Friendships before Twilight

[weesh]

We know Rarity and Fluttershy have been hanging out for a while, but who else already had a relationship before Twilight showed up? It isn't like she just barged into a group of five; she met them all individually. My best guess is that Rarity and Applejack did not have much of a friendship before the season one opener.

[Angie Cakes]

Fluttershy and Rainbowdash knew each other in some way when they were fillies.

Pinkie says she knows everybody in ponyvill, so I get he impression that Pinkie had thrown a party for each of the other four at some point in time, wether they liked it or not.

other than that, I can't think of anything off the top of my head

[RarityDash]

Rarity of course is close friends with Fluttershy and has no reason to know Applejack at the start. I doubt she would have much reason to interact with Dash either.

Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash of course knew each other, but I doubt they were very close at the point the show starts. I wouldn't be surprised if Applejack and Fluttershy did know each other though, considering they both live kind of on the outskirts of town and work with animals. I would imagine they have a friendly relationship from the start, which is why at times Applejack seems so understanding of Fluttershy.

Applejack and Dash? As heated at their rivalry in Fall Weather Friends seems, I imagine they've had it going back a while.

And then there's Pinkie Pie, who states first episode that she knows everypony in Ponyville, and i"m willing to believe her. She was probably decently close to a lot of them. Not Dash though; it's clear in Griffon the Brush Off that Dash views Pinkie as an annoyance at the start of that episode. Rarity seems weirdly accustomed to Pinkie's odd behavior, so I'll assume there's some strange friendship there. Pinkie understands Fluttershy enough to know not to prank her, so there's probably something there, and I don't see why she wouldn't be friends with Applejack too.

[DaBatGuy]

In my head canon, I like to think that AJ knew Pinkie and Fluttershy very well because of her occupation as a apple farmer. While selling her wares to local businesses she eventually meet Pinkie at Sugar Cube Corner and realized they had a mutual interest in baking. I also think AJ became friends with Fluttershy because she provided food for Fluttershy's animals in exchange for her assistance with sick/injured farm animals and pest removal.

[Ashton]

Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash of course knew each other, but I doubt they were very close at the point the show starts.

I'm going to disagree with this. The number of times Dash has shown consideration for flutteshy, including back when they were in school, I think the two grew up like sisters. Factor in that AFAIK neither of them has parents, both were bullied, and they seem to form a very symbiotic familiar bond.

[RarityDash]

When does Dash show consideration for Fluttershy? All the major interactions I can recall from the show don't look all the great:

She's seems completely okay with the idea of pranking Fluttershy in Griffon the Brush Off. Pinkie is the one who speaks out against the idea.

In Dragonshy, Dash just seems completely annoyed by Fluttershy's behavior. She seriously cuts her no slack at all.

Sonic Rainboom, she mostly just seems frustrated with Fluttershy's inability to cheer right. She seems really happy when her other friends are able to follow her and give her a better cheering section.

In Cutie Mark Chronicles, Dash stands up for Fluttershy to the bullies, but her priorities seem suspect to me. She slams past Fluttershy in race and knocks her off a cloud. Despite knowing Fluttershy's a weak flyer, she doesn't go back to help her in any way, and the moment quickly becomes about herself and her own glory what with winning the race and performing the Rainboom. This tells me that Dash is focused on the race to the point where she didn't even notice her friend falling to what would have been her death were it not for the convenient swarm of physics defying butterflies. Either that or she did notice, which makes it even worse.

Now Fluttershy definitely cares for Dash (even if in Cutie Mark Chronicles she seems instantly willing to leave Dash and everything else in Cloudsdale behind for a life on the surface), but I really can't see their relationship as anything but uneven and just largely one sided. Which is why its the single Mane 6 ship I really just dislike, and also why I doubt they had a very close relationship at the point Twilight came into the picture.

That's just how I personally see it though.

[DiamondMint]

We can also assume Pinkie was friends with Applejack before the show because of Applejack knowing about the Pinkie Sense in Pinkie Keen Sheen.

[Acynder]

We can also assume Pinkie was friends with Applejack before the show because of Applejack knowing about the Pinkie Sense in Pinkie Keen Sheen.

Applejack said that everypony in the town knew about the Pinkie sense. She might have only knew her through that and not known her personally.

[weesh]

When does Dash show consideration for Fluttershy?

Its stuff like this that make me wonder: if Twilight left to continue her training in Canterlot, and never came back, would FS and RD ever hang out again? Well, I wonder about all of them. Are they a group of friends contingent on a connecting member or are they all friends with all of the others? Maybe Pinkie Pie would continue to glue them together since they have been through quite a bit now. But what if she also left?

[RarityDash]

Hmm... Well, I think Twilight really did do a lot to bring them together. And it's probably not completely cemented at the end of Elements of Harmony Part 2. I mean, being part of that adventure surely helped to start a sort of bond between them all, but if Twilight had left after that, I'm not sure it wouldn't have fallen apart to some extent.

I mean, that's kind of what the first season is as I see it. It's Twilight slowly bringing this group of friends closer together (or watching them come closer together; sometimes she doesn't have to do much). Some of it still might have happened, but a lot of it probably wouldn't have, I think.

[TenthSpeedWriter]

I feel like there would still be casual friendships, but without Twilight, they may never have cemented as a clique. I've seen something like that happen in real life several times, where a single person, whether intentionally or just by virtue of knowing compatible people, ends up being the nucleating point for a web of friends.

[weesh]

I've seen something like that happen in real life several times, where a single person, whether intentionally or just by virtue of knowing compatible people, ends up being the nucleating point for a web of friends.

Amusing, because I would expect it out of someone friendlier. She's nice, but she doesn't have the magnetic personality I usually associate with such people.

[RarityDash]

Yeah. It is kind of odd that it'd be Twilight who brings them together, seeing as she's one of the most socially awkward and insecure of them all.

[Motion Paradox]

Hmm, I'm willing to believe that Pinkie Pie did know the others but perhaps didn't know them equally well, Rainbow Dash said herself that she thought Pinkie would be annoying so she probably avoided her as much as possible after moving to Ponyville

Rainbow Dash probably knew Fluttershy enough to identify her by name when telling her story in Cutie Mark Chronicles instead of "This one really weak flyer at camp" and probably knew Applejack as well

Then Rarity may have known Applejack in passing, she probably bought fruit at her stand but little else and she may have known Fluttershy before the series started but they could just have easily not have known each other

And Fluttershy probably knew Applejack a little bit, perhaps some helping to lead some Rabbits away from the farm or helping with some of the Animals, either way I imagine that everyone she met happened when cercumstances forced her into it, for example she went to Sugar Cube Corner and Pinkie introduced herself, and threw a welcome party and talked to Fluttershy when ever she came by, she met Applejack either buying apples or helping with the animals and met Rarity going to her shop or when Rarity needed help with Opal or maybe to ask for some molted feathers

[Ginger Mint]

hi hi

Twilight may be a bit socially awkward, but she has that sort of non-giving-up attitude that often saves the day. I mean, if it hadn't been for Twilight's insistence that Applejack and Rarity both have a slumber party with her, would they have ever resolved their differences? We may never know... but I think its more her organizing skills than a magnetic charisma that are what count in this case. She puts effort into making things a success rather than just assuming it will all work out.

[weesh]

I think its more her organizing skills than a magnetic charisma that are what count in this case.

Ha!

I love the idea of an odd talent (You are ruining my checklist!) making up for the lack of a quality highly valued by society.

Focusing on friendship, rather than romance, gives the series lots of chances to stick to the fundamentals and model healthy relationships.

[TenthSpeedWriter]

Amusing, because I would expect it out of someone friendlier. She's nice, but she doesn't have the magnetic personality I usually associate with such people.

Well, for what it's worth... The most notable experience this I've had was being drawn to a handful of particularly awesome people by a very short-lived friendship with a hateful, self-centered, and potentially psychotic woman.

[Rain]

I agree with the idea of the mane knowing each other before the start of the show, but they were probably just acquaintances, since they might have had friends from before they met one another (Gilda, for example), or kept themselves busy with work.

They probably met each other a few times, but I imagine only Pinkie and Applejack being close, since the Cakes probably needed apples and stuff for their recipes.

No group of friends is perfect, mind you. My friends argue all the time, but at the end of the day, I wouldn't trade them for anything in the world.

[weesh]

No group of friends is perfect, mind you. My friends argue all the time, but at the end of the day, I wouldn't trade them for anything in the world.

Earlier in life, I had a group of friends that never argued. It was terrible. It was because no one ever did or said anything of significance, so no offense was ever given. When life separated us, I realized that I didn't know my best friends.

[Lucan]

Here's an interesting idea - The Cake family likely taught Pinkie Pie how to bake. We know that Applejack and Pinkie Pie both bake, so what possibility is there that Pinkie Pie could have taught Applejack how to bake?

Applejack may/may not have known Fluttershy before.

Rainbow Dash MUST have known Applejack, due to their heated rivalry.

Rainbow Dash DID know Fluttershy. They went to flight school together!

Pinkie Pie knows all... I wonder HOW she could have met everybody in Ponyville, though. Interesting question.

Rainbow Dash must have known Pinkie Pie if Dash goes to see Fluttershy often. Fluttershy lives near Ponyville, after all.

Now that I think about it, Fluttershy owns a few farm animals. So does Applejack. Fluttershy seemed to love the idea of giving Rainbow Dash a pet, so Fluttershy may have given Applejack a few farm animals and *much more likely* her dog, too.

Rarity probably didn't know Fluttershy, but no guarrantees.

Rarity obviously knew Pinkie Pie, WHO DOESN'T?

Rarity did NOT know Rainbow Dash, there is no reason for them to have ever met each other.

Rarity may/may not have met Applejack. Applejack has gone to town to sell apples, Rarity has probably bought a few from her before.

actually, in conclusion for Applejack - she could have easily known the entire mane six minus Twilight Sparkle before Twilight came to town. They all could have purchased apples off of AJ or maybe even had a friendship/kismesisissitude rivalry with her.

[weesh]

Rarity probably didn't know Fluttershy, but no guarrantees.

Rarity and Fluttershy is the only friendship that I am sure of. They had been going to the spa together for a while by the time we finally observed it.

[RarityDash]

Well, come to think of it, the spa arrangement might be something that started in the months since Twilight has arrived.

[weesh]

Well, come to think of it, the spa arrangement might be something that started in the months since Twilight has arrived.

I would tend to agree except that both of them ordered "the usual". How many times do you have to go to spa before that works? Maybe not many. Going together might be new, but Rarity going certainly isn't. Fluttershy may have joined Rarity's trip, and the "usual" is the light version, but same order as Rarity's treatment.

[RarityDash]

Well, the timeframe for the episodes is a little unclear. You have episodes explicitly occurring at different seasons, so multiple months are clearly passing. There's really no way of knowing just how much time has passed from the point of Twilight's arrival to the start of Green Isn't Your Color.

If it's been multiple months, Fluttershy and Rarity could have been going to the spa together for many weeks now and still have only just met with the first episode.

[TenthSpeedWriter]

Be careful about assuming that the epsiodes are chronologically ordered. At all. xD

With a few exceptions due to explicit references, it's quite possible to turn the order of the episodes on their head.