She was doing it again, Zipp thought. She sighed, setting her phone down on her chest and closing her eyes. Her ears twitched.
Yep, she was still going. Zipp slowly pried her eyes open. She was greeted by the sigh of the sky above her. It was as if the sky was split in two, unable to decide on what kind of weather it wanted at the moment. On one side there was a there was a streak of pale blue that slowly faded into orange around a setting sun. On the other was a slab of dull grey clouds, seemingly intent on snuffing out the last rays of the sun's light.
The hum quieted down for a second before starting up again. Zipp craned her head to the side, stealing a glance at her companion. Izzy was sitting on the rooftop a couple of paces away from Zipp, holding a pencil in her mouth as she levitated her sketchpad in front of her. Sure enough, the hum was coming from the unicorn. That in of itself wasn't too unusual. The mare had a habit of singing to herself, something Zipp had noticed very soon after moving into the brighthouse. Not that it bothered her. Well, maybe it did at first, but it grew on Zipp.
Suddenly, Izzy stopped humming. She furrowed her brow, letting the pencil slowly fall from her mouth. She then moved the sketchpad slightly farther away in her aura. Zipp smiled as she watched Izzy place a hoof on her chin. It was all too cute for Zipp, the way she was tilting her her head, the unusually serious look in the mare's eyes, the way she was biting her lip...
Nope, Zipp thought. She then rolled onto her side, making sure to be facing away from Zipp. You are not gonna think about that. Bad Zipp, bad!. Her new angle gave her a good view of the grey clouds rolling in over the sea. She watched them intensely, trying to force herself to think about something else. Not anything in specific. Just not that. Anything but that.
She blinked.
Not thinking about it.
She blinked again.
Still not.
And again.
...
She was still thinking about it.
Zipp groaned in frustration, burying her face into her hooves. It's getting worse, she thought. The fact the unicorn had been very insistent on being around her lately wasn't exactly helping. Heck, she had even started following her onto the roof now! And Zipp still wasn't sure how she got up there that one time...
"You okay?"
"Huh?" Zipp felt a shadow loom over her. She looked up to see Izzy looking down at her, her long violet locks cascading around her face, those fuchsia eyes full of concern...
"Hello, Equestria to Zipp," Izzy said, lightly prodding Zipp's side.
"Ow! Hey!" Zipp said, swatting her hoof away and causing Izzy to giggle. "You saying something. I, uh, kinda zoned out there," Zipp added with a sheepish smile.
"Just making sure you're okay."
"What?" Zipp then propped herself up on her elbows. "Of course I am. Why wouldn't I be?"
Izzy frowned in concern. "Well, you just rolled over and went 'ugh!'"
Uh oh, she saw that.
"I mean, it didn't really sound like a happy sound to me..."
"Ah. Clearly you're an expert," Zipp retorted. Her eyes widened. "Sorry! I didn't mean it th-"
"Hey it's okay," Izzy said with a gentle smile. She then placed a hoof on her shoulder. "It's fine if you don't wanna talk about it. I just want to make sure you're okay, that's all."
"Oh," Zipp said.
Izzy giggled. "Anytime." She then turned around and went back to where she was previously sitting.
"Smooth," Zipp thought with a grimace. Then she shivered, noticing the suddenly cold breeze. Zipp looked up. It seemed that the clouds had emerged victorious from their battle earlier and were now moving to seal them in.
"Hey Iz?"
The unicorn turned to look at her, the pencil back in her mouth. "Hm?"
"It looks like it's gonna rain soon," Zipp said, gesturing towards the sky. "We should probably head back inside."
Izzy spat the pencil back out of her mouth. "Aw, already?" she pouted.
"We could still do the thing, you know."
"Really, really?" Izzy gasped, grinning eagerly.
"Yes really."
Izzy squealed in delight. Zipp rolled her eyes, though she couldn't help the smile on her face as Izzy gathered their belongings in her bag.
"Ready," Zipp asked once she had finished. Izzy nodded with a smile. Zipp then crouched down, allowing Izzy to climb onto her back.
"Good evening ladies and gentlecolts. On behalf of Zephyrina airways it is my pleasure to welcome you onboard flight double-O-one with service from the roof to the ground. We will be taking off shortly. Please fasten your seat belts."
"Aye-aye, captain!"
"Not what I was going for, but okay!"
She then leapt into the air. Izzy held tightly onto her back, letting out a "Wa-hoo!" as the two circled around the tower of the bright-house. Slowly Zipp glided into a stop, landing just in front of the front entrance. "Touchdown!" Izzy cheered as she jumped off Izzy's back. Zipp chuckled quietly as she made her way towards the door.
"Uh, Zipp? Could you, uh, wait a second?"
Zipp froze, her hoof on the door handle, then turned around.
"There's, uh, something I wanna ask you," Izzy said. She was not looking at Zipp. Instead she was looking at her hooves as she pawned at the ground.
"What?"
"Well... I've been thinking lately... I mean, I was wondering if...maybe you, um... if you wanna go see a movie? You know... together?" Izzy then smiled nervously.
"Oh," Zipp stated. She supposed it wasn't a terrible idea. She'd get to spend so more time with Izzy, and a movie would problem be enough to keep her... distracted from certain thoughts. "M'kay."
"Wait, really?" Izzy beamed, her ears perking up.
"Sure. I mean, I might have to move some stuff in my room first..."
"Huh?"
"Sorry just thinking out loud."
"Oh," Izzy said, her ears flattening. "You want to watch it in your room."
"Yeah..." Zipp said. That was strange. Izzy seemed almost... disappointed? "You... you alright Iz?"
Izzy sighed. "Yeah... I mean, yeah! I'm alright! Why wouldn't I be?" Izzy said, shooting Zipp a grin that was a little too wide.
"Uh..."
"Oh, I should make popcorn!" Izzy shouted. Then, with surprising speed, she trotted past Zipp and into the house before she could reply.
"...okay than."
Zipp was sitting on her bed, in front of her laptop. She wasn't doing anything in particular, just aimlessly scrolling through the internet as she listened to the rain outside. Her ears perked up at the sound of a knock on the door. Zipp then smiled as she spotted the familiar rainbow-colored aura grabbing the knob.
"Hey," Izzy said, poking her head in through the doorway. "I brought popcorn!" she sang, levitating the bowl in front of her and giving it a little shake.
Zipp chuckled. "C'mon in," she said.
Izzy then trotted into the room and sat down besides Zipp. Suddenly Zipp's smile faltered as a memory came back to her. "Hey Iz?" Izzy froze, turning to look at Zipp. "Um, listen. About earlier. Did I... say something? You know, that hurt your feelings?"
"Oh. Oh! N-no! Nothing like that." Izzy waved a hoof dismissively in the air. "It's just, uh, there's been a lot on my mind lately, you know? Been a little... stressed out and stuff."
"Stuff?"
"Yeah, you know. Stuff."
Zipp frowned. "Iz, look at me," she commanded. "You know you can tell me if something is bothering you, right?"
Izzy sighed. "I know," she said with a sad smile. The sight made Zipp's heart flutter in her chest, the feeling of warmth and instinct to protect her nearly overwhelming. She quickly forced those feelings away, however, knowing now was not the time.
"I'm serious," Zipp continued. "If I ever upset you, you could just tell me, alright?"
"Why would I ever be with you?"
The question seemed completely earnest, which made Zipp's heart sink into her stomach. "I mean, I know I can be a bit of a jerk at times..."
"Aw, Zipp." Izzy placed a hoof on Zipp's withers. "You're not that much of a jerk."
"I... wait." Zipp narrowed her eyes. "What do you mean, 'not that much of a jerk.?'"
"Um... well, if we're being honest..." Izzy said playfully. Zipp then punched her in the shoulder. "Ow! Mayonnaise." Izzy said, making an exaggerated show of rubbing the injury. "Fine, you win. You're only a little bit of a jerk."
"That's more like it," Zipp said with a smirk. "So... we good?"
Izzy smiled. "Yeah, we're good."
"Great. So..." Zipp clasped her hooves together. "Whatcha wanna watch?"
"Eh, whatever's on Ponyflex I guess."
Zipp nodded in understanding and opened the app on her laptop. Izzy scooted next to her, idly watching as the pegasus scowled through the titles. After passing through several options that seemed too weird or boring, something caught Zipp's eye.
"No way."
"What?"
"They have a Chop movie on here?"
"A what-movie?" Izzy said, squinting at the caption on the screen.
"Chop," Zipp said with a smile. "They're these movies we have back in Zephyr Height's. Gosh I used to love these."
"Hm," Izzy said. "So... is this like a series or something?"
"Kinda," Zipp explained. "So, when they made the first movie way back when, it wasn't written to be part of a series or anything. But then that made a lot of money, so the studio decides to make a trilogy. And then that made a lot of money, so they kept making more sequels, even though they shoulda stopped after the third one." Zipp added the last part under her breath. "But I think this one's supposed to be a standalone instead, or something."
"...and you wanna watch it?"
"Are you kidding? I've been waiting forever to see this!"
"I... I don't know," Izzy said, frowning. "It look's kinda scary..."
"Oh, these aren't that scary," Zipp retorted, waving a hoof dismissively.
"There not?"
"No," Zipp insisted. "Well, I mean they are about a serial killer who likes to put ponies in these little torture devices..."
"That sounds scary!"
"Well... yeah. But they're not that bad and actually kinda fun, especially once you figure the formula they're using>"
"I mean, I guess if you want to watch it..."
"Sweet," Zipp. Then, before Izzy had a chance to object, she pressed play.
"...yay," Izzy whispered. Zipp then scooted close to her as the opening credits played, setting the bowl of popcorn between them. She stared intensely at the screen, only moving her hoof to grab some more popcorn. Izzy sat beside her, a confused look on her face.
"Uh, Zipp?" Izzy whispered. "Who's that?"
"Wah?"
"That stallion. Who is he?"
"You'll find out a second," Zipp stated matter-of-factly, not taking her eyes off the screen. Izzy went quite beside her. Meanwhile, the character in the movie found a tape recorder and began to play it, conveniently providing some much needed exposition.
"So, he's ... wait..." Izzy eyes widened to saucers. "He has to do what!?"
"Ooo, that's kinda clever," Zipp added. "Not really a fan of the new voice though."
SHINK.
"O-oh. And he's... he's actually doing it," Izzy said.
SLICE
"He's really doing it..."
RIP.
"...and it's s-still going..."
TEAR.
"Oh..."
"Dang, that's gotta hurt," Zipp said while reaching for another hoof-full of popcorn.
"It's not real," Izzy said, closing her eyes. "It's just make believe, it's just make believe, it's just..."
Suddenly, the music playing over the scene abruptly cut off. Izzy interrupted that as a sigh that the scary part was over and opened her eyes.
"Heh. That wasn't so..."
THOCK
SQUELCH
AHHHHHH!
"OH SWEET MAYONNAISE!"
"Oof. That's nasty," Zipp said. She then frowned as the opening credits began to play. "To be honest, I really don't get the casting in this movie. I mean, I know it's not his first dramatic role technically, but still... Iz?"
Izzy did not respond to Zipp. Her eyes were clenched shut, her hoof pressed tightly over her muzzle. "Izzy?" Zipp said. She then shut her laptop and placed a hoof on her shoulder. "You okay?"
Suddenly Izzy turned to face away from Zipp and stood up. "Izzy wait!" Zipp cried. The mare froze but did not turn around.
"I-it's okay, alright. We don't have to keep watching it, we could... we could put on something else."
Zipp's plea was meant with silence, sans the sound of the storm outside.
"Look, I'm sorry! Okay? I shouldn't of put it on, I was being an idiot and..."
"Don't call yourself and idiot," Izzy interrupted.
"W-wah?"
Izzy turned around, her expression unreadable. "Zipp, you are the smartest pony I know. If anything, I'm the idiot here. I shoulda known this would never work."
Zipp blinked. "What? Watching a movie?"
Izzy sighed. "Not the movie. This." She gestured to the two of them. "You know. You. Me."
Wait. Is she saying...
"I don't know what I was even thinking. "Izzy continued. "You're smart, you're brave, heck, you're literally a princess! And what am I?"
"You... you have a crush on me?" Zipp said, feeling a rush of enticement.
"Yes," Izzy said miserably, looking down at the floor. "I-I'm sorry, you weren't supposed to find out like this. I-I should go."
Izzy then made a beeline for the door. "Izzy wait!" Zipp shouted. "I do to!"
Izzy stopped mid-step and slowly turned around. "What?"
"I... I have a crush on you to," Zipp admitted.
"You... you do?" Izzy slowly approached Zipp, who rubbed the back of her neck sheepishly.
"Yeah. For a while now, actually. I mean... you're so amazing, and kind, and fun, and beautiful..."
"You... you think I'm beautiful?" Izzy whispered, a hopeful smile on her face. It then morphed into a confused frown, however. "Wait, then how come you never said anything?"
"To be honest, I didn't really know if you felt the same way. You haven't exactly said anything to me either."
Izzy then punched Zipp in the shoulder. "What the mayo!?"
"Ouch," Zipp said, rubbing her injury. "What was that for?"
"Didn't say anything to you!?" Izzy spat. "I've hitting on you nonstop the past few weeks, worried sick that I was coming on too strong, and you didn't even notice!"
"What? When were you hitting on me?"
"I literally just asked you on a date."
"What? No you didn't. You just said you wanted to go see a mo-" Suddenly the gears turned in Zipp's head. "Oh," she said, sitting down on the bed"Oh," she repeated. Zipp then buried her face in her hooves, loudly grunting in frustration.
"Oh, gods. Don't let me be that obtuse..."
"Hey," Izzy said as she sat beside her. She then gave Zipp a comforting pat on the back. "You're not obtuse. Matter of fact, I think you're actually kinda... acute."
Zipp narrowed her eyes. "Did you really just make a math pun?"
"Maaaaybe..." Izzy said coyly. Her smile faded when she realized Zipp was glaring at her. "Um... did it work?"
A lightning bolt then flashed, briefly illuminating the bedroom. "You tell me," Zipp said, timing her sentence perfectly with the thunderclap. She then pressed her muzzle against Izzy's.
Zipp wasn't quite sure how long the kiss lasted, exactly. Maybe it was a few seconds, maybe a few hours. Either way there was a second lightning strike when they finally pulled apart, as if they had been containing an explosion between their lips. Zipp could see her reflection in Izzy's eyes as she panted, letting her know the two of them had the same red cheeks and dopey grin.
"Woah," Izzy said after a moment.
"Tell me about it."
"ZIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIP!"
Zipp winced, instinctively covering her ears from the shout. Suddenly the bedroom door busted open. Before either mare could react a pink missile was launched into the bed, landing with a small explosion of blankets and popcorn. Izzy was caught in the blast radius and sent tumbling backwards with a startled "Bwak!"
"Izzy!" cried Zipp, who then dove after her. She found the unicorn sprawled out on her back, her limbs akimbo and her face looking slightly dazed. Zipp quickly helped her back onto her hooves and turned to glare at the pink pony laying prone in her bed.
"Dang it Pipp!" Zipp hissed. "Why do you always have to..." Zipp trailed off, her reproach faltering once she noticed the lines of mascara running down her sister's cheeks. "Uh, Pipp?"
"It's happening again," Pipp murmured. "It's happening again..."
"Pipp?" Zipp repeated. She then sat down next to her sister, placing a hoof on her back. "Hey, it's okay..."
Another bolt of thunder crackled outside. Pipp shrieked and then pulled Zipp into a hug, latching onto her with a vice-like grip.
"Wait," Izzy said slowly, squinting as she watched the scene in front of her. She then pointed a hoof at Pipp and said: "You're afraid of thunder?"
"She was when she was younger," Zipp answered for her. "I just assumed she outgrew it."
Then, as if on queue, another thunderclap sounded, resulting in Pipp's grip becoming even tighter somehow.
"I guess not then."
"Zipp..." the younger sibling pleaded through clenched teeth. "...please. You have to make them go away!"
Make them go away? Zipp thought. Wait, maybe she wants me to...
No. Please no. Not in front of her.
"Um..." Zipp said. Pipp then grabbed her head and pulled it down so they were almost muzzle to muzzle, forcing Zipp to look into her tear-filled eyes.
"Please!" Pipp said, having resorted to outright begging. "You have to sing! It's the only thing that will make them go away. You have t- EEEP!"
Pipp buried her sobbing face into Zipp's shoulder. Zipp gently stroked her hair, turning and giving Izzy a pleading look. Izzy, in turn, gave her a confused shrug. Zipp closed her eyes, inhaling sharply through her nose before slowly releasing it.
"Hey, Thunder, you mean old mister!
You've picked on the wrong little sister
Hey, Thunder, you mean old mister!
I oughta kick you in the keister!."
Cautiously Zipp opened her eyes. She noticed that Pipp's ears had slightly perked up, though they quickly went back down when the next thunderclap roared.
"Hey thunder, you're so not cool!
You like rain, which is cloud drool!
Hey thunder, you're mean and sad!
You say your farts smell like ozone,
I say they smell bad!"
"So don't you mess with her," Pipp suddenly chimed in, "or I'll whoop you bad."
"Because she is the best sister you could ever haaave!" The two siblings sang in unison, with Zipp almost managing to hit the correct note. They then finished with a small "Cha!" and bumped their hooves together.
Zipp then noticed Izzy out of the corner of her eye. To her horror, she was trying to cover up a snicker with a hoof over her mouth, an already unsuccessful attempt that was feather ruined by the red in her cheeks. Zipp opened her mouth, but before she could say anything she felt Pipp nuzzle up against her and yawn. "Thank you," Pipp whispered, before going still.
"Is... is she asleep?" Izzy said.
"Uh..." Zipp then gently prodded her side. "I guess?"
"Hmm. Well, anyway, I think that's enough excitement for one night."
"Oh. Y-yeah, I guess you're right." Zipp replied. "Well, uh, goodnight Izzy," she added with a shy smile.
Izzy then planted a kiss on Zipp's cheek. "Goodnight Zipp," she beamed, before skipping out the door and shutting it behind her.
Zipp slowly fell onto her back, her sister still on top her. She stared wide-eyed at the ceiling for a moment, listening to the sound of the storm outside, before letting out a small, giddy laugh. The laugh was then cut short as Pipp's snores began filling the room, drowning out the sound of the thunder outside. Eventually she was able to close her eyes.
Knock-knock.
Zipp's eyes fluttered open. She sat up, stretching her wings with a yawn.
"Mn," Pipp groaned. At some point she had released Zipp from her choke hold and decided to hog the blanket instead. One of her hooves began moving, feeling around the bed as if searching for something.
"Phone?" Pipp mumbled. "Phone? Where are you? I need you. Phooone?"
There was another knock on the door. Zipp crawled out of bed, ignoring her sister, and opened it.
"Morning!" Izzy beamed.
Memories of last night suddenly came rushing back to Zipp. "I-Izzy!" she said, her mouth suddenly felt as if it had been stuffed with cotton. Her mind reeled, desperately searching for the best follow up. "Your... mane looks nice?"
Apparently, that was the best she could do.
"Aw, thank you," Izzy said with a smile. A loud yawn was then heard as Pipp stumbled out of bed.
"Mornin' Zipp, Izzy," she said while rubbing her eyes. "Either of you see my phone?"
"Actually, that's kinda why I'm here..." Izzy then revealed that she had Pipp's phone in her hoof.
"Thanks," Pipp said. She then moved to grab it but Izzy suddenly pulled her hoof back.
"You know, I'm kinda surprised you didn't have it with you last night."
"Yeah, yeah. I could quite anytime I want," Pipp said. She made another lunge for her phone but Izzy levitated it out of her reach.
"I'm just assumed you wouldn't wanna be away from the internet right now. You know, with what happened to your channel yesterday."
"Wait, what?" Pipp said, her eyes widening. "You mean my PonyTube channel?" Izzy nodded. "What happened?"
"You that animated video you upload not that long ago?"
"Y-yeah?"
"The one you spend months working on?"
"Uh-huh?"
Izzy then leaned forward said "PonyTube just flagged it as a kid's video."
"THEY DID WHAT!? AGAIN!?"
Pipp then angrily snatched the phone from Izzy. She then flew away, grumbling to herself about how she was glad Clip-clop would be the more popular platform in ten years. Once she was gone Izzy shut the door behind her, locking it with her magic.
"That should keep her busy for a while."
"What are y-"
Zipp gasped in surprised as Izzy lifted her with her magic and threw her onto the bed. Izzy then swiftly leapt on top of her, pinning her on her back. Izzy then kissed Zipp directly on the lips, instantly quelling any protest the pegasus could muster. Then, much too soon for Zipp's liking, she pulled away, leaving the two of them panting for air.
"I... that..." Zipp said, a million thoughts racing through her mind. Eventually, she settled on "You lied about Pipp's video, didn't you."
"Who, me?" Izzy said in mock offense before smiling mischievously. "Oh wait, I did!"
Zipp smiled. "Clever girl."
Author's Note
And now we know why we haven't heard Zipp sing...
