Shaun cracked his eyes open upon hearing the amplified sound of the roosters call, wondering to himself if he always sounded that loud. It was an extra cloudy day this morning. The sun could barely break through the thick cloud cover. Shaun looked up, eyeing the spider who was munching on a recently-caught fly. The other sheep and the Main 7 all slowly began to wake up. Meanwhile, The Farmer sleepily sprayed shaving cream on his face And Bitzer was startled awake by his alarm, bumping his head against the doghouse door. Sulking on his sack bed, Shaun scratches his shortened hair and eyes the schedule on the barn door.
"Good morning, Shaun." Twilight stretches her wings. "How are you feeling this morning?"
"Teh. Bah." He grumbled.
"Dreading another boring day." Fluttershy translated.
The yellow pegasus stood up and moved closer to the young sheep.
"I get it, Shaun, but, maybe today might be a bit more interesting." Fluttershy said in a wishful tone.
Shaun rolled his tired eye. He knew things were just going to stay the same. A shadow leaked from the barn window, which caught the sheep's attention. Shaun got up and looked out the window. He sees a double-decker bus making a stop on the road. An advertisement for a snack bar on it's side reads "Have a day off" with a picture of a woman reclining in bed while looking out her window at a meadow. Shaun pictures himself in her place. He smiles at such a prospect. Her lifts his eyes thoughtfully, then his dreamy smile turned into a scheming one.
Fluttershy and Twilight came up to the window and looked out, seeing the strange machine driving away. neither pony had ever seen such an odd contraption before.
"What in Equestria is that?" Twilight asked with perplexity.
"Baah." Shaun answered smartly.
"A double-decker...bus?" Fluttershy translated. "I don't know what that is."
"Bah-ah-ah. Emp." The sheep said.
"It doesn't matter. What's important is that I got an idea to make this day interesting." The butter-colored pegasus translated again.
"What do you mean by that?" Twilight asked, her tone a mix of curiosity and wariness.
"Hm-mh." Shaun's smile only got wider.
"You'll see." Fluttershy translated.
The pegasus and alicorn looked at each other with worry as Shaun jumped back down to the floor.
Later on, Shaun points to a diagram on a chalkboard for the other sheep, the Main 6, and Spike to see. While the sheep were nodding in excitement, the ponies and dragon seemed a bit iffy by Shaun's plan.
"Ehm, Shaun? Ah understand that yer tired of this farm-life and all, but ah don't think this a good idea." Applejack spoke warily.
"I agree. We shouldn't impede on your owner like that." Twilight agreed.
"Bah-bah." Shaun retorted.
"Impeding or not, wouldn't it be great to spend the day in a more refreshing manner than sitting in a dirty corral all day?" Fluttershy translated.
"I have to hand it to him, he has a point." Spike said. "That doesn't mean I agree with the plan...even if I find it kind of funny."
"Yeah, I have to agree with Shaun a little." Rainbow appealed. "Being stuck in there all day is driving me crazy."
"My stomach still hasn't forgiven me from eating that...whatever it is." Pinkie muttered regretfully.
"I understand, girls, but this isn't the right way to go about this." Twilight defended. "This isn't what we stand for."
"I know, Twi. But this past few days have been boring!" The rainbow-maned pegasus complained.
"Girls, please, let's not start arguing again." Rarity stepped in. "I get it, we deserve better than this, but this plan is completely absurd. There are better ways to get better treatment than this. Besides, if that farmer finds out, he's not going to take well. I just know it."
"Bah." Shaun said.
"He's never going to know, neither he nor Bitzer will." Fluttershy translated.
Later still, and after some failed convincing from the others, Shaun picked at the latch of the barn door and sneaks out with a bag of bread in-hand.
"Shaun, this won't end well!" Twilight called out to him, but he was already gone.
Shaun cautiously walks behind a stone wall. He enticingly skims his thumb over the five bread slices before handing them over to a duck. The duck counts the slices. Unsatisfied, he gestures his wing for more. Shaun rolls his eyes and pulls another slice out of his fleece and hands it to the duck. The waterfowl gives a salute and waddles away, whistling an innocent tune.
"Talk about high standards." Shaun scoffs and walks away.
Meanwhile, two of the sheep, along with Pinkie, plant a scarecrow behind a hedge. One of them exchange a thumbs-up to Shaun, who gives a thumbs-up back. His aunt helps another sheep with hauling a sack on a wheelbarrow to the right spot. Timmy gives a double thumbs-up before Twilight came up to them.
"Shaun, seriously, this isn't going to end well." She said, almost begging.
"Bah-ah. Hmf." Shaun says.
"How would you know if this plan backfires?" Fluttershy translated.
"I think it's more of that your owner basically becomes a scapegoat for you all." Rainbow said.
"Bah-Bah." The young sheep said.
"Whatever. Let's just get back into the barn. Everything's in place." Fluttershy translated.
The sheep, ponies, and dragon quickly hustle back into the barn.
"I just know this will end badly." Twilight muttered to Spike.
"You sound awfully sure about that." Spike observed.
"When have plans like this ever work out? Especially in the long-term?" The Princess of Friendship inquired.
"...Fair enough." Spike shrugged his shoulders.
Before closing the door, Shaun spied out on Bitzer, who was blowing on a hot mug of coffee. As the sheepdog laps at it, he catches the smell of something. Turning around, Bitzer spots a bone on the ground. His eyes go wide and his mouth drops at the discovery. The enticing bone sits there, practically asking to be chewed on. Bitzer licks his lips hungrily. Suddenly, the bones flops away toward the hedge. Dropping his mug, Bitzer gives chase, failing to see the duck pulling it away into the bushes with a string Bitzer dives in after it, determined to retrieve the treat. Shaun watches the sheepdog disappear within the thick hedge. He closes the door and locks the latch. With Bitzer out of the picture, it was time for the second part of the plan.
The Farmer steps out of his house and heads over to the barn. Before opening the door, he pauses, realizing that Bitzer hadn't shown up. He whistles for him, but there was no sign of him. The Farmer opens the door, the sheep and the Main 7 all standing there. Shaun flashes an innocent smile at his owner while Twilight and Rarity exchange unamused glances. The Farmer was a bit surprised to see his sheep acting so unified. He looks over the schedule, every now and then peaking over the clipboard to make sure his eyes weren't playing tricks on him. Once that was completed, he opens the gate that lead to the yard. As he bends over, Shaun wads up a piece of paper. He pulls it back with a rubber band and aims right for The Farmer's backside. He shoots and the paper makes contact. The Farmer yelps and turns back around. The sheep all nod to the left, presuming where the paper came from. The Farmer turns and begins shouting and waving his fist, but then stops upon realizing that he was yelling at a scarecrow.
Now that The Farmer was distracted, Shaun and the other sheep all dash out of the yard and down the road. The Farmer quickly chased after them. The Main 6 and Spike all stayed put.
"This is ridiculous. There's no way this plan is going to work." Twilight said.
"Well, it has worked this far." Pinkie mentioned as the group began making there way down the road.
"Sure, but, it's clear that Shaun doesn't completely understand the concept of counting sheep." Twilight argued. "Besides, The Farmer isn't going to fall that easily."
"Even though he was gullible enough to think a scarecrow through a piece of paper at him." Rainbow disputed.
"I don't think that was him being gullible." Spike said.
As the ponies and dragon discussed the flaws in Shaun's plan, the sheep galloped down the road, but The Farmer was catching up to them. Shaun, however, was counting on that. The Farmer was able to get in front of them and cut them off. He whistles out for Bitzer again then waves his fist at the sheep in irritation. He then points to the pasture, demanding them over there. Shaun smiles and leaps over the wood-rail fence. The others follow one-by-one as The Farmer counts them. As he counts, his eyes grew heavy and dreary, watching the sheep hop over the fence in a steady profession. The Farmer yawns as he continues to count. Shaun leads the sheep under the hedge and back to the road where the cycle continued. As Twilight and others arrived, they stared dumbfounded as The Farmer flops onto the wheelbarrow, fast asleep.
"You've got to be kiddin' me." Applejack said in disbelief.
"I knew it would work." Pinkie said happily.
The sheep all gather at the fence. They chuckle at the slumbering farmer, but Shaun immediately shushed them, so to not wake him up.
"Well, now what? You're not going to just leave him out here like this." Rarity said.
"Bah-ah. Bah." Shaun answered.
"That's where we move on to the next part of the plan." Fluttershy translated.
One of the sheep grab a pair of noise-canceling earmuffs from a tractor while another pulls a pair of pajama pants off a clothes drying-rack. The slip off the farmer's sweater and put the earmuffs on.
"Where exactly is Bitzer right now?" Twilight asked expectantly.
"Baah." Shaun answered.
"Occupied." Fluttershy translated.
The duck was joyfully munching on his bread while Bitzer tried grabbing the bone that was swaying in the air. The duck had managed to get the string over a tree branch, allowing the bone to seemingly hover in midair, just out of Bitzer's reach.
The sheep remove The Farmer's boots and pants and replace it with the pajama pants. Shaun then spots an old camper out in the distance. He rubs his hands together with the perfect idea in mind.
"Bah-bah-bah." He gestured his hand to the camper.
"Follow me." Fluttershy translated.
The other sheep and the Main 7 follow behind Shaun, with The Farmer still sleeping on the wheelbarrow in tow. They make their way to the camper.
"This is where we're gonna put him?" Rainbow asked.
Shaun nodded his head and gave the door and few tugs. The door swings open allowing the herd to peer inside the musty interior.
"Agh. It smells absolutely horrid in there!" Rarity exclaimed in disgust. "How long as this thing been sitting here for?"
"Mhm. Bah." Shaun retorted.
"I don't know, but it's the perfect place for The Farmer." Fluttershy translated. "Are you sure it's not dangerous?"
"Bah-bah?" Shaun questioned.
"Why would it be?" The timid pegasus translated. "Well..."
"Because it's old and moldy." Twilight answered. "There's a reason why places like this get torn down, you know. And it's for health and safety reasons."
"Bah-ah-ah. Bahbah." Shaun sighed.
"Enough of the environmental platitudes." Fluttershy translated, her expression soured just a little. "It's a bit more than just platitudes."
At this point, Shaun wasn’t listening. The other sheep laid The Farmer down on a bed and threw a blanket over him. Shaun pulls down the the window shade and uses chalk to sketch an image out on it of the barn at night, just to trick The Farmer into thinking it's still nighttime. When he finished, Shaun jumps down to the camper floor. The shudder knocks over an alarm clock on a high shelf. Twilight sucks in a breath and uses her magic to catch it before it could land on The Farmer's head. The others breath a sigh of relief as Shaun grabs it and gently sets it on a nightstand. The herd hurry out with the others and shut the door.
"That...was close." Spike was still reeling from the alarm clock.
"Okay, so that plan worked after all." Twilight grumbled." But, what exactly do you plan on doing now, Shaun?"
The young sheep pulls out the schedule paper and crumples it up. He throws as the sheep celebrate. A goat catches it with it's mouth and eats it. Now, that Shaun and the other sheep were free, they began to celebrate, frolicking and dancing across the field toward the farmhouse. Twilight and her friends followed not far behind. The alicorn was still monologuing about Shaun's action.
"I mean, I agree with the fact that a painfully routine and strict life is frustrating, but to literally take his owner and dump him in some weird, metal cart is just wrong. I should've talked to The Farmer about this."
"Should we go back and wake him up then? Tell him what's going on?" Spike suggested.
"And what? Have us get in trouble along with Shaun? Don't think so." Rainbow said.
"This ain't about us, Rainbow." Applejack rebuked. "It's about doin' the right thing."
"To be fair, girls, we never actually stopped Shaun from executing his plan to begin with.” Rarity mentioned.
"Yes, we should have done that. But, now I think it's best we do something about this now before it reaches the point of no return." Twilight said.
"But, wouldn't that put us in Shaun's bad graces. I wouldn't think he would be too pleased if we snitched on him." Spike said with concern.
"But what's more important. Morals or friendship?" Applejack said.
Twilight stopped for a second from her friend's question. At first, the answer seemed pretty clear to her. But, the more she thought, the more she started having doubts. Morals were very important, they pretty much morphed you into what you are. But, to tear apart a new friendship over it? It sounded strange and more complicated than she thought, but at the same time, they were living with Shaun and the others. If worst case scenario happened, they could...
Twilight was snapped out of her thoughts when Shaun whistled them over to the farmhouse. The other sheep excitedly made their way inside, leaving only Shaun and the Main 7.
"Twilight?" Fluttershy asked, concerned for her friend.
"...We'll have to discuss this later, girls." Twilight trotted toward the house.
Her friends looked amongst themselves, confused and concerned for the purple alicorn. As they got closer to the entrance, they noticed the three pigs watching them over the stone wall with quizzical looks. They paid them no mind.
Inside, the sheep were busy with moving a couch and chair closer to the TV. In the kitchen, Shaun was putting ingredient into a blender. Another sheep opens the freezer and finds a tub of ice cream inside. Pinkie spots it and zooms over to the freezer.
"Ice cream!" She grabs the tub and tries to yank it out, but it was frozen solid to the bottom.
The sheep also grabs the tub and the two pull with all their might, but it was no use. Meanwhile, another sheep holds up a popcorn bag with a fork stuck to it. Without so much as a single thought, she puts it in the microwave and turns to on. Sparks zap about inside.
Shaun adds flower into his mix and turns the blender on. Twilight and Fluttershy come up to him.
"Are you sure this well be okay, Shaun?" Twilight asked.
"Bah-bah. Empf, bah." Shaun replied.
"Come on, show some enthusiasm. Besides, this will only be for a while. By the time The Farmer and Bitzer come back, we'll make it look like nothing ever happen." Fluttershy translated.
Twilight didn't say anything, but she still had her doubts.
While that was going on, two sheep folded up a pizza and stuffed in the toaster. They high-five each other and turn the appliance on.
"I think that's supposed to go in here." Rainbow tapped the door of an oven.
The two sheep look at her in confusion, then gesture to the pizza that was already sizzling inside the toaster.
"Whatever." She shrugged.
"Maybe I ought to try that. Just to see if it makes a difference." She thought to herself.
Pinkie and the first sheep were still trying to pry the ice cream out of the freezer while the second sheep whistles as the popcorn sparks in the microwave. Suddenly, there was an explosion and a blast of popcorn shot everywhere.
"What'n tarnation is goin' on?" Applejack spits a piece of burnt popcorn out of her mouth.
Another sheep sorts through a selection of DVDs and lands on a western film that read "The Return of the Curly Kid." Shaun the other sheep, now with their snacks, head back out to the living room. Except for Pinkie and the first sheep, who were now half-frozen against the freezer.
"G-Girls, a little help, please." The pink mare chattered.
Rarity took her in her magic and managed to pull her free from the freezing compartment.
"T-Thanks, R-R-Rarity." Pinkie shivered.
"Don't mention it, Pinkie." Rarity smiled.
The two walked out of the kitchen, leaving the still half-frozen sheep behind.
The sheep, ponies, and dragon sit down around the TV as the movie played.
Shaun holds his drink near Twilight.
"Bah." He said.
"Wanna sip?" Fluttershy translated.
"...Fine." Twilight sighed and took a sip of the drink.
"I'm still worried that we might get caught.”
Shaun chuckles.
"Bah. Epada." He ressaures.
"Trust me, that won't happen." Fluttershy translated.
Just as the pegasus finished talking, the door slammed open. The group all turned to see an angry Bitzer holding the duck in his arm.
"You were saying." Rainbow said to Shaun.
The young sheep sighs and puts down his drink, knowing full well what Bitzer was expecting him to do.
Bitzer looks inside the old camper, where The Farmer was sleeping peacefully. He glares at the group and tries to open the door, but it didn't budge. Bitzer yanked and pulled on the latch, the camper lurching from side to side. The back tire pushed against an old log that was meant to keep the camper from rolling down the hill.
Shaun rolled his eyes and grabbed Bitzer's shoulder to help open to door. The other sheep and the Main 7 formed a line to help.
"Man, this door is stubborn." Rainbow observed.
All of a sudden the back tire rolls of the log and breaks it. The camper lurches forward, knocking Shaun and the others to the ground. Bitzer holds the broken door handle in his hand, the horrifying realization hitting him like a stack of bricks. He grabs at the side of the camper, managing to get a hold of a back handle. The camper drags him down the driveway.
"Oh, that's not good." Spike grimaced.
"Come on, we've got to stop that cart!" Rainbow yelled.
"Bah!" Shaun said.
"Camper." Fluttershy translated.
"Whatever!" Rainbow flies off after it.
Bitzer holds on for dear life as the back handles began to unscrew itself. Grabbing a screwdriver, he tries to screw the handle back in place. Shaun grabs onto him, along with the other sheep and the Main 7, minus Twilight and Rainbow, causing him the drop his screwdriver. Rainbow and Twilight fly to the other side of the camper and push against it to get it to stop.
As the line of sheep, ponies, and dragon get dragged along the dirt road, a hedgehog slowly waddles across the road. Spotting the oncoming camper, it fearfully rolls up into a ball. the camper misses it, but the group get pricked against it, causing cries and yelps of pain. Once they were gone, the hedgehog unfurls itself and wave at them. his face and back were covered in wool and multi-colored fur. The back handle breaks from the camper. the line of creatures grind to a stop into the dirt and mud. Seeing this, Rainbow and Twilight let go of the camper and fly back to check on their friends.
The camper crashes through a gate, leaving the Mossy Bottom farm. It's wheel bumps against a large rock, causing it to swing to the left and roll down another road. Bitzer runs up to the destroyed gate and shakes the mud off his face. He watches the camper pass over a bridge and disappear around a corner. The sheep, ponies, and dragon run up to the opening. Shaun gestures them to follow after them, but Bitzer stops them in their tracks. He growls and yells at them, pointing back toward the farm.
"Get back to the farm and wait. I'll save The Farmer myself." Fluttershy translated. "Uhm. Though, he's a lot more angry than how I sounded."
"Oh, come on, man. We weren't even in on the plan that much anyway. Besides, it's our job to save people." Rainbow got in Bitzer's face.
Bitzer only yelled some more.
"I don't care who was in on the plan or not. Do as I say." Fluttershy translated.
One of the sheep, hands him the broken handle with a...sheepish smile. Bitzer throws it down and runs after the camper. Rainbow was about to chase after, but Twilight stopped her by putting a hoof on her shoulder.
"I think it's best that we do as he says. He is practically second-in-command, after all." The purple alicorn said.
"But, it's our job. We're supposed to save others." Rainbow argued.
"From evil, not others' stupid ideas." Applejack looked back at Shaun with a judgmental glare.
Meanwhile, Bitzer was desperately trying to catch up to the runaway camper. it rolls pass a traffic signal at a construction sight. Before, Bitzer could pass, the light turned red, forcing him to skid to a stop. The sheepdog scratches at his ears and waits for the green light.
The camper crashes through a barricade and into a golf course. golfing equipment and a golfer go flying. The camper then whisks a camoflauge tent off a bird-watcher, who was watching a pair of mating birds. The birds angrily peck at him for disturbing their peace. A cow was grazing in a field when the camper ran into it. The cow was pinned against the front, having the ride of a life-time.
Back at the construction sight, Bitzer impatiently, checked his watch while waiting for the light to turn green. Finally, it did and he takes off running. Meanwhile, the cow hits a speed bump, sending the cow flying through the sky and crashing behind a hedge. The camper began to lose speed while rolling up a hill, allowing Bitzer the catch up to it. But, before he could grab onto the second handle, the camper rolled down the other side, picking up speed. He lets out a squeak as he watches it head for the big city.
Back at the farm entrance, Twilight was giving Shaun a stern talking while the others stood around.
"I told you this wouldn't end well. You need to understand that there were much better ways to go about just having the "day off" that trapping your owner in a camper and acting like you have control over everything! And now look what's happened and best believe that Farmer isn't going to be happy when he comes back."
Shaun, who was just looking off into space with an annoyed expression, looked down the road. Neither Bitzer nor The Farmer had returned yet, which meant that they could continue their day off. And if he played his cards right, he'd be able to get away with it without repercussion.
"Bah-bah. Bah." Shaun bleated.
"Assuming that they come back anytime soon. Until then, let's just go back to the house and continue where we left off." Fluttershy translated
"Continue where we left off?!" Twilight yelled in anger and disbelief. "Do you not realize what you've done?"
Shaun ignored her and walked back to the farm with the other sheep following him.
"Grah! That sheep frustrates me so much." The princess gritted her teeth.
"Take it easy, Twi. Ah'll go try talkin' to 'im." Applejack said.
The Main 6 and Spike follow after the sheep.
"I've never seen Twilight so upset before." Spike said.
"She'll calm down eventually." Rarity comforted the dragon. "For now, maybe we should just relax a little."
"Dibs on the ice cream!" Pinkie hopped toward the farm.
One sheep stayed behind. She noticed a small sign on the splintered wood that read "Please close gate." She grabbed the remaining piece on the post and closed it shut before running to catch up with the others.
The camper, The Farmer's hand swats the alarm clock off the nightstand to get it to stop beeping. The clock, however, was not making the noise, the window shade curled up, allowing sunlight to spill into the camper. The Farmer groggily wakes up. The camper rolls toward a railroad crossing. The lights were flashing, the bell was blaring, the gates were down. The camper crashed through the gates and rattled over the tracks just before a trains thundered by.
The Farmer yawns, still half-asleep. He instinctively tears off page on a pop calendar, thinking that he was still in his house. grabs an old can of bug spray and sprays it on his armpits. Cockroaches drop to the floor. A delivery van drove alongside the camper, displaying a model on it's side. The Farmer looks at a mirror-sized window and sees the model. He chuckles and laughs cockily, thinking he was looking at himself in a mirror.
The camper rolls down the street, forcing a bicyclist off the road and into a garbage can. It then rolled up a ramp on a construction bin and goes flying. the Farmer looks around in confusion while suspended in free-fall. The camper crashes down on the road, a man in a restaurant mascot barely getting out of the way in time. Now on it's hitch, the camper heads toward a busy intersection. Bystanders look on in horror as the camper gets closer and closer toward the intersection. The Farmer sees this and panics, but, all he could do was duck underneath the window and brace for the worst. Thankfully, the camper comes to a grinding stop just a few feet from the line of cars.
Bystanders gather around the camper. The Farmer opens the door and unknowingly dislodges the globe of a street light onto the roof of the camper. The Farmer looks around in confusion at the people around him. He was in a place he was not familiar with. A whistles out to Bitzer, unsure if he would even come. As he looks around, the light globe falls off the roof and clonks The Farmer in the head, knocking him out.
A few minutes later, Bitzer finally makes it to the scene. He pushes his way through the crowd and sees The Farmer being taken away in an ambulance. It drives away, Bitzer hurries after it on all fours. He only hoped that this chase in the city would end at the hospital.
To be continued