Pegasi of a Father

The next morning, Zipp and Pipp arrived at breakfast with their bags packed and their hearts full. For the elder, the fullness came as a byproduct of attempting to find what had so long been lost to her. In her sister’s case, the fullness came from a new adventure with some pony she loved…yet, it was cut with a small sense of mistrust. For, after all, Zipp had been keeping a massive secret from her for years. She was also upset by her father’s order to encase the letter in such secrecy…and the idea that he hadn’t written her one. Her mind wandered to some dark places. These were mental boxes where she either didn’t have a father or she had one that had bestowed all his love and affection upon the elder sibling.

But, I don’t want to believe that, she thought, and…I won’t believe it. We’ll find the answer to this mystery, and it’ll be just fine. Everything will work out, just like Zipp said last night. It’s all gonna be alright.

She was lying to herself and she knew it. But, she brushed the thought aside as images of her father began popping into her mind once more. Though she’d never truly known him before his disappearance, she was excited about meeting him. Any foal who had been so detached from a parent would feel this, yet hers was compounded by the mystery of a missing king. She didn’t want to think of herself as being higher than her family’s subjects. However, were she and Zipp to solve this mystery, they wouldn’t just be bringing their father back…they would be restoring a nation’s throne. This made her all the more excited, and she felt a shiver send itself down her spine, popping out her backside and causing her whole body to shake.

While she had been wrapped up in her own little world, Zipp had been explaining things to everypony at the table. Their reactions were mixed, to say the least. Though they were happy for their friends’ dutiful quest, they were also upset to be losing them. Zipp had made it abundantly clear that this trip had no expiration date. The idea that they might never see each other again made its way into the conversation, and Izzy was adamant that they remain at home. She couldn’t bear to see her friends leave, even if it was for reasons as noble and painstakingly familial as these. Hearts shattered in tandem around the table, and that included the royal sisters. However, they were steadfast in their decision.

“I’m sorry, Izzy,” Zipp said, “but, we’re going to find our father.”

“But…but…but…” Izzy stammered

“No buts,” Pipp said in joint determination with Zipp. “Dad’s out there somewhere, and it’s our job to bring him home.”

“This isn’t right,” Izzy said as tears formed, “we just started life together…now you wanna leave?”

“It’s not that we want to leave you,” Zipp said. “But the idea that our father may be lost to the passages of time itself just doesn’t sit with us. It’s all too easy…too…conspiratorial. Our father goes missing & Zephyr Heights PD does a one-week search before coming back with a note detailing our father’s supposed suicide…and they can’t find a body? Come on. Even a foal could see that this is something that needs to be thrown under the microscope and examined further.”

“Zipp’s right,” Pipp said, “much as we hate to leave you, there are things out there that just have to take precedence. Our father was a great king. Though I was too young to remember him as he was, I’ve heard so many stories of his benevolence and great bravery in defending the city from attackers. I’ve also heard how Zephyr Heights mourned when he was pronounced dead.”

Zipp looked down. “I still remember how Mom cried. She locked herself in her quarters and wouldn’t emerge for days and weeks. She and our Dad carried a love that knew no limits…one that taught every Pegasi in Zephyr Heights just what it was to love and care for some pony else. They led by example, and I couldn’t rightly lay claim to the Storm family name if I weren’t willing to do the same.”

“Well…whatever it is, we’re your friends and we’re here to support you,” Sunny said cheerfully. “No matter how much distance is put between us, we’ll always have your back.”

“Thanks, Sun,” Zipp said.

Then, a great sniffle was heard and everyone turned to see Izzy. “I just…feel like our friendship is falling apart right in front of my eyes.”

Hitch, who had joined them for breakfast, placed a comforting hoof on the purple pony’s shoulder. “There is nothing in the world that could break what we’ve built here, Izz. I mean, we’ve been through so much together already, and I know that the future holds more exciting adventures for us. We’re far from being through.”

“Yeah, and like Sunny said, distance is just a number,” Pipp said. “Friendship extends beyond those boundaries, past all borders, and into the hearts and minds of every creature on this planet. Big, small, winged, horned, or otherwise, it is up to us to keep that fire burning on the inside.”

“…and we will,” Zipp said, “you can be sure of that.”

The ponies took a few moments to just be with each other before the sisters took flight. These were bittersweet times, as everyone understood the reason for the departure, but nopony wanted it to happen. It affected Izzy the most, as she had never dealt with these feelings before, since she’d never had friends back in Bridlewood. Her tears were many as her heart and mind bore the weight of possibly never seeing the two Pegasi again. It was a terrible feeling, yet one that was accompanied by a hope that she’d never known. This was a hope that was shared by all the ponies…one where the sisters found their father, shared a joyous reunion, and returned back to the Bright House forever.

Oh, how fleeting such hope can be…