Crystal Princess: The Runaway Rainbow (G3 Direct-to-DVD Special, 2006, 48 minutes)

Summary: Rainbow Dash finds the origins of Rainbows is in jeapordy, while a young Unicorn just wants to play.

Animation seems to have cleaned up a bit this time.

Random turning pillars into maypoles.

Where's this? It's a new place... All the architecture looks identical to Ponyville again, but maybe a bit more Bavarian influence.

Unicorns! Whole new sets of ponies again with no connection to Ponyville.

Annual Princess Rainbow Ceremony. The Crystal Carriage. Uhm... it's being pulled by two bird things.

Hey Rarity.

*Princess* Rarity at that. The Rainbow Princess. Chosen every year in Unicornia from a number of pink unicorns.

Trying to teach a young foal specific magic techniques.

The first rainbow of the season is proceeded by a series of shooting stars.

Oh, hey Cherilee. A Unicorn this time.

Back to Breezies. They seem to be the bushwollies of this generation, but not as irritating.

Okay, Ponyville, Unicornia, and the Breezies all celebrate this Rainbow ritual. But the earth ponies are completely unaware of the Unicorns making the rainbows, or their existence at all.

Is that a normal function of the rainbow-making wand? If so, why?

No, actually, without the *wand* there won't be a rainbow. Any pink unicorn could be elected to the position.

They don't feed foals very well in Unicornia, obviously.

They've mentioned rainbow berries several times, they apparently only come about after the first rainbow.

It seems the pegasi aren't around today. They don't celebrate this festival, or if they do they do so on Butterfly Island.

Someone who knows everything about everything. Spike? Really?

Spike is the Moochick of this generation.

Several castles, each celebrating a different 'thing'. Happiness, Friendship, Family, Kindness, Music, Laughter, Rainbows. The map has them color-coded, and two of them line up with the Elements of Harmony. However, there's seven castles. Which is interesting as this generation (3) and the next (3.5) seems to have an obsession with seven later on.

Crystal Rainbow Castle.

So, is the castle in Ponyville one of these castles, or are they all in Unicornia? The way Spike is using that map, and as we know the Ponyville castle predates Ponyville proper, it's very likely the Ponyville Castle is one of the ones on the map.

Rainbow Dash's colors are actually connected to Rainbows, when the first rainbow is in jeopardy, she starts losing her colors.

All colors drain from the world if the first Rainbow doesn't happen. It's just that those with dramatic colors notice it first.