Just a Pinch of Magic

by Jenga_Jane

Berries over Cherries

The small earth pony town was bathed in sparkling moonlight on a brisk early spring evening in Ponyville. Most ponies were home for the night, but there was one pair of young earth ponies who were walking slowly through the streets, enjoying the moonlight almost as much as they were enjoying each other's company. They exchanged no words as they cantered through town, their flanks and shoulders practically touching. Somewhere a dog barked, and in the direction of the forest an owl's hoot was heard. Cherry Cola sighed - it was blissful.

The young mare, on the other hand, was not quite so quick to lose herself in the romance of the evening; to say she was preoccupied would be an understatement. Finally, Cherry Cola nuzzled her neck, and when she turned to him, his big green eyes were filled with concern.

"What's the matter, Ber? You seem distant tonight," he asked, gently.

Berry Punch sighed. "I'm just - thinking," she murmured. She had wanted this to wait for another time, but not surprisingly, Cherry Cola pressed the matter.

"Would you mind sharing those thoughts with your super special somepony?" he asked.

Yes, I would mind very much is what Berry Punch wanted to say, but she restrained herself. She cast a cautious glance at the curious and caring face of her companion, and all the questions that had been running rampant through her brain for the past three days replayed themselves in her mind. How would he react? Would he be angry? Violent? Not likely - Cher had a very controlled temperament. He might be disappointed, though - she had never intended to shatter their dreams, but she hadn't exactly anticipated this, either. Maybe she didn't need to tell him. Maybe she could keep it a secret and take care of it herself. No, he had a right to know. He may not like it - hell, she didn't really like it - but he still needed to know the truth.

"I - um, well. I-," she stammered.

Celestia, she was terrified. Most of the possible outcomes she had considered would end in tears - even now, her eyes burned as they threatened to materialize. She bit her quavering lip, unable to look the colt she loved so dearly in the eyes. She was embarrassed and ashamed and frightened and so very tired. Her voice seemed to catch in her throat.

Cherry Cola was standing in front of her now, stroking her purple mane comfortingly with his forehoof.

"Come on Berry, you know you can tell me anything, don't you?" he prompted. The stallion was feeling especially uneasy, though, and he felt a knot forming in his stomach.

Berry Punch nodded slowly. She leaped forward, embracing the young stallion's neck as though it would be the last time she ever saw him. That was one of her fears, anyways.

"Please, Cher, please don't get angry," she whispered in his ear.

"I won't get angry, Care Ber," he replied.

"Promise me, Cherry. Do you promise?"

Cherry closed his eyes and took a deep breath. He was certain now that he knew what this was about. "I promise, Berry Punch. I promise I won't get angry with you."

The mare let go of his neck and took a step back to face him. It seemed as though an eternity passed before she spoke. "I - I'm - I'm with foal."

The streetscape, the moon, the entire town dropped away. It was as if only two ponies existed in all the world. Cherry looked at the forlorn expression on the mare's face, the shame and fear and sadness as she refused to look him in the eyes, tears streaming down her mulberry cheeks. There was only one thing he could do. He nuzzled her gently, touching his hoof to her cheek and lifting her head up to face him, and pulling her forward so their lips met in a tender, honest kiss.

"Berry Punch," he whispered, "why in Equestria would I be angry about a thing like that?"

The purple pony opened her eyes, tears flowing freely. She hadn't expected this response at all.

"W-well, our dreams, Cherry. All our plans for the future? The house, the garden, the business?"

"I always figured there would be a foal or two in the picture, Berry. So it's a little sooner than we expected, is all," he spoke slowly, so as to allow his words to sink in, "I- I just can't believe that you were afraid to tell me."

"It's just that telling you," she heaved a sob, brushing her tears away angrily, "telling you would make it real."

"Oh," murmured Cherry, as reality began to sink in for him, too, "of course, that makes sense."

They stood silently for another few minutes, both of them lost in thought and in each other's comforting embrace. Finally, Berry broke away, brushing another tear from her face.

"I-I suppose I should go home."

"Of course," Cherry nodded, "I'll walk you home." He turned towards the cocktail bar Berry's family owned, only a few blocks down in the direction of the town square. "How long have you known?"

"Found out two days ago for sure, but I've had my suspicions."

"And so when are you due?"

"I dunno for sure. Sometime in the fall."

"When will we tell your parents?"

"After," Berry said flatly.

"After what?"

"After mother's new foal is born. She still has eight more weeks."

Cherry stopped dead in his tracks, suddenly remembering that Vodka Sunrise was indeed very pregnant.

"See," Berry muttered, ignoring Cherry's abrupt halt "it's messed up."

The stallion chuckled as he pranced to catch up. "It's not messed up. Your new sibling is just going to be especially close to his or her niece or nephew is all. I think it's wonderful."

"Yeah, maybe," Berry nodded, "I guess I just need more time to get used to the idea."

The couple rounded the corner, and the cocktail bar Berry called home came into view. The lights were still on downstairs, and four or five customers could be seen sitting in the lounge even though it was a Wednesday night. The lamp in her parents' bedroom was lit, too, meaning mother had probably gone upstairs early but wasn't sleeping. Berry was home earlier than usual, but not so early as to arouse suspicion.

"Well, goodnight, Cherry Cola," she said, embracing her super special somepony for the umpteenth time that night. He kissed her tenderly before replying with his own "goodnight."

Berry climbed the stairs and turned the knob on the door.

"Hey, Care Ber?" Cherry called.

She turned to face him.

"I love you. Don't you forget that."

Berry managed a small smile. "I won't," she answered, before turning back into the building.

She knew it was true, she always had. She supposed there really hadn't been anything to worry about, Cherry Cola really was the perfect stallion. Maybe she could do this; maybe she could be a mother after all.

***

The door closed behind the purple mare, breaking the still silence of the evening and causing Cherry to jump. He loved the mare, truly, but he was glad she had decided to go home early tonight. It would be another two hours until midnight, and Cherry decided his father would still be awake. That would be good, he needed to talk to his father.

As he wandered away from the center of town, towards the more residential area where he and his father shared a two bedroom flat in a converted house, he found himself thinking. He was proud of his reaction, sure, but he was unable to determine how truthful the words he had spoken were. To be honest, he and Berry hadn't really spent much time talking about the future. He knew that she hoped to buy a share into her parents' business, and help run Ponyville's only cocktail bar. She also wanted to travel to wine country, and maybe open a wine cellar in Ponyville as well. The alcohol business was in her blood, to be sure.

But what about him? Of course, he had gone through all sorts of stages as a child; he would be a doctor, a magician, a famous rock star. But his grades weren't going to get him as far as his childhood dreams had hoped. When he was eight, his father had taken him to visit his Aunt Jubilee, who had just purchased some land in the settler town of Dodge Junction, hoping to plant a Cherry Orchard. He had loved Aunt Jubilee and her home, and ended up returning to stay with her every summer break after that, much to his mother's dismay. It was over once such holiday that he earned his Cutie Mark.

After that, he decided that once he finished high school, he would move to Dodge Junction permanently and help Aunt Jubilee manage Cherry Hill Orchard. But then, three years ago, Berry Punch happened. She had her own hopes and dreams. The summer after they started going out was the longest he ever spent in Dodge Junction, being without her. The following year she accompanied him, but she didn't fall in love with the town, or the heat, like he did. When he finally did finish high school, he realized he would have to choose between the mare of his dreams or the job of his dreams. It wasn't a difficult decision: he chose Berries over Cherries in a heartbeat.

All he knew now about his hopes and dreams for the future was that whatever happened, he wanted Berry Punch to be a part of his life.

Still, the thought of Cherry Hill Orchard and Dodge Junction made him feel a tad homesick, especially for Aunt Jubilee. She was the least judgemental and most caring mare he could think of, and had done a far better job of mothering him than his real mother had. Speaking of which, old Lonsdaleite would probably be furious at him for impregnating a mare out of wedlock.

His thoughts preoccupied him as he meandered home, and before he knew it he was standing outside the door to his apartment. He pushed it open and discovered his old stallion poured over the Ponyville Express. Wilder P. Avium looked rather shocked to see his son standing there.

"You're home early. I thought you had a date tonight."

Cherry looked solemnly at his father, and Wilder's expression instantly turned serious.

"What's the matter, son?" he asked, folding the paper and approaching the stallion. He rested a hoof on Cherry's shoulder.

Cherry Cola pitied, seriously pitied, anypony who didn't have a father like Wilder P. Avium. Which, he had learned, was most ponies. He was a patient and hard working man, the science teacher at the nearby high school, who seldom lost his temper. His green eyes were always full of emotion: laughter, happiness, tears, sadness, hope, fears. He always said 'real Stallions have feelings,' and Cherry Cola had seen and experienced his father's feelings throughout his childhood. His earliest memories were of his father's love for his wife. She would verbally abuse him for hours at a time, and he did nothing. Not once did Cherry Cola hear his father rebuke her, insult her, or hurt her. He simply endured her abuse, taking the unconditional love and affection that he once saved for her and pouring it into his son when she refused to accept it. And then he cried when Lonsdaleite Stone returned to Canterlot, and he told Cherry Cola to cry, too. Cherry Cola was seven years old at the time.

So tonight, on the strong shoulders of his father, Cherry Cola cried. For a while he had no words, but Wilder stood steady as a rock to comfort him.

"I'm sorry Dad. I'm so sorry," he murmured after a few long minutes had passed.

"It's alright son, it's alright. Everything is going to be alright."

"It's my fault. It's all my fault. I'm so sorry."

"I know, son. I know you are."

"You're going to be so disappointed in me, Dad. It's all my fault. I'm so sorry, it's all my fault."

"I love you, son. It'll all be okay."

Cherry Cola squeezed his father's neck tightly. He inhaled deeply, trying to calm himself. He didn't even know why he was crying now. Surely it wasn't all that bad, surely. They were adults now, both of them. He let go of his father's neck and took two steps back. He wasn't thinking rationally. Outside these walls, he was. He was strong, confident, self-assured, grown up. But in here he was a child again, weak and afraid. In here, he was himself.

He sat down, hard, tears still streaming down his face. He shook his head, trying to get a grip and think straight. His breathing was heavy, his legs were trembling. What a mess he was all of a sudden.

"She's pregnant, Dad."

There. He'd said it. Berry was right - telling somepony made it real.

"Oh, son," Wilder breathed, moving forward to again comfort his son in a fatherly embrace.

"I'm so sorry, Dad," Cherry repeated.

"It's fine, son. I'm here for you, and I always will be. And I'm not at all disappointed, either."

Comments

[Sorren]

It's good. You splice a few sentences here and there but that's hardly a matter unless it gets taken way out of hoof. I like it.

[Jenga_Jane]

596126
Thanks so much for the feedback, I'm glad you enjoyed it. :)

[Hydkore]

Keep on going; there cannot be enough romance about Berry Punch

[Jenga_Jane]

600864
Thanks so much. :) I agree, Berry Punch needs moar love.

[NikitaKitten]

I agree. There are less errors in this story than most that I read on this site, and none that I found especially jarring. I'm interested in where the story will go, though I have my suspicions.

[KartalTheWriter]

I love this and would LOVE to see it continue. It's so emotional and poignant.