Yes, I'm sure I'm not Larson · 5:42pm Oct 16th, 2015
I can hardly believe that I'm actually spending time thinking about Cutie Mark Crusaders: PRINCESSES in a serious manner. Worse, I might have come upon a reason that many expected the Cutie Mark Crusaders to ascend, instead of earn their cutie marks – and it's not just the light show.
For this, I'll have to pull in the only other example of an alicorn ascension – Magical Mystery Cure – and talk about our example subject: Twilight.
Cutie marks, such as Twilight's, are said to be earned when a pony discovers their "special talent". In our example, we have Twilight earning her cutie mark after studying magic and demonstrating significant power. Celestia comes to the rescue, accepts Twilight not only into the school, but as her own protégé. Cue cutie mark appearance.
Alicorns... Well, so far as I know, we don't have a good explanation for why ponies ascend and become alicorns. Nothing canon, at least. Taking a look at our example: Twilight is handed a broken spell by Star Swirl the Bearded, casts it, breaks everything, fixes it, learns something about friendship, corrects the spell, and becomes an alicorn. Grossly inaccurate, I have no doubt.
That didn't have anything to do with learning her special talent.
The moments before the CMC were given their cutie marks, they didn't really discover anything about themselves. They did decide that the journey for their own cutie marks can come after friendship and helping others.
We have Twilight's corrected spell:
From all of us together, together we're friends. With the marks of our destinies made one, there is magic without end!
And the CMC's declaration of what could be construed as selflessness:
Apple Bloom: "I've been thinkin', Crusaders. We spend an awful lot of time fussin' and frettin' tryin' to discover our true talent. But when we take a little time off, we end up helpin' other ponies figure out their true talent!"
Sweetie Belle: "Yeah, and I think that's way more important than worrying about our cutie marks, don't you?"
Scootaloo: "Absolutely! I don't care if I ever get my cutie mark as long as I get to hang out with my best friends."
Apple Bloom: "So what do you say, Crusaders? Want to just focus on helpin' others find their cutie marks?"
I'll be the first to admit that I don't perfectly understand the spell, but I think it should be evident enough that they both realized that everypony's lives are better off with friendship (starting with their own), which is why – when the CMC started glowing – the stage was set for an ascension, not the earning of their cutie marks. Cue expectations.
Further, just ask if you know what their cutie marks mean, and compare that knowledge with what we learned about the Mane 6 in The Cutie Mark Chronicles. "I guarantee that what you have there won't compare!"
There. That's three M. A. Larson episodes referenced in one post that may even be arguing that the outcome people swear Larson would have made so is, in fact, how it should have gone.
By no means am I adamant on this, so feel free to discuss!
Have you considered changing your name to Definitely Not Larson? It might help to dissuade people from accusing you of Grand Larsony.
Looks like some portions of the fandom are still traumatized by "Princess Twilight".
Nonetheless, even though they didn't become Alicorns (and I'm glad it didn't happen like in your fanfic here, that would be so cruel!), something epic is definitely awaiting them. The magical outburst that happened when they got their cutie marks confirmed what I'm thinking for a long time already.
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Find me a creepy and relevant picture and I'll change it for the Halloween season.
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I'm honestly not sure if you're referring to me or not with that first line. Twilicorn was a thing not long after I first saw the show, and I doubt that I would have been traumatized by it anyhow.
My fanfic was supposed to do one thing: poke fun at the show because that was a seriously glow-y moment for just a couple of cutie marks. (Twilight example: We didn't even see it happen while we were looking right at her.) It may now have the purpose of melting hearts with CMC alicorns because I happen to think that they would be absolutely adorable. The thoughts in this blog post are just a scary side-effect of trying to answer the question of why they ascended in the story.
As for canon CMC, I think i'll wait for their next appearance before I start speculating as to how important they will be.