Chapter 24: Starscout Code
It was a nice day in the Brighouse as the Mane 6 are doing a little spring cleaning in the Brighthouse while also helping Sunny organize some things to either keep, give away, or throw away.
Sunny walked to the center of the living as she watched her friends help with the spring cleaning. “Gotta love spring cleaning.” She commented.
“You got that right, Sunny. Doing a little spring cleaning in the Brighthouse is a great way to go down memory lane.” Sunset commented while levitating a box full of Sunny’s father notes that Sunny kept over the years and placed them in the ‘Keep’ side.
“It sure does, Sunset.” Sunny replied with a smile as she turned and saw Zipp holding Sunny’s old roller skates when she was a filly. “Oh. My first roller skates. Keep.” She said while spinning the wheel on her old roller skates, but a wheel popped out and hit Sunny in the forehead before it bounces and crashes into something. “Or. Maybe recycle.” Sunny said with a sheepish smile.
Pipp then picked up a big hat, which she finds weird that Sunny even has this. “Donate!” Sunny suggested what to do with that old hat, maybe give it to somepony who will like this.
Hitch then walked by while holding a box of glowing gems on his back. “Izzy! What are you gonna do with all these nosy-glowy gems?” He asks out to Izzy on what to do with the gems she’d collected.
“Give me that, Hitch.” Sunset said while levitating the gems off his back. “I asked Izzy that I can do some research on these gems to figure out what they are and how they are glowing.” She said to the Sheriff, stating that ever since Izzy placed a crystal into Sunny’s old lantern that gave it some magical properties, she’s been asking Izzy to let her see the gems she’d collected to figure out what they are made of and where they come from and how they have magic in them.
“Oh. Okay, Sunny.” Hitch said. “But, where is Izzy anyway?” He asks out as the ponies look around to see where their favorite Unicorn friend goes while Pipp is wearing the hat to post her picture to her Pippsqueaks. “Uh, Izzy?!” Hitch called out as the ponies looked around on where she was.
They then hear a grunting sound as they look upstairs as they see Izzy trying to open a closet with her teeth, finding it hard to open. “Almost got it.” Izzy grunt through her teeth as she nearly got the nob turn to open the closet.
The ponies look on with weird looks, trying to think why Izzy is opening the closet with her teeth, while Sunny gives out a worried expression, knowing fully well what’s in the closet. “Izzy! No!” Sunny called out to Izzy but it was too late.
Izzy finally got the closet door open, but then piles of junk bursted out as it rivered downstairs with Izzy in tow as it hit the four ponies as they screamed from being pulled by the junks while making a mess in the living room.
Izzy pops her head out of the pile as gives her usual cheery smile. “And for my next trick, let's do that again!” She cheerfully said to her friends, wanting to go again.
The rest of the ponies popped out of the junk pile as Sunset gave Izzy a look. “Uh, let's not! Now we gotta clean up this place again.” Sunset pointed out while looking down at the junk and turned to a certain Earth Pony. “Geeze, Sunny. How could you fit this much junk in a small closet? How did you even manage this?” She asked Sunny, wondering how she got that much junk in that small closet.
Sunny rubbed her head as she gave Sunset a sheepish smile with a chuckle. “I just couldn’t decide what to throw away or what to keep a while back, Sunset. My dad usually helps me out with this stuff before I meet you guys.” She said to Sunset that her dad usually helped her with spring cleaning, before he was gone, that is when he used to help Sunny tidy up their home.
Sunset then gives Sunny a chuckle before coming to her and placing a hoof on her shoulder. “Well, you got us to help you with that, Sunny. We all live here so we all pitch in to help. Well, Hitch pitched in to help either way since he’s your childhood friend.” She pointed a hoof to Hitch, who was waving at them when Sunset pointed that out. “But, you got us and we all work together to help each other.” She added with a smile.
Sunny smiled from Sunset’s words, but then something sparkled caught her eyes as look at something like a blanket. Sunset turned to what Sunny was looking at as she saw it as well. Sunny walks close to it as she unwraps it and sees what it is. “Whoa!” She awed at it as it has what look like an Earth Pony theme with a throne, crops around, and Earth Pony that looks like Hitch and critters around him. Sunny then saw something else behind this blanket when she unwrapped it, it appeared to be a film player. “Huh?” Sunny questioned herself, as she wondered why was this wrapped around this blanket. Sunny picked it up as she took a closer look at it, but then it fell off her hoof. But, when it hit the floor, it turned on and showed the film on the wall, which showed Sunny’s father, Argyle Starshine, as the rest of her friends saw this in shock.
“Surprise, Sunny-bunny.” Argyle said from the film while waving with a smile.
Sunny gasps at what she saw and heard when she hadn't heard that name in a long time. “Dad?” Sunny asked with a heartfelt expression with tears forming in her eyes as she watched the film. Sunset is next to her as she sees this while also hearing Sunny’s father's voice for the first time as she watches as well.
Argyle adjusts his glasses as the film continues. “I guess you found the old family blanket. Quite something, isn’t it?” He guesses, clearly this recording is something he guesses his daughter will find one day and the family blanket as well. Sunny walked closer to the film with the unchanged expression as her friends huddled around her as they continued to watch the film. “It’s actually an ancient pony artifact, passed down from ten generations.” He explained the true purpose of the blanket, clearly stating that it’s an ancient pony artifact that he has kept safe for a long time. “Other pieces were hidden in Zephyr Heights and Bridlewood years ago.” He said that the blanket was separated to each of the tribes like the Unity Crystals once did as Sunny looks at her friends if they have known about this but gets a no in reply, clearly never notice as well. “One day, magic will return. And Sunny, I know you will be the one to do it.” He said to his daughter if she is watching it as Sunny gives a teary smile as she wipes a tear as her friends look at her with a smile, clearly something that has already done that has done what she and her father dreamed of since their first adventure. “But even still, it will take the whole family to get the other pieces” He said while stating it will take a whole family to get the other pieces of the pony artifact blankets back.
“Whole family?” Sunny asked in confusion what her dad meant since he was the only family she ever had as she turned to the film with teary eyes. “But it’s just me now.” She pointed out.
The rest of the Mane 6 look at one another while giving Sunny sympathy since she doesn’t have any family left by blood, something that Sunset can relate as she gives a sympathy look to Sunny, knowing that feeling real well.
Zipp turns off the filmer as she sniffs the ancient blanket. “This smells... like a mystery!” She announced that this is something that she likes since mysteries are her thing.
Sunny gives Zipp a hug as she smiles and gives the blanket a closer look. “Smells more like an adventure to me!” She announced as she grab the blanket.
Sunset smiles at this. “Looks like we are gathering missing artifacts again, guys! Time for another treasure hunt!” She called out as the rest of the Mane 6 smiled at this, having done this kind of thing before with the Unity Crystals.
“That’s right, Sunset! Come on, everypony!” Sunny called out as she placed the blanket on her back as she trotted off with the rest of the Mane 6 following her to start their artifact hunt again.
Later on, Queen Haven, along with Thunder and Zoom, walked around Zephyr Heights until she saw her daughters coming in front of her as the two sisters landed.
“What a wonderful surprise.” Queen Haven said with a smile as it is good to see her daughters again.
The rest of the Mane 6 caught up, out of breath since they have to run the rest of the way while Sunset is flying close to them as the three ponies on the ground are panting. “Queen Haven!” Sunny called out through her panting. “We need... to ask you...!” She was cut off when she showed the blanket to Queen Haven.
“Wow! That blanket!” Queen Haven said while recognizing the blanket. “My throne room hasn't looked like that in centuries! Wherever did you—?” She was cut off when Zipp zip in when she mentioned the throne room.
“The throne room! I knew it looked familiar!” Zipp said, now remember how she recognized this blanket before. “Thanks, Mom!” She thanked her mother as she and the rest of the Mane 6 zoomed past her to get the other piece.
Queen Haven gives a confused look as she watches the Mane 6 go. “Y-You're welcome, darling! I think.” She said, wondering what that was all about.
A little bit later, the Mane 6 made it to the throne room, and after what Zipp and Pipp told them, their mother has a compartment underneath her throne.
“Huh. I guess that's where the next piece is?” Sunny asked while looking at the blanket as it sparkled brighter, clearing sensing it’s other piece of itself as Sunny turned to her friends. “How do we—?” She was cut off when Izzy walked by as she cleared her throat to gain their attention.
“I've got this, ponies. Open sesa-pony!” Izzy calls out as her horn glows as she uses her magic to try to levitate Queen Haven’s throne up, but she starts straining when it is too heavy to lift. “Any... minute... now!” She strained as Haven’s throne started rumbling side to side as Izzy tried to lift it up.
Zipp looks on but then gives a smirk as she looks at her sister. “Hmmm…” She muttered as she used her head to tell Pipp what they needed to do.
Pipp saw the gesture Zipp was doing as she gave a smile, knowing what she meant. “ Mom's not going to like this!” She said as she’s having a feeling that their mom might be ticked if they do this but it will be fun as well as Zipp and Pipp. “Sunset, c’mon.” She said as the two sisters flew to the throne with Sunset along with them.
And then Izzy, Sunset, Pipp and Zipp were straining as they tried to lift the throne up, but it was still too heavy, even with Sunset using both magic and her strength, it’s still too heavy.
“What… did… Queen Haven used to… make this throne!” Sunset strainly said while thinking on what Queen Haven used to make this throne so heavy.
Sunny watches them strain as she looks at the blanket, looking at a certain earth pony on it as she then gets an idea. “Hitch! We need Earth pony magic, too!” She said to Hitch, thinking that they need Earth Pony magic as well to help out.
Hitch then walks in front of Sunny with a confident smile on his face. “Say no more, Sunny. Critters, roll out!” Hitch called out as two of his crew birds popped up beside him as they struck a pose before going in front of the throne. “Now... lift!” He ordered as the two birds tried to lift up the throne, but their sides and lack of strength was impossible as they strained before they suddenly got thrown to the ceiling with the ponies watching from what just happened.
Sunny spoke after what just happened. “Hitch, I, um... meant our other Earth Pony magic.” She pointed out that she meant the Earth Pony magic that makes plants grow as the two birds landed on Hitch.
“Yeah, that... makes more sense.” Hitch said as he gave Sunny a sheepish smile, clearly feeling embarrassed from forgetting about what they can do as Sunny smiled back before Hitch turned to two of his crew. “Good hustle, team.” He said to his critters, thanking them for their efforts.
Sunny and Hitch then summons their Earth Pony magic as their hooves glow and stomp them down on the ground as vine roots then began to lift Haven’s throne off the ground as with the combined effort of Sunset, Zipp, Pipp and Izzy, they got lifted the throne up enough to see the hidden compartment of the other piece of the blanket.
Sunny picks up the piece as she unravels it to see that it has four ponies, two on the bottom that looks like herself in her alicorn form with Sunset next to her with two pegasi over them that looks like Zipp and Pipp flying as the blanket sparkles.
Izzy then gets next to Sunny as she gasps at what she saw that looks familiar to her in the blanket. “I know that place!” She cheered out, but lost her concentration as the throne stopped levitating as it crashed back down to the floor, breaking it into pieces.
The Mane 6 then give the destroyed throne a worried look, not as worried as Pipp and Zipp are if their mom sees this. “Um, we should probably…” Zipp stammered, knowing the wrath their mother will give if they stick around.
Pipp then gives a nervous laugh. “Yes! Let's!” She agrees with her sister, knowing what’s coming as well.
“Yeah! Time to go!” Sunset called out as she activated her magic to teleport them out of the throne room before they got caught.
The palace doors open as Queen Haven comes in, and then look in shock when she sees her throne is destroyed. “My throne! Guards!” She called out, wanting the guards to fix the throne as soon as possible.
And then sometime later, after escaping from Queen Haven’s wrath, Izzy led her friends to another part of Bridlewood, that looks like a swamp with bubbles popping up with big crystals all around.
“Ta-daaaaa!” Izzy cheered, but her friends cringe in disgust when they saw this, finding the swamp disturbing. “I told you! Just like the picture! Now, let's see if I remember how it works.” She said as she came close to the big crystal. “Uhhhh... uni-cadabra!” She called out, and once she touched the crystal, it began to glow and make chiming sounds.
And then one by one, the crystals all around the area start chiming as well in a pattern.
The rest of the Mane 6 watch in amazement, their disgusted thoughts from earlier vanish once they see what Izzy just showed. “Whoa…” Hitch said, seeing how amazing it is.
“It's beautiful!” Sunny called out with sparkles in their eyes, never seen anything like this.
“I’ve never seen anything like this before. This is going in my ‘Top 5 Most Beautiful Moments In My Life’ folder!” Sunset added, finding this place great.
“Ready, ponies?” Izzy called out to her friends. “Once I hit the big gem, you have to hit all the others in order, okay?” She instructed them on what to do.
Sunny then came next to one as she hit it as it chimes. “Ohhhh. Like Just Prance!” She clarified, remembering the dancing game she entered to get the Unicorn Crystal.
Hitch touches another crystal, but it glows red as it makes an off-key chime. “Only bigger, harder…” He pointed out that this might be harder than the dancing game Sunny entered once.
“And muddier!” Pipp cried out as she got some mud on her hooves as she shook off the mud when Zipp next to her pressed a crystal as it chimes.
“We've got this.” Zipp confidently said to the group.
“Yeah. This is just like that game I played back in the human world.” Sunset said, remember that ‘Hey Simon’ game she and the rainboom played, while taking turns, to match the colors and as quickly as they could.
“Well then... uni-kazam!” Izzy announces as she presses the big crystal as it chimes, giving her friends the signal to start.
The Mane 6 got off on the wrong start as multiple off-key chimes as they hit the wrong crystals as they glowed red.
Sunny looked around as she followed the pattern until she pointed to the one for Zipp to hit, and once she did, a harmonious chime out of it, saying that it’s the right one. The Mane 6 look at each other as they now know what they need to do as Izzy presses the big crystal again to restart.
This time, the Mane 6 starts hitting the right crystals as there are multiple harmonious chimes coming out of them as they hit the right crystals.
Pipp and Zipp find the last crystal that needs to be pressed, so they fly off as fast as they can to press it, but then crash into a bunch of vines, tangling them up.
“Whoa, whoa!” Zipp called out from the vines, trying to keep balance.
“Ew, ew, ew, ew!” Pipp tries to keep balance as well, but really grosses out to have swamp vines wrap around her.
Sunset saw this, but was a little too far to get close to the crystal as she turned to Sunny. “Sunny! You’re the closest! Tap that crystal!” She called out to Sunny.
Sunny then gives a determined look as she summons her Alicorn form, flying straight to the crystal. Once she gets close enough, she taps it as it gives off a harmonious chime. Sunny smiled as she flew back to her friends, not before she used her Alicorn magic to untangle Zipp and Pipp, who smiled in return.
“Go, Sunny!” Hitch congrats as they regrouped.
“Did you see that?!” Izzy asked in excitement.
“You did it!” Zipp exclaimed to Sunny.
“That was amazing, Sunny!” Sunset added with a proud smile.
But then, rumbling started as a chest somehow came out of the ground as it sparkled. Sunny opened the chest as she smiled with a sparkle in her eyes as she picked up the last piece of the blanket, that has a picture of Maretime Bay and a unicorn on it that looks like Izzy.
Sometime later, the Mane 6 returned to the Brighthouse as Izzy was putting the pieces of the blanket back together with her sewing skills. While the rest waited, Zipp could hardly contain her excitement.
“Is it done? Come on! Let me see!” Zipp said in excitement as she flew around Izzy.
“And... presto!” Izzy called out as she spread the blanket, wide enough to see it all piece back together to show that it has the picture of the Mane 6 and three of their tribe's hometowns as Sunset and Sunny are in the middle with Sunny in her Alicorn form.
“Well, that is something.” Hitch said in amazement as the blanket glowed with the Mane 6 looking awed at it.
“It's hooftag #Vintage!” Pipp cheered as she took a selfie with the blanket on her phone.
“It's... us.” Sunny said with a smile as they saw that the blanket had the Mane 6 smiling at this.
Sunset then widens her eyes in recognition. “Ponies. This is a tapestry. A sign of certain events has happened to certain ponies of certain times!” She said which caused the Mane 6 to gasp in shock. “Sunny. This blanket predicts us coming together to bring the magic back and reunite the three tribes. And this must’ve been really old to predict something like this.” She said, after hearing from Argyle from the film that this blanket has been passed down for ten generations, it must’ve predicted that there’s hope and magic will return thanks to the Mane 6 making it happen.
“You’re right, Sunset. It does.” Sunny said with a smile. But then one of her hind hooves hit the film player as it turned on again to play the rest of Argyle’s filming.
“Now, you're probably thinking our family's a little too small to do all this.” Argyle chuckles as the Mane 6 watch the film as Sunny pays close attention to what her father is saying. “And you'd be right. But "family" is just a fancy word for ponies that always stick together.” He said as he picked up Filly Sunny, wrapped in the blanket as she snuggled close to her father in her sleep as Sunny watches with a heartfelt expression with tears forming in her eyes. “Your friends can be a family you choose. And Sunny, hoof to heart, I know you'll find that someday.” He said to his daughter if she is watching this.
Sunny then gives a teary smile to her father as she takes his words by heart as she looks at the rest of her friends who are giving a smile in return, knowing that Sunny has friends to be there for her and to be one happy family. Sunny then looked at the film of her father one last time. “I already did, Dad.” She said to her father as she smiled tearfully with a heartfelt expression.
The Mane 6 then got Sunny into a comforting hug as they watched the film with Argyle giving his young daughter a snuggle as the Mane 6 looked on.
End of Chapter 24.