Hints - It's a Long Story

Click hints to reveal.

Hint to start puzzle: In the end, you want a 25 letter answer, and the number on each pony acts as an index. Of course, that's the easy part of the puzzle. You'll want to refer to the list of card images while solving the puzzle, since some steps refer to cards indirectly. For example, the Celestia that's just a unicorn is Mortal Celestia.
Hint for extraction: In the final grid, the top row of ponies should be: Braeburn, Road Warrior Spike, Caramel, Starswirl the Bearded, and The Great And Powerful Trixie.