Episode 94: Equestrian Girls
Takes place 1 April 2012.
This is a primarily Renegade episode.
Short version
The Renegade visits Equestria, and travels through his mindscape with Princess Luna to successfully destroy the Anti-Life fragment.
Longer version
Sunset Shimmer reestablishes the two-way portal that brought her to Earth 16, and returns to visit Equestria so that Celestia can watch her ascend to alicorn-hood. Grayven comes along in hopes that the Elements of Harmony will be able to remove or destroy the Anti-Life fragment inside him before it breaks out of containment.
The Element bearers are reluctant to cooperate, so the Renegade puts pressure on them, calling them out on past mistakes and sending lawyers and government officials after them for things like blackmailing the Diamond Dogs and failing to send Spike to school. Luna steps in, entering the Renegade's dreams, and agrees to examine the fragment and make a decision. Unfortunately, her troubled past makes her especially vulnerable to the Anti-Life; when she comes near it, it breaks free of its cage and begins corrupting both of them.
The two of them explore their shared mindscape in search of memories that will help them to fight it off, with Grayven gathering memories associated with the Elements of Harmony and Luna gathering the emotional spectrum. The fragment, combined with Luna's own magic, spawns twisted dark versions of the Elements of Harmony, intending to corrupt the Tree, but Luna and Grayven are able to unite the true Elements and the White Light Just in Time to destroy the fragment.
The title is a reference to the My Little Pony: Equestria Girls series.
- Alternate Universe: Being an April 1 episode, there are several snippets from alternate Pauls.
- Paul in Eternia, the He-Man universe, uses the Basophil Amulet to recharge his orange ring. He visits an imprisoned sorceress and makes a deal to give her the power and prestige she wants, in exchange for loading her with magical geases so she can't betray the heroes.
- Paul in the Fallout universe (specifically, Fallout: New Vegas) is unable to recharge his ring, but used his one charge to gain access to a cache of alien technology that can give humans psychic powers. He then used the tech to repair more alien technology, change a tribe of raiders for the better, and allied with the New California Republic.
- Paul in the Marvel Universe appears for a second time, adopting Rogue, since his ring's environmental shield allows him to touch her safely.
- Another Paul grafted Gabriel's wings onto himself, instead of onto Blaze. He doesn't have a way to recharge his ring, but he has gained a number of angelic abilities including Super-Strength, Super-Toughness, Flight, poison and disease immunity, and basic theurgy including healing songs.
- The basis for the episode is that Grayven goes to the My Little Pony universe.
- Briar Patching: Grayven pretends to be a supervillain in hopes of being shot with the Elements of Harmony. (Although, honestly, he probably also thought it was great fun.)
- Death by Adaptation: It's implied that the Sirens from the second Equestria Girls movie were killed years ago on Earth.
- Evil Counterpart: The Anti-Life fragment combined with Luna's magic produces dark ponies representing distorted versions of the Elements of Harmony.
- Forsaken Vanguard, corruption of Loyalty, who is mindlessly obedient without choice.
- Broken Jester, corruption of Laughter, who simply laughs his way through everything whether it's appropriate or not.
- Yelling Fool, corruption of Honesty, who shouts out whatever comes into her head.
- Twisted Caretaker, corruption of Kindness, who wants more ponies to be hurting so that she can be there for them.
- Spoiled Prince, corruption of Generosity, who considers everything to be worthless.
- The fragment itself, Life=Pain, stands as a corruption of Friendship, persuading its victims that all interactions are harmful and painful.
- Fisher Kingdom: Traveling between Equestria and Earth 16 transforms you to match the local species. Grayven becomes a large grey alicorn.
- The Gadfly: Luna's Night Guards follow Grayven around because they're suspicious of him. So he treats them to lunch and persuades them that alicornism is sexually transmitted, with all that that implies about Twilight Sparkle and himself.
- Gone Horribly Right: Luna made her Tantabus complex enough to adapt and continually remind her why she shouldn't become Nightmare Moon again. Complex enough, in fact, to be basically sentient and purposeful... And then it merges with a fragment of the Anti-Life Equation, giving the fragment intelligence.
- Gone Horribly Wrong: Luna's attempt to examine the Anti-Life results in it escaping its cage and latching onto her as well as Grayven.
- Gotta Catch Them All: Grayven has to collect dream representations of all six Elements of Harmony, while Luna has to collect the seven sigils of the emotional spectrum, so that they can destroy the Anti-Life fragment.
- Heel Realization: Upon meeting Twilight Sparkle (now an alicorn) and learning of the existence of the Elements of Harmony, Sunset realises that that was what Celestia wanted for her, that was why Celestia kept encouraging her to make friends, and that it was her own stubbornness, culminating in her self-imposed exile to Earth 16, that stood in the way.
- Hilarity Sues: When the Mane Six prove reluctant to cooperate, Grayven puts pressure on them by sending lawyers after them for the things they did in the cartoon.
- Rarity gets in trouble for prospecting for Gems in non-Equestrian territory, which (while complex in working out who was in charge of what) was illegal. Then it comes out that she threatened the Diamond Dogs to get them to agree...
- Twilight gets served by lawyers for not putting Spike into school.
- Internal Reveal: To gain the power of Honesty, the Renegade has to admit to Luna that he's really just impersonating Grayven.
- Journey to the Center of the Mind: Grayven and Luna travel through a lucid dream together to collect a weapon against the Anti-Life.
- Large Ham: Grayven has great fun getting into character as a villain to provoke the Element Bearers into shooting him.Grayven: BAWHAHAHA! I am Grayven, Alicorn of Conquest! I'm going to take over Equestria and when I do, I'm going to ban flying, cakes, apples, clothes, books and - bunny rabbits. AND THE ONLY THING THAT CAN STOP ME IS THE ELEMENTS OF HARMONY!
- Mind Rape: Luna deliberately created a complex spell to torture herself with memories of the harm she caused as Nightmare Moon, as a constant reminder not to do it again. Unfortunately, when she then went looking at the Anti-Life fragment inside Grayven, the spell synergized with it so well that they merged, broke free, and gained sentience.
- Mind Virus: How Grayven describes the Anti-Life equation, and why he refuses to let the ponies have a look at it.
- Mistaken Identity: Grayven's pony form looks quite a lot like the villain Sombra, so Luna attacks him on sight when he first arrives.
- The Not-So-Harmless Punishment: Rainbow Dash isn't impressed by Grayven's description of his "curse". In fact, the effects of the Anti-Life are worse than death.Rainbow Dash: That's it? So it doesn't… Turn you into a warthog, or make you get old super fast or turn your legs into sand or… Anything?"
- Portal Pool: Starswirl's mirror allows someone to step between Earth 16 and Equestria. The really interesting part is the transformation effect, changing people into suitable local species.
- Power is Sexy: Grayven is very aroused by Luna's strength, courage, and boldness, and tells her so. note
- The Power of Friendship: Literally, since it's the My Little Pony universe. Grayven and Luna combine the Elements of Harmony with the white light of Life to destroy the Anti-Life infection in their minds.Tantaquation: Life=Pain
Grayven/Luna: Friendship=Magic/Friendship=Magic! - Sibling Rivalry: Luna is envious of her sister's easy acceptance and popularity and usefulness among all their ponies. But she also feels guilty for feeling that way, because Celestia has only been helpful and forgiving to her. But she still feels driven to excel and carve out her own place. But her prior experience of that is basically about becoming Nightmare Moon. And she still loves her sister, but only gets to see her for a few hours a day. Guess how she earned the sigil of the red light of rage and hatred?
- Tempting Fate: Downplayed. Before entering Starswirl's Mirror, Grayven does ask himself "How hard can being a pony be?" but he actually copes moderately well, much better than Sunset responded to becoming human.
- Urine Trouble: Party Popper wets herself in terror when her status as one of the escaped Mirror Pool clones of Pinkie Pie is revealed in front of Twilight Sparkle, who destroyed the rest of the clones.
- What the Hell, Hero?: Several.
- Grayven delivers one to Luna about Starswirl using the mirror portal to dump horrible monstrosities, such as the Sirens, onto an earth that had little in the way of being able to defend itself from the powerfully magical artifacts and creatures.
- Hilarity Sues covers a few others.
- Grayven also points out that the Mirror Clone Pinkie Pies were all sophont, and that Twilight was actually a serial killer for what she did. He managed to track down one that escaped and it was absolutely sure that Twilight was going to kill her.
