Friendship is Card Games: Forever Filly · 11:06am May 14th, 2017
I've long since expanded, my sis has her mark.
I just saw her walking in the park.
I said, “I’d like to do stuff if you don't mind.”
She said, “I’d love to, sis, if I could find the time.
“You see, my new job's a hassle, and this colt needs a stone
“But you’re always my favorite pone, Rare.
“You’ve been ever my favorite pone.”
And as I walked to my home, it occurred to me
She'd grown up just like me.
My sis was just like me.
Chapin sticks to this episode well, but I might as well offer some more original insight to go with this. Let’s see what I can provide.
I do like the contrast between Sassy and Rarity. The former probably hasn’t worked at a single boutique long enough to get accustomed to seasonal transitions.
Hmm. Sassy says the winter-to-spring transition is almost here, but there isn’t a flake of snow on the ground. I assume this fashion seasons don’t perfectly mesh with the climatic ones. (Rarity calling the change Springsition seems to support this; if it coincided with Winter Wrap-Up, why give it a second name?) The good news is that this episode has a fairly concrete place on the calendar. Just don’t ask me what year it is relative to that first Summer Sun Celebration.
You know, I have to wonder if Coco’s panicking this much in Manehattan, along with however many other employees and/or raccoons they retained after “The Saddle Row Review.”
The really interesting thing about the photo that kickstarts the plot? Sweetie has her cutie mark. It’s been at least several months since that fateful day. This probably isn’t as big a deal as it feels to me, but I suppose some part of my mind is still adapting to the idea of the Crusaders having their marks.
Only Rarity seems to be pretending she’s a storybook princess in that photo. Sweetie is either a knight or Alia Atreides. (There’s a mental image…)
That handkerchief (hoofkerchief?) visibly yellows as Rarity blows her nose. Either she has a sinus infection or the pollen count in Canterlot is surprisingly high. I blame the dragonsneeze trees.
I have to admit, I did feel a bit of trepidation when Rarity left Sassy on her own. Still, she’s proven she can handle things well without constant supervision. Otherwise Rarity would never be in Ponyville.
I have a lot of questions about the Crusaders riding that hunk of granite, not least of which is “Where did that mountain come from?”
Good to know that even after finding their purpose, the Crusaders are still a danger to everypony in the immediate area. It’s reassuring, in a twisted sort of way.
And so, once again, the day is saved, thanks to the Cutiepuff Girls.
I’ll be honest, I don’t much care for the light show when Chipcutter gets his cutie mark. Just having the flank glow is enough. It reminds me of how the Pokémon anime added glowy effects to every attack once the budget could accommodate it.
Huh. That made me sound a lot older than I meant it to. (“Back in my day, they recycled animation and we liked it!”)
Hmm. That wall has a lot of stories to it. Not all of which seem to be Crusade-related, given the picture of the three older sisters from "The Cart Before the Ponies." Still, good potential source for story prompts.
Nice prediction; Sweetie had her horn glowing before Zipporwhill knocked. It’s almost like she has an intrinsic tie to the future or something. (Hey, I’m not too proud to refuse headcanon dovetailing when I can find it. 
)
Zipporwhill: Surprisingly stealthy when she isn’t flying around like an overcaffeinated hummingbird. At least, she is when Rarity is too blinded by the ideal to see the actual.
Huh. Going by the way Apple Bloom and Scootaloo persuade Sweetie, the sisters Belle really don’t have much time to spend together these days. I wonder how much of that is Rarity bouncing around three cities and how much is Sweetie greasing the wheels of destiny.
Rarity’s patronizing tone is rather grating, though the mints do raise the question of how much the Crusaders are making for their duties. Mints aren’t free, unless they got a bunch for helping Bonbon reaffirm her connection to confections (and definitely not any more symbolic sense of keeping things under wraps. Not officially, anyway.)
Also, Rarity, you just said those were for clients. Show some decorum.
It’s nice to see Rarity confirm the progress the Crusaders have made… but it does clash with her later behavior. I suppose "the Cutie Mark Crusaders" and "my dear little sister Sweetie Belle" are separate entities in her mind.
Today on Ripley's Believe It or Not: A creature in Ponyville that has obviously grown over time without ascending to alicornhood!
In all seriousness, the puppy from “Filli Vanilli” now being fully grown glaringly highlights the younger cast’s almost Simpsonian stasis, relieved only by subtle up-scaling. I understand that making new Flash models is expensive and time-consuming, but it’s still bizarre. It almost makes me suspect that ponies don’t grow steadily so much as molt into each stage of development.
Blackbox theater can be quite fun. There's virtually no scenery or costuming. That minimalism demands a lot from the performers. I once saw an excellent rendition of Waiting for Godot using that style.
I really like the low, wide barstools in the ice cream parlor. Excellent pony-compatible design.
I love Ripley’s reactions to the attempts to excite him. “This demeans all of us.”
Also, I think this is confirmation that the Crusaders’ total brainpower is constant, but not constantly distributed among the three of them. Today, Sweetie seems to have the lion’s share.
Pegasi do make excellent pets as long as they get plenty of exercise.
Another near miss realization on Rarity’s part as she contemplates Sweetie’s duties, and the fact that she has duties at all.
The photo montage is pretty spectacular.
I have to wonder what Zipporwhill’s talent actually is. Is it just playing with pets? I mean, I can understand why she’d have issues if she kept trying to focus her efforts into activities for an inappropriate age bracket, but you’d think there’d be some kind of feedback mechanism… though not every pegasus with an animal talent can communicate with them.
Truly, the saga of Twisty Pop is the greatest romantic tragedy of our time.
Rarity managed to accidentally dress in effective camouflage. That genuinely amuses me.
This discussion of how you can’t turn back the clock is kind of ironic when you remember that age spells are a thing in Equestria. So I suppose that means that powerful unicorns can coddle their kids as much as they want. I kind of hope Star Swirl never had kids... though on the other hand, I'd love it if Trixie was his direct descendant. None of the other prominent unicorns on the show, mind you. Just Trixie. And maybe Minuette.
It says a lot that Rarity’s willing to show a picture of her with her muzzle smeared with ice cream at Canterlot Carousel. Especially considering the last time she was caught with dairy products on her face in that town.
In all, while this had a predictable outcome, the journey was still enjoyable. And I can definitely understand Sweetie’s failure to communicate before reaching the breaking point. I know how hard it can be to break out of a social paradigm established when you’re young. Adulthood sneaks up on you one day at a time; one day you look back and realize you have a job, responsibilities, obligations… and you’re still ceding initiative to your parents or older siblings, because that’s what you’ve always done.
Or maybe that’s just me. 
In any case, time to let these cards leave the nest:
Filly Clown Surprise W
Snow Enchantment
When Filly Clown Surprise enters the battlefield, you gain 2 life.
Whenever you cast a snow spell not named Filly Clown Surprise, return Filly Clown Surprise to its owner’s hand.
Coquettish Shepherd 1W
Creature — Unicorn Citizen
When Coquettish Shepherd enters the battlefield, create a 0/1 white Sheep creature token.
You don’t lead Equestrian sheep. You negotiate with them.
2/2
Love the Camera 1W
Enchantment
Whenever a creature you control becomes the target of a spell you control, put a +1/+1 counter on that creature.
”Just like anything else, if you’re good to it, it will be good to you.”
—Rarity, Bearer of Generosity
Puppy Pleaser 1W
Creature — Pegasus Child
Flying
Hounds you control have lifelink.
Puppy Pleaser has lifelink as long as you control a Hound.
”Who’s my Wuv Muffin? Who’s my Wuv Muffin?”
2/1
Eternal Elegance 2W
Enchantment — Aura
Enchant creature
Enchanted creature gets +1/+1 for each enchantment you control and has vigilance.
When enchanted creature dies, return Eternal Elegance to its owner’s hand.
Fashion outlives the fashionable.
Experienced Fashionista 3W
Creature — Unicorn Artificer
1W, T: Return target Aura or Equipment card from your graveyard to your hand.
”Relax, darling. This is far from my first catastrophe.”
2/2
Young Sculptor 1U
Creature — Pegasus Child Artificer
Flying
T: Reveal the top card of your library. If it’s an artifact card, put it into your hand. Otherwise, put it into your graveyard.
”It’s simple. You just break off all the bits that aren’t a statue.”
1/1
Immediate Turnaround 1UU
Instant
Simultaneously untap all tapped creatures target player controls and tap all untapped creatures that player controls.
A single moment can completely reshape an emotional landscape.
Balloon Sculptor 2U
Creature — Pony Artificer
1U, T: Create a token that’s a copy of target artifact. Exile the token at the beginning of the next end step.
”Ponies never believe me when I tell them about the power of twisted latex.”
—Pinkie Pie, Bearer of Laughter
1/2
Harried Manager 2U
Creature — Unicorn Advisor
Whenever you cast a noncreature spell, target player puts the top three cards of his or her library into his or her graveyard.
Panicking unicorns have a tendency to project their anxiety.
1/4
Slip Between the Cracks 4U
Sorcery
Any number of target creatures you control with power 2 or less can’t be blocked this turn.
Cycling 3U (3U, Discard this card: Draw a card.)
When you cycle Slip Between the Cracks, target creature can’t be blocked this turn.
Sapphire Shipment 5U
Sorcery
Search your library for two artifact cards, reveal them, and put them into your hand. Then shuffle your library.
”Yes, I’ve heard the jokes. I assure you, I can’t use more than, oh, two percent of all of Equestria’s gemstones.”
—Rarity, Bearer of Generosity
Hate the Camera 2B
Enchantment
Whenever a creature you don’t control becomes the target of a spell you control, put a -1/-1 counter on that creature.
”Believe me, with the wrong lighting, the camera will hate you.”
—Rarity, Bearer of Generosity
Succumb to Sorrow 3B
Enchantment
At the beginning of each upkeep, each opponent who lost life last turn discards a card.
The Crusaders taste failure only briefly, but each time they do, it reminds them of why success is so important.
Slab Riders 2R
Creature — Pony Pilot
T: Target noncreature artifact you control becomes a Vehicle artifact creature with base power and toughness equal to its converted mana cost until end of turn. If that converted mana cost is greater than Slab Riders’s power, exert Slab Riders. (It won’t untap during your next untap step.)
Wheels are for the unimaginative.
3/1
Enticing Prey 1G
Creature — Squirrel
All creatures able to block Enticing Prey do so.
Pets chase after it. Owners chase after their pets. Eventually, nations follow in its wake.
2/1
Filly’s Best Friend 1G
Creature — Hound
2G: Target Pony, Pegasus, or Unicorn gains indestructible until end of turn.
Diamonds may sparkle, but he’ll make sure they stay where they’re supposed to be.
2/2
Stylish Safari 2G
Sorcery
Search your library for two basic land cards, reveal them, and put them into your hand. Then shuffle your library. If you control an enchantment, you may play an additional land this turn.
Coordinating outfit and expedition is a must.
Crusader Caryatids 3
Artifact Creature — Construct
Defender
Whenever you scry, until end of turn, Crusader Caryatids loses defender and gains trample.
3: Scry 1.
A monument to destiny fulfilled.
3/4
Princess Plate 3
Artifact — Equipment
Equipped creature gets +3/+3 and has hexproof.
Equip 5
Princess Plate’s equip ability costs 3 less to activate if it targets a Pony Pegasus Unicorn.
”There is little need of it these days. I suppose that is a good thing.”
—Princess Luna
Senior Sorbetiere GU
Creature — Pony Elder
T: Add one mana of any color to your mana pool.
1: Senior Sorbetiere becomes snow until end of turn.
She rarely works a scoop these days, instead teaching at sundae school.
1/1
Hmmm, good point. Or perhaps hasn't worked at a boutique where she was essentially the only staff so had other ponies to get this all done.
The oats must floooooooow!
That is an odd part... You do see some rather high hills around the town in certain long shots, but the town has never looked like it reaches them. Unless the town is simply growing and expanded towards them
Wait... did anything say that was taking place IN Ponyville? Could it have been some nearby town (we've never heard of) that was built against the mountain?
Don't try to figure out Equestrian economics, you'll only give yourself a migraine. Let's just assume, they don't charge outright, but do accept donations maybe? And/or Twilight set them up with a stipend after having their work classified as some sort of public good project.
At the moment yes. Intellectually she knows they have grown up, are doing their own thing. But she's so mired in Nostalgia at the moment, it isn't something she's emotionally recognized yet.
Agreed, it's great when things are clearly designed with how different ponies are in mind.
Or you're stuck there, unable to save enough money to get the fuck out, because they keep treating you like a private bank.
But yeah sweet little ep. Not as OMG AMAZING! as some, but good message, good overall, and a lot of great stuff.
That is marble. Maybe limestone. No way it is granite. Not only is the color wrong, but the colt carves it WAY to easily. I can't remember if they said what it was in the show, but I don't care.
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It's funny; I originally wrote marble, but then thought to myself, "Wait, that assumes that there was an inland sea there... before it became a mountain." We may need to call Maud in to examine this.
This is the best thing you've ever written. :D
It's crazy how close Slab Riders is to being an Amonkhet card. If it weren't for the fact that children in Naktamun don't have time for fun, I'd be asking if you just copied the game outright.
Lost a 'C'
I've had the same thought as others in regard to that mountain. There not in Ponyville.
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I can guarantee it is not granite, if nothing else. No colt could have carved granite so easily. It's all the quartz and feldspar in it. And it just doesn't have the sort of spotted quality granite has. Limestone might be a better candidate. The mountain could be a tall hill formed from glacial deposits. Plus limestone is relatively soft, making it easier to carve.
Then again, this is Equestria. For all I know, they went to a quarry up on the hill and got home grown marble by some mountain dwelling rock gardener. Or hell, it's some kind of magical white granite specially ordered.
I can't tell you how much I love this. It dovetails with... a thing I've been pondering and working on in bits and pieces for a ridiculously long time now. And it just swoops in and lays out the whole idea with absolute crystal clarity.
...I'mma probably steal that, just so you know.
Bad pun is bad and you should feel bad.
(I love bad puns)
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It makes sense to put your rock farm at the top of a mountain, so you can transport the produce to customers by rock slide. How else would you transport it? Airship?
(and according to Scientific American, marble is found 5,500 feet above sea level)
Zipporwhill seems to be a dog-obsessed child who knows absolutely everything she can read about dogs, but doesn't yet have the experience of looking after them. There are quite a few such characters in our world.
vignette4.wikia.nocookie.net/mylittleponyccg/images/c/ce/HighMagic_083.jpg/revision/latest/scale-to-width-down/300?cb=20151113151353
I've always thought that the stations, or at least winter, are just not uniform across Equestria, winter happens whenever Cloudsdale gets around to it, and Cloudsdale doesn't look like it can cover the entire country at once, they actually have to move the city close to the region they want to cover in snow.
So, we don't see Canterlot on the outside of the boutique, so for all we know it really is winter there. But it isn't in Ponyville.
Maybe Cloudsdale is denying winter weather to Ponyville for harboring domestic terrorists.
Hm, now that I see that image you linked, it appears that the CMC's necks have lengthened. That's something, at least. Now if only the Cake twins would grow.
IIRC age spells were thought to be impossible without a magic booster like the Alicorn Amulet. So they're probably not common, otherwise you'd never see any old ponies.
I don't have much else to add except that I enjoyed this episode. It was sweet and entertaining and didn't have any major plot holes.
So you're saying Rarity has a little dragon in her?
This was a very sweet episode. But I am one of those people who thinks Sweetie Belle should have been mature enough to speak up early on, especially given that the whole point of the episode was that Sweetie Belle is more mature than Rarity gives her credit for. By failing to do so, she ended up imperiling the whole lesson
Presumably the photo is from shortly after Crusaders of the Lost Mark, which might place it at a year and a half earlier, maybe a bit longer.
It's a minor point and it's completely unsubtle, but I really liked the fact that the main plot and the subplot mirrored each other. That's a Shakespeare device. I approve.
Slab Riders makes me imagine this scene:
"Hop on, crusaders! We're gonna ride this here Spine of Ish Sah all the way ta Canterlot!"
Also, the fact that there is now a statue of the CMC in Ponyville greatly amuses me. I don't think even Twi has had that honor.
I had assumed:
It was the same mountain that "Dragonshy" took place on. Or the mountain Pinkie chashes Dash into at the beginning of "Griffon the Brush Off." You know, the giant mountain overlooking Ponyville that only appears when the episode needs it?
Mike
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Well, Rarity being part dragon (on her mother's side, a bit distantly) might explain a few things, like her talent for finding gems and general attraction to shiny objects.
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I think it's even worse; the whole crux of the confrontation was that age spells were so impossible, even the amulet couldn't help Trixie do them, causing her to believe the fake amulet lie.
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And the brat's in the mansion with the Silver Spoon
Little Foal Blue and the Mare in the Moon...
(No, but seriously, I'm not sure if I should be flattered or insulted here.)
4532141
Given that it's a Pilot that makes Vehicles, I'm going to say it's not quite as perfectly Amonkhetan as you may think. Though I wouldn't be surprised if they did more with exert than using it as an "attack kicker" in Hour of Devastation.
4532142
Then where were they? Especially considering they declared the Chipcutter mission a successful start of the day when they got back to the treehouse. No, this is an issue that's reared its head time and again in Equestria. As Mike Nelson once said, space is warped and time is bendable.
Also, thanks for catching that typo.
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Well, that's what I get for thinking common sense precluded the need to do research. I should know better than that; I majored in physics, for goodness sake!
4532160
I look forward to seeing what you do with that one.
Always happy to provide helpful bits of inspiration.
4532231
... Wait, do you mean Rainbow Dash, Starlight, Trixie, or all three?
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Twilight says they're "only for the highest level unicorns." So possible, but exceedingly difficult.
4532360
Honestly, I wouldn't be surprised. In the genetic sense, anyway.
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"Rarity will love this Darksteel Forge. Alright girls, let's get pushing!")
That is a beautiful mental image, and I thank you for it. (
And yeah, between Spike and the Crusaders, Twilight's really falling behind in terms of monuments. At least she has all those stained-glass windows.
4532406
I think Narrative Peak is distinct from Dragon Mountain, but you may be right about this one being the former.
4532810
Is there a difference? But Rainbow does have a history of destroying the weather factory.
4532796 Yeah, but like, Egyptians riding slabs. It's flavorfully there.
As soon as I finished watching this episode, I listened to "Cats in the Cradle" as well.
4532810
Glad to be of service.
4532406
4532810
Narrative Peak
Land - Mountain
Whenever Narrative Peak would produce R, it produces W instead.
"All of Ponyville sits on a plain, no matter how often a mountain seems to be present."
—Maud Pie, Ro.D.
The full-body glow at cutiesynthesis might be only for CMC-ed marks.