//------------------------------//
// Part 8: Plan of Escape 
// Story: My Little Pony: Friendship is Cine-magic: Shaun the Sheep Movie 
// by IndyWriter Productions 
//------------------------------//

With the revelation of The Farmer's amnesia coming to light, the Shaun, Bitzer, The main 7, and the others had a renewed sense of determination to get themselves and The Farmer back home. The sheep, ponies, and dragon surround an old chalkboard. Shaun taps a drawing of the amnesiac farmer with an arrow pointing a drawing of a farmhouse, which led an equal sign pointing at the normal farmer. Shaun draws a circle around the arrow and draws a question mark under it before shrugging.

"How are we going to get him out of the salon and back home without being conspicuous?" Twilight asked.

"Bah." Shaun said.

"Any ideas are welcome to be heard." Fluttershy translated.

They all got to thinking of any ways to get The Farmer back.

"How about we just take him and run off back to the farm." Rainbow suggested.

"Oh, like that's going to go well in a city." Rarity said sarcastically.

"What if we try ta lure 'im out?" Applejack suggested.

"But, with what?" Twilight asked.

One of the sheep lifts up his finger, as if to show he had an idea. The others turned to him, but then he shook his head sadly. The others got back to thinking and the sheep raised his finger again. The others turned again, but he shook his head once again.

"Come on, dude. Stop having us on." Rainbow said in frustration.

Shaun looked past the group and toward a large pile of debris. The sheep, ponies, and dragon follow his gaze.

"What is it, Shaun?" Spike asked.

They spotted the mutt tugging on a piece of cloth in the debris. Shaun narrows his eyes and walks over to the pile of debris. Climbing up it, he picks the yellow cloth as well as a beaten up police helmet.

"Maybe, there's something here that could help us." Fluttershy said quietly.

"But...what exactly?" Twilight asked skeptically. "There's nothing but junk and broken parts around here."

That's when Shaun got an idea. A big idea. His eyes widened as the plan unfurled in it's entirety in his head. Coming back to the chalkboard, he erases the bandage on the chalk sketch of the amnesia farmer and draws a police helmet instead. He addresses his plan to the rest of the team. Fluttershy helped translated to her friends.

"Wait, they do that?" Twilight asked in a bit of disbelief.

"Apparently." Fluttershy responded.

"Well, I found that quite offensive. Using our kind like that." Rarity scoffed.

"Let's not dwell on that. This is a different world after all. It would make sense that some things are different here compared to our world." Twilight pointed out. "Besides, what other ideas do we have right now?"

"I'm all for it." Pinkie put on a pair of disguise glasses and and mustache. "I love the thrill of disguises!"

"I think we're aimin' for somethin' a bit more extensive than that." Applejack said.

"Can we all just agree with the plan?" The purple alicorn asked.

"...I suppose it's not the worst thing in the world." Rarity sighed in admittance.

The rest of the Main 7 came together with the rest of the sheep and Bitzer. Shaun held out his hoof and the others bump fists and hooves together.

The first part of the plan was to gather up necessary parts and assemble the contraption. Shaun. Bitzer, and Twilight discussed calculations on the chalkboard. Rainbow helps two sheep bend a piece of pipe over Shirley's back, while Pinkie and Spike helped perform a chemical experiment. Spike blew a wave of fire over a pot of chemicals while a sheep pour a solution into it. The concoction bursts into green flames.

"Yipe!" Pinkie jumped back.

The sheep grabs a fire extinguisher and puts out the fire. Another sheep writes down the information on a clipboard. Cloth was cut and parts were hammered into place. The ponies and dragon helped with other experiments with springs and even a fishing rod. Rarity helped stitch together to cloth, which was soon draped over a large frame. The completed contraption slowly exited the wasteyard, it's shadow looming against the tunnel walls. The mutt wags her tail and smiles up at Shaun, who waves at her from atop his creation. Now it was time for the real part of the plan to begin.





By this point, night had casted itself over the entire city. Most of inhabitants were off work and relaxing at home or fast asleep. Trumper, on the other hand, was not. He was still on the trail of those blasted sheep, ponies, and weird lizard. He was pulling himself the steep incline of the rooftop. Then, came the sound of fabric tearing. The officer froze, realizing what had just happened.





The salon was nearing closing time. The Farmer was at work sweeping up the floor before calling it a day. From the darkness of the nearby alley, the mutt wheels a fence barricade on roller skates to the window. Shaun eyes her through a crack mirror. She gestures her paws to him, giving him the signal.

"It's showtime!" Pinkie said excitedly..

Shaun waves several sheep ahead to the sidewalk. They carefully walk to the make-shift fence. The mutt kicks at the door to get the occupants attention. The Farmer looks up, expecting another customer, but he was met with a line of sheep hopping over the barricade. Instinctively, he began to count them. He let out a tired yawn. Other people came around to watch the spectacle.

"Is it working?" Spike asked.

Twilight looked through the crack mirror to see what was happening. Two bystanders nodded off, smashing their faces against their ice cream. On a bus, several passengers and a conductor fall asleep against the windows. A man in a trampoline store fell asleep, too, and bounces against a trampoline. The two stylists doze off while pouring coffee and cream. The manager falls asleep on her calculator. Finally, The Farmer collapses on a chair, snoring loudly.

"Yeah, I think it is." Twilight smirked.

The sheep quietly enter the salon to retrieve The Farmer.





At the construction site, Trumper shoots down the ventilation chute, but gets halfway out of the opening. His catch gun tumbles onto the old mattress. He diligently tries to pull himself free from the tight constraint.





Back at the salon, the sheep walk back outside, carrying the slumbering farmer on their backs.

"Okay, phase one is complete." Rainbow pumped her hoof.

"Bah-bah." Shaun said quietly.

"Now we move on to the next part of our plan." Fluttershy translated.

The sheep, ponies, and dragon head back into the alley. They sit The Farmer on top of their contraption and put the police helmet on him. they pile inside the fabric creation. Shaun gives a thumbs up.

"All right, we're all set to go." Twilight said.

Bitzer pulled a string and a bell jingles. He mans a steering wheel as a giant horse costume walks out from the alley with The Farmer on it's back. Inside, a sheep was profusely clapping tow halves of a coconut together, creating the sounding of galloping hooves. Shaun puts a hoof on his shoulder to get him to slow down.

"Take it easy, darling." Rarity said calmly. "It's not like we're running away from something."

"Let's just get goin'." Applejack advised.

The clapping continued at a slower rate and the horse lumbered forward down the street.

Unknown to them, Trumper was slowly catching up to them. He eyed the trail of fleece down to the alleyway with his infrared goggles. He grits his teeth callously as he heads into the alley.

Meanwhile, Shaun directs the sheep in the leg sections to make the horse walk. Bitzer directs them toward a city directory map in a plaza. The slumbering farmer leans from side-to-side soothingly as the horse stops at the map right next to a tourist studying it. She turns and takes a step back at the horse. She glances up at the rider, who just leans forward with a blank expression. She slowly steps away, clearly weirded out. A flap containing the eyes of the horse open up and a pair of binoculars peer out to study the map. Bitzer zeros in on the "You are here" arrow, then follows a road leading all the way back to Mossy Bottom Farm. He looks at his watch and gestures in the direction of the road.

"Got it." Twilight nodded. "All right, guys, let's go."

The horse contraption turns toward the right direction, when Bitzer and Shaun were met with the bright, red goggles of Trumper. The sudden surprise caused everyone to gasp and yell in surprise, causing the horse to rear up from the uproar.

"He's back." Spike squeaked.

"Does this guy ever give up?" Rainbow asked in frustration.

"Probably not. It's part of the job." Twilight answered, on edge.

Fluttershy gasp quietly.

Trumper inspects the large animal closely, then glances up at The Farmer. He clears his throat and begins talking to The Farmer. Shaun peaks from behind the fabric to see the officer showing the rider the pictures of him, Bitzer, the mutt, Spike, and Fluttershy. He quickly gestures to the others. Spike and another sheep control a pole to guide The Farmer's hand. The hand knocks the photos out of Trumper hand before giving him a salute. The horse walks away, however, clumps of fleece flutter out from behind it. Squinting his eyes suspiciously, Trumper chases after it. He trips on a step and his head slips through the costume's rear end. The sheep, ponies, dragon, and two dogs look at him in shock.

"Oh, no. That's not good." Spike said nervously.

Trumper begins flailing. A bystander takes notice of the officer in the horses rear end. As the sheep try to twist him free from the fabric, the rest of his body spins around. The creeped bystander walks away from the messed up spectacle.

"Ah got this, ya'll." Applejack rears up her hind legs and bucks Trumper out from the contraption.

Pinkie quickly pokes her head out a blows a raspberry at the daze officer before slipping back in.

"The plan has been compromised. We need to get out of here fast!" Rarity said anxiously.

"Bah." Shaun said affirmingly.

"Say no more." Fluttershy translated.

Shaun pulls down on the bell string. A set of wheels pop out from the horses hooves and a pair goggles cover it's eyes. Two sheep shove the nozzle of a fire extinguisher through the rear end and Timmy hops up to turn it on. As Trumper gets back up, he stares in shock as the horse rockets down the plaza. Thinking quickly, he activates his catch gun and fires. Shaun veers wildly to the right, sending the other occupants reeling. The clamp misses and bounces off a light pole, a trash bin, and a man's cup, while looping around the horse. It clamps down on it's own wire, electrocuting Trumper, before being dragged down the street.

"Warn us next time you do that." Twilight rubs her head.

Shaun bah's out an apology, before veering down a cobblestone alley to avoid an oncoming car. Trumper jitters and shakes against the rough ground, while the sleeping farmer dreams of receiving a massage. Up ahead, a fence blocks the end of the alley.

"Bah-bah!" Shan shouts.

"Incoming?" Fluttershy translates questionably. "What does that mea-Oh, my gosh!"

She peers through the flap opening and sees the fence getting closer.

"Jump! Jump!" She yells a little too loudly.

The sheep in the leg segments jump as hard as they could, allowing the horse the clear the fence. Trumper crashes through it and his feet land on two wood planks, like skis.

"Wow. I haven't heard speak that loudly in a while." Rainbow stands at Fluttershy's side.

"O-Oh, I'm sorry. I didn't mean for it to come out like that." She blushes apologetically.

"I'd say that was a good thing. It did save us from disaster." Twilight said passionately.

"Hurray for Fluttershy!" Pinkie cheers.

The timid mare only blushed even harder, but with a appreciative smile. The congratulations was cut short when Shaun makes another hard right. Trumper launches into the air and arcs around a curved railing. Two skateboarders watch in astonishment. Shaun cranks the wheel again and the gun yanks free from Trumper's hands. The speeding horse turns down  an intersection with Trumper following behind.

Trumper skis wildly toward a ramp leading up to a construction bin. He eyes the yellow bin and readies himself for the jump. He races up the ramp, but falls flat on his face inside the bin and it's contents.

Shaun and Bitzer smile at each other in satisfaction. The horse races toward the camper trailer. Shaun pulls and level and an umbrella, pantaloons, underwear unfurl from the back of the costume like parachutes. The horse comes to a stop next to the camper.

"We made it." Twilight called to the others.

The sheep, ponies, dragon, and dogs disembark the costume and pull The Farmer off it's back. Further back, a bus turns down the road and passes by the construction bin. Trumper pokes his head out, covered in debris, and yells angrily at the group. The team pile into the camper, while Shaun ties a rope around the trailer hitch. As the bus passes by, he throws the lassoed rope at it. It wraps around a back hitch on the bus and the camper jumps forward.

Shaun runs after it, however, Trumper isn't far behind with his normal catch-pole in his hand. Bitzer holds out his hand for Shaun.

"Come on, Shaun, you can do it!" Rainbow encourages.

The young sheep grabs Bitzer's hand and the sheepdog pulls him into the camper. Trumper refused to give up. He fires his catch-pole, which clamps down on the back of the camper. He pulls himself up to it. The team jump back.

"Leave us alone!" Spike yells defensively.

The animal control officer shouts and bangs on the window. Then suddenly, the bus makes a hard turn and Trumper slips out of sight. Shaun and Bitzer look out the window to see the catch-pole still clinging on to the camper, but with no sign of Trumper.

"He's gone!" Twilight stated with delight.

The others begin to celebrate in joy and relief. The sheep and sheepdog both share a smile.

"Best. Rescue. Mission. Ever!" Pinkie holds the two in a crushing hug.

The bus tows the camper through the freeway and, soon, into the countryside.

"I believe this is our stop." Rarity said in a sing-song tone.

Shaun directs them and on the count of three, they all jump, causing the rope to detach from the hitch. Shirley leans to one side of the camper, causing it to veer up the farm driveway. The team begin to celebrate again. Once it reaches the top, the camper's tires climb up the log, but they don't quite make it. The camper slowly begins to slide back down the driveway.

"Oh, Not again!" Applejack yell with dread.

The camper then abruptly stops, then slowly inches back up the hill.

"Uh, Twi, is that you?" The farm pony asks.

"No, I'm not using my magic." Twilight looks up at her unlit horn.

She, along with Spike and Shaun look through the window to see the bull, that chased Shaun through the farm from earlier, was pushing the camper the rest of the way.

"He's...helping us?" Spike asked in confusion.

"Apparently." Twilight said. "But, my question is why?"

"Who cares? We're being saved!" Pinkie said with excitement.

"You got it, man! Keep going!" Rainbow begins to cheer.

The others follow in her hoof-steps and begin cheering the bull. Finally, the camper makes it back over the log. The bull breaths a relieved sigh as the team clamber out of the trailer.

"Thank you, Mr. Bull." Fluttershy said warmly.

The bull grunts out something, causing the pegasus to blush.

"Ah, thank you." She giggles.

"Fluttershy, we need to go." Rainbow flies up into the air and races toward the farmhouse.

"Bye." Fluttershy waves to the bull before leaving.

The team run through the darkened meadow with The Farmer in a wheelbarrow. The bull walks away from the camper, when a gloved hand reaches out from underneath. Trumper pokes his head out, covered in soot and with his eyes bloodshot and twitching. He growls and crawls to his feet. The back of his pants was in tatters, showing off his underwear. He stiffly walks after the herd. He was not throwing in the towel, he was not going loose his perfect animal capturing record, and he was not going to let a group of farm animals best him.


To be continued