Stare Master

For the similarly titled season five episode, see Scare Master.

Stare Master
Season №:	1
Season episode №:	17
Overall episode №:	17
Original airdate:	February 25, 2011
Written by:	Chris Savino
Storyboard:	Sabrina Alberghetti & Nicole Wang
Featured characters:	Cutie Mark Crusaders
Song:	Hush Now Lullaby
See also
credits • transcript • gallery • allusions animation errors • statistics • speculation
Episode guide
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Stare Master is the seventeenth episode of the first season of My Little Pony Friendship is Magic. In this episode, Fluttershy offers to host a sleepover for the Cutie Mark Crusaders but soon questions whether she bit off more than she can chew. The episode's title is a play on StairMaster, an American exercise machine company.

Production

The scene where Fluttershy uses the stare against the cockatrice reappears in Memnagerie.

Summary

Cutie Mark Crusader sleepover

At the Carousel Boutique, Rarity rushes to complete an order of twenty robes for the following day. Sweetie Belle tries to help in an effort to earn her cutie mark but ends up making a mess. Later, Fluttershy arrives to drop off Opalescence from a grooming appointment. Rarity is surprised at how well behaved her cat is and asks Fluttershy if she used "the Stare" on her, but Fluttershy responds that she's just good with animals.

"You want to babysit my sister and her hyperactive friends?"

Moments later, Scootaloo and Apple Bloom arrive for a planned sleepover with Sweetie Belle wherein they intend to discover their hidden talents and get their cutie marks. Sweetie shows off a set of capes she made for them using golden silk, only for Rarity to recognize the cloth as the same one she needs to finish her order. Realizing the time it will take to replenish the silk, Rarity cancels the sleepover, though Fluttershy offers to host instead when she sees the fillies' disappointment. Rarity warns her that they can be difficult to manage, but Fluttershy insists.

While walking back across town with the Cutie Mark Crusaders, Fluttershy runs into Twilight Sparkle as she heads toward the Everfree Forest to visit Zecora for some tea. Twilight questions if Fluttershy can handle the task of babysitting but is assured that it will be no problem.

Fluttershy babysits the Crusaders

At her cottage, Fluttershy asks the Crusaders what they'd like to do first. The fillies suggest adventuring in the Everfree Forest, but Fluttershy forbids them because of its "strange creatures". The Crusaders then pretend to be creature catchers, but their roughhousing ends up breaking a table. They attempt carpentry in fixing the table but botch the repair. Fluttershy tries to calm them down by playing a game of who can be quiet the longest, but the Crusaders immediately lose on purpose. Just as they propose coal mining, Fluttershy sends them to bed, suggesting that they hold off "crusading" until the morning.

For a little filly, the singing Sweetie Belle has a good set of lungs.

The three fillies claim they aren't tired, so Fluttershy sings them a lullaby. When Sweetie Belle recognizes the song, Fluttershy suggests she sing with her, whereupon Sweetie performs a much more energetic rendition that startles the chickens of a nearby coop. The Cutie Mark Crusaders run outside and attempt to wrangle them until Fluttershy intervenes and directs the chickens to return to the coop. When they refuse, Fluttershy glares at them intently, compelling them to comply.

Fluttershy tucks the Crusaders into bed again, but they remain awake and determined to find their talents. Noticing that one of the chickens has escaped into the Everfree Forest, they decide to sneak out of the cottage and find it.

Into 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

Before long, Fluttershy notices the house is "too quiet" and checks upstairs to find the fillies missing. She searches around outside and sees that her chicken Elizabeak is gone as well. Deducing what happened, Fluttershy bemoans her decision to babysit before venturing fretfully into the forest to corral the missing parties. She eventually encounters Twilight Sparkle and asks for help only to realize with horror that she's been turned to stone. Recognizing the danger the fillies are in, Fluttershy rushes off to find them.

Fluttershy soon locates the Cutie Mark Crusaders and tries to warn them that a cockatrice is on the loose, but the girls laugh off the danger just as they spot Elizabeak's head popping out of a bush. A second chicken head appears nearby, though this turns out to be a cockatrice that emerges from the bush and stares at Elizabeak, turning her into stone. The Crusaders try to run away only to break into a panic when they encounter Twilight's stone figure lying on the ground.

"Don't make me get your mother involved."

Fluttershy calls the screaming fillies to her while the cockatrice approaches and menaces the ponies. Upset by the girls' terror, Fluttershy confronts the cockatrice face-to-face, countering its gaze with her own as she denounces its reckless behavior and demands that Elizabeak and Twilight be changed back to normal. The cockatrice soon falters and obeys as the magic of its stare breaks, leading the Crusaders to dub Fluttershy the "Stare Master" while promising to listen to her from now on.

Biting off more than you can chew

Outside the cottage the next morning, as Twilight writes a friendship report about the experience, Fluttershy reflects how you should be careful not to accept tasks that you can't handle. Rarity appears and tries unsuccessfully to gather up the Crusaders as they play in the yard, though they respond immediately when Fluttershy calls to them. Impressed, Rarity asks her once more for help with Opal, revealing the cat clung tightly to her body.

Quotes

For more quotes, see the episode's transcript.

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.

Scootaloo: We are the Cutie Mark Crusaders!

Apple Bloom: And we wanna crusade for our cutie marks!

Sweetie Belle: And, and, and we, um... yeah, what they said!

Fluttershy: Careful... you don't...

[crash]

Fluttershy: ...break anything.

Fluttershy: How about a game?

Apple Bloom: A game?

Fluttershy: It's called "Shhh!"

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 bet you can't beat me! [deep breath]

Scootaloo: I lose!

Sweetie Belle: Me too!

Apple Bloom: Me three!

Apple Bloom: Oh, wait. Now I know how to call a chicken. Scootalooooo! Scoot-scootalooooo!

Scootaloo: That's so funny I forgot to laugh.

Apple Bloom: You also forgot how to call a chicken.

Scootaloo: Why, you...

Fluttershy: A cockatrice! It's a frightening creature with the head of a chicken and the body of a snake. Now, come on!

Scootaloo: The head of a chicken and the body of a snake? That doesn't sound scary, that sounds silly!

Apple Bloom: Why, if I ever saw one of them cockathingies face-to-face, I'd laugh at how silly it was.

Fluttershy: No! Never look one in the eye!

Fluttershy: YOU! Just who do you think you are, going around turning others into stone?

Cockatrice: [dismayed squawk]

Fluttershy: 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

References

v • e Episodes, films, and animated shorts

Make Your Mark
Episode 1 Izzy Does It	Episode 2 Growing Pains	Episode 3 Portrait of a Princess	Episode 4 Ali-Conned
Episode 5 The Cutie Mark Mix-Up	Episode 6 The Traditional Unicorn Sleep-Over	Episode 7 Hoof Done It?	Episode 8 Have You Seen This Dragon?
Episode 9 Top Remodel	Episode 10 The Jinxie Games	Episode 11 Sunny Side Up	Episode 12 The Manesquerade Ball
Episode 13 A Little Horse	Episode 14 Missing the Mark	Episode 15 Cutie Blossom Bash	Episode 16 Family Trees Pt. 1
Episode 17 Family Trees Pt. 2	Episode 18 Father of the Bridlewood	Episode 19 Mane Smelody	Episode 20 Nightmare on Mane Street
Episode 21 The Isle of Scaly‎‎	Episode 22 Roots of All Evil Pt. 1‎	Episode 23 Roots of All Evil Pt. 2