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TheBadFaerie β MLP: FIM - Without Magic - Part 6
Published: 2012-12-15 20:15:23 +0000 UTC; Views: 50618; Favourites: 339; Downloads: 1981
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Description
This is part 6 of my ongoing Pony comic.Twilight has gone to Sweet Apple Acres, seeking Applejack's help to live as an Earth Pony. But Applejack doesn't react quite as Twilight Expected.
Before you start writing angry comments about how this is out of character for Applejack, I wanted to have each of the ponies react in a different way. I wanted one character to get angry, and Applejack seemed a better fit for this than any of the other characters.
She is angry because Twilight thinks that being an Earth Pony is all about farming.
This is the human equivalent of judging somebody based on their race.
Applejack will be more like the show version in page 7.
Part 1: [link]
Part 2: [link]
Part 3: [link]
Part 4: [link]
Part 5: [link]
Part 7: [link]
Part 8: [link]
This page was created in Inkscape and Photoshop. Most of the foreground characters were scratch drawn for this page, or for previous pages.
I've used gameguy001 's Sweet-Apple-Acres as a background for all frames ([link] ). Though I modified it slightly as I wanted to put a shadow in for the fence.
Applejack's Cutie Mark was created by BlackGryph0n ([link] ).
Twilight's cloak was scratch drawn, but it is based on Trixie's cape. I used Why485's Pony Fashion Study ([link] ) as a guide, but altered the decorations and added a hood to turn the cape into a cloak. It was inspired by Twilight Sparkle's dress from The Best Night Ever.
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Comments: 247
Twilight could have done any one of a thousand different things that Earth Ponies do. Yet she automatically goes to see a farm pony to ask how to be an Earth Pony?
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Twilight has 2 best friends who are Earth Ponies - Applejack and Pinkie Pie.
So it's logical that she first asks one of them to help her. The question is: who is a more typical Earth Pony?
According to Heartwarming Eve: Applejack.
Besides that: Pinkie might find this whole situation very funny and laugh about it. That's the last thing Twilight wants now...
Why are we discussing again?
Not that I'm not having fun...
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Haha all earth ponies aren't farm ponies, go talk to pinkie....
Pinkie was raised on a farm hahaha
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Emphasis on the "was" part.
She actively chose not to be a farmer.
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Pinkie was raised on a farm, but she wasn't a farmer. She moved rocks with her family.
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She farmed rocks.
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After reading your desc, I can definitely understand how you wanted to reflect that reaction with at least one of the Mane 6; but I personally feel that's a bit harsh from AJ's part. Twilight just had everything she's known all her life stripped from her. If anything, she needs emotional support right now. AJ wouldn't been the right pony for that; but according to your storyline, that won't be the case.
Just my personal opinion, though.
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Applejack's profile described her as being "the go-to pony for advice".
So she does make the logical choice, but the thing is ... if I'd had gone the "obvious" route, she'd just have gone to Applejack, cried on her shoulder for a bit, and been told that she just needs to use her hooves for a bit. Which would have been a little ... dull and predictable.
One of the questions that I want people to ask is "is magic really all there is to Twilight Sparkle"?
Sure, she spends most of her day using magic, but is that really all that there is to her. A pony with her head in a book and her horn in the air?
although she's advertized as being "the magic one", most episodes don't actually center around her using magic.
Even in "Boast Buster" she just does a few party tricks for most of the episode. It's not until the last few minutes that she uses magic for something that actually needs magic.
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I agree that Twilight Sparkle is capable of so much more than unicorn magic. She's a scholar, she's very smart, and she's very determined.
I just think that AJ should be a little bit more supportive rather than demonstrating this "tough love" attitude in this chapter.
But you're the artist. You've got your reasons for wanting to portray AJ like you did.
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AJ DOESN'T LIKE TWILIGHT ANYMORE!
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*reads first five panels* Thank-you! THANK-YOU! The reason I think Celestia made a stupid (and I mean STUPID) decision from the start is brought up! Trying to make a pony learn how to exist as something it isn't meant to be is stupid at least but deadly at worst.
*reads the next panels* Uh-oh. Now you've done it.
How to sum up Applejack's reaction in (technically) two words:
"THAT'S RACIST! THAT'S RACIST!!!"
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Well ... um ... Princess Celestia didn't want Twilight to be an Earth Pony. Twilight thought that up all by herself.
As Spike said, Princess Celestia wanted her to use her hooves more.
Is that really particularly deadly?
I suppose that she might pick up a hot kettle with her hooves, or something like that.
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Well, I said 'deadly at worst'.
It may sound farfetched at first, but if she's thrown into a situation alone where the only thing that can save her life is her use of magic, well, without her horn, she's pretty much screwed.
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Let's be honest. How often does that actually happen?
Even when she does have magic, and she does face a dangerous situation, it's often not her magic that gets her out of it. It's her smarts, or her friends.
How about we say that Princess Celestia is keeping an eye on her, and won't let things get out of hand.
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Hence, why I said it may sound farfetched.
Key word: "ALONE"
The scenario I proposed in my previous comment was that Twilight Sparkle was by herself.
*sees last part of comment*
You got lucky...but I'll be watching as well.
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Well ... I know that it's being pedantic, but its called "Friendship" is Magic. Not "Twilight Sparkle" is magic.
Twilight would have fallen flat on her face 5 minutes into the second episode without her friends behind her.
It wasn't magic that got them through the first 5 challenges.
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I WAS JUST STATING THE WORST CASE SCENARIO! I wasn't trying to imply that it would happen every single time!
I've seen major episodes like the two-part pilot, The Crystal Empire, and Magic Duel where she had to rely on teamwork with her friends. However, what I was saying was the worst case scenario being that she had to do something on her own, not being able to be dependant on others. Granted, she has proven herself capable on solo tasks, (e.g. In It's About Time, she was able to guide Cerberus back to Tartarus successfully.) but scenarios like that are barely seen in the show; I'll give you that.
Oh, and BTW, it WAS magic that got them through the first 5 challenges; the magic of FRIENDSHIP, that is!
I'm still watching. No crap is getting past this radar.
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i could've sworn applejack would be more understanding =/
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She was, until Twilight confused Earth Ponies and Farm Ponies.
Imagine if one of your friends came to you asking for help with something purely because of your race\ethnicity. You'd be snappy with them, too. I think.
Like them thinking that you'd be good at math because you were Asian, or that you could ride a horse because you were Native American.
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that's true, but i just thought she may have overreacted 
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She got angry at Celestia on the previous page, and she hasn't calmed down yet.
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I guess Twilight struck a nerve...
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Dang AJ, kinda rough. Then again, honesty can be a bit, well, blunt at times.
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OUCH! Call that element of honesty? I fear that may make Twilight cry even more on the inside.
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I like it when she cries. It's soooo cute.
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Well, blame Celestia in the end.
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WOW,THAT ESCALATED QUICKLY. maybe applejack should get her head out of her flank. she of all ponies should know that is NOT what twilight ment. and to suggest pinkie,ARE YOU MAD MARE!? she is crazy,as she herself would put it "loco in the coco". she wouldnt know what to do,she couldnt teach twilight to hold a fork in her hand. that is well beyond her capability...
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Well ... Applejack was right.
Princess Celestia didn't want Twilight to become a farmer, she wanted her to see that there were other ways of doing things.
Pinkie and Applejack are both Earth Ponies, and they both use their hooves instead of magic.
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she may be right,but again she overreacted. as a friend she should of KNOWN that she didnt mean to insult her in anyway. if i was randomly turned into a woman i would go to a woman friend for help,i doubt that she would take offense if i started to say stupid things or if i accidentally insulted her in some way. she would tell me what i said that insulted her,but not flip out and go on a tangent and kick me out of her house just over mismatch of words. and lets face it,if i had 2 friends one like AJ and one like pinkie DAMN STRAIGHT IM GOING TO THE ONE LIKE AJ FIRST. yes its kinda hard to draw comparisons here,but i at least hope you get what im saying. no real friend without his/her head that far up their ass would act like this.
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Imagine that you turned into an overweight woman, and you went to your only overweight female friend, rather than to all of the skinny ones, and asked her where she brought her cloths sizes.
She would be the logical person to ask. Not only because she is a woman, but because she is the same size as you. But it might still hurt her feelings because you came to her because of her size, rather than because she was your friend.
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well considering i would probably be naked seeing as i wouldnt have clothes to fit me,yes i would. though knowing she is my friend i would expect her not to blow a casket and go nuts on me,seeing as i am not only overweight but also a WOMAN! i kinda lost something! and i dont think any of my other skinny friends would know what its like to be overweight,unless they were once overweight themselves. and lets face it,i probably wouldnt be all there considering how traumatizing it would be. i might say something stupid or i might offend her in some way,but she would understand. that or be surprised i didnt crack under the stress of the whole situation.
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You get the general idea, though?
Sometimes something can be hurtful because it comes from a friend.
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yeah you do have a point,ok so maybe it isnt as farfetched as it seemed at the time. though 9 times out of 10 i doubt anyone would act that hostile. but yes,i do see your point.
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applejack is a dick... even if this makes sense
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She could at least show her how hooves work
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Yeah, Aj reaction doesnΒ΄t really make sense.
Then again so far does noponyΒ΄s. XD
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Everypony needs to cool it over Applejack's reaction.
I just personally never thought of Twilight as racist.
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hm, not the reaction I was expecting but, when you explained it, it makes sense. Wonder how twilight going to take it.
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That.. was kind of an odd way for Aj to act..
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Way to go, AJ, way to go... You were right writing that letter - you haven't learned anything.
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Applejack should be the one who should get her head out of her a... flank.
Twilight did not insinuate that all Earth ponies are Farm ponies, that's an assumption she made herself. All she did is babble semi-coherently about her working on a farm. Maybe Twilight meant that AJ might have known more about being an Earth Pony than just farming and AJ doesn't realize it?
But even if so, isn't being a Farm Pony PART OF being an Earth Pony? Twilight didn't say that's ALL there is to it. And it's not like it would be a true burden to AJ, who would get a free labourer for a day or so.
Maybe she would know that if she gave Twilight a chance to properly explain herself before AJ leaps to unreasonable conclusions. Like a good friend should.
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Applejack was right, nonetheless.
Twilight said that she came to see Applejack because she was an Earth Pony, but then starts babbling on about farming.
Applejack is angry because Twilight thought that farming was all that Earth Ponies were about.
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Seems a bit odd that Celestia and Applejack suddenly turned into complete pricks. I'm sure that's not what it's supposed to be, but that's what it comes off as to me.
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It wasn't what I was intending. Well, at least not Celestia. I did intend Applejack to come across like this, but Applejack is getting three pages, so she still has one more page to be less of a jerk.
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But sadly you did turn Celestia into a complete prick. I like the idea of Twilight loosing her magic. It is and interesting storyline with a lot of opportunities. But Celestia just removing Twilights Magic and cutie mark? It is like removing one of your limbs. In Twilights case probably even worse. And not just this, she also looses her purpose in life! Her destiny. Seems like a jerk move by Celestia to me. She is not even discussing it with Twilight. No just "Poof" and gone it is.
Just my thoughts on the story, nothing personal
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I needed to keep the scene short as it was taking too long to draw. So the explanation got abridged.
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I will keep following the comic anyway, maybe i will like it more on a later point
May i ask how you draw them?
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I create basic vector models of each pony using Inkscape, and then import them into Photoshop which I use for the layout and to put in the details.
The original show is created using vectors, so Inkscape allows me to get a similar look much easier than if I were drawing using brushes.
I'm also not very good at drawing, so using vectors helps a lot.
Some of the images in these comics were drawn by other people who are much better at this than I am (almost all of the backgrounds were created by other people). I've linked back to them where I've used them.
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This makes perfect sense, actually. A bit harsh, but understandable. Can't wait to see what Pinkie will say~
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The Pinkie page will be an absolute classic.
I've got it all planned out already, but I've got one more Applejack page, and Fluttershy to do before then. So it won't be for a little while.
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