This is my opening alt for better linking G4 to G5 and can help set things up for the future series as well. Consider this headcannon since I'm not a script writer nor have I ever done anything with a script. And my knowledge on script lengths = time it will run for is limited from what Filmnato has talked about and seeing RWBY Episode 1, Vol 1 is around 10k words and lasts for around 6-7 or so minutes. So this wouldn't had been a major add-on for the movie's runtime. They could had even used a different art style if they wanted to save on more work regarding 3d models. (I'm also aware of misspellings. I will admit I'm lazy and didn't bother googling name spellings or names in some cases)
[Scene opens to a young Sunny’s mom and young Argile walking through the ruins of Canterlot. The sky is partly overcast with sunlight peeking out at times. The Everfree Forest is thinner and the Tree of Harmony is looking less crystalized.]
Argile: [pushes some rubble out of the way]
Sunny’s Mom: [smiles] Thanks, dear. [steps inside]
Argile: [follows] You’re welcome, honey. [looks around and follows down a hallway] This looks amazing. [looks into a conference room and continues following his wife]
Sunny’s Mom: Yeah. I know, right? So much history is here.
[As they walk, they pass broken stain glass windows. The window showing Twilight and Friends beating Discord is broken. Twilight ascending is mostly intact. The trio being sealed in stone is partly intact. They come to the main doors, leaning off their hinges and enter the throne room.]
Argile: Can you imagine the laws and ceremonies that were held here?
Sunny’s Mom: [nods] Yeah and I bet it was spectacular. [gallops up and looks at the damaged sun, moon, and star on the three thrones] Do you think the legends about the solar bodies being controlled by Alicorns was true?
Argile: [looking through some ruins and claiming a purple feather into his saddle bag] Maybe. It’s hard to say. Magic was a lot stronger back then. [trots over around the thrones] Ack! [yelps as he stumbles when a tile sinks under his hoof]
Sunny’s Mom: [rushes over] You ok?! [looks over shocked as the wall opens to show a hidden room] Whoa… [shakes head out of astonishment and helps Argile stabilize his footing]
[Both walk inside and see a dusty room with a couple stain glass windows. One shows Twilight with three gems around her with a pony from each race. The other shows Luster Dawn throwing the crystals to the three races with a lower panel of her blasting a grown Pegasus, a bug Unicorn and a red Centaur.]
Sunny’s Mom: [stands in front of Twilight’s window] What do you think this means?
Argile: [scribbling down what he sees with a pencil in his mouth] Just a minute [says around the pencil then sets it on the book and looks over] Hmm, it looks like she’s doing some kind of magic with those gems. What that is, I have no idea but I do like the design they look like they’d make when put together. [uses a hook-like device he pulled out of his bag that’s on one hoof to close and pick up the book, pencil pinned inside to go over and sit in front of that window. He opened the book and began sketching it down on a new page]
Sunny’s Mom: [steps over to look at the other window] Hmm…what weird creatures with a Pegasus. Very strange and who’s this pink Alicorn? I never heard of any legends about a pink Alicorn in Hoofington.
Argile: Maybe’s she’s someone Princess Twilight picked? No one knows what happened to her or the other two Alicorn’s so many thousands of moons ago. [speaking around the pencil] Looks like she was defending Canterlot from monsters and a pony traitor.
Sunny’s Mom: Do you think it was the Pegasus who caused the magic to weaken? I always knew you couldn’t trust those feathered freaks.
Argile: [shrugs] Dunno. Maybe, maybe not. [finishes and puts down the pencil, looks over] I like to think it was a monster. I’ve never found anything explaining where the distrust came from. Back in Tailsweep my grandmare would tell me how the Unicorn’s started it by giving bad dates, making threats with their horns, and even gloating how they could do more magic than grow plants. However, grandstallion would tell me it was the Pegasus giving bad weather reports, refusing to give the crops rain when they needed it unless a fee was paid, and even playing pranks by drenching Earth ponies with water and trying to strike them with lightning.
Sunny’s Mom: [sighs and sits] They don’t understand how hard it is to connect to the earth or how much harder it is every day. [lowers her head, voice quieter] At least we recovered after the Windigos eventually left us alone…if just barely.
Argile: [uses the hoof device to close the book after picking up the pencil and slip both into his bag, pulls off the device with his mouth and drops it in the other side bag] Maybe we need to be under one flag, like it used to be. [walking over and sits beside her] Maybe a united phrase, like ‘we’ll always be together, from hoof to heart’.
Sunny’s Mom: [looks to him and rests head against him] How? They aren’t going to listen and I don’t think I could trust them. What if they betray us again? Try to hurt us?
Argile: [adjusts his glasses] We won’t know unless we try one day.
Sunny’s Mom: Maybe…one day… [looks down and touches her chest with a hoof] From hoof to heart… [says quietly]
[The ground shakes, making both jump and look around as a roar echoes out around them, making dust fall from the ceiling.]
Argile: RUN!
[Both run back the way they came and start carefully yet quickly as possible, start making their way down the mountain Canterlot remains. As they run, a large dragon-like silhouette is seen with a glowing yellow eye and roars again around Canterlot’s remaining structure. The pair run, taking about half an hour to get down and start racing through the remains of a decaying Everfree Forest, and a Tree of Harmony losing its crystal structure that’s being replaced by wood]
[Ten Year Skip]
[Sunny’s Mom is buying groceries at a shop in Maretime Bay as Argile is in the Mayor’s office with pictures, written information and his proposal for a museum]
[Inside the office]
Argile: So you see, if we could just get your support, we could close the loan needed to build the museum to document my family’s findings, and others findings, about our history. It will help educate the youth and young at heart to how the world use to be and how it might, one day, return to that glory time again.
Coal: [Mayor sighs] Look, Mr. Scout, I know you’re excited and very passionate but I can’t feel right getting behind this.
Argile: But it’s a great opportunity to have a more educated future!
Coal: [firm] It’s also an opportunity to have fillies and colts getting ideas in their head that could cost them their lives. You know we don’t trust the other two races after what they caused.
Argile: But there’s evidence that they might not had caused the-
Coal: Yes, I see your sketch of three monsters attacking an unknown Princess.
Argile: [clears throat] Well, it’s more one monster, a mutated Unicorn and a Pegasus.
Coal: [nods] Yes, three monsters and proof the Unicorns and Pegasus betrayed us.
Argile: This was also thousands and thousands of moons ago. I don’t think any of them are that way anymore. All we need to do is-
Coal: [slams a hoof on the table] Mr. Scout! I cannot let you open up a museum and risk setting back the hundreds of moons of advancement we keep making to sustain ourselves without magic.
Argile: It would be far easier with magic around again.
Coal: I have no doubt but I can’t have ponies going around and getting hurt or starting a war with the other two races.
[As Coal is talking, Argile’s eye notices a shimmer and spots a rounded crystal and remembers the stained glass.]
Argile: Excuse me, but could you tell me about that? [points a hoof at the case with the gem]
Coal: [stops talking and looks over, stands and walks over to its table] It’s a gemstone some colt brought me. He was terrified of it and called it cursed.
Argile: Cursed?
Coal: [nods] Yup, he said it was cursed. Every time he was holding it and bumped up the land with his hoof, plants would start growing. Terrified him enough to give it to me for some reason. [sighs, walking around] I tried giving it to the jeweler and others but no one wanted it. So, to keep myself safe, I had a machinist pony put it in that case.
Argile: [watching the gem and approaches] Um…would you mind if I took it off your hooves?
Coal: [shrugs] Be my guest. I don’t want to get cursed.
Argile: Thank you. [picks it up carefully and walks to his cart and sets it in and begins to pack up his charts and pitch setup]
Coal: How are you liking our latest adhesion hoof cream? Works pretty well, right?
Argile: [nods] It is useful, saves time and saves on space compared to swapping hoof attachments.
Coal: It’ll keep getting better. Just you wait and see. Now, get out. I have a meeting in ten minutes with the home improvement board.
{Argile nods and leaves with his presentation and the gemstone. As he steps out, Sprouts mother, pregnant walking towards him]
Sprouts Mother: [walking up to the held open door by Argile] Why are you holding that for me? Do you think I can’t get the door myself?
Argile: Not at all. I just wanted to be polite. How have you been?
Sprouts Mother: I’m fine. [eyes over his stuff, looks to him annoyed] I see you’re still trying to shove old thinking down pony’s throats that could get them killed.
Argile: Showing history and teaching it won’t get pony’s killed. It’s important to learn from the past so we don’t repeat it.
Sprouts Mother: You just want to stir trouble. Leave the past in the past. I’m not sure how you can’t understand that. [starts to step inside] Learn to look forward instead of always looking back. It’s unhealthy and I feel bad for your wife.
Argile: Always a pleasure. [steps away once she’s inside to let go of the door and continued on his way]
[Outside]
Sunny’s Mom: [looks over after stepping out of a different store] Hon! [waves her hoof]
Argile: [waves and gallops up with his stuff] Hey, how’s the list?
Sunny’s Mom: I just finished. How did the presentation go? [starts walking towards home]
Argile: [following by his wife] The same. I got rejected again and I ran into head of the home improvement group.
Sunny’s Mom: [sighs] That mare? I really don’t know why she has to be so snooty. You’d think she was a Unicorn by her behavior, or a Pegasus with her head so up in the clouds about herself. Anyway, he should really just accept your proposal already.
Argile: I want him to but he does care about Maretime Bay. He doesn’t want to cause any panic or setbacks for our advancements.
Sunny’s Mom: Well…we are behind the Pegasus…
Argile: [nods] And I don’t blame him. I don’t want to risk causing a winter if too many were to become scared again. Although…they might have been tied more to magic since our races are still alive.
Sunny’s Mom: So…maybe it’s good that we don’t have magic and are focusing on technology that uses natural resources, like the sun and moon light. It’ll last longer than magic. Then again…never thought magic would ever run out.
Argile: One bonus but…I want to test something once we’re home. [looks to his cart]
Sunny’s Mom: Oh? [looks to Argile curious]
[As they are walking out of Maretime Bay, we see a young colt run down the street, Hitch. When the couple arrive home, Argile gets his things put away and head outside with the crystal and Sunny’s Mom to watch. Argile holds the crystal in one hoof and starts tapping the soil. Nothing. He stomps his hoof, nothing. He starts digging into the ground, pushing the soil back and after a few seconds, the gem glows and a sprout pops up in the soil where he began to dig]
Sunny’s Mom: [jaw dropped] Oh my goodness! You- you did that?!
Argile: [shocked then proud] I did? I- I did! This is amazing! [looks to the gem] A magical artifact!
Sunny’s Mom: I can’t believe it but I just saw it! This is going to help out production for food to be sped up!
Argile: It would but we can’t…
Sunny’s Mom: What?
Argile: You’re right about magic and our advancement, and his points are right. [looks from the gem to his wife]
Sunny’s Mom: But…this could help so many. If they could develop a way to give the magic to all the Earth Ponies, then-
Argile: And what about if the other two races learn about that? What if other non-pony races learn about it that are in hiding? [walks over and gently puts the gem down] What if the Princesses intentionally sealed away magic to fade gradually for a greater good?
Sunny’s Mom: [looks to the gem, eyes partly closing] You…have a point. Plus…it might make the ponies who have put so much heart and hoof work into the mechanical and substitutes, to feel like their time was wasted.
Argile: [hugs his wife] For now, I’ll create a music box for the baby to promote acceptance, and I’ll keep the gem. Maybe one day we’ll find the other pieces and can figure out what to do.
Sunny’s Mom: [nods and hugs him back] Alright. I’m going to go get food cooki- oh! [she steps back, touches her belly and looks to Argile] It’s time.
Argile: Now?! [shocked and quickly gets a cart, helps his wife in it and races back into town]
[A few years pass and a very young filly Sunny looks sadly at a photo of her mother, places a hoof on it and lowers her head as tears fall.]
[Another year or so passes and see Sunny out with Argile who’s getting some shopping done]
Sunny: [looks around bored as Argile is talking to the seller and spots two colts playing. She looks at Argile then to them and slips away] Hey!
[Both ponies stop and look]
Sprout: Who’s she?
Hitch: I think that’s Sunny. She’s alright as is her dad.
Sprout: [looks to Argile] So she’s the filly of the crazy stallion?
Hitch: Be nice.
Sprout: Isn’t she also the one that shouts about ‘friendship’ with other races?
Hitch: What I just say?
[Both watch as Sunny tries to move faster, weaving to the side and falls with a trip, gets up and finishes closing the gap]
Sunny: Hey! What ya doing out today? Get the homework done? [looks to Sprout and grins, missing a tooth and panting. She holds a hoof out to Sprout] I’m Sunny Starscout. I don’t think we’ve talked but I’ve seen you around school.
[Both Hitch and Sprout look at each other and back to her]
Hitch: Hey, out doing some shopping?
Sunny: [eventually lowers her hoof and digs the ground twice, looking away then to Hitch with a nod] Yup! We needed some stuff. [looks over to Argile and her ears perk up, looking back to the colts] Would you guys want to come over and play? My dad last week finished making me figures of Equestria’s heroes!
Sprout: I dunno…mom might-
Hitch: I’ll talk to my mom and see if we can. [interrupts Sprout who glares at Hitch]
Sunny: [happy jump] Awesome! I’ll make sure there’s snacks.
Argile: Sunny! [calls]
Sunny: Gotta go, see you this afternoon! [gallops off back to her dad as she starts telling him about Hitch and Sprout going to see about coming over as the pair are walking off]
Sprout: [walking with Hitch to speak to his mom, speaks quietly] You have any idea how mad my mom’s going to be if I’m found out being at the crazy guys place?
Hitch: It’ll be fine. We’ll just make sure we’re heading out before she comes looking for you. Besides, she knows you’re with me.
Sprout: Ugh, if I get grounded, I’m stealing your lunch for a week.
[Skip to Hitch and Sprout being over at Sunny’s place with her mane 6 toys]
Sunny: Now, that one is Rainbow Dash and she’s a-
Sprout: An evil Pegasus that wants to steal Earth Pony legs to make the Pegasus more majestic and in control! [interrupts and laughs as he swoops Rainbow Dash figure down at Applejack’s figure]
Sunny: That isn’t right! Rainbow is a good pony.
Sprout: [dismissive] Everypony knows the Pegasus and Unicorns are evil and bad.
Sunny: Are not! [gets in Sprouts face]
Sprout: [not backing down] Are too!
Hitch: [pushes them apart] Look, maybe they’re both?
Sunny: [stunned and turns around] Daaaaad! Sprout’s being mean!
Sprout: Am not!
Argile: [comes out with a plate of cookies] Calm down, it’s fine. Everypony has their own ideas Sunny. Friendship isn’t without accepting and understanding others.
Sunny: [huffs and glares at Sprout who grins, then looks to her dad and takes the plate] Fine, got a point.
[The colts take a cookie and head out, seen off by Argile and Sunny. They’re nearing Mare Time Bay when met by Sprouts mom looking annoyed]
Sprouts Mom: Where have you been? [sun is setting]
Sprout: Out playing.
Sprouts Mom: [pulls him close with a hoof and pushes him forward in front of her] If you’re not going to come home on time then how will you ever be sheriff?
Hitch: Sorry ma’am. I was the reason we lost track of time. It won’t happen again. [says as he moves to keep up]
Sprouts Mom: What were you both doing outside the city?
Hitch: Um…we were…just playing around.
Sprouts Mom: [narrows her eyes] Uh huh. So long as you were near Argile. That pony is going to get somepony hurt with his propaganda that we can trust other races.
[both colts nod and head to their homes]
[we can then go to where we see in the movie, having seen in the home Argile’s workbench with the music box in progress with the gemstone in the middle for a fractal glow from the light. We could also see the engravings in the table match his notes we saw in the opening that he took from the stain glass. And we have established Sprout has been a jerk at least once so it isn’t as confusing as we’d know Sunny knows Sprout is a jerk but can assume she takes her dad’s words and gives him another chance when the movie’s released start happens. Just change up Sprout’s mom’s dialogue a bit to reflect it being her wanting Sprout to be a sheriff badly and would more suit him trying to fulfil her dream and that pressure instead of it sounding, at least to me, as if it was his idea but also her idea at the same time somehow as later it seems it was her idea not his originally. This cleans that up]
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