Chapter 3: The Magical Truth. An Angry Mob.

Zoom and Thunder escorted the ponies into the royal throne room where there were several guards who were all standing still where Des, Izzy, and Sunny saw three thrones.

Izzy: Wow!

Desna: Three thrones…

North Star: Well there's a princess. So the other two must be for the king and queen.

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.

Desna: A dog?

North sniffed the air where 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.

One of the other mares was the one from earlier they saw doing parkour where there was a mare who looked older than the others.

She was wearing black shades and a gold crown with a turquoise gem on it. Her fur coat was lavender where her hair was periwinkle with lilac streaks.

The mare also has indigo-to-periwinkle wings while wearing a purple vest and a gold necklace with turquoise gem in the middle where all mares landed on their thrones.

North's echolocation printed the image in his head and left him with one question.

North Star: (Who's the king?)

Desna: Two princesses and a queen…

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: Well she's not going to shine at being a comedian, that's for sure.

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?

North was getting annoyed for having his kind not being known.

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.

Queen: Well what are they doing in Zephyr Heights?!

Zoom: We have them under control, Your Highness.

Thunder: And we deployed the shield.

Desna: Idiotas….

North snickered at Des' remark.

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 mystery pony!

North Star: Beats being called a monster at least.

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 and Des: Nasty?! *Start swearing in italian and chinese*

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: Yes, Queen Haven, we literally mean no harm. We just got some questions. Just answer them and we'll be on our way. Sunny?

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?

North Star: Could be worse.

Sunny: And how could it be worse?

North Star: We could've been alone but, we got each other.

Izzy giggled at North's reply where Sunny was close to smiling.

North Star: Come on, smile.

Sunny tried to fight the urge to smile.

North Star: I know you want to smile, don't fight it. Come on, where is it?

Sunny smiled where North felt her emotions and knew she was.

North Star: There you go.

The group were taken to the dungeon where 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?

The earth ponies started to panic.

How could they deal with a beast that could rip metal apart like paper?

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.

This got the earth ponies' attention.

Sprout: Now is not the time to be complacent. We should do something.

Sprout then started rallying everypony. INSERTING MUSIC.

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 took out a hoof-drawn picture of North as a fire-breathing monster.

Sprout: Just you wait monster. I'm coming for you.

Sprout rips the picture apart as he stands tall above the other Earth Ponies.

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 where North was sniffing around. Smelling the surprising scent.

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 two got thrown in here, but I have to talk to you.

Desna: The princess?

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…

North Star: I don't know Sunny. My magic for my wings isn't there.

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?

North Star: Yes actually. I'm part ice dragon where Des is part Kirin.

Zipp: Woah. I never knew creatures like that can coexist with ponies.

North Star: Well they can where we're from.

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: Dad's notes.

Des reached into North's bag and pulled out a journal that belonged to North's father.

Sunny: What's in there?

North Star: Before he died, my dad kept notes on all the magic. On his side of the family, this book has been passed down through generations of his family. So maybe we can look at both and get answers.

Sunny: That could work.

Zipp: So where did that book come from?

Sunny: It was my father's. Why?

Zipp looked at North's journal and Sunny's and saw that both had the same star shape symbol on them.

Zipp: North, do you know where your dad's family got that book?

North Star: Not a clue to be honest.

Zipp: Well, those stars on your books…

Before Zipp could continuum 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: Lies.

Pipp: What?

Pipp walked over to North and looked straight into his blanked eyes.

Pipp: And what makes you so sure?

North Star: Because I know for a fact that all pegasi can fly. What sense does it make for only the royal family to fly while the others can't? Why have wings when we can't use them?

Pipp: Oh and you know this how?

North Star: Because I'm one of the few remaining ponies that has a working brain.

Pipp was getting annoyed by the mystery pony.

Pipp: Well then how can you explain about me, Zipp, and my mom? We were flying. And while you are blind, I know you were aware.

North Star: Smokes and mirrors…special effects and cables…

Pipp's eyes widen in shock where her phone vibrated as she pulled it out and looked at her screen.

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: Nice one.

North Star: Words cut deeper than any sword. You should know that.

Zipp: Well actions speak louder than words. Because I have to show you something.

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 towards Zipp where she was seen looking up at another framed picture of pegasi in blue jumpsuits wearing goggles.

North walked towards Zipp's side and stood beside her.

North Star: Those guards didn't say this, but I can sense and read emotions. And I can feel the pain and sadness you're feeling right now. You're probably wishing that things aren't like they are today but rather…rather be back then.

Zipp turned her head to see North where she took her hoof and made North's head face her.

Zipp looked into North's blank white eyes. They might have been blank, but they were also clear. Clear for somepony like him to see things in a way nopony else can.

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: What's next? You girls are going to admire any other of his talents?

The mares backed away to give 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.

Sunny: Faking it? But-but how?

Zipp: Just as North said, special effects, cables, smokes and mirrors. 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'm joining in on that.

North dropped his satchel where he spread his wings and jumped above the fan where he to was now gliding.

North Star: I never felt so alive!

Zipp: I know right?!

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 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.