The six friends sat under the former Tree of Harmony, a fire warming their bodies.
Or… almost all of their bodies. Hitch sat off to the side, struggling to light his own fire.
“Come on,” he growled as he rubbed the sticks together. “Stupid stick.”
“Need some backup there, sheriff?” Zipp teased.
“No-no, let him do it himself,” Logan insisted. “He’s got this.” He paused. “Even though I still totally don’t like him. But who cares?! I believe!”
“That’s right,” Hitch growled, before pausing. “Not that it means anything, you know, but… I got it!” He and Logan both ignored the girl’s grinning while Hitch ground the sticks together. “If I just had a match…”
Suddenly, the sticks sparked, and a fire coughed to life. But just as Hitch whooped in victory… the fire fizzled out.
Logan’s fur bristled, and with a snarl, he smacked Hitch’s log pile. His claws sparked on the wood, and the fire flared back to life.
Hitch and Logan cackled in victory… before noticing each other, and turning their backs on each other with mutual, “Hmph!”s.
The girls lost it and laughed at the two males’ antics.
“Logan, just admit it,” Zipp said. “You like him.”
“You don’t know what you’re talking about, Z,” Logan said, turning his back on her with another “HMPH!”
“It’s nothing to be ashamed of,” Sunny noted. “Animals love Hitch for some reason. He’s got a whole squad back home.”
“I’ve got no idea why,” Hitch admitted. “I’m like a magnet to them.” He smirked. “Didn’t know it worked on diamond dogs too.”
“It’s not; I’m non-magnetic!” Logan replied, turning his back on him again.
The group laughed, before Izzy glanced up at the tree. “So, are we just going to ignore what happened back there with the spirit wolf?”
The humor faded from the air. Logan and Hitch glanced at each other before joining the girls.
“No,” Logan admitted. “We were chosen. It’s our destiny to reunite the world.”
“Are you sure?” Hitch noted. “We didn’t ask to do any of this. If we can just go back to Maretime Bay…”
“Come on, Hitch,” Sunny encouraged. “What have we got to lose?”
“By giving magic back to our enemies?” Hitch asked. “Let me think… oh, I know - a lot!”
“Come on,” Sunny encouraged, indicating the others. “Do they look like enemies to you?”
Hitch watched as Logan settled himself next to Zipp like a big dog, while Pipp blinked in awe as Izzy explained sparkles to her. Hitch didn’t want to admit it, but it was hard to see the others as enemies - especially when Zipp started scratching Logan’s ears, and his back legs thumped just like an ordinary dog.
Hitch sighed. “I don’t know. Maybe I should just go back. Maritime Bay needs me.”
Logan blinked at Hitch, biting back a whimper, while Sunny just sighed.
“If that’s what you want,” Sunny replied. “But you should know I’m actually glad you’re here, Hitch. We all are.”
“I’m not,” Logan said. Sunny just grinned at him. “I’m not!”
Zipp smirked as she noticed Logan’s tail flopping about. “Does your tail do that when you lie?”
Logan snapped at his tail, pulling it to his side with a huff and eliciting laughter from the others. Glaring around, Logan let go of his tail and stood.
“Alright, and like that, I’m taking first watch,” he replied, striding off.
“Oh, come on, Logan,” Zipp protested, struggling not to laugh. “You know we were just joking.”
“Get your winks while you can, ponies,” he replied, not looking back. “We leave for Bridlewood at first light.”
Izzy’s laughter died down, and she gazed at the fire mournfully. Sunny tilted her head at her friend’s reaction.
“Izzy?” Sunny asked. “You okay?”
Izzy smiled up at the group. “Being with you guys has been the best thing to ever happen to me. I guess… I don’t want our adventure to end.”
“Who says it’ll end?” Logan replied, returning. “Reuniting pony kind is just the start. After that, we’ll reunite the diamond dogs and the ponies. And after that, we’ll find the dragons and unite them. Then the changelings, then the hippogriffs…” he grinned as Izzy’s smile returned. “There you go, see? We’ve got plenty of adventures ahead.”
Despite his words comforting Izzy, Pipp and Hitch squirmed at the idea of more adventures. Hitch gave Izzy a confused look.
“Why did you come to Maretime Bay?”
“I always wanted to visit,” Izzy admitted. “When I was a filly, I found this pretty lantern. It had a message inside saying I had friends in Maretime Bay.”
Sunny gasped, drawing Izzy’s gaze.
“It… was you?” Izzy asked.
Sunny nodded. “I… made it with my dad. We always promised each other that someday, we would prove that all ponies were meant to be friends. We’ll do our part. Hoof to heart.”
Logan smiled. “Better make that hoof to paw too,” he offered his own paw. “I don’t just think that all ponies can be friends. I believe we can unite the world.” He looked to Hitch. “Imagine that; the ultimate peace. Everybody working together in harmony to make this world a better place.” He nodded. “That’s what the Howlite Howler wanted. And I guess… that’s what I want too.”
Hitch pondered his words, before edging closer to the group as well. “I guess if a diamond dog is willing to do his part, then I should to.” He smiled at Sunny. “What have we got to lose, right?”
Zipp grinned. “That’s the spirit, sheriff,” she said, standing next to Logan. “And don’t think that I’m staying out either.”
Logan grinned and pat Zipp’s back. “Wouldn’t want it any other way, partner,” he replied.
Pipp sighed. “Well… I will admit that it would be kinda fun to see all those different species.”
Hitch paused, but nodded. “You have to admit; a unicorn forest does sound kind of magical.”
#
Bridlewood was not that magical. The ominous forest cast everything in a shade of monotone gray, and everything seemed to be drooping in depression.
“Or not,” Hitch muttered.
Logan glanced at him. “Or not what?”
“Gilligan Cut,” Izzy suggested.
Hitch and Logan blinked, but before they could ask, Izzy darted into the forest without fear.
“Come on!” she said happily. “My house isn’t far from here.”
Exchanging a glance, the males followed the mares as Izzy led them to pretty much the only colorful house in the forest.
“Well, here we are, guys,” Izzy said gleefully. “La villa Izzy.”
She opened the doors, and the others gasped in shock. Compared to the creepy forest from before, Izzy’s house was a vibrant rainbow of colors. Various crafted items and inventions sat around the house, from some sort of painting with eyes that moved to some sort of rolling pin with bottles that played music when spun.
“Did you make all of this?” Zipp asked.
“Yep,” Izzy said gleefully. “Uni-cycling!” Isn’t it funky?”
“It’s gorgeous!” Pipp sang, her wings fluttering with glee.
“Mm,” Logan mumbled, licking at a device with crystals in it. “Tastes delicious.” He almost went for a bite, before Sunny and Hitch warned him off with dual glares. Izzy gasped.
“Oh, wait, watch this! Hold everything!” She pulled out some sort of bud-like device and pushed it over to the others. “I never got to use this with actual friends.”
With a crank of a lever, the bud opened up into a flower, with each petal depositing a cup of tea before the other mares. There was even one for Logan, who promptly started lapping at the tea inside.
“Ta-da!” Izzy sang.
Pipp gasped in glee. “I so wish I had live-streamed that!”
Sunny chuckled at the other’s reaction, before a glance outside reminded her of why they were there.
“Look, as much as I want to stay and see all this, we don’t have time for that right now,” she reluctantly admitted. “If we’re gonna get the information we need on the unicorn crystal, we can’t stick out like sore hooves… or paws,” she added towards Logan, who was still lapping at his cup. “We need to look like unicorns.”
Logan paused, his tongue still in his cup. He glanced over. “Are you sure I can’t burrow us across Bridlewood? We can’t just eavesdrop or look for the crystal that way?”
“Oh, come on, it’s a makeover!” Pipp exclaimed. “I love makeovers.”
“I’m with Logan,” Zipp said. “This is not what I signed up for!”
“Besides that,” Hitch added. “How are you going to disguise Logan?” He indicated the wolf. “He’s literally not a pony at all.”
Logan glared at Hitch, but logic quickly chased away his glare. “He’s got a point,” he noted, glancing up at Izzy. “You think you can make a wolf into a unicorn, Iz?”
Izzy grinned as music started to play. “Honey, you came to the right cottage.”
Logan and Hitch exchanged a glance as Izzy put on a projector, and burst into song.
I thought Earth ponies were the pony ladder's bottom rung
I heard that Pegasi were brutes you'd hate to be among
Izzy darted between Sunny, Logan and Zipp.
"You smell like fishes! You're vicious! I bet you eat your young!"
Meet any one of you, the thing to do is run away
Izzy started to dance, with Sunny and Pipp joining in.
But although I know we're all a bunch of different breeds
Take away our wings and horns, and we're just frightened steeds
So let's put aside our differences, 'cause what we need's a win
Oh-oh-oh
Come on, rip out all the pages of your history books
Just because we're undercover doesn't mean we're crooks
Suddenly, she kicked a chair towards Hitch. Out of instinct, Logan knocked Hitch out of the way, and caught swept up in the chair, getting slotted to a mirror and spun as part of Izzy’s song.
When we walk you through the crowd and give your brand new looks a spin
You're gonna fit right in
Hitch stared as Izzy dabbed powder on Logan’s nose, causing the dog to sneeze. “This is a new low,” Hitch mused.
“You're gonna fit right in,” Izzy responded in song.
“It's never gonna work!” Hitch insisted.
“Says who,” Logan defied, leading to Hitch going into his own song.
They taught us unicorns were super-scary maniacs
With horns like razors and tongues like tasers and teeth like tacks
They take your hooves and then they grind them into midnight snacks
The basic gist of it is unicorns are not okay!
But then Sunny pulled Hitch away, bursting into song as Zipp and Pipp joined her in dance.
Look, I know we're riskin' everything for this endeavor
But look at us, we're brave and strong and weird and clever
We're runnin' out of options and we're desperate to begin
Izzy popped into frame. “You're gonna fit right in!”
Hitch chuckled. “If you say so.” before Logan and Sunny appeared on opposite sides of him.
“You're gonna fit right in,” they sang.
“I know you will,” Izzy agreed. “Now watch and learn.”
This is how a unicorn walks (walks)
She led the group down a staircase, showing them how to walk before they dropped into a talk show host studio.
This is how a unicorn talks (talks)
This is how a unicorn hoops
“Hoops?” Logan asked as they watched her shoot a basketball hoop.
This is how a unicorn—
The others winced as they tried to shoot a hoop as well… only for their balls to fall onto Izzy.
This is how a unicorn struts
Oh, watch us shake our unicorn butts
Now you're in the unicorn know
“Whoa!” Izzy breathed.
“Soon you'll be a unicorn pro!” Izzy declared, before breaking out into rap.
Oh, a unicorn horn makes a unicorn stride
It's the more-head on your forehead, it's the source of your pride
Every unicorn who's born has worn a horn that's unique
So we'll whip them up as we speak, you'll be lookin' très magnifique
And with those rocks in our pockets, we'll reap the reward
And folks'll be floored, we'll strike a new chord
Our magic restored!
Encouraged, the rest of the group sprung into song.
Lately, all Equestria has lost its heart
But if we can help to find it, we should play our part
“If we fail, we'll go to prison,” Hitch pointed out.
“But if not, we'll start to grin,” Sunny insisted, before Izzy jumped in front of her.
So let's begin!” The unicorn sang, before Sunny and Logan jumped to her side.
We're gonna fit right in!
Seconds later, the disguises were ready; Pipp walked out, her wings covered and a horn on her head.
This is how a unicorn walks,”
Zipp came out, equally covered and strutting her stuff.
This is how a unicorn talks
Hitch strutted out with a confident grin, his horn perched perfectly in his mane.
Now you're lookin' unicorn strong
Finally, Logan stepped out between a disguised Sunny and Izzy; his canine snout covered by a rubber muzzle that perfectly resembled a pony snout, his paws in small socks that resembled horse hooves, and a unicorn horn perched perfectly on his forehead.
“This is how a unicorn ends this song!” he, Sunny and Izzy sang together in harmony, before stepping out into Bridlewood.