Pegasi of a Father

“So…what do we do?” Pipp asked.

“I…don’t know,” Zipp confessed. “I have no idea!”

The two were engaged in a life or death struggle. For, indeed, there was no torture greater. Not even the hounds of Tartarus could come up with something so brutal…so mind boggling…so tormenting. Zipp felt that the muscles binding her feathers to her wings were beginning to fray. Pipp felt that her vocals, which normally sang strong and acutely, would never pump out another word. Sweat dripped down both of their faces as they sat, side by side, in a vain attempt to try and crush their fears. Their eyes darted, their hooves shook, and every last strand of their manes was standing at full attention.

“You know what’s at stake here,” a voice said from the other side of the darkness. “This truly is everything.”

“Everything?” Zipp asked.

“Everything,” the voice repeated, lower and slower.

“Oh…um…uh…” Zipp said, “then…we’ll do……….this!”

Suddenly, she darted a hoof out and made her move…

“Wow! Great move!” Came Izzy’s voice from across the table. “I didn’t think you had it in you, but my hoofness, what a move!”

Pipp and Zipp quickly shared a hi-hoof as they looked at the game board. This particular contest of Unicorns & Utensils had gone very well. It was something of a new game, and the ponies in the Crystal Bright House had become rather obsessed with it. Their preoccupation was such that, in certain cases, they would drag the game out to decide whose turn it was to make dinner. In this case, Zipp and Pipp were playing the team if Izzy and Sunny to see who would do the dishes after dinner. Normally, they had a chores list, but Sparky had devoured it that afternoon. So, instead of making a new list, the ponies decided to play some U&U to determine the tasks for the evening.

“Looks like we’re on dish duty, Izz!” Sunny chirped.

“Yep! Dishes…the final frontier…” Izzy said.

“I still can’t believe we beat you!” Pipp said. “I mean, we were so totally stuck in the mire on this space!”

“Yeah, but the Spell of Stuck-i-tude helped to get us unstuck. How that particular spell works, I still have no idea, but it just…does!”

“That’s what’s so great about U&U!” Izzy said happily. “I mean, isn’t it the greatest game you’ve ever played? It’s certainly the best one I’ve ever played!”

“Um, didn’t you make the game?” Pipp asked.

“Maybe…” Izzy said with a playful gleam in her eye.

“…and isn’t this the only copy in existence?”

“Maybe…”

Zipp and Pipp could do nothing but collectively roll their eyes and get up from the table. Thankfully, they had gotten themselves out of dish duty. Pipp had plans on writing a new single and Zipp wanted to do some detective work. She had picked up a new case recently and was on the verge of cracking it. Thankfully, it wasn’t a tough one. Figuring out who had knocked over the trash cans at Mrs. Hoofington’s place was simple…it had been some wayward unicorn raccoons that had done the deed. The fur samples, critter tracks, and other such evidence matched her theory. All that was left to do was to tell Mrs. Hoofington to leave her trash in a safer area.

“Got any leads on that trash can case, sis?” Pipp asked as they rode the elevator to the second floor of the Bright House.

“Oh, yeah…in fact, I think I’ve closed this one.” Zipp said.

“Good!” Pipp chirped, “because…there’s another case that I think you should undertake.”

“Ooo…undertake…I like that,” Zipp said. “It sounds so…detective-y.”

“Wow, I use ‘undertake,’ and you use, ‘detective-y,’” Pipp said, stifling a laugh.

Zipp smiled. “Oh, come on. I was under a lot of pressure!”

“-and you cracked,” Pipp sang.

“Okay, okay, I admit it,” Zipp said as they stepped off the elevator onto the floor. “So, what is this case you’d like me to undertake?”

“Well…it’s one that we’ve both been wondering about since we were small fillies,” Pipp said.

Zipp suddenly stopped. Her heart began pounding in her chest as she realized what Pipp was referring to. This had, indeed, been a case that she had long since been chasing. The very idea of finding the answer sent shivers down her spine and buzzed through her head. It was something that kept her awake at night, fueled her brightest desires…and her deepest fears. Nightmares abounded surrounding the central figure, and yet…she had also had some of her most wonderful dreams about him. Her eyes widened as she sat down. Her sister, who appeared much calmer, sat across from her.

“You know what I’m talking about, right?” She asked.

Zipp nodded. “Yes, Pipp…I know…and I…thought we agreed not to ask any more questions.”

“But, Zipp-!”

“No buts, Pipp!” Zipp barked. “We said we weren’t gonna pester Mom or anypony in Zephyr Heights anymore about this. You know as well as I do that this is just gonna lead us to a bunch of dead ends. As much as I love solving a good mystery, this one is dead…just like he is.”

“He is not dead!” Pipp cried as tears formed at the corners of her emerald eyes. “He’s just missing…or lost…or…or…”

“…or dead,” Zipp finished grimly. “Sis, I know you don’t want to accept it, but he’s gone. Nopony will tell us about it to spare our feelings, but we both know what the truth is. He’s dead…so this case is closed.”

“It’s not closed until we find a definitive answer,” Pipp said. “I know you’re scared of facing this, but the possibilities are there. Zephyr Heights PD never found a body…all they found was a note.”

“Yes, and did you happen to notice that the note had mentions of wanting things to just end?”

“No! It couldn’t have been!” Pipp cried. “I won’t believe that notion any longer, Zipp!”

Zipp saw the determination in her sister’s eyes. It was something that she’d admired for years…and been envious of a time or two. Sure, she could have her own determination every now and then, but she’d always been the introverted sister. Her eyes had never shone with the glitter and the confidence that Pipp had. It was like watching an artist paint without knowing what the outcome would be. Pipp certainly had every right to be this way. After all, she was the pony pop star of the family. She had to make appearances every night. Zipp just fell into the shadows, silently watching. Though she didn’t care for her sister’s taste in music, she definitely wanted to imbibe some of the subtle strength that Pipp carried.

But, all the same, she couldn’t deny certain evidence. So, she sighed in defeat. “Pipp…the note was conclusive. You saw it…I saw it…all of Zephyr Heights saw it.”

“No, Zipp,” Pipp said, “I know he’s still alive, even if everyone else has completely given up hope. I just…feel that the note hid something deeper. We have to find him, sis. We have to find…Dad.”