History Recap / MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagicS1E23TheCutieMarkChronicles

'''Fluttershy:''' When Fluttershy was at summer flight camp, she was the weakest flier out of all the young pegasi there. As such, she was bullied a lot, until one day when Rainbow Dash stood up for her, challenging the bullies to a race. During the race, Fluttershy gets knocked off a cloud and plummets towards the ground below, only to be saved by a swarm of butterflies. Fluttershy, having never been near the ground before, is instantly enraptured by the creatures she sees. Suddenly, a huge explosion scares the animals into hiding. As the explosion subsides, Fluttershy coaxes the animals out of hiding, discovering her knack for communicating with them in the process. As she settles down with the woodland critters, her cutie mark appears, though we don't find out what happened with the pegasus race...

'''Scootaloo:''' Wha... huh?!

--->"There was no talking, there was no smiling. There were only rocks."

* FunSize: A baby… baby dragon. Extra tiny. Extra cute.

* FurryConfusion: There are horse cart sounds in the background in Applejack's flashback of arriving at Manehattan. The carts are never actually shown.

* FunSize: A baby…baby dragon. Extra tiny. Extra cute.

-->'''Scootaloo''': We can start with the coolest pony in Ponyville...\\
'''Apple Bloom''': [[CoolBigSis Applejack!]]\\
'''Sweetie Belle''': [[CoolBigSis Rarity!]]\\
'''Scootaloo''': No, you guys. I said "cool". You know what I'm talking about. She's fast. She's tough. She's not afraid of anything.\\
'''Apple Bloom/Sweetie Belle''': [[ComicallyMissingThePoint Pinkie Pie?]]\\
'''Scootaloo''': No! The greatest flier to ever come out of Cloudsdale.\\
'''Apple Bloom/Sweetie Belle''': ...[[RuleOfThree Fluttershy?]]\\
'''Scootaloo''': NO! Rainbow Dash!

* BatmanGambit: According to [[WordOfGod Word of]] [[http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-B8qXWF1UoiQ/TvAGRk46vOI/AAAAAAAAYhw/BAKapxv7NP4/s1600/1.jpg Faust]], [[spoiler:Princess Celestia made sure Twilight was given the dragon-hatching test in hopes she would be one of the future Element bearers.]]

-->'''Scootaloo:''' "Argh! These namby-pamby stories aren't getting us any closer to our cutie marks! They're all about 'finding out who you are' and boring stuff like that!"

* FunSize: A baby…baby dragon. Extra tiny. Extra cute.

* MythologyGag: Twilight's mom is essentially the original Twilight from G1, with white fur instead of light pink fur and fewer stripes. It's especially noticeable when you look at Lauren's concept designs for the gang. It also counts as a MythologyGag to the original concept of the series, where Twilight was supposed to be the protagonist before being color-swapped into Twilight Sparkle.

* RuleOfCute

** Her aunt and uncle have Orange related Cutie Marks. Applejack learns she's best at her farm instead of in Manehattan, so it's like comparing apples and oranges.

** Applejack's failed attempt at blending in with the "high society" of Manehattan is a definite nod to ''[[MyFairLady My Fair Lady]]''.

* AdrenalineMakeover: More like happiness makeover, when Pinkie Pie's mane and tail are turned from straight to poofy.

* PowerIncontinence: Twilight suffering from this gave her her cutie mark. She made the entrance jury float, turned her parents into plants, and turned the baby dragon she was supposed to catch into an adult dragon on the nation's capital before being calmed down.

Scootaloo proceeds to lead the other two into two, running into the other main cast ponies along the way and learning that Rainbow Dash is likely hanging around Sugarcube Corner. Their stories are as follows...

* CommercialBreakCliffhanger: One of them interrupts Fluttershy's story just as she falls from the clouds. Though since she clearly lives to tell the story it's sort of a DidYouDie situation.

* FramingDevice: The episode is esentially a series of flashbacks linked together with Cutie Mark Crusaders asking the mane six about their cutie marks.

* FunSize: A baby...baby dragon. Extra tiny. Extra cute.

** Can you really blame her? Fluttershy's not normally the one singing...
* PowerIncontinence: Twilight suffering from this gave her her cutie mark. She made the entrance jury float, turned her parents into plants, and unleashed an adult dragon on the nation's capital before being calmed down.

-->'''Scootaloo''': We can start with the coolest pony in Ponyville...
-->'''Apple Bloom''': [[CoolBigSis Applejack!]]
-->'''Sweetie Belle''': [[CoolBigSis Rarity!]]
-->'''Scootaloo''': No, you guys. I said "cool". You know what I'm talking about. She's fast. She's tough. She's not afraid of anything.
-->'''Apple Bloom/Sweetie Belle''': [[CompletelyMissingThePoint Pinkie Pie?]]
-->'''Scootaloo''': No! The greatest flier to ever come out of Cloudsdale.
-->'''Apple Bloom/Sweetie Belle''': ...[[RuleOfThree Fluttershy?]]
-->'''Scootaloo''': NO! Rainbow Dash!

The Cutie Mark Crusaders seek out Rainbow Dash in order to learn how she acquired her cutie mark, and wind up interviewing every pony in the main cast. Their stories are as follows...

At this point, the main ponies besides Rainbow Dash realize certain similarities in their stories, and come to the conclusion that the explosion/rainbow that lead to each of their cutie marks was all thanks to her. Twilight's letter to Celestia says that she learned that you may not be as alone in this world as it feels, and that your future friends may be closer than you think.

* NoodleIncident: Scootaloo mentions that a suprising number of their past Cutie Mark attempts have ended with them covered in tree sap. We of course never see any of those...or find out ''how'' they ended with them covered in tree sap.
* NoOntologicalInertia: Twilight's parents and Spike are transformed when she starts channelling uncontrolled magical energy, but turn right back when she stops doing it.

--> '''Scootaloo:''' It's no use. No matter what we try, we always end up without our Cutie Marks...and [[LampshadeHanging suprisingly often]], covered in tree sap.

** When Twilight accidentally unleashes the full force of her power, her eyes go solid white, similar to the [[AvatarTheLastAirbender Avatar State]].

* CallBack: [[Recap/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagicS1E16SonicRainboom "Sonic Rainboom"]] was about Rainbow Dash's second Sonic Rainboom, and that she only performed the first one when she was a little filly. This episode shows that very first one. The music played during the race also happens to be same music that played during "Sonic Rainboom"'s Sonic Rainboom.

* RichInDollarsPoorInSense: That random Manehatten pony that asks Applejack what a rooster is. Dude, seriously, you have ''no idea?''

* ColdOpen: "Whoever heard of ponies ziplining?"

* CallBack: [[Recap/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagicS1E16SonicRainboom "Sonic Rainboom"]] was about Rainbow Dash's second Sonic Rainboom, and that she only performed the first one when she was a little filly. This episode shows that very first one.