BalanceBrony

Props for noticing it yourself. Most people didn't know until it was pointed out.

I would actually say Twilight was golden in this episode. Telling RD to figure it out herself is exactly what she would have done, and I feel it was a nice little treat to show her as a wee Trollestia-in-training.

Sadly. I think we all wanted to see Fluttershy keep her cute wittle fangy-wangy. If she is ever in the same room as apples, I had better see it or I'll flip a cow.

@@Motion Spark, @@Dsanders, @, Once again, I think we are having "similar moral syndrome here." People are seeing similarities in lessons learned when they are actually completely different. In Wonderbolts Academy, the lesson was a question of safety. The lesson was that people shouldn't be put at physical risk for the sake of efficiency. It was a lesson against recklessness, not a lesson about loyalty. In Rainbow Falls, Spitfire wasn't putting anypony's safety at risk, and she wasn't being reckless. She was in fact being very calculating, which in fact emphasizes the lesson she learned in WA. And since that is the only lesson she has learned in canon (not headcanon, and not fanon: canon) there is no reason for us to believe she wouldn't have acted the way she did. There is no evidence ever to suggest that Spitfire would understand loyalty, or act in a loyal way. I think people are disappointed because they have an idea of the way Spitfire should act, and when she went against that preconception (in order institute a very masterful storyline, I might add), all hell broke loose. People need to separate their ideas of how Spitifire should act versus how she would act.

Also, as @@Anadu Kune, mentioned, she has toned it down a bit. She said "It was nothing." Previously she wouldn't have added that bit of humility to her statement, and the statement would have just been "Yeah, I'm awesome." She's still arrogant, but less so than before, showing some development. But like Twilight's funny little freakout in the premiere, the writers still need to make it clear that RD is not perfect, which mean she's pretty much as developed as she'll ever be in terms of canon territory.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qvb2fpaKaY4 17:57 is Derpy's yay. But it's not Grey DeLisle.

Here's the way it seems these episodes will all go. As well as my predictions of what is to come. Pony has conflict with their element They learn the true value of their element (that's the rainbow in their eyes) They teach their element to another pony by showing everything they learned That pony awards a gift, which becomesx the key (I'm confident they become the key. It would be odd if random ponies were carrying keys.) Rarity takes Manehatten: Rarity's generosity backfires She learns generosity isn't about getting reparations. Generosity should be for the sake of generosity. Coco Pommel sees Rarity being generous, and the love she got for it Coco Pommel gives the thread, which becomes the first key Rainbow Falls: Rainbow can't decide who to be loyal to She learns that having your friends' backs by being loyal is more important than winning Spitfire sees Rainbow Dash, and how strong and close she and her friends are because of loyalty Spitfire gives the badge, which becomes the second key. Prediction for Pinkie Pride: Pinkie gets jealous when her position as laughter queen is challenged, entering a duel with Cheese Sandwich She learns that you should always want ponies to be happy, regardless of who is putting a smile on their face Cheese Sandwich somehow sees Pinkie display this newfound knowledge about what laughter is about Cheese Sandwich gives Pinkie her an item which then becomes the third key Fluttershy: Fluttershy's fear of someone or something stops her from being kind She learns that she should go to any lengths to be kind, even facing her fears Pony sees Fluttershy be kind, no matter how hard it is Pony gives Fluttershy the item which will become a key AJ: Any number of conflicts could make it difficult, or detrimental to be honest Depending on the conflict, the solution will vary, but AJ will learn what honesty is all about Pony learns the value of honesty Pony gives AJ key item. Twilight: Nothing can really be said about this one. It all depends on whether you see her element as Magic, or Friendship, because the two seem to be interchangeable when talking about the Elements of Harmony. The conflict will vary, therefore solution will vary. And it's Twilight, so it might not even follow the same formula.

The key episodes seem to be following a formula. Firstly, the name has always included the character name and a hint of the plot. Then this: Pony has conflict with their element They learn the true value of their element (that's the rainbow in their eyes) They teach their element to another pony by showing everything they learned That pony awards a gift, which becomesx the key (I'm confident they become the key. It would be odd if random ponies were carrying keys.) Rarity takes Manehatten: Rarity's generosity backfires She learns generosity isn't about getting reparations. Generosity should be for the sake of generosity. Coco Pommel sees Rarity being generous, and the love she got for it Coco Pommel gives the thread, which becomes the first key Rainbow Falls: Rainbow can't decide who to be loyal to She learns that having your friends' backs by being loyal is more important than winning Spitfire sees Rainbow Dash, and how strong and close she and her friends are because of loyalty Spitfire gives the badge, which becomes the second key. Prediction for Pinkie Pride: Pinkie gets jealous when her position as laughter queen is challenged, entering a duel with Cheese Sandwich She learns that you should always want ponies to be happy, regardless of who is putting a smile on their face Cheese Sandwich somehow sees Pinkie display this newfound knowledge about what laughter is about Cheese Sandwich gives Pinkie her an item which then becomes the third key Fluttershy: Fluttershy's fear of someone or something stops her from being kind She learns that she should go to any lengths to be kind, even facing her fears Pony sees Fluttershy be kind, no matter how hard it is Pony gives Fluttershy the item which will become a key AJ: Any number of conflicts could make it difficult, or detrimental to be honest Depending on the conflict, the solution will vary, but AJ will learn what honesty is all about Pony learns the value of honesty Pony gives AJ key item. Twilight: Nothing can really be said about this one. It all depends on whether you see her element as Magic, or Friendship, because the two seem to be interchangeable when talking about the Elements of Harmony. The conflict will vary, therefore solution will vary. And it's Twilight, so it might not even follow the same formula. This is an interesting point. Because the name would fully imply that Twilight Time will be a key episode. It follows the naming trend, and the plot hint of "Time" would imply that time travel might happen, which would allow for, I don't know, the friendless Starswirl the Bearded making an appearance? Meaning Twilight might run out of time for her friends while pursuing her wildest dreams? Hmm? It would be annoying if this weren't Twilight's key episode somehow. We'll have to wait for the synopses.

I think you're kinda right. You see, it's clear to me now how the key episodes are going to go. There is a formula. Pony has conflict with their element They learn the true value of their element (that's the rainbow in their eyes) They teach their element to another pony by showing everything they learned That pony awards a gift, which becomesx the key (I'm confident they become the key. It would be odd if random ponies were carrying keys.) Rarity takes Manehatten: Rarity's generosity backfires She learns generosity isn't about getting reparations. Generosity should be for the sake of generosity. Coco Pommel sees Rarity being generous, and the love she got for it Coco Pommel gives the thread, which becomes the first key Rainbow Falls: Rainbow can't decide who to be loyal to She learns that having your friends' backs by being loyal is more important than winning Spitfire sees Rainbow Dash, and how strong and close she and her friends are because of loyalty Spitfire gives the badge, which becomes the second key. Prediction for Pinkie Pride: Pinkie gets jealous when her position as laughter queen is challenged, entering a duel with Cheese Sandwich She learns that you should always want ponies to be happy, regardless of who is putting a smile on their face Cheese Sandwich somehow sees Pinkie display this newfound knowledge about what laughter is about Cheese Sandwich gives Pinkie her an item which then becomes the third key Fluttershy: Fluttershy's fear of someone or something stops her from being kind She learns that she should go to any lengths to be kind, even facing her fears Pony sees Fluttershy be kind, no matter how hard it is Pony gives Fluttershy the item which will become a key AJ: Any number of conflicts could make it difficult, or detrimental to be honest Depending on the conflict, the solution will vary, but AJ will learn what honesty is all about Pony learns the value of honesty Pony gives AJ key item. Twilight: Nothing can really be said about this one. It all depends on whether you see her element as Magic, or Friendship, because the two seem to be interchangeable when talking about the Elements of Harmony. The conflict will vary, therefore solution will vary. And it's Twilight, so it might not even follow the same formula.

If a background pony sings, what better pony and place than Vinyl Scratch in a Pinkie Pie musical? But who knows. We got two major background pony appearances in Rainbow Falls, so that means the tweet hint doesn't apply anymore. But we can hope!

It didn't match any of the other voices, and was heard at the exact moment she opened her mouth.

You're right for the most part. But I think that's intentional. For the buhmillionth time, I feel the need to point out what purpose the S4 premiere served. Aside from establishing a plot arc, it also served to move Twilight into the background. We learned that Twilight still doesn't really want to be a Princess, so she doesn't act like one. We learned that her character is as fleshed out as can be without being Mary Sue-ish. Done. Now have her go to the back of the room so: CMCs develop Rarity peaks Rainbow Dash peaks Spitfire learns Coco Pommel learns Snowflake gets some character Derpy gets some character Among other things. Twilight was intentionally phased out a bit so other characters could grow. And we aren't without little things to show that she is still a character. She shows strong leadership, but also shows the same goofiness we're used to. Further, Rainbow Falls had a fun little bit where Twilight acted like a little Trollestia-in-training, by telling RD to figure it out on her own. Plus, next week is a Twilight episode, so there. She is hanging out with Cadence to be all princessy.

I think it was necessary for them all to be there to really drive home the lessons about loyalty. And I think the writers probably want the Mane 6 present in all of the key episodes.

Never. She would be a Mary-Sue if she did. And to be frank, it's not like she's blowing herself up. She really is the best flier in Equestria. Even if her claims weren't true, think of it like this. With Rainbow Falls, RD has now fully learned about the value of loyalty and friendship, and received her Key of Harmony- her symbol that she is now an example for all to learn from. Her character on that front is completely 100% fleshed out. That leaves her arrogance as her only flaw. Do you want her to become a Mary-Sue?

So, how was she out of character again? There was never any implication in the past that she valued loyalty over winning, at all. In fact, the opposite was shown. She always showed herself to be blind to moral issues when being competitive, and that was corroborated by this episode. I don't get why people say she's out of character here. And even if it were out of character, there's no need to point it out: because it was intentional. Spitfire was intentionally written as an asshole. In this episode we see very clearly the difference between her and Rainbow Dash. That difference is Loyalty. Spitfire did not understand Loyalty until Rainbow Dash showed her its true value. She was written as disloyal purposely, in order to really drive home the message, and to show how far RD has come. It is to show that even Rainbow Dash's heroes now look up to her, instead of the other way around. This is why it's a key episode. Rainbow Dash finally puts it all together and discovers the true meaning of loyalty, and then she teaches others how to live by it. Spitfire awards RD the badge for showing her the true meaning of loyalty, and being a team. She was a dick to begin with, but RD taught her how to stop being a dick, and as a result, the badge was infused with pure Loyalty energy, becoming the second key (Do you really think that the right ponies just happen to be carrying the keys?). That's what I have to say on the matter.

Guys, guys! Derpy speaks! Or rather she cheers. if you listen carefully, the two times the ponies were cheering, you can hear a yay in Derpy's original voice. The first time is right after RD sides with Ponyville. Derpy is the last "yay" you hear. The Second time id either during or after the relay, in another crowd cheer, also a yay.

So, I have watched Rainbow Falls several times today. And in two of my more recent viewings, I noticed two things. First off: immediately after Rainbow Dash announces that she is choosing Ponyville, her friends cheer for her, If you listen carefully, you can pick out the different voices cheering (except snowflake). You can pick out a few voices. AJ, Twilight, Pinkie, and Flutters can be picked out, but there is one more that doesn't match one of the Mane 6, and certainly not Snowflake. The last "yay" you can hear sounds exactly like Derpy. Secondly: After RD successfully qualifies for Ponyville, the Wonderbolts cheer, among others. Soarin makes a real horse noise. Let me know if you picked these two little things out. Thanks for reading! And three cheers for Derpy being an official friend of the Mane 6!

The episode was hilarious, cute, had a great song, realistic family, and great characters in all of the featured cast. Also... CANON APPLELICIOUS! That is all. This was a great episode across the board. 9/10. Point subtracted because the theme of honesty threw me off for a bit, making me think it would be AJ's key episode.

I had the same idea, and it's certainly possible. Apple is in the title and AJ's official spelling is AppleJack, so given the title has some hint of conflict, and "Apple" in the name from AppleJack, it fits to the theory here as well, plus you are quite right. Something like this could definitely cover the notion of "sometimes honesty can hurt," as well, one of the many ways honesty can backfire.

Hey guys. Get this. I was just on the wiki and it seems like the key episodes are every other episode, starting with "Rarity Takes Manehatten." It goes Rarity Takes Manehatten, then Pinkie Apple Pie, then Rainbow Falls, then Three's a Crowd, then Pinkie Pride. Interesting, huh? New episode titles have been released guys. Episode 16 is called Twilight Time. What conflict do you think it could be? Perhaps time travel again, of Twilight going to some event important to friendship? Maybe even going back to Starswirl the Bearded, who we know struggled with friendship? What other things do you think it could be? Though I would bet plenty of money that Twilight Time is Twilight's key episode, which I find fascinating, since it implies Twilight's key won't be the final one.

Interesting titles. But keep in mind that it's been pretty heavily implied that this was Rarity's episode, and if you read the synopses for Pinkie Pride and Rainbow Falls, they center around Pinkie and Dashie's elements respectively. The theory in this thread was positing that, based on this knowledge, that the Key episodes will have the character's name in it. I would go even further and say that the names imply the conflict as well. Rarity Takes Manehatten (how generous). Rainbow Falls, becoming lower than her normal self by forgetting loyalty. Pinkie Pride, where Pinkie will prove to be egotistical in thinking that she is the only one worthy and capable of making everypony smile, and when that ego is assaulted, her pride begins to eat her alive. So here is where I stand in terms of the true purpose of the thread (the titles). The titles of the key episodes will have A) The name of the character involved and B ) Some hint at what the conflict of character is. And I have a guess about the name of Twilight's episode: "The Twilight of Friendship"

Pony of shadows confirmed to be an ending gag.

I had a thought regarding all of this recent discussion of the first key (we all know it's true). Each of the Mane 6 will have some conflict regarding their element. They will overcome it be learning why their element is so important and why they represent what they do, and then they receive their keys. If I'm right, this will be mad epic. And it will probably be the last season (WAAAAAA!). Let the headcanon begin. Based on Rarity Takes Manehatten, it's clear that the 6 keys will be awarded when the Mane 6 overcome a conflict which puts their element at risk. Rarity's element was generosity, and when something happened and generosity seemed detrimental rather than beneficial, Rarity went against her element. The key was awarded when she realised the true meaning and value of her element, and realised that generosity is always the best way. It's obvious based on the synopses we were given that Rainbow Falls will be Rainbow's test, and Pinkie Pride will be Pinkie's. In Rainbow Falls, Rainbow's loyalty to her friends will somehow hold her back when she is competing for a position in the games. She will need to overcome an internal conflict based on her dreams being held back by her nature. When she does, and realises how to be loyal and achieve her goals, her key will be rewarded. In Pinkie Pride, Pinkie's purpose in life of making people happy will be put at risk when somepony does it better than her. Only by overcoming her pride can she continue to carry out her task of bringing laughter to others. Then she will get her key. Honesty is something that can backfire easily enough. Kindness will be difficult without making Fluttershy's episode dangerously close to Rarity's (being too kind results in being walked on. The only negative I can think of.), but they'll find a way I'm sure. But now for the big-un. Twilight, Twilight. What will her conflict be? Twilight is Magic, and by proxy Friendship (friendship is magic). Magic backfires easily enough, but solving an issue related to magic doesn't really teach us anything, so we should assume Twilight's conflict will be one of Friendship itself. But I don't see what plot could completely destroy Twilight's faith in friendship's magic that hasn't already been done. It will have to be an external conflict which attacks Friendship, and destroys everypony elses faith in it, because I cannot see how Twilight would ever lose faith in Friendship. Some enemy is going to have to come- a spirit of hatred itself- that makes everypony in Equestria be hostile towards everypony else, or some thing to destroy Equestrian faith in friendship. Depending on how they do it, Twilight might even end up stuck solving it all by herself. But whether by herself or with help, Twilight will solve the conflict somehow and restore everypony's faith in friendship, and then The key is Friendship. Twilight and her friends then open the box (and become rainbowified *shudders*) and defeat hatred and animosity itself. After defeating the conflict and proving herself the true master of friendship and harmony, the plot will then carry on to fulfill Lauren Faust's original intent. That is, Twilight becomes ruler of Equestria with Celestia and Luna backing out to regulate more attentively the Harmony of the natural world, as was their original duty, leaving Twilight to govern ponykind. Holy frick, this could be the last season... NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!! But what do you guys think of this theory? Do you see merit in it? Let me know your thoughts.

I wouldn't dislike it if such were the case, either. Think of it like this. Based on Rarity Takes Manehatten, it's clear that the 6 keys will be awarded when the Mane 6 overcome a conflict which puts their element at risk. Rarity's element was generosity, and when something happened and generosity seemed detrimental rather than beneficial, Rarity went against her element. The key was awarded when she realised the generous way out. It's obvious based on the synopses that Rainbow Falls will be Rainbow's test, and Pinkie Pride will be Pinkie's. In Rainbow Falls, Rainbow's loyalty to her friends will somehow hold her back when she is competing for a position in the games. She will need to overcome an internal conflict based on her dreams being held back by her nature. When she does, and realises how to be loyal and achieve her goals, her key will be rewarded. In Pinkie Pride, Pinkie's purpose in life of making people happy will be put at risk when somepony does it better than her. Only by overcoming her pride can she continue to carry out her task of bringing laughter to others. Then she will get her key. Honesty is something that can backfire easily enough. Kindness will be difficult without making Fluttershy's episode dangerously close to Rarity's (being too kind results in being walked on. The only negative I can think of.). But Twilight, I don't even know how it could be done. Twilight is Magic, and by proxy Friendship (friendship is magic). Magic backfires easily enough, but solving an issue related to magic doesn't really teach us anything, so we should assume Twilight's conflict will be one of Friendship itself. But I don't see what plot could completely destroy Twilight's faith in friendship's magic that hasn't already been done. It will have to be an external conflict which attacks Friendship, and destroys everypony elses faith in it, because I cannot see how Twilight would ever lose faith in Friendship. Some enemy is going to have to come- a spirit of hatred itself- that makes everypony in Equestria be hostile towards everypony else, or some thing to destroy Equestrian faith in friendship. Depending on how they do it, Twilight might even end up stuck solving it all by herself. But whether by herself or with help, Twilight will solve the conflict somehow and restore everypony's faith in friendship, and then The key is Friendship. Twilight and her friends then open the box (and become rainbowified *shudders*) and defeat hatred and animosity itself. After defeating the conflict and proving herself the true master of friendship and harmony, the plot will then carry on to fulfill Lauren Faust's original intent. That is, Twilight becomes ruler of Equestria with Celestia and Luna backing out to regulate more attentively the Harmony of the natural world, as was their original duty, leaving Twilight to govern ponykind. Holy frick, this could be the last season... NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!

I'm going to be the one to assume the cliche... Twilight's key is friendship itself.