Thanks to Pipp’s help, the team managed to sneak out of Zephyr Heights without anyone noticing, not a Pegasus or fairy. They scaled down the mountain, traversing the landscape until they reached a grassy terrain. They rested for the night, trying to tolerate Lance’s complaining. By the next morning, they continued on their journey with Keith reading the map from Sunny’s notebook.
The elves all rode on their respected ponies, with Lance and Pipp far behind. Though, in Pipp’s case, it was deliberate to keep Lance from annoying everyone with his constant whining. As much as she loved Lance, she was well aware his melodramatic tendencies were… an acquired taste.
The prince lifted his phone into the air, snapping pictures of himself, looking as dishing as ever. But after the flash sound, he resumed his moping.
“Oh, what’s the point? No matter how awesome my selfies look I can never post them. Now that everyone who’s ever loved me suddenly hates me.”
His phone chimed
“Oh look! I’m losing six followers by the minute!”
Another chime.
“Eight…”
Another chime sounded off.
“Ten!”
Another chime, then another, and another.
“Twelve, fourteen, twenty-five! That’s it… it’s official…”
Lance stared wide eyed out into the horizon, his eyes began to water, and his lips puckered. Finally, unable to hold it in, the once overly-confident Lance snapped…
“MY LIFE IS OVER!!!” Lance bawled.
The fairy burst into tears, hugging Pipp’s neck and his tears trailed down her fur. Pipp’s, now annoyed, shook him off.
“Lance, sweetie. I know you’re upset, but please pull it together.”
“How can you be so okay with any of this?” Lance remarked, cocking an eyebrow. “This was supposed to be our greatest show ever! This whole concert was going to be the pinnacle of our illustrious career! You and me, just like we always planned when we were kids! And now… now it’s all over. We’re… criminals, and it’s all because of them!”
Lance pointed an accusing arm towards Keith and Sunny, though whether they weren’t paying attention to him or simply ignoring him was left in the air.
“I just don’t get what Allura sees in him.”
“You think I’m not upset too?” Pipp asked, heartbroken. “I’ll never be able to unsee all those disappointed faces. But… you have to admit, we kind of deserved it.”
Lance gasped dramatically, like having an asthma attack.
“Who are you?! And what’ve you done with Pipp Petals?!”
“I mean it, Lance! We lied to our own fans. Up till now I’ve done a good job hiding it but only because… let’s face it, I am an amaaaaziiing actress!”
Pipp practically sung the ‘amazing’ part ever so proudly, while Lance rolled his eyes with sibling annoyance.
“But deep down Lance, you knew how much it ate me up inside. And don’t act like you don’t know what I’m talking about.”
“Yeah… I know,” Lance sighed.
Even if Lance didn’t say it out loud, he never liked lying to his fans. Just the thought of them ever finding out the truth was too painful to imagine. So he just… didn’t. He ignored it, relished in all the attention. Being the youngest sibling often meant being second-fiddle to Allura, the fairy destined to be queen. Being a pop-sensation was the only thing that ever made him relevant… and now that was gone.
“Still… it was very uncool of our own sisters to leave us hanging there for the whole world to see! Siblings are supposed to look out for another, and they abandoned us for their ‘new’ friends.”
Pipp soon trotted towards Zipp and Allura, with Lance following closely behind.
“Are you sure this Sunny girl knows where to find this other crystal?” Pipp asked. “And how do we know it’s even real?”
“Don’t you trust me, sis?” Zipp asked.
“Gee, I don’t know,” Lance stroked his chin. “You guys are the ones who got mom and Aunt Haven thrown in jail!”
“Lance, we’re sorry that happened,” Allura apologized. “But once we get our magic back, the entire kingdom will be so grateful they won’t even remember what happened.”
Lance didn’t even look at his own sister, just lifted his nose in the air with a ‘harumph’. Still, Allura did her best to lift her brother’s spirits… if only to boost his ego a slight.
“And besides… you’d be a hero,” Allura pointed out.
“Hmm… a hero, huh?” Lance replied, intrigued. “Actually… I do like the sound of that.”
“And he’s back,” Pipp snorted.
Lance giggled and gave her an affectionate pat along her head.
“Okay, fine… I’ll trust you,” Lance promised Allura. “But don’t expect me to be buddy-buddy with your new boyfriend.”
“He’s not my boyfriend,” Allura stated.
“Not from what I’ve seen,” Zipp remarked.
Allura watched as Zipp wiggled her eyebrows, to which Allura rewarded her with a light kick to the flank.
“Just keep trotting…”
“That’s it!”
Suddenly everyone spoke the moment Keith spotted something ahead and compared it with the map.
“That’s the same tree on the map!”
Keith read the words next to the watercolor painting of the very tree with pink flowers, which fell like soft flakes of snow. A few landed along Sunny’s mane and she shook them off, for flowers ignited her allergies. But that changed the moment she saw the tree and tapped her hoof against the ground.
“That’s the Amore Tree!” Sunny said excitedly. “Legends says this was the very tree where Arthur and Morgana first met, shared their first kiss, and eloped!”
“Aww… how romantic,” Pipp swooned.
“Wait, Morgana?” Lance spoke up.
Judging by the expression on his face, it’s as if he heard that name from somewhere.
“Wasn’t she Lancelot’s sister? The guy I’m named after?”
“You know about the paladins too?!” Sunny asked, in disbelief.
“Pale-what? Lancelot was the original king of Zephyr Heights. History said he had a sister named Morgana. But there are no concrete records of her, or this Arthur guy. Except the one which stated she betrayed the family.”
Keith and Sunny looked at each other. Not even the fairies and Pegasi of Zephyr Heights knew all there was to know about their own history. So many lies, an erasure of the truth which led to so much segregation.
“Well, Lancelot was one of the original Paladins of Harmony,” Keith informed him. “He fought alongside Earth Folk and the Jewel-Horns.”
“Hah!” Lance laughed. “Now I know you’re making this stuff up…”
“Actually Lance, that might be true,” Allura explained. “Zipp and I found this old ancient stained glass window at an old station from ancient Equestria and—”
“Blah, blah, blah! Bunch of Earth Folk and Jewel-Horn hooey.”
“Urgh…” Allura groaned. “Why do I even bother talking to you?!”
“Lance! Not cool!” Pipp scolded him.
“What? I’m just telling it like it is!”
While they were arguing, Hitch and Hunk caught up with Keith and Sunny.
“So, what exactly is the plan here?” Hitch asked. “Hoofing across daisy fields, looking for a magical crystal that doesn’t even exist?”
“It does exist, Hitch,” Sunny insisted. “And hey, you’re welcome to leave if you want.”
Though she really hoped he wouldn’t.
“Oh no! I swore I’d bring you back to Maretime Bay in custody.”
“Hitch, please!” Sunny spoke cheekily. “Not in front of the children.”
To which Keith and Hunk both fought the urge to vomit over this heavily gushy scene. While Keith had no idea what was going on with these two, he knew he needed to calm Hitch’s concerns seeing how stressful of a trip this was.
“Listen, Hitch, I’m really sorry for everything that’s happened,” Keith spoke. “Believe me when I say, I’d never have done any of this if it wasn’t for a good reason.”
Keith wasn’t sure if Hitch was even listening to him, not that he’d blame the colt after what happened. Still, he couldn’t really tell him ‘everything’ about this whole trip.
“Even if it’s a reason I can’t tell you yet,” Keith thought, then spoke aloud. “Look, once this is all over, I swear we will go back with you to Maretime Bay. We’ll serve our sentence… even agree to twenty hours of community service.”
Sunny stopped dead in her tracks, the same time as Hitch.
“What?!” Sunny exclaimed.
“It’s only fair, Sun,” Keith spoke. “We owe him.”
Sunny blew on her lips, making a whinnying sound.
“Fine…”
Keith gave her a light kick and he trotted ahead. Hunk tapped Hitch’s neck, drawing his attention.
“How long are you going to keep playing this, ‘Will they or won’t they’ game, huh?”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“Come on, man! Everybody knows you and Sunny been crushing on each other since you were foals. What’s stopping you?”
“For one, I am the sheriff. This badge means that I’m—”
Hitch tapped his sash and screamed when he didn’t feel his badge against his hoof.
“Wait! No, no, no, no, no!”
He started spinning around looking for it, making poor Hunk nauseous as he hung on.
“Where’s my badge?! Hey! You!”
He pointed an accusing hoof toward Izzy and Katie.
“Hmm?”
“I know unicorns like shiny things!”
“Oh, you know, I think I did see a shiny badge-y thing on the ground a few hours ago,” Izzy recalled.
“What?! Hours?!”
“Well, maybe it’s for the best,” Izzy leaned in, whispering. “Between you and me, buddy. That badge was creating an unhealthy power dynamic.”
Izzy galloped away, singing to herself, while Katie just went with the flow. She had stolen some sunglasses from the prison cell back in Zephyr Heights, which she was currently wearing.
“We’re almost to the river, everyone,” Sunny announced.
But it was then they arrived at a cliff side with a large gap between them and the other side… along with what little remained of a bridge that stood between it.
“You sure this is the only way to Bridlewood?” Keith asked, checking the map.
“It used to be the way,” Katie spoke up. “But that bridge has been broken for years.”
“And you didn’t think to tell us that before, because…?”
“I didn’t think we’d actually be going to Zephyr Heights, buddy. Besides, the old path was much closer than the… ‘other’ way.”
“Oh great!” Hunk complained. “Now what’ll we do? Oh, I have an idea! Why don’t we just forget this whole thing and go home? Who’s with me?”
He quickly raised his hand, but everyone else just ignored him.
“Any bright ideas, sis?” Lance asked his sister. “You and Zipp always seem to have all the answers!”
“You know what would be very helpful right now?” Allura suggested. “You shutting your mouth for more than five seconds and, oh I don’t know… THE ABILITY TO FLY!!!”
She pointed toward her own wings, which spread out as though they would flap and carry her off… if only they could.
“Cut it out, you guys!” Zipp said.
“Seriously,” Pipp added. “All this stress is making me break out.”
But Lance ignored his Pegasus sister, his angry attention full on his own sister.
“Well, you know what would be even better? Not being stuck in the middle of nowhere as OUTCASTS FROM OUR OWN KINGDOM!!! So thanks for nothing!”
While everybody else argued, Katie performed some sign language toward Izzy, to which the unicorn nodded and gave her mage friend a salute.
“I still vote we go home!” Hunk called, raising his hand. “Wish I could say it was nice meeting all of you, but it really wasn’t.”
All the arguing made Keith clenched his hair, his head swelled with all the voices screaming at once.
“Everybody… QUIET!!!”
Keith’s command echoed throughout the ravine and immediately everyone went silent, as they turned their attention to Keith, who breathed heavily.
“You want a plan?! Here’s what’s happening: We are getting to the other side, getting that crystal, and we’re restoring the magic like Sunny said! And once we do…”
He pointed toward Allura and Zipp…
“You’ll get to fly!”
Then pointed at Lance and Pipp…
“You’ll get your fans back!”
He pointed towards Hunk…
“You’ll get to go home!”
Then lastly at Hitch…
“And you’ll have us in custody! Got that? Everybody happy?!”
“Uh… Keith?” Sunny spoke.
“What now, Sunny?!”
Sunny nodded her head towards Izzy… who used her horn to cut down a dead tree like a beaver. The tree crashed and functioned as a bridge between them and the ravine.
“Ta-daaaaa!” Izzy sang.
“Hey, look! She made a bridge,” Katie said. “Only took her like, what ten seconds? Eleven, tops.”
“Oh… wow, um…” Keith fumbled his words. “That’s, uh… thank you.”
“All right!” Zipp cheered.
“Ah great!” Hunk, Hitch, and Lance groaned.
“Come on, everybody!” Sunny urged.
And just like that, Sunny and Keith took the lead while the rest followed them across the makeshift bridge over the ravine. Through this path, their adventure to find the mysterious Bridlewood would continue. Dragging behind, Lance leaned his head toward Hutch.
"Remind me never to make that guy mad," Lance whispered.
"Oh take my word for it, you haven't seen Keith get mad," Hutch whispered back. "That was just the 'repressed' version."
(~)
Following a long, and very exhausting day, the group finally decided to take a rest for the night. As they gathered together in a quiet clearing, the only sound to be heard was the rumbling of their stomachs. Hunk, seeing the hunger in their eyes, felt empathy not just for his friends Keith and Sunny, but everyone else too. Even Izzy, who rubbed her tummy while sitting beside Katie.
“Man, I could really go for a hay-burger right about now,” Izzy sighed sadly.
“I’d kill for a spicy tuna roll myself,” Katie muttered.
“I miss Aunt Rosalyn’s sky-berry pie,” Pipp sighed dreamily.
“Oh, ‘please’ don’t say that!” Lance moaned. “I’m already dying here!”
“Do you ever stop complaining?” Katie asked.
“Do you ever stop being so snarky?”
“Why should I? It’s kind of my thing. Izzy brings the quirks; I bring the snark. It’s a package deal.”
“So true!” Izzy confirmed.
Keith finally decided to put a stop to all the commotion before someone got carried away.
“All right, all right! Let’s put this arguing to a rest now. The first thing we really need to do is get a fire started; it’s liable to get very cold tonight.”
“I’ve got this.”
Zipp scratched her hoof against the rock and a spark ignited like it was set off by flint. She then used her wings to generate some tiny wind power to ignite the flames. To say that the entire group were impressed was an understatement… well, ‘almost’ the entire group.
Hitch, on the other hand, kept his distance from the team. The sheriff tried vainly to make a fire of his own.
“Come on, stupid stick.”
“You need some backup, sheriff?” Zipp suggested.
“No! Thank you. I’ve got it.”
He went back to rubbing the two sticks, a technique which ‘can’ generate fire… if only he could get the process right.
“Come on… if only I had a match…”
Suddenly, for a brief moment, a spark of fire appeared… only to get snuffed out almost instantaneously.
“That was sad to watch,” Katie shook her head. “Come on, don’t be a hero, dude. Come and get warm here.”
Finally, Sunny picked herself up from her spot right next to Keith. Soon as she approached Hitch, she could see he was tired, cold, and very hungry. Oh how she hated seeing him this way. But still she also knew he was still very hesitant to trust anyone outside of their own kind. To which Sunny had known about for years.
“Hitch, please come over. I don’t want to wake up to your frozen corpse in the morning.”
“Sunny, are you sure about all of this? If we just go back to Maretime Bay, I promise…”
“What have we got to lose?”
“By giving ‘magic’ back to our enemies? Uh, let me think. I know – a lot!”
“Come on. Do they look like enemies to you?”
Sunny nodded her head towards the others. Even Hunk, the biggest coward in Maretime Bay, was getting along just fine and dandy with everyone. He pulled over his backpack and started preparing a meal with the ingredients he brought from home, as if he knew exactly what was needed for situations of this type.
Even Izzy and Pipp were talking—a unicorn and a Pegasus—and Izzy said something about Pipp’s sparkle.
“My sparkle is aquamarine? That’s, like, my sixth favorite color!”
Pipp was so happy she flapped her wings. While he did admit it was sad seeing a Pegasus unable to fly, Hitch swallowed that feeling regardless.
“I don’t know,” Hitch sighed. “Sunny, I know you’ve always believed in all ponies and elves getting along. But—”
“But what? You can’t tell me you’ve never thought about how much better life would be if weren’t afraid all the time.”
“Of course I have!”
“Then what better way of getting rid of that fear than facing it? Isn’t that what you’re always telling Hunk?”
Hitch heard Hunk laugh and looked over. By now, everyone loomed over him to see what smelled so good.
“Whoa!” Lance admired. “You work fast, big guy!”
“Aww, thanks! My family owned a restaurant back home; they’d let me help around when I could spare the time. Course, I couldn’t get all the ‘spices’, but I think I can substitute with some herbs and berries I found along the trail.”
It was so true. Hitch was always trying to encourage that scaredy-cat Hunk to face his fears. Now here he was, sharing chats with the enemy as if they’ve known each other all their lives. Of course, they sure didn’t seem like enemies after all. Yet even so, Hitch honestly didn’t know what to believe anymore.
“Hitch, you may refuse to admit it, but I know you once believed my dad’s stories. Look me in the eyes and tell me if you still believe It or not. If you don’t, then… I’ll respect whatever decision you make.”
Hitch looked deeply into Sunny’s eyes. The answer was as clear as day, but he didn’t have the courage to say it… least not yet anyway.
“So what if I did? What difference would it make?”
“A lot… especially for Keith.”
“Why Keith?”
“You should go over and ask him yourself.”
Sunny picked herself up and was about to return to the campfire when she stopped.
“For what it’s worth, I’m really glad you’re here, Hitch. We all are.”
And from the campfire, Izzy was giggling like crazy.
“What’s with you?” Zipp asked.
“Look!” She pointed towards Hitch and Sunny. “Their sparkles are so in sync! It’s so beautiful.”
Sunny didn’t hear what Izzy said, as she took a seat back beside Keith. After some thought, Hitch finally decided to join them. He was a bit quiet at first, but at least it was a start.
“Dinner is served!” Hunk declared.
(~)
To say Hunk was truly a master chef was an understatement. But once everyone’s bellies were full and satisfied, they were all ready to get some shut-eye. Even Sunny couldn’t keep herself from yawning.
“So… I think we should set off at first light,” Sunny declared. “Last stop – Bridlewood.”
But then her ears dropped when she noticed Izzy, her unicorn friend, sighing sadly. Katie wrapped an arm around her friend for comfort.
“What’s wrong, Iz?” Katie asked.
“It’s just that… being with all of you guys has been the best thing that’s ever happened to me. I guess I just don’t want our adventure to end.”
“But, Izzy, you’ll get your magic,” Sunny reassured.
To which Izzy smiled, as Sunny nudged Keith’s arm.
“Besides, who says it ‘has’ to be over? When this is only the beginning for what’s in store for all of us? Wouldn’t that be great, bro?”
To which Hitch was very confused. He understood how important it was for Izzy and Katie to have their magic back. So why would Keith need… wait…
“Keith,” Hitch spoke. “Is there… something you wanted to tell me?”
Keith’s eyes widened and his heart sped up. He turned toward Sunny, who subtly shook her head, confirming she didn’t outright tell him. Keith would’ve denied it all together, but the way Hitch spoke to him, so humbly, he couldn’t just reject his question now. Even so, Keith bit his bottom lip nervously.
“Well… it’s now or never…” Keith thought.
Taking a deep breath, Keith pulled back his bangs and revealed the shiny red jewel on his forehead. The sight of which made Hitch and Hunk gasp with shock.
“Whoa! I did not see that coming,” Hunk spoke, in awe.
Another sigh escaped Keith’s lips as he hid his jewel again.
“Now you know the truth.”
“But… why didn’t—I mean, I know ‘why’ you—still… why…”
Hitch didn’t know what to say. All this time, the whole time… Keith had been a mage. Course it certainly explained a great many things, not just about Keith but… also Sunny. It was why she was always so determined for things to change, or at least ‘partly’ the reason. But here, she wasn’t just doing this for herself… she did it all for Keith.
Just when he thought he couldn’t love Sunny any more than he already did. And he saw Keith sitting down, looking at him with his legs curled close to his chest. Suddenly all the things Hitch said about unicorns and mages, Pegasi and fairies… he felt dreadful all of a sudden.
“Keith… I am so, so sorry,” Hitch apologized, lowering his head in shame. “I… I didn’t, I mean… I… I really don’t know what to say.”
“You don’t have to say anything,” Keith assured. “I never told you or anyone else before because… I hoped to ease you into it. Partly why I joined the force in the first place. Just to prove to everyone I meant no harm, that I love Maretime Bay as much as anyone. I suppose I waited a little too long to tell you…”
“I understand,” Hitch nodded. “But just to clear the air, I couldn’t have asked for a better officer.”
He smiled, and to his relief, Keith did too. For once in his life, he never felt such relief in all his life. Like a huge weight suddenly lifting off his shoulders after carrying it around for so many years.
“Hey, if all mages are half as nice as you,” Hunk spoke up. “I wouldn’t mind being their friend.”
“Hey! What about me?!” Katie asked, her fists on her hips. “I’m not nice?”
“Well… no, not really. You can be mean, and you called me ‘Wimpy-Mc-Whimper’ while we were crossing the ravine.”
“Not my fault you kept saying, ‘Don’t look down, don’t look down, don’t look down!’ a billion times.”
“Okay, okay, enough you guys,” Sunny lightly chuckled. “You know Katie, maybe you could afford to be a little nicer to people.
“Yeah, I guess,” Katie huffed.
“Don’t worry Sunny, Izzy’s a lot sweeter than she leads on,” Izzy replied, snuggling close to her. “I should know. We’ve been best friends since we were little and now we’ve got a whole bunch of new friends!”
“Still on the fence about that,” Lance muttered. “OW!”
Pipp slapped his arm with her tail playfully, while Lance rubbed his arm with a pout.
“Can I ask you a question?” Hitch asked Izzy and Katie. “Why did you come to Maretime Bay?”
“I always wanted to visit,” Izzy answered.
It was then Hitch noticed how her voice was slightly more somber, a stark contrast to her usual hyperactive tone. She reached for her mane and pulled out a folded piece of paper.
“When I was a filly, I found this pretty lantern. It had a message inside. It said I had friends in Maretime Bay.”
The moment Izzy unfolded the piece of paper, Sunny and Keith gasped. And there, before their eyes, was the very same message Sunny and Argyle sent into the sky that night. The very night Keith was welcomed into their family. Izzy studied Sunny’s reaction for a brief moment and the realization hit her instantly.
“It… it was you!”
Keith reached out for the letter, to which Izzy gave to him without question. He chuckled lightly as the innocent childhood memory filled him with more warmth than the fire itself could ever supply.
“I made this with my dad,” Sunny said. “It was on the same day we found Keith. We always promised each other that someday we would prove that all ponies and elves were meant to be friends. Just like the Paladins.”
“We’ll do our part…” Keith began.
“Hand in hoof…” Sunny continued.
“And heart to heart.”
The two concluded with their hand and hoof pressed together. Keith’s fingers curled along the edges of Sunny’s hoof, as he gazed warmly toward her. Watching this inspired everyone else to do the same. Katie and Izzy held their hand and hoof together, as did Allura and Zipp, and lastly, Lance and Pipp.
Lance, admittedly, was touched by the story. To imagine, an earth pony and a mage, as brother and sister, loving each other as much as any elf or pony could. Maybe… just maybe there was something to this whole harmony and friendship business. Pipp snuggled close to him, reassuring him that, no matter if they disagreed, she’d stay with him no matter what. This silent promise made his eyes swell with tears. A feeling he hadn’t truly felt for the longest time.
“I…” Lance began. “I want to do my part.”
“Me too,” Hitch agreed.
He offered Hunk his hoof, of which the earth elf accepted without question.
“Same here,” Hunk nodded.
“I have to admit. A unicorn forest does sound kind of magical.”
“Oh, you guys will love it!” Izzy said. “It’s all sparkly, and bright, and so pretty. And there are plenty of places to have a romantic date.”
“Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa!” Hitch reeled back. “Slow your roll there; we only just met.”
“Not me, silly!” Izzy blew a raspberry. “You and Sunny. Duh!”
Both Sunny and Hitch jumped from whence they sat.
“WHAT?!”
“Oh come on, it’s so obvious!” Zipp replied cheekily.
“Totally ship it!” Pipp said, with a thumbs up.
“Difficult not to notice,” Allura smirked.
Sunny and Hitch began to stutter nonsensically. Their faces redder than Sprout’s own face.
“Maybe we should all get some sleep,” Hitch suggested.
“Yes! I agree!” Sunny agreed quickly. “Good night!”
Sunny curled up into a ball, already making loud snoring sounds hoping everyone would drop the topic already. Everyone laughed, proceeding to turn in for some well-deserved rest. Keith looked over Sunny for a moment, slowly shook his head with a smile than collapsed to sleep with a warm smile upon his face. Little did he or anyone else realized, but behind their backs Sunny’s eyes were a slight open rolling back a bit toward where Hitch slept. And with no one catching it, a small smile formed on Sunny’s face until at last the little earth pony fell back to sleep and began to dream…