Friendship is Magic Z (Eps 1-4)

Second only to Silver Soul I’d say this was one of my most ambitious pony fic ideas. In my outline (which didn’t survive the purging I’m afraid) this clocked in at about 36 chapters: 12 episodes broken down into three chapters each.

I started it toward the end of Prances/DSP because I had gotten into writing Shyamalan-esque plot twists but at most was only able to publish the first “episode.” To be honest, at first it started as a joke, as I wondered what it’d be like if a Japanese studio actually picked up FiM like what happened with Powerpuff Girls. But then as my brain is want to do, it started clicking and figured out all of these connections between the show and lots of anime tropes, especially of the mahou shoujo variety, hence my being able to come up with a full 12 episode season.

Overall it’s about 6 Japanese girls who are found to be compatible with the Elements of Harmony. Each of the girls are endowed with their own individually themed powers and abilities and can transform into a pony (the Mane 6) in an effort to fight the forces of Discord that threaten to overwhelm the city they live in and then the world.

I don’t remember the names I used for all the girls (Only Hikaru, Sakura, Ayame and Ringo), so I’ll have to make up a few on the spot:

Hikaru Bookish Element of Magic
Ringo Straight talking Element of Honesty (speaks in southern drawl representing
Osaka accent)
Sakura Bubbly Element of Laughter
Katsumi Tomboyish Element of Loyalty
Misaki Quiet senpai Element of Kindness
Ayame Ojou-sama senpai Element of Generosity

The following will be the first four eps, which I consider the first arc.

Episode 1

Intro

In an abandoned factory, five girls are fighting for their lives. They deftly dodge and try to attack a bull charging at them and tearing through metal and concrete like its nothing. Each of their hair color is bright: pink, blue, violet, light pink, golden yellow. A girl with dark purple hair watches as each display their abilities and each in turn protect her from the bull’s wayward attacks. Katsumi leaps and bounds at high speeds, levelling heavy kicks at the bull. Ringo sports a pair of pistols shooting a seemingly infinite number of bullets. Sakura jumps about, seemingly able to predict the bull’s moves and calling them out for the others to hear. Ayame sends a bevy of gems to crash and explode in bright colors in an attempt to stop the bull.

Hikaru, hiding with Misaki, watches all of this in amazement, wondering how she ever go into this situation.
After managing to strike the bull down, they watch in dismay as it lets out a burst of energy, knocking the girls away from the force of its transformation into a minotaur. “You. Stop!” It growls out, surprising Hikaru and disconcerting Ayame as she curses that its managed to Form 2. Before they can manage a counter attack, the minotaur summons several other bulls that take the girls down, pinning them. Even Misaki who despite being terrified steps up to protect Hikaru is knocked away and held down by a bull. Hikaru is then grabbed by the minotaur and slowly crushed in its larger hands.

In desperation, Hikaru worries more about the other girls than herself and a bright light shoots out from her. On her head is a tiara and she seemingly disappears. Confused, the minotaur finds that he can’t keep his hands shut as a wave of light envelops the whole factory and eliminates all of the bulls. In its last moments the minotaur declares that “Discord will prevail!” and it too is vanquished.

Dizzied, Hikaru is glad to see the others all right...but they all seem to be much bigger than she last remembered. The girls in turn all are amazed or proud or are completely enamored by what they see before them: Hikaru has turned into a small purple pony.

--

Hikaru Bookish Element of Magic
Ringo Straight talking Element of Honesty (speaks in southern drawl representing
Osaka accent)
Sakura Bubbly Element of Laughter
Katsumi Tomboyish Element of Loyalty
Misaki Motherly senpai Element of Kindness
Ayame Ojou-sama senpai Element of Generosity

--

*After what would be an “opening sequence”*

Part A

Trying out for the Tea Ceremony club, Hikaru sees Ayame--the club president’s--hair turn a flash of purple before returning to its normal lustrous black. At first about to bring it up, Hikaru changes her mind when Ayame asks Hikaru (after looking up her name in the list of prospective members) what’s the matter. She seems a bit disappointed when Hikaru says her hair is black.

Hikaru dreams of being a weatherperson, making sure to get the best grades to insure she can get into a good school to start doing meteorology. She also is doing the morning announcements to help her with public speaking. All of this is because she idolizes Himeko Arakawa, a weather lady on the local news channel who is 100% correct in her forecasts.

On her way home to school Hikaru spots what seems to be a bull standing in the middle of the road staring her down. No one else seems to see it, then it charges after her. Hikaru ends up in an alleyway, desperate and panicked, she clenches her eyes thinking this is the end when someone appears to her rescue. For some reason this woman dressed in business clothes manages to beat up the bull then it disappears. The woman cheers for her victory then accidentally rips a hole in her panty hose. Hikaru recognizes the woman as Himeko and is confused as to why she’s there, saving her.

Himeko, acting quite informal unlike her cool stoic tv personality, makes a phone call and says she found the “last one.” After dragging Hikaru to an abandoned shoe factory that’s a few blocks from her house, Himeko introduces Hikaru to Katsumi, the only one there. Hikaru notices that Katsumi’s hair is blue. Himeko growls that the others were supposed to be there, Katsumi is then made to teach Hikaru the basics of the basics before she’s attacked again, then Himeko rushes off when she realizes she’s due to be on tv soon. Hikaru is unsettled at what seems to be her idol’s true personality.

Going to the park, Hikaru and Katsumi get crepes then after some ice breakers (Hikaru learns that Katsumi came back to Japan from California) Katsumi tries her best to explain what’s going on by using her hair color as a starting point since Himeko didn’t explain anything to Hikaru.

“Ugh, that darn Hime-hime...” Katsumi sighed and ruffled her already messy hair with her free hand.

It turns out that everyone else only sees Katsumi’s hair as brown. The bright blue color is a sign that her magic power, which is innate in everyone, is flowing out and can be detected by the many creatures that wander about in the world. The creatures themselves are made of magic and seek to devour more of it. Because of most people’s weaker levels of magic they can’t sense the creatures and are thus safe from being attack by them. It’s why Hikaru was attacked and she needs to learn how to control her output. Katsumi demonstrates by making her hair brown for a moment but then it returns to being blue. “It’s way hard to stay like that, though, heheh!”

Katsumi then explains that the easiest ways to get control of one’s magic is to either figure out their “attribute” or have a “personal item.” Katsumi says that the bigger questions will have to wait for tomorrow, when everyone else will be available.

The next day, Hikaru returns to the factory and is surprised to see the club president, Ayame and another senpai from her school, Misaki. Ayame asks Hikaru what color her hair is again and Hikaru answers that its violet. Ayame seems much happier now and begins to introduce Hikaru to the other girls present: Sakura, Ringo and

“You should already be acquainted with Katsumi”.

“Yo.” The blue-haired girl nodded her head.

“Hey, Sumi-chan.” Hikaru greeted, making the other girl blush for a moment under the intrigued looks of the others.

Ayame asks how much Katsumi told her and Hikaru says that she knows about magic, creatures, finding an attribute and personal item. Ayame looks less than pleased by the minimal information and begins to chastise Katsumi be she deflects the criticism by saying that she missed a baseball game to help Hikaru and felt that it would be better if someone else explained the rest since she didn’t feel confident that she’d do a good job at it. Ayame acknowledges this and apologizes for her rudeness toward Katsumi then passive-aggressively blames Ringo’s not being there for Hikaru’s still being unprepared, to which Ringo takes exception.

Misaki tries to settle things down while Sakura stifles her giggling, but then she yelps and in surprise and announces that a monster will be attacking. Ayame asks when and where and Sakura says “right now and right here,” then the bull crashes in through the factory wall.

--

Hikaru Bookish Element of Magic
Ringo Straight talking Element of Honesty (speaks in southern drawl representing
Osaka accent)
Sakura Bubbly Element of Laughter
Katsumi Tomboyish Element of Loyalty
Misaki Motherly senpai Element of Kindness
Ayame Ojou-sama senpai Element of Generosity

--

Part B

"Really?! Then what happened?!" Sakura gasped and then waited with baited breath.

Walking next to her, Ringo raised an eyebrow. "Then we were attacked, Sakura. You were there fer it, remember?"

"Yeah, I know. But Hikaru-chan's such a good story teller, don't you think?"

The six girls are walking through the hallway of a television studio, Hikaru still in pony form and currently being carried by Misaki. No one else seems to notice her as the round the corner and spot Himeko talking with a young man. Hikaru recognizes him as her older brother, Ken, and she freezes and pretends to be a doll when he notices the group of girls.

“Oh, looks like your fan club is here.” The young man chuckled. “We can talk about this later, Arakawa-san!”

“Looking forward to it.”

And so the girls are brought to Himeko’s dressing room and she drops her professional demeanor to tease Hikaru. “Aww, who’s the cute looking pony? You are! You are!”

“Ponies bite.” Hikaru growled out without thinking.

With an amused snicker, Himeko places a hand on Hikaru and she turns back into her human form. Ayame asks why Himeko decided to do that rather than let her use up her magic like had happened to the rest of the girls when they attained that form. Himeko half-explains that that would have taken a week rather than a few hours like had happened for the others, then asks them all to take a seat.

Himeko asks if they had any trouble getting to the studio since Hikaru isn’t able to control the amount of magic she’s exuding and Misaki reveals that she’s been using her ability to cloak them. Himeko says that Hikaru has an amazing amount of magical potential and the fact that she took on the other form without learning her attribute or figuring out her personal item is a sign that she needs to learn how to control her power rather than developing more of it like has been the training for the others. She then asks how old Hikaru thinks she is.

“27 years old, like it says on your official website!”

Himeko laughs at that and says that wrong, that she remembers when the black ships first arrived. First off she says her name is actually “Celestia” and goes on to explain that she’s actually a miko who long ago was entrusted with the Elements of Harmony. A great demon had been slumbering in the nearby mountains and her family was in charge of keeping it locked. However, because of her mother’s unfortunate passing, the responsibility was to pass from her grandmother, thought to be the most powerful miko of the family line to herself, who had yet to finish her training. Thanks to her being unprepared, Discord escaped and many of her family, including her grandmother, perished. However she also lost control of the Elements and they spread away. Himeko had then been searching all over for those that best fit the elements to try to stop Discord and seal him once more.

She is certain that Hikaru is the last Element that they’ve been searching for.

Then there was gag and a punchline that makes Hikaru concerned about her idolizing Himeko in the first place.

--

Hikaru Bookish Element of Magic
Ringo Straight talking Element of Honesty (speaks in southern drawl representing
Osaka accent)
Sakura Bubbly Element of Laughter
Katsumi Tomboyish Element of Loyalty
Misaki Motherly senpai Element of Kindness
Ayame Ojou-sama senpai Element of Generosity

--

Episode 2

Intro

Hikaru is at homeroom as the class representative is taking roll call. Hikaru is somewhat distracted by her thoughts about all that she’s been told and gone through so far.

Eri sits behind Hikaru (meaning their last names start with the same letter though I don’t remember what it was) and she’s annoyed that Hikaru isn’t responding. In a bit of a snobbish tone, Eri asks that Hikaru pay more attention during PE which is later that day.

Hikaru refrains from responding in kind, instead putting on her glasses as first period class starts.

--

Hikaru Bookish Element of Magic
Ringo Straight talking Element of Honesty (speaks in southern drawl representing
Osaka accent)
Sakura Bubbly Element of Laughter
Katsumi Tomboyish Element of Loyalty
Misaki Motherly senpai Element of Kindness
Ayame Ojou-sama senpai Element of Generosity

--

Part A

It’s now lunch time and Hikaru heads to the cafeteria. She overhears some girls just leaving their PE class that there’s probably a pervert around because some underwear is missing. Just as Hikaru rounds the corner, she spots a small dragon carrying a whole bunch of panties making a turn further down. Taking off her glasses to rub her eyes, she looks again and there doesn’t seem to be anything there. Hikaru rushes down the hallway and again the hallway seems to be empty. Then she happens to look out of the window and a bunch of panties seems to be floating up to the rooftop. She hurries up the stairs to the roof and the bunch of panties is there on the roof, with one pair seemingly floating on its own. Confused, Hikaru happens to try putting on her glasses and the dragon comes into sight once more, investigating the pair in its hands.

Hikaru hurries and grabs the pair out of its hands and starts to lecture the dragon about being a pervert. At first surprised that he was seen, the dragon explains that he’s not a pervert but trying to figure which was the best pair to give to a beautiful girl he likes.

After some introductions Hikaru learns that the dragon’s name is Spike then she gets set to figure out who this mystery girl is and why he would think to give her panties as a present. Spike explains that they girl is a beautiful regal girl that has the most beautiful violet hair. Hikaru figures out that he’s talking about Ayame. He then explains that he overheard some girls talking about the fact that panties are considered precious to a girl. With a sigh, Hikaru presents an alternative approach: write a love letter and put it in Ayame’s locker and meet to confess to her in a romantic spot.

Spike admits that he was going to try telling her up front, but will try Hikaru’s approach, then scampers away.

At the last moment, Hikaru realizes that she’s left alone on the rooftop, with several pairs of panties. “What the heck am I supposed to do with all of these?!”

--

Hikaru Bookish Element of Magic
Ringo Straight talking Element of Honesty (speaks in southern drawl representing
Osaka accent)
Sakura Bubbly Element of Laughter
Katsumi Tomboyish Element of Loyalty
Misaki Motherly senpai Element of Kindness
Ayame Ojou-sama senpai Element of Generosity

--

Part B

Coming home after class and Tea Ceremony club, Hikaru notices a pair of shoes at the entryway. Since her parents should still be at work, she hurries all over the house then finds her brother coming out from the kitchen with a sandwich, nearly running into him.

She wonders what he’s doing home and he wonders why he can’t visit every so often, then proceeds to muss up her hair.

“Stop doing that, Idiot Ken.” Hikaru grumbled. As he heads to grab a seat at the breakfast table, she asks how he knows Himeko Arakawa.

“I just got a job at the studio. I planned to tell mom and dad when they get back from work tonight and...Hey, how’d you know about that?”

“Oh! Uh, my friends told me about it when they visited the tv studio the other day.”

“I don’t know...that sounds a bit sketchy...”

“...it...does...?”

“Yeah...since when do you have friends?”

“What? Hmph. Idiot Ken!”

Hurrying up to her room, Hikaru thinks about how bothersome her brother can be even since he moved out. Grabbing a ratty and poorly made doll from amongst a pile of newer ones, Hikaru hops onto her bed. Then her thoughts return to her conversation with Spike; the fact that even as a creature like the bull that attacked before, he didn’t seem at all that bad. Then she thinks about her glasses and wonders if that is supposed to be her personal item. An idea comes to mind when she thinks she’s figured out what her ability is supposed to be and how she can help the others.

--

Hikaru Bookish Element of Magic
Ringo Straight talking Element of Honesty (speaks in southern drawl representing
Osaka accent)
Sakura Bubbly Element of Laughter
Katsumi Tomboyish Element of Loyalty
Misaki Motherly senpai Element of Kindness
Ayame Ojou-sama senpai Element of Generosity

---

Episode 3

Intro

Meeting at a cafe, Hikaru learns that the girls often go on “patrols” based on the predictions made by Himeko about the appearances of beasts that will attack. Somewhat excited, Hikaru brings up the fact that she thinks she found her personal item and ability and explains that she was able to see Spike using her glasses.

Ayame is at first disturbed that Hikaru put herself into danger by talking to a creature; when Hikaru tries to counter that Spike didn’t seem harmful Ayame stresses that none of them are to be trusted. Ayame then explains how being able to adjust how perceptive one is to magic is one of the basic abilities, bringing up the fact that Katsumi should have demonstrated that. Hikaru remembers Katsumi changing her hair to a normal color (episode 1 part A)

Ringo, irritated by how harsh Ayame was toward Hikaru, points out that she shouldn’t be acting all “high and mighty.” Ignoring Ringo, Ayame then breaks the group into three:

Hikaru & Ringo
Katsumi, Misaki & Sakura
Ayame on her own.

--

Hikaru Bookish Element of Magic
Ringo Straight talking Element of Honesty (speaks in southern drawl representing
Osaka accent)
Sakura Bubbly Element of Laughter
Katsumi Tomboyish Element of Loyalty
Misaki Motherly senpai Element of Kindness
Ayame Ojou-sama senpai Element of Generosity

--

Part A

On their patrol, Hikaru learns a bit more about Ringo, how she’s from Osaka and works in a grocery store though her family lives in the country. When asked about the others Ringo says she good friends with most and lists off the schools they go to: she and Katsumi go to the some one, Sakura actually goes to a pretty prestigious private school (which is very somber and not fun) and knows that Hikaru, Misaki and Ayame go to the same one. When asked about Ayame in particular, Ringo says she's not in the mood and says only that she's known Ayame for "much longer than she wished she did." She then explains a bit about personal items. That a personal item is something that you treasure or have strong feelings toward. The personal item gives a passive ability; Ringo guesses that Hikaru’s glasses may or may not be a personal item, although it did allow her to give some focus to see Spike when he was wandering about the school.

An attribute on the other hand is something that has to do with their respective Element. However, before she can explain this, Ringo gets a phone call: Misaki is on the other end, saying that Sakura had sensed creatures arriving soon and said that they should all meet up.

--

Hikaru Bookish Element of Magic
Ringo Straight talking Element of Honesty (speaks in southern drawl representing
Osaka accent)
Sakura Bubbly Element of Laughter
Katsumi Tomboyish Element of Loyalty
Misaki Motherly senpai Element of Kindness
Ayame Ojou-sama senpai Element of Generosity

--

Part B

When the two of them get to Ayame, Sakura, Misaki and Katsmi, (“Oh, late again, are we?” “Lay off it, Ayame.” “That’s Ayame-san!”) off in the distance is a group of monkey-like creatures. Ayame then directs the group to intercept and then brings Hikaru to a rooftop to be safe and watch.

“But...senpai, I can help!”

“Hikaru-san...you've yet to properly understand what a personal item is supposed to be, correct?”

“...y-yes...”

“Good. Then I want you to watch and learn, Hikaru-san.”

Ayame then leaps off the roof like it’s nothing then from her vantage point Hikaru watches everyone be a badass.

Sakura is bouncing around and tricking the monkeys, managing to defeat three of them

Katsumi is able to outrun and out jump two, taking even a third one at the same time with a high fall kick

Misaki is able to summon a barrier while Ringo gets a few with her pistols.

However, Hikaru is amazed to see Ayame take on a dozen on her own, using the gem projectiles.

However a few get through and start attacking Ayame head on but she is unharmed when Ringo arrives, shooting the monkeys away. They initially start to argue, Ayame saying Ringo shouldn't leave Misaki alone though Ringo counters that Katsumi and Sakura are with her then Ringo points out that Ayame shouldn't take on that many enemies on her own but Ayame she was doing just fine.

Without even looking the two of them manage to take care of the other monkeys still attacking. Then a bunch of them join together to form a large gorrilla. Ayane and Ringo pause their in-fighting and take on the remaining monkeys then the gorrilla. Ayane throws out a few gems though the gorrilla smacks them away before they explode. Ringo shoots at it but none of them seem to do any damage against its tough looking hide. Then Ayane throws out the remaining gems she has seemingly at random. Ringo lets out a shot before her pistols dissipate. The bullet bounces off each of the gems, causing them to explode in a bright fashion, distracting the gorrilla until the bullet bounces off the last one and ricochets right into its mouth, vanquishing it.

Once they meet up where Hikaru is waiting, Ayame asks if Hikaru has a better understanding of what personal items are supposed to be like.

Hikaru is too astounded for words and nods. Then Ayame surprises her by bowing and apologizing for her behavior from earlier. Hikaru is a bit frazzled by this but accepts the apology, saying sorry for having her senpai do such a thing. Sakura-led group laughter ensues. Ayame then turns toward Ringo and apologizes, Ringo accepts.

--

Hikaru Bookish Element of Magic
Ringo Straight talking Element of Honesty (speaks in southern drawl representing
Osaka accent)
Sakura Bubbly Element of Laughter
Katsumi Tomboyish Element of Loyalty
Misaki Motherly senpai Element of Kindness
Ayame Ojou-sama senpai Element of Generosity

--

Episode 4

Introduction

The girls are at the TV studio meeting with Himeko to go over what’s happened lately with the last few patrols. While some free food is set out (Sakura and Katsumi don’t hesitate to pig out while the rest are a bit more restrained) they’re looking at a map of the city and noting where they’ve patrolled, where they came into contact with creatures and when.

Himeko admits that she doesn’t yet see a pattern but that the girls are doing a good job nonetheless. Himeko then talks a bit with Hikaru about her abilities but then Ringo and Ayame break out into another argument.

While everyone plays it off as something that always happens, Hikaru is a bit more worried.

--

Hikaru Bookish Element of Magic
Ringo Straight talking Element of Honesty (speaks in southern drawl representing
Osaka accent)
Sakura Bubbly Element of Laughter
Katsumi Tomboyish Element of Loyalty
Misaki Motherly senpai Element of Kindness
Ayame Ojou-sama senpai Element of Generosity

--

Part A

Hikaru is on another patrol, this time paired with Misaki and they’re walking through the park. Hikaru thinks back at their meeting with Himeko at the studio and about how Ringo and Ayame often argue. She then realizes that she knows next to nothing about Misaki and tries to break the ice with her quiet senpai. Nothing seems to work, but then Hikaru spots Spike up ahead on the trail sneaking up to steal some food from an unsuspecting couple on a picnic.

Without hesitating Hikaru hurries up and grabs Spike, playing off the way she looked to the couple and hurrying around a hedge grove. She lectures Spike a bit, who apologizes then Misaki catches up. She too tells Spike that he shouldn't do that and Hikaru figures out that they’re already acquainted.

Hikaru then learns that her, Ringo, Ayame were the first of the group to find out about the Elements and the fight against Discord and then Sakura and Katsumi were involved later on. Hikaru senses that Misaki is leaving something out but doesn’t press the issue. Misaki reveals that Ayame and Ringo are childhood friends and though they may fight a lot, its never been serious.

Spike then complains that Ayame won’t give him the time of day, much less give him an opportunity to confess that he likes her. Misaki comforts him and says that things like that take time. Saying that he understands now, he scampers off.

Out of sight from the girls, Spike reports to a young woman dressed as a maid. “Alright, here’s what I found out about the new girl. Her name’s Hikaru, and...”
--

Hikaru Bookish Element of Magic
Ringo Straight talking Element of Honesty (speaks in southern drawl representing
Osaka accent)
Sakura Bubbly Element of Laughter
Katsumi Tomboyish Element of Loyalty
Misaki Motherly senpai Element of Kindness
Ayame Ojou-sama senpai Element of Generosity

--

Part B

Hikaru is on her way home from the patrol, wondering about her glasses and if she’ll figure out not simply her attribute but if she’ll ever manage to become a pony again. Not to mention wondering what all the other girls look like in their pony forms.

Just as she’s thinking that, a silver haired pony dressed in a wizard’s robe and hat crosses the street and disappears into an alleyway. Curious, Hikaru follows the pony as it walks from alley to alley until reaching a neighborhood and into a western-style victorian house. Entirely focused on following the blue pony, Hikaru enters as well, walking through the house until she recognizes the faces of the portraits and pictures inside; its that of her class rep, Eri.

Eri reveals herself carrying and stroking the silver haired pony’s mane, as it looks just as snobbish and the proud as the girl. Eri announces that she’s surprised by who she managed to catch in her trap.

Hikaru asks what’s going on and Eri gives a half answer saying that Hikaru passed her test. That “none of the others ever once noticed my precious Trixie walking about” and she gives her approval. Hikaru doesn’t very much care for the approval and asks aloud what Eri is doing with a pony. “Hmph. Of course your precious Princess Celestia hasn’t told you everything. But you’ll find out soon enough.” Combing her free hand through her hair, Eri’s hair then turns the same silver as that as the pony’s. “But you and I are different, Hikaru-san. It’ll only be a matter of time before the rest of them find that out.”

Before Hikaru could press for a clearer answer, Eri says that her maid Tsukiko will show her out. Turning around Hikaru realizes that a young woman had appeared behind her without her knowing it and is escorted out. The maid, who doesn’t speak with Hikaru, gives a polite bow before closing the door.

Hikaru unable to understand what’s going on, heads home with a seed of doubt now sown.