//------------------------------//
// Chapter 8 
// Story: Why not? Sure. I'll Marry You. 
// by HAKDurbin 
//------------------------------//

It was half past seven, and Hitch and Sprout closed the station for the evening. After they locked the doors, they got smoothies at Sunny's stand before Hitch walked Sprout to Phyllis's house. As they walked down the main street, ponies gave Hitch smirks or encouraging smiles that made him roll his eyes. 
Some mares couldn't look him in the eye as though it hurt to see him with his wedding ring still hanging around his neck. Hitch looked at the mares, puzzled as he passed by them. He wondered if they were downcast because they were fans of Presto and were still devastated that he wasn't the pony they thought he was, or perhaps they were one of the very few ponies that preferred Pipp to have married Presto despite what her fiance had done. Whatever it was, Hitch hoped that they would eventually feel better despite whatever was tormenting them.
After Hitch and Sprout grabbed their smoothies, they sipped their drinks as Hitch walked Sprout to Phyllis's house. They said good night, and then Hitch walked to the other side of Maritime Bay, where his house awaited him. If there were only one selfish thing Hitch enjoyed about being a sheriff, it would be him being financially well off. Paid of mortgage and everything. He grilled hay fries and a grass and cheese sandwich. 
Hitch ate his dinner and drank the rest of his smoothie in the living room while watching TV. After eating, he reclined his chair as he watched his favorite detective show, Davy Bluecoat: Private Eye. When the show ended, Hitch browsed through channels for something else to watch, but most of them were playing low-budget films and documentaries that didn't interest him. 
Finally, Hitch stopped on a talk show. At the center of the stage were two mares, an earth pony, and a unicorn sitting on maroon chairs. On the screen behind the stage was an image of Pipp and Presto looking away from each other with a purple broken heart between them. Hitch raised the volume and leaned closer to the TV screen as the earth pony, the host, began to speak. 
"So, Kernel Heartbeat, it's been three days since the wedding, and ponies are still talking about it nonstop," she said.
"Indeed, Glamour, it certainly was a historic moment regardless of how it went down," Kernel, the unicorn, said. "Truth be told, I'm a diehard Prepp fan, so I haven't completely accepted what happened between Presto and Pipp."
"I know what you mean. Do you have any idea who is that mare Presto was with?" Glamour asked.
"Search me. I may have been born and raised in Bridlewood, but I don't know all of my fellow unicorns," Kernel answered. "Whoever that mare is, she better hope Queen Haven doesn't find out who she is if she also lives in Zephyr Heights. She's bound to be banished too if that happens."
"True that. I believe Presto is on his way to Bridlewood as we speak," Glamour said.
"That's right, and I hear he was booed all the way to the outskirts of Zephyr Heights," Kernel said. 
"I imagine he's not going to fair much better when he gets back to Bridlewood," Glamour said. 
"Actually, not every pony in Bridlewood hates Presto for what he did," Kernel said. "Some hope that he and Pipp will get back together. Maybe there is some misunderstanding, or Presto is going through a tough time and just made one little mistake. And, of course, there's the small minority of unicorns who weren't on board with him marrying a pegasus to begin with. If Presto is lucky, that might be enough for him to at least have a place to settle down and think about what to do with his career."
"That might be very difficult. He can only hope so many ponies still listen to his music on Amplify," Glamour said. "But what about you, Kernel? What are your personal feelings about the whole matter?"
Kernel pursed her lips and looked away, playing with her hooves before turning to face her host again. 
"Honestly, Glamour, I still root for Presto and Pipp."
The audience sitting in front of the stage gasped as though Kernel had said a foul word. Hitch stared at the screen, flabbergasted that some pony would say that. Glamour also looked at Kernel, puzzled, before she put up her professional face and cleared her throat. 
"Begging your pardon, Kernel, but Presto slept with another pony. I fail to see how anypony in their right mind could look past that and want him to marry her fiance even if she didn't get married to somepony else," Glamour said.
"What can I say? I remain a die-hard Prepp fan," Kernel said with a shrug. "Besides, we saw Presto kiss that other mare, and he did have his hoof somewhere that it shouldn't be, I grant you, but that doesn't automatically prove that they did it." 
"Ha! Denial much?" Hitch asked. 
"And besides, it's not as though he's the only one who did something completely unreasonable," Kernel continued. "The way I see it, Princess Pipp married another pony out of retribution against Presto. Sure, the ponies in the throne room were cheering for her to marry this other stallion, but think about it. What mature pony would marry somepony else right on the fly instead of just calling off the wedding? No disrespect to Pipp, but she had plenty of other options."
"I don't think Pipp planned to marry somepony else before going on stage," Glamour said, earning words of agreement from the audience. 
"Looks can be deceiving, and one can only know so much of what is going on in a pony's mind during an unfortunate situation like that," Kernel said. "The point is there was fault on both sides. The bride and the groom each did something that ultimately messed up the relationship. Did one pony do something more horrible than what the other did? Yes. I can't condone what Presto did if he did sleep with that other mare. But I believe it's still possible he and Pipp could reconcile over time."
"Even though she's married?" Glamour asked. 
"Of course, even though she's married," Kernel said. "Presto and Princess Pipp were together for 2 years and spent that time in the same city where he could visit her at the castle whenever he wanted. On top of that, they are both musicians, so they have a ton in common through that. But Princess Pipp and the sheriff of Maretime Bay? They only met that night, and I heard he returned to Maretime Bay without his wife today. How are they going to develop something when they live miles away? And what do they even have in common that could develop chemistry worth a spoonful of hay?" 
The stage was silent after Kernel said her piece. After about 15 seconds, Glamour cleared her throat and said, "Right, why don't we go to commercial and ponder what Kernel Heartbeat just said? So stay tuned for Let's Talk with Glamour Puregold."
The audience politely applauded before the channel cut to a commercial. Hitch frowned and turned off the TV before getting off his chair and taking his dishes to the kitchen. As he filled the sink with hot, soapy water, Hitch huffed and began to pace as he dwelled on Kernel's words. 
"I can't believe that mare," he grumbled. "I mean, it's nice to know it's not just me or the queen who is skeptical about this whole thing, but thinking Presto Tetrachord could get back together with the princess? And here I thought everypony at the wedding had lost their minds. I can only imagine how the queen and the princesses would react if they watched that. I mean, Sunny is right that I don't need to be threatened by Princess Zipp to be loyal to my wife."
Just as Hitch finished talking to himself, he noticed that his sink was almost full and he quickly turned off the faucet before it overflowed. He washed his plates and threw away his smoothie container in the trash before heading upstairs to the bathroom to brush his teeth. He then went to his bedroom and took off his satchel before hopping onto his bed, getting under the covers, and turning off his bed lamp. Hitch closed his eyes and let out a blissful sigh as he rested his head on his pillow and lay down on his side, ready to rest after another long day of work. 
After a few minutes, Hitch began to roll back and forth until he opened his eyes with a frown. As silly as it was to let another pony get to him, Hitch couldn't deny that Kernel Heartbeat had a point about him and Pipp. 
"What do the princess and I have in common?" He thought. "The queen and Princess Zipp brought up how ponies look up to us, but what about what we have in common personally? I enjoy her music, but is that enough to create the foundation of a relationship?"
Hitch lay on his back, staring at the ceiling as he pondered on the question. He then glanced at his satchel lying on the floor with his phone inside. After debating, he turned on his lamp and took out his phone and the instruction booklet from his satchel. He began reading the instruction booklet, but much of it was confusing or was something Peach had already explained. 
Hitch then stopped at a page explaining how to call somepony with a smartphone. The green phone symbol and the blue talk bubble for calling and texting somepony made sense, but the instructions explaining the video camera symbol surprised Hitch. He heard all about texting when ponies in Maritime Bay began using cell phones, but he didn't hear anything about calling someone with video.
Curious, Hitch turned on his phone, opened the contacts app, and selected the contact profile for Pipp. A picture of Pipp giving a giddy smile appeared, and below it was her name, and the call, text, and video call icons. 
"Okay, good. So, Princess Pipp and I can see each other when we call," Hitch said. "Now, how do video calls work?"
Hitch placed his phone on his bed, took out the instruction booklet again, and flipped through it until he saw a section discussing video calls. He put his hoof underneath the tiny text to keep track of where he was reading. 
"Okay, that's for volume, that's for switching cameras, and that's for adjusting the screen," Hitch said to himself before looking back at his phone. "I guess the real question is when will we start calling each other. I mean, I'm on duty most of the day, and I can only imagine how busy Princess Pipp is going to be but with being a member of the royal family and -"
Just then, Hitch's phone rang, and a picture of Pipp appeared at the center of a screen with a blue background and white text saying, "You have a video call from Pipp" appeared. Hitch let out a yelp, taken aback that Pipp was calling him at that moment of all times. He opened the instruction booklet again to double-check which symbol on the bottom of the screen to answer the call, then swiped right on the video symbol. Pipp appeared on screen wearing a bathrobe, staring at the camera confused. 
"Hello? Hitch? Are you there?" She asked. 
Hitch looked confused until he saw an upright rectangle on the bottom right of the screen showing his bedroom floor. He scanned through the buttons in the bottom of the screen until he found and pressed the button for switching cameras. His face appeared on the smaller rectangle and Pipp smiled. Though the princess was not there in person, Hitch's cheeks heated up at the sight of her pretty smile. 
"H-hi," he stuttered. 
"Hi, Hitch," Pipp replied. "How's it going?"
"It's going… fine," Hitch said, mentally kicking himself in the head for coming up with a weak response. "How about you?"
"It's going well. I heard you got your phone earlier today, and I thought I could give you your first video call," Pipp said. "I'm not calling at a bad time. Am I?"
"No! No, not at all," Hitch said. "In fact, I was just in bed reading the instruction booklet for my phone. I had just finished reading the instructions on how to video call."
Pipp laughed and said, "Seriously? You read that just before I called you?"
"Yeah, talk about crazy good timing," Hitch said.
"Right?" Pipp asked. 
Hitch and Pipp chuckled for a few seconds before silence took in, and Hitch scratched the back of his head. 
"So…how was your day?" He asked.
Pipp smiled and said, "Oh, nothing special. Just worked on some music and checked videos and stuff on social media. How about you? Are you adjusting to having a smartphone okay?"
"Uh, more or less," Hitch said. "I have a friend who works at the phone store and explained the basics of using it."
"That's good to hear. I know a lot of unicorns and earth ponies had trouble figuring out how to use a smartphone," Pipp said.
"I don't blame them. Tell you the truth, I think this thing barely counts as a phone," Hitch said. "My idea of a phone is the one at the station plugged to the wall, and is used just for calls."
Pipp chuckled.
"I can't imagine what that's like. Smartphones have been around since I was little. To me, something barely counts as a phone if it's only used for calling. The idea of it not even being portable makes my skin crawl," she said. 
"You really like having a phone with you, huh?" Hitch asked. 
"Of course. I can do so many fun things with my phone, Bestie!" Pipp chirped. "I can play games, share my status, and make videos and pictures to share with the Pippsqueaks. The Canternet is a wonderful way to reach out to ponies all over Equestria. Who could ask for more?"
"Er, well, I've never thought of looking at it that way," Hitch said. "Anypony I want to connect with is in person in my hometown. Being the sheriff has been the best way to be connected to everypony."
"Really? I couldn't imagine it being that simple for me. Even when my only fans were the pegasi, I needed my phone. You can only reach out to so many ponies in person when you are a princess and a pop star," Pipp said before her smile weakened. "Still, your idea of being with everypony who looks up to you in person sounds lovely."
"Have you ever gone anywhere outside of your castle?" Hitch asked. 
"Oh, absolutely. There are fundraisers, concerts, and holidays that Zipp, mom, and I have to make an appearance outside of Zephyr Heights Castle," Pipp said. 
"But you've never left Zephyr Heights before?" Hitch asked. 
Pipp's face fell, and she looked down from her phone, making Hitch squirm. 
"No. Never," Pipp said. It was almost a whisper. "The closest I've ever gone to leaving Zephyr Heights was.. planning to go to Bridlewood with Presto for our honeymoon."
"Oh. I see," Hitch said, mentally kicking himself in the head again for saying something that led to Pipp thinking about Presto. "How, uh, how are you holding up with that, if you don't mind me asking?"
Pipp lifted her head to look at Hitch t with an appreciative smile. 
"I'm taking it one day at a time," she said. "I think I can say I feel a little better now that he is no longer in Zephyr Heights."
"Yeah, I heard he's heading back to Bridlewood," Hitch said. "I bet ponies in Bridlewood are waiting at the forest's edge to throw pebbles at him when he gets there."
Pipp responded with a dry laugh, unamused yet appreciative that Hitch was trying to cheer her up by talking bad to her ex again. Hitch grew uneasy, knowing he wasn't improving a situation. 
"Well, seeing as we're supposed to be visiting each other, why don't you visit me at Maretime Bay?" Hitch suggested. 
"Really? You want me to visit first?" Pipp asked. 
"Why not? Technically, I visited you first, so it only makes sense," Hitch said. "Besides, Sunny and Izzy will be there, and, no disrespect to Bridlewood, but maybe as far as going somewhere outside of your kingdom, Maretime Bay might be more special for you." 
"You're just saying that because you're the sheriff, and you're technically obligated to say that about your hometown," Pipp said half teasingly. 
"Obligation nothing. Maretime Bay is my home and I would gladly sing its praises," Hitch said. "I mean, it's no honeymoon in a forest full of crystals, but you might have a relaxing time in a seaside town.
Pipp didn't say anything at first, making Hitch worry. Then she rubbed her chin in thought and said with a smile, "You know what? That sounds perfect."
"Really?" Hitch asked.  
"Really. I mean, you and I got to start somewhere with interacting with each other in person, and maybe someplace simpler would be a good place for vacation," Pipp said. "Plus, getting to know the ponies of Maretime Bay might help me make songs for that album I promised."
"Well, great," Hitch said. "I'm sure Sunny and Izzy will want to join showing you around -"
*Beep beep*
A pop-up appeared at the top of Hitch's screen, saying his phone's battery was at 15 percent. Hitch stammered and reached for the box containing the charger until he heard Pipp let out a sigh. 
"Battery's almost out, huh?" She asked. 
"How'd you know?" Hitch asked. 
"I know the notification sound of a phone low on battery when I hear it, and you have the look of wanting to get your charger right away," Pipp said. "I should probably let you go before your phone dies."
Hitch's heart felt a pinch as he wished he could keep talking to Pipp.
"O…kay," he said, trying to hide his disappointment. "Maybe I could…call you next time?"
Pipp's smile faded, taken aback before giving Hitch a sweet smile. 
"I'd like that," she said.
"Really?" Hitch asked. 
"Really, really," Pipp said.
"Okay. Cool," Hitch said. "Good night."
"Good night, Hitch," Pipp said.
Pipp's video froze for a moment before her profile picture appeared with the words "call ended" above it. Hitch turned off the phone, then took out the charger from the box and plugged it into the outlet behind his bed lamp. After plugging his phone into the charger, he turned off his lamp and hopped back into bed, smiling as he closed his eyes. He laid still with a peaceful smile until his smile turned, and he growled while running his hooves through his hair. 
"'Okay cool?' Really, Hitch? That's what you say when a princess permits you to call her? You're such a doofus," He grumbled to himself. "I bet Presto Tetracord and all the ponies still rooting for him and the princess to get back together would laugh their heads off at that!" 
Hitch covered his face with his pillow to let out a yell, then rotated until he was on his front with his pillow to cover his head. After a minute, he lifted his pillow and looked at his phone charging. The screen showed the words "fast charging" with the number at 18%, but all Hitch could see was Pipp smiling at him though the screen was otherwise blank. The image in his mind made him feel better as he remembered that she still agreed to visit. He lifted his pillow from his head and rested his head against it again. Hitch stared at his phone, still imagining Pipp's face, until his eyes grew heavy, thinking about showing his wife around his peaceful, seaside town of Maretime Bay.