Look Before You Sleep
(Credit to AkaiKamiRyu)
Actor's Input
[Rarity finishes reattaching a tree branch to its trunk. She tilts her head in contemplation for a few seconds]
Rarity: Hmm…
[She smiles and ignites her horn, transforming two clumps of leaves into topiaries of famous statues- one being The Thinker, and the other being the Statue of Liberty]
Director: Rarity! Stick to the script!
Rarity: But these topiaries are so much more-
Director: Shut up!
Rarity: I WILL NEVER APOLOGIZE FOR ART!
Hard Work Falls Off
[Rarity has just transformed two clumps of leaves on a branch into two small pony-shaped topiaries. She gives a satisfied nod. Suddenly, a lasso tightens around the branch]
Rarity: Huh? AAAAH! [The branch is pulled down on top of Rarity, knocking her to the ground]
Applejack: [cringes] Ooooh… Rarity? Are ya alive?
Rarity: I-I've been through worse…?
Director: Cut!
Stinging in the Rain
[Applejack and Rarity are glaring at each other whilst standing in the rain]
Applejack: Y'all just be on yer way, then.
Rarity: After you!
[The two mares slowly back away from each other until they are out of the camera's line of sight. A bright light flashes and a loud crashing sound is heard]
[Applejack and Rarity yelp, lunging forward to clutch hold of each other. However they wind up knocking their heads together]
Applejack and Rarity: [Various sounds of agony]
Director: Cut!
Bookshelf Bedlam
Take 1
[Twilight rushes over to one of her many bookshelves and levitates a rather large one down to her level. She then floats it over to Rarity]
Rarity: Fifty Sh- TWILIGHT! WRONG BOOKSHELF!
Twilight: [Gasps and hurriedly throws the book away, accidentally lobbing it through a window]
[Outside, a groan of agony is heard]
Applejack: GAH! What hit me?!
[beat]
Applejack: Twilight, what the Sam Hill is this?!
Rarity: I say we burn that wretched thing and roast marshmallows over it.
Take 2
[Twilight floats yet another book over to Rarity]
Rarity: [squints] World of Warcraft: Day of the Dragon…?
Pierre: THAT'S MINE! How'd it get on the set?
Twilight: [blushes guiltily]
Pierre: [sigh] Twilight, if you wanted to read this you could have just asked. I'll give it to you once I'm done, deal? Also, I'm surprised this isn't already in the library.
Twilight: So was I! By the way, we totally need to meet up and discuss the lore of the game.
Pierre: Absolutely!
Director: Can you two do this once we're done filming, please?
(Credit to Brandon Vortex)
Take 3
[Twilight floats a different book over to Rarity]
Rarity: Um… Twilight?
Director: Rarity, stick to the dang script!
Rarity: Twilight, why does this book say "My Tome of Fanfiction"?
Twilight: [snatches book back] It doesn't! Uh- Spike must have just, uh, given this the wrong label. Hey, where is Spike?
Director: He's got the day off.
Twilight: Oh… what a shame. [grits teeth] I'll just confront him for what he did the next time I see him.
[Off-set, Sunset Shimmer, Starlight Glimmer and Trixie hoof bump each other]
Hooves are Hazardous
[Applejack walks into the library after hosing the mud off her hooves. She looks over at Twilight and Rarity and gasps]
Applejack: What in tarnation?!
[Rarity is applying a mud mask to Twilight's face. Suddenly-]
Twilight: GYAH! MY EYE! [leaps back and covers her right eye with her hooves] Owowowow…
Rarity: [gasps] Twilight I'm sorry! [rushes over to help]
Director: Rarity, why don't you use your magic?
Rarity: Well you see, using magic is fine and all but if you want to smooth out the mud in an efficient and effective manner then using one's hooves-
Director: It was a rhetorical question.
Poor Technical Choices
[Twilight floats the slumber party guidebook over to Applejack]
Applejack: [reading] Slumber 101: Everything You- [cringes] Oh hey! Would ya look at the time! I gotta skedaddle on home quick. I'm powerful late for, uh, for somethin'. Uh, g'night!
[Applejack leaves. Suddenly the sound of lightning striking rings out followed by a distressed yell and a thud]
Director: Oh God!
Felicity the Special Effects Girl: [peers out of the effects booth] Oh dear! I didn't hurt her too badly did I?!
Pierre: [puts the back of his hand to Applejack's neck, feeling for her pulse] She's fine, but I think we should let her rest in her trailer.
Director: Good idea. Just don't drop her on the way there.
Pierre: Hey Fliss, you could have used a flash effect instead of lightning ya know?
Felicity: I know, but I just want everything to seem real for the kiddies.
Pierre: Well… at least you're committed.
(Credit to mlp girl 2002)
Costume Department Chaos
[Twilight, Rarity and Applejack all have curlers in their manes]
Rarity: [smirking] Soooo… how are you getting along over there, Applejack?
Applejack: [looking grumpy] Just fine, Rarity.
Twilight: This is so awesome! [giggles and makes a check mark in her book] Makeovers- check! [she then uses her magic to make the curlers disappear, however-]
Rarity: WHAT IS ON MY HEAD?!
Applejack: [looks up] Haha! Twilight, ya gave us all clown wigs? [pokes at the wig on her head]
Twilight: [also wearing one] Never let it be said that Twilight Sparkle had no sense of humor.
Rarity: GET IT OFF!
Squarey Stories
Rarity: It's the horrifying story of the messy, inconsiderate ghost who irritated everypony within a hundred miles! [she stands up on her hind legs and waves her forelegs in the air] OOOOO-AAAAAH! [suddenly she slips and falls backwards into a table, jostling it and knocking two plates of orange cubes and green rectangles over so that they tumble to the floor]
Director: CUT!
Rarity: Hehe… my apologies, everypony.
Pierre: Hey sir, what are those things on the plates anyway?
Director: [thoughtfully] They're… uh… well they're… minimalistic objects that are intentionally undetailed so that the audience can insert whatever they like into the scene?
Pierre: That's stupid. Wouldn't the audience like to see something on the tables that… I don't know… exists?
Director: No one will notice! Nobody ever notices things that are in the background! Now let's try that again!
(Author's Note: Seriously though, what ARE those things on the plates?!)
For The Kids!
Applejack: That's not a real story. You made it up.
Rarity: [Gets in Applejack's face] It is a ghost story, they're all made up.
[There is a flash of light and the set goes completely black, the only sound being the screams of three mares and a trio of loud thuds]
Felicity: Oops…
[When the lights come back on, Applejack, Rarity and Twilight are all laying on the ground and twitching]
Pierre: Fliss, what the heck?!
Felicity: I really was going to use the flash effect this time but… I guess my mind was still on lightning?
Director: Are you some kind of... electromaniac?
Felicity: No, of course not!
Twilight: I wish… there really was… a magical lightning rod… protecting my house…
Ponypastas
Take 1
Twilight: It was a dark and stormy night, just like this one. And three ponies were having a slumber party, just like this one...
[A flash of light conceals the ponies and when it clears, Twilight is finishing her story]
Twilight: Some say that he still roams that forest, going after anyone who dares seek the nine pages-
Director: Twilight, that's not the story! Do you know how much flak we'll get from parents when their kids try to find that story online?
Twilight: It was just a joke!
Take 2
Twilight: They turned around to see where the voice came from, and what they saw made them scream. Sitting on the bed… staring right at them… was a Sonic plushie, smiling, with bloodstains under its eyes!
Director: TWILIGHT!
Twilight: Haha! Sorry! I couldn't resist.
Pierre: Okay, that story was pretty entertaining actually. The ending line just makes me laugh though.
Director: Oh save it for your blog, Pierre!
Nightmare Shipping Fuel
Twilight Sparkle: ...and just when the last pony thought she was safe, there, standing right behind her, just inches away was… The Headless Horse!
[The lights flash and Twilight is suddenly on her hind legs with a sheet over her head]
[Applejack and Rarity scream and cling to each other; however they accidentally end up with their noses pressed together]
Pierre: Hah! Guys, this isn't that kind of sleepover!
Director: [Hits Pierre over the head with his megaphone]
Rarity: Heh. Sorry Applejack.
Applejack: No worries.
Twilight: [Obsessively scribbles in her Tome of Fanfiction with a huge grin]
S'more Pain for Applejack
Rarity: Then you place one marshmallow on the top of the chocolate, and be sure it's centered - that's critical - and then carefully put another perfectly square graham cracker on the top. And… done! Ta-da!
Twilight: Oooh!
Applejack: Now, ya just eat 'em. [She then stuffs the whole s'more into her mouth, munching loudly on the treat while Rarity looks on in exasperation]
[Applejack then starts violently choking]
Rarity: Applejack? Oh my! Applejack! Quick, we must help her!
Twilight: I've got this! [She stands on her hind legs and wraps her forelegs around Applejack's waist, pulling sharply inwards and upwards several times. Eventually, Applejack coughs up the s'more and collapses against Twilight]
Applejack: [breathing heavily] Thank you… Twilight…
Director: Wow Twilight! Where did you learn to do that?
Twilight: Everyone should know how to perform emergency procedures like that. Just in case!
Storm's a-blooping
Applejack: I dares you to step outside and let your precious, tidy mane get ruined again!
Rarity: [gasps in horror]
Twilight: You have to. It's the rule.
Applejack: Ha!
Rarity: Fine!
[Rarity steps out of the door and off the set]
Director: [gives a thumbs up towards the effects booth]
[A hatch in the ceiling can be heard opening up and a cascade of water falls down from it]
Rarity: [Braces herself]
[The water splashes down on the floor a couple of feet to Rarity's right]
Director: Cut!
Rarity: Sorry! I forgot where I was meant to stand.
Director: It's alright. We'll just mark an X on the ground where the water will fall down.
Pierre: He means I'll mark an X on the ground…
Applejack Always Dresses In Style
Applejack: I dare ya to enter the next rodeo when it comes to town.
Rarity: I dare you not to enter the next rodeo that comes to town.
Applejack: I dare ya to- [The cone-shaped hat on Applejack's head suddenly falls off, narrowly avoiding hitting Rarity in the face] Gosh darn it. Can't we strap this thing to my head somehow?
Rarity: Applejack, it's a hennin, not a party hat.
Applejack: Is that what they're called?
Pierre: Is it really? The script just calls it a "coney hat thing".
Earth Pony Disadvantages
Take 1
Twilight: [reading the slumber party guidebook] Hmm… what does this mean? Pillow fight?
Rarity: Oh, please. I am not at all interested in participating in something so… crude.
[Applejack throws a pillow at Rarity, but she aims slightly too far left and it smacks into the wall behind her]
Director: Cut.
Take 2
[Applejack tries to hit Rarity again, but it flies clean over Rarity's head]
Director: Cut!
Take 3
[She tries again but the pillow lands on the floor right in front of Rarity, sliding across to her hooves]
Director: CUT!
Take 4
[She tries again but releases the pillow from her mouth too early and it flies right into the camera]
Pierre: Hey! Watch the lenses!
Director: CUT! CUT! CUT!
Applejack: [going into a rant] Quit yellin' at me! You try throwing something with your teeth and see how good you are at it! It's pretty dang hard to line up your throws when the target's right down yer blind spot!
Director: Okay! Calm down! Let's just move on!
Reflex Check
Take 1
[Applejack throws a pillow in Rarity's face]
Rarity: [scowls] It. Is. ON!
[Rarity picks up a pillow and hurls it at Applejack. However, instead of letting it hit her, Applejack ducks and lets the pillow fly over her head]
Director: CUT! Applejack, you're supposed to get hit in the head!
Applejack: I know!
Director: Alright, let's do this again!
Take 2
[Rarity throws the pillow at Applejack and, once again, Applejack ducks just in time for the pillow to knock her hat off her head]
Director: Applejack, what the heck?!
Applejack: I'm sorry! When something flies at yer face ya duck! It's a reflex!
Pierre: Come on AJ, it can't be that hard to let yourself get hit.
Applejack: It is! You try! [Applejack picks the pillow up and flings it at Pierre. Since he's not expecting it, he gets hit right in the face]
Pierre: [stumbles backwards] Goddangit!
Director: Quit horsing around for celery's sake!
A Bad Day for Applejack
[Applejack has a few pillows tied up in her lasso and she is swinging them around high above her head. As she swings them around, one of the pillows comes loose and flies into a vase, knocking it to the floor and shattering it]
Applejack: Darnit! I must not have tightened the rope as much as I thought I had…
Director: That's coming out of your paycheck, AJ!
The Line of Fire
Take 1
Twilight: Ooooh I get it! Pillow. Figh-YAH! [she is hit in the head with a pillow before she can finish speaking the whole line]
Director: Wait till the entire line is out before hitting her, guys.
Take 2
Twilight: Ooooh I get i-ACK! [a pillow hits Twilight right in the mouth]
Take 3
Twilight: Pill-OW! [Is hit in the cheek]
Take 4
Twillight: Figh-AYIIIE! [A pillow hits her in the back of the head]
Take 5
Twilight: Fu- [a pillow suddenly becomes impaled on her horn] You two are doing this on purpose, aren't you?!
Applejack: Of course not!
Rarity: Why would I ever do such a thing?
[Rarity and Applejack smirk at each other]
Fluffy but Dangerous
[Twilight is laying beneath a few pillows, a bit dazed after being pummeled by her friends' fight. Feathers from the pillow are raining down upon her]
Twilight: Uh, girls… maybe we should take it down a- HURK~! [Twilight inhales one of the feathers and begins coughing] OH [cough] CELESTIA IT'S IN [cough] MY THROAT!
Director: CUT!
(Credit to GuardianAngel1234567)
Inevitable Almost-Intimacy
[Rarity and Applejack are laying in Twilight's guest bed, facing opposite directions]
Rarity: Keep your muddy hooves on your side of the bed.
Applejack: My hooves ain't muddy.
Rarity: [Turns over in bed] They were. There might still be a little on them.
Applejack: [Turns to face Rarity] There-uh! [Their muzzles accidentally bump and the two of them blush brightly at the suggestiveness of the situation]
Director: Cut! Guys, if you want something more mature to happen, wait until after the episode airs when the fanfiction comes pumping out.
Applejack: It was just an accident sir.
Pierre: Yeah, give 'em a break boss. No matter which way ya look at it, it's two angry girls sharing a bed. Suggestiveness was inevitable.
Director: [sigh] This was supposed to be a show for kids. Problems like this should not exist in our jobs, Pierre!
Harmless Cartoon Horse Show
Rarity: I have to make the bed again so the blanket will be right. Get up! [Rarity pushes Applejack out of the bed]
[Thud]
Applejack: YOW~!
Rarity: Applejack? Are you alright?
Applejack: Nng. I landed on my knee.
Pierre: [Cringe] Ooohh…
GERONIMO!
Take 1
[Rarity daintily slides into bed, letting out a peaceful sigh]
Applejack: Yeah, that's not gonna happen. GERONIMO! [She leaps high into the air, however instead of landing on the bed, she misses entirely and crashes back down to the floor with a loud thumping sound] DARN IT!
Pierre: AJ, stop doing that!
Applejack: What? Fallin' on the ground? I'd love to stop, really! [whimpers] I can't feel my leg anymore…
Take 2
Applejack: GERONIMO!
[She leaps above the bed this time, but rather than landing on her side, she instead lands on Rarity, resulting in agony all around]
Rarity: AAGH! EVERYTHING HURTS!
Applejack: Heh… sorry. [winces] At least you're soft enough to break my fall…?
[Rarity promptly shoves Applejack onto the floor again]
Really Not Applejack's Day
[Rarity and Applejack are playing tug-of-war with their blanket]
Applejack: Give it back!
Rarity: I will not!
Applejack: Yes, you will!
Rarity: Won't!
Applejack: Will!
Rarity: Won't!
Applejack: Wi-WHOA! [she accidentally lets go of the blanket and flies across the set]
Pierre: Oh God I can't watch anymore! [gets up and leaves]
Director: Hey! Get back here!
Applejack: Actually sir, I wouldn't mind a break…
Jinxing Hijinks
Twilight: I hope you're happy, both of you! You've ruined my very first slumber party! The makeover, the s'mores, Truth or Dare, the pillow fight! I mean, is there anything else that could possibly go wrong?!
[The lightning effect activates again, however instead of striking the tree next to the library, it strikes the library itself. All three ponies, naturally, end up shocked once again, falling to the floor and twitching]
Director: DAMNIT FELICITY!
Felicity: Sorry! I forgot to change where it was aimed!
Director: God, I hope she learns…
Tree to Get Ready
Take 1
[The tree begins to fall down. Rarity and Twilight cry out as it falls through the bedroom window. The two unicorns dive for cover, but Applejack is knocked off the ledge, dangling by her lasso.]
[The rope then snaps and Applejack plummets to the ground]
Pierre: [Yelps and covers his eyes]
Director: Cut!
Applejack: Ugh… surprisingly, this is the least painful thing to happen to me so far.
Take 2
(Credit to AkaiKamiRyu)
[The tree falls through the bedroom window, but this time Twilight is the only one to make it to safety. Rarity slips and falls on her tummy]
Applejack: Watch out! [Applejack abandons her rope and leaps towards Rarity, knocking the both of them out of the way of the tree… and right off the ledge and down to the library's bottom floor... and then they roll right out the door and completely off the set]
Director: CUT!
Pierre: I'm submitting this video to one of those stupid clip shows!
Tangling With Nature
[Applejack peers out from a mass of leaves to speak to Rarity]
Applejack: Rari-ow! [Applejack's mane gets caught in the tree's branches and twigs] Um…This might be a problem…
Ch-ch-ch-Chia!
[Rarity uses her magic to transform the leaves and branches of the tree into seven little topiaries in the shape of Buddha, the Venus de Milo, the Eiffel Tower, Mount Rushmore, the Pyramid of Giza, the Sphinx, and the London Eye]
Director: Rarity! What did I tell you earlier?!
Rarity: [sigh] Stick to the script…
Director: And what are you not doing?
Rarity: Sticking to the script…
Director: Exactly. Now let's do this again!
Applejack: Rarity, I have to ask. If you're so good at turning trees into miniature landmarks, then why don't ya quit this job and sell topiaries? I bet they'd be a hit!
Director: Applejack! Don't give her any ideas!
The Short End of the Stick
[Applejack is about to kick the final lump of wood out the window until she notices Rarity giving her a stern glare. Applejack slowly lowers her hooves to the ground and then picks up the log in her mouth instead. Suddenly-]
Applejack: YOW! [she drops the log]
Director: Applejack?
Applejack: [Galloping away from the set as fast as she can] TONGUE SPLINTER!
Pierre: [screams into his hands]
Deep Breaths; it's Almost Over
Rarity: [Looks over herself, disgusted at her mud-covered fur and mane] U-ugh. Oh, I look awful.
Applejack: [Thinks for a moment before coming up with an idea. She heads off-screen for a moment before backing back up to be in view of the camera again] Better?
Rarity: [Now with cucumbers over her eyes] Hmph, thanks. [Not being able to see, Rarity reaches out an arm, feeling around for Applejack. She finds her… by flicking her on the nose]
Applejack: [Eyes watering] GAH! Horseapples!
Director: CUT!
Pierre: [rubbing his temples] It's almost over… almost over…
The Return of Best Pony
[Applejack and Rarity are trying to guess what Twilight is thinking of]
Applejack: Is it... a six-legged pony with a purple polka-dotted mane and shootin' stars comin' out of its eyes?
Rarity: Who flies through the air all over the world to hide magic, sparkly eggs?
[Beat]
Twilight: [smiling weakly] That's it!
Rarity and Applejack: It is?
Twilight: No. Hehe… it's that. [Twilight points upwards, but instead of a telescope being on her shelf, there is something else]
Everyone: DERPY?!
Derpy: [shrugs] What? I haven't shown up in a while. [She turns and smiles at the camera]
Director: Cut!
Author's Note: I bet you didn't believe me when I said this would be out faster. Anyway, the next episode is Bridle Gossip, so send in any blooper requests you have via review or PM and I might be able to include them.
Mouse's Musings: This episode is strange one for me- mostly because of how my view of it has changed from when I first watched it to now. When I first saw this episode I didn't particularly like it, mostly because of Twilight. In fact, that opinion hasn't changed: Twilight is the worst thing about this episode. Why is she such a moron here?! "There's a tree in my bedroom? Le gasp! That's not in the book!" I swear I wanted to grab that book out of Twilight's grasp and smack her round the face with it! Another problem I used to have with this episode is that, at the time, I didn't really buy Applejack and Rarity's friendship. I still alternate between thinking their friendship was rushed and believing they could really come to terms with their differences that fast if they needed to.
I love the relationship between AJ and Rarity now. While it could be shown more often, we have seen that the two of them are currently very close in season seven, even going on trips to the spa together and trusting each other in important situations. However, there are also many issues with their relationship that have not gone away. Allow me to start from the beginning, at the end of 2013 when I first began watching the show, and this episode. I saw two ponies that had absolutely nothing in common aside from their friendship with Twilight, and this led me to believe that the two of them had no reason to be friends. I mean, if you put Rarity and Applejack alone together in an empty room, what would they actually discuss? Certainly not their jobs or interests, since neither is particularly interested in what the other has going on in their life. The only reason, at least in season one, that these two would have any reason to spend time together, is the aforementioned "Twilight is a mutual friend" point.
Now we're in season seven and there have been a lot of Rarity and Applejack episodes. I think more than any other pair of characters. We had this one in season 1, (arguably) Sisterhooves Social in season 2, Simple Ways and Trade Ya in season 4, Made in Manehattan in season 5, Applejack's Day Off in season 6, and Honest Apple in what we've seen of season 7. That's seven episodes, which doesn't sound like much, but compared to the amount of Applejack/Fluttershy episodes or Rarity/Rainbow Dash episodes we've had, it's an awful lot. I believe this is because AJ and Rarity are a pairing that's pretty easy to create a conflict for, what with their lack of similar interests, and that's why a lot of the show's first-time writers have written episodes where they clash. But by this point in the show's run, midway through 2017, I think the team-up has run out of steam.
But back to Look Before You Sleep, this episode also sparked a lot of shipping between Applejack and Rarity, and while I have grown to like the ship over time (heck, my favorite MLP fanfic has RariJack as a key side story and plot point, and to be honest, that story is what sold me on the ship) when I first heard of it, I didn't understand why people liked it. I mean, people love the "opposites attract" thing when it comes to shipping, but in real life, a relationship between two people who have entirely opposite interests would hardly ever last long. Disagreeing all the time on the core things you consider good or bad is really rough on a couple, and after enough time passes, the attraction will fade and the relationship will start to fall apart. But the ship has grown on me over time, and while it's not my favorite ship when it comes to those two characters (that honor goes to RariPie, Sparity and RaraJack) I don't mind the occasional RariJack binge-read.
At the end of the next chapter, expect me to explain a little more about the world in which my story takes place in, because for some reason I've been invested in making lore for a world I created for the sole purpose of letting people submit their requests for horse torment.