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// He Came to a City 
// Story: Rebirth of Magic: Law and Order 
// by The Blue EM2 
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I left the tavern early in the morning, and set off on my journey, remembering to attach my fake pegasus wings to my sides before leaving. When I'd paid my tab, there was a spirited group of performers on the stage, singing something about a bog in a valley. I didn't see my friend from last night anywhere, so he was probably just asleep or had also set off on his journey. I felt relieved to nearly at the end of my journey. Although I would probably be able to make the journey to Zephyr Heights, I was still following at a reasonable pace. And knowing that Sunny and Izzy were in, in all likelihood, in the custody of the authorities made my life easier. All I needed to do was locate the prison and bust them out- before moving both of them to a jail elsewhere.

I continued on my way across the landscape, noticing the land slowly becoming more and more rocky as I went along, feeling somewhat like I was making my way into a desert. I know there is grass pretty close to the climb to Zephyr Heights in the movie, but they may have made their approach from a different direction, as the grass here was very short and clearly adapted for a low water environment.

This caused me to question something. From what I'd seen this land wasn't exactly suitable for growing food, although I was only in the southern section of the country. Therefore, it's entirely possible that they grow their food further north, although based on comments I heard in the earth pony lands suggested that the UEPS were the breadbasket of Equestria. Perhaps the pegasi were having food shortages, which was why they invaded? Untold numbers of wars have been fought over food, after all.

I kept on going as the land continued to change and move about me. The ground began to climb below me as I got closer and closer to the capital. Although a road led me up to the city, I spotted another route that I could take up to the top of this mountain.

Ahead of me was a canyon that was shrouded in mist and darkness. I had acquired a torch on my troubles and switched it on, but it struggled to make a dent in the dark. I made my way into the canyon and walked down it, slowly I'll admit, but still I made some remarkable progress into the tunnel. I walked along the path and then stopped when a solid wall stopped me.

I knew where I was. This was where Sunny and Izzy meet Zipp in the movie. I had to start a climb, though hopefully no pegasus would be hopping about behind me and causing me to panic. I climbed the landscape and looked about for some clue as to high up I was.

It was tough going, even with my stamina. Hitch clearly worked out, but even if this was putting some strain on my ability to move upwards.

I finally arrived atop an outcrop, and looked around me with a smile. I had made it at last. After untold amounts of travel, I was here in Zephyr Heights! I looked around me for a trace of anything that might be useful to me and enable me to complete my mission to rescue my fellow earth pony.

My nose looked about for any clues. I soon found something. Some scents implied that two ponies had been standing here, and another two approach them at speed from the direction of the city. Another set jump backward off a cliff and down into the mist below.

So, clearly a scuffle had occurred here, but without any physical evidence I couldn't make any further progress. I continued to look about, and I was hunting for any other clues. Physical evidence, more objects, that sort of thing that would help me figure out who the assailants were. For all I knew, the pegasi here were intercepting an escaped criminal who had escaped from justice.

I continued to check around, until at last I found something that could qualify as useful in my search. I sat back and smiled at what I'd found.

It was a white feather. I picked it up and sniffed it, peering at is closely. "Pegasus, definitely," I said to myself. "What a find. Only one pegasus regularly leaps around in these parts and has white fur and feathers. By process of elimination, this feather belongs to Zipp Storm." Although I had detected a slightly odd scent on it which felt out of place in Equestria, reminding me more of freezing lakes from another land, I now knew what had happened. This was where Sunny and Izzy had been captured a few days ago.

I knew I'd already said the speech earlier, but I couldn't resist doing it again. "Sunny, Sunny, Sunny, Sunny. You think you've escaped? Well, think again." I paused. "I will not eat! I will not sleep! Well, maybe a quick nap and a snack if I can't find you in the next few hours." I took the opportunity to check my supplies were properly secured on my back once more, as it would be annoying to lose them this close to the resolution of my journey. "But  after that, nothing will stop me! I'll follow you wherever you go.  Whether harshest deserts, the coldest tundras, no trail too dangerous, no clue too small. The past matters not! It's justice. The law is blind, and the long arm of the law bends towards a just resolution."

When I had first said those words, I had no clue of the adventures ahead of me. And the decisions that I made during the next stage of my journey would determine my chances of success in this new city. And little did I know it at the time, but my actions in the next week would have a profound affect on the future of Equestria.

I stepped into Zephyr Heights for the first time, and I was blown away as I made my way along the streets and thoroughfares of that fine city. White marble, steel, and golden and bronze plate stretched as high into the sky as you can imagine. The sun shone and gleamed on the terrain, keeping it bright and glorious. It was as if Faust herself was smiling on the city.

Wait, what did I say?

I continued to look about, soaking up the hustle and bustle around me. Ponies headed back and forth with heavy loads of shopping. Small electric trucks rumbled around moving goods about. Sky transports flew overhead, moving ponies about the city. The loud horns from below indicated some form of rail network, or a tramway at the very least. Above it all, a twin engines aircraft lifted off over the city, the twin turbofans roaring as it climbed into the sky.

It seemed the pegasi had found all sorts of clever ways around their inability to fly. I gotta hand it to them, they seemed pretty ingenious. I continued to wander the streets of the city, looking for more clues as to how to find my charges.

I sat below a large fountain of several pegasi, and below the statue sat two signs, proclaiming this was where Zephyrina Storm and Pipp Petals got their cutie marks. I had no idea why that was an achievement worth noting. Probably put up to appeal to the Queen's enormous narcissism.

Now then, you're probably asking 'Hitch, why didn't you just go direct to the prison and break open the doors?' Well, there's a very simple reason for that. Two reasons, actually. The first was that I had no idea where they were being held. Zephyr Heights probably had multiple jails (most cities do), and I had no way of knowing which one they were in. And the second reason was that the jails probably had heavy security surrounding them (any city worth its salt has an effective police force), so just one pony trying to get them out was a crazy idea.

But I knew when I would encounter them. As I walked past a stand covered in sunglasses endorsed by this Pipp Petals pony, I formulated my grand plan. The news report yesterday had said the Party in the Palace was next week, and if things were proceeding as they were in the movie I'd encounter them there. The only thing I would need to do is pretend to be a pegasus for a week.

No big deal. I can cosplay as another species for a week. Another species from another species from the one I was born at. This entire scenario was positively Kafkaesque in its absurdity.

So I spent an entire week undercover as a pegasus in this city, making sure to learn local customs, history, and modes of behaviour typical to the region. Shopping was not on the cards, but luckily I'm resourceful. I quickly figured out how to get ready meals out of machines and also borrowed a microwave that somepony had thrown out to cook them in.

I was, overall, pretty confident my plan would work. And so, that fateful evening, I made my way to the palace. My mission was set. My duty was clear. Justice would be served.