Misty frowned as she went over the items on the shelves. She shook her head over and over, she couldn't find anything that was right! She pulled down a nice looking microphone then put it back. Pipp, of course, already had one! She selected a pair of craft scissors for Izzy then put them back, she had no idea what scissors Izzy had and which ones she didn't! Misty shook her head and suppressed a cry of frustration. She blew a few strands of hair out of her face as she looked back at the shelves. Wondering absently what possessed the store to stock microphones next to craft supplies. She considered her options until her thoughts were interrupted.
"Misty!" Pipp smiled as she cantered over to her newish friend.
Misty panicked and tried to think of a way to hide her shopping basket for a moment, before she realized it was empty so that wasn't really nescesarry, "Oh, hi Pipp." She gave the Pegasus a genuine, if nervous smile.
Pipp hopped up next to Misty, looking at the shelves then grinning at her companion. "You wouldn't happen to be shopping for Winter Wishday presents for anyone, would you?"
Misty nearly jumped at the accurate accusation, though it would have been obvious to anyone she thought she was being sneaky. "Wh-what!? No?"
Pipp giggled as the denial sounded more like a question than a denial. "Ahh, well miss not shopping for Winter Wishday, do you need help?"
Misty on one hoof should say no... She should know her friends well enough to shop for them... And she hadn't yet got Pipp herself anything... But Misty was also a realist. "Yes! Thank you!"
Pipp laughed gently and pointed tapped her hoof over her mouth. "Mhmm, well Zipp'll be easy. She's been complaining about how hard it is to look under things for clues but has yet to hit on "flashlight" as the solution."
Misty giggled a little, covering her mouth with her hoof as the two walked down the isle to get to the flashlights. After a short time perusing she figured one of the smaller ones would be easier for Pipp's 'looking under things' suggestion and stored it in her basket. Turning she smiled at Pipp, but that smile faltered as she saw the white pegasus coming at them both.
Zipp landed right in front of Misty, who was looking suspiciously antsy... And her sister who was, somewhat predictably, looking like she'd just swallowed something sour. Zipp shrugged and turned her attention to Misty. "Hey Misty. I wanted to ask you a question."
Misty took a step back, turning to shield her shopping basket from sight. "Uh... Yeah...?"
Zipp frowned, suspicion peaked as it seemed Misty was hiding something! It didn't occur to her for a moment that the fact they were on a store on a holiday might have played into it... Then again Zipp never let such minor details distract her from finding out the truth of things. Zipp walked over, looking down at the (slightly) smaller unicorn. "Misty, you were..."
Pipp looked around, trying to find some way to distract Zipp as she loomed over Misty... And Pipp said the first thing that came into her head. "Zephyrina Storm!" Zipp pulled back and looked at her sister. Pipp knew she had to follow up the use of her sisters full name with something appropriately grave or Zipp would get even more suspicious, so... "You are interrupting our date!"
Zipp hopped a few paces back with the help of a wing flap, her eyes widened. Hearing a choking sound coming from Misty the poor thing seemed to be catching fire as her face lit up. Zipp took another step back half expecting the unicorn to start spitting up fire, or at least smoke. Pipp for her part walked over and patted Misty on the back, glad that Misty had picked up on her misdirection so quickly. A situation Pipp was going to take advantage of it. "Now look at what you've done! You know Misty's a very private Pony!"
Zipp looked between the two, frowning as she felt something was off but Misty did really look bad..."Uh... Yeah.. Sorry. I didn't even know you two were..."
Misty interrupted. "Yes! A couple! W-We do all kinds of things together, like shopping! And... Uh... Grocery shopping too!" Overcompensating by Pipp's estimation, but she had put poor Misty on the spot so she couldn't be too mad.
Zipp shook her head and scratched behind her neck. "Uh... Yeah, sorry for interrupting... I'll let you two... Get back to it." Zipp quickly backed off before turning to fly off. She felt liked she was missing something but she knew if she stayed Pipp would flay her alive.
Pipp waited until she was sure that her sister was out of earshot then she smiled back at Misty. "Sorry about that. It was the first thing that popped into my head to get her out here. We'll correct her at the party tonight."
Misty started for a long moment before she nodded slowly. "Oh! Right! To get rid of her, of course!"
Pipp smiled a little brighter. "That was a great idea by the way! Faking that breakdown really kept Zipp from asking more questions."
Misty gave a hesitant nod. She hadn't been faking at all but... She could go with it. "Ah, right! I thought she might need some more motivation! So, who next?"
Pipp shrugged, grinning a little. "Well, Izzy's an easy one." Pipp pointed over to the craft paper area. "What's the one craft tool that always gets used?"
Misty nodded, smiling widely. "Oh! That's a good one, she'll always need more paper."
As the two of them headed over to the paper on the shelves looking over their options until they both heard. "Misty! Pipp!" Izzy hopped over to her two friends, beaming.
Pipp was a little taken aback, not that Izzy was happy, she was always happy, but she had that strange, I have a secret/game/what have you hiding in her mane. Pipp eyed her friend a little suspiciously. "Hey Izzy. You look like you're about to burst, what is it?"
Izzy shook her head, simply beaming at her two friends as she almost vibrated. Misty leaned over to Pipp, since Pipp knew Izzy far better, saying quietly. "Is she ok?"
Pipp giggled quietly and shook her head. "She's fine, she's just... Excited to tell us something but she's just playing up the moment... I think at least." After another minute of Izzy just grinning at them then she sighed. "Ok! Izzy! We get that you're excited, but we have shopping to do!"
Izzy seemed to beam even harder at that. "Shopping! Like grocery shopping!?"
Pipp glanced in bafflement at Misty who shook her head in return, equally baffled. Pipp knew Izzy didn't have an issue with shopping but she wasn't that caught up in it like she seemed right now. "Uh... I guess after we're finished here we could? Do... You want to come...?" Pipp could only guess that was why Izzy was asking about grocery shopping, but by the coming response that was obviously untrue.
At that Izzy flushed crimson, her eyes widening and she looked at Misty for a long moment before she started to laugh, the blush flowing from her cheeks as she realized her mistake... At least in her head. "Oh! Pipp!" She snickered more. "Don't ask people that! I think Misty might take it wrong."
Pipp and Misty were even more baffled by that, staring at each other for a long moment. Misty raised a hoof to ask for clarification but Izzy interrupted her by rushing forward and grabbing them both up in a big hug. "I'm so happy for you two!" She waved and quickly ran off while the two were trying to recover their balances from the impromptu hug.
Pipp shook her head, smiling, Izzy was a fun pony, but she was even more baffling. "Well, that was... Odd."
Misty nodded, picking up a pack of papers, glad that Izzy had shown up before she picked out paper, not after. "Mhmm. But she's nice."
Pipp nodded. "Oh! Definitely! Very nice! But even more unusual." She shrugged and then grinned. "Though probably more unusual to me." At Misty's raised eyebrow Pipp clarified. "With both of you being from Bridlewood?"
Misty nodded, a little too enthusiastically. "Oh! Oh yes! Of course! Yeah, we have... Unique traditions. And most are pretty local even in Bridlewood! So most of hers I won't know and vice versa. Like, I'd say that a lot are unique to even just different families!" Misty mentally congratulated herself on giving herself more cover for missing any of Izzy's other traditions, like she had on their sleep over.
Pipp nodded as they headed over to the kitchenware, wondering for a moment at this store being so very convenient to have everything they need for a Winter Wishday gift giving under one roof. She motioned around. "Well, I'm getting Sunny a blender, she's a very practical pony so I got her something for work. Might I suggest you get her a set of knives? Or if you want I can get her the knives and you get her the blender?" Misty nodded, going for a set of knives for her own present as Pipp picked up a blender, then frowned as she realized she didn't have a basket.
Misty smiled. "Oh, here." Turning to allow Pipp to deposit it in her basket.
Pipp nodded, placing the blender in. "Tha..." Her thanks were interrupted by intense giggling down at the end of the isle, an empty isle. An empty isle except for the tuft of blue tail sticking out around the end. "Izzy! Are you spying on us!?"
A loud. "NO!" And the sound of retreating hooves could be heard and Pipp rolled her eyes, still baffled by why Izzy was acting even more strange than usual. Though after a few moments of looking at each other both Pipp and Misty burst into laughter.
Misty gave a small shrug. "If she wants to ruin the surprise that's on her, I guess." Pipp nodded her agreement.
"Now we just need to think up something for Hitch." Pipp racked her brain and then shook her head in frustration. "It took me a week to come up with what I was getting him!"
Misty nodded, frowning but then quickly brightening. "Oh! We could ask Sunny!" Pipp nodded in agreement and they went to purchase their items, getting them bagged up so no peekers, like Izzy could see the presents! The two were making small talk as they approached Sunny's smoothie cart before Misty's eyes lit up. "Oh wait! I know what we can do. I can get Hitch a gift card for Sunny's cart."
Pipp nodded, that was a good idea, and it'd take away to risk of the question getting back to Hitch. "Good idea! And it'll give us the chance to get smoothies too!"
Misty nodded happily. "Now that's two wins." The two chatted absently as they waited in the short line before they got to the front of the line and before they could even order two smoothies were placed on the counter. It wasn't surprising that Sunny would have noticed them and prepared Pipp's usual, but Misty blinked in surprise.
Sunny beamed at her two friends over the counter. "Here you two go! Ooooh! It's on the house." She bounced excitedly on her hooves as she continued to beam at her two friends.
Pipp smiled and her friend, collecting her smoothie happily and Misty nodded. "Oh! Thank you. But I also need to get a gift certificate."
Sunny nodded happily and produced a certificate for her friends, handing it down to misty she couldn't contain her questions anymore. "Oooooh! I have to ask!" Both Misty and Pipp looked up at her questioningly. "When're you gonna tell? Don't worry! I won't spill the beans, and I've gotten Izzy to not tell anyone else, but I gotta ask when!"
Misty and Pipp looked at each other in mild annoyance, but on the bright side Sunny didn't seem at all upset about having the surprise ruined so they supposed it didn't really matter. So Misty answered. "Oh, at the Winter Wishday celebration tonight? Of co..." Her response was cut off by a squeal from behind the stand and Pipp rolled her eyes.
"Izzy! Are you spying on us again!?" Pipp asked exasperated as the unicorn came bounding around Sunny's little trailer.
"Ok! Ok! I am! But it's just so..." She clapped her hooves together and beamed unable to hold herself still. Causing Misty to chuckle, a little awkwardly and Pip just shook her head. Covering her face with her hoof.
"Ok, ok." Pipp looked Izzy in the eye, or at least, as best she could. "But... But... Izzy! Sit still!" Izzy nodded and planted her rump on the ground and Pipp sighed a little. "Ok, but no telling anyone else? Ok? This is supposed to be a surprise after all."
Izzy nodded seriously. "Right! Right! Sorry! I only told Sunny!" Pipp started to nod before Izzy went on. "And Zipp!" Pipp rolled her eyes. "And Hitch." Pipp for the second time in as many moments groaned and facehoofed.
"Well that's pretty much everyone!" Pipp said exasperatedly, with Misty unable to suppress her small snicker at Pipp trying to deal with their overactive friend.
Izzy nodded. "Yep! But I won't tell anyone else! I promise." Pipp could only nod, hanging her head in defeat as she turned to go. Misty following her and snickering a little. Well at least two of the four with ruined surprises didn't seem to mind. Misty's thoughts were interrupted as the two doors near them were thrown open and Hitch looked them up and down.
Hitch shook his head and frowned at his two friends. "Let me start this off with saying I'm not judging, but how long ago did you two meet?"
Pipp and Misty looked at each other in confusion but Misty shrugged. "Uh... An hour ago?"
Hitch blinked and shook his head. "No, I meant over all, like, a few weeks?" As the two nodded he raised a hoof. "Ok, so, like I said, not judging but..." His words were interrupted as he was torpedoed back into the building by a flying Izzy who popped her head back out and grinned at the two.
"Don't let this fuddy duddy get you down!" Though the sounds behind them sounded decidedly like a battle between Izzy and Hitch, Pipp and Misty decided that discretion was the better part of valor here and quickly retreated to do wrapping before the party that night. Though there wasn't anything to do for the remaining time the two spent their time in happy companionship. They were both blissfully ignorant of the trouble brewing at the party, and the new banner quickly being made.
The party was going well, the six of them, Izzy, Pipp, Zipp, Hitch, Sunny, and Misty were all gathered together. Well, technically it was after the party proper. They had invited more people, quite a few of their other friends but now it was down just to their core group, and Misty, though she was quickly becoming part of that core group. The strangest part for both Misty, and Pipp was that their friends seemed to be doing two things, steering them together, whenever one got away from the other Izzy, or Sunny, or Zipp would do their best to steer her back to who they apparently chose should spend the evening together. Pipp would have been suspicious of Zipp's motives except that Sunny and Izzy were in on it too. The other thing was that Hitch also always had one of those three and he was being kept purposely away from the two.
Pipp motioned to the side with her head and pulled Misty off to the side with her, out of earshot of their other friends. "Do you think they're planning something? They're acting so weird!"
Misty nodded, her agreement to the weird part, not the planning something. "I know! I barely got to say hi to Hitch before Sunny hurried him off!" Pipp nodded and was about to say something else but was interrupted by the call from Izzy.
"Mistletoe!" Pipp and Misty were taken aback, looking over to Izzy who was pointing at them and they both looked up to see that they were indeed under mistletoe.
Pipp bristled and protested. "Now really, that's such a holiday cliché! It's like we're in some poorly written story that just needs a convent excuse for us to k..."
Izzy interrupted her again just by yelling "Mistletoe!"
Pipp groaned but Misty looked up, nervously, blushing gently. "Uh... I don't think she'll drop this... I don't mind if you..."
Pipp paused then slowly turned to look at Misty, then grinned a little. "Well I can't complain that much then." Misty blinked in surprise as Pipp trotted back over and planted a quick, but full kiss right on Misty's lips. The explosion of noise nearly deafened the two of them though as Izzy pulled a rope and unleashed a load of poppers, confetti, and a giant banner.
Pipp started up at the banner, eye twitching before she whirled on her friends. "ENGAGED!? What are you talking about!? We're not..." She looked at Misty but Misty quickly shook her head, indicating she didn't have anything to do with this and she looked back at Izzy. "We're not engaged!"
Izzy stuck her tongue out at her friend. "Don't be silly! You told Zipp, and me that you two went grocery shopping, everyone in Bridlewood knows that means you're engaged!"
The entire group of friends were now staring at Izzy and Pipp hung her head, Misty for her part didn't think it was a bad arrangement... Not that she'd admit that... Yet at least.
Author's Note
And Pipp never even got her present... Or did she?
