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Equestria has changed forever, and so too have those who live within it. There can be no denying that things are far better than how they used to be, with friends and allies all across the world. But one afternoon, during tea with her friends, Twilight discovers that one of them sees things a bit differently.
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My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic Fanfiction
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This was a really sweet... no, bittersweet read. I kind of perfectly encapsulates the right sort of nostalgia one gets thinking back on the show. I could actually see this scene taking place in a sort of alternative version, or later addition to the last Donut Joe's scene.
Thank you for this. It was very artfully done.
Nicely done. Good bit of introspection on Rainbow's part. And a nice way that it concluded, too.
Nice. I too suffer from Excess Canon. [1]
[1] And Seriously Problematic, WTF Hasbro Canon,
but that's life in Bronyland.
Well, if you can't look at the horizon and wonder what's out there...
You can look at the skies and wonder, what's out there.
I think what Rainbow is talking about is, The unknown is known, there's something they now know, anything they dream is now... A reality. They're now omniscient and something new will never happen.
10292023
New Cloud cities with pegasi.
10292062
You're not looking far enough.
10292095
I know what you're talking about but given its time, the only thing advance in technology is the steam train and with the magic of friendship is everything, why bother to make any changes.
On the other hand, the unknown invaded the capital during the Friendship Festival and petrified sixty percent of the royalty, so there's something to be said for knowing what's out there.
In all seriousness, I do understand where Dash is coming from. Play any 4X game and you eventually go from brave explorer to resource optimizer. Still, you can't befriend or learn from fantasies.
10292023
Or, alternatively, look at the mirror portal and wonder what else could be out there.
10292101
That reminds me:
vignette.wikia.nocookie.net/mlp/images/a/a4/Map_of_Equestria_2015.jpg/revision/latest?cb=20151205072352
On the map of Equestria, there's literally "Undiscovered West" and "Into the Unknown" to the far north, and who knows what lies on the other side of the Griffons and Dragons.
You may have learned a lot about your immediate surroundings, Rainbow, but there's still a lot more than that. So, go, and fly West. Or East. Or— Just pick a direction and you'll get somewhere.
And the mirror portal indeed. Now we're talking big. Entire universes with brand new species with unique cultures in unfamiliar environments...
10292098
You gravely underestimate the power of curiosity.
Man, I've been rewatching the entire series recently, and I really get where Dash is coming from. There was so much wonder and mystery to play around with in the early seasons, casual little tidbits of canon handed out to us that we had to stitch together into a coherent narrative. Now we just know so much about the universe that much of the mystique of the unknown is lost to us. I miss those days when AUs now were just extensions of canon. As on point as it was with the show's theme, I think the S6 finale with the changelings hit me the hardest in that regard.
At any rate, good job.
Really intriguing ideas! For a story that's mostly static and very dialogue-heavy, this flowed easily. Growth means change, and change is scary. I feel for poor Rainbow Dash!
Thank you for sharing, author!
Try boosting the smug feeling you get from knowing more, perhaps it will even the scales. Or perhaps not what works for my demented self doesn’t work for a lot of others.
... ya ever wonder why despite Zecora and Iron Will being introduced early on, and Twi's magic show for the Saddle Arabian dignitaries being a big thing, we never got any information on where Zebras, Minotaurs, or Saddle Arabians live?
Like, we know more about Kirins and Breezies, two races who showed up for one episode each, than we do about Zecora's race, and she's in the opening credits.
Edit: Also, Saddle Arabians... probably just called horses in universe, yes? no?
This is good. It reminds me of some things in my own RL experience. However, two points…
1. I always assumed there’s a whole wide world like Earth out there, and everything we’ve seen in the show is just one little corner of it. There’s still plenty of room for Jules Verne style adventures. Especially in FiMFiction. I mean, just consider the whole Austraeoh (AKA Rainbow Dash Flies East) saga for example.
2. Everything after season two is just a sort of weird fever dream anyhow. (Quibble Pants told me!)
You know, as much as Dash and the others quite rightly put some emphasis on the upsides of knowing more about the world, this does bring to mind something I've been thinking about for a while, both in general and in relation to the show. It's a phenomenon I've observed in many writers and creators that... well, I certainly wouldn't say it's anything necessarily bad by any stretch, but I'd argue that it's not necessarily positive either and that it can be a problem. It's a concept I had a difficult time thinking up a name for and the best I can come up with is "Khoraphobia"* - roughly translated: "a fear of negative space".
It's not perfect, but I feel it does somewhat describe how many writers seem extremely reluctant, even afraid, of leaving anything in their world unexplored and unexplained. If there's any gap in the world as presented, no matter how obscure, it must be filled in.
Now, obviously, there's nothing wrong with explaining such things in and of itself, especially not if you do have ideas or answers that you want to include. But at the same time, I think the idea that you're obligated to explain everything and that any worldbuilding gap is a failure of the creator is just not true.
There's nothing wrong with leaving parts of your world unexplained, mysterious or just untouched. In fact, doing so can often enhance the world and the story, whether it's something specifically conveyed as a mystery of the world, like Tom Bombadil; something that's presented as a thing to allude to but is best left to the imagination, like the first Wizarding War against Voldemort or the Eugenics Wars; or simply something we just don't really need to know beyond the broad strokes and sentiments, like how and why the Doctor left Gallifrey. And that's not getting into the stuff that invites fan speculation, which I'd say is a good thing for a work to do.
Take, for exampe, what was, for the longest time, probably the show's biggest gap and the fandom's biggest mystery - the question of Scootaloo's parentage. Now, regardless of what you or I think of any given answer to the question, I think that the speculation and the sheer volume of different and imaginative answers was both fascinating and a great exercise in group creativity. Yes, even the arguments.
But that's not really the point. Because, of course, the show did eventually show her parents. And, in my opinion, it didn't do it half badly. And yet, when that happened, I remember a number of people saying things along the lines of "well, at least they're finally explaining it." And while I can understand that to a degree, I have to ask: was it really so vital that they do?
Again, it wasn't a bad thing that they did, but... did not knowing who her parents were or what her home life was like make, say, her devotion to and idolization of Rainbow Dash any less endearing or her developing relationship with her any less powerful and heartwarming. Were her talents less impressive or her insecurities less charming or interesting simply because we didn't know exactly how she came to have them? Getting an answer provided context for those aspects, certainly, but was it needed for her to be a great character? That is a semi-genuine question and I'd be interested to hear opposing viewpoints, but I wouldn't say that it was.
Again, if you want to explain something about your world, you should absolutely go ahead. But I don't think you should feel like you have to. Even ignoring the possibilty of such answers being bad and harmful to your world (something I'm sure many a Harry Potter fan could attest to in recent years), the fact is... it's okay to have unexplored areas and leave a bit of negative space in your world for us to speculate in.
As 10292149 and 10295096 pointed out, there is still some mystery in the world and the Zebras, Minotaurs and Saddle Arabians were left unexplored. Maybe it was a deliberate decision, maybe it was an oversight but either way, it is absolutely fine with me.
Anyway, apologies for the long, rambly post. Then again, perhaps a contemplative comment is appropriate for an self-admittedly "overly wistful"** story. Either way, I hope I at least made some sense in this meandering attempt to get my thoughts down.
*Derived from the greek idea of "Khôra, the closest I could find to an idea of negative space in the language. Also, the "kh" is pronounced with that slightly strangled "h" sound, like the spanish "Jimenez" or the scottish "loch". This is important to distinguish it from Choraphobia, the fear of dance, which I feel safe in saying no one associated with ponies suffers from. Also, it's convenient as it means I don't have to force in a Legend of Korra joke, since I haven't watched it.
**By the fic's admission anyway. Can't say I agree - I think it's just the right amount of wistful.
I liked this story! It was sweet with a hint of philosophy
10296017
I thought that was Season 3? :P