//------------------------------// // Zephyr Heights // Story: Unicorn Attack! // by milesprower06 //------------------------------// Sunny wasn't sure what else they could do besides sit here quietly at the base of the cliff and wait. The pegasus had warned them that going up for a better view might get them spotted by another outer patrol. "Wonder what kind of disguises she'd bringing for us. Capes? Cloaks? Fake wings?" The earth mare asked. "That's what I would do," Hitch added. "She did say she was bringing a hood to hide Izzy's horn, like we did back in Maretime Bay. Something that is convincing at a distance, and won't draw scrutiny." "How often have you done this? You lead a double life or something?" Sunny asked with a soft giggle. "Please. Maretime Bay keeps me busy enough, I don't have enough time to come all the way out here to spy on the pegasi," Hitch commented. Sunny broke out a few granola bars to snack on as they waited on their new friend. After about ten minutes, they heard approaching hoofsteps again, and peered above the boulder to see Zipp returning with a few items stacked on her back. "Just have to make sure, won't you be missed if you're taking us to your hideout? That's why those guards were out here looking for you," Sunny commented. "Pfft," Zipp began as she came forward with what appeared to be elaborate saddles with decorative wings. "My mom thinks that everyone takes two hours to get ready for a show. I'm good. Besides, if this is as important as I think it is, then my sister's show doesn't really matter." Zipp helped each pony get their 'wings' strapped on both earth ponies and the unicorn, before helping Izzy with her hooded cloak, getting the garment just right and making sure her horn was concealed without the hood looking like it was being propped up by a tent pole. "Alright, I think that's as good as we're gonna get. So, here's the plan. We're going to go in as a group. Stick right on my tail. We're going to down the main street, off into an alley on the right." "And nopony is going to recognize you as one of the princesses?" Hitch asked. "That's why we're headed down the alley, down into the city's sewer systems," Zipp replied, before slicking her hair back and putting on a pair of black sunglasses. "Ewwww," the unicorn reacted. "Don't worry, not the pipes and drains part, just the service corridors. It's either that, the front of the castle, or scaling the side of the mountain," the pegasus reassured them. "Well, sewers, or 'service corridors' it is, then," Sunny decided. "Alright, let's go." With that, Sunny, Izzy, and Hitch followed Zipp up the steep incline. From there, it was a gradual curve to the left before the city's rather impressive skyline came into view. Sunny glanced back at the wings she wore, and figured they did somewhat pass as the real thing, if they weren't expected to flutter or flap them. The guards at the gate let them pass without questioning or incident, so the disguises must have been working. Zephyr Heights was truly something to behold. Buildings dozens of stories tall, and some kind of transportation system that ran on a rail, taking a series of connected vehicles across the city. Electronic signs and advertisements were everywhere. But as much as Sunny wanted to stand and take in the sights, she had to focus on where Zipp was going, and sure enough, they hadn't even gotten a block before Zipp deemed the area clear enough to dip into the next alley on the right. She stopped at a grate, which she lifted up with a creaking sound. "Okay, down here, quick." The pegasus stood and waited while her three guests trotted down the very narrow set of stairs down into the city's underground service corridors. Hitch had to remind himself that they were still actually thousands of feet above sea level. Water ran down a central creek while there were brick-laid walkways on either side. Zipp grabbed an electric LED lantern off of the wall, and started heading down the passageway on the left side of the water. "This way," the pegasus instructed. Each one of their hoofsteps echoed off of the otherwise empty, dark hall. "Ya know, Zipp," Hitch began. "We weren't up there for long, but you know what I noticed? I didn't see a single pegasus in the sky." "I know, I'll explain when we get to where we're going." The corridor split off in multiple directions several times, usually to other staircases like the ones they had come down, leading to other access points. throughout the city. If Sunny was successful in keeping her sense of direction, they had come under the castle, and now came to probably the only elevator down here. Once they were all on board, Zipp pulled a lever, and the platform moved upwards at a steady, albeit somewhat creaky pace. The ascent was about a half minute, all while they looked at the water falling from up above. The elevator platform stopped, and they came to what must have been the service corridors for the castle. "How often are ponies down here?" Sunny asked as they continued on. "Usually only when problems come up, or once every six months just for quality checks. That's why it's so easy for me to get around, and out of, the city when I want to be left alone and mom wants me to make an appearance for some royal event." They passed a couple more split-offs, and Zipp headed down the third one on the left. A few dozen more feet, and the grate they came to wasn't dozens of feet above the floor via staircase, but just above their heads. Zipp released the lock, pushed it open and jumped out. Sunny was next, and peeked her head out to an immense room. "Whoa," Sunny commented as Zipp helped pull her up. "It's amazing, right? I think it's some sort of station. Back when other ponies used to visit Zephyr Heights," Zipp told the awestruck mare as she helped Hitch and Izzy up through the grate. There was a pair of staircases on the far wall, looking like the doorways at the top had been walled off, as the stairs led to nothing. On the other side, was a large set of stain glass windows. On the left side, the pattern was a unicorn levitating a crystal. The right side was a pegasus doing the same with another, different-styled crystal. "Alright, the truth is, no one here can fly. Not even the royals, even though my mom and a bunch of stagehands have convinced the populace otherwise. You'd be amazed what some wires and good lighting will do," Zipp told them. A look of disappointment washed over Izzy's face for a moment. "So, if the pegasi didn't take unicorn magic, who or what did?" Hitch asked. "Maybe it just 'poofed' like our magic did," Izzy offered. "From what little I've been able to gather, I'd say something like that happened," the pegasus started. "If there is a way to get it back, I'd wager that these crystals have something to do with it." Sunny looked at the top window, where an all-too familiar six-pointed star was patterned in the glass. "The star of friendship..." Sunny said, digging into her saddlebags and came out with her dad's journal. While she would have liked to start asking Zipp questions, she was guessing they didn't have that kind of time at the moment. "From the research I've been able to do, I think there's a way that our magic can be brought back if the crystals are united. The pegasus crystal is part of my mom's crown. Izzy, do you know anything about the unicorn crystal?" Zipp asked. "Not specifically, but if it's crystals you're after, we've got like, a gazillion back in Bridlewood," the unicorn answered. "Alright. I'll try and get some kind of opportunity to grab the pegasus crystal and meet you three back here," Zipp said. "Um, so since we're clearly not welcome here," Hitch began. "I'm assuming that is kind of a maze down there if you don't know where to go. So, how about an exit strategy in case something happens and you're not able to make it back here?" "I'd say out the window," Zipp said. The trio's eyes widened in concern. "Don't worry. There's a rope. Set that up in case my usual routes to get up here didn't work out. Just hold on tight and go down the wall, it goes right down into the canyons. I'll try and meet you down there if that's what you have to do." It wasn't the most rock-solid of plans, but it was better than nothing. "I'll be as quick as I can. If for whatever reason I can't make it back, it was great to meet all of you." With a smile, Zipp stepped into a basket-style elevator, and pulled a lever, and it was pulled up into an opening in the ceiling.