Chapter 12: The Game is Ahoof
“It lives. My monster lives!” A mad scientist pony cheered as lightning struck his lab with wires and could be in a creepy room as he cheered for his precious creation.
It revealed that the Mane 6, except for Zipp who wasn’t there at the time, is watching a horror movie in the Crystal Brighthouse at night. Sunny and Pipp are a little creepy out, Hitch is covered with a blanket in freight, Izzy is munching on some popcorn while watching the movie, and Sunset is just looking on with a bore expression, having seen horror movies before, and having to seeing them in real live due to Equestrian Maigc incident and from personal experienced, she finds this movie okay, just not scared like the young ponies around them.
Sunny then turned to Sunset, wondering how Sunset is not afraid while watching the movie. “How are you not afraid of this horror film, Sunset?” Sunny asked.
“This movie is scary. But I have my own experience of being afraid before, and once you handle ancient Equestrian artifacts and saws a few evil magic demons, nothing surprise you anymore.” Sunset explained, telling them about her experience of her fair share of horror.
Sunny just nodded as they continued to watch the movie. Izzy was about to eat some popcorn on her hoof as she and the others looked up and saw Zipp on the second floor, with a furious look as the lightning from the movie gave off a scare to them.
“AAHH!” The Mane 5, except for Sunset, screamed in fright as Izzy, Sunny and Pipp hopped to the back of the couch.
“It’s Frankenstallion’s monster!” Hitch screamed as he jumped out of the couch and lost the blanket as he jumped behind the couch along with the rest of the girls.
“Hey, Zipp. What’s wrong?” Sunset asked, not even scared one bit as she saw Zipp on the second floor, the others pop up from behind their couch and see that it really is Zipp, but she looks mad, Izzy then chugs some popcorn that she still has as she stares at Zipp.
Zipp flew down and went in front of the TV, looking at them with an angry expression. “I’m only gonna say this once. Who.. Took… My… Sunglasses!?” She yelled at them, meaning that her sunglasses are missing, her favorite pair from the looks of things.
The others just looked at Zipp, the rest were scared, Izzy is still munching on the popcorn while Sunset just looked at Zipp with a blank expression, not sure why she’s so mad over sunglasses. Zipp is irritated enough that she snatchs Izzy’s popcorn and throws it aside. Zipp walked a bit before turning to them. “Everypony, follow me!” She said to them while pointing at the direction she needs them to follow.
Zipp walked ahead as Sunset sighs at Zipp’s moody attitude today. “Well, goodbye monster movie night.” She said, knowing it looks like them watching the horror movies is now over. “Come on, everypony. Let’s follow Zipp.” She said to them as they followed Zipp, wondering what got her moody.
A few minutes later, Zipp brough her friends to a wall, where is taking pictures of her friends with Mugshots, first Hitch, then Pipp who is striking a pose, Sunny who is very confused of this, Sunset with a rolled eye expression before tossing the board number away before taking the photo, and then finally, Izzy who wort her name on her board number and being a little silly before taking the picture, and then another to make a silly face, just for fun.
And then in the bedroom, Zipp got tons of paper she had on her bed, her friends looked at her in confusion as they saw the mess she made.
“Love what you’ve done with the place, Zipp.” Pipp said with a hesitant tone with her sister, really confused on why she made a mess.
Zipp then turned and gave them an intense glare, and then she bucked the front of her bed as it revealed to be a secret board she uses with the conneciton of her friends’ pictures and the places they went to in Maretime Bay with the sunglasses pictures in the middle.
The rest of the Mane 6 saw this and looked in shock with wide eyes that Zipp even had this. “Whoa.” Sunny was the first to speak as she pointed at the board with a forced smile. “That’s intenses.” She commented.
“More like overboard if you ask me.” Sunset commented, finding it weird that Zipp would make a board over her missing sunglasses.
Zipp then speaks as she paces back and forth. “Let’s start with our first pony of interest. What do you say, Hitch?” She said as she glared at the sheriff while pointing at the photo she took. They continue to look at her as Zipp continues. “Remember this morning at the beach, Sheriff?!” She said to him with a big tone.
Flashback (Zipp’s version).
On the beach was Zipp, Hitch, along with Izzy walking along the beach as they enjoyed their time, with Zipp wearing her sunglasses.
“Another bright and sunny day in Maretime Bay.” Hitch said as he turned and gave out an michsieve smile at Zipp, with Izzy using a measuring tape to measure the glasses. “I’ll just steal yours, Zipp!” He then gave off an evil laugh as Zipp and Izzy gave in a shock look.
“Objection!” Present Hitch protests, a little mad as he popped his head infront of the flashback, pausing it. “That is not what I said!” He pointed out that it wasn't him at all or said any of that.
Sunset popped her head next to him as she nodded her head in agreement, “I agree. I mean, Hitch is really the kindness out of all of us. And he got no evil bone in his body, he wouldn’t even hurt a fly.” She added, knowing Hitch very well, he’s too soft to even be the thief. “How about we rewind and show the true flashback?” Sunset suggested as she and Hitch went out of the flashback scene as the flashback rewind back to the beginning.
True Flashback.
As it started, Zipp, Izzy and Hitch are walking through the beach while Zipp is wearing her Sunglasses.
“Another bright sunshiny day in Mareime Bay.” Hitch then turned to Izzy and Zipp, which Izzy is measuring Zipp’s glasses. “Sure wish I hadn’t left my sunnies back at the station.” He said, feeling a little bad for forgetting to bring his sunglasses back at the police station, he really loves those things.
The flashback pauses, Present Hitch pops his head back up and gesturing to the true flashback that Zipp forgotten, proving his point.
Flashback ended.
Zipp wasn’t really convinced, but is having second thoughts as Izzy is measuring Zipp’s head, which Zipp ignores.
“Back at the station. Really?” Zipp questioned, wanting to know if Hitch is telling the truth.
“Hmm.” Hitch nodded his head in confirming that is true while he gave off a smirk. “Although, I don’t need sunglasses to…” He puts on his usual sunglasses and lowers them a bit. “See the problem with your theory.” He finished as he gave off a wink.
Sunset, Sunny and Pipp groan in annoyance at Hitch’s bad pun, that was not a good one either. “I like that. That was good.” Izzy said with a smile, finding the pun great.
Zipp raises an eyebrow at Hitch’s terrible pun. “Okay. Okay.” Clearly seeing that Hitch is not the one, she turned to Pipp. “What about you, Pipp?!” She said to her sister, who was looking at her phone until Pipp looked at Zipp in disbelief. “I get it. We're sisters, Pipp. And you borrowed something without asking.” She said as she walked around before stopping next to her. “Just give 'em back, and we'll forget it ever happened.” She said before walking back to the board.
“Why would I take your sunglasses, Zipp?” Pipp questioned her sister, sure she can borrow stuff from her sometimes but not that much compared to the other times. “They're so not my style.” She added, flip her mane a bit, stating that Zipp’s sunglasses are not much her style.
“Remember? ‘Function over fashion’?" Zipp said to her about the one time she borrowed her sunglasses.
Pipp gasps at that reminder that her sister brought that memory up.
Zipp continues as she tells her that time in Mane Melody. “You were so excited to show off…” They then have a flashback during the time they were in Mane Melody.
Flashback.
At Mane Melody, Pipp is announcing her new way of styling. “...the brand-new auto-mane-tic shampoo and shine!” She announced as Izzy was also there at the time, Pipp put cuccombers on Izzy’ys eyes as she was the first to try out Pipp’s new style machine as Zipp watched. “A perfect 'do in two minutes!” Pipp said as she pressed the red button on the machine.
The machine starts up by rinsing water out of the big sprayers, but then it gets out of control as the sprayers sprayed shampoo water all around the salon.
Pipp and Zipp gasp as they duck from the incoming shampoo water, but other ponies aren't so lucky when the water hits a couple of earth ponies, while the rest are screaming for cover.
The sprayers are still out of control, Pipp tries to turn it off but gets sprayed on the face, she gets pushed back with a scream, and when she gets up, her eyes are so soak, they’ve burned and start tearing up. “I think I got it in my eyes!” She cried out, feeling the burn as Zipp cringed at seeing Pipp’s eyes burned from the shampoo water. “Quick! Give me your sunglasses!” She cried out to her sister, needing the sunglasses so that she can see straight while her eyes are soaked.
Zipp took off her sunglasses. “But you said they were so last season.” She repeated what her sister had told her as Pipp grabbed the glasses.
“Sometimes, Zipp, you've gotta take function over fashion!” Pipp declared but then realized what she said. “Oh! Never tell anypony I said that!” She told her sister to not tell anypony that she would go that far on anything other than fashion.
Pipp ran and then jumped, heading towards the button, the shampoo water sprayed Pipp, but thanks to the sunglasses, her eyes were shielded from being burned the second time as Pipp wiped some off her face with a determined look. Pipp pressed the button, shutting off the machine, stopping the spraying shampoo water before it got out of hand anymore then it did.
End of Flashback.
Pipp finds her sister accused redicoulous during that time. “I borrowed your sunglasses one time!” She told Zipp that she only used her sunglasses once during the whole shampoo machine incident, and haven’t used them again since then. “It was an e-mer-gen-cy! But why would I steal them? I have plenty of my own.” She pointed out to the supplies of sunglasses she has on her side of the room on her bed, with a bunny wearing sunglasses, which proves Pipp point that she has a whole stock of them.
The others looked at Zipp as Sunset nodded her head in agreement with Pipp. “Pipp’s right, Zipp. Your sunglasses were out of style for her. And the supplies of sunglasses over there proves her point.” She said, knowing Pipp well, that Zipp’s sunglasses were out of style for a pony like Pipp.
“Well, uh…” Zipp starts stuttering, finding her theories on her friends who stole her sunglasses to not be true, and she is running out of ideas as she looks around nervously, her detective skills were not proving her theories on who stole her sunglasses. “W-what about you, Sunny?” She pointed to Sunny as said pony looked at her as Zipp got into her face. “Making smoothies all day in the sun, you must need—” She was cut off when Sunny gave off a bored expression.
Sunny then flipped a pair of sunglasses of her own, proving that it’s not her as she slurps some smoothies she was holding for the movie from earlier, stating that she is prepared to wear sunglasses while staying out in the sun all day making smoothies when she first got the smoothie job.
Sunny continued slurping as Izzy, Sunset and Zipp looked at her. Sunny stops slurping as there was an awkward silence for a moment. “Uh…” Zipp gave a nervous laugh, seeing Sunny’s point. “Right.” She said as she turned to Sunset. “What about you, Sunset? Surely you need my sunglasses to…” She was cut off when Sunset spoke.
“Not me.” Sunset simply said, in an annoying tone, finding Zipp’s theories to be wrong every time. “I spent most of my time in the lighthouse, researching through Sunny’s father’s notes to find the answer to what happened to Twilight and how the magic faded in the first place, while also teaching Sunny and Izzy more about magic as well.” She reminded her of her spare time while researching through Sunny’s father notes and teaching magic lessons, and she is way past stealing something that doesn’t belong to her when she was a bad pony before meeting Twilight. “Besides, even if I do go out sometimes, I got my own.” She stated, putting on sunglasses of her own, really telling Zipp that wasn’t her.
Zipp laughs nervously, finding Sunset’s words to be true. “Okay then.” She said as she backed away from her and back to the board. “That only leaves…” She looked through the photos she took of her friends while seeing who is left, and the only pony left is a certain unicorn. “Izzy?” She then gasps in realization. “Of course! All... that... measuring…” She stated, having flashbacks of the two flashbacks and a few minutes ago, Izzy was there, measuring Zipp’s head. Making sure that my sunglasses would fit you! Before you stole them!” She yelled out, facing Izzy as she got close to her face as Izzy backed up a bit, looking a little nervous.
“Noooo…” Izzy said while she laughed nervously while also sweating as Zipp looked at her. “Zipp, see, I mean... The thing, actually... uh... DISTRACTION!” She cried out as she used her magic to leviated the pile of papers on Zipp’s bed, and then hit Zipp with it as she yelled in surprise before Izzy made a break for it.
Zipp yanks the paper out of her face as she starts to growls as she glares at Izzy as said unicorn ran out the door, heading downstairs with a yelp. Zipp growls, not wanting to let Izzy get away as she flies out the bedroom window, flying out in the night, heading for the front before Izzy could.
Izzy pants as she ran downstairs, just as she was about to head for the door, Zipp opened it, blocking her way. Izzy screams as she runs the other way as she runs around the Brighouse, with Zipp behind her.
“Izzy, stop!” Zipp called out, but then Izzy levitated the blanket from the couch. “Whoa!” Zipp called out as she hit the blanket and then crashed into the ground. Izzy ran the other way as Zipp got her head out as she groaned at Izzy.
Upstairs, Sunset saw this and is really tired of the whole thing. “Okay, this has gone on long enough.” She said to herself in frustration as she went down the stairs.
Izzy then came to her ‘Unicycling’ table, with all her supplies she made with her unicycling skills, and wrapped some sort of present in a box with a ribbon as Izzy gave a grunt for the effort, wrapping it as fast as she could.
“End of the line, Izz!” Zipp called out from behind her as Izzy looked at her while Zipp narrowed her eyes at her. “Nowhere left to trot! We can do this the easy way or the—” She was cut off when she was dragged across the floor and levitated into the air. “Whoa! Huh?!” She said in confusion.
“Okay! That’s enough, Zipp!” Sunset voices called out as she came to them.
“Sunset?! What are you doing!?” Zipp questioned why Sunset is doing this.
“Stopping you from all your missing sunglasses thing! That’s what I’m doing!” Sunset yelled out. “Zipp, I know your sunglasses are missing, but putting the blame on your friends, especially Izzy, for thinking we took them, that’s crossing the line! And I have had enough of it!” She scolded the pegasus for her over dramatic over the loss of her sunglasses.
“But, Izzy is the suspect! She measured my head to see if she…!” Zipp was interrupted when Sunset yelled out.
“For making a gift for you, you over dramatic detective!” Sunset yelled out, telling Zipp that Izzy was preparing a gift for her.
Zipp looked in confusion. “Wait. What?” She asked, making sure she heard Sunset right.
Seeing Zipp calmed down a bit, Sunset lowered Zipp back to the ground as she released her from her magic. “Ealier today, Izzy told me that she wanted to surprise you with something, Zipp. She didn’t tell me what it was so I wouldn’t spoil the surprise, but she was making a gift for you.” She explained to Zipp as she turned to Izzy. “Anyway. Is it done, Izzy?” She asked the unicorn.
Izzy smiled. “You bet it is, Sunset!” She answered as she revealed the present she made and held out for Zipp to grab. “Here you go, Zipp! I hope you like it!” She said to Zipp with a smile.
Zipp was a little shocked as she grabbed the box. “Buh... For me?” She asked the two ponies as Sunset and Izzy smiled at her. Zipp opens the box and then gasps in amazement at what she is seeing. It is revealed to be a pair of techo goggles, the Z-Goggles, it has the details of Zipp’s description with the colors and wings with the colors as well. Zipp picks them up in amazement as she puts them on. “Whoa...!” She said as she saw the goggles have a nightvision setting as she looked at Sunset and Izzy, then ultra light vision as she can see their body heat and hearts, and then x-ray vision as she can see their skeletons. “Incredible!” She said in amazement, finding the goggles great.
Sunset was impressed with the goggles as she turned to Izzy. “Is this what you've been making for Zipp all day, Izzy?” She asked with a smile.
Izzy nodded her head with a smile before speaking to Zipp. “I didn't take your sunglasses, Zipp. I swear.” She told him that she didn’t take her sunglasses as Zipp took the goggles off. “I was taking your measurements so I could make these for you.” She explains the reason for her measuring Zipp. “Sunset was here when I got my supplies ready to make them, but I told her that it was a surprise for you. And any good detective has super fancy gadgets.” She explained to her, wanting to make something that will help Zipp for her detective work.
Zipp then hugs Izzy, happy with the gift she made for her. “Oh! Thanks, Izzy!” And then turned to Sunset. “And thanks for stopping me, Sunset. I guess I have gone a little bit overboard with my missing sunglasses.” She admits with a sheepish smile.
Sunset chuckled a bit before putting a reassuring smile. “That’s okay, Zipp. Just remember to slow down and take your time while doing the detective thing and listen closely, okay.” She said to her. “Because from personal experience, Rarity does this detective thing more times than I can count. She is skilled enough to find clues and solve the mysteries, and do it in style at the time as well since, well, she’s Rarity.” She said as she remembered the time when Rarity was spying on her and the other Rainbooms, thinking that they’ve been avoiding her and they were really just throwing a surprise party for her. Twilight once mentioned Rarity’s old mysteries cases that she's solved like the time she proved Rainbow’s innocence to the Wonderbolts when they got her out of the show but brought back in when Rarity solved the mystery.
Zipp smiled at Sunset’s lesson as she took it in heart. “Okay. I’ll remember to slow down my cases and take my time before I jump to conclusions.” She said to Sunset, and then put on the goggles as she looked around the brighthouse, having fun with them. Sunset and Izzy smiled at Zipp hypeness of her new gadget as Zipp looked around while trying out the settings on the goggles. First the living room, then the kitchen, she turns the settings to X-Ray as she sees through the cabinets. “Whoa!” She then picks up an apple from the basket on the counter, only to see a worm inside eating the apple from the inside out. “Ewww, gross.” She cringes in disgust, finding it gross to find a worm in one of those apples as she drops the one that has the worm in it.
And then, sometimes later, Zipp, Izzy and Sunset are back in the bedroom with the others as Zipp trotted around and then jumped on her bed as the others looked at her with a smile. “Best gift ever, Izzy! I love them!” She then starts to slip on the messy paper she still has on her bed. “Whoa!” She then trips and falls on her bed, she tries to get back up but as she placed her hoof on her pillow, she heard a crunching sound. Curious about what that sound is, she lifted the pillow up and revealed that her sunglasses, now broken in half straight through the middle, turned out to be under the pillow the whole time.
Zipp took off the goggles as she laughed nervously. “Guess I found them.” She said in embarrassment that she didn’t check her pillows where her sunglasses had been all along as she showed the broken sunglasses to her friends. “Sorry.” She apologizes to her friends in an embarrassed tone as she sweats, embarrassed a bit.
The rest of the Mane 6 looked at Zipp, Izzy broke the silence. “I can fix those!” She said with a cheerful tone, going to make those glasses good as new. Her friends weren’t as happy as she is. A little mad at Zipp over her over dramatic and wasting their time over a detective board thing as they turned and walked out of the room, going back to the horror movie they’ve been watching.
“Ugh.” Pipp grunts in frustration over Zipp not realizing that her sunglasses were under her pillow the whole time without checking.
“Amateur.” Hitch said to Zipp, finding it quite sad about the whole thing.
“You've gotta be kidding me.” Sunny sighs as she couldn’t believe all that since Zipp didn’t check before she leap.
“Next time, Zipp. How about checking before you leap, before you go over dramatic.” Sunset said while facing her hoof on her head, finding it ironic that Zipp would find her sunglasses over her pillows without even checking.
The others walked out as Izzy followed, getting back to the movie where they left off while they still had time before Zipp interrupted their movie.
Zipp looked at them with a sheepish smile on her bed. “Uh, b-but that was fun, right? Right?” She asked them, thinking that her detective thing was fun, but they didn’t answer, which means it was not fun when she wasted their movie time. “Ugh.” She groans as she places a hoof over her head, realizing that she really was dramatic over her sunglasses while wasting her friends’ movie time, making a mental note to herself to check where she put her things before judging her friends that they stole one of her things.
End of Chapter 12.