Friendship is Card Games: Dinky's Destiny and Project Thundercloud I · 12:31pm Feb 26th, 2023
This week, we continue our journey through Minty Root’s backlog with two different takes on my favorite ponies. Remember, I’ve never claimed to be free of bias. 
We’re starting with the later one first, both because I’ve already been doing these in reverse chronological order and because I plan on doing the follow-up to the earlier one during the next fan animation card blog. It gives a semblance of continuity.
Oh goodness, that’s an adorable shot to start with.
The parallax on the windows doesn’t quite feel right, but good effort.
Nice angle on the door to the royal vault. (I assume that’s what they’re going for; pretty sure that’s door was reused for several purposes over the course of FiM”s run.) Also nice synchronization with the harp and Dinky looking around.
Huh. Going for the “insert horn” lock of the vault, but it’s the door to the throne room. That’s a choice.
I do appreciate the eerie near-silence as Dinky enters the throne room. Really captures the skin-prickling anxiety of exploring somewhere when you know you’re not supposed to be there. Her gasp shattering it also works well. The Mare in the Moon coexisting with Namepending Castle also explains the bizarre layout of the castle; dreams rarely follow any kind of reliable or sensible floor plan.
“Act 1: The Lunar Revolution”
Oh. That rarely bodes well.
Ooh, great overhead shot of Castle Canterlot’s courtyard.
Ah. Voices. The biggest impediment I have for getting into fan animation. Though in Dinky’s case it’s less echoes from the Uncanny Valley and more the quality of the voice actress’s microphone.
Yeeeeah, that didn’t seem like Luna’s usual mane.
I do like the tracking shot. Some of the turns are awkward, but it’s not like I can’t say the same of the show’s efforts at rotating characters. Also interesting to note how Nightmare Moon doesn’t appear to pursue Dinky. Filly’s just running because the big, scary monster from the Sumer Sun Celebration is here. I remain half-convinced that this is a dream.
Oh yeah. More nonsensical geometry, especially how Dinky managed to get into Twilight’s old apartment directly through the castle hallways, to say nothing of the nigh-infinite spiral staircase.
Ah, there’s the Nightmare. Though…
Wait, did Dinky just headbutt her in midair? It’s a bit hard to tell, and it may have been similar to Rarity’s panicked flailing knocking out three Wonderbolts, but that’s still impressive.
Interesting how even Nightmare Moon needs to exert a bit of effort to cancel out terminal velocity. Though that may have been more to keep the filly from breaking her neck before getting a lecture on how to behave around her rightful queen.
And Dinky isn’t having it! It takes incredible guts to grab a crazed god by the neck, and even more to do so when you don’t actually have thumbs.
Ah, conveniently placed Element of Magic. You love to see it… but less so when the Rainbow Beam of Fix Everything™ misses and loops back around at you.
Ouch. Incredible shot with the partial petrification.
Luna’s question is probably meant to have more impact, but we don’t know enough about this Dinky to think she might feel cheated out of her destiny. Honestly, this just feels like Luna projecting.
Ohhhhh. It was meant as a lead-in to further revelations. Including that Dinky has a bit of a Scootaloo situation with her horn.
Smooth deflection, Dinky. Very natural.
Ooh. Very interesting how Luna assigns the past as her domain and the future as Celestia’s. I do love seeing the sisters divide more than just light and darkness; that kind of thing started tapering off way back when Cadence threw a wrench in their symbolic duality.
“Is this a realm of existence between reality and imagination?”
On the one hand, this feels like rather clumsy exposition. On the other, I can absolutely believe that Dinky might have been researching other planes of existence. (Again, not free of bias.) This is more a limit of the medium than anything; in text, Dinky might have been able to keep the more academic details in the narration, along with an aside of studying with Twilight or some such.
Also, it seems like the animation is conflating the dreamworld and the flashback dimension into a single plane. Interesting choice.
Ah, a horn spiraling in the wrong direction leading to issues with magic. Not the first time I’ve seen that. I wonder whether that kind of thing indicates situs inversus elsewhere in the body…
Also, while the dialogue’s kind of clumsy, I do still love Luna reaching out to the lost and misunderstood.
Alas, it seems that that “To be continued” will never come to pass. It’s always bittersweet seeing these ambitious projects fall through, but it’s hard getting this kind of thing to work. Still, even with the less than elegant moments, this was a promising start for a gripping adventure starring Best Filly. Now on to her mother.
I do appreciate the dedication. Goodness knows many people have seen themselves in Best Pony who have realized, before or after meeting her, how great it is to be different.
Originally for BronyCon 2013. We’re going deep into the fandom’s archeological strata for this one.
It is interesting to compare this to the one that came out two years later. Minty made leaps and bounds in the intervening time.
I do wonder what Vinyl and Octavia are doing at the castle. Doylistically, they’re there because they’re popular background characters, but it’s always fun to find the in-story rationale.
Oh. Mare in the Moon again, and this time it may be a genuine indicator of when we are.
Ooh. The backgrounds may be less refined, but the shadows are still very nice.
Ah yes, BaldDumboRat’s Derpy. Not quite as enshrined as Nowacking’s Vinyl, but still up there. Also, I appreciate “I’m just a simple pegasus” against a background of mystical coruscation and heavenly choirs.
I feel like somepony should’ve been maintaining that staircase. Also, going for a foalhood injury angle for Derpy’s strabismus. Certainly works.
Ah, getting her cutie mark as she sees the bubbles of her last breath. Not the first time I’ve seen that.
Huh. This predicted Derpy’s cameo in “Where the Apple Lies.” I suppose her in the hospital isn’t exactly hard to foresee, but it’s still neat to see.
Also, I like the design for Derpy’s mother. Simple but straightforward.
Cheerilee’s presence as a teacher leads to some questions, but Derpy already had some curious data regarding her relationship with space and time by this point in the series.
“Seven bubbles representing both luck… and fragility.”
A fascinating take on her mark.
Ooh, lots of familiar faces in the class. I like how Applejack and Rarity aren’t just there, they’re sitting next to each other. I do like the idea that those two have had more history together than they’re willing to admit to the rest of their friends.
Cheerilee stomping hard enough to shake the earth in order to call Derpy’s bullies to heel is a lovely touch.
I’m not sure which SNES JRPG this music is from, but I feel like I’m hearing Derpy’s villain origin story.
Hmm. Not sure if Mayor Mare’s mane should be pink here or not. If she wasn’t already in office, she may have been going for the distinguished look while on the campaign trail.
“I wanted respect. And I had to earn it by myself.”
Yeah, still getting villain origin vibes.
Okay, I definitely know where that song is from Also, I always love seeing more pointy ponies… Less so a visual expression of crippling inadequacy issues.
Derpy not making the cut for the Wonderbolts, the aerobatics team where goggles are a part of the uniform, does feel a bit off. You’d think they’d figure out an optometric solution, especially for a legacy candidate. Still, at least they called her in for the Tirek counteroffensive. (It didn’t help, but at least the thought was there.)
Ah. Bit of an oversight in the script, since the video description had to explain how Best Pony used her eyes to her advantage while delivering mail. In this case, using one eye to read an address while using the other to navigate Ponyville airspace. Makes sense to me.
… Okay, that distortion around the moon over the Crystal Empire raises a lot of questions. I suppose the implication is that Derpy’s letter alerted Twilight to the situation? Which raises questions about where Spike was in all of this.
Had to double-check and make sure my own music wasn’t playing, but no, that’s just straight-up Fountain of Dreams. From the New Japan Philharmonic concert that came in a CD with a certain issue of Nintendo Power, no less.
Ah, lovely stuff with the photos. Especially the happy family.
Yeah, this track does not pair well with whatever mood they’re trying to establish.
… Okay, I guess it fits with the radially symmetrical, crystalline platform that has some kind of world-shaking significance.
Oh. Well. This is taking an interesting turn. The heroes fall and the next best things step up.
I’m definitely missing some context here. Especially since it seems like Derpy’s delivering a rather angry line to Celestia.
“Based on a character created by mistake”
And that’s part of why we love her. Also, now we’ve transitioned to the Fighting is Magic OST.
And a post-credits teaser promising Derpycorn, which actually did lead to something, but we’ll get to that in all due time.
In all, this is rough, but I do appreciate what it’s going for. As a foundation that led to greater works, I can absolutely appreciate both the skill that went into it and how far Minty Root came since then.
Now, all that said, let’s see what I can make of these:
Celestial Grace 1W
Enchantment — Aura
Enchant creature
Enchanted creature gets +1/+1, has lifelink, and is an enchantment in addition to its other types.
Entering a realm beyond your own is always a life-changing experience.
Thundercloud Contingency 2W
Artifact
Whenever a legendary creature you control dies, put two charge counters on Thundercloud Contingency.
2, T: Put a charge counter on Thundercloud Contingency.
T, Remove X charge counters from Thundercloud Contingency: You may put a commander you own with mana value X from the command zone onto the battlefield.
Solar Seer 3WW
Creature — Unicorn Wizard
When Solar Seer enters the battlefield, each opponent draws a card, then you draw a card for each opponent who drew a card this way.
Celestia’s light illuminates future hopes.
3/3
Crystal Shifter 1U
Creature — Unicorn Artificer
1, T: Add two mana in any combination of colors to your mana pool. Spend only mana produced by artifacts to activate this ability.
“I don’t know what I’d do without her. Nopony else in town can help me change sapphires to match a client’s coat.”
—Rarity, Bearer of Generosity
1/2
Illusory Umbra 2U
Enchantment — Aura
Enchant creature
As Illusory Umbra enters the battlefield, choose a creature.
Enchanted creature is a copy of the chosen creature.
Totem armor (If enchanted creature would be destroyed, instead remove all damage from it and destroy this Aura.)
Young Nullmage 2U
Creature — Unicorn Wizard
Flash
When Young Nullmage enters the battlefield, counter target spell unless its controller pays X, where X is the number of Unicorns you control.
Once she saw how magic could come apart, her mark quickly followed.
2/1
Consuming Regret 2B
Instant
Destroy target creature or planeswalker if its mana value is less than or equal to the number of cards in your graveyard.
“The past clings to dreamers like tar, longing to hold them back from moving on to greater things.”
—Princess Luna
Cosmic Disturbance 2BB
Sorcery
All creatures get -X/-X until end of turn, where X is the number of enchantments you control.
“Calamity can also come when the stars are wrong.”
—Princess Luna
Crystalline Nemesis 3BB
Creature — Elemental Horror
Deathtouch
Whenever a creature dealt damage by Crystalline Nemesis this turn dies, create a Treasure token. (It’s an artifact with “T, Sacrifice this artifact: Add one mana of any color.”)
Sombra’s terrible legacy shambles on.
3/4
Lunar Postcognitive 4BB
Creature — Unicorn Wizard
Will of the council — When Lunar Postcognitive enters the battlefield, starting with you, each player votes for a creature card in your graveyard. Return each card with the most votes or tied for most votes to the battlefield.
Luna’s shadow soothes bygone remorse.
3/3
Shattering Impact 1R
Instant
If U was spent to cast this spell, up to one target creature becomes an artifact in addition to its other types until end of turn. Target player sacrifices a nontoken artifact.
A fall in a dream can’t kill you. It can still make you wish it had.
Fickle Fortune 2R
Enchantment
At the beginning of each player’s upkeep, that player flips a coin. If that player wins the flip, spells they cast cost 1 less to cast until their next turn. Otherwise, spells they cast cost 1 more to cast until their next turn.
A mark for luck only guarantees a lot of it, not whether it’s good or bad.
Seismic Instructor 3R
Creature — Pony Shaman
When Seismic Instructor enters the battlefield, you may discard a nonland card. When you do, Seismic Instructor deals damage equal to the discarded card’s mana value to each other creature without flying.
“Now that I have everypony’s attention…”
3/3
Thundering Skyraider 4R
Creature — Pegasus Warrior
Flying
Boast — 1R: Thundering Skyraider deals 3 damage to any non-Pegasus target. (Activate only if this creature attacked this turn and only once each turn.)
“I once rode a lightning bolt from here to the biggest palace in Monoceros!”
4/2
Roughhouse G
Sorcery
You may cast this spell as though it had flash if it targets a creature that entered the battlefield this turn.
Target creature you control fights target creature you don’t control.
Young ponies are rambunctious little scamps. Some grow to be big ones.
Parallax Impermanence 2G
Enchantment
Fading 5 (This enchantment enters the battlefield with five fade counters on it. At the beginning of your upkeep, remove a fade counter from it. If you can’t, sacrifice it.)
Remove a fade counter from Parallax Impermanence: Exile target artifact or enchantment you don’t control.
When Parallax Impermanence leaves the battlefield, each player returns to the battlefield all cards they own exiled with Parallax Impermanence.
Patient Planter 2G
Creature — Pony Druid
At the beginning of your end step, if you control no Foods, create a Food token. (It’s an artifact with “2, T, Sacrifice this artifact: You gain 3 life.”)
“My best friend’s a pegasus. She thinks my crops all grow in my fridge.”
2/2
Campaign Trail 2GG
Sorcery
Council’s dilemma — Starting with you, each player votes for base or fringe. For each base vote, draw a card and you may play an additional land this turn. For each fringe vote, search your library for a basic land card, reveal it, and put it into your hand. If you searched your library this way, shuffle.
Unicornian Sentinel 3
Artifact Creature — Unicorn Golem
Unicornian Sentinel can’t attack unless defending player is the monarch.
Made in the last days before the founding of Equestria, the statues react violently to anything without a horn sitting on the throne.
4/4
Foalish Missteps WU
Enchantment
Your opponents play with their hands revealed.
Your opponents reveal cards as they draw them. They can’t play cards revealed this way this turn.
Even in her dreams, Dinky’s reach exceeds her grasp.
Lunar Banisher 1WU
Creature — Unicorn Wizard
When Lunar Banisher enters the battlefield, until it leaves the battlefield, target creature or planeswalker an opponent controls becomes a colorless land with “T: Add C” and loses all other card types and abilities.
“When in doubt, banish it.”
—Star Swirl the Bearded
2/3
Ditzy, Perfection’s Herald 2W(wup)U
Legendary Planeswalker — Ditzy
Compleated ((wup) can be paid with W, U, or 2 life. If life was paid, this planeswalker enters with two fewer loyalty counters.)
+1: Draw two cards. Each other player may draw a card. Each player who drew a card this way discards a card.
-2: Create a 2/3 white and blue Phyrexian Pegasus creature token with flying and vigilance.
-7: Return all nonland permanents target opponent controls to their owners’ hands. That player gets an emblem with “Spells you cast cost 1 more to cast.”
5
Castle Canterlot
Land
Castle Canterlot enters the battlefield tapped unless you control a Plains.
T: Add W.
2WW, T: Creatures you control get +1/+1 until end of turn.
Without Canterlot’s guidance, the herd would fragment and scatter.
Fountain of Dreams
Land
T: Add C.
T: Add one mana of any color. Spend this mana only to cast an enchantment or Nightmare spell.
“Pinkie Pie herself does not surprise me, only her existence in the waking world.”
—Princess Luna
Protection From Editors Alert: When Solar Seer what?
Stupid Complicated Game Alert: The creature you want to copy with Illusory Umbra has to exist on the battlefield while the spell is resolving. However, that ability doesn't target; you can, and may need to, change your mind between casting and resolution. (If there aren't any creatures left on the battlefield to choose, then the Aura part no longer has a target so it's a moot point what happens
)
Stupid Complicated Game Alert: Roughhouse can be cast as if with flash if either target entered the battlefield this turn. Or both. Both is good.
I never saw those videos before. Lovely stuff, if a bit hard to follow at times.
I don't expect fan music is suitable material for card blogs, but I just want to plug 4everfreebrony's latest work: Lost & Found, a concept album following a relationship of Derpy and Doctor Whooves, in which imo nearly every track is a certified banger and well worth a listen. And well, I at least know someone here appreciates some good Muffins content and will hopefully enjoy it.
There's only one being that's free of bias, and that's The Ruler of the Universe from the Hitchhiker's Guide series.