The Number Of Times I Got Killed By A Croissant.

[rionaleonhart]

Another My Little Pony: Equestria Girls film came out when I wasn't looking! I came across it when scrolling through Netflix, crowed with laughter, and then (inevitably) watched it.

Legend of Everfree pretty decisively sank Twilight Sparkle/Flash Sentry, which I'm sad about, because I'm the only person on the planet who genuinely enjoyed that romance subplot. Their interactions were really cute!

Also, I'm fascinated by the potential dynamic between Flash Sentry and always-a-human Twilight Sparkle.

For those who haven't seen the Equestria Girls films, i.e. most sensible people: there's 'our' Twilight Sparkle, the pony, who takes human form when she crosses to the Equestria Girls parallel universe, but there's also human Twilight Sparkle, Twilight's counterpart in that parallel universe. So there are two Twilight Sparkles, and the one Flash Sentry first met was the pony one (although he didn't know she was usually a pony at the time). Pony Twilight Sparkle, the one Flash knew (and had an oddly cute semi-romantic dynamic with, bearing in mind that he is a teenage boy and SHE IS A PONY) has now returned to her dimension; Human Twilight Sparkle has recently appeared on the scene.

Early in Legend of Everfree, we get this scene between Flash Sentry and Human Twilight Sparkle:

Flash Sentry: (hands Twilight her backpack) Here you go, Twilight.
Twilight Sparkle: Thanks. It's... Flash, right?
Flash Sentry: Yup, that's me! (remembers that this... isn't actually the Twilight Sparkle he knows, crap) And you're you. And... we don't know each other very well. (turns away and mutters to himself) Cool story, bro.
Twilight Sparkle: Right. I guess I'll... see you around.
(Flash leaves. Twilight looks helplessly at Sunset for an explanation.)
Sunset Shimmer: You know how there's that girl who looks just like you when she's here, but lives in another dimension, and she's a pony princess?
Twilight Sparkle: Uh-huh.
Sunset Shimmer: Flash kind of had a thing for her.
Twilight Sparkle: Oh.

The stranger the relationship dynamic, the more a pairing tends to appeal to me, and I already thought Twilight Sparkle/Flash Sentry was pretty cute. How could I resist the added weirdness of pairing Flash Sentry up with a different version of Twilight Sparkle when he still had feelings for the first version?

But then Human Twilight Sparkle went off and got a crush on SOME ARSEHOLE (I really didn't get along with Timber Spruce), and Flash Sentry was advised to get over the girl who is separated from him by dimensional barriers and also a pony, and I was deeply disappointed. I wanted weird, slightly unhealthy romance built on a foundation of 'I have a crush on an alternate-universe version of you'! Yes, all right, perhaps it wouldn't be terribly appropriate for a colourful children's film, but it would be interesting!

There's a part of me that actually wants to write 'I'm pining after your pony counterpart, we should definitely get together, this is a fantastic basis for a relationship' Flash Sentry/Human Twilight Sparkle fanfiction. It would be incredibly regrettable. I will try not to write this, but I can make no promises.

This is the worst entry I've ever made. I'm so sorry.

Comments

[nrgburst]

Nonono, because it gets worse. Flash also seems to be back on a trajectory to get back together with Sunset Shimmer, who has one of the shittiest redemption arcs I've ever seen (as in, it pretty much exists in "being sorry" and acting COMPLETELY DIFFERENT from before).

TBH, Flash Sentry/Human Twilight seems exactly like the premise of one of those "makes more narrative sense than canon" fics.

Such an enabler.

[rionaleonhart]

I had no idea someone on my flist watched these films! I'm glad I'm not alone.

I have a strange fondness for post-redemption Sunset Shimmer (I have a weakness for redemption arcs, even when they're badly done), but you're right; the writing didn't put much work into actually redeeming her.

(I just went, 'Hey, maybe I should check out the Flash Sentry tag on Tumblr.' It whips disconcertingly back and forth between screenshots, cute fanart and horrifying pony porn. Let's not try that again.)

If I actually end up writing this fanfiction, I'm going to blame you.

[nrgburst]

LOL To be fair, I get these movies/TV eps for my kids, so I don't pay attention a lot of the time, but when something is on for the zillionth time, you pick up stuff anyway. XD And I think characterization/narrative arcs aren't exactly a MLP forte, although I do like the songs and quality of the animation. Plus John de Lancie voices Discord! :DDD

One thing that has always bugged me is the initial conflict between Princess Celestia and Princess Luna|Nightmare Moon, and I talk about that with them. Princess Luna felt she got a raw deal, and instead of addressing her concerns, Princess Celestia sentenced her to a thousand years in solitary.

Um, yeah, that doesn't sound right, does it? I'd be a monster too if that was the prize for noticing that my sister got all the sunshine and happiness and productivity and I got a duty that was a literal snore. And yet they get along right after Twilight and Co. defeat her because Celestia forgave Luna. LOL Whut how magnanimous of her. XDDDD

I made the mistake of going into MLP tags on tumblr once too! XDDD I uploaded some pics from us going to the MLP cafe in Tokyo and then looked at the tag and MY EYES MY EYES

[(Anonymous)]

"This is the worst entry I've ever made. I'm so sorry."

I'M JUDGING YOU, RIONA. -judge judge judge-

I actually mentioned you today to a kid at work! (Er, not by name, obviously, that'd be really weird. Just "a friend of mine".) They've been having a tough time of it and have additional needs (and that's all I can really say), but are completely Pokemon obsessed so I mostly contribute by having Pokemon related discussions, and occasionally offering bribes of Pokemon cards for keeping calm. (My Pokemon cards now live in a cupboard at work which I think is slightly hilarious in case I need them on hand. xD) I brought up your penchant for trying to assign Pokemon to every fictional character ever, and they thought it was hilarious and said they'd like to have a go. So maybe one day there will be more Pokemon related manipulations in the world, that is my most recent contribution to Pokemon. :P (You can judge ME now. xD)

-timydamonkey

[rionaleonhart]

I'm so happy to hear this story! Thank you for your good work in the noble cause of inciting Pokémon crossovers.