Terminology
Five fillies sat in a circle in the Cutie Mark Crusaders' clubhouse, deep in contemplation of a weighty matter, one which had far-reaching implications. Truly, it was a question that could very well affect the fate of all Equestria!
"So...are they badges or are they shields?" Scootaloo asked.
"Maybe they're crests!" Silver Spoon suggested brightly.
"Hmm. Crests," Apple Bloom said thoughtfully. "Ah kinda like that..."
"I don't like crests," Sweetie Belle says. "It sounds too...snooty. Stuck up. Fancy noble families have crests. Those big private schools in Canterlot have crests." She looked at her own flank. "I say they're badges."
"Why would they be badges?" Scootaloo asked. "What are we, the Cutie Cops?" She flexed her wings. "I think they're shields. Shields are awesome. Shields are strong."
Apple Bloom gave her a sidelong glance. "Scootaloo, just 'cuz you an' Rainbow Dash read Captain Equestria together..."
"It's got nothing to do with that!" Scootaloo insisted. "Just...think about it! Shields protect things! Well...we're protecting ponies from, umm...from not knowing how to be happy with themselves! Or something."
The fillies thought about that for a moment.
"Crests are prestigious," Diamond Tiara said. "Crests say 'this pony is important'."
"Yeah, an' that's th' kinda thinkin' that made your mom th' way she is," Apple Bloom pointed out.
Diamond Tiara winced. "Point taken."
Apple Bloom sighed. "Sorry," she said, folding her ears back.
"No, it's...it's alright," Diamond Tiara said. "I guess...I'm still trying to decide which of the things she taught me are worth remembering, and which I'm better off forgetting."
"You know, now that I think about it," Silver Spoon said, "badges make more sense. Think about, like...merit badges."
"Hmm," Apple Bloom said thoughtfully. "Not sure that logic works, but Ah do like badges better than crests."
"But do you like badges better than shields?" Scootaloo asked.
"They really do look more like shields," Diamond Tiara said slowly.
The fillies sat in silence for a long moment.
"Maybe we should ask some of the boys what they think," Silver Spoon suggested.
"Not so sure Ah want th' boys inspectin' mah flank," Apple Bloom said. Sweetie Belle giggled; Scootaloo and Silver Spoon snickered.
"You know, though," Diamond Tiara said, "I think you'd be less worried about what to call them and more worried about what the part that's different says about each of you."
Apple Bloom shrugged. "That's easy. Ah'm an Apple, an' Ah love mah family."
"I like to sing," Sweetie Belle said. "And...I guess maybe I've always wanted to be on Bridleway one day? Even though my first play was kind of a flop."
Scootaloo glanced back at her flank, frowned, and shook her head. "I got nothin'," she said. "But that's okay because I know who I am."
"Wow, you three really are Cutie Mark experts," Silver Spoon said.
"Well, Ah dunno about all that," Apple Bloom said. "We still can't figure out if these are badges, crests, or shields."
A long, silent moment passed.
The five fillies sighed in unison. "Yeah..."
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Are they badges, crests, shields, or something else?
Yes.
More specifically, the Crusaders have a metatalent, a special talent that directly relates to other special talents. Their marks are going to have some of the deepest, most multilayered symbolism possible to reflect that. They're as abstract and open to interpretation as is possible without being pony Jackson Pollock.
They're Insignias!
... I'm not helping am I?
6536991 You're about as helpful as an snow cone stall in a blizzard.
That was kinda cute, and in my opinion their badges
I say shields! SHIELDS, DAMMIT!
This is so cute and funny.
The 'merit badge' concept catches my attention. Are you planning to have the EqG Crusaders earning merit badges as Girl Scouts that look like their pony counterparts' cutie marks?
Terminology Note: Technically, the mark is a heraldic crest (as correctly pointed out, a family marker of nobility). Given that the Apples have thematic cutie marks, I'd say that Apple Bloom's cutie mark could be said to have crest-like elements to it.
6537084 I think having them earn Cutie Mark Merit Badges would be...weird and awkward. For a lot of reasons.
Looks like Scootaloo believes in The Shield.
I'll get my coat...
They're definitely crests. Back in the Middle Ages, a family crest was always sported on either the armor or shield of a knight. My family has a family crest. In other words, a crest could be used on a shield, or insignia, or badge, but in the end, it all comes back to the crest. And Diamond is right, a crest shows that someone is important or of high merit.
On an unrelated note, nobody argues that Shining Armor's cutie mark isn't a shield.
6537184 That's primarily because it's rather obvious. His talent IS shield spells, after all.
Also, I think they're crests.
Well, you got me on this one. I have no idea whether they're badges, crests,or shields. Maybe they're all three?
The hardest question in the world isn't "what are going to do with our lives", it isn't "who do we help next"...
It's whether the part that's the same is a badge, a crest, or a shield.
Ladies and gentlemen, the future guardians of Equestria.
Shield by the way.
I'd prefer Escutcheon, and they'd know for sure if they realize the shape strongly resembles the blue part of the CMC logo from their capes.
The only thing they really make me think is "that looks a hell of a lot like the transgender pride flag," but I suppose that's not all that pertinent to the question.
Ah, the first world problems. Gotta fill the void with something now that their main problem is gone
I do love that Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon joined the club.
I think I'm with Scootaloo on this one. Badges and crests (actually a coat of arms or escutcheon; I think "crest" is what you put on top of a helmet) got their shapes from shields.
(Also, they should be far more concerned about the bad color contrast on those things. Seriously, their manes are like 3 different shades of purplish pink; the cutie mark fairy should've used their coat or eye colors, or something.)
6537315
Eh? The coloration is off.
upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/b/b0/Transgender_Pride_flag.svg/800px-Transgender_Pride_flag.svg.png
6537473
It comes in a number of varieties, having somewhat less recognition value. That's just not the particular one I'm familiar with.
Have a fav. and !!
6537485
Do you have a link? Us trans girls need to try and keep up to date with the conflicting variety of symbols floating around
Huh... that "Cutie Cops" idea has some merit.
Their cutie marks should totally have been the symbol on their capes, not this wierd purple thing.
6537489
'fraid not, but it was really only enough of a resemblance to make me take note, anyway, so don't worry that you're missing out on much.
How a transgender pride flag? Those are soft pink and baby blue.
Anyway I go with crests. I also wonder if the Cuttie Mark Crusaders actually becomes any sort of multi chapter organization if other ponies on and off earn cuttie marks on those crests.
This is pretty cute, but I still hate the episode. It felt really cheap and shoe horned, and just stank of Executive Meddling.
"I don't like crests," Sweetie Belle says. "It sounds too...snooty. Stuck up. Fancy noble families have crests. Those big private schools in Canterlot have crests." She looked at her own flank. "I say they're badges."
Uh, Sweetie, you just described your big sister basically.
"Crests are prestigious," Diamond Tiara said. "Crests say 'this pony is important'."
They're also a sign of family, that you're a part of something greater than yourself.
They're shield crests. That's what crusaders HAVE.
And I'm sorry they went with something genetic with bloom's symbol instead of something related to how she's a natural at construction, repair, and took to Zecora and Twilight's potion making like a fish to water.
This was a prime fluff chapter, good work.
Well, someone had to say it...
.... My head gears won't turn fast enough to analyze this predicament.
And now they're on fire.
6538715 For anything involving the CMC, being on fire is normal.
6538792 Touché.
6537122
Last year, I ran an Unknown Ponies: Failure is Awesome campaign whose central conceit was that Sweetie, Bloom, and Scoots founded an organization that was essentially a blend of the Boy Scouts and the YMCA, helping foals find their cutie marks and maintaining a cutie mark registry.
Cutie mark merit bases would have totally been appropriate
http://iguanodragon.deviantart.com/art/CMC-566554949
This reminds me a bit of how Sunset Shimmer acts.
Sigils. No wait, emblems!
They're your coat of arms girls, come on.
The cutie marks are more or less the same as their CMC capes. That's the part I find funny: they basically made their own cutie marks. Also, as the founding members of an organization based upon pretty much being meta, having CMs equally meta makes complete sense. If the princesses aren't looking at these three with far more interest now than they were before, they really should be. Especially Luna, since she has a personal investment in them.
The fact that their individual talents are still shown in the marks themselves is interesting. One has to ask: did they also acknowledge their own personal talents and selves while being marked as an organization, or will they come to realize these things about themselves as they go along afterwards? It's pretty obvious that Sweetie Belle's singing talent was directly acknowledged in her mark, while Scootaloo and Apple Bloom have more abstract, while still related, internal marks within the overall design.
Furthermore, from a professional standpoint, they're now shown to be adept (and well on the way to being experts) in understanding Cutie Marks, a field that I'm sure many ponies would love to have around. It's the Equestrian version of specialized psychiatry. This is something big that they can easily capitalize on, and basically be rich forever off of if they chose to do so. Knowing them, they won't monetize it like that directly, but they'll be famous for certain, and fame will bring in the cash (and certainly problems, but they aren't strangers to problems lol).
I already did an analysis on their marks over on DeviantArt, but I'm gonna run it again. Each of their Cutie Marks shows layered meanings, that they are united in goal, as well as having individual destinies.
The shields represent uniformity, how they are united for a single, noble cause, like the royal crusades. Each vertical stripe has one of their mane colors, showing who is of the cause.
The Apple, Star, and Wing show their destined place of belonging. As one of the Apple Family, Applebloom will stay close to the family business. Sweetie Belle will become a celebrity. And if that wing isn't proof that Scootaloo won't fly one day, I know I'll be one of many who'll be irked.
And the Heart, Note, and Lightning Bolt show their separate skills. Sweetie Belle's obvious singing talent, Applebloom's understanding of effort/hard work, and Scootaloo's speed.
6540556
I once mis-remembered this as being something Sunset Shimmer was doing. They do have some things in common... I almost wonder if DT's turnaround had something to do with the main writers wanting their own Sunset to write about.
(That said, Diamond Tiara is more Sweetie Belle-ish than Sunset. She's more patient, more devious, more timid, and much less likely to burn down her social position and go off adventuring somewhere...)
I'm sorry, I just think that video is perfect.
I think they're Shield Crest Badges.
Honestly I either go with emblems or coat of arms.
6548346 When Captain Equestria throws his Mighty Shield~
6740228 All ponies that oppose him must yield!
I'm on board with Team Crest! A crest is a symbol, an indicator of status. The crest is what you put ON the badge or the shield.
Honestly I don't care what they are and I don't think they do either. Be they shields, crests or badges we're all just glad they have them now and I'm sure Ponyville is grateful their crusades are a lot more restrained now that they're helping others instead of themselves.
Personally, I believe that Applebloom has a badge, Sweetie Belle has a crest, and Scootaloo has a shield.
Mmmm, what an episode that was... damn.
Nice job!
7659419
Ooo, that's pretty neat thinking.