On Your Marks

On Your Marks is the fourth episode of season six of My Little Pony Friendship is Magic and the one hundred and twenty first overall. The title is a reference to the expression used to start a race "on your marks, get set, go".

In this episode, the Cutie Mark Crusaders struggle with the question of what's next after receiving their cutie marks.

Production
Sweetie Belle's costume at the beginning of the episode is loosely based on one of Dolly Parton's.

The episode's "art nerd references" were by Charmaine Verhagen and Kora Kosicka.

Post-cutie mark meeting
At the Cutie Mark Crusaders' clubhouse, Apple Bloom calls to order their first meeting since receiving their cutie marks. Unfortunately, Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo are so enamored with their cutie marks that they are unable to focus. Before Apple Bloom also gets distracted by her own mark, she proposes they go out and try new things, such as square dancing and mountain climbing.

"And the more things we try, the more chances we'll have to finally get our cutie marks!"

- Apple Bloom

However, as Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo point out, the Crusaders already have their cutie marks, much to Apple Bloom's embarrassment. The three fillies realize that crusading for their marks is all they have ever done, and they wonder what to do next. Apple Bloom suggests they do what their cutie marks symbolize: helping other ponies find out or rediscover what makes them special.

Finding ponies to help
The Crusaders travel around Ponyville to find ponies with cutie mark-related problems, from Big McIntosh to Pound Cake and Pumpkin Cake to Mayor Mare. But all of the ponies they meet appear to be perfectly content with their special talents and lives. As the Crusaders start to question how special they truly are, they encounter Bulk Biceps, who says he has a cutie mark problem.

The Crusaders invite Bulk back to their clubhouse—despite the cramped space—and he explains that his cutie mark is a dumbbell, but he has lifted every dumbbell in Ponyville. When they suggest he find other things to lift, he asks what to do after that. They then suggest that he teach other ponies to lift things, and this quickly satisfies him.

Apple Bloom worries that there aren't many ponies in Ponyville with cutie mark problems and those that do have problems are too easily solved. Because of this, she wonders if the Cutie Mark Crusaders have any reason to exist.

Out On My Own
The Crusaders take stock of their situation—too few ponies to help and easily solvable cutie mark problems—and Apple Bloom proposes expanding their search to all of Equestria. But Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo believe that's too much for them to handle and they should instead focus on helping ponies in Ponyville. Until then, they can just do things for fun without the pressure of getting their cutie marks.

The three fillies try out several activities around town, such as scootering and singing, but they find it difficult to think of something they are all interested in. Despite Apple Bloom's reservations, the three decide to pursue separate interests. Suddenly on her own, Apple Bloom tries to find something fun to do, all while singing a heartfelt ballad. Unfortunately, she can't, particularly because she doesn't have Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo to do it with.

For a brief time, Apple Bloom discovers an interest in dancing in a class taught by Hoofer Steps, and she substitutes for a shy student named Tender Taps. But due to her lack of dancing talent, she struggles to fit in. As Apple Bloom leaves, she talks with Tender Taps, who has a lot of tap-dancing talent but suffers from stage fright.

"I bet some day my cutie mark will even be about performing! But I could never dance in front of an audience the way I do in class. That's t-t-t-t-terrifying!"

- Tender Taps