Well... Season eight is over and it was a hell of a ride. Even though you didn’t take part of it directly, it was exciting to watch the end of this journey. So, with this in mind, what do you think about the entire series?
It’s only an excuse to sell more toys. An adorable little one.
It’s embarrassin’, Ah feel dirty around it.
I’m tired of just hearing its name!
It’s junk, first class junk.
It’s a show that makes me cringe, even when I’m sitting here thinking about it.
But it was a great season. I know is not perfect and has some missteps, but it’s still a good show overall. After all the experiences, all the emotions, all those great moments, you think it’s terrible?
You don’t understand us. This show has tortured us in many unimaginable ways.
After years being there, I can say it could have given more, much more.
I sold my genius and trade to the highest bidder; I saw my best years go by.
You haven’t changed your mind in all these years, not even after what happened to one of your friends?!
So, this was another trick to try to reunite us?
Maybe, but the important thing is that you should forget this conflict, right? It could be like in the show.
Guess what? This isn’t a kids TV-show, this is real life! Feelings and emotions doesn’t work here! Nobody forgets what others did to ya!
What do you know for sure? In fact, who are you to say us that?
I’m glad you ask.
The Creator claps twice and suddenly, light bulbs illuminate the scenario, the ponies cover their eyes. Once the light is moderated, the ponies uncover their faces. They’re on a theater main stage, with The Creator at the base and thousands of ponies and persons on the seats, including members from the show staff.
Where are we?
What’s going to happen to us?
It’ll be our end?
I don’t know, this is the first time this has ever happened to us. What are going to do?
Will all this be over?
Calm down, let me explain.
The ponies sit down and listen.
I may not be the most indicated to talk about it, but look at your surroundings. It’s not about you or us, it’s about all the people and ponies who have worked with you all these years and have been your fans for years. Maybe they know more about the impact you have had on all of us. So tell me people and ponies, which impact has left this show on you? How it has influenced you? It has helped you in something? It has changed your life perception? It helped you making friends or perhaps you found the love of your life? Or maybe just a sentence you want to quote? Don’t be afraid, say it.
One by one, some individuals stand up and say aloud their experiences.
I learned about staying positive and what it takes to be a leader.
It taught me to be a bit more honest, to smile more, to believe in bettering myself, to be brave.
Would I say it has changed my life? Not particularly. It has, however changed me as a person, for the better, and for that, I am forever grateful to the show and the creators of said show.
I’ve learned to have a little more faith in people and to try and make friends with people I before never would have associated with for one reason or another. I’ve learned that even something as inconsequential as a shared appreciation for a children’s cartoon is enough to form strong bonds.
I think it’s shown me a lot about what can be done with creative content. There are many decisions that were made in both the running of the franchise and the fandom which were incredibly right.
Change is always possible when friends are by your side to remind you that the bond we forge together from friends, family, relatives, loved ones, etc. can never be severed for friendship carries on through the ages.
I didn’t learn anything.
The mares laugh.
It has helped me stave off my more depressing and suicidal thoughts and has changed a lot of my extremely cynical and misanthropic thoughts. It has also aided me greatly in making friends; before the fandom, I would have only counted maybe two people as good friends but the number has since jumped to five, a substantial feat given my extremely antisocial tendencies.
The mares are speechless.
If these perspectives haven’t convince you yet, I have a last, special surprise for you. You can come in now.
Ink Blot’s family stand up from their corresponding seats, each one in the last row. They approach slowly to the center. Each of the sisters carries one of Ink Blot’s daughters, while UHF carries a projector and a disc.
Proceed.
UHF plugs in the projector and inserts the disc. The main screen is shown on the wall behind the stage. The image shows Ink Blot in bed with a medical ventilator, she has difficulty to speak. The date of the video shows it was recorded months after her incident. The mares, surprised and speechless, turn around to watch it.
What have I learned from MLP? This might sound like a joke, but I’ve learned that friendship truly is magic, especially in a world that has no magic. The show has shown us all how to be better ponies, and it’s united hundreds of thousands, if not a million or more, ponies from all around the world, from all walks of life, both shy and outgoing. The show has pushed people to be generous and kind, to give those a friend when they would otherwise have none. The show has inspired so many to be creative, when they otherwise wouldn’t have been. I think one of my biggest issues I tried to fit in with other ponies just to hang with them. Pretty much I was living a lie for so long and it was easy to mask my emotions. But this show taught me we all have true emotions. But mine are volatile and erratic, I had so much pain and anger and frustration. I remembered how I had to forgive myself for being such a monster. But in the end I have very few friends but they’re close and I’m friends with them because they love me and I love them back. Not because of petty ideals or me trying to pretend just so I can hang around. They are ponies you can count on and they’ll count on you. Maybe I finally have found true friendship. If we take our time, stick together, everything we do will go our way, and if we try, now and forever, no matter what comes next, we’ll be okay.
The disc stops and the screen goes white. The mares look at each other and think about it for a moment, then to the audience.
We understand what are you trying to do, but nothing like this ever happened before. Nobody knows how to take measure to solve this problem. It’s a very delicate matter.
So tell me something, you all knew what to do with your life before joining this show, did you?
The mares don’t speak at all and look at the audience, confused and doubtful. The Creator proceed to snap them out.
In every adventure, you experience new things. None of you knew the answers to the problems you dealt with, don’t you remember?
That’s true! Since we came to this show we knew nothing, so many things happened to us that our hearts beat to their full potential. But because we were in this together, we overcome all types of challenges. At first we wanted to get out of there or do only what we supposed to do, but thanks to that, I got many experiences that don’t come in an admission test.
We also got into many things that made us cry. I’ve become stronger since we first met.
Ah thought awareness wasn’t important until Ah met ya. Ah learn that everythin’ worth its value.
I’m an invincible warrior wherever I’m with you.
I cannot desert after all we’ve been going through because my purpose would be in vain. I waited for all of you day after day, to protect you, to know you, to have a friendship.
If Ah hadn’t met ya.
If I hadn’t come here.
If I hadn’t start this trip with all of you.
We wouldn’t have come who we are now.
We fought to look for us, because that was the most important.
The Mane 6 hug each other, while the crowd stand up, cheer and clap to them.
The ponies’ bitter past has been forgotten and now the future looks brighter than ever for this group of friends. So, whether they make us laugh or make us cry, singing an upbeat song or poking some fun, will keep on gagging for years to come.
While the spectacle continues, The Creator leaves the event in silence unnoticed.
These ponies have seen so much more than me, so many things that I still want to see. So I took my Twilight Sparkle backpack and filled it with memories. My comics, my Pinkie Pie plushie, my Rainbow Dash shirt, my Fluttershy keychain, my Applejack hat, my Rarity wristband. Though sometimes I got sad, and almost cried, you were always with me, by my side. I knew that we are friends to the core, but maybe it was something more, together we walked that road for so long, we laughed, we played, we got hurt, and we grew strong. Taking shortcuts, and getting lost, I learned what I’d known all along: just by being there, you see, just by being who you’d always be, you helped me grow, you helped me to know the stronger, happier me. Like a gentle breeze, through grass and trees, you always carried a smile. Yes we, who shared our smiles and our tears... we are now... far apart. It’s my time to go, but you’ll always have a special place in my heart.
Next week on Behind the Laughter.
I was so mean, racist, anti-Semitic, sexist, perverted, drug addict, alcoholic, sadistic, back stabber, heartless, dickless, uncircumcised, douchebag, asshole, homophobic and, most importantly, gay. But I couldn’t tell anyone.