//------------------------------// // Canceled // Story: Unicorn Attack! // by milesprower06 //------------------------------// Pipp Petals. Did. Not. Cancel. Zephyr Heights' most popular livestreamer was downright fuming as she paced back and forth in the staging room. Alone. She wasn't supposed to be alone. She was supposed to be with her mom and big sister. She had no idea where Zipp was, but she knew where she was supposed to be; right here! In the wire rigging, ready to be 'floated' down to her seat so Pipp could perform her new song! Frankly, Pipp didn't know what her sister could be up to, but she was certain that she knew how important this night was to her. No excuse was going to make up for this. She couldn't remember the last time that the castle went into lockdown and it wasn't a drill. Her impatient hoof-tapping wasn't making things any better as she once again held her smartphone up to her ear after tapping 'Call' under Zipp's name in her contacts list. The speaker gave a ringing tone for several moments, before it finally stopped. "You have reached the voicemail box of... 'Zipp Storm'... At the tone, please record—" Pipp didn't bother, somewhat surprised her sister had even taken the time to set up her voicemail box. Finally having enough of standing here hoping the evening and performance could possibly be salvaged, she now felt determination building inside her to get to the bottom of whatever stunt Zipp was pulling. Pocketing her phone, she pulled the door open and headed out into the hall. Heading to the elevator, she punched the button for the ground floor, having a pretty good idea of where she might be. The easy going elevator music did very little to temper Pipp's growing frustrations. She had a pretty good idea of where her sister was hiding, but was never sure how she got in there; it had been walled off since well before she had been born. The elevator chimed, and the doors swung open. The castle was still in lockdown, but she figured she'd have no problem getting where she needed to go within the limits of the walls. Heading down the correct hall, she stopped in surprise when she saw the normally pristine carpet covered in dust, splinters, and rubble, and immediately saw why. The guards, and likely her mom, had been one step ahead. The walled off entrance to the airship station had already been torn down, and caution tape had been set up. Ducking under the tape, Pipp passed through the doorway, and took a quick look around. Clearly, the guards had already looked around, and found nopony here. But maybe they missed something. After all, no one knew Zipp like Pipp. Stepping down the stairs, Pipp passed the ancient benches and advertisements, walking up to a double-pronged lever handle. She pulled it down, and the fans built into the ground started up. No doubt that had been a way to get parked airships airborne again with minimal energy. It would also explain how Zipp had gotten so amazingly good at gliding. Pushing the lever back up to its previous position, the fans slowly spun to a stop, and she continued on down the large room, towards a blackboard on wheels. The board looked ancient, but the chalk-written mathematical equations clearly weren't; weeks old, maybe a little more, and Zipp had a head for that kind of stuff. The large opening where the window used to be would be the prime spot for jumping out and gliding out, but she wouldn't get far this low down, even with the most favorable updrafts. Pipp took a closer look at the opening, and spotted a steel ring bolted into the side of the frame. That didn't look ancient, and it also would serve no purpose with a window there. But if there were a rope attached, one could easily rappel down the side of the castle and cliff side. Pipp's eyes widened at the possibility that just hit her brain. Did Zipp... Have others with her? Had she brought others into the castle? The proverbial light bulb came on in her head as she immediately dug out her phone. She had insisted on Zipp installing her 'Family Tracker' app that would allow the royal family to find each other in an emergency, and based on how little Zipp used her phone, it was likely she had forgotten about it. Zipp's phone hadn't gone to voicemail in the last four times she had called, so it was still on. Now to just hope she had it on her and she was just ignoring it... The app loaded, and Pipp pressed the big red button on the middle of the screen. Her phone sounded a ping, and immediately switched to a topographic map of the surrounding area, and sure enough, one marker was in the castle, and the other was two miles out into the mountains, almost straight out from the window, and slowly moving farther way. Gritting her teeth, Pipp knew she was going to have to act, and fast. She quickly slid the tracker app to the background and opened ClipTrot and hit record. "Pippsqueaks, I have to sadly confirm the rumor that is very likely spreading in the last few minutes; tonight's performance is canceled due to unforeseen circumstances. Something has come up, and though I have never canceled before, I swear that any and all ticket sales from tonight will be honored at a later date. You have my word as your Princess. Have the best of nights, because I am not. Catch you later." Pipp ended the recording, uploaded it, then pocketed her phone, backing up from the window several paces, then went straight for it at a full gallop. Fast approaching the window, she waited until the last moment, then leapt over the windowsill into the night air, and spread her fluffy wings, catching the first updraft and went as fast as she could after her big sister...