Think a My Little Pony show can't be scary? Think again.
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Friendship is Magic, Part 1 (aka, The Mare in the Moon)
- Nightmare Moon is very appropriately named. She was Celestia's younger sister. 1,000 years ago, she went through a rebellious phase and became jealous of her sister's popularity. As such, she was taken over by malevolent nightmare creatures, had her body completely changed, and tried to usurp her sister by force. She was then sent to the moon and remained in isolation for the entire 1,000 years. No wonder she seems a bit... ''unhinged''.
- There's also something pretty unnerving of how she escapes. It doesn't last long at all, but it's enough to give the viewer chills. Twilight looks at her window, she's three stars inching closer to the Moon, and then... the mare shape in it just vanishes. Strangely enough though nopony else saw the rather obvious shape in the Moon vanish... for whatever reason but still.
Friendship is Magic, Part 2 (aka, The Elements of Harmony)
- In-universe example: the Everfree Forest. Ponyville is right next to a dark, unnatural forest filled with pony-eating monsters. In-universe, the forest is where nature runs wild, instead of ponies causing weather and seasons by hoof. Note that the nightmarish quality of the forest has been steadily toned down over subsequent seasons.
Boast Busters
- In-universe example: Two young kids go into the dangerous Everfree forest on their own to look for an Ursa Minor for Trixie to fight. Twilight had trouble with the one that came to Ponyville, and that one was just a baby.
- The Ursa Minor might look scary in the actual show, but it could have been much worse...
. Let's just say that while a Ursa Minor could've easily destroyed Ponyville, they're barely bigger than a Ursa Major's palm. Twilight has good reason to say You Do Not Want To Know when Spike asks about them...
Bridle Gossip
- Apple Bloom goes outside while a stranger is outside and then goes inside the said-to-be dangerous forest. Yes, Apple Bloom turns to be fine both times and Zecora wasn't dangerous, but Applejack (and all the other parents/guardians) did have legitimate reasons to worry.
- Also Zecora kind of wasn't doing herself any favors either. She stomps on the ground and eerily stares at the main group. That doesn't justify ALL the townsfolks' racism but it does look more understandable.
Stare Master
- The Cockatrice, another monster living next to Ponyville. And this one turns you to stone!
- Fluttershy discovers the monster's abilities when she finds Twilight in the forest, turned to stone. The expression frozen on Twilight's horrified face shows that she had time to realize what was being done to her, too late.
- The Cockatrice's roar, which sounds like a creepily distorted chicken squawk.
Party of One
- Pinkie Pie temporarily going nuts in this episode was legitimately unsettling. She makes odd expressions and moves jerkily.
- Pinkie was starting to hear voices in her head, and believing they were coming from inanimate objects, signs of schizophrenia (and Funny Schizophrenia is averted as much as possible on a kids show). After one day of being alone. Still not bad enough? The voices in her head were telling her that her friends were losers and she shouldn't speak to them ever again.
- In addition, Pinkie notices that her imaginary friends are getting more and more mean-spirited towards her friends, and disagrees with them. Her own imagination is turning against her.
The Best Night Ever
- Fluttershy's behavior. Special mentions go to her Evil Laugh and "YOU'RE GOING TO LOVE ME!!".
