I don't know about that! I do too and most bronies that I know still consider it "her" show. Glad indeed she continues to get credit.
I am very pleased to hear that. She's been getting very little credit from bronies for a long time. Hardly any of them seem to realize that she helped write every episode in Season 1 and 2, but everyone gets it wrong, and says she didn't... it's depressing.

Side note, the blind bags have been Crystal Ponies for a little while now, before this season even started. I have a Crystal Rarity :3
Kind of makes sense considering that the Crystal Ponies are named after a toyline from the third generation. What's more ironic is that that generation's version of Rarity was one of the first ponies to become one (hence her wanting to be one in this version.)

I've seen the fears concept somewhere else, and can't think where. Maybe Harry Potter or something?
I dunno if it's been in Harry Potter, but it may very well be a trope of some sort. I have seen it used elsewhere, so I guess ultimately it doesn't matter if I still use the storyline I was planning on. As it is a FIM fanseries, it's going to reuse a few things, but this would have been a conicidence, but it could be reworked as an allusion, I don't know? I'm fine either way.