Of Hooves and History

by Ahmad J Charles

Uncovered

Right after breakfast, the four of us headed for Zipp’s balloon station hideout, which we decided to dub the “Fun Sanctuary”. The quarter pipe was all dry and ready for action, so I mounted it ten meters from the bottom of the entranceway ramp. With Haven’s permission, Zipp and I took a few more tools and supplies from the castle and started transforming up the place. We built another quarter pipe and folded up the old balloons. Sunny bought a desk, chairs, and metal piping off a renovation crew, and we made a designated open-air office and pegasi flight study area. The work was tedious, and Izzy would sometimes just flop down midday without a hitch, pun not intentional.

Sunny and I enjoyed it, though. Mostly because it kept our minds away from the worry and sadness of the inevitable portal spell casting and my departure. Zipp seemed to enjoy the company of someone who genuinely appreciated and showed interest in the same topics as she did. Owing to the music I heard from her room, I tortured my iPad’s little tweeters with some accompanying tunes.

“Oof, what’s this?” Izzy exclaimed, frowning in disgust.

“Rock and roll, Miss Purple Cinnamon Roll!” Zipp hollered, dancing a jig while I drilled through a metal pipe to make a grind rail. The chorus came on, and Izzy started to jump swiftly with hard landings. It looked weird, but she was having fun – and that’s what mattered.

“Loud and shouty, but rhythmic,” Pipp complimented one day, playfully testing the degree of friction on the completed rail. We filmed a funny skit with my skateboard, and she helped clean up the stairs.

By the end of the week the Fun Sanctuary was taking shape. A partial skatepark had been constructed with a metal plate fixed to the inner edges of the railing, plus the two quarter pipes facing each other and the metal rail off to the side. Opposite the rail was the flight study area, with Zipp’s chalkboard, the repositioned balloon passenger sittings, and a desk with books on top of it from the library. As we stood back to admire it, Pipp came floating down in the basket elevator, holding a bass guitar.

“Figured this would fit,” she said, holding it up. “For you, sis.”

Zipp’s eyes looked a little watery as she took her prized bass and rested it against the desk. “Thanks so much.”

Now the setting was complete, at least for the initial stage. But I felt like something was missing. Glancing towards the golden light of sundown blasting through the takeoff entrance, I smiled confidently.

Over dinner, we discussed the progress of the Fun Sanctuary and I showcased several photos and concept drawings. Initially I expected her to casually dismiss it as some “wild fun youthful thing” but she looked genuinely impressed and intrigued, with that special warm smile.

“Well done. I’m proud of you all.” She turned to her daughters with a sly but affectionate grin. “My my, it seems you two are growing up a little faster than expected.”

Pipp giggled with a tiny blush, and Zipp looked just as flustered when I gave her a hug and a massage. Despite their outgoing aura, I knew the two had it in them to be as capable as their mom. Perhaps not as a ruler as of yet, but as a business owner or a manager of affairs on a smaller scale.

Haven then turned to me. “Blazor has complied and we will be receiving a shipment of the rare element from his mine. The others are due to arrive tomorrow. As I am uncertain as to how much of each element will be physically degraded from the spell’s raw energy, requests were given for ten kilograms of each.

I fought back a grimacing face. Are you crazy?! That’s three-quarters my own weight in earth elements!

“Um, glad to hear, Your Highness,” I quickly replied before the stuttering could set in. “So how will we proceed with this?”

“However you wish,” Haven replied, much to my surprise. “So long as it is on the day after tomorrow. I will prepare my cabinet to manage the week’s tasks, so I can accompany you all to Maretime Bay. We can reconvene in the morning over breakfast.”

“Got it. Thanks so much, Your Highness. I’ll figure it out tonight. Promise.”

“Promise!” Haven replied, and held up a hoof, subtly wiggling it, as if beckoning for something. My eyes widened slightly as I returned the hoof-bump, feeling caught off-guard again. I couldn’t hold it back anymore – I had to say it.

“You seem to have another side to you, Your Honor. It does slip out on occasion.”

Her face fell in apparent denial. “Only wanting the best for my dear guest and my daughters.”

I politely bowed and we left the dining room, a cunning look on both Pipp and I’s faces. There was no way I was going to leave Equestria without giving Mom the “special treatment”.

For a change, Izzy and Sunny gave up the bed and let the royal sisters sleep with me. Given how sour the only relationship I’ve ever been in went, it felt great providing physical comfort and love to ponies who excelled at hospitality and courtesy. Zipp loved to use her wings like arms, and there was no end to Pipp’s tickling once she discovered my sensitive spots. It took a while for the playfulness to die off before I could pass out in a muscular, meaty and soft, tender pony sandwich – made only in bed.

My internal descriptions turned out too good to be figurative, as Haven handed me a generous plate of hot corn flour flatbread bubbling with cheese. I savored every mouthful and pondered about how well to articulate my plan. Zipp’s voice echoed in the back of my head with the answer:

“Just speak your mind respectfully.”

“Uh-hm,” I began, quickly finishing up the last arepa on my plate. “I would like to make a brief but vital announcement as to my plan to return home.”

Haven gave a supporting nod, so I continued.

“First off, I need to pay Bridlewood a visit, as my submarine and additional equipment and gear is on the coast there. Furthermore, I made a promise to some special unicorns too. Meanwhile you all can return to Maretime Bay. I will sail around in my submarine and meet you there. We can hold a little reunion meetup with Hitch, then proceed to the portal spell casting. Prior to my arrival, you can conduct some tests if Izzy tags along. Or she can come with me if she wants.”

The little purple unicorn smiled with glee.

“But for our first departure, I wish to have one last hurrah of fun with my friend Aiden,” Zipp added, tapping my shoulder with her wingtip.

“Let me explain; the Fun Sanctuary has a landing strip, which should be enough for me to get the paramotor wing up and takeoff. Zipp and I can fly together down to the mountain base. I can take the paramotor with me afterwards to Bridlewood, where it can be disassembled and put in the submarine.”

“Excellent,” Haven replied gleefully. “Getting the elements down the mountain may be a bit of a challenge, but it’s nothing unusual in the city’s developmental life. I will assemble the military crew and several of the castle’s guards to aid in the process. Breakfast is dismissed, and we will regroup at lunch to examine the elements extracted from the mines.”

“Yes, Mom,” we all replied in unison, before returning to the guest suite, where I changed up into some semi-casual wear – jeans, a thermal undershirt, a beige button-down, and a hoodie. Slipping on a pair of sneakers, I hit the streets with Sunny by my side. Normally I’d take the skateboard with me to spice up the fun, but today I wanted to take it easy with a casual stroll and enjoy the sights and sounds of the city before I left it for good. Especially since my first outing did not end on the sweetest of notes.

“Um, Aiden?” Sunny asked wearily.

“Yes?”

“If you… were not able to return home, where would you stay?”

“Right here in Zephyr Heights. Though I’d prefer to buy a high-rise apartment instead of in the castle. Feels like I’m leeching off of or leveraging royalty, y’know?”

Sunny gave a slight nod. “It’s pretty obvious Queen Haven likes you a lot.”

I had to chuckle at that. “Indeed. Nothing short of amusing how she tries to hide it and fails. Do you suppose she wanted a son but was never granted one?”

“Can’t really say since she never explicitly nor subtly expressed it, but I think she’s torn on the inside. She puts on a proud, classy, charismatic mask, but deep down she wants somepony to be close by her side with loving support. At the same time, she also wants to provide her daughters with an opportunity to explore Equestria with me and establish themselves on their own.”

That hit me hard – so hard, I scouted for the nearest bench and sat down, gazing solemnly up at the towering condo across the street.

“Great. Now you’ve just made me feel guilty about returning to Earth – my Earth,” I said half-jokingly. “But putting my mind in the minds of my human friends and family is beyond terrifying. For all they know, I could be dead.”

Sunny looked away guiltily, and I pulled her in for a headpat. “It’s okay. You’ve proven yourself to be very observant. Besides, you’ve known Haven longer than I have.”

We ran into Soaring Sunset down the road, and I bought three pretzels from a roadside stand, giving one to him. In the thicket of downtown there was a large mall. Inside we visited a toy shop, where I spotted a few childhood favorites – Rubik’s cubes, yoyos, and even some skateboards. A mare was buying one for her little filly, so I explained the basic principles of skating to them, which sealed the sale.

“You should return to skateboarding,” Sunny commented as we checked out an arcade and a flower shop.

“Maybe,” I replied with a shrug. “It is a fun way to get around a city or small town. But as you know, historical artifacts and ruins are often found way outside of those… places.”

The words died on my lips as I caught sight of a group of pegasi gathered around a patio dining table listening to an earth pony. He had an orange-to-red two-tone fade and a glittery mane.

“Hey, look,” I whispered to Sunny.

“No pony looks like that unless they’re really into themselves with the intent of being overtly stylish,” she said softly. “C’mon, let’s get a little closer and see if we can pick up on the discussion.”

“You go,” I ordered, turning back to the mall doors. “I’m too obvious. See you around the back.”

Sunny didn’t need to be told twice and engaged in small talk with a few mares and young stallions, blending into a crowd that was exiting the mall. Inside, I found a map and quickly located a side entrance, then fast-walked towards it, pretending like I was in a hurry for a meeting. Outside, I spotted the group – barely visible around the corner. I politely requested backdoor access to the adjacent building and slipped into a chair beside a busy table. Carefully, I pushed open the window and leaned down. Now from the outside, my semi-curly hair could be mistaken for a pony’s mane at a moment’s glance. I perked up my ears, straining to hear amongst all the chatter.

“…and the whole of Equestria will come to know, how that…”

The gossip girls and squealing fillies were too much. I shifted closer to the window and listened again.

“…my mom h… money, and… creat… e… exposed for.. lly is!”

My heart jumped. I couldn’t believe it – could this really be Sprout Cloverleaf?! In the shock, I leaned too much and fell off the chair, resulting in a gasp from the table-sitters.

“Sssh,” I hissed, pressing a palm to my lips. Glancing around at filly height, I spotted a telephone on the far end, by the counter. Great. Too far to be inconspicuous. If only…

I tapped one of the stallions at the table and looked at him straight in the eye, but spoke softly as I pulled out a slip of paper with Pipp’s phone number on it.

“Hey, I need you for one favor. Please. Just head to the counter and dial this. Request an emergency at this location. No questions. And keep the number a secret.”

“I know you,” he replied with a smile. “My workmate flew past you when you first arrived. Will do.”

While the kind stallion made the call, I precariously raised my head to see if Mr. Glittermane had noticed. He had, but didn’t seem to be concerned. Phew. Another pony then stepped out from behind the counter. Sunny.

“Definitely Sprout,” she whispered. “Same hoof feathering. And his voice is faked, but I can hear the snarky tone right through it. How will we –”

“Already gave Pipp a call,” I cut in. “You go back around and watch for the royal guards. I need to lay low. If they see me, they’ll run like bats out of a forest fire.”

Sunny slipped back into the kitchen and exited through the back. Not a moment later did one of the pegasi from Sprout’s listening group enter the restaurant. As soon as he turned the other way I slid behind the counter and side-stepped into a side hall where food was being prepped, much to the chefs’ shock.

“Hey, it’s okay. I’m just leaving through the back. Don’t tell anyone.”

Some of their eyes narrowed slightly, but they simply nodded, and I went on by.

Back outside, I rejoined Sunny, who suggested I stay out of sight. I agreed, and stayed in the stairwell, peeking out from the window.

We waited and waited. Sunny flashed a few signals to let me know of the situation. After ten minutes, I spotted the shadows of two royal guards flying through the sky. Sunny frantically waved to me, standing on both hind legs. I rushed down the stairs and peeked outside. The guards were on the ground and one of them was questioning Sunny. A few indignant shouts were all I knew it was safe to step out.

“Well, now,” was all I said, catching Sprout’s eyes as he desperately tried to break free of the cuffs and rope. Turned out, his glittery mane dye was of inferior quality and washed out with two rinses and scrubs. “I hope to have a private chat with you soon.”

The other pegasi who had gathered to listen were let off with a warning, and we all headed back to the castle. Sunny was more than eager to tell her friends all about our trip. I, on the other hand, was eager to see the elements recovered from the mine. Haven had kept them in a holding center, where only two guards were allowed inside, besides herself and me. I pulled off the shipping wrapping and dug through foam pellets to reveal a cluster of hard, knobby rocks, some of them glistening in the room’s light.

Holding up each little cone from the chest, I subjected both to the exact same tests – fingernail scratching, firm taps, and a hard rub from a chunk of porcelain. Yup, it all matched up.

“Awesome! Thanks so much, Your Highness.”

“My pleasure, Aiden. All this is coming down the mountain tomorrow morning.”

“Just one thing.”

“Oh?”

“Can I visit Sprout before I leave?”

Haven tapped the floor in doubt. “Only for half an hour.”

“That will be plenty enough.”

Author's Note:

I have seen a lot of headcanons that Zipp is a punk rocker, so I decided to include it in the story.

Comments

[StarzGecko]

Tbh I thought Zip would try being a racer like Rainbow but becoming a detective wasn’t something I thought would happened in the show. That’s cool for you to do for her.

I wonder what Sprout will do