Sombra's brief return had other developments besides bringing back some of the students from Twilight's school. Even though they weren't retiring just yet Princess Celestia and Princess Luna wanted the security detail in and around the castle in Canterlot to be upgraded to protect against future threats. It was a very big undertaking, but the prince was up to the task. It wasn't long before he had created a multi-layered, triple backed up security system that seemed impossible to defeat.
There was no way to teleport in or use spells thanks to shards from the destroyed throne of Queen Chrysalis, giant fans prevented any attempts at flying in (either on your own power or with aircraft), all underground entrances had been sealed off and guards were assigned to every corridor and path with Flash Sentry as head of security. The throne room itself was protected by a trap door and trained guard geese that had been loaned out by the Equestrian Society for the Preservation of Rare Creatures. Even the amount of guards had been tripled, thanks in large part to their ranks swelling in the aftermath of Sombra's attack.
A test of the security features showed the system working to perfection. Even if one feature failed (the giant fans in particular proved unreliable) the rest worked to make up for it and ensure the castle was protected. Even a small delay in an invader's arrival could tip the scales in favor of the defense. Not since the days of the changeling scare in the Crystal Empire had Shining overseen such an impressive security system that he himself had designed.
Any hope Shining might have had of returning to the Crystal Empire to rest was soon dashed, however, when he received a most unusual scroll from his sister one day. It read as follows:
Hey there, B.B.B.F.F,
I know you've been busy lately with security detail in Canterlot, but I was hoping you'd have time to help me with a little something important.
The attack by Sombra made me realize I had to finally get around to upgrading security for our castle in Ponyville. I designed a pretty solid system of defenses, but it could use somepony to give them a proper test.
I can trust you to do that, right? Security is your specialty, after all, so you would know if there are still things I need to work on.
To sweeten the deal, I've got something I think you'll remember from the days of old. That's right, the crown of the Sibling Supreme! Cadence opted to let me have it seeing as you've held onto it for long enough.
So I propose a challenge. I'll hide the old crown somewhere in my castle. It's your job to find a way in, steal the crown and get out without me catching you. If you can do that you'll get to keep the crown again for however long. But if I win, the crown stays with me!
Feel free to bring your friends to help out. When you see the security systems I've installed, you're going to need an army to even hope to defeat them! And don't expect me to make it easy on you, Starlight and Spike were more than willing to pitch in too. Without their help I wouldn't have been able to get even half of what I set up in.
Think you're up to the challenge? Or should I just write Cadence to tell her the crown's staying with me for a very long time?
Let me know what you decide ASAP,
Twilight Sparkle, your L.S.B.F.F
Shining could well remember from his childhood how many times he'd longed to get that Sibling Supreme crown only for Twilight to end up with it (often because of the number of gold stars she got just by helping to take care of and raise Spike). He suspected that had Twilight not been so distracted during the final Sibling Supreme contest he never would've gotten the crown. Truth be told he had sort of forgotten about it and had thought of perhaps returning it to his parents (along with briefly entertaining the idea of letting Flurry Heart have it, before deciding otherwise upon seeing how rough she often played with her toys).
He couldn't fault Cadence for giving the crown to Twilight as a result. But something deep inside the stallion made him feel that he couldn't simply let his sister keep the old paper crown. If she wanted it she was going to have to prove she deserved to keep it. So then and there he made up his mind. "Okay, Twily. I'll play your little 'game'," He thought to himself. "We'll see who truly deserves to be called Sibling Supreme!"
So Shining returned to Ponyville, and after learning just what kind of security he could expect to encounter he rounded up all his friends for a private meeting so that they could discuss how to outwit it.
For Thunderlane that meant having to leave in the middle of playtime with Rumble. Rumble wanted to tag along. "I'm old enough, big brother. I wanna help you and your friends do whatever it is you do," He pleaded. "Come on, I helped distract Cozy Glow, didn't I?"
But Thunderlane shook his head. "Sorry, Rumble, but Mom and Dad would throw a fit if I let anything happen to you. You're still young and you have your whole life ahead of you. Don't be in such a rush to grow up and do all the big pony things. You're only young once."
Rumble snorted even as he couldn't argue with such logic. "You're treating me like I'm still just a kid. I even have my cutie mark now."
Thunderlane patted his little brother on the forehead. "I know, and I'm proud of all that you've accomplished on your own and with the Cutie Mark Crusaders. But this is not something a little pony like you should be getting involved. You don't have to follow exactly in my hoofsteps." And then he left to join his friends.
A disappointed and somewhat annoyed Rumble could only mutter under his breath. "If you still think I can't take care of myself, that's not smart." And he started to hatch a scheme to make his big brother see sense.
Aside from that little "argument" the six stallions gathered to discuss their plan on how they would sneak into the Castle of Friendship to get the crown. Some of them expressed their disbelief, however, at the nature of the "prize".
"So let me get this straight," Soarin questioned Shining as the six stallions discussed their plans in an empty classroom at the School of Friendship. "You want us to help you sneak into your sister's castle to test her new security system, and so that you can reclaim some old paper crown from your childhood?"
"Not just any crown, Soarin," Shining retorted with a wave of his hoof. "It's the well worn and hard won crown of the Sibling Supreme. And growing up it was everything to Twilight and I. Practically every week we competed for it up until she went away to study under Celestia full time."
Fancy Pants couldn't help but comment. "Still, the idea of deliberately breaking into the castle you and your sister share ,even if it's encouraged, it doesn't feel right. We're basically committing a crime."
Braeburn giggled. "But ain't that the whole point? We want to make sure the security works against actual criminals, right? So if we wanna be sure it works like it's supposed, don't we have to think like criminals? Besides, it ain't like we're gonna steal anythin' important. Reckon that paper crown is only valuable to Shinin' and his sister."
Big Macintosh nodded his head. "Reminds me of all the times Applejack and I used to compete when we were siblin''s. Don't think we really stopped doin' it 'til Apple Bloom came along. Can't say our parents ever thought to encourage our competitive natures though."
"Hey, if it kept them from fighting I don't see any harm in it. Besides, anypony who ever claims they got along with their siblings one hundred percent of the time has to be lying," Thunderlane chimed in before he then asked Shining Armor. "So, what's the plan? You do have a plan, right?"
Shining winked. "Don't I always?" And he cleared his throat. "Now, there is a huge variety of things we'll need to watch out for. Twilight set up a smart system that'll detect if we try to use magic to teleport in. And trying to dig in or sneak in from an upper balcony won't work either, we need to find an entrance where no one would be able to see us coming. We may not have much of an element of surprise, but any advantage we have should be used to its fullest."
"Well why not do the thing no one expects and just use the front door?" Soarin proposed.
The prince shook his head. "It's so unexpected that it's expected. Besides, the front door is sure to have the most security of any place on the outside. It won't do us any good to get inside if Twilight already knows we're coming," He turned to Soarin and Thunderlane. "That's where you guys come in. You two will do a flyby to look for an opening, that's how we'll get inside. Plus, you might be able to figure out where Twilight's hidden the crown. Knowing where that's located will be a big help once we're inside."
"And what sort of security features can we expect on the inside?" Fancy Pants curiously inquired.
"There may or may not be guard geese. When my sister learned I planned to install them in Canterlot she said she was going to look into getting some for the castle here," Shining Armor explained. "If there are any we'll have to make sure we don't alert them until we have a way to silence them. There's also trap doors and tunnels to watch out for, though the tunnels might be helpful for an escape route."
Braeburn smiled. "You count on Cousin Big Mac and I to spring any of them trap doors for ya. And with our natural earth pony stamina we'll make great lookouts."
"Excellent," Shining nodded his head. "Fancy Pants, you'll serve as our fashionable scout. And if anything goes wrong and somepony ends up tangled in something, you can help me pry them loose."
Fancy Pants agreed to the notion. "Very well. Seems like a workable plan to me, if a little bit light on the details."
"The Wonderbolts would call it 'Winging It'," Soarin added in a cautious tone. "A very risky strategy to be sure."
But the prince replied. "I don't know what exactly Twilight has set up, and asking her would defeat the whole purpose of this little contest. Having advanced knowledge means I'm not like any ordinary criminal and will know what to defeat and how. If I am 'Winging It' as it were that's because this is a test, to see whether I can prepare for what isn't there."
Big Macintosh spoke up. "Then I guess we'd better hope there ain't any 'surprises' your sister has kept hidden. Though I wouldn't put it past her knowin' how smart she is."
So the six stallions prepared themselves for the monumental task ahead, though none seemed more anxious about it than Shining.
The flyby from Soarin and Thunderlane went off without a hitch, the two pegasi landed a ways away to report on what they had been able to spot. "Didn't find any indication of the crowd's location, but a side window near the back was unprotected," Soarin reported. "Might not hurt to start from there."
"If it helps, I also thought I saw something that looked shiny near the throne room," Thunderlane added. "Can't be sure, though."
"Well, it's a lead and it's better than nothing," Shining commented as he turned to Fancy Pants. "Better check it out. If the coast is indeed clear send the signal."
Fancy Pants obeyed in silence, creeping around to the specified location. The window was a bit high up, but otherwise it was unguarded. Peering in, he saw that the room and the hallway connected to the window were unoccupied. There was no one around and no signs of any guard geese. With the coast clear he gave a whistle, the signal for the others to come to his location.
Quickly yet carefully the six stallions made their way inside, somewhat clumsily tumbling in through the window due to its elevation. And soon they were out in the disorienting (to all but Shining who had traversed said hallways several times over the years) hallways. They didn't know which way was where.
"Start looking around for any sign of the throne room or the crown," The prince instructed to his friends. "And remember to stay quiet. We don't wanna blow our cover."
They all started to searching various doors, opening them slowly and peering in when they were certain they wouldn't give themselves away by doing so.
Minutes ticked by in tense silence, but the stallions seemed to be making little headway.
Suddenly, as Shining trotted along with his friends close by he thought he heard a faint clicking sound. Before he or anypony else could react, the floor gave away beneath them as a trap door opened up! They plunged into darkness!
They ended up in a small tunnel with no light natural or otherwise, that is until Shining Armor lit up his horn. "Everypony alright?" He asked in a whisper, not wanting to risk the possibility that his conversation might be heard from above.
"Yeah, we're all fine," Fancy Pants commented back. "When we get out of this you can tell your sister that the trap doors work perfectly. Or at least this one does anyway." It was hard not to notice the harshness of his tone of voice.
"I'm really sorry, guys," Shining sincerely apologized. "I didn't expect the trap doors to be out in the hallways where anypony could stumble onto them. I only needed one trap door for the throne room in Canterlot, because it's the room that would most need protection."
Soarin only groaned. "Yeah? Well the next time you and your sister get into one of your competitive moods, do us a favor and leave the rest us out of it. If she really wants to ensure the security works she should test it herself. Now we're stuck down here."
Fancy Pants seemed to think otherwise. "If I learned anything from that first trip to the Castle of the Two Sisters, it's that there's always a way out of anything if you just look hard enough. Any security system regardless of design is going to have a fail safe," A little bit of inspecting work with his hooves soon produced results, another click caused an opening to appear at the opposite end from where the stallions were. "See?"
"So, now what?" Thunderlane inquired. "We don't have a map, we'll still be fumbling around in the dark until we find a way out of these tunnels. And who knows how long that will take?"
But Shining wasn't listening, he had shut his eyes as his horn glowed softly.
"Um, Shinin', just what in the hay do you think you're doin'?" Big Macintosh questioned his fellow stallion.
Without opening his eyes Shining explained. "I didn't tell Twily this, but I put a tracer spell on the Sibling Supreme crown while I held onto it. It kept getting lost and hunting for it by hoof got tiring," He took a deep breath. "Mind you, it was only supposed to be for if I lost in a room at my castle in the Crystal Empire. A place where I knew I'd be able to find it if I just searched hard enough," His horn stopped glowing a few seconds later as he opened his eyes. "It's just as I feared, we're too far away and too far below for the signal to reach my horn properly."
"Then I guess we just travel down these tunnels until that signal gets stronger," Braeburn encouraged as he lept to his hooves. "We can probably dig our way up if we have to, just like I once helped dig wells out in Appleloosa! Any lead at all's better than no lead, right?!"
"Sure beats just sittin' around here and stumblin' about with no sense of direction," Big Macintosh nodded to his cousin. "Keep that spell close at hoof, Shinin', we're gonna need it!"
"I'll try. There's no telling where we are relative to the crown. It's possible that we'll end up going the opposite way just to get out." The prince nervously cautioned.
Soarin simply declared. "Well if that happens we'll just start from the beginning. We haven't been caught yet and nopony's onto us! Now come on, we've wasted more than enough time here! We won't solve anything or test anything from down in these tunnels."
Following the tunnels seemed to produce results for the group as Shining gradually felt the signal come back to his horn stronger and stronger. Every so often though he and the others would hit a dead end and would have to turn back around.
At last the signal became so strong that Shining winced and put a hoof to his forehead! "I can feel it! We're right underneath where the crown is! Wherever it may be, that's where we've got to go up."
Big Macintosh curiously rapped a hoof against the ceiling, surprised at the cold feel of it. It didn't feel natural, and soon he knew why. An audible clink caused the ceiling to open up, revealing it to be a trap door.
"I'll go first this time!" Shining declared. "Then I'll help the rest of you out if I have time." He flew up through the open trap door and took in the sights of his new location. Just as he suspected it was the throne room of castle. And there was the Sibling Supreme Crown just resting on the table, waiting for him to take it. It all seemed so obvious. "It can't be that easy, can it?" He thought to himself, before turning his attention to the trap door and his friends.
One by one the other stallions were lifted up and into the throne room with a great deal of effort. They soon noticed that their friend hadn't touched the Sibling Supreme Crown yet, which struck them as very odd.
"What are ya waitin' for?" Braeburn questioned with a blink. "You've wanted that crown back so badly, take it."
The alicorn hesitantly replied. "It seems way too obvious a place to leave it, even considering the security and what we haven't seen yet. For all I know that crown might be booby trapped."
But Thunderlane commented. "Um, I think you've got a bigger problem to worry about then a booby trapped crown, Shining," And he nervously gestured a hoof up to the ceiling. "Look!"
Shining did so even though there wasn't a need to, the loud honking noises left no doubt as to what was in the throne room. "The guard geese!" He gasped! "Seems like Twily copied my work as closely as possible."
"You told her what you were doin'?!" Big Macintosh questioned with narrowed eyes. "Why the hay would you do such a thing?!"
Shining protested. "I didn't, I swear! I couldn't have told her even if I wanted to, I was sworn to secrecy! Someone must've tipped her off somehow!" He quickly snatched up the crown! "Quickly, back down the trap door! We'll have to find another way out!"
Before any stallion could, however, the trap door slammed shut behind them! Frantically, they rushed out of the throne room as fast as they could, only to trip and end up in a tumble outside its doors! And who should arrive in front of them but Twilight herself? "Nice try, B.B.B.F.F," She grinned as she used her magic to pick up the Sibling Supreme crown and gave it to Spike (who had accompanied her). "But I believe I said that you were to get the crown and get out without being caught."
The prince groaned in frustration. "No fair! How did you know about my security systems enough to be able to copy them for your own use here? There's no way you could've known!"
Twilight just winked. "I have my resources. All you need to know is that you failed, my systems work perfectly. And I'm afraid the Sibling Supreme crown will be staying with me for the foreseeable future."
Shining sighed, looking down at the crown. "You couldn't let me have it even for five minutes, could you?"
Twilight only grinned. "That's not what we agreed to now is it? Still, I have to say I'm impressed by how you managed with the tunnels. I'll have to see about setting up sensors or detectors down there as a back up," Then she lit up her horn. "For now, though, I think I'll make sure the Sibling Supreme crown still fits."
However, when Twilight lit up her horn nothing appeared over her head. "Hey? Where's the crown?" She wondered aloud.
Shining tried not to groan as he looked back up. "Okay, very funny, Twilight. Now you reveal that the real crown was with you all along and you'd just swapped it out for a dummy set up to trick me. You don't need to rub it in."
Twilight shook her head as she nervously declared. "No, I'm serious! I gave the crown to Spike just for a few seconds for safe keeping, but it's not coming back to me!"
At that Spike let out a chuckle. "Come on, Twilight. You really haven't guessed already? After all, who do you think sent you that note about Shining's new security systems?"
All eyes suddenly fell upon the dragon! "Wait a minute! It was you?!" Shining gasped in realization! "Of course, now it all makes sense! You were the only other one with me the whole time I was setting all my security defenses in Canterlot. Should've figured you'd be in cahoots with Twily, her taking care of you was what gave her so many stars and always gave her the crown."
"But why hold onto the crown?" Soarin pondered. "You're her son and that makes you Shining's nephew."
"To keep it safe for another sibling who felt left out," Spike explained. "Besides, I've always felt like kind of a little brother. I'm proud to have Twilight for a mom, but she wasn't just a mom and she wasn't the only mom I knew. You don't think a filly could raise a baby dragon all on her, do you?"
Then a familiar voice grinned. "I guess grown-ups don't always have all the answers, do they?" And who should come trotting forward but Rumble, who promptly had the paper crown placed atop his forehead by none other than Spike.
None were more surprised by this development than Thunderlane. "Rumble? What are you doing here?"
Grinning from ear to ear the little pegasus gleefully replied. "Well, how else was I to get your attention and prove my point? You all think you're so clever with your little security systems, but I'll bet you never though about what to do if the bad guys already knew about them. You gotta be prepared for threats from the outside and the inside."
Spike then explained. "Rumble came to me after listening in on the little meeting you guys had about the planned break in to the castle, and we developed a plan. I'd make sure Twilight and Starlight would be distracted with other things, and all Rumble had to do was sneak into the throne room to open the trap door. I made sure it closed back up. And when Twilight started to gloat, all I do was to hold onto the crown."
Rumble then added. "So I guess that makes Spike and I the true sibling supremes! We outsmarted you all!"
Thunderlane reluctantly conceded to his little brother's point. "I suppose I shouldn't be so quick to dismiss you, Rumble. I didn't think I was when I told you I didn't want you getting hurt, but if you were willing to put yourself in harm's way to stop Cozy Glow then that should've told me that you're old enough to make your own decisions."
Rumble nodded. "Glad we agree, brother. Does that mean I can become a Wonderbolt like you?"
"If you really want to, but not until you're older," Thunderlane replied and threw up a hoof before his little brother groan. "Because right now there's no openings on the team for you, unless you wanna be our official mascot. I'm sure I could convince Spitfire."
But the little pegasus blushed and shook his head. "No thank you! I think I'll be more than willing to wait until I'm old enough to be a Wonderbolt proper. Besides, Scootaloo's not looking so sure of her plans on being a Wonderbolt, so maybe it's time I start looking for other things to try."
"Glad to hear that! Because I know there's a lot more to the both of us than just being talented flyers." Thunderlane nodded as he patted Rumble on the head again.
Meanwhile, Twilight nuzzled Spike. "You're definitely growing up, Spike. I never imagined the day would come when you'd be able to outsmart me and your Uncle Shining," Then she added. "And you're right, I didn't raise you all on my own. I had help from my parents as well as Princess Celestia and even Princess Cadence. The one time I tried to prove I could do it all on my own, I think we both remember how well that turned out."
Spike smiled. "Glad you understand, Twilight. I always did want to be more than just an observer in your Sibling Supreme contests with Shining Armor."
Shining Armor suggested. "Well, maybe we can arrange something during the next Sparkle family reunion for old time's sake."
Twilight added. "Or we could look into spells. Starlight's been working on one that can recreate a childhood experience right down to the bodies."
But Spike blushed. "I'd rather not go back to being a baby dragon, thank you." And he, Twilight, and Shining all laughed. Everyone else couldn't help but join in on the laugh. Considering how serious things had been lately, it felt good to share a genuine laugh and not worry.