@Enlong: I guess it meant that it was to reveal one's ultimate destiny. Twilight Sparkle's cutie mark has to do with her specialty in magic but it probably meant something more, something that was incomplete until she learned about the magic of friendship.

I suppose it makes sense that the elements all blasted Twilight. The elements bear secondary representations of their marks. So it was the power from all of them as one.

@Applelight: I'd follow it more closely if Tumblr's format didn't give me a headache. Seriously, it does not make a good webcomic host.

@Enlong: My guess is that the spell combines the power of each element into a whole, which is how it enabled Twilight to go Alicorn. Star Swirl got as far as identifying the components, but couldn't figure out how they fit together. As such, the spell modifies them not by combining their power, but by switching them around and leaving them unchanged. I'm still a bit foggy on the relationship between the cutie marks and the elements, though. There obviously is one, since the elements are cutie mark shaped. Personally I think it's due to the fact that cutie marks are tied to a pony's own self-image, and as a result has a link to the element, which is an important part of their personality. Basically, the CM is the pony's area of interest, but the element they represent determines how they apply that talent to their life. Or vice versa.

That's why the switch screwed things up. They were forced into other ponies' areas of interest, but attempting to go about them using the other pony's approach rather than their own.

I.e. Applejack's issue wasn't that she was being forced to make dresses, it's that she was attempting to make dresses in the same way Rarity does, rather than using her own approach.

The real question is why did Starswirl begin the spell by angsting about FOREVER ALONE instead of going for the thing he was actually going for? I mean presumably he knew that wasn't the right track.

edited 19th Feb '13 1:11:06 PM by Pykrete

Twlight's cutie mark is very clearly of the Elements of Harmony™, which explains why Celestia began training her in the first place, knowing she would one day help uncover them and act as the leader for the new wielders.

Wrong use of "alone".

As far as I unerztand it, the first verse included a line isolating the "mark of one's destiny" as the target/source of the spell.

I'd love to participate in this discussion, but I must sleep.

Bed at 10, up at 6...what a sad act I am.

edited 19th Feb '13 1:19:50 PM by ApplelightLimited

Wow, those wings look like they're coming out at a rather unconformatable angle. The perils of Retconjuration I suppose.

Malagasy Parrot is actuallly a really old but infrequent poster. Same with Lalei 2000.

The camera was really zoomed out at the time. It would have been impossible to tell whether she took off or not.

I'm hoping that Twilight's promotion to Princess means she gets a larger stipend to live off... and she uses it to expand the Ponyville library and found research labs. Fast forward ten years, and Ponyville is the science capital of Equestria.

With a library that's bigger on the inside than the entire town is on the outside.

As a powerful wizard, she could easily make money if necessary.

That's a bad idea. If you start making money, you either get caught and punished, or you don't ge caught and wind up crashing the economy.

Well, as a powerful wizard, Twilight could easily earn money as necessary.

Just think of how quickly she could break up rocks for the Pie family! She'll be rolling in cursed artifacts in no time.

Asuming the rocks are even valueable in the first place. Presumably they're worth some financial value as a certain great and powerful unicorn worked there, but that could be taking a joke too seriously.

@ Dark. General fanon is that the "rock farm" actually grew Geodes, and broke them open for the crystals inside.

well this is one of the neatest ask blogs I've seen. Also some of the most adorable fourth wall breaking ever.

This has probably already been posted◊ But here is an internet WMG about the possibility of a new member of the Mane 6 7

I heard that the extra star was 'shopped.

Also, rocks can be useful as components for things. there are uses for gravel.

I'm skeptical. The sixth star could have been added because Twi had just discovered her destiny, while the other five have sort of known theirs since getting their cutie marks. Still, its possible I suppose.

The extra star on her cutie mark was shopped, but the other images like the big star in the sky weren't.

edited 19th Feb '13 3:47:16 PM by Crowfall

If Hasbro told the writers that you they had to add a new main Character... the writers would have to fudge her in somehow, even if it means having to tweak that whole destiny story just a bit to appease the Execs.

Remember Twi nerdgasming over how big the Crystal Empire's library was? I could definitely see it giving her the idea for a bigger Ponyville library. Nothing too big. Something about the size of The Pentagon should be adequate, at least for now.

They're gonna add new characters in Season 4 anyways, I could easily see them have Twilight taking on an apprentice. Maybe Mysterious Masked Yin-Yang Sun Pony, maybe some other new pony, maybe one we're all familiar with.

They will add new side characters, yes, but a new permanent character would be a game changer... a new "friend" that would have to find out how she fits in with everyone else. I'm betting there will be drama at first if this happens.