//------------------------------// // Badges // Story: Belated Gift // by Lulamoon-Crystal //------------------------------// Present day... Hitch was standing in the Brighthouse, in front of Zipp, Izzy and Pipp. Pipp was wiping her eyes with a hankie, Izzy was looking at the floor with ears drooped and Zipp was looking at Hitch with despair. None of them were expecting that, well, they knew he was gone but not like that. “So... that’s why she likes that bag so much...” Zipp spoke softly. She wiped some tears, Izzy brought her in for a snuggle, she sighed too, “It was the last thing her father made for her...” Zipp lamented. Pipp blew her nose with her hankicheif but then gasped as she remembered a detail, “Wait, six badges you said? Sunny only has three on her bag...” She whimpered, “D-did she lose some?” Hitch nodded sombrely, “One fell off when she took a tumble into the ocean on a boat ride when we were seventeen... she was unharmed and thankfully nothing was damaged or ruined... but the badge that went missing was in her hoof at the time as a bully had taken it and ran away with it. When she got it off him, he pushed her off the boat!” Zipp wings flared out angrily as she stared at him, fuming “What happened to the bully after!?” If it was possible then smoke was sure to come out her ears. Hitch gained a satisfied but slight smile, “He got a good spanking by his parents and was expelled...” ”What about the other two?” Asked Pipp. Hoping they were on something else and not missing. Hitch then clarified, “Well when we were about eighteen we were on a school hike and Sunny fell in some mud... so during a rest at the lake she washed her badges and bag but well... a bird snatched one of them...” Hitch nodded, “She was very upset.” ”Don’t blame her,” Replied Pipp. ”As for the last one... it was at graduation.” Hitch confirmed as he recalled the memory, “The teacher didn’t like the design as they didn’t like balloons. So Sunny had to give it to her just so she could attend graduation...” Zipp cocked her head, “So where is it now?” Hitch scoffed then rambled, “After our graduation was over the teacher had claimed she already gave it back. But we knew the truth, we assume she hid it- turns out she sold it...” “What!?” Screeched Pipp as she glared at Hitch, teeth gritted as she growled. Pipp was clearly more than angry, “That’s just cruel! What kind of pony does such a thing!?” Zipp held her sister back by a hoof, “It’s over, it’s in the past,” Zipp informed, hiding her own frustration. “Also, Hitch is not at fault.” She then took a deep breath, “Maybe if we ask around we may find it.” Izzy held something out in her hoof, with a sweet smile on her face “Could this be it? I found it in the woods last week” She exclaimed as she held out a round object. Its orange paint had rubbed off, and it was a bit bent out of shape, but Hitch could work it out. Orange with three red apples. ”Yes yes!” Hitch exclaimed happily, “That’s the one the bird took!” ”That’s cool, Izzy! Wait- I’ll be right back!” Zipp zipped away and zipped back holding something, “I think this could be one, I found it when I dived into the sea last month. I felt it was important.” She also made a smirk, “Guess it was right to follow my instinct.” Most of the paint was gone, but Hitch could make out the middle despite it being flaky and discoloured. Blue diamonds on a white background. It also smelt like fish, “Oh yeah! That’s the one she lost when she fell into the sea!” ”Ugh...” Pipp commented, tongue out in disgust. “So that’s why I smelt fish near your bed... geez Zipp, you share a room with three other ponies.” Izzy cheered with joy, “Yay! Wait- me and Zipp had one, imagine if Pipp had one too!” ”Uh..., Maybe...” Pipp responded sheepishly, “But uh,.. that’d be a coincidence-“ Zipped looked at her seriously, suspecting something “Well, do you?” Pipp stepped back, “It- oh, I guess it’s the right thing-“ She quickly went to her room and returned, ears drooping. She held out the pink badge with three balloons, it was perfect, besides the paint was worn at the edges. “Rocky dropped it yesterday so I was going to return it... but I guess he’ll understand if I explain the situation..” “I’m sure he will!” Hitch smiled but then was confused, “Wait, did you say Rocky? How did Rocky, a mane stylist. manage to get a badge that was stolen and sold by a teacher?” Zipp chuckled, “It’s not rocket science considering that happened about three to five years ago,” ”Oh-“ Pipp smiled “Rocky said that a few weeks ago that’s what a filly paid him with when he painted their hooves!” Izzy giggled, “I remember that, it was soo cute!” She was there when it happened. She indeed was a bit confused but she liked the pattern and colours on it so she kept it. According to Pipp she had it for a week before handing it to Pipp. Hitch was more confused, “How’d a foal get it?” Zipp nodded and shrugged, “It must have been sold, traded, got lost, got betted and ended up in other hooves until this point!” Izzy did some joyful bounces, “I'll fix them right up! Sunny will be so happy when she sees them!” Every pony nodded and smiled as they looked at each other. “Yeah!” Every pony agreed.