History FridgeBrilliance / MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagicSeason9

-->'''Twilight''': It was just a game but our malleable young minds internalised that constant fear of inadequacy. It's why Shining and I have achieved so much. We were incentivised from an early age to constantly strive towards greater and greater accomplishments. [[SurprisinglyRealisticOutcome It's also why I have low self-esteem, horrible OCD and I am terrified of depending on other people]].

* Cozy Glow, Tirek and Chrysalis turned to stone was not just the most severest punishment for being BeyondRedemption; it was also a matter of being practical. If the three were simply imprisoned again, be it Tartarus or elsewhere, chances are they'd escape somehow sooner or later, be it through their own efforts or with outside help, leading to the season 9 events starting all over again. Turning the three to stone forever removed that possibility!

** Which also explains how his crystals can grow near the Tree despite its backup magic [[note]]In [[Recap/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagicS4E2PrincessTwilightSparklePart2 "Princess Twilight Sparkle"]] - said backup had managed to stop the whole Everfree, Discord's Plunderseeds included, for centuries.[[/note]]: We know they're capable of AntiMagic.

** Which also explains how his crystals can grow near the Tree despite its backup magic (which - in [[Recap/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagicS4E2PrincessTwilightSparklePart2 "Princess Twilight Sparkle"]] - had managed to stop the whole Everfree, Discord's Plunderseeds included, for centuries): We know they're capable of AntiMagic.

** Which also explains how his crystals can grow around the Tree in the first place [[note]]According to the Season 4 premiere — even if the Elements are removed, it still has enough backup magic to [[PowerLimiter Limit]] the whole Everfree (even with Discord's Plunderseeds) for centuries.[[/note]] , let alone overwhelm it. They've repeatedly demonstrated properties of high-level AntiMagic.

** Why he sent the other villains to retrieve the bell instead of personally leading the quest, either because he has other things he is doing like hanging with Fluttershy or to to keep the Legion from suspecting his true identity.

** How "Grogar" has the same eye colour as Discord.

* Building on the above fridge about Cozy Glow being [[MachiavelliWasWrong wrong]], think back to what she said in "School Raze": "I can make more friends without using any of [the Elements of Friendship]." Well, one can assume she ([[VitriolicBestBeds for lack of better words]]) befriended Tirek and Chrysalis with the bare minimum of the elements. But look at all the friends and allies Twilight alone made by being everything her friends taught her, all of which fought against Cozy Glow in the final battle. In the end, Cozy Glow had to eat her words in the face of the very would-be-friends being opposed to her.

* Applejack is the first to voice her disapproval of Discord trying to boost Twilight's confidence with a MotivationalLie. Besides being the Element of Honesty, she knows from her past experiences in "Where the Apple Lies" and "Leap of Faith" that a well-intentioned lie will do more harm than good.

* Scootaloo's parents EstablishingCharacterMoment while showing their skills also foreshadowed their inability to understand the viewpoints of their child by being only able to catch the rampaging beast after [[AdultFear it had already broke into the school and endangered the students and Cheerilee]].

* Discord's plan worked [[TheExtremistWasRight PERFECTLY]]. Yes, Twilight had a crisis of confidence at first, but not only did she regain that confidence and lead the WORLD to victory, she was much calmer and more willing to accept her coronation after the villains were finally defeated. He did it in the most roundabout and chaotic way, but Discord's insane, CHAOTIC plan actually SUCCEEDED. Not only that, remember that if he didn't pull this stunt in the first place, a nervous Twilight with zero confidence in herself would have taken the throne instead a few days after the announcement. He essentially stalled for time to give Twilight preparation to rule, which may or may not be one of his side goals when consider that "Grogar" only debuted shortly after the announcement.

* Big Mac isn't wrong when he bemoans that every time he tries to do something involving Sugar Belle, it often ends in a mess because he made it convoluted. There's a pattern to it. Ask Sugar Belle to be his girlfriend? Convoluted by trying [[GrandRomanticGesture big romantic gestures out of fairy tales]] and competing with Feather Bangs in the process. Having a Valentine's Day with Sugar Belle? Mail the package inviting her, which got [[SpannerInTheWorks mixed up for being Sweetie Belle's package]]. Sweetie Belle sounds like she wants to end it? Break up with her first instead of talking about it, [[DramaticIrony nearly losing a still-working relationship]]. Trying to propose to Sugar Belle? Well, [[CaptainObvious that's pretty self-explanatory]].
** And in turn, each mess was fixed by [[CuttingTheKnot going with a simpler approach]] of expressing that love. Instead of big romantic gestures, Big Mac made Sugar Belle a surprise by giving her something she knew she'd like (a new shelf). In wake of the Hearts and Hooves mix up, Big Mac not only mends their bond and talks it through, but eventually ''asks'' Sugar Belle to accompany him to the barn where her surprise was waiting. And as for proposing, the two ponies decided to pop the question, simple as that.

* Big Mac isn't wrong when he bemoans that every time he tries to do something involving Sugar Belle, it often ends in a mess because he made it convoluted. There's a pattern to it. Ask Sugar Belle to be his girlfriend? Convoluted by trying [[GrandRomanticGesture big romantic gestures out of fairy tales]] and competing with Feather Bangs in the process. Having a Valentine's Day with Sugar Belle? Mail the package inviting her, which got [[SpannerInTheWorks mixed up for being Sweetie Belle's package]]. Trying to propose to Sugar Belle? Well, [[CaptainObvious that's pretty self-explanatory]].
** And in turn, each mess was fixed by [[CuttingTheKnot going with a simpler approach]] of expressing that love. Instead of big romantic gestures, Big Mac made Sugar Belle a surprise by giving her something she knew she'd like (a new shelf). In wake of the Hearts and Hooves mix up, Big Mac eventually ''asks'' Sugar Belle to accompany him to the barn where her surprise was waiting. And as for proposing, the two ponies decided to pop the question, simple as that.

* Discord's plan worked [[TheExtremistWasRightPERFECTLY]]. Yes, Twilight had a crisis of confidence at first, but not only did she regain that confidence and lead the WORLD to victory, she was much calmer and more willing to accept her coronation after the villains were finally defeated. He did it in the most roundabout and chaotic way, but Discord's insane, CHAOTIC plan actually SUCCEEDED. Not only that, remember that if he didn't pull this stunt in the first place, a nervous Twilight with zero confidence in herself would have taken the throne instead a few days after the announcement. He essentially stalled for time to give Twilight preparation to rule, which may or may not be one of his side goals when consider that "Grogar" only debuted shortly after the announcement.

* Discord's plan worked {{The Extremist Was Right}}. Yes, Twilight had a crisis of confidence at first, but not only did she regain that confidence and lead the WORLD to victory, she was much calmer and more willing to accept her coronation after the villains were finally defeated. He did it in the most roundabout and chaotic way, but Discord's insane, CHAOTIC plan actually SUCCEEDED. Not only that, remember that if he didn't pull this stunt in the first place, a nervous Twilight with zero confidence in herself would have taken the throne instead a few days after the announcement. He essentially stalled for time to give Twilight preparation to rule, which may or may not be one of his side goals when consider that "Grogar" only debuted shortly after the announcement.

* Discord's plan worked PERFECTLY. Yes, Twilight had a crisis of confidence at first, but not only did she regain that confidence and lead the WORLD to victory, she was much calmer and more willing to accept her coronation after the villains were finally defeated. He did it in the most roundabout and chaotic way, but Discord's insane, CHAOTIC plan actually SUCCEEDED. Not only that, remember that if he didn't pull this stunt in the first place, a nervous Twilight with zero confidence in herself would have taken the throne instead a few days after the announcement. He essentially stalled for time to give Twilight preparation to rule, which may or may not be one of his side goals when consider that "Grogar" only debuted shortly after the announcement.

* Cozy Glow becoming an [[WingedUnicorn alicorn]] when empowered by the ArtifactOfDoom is also what happed to the BigBad of the ''Ponyville Mysteries'' novels. It being normal to become alicorns while empowered by such would explain how the Alicorn Amulet got its name. (As for why the Amulet didn't do that to Trixie, maybe she wasn't powerful enough for the boost to effect her so, or the Amulet was a failed attempt at such an item.)

** Which also explains how his crystals can grow around the Tree in the first place [[note]]According to the Season 4 premiere - even if the Elements are removed, it still has enough backup magic to [[PowerLimiter Limit]] the whole Everfree (even with Discord's Plunderseeds) for centuries.[[/note]] , let alone overwhelm it. They've repeatedly demonstrated properties of high-level AntiMagic.

-->'''Twilight''': It was just a game but our malleable young minds internalised that constant fear of inadequacy. It's why Shining and I have achieved so much. We were incentivised from an early age to constantly strive towards greater and greater accomplishments. [[RealityEnsues It's also why I have low self-esteem, horrible OCD and I am terrified of depending on other people]].

** Which also explains how his crystals can grow around the Tree in the first place [[note]]According to the Season 4 premiere - even if the Elements are removed, it still has enough backup magic to [[PowerLimiter Limit]] the whole Everfree (even with Discord's Plunderseeds) for centuries.[[/note]], let alone overwhelm it. They've repeatedly demonstrated properties of high-level AntiMagic.

** Which also explains how his crystals can grow around the Tree in the first place [[note]]According to the Season 4 premiere - even if the Elements are removed, it still has enough backup magic to [[PowerLimiter Limit]] the whole Everfree (even with Discord's Plunderseeds) for centuries.[[/note]] , let alone overwhelm it. They've repeatedly demonstrated properties of high-level AntiMagic.

** Which also explains how his crystals can grow around the Tree in the first place [[note]]According to the Season 4 premiere - even if the Elements are removed, it still has enough backup magic to [[PowerLimiter Limit]] the whole Everfree (even with Discord's Plunderseeds) for centuries.[[/note]], let alone overwhelm it. They've repeatedly demonstrated properties of high-level AntiMagic.

** Which also explains how his crystals can grow around the Tree in the first place [[note]]According to the Season 4 premiere - even if the Elements are removed, it still has enough backup magic to [[PowerLimiter Limit]] the whole Everfree (even with Discord's Plunderseeds) for centuries.[[/note]], let-alone overwhelm it. They've repeatedly shown properties of high-level AntiMagic.

* Luster's story starts just like Twilight's: A young pony with a love for books who is the current ruler's apprentice and is sent to Ponyville to learn the importance of friendship. However, the similarities don't stop there. At the start of the episode, Luster says she's thinking on making an independent study program. Now, what did Sci-Twi wanted to enter in ''WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyEquestriaGirlsRainbowRocks''?