MLP Season 12 Fanfiction Project Premiere Episodes Revealed · 5:57pm Jul 29th, 2020
Season 12, Episode 1: "Of Wars and Graduations" Part 1
Episode Summary: As Sunset Shimmer prepares to graduate from Canterlot High, she is approached by Princess Twilight to return to Equestria to take part in the war against Grogar.
Publishing Date: September 19th, 2020
Season 12, Episode 2: "Of Wars and Graduations" Part 2
Episode Summary: Grogar sends his Legion of Doom into the human world to seek out the Dazzlings and recruit them into his ranks.
Publishing Date: September 19th, 2020
Season 12, Episode 3: "Of Wars and Graduations" Part 3
Episode Summary: As Sunset grapples with the option of staying in the human world or returning to fight in Equestria, the Legion of Doom carries out an attack on the Canterlot High Graduation Ceremony with the Dazzlings.
Publishing Date: September 19th, 2020
Season 12, Episode 4: "Of Wars and Graduations" Part 4
Episode Summary: With Canterlot High under siege, Sunset and her friends realize that sacrifices need to be made in order to defeat the Dazzlings and the Legion of Doom.
Publishing Date: September 19th, 2020
Another season? How many are you gonna make these?
Damn it. According to these episodes, it looks like the Legion still hasn't been reformed yet! What's it going to take for them to be redeemed? Is Twilight and the others even aware of why they became villains at all? The motto is, to defeat an enemy is to become a friend. Two different episodes depict why Tirek and Cozy became villains through parental neglect while Chrysalis might or might not be tricky. Is there a plan in the works for their redemption or what?
Certainly a surprise to see Equestria Girls being involved now.
Wonder whats in store for dog Spike in this? Would he encounter his Equestrian counterpart? Since Spring Breakdown wasted the chance to do so by having dog Spike just.. apparently not going with the girls on the trip for no reason.
Wonder if the projects might touch on why Spike is a dog instead of human there? Since I feel like that was a big issue EQG that was brushed aside, just doesn't seem fair that Spike didn't get to be human in EQG.
Since this might be the last season of the projects, is there still ideas touching on Luna's darker split personality Nightmare Moon? Like would we know more about Luna's inner dark potential and such before the series end?
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Well, it depends on how many ideas the author can come up with. We know there is going to be AT LEAST one more after Season Eleven is done, though.
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My guess as to why Spike is a dog in the human world is because the dragons in general are dogs in the human world. It would seem too much like the multiverse messing with Spike too much otherwise. But, yes, I agree that Spike SHOULD be a human too in that universe (albeit the same age as the Crusaders).
Might be interesting to see Dog Spike taking an extra dose of magic and gaining dragon like abilities (i.e. flame breath, a certain amount of increased strength and durability, flight and a controlled version of the "dragon greed growth" [i.e. a temporary, but considerable increase in size and proportionate physical ability when motivated by protecting his friends]) during the battle (as that would definitely give him a chance to properly shine against some pretty powerful bad guys).
And Sunset could gain some increase to her abilities (her telepathy increased enough for her to mentally generate illusions and control machines within her immediate area, pyrokinesis and empathic power mimicry [i.e. able to duplicate the abilities of any of her friends within her immediate area as long as it is done with their full knowledge and permission]) to increase her effectiveness.
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Maybe, maybe not. That's entirely up to the author. Of course, even if (and this is a pretty big "if") they ARE reformed by the end of Season 12, there would NEED to be a Season 13 and maybe even a Season 14 to show the reformed villains having to work extremely hard to EARN the forgiveness and trust of the general population.
Though I DO hope the "war arc" DOES end with Season 12 as it would be stretched out entirely too long otherwise. I mean, yes, Season 13 and/or 14 (if there IS a Season 13 and/or 14) could introduce some new solo villains to give any reformed villains a chance to work toward their redemption, but I AM hoping the war ends in the Season 12 finale.
And, considering there ARE already enough reformed villains in Equestria to literally form their own support group, there should be an episode with Luna getting the idea to form such a support group as a Slice of Life. Perhaps sometime in Season 12.
I have to say Sunset has to return to Equestria. I mean Twilight met her human self, where is Sunset’s human self and will the Dazzlings return to Equestria to reconnect with their species?
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Most likely the writers made the dragons into dogs for the sake of screwing with Spike there.
I mean, I heard that Meghan's explanation on why they made Spike a dog is "it would be weird to have a young boy hide in Twilight's backpack". It sounded like they just wanted to make him into a dog because its "funny" there.
Its really dumb that dragons in general don't get to be humans in the human world, they are clearly sapient as other creatures like ponies, griffins, etc. Heck, Diamond DOGS got to humans instead of dogs according to one of the Rainbow Rocks shorts.
If Spike was human, he might be even a bit older than the CMC there.
What's annoying is how the writers had Spike brush this aside. Like wouldn't he start questioning himself since the human world seems to label him as a pet(and initially a non-sapient being due to human-world Spike was just a regular dog prior to exposure to magic) instead of an equal being/friend to the girls? Like wouldn't he be upset that he's heavily restricted by being stuck as a dog in the human-world?
In fact wouldn't human-world Spike get upset due to he gets left out many times due to he's a dog? Like wouldn't that gained sapience that humans have would eventually make him feel like he's a human literally trapped in a body of a dog?
I do wished they gave dog Spike some powers, like it doesn't seem fair that he doesn't get any while the girls get a bunch of powers like that. Heck, since Equestrian Spike got included in the final rainbow laser(meaning he's connected to harmony in some way like as if he's the 7th Element Bearer), shouldn't dog Spike get something due to that?
The EQG writers should have at least give Spike the ability to switch into human-form when in the human-world.
I’m really REALLY hoping Dazzlings get reform In this season because I was only “somewhat” happy to see them again when they return and were somewhat good to live normal lives
Here are some possible ideas for Season 12:
1. Grogar tries to recruit the Flim Flam Brothers (recognizing their skills as con artists and their talent with machines and thinking they COULD be useful). However, out of an equal mix of Even Evil Has Standards (i.e. the Flim Flams might be con artists, but they're NOT murderers and are still "one hundred percent Equestrian".) and Pragmatic Villainy (i.e. there is no profit to be made off the destruction of the planet and the brothers might be Genre Savvy enough to KNOW Grogar and his Legion, while certainly capable of making it EXTREMELY close, ARE going to lose in the end), the brothers refuse to join. Unfortunately, Grogar does NOT take the Brothers' refusal lightly and the two will need A LOT of help in a hurry to have any chance of surviving.
2. While working with other-dimensional magic searching for more potential allies, Grogar releases the Pony of Shadows from dimensional limbo and has to help him find a new host body. To that end, he searches the world looking for a being who has the right amount of bitterness and envy to be an ideal host for the Pony of Shadows.
3. Your choice of one of the more minor villains finds the Alicorn Amulet by accident and uses it to upgrade their natural abilities enough to make them a more serious threat. They fail to defeat the heroes, but succeed in getting Grogar's attention and end up getting recruited into the Legion (due to the amulet not only upgrading their abilities, but also eroding their sanity).
4. Starlight and Luna work together to rally all of the reformed villains into a cohesive unit to help with the war effort (with the exception of Diamond Tiara, who is still too young for military service). But, each of the reformed villains have their own issues that they are all going to have to work through together first.
Other possibilities for later Season 12 episodes if you are interested:
1. Wind Rider and Lightning Dust meet by chance and, motivated by their mutual hatred of Rainbow Dash, team up to make life a living Tartarus for her.
2. The Pony version of Abacus Cinch (a former teacher at Celestia's School For Gifted Unicorns who got exposed and fired for unethical teaching practices and sent to a medium security prison [for the criminals that committed crimes deserving worse than a slap on the hooves, but nowhere near nasty enough to deserve a stint in Tartarus]) is released after serving a twenty year sentence and, while still having a grudge against the ponies that ratted her out to Celestia in the first place, is at least pragmatic enough to know there is no profit in revenge (ESPECIALLY when ONE of those ponies who ratted her out in the first place is the secretary of the current supreme ruler of Equestria). Thus, she moves to another town where nobody has even heard of her where she can make a fresh start, establish a good reputation and raise the money needed for her dream project: her own school for the best of best. Unfortunately, her methods are still pretty unethical.
3. Trixie goes to a Night Mare Night Party as the Mare Do Well, but the party gets crashed by your choice of minor villains and Trixie takes a combination blow to the head and electrical shock that makes her think she really IS the Terror That Gallops In The Night.
4. When Chrysalis, Tirek and Cozy start showing signs of gradually growing too soft, Grogar amps up the threats (even going as far as threatening to replace them with their counterparts from the human world if he has to).
5. While researching other universes trying to look for additional help, a group of especially gifted unicorns led by Starswirl ends up creating a portal bringing in beings from the alternate timelines Twilight and Spike visited while they were trying to fight Starlight - both good AND bad.
So this whole season is an Equestria Girls fic?
5325873 No...
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Oh ok, cause I wasn't sure if the majority of this season is going to take place in the human world or in Equestria again.
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Got anything for Nightmare Moon in those thoughts?
I wished the show could have touched more on Luna's darker split personality, I mean.. she/Luna was the first antagonist of the show.
Could have been much more for her.
Heck since the writers confirmed NMM is basically a split personality born from Luna bottling everything up, it would have been a great mental health lesson if one is dealing with split personalities. Like Luna having to deal with living with a split personality or even making peace with her darker half(imagine the shenanigans) and properly resolve the issues that led NMM to be born(I mean.. Luna was still in Celestia's shadow, instead of addressing this and resolving Luna's issues she was just forcibly purified by the Elements and that's it. Just basically brainwashed in a way).
Even mastering and embracing her inner darkness/dark powers to use them to protect Equestria and show "darkness isn't always evil".
I wished the writers could have touched more on those dark powers and such.
I even remember Faust wanted to explore themes of darkness with Luna but Hasbro didn't allowed that sadly.
Speaking of Pony Of Shadows, remember how in Castle Mane-ia about that story of not all of NMM's dark magic went with her after the first fight and that remnants formed into the Pony Of Shadows? And how theres some sort of shadow at the end of the episode?
Wished that got touched on too. Would have shown some potential with Luna's/Nightmare Moon's inner dark powers and cause some development.
So, despite the Dazzlings having become friends with human Pinkie Pie at some point in-between "Sunset's Backstage Pass" and "Holidays Unwrapped", they are going to choose to work for Grogar and start by trying to take over Canterlot High. Old habits die hard. I am curious how they and Pinkie will react when they meet face to face again. This wouldn't be the first time something like this happened. That "honor" (using the term very lightly) would go to Discord. It's up to the author whether they continue to work for Grogar all throughout the multi season story arc or eventually switch sides for reasons such as feeling overwhelming guilt for betraying their friend. This may or may not play out similarly to when Discord sided with Tirek. Whatever happens to them, I must say that I am really wondering what Sonata's mindset will be during all this, considering she's the most affable and friendly of the three.
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Since the Dazzlings are involved, I hope it doesn't end up being the Royal Sisters get brainwashed by them like what happened to their human counterparts in Rainbow Rocks.
Really.. nervous on that part.
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I hope that they eventually manage to redeem themselves due to lingering feelings of guilt from betraying Pinkie similarly to when Discord betrayed Fluttershy. If they don't, having them working with Sombra, Tirek, Cozy, Chrysalis, Squirt, the Predacons, Lavan, Scarface, Arabus, and Grogar would make it so that the only way the good guys could possibly win would be if everyone from the allied nations, the various places in Equestria, all the alicorns, Cosmo and Galaxia, Discord, the Pillars, the Maximals, and the heroes from the human world ALL fought together at once. Even than, they would need a way to block the Dazzling's mind control, Discord would have to be at full power and everyone would have to watch out for the bell, and it would still be an extremely difficult fight.
Still, the interactions they could have with other characters could be very interesting. Between them and Squirk, one side should at least have heard of the other, and given that he's the self proclaimed ruler of the seas, it could be interesting seeing them meet up. Also, seeing if they know of Grogar or any of the other villains. Are they gonna feel gratitude toward Grogar, fear him, or possibly begin to have second thoughts about working for him after seeing just how murderous and evil he is, invoking Even Evil Has Standards? Sonata at least should be a bit put off if she were to learn about the stuff he has done so far, like feeding minions to his bear and causing mass killings in his attacks. Perhaps that, coupled with guilt would get them to switch sides, especially if they learn of Discord and that he went through something similar to them with Tirek and that he could also allow them to keep their powers. Also, I wonder if they are gonna at some point come face to face with the Pillars who banished them. Sonata is the one I'm most interested in seeing react to everything since she's the least evil and most affable of the three.
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From the looks of it, the Dazzling's mind control can easily be countered by just having strong magic.
The Pillars fought them without worry of falling into their control.
The Mane 6's human counterparts and Sunset were protected due to having Equestrian Magic(and Spike wasn't affected either despite being in the Sirens' range iirc. Most likely due to being that "unawakened" 7th Element or something, with how he was included in the final rainbow laser in the show's finale. That or maybe the Sirens' mind control is useless on dragons). I am guessing Alicorns in general would be immune to it.
I'm.. really worried and hope that Princess Luna and Celestia don't fall to the Dazzlings' mind control like that. It would add another huge embarrassment on their track records there. If its due to no longer being connected to the Elements then that would add even more salt to the wounds from that issue(the writers of the show not even bother addressing that but instead of just using it as an excuse to shaft Luna and Celestia there)
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Well, we'll see what happens. Hopefully it's good when it comes out. I hope to see them interact with characters on both sides of the war and see some character development.