//------------------------------// // Haven's Haven // Story: Of Hooves and History // by Ahmad J Charles //------------------------------// The first thing I noticed as we climbed was the air. Back on Earth, if I climbed anywhere above 6000 feet, the thinness would start stifling my lungs and I’d start increasing my breathing depth. Yet here we were at almost 5000 feet and I felt more or less like being at the top of the Empire State Building. Izzy seemed fine, too, an ear-to-ear grin across her face as we took in the view. The smaller hilly ranges spread out wide in front of us, with the sun blanketing the green earth below. “Where are we going?” Izzy demanded, pointing to the grand mountain peak, towering up into the clouds on our right. “Zephyr Heights is over there!” I cut the engine and let the wind take us for a short descending drift. “Let me explain. Paramotors don’t respond too well to mountainsides. The air turbulence would collapse the wing. Let’s gradually climb way up, and then turn around gradually in a circle until we reach the city’s outskirts. Then we’ll locate the castle entranceway and align for a landing.” “So you’re going to land on the royal entrance?!” Izzy exclaimed. “Yes indeed.” I said firmly. “Besides, there’s unlikely to be any other place with a smooth long place to run along.” I traced the flight path with my fingers to aid Izzy’s mind, then cranked the engine back up to re-initiate the climb. Gradually, we ascended ever closer to the clouds. The view of having the clouds bearing down on you like an evil monster in a kid’s nightmare was oxymoronically exhilarating. Izzy reached out and passed a hoof through the white fluff, drenching it in dense mist. Granted, I had done this before – but only once. The chilly air bit at my face as we rose up into a new atmospheric level. The view was even more amazing than upon our takeoff. We could barely make out the shape of trees, bushes, and rocks on the ground far below, and the clouds billowed like cotton candy mountains around us. The air felt thinner in my chest, and I stretched my diaphragm a little more with each breath. My fingers felt like ice blocks as I pressed a button on the throttle display. Yep. Just above 10 degrees, and 11,750 feet. “Let’s turn around now – slowly!” I announced to Izzy, lowering the engine speed to just below optimal cruising speed and smoothly pulling the right brake. She grinned and squealed with delight at the lateral G-forces as I tightened the angle. As the U-turn neared completion, the majestic bronze-gold spires of Zephyr Heights loomed into view, perched up amongst the clouds. It didn’t take more than thirty seconds to spot the castle, what with its golden pegasus wing ornament and central flag. The entrance, however, was nowhere to be seen. “Must be on the other side,” I thought, snickering as an idea came to mind. “Hey Izzy, should we give this a shot? Let’s gain a little height, then smoothly float down between the buildings where the main bridge connects the two major districts of the city. Then we’ll rise up and spin around, level out, and glide in for the royal landing.” “Hmmm, Queen Haven may not like us scaring her city’s residents like that,” Izzy refuted, shaking her head. “But that’s assuming they try to take a personal defense initiative – which I doubt. Most pegasi would simply report to the royal guards if something seriously awry were to happen.” “We’ll just be cruising on by,” I said. “Should be fine,” Izzy added supportively. I boosted the power a little to gain some height, then reduced it all the way down to stage 1. Leaning off to the left, we snuck in behind the castle and coasted around. Izzy always loved the banking – and so did others. A young mint-green and cream pegasus stallion flew in front of us and coasted backwards, his face illuminated with awe. “Wow! Who are you?” It brought an underwhelming relief to my heart that there finally was a pony who wasn’t fearful or defensive at first sight of me. So I smiled and waved. “I’m Aiden!” He waved back and took off in the direction of a store. The gap opened up in front of us, and I glanced up, precariously guiding the large wing between the buildings. Sunny was right; it did look similar to New York City. There were tall apartments, round glass domes, and lots of brownish-gold cladding. Billboard after billboard showcased the latest fashion trends and food products. I noticed an outdoor patio right along the edge of a boardwalk and blew them a friendly kiss, before adjusting the wing and cranking up the engine a little to pass over the bridge, much to the shock of dozens of pegasi walking across it. Glancing to my right, I noticed an elevator rising up the rock face; I was facing the wrong direction. Surging up the power, I rose up as we appeared to head to the city’s outskirts, then turned left sharply in a downward spiral, enacting a loud whoop from Izzy. I reduced power and orientated head-on with the elevator, beyond which was the entrance path. “Okay, Izzy, this is it! Little margin for error here,” I announced, cutting all power and adjusting the wing to slow down our descent for landing. Every minute was an attempt by the wind to sway us right or left and I had to fight my fatigued brain to constantly pay close attention. The elevator exit archway came closer and closer, and I grimaced at the growing possibility of crashing into it. But as we reached the elevator, Izzy threw back in her seat, jolting us backwards enough for my legs to clear the top. Phew! I slid my feet off the footrest as we glided down towards the castle entrance, and slowly let it trail across the polished tile path before we came fully down with an abrupt thud. I squatted and tried to continue running, but Izzy’s weight was too much. We careened forward and Izzy threw her forelegs out to stop slamming into the ground. “I… never expected you to be so strong!” I panted, righting myself back up. “Amazing.” “That was… an AWESOME FLIGHT!” she cried, and pulled me into a grateful hug the moment I undid the harness straps, and I returned the embrace. With my near-empty energy reserves and ice-cold hands, we both needed it more than anything. “Not… the friend I was expecting Miss Moonbow to have.” “Did you see that landing?!” The authoritative voice of a guardsmare and her excitedly fascinated right-hander awakened my woozy brain, and we sprung upright. Before I could even formulate a sentence, Izzy piped up, despite her evident lethargic state. “Hi, Miss Zoom Zephyrwing. Thunder. I request to see your Queen, please. You must’ve heard about A –” “We know,” Zoom replied flatly, cutting her off. “Follow us.” “Just a minute, please,” I requested, gesturing to the wing. “Can’t just leave this here.” Thunder shrugged, enacting a glare from Zoom. I ignored them and gathered up the wing, slid it into the bag, and pulled the drawstring shut. Then I clipped it to the propeller frame, deployed the wheels, and we headed inside after the guards. I couldn’t help but gaze up at the doors; they must’ve been at least fifteen feet tall. Inside, smooth porcelain floors with thick bronze lines lay beneath my feet, and straight ahead stood three grand plush red throne seats, adorned with exotic-looking marble, finely-knit blue rugs, and giant dusty-matte gold wings. “Wow,” I whispered, observing the panoramic views out the neatly curved windows. “This really is a grand throne room in the sky.” Six guards blew an arrival tune with trumpets. There was a soft flutter above, and three ponies flew down in a graceful spiral – an older mare, who looked to be in her late thirties or early forties – and two younger ones. One had a wavy quiff and lean, sleek wings, the other had fluffy, rounded wings and held a smartphone in her hoof. “Guards, please state the current matter of afairs,” the elder mare declared. “There is much to discuss with our… guest.” Her words died on her tongue as she got a good look at me. “My word, you look paler than a bar of soap, Aiden!” “It is an honor to meet you, your Majesty, Queen Haven,” I replied, my throat managing the best fluid voice it could muster as I clapped a hand to my chest. “My sincere apologies for arriving in such a… uncouth state. I am naturally not well-equipped for high-altitude living, and I also flew here, together with Izzy.” Before Haven could even ask a single question, Pipp eagerly raised her phone, and I held out a hand. “That won’t be necessary right now,” I said sternly, before turning back to Haven, who also shot a disapproving look at her daughter. “Obviously I don’t have wings, so that’s what this is for.” Haven’s eyes curved into smooth O’s of wonder and curiosity, and I’d be lying if I said it wasn’t cute. “How fascinating. Your friend Sunny has told me all about you. I take it you’re here for an investigation?” “That’s right,” I replied. “I need to learn about the correlation of Zephyr Heights’ rare earth elements and inter-dimensional unicorn spells. But it’d be nothing short of abysmal to not come see you and your daughters, too.” Haven smiled bashfully. “It would be my pleasure to house you in the castle for your stay. Thunder, please escort our guests to the main hall and up to the visitor suites.” I expected Izzy to be the inquisitive talker, but words came tumbling chunk by chunk out of Thunder’s mouth. “How does that fan chair work?” “Nice shoes!” “What’s with the jacket?” I smiled. His gilded armor somehow made him cuter. “It’s called a paramotor. I use it to fly. My shoes are for long hikes. They are Salomon X Ultra 4’s. “Cool name. I have a collection myself.” My eyebrows sprung. A royal guard sneakerhead? That’s a first! Climbing up steps wasn’t easy with the paramotor, but Izzy and Thunder helped. We soon made it to a grand hallway straight out of a five-star Dubai hotel. I winced as the paramotor’s grit-laced wheels rolled along the plush burgundy carpet. “Don’t worry too much,” Thunder reassured me. “We have maids who clean these rugs every day. You can wash them in the shower.” “Thanks,” I chuckled, knowing that would go rather disastrously. We entered the suite and I unzipped my jacket, my body feeling more normalized. Izzy hopped into a massage chair, and I headed straight for the bathroom with the paramotor. The toilet paper was premium, with a thick, dense feel to it. I used a polished steel cup to rinse the wheels and pulled off strips to thoroughly dry them. Boy, did I get a surprise upon re-entering the room! Everyone was there – Izzy, Sunny, and Pipp and Zipp! “Hello, your Royal Highness, Princesses of Zephyr Heights!” I exclaimed with a smile, setting aside the paramotor and greeting them both. Pipp had a little golden tri-leaf tiara around her forehead. Her violet mane was wavily swept to the side, and stood short with a chubby face and body. All these features made it tough to not stare at her endearingly. I made a mental note to ask her for an arm cuddle later. Zipp had no regalia, and had it not been for our present location I’d have a hard time to determine if she actually was royalty. I held out my hand and she shook it with her hoof, rendering me helpless to control the handshake’s angle. This girl had some muscle! “Hi Sunny,” I said, stroking her behind the ear like I often did. “How was your second leg of the journey?” “Pretty challenging, but everypony recognized me and I got the message to Queen Haven almost immediately,” she replied. “She had the staff set up the suite right away. Afterwards I took a moment to check out the atmosphere amongst the cityfolk. Your bags are under the bed, by the way.” “Thanks so much,” I replied, noticing Pipp peering curiously at the paramotor. “Glad to have you here, Aiden,” Zipp said welcomingly. “That’s quite the technical flying contraption you got there.” “My paramotor,” I replied proudly. “Had it for several years now. A custom build.” Zipp walked over and inspected the paramotor from various angles, while Pipp took photos. “The Pippsqueaks are gonna go wild over this!” she exclaimed eagerly. “I think they already have,” I remarked, quickly realizing this chubby girl was a social media influencer. “I flew through a part of the city before landing on your doorstep. But I’m open to a short introduction broadcast and a private explanatory demonstration if you wish.” Pipp eagerly switched to a livestream app with the swiping swiftness of any tech-savvy teen and propped the phone up on a beside table. “Check it out, my Pippsqueaks! I have something outstandingly amazing to show you all!” Izzy tilted the phone to show me sitting by the side of the bed. “Hello, Pippsqueaks!” I said, waving with a smile. “And this is his one-of-a-kind, totally awesome paraaaaaaaaaaaaa-motor!” she crowed, grabbing the phone and whip-panning it to the paramotor in the middle of the room. I could’ve sworn I heard some gasps outside through the window. “Welcome,” I began, kicking my shoes off and sitting cross-legged. Zipp quickly flitted to the side to avoid being in frame. “My name’s Aiden, and I’m what you’d call a human. I got hands and fingers,” I said, holding them up and wiggling them in a goofy way that made Izzy giggle. “Also straight feet, and a special machine to help me fly kinda like you all do. Many of you have seen this a little while ago gliding through the city, so it needs no further introduction. Hope to see you in the streets later today or tomorrow morning. Addy, addy, adios, Pipp, pipp, hooray! Peace out!” Pipp tapped the screen to end the livestream and I stood back up. “Nice improvisation of the fanbase catchphrase!” she remarked with a sly wink. “What does adios mean?” Zipp wondered out loud. “Means goodbye in Spanish, another language. I don’t speak it, but I know a few words here and there,” I briefly explained. “I see,” Zipp said flatly, before gesturing towards the door. “We should get a move-on. The royal lunch banquet will be commencing in ten minutes.” “I can’t believe I forgot that!” Sunny exclaimed, facehoofing. “And you’re invited,” Zipp added with a wink at me. “You go on ahead,” I told her, reaching under the bed for my duffel. “I better make myself more presentable than… well, this.” Every pony marched out the door as I unzipped the duffel and smiled confidently and happily. I could definitely get used to these two, given how I had three things to showcase to them which fit neatly with their personalities. For being high royalty, they were so pleasant and friendly.