloom and Diamond Tiara’s reaction when they realize they’re hugging.
I see Snips and Snails throwing things over the edge of the cliff, and I can’t help but think that this will save and/or ruin the foals. (Turns out it’s just background detail, but one can never be too sure.)
Shut up, Diamond. I don’t see you trying to warp the cosmos with your head accessory.
Oh, Scootaloo… I still hope we get to see her get some decent airtime.
Good to see Diamond show at least a little remorse when her potentially lethal jerkishness is shoved in her face. And to see Silver knows when to cut her losses.
Credit to Apple Bloom, for all that she wasn’t willing to wait for Diamond Tiara, she’s the one who went over the edge trying to save her.
Diamond, don’t make the ponies trying to save your life question whether they actually want to.
It’s been pretty noticeable throughout the story, but Snails has a particularly acute case of giraffe neck during the lever rescue. (And apparently I’m concurring with my past self on that one, going by my comment in the Derpibooru link.)
Also, Diamond has some seriously strong jaws.
That rainbow is inside-out, and that bothers me far more than it should.
The snow hats are far too funny, especially Bloomdalf the Blank.
Yeah, I’m not at all surprised that Snips and Snails know how to magically start fires.
The faces in this bit are great, but even more so is the sincere heart-to-heart. Whether it’s keeping up appearances, having an idol whose heights you can never hope to match, or just having a deserved reputation for disaster, it’s hard being a kid and growing up. It’s hard and nobody understands.
There’s no bonding experience quite like seeing an enormous mythical bird together. Apparently.
Huh. So did Fluttershy get the turul to help with the search efforts, or was it just in the area?
I do like how Rarity’s been too worried to even wipe off her running eyeshadow. Nice touch, along with Dash divulging how worried Applejack was.
Yeah, sadly, one night together isn’t enough to bury the hatchet between the Crusaders and the Sugarlump-Rumps. Still, at least there’s a spark of sympathy there.
Do I want to know where Snips and Snails got the shades? Probably not.
In all, this was a good cooldown from the Siege of the Crystal Empire. Not the lowest stakes—lives were on the line—but not the grand cataclysm of the previous arc. Plus, there are some genuinely good character moments in here. Not much to it, but still an effective transition between the boss rush and the more slice-of-life issues to come.
Now, let’s get these cards on the record before they wander off:
Completely Lost 1W
Instant
Exile target creature. At the beginning of the next end step, return that card to the battlefield under its owner’s control. It explores. (Its controller reveals the top card of his or her library. He or she puts into his or her hand if it’s a land. Otherwise, he or she puts a +1/+1 counter on that creature, then puts the card back or puts it into his or her graveyard.)
Fiscal Superiority 2W
Enchantment
Each creature with the highest converted mana cost has indestructible.
”One set of two hundred-bit horseshoes will outlast twenty ten-bit sets. The same is true for ponies.”
—Spoiled Rich
Rescue Flock 4WW
Creature — Pegasus Soldier
Flying
When Rescue Flock enters the battlefield, return target creature card with power 2 or less from your graveyard to the battlefield.
Some act out of duty. Others act to see hope return to forlorn faces.
3/3
Crowned Turul 5WW
Creature — Bird
Flying
When Crowned Turul enters the battlefield, create a 1/1 white Bird creature token with flying for each Bird you control.
The king of the skies assembles a court wherever he lands.
4/4
Scout from Above 1U
Sorcery
Scry X, where X is the number of creatures you control with flying, then draw a card.
”We’re still lost, but at least the view’s nice.”
Apple Family Cryomancer 2U
Creature — Pony Wizard
T: Add CC to your mana pool. Activate this ability only if you control four or more snow permanents.
Even rogue Apples dedicated to freezing the world can’t help but be hard-working and productive.
1/3
Rebuking Wave 2U
Instant
Target creature gets -5/-0 until end of turn. That creature’s controller puts the top five cards of his or her library into his or her graveyard.
As Rarity felt her mane fray, her mind went with it.
Orphan Bird 4U
Creature — Bird
Flying
When Orphan Bird enters the battlefield, look at the top three cards of your library. Put one of them into your hand and the rest on the bottom of your library in any order.
Only the chosen may see the sky.
2/3
Overshadow 1BB
Sorcery
Target player sacrifices a creature. If that player controls his or her commander, he or she sacrifices two creatures instead.
”Rarity’s saved the world a bunch of times without a hair out of place. How am I supposed to live up to that?”
—Sweetie Belle
Sudden Nightfall 2B
Instant
Choose one —
• Black creatures get +1/+1 until end of turn.
• Nonblack creatures get -1/-1 until end of turn.
Entwine B (Choose both if you pay the entwine cost.)
Caustic Critic 3B
Creature — Pony Advisor
Each other creature enters the battlefield with an additional -1/-1 counter on it.
Some ponies just don’t have anything constructive to offer.
2/2
Bad 2B
Sorcery
Target player sacrifices a creature.
Worse 4B
Sorcery
Aftermath (Cast this spell only from your graveyard. Then exile it.)
Target player loses 1 life for each card in his or her graveyard.
Crumbling Ledge 2R
Sorcery
Creatures with toughness less than or equal to the number of Mountains you control can’t block this turn.
Gravity and rock either mix well or don’t mix at all, depending on where you stand.
Eager Firestarter 3R
Creature — Unicorn Child
Hoofcraft — When Eager Firestarter enters the battlefield, if you control three or more Ponies, Pegasi, and/or Unicorns, Eager Firestarter deals 2 damage to target creature or player.
”Look at what I learned to do!”
3/1
Mountain Kings 4R
Creature — Unicorn Warrior
R, Discard a card: Mountain Kings gains menace until end of turn.
They live in savagery and barbarity until lunchtime.
5/4
Vicious Vine 3G
Creature — Plant
1U: Tap target creature blocking or blocked by Vicious Vine. That creature doesn’t untap during its controller’s next untap step.
”Don’t touch anything” is the best rule of thumb one can use when dealing with Ungulan wildlife.
3/3
Chocolate Frog 3
Artifact Creature — Frog
When Chocolate Frog dies, you may search your library for a Wizard card, reveal it, put it into your hand, then shuffle your library.
”I also have some jellybeans. Don’t know what flavor they are.”
—Snips
1/1
Field Guide 3
Artifact
As Field Guide enters the battlefield, choose a creature type.
Whenever a player casts a spell of the chosen type, draw a card.
”Take only memories. Leave only hoofprints.”
—Audu Bontemps, Our Feathered Friends
Immobilizing Sinkhole (rg)
Instant
Target creature blocks this turn if able.
Sometimes you stand tall against the charging monster. Sometimes you just can’t get out of the way.
Exit, Pursued by a Bear 4GU
Instant
Return target creature to its owner’s hand. Create a 4/4 green Bear creature token.
To his dying day, Spear Shaker insisted that all of his plays were based on real events.
Winding Trail
Land
T: Add C to your mana pool.
3, T: Target creature you control explores.
Ahaha, Fiscal Superiority is lovely ^.^
You'd think a series that uses rainbows so often would get it right.
I used Trotubon as his ponified name in one of my fics, but I haven't published that section yet and I'm not sure if the story even needs it after all. Just thought I'd share that tidbit.
Nice sendoff for DT's time as a bully what with this coming out after CotLM. Still antagonistic to the CMC but expressed more depth than just shouting "Blank Flank" at them.
Nice Estee reference there with Field Guide.
I see what you did there
4745439
It depends on what's creating the rainbow. Bright rainbows often have a secondary rainbow with inverted colors, caused by the light reflecting twice inside the raindrops instead of once. And some ice halos, like the 22 degree halo and circumhorizontal arc, have red on the inside as well. It all depends on the geometry of the light rays and refracting particles.
I laughed. Great opening. Never thought of it that way before.