Sister Armor

SCENE: The Crystal Empire, near the Crystal Palace
Twilight and Spike arrive at The Crystal Empire, and make their way towards The Crystal Palace.

Twilight: (breathes in the air) "It's always great to come back to The Crystal Empire."
Spike: "Yeah. (hesitating) Why are we here again? What did Princess Cadance say?"
Twilight: "It wasn't clear. The letter was short. She needed us urgently back in the Crystal Empire for something. I guess we'll find out when we meet her."
Spike: "This won't involve me falling from a great height again, will it?"
Twilight: "(giggles) I don't think so, Spike."

(cut to the two heading towards the palace. They arrive at the Crystal Hall.)

SCENE: The Crystal Palace, Crystal Hall

Twilight: "Cadance!"
Cadance: "Twilight!"

(The two princesses approach in the usual fashion)
Twilight: "'Sunshine, sunshine...'"
Cadance: (clearly frazzled, shakes Twilight) "I'm sorry, Twilight. There's no time!!"
Twilight: "Oh. (disappointed) Okay... What's going on?"
Cadance: "It's Shining Armor."
Twilight: "My brother? Wha- (truly concerned) Did something happen to him?"
Cadance: "No, not in the conventional sense. He's..."

Shining Armor: (interrupting) "TWILY!!"

(Twilight tilts and peeks beyond Cadance, expecting to see her big brother, but spies a young female pony with no Cutie Mark bearing a striking resemblance to her brother walking towards Twilight instead)
???: "Hiya, Twily!"

(Twilight is taken aback, looking at a "yes, this is happening" expression on Cadance's face for some help on the situation, realising this filly with her brother's voice is, somehow...)
Twilight: "S-Shining Armor!?"

(Opening theme sequence)

Act One
SCENE: The Crystal Palace
Twilight, still dazed and confused over the matter, gawks at her new little sister.

Twilight: "Shining Armor, what happened to you?"
Filly Armor: "(faux irritance) Ask Cadance."
Cadance: "Twilight, I'm sorry but this was all my fault. Three days ago, I was working on something to enhance the Crystal Heart's power but it didn't turn out so well (speech gets more flustered) and Shining Armor here got hit and now my husband is a filly, Twilight. (shakes Twilight some more) THE CAPTAIN OF THE ROYAL GUARD IS A FILLY."
Twilight: "Cadance! Please. Calm down. Does Princess Celestia know about this?"
Cadance: "No! We can't have her knowing I turned her nephew-in-law into a filly! (calms down, breathes) That's why I called you here first, Twilight. Help me find a solution."

(Twilight turns and glances at Spike before replying)
Twilight: "I'll see what I can do to help."
Cadance: "Thank you, Twilight."

Spike: "Won't the ponies of the Crystal Empire realise Shining Armor has changed?"
Cadance: "They will. And it's not safe for Shining Armor to remain here. No one in the Crystal Empire must know that Twilight's brother has become a defenceless little filly, otherwise our vulnerability could put us in danger again."
Filly Armor: "(glows a feeble beam on her horn) My magic simply isn't as powerful as it was, Twilight, so I'll need you to take my place and watch over the Crystal Empire with Cadance."

(Twilight and Spike exchange worrisome looks)
Twilight: "But, where will you go?"
Cadance: "Ponyville."

(The princess moves her attention to Spike)
Cadance: Spike, I'm entrusting my dearest to you. Please bring Shining Armor back to Ponyville where it's safe."
Twilight: "Wait, won't everypony recognise his voice?"
Filly Armor: "One step ahead of you, Twily. (clears throat, speaks in a tomboyish falsetto) Hi, My name's Shimmer Shade."

(brief silence)

Cadance: "'Shimmer... Shade'?"
Filly Armor: "(regular voice) Well, yeah. See, Shining Armor? Shimmer Shade?"

(There is another pause. The two princesses glance at each other to make sense of Filly Armor's plan, then at Spike.)

Spike: (realises, saluting) "You can count on me, Princesses!"

Twilight: "Do your best, Spike! I guess you two will be heading back now. I'll see you both soon."
Cadance: "Oh, before you two head off."
(Cadance drapes a hood and cloak over little Filly Armor)
Cadance: "There. This shouldn't arouse a whole lot of suspicion as you make it to the train station."
(Spike looks at his new cloaked companion, then to the Princesses)
Twilight: "(bends over and cheerily whispers) Don't let my 'little sister' push you around."
Filly Armor: "Hey, I heard that!"
Spike: "(chuckles) You got it, Twilight."

(Spike and Filly Armor make their way out of the Crystal Hall)

SCENE: Ponyville Express en route to Ponyville
Spike and a still-hooded Filly Armor head towards their seats as the train rolls out of the station.

Filly Armor: (taking a seat) "It's been so long since I last stepped hoof on Ponyville. Twilight wasn't even sent there on her mission of friendship yet."
Spike: "Well, things have probably changed since you were last there, but they're still a friendly community of ponies who'd welcome a new face."
Filly Armor: "Still, it'll be weird that no one in Ponyville will know, or must know who I really am."
Spike: "Don't worry. Your secret's safe here. Let's just hope that Twilight, Princess Cadance and Princess Celestia figure out something for you soon."
Filly Armor: "Yeah. Plus it'll be tough leaving Cadance behind for a bit. But I guess going to Ponyville for a bit won't be so bad, for the Kingdom's safety."

(shot pans out as Filly Armor looks out the train's window to show the train's progress)

SCENE: Train Station, Ponyville
Spike and Filly Armor get off the train. Filly Armor takes in the scene around her, years after her last visit to Ponyville. First-person camera pans shot to see the Party Pony all over her face.

Pinkie Pie: (excitedly, in her cheerful self, to a surprised Filly Armor) "WELCOME TO PONYVILLE!"
(confetti goes off somewhere)
Pinkie Pie: "What's your name, unfamiliar little filly?"
Filly Armor: (still surprised, clears throat, falsetto) "Uh... Shimmer Shade?"

(Spike frantically looks up and down at Filly Armor, trying to think of a way out)

Pinkie Pie: (quizzically looking at Spike, then back to "Shimmer Shade") "Shimmer Shade, huh?" (blows into party favour and breaks into song)

"Hello there, little Shimmer Shade! It's nice to see you here!
We're all just friendly ponies so there's no reason to fear.
We'll put a smile upon your face because you're our brand new friend.
You'll hope your stay here in Ponyville will never, ever end!"

(Spike looks nervously at Filly Armor, unaware of her pending reaction to a true Ponyville welcome)

Filly Armor: (after a long pause, still falsetto) "Um, thanks, Pinkie Pie."
Pinkie Pie: "You're very welcome... *gasp* How'd you know my name?!"
Filly Armor: (again at a loss for words over his fumble) "Uhhh..."
Spike: "It was me! I told Shimmer Shade. (fakes laughter) I forgot I told him... HER about you earlier. Sorry, Pinkie, but we gotta be going! (laughs weakly again) Lots to do! (mumbles urgently) LetsGoShimmerShade."

(The two leave in a hurry. Pinkie Pie gazes towards Filly Armor in suspicion, then turning away smiling, going)
Pinkie Pie: "Ooh! Another train!" (confetti goes off somewhere else)

Act Two
SCENE: Downtown Ponyville
Spike leads the way ahead of Filly Armor around Ponyville.

Filly Armor: "That was pretty close. I gotta keep myself alert or I'll really blow it."
Spike: "Well, that's good ol' Pinkie Pie, full of surprises."
Filly Armor: "Yeah. She's a riot. (looks around the town)"
Spike: "Well, welcome to Ponyville. At least nothing worse could possibly..."
Scootaloo: "GANGWAYYYY!!!"

(Scootaloo comes out from nowhere and swerves out of the way from the two on her scooter that's pulling Sweetie Belle and Apple Bloom in tow on wagon, which topples to the side.)

Apple Bloom: "Ugh... Tell us if you're gonna do that again, Scootaloo."
Scootaloo: "I'm so sorry, girls. Are you guys okay?"
Sweetie Belle: "I think we're good, but I think we hit might have hit (points hoof off camera) SPIKE!!"

(the trio look back to Spike and the unknown pony on their bums, thrown back at the shock of the filly barrage. The Cutie Mark Crusaders hustle to their aid)

Sweetie Belle: "Spike! Spike, are you okay?"
Spike: "I think we are."
Filly Armor: (sits up, regular voice) "Yeah, I'm fine.
Apple Bloom: (notices Spike wasn't alone) "Who's your friend, Spike?"
Spike: "er... She's Shimmer... Shade."
Cutie Mark Crusaders: (excitedly) "Hi, Shimmer Shade!"
Apple Bloom: "(proudly) I'm Apple Bloom and this is Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle."
Filly Armor: (falsetto, nervous) "Hi."
Scootaloo: "Haven't seen you around here before..."

(Apple Bloom's face gets all excited and she leaves Scootaloo's side to be unnervingly close to Filly Armor)
Apple Bloom: "Girls, look! She hasn't got her cutie mark! Omigosh! She'd be a perfect addition to our group!"
Filly Armor: "Group?"
Scootaloo: "Yeah! We're the Cutie Mark Crusaders! We're always on the lookout for new members who haven't had their cutie marks yet."
Filly Armor: "Wait. I have a cutie mark! Well, I had mine, but now it's... gone."
Sweetie Belle: (confused) "Gone? What do you mean 'gone'?"
Apple Bloom: "I didn't know you could *lose* a cutie mark."

(Spike interrupts. motions to Filly Armor waving 'no!' arms)

Filly Armor: "It's... not that simple. I'm not comfortable talking about it."
Apple Bloom: "Don't worry! Maybe we could help you get it back while you're with us!"
Scootaloo: "Hey! Maybe Zecora could help you recover your cutie mark! She had something that gave Apple Bloom the cutie pox remember?"
Apple Bloom: (folds hooves, pouts) "Don't remind me."
Spike: "Hold on, Shimmer Shade. (whispering) Are you sure about this? I mean, Zecora knows a few things, but the Everfree Forest isn't the safest place to be."
Filly Armor: "That may be, but Zecora may be able to find out what's wrong with me. What's the worse that could happen?"
Apple Bloom: "Are you guys coming, or not?"
Filly Armor: "Yeah, we're right behind you!"
Scootaloo: (excitedly) "To the Everfree Forest!"

SCENE: The Crystal Palace
Back in The Crystal Empire, Cadance and Twilight are hard at work reading materials and finding clues which may point to a solution for Shining Armor's predicament.

Twilight: (looking through scrolls) "Are there any more archives about the Crystal Heart?"
Cadance: "There should be some more coming in, but there doesn't seem to be a whole lot of information about it. I'm afraid we may have to let Princess Celestia know of our-"
Twilight: "Wait! I might have something. (shows Cadance the scroll she has) Cadance, I'll need you to show me exactly what you tried on the Crystal Heart."

(They approach the Crystal Heart where it was cordoned off for Cadance's earlier experiment. Crystal ponies can be seen walking around in the background)
Cadance: "I left it as it is after what happened."

(Twilight steps in closer and takes a few looks at and around the Crystal Heart.)
Cadance: "All I did try what it says on the scroll you're reading."
Twilight: "'A force of love applied southward to the Crystal Heart enhances its power and strengthen all those within.'"
Cadance: "Which is why I stood here on the south end and gave it a shot of love, but it backfired and, well, you know the rest."

(Twilight does a few double-takes with the scroll and her surroundings, before realising)

Twiiight: "Um, Cadance, that's not south. (hoofing to the other side) That's south. You're sitting north of the Crystal Heart."
Cadance: "(looks at Twilight, looks across the Crystal Heart, rolls her eyes over her silly gaffe) Oh."

SCENE: The Everfree Forest
The Cutie Mark Crusaders bring their new filly friend to meet Zecora at her hut. Spike, responsible for Filly Armor's safety, tags along.

Filly Armor: "Um, where are we?"
Scootaloo: "We're in the Everfree Forest.
Sweetie Belle: "Weren't we here before?"
Scootaloo: "I hope we're heading the right way, Apple Bloom."
Apple Bloom: (matter-of-factly) "We are. I just have to know my bearings. We didn't come in from my normal route."
Sweetie Belle: "All of this seems familiar somehow."

(By sheer bad luck, Scootaloo trips over some stray rope, only that rope was attached to a trap, which nets the four fillies up hanging from a tree branch, setting the girls off screaming)
Filly Armor: "Ugh! Who'd set up a trap in the middle of the forest like this?"
Sweetie Belle: "Now I remember! We were here to learn...how to set traps so we... could get out cutie marks in... trap-making."
Scootaloo: (annoyed) "This is one of ours, isn't it?"
Apple Bloom: "(looking down for Spike, calling for) HELP!!"
Spike: "Girls! Shimmer Shade! Are you all right?"
Filly Armor: "Yeah, we're good. How're we going to get down?"
Spike: "(flustered) Don't worry! I'll get help! Hang in there!" (goes to get help)
Scootaloo: (shared annoyed looks to the helpless ponies) "Was that supposed to be funny?"

Act Three
SCENE: The Everfree Forest
The Cutie Mark Crusaders remain trapped, hung in their rope net.

Apple Bloom: "I'm sorry, girls. It's just I was so sure at where I was going."
Scootaloo: "You guys managed to set up one sturdy trap."
Sweetie Belle: " It didn't get us our cutie marks though."

(cut to Filly Armor, who feels responsible and forlorn)
Filly Armor: "If only I hadn't changed into a filly and for all of this to happen…"
Scootaloo: "Changed? What are you talking about?"
Filly Armor: "Well..."

SCENE: The Crystal Palace
Cut to Twilight and Cadance standing by the Crystal Heart facing the crystal's south.

Twilight: "By my calculations, a beam at this angle should do the trick. Ready, Princess?"
Cadance: (positions herself ready) "Ready."
Twilight: "Then LET 'ER RIP!!"

Cadance musters the biggest bolt she can, shooting a beam of love that makes the Crystal Heart spin on its axis. It starts to glow brighter and brighter until it creates a shockwave that flows past the princesses turning them and the Crystal Empire's populous into their crystal versions.

The shockwave rips past the empire's borders, affecting everyone in Canterlot (cut to a shocked Princess Celestia and Luna), Cloudsdale (cut to the workers at the Cloudsdale Weather Factory), and Ponyville (cut to Ponyville, with the Mane 5 at Sugarcube Corner, and then to the group in the Everfree Forest).

This shockwave conveniently evaporates the net, causing them to fall to the ground as they convert into their crystal form, with Shining Armor reverting to his normal, albeit crystal self.

SCENE: The Everfree Forest
Spike: "I think they're over here, Zecora... Uh oh."

Spike analyses the scene as he and Zecora arrives in aid, realising that the jig is up as they all look at the filly that is...

Cutie Mark Crusaders: "Shining Armor?!"

SCENE: The Crystal Palace, Crystal Empire
The Cutie Mark Crusaders, Spike and Shining Armor return to the Crystal Palace to be greeted by Princess Cadance, who is very much glad to see her husband back in his normal self, as is Spike pleased to be reunited with Twilight Sparkle.

Twilight: (moving her attention towards Shining Armor) "It's great to have you back to your old self, big brother."
Apple Bloom: "Pardon me, Twilight. May I ask exactly what is going on?"
Princess Luna: "I would like to know that too."

Princess Cadance, Twilight, Shining Armor and Spike all show shocked faces as the camera swings towards to the alicorn at the hall entrance: Princess Luna.
Princess Luna: "We, along with the rest of Canterlot, Cloudsdale and Ponyville all felt the crystal shockwave. What happened here?"
Princess Cadance: "I'm sorry, Princess Luna. This whole thing was my mistake. See, I was trying to enhance the crystal heart and power it up. But it backfired and then Shining Armor turned into a filly..."

(the conversation continues, with Princess Luna, looking at Shining Armor in disbelief. Shining Armor grins in embarrassment.)
Princess Cadance: "And then I panicked. So I called Twilight. I'm sorry. I couldn't let you or Princess Celestia know I changed your nephew-in-law into a filly, much less reveal the jeopardy I put the empire in."
Princess Luna: "Well, it looks like you two not only reversed the mishap but worked out the problem too, and I admire your teamwork and quick-thinking."

(edges towards them hooves-over-shoulders)
Princess Luna: "We're not mad at you, but next time, maybe you would like to give us elders a heads up. Especially if it does overwhelms you. We're here to help, not that you can't call Twilight over, of course."
(we see Twilight smiling humbly, then to Cadance)
Princess Cadance: (bowing, respectfully) "I understand, Princess."
Princess Luna: "Maybe it's time you two wrote Princess Celestia a letter."

(The princesses all smile, glad to see this ordeal is over. Twilight's narration of her letter with Cadance starts. The Cutie Mark Crusaders tease Shining Armor a little, as if making him an honorary member, as the camera pans out and over the Empire in transition as we see the Crystal Empire train station.)

Twilight: (narration) Dear Princess Celestia,

We're sorry for attempting something that radically, though temporarily, turned everypony into Crystal Ponies.

Your sister Luna has taught us, that while we young ones can be full of ideas and wanting to do things on our own, we sometimes forget the valuable input our our elders can give us.

(Princess Luna boards her royal carriage, winking at the two princesses before she does)

(The two princesses nuzzle their faces in happiness)
Twilight: (narration) "Your faithful princesses, Princess Cadance and Twilight Sparkle"

(fade, closing credit sequence)

My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic & Original Characters (C) Hasbro