Writer's Recap: In Defense / Friends and Strangers

I did very little revision to "In Defense" because in the grand scheme of things, it’s not really that important, outside of serving to transition from one scene to another. It just sort of happened.

I also wanted Pinkie Pie to say “Sha-zam.” I admit that matters for a lot more than it really should.

"Friends and Strangers" is another matter. Through this trilogy, Driftwood has served two important purposes. The first is, of course, as the source of conflict in both The Unicorn and the Stranger and The Stranger Among Friends. The second is as a way to overcome conflicts, which is especially important here since he is not the main character.

The exact relationship between Twilight and Driftwood was easy for me to figure out: It’s a trust relationship, even if it’s not built on especially harmonious foundations. The exact nature of that trust has been a bit fluid, however. Originally, Twilight viewed it through the lens of mutual assured destruction: They both had something that wanted that the other could take away at any time, and either of them taking that action would deny them what they wanted (and would likely damage their relationship with Rarity irreparably). This trust will evolve over the course of the story.

This may or may not be a social commentary.