Pegasi Pillow Talksby Undome TinweChaptersBrave and Strong and Weird and CleverWe Don't Fly Like We Used ToYou Blaze The Trail, I'll Watch Your TailBrave and Strong and Weird and Clever Brave and Strong and Weird and Clever "I can't believe that worked," Zipp said as she lay on her bed, staring up at the ceiling. "Hmm?" Next to her, Izzy was rolling back and forth, humming happily to herself. "Wow, the Royal Bed is really soft and comfy. Is this what sleeping on a cloud is like?" Zipp snorted. "Sleeping on clouds is a million times better. Just like how actual flying is a million times better than parkour." "Opening cans is way easier with magic too," Izzy added, nodding sagely. "Anyways, what were you talking about? Did you think we weren't gonna be able to bring the magic back?" "Nah." There was a rustling of sheets as Zipp's wings flapped softly. "I mean, I did think it was a long shot, but that's not what I'm talking about. I mean, what Mom said, about spinning the story so our people would take us back. And I guess what Sunny and I told Pipp, about how everypony would love us again once we got the magic back." "I mean, when it comes to bread and circuses, everypony being able to fly is pretty circusy." Izzy leaned over to press a quick kiss against Zipp's cheek. "Also, you did help bring back magic and flight, which is a pretty big deal." "I guess." Blushing at the kiss, Zipp hesitantly wrapped a wing around Izzy, who let out a happy coo at the embrace. "I'm not really surprised that Pipp still has her fans. Plenty of influencers do, uhh, not so great stuff and stay popular, and Pipp's still a hero, like you said. But I can't believe we're still the royal family. I thought for sure once they figured out we couldn't fly they'd give us the boot." "Well, you can fly now," Izzy pointed out, snuggling closer to Zipp. In response, Zipp rolled her eyes, but still tightened the wing hug. Izzy was so soft and nice. "You know what I mean. We lied to them all their lives, and they still want us to rule them." Next to her, she felt Izzy shrug. "I think they trust you to do what's best for them, and that's enough to make them happy." "Still doesn't feel right," Zipp muttered. "Maybe not, but hey, at least you get to enjoy living in the palace still." There was a pause, and Zipp turned to see Izzy looking up at her, concerned. "This isn't about those ponies still wanting you to rule them, huh?" "I just." Zipp sighed. "It should be Pipp. If anyone deserves to rule over Zephyr Heights, it's the pony that everypony loves and who cares about her people." "But you do care," Izzy pointed out. "You went on an epic quest to give everypony back their special abilities." "I did that because I wanted to be able to fly." Zipp shook her head. "I don't deserve to rule." "Maybe nopony deserves to rule," Izzy said. "But you gotta, and you gotta decide how you wanna do it. You don't have to be like your mom, you know." "I always said that if I became the queen I'd tell all the ponies the truth about our flying." Zipp smiled, but it didn't reach her eyes. "Guess we'll never know if I'd have chickened out on that." "I don't think you would." The total confidence in Izzy's voice warmed Zipp's heart, and her smile grew wider. "You ran off with a weird unicorn and a very pretty earth pony to who-knows-where because of a chance that you might be able to bring magic back." "Hey, the unicorn was really pretty too!" Zipp countered, pressing a kiss against Izzy's forehead. "Okay, fair." Izzy fluttered her eyelashes. "I am quite the catch." Zipp nodded. "You are." "Anyways, my point is, you're brave and clever and you don't have to do things the way they've always been done." A small giggle escaped from between Izzy's lips. "I mean, you're dating a unicorn, after all. You can do whatever you want, and find your own way to be queen." "I guess." "You've heard the stories from Sunny, right?" Izzy continued. "About how the Princess of Friendship used to go on epic adventures to save Equestria? You could be a warrior princess like her." "We don't have many monsters to fight these days, besides hate and distrust." Zipp paused. "I'd rock a set of armour, though." "You would," Izzy agreed. "And those are pretty big monsters to slay. The Lighthouse Initiative is really cool and all, but there's only so much Sunny and I can do. We'll need your help to bring back the old Equestria like Sunny wants." Zipp shook her head. "No, not the old Equestria. The new one. You're right, Izzy, we can shape the future, and I can make sure that we never have to lie to our ponies again. When I'm queen, I'm going to do what the old princesses did and fight for what's right, and leave the ruling to our ponies. That democracy thing the earth ponies have going on seems like a pretty good idea, anyways." "It's better than letting whoever's the best at games run things," Izzy said. "If I'm gonna be traveling around to bring unity and stuff, we won't be able to enjoy this bed as much, though," Zipp said, nuzzling Izzy's mane. "You still gonna wanna be with me when we have to rough it?" "Well, you've still got your wings." Izzy squirmed delightfully under the assault. "I love Sunny and she's a great kisser, but nothing beats a nice, warm wing hug." "Good to know I'm still useful without the crown," Zipp said. Her smile softened, becoming warmer. "Thanks for the pep talk, Izzy. I needed that." "Any time." Izzy reached upwards, and the two of them pressed their lips against one another, basking in their shared love. "And thanks for the wing hugs, they're really comfy." We Don't Fly Like We Used To We Don't Fly Like We Used To "And Zipp doubted us." Pipp smirked as she sat up in her bed, wrapping one foreleg around her lover as she held up her phone for a selfie. "Gonna admit, I didn't think it'd be that easy." Sunny smiled as the camera flashed. "But your mom is really good at spinning a story." "Hey, where do you think I learned it?" Tap, tap tap. Pipp navigated the interface of the app with practiced ease. "How's this for a caption? 'Me and the founder of the Lighthouse Initiative having a very special private afterparty!'" Sunny tapped her hoof against her chin as she considered that. "Hmm, I like the plug, but I don't think the tone is quite right. I don't want Lighthouse to seem like some kind of exclusive club, y'know? It's supposed to be for everypony." Pipp nodded, all business. "Good point. How about just 'Me and the prettiest founder of the Lighthouse Initiative chilling after a long day?'" "Pipp!" Sunny picked up a nearby pillow and lightly smacked her marefriend with it. Pipp laughed. "Alright, fine, I'll drop the prettiest part, even if it's true." Sunny nodded. "That works." Pipp typed up the message and sent it out to her followers. "And done. Ooh, a thousand likes already! Looks like I still got it!" "Yeah, you do." Sunny leaned over to press a kiss against Pipp's cheek, only to freeze when she heard the camera click again. "Wait, are you sending that to your followers too?" "It'll be great for both our numbers," Pipp pointed out. "I guess," Sunny allowed. "But I kinda want to have some private moments with you, where I don't have to worry about who might be watching and what they might be thinking about us. I don't know how you can put every moment of your life on display." "You get used to it after a while." Pipp shrugged, but put down her phone. "But if it makes you feel better, we can just be us. I totally wanna get a shot of us lying in bed later, though. Fans love the domestic stuff. Makes them feel closer to us, y'know?" "That's kinda weird, but I guess I get it." Sunny pressed up against Pipp. "So many things are going to be different now." "You can say that again," Pipp replied. "It's going to feel so weird being able to actually fly." She paused, and her usual confidence fell away for a moment, revealing a vulnerable side that Sunny was honoured to witness. "I— I did all of this for them, you know? That's what I told myself, anyway. It was a comfort to the ponies to think we could fly, and I was helping to give them that comfort by lying to them." "Would you have done things differently?" Sunny asked. "I— probably not." Pipp grimaced. "Does that make me a bad pony?" "I think you really did think you were doing what was best," Sunny said quietly. "I don't agree with it, but your heart was in the right place." Pipp laughed, a biting, ugly thing. "That's not good enough. One of the first lessons of being a leader is that results matter, not just intentions. If we hadn't gotten magic back it would've been anarchy in the streets after they found out." "But we did get magic back," Sunny countered. "That's the result that matters, right? And now you can use your fame to help bring unity to all the pony races. That's a good intention that's gonna lead to a good result." "I guess so." Pipp smiled. "Thanks for being here for me, Sunny. It really means a lot to have somepony I can really be myself with, you know?" Sunny smiled back. "I totally get it. I'm so lucky to have you and Izzy in my life. The Lighthouse Initiative wouldn't be possible without both of you helping me. You're doing what a princess was always meant to do, helping bring ponies together." "It's good to be able to do something that feels really right, this time," Pipp said. "I've always felt like a real princess, but this feels ever more like what I was meant to do, you know?" "I think I do." Sunny smirked as she began nibbling at Pipp's neck. "And I know something else I wanna do right now that feels really right." Pipp gasped as the trail of kisses made it down to her wings. "Sunny! You know I'm really sensitive there!" Sunny lifted her head to stare at Pipp with smouldering eyes. "Oh, I know." For the next few moments, the conversation was stalled by Pipp's constant giggling and gasping as Sunny revelled in the feel of her marefriend's wings. It was a moment of pure fun, not recorded or performed but genuine in every moment and movement. Eventually, Sunny made it back to the top, and they shared a deep and passionate kiss. "I love you, Pipp Petals, and I think you're a great princess." "I love you too, Sunny Starscout," Pipp replied. "When Zipp takes the crown, I'm probably gonna have to do all the public relations stuff, and I can't think of a better mare to help me than the one who united all three pony kinds." "The future isn't gonna know what hit 'em," Sunny declared as they snuggled their way under the cover of the blankets. "I can't wait to see what we can all do. Together." "Together." From... somewhere, Pipp brought out her phone, holding it up above them. "Smile!" Sunny smiled, secure in the knowledge that their future would be bright. You Blaze The Trail, I'll Watch Your Tail You Blaze The Trail, I'll Watch Your Tail "You think they'll be okay?" Izzy asked a few days later, lying in bed next to Sunny. On the other side of Izzy's bedroom, the TV was playing a news show that showed the Royal Sisters appearing at the opening of a new school. Pipp was her usual outgoing self, smiling and waving and flitting about the crowd, while Zipp was doing her best to put on the mask of a smile as she positioned herself in the background. "They're going through a lot," Sunny said in response, shivering as a cool breeze blew in through the window and responding by pressing herself up closer to Izzy. "We all are." "You can say that again." On-screen, Pipp bumped hooves with a filly who seemed over the moon at being acknowledged by her idol. "These are crazy times we're living in. Crazy times." "Good times, though." Queen Haven was giving a speech now, and Zipp was clearly bored with the whole spectacle, her wings fluttering impatiently as she glanced up at the skies. She definitely wanted to take to the air and soar among the birds at that moment. Izzy nodded so hard that Sunny was worried she might hit something. "Definitely. I just hope they can find a way to be happy now." There was some kind of commotion on screen, and the couple turned to see the camera pointed upwards, where Zipp was doing some truly death-defying acrobatics while all the fillies and colts were cheering. Sunny's phone buzzed, and she saw her feed light up with an image of Pipp taking a selfie with Zipp flying in the background. The caption read "lol my sis finally got tired of smiling and waving. She's gonna make this opening lit." Sunny smiled. "I think they'll be just fine. After all, they've got each other." "And us," Izzy added. "Zipp said she'll be coming over tomorrow to, uhh, do politics stuff with Lighthouse, so I'm gonna need this bedroom." "That's fine," Sunny replied. "I might pop over to Zephyr Heights tomorrow night to see how Pipp's doing." "You know, we really need to get one of those beds the royals have up there," Izzy said. "They're so comfy. Although Zipp says it's nothing like sleeping on a cloud. Hey, you think I could whip up a spell to let us sleep on clouds?" "According to my research, the pegasi used to sleep on cloud beds all the time," Sunny said. "If you can get that spell working, we could try it too. And I'll talk to Pipp about getting us a bed here, maybe one big enough for two." She shifted again, trying to position herself so that she wasn't slipping off the bed. "We'll still cuddle though, right?" Izzy asked, suddenly concerned. "Of course," Sunny promised, leaning in to pepper kisses against her cheek. "We'll still kiss a lot, too. That's not changing." "Oh, good." Izzy grinned. "I never thought I'd have anypony to practice that with either." "Me too," Sunny admitted. "Crazy times, huh?" "Good times," Izzy corrected, snuggling in closer as they watched Pipp sing a snippet of her newest song while Zipp flitted around her. "The best of times."
Brave and Strong and Weird and Clever Brave and Strong and Weird and Clever "I can't believe that worked," Zipp said as she lay on her bed, staring up at the ceiling. "Hmm?" Next to her, Izzy was rolling back and forth, humming happily to herself. "Wow, the Royal Bed is really soft and comfy. Is this what sleeping on a cloud is like?" Zipp snorted. "Sleeping on clouds is a million times better. Just like how actual flying is a million times better than parkour." "Opening cans is way easier with magic too," Izzy added, nodding sagely. "Anyways, what were you talking about? Did you think we weren't gonna be able to bring the magic back?" "Nah." There was a rustling of sheets as Zipp's wings flapped softly. "I mean, I did think it was a long shot, but that's not what I'm talking about. I mean, what Mom said, about spinning the story so our people would take us back. And I guess what Sunny and I told Pipp, about how everypony would love us again once we got the magic back." "I mean, when it comes to bread and circuses, everypony being able to fly is pretty circusy." Izzy leaned over to press a quick kiss against Zipp's cheek. "Also, you did help bring back magic and flight, which is a pretty big deal." "I guess." Blushing at the kiss, Zipp hesitantly wrapped a wing around Izzy, who let out a happy coo at the embrace. "I'm not really surprised that Pipp still has her fans. Plenty of influencers do, uhh, not so great stuff and stay popular, and Pipp's still a hero, like you said. But I can't believe we're still the royal family. I thought for sure once they figured out we couldn't fly they'd give us the boot." "Well, you can fly now," Izzy pointed out, snuggling closer to Zipp. In response, Zipp rolled her eyes, but still tightened the wing hug. Izzy was so soft and nice. "You know what I mean. We lied to them all their lives, and they still want us to rule them." Next to her, she felt Izzy shrug. "I think they trust you to do what's best for them, and that's enough to make them happy." "Still doesn't feel right," Zipp muttered. "Maybe not, but hey, at least you get to enjoy living in the palace still." There was a pause, and Zipp turned to see Izzy looking up at her, concerned. "This isn't about those ponies still wanting you to rule them, huh?" "I just." Zipp sighed. "It should be Pipp. If anyone deserves to rule over Zephyr Heights, it's the pony that everypony loves and who cares about her people." "But you do care," Izzy pointed out. "You went on an epic quest to give everypony back their special abilities." "I did that because I wanted to be able to fly." Zipp shook her head. "I don't deserve to rule." "Maybe nopony deserves to rule," Izzy said. "But you gotta, and you gotta decide how you wanna do it. You don't have to be like your mom, you know." "I always said that if I became the queen I'd tell all the ponies the truth about our flying." Zipp smiled, but it didn't reach her eyes. "Guess we'll never know if I'd have chickened out on that." "I don't think you would." The total confidence in Izzy's voice warmed Zipp's heart, and her smile grew wider. "You ran off with a weird unicorn and a very pretty earth pony to who-knows-where because of a chance that you might be able to bring magic back." "Hey, the unicorn was really pretty too!" Zipp countered, pressing a kiss against Izzy's forehead. "Okay, fair." Izzy fluttered her eyelashes. "I am quite the catch." Zipp nodded. "You are." "Anyways, my point is, you're brave and clever and you don't have to do things the way they've always been done." A small giggle escaped from between Izzy's lips. "I mean, you're dating a unicorn, after all. You can do whatever you want, and find your own way to be queen." "I guess." "You've heard the stories from Sunny, right?" Izzy continued. "About how the Princess of Friendship used to go on epic adventures to save Equestria? You could be a warrior princess like her." "We don't have many monsters to fight these days, besides hate and distrust." Zipp paused. "I'd rock a set of armour, though." "You would," Izzy agreed. "And those are pretty big monsters to slay. The Lighthouse Initiative is really cool and all, but there's only so much Sunny and I can do. We'll need your help to bring back the old Equestria like Sunny wants." Zipp shook her head. "No, not the old Equestria. The new one. You're right, Izzy, we can shape the future, and I can make sure that we never have to lie to our ponies again. When I'm queen, I'm going to do what the old princesses did and fight for what's right, and leave the ruling to our ponies. That democracy thing the earth ponies have going on seems like a pretty good idea, anyways." "It's better than letting whoever's the best at games run things," Izzy said. "If I'm gonna be traveling around to bring unity and stuff, we won't be able to enjoy this bed as much, though," Zipp said, nuzzling Izzy's mane. "You still gonna wanna be with me when we have to rough it?" "Well, you've still got your wings." Izzy squirmed delightfully under the assault. "I love Sunny and she's a great kisser, but nothing beats a nice, warm wing hug." "Good to know I'm still useful without the crown," Zipp said. Her smile softened, becoming warmer. "Thanks for the pep talk, Izzy. I needed that." "Any time." Izzy reached upwards, and the two of them pressed their lips against one another, basking in their shared love. "And thanks for the wing hugs, they're really comfy."
We Don't Fly Like We Used To We Don't Fly Like We Used To "And Zipp doubted us." Pipp smirked as she sat up in her bed, wrapping one foreleg around her lover as she held up her phone for a selfie. "Gonna admit, I didn't think it'd be that easy." Sunny smiled as the camera flashed. "But your mom is really good at spinning a story." "Hey, where do you think I learned it?" Tap, tap tap. Pipp navigated the interface of the app with practiced ease. "How's this for a caption? 'Me and the founder of the Lighthouse Initiative having a very special private afterparty!'" Sunny tapped her hoof against her chin as she considered that. "Hmm, I like the plug, but I don't think the tone is quite right. I don't want Lighthouse to seem like some kind of exclusive club, y'know? It's supposed to be for everypony." Pipp nodded, all business. "Good point. How about just 'Me and the prettiest founder of the Lighthouse Initiative chilling after a long day?'" "Pipp!" Sunny picked up a nearby pillow and lightly smacked her marefriend with it. Pipp laughed. "Alright, fine, I'll drop the prettiest part, even if it's true." Sunny nodded. "That works." Pipp typed up the message and sent it out to her followers. "And done. Ooh, a thousand likes already! Looks like I still got it!" "Yeah, you do." Sunny leaned over to press a kiss against Pipp's cheek, only to freeze when she heard the camera click again. "Wait, are you sending that to your followers too?" "It'll be great for both our numbers," Pipp pointed out. "I guess," Sunny allowed. "But I kinda want to have some private moments with you, where I don't have to worry about who might be watching and what they might be thinking about us. I don't know how you can put every moment of your life on display." "You get used to it after a while." Pipp shrugged, but put down her phone. "But if it makes you feel better, we can just be us. I totally wanna get a shot of us lying in bed later, though. Fans love the domestic stuff. Makes them feel closer to us, y'know?" "That's kinda weird, but I guess I get it." Sunny pressed up against Pipp. "So many things are going to be different now." "You can say that again," Pipp replied. "It's going to feel so weird being able to actually fly." She paused, and her usual confidence fell away for a moment, revealing a vulnerable side that Sunny was honoured to witness. "I— I did all of this for them, you know? That's what I told myself, anyway. It was a comfort to the ponies to think we could fly, and I was helping to give them that comfort by lying to them." "Would you have done things differently?" Sunny asked. "I— probably not." Pipp grimaced. "Does that make me a bad pony?" "I think you really did think you were doing what was best," Sunny said quietly. "I don't agree with it, but your heart was in the right place." Pipp laughed, a biting, ugly thing. "That's not good enough. One of the first lessons of being a leader is that results matter, not just intentions. If we hadn't gotten magic back it would've been anarchy in the streets after they found out." "But we did get magic back," Sunny countered. "That's the result that matters, right? And now you can use your fame to help bring unity to all the pony races. That's a good intention that's gonna lead to a good result." "I guess so." Pipp smiled. "Thanks for being here for me, Sunny. It really means a lot to have somepony I can really be myself with, you know?" Sunny smiled back. "I totally get it. I'm so lucky to have you and Izzy in my life. The Lighthouse Initiative wouldn't be possible without both of you helping me. You're doing what a princess was always meant to do, helping bring ponies together." "It's good to be able to do something that feels really right, this time," Pipp said. "I've always felt like a real princess, but this feels ever more like what I was meant to do, you know?" "I think I do." Sunny smirked as she began nibbling at Pipp's neck. "And I know something else I wanna do right now that feels really right." Pipp gasped as the trail of kisses made it down to her wings. "Sunny! You know I'm really sensitive there!" Sunny lifted her head to stare at Pipp with smouldering eyes. "Oh, I know." For the next few moments, the conversation was stalled by Pipp's constant giggling and gasping as Sunny revelled in the feel of her marefriend's wings. It was a moment of pure fun, not recorded or performed but genuine in every moment and movement. Eventually, Sunny made it back to the top, and they shared a deep and passionate kiss. "I love you, Pipp Petals, and I think you're a great princess." "I love you too, Sunny Starscout," Pipp replied. "When Zipp takes the crown, I'm probably gonna have to do all the public relations stuff, and I can't think of a better mare to help me than the one who united all three pony kinds." "The future isn't gonna know what hit 'em," Sunny declared as they snuggled their way under the cover of the blankets. "I can't wait to see what we can all do. Together." "Together." From... somewhere, Pipp brought out her phone, holding it up above them. "Smile!" Sunny smiled, secure in the knowledge that their future would be bright.
You Blaze The Trail, I'll Watch Your Tail You Blaze The Trail, I'll Watch Your Tail "You think they'll be okay?" Izzy asked a few days later, lying in bed next to Sunny. On the other side of Izzy's bedroom, the TV was playing a news show that showed the Royal Sisters appearing at the opening of a new school. Pipp was her usual outgoing self, smiling and waving and flitting about the crowd, while Zipp was doing her best to put on the mask of a smile as she positioned herself in the background. "They're going through a lot," Sunny said in response, shivering as a cool breeze blew in through the window and responding by pressing herself up closer to Izzy. "We all are." "You can say that again." On-screen, Pipp bumped hooves with a filly who seemed over the moon at being acknowledged by her idol. "These are crazy times we're living in. Crazy times." "Good times, though." Queen Haven was giving a speech now, and Zipp was clearly bored with the whole spectacle, her wings fluttering impatiently as she glanced up at the skies. She definitely wanted to take to the air and soar among the birds at that moment. Izzy nodded so hard that Sunny was worried she might hit something. "Definitely. I just hope they can find a way to be happy now." There was some kind of commotion on screen, and the couple turned to see the camera pointed upwards, where Zipp was doing some truly death-defying acrobatics while all the fillies and colts were cheering. Sunny's phone buzzed, and she saw her feed light up with an image of Pipp taking a selfie with Zipp flying in the background. The caption read "lol my sis finally got tired of smiling and waving. She's gonna make this opening lit." Sunny smiled. "I think they'll be just fine. After all, they've got each other." "And us," Izzy added. "Zipp said she'll be coming over tomorrow to, uhh, do politics stuff with Lighthouse, so I'm gonna need this bedroom." "That's fine," Sunny replied. "I might pop over to Zephyr Heights tomorrow night to see how Pipp's doing." "You know, we really need to get one of those beds the royals have up there," Izzy said. "They're so comfy. Although Zipp says it's nothing like sleeping on a cloud. Hey, you think I could whip up a spell to let us sleep on clouds?" "According to my research, the pegasi used to sleep on cloud beds all the time," Sunny said. "If you can get that spell working, we could try it too. And I'll talk to Pipp about getting us a bed here, maybe one big enough for two." She shifted again, trying to position herself so that she wasn't slipping off the bed. "We'll still cuddle though, right?" Izzy asked, suddenly concerned. "Of course," Sunny promised, leaning in to pepper kisses against her cheek. "We'll still kiss a lot, too. That's not changing." "Oh, good." Izzy grinned. "I never thought I'd have anypony to practice that with either." "Me too," Sunny admitted. "Crazy times, huh?" "Good times," Izzy corrected, snuggling in closer as they watched Pipp sing a snippet of her newest song while Zipp flitted around her. "The best of times."
