A Sister's Promise.
It was the Winter Wish Day season in Maretime Bay, and all the residents were busy partaking in activities; From caroling, to present shopping, to making gingerbread houses and other baked goods, everypony was making the most of the holiday. And as it was true all over town, so it was over in the Crystal Brighthouse.
Within Sunny's kitchen, the oven timer went off, signaling its contents were finished. Pulling open the oven door, Zipp was blasted with a wave of hot air as she reached in. Using a mouth guard, she removed a tray of warm sugar cookies, their pleasant aroma filling the air.
"Thanks for helping with this," Sunny said from the side as Zipp set the tray on the counter. "I really appreciate it."
"Don't sweat it," Zipp said coolly with a soft smile. "I'm always happy to help out my friends."
Sunny offered up a smile of her own, before turning her gaze back towards the cookies. "It sure was nice of Misty to invite us out to Bridlewood for the weekend, I hope she enjoys the thank you we made for her."
"I'm sure she'll love them," Zipp spoke reassuringly.
"Are you sure that you don't want to come with Izzy and me?" Sunny asked as she started icing the cookies with Misty's cutie mark, having given them ample time to cool down. "It'll be really fun," she tried to encourage Zipp.
However, the pegasus just shook her head. "No thanks, I appreciate the offer but I'm good here in Maretime Bay."
"Alright, if you insist," the mare replied, putting the finishing touches on the cookies.
As the two friends spoke, their attention was soon diverted to the main room as the large doors of the Brighthouse flung open. Izzy stepped inside the building, swiveling her head around until her gaze fell on Zipp and Sunny.
"Come on, Sunny, it's time to go," the purple unicorn said to the orange earth pony, waving so furiously her arm was liable to come flying off.
"Coming," Sunny called back, as she finished packing up the cookies for the trip. Setting the pack of sweets snuggly upon her back, she stopped to grab her satchel, looping the strap over her neck.
Izzy zoomed back outside once Sunny started heading for the door, with Zipp accompanying her out. Suddenly, Izzy poked her head back inside as she looked straight towards Zipp.
"OH, by the way, Zipp, your mom's here, she just touched down outside."
"She's here to pick up Pipp," Zipp said aloud as she and Sunny continued towards the door.
Pipp was heading back to Zephyr Heights for the weekend. While there she planned to catch a play with their mother. They had asked Zipp if she wanted to tag along, but she'd had to decline as she wasn't too interested.
Stepping out onto the front steps, they watched as Queen Haven descended in a chariot, being pulled by two royal guards.
"HI, Queen Haven," Sunny said, waving with an infectious smile on her face.
Queen Haven gave a warm smile of her own. "Why hello, Sunny. And hello to you too, Izzy," Queen Haven turned her gaze toward the energetic unicorn.
"Hello Queen Haven," Izzy waved from her spot by the Marestreem.
"I wish that we could stay and talk," Sunny said with regret. "But Izzy and I are supposed to be on our way to Bridlewood."
"It's quite alright, Sunny, you go on and leave for your trip now."
"Bye, Zipp, we'll see you when we get back," Sunny bade farewell as she walked towards the Marestream. Along with Izzy, the two mares boarded the vehicle, which soon roared to life as they stepped into the cockpit. With powerful winds that blew over the pegasi and ruffled the feathers and fur, the Marestream lifted off the ground, before setting off in the direction of Bridlewood.
"Ah, hello my wonderful Zipperina," said Queen Haven once Sunny and Izzy were gone, embracing Zipp in a loving hug. "It's so good to see you again, my precious daughter."
Zipp smiled as she returned the hug. "It's good to see you too, mom."
"So, how have you and your sister been doing?" Queen Haven asked as she broke the hug.
"We've been good," Zipp answered. "It has been a bit challenging for Pipp recently, but we've been there for her whenever she's needed us."
Queen Haven smiled. "I'm glad to hear that, it pleases me greatly to know that you and your friends have been there for Pipp during these tough times. I'm so proud of you, Zipperina."
Zipp blushed. "Thanks, Mom."
"Don't mention it," she said kindly. "Now, speaking of Pipp, where is your sister, I'm supposed to be picking her up yet she's not even out here."
"She's inside getting ready for the trip," Zipp replied. "Don't worry, I'll get her," she said, right before heading back inside to retrieve Pipp.
"Pipp!" Zipp called for her sister as she entered the Brighthouse. "Mom's here, it's time to go!"
"... Ugh, stupid cramp. Coming..." Came the voice of Pipp, sounding oddly strained as she replied back from upstairs. Soon she came into view atop the flight of steps, and the reason for her sounding strained became clear. Perched atop her back were several heavy-looking suitcases, each one looking like they were about to burst.
However, as odd of a sight as the suitcases atop her back were, they were hardly the most distracting thing about Pipp at the moment.
Being a popstar princess, Pipp naturally drew loads of attention everywhere she went, right now however, she easily drew more far more attention than usual. Though she normally had a fairly slim figure, right now she was anything but; her once petit midsection had ballooned several times in size as a result of her pregnancy, making her look as if she had swallowed a beach ball.
"What do you need all those suitcases for?" Zipp exclaimed in exasperation. "You're only going for the weekend!"
"I don't know what I'm going to need!" Pipp shot back in defense, before quickly folding her ears sheepishly. "Also I had a hard time picking an outfit to wear to the play, so I thought I'd just bring them all and choose later," she said with a bashful smile, eyes darting to the side at clearly being embarrassed to make eye contact.
After hearing her sister's response, Zipp just shook her head and chuckled to herself, wondering why she had expected any other kind of response.
Zipp watched as Pipp struggled to make her way down the stairs, trying to keep from losing her balance with every step she took. As her sister descended the steps, hampered by both her pregnancy and her suitcases, Zipp couldn't help but wonder which was currently contributing to the most stress on the pop star.
Once Pipp reached the bottom of the stairs, Zipp decided to help give her sister a break. Taking a couple of the suitcases, she sought to lighten her sister of some of the load.
"OH, Zipp," Pipp exclaimed in soft objection, as Zipp set the suitcases upon her own back. "That's sweet but you didn't need to do that, I had it," she insisted, despite skeptical looks from her sister.
"I'm just trying to help, you shouldn't be exerting yourself too much right now. I'm your sister, and it's my job to watch out for you, all of you!" Zipp said pointedly, giving her sister a mock scolding.
"Okay. Okay," Pipp rolled her eyes, a smile forming on her lips. "Thank you for caring about me, Zipp, I appreciate it."
"Don't mention it," Zipp said, before patting her sister on the shoulder and heading for the door. "Come on, let's not keep mom waiting."
Exiting the Brighthouse, the two sisters stepped outside, eliciting an excited trill from their mother.
"Ohh, there's my baby girl!" Cooed Queen Haven, approaching Pipp and hugging her. "How I've missed you and you're sister, and I just know that the coming weekend will be a great chance for us to catch up with each other."
Pipp nodded in excitement. "I'm so excited for the weekend we have planned, I can't wait to spend it with you!"
Queen Haven smiled warmly. "I know what you mean. But that's enough of that for now, so tell me, how are my as yet unborn grandsons doing?" She asked, turning her attention to Pipp's swollen abdomen.
Pipp smiled softly as she gently rubbed her belly. "They're doing good." The popstar confirmed. "I went to a check-up recently, and the doctor said that the twins appear to be perfectly healthy."
"I'm glad to hear it, and I absolutely cannot wait to meet them."
Pipp continued rubbing her belly. "You can say that again. Only a little over a week until the big day."
"Well, now, I do be it's time for us to be on our way," said Queen Haven.
Returning to the chariot, the royal guards took the suitcases from Zipp and Pipp and stowed them. Queen Haven was first onto the chariot, followed closely by Pipp until Zipp was left alone on the ground.
"Are you sure you don't want to come, Zipp?" Pipp leaned over the chariot's railing, putting on her best puppy dog eyes as she pleaded with her sister. "Please, it'll be tons of fun, you'll see."
Zipp smiled at her sister's antics but only shook her head. "Thank you, but no. It's like I told Sunny, I'm good just chilling here in Maretime Bay for the weekend."
In response, Pipp let out a dejected sigh, folding her arms in defeat and shaking her head. "Alright, if you insist." However, right after saying that, she quickly adopted a firm stance, her gaze hardening as her eyes locked onto Zipp. "But after the twins have arrived, you and I are going to do something fun together, you understand me?" Pipp said with resolve, unwilling to take no as an answer.
Zipp chuckled lightly and nodded her head. "Okay, you have a deal."
After that last exchange between the two princesses, the royal guards pulling the chariot started to lift of the ground. As they pulled away, Zipp started waving them goodbye.
"Bye, Zipp!" Pipp waved back. "I'll see you when I come home!"
"Yes, goodbye dear, I love you." Added Queen Haven, waving as well.
As the chariot sped off into the distance, the three kept on waving, only stopping when they could no longer see each other.
The trip to Zephyr Heights went fairly smoothly, with the only hiccup being them getting held up by a growing snowstorm as they approached the pegasus town.
After arriving back in her childhood home, Pipp and her mother retreated to the palace until the play later. As they waited, Pipp took her suitcases up to the room she had when she lived there.
Going through all her dresses, she tried to pick one to wear to the play, but found it to be an incredibly daunting task; she found herself going over all her outfits multiple times unable to make a decision - to the point where she felt like pulling out her own mane. After what felt like hours, she finally settled on a frilled violet that she thought nicely complamented her coat and mane, while also nicely concealing her pregnant belly.
When it was time to head to the play, Pipp began to prepare herself for a night out. She started by putting on her dress, during which she felt a cramp in her abdomen. Afterwards, she brushed her mane and applied a light layer of makeup.
Once she was ready, she met up with her mother - who was also dolled up in a fancy crimson dress - and together they left the palce to catch their play.
Arriving at the theater, Pipp and her mother paid for their tickets, and then headed for the amphitheater. As they took their seats, Pipp was hit by another cramp in her midsection, doubling over in pain.
"Pipp! Are you okay, darling?" Queen Haven asked after seeing her daughter in distress.
"I'm... I'm good. It was probably just something I ate, nothing to be worried about," Pipp said to her mother, believing the cramp to be nothing - an assumption she would soon regret.
Soon, the show started, and everypony settled in to enjoy the play. A few hours into the play, there was an intermission, and Pipp used this chance to go use the restroom. Getting up from her seat, Pipp gave a quick stretch, before going to relive herself.
However, before she got more than a foot away, she was struck down by yet another cramp, this one far worse than all the others. Then, her breath hitched when she felt something warm and wet trickling down her back legs as if she had wet herself - and as much as she wished otherwise, deep down she knew that wasn't what had happened.
Sensing something was wrong, Queen Haven turned toward Pipp, a look of concern in her eyes. "Pipp, is everything okay?"
Pipp stood with her back to her mother, frozen as the gravity of the situation dawned on her. Taking a shuddering breath, she slowly turned to face her mom, her heart pounding like a hammer in her chest.
"M-m-mom," Pipp started, her voice saturated with fear. "I think - I think the twins are c-coming!"
Upon hearing this, Queen Haven shot to her hooves and was at Pipps side lightning fast. "Don't worry baby, everything's going to be okay," she said, wrapping an arm around Pipp. "Come on, let's get you to the hospital," said Queen Haven as she led Pipp out of the amphitheater.
"We need help, somepony call a ride! Princess Pipp is going into labor!" Queen Haven called out, alerting the theater staff as she and Pipp ambled into the lobby.
As the staff started rushing about, Queen Haven took Pipp to a couch in the lobby and helped her sit down until help arrived.
"Mom,"Pipp started once she was seated, reaching into a pocket in her dress and pulling out her phone. "Call Zipp, let her know what's happening."
Queen Haven nodded her head. Taking the phone from Pipp, she turned it on and went to contacts, finally clicking on Zipp. The line went out, ringing several times, before unfortunately going dead. She tried a second time, only for the same thing to happen.
"Try Hitch."
And so Queen Haven did, this time having better luck when the sheriff picked up the call.
"hey, Pipp," Hitch's voice rang out, thanks to Queen Haven turning on the loudspeaker. "How's the play?"
"H-hitch," Pipp began, her voice strained. "Please listen to me, I need you to go get Zipp-"
With Sunny, Izzy and Pipp in Bridlewood and Zephyr Heights, that meant that Zipp had the Brighthouse all to herself for the weekend. That meant that she had full run of the place until they got back, so she could do anything.
Zipp was lounging on the sofa, being a true couch potato. Next to her was a bowl of buttery popcorn, while a nice holiday movie played on the TV across from her. She had turned her phone off, in order to avoid being disturbed.
Reaching her hoof into the bowl, she pulled out a hoof full of popcorn and stuffed it into her mouth. Her eyes were glued to the TV screen as she chewed, never taking them off it.
As Zipp sat there, fully content, she suddenly jumped in her seat when Hitch burst through the front door. Nearly choaking on her popcorn, she swallowed and turned to Hitch in a fury, ready to rip into him for barging in without warning.
However, the fire in her chest soon died down when she finally got a good look at him. Hitch was doubled over in the doorway, his eyes dilated as he took deep steadying breaths.
"Hitch? Are you okay?" Zipp asked, the anger she felt for him being replaced with concern.
Turning to look at Zipp, he shakily revealed his phone and pointed it towards her. "Pipp! Pipp!" He exclaimed in distress, trying to give her the device.
Getting the feeling that something urgent was happening, she quickly closed the distance between them and took the phone.
"Hello?" She tentatively spoke into the receiver. "Is someone there?"
"Zipp, it's me!" Came Pipp's voice from the other end, sounding stressed and scared.
"Pipp, are you okay?" Zipp replied, an edge of concern and fear in her voice.
"N-not exactly. I know you promised you'd be here, but you need to understand that it wasn't your fault."
"...Wh-what do you mean...?" Zipp asked hesitantly, a sinking feeling in her gut that she already knew what was happening
"I'm sorry, Zipp, but the twins are coming early."
When Pipp spoke, Zipp went into a sort of comatose state, barely registering what her sister said. "What-what did you say?" Zipp asked, hoping for hope that she had misheard Pipp.
"Zipp, this is mom," spoke the voice of Queen Haven, replacing Pipp. "Pipp is unable to speak right now, help has arrived to take us to the hospital."
"Wait! Mom, whats happening? Pipp said the twins were coming?"
"Yes, they are. We were at the play when your sister went into labor ahead of her due date. I know how you're feeling, Zipp, but please don't be mad at yourself - no one could've known they would come early."
Hitch was standing off to the side, having recovered since he burst through the door. He stood quietly, silently watching as Zipp spoke to her mother on the phone.
"How's Pipp doing? Is she going to be okay?"
"Don't worry, Pipp is going to be cared for by some of the best doctors in the kingdom - she's going yo be fine. And don't fret, Zipp, I promise I'll be at Pipp's side, so rest easy knowing she won't be alone. I have to go now, you'll hear from us soon."
The call ended after that, and Zipp was left in stunned silence, feeling as if she had been hit by a freight train.
"But I was supposed to be there, too," Zipp said to herself, recalling how her mother said she'd be there for Pipp. She wanted to scream, to cry and curse, to break something, anything to help vent her feelings.
"Zipp... are you okay...?" Hitch asked delicately, concern in his eyes.
"No! No I'm not! My sister's going into labor and I'm not there, when I said I would be!" She fumed aloud, more to herself than him.
"I understand that you're upset, I'm sure that I would be too in your situation. But you heard them, the twins came early, it's not your fault."
"I know...but," Zipp said, before falling to her rump as she slumped down in despair. "I'm her sister, I should still be there, like I promised I would."
Seeing her in this state, Hitch went and sat down beside Zipp, laying an arm across her back in an attempt to comfort her. "So you couldn't be there when she had her kids, but that doesn't mean you failed her. What about all the times you've been there for her during her pregnancy? And that's not even taking into account all the days to come - Pipp's about to come home with two baby boys, and that's going to mean she's going to need lots of help."
"I guess,"Zipp replied, thinking about what he said, knowing that his words held truth to them. She'd already been there for her sister a lot, and would be there for her in the future; it wouldn't be the end of the world if she wasn't there for Pipp during the birth of her kids - would it?"
"No!" Zipp said, getting to her hooves as a wave of resolve came over her. "I have to be there, I promised."
Hitch got to his own hooves. "How would you even get there?" He asked. "Sunny and Izzy took the marestream, and even if you could fly to Zephyr Heights before Pipp gives birth, there's a large snowstorm between here and there. Getting there won't be easy, are you absolutely sure you want to attempt this?"
"Yes, I am," Zipp spoke with determination, standing as tall as she could. "I promised I'd be there for Pipp when she had her kids, and I'm going to keep that promise."
"Alright, it doesn't look like I can convince you to stay," Hitch said with a sigh. "So if I can't stop you, I might as well wish you good luck, and I hope you make it in time."
"Thanks, Hitch," Zipp said with an appreciative smile, earning one from the stallion in return.
"Don't mention it," he replied.
Without wasting anymore time, Zipp trust out her wings and took flight. As she soared out the open, the eyes of the stallion she left behind went wide as he realized something.
"Hey! Wait!" Hitch cried as he ran after her, throwing out one of his front legs like he was reaching after her. "You still have my-" But his words died in his throat when he saw how she was too far out to hear him. "You still have my phone..." he said with a whimper.
Zipp and Sunny stood outside the locked bathroom door, concerned looks on their faces. The sounds of retching emanated from within, the source being Pipp once again rushing to the bathroom and throwing up into the toilet.
"Pipp, are you feeling okay?" Sunny asked through the bathroom door.
"I'm <urk> I'm fine," Pipp replied in the middle of another round of retching. "Just some tummy trouble, is all." They heard the toilet flush, followed by the sound of the sink running, before Pipp opened the door and stepped out.
"Are you sure that you're okay?" Zipp asked her sister once she was out.
"Wha- yeah. I told you, I was just having some tummy trouble," Pipp reiterated.
"Yeah, but you've been having 'tummy trouble' a lot recently," Zipp said sternly.
Pipp rolled her eyes, and nodded her head in admittance. "Okay, yes I admit, I have been getting sick the last several days, but I'm sure it's fine," she said with ease. She was about to turn away, but stopped when Sunny spoke up.
"But, what if it's not?" Sunny spoke, getting Pipp to pause.
"Pipp, please," Zipp pleaded with her sister. "Go and see a doctor, just in case. And if it turns out to be nothing like you think, you have my full permission to say you told me so."
"Alright," Pipp said with a relenting sigh. "I'll go see a doctor if it'll make you feel better."
"Thank you, Pipp, that's all we wanted to hear," said Sunny.
"I should be back soon," Pipp said as she headed out the front door, on her way to the doctors.
...
A few hours later, Pipp returned home, all of her friends present as she entered the Brighthouse.
"Hey, Pipp," Sunny greeted the popstar. "How did the doctor visit go?"
However, Pipp didn't reply, walking right past as if she hadn't even heard Sunny. With a dazed air about her, Pipp walked over to the couch, plopping down on the cushioned seat.
"Pipp, is something wrong?" Asked Hitch, who had already been sitting on the couch. Buy again, the popstar didn't reply, a listless and distant expression plastered on her face.
When Pipp didn't reply to any of them, that was when Zipp knew it was her turn to try. "Pipp...?" Zipp spoke tentatively, stepping in front of her sister and looking into her glossy eyes. "... Are you okay?"
But once again, Pipp didn't reply, instead she kept staring ahead, like she was look right through Zipp at something none of them could see.
Zipp turned to her friends, giving them all a stumped expression before turning back to Pipp. "Pipp," she began gently. "I'm your sister, if somethings bothering you, you can tell me."
Zipp waited a few moments, and just when she was sure her sister wasn't going to talk, Pipp finally opened her mouth.
"...I'm pregnant..."
"What was that?" Zipp asked. "Could you speak up, I couldn't hear you."
Shakily, Pipp looked Zipp in the eyes, a look on her face that said she'd just been blindsided by something. "Zipp... I'm pregnant!
Upon hearing that, Zipp's eyes went wide, her jaw falling open. All of her friends shared similar looks of surprise, indicating that cleary none of them had been expecting that.
"...Um... congratulations, I guess," Hitch was the first to speak, once he got over the shock.
"Th-thanks," said Pipp.
"Pipp, are you handling this okay?" Zipp asked with concern.
"Y-Yeah, yeah I'm okay," Pipp nodded her head. "I was just a bit shocked was all. I always figured I'd have foals at some point, I just wasn't expecting it to happen so soon."
"So, you're good?" Zipp asked, trying to confirm everything was okay.
"Yes, I'm good, thank you," Pipp said, before a smile broke out on her face. "In fact, now that the shock has worn off, I'm actually pretty excited! I'm going to be a mom!"
Zipp smiled as well. "And I'm going to be an aunt! I can't wait to meet them."
Pipp smiled again as she looked down and rubbed her belly. "Neither can I," she spoke softly.
Taking to the skies, Zipp angled herself in the direction of Zephyr Heights and left Maretime Bay behind. She moved as fast as she could, her wings flaping harder than they ever had before.
The landscape zoomed by below her, all the trees, rocks, and foliage blurring together. Other days, it would be nice to go for a leisurely flight, but today she didn't have that opportunity.
As she flew onward, she could see snow start to dot the landscape, as the air started growing progressively colder. It wasn't long before the cold started to effect her, chilling her to the bone.
Soon she could see storm clouds in the distance, their violent fury evident even from here. It wasn't long before she reached them, and had to face their wrath head on.
The strong gale force winds blew into her, threatening to knock her out of the sky. The freezing cold bit into her as she was pelted by snow, the ice crystals sticking to her fur and weighing her down.
Pressing onward, became more and more challenging to fight her way forward. The snow started coating her feathers and made it difficult to fly, to the point where it was a struggle to stay in the air.
As the freezing air got to her, she found a part of herself wanting to turn back; she wanted to get out the storm, to get away from the pelting snow and strong winds and just return to Maretime Bay. However she quickly discarded those traitorous thoughts, a new wave of determination surging through her as she pressed on defiantly through the storm.
She couldn't give up! She wouldn't give up! She said she'd be there, she swore she'd be at her side. She wasn't going to let mother nature stop her, she'd get there, and nothing would stop her.
She blinked through the snow in her eyes, remembering the promise she'd made. She promised she be there for Pipp.
She'd promised.
She! Had! Promised!
"Pipp? Is something wrong?" Zipp asked with concern, after finding Pipp sitting on the couch, looking depressed. She had one of her arms stroking her belly, which had blown up several times in size since first learning she was pregnant. With her other hoof, she held a piece of paper, looking at it hollow eyes.
"Hmm? Oh... I'm fine," Pipp turned to regard Zipp with a dry voice, before looking back at the paper.
Zipp could tell she obviously wasn't fine, but chose not to call her out on it right then. "What do you have?"Asked Zipp, gesturing to the paper she had.
"It's the image from the ultrasound," Pipp replied, showing it to Zipp. "It's a boy, they both are."
Zipp took the paper from her sister, the image on it clearly depicting how Pipp was carrying not one foal, but two. "So is that why you're upset? Were you wanting a filly?" Zipp speculated, looking to her sister for an answer.
"What? No, that's not it!" Pipp shook her head. She took the paper back, looking at the image of the two colts before she spoke again. "When I first had the ultrasound done, I was so excited to finally see them for the first time, my boys," she said with endearance as she looked down at her belly.
However, the small smile that had formed on her muzzle quickly faded. "But, as I looked at them, it occurred to me that I don't know how to take care of foals; I don't know the first thing on how to be a mother," she said, her voice laced with fear.
"I keep thinking that if I try to raise them, I'll just mess them up somehow; I keep thinking that it would be selfish of me to keep them when I'm not fit to be a mom, and that they'd be better off with someone else." Tears started leaking from Pipp's eyes, her chest shuddering as she started sobbing lightly.
Seeing Pipp cry, Zipp was quick to swoop in and help try to comfort her sister. "Hey! Hey! What are you talking about? I'm sure you'll be a great mother," Zipp said encouragingly.
But Pipp just shook her head. "What are you talking about? You as much about being a mother as I do, which is nothing!"
"What about all the times you helped take care of Cloudpuff?" Suggested Zipp. "That has to count for something, right?"
Pipp just scoffed at that, as she wiped her nose."Please! I love Cloudpuff, but he's just a dog. Besides, mom always did most of the work, the most I ever did was feed him or take him for a walk."
Zipp put a comforting hoof on Pipp's shoulder, a sympathetic look in her eyes. "I get it, you're scared, but you aren't going to have to do this alone," she said, earning a quizzical look from Pipp. Feeling that she was getting through to her sister, Zipp continued. "You keep saying as if you'll have to figure out motherhood on your own, but that's not the case; aside from me, you also have all of our friends, and I'm sure mom will come out to help too. You don't need to be afraid, Pipp, because you won't be on your own."
Still somewhat sobbing, Pipp looked to her sister with big, vulnerable eyes. "Y-You really mean it? You'll help me take care of them?"
"Of course," said Zipp. "We all will. We love you, Pipp."
"Thank you,"Pipp sobbed happily, wiping away her tears. "I really needed to hear that."
"No problem, Pipp," Zipp said as she enveloped her sister in a hug.
"Zipp, can I ask you a favor?" Pipp asked, breaking the hug after a few moments.
"Sure, what is it?
"Can you be there when I have the twins? It'll mean a lot to me if you're by my side when I give birth."
"Of course," replied Zipp, eliciting a smile from Pipp. "I'm your sister, of course I'll be there. I promise."
After finally fighting her way out of the blizzard, she at last found herself in Zephyr Heights. Making her way to the hospital, Zipp identified herself, and she was given directions to where Pipp was.
Moving through the halls of the hospital, Zipp made her way to room Pipp had been placed in. Finding the correct room number, Zipp took a calming breath, before knocking on the door.
"Come in," Zipp heard her mom say from inside. Pushing open the door, she was greeted by the Visage of Queen Haven, who adopted an alarmed expression at seeing her other daughter.
"My goodnes, Zipp, what are you doing here! Did you fly all the way here?"
"Yes, but I'm fine," she replied as she moved past her mother. "Now where's... Pipp...?" Started Zipp, the words dying in her throat as she looked at was in front of her.
Zipp could see her sister resting in a bed in the center of the room, looking peaceful as she lied there. But what stole her words away were what else was in the room as well. Right beside Pipp's bed were two bassinets, both of them holding a tiny colt.
She'd been too late!
Queen Haven stepped up and placed her hoof on her shoulder. "I'm sorry Zipp, she had them just before you arrived," her mom said sympathetically. "I know you wanted to be here."
Quietly, Zipp stepped up to Pipp's side, each step bearing the weight of her being to late. Pipp must have sensed her presence, because she opened her eyes and turned her head in Zipp's direction as she approached.
"Zipp, you're here!" Pipp said with a happy smile. "I'm glad to see you."
Zipp smiled back, but it really just a facade, to mask how lousy she was feeling on the inside. "I'm sorry," she said as she stood there. "I tried to get here, but I was too late."
In response to this Pipp's expression became stern. "No, Zipp, don't do this! I already told you that it wasn't your fault, the twins came early. You have nothing to be sorry for."
"Yeah, but... I said I'd be here," Zipp said, still feeling bad.
At this, Pipp's expression softened, a smile forming on her face. "Well, in a way, you kinda were," she said, earning a puzzled look from Zipp. With her head, Pipp gestured to the cribs beside her. "I don't think you've met my boys yet."
Hiking a brow, Zipp made her way around the bed to get a better look at her new nephews. They seemed to mirror one another, one had a red mane with a blue coat, while the other had a blue mane with a red coat. The two of them rested peacefully, looking so small and frail as she stood over them.
Pipp looked down at them with a warm, loving smile, before turning to Zipp. "I named them: Lightning Zipper, and Storm Heart," she said, earning a double take from Zipp.
"You-You named them-you named them... after me?" She exclaimed in astonishment, not knowing what to think.
"Of course," Pipp replied simply. "You're their hero. And mine, too," she said, looking up at Zipp with a warm smile.
Before she knew what was happening, Zipp felt her eyes watering, as she started to softly tear up.
"I know you wanted to be here, and like I said, in a way you were; you're always with me, in my heart. I love you, Zipp."
"I love you too," Zipp replied in teary eyes. Silently, Zipp moved in and embraced Pipp in a hug, making sure to be extra gentle.
So maybe she hadn't been able to keep her promise exactly as she had hoped, but that was okay. Because in the end, everything was alright, and both Zipp and Pipp were able to embrace each other in sisterly love. And in the end, love was all that really mattered.