The Largest Ever Pet Shop/Transcript

"Please be aware that the following transcript has been split into two interchangeable sections — one of the Uncut Petshopper's Edition, which restores additional scenes and extended footage that was cut and/or shortened during post-production; the other for the original theatrical release."

- Motleycat74


 * -|Uncut Petshopper's Edition=

(Sony logo)

(As we transition from the Sony logo, we settle on a dark backdrop, the surface shrouded with frost and piles of snow on each side, complete with subtle snowflakes falling from above. In the middle of the frame is a dimly lit outline of the current Sony Pictures Animation logo, which suddenly flashes on-screen and illuminates like neon lighting, emanating a hazy shade of blue. As the logo powers on, small mists of ice and snow drizzle from the first and ninth letters of "ANIMATION". The logo stays dormant for three seconds before powering off, drenching the surrounding area in darkness once again.)

(Allspark Pictures logo)

(Tencent Pictures logo)

SIX MONTHS EARLIER

(We open on a fade-in to the abandoned cathedral of Hippogriffia as we pan down to find the large lotus flower — once seen to be carrying the daughter of the monarch Queen Novo, Princess Nova Skystar — sitting idly on the lake. We then fade to a close-up of a portraiture, surrounded by a plethora of flowers and shells; centred in the frame is Princess Skystar, in her hippogriff form, sleeping on the surface of her former home with her mother by her side. Underneath the portraiture is a memorial plaque, reading: PRINCESS NOVA SKYSTAR WORTHY OF HER TITLE  BELOVED BY HER SUBJECTS  SURVIVED BY HER FAMILY AND FRIENDS We cut to a wide shot of Queen Novo's throne room at the outskirts of Seaquestria, where a memorial for Princess Skystar is being held. We see a group of seaponies carrying an open casket of sorts to the front of the room; this is immediately followed by a panning shot showing the lifeless body of Princess Skystar herself, in seapony form — eyes closed, arms held to chest — donning a necklace consisting of small pearls and shells, resting on a bed of seaweed and coral neatly laid out inside the casket. We cut to the next two shots, each showing a large crowd of seaponies and various undersea creatures, standing on the opposite side of one another, mourning the loss of their princess. Amongst the crowd on the left side is the Mane Six, all as seaponies — with Spike in pufferfish form, visibly in mourning for their late friend. On the face of it, Pinkie Pie — and Fluttershy, owing to her sensitivity — appear to have been hit the hardest by the unforeseen tragedy, leaving Rarity, Applejack and Rainbow Dash to comfort them. We switch to a medium shot of Queen Novo sitting atop the throne, with her twin daughters Haven Bay and Salina Blue, as they join fins in remembrance of the late Princess Skystar. As the casket is laid out in front of them, the three release fins as Queen Novo steps up to offer a few choice words of comfort and solace. The music playing during this sequence is "An Ending (Ascent)" by Brian Eno, which winds down to a close as Queen Novo addresses her subjects.)

Queen Novo: My fellow seaponies, we are gathered here today to mourn the loss of... (breathes in) one of our own. (swims towards the casket) More specifically, my daughter. (cut to Haven and Salina sitting next to the throne, holding fins as they cry softly in each other's arms) Princess Skystar was a wonderful member of our community, beloved by her subjects and survived by her closest friends, (cut to a close-up shot of Princess Skystar's imaginary friends, Shelly and Sheldon, being held in her fins) however unorthodox you may perceive it to be. When the Storm King rampaged through our old home and forced us undersea, I swore to protect my daughter with my heart and soul. But alas, I was unable to protect her from the thoughtless ravages of the surface world. Today, our ranks have fallen by one, and our family devastated, but rest assured this tragic loss has made us stronger. (gently strokes Princess Skystar's face, resisting the urge to cry) Farewell, my daughter. You will be dearly missed by all.

Pinkie Pie: (holds a hoof up in the water) Wait! Can I step forward for a moment? I have something to say.

Queen Novo: (nods in acknowledgement of Pinkie Pie's wishes) Very well. You may set your affairs in order with my daughter.

Pinkie Pie: (nods back) Thanks.

(Without hesitation, Pinkie swims up to Princess Skystar's casket; Princess Twilight Sparkle reaches a hoof out, as though she is trying to stop her friend from making a scene but cannot bring herself to hold her back. As Pinkie approaches the casket, she fights to keep herself from crying as she bids her final farewells to her late friend. After taking a moment to breathe in and out, she is able to pull herself together.)

Pinkie Pie: Princess, when we first met, I saw you as more than a friend. I saw you as a worthy companion. Someone I could look up to when I was feeling gloomy. (sniffs) Here, let me hold Shelly and Sheldon for you. (takes Shelly and Sheldon into her arms) When things seemed down, (footage from My Little Pony: The Movie plays, particularly that of Pinkie and Skystar cavorting during the "One Small Thing" musical number, followed by a newly animated shot of the pair sharing a warm hug at the Friendship Festival) I was there to lift your spirits and... you were there to lift mine. (cut back to Pinkie as a tear rolls down her left cheek) Don't you remember? When me and my friends got caught up in that whirlpool, you saved us. And you showed us around your home. You and me, (holds up an arm, where she is shown to be wearing a fair few of Skystar's shell bracelets) we even shared friendship bracelets. (gets choked up, forces an innocent smile while holding back her tears) You taught me... (cut back to MLP: The Movie footage showing Pinkie and Skystar (in her hippogriff form) on the beach at Mount Aris as Pinkie's voiceover paraphrases the latter's dialogue) "one small thing... can make a really big difference." (cut back to Pinkie) ♪ One small thing, it's a good place to start... (sniffles) One small thing and we don't seem so far apart... (her voice breaks as she continues singing) One small thing is not so small... one small thing is the biggest thing of all... ♪

(Unable to compose herself for much longer, Pinkie breaks down and goes into a fit of quiet sobbing, wrapping her arms around Princess Skystar and pulling her body into her embrace. We close in on Pinkie hugging the lifeless body of her former companion as tears stream down her face; immediately afterwards, we cut to a tracking shot of Shelly and Sheldon sinking gently towards the seaweed coating inside the casket. As we switch back to the crowd, Fluttershy cannot bare to watch the events transpiring without bawling her eyes out, as illustrated by her looking away from the front of the room while covering herself with her tail fin. As Spike moves over to comfort Fluttershy — only to be greeted by the latter pulling him in for a tight hug, inadvertently triggering his defence mechanism — the rest of the Mane Six swims over to the casket as a grieving Pinkle cradles Princess Skystar's body. Pinkie releases Skystar from her embrace and rejoins her friends for a group hug, allowing herself to cry in Twilight's arms. We cut to a slow-motion following shot of Princess Skystar's body falling back into the casket, her hair flowing delicately in the water and settling at the side as her head tilts to the left. Queen Novo, who visibly cringes at the heartwrenching sight of Pinkie's sorrow for the death of Princess Skystar, swims over to the other side of the casket, taking a moment to mourn her fallen daughter. As they watch the group comfort Pinkie in her period of mourning from amidst the throne, Haven and Salina swim down and join Queen Novo in paying respects to their deceased family member. As the twins break down similarly to Pinkie, prompting their mother to console them, we cut to a medium close-up of Pinkie crying in Twilight's arms as the rest of the group hold her in a gentle embrace, illuminated by a bright light shining in the background that captures the glimmer of her tears.)

Princess Twilight Sparkle: (calmly shushes Pinkie) It's okay, Pinkie. She was my friend too.

(Rarity, Applejack and Rainbow Dash all nod in agreement as Haven and Salina swim up to the group, still noticeably upset.)

Haven Bay: (distraught) I feel your pain, little one. (beat) I still can't believe she's really gone.

Salina Blue: (chokes back tears) Why... why did she have to part from us?

(As Haven and Salina huddle together to grieve, Princess Skystar's cousin Silverstream — in seapony form — swims past the sisters and joins the group in mourning, clearly feeling sorry for Pinkie.)

Silverstream: (places her fins on Pinkie's shoulders) I know how it feels, Pinkie. She was my cousin.

(Silverstream pulls Pinkie in for a reassuring hug as the latter continues to sob. At this point, Pinkie's suppressed cries of anguish sound more like she is breaking out into a fit of crazed laughter while retaining her mournful demeanour. We cut to Queen Novo repositioning Princess Skystar inside the casket, finishing by placing Shelly and Sheldon back in her fins. As she takes her last glance at her late daughter, we switch to a monochrome flashback of the mother-daughter duo in Hippogriffia during winter. As Princess Skystar — in hippogriff form — walks into the frame, donning a scarf and a pair of ear muffs, we see her holding a claw up as she watches the snow fall with amazement. Her mouth agape at the sight, Queen Novo walks up to the cheerful hippogriff and snuggles against her in a warm embrace, both outlined by the northern lights shining in the starry night sky.)

Queen Novo: (echoes) What do you think?

Princess Skystar: (echoes) It's beautiful, mom.

Queen Novo: (pulls her daughter in for a gentle hug; echoes) I love you, Princess Skystar.

(We cut back to reality, where Queen Novo, overcome by her grief, is seen to shed tears which trickle down her face, her eyes seemingly laced with regret for her rough treatment towards her daughter during her rule in Seaquestria.)

Princess Skystar: (echoes in the background) And I love you too.

(Barely managing to keep her emotions in check, Queen Novo leans down into the casket and gives Princess Skystar a farewell kiss before placing her fins on the lid, allowing her personal butler Jamal to wipe her tears away.)

Queen Novo: You may rest now.

(As Queen Novo closes the lid on Princess Skystar for good, a white light shines through and takes up the scenery, after which the scene transitions to an aerial view of the sun shining in broad daylight; in midframe, we see two lines of expository text fade in one at a time.)

ONE WEEK PRIOR TO THE DEATH OF PENNY LING

(We pan down on what appears to be a yacht sailing through the crystal clear ocean; as we cut to the platform at the front of the boat, we see Shadow Blazer laying on a lounge chair — legs crossed, hooves behind head, eyes closed — with Spitfire sitting soundly on the one next to her, reading The Great Book of Modern Warplanes by Bill Sweetman.)

Shadow Blazer: (takes a deep breath and sighs in relief) I gotta tell you, babe. After everything I've been through in this world, this is exactly what I needed.

Spitfire: (gently rubs Shadow Blazer's shoulders) Well, it was my idea, after all. They say a little fresh air soothes the nerves. How do you think Blythe and the pets are doing back on dry land?

Shadow Blazer: (waves Spitfire down) Let's not worry about that right now. Let's just enjoy this moment while it lasts and... (swirls a hoof in the air) soak up the hot summer sun.

Spitfire: (chuckles nervously) Right... sorry! (retreats to her lounge chair)

(We focus on Shadow Blazer relaxing for a few seconds until her smile suddenly fades. As her expression progressively changes to one of immense concern and dread, we hear echoes of the events transpiring in A Death in the Pet Shop; particularly the fantasy sequence — i.e. Pepper Clark's crazed laughter, Penny Ling suffocating on a near-lethal mixture of scented fumes and her subsequent guttural noises as she suffers a heart attack, Pepper crying over her eventual death, etc.)

Penny Ling: (echoes) Y-you're exhausted! And th-the fumes... (coughs and sputters frantically) It's t-too much! (the sound of test tubes falling and fumes exploding overlaps her audible suffering)

Pepper Clark: (echoes) What have I done?!

(As Shadow Blazer's face scrunches up into a grimace, she snaps out of her trance and sits up, panting heavily. Spitfire takes notice at this and moves over at her side, visibly concerned.)

Spitfire: Babe? What is it? Did you have another vision?

Shadow Blazer: Nah, babe... (her response confuses Spitfire by a margin) it's bigger than that. That thing I warned Pepper about... th-that goddamned Pet Fashion Expo... it's all coming together.

Spitfire: Wait... what do you mean-

Shadow Blazer: You may find this hard to believe, but I heard of this thing called the International Pet Fashion Expo, and I had a vision of what was going to happen during preparations, which I warned Pepper and Blythe about, and now... (in a shuddering tone of voice) it's transpiring.

Spitfire: (attempts to calm Shadow Blazer down) Babe, chill out. It's probably a faux pas or something.

Shadow Blazer: Every vision I've had has never been wrong, Spitfire. I think we might have to go back to the city.

Spitfire: You mean we'll have to cut our vacation short? Aw, babe! I was really enjoying the sunshine and salt air!

Shadow Blazer: I hate to even think about it, babe, but that might have to be the case. I can't risk putting the lives of my new friends in harm's way — not right now.

(Shadow Blazer walks over to the railing with Spitfire, where the couple simultaneously spread their wings out and take flight. We cut to an aerial view of Shadow Blazer and Spitfire flying back to Downtown City.)

Spitfire: So what is this new vision of yours telling you exactly?

Shadow Blazer: I'll spare you the grisly details this time, babe. All I know is, shit's about to get real.

(As Shadow Blazer and Spitfire fly out of frame, we fade to an aerial view of a cloudy sky as snow falls from above; in midframe, text fades in from left to right. It is apparently near Christmastime.)

PRESENT DAY

(We pan down to Downtown City; population: two million and two. The buildings have been adorned with Christmas lights and snazzy decorations. As we pan across the vicinity of Littlest Pet Street, we see the residents of Downtown City in winter clothing getting by with their Christmas shopping. As we close in on the vet clinic, we see Dr. Edmond Timpson, the clinic's top vet, watching the festivities outside.)

Dr. Edmond Timpson: Ah, Christmas. The best time of the year. Who in the world could ask for anything better? (turns to his co-workers) Am I right, my fellow vets?

("Jungle Boogie" by Kool & the Gang plays in the background as a group of vets cheer in agreement to Dr. Timpson's sentiment while the latter pops open a bottle of champagne to celebrate the festive season.)

Dr. Edmond Timpson: Yes, ladies and gentlemen, this is a day to rejoice. Noël is a time we remove all our troubles from the equation that is our everyday existence and band together for a joyous celebration. I, myself, have... (breathes in) gone through some rough tidings over the years, but like the legends before me, I managed to climb my way back to the top! And now, here we are. (throws his hands up in the air) I'm back in the big leagues, baby!

(The crowd gives a round of applause and parts as a female vet, Nurse Elaine, approaches to vigorous vet as he downs the champagne bottle in a moment of ecstasy.)

Nurse Elaine: (settles next to Dr. Timpson) It's good to see my all-star is enjoying himself this time of year. (kisses Dr. Timpson's free hand as he pours Elaine a glass of bubbly)

Dr. Edmond Timpson: And it's good to see the great people of this city reunite with their families and their happy, healthy pets. It sure as hell takes a load off my hard work as their trusted medic.

Nurse Elaine: (sighs happily) I'm just glad everyone is into the holiday spirit.

Dr. Edmond Timpson: Babes, it's the Christmas season! Of course they're into the spirit! I can't imagine a single soul who isn't.

(We smash cut to a close-up of a plain sheet of glass. After a few seconds, we see a hand sweep by with a washcloth, as though someone is behind a store counter cleaning the front desk. The camera pans out to reveal Mrs. Twombly, owner of the eponymous pet store Littlest Pet Shop, blindly cleaning the counter in some sort of trance. After a while, she turns to a portrait of Blythe Baxter and the pets posing for a group photo. Taking a long glance at the photo, she gives off a hefty sigh and places the portrait back onto the counter, returning to her duties.)

Mrs. Twombly: (humming to herself) ♪ O Christmas tree, o Christmas tree... how lovely are thy branches... ♪

(We cut to the LPS day camp, where we close in on the hydrant hangout. We then cut to the interior; a rotating view of Pepper Clark in a depressed state, laying on her back, staring blankly upwards as though she is looking directly at the viewer. A brief moment of dead silence passes, and she turns her eyes to the main room. As we cut outside the hydrant hangout, we see Russell Ferguson, Sunil Nevla and Vinnie Terrio huddled together against the corner, shivering and fearing for their lives, their eyes reddened from a noticeable lack of sleep. We cut back to Pepper inside the hydrant, where she turns her eyes away from the trio and onto the other side of the area; we see Sugar Sprinkles gently stroking the fur of a sleeping Buttercream Sundae. We cut to a close-up shot of Pepper watching Sugar Sprinkles comfort her friend as the blurry head of a pink figure turns up in the background. As the camera pulls focus away from Pepper, we see Minka Mark popping her head inside the hydrant.)

Minka Mark: (in a hushed tone of voice) Hey, Zoe! She's in here!

(Minka removes her head from the interior, making way for Pepper's friend, Zoe Trent, to enter the hydrant and walk towards the dismal skunk, leaving Minka to follow her.)

Zoe Trent: (reaches a paw out to Pepper) Pepper?

(As Zoe's paw makes contact with Pepper's fur, we cut to a close up of the latter's pupils shrinking as her PTSD symptoms are triggered; this is quickly followed by a brief flash of the fantasy sequence in A Death in the Pet Shop, consisting of Penny Ling falling to the floor in agonising pain and Pepper cradling her lifeless body as she bursts into tears. Afterwards, Pepper snaps out of her trance and jumps.)

Pepper: Aah! (shakes her head and sees Zoe and Minka standing before her) Oh... hey, girls. Didn't realise you were still here. (gives off a nervous chuckle)

Zoe: We hate to bother you during your period of mourning, but we were wondering how you've been doing since the funeral.

Minka: It's been a few months since you last spoke to us. Is something up?

Pepper: Oh, nothing out of the ordinary. Just the same old, same old. (sighs) I gotta tell ya, it's been hell since Penny Ling left us.

Zoe: What makes you say that?

Pepper: See for yourself. (points outside the area, directing Zoe and Minka to the boys) The boys haven't approached me since the funeral. They won't even look at me, let alone talk to me. They're afraid I might end up killing them, (tears up) just like how I killed Penny Ling. I bet Vinnie's itching to dance on my grave. This is all my fault. Penny Ling and I were just about to hit it off before she died. Maybe Littlest Pet Shop would be better off if I died too.

Zoe: (comforts Pepper) Don't say that, Pepper. This isn't at all your fault. The boys don't know what they're talking about.

Minka: (butts in) Especially Russell.

Zoe: (mildly annoyed) Yes, thank you, Minka. (to Pepper) For all we know, it could be the depression influencing their perception of you.

Minka: That aaand the six sleepless months.

Zoe: I cannot stress this enough, you are no murderer. You've already managed to get through the first four stages of grief. If you want, we can help you through the final stage.

Minka: It's only a matter of time before things look up. Until then, we can grieve together.

(Minka joins Zoe and Minka for a group hug. As we close in on Pepper, she barely manages to crack a smile, her confidence bolstering by a considerable margin.)

Pepper: Thanks, ladies. You're the best friends a skunk like me could ask for.

(We cut back to Sugar Sprinkles, who lays Buttercream down for a brief moment and turns to the trio hugging. She is seen to swoon over the sight as her bunny friend awakens.)

Sugar Sprinkles: (smirks) Awww...

Buttercream Sundae: (dazed) Oouagh... what's going on?

Sugar Sprinkles: (captivated by the heartwarming image of friendship) Nothing, Buttercream. (waves Buttercream down) Just go back to sleep.

Buttercream: (lays back down) Okie-dokie hokey-pokey.

(We fade to a tracking shot of a hallway inside what appears to be the Biskit mansion as we zoom in on the twins, Brittany and Whittany, watching the snowfall outside. As we switch to a shot of their faces, we see they are in a melancholic state, silently stroking the fur of their pet chinchillas, Cashmere and Velvet (who appear with their original hairstyles). Standing next to the bedroom door of Fisher Biskit is the twins' mother, Eliza, holding her pet Pekingese, Poppy Pawsley, in her arms. Five seconds later, the family's physician comes out of the room with a stern look on his face, bringing the twins and their pet chinchillas over to their mother.)

Doctor: He's weak. Make him comfortable while you still can.

(Although hesitant, the twins walk into the room while holding hands, their chinchillas settling in their respective arms. As Eliza shuts the door behind them, they are taken by the grim sight of their father on his deathbed. We cut to a long shot of Fisher's bed; from a distance, we see Fisher hooked up to life support machinery, tracking his heart's diminishing activity, and as we follow the twins walking up to the bed, we find that his hair is almost completely missing as a result of chemotherapy, his skin is a ghostly pale white, and he has lost a substantial amount of weight, hence his somewhat skeletal appearance. As the girls stop by the side of the bed, he turns his eyes to his daughters for his final say.)

Fisher Biskit: (weak) My young angels... this is it. The final chapter of my reign.

Brittany: You're telling me. (Whittany nods to her statement)

Fisher: Ever since the day Littlest Pet Street opened to the public, I knew my time in the business would come to an end. I learnt a hard life lesson from my experience running Largest Ever Pet Shop: nothing lasts forever. But as long as I had my family by my side. I would stay strong until the end. And now, here I am. I always knew you'd never give up on me, no matter how bleak things were.

Whittany: Yeah, dad... that's great and all, but can we be real honest with you for once?

Fisher: Go ahead.

Whittany: Okay. (breathes in) As much as we're, like, sad to see you go... well, how do I put this?

Brittany: You never really, like, cared for us.

Whittany: (smiles faintly) Thanks, sis. (to Fisher) You never spent much time with us over the years, you know? You only cared about the money, which we enjoyed at first...

Brittany: But then we realised you've been letting the profits get to your head and neglecting us for as long as we can remember.

Whittany: Exactly. So if anything, we're actually kinda glad to know your time has come.

Brittany: We hope you don't take this the wrong way, daddy.

Fisher: (aghast) I... (solemn) understand. And I suppose I should take this opportunity to offer my sincerest apologies to you both. I'm sorry for my odious negligence over the years. I'm sorry for putting the values of profit before your well-being. (cut to Eliza listening on outside the room) And I intend to make it up to you the only way I can. (cut back to Fisher and the twins) I'm handing the reins of Largest Ever Pet Shop over to you and your mother.

(The twins gasp at their father's surprising act of generosity, and so does Eliza as we cut back to her in the hallway. Switching back to the twins, they are left stunned by their inheritance, taking a moment to let it sink in before turning to each other.)

Brittany: (whispers) Whit, do we seriously own daddy's company now?

Whittany: (whispers) I think so, Brit.

Brittany and Whittany: (turn back to their father; in unison) Thanks, daddy.

Fisher: (near death) I know you'll do what's right for the business. As God is my witness, the Biskit legacy shall live on!

(As Fisher takes his last breath, his eyes roll back into his head; this is followed by a slow-motion shot of his arm falling limp against the mattress as the piercing sound of a heart monitor flatlining resonates in the background. As we cut back to the twins, Brittany holds Whittany by her side while the latter sobs quietly in the former's arms. We cut back to the hallway, where Eliza awaits the return of her daughters. Soon enough, the twins walk out of the room and are greeted by a hug from their mother as Poppy Pawsley leaps out of her arms.)

Eliza Biskit: (cries happily) Oh, my babies! I cannot believe we're going to be the new owners! Your father would have been so proud of us!

Brittany: Neither can I.

Whittany: This is gonna sound weird, but for the first time in my life... (pause) I'm pretty scared.

(We fade to an aerial view of Blythe Baxter in her bedroom, slumped over at the side of her bed, soundly asleep. After a moment of peace and serenity, Blythe begins to groan and turn over, tangling herself in her bedsheets. Her tossing and turning gradually becomes more severe as she continues to moan and reach an arm out to the ceiling.)

Blythe Baxter: (feebly waves her arms) No... Penny Ling... don't go. I can't bear the thought of losing a friend!

(As Blythe's subdued groans transition to feeble cries of distress and grief, we cut to brief flashes of Penny Ling's death at the vet clinic from A Death in the Pet Shop, interweaved between over-the-shoulder shots of Blythe suffering from her nightmare; particular shots involve Pepper crying over an unconscious Penny Ling at the LPS day camp, Penny Ling on the vet's operating table giving her final words of comfort to her friends, and a tracking shot of Penny Ling's gravestone at Downtown City Park.)

Penny Ling: (echoes) I love you all. Always have, always will.

(As Blythe's nightmare ends, we cut to an extreme close-up shot, played against the soft sound of ringing, of Blythe's eyes opening and growing wider as she awakens from her slumber, revealing her shrunken pupils. We hold on this shot for three seconds before her door opens off-screen, lightening up her room as the shadow of her father, Roger, turns up.)

Roger Baxter: Wakey wakey, eggs and bakey! (pulls back the bedroom curtains) It's the start of another beautiful day, Blythie! (turns to Blythe, who fails to respond) Blythie?

Blythe: (snaps out of her trance, her hair now in a mess and her eyes noticeably bloodshot) Ugh... B-Blythie?

Roger: Oh, good! You're awake, Blythe! I thought today, we could start on setting up the Christmas decorations. We can even put the star up on the tree! What do you say?

Blythe: (disorientated) Wh-who's this... Blythe?

Roger: (chuckles) Oh, come on, Blythe! You know very well who I'm referring to!

Blythe: (gently rubs her forehead) Ummrf... no, I'm serious. Who is "Blythe"? Who are you? What am I doing here?

Roger: (confused) What are you talking about, Blythe? You know who I am; I'm your daddy!

Blythe: (unmoved by her father's words) I'm pretty sure I'd know who my "daddy" is if he was right here beside me. You don't ring a bell.

Roger: (grins nervously) C'mon, sweetie! Stop being ridiculous! (places his hands on Blythe's shoulders) You're Blythe Baxter! You're my daughter! (frantically shakes his ailing daughter in a state of panic) Stop playing these silly games and remember me!

Blythe: (dizzy) Oompf... who is... Blythe Baxter?

Roger: (hyperventilates) Oh, my God. Oh, my God! (stands back up) Look, it's okay! It's okay. Just stay right here, alright? I'll call a doctor. You might be suffering from delirium. (runs out of the room as Blythe collapses on her bed)

Blythe: (groans) Okay... y-you do that. (gags and holds a hand to her mouth, her cheeks bulging) Grmmph! (leans over and throws up in the trash can next to her bed, loudly retching) Urk! Aaugh! (lays back down on her bed and coughs, her lips coated with saliva) Ooh...

(We cut to a panning shot of a large cave in the middle of the national forest; we hold on this for a few seconds before we see Shadow Blazer and Spitfire, both cloaked, walk out on the snow-covered path below.)

Shadow Blazer: Okay, babe. You ready for this?

Spitfire: Ready as I'll ever be... I guess. (to herself) So much for "peace and relaxation". (notices Shadow Blazer is missing) Oh, son of a bitch! (runs out of frame) Babe! Wait up!

(We cut to a computer-animated shot of a bedroom light on the ceiling as we pan down to the bedroom of one Youngmee Song. Laying on top of the bed, staring upwards similarly to Pepper, is Youngmee herself. We close in on the crestfallen Korean teen for a few good seconds before her pet Cocker Spaniel, Nutmeg Dash, leaps onto the bed. Nutmeg walks up to Youngmee, settling on her chest before the latter lifts her head and takes the confused canine into her hands.)

Youngmee Song: Oh, Nutmeg. My parents always told me, "life is a fickle mistress. You never know what you'll get and when you'll get it. And when you do, it hits you hard as a rock." How right they were. I haven't spoken to Blythe in months since her panda friend passed away. She must be taking it real hard. At this point, the only friend I have other than Sue and Jasper is you. To be honest, I don't know how much more I can take before I crack. (collapses on her bed)

Nutmeg Dash: (sits back down and gives a friendly smile) Could be worse, Youngmee.

Youngmee: (jumps in surprise) WHAT THE HUH!?!

(Youngmee leaps off the bed and lands on her feet, panting heavily. Nutmeg Dash looks up at her owner with a hint of confusion, unaware that they are able to understand each other.)

Nutmeg Dash: What is it? Was it something I said?

Youngmee: (breathes shakily) You just... talked to me.

Nutmeg Dash: (nods) Yes. I thought that was obvious.

Youngmee: B-but... how is this even possible?

Nutmeg Dash: What are you talking about, Youngmee? Ever since I got my voice back, I was able to speak to your best friend Blythe Baxter. And she could understand me perfectly. Are you feeling alright?

Youngmee: N-no, I get what you mean. What I don't get is, how is it I'm only now understanding you?

Nutmeg Dash: You mean you couldn't understand me before?

Youngmee: (shakes her head) Mm-mm. (pause) Wait a minute.

(Youngmee takes a moment to process her discovery as we flash back to Blythe and Youngmee on the park bench at the end of A Death in the Pet Shop. We see Shivers walk up to Blythe, referring to Pepper's outburst in his tree home. This flashback is served to highlight a significant point in the scene, that being Youngmee's ability to understand the squirrel without even realising it.)

Youngmee: (v.o.) The day after Penny Ling's funeral, Blythe's squirrel friend came up to her and... I was able to understand him. And I didn't even notice! (we transition back to the present, where Youngmee is blown away by the revelation) Ileon jenjang! I think Blythe's ability to understand animals must have rubbed off on me. (picks up Nutmeg Dash and spins her around) This is amazing! I can actually understand you! Just think of the conversations we could have!

Nutmeg Dash: (begins to feel dizzy) Yes, Youngmee, I'm as pleasantly surprised as you are, but could you not spin me around so much please? (visibly nauseated) I get motion sickness easily. (holds her paw to her mouth, her cheeks growing almost comically puffy) Ummrf!

Youngmee: (settles down on the bed and laughs nervously) Sorry! (places Nutmeg Dash back on the bed, who swallows the contents of her stomach and sighs) Must be my newly-found vigour.

(Just then, Youngmee and Nutmeg Dash are taken aback by a piercing shriek from a lower level of the apartment building, seemingly from the former's Aunt Christie. Youngmee recognises at once where the scream is coming from.)

Youngmee: (wide-eyed) Aunt Christie?!?

(Standing back up, Youngmee takes Nutmeg Dash into her arms and walks over to the door, pushing it over and turning her head to both sides of the hallway. Judging from the dead silence, Youngmee quietly walks out of her room and shuts the door behind her, beginning her slow descent to the Sweet Delights store beneath the apartment complex. After walking steadily through the hallway, she walks slowly down the staircase, holding Nutmeg Dash close. As she reaches the bottom floor, she gently pushes the door in front of her open, entering Sweet Delights. The store is also filled with dead silence as Youngmee looks at her surroundings, trying to find the source of the noise from earlier. As she lifts her head down, she notices a small pool of blood on the gleaming silver floor. Youngmee gulps fearfully as she moves her head up, following the minute trail of blood. The trail leads to exactly what she feared: Aunt Christie herself, slumped over against the store counter, laying lifeless with a large slice wound on her midsection, the crimson residue of her blood staining her casual attire. Youngmee's lips tremble as she lets out a shuddering gasp, falling to her knees and releasing Nutmeg Dash from her embrace. Stumbling over to her aunt, Youngmee wraps her arms around her body, absolutely horrified by what she is seeing.)

Youngmee: (her voice breaks) Aunt Christie?

(Removing her arms from the lifeless body of her own aunt, Youngmee looks down and stares at the resulting bloodstains on her arms and hands in shock and horror. Turning her attention back to Aunt Christie, she begins to tear up as she comes to the realisation that her carer is dead.)

Youngmee: (trembling, smearing herself in her aunt's blood) Jen-jang! My own aunt...

(We cut to a monochrome flashback of Aunt Christie tucking her niece into bed, pulling her in for a hug; this is intercut with Youngmee struggling to contain her emotions and falling over her aunt's bloodied body, crying into her blood-tinged arms.)

Aunt Christie: (echoes) Always remember, Youngmee: I love you to the moon and back.

Youngmee: (echoes) Ditto.

(Nutmeg Dash walks up to Youngmee and snuggles against her before proceeding to lick the blood off her arms. Youngmee pays no heed to this as she continues to mourn her aunt; at this very moment, the hanging bell above the main entrance rings in the background. Nutmeg turns her eyes to the source of the ringing, seeing none other than Shadow Blazer and Spitfire entering the store. Taking notice at the commotion, the eyes of both pegasi widen with shock, Shadow Blazer to a greater extent.)

Spitfire: Ooh! (sucks in air through her teeth) Oh, shit. Sorry to have caught you at a bad time. You want me to come back later? (Shadow Blazer heads her off) Alright, I'll come back a little later.

Youngmee: (lifts her head, revealing faint blood smears on her face) Shadow Blazer? (lightens up by a margin and runs over to her pegasus friend) Shadow Blazer! Oh, it's so good to see you again! Something's happened! My Aunt Christie was murdered and I have no idea what's going on.

Shadow Blazer: (sits Youngmee down on one of the stools in front of the counter) Okay, Youngmee, just settle down. It's good to see you too. (walks over to inspect Aunt Christie's body, taking Nutmeg Dash into her wing) Oh, God. I knew this was going to happen.

Youngmee: (taking a moment to calm down) You knew about this?

Shadow Blazer: Sadly, yes. Let me explain: while on vacation, I had an epiphany relating to Penny Ling's death, so me and Spitfire flew back to our secret hideaway to think this over. A few days ago, I experienced another vision; I saw a masked assailant sneak into this very shop with the intention of murdering your aunt. Youngmee, I think this could be leading up to something.

Youngmee: Wait... (pause) you mean...?
 * -|Theatrical cut=

(Sony logo)

(As we transition from the Sony logo, we settle on a dark backdrop, the surface shrouded with frost and piles of snow on each side, complete with subtle snowflakes falling from above. In the middle of the frame is a dimly lit outline of the current Sony Pictures Animation logo, which suddenly flashes on-screen and illuminates like neon lighting, emanating a hazy shade of blue. As the logo powers on, small mists of ice and snow drizzle from the first and ninth letters of "ANIMATION". The logo stays dormant for three seconds before powering off, drenching the surrounding area in darkness once again.)

(Allspark Pictures logo)

(Tencent Pictures logo)

SIX MONTHS EARLIER

(After a suspenseful build-up of music, we cut from a black screen to a close-up of a portraiture, surrounded by a plethora of flowers and shells; centred in the frame is Princess Nova Skystar, in her hippogriff form, sleeping on the surface of her former home, Hippogriffia, with her mother, Queen Novo, by her side. Underneath the portraiture is a memorial plaque, reading: PRINCESS NOVA SKYSTAR WORTHY OF HER TITLE  BELOVED BY HER SUBJECTS  SURVIVED BY HER FAMILY AND FRIENDS We cut to a wide shot of Queen Novo's throne room at the outskirts of Seaquestria, where a memorial for Princess Skystar is being held. We see a group of seaponies carrying an open casket of sorts to the front of the room; this is immediately followed by a panning shot showing the lifeless body of Princess Skystar herself, in seapony form — eyes closed, arms held to chest — donning a necklace consisting of small pearls and shells, resting on a bed of seaweed and coral neatly laid out inside the casket. As we pan down, we see she is holding her imaginary friends, Shelly and Sheldon, in each fin. We cut to the next two shots, each showing a large crowd of seaponies and various undersea creatures, standing on the opposite side of one another, mourning the loss of their princess. Amongst the crowd on the left side is the Mane Six, all as seaponies — with Spike in pufferfish form, visibly in mourning for their late friend. On the face of it, Pinkie Pie — and Fluttershy, owing to her sensitivity — appear to have been hit the hardest by the unforeseen tragedy, leaving Rarity, Applejack and Rainbow Dash to comfort them. We switch to a medium shot of Queen Novo sitting atop the throne, with her twin daughters Haven Bay and Salina Blue, as they join fins in remembrance of the late Princess Skystar. As the casket is laid out in front of them, Queen Novo swims down from her throne to bid her final farewells to her daughter. As she takes her last glance at Princess Skystar, gently moving a fin across her face, Pinkie swims up to the casket to pay her dues. Twilight Sparkle is seen reaching a hoof out, as though she is trying to stop Pinkie from making a scene but cannot bring herself to hold her back. Queen Novo sees Pinkie swimming up to the casket and moves aside, allowing her to say her goodbyes. In a futile attempt to compose herself, Pinkie forces an innocent smile and looks down upon Princess Skystar's lifeless body, at which point she breaks down and goes into a fit of quiet sobbing. As Queen Novo cringes at the heartwrenching sight of Pinkie's sorrow for her late daughter, the rest of the Mane Six swim up to the downtrodden seapony as Spike moves in on a weeping Fluttershy to comfort her; immediately afterwards, we cut to Pinkie rejoining her friends for a group hug next to the casket, followed by a shot of Queen Novo comforting Haven and Salina as they mourn their deceased family member. We end the scene on a shot of a grieving Pinkie with her arms wrapped around Twilight as tears stream down her face, illuminated by a bright light shining in the background. The music playing during this sequence is "An Ending (Ascent)" by Brian Eno, which winds down to a close as we transition to white.)

ONE WEEK PRIOR TO THE DEATH OF PENNY LING

(The white screen transitions to an aerial view of the sun shining in broad daylight; we pan down on what appears to be a yacht. As we cut to the platform at the front of the boat, we see Shadow Blazer laying on a lounge chair — legs crossed, hooves behind head, eyes closed — with Spitfire sitting soundly on the one next to her, reading The Great Book of Modern Warplanes by Bill Sweetman.)

Shadow Blazer: (takes a deep breath and sighs in relief) I gotta tell you, babe. After everything I've been through in this world, this is exactly what I needed.

Spitfire: (gently rubs Shadow Blazer's shoulders) Well, it was my idea, after all. They say a little fresh air soothes the nerves. How do you think Blythe and the pets are doing back on dry land?

Shadow Blazer: (waves Spitfire down) Let's not worry about that right now. Let's just enjoy this moment while it lasts and... (swirls a hoof in the air) soak up the hot summer sun.

Spitfire: (chuckles nervously) Right... sorry! (retreats to her lounge chair)

(We focus on Shadow Blazer relaxing for a few seconds until her smile suddenly fades. As her expression progressively changes to one of immense concern and dread, we hear echoes of the events transpiring in A Death in the Pet Shop; particularly the fantasy sequence — i.e. Pepper Clark's crazed laughter, Penny Ling suffocating on a near-lethal mixture of scented fumes and her subsequent guttural noises as she suffers a heart attack, Pepper crying over her eventual death, etc.)

Penny Ling: (echoes) Y-you're exhausted! And th-the fumes... (coughs and sputters frantically) It's t-too much! (the sound of test tubes falling and fumes exploding overlaps her audible suffering)

Pepper Clark: (echoes) What have I done?!

(As Shadow Blazer's face scrunches up into a grimace, she snaps out of her trance and sits up, panting heavily. Spitfire takes notice at this and moves over at her side, visibly concerned.)

Spitfire: Babe? What is it? Did you have another vision?

Shadow Blazer: Nah, babe... (her response confuses Spitfire by a margin) it's bigger than that. That thing I warned Pepper about... th-that goddamned Pet Fashion Expo... it's all coming together.

Spitfire: Wait... what do you mean-

Shadow Blazer: You may find this hard to believe, but I heard of this thing called the International Pet Fashion Expo, and I had a vision of what was going to happen during preparations, which I warned Pepper and Blythe about, and now... (in a shuddering tone of voice) it's transpiring.

Spitfire: (attempts to calm Shadow Blazer down) Babe, chill out. It's probably a faux pas or something.

Shadow Blazer: Every vision I've had has never been wrong, Spitfire. I think we might have to go back to the city.

Spitfire: You mean we'll have to cut our vacation short? Aw, babe! I was really enjoying the sunshine and salt air!

Shadow Blazer: I hate to even think about it, babe, but that might have to be the case. I can't risk putting the lives of my new friends in harm's way — not right now.

(Shadow Blazer walks over to the railing with Spitfire, where the couple simultaneously spread their wings out and take flight. We cut to an aerial view of Shadow Blazer and Spitfire flying back to Downtown City.)

Spitfire: So what is this new vision of yours telling you exactly?

Shadow Blazer: I'll spare you the grisly details this time, babe. All I know is, shit's about to get real.

(As Shadow Blazer and Spitfire fly out of frame, we fade to an aerial view of a cloudy sky as snow falls from above; in midframe, text fades in from left to right. It is apparently near Christmastime.)

PRESENT DAY

(We pan down to Downtown City; population: two million and two. The buildings have been adorned with Christmas lights and snazzy decorations. As we pan across the vicinity of Littlest Pet Street, we see the residents of Downtown City in winter clothing getting by with their Christmas shopping. As we close in on the vet clinic, we see Dr. Edmond Timpson, the clinic's top vet, watching the festivities outside.)

Dr. Edmond Timpson: Ah, Christmas. The best time of the year. Who in the world could ask for anything better? (turns to his co-workers) Am I right, my fellow vets?

("Celebrate Good Times" by Kool & the Gang plays in the background as a group of vets cheer in agreement to Dr. Timpson's sentiment while the latter pops open a bottle of champagne to celebrate the festive season.)

Dr. Edmond Timpson: Yes, ladies and gentlemen, this is a day to rejoice. Noël is a time we remove all our troubles from the equation that is our everyday existence and band together for a joyous celebration. I, myself, have... (breathes in) gone through some rough tidings over the years, but like the legends before me, I managed to climb my way back to the top! And now, here we are. (throws his hands up in the air) I'm back in the big leagues, baby!

(The crowd gives a round of applause and parts as a female vet, Nurse Elaine, approaches to vigorous vet as he downs the champagne bottle in a moment of ecstasy.)

Nurse Elaine: (settles next to Dr. Timpson) It's good to see my all-star is enjoying himself this time of year. (kisses Dr. Timpson's free hand as he pours Elaine a glass of bubbly)

Dr. Edmond Timpson: And it's good to see the great people of this city reunite with their families and their happy, healthy pets. It sure as hell takes a load off my hard work as their trusted medic.

Nurse Elaine: (sighs happily) I'm just glad everyone is into the holiday spirit.

Dr. Edmond Timpson: Babes, it's the Christmas season! Of course they're into the spirit! I can't imagine a single soul who isn't.

(We smash cut to a close-up of a plain sheet of glass. After a few seconds, we see a hand sweep by with a washcloth, as though someone is behind a store counter cleaning the front desk. The camera pans out to reveal Mrs. Twombly, owner of the eponymous pet store Littlest Pet Shop, blindly cleaning the counter in some sort of trance. After a while, she turns to a portrait of Blythe Baxter and the pets posing for a group photo. Taking a long glance at the photo, she gives off a hefty sigh and places the portrait back onto the counter, returning to her duties.)

Mrs. Twombly: (humming to herself) ♪ O Christmas tree, o Christmas tree... how lovely are thy branches... ♪

(We cut to the LPS day camp, where we close in on the hydrant hangout. We then cut to the interior; a rotating view of Pepper Clark in a depressed state, laying on her back, staring blankly upwards as though she is looking directly at the viewer. A brief moment of dead silence passes, and she turns her eyes to the main room. As we cut outside the hydrant hangout, we see Russell Ferguson, Sunil Nevla and Vinnie Terrio huddled together against the corner, shivering and fearing for their lives, their eyes reddened from a noticeable lack of sleep. We cut back to Pepper inside the hydrant, where she turns her eyes away from the trio and onto the other side of the area; we see Sugar Sprinkles gently stroking the fur of a sleeping Buttercream Sundae. We cut to a close-up shot of Pepper watching Sugar Sprinkles comfort her friend as the blurry head of a pink figure turns up in the background. As the camera pulls focus away from Pepper, we see Minka Mark popping her head inside the hydrant.)

Minka Mark: (in a hushed tone of voice) Hey, Zoe! She's in here!