Totally not what it looks like!!

“Ahh, I can’t believe I got that much sleep. Sweet Celestia, I feel refreshed.”

Cherry Berry got out of bed and made the covers like a good pony. She had a perfect dream last night, probably one of the best she’s had the whole year. She dreamt she finally bought one of those new miniature, single-pony propeller flying machines and was flying near Rainbow Falls. She was at the qualifier event for the Equestria Games several years back and remembered her visit fondly.

She enjoyed the sight as she flew her Hot-air Balloon toward the small town. She had never forgotten her visit to Rainbow Falls. She was happy to re-experience the same event in her dream but with a newer dirigible. To top it off, she landed on the ground and met a stallion that was her special somepony to be. The stallion was blurry, though, almost as if he wasn’t a pony. That dream part was fuzzy, but she remembered the voice calling her name.

The stallion was standing on the ground as she landed on the field in her dream. He was waiting for her and happy she had arrived. It would have been nice to remember him, but it was a good dream.

”Did I do something to make Princess Luna happy? It was a really good dream.”

After making herself breakfast, she went over to her hot-air balloon’s landing pad. The weather was perfect outside; no doubt the City of Cloudsdale was in a good mood. Cherry Berry figured rides were in order and ponies would be waiting in line. The mare usually worked for Ponyville’s waste management services, which was a nice way of saying she was a “garbage pony.” It paid well enough and had a pension option since it was a government job, but hot-air balloon rides provided her with extra income in between.

The mare had a small interest in aviation, a hobby which made ponies jokingly call her an honorary pegasus. She had to admit it would have been nice to have wings, but she was happy as an earth pony. One advantage of being an earth pony was that mares of her kind usually had more attractive plots. Using one’s legs more often created more robust and more developed glutes. Cherry Berry had no complaints about her body compared to the leaner pegasus mares.

As she made her way over to the hot-air balloon, she saw a line of ponies eagerly waiting for a ride. The mare saw an easy opportunity to save up more bits for her dream propeller craft and galloped over to prepare the balloon.

“Sorry for the wait, everypony! It will take a few minutes to get ready, but I promise you’ll all get a ride!”

The many ponies didn’t gripe or complain; they were happy to get a ride. Cherry Berry put on her aviation cap and goggles and began preparing the balloon. In 5 minutes, the balloon was ready for the first set of ponies. Each ride was about 30 minutes, with plenty enough time for ponies to enjoy the sights and get photos. Every now and then, a stallion would propose to a mare, making it memorable for them. She hated those, not because of the ponies, but because she was beginning to wonder when it would be her turn.

Eligible stallions were rare as most had left Ponyville for greater opportunities. Manehatten, Fillydelphia, and Las Pegasus were the biggest offenders in drawing good stallions away from the town. Cherry Berry wasn’t the only one who had this gripe; her friends shared this exact complaint with her. Minuette, Lily, and Roseluck complained they couldn’t find a decent stallion to save their flanks.

And she didn’t blame them; it was indeed a problem. All mares were considered attractive, but Hearts and Hooves Day gave stallions an advantage. All a stallion had to do was not be a terrible pony, and they’d have their pick of the herd. It frustrated them as their ages were 22 to 25, and the big 30 wasn’t that far away. She wanted to get married and have foals, or at the very least, adopt with a loving husband. Ponyville was a nice place to settle and have a good life but moving away and starting all over was the last-ditch option.

Shaking her head away from such thoughts, Cherry Berry refocused on the last couple of the day. They were halfway through their ride when the ponies, Caramel and Carrot Top, turned to each other just as they were right over Ponyville. Caramel turned to Carrot Top and gave her a look she had seen too many times.

”No! Please don’t let this happen to me! Not now! Not today, please!!”

Her fears were confirmed as Carmel pulled out a ring box and opened it. He proposed to her on the spot, and she said yes. The two kissed and nuzzled each other, making her do the mandatory hoof clap. She gave her best smile, and she, of course, said, “Congratulations!”. Once the ride was over, the couple walked off all lovey-dovey, leaving her irritated.

“When is it my turn?! Aaagh!” groaned Cherry Berry as she tied the balloon and turned the hot air burner off. She needed to meet her friends at the park, who were undoubtedly already waiting for her.

”I hope Lily brought the daffodil sandwiches this time, and I hope they’re in a venting mood as well.”

Cherry Berry trotted to the park with an annoyed look on her face. Her hot-air balloon deflated as her mood did the same.

The trot to the park wasn’t that bad; her friends were waiting for her. Minuette waved her over just as Lily and Roseluck set the plates from the picnic basket on the blanket.

”Thank goodness! They brought the sandwiches; I’ll have to make them a cherry pie later.”

“Hey, thanks for lunch. I really need a break.”

Lily set the plates down and noticed the annoyed look on her face. With a concerned look, the mare asked, “What’s bothering you? Did somepony do something bad on one of your rides?”

Before she could answer, Minuette used her magic and pulled out glasses and a pitcher of fresh sweet tea from the basket. The blue unicorn mare answered, “Oh, it probably has to do with Carrot Top’s engagement to Caramel.”

She huffed in annoyance before sitting down on the ground and nodding. Lily and Roseluck dropped their jaws as they put their hooves to their faces.

“No way! Carrot Top locked him down?!” exclaimed Lily.

She huffed again before nodding an affirmative yes. The two sisters cheered, “Aaah!” in excitement while Minuette poured Cherry Berry tea. She took the tea and started gulping the perfectly brewed drink as Lily and Roseluck started talking business about the inevitable flowers that Carrot Top and Caramel would need for their wedding.

“We need to get a head start on the next flowers! Should we do the usual?” asked Lily.

Roseluck shook her head before saying, “No. Knowing how Carrot Top is, she’ll want orange roses. It’s a pain to grow, but since it’s her wedding, we can grow plenty. I’ll have to use our mother’s special plant growth recipe and add some magic.”

Minuette poured tea for the sisters as Cherry Berry set her now empty glass down and wiped her mouth with her foreleg. The pink-coated mare asked, “Minuette, how did you know about Caramel and Carrot Top?”

The blue unicorn shrugged her shoulders and said, “Oh, probably has to do with the fact she went to the market square and started bragging about it. Caramel had a proud look on his face. Everypony stomped their hooves and said congrats and all that jazz. Not exactly hard, but how did you know?”

The sisters turned their attention as she answered, “I had a front-row seat or a basket in my case. He did the usual thing stallions do. He proposed while I was giving them a ride over Ponyville.”

All of her friends frowned, knowing that was an annoyance to her. While all of them wanted to get married, Cherry Berry, in particular, was the oldest at 25, going on 26. Her friends knew she was the most concerned about finding a special somepony with the potential to be a husband. All of her friends gave their sympathies, which she accepted.

“Thanks, it’s just another reminder every other mare gets a stallion except me. Or, in our case, us.”

All of the mares sighed in disappointment with their ears lowered. Roseluck was the first to say,

“It’s not fair? Where did all the good stallions go?”

Lily took a sip before saying, “Where all the prettier mares are, Las Pegasus or Manehatten. A bunch of thieves is what those whorses are!”

Minuette took the sandwiches out and set them on the plates, sighing about the topic at hoof. Just as she finished setting her sandwich down, Minuette said, “Can we please talk about another topic? It’s just depressing, and it’s a good day out.”

As Lily bit a sandwich, Roseluck continued, “But it’s too hard to not talk about it! We’ve ignored this problem for the past three years, and the big 30 is not too far off.”

All three other mares shook their heads and continued to eat their sandwiches. Despite drinking tea and eating their daffodil sandwiches, all 4 of them were trying their best to get off the topic of stallions. Once they were done, all 4 mares tried small talk about other topics. This worked until Lily broke the conversation, “Oh, buck! I can’t get over this! I want a stallion!”

Minuette, usually the more level-headed mare, also broke down, “Me too! I will probably have to go back to Canterlot to look for one. And that’s easier said than done; trying to convince one to settle with me in Ponyville is a hard sell.”

Cherry Berry refilled her tea and sighed, “Let’s face it, ladies, we have our work cut out for us. We’re gonna to have to go stallion shopping outside of Ponyville. This is where I want to settle down, but geez, it’s lacking where it matters most.”

Roseluck finished her sandwich, saying, “Lily and I will probably have to help Daisy with the orders when we get back to the shop. I’m certain it’s already full. We should have made enough this month for all three of us to go to Fillydelphia next week. We’re finally going to do it this year, and if the summer is good enough, find decent stallions to bring home.”

Cherry Berry and Minuette were shocked, as was Lily. The other flower sister asked, “Seriously, Roseluck?! We’re actually going to go look outside Ponyville for special someponies?!”

Roseluck nodded, “Daisy and I talked it over. We can’t handle it anymore, and we know you can’t either. It’s either that or put out old turn-of-the-century dating ads or do the same thing; wait until a stallion falls out of the sky. I’m not going to wait until 30 when I’m older, less pretty, and desperate for foals! I have early-onset baby rabies, for Celestia’s sake! I want that stallion to nuzzle and cuddle when I wake up!”

Roseluck started crying, which made all of the other mares hug her in sympathy. After Roseluck calmed down and wiped her tears, Minuette added, “Well, if they’re going to do that, then I’m heading to Canterlot for the summer. I’ll meet up with my old friends Twinkle Shine and Lemon Hearts. They’ll be able to set me up with a few dates, and hopefully, Celestia willing, I’ll find one who’s worthy of my heart.”

All of the mares turned their attention to Cherry Berry. The pink-coated, blonde-maned mare felt the weight of the impending question about to be thrown her way. Sure enough, all three of the mares asked, “What about you?”

”Oh, buck! What will I do?! I can’t take it anymore, either!”

“I don’t know, I made enough money for about 1 week of traveling. I need more time to go searching for a special somepony. I could offer more rides on my off time to build up more spending Bits. It would take a miracle for me at this rate. It’s just like what Roseluck said; I’d have to hope for him to come out of the sky at this rate! It’s not like-”

Before Cherry Berry could finish her sentence, a loud noise came from the sky. Neither Minuette, Roseluck, nor Lily recognized the noise, but Cherry Berry knew it very well. As they all looked up in the air, a small silver propeller dirigible could be seen flying in the sky. Cherry Berry’s jaw dropped as the aircraft she wished to own one day flew above her. The sun reflected off its body and highlighted the glory the craft emanated in the sky.

In addition to being a shiny silver color, the plane’s tail had red and white stripes, with a blue bar towards the front end of the tail. The Wings had decals of a white star in a blue-filled circle on the bottom and top of the wings. The same symbol was also adorned on the silver body. The plane made several spins and somersaults with ease, not unlike the tricks she had seen Rainbow Dash do on occasion.

Nearby was a small herd of stallions cheering on the pilot. The small aircraft made a final summersault before flying right over the mares. Minuette, Lily, and Roseluck yelped at the sudden and loud flyover. Still, Cherry Berry was absolutely thrilled at the aerobatic maneuver. She jumped on her hind legs, raised her forelegs in the air, waved them, and cheered, “Woohoo!”

The aircraft made a turn and started to make an approach to land. There was plenty of open space for the aircraft as it landed with the stallions rushing towards it. Her friends were annoyed at the flyover, but their attention was focused on the stallions. All the mares were trying to see if they were single and available to date. If so, the mares hoped to call a few over to their picnic.

“Anypony know if they’re taken?” asked Lily.

Minuette sadly answered, “All of them. Every single stallion is taken by a mare.”

All of their hearts sank as the stallions came into view. All except one made Cherry Berry ask, “Who the hay is that?!”

A tall, bipedal creature wearing an aviator cap, just like her own cap, stood tall amongst the stallions walking with him. Cherry Berry swore that the creature seemed familiar, but she couldn’t place the name of it. Roseluck answered, “Oh, it’s that human stallion. I forgot what his name is.”

Her eyes widened as she asked, “Human?! That’s a human?! So the legends are true; they do exist! How come I haven’t heard about him? When did he get here? This just blows my mind; one is bucking right there!”

She couldn’t believe her eyes as she saw the man walk away from his aircraft. Everypony since foalhood heard of the legends of Megan the Great. It was due to humanity that Equestria, in its ancient time, had avoided a terrible fate and that ponies today owed their existence to humans. Most of it was seen as just that, legends made by ponies for storytelling and nothing more. There was even a fan base around humans, most notably Lyra being the prominent fan filly of humans.

Lyra’s best friend Bon Bon, who she often worked the garbage route with, was annoyed that her friend prioritized her free time over her hobbies. Bon Bon often complained she wasn’t bringing in the Bits for their rent and that Lyra had often scared off stallions she tried to bring home. If there was a human here, Lyra surely would have blabbed about him at some point.

Minuette answered, “He’s been here for about 2 weeks; you were out at Rainbow Falls when he showed up. I think some teleportation experiment in Canterlot went wrong, and he showed up by accident. Princess Celestia gave him a lot of Bits as compensation for his life being upended and separated from his home. It was in the newspapers for a little bit.”

She understood exactly why she didn’t hear about the news. She was doing a solo sightseeing tour around Equestria. During that time, she took many photos and camped out in the wilderness to get away.

”And I missed out on big news just when I took my vacation time.”

Lily added, “Yeah, he moved here to the edge of town. He’s been out flying that…whatever that flying thingy is called for the Royal Postal Service. Lyra told me he used to do flying stuff back home. Or something like that.”

Lily shrugged her shoulders while Roseluck looked at the stallions near him. The man took his cap off and waved his short brown hair. The human stallion had blue eyes and an infectious smile. His nose was different from a pony’s, but in a good way. He wore clothes and had strange-looking shoes on his feet. His shirt was a simple blue shirt with that same white star with white wings on each side. His pants were cargo khakis with a belt with a shiny silver solid-piece buckle.

Everything about him screamed that he was an aviator enthusiast like herself.

”Okay, he’s not bad looking for being a non-pony…I like it.”

The other stallions, Meadow Song, Noteworthy, Thunderlane, Lucky, and even Bulk Biceps, were giving him compliments on his flying skills. The man smiled and tried to downplay his skills, but his expression gave away that he enjoyed it.

“Gents, thanks for the compliments, but let’s play the game.” said the man.

“YEAH!” shouted Bulk Biceps.

The stallions got into position and started playing soccer. Minuette waved her hoof in her face, trying to get her out of her staring at the man.

“Hello! Equestria to Cherry Berry! Are you okay?”

She shook her head, turned her attention to Minuette, and said, “Sorry, what did you say?”

She tried to keep her attention focused on her friends but struggled. The sound of the man’s laughter and voice was too tempting for the mare. The man emanates confidence and masculine energy, combined with his exotic looks.

”I can see why Lyra likes humans now. Very interesting.”

“Cherry, you keep doing it.”

She asked, “Doing what?”

Roseluck answered, “You keep staring at him.”

Her face lit up as if she was caught stealing, and she blushed as she tried to deny it.

“N-no, I’m not! It’s his prop craft that I’m staring at. It’s really cool and-”

All the mares laughed, making her annoyed, “What?! What’s so funny?”

Minuette giggled before saying, “No, you’re looking at the human stallion. We watched you for a whole minute. You’re a terrible liar.”

Lily’s eyes lit up with excitement before saying, “No way, she likes the human stallion!”

Roseluck joined her sister and added, “She totally does! Oh my gosh! How adorable!”

Both sisters put their hooves to their face cheeks and said, “Aww!!”

She blushed and stammered out her denials before Minuette put a hoof on her shoulder and said, “There’s nothing to be ashamed of, Cherry. You like him; admit it.”

The pink mare looked at the human stallion again just as he kicked the ball into a small soccer goal net. The man shouted, “Goal!” and his friends cheered. Bulk Biceps shouted, “GOAL! 1-0!”

The man performed a goofy but adorable dance with the same smile from earlier. She felt the butterflies in her stomach before admitting, “Okay…I like him. I mean, it’s not wrong to like a non-pony, is it?”

Her friends shook their heads as Minuette said, “Of course not, my cousin is married to a griffon stallion, and he treats her well. They live in Canterlot and have been together for 10 years.”

She was surprised, as Minuette hardly ever spoke of her family. Cherry Berry turned to Lily as her friend asked, “Why don’t you go say hello? I highly doubt he has a special somepony already. He hasn’t been here that long.”

She waved a hoof in dismissal before sarcastically saying, “Oh sure, I’ll just go over to him, and he’ll take me into his loving arms.” She took a sip from her tea and continued, “Seriously, he probably doesn’t see ponies in that way.”

Roseluck replied, “Well, you don’t know unless you talk to him. If you don’t try to get to know him, who knows? Lyra might snatch him from you.”

Minuette shook her head, “I went to school with her in Canterlot. When she gets something she wants, she brags about it, and it’s really annoying. Trust me, Cherry, if she does make a move on him AND locks him down, it will make you bitter more than you were this morning. He also seems to have the same hobby as you, so why not take a shot?”

Lily and Roseluck nodded and said simultaneously, “Mhm!”

Lily took another drink of tea as Roseluck said, “Yup, and Lyra will be flying in that prop-craft, enjoying the sky with him. I think we all agree it should be you instead of Lyra. We’d like to see you in the other seat and be happy living your life.”

Minuette and Lily nodded before Cherry Berry said, “Thanks, girls, that means a lot. But how will I get his attention? It’s been a while since I went on a date and-”

She didn’t finish her sentence as all mares heard, “HEADS UP!”. Their soccer ball had erred from its course and bounced on the picnic mat. The ball knocked down their drinks and landed near her. The mares yelped in shock at the mess before Minuette used her magic and pulled out several paper towels to clean up the mess. The human stallion ran up to the small herd of mares and said, “I’m so sorry, ladies. It kinda went off course. Sorry for the mess.”

Cherry Berry stared and blushed as she was nervous and excited he was right next to her. The mares realized it was the man, not any other stallions already taken. Lily and Roseluck looked at each other and smiled before turning their attention to the man. Roseluck said, “Oh, it’s no trouble, good sir.”

The man laughed and said, “No need to call me a sir, Ma’am.”

She still felt nervous with the butterflies in her stomach and turned her face away. Her friends noticed her shyness, and Minuette asked, “What is your name?”

He smiled and said, “My name is Christopher. I just moved here not long ago, and I gotta admit, it’s a nice little town. I think I picked a good place to settle down in.”

Cherry Berry’s ears perked up, as did her mood.

”He’s going to live here long-term?! Calm down, Cherry; find out more first. But still, a good start.”

“Really…” said Minuette with a smile. “That’s nice, that’s really nice, isn’t it, girls?”

Lily and Roseluck nodded and said, “Mhm.”

Both sisters quickly glanced at Cherry Berry, who was trying to control her blushing. They giggled, which confused Christopher, but he shrugged it off and continued, “Yeah, I like it here. It’s kinda cozy, and it has that small-town charm. My old home was like that, so I feel a little more at ease. And I got a cool job flying mail back and forth between towns. Nothing beats feeling the wind and seeing the view.”

”Keep calm, Cherry Berry, keep it together. That’s two things you have in common. Not enough to ask him to be your special somepony, let alone make a hubby out of him.”

She kept stealing quick glances at the man while avoiding being seen checking him out. She saw his arms had decent muscles and his hands were clean. She tried to remove un-merely thoughts of what those fingers could be used for but failed. Her tail had the urge to flick and flag, but she kept it in check.

Minuette continued, “That’s really nice, and I’m glad to hear you like it, Ponyville. Oh, where are my manners? My name is Minuette, and I moved here a couple of years ago from Canterlot. And these are my friends; they’re native to Ponyville. Say hello, ladies.”

Minuette motioned for her friends to introduce themselves, and the Flower sisters were the first to do so.

Lily stuck her hoof out, and he shook it with his hands. She greeted, “Nice to meet you, I’m Lily, and this is my sister, Roseluck.”

Roseluck did the same while she said, “Hello, Christopher, nice to meet you.”

The man smiled and said with charm, “Good morning, it's nice to meet two lovely sisters”

The sisters giggled, making Lily say, “He’s quite the charmer, isn’t he, Rosie?”

Roseluck nodded and said, “Most certainly, quite the gentlecolt.”

”Okay, he can be charming, not bad…wait, it’s my turn to be introduced. Oh, buck! Keep calm, Cherry.”

Minuette then pointed to her and winked before saying, “And this is my friend, Cherry Berry. Fun fact, she makes a mean pie.”

“Seriously, Minuette? Trying to sell my special talent to the man? He probably doesn’t even like cherries.”

She could feel the man staring right at her, despite her head turning away and her mane covering her eyes.

”Look at him! Don’t be like Fluttershy! Come on, mare up!”

Minuette nudged her, which prompted her to look at the man. Her eyes locked with his, making her almost flick her tail. She stared at his face as he gave her a warm smile. Her heart started beating rapidly, and her voice nearly broke when she said, “H-hello, my n-name is Cherry Berry.”

She held out her hoof, which he took and shook. The feeling of his finger wrapping around her hoof sent shivers down her spine and to her tail. The thoughts of his fingers doing naughty things before flash into her mind. She smiled at him, trying to avoid giving him a loving stare. The man didn’t notice, though, which relieved her. He let go of her hoof, which he didn’t want to do, but he let it go.

“Nice to meet you, Cherry Berry. I hope your day is going well.

She whispered, “It is now.”

Christopher raised an eyebrow and asked, “I’m sorry, what was that?”

The mare blurted out, “N-nothing!” while her friends were doing their best to avoid laughing at their friend’s flustered state.

The man didn’t understand what was happening but added, “Well, in any event, I hope your day is going well. So, you can make a mean pie, is that right?”

Cherry Berry nodded, making Christopher smile.

“That’s really cool; pie is my favorite dessert! It’s part of my American heritage, like apple pie. Though, between you and me, apple pie is overrated. Cherry pie is where it’s at.”

Her eyes widened as her friends smirked and grinned.

”His favorite pie is cherry pie?! Keep going, Christopher; you’re showing a lot of promise.”

She smiled and said softly, “Th-that’s nice. That’s really nice. I’d like to make a cherry pie for you sometime.”

”Oh, buck! Too soon! Don’t come off too strong!”

The man gave her a thumbs-up and said, “Thanks! You don’t need to do that, but I appreciate it!”

Cherry Berry’s heart began to beat faster as her friends gave her a wink of encouragement. She almost froze like a statue and continued to stare into his eyes. Realizing their friend wasn’t continuing, her friends kept the conversation going. They wanted to ensure Christopher stayed as long as possible so she could snag a date.

Lily asked, “So, Christopher, you like flying, right?”

The man’s eyes lit up, as did his smile, “Yup! I sure do. I earned my Pilot’s License back in America, which is my home country. I was in the United States Air Force, our version of the Aerial Royal Guard, for 4 years, then went to flight school. I was gonna get a job as an airline pilot, but I wound up here. I miss home, but I can’t let things get me down. I gotta keep straight and fly right, and that’s what I intend on doing.”

She flicked her tail absentmindedly, which nopony, including Christopher, noticed.

”That’s it, he’s mine! I just need to mare up and set up a date…somehow.”

Roseluck then added, “Well, Cherry Berry is into flying. She has her own hot-air balloon and gives ponies rides.”

Christopher turned his attention to her and asked, “Really? That was you?! I swore I saw a balloon flying on my final approach outside town. Looks like my eyes weren’t lying. That’s awesome you have your own balloon! How long have you been flying? When did you get into aviation?”

Cherry Berry felt like she had a gift falling from the sky on a golden parachute and landing in front of her. She immediately relaxed and smiled at the man who genuinely shared her interest. And he wanted to share it with her. She answered, “Well, it’s a long story….”

“Yes?” asked Christopher.

Minuette, Lily, and Roseluck were beaming with happiness for her friend. Lily made a “Well, go on.” hoof gesture, pushing her friend to jump on the opportunity.

”Come on, Cherry, go for it! Cast out your hook and reel him in!”

She continued, “and it’s not something that can be shared in a few minutes. Maybe we can meet up at a local Cafe and get a cup of coffee? There’s a lot about Equestrian aviation I can tell you.”

The man nodded and said, “Absolutely! I have another mail run after this game with my bros, so I’ll see you there at 6:00 PM? Does that work for you?”

”Hook, line, and sinker! I got a date! EEE!”

The pink mare nodded and said, “YES! I mean, that’s good for me. Hope you have a good flight!”

Christopher winked and said, “Thanks, Cherry. I’ll just grab this ball and head…back.”

She smiled before noticing a strange look on Christopher’s face. His smile was now replaced with embarrassment, and for once, his face was now blushing. And it wasn’t a simple blush as his face was redder than a beet. She dropped her smile and was worried. She couldn’t understand why he was staring at her like that.

And it wasn’t just Christopher; Lily and Roseluck covered their eyes with their hooves, trying their best to avoid the sight before them.

Minuette whispered, “Pst, Cherry, your tail.”

She didn’t understand until it hit her.

”Did I? Oh no, no, no! Please tell me I didn’t do what I think I did.”

To her horror, her worst fear was confirmed. In her excitement at meeting Christopher and scoring a date, Cherry Berry had lowered her guard and allowed her tail to flag. Her precious and perfect private mare parts were exposed for everypony, including the man, to see. Her tail had lifted up and out of the way, exposing her marehood and anus, or what stallions called the “Pussy & Ponut.” Christopher stared at her clean, tight-looking pair of pink fleshly alluring pony mare holes. They effectively put him in a trance, and he could not break from it.

”NO! NO! NO! DO SOMETHING, YOU STUPID MARE!”

Cherry Berry immediately covered herself with her tail and her face as red as Christopher’s. Cherry Berry then said, “I’m so sorry! I’m not like that! I-”

The man broke his trance and said, “It’s fine, ma’am. I…I gotta go.”

The man quickly picked up the soccer ball and ran off, with Cherry Berry standing up and running after him while calling out, “Wait! I’m not that type of mare! I’m not whorse! I’ll see you at the cafe at 6, right?!”

The man turned his head back to her and waved, still flush with embarrassment. He returned the soccer ball to his friends, who resumed the game. Cherry Berry collapsed to the ground and said, “I blew it! Oh, buck it to Tartarus, I blew it!”

Cherry Berry covered her face in embarrassment, causing Lily and Roseluck to console her. Minuette quickly packed the picnic blanket and dishes, knowing the picnic was over.

Lily said, “It’s okay, Cherry, you have a date, and we’ll help you get ready.”

Roseluck nodded, “Yes, it was a simple accident. He didn’t know how to respond. My sister and I will pick a flower for your mane, and Minuette will help you with your make-up and get you a nice tail ribbon. Right?”

Minuette packed up the picnic stuff and responded, “Right. Trust us, Cherry, you didn’t buck up badly. Just a minor setback, so mare up and get ready for your date with Christopher.”

Cherry Berry tried to smile and said, “You really think so? You think he’ll be there?”

Minuette replied, “Of course, he will! He’d be stupid to not want to date a mare like you!”

All mares stared at Christopher as he scored yet another goal. The stallions cheered him on again as the man performed a cartwheel in celebration.

“Yeah… he’ll be there… he’s just got to,” said Cherry Berry as she tried to reassure herself.

Christopher turned his attention to the mares and noticed they were staring at him. He awkwardly smiled and waved before continuing back to the game.

True to her friends’ words, Cherry Berry was dolled up with eye shadow matching her violet eyes. A special lily flower that Lily had grown for mares on dates rested between her ear and mane. Minuette had found a lovely cherry-colored ribbon and had tied it to her tail with her magic. Lily and Rosluck’s older sister, Daisy, had wished her luck getting her man. With some final encouragement, Cherry Berry set off toward the cafe.

It didn’t take long to reach the place, and the waiter sat her down with a menu.

“Umm, I’m meeting somepony, so can I have another menu?”

The waiter nodded and gave her a second menu. As the waiter walked off, the mare looked at a clock that could be seen from inside the cafe. She had elected to sit at an outside table, not wanting Christopher to mistakenly believe she didn’t show up.

“Excuse me, but what would you like to order while waiting for your companion?”

Cherry Berry simply ordered, “A medium roast coffee, please. Cream and sugar, but only one cube, please.”

The waiter nodded and went to fetch her coffee. Many mares had brought their stallions to the cafe, all wanting to enjoy their night with their special someponies before Hearts and Hooves Day. Cherry Berry had wondered if she was being a little too strong and desperate, seeing how it was supposed to be a simple meet-up for coffee. She shook such doubts away from her mind, excited to see Christopher, share her passion for aviation, and hopefully get to know him better.

”Yes, I had an accidental flagging. Embarrassing? Yeah, but hopefully, he liked what he saw. He knows I have the goods, and I hope he’ll give me a chance.”

“Madam, your coffee.”

“Oh, thank you!”

The waiter nodded once more before attending to other customers.

”Okay, Christopher, I’m ready!”

Three coffees and a cinnamon roll later, the waiter came to deliver Cherry Berry her bill. She paid the bill and left as the cafe closed. The mare was on autopilot as she walked back to the flower sisters’ house. She ignored everypony and everything on her way. Cherry Berry knocked on the door, and Lily answered. Minuette was still there and drinking tea with Daisy and Roseluck. All the mares put their tea down and ran to the door, eager to hear how Cherry Berry’s date went.

“Oh! Hi Cherry! How did it go?” asked Lily.

“Yeah, how did it go? Tell us the goods! Is he nice? Did you get another date?” asked Daisy.

Cherry Berry stared blankly before sitting on her haunches and began crying while covering her eyes with her hooves.

“HE NEVER SHOWED! HE MUST THINK I’M A WHORSE!”

Lily hugged Cherry Berry as she bawled her eyes out. Daisy was confused and wondered why Cherry Berry was crying. Minuette whispered into her ear what had happened earlier in the park. Daisy’s eyes widened as her face blushed a little before turning sad for her friend. All the mares hugged their friend before Minuette helped Cherry Berry back to her house and tucked her into bed. Cherry Berry was so emotionally exhausted she immediately went to bed.

Her heart had deflated as her balloon had earlier in the day. It would take a brand new fire to inflate it again, and the man for the job was nowhere to be found.

YOU DID WHAT?!

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The rest of the day for Christopher was strange and distracting. His last mail run to Canterlot finished without a hitch, but the flight back to Ponyville was another matter. Despite the fact the sun was soft and the weather was as friendly as it could be for an aviator, it made no difference in improving the return flight. His attention often drifted off, only for him to snap back to reality. Whenever he thought of Cherry Berry, her private parts would pop into his mind and consume his thoughts.

Since his arrival in Equestria, he never had looked at any of the mares, or griffon gals for that matter, in a sexual manner. He was too stressed out while trying to adjust to his new world; sex or romantic relationships were almost a dead-last priority. That changed when he looked at Cherry Berry’s pony butt, which was not too radically different from a woman’s butt, having just a slight horse shape with thick glutes. It was her “other” features that caught his attention. The image of her immaculately clean and pink pony-shaped private parts was forever branded into his mind.

He had no idea why she even showed him her private parts, but all he knew was he felt like a pervert when he saw it. He wasn’t gay by any means and had plenty of experience going down on a woman, but a woman she was not. She was a mare, a female of a different species, and his brain literally crashed as the view imprinted into his brain. Worst of all, he liked it but felt disgusted at himself, and he didn’t want to feel like a horse fucker.

”I’m not into bestiality...but does it count with them? Damn, now that I think about it, I haven’t even fapped since I’ve been here! Wait?! Where the hell am I going?!”

Thinking about Cherry Berry’s ladyparts often caused him to drift off course, and he’d have to correct his heading many times. This took him an extra 30 minutes to return to Ponyville, making him land at 5:30 pm. His coffee meet-up with the mare was pretty close, and he wondered if he should even go. Christopher looked at his watch and noted the time. At best, he’d only have fifteen minutes to clean up and meet her at the local Cafe.

His arrival in Equestria was bizarre and stressful in the first three days. He was walking through one of the many national forest parks in America. He hoped to relax with a solo camping trip, only to wake up from a bright light and loud ass sound not unlike thunderous lightning. After waking up to the sight of a talking alicorn, which he now knew as Princess Celestia, Christopher freaked out. And by freaking out, he threw his coffee pot at her and pulled out a combat knife.

And it wasn’t a small matter either; Christopher knew how to fight and use his weapon. As he backed into the corner, taking a combat stance in the strange, almost wizardly-looking chemistry potion lair, many smaller horse-like guards piled into the room with spears. All of them were ready to kill him, but Princess Celestia calmed the situation down and assured him in a motherly voice he wouldn’t be harmed. After setting his combat knife down, the two of them talked for hours. He learned they were not horses but ponies and that the difference between them was VERY much emphasized.

He learned that Princess Celestia attempted to create a network of teleportation points between cities for her and her sister, Princess Luna. This would allow them to travel for emergencies or private personal reasons without tapping into their internal magic reserves. Teleportation was a difficult and taxing spell, so she hoped to simplify the process with a waypoint travel system. This was to be used via a platform and a magic crystal stone, which activated upon touch and command of the desired location. In other words, Princess Celestia tried to create a Harry Potter Floo system but failed.

To Christopher, it was all magic mumbo jumbo, but he had a rough idea of what she was trying to do. Princess Celestia told him that any attempt to send him back was too dangerous. She wouldn’t, in good conscience, attempt to send him back via the spell, which almost made him break down. His old military bearing from his Air Force days kicked in and stopped him from crying and unbecoming of a man. She hugged him like a mother as she could see the pain in his eyes.

He stayed at the castle for five days until his nerves and emotions had settled. He refused to be in pity party mode no more. He wanted to live his life to the fullest, even if that meant living among talking girl cartoonish fantasy-looking ponies. After spending two days talking to both Princesses and getting a basic crash course in Equestria history, culture, and geography, he asked to settle into Ponyville.

He was given a lump sum of Bits and was awarded a monthly pension for life as compensation for his life being upended due to Princess Celestia’s actions. And the lump sum was very generous, being 250,000 Bits. The monthly allowance was 3000 Bits, and as long as Christopher wasn’t reckless with his money, he wouldn’t have to work for the rest of his life. He refused to sit around and do nothing and chose to use his talent of flying to get a job.

He was thrilled to find out aircraft of many kinds existed in Equestria and went shopping immediately. The majority were strange, balloon-zeplin steampunk-like aircraft, several of which required crews. Many were a little too slow for his taste, and Christopher had hoped propeller planes of some kind existed. After searching, he finally found a two-seater airplane similar to some of the older 1930s airplanes back on earth. While he preferred a single-seater, it was better than nothing.

It cost him 30,000 Bits plus spare parts to change the paint scheme to something more fitting for a proud American, but he didn’t care. He also learned that the controls were similar enough for him to fly with no issues. After telling the Princesses of his plans to get a job, they saw him off and wished him well in Ponyville. Princess Celestia said that he made a good choice and to be sure to introduce himself to her student Twilight Sparkle upon her return from her visiting parents.

They made it clear he was welcome back to the Castle and to keep in touch via letters to let them know how he was doing. After landing in Ponyville for the first time, he drew a large herd of spectator ponies. After realizing he was a human, he became an instant celebrity.

Christopher found it strange that he wasn’t the only human to have arrived here and was the fourth person in Equestria. The three humans before him were very long ago and had made a huge positive impression on the ponies. Apparently, some Megan girl and her siblings had come long ago, and made a huge impact on pony society. He couldn’t recall much of the details seeing how his history lessons were very brief.

After introducing himself and learning a few names, he talked with Mayor Mare about finding a job. She got in touch with the local Royal Post Office, who practically begged him to fly mail for them, which he gladly accepted. He also had no trouble finding a good set of guy friends to hang with and have a good brotherhood.

After securing the aircraft, Christopher still had the issue of what to do with Cherry Berry. He was still conflicted as to whether to meet with her or not. He decided that since it was just a simple coffee meet-up, he’d be able to skip it and catch up with her tomorrow and explain why he never showed. The chances the mare was trying to date him were low, and he highly doubted she saw it as anything more than a meet-up. He decided to walk to Lucky’s house, where he usually hosted a card game every Friday evening around this time.

He figured he’d tell them what happened with his meeting with the mares, and they’d all have a good bro laugh.

”Yeah, I might get some grief at being flashed by that Cherry mare, but I’m sure that’s all they’ll do. It’s not like a human and a pony could get it on...or can they? Is that even acceptable in this society?”

Christopher took a hard left after walking over the park bridge and into Ponyville proper. It took him about ten minutes to get to Lucky’s house, who answered the door after he knocked. He had about twenty minutes until 6:00 pm in case he changed his mind.

“Alright, bros, I’ll deal’em. You all know the rules.”

Christopher sat on one of the provided chairs while Lucky started dealing out the cards. Meadows Song, Noteworthy, Thunderlane, and Bulk Biceps took their cards while Christopher was given his cards last. The game was called Yolker, which made the man groan mentally in agony at one of the many horse-themed names he’d encountered. It was basically Poker with the same rules. It also didn’t help that he needed to improve at the game, having only played it a few times before coming to Equestria.

Christopher looked at his cards before taking a sip of the cheap beer Noteworthy brought to the game. He wasn’t happy with his hand, having only a simple pair of threes.

”Oh boy, lucky me. Let’s see if I can bullshit, or in this case, “horseshit” some of these dudes.”

Christopher threw four wooden green chips before saying, “I’m in.”

Lucky looked at the man with discerning eyes before saying, “Same.”

Noteworthy and Thunderlane both said, “Fold.”

Bulk Biceps also threw in four green chips before shouting, “I’M IN TOO!”

“Geez Bulk, you know you don’t have to shout all the time!” complained Thunderlane as he used his hooves to cover his ears. Christopher and the other stallions nodded as Bulk, with his ever-intense face, replied, “SORRY! I-uh mean, sorry guys. Force of habit.”

Lucky shrugged and said, “It’s all good. We know intensity is your thing; no need to prove it all the time.”

Bulk Biceps grinned before focusing on the cards in hooves. Christopher had no clue how in the hell ponies managed to do half of the things they could do without fingers but chalked it up to either “it’s magic” to “IDGAF.” The man turned his attention back to the stallions before saying, “I raise three more.”

Lucky raised an eyebrow before saying, “I fold.” Bulk Biceps turned his attention to the man. He tried to focus with the same intensity as always. He failed, and the man knew he failed because his eyes didn’t bulge the same way they usually do. This made him smirk at the ripped stallion, and Bulk Biceps knew the jig was up; he folded his cards in shame. Christopher took the chips and said, “Finally, I won! This is much better than earlier in the day.”

All stallions looked at each other in confusion before Meadow Song asked, “What do you mean “Better than earlier”? You won that soccer game hooves down!”

Thunderlane drank a big gulp of his beer and let out a hearty belch before adding, “Yeah, what are you talking about, bro? You gonna tell us or what?”

The man merely replied, “Good one, Thunderlane; that belch was better than the last time.”

”Don’t talk about pony pussy, don’t talk about pony pussy!”

Lucky, however, wasn’t going to let Christopher dodge the question and asked, “Is it because of those mares you were talking to?”

Christopher froze for a split second before taking a sip of his beer. This was enough for Lucky to smirk and say, “It IS about those mares, isn’t it.”

The man looked into his eyes and gave a brief look of “drop it” before drinking his beer again. Lucky reshuffled the cards before saying, “Hot dang, fellas! Our human stallion bro here finally had a moment with the mares. Tell me, which one hit on you?”

All of the stallions hooted and hollered at Christopher, which made the man blush in embarrassment. After drinking the beer some more, he set the wooden mug on the table and asked, “What makes you think they were hitting on me.”

Lucky smiled as he passed out cards to everyone and replied, “Well, for one, you froze when reaching for the chips. You then tried to dodge the question; poorly, I might add. Secondly, you took a couple of minutes talking to the mares as we waited for you to bring the ball back. And seeing how it’s almost Hearts and Hooves Day, the mares are out looking for stallions, so we all took bets on who it would be to ask you out.”

Christopher shook his head before taking his cards and looking at his hand.

”Fuck. Pure utter horseshit. I have nothing here.”

He failed to hide his displeasure before he realized all of them were looking at him. He threw his cards down and said, “I fold.”

The stallions made their bets, but refused to drop the topic at hand. Noteworthy asked, “Well...which one asked you? C’mon, I bet four Bits, and I need to know.”

Christopher shook his head as they continued the game before asking, “Wait, you placed a wager on me?! Getting a date with one of those mares?”

All of the stallions nodded their heads before a few threw in chips. Meadow Song and Bulk Biceps folded, leaving only Lucky and Noteworthy standing. Both stallions raised another five chips before Noteworthy said, “I call.”

Lucky nodded before both stallions set their cards down. Lucky won, and it wasn’t even close. He had a full house, while Noteworthy only had a measly pair of twos. The blue stallion grumbled as Lucky took the chips away. He turned his attention back to the man and said, “Well, how’d it go? And don’t lie, we KNOW one of them had to have asked you out.”

The man wanted to argue, but he knew he’d been had. It was pointless to argue further before Christopher replied, “None of them asked me out on a date...well, not exactly. One of them wanted to meet up for coffee and talk-”

Every stallion interrupted him and shouted, “DATE!”

Lucky put the cards on the table, looked the man in the eyes, and said, “Dude, it’s a date; anytime a mare that is single and says, “Let’s go talk about something at this place.”, or they say, “Hey, let’s meet up for coffee.”, or “Meet me at Sugarcube Corner.”, and it’s NOT a work environment or a family member, especially when Hearts and Hooves day is near, IT’S A DATE!”

”No...it can’t be...can it?”

The hourglass in the man’s mind was spinning as the stallions looked at him. They knew he was trying to deny it in his head, and before the man could ask, Noteworthy said, “You’re not getting any more beer unless you answer.”

The man snapped from his thinking and argued, “Oh, c’mon! Don’t do a bro like that.”

Noteworthy held the cold bottle of beer in his forelegs that he pulled from a mini-cooler and said, “The truth shall let you loose. Just give us the answer, and the booze shall flow freely through you.”

The man narrowed his eyes and said, “You’re a bastard, you know that?”

All of the stallions chuckled before staring intently at him. Meadow Song then said, “Say it! Tell us which one asked you on a date.”

Christopher lowered his head and felt guilty. If what they were saying was true, he screwed up and pulled a dick move. The realization hit him hard as he remembered all the signs. Cherry Berry was shy around him, blushed several times, and was nervous talking to him. She also offered to bake him his favorite pie despite not knowing him. And she wanted to talk about flying, a passion he held dear just as she did, at the Cafe getting a coffee. It all fell into place, especially when she meant she wasn’t “a horse” and “not that kind of mare.”

”Holy shit! It’s true! It really was a date! OH FUCK!!”

The look of guilt on his face only fueled the tension in the room. He then said, “It was Cherry Berry.”

The room erupted in loud cheers and jeers as the stallions pulled out Bits. Lucky had apparently bet on Cherry Berry, making the other stallions give him their money.

“I had a feeling it would be her; she’s the only one who likes flying, aside from that loudmouth Rainbow Dash.” said Lucky.

Christopher then asked, “Who? Who is Rainbow Dash?”

All of the stallions looked at Christopher, with Bulk Biceps asking, “You haven’t met her yet? Wow, that’s a surprise; she’s a pegasus with a blue coat, rainbow mane, and tail. She’s into flying like you, and I’d have thought she’d have met you by now. Because if she had, she’d be booming and zooming really hard for you. That said, I thought Lily would have been the one to ask you out; she’s been getting desperate from what Lotus told me.”

Christopher had been to the spa only once for a massage but he had met Lotus. He found it strange that the masseuse mare would share gossip with the big stallion, which made him curious. He asked, “Are you dating Lotus?”

Bulk Biceps nodded before hoofing his Bits to Lucky and answered, “Yeah, we’ve been together for about a year. I work at the spa on the days I don’t work at the local gym. I’m pretty happy with her. She tells me some of the gossip here and there.”

Christopher nodded at the information before pointing at the bottle Noteworthy was holding and commanded, “Gimme dat beer! You promised!”

The stallion grunted before saying, “Well, I did promise it, but you cost me four bits, dude. Not cool. Anyway, here you go.”

Christopher took the beer and smiled as he poured the cheap but satisfying beer. As he took the bottle of beer and opened the resealable cap, Christopher asked, “Who did you guys bet on asking me then?”

After taking a sip of beer, Meadow Song confessed, “I bet on Roseluck. She’s almost as desperate as Lily. She’s not bad-looking, but I’m happily taken by Junebug.”

The man nodded, took a sip of the beer, and asked Noteworthy, “What about you? Who is your gal pal?”

Noteworthy took his new pair of cards and said, “Shoeshine, and she’s my wife. We got married 6 months ago. I don’t regret it, and I hope we get foals a few years from now.”

”He’s married? Didn’t see that coming.”

Christopher took another sip before taking his cards and did his best to hold his excitement. He had a four-of-a-kind, and the chances of his friends shaving a royal flush were slim. He wanted to organize his cards, but if he had done so, it would have given away he had a good hand. The man asked, “What about you, Lucky? Who is your mare?”

As Lucky put the deck down, he proudly smiled and said, “I’m dating Sea Swirl; she’s the mare of my dreams. I plan to pop the question next year. I would do it this year if I had enough Bits to buy a ring.”

Christopher took several sips of his beer, heavily lost in his thoughts at the news. Every single stallion was taken by a mare, and they were all happy. The man knew he would never again have the company of a woman, and he wondered if a potential girlfriend being a pony was that big of a deal anymore. It was abundantly clear Cherry Berry saw something special in him, despite him not being a pony. She had put herself out there and he handled it poorly upon reflection. He took a gulp of his beer and thought,

”Do I wanna be a monk or just be a lonely guy who faps at night for the rest of his life? Not sure if it’s the beer, but her pussy looks really nice now that I think about it.”

As he set his beer down, the man said, “Wow, so having a girlfriend as a pony ain’t that bad, I guess.”

Thunderlane laughed and said, “It’s marefriend; start using our terms, bro. You’re in Equestria, not in...what was your home called?”

The man put a hand over his heart and proudly said, “The United States of America.”

Thunderlane rolled his eyes and said, “Yeah, that place. You’re in Equestria, so it’s marefriend, not girlfriend. Besides, you’re kinda lucky you walked into four single mares and managed to snag a date so easily. You had plenty of choices, and you didn’t even know it!”

As he put ten red chips on the table, the man looked at his cards but was listening to Thunderlane. He had to admit he was lucky; only the greatest Chads, Tyrones, and Enriques of Earth would have choices like a buffet before them. He was good-looking, but modern women often overvalued themselves and passed him up because he wasn’t super tall or had a very high amount of dollars. But it seemed to be the opposite in Equestria, and he had no idea how good he had it.

”To be fair, I’ve only been here a few weeks, and it’s still a bit of a culture shock. The idea of dating a pony isn’t so bad after all. They aren’t animals now that I think about it.”

And if she was a good mare, then he could have his love needs fulfilled. The table shook, snapping the man from his thoughts of pony pussy. Bulk Biceps had knocked on it and asked, “You okay? You drifted off there.”

He nodded before saying, “Yeah, I’m fine. Okay, I placed my bet of ten reds. Who’s next?”

Lucky raised an eyebrow and asked, “Ten reds, huh? You feeling good about that hoof of cards?”

”Heh, hoof, instead of the hand of cards...freaking ponies, man. Well, when in Rome, why not? I guess I can throw them off by telling them what Cherry Berry did. It might distract them and let me win the round.”

The man smirked and said, “I guess you can say that. Considering what Cherry Berry did.”

As the rest put their best down, Meadow Song asked, “Like what? You said she asked you for a date or a “Coffee meet-up”. What else did she do?”

Christopher smirked and remembered the sight of her pretty pink precious, perfect pony pussy. He said, “Her tail moved out of the way, and I saw her stuff.”

The entire room went silent, so silent that a mouse could be heard laughing if one was here. Each stallion looked at one another, unable to believe what they heard. Thunderlane was the first to ask, “Wait, are you telling me she FLAGGED you?!”

Christopher shrugged his shoulders and said, “Yeah, I guess that’s what it’s called here. It’s called flashing back on Earth, but yeah. I saw her-”

Noteworthy interrupted and said, “P&P! She showed you the P&P! And didn’t jump on that? Like, take her on a date right there?!”

The man felt the intense focus from all stallions aimed right at him. He was starting to wonder if he had made a huge error or cultural faux paux. He then admitted, “Well...it was a bit embarrassing for me, and I didn’t know how to handle it, so I came back and played the game with you guys. She said she wasn’t “a horse” and that she “wasn’t that kind of girl.”

The entire room erupted in outrage and protests at the man. Bulk Biceps slammed a hoof on the table while the other stallions jeered at him for his major blunder. The man felt worse as the stallions explained why her flagging was a major deal.

Lucky shook his head as he put his cards on the ground and said, “Dude, she showed you her treasure, the prize all stallions seek. And it sounds like it was an accident based on what she said. And she meant “whorse” not “a horse.” Don’t call a pony either of those names though, especially to a mare. We are ponies, big difference.”

”Okay, I get it. Pony names are weird. A whorse is a whore. Makes sense she acted that way.”

Thunderlane then added, “Yeah, her saying those things should have been another clue it wasn’t a simple meet-up. It was a date, bro. And you need to make sure you show up and get that glorious P&P!”

”P&P? The fuck is that?”

Before the man could ask, Bulk Biceps shouted, “THE PUSSY AND THE PONUT! YEAH!!”

This surprised Christopher; he knew what pussy meant, but he had no clue what “ponut” meant. Before he could ask, Thunderlane explained, “I know you’re not from here, but I’ll explain it. Pussy is-”

He held up his hand before taking a gulp of needed beer and said, “I know what a pussy is; it’s the vagina. We had that word back on Earth, and I’m guessing “ponut” means anus, but WHY is it called that?”

All of the stallions grinned before Lucky motioned Bulk Biceps to walk over to a pink box on a nearby table. The box clearly said “Donut Joes” on it, and the man felt a feeling of dread increasing. The jacked-up stallion pulled out a chocolate-frosted donut. Bulk Biceps said, “A donut plus a pony equals-”

”Oh god, I get it now. Jesus! You wouldn’t expect it from these cartoony fantasy-looking ponies that they’re just as depraved as humanity!”

“PONUT!”

And to Christopher’s disgust, Bulk Biceps shouted, “YEAH! GIVE HER A LICK!” before pushing his tongue threw the donut hole. The other stallions laughed as the man’s face turned green before he gulped down as much beer as possible. After defiling the donut, Bulk Biceps ate it but not before leaving chocolate frosting on his muzzle. He licked it clean as the man shook his head.

Christopher facepalmed as the room was full of rowdy laughter for a good minute. Once the laughter died down, the man asked, “Did you have to use a chocolate donut? Was there no glazed donuts left?”

Meadow Song added, “Yeah, glazed sugar would have been better for a mare’s juice. It looked like you were eating dung!”

Thunderlane laughed and said, “Yeah, I think you scarred Christopher for life.”

The bulky stallion blushed before saying, “It’s my favorite kind of donut. Not into that stuff if that’s what you’re saying.”

Lucky looked at Bulk before saying, “Uh-huh, sure. Whatever you and Lotus do is your business.”

Bulk Biceps rolled his eyes before gulping down beer. As the stallions looked at their cards again, Lucky asked Christopher, “So, when is that date, I mean, “coffee meet-up” supposed to be? You know you gotta get ready for it.”

As the stallions matched Christopher’s bet of ten red chips, he casually confessed, “Eh, I didn’t show; it was a few minutes ago. I still don’t think-”

”YOU DID WHAT?!”

Once again, the room erupted in outrage as the stallions yelled at the man. This took Christopher by surprise as he found himself in a defensive position. Lucky was the first one to bust his balls by saying, “You’re telling me you stood up a good-looking mare, who flagged you and put herself on the line by asking you out on a date, and you’re here and not there?!”

Thunderlane put his hooves to his ears and said, “I can’t believe this! I cannot believe I’m hearing such fail!”

Noteworthy locked up all the remaining beer in the cooler and said, “You don’t deserve this beer until you go fix your buck-up.”

Meadow Song asked, “Can I ask you something? Are you a colt cuddler?

The man didn’t need to be a native Equestrian to understand what he meant. He quickly denied such an accusation and said, “No! I’m not gay!”

Meadow Song shook his head and replied, “Well, what you did sort of says otherwise. I mean, why are you here? You literally had a mare fall right into your lap, and you didn’t even go for it!”

Christopher wanted to drink the remaining beer left but was sad to see his wooden mug was empty. Disappointed he wouldn’t be able to fuel his alcoholic thirst, he set it back down and said, “Well, I’m a human, and she’s a pony.”

“So what?!” asked Noteworthy, “What is your point? We’re ponies, and we’re your friends. Why would it be so hard of a leap to date a mare?”

Lucky nodded and said, “Look bro, you’re not on Earth anymore; you’re on Equis and in Equestria of all places. The chances of human mares coming from Earth are next to none. Do you want to be alone and clop yourself in bed for the rest of your life? If not, you’re gonna need to expand your horizons.”

The man was confused by the word “clop” and asked, “Clop?”

Lucky pointed at Meadow Song and Thunderlane, who grinned. Meadow Song put a hoof down to this nether region while sporting an “O-face” and motioned his hoof as if he were jerking off. Thunderlane used his forehooves and made a rapid clopping noise while matching the rhythm of his friend’s jerking motion.

“Oh, God! I get it; I get the point, guys.” said Christopher.

This only encouraged them as Thunderlane voiced Meadow Song’s pantomime clopping motions.

“Oh, Cherry Berry! Give me that P&P! OH! OH YES! AHH!!!”

Meadow Song then gave the best post-coital expression he could before the two laughed their tails off. The man’s face was red at his friends’ relentless jabs, with Lucky, Noteworthy, and Bulk Biceps laughing as well. Christopher shook his head and sighed, “Ha ha, very funny.”

Lucky then added, “It would be funny if you didn’t stand her up. Seriously dude, it’s not hard for a stallion in this country to get a mare. I don’t know how it is back at your old home, but once a stallion hurts the dignity of a mare, it’s almost impossible to get her back. And mares talk in Ponyville; all it takes is one bad word, and your chances of getting a mare are almost next to none.”

”Next to none? Shit...”

“C’mon dude,” said Noteworthy, “get out of here and go get her! Apologize and ask her back out. Tell her you were late because of work and you’ll make it up to her. Even if it doesn’t work out, your reputation will be safe, and other mares will take a shot with you.

Thunderlane added, “Pretty much this. You don’t want to be a begging simp, believe me. Think about it, P&P! P&P!”

All of the stallions started stomping the table with their hooves and chanted, “P&P! P&P! P&P!”

Lucky looked at Christopher and narrowed his eyes. The Stallion pointed at the man with a hoof and said, “Close your eyes and think about her. JUST DO IT! P&P! P&P!”

As his friends continued their chanting and stomping on the table, Christopher closed his eyes and imagined Cherry Berry. The thoughts of her pretty pink pony pussy and ponut flooded back into his mind. The more he thought about it, the more he wanted a taste. He wanted to grab those juicy pony butt cheeks and give them a good spanking as he had always wanted to do with women. If mares were desperate for a relationship, then they’d be willing to give up the good stuff. The American man was far from a degenerate player, but he certainly had his sexual desires as any regular man would.

”P&P...Pussy and the ponut. All there in a convenient location, ready to be taken. I’ll bet they act like fleshy vise blocks...I WANT IT! I NEED IT!”

As he opened his eyes, the stallions stopped and saw the hardened determination in his eyes. He then declared, “P&P! I give into the power of the P&P!”

Lucky smashed his hooves together before saying in a fake evil voice, “Goooood! You’ve been corrupted by the power of the P&P! Now...”

Lucky pointed to the door and commanded, “Go get her! You got this, bro!”

Bulk Biceps smashed his hooves together and shouted, “YEAH! GET THAT MARE!”

Thunderlane, Meadow Song, and Noteworthy cheered him on as the man said, “See ya later, bros!”.

He tossed his cards onto the table and ran out of the door as fast as possible. The cards were revealed on the table, and the stallions looked at Christopher’s previous hand. Lucky wiped the sweat from his brow and said, “Phew! Good thing he folded; I had squat. How about you guys?”

The other stallions threw their cards on the table, revealing they, too, had a poor hoof of cards. Bulk Biceps threw his cards down and said, “Royal Flush.”

The stallions groaned as Bulk Biceps took the chips. He laughed but stopped as Thunderlane said, “Choco-ponut eater.”

Bulk rolled his eyes as his friends laughed. The big stallion then asked, “Any of you guys wanna bet he gets her back or blows it?”

All of the stallions looked at each other before placing their bets. It was up to Christopher to make it or break it, and he had very little time left before the night was over.

It was late into the night, and the man ran to the Cafe as fast as he could. His apprehension about interspecies relationships was no longer present. The man felt like an idiot for standing the mare up. Despite his mistake, Christopher refused to let the chance of getting a marefriend slip through his fingers. Equestria and Ponyville were now his home, and he was going to make the best of it.

”Where is that Cafe? I swore it was near Town Hall. I gotta get there!”

Despite the evening time, many ponies were moving about on a Friday night. The majority of them were couples, while a few city workers were setting up decorations for Hearts and Hooves Day. Many couples looked into each other’s loving eyes while walking or sitting on a bench. He felt a small amount of jealousy, knowing that he potentially ruined a chance of having the same thing.

He turned the corner and was lucky to see the Cafe. And by seeing the Cafe, he saw it was closed. His veins felt like ice as he said, “Fuck.” He saw one of the employees lock the Cafe’s doors and ran to the stallion.

“Excuse me,” said the man while trying to catch his breath, “Did you happen to see a pink mare with a blonde mane and cherry cutie mark?”

The blue maned, french mustached stallion, who appeared to be a waiter, turned his attention to the man with disapproving eyes. Christopher immediately knew the stallion had seen Cherry Berry and must have witnessed her being sad that he didn’t show.

The stallion waiter nodded before saying, “Oui. Your companion waited for over an hour before paying her check and leaving. She was rather well dressed, waiting for a stallion that never showed. A shame it was you, as I believe she can do better. Now, if you do not mind, I bid you adieu, Monsieur.”

The stallion lifted his snout up at the man before walking off. It was exactly the same expression he had seen rich snobs do on Earth and in Equestria, especially the short time he spent in Canterlot. Normally Christopher would flip off a snob, but he had more important matters to deal with. It also didn’t help the fact he willingly stood her up. Without knowing where Cherry Berry lived, he had no clue where to start his search.

”C’mon, think! She flies a balloon, so I could wait for her to take off and then fly my plane and get her attention...No, too complicated. Wait, her friends!”

He remembered the fact that two of her friends were sisters and sold flowers in the market square. He would simply meet them and ask for directions to Cherry Berry’s house. Hopefully, they would understand why he didn’t show up and that he would be happy to take their friend on a date. Christopher wasn’t sure how they would react, but he had no other option besides knocking on every door in Ponyville.

He was fortunate that tomorrow was his day off, and he aimed to make earning Cherry Berry’s forgiveness his main goal. And if he scored her forgiveness and a second chance, he would be the best gentleman he could be by giving her a date she would remember forever. Christopher sighed and walked towards his house, ignoring the loving couples still strolling the night.

As he walked into his house, the man looked at his hand and chuckled. He remembered what his friends said about clopping and the P&P. He asked himself, “To clop or not to clop? That is the question...Damn, the P&P man, the freaking P&P. She seemed really nice, too; I hope I didn’t hurt her badly.”

He chose not to clop and instead drifted off to sleep that night. He dreamt of Cherry Berry smiling as they flew in his airplane together, enjoying the sky in all its glory. It was one of the happiest dreams he experienced in a long time.

Flying the loving skies

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The night was terrible for Cherry Berry, having cried herself to sleep. There was no repeat of her wonderful dream the night before, and the morning fared no better. She awoke from her bed and made her way to the bathroom. She looked at her reflection in the mirror and felt like a fool. With the help of her friends, she goes out of her way to make herself look pretty for Christopher, only for him to not show up. The ruined makeup and crushed lily flower still in her mane made her feel like a reject.

”Did he not like what he saw? Am I ugly? Are my goods not attractive to him?”

Cherry Berry felt she wasn’t worthy of having a stallion and was not even good enough for a human stallion. More tears fell from her eyes as the flower fell out of her mane. Her heart ached in emotional pain at her reflection as she felt like a worthless and wilted flower. She ran into the shower and cleaned herself up while crying. Her breakfast consisted of a simple bowl of oatmeal and fruit with coffee and water. It wasn’t the greatest meal, but it was enough for the morning.

The mare knew she had to leave Ponyville for a while. A decision was made despite only having a small number of expendable Bits. She was going to go to her happy place, Rainbow Falls. The sights of the sun shining on the rainbows always filled her with joy and happiness. A quick visit to the place would be perfect for raising her spirits. Afterward, she would pick another city to find a special somepony to bring home. She felt pathetic having to search for a husband the old traditional way, as was done 100 years ago near Ponyville’s founding. However, she had no other options and refused to wait until her 30s.

If Cherry Berry waited until her 30s, she would not only have to compete with other younger mares but also have a more challenging time having foals. Even if she found a stallion with one foal, the window to have more foals would be shorter. And the pregnancy would be a higher risk on top of everything. She still had her youth and refused to let it be wasted. Even if things had worked out with Christopher, having foals with non-ponies was only possible via cross-breeding potions, but they were scarce and expensive. That, too, required her to be young to have a higher chance of a successful pregnancy.

As the thoughts of foals began to overwhelm her, Cherry Berry grabbed her saddlebags, a small bag of Bits, and her aviator cap. She took a deep breath and walked out of her house with a look of determination on her face. The sun’s bright rays and clean air met the mare as she closed the door.

”Nothing will keep me down, not even Christopher’s rejection. I will be happy or bust.”

It wasn’t too long of a walk before she ran into all three flower sisters, Lily, Daisy, and Roseluck. The trio siblings were setting up their stand and wares before noticing their friend approaching. All three stopped what they were doing to check on her, with Lily breaking the silence.

“Cherry! Are you okay? How are you feeling?”

Cherry Berry sighed before answering, “Not great; I had a terrible night of sleep. I couldn’t stop thinking about him.”

She lowered her head in shame before continuing, “And I didn’t even get a date with him. I don’t know why, but I felt he was special. I’m acting like a dramatic teenage filly, aren’t I?”

All three sisters had sad expressions before giving Cherry Berry a group hug. After the hug, the mare said, “Thanks, girls, I needed that.”

Roseluck was the first to say, “Cherry, you’re not a dramatic teenage filly. We thought he was a good fit for you, and either of us would have reacted the same way.”

She raised her head and asked, “Really?”

Lily nodded, “Of course! If some stallion stood me up, I’d probably have a meltdown too! We don’t blame you, and there’s nothing to be ashamed of.”

Daisy added, “And we’re mares; we’re allowed to have our girly feelings and stuff. So don’t let that jerk get you down. There’s plenty of guys out there who’d love to have you as their marefriend.”

Cherry Berry’s face changed from a frown to a reassuring smile. Before she could continue, Minuette trotted up and asked, “Hey girls, I’m on my way to work and wanted to stop by.” Minuette turned her attention to Cherry Berry, “And to see how you’re doing...Why are you dressed like that? Are you doing more balloon rides today?”

The mare sighed before saying, “No, I’m going on a mini vacation for a week. I’m stopping at Rainbow Falls to get rid of this sad mood. I like seeing rainbows, and it’s my little happy place away from Ponyville. After spending the night, I’m heading off to Fillydelphia tomorrow morning.”

All four of the mares looked at each other before Daisy asked, “Why are you going there?”

The mare bit her lip and almost felt embarrassed before remembering her friends would do the same. She looked at her friend and answered, “I’m going to a matchmaking agency there and hopefully bring a stallion back with me. If I can’t bring one back, I’ll try to long-distance date one and make trips back and forth. It pays to have your own balloon, I guess.”

All of the mares were shocked but understood why. Her marely dignity was affronted, and she needed to recover and move on from the man. Cherry Berry was calling it quits for stallion searching in Ponyville, just like them. Lily looked at her friend and said, “I hope you feel better and find your love. We’ll check on your house while you’re gone.”

Roseluck added, “Please be safe. And best of luck, we’re rooting for you!”

Cherry Berry smiled before Daisy asked, “What if Christopher comes looking for you? What do you want us to say to him?”

The blonde and cherry-coated mare’s ears perked up at the mention of the man’s name.

”If he comes looking for me? If he didn’t want to even bother talking to me, why would he bother looking for me?”

While it was possible to work held him up, it wasn’t likely. The sky was perfect yesterday, and his propcraft was fast. The distance to the closest towns was at least two hours. The man should have had plenty of time to arrive and meet up with her. The memory of her accidental flagging came back, making her sad again.

”He saw me down there and just...starred. And he didn’t even come to talk to me. He must not have liked what I had to offer.”

Despite the embarrassing memory dragging her down, Christopher’s smile still made her heart throb. She sighed, looked at her friends, and said, “Do whatever you think is best.”

Her friends looked at each other before nodding and giving her a hug. Once the group hug was over, Cherry Berry said, “Well, I’ll be back in a week, hopefully with a stallion. Thanks, girls; see you later.”

Her friends said their goodbyes and waved her off. The mare made her way to the balloon launch pad and ignored the everypony else greeting their friends good morning. Ten minutes later, she arrived at the launch pad and readied the balloon. After another fifteen minutes, the balloon was ready, and she made her way into the basket. She untied the rope anchoring her down and slowly rose into the sky. The weather was perfect for her flight to Rainbow Falls, and Cherry Berry sighed as she looked towards Ponyville one more time.

”So long sadness, happiness here I come.”

About 30 minutes later, Ponyville was no longer in Cherry Berry’s sight. She looked towards the horizon, hoping to see the view of rainbows very soon.

Christopher’s eyes shot open as the sun’s rays passed through the window. He squinted at the sunbeam’s harsh rays and shielded his eyes with his hand. Groaning at a slight hangover, the man made his way to his kitchen and quickly made some coffee. Drinking the brew and some water, he ate a bowl of cereal and cleaned up in the shower when he was done.

After putting on his clothes, the man made some more coffee. The memories of his dream from last night were still fresh in his head. The dream was very detailed, like a movie playing in his head. He dreamt he taught Cherry Berry how to fly his plane as they enjoyed the sky together. After the flying, they shared a cherry pie in some place where a bunch of rainbows was.

”I could have sworn there was a town named Rainbow something...Oh well, seeing Cherry Berry smile in my dream was nice...wait, what time is it?”

Christopher turned his attention to the clock on the wall and felt a pit in his stomach. The clock was already showing 10:30, almost lunchtime. He had slept most of the morning away. He had lost valuable time to find Cherry Berry and apologized for being a no-show. The man spewed a quick barrage of swear words before grabbing his keys, wallet, and backpack with his flying gear. He couldn’t explain why but the man had a gut feeling he would need it. Making sure he had everything, Christopher grabbed an equestrian-made thermos.

He filled it up with premium imported Saddle Arabian coffee and ran out the door. After locking his house, he ran to the market square as fast as possible. A few ponies saw the man running and waved hello, which he returned by waving his hand. He expertly dodged and ran around a few ponies that got in his way as he finally reached the market square. He stopped briefly in an attempt to find the Flower Sister’s stand. After half a minute, he spotted Lily and Roseluck with another mare he suspected was their sister talking to each other near their flower stand.

”Finally! Hopefully, they can tell me where Cherry Berry is.”

Christopher ran over to the sisters, who turned their attention to the out-of-breath man. As he caught his breath, Christopher said, “Hey, girls. Sorry to bother you, but I’m looking for Cherry Berry. Do you know where-”

He didn’t get to finish his sentence as a barrage of flower petals was thrown in his face. Several of the petals flew into his mouth, making him spit them back out. Lily was the first one to speak, “You jerk! You stood her up!”

”Shit, I guess she told them. Not good, not good at all.”

The pink mare with a light lime green mane and tail with a daisy cutie mark spoke, “Hello, I’m Daisy. I’m their sister.”

Christopher smiled and held out a hand, “Hello Daisy, I’m-”

“An insensitive jerk is what you are!” shouted Daisy.

As expected, a small basket of daisy flowers was thrown at him. They, too, landed in his mouth, his face, and his clothes.

”Oh boy, I got my work cut out for me.”

After spitting out flowers, Christopher turned to Roseluck, who was fuming just like her sisters. He sighed as he asked, “Are you going to let me explain, or will I just get flowers again?”

Roseluck’s face went red before she went off on him, “The nerve of you coming to us and asking where Cherry Berry is! Where were you last night!? Do you have any idea how important that date was for her?”

”Damn, my friends were right. It was a date, and I stood her up.”

Christopher sighed and replied, “I’m sorry. I didn’t think it was a big deal or date. I figured it was just a simple meet-up.”

Lily rolled her eyes and said, “Oh geez, a really dense colt. You must be new here.”

Christopher rubbed the back of his head and tried to think of a rebuttal. He decided honesty was the best course of action.

“Well, yes...Yes, I am new. I’ve only been in your world for about two weeks. My life has been a literal runaway train, and I’m trying my best to adapt and keep control over what I can. To top it off, I’ve only been on a few dates before coming here. Not only that, I’ve never had a woman flash at me.” said Christopher.

“Flash?” asked Daisy.

Roseluck turned to Daisy and said, “He means when Cherry Berry flagged him.”

Daisy nodded before turning to him and saying, “Speaking about that, it was a mistake! She didn’t mean to do that.”

“Yeah!” said Lily, “She wasn’t trying to be a whorse! It was just an accident; besides, you should be flattered; she likes you. The least you could have done was show up and not waste her time.”

Before Christopher could defend himself, Roseluck pressed the point further, “She was really excited about that date, Christopher. We did her makeup, added flowers to her mane, and even got her a tail ribbon. We just don’t understand why you didn’t show up to see her. She cried her heart out last night, and we had to help her get home.”

If the man didn’t feel guilty before, he did now. This moment was one of the rarest times he felt like a dick. He facepalmed before saying, “Look, I know I should have shown up. I didn’t think it was that big of a deal then, but my friends told me exactly what it meant to her. They explained things to me, and I mean A LOT of things. They explained what flagging is and that it likely was a mistake. And yes, they gave me a lot of grief and told me to go find her after I told them about the coffee meet-up-.”

All three flower sisters interrupted Christopher and said, “DATE!”

“-date, that’s what I meant.” The man brushed off more flowers before continuing, “You see, ladies, I didn’t know what to think when her “accident” happened. Where I come from, humans are the only talking species. There are equine animals where I come from, but they look nothing like you, ponies. Believe me, you’d probably puke if you saw them. The idea of being with another species was foreign to me.”

Roseluck scoffed and said, “So the thought of being with a mare is strange to you because you haven’t been here long enough? Okay, but you’ve been here long enough to meet up with her for coffee? You stood her up willingly, which wasn’t even due to your work. So please, stop making lame excuses!”

”Have patience, Christopher; they’re just angry their friend was hurt.”

After he brushed all the flowers off, he continued, “Look, my friends pretty much laid it all out for me. They explained Hearts and Hooves Day and how mares ask for dates around here. They also told me that since I’m stuck here, I better accept it and find a mare. So trust me, ladies, I understand that I screwed up big time, and yes, I hurt Cherry Berry. And I’m really sorry about that, but now I need your help. All I want is to make it up to her and tell her that it was my fault and that there’s nothing wrong with her. She seems like a great gal, and I want to know more about her.”

The man looked at the mares and gave pleading eyes while trying to not beg like a loser.

“I tried to find her last night, but I missed her. The Café closed when I got there, and I couldn’t look for her since I didn’t know where she lived. Please tell me where she is so I can fix my screw-up. I will leave her alone if she doesn’t want anything to do with me. I give you my word as a proud American man.”

The man held a hand over his heart and stood tall as if he were giving the pledge of allegiance. The flower sisters looked at each other before nodding in silent agreement. Roseluck was the first to speak, saying, “If you promise to give her the best date ever, then we will tell you where she is. But be warned, you’ll be pushing daisies if we don’t hear she had the best date of her life.”

Daisy added, “And you can bet on that, Christopher.”

”I just got threatened by pastel-colored ponies....okay then. Looks like I better make Cherry Berry happy.”

Lily and Roseluck both went “Mhm” before Christopher sighed in relief. He asked, “Thanks, girls; I promise I will make it up to her. Now, where does she live?”

Lily revealed Cherry Berry’s location as she said, “She left Ponyville three hours ago. She took her balloon and went off to Rainbow Falls.”

Daisy added, “And if you don’t catch up with her, she’ll be heading to Fillydelphia next. And trust us, you don’t want that to happen.”

Christopher felt bad when Daisy told him that last bit of information. Curiosity got the better of him as he asked, “Why? What will happen if I don’t catch up with her in time?”

Roseluck answered, “She’s going there to see a matchmaking agency. There’s a good chance she’ll come back with another stallion. You don’t want that now, do you?”

Christopher’s eyes widened at the information Roseluck relayed to him. The notion of some loser stallion strolling around with her lit a fire in his heart. There was no way he would allow that to happen, not without him taking a shot with her.

“Like hell, that’s gonna happen! Thank you, ladies, but I got a mare to win over. See y’all later!”

As Christopher Christopher turned and ran off to this airplane, Roseluck cheered, “Go get her flycolt!”

Daisy and Lily cheered, and hoof stomped in encouragement to the man as he ran off. As he ran off in the distance, the sisters began talking with each other.

“Well,” said Daisy, “it seems there’s some hope after all. I hope he does make it up to Cherry.”

Roseluck began picking up the mess of flowers on the ground while Lily replied, “Me too. He seems like a decent stallion, after all. If he returns with her and she’s happy, then he’s alright in my books. Christopher should consider himself lucky he has good friends to straighten him out.”

Just as Roseluck finished picking the spilled flowers, Lyra Heartstrings ran up to the flower sisters. The three sisters were shocked at Lyra’s overly excited expression, which was borderline creepy. The excited unicorn began asking quickly, “I just got back from visiting my family in Canterlot, and I heard that a human stallion had moved here! I have to meet him! I need to make him my husbando! EEE! Somepony said he was just here. Do any of you girls know where he went?”

The mare bounced on the ground like an excited little filly awaiting a present as the sisters looked at each other. Lily, Daisy, and Roseluck smirked before Roseluck told Lyra, “Oh, the human? Yeah, he went that way.”

Roseluck pointed a hoof in the opposite direction of where Christopher ran. Lyra squealed in excitement before galloping off into the distance. The mares laughed before Daisy said, “Well, that should buy Christopher time. I do hope Cherry Berry forgives him. If not, we’ll see a Lyra-Christopher wedding soon enough.”

Lily shook her head and replied, “Well, I hope not. I really want Cherry to wind up with him. They clearly are a better match.”

Roseluck sighed as she restocked their flower stand and said, “We will see, girls, we will see. I hope we get our special someponies too when we go to Fillydelphia. In the meantime, back to work.”

The sisters returned to selling their flowers and hoped the man would earn Cherry Berry’s forgiveness. Twenty minutes went by before the sound of Christopher’s propcraft was heard. Everypony in town looked up and saw the aircraft flying high into the sky over Ponyville. Lyra Heartstrings ran by the flower sisters’ stand and chased the plane in vain while shouting, “NOOO!!!! Come back! I need you, my husbando!”

The flower sisters shook their heads as everypony else in the market square looked at Lyra’s antics with either laughter or disapproval. Bon Bon ran after her friend and shouted, “Lyra! Stop acting like a fool! You’re making a scene!”.

Roseluck said to her sisters, “I really hope he catches up with her. That mare is crazy.”

Lily and Daisy went “Mhm” before going back to selling flowers once again. They could only hope his flight would be successful. If not, they would have a sad friend and a totally not creepy mare gunning for an unsuspecting man.

Christopher’s veins felt like acid as his throat burned from sprinting. After running for fifteen minutes, he finally made it to his airplane and began the checklist to start the engine. Once he completed the flight preparations, Christopher secured his backpack and thermos in a small cargo compartment. He quickly reviewed the map of Equestria and calculated how long it would take to catch up or reach Rainbow Falls. The map made it seem like there were rainbows in the town where Cherry Berry was.

Christopher would have questioned it but remembered he was in a different world. If he did his math right, accounting for the wind, he’d catch her just before she landed. If she made it to the town before him, he’d have a harder time finding her. Christopher jumped into his plane and strapped himself in. After that, he put on his aviator cap and goggles while starting the engine. The propellor slowly spun until the engine roared to life and was fully rotating.

The man released the brakes and turned the plane towards the open field. He set the throttle to full and quickly took off into the sky. The airplane climbed rapidly as he accelerated the plane over Ponyville. He could make out ponies walking through the town and even spotted the flower sisters looking at him. He was unaware of a minty green unicorn mare running after him through the town as he sped off into the horizon. Thoughts of Cherry Berry flooded into his mind as he made a hard right towards Rainbow Falls.

Her eyes and smile popped into his mind, making him eager to see the mare again. His dream of flying with the mare in his plane made him smile before another thought took hold. The chant of his friends shouting “P&P” overtook Cherry Berry’s smile and was replaced with the memory of her flagging. This, combined with the plane’s vibration, made the man’s cock hard. He blushed as the image of Cherry Berry’s perfectly pink pony flesh holes aroused him and made his pants tight.

”Dammit! I can’t get it out of my head! I need to focus, so I don’t wander off. But still...P&P, freaking P&P.”

Christopher eventually stopped caring and accepted the corruption of the P&P. The man imagined himself taking her from behind while spanking her thick pony butt cheeks. He pushed the plane’s speed harder than ever before and wouldn’t stop unless he busted it.

The flight to Rainbow Falls was quicker than expected due to the favorable wind. As Cherry Berry’s balloon entered a small set of clouds, her anticipation of seeing the rainbows grew. The memories of Christopher standing her up were fading away. As the clouds parted, the sight of the rainbows came into her view and made her smile. The sun’s warmth hit Cherry Berry as she flew closer to the pleasant little town. The view of the rainbows washed away all remaining sadness and filled her with hope.

”Finally, something that makes me happy! I think I’ll just stay up here for a little while.”

Cherry Berry could see many ponies moving about in the town below. And to her surprise and luck, Rainbow Falls appeared to be hosting a fair. She hoof-clapped in happiness and said, “I really needed this vacation. I love flying, and I love this day! I swear, it can’t get any better than this.”

No sooner did the words escape her lips, a loud humming noise could be heard in the sky. It started low but grew louder, making the earth pony mare search the sky for the source. As the noise grew significantly louder, Cherry Berry’s eyes shrunk as she realized what the noise was.

”That’s a propcraft!! And it’s coming right at me!”

“Move away! You’re coming right at me! MOVE!!”

The mare cried and shouted in vain before venting the balloon’s air in a desperate attempt to descend. The mare kept saying, “BUCK BUCK BUCK!” as the balloon quickly lowered toward the ground. Her piloting skills proved helpful as the propcraft flew out of the clouds where her balloon was a few seconds ago. The pilot of the propcraft shot upwards in a steep vertical ascent, who no doubt was shocked to see her balloon. After clearing the balloon safely, the propcraft aimed the nose down, descended, and turned towards her balloon. The propcraft passed by at Cherry Berry’s flight level, allowing the mare to see who it was.

“You plothead! Watch where you’re flying! You...You...CHRISTOPHER?!”

As the plane flew by, Cherry Berry recognized the propcraft’s decals, Christopher’s signature white star in a blue circle. The sun’s ray reflected off the propcraft’s fuselage and gave its polished silver coat a glorious shine. She could see the man waving toward her for a brief second but could not make out what he was trying to communicate. Cherry Berry’s emotions went wild, ranging from confusion to anger at the man’s sudden appearance.

”Why is he here?! Is it not enough that he stood me up and has to ruin my day by almost crashing into me! The nerve of that human stallion!”

“Go away, bucker! Leave me alone!”

She shook her hoof in anger as his propcraft made several passes in his attempt to wave at her. This made her even angrier as he ruined her view of the rainbows. After throwing more “Buck you!” and “You’re a plothead!” insults at the man, Christopher did something unexpected. This plane began to vent white smoke, not unlike the smoke the Thunderbolts used in their airshows. He timed the smoke’s release, and Cherry Berry saw he was trying to write letters.

“A message? What are you trying to say?”

Her anger tampered down as curiosity got the better of her. One letter after another formed as he made expertly timed passes before the wind dissipated the smoke. Fortunately, Cherry Berry could read and memorize the letters and speak them out loud as Christopher made them.

“L. A. N. D. Land...he wants me to land? Fine, he’s gonna get a hoof to the face! He better have a darn good reason to bother me!”

Cherry Berry began a careful descent by venting the hot air carefully. Her balloon landed, and the mare hopped out of her basket and anchored it to the ground. As the balloon deflated, she looked up at the sky and saw Christopher’s propcraft turn for an approach to land. As she finished folding the balloon up and stored it in the basket, the man’s plane finally landed and came to a complete stop. Cherry Berry ran up the plane, still wearing her aviator cap and saddle bags, as the engine died.

Christopher waved to Cherry Berry as he exited the two-seater plane and said, “Cherry! I’m happy I caught up with you. I-”.

He didn’t get to finish his sentence as she galloped toward him and socked him in the face with a hoof. The hoof made a solid hit on his cheek, which made his head turn in pain. As the man rubbed his face with a hand, Cherry Berry said, “That’s for almost crashing into me!”

Before Christopher could respond, he received another hit to the face with her left forehoof. A loud smack was heard as he went, “Oof!” and Cherry Berry said, “And that’s for standing me up last night! I waited for you to show, and you never did! You made me feel like a fool! Why are you here? Are you here to just shame me because I flagged you?”

Christopher put his hand on her shoulder as Cherry Berry yelled questions and tried to hold her tears back. He took off his aviator cap and looked into her eyes. The mare could see genuine remorse as she said, “I’m sorry, Cherry, I didn’t mean to hurt you, and it’s not your fault I didn’t show up. It’s my fault, and if you give me a chance, I’d like to explain myself and, if possible, make it up to you.”

”What? He...he wants to make it up to me? I’m not so sure...”

“I even brought some Saddle Arabian coffee; it should still be warm. We can sit here, enjoy the day, and just talk to each other like we planned on doing yesterday. All I’m asking for is a chance; if not, I’ll leave you alone.”

For ten seconds, Cherry Berry stared at Christopher, unsure whether to believe him. The wind blew his hair to the side as he smiled at her, making the mare’s heart throb.

”Dang it! Why does he have to look handsome with that smile?” I might as well hear him out; he did fly all the way here to see me.”

“I hope that coffee is warm as you say it is.”

Christopher grinned before saying, “I promise it is. I’ll be right back.”

The man turned, quickly ran back to the plane, and opened the cargo compartment. He pulled out a thermos and two pewter mugs before returning to her. As he poured her a mug of coffee, Christopher said, “I have your friends to thank because if they hadn’t told me where you flew off to, I’d have never found you in time.”

As he handed her the mug, Cherry Berry took it with a free hoof and smelled the brew. It was still hot and smelled delicious. Usually, the mare took her coffee with cream and a single sugar cube, but the coffee smelled so good without it. Taking a sip, the mare was not surprised at the exceptional taste knowing it was from Saddle Arabia. A small smile formed on her face as she said, “Thanks Christopher, I needed this. And you said my friends told you where I was going?”

As he poured himself a mug of coffee, he nodded, “Yup, they sure did. I had to use a map to get here and full-throttle the engine to catch up. I’m very grateful they helped me, but they only did so after giving me quite an earful. They also threw a bunch of flowers at me and called me a jerk, which I was, for the record.”

The mare giggled, hearing what the man said, “Hehehe! Yeah, that is something they would say and do. I’ve known those sisters since elementary school; they can be feisty.”

”If they thought Christopher deserved to see me, then I trust their judgment.”

Christopher took another sip of coffee before saying, “Yeah, they definitely were...so...”

Cherry Berry knew the topic was going to shift towards the date and asked, “So why didn’t you show Christopher? I really need to know, and please be honest with me.”

He turned his head away in shame before looking into her eyes and answered, “I didn’t think it was a big deal and that it was a simple coffee meet-up. And-”

Cherry Berry huffed in anger before interrupting Christopher, saying, “Are you bucking kidding me?! Of course, it was a date! I dressed nicely for you, and what do I get in return? Getting stood up and looking like a fool while everypony else had a date.”

As Cherry Berry wiped a tear away, Christopher sighed before saying, “Please let me finish. I know I hurt you, and I now know it was a date.”

She took a sip of coffee before nodding in agreement. He sat on the ground and crossed his legs while she sat on her haunches and held the coffee in her hoof. Christopher continued, “You see, after your flagging accident, I had no clue what to think. The idea of dating someone who isn’t a human was very strange to me. Back on earth, there were equine animals that were nothing more than dumb stinky animals. And before you say anything, I know ponies aren’t animals. And yes, I know you didn’t mean to flag me.”

Her eyes widened at the information he told, and she tried to process it as best as possible. It perfectly explained why he reacted the way he did. Despite this, the mare nodded and said, “You got that right, mister man. We aren’t stinky animals! Hmpf!”

Christopher rubbed the back of his head with his free hand and said, “Yeah, I know, Cherry. My friends explained how Hearts and Hooves Day works, how couples get dates, and all that jazz. They told me you meant for it to be a date, and I needed to earn your forgiveness; same with your friends. Cherry, I need you to know I don’t think you’re a whorse.”

Her ears perked up as she turned to Christopher and asked, “Really? Y-you, don’t think I’m a dirty whorse?”

Christopher nodded and said, “I’m serious; you are not a whorse or a dirty animal. An accidental flagging doesn’t change my opinion at all.”

A smile formed on Cherry Berry’s face as the metaphorical dark cloud that hovered over her mind lifted. Christopher continued, “And honestly, the equine animals in my world are gross-looking. You ponies look WAAAY better than they do by miles. And because of that, it was a mental block for me, but my friends told me I “bucked up” and to go fix it. The past two weeks have been a crazy time for me. I freaked out when Princess Celestia teleported me, and here, I was in shock for a few days. Being told I can’t go back and having a mare ask me on a date is one hell of a radical leap.”

Cherry Berry nodded, took a sip from her coffee, and said, “Darn, you’ve been through a lot, Christopher. I’m sorry you can’t go home. I’m unsure how I would have reacted if I were in your place. I’m also happy you’re not actually repulsed by me.”

He chuckled and said, “No, not at all. I think you’re a cool mare, and I’d like to know more about you.”

”No way, is he serious! Does he actually want to date me? Oh, Christopher, please ask me.”

He smiled before continuing, “I want to know what you like and don’t like. I want to know the things that make you happy, both big and small, and I want to be the guy that makes your day better. I want to know how you got into flying and if you’d like, possibly something a little bit more down the road.”

A small, hopeful smile formed on her face while her ears perked up as she asked, “So...what you’re saying is...”

Christopher looked into her eyes and asked, “Cherry Berry, I would like to take you on a date starting now.”

She threw her coffee on the ground, jumping in the air like a little filly getting a birthday present. She cheered, “Yes! Yes, Woohoo!”

As Cherry Berry cheered, Christopher sighed in relief and watched her jump up and down.

”Oh no! I’m acting like a silly filly! Calm down, Cherry, be a proper mare.”

The mare stopped jumping up and down while sporting a blushed smile before saying, “Heh, sorry about that. I’d love to go on a date with you, Christopher.”

The man stood up and put his free hand over his heart while pledging, “As a proud American man, it would be my pleasure, Miss Berry. Let me put these away, and we’ll go into town. Looks like they got a fair going too!”

She turned her attention to the fair and smiled, “I know! It looks like a lot of fun! They even have rides too!”

As Christopher put his stuff away, Cherry Berry asked him to store her saddle bags and aviator cap in his plane’s cargo compartment. He did so and carried a small bag of Bits with him, intending to pay for everything like a proper gentleman would. The fair was a lot of fun for the man and the mare as they rode the Ferris wheel and had plenty of fair food to boot. They danced together while a band played music for the fair, with several other ponies dancing the outside dance floor.

After dancing and enjoying the music for two hours, Christopher bought themselves two mugs of non-alcoholic apple cider. As they walked in the park, they drank their ciders and talked about anything and everything. The conversation between them was natural and enjoyable; with both learning they many of the same interests in hobbies, music, and many other topics. Many couples and families were enjoying the view of the rainbows as the afternoon sky was clear with a gentle cool breeze flowing. The rainbows were as bright as ever and added positive vibes to the already happy day for everpony in Rainbow Falls.

Cherry Berry loved every minute of the date and was happy Christopher flew to Rainbow Falls for her. As they walked through the park, Christopher asked, “So, are you staying the night here or heading back?”

The mare put a hoof to her chin and pondered for a moment. She answered before saying, “I’ll probably get a room for the night and head back to Ponyville in the morning. How about you?”

Christopher smiled and replied, “Same. I have tomorrow off, so I don’t need to head back today. I figured we could fly back together in the morning and have your balloon shipped on the train back to Ponyville.”

Cherry Berry’s ears perked up, and she asked, “Really? You’ll let me fly in your propcraft?”

Christopher nodded before grinning, “Yup! I sure will; in fact, I got a really cool idea. Wanna hear it?”

The mare nodded, and the man leaned over and whispered into her ear. Her eyes widened as he gave her his idea, which made her smile. She enthusiastically nodded and said, “Yes! What are we waiting for! Let’s go!”

The mare galloped off as Christopher grinned and said to himself, “I like where this is going.”

He gulped down the rest of the cider and ran after her.

“WOOHOO!!! YEA!” shouted Cherry Berry.

“You’re doing great, Cherry! Grab it hard and tug it the other way! I swear you’re a natural!”

The mare did as told and steered the propcraft under the next rainbow. Christopher had the great idea of teaching her how to fly his airplane, and he didn’t regret it. With Christopher’s experience and Cherry Berry’s aptitude for aviation, she proved to be a quick learner in piloting the plane. They started with basic instrument orientation, flight controls, and flight leveling before moving onto turns. Her piloting was rough at first but sharpened with each attempt to fly the plane. Christopher was thrilled to share his love of flying with someone who equally loved it and wished the day wouldn’t end.

“Okay, Cherry, now I want you to go left and right through the next two rainbows. After that, I’ll take control and show you some cool maneuvers!”

“No problem, Christopher! Here I go!”

Cherry Berry executed Christopher’s instructions flawlessly and performed two pass-throughs under the targeted rainbows. She shouted, “Woohoo!” after completing the maneuvers with the man saying, “Good job, Cherry! Now hold onto your potatoes! We’re gonna give the ponies below one hell of a show!”

”A show? Uh-oh.”

“Christopher, what are you-AAAAHHH!”

She didn’t get a chance to ask him before the plane accelerated upwards at a 90-degree angle. Just as the plane struggled, the man flipped the plane backward and zoomed downward at high speed. Cherry Berry’s cheeks had a rush of air fly into her mouth as she tried to keep it closed with her teeth exposed. Christopher laughed as the plane spun in a downward twist before rapidly moving left and right between the rainbows. Many ponies below saw the aerobatic maneuvers and cheered on the duo flying in the sky.

The mare screamed while the man laughed like a maniac as he performed three consecutive backflips. After leveling out, he accelerated the plane and barrel-rolled through two rainbows. Cherry Berry’s heart beat rapidly from the excitement of the flight, and she smiled as she felt the rush. Never before had she experienced flying on a scale this grand, and Christopher was making it happen for her. Her attraction to the man rose to a level she had never felt towards a stallion before him. She decided she would date him moving forward.

The plane slowed to average speed and made an approach to land. Cherry Berry caught her breath as Christopher said, “We’re going to land now, as I think that’s enough for today. Did you have fun?”

Cherry Berry turned towards Christopher as he sat in the master seat behind her. She smiled and said, “Yes! Thank you so much! This is the best date ever!”

He grinned and replied, “It doesn’t have to be the last one, Cherry. I’d like to take you out again sometime if you’d like to go out with me.”

She shouted, “Yes! Buck yes! I can’t wait for our next date!”

Christopher grinned before steering the plane toward the ground and making an expert landing. The engine died, and a herd of ponies cheered the duo as they exited the airplane. The two waved to everypony before Cherry Berry helped Christopher secure the airplane. After the herd dispersed, the mere thought of the devious idea and said, “You know Christopher, there is one thing you forgot to do on our date?”

“Oh?” said the man, asking, “And what did I forget?”

Still wearing her aviator cap, the mare smiled and said, “You owe me dinner, flycolt.”

After putting the caulks on the wheels, the man said, “You’re right, I do owe you dinner, and I did give you my word this would be the best date ever. May I escort you to the closest dining facility, ma’am?”

Cherry Berry laughed with a slight dorky snort and said, “To the dining facility!”

As they took off their aviator caps, the mare and the man looked into each other’s eyes. Both of them blushed before smiling and walking towards the only diner in town. After having a wonderful dinner together, Christopher paid for their separate rooms at the hotel. He escorted Cherry Berry to her own room. He knelt down, took her hoof, and kissed it like a gentleman would a lady’s hand. She blushed as he said, “Goodnight.”

She replied, “You too, Christopher.”

The man walked off to his room, leaving a blushing Cherry Berry. As she turned the corner and was out of sight, the mare whispered to herself, “I hope he marries me someday.”

She closed the door to her room and went to bed, exhausted from the best date of her life. She could only hope there would be many more in the future. Cherry Berry and Christopher dreamt of spending time together in her hot-air balloon. They stared into their loving eyes before they embraced and kissed each other. The man and the mare smiled in their separate beds, happy to experience their shared dream. Unknown to Cherry Berry and Christopher, a pair of glowing pink eyes stared at the loving couple, who were still kissing each other in the dream.

A voice spoke and said, “Good...All is going as I have foreseen.”

Home again with a slice of 1 year later...

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The following morning was pleasant for the mare and the man as they enjoyed breakfast at the local diner in Rainbow Falls. They both enjoyed a meal of pancakes and omelets before they flew back to Ponyville. Christopher paid for the meals like a gentlecolt and paid to have her balloon shipped back via freight train. He gave her more lessons on flying the propcraft, and Cherry Berry once again proved that she was a fast learner.

The man let the mare fly back the entire time and only had to correct her twice for minor errors. As they approached Ponyville, he took over and safely landed the plane. After shutting down the engine and chalking the plane's wheels, he helped the mare out of the plane. Christopher and Cherry Berry talked together as they enjoyed each other's company. Their chemistry was strong, and they agreed to another date the following weekend.

Just as Christopher walked Cheery Berry back to her house, Lyra Heartstrings bombarded him with flowers and chocolates. After several lengthy, VERY strong statements of affection towards the man, the earth pony mare told her to go away. It didn't take long for a fight to break out, which required the local Ponyville Deputies to break it up. Bon Bon gave Lyra an earful as the deputies told the unicorn she would not be arrested she agreed to leave. As Lyra walked away, she turned her head and mouthed, "I love you."

With the mare out of sight, Christopher exhaled and said, "Wow...that just happened! You okay?"

Cherry Berry snorted angrily at the Lyra before turning to the man and said, "I'm fine now that she's left. The nerve of that crazy mare! She tried to take you away from me!"

Christopher rubbed his head and said, "Yeah, that was...something. But don't worry, I'm not crazy. I got you, that is, if you want me."

The earth pony mare's eyes widened as she turned and said, "Of course I want you! You're amazing and fun to be around! And..."

The mare looked at the ground, nervous about the question she would ask him.

"This might be a bit fast, but I was wondering..."

Cherry Berry stopped her statement before Christopher asked, "Yes...go on."

The mare looked into the man's eyes and asked, "Will you be my coltfriend?"

It took the man to hold back his smile as he rubbed his chin and contemplated. The few seconds felt like an eternity to the mare before he answered, "Make me a pie, and I'll say yes."

Her jaw dropped as she stared at the man, as her brain came to a screeching halt.

He will be my coltfriend only if I make him a pie?! What the buck!?"

Her thoughts were interrupted as a finger was pushed against her snoot. Her eyes were crossed, and her face blushed as he said, "Boop! Gotcha!"

"You...you snoot booped me?!"

The man laughed and said, "Well, duh, can a man not have a cute moment with his marefriend?"

Cherry Berry wanted to give him another earful but quickly processed his sentence.

"Wait...HE SAID YES! This man...he's gonna get it!"

She blushed and giggled before looking at him again with loving eyes. He took blushed slightly as he knelt down and hugged her. His arms made her feel safe and warm as she returned the hug with her forelegs. The man and the mare shared a loving embrace as she nuzzled his face while the man enjoyed the feeling of her soft muzzle. After a minute of hugging, the two separated, their faces blushing with love.

The mare spoke up and asked, "So, you still want that pie?"

He nodded and replied, "Sure do! If you make a mean cherry pie, I want a slice. In return, I'll make you dinner tomorrow evening at my place. Let's say 6:00 pm? I promise I'll actually be there."

The man winked at the mare, who blushed and giggled. She simply replied, "It's a deal. See you tomorrow, flycolt."

Cherry Berry opened her house door and stopped just as she stepped inside. She turned her head to see him smiling and staring at her lovingly. An idea popped into her mind as she stared at her new coltfriend.

"I should give him something to think about for tonight. He needs a reminder why I'm his marefriend."

She swayed her plot suggestively and gave him a naughty smile before flagging her tail out of the way. The man was greeted with a full view of her mare parts, making it instantly hard. She winked her eye at the man whose face was fully beet red and in shock. Except this time, he was grinning at the view and enjoying it.

"This is for you, my flycolt. You deserve a treat and need a reminder why I'm YOUR marefriend. And if your dinner is good and you're on your best behavior, you'll get more than one kind of cherry pie."

Before he could say anything, Cherry Berry closed the door to her house. Christopher stood outside with a tall, pitched tent and struggled to move. Fortunately, the nopony was around to have seen him or Cherry's "special" display. The man took a huge sigh of relief before we started walking back towards his house.

"She flagged me...again, but not on accident, and damn, that was a fine prize. I really wanna taste her now, but what the hell am I gonna cook for my marefriend tomorrow?!"

The man made his way back home and thought of the perfect meal to make for his marefriend. Later that night, Cherry Berry and Christopher masturbated themselves to sleep; they thought of each other in both loving and lustful thoughts. As they fell asleep, their dreams contained both love and lust as their attraction for each grew, despite the short time they knew each other. As such thoughts swirled in their minds, the same glowing pink eyes observed both the man and the mare, happy at the unexpected progress.

"Good...it's going better than anticipated. Soon, it will...OH MY GOODNESS! I uh...wow, they REALLY like each other!"

A new pair of blue, shining eyes appeared beside the pink eyes and asked, "What art thou doing the dream realm?! Get out this instant!"

"Sorry! I was just checking on a side project; it's, umm...going well! Ahahaha!" said the pink eyes in a nervous tone.

The blue eyes stared at the pink eyes before turning their attention to the pair of dreams that appeared to share the same space. The blue eyes widened as it said, By the harmony!! How is that even possible?!"

"I know, right!? That's what I was thinking."

Shaking its attention away from the shared dream, the blue eyes commanded, "The dream realm peering is for easing nightmares, not for facilitating your romance projects. Now, out this instant!"

The pink eyes disappeared, as did the blue eyes.

ONE YEAR LATER...

The day was bright and sunny, with a calm wind blowing in the sky. Ponies were out and about enjoying the wonderful sunshine of the day. Heart and Hooves Day was around the corner again, and Cherry Berry was enjoying her anniversary with her coltfriend, Christopher. The couple enjoyed being together, and the past year went by fast for the man and the mare. Both of them couldn't believe it was their anniversary already and happy to spend it together alone in the air.

As the year passed, the man and the mare taught each other how to fly their respectable aircraft. Christopher taught Cherry Berry how to fly his propcraft, and her lessons slowly progressed from beginner to advance by the end of the year. Her license exam was the only thing stopping her from flying the plane alone. Despite being very few airplanes in Equestria, the license system still existed in Equestria. The only reason he got his license, despite being there for only a week, was the Princesses setting up his exam. His previous experience of flying back to Earth allowed him to ace the exam without a single discrepancy.

The examiner was surprised at the competency of the human and issued his license immediately. It was only a few more weeks until she would take her exam, and the man had no doubt she'd pass with flying colors. For her part, the mare taught him how to operate and safely pilot the balloon. Christopher thought it was only a matter of inflating the balloon with hot air and deflating it, with the wind doing the rest. He was wrong, as Cherry Berry showed him how elaborate and unique Equestrian balloons were, which allowed the pilot to direct the balloon in any direction.

It was a new challenge, and he enjoyed learning from her every second. With their shared interest in aviation, they grew closer every month. They spent every moment alone whenever they weren't working their jobs or hanging out with their friends. While they did have a fight and disagreement here and there, it wasn't anything they couldn't resolve with a compromise or sleeping it off until the following day.

Lyra Heartstrings did try her best to take advantage of any known fight or opportunity Christopher was alone from Cherry Berry. Several times she offered no strings attached sex or blowjobs, but the man turned her down every single time. It took an eventual restraining order and a final threat of Bon Bon willing to kick her friend out if she didn't leave the man alone. The unicorn eventually gave up and had her heart broken at his rejection.

Fortunately for her, another man was stuck in Equestria. Princess Celestia and her student Twilight Sparkle attempted to resume progress with the teleportation project. It resulted in another poor man being permanently stuck in Equestria. With Princess Luna seizing control of the spell book needed to perform the teleportation spell, the project was dead for the time being. The other man was given the same deal as Christopher and had also chosen to settle in Ponyville.

The two men got along, and he was a fellow American. He was roughly the same age and background as him. Despite warning the man about Lyra Heartstrings, the new man shrugged and said, "Well, I gotta take what I can get, bro."

Christopher had last heard that Lyra and the other guy were happy and doing well as a couple. Bon Bon's stress decreased considerably as the man tempered Lyra's antics and helped bring in more Bits for their shared rent. Lyra and her coltfriend chose to work at Berry Punch's Bar, and the couple's chemistry and crazy antics quickly became a source of entertainment for the bar. Cherry Berry's cousin, Berry Punch, loved the increase in business. The blonde-maned earthy pony mare couldn't care if the other man kept Lyra away from Christopher.

With Lyra finally no longer a problem, the past few months were pleasant for the man and the mare. Happy Hearth's Warming Eve was the best she had ever had since she was a filly, as Christopher got her a new aviator's cap. The mare, in return, gave him a custom-made aviator's silk scarf. He wore it every time he flew his propcraft as it reminded him that he had a special girl waiting for him no matter what. In addition to growing closer in heart and mind, they had frequent sex.

Christopher made a dinner fit for a queen, and true to Cherry Berry's word, she made him the best cherry pie ever. After enjoying the dinner, she flagged and showed the man her special mare bits. She didn't even have to say a word as the man took charge and took her onto his couch. Their first sex together lasted about an hour, making Cherry Berry wear out from several orgasms. She was just like a fleshy vise block as he had imagined she would be.

He feared a size difference, but little ponies meant "little." While he was no porn star, he wasn't small, either. He almost felt he would rip the mare apart, but a mare's vagina proved resilient. She took him well, as he gave her as much as he could. Christopher filled her completely, and Cherry Berry had no complaints. While not every time they had sex was a marathon session, both had always been satisfied and at least had sex with each other 4 times a week.

With her heart and body satisfied, Cherry Berry smiled as she turned to her coltfriend and nuzzled his side. The balloon floated over Ponyville as she said, "This year was something, wasn't it?"

The man looked down to see his marefriend nuzzling his hip and smiled. He gave her some ear scritches, which always made her moan in relaxation.

"Staaph..." moaned Cherry Berry, "That's addicting. Please wait until we get to your house or mine."

Christopher smiled and said, "No way, I want my pretty pony petting tax. You're overdue."

With her eyes closed and enjoying the scritches, she playfully stuck her tongue out in a cute manner and replied, "I'm not a pet; I'm your MAREFRIEND, you big meanie man!"

"Uh-huh, sure. Why not both? Or better yet...why not more?"

The ear scritches stopped, which made Cherry Berry snap out of her relaxed stupor. She was confused at what he meant about being more.

"What does he mean? We're already a couple, and we have lots of crazy rutting. What could...he...mean...no way!"

As the mare turned to face the man, her eyes widened as saucer plates with her jaw dropping. Her eyes focused sharply on the ring case the man was holding out. He took a knee and opened the ring case, revealing an elaborate ring that resembled her cutie mark. They had to have cost a lot of Bits as it was very detailed. A clean-cut diamond in the center stood out between the twin rubies signifying her cutie mark. Cherry Berry couldn't say anything as she was stunned.

Christopher said, "Cherry Berry, the past year has been the craziest, most fulfilling year of my life. Never in all my life could I ever imagine being here with you. And now, I can never imagine the rest of my life without you. I want to be by your side, as your one and only man and partner. Cherry Berry, will you marry me?"

YES! IT'S MY TURN! BUCK YES! EEEEEEE!!"

"Yes! Yes!! Oh sweet Celestia, buck yes!"

Cherry Berry grabbed Christopher with her forearms and held him tight. Tears of joy streamed down her face as she nuzzled him. The man quickly closed the ring case and wrapped his arms around her. They held each other for a few minutes before kissing and letting go. She wiped her eyes and looked at her fiancée with a smile.

"I'm so happy we're going to be married; I can't wait to start a family with you."

The man stopped and seemed confused, which made the mare worried.

"Oh no, he does want kids...right?"

"Umm....how is that possible?"

"He doesn't know about the cross-breeding potion...of course, he doesn't."

"Cross Breeding potion. They are costly and rare, but I know a few stores with them. One sip and a little lovemaking, and viola! Foals with your non-pony lover. You do wants foals with me...right?"

Her answer was greeted with a hard-on from his pants. Cherry Berry was shocked, not expecting her fiancee to be turned on by getting her pregnant.

"Wedding first, then give me your babies on our honeymoon. Tomorrow morning, we're going to buy that damn potion. Now empty my balls, my pony pet."

Cherry Berry's tail was raised as she turned around and exposed herself. She grinned and nodded,

"Go ahead and have fun; this town won't know what we're doing up here. Now use your pet, master."

Cherry Berry winked with her eye and smiled. Both were satisfied and happy with their engagement as they celebrated with sex. Once they were done, they kissed each other. They enjoyed the peaceful balloon ride, with the nopony aware of their activities.

Well....almost.

Roseluck, Daisy, and Lily sat in the park, enjoying their usual picnic, with Minuette arriving later. As the mares enjoyed the park and having their usual chit-chat, a group of stallions arrived a few yards away. It was Christopher's usual set of friends, and they were standing around and watching something up in the sky. At first, the mares ignored them, but that didn't last long.

The stallions suddenly started cheering and hollering at the hot air balloon that was floating in the air. The mares saw this and knew it was Cherry Berry's unmistakable balloon.

"What are they cheering about?" asked Daisy.

Minuette suddenly realized that Christopher had acted on his plan to propose to Cherry Berry. She only knew this because one of Christopher's friends, Lucky, had blabbed while talking to Bulk Biceps. His marefriend, Lotus, told Minuette while she was at the spa. The unicorn mare figured the man had finally popped the question and that she had said yes.

"Look, girls! They're cheering for Christopher and Cherry Berry! He FINALLY popped the question!"

The three flower sisters looked at each other, put their hooves to their cheeks, and screamed in a happy, feminine cheer.

"AAAAAH!" said all three sisters.

"Hooray!" cheered Daisy.

"I'm so happy for them!" said Lily.

"Ummm...girls." said Roseluck, "I think something else is going on."

Lucky suddenly cheered, "Yeah! Pound that P&P!"

"P&P! P&P!" hollered all the stallions.

While the mares weren't crude and were good mares, they knew exactly what that slang phrase meant. They looked at each other with worry before focusing on the balloon. The basket was rocking back and forth, and it didn't take a genius to figure out what was happening. The mares' faces were now beet red, and they immediately started shooing the stallions away, hoping not to let the rest of the town figure it out.

"Stop it! Leave them alone and keep your muzzles shut!" shouted Minuette.

"Yeah! Or else we will tell ALL of your mares what a bunch of plotheads you are!" threatened Daisy.

All of the stallions shook their heads and ceased their shouting. They knew their mares would hold back the bedroom rutting fun if they continued, and that was something neither of them wanted. They still had big grins on their faces, and that was nothing they could do.

"So..." said Roseluck, "Umm...nice weather, I guess?"

Daisy, Lily, and Minuette face-hooved themselves at the happy but embarrassing situation. All four of them now were envious of Cherry Berry and wished they were in her place. If either of them knew what would have eventually happened, they'd have flagged Christopher first. Despite this, all was right in Equestria, with the man and the mare sharing the "friendly" skies with Cherry Berry giving him her glorious "P&P."

And neither he nor she would have it any other way.

Cherry Berry's Accidental Flagging

by HumanSVD

Totally not what it looks like!!

YOU DID WHAT?!

Flying the loving skies

Home again with a slice of 1 year later...