The end is nigh...

I saw the trailer for the Friendship is Magic Season 9 premiere, and I have to admit that it's made me extremely depressed. Well, even more depressed than I usually am.

I know that logically, no show can go on forever, nor should it; I'd much rather see FiM end properly, on a high note, than continue plodding on for a couple decades like The Simpsons. I know that logically, I'll be able to stream the show on Netflix for a while, and I'll be sure to get Season 8 and 9 DVD box sets when they come out, as well as whatever EqG specials they put out, so I'll always be able to watch the show even years after it's over. I know that logically, FiMFiction isn't going away any time soon, that the stories I enjoy will still be here, that writers will continue to write stories and artists will continue to draw ponies for years to come.

Knowing all that, however, doesn't stop me feeling heartbroken from seeing this show I love so much finally end. For a long time now, My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic has brought me some measure of joy in a life that just doesn't feel worth living. I began watching the show on Netflix sometime between Season 2 and Season 3, because I had seen online how this show originally meant for little girls had become a big part of pop culture. I originally started watching out of curiosity, and I was surprised to see such high quality writing and an iconic art style from a show meant to sell toys to little girls.

Lauren Faust did a phenomenal job when she created Friendship is Magic. Her goal was to make a show for girls that WASN'T girly; she wanted to make a show for girls that featured interesting stories, a show that revolved around a group of strong, independent female characters with many different personalities. She did such a great job creating a colorful and magical world featuring interesting stories and characters that it drew in fans far beyond anything that she or Hasbro had planned. I doubt anyone working on the show way back when had ever thought that MLP could suddenly become huge in pop culture the way it has, to the point where Rule 85 of the Internet states that if it exists, there is a pony of it.

On top of wonderful characters and stories were the amazing songs written by the composer Daniel Ingram, who did such a fantastic job. The songs throughout the show--but especially those early years--not only worked for the episode plot, but were also wonderful to listen to by themselves. I'm sure the moment you read the words "Winter Wrap Up" you begin to hear the tune play in your head, and you can sing the song almost word-for-word without looking up the lyrics.

One other thing to mention is the writing quality even after Lauren Faust left, as well as the writers' focus on continuity. The writers have done such a wonderful job not only with the stories they've written, but also with their world-building; throughout the show, we've seen these characters celebrate various events and holidays, we've learned of a rich history including the founding of Equestria, and we've seen them travel throughout the nation and beyond, which has made the world of Equestria feel like a living, breathing place. On top of that, their dedication to continuity means that our beloved mane 6 have genuine character development; they learn lessons, they grow as people, and they fulfill their dreams! Other shows have the characters remain static in both thinking and situation, and each episode is essentially a reset as if the episodes before it never happened, yet FiM has done a great job with their continuity.

When I first started watching FiM, I wasn't in a good place in my life; I was stuck in a dead-end retail job because my college degree was made useless after the economic collapse of 2008 (even now that degree isn't worth much), and after a life filled with pain I just couldn't stand considering the idea that I'd have gone through all that suffering for nothing. At first, FiM was this nice little show I would watch, or listen to on the TV while I did things on my computer; it wasn't anything life-changing for me back then, just a delightful, magical thing that helped me keep my mind off my troubles.

It wasn't until around Season 3 or after that one author I followed online posted FiM fanfics on their website, and I was drawn fully into the fandom as I was introduced by them to FiMFiction and the artistic tributes to the show. I began reading fanfics and looking at art, and I was impressed by the many ideas the show inspired in these creators as they wove intricate tales both within the world of Equestria and outside of it, all centered around the beloved characters we've come to know. I began reading fanfics and really getting into the fandom, falling in love not only with the mane 6 but also the various background ponies that were regularly on the show.

By the time Season 5 (episodes 1-13) came on Netflix, I definitely considered myself a brony, and I watched through the whole series a couple times as I waited for the second half of Season 5 to come out. It was around this time that I decided to contribute to the world of Equestria with a fanfic of my own; My Little Pony: Small Town Life, a story that begins in Season 5. I have worked hard to make it as canon-compatible as possible so that I could say I was adding to Equestria, and while my stories will need a little bit of editing due to things learned from Q&As and later seasons, I can honestly say that I'm proud of myself and what I've done so far. I know that there are quite a few slice of life stories out there revolving around OCs in Ponyville, but I think I've done a better job than most with a focus on backstories and logical reasons for things such as Silver Streak's reason for moving to that beloved pony town.

Which brings us to today; MLP:FiM is going to be ending this year, closing out with 26 episodes to wrap up the show. I truly hope that they make this final season something that the show deserves, and that it ends beautifully. I have never loved anything like I have grown to love Friendship is Magic, and I doubt I ever will. FiM has become a beacon of light in a world of darkness, a bit of goodness that has helped me live on even when it hurts, and I just don't know what I'll do when the show is over. I read MLP fanfics just about every single day on my phone, I chat with other fans on Discord regularly, and I've just come to expect a new season of fun and adventures every year until now. Once the show's over, I worry that the fandom will disappear, and this beautiful thing I love will just turn to dust.

I hope that Gen 5, which is coming in a couple years, turns out to be just as good as Gen 4, but I doubt it will be. I hear they're going to change those beloved characters, ponies we've all grown to know and love, and they'll exist in a brand new world. I love Equestria, and I love Twilight Sparkle and her friends, and I am going to miss seeing them going on new adventures in that beautiful, magical world we've all come to adore. Even if Season 9 ends perfectly, even if it's a satisfying end to 9 years of pony, it's still going to be sad to see it go.

But I'll still be here.

I'm not going to stop being a brony just because Friendship is Magic ends this year. I'm not going to stop being a brony even if Gen 5 turns out to be bad! I will carry the fire of friendship within my heart for the rest of my life, even if no one else does! To that end, I'm going to knuckle down and really get back into writing again, not only for Small Town Life but the various other ideas I've got in my head. Throughout the years, I've written down ideas I've gotten from both the show, other fanfics, and just out of the ether, which adds up to over 50 stories both one-shots and multi-chapter tales!

So stick around people, because it's time I got back on the horse (or pony, in this case) and get back to writing. Even ten years after FiM has ended, I'll probably still be here writing, and reading stories of other fantastic writers who have been inspired by the beautiful, magical world of Equestria.

From now, until the end of my days, I will always be a brony, and I will never forget Equestria and all the ponies who live in it.