How They Should've Done: Magical Mystery Cure · 10:54pm May 24th, 2019
This is more or less a continuation of a previous How They Should've Done, but make no mistakes, this episode was still pretty sour.
Hello there, I'm Ace_AttorneyFan800, or if you wanna call me Tina Arnold, and this is "How They Should've Done" where I take a look at infamously bad written MLP episodes and Equestria Girls memorabilia and talk about how I would write them, because why the hell not!
So for this, I'm looking at "Magical Mystery Cure"!
Allow me to explain myself. I don't necessarily think this was a bad episode, I actually quite liked it even though I'm pretty sure the brony fandom can unanimously agree on a few aspects in regard to the episode. One, it felt too fast paced. Two, it should've been a two-parter. And three, making this the episode that turned Twilight into an Alicorn was not a good call at all. It was the wrong place at the wrong time with that last one especially considering it was leaked very early into Season 3's lifespan on Tumblr thus spoiling the ending of the finale, OOPS!!
Also, it can be unanimously agreed upon that it should've been a two-parter because the episode itself, while good, you can tell just from a glance that was very, very rushed. Everything just felt too fast-paced for the linking of many and while it did give us some good moments, they're really underwhelming because they could've been handled much better if it wasn't so fast paced so they could fit everything they needed to fit in it in the short 22/21 minutes they had. If it had been a two-parter this could've easily been ironed out but because they had to work with a one episode finale they could only fit so much and thus had to make everything fast-paced.
And I know a way to fix this...
HOW I WOULD DO IT - RULES:
Just like the previous two, here are the ground rules I'm laying out for myself. First off, it has to be a two-parter, meaning Episodes 12 and 13 are gonna be used for this finale, no exceptions.
Second of all, Twilight can't become a Princess in this season.
Really, you can boil down the finale's problems to that. Everyone knew Twilight was going to become a princess this season and it basically ruined the excitement of the finale, because, everyone was just waiting in silence for the moment to happen and honestly it makes me sad to know that it honestly ruined what could've been a finale that could've changed everything. Think about the season 2 finale, we had no idea that the Cadence marrying Shining Armor was really a changeling and it blew us away when we saw Chrysalis who almost won and because of the secrecy, it's considered one of the best episodes, though I beg to differ. Now compare it to the Season 3 finale, we all knew what was coming and it utterly ruined the experience for some of us because of the fact we were just waiting for Twilight to become an alicorn, not to say the whole episode was ruined because of it, but it ended up putting a bit of a sour taste in our mouths because this was the last time we were going to see our adorkable unicorn as a unicorn and we just didn't have enough time to really get a grip of the situation due to how sudden it was. Because of that, Twilight can't become a princess this season.
Thirdly, Twilight needs to have a bigger impact on this finale. That's a no brainer.
And finally, it has to align with the story my version of the Crystal Empire two-parter. Eeyup, consider this a sequel, though, in all honesty, there really is no better way to show you how they should've done the finale than that. The finale in and out of itself is a bit unsalvageable, but as a sequel to my version, now we're talking.
So with that out of the way, let us begin.
HOW I WOULD DO IT:
We start Part 1 with Twilight finishing the last of her Dark Magic training from Sombra who has now started to take on a form of his own thanks to Twilight's Training. Here I'd show a bit of a flashback montage to the moments Twilight was training over the course of the last nine episodes and especially put the focus on the Magic Duel episode as well as how over time Twilight's horn has slowly started to look more and more like Sombra's until this point where it completely looks like it and then once she finishes the last of her training, Sombra and Twilight have a conversation along the lines of this:
Sombra: I've taught you well my young apprentice, now your training is complete, Dark Magic is now your greatest ally.
Twilight: *bowing* Thank you, my master.
Sombra: Rise my apprentice.
Twilight: What is your will, my master?
Sombra: Your training is complete, and now you are no longer bound by the shackles Celestia has restrained you in, you are no longer just Twilight Sparkle, now you are Moonlight Darkness.
(This is to draw more parallels to the Dark Side of the Force and Dark Jedi/Sith)
Twilight: Thank you, my master.
Sombra: Now, it is time for us to go and destroy Celestia once and for all. You are to go to Celestia's castle, eliminate any resistance that stands before you, and destroy her on your own.
Twilight: What of you my master?
Sombra: I have a date with an in-law of yours.
Cut to black, cue intro, blah, blah, blah. Afterward, we cut to Twilight walking through the streets of Canterlot like as if she was Anakin Skywalker with the 501st marching into the Jedi Temple to execute order 66 alongside some brainwashed Celestia Guards, obvious by their green eyes, while Twilight leads them, wearing a cloak to hide herself, though her horn and eyes can be seen looking like Sombra's. The guards at Celestia's castle get alerted to the situation and alert the whole castle, putting it under high alert and locking it down but it proves useless as Twilight uses some of her dark magic to destroy any at all security that comes her way and brainwashes any guards that are foolish enough to try and attack her into joining her side.
This continues until Twilight's little army gets into a fight with the guards who weren't brainwashed and goes off on her own to Celestia's throne room and sees the mare herself waiting for her.
Celestia: I don't know how you are still around Sombra, but I will see to it that you do not win, I've already informed Twilight-
Twilight then removes her hood to grin as Celestia gets the most shocked look on her face.
Celestia: T-Twilight?!
Twilight: That's right Celestia. I've seen through your lies. I don't fear Dark Magic as you do. My mentor Sombra has made me more powerful than you can believe.
Celestia: Why?! Wh-
Twilight: How long?
Celestia: W-
Twilight: HOW LONG WERE YOU PLANNING ON KEEPING MY TRUE HERITAGE FROM ME!!!
Celestia remains silent.
Twilight: ANSWER ME!!!
Celestia: I... I... I...
Twilight: You never intended on telling me did you...
Celestia weakly nods in response.
Twilight: WHY?! What could you have possibly gained from keeping it a secret to me?!
Celestia: I was afraid... afraid of what you'd become if you learned the truth of your family's history...
Twilight: You were afraid of me becoming more powerful than you weren't you? Sombra was right, how many other lies have you been hiding from Equestria?! What other secrets do you keep from us?!
Celestia: *on the verge of tears* Twilight I'm so sorry-
Twilight: You're not sorry! You're not sorry at all! You keep your secrets hoping it will protect your ponies, but look where keeping your secrets led to! We were unprepared when Nightmare Moon returned, Discord practically almost destroyed my bond with my friends because you never told anyone the truth that he was real and because of that I almost failed in saving Equestria! And now look where keeping my true family heritage a secret led to! Are you happy with yourself?! ARE YOU?!
Celestia: No...
Twilight: You're not sorry. If you really were, you never would've kept these things a secret in the first place. You weren't keeping ponies safe, you only were keeping them from learning the fact you're nothing but a liar!
This breaks Celestia as she starts weeping softly and somberly but then is taken out of her stupor when Twilight tries to attack her.
Twilight: And after I destroy you and then your sister, nothing will stop me from publishing the truth to Equestria and ending your tyranny once and for all!
We then cut over to the Crystal Empire where Cadence and Shining Armor are having to flee for their lives from Sombra and a couple of brainwashed guards as the Crystal Empire starts looking like it did in the Season 5 Finale of Sombra's Timeline. They manage to teleport away but find themselves in the middle of Twilight and Celestia's duel in the now utterly wrecked throne room, that include lasers, beam struggles, and the sort, and they are in complete shock.
Shining: T-TWILY?!
Cadence: TH-THIS CAN'T BE RIGHT!
Then, Twilight manages to land a blow on Celestia that makes her scream out in pain and fall to the floor all scratched up and bruised to the point where she can't get up.
Cadence: AUNTIE CELESTIA!
Twilight: STAY BACK, YOU FOOL!
Twilight then blasts Cadence into a wall as she tries to make a break for Celestia which enrages Shining Armor.
Shining: WHAT IN THE WORLD HAS GOTTEN INTO YOU?! THAT WAS YOUR OLD FOALSITTER YOU JUST ATTACKED!!!
Twilight: She should've known better than to get in the way! This is between me and Celestia! And if you are a smart brother, you'll join me and my master Sombra as we eliminate this liar once and for all!
Shining: What has that monster done to you?! This isn't the Twilight I know!
Twilight: On the contrary brother, I'm the same little Twily you know and love~ I'm just more powerful than you could possibly imagine!
Shining: You're not my sister! Twilight would never do this, she'd never go evil!
Twilight: Then I guess you never knew me to begin with!
Twilight then unleashes a powerful beam attack towards Shining Armor who manages to stop it with his shield spell but notices it starting to crack and braces for the inevitable, but it never comes because Cadence, still knocked out, along with him are teleported away. Twilight begins to wonder why before turning around to see Luna near the body of Celestia.
Luna: Et tut, Sparkle?
Twilight: Luna, I was beginning to wonder where you were.
Luna: Sparkle, why? Why did thou fall to the dark path as we once did?! Thou saved us when we were Nightmare Moon, but now thou hast turned their back on what was once your closest friend and mentor! I beg of thee Sparkle, it's not too late, come back to the light!
Twilight: FOOL! You don't understand what I'm trying to accomplish! I'm doing Equestria a favor by being rid of this lying tyrant!
Luna then says to herself, "Tia.. what hast thou done this time..." before going:
Luna: Whatever thou hast planned with thine new master, thy will fall like all others.
Twilight: Oh I beg to DIFFER!!!
Twilight then launches a beam attack at Luna who uses a hoof to knock it out of the way but reals back in pain after doing so as a scorch mark appears through her royal shoes onto her hoof.
Luna: Ngh... Much to learn, thy still has...
Twilight: We'll see about that!
Twilight readies an attack, but Luna teleports away with Celestia's unconscious body in tow just as Twilight unleashes her next attack and appears with Shining Armor and Cadence at Sugarcube Corner.
Twilight: COWARD!!! I'll destroy her later, but for now? It's time to make a few changes around here.
We end part 1 with a song from Twilight as she starts fixing the throne room, as well as magically dressing herself up to wear something like Sombra's get up, to her liking with a song I like to call "Free from the Tyranny" as she completes her transformation into Moonlight Darkness.
Part 2 opens up, not counting the retelling of part 1, with Twilight's friends in complete heartbreak upon learning the news of what Twilight has become. Pinkie's mane is completely flat, Spike is in tears, Rarity... is doing her thing, and the others aren't taking the news well as Celestia and Cadence are taken off to the Hospital with Shining Armor following to keep an eye on them both.
Rainbow: Why?! Why did this have to happen?! Why did she have to go on her own?! If she just asked us to come with her this would've never happened!
Applejack: Rainbow, there's no cotton' pickin' way we know that fer sure.
Rainbow: WHAT MAKES YOU CERTAIN!
Luna: Loyalty Bearer, calm down! This isn't the time to be arguing like foals! We have bigger problems to deal with right now!
Rainbow: LIKE WHAT?!?!
Luna: For one, no doubt Twilight will be coming this way to finish the job she intended to do to Celestia! And two, Sombra is still kicking meaning we more than likely have an invasion upon us from both Sparkle and Sombra and we need to prepare!
Rainbow: WITH WHAT?! We've got nothing to defend ourselves with!
Luna: Which is why we need to focus on Sombra first.
Rainbow: But Twilight-
Luna: Loyalty Bearer, I'll only explain this once because there are only two possibilities in what's happened to Sparkle now. ONE, she is completely gone, in which case, there's nothing we can do.
Rainbow: IT WOULDN'T BE OUR FAULT-
Luna: TWO! She's still somewhere in there in that husk she's become, and if she is, we cannot go anywhere near her now, ESPECIALLY not you Ms. Dash! You could be spotted and become heavily injured, or you could get brainwashed, or something like that and then we'd have no way of bringing her back!
Rainbow: But if she's still somewhere in there she could need our help-
Luna: But she has to be completely gone to US regardless Loyalty Bearer, we need to be focusing on fighting Sombra because he's the one who's actually responsible for all of this!
Rainbow: Well you can go and fight Sombra on your own then, I'm staying here in Ponyville to see if I can't get through to her if she does come down here! I'm not gonna leave my friend behind to rot in some husk of darkness!
Applejack: Honestly? I'm with Rainbow Dash, princess. Sombra's not the immediate threat here. We need to be focusing on gettin' Twilight free of this Dark Magic husk that's become of her.
Rarity: I'm staying too! Twilight's our friend and we will never abandon her at her time of need!
Pinkie: Me three!
Fluttershy: Um... me... too?
Luna then smiles and goes: You truly are Twilight's friends and the Elements of Harmony.
We then cut to Twilight marching into town with a few guards accompanying her, encasing a few ponies running away into crystals as she marched.
Moonlight: NONE shall run from their new queen! NO ONE!
Luna: TWILIGHT SPARKLE!
Twilight looks forward to see Luna and the Mane 5 in defensive positions.
Moonlight: Come to meet your maker?
Luna: This is your only warning Sparkle, stop what you're doing now or be destroyed.
Moonlight: HA! You'll all pay.
Luna: Pay for what Sparkle? None of us has done anything to you. If only you would listen to reason.
Moonlight: I'm done listening to ponies like you who won't listen to what I have to say! And the name's Moonlight Darkness! I'd say you'd do best to get your queen's name right, but none of you will be around long enough to do so.
Luna: If we have to go down fighting to save you Sparkle, then I suppose we must.
This initiates a brawl between Luna and the Mane 5 against Twilight and her guards who get taken out easy but Twilight keeps matching them beat for beat unleashing all kinds of Dark Magic based attacks and even getting Fluttershy and Rarity in a sort of Dark Magic version of the Force Choak but is let go after interference from the others who are starting to get out of breath and eventually this climaxes with the Mane 5 putting on their Elements of Harmony and trying to use them on Twilight but they just can't without the Element of Magic and thus everyone including Luna get pulled into a Dark Choak, as I'm calling it.
Moonlight: Look at you! Pathetic! This is the best Ponyville could muster?! Now, BEGONE!
???: NOOOO!!!
Twilight then looks just in time to see Spike but doesn't react in time enough to notice him put the element of magic on her head and thus canceling out her magic and dropping the Mane 5 as they surround her.
Moonlight: WHAT THE?! WHAT DID YOU DO YOU STUPID LIZARD!
Luna: NOW!!!
The Elements light up and launch beams at Twilight, enveloping her in a rainbow and in an explosion she's back to normal.
Twilight: W-what happened?
Pinkie's mane then goes poofy again: TWILIGHT'S BACK!
The Mane 5 then try to go up to her but are suddenly pushed away by Twilight's magic.
Rainbow: What the?! Twilight we just saved you!
Twilight: Stay away from me! I'm a monster!
Rarity: Twilight, we just-
Twilight: NO! Don't even talk to me! I'm a monster!
Twilight then throws away her Element of Magic to the shock of everyone but Luna before running away.
Spike: Twilight come back!
Luna: Leave her.
Rainbow: But we can't defeat Sombra without her!
Luna: We need to give her a moment to herself Loyalty Bearer, she'll arrive when we need her the most, but for now, we need to give her some space...
The group then teleports to the Crystal Empire and see it in all its horror. They charge on and eventually reach Sombra in his throne room.
Sombra: Ah, Luna, the Element Bearers and Twilight's personal slave.
Spike: HEY!!!
Luna: Thou hast gone too far monster! Enslaving a whole country is one thing, but manipulating our sister's prized pupil into nearly killing her own closest kin and friends is crossing the line! Thou is nothing but a parasite of Dark Magic and we are the bug spray!
Sombra: We'll see about that.
Sombra and Luna then get into a fight of their own, but ultimately Sombra does come out on top and now starts targeting the Mane 5 who brace for their fate, only for them to be alright as Twilight had jumped in front and made a protective shield with her element of magic giving her all the strength she needed to do it.
Mane 5 & Spike: TWILIGHT!
Sombra: My-
Twilight: I'm not your apprentice! Not anymore! Do you know something? I appreciate you for showing me my true heritage, but I will never forgive you for using me just to get rid of my mentor and close friend Princess Celestia! I almost killed my brother, sister-in-law, and nearly choked my friends out BECAUSE OF YOU! But now... you control me no more! And now, I shall do what I should've done a long time ago!!!
The elements light up and in a rainbow blast hit Sombra, making him unable to escape.
Twilight: SOMBRA! I BANISH YOU TO TARTARUS, FOR THE REST OF YOUR LIFE!!!
Sombra: NOOOOOOOOOOooooooooooo!!!
Sombra is then imprisoned in Tartarus, stripped of his magic, and we cut to Twilight in the throne room, back to normal, with her friends, Spike, Shining, and Cadence behind her saddened.
Twilight: Princess Celestia... I accept any punishment you have for me...
Celestia: Twilight... I'm not going to punish you.
Twilight: What?! B-b-but-
Celestia: This is all my fault Twilight. I never should've tried to keep your heritage a secret from you, I never should've kept secrets, to begin with... All keeping secrets has lead to is pain and suffering... you were right, I am nothing but a liar... A true friend and ruler always knows that keeping secrets does nothing but hurt oneself and those around them and one must always remember that there are those who are willing to listen... if only I had told you sooner, maybe this would've never happened...
Basically, the lesson here is, never keep secrets from your friends it only hurts you and those around you. If you have a secret don't be afraid to tell your friends, they will understand.
Celestia: If anything, it only goes to show how over the years my way of ruling has lead to ruin... Even after 1,000 years, I still have much to learn. Twilight... there's something I must tell you... no more secrets... I... was planning on making you a princess.
This comes as a shock to everyone except for Luna.
Twilight: A p-p-p-princess?!
Celestia: But after these recent events, I can see I was hasty when making such a decision because it's clear I still have a lot to learn myself. For now, live your life Twilight.
Twilight nods and she leaves with everyone but Luna and Celestia.
Luna: Are you going to retire dear sister?
Celestia: No... not yet... but these recent event have given me perspective sister... this makes twice now someone close to me has fallen to the darkness because of my actions... I honestly can't stomach the thought of it happening a third time... Luna... for now... you're going to be on the throne... I need some time to myself... to clear my mind...
Luna: Of course dear sister...
Celestia and Luna pull into a hug as we pan up to the two stain glass windows of Twilight being rescued by the Elements and Sombra being defeated.
And that is how I would've done Magical Mystery Cure. Do you agree with the way I did It? Let me know in the comments below. I'm Tina Arnold, and I'll see you next time!
My thoughts exactly. If Celestia would just come clean about some of this stuff, they could've prepared ahead of time and stood a much better chance against these threat. That's not even taking into account the Canterlot Wedding but those episodes were a trainwreck on themselves. And sadly, Twilight's Kingdom is going to go have her do something even stupider.
I didn't see this coming, but I hope when you do Twilight's Kingdom you give him his own Rainbow Form. That would be awesome.
Overall I like this. It's definitely better paced, better structured, and overall just a better story than the original.
And now I can't wait for what comes next. And beyond, because now that Twilight knows what it's like to be the villain, this is going to make her fights with Starlight a lot more interesting. (And if you do that at least make sure some of the Mane 6 (or at the very least just Twilight) don't get their Cutie Marks removed. Don't have them fall for a clearly obvious trap. Please!)
5063865
Well, I have been considering also tackling the original Equestria Girls movie. That one honestly needs a real-life remake at this point now that the writers have a better feel of the series and don't have to start from scratch.
5063873
I would love to see that. Especially since this means you'd more than likely give Flash some more screentime and more relevance to the plot.
5063894
Something I INTEND on going through with and the writers ditched. Flash was actually gonna have more screen time in the original draft via a confrontation scene with Sunset like she had with the Dazzlings but it was scrapped for unknown reasons.
5063896
Well, can't wait to see you fix that royal f**k up of theirs.
By the way, since you have it in your favorites I'd like to know what you think of my Spider-Man fic.
5063901
Quite simply nothing short of pure awesome dude~
5063903
Thanks.
Well, don't be afraid to comment on the actual story. Reader comments always motivate me to keep writing.
5063906
Hmm. You know... thinking on it..... !(DING) (to phrase this like something the Postal Dude would say...)Okay either the creative half of my brain is kicking into high gear or I'm having a massive headache.
Looks like I just found myself my next story! But not only that, my next universe story!
(The one I'm currently doing is based on the Yu-Gi-Oh! Duel Monsters anime and Season 0/Toei Anime over on Fanfiction.net and it's a bit on Hiatus right now along side my Panty and Stocking fic)
5063919
Well, can't wait to see what you come up with.