My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic

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The Cutie Mark Chronicles

Season 1, Episode 23

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After failing, yet again, to earn their cutie marks, Apple Bloom, Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo seek out Rainbow Dash to hear the story of how she got hers. Along the way, they hear the other girls' stories- who may turn out to be closer than they once thought.

Plot Synopsis

 Kids today.
 Kids today.
  In their continued effort to earn their cutie marks, Apple Bloom, Scootaloo, and Sweetie Belle attempt zip-lining; only to fail once again when the line breaks, sending them plummeting into a tree. After washing off the sap, Apple Bloom suggests that they try asking the townsfolk on how they got theirs. Scootaloo agrees with this notion, but thinks that they should seek out Rainbow Dash: who she holds in high-esteem for her "coolness". On their way into town, they end up running into the other girls who tell them their stories as well

 Kinfolk said "Jack, move away from there!"
 Kinfolk said "Jack, move away from there!"
First, the girls run into Applejack, who crashed into the girls while chasing some thieving rabbits. She tells them about the time when she left home as a young filly, to live with her sophisticated cousins, Mr. and Mrs. Orange, in the metropolis of Manehatten. (You read that right, good sir.) Upon arriving she fails to adjust to the high-class lifestyle and quickly grows very homesick. Sad and still without her cutie mark, she wakes up one morning to the sunrise over the city. Suddenly, she sees a rainbow that points back to her home in Ponyville. Seeing this as a sign of destiny, she packs up and moves back to Sweet Apple Acres, where she is met with open arms and a newly formed cutie mark on her hind.

 If I didn't know better I'd say this sequence was ripped from, like, several Disney movies.
 If I didn't know better I'd say this sequence was ripped from, like, several Disney movies.
Next, the girls meet with Fluttershy, who is more than willing to tell her story. Her story begins at flight camp when she too was young. At the time, she was not at all good at flying and was bullied by the other students. One day, while being bullied by two male pegasuses, a young Rainbow Dash comes to her aide and challenges the both of them to a race. At the start of the race, Fluttershy is knocked off of her cloud and free-falls towards the Earth. She lands on a large swarm of butterflies, who carry her around a beautiful field of trees and woodland creatures. Having never been on land before, she is taken in by its beauty and breaks into song. Suddenly, a large explosion shakes the area and scares the animals. This is followed by an awe-aspiring cascade of colors in the sky. After it passes over, she goes over to the hiding critters and manages to calm them down. Upon realizing her talent to communicate with animals, she earns her cutie mark.

 "I got a rock."
 "I got a rock."
The girls then make their way, upon Sweetie Belle's advice, to Rarity's boutique in order to find out where Rainbow Dash is. Scootaloo is growing more anxious to find her, but ends up having to model for Rarity's dresses with the rest of the fillies. While they are there, Rarity tells them her story.

On the eve of the school play, Rarity is frustrated that the costumes she made are not, in her critical eyes, as spectacular as they should be. She spends the rest of the day trying to make them better, wondering if she really is cut out to be a fashion designer. Suddenly, her horn starts to glow and drags her away from the shop and away from Ponyville. She knows not where she is being taken, but believes that her unicorn magic is taking her to her true destiny. Upon arriving, she is disgusted to learn that she has arrived on a cliff with a giant boulder. Lamenting that this may be her 'destiny', she soon is rocked by an tremor and also notices a cascade of colors in the sky. The tremor causes the rock to split open, revealing a vein of jewels. It turns out that the power that dragged her there was her special power to locate gems; which are perfect for making her outfits  "spectacular". At the school play, the crowd is dazzled by the gem-laden costumes and Rarity receives her cutie mark.

Scootaloo is growing ever more impatient. To her, all the stories she has heard so far have been sappy and all about "finding one's true self"; the latter she fails to understand as being the real way to earn a cutie mark. After managing their way out of the boutique, we see that the girls have now run into Twilight Sparkle who is just starting to tell her tale: much to Scootaloo's growing annoyance. 
 
 "The light is taking me to pieces."
 "The light is taking me to pieces."
When Twilight was a filly, she was dazzled by the magic abilities of Princess Celestia at the Summer Sun Celebration. Always willing to learn, she began to read up on every book she could get her hand on the subject of magic. Her magic got better and she was enrolled by her parents into Celestia's School for Gifted Unicorns. But to Twlight's dismay, she had to pass an entry exam: hatch a baby dragon egg. Because of the pressure, she failed to hatch the egg and began to leave the exam. Again, all of a sudden, a tremor occurs and a large cascade of colors appear over Canterlot. This  triggers her magic which not only successfully hatches the egg, but makes the dragon (a newly hatched Spike) grow exponentially, make the judges levitate, and turn her parents into potted plants. Celestia notices this and makes her way to the exam hall where she manages to control Twilight's magic and return everything to normal. Impressed by Twilight's potential (and raw magic) she offers to make Twilight her new protege. Twilight cheerfully accepts and even receives her cutie mark.

 So intense.
 So intense.
While Twilight is busy reliving this happy moment in public, the fillies slip away and continue to track down Rainbow Dash. Inexplicably along the way, they notice that Pinkie Pie has hitched a ride on their wagon. She offers to tell her story, which Scootaloo begrudgingly accepts.

We learn that Pinkie Pie was not always a happy pony. In fact, she used to live on the family rock farm where no one talked, played, or smiled. All day long they would work, but one day her gray life was literally blown away by a vivid display of colors in the sky. (which also poofed out her straight hair into its recognizable shape.) For the first time in her life, she found happiness and cracked a smile. But then she realized that rainbows are only an uncommon occurrence, so she wondered how she could bring happiness to not only other ponies, but to her mopey high-strung family. The next day, she led them out into the farm's silo and surprised them with a party. At first, they didn't appear to like what she made. But then they all smile (presumably, also for the first time in their lives) and join Pinkie Pie in dancing. Pinkie Pie's cutie mark, signifying her ability to bring joy, appears on her hind.

 Guile's theme also goes with this.
 Guile's theme also goes with this.
Finally, the girls arrive at the Sugar Cube Corner where they find Rainbow Dash waiting for them with the rest of the gang. Hearing that they were looking for her, she gladly tells her story. Her story begins at the race she had to "defend Fluttershy's honor". During the race, which didn't take long for her to start winning, she released that she loves the thrill and adrenaline rush of flying at high speeds. But when one of the boys knocks her off course, she learns that she loves winning more and ends up having to move extra fast to catch up. Doing this, she manages to achieve and become the first pegasus to pull off the fabled Sonic Rainboom. As its effects are felt and heard throughout the land, she earns her distinctive cutie mark.

"Friendship is Destiny"
"Friendship is Destiny"
As the fillies stand in awe after her story, the other girls realize something. The rainbows and tremors that ended up being key to earning their cutie marks were definitely the same ones caused by the Sonic Rainboom.  They learn that they were all friends long before they even knew each other and all gather for a group hug. (awwww.) Scootaloo, disgusted by the sudden sappiness in the room, is pulled into one with her own friends... then cries out in despair as Fluttershy offers to sing another song. That night, back at the library, Twilight orders Spike to write to the princess once again. She happily reports, after learning what she found out that day, that one's own connections can lead to eventual friendship. After commenting on how sappy the actual letter sounds, he is ordered to write it down anyway.

Soundtrack



Song
 
So Many Wonders
Fluttershy goes all Disney on our asses as she is taken in by Equestria's nature. 

Writers

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The Cutie Mark Chronicles9 images
General Information Edit
Name The Cutie Mark Chronicles
Season 1
Episode Number 23
Type Regular Episode
Is Pilot False
Air Date April 15, 2011
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