Sisterly Struggles

by FireworksPOP

STRIKE!

Pipp trotted through the hall looking for her sister.

... she was supposed to be watching her sister.

I can't believe mother left me here. I'm old enough to go to the royal meetings...I guess I did loose Zipp but that doesn't count.

Pipp would ask the guards if they knew where Zipp might be, but they would probably report it to her mother and Pipp didn't want to get yelled at again.

Let's see...if I were Zipp, where would I be? Pipp thought for a moment. Zipp liked high up places, so...maybe some of the balconies. But Zipp also liked stealing cake from the kitchen, and she liked playing with the guards. Pipp smiled. She knew exactly where her sister was.

The young princess turned left and then right. There was one pony in particular that Zipp liked to hang around because she would always play with her. That guard had been found multiple times asleep at her post, had left her post a couple of times to see some friends, and while running to get back to her post, she tripped and caused the whole cart of food for an important dinner with the counsel. Honestly the only reason she hadn't been fired was because Zipp would run away.

They knew that because during a week long break the guards had for the holidays, Zipp ran away and they found her later looking around town for her friend. Pipp didn't know why her mother didn't just make Cloudy into the royal babysitter instead of a guard. She would be a better babysitter than the maid. One of the maids, the one the queen would have be a babysitter to them when she would be away on a long trip, seemed like a nice old pony but after their mother left she basically became a general and forced Pipp to do chores and took away her phone, while the old pony played favorites and gave Zipp icecream and toys to play with.

Anyway, Pipp had no time to get upset. She knew where Cloudy's post was.

...It was by the kitchen. Queen Haven had made sure of it that Cloudy had one of the least needed jobs. The chefs could be guards if they wanted to. Pipp sighed and turned toward the kitchen.

"And three! Two! One! Blastoff! Zipp sores through the sky, the crowd cheers her name! Zipp! Zipp! Zipp!"

"WEEE!"

"Ehem?" Pipp interrupted. Cloudy had Zipp standing on a chair while she pushed it around the hall. "I believe your supposed to be on duty Cloudy."

"Sorry ma'am."

"It's quite all right. Next time you find Zipp running around alone, please bring her back to me or mom."

"Yes ma'am." Cloudy turned to Zipp and shrugged. "Sorry Zipp. You have to go back now."

Zipp scowled at her sister and hugged Cloudy's leg. "No go! No go!" The little princess was just not having it.

Pipp sighed. "Fine. Cloudy you're off duty. Go play with Zipp in the nursery."

"Yes ma'am!" Cloudy helped Zipp up on her back and began to run down the hall yelling, "Zipp takes to the skies!"

The princess was left standing alone in the hall. "I guess I'll get a snack while i'm here."

_______________

Cloudy enjoyed playing with Zipp. The young princess was always full of energy, always ready to play, but kindhearted and stubborn to. Cloudy picked up a toy sheep. "And the sheep says?"

"Baaa!"

"And the cow says?"

"Moo!"

"And the piggy says?"

"Oink!"

"Good! Let's see...hey Zipp? Do you want to learn how to play a game?"

"Yay!"

"Ok, here's the cards. Now you get half the cards and I get the other half. Then I put on of my cards in the middle. Then you put on of your cards on. If they match, you have to put your hoof on the pile and yell STRIKE! and you get the whole pile. If you get all of the cards in the whole deck, then you win."

Zipp starred at her pile of the cards and laughed. "STRIKE!"

"Yes. Now see I put my top card down on the floor, seven of feathers, and you put the card on the top of yours on to the card on the floor." Zipp fallowed her instructions and put the card down. It was a three of clouds.

They continued for three or four more turns until they both reached a ten of lightning. Zipp squealed and placed her hoof on the deck before Cloudy could and yelled. "STRIKE! STRIKE! STRIKE!"

"Wow your fast. Now you take all the cards from there and put them in your pile." Zipp slowly slid the small stack of cards over to her eyeing Cloudy as if she didn't trust that the cards were now hers.

Cloudy smiled and put another card down, then Zipp picked the same card out of her deck. Cloudy won that set, but it wasn't to much of a win, it was only two cards. Pipp joined in the game after some beging from the other two, then when Queen Haven showed up, all three of them begged her to play. The game went on for another hour with them laughing. Zipp didn't laugh and instead remained as serious as possible, plotting her moves.

...Zipp won in the end.