she-tastes-like-the-real-thing

[she-tastes-like-the-real-thing]

mlp if it were for older viewers

(and I guess they have to be humans for this...)

they have concrete ages! Twilight is 17/18, the youngest as she's the only one that's still a student. (technically Rainbow is also a student but she seems so have a full time job too so I'm assuming that's like cadets training?)

Spike should be her kid. Idk how (probably not biological kid) but she's basically his mother anyway - more mother than older sister in my eyes. 10/11 years old?

(an idea for how it could work, she still hatches him from an egg but the school never intended for you to actually hatch the egg. she did. celestia takes her in, etc, but now she's left with a baby and somehow looks after it)

Magic should still exist! idc that they're not horses, the magic is what made it interesting. Pegasi in human form can still fly, unicorns as humans still have telekinesis (and it can go beyond that! but that's the starter), earth ponies deserve better - I say they're stronger on average. Cutie marks could be tattoos that dictate your future job.

Before Twilight arrives, integrate the fact that she has a brother! I'm assuming her family is of somewhat higher status, given that they sort of have a crest (the star) and a literal Princess babysat Twilight when she was younger. (Cadence and Shining Armour are 24/25) Have her upset about leaving - she doesn't know how long she'll be gone.

She reads the legend of NMM, still doesn't have many friends, but she's also constantly reading up on how Celestia had a prized pupil before her (sunset) and is a little insecure.

When she arrives, she's confused, she doesn't really know what's going on. The legend of NMM still confuses her but there's other things she's worried about (the ceremony, etc).

Her interactions with the 5 go sort of the same but less in your face. RD is clearly overcompensating and Twilight can tell, AJ is so warm and open that Twilight is suspicious. Pinkie is still excited to welcome her and Twilight is rightfully annoyed about people being in her house. Rarity is sweet and nice but there's something up with her. Fluttershy is sort of a recluse on the outside of town.

NMM returns and Twilight is surprised! events go somewhat the same way, Luna returns, Celestia reveals it was all a test!

(twilight is pissed about that. she thought she was in danger, she thought random citizens were in danger and slowly starts to distrust Celestia)

Over the course of the season, Twilight develops friendships with the 5 one on one, and we actually see them properly become friends. She also slowly accepts that though she wasn't Celestia's first pick as a student but evaluates her self-worth.

(this is just me, but I actually enjoy the theory that Sweetie Bell is Rarity's daughter - SB doesn't know but Rarity does look after her. It could be a whole thing with AJ who believes in honesty, but also believes in family and accepts that honestly isn't always the right path)

RD starts with the wonderbolts (now a semi-military force) and doesn't love their ideals/the military as a whole. She could also slowly become confused - why do they need a military? who are they fighting?

SCOOTALOO HAS CRUTCHES FIGHT ME

(there's probably more but these are plotlines I'd want lol)

s2 would start similarly - Discord. Twilight is once again sort of annoyed that Celestia gets her and the 5 to sort out all their problems but puts up with it.

(I don't love fluttercord but if it has to be there, set up discord as less old pls and ty x)

Discord taunts Twilight with Celestia's old pupil and tells Twilight the student's name (sunset shimmer). Twilight lowk spirals and wants to find out more but also wants to maintain accepting that it doesn't really matter - the student is gone (but where is she? why isn't she here anymore?)

similar shenanigans to canon s2 - friendships developing, but I want interesting duos/trios.

for example, rarity and rd, aj and fluttershy, pinkie aj rd, etc (basically make it clear to me that this is a group where if one person is missing, the dynamic is thrown off)

this would be the time to add a romance - rd/aj, rarity/aj, whatever works best (bc this is going to slow burn over the seasons, sparks now)

NOW add trixie, have twilight wonder if her being Celestia's pupil is a bit privileged - is her beyond-average magical ability showing off? does she only have this position because her family is of higher status? (struggle with nepotism basically)

have twilight sort of interact with Luna and in a way become her student too - relevant later

the wedding happens at the end and as well as the whole Twilight is suspicious thing, she's also upset that she wasn't told about the wedding - and worried for her brother. Why's he in charge of the whole city's defence? what is celestia doing?

(more distrust between her and celestia basically)

she doesn't like her friends seeing her life back home in this rich city when they clearly aren't

her and cadence reunite eventually, she rants to Cadence how at the very least Celestia should have known that it wasn't her.

(also, have cadence be at odds with her magic - she's an 'alicorn', but she still isn't the best at using her magic because for most of her life, all she could do was fly)

save the day, etc, its sort of cute how even though platonic love saves the day, this time it's romantic love

s3 - empire returns. Twilight is told she has a test and she freaks out but not stress, she's angry - another 'test'? she's only 18 ish right now, she doesn't like all the continued tests about saving the flipping world.

celestia tells her that she can't say everything right now but twilight will get more information soon and twilight wonders if sunset left bc she was sick of celestia.

her friends are rightfully outraged too bc a test for twilight ends up involving them all somehow usually too.

goes similarly - she sees cadence holding out sombre and is pissed. saves the world out of spite.

s3 happens similarly, individual plotlines -

rarity starts expanding her business but worries about leaving behind a literal child

aj struggling to keep the farm

rd's training and contemplating quitting (spitfire isn't in charge yet - wind rider is and thats cause for a lot of struggle)

fluttershy reforms discord

pinkie really needs a real plotline - maybe struggles with her sisters? like she loves them but maybe her parents don't approve of her life choices

TWILIGHT ASCENDS - it happens and celestia sort of explains sunset - she always wanted two prized pupils but sunset went astray. thats all twilight is told. shes annoyed but also worried now bc shes fricking royalty.

INTERMISSION -

EQG.

summit in the crystal empire. twilight doesn't know what the point of this whole thing was. she doesn't seem to have any important jobs.

let her have that weird romance thing okay like js give the guy more personality than 'blue haired guitarist'

(also IF it happened I headcannon shining armour not approving and cadence approving bc she liked a captain of the guard too)

her crown still gets stolen and when celestia told her THAT was sunset shimmer those old insecurities vaguely return bc insecurities don't just vanish. sunset looks so much more like celestia, she's so quick, she's clearly smart... yk

she wonders if sunset deserves being a princess more and goes through a whole imposter syndrome mental breakdown

she goes through the portal alone and its a world... without magic. that's the difference.

she's sort of freaking out bc she is incredibly reliant on her magic (element of magic, hellooo) and now she can't use it. people also eye her weirdly for having a literal kid with her even though she's about 18/19

she meets sunset! sunset is, in the magic!universe actually 24/25 but ages slower in this other universe (sort of how in narnia time works differently), so she's the same age as twilight

she works to get her element back except the high school plot of winning a crown is so outdated so I propose...

heist.

(or not, that's just me. the songs in EQG are so cute so if you're not into it, maybe not. the crown plot could be cute nostalgia)

anyway, point is, she overcomes some of her feelings of insecurity - she sees that sunset is bitter and mean and realises that maybe she is secure in her position as a princess.

she brings students together, epic showdown, etc

she talks to sunset afterward, forgives her and asks - why? and finally we get answers. sunset admits that she knew celestia was going to tutor another student, and when she realised that it might be twilight -

(because twilight had a princess babysitting her. the six-point star is a common motif in her family, etc)

she realised that Celestia wasn't just teaching them - she was looking for heirs to take on both her own and Luna's responsibilities (sunset's well read, she knew about NMM)

so she wanted the power there and then (she was 14, don't blame her) she sees the mirror, visions in the mirror, and she goes through

twilight is conflicted but does forgive sunset, seeing that this was in part due to Celestia's lack of communication (as usual)

asks the alternate 5 to look after sunset for her, and leaves

INTERMISSION OVER

thoughts so far? I've got so much in mind so I think I'll do a part 2 which covers s4-6 (bc 9 seasons is too many if you ask me) and completes the EQG arc