Why not? Sure. I'll Marry You.

Chapters

Chapter 1
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 2

Chapter 1

When it was announced that there would be a royal wedding at Zephyr Heights, ponies all over Equestria were delirious with happiness. Ponies in Zephyr Heights, Bridlewood and Maretime Bay, talked about the wedding as though it were a national holiday. All the celebrities and ponies of high significance were invited, and tickets for other ponies to celebrate in the royal castle were sold out. But while the vast majority were excited, other ponies were firmly against such happiness between earth ponies, unicorns, and pegasi.

For many moons, the three races lived apart from each other. Then, things changed for the better when earth pony, Sunny Starscout went on a journey to see the unicorns and the pegasi in hopes of bringing friendship between all three pony kinds like in the olden days. Many unicorns and pegasi were contemptuous to see Sunny, but with the help of her new unicorn friend, Izzy Moonbow, Sunny discovered that not only were the stories against unicorns and pegasi untrue, but neither of them had magic. The only exceptions were the royal family in Zepher Heights, and neither Queen Haven nor her daughters flew anywhere outside their castle or posed any threat.

When Sunny shared her discoveries with the ponies of Maretime Bay, many thought Sunny was talking nonsense like her father, Argyle Starshine, before her. Others were curious, however, and decided to go to Bridlewood and Zephyr Heights to see for themselves. They backed up Sunny's claims, and as time passed, all three pony kinds got to know each other better and found everything they were taught to be nonsense. Ultimately, earth ponies, unicorns, and pegasi officially made peace, much to the joy of Sunny, who dreamed of every pony becoming friends all her life.

But not everypony accepted change with open hooves. Some closed themselves off from ponies of different races becoming friends. Some earth ponies, in particular, were suspicious that unicorns and pegasi were only pretending to have no magic and planned to attack them when all of Maretime Bay least expected it.

But several moons had passed, and there were no attacks to speak of. In fact, some ponies began developing romantic relationships with ponies outside of their race. Of all the interracial relationships, the most beloved and celebrated was the love between the pegasus princess, Pipp Petals, second in line to the throne of Zephyr Heights, and a unicorn pop star named Presto Tetrachord. At first, their relationship was professional - simply admiring each other’s music and performing a single together if the studio demanded it. But as time went by, Pipp and Presto began spending time together outside of making music, and before anypony knew it, they were deeply in love. Presto was allowed to visit Pipp at the royal palace whenever he wanted and was treated by Queen Haven and Pipp's sister, Zipp, as though he was part of the family.

And then, one night after performing a concert, Presto surprised everypony by proposing to Pipp onstage. Pipp teared up as she said yes, much to the joy of their fans. And so, the royal wedding between Pipp Petals and Presto Tetrachord was announced, exciting fans and non-fans alike. Many thought a public wedding between a unicorn and a pegasus was a wonderful way to strengthen the diversity in Equestria. Sunny Starscout, more than anypony, was on cloud nine, seeing the dream she shared with her father further come true.

But none of that mattered to the bride. All Pipp thought about was that she would be united in wedlock with the stallion of her dreams. Her mother was more than happy to officiate the ceremony, and after much begging, Zipp agreed to be her Best Mare. When she wasn't on social media or helping prepare for the wedding, Pipp secretly wrote a song she planned to sing at the wedding reception to express her love for Presto. She imagined her husband falling deeper in love with her after singing her new song.

Pipp was in her bedroom in Zephyr Heights Castle practicing her song with her keyboard. It was a large room with her canopy queen-size bed, a disco ball hanging from the ceiling, a pony-sized mirror with lights in the corner by the bed, and a wide golden dresser. On top of the dresser was a large mirror with two smaller mirrors attached to its golden frame. The walls were made of marble and decorated with golden plaques. A room fitting for royalty and a pop star at work.
As Pipp practiced, there was a knock on the door. She put her music paper in a dresser drawer and took out her phone to pretend she was on it for hours.

"Come in," she said in a singing voice.

The door opened to reveal six royal guards, led by Zoom Zephyrwing and Thunder Flap, who entered and bowed before the princess.

"Your Highness, we come bringing wedding gifts," Zoom announced.

"Wedding gifts? But the wedding is still five days away," Pipp said.

"Apparently, some ponies didn't want to wait until then, or they sent their gifts from Maretime Bay or Bridlewood, and they arrived early," Zoom said. "Where would you like us to put them?"

"Oh, um, just put them in the empty space," Pipp said hesitantly.

Zoom and Thunder nodded and left the room for a moment to bring the gifts. There were wheeled garment racks, each one carrying dozens of outfits. Pipp's face lit up, and she ran to the rack to look at the outfits, loving each outfit more than the last. The outfits were followed by poly box trucks overflowing with wrapped presents of various shapes and sizes. Before Pipp knew it, half of her spacious room was filled with wedding gifts. Against her better judgment, Pipp decided to open a few of the smaller presents. There were necklaces, earrings, bracelets, and the like. It was fair to speculate that some ponies spent much of their savings just to give Pipp such fancy gifts.

Zipp came into her sister's room bewildered as the guards kept bringing gifts. She squeezed her way through the towers of presents to find Pipp taking pictures of her opened gifts and uploading them online. Pipp flapped her wings and squealed as she proceeded to open another present.

"Pipp, shouldn't you be waiting until after the wedding to open wedding presents with Presto?" Zipp asked.

"I am waiting…waiting to open the bigger presents with Presto that might be for both of us," Pipp said. "Though, I doubt some of these ponies brought dresses and purses with Presto in mind."

"Still, it's ridiculous how many ponies are giving you gifts you don't need," Zipp said as she picked up a box. "Look at this. A diamond phone case? You already have eight of them."

"But this one has aquamarine diamonds, and that's, like, my sixth favorite color," Pipp chirped. "How could any pony know I love that color?"

Zipp raised her eyebrow. She didn't follow her sister on social media, but every pony in Equestria knew Pipp loved to share just about everything about herself. Zipp would bet anything Pipp had shared the Pippsqueaks her list of favorite colors. Maybe more than once.

Pipp continued going through the presents, not paying attention to Zipp. She then stopped upon seeing an unusual-looking present. It was wrapped with torn pieces of wrapping paper in different colors, and the wrapping paper and the bow were covered in glitter. Pipp and Zipp looked at the present curiously, finding it strange yet pretty to look at. Pipp took a picture before unwrapping it and gasped. Inside were two small pony figurines, one resembling Pipp and the other of a well-built, British tan stallion with blue-black hair tied to a ponytail and a short boxed beard. The figurines were made of recycled plastic and other odds and ends. Pipp put her hoof on her heart before she picked up the figurines.

"Oh, these are the cutest things ever!" she squealed.

"I gotta admit, those are pretty cool," Zipp said. "Is there a tag or something that says who this is from?"

"There is a card inside," Pipp said as she took out the card. "It says, 'May your luminescence shine as bright as your love - Izzy Moonbow.' What a cute wedding wish. Where have I heard the name Izzy Moonbow?"

Zipp thought for a moment and said, "I think that's the name of the unicorn that met with Mom with Sunny Starscout."

Pipp gasped loudly and asked, "You mean she's one of the ponies that brought Earth ponies, pegasi, and unicorns together so I could meet my Prestie?"

Zipp resisted the urge to show she did not like Pipp's nickname for her fiancée.

"I guess you can look at it that way," she said.

"Awww! Now I love these figurines even more," Pipp said. "Are they going to the wedding?"

"I don't think so. I haven't seen their names on the guest list," Zipp said.

Pipp gasped again as though she had unwittingly insulted a pony.

"We have to fix that! Let's send them invitations right away!" She shouted.

"Pipp, we sent all the invitations months ago, and tickets are all sold out," Zipp said.

"So? It's not like there will be so many ponies that they'll cover every square inch of the ballroom. We have enough space for two more ponies. Heck, we can give them each a plus one," Zipp said.

"Even then, the wedding is five days away, and it takes almost two days to travel from here to Bridlewood or Maretime Bay. That means it would take two days for them to get their invitations, find a plus one, get ready, and then take two days just to get here," Zipp said.

"That also means they get an extra day to do the non-traveling stuff," Pipp said. "Besides, they won't be traveling alone. Everypony knows ponies from Bridlewood and Maretime Bay are coming here to watch the wedding outside on the jumbotrons. Better yet, we can find Sunny and Izzy's profiles online and send them invites."

"That's assuming they have profiles. Not everypony has social media or smartphones for that matter, Sis," Izzy said.

"We could ask online for ponies we know in Bridlewood and Maretime Bay to let Sunny and Izzy know they're invited," Pipp said.

Zipp huffed and asked, "Pipp, don't you think you're getting carried away over two ponies you've never met?"

"I don't care if I haven't met them. I want them to come to my wedding," Pipp said. "Presto is everything to me, Zipp. I love him more than social media and my music. He doesn't see me as a princess or a pop star to win over but as a mare. If I don't try to show gratitude to the ponies who gave Presto and me the chance to meet, I won't forgive myself."

Silence overtook Pipp's bedroom. The guards who had finished delivering gifts quietly left, feeling awkward to be there during an emotional moment between the princesses. Zipp looked away as if everything other than her sister looked interesting before she sighed.

"I'll see what I can do," Zipp said.

Pipp squealed and tackled Zipp to a hug.

"Oh, thank you! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! You are the greatest Best Mare ever!" Pipp shouted.

Zipp chuckled and hugged Pipp back. Pipp let go and helped Zipp up after a moment, and the sisters smiled until Zipp cleared her throat awkwardly.

"So… Mom sent me to ask you something," She said. "Do you feel ready to have that little talk with Presto after the wedding?"

"What talk?" Pipp asked.

"That we can't fly," Zipp answered.

Pipp's smile faded, and she hung her head.

"I wish I didn't have to, or at the very least, I wish I could tell Presto already. I don't want to hide anything from him," Pipp said. "Do I really have to wait until after we're married? He can keep a secret before then."

"Believe me, Sis, no one hates that we still have to hide that we can't fly more than I do. If it were up to me, I would have told the truth when we started talking to earth ponies and pegasi, but Mom said it would cause an uproar if our citizens find out we've been lying to them for generations," Zipp said. "We must accept that our family has brought this on ourselves and trust that Presto will understand."

"Yeah, I guess," Pipp said.

Zipp furrowed her brow, hating how she ruined her sister's mood. She pursed her lips until she glanced at Pipp's dresser and smiled.

"How's the song coming along?" Zipp asked.

Pipp smiled slightly, knowing what her sister was doing.

"I'm going to rehearse it with the band after dinner. Presto's going to love it, I know," Pipp said.

"I bet he will," Zipp said. "He is crazy about you too, after all."

Pipp's smile grew, and she turned back to the figurine of her fiancée.

"Yeah," she said with a blissful sigh.

Zipp's smile also grew as she was relieved that she brought back Pipp's happy demeanor. The room was silent for a few seconds before Zipp cleared her throat.

"Well, I should give Mom your answer before she starts wondering where I am, so I'll let you get you back to rehearsing," Zipp said.

"Totally. See you at dinner," Pipp said.

"See ya," Pipp said.

Zipp left the room, leaving Pipp alone with her trove of presents. Pipp took the figurines and put them on her keyboard next to the music sheets. Pipp gave the figurine of Presto a sweet look as if she were a school filly staring at a framed picture of her very special somepony. She moved the figurines so their snouts were touching. Pipp studied sighed blissfully before she started practicing again, thinking of the new chapter in her life.

Chapter 3

Something has gone wrong. We don't seem to have an archived copy of that chapter.

Chapter 4

The throne room was completely silent. Every pony in the crowd was looking between Hitch and Pipp as they processed what just happened. Queen Haven stared at her daughter with eyes wide and her mouth hanging open. Zipp looked at Pipp flabbergasted as what she just did was not part of the plan.

A few seconds after Pipp made her declaration, Sunny and Izzy looked away from comforting Periwrinkle to realize everypony was looking at Hitch and Pipp. Periwinkle lifted her head with red puffy eyes, wondering what was going on. All three mares looked between their friend and the bride until they realized Hitch was holding the “marry me” sign, and their eyes widened with Sunny letting out a loud gasp.

A unicorn mare jabbed Hitch in the side with her elbow, breaking him from his frozen state.

"Well, don't just stand there, doofus! Go to her!" She shouted.

"Yeah, what are you waiting for?! Get over there!" A stallion shouted.

"Go! Go! Go!" Another mare shouted.

"Wait a minute. Hold on. This isn't a proposal,” Hitch protested. “I-I-I am just holding my friend's sign and -”

“Oh, don't be shy! You asked the question, and she wants to marry you! Now get over there!” Another stallion shouted.

“Please get over there! Save Pipp!” A third stallion squealed.

Before Hitch knew it, ponies were stomping their hooves and chanting, “Go” in unison. He uttered more words of protest, but his voice was drowned out by the crowd. He turned to Sunny, Izzy, and Periwinkle for help, but his hope was dashed when he saw Izzy and especially Sunny looking at him ecstatically.

“Go on, Hitch! Get over there!” Sunny shouted.

“Hitch is marrying the princess! Hitch is marrying the princess!” Izzy sang.

“But wait! Aren't we supposed to be focusing on Periwinkle?” Hitch asked.

“It's all right, Hitch,” Periwinkle said with a sniffle and a crack in her voice.

“But she's your crush's fiancé,” Hitch said.

“And she will be a million times happier with an honest stallion like you than she would have been with Presto,” Periwinkle countered as she took the "marry me'' sign off of Hitch's hoof. “Now, go on and marry her.”

“You heard her, Hitch. She just gave you her blessing,” Sunny said. “Go marry the princess!”

Sunny and Izzy pushed Hitch toward the stage and ponies nearby joined in pushing him around toward the stage. The best stallion helped him up, and led him toward Pipp, making Hitch's cheeks turn cherry red. The best stallion took off the clip-on collar and bow tie around his neck and put it on Hitch before Pipp took his hoof and guided him to the arch. Pipp turned to Queen Haven and gave her flabbergasted mother a pleading look. Haven opened her mouth to protest, but then she quickly accepted that the royal family was now stuck in a position where they had no choice but to play along.

"Er - let the ceremony continue," Haven said hesitantly.

Ponies screamed and cheered again with many continuing to record on their phones. The wedding band took a few seconds to set up and begin playing The Wedding March again. Zipp and the best stallion took positions behind the bride and the groom respectively as Hitch and Pipp stood facing each other. Sunny was sitting on her plot squealing, “Oh, my stars! Oh, my stars! Oh, my stars,” while Izzy had her hoof on Sunny's shoulder. Periwinkle wiped tears from her eyes as she smiled for Hitch. When the band finished playing, Haven cleared her throat and spoke with her head held high.

“D-dearly beloved, we are gathered here today to join this stallion and this mare in holy matrimony,” she said.

Ponies cheered again. Haven opened her mouth, then froze with her eyes wide as she realized she had planned to continue with another speech regarding Pipp and Presto as a couple. Her cheeks turned pink as she stammered for every pony to see before she cleared her throat and turned to Pipp.

“Do you, Pippistasia Petals, take this stallion to be your lawfully wedded husband?” Queen Haven asked.

All eyes turned to Pipp, who was still smiling at Hitch. Hitch’s hooves began to shake unsure if the princess was really going to go through with it. Pipp was silent for several seconds, giving him hope that she was going to cave until her smile widened.

"I do."

Ponies cheered louder as Queen Haven turned to Hitch.

“And do you…?” She began.

It took Hitch a moment before he realized Haven was waiting for him to say his name and he cleared his throat.

“Hitch Trailblazer, Your Majesty,” he said.

“Do you, Hitch Trailblazer, take this mare to be your lawfully wedded wife?” Haven asked.

Sweat ran down Hitch's head as all of Equestria waited on him. He wanted to politely decline in a way that would end the matter peacefully, but deep down he knew he was trapped in a situation he couldn't avoid. He turned to Pipp, who was giving him a worried look that made his heart ache. He cleared his throat and held his head straight with an awkward smile.

“I do.”

Sunny, Izzy, and Periwinkle cheered at the top of their lungs as Pipp eased up and Haven cleared her throat again.

“Very well. Bring out the rings,” she said.

Cloudpuff walked over carrying a pillow holding two gold bands hanging on gold chains with his mouth. He walked over to Pipp, who gave the little dog a bright smile as she took one of the bands. Cloudpuff turned to Hitch, and as soon as his eyes met Hitch’s Cloudpuiff dropped the pillow and barked happily with his wings flapping. Hitch grew uneasy with the dog instantly loving him, and awkwardly took the other band.

Pipp walked to Hitch until they were inches away from each other, and Hitch flushed as Pipp put the necklace around his neck. Hitch stammered and looked around as though everything around Pipp was the most interesting thing in the world, making Pipp giggle. She took Hitch’s hoof carrying the ring on a chain and helped him put it on her neck. Hitch eased up and gave Pipp a sheepish grin that made her giggle again.

Haven put her hoof on her chest and took a deep breath before she spoke again.

“By the power invested in me as queen of Zephyr Heights, I now pronounce you…husband and wife,” she said. “You may kiss the bride.”

Without skipping a beat, Pipp took another step toward Hitch, wrapped her front leg around his neck, and pulled his head toward her for a firm kiss. The ponies roared with thunderous applause and took pictures to capture the historic moment. Cloudpuff howled, flapping his wings and shaking his tail vigorously. Outside, a torrent of fireworks went off, lighting the night sky with explosions of vibrant colors. Sunny put her hoof on her heart, shocked yet happy that her childhood had just gotten married. Izzy laughed and bounced like a little filly while Periwinkle joined the applause. Zipp shook her head in disbelief and turned to her mother, who forced a grin on her face, knowing that all of Equestria was still watching. The best stallion politely joined the applause before exiting the stage before he got tangled in the situation any further.

But while all of Equestria celebrated, Hitch and Pipp held on to their kiss. Pipp eased up, pressing her lips against Hitch more tenderly as she moved her leg from Hitch’s neck and began caressing his cheek. Hitch looked at her in shock when Pipp pulled him in, but after a moment he closed his eyes and kissed her back. All thoughts on Presto, Zipp, Haven, Sunny, Izzy, Periwinkle, or anypony else were in the back of their minds as though they were the only souls in Equestria. When they parted, Hitch and Pipp stared at each other, shocked as it hit them how long they were kissing. They backed away with Pipp's cheeks tinting red and Hitch scratching the back of his head.

“Ladies and gentlecolts of Equestria, I now present to you Mr. and Mrs. Tetra - I mean, Trailblazer!” Queen Haven declared.

Pipp waved with a big smile as the crowd cheered again, and Hitch hesitated before he robotically waved with a forced grin. Then suddenly, the doors burst open to reveal Presto running toward the stage with half a dozen guards chasing after him. Ponies booed and hissed at Presto as he rammed his way through the crowd with his eyes fixed on Pipp. Pipp frowned and wrapped her leg around Hitch’s as she gave Presto a sullen look. Presto climbed up the stage, narrowly avoiding the guards grabbing him as he climbed, and Pipp pulled Hitch closer to her as Presto stopped in front of them.

“Pippy Cake, what in Equestria is going on?” Presto asked. “I was getting ready, and then the guards kept me from leaving my room. I had to sneak out to get here, and then I heard you're about to marry some other stallion?”

“Not about to. Did,” Pipp answered with venom in her voice. “This is Hitch Trailblazer, my husband.”

Presto’s eyes widened as he turned to Hitch, who chuckled nervously again with his ears hanging low.

“Are you crazy? Marrying another stallion right before we get married? What is the matter with you?!” He exclaimed.

“We should be asking you that same question, dude,” Zipp said coldly.

Zipp took out her phone and showed the video of Presto and the orange mare. Presto froze like a foal caught by his parents as the queen and princesses looked daggers at him.

“W-wait. You don’t understand. It isn’t like that,” he protested.

“Oh, and what is it supposed to be like, Presto?!” Pipp screamed.

“It was nothing. It meant nothing,” Presto said.

“If it's nothing, then nothing would have happened!” Pipp screamed. “You promised it would be just you and me, and you fooled around with somepony else!”

“And how is this any better?!” Presto shouted as he turned to Hitch. “I mean, who in Equestria are you supposed to be? Some fan?”

“Er, no,” Hitch said, awkwardly. “I-I mean, I guess technically I am now, cause we’re married, and I liked her concert, and -”

“Enough!” Queen Haven roared with her wings spread apart. “Presto Tetrachord, you have dared to be unfaithful to my daughter, a princess of Zephyr Heights! You are forthwith banished from my kingdom!”

“What?! You…you can’t do that! My life is here! My career is here!” Presto shouted.

“You should have thought of that!” Haven growled. “You have two days to get your things in order and get out of my domain under pain of imprisonment for life! Guards, get this lecherous swine out of my sight!”

Before Presto knew it, the guards who chased after him were already on stage and dragging him away from Hitch and the royal family. He tried to break free while calling out to Pipp, but the guards were too strong. Ponies continued to boo and shouted insults at Presto as he was forced out of the throne room. The crowd whispered among themselves in contempt, and Queen Haven cleared her throat.

"Let us proceed to the ballroom for the wedding reception!" She shouted.

Ponies cheered, instantly in high spirits again. Guards opened the doors and began escorting the ponies to the ballroom. Sunny, Izzy, and Periwinkle looked back as they followed the guards. Sunny looked at Hitch brightly, and Periwinkle gave a small smile while Izzy giggled. Hitch bit his lip, uncomfortable by his friends still supporting the marriage until Pipp tugged his leg, guiding him to a side exit with Haven, Zipp, and the other guards. Pipp gave Hitch another smile that made his heart race, making Haven and Zipp frown as they walked behind the bride and groom.

"Zipp, did you know Pipp was going to do this?" Haven whispered.

"No, I had no idea. I showed Pipp the video and she decided to make that speech about unity between ponies. She didn't say anything about marrying somepony else," Zipp said. "Either she hid that she was going to do that, or she just decided on the spot."

Haven's unease grew and she looked back at Hitch and Pipp. Her daughter continued to smile as though nothing had happened, while Hitch blushed. The queen couldn't tell if Pipp was being truthfully happy or she was pretending. Haven had known Pipp to be a joyful and untroubled pony ever since she was a filly that it was a marvel she was holding herself together in such a chaotic situation. Even so, Haven feared what emotional state Pipp was in.

**************************

Things got off to a rocky and awkward start when the wedding reception began. Queen Haven had a guard called the ponies supervising the wedding reception to remove anything related to Presto, but at short notice, it was too much for them to do before the guests arrived. Such a high demand required flower ponies to get rid of flowers that had Presto's colors, and the designers to remove paintings and pictures of Pipp and Presto together covering the ballroom walls. The caterer had to throw away the figurines of Pipp and Presto on top of the wedding cake and searched all over the kitchen to find spare bride and groom figurines. Several royal guards had to help the staff push an ice sculpture of Pipp and Presto out of the ballroom before guests arrived and throw it off the nearest balcony. Even the DJ had an uncomfortable time adjusting the dance playlist so that none of Presto's songs were played while still playing music for ponies to dance to at the same time. All in all, the castle staff spent the first half hour or so of the reception working through sweat and tears to keep Pipp's cheating fiance out of her mind as though it was always intended that she would marry Hitch.

But while the awkward tension was still around Hitch, the royal family, Cloudpuff, and the staff, their guests continued to celebrate on behalf of Zephyr Heights' most beloved princess. They ate, danced, sang, and posted videos and pictures of the reception. When Hitch, Pipp, Queen Haven, and Zipp appeared to sit at the bride and groom's table, ponies once again cheered for the newlyweds. Some of them screamed, "Congratulations," "We love you, Pipp," "Attaboy, Hitch," "Long live Prince Hitch and Princess Pipp," and "We're so happy for you, Pipp" as Pipp waved to her guests.

Hitch grew uneasy by the second as he robotically waved. He glanced at Pipp, who kept a bright smile and blew kisses toward the crowd. It was astounding to Hitch how the princess could be so cheerful after being cheated on and suddenly decided to marry a stranger. It didn't help that while Queen Haven was smiling and waving at the crowd and Cloudpuff was happy for Hitch to be there, Zipp couldn't bring herself to force a smile. Zipp noticed Hitch looking at her and gave him a look that showed she was as uncomfortable with the situation as he was. Hitch's ears hung low in unease, and yet he was relieved that there was at least one pony who wasn't afraid to look at things as they were when no pony else, not even his friends, would.

Eventually, the wedding cake was brought to the bride and groom's table. The cake was twelve feet wide and had fifteen layers. Pipp took Hitch by the hoof and dragged him to the cake, where the chef had a knife waiting for them. Queen Haven and Zipp followed the bride and groom, and Zipp whispered thanks to the chef for getting rid of the figures of Pipp and Presto. When Pipp and Hitch each took a piece of cake, Hitch slowly moved his piece into Pipp's mouth to avoid getting any frosting or crumbs on her dress. After Pipp took a bite, there was frosting on her nose, and Hitch grabbed a napkin to remove it. Pipp thanked him with a sweet smile that set his heart aflutter until her smile turned into a smirk and she shoved her piece into Hitch's mouth. Everypony laughed as Hitch struggled for a moment before swallowing and lightly chuckled with half his face covered in cake.

After everypony grabbed a slice of cake, the DJ declared it was time for the bride and groom to have their first dance. Pipp guided Hitch to the center of the dance floor and pulled him toward her until their heads were close next to each other. Hitch blushed again and gulped as Pipp put her hoof on his shoulder and began to lead. It took the first minute of the song before Hitch figured out how to dance without tripping on his own hooves. Even when he was struggling, however, Pipp continued to put on a smile, making Hitch wonder if she was being polite, or was sincerely fine with his blunders.

Halfway through the dance, Pipp closed her eyes and rested her head on Hitch's shoulder. Ponies "aww" ed and took pictures as Hitch's blush covered his face. Then Hitch felt Pipp ease up as she relaxed her head as though she were a filly safe beside her parents. Though he was dancing with someone she didn't know, Hitch couldn't help but be glad that he was giving the poor mare comfort in some way. He patted Pipp's back, and Pipp let out a soft "Mmmm."

Hitch then noticed Sunny, Izzy, and Periwinkle sitting at a table watching Hitch and Pipp dance as they ate their cake. Periwinkle had her hoof on her heart, and Izzy giggled while giving Hitch a teasing look with her mouth covered in cake. Sunny, on the other hand, smiled warmly as Hitch held his wife. Her demeanor confused Hitch as Sunny made it look like he was dancing with somepony who had been in a long-term relationship all along. He thought Sunny, of all ponies, would share his and Zipp's feelings about him suddenly marrying Pipp.

Finally, the song ended, and Pipp pulled her head back to look at Hitch. Though she didn't say anything, Hitch could see from the way Pipp looked at him that she was grateful that he let her rest her head on his shoulder. Hitch smiled back and gave a short nod to say "you're welcome." Hitch and Pipp stared into each other's eyes until they realized what they were doing and looked away, blushing.

"And now, for a special treat," the DJ announced. "The bride has prepared a special song to express her love for the groom."

Pipp's cheerful demeanor vanished in a blink of an eye, and Zipp's heart sank. In all the focus on keeping the audience happy, the two sisters had forgotten about the song Pipp secretly wrote for Presto. It took a moment before the DJ realized what he did, and his eyes widened as he covered his mouth. Ponies cheered and prepared to record the song on their phones. Haven looked at the DJ and Pipp confused until Zipp walked over to her from her seat and whispered into Haven's ear. Haven's face grew pale, and she turned to Pipp, who looked ready to crack any moment. Zipp squirmed until she hatched an idea and loudly cleared her throat.

"Excuse me, Vinyl Skip, but Princess Pipp's song was scheduled to happen privately between her and her husband," she said. "I propose that the bride and groom be excused for this special moment between them while we continue to celebrate their union."

Ponies immediately shouted in protest while the DJ gave Zipp a thankful look. Haven eased up, realizing Zipp gave them a chance to remove the emotional bride from the public eye.

"An excellent idea, Zipp. Let us allow Hitch and Pipp to retire for the evening so Pipp can perform for Hitch," Haven said.

The crowd moaned in disappointment with some begging Hitch and Pipp to stay. Hitch turned to Pipp, who was staring into space while trying not to snap and lightly nudged her. Pipp snapped out of her gaze and Hitch whispered what was happening in her ear. The princess fought the urge to show relief and stepped forward to give the crowd a forced smile.

"Sorry, everypony, but this song has a very special place in my heart that's meant only for my hubby," she said while wrapping her leg around Hitch's leg. "But, don't be sad. You guys will always have a special place in my heart. I'll make it up to you with a whole new album about what each and every one of you in Equestria means to me."

The crowd "aww" ed and cheered, immediately uplifted. Pipp blew kisses again while Hitch forced his own smile to hide his blush as his and Pipp's sides touched. Haven smiled, relieved with her daughter keeping ponies happy. She then gestured to Zoom and Thunder to come over to her and held her hoof to hide her mouth from the crowd as she whispered.

"Escort Pipp to her room, and take Mr. Trailblazer to wherever he's staying," she said. "Use the secret passageways to keep him out of sight. You understand?"

"It shall be done, Your Highness," Zoom replied with a salute.

Zoom and Thunder walked over to Hitch and Pipp just as the bride finished blowing kisses. When Pipp noticed the guards, she said to the crowd, "Okay, you guys, Hitch and I gotta go. Love you lots. Pipp, Pipp, Hooray!"

"Pipp, Pipp, Hooray!" Haven, Zipp, Zoom, Thunder, and the guests shouted.

"Uh, Pipp, Pipp, Hooray," Hitch said.

Pipp guided Hitch to the ballroom entrance from where they came with Haven, Zipp, and Cloudpuff. Zoom and Thunder walked beside the newlyweds. Ponies cheered again as they watched Hitch and Pipp leave with Cloudpuff jumping up and down and flapping his wings as he barked happily. The DJ started a new track, and ponies ran to the dancefloor. As Zoom and Thunder opened the doors, Pipp blew kisses one last time before she and Hitch exited the ballroom.

As soon as the doors closed behind Pipp, her face fell into a look of melancholia. Hitch felt a pinch in his heart as it hit him that Pipp had finally shown how she was truly feeling underneath her cheerful demeanor. He pursed his lips as he watched Pipp stare ahead as she walked as though Hitch, Zoom, and Thunder weren't there. Hitch grew uncomfortable and he bit his lip before saying the first thing he could think of to break the silence.

"Well, what a night, huh?" He said.

Pipp said nothing.

"I don't know about you, but I never would have expected that to happen," Hitch said.

Again, Pipp said nothing, and Zoom gave Hitch a warning glare. Hitch squirmed and decided to think of something more appropriate to say.

"I'm sorry. I don't know what to say. I mean, I assume that at some point you really loved that guy," Hitch said.

"I was literally minutes away from marrying him," Pipp finally said, not looking at Hitch.

"Uh, yeah, that's true," Hitch said. "On the bright side, he's going to age badly."

"No, he's not," Pipp said.

"Yeah, you're right. He's just gonna get better looking," Hitch said before adding with a small smile. "On the other hand, he might get so hated when he comes back to Bridlewood that he'll grow a gut and shave his head."

Pipp let out a brief chuckle before her dejected demeanor returned. Hitch tried to think of something else to say that might get a bigger laugh out of Pipp, but deep down he knew it was a lost cause. He let out a sigh and said what he really wanted to say.

"I'm really sorry this happened to you."

For a few seconds, Pipp remained silent. Then she turned to Hitch with a sad smile of appreciation.

"I'm sorry too," she said.

Hitch furrowed his brow at how Pipp was looking at him with hints of tears in her eyes and her mouth twitching. The next thing Hitch knew, he, Pipp, Zoom, and Thunder stopped in front of Pipp's bedroom doors. Thunder put his hoof hood on the pad beside the doors, and the doors opened. Hitch began to follow Pipp inside, not knowing it was her room before Zoom held her hoof in front of him.

"The queen has ordered that you be escorted to wherever you're staying in the city," she said.

Hitch's frown deepened, wanting to continue being there to comfort Pipp however he could, yet he accepted that Pipp should be left alone. He turned to Pipp who took off her crown and dropped it on the floor as she went into her room.

"Are you going to be okay, Your Highness?" Hitch asked.

Pipp stopped and turned to Hitch with another sad smile. Her eyes watering.

"Good night," she said.

Hitch's ears hanged low as he wished Pipp gave him a direct answer. He nodded in acceptance and said, "Good night," before Pipp closed the doors in front of him, Zoom, and Thunder. Hitch stared at the door until Zoom cleared her throat, and she and Thunder began escorting Hitch to the secret passageways.

**********************************************************

A couple of hours passed and the guests began to tire after eating, drinking, and dancing, and so Queen Haven declared the wedding reception over. The guards escorted the guests out of the castle and to the elevator to the city below. Haven and Zipp smiled and waved as the guests left, thanking them for coming with Cloudpuff standing beside Haven.

When the last group of ponies went into the elevator, Haven let out a groan, drained from keeping up the act. She then raced back inside the castle with Zipp and Cloudpuff running behind. They took an elevator to Pipp's bedroom, and Haven paused before knocking on the doors.

"Pipp? Pipp, can we come in?" she asked.

Haven waited a moment to get an answer, and sighed before she put her hoof on the pad and the doors opened. Zipp and Cloudpuff went in first, and Zipp opened her mouth to call out to her sister until she realized the lights were off and the room was covered with wedding presents destroyed, racks of dresses knocked down, and Pipp's crown lying on the floor. As Zipp went further in, she found pieces of music paper torn to shreds and lying around Pipp's keyboard.

Finally, Zipp and Cloudpuff stopped a few feet away from Pipp's king-sized bed with Pipp still in her wedding dress, lying on her front with a pillow covering her face, not making a sound. Cloudpuff whimpered while Haven quietly closed the doors. She hopped onto the bed and sat beside her daughter.

"Pipp? Can I get you anything, sweetie?" Haven asked.

She waited a moment before Pipp shook her head with her face still planted on the pillow. Haven and Zipp looked at each other, and Zipp sighed before turning around, deciding to give her sister space. Haven glanced at Pipp and took a step to get off the bed until Pipp got up and wrapped her front legs around her mother. Zipp turned her head, and her heart sank at the sight of Pipp's eyes red and puffy, and her pillow drenched with the makeup running down her face with her tears.

"Mom, t-t-tell me that didn't happen," Pipp whined. "Tell me I wasn't betrayed. That I almost married a cheater for all of Equestria to see. My fans were counting on me to live this fairy tale marriage, and I…I let them down. I let everypony down."

Haven's heart broke, and she pulled Pipp into a hug.

"No, no. No, you didn't," Haven said, with a frail voice.

"Yes, I thought for sure I picked the right guy, and everypony believed me and…and…" Pipp sobbed.

Zipp hopped onto the bed and put her hoof on Pipp's shoulder.

"It isn't just you, Pipp. We all thought Presto was this perfect guy. No pony had a way of knowing," Zipp said.

"Then why did that article just happen to be published right before the ceremony?!" Pipp wailed. "Why couldn't I learn I was cheated on days ago, or weeks, or before he even proposed to me? Why did I have to give so much hope and then suddenly marry somepony I don't know, and…and…"

Haven pulled Pipp's head to her chest as Pipp burst into tears, and Zipp hugged her sister from behind. Cloudpuff hopped onto the bed and put his paw on Pipp's back leg, whimpering. Pipp smiled at Cloudpuff for a moment, before she let go of Haven and scooped Cloudpuff to hold him as she cried. Zipp sniffed as she and Haven fought the urge to cry with Pipp. All they could do was let Pipp let out her grief until she fell asleep.

Chapter 5

It was the morning after the wedding and things were quiet in Zephyr Heights castle. The royal guards and staff were in low spirits, for they were nothing short of sympathetic for Pipp. They tried to hide it whenever Haven and Zipp passed by, but deep down their queen and oldest princess knew what was on their minds. It didn't help that Pipp hadn't left her room since the night before.

Haven was in the throne room going through towers of paperwork. Cloudpuff napped next to her, cuddled up in a ball while Zoom stood in front of the throne, organizing the queen's schedule on her phone. The staff was taking down decorations as their queen worked. Haven hoped focusing on her duties would keep her mind off of the wedding, but her heart still ached for her beloved daughter.

Suddenly, Zoom's phone rang, and she answered. She listened to the other pony on the phone and grew uneasy before turning to Haven.

"Excuse me, Your Majesty, but the guards stationed at the elevator to the castle grounds have just informed me that Presto Tetrachord is there," Zoom said.

Haven froze in the middle of signing a form, and she clenched her teeth, looking daggers at the paper as if it was Presto himself. Zoom cleared her throat and continued.

"They said he's crying and begging the guards to let him in. He claims he just needs five minutes to talk to Princess Pipp."

"Oh, he does. Does he?" Haven snarled. Her eyes were still on the paper. "Well then, tell the guards he has five seconds to leave the premises and continue gathering his things before I have him dragged out of my kingdom in chains with all of his things left behind."

"With pleasure, Your Highness," Zoom said, smirking.

The guard went back to her phone and relayed the order below hanging up. Haven lifted her hoof to continue signing paperwork but sighed and hung her head, for Presto wanting to see Pipp made the queen think of holding Pipp when she broke down. Haven pinched the bridge of her nose and put the paper she was working on back on top of its pile. Going to see Pipp would put Haven drastically behind schedule, but she'd rather deal with that than not going to check on her daughter. She poked Cloudpuff's side, waking him up, and the little dog yawned before looking up at his owner.

"Come, Sweetie. Let's go see Pipp," Haven said.

Cloudpuff sprung to his feet and barked happily. With that, Haven and Cloudpuff exited the throne room, leaving Zoom to look after the paperwork until the queen returned. They took an elevator to the floor to Pipp's room and walked to the front door just in time to see Zipp walking over from the other side. Haven and Zipp smiled for having the same idea before Zipp put her hoof on the datapad, and the doors opened.

When they went in, the room was still a mess. Pipp's breakfast that Haven had sent to her was untouched, and Pipp herself was out of her wedding dress and sitting in front of her keyboard. She rested the side of her head against the top of the keyboard, staring at the figurines of her and Presto as she played a glum tune with one hoof. Cloudpuff barked as he jumped onto Pipp's chair and then onto the keyboard to stand between Pipp and the figurines. Pipp raised her head and the edge of her lips curled slightly as she petted the dog.

"Hi, Fluffy Pie," Pipp said softly.

Cloudpuff wagged his tail and proceeded to lick Pipp's face. Pipp giggled and picked Cloudpuff up before noticing that Haven and Zipp were in her room.

"Oh, hey, Mom, Zipp," Pipp said.

"Hi, darling. How are you feeling?" Haven asked.

Pipp's glum demeanor returned and she looked away while still petting Cloudpuff.

"Not great," she answered.

Haven frowned and walked over to rub Pipp's back. Zipp hesitated before she stepped forward with a small smile.

"So…is that a new song for that album you promised, Sis?" She asked.

Pipp briefly smiled again and said, "Might as well, right? It's not like I have a honeymoon to go to anymore even if I did get married."

"Yeah, I actually came to talk to you about that," Zipp said. "See, I did a little digging online, and it turns out that out of all the stallions in the crowd, you picked a guy who doesn't have a girlfriend, no accounts on social media, is the sheriff of Maretime Bay, everypony in town loves him, and, get this, he was Sunny Starscout's plus one. Who'd have thunk it, huh?"

Pipp lightly chuckled at the coincidence and went back to being glum until she heard Haven let out a long gasp. Pipp and Zipp turned to their mother to see her smiling with eyes wide open.

"That's fantastic news, Zipp," she said.

"It is?" Zipp asked with her head tilted.

"Yes. It means Hitch Trailblazer won't be a problem," Haven explained. "If he has no presence on the Canternet, then he can't do anything there that will fan the flames of our situation, and being the well-respected ruler of Maretime Bay implies he has more decency than he-who-must-not-be-named."

"I don’t think ‘ruler’ is the right word to describe a sheriff, Mom," Zipp said.

"Whatever. The point is he is a pony who devotes his life to keeping his citizens safe like us," Haven said. "So, we should get him to sign an NDA, annul the marriage, and wait for the publicity to blow over. How does that sound, Pipp?"

Pipp smiled and nodded. Haven smiled back and hugged her daughter before heading to the doors to carry out her plan. But as her mother was leaving, Pipp's smile disappeared and she stared at the wall in thought. Zipp looked at Pipp curiously as Pipp tilted her head and she put Cloudpuff down without looking at him. The youngest princess rubbed her chin until she nodded to herself.

"Hey, Mom, I think I have a better idea," Pipp said.

Haven stopped and turned around just as she was about to leave the room. Pipp blushed and rubbed her leg as she mustered the courage to pitch her idea, not looking at her mother.

"As reasonable as your idea is, it might not be too crazy if… I stay married to Hitch."

Pipp's bedroom was silent with Haven, Zipp, and Cloudpuff staring at her. Then, Haven snorted before she burst out laughing. Pipp squirmed and turned to Zipp with a look for help. Zipp bit her lip as she realized her sister wasn't joking and turned to Haven.

"Mom, she was being serious," she said.

Haven stopped laughing and turned to Pipp, who gave her a sheepish smile. Haven stared at Pipp flabbergasted before she frowned and stormed back to her.

"Pippistasia, staying married to him is out of the question," Haven said. "Not only have you never met him before last night, but we haven't filed any papers to make your marriage legal."

"Then we file the papers with Hitch. It shouldn't be hard. We're the royal family," Pipp said. "Besides, legal or not, I started something last night, and if I don't finish it I'll look crazy."

"Pipp, I'm saying this with love, but I'm pretty sure not looking crazy went out the window when you said you'll marry a total stranger," Zipp said. "I doubt every pony in Equestria is as behind your marriage as our guests were."

"So? That means some ponies are behind it," Pipp said. "And why wouldn't they? My fiancée cheated on me, so I married a pony that his citizens love and are friends with the pony that brought all three ponykinds together. It makes Hitch come off as a massive improvement from Presto, ergo, some ponies want Hitch and me to stay married."

"Sweetie, how do you intend to live a married life with somepony who lives on the complete opposite side of Equestria?" Haven asked. "Are you suggesting that he lives here, or you move to Maretime Bay?"

"No. I mean, I don't have to be married to him forever. It'll just be a few months or so of us communicating from our respective homes and visiting each other on occasion," Pipp said. "Think of it less like we're married and more like we're in an arranged, long-distance relationship. Practically boyfriend and girlfriend rather than husband and wife. If things between me and Hitch blossom, then we'll live an official married life, but if it doesn't, we'll get divorced."

"But you don't know things can go that simply," Zipp said. "Presto tricked everypony into thinking he's this perfect stallion who would be loyal to you to the end. What makes you so sure Hitch will be faithful?"

"Well, for one thing, Hitch witnessed Mom banishing Presto for all of Equestria to see in person and online," Pipp said. "He might not be one of our citizens, but after last night I bet he's smart enough to know things can get pretty ugly for him if he crosses our family. Plus, he'd lose all the love and respect he has in Maretime Bay if he cheats on me. But honestly, after the way he acted toward me last night, I believe Hitch has a kind and caring heart. If that doesn't make him somepony worth pursuing to find out if he's the one to spend the rest of my life with, then I don't know what does."

"Pipp, this idea could go extremely bad not just for you but all three of us as the royal family," Haven said.

"That's a chance we have to take, Mom," Pipp said. "In fact, you especially would be taking a massive risk if you don't support this idea. After all, you, the queen, married Hitch and me.”

“That’s not fair. You put me on the spot,” Haven said.

“And you still united us in holy matrimony, publicly making Hitch your son-in-law,” Pipp said. “Like it or not, Mom, our citizens will look to you to carry this out too, and it can look bad for you if you don’t. Not to mention, Presto, one of our citizens, tricked you as well. You even let him visit me in the castle whenever he wanted."

Haven stared at Pipp, astounded that her favorite daughter would speak to her that way. She turned to Zipp, who pursed her lips, before giving Haven a look that said, "She's got a point."

"Alright, granted, but even if the sheriff agrees what are we supposed to tell our citizens?" Haven asked. "You don't want to be a joke?"

"I don't want to be the punchline," Pipp said. "We need to live in this moment of my life after a long time of deception and heartbreak to face not just our citizens or the Pippsqueaks, but everypony in Equestria and say, 'Presto Tetrachord didn't work out. Maybe Hitch Trailblazer will.'"

Haven grew unsettled after Pipp said her peace. She turned to Zipp again with a look for help, and Zipp hesitated before she gave her mother a shrug. Haven then felt Cloudpuff's paw on her leg, and she looked down to see the puppy give her an encouraging smile. Haven squirmed as she tried to think of another argument until she sighed and hung her head in defeat.

"Alright, Pipp. We'll try it your way," Haven said before lifting her head and giving Pipp a worried look. "I just hope you are prepared for the consequences if this doesn't work."

Pipp gave her mother a small smile and walked over to hug her. Haven stroked Pipp's mane as she hugged her back. When they parted, Haven turned to Zipp and gestured to her to follow her. Zipp quietly followed her mother with Cloudpuff walking next to his owner. As they exited the room, Pipp went back to her keyboard and began playing her song again with enthusiasm. Haven closed the doors behind her, Zipp, and Cloudpuff, and took a deep breath with her eyes closed before turning to Zipp with a professional expression.

"Come, Zephyrina, we have work to do," Haven said.

"What? Why am I helping out?" Zipp asked.

"Because you have a duty to help your younger sister as well as a duty to do this with me as the future queen," Haven said. "Like it or not, we all have to play a part in this frivolous plan as a family. First, we're going to the registration center for new papers. Then, when Pipp's done with her signatures, we're gonna have Zoom and Thunder take us to where Hitch Trailblazer is staying."

Zipp frowned childishly at her mother, then huffed, reluctantly accepting Haven's logic. She began following Haven back to the elevator with Cloudpuff walking beside her with a bright smile, hoping to see Hitch again very soon. As Haven pressed the button to the elevator, Zipp looked back in the direction of Pipp's room, and she furrowed her brow in unease. She mentally prayed to whatever force in the universe out there that Pipp's risky plan may lead to her ultimately finding happiness.

Chapter 6

As soon as Hitch was in his four-bed hotel room, he raced to his bed and jumped onto it. Zoom let herself in to check that nopony else was watching them from the window. When she concluded that the coast was clear, she closed the curtains and asked Hitch who he was sharing the room with so the hotel staff could ensure only his friends could come in. Finally, Zoom ordered Hitch to stay indoors and away from social media, which Hitch robotically agreed to as he got under the covers and dozed off to sleep.

Several hours later, Hitch woke up to somepony jumping on his bed. He groaned and rotated his body until he was lying on his back to find Izzy bouncing with a wide
grin.

"Hitch! Hitch, wake up! Tell us about last night!" Izzy shouted.

"Izzy, keep it down. My head is killing me," Hitch heard Periwinkle groan.

"Izzy, get off the bed and give Hitch some air," Sunny said.

Izzy stopped jumping and whined before she got off. Hitch got up in a sitting position, rubbed his eyes before opening them, and found Sunny and Izzy standing next to his bed. He looked to the bed opposite his to find Periwinkle in bed, lying on her back and holding an ice pack on her forehead.

"What's wrong with Periwinkle?" Hitch asked as he got out of bed.

"Oh, she just had a few of those funny-tasting smoothies at the bar during the party and was acting all goofy," Izzy said. "She was a riot on the dance floor."

"Wait, they had hard smoothies there?" Hitch asked.

"Yeah, after Periwinkle's first two smoothies, I made sure that I and especially Izzy had regular smoothies," Sunny said. "But enough about that. What are you doing back here, Hitch?"

"Yeah, shouldn't you be in the castle with your wife?" Izzy asked with a playful smirk. "You weren't too shy to share the same bed. Were ya?"

Hitch's cheeks heated up, and he cleared his throat while looking away from the mares to hide his blush.

"N-no, that's not it at all. The queen ordered that I be taken back to the hotel after the guards took the princess to her room," Hitch said.

"Aw, I was so sure you were too shy," Izzy said.

"Well, what do you expect? What mother would let a guy spend the night with her daughter when they just met him?" Hitch asked.

"Gee, I don't know, Hitch. How about the daughter's husband?" Sunny said matter-of-factly.

"Who married her because he was pressured to do it in front of everypony," Hitch said.

"I don't know, Hitch. You didn't look like you were pressured to do anything when you kissed your bride," Izzy said teasingly.

"I second that," Sunny said.

"Third," Periwinkle said, raising her hoof while still lying down, holding the ice pack with her eyes closed.

"Uh, well, the princess kissed me 'cause we were told to," Hitch said.

"You still kissed her back, and frankly, you two kissed longer than you needed to," Sunny said. "Face it, Hitch. You and Princess Pipp are already enjoying each other's company, and there's a good chance you guys could be happy together as husband and wife."

"How? How can I live a happy married life with the princess?" Hitch challenged. "You weren't there when they escorted us out of the ballroom, Sunny. As soon as we were out, she went back to being brokenhearted. Everything, even how she acted around me, was all an act to hide her grief. She was in love with Presto. I doubt Princess Pipp would ever want to see me again."

"Oh, come on, Hitch. Don't sell yourself short," Sunny said. "All teasing aside, I truly think Princess Pipp liked being with you even if she was publicly pretending to be happy."

"I agree," Periwinkle said, sitting up while still holding the ice pack on her head. "I meant what I said last night. You are an honest stallion, and I think the princess knows that already. The way she was resting her head on your shoulder when you two danced? That tells me she was pretty comfortable around you."

"Yeah, betcha Her Royal Highness already likes you so much that she wants to keep you as her husband," Izzy chirped.

Hitch felt goosebumps all over his body. His mind went to when he and Pipp kissed and danced and how Pipp was into both moments. Hitch couldn't deny that Pipp was bashful when they both realized they kissed for too long, and it was unusual for anypony to rest their head on a stranger's shoulder when they danced. Hitch subconsciously lifted his hoof toward the wedding ring still hanging on his neck, then his common sense returned, and he shook his head.

"Look, ladies, I appreciate the votes of confidence, but the cold hard truth is I only married the princess because I was forced into the stage and because I wanted to help a pony who was in trouble," he said.

"But that's the thing, Hitch: you married her. Married her," Sunny said. "Marriage is not a job meant to help everypony that you keep or quit from, like being a sheriff. It's a commitment to be bound to one special pony forever, for better or worse."

"But even if that's true, how am I supposed to be bound to the princess forever?" Hitch asked. "Even if Princess Pipp teases the idea, I doubt the queen would want me to be anywhere near her daughter again."

No sooner did Hitch finish saying that than there was a knock on the door. Periwinkle groaned and laid on her bed again, wanting her ice pack to numb the pain completely. Izzy took a step to answer, but Hitch put her hoof in front of her, suspicious that it was journalists or Pippsqueaks wanting pictures or asking questions about the wedding.

"Open up in the name of Queen Haven and Princess Zipp!" Thunder shouted from the other side of the door.

Hitch, Sunny, and Izzy's eyes widened. Periwinkle put on her glasses and got out of bed. Izzy rushed to the door, knocking Hitch's hoof back, and opened the door. Zoom and Thunder stood in front of the door with Haven and Zipp behind them. The queen wore a knapsack made of gold leather on her back. Izzy noticed Zipp, and her face brightened as she waved her hoof.

"Hi, Your Royal Majesticness," she chirped.

"Izzy, I told you already on the phone to just call me Zipp," Zipp said. "Do you mind if we come in?"

Izzy nodded vigorously before stepping back. Zoom and Thunder stepped away to allow Haven to come in, followed by Zipp. The former had a stern, professional look that made Hitch uneasy. Haven and Zipp stopped a few feet away from Sunny, Periwinkle, and Hitch, and Haven looked away from Hitch to notice Sunny.

“Sunny Starscout. Good to see you again”, Haven said.

“Good to see you too, Your Majesty,” Sunny said with a friendly smile.

The edge of Haven's mouth curled in appreciation before her head turned to Hitch. Hitch grew nervous as Haven cleared her throat.

“Mr. Trailblazer, I see no point beating around the bush. I'm sure you know why we are are here?” The queen asked.

“Yes, Your Highness,” Hitch replied. He cleared his throat and lifted his head to force a professional look to match the queen’s. “I think we can all agree that last night didn't go according to plan for anypony.”

“There is an understatement if I've ever heard one,” Zipp said.

“Yes, well, what's done is done. You and my daughter are married, and as such, we have a possible solution to this little mishap. One that might work out for both parties.”

“I'm glad to hear it, Your Highness,” Hitch said. “Quite frankly, I also would want to arrange a divorce right away if some pony I didn't know sporadically married my daughter.”

“Actually, Mr. Trailblazer, that's not what we have in mind,” Haven said.

Hitch, Sunny, Izzy, and Periwinkle looked at the queen, confused. Haven took out a set of papers from her saddlebag and held it up to Hitch. Sunny, Izzy, and Periwinkle walked behind Hitch and looked over his shoulders. When they looked at the papers, Sunny gasped and smiled brightly, Periwinkle looked up at Hitch with a small smile, and Izzy giggled. Hitch, on the other hand, stared at the papers, baffled. His cheeks tinted pink as he saw the words “marriage,” “united,” “husband,” and “wife” appear multiple times in the first paper.

“I don't understand,” he said.

“I think it's pretty simple, dude,” Zipp said. “We want you to stay married to Pipp.”

Izzy cackled even louder, and Sunny and Periwinkle grinned in excitement.

“What?! But-but-but we don't even know each other. You guys don't know anything about me,” Hitch said.

“Actually, I looked you up this morning. We know that you are the sheriff of Maretime Bay, and you are beloved by your citizens,” Zipp said. “Pipp is also beloved by our citizens even before she took Zephyr Heights by storm with her music career.”

"Precisely. And with both of you beloved by your respective citizens, you and Pipp may be a perfect match," Haven said.

"But wasn't Presto also loved by everypony before last night?" Hitch asked. "How is anypony going to believe your daughter went from a pop star to the sheriff of the small town of Maretime Bay?"

"Well, for one thing, Pipp did go from Presto to you," Zipp said, earning smirks from Sunny and Periwinkle. "For another, we're not asking you to pretend you’re in love. We're just asking that you sign these papers to legalize the marriage and then get to know Pipp."

"But doesn't your sister get a say in this?" Hitch asked.

"Actually, this was her idea," Haven answered. "You'll find she's done her required signatures in all the paperwork."

Hitch's eyes widened, and he took the paperwork from Haven. Sunny, Izzy, and Periwinkle looked over Hitch's shoulders again as Hitch looked through the papers, finding Pipp's name signed on half the blank lines on each sheet. The last sheet of paper was none other than a marriage certificate with Pipp's signature on the bottom right side. Sunny's face lit up like a massive flame, Izzy let out a joyous laugh, and Periwinkle looked at Hitch with a warm smile and nudged his side.

"Told ya," she said.

Hitch stood frozen with his eyes fixed on Pipp's signature. He felt his heart leap and goosebumps appear all over his body again as it hit him that the beautiful princess sincerely wanted to continue being his wife. He blushed again, imagining Pipp still wearing her wedding ring and thinking of spending time with him as a couple, holding hooves, going on picnics, dinner, and a movie, cuddling on the couch, dancing, and above everything else, kissing. Hitch's blush grew with each thought until his cheeks were barn red at the thought of him and Pipp getting lost in their own world while kissing, just like at the wedding. It was too good to be true.

"Okay, but how do you expect me to do this?" Hitch asked. "I have no desire to stop being the sheriff just to move to your castle and be some prince."

"Oh, no. I wouldn't ask you to abandon your duties straight out. I’m well aware of how important you are in Maretime Bay," Haven said. "We're simply suggesting a few months or so of you and Pipp visiting each other and spending some time together. When you two aren't together in person, you can text or video call each other on your phones whenever you want. If things go further between you, we will officially welcome you as part of our family, and then we can look into you and Pipp being a real married couple. If it doesn't work out, we'll arrange for you and Pipp to get a divorce, and we will part ways, no hard feelings."

"That sounds reasonable enough, Your Highness, but I don't feel comfortable leaving Maretime Bay so frequently, and I also don't have a smartphone," Hitch said.

Haven looked at Hitch astounded, as though he were a barbarian for not having a smartphone.

"Well, if protecting your citizens is your concern, I can leave some members of my royal guard," Haven said. "Zoom is one of the most by-the-book members of my guard. I'm sure with a little teaching, she will be a suitable substitute for you."

Hitch turned to Zoom, who gave him a salute of confirmation.

"As for not having a phone, we'll have to fix that," Haven said. "I shall get in contact with the Z-Heights store at Maritime Bay to have a phone ready for you when you return home."

"That's nice of you, Your Highness, but I don't think that would be necessary," Hitch said.

"Nonsense. If we are to do this, it is essential that you have a phone to stay in contact with Pipp,” Haven said. "Besides, all expenses will be paid for your phone. You are, after all, a member of the royal family by marriage."

"Even so, Your Grace, this all seems like a really excessive thing on both sides," Hitch protested. "Are you okay with letting me continue to be your daughter's husband even after we've known each other for less than 12 hours?"

Haven furrowed her brow and took a step toward Hitch, so their faces were only inches away.

"You have every right to be skeptical, Mr. Trailblazer. And to answer your question, no. I'm not entirely comfortable with my daughter putting her faith in you after the stallion she dated for two years deceived her,” Haven said. “That being said, there is logic behind Pipp's idea in ways that I will not discuss with you. I am trusting you from one leader to another that you are smart enough not to pull any funny business as Presto Tetrachord did. I am not saying I would go to war with Maretime Bay or anything like that should you cheat on my daughter, but you are still a pony that your citizens look up to, the same as me. Thus, the consequences of betraying my trust and breaking my daughter's heart will be far more severe for you and your citizens. Maybe all of ponykind.”

"All of ponykind? That's an exaggeration. Don't you think?" Hitch asked.

"One would think so, but while there are some naysayers, there are many ponies who support you and Pipp as a married couple," Zipp said.

Hitch sighed and rubbed his forehead, growing irritated that everypony but him seemed to be behind the idea.

“Look, Your Majesties, I only agreed to marry your daughter partially because I was pressured to and because I wanted to help a pony who was in need. I'm not looking for a real relationship,” he said. “My only true devotion is being loyal to the law in Maretime Bay and upholding it to the best of my ability."

"Then consider this a plea for help from me," Haven said. "My daughter is grieving, and picking you as her husband has given her hope. I need you to keep that hope alive for as long as you can while she's dealing with a broken heart. And if that's not enough, I can tell you from looking online that ponies all over Equestria, including your citizens, are putting their faith in that hope too."

“Wait a minute. Ponies in Maritime Bay are behind the marriage?” Hitch asked.

“Take a look for yourself, Sheriff,” Zipp said as she took out her flypad.

Hitch took the pad and saw countless comments on Zipp's profile page on social media. Sunny gasped in excitement as she, Izzy, and Periwinkle continued to look over Hitch's shoulder. Sunny began scrolling down while Hitch held the phone, looking through the comments from ponies of Maretime Bay.

Spanner Spanks: Oh my stars! Hitch and Pipp look so cute together!

Silver Shoals: Did you see how those two kissed? Love at first sight!

Cookie Crumble: I'm so happy for Pipp!

Toots: It should have been Hitch that Pipp was engaged to that whole time!

Bubblegum McGinty: Those two look like they are so meant to be!

Kickflip: Prepp < Pitch

"What do the words 'prep' and 'pitch' have to do with Princess Pipp and me? And 'prep' isn't spelled with two p's."

"No, dude. Those are the names ponies made by combining your names," Zipp explained. "Prepp is a combination of Presto and Pipp, and Pitch is a combination of Pipp and Hitch. That pony is saying they prefer you over Presto as Pipp's husband."

"Oh, well, I guess that makes more sense," Hitch said. "Still, I can't believe ponies in Maretime Bay support this."

"Believe it, Hitch. Ramble about how crazy this whole affair is, but no matter how you look at it, you've made ponies happy by marrying Pipp," Periwinkle said. "And to tell you the truth, I think this is the right thing to do not just for everypony's happiness, but yours too."

"Mine? How do you expect to find my happiness through all of this?" Hitch asked.

"Remember what Dahlia said when she and Mayflower invited you to watch the wedding with our group? She said it wouldn't hurt to spend time with the ponies that adore you rather than putting your badge first above everything else," Periwinkle said. "I won't speak for my friends, but if there's even a smidge of a chance that you'll find love by being married to Pipp, then as one of the citizens who looks up to you, I'd want nothing more than for you to take that chance."

"Me too," Sunny said. "I think this will be a great experience for you, Hitch. You've already moved out of your comfort zone by going to the wedding and marrying Princess Pipp, and now you have an opportunity to be more than just a sheriff. As your childhood friend, it would mean a lot to me if you try. You work so hard to make everypony happy. Don't you think you deserve happiness too?"

Hitch opened his mouth, but then he stopped to think about the question. He couldn't deny that he had devoted himself to justice and peace for his fellow ponies all his life. It was all he had lived for, and he treasured the results of serving the ponies of Maretime Bay more than anything. And now, for the first time in his life, Hitch questioned the extent of his dedication. It would be hard to hold back on being a sheriff as regularly as he did, especially with needing to keep Sprout in check. And yet, Hitch's friends, the queen, and the oldest princess painted a pretty picture suggesting he and Pipp start a relationship. It was still a long shot in Hitch's eyes, but deep down, he knew a part of him wanted to see Pipp again.

"Well, Sheriff, what say you?" Haven asked.

Hitch bit his lip, feeling pressured. He looked down as logic and feelings fought each other in his mind until Hitch released a heavy sigh and surrendered.

"All right. I'll do it. I'll stay married to the princess," he said.

"Yippee!" Izzy shouted.

"All right!" Periwinkle shouted.

Sunny beamed and pulled Hitch into a one-legged hug. Hitch chuckled before turning to Haven and Zipp. The queen was sighing through her nose while Zipp gave a small smile.

"Very well then," Haven said as she took a pen from her saddle bag. "Can I have your signatures, please?"

Hitch hesitated before he took the pen and used a bed desk to begin signing the papers. When he got to the marriage certificate, he paused and took a moment to let what he was doing sink in before he signed his name on the dotted line on the lower left side of the certificate. He turned to Haven and handed the papers to her before he took the pen and held it out to Haven. Then just as Haven was about to take the pen, it slipped out of Hitch's hoof and fell onto the floor. Periwinkle and Thunder stepped forward to pick up the pen, and then their hooves touched just as Periwinkle grabbed the pen. Periwinkle and Thunder looked at each other and moved back, with Thunder taking the pen and handing it to Haven.

"Alright. I shall have these submitted at the registration office on the way back to the castle, then you and Pipp will be officially, legally married," Haven said.

"Great," Hitch said with a weak smile. "So, how should I address you two now that we're in-laws?”

Haven furrowed her brow and said, "You will continue to address me as Your Highness or Your Majesty for now. Just because you are married to Pipp doesn't mean I consider you my son-in-law. That aside, you may address my daughters however they prefer."

"That's reasonable," Hitch said.

"Good. Until then, safe travels back to Maretime Bay," Haven said. "We will be in touch as soon as you collect your phone."

"Understood. Until then, Your Highness," Hitch said.

"Bye, Your Majesty,'' Sunny said.

“Farewell, Sunny Starscout," Haven replied.

With that, Haven turned around and exited the room with Zoom following. Thunder hesitated before tipping his helmet like a cowboy hat while giving Periwinkle a soft smile. Periwinkle covered her hoof to hide a giggle as the cadet walked away. Hitch began to ease up with the queen gone until he realized that Zipp was still in the room. The princess looked back to make sure her mother had left before turning back to Hitch.

Before Hitch, Sunny, Izzy, or Periwinkle had a moment to react, Zipp grabbed Hitch by his satchel and pulled him toward her until their noses touched.

"Listen here and listen good, buddy. My mom will see this as unbecoming of the future queen of Zephyr Heights, but as Pipp's sister, I don't care," Zipp snarled. "As far as I am concerned, Presto got off lucky by simply being banished. You, however, are not so fortunate. If you hurt my sister in any way or I hear of you so much as looking sideways at another mare, you will be patrolling Maretime Bay in a wheelchair with a feeding tube attached to your stomach. Do I make myself clear?"

Hitch felt the blood drain from his face and his knees wobble as Zipp threatened him. Sunny, Izzy, and Periwinkle looked at Zipp, flabbergasted to the extent that she threatened their friend. After a few seconds, Hitch gulped and nodded. Zipp smirked, pleased with her point being made, and let go of Hitch's satchel before she finally left the room. For half a minute, the room was silent before Periwinkle cleared her throat.

"Well, I'd say that was a little extreme, but to be fair, her youngest sister was cheated on," she said.

"Y-y-yeah, no pressure for me,'' Hitch squeaked.

"Ah, don't worry about it, Hitch,'' Sunny said. "You know better than to treat a pony like Presto did with or without a threat like that, so you have nothing to fear.”

"Thank you for another vote of confidence,'' Hitch said. "Still, I hope you're right that this will benefit me somehow, whether it works out between Princess Pipp and me or not."

"Ah, quit calling her that, Hitch. She's one visit from the registration office away from legally being your wife," Izzy said. "What kind of wife wouldn't want her husband to address her by her first name? I mean, it's not like she will always call you Sheriff Hitch."

"Come to think of it, now that you are legally royalty, this does legally make you a prince," Periwinkle said, rubbing her chin. "So, maybe it would be Prince Hitch. Maybe Sheriff Prince Hitch or Prince Sheriff Hitch?"

"If we have to address each other formally despite being married, I'd rather the princess address me as Sheriff Hitch. I'd rather not consider myself a prince even if this whole thing works out," Hitch said.

"Hey, don't be like that, Hitch. It's really cool that you're a prince," Izzy said.

"Yeah, odds are you won't have much choice anyway/ At least not publicly," Periwinkle said. "After all, you are the first earth pony to be a member of the Zephyr Heights royal family. Maybe the first earth pony ever to be a prince."

Sunny's face fell, and she stared at the wall in shock.

"Oh. My. Stars," she said before a big smile stretched to the sides of her face. "You're right, Periwinkle. He is the first earth pony in history to be a prince!"

"Wait a minute, Sunny. Don't you think you're exaggerating?" Hitch asked.

"Hitch, my family has been researching ancient Equestria for ten generations. I know all the contents of my father's journal, forwards and backward. The highest authoritative position an earth pony has ever had is being a mayor or a chancellor, or, of course, a sheriff,'' Sunny said with a big grin. "The pegasi and unicorns are the only ponies who have ever had a monarchy. And now, my childhood friend is the first earth pony to be royalty! This is so cool!"

Sunny began laughing and dancing like a foal high on sugar, and Izzy joined in for fun. Periwinkle moaned and massaged her head with Sunny, and Izzy's laughter reminded her of her hangover. She took her ice pack and exited the room, finding peace and quiet somewhere else.

Hitch huffed and rolled his eyes, knowing it would take a while for Sunny to calm down when matters of Equestrian history and the unification of all three ponykinds were involved. He exited the room and walked down the hall to the elevator, hoping there was time to get breakfast at the hotel's cafeteria. As he waited for the elevator to come, he looked at his ring and eased up. His marriage to Pipp was going to be legally binding, and he would spend more time with her. The fact made him blush as he thought of holding hooves, cuddling, and kissing Pipp. At the same time, however, Hitch felt the pressure of trying to build a relationship to make the ponies of Maretime Bay happy.

"A chance to find happiness, too," Hitch said to himself. "Can I really find that in the midst of all this?"

Author's Note

Hey, everyone! Hope you enjoyed this new chapter.

Now, I know I have only been publishing once every three or four weeks, give or take, and one or two of you have commented/implied that you thought I had abandoned this story. I want to make clear that that's not the case, and there are reasons I don't publish so frequently.

Many of these chapters were written months ago. In fact, I'm almost done with chapter 11 of this book. The reason I haven't published any of them is because they need a lot of editing, and I have a method of looking away from my work to focus on other things and then come back with a fresh mind to make it as nice as possible before publishing.
Sometimes having a fresh mind includes focusing on other stories until I have an idea on how to continue writing this one. I have the beginning, middle, and end in mind for "Why Not? Sure. I'll Marry You" in mind, but that can only get a writer so far when you more or less know what's supposed to happen in the next chapter, say chapter 12, but you can't write it because you can't answer to yourself, "What's the story?" as in the story of the chapter as a whole. So, when I'm stuck, I focus on other stories until I figure that out. I.e., I'm working on a Equestria Girls story that I've had for years and just updated for the first time in over a year and a half, and a few weeks ago I started a Pokemon fanfiction story that's an adaptation of the movie, Titanic, with Ash Ketchum and Serena (who are my OTP) as Jack and Rose, and myself as Master Shipbuilder Thomas Andrews.

Bottom line, everyone, I haven't' abandoned this story. Like I said, I have a beginning, middle, and end, and I want to tell it all to you. I'm really glad about the major positive reception this story has even when I wasn't feeling confident about it. I want to make it all the way to the end showing all the potential behind Hitch and Pipp as a couple as well as throwing a couple of other pairs nobody (to my knowledge) has thought of. So, I hope you'll all be patient with me as I create a great story from beginning to end to the best of my ability.

Until next time, everyone, thank you so much for reading, the Lord be with you all, and have a great day!

Chapter 7

Hitch, Sunny, Izzy, and Periwinkle stayed in their hotel room until dark, where ponies who lived outside of Zephyr Heights had already begun the journey back to Maretime Bay or Bridlewood. Hitch would rather have left as soon as he concluded business with Queen Haven and Zipp, but he couldn't deny that it was smarter to begin their journey late at night when there would be no nearby ponies wanting to talk to him simply because of the wedding.

Thus, they snuck out of Zephyr Heights from their hotel and walked for a few hours before they made camp. When they arrived at Maritime Bay two days later, it was past midnight, so Periwinkle and Hitch went to their respective houses while Sunny and Izzy went to the lighthouse. Hitch plopped onto his bed and got under his covers with a cheerful smile. Though his bed at the hotel room was extremely comfortable, nothing could be the comfort of his own bed in Maretime Bay.

The next day, Hitch took a shower, ate breakfast, and began trotting to the police station, humming a cheerful tune as though it were a regular day. But as he walked down the streets of his beloved town, ponies were giving him looks of surprise or encouraging smiles. Obviously, every pony was thinking of the wedding, making it clear that this day would be anything but normal. Still, Hitch continued to smile and sing a merry tune to delay the inevitable for as long as he could as he made his way to the police station.

The two seagulls and the crab were napping on top of the police station sign until they heard Hitch's footsteps. The seagulls chirped with glee as they flew down to meet Hitch while the crab snapped its claws vigorously.

"Yes, yes, it's nice to see you guys, too," Hitch said. "Now, let's say we enjoy another day of protecting our citizens and upholding the law?"

The critters responded with a single saluting and the crab clamping its claws again. Hitch smirked and walked past the critters to open the police station doors. He opened his mouth to give the station a good morning but he was quickly interrupted by hoof grabbing him by his badge and pulling him inside. Sprout closed the doors before the critters could get in and turned to Hitch with a frustrated glare.

"Hey, Sprout. What's going on?" Hitch asked.

"What's going on? What's going on?!" Sprout shouted. "How about the fact that you got married to a pegasus princess! One of the few pegasi that can fly of all ponies! Every pony has been ballistic ever since the royal wedding! My mom and I have spent the last 3 days with ponies coming to the station just to ask questions about you and the princess. They're always asking why you didn't tell them that you were getting married, why you were holding that marry me sign, if you are going to stay in Zephyr Heights to be a prince, or if you were going to make me sheriff."

"Ponies were asking if I was going to make you sheriff?" Hitch asked with a raised eyebrow.

Sprout rubbed his leg with a nervous chuckle and said "Well, said ponies are mostly me and mommy, but there are a few other ponies who were curious about that too."

"Uh-huh. Sure," Hitch said. "Did anything unrelated to the wedding happen?"

"Just the typical argument and somepony tossing litter on the ground. Mommy made sure everything was under control apart from that," Sprout said. "But back to the matter at hoof, why did you marry the pegasus princess?!"

Hitch huffed and said, "Okay, first of all, her name is Princess Pipp. Second of all, it was a misunderstanding mixed with being pressured and…being talked into wanting to be legally married."

"You want to stay married to her? Have you lost your mind?" Sprout asked.

"Actually, Sprout, I've been concerned about everypony's state of mind ever since Presto Tetrachord was caught," Hitch said. "Secondly, I don't even know if we will stay married. We will occasionally visit each other and get to know each other."

Sprouts stared at Hitch, baffled, then massaged his head as he said, "This is too much for my head."

"Believe me, Sprout, this is a lot for me, too," Hitch said. "We can only hope it will not affect day-to-day life here in Maretime Bay.

Just then, there was a knock on one of the front doors and Sprout smirked before gesturing to Hitch to answer with his front leg. Hitch hesitated, uneasy with how Sprout looked at him before he walked over to the doors and opened them. Dozens of ponies crowded the front of the police station, talking over each other toward Hitch as soon as he opened the doors. Sprout cackled mischievously behind Hitch, enjoying seeing him experience what he had been going through for the past 3 days. Hitch huffed and shook his head before he firmly stomped his hooves for silence.

"Everypony. Everypony, quiet down!" He shouted.

As soon as hitch began stomping his hoof, ponies began to fall quiet out of respect for their dear sheriff. Sprout glared in jealousy as Hitch cleared his throat.

"All right, what's the problem here?" He asked.

“Problem? How can there be a problem when our sheriff heroically saved the day at Zephyr Heights?” One stallion asked.

“Yeah, way to go, Hitch! You practically saved the unity of all ponykind and got yourself a lovely wife in the process!" Another stallion shouted.

"I'm so happy for you! Where is your wife, Hitch? Are you leaving us to be a prince?" A mare asked.

"If you do, we'll miss you, but you have our full support. Isn't that right, everypony?" Another mare said.

Ponies cheered and shouted words of agreement. They then waved their front legs in the air, singing, "For He's a Jolly Good Pony." Hitch grinned nervously and awkwardly waved back. But just as ponies were about to finish singing their song, Posey Rose pushed through the crowd with four other earth ponies following behind, all five of them looking at Hitch with looks of betrayal and anger.

"Sheriff Hitch, what's the meaning of all this?" Posey demanded. "Was it not enough that you allowed unicorns and pegasi to live in our town or for others to move in Bridlewood or Zephyr Heights? You would take things so far as to marry a pegasus princess?"

"Yeah, did you plan it so the princess married you instead of Presto Tetrachord?" Another earth pony asked.

The ponies that supported the marriage looked at Posey, and her group flabbergasted, and a unicorn mare stepped up.

"How could Hitch have planned to marry the princess? Everypony knows he never left Maretime Bay until Sunny convinced him to go to the wedding with her and Izzy. Plus, he has no cell phone where he can listen to Pipp's music or possibly get in contact with Queen Haven," she said.

"He still was holding that sign telling the princess to marry him. It's clear that he wants to use the marriage to convince all of us to keep the peace between us and Earth ponies and pegasi," Posey accused. "I bet he was in league with that mare that Presto Tetrachord was in that video with."

"That's ridiculous. Daisy Weather just pointed out that Hitch doesn't have a phone and so can't talk with anybody outside of Maretime Bay," a pegasus stallion pointed out. "Besides, you ponies who have known Hitch all his life should know that he would never do anything so dishonest!"

"Of course, a pegasus would defend him. He married your princess," another member of Posey's group said. "Maybe he didn't plan it, but maybe Sunny did. She lives with a unicorn who might know who Pesto Tetrachord was with."

"Honestly, Berry Tart, you guys are just pulling straws. Sunny would never do something so dishonest either," another earth pony said. "You're essentially accusing Hitch and Sunny of causing a marriage between two different races of ponies that would have happened anyway had Presto not betrayed Princess Pipp Pedals,” an earth pony said.

“Princess Pipp Trailblazer,” another earth pony corrected.

"But that still doesn't hide the fact that he was the only pony holding a sign that convinced the pegasi princess to marry him!” Posey barked. “Even if he never met the princess before or knew Presto cheated on the princess, he still pursued one of the three pegasi who can fly. If I didn't know any better, I'd presume Sheriff Hitch married somepony with magic to convince the few ponies against the peace that there's nothing wrong with interacting with unicorns and pegasi magic or no magic. Well, we won't have it, Sheriff Hitch. Do you hear me? We. Won't. Have it!"

Before Hitch knew it, ponies simultaneously began arguing with Posey and her friends. The ponies that sided with the marriage surrounded Posey and her friends, but the naysayers refused to back down despite being few. Sprout smirked and wanted to join Posey, but he knew it would get him into trouble with Hitch. Hitch huffed and shook his head before returning to the station and coming back with a whistle. He blew the whistle, making everypony cover their ears as they turned to him.

"That's better," Hitch said. "Now, I appreciate that so many of you support my marriage to Princess Pipp. That said, I want to stress that neither Sunny nor I planned it. We went to Zephyr Heights to witness Pipp marrying Presto. What happened with Presto was as much a surprise for us as it was with everypony else."

"What about the sign?" Posey asked, with naysayers and supporters saying words of agreement.

Hitch hesitated, not wanting to make Periwinkle's plan public.

"Uh, a mare tried to get Presto to marry her instead of Pipp during the concert before the wedding. When she saw the video of Presto kissing another mare, she shoved the sign into my possession before she broke down crying."

"A mare? Who?" Posey asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Doesn't matter. The point is there was no ulterior motive behind marrying the princess," Hitch said. "It was a spontaneous decision to handle a devastating situation. Currently, Princess Pipp and I plan to visit each other occasionally to get to know each other. What that will lead to, I cannot say, but I swear on my badge that I will never leave Maretime Bay to be a prince."

"So, what? Are you not going to live with your wife unless she moves here? Isn't that a little much?" An earth pony asked.

"Maybe, but that's something the princess and I will figure out for ourselves," Hitch said. "In any case, Sprout and I are on duty, so unless somepony has a complaint to file or has something else to report that has nothing to do with Princess Pipp and me, I'm going to have to ask you all to disperse. And please, no arguments amongst each other."

Ponies opened their mouths to protest, but their respect for Hitch prohibited them from going against his wishes, and so they went about their business, heading homes or heading to their jobs. Hitch sighed in relief and went back inside with Sprout, where the critters were waiting. Hitch walked over to his desk and sat on his chair, leaning back before he noticed Sprout standing next to him with another astounded look.

"Yes, Sprout?" Hitch asked.

"You're going to be visiting Zephyr Heights to date your wife?" Sprout asked.

"That's not exactly what I said, but I guess you could look at it that way,'' Hitch said.

"Does that mean you'll put me in charge regularly with Mom conditionally?" Sprout asked.

"Not exactly. The queen has offered to have a couple of her guards patrol Maritime Bay in my absence, one of which is very by the book. She will be carrying out my duties as sheriff while you work for her as deputy," Hitch said.

"What?! You trust me so little with the town that you would have a couple of pegasi guards be the sheriff while I'm still deputy? That's so unfair!" Sprout screamed.

"Sorry, Sprout, but you can't handle things maturely because of your prejudice against the unicorns and the pegasi," Hitch said. "Besides, being a sheriff is a lot of responsibility."

"So what? I can be responsible," Sprout claimed.

"Really? Then why don't you do something very responsible, like writing a report about everything that's happened while I'm gone?" Hitch said, smirking.

Sprout looked at him in disbelief before he growled and stomped toward his desk like a little foal put in timeout. Hitch smirked, pleased that his point was made before he took out a folder of paperwork from his desk and began writing paperwork he had not finished before going to the wedding. As Hitch got to work, he smiled as he grew more comfortable fulfilling his regular duties as the sheriff. It was as if doing his job was a safe haven from all the craziness at Zephyr heights.

His moment of peace was interrupted when there was a knock, and the front doors opened. Hitch huffed, mentally praying that whoever was coming in was not another citizen asking questions, demanding, or expressing their negative opinion against his marriage. At first, he felt assured that wasn't the case when the only pony coming in was Peach Melba, but his Hope was soon dashed when he realized she was wearing a hot pink polo shirt and hat with a gold Z at the center and holding a small package with her right front leg. It didn't help that Peach's friendly demeanor that Hitch was used to was replaced with melancholy that seemed to have turned into a hint of grief as soon as Peach glanced at the wedding ring hanging around his neck. Peach took a deep breath through her nose before waking to Hitch with a forced smile.

"Good morning, Hitch. Welcome back," Peach said with a forced smile. "Con…congratulations on your…marriage."

"Thanks, Peach," Hitch said before glancing at the package. "Is that what I think it is?"

"Yup. It's your new phone the royal family purchased for you," Peach said. "My boss wanted me to send it to you as soon as we found out you're back."

"What?! Now you're getting a smartphone?!" Sprout shrieked. "You said you don't need stuff like that."

"Yeah, well, I do now since I have to keep in touch with my wife," Hitch said.

Peach flinched at Hitch calling Pipp his wife and cleared her throat before putting the package on Hitch's desk. Hitch took out a box cutter from his desk drawer and cut open the box. Inside was a phone in a light gamboge case with aquamarine sides protected by foam and a charger. Hitch picked up the phone, and analyzed it while Peach cleared her throat.

"The case is for protecting the phone in case you drop it. Queen Haven thought it necessary since you've never used a phone. She even thought it would be appropriate for the case to be the color of your coat and the sides the color of your mane," Peach said. "Additionally, per the royal family's plan, you have unlimited data, one terabyte of memory, and a warranty lasting up to five moons."

"I have no idea what any of that means," Hitch said.

"You basically can use the Canternet as much as you want, practically put as many apps, music, videos, and photos as you want, and if you lose your phone or it gets destroyed, you get a new one, no worries," Peach explained. "Also, per the queen's instructions, you have the numbers of Princess Pipp, Princess Zipp, and Zoom of the royal guard already added to your contacts, so you can call or text them."

"Not the queen herself?" Sprout asked.

"She probably doesn't trust me enough to want to be my contact," Hitch said. "Is there anything else I should know?"

Peach resisted the urge to whimper and said, "Well, I wouldn't say it's something you should know, but Princess Pipp also wanted your phone to have the music app, Amplify, downloaded with all of her music on a playlist so you can listen to it. You also have headphones in the box that you can use to listen to the music privately."

Hitch’s ears perked up, and he looked up from his phone.

“Really? How do I do that?” He asked.

Peach hesitated as she kept her forced smile and said, "W-Why don't I show you how to use your phone before I teach you how to play music?"

Hitch frowned but accepted that it was necessary. He handed his phone to Peach, and Peach walked over to Hitch's side so he could look over her shoulder. Peach walked Hitch through how to use his phone, turning it on, turning it off, restarting, adjusting audio, choosing a ringtone, and setting his phone to sound, vibrate, or silence. She then showed him how to swipe between pages on his home screen and how to open, close, or switch from one app to another.

Finally, Peach paused before begrudgingly opening Amplify and opening a folder containing Pipp's music. Hitch was taken aback as Peach scrolled down to show the dozens of songs on the playlist. Peach then plugged the headphones into the phone and put the buds on Hitch's ears before selecting a song.

As soon as the song began to play, Hitch's heart skipped a beat. Though he didn't fully listen to Pipp's songs by themselves at the concert, he recognized the instrumental music. Hitch smiled as Pipp began singing. He imagined himself at the concert again, watching Pipp sing with all her heart, smiling as she flew above the crowd. Hitch wished he had a phone that night to capture Pipp's performance like so many ponies did at the concert.

But while Hitch was enjoying the song, Peach watched with her ears hanging low. She only had a brief moment to say hi to Periwinkle on her way to the sheriff's station from the Z-Heights store. Periwinkle unknowingly gave Peach hope that things might not work out between Hitch and Pipp when she explained Hitch's reluctance to make the marriage legal. But as she watched Hitch listen to the song, she struggled not to show any contempt or sadness as if she were fighting the pain of stubbing her hoof with a rock. It didn't matter that Hitch married Pipp spontaneously or that he didn't spend the night with her. The way he smiled as he listened to Pipp's music may as well have fallen for Pipp at first sight compared to how he looked at any other mayor, including Peach herself. All the poor mare and her friends could do was wait and see if things fell apart between Hitch and Pipp over time.

Even so, Peach knew Dahlia, Mayflower, and Wisteria would want to know about her visit to the sheriff's station. The four mares were devastated when they watched the wedding on TV. Mayflower knew she was too old for Hitch, but she still adored being around him. The other mares were distraught from watching Hitch get married before they tried to express their feelings. Until then, Peach would have to tell her friends to brace for the worst the next time they got together.

The song ended, and Hitch opened his eyes with a pleased smile. He took off the headphones and put his phone down as he turned to Peach and said, "Okay then. That's everything. Right?"

"Y-yes, that's everything the Royal Family made sure was set up," Peach said. "As for the phone itself, there are instructions for how to use it, among other things. Not many ponies bother to read it since they know the gist of it, but it's up to you if you want to read it. Anyway, I better get going before my boss begins to wonder where I am. If you need help with anything else apart from that, please do not hesitate to drop by the Z- Heights store and ask me, Hitch."

"I won't," Hitch said. "Thank you very much for your help, Peach."

"No problem, Hitch. Happy to help, Peach said. Her cheeks were aching from her fake grin. "Have a good day."

"You too," Hitch said.

Peach closed her saddlebag and turned to Sprout as she headed to the front doors.

"Have a good day, too, Sprout," she said.

Sprout gave the pegasus a halfhearted grunt in response, not looking away from his paperwork as Peach exited the station. Hitch put his phone and headphones on his desk and returned to his paperwork. After a few minutes, however, he slowly began to stop writing until he finally stopped. He tried to continue writing but felt stuck as though he were a fictional writer having a horrible case of writer's block. Hitch's eyes then turned to his phone, and he pursed his lips. Reason dictated that he shouldn't play music while on duty, yet he wanted to hear more of Pipp's music. Hitch then rubbed his chin, wondering if he could listen to the music while writing his paperwork.

After a minute of debating with himself, he plugged his headphones into his phone, turned his phone on, opened Amplify, and played another track. Hitch expected it to be another loud, upbeat song, but this track was calm and quiet, with Pipp singing softly while a piano played. Hitch was taken aback, but the song still made him smile. It was comforting to hear Pipp sing this way, making Hitch feel as if Pipp were with him in person, helping him forget about the craziness happening outside of the station.

When the song ended, Hitch selected the track again and returned to writing. He resisted humming the tune to not disturb Sprout, yet he couldn't stop himself from tapping to the slow beat. Whether he liked it or not, Pipp was in his life now, and for the first time, that didn't sound so bad for the sheriff of Maretime Bay.

Chapter 8

It was half past seven, and Hitch and Sprout closed the station for the evening. After they locked the doors, they got smoothies at Sunny's stand before Hitch walked Sprout to Phyllis's house. As they walked down the main street, ponies gave Hitch smirks or encouraging smiles that made him roll his eyes.

Some mares couldn't look him in the eye as though it hurt to see him with his wedding ring still hanging around his neck. Hitch looked at the mares, puzzled as he passed by them. He wondered if they were downcast because they were fans of Presto and were still devastated that he wasn't the pony they thought he was, or perhaps they were one of the very few ponies that preferred Pipp to have married Presto despite what her fiance had done. Whatever it was, Hitch hoped that they would eventually feel better despite whatever was tormenting them.

After Hitch and Sprout grabbed their smoothies, they sipped their drinks as Hitch walked Sprout to Phyllis's house. They said good night, and then Hitch walked to the other side of Maritime Bay, where his house awaited him. If there were only one selfish thing Hitch enjoyed about being a sheriff, it would be him being financially well off. Paid of mortgage and everything. He grilled hay fries and a grass and cheese sandwich.

Hitch ate his dinner and drank the rest of his smoothie in the living room while watching TV. After eating, he reclined his chair as he watched his favorite detective show, Davy Bluecoat: Private Eye. When the show ended, Hitch browsed through channels for something else to watch, but most of them were playing low-budget films and documentaries that didn't interest him.

Finally, Hitch stopped on a talk show. At the center of the stage were two mares, an earth pony, and a unicorn sitting on maroon chairs. On the screen behind the stage was an image of Pipp and Presto looking away from each other with a purple broken heart between them. Hitch raised the volume and leaned closer to the TV screen as the earth pony, the host, began to speak.

"So, Kernel Heartbeat, it's been three days since the wedding, and ponies are still talking about it nonstop," she said.

"Indeed, Glamour, it certainly was a historic moment regardless of how it went down," Kernel, the unicorn, said. "Truth be told, I'm a diehard Prepp fan, so I haven't completely accepted what happened between Presto and Pipp."

"I know what you mean. Do you have any idea who is that mare Presto was with?" Glamour asked.

"Search me. I may have been born and raised in Bridlewood, but I don't know all of my fellow unicorns," Kernel answered. "Whoever that mare is, she better hope Queen Haven doesn't find out who she is if she also lives in Zephyr Heights. She's bound to be banished too if that happens."

"True that. I believe Presto is on his way to Bridlewood as we speak," Glamour said.

"That's right, and I hear he was booed all the way to the outskirts of Zephyr Heights," Kernel said.

"I imagine he's not going to fair much better when he gets back to Bridlewood," Glamour said.

"Actually, not every pony in Bridlewood hates Presto for what he did," Kernel said. "Some hope that he and Pipp will get back together. Maybe there is some misunderstanding, or Presto is going through a tough time and just made one little mistake. And, of course, there's the small minority of unicorns who weren't on board with him marrying a pegasus to begin with. If Presto is lucky, that might be enough for him to at least have a place to settle down and think about what to do with his career."

"That might be very difficult. He can only hope so many ponies still listen to his music on Amplify," Glamour said. "But what about you, Kernel? What are your personal feelings about the whole matter?"

Kernel pursed her lips and looked away, playing with her hooves before turning to face her host again.

"Honestly, Glamour, I still root for Presto and Pipp."

The audience sitting in front of the stage gasped as though Kernel had said a foul word. Hitch stared at the screen, flabbergasted that some pony would say that. Glamour also looked at Kernel, puzzled, before she put up her professional face and cleared her throat.

"Begging your pardon, Kernel, but Presto slept with another pony. I fail to see how anypony in their right mind could look past that and want him to marry her fiance even if she didn't get married to somepony else," Glamour said.

"What can I say? I remain a die-hard Prepp fan," Kernel said with a shrug. "Besides, we saw Presto kiss that other mare, and he did have his hoof somewhere that it shouldn't be, I grant you, but that doesn't automatically prove that they did it."

"Ha! Denial much?" Hitch asked.

"And besides, it's not as though he's the only one who did something completely unreasonable," Kernel continued. "The way I see it, Princess Pipp married another pony out of retribution against Presto. Sure, the ponies in the throne room were cheering for her to marry this other stallion, but think about it. What mature pony would marry somepony else right on the fly instead of just calling off the wedding? No disrespect to Pipp, but she had plenty of other options."

"I don't think Pipp planned to marry somepony else before going on stage," Glamour said, earning words of agreement from the audience.

"Looks can be deceiving, and one can only know so much of what is going on in a pony's mind during an unfortunate situation like that," Kernel said. "The point is there was fault on both sides. The bride and the groom each did something that ultimately messed up the relationship. Did one pony do something more horrible than what the other did? Yes. I can't condone what Presto did if he did sleep with that other mare. But I believe it's still possible he and Pipp could reconcile over time."

"Even though she's married?" Glamour asked.

"Of course, even though she's married," Kernel said. "Presto and Princess Pipp were together for 2 years and spent that time in the same city where he could visit her at the castle whenever he wanted. On top of that, they are both musicians, so they have a ton in common through that. But Princess Pipp and the sheriff of Maretime Bay? They only met that night, and I heard he returned to Maretime Bay without his wife today. How are they going to develop something when they live miles away? And what do they even have in common that could develop chemistry worth a spoonful of hay?"

The stage was silent after Kernel said her piece. After about 15 seconds, Glamour cleared her throat and said, "Right, why don't we go to commercial and ponder what Kernel Heartbeat just said? So stay tuned for Let's Talk with Glamour Puregold."

The audience politely applauded before the channel cut to a commercial. Hitch frowned and turned off the TV before getting off his chair and taking his dishes to the kitchen. As he filled the sink with hot, soapy water, Hitch huffed and began to pace as he dwelled on Kernel's words.

"I can't believe that mare," he grumbled. "I mean, it's nice to know it's not just me or the queen who is skeptical about this whole thing, but thinking Presto Tetrachord could get back together with the princess? And here I thought everypony at the wedding had lost their minds. I can only imagine how the queen and the princesses would react if they watched that. I mean, Sunny is right that I don't need to be threatened by Princess Zipp to be loyal to my wife."

Just as Hitch finished talking to himself, he noticed that his sink was almost full and he quickly turned off the faucet before it overflowed. He washed his plates and threw away his smoothie container in the trash before heading upstairs to the bathroom to brush his teeth. He then went to his bedroom and took off his satchel before hopping onto his bed, getting under the covers, and turning off his bed lamp. Hitch closed his eyes and let out a blissful sigh as he rested his head on his pillow and lay down on his side, ready to rest after another long day of work.

After a few minutes, Hitch began to roll back and forth until he opened his eyes with a frown. As silly as it was to let another pony get to him, Hitch couldn't deny that Kernel Heartbeat had a point about him and Pipp.

"What do the princess and I have in common?" He thought. "The queen and Princess Zipp brought up how ponies look up to us, but what about what we have in common personally? I enjoy her music, but is that enough to create the foundation of a relationship?"

Hitch lay on his back, staring at the ceiling as he pondered on the question. He then glanced at his satchel lying on the floor with his phone inside. After debating, he turned on his lamp and took out his phone and the instruction booklet from his satchel. He began reading the instruction booklet, but much of it was confusing or was something Peach had already explained.

Hitch then stopped at a page explaining how to call somepony with a smartphone. The green phone symbol and the blue talk bubble for calling and texting somepony made sense, but the instructions explaining the video camera symbol surprised Hitch. He heard all about texting when ponies in Maritime Bay began using cell phones, but he didn't hear anything about calling someone with video.

Curious, Hitch turned on his phone, opened the contacts app, and selected the contact profile for Pipp. A picture of Pipp giving a giddy smile appeared, and below it was her name, and the call, text, and video call icons.

"Okay, good. So, Princess Pipp and I can see each other when we call," Hitch said. "Now, how do video calls work?"

Hitch placed his phone on his bed, took out the instruction booklet again, and flipped through it until he saw a section discussing video calls. He put his hoof underneath the tiny text to keep track of where he was reading.

"Okay, that's for volume, that's for switching cameras, and that's for adjusting the screen," Hitch said to himself before looking back at his phone. "I guess the real question is when will we start calling each other. I mean, I'm on duty most of the day, and I can only imagine how busy Princess Pipp is going to be but with being a member of the royal family and -"

Just then, Hitch's phone rang, and a picture of Pipp appeared at the center of a screen with a blue background and white text saying, "You have a video call from Pipp" appeared. Hitch let out a yelp, taken aback that Pipp was calling him at that moment of all times. He opened the instruction booklet again to double-check which symbol on the bottom of the screen to answer the call, then swiped right on the video symbol. Pipp appeared on screen wearing a bathrobe, staring at the camera confused.

"Hello? Hitch? Are you there?" She asked.

Hitch looked confused until he saw an upright rectangle on the bottom right of the screen showing his bedroom floor. He scanned through the buttons in the bottom of the screen until he found and pressed the button for switching cameras. His face appeared on the smaller rectangle and Pipp smiled. Though the princess was not there in person, Hitch's cheeks heated up at the sight of her pretty smile.

"H-hi," he stuttered.

"Hi, Hitch," Pipp replied. "How's it going?"

"It's going… fine," Hitch said, mentally kicking himself in the head for coming up with a weak response. "How about you?"

"It's going well. I heard you got your phone earlier today, and I thought I could give you your first video call," Pipp said. "I'm not calling at a bad time. Am I?"

"No! No, not at all," Hitch said. "In fact, I was just in bed reading the instruction booklet for my phone. I had just finished reading the instructions on how to video call."

Pipp laughed and said, "Seriously? You read that just before I called you?"

"Yeah, talk about crazy good timing," Hitch said.

"Right?" Pipp asked.

Hitch and Pipp chuckled for a few seconds before silence took in, and Hitch scratched the back of his head.

"So…how was your day?" He asked.

Pipp smiled and said, "Oh, nothing special. Just worked on some music and checked videos and stuff on social media. How about you? Are you adjusting to having a smartphone okay?"

"Uh, more or less," Hitch said. "I have a friend who works at the phone store and explained the basics of using it."

"That's good to hear. I know a lot of unicorns and earth ponies had trouble figuring out how to use a smartphone," Pipp said.

"I don't blame them. Tell you the truth, I think this thing barely counts as a phone," Hitch said. "My idea of a phone is the one at the station plugged to the wall, and is used just for calls."

Pipp chuckled.

"I can't imagine what that's like. Smartphones have been around since I was little. To me, something barely counts as a phone if it's only used for calling. The idea of it not even being portable makes my skin crawl," she said.

"You really like having a phone with you, huh?" Hitch asked.

"Of course. I can do so many fun things with my phone, Bestie!" Pipp chirped. "I can play games, share my status, and make videos and pictures to share with the Pippsqueaks. The Canternet is a wonderful way to reach out to ponies all over Equestria. Who could ask for more?"

"Er, well, I've never thought of looking at it that way," Hitch said. "Anypony I want to connect with is in person in my hometown. Being the sheriff has been the best way to be connected to everypony."

"Really? I couldn't imagine it being that simple for me. Even when my only fans were the pegasi, I needed my phone. You can only reach out to so many ponies in person when you are a princess and a pop star," Pipp said before her smile weakened. "Still, your idea of being with everypony who looks up to you in person sounds lovely."

"Have you ever gone anywhere outside of your castle?" Hitch asked.

"Oh, absolutely. There are fundraisers, concerts, and holidays that Zipp, mom, and I have to make an appearance outside of Zephyr Heights Castle," Pipp said.

"But you've never left Zephyr Heights before?" Hitch asked.

Pipp's face fell, and she looked down from her phone, making Hitch squirm.

"No. Never," Pipp said. It was almost a whisper. "The closest I've ever gone to leaving Zephyr Heights was.. planning to go to Bridlewood with Presto for our honeymoon."

"Oh. I see," Hitch said, mentally kicking himself in the head again for saying something that led to Pipp thinking about Presto. "How, uh, how are you holding up with that, if you don't mind me asking?"

Pipp lifted her head to look at Hitch t with an appreciative smile.

"I'm taking it one day at a time," she said. "I think I can say I feel a little better now that he is no longer in Zephyr Heights."

"Yeah, I heard he's heading back to Bridlewood," Hitch said. "I bet ponies in Bridlewood are waiting at the forest's edge to throw pebbles at him when he gets there."

Pipp responded with a dry laugh, unamused yet appreciative that Hitch was trying to cheer her up by talking bad to her ex again. Hitch grew uneasy, knowing he wasn't improving a situation.

"Well, seeing as we're supposed to be visiting each other, why don't you visit me at Maretime Bay?" Hitch suggested.

"Really? You want me to visit first?" Pipp asked.

"Why not? Technically, I visited you first, so it only makes sense," Hitch said. "Besides, Sunny and Izzy will be there, and, no disrespect to Bridlewood, but maybe as far as going somewhere outside of your kingdom, Maretime Bay might be more special for you."

"You're just saying that because you're the sheriff, and you're technically obligated to say that about your hometown," Pipp said half teasingly.

"Obligation nothing. Maretime Bay is my home and I would gladly sing its praises," Hitch said. "I mean, it's no honeymoon in a forest full of crystals, but you might have a relaxing time in a seaside town.

Pipp didn't say anything at first, making Hitch worry. Then she rubbed her chin in thought and said with a smile, "You know what? That sounds perfect."

"Really?" Hitch asked.

"Really. I mean, you and I got to start somewhere with interacting with each other in person, and maybe someplace simpler would be a good place for vacation," Pipp said. "Plus, getting to know the ponies of Maretime Bay might help me make songs for that album I promised."

"Well, great," Hitch said. "I'm sure Sunny and Izzy will want to join showing you around -"

*Beep beep*

A pop-up appeared at the top of Hitch's screen, saying his phone's battery was at 15 percent. Hitch stammered and reached for the box containing the charger until he heard Pipp let out a sigh.

"Battery's almost out, huh?" She asked.

"How'd you know?" Hitch asked.

"I know the notification sound of a phone low on battery when I hear it, and you have the look of wanting to get your charger right away," Pipp said. "I should probably let you go before your phone dies."

Hitch's heart felt a pinch as he wished he could keep talking to Pipp.

"O…kay," he said, trying to hide his disappointment. "Maybe I could…call you next time?"

Pipp's smile faded, taken aback before giving Hitch a sweet smile.

"I'd like that," she said.

"Really?" Hitch asked.

"Really, really," Pipp said.

"Okay. Cool," Hitch said. "Good night."

"Good night, Hitch," Pipp said.

Pipp's video froze for a moment before her profile picture appeared with the words "call ended" above it. Hitch turned off the phone, then took out the charger from the box and plugged it into the outlet behind his bed lamp. After plugging his phone into the charger, he turned off his lamp and hopped back into bed, smiling as he closed his eyes. He laid still with a peaceful smile until his smile turned, and he growled while running his hooves through his hair.

"'Okay cool?' Really, Hitch? That's what you say when a princess permits you to call her? You're such a doofus," He grumbled to himself. "I bet Presto Tetracord and all the ponies still rooting for him and the princess to get back together would laugh their heads off at that!"

Hitch covered his face with his pillow to let out a yell, then rotated until he was on his front with his pillow to cover his head. After a minute, he lifted his pillow and looked at his phone charging. The screen showed the words "fast charging" with the number at 18%, but all Hitch could see was Pipp smiling at him though the screen was otherwise blank. The image in his mind made him feel better as he remembered that she still agreed to visit. He lifted his pillow from his head and rested his head against it again. Hitch stared at his phone, still imagining Pipp's face, until his eyes grew heavy, thinking about showing his wife around his peaceful, seaside town of Maretime Bay.

Chapter 9

The following morning, Hitch dropped by the Z-Heights store on the way to the sheriff's station. There, Peach Melba taught him that there were apps that drain a phone's battery more than others, such as Amplify and making video calls. Thus, Hitch brought his charger to work so that he wouldn't drain his phone's battery from listening to Pipp's music while working in case Pipp wanted to video call after work.

As the week passed, Hitch continued encountering ponies who had questions regarding him and Pipp. It became a routine to answer questions regarding the wedding, Presto, whether Hitch would live with Pipp in Zephyr Heights or her moving to Maretime Bay every time Hitch was on patrol. To Hitch's relief, the questions died down on Thursday as the community acknowledged Hitch's explanations of what happened at Zephyr Heights Castle and where things were going between him and Pipp. Periwinkle appreciated Hitch not revealing her as the pony behind the "Marry Me" sign. But while she was happy that Hitch was giving his marriage a chance, many other mares, such as Mayflower, Dahlia, Mountain Frost, and Peach Melba, didn't look or speak to Hitch with the sparkle in their eyes that they once had.

Come Friday, two weeks after the wedding, Hitch went to work with Pipp in mind. The last time Pipp called him, she announced she was visiting and expected to arrive sometime that day, but she didn't know when exactly. Hitch kept Pipp's visit a secret from everypony but Sunny, wanting to avoid any more excitement all over town. At noon, Hitch went to grab lunch while Sprout stayed in the sheriff's station ordering pizza. Hitch walked to Sunny's smoothie stand and got in line for a drink before grabbing his lunch at a nearby sandwich stand. Hitch hummed to Pipp's songs as he waited in line. When Hitch reached the front of the line, Sunny looked at him with a professional smile, but Hitch saw in her eyes that she was excited.

"Morning, Sheriff Hitch," Sunny greeted. "The usual blueberry plum swirl?"

"You bet," Hitch replied.

"Coming right up," Sunny said.

Sunny went to the back of the stand and began working on Hitch's order. Hitch went back to humming and tapped his front left hoof while he waited. When Sunny finished, Hitch reached into his satchel to take out money to pay for the smoothie. However, as Hitch dug into his satchel, Sunny looked around to make sure nopony else was around and smirked before leaning toward Hitch and holding her hoof up to hide her mouth.

"Psst. Hey, Hitch, any idea how soon Pipp will be here?" she whispered.

Hitch rolled his eyes, thinking he should have suspected Sunny would ask.

"No idea. She hasn't texted me since she left Zephyr Heights because there's no reception between Zephyr Heights and Maretime Bay," Hitch said.

"That's a shame. Are you hoping she comes soon?" Sunny asked.

Hitch looked away from Sunny, hesitant to answer.

"Yyyyyyeeesss, and no," he said.

"No? What do you mean, 'no?' Aren't you looking forward to her coming to see you?" Sunny asked.

"Sure, I am, but I'd like the princess to arrive when I'm off duty, so I have time to show her around town," Hitch said before adding while scratching his front leg, "Also, the later she comes, the higher the chance of ponies not going, well, ballistic."

Sunny gave Hitch an unamused frown and asked, "Seriously, Hitch? That's your biggest concern?"

"Well, what do you expect? If I told anypony she's coming apart from you, the whole town would want to set a parade or something in her honor when she's only here to see me," Hitch said.

"Hitch, you're married to the most beloved pony in all of Equestria. Everypony is going to lose it whether you tell them ahead of time or not," Sunny said. "Besides, what do you plan to do if Pipp does come when you're done with work? Show her around town in the middle of the night while everypony is asleep and then call it a day? I doubt she's coming all the way here just for that."

"No, you're right. She wouldn't," Hitch said with a sigh. "I just want to make time where it's just the two of us so we can find out whether or not we should stay married."

Sunny smiled warmly and said, "I understand, but her appearance will cause a lot of attention whenever she comes here. You probably will too whenever you visit her at Zephyr Heights. Queen Haven and Zipp never said anything about you and Pipp getting to know each other privately all the time."

"If that's the case, then maybe the princess and I should figure out how to spend time with less attention apart from calling or texting each other," Hitch said. "Otherwise, I should expect every visit to be her popping up and somepony saying -"

"IT'S PIPP!"

Hitch turned to find a horde of ponies running past him and Sunny, screaming joyfully. Hitch and Sunny looked ahead to find Pipp walking down the streets with Thunder and Zoom walking beside her and Zipp following. Zoom and Thunder stepped in front of Pipp and lifted their wings to keep ponies back as the citizens cheered and took pictures with their phones. One shopkeeper took a bouquet from his shop and ran over to offer them to Pipp. Pip smiled sweetly and reached over Zoom and Thunder's wings to take the flowers as she thanked the ponies for their enthusiastic welcome.

Hitch huffed and gave Sunny a look that said," You see what I mean?" He marched over to the crowd, with Sunny getting out of her stand to follow. Pipp noticed them coming from the corner of her eye and her smile brightened as she turned to Hitch and waved to him. Hitch's heart skipped a beat, but the moment was quickly dashed when he noticed Zipp looking at him over Pipp's shoulder. She was giving Hitch and Sunny a friendly smile, but deep in her cyan eyes Hitch could see that she was going to watch him very closely. Hitch gulped to hide any hint of fear and put on a professional face as he pushed through the crowd.

"All right, everypony, break it up," he ordered.

The ponies who noticed Hitch coming backed away, all too happy to give him room to come over to his wife. Zoom and Thunder lowered their wings to allow Hitch to pass, and Pipp's smile grew as Hitch stopped in front of her.

"H-hi," Hitch said while scratching the back of his head.

"Hi," Pipp said, moving her mane back.

The crowd "awww" ed, finding their awkward greeting adorable. Then Izzy pushed her way to the front of the crowd and shouted, "Kiss her, Hitch!"

"Yeah, kiss her!" A stallion agreed.

Before Hitch and Pipp knew it, the crowd was exclaiming words of agreement and telling them to kiss. Hitch and Pipp looked away from each other bashfully, with Hitch still rubbing the back of his head as their cheeks turned pink. They then faced each other, and Hitch awkwardly leaned his head toward Pipp. Pipp chuckled with her mouth closed, finding Hitch's attempts to make the first move cute, and leaned in for a peck on the lips. They looked away from each other again with their cheeks turning cherry red, and ponies cheered while some took videos of the kiss.

"All right, everypony, let's leave Hitch and Pipp alone,'' Sunny said, stepping between Hitch and Pipp and the crowd. "Pipp came all the way from Zephyr Heights to spend time with Hitch, so let's leave them be."

Some of the ponies "aww" ed in disappointment but reluctantly agreed. Thus, the crowd dispersed, leaving only Hitch, Pipp, Zipp, Sunny, Izzy, Zoom, and Thunder left. Hitch and Pipp continued to look away from each other, with Hitch giving Sunny a thankful look. After half a minute, Hitch cleared his throat and turned to Pipp, still not looking at her.

"So… how is your trip?" Hitch asked.

Pipp turned back to Hitch and said, "It was a nightmare not being able to use Bestie, but Zipp was here to keep me company, so I managed."

"Yeah, Zipp. You didn't mention you were bringing your sister with you," Hitch said.

“That's because I'm a last-minute addition," Zipp said. "When Pipp told me she was coming to visit you, I thought it would be nice to visit Maretime Bay myself. After all, I've never been outside of Zephyr Heights either, so why not fix that when my sister comes to visit you?"

"Well, you are both welcome to come and visit our home, Zipp," Sunny said.

"Yeah, the more princesses the better," Izzy said.

"Thanks, you two," Pipp said. "Now, I hope our arrival wasn't disrupting your patrol, Hitch."

"Oh, no. Not at all," Hitch assured. "In fact, I was about to grab some lunch."

Sunny gasped and said, "Hitch, your smoothie is still on the counter."

Pipp and Zipp's eyes widened, and the former said, "Oh, my glitter, lunch with a smoothie sounds so wonderful. We haven't eaten lunch either, and after so much walking, a smoothie sounds wonderful. I'm so thirsty I could chug an entire smoothie in 10 seconds."

"Ha! That's cute, Sis. I could chug an entire smoothie in less than 10 seconds," Zipp said.

Hitch laughed and said, "That's nice, Your Highnesses, but it just so happens I hold the record for drinking an entire, large smoothie the fastest."

"Oh, is that a fact?" Zipp asked with a smirk. "In that case why don't you prove that with a little competition? If either I or Pipp beat you, you have to pay for both of our drinks."

"You're on," Hitch said. "Don't say I didn't warn you about going against a champion."

"Hee hee. In-laws smack talking. This is going to be fun," Izzy said.

"Alright then, everypony, follow me to my stand," Sunny said.

Hitch, Pipp, Zipp, Izzy, Zoom, and Thunder followed Sunny, with Pipp walking beside Hitch. Sunny went back inside her stand and held out Hitch's smoothie to him until she gasped and pulled back.

"Wait a minute. This smoothie has probably melted a little after being left alone to welcome Pipp and Zipp," she said. "I'll make another smoothie so that you all have fresh smoothies to keep it fair."

"Fine with me. It won't help the princesses," Hitch said.

"Oh, ho! I'm gonna make you eat those words, Sheriff," Zipp said. "Anyway, I'll take a strawberry and raspberry mix, Sunny."

"An orange and kiwi smoothie would be fabulous," Pipp said, singing the last word.

"Coming right up," Sunny said. "Who wants Hitch's old smoothie?"

"Oooo. Me! Me! Me!" Thunder exclaimed, waving his hoof.

With a chuckle, Sunny gave Thunder the smoothie and began working on the other three smoothies. As they waited for their drinks, Hitch and Zipp gave each other competitive smirks that made Izzy giggle and Pipp smile in amusement. When Sunny finished, she handed Hitch, Pipp, and Zipp their smoothies and then took out a timer. She paused for a few seconds to build up the suspense.

"On your marks…get set…GO!" Sunny exclaimed.

Immediately, Hitch, Pipp, and Sunny began wolfing down their smoothies. Hitch and Zipp continued glancing at each other, trying to intimidate the other by showing off how fast they were drinking. Izzy, Zoom, and Thunder watched Hitch and Zipp closely as they consumed three-quarters of their smoothies. Eventually, Hitch grew closer to finishing first, exciting everypony until they heard Pipp slamming her cup on the counter.

"Totally done!" She boasted with a hiccup.

Izzy, Zoom, and Thunder looked at the younger princess, shocked, while Sunny stopped her timer. Hitch finished his smoothie six seconds later, and Zipp finished last three seconds after Hitch. Hitch and Zipp panted before turning to Pipp, astonished to see her victorious.

"7.1 seconds. We have a new Gulpathon record!" Sunny announced. "Princess Pipp Trailblazer is our new champion!"

Sunny, Izzy, Zoom, and Thunder cheered while Pipp gave Hitch and Zipp a smug look. Hitch started back, stunned that he had been beaten and that Pipp finished her drink in less than 10 seconds. Pipp gestured to Hitch with her head to pay up, and Hitch sighed as he paid Sunny for Pipp and Zipp's smoothies. Zipp gave her sister a hoof bump, then turned to Hitch.

"Gotta admit, Sheriff, I'm impressed," she said. "I consider myself pretty fast when I want to be, and it usually leads to me winning a lot of contests back at home. So, as baffled as I am that Pipp beat both of us, I have to give you credit that you're not all talk since you finished before me. So, nice job."

"Thanks, Your Highness," Hitch said.

"Ah, just call me Zipp like everyone else," Zipp said. "Just keep in mind giving you permission to call me by my real name doesn't mean I'm not still watching you."

"That's fair," Hitch said.

Zipp smirked and nodded in approval. Hitch smiled back in respect until their faces fell, and they pursed their lips before holding their heads and whimpering and agony. Pipp followed suit, screaming, "ouch," rapidly and repeatedly while Sunny shook her head.

"It never fails. One large smoothie and you get a nasty brain freeze," she said. "That's the price you pay when participating in a Gulpathon."

"Yeah, but it was totally worth it," Pipp said with a smile to hide her pain. "My thirst is quenched, I got my drink for free, and now I'm the new Gulpathon champion in Maretime Bay."

"A triple score for sure,'' Sunny added before turning to Hitch with a smirk. "And if memory serves correctly, both you and the former champion have yet to have lunch, so may I suggest that you go find a place to eat with Hitch paying for both of you?"

"Both? Why am I paying for both of us?" Hitch asked while still massaging his head.

"Duh, because she is a guest and your wife. Everypony knows the husband pays for both meals on a date," Sunny said.

"Yeah, Hitch, that should be obvious for a gentlecolt like you," Izzy said.

Hitch opened his mouth to protest, but all he could do was sputter until he huffed and lowered his head in defeat.

"Fine, but we're going to have to do takeouts. I'm still on duty," he said.

"Oh, come on, Hitch, the sheriff's station isn't going to miss you. You did promise a tour of the town," Sunny rebuked.

"I know, but I don't like the idea of leaving Sprout alone for too long,'' Hitch said.

"Who is Sprout?" Pipp asked.

"He's my deputy. I need to keep an eye on him because he is still a little prejudiced against unicorns and pegasi," Hitch said. "The only creatures I consider obedient in the station are the critters."

Pipp's eyes widened, and she let out a loud gasp.

"You have critters?!" she asked.

"Yeah, a couple of seagulls and a crab," Hitch said.

"Oooo. I want to see the critters!" Pipp chirped. "Let's grab food and eat at the sheriff's station so I can meet the critters!"

"Are you sure? The station isn't the fanciest place for two ponies to eat out together," Hitch said.

"I don't mind," Pipp said. "Besides, you did promise me a tour, and it only makes sense that I visit your job at some point. So, might as well, right?"

Sunny and Zipp gave Pipp concerned looks, thinking she may be too kind to Hitch, who was not yet putting Pipp before his badge. Hitch, on the other hand, smiled and said, "Well then, what are we waiting for?"

With that, Hitch and Pipp walked away, with Pipp giving everypony else a wave. Everypony silently watched as Hitch and Pipp left, and Zoom turned to Zipp with a salute.

"Your Highness, do you want us to follow them?" She asked.

Zipp's frown deepened as she thought about it, then said, "Yes, but be discreet. Keep a close eye on the sheriff's station outside. Be ready to come to Pipp's aid should anything happen."

"Very good, Your Highness," Zoom said as she and Thunder saluted.

The royal guards marched in Hitch and Pipp's direction, keeping at a distance. Zipp kept her eye on Pipp and Hitch as they walked away until Sunny put her hoof on her shoulder.

"Don't worry, Zipp. Your sister will be fine," Sunny said. "Married or not, Pipp couldn't be in safer hands in Maritime Bay."

Zipp kept her gaze momentarily before she sighed and turned to Sunny.

"Maybe you're right, but it's going to take more than your words to assure me," Zipp said. "Besides, Presto was somepony we thought we didn't have to worry about either, so I see no reason to believe that this will be different right away."

"I understand. Just know for the record that I believe you are worrying for nothing," Sunny said. "In the meantime, I still have work to do, but how about Izzy gives you your own tour around town?"

Izzy let out a long gasp with her face stretching from ear to ear.

"Showing a new friend around my new home?!" she squealed. "This is going to be the best! I can even show you where I get my materials for unicycling!"

Zipp hesitated, not wanting to spend her time working on arts and crafts, but after a moment, she accepted there no there's no other choice, for she had nothing better to do with Zoom and Thunder keeping an eye on Pipp in her stead.

"Sure. Why not?" she answered with a forced grin.

"Yay!" Izzy squealed. "I hope you like glitter cause our first stop is showing you the store where I get, like, boatloads of it in many colors."

Zipp chuckled while keeping her forced grin as Izzy took her by the hoof and began dragging her to the arts and crafts store. Sunny giggled as she watched them go and went back inside her stand just as more customers began coming. As Sunny began making smoothies, she looked in the direction of the sheriff’s station.

"Hitch, please start opening up more."

Chapter 10 Author's Note

Hey, everypony! Before you read this new chapter, I'm hoping that you, my dear readers, can do me a solid. My very special somepony, Adar, who is a cosplayer is competing in this contest where she could be voted to be the cosplayer star. If she wins, she can appear in Star Magazine and take home $10,000, which would be very helpful for her and her mom.

The way you vote for Adar is by donating to a charity called Starlight Children's Fountain, which is dedicated to delivering happiness to seriously ill kids. A big reason why Adar decided to join this contest is because this is a cause that means a lot to her. It's her ultimate goal to pursue oncology research and establish a school-based clinic called All God's Children, in addition to specializing in pediatric oncology in medical school. Whether she wins or loses, it will mean a lot to her if you donate to Starlight Children's Fountain.

So, follow the link below to vote and share the link to family and friends who would love to donate for this charity. You can cast votes until the contest ends on 3/31/2023. Also, be sure to check out pictures of Adar in her various cosplaying outfits at the bottom of her page.

https://cosplaystar.org/2023/adar-johnson

Anyway, I hope you enjoy chapter 10 of Why Not? Sure. I'll Marry You.

Chapter 10

Hitch and Pipp wandered around town, trying to decide what to get for lunch. Each restaurant looked more attractive to Pipp than the last. Half the time, she was distracted by ponies expressing joy to see her in person. When Pipp found Maretime Bay had a trolly, she begged Hitch to ride it together. Her pleas made her look like a spoiled little filly, but Hitch was glad she enjoyed seeing his town.

Eventually, as they rode the trolley, they found a grilled cheese sandwich stand and decided to grab food there. When the owner of the stand, an earth pony, saw them coming, he let out a high-pitched squeal and began rambling about how many times he had listened to Pipp's music since his friend, a pegasus, introduced him to it. Pipp laughed and said yes when the owner asked for a picture. He offered to have their lunch be on the house, but Pipp politely refused, not wanting to keep her fan from earning money for his business.

After Hitch paid, they took their sandwiches and chips bags and headed to the station. The seagulls and the crab were sleeping on the sign, having gotten drowsy from waiting for Hitch to come back. Pipp "awww"ed at the sight of the critters and took a picture on her phone right before the critters woke up. The seagulls chirped, and the crab clapped its claws at the sight of Pipp. The seagulls flew down with one of them carrying the crab and landed in front of Hitch and Pipp. Pipp knelt before the critters, still taking pictures as she smiled at them.

"Hello, little ones. Aren't you just the cutest?" Pipp greeted. "What are their names?"

Hitch's eyes widened and he looked away with a sheepish grin as he said, "You know, now that you mention it, I haven't given them any names."

"What? How could you have these little cuties around when you are at work and don't have names for them?" Pipp asked.

"It just never crossed my mind,'' Hitch said. "Truth be told, they're not my pets or anything like that. There's just something about little creatures that just drives them to want to be around me. I'm practically a magnet."

Pipp tilted her head and rubbed her chin, puzzled.

"Well, I guess that makes sense. I mean, Cloudpuff was immediately taken with you at the wedding, and that doesn't normally happen," Pipp said.

"Cloudpuff? Hitch asked.

"Our family dog. The one who was the ring bearer," Pipp explained. "He's always been such a friendly puppy, but the way he was excited when you got on stage - that's not like him when meeting new ponies. In fact, he seemed rather ecstatic when I talked Mom into making our marriage legal."

"Really?" Hitch asked, earning a nod from Pipp. "Well, then, I guess Cloudpuff makes an excellent example."

"I guess so," Pipp giggled. "Anyway, let's get inside before our sandwiches get cold."

Hitch nodded, and they headed to the station entrance with the critters following. When they went inside, Hitch found Sprout leaning against his chair, snoring with his head facing the ceiling and an empty pizza box on his desk. Hitch huffed and shook his head before he put his food on his desk and looked for a folded chair.

"Is that Sprout?" Pipp asked.

"Yup," Hitch answered with disappointment and his voice.

"Oh. Zipp mentioned something about Zoom needing to keep an eye on a deputy whenever you visit me. I'm guessing this is an example of why?" Pipp asked.

"Yep. If you don't count the critters, it's just Sprout and me upholding the law," Hitch answered. "Sprout, however, tends not to take his job particularly seriously even if you take away his prejudice."

"What do you mean?" Pipp asked.

"He tends to loaf around more than anything," Hitch explained as he set a chair at the side of his desk. "He'll do some paperwork or do assignments when I tell him to, but he'll be very reluctant."

"Why is he still your deputy even though he doesn't really do his job?" Pipp asked.

"Because we've been friends since we were colts, and there aren't any other ponies interested in being a deputy. Not like Sprout anyway," Hitch said before he bit his lip. "Also, I feel compelled to keep an eye on him because of his prejudice."

"Oh," Pipp said, slightly taken aback, before turning to Sprout. "I guess that makes sense. It's my understanding that Maretime Bay has the most ponies who are still opposed to the unity between all three pony kinds. No offense."

"None taken," Hitch said as he cleared the papers on his desk. "Anyway, shall we dig in?"

Pipp's cheerful demeanor returned, and she nodded before sitting on the folded chair. Hitch opened his bag of chips while Pipp undid the wrapping around her sandwich. As soon as she took a bite of her sandwich and let out a pleased "mmm" as soon as the warm cheese and toasted bread touched her tongue. She slowly chewed with her eyes closed before she swallowed and immediately took another bite.

"Oh, my, glitter, this is so good," she said with her mouth full. "Either I just haven't eaten grilled cheese in forever, or this is the best grilled cheese ever made."

"Heh. I don't know about the best ever made, but I do know that Cheddar Biscuit knows how to make some pretty good cheese sandwiches," Hitch said.

"Do you go to that stand on your lunch break?" Pipp asked.

"Occasionally. It depends on what food I'm feeling or if I don't bring my lunch," Hitch said. "It's Sprout who's always consistent. He always orders at the same place and eats it all without breaking a sweat."

"Seriously?" Pipp asked as she turned to the empty pizza box. "He ate that entire pie while you were gone?"

"Pretty much," Hitch said.

Pipp shook her head in disbelief as she stared at the sleeping Sprout.

"Unbelievable. He doesn't look like someone who eats so much pizza," she said. "I am a little jealous of his metabolism."

"Yeah, that's probably one thing you can count on Sprout doing while on duty," Hitch said.

Pipp hummed in acknowledgment before taking another bite of her sandwich. For a couple of minutes, Hitch and Pipp ate in silence, with Hitch finishing his chips and getting started on his sandwich. Pipp had a few bites of her sandwich left before she stopped and glanced at Sprout again with unease.

"So, why is Sprout still prejudiced against unicorns and pegasi?" She asked.

Hitch furrowed his brow and put down his sandwich.

"I think it has to do with this upbringing," he said. "You see, he was raised by his mom, Philis Cloverleaf."

"The mare who was making all those contraptions to combat unicorns and pegasi?" Pipp asked.

"The very same," Hitch answered. "Mrs. Cloverleaf was very passionate about protecting earth ponies and ensuring they were prepared in case of an attack from other ponies. I guess you could say following her example was Sprout's motivation to be an enforcement of the law despite the fact that he puts so little effort into it. I think it's fair to say that, even if Mrs. Cloverleaf has accepted there's nothing to be afraid of, Sprout has been raised with so much claim of danger against him and his fellow earth ponies that it will probably take a miracle for him to open up."

Pipp frowned and gave the snoring Sprout a look of pity. She understood not letting one's guard down after years of believing earth ponies were unintelligent creatures and unicorns were all-powerful menaces. Even so, the idea of ponies still hating ponies who weren't their race despite the joy of all three pony kinds united made Pipp's heart ache. It reminded her that no matter what she did as a public figure, she couldn't make all ponies and Equestria happy, no matter who they were.

Suddenly, Sprout let out a loud snort and yelped as he jumped as though somepony put several volts through his body. He leaned against his desk and groaned as he slowly opened his eyes. He lifted his head to see Hitch glaring and saluted, sitting straight.

"I didn't sleep, Hitch!" Sprout exclaimed. "I've been working on my paperwork just like you said! No one drop of pizza grease is on a sheet of -"

As Sprout made his excuse, he noticed Pipp from the corner of his eye. He froze up, and the blood drained from his face, turning it into a pale shade of red. Before Pipp opened her mouth to greet Sprout, Sprout let out a high-pitched scream and hid under his desk. He rushed to get under so fast that he rammed his head against the desk's back support. As Sprout rubbed the top of his head, he looked behind to find Pipp crouching with a worried face.

"Are you all right?" she asked.

Sprout yelped again and tried to move further away from Pipp, but he could barely fit underneath the desk. Pipp crouched down further and stretched her hoof to Sprout, but the gesture scared him even more.

"Hey, it's okay. It's okay. I'm not going to hurt you," Pipp said as though she were talking to a frightened little critter.

"Y-yeah. S-s-sure. Right. You're just waiting for me to let my guard down before snatching me up and taking me away. I know you're part of the Royal Family and that you can fly," Sprout whimpered.

Pipp frowned and rolled her eyes, half tempted to reveal that she, Zipp, and Haven couldn't fly.

"Now, why would I do a thing like that?" she asked. "For that matter, what's so scary about a pegasus grabbing a pony and carrying them up in the air? Are you afraid I will send you to the moon or something?"

"M-m-maybe," Sprout stuttered.

"Sprout, come out of there. You're not in any danger. Quit acting like a baby," Hitch rebuked as he got off his seat and walked over to stand next to Pipp.

"But she suggested taking me up to the moon!" Sprouts protested. "She obviously wouldn't have said that if she had if she hadn't done that to anypony before!"

Hitch and Pipp looked at each other with unamused looks like annoyed parents struggling to teach their foal a lesson. Pipp turned back to Sprout and sat down on her front completely as she gave him a comforting smile.

"Sprout, has there ever been a point in the history of Equestria where a pegasus snatches some pony and takes them to the moon?" She asked.

Sprout stopped shaking and paused momentarily before stuttering, "N-no."

"Has a pegasus ever been known to fly to the moon?" Pipp asked.

"Well, no, but maybe you can take somepony to the moon, and you just don't know it because you never tried," Sprout said.

Pipp tilted her head with a befuddled face and spread her wings as she said, "Are you messing with me? Look at my wings. They're so light and poofy. Do they look like they can carry other ponies into the air besides me? The sky is so high up that no pegasus can even come close to reaching the moon. They tire out before they even make it to the atmosphere back when there was magic."

"You don't know that," Sprouts said.

"Don't I? I'm one of the few pegasi that can fly. Remember?" Pipp countered. "Our wings are part of our bodies and they can tire from flapping just as easily as somepony can get tired from running. My mom, sister and I don't even like to fly except for my concerts and things like that. If those are the only times you have ever heard about the three of us flying, then you're obviously in no danger at all."

Sprout's shaking died down until his body became completely still. Hitch tilted his head, unsure of whether or not to be hopeful, then his eyes widened and his mouth hung open as he saw Sprout rubbing his chin in thought. In all the years Hitch had known Sprout, he had never seen his friend take a moment to consider anything. He always wanted Sprout to change for the better, especially when all three ponykinds made peace, but deep down, Hitch thought there were better chances of lightning striking the same spot twice or the air turning into gold. And yet, with this one moment of kindness and patience, Pipp was helping Sprout realize he was in the wrong.

"I…I've never thought of that," Sprout admitted. "You really can tire from flapping your wings?"

"Of course, I can. Heck, if you ask literally any pegasus whether they can fly or not, I bet my tiara that they would say the same thing." Pipp said. "Now, come on. Get out of there. You look silly huddled under your desk like that."

For a moment, Sprout remained still. Then, he slowly moved away from his desk with his eyes still on Pipp like a wild animal unsure to accept whether a stranger was friendly or dangerous. Finally, Sprout stood up, facing Pipp, who looked at him with another friendly smile.

"There, that's better," she said as she extended her hoof. "My name is Pipp. Nice to meet you, Sprout."

Sprout hesitated again before he held out his hoof with an uncomfortable grin. Pipp's smile grew as they shook hooves. When they parted, Pipp turned to Hitch, who was still staring with his mouth hanging a gape. She couldn't help but snicker as Hitch snapped out of it and turned to Sprout.

"Right," he began, clearing his throat. "Now that we have that out of the way get back to your paperwork, Sprout."

"Yes, Hitch," Sprout said half-heartedly.

Sprout threw the pizza box in the trash bin and went back to writing his report while Hitch and Pipp returned to Hitch's desk and continued their lunch. As Hitch ate his sandwich, he saw Sprout glancing at Pipp. The deputy looked at her in amazement as though she had given him philosophical knowledge that blew his mind. Sprout noticed Hitch looking at him from the corner of his eye and cleared his throat as he went back to his paperwork. Hitch looked between Sprout and Pipp, more amazed by Pipp's incredible deed. He scooted his chair to Pipp and leaned his head toward her as she ate her chips.

"Your Highness, you are a miracle worker," Hitch whispered. "I can't believe Sprout even listened to you, much less accepted your logic."

Pipp giggled before she swallowed and leaned her head closer to Hitch.

"To be honest, I'm surprised too," she said. "Zipp's the voice of reason between the two of us sisters. I guess his fears were so ridiculous that I couldn't help but describe in detail how completely outrageous they are."

"Evidently," Hitch said. "Regardless, you have given me a shred of hope with Sprout getting rid of his prejudice, and for that, I am in your debt as Sprout's employer and friend."

"In your debt? That's a little over the top," Pipp chortled.

"Maybe, you still made massive progress. I may grow more comfortable with leaving Maritime Bay to visit you. Or, at the very least, Sprout might not be too much trouble for your guards."

"Hmmm. Is that so? Pip asked, rubbing her chin with a smirk. "Well, when you put it like that, then I guess you are totally in my debt. And I have a few ideas on how you can fulfill that debt."

"Oh, dear. What do you have in mind?" Hitch asked.

Pipp let out a mischievous giggle and said, "Don't worry. I'm not planning anything cruel or sinister. And I don't plan on making you do anything right now. You're just going to have to wait and see. In the meantime, let's finish our lunch already, and then you can show me what you do here at the station when you're on duty."

"Are you sure you want to see that?" Hitch asked. "I'm just going to be filing paperwork. It's nothing exciting."

"Maybe, but I'd like to watch," Pipp said. "After all, the main purpose of this visit is to get to know you. Worst case scenario, I can just be on my phone, and we can do something else when you're done."

"All right, suit yourself," Hitch said.

In a few minutes, Hitch and Pipp finished their lunch and rested against their chairs, satisfied. Pipp threw the bags in the trash bin while Hitch took out his pen from the drawer and his phone and headphones from his satchel. Pipp's eyes lit up as she saw Hitch take out his headphones and plugged them into his phone.

"You listen to music while you work?" She asked.

"Oh, yeah," Hitch said with his cheeks turning pink. "I, uh, might have developed a…habit of listening to your music while I'm filing paperwork."

"Awww. Really?" Pipp asked with her hoof on her heart.

"Yeah, I meant it when I told Presto I became a fan at the wedding," Hitch said, scratching his head.

"Hitch, that's so sweet," Pipp said. "Do you mind if I listen with you while you work?"

"How can we do that? There's only one set of headphones," Hitch asked.

"Leave it to me. I always come prepared for something like this," Pipp said with pride.

She reached into her wing and took out a little device with the tip of it split into two directions. Hitch gave the device a puzzled look as it looked like somepony had cut the end of a set of headphones off the cord, removed the jack (or the plug,) and split it down the middle. Pipp covered her mouth to hide another giggle as she watched Hitch. It was cute how her husband saw more of the world of technological advancement he had never known.

"It's a splitter. You plug it into the phone, then plug two headphones on the two ends, so two ponies can listen to the music simultaneously," Pipp explained.

"Really? It can do that?" Hitch asked.

"Of course, it can. This is something that the pegasi have had for many moons," Pipp said.

Hitch looked at the branch and then at Pipp before he smiled and said, "Then what are we waiting for?"

"Yay!" Pipp exclaimed.

She disconnected Hitch's headphones and plugged the splitter into them. She then took out her headphones from underneath her wing, and then she and Hitch plugged their respective headphones into the splitter. The two of them looked at each other, smiling before Hitch opened Amplify and randomly selected one of Pipp's songs.

As the song played, Pipp's smile grew and she began humming to her song while Hitch began writing. A few minutes into the song, Hitch glanced at Pipp, and the edge of his mouth curled up before returning to his paperwork. Even though he couldn't hear her humming because of his headphones, he was glad that Pipp was enjoying herself while she looked over his shoulder to watch him work. Hitch looked up at Sprout, who didn't look disturbed by Pipp's singing as he wrote his report, and his smile grew as he grew more hopeful that Sprout may change his ways.

Chapter 11

Something has gone wrong. We don't seem to have an archived copy of that chapter.

Chapter 12 Author's Note

Wassup, everypony?

So, firstly, I have finished writing my Pokemon Titanic story. Unfortunately, I had completed the second to last round of editing around the same time the titan submarine that was going down to the Titanic itself imploded and killed five people. Since it would be a bit inappropriate to publish a story connect to a recent tragedy, I'm holding off publishing the story for a couple of months. Regardless, now that I've completed the story, I can focus more on Why Not? Sure. I'll Marry You.

On that note, I want to make something clear before you read this chapter. This is starting a subplot which Sprout is a part of and it establishes Sprout as horrible at spelling and grammar. I know I brought this up before in chapter 2, but considering this is putting more focus into it I want to stress that I'm not focusing on this as a means to make Sprout come off as mentally disabled or let out any contempt I have for the character like some fanfiction writers do when they hate certain characters. I'm doing it because it is hinted in the movie that he can't spell judging by the way he created his paper name plaque on his desk. Ultimately, I'm making do with what little material I have to work with a character who appears so rarely.

With that out of the way, I hope you enjoy this new chapter!

Chapter 12

Sprout saw Hitch in high spirits since Pipp's visit to Maritime Bay. He was used to seeing Hitch in a chipper mood, always happy to serve the ponies of Maretime Bay as the sheriff, but the stallion that Sprout had known since they were colts was particularly giddy.

Sprout was reluctant to admit that he understood to a degree. Pipp was surprisingly nice to Sprout even when he thought she would harm him. How she smiled at him once he began to see a reason was etched on his mind. Since she visited, Sprout pondered how his fears against the pegasi were silly, as though he only now accepted as a grown stallion that there were no monsters in his closet or under his bed. If nothing else, Phyllis was pleased that the seeds had been planted in Sprout's mind.

A few weeks passed since Pipp's trip, and Sprout was on his way to work. Walking down the main streets from Phyllis's house, he noticed ponies walking by with bright smiles. Some even greeted him, “Good morning,” as though they were long-time friends with Sprout. Indeed, Maretime Bay had become a more cheerful and friendly place ever since the sheriff's wife visited, even if she was only in town for less than 24 hours. Sprout was uneasy with the upbeat manner unusual for the ponies of Maretime Bay, particularly the unicorns and the pegasi, who knew he was still prejudiced against them. Still, it was nice to see the citizens so happy, especially if it meant getting positive attention from the citizens as the deputy for a change.

Sprout arrived at the sheriff's station, carrying a bag of donuts and a bottle of chocolate milk with one hoof. The critters were sleeping on the sign, expected to wake up when Hitch arrived as per routine. Sprout went inside the station and went to his desk to eat his breakfast.

At 7 o'clock sharp, Hitch came in through the front doors, but, to Sprout's confusion, he didn't give the station a good morning like he regularly did. He was followed by the critters walking behind him in a straight line and then by Zoom and Thunder with military duffle bags on their backs. Sprout's ears hang low at the sight of the royal guards, worried that something serious was happening.

"Sprout, allow me to introduce you to Zoom Zephyrwing and Thunder Flap," Hitch said. "They're the ones that are going to hold the fort while I'm in Zephyr Heights."

"What? You're leaving for Zephyr Heights? When did you decide this all of the sudden?" Sprout asked.

Hitch furrowed his brow and said, "Sprout, I told you I was going a week in advance. I put it on the calendar."

Sprout looked past Hitch to see on the calendar past him to see on the calendar hanging next to the front doors that Hitch indeed wrote that he would be leaving for Zephyr Heights on Friday the 8th. Sprout chuckled sheepishly, and Hitch rolled his eyes and shook his head.

"You gotta be kidding me," Hitch said under his breath before he spoke up. "Alright then, let me repeat what I told you. I'm going to be spending a week at Zephyr Heights Castle. Including traveling time, I'll be gone for about 11 days. While I'm gone, Zoom is in charge as acting Sheriff, and you and Thunder will serve as her deputies. I expect you to treat Zoom with the respect you give me. Is that understood?"

"Yes, sir," Sprout huffed.

"Good," Hitch said before taking out his set of keys and turned to Zoom. "Here are the keys to the station and my house. Make yourselves at home while I'm away. I'm trusting you have memorized Maretime Bay law and will look after my town to the letter. If there's any sort of trouble that requires you to contact me, don't hesitate to send a message."

"Sheriff Trailblazer, we will protect your town as though it were Zephyr Heights Castle. You have our word," Zoom said as she and Thunder saluted.

"Okay, okay, at ease. No need for that," Hitch said with a chuckle before turning to Sprout. "See you in a week and a half, Sprout,"

"Yeah, yeah. See ya," Sprout said halfheartedly.

Hitch frowned and shook his head again, mentally praying Sprout wouldn't cause too much trouble for Queen Haven's guards as he exited the station. The seagulls and the crab chased him, planning to follow him to the end of the town's borders before bidding him goodbye. Zoom took her duffle bag off her back and began scanning the station to be familiar with its interior. Sprout scoffed as he watched Zoom while eating a donut, knowing there was not much for the pegasus to look at. After inspecting, Zoom hummed and nodded before turning to Thunder.

"Thunder, take our bags to the sheriff's house, then begin the morning rounds," Zoom commanded.

"Morning rounds?" Thunder asked.

"Yes, the morning rounds. We've gone over the sheriff's schedule a hundred times," Zoom said. "How can we be studying his schedule, going over the rules, and studying a map of this town the entire trip, and yet you can't remember the first thing we're supposed to do in the sheriff's place?"

Thunder paused before shrugging with a sheepish grin. Zoom huffed, and face hoofed like she was getting a headache. Sprout smirked while eating his donut, amused with what was happening between the two pegasi.

"Just drop off our bags and patrol the streets," Zoom said.

"Yes, ma'am," Thunder said, still grinning in embarrassment.

Thunder put Zoom's bag on top of his bag, and the bags wobbled as he struggled to balance them on his back. He pushed the door open with his plot, and Sprout let out a low chuckle as the private exited the station. Sprout then reached into his bag and took out a jelly-filled long john. He licked his lips and opened his mouth to take a bite before noticing Zoom standing in front of his desk, looking daggers at him.

"What?" Sprout asked rudely.

"Get to work," Zoom said.

Sprout scoffed and said, "Yeah, yeah. I'll get to it after breakfast."

He opened his mouth again, but before his teeth could pierce the donut, Zoom snatched it from his hoof and put it back in the bag. Before Sprout could react, Zoom tossed his bag of donuts and chocolate milk into the air, landing on the highest shelf of binders.

"Hey, I wasn't done," Sprout protested.

"You can finish your fattening breakfast when you're not on the clock," Zoom said.

"That's not fair! Hitch lets me finish my breakfast before getting to work!" Sprout whined.

"Well, I'm not the sheriff. As far as I'm concerned, you're on the clock, so you have to get to work, no ifs and or butts. Now, start working on your reports, Deputy Depooty."

"Just because Hitch put you in charge doesn't mean you can boss me around like I'm in the royal guard with you and your buddy," Sprout said. "And for your information, my name is not Depooty. It's Sprout. Sprout Cloverleaf."

Zoom's commanding expression faded into a look of puzzlement.

"It's not?" she asked. "Then, why is that the name on your name plaque?"

Sprout looked at her, equally confused, until Zoom pointed at his name plaque made of paper. It took him a moment to realize the confusion before he cackled, confident that he had the upper hand.

"That's my deputy name plaque," he said triumphantly.

But instead of Zoom feeling embarrassed, Sprout's answer was met with a snort. Zoom looked between Sprout and his name plaque, covering her mouth as she began snickering.

"You're joking. Come on, you have to be joking. You're trying to mess with me on my first day running this town," Zoom said.

"What are you blind? That obviously spells deputy. Look at it closely. De-pu-ty," Sprout said, using his hoof to point at the letters on his name plaque by syllable.

His efforts only made Zoom snicker more. His ears hung low as he became unsure whether to feel embarrassed. The snicker became a low giggle as Sprout's incapacity to spell 'deputy' hit Zoom more.

"That's not how you spell deputy, doofus," Zoom chortled. "How in Equestria has your supervisor not told you Deputy is spelled with a u and not two o's? I mean, if this is how it is just spelling your rank, your reports must be -"

Zoom stopped in mid-sentence, and her eyes widened as it hit her. She glanced at the five-page report lying on Sprout's desk, and the left edge of her mouth curled up. Sprout glanced between Zoom and the report, and his eyes widened, realizing what was on the mare's mind. With Hitch fixing Sprout's reports without telling him, the lazy deputy thought there was nothing wrong with any of his writing, and yet the way Zoon looked at his paperwork gave him a twitch of fear. Sprout grabbed the paper from his desk, but he only had a moment of relief before Zoom snatched it from his hoof.

"Hey, give that back!" Sprout shouted.

He got off his chair and ran over to get the report back, but Zoom forced him back with her right front leg while reading the report with her left hoof. Sprout tried to push Zoom's hoof away, but he was no match for the strength of a royal guard. Finally, Zoom began cackling, and Sprout's face fell. Zoom's cackle turned into uncontrollable laughter as she fell to the floor on her side. Tears ran down her face, and she slammed her hoof on the floor.

"Stop laughing! You're just teasing me for the sake of teasing me," Sprouts whined, feeling as though he were a school colt being bullied.

"Buddy, I have enough material to laugh at you straight at your face, and it's entirely your fault," Zoom giggled. "You don't know when to use ‘then’ or ‘than,’ you go back and forth between writing in past, present, and future tense. Granted, how to spell ‘axe’ and ‘gray’ depends on who you ask, but you hardly know when to use commas, for crying out loud. Honestly, 'Depooty,' if I didn't know any better, I'd say you are an elementary school dropout. Optimistically, you gave up during the 3rd grade."

Sprout looked at Zoom, shocked that she talked to him that way. All his life, Sprout thought himself somepony with very few flaws to speak of, if any. Whatever issues ponies like Hitch and Phyllis ever had with him, they either sugar-coated it or didn't say anything at all, making Sprout believe that there was nothing to worry about. And yet, here was this mare, a pegasus at that, who ripped the Band-Aid off and poured salt to the wound regarding Sprout's inability to write correctly, laughing all the way. Sprouts clenched his teeth as Zoom laughed until her face was a deeper shade of blue.

"S-so what? It's not like my writing is so bad that Hitch can't understand what I'm saying," Sprout said. "Besides, I can do other stuff."

"Like what?" Zoom asked, standing up with an amused smirk.

"Well … I'm great at going undercover," Sprout boasted. "Sunny used to try to sneak her way into my mom's factory back when she was holding special events for devices to use against unicorns and pegasi, and Hitch left me in charge to keep an eye on her so she wouldn't get in."

"I see. And has the sheriff had any need for your so-called great capability in going undercover since all three ponykinds became friends?" Zoom asked.

"Er, well, no," Sprout admitted. "But I also watch out for anyone dropping litter."

"And do you know where in the law it says that ponies can't do that?" Zoom challenged.

"What does that matter? It's a rule that gets broken a lot, and ponies should know better, especially when we have plenty of public trash bins," Sprout said.

"Granted, but you are still an enforcer of the law, and you should have memorized the law of your town before the sheriff hired you," Zoom said.

"How would you know? You're not a real officer of the law. You were hired to protect your queen and pretty princesses," Sprout said.

"It is standard procedure that royal guards know the ins and outs of our duties and the full extent of Zephyr Heights law. That is precisely why Queen Haven assigned me to look after this town whenever the sheriff is visiting Princess Pipp," Zoom said. "Frankly, I am astonished by your lack of capacity to even know that. I would expect Thunder’s lack of conviction in reading the law of Maretime Bay but for the sheriff's only fellow officer? That is unacceptable."

"Oh, mind your own business, lady. You're just a substitute. You don't get to decide how things are done with Hitch gone. You don't even live here," Sprout said.

"He also made me acting sheriff and commanded you to give me the same respect you give him," Zoom countered. "As such, I'm making it my solemn duty to discipline you to be an adequate force of this town's law. From now on, whenever the sheriff is gone, eating, sleeping, or anything else you do in your spare time are privileges."

"But that's not fair," Sprout protested.

"Deputy, you were eating on the job and arguing with your superior on top of lacking qualities regarding law enforcement, a first-year Zephyr Heights royal guard trainee would know. I'd say disciplinary action is more than fair," Zoom said. "And furthermore, the sheriff specifically instructed me to keep an eye on you. So, as long as I am here to run this town in his absence, you are not getting paid to sit down and barely do the bare minimum of your job whenever you feel like it. I suggest we start with this so-called report. We are going to thoroughly analyze each and every sentence, and I'm going to lecture you on every mistake you make."

Sprout gave Zoom a grumpy pout like a 4-year-old colt told he couldn't have apple juice and cookies before dinner. He had half a mind to grab the landline phone on Hitch's desk and call him to try to get hitched to make Zoom stop bullying him. But Sprout figured Zoom would stop him before he got close, and he never thought to ask Hitch for his cell phone number. Zoom raised her eyebrow and spread her wings, growing impatient with the stubborn stallion. Finally, Sprout scoffed, rolled his eyes, and stormed back to his desk as though he were told to go to his room.

"Fine," he growled.

Zoom smugly watched Sprout sit back down, pleased with him falling to submission. She grabbed Hitch's chair from his desk and brought it over to sit beside Sprout’s, almost touching Sprout's side. Sprout tried to wheel away, but Zoom used her right back leg to hold one of the legs of Sprout's chair down. Sprout glared at the pegasus, who kept smirking as she grabbed a red pen.

"Oh, quit giving me that look, 'Depooty.' If you are a good boy while we make it through the first page, I might give you your donut back," Zoom said. "Now then, let's work on the first sentence starting with going over why ‘morning’ is not spelled with two o's, and an e before the i."

Sprout groaned while reclining his chair and staring at the ceiling. It was going to be a long, frustrating day.

Chapter 13

Something has gone wrong. We don't seem to have an archived copy of that chapter.

Chapter 14

Hitch's journey to Zephyr Heights was calm but lonely. He enjoyed looking at how beautiful the land of Equestria was, which he didn't bother doing on his last trip to Zephyr Heights because his mind was wrapped up in leaving Maretime Bay when going to the city and on having gotten married on the way back. Still, apart from the occasional traveler passing by, Hitch felt lonely to the point that he wished he thought of having somepony traveling with him. At the very least, he wished he could listen to Pipp's music without worrying about his phone running out of battery.

On Sunday, just before noon, Hitch went up the mountain to Zephyr Heights’ front gates. Hitch took out his phone from his satchel and turned it on to call Pipp, but when he reached the top of the mountain, he stopped to find 12 royal guards blocking the entrance. At the center of the line of guards, a crimson-red mare stepped forward to Hitch, accompanied by two guards beside her carrying trumpets. They stopped a few feet in front of Hitch before all 12 guards saluted.

"Can I help you?" Hitch asked with an uneasy tone.

"Sir, I am Lieutenant Aurora. We're here to escort you to the bowling alley," the crimson-red guard said.

"The bowling alley? But I'm on my way to the castle," Hitch said.

"Orders from Her Majesty, the queen. She wants to ensure that you get there without any issues," Aurora said.

Hitch tilted his head, unsure if he heard Aurora correctly. He thought he needed to present himself to Haven in the throne room before she allowed him to spend time with Pipp in her kingdom. The bowling alley was a random choice for Haven and Hitch to talk.

"Maybe she has to be there for a get-together with important ponies, or perhaps she chose the bowling alley for a heart-to-heart chat while going a few rounds," Hitch thought.

"Excuse me, sir, but we're pressed for time," Aurora said. "The queen and the princesses are expecting you at the bowling alley right now."

"Oh, uh, right. Let's not keep them waiting then," Hitch said.

Aurora nodded and turned to her fellow guards.

"Entourage formation!" she shouted.

Without skipping a beat, the guards surrounded Hitch in a square formation. Aurora and the two guards with trumpets stood in front of Hitch. Three guards stood behind him, and three guards lined up beside Hitch on opposite sides. Hitch grew uneasy that Haven's guards were taking things so far to escort him to a bowling alley.

"Forward march!" Aurora shouted.

The guards began marching through the gates while Hitch walked at a regular pace. When they entered the city, Hitch was in awe of how lively Zephyr Heights was without a royal wedding to celebrate. Scores of ponies were shopping in clothing stores, and jewelry stores, and eating out in fancy restaurants. The jumbotrons advertised products like Amplify, Z-Heights, ZBS, and Zeus. Some of the citizens were former earth pony residents of Maretime Bay. Hitch smiled at the sight of old faces and was amazed at how the earth ponies had quickly adapted to life in the big city.

When Hitch and the guards had walked for about half a mile, the guards beside Aurora blew their trumpets. Ponies turned toward Hitch and the guards, and their faces lit up at the sight of Hitch.

"Make way for Prince Hitch!" Aurora shouted. "Make way for the prince of Maretime Bay!"

"What? I'm not the prince of Maretime Bay. I'm the sheriff," Hitch said.

But nopony could hear him. Ponies screamed in joy as they rushed over to Hitch and the guards. The guards raised their wings to ensure the citizens were kept at a distance while taking pictures and videos of Hitch. Hitch looked around, taken aback as ponies called out to him.

"Prince Hitch, over here! Look at my camera!"

"Oh, my hoofness, he's on his way to visit Pipp! I wanna see them kiss!"

"Prince Hitch, look at me! It's Beet Drop, remember? You used to visit my vegetable stand before I moved here?"

"Boy, I'm gonna get so many views on Ponygram."

"Long live Pitch!"

Ponies cheered and began chanting, "Long live Pitch!" The guards continued to play the trumpets, and Aurora kept shouting, "Make way for Prince Hitch," catching the attention of more ponies. Before Hitch knew it, the crowd was so big that it felt as though there was a parade in his honor. Newscast music played from the speakers all over the city, and the jumbotrons cut to the ZBS news anchors, Dazzle Feather and Skye Silver. Skye looked at the camera with a professional smile, but Dazzle struggled to keep her excitement.

"Good morning, Zephyr Heights. This is Dazzle and Skye with breaking news. Prince Hitch Trailblazer has finally come to visit his wife!” Dazzle squealed. “Everypony is coming together to give our new prince a royal welcome."

"Yes indeed, Dazzle," Skye said. "And it looks like some ponies are taking out banners from their apartments to welcome Hitch."

The jumbotrons cut to an extreme wide shot of the main street, showing Hitch and the guards passing by a 15-story-tall apartment building. An earth pony and unicorn couple stood outside their balcony from the sixth floor holding a rolled-up, 40-foot banner of Hitch and Pipp kissing after being made husband and wife. Below the picture was a heart with black and white outlines, an arrow piercing through it, and the words "Pitch forever" in cursive.

The couple was soon followed by other residents in the apartment building taking out homemade banners and posters. On the second floor, two pegasus fillies squealed as they held out a 36 by 72 stick figure drawing of Hitch and Pipp with the words "Pitch OTP" made with glitter in Hitch and Pipp's colors. A scrawny unicorn stallion held up a poster with the words "Welcome home," written with Sharpies and markers. Two neighbors held a massive poster, with one holding a side from their respective balcony that said, "Long live Prince Hitch Trailblazer." Hitch was bewildered by the passion and creativity the citizens put into expressing their happiness.

"Turn right!" Aurora shouted.

The guards turned right at a crosswalk, and the ponies on that side of the crowd backed away to let them and Hitch through. Citizens looked at each other in confusion as they realized the guards weren't taking Hitch to the castle.

"Hold on. Is it my imagination, or is Hitch diverting from the direction to the castle?" Dazzle asked.

"It's not your imagination, Dazzle," Skye said. "Perhaps Hitch is taking a detour to see more of his new subjects?"

"Subjects? Nopony is my subject," Hitch said.

The crowd surrounding Hitch and the guards continued to grow as more ponies found out Hitch was in Zephyr Heights either through their phones or from watching ZBS through the jumbotrons. Eventually, Hitch saw a bowling alley at a distance, and his eyes widened to see Haven, Pipp, and Zipp standing before it. Above the front entrance was a sign that said, "Pitch Bowling Alley" in neon lights with a logo containing the Blue Shield in Hitch's cutie mark, Pipp's cutie mark at the center of the shield, and two bowling pins coming out behind the shield diagonally on both sides. There was a red, grand opening ribbon held by two poles in front of the entrance. Standing in front of the ribbon was a tall, muscular, grayish-green pegasus stallion wearing sunglasses and a bowling jacket.

Pipp gave Hitch a cheerful wave while Zipp smirked, and Haven looked at him with a professional smile. The guards stopped in front of the royal family, and Aurora and the guards with trumpets backed away, allowing Hitch to walk toward his wife. Pipp hugged Hitch, leaning her head against his with her eyes closed and a bright smile. The affection melted the hearts of the citizens still recording with their phones.

"Pipp, what's going on? Why did your mom order the guards to take me here?" Hitch asked.

"I'll explain later. Right now, smile for the camera," Pipp said.

Pipp took out her phone and pulled Hitch for a selfie. Hitch forced a smile a split second before Pipp took a picture. Pipp took two more pictures for safety and then planted a kiss on Hitch's cheek before taking one more. The crowd whooped and took pictures of Hitch looking away from Pipp, flustered, and Pipp giggling. Haven and Zipp looked at each other unamusedly before Haven stepped forward, holding a mic.

"My beloved subjects, it gives me great pleasure to welcome your new prince, who has come to visit our beloved Pipp," she said.

Ponies stomped their hooves in applause.

"It also pleases me to announce that today is the opening day of Kegler Hambone's new bowling alley, named after the pairing of our dear prince and princess," Haven continued.

The muscular pegasus with the sunglasses and bowling jacket sheepishly chuckled and scratched his head as the crowd applauded again.

"And so, to celebrate these two occasions, Prince Hitch and Princess Pipp will have their first date as a married couple bowling in our new bowling alley," Haven announced.

"Wait, what?" Hitch asked.

Ponies roared with thunderous applause. Pipp waved to the crowd and elbowed Hitch to join. Hitch hesitated before waving with an uncomfortable grin. When the cheering died down, Kelger Hambone handed a large pair of scissors to Pipp. Pipp opened the pair of scissors and held it up to the ribbon by one of the scissors' bows. She gestured to Hitch with her head to join, and Hitch paused before holding the scissors by its other bow.

"On three," Pipp said. "One, two, three."

Hitch and Pipp cut the ribbon, and the ponies cheered again. Kegler squealed in a high-pitched voice, thrilled to have witnessed the new royal couple open his bowling alley.

"Let Hitch and Pipp's first date commence," Haven declared.

Ponies cheered again as Kegler held the front door open for Hitch and Pipp. Pipp offered her front leg to Hitch, and he hesitated before he took it, and they walked in together. They were followed by Haven, Zipp, and Kegler. The inside of the bowling alley was in the colors of Hitch and Pipp's cutie marks. On the far left side of the bowling alley, a picture of Hitch and Pipp sharing their first kiss was painted on the wall. A large painting of Hitch and Pipp having their first dance at the reception was painted on the right wall. Hitch's ears hung low, growing uncomfortable to the extent that Kegler's business was themed around his and Pipp's marriage.

"So… when were you going to tell me about this?" Hitch asked.

"Yeah, I'm sorry you had to find this out now," Pipp said. "It was something Mom decided to do yesterday. She found out that Kegler was opening his new bowling alley with us being the theme. Without consulting me, she decided to use your new fame to grab everypony's attention at the bowling alley and declared us playing to be our first date. I swear, I would have called you about this if you had any reception while coming here.”

"I see," Hitch said. "I'm surprised your mom would take things so far as to refer to me as a prince. Last I checked, she and your sister haven't accepted me into your family."

"Oh, they still haven't. I assure you," Pipp said. "But the rest of Zephyr Heights looks at you as their new prince. Apparently, ponies have been wanting to see you return so they can officially welcome you to our kingdom as the new member of our family."

"Well, that explains why some were prepared with banners, " Hitch said.

"We really lifted the spirits of the ponies of Zephyr Heights when we got married," Pipp said.

"Oh? I haven't noticed," Hitch said sarcastically.

Pipp giggled while covering her mouth. Kegler escorted them to a lane at the very center of the alley. Two bowling balls were waiting for Hitch and Pipp in the colors of their manes. Hitch and Pipp chuckled awkwardly, growing more uneasy from how far Kegler was going with the theme. They looked back to find scores of ponies coming in, filling the main hall to its capacity. Haven stepped between Hitch and Pipp and the crowd and turned to the crowd, still holding her mic.

"Let the first game in Pitch Bowling Alley begin," she declared.

Ponies began live streaming through their phones, waiting for Hitch and Pipp to start playing. The countless phones and the large crowd made Hitch feel this was less of a date and more like a major league sports game. Pipp took the light blue ball and held it to Hitch, silently telling him to go first. Hitch took the ball and took a breath to get his head in the game before he rolled it toward the pins. Four pins were knocked down, and ponies politely stomped their hooves. Hitch rolled again, and the last six pins were knocked down. The audience cheered, and Hitch proudly shook his hoof in the air.

"Yeah. That's how it's done. The sheriff still got it," he boasted.

Pipp and Zipp smirked, amused with Hitch celebrating. A new set of pins were set up, and Pipp picked up her ball. She rolled the ball toward a few pins on the left side, making Hitch chuckle. Then, suddenly, just as the ball was halfway down the lane, it curved and knocked down all of the pins. The crowd cheered louder, and Pipp turned to a stunned Hitch with a smug look.

"A strike is better than a spare. Right?" she asked.

Zipp snickered, and Haven lowly chuckled. Hitch stood stupefied for several seconds before giving Pipp a competitive glare.

"Beginner's luck," he claimed.

"Oh, really? You think just because I'm a princess who writes and performs music and hangs out on social media, I can't be good at bowling?" Pipp asked.

"Er, well, I didn't mean that exactly. It's just not every day somepony gets a strike on the first round," Hitch said.

"Granted, but I'll have you know Zipp and I used to go bowling with our dad a lot when we were little," Pipp said. "In fact, I totally humiliated you-know-who when we went bowling once."

It took Hitch a moment before he got that you-know-who was Presto.

"Yeah, well, I've done my fair share of winning bowling tournaments back home, so if you think you're gonna humiliate me, you're mistaken," Hitch said.

"Is that so? Wanna make a wager?" Pipp asked. "Loser after the best two out of three games has to do what the winner wants."

The crowd "oooo"ed and looked at each other, grinning. Their livestreams gained multiple hooves up from ponies staying at home to express their excitement. Hitch raised his eyebrow and smirked as he took a step toward Pipp.

"That's a risky thing to bet on, princess. I'm just getting warmed up, and you have no idea what I could come up with if you lose," Hitch said.

"Keep talking, buddy. I like my opponents shooting their mouths off before I humiliate them," Pipp said. "I'd be more concerned about what I might think of. I've got a head start with a strike."

"Spares can technically be worth more points in the long run," Hitch said. "You can't get strikes forever."

"And you can't get spares forever," Pipp countered. "Now, are you going to talk a big game our entire date, or are we going to play?"

"Yeah, come on, Sheriff. Quit stalling and prove you're not all talk," Zipp said.

Ponies in the audience exclaimed words of agreement. Hitch looked between Pipp and the crowd and scoffed. He picked up his ball and rolled it, knocking down all the pins. The crowd "oooo"ed again as Hitch held his hoof to a surprised Pipp.

"Don't say I didn't warn you," Hitch said.

Pipp remained baffled momentarily before her shock turned into a competitive smirk. She shook Hitch's hoof, then took her ball. She rolled the ball and turned to Hitch, not bothering to watch her ball land another strike.

"Bring it on, tough guy," she said.

For the next several rounds, Hitch and Pipp were getting strikes and spares and boasting to the other each time one of them took the lead. Ponies cheered for every strike or spare, growing anxious over who would win the first game. Some began betting on who would win the whole thing. Zipp cheered Pipp on, while Haven kept a calm demeanor to look unbiased despite wanting to see Pipp win.

On the 9th round, Pipp took down four pins on the left on her first roll. She rolled again and smiled to see it move toward the front pin. Unfortunately, the ball curved left at the last second and only hit one pin. Seeing his chance, Hitch used the last round to get a spare and knocked seven pounds on his final roll. Pipp made a spare and took down several pins on her final go, but she was ultimately 10 points behind Hitch at the end of the game. The ponies rooting for Hitch cheered, and he posed for them as they took pictures.

"So, princess, are you scared yet?” Hitch asked mockingly.

"Yeah, yeah, build your ego up, handsome. Winning the first game will make it even more humiliating when I win the whole thing," Pipp said.

"That's the spirit, Sis. Put him in his place," Zipp cheered.

The ponies rooting for Pipp cheered in agreement. Pipp giggled and blew kisses at her fans while Kegler set up the system for the second game. Hitch made a strike on the first round with a cocky grin, expecting to discourage the Pippsqueaks, but Pipp rolled a strike right afterward, showing that she was not backing down.

The second game continued with Hitch and Pipp going back and forth with who took the lead. In the 7th round, Hitch rolled his ball, expecting it to hit the pins right at the center, but all but the two pins at the very far sides were knocked down. His supporters winced while Pipp's fans laughed at Hitch hitting a goal post-split. Hitch tried to knock out at least one of the remaining pins, but his ball missed the right pin by a foot. In the 9th round, he knocked down six pins and missed the remaining four on the second roll. In the final round, Hitch's first roll led to his ball falling into the gutter, making him nervous. Ultimately, Pipp used Hitch's mistakes to beat him by 17 points. Her fans cheered, and Pipp took a selfie with the score in the background.

"A one-way tie. Now, things are getting interesting," Haven said.

"Come on, Sheriff. Don't hold back. Your citizens are probably watching this on their phones, too," Zipp said mockingly.

Hitch gave Zipp an unamused look as Kegler set up another game. His supporters cheered, and he waved his hoof with a grin in appreciation. He turned to take his ball, only to find Pipp blocking his path.

"How about I go first this time just to shake things up?" she asked.

"Suits me fine," Hitch said.

Pipp smirked before she took her ball and rolled, hitting a strike. Hitch huffed, annoyed with Pipp already starting off strong. He reached for his ball only for Pipp to step in front of him again, making Hitch uneasy with their faces only inches apart.

"Want a kiss for good luck?" Pipp asked.

Hitch blushed and looked away, and the audience cheered and chanted, "Do it." Haven frowned, not wanting to see Hitch and Pipp kiss, while Zipp enjoyed seeing Pipp easily make Hitch blush. Hitch shook off his blush and put on a brave face before facing Pipp.

"You're the one who got lucky with the second game. Even with that strike, you'll need a kiss for luck more than I do," Hitch said.

Pipp giggled and said, "Place your bets."

She wrapped her leg around Hitch's head and pulled him toward her for a firm kiss. Hitch's eyes widened, and his face turned beet red, ignoring the crowd cheering. When Pipp let go, Hitch was in a daze for a moment before he shook his head and slapped his cheeks. He took his ball and rolled, knocking out 7 pins, then finishing with a spare. Pipp pouted, hoping her kiss would take him off his game. Simultaneously, she was glad Hitch kept the game interesting and expected the last game to be as big as the last two.

But, the strike at the beginning was the only one Pipp made. In fact, Hitch and Pipp each only hit a few spares throughout the final game. The cheering began dying as ponies realized the competitors were beginning to tire. Hitch and Pipp would knock down a handful of pins on the first roll, and in the second roll, the ball either missed the remaining pins or ended up in the gutter. Pipp had a head start with her strike, but Hitch was slowly catching up throughout the game.

Finally, in the last round, Pipp knocked down four pins, and her ball ended up in the gutter in the last roll. Hitch looked up at the TV, and his face lit up as he saw that the score was 105 to 100, making Pipp in the lead by only 5 points. On his first roll, Hitch knocked down 4 pins, raising the score so he was only off by 1. The ponies rooting for him cheered as the other six pins were close to each other. All Hitch needed to do was roll the ball in their general direction, and victory was assured.

Pipp's ears hung low, Zipp bit her lip, and the edge of Haven's lip curled down despite trying to keep a calm demeanor. With a smug grin, Hitch rolled the ball toward the last six pins, but halfway down the lane, the ball curved away from the pins. Hitch's eyes widened, and he mouthed, "No" repeatedly while Pipp's face brightened and her wings perked up. Hitch's ball missed the pins by a couple of centimeters.

"No!" Hitch cried out.

His cry of defeat was drowned by the deafening cheers. Zipp laughed hysterically while pointing at Hitch, and Haven chuckled with her mouth closed. The ponies who rooted for Hitch begrudgingly paid their friends and family members they betted with. Pipp cheered while raising her front hooves in the air and flapping her wings ecstatically. She bowed to the crowd like a prima donna who had just completed a performance while ponies chanted, "Pipp Pipp hooray!" Pipp then turned to Hitch, who hung his head in defeat and bumped his side with her knee to get his attention.

"Good match, Hitch. It was pretty close," Pipp said, holding her hoof to Hitch.

Hitch sighed before he forced a smile and shook Pipp's hoof.

"Yes, indeed. Congratulations, Your Highness," he said. "So, uh, how do you wish for me to uphold our agreement?"

"Yeah, Sis, what are you going to make him do?" Zipp asked with a smug grin.

Ponies in the crowd exclaimed words of agreement. Hitch's ears hung low as he grew worried Pipp would make him do something humiliating. Pipp, however, scratched her chin, pretending to think about it before looking at her audience with a pout.

"Sorry, everypony, but I honestly have no idea what to make Hitch do," she said.

Ponies "aw"ed in disappointment.

"But I'm gonna think of something eventually. And when I do, I'm gonna livestream it so you all know what I ultimately won," Pipp said

The crowd applauded, satisfied with Pipp's promise. Haven hummed and nodded in approval before turning to her citizens and holding up her mic again.

"With that, I declare Hitch and Pipp's first date concluded. Those who wish to bowl in Kegler's bowling alley may do so now," Haven announced. "The newlyweds, Zipp, and I shall go to our castle, where Prince Hitch will settle down in his new home."

Haven's citizens cheered even louder, and the guards made a square formation surrounding Haven, Zipp, Hitch, and Pipp. Pipp offered Hitch her leg again, and they walked together with Haven and Zipp behind them. When they exited the bowling alley, they found ponies crowding the entire street, taking pictures and livestreaming the royal family. Pipp waved to the citizens with glee, and Hitch hesitated before he joined her.

They were halfway down the street heading back to the main street when half a dozen ponies wearing ties and holding microphones ran toward Haven, Zipp, Hitch, Pipp, and the guards accompanied by cameraponies. Aurora and the other guards raised their wings in defense as the reporters stopped 10 feet before them.

"1000 pardons, Your Highness, but can we have a moment to interview Hitch and Pipp?" the leading reporter asked.

"Sure. We'd love to," Pipp said. "Right, Hitch?"

"Er, right," Hitch said begrudgingly.

The crowd cheered, with some of them taking out their phones again to record the event. Zipp huffed, and Haven reluctantly smiled in approval, both eager to return to the castle. The reporters called out to Hitch and Pipp simultaneously, and Pipp pointed at a pegasus reporter standing far left.

"Hitch, Pipp, how did you enjoy your first date?" the reporter asked.

"It was loads of fun. I'm glad we could go out and play in Kegler's new alley. Right, Hitch?" Pipp said.

"Yes. I must admit I didn't peg the princess as the competitive type," Hitch said.

"How would you compare this to your other first dates, Hitch?" a unicorn reporter asked.

"Uh, well, actually, that was the first date I've ever had…ever," Hitch confessed.

Ponies gasped in shock. Hitch's ears hung low as he looked at everypony, wondering if he had said something to offend them. He turned to Pipp, who gave him a look of shock and confusion.

"You never had a date before? How is that possible?" the unicorn reporter asked. "From what I've seen on the Canternet, you have so many admirers in Maretime Bay that wanted to date you before you married."

"What? No, I don't," Hitch said. "I'm adored by all of my fellow citizens, but I'm sure I would know if any of the mares at home thought of me that way."

The unicorn reporter tilted his head, befuddled. The ponies from Maretime Bay were even more astounded, for they knew very well how obvious mares like Mayflower, Dahlia, and Primrose liked Hitch. They whispered among their fellow ponies, expressing their concern for many of the mares in Maretime Bay. Their hearts were already broken from Hitch marrying Pipp, but Hitch revealing his obliviousness might have added salt to the wounds. Haven was unsettled by how ponies reacted and cleared her throat to catch their attention.

"Well, whatever the case may be, we can all agree that Prince Hitch lucked out with his first and only relationship being with our beloved Pipp," she said.

Ponies stomped their hooves and applause, their spirits instantly lifted again by Haven's words. The reporters took a moment to call out to Hitch and Pipp again, and Pipp pointed at an earth pony reporter. The earth pony hesitated before asking her question.

"Prince Hitch, if you don't mind me asking, how does it feel knowing that you're married to one of the very few pegasi in the world that can fly?" the reporter asked.

The city grew silent in the blink of an eye. Many citizens glared at the reporter, either loathing her for saying something they considered insensitive or suspicious that she was a pony against the unity of all pony kind. Others thought about it and grew curious, having never thought of it or forgotten it since before the wedding. Haven, Zipp, and Pipp's faces fell with Haven wishing she thought of telling Hitch what he could and could not say about the royal family flying. Hitch, however, took a moment to think about the question and shrugged.

"To be honest, I haven't given it much thought," he said. "When I think about the princess, my mind is on who she is as a pony and whether we will work as a couple. I forgot that she, her sister, and her mother could fly up until you mentioned it."

"You didn't mind seeing her fly when she performed the night you married her?" the reporter asked.

"Of course not. I thought Princess Pipp was amazing flying during her performance. Made her stand out from any concert I've gone to," Hitch replied with a smile.

"You don't think about what life will be if you decide to stay married and have foals who could be pegasi that can fly?" the reporter asked. "I imagine Presto Tetrachord did, but considering how you two happened so suddenly, some ponies can't help but wonder, especially when there are still ponies against your marriage and the unity."

"Alright, that's enough," Haven said. "We really must be off to welcome Prince Hitch to his -"

"Excuse me, Your Majesty, but please let me handle this," Hitch said.

Haven turned to Hitch and saw the calm but serious look in his tangelo eyes. She hesitated, knowing what Hitch would say could make or break her citizens' view of him as Pipp's husband. After a moment, Haven lifted her hoof to give permission. Zipp looked at Hitch with a glare that said, "Choose your words carefully." Pipp watched Hitch turn to the crowd, with part of her confident that he would give a good answer and the rest of her afraid he would say something irreparably damage the royal family's reputation.

"Historically, according to Argyle Starshine's research, earth ponies, unicorns, and pegasi intermarrying was not uncommon in Ancient Equestria," Hitch began. "It didn't matter whether somepony could fly or levitate objects. All that mattered was how those ponies felt about each other. Were there any challenges regarding ponies having abilities that the other doesn't or whether their foals would have said abilities? It's possible, but I don't think it was a big issue in the long run. After all, romantic relationships between ponies of different races are only a topic now because we have fallen so far from the equality that our ancestors had, for goodness knows how many moons. And who knows how long it will be for interracial relationships to stop being a topic and become something we don't think about in relationships any more than we focus on whether or not a pony is pink, orange, blue, or lilac?"

Hitch turned to Pipp and smiled.

"Now, as for me and Princess Pipp, the idea of us having foals is the last thing on my mind as we just had our first date. Still, I think I can speak for both of us when I say that if we do raise a family, we will love our foals, whether they're earth ponys, pegasi, or, somehow, unicorns. We will love our foals if they can fly, and we'll love them if they can't. It can't be any simpler than that.”

The city was silent for a moment after Hitch spoke before it was filled with thunderous applause. Ponies vigorously stomped their hooves, cheered, and whistled. The earth pony reporter looked at Hitch baffled, then she smiled and nodded in satisfaction. Hitch smirked and held his chest up, proud of his accomplishment.

Then suddenly, Pipp wrapped her legs around Hitch's neck and pulled him to a kiss on his cheek. Hitch's cheeks heated up the moment he felt Pipp's soft lips. Ponies in the crowd cheered louder and followed it up by chanting, "Long live Pitch!" Haven sighed with her hoof on her heart and smiled at Hitch approvingly. Then she cleared her throat.

"Alright, if that’s all, I declare this interview over. We must get to the castle to show Hitch to his new room," she said.

Ponies cheered once more, and the reporters backed away, allowing a clear path for the guards and the royal family. Pipp and Hitch walked together in front of Haven and Zipp, with Pipp blowing kisses to their citizens with her free hoof. When they turned to the main street toward Zephyr Heights Castle, Pipp rested her head on Hitch's shoulder, smiling blissfully.

"Oh, Hitch, you were incredible," she said.

"Er, well, I don't know about that," Hitch said, shyly scratching his cheek. "I just said what anypony should have said."

"Don't sell yourself short, Sheriff," Zipp said, rushing to walk next to Hitch and Pipp. "Likely all of Equestria was watching you, including ponies who either are against the unity or still want Pipp with you-know-who. I can think of several ways you could've made one wrong move, and everything went up in flames, but you kept your cool and spoke the truth without faltering. Not many ponies can do that. I'm impressed."

Hitch's eyes widened as Zipp followed her words with a smirk. She backed up so she could walk next to Haven, who was waving to her citizens and stopping every few seconds for somepony to take a photo. Hitch stared at Zipp momentarily before turning to a pleased Pipp.

"Did your sister just compliment me?" he asked.

"She did," Pipp said matter-of-factly. "And it's about time, too. Zipp and Mom are overdue giving you more credit in my book."

"Well, I mean, I think so too, but I was under the impression I'm supposed to be getting credit based on how I behave as your husband rather than how I talk about us publicly," Hitch said. "Does it really mean a lot to your mom and your sister that I make your subjects happy?"

"It means a lot to me," Pipp said.

Pipp backed up her statement by moving closer to Hitch and nuzzling her head against his. Goosebumps appeared all over Hitch's body, and he looked down to see Pipp smiling with her eyes closed as she walked. His heart pounded rapidly, unable to take the constant affection the angelic mare was giving him. Hitch resisted the urge to let out a bashful whimper while countless ponies filmed him and Pipp from their phones.

And yet, as Hitch tried to keep it together, he saw how merry the citizens of Zephyr Heights were. They weren’t happy simply because they were fans of Pipp and her marriage to him, but they were full of hope. Hope for a future beyond what ponykind had accomplished within the past several moons. It was a kind of happiness Hitch had never seen anypony experience before, and ponies in Maretime Bay might also be experiencing it, having watched what he said on their phones.

With this realization, Hitch smirked and held his chest up as he walked as though he had rescued his town from a terrible monster. If his wife wasn't leaning her head against him, Hitch would have waved to the ponies recording on their phones as though he was directly looking at the citizens of Maretime Bay. It may not have been intentional, but Hitch felt a strong sense of pride that, even when far away from home, he was fulfilling his duty as sheriff.

Chapter 15

Hitch, Pipp, Zipp, Haven, and the royal guards walked as though they were the center of a parade until they reached the elevator to the Zephyr Heights castle grounds. Hitch sighed in relief as they entered the elevator, thinking it was over until Pipp tapped his shoulder and pointed to the glass wall. Ponies were still cheering and waving as the elevator went up, and news cameras were filming them going up the elevator for ZBS to show on the jumbotrons. Hitch muttered, “Oh, come on,” before he turned to the glass wall and waved in the direction of the cameras with the royal family. When the elevator got so high that they were out of view from the citizens and the cameras, Haven sighed heavily and sat on her bottom with her head down.

“Goodness, I was not prepared for being out there so long,” Haven said. “In hindsight, we should have expected them to want interviews.”

“Yeah, we probably should have,” Zipp said. “But, at least we're done for the day.”

“Thank hoofness for that,” Haven said before turning to Hitch and Pipp. “Not to mention the grand opening of Kegler's bowling alley was a smashing success. Well done, you two.”

Hitch raised an eyebrow at how Haven made it sound as though she had put him and Pipp on a special assignment without telling him. On the other hand, Pipp smiled, sharing her mother's satisfaction with the opening of the bowling alley. The elevator went up to the castle grounds, and the royal family and the guards began making their way to Zephyr Heights castle. Two guards at the castle entrance opened the doors and saluted as Haven, Zipp, Pipp, and Hitch entered. Haven was a few steps inside before turning to Aurora.

"Thank you, Aurora. That will be all for now," Haven said.

"Yes, Your Majesty," Aurora said as she and her fellow guards saluted.

The guards close the doors behind Haven, Zipp, Pipp, and Hitch. The royal family walked down the entrance hall in silence, with Haven still looking like she was getting ready to collapse. Hitch grew awkward by none of the mares speaking or looking at him as they walked. He wondered if it was always like this when the queen and the princesses got home after going out in public for an event. Eventually, Zipp, who was walking ahead of Hitch and Pipp, cleared her throat and looked back at Hitch.

"So, uh, I hope you like living here, Sheriff," she said.

"Thanks, Your Highness," Hitch said.

Pipp smiled, glad that her sister had the courtesy to be welcoming to her husband, even if it was only to break the ice.

"Oh, don't be so awkward, Zipp. This is Hitch's home away from home now," Pipp said before turning to Hitch. "We've agreed that as long as we're married, the guards and the staff are to treat you like the prince you unofficially are. Plus, you can go anywhere you like except our bedrooms unless given permission."

"Makes perfect sense," Hitch said.

"Actually, you're also not allowed in the chambers above the throne room or the Zephyr Heights archives," Zipp said.

Pipp’s eyes widened, and she covered her mouth before scratching her head with a sheepish grin. In all her eagerness to make Hitch feel comfortable, she forgot about the dressing room above the throne room, where she, Haven, and Zipp set up to pretend to fly.

"Oh, yeah. Those places are big no-nos," she said.

"Why? What's wrong with those places?" Hitch asked.

"Just don't do it. They're restricted to official royalty," Haven said. "And I'll thank you never to bring them up again, Sheriff Trailblazer."

Hitch tilted his head in confusion. Though Haven didn't scream it or was looking at him angrily, the way she spoke made it seem as though the Zephyr Heights archives and the chamber above the throne room were sensitive topics. Hitch decided to let it be out of respect, yet he couldn't help but wonder what kind of secrets they were hiding.

They made their way to the throne room, where two royal guards stood in front of Haven's throne, with one of them substituting Zoom as Haven’s secretary. Cloudpuff was cuddled in a ball, sleeping on Haven's throne until his ears perked up at the sound of the doors opening. His eyes opened and he jumped to his feet, happily barking while his wings flap vigorously. Haven smiled sweetly as she sat on her plot and spread her front legs open for a hug.

“That's right, sweetie. Come to Mommy,” she said.

Cloudpuff jumped off of Haven's throne and raced toward Haven, Zipp, Hitch, and Pipp. Haven prepared for Cloudpuff to jump into her loving embrace until Cloudpuff ran past her. She stood still, stupefied momentarily, before she turned around to find Hitch on his back and Cloudpuff on top of him, licking his face. Zipp looked at Cloudpuff and Haven, then whispered, “Ouch” to herself as though the puppy had slapped his owner. Pipp, however, put her hoof in her heart and took out her phone from her wing to take a picture.

“Aw, Cloudpuff missed you,” Pipp said. “He's already accepted you as part of the family. Haven't you, Cloudpuffy-poo?”

Cloudpuff barked happily in response before he went back to licking Hitch. Hitch laughed as Cloudpuff’s tongue tickled him until he saw Haven give him a cold stare. It took him a moment to realize Haven expected Cloudpuff to come to her, and he chuckled nervously as he lightly pushed Cloudpuff off of him and stood up. Haven humphed and turned away with her head held high.

“Girls, please show the sheriff to his room. I have some paperwork to take care of,” Haven said.

“Wait, I thought we were having lunch together after the sheriff is settled in his room,” Zipp said.

“Terribly sorry, darlings, but as you can see, I have a lot of paperwork to attend to,” Haven said. "I'll try to catch up so the four of us can get together for dinner tonight."

Zipp and Pipp looked past Haven and saw a pile of paperwork next to her throne, the height of a full-grown pony's legs. While it was a tall pile, Haven was not known to take all day to handle such an amount. The sisters looked at each other with unamused expressions, silently agreeing that their mother was being childish. Haven walked to her throne without another word, and Pipp huffed before gesturing to Hitch with her head to follow her and Zipp.

Hitch grew uncomfortable again as he followed Zipp and Pipp to a side door and up the stairs, with Cloudpuff cheerfully walking beside him, oblivious to the tension he had caused. The sisters led Hitch to the top floor and took a right down the hall to a pair of glass doors and a datapad. Zipp put her hoof on the datapad, and it scanned her hoof before the doors opened to reveal the bedroom.

Hitch's mouth dropped at the sight of his bedroom. He couldn't believe this was his room, from the king-sized bed to the ceiling two stories high, to the private bathroom on the left side, to the diamond chandelier hanging at the center. Pipp covered her mouth to hide a giggle while Zipp smirked.

"In case you are wondering, Sheriff, yes. Our bedrooms are more or less like this, too," Zipp said. "Were you expecting a bedroom more like what you are used to?"

"Yeah, kind of. At least with size," Hitch said. "Do you usually need this much space?"

"I do. I like to use my room as a stage for my next gig," Pipp said.

Hitch turned to Zipp, who shrugged and said, "Don't look at me. I'm an outside girl. I don't need this much space any more than you do. In any case, make yourself comfortable. If you wanna nap or something before lunch, go ahead."

Hitch looked at the bed and suddenly felt fatigued. Apart from Cloudpuff knocking him off his hooves to say hello, Hitch had been on his legs since he woke up that morning.

"Yeah, a nap would be good right about now," he said.

"Cool. We’ll leave you to it then,” Zipp said.

"Have a good nap, Hitch," Pipp said. "Come on, Cloudpuff. Let's leave Hitch to his nap."

Cloudpuff whined, wanting to stay with Hitch a little longer. Pipp scooped Cloudpuff up and put him on her back while Zipp closed the doors behind Hitch. Hitch dropped his bags on the floor and then plopped onto the bed. He let out an “Oooo” as he was unprepared for how comfy the bed was. He rolled over to his back and let out an “Ahh,” feeling as though the mattress was massaging his back.

“Oh, yeah. I can get used to this being my second bed,” Hitch said to himself.

Within moments, he dozed off.

********************************************************************

Hitch woke up to a knock on the bedroom doors. He rolled to his side and saw on the golden clock hanging on the wall that it was a quarter past three. He had been sleeping for almost four hours. Hitch sat up and stretched before there was another knock on the door.

"Hitch, are you awake? Can I come in?" Pipp asked from the other side of the doors.

"Uh, yeah, come on in," Hitch said.

He waited a moment as Pipp scanned her hoof on the datapad before the doors opened. Standing next to Pipp was a golden bussing cart with a tray holding two plates covered by lids on top of them. Pipp pushed the cart to the side of Hitch's bed, closing the doors behind her on the way.

"I thought you might be hungry about now, so I brought lunch in bed for two," Pipp said.

"Lunch in bed? Is that a thing?" Hitch asked.

"If it wasn't before, it is now," Pipp said. "Far as I'm concerned, you deserve it after having partaken in opening the bowling alley, and that interview dropped on you all right after you got here. Plus, I thought it a good opportunity for us to be alone after a very public date."

Hitch felt his stomach growl, and he chuckled sheepishly.

"You know what? Lunch in bed sounds tremendous,” he said. “What you got for us?”

"Grilled cheese sandwiches and tomato soup to keep you warm after a long journey," Pipp answered proudly.

"Nice. Did you make it yourself?" Hitch asked.

"Er, no. I had one of our chefs make it," Pipp answered with a sheepish grin. "I rarely need to worry about food to the point of making it myself. I pretty much just picked what I want the chef to make. Plus, I really liked the grilled cheese we got when I visited you, so I couldn’t help but want to eat some with you again.”

"Ah, I see. Well, let's see what royal grilled cheese sandwiches and tomato soup taste like," Hitch said.

Pipp giggled as she took the tray off the cart and placed it on the bed in front of Hitch. She then got on the bed with her tray and sat opposite Hitch. Hitch and Pipp lifted the lids from their respective plates, revealing each having a bowl of tomato soup, two grilled cheese sandwiches sliced diagonally, and a spoon wrapped in a napkin. Hitch dipped a sandwich in his soup before taking a bite. His eyes widened as he chewed on the toasted bread and gooey, melted cheese. The edges of his mouth curled up until he heard a clicking sound and saw Pipp holding her phone toward him, trying not to laugh.

“I'm sorry. I couldn't resist,” Pipp chortled. “Your reaction was so cute that I had to take a picture.”

“Cute?” Hitch asked with his mouth full before he swallowed. “How is a grown stallion supposed to look cute eating a grilled cheese sandwich?”

“I don't know. You just looked like a colt enjoying a grilled cheese sandwich for the first time, and it was so adorable,” Pipp said. “Everypony on Ponygram is going to love this.”

“Wait, you're going to publish that picture online?” Hitch asked.

“Of course. I love sharing moments of my life and posting them online, and seeing my husband look so cute eating grilled cheese is an opportunity too good to pass up,” Pipp chirped.

“I thought we're supposed to be alone while eating our lunch,” Hitch said.

“We are. I'm just sending a picture. Not live streaming,” Pipp said.

Hitch furrowed his brow and asked, “Could you skip a post?”

Pipp looked at Hitch as though he said something strange. Then she saw Hitch acting as though she were about to reveal an embarrassing picture of him from when he was a colt. Pipp looked at the picture on her phone, all set to be submitted to Ponygram with her hoof ready to hit the button. It seemed silly to the active social media celebrity not to publish a picture she knew the Pippsqueaks would adore, and yet she knew she assured Hitch that they would be spending time alone. With a squirm, she discarded the post and turned off her phone before putting it under her wing.

“Okay, I can skip just one,” Pipp said.

“Thank you,” Hitch said.

Hitch went back to his lunch at ease, smiling as though Pipp never took the picture. Pipp smiled at Hitch enjoying his lunch again, but she was still uneasy with not publishing her picture. She was so used to posting pictures and videos that telling her not to upload something may as well be like telling her not to blink when she needs to. With a sigh, Pipp went back to her lunch, eating at a slower pace than Hitch.

“Hitch?”

“Hmm?” Hitch asked with his mouth full.

“Do you oppose social media?” Pipp asked.

Hitch stopped chewing at tilted his head at Pipp before swallowing.

“What makes you say that?” he asked. “Is it because I don’t want you to post the picture?”

“Yeah, it is,” Pipp said. “Usually, when somepony doesn’t want a picture or video of them posted, it’s because they are against social media.”

“Well, I mean, I’m not prejudiced to it, but it’s not something that interests me,” Hitch said. “I mean, from what I can tell, you’re just posting things and waiting to see if anypony likes it. It’s like a game where everypony is competing to get the most points, except you’re using your personal photos and videos to play the game. Am I making any sense?”

Pipp stared at Hitch, making him worry he broke her brain for speaking of something she loved that way. Then Pipp snorted and moved her head back, laughing while holding her gut with her right leg. Hitch’s ears hung low as he was unsure how to react to her laughter.

“A game to get the most points. I’ve never heard it like that before,” Pipp chortled while wiping a tear from her eye. “I want that to be my Ponyhoof status. I can only imagine the amount of laughing emojis I’d get.”

“Uh, Your Highness, you’re kinda proving my point when you talk like that,” Hitch said. “Do you really not see it that way at all?”

“Neigh way, Hitch,” Pipp said. “If anything, I see what I do on the Canternet as one of the most important things I can do as a princess.”

"Really?" Hitch asked.

"Really, really," Pipp said, giving Hitch a soft smile. "I know I might appear as a social media addict just posting stuff to get likes and followers, but it's more than that. I love making ponies happy, whether through my music, the things I post online, or what Mom, Zipp, and I do publically as the royal family. If posting a random selfie, giving somepony's content a like, or posting a status lifts up somepony's day, then it's totally worth it. Their happiness is my happiness. That's why I love seeing how uplifted our citizens were during our date, and that's part of why it broke my heart when… things happened at the wedding."

"Wait a minute. You were thinking about your fans when you found out Presto Tetrachord cheated on you?” Hitch asked.

“Of course,” Pipp said. “I wasn't happy just for me when I thought I was going to marry the perfect guy, Hitch. I was happy that my fans were happy for me. Being in the first interracial married couple in forever means nothing to me. I cared about how I would be happy and how the marriage I thought I would get would light up the lives of so many ponies, and I thought that he felt the same way. That's why I'm happy with how you handled yourself out there, and that's why I decided we should stay married.”

"Because I’m beloved by the citizens in Maretime Bay?” Hitch asked.

“Exactly,” Pipp said. “Now, I'm not blind. Finding out whether we can work should be the focus of our relationship rather than what other ponies think, but the way you show what a good heart you have is why I've grown to admire you, Hitch."

Hitch's cheeks heated up, and he shyly looked away from Pipp while scratching his leg. It took Pipp a moment to realize what she said, and she looked away, flustered. It wasn’t as though she said she loved Hitch, but she didn’t mean to indicate that she had begun to like him so plainly. After a few seconds, Hitch cleared his throat and timidly turned to Pipp with his cheeks still red.

"So, you're really glad you married me so far, huh?" he asked.

"Yeah, I am," Pipp said.

"And you really think we're gonna be this power couple that's gonna brighten all of Equestria, huh?" Hitch asked.

Pipp turned to Hitch and put her hoof on top of Hitch's with a smile.

"After today, I know we are," Pipp said.

"Well, then I guess the social media stuff makes more sense when you put it like that," Hitch said. "That said, let's not have all of Equestria know when we’re on a date. I don't want watching movies together or eating lunch in bed or at the sheriff’s office to be the only times we can be alone."

"Totally agree,” Pipp said. “Though, it might be a tall order since we’re the most recognizable ponies in Equestria.”

“Hmmm. That’s true,” Hitch said, rubbing his chin. “Maybe there’s a way we can go out without anypony knowing it. We can sneak into the restaurant with the secret royal passageways or reserve the whole place for us. Maybe if we had disguises, we could -”

Pipp let out a gasp and jumped into a standing position, almost knocking her soup out of her tray. Her gasp was followed by a squeal as she flapped her wings happily. Hitch moved his and Pipp’s grilled cheese and tomato soup back as Pipp jumped on the bed.

“Disguises! Let’s go with disguises!” Pipp chirped. “It’ll be like one big makeover for a special night for the two of us!”

“I don’t think disguises and makeovers are the same thing, Your Highness,” Hitch said.

“Maybe not by definition, but they totally go hand in hand here,” Pipp said. “After all, we’re not going to be putting on masks or dye our manes and coats like they do in movies. We still need to look nice on our second date. I can wear a dress that nopony has publicly seen me in, and we can have a tailor make you a tux and a top hat. We’ll have to put on wigs, and I’ll grab a large hat to cover my head.”

“Oooo, if we’re doing fake hair, can I have a mustache?” Hitch asked.

Pipp stopped bouncing and stared at Hitch as though he spoke gibberish.

“A…a mustache? Why in all of Equestria would you want a mustache?” Pipp asked.

“Because I’ve always wanted to grow a mustache,” Hitch said before posing like a cool detective. “Davy Bluecoat has the coolest mustache ever. I betcha I would look butch with a brown, bushy mustache.”

Pipp tilted her head as she stared at Hitch. He was looking at her in excitement as though he were a colt, asking his mother to get the toy he wanted from the toy store. Pipp looked away hesitantly, then sighed before giving her husband a reluctant grin.

“Well, I guess it would help with disguising yourself, so I’ll see what I can do,” she said.

“Yay! I can’t wait,” Hitch said. “You won't regret this, Your Highness. You’re gonna like seeing how handsome I look with a mustache.”

“Uh, yeah, I can’t wait,” Pipp said. “Though if I’m going to take care of disguises, you have to choose the place to go for dinner. And it’s gotta be someplace nice, so we’re eating something other than grilled cheese or spaghetti.”

“That’s fair,” Hitch said. “Anyway, let’s get back to our lunch before it gets cold.”

Pipp smiled and nodded before Hitch moved her tray back to her and they began eating again. As they ate, Hitch looked up at Pipp, who was eating more moderately than before. The edges of his mouth curled as he thought about how passionate she was about making ponies happy, beginning to accept that there was something they could build on to connect as a couple.

Then his smile faded to a look of unease as he realized he was assigned to find a place for dinner in a city he hardly knew. He spent the rest of the day mentally praying he could deliver a dinner date worthy of royalty.

Author's Note

Hey, guys. I'm sorry it's taken so long for another update. I've been focused on other stories to the point that I had to force myself to take a long break from one of them because I was a little too obsessed with writing it. I want to go further with this story, but sometimes it's easier said than done. I hope I can update more... or at least not leave you waiting 4 months for an update.

On a more positive note, I want to give a special thanks to Axolotl222, who pointed out how Hitch and Pipp barely have any privacy in their relationship. That's how I got the idea that they make this plan to go out in disguise which will happen in either the next chapter or the chapter before that. I'm mixed on whether to have the next chapter be that or Thunder and Periwrinkle's date.

So, thank you so much for your patience. The Lord be with you all and have a great day!

Chapter 16

It had been four days since Hitch left for Zephyr Heights, and Thunder was adjusting well. Ponies welcomed Zoom and Thunder, treating them with the same respect they gave Hitch. The citizens would see Thunder around town more often than Zoom, as Zoom often stayed at the Sheriff's Office, organizing files and helping Sprout with his grammar.

Fortunately, Thunder didn't have to worry much about maintaining the peace in Maretime Bay when he was doing his rounds. At worst, he would find a piece of litter and toss it in the nearest public trash bin, not knowing that he should report those moments to Zoom because he lacked knowledge of the law. At the end of the day, being stationed at the quiet, cheerful seaside town felt like a vacation for Thunder more than anything.

The worst Thunder had to deal with was the Maretime Bay citizens being rowdy when they watched Hitch and Pipp's date at the Pitch Bowling Alley on their phones. Ponies gathered in groups near food stands, park benches, restaurant tables, and the town fountain, watching Hitch and Pipp play their bowling match as though it were a major sports tournament. Trolley Trotter stopped her trolley so she could watch the match together with her passengers.

Thunder took advantage of Zoom staying inside the Sheriff's Office with Sprout to take out his phone and watch the ZBS broadcast himself. Ponies cheered every time there was a strike or a spare or whenever Hitch or Pipp took the lead. Most citizens didn't care who won because they were excited to virtually watch the royal couple's first date and how Hitch and Pipp kept the game close. When it was over, Maretime Bay's citizens gained extreme pride for how their beloved sheriff handled himself during the interview.

After watching the broadcast, Hitch and Pipp's date was the talk of the town. Not since the wedding were ponies filled with hope for Hitch’s happiness and the future of ponykind. Zoom was especially impressed with the interview when Thunder filled her in with what happened at Zephyr Heights.

But while everypony was thinking about the royal couple, Thunder's thoughts were on his upcoming date with Periwinkle. Their conversation about unicorn culture and Harry Trotter occupied his mind as he patrolled the town. Simultaneously, he was nervous, for he had never been on a date. When Thunder and Zoom were off duty at Hitch's house, Thunder would lie on the couch and watch videos on how to behave and what to say on a first date. Occasionally, he thought of asking Zoom to explain some of the things the videos said, but he would be too embarrassed and want to figure it out himself. Thunder also wanted the date to be a secret from Zoom, worried that there would be some regulation he never read against going out with citizens from out of town when off duty.

Come late Saturday afternoon, Thunder finished his evening rounds early to rush to Hitch's house. He took a second shower and put on extra deodorant and a clip-on collar and tie he bought during his lunch break earlier that day. Thunder then rewatched the videos of how to interact on your first date while combing his mane. When he finished, Thunder chuckled, wondering how Zoom would react if she found out he focused more on how to behave on a date than memorizing laws and regulations.

After brushing his teeth for good measure, Thunder was heading out the door when the front door burst open. He froze in place like a burglar who had just gotten caught until he saw Zoom come in looking half-dead, swaying back and forth and her eyes half open. She was moaning in muttering while holding a half-full jumbo-sized smoothie cup with her left leg. She dropped her saddlebag filled with empty smoothie cups and bottles of hard cider before she looked up to give Thunder a half-awake smile.

“Hey Thunderzzz. What's up?” Zoom asked.

“Zoom, are you drunk?” Thunder asked.

“What? I never get drunk,” Zoom said. “I was just very thirsty for some smoothies from Sunny Starscout and wanted to spice things up a bit.”

“You put hard cider in your smoothies?” Thunder asked. “Since when do you spike your drinks?”

Zoom’s drunk smile melted into a grumpy frown, and she said, “Since I've had to start dealing with a dullard of a deputy for a good part of a week. I mean, my hoofness, a flying mouse could learn basic grammar faster than Depooty Sprute Hoserlaufy.”

“Uh, don't you mean Deputy Sprout Cloverleaf?” Thunder asked.

“Gesundheit,” Zoom said before noticing Thunder's clip-on collar and tie. “Why are you dressed like that?”

“Uh, I'm going on Saturday night patrol,” Thunder fibbed. “It's Maretime Bay regulation to look classy while everypony is out to enjoy their Saturday nights.”

“Regulation? I don't recall a *hic* regulation about *hic* that,” Zoom said.

“Well, it's in there. You must be really drunk if you, of all ponies, don't remember a little thing like that,” Thunder said.

Zoom stared at Thunder as though he was speaking gibberish. Thunder grew uneasy, unsure if his superior officer was struggling to process his words or making the best suspicious look in her drunken state. Finally, Zoom shrugged and walked past Thunder, heading to Hitch's couch.

“I guess that makes sense,” Zoom said. “Carry on, Thunderzzz, and don't cause any *hic* trouble.”

“Yes, ma'am,” Thunder said with a salute.

Thunder went out the door and waited until he heard Zoom fall on the couch and started snoring before he closed the door behind him. He walked away from the house slowly as though sudden movements might wake his superior officer. Then he dashed to the town center, cackling like a teenager who had snuck out to go to a party. When Thunder got to the fountain, he took out his phone to find that he was 3 minutes early. He sat down at a bench close to the fountain and looked through the notes he took from the dating advice sites while he waited.

A few minutes later, Thunder noticed a pony approaching him from the corner of his eye. He turned his head, and his face fell to see Perrywrinkle standing beside him. Her yellow sweater tied around her neck was replaced with a pearl necklace. She wore green clip-on earrings, and the edges of her mane were curled. What stood out the most to Thunder was Periwinkle wearing contacts instead of her glasses, giving him a better look at her green eyes staring timidly at him.

It took Thunder a moment before he realized he was staring for too long. He cleared his throat before standing up and turned to Periwinkle.

“Good evening, Periwinkle. You look quite lovely,” Thunder said.

Periwinkle smiled and said, “Thank you. You look dashing yourself.”

Thunder bashfully chuckled and scratched the back of his head with a sheepish smile. No pony had ever considered the lazy royal guard dashing before, so he hoped Perrywrinkle would think he looked decent at best with his collar and tie. He felt somewhat embarrassed with his reaction to her compliment, but Perrywrinkle thought his reaction was cute like a colt being complimented by his school crush. After half a minute, Thunder cleared his throat again and put on a straight face.

“Anyway, I was looking into places to go and discovered a new place where we can both have dinner and go dancing. Apparently, this place recently opened close to the old Canterlogic factory,” Thunder said.

Periwinkle's face lit up, and she asked, “You mean Pon-3 Beat Drop?”

“Er, yes,” Thunder said. “Have you been there before?”

“No, but I've wanted to for a while,” Periwinkle said. “The owner, Vinyl Skip, is a fellow unicorn, and he's been trying to run his own place for food and music ever since he learned about pop music and became a DJ. I've heard nothing but good things about his place, so I've wanted to go ever since.”

“Oh, great. Then let's not waste any time,” Thunder said.

Periwinkle smiled and nodded before she and Thunder began walking down the main road. They stopped at a two-story building at the end of the block on the right beside the walls to the Canterlogic factory. Above the entrance was a sign in neon lights that said, “Pon-3 Beat Drop.” On opposite sides of the sign were blue, green, and purple silhouettes of earth ponies, unicorns, and pegasi dancing. Periwinkle's excitement grew as she and Thunder heard music coming from inside.

Thunder opened the door and let Periwinkle come in first. They first saw a dance floor covering most of the ground floor. Dozens of ponies happily danced together, whether in groups or pairs, with neon lights shining above them. At the end of the room was Vinyl Skip in his DJ booth on the stage. He bobbed his head to the beat as he scratched records and pressed buttons with his eyes closed. A yellow earth pony stallion stood at a desk in the entryway and smiled at Thunder and Periwinkle as they entered.

“Good evening. My name is Beet Drop. Are you here to dance, dine, or both?” the stallion asked.

“Both, please,” Thunder said.

“Okay. Do you want to eat before you dance?” Beet Drop asked.

Thunder turned to Periwinkle, and she nodded with a smile.

“Yes, please,” Thunder said.

“Sounds good. If you follow me, I'll take you upstairs,” Beet Drop said.

Beet Drop took two menus behind the desk and escorted Thunder and Periwinkle to the staircase left of the entrance. Ponies ate at tables and booths, and at the center was a bar. At the end of the floor was a ledge where the dance floor could be seen from above. Beet Drop led Thunder and Periwinkle to a table at the ledge, and Thunder helped Periwinkle to her seat.

“Alright, sit tight, and a waiter will be right with you,” Beet Drop said as he handed the menus to Thunder and Periwinkle.

“Thank you,” Periwinkle said.

“Yeah, thanks,” Thunder said.

Beet Drop smiled and nodded before he went back downstairs to the front desk. Thunder sat opposite Periwinkle, and they began looking through their menus. The royal guard was surprised with the prices for the food, for the economy for a seaside town was hardly as big as it was at a kingdom on a mountain, which suited Thunder fine since he was paying for himself and his date. After deciding what he would order, Thunder looked around to see how active the dining area was. Ponies talked and laughed while enjoying their hay burgers, hay fries, steamed vegetables, onion rings, mac and cheese, and hard cider. Some ponies wore dresses and bow ties, like attending a high-class event instead of a club. Periwinkle looked up from her menu, noticed Thunder looking at everypony around them, and smiled.

“Pretty lively here. Isn't it?” Periwinkle said.

“Yes, it is,” Thunder said, turning to Periwinkle. “Truth be told, I didn't expect it to be so crowded and vibrant here. It makes sense, given this is a new establishment, but still.”

“I know what you mean. I'm not used to big establishments like these,” Periwinkle said. “Unicorns aren't known for being energetic before the Unity.”

“Really? I find that hard to believe with Vinyl Skip so lost in his world of music down there,” Thunder said, pointing at the DJ booth.

“That's because he's playing music he's never known until a few moons back,” Periwinkle said. “He collected vinyl records of soft, slow jazz music and recorded poetry reading at the Crystal Tea Room. No unicorn in Bridlewood could imagine music louder than your voice or how DJ booths use records. Bottom line, Vinyl Skip became a new pony when pegasi who also moved to Maretime Bay, introduced him to various genres. In fact, he was the DJ for the royal wedding reception, which is how he got the funding to open this place. I didn't even know he was there until about a week later.”

“Really? How come?” Thunder asked. “I would think you'd have found out that your friend was there since you were there, too. I mean, didn't you go to the wedding with Sunny Starscout and Izzy Moonbow?”

Periwrinkle’s eyes widened, and she looked away in unease. She hadn't thought about how she tried to get Presto to marry her instead of Pipp ever since all focus turned to Hitch marrying Pipp. Thunder tilted his head in confusion, and Periwinkle realized she was taking too long to answer.

“Well, uh, I was so focused on the celebration that I didn't notice who the DJ was,” Periwinkle said. “I mean, my friend and sheriff married Princess Pipp Petals herself. I can't imagine any pony in Equestria thinking about anything else.”

Periwinkle forced a smile, trying to assure Thunder there was no other reason. In her eyes, telling a stallion about the stallion she wanted to marry on the first date wouldn't do. After a few seconds, Thunder took a moment to think about it and shrugged.

“Yeah, that makes sense,” Thunder said. “It was a long night for all of us, for sure. In fact, I was the one who found the video of Presto and that mare and showed it to the princesses.”

“Really? How did you come across it?” Periwinkle asked.

“Oh, I was browsing through social media while the concert was happening until I found it,” Thunder said. “I showed it to my superior, Zoom, and then we showed it to Princess Zipp, who showed it to her sister.”

“Wow. So, if you hadn't found that video when you did, Pipp would have married a stallion who was unfaithful to her,” Periwinkle said. “I bet the royal family is really grateful to you for uncovering the truth about Presto Tetrachord.”

Thunder’s cheeks tinted, and he looked away timidly while scratching his head.

“Oh, they don't need to thank me about that. If we're being honest, I wasn't supposed to be on my phone while on duty, and it's not like I went straight to Princess Pipp to show what happened.”

“But, they still wouldn't have found out if it weren't for you,” Periwinkle said. “Imagine if Pipp married Presto. Presto would have spent the rest of his days pretending to be a loyal husband and prince when he was still having an affair with that unicorn. What if that mare isn't the only one he's sleeping with? What if he got another mare pregnant, leading to Pipp finding out the truth? She would have been devastated, worse than when she saw the video. To say nothing of how all of Equestria would have reacted to that being the turnout of the first biracial marriage in countless moons. You saved everypony from immense drama and pain on top of Pipp finding someone better than Presto could ever be.”

“Oh, stop it. You're making it sound like I'm some great hero or something,” Thunder said.

“You are to me,” Periwinkle said.

Thunder and Periwinkle's eyes widened, and they simultaneously looked away with their cheeks pink . Periwinkle glanced at Thunder, who played with his hooves as his blush covered his face. She covered her mouth to hide a giggle, once again finding his bashfulness cute. After a minute, a green earth pony stallion wearing a clip-on tie walked over to them, holding a notepad and pen.

“Good evening. My name is Cookie Crumble, and I'll be your waiter tonight,” the stallion said. “Are you ready to order?”

It took a moment for Thunder and Periwinkle to realize what was happening before they cleared their throats and picked up their menus.

“Uh, yeah. I'll have a hayburger, onion rings, and a cider,” Thunder said.

“And I'll have a hay and cranberry salad and a cider,” Periwinkle said.

Cookie Crumble wrote down Thunder and Periwinkle's orders, then took their menus.

“Alright then. We'll get started on your orders right away,” Cookie Crumble said.

“Thank you,” Thunder and Periwinkle said simultaneously.

Cookie Crumble went downsides to place their orders in the kitchen. Thunder and Periwinkle looked at each other for a moment before they looked away again,remembering what Periwrinkle had said a minute before. Periwinkle looked down the ledge as though the dancing downstairs was the most exciting thing in the world. But as she watched the dancing, she spotted something that made her face fall. She leaned closer and squinted to ensure she saw what she saw. After a moment, Periwinkle's face lit up, and she let out a squeal that startled Thunder.

“She asked him! She asked him!” Periwinkle squealed.

“I beg your pardon? Who asked who?” Thunder asked.

“Look at the earth pony mare and pegasus stallion dancing on the far right corner,” Periwinkle said.

Thunder looked at Periwinkle, confused, before he turned to where she was looking. At the top right corner of the dance floor was a light turquoise earth pony mare and a cream-colored pegasus stallion dancing side by side. The stallion wore a pendant of a golden orange electric guitar, and the mare's hooves were decorated purple with pink and blue stars.

Suddenly, the stallion took the mare by the hoof and spun her. The mare was startled but simultaneously loved the spontaneous moment. It made her smile blissfully as though she was waltzing to classical music with her date instead of dancing to dubstep. While Thunder was still confused, Periwinkle “aw” ed with her front hooves together.

“So, what do they have to do with somepony asking somepony?” Thunder asked.

Periwinkle giggled at Thunder's obliviousness and said, “The mare’s name is Jazz Hooves, and the stallion dancing with her is Rocky Riff. They work at the hair salon in the town center, and Jazz did my mane this afternoon for tonight. She was staring at Rocky while working my mane until I called her out on her crush on him. Jazz was so shy that she struggled to admit it. I encouraged Jazz to ask Rocky on a date, but I wasn't sure she'd gather the courage to do it.”

“Oh, that's nice,” Thunder said. “Though judging by how he's dancing with her, I wonder if he asked her first.”

“Oh, that would be so adorable,” Periwinkle said. “I would be so happy if they would be together soon. Not to mention, it would be very encouraging for all ponykind.”

“What do you mean?” Thunder asked.

“Did you watch Hitch and Pipp's bowling date?” Periwinkle asked.

“Er, well, I wasn't exactly allowed to because I was on my rounds, but then again, who wasn't watching that?” Thunder answered.

“Did you see the interview that came after?” Periwinkle asked. “Specifically, did you watch the part where Hitch answered that question about the future with his pegasus wife?”

“Yeah,” Thunder said.

“If both Jazz and Rocky wanted to ask each other out, then I see their relationship as a perfect example of what Hitch predicted coming to pass,” Periwinkle said. “One has wings, the other doesn't have wings or a horn, and yet, as you can see, they cherish others' company. Maybe if we have more relationships like that soon, biracial relationships will stop being a subject matter before anypony knows it.”

Thunder stared at Periwinkle, taken aback as she spoke. He had heard ponies discuss the subject matter through social media ever since all three pony kinds became friends again, and he also thought Hitch's speech was moving. Still, he had never heard anypony speak about biracial relationships among ponies so passionately. Simultaneously, it warmed his heart to see his date delighted in what was happening to her fellow ponies.

“Well, our society is going in the right direction for that,” Thunder said. “And, I like to think, if not hope, that we will see more ponies developing bonds like that no matter what or where they're from.”

It took Periwinkle a moment before she realized what Thunder was implying, and her cheeks turned pink. Thunder chuckled sheepishly, feeling his cheeks heated up also. Half a minute later, Cookie Crumble returned with Thunder and Periwinkle's food. They thanked Cookie Crumble and waited for him to leave before they dug in. As they ate, Periwinkle glanced at Jazz and Rocky, who were still lost in their own world as they danced. When the song ended, Jazz and Rocky caught their breaths before they laughed from the thrill of dancing. They then went to sit on a bench against the wall to rest, with Jazz resting her head on Rocky's shoulder. Periwinkle's heart melted as she watched Jazz close her eyes, taking in the moment with the stallion of her dreams. She then looked at Thunder, who was stuffing his face with his burger, and wondered how good of a dancer he was.

When Thunder and Periwinkle finished their food, Cookie Crumble took their dishes and left to bring Thunder the bill. Thunder leaned back against his chair and patted his belly. Periwinkle giggled.

“Really enjoyed your burger and rings?” Periwinkle asked.

“Oh, yeah. It's been too long since I've had either,” Thunder said. “My superior, Zoom, is excessively strict on a royal guard's diet. In fact, she's been limiting what Deputy Sprout's allowed to eat when on duty ever since we got here. On that note, please don't tell Zoom that I had my burger and rings. I'll never hear the end of her saying I know better than to fatten myself up.”

“My lips are sealed,” Periwinkle assured. “Although, if you're really worried about her finding out, you should use your time dancing to burn as many of the calories you just gained as possible.”

“Heh. Yeah, that's a good idea. Plus, burning calories by dancing is much more fun than anything Zoom would do to make up for not eating right,” Thunder said. “Trust me. When she's through, you'll wish your legs would come off just to get rid of the pain of them being overused. It’s practically like getting rid of a toothache. And don't get me started on push-ups using the tips of your wings. Dealing with that is probably the one thing I hate about being a pegasus.”

Periwinkle covered her mouth to hide a giggle. A few minutes later, Cookie Crumble returned with the bill, and Thunder paid the owed amount plus a tip. When Thunder put the money on top of the bill, Periwinkle got up and took Thunder by the hoof. She lightly pulled him off his seat and led him down the staircase to the dance floor. Thunder's cheeks heated up again from the feel of Periwinkle's hoof, yet he couldn't help but smile at how enthusiastic she was about getting to dance.

Thunder and Periwinkle got on the dance floor just as a song ended. Vinyl Skip took a moment to switch records, allowing the dancers to catch their breath. Vinyl Skip began playing the next record just as Thunder and Periwinkle found a spot on the dance floor, and Periwinkle's face lit up upon hearing an upbeat tune from the speakers.

“Oh my goodness, Iconic by Ruby Jubilee! I love this song!” Periwinkle screamed.

Within the blink of an eye, Periwinkle danced vigorously to the song's beat. It took a moment for Thunder to realize his date was already dancing before he joined her. He began to get into the beat before Periwinkle stood on her hind legs and sang as she danced with her eyes closed and her front hooves in the air.

Oh tell me can you hear that rockin' sound?

(Oh, oh, oh-oh)

If you listen you can hear it comin' 'round

(Oh, oh, oh-oh)

Yeah we're movin' to a brand new beat oh-ohhhh

(Oh, oh, oh-oh)

And you can see us dancin' in the street

(Oh, oh, oh-oh)

So call your favorite bestie and bring 'em along

'Cause we're movin' and we're shakin' to our favorite song

Oh-oh

Yeah, it's always in style

(Yeah, it's always in style!)

Iconic, ooh, yeah, you know it's magic

Iconic, ooh, yeah, you know it's classic

Iconic, when we are together

Iconic, yeah, we are forever

(Iconic... Iconic...)

Yeah, you can see them movin', young and old, oh-ohhhh

(Oh, oh, oh-oh)

Dancin' together yeah they feel it in their soul

(Oh, oh, oh-oh)

We're with all of our friends, yeah, we're singin along

To the sparkle and the magic of our favorite song

Oh-oh

'Cause they're always in style (sty-y-yle)

(Oh, yeah!)

Iconic, ooh, yeah, you know it's magic

Iconic, ooh, yeah, you know it's classic

Iconic, when we are together

Iconic, yeah, we are forever

(It's magic... It's magic... It's magic...)

(Iconic... Iconic... Iconic...)

Iconic, ooh, yeah, you know it's magic

Iconic, ooh, yeah, you know it's classic

Iconic, when we are together

Iconic, yeah, we are forever

(Iconic... Iconic... Iconic…)

Thunder stopped dancing and stared at Periwinkle as though she put him in a trance. It was like he was watching a pop star from how Periwinkle passionately sang and danced. Yet the edges of his mouth curled at the sight of his date so blissful on the dance floor. When the song ended, Periwinkle got back on all fours and took a breath through her nostrils with her eyes still closed, smiling. The other ponies stomped their hooves in applause as Vinyl Skip put on the next record. As a new song played, Periwinkle opened her eyes to see Thunder still gawking at her, and she giggled before taking his hoof.

“Come on. Dance with me,” Periwrinkle said.

Before Thunder knew it, Periwinkle pulled him toward her until they were a foot apart. Their cheeks heated up as they began dancing to a faster, louder song with Periwinkle still holding Thunder's hoof. Thunder nearly tripped on his hooves before he got into the groove. Periwinkle giggled as she watched her date grow more comfortable while still blushing as though he had never danced with somepony before. After a minute and a half into the song, Thunder smiled and moved closer to Periwinkle, and his date grinned, for they were ready to dance in one mind.

*******************************************************

For the next three hours, Thunder and Periwinkle danced, taking a break every 15 to 20 minutes. Afterward, Thunder checked the time on his phone and suggested that they stop so they could have their walk on the beach. Periwinkle looked over Thunder's shoulder to look at the time on his phone and nodded in agreement.

They exited the club with Thunder holding the door for Periwinkle and began going to the beach. By now, the activities at the town center died down, for the shops and restaurants were closed for the night. Only a few ponies were passing by, heading home as they wished Thunder and Periwinkle good evening.

Thunder and Periwinkle walked down the road and turned to a path to the beach. They began their stroll on the beach, walking side by side. The soft sound of the ocean moving and the moon shining brightly was relaxing for Thunder and Periwinkle after hours of hearing loud music and neon lights lighting the dance floor. Periwinkle shuddered from the light breeze blowing at her, and Thunder put his wing around Periwinkle's back. The mare took the opportunity to move closer to her date until their sides were touching, taking Thunder aback before he smiled and tightened his hold on Periwinkle with his wing.

“That was fun,” Periwinkle said. “Dancing, I mean.”

“Yeah, it was,” Thunder said. “Tell you the truth, the music is still ringing in my ears.”

Periwinkle giggled and said, “Yeah, I know what you mean. That last Electric Blue song is stuck in my head.”

“Really? I thought you'd have Iconic stuck in your head even if it's the first song you danced to,” Periwinkle said.

“Really? Why's that?” Periwinkle asked, looking at Thunder in confusion.

“Well, you were really into it more than any of the other songs,” Thunder said. “You were so enthusiastic that you were singing along. I don't think I saw any other pony act that way with any of the songs.”

“Well, you're right that I really love to sing that song, but I've grown to love pop music in general,” Periwinkle said. “I just find it an entertaining genre. The fast beats, the lively instrumental music, the catchy lyrics; granted, you can say all of that with rock music as well, but I've grown to be fond of pop because of how fun it is compared to what little music unicorns had before the unity, and with how long the genre has existed. In fact, did you know that pop music has existed since Ancient Equestria?”

“Wait. For real? How do you know that?” Thunder asked.

“Sunny told me,” Periwinkle answered. “Many centuries ago, pop stars were taking Equestria by storm long before there were phones or TV. Some of her dad's research is incomplete, but one pop star named Sapphire Shoes or something like that was really popular. One artist more popular than her was a duchess or countess. Not sure which. Sadly, their music has been lost to time, but it's amazing how ponies entertained fellow ponies with pop centuries before Pipp or Ruby Jubilee.”

“And Presto Tetrachord,” Thunder said.

Periwinkle winced as though Thunder slapped her by saying that name. In all the focus on Hitch marrying Pipp, meeting Thunder, and otherwise letting life go on, Periwinkle forgot about how Presto Tetrachord used to light up her life with his music. Like most of Equestria society, she forgot the stallion she wanted to marry was a beloved, talented pop star before he was discovered to be an unfaithful cad. It was as though Presto's once-celebrated music had faded to obscurity like music from an artist being sold by a third-rate studio. Periwinkle hung her head and looked away from Thunder to hide a tear as tainted memories of Presto Tetrachord flooded her mind.

“Yeah, I guess you can include him too,” Periwinkle said.

Thunder's smile faded from Periwinkle speaking with a dispirited voice. Confused, he tilted his head until he figured Periwinkle was a big fan of Presto's music before the royal wedding. He interpreted Periwinkle's reluctance to include Presto's music as a sign that Presto’s infidelity poisoned her view of pop music in some way. Perhaps some shame from how her fellow unicorn almost ruined the first biracial wedding in centuries. Either way, the mood was soured, and it was Thunder's fault. Guilt filled Thunder's heart until he thought of how to change the subject.

“So, what else existed way back in Ancient Equestria? Did they have phones or the Canternet?” Thunder asked.

Periwinkle turned to Thunder and smiled in appreciation before she answered.

“Actually, no. Technology like phones and the Canternet wasn't even an idea back then, “ she answered. “Ponies used the post office to communicate with ponies living in different parts of Equestria. They also used magazines and posters to advertise their business instead of social media. Dubstep existed, but music could only be heard through live performances or vinyl records.”

“Wow. Talk about putting the ancient in Ancient Equestria,” Thunder chortled. “Though, why did ponies need something like the post office to communicate? Didn't they have magic?”

“They did, but not usually for something like mail,” Periwinkle said. “The only one who could was a princess who communicated with a unicorn named Twilight Sparkle using the unicorn’s magic pet dragon.”

“Wait. What? Dragons existed back then?” Thunder asked, taken aback.

“Dragons, hippogriffs, diamond dogs, griffins, some of them I've never heard of before,” Periwinkle said. “And they all used to be friends with ponies before they disappeared. In fact, Wisteria and I are going to teach our students about how ponies became friends with all of these creatures next Monday, including building a school to teach creatures how to be friends.”

Thunder gave Periwinkle a funny look, taken aback by her speaking about ponies and other creatures so factually. Periwinkle's smile faded, and she stopped waking, making Thunder stop as well. They turned to face each other, making Thunder uneasy with how Periwinkle looked at him with a hurt look.

“You don't believe me?” Periwinkle asked.

Thunder bit his lip. He wanted to make up a lie to convince her that he believed Periwinkle, but deep down, Thunder knew there was no way he could come up with a convincing lie, at least not after Periwinkle had already called him out on one once. After half a minute, Thunder sighed and spoke his mind in reluctance.

“It's just that these are hard pills to swallow,” he said. “Not too long ago, it was inconceivable to believe that earth ponies, unicorns, and pegasi ever got along. Now you're saying ponykind was once friends with creatures that only exist in fairy tales. Foal stuff.”

"Ah, I see. So, you can't help but wonder if Sunny's research might be mixed with myths or fictional literature from back in those days or something like that, right?" Periwinkle said.

"Well, yeah," Thunder said.

Periwinkle smiled, appreciative that Thunder was being honest.

“I get it. It's tough to swallow when you put it on paper, and a lot of concrete information can be lost in countless moons,” she said. “But even with that in mind, the way Sunny describes Ancient Equestria feels less like something that happened in our past and more like a completely different world. It's little surprise that some teachers like Mayflower and the teachers for the schools at Bridlewood and Zephyr Heights are reluctant to teach this to our students. There's very little in Sunny's dad's research that explains how ponies went from being friends to all these kinds of creatures and then suddenly were at a point where they weren't even friends with each other. Sunny has even gone so far as to say that pegasi used to create the weather for Equestria and that two particularly powerful ponies controlled the sun and the moon. It all sounds completely illogical.”

“Well, if you feel that way, why do you still teach it? Thunder asked.

“Because I have faith that it's all true,” Periwinkle said. “If there's one special thing that makes me especially thankful our races became friends again, it's that the Unity has proved that there is more that our lives can be together than when we were apart. Before Sunny came along, Bridlewood was such a dull place. You don't have a reason to be particularly happy or sad from the moment you're born. You're just here. How any unicorn could be so bright and cheerful back then, like Izzy, I'll never understand. Since we all became friends, I've felt like I've only been alive in the past few moons. I learned there was more to living than just being another unicorn with practically nothing of significance apart from being somepony who wears glasses and a sweater around her neck. So, the more I hear about pony life long before I was born, the happier I am about the world beyond being secluded in Bridlewood. So, I choose to believe that there was a time when not only were we all together, but Equestria was more than just a seaside town, a forest settlement, and one big city. With more ponies interested in Ancient Equestria than just Sunny, I want to encourage my students to be curious about the past so that more of us can discover more outside of Sunny's research. Maybe one day, pony civilization will thrive the way it used to and learn more about the non-pony friends of our past.”

Nothing was heard after Periwinkle spoke apart from the crashing waves. Periwinkle frowned in confusion as Thunder stared at her as though she had put him in a trance. She waved her hoof before Thunder's face until he snapped out of his daze and chuckled sheepishly.

“Did you not listen to everything I said?” Periwinkle asked.

“Oh, I did. I did. I swear, I did,” Thunder said, waving his hoof defensively. “I'm just surprised.”

“Why are you surprised?” Periwinkle asked.

Thunder looked away momentarily to think about what to say before he answered, “It's just that I've never heard anypony speak that way about learning the past before. I mean, I was there when Sunny and Izzy made their case to the queen about how all three ponykinds could be friends again, with Sunny, in particular, being very fervent about it. But, even with Sunny in mind, you seem to be passionate about knowing our past more than anypony.”

“Is that a bad thing?” Periwinkle asked.

“No! No, no. It's a great thing,” Thunder assured. “When you explain why you believe what our history is, it makes me think that more ponies should know about it. It's still difficult to believe, but if you keep pressing on like Sunny, maybe your students will share your passion and become determined to discover more while we continue to live in harmony again.”

Periwinkle's eyes widened, and her cheeks tinted. It took a moment for Thunder to realize how far he went and chuckled nervously while scratching the back of his head. After a few seconds, Periwinkle smiled sweetly and walked over to nuzzle Thunder, startling him.

“W-w-what are you doing?” Thunder stuttered.

Periwinkle giggled and said, “No one's spoken so supportively to me like that before. It's really heartwarming to hear somepony admire my dream. Thank you.”

Thunder stammered, not used to somepony expressing heartfelt gratitude to him. Nor had he been nuzzled since his mother nuzzled him when he was a foal. Part of him wasn't convinced that either happened. Then, he paused and took a deep breath to keep his cool before he replied with a smile.

“You're welcome.”

Thunder and Periwinkle stared at each other for a few seconds, smiling. Then they realized they had been staring for too long and looked away bashfully with Periwinkle playing with the sand with her hoof. Eventually, Thunder cleared his throat and gestured to return to walking with his head. Periwinkle nodded, and they began walking side by side again. Thunder and Periwinkle tried to think of a new subject to discuss, yet simultaneously, they were okay with silently having their walk after a heart-to-heart moment.

*******************************************************

When they reached the end of the beach, Thunder and Periwinkle turned around and returned to where they started their walk. They then began walking to Periwinkle's house, making small talk. When Thunder and Periwinkle stopped at Periwinkle's front porch, they turned to each other, and Thunder cleared his throat.

“Well, uh, this was fun,” he said nervously. “Did you have a good time?”

Periwinkle smiled and said, “Yes, I had a lovely evening. Thank you.”

Thunder eased up, having been unsure of how Periwinkle would answer.

“Great then,” he said. “So, uh, if you'd like, we could exchange numbers and talk about doing this again. That is if you want to.”

Periwinkle's smile grew, and she opened her mouth to say yes. Then her eyes widened and she froze in place in realization. Thunder's smile faded as Periwinkle looked away from him and he hung his head, thinking she would reject him.

“I see. I guess it's too soon for that,” Thunder said.

“No, no. It's nothing like that,” Periwinkle said. “It's just that we'll need to put each other's names in our contact info, and I just realized in all the fun meeting and spending time together I haven't asked what's your name.”

It took Thunder a moment before he looked back and realized Periwinkle was right. His realization was quickly followed by seeing Periwinkle avoid eye contact in embarrassment instead of reluctance. After a moment, Thunder snorted before he laughed with his head held high.

“W-well, in fairness, I didn't think to tell you my name,” Thunder chortled. “I mean, you told me your name right as I was about to ask you out and didn't think to tell you my name right after you gave me yours. So, if anything, it's totally my fault.”

Periwinkle scoffed and held her hoof to her mouth as she giggled, feeling better.

“Fair enough,” she said. “So, what is your name?”

“It's Thunder. Thunder Flap,” Thunder said.

Periwinkle smiled warmly and said, “Well, to answer your question, Thunder, I'd love to exchange numbers with you.”

Thunder's face lit up, and he took out his phone from underneath his wing in one swift motion. Periwinkle giggled again, amused by Thunder's enthusiasm, before she took out her phone. The two switched phones and added their contact info to the other's phone. They then took selfies to upload as pictures to their contacts profiles.

After returning each other's phones, Thunder looked at Periwinkle's contact profile on his phone, finding her selfie cute. Then suddenly, he felt something soft pressing against his left cheek, and he flushed upon realizing Periwinkle was kissing his cheek. Periwinkle pulled back and smiled at how bashful Thunder was while her blue cheeks turned pink.

“That's an apology for forgetting to ask for your name,” Periwinkle said. “And this is for the lovely evening.”

Periwinkle put her hoof on the cheek she kissed and leaned to kiss Thunder's other cheek. She held onto the kiss a couple of seconds longer before she pulled back to look at Thunder's stunned face. It took Thunder a moment before he realized Periwinkle wasn't kissing his cheek or holding his other cheek anymore, and he shook his head to snap out of his daze.

“Well, uh, good…good night…Periwinkle,” Thunder said timidly.

Periwinkle's smile stretched to the sides of her face, and she said, “Good night, Thunder.”

With that, Periwinkle opened the door and gave Thunder one last look before she went inside and closed the door behind her. Thunder looked up at the night sky and sighed blissfully as Periwinkle kissing his cheeks replayed in his mind. He then began waking to Hitch's house, hoping Zoom was still sleeping after getting drunk. Part of Thunder was worried Zoom would remember his fake regulation and demand a report, but for now, the lazy royal guard focused on how he had the best night of his life.

Chapter 2 Author's Note

Before you begin reading, I’d like to give a little clarification on this chapter. For those of you who don’t know, there was a “Name This Pony” thing on Equestria Daily, where fans gave names to the background characters that appeared in the movie. So, this chapter, and likely future chapters, will have background ponies addressed with the names given to them. Here’s a link to the article: Equestria Daily - MLP Stuff!: Name This Pony - Naming Background Ponies From My Little Pony a New Generation - Results!

With that out of the way, I hope you enjoy this chapter.

Chapter 2

Hitch Trailblazer loved seeing ponies in Maretime Bay smile. As the sheriff, it was his duty to uphold the law and maintain the peace in the seaside town. For as long as he could remember, maintaining the peace meant supporting laws against unicorns and pegasi and Canterlogic creating products to fight against them run by the company's owner, Phyllis Cloverleaf.

When Sunny, whom Hitch had been friends with since they were foals, returned to Maretime Bay saying unicorns and pegasi had no magic apart from the pegasi royal family, Hitch was skeptical like many ponies. Citizens demanded that he arrest Sunny for her claims, putting HItch in an awkward position. Luckily, when other ponies backed up Sunny's claims, and all three pony kinds became friends, Hitch could abolish the laws against interacting with unicorns and pegasi, keeping Sunny from jail.

As time passed, Hitch found friendship between earth ponies, unicorns, and pegasi rather pleasant. Some ponies, like his deputy, Sprout, were still unsettled, particularly when unicorns and pegasi began living in Maretime Bay. Still, Hitch felt his town had become a much better place now that earth ponies learned having a horn or wings was no more dangerous than having a birthmark, glasses, or facial hair.

But while many earth ponies in Maretime Bay developed close relationships with the unicorns and pegasi, Hitch didn't attempt to befriend any. He had many admirers among mares from all three pony kinds, but he didn't interact with many ponies as a friend apart from Sunny and Izzy. It wasn't that he still had prejudice or fear against unicorns and pegasi. He valued the new citizens in his town as if they were born and raised in Maretime Bay, but at the end of the day, he was nothing more than a friendly face of the law for the civilians, earth ponies, unicorns, and pegasi alike.

Hitch was walking to the sheriff's office to start the day on the morning of the third to last day before Pipp and Presto's wedding. As he greeted ponies passing by, he noticed many were in groups listening to music on their phones. Hitch smiled as he watched them, knowing many of them were excited about the wedding. Though he never listened to Pipp or Presto's music or had a smartphone, he liked to hum to the music as he walked.

"Good morning, Sheriff Hitch."

Hitch looked to his left and saw five mares walking toward him: two earth ponies, two pegasi, and a unicorn. They looked at Hitch flirtatiously save for the unicorn, who walked with her head low. Hitch gave the mares a friendly smile, blind to the meaning behind their stares.

"Morning, Mayflower, Dahlia, Periwinkle, Wisteria Frost, Peach Melba," Hitch greeted.

The mares giggled with Periwinkle Pi, the unicorn, lifting her head for a moment to give a brief smile. Hitch noticed Peach Melba holding out her phone as the mares walked to him, playing a song made by Pipp and Presto.

"I'm guessing you ladies are looking forward to the royal wedding?" Hitch asked.

"Sure are. Wisteria and I have been Pippsqueaks for the longest time," Peach Melba said. "We're going to watch the wedding at Dahlia's since we couldn't get tickets."

Hitch smiled until he noticed Perwinkle Pi still looking very low.

“What’s eating you, Periwinkle?” he asked.

Periwinkle sighed heavily and said, “I wish Presto isn’t marrying Pipp.”

“Why’s that? I thought everypony is looking forward to the princess marrying him,” Hitch said.

“Everypony except Periwinkle. She’s been crushing on Presto since way back when he was doing gigs in Bridlewood,” Peach Melba said. “Poor dear, never got to make a move before Presto moved to ZH and met Pipp.”

It took Hitch a moment before he realized ZH stood for Zephyr Heights. Periwinkle Pi turned her head away from everypony as Mayflower explained her situation, feeling her heart ache the more her friend brought up her situation.

"I'm sorry to hear that, Periwinkle. That must be hard," he said.

Periwinkle nodded before she turned her head to Hitch.

"I get that he's really happy with the pretty princess, but I wish I could try to confess my feelings before she marries her," she said, still not looking at Hitch. “Better to be shot down in person than to watch him get married on TV.”

Periwinkle Pi’s friends looked at her sympathetically with Peach Malba turning off the music. Hitch furrowed his brow until he gently turned Periwinkle’s head to him and gave her a comforting smile.

“Hey, don’t you worry about it, Periwinkle. Even if Presto Tertracord is taken, there’s a stallion for you somewhere,” he said.

“You really think so?” Periwinkle asked.

“Absolutely,” Hitch said with confidence in his voice. “Don’t give up until Presto has tied the knot, and then learn to move on to find the guy meant for you.”

Periwinkle said nothing for a moment. Then she gave Hitch a small smile that made her friends hopeful.

"Thanks, Sheriff Hitch. I needed to hear that," he said.

Hitch smirked and posed as if he was a knight who heroically slew a vicious animal.

"Anytime. Keeping the citizens of Maretime Bay safe and happy is what I'm here for," he said. "Speaking of which, I must make my way to the station."

"Of course," Mayflower said before she suddenly hatched an idea. "Say, before you go, do you have any plans for watching the royal wedding?"

Dahlia, Wisteria Storm, Peach Melba, and Periwinkle Pi's eyes widened, and they smiled brightly, instantly figuring out what Mayflower was thinking.

"I can't say I do. I'll likely be on duty that night," Hitch said, oblivious.

"Well, if you don't have anything planned, maybe you could take a little time off duty and watch the wedding with us," Mayflower said, batting her eyelashes. "There's always room for a strong, good-looking stallion such as yourself to keep us company during get-togethers like watching a royal wedding."

"Sorry, ladies, but duty calls," Hitch said.

The mares' cheerful faces were replaced with unamused looks.

"You always say that," Mayflower said. "Every time any pony asks to do anything with you, you're always busy being the sheriff."

"Not every time. I hang out with Sunny and Izzy," Hitch said.

"You're…you're not interested in either of them…romantically. Are you?" Wisteria asked hesitantly.

"No, of course not. Sunny is my best friend, and Izzy… I don't know how that would work," Hitch said. "They're just my friends."

"Well, if you spend your free time with friends, then why not bring them with us?" Dahlia said.

Mayflower leaned into Dahlia's ear and whispered, "What are you doing? It's supposed to be just us and Hitch."

"Compromise, May. Compromise," Dahlia whispered back.

"Sorry, ladies, but when duty calls, I answer," Hitch said.

The mares' faces grew sour. Dahlia huffed as if Hitch insulted her personally.

"You know, we all adore your devotion to protecting us, but it won't hurt to spend time with the ponies that adore you rather than putting your badge first," she said.

With another "humph," Dahlia walked past Hitch with the other mares following. Hitch watched them walk away, confused, thinking the mares were being unreasonable. He shrugged it off and continued walking to the station. Two tiny seagulls and a crab were waiting for him at the front of the station. The little critters saluted and Hitch smirked.

"At ease, deputies," he said.

The critters stopped saluting, and Hitch kicked the front door open with his smirk turned into a proud grin. The critters followed behind him single-file as he went in. Inside, Sprout was on his desk staring at the ceiling without a care while leaning against his chair and drinking a smoothie.

"Good morning, station! Sheriff Hitch reporting for duty!" Hitch announced.

As soon as Sprout heard Hitch's voice, he nearly choked on his smoothie and hid it under his desk before pretending to be filing paperwork. Hitch rolled his eyes, for Sprout hardly did any paperwork when on duty. Even when he did, it was because Phyllis made him. Hitch would also have to edit Sprout's work heavily because he was very poor at spelling and grammar, as evidenced by Sprout's desk name plaque he made out of notebook paper with deputy spelled, "Depooty."

Hitch went over to his desk and happily started going through a mountain of paperwork as though he was at home sitting on a sofa reading a book. As he read the reports, he began humming the song that was playing on Peach Melba's phone. The seagulls and the crab nodded to the beat as they stood next to Hitch's desk. Sprout's left ear twitched, and he pursed his lips as he pretended to work on paperwork. Finally, Sprout huffed and looked up at Hitch.

"Hitch, could you knock it off?" he asked.

"What? What's wrong?" Hitch asked.

"You were humming one of those pegasi and unicorn pop songs. I can't stand ponies playing them all the time," Sprout said.

"Oh, come on, Sprout. The music is catchy," Hitch said. "Besides, it should die down after the wedding."

"It better. It feels like I'm watching trailers for a movie while watching my cartoons that they play for months before the movie comes out," Sprout grumbled.

Hitch sighed and said, "You know what, Sprout? I get that you're still scared that unicorns and pegasi will do something, but you don't have to be grumpy about every single thing related to them."

"Hey, I get along fine without their tea, their crystals, and their smartphones. I mean, you don't have any of those things either," Sprout said.

"Granted, but that's because I don't need to go online to interact with ponies. The citizens of Maretime Bay are all the social interaction I need," Hitch said proudly. "All I want is to see ponies laugh, smile, and have fun while I uphold the law."

Sprout huffed again. If there was one thing that got on his nerves almost as much as unicorns and pegasi living in Maretime Bay, it was how Hitch loved to express how he enjoyed doing his job. Hitch returned to working on his paperwork while Sprout begrudgingly got to work, too. The critters patiently watched Hitch work as though they were waiting for him to do something heroic.

Suddenly, just as Hitch finished his first sheet of paperwork, Sunny Starscout burst through the front doors with a wide-open smile. She was followed by Izzy bouncing behind her and humming a tune. Sprout screamed and hid under his desk, thinking the station was under attack. Hitch gave his deputy a deadpanned look.

"Hitch! Hitch, you won't believe what just happened!" Sunny exclaimed.

"Sunny, I'm on duty. You can't just burst into here unless it's an emergency," Hitch said.

"Does it count as an emergency if I want your help with something?" Sunny challenged.

Hitch raised his eyebrow. Sunny's claim of an emergency didn't match her jubilant demeanor.

"Alright, I'll bite. What's up?" he asked.

Sunny took a few deep breaths to cool down and said, "Okay, so Izzy and I were on our way to work. Right? We were just a few steps away from the lighthouse when Phyllis came running towards us."

"Mommy? What did she want from you?" Sprout asked, peeking his head from under his desk.

Izzy stepped in and said, "Well, since we don't have smartphones, your mom heard from Bubblegum McGinty, who heard from Spanner Spank, who heard from Lahara Blossom, who got a text message from Mulberry Bramble, who got a call from Sour Lavender -"

"What Izzy is trying to explain is that Phyllis came to us saying Princess Zipp was trying to get in contact with us," Sunny said.

"One of the princesses? What for?" Hitch asked.

"Well, I made figurines of Princess Pipp and Presto Tetrachord as a wedding gift, and Princess Pipp opened her gift before the wedding,” Izzy said. “When she found out that they were made by one of the ponies that brought all three ponykinds together, she -”

“She invited us to the wedding!” Sunny screamed.

Hitch, Sprout, and the critters stared at Sunny and Izzy, taken aback. After a few seconds, Hitch smiled and got off his chair to walk toward Sunny.

“Well, congratulations, Sunny. This must be a dream come true for you,” he said.

“Is it ever!” Sunny shouted. “I’m happy enough that there’s a wedding between a unicorn and a pegasus, whether it’s a royal wedding or not, but to be invited?! I wouldn’t have believed it if Phyllis hadn’t gotten me in contact with Princess Zipp, and she told me herself!”

“I’ll bet,” Hitch said. “Who’d have thought you’d get a chance thanks to Izzy making those figurines through…what do you call it again, Izzy?”

“Unicycling,” Izzy boasted.

“Wait. Hold on a second,” Sprout said as he came out of his hiding spot with a suspicious glare. “You said you need Hitch’s help with something.”

Sunny froze for a moment, then chuckled sheepishly.

"Right. So, the princess said that we each get a plus one, and I was hoping you could be mine," she said.

Hitch furrowed his brow and sighed like a parent hating to disappoint their foal.

"Sorry, Sunny, but I'm going to be on duty that night," he said.

"Come on, Hitch. It's such an important night. I want my childhood friend to be there," Sunny said.

"I can't just leave my post just for a wedding, no matter how important it is. I'm the sheriff," Hitch said.

"That's all the more reason you should go. You're the leading authority of a major pony settlement. Ponies look up to you. I'm sure the princesses and the queen would appreciate you attending the wedding," Sunny said. "Besides, what's there to do here during the wedding? More than half of Maritime Bay is heading off tomorrow to celebrate at Zephyr Heights, and the rest are going to stay at their homes to watch it. You won't need to do a thing the entire night."

"What about before that? Or after?" Hitch challenged. "It takes 2 days to get to Zephyr Heights in 2 days to get back. What if there's an emergency and I'm not there?"

"What if there isn't?" Sunny countered. "When's the last time there's been any trouble in Maritime Bay? The worst there's been for many moons was fearing for unicorns and pegasi to attack, and that's all over. We're at peace. What can happen? Someone dropped some litter?"

"Don't make fun, Sunny. You know I take violations of code 33 very seriously," Hitch said.

"And if that's as bad as it gets, Maritime Bay can survive you not being here for a few days," Sunny said.

"And what if you're wrong?" Hitch asked.

Sunny took a moment to think about it and said, "Well, if I'm wrong, then I'll never ask you to join me in something outside your jurisdiction in Maritime Bay ever again."

Hitch raised his eyebrow.

"Do you really mean that?" he asked.

Sunny smirked as she reached into her bag and took out a journal.

"I swear on my father's journal and everything about friendship among ponies in Ancient Equestria in it," she announced.

"Ooooo. She swore on her dad's journal," Izzy said as though Sunny dissed Hitch.

Hitch kept his eyebrow raised as he stared at Sunny. She was always strong-willed when it came to accomplishing her lifelong dream, but in Hitch's eyes, Sunny was growing overconfident with so many things going her way over the past several moons. He was still uneasy about leaving his hometown, thinking something could happen with him not around. Hitch considered risking it because Sunny would have to keep her word if she was wrong. He turned his gaze to Sprout and thought of the risk of leaving him in charge with his prejudice against unicorns and pegasi. After rubbing his chin in thought, he turned back to Sunny with a warning glare.

"If I hear anything of there being so much as a hint of a ruckus in my absence when we come back, you can forget me ever stepping one hoof out of town again," he said.

"Deal," Sunny said, beaming.

"Yay! We got our first plus one!" Izzy chirped.

Sprout rolled his eyes at the unicorn's cheerful attitude until something clicked in his mind, and his face lit up.

"Does this mean I'm in charge while you're gone?" he asked.

"Restrictively," Hitch said bluntly.

"Restrictively?" Sprout asked. "How can you restrictively run a town? Am I supposed to share the power with the critters?"

"Oh, no. I'm going to have your mom watch the town with you," Hitch said.

"What?! I'm supposed to be in charge with Mommy as my babysitter?!" Sprout shouted.

"As my insurance," Hitch answered calmly. "Your mom isn't hostile to unicorns and pegasi. I want her to keep you in check, so you don't start a war."

"Oh, come on. That's not fair," Sprout whined.

"I'm not trying to be," Hitch said before turning to Sunny and Izzy. "So, when do you plan on leaving?"

"Everypony who's going to Zephyr Heights will start heading there tomorrow morning, so I figure we should too," Sunny said.

"Sounds good. Who's going to be your plus one, Izzy?" Hitch asked.

Sunny and Izzy looked at each other and chuckled nervously as it hit them.

"I haven't thought about that yet," Izzy admitted. "We kinda focused on making you Sunny's plus one as soon as we got the tickets."

"Seriously?" Hitch asked with a deadpan look. "Do you have anypony in mind to be your plus one?"

Izzy blew a raspberry as though the answer was obvious.

"Of course, I do. There's, like, a gazillion ponies who would love to be my plus one, but I don't know who to choose," she said. "Practically everypony is either attending the wedding or has plans for celebrating it somewhere in Zephyr Heights or at home with friends and family. How do you choose somepony to ask to be your plus one when everypony else would want to go too? Am I right?"

"And we need to make a decision soon cause if Izzy chooses someone who didn't plan to travel to Zephyr Heights, they'll need time to get ready to leave first thing in the morning," Sunny added.

Hitch hummed in acknowledgment. He opened his mouth to wish Izzy luck in deciding until something clicked in his mind. He remembered his conversation with Mayflower, Dahlia, Periwinkle, Wisteria Frost, and Peach Melba and how Periwinkle wanted to attempt to express her feelings for Presto Tetrachord before at the wedding. On paper, bringing some pony who wants to prevent the wedding wasn't a good idea, but the odds of Periwinkle catching Presto Tetrachord's attention and instantly winning his heart were slim at best. If anything else, it seemed like a good idea since she wanted to try, and she had her friends' support.

"You know what, Izzy? I think I have a good suggestion for your plus one."