Was Twilight suppose to fail her entrance exam?

[pinkiefan1287 610]

There's something that has been bothering me with Twilight and the test she was given to get into, Celestia's School for Gifted Unicorns. Her test was to hatch a dragons egg. This makes me think that this is the test all unicorns have to do to get into the school. Then re-watching season one, it looks like she is the only one with a dragon. Also during the episode "Dragon Quest" we learn that ponies don't have much info on dragons.

 

So why was this her test and why would they use their only research on dragons for a test?

 

Did they just want her to fail so they picked a test they knew no pony could do or what?

[Jadefire 2,797]

I heard a rumor that Lauren Faust speculated that the egg was given to her, as Celestia was at the time screening for potential Elements of Harmony. She didn't become aware that Twilight might be a candidate until after the egg-hatching occurred.

 

Or something to that effect.

[Regality 233]

Yeah like Jadefire said, I think Celestia had somehow already knew that Twilight had great potential, so a seemingly impossible test was placed before her. This means Celestia figured there would be somewhat of a great "awakening" in terms of Twilight's powers.

~~

Edited August 30, 2012 by Regality

[---------------------- 1,645]

Hmm, as usual I believe we might be thinking to much into it...or...maybe not.

 

Now we don't know what kind of ponies usually pass this exam, could twilight have been younger then the rest? Who knows...

 

Now it may indeed a fact that Princess Celestia was preparing for NMM's return and knew that she needed the new elements, let's not forget, most of the mane 6 (not counting pinkie and twi) just happen to be working on the Summer Sun Celebration, and Princess Celestia wanted to make sure everything was going according to plan with them... coincidence? As for Pinkie Pie, it's inevitable to cross paths with her in ponyville.

Sure, you may think that we are thinking to much into it...but to many pieces fall into place here...

 

Or maybe I am just insane

[silvadel 1,393]

Yep -- not all ponies get tested with a dragon egg -- that was if anything a rather difficult challenge for poor twilight. Meant to fail though -- not really -- destined to succeed seems more likely. For all we know that could have been a test on many different levels.

[Cross Sparkle 101]

you know what i never thought back on this but your right she was the only one to have a dragons egg. hahahahah i never payd attention

[Dusty Soul 2,611]

Yeah as almost everyone is saying, Celestia probably already knew that Twilight was destined for greatness. It just needed to be proven...

[techno915 408]

Considering she told rainbow dash that if she hadn't done her sonic rainboom at that instant she would'nt have passed her entrance exam, I think that twilight would have failed it since the opposite of pass is fail. However, she might have passed the test later after other tries.

[Kalypso 69]

i think that the "egg test" is given to everyone and no one has passed it yet and those that fail get to take the actual entrance test so the egg is just a method of seeing if you are abnormally strong/worthy of being Celestia's private pupil... so i guess it's a special tes and she was the first to pass

[PoisonClaw 8,164]

I remember hearing a rumor a while back that the egg test is essentially a pony equivalent of an unwinnable situation, similar to the kobayashi maru from Star Trek. To hatch the egg would take a huge amount of magic, more than even an adult unicorn should possess. It was more a way to gauge how much magic they did have and how they dealt with potential failure.

[silvadel 1,393]

Leave it to twilight sparkle to actually defeat the kobayashi maru test. I never thought of twilight sparkle in the same category as james T kirk... Well JTK had to CHEAT to win, Twilight did it on pure talent and a boost from a future friend.

[I used to be a stranger 7,993]

I remember hearing a theory that it's a lot like the The Kobayashi Maru from Star Trek, in that the entire point of the examination is to see how students respond to high-pressure scenarios without any success conditions (i.e: Response to failure in a no-win situation.)

And just like Captain Kirk, Twilight won the no-win situation by redefining the problem into a dragon in the middle of the room. (Redefining the problem is another way of saying Cheating, except I believe that Celestia is a very great chess-master of a leader and intended for everything in that situation to happen.)

Edited August 30, 2012 by Blue

[Planty 1,053]

Yeah like Jadefire said, I think Celestia had somehow already knew that Twilight had great potential, so a seemingly impossible test was placed before her. This means Celestia figured there would be somewhat of a great "awakening" in terms of Twilight's powers.

~~

This sound's reasonable, i guess the only way to see someones true power's or strength is to give them something impossible so that you can see when there limit is reached

[Stary Dreams 87]

I think Celestia somehow knew that Twilight was going to be one of the Elements of Harmony and decided to test her theory by placing an impossible task upon her. Celestia might have also known that Nightmare Moon was going to be released soon and needed to act quickly since she knew she couldn't purify her sister by herself without banishing her once more.

 

Just a quick theory of mine, I never really thought much about this before so yeah.

[Zygen 6,066]

Well I don't know if she was ment to fail per say, I think maybe celestia was looking for ponys that could possibly be very strong in magic, enough to be able to use the elements of harmony maybe. Which is maybe why she had the entrance exam so hard.

 

Maybe the tests are all very hard tho. Maybe the ones she usally accepts for it are older and she was alot younger then the others, thus making it harder.

 

It doesn't really seem to me like hatching a dragon egg would take a huge amount of effort(And for that matter why would they be hatching it forcefully? Aren't dragon eggs suppose to hatch by themselfs? Just like other eggs?).

[AppleTreeBrony 228]

Wait NVM, This became off topic within three seconds, It's posted on my Profile though if you would like to read it

PLEASE HIDE THIS POST MODS!

 

Oh boy here we go! My favorite Topic! Non-Canon!

 

If Twilight were to Fail her entrance exam she would probably leave Canterlot in shame, Which means Spike would have never met Twilight, Which also means Twilight cannot run a Library. She would possibly run to Ponyville were she would go to the School, and Meet Applejack, and Rarity. Applejack would probably become freinds with Twilight first, Then she would do something to help out Rarity, which would make them freinds, Twilight would then meet Pinkie Pie then they would also become freinds. Eventually They would meet Fluttershy, and they Would help her out with her Animals, Or try at least, and they would become freinds. Rainbow Dash, Preforming the Sonic Rainboom. Would have already became a Wonderbolt. She would be the Youngest flyer to ever Join the Wonderbolts. She would then come to Ponyville on tour and meet the Ponies, Rainbow Dash meets the 5 and they get to know each other. Rainbow gives them Tickets to an Airshow, were Rainbow breaks her wing. The 5 Nurse her back to health and they all become Best Freinds. Twilight and the 5 would encounter Nightmare Moon. Twilight and the 5 make a run to Canterlot where they find a Book on Nightmare Moon. They find the Elements of Harmony and Defeat Nightmare Moon. Celestia would arrive and She that Twilight had proven her worth, Twilight's Cutie Mark would appear at that moment, And Celestia would take her as her Apprentice.

No matter what happens, The Mane 6 would meet, and they would defeat Nightmare Moon

 

I don't know if the spoiler cuts the Character limit or not, So please don't hide it. it has to be the most accurate accordance to the MLP FIM Canon and Non-Canon. The only difference? No spike.

Edited September 3, 2012 by Scootabelle

[silvadel 1,393]

Actually Spike could be added to that -- I mean the egg has to hatch eventually and Princess Celestia would be handling the egg and Spike's rearing at that point. Spike could be handed off to twilight when she earns her cutie mark above.

 

So indeed it might not have mattered AND if the above set actually happened we would have to conclude that at least elements of MLP are rigidly deterministic. That is always one bad thing about future predictions -- you always need to know if the future can be changed -- Scrooge asked the right question -- are these shades of what must be or only what might be -- can the future be changed.

Edited September 3, 2012 by silvadel

[Akemi Homura 7,680]

@, @, @@Kyronea, @@~Chaotic Discord~

 

I think that Celestia already had a great idea on who the five other Elements of Harmony were before taking Twilight under wing for all those years, and established that Twilight (perhaps among other unicorns as well) was the prime candidate to wield the Element of Magic after her huge outburst during the entrance exam. Seeing how her Element is arguably the most mysterious of all six, it's a lot tougher and more difficult to make a call on because it only appears when the bearer realizes the value and strengths of their other elemental counterparts - even for an almighty like Celestia.

 

I don't think any other pony knows how much magical potential Twilight had ("Elemental" magic or otherwise) other than Princess Celestia. Being an almighty goddess and all, she pretty much has to learn these things or at least get some sort of idea on it prior to planning for a major event that might shock Equestria to its roots. In this case, we can go with the idea that Celestia is a chessmaster of a ruler and managed to deduce which ponies were the bearers to the other Elements many years before they all fatefully came together during the night where NMM showed up, thus setting the stage for Twilight to arrive in Ponyville, or we can say that Celestia waited for answers (going with the flow, as it were) before sending Twilight off, like how The Joker operates in Gotham - he doesn't need to plan because he just gets an idea and goes with it, but is intelligent enough to make them extremely elaborate.

 

With the first line of thinking in mind, I think Celestia would have been forced to continue her search for the Element of Magic had Twilight failed her entrance exam... because after all, Twilight's outburst was triggered by a (rather unexpected) Sonic Rainboom, which gave each of the Mane 6 their cutie marks.

 

Here's my personal theory: The moment each of them got their cutie marks, with the Sonic Rainboom paving the way for each of them, Twilight got hers as well shortly after - that's what we've established. She managed to hatch the egg right after the Sonic Rainboom hit... but she her power didn't stop there. She went wild and went into what you would call "the Avatar state" with your eyes completely blank and letting off a white glow.

 

2:14

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zBJ4e6MeTfA

 

When else have we seen Twilight going into Avatar mode? None other than when wielding the Elements of Harmony, complete with the "Rainbow Cannon" when used. Twilight, in her natural form, is already gifted with magic (as told by Celestia herself), "You have a very special gift. I don't think I've ever come across a unicorn with your raw abilities."... but when in avatar mode, whenever and wherever, she's completely unstoppable, wielding a vast knowledge of friendship and using it to the fullest. That said, even when she had the outburst, she was somehow able to harness the power of the Element of Magic (the tiara) and utilize its power to ultimately pass her entrance exam with flying colours, but this didn't happen just because of her raw ability. The outburst triggered her cutie mark as well shortly after, but I suspect she unconsciously learned a lot from the outburst as a direct result from the Sonic Rainboom, unconsciously uniting all of the Mane 6 before they've even met! They shared an emotional event together miles away, and it was enough to allow Twilight to become "that mare". She's always had the "power of friendship" lying dormant right after she received her cutie mark, and Celestia knew that "it was you (Twilight) who had the magic inside to defeat her, but could not unleash it until you let true friendship into your heart."

 

Elemental Magic and Friendship Magic really do go hand in hand, as harnessing one or the other will allow you to have just as much power as Twilight, though Twilight is just extremely gifted with it. It's her special talent, after all.

Edited September 3, 2012 by Devin McCourty

[AnonBrony 1,468]

@, @, @@Kyronea, @@~Chaotic Discord~

 

I think that Celestia already had a great idea on who the five other Elements of Harmony were before taking Twilight under wing for all those years, and established that Twilight (perhaps among other unicorns as well) was the prime candidate to wield the Element of Magic after her huge outburst during the entrance exam. Seeing how her Element is arguably the most mysterious of all six, it's a lot tougher and more difficult to make a call on because it only appears when the bearer realizes the value and strengths of their other elemental counterparts - even for an almighty like Celestia.

 

I don't think any other pony knows how much magical potential Twilight had ("Elemental" magic or otherwise) other than Princess Celestia. Being an almighty goddess and all, she pretty much has to learn these things or at least get some sort of idea on it prior to planning for a major event that might shock Equestria to its roots. In this case, we can go with the idea that Celestia is a chessmaster of a ruler and managed to deduce which ponies were the bearers to the other Elements many years before they all fatefully came together during the night where NMM showed up, thus setting the stage for Twilight to arrive in Ponyville, or we can say that Celestia waited for answers (going with the flow, as it were) before sending Twilight off, like how The Joker operates in Gotham - he doesn't need to plan because he just gets an idea and goes with it, but is intelligent enough to make them extremely elaborate.

 

With the first line of thinking in mind, I think Celestia would have been forced to continue her search for the Element of Magic had Twilight failed her entrance exam... because after all, Twilight's outburst was triggered by a (rather unexpected) Sonic Rainboom, which gave each of the Mane 6 their cutie marks.

 

Here's my personal theory: The moment each of them got their cutie marks, with the Sonic Rainboom paving the way for each of them, Twilight got hers as well shortly after - that's what we've established. She managed to hatch the egg right after the Sonic Rainboom hit... but she her power didn't stop there. She went wild and went into what you would call "the Avatar state" with your eyes completely blank and letting off a white glow.

 

2:14

 

 

 

When else have we seen Twilight going into Avatar mode? None other than when wielding the Elements of Harmony, complete with the "Rainbow Cannon" when used. Twilight, in her natural form, is already gifted with magic (as told by Celestia herself), "You have a very special gift. I don't think I've ever come across a unicorn with your raw abilities."... but when in avatar mode, whenever and wherever, she's completely unstoppable, wielding a vast knowledge of friendship and using it to the fullest. That said, even when she had the outburst, she was somehow able to harness the power of the Element of Magic (the tiara) and utilize its power to ultimately pass her entrance exam with flying colours, but this didn't happen just because of her raw ability. The outburst triggered her cutie mark as well shortly after, but I suspect she unconsciously learned a lot from the outburst as a direct result from the Sonic Rainboom, unconsciously uniting all of the Mane 6 before they've even met! They shared an emotional event together miles away, and it was enough to allow Twilight to become "that mare". She's always had the "power of friendship" lying dormant right after she received her cutie mark, and Celestia knew that "it was you (Twilight) who had the magic inside to defeat her, but could not unleash it until you let true friendship into your heart."

 

Elemental Magic and Friendship Magic really do go hand in hand, as harnessing one or the other will allow you to have just as much power as Twilight, though Twilight is just extremely gifted with it. It's her special talent, after all.

 

TL:DR version: Friendship is Magic.

lol jk

I completely agree with that theory. It seems very accurate. But idk if Twi would be able to go into "avatar mode" whenever she wants... well at leats not yet. Maybe when shes older. Perhaps thats why Celestia is having her study the magic of friendship? she she can grwo stronger and weild the elements better. To Protect equestria from evil.

I guess that means Celestia foresaw all of this happening? She knew her sister was coming. She knew if she sent Twi to ponyville she will meet the others an dthey will join together and defeat Nightmare Moon. Like it was... Destiny. ... If Celestia knew all that... i wonder what else she knows...

... damn i think we are getting too deep into this man... And people say this is just a kids show! XD

[XUNUSEDXXX 3,459]

Ahhh, because Celestia is an all knowing being, and this being her school she knew exactly what to test Twilight with since she can see the future.

[Creamy Arty 6,252]

Excellent observations. I hadn't considered that before. But after the song we were demoed from season 3 about Twilight taking some sort of test, the outcome of which she couldn't be certain, I was convinced that at some point all students are given a Kobayashi Maru test - a no-win scenario. A test not of their ability to choose correctly, but to measure their resolve in the face of impossible odds. Your theory about her entrance exam might also support that. We know that her skills were exceptional even before she began her studies under Celestia, but this seemingly simple task was too great for her, eventually causing her to concede her failure and apologize for wasting the test proctors' time before the Rainboom incident gave her what she needed to accomplish the task.

 

Well JTK had to CHEAT to win, Twilight did it on pure talent and a boost from a future friend.

I suppose that support from Rainbow could also be considered cheating. However, I don't believe it's possible to cheat in a situation for which there's no correct solution. In a situation for which any response is incorrect, any approach to it must be acceptable. That's why Kirk was commended. They had no basis for a repremand.

Edited September 3, 2012 by Artemis