So Starlight Glimmer is helping Spike and Twilight sort through old books, when a message arrives via our favorite mailmare for Starlight Glimmer. It's an invitation to the Sunset Festival in her old haunt, Our Town. She has been invited by her friends to join the festivities, which of course brings up old fears and insecurities about who she was as a pony. Twilight suggests she goes, and brings a friend to help her. Of course, Twilight means herself, but Starlight actually chooses Trixie to travel with her. When they arrive at Our Town, Starlight's old friends seem very happy to see her and even ask her to take part in being a judge for a baking contest and how to setup the festival. This scares Starlight, who fears becoming like her old self, and so she runs away, with Trixie helping her make her escape.
When they return to Ponyville, everything is strange. None of the Mane Six seem to behave like they did before (lulz). Later that night, Starlight is contacted by Luna through her dreams, only to discover that Changelings have replaced her friends, as well as all of the Princesses. So it is up to Twilight and Trixie to do something. Before they can act, however, they meet Thorax who tells them that Cadance, Shining Armor, and Flurry Heart have been captured as well. As they try to formulate a plan, they are intruded upon by Discord, who decides he wants to help out of concern for Fluttershy.
I really enjoyed this episode. We got new lore (how Chrysalis' throne absorbs magic), and we get to see new places (the Changeling Hive). Discord always makes things fun, and his antics here are terrific, as he is forced to work without his magic. Trixie cracks me up as usual, and we do see that while she's not a bad pony, she's not what you'd call a really *good* pony either. Trixie looks out for Trixie, and Starlight, since Starlight is her best friend. I like seeing Trixie grow like that, and figure down the line she'll become more true good than grey area. Also, I laughed my ass off at her mumblings during the scene where Starlight arrives to wake her up.
We get to see Thorax expand on his dimension just a bit, and we find out how deep his friendship with Spike actually goes. He loves Spike, and I'd wager Spike loves him, and it's so very sweet. Of course, Starlight herself has worked to apply her hard won friendship lessons, and it leads us to the climax where we finally discover just where the Changelings went wrong.
This part was the best part for me, because we gained even more new lore. Apparently, changelings don't look like black husks with blue eyes, but are actually quite beautiful creatures. Anypony with greater lore knowledge may remember the changelings being known as the Flutterponies. It's mostly muddled lore, but it exists, and now is a part of MLP:FIM canon. The changelings are actually quite lovely when they're giving love freely, and giving love erases the hunger in their hearts, so that the changelings are no longer evil, and Thorax becomes their leader! I loved the reunification scenes during this moment. This whole scene was also enjoyable because I was completely surprised and still reeling by what happened to the Changelings. Did you notice they no longer had holes in their bodies? I did!
Of course, this was also a chance for Chrysalis to repent and come to know good by befriending Starlight, but at the last second, she rejects the offer and flees. I'm okay with this, as it seems clear while the other changelings were just drones and embittered by years of withholding love from themselves and others, Chrysalis truly is evil. She should stay that way for at least a while longer yet. Plus, it gives us another enemy for season 7, possibly.
I think this was a strong season finale with a strong moral lesson (don't withhold love as it only hurts you, not the other pony), with solid characterizations. It's the first season finale I've ever seen without the Mane Six as the leads, so I'm kind of curious where this will lead into the next season. After all, Starlight keeps getting called a leader, and that she can lead, and I know this is going to go somewhere big.
Also, regarding Starlight Glimmer, I knew I felt good about her when I saw her trembling in fear, and covering her head with her hooves, back at Our Town. It was at that moment I had absolutely no doubt she had truly changed. While I have long since grown warm to her, this episode made me fond of her. Good job, Starlight.
