My Little Pony XXXVII: We Should Have Learned [Something] By Now!

[Pokonic]

She's done!

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Yay! Now try and make a little cotton Cloudsdayle for her to be put on.

[Bayonet Priest]

So, it seems Celestia was never the real troll in the show. Twilight is the true face of trolling.

Or at least Tara Strong is. First joking that Tom Cruise is a brony and then following it up with Twilight Sparkle plot?

Notsurewhatthink.jpg

[Kyouhen]

Yay! Now try and make a little cotton Cloudsdayle for her to be put on.

...
I think I need more wool.

[Gamerlord]

The Fighting Is Magic Rarity Theme has been released.

[MCerberus]

Would anyone like to do some idle speculation with me? Future episode ridiculous not going to happen spoilers, but based off new episode information.

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Let's come up with why Twilight would travel through time:

Investigative reporters have found out how much of the GDP goes into repairing Ponyville each year.

Trixie has formed an army of darkness and has returned to claim her true love (Twilight).

The CMCs have found some matches, and it turns out tree sap is very VERY flammable

[Eakin]

Highly unlikely to be actual spoilers:

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The CMC disposed of the love poison... in Ponyville's water supply.

Celestia sneezes at exactly the worst possible moment, causing a solar flare that wipes 97% of life in Equestria.

Also, any early ideas for the next thread's name? I'll throw out

My Little Pony 38: OH, COME ON!

[Zevox]

The Fighting Is Magic Rarity Theme has been released.

Very nice. Though honestly not quite what I'd have expected. Also, isn't the uploader different person than the one the site originally said was doing Rarity's theme?

Zevox

[TheAmishPirate]

The Fighting Is Magic Rarity Theme has been released.

A lot more subdued than the other themes. An interesting listen.

[Pokonic]

...
I think I need more wool.

And a transparent stand.

[Kyouhen]

Highly unlikely to be actual spoilers:

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The CMC disposed of the love poison... in Ponyville's water supply.

Celestia sneezes at exactly the worst possible moment, causing a solar flare that wipes 97% of life in Equestria.

Also, any early ideas for the next thread's name? I'll throw out

My Little Pony 38: OH, COME ON!

I'll see your "OH, COME ON!" and raise you "My Little Pony XXXVIII: Strangely Obsessed With Jars of Jelly". Or just "Strangely Obsessed With Jelly" if that's too long. I don't know how long we can make the thread names.

And a transparent stand.

TOO LATE! New idea, mostly spawned from me watching Return of Harmony earlier. I'll do a Discorded Dash with "Cloudsdale".

[Pokonic]

TOO LATE! New idea, mostly spawned from me watching Return of Harmony earlier. I'll do a Discorded Dash with "Cloudsdale".

Bah, fine! As long as there is knitting, I am happy!

[Bayonet Priest]

[color="#660066"]
I'll see your "OH, COME ON!" and raise you "My Little Pony XXXVIII: Strangely Obsessed With Jars of Jelly". Or just "Strangely Obsessed With Jelly" if that's too long. I don't know how long we can make the thread names.

I'm not sure which of those I like better. "Oh, come on!" was a great line but the jelly thing is just so strange that I love it.

[Eakin]

[color="#660066"]
I'll see your "OH, COME ON!" and raise you "My Little Pony XXXVIII: Strangely Obsessed With Jars of Jelly". Or just "Strangely Obsessed With Jelly" if that's too long. I don't know how long we can make the thread names.

Damn it, even I think yours is better.

OH, COME ON is all in the delivery. OTOH, if other GITP posters thought bronies were weird BEFORE reading that title...

[Kyouhen]

Bah, fine! As long as there is knitting, I am happy!

Excuse me, knitting? That's needle felting. It's like sculpting with wool but cleaner aside from all the blood from stabbing your hands with the needle. All that red in Dash's tail and mane? Pure blood. I've climbed barbed wire fences that have done less damage to my fingers.

[Athaniar]

Would anyone like to do some idle speculation with me? Future episode ridiculous not going to happen spoilers, but based off new episode information.

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Let's come up with why Twilight would travel through time:

Investigative reporters have found out how much of the GDP goes into repairing Ponyville each year.

Trixie has formed an army of darkness and has returned to claim her true love (Twilight).

The CMCs have found some matches, and it turns out tree sap is very VERY flammable

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SweetieBot has been sent from the future to terminate Fluttershy. Twilight is the only one who can stop her.

It's all Doctor Whooves's fault.

The CMC want to go back in time and pick up famous historical characters for a school thing.

The Super Speedy Cider Squeezy 6000 was actually a time machine built by an eccentric scientist.

[MCerberus]

I vote for jelly

more future episode non-spoiler sillyness

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the love potion can't happen, we all know Sweetie is saving it for evil

[Alabenson]

What about:
My Little Pony XXXVIII: (Still) Strangely Obsessed With Ponies

[SlyGuyMcFly]

What about:
My Little Pony XXXVIII: (Still) Strangely Obsessed With Ponies

Me likey. This has my vote.

[Grif]

Very nice. Though honestly not quite what I'd have expected. Also, isn't the uploader different person than the one the site originally said was doing Rarity's theme?

Zevox

I thought Derpy Hooves was doing the theme. Huh.

EDIT: Hm. Not bad. Blends into the background more than the other theme, which is actually a refreshing change.

[the_druid_droid]

She's done!

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All of my approve!

D'aww, that's so cute. ^^

Also, I've taken over as his avatar. Don't tell him.

Hm?

Nothing. ^^

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*acquires more approval*

All of my approve!

What about:
My Little Pony XXXVIII: (Still) Strangely Obsessed With Ponies

Seconded!

In other news, I drew a thing again...

The only gotcha is that the picture has approximately 120% more plot than anything else I've ever done, and is firmly in the territory of saucy. So, if you're interested, you can find the link below, but if this isn't your sort of thing, don't say I didn't warn you.

Sauce Ahoy!

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Ok, so a link instead of a direct pic because I'm paranoid, and still not used to this "drawing pony posterior" thing...
Nurse Midsy

[maximus25]

If you do decide to redo it, and you really want to write a Spike vs. World of Chaos story, maybe consider keeping Discord around for a while longer.

First chapter can go much as it does now until Twilight fades away and leaves the Element of Magic to Spike. Spike spends the next several chapters travelling around Ponyville and Equestria. But the spirits of the element bearers are still held within the crown. They help Spike overcome the dangers he has to face and in the process they teach him the importance of each of their virtues. This has at least two advantages. More Discord (who's honestly an awesome villain, and from what you wrote I'd say you have the best handle on his voice of the three characters you used) and we get to more of Equestria under his reign. Is the Everfree Forest now the safest place to be, since magic is so much less effective there? Or is it more dangerous than ever? You have free reign over the entire setting. Ponyville was the "capital of chaos" but what did Discord change in other places?

Throughout all this Twilight's spirit is strangely silent, even though Spike wants nothing more than to hear her voice again. The OLD her, before all this chaos came and tore away everything that was good and wonderful about her. Finally, he has the other 5 elements, and he's wearing the big crown thingy, so you'd think that he can take Discord one on one, right?

Wrong.

He goes to face Discord and gets COMPLETELY CURB STOMPED. One child, his hometown ruined by the villain, thinks he's going to find some kind of inner strength to go up against a freakin' god? Who wrote this crap, TVTropes?

But then the other ponies Spike met along the way come to his aid. Because by example, he taught them the importance of kindness, generosity, honesty, laughter, and loyalty. And Spike finally, finally, understands the same lesson Twilight learned back in the pilot.

That Friendship is Magic, bitch

Cue the rainbow laser of harmony, and Discord's final defeat. Their last adventure finally finished, the M6 fade away, but not before Twilight's spirit gets one more chance to tell Spike just how proud she is of her number one assistant. And so, thanks to Spike and his new allies, harmony reigns in Equestria again.

Phew, got a little carried away there

or, you know, something like that.

That was beautiful. I totally want to do that now. Ideas are swirling now.

You really think I have the best handle on Discord's voice? I know the Twilight I did wasn't even close, but it was Discord Twilight, so I assumed she would talk way different.

[gooddragon1]

buh... bwuh...uh..


WANT.

My sister thinks it's ugly :/

[Eakin]

That was beautiful. I totally want to do that now. Ideas are swirling now.

You really think I have the best handle on Discord's voice? I know the Twilight I did wasn't even close, but it was Discord Twilight, so I assumed she would talk way different.

Well, Discorded Twilight only has, like, 2 lines in the actual show. It's tough to extrapolate an entire character from that, but I'd have said that she was ready to give up on her friends and Ponyville because she'd lost all faith in them. The only thing of significance she says is that she and Spike are leaving Ponyville, and that she doesn't know where they'll go next. If I absolutely had to read into that, I'd say she's given up on having faith in any other pony. Your Twilight is disappointed in her own inability to save her friends. I'd say Discorded Twilight should be completely mercenary, not even caring about her friend's fate (leave that to Spike to lampshade/point out). But in your fic, at the very end, she still has faith in the princesses. I guess she kind of ping pongs back and forth a bit. It's a little odd, really, at the end, right before she fades away from losing too much of her element, is when she demonstrates the most of why she got the element in the first place.

But I digress. None of the dialogue Spike has is Spike specific, or has much personality in it beyond affection for Twilight. Discord, on the other hand, sounds like Discord. Arrogant to the point of being dismissive of any threat the elements might pose to him, and totally lacking in empathy for anyone his "fun" may have hurt. That's the part of him I think you really got right.

Anyway, if anything from my rambling brainstorming post gives you the inspiration to write something cool, take it with my blessing. The dark secret most creative types don't want to reveal is that the big brilliant idea, the awesome setting, or the crazy new concept is the easy part. The hard part is filling in the details that make it come to life.

[Topaz]

She's done!

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Awww, she's so cute!

In other news, I drew a thing again...

The only gotcha is that the picture has approximately 120% more plot than anything else I've ever done, and is firmly in the territory of saucy. So, if you're interested, you can find the link below, but if this isn't your sort of thing, don't say I didn't warn you.

Sauce Ahoy!

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Ok, so a link instead of a direct pic because I'm paranoid, and still not used to this "drawing pony posterior" thing...
Nurse Midsy

O_O Ohhh, me likey...

[Eakin]

Alright. I have finally decided to show another story to Ponythread for review. This is what I consider one of my better stories. It focuses on Scootaloo's backstory, though there is a major player from the Mane Six featured, as well. Without further ado, here you go.

Dead and Alive: Scootaloo's Tale

Hey Lego, sorry it took me so long, I know you asked for feedback a while ago but I only just got around to reading your story. Better late than never, right?

General thoughts:

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The last story of yours I read was the "how Vinyl Scratch went deaf" one, and I can't help but noticed it opened in exactly the same way, with the same framing device. Also, why give away that Scoots is talking about herself? Why not "let me tell you the story of a crazy young filly named Ace" and save the revelation for later instead of "Let me tell you about myself but use the third person."

First family togetherness scene, I can already tell you've made some fairly major strides compared to the last story of yours I read. Kudos!

After Ace/Scoots escapes to Ponyville, I might consider at least some kind of line about her trying to find extended family, or the Equestrian social services but being unable to. Up to you. You go over the interval between the death of her parents and robbing the boutique really quickly, and without explaining whether Scoots turned to crime out of desperation, or just because she liked it, or because because being sneaky made her feel closer to her dead mother, or what her motivation is.

I also might add a reason for a thief to pass up four full chests full of gem stones. I can't believe she'd have lived on the street for so long without becoming a little more opportunistic than that. Maybe just a throwaway mention of how a chest full of gems would barely buy her a decent meal.

I would love more insight on what makes Scoots so quick to trust Rarity. I can't imagine that living on the street is the kind of thing that fosters an attitude of trust and goodwill.

I like this story, honestly, but I don't think it's well supported by the MLP canon interactions we've seen between Rarity, Scootaloo, and Sweetie Belle. I also don't think you need to shoehorn anything about Rainbow Dash in there, it's distracting and I'm not sure what purpose it really serves. Other than that, though, I'd love to see you flesh out Scootaloo's state of mind. Spend more time dragging her into a deep, dark, desperate pit of despair during the year she spends alone and on the street, and then let us see what she's feeling and thinking when Rarity offers her an unconditional chance to be part of a family again.

Spelling/Grammar/Word choice

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This may just be me, but it bothers me that Scoot's mom uses "no dear" to start two consecutive sentences when she's waking her up to leave in the middle of the night. I always try to avoid that kind of repetition.

Also I think you mean "assuredly" not "assurantly" I've never heard the latter and couldn't find it when I tried to google a definition

"Ace was anything if not clever"
I think you mean nothing if not clever

Are you the thief?
Since she isn't really established as particularly famous for thieving, and Sweetie Belle has little reason to believe a thief was coming after them, consider "Are you a thief?" instead.

In the first two lines of your last scene, you start three sentences with "I managed" which, again, is the sort of repetition I try to avoid.

[SiuiS]

That should do!
Female, yes?

Nah. Low-Key is a colt.

Yeah, I'm absolutely fine with numbers getting swapped in this case. I mean, the poor guy's harem pants forecast is looking pretty grim (or bright, depending on your perspective) and I don't want to give him too much mental trauma in one day.

Pfffft you're terrible at this.
Pirate pony + harems pants equals Sinbad.
Thats worh prestige' the exact opposite of trauma!

I'm just going to leave this here

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*resumes lurking*

That's sweet.

RebelHero, this is what I meant by relax and don't gout your sentences. This sparse writing conveys the tone of sincerity, and is one of my own goals.

...
I think I need more wool.

Pah. That would never work!
He obviously said cotton. You can't weave wool into cotton!

[Kyouhen]

Pah. That would never work!
He obviously said cotton. You can't weave wool into cotton!

Is that a challenge sir?

[kpenguin]

I thought Derpy Hooves was doing the theme. Huh.

EDIT: Hm. Not bad. Blends into the background more than the other theme, which is actually a refreshing change.

Whitehall is DJ Derpy Hooves

[Dexam]

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The CMC want to go back in time and pick up famous historical characters for a school thing.

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Then the CMC reform their rock band, calling themselves Wyld Stallyns Fyllies, leading Equestria into a new Utopian age.

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The Super Speedy Cider Squeezy 6000 was actually a time machine built by an eccentric scientist.

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Great Scoot!

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Another theory: Pinkie Pie uses her Gypsy magic to mix up some time sorbet and bake the fourth wall into a portal.

[Rebelhero]

Ideas about the future episode.

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What if the warning from "future Twilight" Is a Prank by the CMC or Pinkie Pie.
Twilight would be rational enough that if she sent a warning back in time to use specifics to AVOID freaking out her past self.