The Royal family, as well as Alphabittle and the group of around twenty guards that Queen Haven had picked as potential suitors for Zipp, went to the mountains surrounding Zephyr Heights. Zipp looked around fondly.
“This was where I first ran into Sunny and Izzy,” she said to Pipp.
“And now its where you’re holding your first event to find a future husband! Eee!” Pipp squealed. “This is the place where wonderful things happen!”
“Hey, I only picked here because it made sense,” Zipp said. Don’t want to have everypony flying in the city where we might cause some sort of accident.”
“Places everypony!” Queen Haven said.
The guards all stood side by side on the cliff below. Zipp looked at them, all dressed in the armor she’d seen her entire life. She saw several familiar faces among them, though she didn’t know most of their names. There was one however that she did. A green pegasus with a knight chess piece cutie mark. Thunder Flap, she’d run into him fairly often though she didn’t know too much about him. He’d been a new recruit at the time when Zipp and Pipp met Sunny, Izzy, and Hitch. Thunder had become the partner of Zoom, Queen Haven’s captain and advisor whom she trusted highly. Based on what little Zipp knew of Thunder, she felt he was a bit nervous. He looked so now as she looked at him.
Then Zipp felt a wing on her back. “Speak to them Zephyrina!”
“Mom! I told you to just call me Zipp!” Zipp said.
“Sorry Zipp, just slipped out,” Haven said. “But perhaps for formal occasions we should use your full name. Regardless you should speak to them and be the one to explain our plan.”
Zipp sighed. She flapped her wings lightly and landed in front of the guards.
“Uh… thank you all for coming!” Zipp said forcing a smile. “I’m honored you have all agreed to compete for my hoof.”
The guards said nothing, and there were few changes in expressions. She frowned.
“Um… permission to speak?” she said, hoping to hear them express themselves.
The guards looked at her, then one, a guard with purple coat and a cutie mark of an arrow pointing right. He bowed.
“The pleasure is ours, Princess,” he said.
“Zipp, just call me Zipp,” Zipp said as she often did to those she met.
“Oh, I couldn’t Princess,” he said. “It would be informal.”
She narrowed her eyes a bit. Protocol and formality wasn’t something she was very fond of, though it was hardly a slight as he was merely trying to respect her.
“Alright then if you insist,” she said. “What is your name anyway?”
“Right Light,” he said.
Zipp’s eyes went from a slight narrow to wide.
“Okay, well that’s an interesting name,” she admitted. “May I ask why you agreed to court me?”
“Well, ahem,” he cleared his throat. “You see, I’ve actually liked you for a long time!”
She was now surprised. A mixture of flattery and creepiness filled her. But she’d see.
“Really?” she asked.
“Yes! I saw you and your sister performing in one of the holidays when we were all foals! I think we were- well, I was eight I think,” Right Light said. “I saw you flying in one of the holiday shows we had and I though, she moves beautifully. I wish I could fly with her.”
“Well, that’s… nice,” Zipp said with a small blush. “I do like flying. How come you never talked to me before though?”
“I was… uh, nervous a bit. You know the idea of courting or even talking to a princess, and we guards are usually supposed to remain silent in your presence unless spoken to directly. Also we didn’t really cross each other’s path too often,” Right said.
“Well, good to meet you, Right,” Zipp said. She wasn’t sure to make of him yet. Though he had at least talked to her. “Anypony else have anything they want to say?”
Thunder Flap did. “I think your royal clothes look very beautiful Princess!”
“Uh, thanks,” Zipp said indifferently to that.
She didn’t really care for the garments. That sort of thing might work on Pipp though.
“Well, if that is everything, please let the race begin!” Queen Haven said.
Zipp flew back up to where her mother, sister, and Alphabittle waited. Queen Haven then began to explain the rules of the race.
“You will do a lap around the mountains surrounding Zephyr Heights! There will be obstacles such as female guards!”
Several female members of the guard, including Captain Zoom, popped up out of the clouds surrounding the mountain on their wings.
“They will restrain you if they catch you and you will have to break free lest you be overtaken by those behind you,” Queen Haven continued.
The female guards retreated into the cover of the clouds out of sight.
“Ready! Set! Go!” Queen Haven announced.
…
The Pegasus males took off, flapping their wings at high speed. They flew along the side of the mountain. Right Light took the lead closely followed by Thunder. Then another Pegasus flapped hard and managed to pass both the leaders, he grinned, thinking he had this in the bag.
Only to have a female guard grab him and restrain him in midair.
“Gotcha!” she said.
The guard struggled as the ones that had been behind him quickly passed. Right Wing was back in the lead again. More of the female guards popped out of the clouds from below, grabbing the advancing males. Some of the contestants flew up higher to try and avoid the surprise attacks, but Right Light noticed something. Ponies with video cameras flying high above, he wanted to use the opportunity to impress Zipp and anypony else that was watching. He stayed low, where it would be challenging, though he made sure not to stay too low and give himself a respectable distance so he could react. A female guard swooped up at him. He barrelrolled in midair and avoided her. She didn’t come after him and instead pinned Thunder. More females flew in but Right dodged them all, flying high, low, and off to the side as each one came.
Back behind him aways, Thunder managed to break free of the mare that had restrained him and pursued. Though one managed to get in front of him. He flapped with all his might.
Back at starting point which was also the finish, Zipp and her family watched from Pipp’s phone as the participants flew. It took a long time but after about ten minutes of watching them fly, the competitors came to the final stretch. Right easily dodged the last set of mares that came at him. The one behind him got it and Thunder took second place. Zipp, Pipp, Queen Haven and Alphabittle looked to their right just in time to see Right coming in hot, quickly followed by Thunder. They came in.
3. 2. 1.
Right grinned as he came in first place, landing on the surface in front of Zipp who gave a small smile.
“That was some pretty fancy flying there, Right!” she said. “Maybe we can fly together sometime.”
“I’d be honored Princess Zipp,” he said.
She was intrigued by his flying abilities, though she wouldn’t mind if he were less formal and rule abiding. But that was how the guards were.
Second after Right came Thunder, then another third Pegasus who was brown in coloration.
“And we have the top three contestants,” Queen Haven announced. “Right Light, Thunder Flap, and …”
“Dune Sweeper,” the brown one said.
“Dune Sweeper!” Queen Haven finished. “These three are the first three Pegasi to complete the race. Therefore, they will all compete to win my daughter Zipp’s heart.”
The three turned to Zipp who smiled.
“I look forward to it,” she said, somewhat sincerely.
This hadn’t been as bad she expected at least.
…
A while later, Right Light stood alone in his home, an upper-class mansion in Zephyr Heights.
He grinned triumphantly, a power-hungry look in his eyes. “Finally, the chance to court Princess Zipp and become King of Zephyr Heights. Now I just need to get rid of the rest of the competition.”
He chuckled wickedly.
…
In the barracks, Thunder Flap sat with Captain Zoom.
“So how do you feel?” she asked.
“Proud I guess, but I only came in second place,” Thunder told his superior.
“Better then fourth or last place, since neither of those count,” Zoom told him. “You really want to be with the princess?”
“I’m not really sure, but she is an amazing pony,” Thunder said. “Not sure she’ll think the same of me.”
“Just try and be confident, you managed to become a good flyer thanks to that flight school she set up,” Zoom said punching her subordinate on the shoulder.
“Ow,” Thunder rubbed the spot she punched.
“And grow a backbone,” she said.
“Yes ma’am,” he said.
“Also don’t let yourself be distracted just cause you’re now a knight in shining armor looking to win the princess,” Zoom said. “We need to be ready. Earth Ponies and Pegasi may not be our enemies anymore. But no time is truly safe without security. Zephyr Heights and the royal family depend on us. Our king lost his life, and I don’t intend to let that happen to our queen or the princesses.”
Thunder nodded. Despite his training, he was still afraid of danger, but he was willing to fight for Zipp. Though she could probably handle herself being the strong and investigative pony she was. But if she needed help, he would be there if he could. Whatever was out there, he would help her face it.
…
Opaline watched the royal race with intrigue. Though it wasn’t the event that intrigued her, but rather, the pony that had come in first place. Right Light. She watched him and heard him talking to himself.
“He has ambition, and some decent flying skills,” the evil queen said. “Hmm. I think this could be a good opportunity to start rebuilding my forces. Can’t have just one clumsy unicorn assistant anymore, can I? Speaking of which I wonder how she is doing?”
She began walking back to the library.
…
Misty had studied the section on the basics of magic for a while. Then she finally tried it, lighting up her horn which glowed a very light blue, cyan. A matching aura surrounded the book and it rose off the table. Misty ran her magic threw the pages, flipping them as she read.
“I got it!” she said.
Hoof taps echoed in her ears and the door opened, causing her to jump and disrupting her focus. The book fell and hit the table with a soft smack. Opaline stood in the doorway. Her eyes widened as she saw it. It had only been for a split second but she saw it.
“You did it,” she said. “You did it!”
“Yes, I did it!” Misty said.
“Well, don’t be too excited about it,” Opaline said her pleasant surprise vanishing as quickly as it came. “That is a very basic spell. Still, better then nothing.”
Misty looked down, praise was something she never got any of. She’d had to do a lot of work around here, even before magic came back. She’d had to clean the castle since she was a filly after Opaline found her in the woods, make Opaline’s meals, and now she had her spying job as well.
“Now I believe it is time for lunch,” Opaline said.
“Yes Opaline,” Misty said obediently.
Opaline said what she wanted Misty to cook and then said, “I’ll be there in a while. I just need some fresh air for a moment.
Misty bowed her head and headed to the kitchen.
…
Opaline stepped out of her castle and made her way across the bridge connecting it to the land. The evil Alicorn queen made her way to the edge of her territory. With every step it grew clearer, the spell Twilight had cast long ago that had cost her all her magic and immortality, along with the magic of everypony in Equestria. In addition to sealing magic away so Opaline couldn’t take it for herself, she’d also trapped Opaline in this small area of forest.
Opaline sighed as the forcefield caging her in her own castle grounds revealed itself to her. Misty could pass through it as she was not the one the spell had been put on. That made her Opaline’s only hope to get the magic back. She’d found Misty in these very woods when the young unicorn had somehow gotten lost, she’d been half starved by the time Opaline found her, or rather, when she stumbled onto Opaline’s territory and unknowingly gone through the barrier.
Opaline had nourished the young pony and taken her in. Once she had the strength, Opaline put her to work, taking up the work that should have been done by servants in her castle. But she had none. Everypony that had once been her servant had been trapped in stone long ago during the battle with Twilight.
Opaline stopped as she got as far as she could go, her face inches away from the forcefield. But beyond, she could see a large number of pony statues in front of her. Her army, that had been mostly comprised of ponies she put under mind control once she drained their magic. There were however, a few exceptional ones she had let keep their magic in exchange for their loyalty.
She saw many Earth Ponies, some unicorns, and a few Pegasi as well. Some of the Pegasi had been flying up high and their statues broke when they fell and hit the ground. They would have died on the impact. She gave a sad glance at them. While she was evil, and she knew it, she was not completely heartless and willing to reward those that served her well. Whether Misty would earn her reward remained to be seen.
Misty was pathetic, though this might be the start of a promising future seeing as she’d quickly managed to grasp basic levitation, even if that was a cheap trick. Opaline would continue using Misty for now, and if she succeeded in getting Opaline the dragonfire, the queen would tell her the secret to getting a cutie mark. The foal believed Opaline could actually grant her the mark, but that was beyond her power. She knew that Misty needed to find her special talent to get a mark. She would likely have to go out into the world to find her destiny. Opaline would allow that, once she didn’t need Misty anymore to do her dirty work. But for now Misty would serve her.
If only she’d gotten a cutie mark while working here, it might have been an indication that her destiny was to serve or maybe even rule at Opaline’s side. But that had not happened. It was a pity really. Opaline might have been able to groom Misty into becoming a ruthless alicorn like herself. Then she could have truly called her her daughter. But that had not happened and Opaline could only see Misty as a means to an end.
She did have at least one pony she genuinely loved. She looked at him from beyond the forcefield. An alicorn like herself, an alicorn male that was a bit smaller than her, only the size of the common ponies. She wanted to hug him. But she could not reach him thanks to the magical barrier that had been created along with the Unity Crystals long ago. He stood frozen in stone with the rest of her army, a crown on his head, armor on his body, and a hammer in his hoofs. He looked so regal in her eyes, but that was fitting since he was-
“My son,” Opaline said, allowing her sadness to surface as she did so on very rare occasions, her head falling and a small tear escaping her eyes. “I will soon have my power back. Then I can break out of this shield and free you! Then you and I can rule Equestria together! Fireforge Destiny!”
The statue could not turn to her, so she was forced to look at him from the side. She sighed and went back up the path to her castle. The time would soon be upon her, if Misty could succeed.