Pipp was busy doing what she loved every day: Scrolling through social media, staying up to date with all the notifications and alerts from her many, many fans. Her Pippsqueaks never disappointed her, and she was glad to have them. Even so, the number of notifications and alerts that she had to scroll through was exhausting and time consuming. She didn't really have the time to read through each one individually, so she just quickly scrolled through each one and paid little attention to it.

Suddenly, however, Pipp's green eyes saw something that made her flinch! She paused and read it through a second time just to be sure she wasn't seeing things. She was not, this message was entirely different from the ones she was used to seeing, used to getting. And there was no mistaking what it said. It read as follows:

Attention Princess Pipp Petals,

I would've sent this message the traditional way, but I knew this way would ensure you wouldn't be able to ignore it. I know about that big concert you have planned in Zephyr Heights. Let's just say that if you go through with it, there will be dire consequences.

If you value your life, you will cancel the concert as soon as you get this message. Oh, and don't bother trying to find me, I've hidden myself so well you wouldn't be able to find me in a million years.

It's your choice, though. But if you go through with that concert, I can guarantee you it will be the last concert you will ever perform! Rest assured, I will be watching you very closely.

The sender of the message did not have an icon of any sort and did not have a name, it was all blurred and blacked out. Pipp eyed it carefully for a moment, looking for any clues in the message's tone that might give away who had sent it. Alas, she could find nothing. Now the popstar princess groaned with annoyance and frustration. "Seriously, is there no decency online anymore?" She complained to herself and quickly moved to close the window that had been brought up when she'd read the message. She very well couldn't let a threat sent by an unknown individual consume her every thought.

The pastel pink pegasus princess made up her mind then and there about the threat. Whoever it was, she was not about to be intimidated by them. "The show must go on!" She thought to herself with great determination. "I'm Pipp Petals, I don't scare easily! If that anonymous sender thinks they can threaten them, they've got another thing coming!" And so she pushed all thought of the threatening message to the back of her mind, as if it had never happened and she hadn't seen what she'd seen.

Unfortunately for Pipp, she was soon to learn that it would not be so easy to forget about the message. The only thing that spread faster than threats on social media was word of them. After all, it had been a very public platform on which the threat had been made.

"But Mom!" Pipp whined when she was called in for a private meeting with Queen Haven, a meeting which had quickly turned into a discussion about the threatening message and the intent of whoever had sent it.

Queen Haven was in no mood to listen to her daughter express her lack of concern. "It's not up for argument, Pipp! Your life has been threatened! Aren't you the least bit concerned about it?! Somepony or someone is trying to get to you!"

Pipp pouted and frowned. "Of course I'm concerned, I get messages like that all the time from my haters. Someponies just need to vent, and for some reason they love to take it out on me. Zipp never gets this kind of hostility, and she's the heir to the throne. I don't see why I should have to hide myself away just because somepony might be trying to kill me."

Queen Haven shook her head from side to side. "You don't get it, Pipp. Threats of that kind are not to be taken lightly! If anything were to happen to you either leading up to your concert or during your concert, I would be beside myself with grief! And just think of how Zipp and your friends would react, knowing that you kept this a secret from them and didn't think to enlist their help to keep you safe."

The popstar princess frowned anew. "I'm not a little filly, Mom. I can take care of myself! If I cower away and call off the concert, I'm letting that sender win. I'm letting them get to me. That's what they want, they want me to be frightened and afraid. But I refuse to give them that pleasure! I'm going through with that concert and that's final!"

The queen sighed and put a hoof to her forehead. She was used to this kind of stubborness with Zipp, but not with Pipp. This had never been a problem before, so why was her youngest daughter refusing to grasp the seriousness of it? "I didn't want to have to do this, Pipp. I was hoping you would see reason and listen to me, like you always used to do."

"Sorry, Mother," Pipp protested with a swish of her tail. "You worry too much. I've handled myself just fine against threats before. This will be no different."

Queen Haven stomped a hoof down, glaring at her daughter. "Well if you're going to be that way, Pipp, then you've forced me to take drastic measures against you! Don't forget that almost everything that goes on in Zephyr Heights runs through me."

At that Pipp gasped and spun around! "You wouldn't!"

The queen firmly nodded. "I most certainly would. I will not hesitate to have your concert canceled for your own safety. Your Pippsqueaks will understand. You are still royalty, your safety is important."

The popstar pegasus princess growled. "Mother, you can't do that! This concert means everything to me! I can't let my fans down, not when they're all rooting for me! Canceling that concert could destroy my reputation, maybe for good this time!"

"Well if you're going to insist on having that big concert, the least you could do is agree to hire somepony for security. You need somepony to protect you," Queen Haven firmly insisted. "So either you do that, or you force me to cancel the concert all together. So, what's it going to be?"

Hitch was unaware of any of the developments unfolding in Zephyr Heights as he sat in his office in Maretime Bay, keeping one watchful eye on Sparky while the other eye was focused on sorting through all the paperwork on his desk. One of the few downsides to being sheriff was that there were always reports to write down and sort out. So many rules and regulations that needed to be followed, even if some of them seemed silly and redundant.

It didn't help that Sparky seemed intent to run about the length of the office, pulling files out of cabinets and scattering the contents on the floor, then running off to play with whatever shiny object caught his attention. The baby dragon apparently had no concern whatsoever for the neatness that Hitch prioritized.

All in all, though, things were relatively quiet within the office. And that was just the way Hitch liked it. After the excitement and the craziness of the past few months, it was great that he could come back to his office and settle into a routine.

The relative peace and quiet didn't last for long, however. The office doors suddenly burst open! And who should come trotting in but Hitch's former deputy Sprout? The bright red coated stallion looked to be quite unhappy if the pronounced frown on his face was any indication. Granted, Sprout almost always seemed to be in a bad mood when he came by the office, but this seemed to be an especially bad mood today.

Still, Hitch smiled as he eyed his former deputy and pretended not to notice his grumpy posture. "Hey, Sprout," He greeted in a warm and friendly tone, almost as if that one incident that had led to Sprout's dismissal had never happened. "Haven't seen you in a while. Everything okay on your end?"

Sprout snorted and rolled his eyes. "Come on, Hitch, don't lie to me. You're not happy to see me. You're not like Sunny or that unicycling freak, you still haven't forgiven me for that whole 'Emperor of Maretime Bay' stint."

The sheriff sighed. "You're right, I haven't. That was a very big betrayal of trust there, Sprout. I couldn't go on pretending everything was the same afterwards. Your mother and I agreed it was for the best if you left the force and found work elsewhere."

Sprout grumbled. "Yeah, and that's the problem. I've had almost no work at all to do. Working with the construction team has been so boring. The only big job we had was renovating my family's business into that movie studio. You honestly should've just let me keep it, it was the one place where I could be alone with my thoughts," He then remarked. "Look, you know what goes on in this town. You gotta know where I can find work that's more... fulfilling."

Hitch smirked. "Well, you could always babysit Sparky for me. It sure would be nice to give Izzy a break from it, and to have a back-up whenever she's not in Maretime Bay."

The stallion with blonde locks immediately shot down the idea. "Absolutely not! I don't understand how you can possibly keep that kid around, he's a monster!"

Hitch immediately stomped a hoof down. "He's not a monster, Sprout! He's just a baby! He never did anything to you!"

Sprout rolled his eyes. "Yeah, and yet look at what you're letting him get away with. I'm surprised he hasn't burned down the whole office yet," He then snorted. "I'd rather drag myself to Sunny and ask her to let me work at her smoothie cart before I'd accept the offer to babysit that little dragon of yours. And there is no way I'm ever stooping that low. At least I'll still have my dignity," He turned to leave. "Guess you've got nothing for me! Oh well, I know where I'm not wanted." And he soon trotted away, slamming the office doors loudly behind him.

The sheriff sighed, putting a hoof to his forehead. "What am I gonna do with him, Sparky?" He turned and asked the baby dragon. "I tried listening to Sunny's advice and give him space to be himself. I wish there was some way I could help him. He really needs to get out of his comfort zone and try something new. But what?"

As if in answer to the stallion's question, the phone on his desk started to ring and ring quite loudly! Considering it was rarely used nowadays, he knew it had to be important. He quickly lifted the phone off its receiver and put it up to his left ear. "Hello, this is the Maretime Bay Sheriff's Office. I'm Sheriff Hitch, how can I help you?"

"Oh, thank hoofness I've reached you!" The familiar voice of Queen Haven spoke up from the other end. "You're just the sort of pony I can talk to."

"Couldn't we have just talked on my cell phone?" Hitch proposed. "It's much more convenient."

Queen Haven said in reply. "Oh, but this way is so much more secure. Nopony will ever know we had this conversation," She then cleared her throat. "Listen, I need your help, sheriff. There's been a threat made against Pipp, somepony or someone wants to kill her!"

The sheriff's eyes went wide as he let out a gasp! "What?! Why didn't Pipp tell me about this?! Who sent the threat?! If it's somepony within Maretime Bay, I'll see to it that they're arrested! Nopony threatens royalty on my watch and gets away with it!"

But Queen Haven cautioned. "I don't know who made the threat, Pipp said it was an anonymous threat. And apparently, this isn't the first time she's dealt with this sort of thing. But this time it seems especially serious, whoever sent it clearly wants to get her. And I told Pipp in no uncertain terms that unless she agrees to hire somepony to serve as a bodyguard for her protection, she can't hold that concert she's going to perform in Zephyr Heights. Do you know of anypony who might be available on short notice?"

Hitch immediately asked the most obvious question on his mind. "Why not one of your guards? They seem like they would be perfect for the job."

"Thunder and Zoom are only allowed to serve on my security detail," Queen Haven explained. "Hoofness knows they work hard enough as it is. I will not overtax them by asking them to protect Pipp as well," She then pleaded. "Please, Sheriff Hitch, you must have somepony! I'll feel a lot better once I know my daughter has somepony watching over her, keeping her safe from anypony or anyone who might want to get her."

Hitch gulped. "Well, there's not really a lot of candidates available here, I'm afraid. If I'm being honest, I mostly run security in Maretime Bay all by myself. I used to have a deputy, but we parted ways a while back."

"So that's it, then? There's nopony available?" The queen remarked with dismay.

It was then that Hitch got an idea. He was remembering his recent conversation with Sprout and how his former deputy had longed for "more fulfilling" work. "Actually, your majesty," He said as the gears in his mind started to turn. "I think I have just the pony for the job. And it's one that Pipp will be very familiar with."

To say that Pipp was surprised when Sprout was presented to her on the outskirts of Zephyr Heights as her new bodyguard and head of security would be an understatement. Sprout had on a black vest and matching suit, wore sunglasses over his eyes, and had a badge that only loosely resembled the one he'd worn when he'd been Hitch's deputy. Yet as was clear from the moment he lifted up his sunglasses, he was not happy with his assignment in the slightest.

Pipp had to blink and rub her eyes just to be sure she wasn't seeing things. Indeed, she wasn't. Yet instead of being relieved or even excited at the prospect of having somepony to protect her, she was rather upset and quite disapproving. "Really? My mother asked you of all ponies to protect me?! This is some kind of a joke?!"

Sprout grumbled and cursed under his breath. "Believe me, princess, it's no joke. I basically got 'volunteered' for this role. It was Hitch's idea. I guess he thought for whatever reason that I'd make a good bodyguard."

"Well I'm most certainly not happy! I told my mother I didn't need security or protection! And I certainly don't need you trying to fill that role," Pipp bitterly complained. "You're the last pony I would trust to do either of those things."

The earth pony stallion with a bright red coat growled ever so faintly as his eyes narrowed. "As I figured, you still don't like me. Well, the feeling's mutual. Don't think I've forgotten what you did to my family's business. You've barely bothered to use it since you converted it into that movie studio."

The pastel pink popstar princess snapped back. "Well it serves you right for what you did to Sunny's house during your whole 'Emperor of Maretime Bay' nonsense! Sunny, Hitch, and Izzy might have forgiven you, but I haven't! And I don't think I ever will! You're still as rude and arrogant as ever, and you're such a mama's boy."

Sprout stomped a hoof down. "I am not a mama's boy!" He then sighed and turned away. "If that's your attitude, I might as well just quit now. It doesn't matter to me if your concert gets canceled. All you're ever good for is singing and making silly videos, like that one with your smelly hoofpolish."

Pipp let out an audible groan before she flew in front of Sprout, blocking his path. "I don't really want to have to keep you, but if you're the only way I get my mother to ease off and let me live my life the way I want to then so be it. I just need you to protect me until my concert in Zephyr Heights goes off without a hitch. Then, hopefully, Mother will see that there's nothing to be afraid and we can both go our separate ways. It's ridiculous: One mysterious threat on my life, and Mother goes absolutely crazy with trying to protect me!"

Sprout then saw fit to question. "And how do you know I'm not the one who sent the threat? What if this is all part of my plan to get closer to you in a way you wouldn't suspect?"

A knowing smirk formed across Pipp's face as she explained. "It doesn't seem like your style. You're far too obvious to be sneaky and secretive. Besides, even if you did try to make a move, you know that I'm always live streaming, Any attempt you'd make would be caught on camera for everypony to see. You'd have nowhere to hide."

The earth pony stallion rolled his eyes. "Seriously, do you have to livestream everything?"

The popstar princess replied with a mischievous wink. "Of course not, silly. You know what I meant," She then took hold of Sprout by the hoof. "Now come on! The concert is tomorrow, but I need you to make sure the venue's safe for my rehearsal this afternoon. No way am I going out on stage without making sure I'm ready."

And just like that, Sprout was whisked away to take in the sights and sounds of a place he had never been to before.

Sprout soon found himself utterly amazed and astounded by the majesty of Zephyr Heights. Compared to Maretime Bay, the city built into the side of a cliff was almost like stepping into an entirely different world. Everywhere he looked he could see brightly colored buildings illuminated with colorful lights that shone, flashed, and flickered. There were television screens and electronic billboards touting various products (some of which apparently had been endorsed by Pipp herself).

And everywhere that Sprout and Pipp went, the crowds were not far behind. They seemed to be utterly astounding in how quickly they materialized. Cameras clicked and flashed, journalists frantically scribbled down everything on pieces of paper, and quite a few microphones were being pressed forward per the request of newsponies hoping for an interview or even just some comments.

Most of the attention was, of course, on Pipp herself. It seemed like the popstar princess attracted a throng no matter what she did, and loved every minute of the crowd's adoration. As a result, almost nopony paid any attention whatsoever to Sprout, who given the choice would rather be anywhere else. Everything was so noisy, and the press of the crowd was enough to make him claustrophobic.

Still, the stallion had a job to do, and it was one that he was going to do as best he could. He didn't know much about security, but Queen Haven had specifically asked him to keep Pipp safe. And that was what he intended to do. One thing was for sure, after this he was never going to complain about how boring things were for him in Maretime Bay.

"Yes, that's right, everypony!" Pipp was excitedly chattering away as she posed for the cameras and happily spoke to reporters. "My new bodyguard and security detail is the same pony who once proclaimed himself Emperor of Maretime Bay! I know: Shocking, right?! To think I would ever accept him of all ponies! But don't worry, he may be keeping an eye on me but I'll be keeping an eye on him," She winked and giggled. "And rest assured, I'm still going to be livestreaming the whole concert on Youhoof for everypony to enjoy. I have a feeling this is going to be my biggest concern in ages! Pipp Pipp Hooray!"

"Pipp Pipp Hooray!" The crowd all cheered at once, creating a deafening chorus (at least in Sprout's ears)!

Sprout quickly raced to close the distance between himself and Pipp, frowning and grumbling the whole time he did so. "How am I supposed to keep you safe if you keep pushing me away and letting the crowd huddle around you?!" He complained as he trotted alongside her, occasionally pushing back hooves that tried to touch the popstar princess. "Doesn't it bother you that that would be the perfect opportunity for somepony to try something?!"

The pastel pink pegasus proudly proclaimed in a defiant tone of voice. "Oh, I know that's always a possibility. But I refuse to live my life in fear of that. Yes, putting myself out there means those who hate me have an opportunity to do something to me. But it also means I'm giving those who love me a chance to see me, to touch me, to feel like they know me. I've lived my whole life up to this point this way, and nothing bad's ever happened to me as a result. Why worry about what I can't control? Besides, that's why I have you."

The bodyguard stallion could only roll his eyes. "Seriously? Do you even hear yourself? Your mother seems to believe this threat is serious. I personally don't care much either way. But she asked me to keep you safe, and I'd rather not have to explain to her why I failed to do that. The least you could do is not make my job any harder! Your fans will understand if you need to take a step back and not always rush for the crowds. It's not a bad thing to think about your own safety, you know. It's not being a coward, it's being smart."

"Agree to disagree," Pipp cheerfully replied. "When you're a star like me, staying away from the crowd and shunning your fans is a no go."

Sprout muttered under his breath. "Why do I even bother?"

Pipp continued to make things difficult for Sprout as she trotted along, stopping every minute or so to sign autographs, pose for photos, or just otherwise chat with the crowd. And Sprout, for his part, repeatedly tried to swat away anypony who tried to get close to Pipp, all the while ignoring her complaints and the jeers of the crowd.

At last, the two reached the large venue hall in the middle of the city. It was the place where Pipp was to perform her concert. And much to Sprout's utter annoyance and disbelief, the stage had been set up outdoors in a location that would make it painfully easy for anypony to spot Pipp and try to hurt her.

Yet just as the bodyguarding stallion expected the pastel pink popstar princess to take the stage and start preparing for her rehearsal, he was surprised when she instead turned to him and said with a smile. "Well, go on. Take a look around. Make sure everything's a-okay. That's what you're here for, isn't it?"

The earth pony stallion with blonde locks was all but astounded by this sudden change of heart from the pony he was charged with protecting. "Oh, so now suddenly you want my help?"

Pipp nodded. "If it'll get you to learn to lighten up and relax, sure. Once you see that there's nothing and nopony out there, you'll finally understand what I've been trying to tell my mom since this whole ordeal began. So what are you waiting for? Do what you gotta do."

So Sprout did. He wasn't about to look this proverbial gift horse in the mouth. "Alright then. Just make sure you stay where I can see you," He told the princess. "And if you see anything that looks like trouble, let me know. Don't try to handle it yourself."

The popstar princess only replied with a vague. "No promises."

Sprout opted to ignore Pipp's lack of commitment, instead opting to look all around the stage and its immediate surroundings. He looked once, twice, then three times. Nothing seemed to be out of the ordinary as far as he could tell. Nothing that gave him any cause for concern.

That is, until out of the corner of his eyes the stallion happened to notice something that had he originally dismissed because it was so hard to notice. It was a series of wires that were laid out on the stage in a very... disorganized fashion to put it mildly. It wasn't much, but it was enough to make him believe that much worse was in store. "Aha!" He exclaimed. "Faulty electrical work. Clearly, an act of sabotage, or malicious intent! Mess with the princess, will you?! Not on my watch!" He hurriedly grabbed the wires and yanked on them hard, pulling them loose from their outlets! In the process, he somehow managed to get them all tangled up around him, causing him to trip and stumble.

The pastel pink pegasus princess rushed upon the scene but a moment later, and could only frown in disapproval at what she had seen. "Really, Sprout?! Now they'll have to waste time plugging everything back in and making sure it works properly."

"Hey, I just saved you from what could've been a nasty accident!" Sprout protested as he struggled to stand up and free himself from the wires that bound his hooves. "Those wires could've caused you to trip, leaving you vulnerable in the brief amount of time it would've taken for me to get to you. Or they could've started a fire, or even caused you to get electrocuted."

Pipp angrily stomped her hooves down. "You're much too paranoid, Sprout! No wonder you still don't trust pegasi or unicorns! I don't know what made my mother decide you could be trusted. With you protecting me, who needs enemies?"

"So, what, you're firing me?" The bodyguard stallion grumbled and groaned. "Well you can't fire me, because I quit!"

"Fine, go ahead, quit! See if I care!" The popstar princess remarked in a bitter, indifferent tone of voice. "I can manage just fine without you. And soon, everypony will see there is nothing to be afraid of. Now excuse me, I have to get ready for my rehearsal, which I would've already been in the middle of if it wasn't for your constant interruptions."

A grumpy, gloomy Sprout (still clad in his bodyguard attire) thus stood as far away from the outdoor stage as he possibly could. He cared not at all for the countless ponies (mostly pegasi) who rushed towards the stage as soon as they heard Pipp start warming up. It didn't matter to him anymore what the crowd did. He was starting to regret ever taking the job in the first place.

Suddenly, however, the rehearsal stopped as a loud and painful screeching sound could be heard over the loudspeakers on the stage! It completely drowned out Pipp's vocals, forcing everypony in the area to start chattering amongst themselves about what was causing this and what (if anything) should be done.

A heavily filtered and distorted voice suddenly broke up the commotion, declaring in an ominous tone of voice. "So you chose not to heed my warnings, Princess Pipp? A foolish mistake on your part, soon to be your last!" And then there came an ominous roar, accompanied by a sudden shockwave of sonic vibrations!

The vibrations were so loud and so powerful that they made the whole stage shake, along with everything surrounding it!

In that moment, Sprout forgot all about his prior arguments with Pipp. The only thing that mattered to him now was doing what he'd been hired to do: Protect her from anyone and anything that might try to hurt her in any way. With a courage he had never known before, he rushed towards the stage even as he wanted nothing more than to plug his ears to shield them from the intense noise!

Pipp, for her part, was frozen in fear. She couldn't move, she couldn't speak, she couldn't do anything.

Sprout saw the paralyzed pegasus, and knew immediately what he had to do! "Look out!" He shouted as he lunged onto the stage and threw himself on top of Pipp as fast as he could! In the process, he managed to shove her just a few inches or so to the right of the stage.

Those few inches proved to be a huge difference maker. Because within seconds of Sprout's sudden action, the spot where Pipp had been standing now became the spot where one of the stage lights came crashing down quite audibly! The stagelight shattered completely, spilling glass shards all around it! And it looked like the other stage lights might come down at any moment if the shaking and vibrating continued!

Looking up, Sprout thought he glimpsed at what looked like dark blue fur, just before the figure it belonged to let out another roar and fled. By now, ponies who had plugged their ears had bravely made their way onto the stage to view the scene of disaster. But Sprout wouldn't let any of them anywhere near Pipp, not even as the sonic vibrations slowly ceased.

Pipp, for her part, was completely and utterly astounded. "Sprout..." She commented as she slowly wiggled her way out from under him and stood up. "You... saved me!"

The bodyguarding stallion, panting heavily, managed to force out. "Well... I had to... I couldn't let... whatever that thing was I just saw do anything to you. How would I have explained that to your mother?"

The popstar princess smiled as she quickly gave a whistle, and instructed. "Everypony, three cheers for my fantastic bodyguard: Sprout Cloverleaf! If it wasn't for his quick thinking, I wouldn't still be standing here." And she joined the crowd in clapping and cheering for him.

The destroyed stage light was soon removed. But the damage it had caused to the stage forced Pipp to cancel the rest of her rehearsal and postpone the concert. She was quick to make the most of it, speaking on one of her many livestreams as she told her fans. "Don't worry, Pippsqueaks. The concert's just been delayed for a day or two. Rest assured, I'll be honoring every ticket for the original date. And to make it up to you all, I'll be hosting a special livestream from my home on Cliptrot tomorrow. You'll all be invited to tune in, so I'll see you all there: Pipp Pipp Hooray!"

Sprout, for his part, breathed a much needed sigh of relief. "Thank hoofness you're finally coming to your senses. A livestream from home sounds like a much safer idea than a concert in the middle of a huge city."

Pipp smiled. "Thanks again for what you did back there, Sprout. I really mean it," She put a hoof to her chin. "Whoever it was that sent that threat, they clearly meant it. They weren't trying to intimidate me, they really did want to kill me. And they would've succeeded too."

The bodyguarding stallion nodded. "And you thought I was being overprotective."

The popstar princess nodded back, before adding. "I still think you are, just a little. Even if I sometimes need a little protection, it doesn't mean you have to be looking for problems where there aren't any. Still, I can't deny that you made for a really good bodyguard when I needed it most. I hope you'll stick around, at least until things calm down and Mother lets me go without a security detail again. Knowing her, though, she'll probably use this incident to justify bringing Zipp home permanently. And something tells me Zipp will do anything to avoid that."

"Don't get any ideas!" Sprout immediately protested. "Just keeping up with you every day is almost more than I can handle. I have no idea how I'd manage having to protect your sister too. She's far more independent and less predictable than you are."

Pipp grinned. "You call it predictable, I call it routine. I'll always be there for my fans, no matter what," Then she declared. "But I'll understand if you'd rather go back to Maretime Bay. In fact, if this recent threat is anything to go on, maybe it's time Mane Melody had some security too. And I think I know just the pony who can help with that."

Sprout only sarcastically replied with. "Oh joy." But he had a feeling he was going to be overruled on the decision no matter what.