My Little Pony

[Crazedwraith]

"Did I miss anything?" Yes Luna, you did. Fat lot of good you were protecting your subjects. I supposed they can't slant the episode too heavily towards action. But it'd have been nice is the Queen had blasted Celestia and then tried to follow up it up with another attack only for Luna to get in the way.

Yeah, so power of love is triumphant and looked to be nearly as powerful as the element's of Harmony's friendship bomb. But I suppose it only had to clear out Canterlot not fix up the entirety of Equestria like with Discord.

Still those songs seemed a little forced. Not their best, even if it was nice to see a Villian song for a change.

[Zixinus]

I was heartwrenched with Twilight's scene of accusing Cadence of "being evil" and the subsequent song.

So much for the "Celestia is a god" theories. Any competent god could have seen the changeling for what they are and bucked them three ways out of Equastria before you could say "pray". Or overpower the Queen (or know to go to her power source rather than an edge-to-edge confrontation).

Overall, the last two episodes felt more like a feature movie than a typical episode of the show and I mean that as a good thing. The music, the scenery, the "camera angles" (lack of better term), even the songs.

Also, this is also an episode where direct, violent confrontation had brought SOME progress. Twilight and the gang managed to FIGHT their way through a group of changeling, even as those changeling took up their form in order to confuse them.
Also, Pinkie's party canon appears to be a fearsome weapon if she chooses to utilize it as such.

The finale will mess with several fanfics, but it was not at all the "fandom-frenzy-button" that I feared it to be. Shining Armour and Cadence present themselves as endearing and likable characters, rather than the tacked-on attempts to make new products.

[Rabid]

Random thoughts :

- Changelings feed on emotions ? Hmmm, what else feed on emotions ?... [beat] WARP-DAEMONS ! The Taint of Chaos is on Equestria !

- I have already spotted a fanon theory that Changelings are in fact Windigos ("Hearth Warming Eve") who have evolved the capacity to feed on love instead of fear & strife. Same theory propose that Changelings can adapt their diets relatively quickly by natural selection, in the space of a few generations, to feed on other emotions, depending on what is the dominant emotion of the time (fear & strife in pre-Equestrian times ; love & harmony in Equestrian times ; pain & misery in Fallout-Equestria's times).

[RogueIce]

Loved the aria. Anyone but me feel the ending, especially the poppy song would've better befit a MLP movie?

It did feel like a movie, and I've seen several people say these two episodes were a lot like a Disney movie. With the various songs including a villian one. I can't say I disagree.

Heck, it'd be cool if it were feature length. An extra thirty minutes or so might give us some Canterlot Guards and Luna fighting. And maybe a little more development on Shining Armor and Cadence. That'd be pretty sweet.

[Rabid]

Another theory on the "origin" of Changelings :

[Ponibooru Link - 400 KB]

The pony equivalent of "Fairies" ?

[LadyTevar]

Another theory on the "origin" of Changelings :

[Ponibooru Link - 400 KB]

The pony equivalent of "Fairies" ?

I got that vibe the moment Queen Chrysalis revealed herself. She screamed 'Dark Fae' to me, and Nitram and I started quoting Pratchet's little meme "No one ever said Elves were Nice" during the break. I was wondering where Celestia had vanished during Chrysalis' little monologue, as she had vanished from the dias, but I was pleased to see her step up and fight.

And yes, shocked to see her lose, although Chrysalis' boast that it was Shining Armor's love for Cadance that empowered her made it better. Nothing beats the Power Of Love, not even Celestia.

The Mane Six's run to get the Elements of Harmony was fantastic. Fluttershy's reaction to her doubles (I'm one of you, now GO!) was fantastic. Rainbow Dash also pulled off the 'one of you' perfectly. I didn't see much of Rarity fighting, but AJ getting piled on was impressive. Nitram was expecting her to Buck her way out, not get saved by Twilight. Then Pinky... omg Pinky and her Twilight-gatling gun ... and then her party cannon. I thought they had a chance.

But no, it went back to what we knew before -- LOVE is the most powerful magic of all.


Shoutouts to the "This Day" Aria. It was beautiful, moving, and it told us everything we wanted to know about both Cadance and false-Cadance (aside from the reveal).

BTW: I think Canterlot was expecting the Changling horde to attack, and I think I know why. How better to hide your replacement of a Princess than by setting an outside threat for people to focus on? It could even have been part of the plot -- as her changlings make a raid on Canterlot, Chrysalis replaces Cadance. The changlings run away, and no one is the wiser as Cadance insists that the wedding go through despite the sudden need for security. It is something the real Cadance would do, give the people something to celebrate instead of worry over the next attack.

[Zixinus]

I just watched Part 2 again. Twilight's scene while in the crystal caverns was incredible. It was probably the most dynamic and most animated scene I can recall in the entire series.

[Rossum]

Well, at first Queen Chrysalis reminded me of some kind of skeleton/heartless thing, fraid I'm not quite as versed in fae as others might be. Though once she started talking about how she feed on love I was reminded of Mother Mae Eye from Teen Titans.

Also, for thise who are fans of Fallout Equestria, I just noticed that the swarm of changelings looks kind of like how the Pegasus Enclave might look decked out in their insect-like power armor.

[SpaceMarine93]

This time the villains, the Changelings, unlike Nightmare Moon and Discord, are not defeated, instead they are literally blasted into the horizon by a magical shield empowered by Love. Nor as par theme of friendship the show advertises were they redeemed or rehabilitated by the Ponies. This would mean that the Changelings could still remain a potent threat. If Lauren Faust had her way and MLP FIM gets a story arc they would be very persistent villains, and it would had been awesome.

Speaking of which, you do realize that since the Changelings have shown to possess a homeland (that patch of desert in the horizon at the direction where they are banished to), a government (Queen Chrysalis, who did it all to get food for her subjects) and therefore constitutes a nation in themselves, what they did during the episode could in all respects considered as an act of aggression of a nation against another nation. Against Equestria...

Combined with the episode showing that if pushed the Ponies are willing to resort to force against their enemies with Celestia dueling Chrysalis and the Mane Six fighting their way through the horde of Changelings...

The fact remaining that the Changelings are not defeated...

Shining Armor, Captain of the Royal Guards, would still be pissed at the Changelings for all they did to Princess Cadence and Equestria...



Someone should go to write this up as an awesome, gritty fanfic. This time, the ponies have every reason to retaliate and hit back hard. It is time Ponies go to WAR!

[Zixinus]

I actually have a fic in the works that details (my headcannon's) aftermath of the whole changeling crisis. There won't be a war and I am uncertain whether they constitute a nation upon themselves.

It does appear that the Royal Guard is a larger, more organized force than I thought. It was pretty clear that they tried to fight the changelings when they went on a rampage. I wonder whether we'll see a regular army (or police force for that matter).

Oh, and either we saw Soarin or a relative to Rainbow Dash in what looked like a police uniform (it looked odd for wedding wear). So, maybe Equestria is more like our world than we thought?

[SpaceMarine93]

I actually have a fic in the works that details (my headcannon's) aftermath of the whole changeling crisis. There won't be a war and I am uncertain whether they constitute a nation upon themselves.

It does appear that the Royal Guard is a larger, more organized force than I thought. It was pretty clear that they tried to fight the changelings when they went on a rampage. I wonder whether we'll see a regular army (or police force for that matter).

Oh, and either we saw Soarin or a relative to Rainbow Dash in what looked like a police uniform (it looked odd for wedding wear). So, maybe Equestria is more like our world than we thought?

Many of the stuff in the setting is essentially based on the real world, retrofit to fit in a equine fantasy setting (modern appliances that runs on magitech, tools that would had used best by hands and not mouths / tails, Applebloom speaking fancy, city names equine parodies of Human cities etc.)

I already got a story in my head and a chapter in the works: An AU fic about Ponies going to war against the Changelings in the aftermath of the Changeling invasion to remove them as a threat to harmony once and for all. After my end of year exams I am going to flesh it all out. It's gonna be EPIC!

[RogueIce]

Oh, and either we saw Soarin or a relative to Rainbow Dash in what looked like a police uniform (it looked odd for wedding wear).

I'm guessing that was Soarin and the shirt and tie are Wonderbolts formal uniforms. I judge it because of the lightning bolts on his collar. Those bars could be a form of rank as well.

It's a little odd without a coat, but this was the reception so maybe he'd taken it off and was dressing down at that point.

As for why the change compared to the GGG, well IIRC Dash's part of the Best Night Ever song it indicated the 'bolts would be performing, so they'd naturally wear their flight suits. Either that or they were there as the Wonderbolts and wore the more recognizable uniform, whereas for the wedding they were present simply as guests so adopted a more formal uniform.

[Rabid]

Random thought :

- Changelings feeding from Love and being physically full of holes... is that some sort of symbolism meaning that people without love are hollow or something ?

[Zixinus]

Random thought :

- Changelings feeding from Love and being physically full of holes... is that some sort of symbolism meaning that people without love are hollow or something ?

I figured that it was just an art style choice, giving further reminiscence to the changelings' insectile vibe, but what you are saying makes some sense too!

[SpaceMarine93]

Having seen a challenge on the internet, daring anyone to make Queen Chrysalis sympathetic, Here's my take on Queen Chrysalis and the Changelings, with a tragic backstory, combining existing theories with a bits of G1 and G4 stuff.

"Long ago, the Changelings were Flutterponies, and Queen Chrysalis was their ruler, having succeeded her mother Queen Rosedust. Unlike her aloof mother, Queen Chrysalis was originally a kind and loving mare who loved and care for many things, and under her leadership the Flutterponies helped many races with their magical powers, and were loved in turn.

(The Ponies forgotten this of couse, having lost contact with the Flutterponies, their tribes becoming torn by hatred, and hounded by Windigoes, they were forced to leave their original homeland to what would become known as Equestria.)

One day, Discord came.

He turns the world into a nightmarish realm where nothing made sense and everything was disharmonious and discorded. Seeing the all loving nature of the Flutterponies, as a sick joke Discord warped reality and changed Chrysalis and the Flutterponies:

The bodies of Chrysalis and the Flutterponies became twisted by Discord, turning them from beautiful ponies with butterfly wings into horrible insectoid beings that only looked like ponies in outline. Their minds were twisted by their new forms as well; like bees, they lost their free will, becoming bestial in manner and thought, and soon only Chrysalis remained in any sense as an individual, becoming the voice and mind of the new collective.

But worst of all, they were stripped of their ability to feel love, but on the other hand were made dependent on it as sustenance. The only way to fill the gaping hole in their soul and bottomless hunger is to feed on the love of others.

Even after Discord was defeated, Chrysalis and Flutterponies remained in their monstrous state, and they despaired.

No creature on the world could accept them now with their monstrous appearance, seeing them as no more than just another of Discord's creation, unable to recognize their true identities as Flutterponies.

Before long, without love, the new race began to starve, and Chrysalis desperately sought to find food for her now forsaken people. When no one would help them, she became frustrated and angered, and unable to feel love again, her anger and bitterness grew into hatred. If they cannot be help for her people, fine, they would be food, a just punishment for forgetting them and despising them after all they had done. She care for nothing else now but her and her people.

To feed on love of other races, Chrysalis and her subjects used their still potent magic to disguise and change their appearance. Hiding under a mask, they could pretend to be members of other races and people across the world, where they could gain their love with careful deception and manipulation, which they could then conquer them and drain them for all the love they desire, growing powerful in the act.

Thus, they were kind and loving Flutterponies no more, but ruthless and conquering Changelings.

Such was their hunger, entire lands and races were drained of every bit of love, right down to their souls, leaving nothing but dead lands in their wake.

Their original homeland, once verdant, is now a desert dominated by their enormous hives.

And in the greatest hive of them all, Queen Chrysalis, a cruel, vain, manipulative shadow of her former self, reflective of her new monstrous form, now spends her ageless life plotting their next move, finding new lands and new races for which could conquer and satisfy their eternal hunger."

How's that?

[Crazedwraith]

Despite not really liking it I've got the BBBFF song stuck in my head. Damn it.

So tangent; what are peoples hopes for next season? Really my big one is a Scootaloo centered episode. Which is weird because I also want less one character episodes and more ones feature the entire mane six.

[SirNitram]

Pinky and the Twi-cannon are the greatest. 'Say hello to my little pony!'

[madd0ct0r]

do the changelings feed purely off love?

cos then why would it be in their interest to destabilize equestria?

they could just open family restaurents, creches and motels and feed off the love of the users...

anyone else intrested how they have the basic shape of an alicorn?

perhaps there's a reason the royal family are so loved by their subjects...

[Rabid]

Random Thought :

- The Power of Love : when you think about it, it is quite quite ironic that, in the end, Queen Chrysalis was defeated by the very thing she sought to sustain herself and her spawn from - Love.

[tim31]

do the changelings feed purely off love?

cos then why would it be in their interest to destabilize equestria?

they could just open family restaurents, creches and motels and feed off the love of the users...

Woah woah woah there

We've just had a sensation two-parter that was richly Disneyesque

And now you want them to copy a Pixar plot and have the monsterschangelings realise that they can gain more from emotional energy through positive reinforcement rather than negative?

And also because then you're turning Equestria into something out of They Live

[Crossroads Inc.]

Well WOW Hell of a two parter.

Have to say there wasn't a lot that I had issues with, and most of what I DO have issues with, are things that prolly only the "broney" fans really notice or pick up on.
I think the biggest thing here is that the "Celestia is a God" thing is really DEAD and buried at this point.
It wasn't just the ponies in Canterlot who let out a gasp of disbelief, it was every fan of an all powerful Celestia saying "No say it aint say!"
I keep replaying that part, and in my mind I would have had "The Power of Love" allow the Queen to simply be able to fight Celestia on equal terms, not out right pwn her. I would have been much more satisfied the Queen saying something like "It seems I can't defeat you, so I will just imprison you!" and then bang! Into the Chrysalis.

I think the other one was the fact we never got to see the Royal guards in action, and we assume they were taken out by the initial Zerg rush of the changelings.

Over all, fairly minor nitpicks given how awesome the over all final was.
The ending felt a bit rushed, which is fairly normal. I blame time constraints rather then any bad writing. Others have touched on this and I'll echo the statement. This could have VERY Easily been turned in a "movie" of some sort. Most likely a 90min DVD release or something like that, but I could see it being extended in quite a few areas and few that from what we have seen, the staff would be up to it.

One other thing. unlike past bad-guys, the Villain was not "defeated" but simply banished a long ways away.
Season three is a bit uncertain in how long it will be, but, If the producers want to, I could very easily see the Changelings, becoming a recurring bad-guy on the show. Changeling agents stirling up trouble and such.

[Rabid]

And also because then you're turning Equestria into something out of They Live

"I have come here to chew hay and kick flanks...and I'm all out of hay." [Rainbow Dash]

[Zixinus]

"I have come here to chew hay and kick flanks...and I'm all out of hay." [Rainbow Dash]

Can I use that?

[SpaceMarine93]

"Celestia is a god" idea isn't completely dead as an idea. For all we know, her capabilities still dwarfs many other gods in Human mythology.

And besides, there had been many examples in our myths and legends where mortals or demigods overpowering deities by themselves e.g. Ares from Greek Mythology had been known to be defeated at least once by a demigod hero, and Abraham from the Old Testament wrestling with God (or an angel, not sure. Granted, God was being easy on him trying to test his faith, but that doesn't change the fact that Abraham held his own long enough to prove it).

Then there are cases where monsters (not gods, MONSTERS) rivaling and even dwarfing Gods in power e.g. The Asgardian pantheon only managed to contain Fenrir and Jormungandr, not kill them, and they are prophesied to be killed by them at Ragnarok. Typhon from Greek mythology scared the living shit out of the Olympians until Zeus made the initiative and encouraged the rest to get their act together to defeat him.

Celestia's defeat in this episode is not that surprising since the power of Harmony (Friendship and Love) had been shown in the setting to be able to trump even those more powerful than Celestia (e.g. DISCORD). So its not surprising that Queen Chrysalis, exploiting it, would be able to trump her, and was then trump in turn by the combined power of Shining Armor and Princess Cadence (whom remember is an Alicorn herself).

[Rabid]

"I have come here to chew hay and kick flanks...and I'm all out of hay." [Rainbow Dash]

Can I use that?

Sure, why not ?