We need more soapboxes! Submit them ye foals.
Community soapbox time, where opinions from around the fandom are dropped down below for you all to discuss and debate! Expect these posts normally when not late every Tuesday at 2:00 PM PST. To submit your own, see this post.
Headlines this week:
- The Crusaders and Starlight Glimmer Aren't Really Main Characters
- The Tree of Harmony is a clever Tolkien reference
- Is Grandpa Gruff a better griffin than we think?
- MLP-After Season 9 Comic Idea: Marble Pie Moving ON
- Will Twilight have to find another ruler of Equestria too?
And get your soapboxes below!
The Crusaders and Starlight Glimmer Aren't Really Main Characters
By: Tadashi Satoru (FirePuppy)
As I see it, I really don't think the Cutie Mark Crusaders nor Starlight Glimmer are main characters. Oh sure, not everypony in the Mane Six ever got an episode with them, like for example, Pinkie Pie did have Starlight once but never the Crusaders in any one of her episodes, unlike all the others, and vice versa. Well, here's the thing: From the beginning, the CMCs' goal throughout the show was to earn their cutie marks by doing various things, and then halfway through the series, after they did earn their cutie marks all together, all they would do next is just help a few others earn their cutie marks, none of which have anything to do with the former Elements of Harmony. And Starlight Glimmer, of course, being Twilight's pupil and all, was only there just so the writers could set up a proper conclusion to the series with her taking Twilight's place in her old positions after Twilight herself became Equestria's new ruler, which also has nothing to do with the elements. The real main characters of the show are none other than the Mane Six and Spike, as they're the ones who started it all.
The Tree of Harmony is a clever Tolkien reference
By fluttershypegasus
The tree of harmony is a magical and mysterious tree which was used to create 6 gems that contained its power, which took the form of a rainbow of light. This rainbow of light was extremely harmful to any evil creatures which came into contact with it. The teee had the images of the sun and the moon on its trunk. The tree was shown to be dying and needed the elements to heal it. It was ultimately destroyed when a dark force discovered it and destroyed it forever.
The trees of Valinor from The Silmarillion were magical and mysterious trees which were used to create 3 gems that contained its power, which took the form of a white light. This light was extremely harmful to any evil creatures which came into contact with it. The seeds of the trees were used to make the sun and the moon. The trees were shown to be dying and needed the gems to heal it, and they were ultimately destroyed when a dark force discovered them and destroyed them forever.
The legacies of these trees are however quite different. Whereas the theft of the gems of Valinor brought untold misery to those who tried to seek them, the destruction of the elements still allowed for Twilight Sparkle to recognise that what they stood for, friendship, was more important than the gems themselves and used this to defeat Sombra. MLP shows what happens when you let go of an attachment to physical possessions, whereas Tolkien shows what happens when you don’t. In many ways, they are two sides of the same coin.
Is Grandpa Gruff a better griffin than we think?
By: FlareGun45
I know many of yous see Grandma Gruff as just this grumpy old griffin who doesn't care about anything but bits, but when ya really think about it, inside that bitterness lies a heart of gold! Sure, he never shows it, and he's probably always been a jerk a Gallus as he raised him, but don't we remember Hearth's Warming Club? Gallus mentions that he never had a family. So how was he raised? How was he founded? Other griffins probably just ignored the abandoned baby on the street, but who took him in? The only one who probably cared: Grandpa Gruff himself!
He's probably the only griffin that showed empathy to the poor kid - I dunno how though, but it is mentioned that Grandpa Gruff ISN'T anygrif's grandpa, which possibly means that Grandpa Gruff was an orphan himself. Sure he's very bitter to Gallus, but every griffin (except Gabby) was like that, and since Gabby was either Gallus' age or younger, she couldn've brought him in.
In A Horse Shoe-In, even though Grandpa Gruff said that "Gallus doesn't have to know that I'm proud of him" was implying that he IS proud of him. Though because of griffin culture, being a jerk is pretty much a norm in Griffinstone, so compared to other griffins, Gruff is a saint! Compared to ponies, however, he's still a huge jerk and Gallus did deserve better, and I'm not saying Gruff being a jerk to the closest thing he has to a son was the right thing to do, but to a usually greedy culture, it was very generous of Gruff to raise Gallus as his own, so we should be congratulating him for that! Not to mention in Dragon Dropped, he's been constantly sending Gabby to Ponyville for updates about Gallus. Why would he do that if he didn't care about him?
I'm sure he wants Gallus to become an adult and move out as soon as possible, and even though he'd yell out "GOOD RIDDANCE!" he'd probably being saying on the inside, "You deserve much better than us, better than me. Be free, my child!" Think about it for a sec before ya comment! ;)
MLP-After Season 9 Comic Idea: Marble Pie Moving ON
By ShadowWriter45
Season 9 and MLP FIM is coming to an end. Or rather, just the show itself. It goes without saying in some manner that they'll continue the comic series. Not sure how long that'll last but it may go on for a while if they want to expand on the events that the last episodes will bring.
If I had to pick something, it would have to be with Marble Pie. Like some people, I felt bad for how Marble felt having to see Big Mac with Sugar Belle since I used to ship her with him before I started shipping Big Mac with Sugar Belle. But I'm not talking a comic based on addressing her jealousy and heartbreak persay. Rather, I'm talking about her doing what two of her sisters have already done: Leave the Rock Farm for something better-different. Other than having to deal with Limestone, I think it could be argued that Marble might be relatively happy with being their but she may come to the realization that she missed her chance to be with Big Mac because she was always there and not somewhere else (i.e Ponyville)
The comic I'm suggesting involves Marble Pie leaving the rock farm without a word, the Pie Sisters set out to look for her, they find her and learn that she was getting tired of being on the farm because she believes that she has missed out on a lot of stuff in her life. If I had to pick specfic places where she could go it would be either Our Town, Appleosa, or even Dodge Junction. I'm basically going for a Last Roundup esque comic but without Marble coming home because she's found something better and makes her happy. That and two potential ships I have for her live in those places: Feather Bangs and Trouble Shoes.
Will Twilight have to find another ruler of Equestria too?
by ShadowWriter45
It's obvious that Twilight and her friends will be ruling Equestria together. However, will that also mean that Twilight will have to train somepony else to be the next ruler of Equestria too? Assuming Twilight doesn't have a child of her own that'll take the throne and I'm throwing out the idea that a synthetic alicorn like her and Cadance and a child born from a synthetic like Flurry Heart are not immortal, Twilight is probably going to have to pick someone to take over for her as she gets older. While the selection process won't begin immediately when she takes the throne, Twilight might have her pick from the School of Magic and maybe, depending on her coordination with Starlight, the School of Friendship. Not to mention she and her friends could start picking our rulers of Equestria successors too when it's time for them to retire. Given how mlp's political system is it might not bee too difficult of a task but it's something to consider depending on how Equestria will change under Twilight and her friends rule.
