Maretime Bay Day: Part 3
The entire group were on the elevator as they went up to the top of Brighthouse where the Crystals were except the vines were gone.
Izzy: Wow! What are we looking at?
Zipp: There were all these vines growing on the wall! And they were glowing!
Pipp: Glowing vines?
North Star: It's true! I was up here with her!
The others were quiet.
Duke Venture: Are you two okay?
Blaze Chaser: Not enough rest?
Saber Fruit: Working too hard?
Desna: Now hold on, North is no liar nor would he make stuff up.
Obsidia: Yeah, my brother is many things, but he's no liar.
Saber Fruit: Okay, okay. Take it easy.
Zipp knew she had to say something, or else the others might think she and North had gone crazy.
Zipp: Okay. I have a confession. I've been monitoring the crystals, and I think something is wrong with them.
Sunny: What? No, there isn't!
Desna: And you knew about this, North?
North Star: No, I just found out earlier before we came down to get you guys.
Zipp faced the entire group.
Zipp: None of you have noticed that magic seems kinda weird lately? Like it keeps switching off, or something.
Izzy: Hmm… Nope!
Pipp: Me neither…
Zipp: Really?
Pipp: Sorry, Sis.
Zipp: Hitch?
Hitch looked away and remained quiet.
Zipp: I saw what happened at the beach the other day with Amore! Didn't you take–
Hitch: What? I didn't take anything at the beach!
Duke Venture: Weirdo.
Obsidia: Such a loser.
Zipp: …down a report?
Hitch: Oh. Right. A report. Actually, that reminds me, gotta go file that report!
Hitch walked onto the elevator as Hitch left.
Izzy: Hey, you wait a second! You were gonna teach us how to make life-sized gummy bunnies!
Izzy climbed down as Pipp flew down.
North Star: Please tell me I'm not the only one who thinks he's hiding something.
Heroes: No. We think that too.
Zipp then faced Sunny.
Zipp: I know it sounds weird, but I know what I saw! North was even an eye witness to it! And what I've been seeing. Like the other day, when I was flying back from Zephyr Heights, these two pegasi crashed into each other and I think it–
Sunny: I'm sorry, Zipp. I've been so caught up in all the festival planning. This is all my fault
Zipp: That magic is glitching?
Sunny: Uh, magic is not glitching.
Zipp: But you said it yourself. Your alicorn magic keeps appearing randomly! Not even Nemesis and Shadox know what's up with it! You don't find that strange at all?!
Sunny: No, I-I think that's just because I'm still learning. We all are!
Desna: Sunny, I'm going to try and not be rude since you're dating North, but let me say this. North and Obsidia alicorns AND dragons! Their magic is FAR more complicated than yours yet theirs' isn't glitching!
Sunny just looked away as she and Zipp eyed the crystals.
The scene changes to Maretime Bay where Zipp was walking down the sidewalk as she brought out her phone.
Zipp: Ugh! Report. Nothing new to report. No more signs of mysterious glowing vines or crystal glitches.
Zipp's phone started to ring which startled her as she juggled her phone around and caught it where it showed her mom trying to facetime her again.
Zipp: Ugh!
Zipp decided to answer as she flipped the extended screen open.
Zipp: Hi, Mom.
Haven: Zipp! There you are. Have you been ignoring my calls, young filly?
Zipp: No, no. Just busy, Mom! I'm actually helping Sunny with decorations right now, so I gotta go.
Haven: Well, I can't wait to see them!
Zipp: See what?
Haven: The decorations! Oh, didn't Pipp tell you? I'll be attending this Maretime Bay Day festival.
Zipp: You will? Why?!
Cloudpuff then flew up barking with joy.
Haven: Yes, it is treat time! I know, I know! See you there, darling!
Haven hanged up as the screen went black where Zipp was just seen upset and annoyed as she put her phone away.
Zipp: Come on! There's gotta be something.
Zipp brought out binoculars where she looked around.
Zipp: Everything on Mane Street appears normal.
Zipp looked over at the Sheriff Station where she saw Hitch hiding behind a bunch of barrels as he snuck into the station dragging a sack.
Zipp: Hmm… except that. Huh.
Zipp headed towards the station where Hitch was seen attending the egg.
Hitch: Here you go, little one. I brought you some sand to make you more comfortable. I thought maybe you'd like that.
Hitch then placed a stuffed crab next to the egg where the real crab poked it.
Hitch: Lookin' rosy and cozy! Now, who wants to hear a story?
Zipp: I do!
Hitch: Ahh! Zipp!
Hitch turned around to face Zipp as he closed the cabinet behind him.
Hitch: Wow, you are sneaky! You can probably get past North! What are you doing here?
Zipp: I had a "feeling", so I followed it. And I was right.
Zipp jumped on top of Hitch's desk and looked down on him.
Zipp: You have been hiding something!
Zipp then flew on top of the cabinet and opened the twin doors.
Hitch: Hey!
Zipp: Woo! Haha!
Zipp looked down where she saw the egg.
Zipp: So, uh… what is it?
Hitch: No clue. I saw it on the beach and I just knew it needed help. I just–
Zipp: Had a feeling and followed it?
Hitch: Yeah.
Zipp flew off the cabinet and landed in front of Hitch.
Hitch: Hey, uh… would you mind keeping this between us for now?
Zipp: Sure, I can Zipp it.
Hitch sighed in relief where Zipp got up to his face.
Hitch: What?
Zipp: So… you gonna read us that story now, or what?
Hitch looked embarrassed when Zipp's phone beeped as she pulled it out, showing she got a few texts from Pipp, showing she was in distress.
Zipp: Oh, no.
Zipp and Hitch ran their way to the Brighthouse where Nemesis and Shadox were seen halfway done with what they were doing as Amore was laying in the grass.
Shadox: I wonder what's got them in a rush.
Zipp and Hitch ran into the Brighthouse where they skidded to a halt.
Hitch: We rushed right here! So what's the emergency?
Pipp: Well, everypony seems really stressy lately. We clearly need a break, and luckily, I know just the place.
Pipp closed her eyes and took a deep breath where she opened them and smiled.
Pipp: I planned a surprise for you! You're welcome!
Izzy: Ooh!
Zipp: Please don't let it be makeovers, please don't let it be makeovers.
As Zipp feared, they were getting makeovers, as she, Izzy, Sunny, and Obsidia were seen getting their manes done at Mane Melody.
Zipp: I knew it.
Izzy: But this is so relaxing! And informative! Did you ponies know that there are over a thousand different kinds of hermit crabs?! Cause I… did not!
Obsidia: I can feel all the tension in my body melt away.
Pipp was seen massaging North's back.
North Star: I never knew my muscles have gotten so stiff. Must be my dragon genes that make it hard to notice.
Hitch was seen laughing as Jazz Hooves was filing his hooves
Jazz is a light turquoise earth mare with a light red forelock as well as a longer portion of her mane that fades to magenta, with an orange hair tie close to the end as she was wearing a pink bandolier where her cutie mark was a purple nail polish brush crossing through a pink horseshoe as her hooves were styled in purple hoof polish with a star pattern.
Hitch: Sorry, Jazz. I'm so sorry! So ticklish!
Pipp just laughed at seeing Hitch as she finished North's massage as she walked over to the others.
Pipp: Don't you ponies love it here at Mane Melody?
Izzy: Yeah-huh!
Sunny: Mm-hmm!
Blaze Chaser: You kiddin? Who doesn't like to style up?
Desna: I myself like to do my mane.
Saber Fruit: I don't know. I never did makeovers.
Duke Venture: Never done them.
North got up and stretched as his body felt loose.
North Star: I myself like a good makeover. Helps freshen up.
Rocky: What's wrong, Zipp?
Rocky walked up to Zipp and removed her mane dryer.
Rocky was a cream pegasus stallion with golden orange wings as he had a mulberry colored tail and slicked back mane, mulberry eyes, and a beauty mark on his right cheek. He also wore a pendant of a golden orange electric guitar where his cutie mark was a mulberry music note with a stem shaped like a comb and surrounded by three golden sparkles.
North liked Jazz and Rocky. They were good friends who he liked to hangout with whenever he visited Mane Melody.
Rocky: Not a fan of Mane Melody?
Zipp: No, no. It's awesome. Pipp has done a great job here.
Pipp gasped in excitement and got up to her sister.
Pipp: You really think so?
Zipp: Yeah, I do. And hey, I'm sorry if I haven't been helping out. My mind's just on other things.
Pipp: Like the crystals?
Zipp: Something weird is going on.
Pipp: Ugh, you worry too, too much. Look at North, he still has no idea what the crystals did to him after they revived him, let alone his dormant powers, yet he's completely calm about it.
Zipp: But if something happens to those crystals, we'll lose magic again for good! Plus, if the crystals brought North back, what's to say them losing their magic takes him away? Then it'll be no more flying and–
Pipp: Sis, sis, sis, sis, sis, sis. You need to chill. Yes, losing North again would be sad and heartbreaking, but nothing is going to happen.
Pipp whistles over Jazz and Rocky as they got on the small runway that doubled as a stage.
Pipp: We got our friends back, we've got magic back, and we've got…
Pipp, Jazz, and Rocky: Music!
Pipp: At Mane Melody…
Jazz: We sing!
Rocky: While we style!
Everyone except Zipp: Pipp, Pipp, hooray!
Pipp: This one goes out to my paranoid big sis, Zipp!
Upbeat magic started to play as the Mane Melody crew started to perform.
# Pipp: I know you're feeling like there's something wrong. But don't you worry, I have just the song for you.
The others watched with enjoyment as Zipp's attitude didn't change as Pipp flies around.
# Pipp: So kick those hooves up in this comfy chair. And you'll forget about those cares in a minute or two. Yeah. That's what you'll do.
# Jazz: You've got a lot on your mane and that's kind of tragic. But with a little bit of caring and a touch of magic.
# Rocky: You'll feel brand new! And you'll forget what's been troubling you!
Pipp lands and kicks the mic away.
# Pipp: So put your hooves up high! 'Cause we're feeling alright!
# Hey!
# Pipp: Everyday is awesome in the Maretime Bay! So put your hooves up, put your hooves up!
# Yeah!
# Pipp: Everything is gonna be okay.
Pipp nudges up to Zipp as she flies back to the stage and winks as Jazz and Rocky pose.
Zipp: You don't get it, do you? We can't just sing a song and ignore everything. IIf we lose magic this time, we may never get it back again! And it'll be our fault.
Izzy: What's she talking about?!
Sunny: Lose magic?
Hitch: Whose fault?
North placed a wing over Zipp for comfort.
North Star: If there's something wrong with the magic, we'll figure it out.
Zipp: But it's not that, that scares me the most. It was the crystals that brought you back to life. What if the crystals are your life now?
Sunny: What do you mean, his life?
Zipp: The Unity Crystals are what brought North back from the dead and gave him new life, it's possible that North's life is connected to the crystals. And if the crystals go.
Hitch: So will North.
Sunny: No…
Izzy: He…he can't die again. Can he?
North Star: If that's true, then I'll make sure the crystals keep their magic and that it stays. I promise all of you I will never die again like that. I might've been slowly dying, but that didn't mean I could sense the emotions around me. I felt the sorrow and heartache. There's no way I want any of you to go through that.
Zipp: You promise?
North Star: I promise.
Zipp and North rubbed noses as Izzy, Sunny, and Pipp snuggled up to him.
Sunny: Remember, you promise to never die again.
North Star: I always keep my promises. No matter what.
The soft and gentle moment was gone when there was a very loud thud outside.
The group went outside where ponies were on the ground as Pipp gasped in shock.
Pipp: Are you ponies okay?
A light pink pegasus mare got up. This, was Windy. She has a short swoopy mane where it and her tail are a warm, medium shade of pink with darker streaks where her flight feathers and eyes matched the color. Her cutie mark was a light fuchsia wing with sharp feathers and dark fuchsia edges.
Sunny and North ran up to Windy.
Sunny: What happened, Windy?
Windy: I… I don't know! I was just flying along, and the next thing I knew, I was down here on the ground!
The other ponies got up as a green unicorn stallion walked up.
Unicorn Stallion: Yeah, me too! Because you fell on us!
Windy: Ugh, I'm so sorry, everypony. I'm normally such a good flier!
Posey: Clearly she's not!
Posey walked up with other ponies.
Posey: This is what I've been saying! What everypony's been thinking! If pegasi and unicorns can't be respectful, then they shouldn't be allowed to use their magic in Maretime Bay!
Stallion 1: She's right.
Unicorn Stallion: I'm not sure.
Stallion: Yeah! No more magic!
Posey: It isn't fair. We Earth Ponies don't get any magic, and then the ponies that do have it don't even know how to use it! Or they use it to prank us.
Stallion 1: Yeah, Posey's right!
Stallion 2: I agree!
?: ENOUGH!
Posey: Who said that?
Everypony faced North.
North Star: Wait, wait. That wasn't me!
Gaia: You're right. It wasn't. I said it.
A white glow appeared from North's chest as an orb of light floated out of him.
The orb took the form of a tall mare. Taller than Amore where the mare was none other than an alicorn.
The alicorn had dark turquoise fur with light sky blue eyes with a flowing white mane and tail like it was magic as she had a golden plaque in the form of a compass a golden star on it with 5 gems on each point and one in the middle, each gem represented the color of the rainbow.
North Star: No way, Gaia?
Gaia: Yes way, North. It is me.
Desna: Hot dang.
Blaze Chaser: I thought you said you were host to the Goddess of Magic, not a tall beautiful mare.
North Star: I didn't know she looked like this!
Nemesis appeared from a teleport.
Nemesis: I detected a big spike of magic power. What's going on?
The ponies pointed at Gaia.
Nemesis: And this is…?
Obsidia: *Whispers* It's Gaia!
Nemesis' eyes widened where he saw the goddess.
Gaia: Everypony has a right and free will. You have no authority to restrict such things.
Posey: B-But-
Gaia: SILENCE.
Posey shut her mouth.
Gaia: I was calm at first for this morning, but now seeing this, even us gods have such patience until we lose it. And for some reason, I can feel the magic dying. I don't know why, but I fear that whatever you're doing, it must stop or else it might cause great suffering.
Posey: Well how can we trust them if such "accidents" keep happening? It's like they want to ruin our Earth Pony holiday!
Sunny: That's not true!
Izzy: We want it to be the best day ever!
Stallion 1: Well, then Maretime Bay Day should be magic-free!
Stallion 2: Like it's always been!
Dahlia: A no-fly zone!
Posey: Or we're not coming!
Nemesis: Why I oughta-!
Out of nowhere, storm clouds formed as thunder boomed, scaring the ponies off.
Saber Fruit: Must be their karma.
Nemesis: That's no karma.
Nemesis looked at the Brighthouse and telepathically communicated with Shadox.
Nemesis: (Shadox, get your lost lover and check out the Crystals. Me and the others will be there soon)
Nemesis turned around and faced the group.
Nemesis: Crystal Brighthouse, NOW!
Nemesis then turned into a thundercloud of darkness and blasted off like a rocket.
North Star: I sensed…paranoia.
Duke Venture: Wait, you sensed FEAR in Nemesis? As in, the God of Darkness? The Killer of Killers and Monster of Monsters?
Hitch: What could scare somepony like him? He probably spreads fear instead of being scared.
North Star: Whatever it is, it involves the crystals.
Gaia: I can teleport us all back to the Brighthouse.
North Star: Alright then Gaia. Take us there.
Gaia's horn glowed white as she teleported the entire group to the Brighthouse.
As Shadox and Amore were waiting, Nemesis showed up as the group reappeared from the teleport with Gaia.
Shadox: Who's that?
Nemesis: It's Gaia. But forget about her, you saw what's going on outside.
Shadox: Unfortunately I have. And I wish it was a bad dream.
Blaze Chaser: Okay, can one of you explain what's going on?!
Zipp: I think I finally know what's happening to magic, why it's glitching!
Zipp walked as she was now the center of attention.
Sunny: You do?
Zipp: It's the crystals! They might be… powered by ponies!
Hitch: What?!
Zipp: Okay, check this out.
Zipp walked up to Pipp.
Zipp: Pipp, when we were fillies, I used to steal Mom's chocolate-dipped cherries and blame it on you!
Pipp gasped in shock as Zipp smirked and walked away.
Pipp: I knew it! You got me grounded like 12 times!
Zipp turned around still smug.
Zipp: Yeah, yeah, yeah. And guess what? I don't like karaoke! It's the worst! Ugh!
Pipp gasped as Izzy walked up.
Izzy: Hey, you take that back! Karaoke is a fun activity for every age and skill level!
Sunny: Zipp's allowed to like what she likes. Just because we enjoy something, doesn't mean she has to!
Hitch then walked up.
Hitch: Sunny, there's no need to get all huffy about it. Izzy was just trying to stand up for Pipp!
Sunny: Don't call me huffy!
Hitch: Ugh! I didn't call you a huffy, I said you were being huffy! There's a difference!
Zipp walked up to the crystals where she then saw them glitching.
Hitch: And… whoa!
Everypony stopped arguing where they also saw the crystals glitching as they walked up to the crystals.
Sunny: You…you were right!
Izzy: So when ponies aren't treating each other with kindness…
Pipp: When we aren't vibing…
Zipp: The crystals get weaker. And the more unstable magic becomes in Equestria!
Sunny: Which causes pegasi to lose their flight and fall on other ponies!
Hitch: And unicorns to drop stuff onto sand castles.
Amore: That could explain the umbrella.
Shadox: Wait, umbrella?
Pipp: And weather changes…*Gasps* Like a rando thunderstorm?
Zipp: Yup! Everything is all out of whack!
Obsidia: Wait! What about North and Gaia?
Nemesis: What about them?
Gaia: Don't worry about me. I'm the Goddess of Magic itself. I'm basically higher than the crystals.
Izzy: But North though…
Nemesis: Oh for- Explain why you're worried about North?
Sunny: Before we met you, North died saving everyponies life. Then when magic returned, the crystals revived him.
Pipp: And made him from a blind pony to a pony who can see.
Zipp: So I figured, if North got revived by the crystals, then shouldn't his life be connected to them?
Izzy: Meaning if the crystals and the magic go away, so will North…
The mares hugged North, scared about what could happen to the Dragon Prince.
Nemesis saw the situation and had to calm everypony down.
Nemesis: Okay, I get it. You're scared of losing North. But let me reassure you, he's going to be okay.
North Star: I am?
Nemesis: I saw lives being connected to stuff similar to the crystals. And you don't have any symptoms.
Sunny: What kind?
Nemesis: He would be sick, getting weaker every time the crystals got weaker, and then his body would fail on him. But nothing like that happened. Did it?
Pipp: No…
Nemesis: Then North will live. He's not going to die.
The mares sighed in relief as they stayed close to their shared coltfriend.
Sunny: Though, I wonder if this had anything to do with why the crystals were separated all those years ago. Ugh, or why I still can't seem to figure out my alicorn magic.
Zipp: I don't know. I want to find out. But if we want to keep magic in Equestria, first we need to get everypony back on the same page.
Sunny: Zipp's right. We can't give up. We can still make Bay Day the celebration it's supposed to be.
Izzy: A day of friendship!
Pipp: *Sing-songy* And harmony!
Nemesis: Heh. Well then, you ponies are quite smart and fast to catch up. I'm especially surprised by you Zipp. You'd figured out how the crystals worked.
Zipp: How do you know?
Nemesis: Because, it was Twilight who made them.
The others gasped at this news.
North Star: You mean…
Obsidia: Our ancestor made the Unity Crystals?
Nemesis: Yep. She made them because Equestria was taking a dark path. So to make sure magic doesn't go corrupt or used for evil intentions, she made the crystals to keep everypony, and everything, in line. As long as ponies are treating each other with friendship and are in harmony, the crystals will keep the magic going.
North Star: Well then what are we doing here? Let's make Maretime Bay Day a success and save Equestria!
Everypony including Shadox, Amore, Gaia, even Nemesis did the special gesture.
All: Hoof to heart.