“Oh, yeah sure! Just drag me across the continent to climb a mountain, that’s cool man. It’s only occupied by a bunch of Pegasi and fairies ready to snatch us up, but whatever! Let’s just ignore them and try to find our friends who are probably being tortured right now. Easy-peasy, yeah, that all makes a ton of sense.”
“Hunk, normally when somebody climbs a mountain they’re usually out of breath,” Hitch pointed out.
The young stallion exhaled and inhaled deeply, as he pulled himself onto the side of the mountain. Until at last, they reached the very top. Hunk practically hoisted himself over the mountain a couple seconds before Hitch did. For a big guy, he was surprisingly fast.
“I saved all that oxygen to yell at you!” Hunk spoke, with a sigh. “What are we even doing out here?”
“We’re out here to save our friends,” Hitch stated firmly.
He knew Sunny Starscout and Keith Kogan had committed some serious crimes, but his gut instinct told him they had at least a reason. Least outside of just Sunny being… well, ‘Sunny’. Hitch, at the very least, knew Keith had a good reason.
And yet… something just wasn’t adding up. He was going to get to the bottom of this even if it killed him.
“Yeah but… what if…” Hunk hesitated to continue. “You know… something bad happened?”
Hitch prayed to the high heavens that wasn’t true. He shook away those thoughts, focusing on the task at hoof. He also pushed aside his own personal feelings towards Sunny. As much as he hated the idea of arresting her, his badge demanded he uphold the law. Maybe, if he were lucky, the circumstances would prevent the opposite and things could all work out.
But that was wishful thinking. Right now, Hitch needed to think and act like a sheriff. No more, no less.
“Nothing is going to happen to them,” Hitch said. “Not on my watch.”
“But you don’t even wear a watch.”
“Figure of speech, man.”
Suddenly, Hitch felt something warm and fuzzy against his leg. He looked down and frowned the moment he saw a cute little bunny rubbing against his leg.
“Great…” Hitch groaned.
“Hey, Hitch, look!”
Hitch pointed behind Hitch, who turned around and saw a crumbled piece of paper.
“Litter!” He said. “I mean, a clue!”
Hitch examined the paper, recognizing the writing as Sunny’s own. This had to have been a piece from her notebook, written on the now wrinkled page was… well, Hitch wasn’t about to show ‘that’ to Hunk. He hid the paper in the pocket of his sash, the tricky part was hiding the blush on his face.
“What does it say?” Hunk asked.
He tried to inspect what the paper was, but Hitch jumped back.
“Uh-uh-uh nothing!” Hitch stammered. “Just… doodles, from Sunny is all.”
Hitch proceeded to search the perimeter and found a strand of Izzy’s mane.
“Hmm… unicorn hair.”
Hunk screamed and rushed towards Hitch, hoisting him up from the ground in a bone-crushing, frightened hug.
“Hunk! What are you—”
“Pe-pe-pe-pe-pe-pe-pe-pe…”
“Now, we talked about this. Use your big words.”
“Pe-pe-pe-pe-PEGASUS!!!!”
Hunk pointed toward the single blue feather, rocking back and forth by a gentle breeze. Hitch wriggled himself from Hunk’s grip and inspected it. He sniffed it and gave it a quick lick.
“Pegasi indeed. Good eye, Hunk.”
“Um… th-th-th-thanks?”
“Track’s gone cold, though,” Hitch shook his head. “Sunny, Sunny, Sunny, Sunny. You think you’ve escaped? Well, think again. I will not eat! I will not sleep! Well, maybe a quick nap and snack if I can’t find you in the next few hours… BUT! After that, nothing will stop me from finding you!”
Hunk sniffed and wiped a single tear away.
“That’s so romantic, boss!”
“What? NO! It’s not supposed to be romantic, it’s—”
Hitch was stunned the moment he saw an entire population of rabbits clapping their ears for him. Of course, never one to turn down an applauding audience, he just went along with it.
“Oh,” Hitch chuckled. “Thank you. Thank you. No, no, you’re too kind. ALSO! I’ll follow you wherever you go! Whether harshest deserts, the coldest tundra, no trail too dangerous, no clue too small! The past matters not!”
“Uh… Hitch?”
“It’s justice—what? What is it, Hunk?”
Hunk, and the entire bunny population, pointed behind Hitch (The bunnies using their ears to do so). Hitch turned around and, to his surprise, attached to two incredibly tall buildings were jumbo-screen mug shots of Sunny and Keith together, both frowning, and another of the unicorn and mage. The mage tried hiding her face with the prisoner number plate while the unicorn was smiling as though she were getting a picture taken from a friend.
“Well that’s convenient,” Hunk observed.
And Hitch nodded in agreement, for now they knew where to go.
***
Keith, Sunny, Izzy, and Katie followed the two princess until they reached a hatch hidden beneath an old room, located in the deepest, darkest part of the castle. Zipp jumped down first, landing on what appeared to be a large balloon basket. Allura quickly followed suit, using her wings as momentum. Even though she couldn’t fly, her wings proved useful for gliding at the very least.
“Watch your step,” Zipp instructed.
Keith hoisted Sunny over his shoulders, like a Shepard carrying a baby lamb, and jumped. Izzy came next, followed by Katie, who landed flat on her rear.
“Oof!”
“So, what exactly is this thing you want to show us?” Keith asked, suspicious.
“Not very big on patience, are you?” Allura asked.
Once again, the cheeky tony and grin of hers, complete with that arched eyebrow, made Keith’s cheeks blush.
“Ha! When he wants to be,” Sunny threw her head back.
Zipp pressed her hoof on the lever, and the basket lowered down slowly.
“Whoa!”
They arrived at a massive chamber with drapes of old, long-since deflated balloons hanging from above, halfway destroyed stairs, walls with chipped paint, and portraits and posters worn and dusty. Tiny moths fluttered about; a couple winged rats scurried across the floor. The windows long since destroyed, allowing light to shine in. Despite its rundown state, there was something eerily awe-inspiring about the location. Like a piece of history lost to time. It didn’t look nor feel like Sunny or Keith could ever recall having seen before as the pair stepped from the basket and looked around.
“What is this place?” Sunny asked.
“Pretty amazing, right?” Zipp smiled. “Lu and I found it a few years ago, while we were exploring the castle.”
“We’re pretty sure it used to be some kind of station,” Allura explained during the tour. “For when Earth folk and Jewel-Horns used to visit Zephyr Heights. It’s like everyone just… forgot about it.”
So it seemed that way. As if this station definitely seen better days, and one had to wonder how it looked like back in its prime. Keith’s foot collided with the edge of a poster on the floor. He lifted it up, laid it against the wall and noticed something ‘familiar’ hidden behind the thick layer of dust. He wiped the spot with his fingerless black glove and his eyes widened.
“Sunny! Look at this!”
“It’s the lighthouse!” Sunny gasped.
Together, they cleaned the rest of the poster to reveal an old-time illustration of Maretime Bay, possibly fifty or sixty years ago. But what really shocked the siblings was, aside from Earth Folk, there were Jewel-Horns and Skylings posing together.
“Katie!” Izzy galloped in place. “Look up there!”
She pointed right above her head and Katie saw a poster on the upper wall which read ‘Welcome to Bridlewood!’. Just like the Maretime Bay poster, this one depicted all six races of elves and ponies. Standing together… so happily.
Sunny smiled toward her brother, her eyes blurring as though she’d cry.
“This is proof! All pony and elf kinds did used to be friends! Dad was right!”
Keith couldn’t believe it, but the proof was in the pudding. ‘Physical’ proof that all of Argyle’s stories were true. So, if the stories of Equestria’s ancient days were real then…
“Could the paladins?” Keith wondered.
Keith soon noticed Allura staring at another poster, with longing in her eyes. The poster depicted a fairy with pilot-like garments while flying beside his Pegasus companion, who also wore the same garments. Keith thought it was a tad odd that Allura would be staring at this poster the way she did. As if there was something she couldn’t have.
“Must be pretty weird being the only fairies and Pegasi that can fly,” Keith said.
“Actually…” Allura sighed. “We can’t fly either. The truth is: we’ve been faking it the whole time, ‘all’ of us.”
Izzy, Katie, and Sunny gasped, while Keith just looked stunned.
“Faking it?!” Sunny wondered. “But… but how?”
“You’d be surprised what some wires and good lighting will do,” Zipp said.
Judging by the look on her face, she was equally as regretful as Allura right now.
“But why lie to everyone?” Keith asked, almost accusingly.
“You speak as though we enjoy it,” Allura narrowed her eyes.
“Sorry…” Keith stepped back. “Just asking a question.”
Allura glanced upon the remorseful gaze on Keith’s face and sighed to herself.
“According to our history, the royal family were the last Skylings to lose their magic. Very few in the castle know the truth and our people were losing enough hope already. So… our ancestors chose to fabricate this charade, insisting this would only be ‘temporary’ until the magic comes back.”
“Our family’s been trying for ages to find a way of restoring our flight,” Zipp added. “So we can finally stop living that ridiculous lie. That’s why we come down here and, well… to do this.”
Zipp jumped onto a lever, activating a giant fan and she jumped right in the midst of a massive whirlwind, which hoisted her high into the air. Allura joined her, leaping and spinning in the air, spreading her fairy wings as she floated beside her friend. Zipp spread her wings, capturing the powerful breeze. The two friends flipped through the air, laughing and giggling.
The others watched in amazement. Even if they couldn’t fly on their own, the princesses managed to create their own way of flying.
“Whoa!” Izzy smiled. “Their sparkle is so bright right now!”
Indeed, both Allura and Zipp appeared as though they could remain airborne forever. Their smiles were wide, and they closed their eyes, taking in a sense of freedom. Keith began to feel envious, wishing he too could fly like that. Being liberated of all cares and worries, it must feel so amazing.
Using their wings, Allura and Zipp glided back down. Katie soon noticed a blackboard with a bunch of numbers and equations.
“Amazing! You found the precise trajectory of the fan, and the amount of airflow required for the illusion of flight!”
“You’re pretty good with equations, aren’t ya?” Zipp asked.
“Equations are a hobby of mine,” Katie replied.
She and Zipp gave each other a fist/hoof bump, cementing their new friendship. Allura giggled at the sight, happy to see Zipp making a new friend. Her face soon turned regretfully serious.
“But that’s not why we brought you down here.”
Zipp joined Allura’s side, and the two pulled on a massively long curtain that was torn and dusty. Once they yanked it off, it revealed a beautiful mural. Of course, one of the stained glass windows had pieces broken off, yet the main illustration was still recognizable. Yet due to the few broken pieces, sunlight was able to seep through.
“This is what we wanted to show you.”
The window showcased a beautiful woman with shimmering white hair that seemed to move all on its own. It was difficult to see her ears, for they were hidden underneath all of that white. Her skin was dark brown; her eyes were closed. On her cheek was a vague heart-shaped symbol and on her forehead was a single four pointed star with a white dot.
She wore a shimmering light blue dress that looked almost transparent, allowing a full display outline of her slim form. Beside her were, by their count, six mares, each with a different colored man and coat colors.
“This was made a long, long time ago,” Zipp explained. “When we still had magic.”
“It’s beautiful!” Izzy stared in awe.
Between the stain glass woman’s hands was a single six pointed star… the same one from Sunny’s notebook.
“Oh, my stars…!” Sunny exclaimed.
Comparing the similarities, they were exactly identical! Keith too took a closer look at the woman in the window. The way she looked, it triggered something in his memory. A memory from one of Argyle’s stories.
“It’s… it’s the Maiden.”
“The Maiden and Mares of the Crystal Lake!” Sunny gasped. “They were real too, I knew it!”
Keith, on the other hand, was too stunned to move.
“Then… that means…”
“The paladins were real too!” Sunny concluded.
“Paladins?” Zipp asked.
“The stories our dad used to tell us when we were kids. A group of warriors known as the Paladins whose duty was to keep all elves and ponies together.”
Katie looked around the ruins, cringing at their current state.
“Doesn’t seem like they did a very good job—OW!”
Izzy kicked her knee, shaking her head like a disappointed mother.
“This is why you let us free, isn’t it?” Keith asked Allura.
“The first time we saw you, we just knew you might be able to help us,” Allura smiled.
“Or at least, we ‘hope’ you would,” Zipp said.
She stepped closer to Allura, who patted her friend behind her neck in comfort. In the meantime, Sunny studied the stained glass window, noting something about the star. Beneath the image of the Maiden and the Mares were three individual archways. The middle one had long since been destroyed, but the one on the left depicted a male fairy riding his Pegasus companion, receiving a wing-shaped object from the Maiden.
“What’s that?” Sunny asked.
“The Skyling Crystal,” Zipp explained. “It’s part of my mom’s crown.”
Sunny continued to examine the window, noticing the left arc depicted a mage riding a unicorn, receiving a crystal as well. Only that piece was missing.
“Hmm… where’s the Jewel-Horn Crystal?”
Sunny searched the floor until she spotted a diamond-like jewel on the corner of the room. Beneath their feet was a larger depiction of the Skyling Crystal from the mural. Sunny pulled the glass piece from underneath a piece of the long curtain and adjusted the diamond to fit right between the wings of the Skyling Crystal.
“Look!”
“No… way!” Katie’s jaw dropped.
“They… fit?” Izzy wondered.
“These two crystals belong together… united,” Sunny smiled.
“Where are you going with this, Sunny?” Keith asked.
“I’m saying… maybe they lost their magic because the crystals were separated.”
“So if we put them back together…” Izzy began.
“… magic will return?” Zipp concluded, unsurely.
“And all pony and elf kinds will get along again!” Sunny declared.
Hearing this, Izzy and Zipp were already cheering while Sunny’s heard swelled with hope once more.
“Whoa, whoa, whoa, back up a sec!” Keith spoke up. “Don’t you girls think it sounds a little too easy? I mean… two crystals, splitting apart, causing magic to disappear in the first place? What about the division between the races? We still don’t know if it happened ‘before’ or ‘after’ magic disappeared.”
“I must agree with Keith on this one,” Allura stepped up. “We haven’t the evidence to support this theory, Zipp. And even if it were true, we wouldn’t know where to find the Jewel-Horn crystal.”
“Well, if you’re looking for crystals, we’ve got, like, a gazillion of them back in Bridlewood,” Izzy said.
“Then that’s where we’ll go next,” Sunny declared.
“Sunny…” Keith sighed.
“Keith, I know it’s a long shot. But this is our first lead!”
Zipp turned toward Allura with hopeful eyes.
“And it’s a lot more than what we could have figured out by ourselves, Lu.”
Allura thought for a moment. Indeed it was a very big find, albeit a bit of a stretch, but it was something. Given the dead ends they encountered, this might as well be what they were looking for. In fact, Allura was surprised they never made this connection before. Perhaps the mentality nurtured by their community, being afraid of other elves and ponies, had a more integral effect on them than they cared to admit. Ultimately, Allura decided to go along with it.
“I suppose…” Allura relented. “But if this is to work, we need the Skyling Crystal. And we both know we ‘can’t just take it from Aunty Haven’s head, not even if we said ‘please’.”
“Ooh… good point,” Zipp winced. “She never takes her crown off… ever.”
“Okay, I’m a little confused,” Keith spoke up. “She ‘never’ takes off her crown? Or… ever-ever?”
“Never-ever…” Allura corrected. “Not when she goes to bed, when she takes a bath… not even when she goes for a swim. Until the day she passes the crown to her heir, that crown stays.”
“So, what do we do?” Sunny asked.
Katie then snapped her fingers as a thought crossed her mind and she pointed toward Allura and Zipp.
“Say Allura, isn’t your brother and Zipp’s sister performing at the royal celebration tonight?”
“Yeah!” Zipp flapped her wings excitedly. “All eyes will be on them, especially my mom’s. She’ll be distracted.
“Ergo, we just need to swap the ‘real’ crown with a ‘fake’ and she’d never know the difference. Izzy can even craft such a decoy, lickety-split!”
“You can?” Keith and Allura asked, in unison.
“I sure can!” Izzy said proudly. “But I will need a box of macaroni, a tube of glue, fourteen gooey bunnies, and three jellybeans. Oh! And glitter… lots of glitter.”
Keith tapped Allura’s shoulder.
“Why can’t you just explain things with your mom? Maybe she’ll want to help.”
“If it were ‘only’ my mother, that wouldn’t be a problem,” Allura shook her head. “But we know Haven, there’s no chance she’d willingly give the jewel to Earth Folk and/or Jewel-Horns… both. Even if my mother were to coax her, that pony’s as stubborn as a mule. No offense, Zipp.”
“Eh… I didn’t want to be the one to say it,” Zipp shrugged.
“I really hate to say this but… this is our only option,” Allura smiled awkwardly.
Keith face palmed himself. “We are sooo going back to prison.”