Of Hooves and History

Uncovered

Right after breakfast, the four of us headed for Zipp's balloon station hideout, which we decided to dub the "Fun Sanctuary". The quarter pipe was all dry and ready for action, so I mounted it ten meters from the bottom of the entranceway ramp. With Haven's permission, Zipp and I took a few more tools and supplies from the castle and started transforming up the place. We built another quarter pipe and folded up the old balloons. Sunny bought a desk, chairs, and metal piping off a renovation crew, and we made a designated open-air office and pegasi flight study area. The work was tedious, and Izzy would sometimes just flop down midday without a hitch, pun not intentional.

Sunny and I enjoyed it, though. Mostly because it kept our minds away from the worry and sadness of the inevitable portal spell casting and my departure. Zipp seemed to enjoy the company of someone who genuinely appreciated and showed interest in the same topics as she did. Owing to the music I heard from her room, I tortured my iPad's little tweeters with some accompanying tunes.

"Oof, what's this?" Izzy exclaimed, frowning in disgust.

"Rock and roll, Miss Purple Cinnamon Roll!" Zipp hollered, dancing a jig while I drilled through a metal pipe to make a grind rail. The chorus came on, and Izzy started to jump swiftly with hard landings. It looked weird, but she was having fun – and that's what mattered.

"Loud and shouty, but rhythmic," Pipp complimented one day, playfully testing the degree of friction on the completed rail. We filmed a funny skit with my skateboard, and she helped clean up the stairs.

By the end of the week the Fun Sanctuary was taking shape. A partial skatepark had been constructed with a metal plate fixed to the inner edges of the railing, plus the two quarter pipes facing each other and the metal rail off to the side. Opposite the rail was the flight study area, with Zipp's chalkboard, the repositioned balloon passenger sittings, and a desk with books on top of it from the library. As we stood back to admire it, Pipp came floating down in the basket elevator, holding a bass guitar.

"Figured this would fit," she said, holding it up. "For you, sis."

Zipp's eyes looked a little watery as she took her prized bass and rested it against the desk. "Thanks so much."

Now the setting was complete, at least for the initial stage. But I felt like something was missing. Glancing towards the golden light of sundown blasting through the takeoff entrance, I smiled confidently.

Over dinner, we discussed the progress of the Fun Sanctuary and I showcased several photos and concept drawings. Initially I expected her to casually dismiss it as some "wild fun youthful thing" but she looked genuinely impressed and intrigued, with that special warm smile.

"Well done. I'm proud of you all." She turned to her daughters with a sly but affectionate grin. "My my, it seems you two are growing up a little faster than expected."

Pipp giggled with a tiny blush, and Zipp looked just as flustered when I gave her a hug and a massage. Despite their outgoing aura, I knew the two had it in them to be as capable as their mom. Perhaps not as a ruler as of yet, but as a business owner or a manager of affairs on a smaller scale.