#skystar analysis

[nepeta-cataria-21]

In my opinion of the ship I would say a lot of people like SkyStar because is one of the ships that is mostly portrait as a good relationship for Starscream (not all the time tho), and we know he deserves the chance to change, to be loved and heal his wounds (but not wanting to dive into that now), something that Skyfire could help to do.

This due that Skyfire is most of the time shown in fanfiction as head over heels for the lil seeker, but also very understanding with his spiky personality and desire for recognition and power, having a lot of patience with his tantrums and demands.

This way of portrait his character in most of continuities where he doesn't appear comes from the only established friendship between them shown in (guess where!) G1.

About that friendship, the main traits of our personalities don't change thru time, meaning that Starscream previous-war should also be a power-seeker bot, maybe in the past that ambition was more focused in academic way (since they were scientists). But still, the essence of his personality shouldn't had change, meaning that even with his ill-personality, Skyfire cared for his friendship with the seeker.

And Starscream also cared for their friendship, first trying to search for him "half of the globe", in the middle of a snowstorm. Then when the Decepticons find Skyfire he is the first one working on revive him, and at the moment they are alone, Starscream tells his plan of overthrone Megatron and become the new leader the Decepticons, but also mentions how he wants Skyfire as his second in command.

He wanted Skyfire at his side, as his right hand, the one you trust the most.

He is so happy to have his friend at his side again, you can see how when Starscream interacts with Skyfire (before him switching sides) he is soft towards his friend, he looks happy and comfortable around him.

So, is so sad and heart-broken to see how this love and caring for each other crumbles due to being in different sides of the war, due to Starscream stubborn desire of power. Maybe in the past Skyfire could have let it pass many things, but when it involves the lives of innocent creatures Skyfire's morals stand up over his friendship with Starscream, who is also a strange for the shuttle.

Because for Starscream, it has been million of years, he has lived with the memory of his friend intact, but for Skyfire it was just a day, so this new Starscream, the warrior who kills innocent and defensless enemies, shocks him.

I feel this is were it resides the intersting part of the ship, these interesting dynamics and feelings, the unexplored posibilities with the canon background that exist for these characters that haven't been studied in canon due these problems with the copyright is so high-grade energon for all the fan creators (writers, artists, editors, etc).

The old angst with hurt/comfort that we all love so much.

"Are you happier being a warrior than a scientist Starscream?" "Yes"

The Transformers - Fire in the Sky

You know I do find it fascinating that skystar is such a popular ship, like I think it’s Starscream’s second most popular ship outside of megastar, despite the fact that it was only in g1. I’m pretty sure outside of that they haven’t had a connection to each other (outside of Shattered Glass, and by saying that, I’m wondering if there’s more precedent in the comics too. But at least TV show wise, I think it was only g1)

Granted, some of it probably comes from the fact that while Starscream is in basically every continuity, Skyfire/Jetfire is in very few, due to copyright/licensing issues, which is also why he’s got an inconsistent name on top of that. So like, most of the time you can just invent Skyfire and insert him into continuities with a similar backstory to g1 and it doesn’t cause too much damage

But yeah, even that; this ship’s got a real grip on the community despite its one appearance, and it wasn’t even Prime or Animated. Though it was g1, so that probably accounts for something

[bonefall]

Clear Sky Killed Bumble; Gray Wing's Desperate Defense

The "analysis" I've seen out there is beyond bananas. We are out there on state-of-the-art exploratory vessels, sailing the 7 seas into brand new lands, discovering new kinds of fruits to compare to the absolute lack of sanity people are displaying.

Clear Sky definitively killed Bumble. Gray Wing does not want to believe reality.

While some try to argue this death down to "negligent homicide," that Clear Sky essentially beat her unconscious and left her in an unsafe area where she got killed, that's so unlikely I'm confident in saying it's wrong. The evidence shows that Clear Sky tormented her to death with a ferocious, sadistic beating which caused her to bleed out, which is second degree murder, and used the smell of a fox and Gray Wing's blind adoration to lie his way out of consequences.

There's not a lot of ambiguity in the evidence that is presented. There is fox scent but no fox bites, and the preceding chapter provides a comparison between the wounds on Misty vs the wounds on Bumble. Clear Sky's story is so convoluted that not a single part of it makes any sense. Quite frankly it's only been topped recently by the "I can confirm this woman is evil because she snored her evil plans in their sleep" fib of ASC.

In either case, Gray Wing believes neither. He does not believe this is Clear Sky's kill in any way.

This moment is an excellent example of how Gray Wing continuously prevents anyone from taking any action against his dear brother's violence until it is too late. By convincing the moor cats to all calm down when they're rightfully furious, and treating the lives and perspectives of native cats as lesser, Gray Wing becomes complicit in some of the harm this tyrant manages to carry out.

To shield a person from the consequences of their own actions is enabling, regardless of if it's direct or indirect, wittingly or unwittingly.

We are going to go over the whole of the 26th chapter of DOTC Book 2: Thunder Rising, from Bumble's death scene to Gray Wing's downplay of it. A meticulous, step-by-step analysis.

Leading-up context

The Scene

The Immediate Response

Incredible suggestions that have been made that I had to read with my own eyes

Leading-up Context

Let's start from square one by introducing the cast, with the assumption you have not read DOTC or are just vaguely aware of it due to its reputation.

Bumble is a kittypet who regularly visits the woods without issue. She is a small supporting character in the first book, The Sun Trail, whose purpose is mostly to be a friend to Turtle Tail, who is the future wife of the main POV character, Gray Wing.

As the two girls become closer friends, Gray Wing becomes more controlling of Turtle Tail and more hostile towards Bumble. This culminates in Turtle Tail leaving "The Settlers" to live with her friend over the winter. All is idyllic until the humans adopt a third cat, known to the fandom as Tom the Wifebeater because of what happens next in Book 2; Thunder Rising.

Turtle Tail becomes pregnant, but notices that her roommates are keeping some kind of secret. She begs Bumble until she reveals that humans tend to take kittens away when they're old enough to be weaned. Turtle Tail leaves to return to the wild, and Tom the Wifebeater begins methodically torturing Bumble over the next month as punishment, leaving scratches, bruises, and "dried blood" all over her when the humans are not looking.

When Bumble tries to seek help from the moor cats, Gray Wing is frustrated that the battered woman has interrupted his walk with his new wife. It is stressed that Gray Wing hates her for taking his love interest away, and he believes she is too fat and clumsy to live in the wild. The leader of the moor cat settlers, Tall Shadow, has a hard time throwing Bumble out, until two outsiders, Wind and Gorse, who are trying to get accepted into this group themselves, take the initiative and drag Bumble back to her domestic abuser.

Gray Wing is biased against Bumble. This is a fact. He explicitly does not like her.

Shortly afterwards, the forest cat settlers, led by Gray Wing's brother Clear Sky, experience a fire and begin to expand their borders. They are already known as a violent group, their leader is a manipulative liar, and Gray Wing himself was once viciously mauled as Clear Sky sat by and watched.

Yes, Gray Wing is aware that Clear Sky sat there and watched, too. He called out to him and Clear Sky did nothing as Fox, a man who knew full well that this cat was his leader's brother, was shredding him.

Gray Wing doesn't want to believe his brother is a bad person. This is also a fact. He explicitly feels guilty when he has thoughts otherwise.

On-screen, through the POV of Gray Wing's nephew Thunder, we see a native woman named Misty slaughtered by Clear Sky for her land. Her children are taken, and her body lays unburied and rotting for two days before Wind Runner and Gorse Fur (sporting new names at the request of the moor cats) find her.

They describe the wounds they found on the corpse in detail and make an accusation,

Now, before this point, Wind Runner and Gorse Fur have been doing everything in their power to endear themselves to this group. Gray Wing himself trusted them, because they've taught him methods for living here, caught and shared food, and even saved the life of his other brother, Jagged Peak, when a burrow collapsed on him.

But now his xenophobia towards them is coming back-- because they're calling for action against his brother. He's only ever uneasy about them when they seem to have an ounce of influence over his group.

Turtle Tail's conclusion is completely sound, and if it hadn't been for someone else, would be correct. Clear Sky DID move to kill the children-- he was stopped by his underling, Petal. Turts was able to understand what Clear Sky was going to do without seeing it firsthand.

The crowd is shocked and furious, for logical reason. They ARE in danger. Clear Sky IS escalating his violence and expanding his territory. It's starting with the native population, and the moor cats are able to understand and predict what will happen next.

Except Gray Wing.

The Scene

While investigating ONE confirmed murder, as there is no reason to doubt Wind Runner and Gorse Fur except for conveniently xenophobic ones, and TWO suspected murders of children, the patrol hears the sudden shriek of a cat in pain.

Bumble is found bleeding to death on a previously unclaimed patch of land, at the very center of a circle of trampled grass. There is the reeking smell of fox, and under that, there is the scent of Clear Sky.

Her wounds are described in great detail,

Completely consistent with the way that the wounds were described on Misty. Nearly word-for-word.

The only evidence of fox is the smell. No one heard it bark, there is no note of it bounding off, there are no bites or wounds consistent with those of a canid. They were described exactly the same as Misty's.

Slits are cat claw wounds. Not fox bite wounds. She was not being bitten, she was cut all over her body, prominently down her belly and sides.

Unless this fox shapeshifted into a cat and then meticulously created wounds consistent with the ones left on Misty, Clear Sky did this.

Where did the fox go? Probably came to investigate, maybe licked at the bloody cuts expecting a meal, and then was scared off by Bumble suddenly waking up and screaming. It's possible, but unlikely that the patrol's clamor scared it off, considering they didn't see or hear any fox noises.

There are also signs of a struggle-- and Bumble was not able to fight in the condition she is currently in. It's most likely it was the struggle from when she was being tormented and trying to get away, unless there was a fight with a fox while Bumble was still unconscious and she was dragged to the middle of it, for some reason.

However, a fight with a fox is still unlikely, as the patrol was able to hear the whimpering of a cat in pain as they approached but not the furious sounds of a battle with a large predator. If there was this whole epic brawl with a fox that trampled the grass around Bumble, why was there only a single shriek?

Gray Wing, expert on the smell of Clear Sky's armpit, confirms it's his brother. His whole world spins when he realizes his Dear Brother is involved in this, feeling horror and disbelief.

(Also note that Gray Wing implies Clear Sky's involvement is the prophetic bad thing his adopted son mentioned in the previous chapter, not the shredded woman dying in front of him lol)

The rest of the group is able to acknowledge reality, coming to the obvious conclusion. Clear Sky is expanding his territory, including the very patch they're standing on. He has been violent in the past, even against other settlers. Misty was slaughtered in a way consistent with the victim dying in front of them, so he is killing cats who stand in his way. Gray Wing's immediate, literally DESPERATE response is first to jump to Clear Sky's defense.

Gray Wing asks Bumble directly if it was a fox, and she is too weak to answer... until she finds the strength, as a domestic abuse victim, to blame herself for the way a cat beat her bloody. She thinks it's her fault for hunting here, because she was hungry, not thinking straight, and stupid.

I have seen this described as Bumble "making a defense of Clear Sky." I will leave it up to you, the reader, to determine if this sounds like Bumble is trying to say he's not guilty of hurting her or if it's the sort of infamous self-blame that domestic violence victims lapse into after a furious thrashing.

When Clear Sky returns to the scene of the crime, he cuts her off while admitting he did assault Bumble, then glares at everyone to challenge a fight.

Gray Wing swoons over him like he always does.

I have heard it said, without examples, that this is normal because this happens all the time in Warrior Cats. That it's a normal thing to be standing next to a domestic abuse victim who is bleeding out and watch her murderer daring all of your friends to do something about it, and admire how brave he is. That, again, without any examples, this is just something that every character does when the Villain of the Week exists in front of them, so it's not even special that it was Gray Wing's first response.

If you believe that, I have a bridge in London to sell you.

Desperation is under all of Gray Wing's feelings which immediately follow. His voice "cracks" when he has to ask if his darling brother did this. He wants to scream when he takes his sweet time answering. He shrinks under Clear Sky's gaze, because he reads that he's "accusing him of betrayal."

But somehow, that FIRST response for him to fawn over his brother is not part of that, because in unquoted books of other arcs a hero has admired a villain?? Context doesn't exist because in some other book the same emotion was described maybe. Incredible.

No mention of how casually he brushes off this sight that makes his eyes show "guilt and horror," either. No talk of how he made a little ""joke"" about how no one greeted him nicely at a tortured woman's deathbed. Almost like he was caught red-handed and the wounds don't actually unsettle him as much as the crowd's reaction.

Even the glare-- Clear Sky is trying to get Gray Wing to do his bidding. He wants him to protect him, be his flying monkey, and control his furious people.

So at the next opportunity, Gray Wing jumps to his defense again. Second time in this exchange.

FIRST he was described as "desperate." Now he takes a deep breath and BRAVELY licks that boot.

Turtle Tail steps forward and posits the obvious truth. Clear Sky is going mad with power, doesn't care who he hurts, and is completely capable of doing something like this to Bumble. This was already done to Misty, and even earlier, Clear Sky stood by and watched as one of his minions savaged Gray Wing in a similar way.

The whoooole crowd can see this. It is Gray Wing, and Gray Wing alone, who prevents there from being any consequences for Clear Sky's actions.

He hypocritically believes that attacking Clear Sky for the murder of Bumble would make them all "no better than he is" when he had no qualms about coming to blows over the exile of Jagged Peak much earlier. "Attacking Clear Sky for Murder" is morally equivalent to "Actually Doing Murder."

This is only for Bumble though, a "foreign" woman he does not like. He did not believe this for Jagged Peak, and he will not believe it later when he watches Clear Sky strangle Rainswept Flower to death. They are worth physical consequences.

He even physically shields him.

"he stepped between Clear Sky and his own cats, not sure which of them he was trying to protect." It's Clear Sky. Bumble's life means nothing to Gray Wing, so he is trying to protect Clear Sky from the fury of the angry mob he has earned by killing her and Misty.

He CANNOT let there be any doubt. Not even from himself. His brother must be protected at all costs. To that end, he is trying to make some kind of opportunity for Clear Sky to escape accountability.

If you are "neutral" in the conflict between victims and their abuser, you have taken the side of the abuser. If you provide opportunities for a perpetrator to escape accountability, you are an enabler. If you allow a suspect to escape the scene of a crime, since every cat in these books seems to be a lawyer the minute anyone wants to react to violence, you could be charged with accessory fleeing and eluding-- a felony.

Before you try to say this is all in the noble pursuit of peace, let's not be dense.

DOTC is not committed to non-violence for any other tyrannical leader. Especially not One Eye, even believing that an underhanded ambush that breaks the terms of a duel Clear Sky set is the good and righteous thing to do. Killing him was the correct action, as it was with Slash in Riverstar's Home. Outside of DOTC this logic is casually applied to Brokenstar, Tigerstar, Scourge, Hawkfrost, Darktail, and Ashfur-- with only Leopardstar and Blackstar being "exempt" for following an evil ringleader.

Gray Wing himself has no moral dilemma about One Eye or Slash, either. Nonviolence is not his goal.

It is Clear Sky, and Clear Sky alone, who the narrative of DOTC will conclude "deserved" a million second chances. That torturing Bumble to death, slaughtering Misty for her land, and countless offscreen cases of attacking natives didn't push him past the "fundamentally evil" threshold into an irredeemable monster, as is the case with Slash and One Eye later in this arc.

The difference between Clear Sky and DOTC's other two tyrants, to me, is obvious. Clear Sky is the POV's brother and a member of the in-group of The Settlers. The lives of his victims, as mostly "foreigners" and entirely women, are worth very little to the notoriously xenophobic and misogynist writing team.

If the moor cats had shredded Clear Sky right here and now, dozens of lives would have been saved. The First Battle wouldn't have happened. Justice would have been served for Bumble, regardless of if the cause of death was 2nd degree murder or negligent homicide. He wouldn't have smacked and beaten any of his other victims.

Gray Wing prevents this, giving Clear Sky an opportunity to tell a lie.

(He even whines about the idea of Wind Runner challenging Clear Sky about boundaries, the whole thing that started this incident in the first place. This is the perfect time to start arguing about boundaries, actually, when he's in the middle of establishing new ones.)

In the past, I'd been too charitable to this exchange. This lie is obscene and anyone who believes it is ignorant. No frills, no bells, you either can't think critically or just didn't want to so Clear Sky can be innocent or Gray Wing can seem "reasonable."

Clear Sky's visibly eager to start his story, "glad of the chance" now that he's had time to concoct a story. He could have explained earlier but didn't, sizing the group up and glaring at his brother to crack a whip, asking if they believed he was capable of it, so he could gauge what he can get away with.

"New part of my territory" = Freshly annexed land he has violently conquered, confirming the patrol's fears of expansion.

"I wanted to give her a warning, just a little cuff" = No one leaves his territory gently. Confirmation he thrashed her, downplay of how severe.

"How was I to know she would faint?" = Bumble is visibly emaciated, and he's blaming her for not being able to stay conscious through the whole beating.

"I could see her paws twitching, and I knew she would come around" = He would not care, Misty's body was unburied for two days.

"So I left" = Leaving Count: 1

Pauses, wincing, because this is another act. Every time he's putting on a little show for other cats, he takes dramatic pauses and plays up his pain and regret. Seen earlier in this book.

"But heard a fox bark" = no barking was heard by the patrol, only a cat's shriek.

"And ran back" = Was apparently so close that he could hear barking the patrol didn't, but so far away that a fox had time to cut her to ribbons, AND this was so long ago the patrol wasn't close enough to hear the fight? Returning Count: 2

"But I was too late" = Wounds inconsistent with fox attack. Leaving Count: 2

"I was going to get help" = There is no medic in proto-SkyClan. When Jagged Peak broke his leg, they had to borrow Dappled Pelt. What help? Who?? Even as he says this, Frost's wound is going completely untreated. If Clear Sky was going to get help, why wasn't he telling Cloud Spots to do something when he got back?

"But then I heard you all arrive" = He left to get help but was still close enough to hear running? Just abandoning his noble quest to get that "help" he apparently has? Returning Count: 3

Not a single part of his story adds up. EVERY aspect of it has a problem, in that it's either deceptively worded to downplay his abuse, doesn't line up with who he is, or just doesn't make logistical sense.

It's not JUST a lie, it's a BAD one.

Even worse, Clear Sky is a known liar at this point. He does this when the truth would not benefit him, like earlier in this book when he fibbed to Thunder about why he abandoned him right in front of Gray Wing's face. The story doesn't make sense and there's not even any reason to give him benefit of the doubt, because he is known to be dishonest.

He's offended when Turtle Tail calls him on being full of baloney, and once again shoots a sharp look over to his flying monkey, expecting Gray Wing to dance on command and defend his honor like always.

But Gray Wing seems to be perfectly capable of being "wise" when it would directly benefit Clear Sky.

I have seen the question begged, "if he's such a bootlicker then why he no verbally bootlick a third time in a single exchange?" and I would tell that person to read the text because it says why. Right there. Here, I've underlined it. So you don't miss it again.

If Gray Wing licks that boot again, THIRD TIME, in front of an angry mob who wants to skin Clear Sky alive, they will lose patience and make the clearing look like Bruce's Eating Dome. So he shuts the fuck up and gives his ungrateful brother the chance to indignantly slip away, even though he desperately wants to cry out and tell him how shiny and lickable those boots are.

"What can I say?" Nothing. "I'll only make things worse" Correct. "If I don't let him leave now there will be a fight" im literally just quoting the text verbatim

He is NOT doing this because he does not believe him, NOR because he doesn't want to defend him. It's because this the best way to protect his brother from consequence.

And then Bumble uses her dying breath to apologize for ever hurting her friend, showing Bumble is still just blaming herself for everything, with Turtle Tail still repeating the same malicious excuses that were used to deny her asylum from domestic abuse.

"I wish you could have found happiness, even though I was unwilling to help you. It sucked to learn that our shared wifebeater started wifebeating you, but we didn't want you in our camp so really this was unavoidable."

I've voiced my ire before, gone on long rants about how angry this exchange makes me and even campaigned for more recognition of the misogyny in this subplot. The fact that the last words Bumble hears are just more excuses from a person who could have done something disgust me, and I think I'm right to feel that it's vile that this sits unexamined in a book for young readers. But it doesn't change what happened.

She senselessly died in intense pain and despair, for the crime of existing. All that's left to say is that I wish Bumble could have found a better friend.

But ultimately, Turtle Tail is another woman in the notoriously misogynistic arc of DOTC. She's just a supporting character for Gray Wing's conflict, and he's got some opinions about what, exactly, is making this so sad.

He doesn't give a fuck that this woman he hates has been murdered after slowly starving to death, for months, since he watched her be dragged back to a domestic abuser. She "stole" his romantic interest for a few months, after all.

It's stressed he "never especially liked Bumble" at her deathbed. It's not JUST "the death of a kittypet," a group of people he is bigoted against. It's about his piece of shit brother.

It's about how HIS REPUTATION HAS BEEN TARNISHED.

"It changes the way my cats think of Clear Sky," THAT HE IS NOW A KNOWN MURDERER, "and that changes everything" IT'S GOING TO BE A LOT HARDER TO DEFEND HIM NOW

This is completely consistent with Gray Wing's behavior into the rest of the chapter, and even the books beyond.

The Immediate Response

Gray Wing explains what happened to the other moor cats. He has to hide his actual belief that Clear Sky didn't actually do anything wrong so that the moor cats don't dismiss him for the biased, brother-obsessed little minion he is. He admits how he really feels about Bumble's death to Turtle Tail at the very end of the chapter-- so what he says here is a lie.

Not a delusion. A lie. He withheld the full truth of his bias when questioned. If he's honest about his conflict of interest, this group will trust his judgement less. He has a goal; to prevent his cats from retaliating.

Wind Runner is, again, the one who is rallying the other cats into action. She's seeing that Clear Sky is murdering innocent cats, possibly even her friend considering how much she knew about Misty, and that this will only escalate. Gray Wing doesn't like that.

So when Tall Shadow starts suggesting the things he agrees with, like how Bumble's life was less valuable anyway so this is no reason to start a fight with his Dear Sweet Brother, and they should all just sit on their butts until no one's angry anymore, he decides she "deserves" his support.

It's a political move.

"After all, she was only a kittypet... omg why are you so mad?? I didnt mean it like that, all im saying is that we should just calm down ugh dont be so sensitive" -Tall Shadow, channeling your racist aunt

If Gray Wing can get the other cats to waste their time on useless half-measures, like more patrols or perhaps writing a strongly-worded letter, he can make them feel like they're doing something when they're actually doing jack shit. Wittingly or unwittingly, this is a measure to stall the inevitable, making them miss their chance to strike while the iron is hot.

He's either an idiot or he's subconsciously acting from a place of loyalty to his brother. Bias resembles the former but is born of the latter, and either way the result is the same.

After this, there's a brief conversation where Tall Shadow makes it clear that there is absolutely no reason to be mistrusting Wind Runner. They both agree "when this is all over" she's a good cat to have around-- they just don't seem want to listen to her now, when she wants something done about the sadistic lunatic next door.

Gray Wing's talk of "working together" is laughable. His idea of "working together" includes the cat who just slaughtered two people for existing on his newly annexed land, who long ago stopped listening to reason. Tall Shadow herself starts preening and announces that her response to all this is that Clear Sky must absolutely be stopped by some cat.......................... so she'll think abt it.

tomorrow maybe. we'll put a pin in it. set a little reminder on her phone or something.

(the genius plan she comes up with in the end is a nonsequitor babble about how rocks don't exist to be sat on, so clear sky should just stop conquering all the land or something. he listens intently and then throws her into a tank of piranhas.)

But anyway, it's time to smooth things over with Turtle Tail, who had been struggling with that uncomfortable truth that the moor cats, and Gray Wing specifically, were also culpable in some way for the slow, painful death of Bumble.

He'll fix that with a big display of affection.

"Don't be mad at me it's nobody's fault :) She wouldn't have been able to cope so it's inevitable she wound up dead :) I'm sorry you're hurting bc i like you, not that i give a damn that your friend was shoved into a blender and shredded alive after starving for months :) Thanks to you I am now ready to lead this clan directly off the side of a cliff." -very endearing conversation i assure you

It works because Turtle Tail is not allowed to maintain her own opinions as a girl in DOTC. Obviously. Her husband licks her ears and tells her that he likes her and that's the end of any examination that they have any responsibility here. god forbid she re-examine her feelings towards the writers' favorite in light of how much of an ass he made of himself at her friend's deathbed.

Just in case it slipped your mind though, once again it is made clear that Gray Wing is reacting with leisure because he does not believe (or care) that Clear Sky killed Bumble. No, not even in the negligent homicide sense, that Clear Sky's actions allowed Bumble to die through beating her unconscious and leaving her alone in an unsafe location. He does not think this was something to blame Clear Sky for.

He believes that the fox did it-- he was lying earlier when he said he "didn't know what to believe." He does. He didn't reveal his bias when he was being questioned, because he wants to prevent the moor cats from fighting Clear Sky over Bumble's death.

Also note the sneaky little turn of language Gray Wing makes there. In denial of Turt's claim that "innocent cats are being slaughtered," Gray's counter is Bumble alone before the pivot. The patrol was originally about Misty's murder and her missing kittens as Clear Sky expanded his borders-- but Misty's apparently not an "innocent cat" who's been slaughtered. She's absent from that category, implied to be part of Clear Sky's hypothetical "good reason" for expansion that Gray Wing needs to get to the bottom of.

Bumble's murder is denied. Misty's is implied to just be collateral damage for the unknown plan. He's unbothered about the death of either one.

Gray Wing: "No one else can get to the bottom of this! theres only ME! I AM THE ONLY ONE WHO CAN STOP CLEAR SKY"

Also Gray Wing: (leaps in front of an angry crowd to defend his brother. cries that he doesn't believe hes capable of such terrible violence. actively prevents anyone else from doing anything about him)

Anyone with a vague awareness of DOTC knows how this ends. Gray Wing is going to lead them astray with his bad judgement, so purposefully delusional about his brother that they will have to dig a mass grave at Fourtrees. Gray Wing thinks he's a *~special boy~* who is the only one who can truly get through to his brother, and maybe he is, but not before dozens of people have to suffer and die for it.

This is enabling. To enable is to directly or indirectly support another's harmful actions, such as addiction or abuse. He did it here, both during and after Bumble's death, giving Clear Sky the cover to escape consequences for his actions and halting any attempts to do anything concrete. Because of him, Clear Sky never pays for what he did to her.

In the book 3, Clear Sky denies all wrongdoing, and in Bumble's last mention in book 4, her torture is described in passive voice. A terrible "happening" which seemingly couldn't have been avoided. No one is held accountable. Not the moor cats for turning her away, not Clear Sky for her killing, and even Tom the Wifebeater is redeemed after being given a chance to live in a clan for not being "soft" like his female victim.

All so sweet, beloved little Gray Wing never has to confront that he let a killer get off scot-free because the uncomplicated childhood memory of his brother as a lovely good boy was wrong. That he was so consumed by spite that he smugly watched Bumble get dragged away from the only people who could have helped her. That he was complicit twice.

Incredible suggestions that I have had to read with my own eyes

fucking ✨Bonus Round✨

"If clear sky fought bumble, why bumble leave no scratches?" I'll let you sit there and think about why the DOMESTIC ABUSE VICTIM did not fight back against a large, violent man who was beating her. I'll give you a minute. I'll play some jeopardy music.

"he's quote 'horrified and guilty' at the wounds which means he didn't make them himself" Clear Sky has a repeated habit of "blacking out" when he butchers women (Rainswept Flower, Willow Tail). He's also a liar and an actor, even according to his own account he'd seen these same wounds before when he came back a second time. Most importantly, what fucking part of "horrified and guilty" implies he didn't make those himself, does a toddler not look "horrified and guilty" when it spills chocolate milk on a couch and its parent sees it? Does that mean the toddler didn't do it? If you wouldn't accept this logic for a toddler why the fuck will you accept it for a suspected murderer?

"Maybe Clear Sky fought the fox off?" He doesn't actually say that, it's just implied during his lie when he says he showed up too late, but it's hypothetically possible. Even if he did fight this fox off, he must have still mauled Bumble because she is covered in claw wounds, even if he doesn't remember it because he "blacked out." There's also still the problems of Bumble being in the middle of the trampled grass, the patrol not hearing the sound of battle, his framing that he just tapped her and she passed out, and him apparently running to get help he does not have. Occam's Razor still suggests the solution is that this fox was scared off when Bumble screamed, with Clear Sky just using the convenient smell to lie his way out of consequences

"How'd Clear Sky get fox scent on him?" Probably from showing up to the crime scene that absolutely reeks and prowling around like an axe murderer, which we saw him do. Bumble had no fox bites and no one heard a fight. did you know that if you stand in a sewer you smell like shit

"Gray Wing just doesn't want to think his dear sweet brother could ever do such a thing :("

"What if the Erins are just so incompetent that they created a crime scene completely inconsistent with the very true and real story that Clear Sky told, it just happens to look like a lie on accident, they unwittingly made him a liar earlier in this book because they forgot the events they previously wrote, and don't know anything about a type of predator that appears in nearly every entry of warrior cats and happens to be one of the most popular animals of all time" what if i tripped and fell and a shawarma with extra tahini sauce fell into my mouth, followed by an apple slice, and 3 litres of water. should i continue my fast or has Allah fed me.

All of this is why I am adamant on saying that Clear Sky killed Bumble by beating her to death. In order for this to have been the cause of a fox, you'd have to take a liar at face value and ignore every other detail. That's what Gray Wing does, described on the page as "desperate to believe in his brother's innocence."

Unfortunately, this will also not be the only time that Gray Wing's obsession with his brother and shockingly horrific judgement will put other cats in danger or get them killed. It's just the most deliberate example, and thus imo the most upsetting.

[onebadpunspoilsabunch]

I think the young six (or student six) are fine as characters, but the school of Friendship itself was a terrible idea and completely missed the point of the first 7 seasons. Not only that, but the very concept kind of gives off a “let's civilize the savages” vibe.

Yeah, someone pointed that out to me:

I guess Twilight's goal was to bring the other societies to a better level. The in-universe explanation for why Equestria is a more advanced society is because ponies have more inherent magic than the other creatures. And the reason why they have more magic is because they are more friendly and kind... I guess...

So I can understand Twilight's train of thought: create a school to teach the values of friendship to the other creatures while also teaching them about how Equestria got to be where it is (which is through friendship magic), and hope that they will take that knowledge back to their societies so that they will do the same, and get to Equestria's level. I guess on a surface level, I get what she was going for...

Yeah, the ponies are the "white savors" in this scenario. I understand her line of reasoning, but... it's kinda weird 😅 darn.

I like the young six perfectly fine too. Although I have a problem with the way Smolder is written sometimes, specifically her interactions with Spike, the inconsistencies about dragons that come from her, and the way her meer existence retcons Garble's entire character...

I honestly think that the writers seemed to favor her, and gave her special treatment. But maybe that's just me, idk.

But all of these things are the fault of the writers, not the character herself. Also I don't like how Silverstream's personality is way too similar to Princess Skystar (her cousin, from the movie). I actually think her brother Terramar is a more interesting character, and should've been in her place.

I also don't like how the young six are written to look smarter than the main characters sometimes (Non-Compete Clause, School Raze, every single episode Smolder shares with Spike, etc.).

Their existence in the show, along with the School of Friendship, is kind of unnecessary and redundant. I understand that the point of their existence is to show that non-pony creatures are worthy of wielding magic and should be treated as equals, which is a good idea for a story/lesson. They also wanted to show more of the culture/societies of the other creatures, which is a cool world-building idea...

But that entire storyline was really really awful and poorly executed. There were so many better ways they could've done that. They didn't even establish which student is connected to which Mane Six member until the last minute:

And world-building for the sake of world-building isn't as good if the characters don't get something out of it. There are past episodes that show the societies and culture of the other creatures, but the characters go through some development (The Lost Treasure of Griffonstone, Gauntlet of Fire, Not Asking for Trouble, To Change a Changeling, etc).

Season 8 should've been about the characters being called on cutie map missions to the other societies. There are only two episodes that do that (Surf and/or Turf, the Sound of Silence). Not only will they have world-building, but the characters will actually get something from it too.

And maybe at the same time they could've gotten across the anti-racism message without having terribly written villains to fuel the flame, idk...

If they wanted to send the message that non-pony creatures could wield Equestrian magic, they should've just made Spike the 7th Element, and have his Pillar be Scorpan. It would be a better story, and get their lesson across.

It also could've been a metaphor for how in real life, many minorities have important contributions to American society, but they’re ignored and/or forgotten by history.

The story could've been that Scorpan created the Tree of Harmony with the other Pillars, but either Starswirl didn't write it down in his journal (for some reason), or somepony else found it and magically altered all the texts to erase Scorpan's involvement later down the line.

Well, that would've been a better story than the School of Friendship anyway 😅

[daddymus-mamatron]

3, 4, 11, 25 and 50 for Starscream

3. What first drew you to this character? Always had a weakness for Second in Command type of characters! coughHuxcough The Autobots already didn't interest me even before I was in the TF fandom lmao. I naturally gravitated towards the Decepticons and Starscream was quickly adopted as my new blorbo!!

4. Did you initially dislike/hate this character? Ngl I thought he was so fugly in Prime xDD I adore his design in Earthspark so so so so much!! ES, G1, IDW are my top 3 for sure. I got over it eventually but yeah. Not the prettiest lmao

11. How did you “fall in love” with this character? When I realized he was like Hux. I've had a lot of people complimenting me on how I write Screamer and the truth is well… I write him just like I did Hux, but in robot form lmaoooo

25. What kind of fan-fiction do you read about this character? If you don’t read fan-fics about them, why not? I read mostly SkyStar, SoundStar and the Elite Trine. As much as I adore Starscream, I actually read so few fanfics with him. Roddy on the other hand……

50. Link your fav song, playlist, aesthetic board, fan-fiction, reference pile, personal artwork, analysis post, meme, headcanon, or quote for this character. Whichever one (s) you are most comfortable with! I LOVE your Starscream playlist!!

[arkrecroom]

Skystar is a tragedy

losing my mind over them because they're coded with tragedy. ever since skyfire's introduction in g1 episode fire in the sky, it's so so clear that skyfire is special to starscream to the point that the original script even said that starscream speaks softly when talking about skyfire. when he's yelling at soundwave to up the voltage, he sounds desperate. he finally found his best friend, his partner, and he's scared that he might be offline but starscream refuses to accept that he lost skyfire. and when skyfire opens his eyes, starscream is so excited, relieved. he searched for the ice covered earth for three days, mourned him for millions of years, then fate took him to the same planet he lost the one person he trusted most.

only for fate to shove them apart again

starscream keeps skyfire close to him throughout the episode until skyfire finds spike and sparkplug and they reveal that the decepticons are evil. skyfire doesn't believe them. why would he? he trusts what starscream tells him. and when he finds out that they really are evil, when skyfire watches starscream destroys hound and his friends does when he start questioning.

skyfire turns on the decepticons. he tosses megatron and goes to help the autobots destroy the con device. the episode ends with skyfire falling into the water and presumably being lost once more until the autobots dig him out to be their taxi.

fire in the sky really set the mood for skystar going forward(minus war for cybertron). starscream and skyfire are two bots who trust and love each other so much only to be pulled apart by the universe. they can never be together. prewar skyfire is lost to the ice, wartime starscream is lost to the cons, postwar? they're truly star crossed lovers full of pain and despair.

[overlordraax]

Okay, so, here's a random idea I came up with recently that I wanted to share with you. A SkyStar Madoka Magica AU. If you would like to expand upon this idea, feel free to do so.

I have never seen Madoka Magica so I cannot elaborate sadly. What I've mostly seen is in-depth analysis's of that shows themes by some people I follow, and honestly they are a bit harsh on the show (though I would say mostly on the creator, and the glut of grim-dark spin-offs the series spawned).

So sorry. I could probably devise a general magical girl SkyStar au (in fact I once commissioned such a thing) but I couldn't do a PMMM specific au. I'm sure there's something in there (switch out the incubators for the Quintessons? The Primes? But then I actually only know the incubators by name really) but I don't think I will be the person to make the au, sorry!

[journey2maya]

Narratology: Second Draft

Analyse your chosen narrative with close reference to the Hero’s Journey or another appropriate template

For this essay I have chosen to talk about the narrative structure of the 2017 film My Little Pony: The Movie. I will be making a structural analysis with reference to the Quest plot type as described in Cristopher Booker’s The seven basic plots. [1] to paraphrase; in any quest story there is always a priceless goal which drives the hero’s passion to succeed. The hero and some companions must embark on a perilous journey filled with monsters, temptation and helpers, to reach their goal. The story is unresolved until the overriding objective has been secured.[Booker 2004 pg 69] I will be taking a look at how the animation enriches the narrative through choice of design and also touch on how the songs drive the narrative at certain points.

The movie was produced by DHX media in collaboration with AllSpark pictures using Toon Boom Harmony production software [2] which specialises in integrating 3D elements with 2D characters. [3] the film emphasises traditional animation and is supported throughout with modern 3-D solutions. The TV show is animated using flash and along with this change of animation software there also came a change in art style. To quote Art Director Rebecca Dart; for the feature film, the characters became more volumetric overall, meaning they have more of a roundness and softness for the 360 degree world of Equestria and beyond that we created for the movie.” [4] This extract from the ‘art of’ book shows a comparison of the two styles.

Figure 1. A style comparison. Page 20, 2017 [4]

These small changes really make the difference on the big screen and giving the ponies’ ears an inside fold allows the ears to swivel and be more expressive, closer to real life horse ears. The shimmer of the eyes also adds to the depth of emotion and these small changes are an example of how small changes really make the difference.

The plot of the movie is as follows; Twilight Sparkle, Applejack, Rainbow Dash, Pinkie Pie, Fluttershy and Rarity embark on an epic journey to save Equestria from the tyranny of the Storm King. Along the way, the Mane 6 meet new friends and face challenges as they travel beyond Equestria for the first time ever. From this summary we can pick out the key features of a quest story. The call; a sudden threat has arisen that gives purpose to a journey. [Booker, 2005 pg. 70] for this story it’s the threat of the Storm King.  The hero’s companions; Apple Jack, Rainbow Dash, Pinkie Pie, Fluttershy and Rarity, along with the dragon assistant spike, accompany Twilight on her quest. The journey; the essential party of any quest story where our hero and their companions go through a series of terrible ordeals, receive help and guidance and are met with challenges they must overcome [Booker, 2005 pg. 73]. For the mane six this spans most of the movie. They go to a range of locations that play respective roles in pushing the narrative and I’ll be looking at each location in further detail. The helpers; characters that serve as an aid to the hero and her companions [Booker, 2005 pg. 77] ( the new friends they meet along the way) the helpers in this particular movie are quite important as they not only help during the journey but they also in what booker calls the ‘final ordeal’ it is the last battle between good and evil, where the hero comes to the edge of their goal [Booker,2005 pg. 78].

At the start of the film we see the ponies preparing for the first official Friendship Festival in Canterlot, Equestrias capital. Everywhere is bustling. The event is highly anticipated and each of the mane six are helping prepare by putting up decorations,and erecting tents and booths to sell many different wares through this we get introductions to our characters, including spike, to show a little of their personality. This is important because it makes the characters seem more real. They’re not just an accessory to Twilight's adventure, they’re individuals and they’re part of it in a big way.  Twilight Sparkle, the unofficial leader of the friend group, is being true to character and is worried that the festival won’t be perfect. As the Princess Of Friendship the pressure is all on her to make sure that everypony has a good time. Twilight’s friends rally around her in an attempt to reassure her that everything will be fine in the form of the song ‘We Got This Together.’

This song highlights the mane six’s teamwork and interpersonal relationship as strong. This Song also carries heavy foreshadowing as it implies that true to form, of a quest story, everything is certainty not going to go to plan but that the mane six will indeed face any problem together. However the genial atmosphere is cut with a knife when dark clouds loom over Canterlot, blackening the perfectly clear sky. Normally this wouldn’t be anything to worry about but in the lore of MLP, Pegasi ponies can control the weather. Twilight even gets frustrated because she “ordered perfect weather.” It’s a huge contrast to the previously established setting.

We are introduced to our first antagonist: Tempest Shadow. A jaded unicorn motivated by anger and a wish to be whole again. She is dedicated to being the Storm Kings Hench-pony and chief bounty hunter, all so he can retire her horn after she delivers on the promise to retrieve the magic of the four princesses for the Storm King’s use. Tempest is supposed to look different and like an outcast because it relates to her story arc and past. She has a darker palette than we would normally see which instantly makes her read as an antagonist. She doesn’t look like the other characters and we don’t know her so we shouldn’t trust her. A great example of changes the design department made were for the better.

Figure 2. Design concepts for ‘Cosmos’ as Tempest was originally going to be called.Pg 46 2017 [4]

Tempest asks for surrender which, of course he princesses refuse. This is when things go from bad to worse. An army of Storm creatures are revealed as their air ships emerge from the fog. They come down on Canterlot, capturing ponies who dare to flee.

Tempest turns Three of the  princesses,Celestia Luna and Cadence, into obsidian statues.

Figure 3. Cadence is about to be engulfed [5] 2017

Figure 3. Twilight saves Princess Luna from smashing to pieces [5] 2017

The final words of Princess Celestia, to her sister Luna, is to fly south and seek the help from the queen of the hippo…

She is unable to finish what she was going to say and Luna I’m unable to carry out the mission as they are both encased in an obsidian prison.Twilight is the only princess left and so, with her friends, they all make a daring escape over on of the waterfalls that make up Canterlots architecture. Unequivocally this is what Booker refers to as ‘the call’ [Booker, 2005 pg 70]] Tempest's arrival and disruption is the reason why the mane six must embark on the quest the Friendship Festival has gone terribly wrong and the stakes are high. Twilight and her friends have to make this journey to set things right. As said in Booker, ‘surrounded by an atmosphere of menace and construction, the Quest hero and her friends feel under intense compulsion to get away.” [Booker 2005, pg 71]  This is exactly what has happened to the mane six and we now have a definite goal- to save Equestria from the Storm King and Tempest Shadow.

The next stage, perhaps one of the most defining of a quest story that Christopher Booker has identified, which is certainly present in the movie, is that Twilight isn’t alone in the journey she has to take. Twilight is accompanied by her friends who each have their own virtues and abilities that contribute to the success of the adventure. Or to the detriment.

Pinkie pie is a particularly important part of Twilights company as she represents one of the 4 basic forms that a hero’s companion should be. A subtle alter-ego whose role is to serve as a foil, displaying qualities of the opposite of those shown by the hero.[Booker 2005 pg 72] for example in the ‘Epic Of Gilgamesh’ whenever Gilgamesh displays assets of courage and confidence it is Enkidu, his brother, who expresses fear and doubt. [Unknown, C.1800 BC tablet 2] In the MLP Movie when Twilight shows concern and worry, Pinkie Pie is only concerned about how much fun can be had and she derails the situation with her silly antics.

Through all the obstacles that the Mane 6 face. Their arrival in seaquestria is the most crucial. It is where Twilight is faced with one of the specific obstacles that Booker notes must be present. Twilight succumbs to a temptation. Seaquestria is the underwater world that the hippogriffs were forced to inhabit to hide from the Storm King. The Queen of the hippogriffs used a magic pearl to turn her subjects into sea ponies. Pinkie pie makes friends with Queen Novos daughter, Princess Skystar and Twilight realised that the pearl can transform the ponies of Canterlot into

An army that can defeat the Storm King however Novo refuses to give her it. The mane six go to leave but notice that Skystar is sad because her new friends are leaving. Twilight, surprisingly, encourages Pinkie pie to cheer her up with a song. When the song is finished we find out that this was just a ploy so everyone would be distracted whilst twilight tries to steal the pearl.

Figure 4. Twilight is tangled in the jellyfish cage that guards the pearl. [5] 2017

This leads to The mane six’s forced exit from seaquestria and more importantly Twilights downfall. Because Pinkie Pie was able to cram a lifetime of fun into one song the hippogriffs were going to give them the pearl as a thank you. Twilights lack of faith in her friends causes a big argument between her and Pinkie Pie which leaves twilight sitting alone on a greyscale beach. This makes her look even more isolated and alone as she is the only colourful thing in the scene. She is captured by Tempest who has been on the groups tail since the start. Tempest shares her backstory with Twilight. This gives us an insight into tempests motivation and creates a vulnerability in her. and she is taken back to Canterlot where we finally see the Storm King in full glory as he is able to steal the magic from all four princesses, channelling it through the staff of succannas, becoming omnipotent in the process. The Storm King casts Tempest aside, refusing to restore her horn as he had promised he would.

After Twilight is captured and left weak without her magic we get the last stage of a classic quest story; the final ordeal Where the heroes come to the edge of their great goal [Booker 2004 pg 78] Twilight’s friends engage in an epic battle against the storm creatures with the help of Skystar and some other friends they made on their journey. Near the end of the battle the staff creates a wretched Storm that takes Twilight, the Storm King and the staff away. Twilight's friends are of course distraught but this is the part in the story where our hero has her last ‘thrilling escape from death’ [Booker 2005 pg 83] and returns with the staff and settles the skies.

Unfortunately the fight isn’t over as the Storm King also survived the storm. it seems like he has the upper hand and is about to turn the mane six into obsidian statues. Tempest jumps in front of the mane six to save them, reforming  herself and pushing the Storm King over the edge so he smashes to pieces. The mane six save tempest and together the seven of them release the princesses and save equestria. Our hero Twilight has reached her goal and so the quest has ended.

This version was more focused but it was still too detailed. I took out the images that weren’t needed and I went in a slightly different direction. Choosing only to focus on one of the locations the mane six voyage to so I could focus on it more and make a more detailed and structured analysis. 

[thegeneralsnotebook]

May Feature: Manes That Scale

The recent change to the Block structure is a meaningful change in a whole bunch of ways. Most immediately, it adds a whole set, and a very good set at that, to the developing metagame of the new Block. Defenders rightly contains some of the most powerful cards in the game today, and it shakes up what was Beyond Block in a big way.

But for me, the change has instead brought up thoughts of what you might call “New Core”. Officially, it’s unknown where exactly the next set boundary is going to be defined at. It could be between Set 10 and Set 11, and that would make some sense given the current structure of 4-3-3. Or it could come a bit later, if circumstances dictate otherwise. We simply don’t know at the moment. But it seems safe to say that it’s probably coming a lot sooner as a result of this change. The new Block would cause only the second set rotation that this game has ever had, as Equestrian Odysseys, High Magic, and Marks in Time would no longer be legal in the Core Format. It will be a brave new day, rife with experimentation and ready to be conquered anew by whichever deck fights its way to the top.

The most natural thing to do might be to prognosticate about what decks or cards those might be, but instead I want to use this opportunity to talk about a concept that the rotation could demonstrate well: some Manes scale, while some do not. In this case, when I say scaling, what I mean is that the value and viability of some Manes depend on having a diverse set of cards that they can synergize with. The more cards that they have to work with, the better those Manes tend to be. Thus, as sets get added to a format, the Manes get more and more viable over time. With a set rotation coming up, knowing which Manes scale and which ones are static becomes very important.

Scaling is Something All Cards Can Do

All cards can be placed on a continuum between those with values that are mostly static to those with a value that mostly scales based on the size of a certain card pool. The classic example of a scaling card, one that I keep coming back to over and over in this blog, was Eff Stop. Infamously, that card got better and better every set as the pool of Events grew larger and larger. Another great example is Interdimensional Portal, which was just fine when it first came out, but also scaled with Enters the Board triggers, and went on to be the poster child for a whole family of decks in what is now likely its final form.

But I don’t want you to come away with the impression that scaling is something that every good card needs to have built into it. The history of the game is filled with static cards that were just as great. Getting back to the topic of Manes, two of the most prolific ones in the game’s history were both static cards: DJ and Ambassador AJ. While Applejack certainly scaled in a rather literal sense, the fact that she didn’t scale with a larger card pool can be concluded from the observation that her deck didn’t really change as new sets came out. Similarly, while DJ has been used in almost every kind of deck under the sun, we can’t point to a card pool that made her better as it grew. Every deck that’s included her has done it for the same reason: exhaust to draw is really good.

So, with the set rotation probably just around the corner, identifying which Manes in the new Defenders Block mostly scale and which are mostly static carries with it some interesting information. This is because the scaling ones will probably be hurt when they lose access to three sets worth of card pool, while the static ones have the potential to keep on doing fine. Over the course of the new releases, though, it will be the scaling Manes to watch out for, as each new set offers them another chance to climb the ladder. So, let’s see what the Defenders Block Manes have to offer.

Blue

Rainbow Dash, Wonderbolt -- Static

For the most part I’m not going to say all that much about the static cards, because it’s pretty self-evident why that’s the case. It always comes down to one question: is there a certain type of card that, should we have more of it, this Mane would get better? And with Rainbow here the answer is no. That’s not to say, by the way, that the Mane itself won’t fluctuate in popularity and viability as things change. New cards will impact the kind of decks that Wonderbolt will find itself in, but the card itself will not be seeing its value change.

Captain Celaeno, Swashbuckler -- Scaling

Remember what I said above, that static versus scaling goes on a continuum? To some extent almost all cards scale at least a little bit, in that you can usually name a card type that will help them out. For example, even Rainbow up above will scale based on Starting Problems that are easy to confront because that will make her early game easier. But I don’t find that particularly worth mentioning because it’s not a huge part of what makes the card tick. Celaeno is mostly the same, except for the fact that her whole viability right now rests on ways to flip her back to Start, and the existence of that pool will impact her a lot.

Gallus, Full of Surprises -- Scaling

Triggers are a fine place to start if you’re looking for cards that scale. A trigger necessarily scales with cards that can trigger it, and Gallus is no different. The size of the pool of Hasty Friends and Immediate-speed Events that he can draw on directly impact the value that this Mane can bring to the table.

Orange

Applejack, Tooled Up -- Static

While here we have an activated ability that can only come up in certain circumstances, I wouldn’t really say that Applejack scales based on the number of cards that can create those circumstances. The ability to start lots of faceoffs might make sure that you can use AJ’s ability every turn, but unless those faceoffs are important they probably won’t get you much.

Grubber, Royal Announcer -- Static

I can save some time here by saying that the Seaquestria Manes are by and large static purely by design. Each of them is predicated on the idea of getting a big effect once, and maybe once or twice more over the course of the game. There aren’t usually that many conditions or interactions necessary to get there. It’s true that this Mane recently got a big boost thanks to Fume, but a one-card interaction is a combo, not a scaling effect. We would literally need more Fumes for this card to scale on anything.

Smolder, Culture Shock -- Scaling

Smolder I’m willing to throw into the scaling category because hand attack is a real thing, and the fewer cards your opponent has in hand, the more her ability is going to hurt. Thus, like all scaling Manes, in New Core Smolder is going to care a lot about whether her hand attack cards from the old Block get replaced.

Pink

Pinkie Pie, Cruise Director -- Static Princess Skystar, Out of Her Shell -- Static Silverstream, Everything’s New! -- Static

We can actually make some interesting points by considering all of these cards together. Firstly that, as I mentioned above, being static versus being scaling isn’t a judgement about whether a card is good or bad. Within this list we have one Mane that’s great, one that’s terrible, and one that’s merely on the good side of average. And neither of those stands to change much as new cards get added, which is unfortunate for Pinkie, I suppose. Silverstream’s decks could stand to benefit a lot though, which goes to show that just because a Mane doesn’t scale doesn’t mean that it’s consigned to its initial spot in history. But even so, expect that if Silverstream does break into the really big time, she’ll still be doing the same thing that she is now. Because her value to her deck is not going to change.

Purple

Princess Twilight Sparkle, Professor Sparkle -- Scaling

Twilight lives and dies by her AT supply, so I couldn’t honestly say that she isn’t going to scale up and down as time goes on. If more sources of AT keep getting added to the game, then naturally Twilight is going to benefit from them.

Tempest Shadow, Storm Commander -- Scaling

Tempest is in a really strange position on here, because while purely based on design we can say that Tempest absolutely should scale, I can also say with a lot of confidence that she’s not going to scale. Tempest’s early game is almost certain to always look the same, and she scales based on how much value she can get out of her Troublemaker. Yet as we probably all suspect, Tempest and Grubber are going to be joined together at the hip until they both rotate out together. And honestly I think that’s a bit of a shame, because this card could have been really cool if the choice of which Troublemaker to pair with it had ever been a difficult one.

White

Rarity, Fashion Mogul -- Static

For some of these cards there isn’t all that much to say, and unfortunately for Rarity she’s one of them. To some extent, it’s possible that some of these static cards actually do scale, and it’s just that no one’s figured out how yet. But from a straightforward analysis it’s tough to see what sort of interaction this card is going to leverage if it’s going to get ahead. If there’s one thing we’ve learned, after all, it’s that there’s no accounting for what the opponent is going to do.

Capper Dapperpaws, Charmer -- Scaling

Capper better hope that there’s some scaling up in his future. For this Mane the math is pretty simple. As things currently stand about 58% of the cards in Core have even Power, and if that ratio keeps up this Mane’s absolute power is going to be related to the number of cards available on a fairly linear relationship. Yet there’s plenty of room above his current position, so I guess there’s gotta be hope, right?

Ocellus, Knowledge is Power -- Scaling

Ocellus is actually the Mane which inspired me to write this article in the first place, because while she’s not in a particularly great spot in the current Core metagame, this card scales hard. All it needs is cards that have higher Power than Cost, and nearly every set has some of that. It’s one of the reasons why I’ll always have this card in the back of my mind for New Core. It’s likely to get shellacked a bit on the rotation, but something tells me that a few Sets on Ocellus will certainly have her day.

Yellow

Fluttershy, Nurturing Nature -- Scaling

The fact that Fluttershy scales is actually kind of scary. You wouldn’t necessarily know it by lookingat what she’s been up to lately in constructed Core play. To some extent that’s because her pool of scaling cards is huge: there are Problems that are easy to confront and also cards that work to make her more powerful. Both of them are Yellow mainstays, so it seems safe to say that even if Fluttershy gets whacked a little by the rotation, she’ll be back with a vengeance soon enough, and it won’t be long before she’s all of the way back on the top.

Thorax, The Changed Changeling -- Scaling

Unlike Ambassador Applejack, Thorax is a great example of a card that scales both literally and figuratively. Like Fluttershy above, Thorax has a really large pool of cards to work with, just any card with printed Power of two or less will do. That pool is unavoidably going to grow larger as new sets get released, and isn’t likely to get reduced too far even after the rotation. Interestingly enough, Thorax doesn’t have a particularly high static value. His power comes almost entirely from synergizing with his scaling cards. But the vastness of that pool seems likely to turn him into a formidable force in New Core.

Queen Novo, Sea Sovereign -- Static

And unfortunately, we end off this list with something of an anticlimax. Novo really is more of the same Seaquestria territory trodden over again. It’s true that to some extent she’ll scale based on ‘on-move’ triggers, as those will make her flipping over into a much more impactful event. Already we’ve seen based on Beyond Block that flipping her early wasn’t a necessary course for a good game strategy. Yet I wouldn’t say that this modification will be enough to fundamentally change her value to the decks that might want to use her.

Conclusion

As I said at the top of the article, it’s still a mystery as to when exactly New Core is going to arrive. It could come as early as Set 11, or at the latest probably after Set 12. I can’t imagine it possibly lasting longer than that. Once that comes around, everything that we thought we knew about Core is going to change. Hopefully, by looking at this list and by how things develop with the new set, it will be easier for you to identify the dark horses, the Manes that might not stand out right away, but will surely gain in power and viability as the new rotation moves on.

[queenmidnightsparkle-moved]

movie moments analysis for Twilight: comparing to my Midnight

;; ok here’s what I loved about the movie and what it did with Twilight and why it fits my headcanon for Twilight becoming like my portrayal of Queen Midnight UNDER extreme pressure.

1. Twilight never wants to let anyone down. At the beginning of the movie she mentions in the song being Princess means never letting anyone down. 

2. This meant, yes, bending the rules and even-- god forbid-- stealing. While this might seem morally wrong, it was for the greater good. To save her people. Even Skystar admits she can see why Twilight would do something like that.

3. Despite being the Princess of Friendship her faith in it isn’t unshakable. She didn’t believe that the Seaponies were going to give the pearl to them for free. Later in anger she even says something horrible to Pinkie. Nor is she a perfect friend (NOBODY IS, in her defense). 

These are things that I love and saw in the character throughout the show. A moral compromising for the greater good, less than perfect faith in her own ideals, and the first and most important point, the pressure to never let anyone down.

These three things led Twilight to become Midnight in my AU. She couldn’t let the world down. She bent her moral compass majorly to fight the apocalypse. And she knew that the power of friendship and harmony were not going to work. Becoming Midnight is a new character that highlights these traits more closely and I find that interesting.

[saojip13]

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[bonefall]

BGA fumbled Gray Wing so hard but can we please talk about how they said people hated Clear Sky bc " he's a villain " ( unless I'm misremembering they said that a lot ) like they're right in a very generalized way but come on. Also I noticed a lot of Crow cope but maybe that's just their humor going over my head ( also how tf are they gonna say " yup Tom is a monster " but then go " they hate him bc he's morally gray/a villain " )

Listen... BGA is far from a "bad" WCtuber, and she's not the only one to have this problem, but that video did have that same vibe that most Please-Read-DOTCers have where it feels like they haven't actually critically engaged with the arc they read.

like. i promise you that nothing about Gray Wing smugly watching a domestic abuse victim get dragged back to a wifebeater because it "serves her right" for taking his Plan B Love Interest away from him for 6 months is treated as "morally gray" by this story. Bumble is in fact ultimately blamed by both him and the narrative for getting killed by his shitty brother, because she was a soft, fat woman.

RE: Skinwretch's post:

And speaking of the shitty brother (the one whose victims are exclusively women, children, and his god-given doctor).

While it is true that there was a general trend in her poll to put villains low on the list (which makes it hard to tell if they're actually hated or just fulfilling their role as villains), it's a little disappointing she didn't try to interrogate why Clear Sky was right next to Bramblestar. Of all the villains, why was this one so low?

Especially when she managed to note;

Barely anyone actually read DOTC, and yet, Skystar still ranked second place

He's the only villain to get a ""redemption arc"" and that makes the back half of DOTC dissonant

Star Flower's romance with him was, in her own words, "weird."

She's got the dots. The video was kind of agonizing because she didn't connect them.

I WILL say though that we need to put the term "morally gray" up on the Big Kid shelf until everyone like her stops saying that liking Breezepelt is "excusing his actions" while also implying that encouraging your son to direct hatespeech at your ex and doing mental and physical child abuse is actually very nuanced if your girlfriend died.

If that was just part of her humor I don't know her well enough to "get," that's fair enough. Still, it rubs me the wrong way because that's a genuine stance I encounter a lot in this fandom.

DISCLAIMER: I don't know BGA or her stances enough to have opinions about her, all of these gripes are generally aimed at wider fandom trends.

[bonefall]

i like to think that clear sky delusioned himself with the “he does this because he loves you”. like he’s a fucking asshole but he genuinely believes that what he’s doing is correct and thus, from his point of view he thinks he’s doing everyone a favour.

he believes what he’s doing is correct / best thus giving himself the justification of having the right to make it happen by any means necessary

clear sky has bad intentions and actions. however, he believes he’s correct and just. and when he believes that his his actions are correct he assumed his intentions are good as well.

am i making sense here or?

You are, that's what I'm saying

Clear Sky always thinks he's right. Of course he does. He's absolutely incapable of good self reflection and rationalizes every reactionary choice he makes.

He hurts you and says you deserved it because you hurt him first in some abstract way. He's not "attacking" he's "defending". Everything he does is "for the best" even if that means killing, maiming, assaulting, controlling, or exiling someone.

This character is deeply, deeply insecure. His ego is fragile and he will prevent it from breaking in any way he can. He will say he's "playing the villain for the greater good" as a way of having power over an irrational fear that he will lose control over everything.

And he will hurt you, he will scream at you, and he will control your entire life so that you don't "scare" him.

The sympathy that the Erins give to abusers continues to be profoundly alarming to me. Abusers are insecure, fearful people terrified of not being in control at all times-- that exact trait that they keep using to say he "wasnt so bad" while he was murdering people.

Unlike Bramblestar, Clear Sky has a body count, which continues to grow with every book.

He would be an excellent villain, in a good series Clear Sky would be a fascinating look into the psyche of a dictator, but ultimately they normalize his mindset. They say that BECAUSE he has insecurities similar to abusers, that makes him worth saving, means he was, deep down, "Good All Along."

And that is why I think he is the worst character the series has ever produced.

[bonefall]

And now, part 2!

I really don't like the idea of Skystar not just being the most xenophobic of the Founders, but also refusing to join his clan in exile to maintain power in StarClan? That's… wow. Way to strip all of the character development and intriguing aspects of Skystar's character from him.

Like… half the character development we see about Clear Sky is learning to move past his xenophobia and be more willing to listen to others, to be less stubborn and fearful. I truly can't see him being the most xenophobic of the founders… and, in the end. SkyClan is all that Clear Sky has left in the end. He lost his mate two times over, his eldest son is the leader of ThunderClan and they are not on speaking terms. His brothers are in different clans as well, and while they settle some differences, I don't think it was a perfect ending either. SkyClan is his legacy. It is everything he worked for, everything he sacrificed for. The bloodshed, the pain inflicted, the bonds broken. Everything was for SkyClan.

It just… makes no sense for Skystar to refuse to follow his clan in exile for personal power. Not after all he sacrificed for the clan. And… if anything.

If anything. Skystar would be the leader of the Dark Forest. Star clan's greatest sin, abandoning one of their own. Out for revenge. SkyClan has been revived yes, but it is separate, and its culture has changed so much, is it truly SkyClan anymore? How many cats in StarClan feel no shame over their crimes? How many cats are still in the Dark Forest, due to this decision?

Sure, a Tigerstar v. Firestar fight would be fantastic… but that would still be through violence and battle. What better way than to cap off Firestar's story, by healing old hurts, and bringing peace where there was previously violence? Ending the battle, not by defeating its leader in combat, or through tactical ability. But by reaching out to the other side with compassion and empathy? Truly, what better way is there as a statement against the war culture of the clans?

And what better way for Firestar to save the clans one last time?

See, I don't think that Skystar ever actually developed. I don't think those are traits he ever ended up possessing, and furthermore, the absolute failure of his "redemption" arc is the worst idea that DOTC ever even THOUGHT about doing.

"Interesting" doesn't mean slapping sympathetic traits onto an extremely consistent antagonist. It just ruins good characterization.

-Skystar learned to be less xenophobic

No he didn't. He was nasty to Micah up until his death in Moth Flight's Vision, he was going to kick him out for letting Moth have sap. From a tree. A tree he was already climbing. Sap that he already had, in his mouth. That would save a cat in another clan.

He only let Micah into his Clan at ALL because StarClan TOLD him to, and even then, he was sitting there whining and crying that no OTHER clan had to take in a rogue. Furthermore? He probably wouldn't have even listened to StarClan if HIS kit wasn't sick.

Before his aggressive, selfish, xenophobic actions get Micah killed, he refuses to trust him. He forces him to take Acorn Fur as an apprentice. He's shouting at him all the time, screaming that no one is allowed to leave HIS Clan without permission, throwing his weight around about the borders AGAIN despite all his lessons in DotC...

Oh but maybe THIS time he's Really Learned His Lesson? Absolutely not. He is a xenophobe and he will die one.

And hey, let's not forget how he slashed Moth Flight across the face for telling him he was being an asshole for denying her the sap! Or how he was one of two primary suspects for the murder of Bumble, the battered housewife!

-He learned to listen to others

Clear Sky’s gaze flashed with fury. “That’s easy for you to say. You don’t have to take in a rogue.” Wind Runner’s tail twitched irritably. “You’ve taken in plenty of rogues before, Clear Sky. You just don’t like being told what to do.”

This is constant. This is every scene Skystar is in. Someone saying,

"Clear Sky you should do this very obvious and good thing"

"NO!!! THIS IS MY CLAN AND MY TERRITORY AND YOURE STINKY AND I MAKE THE RULES AND YOU NEED TO LISTEN TO MEEE"

And you know what? HE is the reason Tiny Branch died, and YET, the takeaway he has from that lesson is that it's Wind Runner's fault, because he can never take blame for his own actions.

He got Micah killed. He didn't let Moth Flight finish training the apprentice he foisted on him. He STOPPED Acorn Fur from getting outside help until it was much worse. Then he blames Wind Runner, the ONLY outside force with any influence here, for holding up Moth Flight at the border.

He is categorically incapable of listening to others, or taking responsibility for the consequences of his own actions.

-He sacrificed for his clan

No? He doesn't sacrifice anything, he just loses people because of his horrific, violent personality and then post-hoc justifies it as a sacrifice.

HE abandoned his baby infant son, and rejected all of Thunder's desperate attempts to reconnect with him

HE threw his brother Jagged Peak out of SkyClan for breaking his leg

HE keeps starting fights

HE primarily instigated the battle at Fourtrees and got DOZENS of people killed

It's INSANE that the books tried to bend over in later DotC to say "awww he was just being protective uwu" In WHAT WORLD

IN WHAT

WORLD

DOES A "PROTECTIVE PERSON" KICK THEIR BROTHER OUT INTO THE WILDERNESS FOR BECOMING DISABLED??

-Everything was for SkyClan

My friend, you have it 100% backwards.

SkyClan is for Clear Sky.

Listen. To him, SkyClan is a thing he has made and he owns. LISTEN to his dialogue, CONSTANTLY, "MY clan" "MY territory" "MY kit" "MY cats" Mine mine mine. Everything he does is about him.

Yes, he can be protective at times. Protectiveness is the Dr. Jekyll to Possessiveness' Mr. Hyde. He sure wasn't protective of his disabled brother. Or his medicine cat. Or the safety of SkyClan as an extension of that. The primary trait here at play, for all it is, is absolute, abject selfishness.

And the worst part about the narrative is that it doesn't LET Clear Sky play the villain that he really is. It has this absolutely ridiculous "ohh he's a good boy deep down!" mindset which is absolutely undeserved

He's Ashfur on steroids, fire scenes every other book meanwhile "his only crime is that he loved too much," only there isn't 10 years worth of fandom condemnation yet to make the Erins backtrack and acknowledge it.

There is no redemption arc. There can be no redemption arc; because Clear Sky is not the sort of person who would ever want to change.

-So... Bonefall Skystar

Skystar is EXTREMELY respected by Clan Culture. He's THE symbol of War itself, he embodies the idea of the challenge, the might-makes-right. Without Skystar, they wouldn't have been Warriors. They would just be hunters.

First and foremost, he cares about respect. The tradition of the Clans. He's a fearsome spirit, and the exile of SkyClan... the most fitting way to describe the emotion he has would be offense. He's offended by it. But not enough to give up his position as the avatar of combat itself.

Respected spot on the council, more influence here than he ever had in life, he loves it. Why would he ever entertain the idea of the Dark Forest, a place full of power-stripped nobodies? Just for his namesake clan?

Aye, he founded it. And it was the strongest in the forest... for a time. In his day he would have FORCED ThunderClan to move over. He would have lead SkyClan into a furious war the likes of which no one had ever seen, all-out assaults, the leaf litter would have washed away in a torrent of blood! The fact that Cloudstar just rolled over and lead his Clan away, without a fight?

Well... it becomes pretty easy for him to justify it. And for any coward StarClan warrior who follows them. As a warrior, when you want something, you take it.

If anything, he probably threw a life to Ripplestar. Curious to see how much he could tank, how far he could get. Probably even ruled in his favor to bring him into StarClan, but of course, he was easily outvoted... and, he argues again, that if those dead SkyClan cowards hadn't left, well, maybe they could have voted with him.

In any case, you're free to interpret a character however you choose. I do hope my take on him is still appealing in its own way; but I will never entertain the idea that Skystar is any less than the violent, irrational, self-absorbed xenophobe he is in-canon.

[skystardigital]

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[journey2maya]

Narratology: Final draft

Analyse your chosen narrative with close reference to the Hero’s Journey or another appropriate template

For this essay I have chosen to talk about the narrative structure of the 2017 film My Little Pony: The Movie. I will be making a structural analysis with reference to the Quest plot type as described in Cristopher Booker’s The seven basic plots. [Booker, 2005] I will be taking a look at how the animation enriches the narrative through choice of design.

The movie was produced by DHX media in collaboration with AllSpark pictures using Toon Boom Harmony production software [2] which specialises in integrating 3D elements with 2D characters. [3] The film emphasises traditional animation and is supported throughout with modern 3-D solutions. This was a change from the flash-animated TV show and along with this change of animation software there also came a change in art style. To quote Art Director Rebecca Dart; “for the feature film, the characters became more volumetric overall, meaning they have more of a roundness and softness for the 360 degree world of Equestria and beyond that we created for the movie.” [Dart, 2017, pg 22] This extract from the ‘art of’ book shows a comparison of the two styles.As shown In figure. 1.

Figure. 1 [Dart et al, 2017 pg 20]

These small changes really make the difference. They allow the characters to feel more emotion and convey more emotion. This movie can be identified as a quest type narrative. to paraphrase Booker; in any quest story there is always a priceless goal which drives the hero’s passion to succeed. The hero and some companions must embark on a perilous journey filled with monsters, temptation and helpers, to reach their goal. The story is unresolved until the overriding objective has been secured.[Booker 2004 pg 69]

The plot of the movie is as follows; Twilight Sparkle, Applejack, Rainbow Dash, Pinkie Pie, Fluttershy and Rarity embark on an epic journey to save Equestria from the tyranny of the Storm King. Along the way, the Mane 6 meet new friends and face challenges as they travel beyond Equestria for the first time ever. At the start of the film we get introductions to our characters, including spike, to show a little of their personality. This is important because it makes the characters seem more real. They’re not just an accessory to Twilight's adventure, they’re individuals and they’re part of it in a big way.  Twilight Sparkle, the unofficial leader of the friend group, is being true to character and is worried that the festival won’t be perfect. As the Princess Of Friendship the pressure is all on her to make sure that everypony has a good time at the friendship festival.  Twilight’s friends rally around her in an attempt to reassure her that everything will be fine in the form of the song We Got This Together.

This song highlights the mane six’s teamwork and interpersonal relationship as strong. This Song also carries heavy foreshadowing as it implies that everything is certainty not going to go to plan. With dark clouds suddenly appearing, without any influence from the weather ponies, we are introduced to our first antagonist, Tempest Shadow. A jaded unicorn motivated by anger and a wish to be whole again. Her primary objective is to deliver the four princesses to the Storm King so he can siphon their magic using the Staff of Sucannas. Tempest doesn’t fit into this candy-coloured pastel world where friendship is the most powerful thing and her design is reflective of that. Her coat and mane are darker than that of the mane six making her different to the characters we know and trust.

The ponies refuse to surrender so Tempest turns the 3 princesses into obsidian statues, as shown in figure.2 and figure.3, forcing the mane six make a daring escape over one of the waterfalls that make up Canterlots’ architecture. Unequivocally this is what Booker refers to as the call [Booker, 2005 pg 70] Tempest's arrival and disruption is the reason why the mane six must embark on the quest. The Friendship Festival has gone terribly wrong and the stakes are high. Twilight and her friends have to make this journey to set things right. As said in ‘The Seven Basic Plots’, “surrounded by an atmosphere of menace and construction, the Quest hero and her friends feel under intense compulsion to get away.” [Booker 2005, pg 71]  This is exactly what has happened to the mane six and we now have a definite goal which is to save Equestria from the Storm King and Tempest Shadow.

Figure 2. [5]

Figure 3. [5]

Because this is a quest narrative, Twilight is accompanied by her friends who each have their own virtues and abilities that contribute to the success of the adventure. Or to the detriment. Pinkie pie is a particularly important part of Twilights company as she represents one of the 4 basic forms that a hero’s companion should be. A subtle alter-ego whose role is to serve as a foil, displaying qualities of the opposite of those shown by the hero.[Booker 2005 pg 72] for example in the ‘Epic Of Gilgamesh’ whenever Gilgamesh displays assets of courage and confidence it is Enkidu, his brother, who expresses fear and doubt. [Unknown, C.1800 BC tablet 2] In the MLP Movie when Twilight shows concern and worry, Pinkie Pie is only concerned about how much fun can be had and she derails the situation with her silly antics.

Booker notes that there should be a distinct challenge that the hero must face. For Twilight it’s  a temptation. The Mane six find themselves in Seaquestria, the underwater world that the hippogriffs were forced to inhabit to hide from the Storm King. The Queen of the hippogriffs used a magic pearl to turn her subjects into sea ponies. Twilight begs for the pearl as she believes it is the key to defeating the Storm King. Novo refuses to give her it. The mane six go to leave but notice that Skystar is sad because she’s never really had friends before . Twilight, surprisingly, encourages Pinkie pie to cheer her up with a song. When the song is finished we find out that this was just a ploy so everyone would be distracted whilst twilight tries to steal the pearl. (As shown in figure.4)

Figure.4 [5]

This leads to The mane six’s forced exit from seaquestria and more importantly Twilights downfall. Because Pinkie Pie was able to cram a lifetime of fun into one song the hippogriffs were going to give them the pearl as a thank you. Twilights lack of faith in her friends causes a big argument between her and Pinkie Pie which leaves twilight sitting alone on a greyscale beach. This makes her look even more isolated and alone as she is the only colourful thing in the scene. She is captured by Tempest who has been on the group's tail since the start. Tempest shares her backstory with Twilight. This gives us an insight into tempests motivation and creates a vulnerability in her. and she is taken back to Canterlot where we finally see the Storm King in full glory as he is able to steal the magic from all four princesses, channelling it through the Staff of Succannas, becoming omnipotent in the process. The Storm King casts Tempest aside, refusing to restore her horn as he had promised he would.

This is part the final ordeal Where the heroes come to the edge of their great goal [Booker 2004 pg 78] Twilight’s friends engage in an epic battle against the storm creatures with the help of Skystar and others. Near the end of the battle the staff creates a wretched Storm that takes Twilight, the Storm King and the staff away. This is the part in the story where our hero has her last “thrilling escape from death” [Booker 2005 pg 83] and returns with the staff to settle the skies. It is revealed the Storm King also survived the storm. And just when it seems like he has the upper hand and is about to turn the mane six into obsidian statues. Tempest jumps in to save them, reforming  herself and pushing the Storm King over the edge of the balcony so he smashes to pieces.

To conclude; The mane six’s ordinary world is disrupted so they are forced on a journey to save it. The journey is fraught with in-known lands and temptation. Our hero is at one point on the edge of failure but in the end was able to overcome the threat that hung over them before. This is what makes this movie a quest narrative. The movie fits this narrative well and wouldn’t be as effective as it is had it been told with the template of hero’s journey or voyage and return in mind. Twilight doesn’t refuse the call and she is not alone on her quest so these two templates just wouldn’t work with the story and with this movie it’s more about expanding the world of Equestria and beyond and it’s focused more on the journey not the pony taking it as the other two templates would be.

Bibliography

[1] - Booker, C (2005) The Seven Basic Plots: Why We Tell Stories, continuum

[2]- My Little Pony: The Movie (2027 film) available at: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/My_Little_Pony:_The_Movie_(2017_film)

[3]- Toon Boom Harmony animation production software available at:

https://www.toonboom.com/products/harmony

[4]- Hasbro. Dart, R,et al (2017) The Art Of My Little Pony The Movie, VIZ Media LLC

[5]- My Little Pony: The Movie (2017) Directed by Jayson Thiessen [DVD] United States, AllSpark Pictures

[6]- Unknown. (C.1800 BC) The Epic Of Gilgamesh, Ancient Mesopotamia, self published  Clay tablet. Pdf available at:

https://uruk-warka.dk/Gilgamish/The%20Epic%20of%20Gilgamesh.pdf

I actually wasn’t expecting this draft to be the final one. I do think this is an improvement though. I got the word count down to 1,509, just by cutting out some necessary dribble that I realized wasn’t needed. 

[robin-the-blind-sniper-rifle]

I one hundred percent agree with this. As someone who’s currently rereading Dawn of the Clans for a critical theory project, Clear Sky has never not been a horrible person to me.

I’m not saying he’s horribly written, I’m saying he’s an absolute menace of an individual.

It made me extremely angry the way he’s written after The First Battle, and specifically during A Divided Forest. Suddenly they’re trying to portray him as someone who’s so self-sacrificing that he would give up anything for the cats he cares about.

You know who ACTUALLY does that? Gray Wing. Also by extension Thunder, who, guess what, was raised by Gray Wing and not his actual father CLEAR SKY.

Despite him “wanting” to follow Fluttering Bird’s instructions in A Forest Divided, even though he misinterpreted it, him “wanting” to do that STILL involves him controlling everyone in some way. For StarClan’s sake he couldn’t even let Thunder walk through his territory for five seconds without bossing him around.

If anyone has also read Leopardstar’s Honor, you see how Tigerstar very much isolates Leopardstar from any kind of joint leadership in TigerClan, and eventually leading to her making zero decisions for either his clan or hers. She’s meant to stay quiet with no criticism of Tigerstar while simultaneously doing what he says.

That is EXACTLY what Clear Sky expected of Thunder and Thunder wasn’t having it. He expected it of everyone and other than those who stayed in SkyClan, no one else was having it either.

Also, if you look At Squirrelflight’s Hope it’s confirmed that Moth Flight created the “medicine cats cannot take a mate or kits” rule of the medicine cat code. I’m about ninety nine percent sure that if Clear Sky hadn’t pulled his shit with Micah, this law wouldn’t exist and at least the Yellowfang situation wouldn’t have gone as horribly as it did.

In short, I don’t like Clear Sky.

And now, part 2!

I really don't like the idea of Skystar not just being the most xenophobic of the Founders, but also refusing to join his clan in exile to maintain power in StarClan? That's… wow. Way to strip all of the character development and intriguing aspects of Skystar's character from him.

Like… half the character development we see about Clear Sky is learning to move past his xenophobia and be more willing to listen to others, to be less stubborn and fearful. I truly can't see him being the most xenophobic of the founders… and, in the end. SkyClan is all that Clear Sky has left in the end. He lost his mate two times over, his eldest son is the leader of ThunderClan and they are not on speaking terms. His brothers are in different clans as well, and while they settle some differences, I don't think it was a perfect ending either. SkyClan is his legacy. It is everything he worked for, everything he sacrificed for. The bloodshed, the pain inflicted, the bonds broken. Everything was for SkyClan.

It just… makes no sense for Skystar to refuse to follow his clan in exile for personal power. Not after all he sacrificed for the clan. And… if anything.

If anything. Skystar would be the leader of the Dark Forest. Star clan's greatest sin, abandoning one of their own. Out for revenge. SkyClan has been revived yes, but it is separate, and its culture has changed so much, is it truly SkyClan anymore? How many cats in StarClan feel no shame over their crimes? How many cats are still in the Dark Forest, due to this decision?

Sure, a Tigerstar v. Firestar fight would be fantastic… but that would still be through violence and battle. What better way than to cap off Firestar's story, by healing old hurts, and bringing peace where there was previously violence? Ending the battle, not by defeating its leader in combat, or through tactical ability. But by reaching out to the other side with compassion and empathy? Truly, what better way is there as a statement against the war culture of the clans?

And what better way for Firestar to save the clans one last time?

See, I don't think that Skystar ever actually developed. I don't think those are traits he ever ended up possessing, and furthermore, the absolute failure of his "redemption" arc is the worst idea that DOTC ever even THOUGHT about doing.

"Interesting" doesn't mean slapping sympathetic traits onto an extremely consistent antagonist. It just ruins good characterization.

-Skystar learned to be less xenophobic

No he didn't. He was nasty to Micah up until his death in Moth Flight's Vision, he was going to kick him out for letting Moth have sap. From a tree. A tree he was already climbing. Sap that he already had, in his mouth. That would save a cat in another clan.

He only let Micah into his Clan at ALL because StarClan TOLD him to, and even then, he was sitting there whining and crying that no OTHER clan had to take in a rogue. Furthermore? He probably wouldn't have even listened to StarClan if HIS kit wasn't sick.

Before his aggressive, selfish, xenophobic actions get Micah killed, he refuses to trust him. He forces him to take Acorn Fur as an apprentice. He's shouting at him all the time, screaming that no one is allowed to leave HIS Clan without permission, throwing his weight around about the borders AGAIN despite all his lessons in DotC...

Oh but maybe THIS time he's Really Learned His Lesson? Absolutely not. He is a xenophobe and he will die one.

And hey, let's not forget how he slashed Moth Flight across the face for telling him he was being an asshole for denying her the sap! Or how he was one of two primary suspects for the murder of Bumble, the battered housewife!

-He learned to listen to others

Clear Sky’s gaze flashed with fury. “That’s easy for you to say. You don’t have to take in a rogue.” Wind Runner’s tail twitched irritably. “You’ve taken in plenty of rogues before, Clear Sky. You just don’t like being told what to do.”

This is constant. This is every scene Skystar is in. Someone saying,

"Clear Sky you should do this very obvious and good thing"

"NO!!! THIS IS MY CLAN AND MY TERRITORY AND YOURE STINKY AND I MAKE THE RULES AND YOU NEED TO LISTEN TO MEEE"

And you know what? HE is the reason Tiny Branch died, and YET, the takeaway he has from that lesson is that it's Wind Runner's fault, because he can never take blame for his own actions.

He got Micah killed. He didn't let Moth Flight finish training the apprentice he foisted on him. He STOPPED Acorn Fur from getting outside help until it was much worse. Then he blames Wind Runner, the ONLY outside force with any influence here, for holding up Moth Flight at the border.

He is categorically incapable of listening to others, or taking responsibility for the consequences of his own actions.

-He sacrificed for his clan

No? He doesn't sacrifice anything, he just loses people because of his horrific, violent personality and then post-hoc justifies it as a sacrifice.

HE abandoned his baby infant son, and rejected all of Thunder's desperate attempts to reconnect with him

HE threw his brother Jagged Peak out of SkyClan for breaking his leg

HE keeps starting fights

HE primarily instigated the battle at Fourtrees and got DOZENS of people killed

It's INSANE that the books tried to bend over in later DotC to say "awww he was just being protective uwu" In WHAT WORLD

IN WHAT

WORLD

DOES A "PROTECTIVE PERSON" KICK THEIR BROTHER OUT INTO THE WILDERNESS FOR BECOMING DISABLED??

-Everything was for SkyClan

My friend, you have it 100% backwards.

SkyClan is for Clear Sky.

Listen. To him, SkyClan is a thing he has made and he owns. LISTEN to his dialogue, CONSTANTLY, "MY clan" "MY territory" "MY kit" "MY cats" Mine mine mine. Everything he does is about him.

Yes, he can be protective at times. Protectiveness is the Dr. Jekyll to Possessiveness' Mr. Hyde. He sure wasn't protective of his disabled brother. Or his medicine cat. Or the safety of SkyClan as an extension of that. The primary trait here at play, for all it is, is absolute, abject selfishness.

And the worst part about the narrative is that it doesn't LET Clear Sky play the villain that he really is. It has this absolutely ridiculous "ohh he's a good boy deep down!" mindset which is absolutely undeserved

He's Ashfur on steroids, fire scenes every other book meanwhile "his only crime is that he loved too much," only there isn't 10 years worth of fandom condemnation yet to make the Erins backtrack and acknowledge it.

There is no redemption arc. There can be no redemption arc; because Clear Sky is not the sort of person who would ever want to change.

-So... Bonefall Skystar

Skystar is EXTREMELY respected by Clan Culture. He's THE symbol of War itself, he embodies the idea of the challenge, the might-makes-right. Without Skystar, they wouldn't have been Warriors. They would just be hunters.

First and foremost, he cares about respect. The tradition of the Clans. He's a fearsome spirit, and the exile of SkyClan... the most fitting way to describe the emotion he has would be offense. He's offended by it. But not enough to give up his position as the avatar of combat itself.

Respected spot on the council, more influence here than he ever had in life, he loves it. Why would he ever entertain the idea of the Dark Forest, a place full of power-stripped nobodies? Just for his namesake clan?

Aye, he founded it. And it was the strongest in the forest... for a time. In his day he would have FORCED ThunderClan to move over. He would have lead SkyClan into a furious war the likes of which no one had ever seen, all-out assaults, the leaf litter would have washed away in a torrent of blood! The fact that Cloudstar just rolled over and lead his Clan away, without a fight?

Well... it becomes pretty easy for him to justify it. And for any coward StarClan warrior who follows them. As a warrior, when you want something, you take it.

If anything, he probably threw a life to Ripplestar. Curious to see how much he could tank, how far he could get. Probably even ruled in his favor to bring him into StarClan, but of course, he was easily outvoted... and, he argues again, that if those dead SkyClan cowards hadn't left, well, maybe they could have voted with him.

In any case, you're free to interpret a character however you choose. I do hope my take on him is still appealing in its own way; but I will never entertain the idea that Skystar is any less than the violent, irrational, self-absorbed xenophobe he is in-canon.