Don't get me wrong, there's something fascinating about seeing the way a creator's mind works, and seeing King's vision for some of his stories is kind of...mental?
You can almost tell when the cocaine was kicking in and not kicking in, let me tell ya.
I wonder if it was around the time the confetti started raining, or the bushes began to move.
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The 100th Issue of Friendship is Magic...
Team Rainbow Dash has made it to Ornithia, Captain Celaeno's hometown and Bird Kingdom. Ignoring the class system, Celaeno's family worked for the Royal Family, so she lived up high. And they came at a perfect time: there's a wedding happening and Rainbow Dash is excited. The last wedding she attended had a Changeling invasion and the other groups found hidden temples, so that's basically a formula for excitement.
Too bad for Dash apparently the Tree of Harmony was already discovered and mastered. Most of it. So far it is more friendly since Celaeno knows these guys so well they're practically family. Even the King and Queen are friendly to her. Especially Ocypete who according to Prince Aello they were like Sisters. It's a shame she's marrying Prince Huginn of the Western Ravens. He doesn't seem as friendly as the other bird royalty. And our two Spy Couples think something is up with him.
So Ocypete explains to the group about their Tree of Harmony called the Tree of Love. According to her, while the Elements of Harmony is a General term, the Trees represent a specific type of deep connection. Theirs is love, which is why each bearer is married. Also explains the sister thing with the dogs. Not Zecora's or Capper's though since that focused on friendship like the ponies. She explains it as Love, Family, History, Purpose, and Patriotism. Those sound so dumb. Love and Family makes sense, but History?
How does having the same history make your bond strong? There are stories about overcoming your history and being better than the past. How does having the same purpose make your bond strong? People can have the same purpose but different ways of doing it to the point that you may question that purpose. How does having patriotism make your bond strong? In fact, that leads to more conflict than anything. Let's not forget like Purpose, people can take things to extremes you question said patriotism.
And here's where the Knights of Harmony finally get introduced. Ocypete explains they were the ones who built the temples and taught each realm how to use the elements. Their home was Cunabula, a place of eternal peace and love. The outside world was in chaos and they wanted to help others find their own Elements of Harmony. They "never sought to rule other lands". They were looking for a 6th bond by the time the story focused on the Birds.
They had lights to show each connection, but as each one got shut off the Queen at the time worried about an attack. So they hid their city waiting for an attack that never came. There was only one light that kept shining and that was the Knights of Harmony. So when the lights were coming back, the Birds wanted to activate their own Elements. Thus the fast forward to have three couples being the element bearers. We got the King and Queen, the Prince and his wife, all that remains is the Princess. She needs to be in love, so she is getting married.
I'm a single person, so I wouldn't know, but getting married should be something you do AFTER you fall in love. And Celaeno seems to agree. As the two birds talk in private, Dash and Spitfire go investigating the carvings. We go back to Lyra and Bon Bon who are spying on the fiance. Bon bon being the better of the two. The bird talking didn't work out and our Spies got found out.
And here is where things start going faster. We basically get confirmation that Celaeno and Ocypete are in love (which I do support, it's like a Pirate Aladdin/Jasmine thing going) even with the reveal her father gave our bird a ship as long as she didn't take his bird. And as Ocypete leaves, Celaeno gets hit and captured. Which leaves Dash and Spitfire who also get captured.
When we see them, they're on Celaeno's ship and are about to crash. Celaeno saved them just in time but her ship is gone. With everyone safe and regrouped, they figured out the plan: the wedding is to ensure the Elements NEVER get activated since Ocypete is marrying someone she hates. So they got a wedding to crash and thanks to Rainbow Dash Celaeno arrives just in time to object to this union. And during a fight with the Raven, it is revealed Celaeno is the 6th bearer, thus confirming the two birds are in love.
With the Raven defeated, he reveals the reason he did this: to save the Kingdom from being Destroyed. Cue big splash page of Ceridwen explaining who she is, what their plan is and her attempt to destroy the kingdom. We don't see the resolution since Dash has to Rush to Equestria/Canterlot to warn Twilight of the Knights of Harmony. Back with Twilight, alongside Starswirl and other smart ponies try to figure out where these temples came from but find nothing.
That's when Rainbow Dash comes crashing in with a warning the Knights of Harmony are coming. And this is their 100th issue, a lot crammed into one comic to rush to the finale. For the good, honestly I do like Celaeno and Ocypete’s story. They were the two focus of this story so they get to do a lot of talking about their relationship. While I would have liked a flashback or two, it still shows more character to the one who does need it.
If this was split into two or three issues, I think it would benefit more. But now the thing I am not a fan of: the world building. Between this and their story, this is all the information we get about the Knights of Harmony and it's only their side of the story. With how they act and how they categorize the Elements they aren’t as beneficial as they’re selling themselves to be. They want control and anyone not following their way is a threat.
It's why during the rewrites I made sure to include the Knights so they can be introduced sooner. To build up to their confrontation. And this issue does show how well that could have worked. Again, if it wasn’t crammed into one issue it would have been a good build up. As for the rewrite, honestly I think most of this story could be kept. Just change the Elements of Love to some other Love Based McGuffin and boom.
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I think they did a pretty good job with the trailer though.
If they wanted to get you excited for the series they succeeded. The only complain I have is, funnily enough, the look of the nukes which is really feeble-looking and bland. Nukes have a much wider area of effect, and are way bigger than what the trailer shows. I think they're not changing that, so that might as well be a negative point on the show right away.
But hey, everything else seems alright. Who knows, it might end up being better than Rings of Power. Amazon's gotta cover the hole that total mess left in its wake.
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