APPLEJACK:
G'night, Apple Bloom!

APPLE BLOOM:
Night, sis!

(APPLEJACK turns to leave but is stopped by APPLE BLOOM)

APPLE BLOOM:
Um…Applejack?

APPLEJACK:
Yeah?

APPLE BLOOM:
…Can y'all check my room for monsters?

APPLEJACK:
(sighs) Apple Bloom, you're too old for this kinda stuff. There ain't no monsters.

(APPLEJACK turns to leave again, but APPLE BLOOM grabs her by the tail)

APPLE BLOOM:
No, I swear, sis! There's monsters everywhere! They only just come out whenever y'all leave the room! They're all just waitin' to pounce on me! How'll you like it when y'all come back in the mornin' and find your little sister chewed up to bits by the monsters?

APPLEJACK:
Apple Bloom. Bed. Now.

(APPLEJACK turns to leave a third time, slightly irritated, but APPLE BLOOM stops her)

APPLE BLOOM:
No! All you grownups don't understand…

There's a creature in my closet
With eyes that glow like flames
With big sharp teeth and big sharp claws
He rips and kills and maims!

APPLEJACK:
I'm sure. Now will y'all just settle down and get to—

APPLE BLOOM:
And there's somethin' under the bed
With pointy horns he's dark and red
I swear one night I heard he said
He'll tear my flesh and eat my head!

(APPLE BLOOM puts on a justified look and APPLEJACK shudders slightly)

APPLEJACK:
Heh. That's a lot of hooey.

APPLE BLOOM:
No, it ain't! It's all true, cross my heart! And that's not even all of it, you wanna hear the rest?

APPLEJACK:
Not particularly.

(APPLEJACK starts to leave the room, but APPLE BLOOM stops her as she passes the toybox)

APPLE BLOOM:
Applejack! NO!

(APPLEJACK, startled, trips up on herself and slips, sprawling backwards while APPLE BLOOM continues)

APPLE BLOOM:
In that toybox there's an odd thing
That makes a funny noise
It squeaks and growls, it laughs so strange
It can't poss'bly be my toys!

(Suddenly a muffled maniacal laugh emanates from the toybox, causing APPLEJACK to jump up and yelp in surprise)

APPLEJACK:
Whoa nelly!

(The laugh stops after a moment or two, and APPLEJACK slowly nears the toybox, the music growing tense. APPLEJACK carefully reaches her hoof out and with a small flick throws open the toybox, cowering immediately. A jack-in-the-box pops out of the toybox and laughs maniacally. APPLEJACK looks up sheepishly, realizing she let her sister's talk fool her mind, and laughs nervously.)

APPLEJACK:
Why, it's just that old jack-in-the-box you had when you were little, Apple Bloom! It's probably broken, jus' listen to that thing cackle…

(Right after saying this APPLEJACK bucks the jack-in-the-box against the wall violently, smashing it, obviously miffed that she was so afraid of a child's toy.)

APPLE BLOOM:
Well, the way that the odd thing laughed sounded different than that old jack-in-the-box…

(APPLEJACK looks shocked for a second, but quickly recovers)

APPLEJACK:
Ya don't say? (puts on a sarcastic tone) Now, is there any other monster dwellin' places that I should look out for on my way out the door?

APPLE BLOOM:
Well, y'all might wanna watch out as you go by that window over there…

APPLEJACK:
Oh really? What's up with your window?

APPLE BLOOM:
Oh…well, I don't think y'all wanna hear about the window…

APPLEJACK:
Why not?

APPLE BLOOM:
The window, well, it ain't as nice as the closet creature or the bed monster…

(APPLEJACK is obviously growing more curious and more worried as she pries on APPLE BLOOM)

APPLEJACK:
Tell me.

APPLE BLOOM:
Well…

APPLEJACK:
Tell me!

APPLE BLOOM:
I…I don't know…

APPLEJACK:
Just tell me, Apple Bloom! I'm your big sister, for pony's sake!

(APPLE BLOOM, realizing that she won't be able to put up a fight, takes a breath)

APPLE BLOOM:
Look through my window at night
And what you'll see gives you a fright
A pony with his face all white
And gleaming eyes that glare so bright

He tries to open my window
But I'm so glad he doesn't know
That every night before you go
You lock the window so, just so

(APPLEJACK is obviously now worried, and shows it in her tone of voice, which goes a bit hoarse)

APPLEJACK:
Y-you mean that…every night y'all have been seein' a creepy pony tryin' to open your window?

APPLE BLOOM:
Eeyup!

(APPLEJACK, realizing that APPLE BLOOM could be lying, frowns and leans closer in towards her sister.)

APPLEJACK:
Apple Bloom, are you tellin' falsehoods?

APPLE BLOOM:
Eenope!

APPLEJACK:
W-well, how come you never said anythin' about it to me o-o-or Big Macintosh?!

APPLE BLOOM:
Y'all keep sayin' I'm too old for monsters!

APPLEJACK:
Well this is different! You could be in danger!

(APPLE BLOOM's eyes go wide and she gasps, pointing to the window. APPLEJACK turns, her eyes also going wide in fear, and she steps in front of her sister protectively. What looks vaguely like a white face swaying in the wind can be seen from the window. APPLEJACK cringes and hides her face, but then looks up, frowns, and steps closer to the window to get a closer look.)

APPLEJACK:
Now wait just a minute…that's no creepy pony tryin' to break into your bedroom, that's just that kite Rainbow Dash lost last week! It must have ended up in that there tree that's swayin' back and forth—see? All this rain we've been havin' musta washed the colors clean off, 'cept for those two little spots y'all called "gleamin' eyes"…

APPLE BLOOM:
Well, I can see clear as anythin' that that's a kite! What I saw was different!

(APPLEJACK seems to be a little tired of being frightened out of her wits and gives APPLE BLOOM a worn-out, skeptical look.)

APPLEJACK:
Monsters or not, y'all just go to sleep… Nothin' can hurt ya, I promise.

APPLE BLOOM:
B-but Applejack! The monsters…

(APPLEJACK, now having had the most she can take with the "monsters", turns on APPLE BLOOM angrily.)

APPLEJACK:
Now listen here, Apple Bloom! There ain't no monsters, all right?! Time to stop bein' such a baby, and time to get to sleep! Which is ALL I wanna do, but you're keepin' me from it! Why can't y'all be sensible and reasonable and get that there aren't any monsters or creatures or odd things or creepy ponies waiting to pounce on you?!

APPLE BLOOM:
(looks a little taken aback) I…I just wanna be safe…

(APPLEJACK's look softens and she sighs in defeat)

APPLEJACK:
All right, sugarplum. I'll stay with you all night.

APPLE BLOOM:
Ya will?

APPLEJACK:
Truly honestly. I'll make sure no monsters hurt my baby sister.

(APPLEJACK chuckles and gives APPLE BLOOM a kiss on the forehead)

APPLE BLOOM:
Monsters can be scary
But my sister can be tough
I know she's takin' care of me,
And really that's enough!

APPLEJACK:
Heh. Thanks, Apple Bloom…

APPLE BLOOM:
(yawns sleepily) No problem, sis…after all, those monsters can be scary, but when you're angry, it's like a volcano erupts or somethin'…

APPLEJACK:
Apple Bloom! Y'all take that back!

APPLE BLOOM:
G'night sis…I think y'all should get some sleep.

APPLEJACK:
But—why—you—heh. You're right…Night, Apple Bloom.

(APPLEJACK blows out the light and the lights fade. A faint shadow of the maniacal laugh is heard again.)