spoiler What Was The Plan Exactly?

[Denim&Venöm 16,589]

So the goal through out the first half of the movie is to reach the hypogriffs. And then do... what?

I don't think that was ever made clear. Did Celestia want them to send an army? Did she know about the pearl and it's powers? What exactly was the pearl supposed to accomplish? How were the hippogriffs and the pearl supposed to make a difference? Because neither factored into the end of the movie. Only one hippogriff ended up being involved. 

So what was supposed to happen had the hyppogriffs agreed to help and use their pearl to do so? 

[ShadOBabe 18,984]

I believe she knew about the pearl and it’s ability to change a being’s form. Also I think some hippogriff backup was assumed. So hippogriff fighting force + remaining ponies + magic metamorphosis pearl = army of dragons or other powerful form to fight the Storm King.

[BastementSparkle 20,312]

Well, the pearl could turn the ponies and Hyppogriffs into Sea Ponies, and so it seemed like Twilight assumed the pearl's magic could also turn them into other things as well. In which case, they could have gotten the Hyppogriffs to come back with them and use the pearl to all turn into bigger stronger things like Dragons, or Hyrda's or whatever and smash up the Storm King's army that way. Though, if the pearl can do that, not sure why the hyppogriffs didn't use it like that in the first place when the Storm King attacked them the first time. They might have just felt it wasn't worth fighting, I suppose? Worried about casualties and things like that, made them feel it was better to run and hide.

Edited October 27, 2017 by BasementSparkle

[Heavenly Inexplicit 309]

I don't think that they actually had much of a plan... they were probably grasping at straws, desperation.

Celestia told Luna to go to them, so it must have been the solution, or at least part of it.

[Guest]

That question was nagging at me too. I can't imagine Celestia would have thought a whole kingdom would come to their defense and just have been mistaken at how many hippogriffs there were left. All it really did was give Twi and co. a new place to go.

[Awkward Segway 302]

Maybe she really did mean the queen of the hippos after all.

[Steve Piranha 28,877]

The plan was reach the hippogriff and see how they could help. Considering that "The queen of the hippos" was their only lead, and that coming from Cellie made it more valid, it was the logical step

[KillerKingBakudan 702]

And THIS is why I hated Twilight attempting to steal the pearl. The hippogriffs couldn't use it for anything but hiding. What in the world made her think she could use it to help Equestria?

[TBD 17,228]

I think asking for them for reinforcement was the plan, since they seem to be the only magical being out there that would be the best choice. But I think Twilight is the one who misunderstood the initial plan Celestrai wanted. Twilight probably thought that by seeking the hippogriffs is to use their pearl  to save equestria. When it's probably  initially asking them for aid and reinforcement and not the pearl itself.  Either way Queen Novo was going to offer a help but Twilight....

[Unlikeable Pony 2,698]

"Reach the hippogryphs and sell toys!"
I mean, get help. Get help. Maybe use that pearl.

 

Honestly, it makes more sense in the original Plot where the hippogryphs as a RACE show up and act as an army to throw out the storm king's army, not just have them be beaten by 5 birds and a cat with a flamethrower as the most easily defeated invasion yet. That way they serve a purpose, even if the question of "why not the changelings/griffons/Dragons" still exists.