Chapter IV. Broadened Perspective
Hot. Dry. Brown.
Sunny could think of few other words to describe the scenery. If she could think at all, with her mind slowly matching her own trudge through the heat. All around her she only saw hot, dry, brown sand. Dunes that towered all around her, more modest hills that shifted in the scarce breezes between the giants, broad flatlands ahead and back. All of them made of it. Hot. Dry. Brown. Sand.
She had thought the previous trek had been tough. Six hours of walking, topping themselves up with water, then walking again. Her hooves had whined and her legs wobbled, but it had been bearable. She had counted the time in her head, despite every tick upwards seeming to grow longer and longer. But it had helped. Each long second that had passed was a second less she had had left to reach her destiny, reminding her that the journey was closer and closer to being over.
But now?
She had no way of knowing. According to Zipp, no pegasus had ever ventured more than a day into the desert beyond the oasis. Not after they had founded Zephyr Heights, at least. Almost six hundred years in the past. All they had was a direction from a centuries-dormant dragon, a hope that their compass was true, and a reference of how long it should take for them to cross the desert. A reference in their history books; Queen Zephyrina the First had walked for three days from wherever she had started to The Heart of the Brave.
Three days.
Six hours had been tough on her. Doubly so for Izzy—no, Sunny did not need to check on her, again. And now they had to walk for three whole days in this place, surrounded by sand and hot, stagnant, dry air.
After the cart had been loaded with supplies and covered with white canvas, the guards had offered a set of billowing fabrics to Sunny and her friends, each set containing just two pieces of cloth. A large swath that covered the whole torso up to their necks, loose enough to billow out around their legs, and one more to cover the head. This on top of the third one to cover their muzzles from errant sand. Despite the counterintuitive nature of bundling up in clothing in a hot environment, it had taken Sunny only a few minutes to feel just how much protection these fabrics provided against the unforgiving sun. A short, but welcome chill against her middle reminded her of their ability to make a rare breeze of even such stale air seem fresh.
Even their hooves had been wrapped in cloth, making it so much more bearable to step on the burning sand. The trek to the oasis had been just about manageable for her poor frogs, but now… she could actually maintain her pressures! Even if every step felt somehow heavier, despite that odd core slowly fading from her hooves… Shouldn’t that have made them easier?.
No longer did they need their individual parasols, such was the wonder of their new gear. And with all their supplies in the cart, they didn’t have to endure the way the waxy canvas saddles chafed and ached and brought forth buckets of sweat. Always a positive. The only downside of having their cart carry their supplies was that they had to pull said cart.
Go figure.
A game of grass lengths decided the order for pulling the cart. Except for one—Izzy giggled it off, at first, but even she had to admit she couldn’t pull when she was still so ‘pooped’. Zipp and Hitch were first, then it would be Pipp and Sunny’s turn. Izzy would have to share with Zipp, then Hitch and Pipp, and then Sunny and Izzy. Then they would simply repeat this order all the way to the other end of the continent.
Sunny let out a faint wheeze, catching the sun in her periphery, still high and strong above them. She was starting to regret wanting to set off so soon.
After their first break, which ironically seemed to come and end too soon, Sunny felt the warm, padded saddle on her back and chest. She kept her muzzle even, but felt her skin ripple at the way—even in the desert—she could feel its grimy, briny clamminess nestle into her fur. Pipp stepped beside her, putting her phone inside the wraps of her fabrics, and looked at her with a resigned smile and a shrug. Sunny caught herself. Pipp—icon of glamour herself, that she was—would be along with her. They nodded and started pulling. There was no complaining, not aloud, as it would only lead to spending extra time in the desert.
Sunny raked her drying tongue around her mouth, sucking the remnants. She was not looking forward to doing the same route upon their return.
Minutes passed, and Sunny simply stared ahead. She tried counting the dunes they passed, or the few clouds she could spot, even the small strange critters that would scurry and hide the moment they were spotted. She tried to keep her mind occupied so she wouldn’t have to think of how her legs ached and her hooves throbbed, or how the saddle rubbed and jostled her chest in every wrong way, or how her flanks were so sweaty she could feel a torrent of drips running down her legs, somehow making everything more chafey and achy and worse.
She had been so focused on thinking that she barely heard Pipp’s voice, as though she were under the sands themselves. She blinked and turned her head to look at her friend. “Sorry, did you say something?”
Pipp smiled reassuringly. “I said, do you think there are other pony cities out there?”
Sunny looked forward, towards the horizon and the endless sand, as if she hoped one might just appear before them. “I don’t see why not.” She looked back at Pipp, finding the energy to smile. “Equestria is supposed to be huge!” she cried, the saddle holding her bounce. “Just because we didn’t see or hear of ponies from other cities it doesn’t mean they don’t exist.”
Humming, Pipp looked forward. Her eyes seemed to drift away from Sunny, though. “Do you think they live separated, like us?” Sunny raised an eyebrow. “I was thinking, then I got to reading historical records…” Pipp flicked her head back to face Sunny, eyes just a little brighter than before. “Pegasi and Unicorns hated each other because of wars, and we both looked down upon Earth Ponies because of their lack of magic…” She chuffed. “Prior to its disappearance, of course…” She cocked her head and pressed her lips. “But, what if that’s not the case in other cities?”
Sunny nodded. “We might find segregated cities, or we might find multi-tribal ones.” She paused. Obviously, it had crossed her mind. Other segregated cities and towns, other histories separate even from their closed neighbours, other prejudices beyond those even their own three towns had clung to. Tales of urbane unicorns lording their power over all? Or of bumpkin earth ponies too proud to wallow in their own toil to look beyond their muzzle? Old bedtime stories of hotshot pegasi drifting the world without a care for those below? Who knew what they would find. Who knew what they would find? “I guess we’ll have to be careful when approaching them.”
“I agree,” Pipp said, cheeks perking. She ruffled her wings, caught within her saddle, which only made her fabrics move in a wave-like fashion. “Even without the guards, if we simply march into a city, we could cause a commotion.”
“Yeah…” Sunny dipped her muzzle as she mulled. The only reason Maretime Bay, Zephyr Heights, and Bridlewood were open to peace talks and had established a free travel agreement was because they had seen what unity could do first hoof. But what about the rest of Equestria? Even if they had felt the effects of magic returning, they hadn’t seen it. They hadn't been there.
Who knew what they might attribute the return of magic to…
A sigh spilled from her. She cursed the loss of valuable moisture. She’d gone on this adventure precisely because she didn’t want to hide or don disguises anymore, but she supposed there was no other way. At least for now. Once their quest had been completed, then there would be time for uniting Equestria.
Hours passed, and the sun made its way across the horizon, taunting them with its seemingly ever-decreasing speed, before finally, reluctantly, hiding behind the dunes. With the last of its rays still illuminating the path but threatening to disappear soon, Zipp called a stop to their march, which Sunny was very happy to hear. Clearly not as much as Izzy, though, who let out the most exhausted whoop of mirth Sunny had ever heard.
“Let’s set up camp before night falls,” Zipp called over her shoulder as she popped open the trunk of the cart, pulling out a bunch of bundled blankets. “Pipp, can you get the fire started?”
“On it,” Pipp replied, screwing her heard in a nod, before untying one of the three large bags. Soon enough one of the three smaller ones plopped from its ropes on the left side of the cart onto the sand below. As Hitch helped Izzy stagger gingerly from under the pulling saddle, Sunny approached Pipp.
“What’s that?” She asked.
Pipp carried the bags about three hoofs from the cart. She opened the larger one to reveal a bunch of thin, noodle-like twigs, bedecked in harsh thorns. “It’s tumbleweed,” she replied as she tugged the smaller bag closer. “And stones,” she muttered around the string.
“Oh,” Sunny said, turning so that no one might notice her burning cheeks. For some reason, she had thought they’d gather wood for the fire like they had done all those… days ago. But of course, that had been a stupid thought. She had barely seen sporadic patches of grass browned to the husk since they had left The Heart of the Brave. Instead of admitting that out loud, though, she helped Pipp shepherd the stones into a circle.
Zipp came as one of the final stones nestled into place, blankets layered over her back. She laid one down, and Izzy immediately claimed ownership by letting herself fall on it, pitching with eyes softly closed and almost clattering Zipp’s hooves as she spread out across the fabric. The unicorn sighed heavily, rolling onto her back and stretching her legs upward, her muzzle unsure whether to beam or twist into a grimace. Zipp shook her head, rolled her eyes, and continued laying down the blankets around the campfire. All without losing her smile.
“Are you sure desert nights are that cold?” Hitch asked as he stepped next to Sunny. She could hear the strain in his voice, his eyes gently twitching. Whenever he thought no pony was looking, she had watched him let Izzy slow to her own pace during their turn, taking the full weight of the car by himself. He never spotted her–he was too busy making sure the unicorn stayed on her hooves. Sunny couldn’t help but smile. He had always liked helping others, but, for some strange reason, he liked it a lot more when few to no ponies knew it had been him to fix the broken knob, or paint the washed out fence, or emptied all the trash bins around the town. Maybe he thought it was more… noble, that way?
“Yes, I’m sure,” Zipp replied, setting down on the last blanket, eyes startlingly bright. “There’s no humidity in the air to retain warmth. No walls to stop the wind. No floor to isolate the sand, and that on its own is deceptively cold.” She cocked her head to the right, and Sunny heard a few pops coming from her neck. “Take an extra blanket if you need it.” She flicked her tail towards her sister. “Don’t be like Pipp and sleep with one just to be stubborn.”
“Stop it!” Pipp said with a stomp on the sand. “That was one time!” Zipp only smirked at her sister.
Sunny almost flicked one of the stones clear of the circle. “What?!” She rounded her wide eyes up at Pipp. “You slept in the desert?” The flames licking her from Pipp’s glare proved surprisingly chilling. She let out a sheepish smile. “Sorry, it’s just… you’re a princess. Why would you be out here?”
Pipp huffed and plopped heavily next to Sunny. She started pouring the tumbleweed in the middle of the circle. “Basic army training has a module of survival in the desert.” She split a larger strand, venom in her hooves despite the tongue between her teeth. ”Three days and two nights.”
Hitch raised an eyebrow at the stubby, fluffy pegasus. “You’re a guard?”
That got a chuckle out of Zipp. “Definitely not.” She sat next to Izzy and idly scratched her leg. “But by law, everypony of age is required to go through Basic Survival Training, including nobility and royals. Helps make sure we have a connection with the citizens, or at least look like it.” She flicked out a wing, eyeing it beadily in the fading light. “It’s one of the laws drafted by Queen Mistralia, so, in case of another defeat, we raised our chances of survival when crossing the desert again.” The other wing popped out. “Or at least make sure we weren’t completely relying on luck.”
Pipp snapped her hooves, creating sparks that shot into the tumbleweed, igniting it instantly. She flapped her wings once, and the flames grew, creating a nice, warm, roaring fire. She smirked at Hitch. “Where else do you think we learned how to do this?”
Hitch sat down, head tilting. “Huh.” He studied the winged pair for a few seconds. “And to think, we just have a basic policing force in Maretime Bay. If Sprout had really gone and attacked Zephyr Heights, I’m pretty sure we would’ve lost fairly easily.”
Sunny shuddered at that. She didn’t like thinking about what could have happened if, magic crystals or not, the three cities hadn’t decided to at least try to put their differences aside. If the lighthouse had wobbled that little further and one of them fell… If that wheel had been any further to her right…
Zipp hummed, lips pursing. “I don’t know. That giant robot, operated by a competent pony… Would’ve caused a lot of damage before we could take it down.”
“Especially if it was a surprise attack,” Pipp added. “Destroy the bridges, create some chaos, and you’ve got yourself an even fight.”
Hitch blinked. “I… How can you talk so easily about something like this? I mean… we are assuming he could find a way around those canyons, but there would have to be one if you founded the city straight from the desert!” He shook his head, snorting lightly. “We were lucky we managed to stop Sprout from even leaving Maretime Bay…”
“Oh, relax, dude,” Zipp said, smile prouder than ever. “We all saw what unity can do for everypony. Even if there are still some who don’t like it much, I doubt anypony will actively try to sabotage us.” Sunny found the words fading in her throat. Thankfully. Maybe she had been overthinking under the strain earlier… She found herself pulled back by the rush of Zipp’s wings. “At least, no pegasus would risk giving away their new found flight over petty prejudices.” She turned to look at Izzy, eyes bright. “How about the unicorns? Do you think they’d—”
But Izzy was already fast asleep, her chest gently rising and lowering, her tail wrapped around her legs. Hooves twitching merrily. Sunny giggled and stood up, walking up to the back of the cart and bringing the rest of the blankets. She first covered Izzy, then gave one to each of her friends. Two more blankets were left when she grabbed her own. She hoped the desert wouldn’t be so cold that they’d end up fighting over the blankets.
They agreed to follow Izzy’s example and grab some shut-eye. They still had who-knew how long until they stopped seeing sand, and being restless was not going to make it any easier. Besides… Zipp talked like she’d been studying magic as long as she had. She knew what she was talking about, and she had to have some understanding of how to lead. At least… her mother should have taught her something. Sunny pulled her eyes from white to soft purple as they fell closed. Surely things would be looking up in the morning.
~~~~~~~~
Sunny stared at the sky.
Not directly at the sun—that would be madness, and she hadn’t succumbed to madness, despite what had routinely been jeered at her—but at the clear, somehow cool openness that lay beyond the next dune. At the fluffy, granulated white clouds. Those were an oddity. Clouds in the desert, she had come to realize, were thin. Not thin like twigs or spirals, as they could cover the entirety of the observable sky, but they were thin. Like a summer fabric, as though designed to catch the lightest of breezes, and smooth, too. With how thin they were, they usually blended with the blue and could be hard to spot.
The clouds she could see at the moment were like wool. Puffy and thick and so white they seemed to shine with the sun. She almost had to squint, but, looking at those clouds, Sunny felt a strange sense of wellness. Despite her aching legs, her knobby knees, her incredibly clammy coat, and her blurry, unfocused vision, she felt… well. Not good, because even she could tell that stopping her march would mean collapsing into the sand, but well. Just… well. Almost like a sense of… home.
“I see something!” Zipp cried. She had been pulling the cart with Sunny, and her sudden outburst lurched the whole assembly around them, sending the canteens wobbling and some falling, though mercifully none out of the cart.
Sunny narrowed her eyes and scanned the horizon. Sore lids strained to quint, but found nothing rising from the sea of gold besides the usual rocky lumps. “Another pony shaped cactus?” That would be wild. The last three had certainly resembled something similar to an equine shape. Almost like something was messing with them.
Zipp stepped forward excitedly, and this time she managed to pull Sunny along. Sunny squeaked as the awful canvas chafed her middle. Zipp didn’t mean it. She didn’t mean it. “No, no… I think they’re houses.”
“Shut up!” Pipp said as she quickly stepped beside her sister. Hoof to her brow, she scanned the horizon, and a second later her eyes widened. “It’s true!” She laughed. “We made it! We crossed the desert!”
Sunny looked at the two pegasi, then back at the horizon. She narrowed her eyes again, frowned, focused, and even tried to use her imagination. But all she could see was dry rocks and dry plants and dry sand. “I don’t see anything,” she murmured.
“What?” Zipp asked, still beaming. “How can you not? They’re right there!” She pointed with her hoof, jittering slightly above the next dune. Despite everything, Sunny still could not see the end of the desert.
“Are you sure?” Hitch asked, suddenly besides Sunny. She suppressed the yelp well, she thought. He loomed blearily in the direction of the white hoof. “I don’t see anything either.”
Pipp cocked her head, then back, where Izzy was hidden from Sunny’s view by the cart. “What about you Izzy? Surely you see the buildings?”
Izzy’s voice came crooked and dry. “Nope.” She blinked out of synch. She probably couldn’t see beyond her own muzzle.
The pegasi sisters looked at each other with worried expressions. “Are you sure you don’t see anything. This isn’t just some joke?” Zipp asked, smile finally lowering. Sunny shook her head, and saw Hitch do the same. Zipp pursed her lips for a moment. “Guess Pegasi are built for recon.” She flicked her head towards the horizon, grin firmly back in place. “Let’s get close enough for you guys to see them, then we’ll celebrate.”
Sunny shrugged. Mentally, since her shoulders were busy keeping her legs moving and the cart attached to her. It wasn’t like looking at the supposed buildings would get them any closer. So she just kept walking and looking at the clouds slowly thickening ahead of them.
It was half an hour before Izzy, bouncing for the first time in hours, cheered the buildings coming into view, and sure enough, Sunny could see the shape of rooftops. Her heart leaped, and only then did she notice that the sand was slowly but surely becoming dirt and solid rock. The air was still dry, but no longer did it feel like such a weight on her, and ever greener and taller grasses grew all around. Small bushes also appeared here and there as they pressed on, decorating the otherwise desolated land.
Zipp directed the cart towards a tall rock that jutted out from the ground like a broken plank. The city or village or whatever it was could easily be seen, with a few roads spidering out from the main cluster, but it was still so far away that they couldn’t see anything moving. That was good, since that would also prevent whatever ponies lay over yonder from spotting Sunny’s friends. Sunny caught herself. Not that she didn’t want to meet those ponies, but she was flatly exhausted, and the last thing she needed at that moment was to be chased in case things turned awry. Not again.
Lifting the pulling saddle, Sunny stepped towards the rock and sat on her searing haunches. Her hooves were so sore they were throbbing within their keratin, even with the return of that strange, soothing feeling. Maybe she needed a little more of that feeling. Breath rattled out her nose. To think that they still had a whole unexplored continent to go… It was a little daunting.
Pipp and Hitch placed rocks around the wheels of the cart and joined Zipp, who had brought a pair of binoculars from the front compartment. She was peering at the buildings in the distance while hiding as much as she could behind the rock. Sunny smirked. After that comment on Pegasi recon earlier…
“Stone houses,” Zipp said, mane bobbing as she angled the binoculars this way and that. “Probably cobblestone roads… There aren’t that many individual buildings…” She lifted her lenses a bit. “There are some houses apart from the rest… I can see mountains on the other side of the village. They're most likely what Spike was referring to.”
Sunny saw Izzy out of the corner of her eyes and turned to look at her. The taller mare was walking on her toes, as if that would somehow make her hooves click less on the stone.
"You okay there, Izzy?" Sunny asked.
Izzy yelped and straightened up, then turned around so quickly that her mane slapped her on the snout. Izzy blew some strands away and used her hoof to clear the rest.
"Yeah!" she replied with a sheepish smile. "I need to use the little filly's… rock. I'll be over there!" She pointed towards a rock three hooves tall and four wide that rested a ways from the cart.
Sunny nodded, and Izzy galloped away.
To her right, Zipp lowered the binoculars, frowning. "I only see Earth Ponies wandering about." She hoofed the binoculars to Pipp, who immediately used them to scan the village while she reached into the cart. "We'll most likely have to disguise ourselves, at least until we can determine how safe we’d be out in the open."
"Sunny and I can go," Hitch said, stepping next to Pipp and narrowing his eyes in an attempt to look as far as the binoculars. "We can trade some of our fruit and talk with the locals. If the worst comes to worst, we'll have to have Izzy hide in the cart."
Sunny nodded. Pipp and Zipp could very easily hide their wings under normal clothing, as Zipp had already demonstrated with a shawl around her barrel, but Izzy's horn was a different issue. Its length and angle made it very difficult to hide without drawing even more attention to it. She sighed. She didn't really like that they had to take these measures, but she'd already been imprisoned once, and that was one too many times for her. She was sure Izzy would understand.
Pipp lowered the binoculars and sighed, taking a thick cloth from her sister. "Will we have to do this same thing in every town we visit?"
Zipp opened her mouth to reply.
"Well, what d’ we have here?" said a voice coming from the side. Sunny turned her head so fast she heard a pop in her neck. A few hooves from the cart was a mare of soft pink fur, looking at the group. Her purple mane was tightly tied into a braid, with one or two strands of gray hair waving through. Her green eyes slowly passed from one pony to the next, observing them, while her soft smile didn't let Sunny know what her opinion was.
While Sunny was still trying to stop feeling like she had been caught with her hoof in the cookie jar, Zipp immediately jumped to action, rising to her hooves and stepping to the stranger.
"Hello!" she said. "We're just passing through. We're explorers, you see. We just want to know what's beyond our cities."
Sunny looked at Zipp with wide eyes. That was rather convincing and very smart. With an excuse like that, it should be easier to cross Equestria. Or at least thing of others just as quickly!
The mare looked at the cart, then behind and to the desert that was now barely a golden band on the horizon. Her smile didn't falter as she looked back at Zipp. "You've come from the south? From the desert?" Her voice was a little raspy, and Sunny thought it made her sound older than she looked.
Zipp nodded slowly. "Right the way across it, as a matter of fact! We didn't think we'd find a city so soon after leaving the desert. On the other side, it’s a little while until you pass through settlements.” Zipp glanced at Sunny with a firm nod. “The last one we came through was for pegasi only, it seemed."
The mare hummed, though it seemed somewhat strained, her lips pursing strangely.
Sunny had been about to mentally congratulate Zipp for her attempt to test the waters—or would that be winds as she was referring to Zephyr Heights—but she could sense the uncertainty in those narrowing eyes. But… that didn’t seem like a hostile noise from the mare. Maybe… "Is something the matter, ma’am?"
The older mare shook her head, her mouth softening into a tender smile. “Nothing, dearie, s’just that ponies ‘round here don’ really take too kindly t’ speakin’ of…” She blinked, glancing away from them for a moment. “Other kinds o’ ponies.”
“Oh…” Sunny fought her shoulders to stay firm. Not harsh, but not… giving herself away. Maybe they had some work to do here.
The older mare chuckled. “Mighty lucky you ponies bumped int’ me, then!”
Sunny shared a glance with Zipp, spotting the glint in the white mare’s eyes. The hint of a smile. There was an edge to that chuckle that sounded almost… disappointed. Chest filling, she turned back to the older mare. “Why?” she flicked her ear, her smile daring to widen. “How do you feel about…” She lowered her voice to a conspiratorial whisper. “Other ponies.”
Green eyes widened. “Well…”
Zipp chuckled, nudging Sunny with her shoulder. “Not that we’re trying to interrogate, ma’am!”
Fading emeralds glistened with a sudden sparkle, if only for a moment, as the mare tittered. “Let’s just say I know a li’l better ‘bout ’em than others ‘round ‘ere’!”
Sunny couldn’t hold back her beam. There were others. There were others! Maybe it was a hoofhold, or maybe there were many, but it didn’t matter. She wanted to thunder her hooves, but settled for a quiet gasp. There were other ponies who believed they could get along! Now if they could—
“Oh, Thank Hoofness!”
All three turned to Sunny’s left, eyes falling square on the reams of downy, pearly fluff fanning out from Pipp’s sides, rising above the pink mare’s panting chest.
"That's not something you see every day," the mare said, and Sunny could hear her smirk.
“What!” Zipp spluttered, picking her muzzle off the floor to march right in front of her sister and square it at the smaller mare. She craned her neck, staring down from her considerable height. “What are you thinking?!”
Pipp’s pearly beam contracted to a warm smile. “What?” She nosed towards the older mare. “My girls have been cooped up under that saddle for hours these past few days and needed some air!” She shimmied her barrel, mane and wings swaying in the breeze.
Jets—almost flames—burst from Zipp’s nose. “We were in disguise.”
Pipp raised a brow. “Zipp, please.” She rolled her eyes. “There’s nopony else around, and she clearly hasn’t got a problem with other breeds of pony.”
“All she said was that she knew them better,” grunted Zipp, eyes still trying to bore into the ground below her sister.
“And what else would that have meant?”
“I mean, she’s got a point there, Zipp,” said Hitch, eyes focussed on the older mare still smirking at them all. Not catching the stunned blink Zipp thrust at him. “Although there are other ways to interpret that,” he added, shrugging
“Well, she has listened to you two pegasi bickering without a peep, so I doubt she has any problem with you!” countered Sunny, smirking. For a moment. This mare was familiar with pegasi. Meaning her first experience with an actual pegasus might just have been that argument. Turning back to the mare, she flashed her teeth in an uneasy smile. “Unless I’ve totally misread that?”
The mare's smirk grew as she lifted a hoof towards Sunny. "Bella Moonshine.” In the corner of her eye, Sunny spotted Zipp turning stiffly to face the mare, cheeks suitably blooming pink. The smirk only grew. “Pleasure to make your acquaintance."
Sunny took the hoof with hers and shook it. And let out a massive internal sigh. Crisis averted. "Sunny Starscout," she said. "These are my friends—"
"Phew! I really needed that!"
All eyes turned to the fizzy voice and giddy beam of Izzy as she trotted back to the group, eyes softly closed. After a few bounces they opened and she stopped with a light twang, eyes wide and sparkling right at Bella. Somehow, she seemed to shine as her smile grew. "Hi, new friend!” she cried, her mane shimmering with every wide, wild wave of her hoof.
Sunny looked at Bella. The older mare had lost her smirk at the sight of Izzy. Instead, her head titled at a gentle angle, blinking owlishly as the unicorn resumed her bouncy gait. Zipp briefly looked between Izzy and Bella. Cheeks fading, she stepped closer. “Don’t mind her, ma’am,” Zipp muttered, chuckling softly. “She’s like that with everypony.” Bella’s head twitched for a moment, before turning slowly to face the pegasus, whose shoulders strained under the weight of that smirk, wider than ever. “Um… I’m sorry for how I acted back there, ma’am.”
Bella nodded, softly. “No ’ffense taken, dearie.” Her expression barely wavered. “Though I’d ’o thought ’n explorer’d be a li’l more clued in on meetin’ other ponies.”
Zipp stepped back as the pink mare moved away from the group. She stayed on her hooves—Hitch helping with his shoulder pressed to her own—but her muzzle sagged towards the ground, staring listlessly at the dirt. Sunny frowned, glancing to make sure Bella was facing away from them, as Pipp laid a wing on her back. Zipp had made a scene, but… it had been from a good place. She’d been looking out for them all.
“Hey,” she whispered, touching a hoof to the pegasus’. They locked eyes. “No harm done. We’ll do better next time.” Zipp sighed, but eventually let out a smile.
"I'm sorry, dearie,” said Bella as Izzy finally reached them, her grin having grown sparklier with every bound. “I shouldn’t‘ve stared at you.” She had the decency to blush. “You… just reminded me of a pony I knew." She smiled and looked back at Sunny. "If you’re not in a hurry, you an’ your friends c’n stay the’night a’ my place. The Elements know I could use the help 'round the old chicanery."
Sunny turned around to look at the group. "What do you guys say?"
Pipp huffed, but her smile was wide and eyes bright. "A real bed? A bath? Count me in."
In silent agreement, the group moved to follow Bella. Pipp and Hitch used their turn to pull the cart this time, while Izzy happily fell into step next to Zipp. Sunny smiled. It was almost like the unicorn knew when somepony needed perking up—and that she would always be best to do it!
"Are we sure this is a good idea?" Hitch asked in a hushed tone, confident that Bella, who walked a few hooves in front of them, wouldn't listen. "We don't know her. Zipp wasn’t exactly wrong when all she said was that she knew other ponies better.” He flicked his eyes briefly to the older mare. “That could mean she’s not had the best experience with them, if you see what I mean?"
"She didn't chase us away or raise any alarm," Pipp replied, lightly. "I think we can at least spend the night." She raised a brow at him. “And my sister’s not listening at the moment, Sheriff.”
Sunny nodded. "Besides, we can't just be super distrustful with every pony we meet. If we're going to show that unity is the way, we have to do our part."
"Hooves to hearts!" Izzy burst excitedly, even from in front of them
Hitch sighed, but smiled nonetheless. "You're right." He snorted, and it tweaked into a smirk. “We’ve been incredibly lucky that she was the first pony who trotted into us, but… yeah…” He nodded at Sunny. “You’re right.”
They followed Bella through the rocky ground. Sunny had thought they'd venture into the village proper, but Bella guided them around the outskirts. Trees grew copiously, but not close enough to make a forest. Although grass grew more thickly and prominently in patches, each of them welcome relief to her hooves, the ground was still mostly smooth stone, shaped by generations of ponies wearing it away.
About half an hour later, they reached a small stone house surrounded by rocks and trees. A wooden coop rested a few hooves away, and a very old, near-decrepit cart stooped over its wheels in the center of the terrain. Bindweeds hugged the walls and bloomed beautiful purple flowers. To the side of the house, a rather large wave of daisies stood at attention, shimmering their white petals under the sun.
Hitch and Pipp left the cart beside Bella's, careful not to brush it, and the group followed her inside the house.
Cozy was the first word to enter Sunny's mind as she stepped inside. The walls were painted soft beige, though much of it was hidden behind a swathe of landscape paintings hanging all around. Tables and shelves made of dark wood covered much of the remaining walls, clayered with colorful fabrics that all had something to show: little stone sculptures, pots bursting with flowers, and the occasional quartz.
"Make yourselves at home," said Bella as Hitch closed the door behind him. "I'm makin' tea."
"I'll help you," Hitch offered, trotting up to catch up to Bella.
The mare giggled. "Well, aren't you the gentlecolt!" She guided Hitch to what Sunny assumed to be the kitchen.
Izzy happily walked up to one of the two densely cushioned sofas and sat down, letting out a squeaky sigh of exhaustion. "This place is niiice!"
"Nice or not, we should still be careful," Zipp said, sitting down next to Izzy. She, too, let her body relax against the sofa, and Sunny spotted a faint smile on her face. Even if her eyes shot wide. “Not suspicious, but… even if Bella’s a nice pony, we don’t know anypony else out here.” Sunny hummed.
Pipp tapped uselessly at her phone. The battery had died at some point during their first morning in the desert. Ever since she would take it from under her wing, stare at it as if expecting it to magically function, then put it back, wings droopy all the same. She sighed and put her phone down. "I'll be careful and call dibs on the first turn with the bath, then!" She sat down next to Zipp and sighed again. "Oh, comfort, how I missed thee."
Sunny giggled and sat down at the other sofa.
After a couple of minutes, Hitch emerged from the kitchen with a tray of cups and a steaming teacup. Bella walked behind him, already holding a cup with a hoof. Hitch set down the tray on the dark coffee table, in about the only open space in the whole room, and started pouring the tea. Sunny didn't recognize the smell, but it was sweet and it tickled her nose. Vaguely… minty, if she had to guess.
"So, I know yer name," Bella said, looking at Sunny. She then turned to Hitch. "An’ you, handsome stallion, are Hitch." He nodded as he filled a second cup, eyes studiously away from hers. "So, c’n I know th’ rest o’ yer names?" She turned to Zipp, muzzle raised in an amused smirk. “I think I heard that you, young rabble-rouser, are Zipp.”
Zipp smiled broadly as she could. "Sure!” Gathering herself, she let out a chuckle. “I'm Zipp Storm."
"Izzy Moonbow," Izzy said, stretching the 'moon' part of her name. Sunny really liked how… dreamy it sounded.
"And I'm Pipp—" She was interrupted by the crash of a cup shattering on the floor. She, and everypony else too, turned to look at a stunned Bella. Their host could only look at the broken cup and spilled liquid with vacant eyes, lids fluttering. Like she couldn't understand why the cup had decided to fall in the first place. "... Petals."
Bella blinked a couple of times, then her face turned red, and she smiled nervously. "Oh, I'm so sorry. These ol’ hooves o' mine don' work like they used ’o. Lemme clean this… up…"
She watched with widened eyes and heaving chest how each piece of the cup was embraced by a beautiful pink aura and levitated to the tray. Sunny saw pure and raw wonder in Bella's sparkling eyes.
"Dearie, that is…" She looked at Izzy. "That's… The most amazin’ thing I've seen…"
Izzy grinned. Sunny was sure something squeaked again. “Thanks!. Um…” Izzy gently prodded the floor. ”I can only pick up solid things, though…"
"That's…" Bella frowned at the floor, where her tea was spreading. "That's ok. I'll go fer a mop."
"Allow me," Hitch said, jumping to his hooves and rushing to the kitchen. "It's the least we can do to repay your hospitality!"
Bella stuttered for a bit, giggling. "Well, then. I'll accept yer ‘elp." She trotted next to Sunny and sat down. Sunny offered her her cup, and Bella accepted it. "So, what’s a group s’ diverse s’ yers trav’llin' Equestria fer?"
Sunny looked at Zipp, trying to find some kind of advice in her eyes, but whatever was there was shrouded in doubt. Sunny thought about it for a moment. Zipp had not entirely lied when she had said they were explorers. Sunny knew they needed to be careful, but she also didn't really want to base their journey with lies. Especially not with the first pony who had been open to others before her group had met them.
So she took a deep breath and looked at Bella. "We… We're trying to restore Equestria's magic," she said, and through the corner of her eye saw Zipp vigorously, but silently, shake her head. Sunny frowned and continued, focussing back on Bella. "We already started it by uniting the three pony races of our cities.” She allowed herself a smile—soft, but wide. “We now want to bring this unity, and magic, to the rest of Equestria. Where it isn’t already, at least."
Bella looked at her with her mouth slightly ajar. She eyed Pipp, then Izzy, then back at Hitch, who had reappeared with a mop in his teeth. She focused again on Sunny, her brow trembling, unable to decide how it would settle.
"So…" she began, then licked her lips. "You're saying you united the three pony races, and that brought back magic?"
"Pretty much!" Izzy chirruped with a raised hoof. "The Unity Crystals glowed and created a beautiful rainbow that spread right the whole way across the sky!"
Bella's brows lifted, her mouth no less vacant. "You caused th’ Rainboom?"
Sunny felt her heart leap. The way she had asked the question seemed a little… skittish. Had it caused similar problems here as it had back in Zephyr Heights?
"Rainboom?" Pipp asked.
Bella blinked a couple of times. "Tha’… giant rainbow thing… It…" She looked behind her as Hitch intently dragged the mop through the spillage. “You’re such a sweetie, Hitch. Kindness be with you.” She chuckled, then looked at Sunny. "My flowers!" She laughed some more. "This year, th’ weather's been unforgivin’, y’see. Much too dry fer far too long.” Fading pink swayed as she shook her head. “I thought my daisies wouldn't bloom ’t‘all! I was worried, ‘cause that's half m’ yearly income!" She smiled, and that finally helped Sunny relax. "Then th’ Rainboom came, and all of 'em bloomed th’ next day!
"And Maester Blackhoof, our local blacksmith, he had broken ’is leg two month ago. Maestress Tender Coat, our medic, she did what sh’could, but Maester Blackhoof ain’t no spring chicken no more, not since twenty winters past.” Again, her head softly shook, her eyes shimmering. “We all knew he would afta’ retire and leave th’ smith’ry to young Ironheart, and th’ little colt’s ‘alf th’ weight o’ the ‘ammer. We were mighty worried, y’see. But then th’Rainboom came, and Maester Blackhoof started feelin' better tha’ day!” She beamed, rocking softly in her chair. “Maestress Tender Coat checked on 'im, an’ said he'd ‘ave a full ‘covery ‘n a month or two!"
Sunny blinked, mind churning. Bella had talked so excitedly, she had slurred some words and it was a bit difficult to understand her. But, from what Sunny had gathered, the rainbow of magic, the Rainboom, had done more help than harm in this village. Sunny felt she could breathe easier.
"Well," Zipp said after a moment. "We're, uh, glad, that we helped."
Hitch placed the mop against the wall and went to sit down next to Sunny.
Bella beamed, then looked at Izzy for a moment before setting her eyes back on Sunny. Her smile vanished. "Unfortunately, might not be wise t’ be repeatin' these words 'round Pieville proper.” She shook her head, but her eyes rested kindly on the smaller mare. “Some folk ‘ere won't take kindly on pegasi and unicorns takin' credit for the Element's blessing."
Pipp leaned over. "They won't believe us?"
Bella shook her head. "No."
Pipp sat up straighter, her voice staying light. "But you do?"
Bella smiled, but it was small and soft, and her eyes became a bit unfocused. "I'm inclined to believe, yes."
"Can I ask why?" Pipp continued.
With the eyes of a pony staring into the abyss, Bella leaned back on the couch and observed her fresh teacup, only able to breathe deeply for a good five seconds. "Many, many moons ago, there was a young filly who accomp’nied her da’ to the city, so’s to sell their mine's marble.” She rose her head, voice steadier and clearer than ever. “Finest stone ‘n all Pieville. In that big city, both Earth Ponies and Unicorns live together, claimin’ they had solved their differences. But Pieville folk don't rightly trust the lot of 'em. But this filly and her da’ always went there to sell their marble.
"There, she met a young colt by the name o’ Stone Will. He was this very tall, charmin’ Unicorn, so when the filly left the cart to court 'im, her da’ became furious.” Bella smirked. “‘E tried forbiddin' 'is daughter from seein' Stone Will, and when she disobeyed, he forbade 'er from coming with 'im to sell the marble! Yet she always found the way to go and see 'er lover.”
"Stone Will,” she continued, voice slipping as she fell further into what Sunny could tell was deep history to her, “like 'is namesake, spent every minute 'er da’ was in the city to convince 'im that he would make 'is daughter happy. He insisted for years. Then, one day, her da’ gave big Stone Will a task.” She tilted her head, eyes burning bright into Sunny. “If he could come back to Pieville and work the mine like any Earth Pony and earn 'is livin' for a year, then he would accept 'im as his daughter's groom. So Stone Will let 'is mane grow so much he could use it to hide his horn, even if he looked good an’ silly with a giant hive for a mane, and then came to Pieville. He worked the mine and was the best miner any pony had seen in a generation.” She sighed, settled deeper into the plush, allowing herself a sip. “The filly's da had no other choice but to accept 'im."
Izzy was staring at Bella with so much attention she was about to fall from the couch, such was the overhang of her radiant beam. "Is the filly in the story you?"
Bella smirked. "No, dearie. She's my ma’." She nodded to herself. "That's why I've always known the things they say 'bout Unicorns are nothing but lies."
Sunny nodded excitedly. "Yeah! We used to be separated, but we," she signaled to her friends with her hoof, "managed to convince everypony back home that unity was the way." She explained what had happened, feeling a weight lift from her shoulders with every word. Bella looked at her with rapt attention, nodding from time to time. It was the first time, she realized, that another Earth Pony was listening, truly listening, without itching to question or correct, to her and her dad’s beliefs.
It was… liberating, somehow.
“So,” she explained, “we need to get to the Frozen North. But first we were told to stop by Ponyville for a map of some kind.” She shimmied her head side to side. “We have very… general directions, and we’re not sure if they’re still useful, so we’d appreciate it if you could point us in the right direction.”
Bella hummed, tapping her chin with a hoof, as Sunny hoped the ‘still’ might not be questioned. Or did. Did these ponies need to know a dragon was still around? “I can’t say I’ve ever heard o’ this Ponyville place. But there’re many things none of us know. Why, ponies in ‘ere Pieville have rumors of a city in the forest past the desert full o’ Unicorns. But no-one ever thought of Pegasi and Earth Ponies livin’ ‘round there too.” She placed her hoof down and cocked her head. “There’s a city, north. ‘Bout a week’s walk at brisk pace, called New Canterlot.” She looked at Izzy with a smile. “It’s the city of the story, mind. Earth Ponies and Unicorns live together. It’s a pretty large place, ‘bout four times the size of this village. If you need maps, I’m sure you’ll find ‘em there.”
Sunny looked at her friends. Zipp shrugged with an uneasy grin. Sunny bit back her smirk—hers had been the right path! “It’s worth a shot, I say.”
“Yeah,” Sunny said. “It can’t hurt to visit as many cities as possible on our way north. Meet new ponies, get to know all of the Equestria we didn’t even know existed!”
“It is pretty nice to know that we weren’t the last ponies in Equestria,” Pipp said with a nod, before flourishing her wings. “Just imagine how viral my video about it will get!”
Hitch chuckled. “Well, I’m up for going to this New Canterlot city.”
“Adventure!” Izzy said, raising a hoof with a beaming smile. Then she stiffened and, still moving as she could, she gave herself a sniff. Her face scrunched up and Sunny’s did the same, though she was sure she could pick up notes of herself on the air. “And bath! We really need a bath.” Stale, awful notes at that.
Bella chuckled and stood up. “I’ll prepare the tub. It’s big enough for two ponies, if you don’t mind sharin’,” she drawled, eyes lingering on a certain dusty, yellow coat. “If you want to go individually, I’d appreciate you takin’ the time t’ chop some extra firewood.” With that, she walked away and out of the room.
Pipp looked around. “I already called dibs for the first turn…” Her wide, pleading eyes then fell on Zipp. “But I really don’t want to chop firewood…”
Zipp snickered, rolling her eyes. “I’ll share with you, sis.” She raised her head. “And you, guys?”
Sunny tried very hard not to look at Izzy.
Hitch let out a tired sigh, muzzle pooling in his hooves. “I don’t mind chopping firewood afterwards,” he mumbled, eyes falling closed “I could use a bath nap.”
“Sunny...” Izzy groaned, stretching the last syllable along with her popping forelegs. “I don’t wanna work anymore!”
Sunny smiled, maybe a bit too much, since Hitch sent her a knowing, smug smirk even through his hooves. It was all in the eyebrows. She pointedly ignored him and looked at Izzy. “We can share if you want.”
Izzy looked like she was on the verge of tears as she wrapped herself in a hug. “Thank you!”
Pipp and Zipped laughed, and soon all five were laughing, even through the fires in their ribs and the sores on their backs. They had spent three days in the desert, and they were exhausted. The only thing they could agree they wanted at the moment was to simply lie down and have a very long sleep. And yet, they laughed. They laughed because they had met a friendly pony so soon; because they had the promise of a warm bath and a soft bed; because, despite everything, they already had something to be proud of.
They laughed because they were together. And, Sunny hoped, because Equestria would soon be united too.