Stare Master

Stare Master is the seventeenth episode of My Little Pony Friendship is Magic, season one. In this episode, Fluttershy offers to take care of Sweetie Belle and her friends, Scootaloo and Apple Bloom. The episode's title is a play on the exercise device Stairmaster.

Summary
In the beginning of the episode, Rarity is busy in her shop trying to complete a special order: make 20 robes for Trottingham by tomorrow. Meanwhile her sister, Sweetie Belle, is trying to help in an attempt to get her cutie mark, but ends up making a huge mess. Fluttershy arrives to drop off Rarity's cat, Opalescence, from her grooming appointment. The unicorn is surprised at how well behaved her cat was, seeing as she couldn't do it herself without getting scratched. She asked Fluttershy if she used "the Stare" on Opalescence, but Fluttershy says it's just due to her being good with animals.

Immediately after that, Sweetie Belle's friends, Scootaloo and Apple Bloom, arrive for their sleepover at Rarity's house. The Cutie Mark Crusaders, as they call themselves, plan on finding their hidden talents in order to get their cutie marks. Sweetie Belle even created a uniform of sorts to represent the group, with a golden underlining to boot. Unfortunately, the gold was part of a silk cloth Rarity needs to finish her order. Realizing that it's going to take longer than before, Rarity is forced to cancel her sister's sleepover. Seeing the young fillies disappointed, Fluttershy offers to take care of them. Rarity warns her that her little sister and her friends were quite a hoof-ful, but Fluttershy insists.

In town, Fluttershy runs into Twilight Sparkle, who was off to visit Zecora in the Everfree Forest for some tea. Learning that Fluttershy was going to babysit the three fillies, she also wondered if she could handle it.

In Fluttershy's cottage, she suggests things like tail-braiding, coloring and tea parties. The kids say they want to go adventuring in the Everfree Forest instead but Fluttershy doesn't allow them, due to the dangers out there. The group tries to be "creature catchers", but their roughhousing results in breaking a nearby table. They then worked as carpenters to fix the table, but that doesn't work out so well either. Fluttershy tries to keep them quiet by playing a game of "Shh...", a game of who can be quiet the longest, but the Crusaders immediately end it by losing on purpose. Fluttershy then takes them to bed, promising they can do more "crusading" in the morning.

The three fillies claim they aren't sleepy yet, so Fluttershy sings a lullaby to them. Sweetie Belle says she recognizes the song and Fluttershy suggests she sing along. Her version of the lullaby, however, is loud enough to wake up the chickens in a nearby chicken coop. The Cutie Mark Crusaders run out of the house to help rustle the flock back to the coop. In the end, Fluttershy is able to get the chickens back in the coop by giving them an intimidating look.

The Crusaders go back to bed, but are still wide awake. They still want to find their talents, and decide to sneak out of the cottage when they notice that one of the chickens had escaped to the Everfree Forest.

"All I needed to do was just show them who's in charge. Nothing's gonna get past Fluttershy. Good with animals... Good with kids..."

- Fluttershy

Fluttershy is relieved that it's quiet, but notices that it's too quiet. She gets up to check on the kids and discovers that they're gone. Looking into the hen-house, she also notices that one of the chickens, whom she called "Elizabeak", is gone too. She ventures into the forest to bring them all back.

While the Crusaders argue amongst themselves, Fluttershy finds Twilight, only to learn that she was mysteriously turned to stone. Seeing this, she rushed further to find the fillies.

Fluttershy finds them trying to find the lost chicken. She tells them that a Cockatrice is on the loose, a creature with the head of a chicken and a body of a snake, and warns them not to look one in the eyes. However, they laugh at the silly description before finding the chicken pass them by. They notice a second chicken hiding in the bushes, one with a long reptilian body: the Cockatrice. Its deadly stare causes Elizabeak to turn to stone. The Crusaders panic and Fluttershy tells them to stand behind her. The Pegasus confronts the Cockatrice face-to-face, ignoring her own warning. She then uses her intimidating stare, ordering the Cockatrice to change Elizabeak and Twilight back to normal, while the Cockatrice is turning her to stone. Impressed by their babysitter's ability, the Cutie Mark Crusaders dub her the "Stare Master". With Twilight and Elizabeak free from the monster's spell, they all return home.

Back at the cottage the next morning, Fluttershy explains to Twilight of the events that happened, inspiring her to write another report to Princess Celestia. Helping the Crusaders pack up so Rarity can take them home, Fluttershy learns one shouldn't do a task that is more than can be handled.

Rarity then returns, surprised at how well her sister and her friends behaved. She asks Fluttershy to help her with a new problem with her cat Opal, who is clinging tightly to her body.

Quotes

 * Rarity: Now back to work. I lost a lot of time, and I can not have anymore interruptions. WHAT NOW?!


 * Rarity: Did you use... "The Stare" on her?
 * Fluttershy: Oh no! I wouldn't. I couldn't. I-I don't really have any control when it happens. It just happens. Really. I'm just good with animals. It's my special gift, you know.


 * Fluttershy: What does that patch on your cape mean?
 * Cutie Mark Crusaders: (shouting) The Cutie Mark Crusaders! Yay!
 * Scootaloo: We're on a crusade, a mission!
 * Apple Bloom: To find our cutie marks!
 * Sweetie Belle: Yup. And look. I lined them with this special gold silk. It took sooo long to make, but I think it adds just the right touch, don't you?
 * Apple Bloom and Scootaloo: Oooooh!


 * Fluttershy: So, what should we do?
 * Scootaloo: I'm gonna get my mark first!
 * Fluttershy: Girls...
 * Sweetie Belle: Nuh-uh!
 * Fluttershy: Shouldn't we--
 * Apple Bloom: I am!


 * Scootaloo: We are the Cutie Mark Crusaders!
 * Apple Bloom: And we wanna crusade for our cutie marks!
 * Sweetie Belle: And we um... Yeah what they said!


 * Apple Bloom: Hammer!
 * Scootaloo: Hammer.
 * Sweetie Belle: Hammer!
 * Scootaloo: Hammer.
 * Scootaloo: Hammer!
 * [pause]
 * Scootaloo: Hammer.


 * Sweetie Belle: Um ... that doesn't look like a table.
 * Scootaloo: We were making a table?
 * Apple Bloom: Somepony needs to put this thing out of its misery.
 * Scootaloo: We are definitely not Cutie Mark Carpenters.


 * Fluttershy: Now that we've gotten that out of the way, how about a game?
 * Apple Bloom: A game?
 * Fluttershy: It's called "Shh."
 * Scootaloo: What's that?
 * Fluttershy: Well... It's a game about who can be quiet the longest. Sound fun? I'm the world champ, you know. I betcha can't beat me! ~Squee~
 * Scootaloo: ...I lose!
 * Sweetie Belle: Me too!
 * Apple Bloom: Me three!


 * Apple Bloom: How about "Cutie Mark Crusader Coal Miners"?
 * Apple Bloom, Sweetie Belle, and Scootaloo: YAY!
 * Fluttershy: NO!
 * Apple Bloom, Sweetie Belle, and Scootaloo: Awww...


 * Apple Bloom: Oh wait, now I know how to call a chicken... Scootaloo! Scoot-Scootaloo!
 * Scootaloo: That's so funny I forgot to laugh.
 * Apple Bloom: Y'also forgot how to call a chicken.


 * Fluttershy [To Twilight's stone statue]: Don't move! I'll be back for you!


 * Fluttershy: YOU! Just who do you think you are, going around turning others into stone? You should be ashamed of yourself! I have half a mind to find your mother and tell her what you've been up to, young man! Now you go over there and turn Elizabeak and my friend Twilight back to normal - and don't ever let me catch you doing this again! Do you understand me?

Gallery

 * Stare Master image gallery

Trivia

 * Despite the heavy implications that Apple Bloom's special talent is craft, design and carpentry, she seems completely inept at fixing Fluttershy's table in conjunction, though this might be due to the "help" she receives from Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo.
 * This is the first episode that Apple Bloom appears without Applejack.
 * This is the only episode of season 1 which Applejack doesn't appear.