Magical Mystery Cure: What if Twilight Sparkle had failed?

[Abia 258]

Before a discussion begins, I’d just like to clarify what this discussion is to be about. This is not a Magical Mystery Cure bashing thread, nor a Princess Twilight bashing thread, nor a bashing thread of any kind. I don’t propose this as a subject of argument, merely as speculation— if Twilight had been unable to finish Star Swirl’s spell, would the mane six eventually work things out on their own?
In this post I have provided a short, step-by-step list of how I think events would unravel after Twilight had given up on returning things to the way they were. (This is not something Twilight would do*, but it is fun to speculate about.)
I have also provided an explanation as to why I think these things would happen. It might seem like I’m jumping to conclusions, but I have tried to base all my opinions on evidence from the episode, and in this admittedly more wordy list I have explained what makes me think these things would happen.
Without further ado, I present to you:
 

Magical Mystery Cure:
What if Twilight Sparkle FAILED?

What would happen? (simplified version)

• Applejack closes Carousel Boutique.
• Applejack returns to Sweet Apple Acres.
• Pinkie Pie is about to lose the apple farm.
• Applejack assists Pinkie and corrects her cutie mark bucking apples.
• Realizing there may be something amiss about their cutie marks, Pinkie Pie and Applejack rush to tell the other four about what's happening.
• They first go to Town Hall, where they find Fluttershy and Rarity.
• The four find Rainbow Dash at her cottage.
• Fluttershy rescues Rainbow Dash from the animals, correcting her cutie mark in the process.
• Irrelevant to point of discussion: The mane five fetch Twilight Sparkle from Golden Oaks Library.

After this, the events become much less straightforward because of the lack of information we have.
For example: without Twilight giving ponies their Elements of Harmony, do they ever regain their memories? Believe it or not, the memories do affect whether or not a certain pony gets her cutie mark back: Pinkie Pie.
If you watch A True, True Friend, you’ll notice that Pinkie Pie doesn’t regain her composure, cutie mark or poofy hair until after her Element of Harmony has been given to her and her memories are returned. I believe that, with the encouragement of her friends, Pinkie would be able to become a party pony again, but would the mane six have any idea that Pinkie was meant to party if they had no memories of it?
I think we can safely say yes. Why? Well, it depends upon the deduction skills of the mane six, but hopefully they’d be able to figure this one out.
Focusing on the symbolism of cutie marks would allow the mane six to deduce what remaining talents there were to discover. So far, the butterfly, apple, and magic cutie marks are correct, leaving the gemstone, lightning and balloon marks. I expect that Rarity would have an attraction to the gem mark, as she was always interested in patterns and such even as a weatherpony. Rainbow’s true cutie mark seems like a bit of a stretch, as Pinkie is unable to change the weather or interact with clouds and lightning without Unicorn magic (something she also doesn’t have).

What would happen? (extended version)

• Applejack closes Carousel Boutique.
  Evidenced by a screenshot from “I’ve Got to Find a Way” in the episode “Magical Mystery Cure”.
• Applejack returns to Sweet Apple Acres.
  After I presented my argument to another site, someone argued that Applejack, considering what happened in “The Last Roundup”, would not return to Sweet Apple Acres or that she would have nothing to tie her to the farm, as it was her apple-themed cutie mark and journey to get it that made her realize how much she valued the farm and her family. I counter this argument with the fact that her abandoning Ponyville in “The Last Roundup” was under an entirely different set of circumstances: she had been lying about her success in the rodeo (although perhaps AJ could have also been lying about her success as a dressmaker— but that would be a very weak lie considering how frequently Apple Bloom especially goes into town. We also don’t know if any of the events before “Magical Mystery Cure” were the same, just with different respective cutie marks; if she had, even as a dressmaker, had participated in the rodeo, she would have learned her lesson about lying about success already and probably would not risk it again), and was afraid of this being revealed, as well as letting down the town mayor. And while AJ’s pride might have prevented her from bonding with her family without an apple cutie mark, Apple Bloom also doesn’t have a mark and is still incredibly close to her family.
• Pinkie Pie is about to lose the apple farm.
  Evidenced by Twilight Sparkle’s quote, “Pinkie Pie is about to lose the apple farm!” from the song “A True, True Friend” in the episode “Magical Mystery Cure”.
• Applejack assists Pinkie and corrects her cutie mark bucking apples.
  The mane six are still close friends even after Twilight casts Star Swirl’s spell, as evidenced by Fluttershy’s quote “I know that [Rainbow Dash]’s a true friend, and I’ll do anything I can to help her.” There is no reason why AJ would not offer to help Pinkie, and no reason why Pinkie would refuse her help: she accepted it gratefully during “A True, True Friend”.
• Realizing there may be something amiss about their cutie marks, Pinkie Pie and Applejack rush to tell the other four about what's happening.
  While AJ and Pinkie are no more likely to notice something odd about the cutie marks on their own, anypony would be foolish not to suspect something if their cutie mark suddenly changed for the first recorded time in Equestria.
• They first go to Town Hall, where they find Fluttershy and Rarity.
  The location of Fluttershy and Rarity is based upon the ending of “I’ve Got To Find A Way” (screenshots for Fluttershy and Rarity. While it’s possible that Pinkie and AJ would have gone to Fluttershy’s/Rainbow Dash’s cottage or Twilight’s library first, this is unlikely when you consider the location of the Town Hall in comparison to that of Sweet Apple Acres (locations based upon this map.
• The four find Rainbow Dash at her cottage.
  About to get eaten, remember?
• Fluttershy rescues Rainbow Dash from the animals, correcting her cutie mark in the process.
  It’s likely that all the mane six (or four, at that point) would try to help Rainbow Dash. If this were to happen, Fluttershy would easily realize her destiny and the pleasure she found in interacting with animals; she picked it up remarkably quickly in “Cutie Mark Chronicles”. If only Fluttershy attempted to help Rainbow Dash (which I highly doubt would happen, but is a possibility worthy of bringing up anyway), she would also realize her talent quickly, although she would probably be a bit more shy while doing so.
• Irrelevant to point of discussion: The mane five fetch Twilight Sparkle from Golden Oaks Library.
  While I am curious as to whether or not Twilight would have left Ponyville after giving up on her friends, as she almost did in “Return of Harmony”, or whether she would have stayed in her town, it’s not really relevant to this discussion. It’s likely that, had the mane five told Twilight about what was going on, she would have put it all together and solved things much more quickly. But as this topic is to speculate on whether or not the mane six minus one would have made it with Star Swirl’s spell without any later interaction on the part of Twilight Sparkle, it’s not something I’m particularly interested in discussing… still, I won’t turn down the opportunity if anyone else brings it up.

Thank you for reading, and I look forward to hearing your responses. As I said earlier, I’m not saying that the mane six would have been better off if Twilight had left them and accepted her initial failure. The way it worked in the show was, I think, the best way, and the most likely. I’m only curious as to whether or not things could have gotten back to normal eventually.

*This is not something Twilight would do…: All right, it is a possibility. She did actually give up near the end of Magical Mystery Cure, and was reminded of the value of friendship by Princess Celestia sending back letters. It’s possible that Twilight never would have saved the day if not for this reminder.

[Wishing Star 27]

Interesting! I think this is a very probable outcome, considering that the Magic of Friendship is already strong among all of them. 

[Rainbow Eclipse 3,927]

Best AU scenario, everyone else get out.

[Invincible 2,092]

Alternatively, this could simply mean that their destinies would find a way to repair themselves, and by extent, fulfill Twilight's destiny of becoming the fourth alicorn.

[Wishing Star 27]

On second thought, after rewatching a bit, it seems that they Twilight giving them their Elements was essential for their return to their true selves. Makes sense since magic changed them in the first place, they would need some magic in order to revert back. Through the process Cape described they could have realized what their real strengths and talents were, but the presence of the incorrect Cutie Marks would still have confused them and left them in doubt. Of course they would make it to Twilight Sparkle eventually, but the whole process would take much longer.

[Shadowking58 1,137]

Would she even have become an Alicorn if this happened?

Also... "I have to find a way." = Major Feels.

[Abia 258]

On second thought, after rewatching a bit, it seems that they Twilight giving them their Elements was essential for their return to their true selves. Makes sense since magic changed them in the first place, they would need some magic in order to revert back. Through the process Cape described they could have realized what their real strengths and talents were, but the presence of the incorrect Cutie Marks would still have confused them and left them in doubt. Of course they would make it to Twilight Sparkle eventually, but the whole process would take much longer.

Very true. The canon scenario is definitely the quickest and clearest option. I interpreted part of "Magical Mystery Cure" as saying that the mane six would have been perpetually depressed had Twilight not made right their destinies. But it just seems like they would be able to regain some happiness; when we see the mane six, they're at the end. They're failing. And Twilight Sparkle was failing; she wouldn't have gotten back that "spark" without Celestia sending back the letters. She couldn't do it entirely on her own, or at least it would have taken much longer. In that time, what would the mane six have done? As two were already in the process of losing their business, and essentially their life's work, their lives would have either been ruined or slowly rectified.

 

But yes, it would have taken much, much longer; Twilight's success is definitely the best option.

 

@@Shadowking58, I don't think she would have, since this scenario relies on Twilight's failure.

[Jeric 46,867]

Cape!

 

You presented probably the best alternative resolution to MMC that I have read. It actually lends itself to a unique set of 'lessons'

[Silver Letter 1,832]

The premise is not possible. Twilight Sparkle never fails. Evidenced in "The Crystal Empire: Part 2" In the line, "When does Twilight Sparkle ever fail?". The implied answer is "never".

 

But if such a premise was possible, then according to the idea presented, things would have been fine anyway, meaning that Twilight could have sat on her flank and the same results would have occurred which also makes her entire effort insignificant.

[Fawkes The Phoenix 737]

Interesting, but Twilight was chosen to be the element of magic for some reason, and she would never fail, it was her "final test", and when she passed it the elements turned her into an alicorn, however, your alternative resolution is cool.

[Deathstroke 1,564]

I Couldn't care less and am a communist 

[sweetolebob18 728]

Yeah, but as step 2 you have AJ going back to Sweet Apple Acres.  If she can't remember her past, why would she go to the farm?  I also wonder "why Pinkie is so poor at farming?"  OK, you don't buck fruit trees on a rock farm but she should be better at repairs.  Plus, there is the question of "How long did this take?"  Princess Twilight implies the 1st 3 Seasons occurred over 1 year.  If so, much of the devastation has to be poetic license -there just isn't time.  The events of this episode have to take place over 1 day (well, 2 maybe if you assume her ascension was after midnight) 

 

IMO, the Elements were needed.  Doing what they loved might have been enough to get the right Cutie Mark back, but without the Elements they probably wouldn't have gotten their memories back.

 

Still, this ignores the question "Did Celestia know what would happen & plan the whole thing?"  IMO, there is a good chance Celestia had at least a rough idea what would happen & planned the whole thing as the final test for Twilight

[Abia 258]

Sorry about the late response. I haven't checked this forum in awhile.

 

Yeah, but as step 2 you have AJ going back to Sweet Apple Acres. If she can't remember her past, why would she go to the farm?

She doesn't remember her past with the apple cutie mark. She still knows who her family is, and I suspect she still shares a strong bond with them. The Apples are close and, while Applejack's troubles might put strain on their relationship, I highly doubt it would ruin it. I expect family still plays a large role in AJ's life even in this alternate universe.

 

Plus, there is the question of "How long did this take?" Princess Twilight implies the 1st 3 Seasons occurred over 1 year. If so, much of the devastation has to be poetic license -there just isn't time. The events of this episode have to take place over 1 day (well, 2 maybe if you assume her ascension was after midnight)

I assumed Star Swirl's spell altered the cutie marks and redefined history so that it fit as if the new marks had always been there. This means the destruction of the farm, the boutique, Ponyville's decline in happiness, etc., would have all taken place over several years.

While restoring the lives of the mane six (sans Twilight?) would've taken time, the first steps could've occurred in the same day, in my opinion.

 

IMO, the Elements were needed. Doing what they loved might have been enough to get the right Cutie Mark back, but without the Elements they probably wouldn't have gotten their memories back.

The Elements weren't necessary for some of the memory recall, though. Fluttershy, Rarity, RD, etc. all got their memories and cutie marks back without the assistance of the Elements. If I remember correctly, Pinkie Pie was the only one who had to wear her Element before getting her memories back. So she's the only whose destiny is uncertain in this AU.

 

Still, this ignores the question "Did Celestia know what would happen & plan the whole thing?" IMO, there is a good chance Celestia had at least a rough idea what would happen & planned the whole thing as the final test for Twilight

I wrote this under the assumption that Celestia had little idea of what the spell would actually do, so I haven't really considered this. That's a good point though.

[MLPFanatic34 3,235]

I guess if she had failed she would have remained a unicorn, but I don't know lol.

[sweetolebob18 728]

The author went into this fairly heavily in Xenophilia (chapter 17, IIRC.  Fair warning -there is a lot of clop in this story)

 

IIRC, he had Dash more as a coach/trainer than Fluttershy.  At one point the critters moved her house for her & another time they took down a gang of criminals

 

Discord bought some of AJ's clothes (HE liked them!) & Fluttershy bought some to use as comedy props.

 

Spike convinced AJ to concentrate more on the gem finding aspect of her business (Her Earth Pony connection to the land let her sense gems -it's how she got her Cutie Mark)

 

Twilight coached Fluttershy on comedy & talked her into concentrating more on the party/socializing aspect of her Cutie Mark

 

As to "Celestia didn't know"  OK, the 1st 2 lines are obvious AFTER the fact, perhaps not so much before.  But, "A Mark of one's Destiny"?  Come on, the only line that isn't clear is the last one "Singled out alone, fulfilled"  That one is pretty obscure & maybe having an Element Bearer cast the spell made a difference.

 

Still, I agree w you.  Most of the blame has to go on Twilight.  You've got to be an idiot to cast an unknown spell like that.

[cider float 2,539]

Actually I can think of an alternative outcome where Twilight becomes Midnight Sparkle instead after failing the Magical Mystery Cure. 

Edited October 12, 2015 by cider float

[Abia 258]

Actually I can think of an alternative outcome where Twilight becomes Midnight Sparkle instead after failing the Magical Mystery Cure.

Would you mind elaborating? I'd like to hear it. ^^