Friendship is Card Games: Uprooted · 11:33am Apr 14th, 2019
I’m not going to say anything above the fold. This one’s pretty much a spoiler minefield.
I will say that I’ve been biting my tongue all week. I saw the Tree endow the Student Six with the last of its power in an earlier trailer, and it was pretty clear where that was going, especially when I heard that it would be the very next episode following the premiere.
Hey, I’m trying to avoid spoilers, but when the promos throw the things at me, I’m going to pay attention.
It says something that I didn’t realize the opening was a dream until Ocellus rushed in. Given what we’ve seen in “Newbie Dash,” getting inducted into the Wonderbolts really does just consist of an announcement and a superhero landing.
Also, this does raise the question of whether Luna watches over the dreams of nonponies.
For goodness sake, Sandbar. I’ve met background ponies more interesting than you.
Nice touch with the Spirit of Harmony flickering like she’s having reception issues. Plants don’t die quickly, but I can’t imagine she has much in the tank at the moment.
Wow, you don’t have to buy your own supplies at the School of Friendship? Sweet deal.
Also, this wasn’t just Twilighting. It was Twilighting over highlighting.
Twilight warns her students about the increased danger of the Everfree… which never shows itself. Including when Gallus makes a freaking tourist trap out of the place. (I’m also kind of disappointed that Star Swirl didn’t boggle vacantly at these shenanigans.)
“That not bring Tree back.” Yona understands vengeance isn’t justice.
“Is it working?” Shut up, Sandbar.
Wow. Surprisingly assertive Thorax. Also surprisingly Kirby-like Ocellus. Down special isn’t the answer to all your problems, dear.
That said, good to see Thorax be a reasonable authority figure. The permission slip montage does feel more like time filler than anything, but it’s reasonable time filler.
That said, Smolder’s trial by claw wrestling was pretty darn fantastic. (Also, Ember is apparently the legal guardian of all molted juvenile dragons. Gallus probably went for the adult he knew was most likely to sign something quickly to get him to leave.)
Yaks best at buttering up. With yak butter!
This is probably far from the first time Silverstream’s family has just smiled and nodded at whatever she rambled about.
God. Damn it. Sandbar. You finally get a personality, and it’s being the literal worst.
Gallus confirmed for fan fiction author. He’s not going to let canon get in the way of his Tree origin story, and neither should you. Truly an inspiration to us all. (Seriously, between his wanting to make the Tree’s cave into a museum and the triplicate permission slips, he’s basically Twilight from the wrong side of the tracks.)
Sorry, Yona. They’re still juggling idiot balls. Give it until the end of Act 3. (And hey, at least it isn’t the Mane Six doing the juggling this time.)
The Tree already lies within the stone. Smolder just has to finish scraping away the superfluous material.
Nice to see a callback to the feelings forum.
You know you’ve messed up when the yak has to be the voice of reason. Though I do like how yaks’ smash-intensive culture has led to them accepting the transitory state of existence.
Guys, you never asked what Sandbar did with the remains of the Tree. You have reasons to be mad at him, but that isn’t one of them.
It feels vaguely morbid to build a treehouse out of the remains of a quasideific entity. Eh, if it’s good enough for Odin, it’s good enough for these kids.
Uh, the Elements weren’t bisected. They freaking shattered. No idea how they came out this clean unless the fix-stuff-up montage has been reassembling them in and of itself. Which is admittedly quite possible.
In keeping with this being the final season, it’s nice how there’s a message of letting go and not hanging on so desperately to what was lost that you forget why it was special in the first place. (It’s a bit undercut by the message to immediately admire the shiny new version that replaces it, but at the end of the day, this is still a twenty-two minute toy commercial. 
)
“Hey Silverstream, I think that’s wrong.” 
Yona use pronoun!
(But seriously, I have heard actual high school plays that sounded better than that song.)
And so, five seasons after that particular plot thread got abandoned, they finally finished refurbishing the Castle of the Two Sisters.
But yes, rumors of the Tree’s death have been… mildly exaggerated. Still, the same spirit’s manifesting, so I’d say this is recuperation rather than reincarnation. Good to see Sparkalon won’t have to say goodbye to her mother quite yet.
I do have to wonder why the spirit of the Tree hasn’t made itself known to Twilight yet. I suppose there might be just the tiniest bit of resentment about the whole “you keep pulling out my organs” thing.
In all, as I said, this was an idiot ball juggling act, though the students do only have one year of friendship lessons under their collective belts and are just coming back from summer vacation. That first week back is review for a reason. 
In all seriousness, this could’ve been handled better, and arguably should have been handled later in the season in order to give some proper weight to the Tree’s destruction, but I am terribly biased in favor of getting the Tree back on her roots as soon as possible. Sparkalon’s too young to be an orphan, darn it! (Also, read Dragon Turtle's comment below, because it is a thing of genius.)
Now, onto my own memorials:
Mount Aris Wonderbolt 3W
Creature — Hippogriff Soldier
Flying
Mount Aris Wonderbolt has first strike as long as you control a Pegasus.
“If you can stay in formation, I don’t care if you’re a hippogriff or a buffalo.”
—Spitfire, Wonderbolt captain
3/1
Transitory Existence 4WWW
Sorcery
Destroy all nonland permanents.
Suspend 2 — 2WW (Rather than cast this card from your hand, you may pay 2WW and exile it with two time counters on it. At the beginning of your upkeep, remove a time counter. When the last is removed, cast it without paying its mana cost.)
Museum Guide 2U
Creature — Griffin Advisor
Flying
Whenever you cast a historic spell, create a colorless Treasure token with “T, Sacrifice this artifact: Add one mana of any color.” (Artifacts, legendaries, and Sagas are historic.)
“Be sure to visit the gift shop.”
1/3
One With Harmony 4U
Sorcery
Reveal the top six cards of your library. For each color, choose a card of that color revealed this way. Put the chosen cards into your hand and the rest on the bottom of your library.
Mastering the lessons of the Elements makes for an inner strength rivaling the Tree’s.
Crushing Walls 3BB
Enchantment
At the beginning of each player’s upkeep, if that player controls the most creatures or is tied for the most, they sacrifice a creature.
“At least they don’t have spikes on them.”
—Daring Do
Hauler Vespid 7B
Creature — Insect
Improvise (Your artifacts can help cast this spell. Each artifact you tap after you're done activating mana abilities pays for 1.)
Flying
When Hauler Vespid enters the battlefield, return up to one target artifact creature card and up to one target nonartifact creature card from your graveyard to your hand.
3/3
Cavern Impressionist 2RR
Creature — Hippogriff Shaman
Flying
Landfall — Whenever a land enters the battlefield under your control, exile the top card of your library. If that land is a Mountain, exile the top two cards of your library instead. You may cast nonland cards exiled this way this turn.
2/1
Three-Point Landing 2RR
Sorcery
Target creature you control deals damage equal to its power to each other creature without flying and each planeswalker.
“Very rough on the knees.”
—Pinkie Pie, Bearer of Laughter
Claw Wrestle 3R
Sorcery
Gain control of target creature until end of turn. Untap that creature. It gains haste until end of turn. Clash with an opponent. If you win, that creature gets +2/+0 and gains trample until end of turn. (Each clashing player reveals the top card of their library, then puts that card on the top or bottom. A player wins if their card had a higher converted mana cost.)
Snowplow Yak 3R
Creature — Ox Warrior
Snowplow Yak can’t be blocked by creatures with defender.
”Wall? What wall? You mean bump yak hit half-mile back?”
4/3
Everfree Sightseer 1G
Creature — Pony Scout
When Everfree Sightseer enters the battlefield, look at the top four cards of your library. You may reveal a land card from among them and put it into your hand. Put the rest on the bottom of your library in any order.
Some ponies live for danger. Some just want to take pictures of it.
1/1
Historical Preservation 1G
Enchantment
Cards in graveyards can’t be the targets of spells or abilities.
Whenever a card is put into your graveyard from anywhere, you gain 1 life.
“At least Griffonstone keeps its history. Ponies pave over it.”
—Gallus, friendship student
Inheritor Sapling 1G
Creature — Plant
Defender
1G, Exile a land card from your graveyard: Put a +1/+1 counter on Inheritor Sapling.
As long as Inheritor Sapling’s power is 4 or greater, it can attack as though it didn’t have defender.
1/3
Rebuilding Efforts 2G
Enchantment
G: Put target card in your graveyard on the bottom of your library. If there are no cards in your graveyard, transform Rebuilding Efforts.
United in purpose, the students did what the Bearers couldn’t bear to.
Palace of Harmony
Legendary Land
When this permanent transforms into Palace of Harmony, you may shuffle your library.
T: Add G.
2GG, T: Return target card from your graveyard to your hand.
From that morbid base, the Tree flourished anew.
Weeping Basilisk 3GG
Creature — Basilisk
Deathtouch
Morbid — When Weeping Basilisk enters the battlefield, if a creature died this turn, you may have Weeping Basilisk fight target creature an opponent controls.
Its tears aren’t a sign of mourning, but of hunger.
3/4
Memorial of Harmony 5
Legendary Artifact
All permanents have hexproof and indestructible.
Any player may activate Memorial of Harmony's activated abilities.
Memorial of Harmony's activated abilities can target permanents with hexproof as though those permanents didn't have hexproof.
2: Target permanent loses indestructible until end of turn.
2: Target permanent loses hexproof until end of turn.
Lithoform WU
Instant
Until end of turn, target creature becomes an Elemental with base power and toughness 0/2, loses all abilities, and gains indestructible.
“Be yourself. Unless you can be a rock. Then be a rock.”
—Maud Pie, Ro.D.
Cling to Life (wb)(wb)
Instant
When target creature or planeswalker dies or is put into exile this turn, return that card to the battlefield under its owner’s control.
“I’m not dead yet.”
—The Tree of Harmony
Dragon Sculptor 2UR
Creature — Dragon Artificer
Flying
4UR: Target artifact you control becomes a 4/4 Dragon creature with flying until end of turn. It’s still an artifact.
“It’s easy. I just take off the parts that don’t look like a dragon.”
2/2
Of course not! That would suggest non-ponies can think.
Never write these words again. :')
Did you know Hussie started releasing the HS epilogues yesterday?
-GM, master of mail.
After several years of training with them, working your way first into, and then up the reserve list, and having a spot on the roster open up, yeah. I still don't get what the big deal people have with that is.
Yeah, given she only really rules over Equestria, I could see that being a reason she wouldn't, at least when they are at home, but does she look after them while they are n her kingdom? If not, could she still have shown up by popping into Sandbar's dream while they were all connected? Or was Sparkle Twilight doing something that would have kept her out?
And it gave us another MLP version of a meme.
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I know! That was... surprisingly effective and works far better then it should have. Though does beg the 'chicken or egg' question of which caused which. Is the penchant for smashing all the things what causes them to better accept nothing lasts forever, or is an existence in the cold, bitter northlands where life is hard what caused them to come to grips with that, and so lead to smashing as a way to express and always remember this fact?
Eh, mid-life crisis, you get a face lift, a bit of a nip and tuck, you know how it is.
Plus are all pretty much teenagers, and we all know those creatures are always fully rationale and calm, especially after and when dealing with major loss. Which also fits with Yona being the only one to actually do that, given what we learned of how her culture accepts loss.
Eh, yeah execution could have been better, but the heart was in the right place. Now to see where this all goes. Maybe the new treehouse becomes the last hideout where the heroes regroup after Grogar's Legion of Doom starts their take over?
This was a nice episode; the permission slip thing was fun bit of filler, and I loved the different takes every one of the Student Six had about the tree.
Also, while Twilight is not the type to covet her neighbor's tree, I bet more than a few Ponyville residents wish Namepending Castle looked more like the new Treehouse of Harmony, for the sake of property values and skyline.
Which is why I made this
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I let out an audible “Oohhhh” when he said he'd gotten rid of the Tree's remains. But then I smiled because of course the earth pony wants to plant a new tree to replace the old one. Still, if Sandbar had his way, the Tree of Harmony never would have regenerated.
Ever since “What Lies Beneath,” I've thought that if the Young Six had a leader, it should be Gallus. He's the one who thinks outside the box and comes up with the most ideas. Gallus for Element of Magic!
I thought so too, but apparently that's exactly what the Tree wanted. Maybe it's no different from growing new plants from cuttings . . . And now I'm imagining every house in Ponyville with a mini Tree of Harmony in their yards.
After spending so much time with ponies, she's bound to start picking up their dialect sooner or later. And yeah, maybe it's just me, but the quality of songs has gone down in the last couple of seasons.
Overall this was a low-key episode, but it was hardly filler. And at this stage, it's less frustrating to watch the Young Six (excepting Yona) act like idiots than the Mane Six. I don't know if I'll want to re-watch this episode too often except for the ending, but it wasn't a bad episode.
I had more fun reading this blog than I did watching the episode, which says something.
I can't be the only one who realizes that these kids are suppose to be the fandom, right?
Silverstream is the artists all over Deviantart and the Equestria Daily Drawfriends. Smoulder is in that same vein, but is less concerned with expressing herself, and more with leaving an impression on people. In our community, she would have chased Horse Fame, and would be perturbed as to why Pony videos don't get so many views as they use to.
Gallus has the mindset of a reviewer and analyst who wants to sort everything out and detail for everyone to understand. His tendency to critique and adjust the story of the tree also reminds me of people here on FimFiction, trying to keep everything fitting in a consistent tone and continuity ("Yeah, but mine makes more sense.") Of course, all the set up that went into his museum could be compared to creating a convention. Since he is the closest thing the Student Six have to a leader, it's fitting he would be given the role of some of our community figureheads.
While Gallus has taken the "egghead" route this episode, the scholarly Ocellus takes a philosophical perspective, venerating the moral lessons that the show Tree sincerely communicates. That's not to say that she's been displaced from her preferred role though; living through the Changeling Renaissance has imparted on her the importance of principled leadership. She reminds me of the really bright spots in our fandom, like Sprocket Doggingsworth and her series "Help! My Heart is Full of Pony!” available on FimFiction and Tumblr. Or some of the panels I’ve attended at conventions like “Joining the Herd,” or “the Psychology of Ponies” by Fiaura the Tank Girl.
Sandbar growing a replacement immediately equates to the people watching who will themselves grow into their own show runners, just like Lauren Faust 35-odd years ago. He can also represent other long-term, high-effort media projects like documentaries, Fallout Equestria, Lullaby For a Princess, or Fighting is Magic.
Rounded out by Yona, a fan who is a mostly passive audience member with little online presence. Who only makes a profile on FimFiction or DeviantArt for the sake of leaving affirmative comments (and to view mature content). Conventions act as a high point of socializing because of limited ability to form bonds online. They’re just baffled at how such drama can occur in a community of ostensibly like-minded fans.
I was only able to watch about a third of this episode before the Livestreams I tried started crapping out, and I just gave up. I caught it on Dailymotion a few hours later, but I had heard that this was just a retread of Castle Sweet Castle. Instead it was young minds debating the virtues of mediums, and the intent behind communication of history and ideals. Since this is a website OF fan creations, I think we should able to read a TON into these characters based on their approaches. I’m surprise people aren’t more touched by this.
Sandbar is in many ways the inverse of the other Student Six: They exist to show there's more to those other species than what prejudice will have you believe. Sandbar, on the other hand, is like an avatar of what other species think ponies are: Uninteresting and spoiled and unaware of either. At least he got to be useful last season's finale.
Maybe his family sent him to Twilight's School because he's so... I don't know. Insultingly chill, except for First Pony World Problems? I mean, in his time there, he managed to befriend only really every non-pony student there and Cozy Glow, apparently.
Well, to be fair, would any pony authority stop you if you had a permission slip from Princess Celestia?
Actually, Gallus seemed prepared to say more about the matter than Gruff was ready to hear. Gandpa Gruff was also the one who introduced Gallus at the school. Perhaps he's not his biological grandfather, but he seemed somewhat concerned for the bird. Maybe they do care for each other, inasmuch as Griffons can..?
I was so happy he didn't ask for money there. He's trying to get away from Griffonstone's reputation.
Weeeeell... to be fair, that would be very awkward. Princess Twilight is uncomfortable around pony cosplayers of her. How is she supposed to deal with Treelight Sparklebark (Donut Steele), the pony OC of the Harmony Tree?
I did wonder why Thorax was mad at Ocellus for running off. But he wasn’t mad at Twilight for letting them go into an admittedly more dangerous forest. What the hell was Twilight doing that was more important than being a chaperone for them? Sorting that Highlighter problem?
I was chatting with Oliver about how changelings probably treat nuclear family like they do Hearth’s Warming 'CAROLS CAROLS CAROLS.' Maybe they take turns on who gets to be the wife, husband or foals in their pretend play.
I actually kinda liked the episode… or at least the idea of it. The Student six are cute and have fun personalities. I too of would have liked their ramshackle treehouse exist for awhile with a little sprout of the actual tree of harmony. Maybe have it only grow into a big one for the S9 finale or something, like Groot. But now they get a shiny hotel right up front and early. It must be weird to use the bathroom in the Sparkle Hilton. Every facet in the wall could have a ghostly Twilight image staring at you.
Especially with Sparkle Twilight’s kerpoofing right as Twilight Sparkle pops in at the end. Going by the conversation earlier, noone has told her that the tree of harmony is wearing her face in astral projection. Or is winding roots underneath her friendship school to make torture escape rooms.
It’s important to remember that The Tree of Harmony is still an Everfree tree and is as much Kudzu as anything else in there.
Discord: “You ponies should thank me. Without my plundervines Equestria would have turned into a discoball of crystal by now.”
Alt: “I lived bitch.”
If you meet the Buddha on the road, smash the Buddha.
I dunno, I kinda like the song. Though I ended up singing a part of “No Day But Today” from Rent towards the end.
5044353
Exactly! Although I will say, it took me a tick to realize it was a dream. I was asking myself "How long was the season break in-universe!? I know last season was pretty drastic with the timeskips, but holy crap!"
It was interesting to see that despite being the peppy cuckoo-lander, Silverstream dreams of being an action hero. Another interesting development is with Gallus. He and Smoulder tied for most anti-social of the group in their early stages, and even now he tries to conserve his energy when interacting. But when it's for a job or task at hand, the dude is extremely verbose. There seems to be an inverse relationship with enthusiasm to sincerity. Maybe that's the Griffon huckster culture. I saw a lot of Flim and Flam comparisons.
5044424
Flim and Flam, yes. Though the big difference is, Gallus didn't do it for personal enrichment, he's just so damn proud and happy about finding a group of great friends, being chosen by the Tree and overall finally having a purpose. For an orphan who had nothing and noone, I can understand why. It's the best thing that ever happened to him.
Also, Griffons don't have a huckster culture, they have a money or gtfo culture.
5044391
I never realized that, but that is brilliant. I guess that makes me a Yona.
5044424
Does she really dream of that though? As in "Secret subconscious desire being expressed through her dream" type thing? Keep in mind these were all nightmares, and it quickly morphed into her being more about being tossed into a role and job you have no idea how to do and being expected to perform it in front of an audience.
5044391
I highly doubt that. For one the overall approaches are fairly general and can apply to a number of general situations, for another, that is incredibly limiting, and another... no, not every damn thing is 'really this other totally different thing'. Not every thing ever added to a story that bears even a vague similarity to something else is allegorical. Applicability is a thing.
Ceiling Twilight is watching you.
I quite like the House of Harmony. Between the rounder shapes and the leaves, it looks like everything I wanted Twilight's giant mass of spikes to be. I read some time ago something to the effect that the second take on something is invariably better or more efficient than the first, due to people now having time to look over the first take to see what didn't work like it should have and to new minds tackling the basic premise, and I feel that the Tree Castle and the House here are a good example of that -- the Castle always felt too... cold and sharp, and too detached from the visual concept of a tree, to really be what I feel it was intended to be. It felt like a crystal castle on top of a giant crystal pillar than anything arboreal, and I think this second structure does a much better job of visually blending a building, a tree and a crystalline base.
(Thorax and Pharynx are another example -- Pharynx's design is a lot more visually cohesive than Thorax's -- but that's another matter.)
On another note: at this point, I'm honestly disinclined to treat the Tree of Harmony, the castle, the new house here and the giant crystal mass beneath the school as separate entities. The impression I'm getting here is that they're more like... extensions or remote terminals of a single thing, that the Tree is the original "core" of it all but that the growth of all the rest is more like it sending out extensions of itself with new interfaces, but still home to a single consciousness.
I think a good way to picture what I'm thinking of is a combination between Pando and a supercomputer -- a single, noncentralized entity with an awareness spread throughout its being and capable of making new arboreal bodies/user interfaces pop up as needed.
5044370
To be fair here, the Tree of Harmony never would have regenerated if any of them had had their way.
Although Silverstream's idea was really pretty, I have to say.
Sandbar isn't a very good earth pony if he thinks that the best place to grow a non-magical tree is deep within a cave.
During the permission slip montage, I felt that Yona's section went on for way too long (especially compared to the others). But during act three, it hit me: The show is trying to demonstrate how these six students demonstrate the elements of harmony, but the writers had to go out of their way to justify how the prideful, smashy yak is actually the element of kindness.
From there, I tried to determine which element applied to each of the others. I checked the beginning of the episode, where Tree of Harmony Twilight Sparkle sends the colored beams to the students, but in that scene, Yona got Applejack's color. The colors in that scene also do not match the colors applied to the students when they glowed near the end of "School Raze," so my current hypothesis is that the artists haven't been told which color goes where.
Silverstream would obviously be the element of laughter (especially because this episode shows her doing just that when she accidentally paints Yona's tail), but I'm having trouble figuring out the other four, even when I take into account the different ideals the elements represented when the original bearers embodied them. Smolder is bluntly honest and Sandbar is probably closest to loyalty. The only innately magical creature is Ocellus, and maybe Gallus is bucking his species' nature by embodying generosity? Somehow?
5044517
In his defense, that apparently worked once before. He was also probably around to see a tree-fortress come out a lock box.
5044517
5044537
Earth Ponies might just be magical enough to grow a tree there anyways.
I do like the approach of seeing if the Student Six line up with the Elements, however, let's not forget, they originally embodied different but related concepts. The new new generation might have its own set or be closer to the older aspects.
Holy Crap, Mom, What the Tartarus II: I thought you were dead dead.
Speaking of the Hauler Vespid, I wish I'd seen that creature before I invented Carry. I envisioned Carry as either ground-bound or a terribly clumsy flier. Though it may be that Ocellus simply has a lot more mana than a low-caste Ling: she can also turn into inanimate objects, which I don't think that most Changelings can do.
5044346
I promise nothing.
5044349
He did?
...
Oh wow, he's going in hard on the metafiction. I already love it. Thanks for the heads-up.
5044367
"Mom says I was a prototype. She also says that doesn't mean I can have a scarf and a riot shield."
5044368
Let's not go crazy. It's not like he's Fleetfoot or anything.
5044353
I don't think I'd have so much of an issue with that abrupt final step if there had been less cringe comedy and general Dash being horrible in the rest of the episode. Compare "Canterlot Boutique," another episode where a member of the Mane Six achieves her lifelong dream before the theme song plays, but that handles her character in a far more positive light.
All excellent questions. I can only imagine the heated negotiations that have gone on since the other nations learned one of the Equestrian leaders can spy on their subconscious minds. It doesn't matter that Luna wouldn't invade the sanctity of a slumbering mind for petty reasons, what matters is that she could.
The conundrum of yak behavior and philosophy is indeed fascinating.
"I have to say, I can't recommend that first plastic surgeon. Though he isn't practicing anymore, so it all works out."
Excellent point on the whole "teenager" thing. Goodness knows I wasn't perfectly rational at that age...
5044370
Seconded. If a bookish loner can become the Princess of Friendship, than an unwanted orphan is practically perfect for the role. (King Gallus the Gregarious?)
Cue Discord looking increasingly horrified as he walks down the street.
There have still been some good ones. I was commenting more on the quality of the singers. I can't help but think that was a case of stretching the only available pony's magic to the limit. The other species aren't designed for spontaneous musical numbers, and Sandbar's only one colt. Background music, choreography, voice lessons: Pick two.
5044391
This is ingenious, especially the one who's least entrenched in any particular subdiscipline bringing together those so deep in their own part of the fandom that they're barely even aware of the others. I've highlighted it in the episode review itself.
That said, I'm clearly in the Gallus camp. Even if I don't do puppet shows.
5044399
Not sure about that first point. Have you seen his family? I'm pretty sure they have the same bit of earth pony magic as Tree Hugger that lets them produce their own cannabinoids.
The second point is certainly interesting, though. Can a pony be so pony that even ponies find them too much to stomach?
At the very least, Gallus is a way for Grandpa Gruff to claim some degree of political relevance.
Agreed. I was expecting him to the whole time. Not because he's a griffon, mind you, but because he was running a museum.
5044417
Thorax seemed more worried about another potential world war than anything. Though the Everfree may not be much worse than the Badlands. At least most of the monsters don't come at you from beneath.
The true seventh Element, the Element of Fiber!
"A mind this sophisticated needs a lot of processing power. I can't exactly apply Moore's Law to my own flesh.
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It's interesting to consider the fundamental themes of the Student Six's dreams: Feeling unprepared in what was supposed to be a moment of triumph, standing on the verge of failure, panicking at the verge of death, sitting paralyzed as everything gets dark, faced with an impossible choice... Their dreams reflect the Tree's own reaction to getting Sombra-blasted.
Granted, Smolder's an outlier, but dragons don't do symbolic dreams.
5044491
A fair assessment at this point, but I personally like the character dynamic I've created too much to abandon it.
As I said in an earlier response, I'm clearly in the Gallus camp.
5044517 5044537
With regards to cultivating a sapling without sunlight, I will note that the cave does have some other plants... though it's possible the Tree of Harmony was their light source.
5044590
At this point, we're up to Holy Crap, Mom IV. I really do need to get back to that concept, though at this point, I'm tempted to wait and see what other surprises the Tree has in store.
5044658
The only other time we've seen a changeling turn into a rock was Thorax in "The Times They Are a Changeling," and that was after basking in the admiration of the Crystal Empire, enjoying Spike's friendship, and involuntarily feeding on Flurry Heart. High-caste exclusivity does seem to be the case for that sort of thing.
Carry is definitely a more elegant solution when you don't have to pay for the Flash assets for diverse changeling body types. Ocellus presents a Super-Powered Robot Meter Maid issue; that degree of intellect and inquisitiveness in what amounts to a beast of burden who can take somewhat complex orders isn't just unnecessary, it's detrimental to performance.
5044745
Sure. I mean, it was a perfectly reasonable conclusion starting out and, well, why fix what ain't broken?
Pharynx pulled the same trick in the beginning of "To Change a Changeling".
"This used to be such a nice neighborhood..."
5044399
Considering also his readiness to go to war over Gallus' disappearance, my impression is that Gruff genuinely cares, and cares deeply, about his proxy family's actual safety and would move mountains if he thought they were in danger, but sees no reason whatsoever to care about what they choose to do with their spare time.
5044743
True. Makes one wonder why they sent him to a Friendship School in the first place, doesn't it? Maybe they're all so
stonedin harmony with the cosmic vibes, they decided on a whim.The show seems to suggest it. The sheer mundaneness of Sandbar's life (outside of what happens with his Nakama) has been a punchline more than once. Though considering his test of character was to choose between finally doing something important or his friends, maybe he's not completely oblivious to it. A tad tragic, that.
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Has anyone explored that dynamic in story form yet? The more I think about it, the more interesting it becomes. Just what is Gruff's deal here? Does he care? Does he not care? Is he just a blowhard, or growing senile and that's where the moodswings come from? Yeah, he apparently at the very least wants to look like he has some political pull (perhaps because no other bird bothers), but he was also the only authority figure who tried to pull their charge away from the school after they were safe.
Ominious voice: "Choose the form of the befriender!"
So. I wonder. Is Princess Twilight Harmony's avatar, or is it the other way round and Twiggles has no idea her quasi-divine portfolio has spawned a self-aware spirit-being doing its best not to show itself to her?
In a way, this would be another reason why Discord enjoys needling Twilight so much. Fluttershy may be his favourite, but Twi is the closest to him in not being quite mortal anymore.
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There are hints that something like a... a Changeling Chosen exists (Choseling?): Namely Pharynx. He looked different from every other Ling from the start and outclassed them in skill by far. By contrast, Thorax didn't look different but was completely unlike them mentally (maybe a throwback to pony ancestors..?) and since they're said to be biological brothers, it makes sense he'd be more than a regular drone.
Also, have you seen how easy it was for Yona to hold that fountain? Yikes. Yaks be scary.
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Hmm, interesting point on the dreams maybe being influenced by the Tree. Though at this point, I'm pretty sure falling to her death is a very common nightmare for Yona, that is one traumatized Yak.
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Five seconds later.
horrorfreaknews.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/0-790x593.jpg
He is the Changatz Lingerach!
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I am confused what this means, are you saying you’ve highlighted my comment on this blog somehow?
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Well, at least Rainbow should be happy. Getting to fight a big monster and all. For that matter, Twilight's probably happier with that choice too than having a gigantic version of herself trample Ponyville while prattling about Friendship.
Yona's showing inconsistent pronoun use. It's "What dragon doing?" or "What hippogriff painting?". Then it's "Gallus, what is this?" Maybe his idea was just so out of left field, her brain had to resort to a personal pronoun.
And as for singing, well, she used both a name and an "I", because it not yak song, but pony song, and conventions must be observed.
Not a great episode, and the song is a very bad first song of the season, but I'm glad they did address the loss of the Tree very soon after the premiere.
Also, it really made me want to read more in your What The Tartarus series :P
One With Harmony is All Suns' Dawn for the library rather than graveyard. Makes sense. (Or back-porting (War of the Spark spoiler) Niv-Mizzet's new ability to the simpler single colours form?)
Cavern Impressionist is awesome and I want it. It's like Seer's Sundial but cheaper to use.
Lithoform's flavour text is magnificent and fantastic. (Though... Ro.D.? I'd expect Ph.R.)