Did Twilight fail her test?

[ManaMinori 4,145]

The events of "The Crystal Empire" and "Magical Mystery Cure", in addition to EqG perplex me.  We see that Sunbutt has been giving Twilight tests throughout her grooming process. At times, sunbutt gives Twilight tests with directions that are subtle, and sometimes, like in "The Crystal Empire" that are direct. And in "MMC", when Twilight expressed concern over no longer being her student anymore the answer that was given was "not in the same way as before", rather than a simple "no".

 

So when EqG came out after Twilight becoming alicorn princess, I have to wonder if what Sunbutt said and hinted about hoping Sunset Shimmer would return to make amends, was yet another test given to Twilight, and one that she ultimately failed, by leaving her in the care of AU aliens.

 

If Twilights still a student of Sunbutt's, after becoming an alicorn, and the expressed desire of Sunbutt was to have Sunset Shimmer return was a test, then did Twilight fail it, by not bringing Sunset back?

How do you guys think Sunbutt feels about this?

[Kyoshi Frost Wolf 41,730]

Not really Twilight's Fault if Sunny screws up. I mean, Twilight is in a different dimension entirely. She cannot help a whole lot.

[BastementSparkle 20,328]

No, I highly doubt Princess Celestia would use that as a test, it doesn't even make sense. With the Crystal Empire, I imagine it was sort of a "Double sided" test. Twilight either manages to save the empire herself, proving how capable she is, or she gives the responsibility to another when necessary, proving she can self-sacrifice for the good of others.

 

 What would the "Test" of bringing Sunset back even really prove?

[ManaMinori 4,145]

No, I highly doubt Princess Celestia would use that as a test, it doesn't even make sense. With the Crystal Empire, I imagine it was sort of a "Double sided" test. Twilight either manages to save the empire herself, proving how capable she is, or she gives the responsibility to another when necessary, proving she can self-sacrifice for the good of others.

 

 What would the "Test" of bringing Sunset back even really prove?

considering how Twilight freaks out about failing Sunbutt, and putting her on a pedestal, I think bringing SS back would have proven her capable of sharing her idol with others, and responsibilities of future co-rule of Equestria with SS, had she listened to what Sunbutt had clearly said she wanted, and brought SS back home.

The only time Twilight disobeys Sunbutt is in the first episode of season 1, by choosing to avoid making friends, and we saw how well that turned out (Spike had to coerce her to , in fact, not Sunbutt) so then why did Twi disobey Sunbutt here?

[BastementSparkle 20,328]

 

 

considering how Twilight freaks out about failing Sunbutt, and putting her on a pedestal, I think bringing SS back would have proven her capable of sharing her idol with others, and responsibilities of future co-rule of Equestria with SS, had she listened to what Sunbutt had clearly said she wanted, and brought SS back home. The only time Twilight disobeys Sunbutt is in the first episode of season 1, by choosing to avoid making friends, and we saw how well that turned out (Spike had to coerce her to , in fact, not Sunbutt) so then why did Twi disobey Sunbutt here?

 

She doesn't disobey Celestia, as far as I remember, Celestia never gave any orders. She said what she hoped Sunset would do, which is to return and make amends, but she never told Twilight "You have to bring her back" did she?

 

 Twilight bringing back Sunset wouldn't have proven she was capable of sharing her idol, or the responsibilities of co-ruling necessarily. There's no guarantee Sunset would go back to being Celestia's student, or that she would become a Princess. After what happened, Celestia might not even be willing to make her a Princess, even if she did want her back as a student. 

[ManaMinori 4,145]

Not really Twilight's Fault if Sunny screws up. I mean, Twilight is in a different dimension entirely. She cannot help a whole lot.

uh, but it DOES. right before Twilight goes though, Sunbutt clearly said "I was hoping Sunset Shimmer would someday use it (the mirror) to return. But that is not what has happened." That, if anything, should have raised a red flag. If Sunbutt sent her in there to retrieve her crown, then- as Sunbutt clearly wanted- she should've retried SS as well, while she was in there. At no point did Sunbutt express that she wanted SS to stay and be taught friendship by a group of magic less humans. So in effect, Twilight failed in doing what Sunbutt implied that she do.

[BastementSparkle 20,328]

 

 

At no point did Sunbutt express that she wanted SS to stay and be taught friendship by a group of magic less humans. So in effect, Twilight failed in doing what Sunbutt implied that she do.

 

When Celestia had a test for Twilight with the Crystal Empire, she openly told her she had a test, she doesn't tell her that in EQG.

 

 Also though, if Celestia was testing Twilight, couldn't Twilight have theoretically passed? Instead of just going with what Celestia wanted, Twilight made her own decision to leave Sunset with the humane 5 to learn about Friendship like that and make amends, doing what she thought was best. If you think Celestia was laying out a test for Twilight here, who's to say the test wasn't to subtly mention what she wanted without giving orders, and then see if Twilight could instead make her own decisions despite that? 

[Ganondorf8 11,370]

No, I don't think Twilight failed at her test since it wasn't really that kind of test to begin with. With the problem that was happening at the Crystal Empire due to it returning after so long, Twilight was told to assist Cadance and Shining Armour in protecting it from Sombra who had also returned. She never explicitly said what was needed to be done but assured Twilight that whatever she ended up doing would be the right thing even when it looked like it would result in failure. Twilight also had to make a choice between success and failure and ultimately chose the latter, but only because she knew Spike would be able to bring the heart to Cadance.

 

With Sunset, Celestia only tasked Twilight in retrieving her crown. She didn't say anything about having to bring Sunset back even though deep down she might have wanted for that to happen. In that sense, Twilight succeeded in her mission and put Celestia's worries at ease when she told her Sunset was going to be okay.

[Marimo 555]

I doubt Celestia would really call what Twilight did a failure since Sunset still wound up reforming and was able to make friends. Especially since as we've seen in the other movies, magic was brought into the world and exists elsewhere, and so now there's someone who lives there and is already pretty knowledgeable about magic and can lead the others without being dependent on someone who lives in another dimension being available and nothing happening to the portal.

 

Calling it a failure because Celestia didn't get the most optimal result for her out of it would just be rather selfish, petty, and ultimately out of character for her.

[sweetolebob18 728]

Since Sunset reformed but didn't return, I'd say Twilight passed but did not get an A