My Little Pony XXXI: The Great and Powerful XXXie!

[Topaz]

Pinball Witch (Inspired by Pinball Wizard, by The Who)
I gotta roll out for a test, so that's what I've got.

Bravo! Bravo!

♫ Derpy can you hear me? Can you hear me calling? ♫

So... Random thought.

Somepony should really make a Rainbow Dash montage to Wagner's Ride of the Valkyries.

That totally works, doesn't it?

Why does the flight school have hangars?

That's where the dragon students are staying, of course.

Do you think there are more 'generic' spells ponies can learn beyond the telekinesis? I'm liking the idea that beyond special-talent related magic there is a 'universal' pool of magic any unicorn can learn. At least by my thought process what's the point of tons of spell books and ponies like Starswirl the bearded creating hundreds of spells if very few ponies could learn them. Could also be used to explain dispelling the Want it, Need it spell. As far as the "spell only I can break" (and I'm just making things up here) maybe magical locks work in the way of having to match certain frequencies of magic to flip the tumblers.

As far as I can tell, a typical unicorn can learn a few spells relevant to their special talent, with the number and breadth varying from unicorn to unicorn. On the other hand, there are a lot of unicorns, so even if most unicorns can only learn a few spells there are probably a lot of unicorns that can lean any particular spell (except for the most specialized and/or powerful).

I'm tempted to have Dash interact with the narrator as she jumps between fics.

"Rainbow struggled to get off the ground, but felt a stabbing pain in her wing. It seemed-"
"Yeah, yeah, broken wing. Not interested. SKIP!"
"Pinkie had an unusual grin on her face, her eye twitching manically as she pulled out the egg beater."
"Psychopath Pinkie #28. Not what I want. SKIP!"
"Gilda flapped slowly forward, caressing Dash's wings, the fires of desire in her eyes...."
"Bleh, I'm not that kind of filly! NEXT!"
"Oh, c'mon! This one was getting good!"
"Not interested. SKIP!"
"... fine. AND THEN THEY BOTH F-"
"I SAID SKIP!"

Write it! Write it!

[Vorpalbob]

So. Ya'll know how I'm running the singing event at BroNYcon January, right?

Hey, I can do background vocals, and I'm a pretty decent guitarist/bassist/ukulele...ist/drumm-ANYTHING INSTRUMENTAL.

It's a long list...

Need an audition? Check my sig. Just not the youtube channel.

As ANOTHER note for BroNYcon. I am going to be doing a hotel room. I am paying the full price, Friday and Saturday night. And I am welcoming as many ponies as I can fit FOR FREE. Right now I have seven ponies in the room, and I can at least fit three more. So if rooming space is keeping you from coming in January, don’t let it. You are more than welcome to crash with me, even if it is floor space.

While I doubt I'll be taking you up on that offer, I will almost surely be seeing you there!

Never been to the east coast before. Used to live in Toronto, but never got further east than Montreal. New York should be awesome!

[Kris Strife]

Thanks for the link, it looks interesting but I have no familiarity with the Exalted rules so may have to sit and watch this one.

Oh, I'm more than happy to help remedy that BlasTech!

[SiuiS]

Would it really be so terrible if there wasn't?

It's a matter of perspective. We haven't lost anything; we cu the Ponythread in half, and each half turned out to be about 80% of a thread! Net gain, for some.

But some of the magic would leave, I think. The big draw is the people, ponies are a vehicle for those people. There is a depth of joy and social learning to the cartoon, but while Paris is nice, the sprawl of France around it is the real flavor; ponies are swell, a castle; a bastion! Around it's buttressed walls we built our tiny ghettos, with jokes and seriousness, factionalization, rationalization, literal, figurative and metaphorical analyses, implicit implications and wide eyed naïveté. We are a people, unto ourself, somewhat distinct but accepting of the fandom at large. We overlap, but we aren't identical. We are a jewel.

To shut down some o those districts changes the entire flow of commerce through the city. Artsberg has slowly emigrated to the southern reaches of Equestria, towards lush jungles of paper and ink (and some art emigrated further south, Hurr Hurr Hurr). The guild fell apart, the general of the army abandoned his post in disgust. Now only a few skilled thespians hold court, a vivid play at RP and storycraft, but not quite the same.

As with any city, our favored leaders have run their term, and the new generation is hesitant to step up. Those are some big hoofprints to fill! We're trying, but it's not the same, and as with any change the populous worries; is this it? Is this the end, are we at a recession, depression, the dark ages of pone?

Of course, it's all silly. We're also a group of folks on the Internet makin assumptions about each other, Nd talking about a kid's show with more than passable qualities.

But as we have heard from some, the community here is what was so astounding.

For Thanqol; the above story was the cold, stone blue one sees in the Hunchback of notre dame, as the sun rises and paints the buildings; just a touch of yellow to liven things, a sense of both great age and yet vitality.

Thinking of forumites as ponies dressed in ren-faire clothes is also mentally pleasing :3

I would really miss the thread RP. It's nice to have the chance to do FFRP that isn't all-the-crazy-piles-in-at-once or dominated by the God Squad.

It would also be nice to get a little more feedback on fanfic, though as terrible as I am about that it's kind of hypocritical to mention.

True, it's difficult to moderate the craziness. I find it's a matter of preferred style; I know a lot of the stuff I can breeze past comes up in games a lot but the stuff I'd enjoy being challenged by jet never rears it's head.

Pinball Witch (Inspired by Pinball Wizard, by The Who)

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Ever since I was a young colt
I've played the silver ball
From Sohoof down to Foalsom
I must have played them all
But I ain't seen nothing like her
In any amusement hall
That derpy, cross-eyed mare
Sure plays a mean pinball

She stands, up on her hooves
Becomes part of the machine
Feeling all the bumpers
Always playing clean
She plays by intuition
The digit counters fall
That derpy, cross-eyed mare
Sure plays a mean pinball

She's a pinball wizard
Her apprentice is named Twist
A pinball wizard
She's got such a supple wrist

How do you think she does it?
(I don't know)
Muffins make her good?

Doesn't know distractions
Can't hear those buzzers and bells
Can't focus on lights a flashin'
Plays by sense of smell
Always gets a replay
Never seen her fall
That derpy, cross-eyed mare
Sure plays a mean pinball

I thought I was
The Bally table queen
But I just handed
My pinball crown to her

Even on my favorite table
She can beat my best
Her sisters lead her in
And she just does the rest
She's got crazy habitrail hooves
Never seen him fall
That derpy, cross-eyed mare
Sure plays a mean pinball

I gotta roll out for a test, so that's what I've got.

Fabulous! I'll get to work maybe.

...with all due respect, it sorta would. At LEAST half the fun of the thread was in the random stuff that just happened here. Now it doesn't. The IRCs fun and all, but it's taken that fun from the thread. (And concentrated it to a sorta ludicrous degree, which you can't catch up on like you could with the thread)

Thank you. I couldn't voice it myself, but yes; the IRC RP makes the thread stuff at it's best look like a positive meander. And that's all well and good! I'm a ramblin' colt, able to lope or stroll as I please, but I do enjoy actually being able to do something that is both relevant and not needlessly silly.

That being said, sometimes there's nothing like a fast-paced silly shot straight to the humerus.

Just my opinion, anyway...

Fixed

I'd drop the old thread drama. If it's old, it's probably over and done with anyway.

Ok, ok, fine. But I want you all to know!

Something happened. And I have an opinion on it.

and I'm not going to go on and on about it despite it being inappropriate.

Ok, my ego is suitably fed, I think we're good.

I again cite the issue of free time. If I had the time I had over the summer, I'd be reviewing fics right and left. As it stands, I've got school whupping me upside the head, and that's eating up most of my time. Heck, I'd be writing them myself if it wasn't for a host of issues keeping my writing pace slower than an iceburg.

And also, we had Inkwell drop off a bunch of pics earlier, Druid_Droid posts his art here too, we had a lot of conversation regarding Derpy recently, I'm looking through the recent posts and there's some good other pony discussion going on too, and a pony version of Pinball Wizard was posted in the time it took me to write this. I guess the point I'm trying to make here is that I personally think we're doing alright for ourselves.

I know. It's a different feel. We'll adapt. I myself whine a little bit because it's the easiest method to come to terms quickly; talkin it out, a bit. We aren't that bad off, we're doin' great! But it's subtly off and until I adjust it's going to feel weird, is all.

But then again, I'll be the first to say my head isn't on straight right now. Ahhaha. So yeah... Salt for everypony! Pass it around!

So... Random thought.

Somepony should really make a Rainbow Dash montage to Wagner's Ride of the Valkyries.

Very Yes. GREEN WIZARD NEEDS DESKTOP BADLY!

I know what else we can talk about, how's the RiM planning going? Eh Eh Eh?

I Uh

Erm

Darn XD

It's ground to a temporary halt. I have ideas coming and going, But I haven't put any active thought in in a while. I think I can probably start working on it again though. I need to vercome stylistic issues with being predominantly a D&D player though.

[Tiki Snakes]

Trixie is intriguing, because I put her in the 'non-spellcaster' camp. She's a savant who didn't really apply herself, and lacks book learnin'.

My personal Head-Canon differs from that, actually.
Trixie really is one of the more talented magical unicorns in the region, but the main difference is that she isn't Celestia's student. She's largely self taught. Her show is largely smoke and mirrors, magician style, but she still manages quite a few tricks compared to most other Unicorns we see.

Her problem of course is that she has let her generally impressive skills go to her head. She can't legitimately answer the Ponyville pony-folk's challenges, but she can undermine them enough to 'beat' them in the eyes of the audience, and her idea of showmanship is that she must prove to the audience how amazing she is and that is how you entertain them. A weirdly combatitive psychology, all about proving herself more worthy, more powerful, more special.

It makes most sense to me if she has natural aptitude and has applied herself but partially because of her own deep-seeted insecurities and possibly trouble empathising with others.

She hadn't even really done anything particularly wrong after all, but her response was still to fire off a vaguely desperate boast and run away as fast as possible, not even stopping to recover whatever remained of her belongings.

[TheAmishPirate]

But then again, I'll be the first to say my head isn't on straight right now. Ahhaha. So yeah... Salt for everypony! Pass it around!

I can help!

*eats all the salt*

Ooooooooooh, I don't feel so alfalfa...

[Forum Explorer]

I'm tempted to have Dash interact with the narrator as she jumps between fics.

"Rainbow struggled to get off the ground, but felt a stabbing pain in her wing. It seemed-"
"Yeah, yeah, broken wing. Not interested. SKIP!"
"Pinkie had an unusual grin on her face, her eye twitching manically as she pulled out the egg beater."
"Psychopath Pinkie #28. Not what I want. SKIP!"
"Gilda flapped slowly forward, caressing Dash's wings, the fires of desire in her eyes...."
"Bleh, I'm not that kind of filly! NEXT!"
"Oh, c'mon! This one was getting good!"
"Not interested. SKIP!"
"... fine. AND THEN THEY BOTH F-"
"I SAID SKIP!"

kinda sounds like Not Cupcakes but with Rainbow Dash instead of an OC.

Still could be good.

EDIT: Just had an idea for a fic. Basically the Mane 6 review different and popular fanfics that have been written.

[Mystic Muse]

kinda sounds like Not Cupcakes but with Rainbow Dash instead of an OC.

Still could be good.

EDIT: Just had an idea for a fic. Basically the Mane 6 review different and popular fanfics that have been written.

Would these be actual reviews, or more like extended riffing, sort of like MST3K?

[BlasTech]

Oh, I'm more than happy to help remedy that BlasTech!

Heh, you have your work cut out for you really ... never played anything more structured than an FFRP.

But maybe, very strong maybe ... I do have a very limited ability to take on new RP's, dependant on my work time, but as we are heading into the Christmas slow-down period here I can probably juggle Ponyxalted and RiM ...

Is there an online rules resource I can go read up on? Because I find it hard to see how you can cram an entire rule-set into my head via PM's or in the thread

At least RiM is fairly simple by comparison.

Oh cripes, that reminds me, I meant to go read the ruleset Thanqol linked me a while back ... arg, time to go trawl ponythread to find it >.<

I Uh

Erm

Darn XD

It's ground to a temporary halt. I have ideas coming and going, But I haven't put any active thought in in a while. I think I can probably start working on it again though. I need to vercome stylistic issues with being predominantly a D&D player though.

Hey no rush. Just letting you know there is still interest here! ^^

[Strife Warzeal]

Would these be actual reviews, or more like extended riffing, sort of like MST3K?

The latter seems more likely, and more entertaining.

[mikeejimbo]

Light seems to be less a spell and more a focused byproduct; mental flexing. I can use my arm and the bicep will stand out, or I can flex it specifically and it stands out a lot; the difference between standard illumination and specific light magic.

That makes enough sense to me.

I think all unicorns have potential for magic. I think all ponies have potential for magic. I don't think they all have the aptitude, resources, or training. Rarity isnt a "spell caster" by definition, despite how she uses so many magical effects. Twilight on the other hoof, is. Trixie is intriguing, because I put her in the 'non-spellcaster' camp. She's a savant who didn't really apply herself, and lacks book learnin'.

I rather agree, although I am not sure they would all have access to the same kind of magic. Though it is interesting, Twilight said she was studying pony magic, not unicorn magic.

I actually think Trixie is either a general spellcaster with a focus on Illusions, or just has a talent for Illusions. And a good control of her Telekinesis.

[Vorpalbob]

Would these be actual reviews, or more like extended riffing, sort of like MST3K?

Oh, man! I forgot about the riffing.

Are we actually going to riff on some episodes? I will take the lead if it results in being a thing.

[AlterForm]

♫ Derpy can you hear me? Can you hear me calling? ♫

(With Dinky on vocals, perhaps with Sparkler supporting. Replace I -> We if so.)

♫ Mommy can you hear me? Can you feel me hug you?
Mommy do you see me? Can I help to cheer you?

Ooo~ooh.
Mommy! Mommy!
Mommy! Mommy!

Mommy can you hear me? The muffins smell good to you?
Mommy do you see me? I wanna help to cheer you.

Ooo~ooh.
Mommy! Mommy!
Mommy! Mommy!

Mommy can you hear me? Do you know I love you?
Mommy do you see me? You know I love to cheer you!

Ooo~ooh.
Mommy! Mommy!
Mommy! Mommy!

Mommy! Mommy!

Mommy! Mommy!
(Chorus fades, Dinky only)
Mommy. Mommy.

Mommy. ♫ ♥

[Kindablue]

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[Mystic Muse]

Oh, man! I forgot about the riffing.

Are we actually going to riff on some episodes? I will take the lead if it results in being a thing.

That was in reference to riffing on popular fics, not particular episodes.

Alright, if anypony wants to riff on particular episodes, please label it as riffing. Some ponies won't enjoy it, and so it'd be best if it were clearly marked. That way, those of us who won't enjoy it know to avoid that part of your post. I would be willing to riff on one or two myself, though there would be a few riffs I'd avoid reading.

As for the riffing fic idea, I urge whoever decides to do that to ask the authors of those fanfics if they'd be okay with it before riffing on them. Otherwise, while it still might be funny, it wouldn't exactly be in the spirit of ponythread. Unless the fic itself was specifically made to be an insult. Otherwise, that's somebody's labor of love you're riffing on, and that's just kinda mean when there's a very good chance they'll be seeing it.

[Kindablue]

That was in reference to riffing on popular fics, not particular episodes.

You mean a "dramatic reading" with running commentary or something written?

[Kris Strife]

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SiuiS hates me because I like his phone. ;-;

[Topaz]

(With Dinky on vocals, perhaps with Sparkler supporting. Replace I -> We if so.)

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♫ Mommy can you hear me? Can you feel me hug you?
Mommy do you see me? Can I help to cheer you?

Ooo~ooh.
Mommy! Mommy!
Mommy! Mommy!

Mommy can you hear me? The muffins smell good to you?
Mommy do you see me? I wanna help to cheer you.

Ooo~ooh.
Mommy! Mommy!
Mommy! Mommy!

Mommy can you hear me? Do you know I love you?
Mommy do you see me? You know I love to cheer you!

Ooo~ooh.
Mommy! Mommy!
Mommy! Mommy!

Mommy! Mommy!

Mommy! Mommy!
(Chorus fades, Dinky only)
Mommy. Mommy.

Mommy. ♫ ♥

Awsomeness!
AlterForm is obviously the Element of Music for Ponythread.

[Forum Explorer]

Would these be actual reviews, or more like extended riffing, sort of like MST3K?

well more of comments from the point of view of the Mane 6 going chapter by chapter. Not entirely sure what riffing but sorta? Would defiantly be aiming for a humorous approach.


I agree that I would have to get permission per fic.


Honestly this would be best as a group project since there are so many fics to be reviewed.

[TheAmishPirate]

I bring tidings of great joy, that shall be for all the ponies.

[SiuiS]

That makes enough sense to me.
I rather agree, although I am not sure they would all have access to the same kind of magic. Though it is interesting, Twilight said she was studying pony magic, not unicorn magic.

Aye, but Twilight shows a rather large bias against anything which proves counter to her books. I assert that Pinkie Sense is one variety of earth pony magic. Since it doesn't meet her definition of "magic" it can't be; she refuses to believe her definition is wrong.

But yes, I think it will be the rare nonunicorn who ever uses what is functionally unicorn magic.

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Man you're fast.

SiuiS hates me because I like his phone. ;-;

You have tochoose Leo!
It's me or the phone!

Naw I'm just joshin' ya. You are my straightman for when I typo all big and funny.

I can help!

*eats all the salt*

Ooooooooooh, I don't feel so alfalfa...

Monocle!

... Dastardly! I dropped a quote.

Tiki Snakes, we don't disagree at all; everything you said is what I meant. I didn't say Trixie was a bad magician, I said she is a bad wizard; the difference between regular and an amniomorphic spell would be lost on her, for example; she hasn't read up on the lingo.

Twilight is a wizard. Trixie is a sorcerer. Or, well, I'd say bard, but that's a different can of worms.

[Gaelbert]

Deadly: I remember you asked about your dreampony.
It was a pegasus, very light yellow coat with a purple mane. The cutie mark was a chef's hat.

[the_druid_droid]

Fluttershy is surprisingly hard to draw. I blame her shyness...

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[Thanqol]

PONYTHREAD, I am declaring a Project. Don't worry, you don't have to do anything. But I'm going to be storyboarding, drawing, and putting together a comic strip of Aurora and Mask running the Sisterhood Social together. And I am probably going to do it entirely in rhyme. And it shall be entirely in black and white because I cannot colour half as well as Inkwell and Aurora doesn't have a simplifiable design.

HAVE AT

(GLOMP)
I love it when people get my references.

I love it when people reference awesome things.

Thanqol, stop making the rest of us look bad!

Don't worry, every time I do something good like that I go out and flip off a box full of puppies to balance it out.

... I wish I had somebrony I could to talk to face to face with about MLP. The internet is fine, but it's not quite the same.

It's not as good as you might imagine. I mean, he thinks that Rainbow Dash isn't best pony for crying out loud.

In other news, I've started freeform RPing Honeysting in another forum (thankyouthankyouthankyou for the picture). It should prove interesting.

Welcome! I might draw more, particularly as my schedule just become a gaping void, and I like her design.

It's ok, the corner booth gets the best service! The usual server, Hénrí, loves his job, Nd his clients. And makes a mean AMF.

Mask: "None of those things distract me from the fact I had to go to an obscure corner of 2003 to find a way to communicate my sorrow."

Oh hey, you actually bought the lab coat? Cool.
The scrub store won't sell to me. I freak them out >>;

Heck yeah I have a lab coat. I wear it around casually, all the time, in summer. It's light, durable, good pockets, and wonderfully cool - generally an excellent piece of summer clothing. I got it over the counter at the university bookstore.

It also has the advantages of adding five points to my weirdness skill and making me mistakable for someone with a real degree.

Oooooh that's what he meant. Sorry, I got my masks confused.
This is the one who resolves problems with biscuits, not the one who was banished to the moon until he made out with Natalie Portmare.

I actually came to the much easier solution that Aurora is just another pony who wears the Mask, which would have saved me this entire project thing.

Good Gracious, Your Ser-- Er, Midnight! Do you know what you've done? you said compete...

You didn't say work together in the social! Mask is probably forging adoption papers as we speak and plotting to take out all the other ponies so it's just her and Aurora in a climactic final round showdown!

This might have something to do with why this plotline is a thing that I'm doing.

Blah. I can't ship Derpy. It feels... Weird to me. Wrong.
Time to overly examine my gut reactions again.

/agreement

I kinda do too? I mean, I enjoy being able to look around the playground more now, but... It's not the rate of content. The quality of posts has minimally decreased; everypony just seems tired, stressed, rushed. The Idylwild feel is almost gone.

Though we seem to be on an upswing! That's always nice

To hell with this neighsayer talk, just like every other omen of this thread's decline, the only truth it has is what we give it.

Indeed. Equilibrium will assert itself. Dynamic balance is the best balance.

This.

[Draconi Redfir]

This is relevant to my interests.

how so? :P


And clearly a group project should be a Ponystuck session

[Kindablue]

Totally the names they should have used in the show. That is all.

"Dear Princess Skinfaxi" doesn't really work but "with Skinfaxi as my witness" sounds much more impressive to me.

[Vorpalbob]

That was in reference to riffing on popular fics, not particular episodes.

Alright, if anypony wants to riff on particular episodes, please label it as riffing. Some ponies won't enjoy it, and so it'd be best if it were clearly marked. That way, those of us who won't enjoy it know to avoid that part of your post. I would be willing to riff on one or two myself, though there would be a few riffs I'd avoid reading.

As for the riffing fic idea, I urge whoever decides to do that to ask the authors of those fanfics if they'd be okay with it before riffing on them. Otherwise, while it still might be funny, it wouldn't exactly be in the spirit of ponythread. Unless the fic itself was specifically made to be an insult. Otherwise, that's somebody's labor of love you're riffing on, and that's just kinda mean when there's a very good chance they'll be seeing it.

Last thread, some people were discussing watching an episode and doing an MST3K style riff. As in, I think through Steam/Skype somethingorother multiple people can watch something at the same time, and record it live.

Nothing malicious, mind you, just poking fun and making jokes. I can't imagine ponies getting too worked up over that.

That post about riffing fics just reminded me.

[Noctemwolf]

So, I decided I wanted to write a fanfiction.

Not something I normally do. Heck, I've been trying to write a novel for NaNoWriMo! But something just doesn't feel right about it, and I just can't write it now...

I would much prefer to write this! =D

All I have so far is a vague idea of what I want to happen... and a few lines to help set the plot.

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Broken Sun, Broken Moon
Dissent returns, deceptively soon,
A ruler's end, her reign brought low
A rift between sister's steadily grows


Discord's mark upon this land
A Child who does not understand;
Chaos' seal is flawed and cracked,
So begins this newest Act.


"So written, I have spoken. Great rulers are the twins of the sun and
moon; But not all shall be well, for the return of Chaos marks the end
of an Era. The fate of all Equestria will rest in the hands of one; the
sun and moon will fracture in the sky, throwing the order sown by the
twins into disarray, a roiling bubble bereft of kindness and love.
Nothing but fear and destruction will follow the one upon whose flank
is inscribed the mark of the Endtimes; the Broken Disc."

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Basically, I have an idea of having a new character come in, though I still expect the main six to be moreso the main characters. I have no name for her yet, but I want her to start as a young filly, with no idea as to what her future holds.
I've already got some of her character figure out, too; She enjoys taking things apart and figuring out how they work, as well as fixing things; She is, unfortunately, a klutz as well and more often than not breaks something she's trying to fix. Her cutie mark, (When she got it) Would be half a sun and half a moon, the circle forming the two halves split down the center.

Oh, a unicorn as well, if I forgot to mention.
I'm a little stuck on how to start, but so far I may just start with Twilight going to visit Zecora in the Everfree Forest... where the two will discover this young filly lost, confused, and afraid.

Looking for a little help I suppose. With What? I'm unsure. Grammar Critique, writing critique (On what I already have, of course) story ideas.
I should probably put down my ideas on a paper somewhere...

[Soras Teva Gee]

I bring tidings of great joy, that shall be for all the ponies.

In b4 season 3.... oh wait.

[Gaelbert]

I hate to be the bearer of possibly bad news, but there are some unsettling rumours and such coming out of this post on EqD about Season 3 and beyond.
From what the screencaps said, only 13 episodes were ordered for Season 3 (which would put them at exactly what they need for syndication), and that when Lauren Faust and Rob Renzetti left "it was ugly."