Of Hooves and History

by Ahmad J Charles

A Day with Royalty - Part 2

Leaving the castle wasn’t so immediate. Pipp insisted on doing a full makeover and styling routine beforehand, and she wasn’t about to do so just for herself.

“I haven’t had one of these, ever,” I admitted sheepishly, as a few royal stylists gently rubbed my face with foundation primer. “Best I ever got was a hair job at a A-rated salon in Miami.”

“So that’s why your mane looks like Izzy’s,” Zipp noted. “Only shorter.”

“How would you like your glow-up?” a mare asked kindly, her accent reeking of Swedish. I bit my lip in fear – never before had this question been brought forth. I frantically tried to retrieve any memories I had of Ryder’s girlfriend going to the salon. What did she have applied? What was asked for a great look? Liner? Shadow? Blush? After a slow exhale, complete tidbits fell into place.

“Start with a thin layer of foundation, with a touch of blush. Smoothen out them lashes with black mascara, and a thin streak of eyeliner in the color of Izzy’s mane. No gloss on the lips, just some fruit-flavored balm. File ‘em nails smooth with a good pre-wash. Thanks.”

I leaned back and hummed a tune while the artists worked their magic. To pass the time, I attempted to plan out a routine for the second half of the day. Visiting the city’s top locations would be a lot of fun and allow the cityfolk to get to know me, though wasn’t Pipp’s livestream enough?

No, I thought. A short formal introduction and a couple fun musical antics are not enough. In-person is unbeatable. I can couple it with a skateboard demonstration, too. Perhaps mid-route to the meeting point would be ideal…

“And done!” the stylist crowed, having set down her eyelash brush and hairbrush. I blinked awake and stared in the mirror, with the Aiden I never knew looking right back. It took a lot of self-control to not touch my face in awe and shock at how… beautified I now looked, even with just basics. I reached for my hair. Still a little frizzy from the paramotor flight, but overall smooth and the special slight springiness was there.

“Wow,” Pipp commented, “You look about twenty percent prettier. Meanwhile my sister’s makeover is little more than a quick comb-over.”

I chuckled. “Can’t go wrong with a bit of beautification to various degrees. As you might’ve read in text messages, YMMV.”

Pipp nodded, and the other two slid off their chairs. Sunny had gone for an 80s-chic whale-spout ponytail with a glittery scrunchie, while Izzy had gone for a low-hanging gym girl ponytail, complete some smooth side bangs with a slight curl.

“Now we are ready for a glamorous day out on the town,” I said, picking up my board and waving a thankful goodbye to the staff.

The moment we stepped out of the elevator at city street level, I could feel the gaze heat on us all. But that’s kind of what you signed up for… right?

…sigh. Let the behavioral aura do the work, I told myself, trying to maintain an elegant stride as we walked down towards the main bridge. It took mere seconds before Pipp was eagerly approached by a couple of young fans, and one of them just stood still, gazing up in awe at me, presumably at my height.

“Hey, what’s up?” I replied, smiling down at him. He just blinked in response, so I squatted down and held out my hand. “What’s your name?”

“Soaring Sunset.”

I leaned in and caught it. “Nice. I always love watching sunsets when I travel. So what’s got you in awe?”

“Well, I’ve never seen anypony like you!” he remarked playfully.

“Did you not watch Pipp’s recent livestream?” I asked.

The little colt shook his head. “I was in school at the time. What’s that you’re carrying?”

“A skateboard. Have a go. Two hooves, push with the other two.”

I set it down and showed Sunset how to place his forehoof over the bolts and lean for balance. It took a few topples but he soon got the hang of it. The awww’s soon rang out as the plucky little colt glided along right past everypony else, with me in tow.

“Got places to be now,” I said, as we reached the end of the bridge. “I have some important duties with the Royal Princesses. Have a good one, kid.”

We exchanged a fist-hoof bump and I ran off with the board and jumped on, pushing through the street after Pipp and Zipp, billboards flashing high up above us. It really felt like being in New York City, only cleaner and more elegant.

I followed Zipp and Pipp downtown, passing by shops selling handbags, hats, and silk scarves. There was no shortage of brands similar to ones I knew. It was spectacular to see so many successful businesses lined up with apartments above them. I was so busy taking in the sights and observing similarities that I failed to notice Zipp had flown on ahead and stopped by a large building at an intersection.

Glancing at some road construction, I veered over to a flat wooden slate and pushed hard, before jumping off the end, turning slightly whilst airborne and flicking my foot off the board’s edge, spinning it longitudually.

I caught the board with both feet and slammed back down on the sidelines beside a tree, quickly weaving through a group of pegasi before skidding to a stop in front of the royal sisters.

“Okay that was really cool,” Zipp remarked with a sly smile. “Maybe we could do a street session someday.”

I heaved a sputtered sigh, thankful that I hadn’t mowed anypony down or crashed in my attempt. “Maybe. We still have a quest to complete, and a mystery to solve. Plus, I don’t skate that often. It’s more of a way to get around. I did it a lot as a kid, though.”

Pipp and Izzy pointed up at a high-level floor. I laid down and counted thirty-four windows before my eyes reached the top of her hoof, and there were still a few more to go before the tip faded into the clouds. Getting back up, I peered up at the ten-foot-high glass panels with etched edging and gilded columns in a dusty-silver color. Inside, rubies glistened off the tips of chandeliers. This building was insane.

“So, what’s the targets?” I asked, as we chilled in the elevator.

“Got a bunch of documents to sign, basically,” Zipp shrugged. “And negotiate a deal.”

Pipp shot a quick text and slipped her phone under her wing. “We’re going to see Mizah Ruby, the owner and founder of Ruby Living and K2 Extractions. She’s built five of Zephyr Heights’s grandest multi-purpose buildings. Last week, she submitted a proposal to sell the top ten floors to a group of farmers from Bridlewood and Maretime Bay, in exchange for a surplus of spice crops. The next ten floors below are to be leased out to anypony, but she’s asking quite the premium. Mom has filed an order to lower the cost, as there have been over fifty complaints filed.”

“Hmmm,” I murmured. “Seems like we have ourselves the first linkage to the mines. Though I must say, I am only partially dressed for such an occasion.”

Zipp tapped a card to a hexagon-shaped patch on the elevator panel, and the doors slid open into a grand office with faux leather, silk drapery, and glided baseboard. It looked to be worth at least $20M. Behind a desk sculpted out of beige marble sat a very posh-looking mare with smoky-brown hair and a slightly wrinkly face. I put her age at around her late 50s with an attempt to look mid-30s.

“Well, well, well, if it isn’t the daughters of the queen, their close friends, and the one creature everypony can’t seem to shut their trap about,” she announced in a slightly scruffy voice. “Come on in and sit down.”

Zipp and Pipp strode up to the desk, while Sunny, Izzy, and I dragged along behind them, wearily settling into velvet lounge chairs.

“How are you on this lovely day, Miss Ruby?” Pipp said with a smile, calmly lowering a document onto the desk.

“Better than most,” she replied confidently, shooting a snooty stare at me. I locked her gaze for half a second before faking a sideways look of guilt. My eyes are forever on you, lady.

“What’s this?” she snapped, holding up the document. “How can that purple chicken-head think she has sovereignty over my real estate empire? Only I set my values!”

“I understand your frustration, but insults should not be necessary,” I said, arching my throat to thicken my voice. Pipp’s face scrunched in anger as I raised a warning finger. Don’t get enraged. Don’t let this girl get under your skin.

Locking my gaze onto Ruby, I stayed silent and leaned back to relax, in an attempt to intimidate her in a non-threatening way.

“Pffft. Fine! Fine. Sorry, Pipp,” she hissed, skimming through the document several times before pulling out a silver-tipped fountain pen and signing it. Zipp then explained the proposal agreements, and Ruby pulled out another form, which both of them signed. With paperwork done, they walked out with formal thank-yous, but Pipp could barely speak. Sunny and Izzy slid out of the chairs and gave respectful half-bows, trailing after their friends.

“Hope to see you soon, Miss Ruby,” I said, briefly holding her gaze as I turned towards the elevator.

“So it turns out Zephyr Heights has its share of elitism,” I thought out loud, as the elevator swiftly slid down. I caught Sunny and Izzy’s eyes. “No wonder you two looked less than pleased when we arrived at this building. I have a feeling Ruby’s connected somehow with Sprout. He could’ve bribed her.”

“Aiden!” Zipp snapped, appalled at my apparent accusation. “Let’s piece together the truth first. Dinner with Mom is always a treat, but I’m dying for a quick Mc’Wings burger. Us royals haven’t eaten ‘regular’ food in years.”

My ears perked up. “Mc’Wings? Another world parallel.”

Sunny pulled a couple bits out of her bag and Zipp requested the orders. I went for large poutine and a crispy fried ranch wrap. Izzy requested two muffins. Pipp (rather boldly) asked for a filet-o-fish.

“You ponies eat fish?” I gasped, startled at her request.

“Occasionally,” a senior pony at a nearby table replied. “It’s a rare find in the mountain streams. We try not to take too much, so a balance can exist, y’know?”

I nodded. “Thanks for the info.”

We all sat down at a patio table while Zipp headed inside, and I gazed around at the ponies, walking and chatting, several of them scrolling on phones… all while the air stood at a chilly temperature.

“Does it get… cold up here for you?” I asked Pipp, tightening the straps on my hoodie.

“Not at all,” she replied proudly. “Pegasi are naturally adept in colder climates with a denser coat.”

I had to hide a smile as my request to Haven slid into thought again. This was going to be an awkward but sweet one.

I tossed the thought aside and resumed my environmental scanning. Everything about this city and its inhabitants screamed luxurious and elegant, yet the pride, uptightness, and snootiness seemed to be largely minimal. Amongst a crowd, I recognized the pegasus stallion who had flown alongside me as I flew through the city, but he didn’t seem to notice my little wave. Even with the elite aura, I still had a yearn to show some love towards pegasi – as I had done for other ponies. It was hard not to when they all looked so cute and endearing!

Zipp returned with a helpful unicorn waitress aiding in carrying all the orders. The warm afternoon sun was slicing through the narrow streets and calmed my cold feet a little. Izzy eagerly tucked into her muffins, while Pipp took little mice bites out of her Filet-o-fish, as if it was potentially laced with poison. Zipp bit back a laugh.

“Just eat it, sis! It’s perfectly fine!”

“Do royals eat fish?” I asked, wiping poutine sauce off my lips.

Zipp shook her head. “It’s relatively new to the city. And Mom wasn’t really keen on it anyways.”

We savored our fast meals in silence, the soft gusts of mountaintop winds and cityfolk chatter being the only things disturbing our ears. The quality of flavor and texture of every ingredient was leagues ahead of anything I’d ever tasted in any McDonald’s. I wanted to order more items! But a glance at the sun shut my greedy lips up. It would be evening in just a couple hours, and missing a royal dinner with Queen Haven sounded nothing short of criminal.

With our faces stuffed with Mc’Wings, Zipp was eager to burn off her newly gained calories. The bridge heading to the open square near the castle elevator was currently bustling with ponies. It should be mere minutes before the rush hour kicked in…

Tracking a route with my eyes, I figured I could get to the elevator in less than five minutes by board. It was time for a challenge.

As we approached the intersection on the main square, I quickly traced a route through the sparse traffic with my eyes.

“Back to the castle, right Pipp?” Sunny asked.

“Yes, we gotta get the signed papers to my mom pronto!” she replied.

I fired the Mc’Wings packaging into a litter bin and grabbed my board by the nose. “To the elevator. You’re on, Zipp!”

Without waiting a second for an answer, I dropped the board and pushed hard against the polished tile ground. Behind me, I could hear the whoosh of Zipp’s blue wings. Swerving out of the way of a family laden with shopping bags, a patio table suddenly appeared in front of me. I snapped the tail hard and pulled my front foot up, launching into the air and almost clipping the backrest of a chair. I landed with a wobbly thud, straightening the board and giving even more pushes. The world became a blur as the bridge loomed into view above me.

“I got y – aaaah!” Zipp half-boasted, clearly losing attention to where she was going at the wrong time, having to swerve sharply to avoid crashing into the bridge’s beams. I shoved the tail out sharply and skidded to a stop right as she floated down in front of me.

“I didn’t know you could skate so fast!” she exclaimed, patting her temple with a wingtip. “But that was just my warm-up flight.”

I shrugged and pointed in the distance with a snigger. “Here comes the slow poke walkers.”

Sunny, Izzy, and Pipp eventually appeared out of the crowd, looking concerned yet satisfied.

“You could’ve seriously hurt somepony,” Sunny said, a cross look across her face.

I smiled. “But I didn’t, did I? Still got a skater boy in my blood after all.”

Izzy grinned with glee at my bravery and “coolness”, and we filed into the elevator.

Author's Note:

Trying to make the chapters consistently longer now.

Comments

[StarzGecko]

watch as the queen learns that having a human to be her “human owner” to hold her and pet her is going to make her want him to stay.