Journeys in Equestria-Prologue

Appropriately, the sun was shining brightly on the recently expanded Baltimore Convention Center as a long line of people gradually entered the building in good spirits. These people were a shining example of the kind of periphery (unintended) demographic that television programs could have. They were Bronies, fans of a most unusual cartoon intended for little girls called “My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic”.

The show was an example of what cartoons for little girls could be if someone like Lauren Faust and Hasbro CEO Amara “Troubleshooter” Selardi cared enough to make a good product. There were of course other examples, but the show was among the most prominent ones.

“F.i.M” (Friendship is Magic) had finished its fifth season last year, and the 2016 Bronycon convention space was filled with an air of excitement and anxiety. The fans had good reason to feel both. They had reason to feel anxiety for fifth good reasons: Lauren Faust would be stepping down from being the show’s Primary Story-Arc Consultant/Creative Director after the end of the sixth season to work on a new project.

There was some indication that the show’s 7th and last season would be delayed for a year or two due to Tara Strong being unavailable because of a mysterious new project. “F.i.M” had gone in unexpected directions in season five that had left little Bronies divided, the Brony fandom had increased in size over the past two years as many young women (aged 14-24) were increasingly becoming fans of the show the subculture, and a new TV show called “Equestria Girls” that had Bronies freaking out over their favorite equines becoming humans and going to high school.  

However, there were also many causes for Bronies to feel excitement, excitement not seen since the “Revenge of Nightmare Moon” (sixty five minute Halloween-special), “A Canterlot Wedding” (two-part S2 finale), and “A History of Chaos” (S3 two-part finale). A special announcement by Hasbro revealed a shocking surprise: the Japanese/American Company that owned the rights to the G1 MLP characters and concepts had contacted them the year before about a “lost ” G1 show that had aired only in parts of Europe and Asia to considerable success.

There was a new patch for CAPCOM/Mane-6’s licensed game “Fighting is Magic”. The announcement of a two-part Dr. Who/MLP crossover from IDU Comics.  An original MLP audio drama made specifically for the convention, with permission from Hasbro, called “Tales from the Background”. Then there was the fact that the promo for “Equestria Girls” was well-received as it showed H.H.M Celestia and Luna decimate an army of shadow creatures then use a very different version of the Elements of Harmony to decimate the main force of an inter-dimensional invasion.

After the audience had been given ten minutes to calm down, Stephen J. Davis (Pres. of Hasbro Studios) had an announcement to make

At first glance he appeared to be calm but his body was filled with nervous energy, and a slight amount of trepidation as he spoke. “As you know by now, U.S.L Animation came to us last year about a “lost” 2nd G1 “My Little Pony” show. One we thought had never been put into production, save for a pilot episode.

Then they offered to work with us on “Equestria Girls” and because of their storytelling and world building skills we agreed. However, they also have another project, one I think you’ll all enjoy. A new television show will rebuild the lore of MLP in a world with familiar characters and settings, but were everything else is different. In other words, this show is not only a fully licensed remake but it’s also a different franchise/brand, one that shares the same characters, concepts and general setting.

Now before the 3 clips we have are shown, I have a special surprise guest here with me today. Please welcome... Lauren Faust!”

A hush of pure shock fell over the room as a red-haired woman walked out from behind the curtain and moved over to the podium. Once she arrived she waved to the crowd as the silence was broken by a great roar of applause.

After a moment the crowd died down, and after a deep breath Foust spoke.

“When I first created, “Friendship is Magic”, there were many concepts, that for one reason or another, I never used. Often this was because U.S.L Animation owned the rights to the “G1” characters I grew up with… Save for Applejack, and Spike, who are jointly owned by both companies in a special arrangement. Three years ago, U.S.L Animation and Hasbro asked me for my permission and aid in helping them bring those ideas to life. In return they have graciously allowed me to see what could’ve been.”

Faust paused for a moment as a wistful smile appeared on her lips, she then resumed speaking.“The clips you will soon see are, for the most part, what I originally intended when I first conceived of “MLP:FIM”: a stereotype breaking, female-centered, character driven, culturally respective, lore rich, and cosmically uplifting, adventure show. The show portrays a better world, one that may come sooner than we think. The show itself is called “Journeys in Equestria”!

Before the first clip starts I have a question for you. In the very first episode of “My Little Pony Friendship Is Magic” there was a line of dialogue said by Terabithia St. Germain as Nightmare Moon that went “Did you not recall the legend?”

I hope you do, because… It’s a little bit different this time.” As Faust said this her eyes twinkled a bit, and she had an amused look on her face.

The room darkened and the screen above the stage turned on some very familiar music started playing and then a very familiar voice starts talking…

“Thousands of years ago, there lived two powerful sisters who jointly ruled a large principality called Equestria. In order to bring Harmony back to their subject’s lives, the Siblings created a new Stellar-Balance by taking control of a shrunken Sun and an enchanted Moon.

By splitting their most essential tasks in half the two ruled the land in Harmony with one another. One Princess brought forth the day and managed the nation’s foreign affairs. The other brought forth the night and managed the State’s domestic affairs. Using powerful magical objects called the Elements of Harmony; they subdued many threats to their subject’s lives.”

“However, one day their first enemy, Anarchy the Assemblage, returned in a new form... Discord the Night-Mare!”

The Older Sister is sprawled on a cloud with closed eyes and the Younger one weeps. A vaguely equine shape appears and after a quick burst of energy becomes a version of Nightmare Moon covered in armor.

“Their old foe tried to bring eternal night to the entire planet, and so a campaign was waged against the parasite and its mass-produced army.”

Both princesses, each one with a battalion made up of all three kinds of ponies face off against the Night-Mare and two groups of smaller but identical looking versions of the Night-Mare.

“The war ended on the longest day of the year, when the Sisters used the Elements one last time to tearfully banish their enemy to the moon for three-thousand years.”

The ruins of a city surrounding a stone castle are shown, and then the scene quickly switches to a large and damaged throne room as both siblings stare with hate at a rainbow ball of energy that is projected from six stones that surround the two sisters. Their horns are surrounded by the different colored gems as the sisters weep. A beam of rainbow energy strikes the Night-Mare and the rainbow sends the (slowly becoming transparent) mare-like form flying through the air into a hole in the moon.

“When the battle was over, the two sisters found they could no longer see eye to eye. And they went their separate ways. With the blessing of the older sister, the younger founded her own nation. One with its own specialized Elements and team of Veteran Bearers to wield them.”

The picture of the older princess is the same as in the original opening except that the younger sister looks up at her and they smile at each other fondly as the younger sister leaves her older sister’s gaze with a group of dragons, griffins and indistinct figures follow her. The last image in the book as the pictures split between both sisters being in the same pose the older one was previously as their subjects play in the day and night respectively. The night side has several contrasting pieces of technology in the background and the buildings seen are slightly more urban.

“…Harmony has thus been maintained in both countries ever since.”

The scene changes as a small park is shown and a voice that it first sounds like Tara Strong but then changes slightly when the last sentence is heard.

“Hmmm… the Elements of Harmony… Why hasn’t the Queen mentioned them before?”

The pony is shown and to the crowd’s shock it’s not Twilight Sparkle… It’s a unicorn with light pink almost purple fur, a red, purple, and white, red tail with dark purple streaks, and a sideways yellow Crescent Moon with five yellow and purple stars for a Cutie Mark.

A small dragon lying next to hers says, “Well, maybe there wasn’t a need to, and you know how Celestia doesn't like talking about personal stuff. Anyway, I’m glad Celestia sent us this book, and between your narration and the moving-illusion spell on the book’s pictures, that last story was epic!”

The Unicorn smiles, “you’re probably right Spike  and I don’t want to cause the Queen discomfort by bringing up unpleasant memories. The Legend of the Night-Mare was a fascinating tale and its made me curious about a few points so I’ll reread again soon."

“Alright, Moondancer but can we read it again later? I'm starving!”

The clip ends, and the audience’s applause lasts for over a minute

When the audience stops cheering Lauren Faust waits for a moment and then moves on with the next introduction. “The second clip deals with a family relationship it will play a major role in the first five episodes of this series. I would like for the audience to note that the first season of “Journeys in Equestria” is divided into five serials. Each serial will have a single interconnected story-arch, five-episodes long. So even though the plot lines will be somewhat complex. There will still be enough time to do with the main plot and deal with both character development and a deep back story.

Also, the first such story-arch is called "Reunions & Nightmares". And for those of you who like Princess Luna I think you’ll enjoy show as well.”

The second clip plays.

In an unknown location a large white pony with both wings and horn watched the unicorn. She or he was doing so through something that looked like a mirror. A small smile appeared on her lips. The smile vanished from her lips as she said to herself, “phase one is complete, and now comes the hard part. Phase Two” (The room is filled with crumpled pieces of paper with writing on them, and the mare holds up a fresh letter) the pony sits at her writing desk and writes with both great care and the precision and grace of a truly experienced writer.

      A mechanical clock on her desk indicates that three and a half hours have passed. The pony has a look of great relief and pure satisfaction on her face. A glow surrounds the letter as the pony up observes and inspects the letter closely a dozen times. Then she speaks softly and clearly. ”This letter is seven decades in the making, may it find you well dear sister.”

The letter is consumed by a burst of green flame from the mare’s horn as she grunts in slight pain.

A second later in a brightly lit room a lone equine figure sat at a small table. There were many such tables around the room and the pony was staring at a reflective surface, an empty cup on one side of the table. The pony wears a casual outfit covered by a gray cotton cloak. The pony muses on the time a loud “4:30, I have 3 minutes, time to go to a more appropriate and formal setting”.

The pony quickly gets up from its chair and as it does so it removes the gray cotton hood from her head. Her fur is black, her eyes are orange, her hair is purple with green and orange stripes, and her horn is silver gray. She walks quickly to the counter and pays her bill to a Griffin behind a counter with several carved crystals. The Griffin speaks, “thank you for your business, Miss Stardancer.”

The mare replies, “I always enjoy this establishment’s atmosphere, music and professional storytellers. Silver-Rain and Nightsong Trio were in top form at lunchtime”. The mare waves goodbye, quickly leaves the building and teleports the moment she does so. A second later the pony appears in a large room, the room’s walls are covered in odd star charts. The Black-furred mare goes to a chair behind a large silver desk and sat down.

A second later the pony disappeared and was replaced for a split second by a dark-blue ethereal mist covered in points of light, and then the mist is gone. In its place is a very tall, mare with a somewhat muscular build and blue fur… On the top of the desk is a symbol: a sideways crescent moon surrounded by strange looking diamonds.

In a burst of flame and smoke a letter carrying a golden seal, one bearing  a sun that encircles small pictures, of a hoof, a wing, and a horn. The blue mare says “You are punctual as always, my oldest friend. It seems that my other old friend has lost a bet with me.” The dark blue mare holds the letter close to her face with pseudo-telekinetic magic.

             She looks at the seal in puzzlement for a moment and mutters, “Hmmm… There’s something missing from the royal seal… Ah, hah! The three small pictographs have displaced the horseshoe that had more general symbolism. I’ll give it a quick scan just to be safe and then I’ll open the letter.”A beam of green light passes over both the seal and the letter itself, When the "scan" is completed and the mare’s eyes stop glowing green she opens the letter and reads aloud.

“Dear beloved sister. Though we parted on good terms those three thousand years ago; the pain and loss we suffered caused us to say things we did not mean. Then, for years beyond count, we spoke only in letters, and then not at all. The truth is that I miss you and that I realize we work well together, then we do alone when it comes to the welfare of our subjects. We keep each other sane and for the most part our faults are asymmetrical and our virtues likewise.

“The fact of the matter is, I need your help… There are just some things I’m not good at you are far better at anticipating the actions of our enemies and planning accordingly. I am better at planning for multiple preferred outcomes then you are. You are a fighter, I am not. I can prepare my faithful student for our old enemy’s manipulations but not for physical conflict. I am not willing to...Make are sure, that she and her friends are prepared for anything Discord can throw at them.

“I’ve tried my best to forgive you; will you at last forgive me? You’re Faithful Sister, Queen Celestia of Equestria.”

The blue mare smiles softly and thought for several minutes. After choosing her words carefully she wrote three lines on some parchment. “Of course I do Tia.Time to put our differences behind us. We were meant to rule together, big sister. friendship I will gladly help you with your problem, see you soon. You’re loving sister, Queen Selena of Anderlong”

The letter is suspended in mid-air by pseudo-telekinetic magic rolled up and tied up with a Silver ribbon with. There was a seal carved from a ruby, and into the shape of two.the shape of two crescent moons with stars in-between them.

           A burst of green flame was sent from the tip of Queen Selena’s horn.The Green flame whirled around the letter for a second then it vanished with a pop.  Queen Selena gave sigh of relief and then smiles briefly at the thought of her sister receiving the letter and jumping up and down like an adorable filly going,“Yes,yes,yes,yes,yes,yes,yes,yes,yes,yes,yes,yes,yes,yes,yes,yes,yes...”

Selena’s horn then glows with a soft silver light. She then speaks, “Silver Quill, get royal advisor Wind Whistler, Gen. Deathgale, 4GW expert Vespa “Mod” Schwerpunk, Lieut. Col. Bright Eyes, Corporal Lyra Heartstrings, I want and seven others to meet me in the National Security Room as soon as possible, we have work to do.”

The Clip ends…

After the crowd’s excitement dies down Lauren Faust announces the final clip, “Our third and final clip for today is one of find particularly interesting. It’s a wonderfully animated opening, accompanied by some of the finest music I’ve ever heard. Music that could only be created by the combined talents of Daniel Ingraham and John Williams… Also, I take it some of you are fans of a certain gray-furred and blonde-mane Pegasus? (The audience erupts into shouts of “Derpy” and “go Derpy Hooves”) Well, you just never know where she’ll pop-up next…”

The room darkens and the final clip plays.

Music starts playing and after a second or two words appear on the screen as a city attached to a mountain slowly comes into view. “Hasbro and U.S.L Animation Proudly Presents…”  

“Journeys in Equestria!”

After Canterlot comes into view, the screen quickly switches to a lavishly animated split screen animation of both princesses raising their respective celestial bodies.On the left side, Queen Celestia raises the sun with doves fly overhead, while Queen Selena raises her moon on the right with bats flying overhead. Queen Selena is in a blue military-uniform, and her sister wears a more elaborate white and gold Gala dress.

The scene changes onto what is presumably either another day or the first scene was just a memory on the part of Queen Celestia, and the sun is raised again and Celestia puts her horn very briefly onto the stone floor and makes an elongated balcony that she walks onto for three or four seconds (as she walks forward, pictures in her mind’s eye of the Mane-Six appear, each one doing a single fighting move) and then the scene changes to Twilight and her friends in Ponyville.

Five of the Bearers spar for a second or two as Moondancer plays chess with Celestia, and Selena looks slightly worried. The classroom inside of the Ponyville schoolhouse is briefly shown. Then Cheerilee underlines a few words with a piece of chalk in her mouth. Next the Cutie Mark Crusaders appear on Scootaloo's scooter and they speed away on it as their teacher waves at them.  Next Trixie, Scootaloo&the CMC, Derpy, Hooves/Dinky Hooves, and Gilda appear in rapid succession.

Another split screen is shown. On the left side a strange figure that somewhat resembles a Chinese dragon, moves from side to side like a snake and unleashes a truly random assortment of deadly objects at a target in front of it but off-screen. On the right side, a winged unicorn fires a barrage of blasts from its horn as it flaps its wings. Both are shown in silhouette, a swirly pinkish-black colored outline or aura and a neon blue one separate the figures from the black background.

Next a third split screen is shown as two sets of Bearers, each member of both sets in the same position as the mane-6 from the second episode of season one. The projectiles strike the Bearers on the left side and energy blasts strike the bearers on the right side, both dissipate just before impact. The Elements on the left side, including the Tiara, are blurry. A beam of rainbow energy each fired from both Tiara’s and in-circle both figures on their respective sides and both figures explode in a brief burst of energy and fire.

Next, a gray furred pony with uncrossed eyes appears in armor and slashes diagonally through the air with a katana. The pony has a slight smirk on his or her face. The view quickly switches to a brief scene of both Queens dancing, and that another scene of Twilight hugging Celestia. Another brief scene reveals Celestia, Selena, and Twilight turning to scowl at the Night-Mare as the other five bearers look on nervously from three feet away.

Then a bunch of Dragons, Griffins, Minotaurs, Elves, gray-exoskeleton-black-horned Changelings, cows, green and orange Gremlins, silver-exoskeleton white-horned Changelings, Deer, and Ponies fight against Gremlins, black changelings with red wings and silver horns, animated pony Skeletons, a dragon made out of black crystal, Demons, three Ursa Minors, Timberwolves covered in purple flame, and a giant steam-punk robot shaped like a lobster.

Then the two Royal Sister’s smile at each other and the mane-6 look fondly at each other amidst ruins. And the Royal Sister’s subjects jump up and down and laugh and smile and cheer in celebration.

Finally an image spins against a black background and a painting of the Mane-Six, both Queen’s, Selena on the left and the other sister on the right, two unnamed Changeling Queens, a Griffin, three unicorns, two Pegasus ponies. Toward the center of the following four figures: Anarchy, a unknown mare, an unknown Gremlin, and Queen Chrysalis. At the top is the tagline: “Did You Not Recall the Legend? Did you not see the signs? In 2015, the best ponies will begin their many journeys to face their worst enemies! This fall there will be pony!”

At the center of artwork there are the words: “Journeys in Equestria!”