History FridgeHorror / MylittlePonyFriendshipIsMagic

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[[folder: General]]
* ''WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagic''.
** [[https://www.fimfiction.net/blog/199764/the-10-creepiest-things-about-my-little-pony The 10 Creepiest Things About My Little Pony]] is a list of MLP:FIM fridge horrors.
** Twilight wasn't joking: all the ponies in that town really ''are'' crazy, including Twilight herself.
*** Pinkie Pie's also a bit of a fridge TearJerker: It's likely that she doesn't constantly throw parties just because she likes them. It's because she knows everyone ''else'' likes them, and it's the only way she knows to be sociable on a normal level. The GenkiGirl randomness that she's known for is too much for most folks, who've probably actively avoided her for it in the past. But if she throws a party, suddenly everyone likes her, and she clings to that. So it's parties forever, and nothing else. Because if she stops, she stops being "That eccentric girl who throws awesome parties all the time" and reverts to "That annoying girl who talks too quickly about things that don't make sense." And then she's all alone. Again.
*** In the season 2 episode "[[Recap/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagicS2E3LessonZero Lesson Zero]]", Twilight's [[SanitySlippage behavior]] in the episode becomes all the more horrifying given the fact that the previous episode had them dealing with Discord. Maybe his MoreThanMindControl of the ponies had some lasting effects...
*** There are characters in Creator/HPLovecraft stories with more mental stability than the Mane 6. In particular, the common trigger seems to be a fear of not being appreciated. This puts Nightmare Moon in a new light. SanitySlippage is the rule rather than the exception, and even a goddess isn't immune. What's to stop something like the Nightmare Moon disaster from happening again?
*** One of the implications of the Season 3 finale is that without Pinkie to keep them happy, the townspeople of Ponyville would be angry [[{{Jerkass}} Jerkasses]] perpetually at each others throats.
**** They were probably cranky because of the screwed-up weather.
* After Luna was transformed into Nightmare Moon, Princess Celestia used the elements of harmony to seal her away in the moon for a full millennium. Now, despite all the sad fanart depicting Luna stranded on a rock in the sky, it was Nightmare Moon that was stuck up there. However, [[WordOfGod Word of Faust]] says that Luna and Nightmare Moon were entirely separate entities. It could be interpreted that it was simply [[PuppeteerParasite using Luna's form and powers as a host for its own intent]]. Think about that. Celestia locked away a monster, sure, but somewhere inside that monster was her baby sister. Confused, frightened, being leeched from and likely abused by [[EldritchAbomination a manifestation of pure emotional entropy]]. And she was left like this for a thousand years [[AndIMustScream with absolutely nothing she could do about it.]] Even worse, she probably thinks all of it was punishment for what she did. And what she did was feel a little jealous. There's no way that girl doesn't wind up with a major GuiltComplex.
** Wait wait hang on.. is there a source for a claim that they're seperate entities? I know the fandom loves to think that, but then again the fandom loves to assume a lot of things are go wholely unsupported by canon, so that doesn't really mean much unless she actually said something.
*** [[http://www.derpyhoovesnews.com/lauren-faust-on-lunas-banishment/ Here's a screenshot]] of that particular [[WordOfGod word of Faust]]. But be warned though as this WordOfGod may change due to the fact that she's no longer in charge of the show. The people now in charge of the show may have different things in mind and take a different path.
*** The entire case is pretty hard to give a satisfactory answer to. On the one hand, NMM was brought on by Luna's own anger and jealousy, and it's hard to not sympathize with her reasons considering all the hard work she must put into her nights. Even so, it's clear she fell so deep into her negativity that her powers were corrupted and she became the polar-opposite of Celestia. On the other hand, after the Elements of Harmony remove the corruption from her, it's clear Luna shows a great deal of remorse and regret for her actions and quickly jumps back into Celestia's embrace. Come Luna Eclipse, she even admits herself that NMM should be feared and that she was more than happy she was returned to normal, making this whole debate pretty difficult to put at ease.
*** Point of fact which adds to the fridge horror: Celestia did NOT, in fact, banish Nightmare Moon to the moon for a full millennium. Celestia banished Nightmare Moon to the moon. FULL STOP. The banishment would last...FOREVER! As you may recall, Nightmare Moon was not freed: she ESCAPED, with the stars aiding in her escape, and promptly reassumed the coup attempt until smacked down again.
** If the comics count as TV canon, there is something on the moon that [[spoiler:takes over Rarity and turns her into the new Nightmare Moon]], so yes, it's a different entity. It needed the emotions as an in, kind of like Discord used, but once its in it takes over.
* The fact that Spike has a crush on Rarity, and is great friends with all of the other ponies is wonderful, until you realize that dragons have a much longer lifespan than the average pony. Princess Celestia and Princess Luna are basically {{Physical God}}desses so they're exceptions, but eventually [[SoleSurvivor Spike will probably outlive all of his friends.]] The fact that he's already younger than them supports this theory even more. There's a story called ''Fanfic/GrowingUp'' [[http://www.fanfiction.net/s/7441479/1/Growing_Up seen here]] that explains this perfectly. It's beautifully written, but be warned, as it's a massive TearJerker.
** Well, he might not have to worry about outliving Twilight anymore/
* In "[[Recap/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagicS2E10SecretOfMyExcess Secret of my Excess]]", Spike says he's only been given one present each year for his birthday--a gift from Twilight. But in the ''first episode'', he is seen with a present intended for Moon Dancer. So he's been giving all these gifts, but he's never received any for himself. Poor guy.
** Though it is sad, it has the unintended consequence of him not giving into his inherent greed (as seen in the episode) so, so far the only thing that's stopped there being another fully grown dragon was Twilight's social ineptness. In fact, Celestia herself might have had Twilight do this without telling the latter why, so that Spike would not give in to his inherent greed.
** Perhaps he has been given the equivalent of clothes and socks(AKA boring stuff he would need anyway), and thus don't consider them gifts.
* With the way Pinkie Pie eats, had she been a real horse, she should have died several times already. Especially after eating the "baked bads".
** She's the cartooniest in a land of cartoons. Her eating habits should not be taken seriously.
* We can see several times that Rarity uses glue in the construction of her dresses. Glue is made from horse hooves.
** Stereotypically. Humans have several sources of glue, one we humans use with fabrics being polymer-based (which, if DJ [=P0N-3=] is any indication, the ponies definitely have access to). Others, however, come from fish, cows (another [=FiM=]-sentient species), and... ''rabbit'' (used in ''bookbinding'', a fact Fluttershy would certainly find horrifying).
** The Spa ponies might recycle the clippings from pony pedicures and boil that up to make glue.
** There's also a small possibility that ponies may harvest the hooves from dead ponies.
*** Though that would still be the mark of a sociopathic society, given that respect for one's dead tends to be a big deal, so fridge horror still applies if that's true.
*** Maybe ponies are given the choice of donating their hooves before they die (like how humans can choose to donate their organs or their bodies to science)?
** One of the most popular glues in human world history was made from ''casein'', which is milk protein. The white glue most people today are familiar with (for example, Elmer's Glue All) was originally made from casein (now it's made from a petroleum-derived plastic). Casein glue has the advantage that it is less prone to softening or degrading from the effects of heat and moisture than "hide glue" made from animal skins and hooves; and would therefore be the sort that Rarity would be most likely to use for her tailoring.
* Why the hell is Spike (a dragon) being raised by ponies? What happened to his parents? Don't dragons ''eat'' ponies (and almost anything else not tied down)?
** The creators had Spike eat gems to get around the "eating ponies" problem. [[DoubleSubversion Instead]], they changed "dragons eating everything not tied down" to "dragons ''[[Recap/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagicS2E10SecretOfMyExcess stealing]]'' everything tied not tied down (and even most things that are)".
*** Not that this is much of a change, considering that dragon hordes tend to be imagined as massive piles of treasure. Spike's greed is like certain bird species having a desire to make nests out of anything shiny they can find.
* The whole cast having {{Sanity Slippage}}s throughout the series giving fridge horror as limitless possibilities.
* The stars themselves assisted in the escape of one of the most powerful villains of the series to date. This means that by either the will of the stars, or some other terrible will, a creature capable of plunging the world in eternal darkness was released. The stars, or something controlling, representing, or within the stars override the power of Celestia and the Elements of Harmony. The stars are alive, capable of judgement, more powerful than anything in Equestria. If Luna and Celestia are the gods of this world, the stars are the elder gods, and they do not want to be our friends.
** Unless, of course, the one freed by the stars wasn't Nightmare Moon, but Luna. After all, she was freed (from Nightmare Moon) by Twilight Sparkle, who has stars for a cutie mark.
*** In that case it could also be referring to the stars ''of the show'', as in the main characters.
* Luna's rebellion was driven by bitterness that the ponies of Equestria did not appreciate the night she brought and more generally ignored her and took her for granted. Her complaint was with her subjects, ''not'' her sister. Celestia probably understood why her sister was upset and sympathized with her complaint; she probably agreed that their subjects were taking Luna for granted. And yet, Celestia still had her duty: she had to make war upon her own sister on behalf of their subjects, their ungrateful, selfish subjects. Is it any wonder that Celestia become [[TheWomanWearingTheQueenlyMask The Mare Wearing The Princessly Mask]] afterward? Or heck, it's possibly the reason why she became the {{troll}} everyone interprets her to be.
** We don't know how soon Luna was taken over by Nightmare Moon after she and her sister took the throne. It's possible it happened not long afterwards, which means the civilian ponies could have just been too worn out to appreciate something like the night sky after being ruled by Discord for so long. (It's not like his chaotic rule would have let them have something as simple as a calm night for sleeping). It might have been a big misunderstanding.
* You know, the mortal antagonists have done less to endanger people and property than the heroes and their neighbors. Trixie basically was trying to silence the only people dissatisfied with her performance, Gilda was a bitch and shouted at Fluttershy loud enough to make her cry (amongst other things), Prince Blueblood treated Rarity either like crap, and the Diamond Dogs kidnapped a pony and tried to force her into slavery (yes, this is a horrible thing), and Silver Spoon and Diamond Tiara picked on the Blank Flanks. But compare to the Ponyvillians and Cloudsdaleans: Snips and Snails brought in a giant star bear which almost destroyed the town and in fact did destroy Trixie's home, Rainbow Dash almost ''killed'' Fluttershy, Twilight enslaved the minds of most of the town over her doll, Rarity was having her own expectations of her date thrown into her face, Fluttershy and Twilight ''did'' destroy the town by harboring the Parasprites and magically altering them, Rainbow Dash, Applejack, and Pinkie Pie helped exacerbate an already tense situation into an all-out war in Appleloosa, and the Cutie Mark Crusaders released the most powerful danger to the realm.
** There's some controversy regarding whether the Crusaders truly released Discord or whether they were actually the first victims of his corruption. In either case, Discord's prison was already weakening and was bound to break in a matter of days or months, Crusaders or no Crusaders. Fluttershy had no way of knowing the Parasprite she initially found was a dangerous pest (though it doesn't excuse the second one she kept), and Twilight was trying to ''stop'' the Parasprites, not to turn them into killing machines. Same for Pinkie, who was trying to explain in song ''exactly'' what the ponies and buffalo end up understanding by the end of the episode. Point is, all the mortal antagonists are jerks and proud of it, any havoc wreaked by the Mane 6 and friends was accidental.
*** Except maybe the Want It Need It thing. *shudders*
**** Twilight clearly intended that spell to only affect the Crusaders and be easily reversible, so the extent of that crisis can be filed under accident just like the Parasprite alteration.
* The creators seem to take innocent looking plots (Lesson Zero, Cutie Pox) and turn them into tales of horror stories...
** Speaking of, further Fridge Horror can go into the amount of NightmareFuel entries - how many for Season 1? 8/26. How many for Season 2 so far? 6/6. ''Every single Season 2'' episode so far as had quite a bit of NightmareFuel already, far surpassing that of Season 1. ''How far is it going to go?!''
** Wish granted: The Sisterhooves Social, a cute, friendly story about siblings fighting, then making up, as well as further proof that Sweetie Belle is a little...slow...
** "The Cutie Pox" could be counted as 5/6 if you take the whole StoryOfTheBlanks similarities and potential death by exhaustion or dangerous cutie marks into account. But even if you don't count it, you could still say that Season 2 has half as many episodes of Nightmare Fuel so far as Season 1 did, and the Season is only a forth of the way over. As for overthinking everything, we're tropers, it's a natural thing.
** If you take the time to notice, you can see that season 2 is much more intended for a wider audience (Possibly due to the Bronies). Comparing Pinkie's breakdown with Twilight's is a good example. Pinkie's was slightly tamer and a bit more comical than Twilight's, who looked to be '''trying''' to do more harm than good. The storylines (And the friendship lessons themselves) are becoming a tad more developed and complex. For example, compare Applebuck Season with The Last Roundup.
* Some viewers may remember episodes such as ''Party Of One'' and ''Lesson Zero'' where Pinkie Pie and Twilight respectively went rather insane. Rainbow Dash seemed just on the verge of that kind of craziness while trying to get attention in ''The Mysterious Mare Do Well''. Who knows what could've happened if that went any further? We've seen the kind of destruction she's capable of, and an insane Dash would make the constant problems around Ponyville this episode pale in comparison.
* Um, where does Rarity get her ''cat food''?! Ponies are vegetarian, they should have no business making cat food. And AJ with dog food, for that matter. And Pinkie Pie for Gummy? Although, Pinkie Pie is Pinkie Pie, so questioning that is probably a bad idea. But for the others - Vegan pet foods exist.
** [[FridgeLogic Carnivorous pets have a hard time with vegan diets, and even creatures who don't eat meat understand this.]] It's not hard to think that they would process food for their pets that they can survive on - And farm animals could be raised [[FridgeBrilliance for the purpose of making pet food.]]
** [[FridgeBrilliance No wonder that cat hates Rarity.]]
*** Actually, it's seen in the Sisterhooves Social episode that Rarity eats eggs. She makes some for herself and Sweetiebelle after they clean up the mess she made in the kitchen. So I guess all of the ponies aren't constricted to vegan diets.
*** We see Fluttershy feeding fish to weasels and worms to birds. [[WhatMeasureIsANonCute Apparently some animals don't get the preferential treatment.]]
*** This is interestingly explored in the FanFic/PonyPOVSeries where [[spoiler:Fluttershy [[HeroicBSOD breaks down]] and [[StartOfDarkness turns into a]] WellIntentionedExtremist EldritchAbomination when she realizes how cruel the cycle of nature truly is.]]
** Humans feed their pets things we wouldn't eat ourselves all the time, so why should ponies be different in that respect? Just because [[HerbivoresAreFriendly herbivores are supposed to be "friendly"]]?
* What about a parchment? Which is produced mainly from a calfskin. Cows in this show are sapient. And if parchment there is fabricated from reeds, or another plant, why call it 'a parchment' then?
** Parchment is also a type of high quality paper similar in color and texture to old-style calfskin parchment.
** Because if they called it reedpap we'd be confused.
* The whole "Spike loves Rarity" subplot is kind of weird, and not just because he's a baby (although seeing how he matures by hoarding, there's probably some funky genetic loophole going on there). There's been griffins on the show, sure, but how exactly would a canon dragon-pony relationship work out? Could they have children? Then it hit me: We've ''seen'' a dragon/equine hybrid already. A dracon-equus: ''Discord''.
** Actually, there's already a mythological dragon-horse hybrid--it's called a kirin/qilin in Chinese and a longma/ryoma in Japanese. This species has been used as the dragon-pony lovechild (usually of those two) in many fan works. Plus, Discord is a reality-warping god, meaning either he's some exception to the genetics involved, or his kin (even if they look just like him) wouldn't be as dangerous as he.
** As of season 3, Discord is [[HeelFaceTurn good]]. [[TitleDrop Magic of Friendship]]. (OK, he had a relapse in season 4, but he's even better now.)
* In Season 1, Spike does not hesitate to mock and poke fun at the misfortune of the Mane 6 while they're under the influence of the Poison Joke. He laughs openly and berates Twilight in her failures to help out in the Winter Wrap Up. Now, in Season 2, Apple Bloom's suffering through the effects of the Cutie Pox disease, running the risk of death by exhaustion or obtaining a cutie mark that could spell instant death for her and the people around her. '''And Spike is watching with a bag of popcorn, watching nonchalantly.'''
** He's rather young, so my belief is that he might just not even be aware of the mortal danger Applebloom is in.
** It is shown later in ''Dragon Quest'' that dragons are extreme Jerkasses in general. Spike may have just had his tendencies muted to ComedicSociopathy thanks to his living with ponies.
** Also Spike is the ButtMonkey of the series, especially in the fourth season, So one could say his [[ComedicSociopathy Schadenfreude]] is legit because he's usually on the recieving end.
* MLP: FIM's target demographic are young girls. So surely many innocent little girls would have looked up Pinkie Pie Cupcakes on youtube, just looking for the cupcake song from Call of the Cutie, only to find a horribly gory fanfic. And that would be the day their childhood ended. Amusingly, simply searching for Cupcakes on Youtube gives the fan video as the #2 result as of June 2013, meaning any kid looking for a video about how to make cupcakes might get an interesting surprise.
** Consider something else. There is [[RuleThirtyFour Rule 34]] of this. The target demographic is young girls...so imagine what would happen when they look for innocent artwork, only to discover pornographic images of ponies. And if that's not bad enough, consider the fact that somewhere out there...there is ''demand'' for this. Someone saw this and thought they wanted to sexualize it. There are people out there (nicknamed 'cloppers' in the Brony community) who are sick enough to see this show and have sexual fantasies about it.
*** [[SarcasmMode Goodness gracious, how]] ''[[SarcasmMode dare]]'' [[SarcasmMode they draw rule 34 of a popular show]] when there are still parents [[ParentalObliviousness who think it's a good idea to let their little kids use Internet]] [[ParentalNeglect without any parental control]]?
*** [[SarcasmMode Goodness gracious, how]] ''[[SarcasmMode terrible]]'' [[SarcasmMode it is that there are people out there who think there's something iffy about pornography about cartoon horses from a series aimed at small children.]]
**** This isn't new, there's [[RuleThirtyFour Rule 34]] of all sorts of things, including Dora the Explorer and Sesame Street, as sad as those two are. At least the art generally involves adult characters.
**** Google's default settings filter those sort of images, [[AIIsACrapshoot no idea how it would judge that though]]
***** Search images with SafeSearch. Flag. Repeat.
* The exterior of Rarity's house is supposed to look like a carousel, complete with artificial horses with rods going through where their ribcages would be.
** Maybe, but we have a game that portrays ''rows and rows of humans impaled horizontally''. What is this horrific game? ''Foosball''. It would be on the same order as garden gnomes are to us.
* After reading about the plot of {{Graceling}}, I cannot but apply it to MLP universe. What if a pony discovers that her/his talent is to kill, or to steal, or to manipulate minds, or to lie? And what are the authorities are supposed to do with said pony after such discovery?
** And in relation to that; what if you don't like your talent in general? Rarity's talent is finding gems even though she dreams of being a fashion maker and hates dirt and getting sweaty (which is normal when digging gems up) and it was pretty much 'forced' on her with a spurt of unicorn magic. Sure, she puts her talent to good use, but still...
*** I think people put too much emphasis on the words "special talent". Characters have capabilities that aren't purely based on their talents. Twilight, despite having the talent "magic" works as a librarian instead of a court mage, and has a lot of skills in organizing others. Just because something is their "talent" doesn't mean they are irrevocably shackled to said talent.
** Ponies get their cutie mark when they find something that they are good at, and that '''they like doing''', which means that even if this hypothetical murder pony is good at killing,[[note]]which is a skill set that would have more than one application[[/note]] it isn't going to be their life's purpose unless like doing it. Which is a whole different piece of horror.
* A bit of dynamic between Rarity and Twilight Sparkle is really horrid when you think about it. We've seen in several episodes that Rarity dreams of, and it some cases actively pursues, acceptance by the Canterlot nobility. However, take what we know about Twilight. Her brother is captain of the Canterlot guards, her parents were able to get her a chance to get into the best unicorn school in Canterlot, and Twilight is pretty chummy with Celestia. Twilight's family is pretty up there, socially, even moreso following Shining Armor's wedding to Cadance. Twilight is already Canterlot nobility. Status-wise, she's everything Rarity wishes she could be. Unfortunately for Rarity, being born and raised in Ponyville makes Rarity roughly equal to a nouveau-riche southern belle, which weren't looked at kindly by the English aristocracy. It really makes Rarity's wish to be accepted in Canterlot a lot like a TragicDream she can never see come true.
** She may not have the inborn status, but Rarity clearly has the skills and talent to be accepted in Canterlot. There was a whole episode about it.
*** Not to mention, she has the support and backing of one of the most influential ponies in Canterlot - Fancy Pants, who more than likely considers Rarity a good friend. That connection and support alone really boosted her standing in Canterlot society in "Sweet and Elite". Not to mention the part where one of her best friends is now an alicorn princess, and three other alicorn princesses are socially acquainted with her on a first name basis.
*** Another thing: despite all the things that Twilight's been blessed with, she is also a very modest pony who wouldn't ''dream'' of flaunting the things that make her "special". "Boast Busters" was all about that. She has the knowledge and political power to easily become the town's leader, but is much more comfortable being treated like a normal pony.
* Twilight Sparkle is never a mare who holds a grudge even after all the crap happening to her. But what happens if it's just bottling it all up until she snaps?
** We've seen her snap, it was called "Lesson Zero".
** Also, as a direct result of random crap happening to her, "Feeling Pinkie Keen".
* This is actually FridgeHorror about the fandom: I can't help but notice that a lot of the fanon and fanwork that has sprung up around this show assumes the existence of a lot of bullying and other assorted cruelty in Equestria. There are fans that seem to believe that Twilight was bullied as a child, that Derpy was possibly abused and abandoned as a child by one or both parents, or that Derpy was bullied and tormented as a child and as an adult for being different, that Pinkie Pie's differences are the result of past trauma, etc., etc. This is despite the all the overt evidence that Equestria, in Chrysalis' words, is "full of love," that the ponies are, as a rule, kind, generous, and accepting, and that bullying and cruelty are rare exceptions, and not at all the norm. That said it's not entirely fair to accuse the fans of projecting their own life experiences onto Equestria, given the evidence below of bullying on the show, but it may play a factor.
** Not surprising, when one thinks about it. I'm sure it happens often enough in other fandoms that involve worlds that generally happy and peaceful.
** Perhaps only Equestria is peaceful, and the rest of the world is a horrible place. Chrysalis did say that in all the places they had traveled too, they hadn't found nearly as much love.
*** Which is disturbing in of itself, when one considers the possibility that Equestria is possibly the only inhabited land on their planet.
*** Possibly disproven with the 2012 SDCC Map of Equestria where there seems to be far off lands for Griffins, dragons and presumably other species. Possibly though that Equestria happens to be the most love filled or simple hyperbole.
**** As mentioned above, dragons are inherently greedy assholes, and what we've seen of griffins so far hasn't exactly been rainbows and sunshine either. When compared to other parts of the world, Equestria could verily be the land with the most love.
** Rainbow Dash, Fluttershy, and the Cutie Mark Crusaders were/are all picked on as fillies, which is a form of bullying.
** With the way that background characters are very much prone to {{Jerkass}} tendencies, it isn't that difficult to believe that "Equestria has more love then anywhere else" is little more then an InformedAttribute. Also, people are fans of the DarkAndTroubledPast and bullying is the most relatable problems one has in childhood.
** All said, bullying is as canon in Equestria as anything, judging from Babs Seed's episode and just about any scene with Silver Spoon and Diamond Tiara, as well as the teasing that Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash were seen to have undergone as fillies. Besides - given the kind of things present in Equestria, such as a God of chaos, the Gates of Tartarus within running distance of Ponyville and a sadistic King who enslaved an entire kingdom and traps ponies inside of their worst fear - the occasional foal-bully seems like the least of one's worries. Equestria is a happy place to live, no doubt, but there can be no denying that crap goes down if you happen to be in the wrong place at the wrong time.
** People have been taught to believe that [[WideEyedIdealist optimism and seeing the world in a positive light]] is [[SillyRabbitIdealismIsForKids "childish" and "unrealistic"]]. The adult fans look for bad things and focus on the worse aspects because they want to make the show more "realistic" to them, because they cannot conceive of a world that simple and good existing.
* More FridgeHorror regarding fandom. There are numerous cases where people ask why the heroes do something nice or not do something mean, only to claim FridgeBrilliance because it ties into their Element. What's horrifying is that this means that the viewers see the good that they do is not because they're good people, but rather out of some sense of obligation to fulfill their duties as representative of a cosmic imperative. What's worse is that our heroes fail to live up to their cosmic imperative not infrequently.
** Or they simply are good people, and that's why they got the elements in the first place.
*** Yeah, but if Cherilee does something nice instead of something mean, no one asks why she did X only to claim FridgeBrilliance, because it ties to her Element. She does nice things because she's a nice person. But the way some tropers act, you'd think if people weren't tied to some magical cosmic artifact, they'd act like jerks all the time.
* Here's something to point out about Fluttershy. Every episode starring her has consistently shown her bonding with animals like they're ponies, and having a difficult time bonding with any pony outside of her circle of friends. It has been made canon that she was bullied and picked on as a foal, due to being a weak flyer (which may be a result of low confidence), and the fact that she's the only pegasus pony to be connected to the earth rather than the sky. Maybe she is a mis-pony-pe (like a misanthrope) who considers animals better friends than ponies. She equated foals with animals, only to find out that it's not as simple as that. That's why she had that FreakOut at the Grand Galloping Gala, because she needs the love and attention that she can't get from other ponies, and when the animals there wouldn't bond with her, it just meant that she would be the lonely and loveless foal she was back then!
* The show makes constant references to "Tanks" (RD comparing Tank's build to that of A tank), "Bullets" (Where a certain pony is compared as being like one), and "Cannons" (Pinkie Pie's "Party Cannon"). Why? {{Unfortunate Implications}} arise. Could it be that equestria is recovering from a horrible war, one where widespread slaughter and death took place? Could this be the reason why Celestia has so many goddamned guards, aside from being mere in-universe set decoration?
** Well, you didn't expect the likes of [[TheResenter Nightmare Moon]], [[ChaoticEvil Discord]] and [[EvilOverlord King Sombra]] to go without a fight did ya? Its quite possible that any of the three would have an army. Albeit one of medieval knights and such instead of soldiers and war vehicles.
* What happened ''before'' the mane 6? During the few scant years where they ''have'' existed, at least a dozen events threatening lives have occurred, about three of which are potentially world-killing? NM, the extensive damage that somehow happens in Ponyville... What about if Rainbow Dash ''hadn't'' intervened during the first half of The Mysterious Mare Do Well? What if the bearers ''hadn't'' been there during the return of Nightmare Moon? Even worse, what if they'd been different ponies and ''failed''? Assuming this happens this often normally...
* According to folklore, [[OurGryphonsAreDifferent Griffons are enemies of horses]], which also happen to be their favourite food... Remember [[TheBully Gilda]]? The ponies were lucky she only stole that apple...
* The “Scootachicken” meme has become an AscendedMeme. To understand this Fridge Horror, it will take understanding about sex chromosomes—starting with the well known XY system, in which every organism is by default female, but if a Y chromosome is present instead of a second X, then male parts are formed. Now, the ZW system, which is used in chickens and other avians, works the other way (male by default, but a W instead of a second Z makes a female). Back in the XY system, we notice that males have more sex-linked disorders because the Y chromosome can’t hide any alleles on the X, and vice-versa. Since the ZW system is inverted, this means females should have more sex-linked disorders… and Scootaloo is ([[ViewerGenderConfusion believe it or not]]) female. Is '''that''' why she can’t fly?
** Horses use the XY system, so sex-chromosome linked disorders in them do follow males. However, some of the possible symtoms of Triple X syndrome (a female having three X chromosomes instead of two) include weak muscle tone and poor cooridanation, and it is quite possible to have just those two problems; some women with XXX have hardly any problems at all.
* As of the later seasons, we see that Twilight has a bit of a problem with falling back on mind-altering spells (Discord and the fruit bats). When you consider that the foalsitter she adored and idolized made a habit of magically "fixing" the personal lives of complete strangers, this begins to make sense.
* We have seen that [[PhysicalGod Princess Celestia]] has been alive for thousands of years without showing any sign of wear, presumably making her immortal. However, In [[Recap/MyLittlePonyFriendshipisMagicS3E13MagicalMysteryCure Magical Mystery Cure]], we see that Twilight has become an Alicorn, just like Princess Celestia is. Well, if Twilight has become an Alicorn, and Princess Celestia and Luna are Alicorns that are presumably immortal as I stated earlier, Twilight should be immortal, right? Wrong. [[WordofGod Word of God]] states that Twilight will not outlive her friends, and the Mane Six are all young adults (as seen in Pinkie Pride, where there are about 21 candles on Rainbow Dash's cake), so that means that they might live for about seventy-something more years. Twilight [[WildMassGuessing might]] be immortal as in "She could age forever, but she could be killed". Out of that, there comes a spine-chilling question: "What's going to kill Twilight, and how?"
** Remember that the staff are epic level trolls and love playing with ExactWords. "Twilight will not outlive her friends" has ''two'' possibilities -- either her lifespan will be cut short ''or'' her friends will also become immortal. Given what happened in the season 4 finale what with everyone becoming one with their Element of Harmony, possibility #2 just took a hell of a jump.
*** I was the original poster of this Fridge Horror, and I would like to say that you, cliffc999, gave a nice and thoughtful reply to my argument.
[[/folder]]

[[folder: Season 1 (1 of 2)]]

[[AC: Mare in the Moon & The Elements of Harmony]]
* Nightmare Moon wanting to bring eternal night doesn't seem to bad at first, until you realise that plants can't live without sunlight, and ponies are herbivores. Also, no plants = no oxygen. Everypony would be unable to eat or breathe, and so would eventually DIE. Nightmare Moon herself might not be affected, though, considering she was able to survive on the moon. Thinking about her for a few minutes makes her a lot more menacing.
** Spike can eat inorganic matter like gems. If this is accurate, he would eventually suffocate, but that would be long after he watched every pony starve to death and saw his home turned into a barren wasteland.
** The planet would also freeze before long.
* She also had the main cast attacked by a manticore and caused a landslide that might have killed at least one - not to mention, she presumably destroyed the bridge leading to her [[HauntedCastle castle]]. Nightmare Moon does not seem to care for others' lives much.
* Pinkie laughed while she was inside an evil tree's mouth. What if it had disappeared in a *puff* like the others?
** Or more importantly... [[RealAfterAll why didn't it!]]
*** [[RealityWarper Because Pinkie.]]
* Nightmare Moon conjures up three pegasi who are essentially [[EvilCounterpart dark versions]] of Rainbow Dash's heroes, the Wonderbolts. They offer to let her join them, and ''is'' tempted, but refuses. Now, one has to wonder...since they were merely conjurings by Nightmare Moon, ''what would have become of Rainbow Dash had she accepted?''
** Most likely they would have flown off together to keep her distracted while Nightmare Moon neutralised the elements and/or the remaining five protagonists, which she could have done safely with an essential part of the equation (Dash) dealt with. Once the elements were rendered a non-threat, she could have cancelled the Shadowbolts (who were just magic constructs) much to Dash's surprise and disappointment.
*** Except that it seems the Shadowbolts ''are'' Nightmare Moon transformed. Although the "Shadowbolt leader" (most likely the main Nightmare Moon) could have done all that while the other two Shadowbolts which she did seem to conjure up distracted Rainbow with some excuse)
** Rainbow Dash may also have been [[TheCorruption assimilated]], or Nightmare Moon could've simply [[PsychoElectro zapped her]] like she did with the guards a few hours ago.
* Rarity cuts off her tail. In [[Recap/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagicS1E25PartyOfOne Party of One]], her tail is shown to be [[PrehensileTail prehensile]] as she holds the cake box with it. So it's like she cut off one of her limbs. Can the ponies' tails actually feel pain? Sure, it grows back, but still...
** Presumably the tail doesn't feel pain as it's made of hair, not muscle.

[[AC: The Ticket Master]]
* When Twi teleports herself and Spike to the library, Spike comes out singed. This doesn't seem like a big deal, but then he mentions in "[[Recap/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagicS1E5GriffonTheBrushOff Griffon the Brush Off]]" that dragons are fireproof. If Twilight's teleport was enough to singe a fireproof dragon, imagine what would have happened if it had been a pony (or any other non-fireproof creature)!
** Probably just as much - the scorching may simply have been [[PureEnergy Arcane]] damage, [[ElementalRockPaperScissors bypassing Spike's fire resistance]].
** It might be more user error, or Twilight still working out the spell's kinks. She teleports Spike more times, Rainbow twice, and Rarity once in season 2 (namely, in 'Secret of My Excess' and 'Dragon Quest').
** Also she was under considerable stress when she teleported, which could contribute to the mishap.
*** It is still far better than the usual result of a [[TeleporterAccident not-quite-right teleportation.]]

[[AC: Applebuck Season]]
* Throughout the episode, Twilight implores Applejack to accept her friends' help in harvesting the bumper crop that was wearing her out, and when Applejack finally accepts, we see Rainbow and Pinkie working together on one tree, Fluttershy on another, Rarity hauling full bushels, and Twilight...harvesting ''half the orchard by herself in seconds'' with her magic. Clearly, the involvement of the others was just a fig leaf. What Twilight really meant was 'let me use my magical powers to do this for you, effortlessly.' Think about that: what for an earth pony like Applejack is the work of her lifetime is to a powerful unicorn like Twilight nothing more than a minor nuisance. For that matter, is Granny Smith's "saggy old hip" the result of old age alone, or the result of age and a lifetime spent bucking apple trees? Now think about why Applejack was so reluctant to accept Twilight's help, and why Applejack was so upset that Twilight used magic a few months later in "Winter Wrap-Up," or why the earth ponies insist that in an earth-pony town, no magic is to be used to wrap up winter. Now, it has been implied that earth ponies get superior strength and endurance to compensate for not having magic or the ability to fly, but imagine if some people were born with the ability to use magic, some people were born with the ability to fly, but you were born an ordinary human being without any such abilities. Mightn't you have a chip on your shoulder, and always seek to prove that you were just as capable as any other person, even without magic or wings? Don't forget, we're seeing them ''harvesting'' the apples at that point. Who put in the work to ''grow'' them?
** Unicorns and Earth Ponies are a lot more balanced than you might think. In the occurrence it's not ''magic'' itself that is overpowered, it's ''Twilight''. Most unicorns can only move or affect what they themselves can physically handle (i.e. if you can only lift fifty pounds with extreme effort by hoof you can only do the same with magic, but at range), but [[StoryBreakerPower Twilight Sparkle is not "most unicorns"]]. There's a reason she's been compared to [[ComicBook/{{Watchmen}} Doctor Manhattan]] at times.
*** Canon confirmation of this exists. Right after lil' filly Twilight turns her parents into houseplants and hatches a dragon egg into Spikezilla, Princess Celestia says flat-out that she has never before seen a unicorn with the kind of raw magical ability that Twilight has. Princess Celestia is over ''one thousand bucking years old''. Twilight Sparkle is, literally, a once-in-a-millenium level of unicorn. It's like a pony such as Rainbow Dash who capable of breaking at least the sound barrier with physical effort alone or an earth pony who could knock down a redwood with one leg.
* Only earth ponies have the talent to grow delicious apples and their talent is very much appreciated by society (cuz the way to everyponies' heart is through their stomach). They have a special connection to the earth that pegasi or unicorns just don't have (Fluttershy being an exception). So while they might have a chip on their shoulders because they can't fly or do magic, they have a talent that makes up for it. Besides, putting in the work to grow the apples is considered more important (and less demoralizing) than the labor it takes to harvest them. T'aint so bad bein' an earth pony.

[[AC: Griffon the Brush-Off]]
* You will find several pieces of medieval mythology that describe gryphons as highly aggressive and territorial, building treasure hoards and jealously guarding them much like dragons. They absolutely ''hate'' horses in particular, having grown to associate them with knights coming to raid their nests for gold and emeralds, and will devour one if they have the oppurtunity. They also mate for life, and if they lose their mate, they quickly waste away from longing. Now lets consider Gilda; deep-seated and irrational aminosity of ponies? Check. Rainbow Dash being the only one who she sees as a companion and exempt from her meanness? Check. Her presence in the show and how she and Dash interact being the closest thing to evidence the shippers have to RD being a lesbian? Hoo boy, double check. Holed up in a cave somewhere seething at the loss of Rainbow's affections as the lights leave her eyes? Likely. Way to go, Dash and Pie, way to go.
** FridgeLogic: if gryphons hate ponies, why would Gilda's "mate" be Rainbow Dash?
*** IfItsYouItsOkay?
** Hippogriffs, the result of a mating between a gryphon and a horse, are also a part of medieval mythology, so it isn't that far-fetched.
*** Until one remembers that in medieval mythology, hippogriffs were symbolic of the ''absolutely impossible''. They weren't "real creatures" like other magical monsters in the bestiaries, they were symbols of things that simply could not possibly exist. And this was coming from people who believed in the bonnacon... a sort of knotty-horned cow that defended itself by [[DungFu projectile-firing fiery cowpats at people]].
* 'Giggle at the Ghostie'. Firstly, 'Just laugh and make them disappear'. Think about it as two separate actions. Think of her dealing with Gilda, she laughed it off in public, if Gilda hadn't left, would Pinkie have 'made her disappear'? Could just be {{Cupcakes}} paranoia. And also, if laughing works to make her fears disappear works, her fears are hallucinated. More insanity!
** Maybe, but I interpret it like this: laughing only makes the ''fear'' disappear; what happened within the song aside, the "faces" in the tree remained, scary to all except the one who had a trick for dealing with fear. And once she taught it to the others, they could all see the "faces" for what they were: harmless holes in trees.
* Go back and read the first entry again. This is what everyone in Ponyville thought. Sure, she was a bitch who stole an apple, but she didn't actually try to attack anyone. Even before they knew she was mean, everybody in Ponyville seemed to hate her, except for Rainbow Dash. The [[FreudianExcuse reason]] she was such an AlphaBitch [[JerkassWoobie is because she is a victim of]] FantasticRacism.

[[AC: Boast Busters]]
* Why does Trixie end her magic show when all possible hecklers disappear? Wouldn't it be more sensible to continue the show? Unless, of course, Trixie's entire act depends on having hecklers to humilate, and has no feats of magic that aren't centered around humilating neigh-sayers...
** Wouldn't be without precedent, and makes as much sense given that unicorns doing magic would be relatively common. The show itself gets interest (and maybe some income), and then you leave town with a wowed audience and some ego-bruised hecklers.
** Some have theorized that her special talent is temporarily copying anypony's special talent, hence why she invites the hecklers onstage to show them up at their own forte.
* Look carefully at the Ursa Major and Minor. They're made of stars. This is clearly a little [[GeniusBonus astronomy joke]], given both are actual constellations, but they're ''[[EldritchAbomination made of stars]]''.
* In "Boast Busters", the Ursa Minor destroys Trixie's stagecoach. This is made even worse by the fact that Trixie is a travelling performer, so that coach was also her home. [[NiceJobBreakingItHero Great job, Snips and Snails, you just made your former idol into a beggar.]]
* Think about it. Snips and Snails lure an Ursa Minor to Ponyville in an attempt to have Trixie prove she can beat an Ursa Major. Twilight apparently could not defeat it in open combat. Then think about the fact that Snips and Snails must have been fairly close to an actual Ursa Major when they were attemting to lure one to town. Just think about that, in combination with the fact that Twilight describes an Ursa Major as "You don't want to know"

[[AC: Dragonshy]]

[[AC: Look Before You Sleep]]

[[AC: Bridle Gossip]]
* In "Bridle Gossip", due to Rainbow Dash's flower-induced inability to fly straight, Spike calls her "Rainbow Crash". Later in the series, we learn that this was the cruel nickname she was saddled with by a group of pegasus bullies when she dropped out of flight school. Nice going, [[JerkAss Spike]].
** In Spike's defense, he probably didn't even know about it.
* FridgeHorror Horror (one I thought of while fiddling with the FridgeHorror page): Poison Joke is meant to be a 'joke'. Haha, I guess. Fluttershy's voice is funny, Rarity's style being ruined is allright, Twilight seemed to not suffer any actual magic loss from her flopple time. Then the other three..all three are completely rendered unable to do their jobs. Applejack couldn't knock over an apple in her state, and Pinkie being in the kitchen would get Sugarcube Corner shut down by Pony OSHA or something. And Rainbow? Her 'joke' puts her at risk for serious injury! Ha ha, I guess?
** Also: Pinkie can't laugh with her tongue hanging out. The Element of Laughter is rendered unable to laugh by a "joke".
** Sounds like [[MadGod Discord's]] idea of a joke... [[EpilepticTrees Maybe he created it?]]
*** Doubtful. Seems too minor for something Discord would create. Plus, seeing as the plant intends no malice, it's safe to assume that the Mane 6 learned to take it lightly after the lesson they had learned at the end.
* We never get to hear how the transformations took place, wether they were instantanious or took place over the duration of the night. Now grwong extra hair, shrinking or your slowly going limp might not me a big deal, but Rainbow Dash' wings (muscles and skeletal structure) somehow reoriented themselves overnight. That could've hurt. Badly.

[[AC: Swarm of the Century]]
* After Twilight alters parasprites' behavior with her magic, they quit eating food and start eating everything else - they even go after Rainbow Dash. Of course she got away unharmed, but if parasprites tried attacking this one particular pony, it is obvious they would hunt other ponies as well even if we didn't see it onscreen, and we can't tell if everyone was as lucky as Rainbow. Who knows what the death toll in Ponyville was after invasion...
** They only go after her prior to the spell being cast. They do seem to be 'good' about not eating food or ponies after the spell, too.
** What if it's the contrary? What if to Parasprites, ponies too are potentially food? They don't seem all that picky...
* Twilight's spell accidentally made the parasprites start eating all the non-food inanimate objects in town. ''All'' of them. Clothing, tools, books (and the library probably had a fair few books that were very old and rare, or even irreplaceable; imagine how badly Twilight would have cracked if the parasprites had gotten into them), art (including Rarity's dresses), homes and buildings, infrastructure, family heirlooms, ''everything'' that makes up their civilization, including a number of truly irreplaceable sentimental items. If Pinkie hadn't been able to lure them back into the Everfree Forest, the parasprites would have ''eradicated the town completely'' and left the ponies with nothing but the barest of essentials, if that. If you've ever lived through a massive natural disaster or met people who have, the prospect of a town or city you've grown attached to and everything in it being utterly destroyed is even more dreadful.
** Even worse, given her spell was just meant to stop them eating food, they might be able to eat all of that anyway and just go after the food first.
* This may be unintentional, but Zecora seemed to recognize the parasprites straight away. Now that may seem innocent enough since she as a good understanding of flora and fauna, but consider that she's from a place hinted to very Africa-like (so more than likely very dry most of the time.) [[InferredHolocaust Now consider thousands of creatures eating at crops, and fields in a already arid environment.]] [[http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2005/01/0107_050107_tv_locust_plague.html If]] [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2004_locust_outbreak history]] [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1915_locust_plague is anything to go by.]]
* And then there's the obvious question hanging over the whole episode: Where did all the Parasprites go when Pinkie led them away? There's nothing we were shown that stops their geometric reproduction, and we know that there's an outbreak in Fillydelphia, implied to have been caused by the previous effort to lead them away somewhere else. What stops them from devouring everything in Equestria in a few more weeks?
** To counter FridgeHorror with more FridgeHorror, parasprites are the ''least'' powerful creature we've seen come from the Everfree Forest thus far, implying they can only explosively breed outside the Forest. Of the hundreds and hundreds of parasprites Pinkie led back to the Forest, at least 90% of them are about to get chomped.
* Here's another bit of FridgeHorror: Pinkie Pie ''immediately'' recognizes the parasprite, and reacts with hostility. Nothing that happens in the episode surprises her... ergo, she's seen them in action before. As we find out in "The Cutie Mark Chronicles", Pinkie Pie apparently grew up on a rock farm... could Pinkie Pie's family have been the equivalent of TheGreatDepression-era farmers who watched their farms reduced to dustbowls? Their entire livelihood eaten out from under them by a swarm of parasprites?
* Twilight said that the spell would stop the parasprites from eating anything, she never said it would stop the parasprites from starving. From the ponies POV, the parasprites are eating their food, and they're going to starve. From the parasprites POV, the ponies are eating their food, and they're going to starve...
** Not exactly. It stopped them from eating ''food''. They still ate pretty much everything else.
* Pinkie Pie probably spent the entire night awake looking for musical instruments.

[[AC: Winter Wrap-Up]]
* Applejack wants the snow melted fast, but Fluttershy wants it melted slow so that the animals' homes don't get flooded (and presumably the animals that haven't been woken up yet would die a horrible drowning death). Now just think about what happened in years prior when they had no organization; the animals' fate rested on ''Fluttershy'' winning a shouting match against ''Applejack.''
** Fluttershy is meek and reluctant to stand up for ''herself''. She's not shy about standing up for those she cares for. In years past Applejack almost certainly lost the argument.
* The ending of "Winter Wrap-Up" has Spike left asleep on a chunk of ice floating on the water. The other ponies, instead of HELPING him, just joke about how Spike is "in for a big surprise as soon as that there ice melts" and then ''laugh''. Sure, Spike gets better, but he was ''wearing a towel and shivering'', implying that the ponies let him fall in, continued to laugh as he was (presumably) thrashing around screaming for help, and then said, "Ok, we can help him now." Would if Spike drowned or died of hypothermia?! Would it be so funny then, [[{{Jerkass}} ponies]]?
** Spike probably has some resistance to cold and is probably also able to swim, he's a dragon after all. So I doubt he would have drowned or died of hypothermia. Still a pretty mean practical joke, though.
** Mean practical joke? [[https://derpicdn.net/img/view/2014/8/23/706461__spike_grimdark_water_scene+interpretation_death_bad+end_winter+wrap+up_spikeabuse_ice_drowning.jpg More like criminal negligence.]]

[[AC: Call of the Cutie]]
* Not a very bad thing, but consider this: Those cupcakes Apple Bloom made that looked like...[[DoesThisRemindYouOfAnything something that rhymes with "spit"]]?...those were apparently [[OhCrap the best batch made]].

[[AC: Fall Weather Friends]]
* Pony sporting events seem to lack certain features we take for granted. Things like, say, officials. Granted, it's a common trope, but still, shouldn't somepony have noticed when the commentary team starts talking about it? (Either that, or they get their judges from WWE..)
* Applejack knocking down a beehive and causing Rainbow Dash to be chased by a swarm of bees wasn't just mean, it was dangerous. It had been established that allergies exist, and it's not a stretch to believe that some ponies are allergic to bees. What if Rainbow Dash is allergic to bees and got stung by a swarm of them? She could have died!
[[/folder]]

[[folder: Season 1 (2 of 2)]]

[[AC: Suited for Success]]
* Applejack's outfit includes what seems to be a pair of ''leather'' cowboy boots. But in "[[Recap/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagicS1E4ApplebuckSeason Applebuck Season]]", we see that cows in Equestria are also sentient, talking beings. Wonder how ''that'' conversation went over?
---> '''Rarity:''' Excuse me, sir! Might you be Moorice?\\
'''Moorice:''' Why certainly, little miss. What can I dooooo for you?\\
'''Rarity:''' Could you do me a teensy tiny, itty bitty favor aaaand..." *STAB*
** Likely she used fake leather for the boots.
*** Or pig leather
** Considering that ponies wearing clothes of any variety isn't exactly common, I'd heave thought that they could use the hides of cows that died of natural causes.
* From the Aesop of "Suited for Success": "In other words, you shouldn't look a gift horse in the mouth." So slavery is legal in Equestria?
** Or was. After all, the gift horse saying has lasted long since most people gave away horses. And maybe staring down the throat of someone who's giving you a present is considered to be rude anyway?

[[AC: Feeling Pinkie Keen]]
* At the beginning, one of the frogs Fluttershy's carrying falls and lands on Twilight's face, barely avoiding landing on her horn. Twilight's horn likely isn't sharp enough for the frog to have been ImpaledWithExtremePrejudice, but it at least would've been hurt.
** That horn's gone through a book. Frog would've been [[MortalKombat finished]].
** Not to mention we didn't see from how far up the frog fell. High enough up he'd have been impaled purely from the acceleration regardless of how dull her horn is.

[[AC: Sonic Rainboom]]
* Remember that scene where Pinkie Pie [[CrowningMomentOfFunny tastes]] [[StealthPun the]] [[ShoutOut rainbow]]? Well, in the very first episode, we saw Pinkie eat a cupcake covered in hot sauce, and it had no affect on her, so what would've happened if a [[FamilyUnfriendlyDeath normal pony besides Pinkie tried some rainbow?]]
** Assuming anypony else would have even thought of it...
** Or even worse: fell in. [[NoOSHACompliance No guard rails, right next to a public walkway, probably looks from the side like nothing more than a hole in the cloud that could well be an exit...]]
** The implication was that it was really, really spicy, considering that in ''Hearts and Hooves Day'', the CMC were able to handle vacuuming the rainbow without too much trouble. It would probably be like that scene in ''WesternAnimation/TheSimpsons'' when Marge became an officer and Homer used her pepper spray to spice up his meal, except more. Though they probably could use it in police actions as a non-lethal weapon.
*** Pinkie found it to be too spicy. Most pepper spray is diluted to about 200,000 SHU (which is less spicy than a great many human-edible peppers), so perhaps it wouldn't be lethal if used as a diluted spray, but falling into that stuff would be excruciating if you have even the smallest opening in your skin. Which you do.
**** Horsehair would protect them. Also, the ponies who mostly go around those pools have ''wings.'' Falling isn't as much of a danger to them.
** Alternatively, considering how much she enjoyed the spicy cupcake, it puts the cupcake fanfic in a new perspective...
* Rainbow and Rarity have to perform at the same time. Normally you'd think "how do they not have time for everyone in their own competition?" but what would have happened if they had gone at different times? Rarity would have plummeted while Dash was cowering in the lobby, would have knocked out the Wonderbolts and they all would have fallen to their death while [[ApatheticCitizens everyone else would have sat back and watched them die.]]
** See [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bystander_effect the Other Wiki]] for that one.
** Also, they don't have time for everyone in their own competition because Rarity was an unplanned addition.
* Speaking of, what the fuck was [[PhysicalGod Celestia]] doing just sitting there? The three Wonderbolts and Rarity were just about at the ground before RD swooped in!
** People sometimes overestimate the abilities of Celestia. She's not omnipotent nor omniscient. She was probably frozen in horror at what happened, like mostly everypony else.
** considering that RD was going at near-supersonic speeds aready, my interpretation is that what we saw was slowed down, not real-time. Add that to the fact that I doubt Celestia is trained in rescuing people falling from midair, then if Celestia noticed before Dash was already heading for them, she probably was staying where she was because she could actually have done more harm than good. I'm guessing that the Wonderbolts were there for this kind of situation (the Mane 6 weren't the only non-pegasi there you can see Lyra in the background) ad by the time the Wonderbolts were knocked out, any rescue attempt would have been either too low to avoid hitting the ground themselves or wouldn't have reached them in time.

[[AC: Stare Master]]
* In "Stare Master", when Fluttershy is chasing the girls chasing her escaped chicken through the Everfree Forest (which most of the ponies generally avoid if they can help it) they run across Twilight Sparkle [[TakenForGranite after her encounter with a cockatrice]]. The FridgeHorror kicks in when you realize that Twilight may have been there a very, very long time if Fluttershy's chicken hadn't escaped.
** One would hope that, at the very least, Zecora would have happened upon her during one of her trips to Ponyville, given that Twilight was on her way to visit Zecora herself and thus should have been on the path between the two places, but who knows how often or regularly Zecora makes those trips, or if she takes detours along the way to look for herbs or something? So, yeah, it still could have been quite a while before Twilight was found. If nothing else, at least Twilight didn't seem to have been conscious during the time she was turned to stone. If she had been ''aware'' during the whole experience, however... [[AndIMustScream *ugh*shiver*]]
** Also, Celestia would have noticed that something was awry when Twilight's report did not arrive on time.
** Also, Fluttershy seemed perfectly willing to just leave her there.
*** Less 'willing' and more 'fleeing'. Fluttershy isn't normally one of the stronger ponies, and the Crusaders are probably not to be trusted in statue transportation. Her plan was likely 'get foals to safety', 'find better ponies', 'rescue Twilight'.
* Some food for horrible thoughts; the way Fluttershy talks to the cockatrice implies that it's only a baby. Now, if cockatrices are anything like actual chickens, the babies are much smaller than their parents ([[http://grannycasio.files.wordpress.com/2011/10/img_2215.jpg a picture for comparison]]). Now, the cockatrice [[http://mlp.wikia.com/wiki/File:Cockatrice_backing_up_and_getting_afraid_of_Fluttershy_S1E17.png appears to be almost the same size as Fluttershy, a full grown adult pony]]. ''[[{{Kaiju}} How big would its mother be?]]''
** a little bigger than Celestia, but not bigger than a normal house [[spoiler: According to the comic, anyway.]]

[[AC: The Show Stoppers]]
* FridgeHorror in "The Show Stoppers" episode (and possibly others): The ponies are raising pigs. Why, so that they can eat them? What would a pony want with a pig if not to eat its flesh as humans do.
** [[WordOfGod Word of Faust]] says they can be used to find truffles (which ponies really enjoy), and actually need a place to stay as much as any other animal. However, the existence of pigs also explains the appearance of footballs and possibly other leather in different episodes.
* When Sweetie Belle says "Break a leg" to the other ponies, Apple Bloom responds with "Sweetie Belle! What a thing to say!" Sweetie Belle knows the phrase means "good luck" and so do we the viewers, but since horses with broken legs are often put down because of how hard it is to rehabilitate and the likelihood of breaking again, Apple Bloom probably thought she was telling the other performers to '''go ahead and die'''.
** In "Read it and Weep", the hospital has facilities for broken limbs. While broken legs might be more serious in Equestria, it's not an automatic cause for euthanasia.
** And if it was, that would play to the origin of the idiom. The tradition citing it was bad luck to wish play performers good luck which people inverted by wishing them misfortune instead.

[[AC: A Dog and Pony Show]]
* Why do the Diamond Dogs have so many pony-sized harnesses for their carts lying around?
** They were probably stolen from ponies in the first place.

[[AC: Green Isn't Your Color]]
* Does anyone else find it slightly menacing that in ''Green Isn't Your Color'', Twilight Sparkle can '''[[VideoGame/MassEffect2 ASSUME DIRECT CONTROL]]''' over Fluttershy, including her speech? I mean, sure Fluttershy was willing and all, but what if Twilight suffered a psychological breakdown and another pony wasn't as willing?
** Maybe it only works ''if'' the pony is willing.
** I would imagine it works like Borrowing in Equal Rites.

[[AC: Over a Barrel]]
* A bit of meta-FridgeHorror: There is an episode where [[NobleSavage bison]] don't want to share their land with the ponies. Cue FantasticRacism on the part of both. Except when one considers the obvious interpretation of the BrokenAesop, this almost sounds like a HannibalLecture.
* When Applejack mentions that the trees are on the only flat land around, the view cuts to a scene of the desert, complete with a staple of any cartoon desert scene: the buffalo skull in the foreground. Of course, in Equestria the buffalo are intelligent beings....
* In the scene where the buffalo are preparing to trample Apploosa, there's a blink-and-you'll-miss-it cut to a buffalo ''sharpening his horn on an axe grinder.'' Which means that [[ImpaledWithExtremePrejudice they were really going to skewer anypony unlucky enough to get in their way]]. Anypony else disturbed about the possibility for ponies to die gruesome deaths?
** Oh it gets worse, watch closely as the ponies build their makeshift barricades: they hammer in the nails ''facing outward''! Yes, the buffalo are running headlong into improvised SpikesOfDoom. It's pretty clear both sides were ''out for blood'' here.
* Pinkie's song about sharing mentions [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Foot-and-mouth_disease Hoof-and-Mouth Disease.]] Imagine what a disease like that would do to Equestrian society. Is that what happened to Applejack's parents?
** I'm pretty sure she meant hoof-''in''-mouth disease, equivalent to saying someone "put their foot in their mouth" when they say something dumb.

[[AC: A Bird in the Hoof]]
* "Over a Barrel" establishes that pies can be used as weapons are are thrown during combat. In the next episode, "A Bird in the Hoof", Pinkie throws a pie at her own head. Did... did Pinkie just shoot herself in the face? [[CrazyAwesome Yes.]]

[[AC: The Cutie Mark Chronicles]]
* Fluttershy falls out of the sky in full view of a large crowd and no one tries to save her. Does Cloudsdale have some kind of Sparta-like eugenics policy for pegasi who are weak fliers?
** Presumably, she was recovered sometime after; she's shown with her cutie mark in 'Hurricane Fluttershy' back in flight school (and wishing she was NOT there). Then again, pegasi are also shown as having martial traditions similar to our Greek ... huh.
* The Sonic Rainboom's shockwave easily shattered the massive rock in front of Rarity. Now imagine what would have happened had said massive rock ''not'' been there to shield Rarity from the shockwave... By extension, imagine how many ponies are at risk of dying every damn time Rainbow Dash pulls a Sonic Rainboom so close to the ground.
** To be fair, the rock was probably already cracked or at least very weak, since the other rocks were more or less fine, though that still doesn't mean that nearby clouds (from which all of Cloudsdale is apparently constructed) went unharmed.
** Not to mention Pinkie Pie came into direct contact with the Sonic Rainboom, and all it did to her was style her mane and tail the way we know it. So it probably wouldn't have killed Rarity.
* Twilight's magical outburst during her entrance exam. Not only did she overwhelm three of the Academy's instructors (presumably, anyway), but she ''[[AndIMustScream turned her parents into potted plants]]''. Oh, and managed to hatch a dragon egg and accelerate its growth to the point where its head broke through the roof. Think for a moment about what would have happened had the Princess had not been there.
** Or what a similar outburst would cause with Twilight's current power.
** Note that, assuming E=mc^2, Twilight making Spike grow to that size means she was unleashing power roughly equivalent to a 750 kt nuclear bomb.
* In some ways, Rainbow Dash's Sonic Rainboom seems to be comparable to an atomic bomb and the radiation it unleashes for miles. Pinkie Pie was essentially at ground zero and unprotected when she got hit by the Sonic Rainboom. It messed up her hair, and dramatically changed her personality. [[NiceJobBreakingItHero Thanks to Rainbow Dash]], Pinkie Pie is now insane, brain-damaged (possibly) and mentally unhinged!
** Or Rainbow Dash's rainboom showed Pinkie Pie The Power Of Happiness.
** Super-fast travel does generate ionization radiation, so it is disturbingly plausible...
** ...Seriously? It made Pinkie discover happiness, so she would teach happiness to her family, and made it her mission in life to make others smile. Without the Sonic Rainboom, she would've stayed miserable, and never teach her family how to smile, and never be there to be a kindhearted, fun friend to everypony she is now.
* Fluttershy mentions that she was at flight camp with Dash in her flashback, despite looking older then the other ponies there, so presumably her parents sent her there as a drastic measure to improve her flying capacity...and instead, Fluttershy plummeted to the earth and discovered her talent for communicating with animals. If she hadn't have fallen to the ground, would she have ''never'' found her cutie-mark, or would she have actually become a good flier? In "Hurricane Fluttershy", she does improve with a little training, but it's still pretty weak compared to the other Pegasi. This has a little FridgeHorror for Scootaloo- Is this going to be Scootaloo's fate as well, bearing in mind that other fillies her age have been shown flying (specifically Thunder Lane's little brother in "Hurricane Fluttershy") Fluttershy almost ''is'' an Earth pony anyway, not being a good flier and having a talent that is very unusual for a pegasus, so it probably doesn't concern her, but Scootaloo is a much more active, energetic character who idolises Rainbow Dash, the fastest pony around. Is Scootaloo doomed to an earthbound existence, and if so, will she never get a cutiemark or be forced to developing a pedestrian skill to make a living in Ponyville?
** It's been speculated based on her capabilities on that scooter that her special talent is ground-effect flight. That would make her shit at flight at any real altitude but capable of Rainbow Dash level speed and maneuvering at ground level thanks to required secondary powers.
** It's been strongly implied both in the show and WordOfGod that Scootaloo will never fly, that's she's effectively handicapped. Hardly something that cannot be overcome, and definitely not something that would prevent her from getting an awesome cutie mark.

[[AC: Owl's Well That Ends Well]]
* As Spike is going around town to find a quill for Twilight, he goes over to Pinkie Pie, who among the list of items that begin with a "Q", tosses him a quince. A quince is a fruit that is poisonous to equines (aka PONIES).
** But not to dragons.
*** She had it....readily available and this is a Pony that they trust implicitly to bake for them
** Ponies in the show don't seem to have a problem with chocolate, chili pepper, and tomato, which are toxic to real equines.
* In the scene with [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QJOCyj5h2WE#t=3m13s the ponies all looking at Spike at the same time and smiling, Pinkie petting him, etc...]] it's clear that Spike was enjoying the attention. It's interrupted when Twilight says that's enough; but perhaps the reason she said that was because she doesn't want him to get too used to that much attention from them. When Spike ''does'' get used to it, seeing that attention go to an owl instead makes him [[GreenEyedMonster jealous]] enough to temporarily become a villain. [[IneffectualSympatheticVillain (Albeit an ineffectual one.)]] Perhaps that kind of addiction to their attention is what Twilight was trying to prevent...

[[AC: Party of One]]
* When Pinkie interrogates Spike, it's implied that [[spoiler:he only told Pinkie that her friends don't like her parties and that they don't want to be her friends anymore because she told him to say so]]--''implied'', but never actually stated. Meaning that '''he could've been correct.'''
** If you look at the attitudes some of the other Mane Five have towards Pinkie, it can leave you with doubts. Twilight in particular is often very condescending to Pinkie Pie and in "Feeling Pinkie Keen" she sounded almost like she was ''relishing'' the idea of Pinkie being humiliated. Applejack frequently brushes her off, and in "Swarm of the Century" dismisses her as being "A few apples short of a bushel." Fluttershy would later tear her to shreds (along with Rarity) in "Putting Your Hoof Down", and it's not unfeasible to think Rarity might be annoyed with how many horrible things seem to happen to her when Pinkie's around ("Return of Harmony Part 2", "The Last Roundup".) Dash is the only one who seems to genuinely bond with Pinkie over being a fellow prankster, and even she is pretty rude towards her on occasion (but then, at least you can't argue that Pinkie is the only one of Dash's friends to get this treatment). If you think as well that Twilight is the "Hero", Applejack is her "second-in-command", Rainbow Dash is TheLancer, Rarity is TheChick, Fluttershy is TheHeart, and Spike is the TagalongKid, where does that leave poor Pinkie Pie? Is she the ''de facto'' Omega of the group who only manages it because of her positive outlook and SarcasmBlind nature? And, as this episode suggests, is she aware of this or is she one hell of a StepfordSmiler?
** Furthermore, what's going to happen the next time Pinkie Pie decides she wants two parties in a row, maybe even more? What if her friends really ''did'' make excuses, and with good reason? Is she going to go completely out of her mind again?
*** The evidence in the episode suggests she would be okay with them not attending a party if they had legitimate excuses, considering she's okay with everypony not coming due to believing their individual excuses. It's only once she starts to suspect that they're intentionally avoiding her and her parties that she becomes upset.
* As someone said on ponibooru, ''Party Of One'' suggests Pinkie's codependent with her friends and needs their love and attention... to the point that her parties are almost like attempts at validation. "People love me! Because they come to my parties! PLEASE, PLEASE come to my parties!"
** And we get to see exactly what happens when she loses that validation again in ''Pinke Pride''; when Cheese Sandwich upstages her. Although she does not deal with it particularly ''well'' at first, she also doesn't go full-on crazy-town Pinkamena this time either; and shows quite a bit of character growth as a result.
* The infamous fanfic Cupcakes is about Pinkie Pie using her friends as baking ingredients. Of course, it's ridiculous that Pinkie could confuse a friend with baking ingredients - except in this episode, Pinkie is friends with a bag of flour.
** "All you have to do is take a cup of flour, add it to the mix..."
*** She was insane by that point. She uses flour to entertain the babies in "Baby Cakes," though. And, [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CgF0x-g_xAk&t=0m24s well]]...

[[AC: The Best Night Ever]]
* Another Fridge TearJerker: At The Gala is a CrowdSong, right? But the way the other ponies are singing, it implies that most of them were ''also'' hoping to have the best night ever. And most of them seemed to be succeeding a lot better than the Mane Cast before the party got ruined. That means hundreds of ponies also had their dreams destroyed in a space of about five minutes.
* Fluttershy runs into the gardener pony twice. Two things pop into mind when you see him: he's the oldest pony we've seen since Applejack's grandma, and he has no cutie mark. So the Cutie Mark Crusaders DO have a reason to be concerned, this pony's existence has confirmed that it is possible to go your entire life without finding your lot in life. That is kind of sad.
** The groundskeeper looked more like a donkey or mule than a pony, similar to Cranky Doodle Donkey and Matilda from "A Friend in Deed", neither of whom have cutie marks either.
** Wasn't it a goat?
** {{WordofGod}} has said that they never designed a cutie mark for the gardener, because his flank was always cover by a blanket.
* For anyone denouncing Princess Celestia as a thoughtless {{Troll}} for setting the mane cast loose on the Grand Galloping Gala, consider that she has had to attend the same boring, stuffy, dreadful ball gala with the same breed of arrogant, supercilious aristocrats... '''[[WhoWantsToLiveForever FOR TEN CENTURIES]]'''.
** ''One night a year''. In a nation where she is the ''[[ScrewTheRulesIMakeThem uncontested ruler and divinity]]''. Where the population ''[[HundredPercentAdorationRating worships the ground and clouds she walks on]]''. The fact that she opted to screw with hundreds of relatively innocent ponies instead of bearing with it or, say, ''[[TakeAThirdOption simply asking the party planners to spice things up]]'' tells us that Princess Celestia suffers from pretty severe passive-aggressive tendencies, which is FridgeHorror in and of itself. One wonders if she had the Mane Cast do the wedding plans for Princess Cadance because [[WhatTheHellHero someone called her out on this crap]].
*** Implying that beings who can live for tens of thousands of years have the same perception of time as we do. One night a year to Celestia may be much more often than it would be to us. Consider if you had to put up with some people you found insufferable on a weekly basis. Also, implying Celestia even wants to be [[StopWorshippingMe worshipped]].
*** The point of mentioning the worshiping aspect is to emphasize that she is the ultimate [[ScrewTheRulesIMakeThem secular authority]], [[ScrewTheRulesIHaveSupernaturalPowers the ultimate religious authority]], and [[HundredPercentAdorationRating people just plain like her]]. She does not "have to" attend. She could probably have the bloody thing cancelled, or remove herself from any obligation to attend (or at least, having to greet everyone) and ponies would be tripping over themselves to accommodate her. Instead, she lets her friends ruin things for hundreds of ponies who don't know she has a problem because she doesn't mention a damn thing to anyone except her friends. Basically imagine if you found out the ruler of the land, whom you love, respect, and depend upon holds you in complete contempt, will let her friends run roughshod over you, and wouldn't even tell you she had a problem.
*** Also, this is assuming she knew that the Mane 6 were going to end up destroying the place in the first place. She probably just thought that their presence would liven up the Gala, and had no idea of the extent to which they would take their behaviour. After all, she looks just as shocked as Twilight when she walks in on the scene of destruction in the main hall.
*** However, she does let them get away with it with her approval. It might have inspired them to think trashing the Canterlot Garden Party was also fine.
* Baked goods are sometimes used as weapons by ponies. In this light, Prince Blueblood's using Rarity as a [[HumanShield equine shield]] against a flying cake takes a grimmer overtone.
** Doesn't that also mean Applejack smuggled in a large number of weapons into a formal event?
[[/folder]]

[[folder: Season 2 (1 of 2)]]

[[AC: The Return of Harmony, Parts 1 & 2]]
* The season 2 opener gives a little piece in the form of one of Discord's lines directed at Princess Celestia: "It's quite lonely being encased in stone, but you wouldn't know that ''because I don't turn ponies into stone!''"
** At first, it seems like he's merely talking about his own fate at Celestia's hooves. A moment's thought casts a more sinister light on the princess: Just how many of those statues in the Canterlot sculpture garden are actually ponies who were TakenForGranite?
*** Alternatively, that ''could'' mean that there are a number of ponies who actually merited that action against them... which isn't much more comforting...
** It also means that Discord was conscious the entire time he was turned to stone, [[AndIMustScream a horrifying concept in itself]].
* Discord has a Species name, think about the implications of that.
** Phoenixes have a species name, and we in RealLife (at least where English is spoken) say "phoenixes" these days at least as often as we say "the phoenix", if not far more. Alternately, all that might mean is that Discord is to Draconequii what Hitler was to emo art students who flunked their entrance exam- Much more powerful, and certainly not lumped in with the others, but still technically part of that class.
* Discord created a "game" for the Mane Six to locate the Elements of Harmony, and Twilight Sparkle took it to mean in the Canterlot Hedge maze, which Discord took advantage of to corrupt them. In reality, the Elements were safely at Twilight's home in Ponyville... but suppose she ''had'' figured out the correct answer... how do we know Discord wouldn't have corrupted them there anyway?!
* Look closely at how Applejack behaves after her initial Discording. Once she starts talking to Twilight, she starts pulling odd pained or uncomfortable expressions. It's entirely likely that she is at that point completely aware of what is happening to her, but can't warn the others due to her uncontrollable compulsion to lie. Think about that for a moment: she just saw a vision of her best friends falling apart while Equestria is destroyed, and when Twilight asks her whats wrong, she finds herself unable to warn her, and can only insist that everything is fine while she watches everyone else get Discorded.
** Everyone gives certain "tells" when they're lying from facial expressions to tone of voice. Applejack is just a really bad liar.
* Discord had so much power when he took over that the sun and moon were rising ''on their own accord''. So, that being said...what did he do to Celestia and Luna?
** He may not have done anything to them. It's entirely possible he bypassed them entirely and was causing the solar and lunar changes as suited him. Not that that's a good thing either...
*** Celestia was able to send all the scrolls back to Twilight
* Discord's reign over Equestria. All we get it was never-ending chaos and suffering for everypony but him. And we see stained glass pictures of him controling ponies and ''holding them over a pit of fire!'' On top of that, during that scene, you can here the suffering cries of ponies in the background (likely Celestia's memories). And we've seen [[BreakTheCutie what his idea]] [[MindRape of fun is already.]] No wonder Celestia is so afraid of him!
* Discord's reign of chaos seems pretty silly...then you realize that ''everyone'' is acting completely insane! On top of that, most of Ponyvile's population is Earth Ponies...and most a lot of Ponyvile was floating at the time.
* Discord's chaotic reign was getting progressively worse throughout the episode. What would it have ended up as if he hadn't been beaten?!
* More fridge TearJerker than FridgeHorror, but when Twilight got all of her old notes back from Princess Celestia, and they just kept coming, there is a scenario that most likely have played out for Celestia herself. If she has to send the notes one by one, something she must know would be harsh on Spike, then that means she couldn't just deliver the notes herself. That likely means Discord has her confined, probably in the castle, so she can't interfere. The fact that she keeps sending them means she doesn't know if they are getting to twilight, or if they would help matters any. For the first time in eons, she is helpless, clueless, and has no idea how things will turn out. But if she is so cut off from communication, how does she know twilight is in need of the notes? Discord likely stopped by to show his old rival the exact moment twilight's heart, Celestia's last hope, finally broke. So the most likely situation is Celestia, feeling powerless and blind, knowing only that Twilight's spirit is broken, desperately sending letter after letter with no clue if it will change anything. Those may very well have been some of the most stressful and heartbreaking hours she has experienced in her long life.
** If anything at all, it may have just as well redeemed her into regaining power, and while Celestia does deserve a medal for pulling such a BatmanGambit, you'd probably have to stop and think about all the errors she's had to correct on her part as a kind and benevolent ruler.
* Another example of a Fridge TearJerker: The scene where Twilight is trying to find the book about the Elements of Harmony, but her friends keep interfering her due to their corruption. It is, in a way, a rather accurate portrayal of bullying: what bully victim ''wouldn't'' relate to Twilight, whose own friends are bothering her for absolutely no reason? Who wouldn't be in a completely irritated mood, and on the verge of giving up? And think from the other ponies' perspective, the ''bullies''' perspective. One day, you might be friends, possibly best friends with someone, but out of some internal and/or external force (think peer pressure and insecurity instead of MindRape), you find yourself to be the very person you hated. Then you start bullying your former friends; and it doesn't help that bully victims are often socially awkward "nerds" like Twilight. Fluttershy's reaction after being restored pretty much confirms this.
* In the second part of Return to Harmony, one of the things that Discord did was cause Granny Smith to start dancing and leaping around like a young filly. Remember one of the reasons Applejack was hoping to raise money at the Grand Galloping Gala? Wonder how Granny felt after the WorldHealingWave hit?
** Alternatively, and no less nightmarish, what if her hip had NOT been fixed by Discord? She was dancing ''through terrifying pain'', unable to stop herself.
* ...is anyone else concerned as to whether or not Screwball/Topsy-Turvy was ''wiped out of existence'' when the WorldHealingWave hit?
** Maybe Screwball was the Discorded version of Mayor Mare or something.
* Not sure if this has been mentioned already, but Discord drove several ponies insane (i.e. Screw Ball). My question is, did they magically get better afterwards?
** It appears so; Granny Smith and Big Macintosh were affected, and both are back to normal in later episodes.
** Here's a thought. Big Mac was basically made to act like a dog under Discord's influence. In a later episode, we see an apparently insane pony who acts like a dog at the Ponyville Hospital (They presumably have a mental ward, then). Is she just naturally nuts, or is he one of Discord's victims who didn't recover for whatever reason?
*** She is later seen in the background at the front door of a house speaking to a nurse. She has been significantly rehabilitated. Is there an opposite of fridge horror for nice things?
* Discord's prison weakens whenever the Elements change hands- er, hooves, to the point that anyone can walk up to him and break him free on accident. This previously wasn't a problem, since they were still partially attuned to Celestia the immortal sun god. But now they're attuned to ordinary mortals who will die one day...
** It's possible that just being a holder of the Elements of Harmony makes one immortal, or changes one's fate such that something will happen that will make them immortal. Heck, [[spoiler:Twilight became an Alicorn in Season 3]].
*** Irrelevant, now that Discord did his HeelFaceTurn
* If Discord could forget how 'grim' Celestia could be, he must have experienced the passage of time. While turned into an [[AndIMustScream unmoving stone statue]].
** He might be lying, though.
* The Mane Cast members were turning grayer when Discord corrupted them. Was Discord slowly turning them into stone?
** Unlikely as he specifically mentioned that he never turned ponies into stone. Of course, stone ponies can't be tormented.
* While a lot of people consider Discord to be "evil" due to his MindRape and BreakTheCutie tendencies, when you think about it, being the "Spirit Of Chaos", he most likely has [[BlueAndOrangeMorality no sense of "good" and "evil" (or at least not one that's the same as ours or the ponies')]]. This actually makes him ''more'' terrifying than if he were straight-up evil. Think about it. To him, causing all this mayhem, destruction, and insanity is a ''good'' thing to him. Rather than being outright malevolent, he's playful (well, as playful as a psychotic reality-warping god can get) towards the ponies much like a prankster child is to the people he tricks. He thinks ''everything'' is a game (hence why he gloats when he thinks he's won) without realizing/caring that he's hurting others. Imagine being an "ant" being at the mercy of a bored child and you'll get why Discord is more terrifying being "chaos" rather than just being "evil".
** Want to make it even more horrific? Try keeping in mind that Discord is based off of (and even voiced by) [[Series/StarTrekTheNextGeneration Q.]] And, what did Q do when he was bored? Why, wipe out entire planets of course! Who's to say Discord wouldn't of caused a mass-extinction out of boredom as well? We don't see many other Alicorns, right?
** There is a problem with this idea however. Discord is not just the Spirit of Chaos...he is also the Spirit of Disharmony. Remove that, and this idea works, as Chaos in and of itself is not good or evil. Disharmony however, is.
*** Not necessarily. Harmony isn't necessarily "good", since it can also be considered balance. Is balance [[BalanceBetweenGoodAndEvil that ensures good and evil can never permanently win]] good? Is balance between anti-matter and matter good? Disharmony can mean as much the breaking of laws of nature as it can giving a mismatched fight that ends the ForeverWar.
*** While balance does mean everything has to be even, Harmony in itself just means "a consistent, orderly, or pleasing arrangement of parts", that is for example, a cake would be bad if you had the same amount of every ingredient, but follow the actual recipe and will be awesome. Good and Evil being in harmony could mean that they will be always fighting, that Good always triumph over evil or anything like that.
** Think about what it means to be Discord. [[BodyHorror Freakish apperance.]] [[RealityWarper Abilities that ignore laws of physics and sense.]] A sense of values that is [[MadGod either insane]] [[BlueAndOrangeMorality or unrelated to our own.]] Defying all nature. There is one group of entity that share all these traits with Discord: '''The EldritchAbomination'''
* How about the fact that Discord is essentially chaos incarnate? You could (hypothetically) destroy the likes of Chrysalis or even Luna and Celestia (since one could hypothetically destroy the sun and/or moon, horror in-and-of itself). Discord, on the other hand, is essentially immortal. He can't be killed. All you can do is imprison him until he's set free once again...and there's ''always'' a chance he'll be set free again.
** Even assuming that Discord is in fact the, or at least an, [[AnthropomorphicPersonification draconequimorphic personification]] of "chaos", that doesn't necessarily make him ''as'' Discord indestructible in the slightest. It's entirely possible that if he ever was destroyed he'd simply be replaced with some new and original chaos avatar. (Of course, for a bit of existential {{fridge horror}} from ''Discord's'' perspective, the same thing could also simply ''just happen'' to him at any given time...)
* If [[TheBadGuyWins Discord won]], who knows how bad Equestria will be or the Corrupted Six over time
[[AC: Lesson Zero]]
* Twilight Sparkle's SanitySlippage fits in context of the episode of "Lesson Zero". [[http://knowyourmeme.com/photos/186252 Out of context]], however....
* "Want-It Need-It spell, works every time".
** Who on earth would Twilight use such a thing on? Her fear of the kindergarten clearly indicates some very painful LonersAreFreaks memories, but that was before she learned her magic. So, it would have to be while under the Princess' care in Canterlot... suddenly it seems very wise of the Princess to get her to find some friends...
*** I don't think "rape", moreso as those are common traits more akin to people that are bullied; the urge to suck up to authority and so everything you do is always right, so you're never criticized, so you're never excluded. This Troper has vivid memories of being bullied, and she knows that Twilight has the same behavioral patterns as someone that suffered from social rejection by her peers. Would that explain why she's so eager to please and terrified of failure? She even envisions fillies laughing at her.
** Made even more scary when you realize that social rejection and constant need for approval are common traits displayed by rape victims. Could it be that Celestia used that spell on Twilight? Would explain her questionable behavior around the [=CMC=] and telling Pinkie not to scream. To Twilight, it's perfectly normal behavior.
* At the end of "Lesson Zero" Princess Celestia declares that the Mane Six must start sending in friendship reports whenever they discover them so that Twilight isn't punished, essentially placing them in an open-ended contract with no specificities, agreements between parties, or terms over what qualifies as a friendship report leaving plenty of room for Celestia to change it as she chooses, such as establishing a report quota, a required length, declaring what the punishment for not sending in friendship reports would be, or just all out declaring the invalidity of lessons learned in friendship reports. And we don't even know what Twilight's punishment was going to be, the Mane Six could have just entered a [[IncrediblyLamePun Faustian]] bargain to prevent a punishment to Twilight that could have been disproportionately better than them spending the rest of their lives filling friendship reports for Celestia.
** I believe the phrasing was 'can', not 'must', so in effect she was giving her subjects permission to write to her if they felt they had something to say.
*** She also says "when and only when, you happen to discover them", and Applejack breaks that rule in "The Super Speedy Cider Squeezy 6000", writing a letter to Celestia that specifically says she didn't learn anything at all. Given that Applejack is not banished, in a dungeon, or banished and then thrown in a dungeon in the place she was banished to, it's likely Celestia is inclined to be pretty lenient in this matter.
**** Although Applejack didn't specifically learn a lesson, she was still reporting a lesson to the princess. It was something she had already known and still a good lesson in context of the episode, so it would have made a good report besides the first part.
* Twilight's SanitySlippage in "Lesson Zero" ''really'' starts after her friends make light of her problem and even laugh at it a bit. Now remember what their "Discorded" selves did to her in "Return Of Harmony, Part 2" and [[BreakTheCutie what that]] [[DespairEventHorizon did to]] [[HeroicBSOD poor Twilight]]. Imagine how it felt to an already ''very'' frustraited Twilight to have her friends laughing to her again after that and their innocent joking seems a ''lot'' less innocent.
* This is more of a fridge TearJerker than fridge horror, but think about Twilight's doll, Smarty Pants. When you consider that Twilight has such little knowledge of friendship, combined with the scenes in Lesson Zero of fillies laughing at her, it's quite possible that ''Smarty Pants was the closest thing Twilight had to a friend growing up.''
** Outside of her [[spoiler:B.B.B.F.F.]], of course[[note]]now that we're on the other side of season 2's finale[[/note]].
*** In her "BBBFF" song, though, she says outright that she thought friendship was "silly", so maybe she just wasn't even all that interested in friendship? It would explain her line in the pilot, when she says saving Equestria does not revolve around her making friends.
* Twilight saw Fluttershy [[NeckSnap snap a bear's neck]]. And wasn't aware she was only giving it a massage. Uhh...
** Come to think of it, I don't recall it ever being cleared up for Twilight just WHAT was happening. WE saw the whole thing, but it's possible that, ever since then, Twilight thinks she witnessed one of her sweetest, most kindly friends [[DisproportionateRetribution brutally murdering a bear for roaring in her face]].
** And worse still, what conclusion does Twilight reach after witnessing this? That Fluttershy has ''no problems whatsoever''.
* Think about this. When's the first time we see Twilight ready to snap? When she's buying cupcakes for the party. Her report to Princess Celestia is nowhere near her conscious thought. Watch Cup Cake's reactions. And remember ... this is just buying ordinary baked goods.
* When Twilight flips, she starts using her magic for more or less everything, her random teleporting being the most notable. Imagine if, one day, she flips long-term. Twilight is one of the more powerful unicorns we've seen. All that power, totally out of control...
** Given her unrivalled power (except for Celestia thus far) and tendency to crack under pressure, Twilight has at the very least the potential to become [[AddictiveMagic addicted]] [[GRatedDrug to magic]] and turn [[Series/BuffyTheVampireSlayer dark and veiny]] and scary.
* The ability to TeleFrag is canon. An unblockable, nearly-instantly-fatal magical attack. What if Twilight isn't the only one who can use it? Sweet dreams...
* Close to the beginning, Twilight uses her telekinesis to take a spatula off the wall and bring it over to fiddle with the cupcakes. The way the scene was done, it looked like she was telekinetically pulling a knife off the wall and trying to stab Mrs. Cake in the back of the head with it! Clearly, telekinesis and the right object can make a deadly combination.
* When we see the Cutie Mark Crusaders playing with the ball, there's a bush nearby that has a bird in its nest, chirping happily. When Twilight's head pops up, grinning manically, the bird is frozen in the nest, with a look of shock on its face. [[ImpaledWIthExtremePrejudice That bird does not move nor make a sound for the rest of the scene]], and it WAS placed right where Twilight's horn would've been...

[[AC: Luna Eclipsed]]
* Twilight's reaction to Spike when Rainbow Dash pranks them with the lightning. We had just previously seen Spike scoffing down candy like there's no tomorrow, and he looks very much like he's choking to death on some of it. He even ends up unconscious and twitching. Twilight's only response is to put Spike on her back and walk on. This is pretty careless behavior given that she is supposed to be looking after him. He does turn out to be fine, but what if he had actually been choking? He might have died without Twilight even noticing.
** Maybe dragon physiology doesn't allow them to actually choke?
*** Except that a later episode tells us that almost nothing is known about dragons, let alone their physiology, so even Twilight could easily assume that he's built similarly to ponies.
* While Nightmare Moon may have been stronger than Celestia, Luna is still a walking storm of magic AND has been officially reinstated as the equestrian princess of the night. Now, remember how everyone was behaving around Celestia in [[Recap/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagicS1E22ABirdInTheHoof A Bird in the Hoof]]. To some ponies, Luna must be scarier than ever!
* Luna being rejected by society and being afraid of her was what caused her to become Nightmare Moon in the first place. Kind of makes the scene where she snaps all the more frightening because she would be ''this'' close to relapsing into Nightmare Moon.

[[AC: Sisterhooves Social]]
* "Sisterhooves Social", when Apple Bloom covers Applejack in smashed up grapes, Sweetie Belle's reaction is to panic and beg Applejack not to punish her. That almost comes off looking like the reaction of a child in an abusive home.
** Ooor like a child living with a self-absorbed neat freak who would freak out at mess or dirt on her dress. While that's not a good thing in a guardian, it's certainly not abusive.
* Or Rarity's reaction when she sees her parents eating the 'breakfast' that Sweetie had baked. Rather than a normal 'Mom! Dad!', she screams 'Father! Mother!' in an scared reaction. Okay, given the DramaQueen status of Rarity, you could say that this was a reaction that's normal when she sees her parents, but she said that in a very unsettling way. Just if she has been [[DarkAndTroubledPast mistreated by them....]]
** Rarity is a fancy pony. Maybe "Mom" and "Dad" just sounds too casual to her.
* Rarity finding Sweetie Belle has elements of this. There's a blink and you miss it moment before she sees her were she looks truly worried and concerned, then is overjoyed to see her. She also said she'd been looking ''everywhere'' for her and started looking during the day and doesn't find her till later that night. This means Rarity spent a part of the day [[AdultFear looking high and low for her baby sister with absolutely no idea where she is]] and knowing if anything happened to her, it'd be her fault for treating her as badly as she did.

[[AC: The Cutie Pox]]
* When Twilight looks up the cure, she says that the disease disappears as mysteriously as it arrived. The Cutie Pox creates a random cutie mark and the infected is forced to perform the talent related to it and as Apple Bloom shows us, it can be anything to be able to perform tricks with a "Loopty Hoop" to speaking French to being a proficient fencer and no one is able to stop her. That is already frightening enough that Apple Bloom can't stop, but what happens if a more deadly Cutie Mark shows up? One that involves hurting possibly even killing the ponies around her? ''She'd be forced to perform '''THAT''' talent against her will!'' To add to that, why does the disease disappear as mysteriously as it arrived? If the above FridgeHorror is true, then no pony would be left to tell the tale if it does get that deadly. That or the ponies would be forced to kill the infected before it gets to that point.
** Another thing: aren't you all forgetting how Apple Bloom was compelled to do everything the cutie marks represented? What if a sufferer of [[TheVirus the Cutie Pox]] were to become tired from doing all those things simultaneously? [[WildMassGuessing What if the pox continued forcing the victim to carry on?]] If that's the case, [[FamilyUnfriendlyDeath then Apple Bloom]] ''[[FamilyUnfriendlyDeath was facing death by exhaustion!]]'' This is a frighteningly common way for horses to die if they are not taken care of properly (see AutomatonHorses for more details).
** Anyone who has heard the story of [[Creator/HansChristianAndersen The Red Shoes]] probably had to pick their jaws off the floor when they saw Apple Bloom begging for help while dancing uncontrollably. And she was ''already becoming exhausted'' by the time Zecora showed up with the necessary herb to negate the Heart's Desire flower. If it had gone on for too much longer...
--->'''Granny Smith''': [[Recap/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagicS2E14TheLastRoundup Our little bushel just lost one apple]].\\
'''Big Macintosh''': ''(sobs)''
*** I thought that was obviously the reason why everyone was getting worried, not Fridge Horror.
* The Cutie Pox, which gives the infected great skill with whatever action the obtained cutie marks describe, also results in a loss of control. Before this episode, there was no known cure. Way back when the strain was discovered, ''infected ponies must have ultimately died of exhaustion.'' [[FridgeBrilliance With this in mind, all the citizens in Ponyville were completely justified in trying to avoid Apple Bloom, lest they were to catch it themselves.]]
** The book says that the cutie pox disappeared as mysteriously as they appeared.
** Per the book saying they vanished as mysteriously as they appeared, then maybe the Heart's Desire had a bumper crop bloom that year and they dug them all up for Green Apple Acres or some other construction project, so there hasn't been enough of the flower to cause the problem again.
*** The reason the Heart's Desire flower gave Apple Bloom cutie pox symptoms was because she really ''really'' wanted her cutie mark. The original outbreak would have only been caused by that if every pony had eaten that flower and their heart's deepest desire was to get a cutie mark, which seems unlikely. Therefore, while the flower was the cause of Apple Bloom's case, ''true cutie pox still has no known cure''.
** StoryOfTheBlanks suddenly has an easily applicable backstory; maybe the other ponies even considered what they did to Ruby a MercyKill.
*** Even better, considering what Apple Bloom went through with the blanks, her desire for a cutie mark might be stronger just to -not- be like those ponies in Sunnytown. And also, the story of Cutie Pox might have a much deeper impact on her than say Applejack or Twilight, because she encountered a relic possibly from the days of Cutie Pox. And so would understand why ponies of Sunnytown did what they did.
** The Cutie Pox is very similar to a disease called "The Dancing Fever". If you think humans can't get infected by a disease that eventually kills you from exhaustion, think again. More information about it can be found on TheOtherWiki [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dancing_Plague_of_1518 here]].
* In Cutie Pox, after Apple Bloom starts getting more depressed over not getting her cutie mark, she wanders into Everfree Forest...why would she go in there? Considering how dangerous the place is considered and how sad she was, it's possible she was [[DrivenToSuicide giving up on life.]]
* Some of the ponies in Ponyville have hazmat suits. Why exactly would they need those?
** CrazyPrepared. And it's Ponyville.
* [[TheBigLebowski My Little Lebowski]] becomes unsettling when you realize that the Cutie Mark Crusaders, along with a number of other young'uns, are in the same bowling alley as a stallion who is likely a foal-mounter. As if there weren't enough AdultFear in the episode already.
* Scootaloo and the bowling ball incident. Sure, she didn't hit anyone ''this'' time, but if there's a ''next'' time, she could cave somepony's skull in.

[[AC: May the Best Pet Win!]]
* Rainbow Dash names her new pet tortoise Tank, because he's "built like a tank." You know, not the container for fluids, the armored vehicle. Although this is a good name, it implies the existence of mechanized warfare in Equestria.
* At the end of the song, Derpy peers out from the chicken coop. While it's meant to be an EasterEgg for the fans, it does looks suspiciously like Derpy's stalking either Rainbow Dash or Fluttershy. Or she enjoys lurking in chicken coops. Either way pretty creepy when you think about it.
* Rainbow Dash, pretty much alone among the mane six, will lose her special talent as she ages. Applejack, in her old age, will not be able to work very much on Sweet Apple Acres herself, but, because it is a family business, and because she is part of an extended clan of apple farmers, she will probably end her days much like Granny Smith is now: as a respected matriarch surrounded by ponies who love and respect her. Fluttershy will in all likelihood be able to maintain her special connection with animals as she ages; she'll probably need more physical help caring for them, but she'll still be surrounded by the woodland creatures she loves and who love her, and she'll still have her special connection to them. Pinkie Pie will probably lose some of her youthful exuberance as she ages, but even in her old age, she'll still be able to make other ponies happy by throwing celebrations for them, even if she needs more help putting up decorations, sending out invitations, and other physical aspects of what she does. Rarity will still be able to find and bring out the beauty in things, even if she can't work at the pace she does now; she probably won't be able to make multiple dresses in a single night, but she'll still be able to create beautiful things from common objects. At the very least, her talent for finding gems in rocks will at least help ensure that she will be well-provided for. Twilight Sparkle will remain a brilliant scholar and powerful wizard; in fact, her knowledge and thus power are likely only to grow as she learns more over time. But Rainbow Dash, well, Rainbow Dash is going to lose her speed as she grows old; there's really no avoiding that. Unlike the other five, her special talent is almost purely physical; granted, her great speed itself is at least to some extent a product of hAll you have to do is take a cup of flour, add it to the mix...er competitive drive and ambition, but that will probably make the diminution of her physical prowess that much harder to bear. Now consider this: tortoises usually live very long lives, meaning that Tank will likely still be around when Rainbow is old. In fact, the day may come when Tank is faster than Rainbow. In a way, it's somewhat comforting, although still melancholic, to imagine Tank once again carrying Dash on his back.
** Not necessarily true. There's still the possibility Rainbow will die young in a daredevil stunt gone wrong.
*** Gee, that's ''so'' much better. I'll take 'dies peacefully in sleep surrounded by love of family and friends', thanks.
*** Just saying. Already been hospitalized once. There's pretty good chance.
** Perhaps not, though. While Rainbow's talent is never ''exactly'' defined, it could well be more than just flying really fast. While Rainbow will probably lose her speed as she ages, she still has other options, such as being a flight coach or similar.
** Her personality isn't based just around being a great flyer, it's about just being generally great. She's highly competitive when it comes to pretty much everything, even board games. As such, she'd probably take quite well to being a CoolOldLady who is looked up to by younger ponies. No doubt she'd have lots of cool stories to tell. Think Granny Smith's presentation in the school, but even more awesome (and with a few embellishments; this ''is'' RD we're talking about). "...and I saved the world from eternal night, and I kicked a dragon in the face, and I saved the Wonderbolts, and I defeated the spirit of chaos, and I fought off an army of changelings..."

[[AC: The Mysterious Mare Do Well]]
* The sheer number of accidents happening around Ponyville in a brief period of time. Is this normal? Does this sort of thing happen every day just off-screen? And why the hell does Ponyville even ''need'' a steep downhill road leading to a sheer cliff?
** FridgeBrilliance: it's for the Pegasi carriages to land on and take off.
* What happened to the driver of the runaway bus? Somepony had to have been pulling it.
** [[NightmareRetardant Went inside a shop to get coffee, and forgot to put the parking brake on?]]
* On a different tangent. What the hell was that horrifying [[http://imgur.com/eBd2p balloon Dash]] in the [=CMC=] clubhouse all about?
* Rainbow Dash had every opportunity to make trouble so she could play the hero. But she didn't. So this just proves how unstable Twilight truly is.
** She dragged Granny Smith across a street against her will. Rainbow Dash wouldn't knowingly make trouble for somepony, but between her arrogance and disinclination to think things through, she could still make quite a nuisance out of herself. Heck, if she'd gone to tell somepony about the crack in the dam, it could have been fixed without breaking in the first place (though this is a debatable example because the dam was a scant ten seconds from failing).
* The various ponies around Ponyville find themselves in some pretty tense situations throughout the episode, luckily Rainbow Dash and later the Mare Do Well are there to save them. Speaking of that, ''why does nopony else help?!'' There are several pegasi in the crowds just ''watching'' and doing nothing to help the ponies that are in danger! What gives?
** The [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bystander_effect bystander effect]]
* If you think about it, Rainbow Dash could kinda be considered a sadist in this episode. She saves people JUST so she can brag. If she couldn't brag about it, would she just let them die/get injured? And speaking of that little filly, it seems that the well was very deep, since it took several seconds for Rainbow Dash to get to her even when flying very quickly. How did the little filly get down there in the first place? Granted, she didn't seem hurt, amazingly from such a depth, but still...
** I'm pretty sure Rainbow Dash would NOT have let them just die because she wasn't getting attention from it. She's a show-off, but she's still a good pony at heart, not to mention the ''Element of Loyalty''. The episode implies that Dash has saved ponies a couple of times before, and the first filly she saved, she wasn't looking for attention, she just did it because it's the right thing to do.
* Even though some people think the mane cast overreacted to Rainbow's bragging, if you pay attention, you realize that most of the ponies the Mare-Do-Well saves in all likelyhood [[NiceJobBreakingItHero would've died thanks to her showboating]] if she hadn't. Worse: the Mare Do Well appearances were clearly producing the ''opposite'' of their intended reaction. Rainbow Dash was getting more and more desperate for people's admiration. We see her start looking for the most trivial of problems to solve. And as we've seen before, the line between looking for problems and ''making'' problems seems pretty thin for ponies.
** Rainbow does relatively little showboating at the construction site. She does try to say her catchphrase a few times and keeps getting interrupted by falling debris, but she'd kind of have to be dodging that anyway. Nothing at the construction site was her fault, though for some reason the scene's shot as if she were to blame for, among other things, the building collapsing.
* One fan comic pointed out that there may be more than a few brokenhearted little ponies who'd started to hero-worship Mare Do Well only to find out the hero was just a trick some ponies were playing on their boastful friend. Mare Do Well is shown to be even more popular than Dash at the height of her popularity, this ''had'' to have happened in at least a couple of cases.
* And that's assuming they ''do'' reveal themselves. Just imagine how much trouble Rainbow Dash is going to be in when it looks like she chased off Ponyville's greatest hero...
* Where the ''[[NoOSHACompliance HELL]]'' was the Pony equivalent of OSHA? Seriously, so many disasters, so many crumbling/damaged structures, why has the town not been condemned yet? Couple this with the obviously crumbling city hall in "The Last Roundup," and Ponyville really starts to look ramshackle and unsafe. How many ponies have been hurt or killed due to structural damage?
* Think about what Rainbow's friends did specifically to Rainbow. Yes, she had to learn a lesson. Yes, if they talked to her, she probably wouldn't have listened. But think about the kind of pony Rainbow is. Rainbow, as a matter of fact, was in character the entire time. Rainbow is a pony who hates losing, big time. Somepony who sees her fame as her life. She was constantly losing, and being dethroned. More and more losing and less and less positive fame. Throw in merciless teasing by her closest friends and hypocrisy, and I believe Rainbow would be beyond her breaking point. If this wasn't a kid's show, I think she would have at least hurt herself during this episode, if not a suicide attempt, even more so after the end. I'm surprised she didn't break down in tears in this episode.

[[AC: Sweet and Elite]]
* It has Rarity lying to her friends about her cat being sick, and [[KickTheDog drenching the cat in hot water to maintain that lie]]. What does it suggest about her priorities when she would rather drench her own cat than be honest with her own friends?
** Not anything that being on the verge of tears when two ponies insulted her social status didn't already. This begets more Fridge Horror, though: It implies that Rarity's sense of self-worth is so deeply tied to her social standing she's willing to hurt herself and her friends so she doesn't lose face. Does that mean that her personality is an [[StepfordSmiler an elaborate mask to hide how worthless she feels?]] And what's more, [[DarkAndTroubledPast how did she get like this?]]
** Coupling these troubled signs with how Sweetie Belle reacts to Applejack and Apple Bloom about to fight and the whole "it doesn't have to be physical to be abuse" mantra...One has to wonder if they're parents are really as nice as they seem. There could be a very good reason why Sweetie is living with her big sister instead of their parents.
*** Does Sweetie Belle actually live with Rarity? I thought she was just visiting Rarity in Sisterhooves Social and we saw her (and her parent's) home in One Bad Apple?
*** She officially lives with their parents, but seems to spend a lot of time at Rarity's, enough to have sort of her own room there too.

[[AC: Secret of My Excess]]
* Spike is going to have to grow up eventually.
** Spike has shown to have different "adult" forms though, one being [[Recap/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagicS1E23TheCutieMarkChronicles magically induced]] and the other part of an [[Recap/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagicS1E19ADogAndPonyShow imagine spot]]. There's no guarantee his natural adult self will be the same as this greedy version. As long as they help quell his hoarding tendencies, one would expect his growth to be more manageable.
* After watching this episodes, it makes one wonder if the two dragons from previous episodes might have been nice dragons just like Spike but were consumed by their greed, having nopony to help them with it.
** Except they don't go as far as Spike did in this episode. He loses the ability to speak coherently or be reasoned with. The adult dragons we see - while possessive and potentially dangerous - can be reasoned with and the one in Owl's Well that Ends Well actually says quite a bit to Spike before concluding he wants to attack the baby for trespassing on his lair. And there's not much wrong with the serpent one in the pilot episodes (making it the second time generosity and beauty (the ruby, the serpent liking Rarity's replacement moustache) has calmed a dragon).
*** Spike was actually more reasonable than either of them. The Main Six only managed to talk the red dragon down after Fluttershy stared him into submission, and while his actions can be mostly explained by him just wanting to sleep and protect his horde, he started trying to kill them after a very minor injury. The green dragon gave a Spike a chance to talk, but he still went to using firebreath over the theft of a tiny amount of jewels and some empty talk. By contrast, Spike never went on the offensive, and even after the Wonderbolts managed to injure him, he still used non-lethal force to disable them. And while he never spoke in his adult form, his reactions to Rainbow, Fluttershy, and Rarity showed that he could understand them just fine. Finally, Rarity did talk him down, without using any form of coercion beyond her words.
*** Dragons can live for thousands of years. Maybe Twilight is working from the assumption that he won't grow up in her lifetime, so he'll be someone else's problem.
* Ponyville has an air raid siren. [[NothingExcitingEverHappensHere Why in Equestria would they need one of those?]]
** Ponyville generally falls somewhere between CrazyPrepared and ProperlyParanoid in terms of handling emergencies. But maybe it was installed during the fifties, it would explain the cute lil' hazmat suits from "The Cutie Pox".
*** It could also be used for heavy weather, if something happened with it that Cloudsdale couldn't handle.
*** Genius Bonus below suggests it's what summons the Wonderbolts.
*** The town is built on the border of the Everfree forest, one of, if not the, most dangerous places in all of Equestria. It makes sense for such a town to have some way of alerting the population to trouble coming.
*** There's also the fact that they've suffered attacks from two {{Mad God}}s, the Parasprites, and an Ursa Minor. It makes sense they'd have a warning system of some type in place.
*** It might actually be for the specific purpose of dragon attacks. We know that at least one lives in the Everfree Forest, after all.
* Two ponies bump into each other in panic. They're stunned for a second and then just barely dodge a stomp from Spike's giant claw. It frightens this troper to think that there was a second's difference between two ponies being alive, or killed by a character who we know and love.
* Sugar Cube Corner has been destroyed and Pinkie's bed room launched over the horizon while Pinkie sits in shocked silence... So where's Gummy and Mr. and Mrs. Cake?
** [[Recap/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagicS2E12BabyCakes At the hospital]].
* The episode is based around Spike growing through greed. But what stops him from reverting to his greedy ways once all his friends are gone?
** Memories of his friends? There's one very sad comic showing just this somewhere.
* If Twilight and Ponyville were ignorant of just what might come of giving their baby dragon a nice birthday party, what else are they unaware of? Having a rampaging monster is bad enough, but if/once Spike goes through dragon puberty properly (as opposed to the accelerated, warped one we see in 'Secret of My Excess') they'll likely end up with a whole host of other issues. Not to mention that flame breath of his turning from 'cute' to 'major fire hazard'.
* Spike can either grow up instantly and be a gigantic, vicious, rampaging monster, or he can grow up naturally and see his pony friends die while he's still going through puberty. Considering how long the average pony lives, Twilight won't be able to see Spike as a fully mature adult dragon.
** Another thought, it is shown Greed makes dragons age rapidly, but never states to what point it stops or if it even does. How old may Spike have grown if they hadn't been able to stop him in time? Heck even without the concern of age, just how gigantic and feral could a dragon potentially evolve in that manner?
* The episode ends with the conclusion Spike will not age during his friends life as he'll become hard to handle. This is despite the fact that is a dragons natural behavior and is supposed to happen. The whole thing comes off similar to a human trying to tame a wild animal at the cost of its own well-being.
** Except that it's not natural behaviour, at least not the way it happened here. Remember Spike only aged so rapidly from getting so many birthday presents, which is definitely not something that occurs naturally.
* Spike is going to have to grow up eventually. Hopefully it won't be like this epispde because he's had other adult bodies: [[Recap/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagicS1E23TheCutieMarkChronicles one magically induced]] and the other part of an [[Recap/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagicS1E19ADogAndPonyShow imagine spot]]. There's no guarantee his natural adult self will be the same as this greedy version. As long as they help quell his hoarding tendencies, one would expect his growth to be more manageable.
* After watching this episodes, it makes one wonder if the two dragons from previous episodes might have been nice dragons just like Spike but were consumed by their greed and had nopony to help them with it. The one from the pilot was befriended the same way too; generousity.
* Two ponies bump into each other in panic. They're stunned for a second and then just barely dodge a stomp from Spike's giant claw. It frightens this troper to think that there was a second's difference between two ponies being alive, or killed by a character who we know and love.
* Sugar Cube Corner has been destroyed and Pinkie's bed room launched over the horizon while Pinkie sits in shocked silence... So where's Gummy and Mr. and Mrs. Cake? [[Recap/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagicS2E12BabyCakes At the hospital]].
* The episode is based around Spike growing through greed. What stops him from reverting to his greedy ways once all his friends are gone?
* The doctor of Ponyville knows nothing about dragons:what if Spike [[AdultFear really gets sick]]?
** [[{{Determinator}} Twilight will find a way]]. Either by contacting adult dragons, traveling to a city where they know more about dragons, emptying every library en every city in Equestria... etc. Besides, she has the finest team in Equestria to help her.
*** Then again... [[JumpingOffTheSlipperySlope Twilight will]] [[LoveMakesYouEvil find a way]].

[[AC: Family Appreciation Day]]
* A lot of the jokes surrounding Granny Smith go from being sorta kooky more to some form of dementia. When you realize just how incredibly old this episode makes her[[note]]assuming this episode does not RetCon ''Winter Wrap Up'' in any way, Granny Smith is about three to four hundred years old, as opposed to the thirty-year RealLife horse lifespan Faust had originally envisioned the series with[[/note]], you have to wonder if some of her behavior really ''is'' senility. And how many more years she has.
** Although it's probably a lot better than the alternative. If Granny really is a few centuries old, then she's had a ''damn'' good innings, and who's to say she hasn't got decades more in her? The horrifying thing would be if ponies ''didn't'' live a lot longer than their real world counterparts; if Granny were that aged and decrepit at only 30, it would be tragic.

[[AC: Baby Cakes]]
* At one point we see Pumpkin Cake using her magic to easily walk through the basket that Pinkie Pie had trapped her and Pound under. What if Pumpkin decides to take up a life of crime later? Or becomes a serial killer?!
** Although that seems highly unlikely coming from this kind of series, it does bring up some unsettling AdultFear: Since Pumpkin can walk through the basket using her magic, what's going to stop her from getting into something ''dangerous''? Like the Drain-O in the sink cabinet, the deadly sharp silverware in the kitchen drawer, [[ArsonMurderAndJaywalking or the stash of "Equestria After Dark" magazines Mr. Cake hides in his closet?]]
* As mentioned above, we learn that infant unicorns sometimes have powerful magic surges that fade as they grow up. So that probably means that the difficulties that Pinkie had with Pumpkin Cake in this episode are not uncommon for the caregivers of infant unicorns, especially those caregivers who are not unicorns themselves. But now consider the altogether likely possibility that the strength and frequency of an infant unicorn's magic surges are a function of that unicorn's full magical potential as an adult, that is, that a unicorn with very strong natural magical aptitude is likely to have many and powerful surges as an infant. ''Now'' imagine what Twilight Sparkle must have been like as an infant. Imagine how difficult it must have been for her parents to care for her while also preventing her from destroying them, herself, or [[PersonOfMassDestruction the surrounding city block]]. Do you think the kind of upbringing Twilight must have had as an infant might have anything to do with her neuroses today?
** This brings up some FridgeBrilliance when the Season 2 finale rolls around: if Twilight was uberpowerful as an infant it makes a lot more sense that she's have an alicorn for a babysitter. It also helps that her brother's special talent is [[BarrierWarrior large magical shields]].
** Also, Twilight's not the only victim, here. Rainbow Dash is also VERY sensitive about her aerobatics, and does everything she can to prove them to herself and the world every chance she gets. She can also fly fast enough to ''shatter the light spectrum'', producing an explosion powerful enough to break rocks and demolish buildings. '''Her parents may have had to strap Baby Dashie's wings down to keep her from Rainbooming the house apart.''' (HOWEVER! They never say in the episode if pegasi have bursts of flight, similar to unicorns and magic, or not.)
*** Though it is shown multiple times that Scootaloo, who is much older than Pound Cake, cannot yet fly, so it is entirely possible that Pound Cake will lose the ability to fly once he starts gaining weight, to only regain it when he gets older.
*** Unless Scootaloo is such a weak pegasus that she will never be able to fly normally. Maybe a result of genetic instability? We've only ever seen her hovering for a couple of seconds, and she spends all her time in Ponyville with no family in sight...
** Another thing is that Pound Cake is ''one month old'' and he can already fly to the point that he can speed around a house while carrying a pony several times his size and weight. If this is just a fraction of what he'll be able to do, he might be outdoing Rainbow Dash when he's older. If Baby Dashie had to have her wings tied, ask yourself: What's faster than a sonic rainboom? Now apply that to Pound Cake. Now factor in Pound Cake's name. He already likes to "pound" things. Sooner or later, he's going to figure out that faster speeds equal harder pounding on things. Here's to hoping he never thinks to try '''pounding the ground at supersonic speed.'''
* At the end of "Baby Cakes", neither twin has a diaper on before the go to sleep. It's more than likely they'll "make lemonade" [[WesternAnimation/AdventureTime or "boom-boom"]] not too long after.
* When Pinkie is looking for Pound Cake about halfway through the episode, the house is dark and the only sound other than Pinkie is Pumpkin Cake with the rubber chicken. The window is also open. Suddenly Pinkie hears a whispered "Pinkie..." followed by laughter. It's frightening because she can't see that Pound Cake is flying above her, and up until that moment neither of the twins had ever spoken before. So to her there's an [[TheCallsAreComingFromInsideTheHouse unknown disembodied voice]] of an intruder in a dark house whispering her name and laughing while she frantically searches for a missing child.
* Another thing with Baby Cakes, the Cakes, Earth Ponies, have Unicorn and Pegasus children. in Hearth's Warming Eve, we see that the Pegasi, Earth Ponies, and Unicorns where all hostile towards each other. what happened when, say, a Unicorn gave birth to a Pegasus? they would either be killed or banished, which would be VERY bad for the young pony in question. Or, the whole thing was just a case of mistaken identity with the the little ponies. Which is not a whole lot better.
** It's possible the races never, or rarely mixed before then, as they loathed each other. Since Mr. Cake explained that there were unicorns and pegasi in his family tree (or both his and Mrs. Cake's?), thus providing the possibility that the genes needed to be present to allow for it to even happen. Not to mention, any pony not fitting the society may have just been cast out to live in the "proper" society.
* If recessive genes can cause Earth pony parents to have a pegasus or unicorn foal, can a pegasus or unicorn have an Earth pony foal? What happens to such a baby born in [[FloatingContinent Cloudsdale]]? Alternatively, is a non-unicorn going to be mocked and considered a genetic throwback in a unicorn society?
** Very doubtful. Perhaps back in the old days before Equestria was founded this could be a problem but in the SugarBowl that is modern Equestria this kind of pony "racism" would be absurd. An earth pony would be able to live among unicorns without any problem (remember that Canterlot - the most high class city shown - has plenty of earth ponies in high positions). For an non-pegasus born in Cloudsdale, there may be creative solutions we haven't seen. Or maybe in such an instance the parents would simply move to a different town - a normal sacrifice loving parents are expected to make in such a situation. [[ThreeHundred That or they just simply chuck the babies down to the earth below]].
** Which brings up a bit of FridgeBrilliance when you think of Hearths Warming Eve. The tribes before Equestria were pretty much, trade with, but don't mingle, or marry anyone from the other tribes.
* Imagine what will happen in the twins' minds when Mr. or Mrs. Cake discusses baking a pound or pumpkin cake in front of Pound or Pumpkin Cake. Those kids will probably be given nicknames as a workaround...
** It's not as though this episode invented the concept of food names. I've never heard of a real child being traumatized by this kind of thing.
** The Cakes deal in baked goods, such as cupcakes and - possibly - carrot cakes. Considering their NAMES are Cup Cake and Carrot Cake, it's probably no big deal. Nothing they can't explain to their own kids. Besides, consider how awkward it would be for half the Apple family...
*** See Applejack feeling like she has to specify that she means the foodstuff, and not her aunt. Even though it would be really strange if she did mean her aunt. (Could've just been an awkward joke on her part, though.)
** {{Rugrats}} had an episode about this. It'd likely cause more awkward humor mixed with mild fear than trauma. The twins would learn quickly.
* The general theory about Scootaloo not being able to fly is that she's simply not old enough yet, which fits with the whole still-growing-up concept of the [=CMCs=]. Except Pound Cakes is a flight-capable newborn, which suggests flight is something Scootaloo should be able to do by now, but can't. This makes her scooting look more like wheelchair basketball. This also makes her friends teasing her about her flightlessness look a lot more cruel.
** Since Sweetie Belle can't use magic while Pumpkin Cake clearly can, it's implied Pound Cake is having a "pegasus magic" spurt, and will lose his flight after about a year and then regain it during, say, tail end of puberty. After all, Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash were admitted to Flight Camp at an age where Fluttershy is clearly having a growth spurt.
*** Except for the fact that we've now had season 4's ''[[Recap/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagicS4E5FlightToTheFinish Flight to the Finish]]'', which ''confirms'' there's something nebulously "wrong" with Scootaloo's flight abilities.

[[AC: Hearth's Warming Eve]]
* What happened to all the other ponies that were left behind by the tribal leaders? Worst case scenario: They continued bickering while the leaders were gone, and suffered from the same HarmlessFreezing that they (briefly) did.
* We see that the leaders of the unicorns, pegasi, and earth ponies had personalities similar - if not completely identical - to Rarity, Rainbow Dash, and Pinkie Pie respectively. The ''leaders'' of ''entire races''. Imagine if your entire race depended on someone like [[CloudCuckooLander Pinkie]]. Or [[TheFashionista Rarity]]. Or [[LeeroyJenkins Rainbow]] [[AttentionWhore Dash]]. We see how the races eventually get better, but what about before that? How do you think life went for ponies who had to live under that kind of rule?
* Also in "Hearth's Warming Eve", the main antagonists are Windigos. Traditionally, Windigos are the spirit of Cannibalism from the Native American Algonquian people. It was said that people caught in a blizzard would be possessed by the Windigo, and eat their companions, which would make them into a Windigo themselves. Meaning if the ponies hadn't made peace, they would have ate each other.
* The Hearth's Warming Eve pageant has a happy ending, with the three tribes coming together in harmony. However, at the beginning, it's noted that this took place long before the rule of Celestia and Luna. In "Return of Harmony", Celestia notes that she and Luna began their reign after they deposed Discord. The play may have a happy ending, but they eventually are taken over by Discord after founding their new land. And not all that much later, considering that Luna remembers Star Swirl The Bearded, who was mentioned in the pageant.
* Living in harmony gives Wendigos nothing to eat; presumably they starve to death in times of peace.
** Not really true as the end implies they are still around. Which is a new FridgeHorror.
** Given that they're spirits feeding probably isn't a matter of survival to them.
** The winter that the Wendigos cause was so strong that it cause a famine. If the ponies would be so desperate for food they might be force to eat each other. This hold some weight as {{Wendigo}}s in myths represents cannibalism.
** There's also the fact their winter got worse and worse as the hatred between the ponies grew. What would've happened if they ''hadn't'' be stopped?!
*** They all become a big block o' ice as demonstrated.
* Okay; so what about the villages of ponies we saw earlier? They're suddenly forgotten about. Maybe they're just seen as a minor plot point but did the rest of the inhabitants of the land starve?
** Presumably the defeat of the Wendigos freed them from the winter and the leaders went back to fetch the rest of their respective races so as to bring them to the newly formed Equestria.
** The disappearance of background ponies coincides with the introduction of Private Pansy, Clover the Clever and Smart Cookie...right before the journey to Equestria. Notice how Spike keeps talking about "the tribes" in his narration. Whoever directed the play probably decided that three anonymous masses in movement could as well be represented by three actors.
*** Thematically the leader and adviser of each tribe each represents each of the two forces at play in the conflict. There are the ponies that wallow in hate and distrust, and there are the ponies that are tired of fighting and just want to live their lives. Hence two ponies are all you need from each tribe in order to effectively outline the conflict.
* The ending heavily implies that if the races ever began fighting again, the Wendigo would return. Between them, discord and negative emotions apparently capable of transforming people into [[EvilOverlord Evil Overlords (i.e Nightmare Moon) ]], it seems that in the world of ponies, friendship isn't so much a voluntary virtue as it is a survival mechanism.
** Since the ending is very much played for laughs, it may be just that [[FridgeBrilliance someone accidentally used whatever made the Wendigo roar sounds during the play]].
*** Or intentionally used it to break up the argument. In any event, Rarity and Applejack get into a big fight in Look Before You Sleep without any sign of Windigo return.
* The events of the play take place before the rule of Celestia and Luna. Celestia and Luna came into power when they defeated Discord. And Luna knew Star Swirl the Bearded who was Clover the Clever's mentor. Which means that some time not too long after their happy ending, the newly-christened Equestria was set upon by Discord and plunged it into an unending nightmare of chaos and suffering.
** Luna Eclipsed showed Luna knew ''of'' Star Swirl...not necessarily that she ''knew'' him.
** She knew him well enough to know that Twilight had "even gotten the bells right". Of course Luna herself might only have seen pictures of him with his bells but I prefer to think that she met him herself.
** Maybe Star Swirl's robe is preserved somewhere in Canterlot...perhaps in a museum or the palace.
*** Like I said, "not necessarily". But the claim is not absolute proof either way
* If you think about it, Chancellor Puddinghead is not unlike TheCaligula. She is very much insane (that wasn't good-natured Pinkie's wackiness we've seen in the play), but also convinced she's the smartest person around and won't let anyone tell her otherwise. It's also she that escalates the final argument that makes the Wendigos freeze the cave. None of the pony leaders were exactly nice people, but Puddinghead's rule might have been quite nightmarish for the earth ponies.
** Gets even worse when you remember that [[EvilChancellor Chancellor]] Puddinghead in contrast with the other two leaders was ''[[DemocracyIsBad elected]]''.
** Which may mean the other candidates were ''even worse!''
** Well...guy wanted his horse in charge and this is what happens.
* Related to the FridgeBrilliance on Wendigos: it's also said of the mythical Wendigo that if one were to indulge in cannibalism, they'd become a Wendigo. What would've happened to those hateful ponies had they continued to indulge in animosity...?
* So assuming that making friends is a survival tactic in the Equestria of yore, what happens to the social misfits who don't fit in?
** They wander the land until they find a place they ''do'' fit in. [[AndThenJohnWasAZombie Perhaps even as]] {{Wendigo}}s themselves.
* We now have a new one. Princess Platinum is described as the "daughter of the Unicorn King." Who's the only unicorn king we know of as of Series 3? '''[[EvilOverlord Sombra.]]''' (Yes, the events depicted in the play take place before Celestia and Luna were in power, but if you take the theory that Discord's rule happened soon after into account...)
** Considering the 6 look so similar to the Mane 6 and perhaps ancestors (not saying they are, perhaps even in the flashback its still all a play and it's simply coincidental) and if Platinum's father was Sombra... Does this mean Rarity would be the ancestor of SOMBRA!?!?
*** This is paranoid. The timelines make no sense. We'd have to found Equestria, have Discord take over, subject the population to an eternity of chaos, have the Princesses find and use the EOH, and either in the meantime or the aftermath have the King of the Unicorns take over the Crystal Empire. The only way this makes any sense would be if the King of the Unicorns could cast Age Magic. Though... if he had the Alicorn Amulet, we might have something that could work.

[[/folder]]

[[folder: Season 2 (2 of 2)]]

[[AC: The Last Roundup]]
* When Pinkie Pie thinks that Applejack has broken a Pinkie Promise, she turns nearly...demonic. She has a second voice layered under her own and her attitude goes from happy to furious in literally Ten Seconds Flat. Yes, she's happy again when she Applejack tells her that she didn't lie, just found a way out of the promise, but ''what's happened in the past to ponies who really broke their Pinkie Promises''? Is that why everyone takes them so seriously?
** Moreover, Pinkie's cartoony nature gives her some incredible abilities. She can move at [[SuperSpeed incredible speeds]], [[OffscreenTeleportation teleport]], [[SelfDuplication be in multiple places at once]], appear anywhere (including ''inside mirrors''), [[BreakingTheFourthWall break the fourth wall]][[note]]WordOfGod denies this ability, but fans have pointed out that [[GodDoesNotOwnThisWorld Pinkie has already done so in canon anyway]][[/note]], whip up complex gadgets in a short span of time, [[SuperpowerLottery etc]]. If you break a Pinkie Promise, [[ParanoiaFuel it's impossible to run from, hide from, or stop her wrath.]]
** Keep all that in mind while watching "Green Isn't Your Color" and note how Pinkie shows up whenever it seems Twilight's gonna break her Pinkie Promise. If she feels inclined to, she can ''follow you anywhere'' to make sure you don't break one, like she did with Twilight. Now think about The Last Roundup, and [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NgVPun6TuQQ let the title of this vid sink in]]...
* Rainbow Dash is perfectly content with leaving Rarity and Pinkie stranded in the middle of the desert. This is a hot, dry landscape barren of any food, water or civilization. The rest of Ponyville makes no effort to retrieve them or even notice they're gone. If they hadn't found the mine cart it's likely the two would have suffered days of agony and exhaustion before finally succumbing to dehydration.
** It get's even worse for Rarity when you realize she would die listening to Pinkie Pie's insane ramblings (which had previously been shown to be an effective form of torture against Applejack).
*** Now imagine if they ''had'' all gone home together, with ''all'' of them having to listen to her...
* Spike wasn't at Applejack's welcome home Party. Which is okay, he was probably busy at the time. But then you realize, Twilight had left for about two days, with the others to go look for Applejack, and we never see her stop by the library to pack, or tell Spike, her number one assistant, and friend, any of this. Which means, she may have just left him there for two days straight worrying about where they are, and they're too preoccupied with bringing Applejack home to even worry about it. You can only imagine how worried he must be at the library.
* Applejack treated her friends very coldly when they came looking for her, and it's not hard to imagine why: [[spoiler:She did not win any prize money at the rodeo, and she had promised her prize money to fix the town hall. We aren't shown how the rodeo went, but are shown that she won a lot of second, third, and runner-up medals. Now, imagine Applejack's mental state as she comes close to winning each event, but falls short each time: she feels the disappointment of her friends and the mayor building up as she keeps failing to win the prize money she promised. The stress and guilt are building and building in her mind as each event goes by, and the perceived source of all this stress is her friends and their disappointment. It's no wonder she's cold to them: to her---subconsciously---her friends are the reason she feels terrible about not winning any prize money. So when an opportunity presents itself for her to work someplace far from Ponyville to earn the money, she takes the offer: it gives her a chance to make good on her perceived commitments---and puts a lot of distance between her and the source of her stress: her friends.]]
** Even worse: Twilight was the only one not to put that much pressure on her ("Just do your best.") and then she scuttles that ("Ah'm gonna do ''better'' than my best!") so even that exchange isn't immune from causing her stress.
* The alterations to Derpy become unsettling when you see ''A Canterlot Wedding'' and observe the changelings. Heck, it even gets pointed out in the comics!

[[AC: The Super Speedy Cider Squeezy 6000]]
* The Flim-Flam Brothers machine sucking up [[spoiler:the entire apple tree, roots and all. Sucking up entire trees that could of have house squirrels and bird nested that might have baby bird eggs. And the thought of those poor animals getting crush to make cider is a [[NauseaFuel sickening thought]]]].
** [[Recap/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagicS2E7MayTheBestPetWin Good thing Pegasi never sleep in trees]].
*** [[spoiler: It would certainly help explain why the resulting cider was absolutely disgusting.]]
* By the end of the episode, Sweet Apple Acres has let a huge amount of its raw materials be consumed to produce a product that will never be sold. Not only have countless apples been wasted, but ''entire apple trees'' have been destroyed, resulting in the loss of ability to produce materials (known as capital, in economics). How much this will set the family back is uncertain, but Sweet Apple Acres has definitely taken a hit this episode.
** They'd recoup their losses soon enough. Losing the rights to selling cider indefinitely would be much more devastating.
** Granny Smith said it was worth it to get one over them, so she at least clearly didn't mind.
** And besides, there was about [[Recap/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagicS2E10SecretOfMyExcess one time]] where the Apple Farm were stripped of both their apples, ''and'' their leaves, and yet they still manage to grow.
* "Onto the next town", the Flim Flam brothers say. One: they've presumably done this before. Have they succeeded in driving other Apple families out of business? Two: they're doing it again. Will the next town's citizens be so lucky as Applejack's?
** That's assuming that there ''were'' Apple families in the towns they've tried. In concurrence to the Fridge Brilliance above, if they'd driven an Apple Family out of town, their reputation would ''already'' be ruined, considering how tightly knit the family is.
*** That's assuming the other Apple's aren't as prideful as Apple Jack was in Applebucking. "I wasn't the best." seems to be a running theme for AJ and may very well be in the family.
*** It also relies on their being in frequent and regular contact with each other. Apart from the pilot episode of the first series, we rarely see any Apple family members beyond the main four, and they are stated by Applejack to be busy working on their own farms.
** A reverse one for the brothers themselves akin to MuggingTheMonster: the fact they tried to run the matriarch of the large, widespread, and tight knit Apple family out of her farm will not sit well with any other Apple in Equestria.
** They've probably hit a bunch of other farms where the conditions weren't as dire, never stayed to exploit their cider monopoly (since they never bargained for long-term apple supplies), and may have even 'lost' previous challenges (but still gotten a huge amount of nearly free apple cider). Most of Equestria's farms couldn't have as many near-disasters or be so close to going bankrupt as Apple Acres.
** Judging from the brothers' behaviours throughout the episode, they seem quietly confident in their run-the-ponies-out-of-business scheme, which suggests that any experience they've had has been successful. The only time they both lose their cool is when the mane six starts beating them at the contest, which they clearly didn't expect. Possibly the main thing that helps them keep out of trouble is their constant travelling.
* You don't have to be a libertarian to be bothered by the winner of the contest obtaining a government sponsored monopoly on cider in Ponyville.
** No, you need to be an anarchist instead to be bothered by the government enforcing contracts. That or in favor of a nanny state that ensures that everybody gets to have a successful business, whether they want to or not.
*** So what happens if some third party wants to start selling cider in Ponyville?

[[AC: Read It and Weep]]
* Rainbow Dash hides under the bed of a pony with a shaved head, implying that this pony is either recovering from brain surgery... or chemotherapy.
** The ward Rainbow Dash was on looked more like a broken bone ward. It's more likely that he was doing a series of dares and ended up breaking something. And since his head isn't bandaged, the baldness could just be a fashion statement.
** Could be a concussion bad enough that they had to shave his head for stitches or what have you.
** Or maybe the baldness was just from the earlier parts of the escalating series of dares.
** Given the quavery voice when the pony accuses Rainbow Dash of trying to steal his slippers, it's also possible he's just old.
* The mental patient pony that barks like a dog.
** Somebody pointed out that this is exactly what happened to Big Macintosh in [[Recap/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagicS2E2TheReturnOfHarmonyPart2 episode 2]]. Discord literally drove Big Mac insane.
** She's got a [[VisualPun screw]] cutie mark. Considering how pony's cutie marks are destined to what the pony's special talent is, this pony's cutie mark story must be ''extremely'' interesting.
** Or she's a carpenter or something...
*** In season 3, she is seen in the background at the front door of a house, farewelling a nurse. She's made significant progress in treatment and is living at home again. This considered, insanity is not her destiny.
* Rainbow's roommate heard her narrating the entire book -- was ''he'' driven to desperation by a need to know how it ended? He couldn't exactly say so...
** After days of listening to Rainbow endlessly bounce a ball off the walls, strobe the light switch on and off, and tell horrible jokes, he may well need to move to the mental ward himself. Worst Roommate Ever.
* Rainbow Dash lives in a house in the clouds. The doctors kick her out of the hospital in a wheelchair, all alone.. after telling her to not fly for a week and not arranging any sort of transportation.
** There probably are some sort of regular "sky ferries", or magical teleporters, or something like that, which would allow earthbound ponies access Cloudsdale whenever they need to. Or, to take it to it's simplest, assumed it would be easy to find another pegasus to give her a lift.
** Why would Spike not be at the hospital, visiting Rainbow Dash? Based on the doctors in The Secret of My Excess, the Hospital could have seen Spike as a pet and [[Main/TearJerker not let him in.]]

[[AC: Hearts and Hooves Day]]
* The Cutie Mark Crusaders crash ''a funeral''. Death and funerals in the ponyverse are now canon.
** With the showing order of the episodes, some fans noticed an unintentional link between the funeral and the hospitalised, supposedly 'cancer pony' from the previous episode.
* When [[spoiler: the love potion causes the prince and princess to become too distracted and neglect their responsibilities]], [[Recap/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagicS2E1TheReturnOfHarmonyPart1 chaos reigns]].
** It also mentions "something about a dragon". Discord's species is ''Dracon''equus, dragon horse.
** ...It also could mean regular Dragons, which, after seeing [[SuperpoweredEvilSide Spike]] in ''Secret of My Excess'', would definitely not be any better.
* The ingredients of the love potion involve only a cloud, a rainbow, and a pegasus feather. The terrifying thing is, those things are ''constantly'' next to each other. For instance, the Cloudsdale weather factory is perpetually one small accident away from accidentally creating a batch of the potion.
** My thoughts upon reading this: "That's stupid. If clouds and rainbows accidentally get mixed, they're still not going to be accidentally stirred with a pegasus feather, fast, not slow. For that matter, 'give it to two ponies who are not in the know' implies that it only works if given to two ponies, whereas an accident might well only administer it to one, not to mention that it may imply that it only works if administered as a deliberate deception . . . wait, that's worse."
** It's not a rainbow, it's the rainbow's glow, which (in the episode) had to be mechanically extracted from the greyscale part of the rainbow, ''and'' there's a potion base to which the three ingredients (well, two ingredients and stirrer) were added, so it's possible that it only works when the ingredients are added to a Blank Potion that serves as the base of many simple potions. It's quite possible that the potion could easily be made by someone messing around with potion testing, or by getting the recipe wrong for a very similar potion, but could otherwise pretty much only be made intentionally.
** If anypony made a batch by accident, nobody would use the batch. If a worker makes a poison by accident, everypony else would have noticed the weird cloud batch.
* Cherilee seems pretty calm about the fact that her students slipped her, essentially, a date rape drug.
** Not just any date rape drug, '''''the''' perfect date rape drug''. It's dirt cheap (you can find the ingredients by looking out your window), can be made in your living room in less than a minute, instantly brainwashes the victim into ''absolute mind slavery'', lasts exactly as long as the rapist wants it to, leaves no marks, and the victim doesn't remember a single thing. Hell, one of the recipe's instructions is to deliberately give it to "ponies who aren't in the know"...
*** The only consolation is that if you want to take advantage of your victim, you're stuck taking the drug too, being trapped like they are. Though an unscrupulous voyeur could easily abuse this, or heck, just someone with co-conspirators.
* Applebloom's vision of a hungry pony is anorexic. Holy crap, that was scary.
* The existence of Love Potions and Love Poisons are {{FridgeHorror}}s in and of themselves, given the implications of both. Not made much better by just how easy it was to get the recipe.
* Cherilee thought nothing of knocking three of her favorite students out of the way in her pursuit to see Big Macintosh. What if it had somehow come down to fighting? She probably wouldn't be in the right state of mind not to hurt them... Or kill them, if she felt she had no choice.
* Mrs. Cake has a throw-away line about the fact that she "could use the catering business" from the wedding. Perhaps the fact that Sugarcube Corner has taken considerable damage in Season 2, and even in this episode, has left them teetering on the brink of financial ruin from the continuous repairs.
** Not to mention the new babies.
* [[FridgeLogic Some have noticed]] that if the [=CMCs=] wanted to nullify the effects of the poison, they could've just waited for both Big Mac and Cheerilee to fall asleep. However... what if it prevented them from falling asleep? There are nasty health-related implications behind this, much like with the Cutie Pox.
** Considering the historical love poison wouldn't have been that big a disaster if simple sleep had cured it (a mere day of infatuation shouldn't cause a kingdom to slide into ruin), I'd say either time asleep doesn't count, the poison prevents sleep... or it becomes permanent after a certain time.
* What the hell was Twilight doing, giving the CMC a book like that? Wasn't their unusual interest in making a ''love potion'' kind of suspicious? They're kids, why on earth would they need that?
** Perhaps she went "The rambunctious little kids suddenly want to learn about history? My life's work is validated!" where anypony else would've gone "The rambunctious little kids suddenly want to learn about history? Seems suspicious..."
** Twilight's lack of suspicion about this might be later explained by her connection to Cadance, who can spread love (in a non-rapey kind of way) wherever she goes. It appears Twilight was somewhat sheltered in Canterlot, both by her self-imposed isolation from others and by a somewhat privileged upbringing with her family and then as Celestia's one-on-one student. It may not have even occurred to her what they were asking for.
[[AC: A Friend In Deed]]
* Cranky only meets Matilda again after moving to Ponyville. If he had moved anywhere else, he may have ended up dying without ever seeing her again.
** What would have happened if Matilda didn't live in Ponyville? Wouldn't that mean Pinkie would have destroyed Cranky's beloved memories for nothing?
** He's also been searching his ENTIRE LIFE for her, when she's been in Ponyville the whole time. He's wasted his ENTIRE LIFE.
** Though he eventually found the love of his life, poor old Cranky has wasted the bulk of his life searching for her. He tells Pinkie Pie he's made plenty of friends all over Esqueria but he was still lonely and constantly moving.
* Jacks are small, pointy, and easy-to-swallow objects. There's a set of them in the Cake babies' room, and we know one of them likes chewing on things...
* What's Derpy doing in the snowglobe?
** [[EasterEgg Egging]] on the fans.
* The reason Pinkie Pie ruined Cranky's wig was because she thought it was a spider. As funny as the situation was, remember that from her point of view, it was a living creature she was stomping repeatedly and not a wig. Kind of unsettling to think that the cheerful Pinkie Pie of all ponies would be okay with killing little critters...
** From her perspective, it's a "little" critter that's big as a wig, perched on his head. If it ''had been'' a spider, it could well be quite dangerous, but not so big as to not be dispatched with a good stomping.

[[AC: Putting Your Hoof Down]]
* New Fluttershy has no qualms about resorting to violence for minor slights. "Old Fluttershy" kicked a bear's ass and almost snapped his neck. And until [[spoiler: she had her MyGodWhatHaveIDone moment]], she seemed to be steadily getting worse. What if she had not HAD that moment?
** [[http://niban-destikim.deviantart.com/art/Flutterbitch-is-Back-288703791 This]] [[http://niban-destikim.deviantart.com/art/Angel-First-289053316 and perhaps this]] with an [[FriendshipIsWitchcraft evil cult]], [[WebAnimation/PonyDotMov a chainsaw and shed]]?
** Worst thing? She wasn't even under Discord's influence this time. All she needed was some well-intentioned but overapplied advice to push her in the wrong direction. Just what sort of darkness lurks in the heart of this timid pony?
* It's kinda easy to understand why some ponies keep calling Iron Will a monster: Who else is depicted as a bipedal figure with horns and hoofed feet who is associated with goats? Oh right, {{Satan}}.
* Iron Will himself ''is'' FridgeHorror. Two wit: he's a Minotaur...who held his seminar in a hedge maze...[[GreekMythology What happened the last time someone was trapped in a maze with a]] [[ExtremeOmnivore minotuar]] [[GreekMythology again?]]
** Yea, Theseus was able to kill the minotaur why? Oh wait that's still fridge horror, all they need is a warrior pony with a spool of thread.
* It might seem like a lot of the ponies in "Putting Your Hoof Down" have taken [[TookALevelInJerkass levels in jerkass]], but how many times have we really seen Fluttershy in Ponyville by herself? It's almost always with her friends, or at least while guiding some animals around town. They might act civil because her friends will stand up for her, or because a pack of wild animals is [[Recap/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagicS1E4ApplebuckSeason more trouble than it's worth,]] but what if that's how they act when she's alone all the time because they know Fluttershy won't do anything about it?
* Another reason is because ''Fluttershy'' was the one telling them off. Seeing their formerly sweet and gentle friend expel so much bile must have been very hard for them. The most horrifying thing about the argument is that Fluttershy actually thought about how meaningless her friends passions are, and ''she wasn't being manipulated into it''.
* In 'Putting Your Hoof Down', Fluttershy uses the [[BodyHorror feathers of her wings as if they were fingers to open her saddlebag]]. While this is creepy, FridgeBrilliance steps in with an X-ray from 'Read it and Weep' of Dash's broken wing, which shows that wings have bones where there would normally be just delicate feathers. Knowing that Pegasi have bones in some of their feathers, the FridgeHorror comes when you consider 'Hearts and Hooves Day', where one of Scootaloo's feathers are yanked out without warning to make a potion. What if Sweetie Belle pulled [[BodyHorror the wrong feather]]?
** Scootaloo probably would've farted. "Hey, kid, pull my finger."
** Pulling bones out by hand isn't exactly an easy, painless, or particularly fast process; I doubt Scootaloo would've been both oblivious and powerless. But still, the possibility remains... [[http://i3.kym-cdn.com/photos/images/newsfeed/000/336/499/845.png *shudder*]]
* How much do Elements of Harmony bearers qualify for their Elements if "New Fluttershy" is technically still the bearer of the Element of Kindness? Is "Old Fluttershy" really that kind or is she actually a BitchInSheepsClothing and the Elements can't distinguish this because they're simply magical inanimate objects?
** If a crisis came up and they needed to use the Elements, "New Fluttershy"'s Element might not have worked for her (which is a problem in and of itself). The Elements seem to work based on whether or not the Bearer is worthy at the time of use, otherwise, they could have used them while they were Discorded, or Luna would not have lost hers when she became Nightmare Moon. This seems to allow for an Element Bearer to stumble and make mistakes, while at the same time allowing enough leeway to get them back on track, or be replaced if necessary.
* The existence of minotaurs in Equestria. If you know how minotaurs reproduced in Greek mythology, this makes the fanon theory that Equestria was built on [[AfterTheEnd the ruins of human civilization]] seem that much more plausible. Yes, human mythology doesn't take place here but when has that ever stopped fan theories?
** That, mention of Romeo, Casanova, Fu Manchu, Hawaii(an shirts), Switzerland (Swiss cheese), and France (French ''haute couture''), and possibly other things make it more and more likely. Hey, if they even know about a play character made up by Shakespeare, perhaps it isn't too far-fetched to think that that's how they know about tanks, bullets, guns, and some of our expressions, like "gift horse".
* Iron Will achieved ''accidentally'' what Discord failed to do: convince Fluttershy to be mean of her own free will. FridgeBrilliance: Fluttershy told Discord that she realizes her faults and is happy her friends want her to overcome them. It's only after Pinkie and Rarity fail to help her assert herself that she takes more drastic steps.
* Fluttershy's TheReasonYouSuckSpeech to Pinkie becomes a lot more painful to watch when you remember how hard she takes the idea her friends don't care about her.
* Just how long was Fluttershy locked away in self-imposed exile? It would be bad enough if she had been there for weeks, but what if it was only ''hours''? Considering [[FantasticRacism hatred]] can cause an eternal winter via evil ghost horses, could profound sadness cause foliage to die in Equestria?
* In wake of Fluttershy's [[PrecisionFStrike "Flying Feather"]] line, the {{Unusual Euphemism}} "Pony Feathers" and "Feather Brain" in earlier episodes take on [[HarsherInHindsight whole new meanings...]]
** How is that harsher in hindsight AT ALL, or fridge HORROR? More like fridge HILARITY in hindsight! Come on, Rainbow Dash groaning "That fuckbrain!" or Applejack grumbling "Ah, pony-fuckers" (or "just "Ah, fuck" or whatever) is a pretty priceless thought, admit it. (And it certainly fits their characters.)

[[AC: It's About Time]]
* How about the fact that there a gateway to Tartarus near Ponyville. Tartarus aka HELL in Greek/Roman myths. What the fuck is in there that Celestia didn't send [[TakenForGranite Discord]] in?
** Maybe Celestia thought that Discord would somehow use his powers of chaos and break out of Tartarus, with the other demonic creatures helping him out of his state? If Celestia sent Discord there, the legion might of banded together and freed him, allowing for the potential release of not only Discord if they broke past Ceberus's dimensional border, but ''all the legions of pony hell itself!'' And if Tartarus ''is'' pony hell, then that could include any manner of terrible ponies from the past!
** Also, think about this: what allowed Discord to become free anyway? A disharmonious act being performed right in front of his statue (I am of the personal opinion that it wasn't the ONLY act that caused it, and that others had done so in the past so that the spell gradually became weaker, but I digress). So why would Celestia want to send statue Discord to Tartaurus with a bunch of evil creatures that would likely allow him to break free very, very quickly?
** In season 4's finale, we see ''one'' of the evils trapped there. [[spoiler:Namely ''Tirek'']]. Considering he was so powerful [[spoiler:sending Discord to stop him]] was considering the appropriate course of action, it seems probably Tartarus ''does'' have evils ''worse'' than Discord.
* Pinkie Pie [[CrazyPrepared keeps balls and eyepatches around Ponyville in case of emergency]] so that she could produce a ball and eyepatch for Twilight. Now what if Twilight had asked for a bone or meat instead of a ball for Cerberus...
** Then Pinkamena would be considered a lot closer to canon.
** The ball is inside a tree, but the eyepatch was hidden inside Twilight's house. Apparently Pinkie has been sneaking into friends' homes to hide things. This also makes Pinkie look like a hoarder.

[[AC: Dragon Quest]]
* Twilight mentions that even she doesn't know where Spike's egg came from. Which raises the question, where did his egg come from, and how did Celestia obtain it?
** This question is never answered. Which does raise the question, [[FridgeHorror What happened to his parents?!]]
* Teenage dragons [[spoiler: steal phoenix eggs, and smash them. Imagine being the [[AdultFear parents of those dead eggs]].]]
** If Spike had smashed the egg, it wouldn't have been ''just'' an egg, but also a baby phoenix which was due to hatch at any moment. If he smashed it to the ground really, really hard...
* Phoenixes cannot die from old age but still lay eggs. Unless there are species that can prey on them, a population explosion is the only result.
** Namely, dragons? Surely everypony noticed that.
* Spike is now a kidnapper, and Twilight, Rainbow and Rarity are his accomplices.
** Spike rescued an egg that was abandoned by it's parents. We saw them fly away, and given that Peewee's egg hadn't hatched at the same time as the others, there's a non-zero chance that they thought that Peewee wasn't going to hatch at all.
* Who knows what the teen dragons would've done if they [[spoiler:captured the phoenix chicks?]]
* What do we know about dragons now? Well, let's see: [[Recap/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagicS1E7Dragonshy While dragons can be reasoned with and have a variety of emotions, it takes some doing to get through to them]], [[Recap/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagicS1E24OwlsWellThatEndsWell they are quick-tempered and more than ready to become bloodthirsty killing machines]], [[Recap/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagicS2E10SecretOfMyExcess they are very prone to greed, which itself is almost a natural part of the growing process]], and, after this episode, we know that they either don't give a flying feather about other dragons being [[JerkAss jerks]] (if it's not to them), or they're complete [[JerkAss jerks]] themselves. And let's not forget lazy, dimwitted, cruel, uncultured, disrespectful, and selfish. Sure, Spike's fine with living like a pony, but now that he knows all this, imagine the different thoughts he's gotta have running through his head...[[note]]''Are all dragons seriously like them? Am I really a member of such a horrible species? Am I going to end up mean someday? Am I supposed to be a jerk so I can grow up? Will I be little forever because I'm nice? What'll everyone think of me when ponykind eventually finds out enough about dragons? Will they shun me? Will they try to kick me out of Ponyville? '''Do I have ''any'' reason to be proud I'm a dragon?!''' Should I just...I dunno...ask Celestia or someone to transform me into a pony or something?...Wait, that could send some mixed messages...''[[/note]]
* The teenaged dragons are ''very'' lucky Spike decided to have the group run for it and, Celestia forbid, they didn't actually ''hurt'' Spike. Imagine what [[SuperpowerLottery Twilight]] could've done to them if she ''really'' tried, or [[FantasticNuke Rainbow Dash]] for that matter.
** And even if all four of them were no match for those dragons, I think a certain [[http://niban-destikim.deviantart.com/art/The-Namby-Pamby-princess-291325254 "namby pamby princess pony"]] would not take kindly to a group of riff-raff harming her closest student and her companions.
* If the teenaged dragons were willing to smash unhatched eggs and, presumably, kill the chicks ForTheEvulz, what would they have done to Spike if the girls hadn't shown up?!
* [[CurbStompBattle The teen dragons would have regretted calling Spike]] puny and peewee if [[Recap/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagicS2E10SecretOfMyExcess he had gone on a collection spree.]]
** We have no idea what would have happened if it went into an all out fight while Spike was in hording heat, but if it is a natural occurance, the Dragons would have probably had a method to lay down the law without taking the entire mountain with them. I hope.
** There are three issues that make it unlikely that Spike could have pulled off a greed growth spurt. The first is that it required a specific state of mind to activate, with he is unlikely to be able to achieve on command. The second issue is that he needed to take a lot of stuff to reach adulthood, more than was lying around the gathering area. The third is that while the ponies were unable or unwilling to stop Spike, the same can't be said for the teen dragons. Actually, the dragons (adolescent and adult) would probably consider the attempt normal playing, like the king of the horde game, so they might not even notice what he was trying to do.
*** Plus, they're also dragons, who have been raised in a dragon environment. They probably know how to counter such things, since that's a normal part of draconic upbringing.
* So ... now living in the library, we have Twilight, Owlowiscious, Spike, and Peewee. Pony wizard who can light fires (she lit up candles in one episode), owl, fire-breathing dragon, and fire-being phoenix. That library is SO toast.
* Nothing is known about dragons due to fear? Well, Ponyville has easy access to a friendly, trusting, and relatively harmless neighborhood dragon. Odds are, there's a pony with a low moral compass who wishes to pioneer dragon studies...

[[AC: Hurricane Fluttershy]]
* Equestria lacks a water cycle. Water does not evaporate on it's own.... Even with the other things ponies apparently control, that is disturbing.
** It might just be currently settled Equestria, given that Everfree is so "spooky" because it works on its own like a forest here on Earth, and that we know that Celestia and Luna had at one time called it their home. It's quite likely that the clouds that need managing (for example, the ones RD takes care of in ten second flat in the first episode) come from Everfree and other, similarly wild areas.
** Pre-pony Equestria definitely had a functional water cycle, as do places without pegasi. Unless the presence of pegasi outright eliminates it, which seems unlikely, Equestria should have one, it's just that they don't rely on it.
* Spitfire was present for both tornado attempts when they were failing to reach the proper wingpower. ''She did nothing.'' If Fluttershy hadn't managed to pull through, there would have been no rainfall all year, ''anywhere in Equestria''. What the hell, Spitfire?
** Seeing as how they could just bring in a few dozen pegasi from Cloudsdale to make up the gap and try again, it's not really that big a deal. The only thing on the line is town pride.
* Roid Rage/Snowflake, and his assumed consume of steroids or some analogue; considering his wings have shrunk due to the usage of this substance, it's possible that the only thing that gives them enough power to even move a stallion as huge as himself comes precisely from this assumed drug. So, if Roid Rage ever has to stop taking the substance due to health issues, he'd be unable to fly because his wings, already underdeveloped, wouldn't have any more extra power to even move him, even if he gets to lose some muscle mass from quitting this habit. Of course, all this is assumed, but it's quite sad and tragic if we compare him to RealLife athletes that abuse of illegal substances to gain muscle mass.

[[AC: Ponyville Confidential]]
* Sure, Apple Bloom, Sweetie Belle, and Scootaloo were responsible for humiliating everyone in Ponyville. But what exactly did Ponyville do in retaliation? They basically exiled them - a young group of fillies, mind you - from their society, even if it was for a short while. Even their ''relatives'' turn their backs on them! Well, with the exception of Rarity, possibly...
** Exclusion from society, turning their backs on the young fillies-we're talking about little children here, who were not to blame for their actions. Keep in mind that the CMC are probably about the age of preteens, if at that. Now, compared with Diamond Tiara's coercion, Ponyville's exclusion and them even being isolated from their own families, what sort of thing are young people in real life driven to do [[DriventoSuicide as a result of bullying and social isolation?]] They were even talking about sleeping in the clubhouse....how long would it have been before the idea of suicide came into the CMC's minds?
** You can argue that it might have been Rarity who exposed the identities of Gabby Gums to her friends, who may have told the town later, but remember when Twilight brought up the fact that Sweetie Belle was on the newspaper staff and that she might know something about Gabby Gums? Well, let that sink in and realize that it's rather likely that Rarity kept her mouth shut about Sweetie Belle getting involved when she found out, considering how genuinely worried Rarity was for her sister at that point, and that the other Mane 5, while they were all listening to this, took this into consideration and once they, along with their other friends and family members, recognized Sweetie Belle with Apple Bloom and Scootaloo, made up their minds somehow about the CMC being Gabby Gums. Furthermore, considering that Spike was also following the stories, it's also quite likely that Twilight reminded him about Sweetie Belle as well, allowing him to eventually make up his mind about CMC when they came to their place after Twilight put up the forcefield. Lastly, Fluttershy may have told Angel about Sweetie Belle ahead of time and what she looked like, which is no more apparent than how Angel instantly recognized the CMC when they came to Fluttershy's door. Take all THAT in and slowly realize that Sweetie Belle is the main clue to the Gabby Gums' idenities.
*** Remember when "Gabby Gums" interviewed Spike? Unless they managed to hide their identity somehow during that interview, he would have known it was them from the start. As it wouldn't have occurred to them to go so far as to do that, and Sweetie Belle is still the main clue to the Gabby Gums' identities as stated above, it seems far more likely that Spike was the one who exposed the secret to the town.
* Rarity asks Sweetie Belle if she really wants hurting other ponies' feelings as her destiny, and Sweetie, Scootaloo, and Apple Bloom don't want that. Diamond Tiara not only declared that she doesn't care about feelings, but she doesn't seem to mind having other ponies' feelings hurt as her destiny. That is one cold, screwed-up filly!
** Diamond Tiara already has her cutiemark, her destiny's already set, so she probably takes that as meaning she can do whatever she wants because she's in rich and charge.
* "I Was A Canterlot Snob". Everyone goes on about how much the CMC hurt and humiliated Fluttershy, and for good reason. That being said, it seems constantly overlooked what they did to Twilight, who has been just as good to them, but got a FAR more scathing article. Fluttershy is the most sensitive member of the group, without question, but previous episodes, such as "Boast Busters" and "Winter Wrap Up" show Twilight to also be easily hurt, as well as eager for approval and acceptance. It's also worth noting that Twilight and Fluttershy are both [[NiceGirl Nice Girls]] with a [[JerkWithAHeartOfGold Jerk With a Heart of Gold]] sidekick who had similar reactions. Spike's hostility toward the CMC mirrors Angel Bunny's, and we don't even SEE Twilight, who may very well have been hiding in some back room crying! What's more, as impressive as Twilight's Force Field was, it raises the question of why she blocked off the ENTIRE library, including from the air. Why not just use a spell on the door, and let Spike chase them away? (Which he did) Was she trying to keep out all of Ponyville? Were there ponies who took the article seriously and went to confront Twilight before the Crusaders showed up? Were there ponies who believed that [[SpoiledSweet Twilight]] was really like that article said? How badly damaged was Twilight's reputation?
** Also, remember how Ponyville reacted to Trixie in "Boast Busters" and how scared Twilight was that everybody would hate her for "showing off"? If they thought she was being snobbish...
** And that's not even mentioning how it nearly damaged Twilight and Spike's relationship, as he was stated to be their source. No wonder he's so angry at the CMC.
** Not only did they hurt and humiliate Twilight, but also they did the same to Spike. Imagine his position--three friends come over and ask you to give them an interview on what your CoolBigSis is ''really'' like. Initially, you're pleased to have the opportunity to tell everyone how special she ''really'' is. Then the newspaper comes out. You pick it up and -- "[[BigWhat What]]?! [[QuoteMine This isn't what I said]]!" According to "The Crystal Empire", Twilight may be the most important pony in his life, and they turned his words against her.
* As noted on the Tearjerker page, you have to wonder what kind of a panic the CMC's families were when they decided to stay in their treehouse until they could fix things--after all, they never tell anyone else about this plan. Applejack and Big Mac probably knew where they were (the treehouse ''is'' on their property), but Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle's parents don't! It gets worse. After Sweetie Belle didn't come home, her parents would probably contact Rarity next to see if she's with her. The last time Rarity saw Sweetie Belle, they were fighting, and if Rarity did cause the entire town finding out, as some might think, you can't help but wonder [[MyGodWhatHaveIDone how she must've been feeling...]]


[[AC: [=MMMystery=] on the Friendship Express]]

[[AC: A Canterlot Wedding, Parts 1 & 2]]
* So did Lyra, Twinkleshine and Colgate get out of the caves?
** Yep, only to get [[CrowningMomentOfFunny shoved out of the way by Rarity]] during the bouquet toss. Not a good day for those three.
* Pay close attention to how Celestia delivers the line "You have a ''lot'' to think about." It is not unlike the way she delievered the line "You won't get away with this, Discord!" back in the first part of The Return of Harmony. Now, before she delievered that line, it was already preestablished that she felt nothing but pure hatred for Discord. I'll let that sink in for a minute.
** Twilight picked up on this. Note she was tearing up when Celestia said that line, and isn't her biggest insecurity an inability to handle the Princess being disappointed in her?
** It gets worse: did anypony else notice that Celestia, after being proven conclusively wrong and almost dooming all of Equestria because she didn't listen to Twilight, ''[[MoralDissonance never apologized]]''? She gave Twilight some vaguely approving line about learning to "trust her instincts", but to quote Applejack, Twilight didn't learn anything! She ''knew'' to trust her instincts; it was Celestia who, despite the fact that Twilight has been right each and every time she's predicted some supernatural disaster, didn't give her desperate warning a second thought, and in fact dismissed her as coldly as she once did ''Discord''.
*** That ''was'' Celestia apologizing to Twilight. She's immortal. [[WhoWantsToLiveForever The longer she lives, the harder it becomes to move past the mistakes she's made.]] Apologizing for them only keeps them fresh on her mind and slows the healing process. Here, we see her using a technique for getting around that problem; Celestia "apologizes" by showering Twilight with praise for going right where Celestia went wrong.
*** She may also have motivation for the above from having ''no idea'' what all the Changeling queen did to her before putting her in that chrysalis. With a room full of Celestia's subjects watching. Another problem with immortality: ''there's never enough brain bleach.''
*** What? an actual apology not good enough for her?
*** Never mind ''Celestia''; how about the fact that, aside from Applejack, ''none'' of Twilight's friends apologised for not believing her? Unless Applejack was apologizing to Twilight on the others' behalf....
**** Even so, it would've taken - what? - ''five seconds'' to say sorry.
**** Even then, [[TheCynic a simply "Sorry" won't suffice.]]
*** Just to add, when Fake!Cadance said that no one will ever look for her in the Canterlot Caves. It could just mean that no one will know that there are caves underneath but does anyone think that they'll never even start to worry about her?
* Just what, one wonders, would the real Cadance's fate have been if Twilight ''hadn't'' conveniently ended up in the same caves? Would the Changelings even have cared to retrieve her once she'd [[YouHaveOutlivedYourUsefulness outlived her usefulness]]? (Granted, as nasty as they are the Changelings don't seem to be big on killing as such -- [[CantKillYouStillNeedYou they need the love of living beings to feed on, after all]].)
** On that note, just how long have they been keeping Cadance in those caves? You'd think it had to be, at bare minimum, a week or other fairly lengthy amount of time in order for Queen Chrysalis to pull off this scheme.
** [[spoiler:And what if Chrysalis ''hadn't'' [[NiceJobFixingItVillain sent Twilight to the very same caves so she could find her]]? Cadance could have easily died down there with nopony any wiser...]]
** [[spoiler: And there was no sign of any sort of food or water. By the time Twilight came she was probably already on the brink of starvation.]]
** The good news is, [[spoiler:Cadance's ability to bring out or create love would make her the one pony that couldn't [[YouHaveOutlivedYourUsefulness outlive her usefulness,]] so the Queen would have been making sure she was still alive, if weak. The bad news is, she would have been forced to MindRape ponies for the rest of her life. Being forced to cast spells like the Want-It-Need-it spell or the love poison on hapless ponies would quickly become a FateWorseThanDeath.]]
* So, [[spoiler:Queen Chrysalis had Shining Armor under her control for quite some time, while she was disguised as his fiancee. [[RapeAsDrama Who's to say she didn't take advantage of that to force him to have sex with her]]?]]
* [[spoiler: Did the Love Spell kill any of the changelings at the end, or are they now simply all over Equestria?]]
** More importantly, [[spoiler:Chrysalis wasn't [[SealedEvilInACan imprisoned]] or otherwise permanently defeated, she's ''still out there somewhere!'']]
*** [[spoiler:Potentially still ''with'' her changeling army (they can fly, so simply getting spontaneously kicked out of Canterlot isn't likely to kill them), who can still impersonate anypony at a moment's notice and who are likely ''still'' hungry...]]
**** Actually, there is a chance that [[spoiler: they were unable to use their wings, see how some of them are shown falling directly towards the ground and out of sight, and from the way Rainbow Dash, the same pony who easily recovered from the dizzy dial in Wonderbolts Academy, is unable to recover from Applejack sending her crashing into Twilight's balcony in Applebuck Season, not to mention the state Celestia was in after ''she'' got blasted with a magic spell that seems weaker than the one Chrysalis got, Chrysalis's only two ways to have not suffered a DisneyVillainDeath is to be faster than Rainbow Dash, or have JokerImmunity like Team Rocket. And she hasn't returned for a whole season.]]
* If a [[Recap/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagicS2E1TheReturnOfHarmonyPart1 scuffle between friends]] was all it took to release [[TakenForGranite Discord]] in the season opener, [[spoiler:what would this ''military invasion'' do? Hopefully his petrified self was stored where such conflict couldn't affect him.]]
** Specifically (different troper here), it's entirely possible that the original spell already started to fail around the time of Nightmare Moon's banishment -- and that it then ''still'' took the thousand-odd years since then for it to weaken enough that Discord could finally break free. (Yes, this is straying into {{WMG}} territory a bit, but let's give the Elements of Harmony their due: in the right hooves at the right time, they ''should'' be able to do better than just "turn this villain into stone until the next time somepony has an argument nearby". If ''that'' was the case, Discord would likely have been free again already circa mid-season...)
* [[spoiler: Changelings feed on love, and Shining Armor's love for Cadance already put Chrysalis past Celestia-tier. What if Cadance and Shining Armor's combined PowerOfLove had supercharged Chrysalis? Seems like a hell of a gamble on Cadance and Shining Armor's part.]]
** For that matter, if [[spoiler:just the love between ''two'' ponies was enough to make Chrysalis more powerful than Celestia, how powerful would she and her armies have gotten by feeding on the love of ''every pony in Equestria?'']]
** [[spoiler:That's assuming she can absorb an infinite amount. It's entirely possible she got blasted into the distance for the simple fact that she blasted was ''too much'' at once for her to absorb.]]
** ''[[Series/DoctorWho "Humans need water, they can still drown in it!"]]''
* Suppose Chrysalis [[spoiler: did survive her fall]]. If she found out about the Crystal Heart in the Crystal Empire, she could easily enter while in disguise and absorb its power. Which could be enough to make her invincible, considering that it was powerful enough to do what Celestia and Luna couldn't with their combined magic.
* What if the Changelings found out about Spike's crush on Rarity? One of them would just have to take her place and...
* Celestia was [[spoiler:held captive in a chrysalis; i.e. the cocoon in which an animal goes to metamorphize into something else. And didn't Chrysalis look a ''lot'' like a standard Princess pony, albeit corrupted...?]]
** [[spoiler:Except that Chrysalis said that she dreamt of doing this since she was little. Of course her father might have been a pony.]]
** [[spoiler:And what would the chrysalis imprisonment have done to Celestia? Would it have turned her into a demon pony, or do changelings eat the ponies they do that to?]]
* [[spoiler: In all likelihood, Chrysalis intended Twilight to ''kill'' the real Princess Cadance. I mean, she goaded her into blowing up the very wall Cadance was trapped behind. Sure, she ''said'' Twilight would only have to "[[NeverSayDie catch]]" her, but given how rage-filled Twilight was at that point...]]
** More to the point, Twilight is now confirmed as being capable of [[spoiler:shooting magic bolts from her horn that can put hoof-sized pockmarks in rock and blow up boulders the size of a pair of sofas stacked atop one another]] when [[ChargedAttack fully charged up]], [[spoiler:much resembling the effect of a 120mm gun like the kind you'd find on a modern main battle tank.]] Now, when she finally goes off the deep end, there really ''isn't'' anywhere you can hide.
* A Chrysallis is used to incubate an entity to bring it into the world in its mature form. What if Chrysalis herself was incubating another entity, and if so, what was it?
* FridgeHorror that strikes even after the happy ending - Cadance is an alicorn, like Celestia and Luna, who have both lived for at least a millenia and probably more. All canon so far shows that the lifetime of normal ponies is limited much like humans - suggesting that Cadance has just entered into a marriage which [[MayflyDecemberRomance will last a few decades]], while she'll live for centuries.
** We might have a different reason for Celestia and Luna's immortality: age spells, which only the most skilled and powerful magic users can cast. Celestia and Luna are supposed to be extremely powerful and have centuries of experience. Of course, this may mean they've been holding out on the fountain of youth from the populace (though it may just be that age spells are only permanently work if they're self-cast).
*** Only Celestia and Luna seem to be immortal; they have flowing manes and tails while Cadance doesn't.
* What if the Mane Six had managed to get the Elements of Harmony? Considering the fact that changelings feed on love, would the elements have made them more powerful?
** Or how about even if they've managed to get the Elements of Harmony but failing since they've practically abandoned her. There are several ways the elements could fail, such as betraying your ''loyalty'' towards a friend, falling for dis''honesty'', etc. As well, Twilight may not be a mare who holds a grudge but what if she was just bottling it up?
*** Shining Armor and Cadance's attack was powered by love yet it didn't power the changelings up...
* Chrysalis admires how Equestria has more love than she's ever encounterd. Just how many countries/worlds has she already..."encountered" and what became of them?
* Imagine the sort of tyrant Cadance could be if she used her powers for evil. She has the power to make every pony in Equestria completely devoted to her. [[note]]''More like she has the power to bolster the love one already feels toward another."[[/note]]
** [[Literature/NineteenEightyFour But it was all right, everything was all right, the struggle was finished. They had won the victory over themselves. They loved Queen Chrysalis.]]
** This creates even more implications if the audience has prior knowledge of [[SwordOfTruthThe Sword Of Truth]] series of books, which have the Confessor. A being who's ability is to suppress a person's ability to feel anything but love for the Confessor and magnifies it tenfold. If a confessor asks a person she has "touched" to die, they are so devoted their heart simply stops. If Cadance became a Tyrant, and Love is implied to be stronger than Celestia (Chrysalis beats Celestia --> Chrysalis is beaten by Love) she could either enslave or kill both Princesses on a whim.
** There is a way that Cadance basically could use her powers for evil, even if her main power is to strengthen love already there - remember the "Want It Need It spell"? It's likely that Twilight learned that from Cadance, and it forced everypony to fall in love with her Smarty Pants doll. A "Want It Need It" spell there, a bit of her love-strengthening magic there, and Cadance could have every stallion in Equestria under her control to be a slave to her love if she really wanted.
* This little piece of FridgeHorror also contains some AccidentalInnuendo or maybe even GettingCrapPastTheRadar. The Changelings are based on insects on design, and have a queen, so it's probably safe to assume they act a lot like bees. Of course Chrysalis is female, but the same can probably be said for the [[SamusIsAGirl rest of her subjects,]] considering on how they acted they're the workers. But that leaves the question on reproduction, which leaves us to the drone, the sole male member of the colony. For those who don't know what his purpose is [[spoiler: it's to fertilize a receptive queen.]] Now consider Shining Armor who Chrysalis had him under her control the entire time...let that sink in for a moment.
* At the wedding, Pinkie Pie was at least at one time planning to play music known to attract parasprites.
** It's likely that you have to be in proximity to paraspites to attract them with music. I doubt very much whether they can hear it all the way from the Everfree forest. And even if worst case scenario, the parasprites were attracted, they'd come very slowly (i.e. walking in a straight line) and they could easily be lured out, since the music would still be keeping them docile.
* Twilight facing the three brainwashed bridesmaids becomes way creepier when you realize that those three, Minuette, Twinkleshine and Lyra, may have been the closest thing to friends Twilight had when she was living in Canterlot. In Mare in the Moon Minuette and Twinkleshine invite her to a party, and Lyra is seen attempting to be friendly as Twilight charges past.
** There's also some Fridge Sadness when you realize that most of the wedding party is made of Shining Armor and Twilight's family and friends. Poor Cadance, who practically ''embodies'' love, had no visible family or friends in her own wedding -- which is also to say, no one who would be close enough to notice her personality change.
* In the wedding photo montage, Rarity is seen to be hanging out with Fancy Pants and making flirtatious looks at him. Perfectly fine, but one realizes that next season will likely have an episode about letting someone with a puppy dog crush (Spike) down gently as she never really said that she feels the same way about him and just likes him as a friend.
** Which would be an uncomfortable situation for both parties, but you'd have to be incredibly sensitive for it to qualify as actual HORROR. Most viewers will have at least one similar conversation at some point in their lives, and it's likely they'll have live it from all sides.
** Yes, but the point was that it's an uncomfortable subject that will be brought up and in the back of the minds of people. It's more Fridge Sadness than anything.
* Just WhatIf Twilight DIDN'T believe that Cadance wasn't the fake?
** [[http://crimsonbugeye.deviantart.com/art/Canterlot-Wedding-BAD-END-309211910 Oh, probably something like this.]]
* Cadance's powers. Even if they "strengthen what's already there", that's not exactly much better. For instance, it is never really made clear just what qualifies as "love" for her powers? It's almost guaranteed that you feel more "love" towards any random passerby - even one who you absolutely hate - than you do towards that ant that is crawling along your wall. Can she use that? If so, then even if her powers don't "create" love, then the effects would be effectively indistinguishable.
** Depends a lot on one's personal stance on "love" in general. Is love a good thing? Then Cadance's powers are pretty unquestionably positive. Is it an already-questionable breakdown of rationality (or worse) in its own right? ''Then'' they suddenly look a lot more ominous. (Of course, the real reason her powers are going to be limited is somewhat more meta: most of the show is ''driven'' by interpersonal conflict of some kind or other, and if a Princess DeusExMachina could just pop in and resolve everything with a few strategically-placed pink hearts anytime she liked, that would be kind of anticlimactic. So she probably can't actually do that. Watch out if she ever picks up a SuperpoweredEvilSide, though...)
*** Not to mention the UnfortunateImplications of the "Want It, Need It" spell... take that in account with Cadance's power to amplify love, add a SuperpoweredEvilSide into the mix, and, well, you could have the potential for a [[WorldsMostBeautifulWoman very]] [[TheVamp sinister]] [[IHaveYouNowMyPretty alicorn]].
** Not quite too worrisome, but if her Love magic does not distinguish between TheFourLoves, and she misjudges a "couple" that needs the help of her magic, that might result in some [[BrotherSisterIncest unfortunate]] [[KissingCousins accidents]], as FanArt was [[http://fav.me/d4xc25y quick to elaborate upon]].
*** Actually, even if it doesn't identify TheFourLoves as four distinct, separate things, they are. Strengthening what's already there would ''not'' change the type of love. ''Replacing'' it, however...
* The beginning of part 2 was a downright scary HopeSpot from Cadance's POV. Consider it for a moment; stuck in a cell, hungry, thirsty[[note]]even assuming Chrysalis wanted her alive comfortable and happy would not be worth the bother[[/note]], no idea what the impostor is doing to your betrothed... then the cell wall is shattered by a bolt of familiar power. Twilight's here! You're saved! Aunt Cellie was right about how her powers were growing! Twilight looks... equicidal. That [[WitchWithACapitalB witch]] is still wearing your face! ''Aunt Cellie was right about how her powers were growing!'' '''[[OhCrap OhbuckohbuckOHBUCK]]!'''
* Crossing over into TearJerker territory: Cadance is an alicorn, Shining Armor is a unicorn. An average horse's lifespan is about thirty years, and even if by being a unicorn his lifespan is extended, alicorns from what we see from Celestia and Luna, live for ''thousands'' of years.
** As mentioned above, there's actually a strong suggestion in-series that the Earth Pony known as Granny Smith is over 3-4 centuries old. So it's possible that the difference between Shining Armor and Cadance's lifespans isn't that great -- not to mention, Celestia and Luna's long lifespans may come from whatever it was that endowed them the power/authority to control the sun and the moon rather than their race.
* Twilight has no ill feelings towards everyone, but [[WhatIf what if]] she did? How she'll react?
* [[spoiler: Did the Love Spell kill any of the changelings at the end, or are they now simply all over Equestria?]]
** More importantly, [[spoiler:Chrysalis wasn't [[SealedEvilInACan imprisoned]] or otherwise permanently defeated, she's ''still out there somewhere!'']]
** [[spoiler:Potentially still ''with'' her changeling army (they can fly, so simply getting spontaneously kicked out of Canterlot isn't likely to kill them), who can still impersonate anypony at a moment's notice and who are likely ''still'' hungry...]]
*** [[spoiler:This is now straight canon with the comics.]]
**** The comics are only canon to those who want them to be, according to their WordOfGod.
*** [[spoiler: As mentioned in the section that says Chrysalis and her changelings were likely to be killed, they didn't seem able to recover with their wings after that impact, and some were shown falling directly towards the ground disappearing from top view. Plus, Chrysalis hasn't returned for over a whole season, comics aside.]]
** [[spoiler:It should be noted that Shining Armor was able to calibrate his spell to ''only'' affect the Changelings and no one and no pony else. Even if it was supercharged by ThePowerOfLove, that proves it would be possible to make a spell that only affects them, which could be used to detect and stop them.]]
*** [[spoiler: On that note, since the spell repelled the changelings (with great force), but didn't damage any of the buildings, what happened to any changelings that were inside when the blast hit?]]
**** [[spoiler: Well, at some point the residual mush would no longer be a live changeling ... ]]
* [[spoiler:Just how long was poor Cadance kept prisoner down in those caves?]]
** [[spoiler:And what if Chrysalis ''hadn't'' [[NiceJobFixingItVillain sent Twilight to the very same caves so she could find her]]? Cadance could have easily died down there with nopony any wiser...]]
** [[spoiler: And there was no sign of any sort of food or water. By the time Twilight came she was probably already on the brink of starvation.]]
*** [[spoiler: There's also no food on the moon, but Luna survived 1000 years.]]
**** Nightmare Moon was the embodiment of Luna's bitterness possessing her so maybe she doesn't need food.
*** [[spoiler: Cadance also had her bouquet with her. Ponies have been shown eating flowers before. Maybe to start with it had been a grand thing with roses, ivy, baby's breath, etc. but by the time Twilight showed up it had been nibbled down to some greenery and a few lilies of the valley.]]
**** [[spoiler:That very same bouquet gives evidence that she wasn't there for very long. If she was there longer without sunlight or water, those plants would have dried up.]]
* [[spoiler: Now that we know about the Changelings, think back to the many times you've seen duplicate character models in the same seen at once? Were the animators just being lazy? Or were the Changelings planning their takeover for a very, ''very'' long time?]]
** And duplicates are still present after this episode, implying changelings are still alive... but there is also possibility that not all changelings follow their queen, and some live lives of peace.
* If a [[Recap/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagicS2E1TheReturnOfHarmonyPart1 scuffle between friends]] was all it took to release [[TakenForGranite Discord]] in the season opener, [[spoiler:what would this ''military invasion'' do? Hopefully his petrified self was stored where such conflict couldn't affect him.]]
** Specifically (different troper here), it's entirely possible that the original spell already started to fail around the time of Nightmare Moon's banishment -- and that it then ''still'' took the thousand-odd years since then for it to weaken enough that Discord could finally break free. (Yes, this is straying into {{WMG}} territory a bit, but let's give the Elements of Harmony their due: in the right hooves at the right time, they ''should'' be able to do better than just "turn this villain into stone until the next time somepony has an argument nearby". If ''that'' was the case, Discord would likely have been free again already circa mid-season...)
* [[spoiler: Changelings feed on love, and Shining Armor's love for Cadance already put Chrysalis past Celestia-tier. What if Cadance and Shining Armor's combined PowerOfLove had supercharged Chrysalis? Seems like a hell of a gamble on Cadance and Shining Armor's part.]]
** For that matter, if [[spoiler:just the love between ''two'' ponies was enough to make Chrysalis more powerful than Celestia, how powerful would she and her armies have gotten by feeding on the love of ''every pony in Equestria?'']]
** [[spoiler:That's assuming she can absorb an infinite amount. It's entirely possible she got blasted into the distance for the simple fact that she blasted was ''too much'' at once for her to absorb.]]
** [[spoiler: No. Firstly, Cadance had broken Shining Armor out of Chrysalis' control so she could no longer feed on his love. Secondly, Chrysalis wasn't defeated by a wave of love magic, she was propelled by the shield spell made successful by the combined love. You see Shining Armor trying to perform the spell a moment before, that is why Cadance helps him.]]
** It seems likely that Chrysalis wasn't just feeding on Shining Armour's love for Cadance. This was the capital city of Equestria during the run-up to a royal wedding; romance and romantic love will be going into overdrive. That was noticeable in Vancouver during the run-up to Prince William's wedding; how much stronger would it have been in London? Now scale that up to suit Equestria, the most love-filled land in that world. Small wonder Chrysalis had enough power to match Celestia. To dilute the nightmare fuel potential, remember that this would be Chrysalis, probably the most powerful of changelings, can do at the absolute peak of her possible power. If the changeling make return appearances, Chrysalis might be on Twilight's level at the most, and probably well below that.
* Celestia was [[spoiler:held captive in a chrysalis; i.e. the cocoon in which a caterpillar goes to metamorphose into its adult form. And didn't Chrysalis look a ''lot'' like a standard Princess pony, albeit corrupted...?]]
** [[spoiler: This seems unlikely, since Chrysalis mentions while looking out the window at the chaos that this is the sort of day she'd dreamt about since she was small.]]
** [[spoiler:It might have just been like the cocoons spiders use to hold their prey before eating them. Okay, that's not much better.]]
* A Chrysalis is used to incubate an entity to bring it into the world in its mature form. What if Crhysallis herself was incubating another entity, and if so, what was it?
** Chrysalis is probably meant to be a MeaningfulName in that it's what insects use to ''change'' into another form.
* Chrysalis and her Changelings [[spoiler:were last seen being blasted into the horizon at what was likely super sonic speeds. If Rainbow Dash crashing into the ground during a normal stunt training session put her in the hospital, it's a ''very'' likely possibility at least some of them were heavily wounded, if not killed on impact. That's assuming the impact alone didn't do the job. Not to say Chrysalis doesn't deserve it.]]
** Unlikely. The Changelings were shown smashing into the ground at high speed during the attack, and they were fine. They're also insectoid, and thus, presumably harder to kill. Plus, they can fly, and they were hurled quite a horizontal distance; plenty of time for them to recover and get their wings going. And that's just the {{Mooks}}; Chrysalis is presumably much more powerful than the normal Changelings even by default, and still probably had a good bit of 'charge' left from Shining Armor. Never mind what she may have absorbed while Shining Armor and Cadance supercharged their Power of Love...
*** And yet getting ''tripped by Fluttershy cowering in fear'' was enough to knock them out. When they fly into the ground, they form a magical cone around them beginning with their horns that probably protects them. The former point also brings up more FridgeHorror, if that was enough to knock one out, then what are the odds ''any'' of them were conscious enough to recover with their wings after being hit with enough force to launch them over the horizon?
*** On the subject of changelings defeated by the Mane 6, while some are shown twitching with their eyes closed, others are shown completely motionless with their eyes open.
* Did those bridesmaids ever get out of the mines?!
** Rest assured, they did. They're the ones Rarity shoves aside when she goes after the bouquet.
* The love of your life? [[ParanoiaFuel Could be a]] [[BodySnatcher Changeling]] [[EmotionEater feeding off of your love]] whilst your ''real'' love of your life is trapped somewhere.
** This is slightly less frightening since it seems the rest of the Changelings [[ThisWasHisTrueForm revert to their true form]] upon being knocked out and it didn't take much to do so.
* Depending on how long the whole impostion has been going on; did Shining Armor do.. that.. pre-engagement.. stuff with [[ShapeshifterBedReveal Chrysalis]]?
** Maybe he saved himself for marriage.
*** Knowing Creator/LaurenFaust, this is most likely. She states that ponies don't even ''create'' alcoholic beverages, much less get drunk on them, so premarital... intimacy is almost certainly out of the question.
*** Faust said that "Nopony approves of boozing it up," which actually kind of implies that alcoholic beverages exist for them to be disapproved of in the first place. At any rate, Shining Armor and Cadance had already moved in together, and even if they were abstaining, the Queen was laying the mind whammy on him, so what he wanted may not have been relevant.
**** How in the world are premarital sex and drunkenness one and the same? Plenty of people in real life (and other fiction) are perfectly able to have sex outside of marriage (yes, even while engaged) while completely sober. Getting a bit offensive there with the judgement calls, folks.
** Remember his complaints about maintaining the shield 24/7? Exhaustion and terrible headaches kill the mood.
* The Changelings beat the manes to the Elements of Harmony. The Changelings had first shot at the most powerful artifacts in Equestria and the ultimate tool of peace, and they were on. Their. Doorstep.
** If Celestia remotely unlocked the barrier, or allowed the Mane 6 access, then all somepony would need to is to waltz right in, mimic the spell keeper, and empty the vault, and nopony would be the wiser, provided there was a big enough distraction to completely lose track of them. Wait...
** Does anyone else wonder why Celestia doesn't just let the Mane Six keep the Elements with them, seeing as how they're, ya know, ''[[CaptainObvious The Freaking BEARERS of the Elements of Harmony?]]''
*** The Mane Six don't need the Elements most of the time, and wouldn't be able to keep them as safe as Celestia.
*** Oh really? And how's that working out for her?
*** Calm down. While the elements are with Celestia, there's not only a powerful sun-moving alicorn protecting them, but the entire Royal Guard. Even if all the elements were given to Twilight, she wouldn't be nearly as powerful as them lot combined, and they'd still need Celestia to give the mane cast their instructions. The only two cases where this didn't work was when a superpowerful draconequus (who wasn't expected to escape) beat Celestia's defenses, and when a changeling queen overpowered Celestia (something that even the changeling queen hadn't expected). The elements are weapons of last resort, so they can't be entrusted to anything less than maximum security.
*** Irrelevant. If a given tactic fails, you change it. If it fails TWICE and at critical junctures, you dump it entirely. On two occasions Equestria was nearly lost because the bearers of the Elements couldn't reach their elements in time. Under no circumstances does keeping the Bearers separate from their Elements make any sort of tactical sense. Keeping the elements locked up has proven LESS safe than simply letting the Bearers keep them.
*** Discord was capable of retrieving the Elements from any location. Removing them from Canterlot and placing them in Twilight's library without anyone noticing showed that. If Twilight had been wearing her tiara when Chrysalis banished her, she could have taken it at that point. Or when the manes were sleeping in Canterlot. Or she would have had changelings attack them at home. Neither of those situations would have been improved by the mane six keeping them. Additionally, given the resources that they possess, the mane six would either put the Elements into a bank fault, or wear them all the time. Since the elements are just fancy jewelry when not in use and the manes lead adventurous lives, they would have been at higher risk of being lost like that.
* The background errors involving Pony clones [[FunnyAneurysmMoment become much less amusing]] when you find out about the Changelings.
* How many Changelings weren't involved in the attacks and may have very well been living entirely peaceful lives that would have been evicted from Canterlot [[FantasticRacism just for being Changelings?]]
** The implication is that they're AlwaysChaoticEvil.
** They're probably living in Ponyville, explaining why there are still pony clones around when [[spoiler: all of Chrysalis's army is either banished or dead]]
* [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y-1dyaFyDLk&feature=youtu.be Wait... what if...]]
* The "Holy Shit" moment after [[spoiler:Chrysalis defeated Celestia. She clearly hadn't expected to win that fight. Considering her track record (do we actually know HOW LONG Cadance was under Canterlot? Because it certainly LOOKED like it had been awhile), she probably had a backup plan]]. Anybody else wondering what it would've been?
** [[spoiler: She probably would have continued to gain power from Shining Armor's love until she thought she was powerful enough to defeat Celestia, then go forward with her plan to destroy Canterlot. Also of note: She clearly wasn't at that point by the time Twilight and Cadance exposed her, as she didn't know she was already more powerful than Celestia. But if she had been stronger, Celestia might not have walked away from that fight.]]
* Celestia showed back in "Lesson Zero" that she has considerably more power than even Twilight, being able to neutralize a spell on the entire town Twilight couldn't with barely any effort. At the end, she tries to blast Chrysalis with an energy beam. Remember that Twilight's magical energy beam can ''vaporize crystal'' at full power and consider how powerful Celestia's beam probably was. Just imagine what would've happened if she'd actually ''hit with it''. Not that Chrysalis didn't deserve it but still.
** Er... Twilight certainly thought she could neutralize the spell on Smarty Pants... she just had trouble hitting the doll in the middle of the [[BigBallOfViolence scuffle.]] It's an open question as to whether Celestia's success there was a matter of greater skill, more power, or a combination.
** It's not like dark villains don't get vaporized in this show...
* This is more of TearJerker mixed with FridgeLogic, but hearing Rainbow Dash saying "Best Wedding Ever!" isn't really the best thing to say after Canterlot nearly got destroyed, Twilight nearly killing Candence and losing all her friends, and hundreds upon hundreds of ponies getting attacked by Changelings. [[CallBack It echoes back to]] "Best Night Ever", actually.
** It could be that Dash decided to accentuate the positive. After all, Queen Chrysalis and her changlings were defeated- by the power of love, no less. Cadance was rescued and reunited with Shining Armor. And without Fake!Cadance being all bridezilla, they were able to put together the most fabulous wedding Canterlot had ever seen. Yeah, they had to [[EarnYourHappyEnding earn that happy ending,]] but they got it.
*** Not to mention this is presumably the first wedding where Celestia has her do a Sonic Rainboom. It's in the middle of her Sonic Rainboom where she says "Best wedding ever", which she said in the previous episode before they even met Chrysalis.
* [[WhatIf Just what if]] there never was [[spoiler: a changeling invasion]] and Twilight was wrong? The series is all about friendship but would they EasilyForgiven her again? Or will Twilight be ReformedButRejected?
* Twilight isn't a pony who holds a grudge, but [[WhatIf what if]] she rejects Applejack's apology, and [[FaceHeelTurn joins Queen Chrysalis]] to spite them?
* If Cadance's power is love, what if she decided to use it for evil? It's like that Twilight learned that "Want It Need It" spell from her, after all.
** Think of what [[LordOfTheRings Galadriel tells Frodo when he offers her the Ring]]. 'All shall love me and despair!' indeed.
* When [[spoiler: the imposter]] Cadance said that "No one will find you" to Twilight, she could just mean that no one knows about the caves. But could she mean that no one will actually start to worry and look for Twilight?
** Probably. From Chrysalis' perspective, if things go to plan, nobody is going to be in a position to mount a rescue if they even notice that Twilight's gone missing. If things don't go to plan, Twilight seems like a reasonable candidate for replacement by a changeling as part of a number of possible contingency scenarios. My interpretation of events, though, is that Chrysalis put Twilight in the caves and taunts her expecting her to kill the real Cadance. If they killed each other, that'd have just been icing, as it would have spared her the trouble of doing it herself.
* The reason why Twilight was okay with her friends after they got captured? They had a fight with Changelings that took the form of themselves. Whose to say that Twilight didn't [[CatharsisFactor took out her frustration and hurt the Changelings who disguised themselves as the people she would have been upset at the time]]?
* From outside Canterlot, the invasion looked like a swarm of dark creatures descending on the city and breaking Shining Armor's shield. No one outside Canterlot would have any way of knowing they could shapeshift. If they wanted to, the changelings could have hidden the prisoners and morphed to fake a pony victory for as long as they liked, giving them options of time and subtlety in their strategy for the rest of Equestria. Although this assumes Chrysalis could reproduce the cycle of the sun and moon, or make some of her captives do it for her.
* Everyone focuses on how ''Twilight'' was affected by the end of part 1, but let's think about how ''Celestia'' must have been feeling. Imagine you are Celestia; Your beloved student, whom you've trusted for years, has only recently nearly gone insane over a trivial matter (her Friendship Reports) and sparked a mass riot over it. After talking to her about it, she promised you that she would control herself in the future. Now flash forward to ''Canterlot Wedding Part 1''. Your beloved student, who has already promised not to repeat the events of ''Lesson Zero'', spends the entirety of the wedding preparations making childish complaints, embarassing her friends with those complaints, and generally making a complete fool of herself. Finally, she bursts into the palace and ''viciously'' insults your own niece ''on the eve of her wedding''. And as far as you know, she did all this just because she was overly paranoid of your niece marrying her brother. Is it any wonder why Celestia was so angry?
** This may also fall under UnfortunateImplications, but while Celestia's reaction did seem arguably realistic, just imagine how Celestia must have felt when she realized that her beloved student was actually right about "Cadance" being evil, even if it never occurred to either Twilight nor anypony else that this "Cadance" was an imposter. You might say that Celestia set a bad example for her own student by forgetting the lesson learned in "Lesson Zero" about taking others' concerns seriously, making herself look like a bad teacher. In light of all this, though, the lesson she delivered at the end about learning to trust your instincts might be a lesson that Celestia just learned herself.
*** Not only that, but she managed to realize she was right just as the kingdom she swore to protect gets ''invaded''... Her not believing in her student and choosing her niece's comfort over the safety of her subjects during a high security threat nearly cost her everything. No wonder she spoke of the aesop, she was trying to burn it into her memories so she wouldn't make such a fatal mistake again.
** It could also explain why Celestia took so long to respond to Chrysalis' threat. She was [[JerkassRealization realizing the mistake]] [[MyGodWhatHaveIDone first hand and was experiencing a]] HeroicBSOD before getting a HeroicResolve (which explains why there's so much badassery in her PreAssKickingOneLiner.)
* Unless they're rather conservative(which I doubt, given how Candace is a LoveGoddess), Shining Armor and Candance have probably consumated their relationship by the time of this episode. [[spoiler:With Chrysalis disguised as Princess Candance]] and her desire for love [[spoiler:to feed on]], she probably [[BedTrick slept with Shining Armor then as well]], meaning [[spoiler:Chrysalis technically ''raped'' Shining Armor.]] Let's hope Equestrian culture [[DoubleStandardRapeFemaleOnMale doesn't have double standards about this]], especially considering [[ManipulativeBastard why it happened.]]
** That's a bit of a stretch. We don't know for how long [[spoiler:Chrysalis was impersonating Cadance]]. During the preparations for the wedding, Armor might have been too busy to sleep with her (what with the looming changeling threat). And it's not really given, that [[spoiler:Chrysalis herself]] would be willing to sleep with a stallion [[spoiler:she didn't really care about. She had him brainwashed anyway, so it was not necessary to help her masquerade in this way.]]
* So, Celestia and Shining Armor failed to protect their kingdom from being attacked. Already, there would have been some serious consequences to be had. Broken homes and people being hurt or worse. We might not have seen the full effect of the invasion, but there's no way that it was just a simple thing to forget. Alright, taking in the ponies' traumatic experience of being attacked in mind, now add this into the equation: What if they found out about Twilight's attempt to warn the others about the false Cadance and Celestia/Shining Armor's response to it? Options range from [[AngstWhatAngst apathy]] to a full-blown RichardNixon style scandal to downright riot.
* More of a Fridge TearJerker really, but notice how Cadance walks down the wedding aisle [[spoiler: both times]] all alone. Normally, the father of the bride gives her away to the groom. [[MyParentsAreDead Do the math.]]
[[/folder]]

[[folder: Season 3]]
[[AC: The Crystal Empire, Parts 1 & 2]]
* The prologue ends with Twilight suffering a minor freakout, which culminates with her uprooting the library. Let that sink in for a moment. Imagine living in a village with a SuperOCD wizard whose equivalent of TantrumThrowing can launch a building 50 feet into the air.
* [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D8hZnE3RJLM&list=PLDEF92F38FC613C55&index=150&feature=plpp_video In this sneak preview]], [[spoiler: the Crystal Pony Twi talks to is clearly having her memories or mind tampered with by the villain in a manner quite like [[VideoGame/MetalGearSolid4 the SOPS]]. All the other Crystal Ponies exhibit similar symptoms and lack of emotion. whoever the villain is, they are clearly using a SOPS-style system to [[MindControl enslave and control the entire population]]! And you thought having absolute control over soldiers was bad enough.]]
* Just what did King Sombra do one thousand years ago that was bad enough for Celestia and Luna to be more thorough disposing of the guy than ''Discord''?
** Well, he enslaved an entire country's worth of ponies for one.
** Technically, they seemed to be less thorough. He didn't merit a shot of the Elements of Harmony, after all. He was also left to rot in Pony Canada instead of being placed on the front lawn where they could keep an eye on him.
** We see the ponies in chains but nothing there that would warrant this kind of slave labour. However, the Empire is a source of great magic, good or evil. It is quite probable that Sombra chained his subjects with no other reason than to traumatize them and power up from their despair.
** King Sombra ''blatantly'' calls the Crystal Ponies his slaves. It's clearly a slave line.
* Why are there no children in the Crystal Empire, though some are clearly shown in Celestia's "hologram"?
** Considering the treatment the crystal ponies received under King Sombra, they may not have survived.
*** {{Jossed}}. We see some children who are too old to be newborns.
* The only thing that stopped King Sombra from getting into the Empire was Cadance's love magic. This means they must've arrived before Sombra did. Imagine if he'd reached it before they did.
* Did the Crystal Empire have any armed forces? The only 'soldier' we see during these episodes is Shining Armor, the captain of the Equestrian Royal Guard....
** Any Crystal Empire soldiers would have been missing their memories, and working for Sombra when they had them. Not useful in this situation.
* Where the hell were all the colts and fillies? [[WouldHurtAChild Did Sombra kill them all?]]
** Either that or he pulled a ''Half-Life 2'' and there wasn't any breeding allowed while he was in charge.
* There was ONE colt. Ranbow yelled at him for getting to close to the fake heart.
** We clearly see some children in "Games Ponies Play." Though they could be made ''after'' they were freed from Sombra given the time that passed.
* There are no Pegasus or Unicorn ponies in the Crystal Empire. Sombra's already been shown to be a devious tactician with many layers to his plans regarding the Heart's safety. Magic and flight would have made reaching the Heart or escaping simpler, if not possible. Discord had the power to cause wings and horns to disappear and turn Pegasi/Unicorns into Earth Ponies...
** What he did to Shining's horn might be part of his process for making earth ponies. [[BodyHorror Crystalizing Shining's horn]], might've turned off his unicorn genes [[AWizardDidIt somehow]]. A similar process was probably used on wings.
* [[spoiler:Spike fell from the top of the tower and King Sombra is heading straight for him. If you look closely, you see that Spike is falling ''right at the point of Sombra's crystal pillar'']]. Given Sombra's character, it's most certainly possible this was intentional on his part. If not that, just what ''was'' he going to do to [[spoiler:Spike]] if he'd reached him first?
** It is worse than that. Sombra licks his lips and then opens his mouth wide...
* Twilight was trapped in [[YourWorstNightmare her worst fear]] by Sombra's spell. That alone is horrible, but then you remember what kind of psycho King Sombra is. If that's the kind of magic he's capable of, just imagine what the poor Crystal Ponies were put through under his reign.
* While Twilight is trapped in her worst fear by King Sombra's spell, she sees a stained glass window depicting herself being hurled into a pit of flames engulfing crystal spikes. Remember that this was ''Sombra's'' spell and there's no reason Twilight herself would imagine such a thing. Given what we're told about Sombra, it's quite probably he actually intended to do that to her!
* The area around the Crystal kingdom is a frozen wasteland. The Crystal kingdom itself is not frozen, and is protected by Cadance's love spell. The Hearth's Warming Eve episode gave us Windigos, a creature that creates cold weather and is repelled by love. Maybe Sombra isn't the only thing the shield is keeping out...
* [[spoiler:King Sombra, unlike other villains, was destroyed, instead of being [[SealedEvilInACan sealed away.]] Now think about this; it took the love of an ENTIRE EMPIRE to completely obliterate him. Discord and Luna were defeated by the Elements of Harmony, and Chrysalis was blown away by Cadance and Shining Armor. Now instead of that, what would happen if that much love was used against them? Hm...]]
** It didn't necessarily take that much love to beat him, that was simply the amount of love that was used. Just because someone is taken out with a [[NoKillLikeOverkill cruise missile]] doesn't necessarily mean only a cruise missile would do.
** My point exactly. If [[spoiler:Discord, Chrysalis or Nightmare Moon were filled with so much love, would they simply be annihilated?]]
*** Actually, [[spoiler: King Sombra was pure evil, and the Elements of Harmony might have done the same to him. With Nightmare Moon, the Crystal Heart might have released Luna unharmed. Discord is unclear but his redemption shows he is not pure evil. It likely would have destroyed Chrysalis, though, although she was nearly as evil as Sombra]]
* Sombra was imprisoned a thousand years ago. Luna became Nightmare Moon and was sealed away in the moon a thousand years ago. WordOfGod says Luna was corrupted by dark magic when she became Nightmare Moon. ''How do we know Sombra didn't infect her with some of his power as a final "screw you" before he was sealed away''? Considering we don't know exactly ''when'' Luna became Nightmare Moon, it could've been some time after Sombra was defeated, and the "infection" had time to grow and consume her!
* This troper offers a similar but different theory: It was DISCORD'S magic that corrupted Luna. Discord's corruption takes fears/worries of the mane six and amplifies them. Sombra shows no ability to corrupt ponies in that way. It could be that Luna always was envious of Celestia's day and a bit of residual magic from Discord caught hold. Also, consider how some of the mane six reacted upon being freed from Discord's power. It's very similar, if not identical, to Luna's instantaneous guilt and apologies upon reverting to her original form.
* More of a theory but if you notice,Twilight's eyes were fairly like Sombra's when she was under his spell.So what if Sombra is seeing his nightmare constantly?Maybe his worst fear is that the empire's current ruler becomes a tyrant and he over threw them thinking he was doing a good deed?What if he also saw his slaves as happy subjects under his rule and the royal sisters were trying to make the empire corrupted while in reality,he was the monster enslaving the kingdom?
* When Sombra was [[spoiler: defeated, his body was shattered like crystal, and blasted away. But here's something to consider: is that normal, shattering like crystal? If Sombra were a crystal pony, we could see that happening, but Sombra was a unicorn. A unicorn who was very recently a living shadow. What if Sombra didn't "die" at the end, but was just forced to revert into his living shadow form (he may very well have not been fully restored to his original form at the time of his defeat). While in that form, he demonstrated the ability to control separated pieces of himself back together, and could even work magic through those pieces. What if Sombra isn't dead, but just pulling himself back together?]]
** Add the fact that Sombra's [[spoiler: horn survived his defeat, this builds up to be one of the scariest things about him. Even the trading card agrees with me! [[http://mlp.wikia.com/wiki/King_Sombra#Merchandise]] ]]
** WordofGod has stated that Sombra is [[spoiler: dead. Really totally dead. [[http://mlp.wikia.com/wiki/King_Sombra#cite_ref-8]] ]]
*** Hang on. Pony of Shadows? Glowing green eyes? I can't be the only one seeing this parallel. And if it's made of scraps of the Nightmare, perhaps it saw other bits it liked and added some fragments of Sombra...
* Spike's worst fear (being sent away by Twilight) when facing the dark door invokes some of this. Keep in mind that Spike, despite [[AdorablyPrecociousChild his precocious personality]], is still a young child, and he knows little next to nothing of his origins or species (sans a brief encounter with some cruel teenage dragons who might or might not be representative for the species as a whole). This places his actions during "Owl's Well That Ends Well" in a [[HarsherInHindsight much harsher light]]. Living with Twilight (who is also the closest thing he has to a ParentalSubstitute in his life) is literally the only life he knows and all he's got. From his perspective, he has nowhere to turn if he were to be sent away except for his own kind which [[MySpeciesDothProtestTooMuch he has taken a dislike to]].

[[AC: Too Many Pinkie Pies]]
* The solution of the Episode: [[spoiler:The Pinkies showed signs of intelligence and sentience, even if the had very simplified character traits. We have no indication that they existed before Pinkie created them and we have no indication that they continued to exist after they were send back. Did Twilight just casually kill a number of innocent ponies?]]
** [[spoiler: The first clone zapped was clearly reduced to energy and sent back to the pond, there is no reason the spell would have different effects on the others.]]
*** [[spoiler: Reducing them to energy is still destroying their sentience, so unless there's a sort of other world where manifested clones go beyond the Mirror Pool, well...]]
*** [[spoiler: Wonder what happens to the real pony if she gets zapped?]]
*** That's just the thing - [[spoiler: the spell works on real people just as well as clones, apparently.]] So let's say I'm a serial-killer Unicorn and I invent [[spoiler: a spell that kills my victim and then instantly transports the body to the bottom of a nearby lake. How, precisely, was Twilight's clone-destroying spell any different from this, except for the choice of lake?]]
**** Not unless we assume the lake is some sort of conscious entity and the clones were simply re-assimilated.
* The book Twilight finds talking about the mirror pool says that she can accidentally send back the real Pinkie. Why would the book even have that information ''unless it's actually happened?'' And if so, what happened to them afterwards?
* This episode shows that unicorn horns can overheat from intense spell casting. How many ponies have set their own heads on fire? Has Twilight done that?
** [[Recap/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagicS1E15FeelingPinkieKeen Yes.]]
* So, would if an ''evil'' character like [[MadGod Discord]] discovered the pond? Especially since, if we assume that the personalities of anypony who gets cloned get more exaggerated, (like how the Pinkie clones seemed to be even more loopy than the real Pinkie) would the Discord clones be ''even more twisted and depraved?''
** That would be a pretty cool plot for a future episode.
** "More twisted and depraved"? Not necessarily. Perhaps the pond doesn't create a clone with exaggerated qualities, but rather ones with the same essential nature as the original. The difference is that the clones have none of the original's experience. Pinkie Pie, for all her zaniness, still had to develop the skills and self-control necessary to live in polite pony society. This is why she doesn't go around doing anything but benign if she can help it. The clones emerged fully formed from the pond, complete with all of the original's randomness, but without her learned heed for others that checks Pinkie Pie's behavior (for what it's worth). They didn't know what they were doing. [[spoiler: This of course magnifies the Fridge Horror in that Twilight enacted a holocaust against not just sentient beings, but sentient NEWBORNS.]] As for Discord, whether or not his clones would be more vile would hinge on whether his evil is inherent as a chaos being, or was acquired at some point in his past. If the former, they most certainly be more evil because they'd lack even the barest of Discord's self control, whatever that may be. If the latter, the clones might be random but benign, and lay the groundwork for a "good" Discord.
* We're ''sure'' that [[AmbiguousCloneEnding Twilight got the right one, right?]]
** The other Pinkie's were essentially reflections of the original. They had a less complex personality and seemingly no memory of Pinkie's from before they were created (Even messing up the name's of the mane six, something the real pinkie would never do.) Unless Pinkie Pie is shown to have amnesia in later episodes, then we can be certain that she got the right one. My simple solution: Ask her how Equestria was made! ^^
* An army of Pinkie Pies sound great, right? What if they were smart enough to know that everyone in town loathes them for being so manic and uncontrollable? [[Recap/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagicS1E25PartyOfOne What if they get depressed from not being wanted, each one getting more and more anti-social, paranoid and delusional?]] [[OhCrap Oh boy...]]
** This gets less horrifying when one remembers that the depressed Pinkie was ''less'' dangerous than the normal Pinkie. Waiting for them all to get depressed actually would have made it easier to round them up.
*** Remember, this may not ever happen if the Pinkie Pies simply hang out with each other constantly. Pinkie didn't have an army of clones to do whatever she wanted in A Party of One.
*** However, there is still the issue if they get all get angry. They all showed that they are as much [[RealityWarper reality warpers]] as much as the original if not even more, and if they [[Recap/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagicS2E14TheLastRoundup released their anger]], there would be no stopping them.
* The one Pinkie clone sprouting fingers gets more disturbing when you remember that horse hoofs are basically one giant nail. So imagine ''[[BodyHorror fingers growing out of your fingernails...]]''
* From this episode on, no matter what happens, for the entire run of the show, there will be a quiet, nagging suspicion in the back of your mind that Pinkie Pie is no longer the real Pinkie Pie.
* Here's a particularly disturbing one: Imagine a bunch of clones running around out there, ruining your reputation with one-dimensional, shallow, idiotic behavior. They're running around like a bunch of two-year-olds on a non-stop sugar rush, making everyone miserable with their annoying behavior, ''and no one can tell the difference between them and the real you.'' '''Not even your best friends.''' Worse, despite being an outgoing friendly pony who is supposed to be ''friends'' with every pony in Ponyville, ''no one actually really knows Pinkie Pie well enough to tell the difference between her and a bunch of hyperactive amoral clones.'' And the only way they can get rid of the clones is by using a spell that risks sending her to the same place, and '''no one raises any serious complaints about the risks.''' Now, read all of that again, and ask yourself this: ''[[ArmorPiercingQuestion Does Pinkie Pie have any real friends in Ponyville?]]''
** Yes she does. In defense of the mane cast, Pinkie Pie herself wasn’t sure she was the real Pinkie. There’s also a precedent in the series for Pinkie not taking dire situations seriously. In the season 2 finale when she was fighting an army of changelings bent on overthrowing Celestia’s government and basically raping the entire population for food, Pinkie eagerly jumped up and down saying “Do me! Do me!”. In the season 2 premier, she seriously considered not opposing Discord so that she could have chocolate rain. Based on her past behaviour, it wasn’t inconceivable that Pinkie Pie would be happily bouncing around with her clone army, innocently oblivious to the havoc they were causing, and it doesn’t speak ill of her friends that they would think that. Pinkie Pie is by her nature erratic and unpredictable, thus even her best friends could not be expected to predict how Pinkie Pie would react to such an unusual and confusing situation, which is why Twilight didn’t automatically assume the one Pinkie who was acting odd was the real one. Pinkie is also a very empathetic and forgiving soul, and would not hold her friend’s inability to differentiate her from her clones against them (again, especially since she herself wasn’t even sure who she was, and even explicitly stated that she couldn’t expect her friends to tell her apart). Granted, the plot is a bit of an idiot ball on Pinkie’s part, since she knows the clones don’t share her personal memories and could therefore prove who she was with a simple personal trivia contest (This is also how we know for sure that the real Pinkie wasn’t banished to the mirror pool). One would also think that Twilight would have wanted to confirm the real Pinkie’s identity before she started zapping them back to the mirror pool ( based on how the spell was depicted in the episode, I think she was simply sending the clones back to where they came from, not killing them). On this page, there are tropers who object to Twilight’s test, since if the real Pinkie became distracted even once she would have failed. First of all, it was the real Pinkie herself who proposed the test (not specificially the watching paint dry part, but doing something boring). She proposed and accepted the terms 'winner stays, losers go back to the pond'. More importantly, remember that at the end of the test Twilight said “I knew you’d be up to the challenge,” . I think that speaks volumes about what her friends really think of her. They may not always understand her, or be able to tell her apart from forty other physically identical and behaviourally similar (if flanderized) clones, but they know that there is nothing that she wouldn’t do for her friends. An army of Dragons could have invaded Ponyville, and Pinkie Pie wouldn’t have looked away from that wall. After all, Pinkie’s special talent is making her friends happy, and her friends wouldn’t have been very happy if they accidentally sent her to the mirror pool. The magic of friendship ensured that only the real Pinkie could pass the test, and Twilight knew that.
*** In response to the "killing them" argument, perhaps they made it seem less like that since killing them outright might seem a lot darker than the [[Recap/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagicS3E2TheCrystalEmpirePart2 last death]] we saw, only those who give enough thought to it would realize [[spoiler: Twilight killed them]].
* Yes, Studio B did everything to reassure the viewers that the Pinkie Pie that remains is the real one, but [[AmbiguousCloneEnding what if she isn't and Twilight actually zapped the real one]]?
** Does Twilight now have the ability to banish anyone to the Mirror Pool? Or does it (hopefully) only work on ponies that have used the pool?
*** And what if it wasn't just banishment? What if Twilight ''killed'' them? For all we know, the clones didn't exist before they were pulled out of the Mirror Pool, and may have been born from pure magical energy with no consciousness before....
**** WordOfGod states that "Magic came out, magic went back in", essentially confirming that the sentient Pinkies were, in fact [[KilledOffForReal destroyed when they were absorbed into the pool]]. In essence, that makes this episode and the nature of the Mirror Pool more-or-less "[[Recap/DoctorWhoS32E5TheRebelFlesh The Rebel Flesh]]/[[Recap/DoctorWhoS32E6TheAlmostPeople The Almost People]]", with ponies.
** It doesn't say much for Pinkie's self-esteem that she's so quick to doubt whether she's her real self.
*** Or her mental state in general. For all her outward cheeriness, Pinkamina seems rather fragile and insecure.
** If those animals were turned into oranges, how long will they live?
*** Twilight probably changed them back after the episode.
** What if somepony less nice than Pinkie discovered the Mirror Pool in the past, like Discord or Sombra?
*** Considering who and what [[MadGod Discord]] is, he probably ''created'' it. [[OhCrap And if he created it]]...
** The first Pinkie Pie clone expressed sadness, reason, and anxiety. The last clone to vanish seemed ''nervous'' of something right before she was distracted. The others, typically considered shallow clones of Pinkie, could at the very least learn and experience some emotions. That makes Twilight killing them off [[WhatMeasureIsANonHuman all the more terrifying.]]
*** General {{fanon}} is that the last Pinkie Pie to go was actually the first clone created, thus her unusual emotional range compared to the others. (It's also better dramatically.) This counts down a ''lot'' on the horror factor, since it means all of the other clones are still blanks.
** There are interpretations that come from the fact that since "Alpha!Pinkie" actually entered the pool, the whole episode was happening in a mirror version of Ponyville, and by "zapping" the last, REAL Pinkie Pie, everything went back to how it should be. The {{Flanderization}} is the effect of magic pond.
* What if the problems with the Pinkie Clones wasn't that they were one-dimensional reflections of Pinkie Pie, but rather that each of them ''ReallyWasBornYesterday''. As obnoxious and annoying as they were, they didn't have a lifetime of socialization to fall back on, nor were they given the chance.
* Consider what Pinkie Pie had to go through. When all the Pinkies are rounded up to take the test, Twilight simply states that the one who passes "gets to stay" (alive). The real Pinkie has to sit perfectly still and remain quiet while Twilight slaughters the unattentive duplicates, sometimes just for looking at another duplicate. Now, if Pinkie would look away for just a moment (because a duplicate bumps into her by accident, maybe?), she would be disintegrated by Twilight, die and never see her friends again. Basically, she has to suppress her entire personality if she wants to stay alive; even if she manages to do that, she might still die because some random duplicate next to her decides to make a face "crazier than THIS!". Not even Celestia's Royal guards have this much self control. Pinkie has to rely on the small amount of self restraint she has to remain alive during a few hours of crazy duplicates being killed off by an awfully cheery Twilight. How is this not severe psychological torture? Oh, and cue Spike enjoying all this with his trademark bag o' popcorn.
** What's more horrifying is how quickly Twilight decided to do that test. All she knows about the duplicates comes from a book that's who knows how old. Twilight used extensive scientific methods when she tried to prevent a future disaster, why doesn't she try to determine the real Pinkie with science? Scientifically, it's quite likely that the mirror pool doesn't go as far as duplicating the exact (very complex) DNA. It might even be as simple as looking at their hair under a microscope. With a bit of investigation she'd know that Pinkie only taught them three names (Applejack, Fluttershy, Pinkie Pie), so a quick pop quiz on the names of the ponies could fix the problem too. But no, Twilight just jumps to psychological trauma to solve the problem. Since it's also reasonable to assume Twilight has read at least one book on pony psychology (if anypony has, it's her), we could say Twilight is subjecting a pony she knows to be unstable to a experience she knows is traumatizing. Smiling all the while.
* What is Twilight ''actually'' testing? After all, a two-second quiz ("Name your Element of Harmony. Name the dragonequus imprisoned in the statue. Name the zebra who lives in Everfree Forest.") could probably eliminate ''95%'' of the fake Pinkies. Doesn't the test actually used look like it's actually designed to find the ''least disruptive and most tractable'' Pinkie? If so, we can only hope that Twilight was doing it unconsciously, not deliberately ...
** And yeah, seriously, the test is basically "which of you cracks last under torture"...
* The fact that Pinkie Pie tends to suffer under {{Flanderization}} after this episode makes any and all ideas that Twilight accidentally zapped the ''real'' Pinkie Pie more likely than ever.
* The fact that the book is discovered in a secret compartment in a random book-case is a little troublesome. This implies that it's too dangerous to lend out, but at the same time, too important to destroy... Hmmm...

[[AC: One Bad Apple]]
* Given how Babs is a walking embodiment of a bullied girl's tendency to [[PeerPressureMakesYouEvil become a bully to avoid it]], one wonders just how bad Babs got it that her standard for bullying is ''severely traumatizing'' the CMC, and how surprised she was when they created a trapped cart just to get back at her. A hint; unlike the CMC, Babs actually ''covers her flank'' and ''looks like she's on the verge of tears'' when the CMC bring it up.
* Babs' tail is ''short'' compared even to other fillies's tails. There are some unfortunate implications of tail abuse being part of her bullying back in Manehatten.
** Her mane is short too. It might just be a style - sort of a tomboy look, maybe?
*** Two counterpoints: Earth Ponies have very prehensile tails, and Scootaloo and many other short-maned ponies have full-length tails. In fact, Babs so far is the only pony seen with a docked tail.
*** Actually Big Mac has a docked tail. Babs is the only ''foal'' with a docked tail...[[FridgeHorror And I just realized that makes this theory WORSE!]]
*** It's probably a pretty safe bet that their tails aren't actually docked. It's much more likely that the hair is just cut short.
*** Didn't Rarity cut off most of her tail in the second half of the pilot without much problem?
*** Yes, but Rarity has Telekinesis and her tail does not seem to have as much prehensility as an Earth Pony's.
**** Her tail has enough prehensility to hold the cake box in Party of One. Also, as of Bats!, Fluttershy's tail is shown to be very prehensile
** All foals are supposed to have short tails. Google "foals" and look in the images to see examples.
* Being picked on for having no cutie mark may not have been all Babs was bullied for: her design is slightly chubbier then the average filly, so it's entirely possible she was bullied for being a 'fat-flank' too.
* Assuming that the CMC knew the parade route (Being an annual event, it would be the same most years) they'd know when and where the Trap would go off, and would send Babs over The cliff....I'm pretty sure the [=CMCs=] planned to straight up MURDER Babs.
** The three of them came out of the trap without even being bruised. [[AmusingInjuries It takes more than that to hurt a pony.]]
*** Actually on the episode's YMMV page, it was pointed out there are a ''lot'' of ways the plan could have gone [[GoneHorriblyWrong VERY wrong]]. Like what if Babs had gotten stuck underwater and help was slow...
*** And pigs will eat ''anything'' that falls in, and while Fluttershy could use The Stare, we don't know if it has an expiration date...

[[AC: Magic Duel]]
* Trixie spent the entire episode doing all sorts of terrible things under the influence of the [[ArtifactOfDoom Alicorn Amulet]]. We don't know how long she wore it, but it IS possible to see her gradually become worse and worse as the episode progresses. If it did that to HER, who's default magic is average (though impressive for her special talent), imagine what would happen if someone TRULY evil got their hooves on the thing? Or if someone like ''Twilight'' had.
* Spells exist with the explicit purpose of making ponies old. ''Why on earth would you need a spell that does that?''
** It was invented by an underage unicorn who wanted to be grown-up for a bit?
** The same spell made one pony old and the other young, and Twilight later tries to use it to make a flower un-bloom. It can do more than one thing.
*** It would actually come handy if the Mane Six ever need Spike's sheer power as an adult dragon; age him to adulthood to battle whatever monster or danger they're facing, then de-age him back to normal once the danger is over.
** We see Twilight trying to de-age a plant, so the spell might work on non-ponies as much as normal ponies. Using it to grow a plant from seed to fully mature would be quite useful.
** It's obvious use is as an Immortality spell.
* An ordinary unicorn who [[LevelGrinding Level Grinds]] [[TookALevelInBadass in Badass]] and enslaves a population of ponies. [[Recap/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagicS3E1TheCrystalEmpirePart1 Sound]] [[Recap/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagicS3E2TheCrystalEmpirePart2 familiar]]? Did King Sombra have a similar StartOfDarkness? Furthermore, Trixie was growing stronger and worse by the hour--it can't have been very long, as Pinkie still had the strength to use {{Hammerspace}} and to break the fourth wall. If something had gone wrong with Twilight's rematch, and the Element bearers were incapacitated or even KilledOffForReal, would even Celestia and Luna have even been able to stop Queen Trixie?
** Trixie with the amulet maxed out at well below King Sombra's demonstrated power level. Questions of how evil she would have gotten aside, she was only a single magician, slightly more powerful than Twilight. Given King Sombra's usage of corrupted crystals for everything, it is reasonable to assume that he was using the magical properties Crystal Empire's crystals to increase his own powers, similarly to her. Maybe the amulet was made from experiments with his corrupted crystals?
*** Trixie wasn't ''slightly'' more powerful than Twilight with the amulet, she was ''infinitely'' more powerful. As Twilight said, age spells are something only the most powerful unicorns can do. Twilight herself is powerful, but her magic hasn't gotten her into the history books yet. We know that there are several famous unicorn magicians and it's likely that Starswirl the Bearded was far more powerful than Twilight when he got famous.
*** Slightly may be understating Trixie's advantage, but so is infinitely. And while Twilight couldn't use the age modification magic yet, she is still very inexperienced, still just starting her studies. Her powers are likely to grow vastly in the future, while Trixie's actions implied that she'd hit her peak.
* Sweet Sombra, the Alicorn Amulet is absolutely shrouded with this. Who made it? Who imbued it with such power? And as pointed out by another Troper, is there a much darker and eviller alicorn out there? The possibilities are endless...
** [[HilariousInHindsight Perhaps it was used by a mysterious,]] [[TheLegendOfZeldaMajorasMask ancient tribe in its hexing rituals?]]
* The old definition of alicorn refers to the material in which unicorn horns are composed of. So it's possible that the amulet was named that because it was [[MadeFromRealGirlScouts literally forged out of]] [[HumanResources severed unicorn horns]].
** As of "Magical Mystery Cure", "alicorn" in the context of this show specifically refers to a WingedUnicorn. (This, of course, does not rule out the possibility of it being made of ''alicorn'' horns...)
* Trixie goes from getting payback on Twilight to enslaving the entire town to finally wanting to conquer Equestria due to the Alicorn Amulet gradually corrupting her. On top of this, after being freed from it, she's shown to be relatively nice. Now, keep in mind the entire episode lasted a ''single day'', two tops. In that time it turned a reasonably bitter, somewhat decent pony into a borderline monster. It's quite possible that, at the speed it was corrupting her, her original intention for getting it and coming to Ponyville weren't remotely close to what she actually did when she arrived.
** This raises two other bits of FridgeHorror. What would Trixie have ended up becoming if the Amulet hadn't been removed? In the entire episode she still doesn't seriously hurt anyone, but how long would that have lasted at the rate it was corrupting her? The other bit is what would've happened if someone who was ''already'' genuinely evil had gotten their hooves on it? Like say King Sombra for instance.
*** Or alternative Fridge Horror - what if King Sombra used to be decent, and then he got hold of something similar to the amulet?
* Trixie [[WipeThatSmileOffYourFace removing Pinkie's mouth and nose]]. For the whole episode. The RuleOfFunny ''alone'' saves Pinkie Pie from ''suffocating to death!''
** Pinkie Pie lives by RuleOfFunny. I think she would have been alright.
* Even assuming that the amulet's magic still allowed Pinkie to breathe, Pinkie's big concern was that she was unable to eat. What was to keep her from ''starving'' to death if Trixie's reign took place over a longer period of time?
* The existence of the [[ArtifactOfDoom Alicorn Amulet]] in general, considering what it turned Trixie into.
** And it was never properly disposed of, either, meaning the threat it represents is still very, very real.
* Trixie's motivations gradually got worse and worse as the episode drew on and the Amulet corrupted her mind further. She went from getting payback to enslaving the town to finally deciding to conquer Equestria. Now remember the ''entire'' episode took place in the course of a ''day''. If it corrupted her that quickly, just what would it have done to her if it hadn't been removed? Heck, it's entirely possible her original intention for buying the Amulet and coming to Ponyville was completely different than what it was when she got there judging by how fast she was being corrupted!
** The amulet was quite clearly causing Trixie to lose her mind throughout the episode. Her mistrust of wheels was fairly benign, but the implication that she was getting steadily worse was very present. Given the amount of power that she was able to call upon with the amulet, it seems like a very real possibility that she was eventually going to lose control and kill herself and everything in the immediate vicinity, (i.e. Ponyville).
* Snips and Snails were never turned back. Considering that only the most powerful ponies can cast these spells, they only have three hopes: the effect is temporary, it's easier to use a Dispel Magic-type spell to counter the Age spell than it is to use the Age spell again, or they had Celestia/Luna do it offscreen.
* Trixie's spell on Rainbow Dash that was "Supposed to make you writhe in agony". In other words, there are ''[[AgonyBeam spells for torture]]'' in the world of ponies. Talk about a CrapsaccharineWorld.
** Either that or Evil!Trixie had gotten corrupted to the point she was ''creating'' them.
** Tasers and pepper spray both have the effect of making their targets writhe in agony, but they're (in theory) used as an alternative to killing people. It's possible that spell was invented by the Royal Guard as a safer way to subdue ponies who go crazy.
** Both have also been cited by human rights groups as having been twisted into forms of torture before, it's really solely the intent that separates legitimate use and abuse. The point stands that there are spell whose sole purpose is causing extreme pain, and there really isn't any reason for such to exist that doesn't automatically make the entire setting seem a fair bit darker.
** Well, for all the cute ponies and often cheerfully cartoonish art style, the setting itself has never been presented as all that much of a SugarBowl. And the spell may not initially have been invented for use on ''ponies'' at all -- it's not like potentially dangerous monsters were exactly in short supply within easy walking distance of for example Ponyville even in modern times...
* The Alicorn Amulet is said by the salespony to be one of the most powerful artifacts in the world (paraphrasing). Here's the key part: one of. That means there are other artifacts that have that kind of power, and some might even be MORE powerful.
** Like, say, the god-binding/banishing/purifying Elements of Harmony? Or the Empire-saving Crystal Heart? Just because they're more powerful doesn't mean they're inherently dangerous or evil.
* After the Alicorn Amulet is removed, evil!Trixie doesn't immediately mellow out. She stays evil!Trixie for a bit. This means at least some of the Amulet's corruption was lingering ''even after it was removed''.

[[AC: Sleepless in Ponyville]]
* Both stories involved ponies going after other ponies. If both of these stories scare Scootaloo so much and if the above is true, than what could have happened between her and her parents?
** I'm not entirely sure why this would imply anything about her home life. Being chased by a monster or whatnot can still be scary even if your parents are perfectly nice. It's like saying that people wouldn't be creeped out by a story about a serial killer unless they'd been abused.
* As usual, Scootaloo was only saved from that waterfall due to sheer connivence of Rainbow Dash waking up and noticing she was gone. And as usual, what would've happened had Rainbow Dash not woken up?
** This is a bit of a leap, but it seems to be implied that Luna was monitoring the situation in the waking world as well. Given how soundly Dash was seen to be sleeping, it may have even been Luna's intervention that woke her up.
* Luna can ''[[ParanoiaFuel enter pony's dreams.]]'' Now think of the ways somepony could [[MindRape abuse that power]].
** It's clearly the reason behind her Fallen Princess title of [[MeaningfulName Nightmare Moon]].
*** To elaborate on one potential double meaning of the name Nightmare Moon: since Nightmare Moon is a twisted MadGod version of Princess Luna, do you think, perhaps, that one of Nightmare Moon's powers was to plant in ponies' minds nightmares so terrifying that they would literally wake on the spot shrieking, so that they would not ''miss a single moment of Nightmare Moon's perpetual night''? So, in addition to food shortages due to lack of sunlight, we're also looking at sleep deprivation and [[SarcasmMode all the wonderful things that that brings]].
** [[FanFic/GettingBackOnYourHooves Someone has.]]

[[AC: Wonderbolt Academy]]
* How much farther would Lightning Dust have gone if she hadn't [[spoiler:almost killed Rainbow Dash's friends]]?
* ''Spitfire was encouraging Lightning Dust.'' All of those tiny little signs that she was dangerously reckless? Spitfire, who's supposed to be monitoring the situation, either didn't see them or (as is more likely) saw them but didn't say anything, preferring to let her learn her own lessons. But the point is that she ''rewarded'' recklessness and disregard for the rules--even right in the beginning, when Lightning's blatantly disrespectful response to Spitfire's [[DrillSergeantNasty Drill Sergeant Nasty]] routine was rewarded with an immediate opportunity to show off. Lightning had ''every'' reason to believe she was doing nothing wrong.
* Until Rainbow told her about it, Spitfire didn't even realize that a pair of inexperienced cadets had ''summoned an uncontrollable tornado right outside her window and nearly killed five civilians''. What The Hell, Spitfire?
* A minor one, perhaps, but still: It's a damn good thing Spitfire managed to catch Rainbow Dash before she ''left for good''. If Spitfire had been just a few minutes slower in figuring out what had happened and tracking down her wayward cadet, Rainbow Dash might very well have spent the rest of her life falsely disillusioned, believing that her childhood heroes put more value on looking cool than on the lives of innocents. [[CrowningMomentOfHeartwarming And nothing could be further from the truth.]]
** Spitfire knows Rainbow Dash lives in Ponyville and how to reach her by mail. It would have been fine.
*** You sure you wanna put that kind of faith in [[http://blackfeathr.deviantart.com/art/Trollbox-210445217 Ponyville's mail service.]]
** She could also simply go there personally if it was so much of an issue to make sure Dash had got the message, Spitfire is one of the Wonderbolts, which means she is one of the fastest and most skilled flyers in Equestria, a quick trip to Ponyville wouldn't take her long.
* Let's think this for a moment... When Dash and Dust created the tornado that cleared the skies, Twilight and her friends were almost crushed. Now, what if Dashie was too late? She would have been the ''only'' Element of Harmony that Equestria has, and as this show's to be believed, the Elements are the ''only protection force Equestria has!'' Villains as Discord or Queen Chrysalis will have ''more'' of a cakewalk conquering Equestria as they originally had!

[[AC: Just For Sidekicks]]
* Spike's greed was starting to kick in again. Would if he had gone through [[Recap/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagicS2E10SecretOfMyExcess another growth spurt]]...but this time with the pets around?
** Eh, probably not. He pretty much seemed concerned with '''protecting''' his horde this time. At least until he was going to [[spoiler:eat it]]. His tiny, tiny horde of like, six gems. Maybe he's just showing signs of getting older?
* During the photo montage of [[spoiler:Spike returning Peewee]] in the ColdOpen, you'll notice that [[spoiler:one of the parent phoenixes]] [[MamaBear looks]] [[PapaWolf pretty angry.]]
** He was probably still steamed about the being hit by a rock the last time he and Spike met.
* What happened with Peewee that Spike had to return him?
** He was probably just returning him to his original home, something that he will never get to experience himself.
* [[ItMakesSenseInContext Scootaloo was afraid she had decapitated Tank]]. That would've been bad enough if she did, also Tank is Rainbow Dash's pet. We all know how much Scootaloo idolizes Rainbow Dash and it would be pretty bad if she accidentally killed her pet. Even worse, Rainbow Dash took Scootaloo under her wing a few episodes ago and Rainbow Dash could feel a sense of betrayal. Even worse than that, we all saw how affectionate Rainbow Dash and Tank were earlier in the episode (the mere fact she did show affection is pretty serious for Rainbow Dash) so someone killing Tank (even if by accident) you don't wanna imagine how mad she'd be. [[RuleOfThree Even worse]], in Ponyville Confidential, Rainbow Dash unleashed a torrential downpour Scootaloo and her friends for ruining her reputation so she already has a history of hurting Rainbow Dash. Basically, if Scootaloo had accidentally killed Tank, she would be left permanently emotionally scarred.

[[AC: Apple Family Reunion]]
* We don't see Applejack's parents being mentioned, and the whole family was supposed to have made it. Where are they, or are they really dead?
** RuleOfSymbolism: At two major scenes (Applejack at the window, before she tucks in Applebloom, and at the very end of the episode, right after Applejack talks about how ''everypony'' showed up for the reunion), a matched pair of shooting stars can be seen. If Lauren's original intended backstory was meant to be, then these shooting stars are ''her parents''.
*** [[WordOfGod Sibsy]] [[https://twitter.com/TheRealSibsy/status/282581589479792641 confirms]] the shooting stars were meant to be a reference to her parents.
** Alternatively, they could of abandon them.
*** Actually, Faust also came up with an alternate backstory, that they were traveling salesponies, and traveled all around the world. But were too busy to take care of their kids. So it could be that sadly, their parents are more interested in their work, and too busy to stop by to see their kids, and see all the other Apples, at the reunions. So it's a possibility that their too busy to see their family again. For those interested, both backstories appear in [[http://fyre-flye.deviantart.com/journal/FAQ-276161988 this FAQ]].
** That Applejack's parents didn't even rate a brief mention during the whole early RSVP scene rather suggests that nopony thought to invite ''them'' or otherwise expected them to show up -- otherwise one should think ''something'' would have been made of the fact that they of all ponies didn't reply or couldn't come. There aren't all that many non-depressing reasons for why that might be the case...
*** Depressing reason confirmed - Sibsy has confirmed that [[KilledOffForReal they are indeed dead]].

[[AC: Spike at your Service]]
* There's a ''massive'' amount of FridgeHorror regarding Timberwolves and how they operate. There are several refferences to being carnivorous, but then you realise they're just wood and plant growth magically animated. Why would they even ''need'' to eat? In fact, it's likely they don't even have stomachs or digestive fluids at all. Which means they must kill either [[ForTheEvulz simply because they enjoy it]], or because [[BiggerBad something else is magically commanding them to.]] Both options don't really bear thinking about.
** The only not disturbing option is that Timberwolves are viciously territorial, and them "eating" is little more than a means to freak out whatever they're trying to scare away, and no one's willing to get close enough to find out they're not actually digesting their victims.
** Or maybe the wolves consume the life force of their victims, but only after subduing them in the conventional hunter's way.
* There's also the fact they can reform themselves when shattered, endlessly. Who's to say that giant one won't just come back, or become a bunch of smaller ones, right outside Ponyville... (Unless, like vampires, there's a way to dispose of the remains that ensures they won't come back)
** Thankfully, the assorted monsters of the Everfree Forest seem content to stay there unless provoked first; monster attacks seem rare enough that something like an Ursa Minor ambling into Ponyville is genuine cause for panic rather than a case of "ho hum, third critter this month...". If the timber wolves ever change their minds about that and their regeneration ability turns out ''not'' to be tied to the forest itself after all on top of that, now...
* Another point of FridgeHorror concerning timberwolves - aside from the plan to fool Spike, the only ponies tat we knew to have had contact with timberwolves previously is the Apple family. As of last episode, we know that [[StarsAreSouls Applejack's parents are dead]], but we don't know ''how'' they died... what if they were killed by timberwolves?
** Isn't this more of a WMG? There is nothing connecting timberwolves to Applejack's parents other than that a long time ago, members of the Apple family encountered them. A creature that lives in the giant forest ''right next to Ponyville.''
* Before realizing that the Timberwolves can regenerate after getting destroyed, it actually seems that Applejack had killed them ON SCREEN. And it seems Applejack, before this episode, didn't know that these creatures have that power, as she's quite surprised when they do it after destroying them the second time. In other words, Applejack is more than ready to actually kill anyone threatening her friends without a second thought. You still have any doubts of why she's the TeamMom ? E-Nope.
* More of a fridge TearJerker, but in this episode, Spike tells Twilight that he's going to go work for Applejack forever, and that she doesn't need him anymore. He's quite upset when he hears her say "Okay", [[spoiler:even though it turns out she was busy reading and not paying attention to him.]] Now, what was Spike's [[Recap/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagicS3E2TheCrystalEmpirePart2 worst nightmare]] again?
** It was her kicking him out. This wasn't what happened. He choose to leave.
*** Yes, but he was upset because ''she didn't do anything to try to stop him from leaving.'' He was expecting her to say "No! You don't need to go! You're my little dragon!" or something similar. The fact that she was so accepting of him leaving means that he felt unwanted by her, meaning that his nightmare had pretty much come true.

[[AC: Keep Calm and Flutter On]]
* Apparently Twilight had multiple books containing (or multiple versions) a 'reform' spell. Does anyone else think it's kind of strange that Twilight was willing to essentially enslave/manipulate Discord just so that she doesn't disappoint Celestia?
** To be fair, Twilight was only using it as a back-up plan in case Discord didn't reform. Plus, the other alternatives to deal with an out-of-control Discord are either petrifying him again (something that might be a FateWorseThanDeath) or outright destroying him.
** [[GettingSmiliesPaintedOnYourSoul How the heck do those work in the first place?]]
** I'd keep in mind that we don't really know how those spells work or what they even ''do''. As far as we know they could be something more like a PowerLimiter or an ankle bracelet.
** This is kinda terrifying after reading a set of these [[FanFic/TheConversionBureau fics]] in which something like that does exist.
* Fluttershy proves once and for all that she's a MagnificentBitch GuileHero. Do I really need to go into what would happen if she remained mean from Putting Your Hoof Down or The Return of Harmony?
* During the episode Discord reveals that although he has been immobile for the last 1000 years he was still [[AndIMustScream conscious and able to hear what others were saying around him]], it make you wonder what toll it took on his sanity.
* In the beginning of the episode Celestia wants to reform Discord because she needs to use his powers. So if Celestia didn't find a use for him he would still be a statue, forever.
** Or that there's something even worse out there and Celestia needs all the help she can get.
*** Continuing on that tangent, this may actually tie in with the next level of Twilight Sparkle's magic training from The Crystal Empire... Foreshadowing, anyone?
**** Also the fact that Celestia had seen many old evils returning lately, including Discord himself, Nightmare Moon, and King Sombra, all of them having been handled in the past by Celestia and/or Luna. Being her usual GenreSavvy self, Celestia knows the risks of having SealedEvilInACan and is looking for alternatives, offering Discord a chance to reform (something that worked with Nightmare Moon) before considering destroying him (as it happened with King Sombra).
*** There's also the possibility that she wanted to reform him so he wouldn't be stuck with a FateWorseThanDeath forever (she might not have known he was conscious the first time around), and made up the bit about finding a use for him so that she could justify his release.
**** This is very fitting with Celestia's character and the show's overall tone; trying to use a friendly solution to problems before resorting to more extreme measures. Also, since she knows that Discord, even as a statue, can hear everything she says, Celestia might think Discord himself wouldn't believe she's trying to reform him just because it's the right thing to do and she dislikes using such a cruel imprisonment method for him, and therefore he'd be even more resistant to any attempt of reforming him.
*** Discord would get out eventually. Best to try to reform him while you still have people capable of containing him around.
* Discord, by his own words, has never had a friend. This adds a new level of horror to his previous activities. Given his [[MagnificentBastard social]] [[TheChessmaster skills]], it would be child's play to make any were he the least bit interested. So that means, that for as long as he has been around he has never considered even one of the beings around him worthy of treating as more than a toy. Everything around him, just a worthless noisemaker, an object to obey his whim. He's never been portrayed as caring for others, but this throws into sharp relief just how bad he was.
** Forget how bad he was, how about "how he got that way in the first place"? He's not incapable of empathy or remorse, he can and does respond to attempts to make him grow a conscience...who's to say the reason he became the malevolent TricksterArchetype we all know and love/loathe is because [[KickTheSonOfABitch no one actually gave him a reason to stop treating them like playthings]]? There's a difference between inborn psychopathy and having empathy wrung out of you by a terrible life...
*** Even a token effort to fit in would have allowed him to stay with people without being attacked, and his social skills show that he knows that. He never tried, and that makes his lack of friends more monstrous than sad. His lack of friends was very clearly due to a lack of desire.
*** Then why was he responsive in the first place?
*** This isn't about being responsive, it's about lack of interest. Even with Fluttershy, he wasn't interested, it was just that his plan required him to stay around her for an extended period of time without attacking her. Why he cared about her friendship so much was never explained.
** Until we learn more about how Discord came to be in the first place, if ever, all we have to go by is his present-day characterization and power level. Which in combination actually explain his never having had a friend before quite well -- he's immensely powerful and perfectly willing to use that power on a whim and without apparent restraint, traits that lend themselves infinitely better to inspiring ''fear'' than to doing the same for any degree of ''trust''. If it wasn't for Fluttershy being a virtual saint (fully in character), chances are that nothing would have changed this time around either.
* Although Discord has reformed, his personality hasn't changed and he is still essentially a PhysicalGod who's raw power easily dwarfs that of even Celestia. The only thing stopping him from returning to his monstrous ways is that he realized he values Fluttershy's friendship and is consciously making an effort to behave himself to preserve it. Think for a minute what might happen if he and Fluttershy have a falling out, or worse yet, if something tragic were to happen to her. Rather than becoming the TricksterArchetype who is in it ForTheEvulz once more, he might go on a RoaringRampageOfRevenge and [[TheEndOfTheWorldAsWeKnowIt raze Equestria to the ground]] out of anger.
** Discord is also essentially immortal. What happens when Fluttershy dies of old age? What if he can't comprehend the idea of death and goes AxCrazy?
*** Well, [[{{Necromantic}} he CAN warp reality to his will…]]
**** Hopefully, by the time Fluttershy passes away, Discord will already have made other friends that will help him stay a ChaoticGood guy.
* Discord is redeemed, which is good. But what does this say about King Sombra, who was considered evil enough by the writers to be flat out ''killed''? If Discord had enough good in him to be redeemed, just how much worse must King Sombra have been?
** It's actually not that hard to imagine a pony worse than Discord if we're willing to concede that he may in fact ''not'' be in it ForTheEvulz after all. Sure -- he's not a "good guy" by any stretch (yet, anyway), and during his premiere two-parter he put the Mane Six through the wringer. But on the other hand...why, precisely, ''should'' he handle a bunch of ponies he doesn't even know who are dead set on being his enemies and stuffing him right back into the prison he's only just ''finally'' escaped from with kid gloves? Just because they happen to be "our" protagonists? [[ProtagonistCenteredMorality I think there's a trope for that particular trap...]]
** There is a key difference between Discord and Sombra. Sombra clearly had zero chance of redemption, while Discord actually had a chance at redemption that was taken in the end.
*** In all honesty, Discord came across as ''worse'' in his first appearance. Sombra was merely uncaring about the pain of his subjects, while Discord delighted in it. Sombra was actually hurting them for a purpose, while Discord was doing it for laughs. Sombra was more LexLuthor, while Discord was more TheJoker.
*** True, but unlike TheJoker Discord [[ObliviouslyEvil doesn't fully grasp the suffering his fun causes]]-only with Fluttershy teaching how to be nice does Discord get what "nice" is. To be truly evil, [[AboveGoodAndEvil you need to know that evil exists]]. Sombra, on the other hand, is completely aware of what right and wrong are, and unlike Discord has neither [[BlueAndOrangeMorality a different moral compass]] nor was he born that way and thus in his nature to commit evil-he chooses to [[DespotismJustifiesTheMeans bring people to despair]] solely because [[ItsAllAboutMe Its All About Sombra]].
*** Discord was in no way, shape, or form [[ObliviouslyEvil oblivious]] to the pain he was causing. He considered it to be the point of his games, and loved causing psychological suffering. Discord considered himself evil.
*** Discord had a purpose as well, to get the Mane Six out of the way, so he could rule. After all, he just escaped from his [[AndIMustScream stone prison]], and he didn't want to go back while these girls clearly did, and he felt like having fun get rid of them. While he did get rid of them through making others suffer, ''so did Sombra''. Seriously, Sombra's main method of keeping control was stealing the Crystal Ponies' symbol of hope and joy, and keep them in a state of misery. He clearly traumatized them so much they felt pain at the very ''thought'' of him. Discord's subjects, while not very happy, were never shown to be in the state of misery Sombra's were, except for in a stained glass window, which Princess Twilight Sparkle shows isn't entirely accurate. Also, Sombra's main protection against ponies getting the Crystal Heart was a door makes ponies see their worst fear. If Spike hadn't come, Twilight wouldn't have escaped, making her live in her worst nightmare forever. He had no more reason to use ''this'' as a psychological weapon than Discord. Also, Sombra, unlike Discord, had no problems with [[WouldHurtAChild ''killing a child'']].
* Discord considers Fluttershy a friend now. Which means he could easily stop by Ponyville to hang out for a while any time. And until he learns some restraint, this could be... very disruptive, at best, even if he means well.
** I'm actually ''hoping'' for this; An episode with Discord coming back and Fluttershy quickly realizing that his friendship is just as dangerous and unpredictable as his hatred would be awesome. It would make sense, given the character's main inspiration was much the same way.
-->'''Picard:''' Q wants to do me a favor.
-->'''Riker:''' I'll alert the crew.
* Why does anyone believe that Discord has actually reformed? Because Celestia said so? She displayed ''her'' omniscience so well in "A Canterlot Wedding," didn't she? And as the next season opener will show, even if Discord keeps his word and engages in no more evil planning, [[spoiler: that doesn't mean he intends to lift a finger to stop any of his ''already extant'' evil plans from coming to fruition]]. That does NOT sound like reformation so much as a MoralityChain, and those can be very easily broken.
** Discord still somewhat helped Twilight in his own jerkass way by telling her to go back to her friends. Considering how bad the vines were getting, he could've not only help Twilight realize her friends needed help and taught her a lesson, but stopped her friends from you know, dying in the growing Everfree. Also, he was being a TricksterMentor in that episode, using his lying and manipulation skills to teach Twilight and even her friends an important lesson and helping them actually bond more by having them realize that they need each other, and one of their friends being a princess and giving up what brought them together won't change that. He's more of a manipulative, jerkass version of Celestia, putting the fate of Equestria (Or the Crystal Empire in one case) in the hooves of Twilight so she'll learn a lesson.
*** Except he was responsible for the vines in the first place, and hundreds if not thousands of people suffered just to make his asinine point.
*** While he was responsible, it wasn't like he planted them now, in his reformed state, but thousands of moons ago, when he was an evil overlord. It doesn't entirely excuse him, but it was still an action in his pre-reformation state, and as said above, he actually ''did'' help Twilight, in his own jerkass way, by telling her to go back. Also, Celestia almost let Equestria be covered in smoke and eventually die out because she wanted Twilight to learn a lesson. She also put the fate of the Crystal Empire in Twilight's hooves for a "test" and then later sent her a spell that nearly altered the livelihood of everypony forever just so that she could pass yet another "test". In all those instances, Celestia could have handled it. It's the same with Discord, except he actually ''did'' give Twilight a clue to make her go back to her friends.
**** He clearly knew about the plunder vines and could have dealt with them at any time. Instead, he let them rampage over thousands of innocent ponies, and furthermore, when he heard that the Elements were no longer in use, the only reason he didn't go straight into "take over Equestria" mode was because of a scolding from Fluttershy, indicating he may very well have been ''biding his time''. The only reason Discord didn't straight up murder the Mane 6 may just be because that's not his style, preferring Ahuizotl-like overly complex traps rather than straight up killing.

[[AC: Magical Mystery Cure]]
* Why was Starswirl the Bearded trying to make a spell that swapped destinies and made unicorns grow wings. Perhaps he was trying to [[TheUsurper switch destinies with Princess Celestia]]
** Celestia didn't come about until well after the time of Star Swirl...
*** What makes you say that? In Twilight's Kingdom, we see Scorpan talk to Starswirl, and shortly afterwards talk to the Royal Sisters.
* Twilight Sparkle has become an [[WingedUnicorn Alicorn]] [[AwesomeMomentOfCrowning Princess]], presumably of [[TheArchmage Magic]]/[[ThePowerOfFriendship Friendship]]. Now imagine if that grants her immortality, or at least ridiculously long life, like Celestia and Luna who are over a thousand years old. She will outlive her [[TrueCompanions true true friends]], and maybe even her "number one assistant" (assuming alicorns live longer than dragons) by hundreds, maybe thousands of years.
** Furthermore, how about her duties in Canterlot? Is there a risk Twilight will gradually get so caught up in royal work that she will grow apart with her friends in Ponyville - just like she already had with her brother before that?
*** Seems like it would be a good episode plot, actually. Possibly this "part two and three," the continuation of the season finale that has been hinted at by the staff. She'll learn a valuable lesson, possibly two. One, being that even though she now has power, she isn't as responsible with it as she thinks she is. And two being that even if something really important is taking up much of your time, you should make room for your friends however you can. Seriously, I'm calling it right now.
*** The whole "outliving her friends" thing has been given a reasonable answer here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R0lkhpZlm6w
**** Except, it's pretty much wishful thinking. We know Age Spell changes appearance, there is nothing indicating it changes lifespan. Think about it - where are hundreds of exceptionally powerful unicorns capable of casting it? No matter how you slice it, immortals would accumulate over time, and yet, Celestia is the only one ever responding to a crisis. Why Nightmare Moon's return wasn't met with opposition of brigade of powerful spellcasters? Why six kids are the only ones opposing Discord or Sombra? Where is Starswirl? Finally, why there is death at all if ponies can stop it?
** I don't think ALL alicorns are immortal. In Twilight's flashback, Candace is obviously younger than the present one, yet she aged at the same rate of Shining Armor. Celestia and Luna may just be special cases, being the sun and moon godesses.
** Since age spells have come up in "Magic Duel", the possibility exists that any notional alicorn immortality is itself simply the result of being powerful enough to use those. And they ''can'' apparently be cast on others as well. Now, whether Twilight's friends would all ''want'' to live forever is another question...
** This one has been officially jossed by WordOfGod. Twilight won't be outliving her friends, though what that means isn't entirely clear.
*** That statement is vague enough to open doors to any possible conclusion, one of the simplest, though dark, ways that could be interpreted is well... she won't outlive her friends because her friends have already outlived her. That burn mark followed by heaven/ethereal plane imagery, life being played back for her, getting wings, ascension via enlightenment etc etc. , in short the pretty purple pony princess is possibly a phastasm powered by Philia.
* So, the major obstacle that must be overcome in this episode is trying to find a way to undo a spell that swaps destinies in the worst way possible. Now, it may have been a 'secret, unfinished spell', but that doesn't mean Twilight was the first to try and cast it. At the very least, Star Swirl must have had some notion of what he was accomplishing with a destiny-altering spell. So does this mean that, at some point in history, a bunch of ponies were stuck with goals they could never hope to achieve and spent the rest of their lives oblivious to the truth? Also, if such a spell could be created and used without any harm done to the caster, just ''how much'' could reality be altered in the...hooves of an equally talented unicorn, or a powerful alicorn?
** It may not have happened to Star Swirl at all. When Twilight cast it the elements were in the house with her and it was instrumental to changing the destiny pf her friends, a variable that Star Swirl may not have had. Plus Celestia gave her the spell itself, with no warning attached to it or even a hint of what it would have done, so it probably didn't work for Star Swirl the same way as it did Twilight.
* Twilight's closing remark in her coronation speech is based off of Lou Gehrig's famous line, "Today, I consider myself the luckiest man on the face of the earth." Lou Gehrig was dying of ALS, which later became known as Iron Horse disease.
* Now that Twilight is [[spoiler:a powerful alicorn princess]], there's just one problem: we know of Twilight's past history of going insane at least once. Could she end up like [[spoiler:Princess Luna]] once did?
** Twilight doesn't seem to have the raw power needed to pose the kind of threat that she did. Of course, not being strong enough to require the usage of the Elements is no guarantee of mercy...
* When Twilight finished the spell and vanished, it was midday. She doesn't return to Ponyville until dusk. How would that feel, to see your best friend vaporized (leaving behind a scorch mark, no less) and not know what happened until several hours later?
* When the ponies switched destinies and jobs, they also switched houses. This means Rarity, a unicorn, believed she owned Rainbow Dash's house, which is made of clouds and she couldn't even enter. The poor girl was homeless... in the rain... which everypony already blamed her for.
** Unless she was so convinced of her role that she cast the appropriate spells for her to get into - and stay inside - the cloud house.
* Twilight has a history of going a little bit crazy, and occasionally a lot crazy. And now she's a ''princess''. Her next meltdown could be ''painfully'' public. As in ''all of Equestria hears about it''. And, as the saying goes, you only get one chance at a first impression...
** The conclusion of 'Crystal Empire' and the whole of 'Games Ponies Play' (probably others in S3?) indicate that she has become better at dealing with stress. Doesn't rule out a meltdown entirely, but she may be less likely to go "a lot crazy" now than she once was. And according to Celestia this growth is part of why Twilight has been 'crowned' in the first place.
* Here's a thought-provoking one for you: if cutie marks determine a pony's destiny, and that cutie mark is "always" for what is best for that pony, why create a spell that would change that destiny? Why make a spell that would change fate and destiny at all? Well, we already know that Star Swirl the Bearded had created a spell that allowed him to travel through time. However, currently it is impossible to change the past/present/future using time travel, since fate and destiny are real in this world. What if Star Swirl went forward in time, and witnessed a future so horrible that he dedicated the rest of his life to trying to find a way to change fate, so that he could prevent this bad future from happening?
** The Reign of Discord? Or maybe pegasus ponies and earth ponies being treated as the equals of the unicorn ponies?
* Here's a bit of horrific implications for everyone. In the episode, five of the "Mane Six" have their cutie marks switch causing them to essentially switch destinies and their "Elements Of Harmony". This includes Fluttershy. Who did Fluttershy befriend earlier? Discord. Discord has only recently learned the importance of friendship and Fluttershy is (so far) the only genuine friend he's ever had. Fluttershy's destiny/cutie mark was changed to Pinkie's cutie mark in this episode. Imagine what it must've been like for Discord to see the one friend he's ever had in his entire life suddenly "change" and is (in a sense) no longer the person he knows and cares about. What sort of toll would that have taken on his mental state, and, what would happen if he did lose Fluttershy forever?
** On the plus side, she ''did'' have her Element swapped out for his favorite Element: Laughter, so he's probably not ''that'' miffed with the fact that Fluttershy's job is to (try to) make people laugh. Now, the big problem is that who ''Fluttershy'' swapped roles with. The pony who is always on Discord's case and was acting very aggressive towards is now living in Fluttershy's house, and assuming that she has Fluttershy's role. Though this is Discord we're talking about. He didn't seem to care about being TakenForGranite all that much.
** Discord's whole business is chaos. I'm pretty sure he'd appreciate the situation for the insanity it caused. He's have some laughs, see how much the situation bothered Fluttershy and then either offer to help her entertain people better (while blowing off everyone else) or just pointing Twilight in the direction to fix it in exchange for making her do something humiliating.
* Fluttershy's animals have tied up Rainbow Dash and placed her in a cauldron to presumably cook and eat her. This is played for laughs, so it really isn't all that horrifying on its own. The part that ''is'' weirdly disturbing is that with the exception of a bear and an owl, every one of those angry creatures dancing around the pot and brandishing eating utensils is an herbivore. This could lead to a couple of unsavory implications, the most unsettling of which is that they're only excited because eating Dash requires murdering her.
** That's not really the most unsettling thing. Herbivores are cooperating with carnivores. Why? Perhaps for a share of the food or to NOT be on the bear's menu? And then there really wasn't any indication that they were going to kill Rainbow before they started cooking was there?
* How come the mane six suck so much at what they don't normally do? I mean with applejack it's A BIT understandable, even though she had all the time to learn at least the basics of dressmaking, but how come all the animals seem to hate rainbow dash and want to kill her? Besides, if in this alternate reality they received their cutie mark on the same day as the normal one, that would mean they had been trying to get better at what they're "supposed" to do. I know Fluttershy is shy, but it's been shown she can get over it, and entertaining people was what she saw as her destiny! How is it even possible that after presumably years of being ponyville's weather pony, Rarity still thinks she should care more about what the clouds look like than about what is falling on the ground?! There are many pegasi who know this stuff and I don't think they would let an UNICORN mess up the weather like hell without so much as a word of advice. I mean, not just anypony becomes the weather pony, right? And Pinkie Pie! I don't think it's actually been shown that she was ridiculously incompetent, but driving sweet apple acres out of business...with previous farming experience(granted, rock farming)...and the Apples to help her(yeah, I don't think she owned the farm, it'd be more likely she was employed by the Apples, since Applejack was into dressmaking.
** Because it's built into their character. Remember how much Pinkie Pie HATED rock farming? It's also probably pretty different than apple farming, and it's been shown that not all apples are normal, and fixing broken things she doesn't understand? Being forced to do chores when so much of her personality is based around creating and spreading fun? And Rarity isn't just some clothing designer, but an up and coming fashion designer who's talented enough to catch the eye of famous fashion/designer/high-class ponies. Creating balance in a design has EVERYTHING to do with patterns and symmetry, so her making the weather look nice could have been her way of trying to make the weather work properly. And dealing with many, many different types of animals all cooped up in the same place who don't like you can spiral out of control very, very quickly.
* In this alternate universe, think about the repercussions of the mane cast's problems on the cutie mark crusaders' psyche!
* Here's a question to ask, which I got after reading Misfile. Which is easier, To change the lives of five ponies or to change the life of one pony? What if that alternate universe, their cutie marks were the correct ones? Once Twilight cast the unfinished spell, she messed up her memories, which fed back through the Elements and caused her friends to suddenly start screwing up at their cutie marks?
* In this episode, consider that Pinkie reverts to Pinkamena, Rainbow Dash is almost cooked and eaten, and due to an animation error Dash loses her wings. [[Fanfic/{{Cupcakes}} The coincidences are more than a tad disturbing]].
* We see just how vital Pinkie is to morale in Ponyville. Then one looks at her lifestyle and realizes she will probably be dead within a generation...
** Why? It's not like partying (the sort with fun food and balloons and dancing) is particularly dangerous or contributes to poor health. In fact, it probably ensures that she's physically active, which is good for health.
* In response to questions about how Twilight learned to fly so quickly: Consider the scene from ''Equestria Girls'' and previews from Season 4 in which she's not yet very good at it. It's entirely possible that she ''didn't'' learn, and that her first (overconfident) flight at the close of the episode ended with a spectacular crash seconds after the IrisOut, since at that point she was a couple thousand feet over Ponyville.
[[/folder]]

[[folder: Season 4 (1 of 2)]]

[[AC: Princess Twilight Sparkle, Parts 1 & 2]]
* One appears immediately as the premiere ends: what happens if an enemy threatens Equestria? Especially since the Elements are gone?
** To give an example, it's heavily implied that, since the elements are gone, Discord might attempt to wreck havoc and become dangerous all over again. The only thing stopping him is Fluttershy.
** Can't they borrow them for 10 minutes, like Celestia and Luna did, in case of great need? Why the Princesses didn't gave them back, anyway?
*** Because if another equally dangerous threat appeared, there was no guaranty the Princesses would have enough time to get back to the tree and take them; it's exactly what happened when Luna became Nightmare Moon, with Celestia almost dying at her sister's hooves; it was good for her that they kept the Elements at their own castle.
*** Waitasec... Their old castle was literally built on top of the Tree of Harmony. Even if they didn't want place defenses around the Tree itself, putting the Elements back in for a limited time everyday should have been possible.
* Those black vines of evil were planted by Discord ages ago. How many other contingency plans does he have? And since even Fluttershy can't reel him in enough to stop, how will they deal with any of those?
* According to Zecora, the dark magic that Celestia, Twilight, and especially King Sombra used in the Crystal Empire premiere is called "Alicorn Magic". Start screaming.
** Maybe it's just a kind of super-powerful, available-only-to-alicorns magic?
** Which raises a great deal of questions, especially in Sombra's case...
*** For what it's worth, the weird horn aura magic was never actually called dark magic. That was used to refer to Sombra's Nightmare Door, and from context, it was referring to magic used for evil.
*** This does add some more horror to his character. He was apparently powerful enough to use alicorn level magic. Perhaps it was a good idea he died in his two parter.

[[AC: Castle Mane-ia]]
* Part of the legend of the "Pony of Shadows" is that it's residual magic left over from when Luna freed herself from Nightmare Moon that's taking on its own form. TheStinger shows that the Pony of Shadows is apparently an actual entity. It's entirely possible that the whole "Left over Nightmare magic" bit of the legend might be accurate as well.
** Actually, it was said to be a piece of Nightmare Moon's magic leftover from when she was banished. Not when she was freed. (Now whether or not the Pony of Shadows actually existed until Nightmare Moon was defeated in season one, is another question entirely.)
** If a [[https://twitter.com/goldenrusset/status/465223414631116800 tweet from Jayson Thiessen]] is any indication, the entity of the Pony of Shadows seen at the end of the episode was none other than [[spoiler: Tirek, the villain of the season 4 finale]]. Good thing he didn't have enough power at that point...

[[AC: Daring Don't]]
* So the villain of a book series is actually real, is planning to throw the Tenochtitlan Basin into 800 years of never ending heat, and, with the exception of a single author/adventurer, nopony, not even the Princesses, are trying to stop him?
** And one of Fluttershy's animal friends is helping him.
** Heat is usually associated with the sun. Replace "heat" with "night", a word associated with the moon. Yes. He's essentially the "Nightmare Sun" that fans have speculated about. Or perhaps it contributes to a rather [[RonTheDeathEater dark]] interpretation of [[TyrantTakesTheHelm Celestia]]...
*** And if [[DoubleEntendre he was talking about]] [[APartyAlsoKnownAsAnOrgy a different]] [[RapeAsDrama kind of heat]]...
** Unlike most of the show's major villains, Ahuizotl doesn't have high level magical powers, and this must help him play it safe and under the Princesses' radar; it's entirely possible that Daring Do only found him by accident when they both were looking for the same relics.
*** The fact that he is not threatening all of Equestria but is only attempting to control one valley, called the "Tenochtitlan Basin" after the real-world Aztec city, has probably helped him in that regard. How manipulating the local weather conditions into a centuries-long heatwave is going to accomplish his goals, is another question.
*** Heck, the idea that Ahuizotl exists is pure horror.
**** To elaborate, on classic Aztec mythology, the ahuizotl is a semi-aquatic creature that attracts his victims by mimicking a baby's wept, and then catches them with its prehensile tail, pulling the victim to the water to drown him/her. It's also some FridgeBrilliance from the show's writers, as Ahuizotl, like his myth counterpart, is fond on [[DeathTrap death traps.]]
* The very fact that everything in the Daring Do books is now real should raise some eyebrows. Imagine all the things in the stories that readers could sigh with relief that "it's just a story." Now, what happens if they realize it's all real.
* With all the stuff left over to be found and used by adventure archeologists, what were the ancient civilizations like that they could make such artifacts? How far back do they date? Discord-Era? HeartsWarming Eve? Thousands of years before even Heartswarming?

[[AC: Flight to the Finish]]
* At the end of the second act, a broken Scootaloo tells her friends they're better off without her, and they react with anger. When we see Scootaloo next, she's throwing away her posters and her scooter. Consistent with someone suicidal. If Dash, Apple Bloom, and Sweetie Belle had been slower or Scootaloo faster...
->'''Filthy Rich''': [[FullNameUltimatum Diamond Dazzle Tiara]], you are as responsible for Scootaloo's death as if you had killed her!
* Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon know that their "Blank Flanks" taunt won't work on the CMC and they've seen how effective mocking Scootaloo's disability is. Who's to say they won't adopt this as their new form of bullying.
** Well, even if they do, it likely won't work nearly as well for them because now the CMC know their friendship is stronger than any lack of ability the girls could choose to mock them over. Besides, what are they going to do? Call Applebloom uncultured? Maybe make fun of Sweetie Bell not being so great with her magic? Nothing else they have compares to Scootaloo's inability to fly and that utterly failed after a short pep-talk and a quick reassurance of friendship.
*** Diamond Tiara also doesn't care that much. She only escalated her taunting as part of a plan rather than because she cared about the CMC's feelings. She usually doesn't put any effort into taunting Apple Bloom or her friends. Unless she stands to gain, Diamond isn't going to go through the effort of coming up with more creative insults.
* Scootaloo gets bullied by Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon on account of her inability to fly. Compare this to the "Rainbow Crash" insults, and "Fluttershy can hardly fly". Think about how much worse Scootaloo's life would have been if she had grown up in Cloudsdale instead of Ponyville.

[[AC: Power Ponies]]
* There is a shop that sells comics that can transfer ponies into another dimension. Also, the only way to escape is to defeat the main antagonist, but what happens if the pony '''doesn't''' defeat the villain? They'll either be killed or trapped forever!
** Don't forget, Spike was able to get hold of one of these comics without suspecting a thing. How many colts and fillies do you think have been trapped inside these magical comic books?
** Here's a thought: don't think of the villain in those comics as the villain. Instead, think of them as the in-character DungeonMaster. Their job is to make sure the player ponies reach the end of the story. If a player is having trouble, the villain dials back a bit to make things easier on them. If a player is unsure of what to do, the villain holds the VillainBall long enough to point them in the right direction. If a player, for some reason, cannot perform as the plot demands, the villain [[NiceJobFixingItVillain fixes it]] so that they can. If you watch the episode again with this interpretation in mind, you can actually see the Mane-iac doing this with Spike and the Mane Six.
*** The plot calls for [[spoiler: a fight scene between the Power Ponies and the Mane-iac right at the start of the comic.]] However, [[spoiler: when the Mane-iac makes her entrance, the Mane Six respond by listening to Spike's exposition instead of meeting her challenge head-on like they are supposed to.]] So the Mane-iac [[spoiler: starts throwing nearby objects at them to get them to fight back and get the story underway.]]
*** The plot calls for [[spoiler: Humdrum to bail the Power Ponies out in time for the climactic showdown.]] However, [[spoiler: Spike is still moping about being the useless sidekick.]] So the Mane-iac [[spoiler: uses a suspiciously-well-timed HannibalLecture to coerce the Mane Six into sticking up for him and inspiring him into action.]]
*** The plot calls for [[spoiler: Saddle Rager to hulk out and deliver the final smackdown to close out the story.]] However, [[spoiler: Fluttershy can't get herself mad enough to trigger the transformation on cue.]] So the Mane-iac [[spoiler: swats a random firefly to MAKE her get mad enough.]]
** Maybe failing the mission results in a GameOver and possibly a GroundhogDayLoop back to the beginning? I doubt the store would have been allowed to exist for long if any ponies actually died inside the comics.
* Pinkie Pie managed to pull something out of the comic book world. What if a villain or super weapon escaped?
** Unlikely. The episode implies rather strongly that the villain and the comic book are very closely connected, if not the same entity. Plus, that would contradict the way the episode says the comic books work. The only way out is to defeat the villain, usually by putting them in a state where they couldn't escape even if they wanted to. In most superhero stories, this also includes destruction of the villain's doomsday device, so by the time the comic ends, there is no superweapon to escape with. It's also likely that the enchancements on these comic books disallow players from taking things out of the comic book when they leave. Pinkie Pie was only able to get away with it because she's Pinkie Pie; RuleOfFunny takes precedence.
** No, the REAL FridgeHorror is in the enchantments facilitating these comic books. Somepony is putting those enchantments on those comic books. Whether it was their original purpose or not, it wouldn't take much to modify them to remove the exit condition and make them into the perfect prison. Now consider that Equestria has its own share of ''actual'' villains who would be all too happy to make those modifications and use them for that very purpose.
** How does Twilight defend Spike in his Sidekick role? By saying ''he's'' "not Humdrum", he's Spike, which will let him save the ponies after all. Is there a real Humdrum, and is he going through what Spike did but without the help of being someone else with slightly more useful skills than his character alone has? Just think: the guy's whole existence is to be the screw-up comic relief, according to the only person we see read the scripted part of the book.
*** For that matter, the people in the comic seemingly being real. It has a very ''Comic/AnimalMan'' feel to it. What happens when only one or two are sucked in? Are the "Power Ponies" members who aren't replaced there to fill the role? Or do you have to fight the Mane-iac with a smaller team.
**** Spike was the first one sucked in, and he got put into the role of Humdrum. So presumably that's what was supposed to happen. The entire issue was about Humdrum messing up, and if we go with the assumption that the Mane-iac was acting as a kind of Dungeon Master, she kept leaving Humdrum alone and gave a speech about how Humdrum was useless. Maybe the issue was Humdrum's time to shine?
* This might be more of in-universe horror, but how do we know the Mane-iac was made by accident? What if the accident was set up? Or if that was her attempting suicide?

[[AC: Bats!]]
* What would've happened to the Vampire Fruit Bats if Twilight's spell had worked? Did she make them decide to eat something else that wasn't fruit, or were they going to let the bats starve?
** After the parasprite debacle, she's probably researched how to do those sorts of spells without causing horrible side effects. In this case she probably just removed their taste for apples specifically, leaving them free to eat other fruit that isn't a major staple of Ponyville's business.
** Most likely, they would have started eating like normal fruit bats, who don't cause problems by overeating.
** Who says they need to eat apples anyway? They could eat other fruits, probably. All the spell did was get rid of their desire to eat apples.
*** It didn't even do that. The spell made them stop wanting to suck the ''juice'' from apples.
*** Four above entries are examples of [[ArtisticLicenseBiology You Fail Biology Forever]]. Specialized feeding mode evolves because it's more productive - and restrictive. If you remove ability to eat fruit juice from species evolved to the point it has specialized jaw, it can't just go 'eat another fruit' or 'eat apple normally' (and this besides fact that any fruit bitten by animal is thrown out, not sold). It will just starve and die. Congratulations, Twilight, first real test of your leadership skills and you already ordered species-cide.
*** Seriously? This ''very episode'' showed that the spell that Twilight used on the fruit bats was capable of altering their physiology. Given what happened to Fluttershy, what makes you think that Twilight ''didn't'' alter their bodies? And we know that alteration to their ability to eat can be subtle, as the parasprites didn't looks any different after Twilight altered them.
**** Imagine someone cast spell on you that forced you to eat grass, and only grass (by changing your physiology). This, if anything, is even ''more wrong'', not less. Also, let's think for a second when real animals have feeding frenzies - when they try to gather nutrients during ''pregnancy''. So, it's possible the spell doomed a whole new generation of bats to any combination of malnutrition and stillbirth. Fluttershy really had a big point in that AJ and TS tried to mess with something neither of them understood or even cared for, with potentially disastrous consequences.
*** There is another source of fruit that are on Sweet Apple Acres. Those cute [[{{Planimal}} Fruit Bats]].
*** But if the fruit bats are part fruit, then they were already on the menu... Vampire fruit bats only eat ''fruit'' fruit, right? Did Fluttershy just get them eaten?
* The idea that even the rest of the Mane Six would straight up ''strong-arm'' Fluttershy into using her Stare on the bats. Fluttershy [[WithGreatPowerComesGreatResponsibility has always prided herself on only using her Stare in the most dire of emergencies]]; to ask her to use the Stare on a swarm of bats just because they're ugly and destructive would be like asking her to commit MindRape on them, for the unfair 'crime' of simply acting on their natural instincts. Knowing that she could be partly responsible, if Twilight's spell had worked properly, for the bats' possible starving to death would shake her to the core.
** Also, she ''knows'' all too well what it feels like to be mind-raped and act against her will, back when Discord brainwashed her into being cruel to her friends. The very '''thought''' of doing the same to a group of animals who are just acting the way animals are supposed to act would be unthinkable to her.
* Now can you imagine what would had happened if Twilight couldn't save Fluttershy? She'd be stuck as a vampire bat with no control over her instincts, no way of even communicating with her friends, and she may have effectively {{Mind Rape}}d ''herself'' into thinking that she's a feral bat forever.
** Or until morning came. Fluttershy wasn't affected during the day.
*** That, of course, assuming with change progression she wouldn't be stuck in the bat-pony form permanently. Her teeth at the end of the episode stayed at daytime.
* Oh, ''did we mention'' that [[TheEndOrIsIt Fluttershy's fangs stuck around even after we thought all was done with?]] It hasn't come up again, but...

[[AC: Rarity Takes Manehattan]]
* So as pointed out on the Fridge Brilliance page, Suri Polomare would be getting some LaserGuidedKarma as a result of Coco leaving. Of course, she'd ''know'' it was Coco's fault her life is now ruined. Who's to say she wouldn't seek revenge?
** And do what? She can hardly blackmail Coco with anything - the truth of Coco's prior employment and what was really going on there coming out would be infinitely more damaging to Suri than it could ever be to Coco. Try to make Coco knuckle under to emotional intimidation? That's clearly Suri's best skill, but now that Coco's found the strength to defy her once its not something Suri can be sure of working anymore... after all, Coco would ''still be there'' if it hadn't stopped working already. Have Coco attacked by thugs? Suri's an emotionally abusive plagiarist fashion designer, not an organized crime kingpin, and it would be a bit out-of-genre for the show besides. (Even if it's probably being written into a fanfic as we speak.) Try to pull strings to wreck Coco's life or limit her career opportunities? Seems to be the only method with any real possibility, but that would just get us another episode if Coco didn't clutch the IdiotBall and instead simply wrote Rarity a letter.

[[AC: Pinkie Apple Pie]]
* Goldie Delicious is a lonely, old, weak lady who keeps [[CrazyCatLady a ridiculous number of cats]], and they all live in a horribly cluttered (to the point where opening the door is a feat in itself), dirty and dilapidated house. In real life, these tend to be symptoms of [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Animal_hoarding animal hoarding]] and [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Compulsive_hoarding compulsive hoarding]].
* So why would somepony go to such length to make sure any and all records of relation between the Pies and the Apples was ''rubbed out''?
** Consider where the records were,one was a scroll that, when unrolled exited the Library ,and the other is in the house of a compulsive and animal hoarder. It might seem a bit of a stretch that it'd be the exact same. place that was smudged just from this, but it could happen. The alternative is one's a copy of the other and it's a long standing error. Both seem more likely than someone trying to hide a relation that distant.
* I could be taking this too seriously, but Pinkie is extremely excited at the thought of being part of the Apple family, and feels so much joy when Granny Smith says she's "always welcome with your Apple kin". She loved traveling with them as family, while being ''extremely'' eager to take photos to keep the memories. Later, when she finds out she might not be an Apple after all, she is thoroughly ''crushed''. This and the fact WordOfGod shows the Cakes see Pinkie as a surrogate daughter, kind of brings up the question on why she wants to be family with them so badly, and yet never visits and very rarely mentions her actual family. She never even gives a reason, like living too far away, and Pinkie Pride shows she moved to Ponyville when she was a filly, while her family is still evidently on the rock farm. So, if she has a family, then why does she never visit or mention visiting them? Why does she need the Cakes as surrogate parents? Why is she so excited at the thought of being part of the Apple Family, not just "blood related excited", but excited at the prospect of being an actual member of their family, and them accepting her as such? ''What happened on the rock farm that made her leave?''

[[AC: Rainbow Falls]]
* Soarin injures his wing in a practice, and it really looks awful; luckily, in the end, is just a minor injury. What makes this real FridgeHorror is remembering how in RealLife many athletes' careers get completely ruined when suffering accidents like this; in some of these cases, even if they heal, they never fully recover the athleticism level they previously had. Considering all this, is a bit easier to understand why Soarin's teammates were so quick to find a replacement even after knowing the accident was less serious than it looked like.
* Bulk Biceps' wings had atrophied a lot since the events at Wonderbolts Academy, and we'd all seen how flight deficiencies are often mocked by other pegasi, and not just by young ones but by adults.

[[AC: Three's a Crowd]]
* It was feigned, but the results of Discord's PowerIncontinence--which really isn't noticeably different from what he does his with abilities when he in complete control--have some really unsettling implications. Witness the inanimate objects he brings to life (possibly granting some measure of sapience to the lamp post), or the Ponyville cottage that floats away to never be seen again.
* Early in the episode, there's some real AdultFear to be found when Pinkie Pie, the most childlike of the main characters, has her eyes closed while humming loudly and chasing a balloon '''directly down the railroad tracks moments before the next train arrives!'''
* Is there any doubt left that Discord's "reformation" has merely exchanged one sadistic game for another?
** Discord is still a manipulative jerkass, but he's not downright evil anymore. He did have a point, Twilight never treats him with any sort of respect no matter what he does, and it's not like he intended for the Tatzlwurm to attack Twilight and Cadance. He even tried poofing it away before it sneezed on him.
*** To paraphrase SFDebris, if you act untrustworthy all the time, don't be surprised people don't trust you. Some of his complaints are pretty hypocritical, complaining that Twilight doesn't write, yet never writing to her to indicate he's interested in an exchange of letters and providing the latter an address to send the letters to.
* According to folklore, [[http://www.pantheon.org/articles/t/tatzlwurm.html a Tatzlwurm's breath is a lethal]]. If this applies to the beast in MLP as well, [[MadGod Discord's power]] might be the only reason he got away so lightly. And just imagine if Cadence hadn't had that shield up.

[[AC: Pinkie Pride]]
* This could be reading a bit too much into things, but [[spoiler:Cheese Sandwich ran away from home and started WalkingTheEarth as a little colt because he was so shy that no one noticed him. [[AbusiveParents What does this say about his]] [[ParentalNeglect parents]]]]?

[[AC: Simple Ways]]
* More "Fridge Depression" then fridge horror, but the way Applejack was treated throughout the episode by both Trenderhoof and Rarity is a bit disconcerting. Trenderhoof (a unicorn) admits that part of Applejack's appeal to him is that he "Appreciates the earth pony work ethic". Then we see Rarity [[ModernMinstrelsy acting out]] what we can assume is her ideas on earth pony, or at least farm pony stereotypes. What exactly does this say about relations between unicorns and earth ponies as a whole? No wonder Applejack detested Trenderhoof's advances.
** To be fair to Rarity, she wasn't acting out "Earth Pony Stereotypes" so much acting like the type of pony she thinks that Trenderhoof would be interested in. ''He'' stereotyped earth ponies as hicks, so Rarity tried to act that way to impress him. Still doesn't speak well to either his or Rarity's sensitivity though.

[[/folder]]

[[folder: Season 4 (2 of 2)]]

[[AC: Filli Vanilli]]
* During Big Mac's flashback, as Big Mac prepares to do his turkey call, there's a quick shot of Pinkie slowly rising up in the crowd then sinking back in, grinning evilly all the while. Few seconds after the flashback, she passes the Ponytones with the turkey call medal around her neck. Did Pinkie sabotage Big Mac's voice?!
** Considering this is Pinkie Pie we're talking about, this 'evil grin' can be interpreted as 'Oh, you'll see how I'm gonna win this year, Pinkie Style!' rather than 'Oh, you'll fall in my trap and I'll dethrone you' mentality; it's pretty much her default expression whenever she's gonna try something very difficult or important for her, like when she tried impressing Gilda with a party; her expression made the viewers think she'd perform a complex scheme at the party, and in the end she didn't do anything but trying to throw the best party she could. We later hear Pinkie doing the Turkey Call, and she does it quite well. It's entirely possible, however, that Pinkie improved her call to the point Big Mac put an even bigger effort to try outmatching her, and that gave him the hoarse throat.

[[AC: Twilight Time]]

* Twi's disappointment in the fact that most of the fillies who wanted to meet her are only doing it for the sake of meeting somepony famous and the fact that some of them are basically only using the Cutie Mark Crusaders to get close to her may harken back to her time as Celestia's personal student, when it would have been likely that some of her peers and perhaps even some nobles might have tried to play nice with her only for the sake of currying favors from the Princess.

[[AC: It Ain't Easy Being Breezies]]
* Seabreeze's companions were so happy staying with Fluttershy that they didn't care about him not returning home with his wife and kid, and doing this travel alone is pretty much a suicide mission. When he accidentally crashed in the beehive, the bees were more than willing to sting him to death.
* The breezies are, to put it lightly, very fragile, to the point that all it takes to disrupt their migration is a ''leaf''. Given all the monsters and dangerous creatures in the setting, Equestria is nothing short of a DeathWorld to them if they don't have ponies watching out for them. It's really hard to imagine the group making it all the way across the world without some casualties.

[[AC: Somepony to Watch Over Me]]

[[AC: Maud Pie]]
* Is Maud clinically depressed or something?
** Um, no? It's never really implied that she isn't content with her life, it's just that she's TheStoic and doesn't really show her emotions. Just because she isn't particularly expressive hardly means that she doesn't ''feel'' fine.
** It actually goes with her motif of rocks. Rocks. Dull. Stone cold. Get it?
* While Maud herself having some kind of condition is debatable, it is a bit distressing to think that there are limits on who the Mane Cast can accept as a friend. Somehow, Maud failed to meet that standard. Its especially heartbreaking for Pinkie, who obviously loves Maud, but due to Maud's personality and character, the others simply cannot make a real connection to her. This is the same sort of problem that loved ones of those with mental disorders face: They want to show that they are worthy of being loved, but the rest of the world is less then accepting, all they immediately see are the flaws.
** The problem wasn't that the main cast didn't ''accept'' her. They ''did''; the entire episode consisted of them trying to become friends with Maud. Acceptance was never the issue; the problem was simply that they didn't really have enough in common for either party to enjoy things. None of the mane cast are into rocks enough to find it interesting, and Maud has a similar disinterest in their own subjects. That was the entire point of the episode: you won't be able to be friends with everyone, not because there's anything ''wrong'' with you or wrong with them, but because you just won't have common ground with everyone or have compatible personalities. It's not exactly a ''happy'' lesson, but it's entirely true: you won't be friends with everyone you meet, just because you don't have the same interests, and that's okay.
* Maud puts the rock candy necklace Pinkie made for her in the box where she keeps all of Pinkie's other necklaces, but she doesn't do the same with the necklaces made by the rest of the Mane 6, and she says she doesn't like candy. Is she just going to throw the other necklaces away?

[[AC: Trade Ya]]

[[AC: For Whom the Sweetie Belle Toils]]
* Think about this episode for a second. You have omniscient morality police that can either look into past/future or tear memories from other pones memory to show you why you're wrong. You will then be locked into a nightmare torturing you with (possibly) exaggerated visions of what will happen if you don't correct your ways immediately no matter how much you scream you want to wake up. That without even considering they read everything you think when they want to. And yet, majority of the populace was stupid enough to piss off holder of such powers to the point they become Nightmare Moon... Wait, on second though, just 'eternal night' sounds infinitely less evil than what Luna can do with her powers, so maybe they were right, after all.
** Just to nitpick, it's never made clear how much of the dream was Luna's manipulation and how much of it was just Sweetie Belle having a guilt-induced nightmare. It's entirely possible that Sweetie Belle was having bad dreams either way and Luna just decided to make the nightmare useful instead of dispelling it entirely, especially after she heard Sweetie's point of view and decided to make she the filly didn't make the same mistakes she did.

[[AC: Leap of Faith]]
* The way Applejack saved Granny Smith in the end, sending the rope down while she stayed on the platform up top? That's exactly what happened ComicBook/TheNightGwenStacyDied.

[[AC: Testing, Testing, 1, 2, 3]]
* Rainbow not realizing how hard the test was going to be and that she needs to take it seriously until she has ''less than a day'' to prepare for it. It's not exactly "rampaging monster"-levels of horror, but fear of failing a test that will affect your future career choices is going to hit very close to home for some people.

[[AC: Inspiration Manifestation]]
* What exactly happened to the clown and mariachi ponies that Rarity turned into a waiter and classical music ponies?
** Twilight said that she, Cadance and Luna changed everything back to normal in the end.
* The magic went away when Spike told Rarity the truth. Where did it go? And why does this time Rarity doesn't remember while Trixie under the Alicorn Amulet did?
* Rarity does not eat or sleep after she is possessed by the "Inspiration Manifestation" spell. Would it have kept her alive indefinitely, or would she have artist-ed herself to death?

[[AC: Equestria Games]]
* Imagine for a moment just how badly things might have turned out had another enemy like Discord, Chrysalis or Sombra chosen to attack during the games, given that it appeared that even the princesses and Shining Armor were under the effects of the unicorn-disabling anti-cheat spell at the time.
** Not to mention that the secret service ponies simply said that there was no time to cut the spell.
* [[Recap/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagicS1E3TheTicketMaster Once again]], Spike ends up singed from the effects of a spell cast by Twilight. It's been established that he's supposed to be fireproof. Just how strong ''was'' that fire spell Twilight used to light the flame, and what would it have done to a non-dragon?
** More than the fire's intensity, what affected Spike was the magic on it. Twilight often practices harmless spells on him, and Spike had been affected by an adult dragon's fire, that is magical as well. The series has established that dragons are vulnerable to magic; while Spike probably resists magical fire much better than a pony, it still can harm him to a certain extent.

[[AC: Twilight's Kingdom, Parts 1 & 2]]
* From what's been revealed, whatever or whoever is the villain in this 2-parter is so powerful it's GodzillaThreshold to the point that [[spoiler: the other 3 princesses have to give Twilight their power]]. What in Equestria could be that powerful?!
** [[spoiler:How about ''Motherfucking [[HijackedByGanon Tirek]]?!'']]
* Made even more ominous by the synopsis for the first part. Whatever the problem is, it's serious enough that the princesses [[spoiler:ask Discord for help]]. The fact that it's a two-parter means that either 1) this backfired, 2) [[spoiler:Discord actually made things worse or ''is'' the main threat]], or 3) the problem is so serious that even he can't fix it.
** Which raises the question: Will [[spoiler: Discord]] even survive the fight with this villain? (since Twilight's fighting him/her in Part 2) [[spoiler: The second synopsis released suggests that Discord isn't the main threat after all, as it is a mysterious evil foe from the past)]]
* [[spoiler:Lord Tirek]] escaped from Tartarus, and unlike the previous escaped evil, Tartarus isn't just ''his'' [[SealedEvilInACan can]] but a ''prison'' for the worst evils in Equestria. Tirek is capable of sucking ponies dry and is so ungodly powerful that sending ''freaking Discord'' to stop him is considered the best solution and the Princesses are [[spoiler:forced to give their magic to Twilight ''just'' to keep it safe from him]]. Just ''one'' of the evils sealed in Tartarus is ''that'' powerful. Just what ''else'' is down there?!
** Fans have pondered that Chrysalis might have been one of Tartarus' prisoners. Or that Sombra might have been one. Both of them did make first appearances relatively soon after "It's About Time".
* So Tirek [[spoiler: drains the Mane Cast, including Spike.]] Remember, just a few episodes prior, Spike had eaten a book of dark magic. It's possible that [[spoiler: Tirek managed to drain that out of him.]] Now it's probably pretty minor compared to all the other magic he'd drained by then, but just immagine the horrors [[spoiler: Inspiration Manifestation ''combined with Discord's magic'' could cause.]]
** Actually, [[spoiler: Spike seemed to be unaffected by the drain. He was the only one in the cage who's eyes didn't get washed out.]]
* [[spoiler:Twilight Sparkle's library]] gets completely destroyed. She gets a new [[spoiler:castle]] at the end to replace it, but this goes into EsotericHappyEnding territory since this doesn't replace [[spoiler:all of the books that were inside the library, which were said to be of great sentimental value to her.]]
** It would be appropriate for this show to display an Aesop of 'Treasuring things that have meaning to you is all right in its place; but if push ultimately comes to shove you should first choose to save lives, not objects.' [[spoiler: Which is why the scene is framed to show Twilight passing up a chance to grab any of her posessions to instead shield Owlowiscious from the blast with her own body. He didn't ''have'' to be in that particular scene, after all; reassuring the audience that the owl didn't die could be done as simply as showing him during the group musical # at the end. Instead, screen time is devoted specifically to Twilight saving him.]]
* [[spoiler: The mere idea of Tirek winning. Obviously the other villains have had horrible designs, but for him, the fact that he plans to drain the magic from every being he find brings something even worse to mind. Celestia states that if he wins, there will be nobody to control the weather, liking leaving it completely stagnant, nobody with the strength to work the earth to grow food, and he aimed to the magic to control the sun and moon. Not only would he leave all of Equestria too weak to lift a finger against him, futile as it would be, but his take over could easily be the end of life in Equestria with the weather and the sun and moon left unchecked, and the ponies would not be able to support themselves. Tirek either never seemed to consider that, or he didn't care as long he got power.]]
** [[spoiler:We are to assume that if he won, he would have had the power to control everything in Equestria like an omnipotent god. Whether he would even care enough to let the ponies survive, though, is unclear.]]
* When [[spoiler:Tirek]] stole flight, he would also have stolen inertial damping. First, this means that some of the low-flying pegasi we see have massive injuries. Second, many pegasi (and griffons) would have been higher up. [[InferredHolocaust It is a given that nopony in Cloudsdale has survived]], and that nearly every pegasus and griffon in the world is in mourning for some loved ones.
** It is possible -- and given that they likely want to use Cloudsdale in season 5, as well as avoid the social and political consequences of dealing with The Great Pegasus Die-Off, also probable -- that pegasi still get enough glide angle from their wings, sans magic, to turn 'fatal crash' into 'rough landing'. Even so, that's still a lot of bruised pegasi laying around the landscape. Ditto griffons.
** Note that Tirek cannot drain power from a very long range. It's likely that he just had Discord gather them all up and dump them on the ground next to him, ripe for the taking.
** Did Tirek even get to Cloudsdale? It looked like he attacked the Wonderbolts Academy.
[[/folder]]

* Pay close attention to how Celestia delievers the line "You have a ''lot'' to think about." It is not unlike the way she delievered the line "You won't get away with this, Discord!" back in the first part of The Return of Harmony. Now, before she delievered that line, it was already preestablished that she felt nothing but pure hatred for Discord. I'll let that sink in for a minute.

* The book Twilight finds talking about the mirror pool says that she can accidentally send back the real Pinkie. Why would the book even have that information unless it's actually happened?

** Parchment is also a type of high quality paper similar in colour and texture to old-style calfskin parchment.

*** I was the original poster of this Fridge Horror, and I would like to say that you gave a nice and thoughtful reply to my argument.

** Unicorns and Earth Ponies are a lot more balanced than you might think. In the occurrence it's not ''magic'' itself that is overpowered, it's ''Twilight''. Most unicorns would not have been able to harvest the apples with any less effort than Applejack, but [[StoryBreakerPower Twilight Sparkle is not "most unicorns"]]. There's a reason she's been compared to [[ComicBook/{{Watchmen}} Doctor Manhattan]] at times.
*** Canon confirmation of this exists. Right after lil' filly Twilight turns her parents into houseplants and hatches a dragon egg into Spikezilla, Princess Celestia says flat-out that she has never before seen a unicorn with the kind of raw magical ability that Twilight has. Princess Celestia is over ''one thousand bucking years old''. Twilight Sparkle is, literally, a once-in-a-millenium level of unicorn.

** [[https://derpicdn.net/img/view/2014/8/23/706461__spike_grimdark_water_scene+interpretation_death_bad+end_winter+wrap+up_spikeabuse_ice_drowning.jpg Still...]]