Feedback - Top to Bottom: A theory · 3:24am Aug 26th, 2015
Howdy everyone!
So recently within the comments there has been some discussion on how the multiverse within Feedback operates, specifically in terms of the forming of The Answer.
This, of course, hasn’t been examined within the main narrative since it is outside the scope of the story. Naturally, I haven’t had anything set in stone about it either and have, up until the point, had a vague idea of what to expect in worlds far away from where the story takes place. There have been some interesting observations on how the multiverse works.
But I had a brainwave about this very matter that I personally find very satisfying. I will spend today’s blog delving into this theory of mine.
The following blog focuses on the mechanics of Feedback’s multiverse. Be advised that this is only my personal headcanon. THIS DOES NOT MAKE IT CANON TO THE STORY. I’d be interested to see your own theories in the comments below.
BEWARE: UNMARKED SPOILERS AHEAD.
You have been warned.
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So with today’s theory, I have three major objectives. They are:
- Allow for a true infinite worlds scenario (with manufactured limits by our characters)
- Introduce some consistency with all worlds from top to bottom (for purposes of character development)
- Solve issue of how timeloop would form in first place when given limits
I will also start out by naming the conclusion that I reached and then go into detail behind the logic that allowed me to reach it.
The world where The Answer is completed is the same world where Twilight starts out with no information. In other words, the top world is also the bottom world.
Before I get into the meat of the theory, I must throw down some postulates. Some of these ideas have been thrown around in the comment section already. Here I will expand on them.
- There must be a bottom: There must be a world where Twilight has no information. This is the reason why their work can appear in an incomplete state. Otherwise, the book would be filled infinitely
- There must be a top: The Answer must originate from somewhere. This is merely a suggestion with some theories but for here it will be a hard postulate.
- There are also neutral worlds: These are worlds that follow the timeline of the story. Of this there are two subtypes:
-------Where the five collect as many Stones as possible
-------Where the five go after Stones as a group.
The latter will be seen more towards the top, as those Stones are generally dangerous.
Now onto the nitty-gritty. I will start out with the idea that led to the formation of this theory.
Information flow starts and stops with Sunset Shimmer
It stands to reason that Twilight cannot have any information if Sunset Shimmer does not time travel. This is characteristic of a near-bottom world. However, we know from the narrative that Sunset Shimmer likely knows to time travel because she sees herself time travel. This is, after all, how she figures out that it is possible.
Her main goal when time traveling though is to send all of her information to the past. And, by this time, she is already aware of the infinite worlds scenario. Thus, no information equals no time travel.
On the other end of the spectrum, it is likely Sunset Shimmer that completes The Answer. This can be supported with the observation that during those three days she works with the previous world’s information. Once the Stones arrive in Canterlot during Interval, only then does she have the chance to add new information.
If we assume that out of the neutral worlds, the danger areas are worked on last and only one Stone is collected per world, we could also assume that The Answer starts taking on its final form in those last worlds. We can, from this logic, reasonably assume that Sunset can complete The Answer in the same world as when they find the final stone. That would be characteristic of a top world.
With that in mind, let us imagine a possible train of events for that top world. The grand deadline is, after all, Twilight stepping through the door at the end of Surrender. If Sunset is unable to present The Answer before that deadline, for any reason at all, they lose.
And, of course, breaking that requires the Twilight Sparkle loop, which in itself requires the intervention of the world above.
Perhaps it could be that at the top, even though Sunset spends considerable time working with the Twilight below to develop the spell, they run out of time. That requires the Twilight from the world above to talk Sunset through the finishing touches. From there, Twilight may still be able to infer her loop via the cloak.
So, in this case, instead of “I’d put [The Answer] in the hourglass” drawing Twilight out, it would be “I need Twilight to help me finish this!”
Through that, the immediate need for Sunset to time travel would be erased. Time travel, or no time travel, the world below theirs will act just as we expect it to by now.
The real problem that arises from this approach is what happens in the world above. With exception to Twilight’s loop, which will exist much like it does in neutral worlds, there’s a lot of problems. Namely, Sunset time travelling.
If Twilight does not receive any information from future Sunset, that immediately turns any world into a bottom. This can result from two causes:
- Sunset time travels but does not give any information to Twilight.
- Sunset never time travels at all.
And, naturally, there are issues with each. With the latter, that directly affects the events of everything that comes after it, since Sunset’s initial revelation about time travel relies on that.
To me, the former seems a little more feasible. It would be strange for certain for Sunset to have completed The Answer and not travel back to give it to her friend. But, it’s possible that future Twilight could warn Sunset about this (or simply tell her that the Twilight of her world was a bottom Twilight).
After all, if Sunset completes The Answer, time travelling becomes less pertinent. And, besides that, future Twilight has the option to intervene much earlier. Twilight may show up to prevent Sunset from time travelling in order to push her to finish the spell in her world, under the notion that since The Answer must have come from above her and that it is forming in front of her eyes, she is looking at the top.
Whereas meanwhile her friends, from the world above Sunset’s would think that Sunset’s world is a bottom. Twilight would warn Sunset of this. Which would lead to Sunset time travelling without giving any information.
Here's an illustration of what an exchange of this nature might look like:
Sunset shook her head. “I have all of the information now. The Answer is complete. I just finished it even. Why can’t I go back in time and give it to Twilight? My Twilight!?”
The voice in the ball sighed. “It’s… well… I’ve heard a lot of accounts from my friends for when they watched your world’s version of me. And they said that you had no information to give them. They said to me that they started from scratch! They said that your world was the bottom!”
“That’s not even possible! I can’t be… both!”
The ball paused. A long silence went by and the ball paused. Finally, Twilight’s voice said, “…You can. Yes you… can…”
Sunset cocked an eyebrow. “What?”
“Oh by Celestia’s mane, you can! I get it! I get it now! You’re a bottom, but you’re also a top! My friends knew that. They… knew something at least. That must mean there’s something more to what’s happening at this exact moment.”
Sunset ground her teeth together. “I… I want to believe you, but… what about my Twilight?”
“They told me about that too. Trust me, they took good care of her. They got it using The Answer from the world above ours. They got it, and simultaneously relayed it into your world.” The ball paused, and then concluded with, “That means your Twilight isn’t supposed to get it from you.”
Sunset blinked. She kicked at the ground as she thought, trying to soak it in. She then looked up. “So… you’re saying?”
“Your world is both the starting point and ending point of a gigantic multi-world cycle,” Twilight’s voice said.
I’m not sure when that exchange would take place but I imagine it’s along the lines of how things would go.
As to what Sunset would do when she time travels... maybe she would give past Twilight some pointers? Possibly lay down a clue about the existence of a multiverse? I have no sure idea on this front.
Feel free to give rebuttals on this in the comments. I may have slipped in logic somewhere along the line and I would like to attempt to refine this if all possible. And, again, feel free to put forth your own theories!
i havent even read the story. i have no idea what's going on. now I want to read the story to know what's going on.
I wish I could understand english enough to follow you. It might take a while, till I understand everything (like in the story itself :D)
3349005
I've been speaking English all my life and I still find this difficult to parse.
I'll have to think about it further.
3349005
3350641
Hehe, it took me two days a minor headache to figure this out myself. I'm pretty sure the main idea is fairly simple (top world also functions as bottom world) and the rest of it is me trying to unfurl it. I dunno, really.
3351073
Simply trying to parse a semi stable time loop is almost always going to be difficult.
And I've got another new term for you: time loop loop.