Highlights from BronyCon 2019: The Final BronyCon Grand Galloping Gala

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Highlights from BronyCon 2019: The Final BronyCon Grand Galloping Gala

In which son_of_heaven176 sees yet another BronyCon engagement, fails to spot two fellow Discord users, and watches the coronation of the Queen of Equestria.

Friday, August 2, 2019: The Second Day of the Final BronyCon

After switching into my formal wear, I headed to the Mane Events Hall, where they were holding the Grand Galloping Gala this year. (Recall that, for whatever reason, the con staff only booked half of the space that they booked for BronyCon 2018. They clearly didn’t anticipate the surge of people that would come upon the announcement that BronyCon 2019 would be the final BronyCon.)

This year’s Grand Galloping Gala was quite interesting. The premise was that the Pony of Shadows and Queen Chrysalis tricked Twilight Sparkle into casting a spell that scattered the Mane Six throughout time and space. It was up to Spike, Starlight Glimmer, and Sunset Shimmer (who was invited to this year’s Gala from the human world) to travel throughout the alternate realities and bring everyone together.

As usual, the skits were quality. The Mane Six were transported into all sorts of worlds, including a fighting game, an action movie, and a magical-girl anime. (And of course, easily-impressionable Fluttershy becomes a fangirl, complete with the requisite knowledge of a Japanese word or two.)

During one of the dance breaks, a Thorax cosplayer went onstage. He clarified that he was not part of the show, but that he had an important announcement to make. He then went on to extol the virtues of his girlfriend, who was in the audience. He then asked the girlfriend (who was cosplaying as Dragon Lord Ember) to come to the stage. You can guess what happened next. “Ember, will you marry me?”

Of course, she said yes.

The happy couple.

Now during the Gala, I was looking for someone from the Brony D&D Discord group. He goes by the screenname “Mind’s Eye,” and he plays the Orzhov cleric Gregor Morlan in joshscorcher’s Ravnica D&D session The Living Maze. He had mentioned in the Discord group’s BronyCon 2019 chat that he was going to be at the Gala. However, no matter how hard I looked, I couldn’t find him. Alas.

Dark Wind was also in attendance at the Gala. He had gotten ahold of some formal wear and had intended to be there as a surprise. But alas, he did not try to get my attention, and he, too, slipped my notice.

Returning to the Gala itself, Starlight, Sunset, and Spike went through the different dimensions, and there was wit and humor along the way. (Yet another Brony D&D Discord user, who watched the livestream of the Gala, commented thus: “Watching the Gala stream on Twitch and seeing Discord do “You’ll Be Back” from Hamilton is something I never knew I needed until now”.)

In time, the Mane Six were reunited, the forces of evil were thwarted, and poor Twilight Sparkle (who was down on herself since the mess was partly her fault) was reassured with a rousing rendition of “You Will be Found” from Dear Evan Hansen.

And then, the finale. Celestia and Luna arrived on stage and announced that they would be stepping down from rulership of Equestria in favor of Twilight, who has shown herself time and again to be a capable leader. And before the Princesses could make the announcement, Spike asked to do the honors himself.

And so he did, presenting to one and all Her Majesty, Queen Twilight Sparkle of Equestria.

After that, the con staff lauded the actors for their tireless work in pulling off the Grand Galloping Gala year after year.

After that, it was over. Everybody filtered out of the Mane Events Hall, and after I arrived at my hotel room, I found out that Dark Wind had actually been there.

And thus ends the Highlights for Day 2 of the Final BronyCon. And not a moment too soon, as the real high point of the convention was about to come.

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