"Sunny!" Zipp called, flying down and landing in front of Sunny, who was still standing at the entrance to the Crystal Brighthouse with the doors open. "Is everything okay? I saw Pipp fly out of here crying. What happened?"

"You did? Did you see where she went?" Sunny asked desperately, hoping to make things right. She felt horrible for just blurting that Hitch didn't like anypony in that way, especially since it broke Pipp's heart. Not to mention, Hitch would never forgive her if she didn't clear up this misunderstanding.

Zipp shook her head. "No. I just knew she wanted to talk to you, so I stuck around in case things went south. Did Hitch walk in on you while you were talking?"

"No, I—" Sunny paused, what Zipp said hitting her. "Wait, you knew?!"

"Of course, I knew. I'm her sister. What happened?"

Sunny hesitated, biting her lower lip. She felt guilty enough as it was. She certainly didn't need Zipp to bash her head in. But, she also needed to tell her. Maybe Zipp would have an idea about where Pipp went so that Sunny could explain what happened.

Sunny was about to tell Zipp this when she paused. Explaining what happened means telling her Hitch liked her in that way. While Sunny was totally for the idea of Pipp finding this out, she also knew she shouldn't be the one to do this. It had to be Hitch who told her this, not Sunny. But at the same time, who knows what it'll do to Pipp if things aren't cleared up soon? Which left only one option. Hitch had to be the one to find Pipp. But, Sunny couldn't just tell Hitch outright what happened. That would mean telling Hitch what Pipp confided in Sunny, defeating the whole purpose. She might as well tell Pipp that Hitch liked her. Which means they needed a plan. And potentially some outside help. But first, Sunny needed to tell Zipp everything

So, that's what Sunny did. She explained the whole situation to Zipp, who listened with a blank expression. Once Sunny was finished, Zipp was silent for a moment before finally saying something.

"I think I know where Pipp is, but I'll have to call my mom to find out. If what you say is true, Pipp won't answer her phone for anypony. Do you have any idea how to make it so Hitch is the one to find her?"

"I don't..." Sunny paused, racking her brain before a small smile spread on her face, the image of a purple unicorn with a blue mane popping into her head. "But I might have an idea of who does..."

Hitch chased Sparky around the sheriff's station, which was a complete and utter disaster. It looked like a tornado had gone through there. One did—a Sparknado. Hitch chuckled at his own ingenious, shaking his head.A sparknado. He really was a genius sometimes.

Suddenly, the doors to the sheriff's station burst open. Hitch skidded to a stop and looked up to find Sunny standing in the doorway, a panicked look on her face. Hitch's heart stopped in his chest. He didn't see that look on Sunny often, and when he did, it usually meant something really bad happened.

"Hitch, have you seen Pipp?" Sunny asked with no preamble.

Hitch shook his head, his heart racing. Could they not find Pipp? Of course, they couldn't. If they could, they wouldn't ask if he'd seen her. Hitch clenched his jaw, preparing for the worst.

"No. Why?" He said simply, his voice low and dangerous.

"Umm...well...I went to the Crystal Brighthouse because I forgot something for my...smoothie cart. But when I got there...she wasn't there," Sunny paused, looking down as though trying hard to think. "And I uh...found her phone in her room."

Sunny pulled something out of her blue bag. Something gold. It was Pipp's phone. He'd recognize that shiny gold phone case anywhere. He'd always joke with her about how bright it was when the sun hit it just right. In those moments, he almost said it was as bright as her cutie mark when she sang and it glowed and she was at her most beautiful. He did once, though thank hoofness Pipp didn't hear him.

At seeing the phone, Hitch's heart stopped. Pipp never went anywhere without her phone. She always had it on her. She made it very clear that she'd always be available for her pipsqueaks when they needed her. She truly loved them. When they'd DM, she'd answer right away. She'd never leave her pipsqueaks stranded unless something horrible happened.

Swallowing nervously, he took a deep breath before answering Sunny. "Alright, I have a few things here I need to take care of before we leave to go look. Why don't you head back to the Brighthouse and start coming up with a plan until I get there."

Sunny nodded before bolting from the sheriff's station. He stared after Sunny for a bit before turning to the phone. He had work to do.

Pipp sobbed as she flew high in the sky. No doubt her sister would know where she'd gone, but she didn't care. She just wanted to be alone. If she had to, she'd put royal guards at the entrance of her room to bar anypony access. She reached out for her phone in hopes of playing sad music on her way to Zephyr Heights, only to realize she left it on her nightstand in the Crystal Brighthouse. She wanted to have no distractions while she talked to Sunny and eventually, later on, confessed her love to Hitch. Only, things didn't go to plan. Clearly.

Pipp wiped away tears as she entered Zephyr Heights. Ponies crowded in the streets, taking out their phone and snapping pictures of her. She didn't want anypony to see her tears, least of all her fans. She wanted to be strong for the pipsqueaks, to be a role model, a shoulder to lean on. You can't lean on something weak without breaking it. And she felt ready to crumble into a million pieces.

She didn't even know she'd felt this much love towards Hitch. Who knew it'd take losing the potential of him as a coltfriend to finally realize how much she loved him? She just wished there was a better way to learn that lesson.

She landed in front of the entrance to the castle, the royal guards bowing to her and opening the doors. She walked in, head drooped down, just looking at the floor, only a shell of the confident princess she used to be. The guards followed her, always staying just the right distance away to not seem rude or as though it's obvious they're eavesdropping, but also close enough to hear the conversation in case a threat or any signs of potential violence is made and be able to react quickly enough. There must be some royal event going on, one where guests are in the castle. Figures.

Every once in a while, on the way to her room, a tear would escape her tight determination to hold it in, which was fraying at the edges, and she'd harshly swipe at it with her hoof as if it was the tear's fault she's so heartbroken and she's in this mess. There were a multitude of ponies Pipp wanted to blame for her predicament. Sparky, for taking 80% of Hitch's time. The citizens for taking the remaining 40%. Sunny for telling her the truth instead of going straight to Hitch herself. Zipp for giving her the idea that maybe, just maybe, it might all work out. Hitch himself for being so selfish as to have much in his life to consume him that he didn't have room for anypony else, even if it broke their heart. But she knew the only pony she could blame was herself. She was stupid enough to fall for a colt who already had so much in his life and dedicated 120% of his life to those around him. It was her fault for nurturing feelings of longing for a life she did not fit.

Not paying attention to where she was walking, just the memorized route she'd walked so many times she could do it with her eyes closed, she ran into the one pony she wanted to avoid the most. Her mother. For a multitude of reasons.

"Oh my hoofness! Pipp, my darling! My baby! What happened?! Are you okay? Why are you crying? Did you hurt yourself? Did somepony do this to you? Who was it? No need to be afraid to tell me..." This was one of them.

Just as Queen Haven was about to turn her tirade to the guards for ignoring the "very obvious fact" that her daughter, their princess, was clearly in distress, Pipp interrupted, trying to look as...well, there were no good words except for not as crummy as she felt.

"Mom, Mom, it's fine. It's nothing. I just...had a bad day and needed to let out some steam. I just came here to...be alone and...get away from all that." Pipp waved a dismissive hoof towards the door, trying for a smile that only seemed to make her mother more concerned.

Queen Haven stared at her daughter for a silent moment before..."Where's Zephyrina? She's supposed to be looking out for you. That's one of the reasons she's in Maretime Bay and not here, learning from me how to be Queen when she inherits the throne. That was our deal. I really ought to talk with her—"

"No, Mom, it's nothing. Really. It's not Zipp's fault, it—"

"Well, I sure hope it's not Zephyrina's fault her little sister has come home in tears or we're going to have bigger problems, starting with her being grounded for the rest of her life. I'll find somepony else to take over as queen."

"Mom, no, don't be dramatic. It's not Zipp's fault." Okay, if Pipp was being honest, this was the only reason she didn't want to run into her mother. Well, one out of two. "Zipp couldn't do anything about it, trust me."

She definitely couldn't make Hitch love her, which was the only way to fix the situation. Either that, her taking her love away forever. Pipp shivered at the thought. Definitely not.

"Look, Mom, don't worry about me. Just a rough day. Once I get some sleep, I'll feel so much better. Honestly, I think it's just a little homesickness." It was a lie, and they both knew it. Pipp visited Zephyr Heights enough that she couldn't get homesick, unlike Zipp, who seemed to avoid this place as much as she could.

Looking like she's going to argue at first, Queen Haven eventually just sighs in resignation. "Alright, dear. Whatever you need to feel better."

Pipp gave her mother a soft smile, this one genuine. "Thanks, Mom."

"No problem dear. Now, I have to go speak with some royal dignitaries about searching Equestria for some...potential off-the-grid pegasi villages that may be out there and perhaps start a trade alliance of sorts. The work of a queen is never over. Are you sure you'll be alright by yourself?"

The depth of that question was deep, even if Queen Haven didn't know it and Pipp couldn't help but answer honestly, even if her mother couldn't hear the whole thing. "Eventually."

Queen Haven hugged her daughter one last time before briskly walking off to her next meeting. "I hope," Pipp muttered when her mother was gone, sighing heavily, another tear falling from her face.

By the time Hitch got to the Crystal Brighthouse, Zipp, Sunny, and Izzy were already there, huddled in a tight circle, whispering about something. Suddenly, Izzy gasped, exclaiming "Oh my hoofness!" before putting her hooves to her mouth and mumbling a nearly incoherent "Sorry," at Sunny's and Zipp's warning glare.

"Uhh...guys?" Hitch asked cautiously, having no idea what they were planning. With Sunny, anything was possible.

They jumped, startled, and quickly separated. Sunny smiled at him "Oh! Hey Hitch! It's just...you."

Hitch narrowed his eyes on her. He wasn't fooled. And he wasn't stupid. Hitch has been best friends with Sunny since kindergarten. He grew up with her. He knows everything about her. And he knew that smile. That was her "I'm not up to anything and I'm totally not planning on breaking any laws or anything" smile. Which only made Hitch all the more suspicious. He stared intently into Sunny's eyes. Sunny could never lie to him while looking him in the eyes.

"Am I...missing something?" He asked, his eyes never leaving Sunny, making it clear he already knew the answer, but he wanted to hear it from Sunny.

Sunny bit her lower lip and tried to look away, but her eyes would be drawn back to Hitch's intense stare. She stuttered a bit, but before she could give in, Zipp was suddenly standing directly in front of Hitch, a glare of her own in her eyes, blocking Sunny from view. Seeing the cover for what it was, Sunny happily blocked herself from Hitch as much as she could, standing a bit in front of Izzy.

"Ya, you missed something," Zipp said, a bit of bitterness in her voice. "We've been busting our flank on putting together a plan to find my sister for the past forty-five minutes, while you've been off doing who knows what. What took you so long? I thought you said you were right behind Sunny."

Hitch paused for a moment, not quite sure how to respond. These mares were obviously up to something, but Hitch's main goal was to find Pipp. He swore to Maretime Bay itself that if something bad happened or anypony hurt her, he'd kill them. They thought Operation Glitterbomb was bad? They had no idea who they were up against.

"I said to go ahead to the Brighthouse to come up with a plan and I'd catch up but I have some things I needed to do first." He said, giving Sunny an "if you're going to relay a message at least relay it correctly" look. Sunny chuckled nervously, looking exhausted. Hitch looked back at Zipp. "Things like Sparky."

"Oh yeah, where is that cute little guy? I'm sure that guy would love to run around Zephyr Heights castle." Izzy said, before crouching down and narrowing her eyes with a smile. "He's playing hide and seek, isn't he?"

"No, he's not coming along on this one. If something bad happened to Pipp, if somepony did something...I don't want him to be caught in the middle. It's already bad enough that Pipp is."

He also didn't want him there if he found the pony who hurt Pipp. He was glad Sparky wasn't there to see him with Operation Glitterbomb, but if he was face to face with the pony who hurt Pipp, he didn't think he'd be able to control himself or that his friends would be able to laugh off his reaction. It wouldn't be pretty. It'll be bad enough if his friends saw him like that, if Pipp saw him like that, but Sparky? He couldn't take his little deputy being disappointed in him, or worse, scared of him.

Hitch had come to love Sparky like his own son, and the funny thing was, Sparky seemed to love Pipp too. It was like she was already a part of their little family of two. If Pipp was hurt, he didn't want Sparky to have to see that. It'd break his little heart. Heck, seeing Pipp hurt would break Hitch's heart.

"So, where is he?" Izzy asked, tilting her head, a concerned look on her face.

"Eh, I left him at the station. I called Grandma Figgy and asked if she could watch Sparky while we're gone. She's on her way right now."

"G-grandma Figgy? I-is on her way? R-right now?" Sunny asked, a worried look on her face. That was odd, she loved Grandma Figgy.

"Where is he now?" Zipp asked, looking more curious than worried like Sunny was. "I know you don't trust him to be by himself at the sheriff's station if he barely behaves while you're there."

"I asked Rose Dust to grow him some poppy flowers from Earth Pony Magic. He's out like a light right now. Should be until Grandma Figgy gets there. So, what's the plan?"

There was a moment of silence before Zipp took a breath and finally spoke. "Um...Sunny and Izzy are going to head to Mane Melody to look for clues of where she might've gone or who might've taken her. Hitch, you and me are taking the Marestream to Zephyr Heights to do the same thing."

Hitch nodded, wishing Izzy and Sunny good luck. Izzy and Sunny did the same, Sunny hugging Hitch and saying that she hoped everything went okay. With that, Zipp and Hitch boarded the Marestream and took off.

Sunny and Izzy stared up as the Marestream flew away, standing there for a moment as though not sure what to do. Then, without looking away from the retreating Marestream in the sky, Izzy said, "We should probably go intercept Grandma Figgy before she comes all the way here for nothing. Especially since we're not going to check Mane Melody since we already know where she is."

Sunny continued to look up at the sky. "Yeah, we probably should."

Pipp laid on her bed, and just stared at the ceiling, reprimanding herself for being so stupid as to leave her phone at the Crystal Brighthouse. Seriously. She takes that thing everywhere. Right now, she wished she had it so she could stare at a picture of Hitch with tears streaming down her cheeks. Oh well, that was fine. She'd have to settle for eating the weight of her grief in ice cream, the best friend of every mare who has ever been dumped.

Pipp was just about to drag herself out of bed to ask one of the two guards standing in front of her room to get her some ice cream when there was a knock on her door. She froze, not making a single sound. She told the guards that nopony was to disturb her, which meant it was her mother. Only her mother could exceed her word, with her being the Queen and all. Twilight dammit. Pipp paused as she realized what she just thought. Damn, Sunny was rubbing off on her.

"Pipp, darling, are you alright? It's Mom. I just came to check if you were alright."

Pipp chuckled nervously. There was no point in pretending that she wasn't there, not when there were two guards posted at her door. "I'm fine, Mom. No need to worry. Just...laying down."

"Pipp, darling, may I come in?"

Pipp's eyes widened and she quickly flew over to her vanity mirror. "Uh...ya, one...one sec."

Pipp looked at her reflection. She was a mess: her eyes puffy and red from crying, her hair tangled, and her golden crown off center, bags under her eyes. How long has she been here crying? This was just ridiculous. All this over a colt? Because he didn't feel the same way she did. It's not like it was his fault. He couldn't control how he felt. He's just some other stallion that shouldn't cause such a...pathetic reaction. That's what it was: pathetic. Over some, handsome, loving, kind, sweet, funny, music-loving...she shook her head. She was hopeless.

"Pipp? Is everything alright in there?" Queen Haven asked, knocking again.

"Y-yeah, I'm just...tidying up in here. This place is a pigsty, you know?" Pipp looked around her pristine room. She needed to find better excuses.

"Honey, we have servants and you haven't slept in here for a year. Do you...do you not...want me around?" Queen Haven didn't say it, but they could both hear the unspoken word anymore.

Pipp hated how she was making her mother feel. And, it wouldn't hurt to get some things off her chest, right? That's why her mother was there. She smiled to herself. Sure, her pride might be wounded if her mother did the whole told you so thing, but her mother and she were close. She needed to stop shutting her out.

"No, that's not it," Pipp said genuinely. "I just have to...spruce up a bit. I'm a mess."

There was only silence. Pipp brushed her mane and straightened her crown. She wiped her eyes and looked at her face in the mirror. She flew into her bathroom and splashed her face with cold water. She looked at her face again. Well, it didn't do much, but it'd have to do. She then flew back into her room and opened the door, seeing her mother standing there with a concerned look on her face.

"Okay, Mom, c'mon in," Pipp said, opening the door wider, with a smile that was fooling nopony.

"Pipp, darling," Queen Haven started, walking into her room, Pipp closing the door behind her. "I know that whatever happened, you say it's nothing, but...it's clearly not nothing if it's bothering you this much. I just want you to know that if you want to talk, you can always come to me, and I'll listen. And who knows, perhaps I'll even have some advice. I mean, I was a teenager once. I'm sure I've been in similar situations as you were. I just want to try and fix things."

"I know you do, but..." Pipp looked down, blinking back tears. "I don't think you can fix this. You may be Queen of Zephyr Heights, but even you can't make somepony feel something they don't."

"Oh, colt trouble. Yes, I've definitely had my fair share of that." Queen Haven said with a light chuckle.

"Mom!" Pipp said, appalled. "I so don't want to hear about that."

"Pipp!" Queen Haven scolded, before sighing. "Honey, look. I may not be able to fix things the way you want, but I do know a listening ear can do wonders. And I might have advice for you. I have lived through this before."

Pipp also let out a sigh, resigning to the fact that perhaps her mother was right. It might do some good to let it off her chest. And perhaps her mother would have some advice. Some magical cure-all for a broken heart.

"Fine." Pipp walked over and sat on her bed, Queen Haven following her and sitting at the end, waiting patiently for her to continue. "There's this colt I like who lives in Maretime Bay. We became good friends and I started having feelings for him around the time of the Jinxie Games..." Pipp sighed. She didn't want to tell Haven Hitch was the colt she liked, but with that little tidbit, she probably already figured it out. "I went to talk with his best friend, who's known him since they were foals, since we were friends too and I didn't want to lose her if this colt and I were together—"

"Oh, heavens. It isn't that Cloverleaf boy, is it?" Queen Haven said, sounding appalled, but trying to hide it for her daughter.

"What? Eww, no. Mom, that's just...not if he was the last colt on earth. For the love of...he almost killed me. And my friends. And Zipp and you. He destroyed Sunny's home. He..." Pipp shivered, revulsion rolling through her. "We're not even friends, let alone...that." She shivered again in disgust.

She couldn't even picture being around him that long to form feelings, and that's if she could even form feelings for him at all. Sure, she forgave him, but that was for her benefit and not his. They say holding a grudge only hurts you more than the pony the grudge is being held against. But she couldn't bring herself to be friends with him, or even talk to him more than necessary, and even that was a struggle. He might not admit it, but he tried to kill not just injure actually kill her family and friends a year ago. Her sister. Her mother. Herself. Sprout's lucky Hitch was kind and understanding enough to only make him give them all a sincere apology, make him pay for building the Crystal Brighthouse since he destroyed Sunny's old home, and force him to turn over his deputy badge, and not be charged for attempted mass murder like he would have been in Zephyr Heights.

"Well, that's good. Otherwise, you, me, and your sister would be having a very long talk." Queen Haven said, obviously relieved.

Pipp chose to ignore that comment. "No, I...it's a different colt. A much better one, though that's not hard to do. Anyway, she seemed fine with it but..." Pipp paused, not wanting to continue. It was bad enough hearing it from Sunny and hearing it said in her head, but having to say it to herself, she wasn't sure she could do that.

Luckily, she didn't have to. "But he doesn't like you back." Queen Haven finished, not as a question but as a statement. Pipp only nodded. "Does he like somepony else?" Pipp shook her head. Queen Haven nodded, as though she understood.

"It's not his fault." Pipp quickly defended, as if her mother would be mad that he doesn't have feelings for anypony. "I should've known he didn't. His life is so busy. Somepony he loves needs his constant care and on top of it he...needs to...work, so any free time he has when he's not taking care of his loved one is spent working. I should've known I wouldn't fit into his life." Pipp looked down at her hooves, a tear streaming down her face.

Queen Haven was silent as she stared at her sullen daughter. Growing up, Pipp reminded her so much of herself, they're personalities were so much alike, and, yet, somehow, Pipp was so much better than she was. So much of a better pony than she ever was. Pipp, unlike her, was able to put aside her pride for the greater good and do something Haven was too scared to do herself. And she couldn't be more proud of her daughter for that.

A long time ago, when her two daughters were born, she closed off the idea of loving anypony else but her daughters and her kingdom. Being queen made such a social life difficult, only adding more stress to juggle that she didn't need. And then she met her Alphie and he seemed to click into place. He was happy to be wherever she could fit him, understanding how hard her job was. Sure, it wasn't easy—nothing good in life ever is—but everything seemed to click for them. They found a way to work it out.

And now here was Pipp, experiencing something seemingly similar. Except, this time, she seemed to be in the same position Alphibittle was in when he first realized he loved her. He was scared to admit his feelings because he wasn't sure if he'd fit into her life. He didn't want to cause her more stress than she already had. But when he couldn't hide it anymore, when they both decided to confess at the same time, he found small ways, little ways, to fit himself into her daily life, without causing her more stress. Like sending a flower bouquet with a sweet message every day. Sending audio messages about himself she could listen to as she worked. Facetiming her as they ate dinner as a date. Queen Haven had faith it would work out for Pipp as it did her; that one day, Pipp and this colt would be together. She could see how much Pipp loved this colt, and Queen Haven could only hope this colt would love her back just as much.

"Pipp, dear, may I ask you a question?" Pipp nodded and, hesitating for only a second, Queen Haven continued. "If you met your friends early in life, met them perhaps a year before you did, do you think you would've been friends with them?"

Pipp hesitated, not sure how to answer. She thought about her life a year before she met Sunny, Hitch, and Izzy, and about who she was then. She remembered how much she had changed in that year. She still loved her pipsqueaks, and that would never change, but during the time she met her friends, she had already begun to feel...unfulfilled in life. Her whole life, she had been content, happy, and sure of who she was and what she wanted in life. But that year, she began to question things. Questioned if she wanted to be who she was now her whole life. If she didn't want things to change. She felt more open to the possibility that there might be more out there in Equestria than castle walls, spa treatments, social media fame, and royal life.

The night she was caught upside down in the middle of the party in the throne room, in front of everypony in Zephyr Heights, when she overheard her sister bringing up the possibility of bringing back magic and that the unicorns might be able to help, she felt some small part of her excite at the idea. Of going to unknown lands—well, unknown to the pegasi—and bringing back something that had been lost for generations. Something thought to be a myth. Something no pegasi had been able to do. But, she wasn't as courageous as her sister. The idea of leaving home to go who knows where, in hopes of asking for help from who knows who, who would do who knows what to her upon seeing her. She wasn't stupid. She didn't think that just because she was a teenage princess with great charisma, they'd restrain from capturing her and holding her prisoner for trespassing. Travel between pony territories was forbidden. She didn't want to go missing in some foreign land full of foreign ponies. Her subjects needed her. They needed their subjects.

So when every pegasus in Zephyr Heights found out the royals couldn't fly and they became criminals, it was just the push Pipp needed to do exactly what her sister wanted to do, that thing that had excited some small part of her. She was more willing. The seeds had already been planted during the year that led to that day and it slowly opened her mind to the idea. A year before, however, she was already so happy, her life was so perfect, she would've gone along with her mother to spin the story so they'd love her again. She hadn't begun to question her whole life. Her life felt fulfilled.

"No." Pipp finally said. "I wouldn't have. I would've done what you wanted and spun the story so they'd love us again. But, during the year that led up to that day, the love of everypony didn't feel like it was the most important thing in the world. It didn't feel...enough. I had begun to want more in life. But, before that, it had been. I was happy. I had no reason to be friends with ponies I believed to be my enemies."

"You weren't the same pony the day you met your friends as the one you were a year before. Your life had changed, you had changed, and somehow, everything just clicked and now you and your friends are closer than you ever would've been had you met earlier. Perhaps your life would be different had you met them earlier. It's the same thing when it comes to your special somepony."

Pipp looked up at her mom, confused. "What do you mean?"

"When I first met Alphabittle—"

"Ew! Mom! Look, I'm glad you found somepony to spend your life with, but I don't wanna hear your love story. I'll live without hearing the—"

"Pipp Petals! Please, grow up. You're nineteen now. You'll live. I'm trying to give you advice and you're being incredibly immature!"

Pipp silenced herself and nodded. Her mother always was good at giving advice and it was her advice that helped her navigate through life. She needed her mother's advice to navigate through this because she had no idea what to do. She wanted to hear what her mother had to say, even if some of those things grossed her out.

"Now, as I was saying when Alphabittle and I first met, we hated each other. Even after your friend Sunny Starscout convinced us to come together in friendship, we were both much too prideful to have more than a professional relationship with each other. And even when Alphie realized he loved me, if he confessed his love then, it still wouldn't have worked out."

"Because you didn't love him?"

"No. Then, I knew I cared about him, more than just a friend, feelings you don't typically feel with a friend. Had he confessed his love, I would've realized what those feelings were and confessed back. But, it wouldn't have worked out because I wasn't ready to be in a relationship yet, even though I didn't know that until now, looking back. Then, I was still so worried about you girls. Worried about how you were settling into your new home. Worried about whether or not Zephyrina would come back to train to be queen. Worried about whether we'd drift apart. Worried about if you girls would..." Queen Haven trailed off, not wanting to make her daughter feel worse than she already did.

"About if we would approve?" Pipp finished, feeling herself wilt in shame. She hated how she and her sister reacted when she found out their mother and Alphabittle were seeing each other. And she hated that her mother knew they'd react that way, despite how happy Alphabittle made their mother.

Queen Haven sighed. "Yes. But, eventually, I realized I didn't care what other ponies thought. I realized that you girls would be fine, that you could take care of yourselves, and that if you ever needed anything, you'd come home. And I realized that when Zephyrina was ready, she'd come back to train. She wouldn't leave Zephyr Heights to fend for itself. It was around that time Alphabittle asked me out.

"What I'm trying to say is that sometimes, when you meet the pony you're meant to spend the rest of your life with, the timing just isn't right. Sometimes, you're both not ready to be with each other. But, perhaps, in the future, you'll both be in a position in life to be open to that kind of relationship. Yes, this colt you like doesn't like anypony right now, but maybe that's because his life is too full for anypony else right now. Perhaps when his life dies down, when he settles down, he'll realize his feelings for you. You ponies are just so young right now and you both have your whole lives in front of you. You're only nineteen, Pipp. Give it time. Don't give up yet. Doesn't mean he's not ready for you now, doesn't mean he won't ever be."

"Your Majesty?" A voice called from the doorway, a small knock coming. There was a stallion in a guard uniform, standing in the doorway, giving a small bow. He stood up, pulling a phone from his wing feathers. "Your daughter, Princess Zephyrina Storm, is calling you. She said it's urgent."

"It's probably about me," Pipp guessed with a shrug. "Just tell her I'm okay and that she doesn't need to worry about me. I'm here safe. I just need some time to think about things."

Queen Haven nodded, hugging her daughter, before walking out, grabbing her phone from the guard, and closing the door behind her. Pipp stayed on her bed, staring down at her hooves, thinking about everything her mother just said.

Hitch and Zipp bolted into the throne room, both of them out of breath. They panted as they looked around, looking for Queen Haven. She was supposed to meet them there. She needed to do so, lest Hitch gets suspicious and the whole plan turns to dust.

Suddenly, Zipp and Hitch heard footsteps behind them, and despite knowing that Pipp wasn't missing and everything was okay, Zipp still tensed. But, fortunately, it was just a serious-looking guard. Zipp didn't recognize him, but, to be fair, she hadn't been here very often in a year and when she did live here, she didn't exactly pay attention to who was who when it came to the guards. If she's pretty honest, Zipp was pretty much only focused on herself and her own thing when she lived here. She didn't pay attention to anypony else but herself, like how much she didn't want to be Queen, how she wished she could fly, and how to get as close to that feeling as possible. She practically ignored her sister. Her mother. It was a realization that hit her like a punch in the gut. She really was self-centered when she lived here. She'd always get after Pipp for being so self-centered with her social media, but Zipp was no better. At least Pipp was focusing on her subjects and her pipsqueaks. She shook her head. She'll worry about that later on. Now, she just had to continue with the plan.

"What are you doing here? Where's my mom?" Zipp asked, trying to sound accusatory for Hitch's sake, but the guard hardly even blinked at her charade, making her wonder how good of an actress she really was.

"Your mother wanted me to give you this, your majesty." The guard said dully after a quick bow to her. This guard's personality was so different from Zoom's and Thunder's. Actually, she felt more intimidated than he did when she tried to be intimidating and he was the one who served her.

The guard walked up to them and gave Zipp an envelope. She opened it and looked it over:

'Dear Zephyrina,

I'm so sorry I couldn't be there to greet you. I've missed you and was looking forward to seeing you after so long, but I'm afraid something came up. Some important meetings with my financial advisors of the city or some sort. I just wanted to let you know that the stage is set, and everything is ready for Hitch to find her and confess their love for each other. Yes, dear, I know. While Pipp didn't tell me his name, she did tell me she liked a colt who she was friends with and that another one of her friends had known him since they were foals. After your call about Hitch, it wasn't that hard to put the pieces together. Anyway, good luck and I sincerely hope everything goes as planned, for your sister's sake. She's a wreck and it's breaking my heart to see her so heartbroken. Mommy loves you. —Mom'

Zipp rolled her eyes, putting the letter back in the envelope. Of course, she figured it out. Her mother wasn't an idiot. Maybe Zipp was betting on Pipp not venting her feelings and what happened. Anyway, it didn't matter that their mother knew. What mattered was getting Hitch to Pipp. Zipp never thought in a million years she'd be playing matchmaker, but here she was. Well, stranger things have happened, maybe. Zipp just couldn't think of them at the moment.

"Here's the key, Princess." The guard said, giving her a gold key with Pipp's cutie mark on it. "Her Majesty didn't want the room disturbed until you or your friend had a chance to look at it." Haven must've told the guard the plan too. Makes sense.

Zipp dismissed the guard before turning to Hitch, handing out the key. "Alright, Hitch. You check Pipp's room, I'll check the rest of the castle."

"M-me? W-why? Don't you think that's a tad bit inappropriate? Shouldn't it be you?" Hitch's face blushed a bright red and his forehead began to sweat. His heart raced and pounded out the thought of being in the room of the mare he loved alone.

Zipp rolled her eyes, trying to go for annoyed, while inside she prayed it'd work. "No, because I know this castle best. If you search the castle you'll get lost not to mention you don't even know where to look or what to look for. At least in Pipp's room, you can narrow it down."

"T-then shouldn't we look together? Don't you think it'll be a bit weird if I went in there..." Hitch looked around before leaning into Zipp and whispering like it was some big secret, "Alone?"

"It'll be faster if we split. And we want to find her as quickly as possible. Right?"

Hitch sighed in defeat and nodded. He took the key from Zipp, put it in his bag, and walked down the hall, exiting the throne room to follow the guard waiting outside. The guard led him silently to Pipp's room, all the while Hitch's stomach was in knots. It was one thing to hang around the mare he loved every day, practically all day, but a whole other to be snooping around her room by himself. He closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and went into sheriff mode. A state in mind he often went into when he couldn't let emotions interfere with his job. A state where he'd suppress all emotions so he could do what needed to be done.

Finally, they arrived in front of a pink magnificent door with Pipp's cutie mark discreetly carved all over the wood. Two guards were posted in front of it. The guard nodded to the two of them, and the three guards walked away in formation, leaving Hitch alone. That's odd. Shouldn't they wait outside in case something were to happen? Who knows, the pony who took Pipp might be lying in wait in her room. Or, what if Hitch found something? Shouldn't a guard be ready to confiscate it or go find Zipp? Or what about when he was done? Shouldn't they wait to escort him to wherever he needs to go next so he doesn't get lost?

Hitch shrugged it off. They were clearly given their orders and they were simply following them. Hitch trusted that the queen, or Zipp, or whoever gave the orders, knew what they were doing. He took another deep breath, closed his eyes, and stuck the key into the keyhole. He then slowly, quietly, as though scared to disturb a pony who probably isn't even in there, turned the key, and then slowly, but surely before he could talk himself out of it, opened the door, stepping in.

The lights were off and the curtains were closed, the added empty look of it almost making it look abandoned. He looked around, his eyes passing the bed before locking on it. There was a form. A small form was lying on the bed. It was too dark to see who it was, but Hitch's heart stopped. The form looked familiar. He quickly found the light and switched it on, gasping in shock, before relief overwhelmed him.

"Pipp! Thank hoofness you're okay. We were so worried about you!"

Pipp groaned slightly. "Tell my mother that I'm fi...wait!" Pipp sat up, looking at the intruder with wide eyes. "H-Hitch?!"

Sunny and Izzy were chasing Sparky around the office. Correction, Sunny was chasing him around the office. Izzy was encouraging him to mess up the office as much as he could, chasing him around with her phone to videotape the whole thing, claiming Hitch would want these for the memories. Yeah, Izzy was no help at all.

"Izzy! Can you help me out here?!" Sunny yelled after yet again, falling on her face after being very close to catching Sparky.

Izzy scoffed. "You'll never catch him like that. Just let him keep going. Trust me, he'll run out of energy soon and pass out. Let his creativity run wild!" Izzy exclaimed, raising her hoof.

"Wild? Try utter disaster!" Sunny stood tall, trying to look around desperately. Sparky just disappeared. "Or gone!"

"He's not gone," Izzy said, pulling a little dragon out from under the desk by the foot with her magic. "He's right he—oof!"

Sparky had accidentally hit her horn with his clawed hands while he was squirming, causing her magic to dissipate and him to go crashing to the floor. Sunny gasped, starting to gallop towards him, but skidded to a stop when he stood up, giggling again. Sunny grunted and resumed the chase all over again, but this time, not only did Izzy encourage him, but she was helping him!

"Ugh! Izzy! Stop!" Sunny shouted, running into a wall. She tried to stand up, only to stumble backward and land on her flank, the world looking like it's been tilted on its side. "Ugh, Hitch is going to kill us." Sunny's voice sounded as wobbly as she felt.

Suddenly, she heard a ringtone and she instantly stood up, stumbling a bit. She saw Sparky running to her phone and galloped. Not the phone. Not the phone! She ran as fast as she could, adrenaline only making her faster. She got there before him and scooped up the phone before Sparky's dragon fire could touch it. She smirked smugly, only for him to laugh and giggle and blow a puff of fire right at her hoof. The one holding the phone. It transformed into a chocolate chip cookie, which he promptly jumped up to grab and took a huge bite out of. Sunny stared at him, speechless, when the entire office grew silent. Well, apart from Izzy's quiet "uh oh".

Suddenly, another ringtone rang. Sunny recognized it as one of Pipp's songs and saw her phone on the desk. "Izzy! Grab it before Sparky does!" Laughing and gurgling, Sparky stood up with cookie in hand and started running for the desk. "Don't let him have it! Pipp is going to kill us if Sparky gets ahold of that thing!"

That seemed to spur her into action, her horn lighting up and a magical aura surrounding the phone. It flew up into the air just before Sparky's claws wrapped around it. It slowly floated over to Sunny, landing on her hoof as she breathed a sigh of relief. Sparky pouted, grabbing his clawed feet with his clawed hand. Izzy consoled Sparky, floating over with her magic paper, crayons, scissors, and a piece of cardboard and crafting a fake phone, giving him it to replace the one he wanted to steal. Sparky smiled up at her as he grabbed it, and used his dragon fire magic to transform it into a piece of cake, which he also promptly ate.

Sunny shook her head with a smile, before looking down at Pipp's phone to see who was calling. The caller I.D. simply said 'Sis'. That must be Zip. She quickly answered, giving her a shaky hello, her entire body tingling with nerves as she glanced around the office. Hitch was going to kill her when he came back.

"Hey, Sunny. Everything's going to plan and the stage is set. Hitch just went into her room and the targets are secured." Zipp said her face and a key with Pipp's cutie mark appearing on the screen. "How're things on your end?" Zipp asked,

"Uhmm..." Sunny let out a nervous chuckle, looking around the station again. "Well...the office is a disaster, the furniture's been made into an obstacle course, my phone is in the stomach of a baby dragon in the form of a cookie, and right now..." Sunny glanced around the office, funding Sparky and Izzy drawing with a bunch of crayons. On the wall. "Sparky and Izzy are drawing on the walls. Other than that, umm...everything's great!"

"Hitch?!" Pipp asked incredulously, staring at Hitch in shock. What in the hay was he doing in her room? "What are you doing here?!"

"Looking for you!" Hitch answered, almost accusingly, as if she did anything wrong. Like he's not in her room without permission. "What are you doing here?!"

"Umm...this is my room! What do you mean what am I doing here?! Get out of my room!"

"I'm not leaving until you explain things! What in the hay is going on?!" He blinked, taking a closer look at Pipp. Specifically her eyes. "Have...have you been crying?" Hitch's face quickly morphed from embarrassment to concern at seeing her cry.

Pipp quickly looked away, swiping a hoof at her face to wipe away the tears. "No. I'm not. Get out." Pipp said in a low and dangerous voice.

"My pleasure. Zipp, Sunny, Izzy, and I are going to have a few words when I get back to Maretime Bay." Hitch grumbled under his breath, stalking to the door. He reached out a hoof, grabbed the handle, and turned it, only for it to catch. He turned again only for it to stay stubbornly fixed in place. "What the hay?" Hitch muttered.

"What did I tell you? Get. Out. Of. My—" Pipp paused when she turned to look at Hitch, trying to turn a stubborn knob, pushing himself against a door that stubbornly stayed in place. Oh no. This wasn't good.

"I...can't..." He said, gritting his teeth as he repeatedly rammed his whole body against the door. "It's...locked. Ugh!" He threw himself against it. When that didn't work, he then turned around, stood on his forelegs, and used his rear ones to buck at the door. "C'mon....budge!" He said in between kicks, but the door didn't even crack, let alone break open.

Pipp froze, watching Hitch buck at the door in vain. "It won't. It's a special door. One that's used to either keep an intruder trapped or keep one out. A safety thing...in case somepony were to break into the castle."

Hitch groaned, giving up and turning to look back at Pipp. "Okay, what's the deal here? Why are you trying to lure me here?"

"Lure you?!" Pipp was taken aback that he'd accuse her of something like this when he was here in her room for no reason and all she wanted to do was wallow in her sorrow as far away from him as possible. "You're the one who came into my room uninvited!" Pipp paused before asking. "How did you get in here anyway?"

"Zipp...she told me to search in here while she searches the castle. She gave me a...key..." Realization dawned on Hitch, his eyes widening. "You don't think..."

"Oh yeah, she totally did. And she is so totally dead! Gimme your phone." Pipp held out her hoof, her face blushing a bright crimson.

She didn't understand why Zipp would stoop so low. Zipp loved her, didn't she? Why would she trap Pipp with a stallion she loved who didn't love her back? Was she just trying to humiliate her? Why in Equestria would she do this? Was her sister this stupid?

Hitch hesitantly handed Pipp his phone after seeing the look on her face. Pipp dialed the number and it rang, only for it to go straight to voicemail. Ugh. Zipp was so dead.

"Umm...may I ask...if you weren't trying to lure me...why did you leave your phone at the Brighthouse?"

Pipp rolled her eyes. "Because I didn't want any distractions while I talked with Sunny abou—" Pipp stopped abruptly, realizing she was about to spill her guts and completely humiliate herself.

"About...?" Hitch asked, waving his hoof for Pipp to continue.

Another tear rolled down Pipp's face. She turned her head away, putting Hitch's phone on her bed. "Nothing. It doesn't matter. We sorted everything out." Pipp said dismissively, wiping away yet another tear.

Hitch slowly approached Pipp, sitting on the bed next to her, seeing a tear roll down her face. Something was clearly wrong, and he couldn't shake the feeling that Sunny may have had something to do with it. He may have known Sunny her whole life, but he felt a certain connection to Pipp. He wasn't sure if Pipp felt it, but he felt like he knew her. Like all they needed were each other and everything would be okay. And the way she responded when he asked what she talked to Sunny about, he knew it wasn't all sorted.

"Pipp, you know you can talk to me, right?"

"I said it's nothing and I said I'm fine! Why do you keep asking me if I'm okay after I clearly said I am?!" Pipp snapped, turning to look at Hitch, forgetting about her tear-stained face, the emotions she'd been suppressing all day exploding out of her. This was exactly why Pipp didn't want to be around Hitch. Because she didn't know if she could control herself or not.

"Because you're clearly not fine if you've been here the whole time crying! And since we're locked in here as some sick prank from your sister and Sunny, I thought I'd check in on you!"

"Well, I'm fine! Why can't you just leave me alone?!" Pipp jumped off the bed, glaring daggers at Hitch.

"Why won't you trust enough to tell what in the hay is going on?!" Hitch yelled back, also jumping off the bed.

He didn't know why he was so insistent that Pipp told him what was going on. Pipp clearly didn't want to talk about it, but something kept trying to dig it out of her. He felt it was important, and the way she looked at him, with tears in her eyes, like it hurt just to be in the same room with him, broke his heart. He loved her and he wanted to fix whatever was hurting her, but he couldn't shake the feeling that it was him who had made her so upset. He just didn't know what he did to make her hate him so much.

"Because I just need time to sort it out! And you're the last pony I want to be around right now!"

"Why?! Why do you hate me so much right now?! What did I do to you?! How can I fix it?!"

"You can love me back, dammit!"

Pipp's eyes widened as what she just blurted out sunk in. Hitch was staring at her with wide eyes and Pipp's cheeks blushed a crimson red. No, she didn't want to say that. She didn't want to tell him until she was sure he liked her back. Now...now everything was ruined. Their friendship. Their easygoingness. Maybe even their future. All because of her. Because she couldn't keep her damn mouth shut.

She made a small noise that almost sounded like a whimper and dashed into the bathroom, slamming and locking the door behind her. She fell to the floor, leaning against the door, and sobbed into her hooves, knowing she screwed everything up because she was such a stupid idiot.

Hitch just stared at the spot Pipp had stood in shock, not believing any of it. But her words rang through his head. "You can love me back, dammit!" Did...did she love him? He turned and slowly walked up to the bathroom door, hesitating for a couple of seconds before softly knocking on the door with his hoof. Silence was his only answer. He waited for a while before knocking again.

"Go away, Hitch! Please! Just go away." Pipp begged, unable to even think of him without crumbling in modification.

Hitch took a deep breath and leaned against the bathroom door, sitting against it. He looked down at the floor, staying silent, not sure what to say. How can he start this kind of conversation? He wasn't even sure she liked him like that. Yes, she said it, but...was it true? Or did she mean it in some other way?

Luckily, he didn't need to think about it long. "It's fine, Hitch!" Pipp's voice called through the door. "You don't have to like me back. I know how full your life is. I'm sure these feelings will go away...at some point. You don't have to pity me. I don't want to cause you any more stress. I don't want you to have to worry about me." Pipp gasped when she realized she sounded exactly like her mom said Alphabittle felt when he realized he had feelings for her mom she didn't know whether to be grossed out that she was turning out like her mother, or hopeful that like her mother's relationship, things for her and Hitch would work out.

"Why do you think I don't like you back?" Hitch asked.

"Because Sunny...I had talked to her about it...she said you didn't like anypony and..."

Hitch softly chuckled to himself, everything clicking together. That's why Sunny planned this whole thing. She was playing matchmaker. Oh, Hitch was so going to get her back for this good.

"Pipp, she only said that because she knew I liked you."

Pipp's head shot up, her eyes wide. "W-what?"

"Yeah. I told her the day we brought back magic. Well, she actually sort of figured it out on her own. She probably panicked and told you to keep my secret."

Pipp scooted back and unlocked the door. Hitch heard the lock click and he slowly reached up, grabbed the handle, and slowly pushed the door open. Pipp was sitting there, staring back at him, her face tear-stained, her heart racing. She couldn't believe what she was hearing. Hitch liked her back all this time and didn't say anything? She couldn't believe her ears.

"Y-you had feelings for me for a year and you didn't say anything? Why?"

Hitch rubbed the back of his neck, letting out a light chuckle. "I wasn't sure if you liked me back. I was still too shy and I didn't want to ruin our friendship."

Pipp looked down, for some reason feeling bad that all that time, she didn't like him back, not until about a month ago, even though she couldn't control how she felt. "I...I didn't. Not until the Jinxie Games. After I saw the way you risked what you worked so hard to get just to save Sparky like that, I realized that...that you're the kind of stallion I've been dreaming about being with my whole life. The way you protect Maretime Bay, and how much you care about the citizens, reminds me of how much I care about Zephyr Heights and my pipsqueaks. I know it doesn't make much sense, but..."

Hitch grabbed her hooves, putting them to his chest, dropping his forehead onto hers. "Hey, it doesn't have to make sense. As long as we love each other, we'll get through anything. Hoof to heart."

"Hoof to heart..." Pipp repeated, before she and Hitch kissed, no words needed to express their love. They fit together like puzzle pieces. Like the harmony and melody in a song, creating a perfect pitch.

Author's Note

Okay...so that was...a lot. And probably took longer than it should've.

Okay, so I'm probably not going to write another atory so heavily based on romance again (excluding the story You). Yes, other fics of mine may include romance, but more as a minor thing rather than as a slice of life thing. I guess it's just not my forte, which is interesting seeing as this is my best fic.

Despite all that, I may or may not do a sequel that will take the mane six (yes, I'm including Misty) outside of Equestria. It'll be less heavy on the romance and more of a adventure action type of story. I'm not sure yet. It's still in the brainstorming phase.

So, I hope you all enjoyed A Perfect Pitch, my first ever completed story. Feel free to check out any of my other ones. Well, any of my other two. TTFN!