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SimeonLeonard β Heartbroken
Published: 2012-11-08 04:27:54 +0000 UTC; Views: 2507; Favourites: 32; Downloads: 37
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Big Crown Thingie: because you're not really defeated unless you look completely ridiculous.I always liked The Return of Harmony, but it's fast becoming one of my favorite stories from the pony universe. The microcosmic battle that plays out between good and evil, light and dark, harmony and chaos - is really clear in this episode. I love that each character's strength is challenged as they're reminded that they give magic power, not the other way around.
Discord is such a brilliantly written character. He really personifies my understanding of evil. I believe evil doesn't understand good, nor does it lament good the same way good is saddened by evil. Evil sees this sorrow as weakness and is emboldened, underestimating its adversary's strength and growing arrogant about its own. But because of this miscalculation, when good can muster the strength and will to wield the power at its disposal, evil never sees it coming.
I've been feeling a little bit like Twilight here over the past few weeks, with all the ugliness surrounding the election and whatnot, but my favorite part of the story is the one that comes right after this scene, when Twilight finds a nauseated Spike buried beneath a pile of her letters and remembers all the good things she shared with her friends. That little sequence with Twilight and Spike might be my favorite part of the entire series to date.
Anyhow, bla bla bla. Discorded Twilight here served as somewhat of a fledgling value study for me, which was actually really fun! Maybe with some practice I could get good at this sort of thing
Comments and critique always welcome
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Comments: 26
Discord is beyond good and evil, he is Chaos. Chaos doesn't take sides.
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Hmm, I think I understand your thinking, but I don't think I agree. I think you're saying that chaos exists naturally and isn't sentient, so it's not as if it can have an agenda. But I think Discord represents chaos by choice. He spreads chaos, wreaking havoc where once there was harmony, and does so for his own selfish amusement at the expense of others. I think most people would consider that to be some degree of evil.
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Not quite what I meant, but that was part of it. Discord is beyond good or evil, he seeks to spread Chaos throughout the world, and was made BY chaos, of chaos, for only that purpose. Discord is, by definition even, made of pure Chaos. He doesn't care about good and evil, only fulfilling his purpose.
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I don't remember Discord's origins ever being revealed in the show. Maybe he was born of pure chaos, but even if he was, because he's intelligent and presumably has the capacity to view his own actions objectively, I think of his embodiment of chaos as being at will, something he chose. I think that's made evident in "Keep Calm and Flutter On" when he comes to value Fluttershy's friendship over his own reckless abandon. He chooses to put chaos aside ("most of the time" 
Have you ever seen the movie Little Nicky? In it, the devil works to preserve a balance between good and evil, fulfilling his role as the curator of hell but never seeking to annihilate good completely. Discord, on the other hand, seems hell-bent on turning the whole world upside down, no matter who it harms, for no other obvious reason than to amuse himself. Whether he considers himself evil or intends to perform evil acts doesn't matter. for all practical purposes, from the standpoint of well established conventions, what he is doing is some degree of evil. I don't think he was intended to be an indifferent spirit fulfilling a purpose, I think he was clearly meant to be a villain with malevolent intent. Sweetie Belle even speculates that he represents evil at the beginning of "Return of Harmony Part I" and Cheerilee says she is right "in a sense".Β I don't see any harm in imagining him your way, I just don't subscribe to that viewpointΒ myselfΒ for the reasons I laid out. But, to each their own!Β
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I do thank the writers of the show for having Discord say "most of the time...". I still have hope for Discord now.
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I really like both the picture and your analysis of the episodes
Poor Twi.
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Ooh, thanks
Such a good episode, still one of my favorites.
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Thank you very much!
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That's a very clever way of summarizing the episode. Very meaningful indeed.
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Thanks 
I find a lot of messages in the show, to the point that I'm actually hoping for guidance on a few problems in season three. I hope that doesn't make me an insane person, lol
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That's just insane enough to work! I find myself rewatching certain episodes depending on what kind of predicament I may find myself in.
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You must have been in a pretty dark place indeed if you felt inspired to create something like this. Still, it looks great! Probably a touch too dark on Twi's body, though. If you were going for value study, try leaving the brightest parts near-white (or very light purple, I suppose), and then graduate to the darker tones. The hair looks brilliant, though! (and just a heads-up, there appears to be a stray black dot right next to her back-right hoof.
To me, Discord is a G-rated Satan character. True evil isn't going to just blanket the world in a layer of all-consuming darkness (a la Nightmare Moon, for example), but rather it attacks each individual in a different way, corrupting them based on their individual fears and beliefs. I think that's why Discord is one of the most popular villains, because he gets you to thinking about how exactly his powers would affect you, personally. That, and his Joker-esque personality is just plain awesome.
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Ah! Thank you for pointing out that black spot. I did a minor edit earlier and probably made a stray pen stroke. Didn't notice when I uploaded it. I think you're right about the darks actually being too dark and keeping the whites very bright. I like the amount of depth I got out of it and it was actually a lot of fun and not too hard to get the result I got. I'll work with it some more and try to improve.
I feel the same way about Discord. I like that Sweetie Belle actually uses the word "evil" when she's speculating about what Discord represents. Did you ever read The Screwtape Letters? That book did more than anything else to shape my notions of what good and evil are and how they manifest themselves. I really think C. S. Lewis was brilliant.
Yea, the timing of this was no coincidence. Election season debates can get pretty heated and as far as picking sides goes, it's pretty much me vs all my friends. Sometimes I can't help but get angry. I'm pretty good at tempering myself, which is good, but often that anger turns into depression, self-doubt, or feelings of isolation. But I've actually been feeling pretty good lately. I've been trying to channel that anger into positive energy and that's made a big difference. Thanks for the input and support. I can't overstate how much of a help that's been as well. Much appreciated, buddy!
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Still a negatory on Screwtape, but I'll get to it eventually. I, too, hold Mr. Lewis in high regard.
That's exactly the reason I hate politics--all it does is tear people apart and, in your case, makes you feel bad about yourself when there's really no reason to feel that way at all. I'm always here for ya, though!
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This is a very special picture of yours.
Love it a lot.
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Thank you so much!
It does have some meaning for me, but I'm not depressed or anything. And even if I was, I always have Pinkie Pie to make me feel better
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Yes. Pinkie loves to make you smile, smile, smile!
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Gosh, didn't plan on inspiring any awe! Unintended consequences ftw!
Thanks much!
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Simeon, this is just wonderful, I love the whole thing. It's beautifully drawn and colored, and I love the broken heart made by tear drops.
Now, as for that episode, I love it. I know they probably won't, but I wish they would bring Discord back. He's definitely my favorite villian they've had so far...and the fact that he was voiced by Q from Star Trek has only a little to do with that, lol.
I love that he wasn't able to mess with Fluttershy, he had to change her through physical contact.
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True! Great observation
It would be cool to see Discord again. Someone - I think it was Megan McCarthy - said one of the past villains is coming back in Season 3, but I think the consensus is that she meant Trixie. Can't wait to find out!
Thank you so much, I glad you like this
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Ah, but don't forget that John DeLancie mentioned a while back that he had recorded some more dialogue for season 3. That, and I really don't consider Trixe a 'villain' in the traditional sense.
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Oh, I had forgotten that! Hmm, now I don't know what to expect.
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