Sunny Starscout's house is in ruins after the incident with Sprout. Now she's staying temporarily with Pipp and Zipp in Zypher Heights. There, she meets someone she never knew she needed.
Sunny Starscout's house is in ruins after the incident with Sprout. Now she's staying temporarily with Pipp and Zipp in Zypher Heights. There, she meets someone she never knew she needed. A mom named Sky Liner, and a sister named Moon Mist.
Now, she has to figure out how she fits in with her new family dynamic and what it is like to build trust from the ground up with ponies that should have been there from the beginning. She also has to realize, sometimes friends simply won't always like your family.
“Sunny, Sunny!” A lilac unicorn gleefully called out, knocking thrice with every repeat of her friends name.
Without any sign of annoyance, the door opened following a giggling mare, “Izzy, I get it! I'm here!”
“What took you so long, silly filly? We have to meet up with Pipp and Zipp today!”
The orange alicorn steadied the saddlebag on her back, before motioning for town, which Izzy happily trotted along side her, “I just wanted to grab a few things. We're going to be in Zephyr heights for awhile, so I needed to pack a few things.”
“Their mom is the queen!” Izzy giggled, hopping a few steps ahead before Sunny sped to keep up, “They said they will have everything ready, toothbrushes, fur brushes, tennis balls! You name it!”
Sunny softly smiled at her unicorn friend, giving a small shake of her head, “Some things they will never be able to supply.”
Izzy skidded to a halt, “what do you mean?”
The unicorn turned just in time to see Sunny gently pulling a framed picture from her bag. Izzy ran her side up against Sunny's to peer over her shoulder. Her mouth formed a small 'O' as she scanned the picture of an older male stallion, A young filly draped over his back. Sunny couldn't keep the emotion out as she spoke, “I didn't want to go anywhere without him.”
For a moment Izzy remained silent, but slowly placed her hoof on Sunny's, “You don't need a picture to have him with you though.” Izzy smiled softly, bringing her navy blue hooves up to point at Sunny's chest, “He's in there silly! Hello Sunny's dad!”
Sunny couldn't help but giggle, barely able to stave off a tear that dared to fall. With a quick nod and a bout of determination, Sunny returned the photo to her saddlebag, “You're right, you're totally right! But... it does help to have his picture nearby.”
Pipp as always, had her phone held high. Earth ponies watched in confusion as she appeared to be speaking to her phone with no response, “And again my little Pippsqueaks! I'm broadcasting once more from our new friends the Earth ponies. So make sure if you ever find yourself in Maretime Bay, come on down and say hello! This is Pipp, and make sure to like and subscribe.”
“Finally!” Zipp groaned as Pipp stored away her phone, giving her an eye roll for good measure.
“I know you don't like 'how much'” Pipp air quoted with her hooves, “I stream on my phone, but now is more important than ever! I can use my popularity to familiarize Zephyr heights with ponies of the world! Bring them all together and do our part!”
“Sounds like more of an excuse to stream instead of spending time with me or mom...” Zipp frowned, giving a frustrated huff.
Pipp gave an eye roll of her own before her grin twisted mischievously, “I did set up that account for you. If my 'little' sister wants my attention so badly, you could stream yourself and we could collab!”
“Why are you saying 'little' sister for? I'm the older mare here!" Zipp rose an accusing brow, looking to her as if she lost it.
"Hey, when we were measured by Sunny and Izzy, my wing span was larger, so that means I'M the big sister!"
Groaning, Zipp had to stop herself from facehoofing, "Our wings, skeletal wise, were the same. You're just poofy sis!"
“Semantics!” Pipp giggled, covering her mouth for a second, “All I'm saying is if you stream with me, then we can spend time together 'and' help our little ponies at the same time. You know, kill two birds with one stone and all that?”
“Isn't that a little cruel to the birds?” A male voice intervened with a chuckle, clearly showing he knew they had been joking. At least, he hoped.
“Hitch!” The sisters cheered as he pulled up a seat and joining the two.
“Izzy went to fetch Sunny, they should be here any time now.” Hitch gave a reassuring smile.
Within a flash, Pipp's phone was right back out, immediately speaking happily to the void, “Well, isn't it my favorite sheriff, Hitch Trailblazer! Once again looking out for all of Maretime Bay and even more so for his friends! Be sure to check out the sheriffs office to see this handsome gentlecolt up close and personal!”
Red filled Hitch's cheeks, trying to hide his face with his hoof. A laugh emanated from nearby as it drug their attention to two mare's, “Pipp, you're embarrassing the good sheriff!”
Hitch turned to see Sunny and Izzy approaching, “Sunny! I'm not embarrassed, I'm uh... I just had to chase down a thief, that's it! I've been busy all morning setting the law right with Maretime Bay!”
Suddenly a red pony came trotting up, a cat on his back, “Managed to get that cat out of the tree, Hitch.”
All the girls were knowingly grinning at Hitch, making him fidget in his seat, “Sprout! Good job, now make sure to keep that thief nice and locked up as well.”
“Thief, what thief?” Sprout rose a confused brow.
Hitch chuckled nervously, jumping from his seat and leading Sprout away with a hoof around his deputy's shoulder, lowering his voice, “Deputy, Just go and check on the thief, nudge nudge, hint hint.”
“Ohhhh, I gotcha, the thief!” Sprout smiled proudly, pulling away from Hitch's hoof, “I'll get right on that!”
Smiling to no one in particular, Hitch whispered, “Maybe he isn't all hopeless.”
Meanwhile, just as Sprout got out of earshot, he mumbled, “Hitch is loosing it, arresting thieves and not telling me. Whose watching the thief if neither one of us is there?”
An older mare turned to her daughter. The mother was an apricot orange mare with soft crinkles next to her bright emerald green eyes. Her mane still clearly pink, but with the offset of gray throughout, “My sweet Moon Mist, I want you to meet somepony very special. They are arriving today by chariot.”
“By chariot? This is the new international station. Who could we possibly be meeting from out of town?”
The older mare simply smiled, looking at her beautiful and curious daughter. The younger mare had been her pride and joy for as long as she had been alive. The mare was a brilliant blue, while her mane shared in her mothers pink. Pain seemed to suddenly strike her features, making Moon Mist look to her in concern.
“I'm personal friends with the queen and she graciously set this meeting up for us. There is something I kept from you for such a long time sweetie and it is finally the day I should tell you.”
“W-what is it, mom?” Moon tried to catch her moms gaze, but couldn't.
Moon was about to say something again, but her mom managed shake the sadness from her face, “It'll have to wait just a tad longer. I'll have to explain it to her as well.”
“O-ok...” Moon Mist studied her mom in hopes of figuring out anything else, but failed to do so. She merely remained quiet as they began to patiently wait.
“It was nice of your mom to give us all a place to stay till the light house can be rebuilt.” Sunny grinned, nudging Pipp and Zipp.
“No big!” Zipp shrugged, “You needed a place to stay and now we can teach you how to fly.”
“Yeah!” Pipp nodded in earnest, “Mom is really trying to do her part too! Ever since trade routes were established with the other tribes, everything has gotten so much better!”
Sunny groaned as the chariot passed a large billboard with her face plastered on it, “I just wish I wasn't the face of this whole unity.”
“heh, you are a celebrity now, Sunny!” Hitch chuckled, patting her rather hard on the back, “Guess that's punishment enough, I don't have to put you in prison now, I suppose.”
“Oh har har, Hitch...” Sunny rolled her eyes, leaning her elbow against the side of the chariot, her chin landing in her hoof, “But seriously, just because I'm an alicorn now, it makes me royalty or something? Princess Sunny Starscout, what a joke!”
“Don't feel down, Sunny!” Zipp stepped forward, draping her hoof over the orange mare's shoulders, “You brought together the tribes and brought back magic! I feel like you would have been a celebrity in any regard.”
“They are demanding to build me a castle and they want me to meet some dignitaries.” Sunny flatly stated, “I don't know anything about politics or how to run things...”
Stepping forward, Zipp removed her hooves only for Pipp's to take their place around her shoulders, “Mom said she'll help you with all that. Don't worry...”
“She will?” Sunny rose up, her eyes landing on Pipp's.
“Yeah, she's run Zephyr heights for a long time and she wants you to succeed. Mom wants all this to succeed. She's been really supportive since the return of magic. She even apologized to all the pegasi for lying all this time and gave them the option to keep us in power. Normally she would have made something up to um...”
“Twist the truth?” Zipp chuckled, smiling knowingly to her sister.
“Yeah, that.”
Sunny spiraled around and threw her hooves around Pipp and Zipp, “I know one thing, as long as I have my new friends, then everything will be alright.”
“You have that right!” Hitch chimed in, joining in on the embrace, “We've got your back, Sunny Starscout!”
The chariot came to a soft landing and they gave their thanks to the two chariot drivers. Sunny was pretty sure they were the two that had arrested them the first time they were in Zephyr Heights. She shrugged it off as they all grabbed their belongings. They were about to start walking when two ponies stopped in front of them.
“Uh... can we help you?” Hitch stated, turning to Pipp and Zipp to see them just as confused.
“Sunny Starscout, my how you've grown. You've become such a beautiful mare.”
All Sunny could do was stare for a moment. The older mare seemed familiar in some odd way, which only added to her befuddled state. Behind the older mare stood a younger one, but probably a bit more shy as she gave a quick wave from behind the other mare.
“How rude of me.” The older mare cleared her throat before continuing, “My name is Sky Liner, and this is my daughter Moon Mist.”
“D-do we know you?” Sunny stuttered.
“No, sadly, but maybe this will help?” Sky softly stated as she reached into her own saddlebag, pulling out a small photo album. She wasted no time as she flipped to the first page and placing it on the ground, making sure both Sunny and Moon could see. Everypony's eyes went wide at what they saw. It was a picture of four individual ponies. Two adults and two newborns. The first adult was a fairly young Argyle Starshine and his lips were lovingly pressed against the cheek of a mares. The mare was a pegasus that definitely looked like Sky Liner. In their hooves were two fillies, one a pegasus and the other an earth pony.
“M-mom? What is this?” Moon Mist stepped forward, just as confused as Sunny had been.
“Argyle Starshine...” Sky happily hummed his name, “He was a young historian that wanted so desperately to learn from the pegasi. I fell in love with him instantly, but at the time, the queen; Zipp and Pipp's grandmother; had him arrested. He was released far away from Zephyr Heights, but that didn't stop him. I spent months just sneaking him books from the library. It wasn't long before you two lovely fillies were born. With the separated ponies, we couldn't keep it up for long. We couldn't just let you two be raised out there in the wild. Reluctantly, I took Moon Mist to live with me in Zephyr Heights and Argyle took Sunny Starscout to live in Maretime Bay.”
“I-I have a mom?” Sunny's raised her gaze from the picture, still unable to process any of it. Her mind was racing a mile a minute.
“A-and a sister... apparently...” Moon Mist softly said, touching her hoof tenderly to Sunny's.
For the first time since the bombshell of news, Sunny's mind calmed for a second, sporting a small grin at her sister, “I never knew! I mean, dad never said anything!”
Sky Liner sighed, turning the page to another picture of the four of them having a picnic. The two fillies nestled side by side, nursing on bottles between their hooves, “That was what your father and I agreed upon, to never say anything unless the feud among the tribes stopped.”
“So where is he, am I going to get to meet him too? Father... dad... uh that feels weird to say.” Moon Mist grinned, taking Sunny's hoof, “I would love to meet him.”
Sunny's ears darted flat against her skull, tears daring to well up in her eyes.
“S-sunny? Where's your father?” Sky softly asked, fear striking her very being.
Slowly reaching around to her saddle bag, Sunny pulled out the picture of her and her dad, gently splaying it next to the album, “He went on a trip out of town. He often promised that he was going to bring all the ponies together and that meant continuing his research. A search party came back and... they had found him...”
Tears landed on Sunny's hooves that weren't her own, her head jerked up to see a steady stream flowing down Moon Mist's cheeks, “Moon Mist?”
“Eep!” Sunny yelped as Moon scooped her into a hard embrace.
“I'm so sorry Sunny!”
“Hey, It's ok, I.” Sunny started, running her hoof softly up Moon's back.
“No it's not!” Moon snapped, making a few passerby's glance their way, “I had Mom this whole time. You were alone! This stupid feud kept us separated, and we could have all been there for one another.”
Any hope of feigning off tears ceased as they rolled down Sunny's cheeks. She deepened the embrace, barely managing to squeeze out words, “But we're here now and I'm never letting you go!”
A soft hoof could be felt on her shoulder, Sunny pulled only slightly away so her eyes could meet Sky Liner's, “I know this is a lot to just suddenly have a mother you never knew you had, but I will always be here for you from now on, both of you. That's a promise, hoof to heart!”
Sunny's heart skipped a beat at the familiar promise, giving a short broken chuckle. Reaching forward, she managed to grab her mom's forehoof, pulling her into an embrace along with her newfound sister, “Hoof to heart, mom.”
It had been an eventful morning to say the least. Not only had they scrambled to gather what they could from the rubble of her old home, saving what they could before rain could hit, but met someone she never knew she needed in her life right now; A mother named Sky Liner and a sister named Moon Mist. To top off the excitement cake, they were both pegasi!
Sunny groaned, finally able to retreat into a room that the queen had graciously prepared for her. Izzy Moonbow had one as well that was next to hers, but wasn't going to be staying. She still had things to take care of in Bridlewood. It was still up in the air if the unicorn was going to still live in Bridlewood but the queen insisted this be her home away from home. Sunny's saddlebag nearly rolled as she tossed it to the bed, throwing the flap open and immediately pulling her picture from it. She instantly spotted a random picture of a rose bush on the wall next to the door, pulling it from its spot and replacing it with hers.
She smiled softly, giving a little giggle as she attempted to straighten the photo, “Hey dad, now you can watch over me here too.” Sunny paused, her features falling slightly as a thought hit her, “Guess you've been watching over them too, haven't you? I just... never knew about them...”
Pangs of several emotions rolled over her, her gaze lowering to no where in particular, “Dad, I feel a little guilty. Part of me hates that you kept the truth from me for so long. I can't stay mad with you, but... How am I supposed to feel about it? I can't help but... feel a little hurt.”
Her words fell short. She had so many things to say and even though she was just speaking to a photograph, she attempted to carefully select her words, “Part of me feels betrayed dad. You kept the truth from me for so long. I know it was probably to keep me safe, or possibly to keep me from running off, but... Part of me is angry at you. I thought we didn't keep things from one another...”
Falling silent, Sunny deeply inhaled before letting herself fall forward slightly. Her forehead thudding against the wall, allowing herself to stay there for the moment. Her mind raced a mile a minute. All her emotions were muddled up. As soon as she would feel something, another feeling would just as easily take its place. On one hoof, she felt happy to have two new family members, but she also felt fear of getting to know them. What if they didn't like one another? What if they never started to feel like a family due to all the time apart? Would they not want 'her' as a family member?
Sunny's eyes widened, shuffling for the door. The photo of her dad and her slightly going askew with the gust of wind from the door. For a moment, Sunny could see the nervousness in Moon Mist's features. Her ears had been standing at attention, her wings slightly extended and twitching. However, upon seeing Sunny, her face immediately softened, her ears darting back as she gently spoke, “Sunny, are you okay?”
“Y-yeah, why do you ask?” Sunny looked at her in confusion. Sure she had been just talking to her dad's photo, but otherwise she felt somewhat fine. She did feel a tad emotionally exhausted, but what did she expect after meeting her long lost mother and sister, then having to break the news of her dad passing away.
Moon Mist locked eyes with her newfound sister, frowning, “Yo... you were crying...”
Sunny's hooves darted up to her cheeks, and yep, sure enough there were drying lines of tears that had fallen down her cheeks. She chuckled weakly, wiping her eyes and cheek with one hoof and waving dismissively with the other, “Just a tad overwhelmed I guess. So much goi~eep!”
The breath was nearly knocked out of her as she was scooped into a tight embrace. Moon Mist's hooves slipping under Sunny's arms to hug her torso. Sunny's apricot orange coat softly melted in with the light blue of Moon's. Moon Mist's voice remained soft, as the light pink tips of her hooves gently pet up and down Sunny's back, “It's okay Sunny. I'm here...”
For a moment Sunny was about to say something, but her throat caught as she attempted to breath in. Moon took it as her new sister was about to start crying again and squeezed tighter, “You're not alone anymore.”
“I'm not alone! I had Hitch, he was always my friend!” Sunny grunted as she pushed away from the embrace. Her hooves were caught by Moon's and they remained that way, softly holding one another. Sunny looked into Moon's eyes, frozen at what she saw. It was a strangely familiar sight. Moon shared the same purple eyes as her father. They belonged to her sister, but strangely the same loving eyes that watched her grow up for most of her life. She shook her head, rallying her mind back to the present, “I mean... Hitch Trailblazer, the stallion that was with me and the others. He always looked after me when dad died. Probably even before so. I wasn't alone, Moon Mist. I promise!”
Moon's eyes seemed to search deep into her soul. She couldn't keep the idea that her dad wasn't the one looking at her with those bright purple eyes. Moon softly chuckled, snapping Sunny back to the present once more, “I'm glad, I would have felt worse if you were entirely alone.”
“Me too, honestly.” Sunny chuckled lightly, “But now I have a lot of new friends too.”
“I'm so happy to hear that.” Moon smiled. She was about to say something more before a knock came from the open doorway.
“It's good to see you girls hitting it off.”
They both turned in unison to see Sky Liner standing in the doorway. Giving Sunny a good chance to soak in how her mother looked. Another odd sensation washed over her. Her newfound mom had the exact same apricot orange coat that she had. It was almost like looking into a mirror and seeing her much older self, but with a pink mane instead. The mare had crows feet nestled at the edges of her eyes, worn with time. Her eyes were also the same as Sunny's, maybe a tad darker green. Her wings however, started off the same orange, but faded to a bright pink toward the tips.
“Hey uh... mom.” Sunny greeted, still a bit unnerving to call someone that. Especially having never known a motherly figure.
“Now now.” Sky Liner giggled, stepping fully into the room, “You don't have to call me that if you don't like. I want you to be comfortable and I fully intend to earn that title. We have a lot of time to make up for, you know!”
That made Sunny genuinely smile for a moment, giving her own giggle, “Actually, It kind of feels weird to not to call you mom. Seems... right...” Sunny pulled her hooves away from Moon's, tapping one against her lips as if pondering her own words.
Her words made Sky Liner's chest swell with happiness. Her wings puffed out a tad bit before deflating back to her side. Sky trotted forward pulling Sunny into a hug. The sisters could feel the overwhelming emotion radiating from their mother as she spoke, “I've missed you so much my little Starscout.”
Sunny had to ward off the swelling of tears. Her chest suddenly felt both hollow and full at the same time. She couldn't put a hoof on the feeling, it was almost like she had a hole inside her that she didn't know she had, but now was being filled by the embrace. Maybe even a tad bit of loneliness that had apparently been there.
“A-are we interrupting?” another voice was heard from the still open doorway.
“Zipp? Hey!” Sunny weakly pulled from the embrace to greet her friend, her wings flaring out, almost throwing off her balance with the sudden involuntary movement.
Zipp covered her mouth with her hoof, trying to stifle her giggles, “Not quite used to the wings, are ya? Don't worry, you'll get used to them.”
Red made its way through Sunny's cheeks, her ears splaying back against her skull. When the embarrassment started to ebb away, Sunny's gaze drifted to Pipp that was currently hiding behind Zipp, “Pipp, what's wrong?”
Pipp's ears sprung up and she fidgeted, stepping around Zipp as if all was normal, “Nothing! I uh, just wanted to see how you're settling in!?”
“Pipp Petals, It's a pleasure to finally meet you in person.” Moon Mist smiled, trotting from Sunny's side until she was a mere hoof away from the pegasus princess.
A few moments of awkward silence blanketed the room. Zipp had a brow raised, her eyes glancing in between her sis and Moon Mist's. Pipp seemed as if she didn't want to be here, her face torn into a frown. After a bit, a large fake smile forced its way onto her muzzle, flaring her wings out as she suddenly stood up, startling Moon a bit, “Moon Mist, the pleasure's all mine!”
Even with the sudden enthusiasm, a twitch could be seen by Pipp's right eye. Moon chuckled nervously, before she got up and went back to Sunny, “Sunny, I'm going out to dinner with mom and we were wondering if you would like to come with?”
Sunny's glanced over to Zipp and Pipp. They had already set up plans to have dinner, fully expecting either one to speak up. Luckily it was Zipp that spoke up first, “Sunny, you can go with them if you want. I'm sure the others wont mind.”
“B-but... Hitch and Izzy are leaving tonight. Hitch needs to keep an eye on Maretime Bay and the construction of my home and Izzy said she needed to take care of a few things in Bridlewood.” Sunny near pouted, she desperately wanted to get to know her mother and sister, but was torn with missing out with her friends.
Sky Liner giggled, bringing Sunny's gaze back to her, “Don't worry sweety. I don't intend on missing out on spending some quality time with you. You can go with your friends.”
“Plus.” Moon started before taking Sunny's hoof into her own, “We're actually going to be staying down the hall from you, in the castle. So maybe...” Moon Mist blushed, rubbing the nape of her neck, “Maybe if you're willing. I can drop by later? Hang out like... sisters or something?”
Sunny couldn't help the large smile on her face, nodding, “Yeah! That... that sounds wonderful!”
Sky Liner giggled, snaking her way in between Zipp and Pipp to her daughters, pulling both into a tight embrace, draping her forehooves and wings around the two, “We will be sure to see you soon, dear. We will leave you too it.” After releasing the embrace, her hoof lingered on Moon's shoulder, “Come dear, we will come back tomorrow to see her.”
Moon Mist nodded cheerfully and turned to follow her mother out of the room. Sky Liner disappeared around the corner and right as Moon Mist was about out of the doorway, she paused. She began to fidget in place, making it look like she couldn't make up her mind of whether she was coming of going. Ultimately, she stopped and turned around, “S-see you Sunny. I'm so excited to have you as a sister!”
Without a further word, Moon Mist darted after her mother, vanishing around a corner down the hall.
“They seem nice!” Zipp chuckled, trotting up to pat Sunny on the back.
“Y-yeah... nice...” Pipp mumbled, making Zipp and Sunny glance her way.
Glancing up to Zipp, Sunny's brow scrunched up in confusion. Zipp had a weird, 'shut up' glare toward her sister. As soon as Zipp did, Pipp jerked her gaze away, angrily grumbling under her voice. Pipp jumped up, calling to her two friends, “Let's get going, Hitch and Izzy are waiting.”
Once the princess was out of sight, Sunny whispered to Zipp, “What's wrong with her?”
“Hmm... uh...” Zipp paused, letting out a deep sigh. She took a couple steps toward the door before she turned to face Sunny head on. Keeping her voice low, “Moon Mist is a big streamer like Pipp. Even though Moon Mist wasn't a princess, she's always had a sizable following in Zephyr but could never match the royal family. Heck, even I had a bigger following and I've only streamed a few times for announcements.”
“Wow, Moon Mist's famous then?” Sunny couldn't believe what she was hearing. Sure, she was already used to Zipp and Pipp being popular due to being princesses, but now she had family that were? Sunny technically was too, being an alicorn now and all, but still. It felt a little odd.
“Your mom is too, actually. She may not be directly in the line of viewership, but she runs the biggest theme park in Zephyr Heights. It's a resort that takes a thing called a sky liner; probably named after her; which is a round enclosed chariot type thing, suspended by a wire that leads up to the clouds. It's the only place we could go that brought Pegasi up into the sky, before we could fly again, that is.”
“You can walk on clouds?!” Sunny nearly yelled her words, her eyes wide in wonder. How could she not have known they could do that. Did her dad not know that either? But, that didn't make sense, “Wait... You could walk on clouds... without magic?”
Zipp's ears twitched before fluttering flat against her skull, releasing yet another sigh, “Not really sure on that front, actually. It's said that the park used to be a city called Cloudsdale and it was re-purposed as a theme park. It was built long before magic was lost, and Sky Liner had the foresight to turn it into a place where pegasi could touch the sky again. At least for an afternoon.”
“So why is Pipp acting that way then? Is it cause they are rival streamers?” Sunny decided to ask, bringing the conversation back to Pipp.
“Well normally, streamers are pretty friendly. They call it collabing, it's just a shortened term for collaborating. Guess someone thought it was cute. Anyway, when we borrowed the stone from my mom and Zephyr found out we were faking the flying, Moon Mist's viewership finally rocketed over all of ours.”
“Isn't it okay now, though? Zephyr Heights forgave you and the royal family, didn't they?” Sunny asked, suddenly worried that all was not well with them.
“Yeah, most have forgiven us, but not everypony.” Zipp closed her eyes, shaking her head, “Apparently, Moon Mist was and still is a big fan of my sister. She had been trying to collab for years but my sister always had some sort of promotional, commercial, or meet and greet to do. After our reputations were ruined, it really hurt Moon Mist. She made a reaction video saying that everypony should hold off judgment and give us a chance to explain. Moon Mist made a few like that, actually. Trying to defend us.”
“That... that's good right?”
Shaking her head, Zipp frowned, “Not exactly. Most started saying that Moon Mist was a saint, that she was being too generous to forgive us. Others stated that she was monopolizing the system since she was already the biggest streamer under the royal family. Making herself look good just to build her audience.”
“W-well, anything can be taken out of context, right?” Sunny chuckled to herself. She definitely felt the need to look into getting a phone and check out her sister's streams. Maybe she could get Zipp or Pipp to help her set it up, what did they call it? A Hooftube... something tube... account? Or was it an email account.., or both? Something like that, “I'm sure she didn't mean any harm. Shouldn't Pipp give her the benefit of the doubt? I mean, she didn't exactly do anything wrong, did she?”
“Whether she meant well or not, it led to sponsorship's. Pipp's sponsorship's. She basically monetized on our misfortune. Personally, I feel like she did the right thing. You do what you need to. What was she supposed to do, just reject the offers? I mean, you do what you need to and it's not like she hurt us by taking them. We're the royal family. Not like we're exactly hurting for bits, ya know?”
“Guess it really depends on how Pipp sees it, then. Maybe she sees it as an attack on her name as a streamer? Or Moon Mist stealing her viewers?” Sunny asked, tapping her lips with the tip of her hoof.
“You two coming or what?!” Pipp called from down the hall, “We're going to be late!”
Zipp got up, but paused at the doorway, “Honestly, I don't know. It's something that Pipp has to come to terms with. Maybe I can talk to her about it.”
“M-maybe that's for the best...” Sunny let out a sigh, getting up to follow Zipp out of her room. Pulling the door closed with a soft click.
Suddenly, she threw her door wide open again, rushing back in to hastily straighten the photo of her and her father. She gave the photo a quick wave as she whispered, “See you later, dad.” She ran back out the door, pulling the door closed once more. Little did she know, the photo went right back to being askew.
In the matter of minutes, the sun would be completely behind the horizon. The sun turning the sky into an array of pink and tinges of fading blue. None of the stars up above had yet appeared, but the moon certainly had made itself known. Barely peaking out from behind a few stray clouds up in the sky. Hums of street performers played the faint tune of random instruments. Not too many a pony glanced their way as most were heading home to their loved ones. It was hard walking the streets of Zephyr Heights without getting attention from passerby's, especially when you had two princesses and an alicorn walking the streets. Admittedly, the streets seemed much less packed even during rush hour since pegasi now had all of the sky in between buildings to fly. Though, at the end of the day, some were just too tired to fly home, choosing to calmly walk instead. It was also heartwarming to see the random earth pony or unicorn wandering the streets.
“This is the first time the gang has split up since the return of magic, isn't it?” Pipp woefully whimpered, her voice traced with dramatic flare, “It's a shame that business be the thing to separate Hitch and Izzy from us! To think Business would stab us in the back like that? I love business! Performing for crowds of thousands! Showering us with diamonds!”
Zipp merely rolled her eyes, continuing her trot back towards the castle, “Sis, that's 'your' business. Hitch is a sheriff, and Izzy... Wait, what does Izzy do again? Professional crafts or something... Either way, neither have to 'perform' on stage. And since when have you ever been showered with diamonds? Other than that commercial anyway...”
“The Bridesmare Collection!” Pipp's smile absolutely beamed, ending her fond memories with a soft giggle, “That was a wonderfully fun sponsor, for sure.”
“So Pipp?” Zipp lightheartedly chuckled, but didn't manage to hide a tinge of nervousness as she broached the subject, “I know this is a touchy subject and all, but...”
“Oh?” Pipp rose a brow, already half knowing where this was heading, she hadn't exactly been subtle with her distaste with Moon Mist. It didn't help that Zipp was pretty awesome at reading her, “And what would that be, Zipp?”
The expectant and harsh tone that came from Pipp made Sunny shudder, but Zipp didn't seem to miss a beat, “Want to explain your gripe with Moon Mist? I mean... you managed to be friendly enough in the end, but even she could feel the um... lack of enthusiasm on your part.”
“I simply don't believe her sincerity is all.” Pipp stated quickly, flatly, and to the point.
Sunny and Zipp slowed their pace to look worriedly to one another, so Pipp took the opportunity to walk up ahead of the two. Zipp quickened her trot, to bring herself back to Pipp's side, “That can't just be it, can it? You can't just assume the worst in a pony.”
“Can't I?” Pipp hissed her words, rolling her eyes, “She monetized on our suffering, even if her words were sincere, it doesn't change that fact, now does it? Actions speak louder than words after all.”
“N-no... but, I can't hardly blame her for it, either. Ponies gotta pay the bills and all that.” Zipp weakly laughed, but honestly didn't know what to say to drive it home, “Just seems a little harsh is all.”
Zipp and Sunny nearly tripped on themselves as Pipp stopped in her tracks, whipping around to glare her sister in the eyes, “I'm a forgiving pony, Zipp... and even with my concerns, I'll be civil with Moon Mist, but...” Pipp lowered her gaze, her eyes shuffling as if searching for the right words, “But when I found out she was Sunny's sister, with Sunny being an alicorn no less! Who's to say she wont use her, our friend, to her advantage?”
“So that's the actual reason then?” Zipp gave a true to heart chuckle of relief, feeling as if it was all figured out all of a sudden, “It's less about Moon Mist and more about you being worried for Sunny?”
“I don't know how I feel!” Pipp nearly yelled, making a few passerby's jerk their attention to the princess, but she paid them no mind as her eyes remained on her sister, “I do worry about Sunny and her being used, but there is more to it! I've seen my fair share of derogatory streamers, you have to be careful of smaller creators using you just to build their own channel. All I'm saying is, I don't trust her, and I'm going to be keeping my eye on her. I can't promise I'll ever become friends with her, but I will try to remain civil... okay?”
When Zipp didn't reply right away, Pipp snapped her whole body back into a full trot. Hastily leaving the two behind with bewildered looks for a moment.
“Pipp, wait up!” The two called as they nearly took to the air to catch up.
After saying their good nights, Sunny groaned as she started to pull the door to her room closed. Her ears flickered as she heard familiar voices. She couldn't make out what they were saying, but it was clear it was Moon Mist and Sky Liner. The curiosity getting the better of her, she quietly stepped back into the hall, taking a sharp right. The voices became distinctly louder as she came to a stop by a door. The rooms seemed to be noticeably sound dampening and it was clear at least one of them was raising their voice at the other. Without thinking better of it, Sunny found herself instinctually pressing her ear at the door.
“All this time, mom! I had a sister and you never said anything!” Moon Mist's words growled out in anger. It was clear she was distraught, her voice wavering in an emotional mess.
“I told you, sweet heart...” Sky Liner's voice was low and calm. She sounded almost, defeated. In a way, it sounded as if she had been at this conversation for awhile, trying to convince Moon Mist, “It was the agreement Argyle and I decided to keep you and Sunny safe... A promise to one another. I never wanted to split up our family, but if the Queen at the time had found us...”
“Buck the Queen!” Moon Mist pretty much barked out, “Argyle... dad... is dead mom... do you not understand that? Your secret... stopped me from ever knowing him... If not for Sunny reuniting the ponies, I possibly never would have known her either. Were... were you just going to keep them secret from me forever?”
Sky Liner remained silent, her ears splaying back against her head. Sunny's breath wavered as she tried to keep it light and soft as to make sure they didn't hear. The emotions in the air and in her throat made it hard to stay quiet and calm. Sunny took a few steps back from the door. 'She feels a little like me towards dad...' Sunny's heart sank at that realization. She too had felt it, the tad bit of... hate. Sure, that felt harsh, but that anger was boiling deep down silently within her gut. The feeling of betrayal from not only her father, but from her newfound mother. 'I wonder if I would have reacted the same if dad was alive? Yelled at him... been angry with him...'
“I hate you!”
Sunny blinked in surprise. Had Moon Mist really said that?
“Moon Mist!” Sky Liner's voice softly called out. It remained gentle, laced with hurt and maybe a bit of understanding, “I'm so deeply sorry... I never meant to hurt you... or Sunny”
“Drop it!” Moon Mist yelled out, her voice no longer level due to the emotion behind it, “I don't want to hear another word!”
Moon's hoof steps could be heard nearing the door, making Sunny scramble to turn away. Only places she saw were random doors that led to other bedrooms, most likely to other ponies chambers. Or possibly rooms that remained empty for guests use. Her eyes landed on a table that had a table cloth and vase atop of it, darting behind it just in time to hear the door slam after Moon Mist ran down the hall. For a moment, Sunny waited to see if Sky Liner was going to go after her but the door never opened. Glancing between the door and the hall where Moon had went, Sunny decided to go after her. Taking off to a full gallop as she attempted to catch up to the emotionally distraught mare.
Moon's heart rapidly beat almost painfully in her chest. Her eyes landing to a balcony, slowing her gallop to a hasty trot before throwing her forehooves up to the balcony balustrade railing. Her wings jot open, splaying her wings to the whole world the blue that faded to bright pink feathers. She took to the air, only giving Sunny a glimpse of her pink tail disappearing from the balcony. Sunny turned the corner and skidded into the railing.
“Moon Mist!” Sunny called out, but to no avail. She was hastily going higher and higher.
Luckily for her, Moon Mist didn't go far. With a gentle flap of her wings, Moon Mist landed on a cloud up above the castle. The only thing being seen was her long bright pink tail drooping off the back, along with the faintest sounds of sobs. Sunny groaned at herself, 'I haven't learned to fly yet...'
The sudden flight that she achieved from her ascension had been a sudden assist of the excitement and power that came from becoming an alicorn; or so she assumed. Ever since, she couldn't do as much as glide, let alone go up toward where Moon Mist was. She decided on calling out once more, “Moon Mist! It's me, Sunny!”
Nothing...
Sunny gave out a defeated groan, her ears splaying back against her skull. Glancing over the railing, Sunny swallowed seeing just how high up they were. Not only were they high up in the castle, but this side overlooked the mountain side. If she failed to stay airborne, she would surely plummet all the way down. Despite her better judgment, her wings twitched at her sides. Slowly opening and closing as if daring her to jump. Surely she could just glide down if all failed. Sure, she would have a long trek back to the castle, but...
“Sunny!”
“Eep~!” Sunny fell backwards, her flanks smacking the floor before continuing her descent onto her back.
Looking up to the figure, it was Moon Mist. Even though she still had tears trickling down her face, she outstretched a hoof, “C-can you not fly yet?”
A bit of red flooded her cheeks as Sunny took the hoof, being gently pulled to a sitting position, “I... uh.. haven't learned yet, no...”
Moon Mist let out a wavering breath, unable to keep it steady as she spoke, “D-did you hear me yelling?”
Gently nodding, Sunny grasped Moon's hoof before it could fully leave her, “Yeah, are you okay, Moon?”
“I... I don't know...” Moon Mist admitted, red filling out her own cheeks. She tightly squeezed her eyes closed, her wings flaring to life at her sides, “But I don't want to be anywhere near mom at the moment!”
Letting out a small breath, Sunny tugged at Moon's hoof, motioning her to follow, “You can stay in my room.”
“I don't... want to be a bother...” Moon Mist's heart sank at bothering her new sister like this. She already made a fool of herself, yelling like an idiot at their mom. What was Sunny to think, that she was prone to emotional outbursts? Not that she regretted her choice words with Sky Liner. At lease, for the moment.
“You're no bother.” Sunny pleaded, tugging Moon's hoof once more before letting go, “You need a safe place to cool off. Not on a cloud in the middle of the night!”
That managed to get a small giggle from Moon Mist, making Sunny grin softly. Moon remained silent as Sunny led them to her room. Moon Mist sat near the foot of the bed as Sunny pulled the door closed. She could feel Moon's eyes on her as she quickly went over to her photograph and straightened it.
“What was he like?” Moon softly spoke, barely above a whisper.
Sunny turned to look to Moon, only to find she still had the faint tear trail down her cheeks, landing gently at the floor by her hooves. Eyeing a nearby vanity, Sunny made haste pulling a tissue and going to Moon's side. She lifted the mare's chin with one hoof, before gently wiping the tears from the pegasi's blue cheeks. Moon Mist's eyes widened at Sunny's sudden actions. Her hooves slowly went up to touch her cheeks. Surprised at the loving gesture from her new sister.
Sunny noticed the look, making her own cheeks flush a tad, flustering her a bit, “I uh... Dad... Argyle Starshine. He was a great dad. He was always playing pretend with me, telling me stories of the mane six and how all the ponies used to play and have fun together. We would bake and play games. Even Hitch would join in at times with us.”
“I'm not sure you went into detail. What... what happened to him?” Moon Mist choked out her last sentence. She had calmed down a lot thanks to Sunny, but she still wasn't quite there yet. Her mind still flashed back to her mom and her chest would flare with anger all over again.
“Not entirely sure...” Sunny admitted, looking to the photo once more of her dad and her.
“What... do you mean?” Moon quizzically rose a brow.
“It was several years ago. Dad was always heading out to some far off place for his research. He even brought me to a few of them. When he didn't come back on one of the missions, a party set out to find him. Later on, the sheriff at the time, before Hitch, he sat me down and told me my dad was dead. That... a large dragon swallowed him whole before his very eyes.”
Moon Mist's eyes slowly went half lidded, she let out a shaky breath before asking, “D-do you think he suffered... going out like that?”
Luckily some of both her dad's and her research led her to know a bit on the subject of dragons. Both to her benefit, and dismay, “Dragons normally eat gems. Their stomach is basically lava and magma, so if he truly was eaten, he would have died instantly.”
Remaining still for a moment, Moon Mist slowly spoke, “You don't sound so sure, Sunny.”
“I didn't believe him for a long time, Moon Mist. I was just a teenager at the time. I wanted to go after and try to see for myself, but didn't know where to look. After about a year, it kind of just... hit me. He was dead, Moon. No amount of hope is going to fix that. And he never came back... and he never will...” Sunny's eyes misted over, slowly breathing to fend off the tears.
“I wish they told me... told us... I could have been there...” Moon Mist gave out a small sound like a whimper, inhaling suddenly as she was about to break into tears again. She pulled Sunny into a weak embrace, her chin landing on Sunny's shoulder. Her hooves lazily wrapped around Sunny's forehooves.
“You should forgive her... Forgive our mom, Moon.” Sunny softly spoke, reaching up to embrace her sister.
Moon pulled away, her eyes glaring, her brow turned down with a rather hateful look, “Why? Why should I? She betrayed my trust... our trust!”
Pulling away, Sunny pulled the photo from the wall, walking back over to Moon. Moon gently took the picture, a small smile forming as she ran a hoof over the glass. She couldn't help the happiness from seeing the gleeful smiles on Argyle and Sunny's face. Feeling the sorrow and longing of wishing she was part of the picture.
“She's our mom... It could just as easily been her that was dead...” Sunny's eyes lidded slightly, before she looked down to the picture in Moon's hooves, “I'll admit... I'm angry at him. Angry for keeping a sister from me. Keeping a mother from me. Making me live in that big light house all alone after he left. But you know what?”
Moon Mist cutely tilted her head, her nose scrunching up. She had more tears in her eyes, but they hadn't fallen quite yet, “no... what?”
“I forgive him. He's our dad and I love him. He wouldn't have kept it from us without good reason. I believe that, that's why I forgive him, and that's why I'm going to forgive mom too.”
Moon fell quiet at that. Part of her knew Sunny was right. She should forgive her mom, but a part of her stubbornly held on to that feeling of betrayal. Her heart ached when her mom would cross her minds eye. Sunny scooted forward, pulling her sister into a firm embrace. Moon's breathing wavered as she let out an unsteady breath.
After a few moments more, they broke apart, Moon offering the most sincere smile she could muster, “I'll try... I think I need some time, but I'll try to forgive her.”
“Good.” Sunny smiled back, nuzzling her cheek against Moon's.
Sunny groaned, light splaying across her eyes through both the blinds and drapes that her rooms far window had. She attempted to close her mouth, not knowing just how long it had been hanging open during the night. Dryly swallowing, the chill in the air dared to seep into her warm blankets. Using a hoof to try to slightly lift the blanket, her hoof ran under the sheets. These sheets had a soft textured feeling. Not smooth at all as one would expect of expensive silken castle bedding. Her hoof snagged on something and a groan could be heard. Her eyes snapped wide open, her eyes immediately staring up the snout of Moon Mist. She wasn't covered by blankets at all. Moon Mist's wing was wrapped taught around her torso, with her own wings tucked nearly at the base under her sisters. Doing the same exact thing to Moon Mist's torso. They were one anothers personal blanket during the night.
She tested the embrace, feeling that they were locked together and pulling away would surely wake her sister. When she looked back up to Moon's face, she flinched as she saw two sleepy purple eyes looking back at her. Sunny froze, once again taking note of the striking resemblance of her fathers long lost gaze.
“Good morning, sis.” Moon sleepily near whispered, her mouth forcing open in a yawn and trying desperately to aim her morning breath away from her sister.
Letting out a weak chuckle, Sunny blushed as she pulled her wings back to her sides, pulling from the embrace. Nearly stumbling off the side of the bed as she found her footing, “Morning, uh sis...”
Moon Mist shivered at the sudden loss of warmth, eyeing her sister, “Y-you okay, Sunny?”
Sunny once again froze under the strikingly familiar eyes. Everything about Moon Mist was both different, yet oddly similar to their dad. But those eyes of hers were as if her father was once again staring back at her.
“Sunny?” Moon asked with a bit more worry this time. Her mouth turned down into a frown.
Shaking her head with a bit too much force, Sunny attempted to recollect herself, “Yeah, just woke up a bit too quickly. Didn't know where I was for a moment...” Sunny rubbed the nape of her neck with a hoof, a red hue filling her cheeks, hoping her sis would buy her lie.
“Understandable.” Moon giggled, waving her hoof dismissively, “You're in a new place, new room, in the arms of a new sister. Happens to the best of us.”
Before Sunny could reply, Moon jumped from the bed, fluttering her wings as she gracefully landed. She rounded the bed just in time for Sunny's stomach to let out the loudest grumble that either of them could have heard. Moon covered her mouth as she giggled, “Let's raid the royal kitchen. Maybe we can get some pancakes.”
Sunny's stomach grumbled once more, her throat letting out an audible groan, “That sounds great right now.”
“Tally ho to the land of pancakes!” Moon raised her hoof dramatically pointing toward the door, throwing it open with flare, “No morsel shall go uneaten!”
Rolling her eyes at her sister, Sunny was merely glad that Moon was in higher spirits today. Last night had been filled with so many emotions. They went on for hours swapping stories about Argyle, Sky Liner, or stories from school and the friends that they had made along the way. The night either had them splitting their sides in laughter, or hugging one another and soaking their withers in tears until they finally passed out next to the other.
But for now, it was breakfast time, “Onward to pancake adventure!” Sunny declared, chasing after her sister into the hallway.
Pipp's eye twitched as she flipped through her phone. Spotting photo after photo of pictures of Sunny and Moon Mist. It hadn't taken long for everyone to wonder why the newly formed alicorn was hanging around Zypher Heights' now most popular streamer. She hastily scrolled through her follows until she found Moon Mist's account, her eyes scanning as she found a post that caught her eye.
It was Moon Mist and Sunny in the bathroom of her current guest suite in the castle. They both had tooth brushes in their mouths with a large smile on their faces. One of Moon's hooves held out with her phone, and the other tightly around Sunny's withers. Over top of the photo was a sentence, 'Starting the day with my new sister!'
Pipp frowned at this, slapping down her phone on the table, almost tossing it into her breakfast that sat in front of her. Her eyes narrowed as her anger flared, thinking to herself, 'Already going public with the information they are sisters? Does Sunny even know? She's not very tech savvy.'
“Mornin, Sis!” Zipp patted Pipp on the back a tad harder than she should have, making her sis glare at her for a second, but Zipp simply continued, “Moon Mist and Sunny invited us to hang out with them. They got free tickets from their mom to go to the Cloudsdale Theme Park.”
The Cloudsdale Theme Park was and had been for ages the last refuge where pegasi could walk on the clouds. It retained enough magic on it's own that it resonated with pegasi, allowing them to walk upon it. However, with most homes and businesses having to fly to get to them and no way to shape further clouds to make them more accessible, pegasi abandoned the city. Tethering it to their new home; Zypher Heights.
Rubbing her temples with her hooves, Pipp groaned, “And why would I want to go?”
Giving her sister an incredulous frown, her brow raised, “Cause of Sunny? She's your friend and Moon Mist is her sister. You're gonna have to be around her at some point.”
Picking up her phone once more, Pipp eyed the picture of Moon and Sunny once more. A small shimmer forming in her eyes as an idea popped in her head, 'perhaps I can get a feel on Moon Mist's intentions with Sunny?'
Gently this time, Pipp placed her phone delicately next to her pancake, a small smile forming, “I would love to go, Zipp!”
“Atta girl!” Zipp declared with a laugh, throwing her hoof around Pipp's withers, “You'll feel better once you get to know Moon Mist, trust me!”
“I'm sure I will, sis...” Pipp glanced to her phone, “I'm sure I will...”
After a fulfilling breakfast, Sunny and Moon returned to their respectful rooms to brush their manes and tidy up. They wanted to clean the syrup off their muzzles and grab their saddlebags for the trip to Cloudsdale Theme Park. They were to meet up with Pipp and Zipp and the sky liner shuttle service at the edge of town where Cloudsdale was tethered too.
Moon Mist apparently finished first and entered Sunny's room without knocking since Sunny had left the door ajar, “Ready sis?”
“Almost!” Sunny tried to smile, wincing as the hair brush caught a knot.
“Let me help!” Moon giggled, not waiting for a response as she took the brush from Sunny.
Sunny opened her mouth to protest, but Moon already had the brush kneading out the knot she encountered. A shudder wracked her body, her eyes darting to Moon in the mirror, 'the last time somepony else brushed my mane was...'
Her eyes were locked onto Moon's reflection, eyeing those half lidded purple eyes. Moon started humming silently, a small grin on her face. Oddly enough, the tune was very familiar, “Moon?”
“Yes, Sunny?” Was all she said, immediately going right back to the melody.
“What are you humming?”
Moon Mist's smile faltered. She let out a sigh, closing her eyes for a second, then returning to the brushing, “Mom... she would hum this to me all the time. Brushing my mane just like I am to you. It... would always soothe me... After a hard day at school, being broken up with by my coltfriend, or whatever the case may be... She would just brush my mane and hum that tune for hours if needed.”
The brushing slowed and Moon's expression saddened. Sunny locked eyes with her sis in the mirror as she stated, “Dad hummed the same melody. Brushing my mane and putting it up.”
Moon's eyes widened for a moment, slowly going back to being half lidded. Tears welling up in her eyes. Sunny whipped herself around, pulling Moon into a tight embrace. Neither of them said a word for minutes, simply just holding one another. That was until a thought popped into Sunny's mind. She pulled away from the embrace, “Wait here for a moment.”
Placing down the brush back on the vanity. She watched Sunny rush over to her saddlebag, pulling out a leathery brown journal. She came right back, presenting it in her hooves toward Moon, “I want you to have this!”
Moon Mist's eyes went wide, her hoof drifting toward the journal, “This is the journal dad gave you?! Sunny, I can't...”
“You can, you are my sister and you seem to need this more than me right now.” Sunny pushed the journal into Moon's hoof, taking Moon's other hoof and placing it on top of the journal, “We are sisters now, we can simply share it. I know you'll take good care of it.”
Moon couldn't help but bring the journal to her chest, hugging it with all her might, “Thank you, thank you so much, Sun... Sis!”
Sunny glanced to the clock, jumping in place before rushing back to the vanity, “Better hurry, we're going to be late!”
Placing the journal into her own saddlebag that she was going to be bringing with them to the fair, Moon nodded, tears still welling in her eyes, “Let me finish helping you with your mane!”
“Zipp, Pipp!” Sunny cheered, attempting to wave a hoof and trot toward them through the crowd.
“Yo, Sunny!” Zipp smiled wide, hoof bumping both Sunny and then Moon.
“Pipp, you came too! I'm so glad!” Sunny beamed, nuzzling her cheek against Pipp's.
As they pulled away, Pipp stepped around Sunny and looked Moon straight in the eye, a large smile on her face, “Oh, Zipp convinced me to come and she is right. Moon is your sister and I should try to get along with her.”
“G-get along with me? D-did I do something wrong?” Moon softly asked, her face filled with concern.
Pipp's eye twitched for a moment, forcing her smile to stay on her face, “Oh no... Heavens no. I'm just a little protective of Sunny is all.”
Moon gave out a small sigh of relief, covering her heart with a hoof, “Oh good. Here I thought you were still mad about the sponsors.”
“I would never, that would be just petty.” Pipp turned to her sister, “Isn't that right, Zipp?”
Zipp raised a brow, looking Pipp right in the eye, “Uh... That's right... That WOULD be pretty petty...”
Pipp's eye twitched once again, righting herself before turning to face Moon again, “See?”
Moon Mist let out a giggle before turning away from the group, “Let's head on into the park. Follow me!”
The three friends looked over where Moon was headed, confused as to why she was headed directly away from the large line of ponies waiting to buy their tickets.
“Are you three coming?” Moon smiled brightly as she stopped at a large metal gate.
“Why are we over here?” Sunny asked, turning her head and pointing at the line, “Shouldn't we get in line?”
Moon lifted her hoof, placing it into a scanner, one just like that the royal castle had. The metal door made a large beep before opening wide. She smiled brightly as she turned to the others, “Mom and I have our own private sky liner, it'll take us straight up without the line or fuss! You're with the owners daughters, aka free VIP treatment! No lines, no muss or fuss!”
“Wow, that's amazing!” Zipp cheered, “Even as the princess we still had to reserve a time to get in!”
“Yes, well, while we do try to accommodate royalty, nothing beats owning the joint!” Moon giggled once more as they neared a large rounded box thing, suspended by a large half foot thick metallic line, “All aboard the sky liner!”
Sunny had never seen anything like this before. It was a large blue box with rounded edges, more window than metal. In the distance, they could see the other sky liner railing system that held boxes just like this one, but that one was far busier. Each having at least ten or more ponies inside each one. This one, they got all to themselves and seemed to be the only one on the line. On the inside they could see a line of blue that surrounded each of the windows, the same blue as the outside. The roof and floor was a black looking soft foam and black leathery seats that lined all the way around the car.
Once everyone was inside, Moon pressed her hoof to a large button, “Hold your ponies everypony!”
Everyone except Moon wobbled slightly as the car started moving, lifting them all higher and higher. Sunny ran to one of the windows, her snout touching the glass. She could see the valley just outside Zypher Heights, where she had first met Zipp seven or eight months ago. Soon enough, Sunny looked left and right seeing Zipp and Pipp had joined her on either side, also taking in the sights, “This is amazing!”
“I know right, Sunny!?” Zipp giggled, outstretching her wing to pat her orange friend on the back, “Now you know why I trained so hard to get myself and the rest of Zypher Heights back into the sky!”
Sunny's smile faltered a tad, her wings flapping involuntarily, “But... I haven't been able to fly yet. Why is all of Zypher Heights able to fly so quickly and I can't?”
“M-maybe cause you were an earth pony?” Moon offered from behind, “All of Zypher were born pegasi.”
“That must be it!” Zipp chuckled, using a wing to pull Sunny's wither against hers, “Just give it some time, Sunny. You'll be in the air before you know it!”
The car squeaked as the brakes engaged, slowing the car right before it reached the end of the tether. The doors dinged, sliding open. Moon was the first to step off, splaying out a hoof, “Cloudsdale Theme Park awaits!”
As the rest stepped from the sky liner, Sunny's lungs jolted as she took her first breath. The air was cleaner here than the city and everything seemed to have some spray of mist. In the distance, waterfalls fell from clouds, the color of crystal blue as it dispersed down below into nothingness. Moon Mist followed her sisters gaze, smiling to her, “Apparently, pegasi used to control the weather. There is a large factory that used to produce rainbows. Every one of those waterfalls used to pour out as an array of colors. Since the return of magic, my mom, along with Queen Haven and some generous investors have been looking into restarting the facilities. However, they have yet to figure out how to unlock it all. It seems that when the pegasi abandoned Cloudsdale, they locked everything up tight.”
In the awe of the moment, Sunny simply followed her sister; Pipp and Zipp following behind. Rollercoasters, merry go rounds, and many others came into view. Moon held her head high, acting as though she was a tour guide of sorts, “Cloudsdale was once a city of pegasi, but with the loss of magic, they couldn't reach many of the structures. Without the ability to restructure buildings, they decided to move somewhere else. Though, they didn't want to completely abandon their lovely city, they tethered it to a mountain, now known as Zypher Heights. My mom, previously an owner of a small park in Zypher, sold all her property to make a bid on the glorious city. Her friendship with Princess Haven giving her the leeway to convince some of the more wealthy spenders to team up with Sky Liner instead of bidding against her. Beginning the process of what you see today, Cloudsdale Theme Park; Pegasi's last refuge to the skies.”
Trotting till she was up next to Moon Mist, Zipp whistled, “Wow Moon! You sound like a legit tour guide or something.”
A small red hue flushed through Moon's cheeks, “W-well yeah. I worked here for most of my teenage years. My mom made me save for college. Lot of good that did me. I ended up being a famous streamer instead.”
“What did you go to college for?” Sunny asked, trotting up to Moon's other side as they walked.
“Aerodynamics, magic theory, and the constructs of cloud building. I got my diploma in the constructs of cloud building after dropping out of the first two. Though, without magic or the ability to fly, my diploma was worthless. It was more of a history class than it was to actually build and form clouds.”
“How about now that magic is back?” Zipp asked, her eyes following a dangerously large roller coaster filled with screaming ponies.
“Surprisingly enough, the investors that I mentioned were funding the possible reopening of the weather factory are also wishing that I be the head of the operation. My mom owns Cloudsdale and I so happen to have the perfect degree to fill the job. I don't know if I wish to drop my career as a streamer though.”
Pipp, being solely quiet this whole time, spoke up from behind the three, “I'm a princess and a streamer. I'm busy every day and I manage!”
Zipp let out a snort, glancing over her shoulder, “Pipp, part of your princess job IS being a streamer. It'd be different if you we're the one to be queen one day.”
Mumbling under her breath, Pipp used a wing to check her phone. Trying to keep herself from snapping at her sister. As she scrolled on her phone, she noticed that they were already on ponies timelines. Guess it's hard to miss when two princesses, an alicorn, and a popular streamer are hanging out in Zypher Heights most popular attraction; Cloudsdale Theme Park. Pipp messed around on her phone a bit longer as she mindlessly followed the others. Rolling her eyes when Moon would crack a joke, making Sunny or Zipp laugh.
