"Sunny!" Zipp called out.
The detective was searching for her friend all morning until Hitch told her she was at Exmare Coast. Despite Hitch's protests, Zipp wanted Sunny to be the first to know the amplifying information of Princess Twilight's message. She had dug through the history books at the Maretime Bay Library and was about to give up until she came across something mentioning another Alicorn.
Zipp grabbed as many books as she could that even remotely mention an Alicorn, pouring over every little detail. However, despite the incredible efforts someponies went to preserve every aspect of an Alicorn's lives. Luna, Celestia, Twilight, Flurry Heart; they were all there except one. The more she dug into it, the more a nagging thought formed in her mind that it was intentional. The detective couldn't shake the feeling that this had something to do with Twilight's message, and it couldn't wait until morning.
The long flight started to tax her wings as the warmth of the afternoon sun waned. Gone was the golden sand that outlined the coast, separating the lush greenery from the deep blue ocean. In its stead was a dull brown coastline with black rocks dotting the beachfront diminishing any desire to lounge at the beach. Even the water was a mixture of dark grays and blues as it clashed violently against pillars of rocks that protruded from the ocean.
"Wonder why Hitch knew Sunny would be here in the first place," Zipp muttered to herself.
Surveying the area more, Zipp noticed natural pathways that cut through the stone formations. The sense of adventure began to call to her as she toyed with asking Pipp if she might be interested in a game of chase. Before giving it more thought, Zipp spotted a lone orange mare on top of a rocky bluff. She gave herself a mental high-hoof for being able to find the mare so quickly, even though she stood out like a bright beacon amongst the dreary outcropping.
"Sunny!" Zipp called out as she made her descent. "I found something about the princess' message!"
Zipp's brow furrowed as she was optimistic that Sunny would be ecstatic at anything new regarding the princess. However, the mare remained unphased, staring distantly toward the setting sun.
"Sunny, did you hear?" she called out, trying to maintain the enthusiasm in her voice.
Concern filled the detective's mind when she heard nothing back as she landed gently beside her friend. Tepidly, Zipp trotted over, placing a cautious hoof onto the mare's shoulder. "Sunny?"
Her friend came to life quickly, wiping a hoof across her face. "Zipp?"
The excitement of her initial discovery died inside her upon seeing Sunny in a downtrodden state. "Are you okay? Why're you out here by yourself?"
"Well-I-I'm just," Sunny stammered, shielding her eyes from the pegasus. "What are you doing out here?"
"I was looking for you."
"And you came here of all places?"
"Hitch told me," Zipp answered warily.
Sunny inhaled sharply before her head dropped as she started to dig at the dirt. "What did he tell you?"
Guilt started to creep into her chest as Zipp felt she had done something wrong. Hitch did try to stop her, but she ignored his protests because she wanted to impress her friend with her skills. Now that she was here, she regretted her hasty decision to chase her down.
"I'm sorry. Probably should've figured that you'd only come out this far to be alone." Zipp turned around, flaring her wings as she prepared to head home.
"No, no, no," Sunny assured as she placed a hoof on Zipp's wing. "It's okay; I was just surprised, that's all."
Zipp slowly returned her wings to her sides. "Okay."
Sitting across from her friend, Zipp did her best to look natural despite feeling she was still intruding on something. To her relief, the rhythmic crashing of the waves filled the silence. As she flipped between asking more questions or remaining silent, Zipp noticed something unusual about her friend.
Sunny was always, well, Sunny. She was infectiously positive and made you feel like you could soar to new heights. However, she'd sunset into a husk of herself as she stared longingly at the horizon.
Even though her inquisitive mind raced with thousands of questions, none found their voice. Something was telling her to be patient. So Zipp sat silently, placing a hoof on top of hers and offering a reassuring smile.
Sunny glanced up, placing a hoof over her mouth, muting her giggles. "What is that, Zipp?"
"What?!" Zipp hastily asked, shrinking back from the sudden change.
"That smile looks so forced," Sunny pointed out, unable to contain her laughter.
Zipp groaned in annoyance, hoping the burning sensation on her cheeks was from the lingering effects of the setting sun. "Smiling is Pipp's thing, not mine."
"That's not true," Sunny stated, narrowing her eyes with a cheeky grin. "I've seen your real smile plenty of times."
She scoffed, rolling her eyes. "Yeah? When was that?"
"Oh, let me see." Sunny tapped her hoof to her chin. "There was the time when you showed Izzy and me your secret gliding thing in Zephyr Heights. You also light up when you find a clue on a case. Then there was a time I made you breakfast for your birthday. And who can forget how excited you were when we restored magic to Equestria, and you could actually fly! That was probably the biggest..."
"Okay, okay," Zipp cut her off, hiding her red cheeks under her wing. "I get the point."
Sunny lifted her hoof and pressed down on Zipp's primary feathers. "See, there's a Zipp smile."
"Fine, whatever! You win," Zipp conceded, brushing her friend off with her wing.
Sunny returned to staring off into the horizon, but her smile lacked the warmth it usually brought. But why she was out here still burned in the detective's mind. In the year Zipp had known her, Sunny always wanted everypony together regardless of the event. She enjoyed the closeness with her friends, even if Izzy tended to make things a little more eventful. It just made her friend's behavior even stranger.
"So," Zipp started, fumbling with how to deal with the elephant in the room. "You want to talk?"
Sunny's ears went flat as her smile died on her lips, returning to the sorrowful mare. Zipp rebuked herself for being so blunt. "Sorry I asked."
"It's okay; I sometimes forget since every earth pony in town knows." Sunny took a bracing breath for the answer. "Today is the anniversary of my dad's... passing."
Zipp sucked sharply on her teeth as her ears pinned to her head. She knew that Sunny's dad had died, but outside of stories she would share about her father, they knew little about how or when. Zipp raised a wing to console her friend but hesitated as her chest tightened.
"I'm sorry, I didn't know." Withdrawing her wing, Zipp suppressed an all too familiar dread of her own.
"It's okay," Sunny mumbled as her shoulders slumped. "I don't really talk about it."
Zipp chewed on her lower lip; Pipp was always better at this emotional stuff. But she couldn't leave Sunny all alone out here. "Umm, do you want to talk about it?"
Sunny's head fell as she inhaled sharply, making the consoling detective panic. She had seen this countless times when her teasing of her sister went a little too far.
Good job, Zipp, you've made it worse.
She sucked on her teeth, thinking about what Pipp would do.
"It's okay Sunny... you don't have to cry...umm, no, that's not right," Zipp trailed off; seeing her caring help was about as delicate as a brick through a window.
"Wow, you're really bad at this." Sunny looked up at the panicking pegasus with a faint chuckle.
"Sorry," Zipp apologized, turning away from her friend. "I'm not the best pony for this."
Sunny wiped away a tear, nudging the distressed pegasus with her hoof. "You're here, and I can use the company," she admitted, leaning into her friend.
Her body went rigid as her heart hammered in her chest. Clenching her teeth, Zipp exhaled through her nose to calm her pounding pulse. Sure, she had received friendly hugs from the mare before, but this was different. The warmth reminded Zipp of what it felt like to be next to somepony that cared for you.
Zipp chewed on her lip, unable to determine what to do next. As Sunny rested her head on Zipp's shoulder, her flowery scent wafted up towards the pegasus's nose, putting her at ease. Looking down at the mare from the corner of her eye, Zipp hesitantly extended a wing over Sunny's back.
"Thank you, Zipp." Sunny sighed, leaning more onto the pegasus.
"Yup!" she squeaked out, retracting her wing quickly so as not to raise any suspicion. "Happy to help."
"My dad and I used to come out here all the time and camp," Sunny said softly, smiling at a distant memory.
"Explains why you enjoy camping so much."
"Those were the times I felt the closest with him, even when Hitch was there." Sunny softly exhaled as she continued her story. "What made it special, besides the games of tag we played, was the stories Dad and sometimes Hitch's grandma would share about Equestria.
He would tell us stories about old Equestrian sailors who would test their skills navigating the Exmare Coast. Rockhoof would often compete, and despite his massive stature, he could sail better than most pegasi could fly."
"That's cool!"
Sunny nodded with a long sigh. "He taught me everything I know about Princess Twilight and her friends. The tales he told about how they spread the magic of friendship across Equestria were all I could think about. I wished so hard that one day I would be like Princess Twilight and have unicorn and pegasus friends to call my own."
Sunny glanced down as her expression became more somber. "It was his dream for Equestria to return to its former glory, where everypony, regardless of race, would get along and live together again."
Zipp noticed the change in the mare's tone and gave her friend a gentle nudge of her shoulder. "You made that dream a reality, Sunny."
Sunny chuckled weakly, wiping away another tear. "Yeah, but I wish he was here to see it. I want him to see that all the letters I sent wanting to become friends with unicorns and pegasi mattered." Sunny tightened her grip around Zipp's foreleg. "That it's real now."
A warm smile creased Zipp's lips at how drastically her life had changed for the better. She was free of the castle and her mother's boring lessons on what it takes to be Queen. This strange, infectiously happy earth pony had trotted into her life and breathed new life into her.
As she looked down at the mare who made this all possible, her heart began to swell with joy. "Thank you."
Sunny turned her head upwards as her brow furrowed. "For what?"
"Without you, none of this would have been possible. Pipp and I would still be trapped in that castle, and Equestria knows where Izzy would be."
Sunny chuckled as she rested her head back on Zipp's shoulder. "I couldn't have done it without you all."
Zipp returned her gaze to the horizon as a memory she had suppressed for so long began resurfacing. "You would've loved my dad."
Sunny pulled away cocking her head. "You have a dad? Why haven't I heard about this?"
"'Had' a dad," Zipp corrected as her ears flattened against her head.
Her friend's ears pinned back as her eyes filled with confusion. "Why don't you talk about him?"
Zipp sucked on her teeth; why didn't she talk about him? Those things had happened so long ago Pipp probably had forgotten about them.
I haven't.
"You would've loved my dad. He had this ability to make anypony feel welcomed, and because of his vast knowledge of our history would've helped him figure out the Unity Crystal in no time. He was the pony that Equestria needed." Sunny sighed as she looked over the horizon. "I wish you could've met him."
Zipp's gaze returned to the horizon. A wistful memory pulled at her mind with the sting of an old wound. "I wish you could've met my dad too."
Sunny brightened at an idea. "Oh, that's right! I've never met him. I don't remember seeing a throne for him either back in Zephyr Heights. Do pegasi function under a matriarchy like the ancient princesses?"
"Uh, no. He's just... not around anymore."
"Oh..." Sunny shrank back and bit her lip. "I'm sorry. I'm just so used to everypony else having a family; I just kind of assumed."
"Nah, forget it. I shouldn't have brought him up."
"No, wait!" Sunny placed a hoof on her shoulder. "I want to hear about it... that's if you don't mind. Do you maybe want to talk about him?"
I don't.
Zipp turned to see that the wonder and excitement that usually filled her friend's eyes was gone, and deep concern remained.
"I'm fine," she said, putting on a false smile. "He doesn't come up much in conversation."
Sunny cocked her head. "What about your sister or Queen Haven?"
Zipp let out a defeated sigh as her head fell. "Pipp hardly remembers him now, and as for my mom," Zipp trailed off as that morning returned.
"Zipp, it's okay. You don't have to share."
Great, now she was worrying her friend.
Zipp released a long breath as she patted her friend's back. "I'm okay now."
"Are you sure?"
Zipp solemnly nodded.
Sunny looked up and smiled at Zipp, but something was different about that smile. It wasn't the one she constantly wore as she greeted other ponies; this was something more. Empathy and understanding radiated from her smile like the sun on a summer day. The pegasus smiled back at the mare, whose emerald eyes were filled with warmth and comfort.
"What?" Sunny asked, cocking her head.
"Nothing!" Zipp squeaked before turning towards the setting sun. "It's been a while since I've talked about him."
Sunny was silent as she patiently waited for Zipp to continue.
"His name was Cadmus," Zipp started as the longing to talk about him eased her mind. "He would tell us about incredible pegasi like Flash Magnus, Commander Hurricane, and Rainbow Dash. They were some of the coolest fliers ever, making me want to fly even more."
Sunny hummed as she wrapped her forehoof around hers, telling her she was here.
"Pipp and I would pretend that we were Wonderbolts, and my dad would always play a dragon for us to battle. Sometimes even my mom joined in and acted like the princess who needed rescuing. It's probably the last time I've seen my mom so carefree. Looking back, I loved it more than I realized."
Sunny's grip tightened around her hoof. "Why?"
Zipp heaved a sigh as she stared into the setting sun and squeezed back. "It was the closest I felt to my family."
Zipp closed her eyes as the pain returned. All these stories reminded her of how great her family used to be. Of how much love they had for each other until it was ripped away.
"It's all my fault."
Sunny pulled away. "I don't understand."
"When you and Izzy showed up at the castle, that was the furthest I felt from my sister and mom. I-I was just so tired of being 'it,' you know? I was the big sister, so I always had to set an example. I was the future Queen of Zephyr Heights, so everypony scrutinized my every move, while Pipp got to be a socialite free of recourse. I just wanted to be out of the limelight so bad I did what I knew best, run away and hide.
"I've treated them so badly since he's been gone. Pipp would try to play games with me like we used to, but they only made things worse. I think she's always glued to her phone because she's searching for the attention I wasn't giving her.
"And when you and Izzy showed up at the castle, I saw a chance to get away. I really didn't believe what you were saying; I just... I don't know what I wanted. I screamed at my mom when she offered to help. I pushed Pipp away, even though all she wanted was her big sister. I just didn't want to feel those things anymore. I lied to you. I lied to everypony."
Sunny's gentle touch turned Zipp's head away from the darkness. Her emerald eyes shone like the stars but still bore the pain that Zipp saw in the mirror. She understood. Sunny understood her burden. The running. The hiding. But, where Zipp fell away, Sunny rose above it, streaking like a rainbow that refused to fade from the storm. That hope was reflected in her mane, proving her inspired resilience.
Zipp's voice became raspier. "Sorry, I just need a sec, okay?"
Sunny nodded as her eyes softened with a reassuring smile.
"Dad would go on and on about finding a way to restore flight to the pegasi, and I believed him. I dreamed every night about flying with him and the great pegasi of the past.
One night, I had this incredible dream of chasing him around the castle." Zipp's wings started beating softly. "It had never felt so real before, like the weightless feeling you get in your stomach as the wind rushes past your feathers."
"When I woke up, I nearly flew out of bed and ran as fast as possible to tell my parents about the dream." Zipp let out a soft chuckle. "Even though I couldn't fly, I remember flapping my wings, pretending like I could as I raced to their room.
"I pushed open the doors and jumped onto their bed, expecting them to still be sleeping since the sun was barely above the horizon. As my hooves hit the bed, I only found a wad of sheets and coldness where my dad usually slept."
Fear gripped her heart as his scent was a distant memory on the sheets. Sweat formed on her brow as she frantically searched for safety.
Zipp gritted her teeth. "I... I looked for my mom, but..."
An overwhelming feeling of loneliness made her blood run cold as she flopped onto the massive bed void of the two things that were her whole world.
"But they were gone."
She was all alone now.
"I started panicking. I cried out for them!"
Zipp wrapped her forelegs around Sunny as her body started to tremble. "I... I couldn't find them, Sunny; I didn't know what to do."
Sunny draped a leg across her back, pulling her friend close.
"I cried and cried, but then I felt wings wrap around me. It was my mom, I was so happy, but I needed to find dad. And so I asked mom to help me..."
Her lungs seized as her mother's eyes stared at her with malevolence. Pushing Sunny away, Zipp shot to her hooves as the screaming, the crying, and the worthlessness came flooding back.
"Zipp!" Sunny called out, placing a supportive hoof on her shoulder. "What's happening? What's wrong."
"She constantly scrutinized me..."
Zipp, shoulders back, head high, chin up; at least try to look like a princess and not some common pony for once.
"...compared me..."
Pipp makes smiling look so effortless while you look like you're in pain.
"...judged me..."
Your sister has fully embraced her role as a Princess, but you want to fight me at every opportunity.
"Why couldn't you just love me?"
Sometimes I wonder if you will ever wake up and be the future Queen Zephyr Heights needs.
"I did my best! I did everything you wanted!"
What in Equestria was that stunt? You know those wires cannot handle those aerial maneuvers, and look at what you gained. Pipp is in the hospital with a broken wing, and I have a nightmare of a PR situation that 'I' have to clean up now.
"Why wasn't it enough? Why was I never enough?"
"Zipp! What's wrong?" Haven cried out.
"Why can't you just tell me that you love me?"
Zephryina Storm, stop this at once! You will not speak of your father ever again, am I clear?
"M-my mom had never looked like that..."
The eyes that had once held so much love for her ceased to exist.
"I didn't understand why..."
The pony who held her was the Queen of Zephyr Heights, staring down at her as she did with ponies who had wronged her.
"I-I just fought it and made it worse."
She didn't want to believe her; she refused to believe her. Dad wouldn't just leave like that; he loved Pipp and her so much. We were his fillies.
"You were scared, Zipp," Sunny consoled, running a hoof through Zipp's short mane.
"I've never seen Mom look at me like that, Sunny. Sh-she hated me."
"Zipp."
"She did, Sunny!" Zipp cried as the years of guilt came crashing down. "You didn't see how she looked at me, her... her eyes were so cold. I didn't know why... I-I still don't know why. All I know is she forbade me from talking about Dad. It crushed me, Sunny. S-so I ran away from her, from everypony."
Slowly, Sunny began to rock back and forth.
"I don't hate him for leaving," Zipp whispered, burying her face into her friend's neck. "I just wish he cared enough about us-- about me-- to tell us goodbye; he was my whole world, and then he went and disappeared."
The dam holding everything back broke, and all the suppressed emotions poured out of her like a raging river over Sunny's coat. She hated it; it made her feel weak, pathetic... vulnerable.
She wanted to feel like she was important to somepony.
She wanted to feel like she mattered.
She wanted to feel loved again.
Sunny began to hum a soft melody as she rested her forehead on Zipp's as she continued to rock the sobbing pegasus.
"What're you doing?" Zipp choked out.
"It's an old song my dad sang to help me feel better."
Zipp hated the thought of being treated as a filly, but this was different. The sensation of a gentle hoof running through her mane, the warm smile that made you feel special, and the eyes so filled with love that no matter what happened, everything would be okay. Sunny continued to hum with a slow melodic tone as something deep inside of her longed for this comfort.
Draping her legs over Sunny's shoulders, Zipp leaned into her desires. She didn't care if anypony found them and made presumptuous assumptions. She wanted this; no, she needed this.
Zipp's eyes began to close, lost in the melodious voice of her friend until something caught her attention. Looking around, Zipp noticed golden streams of magic encircling them.
"Whoa, Sunny, your Alicorn thing is back," Zipp exclaimed, lifting her head.
Sunny snapped out of her trance, looking over her shoulder at her ethereal wings. Giving them a flutter, she turned back to Zipp with a quizzical expression. "I wonder why that happened?"
The detective shook her head.
Sunny groaned in defeat as her ears went flat. "I don't think I will ever understand this Alicorn magic."
"At least you're not exploding with glitter," Zipp squeaked before clearing her throat.
Sunny rolled her eyes.
"I miss those days of waking up suddenly to a sea of glitter in our room."
Sunny giggled. "I know Pipp doesn't."
"I had never seen Pipp so frantic to get something out of her mane," Zipp laughed, wiping her nose with a hoof as she tried to pull herself back together. "We've all had so many fun times since moving into the lighthouse."
A warmth began to spread through her chest, recalling another time she felt this close to Sunny. "Hey, remember that night we did a little stargazing."
Sunny giggled. "Zipp, you're going to have to be more specific than that."
Zipp huffed; of all ponies, she should've known to be more specific. "It was the night that it was just you and me in the lighthouse. Pipp wouldn't stop talking about how you were so lucky to know the Filly Four."
Sunny tapped on her chin with a faint smile until it disappeared as her ears folded back. "Oh, that night."
"Yeah," Zipp confirmed weakly, running a hoof through her short mane.
"I thought they were my friends because I knew them in school, but I guess they only saw me for this." Sunny looked back as she extended her ethereal wings. "I've never felt so used in my life."
Zipp gritted her teeth as the tips of her wings twitched with irritation. "Stupid influencers use anypony they like just to get more views."
"You know your sister is an influencer."
Zipp sucked on her teeth; she trotted right into that one. "Yeah, but Pipp would never do anything like that. We were both your friends before you had your Alicorn magic."
Sunny turned back with a soft smile. "I do remember a certain pegasus being extra supportive that night."
Zipp could feel the heat rising in her cheeks. "Well, I wasn't just going to leave alone on top of the lighthouse."
"I'm glad you didn't." Sunny rested her head on Zipp's neck, sighing in relief. "Your story helped."
"Really?"
Zipp could feel Sunny nodding.
She chuckled softly. "Honestly, I'm kind of glad that it happened."
Sunny's head shot up as her eyes filled with confusion and betrayal.
"B-because I found somepony that could understand what I was going through," Zipp stammered, trying to recover. "It was so hard going through Queen Haven's Queen-ly training."
"I remember, but why are you bringing it up now?"
Zipp smiled at the memory. "Because you did the Alicorn thing that night too."
Sunny's eyes went wide. "Really, and you didn't tell me?"
"Sorry, I didn't think anything of it because it happened so quickly, but seeing you now," Zipp trailed off as her thoughts became a jumbled mess. "Forget it."
Zipp turned towards the ground in embarrassment. Pipp would probably be over the moon about getting in touch with her feelings.
"Zipp, you can tell me," Sunny gently encouraged.
She let out a heavy sigh. "I've never talked to anypony about this."
A gentle hoof touched her cheek, lifting her eyes. "I'm glad you did."
Zipp let out a weak chuckle. "You wouldn't believe how scared I was to tell you that."
"Why?"
Zipp closed her eyes, letting out a defeated sigh. "Because I'm Zipp. I'm the big sister, a fearless detective; I'm not supposed to be scared of anything. I didn't want you to look down on me."
Sunny gasped. "But I'd never do that."
"I know, and that's why I want to tell you everything. I want to share what makes me happy, sad, or scared because..." Zipp trailed off as she turned away from her friend.
Sunny cocked her head. "Because?"
Zipp groaned as her cheeks burned with embarrassment. "I need to stop talking."
Sunny giggled as she wrapped her hooves around her neck, pulling her into her friend's comforting embrace. "It's okay, Zipp."
Zipp felt emotionally exhausted as her wings slumped to the ground, leaning into the Alicorn for support. Wrapping her hooves around her friend, Zipp pulled her tight, recalling her wish from that starry night. The way her heart hammered as Sunny's face was silhouetted against the coruscating stars, the desire to be something deeper tore at her.
Zipp's head slumped as a sinking feeling formed in her stomach. She could never admit it, no matter how brave she wanted to be. As her grip loosened, the divide began to grow between what her heart desired and the reality of the situation.
Zipp let her hooves fall to the ground. "Sunny I..."
She felt a pair of hooves clasp her cheeks as a pair of soft lips pressed into her, setting Zipp's mind on fire. But as quickly as it happened, it ended, leaving the pegasus trying to regain her breath. Sunny's smile began to fade as Zipp sat there stunned.
"I didn't mean it. N-no, I meant it."
Zipp gently set a hoof on her friend's lips, flashing a warm smile. Sunny looked at her as passion and trepidation flooded her eyes. Pulling her hoof away, she slowly leaned in, feeling the warmth of Sunny's breath on her muzzle.
"Zipp."
Zipp pulled the trembling mare closer to her, letting their lips hover painfully close.
"I..."
Zipp pressed her lips into Sunny's as the whole world went still. The fruit sweetness of her breath paired beautifully with Zipp's salty tears as joy and relief streamed down her cheeks. The childish fears that had denied her this warmth, this comfort, this love for so long began to fade. Sunny placed a hoof on her chest as Zipp leaned into it, feeling the rush of Sunny's breath on her cheek, no longer letting fear dictate her life.
Pulling back as raspy breaths escaped their lips, Zipp looked up at her marefriend. "Tag, you're it."
Author's Note
I want to give a huge shoutout to Rego and Alchemik for working with me through this one-shot. I honestly couldn't do it without y'all!
If you find a simple mistake in the GSP (Grammar, Spelling, or Punctuation), please let me know through a private message rather than leaving it in the comment section.
