Chapter 4: A Royal Introduction! A Magical Truth.
As Zoom and Thunder escorted the ponies to the throne room, North tapped Des to get his attention.
North Star: Hurry and give me your Driver.
Desna: What?
North Star: Just give it to me. Best we keep them hidden and so to prevent any suspicions.
North took off his Driver and hid it in his satchel as Des took off his and gave it to North where he also hid it in his satchel.
Desna: I just hope this goes smoothly.
North Star: Well it's best we remain calm. If we do anything out of line, we might end up on the royal family's bad side. But, we play our cards right, we just might get some answers, and probably some good help.
North extended his hoof to Des.
North Star: To Infinity…
Des bumped North's hoof with his own.
Desna: And Beyond.
The doors opened and there in the middle were three royal thrones with large windows as the sun shined through them.
Izzy: Wow!
Thunder: Bow before our queen!
Fanfare was played by six guards where the ones beside the group including Zoom and Thunder, bowed where a white pomeranian with wings walked up and sat down in front of the main throne.
North Star: A dog with wings?
Desna: Well you don't see that everyday.
North sniffed the air where his ears shot up as he looked up.
Izzy: Your Majesty.
Izzy bowed where Sunny was left confused where a light appeared from the ceiling where the pomeranian started jumping with joy as it barked.
Sunny looked up and gasped where she got Izzy's attention where she also looked up.
Desna also looked up and saw before them three different pegasi mares flying where one of them was none other than Pipp who was on her phone as music played in the background.
There was also the same white mare they saw earlier where in between her and Pipp was a lavender mare with a periwinkle mane with lilac streaks flipped to the side and braided at the back as she had indigo-to-periwinkle wings as she also had lapis blue eyes with lavender eyeshadow.
The mare also had a dark purple vest and a golden necklace with a turquoise gem in the middle where she had a golden crown with a turquoise crystal in the shape of pegasus wings in the center.
The three pegasi landed down and sat on their thrones.
Izzy saw the mare from earlier and waved.
Izzy: *Gasp* Hi, new friend!
The white mare recognized them where she had a nervous expression as she shook her head towards them.
The group got the gesture where Izzy zipped her lips as they all nodded.
Queen: Guards, state your business, and please make it quick. We're on a very tight schedule today. Before the celebration, Cloudpuff needs his pedicure, Pipp needs to rehearse, and I need to practice my laugh.
The queen did a loud fake laugh where North cringed from the noise.
Queen: Hmm. Still not right.
North Star: Who practices laughing?
Desna: Maybe it's for bad jokes that aren't funny but you act like they are.
Zoom: Your Highness, we found these intruders in our territory.
Zoom and Thunder step aside to reveal the group of friends where the queen took off her shades to look.
Queen: *Gasp* An earth pony, two unicorns, and…what is he supposed to be? Some kind of…bat unicorn?
North Star: Well actually I'm-
Zoom: No idea. He has a unicorn horn, and…whatever set of wings those are. Only thing we do is that he's blind and somehow has echolocation. That and some power to…read and sense emotions.
Queen: How can he sense and read emotions?
North Star: Well I guess since I was born blind, my senses decided to make me new ones to make up for my lack of sight.
Desna: Huh. Maybe that's why you have it.
Queen: Well what are they doing in Zephyr Heights?!
Zoom: We have them under control, Your Highness.
Thunder: And we deployed the shield.
Desna: Still don't see this being effective.
Queen: Is this an attack on the night of our royal celebration? Why are you here? Who sent you? Nopony must know they're here.
Desna: Bene, ora è un dolore al fianco.
Pipp brought out her phone where she started a livestream.
Pipp: Check it out, PippSqueaks, live from the castle…it's a real earth pony and two unicorns! And we even have a special, mystery pony!
North Star: I'll take that over being called a monster.
Desna: You actually remember that fiasco from Maretime Bay?
Pipp pointed the camera at the group where all pegasi watching gasped.
Pipp: I know, right? This is so not a filter.
Queen: Pipp!
The queen redirected the camera towards her.
Queen: There's nothing to fear. Those nasty little ponies have been captured.
North Star: Hey, I'm nasty! I bathe in hot springs.
The queen rolled her eyes at them.
Queen: Your queen will protect you.
The pegasi all sighed with relief.
Queen: Shut it off.
The livestream was turned off where the queen just sighed and gave Pipp her phone back.
North Star: Excuse me, Queen…
Haven: Haven. Queen Haven.
North Star: Queen Haven, we literally mean no harm. We just came here with questions to ask. We'll just ask you those questions, then we'll leave and be out of your hair. Sunny, if you would?
Sunny: Excuse me, Majesty? So we just want to ask you a few questions about magic. We…
Haven: Guards! Please escort these ponies to the dungeon until I can question them properly. And confiscate the book.
Zoom took Sunny's book where North got between the mares and the guards where he hissed.
Haven: Did he just hissed?
Sunny pushed past North to face the queen.
Sunny: Buy-But, Your Majesty. I just wanted to ask a few questions, please.
Sunny's plea was ignored where the royal family flew off back into the skylight where the guards took them away.
Izzy: Did she just say dungeons?
Sunny: What else could go wrong today?
back in Maretime Bay at the Sheriff's Office, Sprout was replacing Hitch's face on the calendar with cut-out pictures of his own.
Sprout then examined the picture smiling where Phyllis came running in with all of Maretime Bay rioting outside.
Sprout: Mom?
Phyllis saw her mom where her expression was from panic, to calm.
Phyllis: My, oh, my. Aren't you the handsome sheriff! Look at you.
Sprout: Yes. Yes, I am, Mommy.
Phyllis: Well, this is it. It is your time to shine, dear. Everypony wants to hear from you.
Sprout: They do?
Phyllis: Of course. You are in charge now. It's your destiny.
Sprout smiled with pride and joy as he pushed open the doors.
Sprout: Citizens!
The doors then close on Sprout's face.
Sprout: Ow!
Sprout then walked out like nothing happened full of confidence.
Sprout: It is I, Sheriff Sprout.
The ponies started to question what happened to HItch and were asking what's going on as they didn't see Sprout as their sheriff.
Phyllis: Come on, now, everypony. Let's listen to what our new sheriff has to say.
Everypony went quiet.
Phyllis: That's you sugarcube.
Phyllis elbowed Sprout to get his attention as she joined the crowd.
Sprout: Oh, yeah, it's me. OK, folks, calm down. There's no need to be scared.
Stallion: We're scared and we want to be prepared.
Mare: How when that monster easily destroyed our defenses? It along with that unicorn stallion defeated you and Hitch?
The earth ponies started to panic.
How could they deal with a beast that could rip metal apart like paper and defeat two of their finest?
Sprout: Well then, we're going to have to make something so strong, not even that monster can destroy it. Then after we deal with him, we'll go after the unicorns and the pegasi before they come for us. In fact, I already plan on a NEW hero suit! But we need more than just one.
This got the earth ponies' attention.
A yellow Earth Mare with a pink mane and tail tied as a ponytail with a green bow as she had green eyes and six pink tulips with green stems as a cutie mark where she wore a beaded necklace with a five leaf clover.
This was Posey Bloom.
Posey: I'm with Sprout. I saw what the monster did to Hitch. He wasn't even trying! And that unicorn, he was just taunting Sprout and toying with him!
Phyllis: How could he do that to my dear sweet Sheriff?!
Canterlogic employee Toots stepped forward.
Toots is a tall chubby light teal stallion with amber hair where his mane was in a side-swept style as he wore a blue tie with darker stripes with a white collar as he had his id pinned to it as his cutie mark was a checklist clipboard with a green check mark next to it.
Toots: Those belts were Canterlogic's finest work. How did they have them?
Sweets, another Canterlogic employee, walked up.
Sweets was a taffy pink Earth Mare with a raspberry pink mane and tail with light pink streaks. Her mane is tied back with the ponytail pointing upwards, and she has a straight fringe as she wore a white collar with a green tie where her cutie mark was cotton candy on a white paper cone,
Sweets: We worked our flanks off to make those belts and to make Hitch and Sprout strong, yet those two show up with their own belts and are even stronger!
The Earth Ponies started to panic where Sprout decided to step forward with his own plan.
Sprout: Now is not the time to be complacent. We should do something.
Sprout then started rallying everypony.
Sprout: Something is lurking, something is near. Something is feeling stranger, stranger. Stirring up discord, whipping up fear. Whispering softly, "danger, danger" Outsiders creep up, slow and steady. Wings glistening, horns at the ready. Think what they could do to the status quo
Phyllis: Oh, no!
Sprout: They're gonna steal, plunder, and pillage! They're gonna take over the village! Don't just sit on your butts and do nothing and wait! Let's enter a blind, irrational state!
Earth Ponies: Ohhhhhhh!
Sprout: Better get nervous, better get tense! Better not let them catch you blinking! You don't need a reason, fillies and gents! This is no time for sober thinking! Mob!
Stallion: Mob?
Sprout: M-m-mob mob!
Mare: Mob?
Stallion 2: Mob?
Sprout: Angry, angry mob!
Earth Ponies: Mob, m-m-mob, mob, mob, angry, angry!
Sprout: Fight, see in black and white! That's your pony right! Time to lift your manes and proudly throng, numbers make you strong, Millions can't be wrong! 'Specially when they're screaming loudly, you might not have a bale of hay to borrow! Are you saddled with your sorrow? Are you scared about tomorrow? Well, it's all gonna work out painlessly, if you follow my orders brainlessly! What are we?
Earth Ponies: We're an angry mob!
Sprout: What are we?
Earth Ponies: We're an angry mob!
Sprout: Look at this corn!
Earth Ponies: It's on the cob!
Sprout: Look at this guy!
Pony Named Rob: Um, my name's Rob.
Earth Ponies: Mob, mob, m-m-mob mob, mob, mob, angry angry! Mob, mob, m-m-mob mob, mob, mob, angry angry!
Sprout: Mob mob mob mob mob mob!
Earth Ponies: Mob, mob, m-m-mob mob, mob, mob, angry angry!
Sprout: Mob, mob, mob, mob, mob, mob, angry angry!
Earth Ponies: Mob!
Sprout looked out into the distance as he remembered the Rider form of North.
Sprout: Watch yourself, monster. Because when I'm ready, you'll regret ever being born.
Back in Zephyr Heights, Sunny is seen looking outside the bars of the dungeon.
Sunny: Something is not right. We haven't seen a single pny flying, except the royal family. Are you guys listening?
Inside the dungeon cell wasn't really bad. Inside was something you find at a spa or resort.
Desna was resting on the bed where Izzy was sitting on a massage chair with cucumbers over her eyes while holding a coconut drink with a straw and tiny umbrella while North was in a meditating position sitting on top of a pillow.
North Star: Smells nice for a dungeon.
Izzy: This isn't dungeony at all.
Desna: Is dungeony even a real word?
?: Hey!
The newcomer got the group's attention where Izzy took off the cucumbers where they saw the white pegasus mare from before.
White Mare: I'm sorry you four got thrown in here, but I have to talk to you.
North opened his eyes showing the blank pupils he had.
North Star: One of the princesses…
North got up as Desna fell off the bed where Izzy got off the chair where they went to the cage doors to talk.
Izzy: Your Majesticness. Y-Your Graceful Highness.
Zipp: Zipp. Just call me Zipp.
North Star: Well then Zipp. I'm North Star but you can call me North.
Desna: Desna Maverick. Des for short.
Sunny: I'm Sunny.
Izzy: Izzy Moonbow.
Zipp: North, Des, Sunny, Izzy, I really need to ask you something important. *Whispers* About magic.
Sunny: That's why we're here. Maybe you can tell us how yours works? Izzy has no idea how the unicorns last theirs. So we thought maybe…
Zipp: Whoa, whoa, wait. Lost theirs? As in no magic?
North Star: Pretty much. Me and Des are on the same boat.
Desna: Not even our hybrid halves won't work.
Zipp: Well, that changes things. Wait, hybrid halves?
Desna: It's a long story. One that can't be told when behind bars.
Zipp: Well, listen, I might have some information that could help, but first, you need to tell me about this.
Zipp pulled out Sunny's journal from under her wing and showed it to them.
Sunny: My journal! Thank you, Zipp. I never thought I'd see it again.
Zipp: Yeah, I can be pretty sneaky when I want to be.
Izzy: Nice! I'm only medium sneaky.
North Star: Hmmm. Des, my bag.
Desna: Which journal?
North Star: The one…
Des went through North's satchel and pulled out an ancient book.
Izzy: That's an old book.
North Star: Belonged to an ancestor of mine. He existed around 3000 years ago, and every single one of my family bloodline writes down all their new experiences and knowledge for the next generation to learn. Maybe with this, and your book, we can figure out the truth behind the magic.
Sunny: That's a brilliant idea!
North Star: I might be blind, but I'm not dumb.
Zipp: So where did that book come from?
Sunny: It was my father's. Why?
Zipp looked at Sunny's journal and saw the star-shaped symbol on it.
Zipp: Well, that stars on your book…
Before Zipp could continue they heard a fanfare and faced it where North's ears allowed his echolocation to see what was happening.
The only thing was…the fanfare was played on two phones by two pegasi guards.
North Star: Weak sauce.
They lowered their wings down to show Pipp taking a selfie as they rolled out a red carpet to walk on.
Pipp walked towards Zipp, annoyed.
Pipp: Zipp, what are you doing here? Mom said to stay away.
Zipp: Right. Then why are you here?
Pipp: For the content.
Pipp brought out her phone for a selfie where Izzy pulled in Sunny and North as their picture was taken.
Sunny: Princess? Why isn't anypony flying?
Pipp gasped where she laughed it off as she turned to face them.
Pipp: Everypony knows that royals can fly, of course.
Sunny and Izzy: What?
Pipp: I know, it's not fair, but that's just the way it is. If there was some way we could teach the citizens to fly, you know we would in a wing-beat.
North Star: I don't believe it.
Pipp: Excuse me?
North Star: Why have wings when you can't use them? Doesn't make sense. I know the truth about flight.
North got up to Pipp's ear.
North Star: Miss Wiring and Special Effects.
Pipp was shocked by this.
Pipp: How did you-?!
North Star: I have ways.
Pipp's phone then vibrates where she brought it out and looked at it.
North Star: Sounds like you have to be somewhere.
Pipp: Well yes. Dress rehearsal. Gotta go. *Whispers to Zipp* And so should you.
Pipp turned away as she started to trot off.
Pipp: Me-me-me! Red feather, yellow feather, red feather, yellow feather…
As Pipp left, the guards rolled up the red carpet behind her.
Desna: What did you say to her that made her freak out?
North Star: I know the truth about the Royal Family flying. Their flight is a lie.
Zipp: Well come with me, I got to show all of you something. Then I'll explain everything to you all.
Zipp walked towards the hoof-scanner and placed her hoof on it where the door to the cell room opened where the group followed her.
North Star: Oh almost forgot.
North took the tennis ball off his horn and untied the rope around his wings where Des and Izzy did the same with their horns as they followed Zipp.
Out in the mountains, Hitch is seen climbing over the cliff where he was tired out.
Hitch: Man…for somepony who sticks out like a sore hoof, that monster is hard to find.
Two bunnies nearby got close to Hitch where they got happy which just annoyed Hitch because he just doesn't know why animals are attracted to him.
Hitch then gasped where he found a heart shaped sticker that belonged to Sunny.
Hitch: Litter.
Hitch then got up and walked towards the sticker.
Hitch: I mean, a clue.
Hitch then saw a piece of Izzy's hair on a twig.
Hitch: Hmm. Unicorn hair.
Hitch then picked a feather and licked it.
Hitch: Pegasi.
Hitch then saw a "special" hoof print.
Hitch: I'm onto you monster.
Hitch then followed North's tracks where they ended at a cliff.
Hitch: Sunny, Sunny, Sunny, Sunny. You think you've escaped? And you monster? I'm hot on your trail and once I find the both of you, I will have you both in custody. I will not eat, I will not sleep…Well, maybe a quick nap and a snack if I can't find you in the next few hours. But after that, nothing will stop me!
Hitch then heard cheering where he saw a group of bunnies clapping their ears together.
Hitch: Oh, thank you. Thank you. No, no. You're too kind. Also…I'll follow wherever you two go. Whether harshest deserts, the coldest tundras, no trail too dangerous, no clue too small.
As Hitch continued monologuing with his speech of motivation, the clouds behind him cleared out to show Zephyr Heights where there were jumbotrons that showed pictures of Sunny, Izzy, North, and Des with them holding prisoner cards.
Sunny had an expression showing she was upset where Izzy was smiling. Des just looked annoyed and North…he was facing the wrong way.
The bunnies noticed this and tried to get Hitch's attention.
Hitch: The path matters not! It's justice…Oh, what? What?
The bunnies motioned their ears to tell Hitch to turn around where he saw the ponies he was looking for.
Hitch: Gotcha!
Hitch then saw North's picture.
Hitch: Really?
The scene changes to where Zipp was removing a grate where she and the others looked down.
Zipp jumped down and landed in a basket.
Zipp: Watch your step.
Sunny, Izzy, and Des jump and land safely in the basket where Des turned around with his hooves out.
Desna: I gotcha.
North jumped and landed right on top of Des with a big thud.
The boys got up where Zipp pressed down on a lever where the basket started to move down.
Sunny, Izzy, North, and Des looked over the side and saw what was there.
They gasped from what they saw. What they saw looked like some kind of station where different banners and posters were either hanging or on the floor.
North Star: If it weren't for my echolocation, I would be missing a lot right now.
The basket reached the bottom as Zipp got out.
Sunny: Where are we?
Zipp: It's amazing, right? I'm pretty sure it was some sort of station for when earth ponies and unicorns used to visit Zephyr Heights. It's like everypony just forgot.
North used his echolocation to get a good visual of the entire area and was amazed from what he was seeing.
Desna looked at the banners and saw how ancient they were.
Sunny and Izzy saw a framed picture of Maretime Bay where Sunny wiped the dust off around the lighthouse where she looked up and saw one of Bridlewood, home to the unicorns.
Sunny: This is proof. All ponykinds did used to be friends! Our dads were right North. North?
North was facing Zipp where he sensed sadness from her as the pegasus princess was seen looking up at another framed picture of pegasi in blue jumpsuits wearing goggles.
North walked up to Zipp and stood beside her.
North Star: Wonderbolts. That's what they were called. One of my ancestors knew them personally.
Zipp: Sounds like you have a great family.
North Star: Well they each had their own lives to live and they chose the way they wanted to live. I'm going to do the same.
Zipp looked North in the eyes and saw how blank they were. But to her, despite his eyes being blank, they were also pure and clear and full of wisdom.
Zipp: Why can't there be ponies like you around?
Izzy: I know right? Like how he can sense emotions, I can see other ponies' sparkle. And North's sparkle is a rainbow! I have never seen a rainbow sparkle before.
Sunny: Nor have I met somepony who had such hope.
The mares gathered around North admiring how he was full of hope, full of life, and full of wisdom.
Desna: As much as I find this moment touching, why don't we ease up on the admiration switch.
The mares felt embarrassed as they gave North his space.
Sunny then walked up to Zipp.
Sunny: Must be really weird, being the only pegasi that can fly.
Zipp lowers her head and sighs where she faces Sunny.
Zipp: The truth is, we can't fly either. North was right about earlier, we've been faking it. Just like North said earlier, it's all a lie.
Sunny: Faking it? But-but how?
Zipp: You'd be surprised what it will do. But I'm just so tired of living that ridiculous lie. That's why I come down here - to get away from all of that, and…well, to do this.
Zipp ran past them where she jumped on top of a lever where she used it as a boost where it turned on a giant fan blowing upward.
Zipp spread her wings where she was above the fan with the wind blowing underneath.
The wind from the fan was blowing under Zipp's wings where it blew her up where she used that wind to glide around.
North saw it with his echolocation.
North Star: Oh I want in on that action!
North dropped his satchel where he spread his wings and jumped above the fan where he was now gliding.
North Star: I feel so free.
Zipp: I know right? So much better than that lie.
North Star: I practiced gliding before but never done anything like this.
Sunny: Wow.
Izzy: Woah.
Both North and Zipp felt so free while they were doing their way of flying.
Izzy: Both of their sparkles are so bright right now!
North and Zipp then glided down and landed where Des gave his friend his satchel back.
Zipp: But that's not why I brought you down here.
Zipp pointed up.
Zipp: This is what I wanted to show you.
North used his echolocation where the others looked up and saw a stained glass window which had the same star on both North and Sunny's journals.
Sunny: Oh, my stars.
North Star: Oh, my "North Star"s
The mares laughed at North's pun where Des just smirked and rolled his eyes as he jabbed North where both Sunny and North brought out their journals.
Zipp: This was made a long, long time ago, when we still had magic.
Izzy: It's beautiful!
Sunny then saw stained glass pegasus with a crystal.
Sunny: What is that?
Zipp: That's the pegasus crystal. It's part of my mom's crown.
Sunny then saw a unicorn in the stained glass but its section was broken.
Sunny: Hmm. Where is the unicorn crystal?
North used his echolocation where he started to move where he placed his hoof over a cloth.
Sunny saw this and walked towards him where she removed the cloth and found the unicorn crystal underneath.
Sunny then noticed something about the two crystals where she moved the glass piece of the unicorn crystal where the shape of the pegasus crystal shined down from the sunlight.
She then places the crystal into a fitting spot with the pegasus crystal.
Sunny: Look.
Izzy: They fit?
Desna: Well whaddya know.
Sunny: These two crystals belong together. United.
Zipp: So, what are you saying?
Sunny: Maybe you lost your magic because the crystals were separated.
Izzy: So if we put them back together…
Zipp: Magic will return?
Sunny: And all three ponykinds will get along again!
North was inspecting the two crystals but felt something was not right. Like they were overlooking something.
North Star: I feel like we're missing something important. But what?
Desna: But what about the unicorn crystal?
North turned around where he walked towards the group.
Izzy: Well, if you're looking for crystals, we've got, like, a gazillion of them back in Bridlewood.
Sunny: Then that's where we'll go next. After we get the pegasus crystal from your mom, of course.
Zipp: Ooh, that'll be tricky. She never takes her crown off.
A visual montage forms where Haven is seen sleeping while wearing her crown where she is then seen taking a shower while still wearing the crown.
Haven: Keeping the queen clean!
The last one was that Havem was wearing swimming goggles where she put a swimming cap over the crown where she did a cannonball into the pool.
Back to reality, Des is seen about to lose a bit of his cleanliness.
Desna: North, I wish I was as blind as you right now.
North Star: Why?
Desna: Because I just had some visual images that I wished I never thought of.
Zipp: And one more thing.
Zipp walked over to a chest and opened where she brought a high tech belt with modules which North and Des knew what it was.
North and Des: A Driver?!