Pipp Petals awoke after a long deep sleep feeling one hundred percent better. She’d gotten sick after pushing herself too hard working and giving her fans the Pipsqueaks a look into a day in her life. Sitting up she stretched her hooves and looked around, she was in her bed in the Crystal Brighthouse. But she was missing something, her phone. Last time she saw it had been when… Hitch was here. He’d brought her soup and comforted her, telling her to take care of herself so she could help ponies out, her fans wouldn’t want her to get sick just for the sake of pleasing them. Looking in front of her, she saw a few bouquets of flowers and cards. She smiled and smelled the flowers, finding her nostrils had cleared out. She breathed in relief then turned her attention to the cards. First was one from her friends, then her mother Queen Haven, and one from her favorite little trio of Pipqueaks, Seashell, Glory, and Peach Fizz. But there was something surprising in the latter two cards.
The first one from her friends was relatively normal.
Get well soon Pipp,
Lots of Love from your friends, Sunny, Izzy, and Hitch
As well as your sister Zipp.
But in her mother’s card.
I saw the video of you with Hitch and I must say he is such a sweet stallion. Why didn’t you let me know you were seeing him? We must have dinner together with him sometime.
“Huh, seeing him?” Pipp repeated. “What video?”
She looked into the next card and saw her main three little fans and occasional helpers in her shows.
Get well soon Princess Pipp! We love you each and every day and are proud to say you are the pony we idolize the most! Also we are so happy for you having your own knight in shining armor in Sir Hitch!
Seashell, Glory, and Peach Fizz.
"Knight in shining armor? Hitch?” Pipp asked herself. “What is going on?”
Why were her mom and her main trio of fans here in Maretime Bay thinking that she and Hitch were dating? Looking back over her mom’s card she saw the mention of a video and looked around for her phone. She found it in the drawer of her bedside table, how had it gotten there? Somepony must have picked it up and put it in there while she was sick. It would need charging soon as it was down to less then 20%. Opening it she looked at her recent videos and saw the one she had started to make while still sick. She felt revulsed seeing her snooty nose, then Hitch coming in and comforting her, nuzzling her head.
“Aww!” Pipp said as she watched him caring for her. So romantic. But-
“Ah!” Pipp exclaimed. “Now everypony thinks we’re a couple and-
She looked at her number of followers and her eyes went wide.
Pipp gasped. “I’ve reached ONE HUNDRED… MILLION… FOLLOWERS!”
She let out a whoop of victory. But there was still the problem that everyone thought she and Hitch were dating. She had to get out there and set things right. Looking at the comments of the video that showed Hitch caring for her she saw things like Aww what a good coltfriend. She’d make a good mother to his dragon, and the Princess and Her Sheriff.
Maybe she could just post that she and Hitch weren’t a couple, as well as let them know that . But what if she disappointed her fans that liked the idea of her being with him? She should probably talk to her friends first. They would want to know she was better.
She plugged her phone in to charge it. For now she’d talk to her friends, and Hitch. Pipp blushed as she thought of what she would say to him. Everypony thought he was her Coltfriend now!
She went down to the lower floor of the Brighthouse. Sunny was in the kitchen making breakfast.
“Oh morning Pipp!” Sunny said with a bright smile. “Uh I have some news-
“Everyone thinks me and Hitch are a couple!” Pipp said.
“Uh... yeah, most ponies anyway. Me, Izzy, and Zipp watched you two though we didn’t know Sparky had posted a video till a few hours later,” Sunny said.
“Where’s Hitch?” Pipp asked. “And Zipp?”
“Oh they both went to Sheriff Station.”
“Thanks Sunny I’ll be back later.”
Pipp flew out the door and went straight to the Sheriff Station. But to her surprise she saw a large crowd of ponies in front of the station.
“Hitch and Pipp! Hitch and Pipp!” the crowd chanted.
“What is going on?” Pipp asked as she flew over the ponies and saw some of them holding signs drawings over and Hitch’s heads with a red heart between them and their names at the bottom along with an equal sign leading to-
“Hipp Hipp Horray!” Seashell cried out from where she stood with her two other filly friends.
“Hipp?” Pipp asked aloud. “They’ve combined my name with Hitch’s?”
“Hey look there’s Princess Pipp up there!” Glory said pointing her hoof.
That caused everyone to notice Pipp and they began shouting different greetings at her.
“We’re glad you’re better Pipp!”
“Love you!”
“Congrats on the new Coltfriend!”
“I hope you two live happily ever after!”
Pipp grit her teeth and blushed. Her fans wanted her and Hitch to be together? What was she gonna do?
She entered the station and found Hitch and Zipp inside.
“Oh hey Pipp!” Zipp greeted her sister.
“Uh, Pipp, we kind of got a problem,” Hitch said.
“I know!” Pipp screamed. “Everyone thinks we’re dating!”
“Yeah,” Hitch said with a nervous nod and a blush.
“What are we gonna do?” Pipp asked. “Look at all those… Hipp fans out there!”
“Wow, you guys have a couple name already,” Zipp said with a smirk. “You know, you guys might make a good couple.”
“WHAT?” Both Hitch and Pipp said.
“Just kidding!” Zipp said, though she wasn’t entirely. “But seriously how are we gonna take care of this?”
Hitch took a deep breath. “Well honesty is probably the best thing to do. Come on Pipp lets just tell everypony we’re not a couple. They’ll understand.”
He took her by the hoof for a moment, but as they took a couple steps forward they realized that would give the wrong impression so they let go with a blush. Opening the doors to the Sheriff Station they faced their many fans. This was something Pipp was used to after all those years of being a Princess Popstar, but now Hitch was with in the center of attention. He grit his teeth and his ears drooped, he was also used to having Pony’s Attention as the Sheriff but this was a little different.
“Hey Pipsqueaks!” Pipp said waving with a nervous smile.
“Congratulations on getting a boyfriend Pipp!” Seashell said.
“Uh thanks but Hitch and I aren’t a couple!” Pipp said.
This caused everypony to release a sad, “Aww!”
“I hate to let you guys down,” Pipp said. “But Hitch and I are just friends!”
“But that video we saw of you,” Posey Bloom came forward now. “It was so sweet! Even I was moved!”
That was saying a lot, since Posey had been quite an opponent of the Mane 5 since magic had come back to Equestria.
Hitch managed to speak up now. “Sorry to disappoint every pony but yeah me and Pipp are just friends.”
“But you are perfect for each other!” Glory said.
Pipp and Hitch looked at each and blushed.
“Uh, thanks for loving the idea of us together but its not gonna happen,” Pipp said.
“Yeah. I mean Pipp is beautiful, kind, fun, and generous, but I don’t think it would work between us,” Hitch said.
“Aww Hitch!” Pipp said with stars in her eyes. “Uh you really feel that way about me?”
“Yeah but not in a romantic sort of way,” Hitch said rubbing his forehoof.
“Oh, okay,” Pipp said looking down as she turned away with a pout that Hitch didn’t see. “Well again I’m sorry to disappoint you guys but Hitch and I are just friends.”
The Hipp fans looked down in disappointment. But then Peach Fizz spoke up, “Well we’re glad you’re better Princess Pipp!”
Pipp smiled at them. “Me too! Now I’m gonna get back to putting on shows and other stuff!”
“If you’re single would you care to go out with me Princess?” A stallion said.
Pipp looked at him. “Uh… thanks but not right now. I just don’t feel up to dating.”
There was a small pain in her chest but she couldn’t place it. Hitch had said all those wonderful things about her and she felt he was a handsome strong and amazing stallion, maybe an occasional dork but he was also loving toward both ponies and critters, as well as Sparky. She began to walk back to the Crystal Brighthouse, the idea of Hitch and her together as a couple in her mind.
“Maybe,” she said. “Maybe I do like him.”
…
At the Station, Hitch went back to work.
“Well glad that’s cleared up,” Zipp said.
“Yeah, I just hope this doesn’t affect our friendship,” Hitch said.
“You sure you just think of Pipp as a friend?” Zipp asked.
“Yeah,” Hitch said with a little blush.
But as he thought back to when he first saw Pipp, seen her fake flying in Zephyr Heights and how her music had just captivated him, as well as the image on the video of them nuzzling, he wasn’t entirely sure.
“Maybe,” he said.