As I was led down a flight of steps by one of the royal guards, I couldn’t help but wonder where and how this amazing city managed to source such quality luxury elements and materials which majorly contributed to their immense level of economic prosperity, posh living standards, and technological feats. Always a source behind it all…
“Whoa,” Zipp whistled as I entered the grand dining hall in my Turkish kurta, blue embroidered vest, and polka-dot scarf. “You look real divine.”
I nodded and waved. “Thanks, Your Maje –”
“Just call me Zipp,” she cut in bashfully.
“Your compliments are appreciated, Zipp,” I reiterated, pulling up a chair.
Haven’s chefs had served a welcoming lunch – fruit salad, toasted seeds, and fresh fluffy bread with an oily lentil and potato puree.
“Help yourself, Aiden,” she said, gesturing to the bread. I took a roll, ripped it in two, and dipped it in a bowl of the puree, gently swirling it to blend the oil nicely. One bite into the saturated tip was all it took to agree wholeheartedly; Zephyr Heights chefs were second to none. Within minutes I’d devoured the whole roll.
“This is delicious!” I complimented, courteously wiping my lips with a serviette and smiling gratefully at Haven. “Reminds me of a cuisine I enjoyed at a gathering. Say, what’s the origin of it, if you don’t mind?”
“It’s a relatively new recipe,” Pipp said proudly, having finally put her phone away. “I asked the chefs a few days back, and apparently it comes from a long lineage of a tan-colored alicorn who used to live amongst our ancestors.”
My eyebrows perked up. So Pipp did hold a sense of historical connection. “Were they miners?”
She shrugged awkwardly with a sideways glance. It was so cute it was almost painful on my body. “Can’t really say. It was mentioned that the alicorn was the descendant of a unicorn family who used to farm close to the mountains.”
“Interesting.” Now my Equestrian historical quest had thickened a little. I wanted to expand on it with Pipp, but the aromas wafting up into our nostrils was too much to bear. I handed her a roll, taking care to maintain a grandeur of formal etiquette as I ate up, my body eagerly absorbing all the calories it could to rejuvenate its energy supplies. Not a single platter in front of me was empty after we’d all finished eating.
I turned to thank Haven, who slid back her chair and stood up.
“Girls, you may spend time with our dear guest, Mr. Aiden, as our royal schedules permit.” She turned to me and for a moment, our eyes locked. “You may begin your quest at anytime, though tomorrow is ideal, given I will be holding a meeting to discuss the mining companies’ mid-year reports.”
“It would be a good opportunity to gain connections and score an invitation,” Pipp quickly added, and I nodded affirmingly. She was growing on me fast, and I had a tough time not staring every time she trotted away or flapped her wings. My mental note flashed in my head, and as soon as the royal sisters were out of earshot, I approached Haven.
“Um, your Majesty?”
Queen Haven walked right up to me with a tender look in her eyes. “Yes, my dear guest, Aiden? Is there something I can provide for you?”
“Yes,” I piped up, intending to cut to the chase, only to have my words lodge up in my throat like a bushel of tumbling marbles. “Um, I… yes, I request permission for Pipp.”
“For what?”
“To…” I began, biting my lip before awkwardly grabbing a plate off the table and holding it up in my arms, close to my chest. “H-hold. To hold her. If she wants.”
“I won’t have my daughter engaging in acts unfit for a princess,” she replied firmly. “But I see nothing but good in you. If she obliges, tell her to inform me, so my presence can be requested.”
“Understood, your Majesty,” I replied, clapping a hand to my chest and lowering my head slightly. “It was an honor to have lunch with you.”
“Likewise with a unique and well-mannered guest,” she replied with a smile, before leaving through the main doors with a couple guardsmares as I subtly waved goodbye.
“Haven seems quite a nice queen,” I thought out loud during the escort to my suite. “Maybe I could coax her to receive the human touch…”
Hardly had I flopped down on the bed did the door open to reveal the royal princesses, along with Sunny and Izzy.
“Don’t you have important royal duties to attend to?” I asked, ushering them all in and shutting the window.
“Not in the next half hour,” Zipp remarked. “How about a showcase and a demonstration of your cool stuff?”
I shook and nodded simultaneously. “Can’t wind up the paramotor here, but everything else… yeah, sure. Come up here.”
I walked over to the paramotor harness and unzipped the side pocket, pulling out the iPad. Without skipping a beat, I reached under the bed and pulled out the skateboard.
“Here are two items which might interest both of you,” I presented, as they all climbed up onto the queen-sized bed. Pipp opened her mouth excitedly but I raised a finger.
“First off, I have to confess; I have not really been known by family or friends as being notably affectionate, but I can’t get enough of you all. You’re so adorable. Mark my words, Izzy – there are children who would give everything to just be in your presence. Now I won’t say I’m in love, but I certainly feel indebted to provide the same level of affection and comfort as I give Ryder’s pets.”
“I could say the same for you,” Sunny teased whilst caught in her own awkward blush.
“Who’s Ryder?” Pipp asked awkwardly.
“A good friend of mine,” I replied, powering on the iPad. Despite being at just half battery power, it had survived the cold ordeal of the flight. Pipp rushed to my side and gazed at the crystal-clear screen as I swiped across and tapped on the Photos app. I showed her shots of Times Square, Ryder and his dog Stella running through a Georgian dog park, and headcam recordings of a flight through a canyon.
“Can we fly together?” Zipp requested eagerly, wrapping a hoof around my arm, sending a little shock rushing through me. I felt like an older sibling with a bunch of little sisters and bubbly dogs all at the same time.
“Maybe later,” I replied, caressing the back of her head. “Owing to that delicious bread and puree, it’s only fair that I give you the same cinnamon roll recipe I gave Izzy.”
I quickly navigated to the PDF document, and Pipp slipped out her phone, photographing it several times. “This will be such a delight for the Pippsqueaks!”
“You can share it with everypony, or keep it as a Royal Recipe,” I suggested. “Now, what else can we –”
Pipp squealed as she tapped at the Music app, and to my surprise, it responded to her hoof touch, opening in a wingbeat.
“You like music?”
“Like? Pfft. LIKE?” Zipp accentuated her musing. “She loves it! She sings, performs, and dances!”
“Oh, I have to show you this, then,” I grinned, quickly navigating back to the Photos app. “My world is obsessed with music. We have millions upon millions of artists and almost endless songs in dozens of styles and over 30 languages. Here’s a concert of a song from a country called Korea.”
I cranked up the volume and held out the iPad so all of them could get a balanced viewing experience. Jaws dropped like flies. Pipp looked so starstruck it was as if she’d slipped into a euphoric heavenly realm. She was on the verge of crying.
“And I thought Pippsqueaks were devoted…” Zipp mouthed, barely above a whisper.
“He’s beyond beautiful…” Sunny breathed.
“These lyrics are beyond even my comprehension, but the meaning transcends all…” Izzy added.
It took a good minute or two for a sense of normalcy to return to the room, allowing for me to provide an explanation of sorts.
“That was a live performance of Euphoria, a song by a singer named Jeon Jung-kook. One of the most amazing spectacles I have ever seen. Sadly, I did not get to actually see it live – this was a recording sent to me. I kept it as a preservation of the power and beauty of live performances of the musical art form.”
“Too bad Cookie ain’t got wings like you, sis,” Zipp remarked.
I had to laugh at that one. “Now that you’ve seen a performance of a harmonious song, wanna hear a catchy one?”
“Yes, yes please!” Izzy and Pipp said eagerly at the same time.
I flipped back to the Music app and scrolled through a playlist, before landing on one. “This one is quite relevant to the mission of Sunny and her dad, if you pay attention to the lyrics.”
Almost immediately, Sunny’s head was bobbing. Zipp found herself moving a hoof back and forth. Hardly had the first chorus started did Pipp leap off the bed and start shuffling in a single-double-single tap tempo, with Izzy joining in, sliding her forelegs back and forth and shaking her shoulders.
“So true, what you told me as a little filly, Dad…” Sunny whispered, a tear rolling down her cheek, which I promptly stroked away with a finger.
“That was… crazy catchy,” Zipp proclaimed. “Any others?”
“One more for Pipp’s dancefloor,” I replied, tapping the screen as Pipp propped up her phone. “This artist has since passed, so it’s an honorary tribute of sorts.”
Now everypony was on their feet as I happily bobbed along, smiling fondly at everypony enjoying the world’s catchiest progressive house EDM melody.
“How about something heartfelt?” Sunny asked, once her hooves had finally stopped moving.
“Heard of rhythm and blues?” I asked Pipp, and she shook her head.
“Ooh, I love that gentle guitar,” she noted, before loosely mouthing the lyrics. I shot a Sunny an endearing look and softly hummed the lyrics as the peak bridge sounded out.
“Are you… in love with me?” Sunny asked abruptly, shaking up the vibe right as it ended.
“Can neither confirm nor deny that fact,” I countered quickly, before tapping the iPad screen. “One last song.”
I couldn’t help but smile with a chuckle as Pipp and Izzy helplessly butchered the Arabic tones while choreographing an act of meeting each other with a hoofshake. “A-alay-koom, alai-come, yay, yay… Very positive and cheerful,” Zipp whispered to me, softly singing along as the song ended.
Pipp paused her livestream to give a round of applause to me, and I gently lowered my head in respect and gratitude to my pony friends. “I am delighted to share a sample of music from my world with you, and so glad you enjoyed it all.”
“I have a very special surprise for the next concert!” Pipp playfully teased, resuming her livestream and panning the camera to me. “Thanks to my royal guest, Aiden! Royal duties call, must go. Pipp, pipp, hooray!”
“Pipp, pipp hooray!” I crowed, fist-pumping the air as the livestream ended. “I’m glad you have good etiquette and standards. There are so many like you where I’m from that are talentless and full of rotten character. You’re the mare, Pipp!”
I held up a fist and we exchanged a hoofbump, before the collective attention turned towards the little wheels in the room. Izzy and Pipp leaned over the bedside, and Zipp shuffled over across from me.
“So, I’m not sure if you have these here, but this is a skateboard,” I stated, rotating it upside down.
“I’ve seen a colt in Maretime Bay with a similar one, Sunny said. “Only rather wider all the way to the edges. Wide wheels too.”
“So a kid’s cruiser,” I commented. “This is much different. It’s an upgraded version of a custom build I had as a tween.” I ran my finger across the metal and gently pressed the wheel’s inner edge. “These are called trucks, which support the wheels. Inside are bearings – little metal circles with balls to allow for fast… rolling. Like that.”
Letting fascination get the better of her, Izzy stuck a hoof out and swiftly swiped it against a wheel, causing it to spin. Pipp whipped out her phone but I held up a hand.
“Just enjoy this moment for yourself,” I advised. “These wheels can spin any day of the week. Any questions?”
“Ooh, nice purple blobs! What are they?” Izzy pointed.
“Why is the other side gritty?” Zipp asked.
Pipp peered at the ends. “Rounded edges and a layered structure. What’s up with that?”
“The purple blobs are bushings, which help with stability and steering,” I explained, before lifting the board and turning it over. “A sandpaper-like surface allows feet – or hooves – to grip the surface. But there’s more to this that I’ll be willing to demonstrate.”
“Not a moment too soon,” Zipp remarked, glancing at the clock. “My sis and I have some duties to attend to in the city.”
“Perfect. Let’s go.”