History Recap / MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagicS9E4SparklesSeven

%%* BatmanGambit:

* RealityEnsues: Due to the ease with which Sombra previously [[Recap/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagicS9E2TheBeginningOfTheEndPart2 took over the castle]], Celestia decides to increase security to prevent future intrusions.

* DidntSeeThatComing: Everyone is shocked when Spike reveals he has the crown, and thus beat both Twilight and Shining Armor, and is even more surprised when it is almost immediately followed by the reveal that Luna helped him.

* TraitorShot: Luna is revealed to have helped Spike by petting one of the guard geese with her FaceFramedInShadow.
* UnflinchingWalk: The envisioned plan involved Fluttershy and Spike have the two walking calming away as the laser devices exploding behind them, eg "cool ponies don't look at explosions".

* FatalFlaw: Even with all the thought Shining Armor had put into the castle defense systems, Spike managed to find and exploit the one flaw that Shining Armor hadn't considered. The fact that none of the defenses would work against a threat that was ''already inside the castle''

* NewJobAsThePlotDemands: Zephyr Breeze had previous graduated from mane therapy school in his last appearance, but now has a completely different job in the royal guard. He ends up fired by the end of the episode due to his incompetence in the position.

* RealityEnsues: Due to the ease Sombra previously [[Recap/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagicS9E2TheBeginningOfTheEndPart2 took over the castle]], Celestia decides to increase security in the castle.

* SiblingRivalry: Between Twilight and Shining Armor, and Spike as well as an adopted member of Twilight's family.

* RealityEnsues: Due to the ease Sombra had previously [[Recap/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagicS9E2TheBeginningOfTheEndPart2 taking over the castle]], Celestia decides to increase security.

* RealityEnsues: Due to the ease Sombra previously [[Recap/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagicS9E2TheBeginningOfTheEndPart2 took over the castle]], Celestia decides to increase security in the castle.

* TheCameo: Maud Pie has a brief, silent walk-on when she helps Twilight and Applejack figure out how to penetrate the stone wall.

* OnceMoreWithClarity: After Spike reveals he has the crown and had help from Luna, flashbacks show the two of them making their deal and executing it, including showing Luna putting Zephyr on guard duty and reporting the geese made a false alarm to keep the plan on track and showing that Spike popped Pinkie's hot air balloon.

* RealityEnsues: Due the ease Sombra previously [[Recap/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagicS9E2TheBeginningOfTheEndPart2 took over the castle]], Celestia decides to increase security in the castle.

* DarkHorseVictory: ''Spike'' is the one to get the crown due to Luna and he teaming up to undermine everyone and get close to it without everyone knowing. Basically to teach their siblings (Celestia for Luna and Twilight and Shining Armor for Spike) a lesson about listening to them.

* FatalFlaw: Even with all the thought Shining Armor had put into the castle defense systems place, Spike managed to find and exploit the one flaw that Shining Armor hadn't considered. The fact that none of the defenses would work against a threat that was ''already inside the castle''

* TheChessmaster: In the end, it's Spike who wins the Sibling Supreme crown -- by getting Luna to help him exploit Twilight and Shining's own GambitPileup, then take it from right under their noses.

* FeatheredFiend: Shining's final security measure in the throne room involves a gaggle of geese who keep watch for intruders and start honking wildly if there are any trespassers.

** In one of the flashbacks to Twilight and Shining as foals, baby Spike is shown drawing his own gold stars under the chart tracking the stars for the other two, showing he wanted to participate in the Sibling Supreme challenge too.

* ImpossibleMission: The entire episode is one with Twilight and the rest of the Mane Six attempting to steal the Sibling Supreme crown from Shining's defensive measures.

* {{Jerkass}}: Shining Armor takes ''way too much pleasure'' in rubbing his victories past and present in Twilight's face.

* TimeForPlanB: Twilight receives a scroll saying Shining already knows what to expect from the Mane Six and gives up, Rarity gives her a pep talk and prepares an alternate plan.

** The Mane Six's plans get hit with this twice. Rarity attempts to avert it by coming up with a new plan instead of the one Twilight comes up with, but Rarity's plans all backfire. The Mane Six then attempt Twilight's plan, and it almost works, but Shining stops Twilight before she can actually take the crown.

* TheMole: Luna acts as one for Spike. She intentionally sabotages several security measures to allow the Mane 6 to continue their plan and keep Celestia out of the throne room. Then when Shining Armor is bragging and everyone is distracted, she simply gives Spike the crown without anyone noticing. Celestia bitterly acknowledges that they need to improve security to stop threats from ''inside'' the castle too in order to prevent something like this in the future.

* SiblingRivalry: Between Twilight and Shining Armor.

* {{Jerkass}}: Shining Armor takes ''way too much pleasure'' in rubbing his victories past [[spoiler: and present]] in Twilight's face.

* ShoutOut: The outfit Rainbow Dash wears to distract Zephyr is similar to Megara's outfit from ''Disney/{{Hercules}}''.

Twilight returns to Ponyville and brings her friends to help out with the plan. They develop a scheme where Pinkie Pie would distract the guards to allow Twilight and Applejack to enter the castle through a secret tunnel, while separately, Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy would come in via above, grouping with Rarity with a guard's medallion to access the throne room. There, Fluttershy would use her animal skills to tame the last obstacle, angry geese, so Twilight can get the crown. Just thenm Spike gets another letter from Shining Armor who has worked out Twilight's entire plan to the letter. Rarity suggests another route: letting them make plans completely different from their own personalities to keep Shining Armor and the guards on their toes. This includes having Applejack distract the guards with the "final" performance of "Apple Chord", AJ's alter ego; having Pinkie take Fluttershy and Spike to the castle via balloon, and then keeping watch (from outer space); using Rarity and Rainbow Dash to suss out where the secret tunnel is from a seedy juice bar; and having Fluttershy and Spike as spies to them steal the crown. The plan further involves Twilight simply not being part of it and seen in public, so that she has an alibi.

* ObstacleExposition: Shining Armor explains every single last security measure to Twilight to see how she can get past all of them.[[spoiler:During this, Spike and Luna set up their own collaboration and beat the two siblings at their own game.]]

At Canterlot, they find the challenge is not what it seems: Celestia wants to increase the defense of the castle, even with Luna's own guards watching it, and asked Shining to implement several security measures. To make sure these worked, Shining wants Twilight to try to steal the Sibling Supreme crown from the throne room to test the defenses. If she can, Shining will name her Sibling Supreme forever, but should she fail, Shining will take that title.

Twilight returns to Ponyville and brings her friends to help out with the plan. They develop a scheme where Pinkie would distract the guards to allow Twilight and Applejack to enter the castle through a secret tunnel, while separately, Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy would come in via above, grouping with Rarity with a guard's medallion to access the throne room. There, Fluttershy would use her animal skills to tame the last obstacle, angry geese, so Twilight can get the crowd. However, just then Spike gets another letter from Shining who has worked out all of Twilight's plan to the letter. Rarity suggests another route: having them all to plans completely different from their own personalities to keep Shining and the guards on their toes: having Applejack distract the guards with a "final" performance of "Apple Chord", AJ's alter ego; having Pinkie take Fluttershy and Spike to the castle via balloon and then keeping watch from outer space; using Rarity and Rainbow to suss out where the secret tunnel is from a seedy juice bar, and having Fluttershy and Spike as spies to them steal the crown. The plan further involves Twilight simply not being part of it and seen in public, so that she has an alibi.

The new plan quickly goes afoul. The balloon gains a leak after Pinkie drops off Fluttershy and Spike, interfering with AJ's "Apple Chord" performance. The seedy juice bar is closed, but while the secret entrance is soon located, they find that Luna has placed Zephyr Breeze to guard it, and Rarity has Rainbow try to play off his interest in her to bypass the bricked up opening. While Fluttershy and Spike get inside, they fall into a trap door near the thrones. Ultimately they regroup, and Spike suggests that maybe since this plan didn't work, they fall back on Twilight's original plan, even if Shining will be expecting it.

To their surprise, this plan goes out without a hitch, but just as Twilight gets to the throne room to get the crown, Shining, Celestia and Luna appear, having been waiting for them. Twilight complains as Shining taunts her, but then Spike reveals to all that he has the crown. Spike reveals that he had been working with Luna as an inside man, as Luna was also taken aback that Celestia didn't trust her security. Luna had taken steps to assure that Twilight's original plan would work, getting everyone in the throne room at the same time so that Spike and Luna can make the big reveal. As Celestia goes off to apologize to Luna, Twilight and Shining agree that Spike is properly the Sibling Supreme and gives him the crown.