Pipp was waiting in Zephyr Heights for them to arrive.
“Send them in, guards, I am ready to speak with them now,” she said, tapping her hoof slightly onto the palace floor. Pipp wore a casual dress, with a simple elegant lace ribbon around her waist, just a little poof in the sleeves.
The guards saluted their Princess, and immediately went to proceed with the plans they were given. A cozy, soft and very fluffy arrangement of various pillows for seating and comfort had been prepared in advance.
Pipp grinned wide, her hooves spreading wide, her floofy white wings extending to full span. “Hello, welcome to The Pipp Zone. You will be safe here. Feel free to discuss with me anything that’s bothering you.
She placed her hoof over theirs, “I swear to you, anything and everything you say, in the Pipp zone, stays in the Pipp zone. No paparazzi, or any of that jazz.”
The changeling walked into the room, looking from the guards, then at Pipp. The guards tilted their head towards Chitter, there were at least four of them, surrounding the area around the Princess.
They didn’t say a word, but their entire body chittered, visibly trembling.
“I know you’re scared, and I know it’s not easy.” She paused, looking at them closer. “Trust me, you made the right choice by coming here. There’s no better pony for this job than me.”
“My name is Chitter, and I’m, um, trying to find a date,” they said, their voice a bit weak. Their tongue felt dry, and they felt like they had just swallowed an awful dose of medicine. I have to try to communicate my needs or I’ll never find out the true meaning of love.
“My name is Princess Pipp Petals, but you probably knew that,” Pipp said as she hovered over to them, putting a hoof on their shoulder. “I want to help you, and I know sometimes it’s hard to ask for help. I can let you sit here and ponder for a while. Would you like that?”
“No, it’s okay,” Chitter said, blushing. “There’s something I’m not doing right. The other changelings make dating look so easy, and I’m just lost.”
“So, basically you don’t know where to start?” Pipp asked them, trying to get the right read on the situation in front of her.
“It’s like you are reading my mind…” Chitter said, mouth askew. They looked at Pipp, and then looked at the environment around them.
The room they were in was certainly comfy, plenty of cushions of various sizes and fluff levels but Chitter just couldn’t relax until they knew they had a date. “Why am I doing this?”
“Go on, sit down and get comfortable,” Pipp instructed. She pulled herself back a few feet to give them plenty of space to breathe.
“Princess Pipp…” Chitter began, searching for the right words.
“You can just call me Pipp.” Pipp smiled gently.
“I don’t even know how to start looking,” Chitter blushed, their face becoming a dark, and deep tomato red.
Pipp reached over to them, and gave them a small box.
Pipp had broken a few phones over her time, so she always, always kept spares on hoof, back in her bedroom. And she made a habit of it, to carry an extra in her pocket, for when one cracked, or chipped from too much use.
“Here, start with one of these,” Pipp stated, opening the box and revealing a small phone. “Smartphones are the answer to the world’s greatest life problems. Especially when it comes to finding connections in the universe.”
Chitter took the phone and looked back up at Pipp. Her eyes sparkled like diamonds, and her aura gave them this pleasant feeling of fullness.
“You’re amazing,” Chitter stuttered.
“I get that a lot!” Pipp giggled. “Good luck finding your date, there are plenty of apps to choose from, and all of them are unique in their own way.”
Taking a moment, Pipp carefully showed Chitter how the phone operated.
“This here is Siri, and they are an AI generated robot to assist you, with whatever you need!” Pipp exclaimed, wings flapping.
Chitter looked at Pipp, their eyes blinking, tilting their head at her. “Um…what?”
Pipp sat with Chitter and explained in more layman terms, what Siri was ,and how she would help them find a date.
“OH, that’s really nice,” Chitter acknowledged, looking at Pipp once more. “But, why do I need Siri, aren’t you helping me?”
“I am helping you, yes.” Pipp began, “Sadly, I can’t stay for extended periods of time. I’d rather laze about all day long, chatting on my phone, or helping more creatures.”
Pipp leaned in close, and lightly hugged Chitter. “I promise I’ll check in on you, throughout the day, I would never abandon some creature in need.” Pipp said, inhaling a deep breath, eyebrows narrowing.
Then Pipp swayed her hips from side to side as she lifted herself into the air, and began humming as she flew off.
They watched her as she took off into the air, the simple grace in how she moved, it was like she was glowing like a star… Chitter felt this strange warm sensation, filling their entire being.
Chitter had no idea how to thank Pipp for the phone. The Princess had just given it to them, without any hesitation. They stared at the phone.
What have I gotten myself into?
Chitter picked up their phone, hooves trembling. Breathing in and out, slowly. Inhale, exhale.
“Search dating apps,” Chitter said to Siri.
“Now searching Dating Apps,” it replied.
Chitter tilted their head to the side, eyes blinking. They scratched their left ear, and waited.
“Would you like to download ALL dating apps?” asked Siri.
Chitter trembled. “ALL? How many are there? I thought this would be easy!”
“Now downloading all dating apps,” Siri said.
“Oh dear,” Chitter stuttered, watching the download bar progress further and further.
“Finished downloading all dating apps,” Siri said.
“Tapper, Plenty of Sea Creatures, Cutie Mark Matchmaking, Grinder, and PonyHarmony,” Chitter read the list of apps, one by one. Their eyes darted around the screen frantically before going unfocused by the sheer size of the list. Chitter just stared at the castle wall directly across from them.
Chitter’s heartbeat raced a mile a second as they felt very sweaty, and a bit greasy. They lifted their hooves against their face, cheeks flushed red. “This is just so much to process.”
Chitter remembered that Pipp had said the hardest part was choosing to start. All they had to do was just pick one dating app, and go from there. Looking at all the little squares on their phone, they began hyperventilating.
The pillow they were sitting in sunk down further to the ground, being pushed by their own weight, their own nerves working against them.
The Castle was very ornate, lots of pretty decor all over the place. Guards moving from place to place. Each pony, each creature felt like they had a purpose, had a place in this big building.
Chitter sunk deeper into the pillow, not wanting to budge. The feathers inside cushioned their body, and helped them feel at ease. They closed their eyes, and focused on the gentle sensation of comfort. It felt like home.
Chitter looked back to their phone and pressed the button on the first app, it was called Tapper. They completed the personal information page-age, name, orientation--but froze when the final question presented only two choices: male or female.
“Um…” They held their breath for a good long minute, breathing in and out slowly.
The choice was paralyzing. How could they even think about such a thing? Chitter’s hooves trembled and the phone slipped out of their hooves into the pillow.
Carefully, Chitter managed to lean down, still shaking and picked the phone back up.
“This is going to be a lot harder than I first thought…”
Chitter looked at the app once more. They held their breath in, before releasing it, and closing that particular app.Pipp had said there were plenty of apps, so there had to be one that was more inclusive.
Chitter remembered how Pipp had looked as she flew away earlier, purely magical. There was something about her, something they couldn’t put their hooves on.
“I wonder if she knows what real love is…” they mumbled.
Chitter looked back at their phone, having had a good moment to refresh themselves. They felt full of vigor, and pushed the button on the next app.
This app is called Cutie Mark Matchmaking.
Chitter frowned visibly at the name, and then looked at their flank. Changelings didn’t have cutie marks.
If that’s a requirement, it’ll be on to the next one, that’s okay.
They accepted this as a possibility and began to make their profile. The instructions were easy enough to follow, and very quickly they had a page on the app.
Now, their profile was there for all the other creatures to see. Chitter gulped, their hoof fidgeting as they clicked on the first profile that had a little heart on it.
Chitter understood by what the app instructions had said, that creatures with hearts over their profiles were interested in chatting, and potentially even meeting.
The page loaded quickly. Chitter’s heartbeat paced frantically as they looked at the first profile.
A Female Gryphoness, sexuality bisexual, looking for any creature, likes and dislikes listed underneath. From what Chitter was reading, this Gryphoness, her name was Gia. Her profile picture made Chitter tremble in their seat. Her grin to them, read sultry, playful, and perhaps a bit aggressive.
Chitter hesitated over the send message button.
“What should I say? Hello?” Chitter asked themselves.
They read over the likes and dislikes, a few more times to allow the information to fully absorb into their mind, completely.
Chitter pressed the frog of their hoof over the send message bar, biting their fangs and pressing the button, swiftly.
“Hello, I think you're hot…” Chitter typed, staring at the send button, teeth chattering. They sucked in a breath, and pressed send.
“Your message has been sent.” Siri informed them.
Chitter continued ogling their smartphone, unsure how long it would take for a response from the other side. Up in the right hoof corner, it showed that Gia was online.
Shifting their weight around on the big pillow, they tossed from one side to the other, trying desperately not to send another message to Gia.
What if she doesn’t like me? What if she doesn’t even read messages? What if she’s already been selected by some creature else…”
“Someone is typing…” Siri announced.
Chitter scooted up in the pillow, hurrying to sit upright, and look at their phone. Someone is typing, that’s all it said. They sat there, waiting for the three dots on the screen, wondering to themselves what the gryphoness was typing on the other side.
“You must be new to this whole dating thing, most creatures don’t even dare to start a greeting with you’re hot, unless they want to be burnt.”
Chitter read their reply, their frog hovering over the keyboard part of their phone, searching, and pondering how to respond.
They scratched the back of their chitlin, they felt a bead of sweat slowly trickle down the side of their cheek, and they gulped for breath. “Damn, she’s good…,”
Chitter began typing their own reply.
“I am new to this, I’ve never used one of these boxes…,” Chitter began typing, and erased the boxes for smartphone. “I thought your picture was hot, and I didn’t feel like I needed to wait to tell you that in person.”
They hit send, and this time they didn’t stutter or fumble.
Someone is typing…
“New huh?” The gryphoness typed into the box, Chitter was about to respond when they noticed the other side was still typing, but seemed to hit send before they were finished.
“Pretty damn confident for some creature that’s never had a date before.”
Chitter blinked.
“I didn’t tell them that…,” Chitter read the message again, and tapped on the phone. They considered asking Siri, hesitating. “No, I can do this on my own.”
“Yeah, that just means I’m open to the possibilities.” They typed and scurried to send that, a big grin spreading across their muzzle.
Someone is typing…
“It’s a date, meet me at seven o’ clock pm, meet me at The Gustave le Grand Restaurant, and don’t be late.”
Chitter took a deep breath in, holding it for a moment, and finally letting it out, slowly. This wouldn’t just be any meet and greet, this was their first real date.
“I’ve never been on a date,” They exclaimed, putting both forehooves against their cheeks, hyperventilating. “I have no idea what to wear!”
The two big double doors to the room slammed open, and Pipp stood there in the doorway, wingspan fully expanded all the way out, her mouth wide open.
“Don’t move, I got this!”
Chitter looked at Pipp, blinking. “Um, Pipp,” They bite their bottom lip, unsure how to ask. “Have you been spying on me?”
“NO!” Pipp exclaimed, using her wingtip to point to her flank, her cutie mark was glowing. “It’s hard to explain, but just trust me, I’ll dazzle your world!”
“Okay, I trust you,” They nodded.
“Oh, yay! I haven’t had a makeover session in a whole day!” Pipp said, beaming from cheek to cheek.
Chitter waited patiently. Her eyes sparkled, they could see this aura of glow around her as she squeaked happily. They could see the flurry of emotions running through Pipp, licking their lips, before shaking their head.
Pipp pushed Chitter behind two velvet drapes, for privacy's sake, even though they were the only ones in the Pipp Zone, at that moment.
“Um…Pipp, have you ever been,” Chitter hesitated, biting their bottom lip. “On a real date?”
Pipp giggled at that, one hoof on their shoulder, the other hoof over her bangs. “Yes, so many that I’ve honestly lost count of the number of pegasi, and other ponies, begging for a chance at the hoof of a Princess,” Pipp Paused. “Not to mention the crazed Pippsqueak fans that wanted to get up close and personal, but this isn’t about me, this is about you, Chitter!”
“What’s it like?” They asked, batting their eyes at her, as she reached into the pocket of her dress, and pulled out something cylindrical and shiny. She pulled on this gray tab at the bottom, there was a snap, and there was a long, yellow line, with lots of tiny black lines, with numbers on them.
“Well, there was this one time with this really nice stallion that really likes animals. At first it was going great, we were on a train, we had this lovely picnic basket, filled to the brim with various sorts of fruits and veggies,” Pipp explained, while using the tape to go around Chitter’s frame, from their shoulder down to their hoof. “It was going really well, but then a dragon set the train on fire, and after that, we both decided to just be friends. It wasn’t really his fault, and I don’t blame him for any of it, but what really matters is that you never know how a date’s gonna go. It could go really well, it could go really awful, and you end up in your room with twenty boxes of tissues. And there’s the meh dates where the two ponies- ahem creatures just don’t hit it off. The possibilities are endless, and it would be unwise of me to tell you that all my dates were magical fairytales, like those ancient ole folktales, they tell to little ponies.”
“That all sounds like a rollercoaster of emotions, how do you handle it all?”
“I’m Princess Pipp, and I don’t let anything, or anyone get me down for long,” She whispered underneath her breath, Not even my own sister.
“Lets see, since your body is black, you can wear almost any kind of fashion garment and match it beautifully, but what colors do you like on you?” She asked Chitter.
“Colors on me?” Chitter thought about it for a minute, or two. “Green, yellow and maybe some dark blue?”
“Interesting color palette, alright just hold still, and trust the magic,” Pipp said, clapping her hooves together to summon a few royal assistants to bring her all the necessary tools.
Chitter glanced at the arrangement of mirrors, staring at their deep green eyes. Looking at their reflection, they thought about how to present themselves, sitting upright, trying desperately not to fidget at the strange swirling noises.
Pipp clopped her hooves together, and began working. First she reached for a brush and began to smooth out any twists, or knots in Chitter’s chitlin. Changelings didn’t have much to work with, but she simply hummed to an upbeat pop song.
“We’re gonna make you shine, make you a star in the night light. No creature can deny the simple grace of your embrace, now dazzle and sprinkle, and rinse!” Pipp hummed, hoovering back and forth.
Chitter wasn’t sure what to say, so they merely sat there watching the mirror. It was like that glow they had seen earlier, amplified by the music.
Pipp hummed, while searching through the garments the guards had brought her on the clothes line on wheels. There were plenty of options, she pulled one up against Chitter, and then another, rinse and repeat until finally. “Aha! This is it.”
Chitter looked at the garment, or garments Pipp had selected. It was a two piece with lacy trim at the top, to give the blouse a nice v-neck opening in the front. Then, towards the bottom of the shirt, but more so three quarters down was a belt with a big square buckle, that looped around the material. The bottom half looked like just regular dark green pants.
“How do you know when something is just perfect?” Chitter asked her.
“Oh, sweetie, that’s not something I can teach you,” Pipp paused, leaning over and gently putting a hoof to their shoulder. “It’s something you just know, when you know?”
“Oh, okay.” Chitter said, scratching the back of their head, with their hoof.
Chitter got dressed in the outfit Pipp had helped them choose, and Pipp kindly gave them a folded up square of paper with little greetings and sayings they could use to break the ice on their date.
“So, who’s the lucky one that gets to be your first real date?” Pipp asked, nudging them in the shoulder again, and sneaking a peek at their phone.
“Oh, she’s hot,” Pipp giggled to herself.
“Thanks Pipp, I don’t know…” Chitter stumbled.
“What would you do without me?” Pipp replied. “I get that a lot, it’s no trouble at all. Just go out and have fun!”
“Guards!” Pipp shouted.
“Yes, Princess?” Two guards showed up, in mere seconds. Chitter blinked.
“Please escort Chitter to the location of this restaurant, The Gustave le Grand,” Pipp instructed waving towards them with a big grin spreading across her muzzle.
“Yes, madam!” Both of them replied in unison.
The guards led Chitter to the restaurant, ,and assisted them in finding an open table, they bowed their heads, before saluting Chitter and without another word, went on their way.
Chitter sat there at the table, admiring how neat and pristine everything looked all spread out. Silverware arranged by a spoon to the left, and two forks, and a knife to the right. Not to mention the folded napkin on the silver plate that looked like a pyramid. It looked really fancy, and they began to look around, with wonder at all the other tables, and other creatures within the place, searching for any signs of their date.
A waiter approached their table, their name tag read Pleasant Breeze. “Hello there, how are you doing this fine evening?” They asked, gently bowing, one hoof in front of their torso, a folded kitchen towel over their forehoof. “Can I get you something to drink? Perhaps some water or maybe some of our famous Queen Haven Wine?”
“Water, please.” Chitter replied, eyes still scanning the room. It was almost seven o’ clock, and they arrived a few minutes early.
“Very well, give me a moment and I’ll be back with that, please enjoy your time with us.” The waiter said, bowing again and went off to check on other tables on their way back towards the kitchen.
Chitter could hear an old fashioned cuckoo clock in their own head. Tick, tock, tick tock, tick tock. They took a deep breath, and tried to sit upright in their seat, fumbling with the hem of their pants, ensuring there were no crinkles.
What if she doesn’t show? What if this was all a ruse?
The waiter returned with Chitter’s glass of water, gently placing it down in front of them. “Can I get you anything to eat, I know the menu can be intimidating with all the options.”
“Um…” Chitter mumbled, looking down at the menu. On the cover was a picture of a male Griffon, probably the one that the restaurant was named after, holding a fork in one claw, and a knife in the other, with big bold golden letters “The Gustave le Grand Menu”.
“I’ll just have a salad,” Chitter replied, eyes continuing to scan the room.
“What kind of salad, we offer a variety of different kinds, suited to satisfy even customers with the most refined of palettes,” The waiter replied, gesturing with a wingtip to the salad selection, pointing out a personal favorite of theirs.
“I personally recommend the Caprese salad with Balsamic vinaigrette, goat cheese, and a drizzle of olive oil.”
“Sure, let’s go with that,” Chitter replied, sighing.
“Very well then.” The waiter replied, taking the menu from them, and going back towards the kitchen.
Chitter looked around again, tapping their hoof onto the floor, staring at the rim of their glass of water.
They began fidgeting with the silverware on the table, moving it back and forth, just an inch. Moving the spoon over by the fork, and then picking up the napkin, unfolding it over their lap.
Scanning the crowd, trying to see if they could spot any griffon.
“Maybe she took the wrong seat, maybe she’s running late…” Chitter whispered to themselves, placing both hooves together, rubbing one hoof over the other. “She’s not coming is she?”
“Excuse me, I couldn’t help overhearing,” The waiter said, returning, salad in his wingtip, gently sliding it onto the table. “I couldn’t help but notice, you seemed to be looking for someone. I don’t like being the bearer of bad news, but unfortunately in life, there are times where the other party just doesn’t show.”
Chitter whimpered, looking at Pleasant Breeze. “What did I do wrong?”
“You didn’t do anything wrong,” Pleasant Breeze replied,shaking his head. “There are just some individuals in this world that aren’t genuine.”
Chitter reached for their phone, looking at the picture of the female griffon again, showing it to the waiter. “Have you seen anyone like this tonight?”
“Sorry, nope I haven’t,” He replied, frowning. “You seem like you're new to this, so allow me to offer you a bit of advice.”
Chitter nodded their head, eyes widening, lips forming into a pout.
“Don’t let one bad encounter discourage you, this world is full of ponies, and other creatures that would love a chance with a nice girl like you,” Pleasant Breeze said.
“I’m not a girl,” Chitter pouted, eyebrows narrowing, frowning.
“Oh, I’m sorry sir,” Pleasant Breeze attempted to correct themselves. “You just looked very feminine was all,”
“I’m not a boy either,” Chitter grumbled, and sighed heavily. “I’m neither, I don’t conform to either.”
“Oh, then how should I address you?”
“You can call me they/them or use my name, Chitter,” Chitter instructed. “I know it’s a new thing for a lot of creatures, and I’m not gonna be upset if you mess it up, as long as you correct yourself afterwards.”
“Very well, then.” Pleasant Breeze replied. “Whoever they are, they are missing out on a lovely creature such as yourself. Now, I do hope you enjoy the rest of your time with us.”
The waiter bowed towards them, before heading off to attend to the other creatures at the establishment.
Chitter just stared at the salad, slowly moving their fork from one side of the plate to the other. They felt their stomach growl, and rumble but had no real desire to eat now.
“I don’t know what to do now…,” Chitter mumbled under their breath, letting out a deep sigh.
They could hear other ponies talking, even saw a few holding hooves, or bodies so close together, hoof in hoof.
Ponies went to and from the restaurant towards the exit, Chitter just sulked, leaning more weight onto their haunches.
“I…feel so confused by everything.” They mumbled underneath their breath.
They looked into their reflection in the water.
“Am I cute, or do I only feel cute to certain creatures?” They asked themselves.
Chitter scooted their chair backwards after a few more minutes of watching ponies come and go. They went to stand up from their seat, braving one more look around in case their date would show.
“Hey, wait!” A voice called to Chitter.
Behind them, stood a pony, not a griffon. Standing there, with a big wide smile across their lips, was an Earth pony. He was white as snow, and had big, bright amber hues that they could get lost in, and pitch black mane and tail, that spiked back in a wavy like pattern.
“Um…” Chitter replied, looking at them closely. “Who are you?”
“Name’s Wild Strike, and it seems to me like you could use some company right now,” Wild Strike stated, his tone gentle, but his eyes kept looking away from Chitter over to a group of four other stallions at the bar.
Chitter sighed to themselves. “Listen, if they put you up to this, just leave.” Chitter turned around and was about to walk off,
“Wait, I admit they did dare me to come over,” Wild Strike began explaining “But, I didn’t want it to seem like that was the only reason. I know what it’s like…”
“How could you possibly know anything I’m going through, you don’t even know me!” Chitter replied, stomping the ground, their fangs fully on display, and their green eyes glowing, before realizing how they were acting, and shook their head, putting a hoof to the side of their head.
“You’re right, I don’t,” Wild Strike replied, looking at Chitter. “But, I do know what it’s like to be hurt. Can we talk?”
Chitter muttered and grumbled, but meekly nodded, ducts of tears welling up in their eyes, taking their seat once more.
“Fine.”
Wild Strike took the seat opposite to them and sat down. Leaning forward on the table, putting both forehooves onto the placement, and looking directly at Chitter.
“Forgive me if I’m too bold, but your date never showed up, did they?” Wild Strike asked them.
Chitter nodded.
How many creatures have been watching me fail?
“I’m sorry that this happened to you, but sadly it’s normal.” Wild Strike admitted he shifted one hoof on top of the other, glancing over towards the bar, ensuring his buddies weren’t looking. “I’ve had my own fair share of disappointments as well, but this isn’t really about me.”
“What did you do, when it happened the first time?” Chitter stumbled, immediately biting their lower lip, and staring down into the rim of the glass of water.
“Honestly?” Wild Strike asked them, tilting their head, leaning forward, closer to Chitter. “I cried like a little foal.”
Chitter chuckled at that, then quickly hid their face behind their hooves.
“You can laugh,” Wild Strike said, his muzzle lifting into a smug grin spreading across his muzzle. “I would laugh at myself too, I was such a hopeless romantic.”
“Did you ever find…,” Chitter stumbled, managing to peek out from their shell. “Love?”
“Depends on what you mean by love,” Wild Strike replied, looking back and forth. “There’s all kinds of love. There’s the real love, the kind of love that you could spend your whole life searching for, and even then, you might not ever find it.”
Chitter nodded, shifting their own weight, so that both their hooves were on the table, leaning forward, tail slightly wagging, listening with earnest interest in what they had to say.
“A roll in the hay, as they say, is not really love, that’s what they call lust, and that’s a whole matter in itself.”
“Lust is not love, and love is not lust,” Chitter replied, mentally taking notes.
“I can tell you one thing for sure,” Wild Strike started to explain, gesturing with their hooves, attempting to paint a picture in the air.. “Like bowling, you have to position yourself as the ball, and look at the various what if scenarios.”
I wish I had a notebook right about now…
“Getting burnt on a date, is one of those scenarios isn’t it?” Chitter asked, their entire body quivered, and they felt this husk of emptiness, trembling.
“Sadly, yes. I wish I could give you some fantasized version of fairies and gumdrops, but that’s just not realistic.”
“How can you tell?” Chitter asked.
“Well, you can’t really,” Wild Strike explained, running a hoof under their chin. “Typically, a no show will act interested in you, there will be ones that show and use you, and then there are the ones that just don’t show at all, like your date.”
“You seem to know a lot about this…” Chitter said looking at them, looking into those amber eyes. Just what had they seen, what had they done to absorb all of this information into themselves?
“You…didn’t find it did you?” Chitter managed to ask.
“Smart buggo, I never found love, and believe me I looked for it for a while,” Wild Strike sighed, reflecting. “Sometimes, you come to a point in life, where you realize you rolled a gutter ball, and all you can do is watch it go further and further down the line.”
“Why are you telling me all this?” Chitter asked.
The older stallion smiled at Chitter. “I’m telling you, because I want you to be different. I want your story to be one that can bring smiles into the faces of other ones like yourself. Creatures lost, and confused, you can light their way.”
Chitter felt this strange sensation flowing through their body, this warm light, sucking in a deep breath, and slowly releasing it.
“Thank you.” Chitter said, standing up, and giving the stallion a hug. “Maybe, it’s not too late for you too, there’s this app I think suited for you, that I found while browsing my phone.”
Chitter left go of the hug, and stood next to them, while Wild Strike was still seated, showing them the app “Silver Singles”
“This one is for creatures over a certain age, this app really isn’t for me, but maybe,” Chitter suggested it to them. “It’s not too late for you to find your match.”
Wild Strike thanked them, getting out their own phone, and downloading the app. “I came here to help you feel better, and in doing so you’ve given me a new look on life.”
Chitter hugged them once more, beaming. Then, they stood up and left their bits on the table, ensuring to leave a good tip for the waiter, and took their map out of their pocket. All the smiley faces on the map brought a smile to their face, Pipp was so sweet, and generous.
They could feel that same glow they felt from her earlier, flowing throughout their body, and it felt like Chitter could walk on clouds.
Chitter followed the map back towards the Pipp zone, there were guards, and other creatures all over the Zephyr Heights. They began to wonder just how many of them might be looking for love like they were.
Looking at the map, they felt their head hit something hard, forcing them to plop backwards onto their butt. They rubbed their forehead. “Ow.”
“Be careful!” The royal guard standing there said, leaning his front half down, to assist the changeling in getting back up onto all fours.
Chitter looked up to the guard they had bumped into.
“Sorry, I was distracted,” They looked up at the guard.
He had a teal body, deep dark mossy green mane and tail. Chitter couldn’t see their cutie mark over their armor, they held a spear in their one hoof, standing there solid, and rigid.
“Um, I have a headache,” Chitter said, aloud rubbing the side of their head.
“Well, you did practically ram into my armor just now,” The guard informed them, looking down at them, then back out to the crowd. “If you need any assistance, please let me know, and I will guide you to the infirmary unit.”
“That’s okay, I have a map,” Chitter informed them, holding up the map, with their free hoof.
The guard eyeballed the map, and nodded accordingly. “Ah, the mark of the younger Princess, very good. You should be just fine, just watch where you walk, from now on.”
Chitter nodded, holding their map in one hoof, while surveying the room with the other. They walked through the palace more slowly now. Taking in the sights of all the different creatures and ponies around them. It didn’t take them long to find their way back to the Pipp Zone.
They dove headfirst into one of the big puffy pillows, head first, letting out a half scream, half cry.
“Aaaaaaaa!” Chitter sniffled, letting the pillow soak up the tears as they began punching the pillow. They punched it more and more, until they started hyperventilating. They wiped the sweat from their forehead, and just wanted to pretend they didn’t have all these struggles, and mixed feelings, that made their entire being, so confused by all the jitters of many various emotions.
Chitter just laid there, head buried into the softness of the pillow. They didn’t even want to think about anything right now.
They eventually shifted their weight around, so their back was against the plush of the pillows. Chitter allowed themselves to breathe. Closing their eyes, and not focusing on anything, or anyone at that moment.
A short nap and Chitter was back at it.
A male unicorn from Bridlewood looking for fun. Sexuality was listed right on the page, gay. That meant they liked stallions, but that didn’t necessarily mean they would like some creature like them.
There was a knock on the double doors they had entered earlier.
“Hey there, Chitter,” Pipp exclaimed. “How’s the search going? Any hits yet?” She paused and looked at the profile.
Chitter nervously chittered, unsure what to say to the Princess.
“Um, I’m not sure I’m hitting any marks yet.”
“What’s wrong with this cutie? Unicorns are quite fun. Trust me, you should totally go for it!” Pipp beamed at them.
“I don’t know,” Chitter admitted looking back at Pipp. “What if they don’t like me?”
“What if they do like you, and you never find out because you’re scared?” Pipp asked them, looking them directly in the eyes. “Listen, Chitter I’m gonna be real with you, if you never try, you’ll never know what you missed out on.” Pipp explained.
Chitter looked at Pipp, and looked back at the profile on the app. “You’re right, I’m just so…”
“Scared, nervous, overwhelmed,” Pipp asked, leaning forward and hugging Chitter from behind. “We all feel these emotions, and the first step is to get your hooves wet, and just go meet them.”
Chitter nodded, tilting their head down. “Thanks, Pipp,” They smiled brightly. “I needed that.”
Pipp nodded, her cutie mark a glow. “No problem at all, let me know how it goes!” And just like that, she flew off again.
Chitter followed the directions on the app for how to meet this unicorn. The app lit up and announced to them that the date was arranged for later in the evening.
Chitter took a deep breath in, closing their eyes and steadily letting that breath out. They had no idea what to wear, or what to bring. They decided to just go as themselves, to present themself in a very meaningful way, and let this unicorn see Chitter for who they were.
The date was being held at one of the local restaurants in New Canterlot, and Pipp had kindly given them a map of New Canterlot, with lots of smiley faces for specific areas on the map, so it wasn’t hard at all for Chitter to find the place.
The unicorn waved to them from their table, holding a menu with their other hoof.
He was handsome, deep dark blue mane and tail, ivory coat and his cutie mark from what he could see from the side, was a whistle with musical notes coming out of it. I stared at him for longer than a few seconds.
Chitter waved back to them, and sat down at the chair opposite of the unicorn. “Hello, my name is Chitter, and it’s lovely to meet you,” they said, their lips maintaining a soft smile. Their whole body quivered and the chair made this slight creaking noise.
“Hello, Chitter. I’m Whimsy Wonders, and it’s nice to meet you too,” Whimsy said, their tone was soft, gentle.
Looking into their eyes, there was a certain sparkle, an aura that reminded Chitter of Pipp and how she sparkled like a diamond.
Chitter stared at Whimsy for a moment, and then quickly shifted their gaze to the waiter, trying to regain their composure. They felt so sweaty, their lips felt perched, and dry.
“Hello there, Whimsy, and Chitter. May I get you two something to drink?” asked the waiter.
“Water…” Chitter managed to say, voice a bit hoarse, whimpering.
“I’ll take some wine, good sir,” Whimsy Wonders exclaimed, nodding their head downwards.
The waiter went to fetch their drinks, while both of them looked towards the menu.
“First time, huh?” Whimsy asked.
Chitter’s eyes darted from left to right, looking down at the tablecloth. It was perfectly folded into a triangle shape. The napkins were embroidered with different unique designs. They left out a deep breath.
“Yeah, I’ve never been on a real date before…,” They began, pausing, looking at their frog. “Even though most of my kind is different now, I never felt that feeling, real and pure love. I want to know what I am missing, why I feel so incomplete.”
“Ah, that sounds difficult, indeed.” Whimsy looked at Chitter, smirking. “I’m sure there’s a bright future ahead of you, maybe even with me.”
Chitter’s cheeks flushed, hoof grabbing a fork, and just moving it back and forth. “You really think so?”
“Yeah, I see creatures like you all the time!” Whimsy Wonders grinned sheepishly. “You just gotta relax, and unwind. Let your raw emotions take the wheel for a while.”
Chitter felt this warm glow spreading through their entire body, it felt to them like a light from within. Their heartbeat raced faster, panting, letting out the breath they had been holding.
Whimsy closed their eyes, that huge grin on their muzzle as the waiter returned with their drinks. He raised his glass out towards them, gesturing for them to return the toast.
“A toast to two creatures looking for a change,” Whimsy stated while raising his glass up high that the bubbles began to almost spill over the rim of the glass. Strangely, not a drop of liquid fell from his glass.
Chitter lifted their glass and tried to mimic Whimsy’s display. As they lifted the glass up high to meet his glass, the water swirled around, a dab of it hit Chitter right in the eye. They closed their eyes, lifting their hoof and rubbing their eye-lids.
Whimsy laughed. “It’s just water, it won’t hurt you,” He then proceeded to take another sip of his wine.
There were ponies all around them, going from place to place. No one seemed to even notice the warm glow around them. Chitter felt bubbles in their stomach.
‘
“So, what are you looking for out of this date?” Whimsy asked.
Chitter looked right at Whimsy, eyes darting back and forth. They lifted a hoof and rubbed the side of their cheek. “I don’t know exactly what I’m looking for, all I do know is that I want to know what real love is.”
“A worthy endeavor these days,” Whimsy began, as he paused to take a sip of his wine. “However, not every pony- creature is looking for a serious commitment.”
“What do you mean?” Chitter asked, but closed their lips immediately, eyes blinking in quick succession.
“I want fun, and adventure,” Whimsy began, leaning forward, both elbows on the table, looking directly at Chitter. "And I am not ready to settle into any long form commitment. I would hate to lead you astray"
“Oh…I see.” Chitter managed to smile, despite feeling cold and damp. Just a moment ago, they felt sweaty, and now the whole room felt void of wonder.
“You are quite cute though,” Whimsy Wonders complimented them, winking. “I won’t deny that I’m jealous of whoever you end up with.”
Chitter looked back at the menu, trying to continue the date, even though their whole body trembled and shook. The room was still, almost frozen in time at that very moment. They remembered their breathing exercises. Deep breath in, and deep breath out. Rinse, and repeat three times.
After the meal was over, Whimsy waved goodbye to Chitter, wishing them luck in the future.
“If you ever decide you want a roll in the hay, hit me up at the arcade.” Whimsy winked, trotting away into the crowd of ponies.
Chitter stood there, just silently watching other creatures go to and from their day to day lives. There were guards stationed all over the palace. Chitter looked back at the map Pipp had given them, and looked at the important spots she had marked. She even had the forethought to mark where the Pipp Zone was.
Chitter didn’t know how it had gotten that name, but knew that place was safe, so they began heading back to that area.
The palace was huge, any creature would easily get lost if they didn’t know their way. Chitter felt lost, even though they had a map. Their heart ached, head drooping slightly, as they continued walking along.
Chitter sniffled a little, feeling that same dryness in their throat. Their tongue hung out as their shoulders drooped and they proceeded to the next room. They could have taken the time to look at all the pretty portraits on the many walls. They stared at the ground as they walked.
The Pipp zone was filled with every single kind of cushion, any creature could desire. Various shapes and sizes, even different levels of fluff. Some feather pillows around, some non-feather pillows and even bean bags.
Chitter picked one of the pillows and positioned their face into it, and sobbed. “That went terrible, I don’t want to feel this way!” they cried out loud.
They wished that Pipp was here right now. She seemed to know everything. Chitter didn’t feel like they knew anything, especially when it came to love.
They cried and cried into the pillow, shouting into the puffy part of the pillow so that no one could hear them.
“Excuse me, did you say something?” asked a voice.
Chitter turned around, to look up at whoever was speaking to them, it wasn’t Pipp. The voice felt a little gruff, very masculine, and had this almost serious tone to it. Standing there in front of him was a pegasus guard.
He had a teal coat, and bright golden blonde mane and tail, and his eyes were pure blue. Chitter’s mouth opened to speak, but all that came out was drool. Quickly, shaking their head and remembering this was a guard, they managed a squeak.
“No, I wasn’t,” Chitter said, quickly adjusting the pillow to hide the wetness of their tears. “Sorry.”
“Hmm… okay then.” He paused, looking at the changeling closely. “If you change your mind, just call out to any of us guards around the palace. We are here to help in any way we can.”
The guard walked away, and Chitter just watched admiring the way he moved. They managed to smile, and pick up their smartphone once more.
“There’s plenty of these apps, I shouldn’t give up after one try,” Chitter told themself.
“Now, that’s the spirit!” Pipp shouted as she landed down beside them, half staring at her own phone before giving them a big embrace.
Chitter giggled, wrapping their hooves around Pipp, embracing her fully. They hadn’t expected her to show up so soon.
“I heard from a little birdy that you had a date.” Pipp bumped her hips against theirs, and then hugged them closer against her chest floof. “I also heard it didn’t go so well, did you wanna talk about it?”
Chitter shook their head. “No, it’s fine.”
Pipp tilted her head, raising her eyebrow before folding both her forehooves across her fluffy chest. “It’s fine? Cute, but seriously, tell me everything!”
“Well, It all started…” Chitter began.
Pipp noted, and giggled again, petting Chitter on the head with the tip of her wing. “Oh, don’t let that get you down, plenty of fish in the sea.”
Chitter chuckled at that. “You know, there’s an app on the phone called Plenty of Sea ponies, think I should try it next?”
“I don’t see why not!” Pipp exclaimed. “I would try each and every app until I found what I wanted, but I’m not you.”
Chitter nodded. “You’re right. I don’t know what I’d do without you.”
“You’d probably be a hot mess like my sister,” Pipp began and paused looking up towards the ceiling, trying to find something or someone. “That mare, she never listens to me, even when she knows I’m right!”
“You have a sister?” Chitter asked.
“Yeah, she thinks she’s all that, but she doesn’t have a clue when it comes to this stuff.” Pipp leaned closer to Chitter and whispered, “Hitch totally has it bad for her, and she is just so oblivious!”
“Maybe she just needs time like I do?” Chitter suggested, looking up towards the ceiling. “It’s easy to get lost in it all. I’m just a little bug after all.”
“Yeah, probably, but anyways!” Pipp interrupted herself looking back at Chitter's phone and pressing on the app.
“Plenty of Sea Ponies, please enter your information so we can further assist you,” the app said.
Chitter entered their information, one part at a time. Name, gender, a brief description of their likes and dislikes, and then proceeded to take a selfie of themselves. They must have taken over a dozen different pictures, showing them to Pipp.
“Any of these, good?” They asked her, lips pushing together, eyes wide.
Pipp looked at the pictures, then looked at the absolutely adorable face of theirs. She quickly grabbed her own phone, the camera flashed in Chitter’s eyes, and immediately they stuck their tongue out, and backed away.
“It’s okay, it was just the flash of my phone’s camera, I should have warned you.” Pipp smiled, and pressed a button on her phone, sending them the picture she had taken.
“That’s a good picture,” Chitter acknowledged, blushing.
“Alright, now you have everything you need to find a date!” Pipp exclaimed as she gave them another hug. “I would love to stay, but…” She paused.
“What’s wrong?” Chitter asked.
“Oh, nothing really,” Pipp shrugged her shoulders, frowning to herself. “Just boring politics, and all that jazz. Trust me, if I didn’t have to be there, I’d stay here longer.”
“I understand,” Chitter replied, leaning forward and hugging Pipp one last time. “You helped me so much, thank you for everything.”
Chitter looked at the app on their phone after Pipp had left to attend the meeting. There were a lot of creatures on this app. They could see the pictures pop up based on the likes and dislikes they had entered into the system.
“Narrowing the selection of possible candidates suited for the best possible match,” The phone said.
The page loaded in mere seconds, Chitter found themselves staring at the screen, eyes widening at just how many there were.
“How will I know?” they asked.
Silence.
There was no answer.
Chitter sat there, just looking at the screen, teeth chattering. They hoovered their hoof over a profile, just an inch away to not press the button. They closed their eyes tightly, moving their hoof to a profile, and clicked to load that page.
Profile: Name: Comet Chaser, sexuality-pansexual, and looking for long term commitment was listed on the page. The picture of them reminded Chitter of a guard they had spoken to previously.
Chitter could only see his face, a silly grin, his blue eyes winking at them. They blushed, tilting their head away from the screen for a moment. Their eyes scanned the crowd around the palace, looking for any guards.
They remembered them saying that if they needed anything to call out, so they tried that first.
“Guard! I request your help!” They exclaimed, trying to amplify their voice to be more bold, less scared of the unknown.
Seconds later, a guard was standing in front of them, but it wasn’t the guard on the profile. This guard had deep emerald eyes, a muddy brown coat, and pitch black mane and tail. Their cutie mark a flaming arrow.
“You called?” he asked.
“Um, yes but,” Chitter stuttered looking back at the picture on their phone, then looking back at the guard. They opened their mouth to speak, but nothing came out. They shivered, and trembled.
Chitter eyes grew wide as they looked to the floor, rubbing a hoof back and forth on the marble. “I’m sorry,” Chitter began. “I don’t need anything from you.”
They swallowed a deep breath, gazing back at the guard’s eyes. His stare was firm, adamant as he leaned forward. His muzzle was only a few inches from Chitter’s.
“Listen, we guards don’t have time to play games,” he stated, stomping one hoof onto the floor, pressing his full weight onto it. “If you don’t need help, then don’t cry like a foal.”
The guard left and went off to continue their duties.
Chitter sank deeper into the pillows, holding the phone close to their chest. Gripping it with both hooves as they simply admired the pegasus in the picture. Chitter shivered, and felt lost.
They lazed about in the pillow, shifting from one side to the other, sighing.
Why am I doing this?
Chitter looked at the picture more, admiring each and every detail they could see. The guard’s face looked so serious, and stern and yet, in this picture they looked more at ease. Dropping their guard to just be themself.
“‘If you never try, you’ll never know,’” Pipp had said.
Their hooves trembled, the phone shook. Somehow, they managed to keep it from falling to the floor.
Chitter pressed the button on the app to message Comet Chaser.
“Hello…,” Chitter typed. “I would like to meet you. Are you free?”
The screen showed that someone was typing.
Chitter could see little dots on the screen, eyes wide, leaning forward, gulping. There was no way to know what they would say, or how they would respond.
“I’m off duty right now, I’d love to meet up with you,” Chitter read aloud.
Chitter squeaked, jumping up from the pillow and letting out a shrill. “YAY!”
The ponies all around the palace turned and just looked at them, puzzled.
“Um…” Chitter quickly rose to their feet, typing to the pegasus guard about how they were in the palace and went to meet with them. They could feel this strange heat spreading through their body, a trickle of sweat slowly looming down their face.
Chitter found the guard sitting at a table with four other guards, and approached slowly. Chitter smiled at all of them, batting their eyes, and fidgeting with their front forehoof, against the other.
“Hello, I’m Chitter and you are Comet Chaser, right?” They asked for clarification. I certainly don’t want to flirt with the wrong guard.
“It’s nice to see you again, Chitter,” Comet said, standing up from the table and pulling out a chair for them to sit.
“Come sit with us, we’re just getting started playing Prance,” Comet informed them, gesturing to the table.
“I don’t know how to play,” Chitter whimpered, tilting their head down, and wishing they could curl into a ball.
“We’ll teach you, and we can talk while we play,” Comet suggested, noticing the sheltered, skittish look in Chitter’s gaze.
Chitter nodded. “I’d like that,” And they sat down next to Cosmo as well as another guard to their right that they didn’t know the name of. They did recognize one of the guards as the one they accidentally called to earlier, and their face went a deep cherry red.
“Sorry, about earlier,” Chitter apologized.
“Just be more cautious the next time you call out for a random guard,” Comet said, jabbing them in the shoulder gently. “There are a lot of us, and not all of us like to have fun.”
“Ah, can we just get back to the matter at hoof?” The other stallion replied, huffing.
“Of course we can,” Comet stated, looking at Chitter. “I’ve heard of changelings in history, but you’re the first one I’ve actually seen.”
Chitter blushed at that, the other guards looked at the changeling and smiled at them.
Their heart felt this strange sense of clarity, as the cards were shuffled by the one guard. It wasn’t an answer yet, but they knew they were on the right track.
