Sleepless in Ponyville

Dear Princess Luna...

This episode would appear to be the long-awaited Scootaloo episode. Scootaloo is probably my favorite of the Crusaders, so I am pleased.

The tranquility of Ponyville is quickly evaporated as Scootaloo comes tearing down the street on her scooter. A flipped cart lies in the street and gives Scootaloo a moment of fear, then she ramps off it and uses her wings to enhance the jump.

 Rainbow Dash is leisurely flying by with a drink and compliments Scootaloo on her moves. Scootaloo is so excited she stops flapping her wings and drops to the ground, landing in a haystack. A cow tries to eat her tail and just moos at her, even though we've seen cows are sentient before.

In the Cutie Mark Crusaders clubhouse, Scootaloo is telling the story of what just happened, with some embellishment at the end about Rainbow being so impressed she wants to take Scootaloo under her wing and teach her everything she knows and be like her big sister. Now, we know Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle (Scootaloo's best friends) have big sisters. We haven't seen anything about Scootaloo's family, and in The Show Stoppers, it was Rainbow who showed up in the 'big sister' role for her, although she isn't really. So, we can deduce that Scootaloo has no big sister (or if she does, she doesn't have a good relationship), and thus is probably envious of her fellow Crusaders and their sisters badly wants Rainbow Dash to be hers. :(

Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle immediately call shenanigans on poor Scootaloo. It's really hard to tell the timeline on this show (Babs was supposed to stay for weeks and arrived and left in the same episode), but if each episode takes place once a week (since Twilight was freaking out about needing a friendship report a week), it's been a few months and Rainbow has shown a little interest in Scootaloo, (showed up in Show Stoppers, asked her to be her dogsbody in Owl's Well or something, was hurt that she defected from the Rainbow Dash Fanclub to Mare Do Well, maybe other instances) but obviously her interest, especially wanting her to be a dogsbody, was not enough so that the other Crusaders just instantly call BS on Scootaloo's story.

Scootaloo is undeterred and hopeful that all that stuff could happen. The others, especially Apple Bloom, are hesitant. Scootaloo thinks that if she can show off more to Rainbow Dash, her fantasy can become reality. Apple Bloom says Applejack was going to take her camping to Winsome Falls, and that she can have Applejack invite Rainbow for Scootaloo. Scootaloo is thrilled and Sweetie Belle gets sad because she wants to go and didn't get invited. Apple Bloom invites her, and Sweetie says she'll bring Rarity, because Rarity loves camping.

Rarity does not love camping.

Sweetie Belle guilts her into going, saying that Apple Bloom is going with her big sister, and she understands if Rarity doesn't want to spend time with her little sister. Rarity of course agrees to go, and walks off in search of an outfit appropriate for 'roughing it.'

 Applejack, Apple Bloom, and Scootaloo are the first ones at the rendezvous and all are wearing saddlebags/packs and bedrolls. Their equipment check consists of bug spray and canteens.

Rarity shows up with a wagon piled high with luggage. Sweetie Belle is being made to haul it, how nice of her big sister. The enormous amount of clothing and supplies is not surprising though, as we've seen Rarity always brings lot of stuff when she goes places, and you have to figure she packed for Sweetie Belle too, and it's Rarity so she probably doesn't share her stuff, so double of everything.

Applejack mocks Rarity for the enormous amount of stuff, Rarity counters by saying if Applejack is desperate to curl her eyelashes, Rarity will have the last laugh since she brought an eyelash curler.

Scootaloo is eagerly scanning the area for Rainbow Dash, rapidly flapping her wings as she is prone to do. Applejack informs her that Rainbow is meeting them at the first campsite, and she seems a little disheartened.

Rarity has been apparently asking 'Are we there yet?' for over 1,000 times, and for the 1,001st they finally arrive at the camp. Rainbow Dash has apparently just been sitting around waiting for them so she can show off, as she goes into action as they arrive. She flies through trees, ripping large chunks of them out for the camp.

  Scootaloo is enthralled.

 She flies into a river and roars back into camp, spinning up a tornado and casually pushing the rocks off her chest, landing them in a perfect circle.

Scootaloo is super excited, and nervous, and tells herself to just play it cool. She says hi to Rainbow and trips over a log, cartwheeling out of control around the area, finally crashing to the ground. In tears but undaunted, she recovers and tries to impress Rainbow Dash, who instead of seeing if Scootaloo is alright, starts whining that the others took too long to get there.

The campsite gets fully set up, and Scootaloo is thrilled as Rainbow sits next to her. Do you think Rainbow has figured out she got invited just to spend time with Scootaloo yet? Rainbow seems a little agitated she has to share a tent with Scootaloo, and asks if she snores. Scootaloo vehemently denies it and Rainbow says they will get along just fine if that is the case. I almost think we've seen Rainbow snoring before in some episode where she was sleeping on a cloud.

As Rainbow and Scootaloo share a moment, they are interrupted by a gust of wind. Rarity is setting up her tent, some kind of inflatable tent palace complete with a balcony. She orders Sweetie Belle to get some flowers for her bedside vase.

Rainbow tells Scootaloo to get some firewood, mocking Rarity. Scootaloo and Apple Bloom laugh, then Rainbow reiterates that that is an actual request. Remember I mentioned how Rainbow wanted Scootaloo as a dogsbody? Yep.

Apparently this wasn't a difficult task though, as we come back to Applejack lighting the fire with a device.

Rainbow Dash tells them all to get comfortable, because she is going to tell them the best story they've ever heard. Scootaloo asks if it's the story about how Rarity had wings that got ruined and Rainbow had to save her. Obviously referring to the events of Sonic Rainboom, and of course Scootaloo would know about it, being the president of the Rainbow Dash Fanclub. Although, one must wonder who told her the story, as I don't think any of the Crusaders were there. Rainbow did win the Best Young Flier crown though, so I suppose it could have easily been in the papers. Or Scootaloo's family could have been at the show itself.

Rainbow, ever modest, says okay maybe the story she is about to tell is the second best, but it's the scariest. Rainbow tells the story, it cuts out as she begins saying it happened on a night like tonight in a forest just like that one, and resumes with the 'olden pony' asking 'who's got my rusty horseshoe?' Sweetie Belle says, "Not me!"

Rainbow then jumps at the three, saying, "You do!"They are all scared, with Sweetie and Apple Bloom running away. Scootaloo recovers herself and says she wasn't scared, just had something in her throat.

Rainbow says she didn't except anything but, since she saw how Scootaloo jumped that cart. She says that Scootaloo is fearless, just like herself.

Poor Scootaloo, her friends' big sisters both comfort their little sisters (they are still terrified from the story) and head to bed. Rainbow puts out the campfire, scaring Scootaloo again, then heads to bed, inviting Scootaloo to join her whenever she's ready.

Scootaloo starts to freak out as she sits out there alone, imagining that she's hearing the 'thundering stomp of the olden pony.'

 She zooms into the tent and climbs into her sleeping bag. Rainbow is already passed out, and snoring. Scootaloo is too on edge to sleep and hears more noises, foolishly leaving her tent.

Outside the tent, everything has gone evil. The trees are possibly the same trees we saw Nightmare Moon conjure in the second episode. Just looked, looks like they are, Nightmare Moon. Yeah, I'm pretty sure Scootaloo must have passed out and is now having a nightmare. Or, the place they are camping at is in the Everfree Forest, and the nature of that cursed place has brought her fears to life.

"The warmth of life has entered my tomb. Prepare yourself, mortal, to serve my master for eternity."

The olden pony starts to pursue her. Despite Scootaloo running, the olden pony, who was shown walking, catches up to her and demands to know who has her rusty horseshoes. 

"Not even death can save you from me."

Scootaloo freaks and runs, and we see a familiar face. Hmm, Nightmare Moon. Scootaloo has got to be dreaming. Sweet, Luna has dream-related powers!

Scootaloo wakes up (yeah, called it!) and finds herself safe in her tent next to the snoring Rainbow Dash. 

 

The next morning, the ponies are taking down the camp and Scootaloo has apparently been up all night, not wanting to go back to sleep. Rainbow tells her they have a long trek ahead but it will be worth it once they get to Winsome Falls.

Scootaloo is visibly frazzled, but Rainbow pays no heed.

The group hits the trail again, Sweetie is still being made to pull the wagon. A drop of liquid hits Rarity, who is on a wheeled couch being pushed by Sweetie, and she starts complaining about sweating. We then see Sweetie is sweating buckets.

Scootaloo is resting on the back of the wagon and overhears Applejack say the word 'dark.' She whips out her scooter and helmet and says she'll go on ahead to make sure the path is clear since they don't want to get caught in the dark. Rainbow says it doesn't matter to her, and Scootaloo covers for herself, saying it's for the scaredy ponies, pointing at Sweetie and Apple Bloom. Rainbow winks and Scootaloo rides off.

Scootaloo starts to doze off while riding on her scooter. She tries to stay awake but can't.

Scootaloo truly has awesome scooter skills, as even while asleep she is rocking it. She skirts the edge of a cliff, jumps a river by using a crocodile, steals a bear's fish, descends and crosses another river by spinning around a hollow log, continues on until she hits the fish and is sent airborne, landing softly in a bush. She meets up with the others and rejoins them, after telling them to stay on the path and not go through the bushes. =]

Applejack steps on a twig and Scootaloo freaks, jumping/flying up and grabbing a cloud. She comes crashing down and, concerned, Applejack asks if she is okay. Scootaloo says she is just exercising.

Scootaloo continues to get freaked out then tries to disguise her latest one by asking Rarity if she needs help. Rarity obliges by putting her wagon's harness on Scootaloo instead of her sister. How nice of Marse Rarity.

They arrive at the next campsite and Applejack happily says they won't need tents, they are staying in a cave tonight. Scootaloo is not happy. Rainbow, however, is pleased and says it will be perfect for the next scary story she has planned.

Rainbow says all they need is a campfire and they are good to go. Which of course she is implying that Scootaloo needs to go get the wood. Scootaloo, who is a little filly and has only had maybe an hour of sleep or something similar, is of course freaking out about the dark woods she is being ordered to go into.

She finally musters up the willpower to grab some twigs she saw near their campsite, and goes screaming towards them, grabbing them and running back to the safety of the other ponies. Rainbow Dash is upset that the twigs were all Scootaloo brought back. Scootaloo lies saying it's all she could find because there aren't many trees around them, and we get a zoom out to reiterate that she is in the middle of a dense woodland.

Applejack tells her it's okay and to go sit with Rainbow Dash for a while. Scootaloo bolts over there.

Rainbow starts to prepare for her story, and Scootaloo is already panicking. She comes up with a Hail Mary play, asking if she can tell a story instead. Rainbow seems agitated by this, but consents, as long as it's a horrible one.

Scootaloo starts to tell a story about "There once was a really really nice pony who lived in a bright and sunny land, where there are rainbows every day, and lots and lots of happy friends, and-" Rainbow interrupts, saying it's not a campfire story unless somepony is shaking. Notice in the Scootaloo tale though that 'rainbows every day' is a focal point for what she considers to be a 'perfect' life or what have you. Yeah, she really would like Rainbow Dash to be close with her. Rainbow begins telling her story, claiming that the woods they are in are haunted by the Headless Horse, which gallops only at night. I do believe this is the same story Twilight Sparkle told Rarity and Applejack when she had her first sleepover, so presumably Rainbow either learned it from her, it's a common tale, or Applejack or Rarity passed it on. I'd like to think Rainbow had a slumber party with Twilight and heard it from her herself, 'cause it would be cute.

 Applejack interrupts, asking if the horse doesn't have a head, how can it see where it's going. Rainbow is annoyed, saying it's headless, not brainless. Uh, you probably should have stayed in school, Rainbow. 

Applejack calls her on it and Rainbow ignores her, continuing with the story which involves the Headless Horse seeking out little lost ponies. There's also some pretty cool looking shots of Rainbow in the dark in front of the moon.

The story concludes with 'and they were never heard from again!' The Crusaders are all freaked, but Apple Bloom and Sweetie have their big sisters for support and comfort. 

 

Bed time is implied and Scootaloo panics, saying they haven't had any campfire songs yet to buy herself some more time. Sweetie Belle is eager and smacks Rainbow off of the rock she was posing on.

 Sweetie belts out '99 buckets of oat on the wall' and the others start to doze off, with only Sweetie and Scootaloo staying awake until the end, although Scootaloo almost falls asleep regardless. Sweetie Belle bellows out the final verse and wakes them all, then falls asleep herself, and they head into the cave. 

 

Scootaloo asks for another song, then wants to do a dance contest or play hide and seek.

Applejack asks if there's some reason Scootaloo doesn't want to go to sleep.

Scootaloo says she just loves camping so much and spending time with Rainbow that she doesn't want to waste a single minute for sleep. Rainbow says that's cool and all, but she needs to sleep, and pops corks into her ears before rolling over, leaving Scootaloo as last pony awake again.

Scootaloo laments that it isn't fair, she's falling asleep.

Poor Scootaloo finds herself back in that same nightmare forest and hears approaching hoof steps.

 She panics and runs, screaming that it's the Headless Horse and if it catches her she won't be heard from again. She says she wants to be heard from. :( She falls off an embankment and the Headless Horse is not far behind. It rears up against the moon.

 Sucks to be you, Headless Horse, you've just activated Luna's trap card!

 Luna appears and just straight up vaporizes the Headless Horse with her magic.

 She greets Scootaloo, who says she thought Luna was the Headless Horse. Luna says Scootaloo was mistaken, but she hopes not disappointed.

 Scootaloo says Princess Luna is way better than the Headless Horse and asks why she is there. Luna explains that as the Princess of the Night, it is her duty to 'come into your dreams.'

Scootaloo is confused that she is in a dream, that it feels so real. Luna assures her it is just a dream, but that the thing Scootaloo fears the most will still be there when she awakens. Scootaloo asks if it's the Headless Horse, Luna counters by asking if that is really what Scootaloo fears most.

Scootaloo admits she is afraid that Rainbow Dash will find out she's not as tough as Rainbow thinks.

Luna tells her that everypony has fears, and that they must be faced or the nightmares will continue. The dream starts to collapse and Luna seems a little concerned for her own safety, perhaps she can be harmed in the nightmares? She tells Scootaloo, "Face your fears!" as she departs.

Scootaloo wakes up, relieved it was just a dream. She hears the dripping water and starts to panic, then hears Rainbow's snoring and thinks it's the wicked whinny of the Headless Horse. She busts out her scooter and helmet and takes off.

Scootaloo tears off through the woods, thinking about the Headless Horse. She states that it doesn't have a head, therefore doesn't have a mouth, thus it can't be a 'horse-eat-pony' kind of horse, but is still a horse without a head which gives her reason to be afraid.

She ends up crashing and falls into a chasm over a river. She grabs onto a branch, but it snaps and sends her plummeting into the water. Poor Scootaloo! :(

The current drags her towards a waterfall and she screams as she goes over the fall. Rainbow Dash comes darting out of the night and rescues her.

 They land and Rainbow demands to know what she was doing out in the middle of the night.

Scootaloo is in tears and behind Rainbow she sees the moon, which Luna appears on. She tells Scootaloo it is time to face her real fear.

Still crying, Scootaloo steels herself and confesses to Rainbow Dash, telling her how she wanted to impress her so she'd take her under her wing and teach her everything she knows, become like her big sister. Then she got scared by the stories, thought she heard the headless horse, and ran out there by herself, and Rainbow knows the rest.

 Rainbow tells Scootaloo a secret: She was scared of those stories the first time she heard them too. She then says she got over it pretty quick, because if there a Headless Horse, she could take it on.

She then remarks about Scootaloo wanting someone to taker her under her wing, and says she might be up for something like that. Aww..

 The next day, they have finally arrived at the Winsome Falls.

Sweetie Belle calls 'sister teams' (Scootaloo is right there, Sweetie, yeesh.) and issues a challenge to race to the falls.

Rainbow Dash says to Scootaloo, 'They think they can beat the two of us?" and they both are raring to go. Rainbow picks up Scootaloo and flies with her through the air and around the falls.

 

Scootaloo appears to be dreaming again, and the olden pony emerges from a tree in search of her rusty horseshoe. Scootaloo is frightened, but Rainbow Dash appears and throws the horseshoe to her. The olden pony thanks her and tells her to have a nice day. Luna giggles and appears in the woods and winks at Scootaloo, who smiles back at her within Rainbow's embrace as the episode ends.

Aww, sweet dreams, Scootaloo.

 What I learned from this episode:

• So, Luna has dream-based powers, which is pretty cool. This opens up a whole new realm for what she was able to do as Nightmare Moon while banished. Since there are stories about her, enough for them to make a holiday about her eating ponies, presumably she was able to haunt their nightmares while banished.
• Scootaloo - definitely my favorite out of the Crusaders. She's had a lot of good scenes in the split-focus and other Crusader-focused episodes, this episode where she was finally the focus did not disappoint. She was obviously wanting a big sister like her friends have, and it looks like she got one, and it's her personal hero to boot.
• Rarity was being a real piece of work in the episode. No wonder Marse Rarity uses Spike as a pincushion or doesn't care if she stomps on his tail if she doesn't mind making her own little sister or another little filly pony drag a heavy wagon around.