One Big SMILE · 7:03pm Jul 8th, 2023
Well, Legends of Magic is finished. If I’ve done my job (and it looks as though I have), this has been something of a Wham Episode in light of the revelations regarding SMILE. Suffice it to say, there’s been a lot that I’ve been sitting on for some time, and now, I finally get to share it.
Now yes, there’s gonna be comparisons to the story Marionettes. There already have been. Trouble is that I’ve had odd thoughts about this storyline before I ever read that story, and while it might have a subconscious influence, my portrayal of SMILE is different from that one. Plus, they didn’t come up with SMILE - you can blame G. M. Berrow for that, and both that story and mine draw from that same root.
The roots of SMILE within the Quiververse come from the G. M. Berrow book, Lyra and Bon-Bon and the Mares of SMILE. Their use of memory-altering magic, their designation of the Mane Six as FROWN, them being the organization that Bon-Bon worked for? All of it came from that book. As previously stated, I suspect that many writers don’t consider the full ramifications of what they establish in their works, and Berrow is no exception. You show me a benevolent government that sanctions a clandestine organization that makes active use of memory wipes, no matter how well-intentioned they might think they are, and I’ll show you one that needs to be held accountable.
And for those who say that such things couldn’t happen in real life, I suggest a Google search for MK-ULTRA. Also, just a warning, but spoilers ahead for the various stories that I discuss.
Anyway, my take on SMILE, as previously stated, draws on a number of sources for inspiration. The first that I will elaborate upon is one that I hadn’t discussed before - the Time Variance Authority as depicted in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Making their debut in Season One of Loki, the TVA is tasked with the goal of ensuring the existence of the Sacred Timeline - the main events of the MCU - and preventing the existence of splinter timelines, and thus the existence of the Multiverse. Their methods are harsh, and involve erasing splinter timelines before they can get too far. Variants of particular individuals, from random joes out on the street to major named characters (such as Loki) can and are plucked out of the timeline and either mindwiped and brainwashed into serving the TVA, or banished to the end of existence and left to be consumed by a monster called Alioth. At the end of the series, however, the true mastermind behind the TVA is revealed - He Who Remains, aka Nathaniel Richards, who had set up the organization to prevent a Multiversal War against his own variants…the worst among them being Kang the Conqueror.
To his credit, He Who Remains admits that his hands are filthy with blood. Those who unknowingly work for him in the TVA are either brainwashed minions who don’t know any better (and a few who do wise up end up aiding Loki against him once they get the chance) or are so dedicated to their cause that they are too scared to turn away. But the instant he’s out of the picture, well, things go from bad to worse (and as of this writing, we’re only just beginning to see how bad things can get). SMILE is a bit different, but I’ll elaborate upon that later on.
One series that I did mention previously provided another organization from which I drew inspiration from SMILE - the Illuminati, as presented in Gargoyles. If you haven’t seen this show, shame on you. As presented within the series, the organization is old, established within canon as being over a thousand years old and with influence in government, business, and organized crime, among other things, as well as resources both mundane and magical. The Slave Labor Graphics comics elaborated upon this a little, and gave us a glimpse at the group’s organizational structure as well as how it influences society.
The short version is thus - the Illuminati has a number of people working for it, knowingly or unknowingly, but only very few actual members and a very clear-cut ranking system. At the very top is the one Number One, under whom are two Number Twos and so forth until you get to the thirty-six Number Thirty Sixes, among whom are individuals such as NYPD Detective Matt Bluestone as well as franchise antagonists David Xanatos, Thailog, and John Castaway. And while not all positions are filled at any given time, that means that in total, there could be six hundred and sixty-six members to the organization. Not a good number. The current (and presumably original) Number One, however, is one Peredur fab Ragnal, also known as Percival, one of the knights of the Round Table under Arthur Pendragon. According to series creator Greg Weisman, the Illuminati were founded a century after the fall of Camelot with the goal to “make things right”. Given how they operate, however, one has to wonder how much they think the ends justify the means. How their organizational structure relates to SMILE I will, again, get back to later.
Another series I brought up is Person of Interest. For those unfamiliar with the series, the basic premise is thus - one of the main characters, Harold Finch, developed an AI (dubbed ‘the Machine’) for the purpose of protecting America against terrorists. Another AI was developed, however, dubbed ‘Samaritan’, and a second group seeks to secretly place it as a puppet master, an unseen dominating force in the world ruling from the shadows.
Finally, Fullmetal Alchemist. This series shares one thing and one thing alone with all four of the others - the protagonists are, in some way, opposed to a conspiracy, one which has used the main characters in this case as pawns in a greater game. Said conspiracy, meanwhile, has its foundations within the very government of their home nation, Amestris, and is headed by those at its very top.
So, how did all of these series inspire my take on SMILE? Well, they all inspired a little bit of it.
SMILE, as stated in story, is the latest in a long line of organizations intended to protect Equestria and its inhabitants and to maintain harmony. Like the Illuminati, it had its beginnings with an individual of great import - specifically, Star Swirl the Bearded. Also like the Illuminati, as well as the organization behind Samaritan and the government of Amestris, it has reasonably far reach, though closer to the first two than the third (much like the population of Equestria, the wider population of Amestris appears to follow a policy of ignorance being bliss). It operates in the shadows, the same as all four of these organizations, and has a lot of influence. Ivory Tower being a subordinate to Neighsay is directly inspired by a character introduced in the Gargoyles comic books, Quincy Hemings, who was Chief Steward at the White House, a position he’d held since the very start of the Lyndon Johnson administration. Both are in positions where they would be able to follow particular events without raising too much suspicion…though I’ll admit that Hemings probably has Ivory Tower beat. Nobody pays much attention to the waitstaff, after all.
Incidentally, two of the other high-echelon members of SMILE introduced here are inspired by characters from the listed franchises. Doctor Auric is very much an expy of the Gold-Toothed Doctor from FMA, while White Flower has her roots in Fleur, aka Blanchefleur, also from the Gargoyles comics (though, admittedly, adapted from Arthurian myth, where she’s Percival’s wife).
SMILE, meanwhile, has influence in many areas in Equestrian society, the government and the military included. They take a very hooves-off approach to most things, however, so long as what’s done doesn’t interfere with the wider plan. And like the TVA, they are following a script and doing everything in their power to ensure that things don’t go too far off the rails. In the eyes of their highest echelons, they are acting in the best interests of Equestria. Much like those behind Samaritan, those like Furlong are convinced that Equestria needs a firm, guiding hoof to help ensure that it follows the proper path.
Not everyone in the organization is like Furlong, however. Some, like Sterling Aide and Auric, are more interested in the fact that they essentially get to play God and rule Equestria from the shadows. There’s a reason I established their headquarters as being higher up the mountain from Canterlot, and again, canon and semi-canon materials gave me material to work with. They enjoy having a measure of power over the little ponies, and they have a lot of resources to maintain their goals.
How do they interact with the other semi-secret groups that I’ve established? I’m still figuring it out with the Observers, but don’t be surprised if there’s some overlap between SMILE and the Order of Gallopfrey. That being said, Seventh Moon and the named ponies associated with the Order aren’t connected to SMILE. Whether or not they are aware of them remains to be seen.
SMILE, however, isn’t infallible. Most of the organization is in fact made up of blind, arrogant fools. As implied in the story, they are to blame for the lack of preparedness regarding Chrysalis’s attack on Canterlot - because their sources said it would go down a certain way, they ensured that it would go down a certain way. They’ve been manipulating and twisting things about in their favor to help ensure that events stay along a certain path. And this is their Achilles heel - they’re control freaks, and they’ve never had control.
As anyone who’s seen my timeline knows, as far as the Quiververse goes, we’re seeing episodes of the series (at least up to the end of Season Three) out of sequence. Stuff from the expanded universe is difficult to incorporate into the series, and is often contradictory, and it can get worse over time. And Chaos Theory went and threw several wrenches into the works with the existence of the Bridge Realm, not to mention Quiver Quill taking a bigger role in events. That they were exposed was only a matter of time.
This also puts aside the fact that SMILE had foreknowledge of several major catastrophes that hit Equestria over the course of the Quiververse to date, as well as knowledge of stuff yet to come. They knew that Nightmare Moon was coming, that Discord was going to break free from his prison, that Chrysalis was going to attack Canterlot and that the Crystal Empire was going to come back…and did nothing. They also know that certain other things are on the horizon, from Tirek to Starlight Glimmer to Chrysalis coming back to the Pony of Shadows to the Storm King to Cozy Glow to the Legion of Doom at the end of the series, and not only are they continuing to do nothing…but in some cases, they’ll actively attempt to ensure that things go as they did in the series proper. And that ignores everything from the comics and other media.
Oh, and before anyone asks? The events of A Daring Day? The mess with the Rani, as depicted in A Mad Pony with a Box? They didn’t know about either of those events. Completely blindsided them.
To their credit, SMILE is at least aware that things are getting beyond their control. Sadly, as you can probably guess from the events of the epilogue, SMILE isn’t doing the sensible thing and reaching out to the Mane Six. Nope - they’re making plans to subtly get rid of the obvious anomalies and bring everything back under their control. Needless to say, there is a reason why they were involved in Primrose Thorn getting released from jail.
Can Twilight and everypony else put a stop to them? Potentially, yes. Will it happen any time soon? Sadly, no, as it’s going to be a while before I’m able to devote time to writing for the Quiververse much in the near future, much less get to the stories that will build upon what’s been established here. The seeds have been planted for SMILE’s defeat, but it’ll be a while before those seeds grow into anything substantial.
SMILE will be beaten. It’s only a matter of time.
"HUGS"
Always hated that guy: a complete and utter a**hole
And of COURSE they let the sociopathic b!tch out of prison, because why not? They're sociopaths too. Playing God never works with mortals. Though it will take time, I will be very happy to see these charlatans get their proper karma.
5736932
The smug bastard got what he deserved in that series. And I suspect that you'll grow to hate his counterpart just as much.
All I ask for is your patience.
5736936
Oh, I'm pretty sure I will.
And you've got it