Rebirth of Magic: Zipping It

by The Blue EM2

Stick to the Status Quo

It wasn't long until I returned to the palace. I entered the structure through a secret entrance that nopony else knew about. I won't tell you where it is either to reduce the risk of others learning where it is and sealing it off. I made my way through the structure and eventually found my way back onto the main level of the building, where I knew I had to look for Pipp. I made my way down several corridors and looked about for her. "Pipp? Pipp?"

After continuing through the building as best I could, it wasn't long until I spotted her. I looked out through a window and spotted her on a sun lounger, presumably trying to get a tan. I shook my head and headed outdoors before stopping in front of her. "Hey! Pipp?"

Pipp glanced up and adjusted a set of star shaped sunglasses. "Zipp, what's got you all worked up? I think a spa day would do you good."

"No. Way," I firmly replied. "And how are you supposed to get a tan? Isn't there fur in the way?"

"I am not trying to get a tan!" she said defensively. "I simply like being out in the sun for a bit! Why is that such an issue?"

I blinked. "Oh. Sorry. But I've got some news for you."

"Huh? What news?"

"Sunny and Izzy are here."

Pipp cheered up immediately, and hopped off fthe sun lounger. "Yay! I always like making new friends, and we can add three to the roster!"

I took me a few seconds to figure out who the third pony was. "Ohh. You mean Misty. Right. Well, I've not been able to establish if Sunny and Izzy are former humans yes- I only had one interaction with them that was less than a minute long- and I'll need more time to speak with them. In the meantime, we need to stick to the script."

Pipp pouted. "Zipp! I can't remember the dialogue exactly! I can't just watch a copy of the movie to refresh my memory! Seeing as we're kinda living in the movie!"

Thanks for the reminder of how absurd our situation had forgotten. I nodded. "Well, you don't need to have it 100% off. Just try and recall the gist of it. That's what I've been doing."

"Thanks for the tip," Pipp replied, just as a message began playing over the palace loudspeakers.

"Could Princesses Pipp Petals and Zephyrina Storm report to the Royal Chambers immediately. Repeat, could Princesses Pipp Petals and Zephyrina Storm report to the Royal Chambers immediately!"

I glanced up. "Well, that's our cue. Break a leg- not literally."

Pipp followed me along. "I wonder if this would be a good opportunity to test a new filter?"

---

Up in the cable room, mom briefed us. "Colonel Opwinden requested our precense in the trone room about some security issue," she said, as technicians finished fitting the harnesses and cables to our bodies. "I'm not sure exactly what he means, but I hardly imagine it's anything serious."

I tried to suppress my mirth at the irony of the words.

"However, I want both of you on your best behaviour. That means no pouting, Zephyrina, and no random musical interludes, Pipp. Understood?"

"Yes mom," we both said at once.

"Good." Mom trotted over to a control panel and switched on the intercom. "We are ready for launch."

"Copy that, Your Majesty. You should feel the winding gear taking up the slack now."

We were lowered into the throne room to the fanfare of blaring trumpets and the beating of drums, as had become standard procedure in this part of the world. I glanced forward to see Sunny and Izzy being held in a secure formation. Surely that level of security was a bit excessive? They're not that dangerous.

Mom started proceedings without any pomp or circumstance. "Guards, state your business," she said. It seemed her sunglasses hadn't been set properly as she was constantly adjusting them. "Pipp needs to rehearse, Cloudpuff here needs his bubble bath, and I need to practice my laugh." I internally cringed at how unnatural that laugh sounded. "Still needs some work."

After some confusion over titles, the guards then revealed Sunny and Izzy. I'm not sure how mom didn't spot or hear them earlier, seeing as Izzy addressed me only a few seconds earlier, but the second she spotted them she took what was posssibly the sharpest intake of breath in the known universe.

"What in Faust's name?" she asked. Seems the idea of Faust being a deity carried over from Generation 4, even though Faust had no involvement in G5's development. "A unicorn, and an earth pony, in Zephyr Heights? Why are you here? Who sent you?"

"We've got them both under control, Your Majesty," Thunder said. "We fitted the shield, and this Earth Pony won't think to attack. Their capacity for logical thought is exceedingly limited."

I internally cringed to hear these characters casually throwing racist ideas around. I guess that's what happens when such ideals and thoughts become ingrained in a society, that otherwise seemingly nice ponies can be bigoted.

Mom continued with her concerned speech, but something sounded a bit strange. "Is this some sort of prelude to war? Or an invitation to dialogue? Nopony must know we have them here!"

And then Pipp intervened at the worst possible moment. "Check it out, guys!" she said, turning her phone towards Sunny and Izzy. "Something that hasn't been seen in millenia! It's a unicorn and Earth Pony!"

Oh no. When I said 'stick to the script' I didn't mean 'rigidly recreate moments from the movie'. Seems Pipp may be taking my instruction perhaps a little too literally.

This provoked a predictable response. Mom took the phone from her (albeit holding it upside down) and spoke into the monitor. "There's nothing to fear," she said. "They are under the custody of the army. We will protect you." The glare she shot at Pipp could melt a glacier. "Shut it off."

Pipp pushed some buttons, before mom casually tossed the phone back to her and resumed her position near her throne.

Sunny's voice then suddenly cut through the awkwardness of the moment. "Your Majesty, I have a few questions-"

Mom's interruption silenced any doubt. "I'll be the one asking questions, not you. Process them to the holding cells until Military Intelligence can question them. And confiscate the book!"

A guard took the book whilst the signal was given to take us back up into the cable room. As we were lifted away, I saw Sunny look dejected at having the book taken from her. Poor thing. I had to find a way to get it back to her.

"Well, that was rather a shock to the system," Mom said, as a technician detached her harness. "Fancy that! First one unicorn, then several ponies! It seems the other races are like buses- they all turn up at once!"

We laughed even though it wasn't particularly funny. It was then I had an idea. "Mom, I could interrogate the prisoners for you. Being questioned by a soldier isn't always something that makes a pony open up, but a civilian like myself might be able to get some info out of them."

Mom turned. "Well, if you're sure," she said. "But I'll have soldiers on standby round the corner to ensure you are safe. If they give you trouble, call for them. Understand?"

I nodded. "Crystal." I then headed off, but not before sending Pipp a quick text, reminding her of the importance of sticking to the script.

---

I passed by the collection room for confiscated items and picked up the book before heading to the main holding cells. Sure enough, Sunny and Izzy were there trying out all the equipment in the cell. What surprised me more was that they'd put them in the same cell as Misty. Having said that, the three seemed to be getting along. I cleared my throat to indicate my arrival. "You three, we need to talk."

Izzy then said something that made no sense whatsoever, so I simply asked her to call me Zipp rather than have to unscramble strange sentences. "Where are you two from?" I asked. "And not in the Equestrian sense."

Izzy's eyes widened in amazement, which I'll admit was actually pretty adorable. "Wait," she said. "Are you saying that you used to be a human too?"

I simply nodded, which seemed to excite Izzy. "Welcome to the club, Zipp! Seems like we're all in that boat in here. Well, maybe not Misty-"

"Yeah, actually," Misty said. "That's why I didn't react to the mayonnaise." Huh. That actually explains an awful lot, you know. Such as her being here ages before Make your Mark begins.

After they argued for a bit about mayonnaise, I decided to I could address my concerns to them on a fair and even keel. "So, I can speak more frankly with you guys. But we need to talk about magic, and specifically about this." I showed Sunny the journal.

The look on Sunny's face was akin to one a colt would get if he received all of his Wishentide presents for the next ten years in one go. "My journal!" she exclaimed. "What was it that interested you?"

So, no obvious chance to fit in the sneaky conversation. Bother. Oh well. I pointed to the front of the book. "See the symbol in the book? That's Twilight Sparkle's cutie mark. I've seen it all over the castle, and-"

Just then, a familiar fanfare played over two phones, and I glanced sideways. Pipp had arrived, and the two guards were playing the fanfare on phone speakers rather than playing trumpets. They then rolled a red carpet down the corridor. Pipp then walked down this. Well, she wouldn't want to get her hooves dirty, would she? Unlike the rest of us who actually work for a living.

"Zipp!" Pipp hissed at me, perfectly reproducing the tone of voice from the film. "What are you doing here? Mom told you to stay away!"

Of course, she hadn't, but I could only assume Pipp had forgotten this. "Right, right. Then what are you doing here?"

Pipp rolled her eyes. "For the content!" She then turned so that the other ponies were in the background and began taking pictures.

"Princess, why is nopony flying?" Sunny asked.

Pipp turned to her. "It's common knowledge that only we Royals can fly." She bounced into the air and flapped her wings innefectually in a display that would have fooled nopony. "And if we could teach it to the populace of the Empire, you know we would in a wingbeat! Right, Zipp?"

"Yeah," I said, flatly.

We were both suddenly interrupted by a loud buzzing, which turned out to be Pipp's phone. "Oh! Look at the time!" she said. "Dress rehearsal, gotta go!" She then glared at me. "So should you." She then did her vocal exercises and trotted off down the corridor, speaking to herself.

I offered to get the others out of prison, and I sped off for the chambers as fast as I could.

---

I soon found Mom's chambers again and knocked on the door.

"Enter!"

I stepped through the door, and found her working on a speech. "On this suspicious day- doesn't sound right."

I glanced up. "Auspicious?"

Mom smiled. "Thank you, dear. How did the interrogation go?"

"Smoothly," I said. "They're not armed, and not a danger to us. I think an act of kindness towards them would help them to open up. As you know, the other races don't exactly like us, and accuse us of thinking we're better than them. Melting the ice could work wonders."

Mom nodded. "That seems like a reasonable proposition," she said. "But on the one condition this never becomes public knowledge. The publicist told me Pipp's broadcast nearly caused mass hysteria, and I'd rather not repeat that."

I nodded. "That's fine by me."

Author's Note:

Another chapter down, and the story moves forward once more. The incorporation of many elements of things I like was great fun, and the nature of the tale means we'll soon be seeing similar events from the perspectives of several different characters.

There are a few nods to later events in here; the sunglasses Pipp is wearing are the same ones from Portrait of a Princess, and Haven's tech illiteracy is also reflected here. The chapter title is a nod to a song from High School Musical, the project for which Sunny's VA Vanessa Hudgens is perhaps best known for. Haven's bungled speech is a reference to a common issue in English called a malaprop. This is when a person uses two words that sound similar but have very different meanings, which can have humorous results. It was a favoured comedy device of writer David Croft, the creator of classic sitcoms like Dad's Army and Hi-de-Hi.

Next time: Be our Guest!

Comments

[The Blue EM2]

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A new chapter has deployed to the front.

[Comickook]

Again, you did an excellent job on the exchanges, characterizations and future chapter set-up in this chapter. REALLY appreciated the dialogues "Zipp" had with both "Pipp" and "Haven" before she went to talk to "Izzy", "Sunny" and "Misty" as well as her reactions to the stuff from the most recent stuff from "Izzy's" story. Also really liked the talk with "Haven" at the end of the chapter about giving Sunny, Izzy and Misty better reason to open up.

Definitely looking forward to more of this.

[shining paladin]

great chapter mate, i like to see how in real life people want to use mayonnaise without saying the word

[The Blue EM2]

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Having Haven take an alternate route for the other characters felt like a natural change, as it gives the cast more time to develop a friendship naturally; Zipp does trust the others a bit quickly in the film.

[The Blue EM2]

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Indeed.

[ScisetShimmerEvan]

"I am not trying to get a tan!" she said defensively. "I simply like being out in the sun for a bit! Why is that such an issue?"

Uh huh...

Pipp cheered up immediately, and hopped off fthe sun lounger. "Yay! I always like making new friends, and we can add three to the roster!"

off the sun*

I took me a few seconds to figure out who the third pony was. "Ohh. You mean Misty. Right. Well, I've not been able to establish if Sunny and Izzy are former humans yes- I only had one interaction with them that was less than a minute long- and I'll need more time to speak with them. In the meantime, we need to stick to the script."

It took me*

Pipp pouted. "Zipp! I can't remember the dialogue exactly! I can't just watch a copy of the movie to refresh my memory! Seeing as we're kinda living in the movie!"

And somewhat broke the fourth wall.

Mom started proceedings without any pomp or circumstance. "Guards, state your business," she said. It seemed her sunglasses hadn't been set properly as she was constantly adjusting them. "Pipp needs to rehearse, Cloudpuff here needs his bubble bath, and I need to practice my laugh." I internally cringed at how unnatural that laugh sounded. "Still needs some work."

Looking back at how Haven was once, I kinda prefer the new version of her.

"We've got them both under control, Your Majesty," Thunder said. "We fitted the shield, and this Earth Pony won't think to attack. Their capacity for logical thought is exceedingly limited."

A tennis ball isn't a shield!

Oh no. When I said 'stick to the script' I didn't mean 'rigidly recreate moments from the movie'. Seems Pipp may be taking my instruction perhaps a little too literally.

You don't say.

After they argued for a bit about mayonnaise, I decided to I could address my concerns to them on a fair and even keel. "So, I can speak more frankly with you guys. But we need to talk about magic, and specifically about this." I showed Sunny the journal.

I decided I could*

Pipp turned to her. "It's common knowledge that only we Royals can fly." She bounced into the air and flapped her wings innefectually in a display that would have fooled nopony. "And if we could teach it to the populace of the Empire, you know we would in a wingbeat! Right, Zipp?"

I think it's fair to say Pipp won't be doing what Pipp asked her to do.

[The Blue EM2]

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1. Your skepticism is justified.

2 and 3. Corrected.

4. Indeed.

5. Well, being an alien from another dimension stuck in somepony else's body does kinda have that effect.

6. Nope. As demonstrated by the Bridlewood confrontation, it's functionally useless as a defensive feature.

7. Yup.

8. Corrected.

9. Seems unlikely.

[hyreia]

I won't tell you where it is either to reduce the risk of others learning where it is and sealing it off.

Okay, that's kind of a cute way around that. I wonder if this is similar to Pipp's way out of the city later on in the movie.

Just try and recall the gist of it. That's what I've been doing.

Fair enough! Explains the last chapter's dialogue.

Pipp followed me along. "I wonder if this would be a good opportunity to test a new filter?"

Interestingly, Pipp's personality seems to be taking hold. I wonder if that's why the narration is a bit more reserved now? Being from Tom!Zipp's perspective.

Ooooh. THAT cable room. That answers my other bit of confusion from the last chapter.

Oh no. When I said 'stick to the script' I didn't mean 'rigidly recreate moments from the movie'. Seems Pipp may be taking my instruction perhaps a little too literally.

I mean, she was supposed to show them off. That's part of the script, Tom. It's going to make the population worried. That seems important.

Hmm. Is Haven going off script or was the movie 'censored'? We don't know.~ I like it.

before sending Pipp a quick text, reminding her of the importance of sticking to the script.

I would argue she's doing it better than you, Tom?

who actually work for a living.

I mean, you're also a princess, Zipp? You work for recreation. Also she's just doing the script? Kind of frustrated they couldn't interrogate Misty more to ask what she's doing there but I guess there just wasn't time? Kinda interesting how Zipp is trying to keep to the script when it's only other meta-ing former humans around?

Still! Misty is here early! So that's something! Things are clearly going off in a different direction now. Let's see how close they keep to the script.

[The Blue EM2]

11785488
1. Precisely. It also seems like something Zipp would do; seems she's not so above it all as she thinks she is.

2. That's how we roll. I mean, I can't remember the film's script word for word.

3. That's rather the point; Tom is behaving more and more like Zipp without even realising it.

4. Indeed. Rebirth of Magic: Royal Approval contains an insider look at what else is going on in the scene.

5. Irony 101.

6. That was intended to be hypocritical humour; Zipp may do a lot more outside of her established royal roll, but at the end of the day she was still born into privelige and benefits from connections and resources many ponies lack.

Keep Misty in your mind. You'll learn more later on...