A wall of spotlights ignites, gradually brightening to illuminate a pegasus figure standing before viewers on a stage with wings folded as heavenly voices and strings provide accompaniment. The scene was in black and white, and as the feathery limbs extend, the camera cuts close enough to frame their owner being Princess Pipp, who turns her head to glance alluringly over her shoulder. From here, cut to a long overhead shot of her galloping along a beach in slow motion; a stallion’s voice is heard, speaking with a heavy French accent.
“This princess smells,” a close up of Pipp lifts off and glides against the setting sun, “So could you.”
On the stage again; she flies a circle around a giant perfume bottle and pulls into a hover above its gold stopper. The bottle is in full color and is labeled 'La Pipp—Zephyr'.
“Parfum La Pipp.”
It zoomed out to reveal the entire sequence was a commercial playing on a wall mounted screen in Zephyr Heights. Below it was a barred window where Sunny was gazing forlornly out from it, as Lita looked out with her.
"Sunny, something is not right here." Lita told the earth pony.
"I know, Lita. We haven't seen a single pony fly. Except the royal family." Sunny noted.
"It doesn't add up." Lita added.
"Izzy, girls? Are you listening?" Sunny asked.
Turned out, Izzy, Zink, Zanna, and Mushroom were sitting in massage recliners, with cucumber slices over their eyes and sipping drinks. The dungeon was more like a luxurious room.
"This isn't dungeony at all." Izzy said all relaxed.
"Hey, if this is torture, then chain me to the wall!" Zanna agreed, as she took a sip of her drink.
"You got to admit, for being fearful of other pony tribes, this Queen is very hospitable to prisoners." Mushroom noted.
"I have a feeling we may be the first prisoners this place ever had." Zink suspected.
"I can believe that." Sunny agreed.
"There's got to be a way to get out of this place and reclaim our confiscated weapons." Lita said, as she tried to think.
“Hey!”
The group looked and saw Queen Haven's daughter from before standing on the other side of the dungeon bars.
“You?” Zink asked.
“I’m sorry you all got thrown in here.” she began.
“Yeah, I mean what's up with your mom not even willing to hear us out?” Zanna asked, getting off her recliner.
“Mom's just super paranoid,” she replied, “But I have to talk to you all.”
“Princess?” Sunny asked.
Izzy began acting formal, “Your Majestic-ness…Your-Your-Your Graceful Highness! I-”
“Zipp!” The pegasus cut her off, “Call me Zipp.”
“Okay, Zipp,” Sunny began, “I'm Sunny, and this is...”
“Izzy Moonbow!” Izzy introduced herself.
“I'm Lita, and these are my sisters.”
“Zink.”
“Zanna.”
“Mushroom.”
Zipp nodded, “Sunny, Izzy, Lita, Zink, Zanna, Mushroom. I really need to ask you something important,” she did a quick look around making sure the coast was clear and whispered to them, “About magic.”
“That's why we're here!” Sunny gasped.
“Yeah, maybe you can tell us how yours works?” Zanna asked.
“Izzy has no idea how the unicorns lost theirs, so we thought maybe—“ Mushroom was cut off by Zipp.
“Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa. Wait. “Lost theirs”? As in, no magic?” the group gave a shake of their heads, “Well, that changes things. Listen. I might have some information that could help, but first…” she reached under her wing, “You need to tell me about this.” she revealed she had Sunny's journal making the earth pony gasp.
“My journal!” she accepted it back, “Thank you, Zipp! I-I never thought I’d see it again.”
“And here, I believe these belong to you girls.” Zipp fished around and pulled out their ninjas weapons.
“Alright!” Zink cheered, as they took their weapons back.
“Thanks, Zipp. Clever of you to retrieve them.” Lita said impressed.
“Yeah, I can be pretty sneaky when I want to be.” she answered cockily.
“Nice! I’m—I’m only medium sneaky.” Izzy confessed.
“So where did that come from?” Zipp asked Sunny.
“It was my father’s. Why?”
“That star.” Zipp motioned to Twilight Sparkle's cutie mark symbol on the journal.
“Why's it important?” Mushroom wondered.
Before any could answer, the sound of fanfare played alerting them. The fanfare was played by pegasi guards who were actually using trumpet apps on their phones. They started rolling out a carpet as Princess Pipp was trotting down. Sunny quickly hid her journal, while the ninjas hid their weapons from view.
Pipp arrived and spoke to her sister, “Zipp, what are you doing here?” she then spoke under her breath, “Mom said to stay away.”
“Riiiight. Then why are you here?” Zipp challenged her.
Pipp scoffed before bringing out her phone, “For the content.” she took another snap of herself while behind her Izzy grinned before dragging a protesting Sunny and the ninjas so they were in the shot.
“By the way, girls. Love your masks.” Pipp told the ninjas.
“Thank you.” Lita said being respectful.
“Uh, Princess, why isn't anypony flying?” Sunny asked her.
“Yeah, what's the point in having them if they don't use them?” Zanna wondered.
Pipp gasped by that question before composing herself with a casual laugh as she stows away her phone and turns to them.
“E-Everypony knows that only royals can fly, of course.”
“What?!” the prisoners gasped.
“That makes no sense!” Mushroom said confused.
“I know, it’s not fair. But that’s just the way it is,” Pipp flapped a bit, “If there was some way we could teach the citizens to fly, you know we would in a wingbeat. Right, Zipp?
“Yeah. In a wingbeat.” Zipp answered glumly.
The group looked at each other still confused, as Pipp's phone vibrated, “Oh, dress rehearsals. Got to go!” she spoke to her sister under her breath, “And so should you.”
She began to practice her singing, “Mi-mi-miiii! Red feather, yellow feather, red feather, yellow feather.” she trotted off as the guards followed her while rolling the carpet back up.
When Zipp was alone with the group again, she spoke to them, “I have to show you all something.”
She went to a scanner mounted on the wall next to the cell and puts a front hoof to it; a flash of recognized identity, and the bars swiftly retract into the ceiling.
“Finally!” Zink said in relief.
Zipp hurried off up the corridor and out of sight even before Sunny and Izzy can gasp in delight, “You coming or what?” she asked them.
“Let's go!” Lita ordered as they hurried.
“Jailbreak!” Zanna cheered.
Sunny followed, while Izzy was about to, but stopped and glanced back toward the fruit bowl in their cell. She grabbed an orange from it and replaced it with the tennis ball she had on her horn before snickering.
Meanwhile back at the mountain outside Zephyr Heights by the edge of a cliff were several creatures nibbling at the sparse tufts of grass. They scattered as one of Hitch’s forelegs heaves into view beyond the precipice and hooks into the stony ground so he can drag himself up. Collapsing onto his belly with a tired groan, he was more than a bit surprised to find the critters hopping his way.
“Huh?” he asked, before they looked at Hitch cooing and nuzzled his cheeks happily putting him into a mildly foul mood, but he looked ahead and instantly snapped out of it with a gasp. He spotted one of the pro-unicorn stickers Sunny was putting up around Maretime Bay while on her way to the Canterlogic show.
“Litter,” he said grimly, before correcting himself, “I mean, a clue!” he then spotted one of Izzy's hair snagged on a branch, and peered intently at it, “Hmmm... unicorn hair.”
Then he spotted one of Zipp's feathers lying loose on the rocky plateau, picked it up, and gave it a lick to evaluate the taste, “Pegasi.”
He trotted determinedly away along the ridge. Throughout this sequence, he has completely failed to notice the slowly gathering knot of cute little furballs behind him. Hitch pressed one ear to a rock face, “Track's gone cold.” turned out he was pressing it against the ground, before getting back up.
He started to gently chide, “Sunny, Sunny, Sunny, Sunny. You think you’ve escaped?” he chuckled and shook his head, “Well, think again. 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. But after that, nothing will stop me!”
He then realize he had an audience of critters who gathered together and applauded and cheered for him.
Hitch appreciating the attention smiled with a chuckle and bowed to them, “Oh! Thank you, thank you. No, no, no, you’re too kind,” he ceased his levity and spoke firmly, “I’ll follow you wherever you go! Whether harshest deserts!” the critters gasped, “The coldest tundras! No trail too dangerous, no clue too small.”
He then stood with his back to the clouds at this point, he did not see them gradually clear to expose a bunch of giant screens mounted on buildings just beyond the ridge. Each carries a “BREAKING NEWS” banner and a mug shot of each of the escapees—a put-out Sunny with Lita expressing the same expression, a grinning Izzy, Zanna waving, Mushroom embarrassed, and Zink frowning.
“The past matters not! It’s justice!” Hitch continued before groaning from the critters chatter, “What, what?”
As one, they voice a loud coo and point their ears past him. Taking the hint to look behind him, he looked and got a eyeful of the group he was looking for on the screens.
“Gotcha.” he said grimly.
Back at the castle, Zipp opened a ventilation grate as Sunny, Izzy, and the ninjas peeked down through the opening.
“What's down here?” Lita asked Zipp.
“You'll find out,” she replied before dropping down the opening into a gondola hanging from two sets of cables strung over pulleys. Landing neatly in the craft, she addresses the others, “Watch your step!”
Sunny and Izzy landed wobbly, as Lita and her sisters landed perfectly.
“Like a ninja do.” Zanna boasted.
Zipp threw a switch as the gondola was being lowered down closer to the floor. The group found themselves inside a great hall as part of a transportation hub. And with the state of the draperies and banners from being covered in dust or tarps covering them it hadn't been used in such a long time.
“Where are we?” Sunny asked Zipp, as they descend the ramp.
“It's amazing, right?” Zipp asked, “I’m pretty sure it was some sort of station.”
“Like the Grand Central Terminal back home.” Mushroom marveled.
Zipp continued, “I believe this was used when earth ponies and unicorns used to visit Zephyr Heights. But it's like everypony forgot.”
“Used to visit?” Lita spoke up.
“So then...” Mushroom pondered, as Sunny walked up to a poster advertising Maretime Bay and looked up at another advertising Bridlewood where Izzy lives.
“This is proof!” she cheered, “All pony kinds used to be friends! My dad was right.”
“Yeah, this was the Equestria we were hoping to see. Not all this divided and paranoia against other tribes racket.” Lita told the three ponies.
They walked over to Zipp who gave a pensive glare at another poster depicting a famous group of pegasi from old Eqeustria.
“Wonderbolts.” Zanna gasped.
“I wonder what happened to the team?” Mushroom wondered.
“Must be really weird being the only pegasi that can fly.” Sunny told Zipp.
Zipp let out a heavy sigh, “Actually, we can't fly either. We've been faking it.”
Izzy drew out a long gasp, as Sunny spoke equally surprised, “Faking it?!”
“But how?” Mushroom asked.
“And why?” Lita wondered.
“You’d be surprised what some wires and good lighting will do,” Zipp began, “And it's mom's way of giving hope to the citizens.”
“By lying to them?” Zink asked incredulously.
“I know. I’m so tired of living that ridiculous lie! That’s why I come down here, to get away from all of that!” And, well…to do this.” she smirked.
A few galloping strides allowed her to build up the momentum for a nimble leap; she landed on a switch and triggered it, pushing off as a cluster of upward-angled fans whirs to life. They stand around a much larger, floor-mounted unit and are set to direct their output air streams into its own. Zipp’s secondary bound deposited her dead center above the main unit, and she lets it propel her upward while spreading her wings to full length and laughing joyously. She rose toward the banks of skylights that stretch the length of the station’s arched ceiling and executes a loop that carried her out through the open entrance between the stained-glass windows and back.
“Wow!” Sunny gasped.
“Wild!” Zanna cheered.
“Not bad.” Zink smirked.
"Amazing." Lita crossed her arms impressed.
"Incredible." Mushroom marveled.
“Whoa!” Izzy gasped, while Zipp was lost in airborne rapture, “Her sparkle is so bright right now!”
Zipp then came in for a landing as the fans shut off, “But that’s not why I brought you down here,” she pointed upward, “This is what I wanted to show you.”
They looked to see two pairs of tall stain glass windows with an opening in the middle that looked like it should have one as well. Above them was a horizontal window section above the assembly is a copy of Twilight’s cutie mark.
“Oh, my stars!” Sunny gasped, before glancing down at her journal seeing it was the same mark.
“Is it?” Zanna asked her sisters.
“No doubt.” Mushroom confirmed.
'Twilight's cutie mark.' Lita thought.
“This was made a long, long time ago,” Zipp explained, “When we still had magic.”
“It's beautiful!” Izzy smiled.
Sunny and the ninjas saw one of the windows depicted a pegasus, wings aglow, and tilt up slightly. Just above its head is an image of the green spread-wings jewel that Haven wears in her crown.
“What's that?” Sunny asked Zipp.
“That’s the Pegasus Crystal. It’s part of my mom’s crown.”
They looked to the other window depicting a unicorn standing tall with horn lifted and alight, and tilt up. The spot overhead, matching the location of the Pegasus Crystal on the other side, has been smashed out.
“Where's the Unicorn Crystal?” Mushroom asked.
Zanna while pacing walked past a cloth covering something. The glow from it caught her attention before pulling it off revealing it was the image of the Unicorn Crystal from the window.
“I found it!” she called.
Sunny, Lita, Zink, and Mushroom went over to her, “Nice one, Zanna.” Sunny smiled.
Lita looked down at the image of the Unicorn Crystal before seeing the reflection of the Pegasus Crystal shine down on the floor from the window.
“Hold it.” she said before dragging the image of the Unicorn Crystal over to the shadow placing it in the gasp between the stylized wings making the horn point project upward with a circular opening in the center.
“Look!” Sunny gasped.
“They fit?” Izzy asked surprised.
“These two crystals belong together.” Mushroom deduced.
“United!” Sunny cheered.
“So... what are you saying?” Zipp asked opened for an explanation.
Lita explained, “Maybe you lost your magic because the crystals were separated for a long time.”
Izzy thought, “So, if we put them back together…”
Zipp finished, “…Magic will return?”
“And all three pony kinds will get along again!” Sunny replied excited.
Mushroom stared at the crystals, “Of course. It could bring the balance of all three pony tribes together in harmony.”
Izzy cheered, “Whoa-ho-ho-ho-ho!”
Zipp cheered, “All right!”
Zink cheered, “Sweet!”
Zanna cheered, “Oh yeah!”
Zipp groaned, “Aw, but what about the Unicorn Crystal?”
Izzy answered, “Well, if you’re looking for crystals, we’ve got, like, a gazillion of them back in Bridlewood.”
Zanna replied, “Bridlewood. That’s where you and all the unicorns live, right?”
Izzy nodded, “Yep.”
Sunny declared, “Then that’s where we’ll go next. After we get the Pegasus crystal from your mom of course.”
“Ooh, that’ll be tricky.” Zipp cringed.
“Tricky?” Zink said in disbelief, “Oh come on, Zipp. It’ll be easy. What’s the big deal?”
“Well, for one, Zink, she uh… never takes her crown off.” Zipp answered.
The ninjas and the two ponies stared with wide eyes at Zipp as if it was a joke.
Zanna spoke dryly, “You’re kidding me, right?”
Zipp shook her head, “Nope.”
Zipp was right. Queen Haven was asleep in bed and snoring loudly, with Cloudpuff tucked in beside her; both are wearing sleep masks over their eyes with the crown on her head. Next she takes a hot shower, standing in a stall that rises to shoulder level with the crown still on her head. She sings to herself.
Haven: Keeping the Queen clean…
Another time she was wearing swim goggles, she snaps a rubber cap into place over her mane and the crown to boot— launching herself off a diving board to do a cannonball into a pool.
Zink face palmed herself, “Well, that’s just great.”
Mushroom groaned, “I’m afraid your mom is a total drama queen than we thought.”
Zipp groaned while looking down, “Yeah, tell me about it.”
She then felt Lita’s hand resting on her shoulder and heard her calmly said, “Families can be tough, Zipp. Believe me, I know. But I promise you this. When this is over, your mother will come to understand. You’ll see.”
Zipp feeling much better spoke with a smile, “I hope you’re right. Thanks Lita.”
“So what do we do?” Sunny asked, as they all started to think of how to get the crystal from her crown.
Zipp spoke up, “I got it! Pipp’s performing at tonight’s royal celebration. All eyes will be on her—especially my mom’s. She’ll be distracted. So, we just need to swap the real crown with a fake.”
“Ooh, nice one.” Zanna said mischievously.
“Ooh, I can craft a decoy!” Izzy offered, “But I will need a box of macaroni, a tube of glue, fourteen gooey bunnies, and three jellybeans,” she stopped instantly and talked in a 'I mean business' tone, “Oh, and glitter. Lots of glitter.”
Zanna volunteered, “I’ll help you. I’m very crafty when it comes to art.”
“I’d love that!” Izzy giggled as she embraced her, “Thanks, Zanna.”
Zanna giggled, “No problem, girl.”
Lita looked around seeing the girls excited to plan a heist to get the Pegasus Crystal while thinking, 'Sensei's, we're on the right path to restoring magic to Equestria.'