Did Twilight really solve Starswirl's spell?

[*Thundershock* 15]

As we all know, Twilight Sparkle becoming a princess in the Season 3 finale was a huge game-changer. I love the idea of Twilight solving Starswirl's spell and saving her friends in order to become a princess, but if this is the reason that she became a princess, I feel that Twilight should've went a step further in her discovery. She "solved" the spell by pairing up her friends with their corresponding elements of harmony, but to me, a solution like that to a spell like this is not satisfying enough. The use of the elements of harmony in the finale left me with some fairly legitimate questions. "What would happen if somepony that wasn't in the Mane 6 got their cutie mark switched like in this episode? How would they regain their memories and change their cutie mark back if they did not have a corresponding element of harmony?"

 

These are some thoughts that I've had for a while now, and although this is a bit late for discussion, I'd still really love to hear everypony's thoughts on this topic. Please let me know any and all of your theories and/or solutions that will justify Twilight earning her royal position. Your participation in this discussion is greatly appreciated.

Edited November 17, 2015 by *Thundershock*

[Silver Stream. 708]

As we all know, Twilight Sparkle becoming a princess in the Season 3 finale was a huge game-changer. I love the idea of Twilight solving Starswirl's spell and saving her friends in order to become a princess, but if this is the reason that she became a princess, I feel that Twilight should've went a step further in her discovery. She "solved" the spell by pairing up her friends with their corresponding elements of harmony, but to me, a solution like that to a spell like this is not satisfying enough. The use of the elements of harmony in the finale left me with some fairly legitimate questions. "What would happen if somepony that wasn't in the Mane 6 got their cutie mark switched like in this episode? How would they regain their memories and change their cutie mark back if they did not have a corresponding element of harmony?"

 

These are some thoughts that I've had for a while now, and although this is a bit late for discussion, I'd still really love to hear everypony's thoughts on this topic. Please let me know any and all of your theories and/or solutions that will justify Twilight earning her royal position. Your participation in this discussion is greatly appreciated.

 

I don't believe she paired them up with their corresponding elements of harmony. How I see it, she simply offered to show them back to their talents and purpose in life, and when they discovered themselves again, their element returned to normal giving them their memories back. How I see it? The episode itself was fairly weak honestly didn't make sense to me. But I did understand this: perhaps it was a test of how well she knew her friends.....and how she herself was able to spread her friendship to each pony and they were able to spread it to the next (the execution of the "true, true friend" song). By doing so, she was able to become an alicorn. Sometimes your friend will lose themselves and it takes a true friend to help them discover themselves again?

 

 

Eh....it's the reason why I wasn't a huge fan the magical mystery cure...it was well paced and all, but the message was still unclear and didn't make a lot of sense as to why THAT event made her an alicorn when I could name a few other things that Twilight accomplished be more worthy of "changing her into an ailcorn". 

 

And as far as I'm concerned, finishing Starswirl's spell was only a small part to the whole thing in the first place. irrelevant even. I believe it was Celestia's tactic to give Twilight a task that seemed important when the focus was really somewhere else. Like in the first episode when Celestia gave Twilight the task to see to the preparations of the sun rising ceremony but the real importance was to get her to make friends and find the elements of harmony. And how Celestia sent Twilight to the Crystal Kingdom to save the day when the real lesson was to teach Twilight that she can't always do things on her own....in order to succeed you need the help of others or whatnot.

 

Celestia may not be perfect or the smartest pony in the world and she has made bad choices and dumb mistakes, but her methods for Twilight are pretty effective.   

Edited November 17, 2015 by Princess Sunset

[*Thundershock* 15]

I don't believe she paired them up with their corresponding elements of harmony. How I see it, she simply offered to show them back to their talents and purpose in life, and when they discovered themselves again, their element returned to normal giving them their memories back. How I see it? The episode itself was fairly weak honestly didn't make sense to me. But I did understand this: perhaps it was a test of how well she knew her friends.....and how she herself was able to spread her friendship to each pony and they were able to spread it to the next (the execution of the "true, true friend" song). By doing so, she was able to become an alicorn. Sometimes your friend will lose themselves and it takes a true friend to help them discover themselves again?

 

 

Eh....it's the reason why I wasn't a huge fan the magical mystery cure...it was well paced and all, but the message was still unclear and didn't make a lot of sense as to why THAT event made her an alicorn when I could name a few other things that Twilight accomplished be more worthy of "changing her into an ailcorn". 

 

And as far as I'm concerned, finishing Starswirl's spell was only a small part to the whole thing in the first place. irrelevant even. I believe it was Celestia's tactic to give Twilight a task that seemed important when the focus was really somewhere else. Like in the first episode when Celestia gave Twilight the task to see to the preparations of the sun rising ceremony but the real importance was to get her to make friends and find the elements of harmony. And how Celestia sent Twilight to the Crystal Kingdom to save the day when the real lesson was to teach Twilight that she can't always do things on her own....in order to succeed you need the help of others or whatnot.

 

Celestia may not be perfect or the smartest pony in the world and she has made bad choices and dumb mistakes, but her methods for Twilight are pretty effective.

 

I agree. I think my main confusion in the episode was that since the elements of harmony are synced to each of the Mane 6 in a way, then would that mean that if a side-character faced the same issue with their cutie mark, they would lose their memories forever because they don't have an element of harmony?

[GagiePie 45]

I think if someone (like a background pony) were to cast a spell (presuming they are a unicorn?) and switched up their friends cutie mark I believe that all they'd have to do is show them some kind of symbol that is connected to them deeply. Twilight probably thought they just had to be there because te colors changed but if the pony is back to normal wouldn't that mean that the elements would just change in the box they were in and make the same glowy effect? Who knows. Lets get back to answering your question "what if a side character used this spell?" In my opinion I think that it would be easy, lets use the example ponies that everyone likes to use: BonBon, Lyra, Dr.Whoves, Derpy, Octavia, and Vinal. Since they don't have there own element they'd have to be shown or givin something that was deeply symbolic and sentimental to their heart. I'm not sure what they'd be shown, but everyone has something that is very deep to their heart and would never let it go if it was up to them. I'm sorry I am not helpful what so ever *nervous laughs* *leaves* 

[J. Brony 313]

I don't think the Elements of Harmony even factored into this episode.  It was the individual talents of the Mane 6 that got shuffled around with their Cutie Marks, not their elements.  For example; Rainbow Dash's talent as a weather-pony got transferred to Rarity, not her element of loyalty.  

 

If six other ponies had this spell cast on them, their talents would also be mixed up along with their Cutie Marks in the exact same way.  And by coaxing them into trying out what it was that they'd been talented in, they'd regain their memories and their marks.  

Edited November 17, 2015 by J. Brony

[UnknownFry 169]

Well she finished it off with that last part at the end after solving the issue with the casting the incomplete spell, so I am going to say yes.

[Broken Gear 29]

About the elements.

The way I see it elements served as a way for spell to be cast on Mane 6. If I remember correctly none of them were present at the time of casting. However, their elements were and we saw a change in them (again, I am speaking from memory but I'm 90% sure). Basing on that, we can assume the spell would work on all creatures present in immediate vicinity at the time of casting (excluding caster and non Cutie-Marked beings). So I think that the only explanation is that elements were used as connectors to their respective owners.

Subject.

Now to the subject at hand. Did she really solve the spell? Imo, the answer is maybe. If you think about it, we see the "finished" spell cast but nothing happened (other than, you know, Twilight suddenly getting a pair of wings).

[cmarston1 5,951]

I am pretty sure that Twilight solved the spell.

She reversed it's affects and added onto the spell in order to make it complete with her on verse or whatever,.

[Unlikeable Pony 2,698]

The writers kind of admitted the spell was pointless and just a deus ex machina to make the plot work, since the original reason for Twilight's reward made more sense for what she actually did.

 

I don't think she really solved anything and they're probably going to do their best to avoid every bringing the spell up again for the very reason that there's no real explanation behind the spell besides "gotta make the plot work". They don't want to have to deal with the problematic questions associated with it, especially since they added in lots of new things to justify twilight's ascension instead of the box. (like the tree seemingly choosing and rewarding twilight to be the princess of friendship)

[Chronamut 355]

I think if someone (like a background pony) were to cast a spell (presuming they are a unicorn?) and switched up their friends cutie mark I believe that all they'd have to do is show them some kind of symbol that is connected to them deeply. Twilight probably thought they just had to be there because te colors changed but if the pony is back to normal wouldn't that mean that the elements would just change in the box they were in and make the same glowy effect? Who knows. Lets get back to answering your question "what if a side character used this spell?" In my opinion I think that it would be easy, lets use the example ponies that everyone likes to use: BonBon, Lyra, Dr.Whoves, Derpy, Octavia, and Vinal. Since they don't have there own element they'd have to be shown or givin something that was deeply symbolic and sentimental to their heart. I'm not sure what they'd be shown, but everyone has something that is very deep to their heart and would never let it go if it was up to them. I'm sorry I am not helpful what so ever *nervous laughs* *leaves* 

 

lol I love how all the examples you used were basically "fan fave" ponies that everyone was waiting to see talk..

 

we're still waiting to hear vinyl's voice .. nowacking..

 

personally I think you just get the 2 people whose marks are switched up to be put in their proper shoes - put them in the role they are supposed to be in and they seem to magically change back - as the magic that gave them their cutie mark to begin with most likely changes it back.

 

This brings up an interesting point though.. would this not mean that when ones cutie mark is changed, for a small period of time there are two ponies with the SAME cutie mark until the other one changes as well? Food for thought..

Edited November 18, 2015 by Chronamut

[Malinter 3,064]

Its not that she solved it, she rewrote it.

 

Starswirl's spell works alone the lines that a single pony is needed to cast it. 

 

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

 

Starswirl never factored in the needs of others in casting the spell, which is understandable as with only Twilight's Mark on the tree of harmony, he might have believed a single pony was all that was required.

 

However when Twilight rewrites the spell...

 

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

 

Twilight's spell acknowledges the needs of others, the need for friends and the magic they bring. That is the part he was missing.