#i will not make art of the mane 6 without sunset being present

[dapper-lil-arts]

Should they even comment on it or just pretend it didn't happen

[taiblogcomics]

Fifty is Nifty

Hey there, granaries. Well, here we are. My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic has been running as an ongoing title from IDW for 50 issues. Fifty issues. That’s damn impressive for any comic, let alone a licensed book based on a children’s cartoon. And this comic knows it, too~

I mean, check out this cover:

Sure, it doesn’t have anything to do with the issue, but if you can’t have a nice celebration of your milestones, what good is a cover? Maybe in that way, it has everything to do with the issue. Also, Applejack, c’mon. Everypony else has a party hat, including the princesses. You could at least try~

So, if you recall our ongoing story--and no, they have the artistic integrity to not interrupt the narrative for their milestone, which is nice--Discord had reinvented himself as Accord, spirit of order and brainwashing. Canterlot’s on its last few free minds, and even Luna and Twilight have become part of the hivemind, which is where we join the story now...

Everypony’s suitably creeped out and disturbed by the two brainwashed princesses, who are at least non-threatening physically, and allow the rest of them to escape on the train. Now, see, that’s worrying. When the villain just lets you go after taking two of your most powerful members, that means that he knows he can get you at any time in the future. It’s very worrying.

While the remaining Mane 6 take time to make sure all the refugees are entertained--and I can’t believe I just used “refugees” in a description of a plot in a My Little Pony comic, but here we are--Starlight Glimmer takes some time out to talk with Celestia about the recent events. Her pupil’s pupil, you see. Celestia’s quite distressed, what with losing her kingdom, her pupil, and her sister--and this nagging idea that Accord might be right.

Celestia’s worried that Accord’s successes have proven his attempts at bringing order prove his way is better, but Starlight protests that tyranny and manipulation are never the better option. And Celestia recalls the time where she faced a tyrant version of herself from another universe, back in the “Reflections” arc, and Accord reminds her a bit of that version of herself. Starlight points out that chaos and order aren’t the same as good and evil. Order is a goal that can be achieved through good or evil means. After all, she tried to enslave a whole town in the name of order, but she knows now she was wrong to do so. Or how about that time magic water exaggerated everypony’s personalities in negative directions? Or that evil book that made Rarity go nuts over design? Point is, this happens a lot. But even when driven to opposite extremes, their goals remain the same. So.. what do Accord and Discord have in common? What’s their shared goal?

Okay, so here’s a twist: once in Ponyville, they decide to bust out the Elements of Harmony. Apparently they can just go and pick them off the Tree whenever they like! Like, what the heck. But never mind. Accord shows up, finally having figured out how to pop out of nowhere like Discord, and sincerely invites the attempt to ���Harmonise” with him, as it were. Celestia passes around the Elements, taking the Element of Magic for herself, and they blast the unholy order out of him.

Except that it doesn’t work.

Except that without Twilight, the Elements are practically useless.

Except that in the failure of the Elements, the six of them are now also under Accord’s thrall.

In fact, at this point, Starlight is the last free-thinking being in Equestria, which at least shows how impressive her shielding magic is. Thinking fast, Starlight convinces Accord to play fair--that is to say, to convince her he’s right with words rather than force. Finding the idea amusing, he agrees to the challenge.

Accord is convinced he’s already won. After all, Starlight’s friends are now his. Starlight, however, disagrees. See, friendship isn’t about order. Friendship isn’t about being the same. It’s about being different and being friends anyway. After all, Discord was different from everypony, but still managed to find friendship. He’s faked sick, travelled through time, and resorted to every trick in the book just to keep said friendships. And all these ponies? They’re puppets. They’re him. Not one of them is a friend.

Accord admits defeat, and bows out gracefully to Starlight. And suddenly, just like that, Discord is back. The minds of all the ponies are clear, and even more than thanking Starlight for saving them, they instead thank Discord for being him. The way Discord is is just the way they like him. After all, friendship isn’t about order. Friendship, my dear readers, is magic~

Oh, you thought we were done? No, not quite, my friends. I mean, we have to do something a little more than just wrap up the story, right? It’s the fiftieth issue, after all. So, how about a second entire story? How about it’s illustrated by Jay Fosgitt? Yeah, here’s a book that contains both Jay Fosgitt and Andy Price art. What more could you ask for~?

So, how do you start such a story? Well, it’s Celestia’s birthday. Is that enough of a fiftieth issue milestone for you~? Anyway, everypony’s invited, even Discord. Fluttershy gently chides him for not getting her a present, but frankly, he’s right. What do you get somepony like Celestia? What could be a suitable enough gift? Fluttershy slyly challenges Discord to find out~

At the party, Discord pretty much blatantly asks what she’s missing in her life. And she has no idea what to tell him. Instead, she basically continues to solve her guests’ problems instead of taking the day to relax. She even gives up the last slice of cake to a filly who was late. Discord continues to observe her.

Discord comments on his observations of Celestia’s unfailingly self-sacrificial attitude towards even her party guests, frustrated. Fluttershy comments that it sounds exhausting to put yourself out there so constantly, and you can see the lightbulb turn on over Discord’s head. In fact, I’m surprised that didn’t happen literally~

Celestia collapses in her room as the guests file out, finding a package addressed "For The Pony Who Has Everything”. Fortunately, inside is not a Black Mercy flower, but instead a little music box with a statue of Celestia on top. She winds the box, and while it does play a nice tune, it also seems to be full of sleeping gas, and sprays a puff in her face, knocking the sun princess out.

When she comes to, she finds--to her shock--that the sun is already up. Discord appears and announces that he did that for her. See, here’s the thing. He found out what she needs most: a day off. It’s all taken care of. There’s three other princesses to handle things, and the failsafe makes the spell only work for as long as she wants it. She’s even completely diguised as a fairly average-looking pegasus, so nopony will try to give her preferential treatment.

So where’s a princess to spend her day of freedom? Why not Ponyville, the town of the true average pony experience~? Discord agrees that this might be interesting, and transmogrifies himself into a pony as well, though he’s still rather odd-looking. They land in Ponyville, and are greeted in the traditional way~

And by “traditional way”, I mean a long, loud gasp by Pinkie Pie, followed by a parade. Once the celebration ceases, they move on to Sweet Apple Acres, interested in learning to applebuck from Applejack herself. While she doesn’t quite master it on the first go, an apple nevertheless does fall from the tree and performs an Isaac Newton on Celestia, to her delight. They drop in on Fluttershy for a literal bear-hug, and get some flying tips from Rainbow Dash. After removing herself from the ceiling, she then asks for a dress from Rarity. Something daring and unexpected, in black perhaps~

As Discord reunites with the princess over a bowl of ice cream in Sugarcube Corner, she comments that Discord was right on the money. She never would have admitted to herself that she needed a day off, even. Discord replies that it’s a friendship lesson he’s known all along: it’s all well and good to take care of others, but you also have to take the time to take care of yourself. As they head into the sunset, hoping to catch the train back to Canterlot, Celestia thanks Discord for his present and his friendship, then warns him if he ever pulls a stunt like that music box again, he’ll spend the next century as a bird feeder. He says he knows--after all, that’s not really the sun setting, but a balloon full of lava monsters he rigged up. Oh, Discord~

What a lovely way to have celebrated the 50th issue of a great comic. I don’t think I need to say anything more, other than both stories were very satisfying reads. Here’s hoping for another 50 issues more~

Yeah, this big celebration is only a simple milestone. Next issue, something very mysterious seems to be going down. I honestly can’t tell you more than that~