Friendship is Card Games: Friends Forever #19 & #20 · 12:06pm Dec 3rd, 2017
This week, it’s all about dreams, both aspirations in the waking world and the hazy narratives of slumbering minds. Well, dreams and Tabitha St. Germain. Let’s begin.
Friends Forever #19: Rarity & the Cakes
I see Ponyville town hall is the go-to place for weddings in town… which raises further questions about the Reverend Mr. Waddle and religion’s role in pony society.
I do love how Pound Cake needs to be on that foal leash. Rainbow Dash is probably proud. Her parents would be sympathetic. (Meanwhile, Pumpkin appears to be behaving herself… though I wouldn’t surprised if one of the reasons Rarity is sitting with the Cakes is to counter anything Pumpkin tries to cast.)
Uh… I’m going to assume there’s a cutaway between pages, given how Pinkie’s served herself cake. Otherwise, Rarity adjusted her seating in a matter of moments. That or she’s just visiting her friends at their table, but the transition is still a bit jarring.
At first, I raised an eyebrow at Rarity saying it “looked like” she and the Cakes were working together on the wedding. After all, why wouldn’t they coordinate their efforts? Then I realized that the bride was probably the one holding the aesthetic themes together.
This issue came out during the mid-Season 5 hiatus, just before “Canterlot Boutique,” so Rarity’s fame is low enough that her putting her all into a one-stop wedding boutique makes sense (putting aside the whole “saving the world several times” thing.) Still, I am surprised that nothing like the concept exists in all of Equestria. Especially given Las Pegasus. I suppose this is higher class than affirming your vows before an Elvis Przewalski impersonator.
Poor Spike. Still, nice to see Twilight show concern for him when Rarity shoots him down, as opposed to those times in the comics when she laughs at his misery.
Ooh, data point supporting high-speed pegasus metabolisms.
Rarity’s naked manipulation of the Cakes (even as they’re commenting on her manipulative tendencies!) is honestly hilarious.
“Canterlot’s Wonderous Bolts of Fabric” seems like a… less than catchy name for a store, even before one takes the misspelling into account. There’s even a line break between Wonderous and Bolts, so the potential pro pegasus pun is lost.
Also, as I’ve noted in the past, color coordination seems like a much greater undertaking when prospective clients come in every color of the rainbow.
I’m guessing Touring Wind is a reference to someone in real life, but I certainly wouldn’t be able to say who.
Rarity has had some downright manic expressions in this issue thus far.
I suppose Ponyville could be seen as provincial in terms of size… but it does have an alicorn resident. You’d think that would count for something, especially in Canterlot.
Oh, Rarity. So easily dazzled by fame. So easily blinded by your own ambition.
Ginger Gold and Apple Crisp are quite cute together.
Oh, Rarity.
I do love the G1-ish cake topper. Very traditional.
Applejack, feel free to rein in your friend at some point. Or extricate Spike before his rib cage collapses.
Huh. I guess Rarity had Pinkie help with Touring Wind’s welcome. Though it probably would’ve been better if she had helped with the physically impossible parts of the cake rather than acting as a one-mare welcoming committee.
Fortunately, the Plot Convenience Express only arrives in Ponyville when dramatically appropriate.
I love how the twins have completely inured the Cakes to any kind of disaster. And how they hedged their bets when it came to Rarity’s grand vision. When you live with Pinkie, you learn how to work around… eccentric personalities.
I do like how Rarity’s friends are working together to showcase the best Ponyville has to offer for the visiting VIP.
… Well, if sheep can protest the trains, I don’t see why dragons can’t.
Definitely for the best that this business venture didn’t follow through. Strong personalities like Sassy Saddles who can directly compete with Rarity’s raw charisma are far better fits for her managerial style. Still, a fun little romp with an unusual starring cast, which is what every Friends Forever aims for.
Friends Forever #20: Princess Luna & Discord
Of course, that’s where this series starts. Sometimes it can go for the adventures of the quasidivine.
“You hit me! Celestia never hit me.”
Fantastic two-page spread of Discord’s sleeping shenanigans.
Twice-monthly hypnotherapy for the Princess of Neuroses? Seems legit.
I do love how that first pony in glasses and tie seems like part of the randomness but is actually a piece of foreshadowing.
That said, it’s a shame the buzzword squad interrupted Luna and Discord. That promised to be an interesting discussion on the distinction between chaos and evil. (Though you’d think somepony who faced down Sombra woulds realize that order has its dark side…)
The one tree getting transmuted into paperwork is actually kind of horrific.
Discord’s been having his corporate nightmare for years? As a reminder, this came out in the middle of Season 5. Hooray, more timeline confusion.
Luna does look good in Matrix chic.
I’m going to borrow a page from alarajrogers and assume that Discord summons bovine muscle tissue from nothing rather than actually killing sapient cows for roast beef.
Ooh, reference to the Luna/Pinkie issue. Always nice to get some continuity.
This conversation is even better than chaos vs. evil. Not only is Discord forced to confront the conflict between who he is as a person and what he is as the incarnation of disharmony, he and Luna get to discuss their considerable common ground. This sort of thing is usually reserved for the upper echelons of fan fiction; it’s great to see it in something official.
The letter to Celestia works quite well, especially in the wake of “Do Princesses Dream of Magic Sheep?” Plus, it seems the Crusaders have, by this point, forgiven Discord for the whole “betraying equinity to the Soul-Drinker” thing.
Between the visuals and the character interaction, this is easily one of the best entries in the Friends Forever series, if not the comics as a whole. I’m tremendously glad I finally read it.
Now, let’s see what I’ve dreamed up…
Cheerful | Sunflower 1W
Host Creature — Plant
When this creature
enters the battlefield, untap target creature.
1/3
Sudden Brick Wall 2W
Creature — Wall
Flash
Defender
When Sudden Brick Wall enters the battlefield, it gets +3/+0 until end of turn.
”Was that always there?”
0/5
Untethered Soul 3W
Creature — Spirit
Flying
W, Sacrifice Untethered Soul: Return to the battlefield target creature card in your graveyard that was put there from the battlefield this turn.
It can’t remember which body it belongs to, so it seeks out any new vacancies.
2/2
Piscine Promenade 3WW
Enchantment
Whenever a creature deals combat damage to you, you may create a 2/2 white Fish creature token.
”Why fish? Really, now. You don’t ask chaos ‘Why;’ you ask it ‘Where’s the tartar sauce?’”
—Discord
Royal
(W) Creature —
Alicorn (This card is a Pony Pegasus Unicorn.)
Whenever a Pony, Pegasus, or Unicorn enters the battlefield under your control,
Augment 2WW (2WW, Reveal this card from your hand: Combine it with target host. Augment only as a sorcery.)
+3/+3
Ray of Slumber U
Instant
Tap target creature. It doesn’t untap during its controller’s next untap step.
Recover 1U (When a creature is put into your graveyard from the battlefield, you may pay 1U. If you do, return this card from your graveyard to your hand. Otherwise, exile this card.)
Touring’s Assistant U
Creature — Unicorn Advisor
T: Scry 1.
”Yes, Ms. Wind.”
1/1
Plan B 1U
Sorcery
Shuffle up to one target card from your scrapyard into your Contraption deck, then assemble a Contraption. (Put the top card of your Contraption deck face up onto one of your sprockets.)
The Cakes had faith in Rarity. They also knew to prepare for the inevitable.
Buzzspeak 1U
Instant
Counter target spell with a keyword ability.
”Strange. It’s like they’re trying to communicate.”
—Discord
Curse of Overcomplication 2U
Enchantment — Aura Curse
Enchant player
Enchanted player’s Contraption deck has an additional sprocket. (Its CRANK! counter moves from sprocket 3 to sprocket 4, and so forth with more curses.)
As Curse of Overcomplication leaves the battlefield, enchanted player reassembles all Contraptions on his or her Contraption deck’s rightmost sprocket. (He or she moves each of them to another one of his or her sprockets.)
Outer Child 3U
Instant
Target nonland, non-Aura permanent loses all abilities and becomes a 1/1 creature until end of turn.
Chaotic U (You may cast this spell for its chaotic cost. If you do, choose its target at random.)
When Discord panics, so does everything else.
Swarming Synergizers 3U
Creature — Pony Bureaucrat
As Swarming Synergizers enters the battlefield, choose an ability word. (An ability word is an italicized word at the start of an ability that has no black-bordered rules meaning.)
Spells you cast with the chosen ability word cost 1 less to cast.
”Let’s synthesize a timetable for dynamic, agile processes in real time.”
2/4
Touring Wind 3UUU
Legendary Creature — Unicorn Advisor
Play with the top card of your library revealed.
You may play the top card of your library.
Spells you cast that share a card type with the top card of your library cost 1 less to cast.
2/3
Acute Allergy 1BB
Enchantment — Aura
Enchant creature
When Acute Allergy enters the battlefield or whenever enchanted creature becomes the target of a spell, put two -1/-1 counters on enchanted creature.
You’ll beg for death. Or at least for antihistamines.
Protesting Dragon 2R
Creature — Dragon Rogue
T: Tap target artifact or creature unless that permanent’s controller has Protesting Dragon deal 2 damage to him or her.
A reptile without a cause.
2/2
Shattered Alliance 3R
Sorcery
Shattered Alliance deals 4 damage to target player and each of his or her teammates.
It’s all fun and games until somepony loses a bolt of organza.
Reviving Remedy GG
Instant
Choose one —
• Return target creature card from your graveyard to your hand.
• Remove all -1/-1 counters from target creature. That creature gains indestructible until end of turn.
Zebras aren’t the only ones with access to herb lore.
Apple Farmer 3G
Creature — Plant Druid
2G, T: Create a 2/2 green Pony creature token.
”This is good earth pony country. Too wet for unicorns, too low for pegasi, and don’t get me started on growing alicorns.”
2/2
Chococlysmic Pastry Pillar
Artifact — Contraption
Whenever you crank Chococlysmic Pastry Pillar, destroy target artifact or enchantment.
Choconimbus WUB
Creature — Elemental
Flying, menace
Whenever Choconimbus attacks, each player other than defending player gains 3 life.
”Yes! Finally!”
—Pinkie Pie, Bearer of Laughter
3/3
Dream Big 1(bg)(bg)
Sorcery
Search your library for a card with converted mana cost 6 or greater, reveal it, put it into your hand, then shuffle your library.
”Otherwise, what’s the point of dreaming at all?”
—Rarity, Bearer of Generosity
Trial Twins 2RW
Creature — Pegasus Unicorn Child
At the beginning of your upkeep, Trial Twins deals 1 damage to you.
If a source you don’t control would deal damage to you, prevent half that damage, rounded down.
Everything seems easier when compared to raising pony foals.
3/3
Her parents would be sympathetic.
Ha ha, I never noticed that photo.
I haven't read the Luna/Discord issue, but it sounds fascinating, timeline problems aside.
Oooh, one Apple Farmer please
For the Augment creature, shouldn't this have a subtype? (I guess there isn't any rule that says Creatures must have subtypes, but all of the official augments do)
Actually never mind, after looking at the official Host/Augment examples I see how this would work now.
Whitley's Discord comics were always my favourites, and Luna/Discord was one of his best even among those. I wish he'd done more like them while Friends Forever was still a thing.