MY LITTLE PONY: FRIENDSHIP IS MAGIC
“Bubble Beam’s Best”
©2011 Samuel Smith
FIRST DRAFT
Revision 2.27.11
COLD OPEN
1 EXT. DOWNTOWN PONYVILLE
(Wide, establishing shot of Ponyville as the sun rises. BUBBLE BEAM, the famed gray pegasus pony with yellow mane and eyes, pops up in profile in the foreground, wearing a brown saddlebag, holding an orange envelope in her teeth. She takes a deep breath and trots into town, the camera following.)
BUBBLE BEAM (v.o.)
All across Ponyville, the
beautiful sunrise shines off
trees and peeks through windows.
2 INT. LYRA’S BEDROOM
(LYRA, the musical pony, rises from sleep as the sun beams through her window. She stretches her ‘arms’ and gets out of bed. Bubble Beam passes by in the background, through the window.)
BUBBLE BEAM (v.o., cont’d)
Just as ponies start to
wake up, I bring them little
reminders…
3 EXT. PONYVILLE STREET
A. (Lyra meets Bubble Beam at the door and leaves her with the orange envelope. Lyra opens it and reads it as Bubble Beam Trots on to the next destination.)
BUBBLE BEAM (v.o., cont’d)
that there’s a town full
of ponies with something to
say to them.
B. (The letter has a drawing of a stage. Above it, a pony in silhouette plays a harp, followed by a question mark. The letter is pulled down to reveal the same stage being prepared in the village green before her by some helpful ponies.)
BUBBLE BEAM (v.o., cont’d)
The sun lets them know
it’s okay to come out into
the world.
C. (Lyra looks down a couple of houses to the MAYOR, who is standing on her doorstep receiving mail from Bubble Beam. The Mayor smiles warmly at Lyra, and waves at her. The Mayor leaves Bubble Beam with some outgoing mail, another orange envelope, as we pan back to see Lyra bouncing happily. She rushes into her house and bounces back out with her harp in tow.
BUBBLE BEAM (v.o., cont’d)
But I bring news that
makes them want to come out
in that world, and get back
in touch with all their friends,
and do all the things
Ponyville needs them to do.
D. (Bubble Beam pauses a moment and looks at the scene, happy to have delivered good news. The camera swings out from profile view to reveal Bubble Beam’s lazy eye.)
BUBBLE BEAM (v.o., cont’d)
My name is Bubble Beam. And I deliver the Ponyville Mail.
ACT ONE
1 EXT. TWILIGHT SPARKLE’S HOUSE
(Morning. TWILIGHT SPARKLE waits at her door as Bubble Beam approaches with the mail.)
TWILIGHT SPARKLE
Good morning, Bubble
Beam!
BUBBLE BEAM
Good morning, Twilight
Sparkle! Here’s a letter
from The Mayor!
(Twilight Sparkle opens it and reads.)
TWILIGHT SPARKLE
(READING ALOUD) “Dear Twilight
Sparkle, I have read the piece
you prepared, and I think you’ve
summed up the history of Ponyville perfectly. I would like to
use it, as written, (EXCITED) for
the New Ponyville Tourism Video.” (STOPS READING) oh, Bubble
Beam! I’ve been working so hard
on writing the perfect piece, and they’re using it!
BUBBLE BEAM
Congratulations! I’m always
happy to bring good news.
(Bubble Beam nods, and starts flying off to the next destination.)
TWILIGHT SPARKLE
Thank you, Bubble Beam!
See you at the Candy Canter!
2. EXT. SKIES ABOVE PONYVILLE
A. (Bubble Beam flies along. She shows some skill at maneuvering, taking some showy dips and dives. She looks down at the houses below, some wispy clouds hanging amidst her altitude.)
BUBBLE BEAM (v.o.)
One thing I love about bringing
the mail is getting to see all the
different houses that ponies live in.
When I was a filly, A lot of ponies
made fun of my lazy eye, and no
pony had me over to visit.
B. (Bubble Beam catches sight of Rarity’s house, and swoops in for a landing at her front door.)
BUBBLE BEAM (v.o., cont’d)
Here it is, the most
beautiful house in Ponyville.
C. (Bubble Beam rings the doorbell. She waits with a smile, happy to be around the house. Some red and blue envelopes are in her mouth, all mixed in together.)
BUBBLE BEAM (v.o., cont’d)
I’d love to see the
inside someday…
(RARITY flings the door open. Bubble beam looks dejected as Rarity chews her out.)
RARITY
Oh, for Pony’s sakes,
Bubble Beam!
BUBBLE BEAM (v.o., cont’d)
…but I don’t think
that’ll happen anytime soon.
RARITY
(OVERLAPPING WITH BUBBLE
BEAM’S NARRATION) If I’ve told
you once I’ve told you a thousand times, the red packages (END
OVERLAP) are to be left with
Sweetie Belle for sorting! The mailroom is the third balcony
clockwise from the frieze. And
would it be so difficult to
take my outgoing mail first?
It’s all I can do to account
for the time zones of Lipizzan-
ia! Ugh, I don’t have time for
this. Why can’t Ponyville hire a mail pony that can –
(Rarity slams the door in Bubble Beam’s face.)
RARITY (v.o., from within)
-see straight?
SWEETIE BELLE (v.o., from within)
Rarity, that was
mean.
D. (Bubble Beam faces the camera and flies slowly to the next destination. A tear wells up in her eye as she flies.)
BUBBLE BEAM (v.o.)
I make mistakes sometimes,
like everypony else.
(APPLEJACK leans in from the side and calls out.)
APPLEJACK
Hay Bubble Beam! Did
mah seed catalog come in yet?
(Bubble Beam blinks away the tear, heartened again. With a confident smile, she gets the catalog out of her bag with her mouth, and tosses it in the air. She bounces it off her nose to Applejack.)
BUBBLE BEAM (v.o.)
But I can only be the
best mail pony I can be.
BUBBLE BEAM
Right here, Applejack!
(The catalog lands in front of a beaming Applejack. Bubble Beam crosses the screen in a blur in the foreground, zooming off. Applejack follows her with her eyes.)
APPLEJACK
Got the other one comin’
tomorrow. Now what would I
do without you?
3. EXT. PONYVILLE VILLAGE GREEN - NIGHT
A. (The green is crowded with ponies in costume. Booths are set up as in a fair. Lyra is on stage, playing mysterious, creepy music incongrous to a harp, but still played skillfully.)
(Bubble Beam gallops through the scene, wearing a sombrero and a long false mustache. A new, colorful saddlebag worn on her front, brims over with candy. Giddy at having received it, she trots off to a remote corner to eat her fill.)
BUBBLE BEAM
So much candy so
much candy so much candy…
(She stops short on seeing Rarity, in a ridiculous getup, talking on a public telephone nearby. She does not turn to face her, but listens in. Her expression fades and sinks as she listens.)
RARITY
A thousand apologies,
Hoity darling, but I’m afraid
our brilliant mailpony here in
town didn’t get the mail out
yesterday. … Oh, thank you for understanding. … Oh, I can’t
wait to do the video! Ponyville
will look like the best-dressed
city in Equestria! Careful now.
(CHUCKLES) Ciao.
(Rarity trots off to the left. Bubble Beam pouts and hangs her ears, on the verge of tears again. Then, RAINBOW DASH and FLUTTERSHY come through. Rainbow Dash has a bandit’s mask, and black and white prison stripes over her colorful form. Fluttershy is in pirate regalia, with a hat, sash, sword, eye patch, and live parrot CRACKERBEARD on her shoulder.)
FLUTTERSHY
Orrrr! Avast, shiver
me booties and walk the flank!
(Rainbow Dash gives an exasperated sigh, but wears a smirk, not really mad, but giving Fluttershy a hard time.
RAINBOW DASH
It’s “Arrr,” Fluttershy.
You’re a terrible pirate! You’re
not fit to wear this.
(Rainbow Dash playfully steals her eyepatch away with her teeth, and tosses it aside. It lands at Bubble Beam’s feet.)
FLUTTERSHY
(SHEEPISH) Oh … okay. Can
I at keep Crackerbeard?
CRACKERBEARD
Rawk?
(Crackerbeard bites at Rainbow Dash’s bandit mask and tugs at it as the two walk on out of frame)
RAINBOW DASH
Hey! Let go…
4 EXT. PONYVILLE BACK ALLEYS, NIGHT, cont’d
A. (Bubble Beam looks down and ponders the eye patch.)
BUBBLE BEAM (v.o.)
All that Rarity cares
about is looks.
(Bubble Beam takes the eyepatch in her teeth, and walks along the backs of houses. She catches a glimpse inside a window of Sugarcube Corner, where CUP CAKE is correcting PINKIE PIE.)
CUP CAKE
No, Pinkie, the order was
for Pink Cherry tarts, not
Inkberry tarts! Put those
outside and go get some sugar,
I’ll have to start over.
PINKIE PIE
(WHINES) Ohhh..
(Pinkie Pie totes the huge, weighty bag of inkberries outside. She barely gets to the threshhold, where she lets the inkberries spill out. She catches her breath from the strain, then goes to a sugar barrel to dip out sugar. Bubble Beam looks on.)
BUBBLE BEAM (v.o.)
I bet if I made the same
mistakes, but in a prettier
package, she wouldn’t care as
much.
(Pinkie Pie hums some as she dips out some sugar from the barrel. Some squishy noises catch her ears. She turns around and we zoom out to see Bubble Beam, having cast off her costume and candy bag, and now rolling in the Inkberries, leaving her a deep blue hue. She giggles some at the feel, and fun of it all. Pinkie Pie sees this, and blinks, and watches for a moment, unsure what to make of it. She then just joins in, adding her laughter to the mix as she rolls around in the berries and gets herself the same color.)
B. (Wipe to Bubble Beam near a tree. Her fur is stained deep blue, and she wears the eye patch, along with a blue ‘suit’. She uses a low-hanging branch, shaped like a comb, to comb her mane into a neater ‘do.)
BUBBLE BEAM (v.o.)
If I were pretty enough,
she’d probably even let me in
for tea!
C. (A white elephant silhouette is being painted onto a blue stained flank. Zoom back to reveal Bubble beam holding a paintbrush.)
BUBBLE BEAM (v.o., cont’d)
and that’s when I can
rip off this disguise and call
her out on how prejudiced she is.
BUBBLE BEAM
Now for just a little
lick of Poison Joke…
(She takes a tiny lick of a nearby blue flower, some storm clouds behind her. Her voice and appearance changed, she takes on her new identity with suave confidence.)
IVORY MOONGLOW
The name’s Moonglow.
Ivory Moonglow.
ACT TWO
1 INT. RARITY’S HOUSE, MORNING
A. (Rarity is still in bed, hair messy, waking up groggily. OPALESCENCE is marching in place on her face, until she stirs. She then hops off and paces about anxiously, the hungry cat unsympathetic to her laments of binging.)
RARITY
Oh, Opal, I’m usually
a pony of restraint. But some-
thing about the Candy Canter
makes me eat so much!
Must be the excitement of all
the fabulous costumes about.
B. (The doorbell rings. Rarity comes downstairs to answer the door as she talks, looking a mess.)
RARITY
Oh, now who’s this?
It must be that derpy-hoofed
Bubble Beam, right on time with
the wrong package.
C. (Rarity opens the door. Ivory Moonglow answers the door, presenting a package, and several red and blue envelopes, stacked together in a mixture. Rarity’s jaw drops at the handsome, elegant, eye-patched pony. Opal peeks into frame – she has a look, then turns tail to him.)
IVORY MOONGLOW
Fine jewelry shipment
for Miss Rattly. Can you sign
for it?
RARITY
(BEAT) …Oh, yes, of
course. These must be for me.
Rarity, actually.
(Rarity signs for the package.)
RARITY (cont’d)
You must be new on the
mail route. I most definitely
would have remembered you.
IVORY MOONGLOW
Yes. (BOWING) Ivory Moonglow,
at your service. I’m just out of school, so forgive me if I get things
wrong. So many doors in this home.
Does Madam have a preference as to
which mail goes where?
(Ivory Moonglow nudges the envelope pile with a hoof, cascading the pile of red and blue envelopes.)
RARITY
Hmm? Oh no, you can leave
everything with me, it’s no prob-
lem at all.
(Ivory gets a little smile.)
BUBBLE BEAM (v.o)
I knew it! Bubble Beam’s
mistakes don’t displease her,
but Bubble Beam does! That
snobby nag! Right then was my
chance to take off my disguise
and give her a piece of my mind.
(Ivory’s mouth opens. His eyes then get distracted on the lush interiors of the boutique.)
BUBBLE BEAM (v.o)
…so why weren’t the words
coming out?
IVORY MOONGLOW
Such a lovely home you
have, Miss Rarity.
RARITY
Just another canvas on
which to carry out my artistry
of design, dear. You must have
been up half the morning by now.
Won’t you come in for a pastry?
IVORY MOONGLOW
…I’d love to.
I was jut so glad to
finally get to see the inside
of her house. Finally … this
little wall-eyed mail pony
gets invited over to the
house of a … friend?
(Rarity’s kitchen. Rarity and Ivory eat off elegant trays, as Opal overdramatizes her hunger.)
RARITY
Ivory, darling, you
simply must come to the
shoot for the Tourism Video.
We want to show Ponyville
In the best light possible,
to bring ponies in from
all over Equestria to visit!
I’m sure I could create a
dashing ensemble for a pony
such as yourself.
IVORY
Oh, you’re too much,
Rarity. But I would love
to be on a video…
RARITY
We can make it happen,
Darling. Just show up at Silver-
mane Studios tomorrow, two hours
before dawn. (SIPS TEA)
IVORY
Two hours?
RARITY
There’s lots of makeup
and mane involved, darling.
Don’t worry, you’ll do fine.
(Ivory wears a pained expression, which follows him to the next scene.)
2 INT. SILVERMANE STUDIOS
(A busy studio set, where ponies (including the Mayor) bustle about. Ivory is suspended upside down, and Rarity is applying product to his mane. Opal meows loudly, getting in her way.)
RARITY
There. Now just let
that set for forty more minutes
and you’ll absolutely shine on
screen, love.
(APPLE BLOOM and her dog WINONA wander onto set. They both search around.)
APPLE BLOOM
Sis says we’re supposed
to get another seed catalog in
the mail today. Where’s our
seed catalog?
(She is eclipsed by Twilight Sparkle arguing with the Mayor.)
TWILIGHT SPARKLE
I thought you said
we were using my piece
as written! We can’t just
ignore two hundred years of
sweet potato cultivation
advancements!
MAYOR
It’s nothing personal,
dear, it’s just that we had to
budget in more time for Ivory
Moonglow’s musical number!
Didn’t you get my letter?
TWILIGHT SPARKLE
I haven’t been getting
any mail! What happened to
Bubble Beam?
(Ivory pouts. He gets nervous when Winona comes up to his side, tail wagging.)
(Rarity pushes out a well-dressed pony mannequin on wheels.)
RARITY
Voila! The wardrobe
design for the runaway star
of our video, Ivory Moonglow!
(Nearby ponies ooh and ahh at the design.)
RARITY
What do you think
Ivory darling, is it good
or grand? Ivory? IVORY!
(Winona and Opal have licked away a big sections of Ivory’s deep blue stain, revealing Bubble Beam’s gray underneath. The tickle of the tongue makes Ivory laugh, and sways him in the upside-down suspension. Pinkie Pie finds her way into frame.)
PINKIE PIE
Ooh, Inkberry!
Pinkie Pie starts licking as well.
IVORY MOONGLOW
(AMIDST LAUGHTER) No …
stop it … help…
(Opal snatches away Ivory’s eye patch.
RARITY
Bubble Beam!?
IVORY MOONGLOW
(SIGHS) Can I get down
from here please?
RARITY
You know, not everypony
could pull off such a convincing
disguise. You’re a natural
actress. But you’re still
a wall-eyed mailpony at heart,
and you’ve manged to mess
everything up. No matter.
We need you to be Ivory Moon-
Glow now. Let’s get Makeup
back in here.
PONY
Makeup!
IVORY
No.
RARITY
I’m sorry Bubble Brain,
Did you just tell me no?
(ZECORA noses in a cup of tea on a saucer. Ivory drinks this, turning her voice back to Bubble Beam.)
BUBBLE BEAM
Yes! I did. And it’s
Bubble Beam to you. The same
Bubble Beam who you treated like
Dirt. But ‘Ivory Moonglow’ made
all the same mistakes, and you
didn’t have a bad word to say
about him! You even brought
him in for cookies. Just
because he looks more sophis-
ticated.
RARITY
(BLUSHING) I … oh dear…
TWILIGHT SPARKLE
So why did you keep up the
disguise?
BUBBLE BEAM
Because … because I got to
See Rarity’s house, and she even
got me a part on a video! I’m
just a mailpony, this is all so
new to me. The character brought
me things that Bubble Beam couldn’t
get for herself.
APPLEJACK (v.o.)
“Ivory Moonglow,” huh?
(The ponies turn to look at Applejack and Apple Bloom, near the entrance.)
APPLEJACK
Sounds like that character’s
gettin’ in the way of my mailpony.
Show ‘em what we think about that,
Sis.
(Apple Bloom kicks a nearby pulley. A stage light comes crashing down on the Ivory Moonglow mannequin, shattering it, and catching it on fire briefly before handy ponies put it out.)
RARITY
My suit! Oh…
(Applejack approaches Bubble Beam and nuzzles her.)
APPLEJACK
Bubble Beam’s a sweetie pie,
and there ain’t no call bein’
mean to her. She might not be
cut out for bein’ on camera, but
that doesn’t stop her from doin’
good in this world. Now, do ya
think you could bring me mah
new seed catalog, Sugarcube?
BUBBLE BEAM
Okay.
TWILIGHT SPARKLE
Then come right back here.
(Everypony reacts in puzzlement).
BUBBLE BEAM
Hmm?
TWILIGHT SPARKLE
We’ve got to make up for
Ivory’s musical. So go deliver
the mail, and while you’re out,
I’ll write the Bubble Beam segment.
The pony stays in the picture!
(Everypony cheers. Bubble Beam looks gives a grateful look to the confident Twilight Sparkle.)
ACT 3
(AS BEFORE, Bubble Beam looks out over Ponyville at sunrise)
BUBBLE BEAM (v.o.)
My name is Bubble Beam. And I deliver the Ponyville Mail.
(A splashy logo for “Ponyville” gets rendered across the screen, to a bouncy musical number. Cut back to reveal ponies watching the video at a large, homey gathering spot with refreshments. The ponies erupt in a cheer. A male pony jumps above the crowd in the distance turning somersaults in the air and wearing a Bubble Beam shirt.)
PONY
(SHOUTING) We love you
Bubble Beam!
(Bubble Beam looks on, satisfied. She then looks to her side, as Rarity noses a tray of cookies up to her.)
RARITY
More cookies, Bubble Beam?
BUBBLE BEAM
Thank you, Rarity!
PRINCESS CELESTIA (v.o.)
May I have one too, Rarity?
(Rarity turns, and immediately bows. The other ponies follow, among murmurs of “Princess Celestia!”)
RARITY
Of course, Princess.
Celestia eats the cookie as Twilight Sparkle approaches.
PRINCESS CELESTIA
Mmm, delicious. Twilight
Sparkle, I was impressed by your
thorough history of Ponyville.
TWILIGHT SPARKLE
Thank you, Princess Celestia.
PRINCESS CELESTIA
But I was impressed more
by how much Bubble Beam, our
little mailpony, really shined
on screen. They love you,
Bubble Beam! Ponies from all
around are already on their way to visit Ponyville. Great
work! Have you learned anything
about friendship from all this,
Twilight?
TWILIGHT SPARKLE
Yes, Princess Celestia.
I learned that friends should be there through whatever doors may open or close in a pony’s life. We should be able to see our friend as an actress and a mail pony – as charming and hardworking as well as flawed. Ponies have all different sides to them, and it sometimes takes all kinds of different eyes to see the whole picture.
PRINCESS CELESTIA
(BEAT) Goodness, that cookie
made me thirsty. Who wants punch?
TWILIGHT SPARKLE
(BOGGLED) …Princess?
(Princess Celestia steps behind the bar. She uses her magic soon lifts up many bottles, fruits, and ice, to start building a punch.
PRINCESS CELESTIA
I ‘ve always had a knack for mixing juices. My punch was the talk of the Canterlot Ball.
(She serves Twilight Sparkle and Bubble Beam two glasses full. They drink.)
PRINCESS CELESTIA
Just showing you another
side of myself, Twilight.
BUBBLE BEAM
And it’s delicious!
(All laugh.)
PRINCESS CELESTIA
Everypony, come get some!
END