//------------------------------// // The Five Saviors of Equestria, Together At Last // Story: Solar and Lunar // by marmalado //------------------------------// Pipp rushed to the station as fast as her wings would take her -- which wasn't really saying much, since she certainly wasn't as fast as her sister. Still, she couldn't deny that she was eager to see what she had planned. She still thought of that day. When her mother, who showered her with praise and love, went off on Zipp and kicked her out from the castle. Perhaps it was a stroke of luck that got her mother arrested and allowed Zipp to ascend to the throne, or some crazy miracle. Still, who cared how it happened? Zephyr Heights was in much better hooves, even if her emotions were still at war with each other. Her mind flashed to yesterday, and how she had visited her mother at the Zephyr Heights Correctional Facility. Every second of her time there was vivid, from the secretary at the front desk taking pity on her to her mother screaming at her, begging her, pleading with her to set her free just before she was taken away by security guards. She really did love her mother. Deep inside, she still did. That was the exact reason for her own personal conflict, and no matter how hard she tried, she couldn't shake it. Still, even online celebrities had lives beyond the screen. Her Pippsqueaks were so understanding. She found solace in them all the time. It was the one thing that kept her from breaking down. She finally arrived at the station, forcing herself to keep her mind clear. However, that didn't go over so well when she saw just who Zipp had wanted her to meet. "Zipp? What are...alicorns...you...who are you?" she stammered, her eyes growing wide as she took in Sunny's and Izzy's horns and wings. "This is..." Zipp blinked, realizing that she never got any of the names of the trio. "Sorry, what're your names?" "Sunny Starscout. Princess of the Sun!" Sunny waved. "And I'm Izzy Moonbow, the Proud and Punny Princess of the Moon!" Izzy giggled. "Just call me Izzy, though." "I'm Hitch. Hitch Trailblazer. Sunny's fillyhood friend." Hitch greeted with a wave of his own. "Ah. Nice to meet you." Zipp nodded. "Guys, this is Princess Pipp Petals. She's my little sister." The two mares and the stallion gave their hellos to the still-stunned Pipp, who could only stare at Sunny and Izzy in particular, her mouth agape. "Sis, why are you so surprised?" Zipp teased. "You were the one who told me alicorns didn't exist, remember?" "B-b-b-" Pipp furiously shook her head. "T-they're real?! B- Mom always said they were the stuff of Equestrian fantasy stories! Unless..." She trotted over to Sunny and Izzy and examined them, feeling their horns and wings. Sunny began to look visibly uncomfortable, while Izzy giggled. "That tickles!" she said, when Pipp got to her wings. "They're...real." Pipp sat down. "How...how?" Izzy took a deep and noisy breath before Sunny could get a word out. "We found ourselves in this portal and found this weird amulet inside of Canterlot Castle! Then, Sunny and I became bestest alicorn friends! Then, we met this other alicorn named Terra who told us to come see her, and she took us under her wing -- not literally, of course, that's silly -- and she trained us in the ways of magic and flying! We're saviors of Equestria, all five of us!" The other four ponies could only stare at her. "Um...I'm sorry, what?" Pipp tilted her head. Sunny gave a bout of nervous laughter, and summed up Izzy's version of events in a way that Pipp could understand. "It started when we were fillies. Izzy and I found both halves of a magical amulet inside Canterlot Castle -- kinda where we are now -- and we became alicorns. After we went home, our parents received a letter from some pony named 'Terra' who was an alicorn, and they sent us off so we could be under her care, and grow, and be trained in how to use our new powers!" She smiled. "Do you understand?" "I, well...I kind of do?" Pipp blinked. "I'm sorry, it's just that this is so hard to believe. Your wings and horns are real...unless...you're holograms?" "Can a hologram do this?" Izzy smirked, before motioning with her hoof for everyone to step back. She then leaned back on her hind legs and punched the air repeatedly, making various grunts and cries that wouldn't be too out of place in hoof-boxing. "Izzy, we're not holograms." Sunny rolled her eyes. "Okay, so you're not holograms. But you're..." She exhaled. "You're definitely real alicorns." Zipp smirked. "Told ya so. You didn't believe it when Terra came to visit, but you believe it now, when two other alicorns come to visit? Third time's the charm, huh?" "Shut up, Zipp." Pipp said. "And technically, it's the second time that was the charm." Zipp only gave a nonchalant shrug in response. "Anyway, it's nice to meet you all, really. Sorry for my surprise. Heh, I guess I've seen it all now." "Uh, about that, sis...there's something I've been meaning to tell you." Over the course of the next few minutes, Zipp relayed to Pipp her conversation with Terra, about the prophecy she had found and about the alicorn in general. She watched as her sister's jaw dropped, more and more, until it became as unhinged as it could get. "W-W-W-Why didn't you tell me this before?" Pipp said, sitting down on the floor. "Five saviors...and you're...and you three are..." "Careful. Don't faint." Zipp said, her tone lighthearted. "But yeah. I'm one of the ponies that is destined to save the world and bring back magic to Equestria. And so are you." "S-save Equestria? Bring back magic?" Pipp looked at her wings, opening them and giving them a few flaps. Her gaze moved to Zipp, then to Hitch, Sunny and Izzy. Her mouth felt dry all of a sudden, and her brain scrambled to make sense of the situation. She took a moment to think. Her eyes closed. On the one hoof, I don't know if I'm ready to take on such a huge responsibility. Mom's in jail, and my sister's the new queen...and she wants Terra to be the ruler of all of Equestria. On the other hoof... She paused. On the other hoof, I want to bring back magic to Zephyr Heights just as much as Zipp does. I made a promise to all of my Pippsqueaks. I can't let them down. I won't let them down. Taking a deep breath, she rose to her hooves again, her expression steely as she looked at Zipp. "I'll help out." "You will?" "Yes. I -- we -- owe it to the Pegasi of Zephyr Heights to get their magic back. And, while we're at it...we can get everypony else's magic back, too." Pipp smiled. "I'm still just a liiiittle bit confused by the situation, but I'll do my best." Zipp's eyes widened. She had expected Pipp to be a little more oppositional. But maybe she had just underestimated her. She gave a chuckle. "All righty. So that's that." She turned to Sunny and Izzy. "Where do we need to go next?" "Sunny!" Izzy exclaimed, before her fellow alicorn could get a word out. "Let's go home!" "Home? Why?" "Duh, 'cause our new friends just have to meet Terra!" Izzy bounced up and down. "We have all five saviors gathered now! We gotta give her the good news!" Sunny smiled. She couldn't argue with that logic. "All right, then. We're going to meet Terra!" The eyes of Zipp, Pipp and Hitch all shimmered with curiosity and excitement. With raucous cheers, the group set off. "...so yeah, that's pretty much what's goin' down. Rest assured, we'll bring back magic to you guys, and to all of Equestria, sooner than you think. Mark my words." With that, Zipp tapped the red RECORD button on her phone, a satisfied smile settling on her face as she stashed it away under her wing. She made her way on over to Hitch, back in the sphere and levitating in the air with a panicked look on his face. "So how're you doing in there?" Zipp smirked. "N-n-not quite used to being so high up yet!" Hitch said, giving a bout of nervous laughter. "L-lucky for me that Sunny and Izzy can go super-fast." Zipp snickered. "Oh, if I were controlling that ball, you'd be going so much faster." Hitch's face turned from panic to utter dread, and Zipp couldn't help but laugh. "Kidding, kidding. I have standards, you know." "We're here!" The clouds parted to reveal the ever-familiar and easily-recognizable tree with pink leaves. Pipp's eyes widened. "Oh my gosh. That's your house?!" She squealed. "It looks so pretty!" "A tree with pink leaves?" Hitch tilted his head. "Well that's a first." The group descended until smooth landings were made onto the grass below, just outside the front door. Once the sphere landed on the ground, it disappeared, and Sunny could give her horn a rest. Unbeknownst to her, however, Hitch had started kissing the ground in relief. "I hope she's home." Izzy said, her and Sunny giving three unisonant knocks on the wooden door. The seconds ticked by. Everypony waited. And just as Sunny and Izzy were about to turn and leave, the door opened. Terra gazed at them, and then her gaze moved to the other three ponies, who all gave waves. Pipp in particular looked about ready to burst, but was holding in her gushing out of politeness. She remained silent for just a moment, and then a smile formed on her face. "You found them." she breathed. "We found them!" came the unisonant response from Sunny and Izzy. Tears began streaming down Terra's face, although she didn't know it. "Please, all of you, do come inside." she urged, watching as her guests eagerly went inside and began talking about how nice everything looked. "I never knew a home in a tree could look so good." Hitch said, fixing his gaze on Sunny. "Did you make this?" "No, Terra did." Sunny explained. "We just moved in with her when we were fillies." "Accent gems!" came the elated cry of Pipp, who flew up to touch a few diamonds that hung from the ceiling by strings. "Oh wow, they almost look like real diamonds, too!" Zipp breathed a sigh of relief and joined her sister. "Lots of flying room in here." she said. "Good choice." "Um..." Terra said. "Would any of you like anything to eat?" "Now that I think about it, I am feeling a little hungry." Pipp landed on the ground and tucked her wings in. "Do you have any sandwiches?" "Ooh, ooh, you know what? I make a suuuuuper-mean HLT. Why don't I make you one, Pipp?" Izzy asked with a grin. "An HLT? I love those!" Pipp nodded. "Yes please!" "Okay!" Izzy flew up to Zipp, who was still soaring around the room. "And for you, madam?" "Eh, just a salad's fine." "I'll have a PB&J!" Hitch waved from his spot on the couch. Terra nodded. "Of course. Sunny, Izzy, would you mind helping me?" "Not at all!" Sunny chirped, bounding into the kitchen with an excited Izzy in tow. Several minutes later, six lunches were fully prepared for six hungry ponies. Everyone chowed down eagerly, relishing in the food's taste while making idle chitchat with each other. Terra looked on as Sunny laughed at a joke Zipp had shared, a small smile forming on her face. They did it. All five saviors have been found. And already, they've become good friends. Oh, Princess Twilight...if you were here, you would be so proud. Not just of me, but of the five ponies who will follow in you and your friends' hoofsteps, carving out a new legacy and protecting Equestria from harm while also keeping the magic of friendship alive. She took a bite of her own sandwich. Tears began falling down her face again, and she quickly wiped them away before anyone noticed. Please, do continue to watch over them. And guide them towards a bright future -- for them, and for all of Equestria. As much as she wanted to cut right to the chase and catch up with Sunny and Izzy, she forced herself to wait, to take her time eating her sandwich. Magic would be restored to Equestria soon enough...but there was nothing wrong with taking a moment to have a good time with the ponies you loved. Eventually, the group got down to business. "Hmm." Terra inspected the Pegasus Crystal that Zipp had given her, as well as the Earth Pony Crystal that Sunny had. "I was not aware the Crystals had separated. But it is good that you found them." She nodded. "That makes us a couple steps closer to restoring magic." "So all we need is to find the Unicorn Crystal then, right?" Zipp asked. Terra nodded. "The Unicorn Crystal is likely located within Bridlewood." Izzy's eyes widened, even more so when everyone turned their gazes towards her. "W-well, uh, I-I can say right now, I don't have that Crystal." A bout of nervous laughter slipped from her lips. "But I'll definitely help with the search for it! I know my way around Bridlewood preeeeeetty well." Zipp tilted her head in curiosity, but otherwise chose not to comment. "Do not go so soon." Terra urged. "You all should spend the night here before venturing out to Bridlewood. I can imagine you are quite tired." "Are you sure?" Hitch asked. "We don't want to be a bother." "I insist." Terra glanced towards the door. "I can buy some sleeping bags later on. But for now, do tell me all about yourselves, and your adventures." Over the course of the next several minutes, Hitch, Pipp and Zipp introduced themselves to their new alicorn friend, and talked about their personal lives. Likewise, Sunny and Izzy shared their experiences in finding them, traveling from one town to another and uncovering some rather shocking news. "Oh...so your father passed away." Terra folded her ears down. "My deepest apologies. He must have been a wonderful parent." "He was." Sunny nodded. "Ever since my mom..." Silence fell as everyone turned their gazes onto the alicorn. "Um, n-never mind." Sunny waved a hoof, not wanting to go deep into the topic of her mother at the moment. "Thank you, Terra." "It is no problem." Terra gave a small smile. "I must say, however...this 'Phyllis' character sounds rather concerning. Something tells me she might become trouble if she is not stopped." "Sprout can handle her, don't worry." Hitch assured. "He's got everything under control." Terra took this at face value. She gave a nod. "I see. If that is the case, then I do believe you should devote your time to finding the Unicorn Crystal. We can deal with Phyllis later." Her gaze flicked to the door. "You are all free to go outside, if you would like. Perhaps you can bond a little more and discuss plans for retrieving the Crystal." "That's a good idea." Sunny nodded and began making her way towards the door. "Come on, everypony!" The rest of the group followed suit, some stretching their limbs before trotting outside and taking in the fresh air. From the most ludicrous of plans (finding some artifact that made everyone into unicorns) to the most sane (maybe just asking around town?), they shared opinions and ideas about how to get the Unicorn Crystal long into the rest of the day. By the time Terra had begun to head to a nearby town to purchase sleeping bags for Hitch, Zipp and Pipp, she had needed to prompt Sunny and Izzy that it was their time to lower the sun and raise the moon -- something they had nearly forgotten. "All right. Watch this." Sunny grinned, lighting up her horn as her magic gripped the sun. Likewise, Izzy did the same, her magic grasping the moon that was not yet visible in the sky. The others watched in awe as the sun gradually lowered to make room for its friend. When the moon sat in its usual position in the sky, Izzy jerked her head up, and the stars slowly began to form, one by one. The excited murmurs grew louder. "Oh my hoofness, that is incredible!" Pipp squealed, ruffling her wings in excitement. "You two are so good at this!" Sunny blushed with embarrassment. Izzy, on the other hoof, got sparkles in her eyes. "Thank you thank you! If you'd like, I can show you some of my favorite stars I've named. See, that one's Gerald, that one is Maurice, that one is Julian Boom Mike the Second-" "Um, you guys?" Sunny raised a hoof as she turned to face the group. "I really think we should finalize the plans for retrieving the Unicorn Crystal. You know, just to...pass the time until Terra comes back?" Zipp groaned. "Sunny, we've been over the plan a ton of times. We've been over..." She waved her hoof around as she wordlessly muttered numbers. "...I'd say about ten plans now." "I know!" Sunny looked at the sky. "But we're so close to getting the magic returned to everypony. If we get the Unicorn Crystal, I know we can do it!" "Hey." Hitch gave a soft smile. "It's like Zipp said. We have a plan. Why don't we just take the rest of the night off to relax? After all, you've reunited with me. And, you've made two new friends." He gestured to Zipp and Pipp. "It really wouldn't hurt to do some stargazing." Sunny glanced at the ground. Deep inside, she knew Hitch had a point, and perhaps she was getting a bit antsy. But the completion of the mission of restoring harmony to Equestria was so close, she could almost touch it. The sooner, the better, in her eyes. Sighing, she flopped onto the grass and looked at the moon and the stars. Although they were not her domain, she couldn't deny that looking at them brought her a sense of peace, and it almost made her sleepy. "Oh! Look, a shooting star!" The eyes of Pipp, who was now lying on the ground, shimmered for a brief moment before the shimmer went away and her eyes became narrowed as she side-eyed Izzy. "Izzy, did you do that?" "Maaaaybe?" a cheeky Izzy responded, before she giggled. "Just kidding, I totally did. Everypony, make a wish!" The group slowly closed their eyes and silently made their own unique wishes. "Okay! Now, what did you all wish for?" Izzy asked. "I wish that magic would be restored to Equestria soon." "I wish to uphold the peace and justice in Maretime Bay for years to come." "I wish for lots and lots of loyal Pippsqueaks!" "I wish that I can perfect the Sonic Rainboom." Sunny glanced at Zipp, her eyes widening as she racked her memories. She had heard about the Sonic Rainboom once or twice from her dad, and from what he had told her, it had been a spectacle that had to be seen to be believed. But only the Guardian of Harmony Rainbow Dash had been able to do it. She wondered exactly what Zipp was capable of at her best, and made a mental note to ask her to perform some stunts once their mission was complete. "Izzy? What did you wish for?" Upon hearing Hitch's question, Izzy slowly opened her eyes, a small smile dancing on her face. Tears began brimming in her eyes, although she wasn't sure whether they were happy tears or sad ones. Her next words were nothing more than a murmur that rung out in the silent air. "I wish...that we would be bestest friends until the end of time." With that, the group fell silent, continuing to stare up at the dark blue sky for a long time as they reflected on their wishes.