Looking for all the Nightmare Night/spooky episodes so stuff like that episode where Scoots has nightmares and 28 Pranks Later also count. Anyone know of any other spooky episodes?
Ever since i became a brony between the hiatus from the 1st season towards the 2nd. I immersed myself into a world i would never have expected to be this big and amazing, i remember the when the first pony images i saw caught my attention on some meme websites, where some screenshots from the show were captioned to some funny situations, though i barely remember those now, there are many things that i remembered from the show.
When strangely (and like many people) i decided to watch the first episode, i was quite doubting myself if i should go into a girl's show, where colored cartoon horses and rainbows were the main focus with sprinkled colored cakes and songs about friendship, definitely not a scene i expected myself getting into, and as soon as the 1st episode ended, i was left with only one thought: i wanted more.
My little pony was just another brand for me, i remember back in my childhood where there were 2 competing brands (at least on my head). Mattel and Hasbro, and since Hot wheels belonged to Mattel, i didn't cared at all about what hasbro released, i was not into transformers or whatever other toys they were releasing, however i remember (in blurry memories) about the my little pony commercials, some of my female partners in school had them and i just didn't cared, it was just a brand that never crossed my mind and i barely gave any attention towards it.
Besides the documentaries about bronies and some other history i learned more about later; i remember ponies being quite unappealing, some sort of fat horses with small eyes and covered in typical cliches about everything being awesome and good. Of course i cannot bash the previous generations for if it weren't for them, there would be no friendship is magic, however when i started looking at the newest generation created by Lauren Faust, ponies were appealing, i was engaged in the show, i was looking forward every saturado for a new episode, i was rewatching the songs and singing-along (despite me hating musicals), and most importantly, i was getting involved into somewhere i could be accepted.
When i finished season 1, i was in awe, ponies were no longer this girly thing i used to frown upon, nor it was the typical "girly" show where tea parties and dresses were the peak point. There was emotional development, each character had defining traits that made them stand out from each other, i was feeling identified with many aspects of them, overcoming many fears and anxieties from scenes of my past, loving these ponies made me overcome many aspects of myself.
Around a year before Friendship is magic came out, i was on my last year of high school, i was going through some major depressive moments of my life and i even attempted to kill myself at some point, wondering if life even had a meaning, through some psychologists and some psychiatrists, i managed to overcome my problems and move along, however, there was still a feeling of a meaningless void inside me, i was at a point where i wanted to carry on, but i had no idea where, and that's where i was diagnosed with Aspergers.
For those that have no idea, Asperger is a syndrome where an individual has trouble communicating with others, has deep interests in a single topic and has very few friends, is quite introverted, and spends most of his time in a "solitary shell". I had many of these aspects in my life, i was bullied almost to death in my previous years and my social skills were really really low, and then, my little pony came out.
As many people know, every episode (specially the first ones) dealt with how to behave and act with many friendship problems throughout many distinct situations, really deepening into many complex dialogue, friendship problems, dealing with distinct reactions and each pony having its own problems, ideas, thoughts and motivations.
Friendship is magic has helped me learn how to react in social situations, how to deal with some problems and how to overcome minor and major difficulties in life. You may have no idea how many times i sang-along the Smile song from Pinkie Pie to ease my anxieties and calm down my nerves, always knowing that no matter the problem, i would always be able to carry on.
As the episodes moved on, i got in touch with the community, talked to people in forums, joined discords, role-played as my favorite ponies, i had my ups and downs with the series. I went to the cinemas to watch all the equestria girls movies so excited to see if my favorite pony would appear in it.
When i told my family that i liked my little pony, i was really worried that they would react in the same way as if i were coming out as gay (which i'm not). However they didn't seemed to be bothered with it and actually enjoyed seeing me this happy with the series. When the news reached beyond my nuclear family i was surprised to see the entire support i got from liking something that is seen as "girly". My sister and mother gave me some good pony figurines for my birthday and christmas. My aunt gave me a build-a-bear Rainbow Dash with her gala gown and i absolutely love it! She also gave me a pillow and some play-doh figurines among other stuff. My father, was raised as a very conservative person, and despite him not agreeing with many of today's ideology, brings me comics every week! By Celestia i love how my family has supported me with my love for ponies.
Comics are amazing, i gotta thank every person behind the comics, for the excellent style and amazing stories, i love reading those great pages filled with thrilling emotions, exciting finales and epic climaxes.
Show had its ups and downs, i remember the chaos alicorn Twilight Sparkle created, i remember the problems with Equestria Girls, many left the show with Starlight Glimmer too! but it didn't mattered to me, i wanted to keep on going with the show and i'm still standing with it until the very end...
Ever since saw her, and just like many people like to do, i chose my Waifu. I really really like Octavia and pretty much in many communities i have entered, they have supported me in pairing me with her. I know it's quite pathetic in liking (and loving) a fictional character, but i gotta thank everyone for accepting her as my Waifu.
And now the tears are about to come. When i read that season 9 was gonna be the end, my brain just denied it… i didn't wanted it to end, not the show that helped me grow! not the show that made me realize how many good things in life are out there! i just didn't wanted to… and here i am, waiting for the ending over morrow.
I haven't seen the last episode of course, but my mind pictured it like every single pony saying goodbye and thanks for all the memories… Every single one gazing into the camera and saying a big thank you, before they all faded into obscurity while the book from the very beginning closed and the final credits started rolling.
Of course i'm pretty sure the ending will be quite different, however i cannot bear myself staring at the final credits, just by thinking about it, tears start rolling down my cheeks, i don't want it to end, however, and as many people have told me, all good things must come to an end, and we don't want the series to roll into a bad series if these continue.
I will cry like never before, and i wanna make sure that if you also cry, that if you're desolate, you're not alone, i will be there along for the ride and if you even wanna talk, i'll be there for you.
I never was somebody that could have helped the community, i see every day so many posts about drawings, comics, fanfics, music, dubs, etc. And here i am, a nobody who never managed to give anything back to this amazing community. i always lurked, casually talked to other bronies but never went to any convention nor ever knew another brony IRL. This are just a big thanks and hug from a Brony that never did anything but just enjoy the show.
I wanna thank the staff behind the show, i managed to talk to them a few times via Twitter, even had Megan Mc Carthy as a friend in the game loft app! (before i was banned) They sure did an amazing work with everybody, trying to please all the community while making a good show is no easy task and definitely something to be proud of.
I wanna thank the staff behind the comics, for their amazing stories, their crazy plots and just incredible lessons about life and friendship.
I wanna thank all the amazing community for all the support, all the fan made content, the music, the images, the inspiration, just about everything…
But i wanna thank a special person above them all… YOU!
But you already thanked the community you might be saying
I wanna thank you, for reading this, for helping this amazing show grow no matter what, if you watched the show, you helped it, you helped the bronies and you helped yourself becoming a better person. So i definitely wanna thank you for all this time, for all the laughs, the tears, the hugs, the lessons in friendship and everything that is yet to come…
Inspired and partially enabled by Scootertrix's epic movie, tracking everything down has been a little challenging. I've been heavily interested in abridged mlp, so I'm looking to make a complete archive in the best currently existing quality. Any additions, suggestions and improvements welcome!
Here's where I'm at:
Friendship is Magic: The Ultimate Abridged - episodes 2-9 and a bloopers
My Little Pony Abridged - 12 episodes and a special + a clipisode and Christmas short
My Little Pony: Friendship is for Adults - episodes 1-7, 8 preview, 5 royal correspondences + crossover, 6 specials
My Little Pony: Scootertrix the Abridged - 26 episodes, 10 royal correspondences + crossover, 5 shorts + 1 special + movie and Bean Quest
My Little Pony: The Abridged Series - 20 episodes + 2 episodes + shorts 1 2 3 4
Ultra Fast Pony - 91 episodes, 2 movies, 4 specials, 5 trailers (missing original episode 26)
Camaraderie is Supernatural - 3.5 episodes
Chronicles of Friendship - 2 episodes + trailer
Friendship Goes Hard - 11 episodes
Friendship is Witchcraft - 9 episodes + episode 10 reading + 2 specials + THE MOVIE + 2 Horse Women + 4 Camp Energy + 10k sub special (alternate lines and bonus content)
Mentally Advanced Series (Original Run) - episodes 1-10 + 12-23 + Spike's Moment
Mentally Advanced Series - 24 episodes + 3 shorts
MLP: The Weirdest Abridged Series - 1 episode
MLP:FiM Abridged - 8 episodes
MY LITTLE PONY FRIENDSHIP IS ABRIDGED - 4 episodes + episode 5
My Little Pony: Friendship is Abridged - 1 episode
My Little Pony: Friendship is Pandering - 3 episodes
My Little Pony: The Brony Edition - 1 episode
Pony Horror Abridged - 4 episodes
Spoof Series Show - 7 episodes
Togetherness is Special - 1 episode
I'm also looking for nontraditional parody series or parodies of fanworks such as:
If anything I have referenced without links cannot be found, I can upload the files for archivers. I tried not to get too tied up in separating abridged materials from other material posted by the same uploaders or groups, apologies if I missed something.
Hi there! It's Thursday again and that means another chance to talk about what's been happening around here and how you feel about it!
Same as every other time, feel free to discuss whatever it is you'd like regarding our little subreddit good or bad. If you're unhappy we'll try our best to fix whatever problem you're having!
If you want to talk about the MLP fandom in general, that's fine too!
But some people may not want to talk about comics or anything else that hasn't happened yet, so you should be nice and hide those conversations from those people by using the spoiler tag.
If you don't know how it's as easy as making an emote:
>!It has ponies!!<
And if you're not wanting to discuss the subreddit or community specifically you can also check out the weekly off-topic thread here!!!!!
So, the Guard. Or Royal Guard. Equestria military. They don't get much positive screen time, but despite that they've always held a strong place in my heart: Those stalwart souls who - unbound by destiny and unaided by any great magical superweapons - hold the line day and night against the common threats to the common ponies: The monster, the bandit, and the invader.
This is a collected headcanon dump about all things Guard related: How they are organized, how they fight, how they are recruited, and more. While some of it is based on hints or tips from the show, much of the rest is nothing but my attempt to build a coherent idea for Equestria's military. Given that this is a bit of a wall'o'text, I've tried to conveniently section and title things for your easy reading.
With that said, let's dig into things:
The EUP Guard, often simply referred to as "the Guard", is Equestria's rank-and-file military. They watch the borders, man outposts and garrisons of major cities, protect against monster incursions or bandits, and - in time of war - would provide the bulk of Equestria's armed forces. EUP Guard ponies are placed into largely tribally-uniform formations; while ponies entering the service try to be placed in areas relating to their talent, it's by no means a given - someone has to fill out the grunts!
Although their tactics are radically different, there isn't much of a distinguishment between air corps and land-bound forces; they're both considered part of the same force. Pegasi tend to be more treated as a mix of artillery (with their storm-making abilities) and light (harassing) cavalry.
The Royal Guard - also sometimes referred to as the Solar Guard - are very technically Celestia's personal House Guard. They are drawn from the highest-performing ranks of the EUP guard and charged with the protection of critically-important persons, locations, and held in reserve as a professional force in major battles. This tends to result in an abundance of ponies with defense- or military-related Talents ending up there, but it is by no means a strict limitation.
Unlike the EUP Guard, the Royal Guard are trained to fight in mixed-tribe small units - with a particular focus on taking advantage of different tribes' abilities in unison to quickly overwhelm foes before a response can be mounted. Though they wear golden armor when on-duty around VIPs, don't be fooled - they are a very potent force in combat! Celestia rarely exerts unilateral authority over them any longer, but they do still maintain a somewhat more ritualistic culture - swearing oaths to Celestia alone, and with Royal Guards' families being considered 'under their protection' as well.
Often thought of as the Royal Guard's 'dark side', the Night Guard are Luna's House Guard. Riven in half during Nightmare's rebellion, their loyal fragment depleted by ostracism, desertion, and even lynchings, they have long been a small force. After the banishment, those surviving loyalists quietly approached Celestia and offered to swear additional oaths to Equestria itself - being effectively integrated into the Royal Guard command structure. Since Luna's return, she has seen fit to continue this agreement - attaching a portion of her Night Guard to the Royal Guard while expanding their ranks once again.
Like the Royal Guard, they tend to train in mixed-tribe units and are highly ritualistic. Unlike their day-walking counterparts, however, the Night Guard further specialize in stealth, subterfuge, and ambush. A persistent rumor says that only Bat Ponies - "Thestrals" - are allowed to join; while a very large portion of the Bat Pony population serves, the guard itself has all tribes of pony in it.
Equestria doesn't really have much of a Navy; their political ambitions have rarely stretched overseas and pegasi-driven storms were as lethal a weapon as any ship. As a result, only a small cadre of proudly-crewed sailing ships exists. However, an enterprising naval officer recognized early that airships would become militarily valuable and managed to arrange for them to be the sole domain of the Navy. This remains something of a sore point for the EUP Guard, who consider 'over-land' matters their domain.
Lastly, in emergencies various Militias would form the lowest-tier branch: Little more than townsponies with basic training and whatever weapons can be found, they protect towns where the EUP Guard cannot permanently garrison or whose garrisons have been withdrawn to more critical areas. Police are considered de-facto militia "officers" during catastrophes, but in time of war they'd mostly be formed of those ponies unfit for frontline service. These serve to form support units and patrol rear areas while true Guards have been called away to the front line.
Most recruitment in peacetime is done by volunteer. Serving in the military is generally seen as a respectable choice, but not necessarily a final result for somepony's path in life. Some ponies do choose to serve their entire lives, though, even if not called by their particular talent - driven by a distinct sense of cameraderie and purpose of task found in the guard.
Pegasi tend to have a stronger military tradition than the other tribes, and disproportionately serve in the EUP Guard even if just for a short period of time. Not doing so is unusual, and in some circles seen as disgraceful. This also comes with a darker side: Equestria's rare attempted military coup has more often than not had a pegasus at its head. Earth ponies and unicorns form the balance of the rest in about equal numbers, with Earth Ponies somewhat more likely to serve for long periods of time.
During wartime, conscription would be in effect - Equestria simply doesn't have the population to avoid this. Any pony who is not physically unfit or has no other pressing need for their Mark Talents or skills could find themselves part of the EUP Guard.
Given that Equestria is still an enormously spread-out nation - with tens of thouands, if not hundreds of thousands or millions of small hamlets and towns spread around - guarding them all can be a tricky process. Instead of garrisoning every single one, the Guard tends to garrison somewhat larger towns as "regional hubs" and then carry out regular patrols of travel routes, nearby villages, and other important sites. Ponyville, for instance, would be much too small for a permanent garrison - but would see weekly or bi-weekly checkins from a Canterlot-based regiment.
This doesn't protect against all threats, of course, and the sad truth is that many small towns and settlements are left with nothing more than their local militias to hold off. Towns in particularly dangerous regions or with particular value might be assigned permanent garrisons regardless of their size; typically a smaller detachment still beholden to a local major city would be granted. Another concept occasionally trialed is to encourage retired guard members to move to such regions and grant their experience to the local militias.
Among the EUP Guard, armor is fairly standardized and issued to recruits by formation quartermasters. However, Equestria's limited industrial base means that armor is rarely replaced in full; it is entirely possible for a new recruit to be issued armor that has seen decades or even centuries of use and repair.
Front-line infantry is largely composed of Earth Pony infantry leveraging their tribe's renowned strength. They are accordingly outfitted with thick-fronted plate armor covering the chest, back, neck, and forelegs with protection capable of resisting hostile thrusts and projectiles. Flanks and hindlegs, however, are only granted lighter plates or mail to protect them. This can be considered equivalent to the real-world munition armor.
Pegasi air-fighters generally make do with a lighter, flexible segmented plate offering better all-around protection to the main body while still retaining maneuverability and flexibility. Limbs, however, are completely unprotected. This reflects the fact that center-of-mass shots from ranged weapons or hits that injure the critical flight muscles are a great threat, but a glancing blow to the legs will not immediately kill a soldier. Helmets are also often open-faced, to preserve awareness in the complex dance of aerial combat.
Unicorn warmages sit somewhere in between. After arrow volleys, the best way to attack a warmage is to try and contact their horn with something while they are casting - inducing catastrophic backlash. As a result, warmages tend to do with the same lighter plate-and-mail mixed armor most second-line soldiers (archers, engineers, etc) do... but their helmets occasionally outfit protective shields in front of or around the horn (fully enclosing the horn being too disruptive).
Surprisingly, the Royal Guard makes use of a somewhat lighter armor, often leaving the legs unprotected similarly to pegasi. This reflects their role as a fast-acting, flexible fighting force where agility, speed, and mutual support are viewed as more critical than sheer protectiveness. However, their armor is also almost always of higher grade than what the rank-and-file gets. Unlike the EUP guard, Royal Guard armorers will have blacksmiths adjust armor for their wearers where possible.
Special mention for militia, who again often make do with whatever they can scrounge up. This may mean cast-off, obsolete, or cheaply-made armor; more often, however, they simply make do with thickly-padded coats - sometimes with metal strips or plates sewn onto them.
Pole weapons of various types remain the dominant melee weapon for ponies. Spears, pikes, halberds, poleaxes - all are evident in abundance. The simplicity of training, protective reach, and effectiveness when used in dense formations makes them popular across many divisions.
While agile flyers with blades affixed to their shoes are a near-legendary concept - particularly associated with Luna's Night Guard - the fact is that so-called "hoofblades" are in fact an exceedingly finicky and dangerous weapon for their wielders (their affiliation with the Night Guard may be on account of that division's famous pickiness in recruiting). Users must learn how to raise and lower the blades to prevent scraping and dulling, to account for the unusual weight on their limbs, and not to overextend themselves. The main advantage is in fact that few know how to defend against them!
On the other hand, armored shoes are a regular element of both ground and air units. A reinforced 'slipper' into which the hoof fits, they are both thick enough to absorb kicks and often feature a pointed flange some 0.5-1cm long - effectively acting as a hammer-point to pierce thinner armor or crack bones. The Princess' 'slippers' are a direct reference to these, and a symbol of the Princess' command of the armies of Equestria.
What ponies call a sword resembles almost nothing we would recognize. Intended for use by unicorns in close combat, they are generally double-ended slim blades ranging from 25cm to 1m. A dulled section suitable for mouth-gripping (not in combat!) can sometimes be found in the middle. In combat, this is used to dart and thrust at vulnerable spots like the eyes and underbody. The degree of fine control needed amid the chaos of combat makes them a last-ditch weapon for all but the most skilled.
Wingblades are ceremonial, or occasionally used for displays of skill.
By far the most common is the crossbow. With the addition of a re-cocking lever called the "goat's foot", an earth pony or pegasus can quickly re-cock a crossbow, aim it, and fire using a hoof trigger. While still slower than an optimized conventional bow, it is vastly easier to train for and can effectively be used in midair - making it the ideal weapon for armies.
Bow and arrow do exist as well; in some versions the bow is mounted on a peg inserted into the ground or a fortifications; in others, both bow and arrow are snapped in to hooks on an archer's shoes. While popular for martial displays and shows of skill, they still require further training to easily use - unless firing from fortifications, where they are exceedingly common.
Slings and other such simple weapons are also fairly common, though rarely used by main-line forces.
Firearms, although existing, are relatively primitive: They may use a match- or flint-lock ignition, or an expensive alchemical primer. Though deadly and accurate, the long reload time and sensitivity of gunpowder to varying conditions (let alone magical attack) makes them a niche weapon rarely used. The Royal Guard keep a small cache.
Special mention must be made to Pegasi ranged weapons, which are everything from "rocks" to specially crafted darts dispensed in number from altitude. Though their accuracy leaves something to be desired, lethality against massed formations or open-topped fortifications is assured.
Lastly, of course, we must mention magic. Aside from auxiliary and support duties, unicorn warmages are lethal long-range fighters. Whether hurling bolts of raw magic or casting spells to transmute, shield, disguise, heat or chill, etc... they are a force to be reckoned with. Warmages may also be augmented by foci devices - enchanted arrangements of gems intended to boost a caster's power... albeit with some fierce drawbacks.
Ballista, catapults, and other tension-derived siege weapons are fairly common. Often attended to by mechanically-inclined earth ponies or unicorns, sometimes even the odd pegasus, they form the bulk of both field and siege artillery in Euqestrian ranks. Usage against large creatures (e.g., dragons or hydra) are common. The relatively simple nature of the machines is offset by the potential for firing magically-treated ammunition.
Cannon are relatively rare, mostly used in defensive fortifications where powder can be stored safely. The noise and thunder are offset by Equestrian powder-making still being relatively primitive - resulting in a lack of firing range. Vulnerability of powder to both fire and water means they are considered largely inferior to...
Larger version of the foci devices mentioned above - sometimes referred to as focal lenses - are used as a kind of magical field artillery: Much like their smaller cousins, they are frameworks around the operator containing pre-enchanted gems designed to boost their casters' abilities. However, damage to the foci or the caster's horn can cause vicious, lethal backlash.
Wooden mantlets - lightweight, sometimes wheeled field fortifications for protection against arrows - are commonly seen when on campaign. Not only are they excellent protection against both airborne and ground-launched projectiles, but they can easily be restored via plant materials grown by earth ponies.
Ponies can and do make use of primitive chemical warfare - using smoke pots to flush out foes, for instance, or incendiaries. Herbal brews of potions might also be considered to fall under this category.
Biological warfare is something ponies are aware of, but do not typically use... though one might argue that pegasus weather warfare constitutes a form of this: Storms can be used to drive freezing rain on an opponent or deny them easy access to water, keep them up at night or bog them down in mud and muck that spreads disease.
Elder Alicorns. Enough said. Seeing one on the field is scary.
There's a lot more I haven't discussed yet - where do they have their keeps? What kinds of unit sizes are present? - but this post is already growing huge and I don't want to delay it too long.
Questions? Comments? Feedback? I'd love to hear what you all think, or any ideas of your own!
Since the Series is ending I thought I should post my feelings about the show in general and how it affected me, 16 years old currently and I've been around since Sonic Rainboom. I've always been a type of introvert and had trouble with my emotions this show has always interested me the first fandom work I've seen was actually My Little Pony Rainbow Dash You're Gonna Go Far Kid I used to watch this video constantly when I was younger.
I later officially joined the Brony fandom when I saw My Little Dashie, and I nearly cried when i first watched it. I discovered YouTubers such as LittleShySFM, BlankSlate and others that I don't remember the names of anymore. So I just want to thank you all from the bottom of my heart for being their with me even tho I haven't been involved as much in the fandom as others. -Sincerely Midnite
So over the 9 seasons, and comics, we have seen a LOOOOOOT of cool creatures and monsters that have been created for this show and world we all love to watch.
Whether it be the Tatzlworms, The Bugbears, the Ursa Minor, or even the Cragadile, this show has created a pure menagerie of interesting creatures and monsters that have filled out the world and made it feel oh so alive and majestic.
Now personally I think that my absolute favorite might just be the Timber Wolves from the earlier seasons. The Timber Wolves are these deadly beings that are . . . well Wolves made out of varying bits of timber that are inherently magical in nature. They are capable of turning into a Alpha Wolf, basically a bunch of Wolves turned into a singular creature, and are a threat to the ponies of Equestria who dare go near the Everfree Forest.
They've always been kind of neat in the show because they LOOK and feel different in terms of style and framerate compared to the Mane 6 and Spike. It gave them this very different and odd feel to them that made them feel like a threat to our heroes. To the point that for the longest time the theory was that Timber Wolves were the reason why the Apple Siblings were orphans.
But that is just my favorite example in the show. What about the rest of y'all? Why do you love the magical creature over the rest and what makes them appeal to you so much?
It's the last No-Pics Thursday of the show's original run. Thought it'd be fun to have a little thread of reminiscences.
Today is October 10th 2019, 9 years since the show premiered. I didn't have neither the time, nor the motivation to create something so I just make a post to mark this day! Happy ponyversary!
