Has Starlight Glimmer been equalizing the CMC from the very beginning?

[ManaMinori 4,149]

Ok, I know Starlight has been a character whose only showed her face in season 5, but what if she was working her magic in the shadows, long before then? There's a line she says in the season 5 premiere; that “they'll FINALLY understand we've been trying to accomplish”. Which heavily hints at the fact that she's been working toward her ideals for quite some time.

 

Whose to say that it hasn't been from the very beginning of the CMC's introduction arc? Or earlier, even? I mean, from the very beginning, those three have done everything in their power to try to be equal to each other; doing the same things, so they'll all get their cutie marks at the exact same time, and so that by doing separate things apart from each other, they wouldn't risk getting their cutie marks separately, or in a different area of expertise, and not being equal to one of the other three.

 

And it wouldn't be an uncommon thing for Starlight to have tried many methods of equalization, if one failed to work. Perhaps, at some point in time she was using some other kind of equalization manipulation magic, before she learned that she's better off just snatching a pony's cutie mark, entirely? Would it be a surprising plot twist if it was revealed that the CMC were once under Star's equalization process, before they started developing their talents separately (mechanics, potion making, and singing?)

 

Would it be an interesting development if the CMC, rather than the Mane 6 come in at the big finale, and put a stop to Starlight Glimmer? Or would the CMC get themselves caught in a trap by Starlight, later on, and have to rely on Twist- the very pony that Apple Bloom cast aside, as soon as she got her cutie mark, back in season 1- and learn a lesson about not betraying friends for such petty reasons, such as their getting something you always wanted before you did, or something (and then initiate Twist as an official Crusader, even though she already has her mark)?

[FlutterDash4072 190]

I don't think Starlight has anything to do with the CMC. What I think she meant when she said "they'll FINALLY understand we've been trying to accomplish” is that she's been building that little village up for a while and that she hopes more ponies will begin to agree with her ideas.

[MAIKUN 262]

Ok, I know Starlight has been a character whose only showed her face in season 5, but what if she was working her magic in the shadows, long before then? There's a line she says in the season 5 premiere; that “they'll FINALLY understand we've been trying to accomplish”. Which heavily hints at the fact that she's been working toward her ideals for quite some time.

 

Whose to say that it hasn't been from the very beginning of the CMC's introduction arc? Or earlier, even? I mean, from the very beginning, those three have done everything in their power to try to be equal to each other; doing the same things, so they'll all get their cutie marks at the exact same time, and so that by doing separate things apart from each other, they wouldn't risk getting their cutie marks separately, or in a different area of expertise, and not being equal to one of the other three.

 

And it wouldn't be an uncommon thing for Starlight to have tried many methods of equalization, if one failed to work. Perhaps, at some point in time she was using some other kind of equalization manipulation magic, before she learned that she's better off just snatching a pony's cutie mark, entirely? Would it be a surprising plot twist if it was revealed that the CMC were once under Star's equalization process, before they started developing their talents separately (mechanics, potion making, and singing?)

 

Would it be an interesting development if the CMC, rather than the Mane 6 come in at the big finale, and put a stop to Starlight Glimmer? Or would the CMC get themselves caught in a trap by Starlight, later on, and have to rely on Twist- the very pony that Apple Bloom cast aside, as soon as she got her cutie mark, back in season 1- and learn a lesson about not betraying friends for such petty reasons, such as their getting something you always wanted before you did, or something (and then initiate Twist as an official Crusader, even though she already has her mark)?

I think you're absolutely right.

[Sazama Ichida 2,367]

Interesting theory but I would say that's highly doubtful.

[Silver Letter 1,832]

Starlight Glimmer had nothing to do with this episode. It was Apple Bloom's own thoughts that manifested into some kind of shadow in her nightmare.

[Justin_Case001 4,930]

Yeah, I doubt it, but this gave me a really awesome idea.  I'm constantly thinking of parody ideas like this.

 

For the cold open of the season 5 finale, they should show Starlight Glimmer talking to a mysterious pony-in-black, and it would be revealed, throught some shocking visual, that this scene is taking place thousands of years ago, even before the time of the Sisters.  I'm imagining this as a parody of the Jacob/MIB scene in the Lost episode, "The Incident", in case you haven't already figured that out.

[ManaMinori 4,149]

Starlight Glimmer had nothing to do with this episode. It was Apple Bloom's own thoughts that manifested into some kind of shadow in her nightmare.

I never said that SG had anything to do with today's episode. I stated specifically, in the OP, the possibilities of SG puppet master'ing the CMC's actions from the beginning, until the time they began to separately work on their individual talents (which means around "Twilight Time").

[cuteycindyhoney 13,334]

Why would Starlight Glimmer be messing with three young fillies clear on the other side of Equestria from the village she founded and rules? It's not very practical. Before anypony says anything about her commuting by magic, the evidence points to that she can not teleport. If she could, she would have teleported away for real at the end. She wouldn't have faked it in a Trixie maneuver and then run for it. You plainly hear her hoofsteps running off into the tunnel, and see a few snowy hoof prints.

[Pastel 7,630]

I think when Starlight Glimmer said "finally", she was talking about the mane 6 who obviously didn't agree with her philosophy.

[HailTrixie 239]

If she did, then wouldn't the CMC have those equal sign cutie marks and not just blank flanks?

[UnknownFry 169]

No. There is no evidence of her doing as such.

[ManaMinori 4,149]

If she did, then wouldn't the CMC have those equal sign cutie marks and not just blank flanks?

so you think she's been using 1 method from the start of all this? Never tried anything before she discovered the method we saw her use, in the beginning of when we actually got to see her? Okie dokie

[Ashen Pathfinder 16,164]

Why would Starlight Glimmer be messing with three young fillies clear on the other side of Equestria from the village she founded and rules? It's not very practical. Before anypony says anything about her commuting by magic, the evidence points to that she can not teleport. If she could, she would have teleported away for real at the end. She wouldn't have faked it in a Trixie maneuver and then run for it. You plainly hear her hoofsteps running off into the tunnel, and see a few snowy hoof prints.

 

Pretty much this. Starlight has shown herself to be a very capable magic-user, but she still has limits.

 

As such, not only does she lack teleportation, but I have little reason to believe she could invade and/or influence the dreams of other ponies; especially with Luna on the prowl. 

[ManaMinori 4,149]

what does teleporting have to do with anything? Surely, that's not the only means of transportation for ponies. The mane 6 got to the town by train, and on hoof, in fact. And it's not like Starlight can't leave the village. Or have traveled through different towns before she chanced upon the village and got to work on it. We don't know her backstory, nor do we know of the equalization method we've seen her use in the 2-parter was the only method she's ever used, or if she's tried different means to the same end, before she started doing what she was doing in the 2-parter. Nor do we know which ponies she may have used those other methods of equalization on. We don't know where she's been, before hand, and what she's been doing up until the 2-parter.

sweet Luna, you guys lack imagination.

[biologypony 43]

I agree with some of the earlier replies; it's a very interesting theory. I don't know if they would throw something as in-depth as that into the show this late in the game. It does seem like the beginnings of an awesome fanfiction, though!

[MLPFanatic34 3,241]

It is an interesting theory, but I certainly don't think Starlight Glimmer is equalizing the CMC. Apple Bloom simply had a nightmare in which she was doing all of what happened to herself. It is an interesting theory however, but I don't believe it's true.

[Starlight Fan 540]

I like this idea.

But I don't think they'd do something so complicated in a children's show.

[dekutree64 713]

I don't think Starlight has been messing with them so far, but I do think this episode was foreshadowing that Apple Bloom and perhaps the other two crusaders will be drawn in by Starlight's ideology in the finale, to become pseudo-villains for a while.

[cuteycindyhoney 13,334]

The theory is really interesting, but I can't figure out a way to make it workable in the framework of data at hand hoof. Starlight Glimmer's village has colts and fillies. Why would she pick three at random, living so far away from her base of operations? The Cutie Map showed that her village was clear on the other side of Equestria. I wish we had a key to miles, but the trains don't even go that far. It would be so much easier all around for her to experiment on the young population at hoof. Also, her village took a lot of time and effort to set up. We're talking possibly years. The CMC wouldn't have been old enough to worry about Cutie Marks yet, let alone meet and become the CMC, if SG was doing early experiments on blank flank fillies before she founded her misguided Utopia. Besides, we're talking coincidence on a cosmic level if she managed to somehow previously experiment on three random fillies known to the six strangers that traveled to her village.

 

As Sherlock Holmes would say, I need more data! Did SG follow the mane six home? Is she trying to strike back at them in a most devious way? I think that would be going a bit beyond the writing levels of the show if she was attempting to subvert the CMC under Luna and Twilight's noses.   

Edited April 20, 2015 by cuteycindyhoney

[GuillermoGage 246]

what does teleporting have to do with anything? Surely, that's not the only means of transportation for ponies. The mane 6 got to the town by train, and on hoof, in fact. And it's not like Starlight can't leave the village. Or have traveled through different towns before she chanced upon the village and got to work on it. We don't know her backstory, nor do we know of the equalization method we've seen her use in the 2-parter was the only method she's ever used, or if she's tried different means to the same end, before she started doing what she was doing in the 2-parter. Nor do we know which ponies she may have used those other methods of equalization on. We don't know where she's been, before hand, and what she's been doing up until the 2-parter.

sweet Luna, you guys lack imagination.

Okay, okay I'll reply to this topic to make you feel better.

 

I do acknowledge how you point out point out that the CMCs have a habit of trying out the same activities together at the same time. While they might not specifically be planning to get the same cutie marks at the same time, they kinda prefer to imagine that there isn't a big gap in between when they all get them.

 

They sorta see themselves as equals in terms of potential.

 

Having many ponies have the same special talent instead of no special talents would be a more mild version of the Equality system of cutie marks. Perhaps there would be only like a dozen or so different cutie marks, kind of like the factions in that Divergent novel. They would have special things about them, but a sizable portion of the world's ponies would have the same thing, so there'd be a sense of order.

 

... But Starlight Glimmer being a presence before she was revealed isn't a headcanon thing to me. I do understand that you posting this topic after Bloom and Gloom is pretty much a coincidence and that you were thinking of this before that episode.

 

I personally did suspect that the

dream pony was Starlight Glimmer

and I don't feel as if it was explicitly proved not to be. I did not read the synopsis of Bloom and Gloom before watching.

Edited April 20, 2015 by GuillermoGage

[Adorkable 2,737]

I'll admit it, in the newest episode, I thought the shadow was Starlight, haha. But I'll agree with others, I highly doubt she's had anything to do with the CMCs. Interesting theory though!