Watching A New Generation

by Shadow Dragon

On The Run

Out on the streets of Zephyr Heights, the sounds of police siren filled the air as Sunny Starscout's group, with Sheriff Hitch following close behind, were galloping for their lives.

Leading the escape is their new friend, Zipp Storm, "Quick! This way!" Zipp guided the group to take refuge in an alleyway.

"Ok," Hitch panted, after he dove behind an iron barrel. "I think we lost them!"

"I think it's very ironic to think of a sheriff running from the law," Pinkie gave a curious comment.

Her friends, despite everything, had to agree, it really was ironic.

"Hitch, what are you even doing here?" Sunny asked the sheriff of her hometown.

"Arresting you," Hitch answered. "And saving you. So, you know, a little bit of both, actually. You're welcome!" He said sarcastically at the end.

“I think you caused the biggest stir, so following the logic, we saved you! You're welcome.” Sunny smirked at him, returning what he said on the screen.

“Uhuhuhu! Burn it Sunny!” Zipp gave a nervous laugh together, she could feel very uncomfortable with her sister who was unusually quiet.

"You are all terrible." Contrary to Hitch's moan, a smile could be seen on his face.

"Oh, gee, thanks," Zipp rolled her eyes as she approached Hitch. "But we don't need any saving. OK?"

"And you are?" Hitch asked the pegasus princess.

"Wonder who I am," Zipp said, prompting another groan from Hitch and another laugh from the ponies up ahead.

"Her mom is the queen!" Izzy chirped.

"Wait a minute. So that means you're a princess?" Hitch asked Zipp.

"Huh, look at that," Zipp smirked in a mocking tone. "The sheriff just became a detective."

"What?"

Before another word could be exchanged, the TV screen announced a breaking news broadcast, before city's reporters, Sky and Dazzle, appeared, with a photo of Princess Pipp, hanging upside down.

"Breaking story," Dazzle reported. "Zephyr Heights is in turmoil tonight after the shocking revelation that the royals cannot fly."

The broadcast then cuts to an interview with a pegasus foal, talking into the microphone, "Pipp used to be my favorite."

"If we can't trust our own royalty, who can we trust?" Another pegasus civilian asked, before the microphone was taken by a Pegasus stallion.

"I blame the Unicorns and the earth ponies," The Stallion went on record saying. "They ruin everything!"

Pipp at that moment stopped her breathing and observed that feeling as if everything was at the end of the world, at least it was for her world.

"You on the screen didn't think for a moment about the repercussions of this," Pipp said with a fairly clear set as she avoided looking at her sister.

"Pipp, I-I didn't mean for that to happen, we were just going to take the crown and-" Zipp stopped with Pipp placing a hoof over her mouth.

"Just take the crown! That's the only thing that mattered to you!" Pipp yelled at her, feeling very hurt to feel less important.

"She has the crystal that will end the stupid lie we're in! Didn't you say that if there was a way to make them all fly, you would?!" Zipp lost his temper and also yelled back at him.

"I would, but not at the cost of everything the other Pegasi believe!"

“It's a lie!”

"Why do you care about this lie now?! You didn't care about me for years!" Pipp got up from her seat and started screaming louder.

“I literally talked to our mother about this for years!” Zipp replied, she had always felt bad about lying, she spent a lot of time trying to make her mother listen to her.

“So the fact that you fought this for years gives you the power to make all that chaos!?” Pipp could only remember what the screen showed, the ease with which Zipp abandoned her.

"No! Don't change my words!" Zipp was and felt erratic, now she was just yelling in response to whatever her sister said.

"You messed up my presentation first!” Pipp went on.

“Hey, hey sugar cubes, do you think you could take a moment of rest? They're seeing each other like two buffalo on a fence.” Applejack, who was watching the exchange uncomfortably, decided to end the discussion.

At that moment, the two remembered that they were not alone, that they were screaming in front of a group of ponies and more than half were (apparently living) legends.

“Could you take a breath? Relax.” Applejack continued, leaving her seat to approach them and making an example of breathing.

Both princesses took a moment without seeing each other to breathe, calm down and think a little about the things they shouted.

They didn't even want to see each other's faces when they realized all the disaster, disaster for things that haven't even happened yet.

"So, do you guys want to talk about it or do you want some time alone?" Rainbow Dash was keeping an eye on them, she seemed relaxed with her comment but she was worried.

There was no response from either of them, Zipp just moving forward and down to sit in the booth next to Izzy.

Pipp sat in her seat, strangely for her, Applejack sat next to her, opposite where her sister once was. It was a nice consolation

Dazzle was given an update, "This just in," Dazzle reported. "Queen Haven has been arrested for being a phony pony full of baloney!"

Zipp gasped in shock, watching as her mother was escorted by the guards, "No comments," Queen Haven huffed. "And no photos!" But quickly, the queen changed her mind, "Okay, one photo." She said, striking a pose with a grin.

"Ha..." That earned him an uneasy laugh from Pipp, her mother was still the same even in that situation

"Anypony care to explain?" Hitch asked.

"We had to get the crystal. Look!" Sunny reached into her saddle bag for the said crystal, only to find it was gone. "Oh, no, no, no, no. It's not here!" She exclaimed to Zipp, who was just as shocked.

There was a universal grimace with most in the room, they had made such a fuss for nothing.

"Seriously?" Zipp asked.

Izzy comments “On the bright side we had so much fun losing it!”

Zipp looks worried because it could be anywhere, in that, a sound of a can is heard with the group became worried they were found

Finally a shadowy figure showed itself and revived…

“Somepony seriously needs to explain why this thing was so important that you had to ruin my whole show over it?" Pipp demanded holding up the Pegasus Crystal in her hoof

Zipp held her breath looking at her sister, even after all she went after them.

In her seat Pipp was in the same way, not understanding much of her on-screen version.

"Trust me, it was," Zipp galloped up to her sister to take the Crystal only for it to be snatched away by a furious Pipp, who got in her face.

"You left me hanging there in the spotlight," Pipp spatted in outrage "Now everypony knows we can't fly." Just then, Pipp's phone vibrated, to which the princess took out to see another news broadcast from Dazzle, with a mugshot of Queen Haven.

"A warrant is out for the arrest of the princesses," Dazzle reported.

"Pipp! Zipp! Save yourselves!" Queen Haven exclaimed dramatically, before she posted for another photo snap of her profile.

"What?!" Pipp exclaimed as she entered a frantic panic state. "This isn't happening. This is so not happening!"

"That made the whole situation even more awkward."

"Pipp!" Zipp snapped, getting her sister's attention. "Forget about all that. We think we can bring back magic, but we need that crystal."

"I guess you have a point," Pipp said quietly but if Zipp overheard there was no reaction.

"Have you lost your mind?" Pipp asked

“Please It might be our only chance." Zipp pleaded to her sister

"Fine," Pipp groaned, before she took the lead. "I know a way out. Come on."

"How do you know how to get out of the alleys?" Sunny sent a hesitant look at Pipp.

"Sometimes, being with the fans is a lot and I'm usually escorted from many hiding places by the guards." Pipp didn't hesitate in her answer, in fact her voice felt very melancholy.

Everyone looks happy as they start jogging after her, except Hitch

"What? Wait! You can't just..." But Sheriff Hitch was in denial as all the other ponies took their leave. "I'M THE SHERIFF!" Hitch whined.

“Not in the kingdom of the pegasi, just a wanted criminal.” Sunny tried to calm the atmosphere by annoying Hitch, who only huffed and stuck his tongue out at her in response. Sunny laughed.

Meanwhile, back at Maretime Bay

The scene changes to show a dark figure with heavy sounds of breathing, eventually the dark figure steps out revealing it was actually Sprout going down an elevator to the sound of breathing that was actually a smoothie.

"Seriously, Dark Pony? It's so old!” Pinkie seemed to recognize whatever that meaningless breath was referring to.

"I mean, at least it's kind of a minor reference." And apparently, Rainbow Dash knew what she meant, too.

"Why aren't you finished yet?" Deputy Sprout demanded, while overseeing preparations of some machineries at Canterlogic.

"W-We're working as fast as we can," One of the staff members explained, "but we've run out of rivets."

"Rivet-ing story," Sprout laughed in sarcasm, before he glared, grabbing the pony by the neck tie. "Just make it work, okay?!"

"Sugarcube," Phyllis Cloverleaf called, walking up to her son. "I know your little top-secret project is important and all, but when do you think my workers can get back to making Canterlogic products? It is my factory, after all, dear."

"But it's my town, Mommy!" Sprout countered. "Your son's now emperor of Maretime Bay!"

"How did he turn our democracy into a dictatorship?” Hitch looked so confused at this turn of events with Sprout.

"Emperor?!" Phyllis exclaimed in disbelief. "But yesterday you were only the sheriff."

"Well, see how fast I'm climbing the ranks?" Sprout boasted. "This defense factory is going on offense, and it's all thanks to your love and encouragement. Break's over, Bubblegum McGinty!" Sprout shouted at a random work pony.

"Oh, dear. Somepony's getting a big head," Phyllis muttered, starting to regret every words she had said and in the background is the silhouette of a construction of something very big.

"That's not going to be nice later..." Fluttershy's words weren't a question, they were a statement.

“Do you think it will be a giant robot? The company is a technology company so it's a possibility.” Twilight theorized with what little they knew.

"Uff, I wish I could fight a giant robot now." Rainbow looked a little jealous.

Meanwhile the main 5 looked nervous at the idea of ​​fighting a giant robot.

Somewhere in Equestria, after their escape from Zephyr Heights, Sunny Starscout and her friend Izzy, accompanied by their new pegasi friends, Zipp and Pipp, and a reluctant Hitch Trailblazer, where all walking in a field of daisies.

"Look!" Sunny pointed, directing the gang's attention to a large tree in the distance, with pink leaves. "That's the tree from the map," Sunny confirmed, as she, Izzy, and Zipp looked back down in the map. "That means... it's this way!"

“Wait, is that-“ Rarity looked very surprised by the image on the screen.

"It's likely to grow for thousands of years, I didn't think it would do that." Twilight looked equally surprised with her friends all giving a silent nod

The main 5 were simply confused as they didn’t know the significance of that tree, just that it was important to equestrian history

Sunny, Izzy, and Zipp all dashed off, leaving Pipp and Hitch following behind.

"What am I even doing here?" Hitch frowned, along with Pipp. "Hoofing it across daisy fields, looking for a magical crystal that doesn't even exist!"

"It was supposed to be my best show ever," Pipp moaned. "And now it's all over. I'm a criminal! And it's all because of them!" She said, with Hitch saying the exact same thing. "And that is so not cool." Pipp finished

"No it is not," Hitch scowled, before he did a double take. "Did I just agree with a Pegasus?" Hitch asked.

“Your worst nightmare came true! Noooo!” Sunny said overdramatically towards Hitch before laughing.

"Is that your worst nightmare, Sheriff?" Zipp looked amused to join in the teasing.

“It seems that Hitch did make a new friend!” On the contrary, Izzy did not participate in the raid of pestering Hitch, for the time being.

Izzy's comment earned Pipp a snort which Hitch interpreted as laughing at him.

“That's it! Izzy is my only friend now.” Hitch made the comment faster than he processed it “Wait I-“

“New friend!” Izzy cheered moved by Hitch's comment, she proceeded to hug Hitch. Hitch didn't have the heart to deny it after that.

That earned her a coo from most of the older ponies, (except Rainbow who just nodded her head in a cool way).

Pipp walks forward to catch up with Zipp and asked “Hey! Are you sure she even knows where to find this other crystal?”

In response Zipp asked “Don't you trust me at all?”

Pipp argued “I don't know. You are the one that just got Mom thrown in jail!”

Zipp declared “Look, once we get our magic back, the whole kingdom will be so excited, they won't even remember what happened back there. You'll be a hero, Pipp.” Pipp looks quite reluctant to believe that.

"You seem to have thought that." Pipp looks a bit shocked.

“I mean, I have to fix what I break, right? Besides all need need is Hitch on our team and we won’t ruin your show when we get back.” Zipp spoke in response Pipp couldn’t help but notice that in a way Zipp was promising not ruin the show if she could help it.

He then switches to Hitch and Sunny

Hitch declared “Let's get one thing straight.”

Sunny ignores him in favor of saying “We're almost to the river, everypony!”

Not to be deterred Hitch continues “After this whole escapade is over with, you are gonna march back home to Maretime Bay with me. Is that clear?”

Sunny looks smug as she says “Crystal.”

"You didn't intend to follow me back did you?" Hicth doesn't look surprised at Sunny.

"Er, I probably would but I'd slow it down." Sunny really didn't know much about what she would do in the future.

Hicth then arrogantly Great. Because this badge means that I'm the she—“ He then stops realizing the badge is missing and panics “No, no, no, no, no! Where's my badge?!”

"I think you lost that since they started escaping in the city," Rainbow Dash commented, half remembering.

That earned a groan from Hitch.

He turns and yelled “Hey! You!” He points accusingly at Izzy who was jumping happily, he tells her “"I know unicorns like shiny things!"

Izzy with a smile mentions “"Oh, you know, I think I did see a shiny badge-y thing on the ground a few hours ago."
"What?!" Hitch freaked out. "Hours?!"

"Well, maybe it's for the best," Izzy began. "Between you and me, buddy," She began in a low hushed voice. "That badge was creating an unhealthy power dynamic," With that, Izzy started singing a song, to herself, leaving a bewildered Hitch behind

“Unhealthy power dynamics?” Hitch turned to Izzy who nodded animatedly.

“Yes! How, for example, at that moment, you were trying to impose your ideal of returning Sunny to the town, under the thought that you had power because of your badge, without it the relationship would advance with no one more powerful than another.” Izzy was happy to explain to all of which was an unhealthy power dynamic.

"That- I wasn't doing it?" Hitch began to reevaluate friendship a bit since he was sheriff “Uh, I guess so.”

“And that's progress!” Izzy clapped her hooves happily.

Izzy then continues on her way humming and leaving Hicth in his place confused, as if that makes him think of something.

They came across a valley, where the bridge was out.

"What are we gonna do?" Sunny asked.

Pipp and Zipp got into a kind of confrontation where Pipp sarcastically asked “Any ideas, Zipp?”

Zipp replied “You know what would be great right now? Let me think. Maybe something like... THE ABILITY TO FLY!”

With the same sarcasm and annoyance in her reply, with Pipp replied “You know what would be even better? Not being stuck in the middle of nowhere as OUTCASTS FROM OUR OWN KINGDOM!”

Hitch looks excited saying “Oh, well. That's the end of that. Time to go home. I wish I could say it was nice meeting all of you, but it wasn't. Come on, Sunny.”

“Ouch.” Zipp mentioned a little amused.

"Uh, contrary to my normal thinking, you guys are nice." And there were no more words from Hitch, just a punch from Sunny on his side as she smiled.

Everypony was arguing at that point, all but one

Sunny yelled “Everypony, stop! We're gonna get to the other side, find the crystal, and bring back magic! And once we do, you'll get to fly, you'll get your fans back, and you'll have me in custody! Everypony happy now?!” She looked very frustrated by this point

Wale this was going on nopony noticed Izzy walking until the sound of a tree falling, she looks happy saying “Ta-daaaaa!” And showing the tree as a bridge.

“Dear your horn?” Rarity looked shocked as she watched the screen and how the horn didn't seem to be phased by anything.

“I guess it's stronger than normal, used in more everyday situations based on the lack of magic?” Twilight looked at Izzy who just shrugged.

Zipp cheered “All right!”

Hitch groaned “Ah, great.”

Sunny compelled “Come on, everypony!”

The group of friends cross the tree bridge as the image rises to the sky where the balloon pony is seen screaming for help.

"Holy Twilight!" Sunny yelled in shock

Twilight looked at her weirdly and stated “Now I know how Celesta felt.”

Hitch also knew that he had to prevent that from happening so he recorded it in his mind for something later.

The scene changes to night, Sunny clicked her hooves together, as if they were flints, creating sparks that ignited a fire.

Taking over, Zipp Storm flapped her wings to blow on the fire, making it come to life

“Whoa how did you do that with your hooves?” Twilight asked Sunny

"Oh. It's just a trick my dad once showed me, when he and I went camping together."

"A camping trick, eh?" Curious, Twilight walked over, asking, "How do you do it?"

"Well, you click your hooves together like this, to make a spark," To demonstrate, Sunny once again clicked her hooves together, and creating smaller sparks that didn’t have anything flammable to catch

"Oh, yeah!" Izzy exclaimed. "Nailed it!"

“Come on, stupid stick,” Hitch grunted by himself, struggling to start a fire of his own.”

“You need some backup, sheriff?” Zipp asked.

“No! Thank you,” Hitch declined. “I've got it. Come on... If only I had a match...” At last, he had sparked a fire, “Hah!”

Unfortunately, his triumph was short lived, when the fire died out.

“OH!” Hitch moaned in frustration.

“Oh, well, that was sad to watch,” Zipp chuckled. “Come on, don't be a hero, dude. Come get warm.”

But Hitch was still reluctant, and continued struggling to make his fire.

"Too proud," Zipp muttered with amusement. Izzy at her side gave a small laugh without disturbing anyone.

Sunny approaches him Hitch as he asked “Are you sure about all this? Because if we just go back to Maretime Bay...“
Sunny asked “What do we got to lose?”

Hitch sarcastically asked “By giving magic back to our enemies? Uh, let me think. I know – a lot!”

Sunny looks amused as she asks “Come on. Do they look like enemies to you?”

“My sparkle is aquamarine?” Pipp gasped. “That's, like, my sixth favorite color!”

“What is my color?” Zipp asked the unicorn next to her.

"It's a very nice mysterious blue color," Izzy smiled at her.

“Well I do love a good mystery.” Zipp commented

Hicth looks tired kicking a stick and saying “I don't know. Maybe I should just go back to Maretime Bay where I'm needed…”

Sunny declared “If that's what you want. But you should know I'm actually glad you're here, Hitch.” We begins to walk back to the camp but not before adding “We all are.”

There is a moment of the two exchanging glances before Hitch snorts and walks over to them and plops down annoyed.

With that, Sunny looks happier saying “So I think we should set off at first light, last stop, Bridlewood,” At that moment, Sunny noticed Izzy looking rather saddened. "What's wrong Izzy?" Sunny asked.

Looking up, Izzy began, "It's just that...being with you ponies has been the best thing that's ever happened to me. I guess I just don't want our adventure to end."

“Hey, we'll probably have more adventures so it won't be the end.” Sunny turns to Izzy who looks more excited.

"But, Izzy, you'll get your magic," Sunny said to Izzy.

Izzy smiled lightly, but not wholeheartedly at the notion she was still reflecting melancholy.

Almost immediately Hitch asked Izzy "Can I ask you a question? Why did you came to Maretime Bay?"

"I always wanted to visit," Izzy began. "When I was a filly, I found this pretty lantern. It had a message inside,” Reaching into her mane, Izzy pulled out a worn out piece of paper. “It says I have friends in Maretime Bay!"

"It's still memorable even when we're past that." Sunny smiled fondly at the screen.

Upon seeing the message, Sunny was in shock, which didn't go unnoticed by Izzy

"It was you!" Izzy exclaimed in realization

Sunny nodded as she took the drawing and explained, “I made it with my dad. We always promised each other that someday we would prove that all ponies were meant to be friends. We'll do our part. Hoof to heart.”

Twilight smiled fondly, for a brief instant she thought she saw herself in Sunny’s place

Sunny smiled even more brighter, at what her childhood friend just said.

“What have we got to lose, right?” Hitch asked, to the mares’ joy.

“WHOO!” Zipp Storm whooped.

“All right!” Izzy and Pipp cheered.

"I have to admit,” Hitch began. “A Unicorn forest. Does sound kind of magical.”

“I think this is the best character development, 10/10 sheriff.” Zipp was quite happy to have the sheriff in that team.