Friendship is Magic, part 2

&nbsp Friendship is Magic (Part 2): The Elements of Harmony is the second episode of the first season and first aired on October 22nd 2010

Writer: Lauren Faust

Episode Summary
As Nightmare Moon flees the scene, Twilight runs back to the library frantically searching for more information on The Elements of Harmony. She explains what she knows to Applejack, Rainbow Dash, Rarity, Fluttershy and Pinkie Pie and locates a book that says the Elements (Kindness, Laughter, Generosity, Honesty, Loyalty, and an "unknown" sixth Element triggered by a "spark") are located in a castle in the spooky and mysterious Everfree Forest. Nightmare Moon, in the form of a cloud of purple smoke, overhears the conversation and gets a head start on them. Despite insisting on going alone, the rest of the group join her as they venture into the forest.

A collapsing cliff sends Twilight sliding down a slope and hanging over the edge of a long drop. Applejack grabs her but asks Twilight to trust her that if she lets go she will be safe. Initially thinking she was crazy, Twilight trusts her and lets go and is caught by Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy.

The group then come across an angry Manticore. After several attempts to beat back the monster, Fluttershy intervenes and approaches him, discovering that a thorn stuck in its paw is the cause of its rage. She removes it and calms the beast, letting the ponies pass. Fluttershy explains to Twilight that she didn't even know the thorn was there; she just says that "sometimes, we all just need to be shown a little kindness".

After wandering into a darkened area of the forest, the group are frightened by trees carved with scary faces. However, Pinkie just laughed and made funny faces, causing the faces to vanish. She explains (in song, much to the confusion of the other ponies) that you can conquer your fears simply by laughing at them. The ponies do just that and continue onward.

Coming to a river, the group encounters a flamboyant sea serpent, deeply upset by having his moustache ruined as a "cloud of tacky, purple smoke" went by and cutting half of it off. Rarity, angered by this "crime against fabulousity" sympathies with him and cuts off her own tail so that his moustache can be restored. The sea serpent then calms down, allowing the ponies to cross the river on his back.

The castle is now in sight, but a broken rope bridge blocks their path. Rainbow Dash flies over to tie the bridge but is confronted by a group of dark ponies who call themselves The Shadowbolts, claiming to be the Everfree Forest's equivalent of her favorite flying team, The Wonderbolts. They ask Dash to join them as their captain, telling her she has to choose them over her friends. Dash declines their offer and ties the bridge, letting the others cross.

They enter the castle and find the five Elements of Harmony, but the sixth and final element will only appear when a "spark" occurs. As Twilight tries to figure out what the spark is, the cloud of purple smoke appears and teleports them away, as well as Twilight. In a separate section of the castle, Nightmare Moon reappears and, despite Twilight's best efforts, shatters the elements. As all hope seems lost, Twilight hears her friends voices as they come to her aid and she has a stunning revelation.

The 'physical' Elements may have been destroyed, but her new friends each represent the Elements based on their deeds on the way; Honesty (Applejack), Kindness (Fluttershy), Laughter (Pinkie Pie), Generosity (Rarity) and Loyalty (Rainbow Dash). The broken stones gathered around them. Acknowledging them as her friends triggered the "spark" spoken of in the book, thus revealing the sixth element, Magic. The ponies used their newfound power to defeat Nightmare Moon, and restored her to her true form: Princess Luna, the younger sister of Princess Celestia.

As the ponies come to, they find the elements have bestowed them with necklaces (or in Twilights case, a crown) in the shape of their Cutie Marks. As the sun rises, Princess Celestia appears and explains that she knew Twilight had the power to defeat Nightmare Moon and this is why she told her she needed to make friends. Celestia and Luna finally reconciled during their tearful reunion.

Pinkie organizes another party as they all return to Ponyville. Seeing that Twilight is sad at the prospect of leaving her new friends and returning home, Celestia issues her with a new task, to study friendship and report her findings. Twilight is ecstatic, promising to study harder than she ever has before.