◎ Foreword ◎
Author's Note · Creative Philosophy
“The purpose of fan fiction is to transcend the very meaning of ‘fan fiction’.”
— Prince
Hello everyone, I am Prince.
Before every story lies another story.
And after the story ends, there's still another story
This is quite a philosophical concept, but I don't wish to delve that deeply today
Before finally deciding to put pen to paper, this story actually went through a long period of hesitation
Or perhaps I should say, this applies to most of my recent works
Questions like: Will it suit everyone's tastes? Can I write it compellingly? Will readers feel the charm? These concerns are real. It's quite awkward when something you genuinely love leaves others indifferent, truly. And I believe some readers deeply understand this feeling
Yet ultimately, it circles back to that most fundamental question:
What do I truly want to create?
After so many creative endeavors—be it music, art, or storytelling—each represents a new idea, a fresh thought. The process of creation always brings new insights, new questions, and new outcomes, including this work.
Yet within the My Little Pony fandom, I suppose I'm... a rather unconventional creator. I've spent several nights carefully reflecting on myself, contemplating the role and elements I embody within this community. After all, I too am a part of everyone's stories—it's just a matter of how significant my role is.
Everyone is. Everyone is a character in their own story, and simultaneously a character in others' stories.
My passion and dedication to designing beautiful outfits and adorable, cute outfits—I believe everyone has seen this in my humble work, the Canterlot Royal Ballet Academy series. Ponies always need to stand upright to showcase the outfits at their best, yet this approach often invites misunderstandings like “Anthro criticism.”
After repeated attempts, I simply stopped having them stand and switched to drawing humanoid forms instead.
I adore sci-fi epics, and that blend of classical and religious aesthetics in mystical sci-fi has always deeply captivated me. This feeling solidified and supported my decision to enter—or rather, slowly learn how to enter—the gaming industry. The gaming music scene has also influenced my work, including the My Little Pony version of Destiny—Equion: The Star-Racing Hymn. Yes, Destiny and Halo have always been crucial sources of inspiration for me. Online, there are actually many My Little Pony fans who are also fans of these two games, so resources are plentiful.
But for me, that wasn't enough. What I wanted wasn't just a simple “My Little Pony skin.”
What I sought was something ambitious, transcendent, and awe-inspiring—a unique worldview and style that still retained the very essence of my inspirations.
This is Equion. This is my work.
My philosophy on fan creation differs quite a bit from the mainstream, to be honest... But I suppose that's where personal style lies.
“The purpose of fan creation is to transcend the meaning of ‘fan creation’ itself.” That's what I believe.
The works born from this belief—be it music or other creations—
whether you've encountered my “Poems of Iya,” the music and novels of “Equion,” or the “Cantella Royal Ballet Series,”
all are creations born from this conviction.
So, is there more?
Regardless, one must eventually confront what they truly desire deep within their heart.
This isn't a joke—everything stated in this preface stems from my own lived experiences.
You must one day truly face what your heart yearns for (within the bounds of basic moral principles, of course).
These things are like a pile of miscellaneous books scattered in your closet. You look at them, you reminisce, you understand where they came from and what they mean to you. And when you finish organizing them, you select a few to use as new inspiration. That is when your work enters a new phase.
This is me. The work born from organizing vast amounts of information—Legend Pony: Pretty Cure Harmony.
That's the official title.
The secondary title is “The Adventures of Pony and Maiden.” I once considered a catchier name to attract viewers, but decided against it—better not to get ahead of myself.
Anyway, the elements I selected:
This time, the protagonists are humans and ponies. The theme of humans and ponies journeying together has always been a favorite of mine, inspired by renowned international artists and Han Yang.
For me, EQG might not be my cup of tea, and I don't have much praise for it, but I do like its core concept—the mirror world, where the pony version and human version reflect each other.
Equion's shadows, Destiny and Halo's styles—they beckon me as always, content I take pride in.
But what matters more is the presentation of another key element—
something else to accentuate the ponies' cuteness.
For me, most pony charm points have been done to death. I pondered a unique way to elevate their appeal.
“Pretty Cure?” I thought to myself.
Yes, for a fashion-obsessed design enthusiast who also dabbles in cosplay, the world of girls is utterly captivating. From foreign Disney princess series to Japan's Pretty Cure franchise, I've not only become deeply enthralled but also absorbed and learned countless elements. These influences fuel my music and illustration creations, refining my designs time and again, sculpting the girlish heart that occupies half the space within my soul.
Novels are a first for me, though honestly, if I had more time, I'd probably turn this into a comic—after all, I know Pretty Cure is inherently visual.
In the end, I settled for a compromise—this illustrated narrative. This approach nearly killed me (wry smile, silently recalling those days of nonstop creation with no rest). I also poured heavy emphasis into the scene descriptions, hoping to spark the audience's imagination and achieve immersive storytelling.
No.
Truthfully, what I truly wanted was to make it into a game (boom).
But that was just too ambitious, so I let my imagination drift away.
Still, it remains a little dream. When I eventually enter the gaming industry, I hope to see this vision realized.
My take on Pretty Cure is that it's very girly stuff. Engaging with it always makes me feel a bit embarrassed, and I keep questioning myself about it. But then again, isn't our little My Little Pony the same?
Remember the 14th generation Pretty Cure, the 2018 Hugtto! series (my second favorite—the mom-type Pretty Cure was so adorable, heart-eyed emoji)? They introduced the first official male Pretty Cure in the franchise's history: Brother Wakamiya. But before Wakamiya, previous generations had already been making similar breakthroughs and experiments. My main criticism of Pretty Cure is the storylines. I only ever follow the first few seasons to grasp the character relationships, then focus entirely on my own creative work. Unlike My Little Pony, I don't delve deeper into the series—but that's beside the point.
The point is, pursuing Pretty Cure sparked a lot of reflection within me.
Not from watching the TV episodes themselves, but from the pursuit process.
Ideas sparked in my creative work, the patterns of thought and interaction between people in society, friendships, love, social issues requiring counterintuitive thinking—these are all around us, yet we often fail to notice them. Sometimes we try to avoid them, but now they've found me. I've spent days and nights pondering these questions, many of which I deeply experienced during my studies in Japan.
These genuine thoughts, real experiences, and the process of contemplation have transformed into melodies, stories, and images. I've poured them all into this novel.
No matter where I stand, I always seem like an outsider.
This holds true before ordinary people and before the My Little Pony fandom alike.
But this time, “facing my true inner self” is precisely what I wish to express.
I believe this is why I suddenly felt compelled to write about Pretty Cure. It's an attempt to explore, pursue, and break through another kind of appeal—using the EQG format to connect it with My Little Pony.
The protagonist of this story is the true face of my inner self. Through repeated dialogues and connections, it confronts the contradictions and anxieties within my heart—experiences, pressures, and struggles from society and my academic journey.
And similarly, I don't want it to be just Pretty Cure alone.
Absorbing the essence of epic RPGs, I've woven those elements into the story and fused them with My Little Pony. I hope this allows everyone to feel not only the heartwarming cuteness but also the vastness of a grand, open-world scope.
Always silently crying, always silently laughing.
After My Little Pony ended, time has flown by. Do we truly understand the meaning of friendship?
I refuse to be a clickbait artist. I despise sensationalism, and I certainly don't want to open fimtale only to see it flooded with Radiation Equestria(!?)—apologies, just kidding.
I simply wish to use storytelling to express my genuine thoughts and inner world.
A world interconnected, a world brimming with pink-hued girlhood dreams, an epic adventure world as vast and awe-inspiring as Destiny, a world where ponies and humans mirror each other, a world that compels us to reflect deeply on our inner selves, to constantly seek and pursue until we find answers.
It might just be your world and mine—you simply haven't noticed yet.
Notice your true inner thoughts and pursue what you genuinely desire.
Anyway, enjoy the read.
I love it when readers share their thoughts, feelings, opinions, or even ask questions. Your comments and support are the greatest motivation for me, who works almost non-stop around the clock. Thank you.
PS: After finishing Chapter One, there will be an afterword revealing some “little things” about the story's future. Stay tuned!
Prince
& Macaron