I Choose You

The Marestream soared through the skies, flying as fast as it could towards the direction of Zephyr Heights. It tore through a patch of clouds, dissipating them in an instant, before tilting slightly and barreling straight through another few in a mad dash to get to its destination. As it did so, a rainbow contrail shot out from behind, propelling it forward. A strong gust of air violently rocked the hull and howled outside as turbulence ensued and the ship struggled to stay on course. At this high of an altitude, the winds were at their strongest, more so than they normally would be on the ground to most ponies. It wasn’t the most ideal time to fly an airship, but that didn’t matter to Zipp Storm, who was in the cockpit piloting. Trouble was supposedly brewing, and all she had was another cryptic letter to go off of.

It had started earlier that morning. She and her sister Pipp were getting ready to go about their day when their flying Pomeranian messenger Cloudpuff had suddenly showed up with a mysterious letter from their mother Queen Haven. It was normal for her to write to her daughters, all things considered, and Zipp didn’t expect anything much, but something about this message felt different. It seemed a lot more urgent, with the only words written on it were to come to the palace at once and bring Misty along. Nopony else was allowed to come, just the three of them.

This struck the detective as odd as she and her friends almost always traveled together as a group. But for some reason, this trip was required to be an exception, and she didn’t have the faintest clue as to why this could be. Was there some national emergency she wasn’t aware of? An unexpected invasion from Allura that required all Royal hooves on deck? That could be the case, but it didn’t seem likely. After all, why would just Misty be required to come along? An emergency on the scale of a full blown attack would have required all of them. Hardly anything made sense. The summon was so cryptic that one could interpret it in any way they saw fit.

Still, there was no time to waste, and Zipp tightened her grip on the steering wheel as the cabin lurched and rocked once more. She turned towards Pipp and Misty behind her, both of which were feeling equal amounts of uneasiness.

“Hangin’ in there, sis?” she asked, trying to lighten the mood as best as she could.

Pipp wasn’t having any of it, her expression making it look like she was about to be sick. “If you can call nearly being thrown around several times that. Why did Mom pick today of all days to summon us home?!”

“And why did she want me to come along too?” Misty inquired curiously, looking up. She was sitting on the floor and holding the letter in her hooves, studying it closely. “The last time I was called to Zephyr Heights was for my Cutie Blossom Bash. It can’t be another event, can it?”

“I don’t know,” Zipp admitted. “But one way or another, we’re gonna find out. There it is!”

In front of her, the clouds cleared to reveal the majestic city of Zephyr Heights in all of its glory. The buildings were primarily white and gold, with blue windows made from the finest of materials. They poked up through the clouds, displaying their immaculate architecture and unique design. The Royal Palace was the biggest of them all, being so tall that one could compare it to a skyscraper. It was made up of the main structure and two towers, both of which sported pink flags that had the symbol of the city in the middle. it was a place that needed to be seen in order to be believed.

Zephyr Heights was the most unique out of all the three pony civilizations that made up Equestria. It was one that sat atop the tallest mountain in the realm, so high up that it gave off the illusion that it was literally atop of a cloud bed. It was a city that had a storied history and traditions going back generations. It was a city known for innovation and progress. But most importantly of all, it was home to the Royal Family, which was entirely made up of pegasi. That was the way things were for hundreds of moons. For as long as historians could document, there was never a point in time where a non-pegasus could become a Royal. It was unheard of.

Until today.

The Marestream flew through the city and landed right in front of the entrance to the palace. As soon as it touched down, all three ponies stepped out and ran inside. Their hooves made clip clop noises on the marble floor, their breaths were frantic, and their hearts were beating fast as they made a beeline for the throne room.

A couple of Royal guards saw them running in hall and called after them to stop, but they didn’t. They couldn’t. The summon was urgent, that much they knew. They had to get there on time no matter what.

“Slow down, sis!” Pipp yelled, panting heavily. “It might be one of Mom’s unintentional misdirects! Nopony seems bothered in the slightest!”

“We don’t know that!” Zipp shouted back. “She sent for us three for a reason. I’m determined to find out what that is!”

“Do you think we’ll make it on time?!” Misty asked in a panicked tone.

“We will if I have anything to do about it!” replied Zipp with a determined smile. She then turned back to the front and spotted the main doors to the throne room. “There! Come on!! Just a little further!”

They burst through the doors, slamming them open and startling Queen Haven, who was in mid-conversation with…Alphabittle? What was he doing here? This struck Zipp as quite odd. Obviously, her mom hung out with the unicorn elder a lot, but there was never a point where he had actually come to Zephyr Heights itself to see her due to personal reasons. But here he was in the flesh and right next to her. Not only that, but there was a ring on her right front hoof. An engagement ring.

Oh no.

Haven turned towards them. “My angels, you’ve arrived!” she exclaimed. “I was beginning to think you didn’t get my letter! Cloudpuff does tend to get distracted at times.”

“We came as quick as we could, Mom!” Pipp exclaimed. “What is going on?!”

“Are you hurt?!” Misty cried. “Why’s Dad with you?!”

“Why is there an engagement ring on your hoof?!” Zipp demanded. “And why were only three of us allowed? Is there something wrong?!”

Alphabittle looked confused. “Wrong? What are you talking about?”

“Mom told us to come as quick as we could!!” Pipp reminded him. “I barely had any time to brush my mane!! AND YOU KNOW HOW FREAKED OUT I GET WHEN I DON’T BRUSH MY MANE!!”

Haven laughed. “Did you girls really think there was some sort of national emergency?” She shook her head, smiling. “Silly fillies, nothing is wrong!”

This caught Zipp off guard. “Wait…what? So you sent the letter to us…just so we could see you two together?”

“We wanted to tell you girls the big news!” Alphabittle explained. “I helped your Mom write the letter, though I did tell her to be a bit more clear with her wording. Didn’t want to freak any of you out.”

The pegasus monarch reluctantly sighed, conceding the point. “I suppose I could have been a little more straightforward, Alphie. ‘Urgent royal summon’ wasn’t really the most calming opener.”

“Got them all riled up for nothing.” he replied.

“So…” Zipp said. “If you’re not in danger, then what’s going on here?”

“We’re becoming one big happy family!” Alphabittle answered happily. “We’ve honestly been thinking about it for a while, but now we’ve finally decided to make it official.”

“Meaning…?” Pipp prodded cautiously.

“After much consideration,” Haven revealed. “My lovely Alphabittle and I have decided…it is time for us to get married!!”

“WHAT?!” all three of them reacted in unison, their mouths dropping open in shock.

“You and Alphabittle are getting MARRIED?!” Pipp shrieked. “How?! What? I-but…why?!” She then cleared her throat once she realized she was stammering. “I mean, I know you two have been together for a while now and that’s totally fine by us, but we didn’t think you would agree to it-“

“-so soon.” Zipp finished for her, an expression of visible concern on her face. The truth was, she didn’t expect it to be so quick either. It felt like she had just seen them together and gotten accustomed to it, but now they were taking their relationship to the next step and it felt wrong. She wasn’t sure how to express it in a manner that her mother would understand.

Haven didn’t seem to get the message as she was even more happy than before. She stood up from her throne, walking towards them. Alphabittle followed her as she did so and she stole a loving glance at him. “It’s what’s best! For the first time in Zephyr Heights history, our families shall officially become one! No more living apart separated by tribe. Unicorns shall officially join the Royal Family!”

“Plus,” Alphabittle added excitedly. “You know what this means! I get to have three daughters instead of just one! I thought I was lucky before, but my life just got a whole lot better!” He turned towards his daughter and faced her. “Your friends will officially become your stepsisters, Misty! Isn’t that amazing?”

“I’m not sure if I’m ready for that yet, Dad,” Misty reasoned, staring back at her father with a worried look. “I mean…it feels like I just found my place in Maretime Bay with my friends and now you want to uproot my entire life?”

“I’m not asking you to move to Zephyr Heights, kiddo,” Alphabittle assured her. “I could never ask you to abandon your friends or your place with them. But you will become an official part of the Royal Family. Princess Misty! Now that has a nice ring to it.”

“But-“

“How long do we have time to prepare for your wedding?” Zipp asked, trying her best to contain her anger. The more she thought about this new arrangement, the more she didn’t like it. Dating was one thing, but marriage was a whole other deal. It felt like a disrespect to her late father. She hadn’t known him very well due to him leaving when she was very young, but her mother had been single for this long due to being unwilling to replace him, but now it seemed like that had been completely forgotten.

“We were thinking of having it in Maretime Bay two days from now,” Haven told them. “Getting married in the place where Unity all began, celebrating the union of our respective worlds.”

“Two days?!” Pipp demanded.

“And in Maretime Bay?!” Zipp asked. “I mean, two days is not enough time to plan any wedding, let alone a royal one.”

“I’m sure you ponies will figure it out in no time,” Alphabittle said encouragingly. “And once it’s official, we will have a whole ton of time to spend together! I can’t wait to get to know you two in a way I never have before!!”

“And welcome a new daughter to the family,” Haven finished, looking directly at a now terrified Misty. “Oh, you will just love it, dear. As Princess, all eyes will be on you. You will be the face of our entire kingdom, and you will never be alone ever again! Trust me, the guards are very nosy. After everything you’ve been through, that is exactly what you need. Right, Alphie?”

Alphabittle nodded enthusiastically. “Exactly!”

Zipp and Pipp turned to look at Misty, who swallowed hard at those last few sentences. It was clear she was taking this just as well as they were, which is to say, not well at all. Their entire lives were about to change, and they had no way of stopping it.

Maretime Bay
Crystal Brighthouse Kitchen…

“Oooooooh! I am just so happy for all of you!!” Sunny exclaimed, squealing with delight as she set a batch of three pancakes on a plate. “I mean, Queen Haven and Alphabittle getting married. This is the best news ever! Imagine what it will be like having a father figure back in your lives!” She caught a falling pancake in midair using her snout and placed it back where it belonged.

“Yeah, it will suck!” Zipp shouted, slamming her hooves on the table. She, Pipp, and Misty were sitting at the dining room table. Since they had left very early for Zephyr Heights, they had no time to receive breakfast. Now they were making up for it. They were alone in the Brighthouse with Sunny since Izzy was out managing the Boadtrot with Hitch. “How are you okay with this at all, Sunny?!”

“I’m surprised you’re not,” Sunny replied, frowning. She set the plate down in front of her friends. “I thought you were okay with them dating.”

“Da-ting!” Pipp repeated. “Not marriage! That’s like a whole other thing! I mean…it just feels so sudden and…well, Mom was all we’ve ever had growing up. Now suddenly some stranger’s coming into our lives and claiming to be our new Dad?! How do you expect us to feel?!”

“What’s so bad about that?” asked Sunny curiously.

Zipp sighed. “You probably don’t get it. Pipp’s always been Mom’s favorite, that’s why she’s very protective. But me? I hate this arrangement because I still remember my real Dad. I told you about that, remember?”

Sunny nodded solemnly. “You said that he left you when you were three.”

“I still remember his face,” Zipp explained angrily. “So for me, the wound is pretty fresh. It just feels like…” She took a shaky breath to calm her nerves. “…like Mom is trying to replace him already. She didn’t do it for years and yet now she suddenly thinks that he doesn’t matter anymore?!”

“I’m sure that’s not what she thinks at all,” Sunny reasoned. “Maybe she just wants somepony to be there for her now that you two live here. It’s natural and…if I were in your situation, I’d be happy that she finally has that.”

“Well, I’m not,” Zipp shot back. “No matter what Mom tries to do, she will not make me forget about him. It’s not happening.”

“What do you think, Misty?” Pipp asked, glancing towards the blue unicorn, who had been silent for the whole conversation up until this point. “You haven’t spoken since we got home.”

Misty glanced up from her pancake, staring back at them with sad eyes. “I know I should be happy for Alphabittle-I mean Dad, finally having somepony who loves him aside from me. Really, I feel so selfish. But…” she trailed off.

“But?” Sunny prodded her gently.

“But I’ll become a member of the Royal Family,” Misty explained. “For the longest time, Zephyr Heights has been ruled by pegasi only and…I just don’t feel like I’ll fit in as a princess. I’m a unicorn. I feel like I just found my place with you ponies here. I finally know where I belong, and now everything I’ve come to know has changed. I don’t want this…but I can’t tell him that. He’ll hate me for it!”

“I’m sure he won’t hate you, Misty,” Sunny told her. “He loves you. If you tell him the truth, I’m sure he’ll understand.”

“I-“

“NO!!” Pipp cried. “No. We CANNOT tell them the truth, Sunny. Do you know what happens to ponies who are honest with their parents?! I’m talking grounded for LIFE!!!!”

“That probably won’t happen, sis.” Zipp pointed out.

“BUT IT COULD!!!” Pipp screamed, now in total freak out mode. Any sense of reason had truly gone out the window by this point.

“Pipp’s right,” Misty said. “We can’t tell them. I just have to accept that I’m going to be alone again…I’m never going to fit in with the Royal Family. The pegasi will all hate me.”

“We won’t let that happen, Misty,” Zipp assured her. “Whatever it takes, we have to stop this wedding from happening.”

“But how?” Misty asked.

Zipp was about to answer when her thoughts were suddenly interrupted by a knocking sound. It was coming from right outside the Brighthouse. Instinctively, the ponies all got up and walked towards it. Upon answering it and opening the doors, however, they were surprised (and dismayed) to see that it was none other than Queen Haven and Alphabittle on the other side.

Zipp groaned. Their new parents had followed them home and judging by the overenthusiastic expressions on their faces, this could only mean one thing. Alphabittle wanted to spend some time with his new daughters, and Haven had agreed to it.

“Queen Haven!” Sunny greeted happily. “Alphabittle!! It is so wonderful to see you both! Welcome back to Maretime Bay!” She corrected herself instantly. “I mean, your majesties. Or your-“

“Don’t worry, Sunny,” the pegasus monarch said, smiling. “Alphie will be a King in name only. He doesn’t like the formalities.”

“Never understood it in the slightest,” Alphabittle agreed. “That’s why we don’t have that in Bridlewood. Too much of a hassle.”

“Dad?” Misty inquired, a confused expression on her face. “What are you doing here?”

“I understand this might be all a little overwhelming for you ponies,” Alphabittle said. “So to ease you all into the new family arrangement, Haven and I have agreed that we should spend a full day with all three of you. It’ll help you get to know me better.”

“We already know you fine, Alphabittle,” Pipp stated flatly. “We don’t need this whole ‘father-daughters bonding’ thing you have going on.”

“Believe me, girls,” Haven said empathetically. “I know this new family situation may be hard, but you will get used to it, I promise. Everything will be as it should be.”

Zipp wasn’t having any of her mother’s nonsense. “It isn’t how it should be!! You’re trying to replace Dad, and I won’t-“

“Zephyrina Storm!!” Haven snapped, startling her. “Is that any way to talk to your stepfather?! Let’s just enjoy our day out together as a family and not have you butt in for once.”

Zipp groaned. “Ugh, fine.”

Misty stepped out of the Brighthouse, glancing at her sadly. “Come on, Zipp. There’s nothing we can do. Just go with it.”

Zipp glanced back at her. “You know I will be complaining the whole way through. This isn’t right, and we shouldn’t be going along with this.”

“I know,” Misty replied. “But what choice do we have?”

“Maybe try and have fun despite everything?” Pipp suggested. “It can’t hurt, sis.”

“Be my guest.”

The five of them headed out on their journey across town, with Alphabittle chatting with Queen Haven about new arrangements and wedding preparations the whole way through. All throughout, the princesses could each feel their hearts growing heavier with every step they took.

“Good luck!” Sunny called after them.

The first stop on the family bonding experience trip across Maretime Bay was the art museum. Alphabittle could not stop marveling and pointing at every single painting he saw, much to the annoyance of the other visitors. Zipp was quickly becoming irritated at him fast, but she knew she couldn’t say anything for fear of upsetting her mother, who was really enjoying herself as well.

“I have never seen such immaculate portraits in my life!” Alphabittle mused. “I thought the unicorn painters back home were good, but these?! No competition. These are easily the best.”

“Oh I know!” Haven concurred. “I really should hire more experienced painters at the palace. All the ones I have currently…slack off a ton and it shows. Why care for quality when you get paid the same amount anyway?! I really should change those laws.”

“I can definitely help you with that,” he offered. “At the Tea Room in Bridlewood, I offer no freebies. Only the best get to work as painters of the interior.”

Zipp was tuning the whole conversation out as she was not interested in what either of them had to say. This was wrong on so many levels. It was a betrayal of her father’s memory, and she would never forgive her mom for this as long as she lived. If she wanted to bring a new guy in, then that was her prerogative. But she would never accept him as her stepfather, not by a long shot.

She walked towards Misty, who was standing all by herself. Pipp had gone to admire a completely separate room in order to take some videos and post them on ClipTrot, so the unicorn was completely alone.

“Hey,” she asked gently. “Are you feeling alright, Misty?”

Misty turned to look at her, tears in her eyes. “I can’t tell him how I feel. He won’t understand. He’s just so happy with her. If only he knew what he’s subjecting me to. There has never been a unicorn princess before in Zephyr Heights. The citizens will hate me. I just know they will…”

Zipp’s heart broke for her. It was like she had just found her true family, and suddenly her world was all confused again. It was like she had been cast back to the days of uncertainty, back to the days of serving under Opaline. She had been gaining confidence over the past few months, but now she was as frightened as she used to be.

The detective could not stand to see her friend like this. It was all becoming too much to keep inside. She had so many things that she wanted to say, but she was still afraid to say it. So much for being the virtue of Bravery. She couldn’t even stand up for those around her.

That was when Pipp returned from the other room, her face beaming. “I just saw the most amazing exhibit EVER!! Did you know that Hoofinardo da Vinci drew half of the paintings in this entire building?! Because I sure didn’t!!”

“Focus, Pipp,” Zipp lightly scolded her. “No more sightseeing. Let’s just tell Mom to take us to the next destination and get this over with.”

Pipp pouted. “Aww, but there was another section completely empty!”

“Let her go, Zipp.” Misty told her glumly. “At least somepony’s having fun.”

Zipp glared at her. “Whose side are you on anyway?!” She knew that was rude of her to say, but she was becoming increasingly more frustrated the longer she was on this trip.

Misty looked back down at the ground, saying nothing.

The second destination was when Zipp finally lost it.

It was at the local hardware store just downtown from the art museum. The store was the most boring place that she had ever been to, but once again, Alphabittle was being overly cheery and Queen Haven was doing nothing to rein him back in. Later on, they headed to another aisle to talk about something in private, and Zipp couldn’t help but overhear a part of it from the aisle she was at.

“…I know my darlings haven’t taken a particular liking to you, Alphie,” Haven stated sadly. “Change for them is hard. Ever since Stormy left and…never returned several years ago, I’ve essentially been all they’ve ever known. Zephyrina, especially. She still takes his loss quite hard.”

“I can see why,” Alphabittle replied. “It’s something no pony her age should ever have to experience. I’m sure he was a wonderful stallion. I don’t hope to replace him at all. I just hope there’s love in their heart for both of us.”

“I’m sure there will be,” Haven assured him. “If there’s one thing I know about my daughters, they’ll come around. They’ll accept you at some point. We just have to give them time to process this whole situation…”

They’ll accept you at some point. Zipp’s blood began to boil at that statement. She didn’t want this. Neither she, Pipp, nor Misty ever asked for this, and now they were being treated like foals who were expected to just comply with whatever random thing they were being told to do. She wanted nothing more than to confront her mother and tell her straight up just how unfair this was, how much this change was affecting them. She felt like the only sane pony in the whole world. The fact that she was expected to just accept Alphabittle as her new stepfather and not complain about it whatsoever was something that aggravated her beyond belief.

She turned back towards Pipp and Misty, who were all as equally shocked as she was. “Did you hear what-“

“Before you say anything,” Pipp answered bitterly. “Yes, I did hear it. Mom can’t be serious. Who does she think we are?!”

“This isn’t right,” Misty repeated over and over softly. “This isn’t right. This just isn’t right.” She was trembling, clearly filled with fear at the mere thought of telling her father anything, and that continued to eat the detective up inside. She wished she could tell the unicorn that everything was going to be okay, but even she knew that was a lie.

“I’m not going to stand for this,” Zipp told them. “I have to tell Mom the truth. I could maybe handle the two of them dating, but this has gotten too much. It’s affecting me, it’s affecting you, and it’s affecting Misty! I don’t wanna just tolerate this like she wants. This has gotten completely out of control.”

“She’s going to be so mad at us, Zipp,” Pipp pointed out. “You know how cranky Mom can get when we try to tell her stuff she doesn’t like to hear.”

“That doesn’t matter. I’m over it.”

At that moment, Queen Haven and Alphabittle emerged from the other aisle, sporting their usual smiles as they were about to explain the next item on their itinerary. Time seemed to slow down to a halt and Zipp felt her heart palpitating faster and faster with each passing second.

“Zipp!” Alphabittle declared. “There you are! Look, I know things aren’t exactly 100% peachy between us yet, but I’m willing to do whatever it takes to help you adjust to-“

“No.”

Alphabittle was taken aback by the furious tone of voice coming from the detective. She was obviously mad about something, and as much as he tried to deny it, he knew exactly what that was. “Listen, we-“

“No!!” Zipp yelled. “There is no ‘we!’ I can handle you dating Mom, but marrying her and forcing us all to be your stepdaughters is ridiculous! You two arranged all of this without telling us a single thing and you expect us all to be okay with it?!”

“I know it’s hard, dear,” Haven tried to say. “But I’m not trying to replace your father. I know that’s what you’re worried about-“

“Yes you are!!” continued Zipp furiously, tears springing to her eyes. “You promised us you wouldn’t replace him! You're changing my whole life without even asking how I feel!!!”

“Zephyrina Storm!!” Haven scolded her. “I have told you over and over that this is what makes me happy!! I’ve done more to accommodate what you want than you give me credit for, and I just want something that can keep me from feeling lonely WHILE YOU’RE AWAY!!!”

“Oh, and you thought I would be okay with this?! You effectively spitting on Dad’s tombstone by remarrying!! I’m not a filly, Mom!! I know exactly what you’re doing, and you will not make me forget about him!!”

“HOW DARE YOU-“

“JUST STOP FIGHTING!!!!” Misty suddenly shrieked at the top of her lungs, surprising everyone around her. Once all eyes were on her, she took a step forward. “I have been tolerating this all day without saying anything because I was terrified of what you both would think of me if I told you I wasn’t happy!! But clearly things need to get ugly before they can get better!!”

“Misty,” Alphabittle started to say. “I don’t-“

“Why didn’t you tell me about any of this?!” Misty demanded, blinking back tears of her own. “Why didn’t you tell me you were going to marry somepony and potentially uproot my entire life the way I know it?! Why did you keep this from me?! You knew how I would take the news! Am I not important to you anymore…?” She sniffled, trying to calm herself with shaky breaths.

“Of course you’re important to me, Misty!” Alphabittle argued. “I’ll never stop loving you! I thought you would like this.”

“Maybe you don’t realize this, Dad,” Misty shot back through tears. “but I’m a unicorn just like you! And Zephyr Heights has always been ruled by a pegasus Royal Family! If you make me a princess, they’ll never accept me! Nothing you say or do can change what ponies will think of me!! Because I. Won’t. BELONG!!!”

With that, she bolted in the direction of the exit as fast as she could, inadvertently knocking down some items on display in the process. Before anyone could blink, she was gone. Zipp and Pipp wasted no time in chasing after her without a second thought.

Alphabittle sighed deeply. “I didn’t want to tell them this. I knew it would be hard on them all.”

“I know you didn’t,” Haven said regretfully. “And frankly…I should’ve thought about approaching this more carefully. I didn’t think they would react this way. Now I feel like I’ve lost my daughters forever.”

“I know the feeling,” Alphabittle comforted her, blinking back tears of his own. “I really do…”