Magical Mystery Cure

Magical Mystery Cure is an episode of the third season of My Little Pony Friendship is Magic. It aired as the thirteenth and final episode of the third season, and the sixty-fifth episode overall. The title of the episode alludes to Magical Mystery Tour by the Beatles. The episode features a total of seven songs, the most songs in a single episode thus far, beating out the previous record of four set by A Friend in Deed.

Production and development
M.A. Larson wrote the episode in November 2011. Show storyboard artist Sabrina Alberghetti helped with some clean up on the episode, and said in late December 2012 that she used "what little power" she has to throw in one of her favorite background ponies, who she specified is not hers.

In the summer, musician Andrew Stein played mandolin for show musician William Anderson on a short cue for an episode of the third season;   Stein wrote in early November 2012 that "Apparently it's in the season finale this year" and that it "almost didn't happen" as it was "extremely lucky" that their schedules coincided for it. In early August 2012, Anderson wrote that "thirteen already exists" and quoted a subsequent response "You could also interpret him as saying that 313 has already been completed, probably ahead of some of the others, but since I'm just some random nobody, I'd have no idea why they would do that" with his own response "You don't?"

On February 9, 2013, the episode was shown early at an official Hub event in Los Angeles. On February 15, 2013, Meghan McCarthy announced on her Twitter page that the season three finale will have continuity into season four as it will be separated into three parts, with season three's finale being served as the first part of a three-part story.

Morning in Ponyville
Twilight Sparkle awakens to a bright and sunny Ponyville day, singing that she's certain today is going to be perfect. During her song, she wakes up Spike (who goes right back to sleep) and passes by numerous ponies around town. As her song reaches its climax, Twilight's suddenly splashed on with rainwater. She immediately accuses Rainbow Dash, but instead finds Rarity on a nearby bridge attempting to manipulate rainclouds. And to Twilight's shock, she has Rainbow Dash's cutie mark!

The Cutie Mark jumble
Twilight questions Rarity about why (or even how) she's controlling the weather and what happened to her cutie mark. Rarity doesn't know what she means, explaining she's simply doing what she's done since the day her cutie mark first appeared. Rarity's "quilt" of clouds causes it to both rain and snow in Ponyville, earning her the irritation of her fellow ponies.

Twilight and a sleepy Spike go to Fluttershy's cottage (which, according to Rarity, is actually Rainbow Dash's cottage) to find out what's going on. They find Rainbow Dash inside and open the cottage door to the sight of dozens of woodland animals running amok and causing Rainbow Dash grief. What's more, Rainbow Dash has Fluttershy's cutie mark. Elsewhere around Ponyville, Fluttershy is at Sugarcube Corner trying to make ponies laugh, Pinkie Pie is at Sweet Apple Acres trying her best to manage the farm, and Applejack is at Carousel Boutique trying to make dresses, all of them failing at their tasks. In addition, all of their cutie marks are mismatched: Fluttershy has Pinkie Pie's cutie mark, Pinkie Pie has Applejack's, and Applejack has Rarity's.

Twilight seems to be the only one who thinks something is amiss. All of her friends are just doing what their cutie mark is telling them to do, that it's their destiny to do so.

Star Swirl's unfinished spell
Twilight and Spike frantically return to the library. Twilight explains to Spike that, the night before, Princess Celestia had sent her Star Swirl the Bearded's spell book (seen at the end of The Crystal Empire - Part 2). The last page in the book contained Star Swirl's secret, unfinished masterpiece, and Princess Celestia believes Twilight to be the only one who can understand and rewrite it.

"From one to another, another to one. A mark of one's destiny, singled out alone, fulfilled."

- Star Swirl the Bearded's unfinished spell

Twilight reads the spell out loud, inadvertently casting it on the nearby Elements of Harmony, causing their colors -- and the cutie marks of their bearers -- to be swapped. Spike suggests casting a counter spell, but there is none. He then suggests her memory-fixing spell from when Discord was freed the first time. Twilight explains that it isn't her friends' memories that have been altered, but their true selves. And Zecora's cure for the cutie pox won't help either. Realizing their dead-end situation, Spike reasons that maybe their friends will grow to like their new lives, but Twilight truly doubts it.

Twilight goes up to her room and laments over her terrible mistake and how much misery she's brought to both her friends and Ponyville. Spike consoles her, saying he's sure she'll find a way to help her friends and fix everything. Twilight feels a little more confident and goes up to a photograph of her and her friends.

"They mean more to me than anything. ...My friends."

- Twilight Sparkle

Suddenly, Twilight starts to glow, and she gets an idea: if she can't remind her friends of who they are, she'll remind them of what they mean to each other. She puts the Element of Magic on and places the rest of the Elements in a chest before heading out with Spike.

Friendship's true magic
Twilight and Spike find Fluttershy in front of a hot-air balloon. Distraught by her failure to make anypony laugh, she's decided to move back to Cloudsdale. Before she does, Twilight asks her if she could help Rainbow Dash with the animals. Fluttershy is unsure, but is willing to do whatever she can to help her friend.

Back at the cottage, the situation is even more hectic than before: Rainbow Dash is tied up in a pot, with the animals dancing around her like stereotypical cannibals. At Twilight's insistence, Fluttershy steps in to calm down the frenzied woodland critters by feeding them. The animals quickly warm up to Fluttershy, and she -- like Twilight did earlier -- starts to glow. She feels like this is what she's meant to do, that this was her destiny. Twilight puts the Element of Kindness on Fluttershy. In a burst of comprehension, Fluttershy remembers who she really is, and her cutie mark returns to normal.

One by one, and with the Elements of Harmony, Twilight helps her friends to see the light: Rainbow Dash helps Rarity clear the weather, Rarity helps Applejack make dresses, Applejack helps Pinkie Pie restore Sweet Apple Acres, and Pinkie brings smiles back to everyone in Ponyville.

Twilight has another epiphany: she knows how to fix Star Swirl's spell. She and her friends return to the library, and Twilight rewrites the spell's incantation.

"From all of us together, together we're friends. With the marks of our destinies made one, there is magic without end."

- Twilight's revision of Star Swirl the Bearded's spell

With the completion of this unfinished spell, the Elements of Harmony spark to life, bathing Twilight in their light, and she vanishes into thin air.

Twilight's transformation
Twilight Sparkle appears in a strange space full of stars and nebulae. She meets Princess Celestia, who congratulates her for accomplishing something even Star Swirl the Bearded couldn't do because he didn't understand friendship like Twilight does. She sings of how proud she is of her student and that she's ready to fulfill her destiny. Suddenly, a  whirl of magenta light blankets Twilight, and she disappears.

In the sky over Ponyville, Twilight's cutie mark appears and floats down to the ground. Twilight's friends watch as the light fades away and Twilight appears...with a pair of wings!

The others marvel Twilight's new look, Fluttershy commenting that she looks just like a princess. Princess Celestia appears and says Twilight is a princess, explaining that since arriving in Ponyville, she's displayed the charity, compassion, devotion, integrity, optimism, and leadership that a true princess is known for. Twilight worries that this means she won't be Celestia's student anymore. Princess Celestia says she'll still be there to help and guide her, but Twilight has just as much to teach now as she has to learn. Twilight's friends and Celestia then bow to her.

The new princess of Equestria
The next day, a princess coronation ceremony is held in Canterlot, which Princesses Celestia, Luna, and Cadance preside over. Celestia addresses the assembly of ponies, saying Twilight has proven without a doubt that she is prepared to be crowned Equestria's newest princess.

"Fillies and gentlecolts, may I present for the very first time... Princess Twilight Sparkle!"

- Princess Celestia

The audience beholds Twilight as she and her royal procession enter the throne room. Before the three other Princesses, she is crowned with a tiara modeled after the Element of Magic. On the castle balcony, Twilight waves to a crowd of hundreds of cheering ponies. Princess Celestia prompts her to say a few words.

In her first official address as princess, Twilight says friendship was at one time something she didn't care much about, but she wouldn't be standing here if it weren't for the friendships she's made. She expresses to her friends her undying gratitude, and considers herself the luckiest pony in Equestria. It's an emotional day for all, even Shining Armor, who Twilight is surprised to find crying. Twilight's friends congratulate her, and she meets the five of them in a group hug.

In a reprise of the episode's first song, the newly crowned Princess Twilight Sparkle is brought out of the castle on a chariot before she jumps out to trot and sing alongside her friends. In a final shot of Canterlot, Twilight takes flight on her new wings and soars at the screen, proclaiming everything's going to be just fine.

Quotes

 * Applejack: Twilight...? Is that you?
 * Rest of main cast: [gasps]
 * Applejack: What... I've never seen anything like it!
 * Rainbow Dash: Ha! Twilight's got wings! Awesome, a new flying buddy!
 * Rarity: Why, you've become an alicorn. I didn't even know that was possible.
 * Pinkie Pie: Alicorn party! [blows party kazoo]
 * Fluttershy: Wow... you look just like a princess!
 * Princess Celestia: That's because she is a princess.
 * Main Cast: Huh?
 * Pinkie Pie: Hold on a second! [drinks] [spits]


 * Twilight Sparkle: A little while ago, my teacher and mentor Princess Celestia sent me to live in Ponyville. She sent me to study friendship, which is something I didn't really care much about. But now, on a day like today, I can honestly say I wouldn't be standing here if it weren't for the friendships I've made with all of you. Each one of you taught me something about friendship, and for that, I will always be grateful. Today, I consider myself the luckiest pony in Equestria. Thank you, friends. Thank you, everypony!


 * Shining Armor: Twilight! I'm so proud of you!
 * Twilight Sparkle: Are you crying?
 * Shining Armor: Of course not, it's liquid pride. Totally different thing.