Inspiration Manifestation

Inspiration Manifestation is the twenty-third episode of the fourth season of My Little Pony Friendship is Magic and the eighty-eighth episode overall. When Rarity loses her creative mojo, it's up to Spike get it back.

Production and development
This episode is listed on Zap2it as the twenty-fourth episode of the fourth season.

The Foal and Filly Fair
All of Ponyville is busy preparing for the Foal and Filly Fair, a festival dedicated to the colts and fillies of Ponyville. At Carousel Boutique, Rarity is hard at work making her own creative contribution to the fair: a lavish puppet theater. She thanks Spike for his help and calls him her "favorite dragon", a compliment that causes Spike to blush.

Rarity is pleased with her own work, but Claude, the puppeteer pony she made the theater for, is utterly dissatisfied, criticizing its lack of mobility and room for his puppets. As Claude walks off in a huff, Rarity runs off in tears.

Helping Rarity
Rarity returns to the Boutique and wails over her failure to impress. Spike suggests that she make something else for the fair, but Rarity doesn't think she'd have anything finished in time. She sobs hysterically and starts wolfing down a carton of ice cream.

Determined to help Rarity out of her creative funk, Spike goes to the Castle of the Royal Pony Sisters with Owlowiscious and searches through the library for a spell that can help. Through Owlowiscious' hooting, Spike understands that he believes they shouldn't use magic. During his search, Spike uncovers a hidden chamber behind one of the bookshelves. Inside, he finds a spell book made of stone and with spikes on the front cover. Oblivious of the danger of taking the spell book from its hiding place, Spike opens the book and finds the Inspiration Manifestation spell that "instantly brings ideas to life".

Inspiration Manifestation
Spike returns to Rarity, who's now gone through several cartons of ice cream, and shows her what he found. Rarity brings herself out of her despair to try the spell:

"From in the head to out in the world, every thought to action. Hold close this book and through its spell, you'll start a chain reaction. Projecting forth whatever beauty you see. Only when true words are spoken will you finally be set free."

- The "Inspiration Manifestation" incantation

As a result of casting the spell, Rarity's magic aura turns green. With the spell's magic, Rarity transforms the stone spell book and her couch using only her thoughts. She returns to the prickly puppeteer with a puppet theater more to his liking and earns his approval. After a successful Foal and Filly Fair, Spike decides to return the spell book to where he found it, but Rarity convinces him to let her hold on to it a little longer. Spike doesn't see any harm, but Owlowiscious is less than certain.

Quotes

 * Rarity: I failed miserably! And that makes me miserable!


 * Spike: If I wasn't supposed to have it, it wouldn't be so easy to get. And it's covered in spikes, like me.


 * Rarity: Leave me be! Can't you see how distraught, disappointed, and downtrodden I still am?
 * Spike: But I brought you something.
 * Rarity: Unless it's another carton of vanilla oat swirl, or word that the festival has been canceled, I don't think I'm interested.


 * Rarity: I'm so excited! I'm so excited!
 * Spike: I'm so scared!


 * Applejack: What in rhubarb pie just happened?


 * Twilight Sparkle: Spike!! Never...ever ever EVER!!!! take another book out of the library at the castle without asking!! Princess Cadance and Princess Luna have much better things to do than help me clean up Ponyville!! D'you have any idea how hard it was to remove that much dark magic?!!!
 * Spike: [giggles] You don't look so good. What? I'm just being honest. It's what good friends do.
 * Twilight Sparkle: [growls]