Abridged Edition

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First e-book edition: December 2013

eISBN (9780316286374)

Book design by Charles Kreloff
Case art by Ross Stewart.
Jacket design by Steve Scott.

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Snider, Brandon T.
My little pony : the elements of harmony : friendship is magic : the
official guidebook / by Brandon T. Snider. — First edition.
pages cm.
ISBN 978-0-316-24754-2
1. My little pony, friendship is magic (Television program)—Juvenile
literature. I. Title.
PN1992.77.M87S65 2013
791.45’72—dc23
2013000609

In the magical land of Equestria,

there were two regal sisters who ruled together
and created harmony for all the land.

To do this, the eldest used her Unicorn powers
to raise the sun at dawn.

The younger brought out the moon to begin the night.

Thus, the two sisters maintained balance for their kingdom
and their subjects, all the different types of ponies.

But as time went on, the younger sister became resentful. The
ponies relished and played in the day her elder sister brought forth

but shunned and slept through her beautiful night.

One fateful day, the younger Unicorn refused to
lower the moon to make way for the dawn.

The elder sister tried to reason with her,

but the bitterness in the young one’s heart had transformed
her into a wicked mare of darkness, Nightmare Moon.

She vowed that she would shroud the land in eternal night.

Reluctantly, the elder sister harnessed the most powerful
magic known to ponydom: the Elements of Harmony!

Using the magic of the Elements of Harmony, she defeated her
younger sister and banished her permanently in the moon.

The elder sister took on responsibility for both sun and moon, and
harmony has been maintained in Equestria for generations since.

Contents

Abridged Edition

A Few Words of Introduction...
by Jayson Thiessen and Meghan McCarthy

Why My Little Pony?
A foreword by Lauren Faust

1. My Little Ponies
Who’s who among ponies in Equestria, featuring some early preproduction artwork

2. Cutie Mark Crusaders
Meet the youngest ponies and discover the special power of the cutie mark

3. Fellow Equestrians and Animal Friends
A roll call of other Equestrian residents of all shapes and sizes

4. The Dark Side
Meet some characters who aren’t so friendly and read what the creators
have to say about them

5. The Elements of Harmony
A history of the most powerful magic known in Ponyville

6. The Magical World of Equestria
A map of the land and details on the different regions

7. An Interview with Lauren Faust

8. The Musical Pony
Complete song lyrics from the show, plus a few words from the show creators

9. Friendship Fanatics
An overview of the fandom, the appeal for fans of all ages,
and a few words from the show creators

Friendship.
It is something everyone needs in his or her life, but you have to make it happen—plant a seed, nurture it, grow it, maintain it, and keep it alive. Then, if we accept each other wholeheartedly and maintain harmony between us, that friendship is magic!
At least it is according to colorful, pretty ponies in a sparkly world of rainbows and cupcakes.
Somehow, the simple notion of these ponies making friends and being kind, loyal, honest, generous, and fun with one another sparked a huge following of people of all ages and genders around the world. But how did it happen? How did a children’s cartoon geared toward little girls gain such a huge fandom?
This question has been answered many times in different ways, and if you ask me, friendship may be magic in Equestria, but in our world, storytelling is magic.
People love great stories, and I think that’s the key to what makes this cartoon about little ponies so captivating to so many. Storytelling is about emotion: the feelings that the audience has toward the characters, the world, the situation, and the stakes.
This feeling doesn’t come from the story itself; it’s from how the story is told.
That’s where I think My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic stands out. The combination of the writing, voices, design, storyboards, music and sound, animation, and timing—it’s all designed to create a poignant feeling, one that you walk away with and stays with you all day.
A magical feeling.
Like friendship.

—Jayson Thiessen, supervising director

When Lauren Faust first approached me about writing for
My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, I had been on a bit
of a creative hiatus. I had two small children and was still navigating the murky waters of motherhood. After ten years in the entertainment industry, I was trying to figure out which direction to steer my writing career, and, to be honest, I was struggling to find the right path. So when Lauren asked if I’d be interested in writing a few episodes, I jumped at the chance. I knew the show would be good, as I knew how dedicated Lauren was to the project and how important it was for her to create a show that featured strong female protagonists. But what I didn’t realize was how much it was going to challenge me creatively and how satisfied I would be with the end result.
Ask any of the writers why they love working on My Little Pony and
they will tell you how refreshing it is to tell stories that really mean something. We all feel like we are working on a project that isn’t just entertaining but contributes something positive to the world. No matter your age or gender, it is important to be reminded every now and then that honesty, generosity, laughter, kindness, loyalty, and friendship are the keys to a happy and fulfilling life. My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic seeks to do just that—in a hilarious, music-filled, jaw-droppingly well-animated way.
I feel honored to work on the show and humbled by the support we’ve received from fans all over the world. If the show is half as fun for the viewers to watch as it is for us to make, then we are clearly doing something right.

—Meghan McCarthy, story editor

A foreword by Lauren Faust

Rainbows, unicorns, fairy tales, hearts, stars, cupcakes, and, of course, pretty pastel ponies. Many people look at these things and roll their eyes. They can’t imagine there could be anything more to such things beyond what they appear to be. But not little girls. They know something that we do not.
As adults, we observe that girls like these things. We absorb the information that this “frilly pink silliness” resonates with them, but we don’t understand why. So when we interact with them, we try to give girls a slightly polished version of the so-called silliness our outsider eyes think they see. But when we present them with this inadequate interpretation, we sadly risk slowly convincing girls that our shallow representation is what they are actually imagining, and that the ideas in their heads are not as awesome and amazing as they actually are. If we are not careful, they will adopt our dismissive attitude that all this magic is merely “frilly pink silliness.”
To truly understand, we adults must go inside ourselves and
remember the time before the grown-ups told us these things were not worthwhile. That child is in there somewhere, and she believes unicorns are noble beasts that bring beauty to the world. She believes magical creatures are lovely and terrifying and the world they live in is one of wonder that has no bounds. She believes fairy dust is a powerful substance—what else in the world can so easily bring you your greatest desires? She believes the smallest, most helpless creatures can be your strongest support group if shown enough love. She believes something as simple as a cupcake can bring

two people together in the bonds of friendship and a giggle is a welcome
mat or a warm handshake.
We cannot belittle this. To a little girl…This. Stuff. Is. SERIOUS.
To her, magic is not frivolous and silly; it is huge, and it is glorious.
It is real. In her mind, it’s something that not only garners wonder
and awe but also respect. She knows magic can give us everything we
ever hoped for, if only we give it the reverence it deserves.
If we give little girls a respectful interpretation of the things
they like—if we dare to take it as seriously as they do—we will see for
ourselves that it’s not so silly at all. We can truly appreciate the merit
they see in it. And, amazingly, we can enjoy it ourselves.
That child is in there, in each of us. And it’s not so hard to find her if
we just open our minds to magic.

My Little Pony concept
art by Lauren Faust

“Building a
universe is a whole lot of fun,
but sometimes very challenging. In
the early days of [the show] we would
often have big conceptual discussions … ‘do
the ponies sleep in beds or stalls?’ or ‘if there
are no humans in this world, why would anyone
wear a saddle?’”
—Robert Fewkes, Hasbro Studios

“In her show bible, Lauren Faust really mapped out
the characteristics of the six main ponies. As we
wrote, characters developed, as they always do,
but their core characteristics were already
established by Lauren, giving us fantastic
groundwork to build upon.”
—Amy Keating Rogers,
writer

TWILIGHT SPARKLE has a love of
learning unmatched in Equestria.
She is a natural leader, a patient
friend, an obsessive organizer,
and an avid reader. Her home in
Ponyville is above the Golden Oak
Library, where she also serves as
librarian, assisted by Spike and
her pet owl, Owlowiscious. Of
the six Elements of Harmony, she
represents the Element of Magic. As
a young filly in Canterlot, she was
chosen by Princess Celestia to study the highest form of magic as the
princess’s apprentice. Seeing Twilight value knowledge over friends,
the princess sent Twilight to Ponyville to learn the magical properties
of friendship. Because Twilight not only mastered magic but also
created magic of her own through such friendship, she has been
bestowed with wings and the title PRINCESS TWILIGHT.

“In ‘Lesson
Zero,’ Twilight has
a meltdown over a looming
deadline. My husband can attest to
the fact that I have a lot of personal
experience with this.”
— Meghan McCarthy,
story editor

Character concept art
by Lauren Faust

Under orders from Princess Celestia,
SPIKE THE DRAGON joined Twilight
Sparkle in relocating from Canterlot to
Ponyville. Twilight endearingly calls
Spike her “number one assistant” for his
extreme loyalty and ability to recognize
when Twilight needs help. He has an
incurable crush on Rarity, an insatiable
appetite for sparkly
gems, and the
uniquely
comical
ability to messenger letters via his
fiery dragon breath. Spike was found
orphaned as an egg, and his origins
remain a mystery.

“The fact that Spike
sometimes feels like
an outsider is a great place
from which to mine stories.
He’s trying to figure out who he
is. What beyond being Twilight’s
assistant is his role in this world?
I think he really reflects how
everybody feels at some point
in their life.”
— Meghan McCarthy,
story editor

Ponyville library development
art by Dave Dunnet and Martin
Ansolabehere

Giggly, playful, and super girly, it’s not
unusual to find PINKIE PIE prancing
and skipping blissfully through the
streets of Ponyville. The silliest pony
around, Pinkie Pie has a desire to entertain
that makes her the most likely source for
humor. She is a free spirit, often acting on
her whims and following her heart. You
would never guess she grew up on a dreary
rock farm. Eager to amuse her friends and
make everyone happy, Pinkie Pie will find
any excuse to throw a party. She loves
eating sweets and baking them so
much that she is often found at
the Sweet Shoppe in Sugarcube
Corner, where she works,
and lives in the apartment
upstairs.

“In ‘The Last
Roundup,’ Pinkie
had to annoy Applejack by
blabbering on and on. I had come
to that part of the scene and had no
idea what Pinkie was going to say. But
then as I was drifting off to sleep that night,
I was thinking about the fact that Applejack
and Pinkie were in a cherry orchard. Knowing
Pinkie, she would be inspired by the cherries.
Suddenly the words chimi-cherry, cherry-
changa, and chimi-cherry-changa entered
my brain. I jumped out of bed and quickly
wrote those words down before I forgot.
The next day, Pinkie was babbling about
chimi-cherry-changas, pickle barrels,
and kumquats and really getting on
Applejack’s nerves.”
— Amy Keating Rogers,
writer

Character concept art
by Lauren Faust

RAINBOW DASH has one great all-consuming passion in life: to
fly—FAST!!! Anypony who has ever seen this rainbow-haired Pegasus
from Cloudsdale in the air has been in awe of her speed, agility,
and confidence. Even in her youth, Rainbow was a fantastic flier,
achieving what no other Pegasus had before: the Sonic Rainboom—a
rainbow that shot out behind her like a jet stream! When any problem,
big or small, arises, this aspiring Wonderbolt is the first to volunteer to
save the day. Despite the mischief she causes, her friends are happy to
have her around when
danger is a-brewing, as
Rainbow Dash proves
time and time again
that she is a true hero
and a true friend.

“I personally enjoy working with
Rainbow Dash as a character. She’s fun, sassy,
and excellent for using in action scenes!”
—Jim Miller, storyboard supervisor

Character concept art
by Lauren Faust

RARITY could possibly be the most beautiful Unicorn you’ve
ever seen, and she works hard to keep it that way—but she wants
everypony to be beautiful, too! She uses her eye for detail, her
creativity, and her Unicorn powers to find gems and
make things sparkle! Her gorgeous designs are
displayed at Ponyville’s newest fashion salon,
the Carousel Boutique. Rarity sees tremendous
potential in her friends and always offers
them makeovers or beautiful new
clothes of her own design.
Rarity’s generous nature
inspires her to make her
friends as beautiful on the
outside as she knows they
are on the inside. Though
she may seem entitled
and prissy, Rarity has a
heart as pure as gold.

“It’s
really easy
to label [Rarity] as
emotional, superficial, and
materialistic, but she’s one of
the more complex characters on
the show…. She’ll pine for the
attention of a prince, but
drop everything to help
out a friend in need.”
—Brian Lenard,
Hasbro Studios

Character concept art
by Lauren Faust

APPLEJACK is Ponyville’s resident farm gal! She
lives just outside town at Sweet Apple Acres with
her family. Applejack has come to be known as the
most down-to-earth, resourceful, and dependable
pony around. A talented arboriculturist, Applejack
is the kind of pony who ain’t afraid to get her
hooves dirty. This hardworking Earth Pony is
family-oriented and always ready to help Granny
Smith or her little sister, Apple Bloom. Incredibly
honest, Applejack would never stoop to telling
a lie. However, her honesty and practicality keeps her from being as
sensitive to others’ feelings as she could be, despite her best intentions.
Although Applejack can be a bit set in her ways, her friends know they
can always count on this trustworthy pony to come through for them
when they need her most.

“My favorite [friendship] lesson is from
[the episode] ‘The Super Speedy Cider Squeezy
6000,’ when Applejack writes to Celestia to tell her
she didn’t learn anything! Not exactly a ‘true’ lesson,
but one of the funnier ones!”
—Jim Miller, storyboard supervisor

Character concept art
by Lauren Faust

FLUTTERSHY is a natural beauty with
gentle, serene ways. Despite her shy and
unassuming nature, Fluttershy has a unique
gift with animals. Her sweetness and
sincerity can charm every animal, from
tiny woodland creatures to the most
powerful of mythical beasts, making
her a valuable asset to her friends in
all their adventures. Although she’s
afraid of heights (very embarrassing for
a Pegasus) and shies away at the slightest
sound, Fluttershy has no problem
confronting grumpy manticores or
scolding greedy dragons. While she
lacks confidence, she has an inner
strength that comes out when others
are in trouble. Fluttershy has a lot of fears to overcome, but one day
her strength of character and enormous heart will make her a force to
be reckoned with.

“I think Fluttershy has shown a
lot of growth. She is constantly struggling
against her shy nature. And she’s really making
strides. She’s confronted dragons, she’s stood up to
ponies who try to step all over her, and she’s braved
making a tornado. This is quite a lot for a pony who
would rather just be having a picnic with woodland
creatures.”
—Amy Keating Rogers, writer

Character concept art
by Lauren Faust

PRINCESS CELESTIA is the wise and kind ruler of
Equestria. Governing her subjects from her castle
in Canterlot, she emanates a commanding presence
with both a Unicorn’s horn and magnificent
Pegasus wings. Princess Celestia is
profoundly magical, and some say she is
more than one thousand years old. With
the help of her sister,
Princess Luna, she
makes sure the sun
and moon rise and
set each day.

Canterlot development art by Dave
Dunnet and Martin Ansolabehere

Princess Celestia’s younger sister, PRINCESS LUNA, has a history of
difficulty living in her older sister’s shadow. So difficult, in fact, her
jealousy turned her into the villain Nightmare Moon! Fortunately,
Luna was reformed and her heart softened by the ancient and
powerful Elements of Harmony. Luna and Celestia have forgiven each
other and are loving sisters
once again, but Luna still
has trouble adjusting to
modern Equestrian life
after her thousand-year-
long banishment in the
moon. Still speaking with
ancient formality and finding
it hard to move beyond her once
fearsome image, she may struggle,
but her intentions are pure and she is
certain to find the happiness she seeks
one day soon.

Development art by
Lynne Naylor. Note that Luna’s
original name was Selena.

PRINCESS CADANCE is the ruler of the Crystal
Empire. She is the former apprentice of Princess
Celestia, who practically adopted her
as a niece. Her love has a magical
quality that combines with the
magic of her husband, Shining
Armor, to make them nearly
unstoppable. She was the
foal-sitter of a very young
Twilight Sparkle, and the
two remain great friends. They
even have a secret hoof-shake. Her wedding day was nearly
ruined by an evil imposter, but the love between Cadance and Shining
Armor conquered all. Cadance is now happy to grace the Crystal
Empire with her kind spirit, potent magic, and unselfish nature. Her
full name is Princess Mi Amore Cadenza.

Featured in “A Canterlot Wedding, Parts 1 & 2,” “The
Crystal Empire, Parts 1 & 2,” “Games Ponies Play.”

SHINING ARMOR is the Unicorn captain
of the Canterlot Royal Guard as well as the
coleader of the Crystal Empire alongside his
wife, Princess Cadance. He’s also Twilight
Sparkle’s protective older brother, whom
she affectionately calls her “BBBFF” (Big
Brother Best Friend Forever).

Featured in “A Canterlot Wedding, Parts 1 & 2,”
“The Crystal Empire, Parts 1 & 2,” “Magical
Mystery Cure.”

Ponyville Ponies

GRANNY SMITH is the wise matriarch of the Apple
family and loves to tell a tale or two about the days of
yore. Her memory may be fuzzy, but Granny’s wit is
as sharp as a tack. She was even one of the founders
of Ponyville!

BIG MCINTOSH, also known as Big Mac, is
the protective older brother of both Applejack
and Apple Bloom. The soft-spoken colt
generally doesn’t have much to say, but he’s
always keeping an eye
on his family.

If you’re visiting Appleloosa, you’re likely to be
welcomed by BRAEBURN.

Featured in “Over a Barrel,” “Apple Family Reunion.”

The extended APPLE FAMILY TREE also
includes Aunt and Uncle Orange, Apple
Bumpkin, Apple Cider, Apple Cobbler, Apple Fritter, Apple Pie, Apple
Strudel, Apple Tart, Buttercream, Caramel Apple, Golden Delicious,
and many others!

Featured in “Apple Family Reunion.”
See Apple Bloom and Babs Seed.

THE CAKE FAMILY are the
proud owners of Sugarcube
Corner, Ponyville’s most
delicious bakery. The
store is run by the kindly
MR. CARROT CAKE and his wife, MRS. CUP CAKE, who make
the tastiest sweets for every occasion. Pinkie Pie loves working
in the bakery and often watches over the Cakes’ twin foals,
POUND CAKE and PUMPKIN CAKE.

As the mayor of Ponyville, MAYOR MARE is
always prepared to do whatever it takes to
help her people.

Featured in “Applebuck Season,” “Winter Wrap Up,” “The
Mysterious Mare Do Well,” “The Last Roundup,” “Magic Duel.”

CHEERILEE loves being a teacher at the
Ponyville Schoolhouse.

Featured in “The Show Stoppers,” “Call of the Cutie,”
“Hearts and Hooves Day,” “Ponyville Confidential,”
“Family Appreciation Day.”

Foal concept art
by Lauren Faust

FILTHY RICH and his wealthy family date back to the
very founding of Ponyville. His daughter is Diamond Tiara.

Featured in “Family Appreciation Day.”

DR. HOOVES

ACE

DAISY,
LILY VALLEY,
and ROSE

NURSE REDHEART
and DOCTOR

LOTUS
BLOSSOM

LYRA
HEARTSTRINGS

SWEETIE
DROPS

BLOSSOMFORTH

SMARTY PANTS

GOLDEN
HARVEST

MINUETTE

MADAME LEFLOUR,
ROCKY, and
SIR LINTSALOT

MARKET
SALESPONY

BOWLER
PONIES

Canterlot Ponies

As Canterlot’s resident fashion guru, HOITY TOITY’s
been known to harshly critique the works of others,
especially Rarity, who longs for his approval.

Featured in “Suited for Success,” “Green Isn’t Your Color,”
“Sweet and Elite.”

PHOTO FINISH catches all the hot looks as
Equestria’s top fashion photographer. This
trendsetter keeps an army of impressionable
attendants with her at all times.

Featured in “Green Isn’t Your Color,”
“Sweet and Elite.”

SAPPHIRE SHORES is known for her music
throughout Equestria as the Pony of Pop. The
fashion-forward celebrity has a taste for Rarity’s
jeweled creations.

Featured in “A Dog and Pony Show,” “Sweet and Elite.”

FANCYPANTS is a high-society Unicorn who
is fascinated with lower-class ponies, who he treats as
novelties, though he claims no ill will toward them.

Featured in “Sweet and Elite,” “A Canterlot Wedding, Part 2”
“Too Many Pinkie Pies.”

JET SET and his wife, UPPER CRUST, are
Equestria’s trendiest married couple. They
have a taste for the extravagant and can be
unapologetically snobbish about it.

Featured in “Sweet and Elite.”

When a party needs the hottest music in Equestria,
there’s only one pony to call: DJ PON-3!

Featured in “Suited for Success,” “A Canterlot Wedding, Part 2.”

PRINCE BLUEBLOOD may
be of a noble background, but
he’s also quite vain, which is
no doubt why Rarity once had a crush on him.

Featured in “The Ticket Master,” “The Best Night Ever,”
“Sweet and Elite.”

OCTAVIA

Canterlot
preproduction art

Cloudsdale Ponies

THE WONDERBOLTS are an elite squad of
Pegasus ponies who perform amazing aerial
feats of derring-do at competitions across
the lands of Equestria. SPITFIRE is team
captain and a spirited competitor. SOARIN
loves blazing a trail through the clouds—but
only when he’s not chowing down on one
of Applejack’s pies. Other team members
include Blaze, Fire Streak, Fleetfoot, High
Winds, Lightning Streak, Misty Fly, Rapidfire,
Silver Lining, Surprise, and Wave Chill.

Featured in “Sonic Rainboom,” “The Best Night Ever,”
“Wonderbolt Academy.”

FLITTER, STORMWALKER, THUNDERLANE, and LIGHTNING DUST

Featured in “Hurricane Fluttershy.”

MUSCLE PONY

BOY BULLIES

Cloudsdale
preproduction art

“My cutie mark would
be a typewriter as, hopefully,
it is clear that my special talent
is writing. I’d go for a typewriter
instead of the laptop I really use to do
my writing since it is more fitting for the
not-quite-as-technologically-advanced
world of Equestria.”
— Meghan McCarthy,
story editor

“Someone
designed a cutie
mark for me a while
back. It’s a piano
keyboard with a large red
musical note in front of
it. I quite like it!”
—Daniel Ingram,
song composer

Apple Bloom, Scootaloo, and Sweetie Belle
hoped that by trying a bunch of different
things together, they’d get their cutie marks
lickety-split! So the three friends formed a
secret club called the Cutie Mark Crusaders,
whose members were dedicated to trying
as many things as possible. Although the
fillies have tried many diverse activities,
like baking and magic, their cutie
marks have yet to reveal themselves.
Unfortunately, some intolerant ponies
have mocked the young trio for not being
able to find their proper vocations yet. Thankfully, wise ponies such as
Princess Celestia have encouraged the girls to not lose hope and to keep
experiencing as many things as possible.

SWEETIE BELLE is a sweet-natured and sometimes
spacey Cutie Mark Crusader with big dreams. Her quest
for her cutie mark is not her only goal in life: Sweetie
Belle longs for the praise and acceptance of her older sister,
Rarity. Sweetie Belle has a blossoming talent for singing.

APPLE BLOOM is Applejack’s little filly sister, and like
her name suggests, she is full of potential but has a lot
of growing to do. Although she is the leader of the Cutie
Mark Crusaders, Apple Bloom truly has no idea what she
is meant to do or who she is meant to be. As the “head
crusader,” she comes up with most of their (unsuccessful)
cutie mark missions and spearheads their many (failed)
efforts.

“My favorite story [in ‘The Cutie Mark
Chronicles’] is Pinkie Pie’s. Playing against type is
always fun, so having the most ebullient pony grow up on a dour,
gray rock farm seemed like the right choice. It also provides a nice
subtext to who Pinkie is. She has a soft spot in her heart for the ol’ rock
farm and loves her family, but at her core (or, at her cutie mark),
she is totally different from this upbringing.”
—Mitch Larson, writer

In addition to earning her cutie mark,
SCOOTALOO is determined to learn how to fly.
In fact, Scootaloo has fashioned herself a special
pony scooter, and she uses her Pegasus wings not to fly but to propel
her wheeled contraption through the streets of Ponyville! Scootaloo
idolizes the adventurous Rainbow Dash and often tries to imitate her
“too cool” attitude as well as her athletic skill.

BABS SEED is a tough-talkin’ Apple
cousin from Manehattan and
the newest member of the
Cutie Mark Crusaders.

Featured in “One Bad
Apple,” “Apple Family
Reunion.”

“We wanted to create a
character who could bully the
Crusaders but whose behavior was the result
of an insecurity that the Crusaders could relate to
and ultimately help her to overcome. We’ve got our
three Crusaders in Ponyville and didn’t want to add a
permanent fourth, and we really liked the idea that
Babs would come from out of town and be able to
start up her own club with other ponies who
hadn’t yet gotten their cutie marks.”
— Meghan McCarthy, story editor

Other Young Ponies

DIAMOND TIARA and SILVER SPOON
believe that money and expensive baubles
can buy happiness. Together, the pretentious
pair enjoy teasing young ponies who haven’t
gotten their cutie marks.

Featured in “Call of the Cutie,” “The Show Stoppers,”
“The Cutie Pox,” “Family Appreciation Day,” “Ponyville Confidential,” “One Bad Apple.”

TWIST was picked on because of her blank flank until
she discovered that her true talent was making sweet
treats when two peppermint candy canes appeared on her
hindquarters—her cutie mark!

Featured in “Call of the Cutie,” “The Cutie Pox,” “Hearts and Hooves Day.”

SNIPS and SNAILS are two young Unicorns who are
the best of friends. Snips is known for his enthusiasm,
while Snails is known to be slightly more relaxed.

Featured in “Boast Busters,” “The Show Stoppers,” “Ponyville
Confidential,” The Mysterious Mare Do Well,” “Magic Duel.”

PIP SQUEAK, or “Pip” to his friends, is an Earth Pony
from Trottingham, while FEATHERWEIGHT
is a Pegasus pony as well as the editor in
chief of the Foal Free Press newspaper.

Featured in “Luna Eclipsed,” “Putting Your
Hoof Down,” “Ponyville Confidential.”

Pony Power Makes a Mark

Growing up can be difficult, especially when it comes to finding
your niche. Many young ponies in Equestria yearn to discover
that special something that makes them unique and allows them
to stand out in the crowd. Once they discover their true calling, a
symbol known as a cutie mark magically appears on each ponies’
hindquarters. Not all cutie marks are as literal as others, and many
of them are simply meant to represent a positive feeling that the
pony radiates to the world. But the road to finding one’s true talent
can be very frustrating for an anxious pony with a blank flank who’s
waiting patiently to bloom.
Before cutie marks appear, ponies must seek out life experiences
so they can truly discover who they are and what their calling may
be. It’s important for them to try different things, put themselves
in other ponies’ hooves, and keep on learning as much as they can.
There’s no set age when cutie marks appear; they might come right
away or years down the road. The key to
unlocking a pony’s true potential remains
a mystery. But any elder pony will tell
young ponies that even though the
wait for a cutie mark may be difficult,
it’s more about the journey than the
destination.

Scootaloo concept art
by Lauren Faust

“It’s not too hard to
describe what an animal
character might be feeling or
trying to communicate in a script;
the real challenge is up to the
storyboard artists and the animators
to make sure the emotions are
coming through in the expressions
and body language.”
— Lauren Faust,
show creator

ZECORA is a zebra who uses her
ancient magic to cast healing spells
from her enclave deep within the
Everfree Forest. The ponies of
Ponyville once believed her to
be an enchantress who
wielded the darkest of
magic, but after admitting
that they’d misjudged her,
they befriended Zecora and
often rely on her wisdom.

Featured in “Bridle Gossip,” “Cutie
Pox,” “Luna Eclipsed,” “Magic Duel.”

“Zecora
was supposed to
be a second mentor to
Twilight. I created her so
that whenever the ponies had
an adventure that needed a lot
of explanation in the setup, they
would have Zecora for a quick and
simple source for exposition. (In
fact, there was a scene where she
did just that in the pilot, but it had
to be cut for time.) Things just
didn’t pan out that way as we
made the episodes.”
— Lauren Faust,
show creator

CHIEF THUNDERHOOVES is
the wise and proud leader of the
buffalo tribe that sought to reclaim
Appleloosa from its pony settlers
and repurpose it as a traditional
stampeding ground. With the help
of a young and agile buffalo named
LITTLE STRONGHEART, the tribe was able to
come to an agreement with the ponies, allowing
them both to share the orchard.

Featured in “Over a Barrel.”

CRANKY DOODLE DONKEY may be a crotchety
old grouch who’s reluctant to loosen up, but
all that changed when the sweet-natured

MATILDA came around. Matilda met the cranky
mule at the Grand Galloping Gala, where he began
courting her as his “special friend.” Matilda is the
only one who’s allowed to call him by the nickname
“Doodle.”

Featured in “A Friend in Deed.”

IRON WILL is a muscle-bound minotaur who
travels throughout Equestria as an inspirational
speaker. He loves using his positive mantras
and high-octane energy to get ponies up and
moving. Iron Will has an enormous ego and
often refers to himself in the third person
because he loves to hear his own name.

Featured in “Putting Your Hoof Down.”

GUSTAVE LE GRAND is a boastful griffon baker
who believed his treasured éclairs would win
first place at the National Dessert Competition.
Gustave had some stiff competition from
MULIA MILD and her famous “mousse
moose,” not to mention DONUT JOE and his
mini city made of donuts known as
“Donutopia.”

Featured in “MMMystery on the
Friendship Express.”

MANNY ROAR, a manticore, is an intimidating sight with his lion’s
mane, scorpion’s tail, and scaly wings, but this angry beast can be all
bark and no bite, especially when he is shown a little bit of kindness.

Featured in “Friendship is Magic, Part 2.”

STEVEN MAGNET, the sea serpent of the river,
is quite a testy fellow. When Nightmare Moon
cut off part of his mustache, he went into a tizzy.
Thankfully, Rarity used her magic to solve the
problem, and in return the sea serpent offered
himself as a much-needed bridge to the other side.

Featured in “Friendship is Magic, Part 2.”

Manticore development
art by Lynne Naylor

DARING DO

MS. HARSHWHINNY

CRYSTAL EMPIRE
TOURIST

Animal Friends

Fluttershy thinks ANGEL the bunny is just as cute
as can be! But looks can be deceiving, because he’s
always keeping her on her toes with his bossy,
demanding, and childish ways.

Featured in “Putting Your Hoof Down.”

WINONA is Applejack’s loyal work dog who
absolutely adores helping her herd the flock.

Featured in “Just for Sidekicks,” “The Last Roundup.”

Be careful what you put in front of GUMMY,
because he’s likely to grab it! But don’t blame
Pinkie Pie’s pet alligator so quickly. He doesn’t
mean any harm; it’s just his nature.

Featured in “Just for Sidekicks,” “Party of One.”

OPALESCENCE, or Opal for short, may seem fluffy
and sweet, but that’s only when she’s manipulating
her owner, Rarity. This feisty little kitty has been
known to hiss when she doesn’t get her way!

Featured in “Just for Sidekicks,” “Suited for Success.”

“I do think Angel Bunny is one of the most
conniving and willful characters on the show. He has
Fluttershy completely under his cute little paw!”
—Jim Miller, storyboard supervisor

On the outside, PHILOMENA seemed like a poor,
suffering, and squawking old bird, but Princess
Celestia’s pet had a secret. After losing her feathers
and bursting into flames, she transformed herself
into a beautiful phoenix.

Featured in “A Bird in the Hoof.”

A PHOENIX is a mystical bird that
sheds its feathers and is reborn in an
explosion of brilliant flames.

Featured in “A Bird in the Hoof,” “Dragon Quest.”

OWLOWISCIOUS is Twilight Sparkle’s
adopted pet owl. At first, Twilight’s assistant,
Spike, thought he faced some stiff competition
when Owlowiscious appeared, but he quickly
realized that the bright-eyed bird was just being
his regular helpful self.

Featured in “Just for Sidekicks,” “Owl’s Well That Ends Well.”

Rainbow Dash assumed the little tortoise
known as TANK was boring and slow, and
could never be as exciting as she was—until
he heroically saved her from a rock slide!
Now she’s proud to call him her pet!

Featured in “Just for Sidekicks,” “May the Best Pet Win!”

PEEWEE became Spike’s pet when he hatched from a
phoenix egg! A group of bad dragons tried to persuade
Spike to smash the egg when he found it, but thankfully
he didn’t. Now he and Peewee are the best of friends.

Featured in “Dragon Quest.”

Character concept art
by Lauren Faust

“I’m quite
partial to Applejack’s
canine pal, Winona. She
reminds me a lot of my own dog,
Ripley, who just might be the
best dog in the world!”
—Jim Miller, storyboard
supervisor

“Gummy is my
favorite. The idea of a toothless
pet alligator is gold.”
—Ridd Sorensen, art director

“While it’s always
nice to see someone
learn from their mistakes, I do
enjoy having a few villains remain
villainous and never change. As a fan
of comic books, I do love when certain
exciting baddies return time and again
to vex our heroes. There are always new
and interesting things that happen
when we get to further explore their
relationships.”
—Jim Miller, storyboard
supervisor

NIGHTMARE MOON is the maleficent alter
ego of Princess Luna. In the dark form of
Nightmare Moon, Luna is consumed with
spite and enjoys manipulating unwilling
ponies to do her bidding. Imprisoned in the
moon, Nightmare Moon became even more
dangerous when she escaped.

Featured in “Friendship is Magic, Parts 1 & 2.”

Nightmare Moon concept
art by Lynne Naylor

“I really enjoyed
working with Rebecca Dart in creating
Queen Chrysalis . . . though all I had to do was
approve the amazing design!”
—Ridd Sorensen, art director

QUEEN CHRYSALIS is the shape-shifting
leader of the changelings, a vicious group of
creatures who are bent on destruction and
mayhem. The queen even tried to take over Canterlot by using her
powers to impersonate Princess Cadance and destroy the kingdom.

Featured in “A Canterlot Wedding, Parts 1 & 2.”

CHANGELINGS are grotesque shape-shifting
ponies who can morph their bodies into anything.
These frightening creatures have fangs as well as
insect features and translucent wings designed to
scare even the bravest pony into submission.

Featured in “A Canterlot Wedding, Part 2.”

KING SOMBRA ruled the Crystal Empire thousands of years ago
but was banished and turned to shadow. Before he disappeared, the
snarling black-hearted monster made the kingdom disappear and
destroyed hope and love in the process. He recently returned but was
thwarted by Twilight Sparkle and her pony friends.

Featured in “The Crystal Empire, Parts 1 & 2.”

“The most underestimated villain on the show
would easily have to be King Sombra. I think, if given the chance,
he could do some serious damage throughout Equestria.”
— Ishi Ruddell, animation director

Discord concept art
by Lauren Faust

DISCORD is a draconequus, a rare beast with a pony head and a
body comprised of many nasty creatures. He was once imprisoned
in stone by Princess Celestia and Princess Luna but escaped, only
to be defeated by the power of friendship. He’s since reformed and
struggles to keep out of trouble since he knows that Twilight Sparkle
and her friends would use the Elements of Harmony against him if
he ever unleashed chaos.

Featured in “The Return of Harmony, Parts 1 & 2,” “Keep Calm and Flutter On.”

“I don’t think I’d want to
reform all of our villains. I don’t think that
would be realistic. No matter how hard you try, some people
(or evil alicorns) just aren’t going to change their ways. But for a
character like Discord, ‘reforming’ him allows us to tell new stories
with his character. He gets to be the not-always-reliable ally
instead of the known enemy.”
—Meghan McCarthy, story editor

“Every character has room to grow and
learn from their mistakes, and a good villain will still
have a sense of humanity that can be related to. Otherwise they are
just ‘bad for bad’s sake’ and cannot be identified with. Not every villain
we’ve had on the show has had a heart (that we’ve seen yet), but it’s nice
when we can work it in; it helps the viewer care about them . . . even
when they’re bad.”
— Jayson Thiessen, supervising director

The traveling magician TRIXIE believes
she’s quite superior to other ponies and
has been known to exaggerate her abilities
from time to time. Recently, the Great and
Powerful Trixie became remorseful once
she was shown the error of her evil ways.

Featured in “Boast Busters,” “Magic Duel.”

GILDA is a mythical griffon, a creature with the
head and wings of an eagle and the body of a
lion! She was once friends with Rainbow Dash
and loved good old-fashioned pranks. But Gilda’s
insecurities about being seen as cool caused her
to fall out of favor with her friend.

Featured in “Griffon the Brush Off.”

Gilda concept art
by Lauren Faust

“I particularly enjoyed writing
Flim and Flam. They are villains, but they are
designed to be charming and disorienting. They speak very
quickly. They finish each other’s sentences. They’re in constant
motion. Everything they do is designed to dazzle and confuse people, so
they can shake your hand while they’re stealing your wallet. You can see their
charm in action when the song ends and Apple Bloom is 100 percent ready to take
their deal. This is the reaction the brothers are used to. In the midst of the song,
one of the brothers confuses Applejack enough that she agrees to give them some
apples for their demonstration. And when you’re writing characters like
that, their energy and optimism infuses the actual writing. I wrote that
episode very quickly because their dialogue flew through my
head as fast as it appears on-screen.”
— Mitch Larsen, writer

The FLIM FLAM BROTHERS are a pair of
salespony tricksters who travel from town
to town, using song and dance to trick ponies
into buying their wares. But it’s all just a
sham—the Unicorn duo are often run right
out of town when their faulty products and
shady tricks are revealed!

Featured in “The Super Speedy Cider Squeezy 6000.”

The DIAMOND DOGS, known as FIDO,
ROVER, and SPOT, may be big and
brutish, but don’t be fooled, because
these canines aren’t very bright. If you
ever find yourself up against them,
don’t despair; their thirst for shiny
gemstones makes them easily trickable.

Featured in “A Dog and Pony Show.”

GARBLE is the teenage leader of a gang of
fire-breathing dragons who challenged Spike to a series
of trials to test his mettle. But these bad-natured
bullies didn’t take into account Spike’s friends, who
defended him using the power of friendship!

Featured in “Dragon Quest.”

“Because we are writing for children,
I think it is important for some villains to learn
from their mistakes. Kids need to see that bullies and bad
guys can change if given the chance. Sometimes kids may see these
characteristics in other kids they know or even in themselves. If they
then see that a villain can have a change of heart, then maybe
they can implement that in their own lives.”
—Amy Keating Rogers, writer

Other Beasts

Deep within the Everfree Forest live
the dangerous TIMBERWOLVES! Few
venture into the green so as not to come
face-to-face with its dark protectors.
It’s been said that the howl of the
timberwolf is the first sign of the yearly zap apple harvest.

Featured in “Family Appreciation Day,” “Spike at Your Service.”

The COCKATRICE is a rare beast that has the head
of a chicken and the body of a snake. But don’t stare
at this creature for too long, because one glance
from the cockatrice can turn a pony to stone!

Featured in “Stare Master.”

Legend has it that WINDIGOS are
cold winter spirits that are fueled
by hatred and evil. The more hate
that a Windigo absorbs, the colder
the weather becomes. They’re said
to look like transparent, ghostly
horses and can only be vanquished
using the Fire of Friendship.

Featured in “Hearth’s Warming Eve.”

From the depths of the Froggy Bottom Bogg comes
the HYDRA, a four-headed snake creature that
guards the swamp from outsiders. Ponies always
remember to step lightly because one false move
and the hydra may devour them.

Featured in “Feeling Pinkie Keen.”

PARASPRITES may seem sweet and innocent,
but feeding these little insects may cause more
trouble than they’re worth. Their gluttonous
appetites cause them to rapidly multiply, quickly
turning them from pets to pests.

Featured in “Swarm of the Century.”

Ancient myths say that CERBERUS is a giant
three-headed dog charged with the task of
guarding the gates to the nightmare realm
known as Tartarus. This ferocious creature
is responsible for preventing the evil trapped
behind the gates from escaping.

Featured in “It’s About Time.”

Tucked away in the depths of the
Ghastly Gorge is the QUARRAY EEL. The
elongated creature gets quite agitated
when anyone gets too close to a nest and has
been known to try to eat any unwanted visitors.

Featured in “May the Best Pet Win!”

Momma bear URSA MAJOR can
be big trouble if threatened, but a baby URSA
MINOR can be lulled to sleep by a skilled pony.
These two colossal bears have fur patterned
after the glimmering night sky.

Featured in “Boast Busters.”

Everfree Forest
preproduction art

“I thought
it was important to
keep the Elements of Harmony
extremely revered. They began [on
the show] as a myth that no one believed
was true. They were hidden away in castle
ruins in a forbidden forest. When they’re not in
use, they are kept in a vault in a stoic cathedral.
When they are used, they are used quickly and
powerfully, so they don’t suffer the indignity
of just being jewelry to wear. Rather than
defining them, I felt it was important to
keep them mysterious, so it was left to
the viewers’ imaginations just how
powerful they really were.”
—Lauren Faust, show
creator

the Elements of Harmony are six mystical jewels that harness
the power of friendship. Little is known about the enigmatic
Elements, but they’re extremely powerful and can only be used
in unison. Their mysterious origins are tied to Equestria’s distant
past, a time when two Unicorn sisters, Princess Celestia and Princess
Luna, used their magical powers
to rule the lands. Celestia raised
the sun in the morning, and Luna
roused the moon in the evening.
As time went on, Luna grew
frustrated watching ponies play all
day and sleep during the night. She
felt her hard work was going unnoticed, and her seething anger and
jealousy grew until they transformed the otherwise pleasant pony
into the vengeful Nightmare Moon. Using her newfound abilities,
Nightmare Moon plunged
Equestria into darkness.
Thankfully, Princess
Celestia was able to
harness the power of the
Elements of Harmony to

stop her sister and exile her into the moon for all eternity. Balance
had returned to Equestria, but Celestia knew that peace wouldn’t
last forever.

In the present, young
Twilight Sparkle discovered a
dark prophecy that heralded
the return of Nightmare Moon
on the longest day of the
thousandth year. She desperately
contacted Princess Celestia to warn her of the impending danger,
but the princess dismissed Twilight’s concern and insisted she focus
her attention on the upcoming Summer Sun Celebration. Princess
Celestia was convinced that the celebration would yield Twilight
a number of new friends, and it certainly did. During the event,
Twilight Sparkle instantly found five new pony pals: Fluttershy,
Pinkie Pie, Applejack, Rarity,
and Rainbow Dash. It seemed,
at first, that the prophecy
was untrue, until suddenly
Princess Celestia disappeared
and Nightmare Moon once

again brought darkness to
Equestria.

Twilight quickly realized
that there was only one way to
save the day. She and her new
friends had to find and retrieve
the mythical Elements of Harmony from the ancient castle of the royal
pony sisters! They traveled through the dangerous Everfree Forest
and, after a perilous journey, finally arrived at the castle. During
their quest, the new pony friends confronted a myriad of dangers that
brought them closer together
in the process. Upon finding
the Elements, the group was
ambushed by Nightmare Moon,
who seemingly destroyed the
precious stones and doomed
Equestria forever. But Twilight
Sparkle realized that hope wasn’t lost and that her new friends were
the key to defeating Nightmare Moon. They each embodied the
various aspects of the Elements of Harmony, and by working together,
they pooled their power and used it against the vengeful Unicorn.

As Twilight called out the names of her friends, the broken

Elements re-formed into
sparkling new pendants
that gave each of their new
owners a power of friendship!
Applejack represented Honesty,
Fluttershy embodied the spirit
of Kindness, Pinkie Pie brought the group Laughter, Rarity exuded
Generosity, and Rainbow Dash’s strong suit was Loyalty. Twilight
Sparkle embodied the Element of Magic, which only sparked when
all the other Elements were present. Together, the ponies used their
newfound powers to transform Nightmare Moon back into the
benevolent form of Princess
Luna, once again bringing light
to Equestria. With her kingdom
now safe, Princess Celestia
revealed that she knew Twilight
Sparkle would be able to save
the day by harnessing the power
of the Elements. The princess then gave Twilight a special mission
to chronicle the magic of friendship and report on the valuable
lessons she learned. Over time, the Elements of Harmony have been
used sparingly, in times of dire necessity, and never in a harmful
or hurtful way. When
trouble arises, the duty
falls to those six brave
ponies to bring peace
and order to Equestria
once again.

“Who
knows what lies
beyond the lands we’ve
already shown? Seriously.
Who knows? Not me. Yet.”
—Meghan McCarthy, story editor

“Fans might be curious to know
that there are still parts of
Equestria we have yet to visit
and even discover!”
—Jim Miller, storyboard
supervisor

equestria

The enchanted lands of Equestria have become a beacon of hope and peace for
everypony to look up to, but that wasn’t always the case. The story of Equestria
began in the distant past with three tribes of ponies, each with a unique skill: the
horned Unicorns, the winged Pegasi, and the swift Earth Ponies. Every day, the
Unicorns used their magical gifts to raise the sun in the morning and the moon in
the evening. The Pegasi used their talents to create the weather, which helped the
Earth Ponies use their skills to grow food. It seemed as if the three groups worked
together, but the tribes lived separately from one another and rarely mingled.
They were constantly arguing and demanding special treatment for the use
of their skills.

All that changed on the day a blizzard caused a massive food shortage, and the
three tribes were forced to come together to seek out a new home. They came

upon a previously undiscovered land but began arguing over who had the right
to claim it. Their negative energy began to grow and fueled the power of the evil
creatures known as the Windigos! These ghostly beasts had caused the snowstorm
in the first place, and they fed off the hatred and distrust among the pony tribes.
Realizing that joining forces was their only solution, the three tribes were able to
light the mystical Fire of Friendship, which cleared away the snow and defeated
the Windigos once and for all. The three tribal leaders then decided to work
together in their new home, which would henceforth be known as Equestria.

canterlot

Canterlot is the noble capital of Equestria
and sits high atop a mountain in the middle
of the realm, overlooking the majestic,
sprawling lands. The city is filled with
beautiful golden spires, ivory towers, and
sparkling waterfalls. It’s also home to
Princess Celestia and Princess Luna, who
live there in the grand royal palace. Princess
Celestia supervises Celestia’s School for
Gifted Unicorns, the place where young
Twilight Sparkle learned to focus her
powerful magic. Each year, Canterlot hosts
the Grand Galloping Gala, and while the
city may be filled with many high-society
ponies, it serves to inspire the inhabitants of
Equestria to come together in times of need.

ponyville

Just down the mountainside from Canterlot
is Ponyville, a small town founded by Earth Ponies and filled with hardworking,
energetic ponies of all kinds. The sense of community is strong throughout town
with businesses like Sugarcube Corner, a sweet shop run by the Cake family,
and Sweet Apple Acres, a farm run by many generations of the Apple family.

Ponyville is also home to Twilight
Sparkle and her bright-eyed friends,
who keep themselves busy in
the town’s bustling marketplace.
Whether they’re reading a book
at the Golden Oak Library or
enjoying the annual Summer Sun
Celebration, the citizens of Ponyville
are a family through and through.

cloudsdale

The whimsical Cloudsdale hovers high in the skies above Equestria and is
populated exclusively by Pegasus ponies, who are the only ponies able to prance
safely among the clouds. The billowing skytown is home to the speedster
pony Rainbow Dash and also houses the weather factory, where the Pegasi
make rainbows, snowflakes, and various other types of weather for the Earth
Ponies below to enjoy. Each year, Cloudsdale plays host to the Best Young Flyer
competition, which is held in the ceremonial Cloudeseum.

everfree forest

On the outskirts of Ponyville lies the mysterious Everfree Forest, a wooded area
filled with bizarre creatures, such as ursas, manticores, and timberwolves. It’s

been said that the forest has an unnatural quality that puzzles the ponies of
Ponyville. Animals are known to take care of themselves, plants grow freely,
and the weather changes without the help of ponies. The forest once hosted
the Elements of Harmony, which were kept in the ancient castle of the royal
pony sisters. The mystical zebra Zecora lives deep within the green, where she
practices her magic in secret.

the crystal empire

The Crystal Empire is an ancient city that appeared on the frosty edge of
Equestria after a thousand-year curse kept it secret. This historic area is set
among an expansive mountain range and is inhabited by shimmering Crystal
ponies. The Crystal Empire is rich with culture and led by Shining Armor and
Princess Cadance, but it wasn’t always.

A thousand years ago, King Sombra,
a Unicorn whose heart was as black
as night, took over the Crystal Empire.
He was ultimately overthrown, turned
to shadow, and banished to the ice of
the arctic north. But not before he was
able to put a curse upon the Empire—a
curse that caused it to vanish into thin
air. Even my knowledge of the Empire
is limited. But what I do know is that
it contains a powerful magic. If the
Empire is filled with hope and love,
those things are reflected across all
of Equestria.

—Princess Celestia

white tail woods

The lush greenery of the White Tail
Woods is part of the annual Running
of the Leaves, where ponies compete
in challenges that include shaking the
leaves off all the trees in the forest.

froggy bottom bogg

Froggy Bottom Bogg is a swampy marshland
located south of Ponyville and is home to the
multiheaded sea serpent known as the hydra.

appleloosa

If you’re looking for horse-drawn
carriage rides and Wild West dances,
then Appleloosa is the place for you!
Saddle on up to the Salt Block saloon,
because this little town on the edge
of the Macintosh Hills has an old-
time flavor. And if there’s trouble in
Appleloosa, a pony can always turn to
the sheriff to help settle any disputes.

manehattan

Many young ponies dream of one day moving to the bright lights of Manehattan,
a bustling island city on the northeastern edge of Equestria. With its large size
and abundance of activity, Manehattan can be a lot for a pony to take in. Many
have made their home there over the
years, including Applejack’s high-
society aunt and uncle, the Oranges,
as well as the young Cutie Mark
Crusader Babs Seed.

Cloudsdale
(above) and Canterlot
development art by Dave
Dunnet and Martin
Ansolabehere

This page, the ruins of the Castle of the Two Sisters
in the Everfree Forest. At left, Fluttershy’s cottage,
the Sweet Shoppe and Ponyville. Development
art by Dave Dunnet and Martin Ansolabehere.

Are there any characters in particular that you enjoyed writing more than others?

I found myself getting excited when we would write episodes about Fluttershy. Fear and shyness seem like small things to overcome compared with some of the other ponies’ more tangible challenges, but Fluttershy’s challenges are very relatable. Experiencing fear is a very strong emotion, and, to me, the potential it brings is not just for great storytelling but [also for] great filmmaking. It is one thing to have a character say a feeling she’s experiencing, but to make an audience feel it as well is more challenging. It needs to come across in all aspects of your story: acting, body language, staging, camera moves, timing, and music. Using those elements to get an audience to experience—not just understand—emotion is exciting to me, and I found Fluttershy was the character we could get that out of the most.

Aside from Twilight Sparkle, which character do you think has seen the most growth throughout the run of the show?

To me, that would be Pinkie Pie. She began just as a giggly, silly sort of girl with only a smidgen of a weird streak (breaking the fourth wall, appearing suddenly in unexpected places). There was concern, in the beginning, that Pinkie Pie would be off-putting because I made the mistake of pitching her as “hyper” and “ditzy.” So we focused instead on toning her down and making her a simple “free spirit”
in the first several episodes. But as
everyone got more comfortable

Pinkie Pie concept
art by Lauren Faust

with her, and as everyone saw how much humor we were getting from her, we were able to loosen the reins considerably. By the end of Season One, she was really over-the-top strange and bordering on crazy, with a wacky cartoonish magic all her own.

Were the characters’ cutie mark origins already set in stone, or were you able to create them from scratch? Which one is your favorite? Why?

I had a couple of the ponies’ origins worked out in the development stage. I knew Twilight went to school for magic and had some sort of immense power inside of her that, once it showed itself for the first time, would create her cutie mark. I also planned that filly Rainbow Dash was the only Pegasus in recent history to create a rainbow from speed alone, and that she only ever did it once. All the other ponies’ cutie mark appearances were imagined in the writers’ room when we were planning “The Cutie Mark Chronicles” [episode]. Rainbow Dash’s story is still my favorite, just because it is so exciting and magical, and because of the way it touched all of her friends’ lives.

A few of the villains have seen the error of their ways as the show has progressed. How important is it for these antagonists to grow and learn from their mistakes?

[Nightmare Moon’s] reformation was integral to the plot of the pilot. For me, a lot of that story was extremely metaphorical. The Elements of Harmony were also the Elements of Friendship (a line that got cut), and I needed to think of something friendship would fix. I thought of the jealousy born of feeling ignored and left in someone’s shadow. I thought that if we knew someone who was hurting that way, showing them friendship, showing them that they were loved and valued, would be the cure. Nightmare Moon was effectively blasted with a gigantic friendship cannon (as silly as that sounds!), and the love from that lifted her jealousy long enough for her to reconcile with her sister and regain her true form.

I think there’s a double-edged sword to reforming villains. It’s good to see them come around, because it shows us that people can change and that if you find yourself making a mistake, you yourself can change and be forgiven. However, I also feel it’s actually important to show some villains remain villainous. Unfortunately, in this world, we run into people who will continue

to hurt us no matter how much kindness we show them. It’s realistic to show that this can happen and that it is best to cut abusive people out of our lives— like Rainbow Dash did with Gilda.

Which villain was the most fun for you to develop?

Discord was by far the villain who was the most fun to develop. By the time we were tasked with that episode, we felt some of the concerns over making the episodes too scary or confusing for our target audience were lifting. (For instance, Nightmare Moon was originally named Discord, but the name was rejected for fear children would not know what it meant.) I really held back on Nightmare Moon’s frightening factor in the first two-parter, but it seemed less of a worry twenty-six episodes in, so we really went for it when it was time to make Discord.

When creating the visuals for these villain characters, were you looking to cast a balance between the light of the ponies and the darkness of their enemies?

I can’t really say that was what our intention was. In fact, to address early concerns of frightening kids with villains and monsters, I tried to undercut the scariness by making Nightmare Moon beautiful, the manticore kind of cuddly, and the sea serpent silly. Early art of dragons depicted them as graceful and elegant. I always wanted there to be a sense of visual appeal to all the villains and monsters, avoiding anything gruesome or disturbing.

Who would you say is the most underestimated villain on the show and why?

I’d say Trixie. Jealousy is what transformed Luna into Nightmare Moon. I think Trixie’s jealousy could have festered in her and made her a larger threat than she was. I think she has a huge amount of potential for becoming a significant villain.

Many of the creatures in My Little Pony are based on Greek mythology. What prompted that choice?

Incorporating Greek mythology into the show just seemed natural to me. Having Unicorns and Pegasi in the world of My Little Pony automatically opened the door to classic mythology—both European and Greek. Pegasi, in particular, are derived specifically from the Greek myth of Perseus’s winged

horse, whose name was Pegasus. I wanted a recognizable, classic fantasy world, and Greek mythology is a well-known and abundant source for it.

Are there any characters that began as something quite different from what they ended up being on the show?

I originally intended for Twilight to struggle with the pressure she imposed on herself as Celestia’s top student. I had hoped to show her biggest motivation for studying was to try to live up to what she believed Celestia expected of her and, as a result, Twilight had an occasional insecurity complex to deal with. I think the pressure to be perfect is very relatable to girls, and I thought seeing a character struggle with it and learn from it could be helpful and comforting. We touched on it a little in [the episode] “Lesson Zero.” In the end, Celestia would know that Twilight’s talents would come to light with patience and support, and Twilight would learn that trusting her instincts and going with the flow a bit more would make her a better student and better leader.

Luna was intended to have a lingering issue with Celestia. I wanted her to be a bigger part of Season One, but I worried about pushback for her “darkness” in the beginning. I meant for her to still need to learn how to feel good about herself in her sister’s shadow, a lesson I thought could be valuable for girls with older siblings.

Who is your favorite animal pet on the show and why?

It’s close between Opal and Angel. They both have so much personality. But I think Angel wins for being unexpected and funny.

Spike is unique in that he’s one of the few nonpony main characters. How do you approach writing him and his struggles as opposed to the ponies?

I envisioned Spike as the sensitive little boy who has a lot of sisters and just seems to get along better with girls. I also imagined that he’s much younger than the ponies and has a little bit of the vibe of a little brother who wants to

My Little Pony concept
art by Lauren Faust

be included but can’t really keep up. He’s an outsider, and I think he feels it a little even though the ponies love and include him.

Each Element represents a positive quality a character should possess. What prompted you to choose these specific qualities?

It was quite a challenge, actually! When I was writing the pilot, I knew I had to come up with traits that defined friendship, but the trick was that these traits also had to be legitimately descriptive of the specific characters. Laughter and Kindness for Pinkie Pie and Fluttershy were obvious, but it took time for me to find an iconic friendly quality for Rainbow Dash, a character who I saw initially as self-absorbed and rather irresponsible. But Loyalty suited her well and brought out her positive traits. Rarity was the toughest. Originally, I chose Inspiration for her, since she’s an artist, but others felt it was too much of a thinker, especially for kids. I’m so happy I found Generosity for her. It made me draw that aspect of her character out more in subsequent episodes, and I think that really helped pull her away from the stereotypical, unlikable debutante.

Are the Elements finite, or is there room for expansion?

I consider them finite. Three used to be wielded by Celestia, and three by Luna. I don’t know what the new writers have in store for them. Though I had toyed with the idea of opposing Elements of Discord . . .

As we’ve seen, there aren’t always musical numbers in each episode. What makes an episode song-worthy?

A song has to be integral to the plot. If it doesn’t push the story forward, it’s just fluff. For me, I always looked for instances where a lot of explaining needed to be done. Exposition, where characters are just talking about important information, can get extremely tedious. Getting the information across in a song adds a lot of extra entertainment value to something that would otherwise be boring to explain. I think “Winter Wrap Up” is a perfect example of this sort of song. I also think if there’s something we want the audience to feel extremely excited about, a song is warranted as well. “The Grand Galloping Gala” in [the episode] “The Best Night Ever” seems so much more amazing in song than it ever would have been if the ponies were just discussing it.

“Winter Wrap Up” is still the most special song to me. It was our first big number and opened my eyes to all the potential of what music could bring to this show.

What’s your process when creating a song? For example, does the script get written first, or the songs?

The script is written first. Many, but not all, of the writers will find a preexisting song that they feel has the tone or feeling they want to achieve and base the structure of their lyrics on that. Then the song goes to [composer] Daniel Ingram. I’m not sure if he utilizes the writers’ reference for inspiration or not. He’ll adjust the lyrics to fit his tune if he has to.

What is one thing that fans might not know about Equestria?

The ruins in the Everfree Forest where the Elements of Harmony were found were once Luna and Celestia’s childhood home. It used to be part of Equestria, but the magical, uncontrollable forest encroached on it and they had to move their home to Canterlot. Perhaps the Everfree Forest is still creeping over the borders of Equestria . . .

February 2013

Dress designs for
“Suited for Success”
by Lauren Faust

“When
writing songs, I like
to start with the lyrics. The
rhythm of the spoken words usually
gives me ideas for the melody. Then, as
I get writing and have a theme, sometimes
I’ll tweak and rework the lyrics to suit the
ideal musical phrases. I believe a great song
should be singable and playable in its most basic
form, so I like to start with just the tune and the
chords. It’s like building the frame of a house
before putting in the walls, plumbing, and
decorations. I know that if the song sounds
good as a piano demo, it will sound great
when it’s fully produced with all
the rest of the instruments.”
— Daniel Ingram,
composer

Season 1

Song: “Laughter Song”
Episode: “Friendship is Magic, Part 2”
Lyrics by Lauren Faust
Music by Daniel Ingram

PINKIE PIE
Oh, girls, don’t you see…?
When I was a little filly
and the sun was going down…

TWILIGHT SPARKLE
Tell me she’s not…

PINKIE PIE
The darkness and the shadows,
they would always make me frown.…

RARITY
She is.

PINKIE PIE
I’d hide under my pillow
from what I thought I saw,
but Grammy Pie said that wasn’t the way
to deal with fears at all!

RAINBOW DASH
Then what is?

PINKIE PIE
She said, Pinkie, you gotta stand up tall.
Learn to face your fears.
You’ll see that they can’t hurt you;
just laugh to make them disappear!
Ha-ha-ha.

PONIES
[gasp]
PINKIE PIE
SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!

Giggle at the ghostly.
Guffaw at the grossly.…
RAINBOW DASH
Guffaaaaww!!
PINKIE PIE
Crack up at the creepy.…
RARITY
Ha-ha-ha-haaa!!!
PINKIE PIE
Whoop it up with the weepy.…
APPLEJACK
Wooo-hoo-hooo!
PINKIE PIE
Chortle at the kooky.…

TWILIGHT SPARKLE
K-k-hee-khee-khee!!
PINKIE PIE
Snortle at the spoooky.…
PONIES
Aaaaahhh-ha-ha-ha!!
PINKIE PIE
Tell that big, dumb, scary face
to take a hike and leave you alone,
and if he thinks he can scare you,
then he’s got another thing coming
and the very idea of such a thing
just makes you wanna—HAAAAAAAA-HA-
HA-HAAA-HA-HA-HA-HA-HA-HAAAAA-
HA-HAAAAAA-HA-HAAAAA—laugh!
PONIES
HA-HA-HA-HA-HA-HA-HA-HA!!!

Song: “Gala Fantasy Song”
Episode: “The Ticket Master”
Lyrics by Lauren Faust
Music by Daniel Ingram

PINKIE PIE
It’s the most amazing-incredible-
tremendous-ginormous-super-fun-
wonderful-fabulous-terrifically
HUMONGOUS party in ALL OF
EQUESTRIA! I’ve always, always,
ALWAYS wanted to go!

Oh, the Grand Galloping Gala
is the best place for me.

Oh, the Grand Galloping Gala
is the best place for me.
Hip hip hooray, it’s the best place for me,
for Pinkie!

With decorations, like streamers and fairy
lights and pinwheels and piñatas and
pincushions...

With goodies, like sugar cubes and
sugarcanes and sundaes and sunbeams
and sarsaparilla.

And I get to play my favoritest of favorite
fantabulous games, like Pin the Tail on the
Pony!

Oh, the Grand Galloping Gala
is the best place for me.

Oh, the Grand Galloping Gala
is the best place for me.

Cause it’s the most galloprific, superly
terrific gala ever in the whole galaxy!
Whee!

Song: “Birthday Song”
Episode: “The Ticket Master”
Lyrics by Lauren Faust
Music by Daniel Ingram

PINKIE PIE AND PARTY
SURPRIIIIIISE!!!!!
PINKIE PIE
Twilight is my bestest friend,
whoopee, whoopee.…
TWILIGHT SPARKLE
Pinkie…
PINKIE PIE
She’s the cutest, smartest,
all-around best pony, pony.…
TWILIGHT SPARKLE
Pinkie.
PINKIE PIE
I bet if I throw a super-duper fun
par-tee, par-tee…
TWILIGHT SPARKLE
Pinkie.
PINKIE PIE
She’ll give her extra ticket to the Gala
to meeeeeeeeeee!

Song: “Winter Wrap Up Song”
Episode: “Winter Wrap Up”
Lyrics by Cindy Morrow
Music by Daniel Ingram

RAINBOW DASH
Three months of winter coolness
and awesome holidays.
PINKIE PIE
We’ve kept our hoofsies warm at home,
time off from work to plaaaaaay!
APPLEJACK
But the food we’ve stored is
runnin’ out
and we can’t grow in this cold.
RARITY
And even though I looove my boots
this fashion’s getting old!

TWILIGHT SPARKLE
The time has come to welcome spring
and all things warm and green.
But it’s also time to say good-bye.
It’s winter. We must clean!
How can I help? I’m new, you see.
What does everypony do?
How do I fit in without magic?
I haven’t got a clue!
CHORUS
Winter wrap-up! Winter wrap-up!
Let’s finish our holiday cheer.
Winter wrap-up! Winter wrap-up!
’Cause tomorrow spring is here!
’Cause tomorrow spring is here!

RAINBOW DASH AND WEATHER TEAM
Bringing home the southern birds,
a Pegasus job begins,
and clearing all the gloomy skies
to let the sunshine in.

We move the clouds and
we melt the white snow.
When the sun comes up,
its warmth and beauty will glow.
CHORUS
Winter wrap-up! Winter wrap-up!
Let’s finish our holiday cheer.
Winter wrap-up! Winter wrap-up!
’Cause tomorrow spring is here!
Winter wrap-up! Winter wrap-up!
’Cause tomorrow spring is here!
’Cause tomorrow spring is here!

FLUTTERSHY AND ANIMAL TEAM
Little critters hibernate
under the snow and ice.
We wake up all their sleepy heads,
so quietly and nice!
We help them gather up their food,
fix their homes below.
We welcome back the southern birds
so their families can grow!

CHORUS
Winter wrap-up! Winter wrap-up!
Let’s finish our holiday cheer.
Winter wrap-up! Winter wrap-up!
’Cause tomorrow spring is here!
Winter wrap-up! Winter wrap-up!
’Cause tomorrow spring is here!
’Cause tomorrow spring is here!

APPLEJACK AND PLANT TEAM
No easy task to clear the ground,
plant our tiny seeds.
With proper care and sunshine,
everyone it feeds!
Apples, carrots, celery stalks,
colorful flowers, too.
We must work so very hard.
It’s just so much to do!

CHORUS
Winter wrap-up! Winter wrap-up!
Let’s finish our holiday cheer.
Winter wrap-up! Winter wrap-up!
’Cause tomorrow spring is here!
Winter wrap-up! Winter wrap-up!
’Cause tomorrow spring is here!
’Cause tomorrow spring is here!
TWILIGHT SPARKLE
Now that I know what they all do,
I have to find my place
and help with all of my heart.

Tough task ahead I face!
How will I do without my magic?
Help the Earth pony way?
I want to belong, so I must
do my best today!
Do my best today!
CHORUS
Winter wrap-up! Winter wrap-up!
Let’s finish our holiday cheer.
Winter wrap-up! Winter wrap-up!
’Cause tomorrow spring is here!
Winter wrap-up! Winter wrap-up!
TWILIGHT SPARKLE
’Cause tomorrow spring is here!
’Cause tomorrow spring is here!
’Cause tomorrow spring is here!

Song: “Cupcake Song”
Episode: “Call of the Cutie”
Lyrics by Meghan McCarthy
Music by Daniel Ingram

PINKIE PIE
All you have to do is take a cup of flour.
Add it to the mix.
Now just take a little something sweet,
not sour.
A bit of salt, just a pinch.
Baking these treats is such a cinch.
Add a teaspoon of vanilla.
Add a little more and you count to four,
and you’ll never get your fill-a.…
Cupcakes! So sweet and tasty! Cupcakes!
Don’t be too hasty! Cupcakes! Cupcakes!
Cupcakes! Cupcaaaakes!

Song: “Stitching It Together”
Episode: “Suited for Success”
Lyrics by Charlotte Fullerton
Music by Daniel Ingram

RARITY
Thread by thread,
stitching it together,
Twilight’s dress.
Cutting out the pattern, snip by snip,
making sure the fabric falls nicely,
it’s the perfect color and so hip.
Always got to keep in mind my pacing,
making sure the clothes correctly facing
I’m stitching Twilight’s dress.…

Yard by yard, fussing on the details.
Jeweled neckline?
Don’t you know a stitch in time saves nine?
Make her something perfect to inspire
even though she hates formal attire.
Got to mind those intimate details
even though she’s more concerned
with sales.
It’s Applejack’s new dress.

Dressmaking’s easy.
For Pinkie Pie, something pink.
Fluttershy, something breezy.
Blend color and form—
do you think it looks cheesy?

Something brash, perhaps quite fetching?
Hook and eye,
couldn’t you just simply die?
Making sure it fits forelock and crest.
Don’t forget some magic in the dress.
Even though it rides high on the flank,

Rainbow won’t look like a tank.
I’m stitching Rainbow’s dress.

Piece by piece,
snip by snip,
croup, dock, haunch,
shoulders, hip.
Thread by thread,
primmed and pressed,
yard by yard,
never stressed.
And that’s the art of the dressssssss!

RARITY
Stitch by stitch,
stitching it together.
Deadline looms.
Don’t you know the client’s always right,
even if my fabric choice was perfect.
Got to get them all done by tonight.
Pinkie Pie, that color’s too obtrusive,
wait until you see it in the light.
I’m sewing them together.

Hour by hour,
one more change,
I’m sewing them together.
Take great pains.
Fluttershy, you’re putting me in a bind.
Rainbow Dash, what is on your mind?
Oh my gosh, there’s simply not much time.
Don’t forget Applejack’s duds must
shiiiiiine.

Dressmaking’s easy.
Every customer’s call
brings a whole new revision.
Have to pick up the pace,
still hold to my vision.
PINKIE PIE
All we ever want is indecision.
RAINBOW DASH
All we really like is what we know.
TWILIGHT SPARKLE
Got to balance style with adherence.
FLUTTERSHY
Making sure we make a good appearance.
APPLEJACK
Even if you simply have to fudge it.

PINKIE PIE, RAINBOW DASH,
TWILIGHT SPARKLE, FLUTTERSHY,
AND APPLEJACK
Make sure that it stays within our budget!
RARITY
Got to overcome intimidation.
Remember, it’s all in the presentation!
Piece by piece,
snip by snip,
croup, dock, haunch,
shoulders, hip.
Bolt by bolt,
primmed and pressed,
yard by yard,
always stressed.
And that’s the art of the dressssssss!

Song: “Hush Now, Quiet Now”
Episode: “Stare Master”
Lyrics by Chris Savino
Music by Daniel Ingram

FLUTTERSHY
How about I sing you a lullaby?
ALL THREE GIRLS
Yeah!
FLUTTERSHY
Ahem…
Hush now, quiet now,
it’s time to lay your sleepy head.
Hush now, quiet now,
it’s time to go to bed.
SWEETIE BELLE
I know this one!!!
FLUTTERSHY
Oh, how wonderful!
Why don’t you sing it with me?

SWEETIE BELLE
Ahem…
Hush now, quiet now,
time to lay your sleepy head.
Said, hush now, quiet now,
it’s time to go to beeeeeeeed.

FLUTTERSHY
Okay, Sweetie, that was—

SWEETIE BELLE
Drifting off to sleep,
the exciting day’s behind you.
Drifting off to sleep,
let the joy of dreamland find you.

FLUTTERSHY
Thank you, Sweetie, I’m—

SWEETIE BELLE
Hush now, quiet now,
lay your sleepy head.
Said, hush now, quiet now,
it’s time to go to BEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE-
EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEED!!!!!

Song: “Cutie Mark Crusaders Song”
Episode: “The Show Stoppers”
Lyrics by Cindy Morrow
Music by Daniel Ingram

SCOOTALOO
Look! Here are three little ponies
ready to sing for this crowd.
Listen up, cause here’s our story.
I’m gonna sing it—

APPLE BLOOM, SWEETIE BELLE, AND
SCOOTALOO
VERY LOUD!

SCOOTALOO
When you’re a younger pony
and your flank is very bare.
Feels like the sun will never come
when your cutie mark’s not there.
So the three of us, we fight the fight.
There is nothing that we fear.
We’ll have to figure out what we’ll do next—

APPLE BLOOM, SWEETIE BELLE, AND
SCOOTALOO
’til our cutie marks are here!
We are the Cutie Mark Crusaders
on a quest to find out who we are
and we will never stop the journey,
not until we have our cutie marks.

SCOOTALOO
They all say that you’ll get your mark
when the time is really right
and you know just what
you’re s’posed to do
and your talent comes to light.
But it’s not as easy as it sounds
and that waiting’s hard to do.
So we test our talents everywhere—

APPLE BLOOM, SWEETIE BELLE, AND
SCOOTALOO
until our face is blue!
We are the Cutie Mark Crusaders
on a quest to find out who we are
and we will never stop the journey,
not until we have our cutie marks.
We are the Cutie Mark Crusaders
on a quest to find out who we are
and we will never stop the journey,
not until we have our cutie maaaaarks!

Song: “Sharing/Caring Song”
Episode: “Over a Barrel”
Lyrics by Amy Keating Rogers
Music by Daniel Ingram

PINKIE PIE
We may be divided,
but of you all I beg
to remember we’re all hooved
at the end of each leg.

No matter what the issue,
come from wherever you please,
all this fighting gets you nothing
but hoof-and-mouth disease.

Arguing’s not the way.
Hey, come out and play.
It’s a shiny new day.
So whaddaya say?

You gotta shaaaaaare.
You gotta caaaaaare.
It’s the right thing to do.
You gotta shaaaaaare.
You gotta caaaaaare.
And there’ll always be a way through.

Both our diets, I should mention,
are completely vegetarian.
We all eat hay and oats.
Why be at each other’s throat?

You gotta shaaaaaare.
You gotta caaaaaare.
It’s the right thing to do.
Aand there’ll always be a way—
throoooooooough!

Song: “Fluttershy Fantasy Song”
Episode: “The Cutie Mark Chronicles”
Lyrics by Mitch Larson
Music by Daniel Ingram

YOUNG FLUTTERSHY
What is this place
filled with so many wonders?
Casting its spell
that I am now under.
Squirrels in the trees
and the cute little bunnies.
Birds flying free
and bees with their honey,
hooooneeeeeey!
Ooooooh!
What a magical place!
And I owe it all
to the Pegasus race!
If I knew the ground had
so much up its sleeve,
I’d have come here sooner
and never leave.
Yes, I
love
ev—ry—THIIIIIIIIING!!

Song: “Singing Telegram Song”
Episode: “Party of One”
Lyrics by Meghan McCarthy
Music by Daniel Ingram

PINKIE PIE
This is your singing telegram.
I hope it finds you well.
You’re invited to a party
’cause we think you’re really swell.
Gummy’s turning one year old,
so help us celebrate.
The cake will be delicious,
the festivities first-rate.
There will be games and dancing.
Bob for apples, cut a rug.
And when the party’s over,
we’ll gather around for a group hug.
No need to bring a gift.
Being there will be enough.
Birthdays mean having fun with friends,
not getting lots of stuff.
It won’t be the same without you,
so we hope that you say yes.
So, please, oh, please RSVP,
and come and be our guest.

Song: “At the Gala”
Episode: “The Best Night Ever”
Lyrics by Amy Keating Rogers
Music by Daniel Ingram

TWILIGHT SPARKLE
At the Gala!
PONY FRIENDS
At the Gala!

FLUTTERSHY
At the Gala, in the Garden,
I am going to see them all.
All the creatures, I’ll befriend them…
at the Gala.

PONY FRIENDS
At the Gala!

FLUTTERSHY
All the birdies and the critters,
they will love me, big and small.
We’ll become good friends forever
right here at the Gala!

PONY FRIENDS
All our dreams will come true
right here at the Gala!
At the Gala!

APPLEJACK
At the Gala, I will sell them
all my apple-tastic treats!
Hungry ponies…
they will buy them.
Caramel apples, apple sweets!

“In the first
draft of ‘The Cutie
Pox,’ Sweetie Belle and
Scootaloo sang a rap to Apple
Bloom, hoping to cheer her up.
That got cut very early on. In ‘The
Best Night Ever,’ I had Fluttershy
singing to Celestia’s animals to try
to get them to come out. That
script ran really long, so
that was cut, too.”
—Amy Keating Rogers,
writer

PONY FRIENDS
It’s amazing!
Better hurry!
Yummy yum!
Feeling snacky!
Bring your money!
Gimme some!

APPLEJACK
And I’ll earn a lot of money
for the Apple family!

PONY FRIENDS
All our dreams and our hopes
from now until hereafter.
All that we’ve been wishing for
will happen at the Gala!
At the Gala!

RARITY
At the Gala, all the royals,
they will meet fair Rarity.
They will see I’m just as regal
at the Gala!

PONY FRIENDS
At the Gala!

RARITY
I will find him,
my Prince Charming.
And how gallant he will be…
he will treat me like a lady…
tonight at the Gala!

PONY FRIENDS
This is what we’ve waited for,
to have the Best Night Ever!
Each of us will live our dreams
tonight at the Gala!
At the Gala!

RAINBOW DASH
I’ve been dreaming.
I’ve been waiting
to fly with those great ponies…
the Wonderbolts!
Their daring tricks,
spinning round and having kicks!
Perform for crowds of thousands!
They’ll shower us with diamonds!
The Wonderbolts will see me
right here at the Gala!

PONY FRIENDS
All we’ve longed for,
all we’ve dreamed…
our happy ever after.
Finally will all come true
right here at the Grand Gala!
At the Gala!

PINKIE PIE
I am here at the Grand Gala!
For it is the best party!
But the one thing it was missing
was a pony named Pinkie!
For I am the best at parties!
All the ponies will agree!
Ponies playing, ponies dancing
with me at the Grand Gala!

PONY FRIENDS
Happiness and laughter at the Gala!
At the Gala!

TWILIGHT SPARKLE
At the Gala…with the princess
is where I am going to be.
We will talk all about magic
and of what I’ve learned and seen.
It is going to be so special
as she takes time just for me!

PONY FRIENDS
This will be the Best Night Ever!
Into the Gala we must go…
we’re ready now, we’re all aglow.
Into the Gala, let’s go in
and have the Best Night Ever.
Into the Gala, now’s the time.
We’re ready and we look divine.

FLUTTERSHY
Into the Gala to meet new friends!
APPLEJACK
Into the Gala to sell some apples!

RARITY
Into the Gala to find my prince!
RAINBOW DASH
To prove I’m great, as a Wonderbolt is!
FLUTTERSHY
To meet…
APPLEJACK
To sell…
RARITY
To find…
RAINBOW DASH
To prove…
PINKIE PIE
To whoop…
TWILIGHT SPARKLE
To talk…
PONY FRIENDS
Into the Gala…
into the Gala…
and we’ll have the Best Night Ever!
At the Gala!

Song: “Pony Pokey”
Episode: “The Best Night Ever”
Lyrics by Amy Keating Rogers
Music by Daniel Ingram

PINKIE PIE
You reach your right hoof in,
you reach your right hoof out.
You reach your right hoof in,
and you shake it all about.
You do the Pony Pokey,
meeting lots of folks with clout.
That’s what I’m talking about!

You step your left hoof in,
you pull it right back out.

You step your left hoof in,
but you better help him out.
You do the Pony Pokey,
but you find a different crowd.
That’s what it’s all about!

You kick your back left in,
you pull your back left out.
You reach your back left in,
just be brave and have no doubt.
You do the Pony Pokey,
feeling like you’re gonna pout.
That’s what I’m singing about!

You tilt your head in,
you tilt your head out.
You tilt your head in,
then you shake it all about.
You do the Pony Pokey,
even though your date’s a lout.
You’re better off without!

You stomp your whole self in,
you stomp your whole self out.
You stomp your whole self in,
and you stomp yourself about.
You do the Pony Pokey,
and you give a little shout.
FLUTTERSHY
COME OUT!

PINKIE PIE
That’s what I’m talking about!
You do the Pony Pokey!
You do the Pony Pokey!
You do the Pony Pokey!
And that’s what it’s all about.
Yeah!

Song: “Jolly Good Fellow”
Episode: “The Best Night Ever”
Lyrics by Amy Keating Rogers
Music by Daniel Ingram

PINKIE PIE
I’m at the Grand Galloping Gala!
I’m at the Grand Galloping Gala!
I’m at the Grand Galloping Gala!
It’s all I ever dreamed!
It’s all I ever dreamed!
Woo hoo!
It’s all I ever dreamed!
Yippee!
I’m at the Grand Galloping Galaaaaaa!
It’s all I’ve ever dreamed!

“Songs work really well
in My Little Pony: Friendship is
Magic for different reasons, but they are
all motivated by the characters. I think this is
why it works so well when the show has songs.
The songs can also make the stakes of the
episode that much bigger, and when things
don’t go right, the impact is greater.”
—Amy Keating Rogers, writer

Season 2

Song: “May the Best Pet Win”
Episode: “May the Best Pet Win!”
Lyrics by Charlotte Fullerton & Kevin Rubio
Music by Daniel Ingram

FLUTTERSHY
Now, Rainbow, my dear,
I cannot express my delight.
It’s abundantly clear
that somewhere out here
is the pet that will suit you just right.

RAINBOW DASH
I can’t wait to get started,
but first let me set a few rules.
It’s of utmost importance
the pet that I get is something
that’s awesome and cool!

FLUTTERSHY
Awesome. Cool. Got it.
I have so many wonderful choices.
Just wait, you will see.

RAINBOW DASH
I need something real fast like a bullet
to keep up with me.

FLUTTERSHY
Sure. How ’bout a bunny?
They’re cutesy and wootsy
and quick as can be.

RAINBOW DASH
Cutesy? Wootsy?
Have you even met me?
FLUTTERSHY
Rainbow, have faith.
You see, I will bet you

somewhere in here is
a pet that will get you.
Come on, the sky’s the limit!

RAINBOW DASH
Sky is good! I’d like it to fly.
FLUTTERSHY
Really? Because I think this
widdle puddy tat has your name
written all over it. Yes, he does.
Aw, look. He likes you!

RAINBOW DASH
Pass.
FLUTTERSHY
I have so many wonderful choices
for you to decide!
There are otters and seals
with massive appeal.

RAINBOW DASH
Otters and seals do not fly.
FLUTTERSHY
Maybe not, but I’ve seen
this particular seal catch ten feet of air
when he breaches the water.

RAINBOW DASH
That’s it. I’m outta here.
FLUTTERSHY
Wait! There must be a pet here
that will fit the ticket.
How about a ladybug?
Or a cute cricket?

RAINBOW DASH
Bigger. And. Cooler.
FLUTTERSHY
Bigger. Cooler. Right.

I’ve got just the thing
in that tree!
Dash, meet your new fabulous pet,
Squirrely!
RAINBOW DASH
It’s just a squirrel.
FLUTTERSHY
Not just any squirrel…
a flying squirrel!

RAINBOW DASH
Yeahhhh, so like I was saying—
Fluttershy, pal,
this won’t cut it.
I need a pet to keep up with me.
Something awesome!
Something flying!
With coolness that defies gravity!

FLUTTERSHY
I’m sensing you want
an animal that can fly.
RAINBOW DASH
Ya think??
FLUTTERSHY
I have plenty of wonderful
creatures who soar in the sky.
Like a sweet hummingbird
or a giant monarch butterfly?

RAINBOW DASH
Better. But cooler!
FLUTTERSHY
I see.
How ’bout an owl?
Or a wasp or a toucan?
There’s so many wonderful creatures
the likes of that.
There are falcons and eagles,
they are both quite regal.
Or perhaps what you need
is a dark and mysterious bat?

RAINBOW DASH
Now you’re talking!
But instead of just one standout,
now that’s too many!
So many choices,
and such riches aplenty!

FLUTTERSHY
Not a bad problem to have,
if you ask me.
RAINBOW DASH
The bat would be awesome!
But the wasp I’m digging, too.
Do you have something
in a yellow-striped bat?

FLUTTERSHY
No. But I’ve got a hot-pink
flamingo just dying to meet you.
RAINBOW DASH
What to do, what to do?
A prize? That’s it!
There’s really just one way
to find out which animal’s best.
Hold a contest of speed, agility, and guts
that will put each pet to the test!

FLUTTERSHY
Don’t forget style.
That should be considered.
RAINBOW DASH
Then I’ll know for sure
who’s best of the litter!
FLUTTERSHY
The one who is awesome-est, cool.

RAINBOW DASH
Just like me!
Can’t settle for less
’cause I’m the best!
RAINBOW DASH AND FLUTTERSHY
So a contest we will seeeeeeee…
RAINBOW DASH
who’s the number one, greatest,
perfect-est pet in the world for me!
RAINBOW DASH AND FLUTTERSHY
May the games begin!
RAINBOW DASH
And may the best pet win.

Song: “Becoming Popular
(The Pony Everypony Should Know)”
Episode: “Sweet and Elite”
Lyrics by Meghan McCarthy
Music by Daniel Ingram

RARITY
I’ll be the toast of the town,
the girl on the go.
I’m the type of pony everypony,
everypony should know.…
I’ll be the one to watch,
the girl in the flow.
I’m the type of pony everypony,
everypony should know.…

Becoming as popular as popular can be.
Making my mark, making my mark
in high society.
I’m the belle of the ball,
the star of the show.
Yeah, I’m the type of pony everypony,
everypony should know.

See how they hang on every word
that I speak.
My approving glance is what they all seek.
I’m the crème de la crème,
not just another Jane Doe.
I’m the type of pony everypony,
everypony should know.

At home, at the opera, on a fancy yacht
becoming the talk,
the talk of all of Canterlot.
I’m the crème de la crème,
not just another Jane Doe.
Yeah, I’m the type of pony everypony,
everypony should know.

Because…I’m the type of pony,
yes, I’m the type of pony,
yes, I’m the type of pony
everypony should know.…

Song: “Heart Carol Song” or
“A Circle of Friends”
Episode: “Hearth’s Warming Eve”
Lyrics by Merriwether Williams
Music by Daniel Ingram

EVERYPONY
The Fire of Friendship lives in our hearts.
As long as it burns we cannot drift apart.
Though quarrels arise,
their numbers are few.
Laughter and singing will see us through.
We are a circle of pony friends...
a circle of friends we’ll be
to the very end.

Song: “Baby Cakes Song”
Episode: “Baby Cakes”
Lyrics by Charlotte Fullerton
Music by Daniel Ingram

PINKIE PIE
Happy month-i-versary
to you and you today!
I-can’t-believe-you’re-already-a-month-
old. Time-sure-flies-doesn’t-it-wow.
Seems-like-only-yesterday-
you-were-born.
But now you’re a month old today, hey!

Song: “Piggy Song”
Episode: “Baby Cakes”
Lyrics by Amy Keating Rogers
Music by Daniel Ingram

PINKIE PIE
First you jiggle your tail,
oink, oink, oink!
Then you wriggle your snout,
oink, oink, oink!
Then you wriggle your rump,
oink, oink, oink!
Then shout it out!
Oink, oink, oink!
[Repeat]
First jiggle your tail,
oink, oink, oink!
Then you wriggle your snout,
oink, oink, oink!
Then you wriggle your rump,
oink, oink, oink!
Then shout it out!
Oink, oink, oink!

[Repeat faster]
First jiggle your tail,
oink, oink, oink!
Then you wriggle your snout,
oink, oink, oink!
Then you wriggle your rump,
oink, oink, oink!
Then shout it out!
Oink, oink, oink!

Song: “Flim Flam Cider Song”
Episode: “The Super Speedy Cider
Squeezy 6000”
Lyrics by Mitch Larson & Daniel Ingram
Music by Daniel Ingram

FLIM
Well, lookie what we got here,
brother of mine.
It’s the same in every town.
Ponies with thirsty throats, dry tongues,
and not a drop of cider to be found.
Maybe they’re not aware that there’s
really no need for this teary despair.

FLAM
That the key that they need to solve this
sad cider shortage you and I will share.
FLIM AND FLAM
Well, you got opportunity
in this very community!
He’s Flim—
he’s Flam. We’re the world-famous
Flim Flam brothers, traveling salesponies
nonpareil!
PINKIE PIE
Nonpa-what?

FLIM
Nonpareil! And that’s exactly
the reason why, you see—
Nopony else in this whole place
will give you such a chance to be where
you need to be.
And that’s a new world with tons of cider,
fresh-squeezed and ready for drinking.
FLAM
More cider than you could drink in all
your days of thinking!

RAINBOW DASH
I doubt that—
FLIM AND FLAM
So take this opportunity in this very
community!
FLAM
He’s Flim—
FLIM
he’s Flam. We’re the world-famous
Flim Flam brothers, traveling salesponies
nonpareil!
FLIM
I suppose by now you’re wondering
about our peculiar mode of transport.
FLAM
I say, our mode of locomotion.

FLIM
And I suppose by now you’re wondering,
where is this promised cider?
FLAM
Anyhorse can make a claim
and anypony can do the same.
FLIM
But my brother and I have something
most unique and superb,
unseen at any time in this big, new world.
FLIM AND FLAM
And that’s opportunity!

FLIM
Folks, it’s the one and only—
the biggest and the best—
FLAM
the unbelievable—
FLIM
unimpeachable—
FLAM
indispensable—
FLIM
I-can’t-believe–able—
FLIM AND FLAM
Flim Flam brothers Super Speedy
Cider Squeezy 6000!

“I have a soft spot for the
Flim Flam brothers’ song. It was just so
much fun to write—both because of its unique patter-
like quality and because of what the brothers are trying
to accomplish with the song: They want to mesmerize
Ponyville. And it’s catchy as heck.”
— Mitch Larson, writer

FLAM
Whattaya say, sister?
PONIES
Oh, we got opportunity
in this very community!
Please, Flim, please, Flam,
help us outta this jam
with your Flim Flam brothers
Super Speedy Cider Squeezy 6000!

FLIM
Young filly, I would be ever so honored if
you might see fit to let my brother
and I borrow some of your delicious—
and might I add spellbindingly fragrant—
apples for our little demonstration here?

APPLEJACK
Uh…sure, I guess.
PONIES
Opportunity!
In our community!
FLAM
Ready, Flim?
FLIM
Ready, Flam!
FLAM
Let’s bing, bang, zam
and show these thirsty ponies
a world of delectable cider!
PONIES
Cider…cider…cider…cider…
cider…cider…cider…cider…
FLIM
Watch closely, my friends—
FLAM
the fun begins!
FLIM
Now here’s where the magic happens,

right here, in this heaving,
roiling cider press coiling
guts of the very machine.
Those apples plucked fresh
are right now as we speak
being turned into grade A, top-notch,
five-star, blow-your-horseshoes-off,
one-of-a-kind cider.

FLIM
Feel free to take a sneak peek.
GRANNY SMITH
Now wait, you fellers, hold it!
You went and oversold it.
I guarantee that what you have there
won’t compare,
for the very most important ingredient
can’t be added or done expedient,
and that’s quality, friends,
Apple Acres’ quality and care!

FLIM
Well, Granny, I’m glad you brought that
up, my dear.
I say, I’m glad you brought that up.
You see that we are very picky when it
comes to cider, if you’ll kindly try a cup.…

FLAM
Yes, sir, yes, ma’am, this great machine
lets just the very best.…
So whattaya say, then, Apples?
Care to step into the modern world and
put the Super Speedy Cider Squeezy 6000
to the test?
PONIES
Cider…cider…cider…cider…
FLIM
Whattaya think, folks?
Do you see what the Apples can’t?

I see it clear as day! I know she does!
So does he! Come on, Ponyville,
you know what I’m talking about!
FLIM AND FLAM
We’re saying you’ve got opportunity
in this very community!
He’s Flim, he’s Flam.
We’re the world-famous
Flim Flam brothers…
tra-vel-ing saaaalesponies
NONPAREIIIIIIIL!!
Yeeeeaaaaahh!!

Song: “The Perfect Stallion”
Episode: “Hearts and Hooves Day”
Lyrics by Meghan McCarthy
Music by Daniel Ingram

SWEETIE BELLE
Cheerilee is sweet and kind.
She’s the best teacher we could hope for.
The perfect stallion you and I must find,
one to really make her heart soar.
But this one’s too young,
this one’s too old—
he clearly has a terrible cold.

SICKLY PONY
Aah-choo.
APPLE BLOOM
This guy’s too silly.
He’s way too uptight.
UPPITY PONY
I say!
SWEETIE BELLE
Well, nothing’s wrong with this one.
He seems all right.

SCOOTALOO
His girlfriend sure thinks so.
SWEETIE BELLE
How ’bout this one?
APPLE BLOOM
He’s much too flashy.
SCOOTALOO
He might do.
APPLE BLOOM AND SWEETIE BELLE
If he weren’t so splashy.
APPLE BLOOM
Too short.
SWEETIE BELLE
Too tall.
APPLE BLOOM
Too clean.
SCOOTALOO
Too smelly.

SWEETIE BELLE
Too strangely obsessed with tubs of jelly.
APPLE BLOOM
I don’t think that we’re mistaken.
It seems all the good ones are taken.
SWEETIE BELLE
I really feel that at this rate,
we’ll never find the perfect date.
Don’t want to quit and give up hope…
SCOOTALOO
Doing anything special for
Hearts and Hooves Day?
SWEETIE BELLE
Oh please, oh please, oh please say…
BIG MCINTOSH
nope.
SWEETIE BELLE
We did it, girls, we’ve found the one
who will send our teacher’s heart aflutter.

Song: “The Smile Song”
Episode: “A Friend in Deed”
Lyrics by Amy Keating Rogers
Music by Daniel Ingram

PINKIE PIE
My name is Pinkie Pie!
Hello!
And I am here to say
how ya doin’?
I’m gonna make you smile and I will
brighten up your day!
It doesn’t matter now.
What’s up?
If you are sad or blue.
Howdy!
’Cause cheering up my friends is just
what Pinkie’s here to do!

’Cause I love to make you smile, smile,
smile. Yes, I do.
It fills my heart with sunshine all the
while. Yes, it does.
’Cause all I really need’s a
smile, smile, smile.
From these happy friends of mine!

I like to see you grin.
Awesome!

I love to see you beam.
Rock on!
The corners of your mouth turned up is
always Pinkie’s dream.
Hoof bump!
But if you’re kinda worried—
and your face has made a frown—
I’ll work real hard and do my best
to turn that sad frown upside down!

’Cause I love to make you grin, grin, grin.
Yes, I do.
Bust it out from ear to ear. Let it begin.
Just give me a joyful grin, grin, grin.
And you fill me with good cheer!

It’s true, some days are dark and lonely.
And maybe you feel sad.
But Pinkie will be there to show you
that it isn’t that bad.
There’s one thing that makes me happy
and makes my whole life worthwhile.
And that’s when I talk to my friends and
get them to smi-i-ile!

I really am so happy!
Your smile fills me with glee.
I give a smile, I get a smile,
and that’s so special to me.

“I would probably say that
‘The Smile Song’ is my favorite because it’s
just so uplifting and positive without being too
saccharine or cheesy. It strikes a great balance of
fun and meaning. There’s no way you can listen to
that and not feel better for doing so.”
— Jayson Thiessen, supervising director

’Cause I love to see you
beam, beam, beam. Yes, I do.
Tell me, what more can I say
to make you see that I do?
It makes me happy when you
beam, beam, beam.
Yes, it always makes my day!

Come on, everypony, smile, smile, smile.
Fill my heart up with sunshine, sunshine.
All I really need’s a smile, smile, smile,
from these happy friends of mine!

Come on, everypony, smile, smile, smile,
fill my heart up with sunshine, sunshine.
All I really need’s a smile, smile, smile,
from these happy friends of mine!
Yes, the perfect gift for me-ee-ee
is a smile as wide as a mi-ii-ile.
To make me happy as can be-ee-ee.
PINKIE PIE AND FRIENDS
Smile! Smile! Smile! Smile! Smiiiiiiiiiiile!
Come on and smile! Come on and smile!

Song: “The Cranky Doodle Song, Part 1”
Episode: “A Friend in Deed”
Lyrics by Amy Keating Rogers
Music by Daniel Ingram

PINKIE PIE
You’re a Cranky Doodle Donkey guy!
A Cranky Doodle Donkey!
I’ve never met you,
but you’re my new friend.
And I’m your best friend, Pinkie Pie!
C’mon now, Doodle, give a smile!!!!

Song: “The Cranky Doodle Song, Part 2”
Episode: “A Friend in Deed”
Lyrics by Amy Keating Rogers
Music by Daniel Ingram

PINKIE PIE
He had a Cranky Doodle sweetheart,
she’s his Cranky Doodle joy.
I helped the Cranky Doodle boy.
Yes, I helped the Cranky Doodle boy!!

Song: “Welcome Ditty”
Episode: “A Friend in Deed”
Lyrics by Amy Keating Rogers
Music by Daniel Ingram

PINKIE PIE
Welcome, welcome, welcome!
A fine welcome to you!
Welcome, welcome, welcome!
I say, “How do you do?”
Welcome, welcome, welcome!
I say, “Hip hip hooray!”
Welcome, welcome, welcome
to Ponyville todaaaaaaaaay!

Song: “BBBFF”
Episode: “A Canterlot Wedding, Part 1”
Lyrics by Meghan McCarthy
Music by Daniel Ingram

TWILIGHT SPARKLE
When I was just a filly,
I found it rather silly
to see how many other ponies
I could meet.…
I had my books to read.
Didn’t know that I would ever need
other ponies to make my life complete.
But there was one colt that I cared for.
I knew he would be there for…me.
My Big Brother Best Friend Forever.
Like two peas in a pod,
we did everything together.
He taught me how to fly a kite.
Best friend forever.
We never had a single fight.
We did everything together.
We shared our hopes.

We shared our dreams.
I miss him more than I realized,
it seems.…
PONIES
Your Big Brother Best Friend Forever.
Like two peas in a pod,
you did everything together.
TWILIGHT SPARKLE
And though he’s oh-so-far away.
I hoped that he would stay…
my Big Brother Best Friend Forever.
Forever.

Song: “This Day Aria, Part 1”
Episode: “A Canterlot Wedding, Part 2”
Lyrics by Meghan McCarthy
Music by Daniel Ingram

IMPOSTOR CADANCE
This day is going to be perfect.
The kind of day of which I’ve dreamed
since I was small.
Everypony will gather round,
say I look lovely in my gown.
What they don’t know is that
I have fooled them all.

PRINCESS CADANCE
This day was going to be perfect.
The kind of day of which I’ve dreamed
since I was small.
But instead of having cake
with all my friends to celebrate,
my wedding bells, they may not ring
for me at all.

IMPOSTOR CADANCE
I could care less about the dress.
I won’t partake in any cake.

“ ‘BBBFF’
is special to me
because as I was writing
the lyrics I was thinking
about the amazing relationship
that my daughter has with her
big brother. If they start to get on
each other’s nerves as they get
older, I’m going to force them
to listen to it on a loop until
they make up.”
— Meghan McCarthy,
story editor

Vows? Well, I’ll be lying when I say
that through any kind of weather
I’ll want us to be together.
The truth is I don’t care for him at all.
No, I do not love the groom.
In my heart there is no room.
But I still want him to be all mine!

PRINCESS CADANCE
Must escape before it’s too late.
Find a way to save the day.
Hope? I’ll be lying if I say
I don’t fear that I may lose him
to one who wants to use him,
not care for, love, and cherish him
each day.
For I oh-so-love the groom.
All my thoughts he does consume.
Oh, Shining Armor, I’ll be there very
sooooooon!

IMPOSTOR CADANCE
Finally the moment has arrived
for me to be one lucky bride.…
PRINCESS CADANCE
Oh, the wedding we won’t make.
He’ll end up marrying a fake.
Shining Armor will be—
IMPOSTOR CADANCE
Mine, all mine.

The kind of day of which I’ve dreamed
since I was small.
Everypony I’ll soon control,
every stallion, mare, and foal.
Who says a girl can’t really have it all?

Song: “Love Is in Bloom”
Episode: “A Canterlot Wedding, Part 2”
Lyrics by Meghan McCarthy &
Daniel Ingram
Music by Daniel Ingram

TWILIGHT SPARKLE
Love is in bloom.
A beautiful bride. A handsome groom.
Two hearts becoming one.
A bond that cannot be undone because
love is in bloom.
A beautiful bride. A handsome groom.
I say, love is in bloom.
You’re starting a life
and making room for us.

Song: “This Day Aria, Part 2”
Episode: “A Canterlot Wedding, Part 2”
Lyrics by Meghan McCarthy
Music by Daniel Ingram

QUEEN CHRYSALIS
This day has been just perfect.

Season 3

Song: “The Failure Song”
Episode: “The Crystal Empire, Part 1”
Lyrics by Meghan McCarthy
Music by Daniel Ingram

TWILIGHT SPARKLE
I was prepared to do my best,
thought I could handle any test,
for I can do so many tricks,
but I wasn’t prepared for this.
Levitation would have been a breeze.
Facts and figures I recite with ease.
The square root of 546 is 23.36664289109.

PROFESSOR PONY
She is correct!
TWILIGHT SPARKLE
I could ace a quiz on friendship’s bliss,
but I wasn’t prepared for this.
Will I fail or will I pass, I can’t be sure.
SPIKE
She can’t be sure.
TWILIGHT SPARKLE
My mind is sharp, my skills intact.
My heart is pure.

SPIKE
Her heart is pure.
TWILIGHT SPARKLE
Oh, I’ve taken my share of licks.
I’ve made it through the thin and thick.
But no, I wasn’t…
SPIKE
Oh no, she wasn’t…

TWILIGHT SPARKLE
Oh no, I wasn’t…
SPIKE
Oh no, she wasn’t…
TWILIGHT SPARKLE
No, I wasn’t…
prepared for this!

Song: “The Ballad of the Crystal Ponies”
Episode: “The Crystal Empire, Part 1”
Lyrics by Meghan McCarthy
Music by Daniel Ingram

TWILIGHT SPARKLE
Princess Cadance needs our help.
Her magic will not last forever.
I think we can do it,
but we need to work together.
We have to get this right.
Yes, we have to make them see
we can save the Crystal ponies
with their history.

RAINBOW DASH
It says that they liked jousting.
RARITY
They flew a flag of many hues.
APPLEJACK
Made sweets of Crystal berries.
FLUTTERSHY
They had a petting zoo with tiny ewes.
PONIES
Oh, we have to get this right.
Yes, we have to make them see
we can save the Crystal ponies
with their history.

PINKIE PIE
There was a Crystal flüelhorn
that everypony liked to play.
TWILIGHT SPARKLE
And a Crystal Kingdom anthem.
Can you learn it in a day?
PONIES
Oh, we have to get this right.
Yes, we have to make them see
we can save the Crystal ponies
with their history.

Song: “The Success Song”
Episode: “The Crystal Empire, Part 2”
Lyrics by Meghan McCarthy
Music by Daniel Ingram

RARITY
You were prepared to do your best,
had what it takes to pass the test.
All those doubts you can dismiss.
Turns out you were prepared for this.
APPLEJACK
You clearly have just what it takes.
PINKIE PIE
To pass a test with such high stakes.
FLUTTERSHY
We knew for sure you would prevail.

RAINBOW DASH
Since when does Twilight Sparkle ever fail?
PONYVILLE PONIES
All those doubts that you can dismiss,
trust yourself and you cannot miss.
Turns out you were…
TWILIGHT SPARKLE
turns out I was…
PONYVILLE PONIES
turns out you were…
TWILIGHT SPARKLE
turns out I was…
RARITY
turns out you were…
PONYVILLE PONIES
prepared for this!

Song: “Babs Seed”
Episode: “One Bad Apple”
Lyrics by Cindy Morrow &
Daniel Ingram
Music by Daniel Ingram

APPLE BLOOM
First we thought that Babs
was so really, really sweet.
A new friend to have,
and it seemed like such a treat.

SCOOTALOO
But then we found the truth:
She’s just a bully from the east.
She went from Babs,
yeah, to a bully and a beast!
APPLE BLOOM
Everywhere we turn,
she’s just a step ahead!

CUTIE MARK CRUSADERS
Babs Seed! Babs Seed!
What we gonna do?
Got a bully on our tail,
gotta hide, we gotta bail.
Babs Seed! Babs Seed!
If she’s after you,
you gotta run, we gotta flee,
gotta hurry, don’t you see?
Babs Seed! Babs Seed!
She’s just a bad, bad seed!

APPLE BLOOM
Hiding from a bully,
we know it isn’t right,
but the Cutie Mark Crusaders,
we aren’t lookin’ for a fight!
SCOOTALOO
Oh, she’ll go home soon
and then we’ll have some peace again.

But for now we’re stayin’ out of her way
’til then.
APPLE BLOOM
Everywhere we turn,
she’s just a step ahead.

CUTIE MARK CRUSADERS
Babs Seed! Babs Seed!
What we gonna do?
Gotta bully on our tail,
gotta hide, we gotta bail.
Babs Seed! Babs Seed!
If she’s after you,
you gotta run, we gotta flee,
gotta hurry, don’t you see?
Why so mean? Why so crude?
Why so angry? Why so rude?
Can’t you be nice?
Can’t we be friends?
Isn’t it sad? Is this how it all ends?
Babs Seed, Babs Seed,
she’s just a bad, bad...
Babs Seed, Babs Seed,
she’s just a bad, bad…
Babs Seed, Babs Seed,
she’s just a BAD, BAD SEED.

Song: “Raise This Barn”
Episode: “Apple Family Reunion”
Lyrics by Cindy Morrow
Music by Daniel Ingram

APPLEJACK
Raise this barn, raise this barn,
one, two, three, four.
Together we can raise this barn,
one, two, three, four.
Up, up, up go the beams.
Hammer those joints, work in teams.
Turn ’em round quick by the right elbow,
grab a new partner, here we go!
C’mon, Apple Family! Let’s get to it!
Whooo-whee!
Raise this barn, raise this barn,
one, two, three, four.
Together we can raise this barn,
one, two, three, four.
Finish the frame, recycling wood,
workin’ hard, you’re doin’ good!
Turn ’em round quick by the right elbow,
grab your partner, here we go!
Raise this barn, raise this barn,
one, two, three, four.
Together we can raise this barn,
one, two, three, four.
Slats of wood come off the ground.
Hold ’em up and nail them down.

Turn ’em round quick by the left elbow,
grab a new partner, here we go!
C’mon, Apples! Git ’er done!
APPLE BLOOM
Look at us, we’re family.
APPLEJACK
Working together thankfully.
APPLE BLOOM
We Apples, we are proud to say...
APPLEJACK AND APPLE BLOOM
stick together the pony way.

APPLEJACK
Bow to your partner and circle right.
Get down if you’re scared of heights!
Forward, back, and twirl around.
That barn’s gonna be the best in town!
Yee-haw! Atta girl!
APPLE BLOOM
All right! Let’s get to it!
APPLEJACK AND OTHERS
Raise this barn, raise this barn,
one, two, three, four.
Together we can raise this barn,
one, two, three, four.

APPLEJACK
Take your brushes, young and old.
Together paint it bright and bold.
Turn ’em round quick by the left elbow,
grab a new partner, here we go!
APPLEJACK AND OTHERS
We raised this barn, we raised this barn.
Yes, we did!
Together we sure raised this barn.
Yes, we did!
Being together counts the most.
We all came here from coast to coast.
All we need to strive to be
is part of the Apple FA-MI-LYYYY!

Song: “Morning in Ponyville”
Episode: “Magical Mystery Cure”
Lyrics by Mitch Larson
Music by Daniel Ingram

TWILIGHT SPARKLE
Morning in Ponyville shimmers,
morning in Ponyville shines,
and I know for absolute certain
that everything is certainly fine.
There’s the mayor en route to her office.
There’s the sofa clerk selling some quills.
Yes, my Ponyville is so gentle and still.
Can things ever go wrong?
I don’t think they will.
Morning in Ponyville shimmers,
morning in Ponyville shines,
and I know for absolute certain
that everything is certainlyyyy—
RAINBOW DASH! That’s not funny!

RARITY
Terribly sorry, darling. I’m afraid I’m not
good with the thundery ones.
TWILIGHT SPARKLE
[gasps] Something tells me everything
is not going to be fine.

Song: “What My Cutie Mark Is Telling Me”
Episode: “Magical Mystery Cure”
Lyrics by Daniel Ingram
Music by Daniel Ingram

RAINBOW DASH
These animals don’t listen,
no, not one little bit.
They run around, out of control,
and throw their hissy fits.
It’s up to me to stop them,
’cause plainly you can see,
it’s got to be my destiny.
And it’s what my cutie mark is telling me.

FLUTTERSHY
I try to keep them laughing,
put a smile upon their face.
But no matter what I try,
it seems a bit of a disgrace.
I have to entertain them;
it’s there for all to see.
It’s got to be my destiny.
And it’s what my cutie mark is telling me.
A NEARBY PONY
[laughs]

“We don’t usually go into a story
meeting knowing for sure that there will be a
song in the episode. The decision to include one usually
just comes from the process of fleshing out the episode. As
we’re figuring out the beats of the story, we start to see that an
emotion a character is feeling might be better expressed through
a song, or a montage we have planned calls for singing
instead of just instrumental music behind it.”
— Meghan McCarthy, story editor

PINKIE PIE
I don’t care much for pickin’ fruit,
and plowin’ fields ain’t such a hoot.
No matter what I try I cannot fix
this busted water chute!
I’ve got so many chores to do;
it’s no fun being me,
but it has to be my destiny.
’Cause that’s what my cutie mark
is telling me.

APPLEJACK
Lookie here at what I made,
I think that it’s a dress.
I know it doesn’t look like much.
I’m under some distress.
Could y’all give me a hand here,
and help me fix this mess?
My destiny is not pretty,
but it’s what my cutie mark is telling me.
RARITY
I’m in love with weather patterns,
but the others have concerns,

for I just gave them frostbite
over top of their sunburns.
I have to keep on trying,
for everyone can see.…
RAINBOW DASH
it’s got to be…
FLUTTERSHY
it’s got to be…
PINKIE PIE
my destiny…
APPLEJACK
my destiny.
RARITY AND RAINBOW DASH
And it’s what my cutie mark…
PINKIE PIE AND FLUTTERSHY
it’s what my cutie mark…
ALL MAIN PONIES
yes, it’s what my cutie mark is telling me.

Song: “I’ve Got to Find a Way”
Episode: “Magical Mystery Cure”
Lyrics by Daniel Ingram
Music by Daniel Ingram

TWILIGHT SPARKLE
I have to find a way
to make this all okay.
I can’t believe this small mistake
could have caused so much heartache.
Oh why…?
Oh why…?
Losing promise, I don’t know what to do.
Seeking answers, I fear I won’t get
through to you.…
Oh why…?
Oh why…?

“As we are
breaking a story
into acts and eventually
individual scenes, we start
to see where it might be nice
to have a song. The writer of the
episode knows at the outline stage
whether there will be a musical
number and writes the lyrics
into the script.”
— Meghan McCarthy,
story editor

Song: “A True, True Friend”
Episode: “Magical Mystery Cure”
Lyrics by Daniel Ingram
Music by Daniel Ingram

TWILIGHT SPARKLE
A true, true friend helps a friend in need.
A friend will be there to help them see.
TWILIGHT SPARKLE AND FLUTTERSHY
A true, true friend helps a friend in need
to see the light that shines from a true,
true friend.

RAINBOW DASH
Um, hello?
Friend trapped inside, remember?
TWILIGHT SPARKLE
Rarity needs your help.
She’s trying hard, doing what she can.
FLUTTERSHY
Would you try, just give it a chance?
You might find that you’ll start to
understand.
TWILIGHT SPARKLE AND FLUTTERSHY
A true, true friend helps a friend in need.

A friend will be there to help you see.
A true, true friend helps a friend in need
to see the light that shines from a true,
true friend.
RAINBOW DASH
Uhhh, what just happened?
TWILIGHT SPARKLE
There’s no time to explain…
but we need your help.
Applejack’s trying to make dresses!

RAINBOW DASH
Say no more.
Applejack needs your help.
She’s trying hard, doing what she can.
Would you try, just give it a chance?
You might find that you’ll start to
understand.…
TWILIGHT SPARKLE, FLUTTERSHY,
AND RAINBOW DASH
A true, true friend helps a friend in need.
A friend will be there to help them see.
A true, true friend helps a friend in need
to see the light that shines from a true,
true friend.

RARITY
Oh my!…What a terrible dream I had!
Or maybe I’m still having it.
TWILIGHT SPARKLE
Rarity, Pinkie Pie is about to lose the
Apple Farm.
We need Applejack’s help.…
RARITY
Lose the Apple Farm? Well, we can’t let
that happen now, can we?
Pinkie Pie is in trouble.
We need to get there by her side.
We can try to do what we can now,
for together we can be her guide.…

TWILIGHT SPARKLE, FLUTTERSHY,
RAINBOW DASH, AND RARITY
A true, true friend helps a friend in need.
A friend will be there to help them see.
A true, true friend helps a friend in need.
to see the light that shines from a true,
true frieeeend.…
APPLEJACK
Yeee-haw! Now that’s more like it!
What’s next?
TWILIGHT SPARKLE
The townspeople are furious.…
We need the old Pinkie Pie back!

APPLEJACK
I’m on it, I know just the thing.
The townspeople need you,
they’ve been sad for a while.
They march around, face a-frown,
and never seem to smile.
And if you feel like helpin’,
we’d appreciate a lot
if you’d get up there and spread some
cheer from here to Canterlot.…

PINKIE PIE
Come on, ponies! I wanna see you
SMILE!!!
TOWNSPONIES
PINKIE!!!
EVERYPONY
A true, true friend helps a friend in need.
A friend will be there to help them see.
A true, true friend helps a friend in need
to see the light…that shines…that shines!
From a true, true frieeeend!

Song: “Celestia’s Ballad”
Episode: “Magical Mystery Cure”
Lyrics by Daniel Ingram
Music by Daniel Ingram

PRINCESS CELESTIA
You’ve come such a long, long way,
and I’ve watched you from that very
first day
to see how you might grow,
to see what you might do,
to see what you’ve been through,
and all the ways you’ve made me
proud of you.
It’s time now for a new change to come.
You’ve grown up,
and your new life has begun.
To go where you will go,
to see what you will see,
to find what you will be,
for it’s time for you
to fulfill your destinyyy.…

Song: “Behold, Princess Twilight Sparkle”
Episode: “Magical Mystery Cure”
Lyrics by Daniel Ingram
Music by Daniel Ingram

EVERYPONY
The princess Twilight cometh!
Behold! Behold!
The princess here before us!
Behold! Behold!
Behold! Behold!
The princess Twilight cometh!
Behold! Behold!
The princess is,
the princess is here!

Song: “Life in Equestria”
Episode: “Magical Mystery Cure”
Lyrics by Mitch Larson
Music by Daniel Ingram

TWILIGHT SPARKLE
Life in Equestria shimmers,
life in Equestria shines,
and I know for absolute certain...
PONIES
that everything, yes, everything,
yes, that everything, yes, that everything
is certainly fine.
Is fiiineee!

“ There are
actually quite a few
songs I’ve found myself
singing when no one’s around, but
the one that stands out for me the
most is ‘Celestia’s Ballad.’ As animation
supervisor over the past three seasons,
I actually got a little choked up the first
time I watched the finished sequence
where Princess Celestia shows Twilight
flashbacks from her life. It was almost
like seeing flashbacks from the past
three years of my life!”
— Ishi Ruddell, animation
director

“It amazes me to think of
how deeply children and fans of all
ages are embracing the DNA and true
essence of the My Little Pony brand. We
are thrilled the brand has transcended age and
gender globally because of our socially relevant
messages of friendship, tolerance, and that it is okay
to be who you uniquely are. It is quite wonderful
and has been an honor to be part of this new
generation of My Little Pony, and of all that
the brand represents.”
—Donna Tobin, senior director
of global brand strategy and
marketing, Hasbro

My Little Pony
Is Taking Over!

Trends will always come and go, but none have taken the world
by storm like the Friendship is Magic movement. Kids, parents,
and fans of all ages have been mesmerized by this undeniable
phenomenon. But what is it about these lovable ponies that have
people celebrating the world over? Sure, they’re charming, sweet,
and all-around awesome, but there’s more to these little ponies
than meets the eye. In a market flooded with animated programs
and requisite toy lines, My Little Pony has excelled because of its
combination of branding and substance. The equation is simple:
fun, bright characters + engaging storytelling mixed with a positive
message = a perfect blend of entertainment and education that’s fun
for families of all shapes and sizes. Kids love the characters, parents
like the messages, and fans love everything in between.

The My Little Pony animated series is filled with
magic, wonder, and escapism just
as any good children’s program
should be. In a saturated television
landscape, it can be difficult
to project a positive message
without coming across as heavy-
handed. But the dazzling ponies
of Equestria and their quest
to become the best ponies

“It makes me
feel good to know I’m part of
something positive. Goodness knows we
need that in this world.”
—Phil Caesar, location designer

they can be have proven it’s
possible to make entertaining,
quality television that teaches a
thing or two in the process. Whether
it’s Applejack’s Southern charm, Rainbow
Dash’s boundless energy, or Twilight Sparkle’s lovable neurosis, each
pony is known for her distinct and unique personality. Viewers see
themselves reflected in each character’s individuality and learn
that it’s important to be who you are. They celebrate their favorite
character’s triumphs and learn along with them when they make
a mistake. The diverse cast is filled with relatable representations
of a variety of distinct personality types. Conveying these positive
lessons are frenetic and exciting stories that use music, dance, and
a crisp pace to keep young people involved and energized. Episodes
are simple to understand, are smartly written, and feature subtle
adult humor to keep parents watching alongside their kids.

Bright personalities, bold colors, and high energy have been
proven to capture attention, but My Little Pony also empowers
young girls to be anything they want to be in life. As simple as
that tenet may sound, it can be difficult to find programming
with a strong feminine point of view that doesn’t shy away from

“It does surprise me that fans have
connected so strongly with the Elements of Harmony.
And the fandom has really impressed me with where they’ve
taken the philosophy of the Elements. They have done lots of
charity work and fund-raisers, feeling that philanthropy is
part of the message of the Elements.”
—Amy Keating Rogers, writer

“I’m not at all
surprised at the fans’
love of the show. It’s fun, funny,
and full of adventure, but never shies
away from the sincerity of emotion and
heart inherent in the characters. I really
believe the fans identify and admire those
qualities in our main ponies. They represent
the qualities we should all aspire to have
when choosing our own friends: honesty,
loyalty, generosity, kindness, and
laughter.”
—Jim Miller, storyboard
supervisor

confronting the choices a
young girl may be faced
with. While some girls
enjoy dressing up, others
like to play sports. While
some ponies love brushing
their mane, others enjoy a
hard day’s work. My Little
Pony encourages girls to be
girly in their own special way,
but only if they want to be. In
Ponyville, there’s room for everypony to be who they want to be and
embrace their talents and individuality. The characters refuse to be
easily defined and often encourage one another to try new things so
that they have a chance to grow and learn.

The word family means different things to different people,
but we can all agree that a family loves and supports one another
unconditionally. That’s why parents connect so deeply to the
bonds among Twilight Sparkle, Pinkie Pie, and the rest of the

“My favorite fan art is a ‘Chomper’
drawing done by my daughter when she came in to
hang out with me at work one day. It’s a burger-eating shark-pony
drawing that she did for a coworker who loves sharks. She wanted to help
the director out with ideas for new pony designs. The director [James
Wootton] took the drawing to the art director, Ridd Sorensen, to slick
it up a bit and then handed it back to my girl for final approval.
She and I were very touched with this gesture.”
— Sherann Johnson, storyboard artist

“I am definitely
honored to be a
significant part of such an
amazing show and cultural
phenomenon. As a parent myself,
I’m glad that other parents feel
that the work we do and the stories
we tell are something they feel
comfortable sharing with their
children, as I do.”
—Jayson Thiessen,
supervising director

ponies in Equestria. In addition to its entertainment value, My
Little Pony serves as a teaching tool for families to use at home
when illustrating important life lessons. As Twilight Sparkle learns
the importance of sharing and friendship, parents can use her
experiences to educate their children
and pass along these valuable
messages. Musical numbers like
the “Sharing/Caring Song” are
designed to engage kids by
making the message fun,
energetic, and relatable.

Nostalgia often plays
a part in popular culture,
and many parents have
welcomed My Little
Pony into their homes
because they grew up
with it. Moms share their
childhood love of the brand,
which helps them relate to the

“I was on vacation in Austin,
Texas, during a record-breaking
heat wave, and while walking along
the sidewalk near my hotel in South
Congress, I saw in the distance what looked
to be a person in a large pink mascot costume.
Initially, I dismissed it as someone on their way
to a sporting event of some kind and continued
chatting with my friends, but as we passed the
pink mascot, I noticed a balloon cutie mark on
the hip of the costume. This was Pinkie Pie!
Someone was dressed head to toe in this
fuzzy costume in 110-degree heat! Now
that’s dedication!”
—Devon Cody, producer

“As a parent, I’ve had to sit
through my share of shows with my kids so
I understand how great it is to find ones that we enjoy
watching together, and that have a positive impact on them.
I had a mom come up to me and tell me that when her sons start
to argue, she just has to say, ‘What would Pinkie Pie do?’ and instead
of continuing to fight, they try to calmly resolve their
differences. One of the many joys of working on this show
is knowing that I’m not just getting to write funny stories,
but that I’m putting something with a really positive
message out into the world.”
—Meghan McCarthy, story editor

kids in the process. Instead of stagnating, My Little Pony has
evolved to include modern attitudes toward family, community,
and acceptance. The characters and their
continued evolution serve to reignite a
fondness felt by parents, which they, in
turn, pass along to the next generation.

It can be argued that younger
generations have become desensitized
to violence because of the deluge
of images shown to them on
television and the Internet, and in
the news media. Though My Little
Pony rests comfortably in the
realm of fantasy, parents can rest
assured that even the most perilous
situations that the characters may find
themselves in can always be solved

“One
day I received
a package hand-
delivered by some fans
from out of town. It was
an incredible My Little Pony
poster that they had custom-
designed and signed by all the
prominent musicians in the fan
community at the time. It’s a
beautiful piece of work and a
very touching gesture from the
community. I had it framed,
and it hangs in my studio
today.”
—Daniel Ingram,
song composer

“It’s a
good feeling
knowing that
kids are not only
enjoying the show for
its entertainment value,
but that they are getting
something deeper out
of it as well. ”
—Ridd Sorensen,
art director

by a nonviolent resolution. The solutions
are always clear, clever, and positive.

My Little Pony may be aimed
squarely at younger audiences, but the
universal appeal of the series for all
ages is recognized by the show’s creator,
Lauren Faust, as one of the secrets to its
success. But what keeps teen and adult
fans engaged in a show meant for kids? The
message of Friendship is Magic is a universal
one, and fans of all ages connect deeply to
the show’s sense of camaraderie and fellowship.

“A fan I spoke to told me that Cindy
Morrow’s episode ‘Griffon the Brush Off’ really
had a strong effect on him. This fan always felt that
he needed to please everyone in order to have friends. He
would even change his personality to do this. But in watching
this episode, he learned that he just needed to be himself like
Pinkie was. If someone liked him, great! If not, then they
weren’t his friend to begin with.”
—Amy Keating Rogers, writer