With summer still in our mist (as far as I know), there’s nothing like taking a nice drive around just to get out of isolation. In this case, it might be a danger depending on how they wanted to play out Sunset Shimmer not passing her driver’s test. And with this being another Choose Your Own Ending special, we can guarantee some useful and useless information from different characters. If I were to give this a moral, it would be that even when your friends might not be experts, you can still learn a thing or two that can help you in a pinch. That, or maybe just study about driving more. Maybe watch an instructional video on YouTube or something. I’m lazy though and would probably get Twilight to levitate the car to make it look like I’m driving.
So not only does Cranky Doodle teach the junior high students (aka Cutie Mark Crusader age range) and the high school students, he also teaches driver training. I don’t know how many times I have to say how understaffed this school is. I mean we’ve seen other older adults in the pony world so why not have them be teachers here anyway? But it looks like Sunset’s issues is that she doesn’t have enough practice driving to pass her test. Guess flying doesn’t really mean anything when you can drive stick or something.
So I’ll say this for our options here. I can easily see Applejack having driving experience from maybe driving a tractor at first and then using Granny Smith’s truck for deliveries. Fluttershy actually has her own car, but I don’t see her being that aggressive behind the wheel. I heard countless times that you have to be a defensive driver more than an aggressive driver, but how much might be too defensive? I just imagine Fluttershy being late because she let other people get in front of her in traffic jams or causing traffic jams by stopping in the middle of the road to help baby ducks across or something. Now Rarity might be a completely different ballpark because I don’t see those diamond heeled shoes pressing down on any pedal. But who knows? She might have a surprise speed streak in her or maybe she’s an expert at parallel parking as long as she’s not looking at her hair in the mirror. Let’s give these girls a chance at training a new driver to the rules of the road.
Applejack Option
Yeah I had to go with probably the one I thought would have the most experience driving. And we even have Granny Smith to show off her truck so Sunset can practice. Maybe not call it a jalopy
(yes I had to look up how to spell it).
Well it’s not winning any praise at car shows, but at least it’s in one piece. Love the apple icon on the front. Maybe for marketing their apple based products. I can imagine the trips out to different farms and maybe their other Apple relatives. Big Mac would drive, Granny smith would be reading a paper map even though they have the GPS directions, Applejack and Apple Bloom playing cards on the back seat. Very peaceful and no killer hitchhikers.
Ok I admit this makes me feel a thousand times better with Granny Smith helping with teaching Sunset. She is truly someone with a lot more experience. And I have no idea why, but Applejack just looking so happy and proud of Granny Smith helping and it's just the cutest thing. This smile melts all hearts. But it looks like Sunset is ready to tear up the road. Can’t wait to see what things they learn out on the open road.
Or not. Man, that nail worked quick to get the tire completely empty of air.
Ok so maybe not the driving advice people would usually start with, but I won’t say this isn’t useful. Flat tires happen and it’s not really something they teach you even at driver’s training. And I know this is probably old news, but why is Granny Smith just fine with her granddaughter able to lift a truck? I doubt any of the Humane 7 didn’t tell their families “hey I kind of have magic powers and my friends help me to defeat evil when it comes to school”, but at least a little shock or amazement would help. I mean, what would your neighbors think seeing a teenage girl lifting the front of a truck?
Wow. Even on the day of her retake test that nail followed her and popped the tire on the test car. And why Cranky Doodle didn’t just change the tire is because…he doesn’t know how. Obviously. Literally wanted to give up right then and there instead of at least trying to call someone to change it for them.
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| Cranky Doodle: “I wouldn’t want you waiting around so I guess…uh… you fail? Is that fair?” |
See, if this was the old mean Sunset Shimmer, I’m pretty sure she would raise two types of heck with that type of logic. Because I sure as Celestia would be furious if that was the option they wanted to go with. And not even an inkling of sadness or disappointment on his face. Just the most “meh” tone you can have for just failing someone because YOU couldn’t change the tire or at least call someone who can.
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| Sunset: “I know just what we need. An…apple jack.” |
This is the face of someone who knew they wanted to use that line somewhere at some point in life. She knew it was a cheesy joke but was still willing to make it work in a dad joke type of way and it worked.
Oh wow. It works too well that she passed without even watching her drive first. Very impressive use of word play to pass, Sunset. For usefulness, I won’t deny it. Things happen on the road and you have to be prepared for just about anything. I don’t know how to use a jack and never learned how to change a tire from driver’s training so it’s good to have some more info on it. Not a bad choice here, if not a little off topic.
Fluttershy Option
Ok guys. We get it. Fluttershy is not only a Disney Princess but also Animal Lover Barbie. Stop telling us what we already know. And that doesn’t mean I have to buy the merchandise for it. I don’t care how cute it is.
If the first part wasn’t already a dead giveaway, I’m pretty sure when Sunset is rearing to start driving like this, it will usually mean the other person will be taking it slow or it won’t go exactly as planned. So how does Fluttershy teach driving?
Apparently like a Dr. Seuss character teaching kindergartners how to drive with rhyming phrases. Yeah probably should’ve seen that coming. I’m sure they didn’t teach people to drive like that either, but I’m sure it’s helpful to at least learn the basics at a young age. And by young I mean at least 10-13 where you can at least pick up on a few things while your parent’s drop you off at school.
Ok maybe Sunset went a little overboard with yelling, but I don’t fully blame her. The first rhyme Fluttershy did is basically what you should already know when first getting behind the wheel. Buckle your seat belt, check you mirrors, make sure your tire’s have air (well…probably could’ve used that advice in the Applejack short). Sunset’s issue was that she didn’t have enough practice driving, not that she doesn’t know anything about driving at all. Still useful information to have noted like this for easy memorizing.
And just when you think the rhyming is done, Fluttershy seems to have a rhyme even for turning, switching lanes, and parking. I think I can say Sunset might not have to turn the engine on for any of this right now.
So at this point, I’m pretty sure Cranky lost a bet and had to do this driver’s training because when even he doesn’t care about safety, there’s probably an issue. At least don’t say things like that in front of a student. But at least that doesn’t make Sunset lose her confidence and even remembered the rhyme Fluttershy taught her on what to do before starting the engine. With learning techniques, rhythmic and phrases can help with memorizing information. Like remember the planets using the “My Very Educated Mother Just Served Us Nothing” phrase.
(Editor’s Note: I know the original phrase was supposed to be My Very Educated Mother Just Served Us Nine Pizzas/Pies, but since Pluto isn’t deemed a planet anymore, the end is just something I came up with on the fly.)
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| Cranky: “If your driving’s as good as your rhyming’s, I’m sure you’ll do just fine…ens.” |
Yeah if it hurt you just reading it, it was no better listening to it. Let’s be glad Fluttershy and Sunset didn’t learning rhyming from Snips and Snails. Just having Cranky doing that line brought back really bad hip hop memories from Rainbow Rocks.
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| Sunset: “I had some help from the best, now it’s time to pass this test.” |
Oh sweet Luna it’s contagious!!! Make the rhyming stop!!! Even Cranky was done with this. I can just see the annoyance on his face if she ended up reciting whatever other rhymes Fluttershy drilled into her head. But I can’t deny it working and for some people, learning with phrases or rhythmic wording is actually really useful. And I may have spoken too soon when just learning the basics since Sunset’s first thought behind the wheel was to turn up the radio. I can only imagine Zecora from a far-off place wondering why she feels she’s missing out on some great rhyming. Seriously. She has merch. Put her in a comic or short or something. I wanna Zecora cosplay that’s canon.
Rarity Option
Well I expected something overly unnecessary from Rarity and she always lives up to my expectations. A stretch limousine is probably the worst vehicle to use as a beginner driver since you have to change your perspective and pay attention to your spacing even more since you might be able to see the back of the limo.
The fact that she rented this beast of a car out for her and Sunset to use was very nice, but it does make we wonder exactly where she got the money to do all this. How much is that boutique she works for paying her? Of course we can also assume she’s already doing what we know she should’ve been doing since Rainbow Rocks and selling her designs independently. It would make all the more sense how she can afford this, but still seems a bit of an overkill.
Well maybe Sunset can at least get some good tips for driving from Rarity. Such as having sparkling and still water for variety, making sure the music isn’t too loud or too soft, and to have your lights ready for spontaneous partying. Uh…not the advice I would’ve taken for my driver’s training and I think Sunset is aware of it, too. But maybe the think about lights is useful for the headlights?
Or she could be talking about the disco lights in the limo. Ok for prom, I know who I would party with. Especially when you have a character like Pinkie Pie that is also a party person. But maybe make sure she doesn’t bring the party cannons into a tight spaced limousine.
Sunset: “I’m not trying to go to prom. I just want to pass my driver’s test.”
Rarity’s reaction
Yeah I’m a meme person. You should know this by now. Rarity is either a true multi-tasker or someone trying to make a not-so-smart idea into a better idea. They have the limo for the day. Might as well get some use out of it.
In Rarity’s defense, this is probably the only time in all three endings where she’s actually driving and practicing. Even if it’s taking over the actual limo driver’s job. But hey as long as Sunset doesn’t crash into anything, he’s getting paid to do nothing. So what’s Rarity doing while giving vocal coaching to Sunset?
Ah. Makes sense. Ok I need to know how she’s affording all of this. A limo when it’s probably not even prom season yet and a massage therapist to work on you in the back seat. Sunset’s face says everything in my mind right now. At least Aloe seems to be doing well with the spa treatments on the go. But let’s see how Sunset does with her testing.
Seems that Sunset passed all the other turns and tricks, but the moment Cranky bought up doing the parallel parking, a felt a chill run down my back. The sheer horror of trying to attempt that BEFORE watching any videos or even knowing how to do it gave me a headache from banging my head on the steering wheel. But it looks like Sunset did just fine with parallel parking to Cranky’s surprise.
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| Sunset: “I just had to…stretch…my talents.” |
Yeah Cranky I don’t get it either. In a common sense way, if you can parallel park a stretch limo, you can parallel park a small car. I also have no idea why Sunset is pulling out all these random puns during her test. It’s cute, but also a bit on the cringe side, but that’s just me. Not a puns person. And I don’t know about stretching her talents, but she did stretch her patience with Rarity. I hope Sunset at least got a massage out of all that as well.
And that was Driving Miss Shimmer, a look at ways to teach and not teach a new driver. All three ending were vastly different so it’s hard to choose which one I liked the most. I can say the most useful would be Fluttershy since there are a lot of ways to retain information and using rhymes and rhythmic wording can help with a lot of people. The most practical would have to be Applejack. Bringing a jack is something all cars should have, but don’t and knowing how to change a tire is something that will come in handy in emergency situations. Maybe I can have Rarity as the most entertaining one. No real learning involved, but I had fun watching someone who’s trying to learn and practice driving with someone who probably won’t need to drive a day in her life if she can afford all this for a day. At this point, I think Sunset could’ve learned better driving from Grand Theft Auto instead of Rarity, but I can’t help but laugh at the ending. I’m Penny Wrights and I have some Mario Kart to play for "practice".
