At the School of Friendship, Starlight Glimmer is in the middle of repairing Pinkie Pie's kite when Twilight enters her office seeking some counseling. She explains to Starlight that she has been deathly terrified of ladybugs ever since she was a filly (courtesy of Shining Armor), and that fear is preventing her from efficiently doing her job as the school's headmare.
Using a book on magical hypnosis, Starlight attempts to hypnotize Twilight's phobia away, but Pinkie Pie bursts into the office in the middle of this, expressing her excitement about kite-flying. As a result, Twilight gets the strange impulse to fly ladybug kites and yell at them.
Tropes:
- Absurd Phobia: Twilight Sparkle is revealed to be afraid of ladybugs because when a swarm invaded her home as a filly, her brother Shining Armor scared her into thinking that their spots were extra eyes.
- Bungled Hypnotism: Twilight's cured of her phobia, but due to Pinkie's interruption, she now associates ladybugs with "kite-flying time, woohoo!"
- Chekhov's Gun: At the beginning, Starlight is repairing Pinkie Pie's kite. At the end, Pinkie returns for her kite, interrupting Twilight's hypnosis at the worst possible time.
- Face Palm: Starlight gives an exasperated facehoof when Pinkie Pie ruins the hypnosis.
- Forgot About Her Powers: In one instance of Twilight freaking out when spotting a ladybug, she's so frantic to get away that she seems to momentarily forget she can fly, falling over a railing. Thankfully she manages to pull up before hitting the floor below and flies away without injury.
- Hypno Pendulum: Starlight uses a star on a chain to hypnotize Twilight.
- Laughing Mad: Starlight's effort to cure Twilight of her phobia results in this thanks to Pinkie Pie.
- Nice Job Breaking It, Hero: Pinkie Pie's interference causes Twilight to start flying a ladybug kite while laughing hysterically.
- Series Continuity Error: Twilight showed no such fear of ladybugs when she encountered one in "It Ain't Easy Being Breezies" (or in Equestria Girls, although she was... distracted).
- Surprise Jump: Happens to Twilight in one instance where she spots ladybug on a table while eating, resulting in her ending up in the rafters above her.
- Why Did It Have to Be Snakes?: Or ladybugs, in Twilight's case.
