> Equestrian Pie
>  by cooopercrisp
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

> Prologue: The Night is for Lovers
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Prologue: The Night is for Lovers

        “I now pronounce you husband and wife,” the priest said, beaming at the newly wedded lovers. “You may kiss the bride.”

        Carrot was more than happy to oblige. He leaned close to his new wife Cup Cake and shared with her a tender, delicate kiss that made the members of their families erupted in cheers. When Carrot pulled away from Cup, his eyes shimmered with tears as he looked upon her.

        “Honey,” Cup said, reaching up to wipe the liquid from his eyes, “why are you crying?”

        “I just...I’ve just never been so happy.” Cup almost cried herself when she heard this. Remembering the ceremony, they turned to face their families and walked down the aisle together. They passed Carrot’s parents, Chocolate and Vanilla, on the left. The ponies looked just like their namesakes. Carrot and Cup waved to them, and they waved back with unbridled ecstasy, Vanilla mouthing the words “I love you.”

They saw Pinkie Pie next, who was bouncing up and down, nearly tearing up with bubbly happiness. She looked strange but endearing in a mint green dress, which Rarity had insisted was Pinkie’s choice alone. Pinkie rushed forward to catch them and immediately enveloped them in a group hug. Carrot and Cup smiled and returned the hug. Pinkie backed away and allowed them to keep walking.

Then they passed Cup’s parents on the right. The Tarts were both sharply defined, looking impeccable in their tuxedo and dress, respectively. Cup’s father, Blueberry, had a monocle on his right eye and his coat was of a rich navy blue. His crisply cut black mane was obscured by his top hat. His demeanor screamed judgment, disdain. Cup’s mother, Strawberry, was the picture of elegance wearing a black dress that complemented her red coat to perfection. She was at least smiling, but her’s was more of a bemused smirk. It looked very condescending.

        Carrot had always suspected there was something about him that Cup’s parents inherently disapproved of. Maybe it was that his family was much poorer than her’s was. When the Cakes had made it clear that they could only afford a quaint ceremony, the Tarts had insisted on funding a more elaborate celebration. But even though they had agreed to this, they hinted to Carrot that his family should have been able to provide the wedding of their daughter’s dreams. Surely they wanted their daughter to marry somepony of class, not some peddler like me, he often thought.

        The thing was, they had never treated Carrot badly or shown any overt sign of disapproval. They’d been nothing but polite the day Cup had brought him to meet them. They had asked the usual questions, “What do you intend to do for our daughter?” and “How much do you love her?” being the ones he most readily recalled, as it was in those moments that he realized his passion for Cup. His answers had been met with polite smiles, but nothing more. It’s not that they’re not kind to me. It’s just...they’ve never been excited about me either.

        He had little time to think about that now, though. Carrot and Cup climbed into the carriage that would take them to the reception, which had been arranged under a large tent on one of the hills on the outskirts of Ponyville. They had chosen the side of the hill facing west so they could watch the beautiful summer sunset, with its luscious tones like a kindled fire burning in the sky.

Carrot was sitting opposite from his wife. She looked so beautiful in her white dress, the soft color glowing in the light of the setting sun. Rarity did one hell of a job, Carrot thought.

“You look beautiful, honey,” Carrot said. Cup gave him a warm smile.

“Thank you. You look very handsome yourself.”

“Thanks. I can’t believe how stunning that dress looks on you.”

“Well, you can thank Rarity for that,” Cup said with a laugh. “Without her, I would have looked hideous. You remember my parents insisted on taking me dress shopping in Canterlot?”

“Yeah, they had a fit when they found out you had gone to Rarity behind their back instead.”

“Yes, they did,” Cup said, her smile fading. Seeing this, Carrot leaned in and gave her a strong kiss on the lips. Once they parted, Cup gazed at him with a warm smile.

That’s more like it, Carrot thought. They spent the remainder of the short trip gazing into each other’s eyes passionately, blushing as if they had just met.

        When everypony had arrived at the reception, the chefs served the dinner that they had been cooking all day. There were all sorts of vegetable delicacies, with salads ranging from the exquisite, for Cup’s parents, to the wild, which had been reserved for Pinkie Pie and also for Carrot’s kooky uncle Coffee and his family. Carrot and Cup were sitting at the head table with each of their parents. For a while, the six ponies were absorbed in enjoying their food, as it had been a while since they had last eaten. Once most of the food had been consumed, Carrot’s parents started to talk.

        “Son, your mother and I are proud of you,” Chocolate said.

        “Very proud,” Vanilla said with only a trace of her family’s southern accent left in her voice. “We’re so excited that you two finally got married. What’s it been, a year since you proposed to her?”

        “Yes, it has been,” Carrot said, his smile faltering. Cup turned to him and gave him a peck on the cheek. Carrot smiled and returned it quickly. He watched her parents carefully for a sign of annoyance, but they were merely stoic. Blueberry Tart took a sip from his glass of champagne and then set it back down on the table.

        The six ponies sat in silence for a while after that. The discomfort was assuaged slightly by the murmuring of the crowd. Carrot focused on the conversation from the nearest table, where his uncle Coffee was telling a filthy joke to his aunt Lemon Meringue. Dinner had only just been finished, and there were already three empty glasses in front of each of them. Carrot sighed and returned to looking at Cup’s parents. They smiled politely and looked away. Why won’t they say anything? Carrot asked himself.

        Suddenly there was the tinkling sound of silverware on glass. Carrot sighed in relief as the noise died down. He turned to one of the tables in the back, which had been reserved for Pinkie and her four closest friends. Applejack, Rarity, Fluttershy, and Rainbow Dash all watched Pinkie, who was using her fork to tap the glass. She started to make a little musical beat to it, and she lost herself in it until the crowd became completely silent. Realizing that she was now the center of attention, Pinkie quickly set the fork and glass on the table.

        Carrot glanced down and noticed there were only two empty glasses in front of her, but he knew Pinkie to be a bit of a lightweight. This should be interesting.

        It was a wonder that Pinkie even had the chance to make the speech at all. That had been another victory for the young couple. Blueberry had insisted that since he was the one giving the bride away, he should be the one to make the speech. But Cup and her father had not gotten along in years, and as soon as Carrot suggested they get their long-time employee and friend Pinkie Pie to make the speech instead, Cup had jumped at the opportunity.

        When Pinkie Pie was handed a microphone, she cleared her throat. The sound echoed across the tent. Upon hearing the echo, she started giggling, again unaware of the silent crowd around her.

        “Sorry,” she said, “it’s just that noise sounded so funny when the mic picked it up.” She cleared her throat again, louder this time, and the sound echoed even louder. Applejack rose from her seat and whispered into Pinkie’s ear, and Pinkie blushed and nodded.

        “Applejack says I should just get on with the speech,” she said. Applejack hung her head in disbelief, but Pinkie ignored it. “Anyway, it’s super fantastic that Carrot and Cup Cake have married each other today! When I first came to the shop looking for a job, they not only hired me right away, but they gave me a place to live, too! I mean, talk about being nice! It’s been crazy fun working for them for...how long has it been? Four years, I think! Wow, that’s a long time.” Pinkie cleared her throat again, but only after pointing the microphone away from her mouth. “Well, from the first day I was on the job, my Pinkie Senses were tingling whenever Carrot and Cup were near each other. Every time they saw each other, they became a little bit happier. I mean, they totally cheered each other up. Cup was the owner of the store, and Carrot was just a baker, but even before she made him co-owner they were already working like a team.

“I figured out pretty quickly that they were in love, but they didn’t know it for a long time! They were always making excuses about why they spent so much time together. After a while, even I started to think I was wrong, until about a year and a half ago I saw them kissing in her room when I was passing in the hall!”

        Oh no... Carrot thought. Carrot glanced at Cup’s parents, and they were shaking their heads slightly. Carrot felt a pang of embarrassment. He turned to Cup, and she looked uncomfortable as well, but she was still smiling.

        “Oh, wait,” Pinkie continued, “maybe I wasn’t supposed to tell that story.” Carrot sighed with relief. At least she didn’t tell all of it. “Anyway, I asked them about it a couple days later, and at first they said they didn’t know what I was talking about, and I said that’s silly because I could have sworn I heard some smooching. They finally gave in and told me that yes, they were in love. And I thought that was fantastic! I threw them a huge party about a week later, and they told everypony that they were going out, and pretty soon after that she made Carrot co-owner of the store. He proposed to her after that, which made us all really excited. Now to see them married is even better! So I wanted to wish them lots of happiness as they spend the rest of their lives together, and to them I say congratulations! You totally deserve it! Let’s hear it for Mr. and Mrs. Cake!” Pinkie cheered and started stomping her hooves on the ground, and the rest of the ponies quickly followed suit. Carrot and Cup looked at each other and smiled deeply. Whatever her parents thought, or anypony else that didn’t like seeing them together, they knew they had made the right choice. They were meant for each other.

***

        Everypony gathered in a large field on the outskirts of Ponyville. The ponies stomped their hooves enthusiastically as they threw flower petals in the air. The bridesmaids, which included Pinkie and Rarity, gathered in a group in front of Cup, who was carrying a bouquet of roses. Cup faced away from them and flung the bouquet in the air, and it somehow landed in the hooves of Rarity. Cup turned around and laughed at the flustered look on her face. Rainbow Dash flew over and gave Rarity a light punch on the leg. She followed up with a saucy wink that made Rarity’s cheeks glow red.

Right on schedule, they saw a large white carriage being pulled by austere pegasi from Saddle Arabia. Cup’s parents had initially suggested the idea, but Carrot and Cup had thought it outlandish. The next day, Cup had run into Rarity at the market. Rarity, of course, had wanted to know everything about the wedding plans, and Cup had indulged her by letting her in on some of the details.

“And just yesterday,” Cup said, “my parents suggested they rent out a flying carriage to take us to Canterlot for our honeymoon.” Rarity’s jaw dropped, and she looked as though she were about to faint.

“Darling!” she shouted, startling Cup and a few of the other ponies around her. “That is absolutely...I mean, I could never afford...it’s the most spectacular idea I’ve ever heard!”

“Really? Carrot and I thought it was a bit too much.”

“‘A bit too much?’ Darling, this is your wedding day. Nothing is too extravagant, so long as you have the bits for it.” Cup bit her lip and averted her gaze.

“Well, my parents did offer to pay for everything...” Rarity’s face lit up.

“Marvelous! I see that they, too, want to make this the most magnificent day of your life. Whatever they offer you, dear, take it. I promise you won’t regret it.” Cup gave her a nervous smile.

“Whatever you say, Rarity.”

When Cup had fallen asleep that night, she had dreamt about her and Carrot flying through the sky. The feeling was so uplifting, so freeing, that when she had woken up the next morning she had been convinced.

“Honey, I want the flying carriage,” Cup stated, as if this were an indisputable fact.

“You do?” Carrot saw the piercing look in her eyes, daring him to defy her. “That’s fine, then. We’ll do it.”

“Oh, I love you so much!” Cup embraced her husband and planted multiple pecks on his cheek. Carrot smiled, knowing that he had made his wife happy, and knowing that made him feel good.

Now, seeing the carriage in person, Carrot was glad he had gone along with it.

        When it touched down, everypony could see the large white banner hanging from the back that said “CONGRATULATIONS MR. AND MRS. CAKE” in ornate pink handwriting. Carrot and Cup walked over to the carriage. He opened the door and gracefully gestured for his wife to enter. Cup stepped up the stairs and sat down in the seat near the front. Carrot then climbed up to the carriage himself and shut the door. Looking out the window, the newlyweds waved goodbye to their friends and family, who stomped their hooves enthusiastically. Pinkie bounded from the back of the crowd until she was right next to the carriage. She waved emphatically with both of her front hooves. Her hind legs wobbled and she fell to the ground. Brushing it off like it was nothing, she stood up and waved with just her left hoof. Carrot gave the pegasi the word to take off, and they galloped along the field, picking up speed until they leapt and spread their wings. Soon the lovers could feel the wind whip at their manes as the carriage climbed higher and higher. They looked down and waved at the crowd of ponies below until they could no longer make them out on the surface.

        As the carriage rose steadily, Carrot and Cup looked down at the vast expanse of Equestria. There was the Everfree Forest, looking like a mere grove of trees as they rose. In the distance they swore they could see the lights of Trottingham blinking across the horizon. The newlyweds ought to have felt cold with the wind whipping at them through the window, but the carriage had been bathed in magic to keep the interior warm. Despite the comfort, Carrot was feeling a bit queasy at the immense height. He shouted to the pegasus up front.

        “How high are we going?” he yelled.

        “You’ll see,” the pegasus said with a wink. Carrot leaned back and knew it was out of his hooves. He trusted the pegasi to do their jobs, but he had been afraid of heights all his life.

        Suddenly, the carriage was engulfed in a cloud, so that all Carrot and Cup could see were the puffy expanse. Not too long after, though, they breached the top of the cloud, and what they saw filled them with wonder.

        They were flying in a sea of clouds towering above them like mountains. The newlyweds thought they could make out shapes in the clouds, and for a while they busied themselves by pointing out what they saw. But then Cup looked up above them and immediately gestured for Carrot to do the same. The starry night shone above them in a clear sky, magnifying its luster. But nothing could compare to the full moon that radiated a pale but luminous glow upon them. Bathed in the moonlight, Carrot and Cup looked at each other and kissed passionately, holding each other close and losing themselves to the night sky.

        The kiss finally broke away, and they stared into each other’s eyes dreamily.

        “This has just been so wonderful,” Cup said, swooning.

        “Yes, it has,” Carrot replied. He kissed Cup on the forehead.

        The two returned their gaze to the night sky, and once they had gotten used to its splendor, their minds began to wander. Carrot reminisced about the times he and Cup spent frolicking in the hills or watching the stars at night. Cup, however, recalled a conversation she’d had with Rarity about her dress.

        “What should I do with the trim?” Cup asked her. “My parents want a long train, but I don’t want it to drag on the ground.”

        “Oh, about that...” Rarity said with a smile. “You’ll want the hem to be short. Trust me, darling.” She accented this with a saucy wink. Cup looked at her confused.

        “How come?” she asked. Rarity’s grin grew wider.

        “Well, I’ve made many a bridal gown for weddings here in Ponyville. A few uninhibited ponies have provided me feedback about how useful the short hems are that first night, so believe me when I tell you that...well, let’s just say you might not make it out of your dress.” Cup felt her cheeks grow hot at the implication. Rarity let out a hearty chuckle.

        “So, I take it you’ll want a short trim?” she asked. Cup thought about it, and now that her shock had subsided, the idea excited her so much that her answer was obvious.

        “Definitely,” she said.

        “Do you know what I’m going to do with you when we check in at the hotel?” Cup gave Carrot her most lascivious gaze. Carrot laughed heartily, and Cup blushed but also smiled.

        “What is that, honey?”

        “All sorts of naughty things...” Cup lifted her head up to meet his and locked him into a passionate kiss, letting her tongue probe the depths of his mouth. She pulled away and gazed upon him lovingly.

        “I’ve been waiting for tonight for a long time...” Cup said, “and I just wanted to tell you that I’m ready.” Her face carried a calm demeanor as she said this.

        “You are?”

        “Definitely.” Something about Cup’s demeanor spooked Carrot, and he turned away and frowned.

        “Are you alright?” she asked.

        “I...well, I guess I’m a little nervous,” Carrot admitted.

        “A little nervous?” Cup asked, stroking Carrot’s face with her hoof. “What for? Isn’t this what you’ve been waiting for?”

        “Of course it is, you know that,” Carrot said with a sigh. “It’s just...I’m scared I’ll...” Cup gazed into his eyes.

        “It’s all right. You can say it.”

        “I don’t want to disappoint you.” Cup took Carrot’s face in both her hooves and looked at him like a mother would her son.

        “Honey, you’re not going to disappoint me. This is everything I’ve been waiting for, dreaming of. It’s going to be amazing.”

        “That’s just it,” Carrot said, cutting her off.

        “What do you mean?”

        “You have these high expectations, and I’m afraid I’ll never be able to live up to them.” Carrot turned his head away in shame.

        “Honey,” Cup Cake said, “if you’re worried about performance, I’ve already seen how big you are, so I know that won’t be an issue. And you don’t have to worry about giving me an orgasm,” Carrot winced at the word, “because that’s not the only thing I want out of this. This...this is going to be special. I can feel it.” Cup Cake planted a delicate kiss on his cheek, and then followed it up with multiple kisses all over his face. She spoke again.

        “You would never believe how badly I want you, how I’ve always wanted you, even when I first met you. And yes, I understand that you’re nervous, but if you freak out too much it’s going to make things a lot harder. Just...just try to relax, and know that this night will be everything we’ve imagined and more.” Cup locked lips with Carrot again. At first he was unresponsive, but he allowed himself to relax for a moment and returned the kiss with some passion.

        “Don’t worry,” Cup told him as their lips parted, “I’ll make sure you forget about all your troubles.”

        “Thank you,” Carrot said, giving her a real smile once again.

***

        They had paid for the room, unlocked the door with the key card, and stowed away their luggage under the bed. Now Carrot was outside on the balcony overlooking the expanse of Canterlot. The city, being situated on the side of a mountain, could be seen in all its splendor at the top half, near the castle. Carrot began to count the roofs of all the houses he could see, before he reminded himself to count instead the stars in the night sky. He looked at the moon, and thought he could make out the shape of a pony’s face on the right side of it, but that couldn’t be right. That was just a story Chocolate had told him when he was little. Cup walked slowly up to him and joined him on the balcony. She kissed him on the cheek and gazed up at the moon as well.

        “They say the princess of the night lays dormant on the moon,” she said, “waiting for her release from her thousand year imprisonment.”

        “That’s an old pony’s tale,” Carrot said, but he couldn’t help but gaze into the night princess’s eye.

        “You know,” Cup said, “my parents told me not to feel sorry for her, because she had tried to bathe Equestria in everlasting night. But I always had sympathy for her. Can you imagine how lonely it must have been to make something so beautiful and see it totally ignored? And then Princess Celestia imprisoned her, and that must have been lonelier still.

        “But what I think the night princess didn’t understand is that while the ponies would stay indoors at night, that didn’t mean they did not see its beauty. What do you think happens at night, honey, that could make it so magical?” Carrot continued to stare at the face etched in the moon as he pondered this question.

        “All I can think of is sleep,” he said, “sleep and dreams.”

        “Oh, but there’s so much more to it than dreams,” Cup said, nuzzling her husband. “This is the time for romance. Once the sun goes down, passions come in bloom like spring flowers. You see, the day might be for friends, but the night is for lovers...” Carrot felt a thrill in his stomach on top of his unsettled nerves, but this was excitement in his bones. He turned to Cup and smirked.

        “Since when did you become such a romantic?” he asked.

        “I might be all business at the store, but when it comes to love, I’ve always had my head in the clouds.” Cup prodded Carrot with her hoof. “Don’t tell me you’re not the same way.”

        “Oh, I know I’m a dreamer at heart,” Carrot said, taking her hoof in his and smiling. “I knew that the moment I laid my eyes on you. But I always thought, ‘she’s my boss, it will never work out.’ Then I finally got the courage to ask you out and you said yes. I felt like the luckiest pony in the world that night.” Carrot relaxed when he thought of the memory.

        “So did I,” Cup said. “And I still feel that way now.” Carrot looked at his wife and leaned in for a kiss. She gladly returned it, and the delicate touches of their lips quickly became bold and passionate as the lovers made their way back into the room. Carrot stopped briefly to shut the curtains, and the two made out sloppily in the dark, unable to see what they were doing. They locked their lips for long periods of time, stopping only briefly to catch a quick breath. Carrot soon felt raw heat overcome his trepidation, and he tried to undo the dress to pull it off of her.

        “Forget the dress,” Cup said in between kisses. “Just leave it.”

        “But we’ll ruin it,” Carrot said. Cup gripped his head in her hooves and stared at him so hotly that he blushed. The words of Rarity echoed in her head.

        “Just lift the hem, dear. Nothing to it.”

        “The dress stays on.”Cup said. Carrot quailed under her words.

        “O-okay,” Carrot said. He continued to kiss her and pushed her onto the bed. The two lay on their sides, kissing every inch of each other’s face. Carrot nibbled at Cup’s neck, and she moaned as he began to bite it. Knowing what he wanted to do next, he moved to the end of the bed.

“Push the hem up,” Cup said throatily. He lifted the dress up so the train was up over her waist and saw what awaited him: a luscious, pink opening that was already slick with her juices. Carrot stared at it hungrily, mesmerized. Cup noticed this and let out a groan of frustration.

        “Oh, for the love of Celestia, just do it already!” she cried.

        “Sorry,” Carrot said. He felt a thrill of energy at the aspect of what he was about to do. He lowered his face down to her waist. He could smell the hot musk emanating from her loins. He kissed her soft folds. This made Cup gasp, but the sensation wasn’t enough for her heated body.

        “Please...” Cup moaned. “Just lick me...” Carrot heard her advice and was about to do it, but he hesitated.

        What is she going to taste like? he thought. Is it gross? He mentally shook himself. Come on, Carrot, stop thinking about it so much! He lowered his head and slowly dragged his tongue across her opening. She tasted oddly sweet. Not what I expected, he thought. Carrot decided not to question it. His tongue slid across her again, but this time it probed her and touched her delicate nub. Cup gasped in delight.

        “Like that?” he asked.

        “Yes, more of that...” Carrot took a few more licks and began to smooch her with quick, fiery pecks. Each touch inflamed Cup more than the last, and she was clutching the sheets with her forehooves.

Carrot wasn’t sure where to go next. He decided that the nub had gotten a good reaction so he would try it again. He pushed his tongue inside her folds and lapped at her clit hungrily, like a breastfeeding babe. Cup moaned deeply. He pulled out his tongue, continuing to kiss the fur around the area, until Cup groaned. Knowing that now was the time to give her more, he suddenly buried his mouth into her vagina and nibbled at her clit. She gasped at the touch and started to pant.

        “Don’t you dare stop!” she cried. Carrot continued to nibble, but he lost control of his teeth and he bit a little too hard. Cup cried in pain. Carrot immediately stopped and lifted his head up, horrified.

“Are you alright?” he asked. Cup gave him an intense stare.

“Keep going.” she said. Carrot didn’t dare hesitate. He continued to nibble on her clit, more carefully this time. Carrot reached up with his hoof and started to stroke her thigh. Her legs closed instinctively at the touch, but Carrot kept them spread with his hooves.

Cup started to breathe more heavily, a good sign, so he went all out to pleasure her. He held her clit between his teeth and tugged at it ever so gently, which caused her to pant even harder. Carrot worked the nub with his tongue, Cup’s fluid shooting into his open mouth. He pulled out and swallowed the excess liquid before diving right back in. When he suckled her clit again, she screamed his name and began thrusting her waist reflexively. She let out bold cries of ecstasy as she lost control of her breathing. Her juices flowed with abandon, so he covered her hole with his mouth to catch them. Cup whinnied and convulsed on the bed. He could swear her screams could be heard in the hall.

But, almost as soon as it had peaked, the fiery passion subsided as she came down from the high. Her breathing returned to normal and her hips stopped thrusting. Carrot returned to her face and she dove in to kiss him furiously, running her tongue through his mouth and tasting her own fluids on his lips.

        Cup kissed him like this for a while before she made her way down to Carrot’s neck. Cup was quick and fiery, wasting no time lowering herself to Carrot’s waist, licking it with her tongue. She took hold of his yellow penis in her hooves. It was already aroused, but she knew that he could grow much longer, so she stroked his penis up and down. Carrot leaned back and relished in his wife’s touch. She rubbed him frantically in an effort to get him hard as quickly as possible. Her hooves were magic, raising his penis to full length. Then, Cup began to lick his member from the base to the tip, fondling his testicles with her hooves. 

She got ready to take the flare in her mouth, thinking back to the first time she had done this for him. At first she had just wanted to help him clop, but one time of getting blasted in the face had been all it took for Cup to insist she take him in her mouth from then on.

Carrot moaned to encourage her, knowing what was coming. Cup needed no motivation, however; her drive to please him was powerful enough. In a long-practiced move, she enveloped the tip of his cock in her mouth and started sucking. Her tongue lapped over the tip as she fitted more of his penis into her mouth. His precum tasted salty on her tongue, and she made an effort to lick his tip clean, but more always came out to replace it.

She started to hum happily as he got closer and closer. Secretly, she loved the feeling of him blowing his load into her mouth without warning. It was her guilty pleasure.

        Carrot began to thrust into her, bucking his hips as if he was trying to push his dick further inside her mouth. He was enjoying the sensation immensely, but this wasn’t what he really wanted out of the night. Carrot leaned over and brought Cup’s head off of his crotch with his hoof.

        “I’m ready,” he said.

There was no need for any more words.

Cup nodded and turned herself over on the bed so that her backside was facing Carrot. She flicked her tail invitingly, and, once again, Carrot had to keep himself from just staring at the luscious pink opening. He pushed the hem of her dress up her back so he would have an unfettered opening. He then positioned himself over her backside, his hooves resting on either side of her.

        Carrot rubbed his rock-hard cock across her folds gently. Once the tip found her opening, he thrust forward. The first few times he tried this, his dick just slid down her thigh. Sensing the trouble he was having, Cup scooched her hind legs forward and lifted her haunches higher. With a clearer opening, Carrot used his hoof to help guide his penis into her vagina. Once he had finally breached her, he slid into her slick cavern.

        Carrot couldn’t believe how tight his wife was. About two inches in his flare hit an obstruction. “Cup...”

“I know, just give it one big push. Don’t worry.”

It was a rough fit, but Cup’s fluid made her slipperier and thus easier to penetrate. Her humid walls coated his cock in warmth, already burning a fire in his crotch. He kept pushing in until he bottomed out, which was impressive for a stallion of his size. Cup hissed as he broke through her hymen, visibly trembling. Blood began to pool on the sheets, but Carrot did his best to ignore it. He stopped pushing, panting, letting her adjust to his size.

Cup finally turned her head back to him. Even from the side he could see tears in her eyes and an impression on her bottom lip from where she had been biting it. “I-I’m okay!” She finally gasped out. “Go ahead!”

Carrot then started to thrust, his testicles slapping her ass as he pushed himself into her again and again.

        “Oh, dear Celestia...” she said, barely holding her forelegs steady so she wouldn’t collapse on the bed. To be taken like this, on this beautiful summer’s night, in the most romantic city in Equestria, was more than Cup had ever dreamed of. She could feel her nerves rapidly heating up as Carrot continued to pound into her. He felt so energized that he smacked Cup on the right cheek. She cried out in pain. He stopped thrusting for a second, afraid he had done something wrong. She turned her head and looked at him.

“Keep doing that,” she said. Carrot instantly resumed thrusting and spanked her a few more times. Each time he hit her she let out a neigh of delight.

Carrot was normally slow to cum, but being inside her for the first time, he felt his loins begin to tighten again. As he was wont to do, he gave Cup no warning of his incoming ejaculation. He pumped into her faster and harder, groaning as he made his efforts. He could feel sweat beading down his forehead as he worked in the muggy summer air. He leaned over and took Cup’s ear into his mouth, sucking and nibbling on it. Cup was panting heavily, her insides firing up just as they had done earlier. She hoped for simultaneous release for the both of them.

        He could feel her slick juices coat his cock, sliding from the tip to the base and dripping on the bed. The feeling was delicious, almost as if he was swimming in a warm jacuzzi. This made his loins tighten and he started pumping in earnest.

Suddenly, as if the princess of the night herself had commanded it, Cup screamed out in delight, her inner walls clenching along Carrot’s member just as his load burst into her. His semen made her even more slick, but Carrot’s dick stayed firmly embedded as he emptied himself inside her. His quick, powerful humps became long, drawn-out thrusts as his thick stream poured into his wife’s vagina. Cup’s body rocked and her legs began to shake. This orgasm was much stronger than the first. She felt as if she were on fire, the warmth surging through her body and consuming all thought. The only thing she could do was scream Carrot’s name.

Soon, Carrot could feel his thick semen stop spurting. He knew that his ride was up. His cock receded until he could easily slip out of Cup’s vagina. Cup stopped screaming as she, too, came down from the high. Once Carrot had freed himself, he collapsed onto the bed. White fluid drooled down his tip and also out of Cup’s hole, staining the sheets and, more importantly, her dress. Cup flipped herself and lay down next to Carrot, giving him a fiery kiss that he gladly returned. They held their lips together for what felt like an eternity, with no need to make any noise at all. Carrot and Cup had never felt more connected, more unified.

        When Cup pulled away, Carrot opened his eyes and gazed into her’s.

        “See?” Cup asked. “You had no reason to worry. You made me cum twice!”

        “Really? So that first one was real?”

        “Oh, stop it, you,” Cup said, flicking him on the nose. Carrot chuckled. He then looked down at the mess he’d made on Cup’s dress.

        “I didn’t mean to stain it,” he said. Cup laughed.

        “That’ll all come out in the dry-cleaning,” she said. “Besides, the color matches. White dress, white cum...” Carrot laughed and gave her another kiss, his tongue probing inside her mouth. Cup wrestled it with her own, and it was a moment more before they broke apart again.

        “I know it’s really cliché to say this,” Carrot said, “but that was amazing.”

        “I know it was, honey,” Cup said. “I know it was.” The both of them spent, they cuddled close together and shut their eyes, waiting for sleep and the night’s pleasant dreams to envelop them.

> Chapter 1: Of Sex and Fertility
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Chapter 1: Of Sex and Fertility

        “Well, Pinkie,” Carrot said, opening the door to the room next to his and his wife’s, “this is your new room. What do you think?”

        Pinkie’s eyes lit up. Everything about it was perfect. The room featured two separate floors with a staircase between them. The windows overlooked the streets of Ponyville and let in the brilliant light of the afternoon sun. The bed was ornate and a generous queen size. Though the walls were painted a simple beige, the first floor’s ceiling was dark pink with stars on it. She could immediately picture herself hosting parties in the new space, which meant she wouldn’t have to take over the front of the shop.

        “This is super-duperific!” she cried, giving Carrot a bone-crushing hug. “I love it! It’s right next to your room, too!”

“Yes, Pinkie, I know.” The door to Carrot’s room creaked. Carrot and Pinkie looked over at it and saw that it was slightly ajar.

“That darned thing,” Carrot said. “It never closes quite right.”

“Maybe you could fix it?”

“We just don’t have the funds for it. But that’s okay, just as long as you don’t go peeking in on us anymore.”

“Gotcha,” Pinkie said. She looked back to her new room. “What happened to all the stuff you had in here?”

        “Cup and I went through it all and shipped off what we wanted to keep to a storage facility in Trottingham.”

        “So what’s my old room gonna be used for?” Pinkie was bouncing up and down, unable to contain her excitement.

        “Well, with some luck, we’re going to turn it into a nursery,” Carrot said slowly. Pinkie stopped bouncing and let that information sink in with an ever growing smile.

        “You mean you’re going to have a BABY?!? Oh, this is absolutely fantastic!” Carrot had thought it was impossible for Pinkie to get any more excited. When he saw her leaping and nearly hitting her head on the ceiling, he realized how wrong he had been. “I can’t wait to foalsit! So when is it coming?”

        “Cup’s not actually pregnant yet...” Carrot said, feeling uncomfortable for even bringing it up.

        “Oh...but you’re trying?”

        “We’re trying.”

        “You know, I’ve always wondered about that,” Pinkie Pie said, not even stopping to catch her breath. “What exactly do you have to try? Do you have to set something up with a stork? Do you get them shipped from a baby factory? Do you have to use unicorn magic?” If Carrot had been uncomfortable before, it was nothing compared to how he was feeling now.

        Really? he thought, you’re a grown mare and you don’t know where babies come from?

        “Well...” he said, “it’s complicated. Way too much to explain to you just now. Maybe you could ask one of your friends.”

        “Oh, okay! I know just the mare to ask! Twilight knows everything about everything, so I’m sure she could tell me. See ya, Mr. Cake!” Pinkie dashed across the hall and down the stairs before Carrot could even blink. He shook his head, chalking it up to typical Pinkie antics.

***

        “TWILIGHT!” Pinkie cried as she stormed into the library. Twilight jumped and nearly fell over from shock. Spike coughed up some fire in surprise.

        “Pinkie, this is a library!” Twilight said. “You can’t just barge in shouting at the top of your lungs! You nearly gave me a heart attack!” Pinkie winced at the harsh tone of Twilight’s voice. Spike clutched his stomach and rubbed his head.

        “Twilight, I don’t feel so good...” Spike moaned.

        “And look what you did to poor Spike. What is so important that you had to come barging in here?”

        Pinkie perked right back up to her normal level of enthusiasm. “Mr. Cake told me to ask you how babies are made.” Twilight’s eyes bugged out. She immediately turned to Spike, who was looking at her with a combination of confusion and curiosity. Twilight smiled sheepishly and chuckled.

        “Yeah, okay, Pinkie,” she said. “Good one. Did Rainbow Dash put you up to this?” Pinkie looked at Twilight, confused.

        “I’m not joking around, Twilight,” Pinkie said. “I don’t know anything.” Twilight raised an eyebrow.

        “Seriously?” she asked.

        “Yep!” Pinkie said.

        “So what, your parents never gave you ‘the talk?’”

        “Uh...I don’t know. I guess not. They didn’t tell me much of anything, really.”

        “Okay, okay, that makes sense, given your upbringing.” Twilight said, taking a deep breath. She turned to Spike.

“Spike,” she said, “you’ve been working so hard today. Take a well-deserved break.”

“But Twilight,” Spike whined, “I’m curious, too.” Twilight thought on her hooves.

“I’m sure I have some spare amethysts or rubies in my room, if you want a snack.” The mention of gemstones did the trick.

“Wow, thanks, Twilight!” Spike nearly tripped over himself as he made his way upstairs. Twilight breathed a sigh of relief and turned her attention to Pinkie. She was gazing at Twilight with a childlike wonder in her eyes.

“Why’d you have to send Spike away?” she asked.

“You’ll understand in a minute,” Twilight said. “I still find it hard to believe you don’t know any of this.” Twilight thought about this for a second. “Well, now that I think about it, my parents never told me about it either. I learned it from my brother, not the best source if you ask me.”

“Why not?”

“He was a bit...graphic in the way he described it.” Pinkie frowned, feeling like she was missing something obvious.

“How bad could it be? This is babies we’re talking about. They’re all cute and fluffy and fun!” Twilight shook her head and sighed. This was going to be harder than she thought.

“Look, perhaps I should just start from the beginning,” she said. “Sit down.” Pinkie took a seat in one of the library’s couches. Twilight sat opposite her on a different couch, facing away from the stairs.

“So,” Twilight said, twiddling her hooves, “maybe we should just start with what you already know.”

“Okay!” Pinkie said, eager as always to contribute to the discussion. “Let’s see...I know it’s between a mare and a stallion, and that the mare and the stallion have to do something...but I don’t know what that something is. Then a long time later they get a beautiful bouncing baby! Though I have no idea where it comes from...”

“Never mind that now,” Twilight said. “Right now, let’s focus on what the mare and stallion have to do to get pregnant.”

“What do they have to do?” Pinkie asked.

Oh, Celestia, how do I go about telling her? Twilight asked herself. She scratched her head, trying to find the most delicate way to educate this blissfully ignorant mare.

“Well...” Twilight said, “in order to make babies a stallion has to put his penis into her—”

“What’s a penis?” Pinkie asked. Twilight’s mouth dropped open.

“Okay, this has to be a joke. Are you seriously telling me you’ve never even heard of one?”

“Nope, it never came up.”

“Okay, fine, so you don’t know about a stallion’s genitals...”

“Geni-what’s its?” Pinkie asked. Twilight let out a sigh. How many more times am I going to do that?

“His private parts,” Twilight said.

“Oh, you mean like where his pee-pee comes from?” Pinkie asked. “What does that have to do with anything?” Twilight groaned.

“We’ll get to that in a minute. Now, you have to know about a mare’s genitals, right?”

“Oh, yeah. It’s like a little hole in me.”

“Okay, so you know that much,” Twilight said. “That’s a good start. Now, let’s go back to a stallion’s genitals for a minute. They have a...well, let’s just say their genitals are external. They protrude from the body and are visible to anypony who looks down there.” Twilight blushed, but continued nonetheless. “On the other hoof, a mare’s genitals are internal. You don’t see what’s going on down there.”

“So what do a stallion’s...genitals...look like?” Pinkie asked. Twilight gulped and shifted her eyes.

At that moment, Spike began to make his way downstairs, wanting to ask Twilight where the gems were. When he heard the word “genitals,” his curiosity overcame his desire to eat. He stopped to listen in to what they were saying.

“Maybe I should just show you,” Twilight said. She used her magic to bring down a book from the highest shelf in the library. The name of the book was Interspecies Reproduction: From Courting Behavior to Infancy Genetics. Twilight flipped through it quickly, looking for a specific diagram. Pinkie rose from the couch and looked over her shoulder, catching brief glimpses of some of the images, and these only added to her curiosity. Spike couldn’t see the contents of the book from where he was standing. He crept downstairs slowly to get a better look.

“I was a little too young when my brother first told me about sex,” Twilight said. “I thought it was disgusting at the time. Then when I got older, I asked Princess Celestia about it. I was afraid she was going to chastise me, but instead she smiled and took me to the library to find this book. I’ve kept it ever since.

“Aha! There we go.” Twilight had stopped on a large diagram of the stallion’s genitalia. Pinkie stared at the picture in wonder, having never seen the likes of it before. Spike could now see what they were looking at, and he was drawn to it, too. That looks like mine... he thought.

“The long end is called a penis,” Twilight said, “and the two round objects are testicles.”

“Wow, really?” Pinkie Pie asked. She and Spike were both riveted.

“Yes, really,” Twilight said. “And a mare’s genitals are called—”

“A vagina!” Pinkie cried, taking Twilight aback.

“How did you know that?” she asked.

“My mommy told me that one after I kept bugging her about it.” Pinkie smiled proudly. Twilight returned a half-hearted grin.

“So she didn’t hide everything from you,” she said. “Okay. Now, these two sets of genitals are the most significant difference between the sexes. They do not reach their full potential until they are joined together.” Twilight started flipping through the book again, then thought better of it and shut the book and placed it off to the side.

“Aw, no more pictures?” Pinkie asked. Spike shared the same sentiments, but couldn’t protest.

“Those diagrams still make me feel uncomfortable,” Twilight said. “Sorry.”

“That’s okay!” Pinkie said. “Now, what do you mean ‘joined?’”

“Well, as they say in medieval texts, the sword must fit the hilt. Do you get my meaning?” Pinkie frowned, gazing down at the floor.

“No...” she said dejectedly. Twilight took a deep breath.

“What do you do to unlock a door?” Twilight asked. Pinkie perked right back up.

“You fit the key into the hole, silly,” Pinkie said.

“Exactly, and it’s the same for the penis and the vagina. It’s like sticking a key into a lock.”

Pinkie grimaced when she finally understood the implication. Spike sat back, scratching his head in confusion. So mares have...a hole?

“But that’s where my pee-pee comes from,” Pinkie said. “Gross!” Twilight shook her head and huffed.

        “The stallions don’t use that hole, Pinkie. They put their penis in a different one.”

        “Still gross,” Pinkie said flatly.

“We’re actually biologically engineered so that the experience is pleasurable, enthralling even. This might be too personal a question, but have you ever...masturbated?”

“Huh?” Pinkie said. Twilight took a deep breath to calm herself.

“Have you ever touched yourself...down there?”

“Ew! No way!” Pinkie cried, but she suddenly frowned and turned away. Twilight leaned in closer.

“What’s wrong?” she asked.

“Well, there was this one time where I thought I would try it, and Mommy walked in on me before I could really do anything. She said ‘Pinkie, that is not okay. Go outside and move the rocks into the silo! Some hard work will get those filthy thoughts out of your head.’

“So I went out and moved the rocks into the silo, and I was very sad. Then when I came in Mommy sat me down and explained that she didn’t want me to be ‘corrupted’ by these thoughts and she made me Pinkie Promise that I would never do it again.”

“Well,” Twilight said, “your mother was wrong. Masturbation is a perfectly healthy activity. In fact, it’s actually a lot of fun.” Twilight smiled and her cheeks became rosy.

“You mean it’s a good thing?”

“Yes, Pinkie. Masturbating feels, well...electric is the best word I can think of, like your body is just taking off for a precious moment, at least when you do it right.”

“So it’s super-duper fun?”

“Yes.”

“Can you show me how to do it?” Pinkie asked eagerly. Twilight recoiled in horror.

“Absolutely not, that’s way too personal. But, if you want, I could show you the relevant section in that book.” Pinkie’s mouth hung open in excitement. Spike leaned forward so as not to miss a single image.

“Oh, could you? Pretty please?”

        “All right, give me a second,” Twilight said. She levitated the book over to her and began flipping through the pages. Spike leaned over closer, head poking through the banister. Pinkie gazed over her shoulder.

        “Ah, yes, here we go,” Twilight said. The diagrams were of a mare’s haunches. Numerous images of a hoof positioned over it, with arrows indicating motion. Twilight read the text aloud. “‘Although critics believe it is a futile effort, masturbation is a method both mares and stallions use to induce their own orgasms.’”

        “What’s an orgasm?” Pinkie asked.

        “It’s that electric feeling,” Twilight said. She cleared her throat and continued reading. “‘The techniques for each sex are dramatically different, given the obvious differences between the genitalia. Stallions...’ Oh, but that doesn’t exactly answer your question.” Twilight flipped through the pages some more. Little did she know that she had left Spike hanging.

        “Okay, here it is,” Twilight said. “‘Mares use their hoof as well, only it is a bit harder for them to produce an orgasmic sensation because the areas most responsive to sexual touching are primarily inside the vagina, thereby out of reach. Nevertheless, stimulation of the outer folds of the vagina can produce a euphoric effect if done properly. The best type of motion, according to experts, is circular, rubbing around the folds, although simple up-and-down motion may prove effective as well. The important thing to remember is the pace. Start slowly and gradually build up the intensity, and your hoof will instinctively rub faster and more aggressively when you start feeling the pleasurable response.’ And...that pretty much explains it, I think,” Twilight said.

        “I never knew that...” Pinkie said.

        That made absolutely no sense, Spike thought. He glanced down and noticed that his penis had grown in size and felt firmer. What the hay is this? He blushed and covered it with his claws, trying not to look at it.

“So,” Twilight said, shutting the book and putting it aside, “the reason ponies masturbate is to simulate the feeling of sexual intercourse. Now, a mare usually—”

“Intercourse?” Pinkie asked. Twilight’s patience was wearing thin at this point, but she restrained her temper.

“Key and lock, Pinkie. Key and lock,” she said. Pinkie’s eyes lit up in understanding. Spike, however, huffed in frustration, then held his mouth, hoping he hadn’t been overheard. Twilight and Pinkie Pie hadn’t noticed.

“I think I get your meaning now,” Pinkie said. Spike, however, was so confused that he almost asked what they were talking about. He put a hand over his mouth in horror.

“The mare and the stallion have genitals,” Pinkie continued, “and when you put ’em together it feels really good. But what does that have to do with a baby?” Twilight was delighted that Pinkie had understood everything she had said so far. This uplifted her spirits and encouraged her to continue teaching her friend.

“Without getting too technical,” Twilight said, “a stallion has a special fluid that, when it enters a mare while she’s in heat, might produce a foal. You know what being in heat is, right?”

Oh yeah, Spike thought, heat... Twilight hadn’t been able to hide that from him. She would always became irritable and demanding during that time. Then, in a few days, she would feel bad and apologize up and down for being short with him.

One time her behavior had gotten so bad that Spike had asked her why she was being so mean, and Twilight had told him it was because she was in “heat.” She hadn’t elaborated any further. When she had calmed down, Spike asked her again what heat was, and she had written it off by saying she was “sick.”

“Yeah, I know,” Pinkie said, shuddering. “It’s hot and it really hurts down there. I didn’t know what to do, so I asked my parents how to deal with it.”

“And what did they suggest?”

“They gave me an old family recipe that had been passed down for generations of Pies. That, and Mommy said a cold bath always helps, too.”

“Interesting...” Twilight said, thinking about it. “Any chance I could have that recipe?”

“Family secret, Twilight!” Pinkie said emphatically. “Family secret. I Pinkie Promised never to tell anypony outside the family.”

“Okay, okay,” Twilight said, holding her hooves up.

“Heat is the time in a mare’s cycle where she is most hungry for sex,” she continued, “and the only time she is able to get pregnant. When the stallion’s fluid enters the mare, it can produce a baby. The baby grows in the mother’s womb for about eleven months and then it leaves through the vagina.” Both Pinkie Pie’s and Spike’s eyes widened in horror.

“Through the...what?” Pinkie shouted.

“Lower your voice, please,” Twilight said. “The baby comes out through the vagina.”

“But that’s so gross!” Pinkie said, wincing. “That must really hurt!”

“Yes,” Twilight said with an awkward smile, “I’ve been told the experience is quite painful, but worth it as soon as a mother looks into her new foal’s eyes.” Pinkie was still cringing, making it clear that she didn’t believe Twilight.

“Whatever you say...” Pinkie said. “Anything else?”

“I think I’ve covered just about everything you need to know. I hope I didn’t make you uncomfortable,” Twilight said tentatively. Pinkie gave her a reassuring smile.

“Oh, no way. That was great, Twilight! Thank you so much!”

“You’re welcome, Pinkie, any—” Twilight was cut off when Pinkie crushed her in an embrace. Twilight tolerated it until she couldn’t breathe, but then Pinkie pulled away from her.

“Hey, can I borrow that book?” she asked. “I really wanna read it.”

“Are you sure you want to be carrying that around?”

“I don’t think anypony’s gonna stop me and look at what library book I’m taking out.”

“All right. I can’t turn down anypony who wants to study. You can borrow my saddle pack and put it in there.” Pinkie grabbed Twilight’s saddle pack and placed the book inside it before putting the pack on her back.

“Thanks, Twilight. I gotta get going now. See ya!” She bounded out of the library, singing a tune to herself with no discernable lyrics. Twilight shut the door after her. She turned around to see Spike sitting on the stairs. His hands were still covering his boner, which thankfully was now receding.

“How much of that did you overhear?” Twilight asked sternly. Spike panicked and started to stumble over his words.

“I swear I didn’t hear anything! I just came down to ask you where the gems were and I only caught a little bit of what you were saying and I...I...” Spike sighed.

“Spike...” Twilight said, staring him down.

“Okay, fine, I heard almost everything.” He turned away his face in shame.

“Do you understand now why I sent you away?” Twilight asked. Spike lifted his head and sighed.

“Yes...” he said. Twilight smiled affectionately.

“It’s all right, Spike,” she said. “You can relax.” Spike took a deep breath and started talking at rapid-fire speed.

“What’s a vagina? What did you mean by a mare and stallion ‘joining together?’ What’s this fluid that you said comes out of a penis? Why is giving birth to a baby so painful? I gotta know!” Twilight felt the pressure emanating from him, but she took a deep breath and relaxed.

“It’s just about lunchtime,” she said. “Let’s eat, and maybe I can answer your questions. Does that sound good?”

“That sounds delicious...” Spike said dreamily. Twilight smiled and led him to the kitchen so they could eat.

***

        Pinkie was lying down on the bed reading through the book she borrowed, currently engrossed in the chapter about courting.

        When a mare wants to convey her sexual interest for a stallion, it is not uncommon for her to flick her tail up when she is walking away from him, thus offering a brief glimpse at her genitals. Though not very subtle, it has proven to be effective in catching the stallion’s attention, so that the next time he sees her he becomes much more engaged in conversation.

        “Huh,” Pinkie said. “I would have never thought to do that...” Pinkie tried to continue reading, but she was distracted by voices coming from the Cakes’ room next door. Her curiosity got the better of her, so she put away the book and tried to listen in. She couldn’t make out what they were saying, but she could approximate the general tone, and it sounded like they were being affectionate. It was the same tone they used when they were happy to see each other. They must be having lots of fun together, Pinkie thought. Her heart skipped a beat, remembering what Carrot had told her earlier.

        “Oh...but you’re trying?”

        “We’re trying.”

        Did that mean they were trying tonight? Pinkie didn’t want to believe it, but even she intuitively knew that if Carrot and Cup were talking affectionately to one another, they were clearly preparing to have some fun. And, since they were now trying for foals, that could only mean one thing...

        The talking ceased. Pinkie could now only make out faint noises that sounded to her like smooches. It was the sound she had heard when she passed their room all those years ago.

        Hmm, she thought, Twilight didn’t tell me there was smooching involved. A few more minutes later, the kissing sounds stopped. They were suddenly replaced by creaking noises that Pinkie immediately recognized as the same sound her bed made when she jumped on it.

        Why is it so loud? she thought. I didn’t think sex involved bouncing on the bed... The sound was coupled by gasps and moans from the both of them. Occasionally, Pinkie could recognize that they were shouting, but couldn’t hear the words. What are they moaning about?

Now her curiosity had peaked. She climbed out of her bed and walked tentatively over to her door. Part of her screamed not to do this, to leave Mr. and Mrs. Cake alone, while another part of her desperately wanted to see what was going on.

You remember what Mr. Cake said this afternoon. You can’t go invading other ponies’ privacy!

Well, they’re the ones that are being loud. One quick peek to see what they’re doing and that’ll be it. Pinkie Promise! Her curiosity won out. Pinkie crept over to the door leading to the Cakes’ room. It was ajar, as she had expected, so she opened it ever so slowly and stuck her eye in.

What she saw stunned her. Mr. and Mrs. Cake weren’t jumping on the bed at all. Rather, he was standing over her humping her rump rhythmically. Carrot was panting as he did this, and Cup was grunting as she was literally being pounded from behind.

“Harder, harder!” she cried, and Pinkie could clearly hear her words now. Carrot responded by dramatically upping his pace and pushing with extra effort. Pinkie couldn’t see either of their genitals, but she assumed this was how they went about “joining” them, as Twilight had said.

As she watched them, she felt a latent burning between her haunches. It wasn’t unlike the sensation she recognized while she was in heat. The sensation steadily grew in intensity, and with it came a strong desire to reach down and touch herself, only this time, she actually understood why. Echoes of her mother’s words flew through her head, but Pinkie couldn’t contain herself any longer. What Mommy doesn’t know won’t hurt her.

She slowly reached down and touched her vagina with her hoof. She winced when she made contact, but her excitement flared as well, so she knew she was doing it correctly. As she watched Carrot thrusting into Cup, she began to run her hoof in circles around her private parts. When she grew hotter, she rubbed herself more vigorously, and she even started to pant as she worked herself. She kept going on in silence until she felt something slick touch her hoof.

Pinkie squealed in surprise, stopped rubbing herself, and looked at her hoof. A shiny liquid shimmered in the evening light. Before she could form a question about it, she heard Carrot and Cup stop shaking the bed.

“Did you hear something, honey?” Pinkie heard Carrot ask. Mortified, she backed away quickly and quietly, her heart pounding. She didn’t breathe until she heard the bed creaking again.

Pinkie took the opportunity to examine this liquid more thoroughly. It had definitely come out of her vagina, but it looked like water, not urine. Did it smell like urine? Pinkie brought her hoof up to her nose and sniffed. The odor was musky, but not harsh. It actually excited her a bit.

Is there more down there? Pinkie rubbed her vagina again, and it felt slippery to the touch. She brought her hoof back up and saw that more of the watery fluid coated it. Pinkie stared at it for a moment more before she became particularly bold and brought her hoof to her mouth. She tentatively stuck her tongue out and licked the fluid in her hoof.

She was blown away by the taste. It was sweet, but not the kind of sweet she found in cakes or pies or even raw sugar. This had a bit of a salty undertone which seemed to accent the flavor. She didn’t know what it tasted like exactly; all she knew was that it tasted good. Delighted at this discovery, she stuffed her hoof in her mouth and licked it clean, the juices tingling on her tongue.

Pinkie looked back through the doorway, and she saw that Carrot seemed to be thrusting his entire body into Cup’s back. The creaking sounds of the bed were really loud now. Suddenly, Cup started screaming. Pinkie was terrified until she realized it was the kind of screaming she made when she was excited about something. Amidst the screaming she could make out a single word. “CARROT!”

She must feel really good, Pinkie thought. She imagined it had to do with Carrot’s penis being inside of her, as Twilight had taught her. She continued to watch as Cup screamed and Carrot gasped. It lasted for a moment more, and then they stopped moving. Carrot climbed off of his wife and laid down next to her, kissing her affectionately.

With nothing more to see, Pinkie slowly returned to her room and climbed into bed. Images of what she had witnessed flashed through her mind, making her stomach rumble with excitement and stimulating more heat in her haunches.

Pinkie lowered her hoof to her vagina and rubbed it. That burning sensation she felt earlier came back, and this time, in the privacy of her own room, she decided to test how good this sensation could feel. She rubbed herself vigorously, trying to push her hoof into her hole, but it was too big to fit. That didn’t stop her excitement from mounting, though. Echoes of Carrot’s name spurred her on, and then an image suddenly came to her.

Cup was lying on the bed, Carrot towering over her, thrusting into her backside. His penis was firmly inside her, and each successive thrust made her cry out in delight. Cup gasped and moaned as Carrot worked her, until her excitement mounted so much that she started screaming his name.

At this moment, Pinkie felt a surge of energy rush through her, far more powerful than the adrenaline rush she felt in the middle of a party. The raw sensation overwhelmed her brain until she could form no coherent thought, only blind ecstasy. Pinkie had just enough self-control to keep herself from screaming, from releasing the energy that was pent up inside her. She was bucking her hips, rubbing herself furiously, until the searing sensation started to subside. Pinkie’s breathing returned to normal and she stopped rubbing herself. Once the energy had died all the way down, Pinkie’s thoughts recovered. She felt an immense feeling of satisfaction, and with it a drowsiness that had eluded her earlier.

Pinkie closed her eyes and fell into a dreamful sleep.

***

Four Months Later...

        Carrot strained himself as he pounded into Cup from behind. They grunted as he thrust back and forth, struggling to maintain their energy. Carrot’s erection was causing him a lot of pain, but he knew he had to work through it if he was to succeed at this. As usual, her warm, moist walls coated him, and the feeling would have been a lot nicer if he wasn’t straining himself so hard.

        Still, sex was sex, and inevitably Carrot brought himself to release. He felt his semen leave him, but in the back of his mind he knew that he wasn’t shooting a full load. Cup was glad to feel her husband’s sperm swim inside her, but other than that she felt nothing. Her legs were sore from holding her back up, and their throbbing held most of her attention. Once Carrot’s dick had receded and he pulled out of her, the two collapsed on the bed and groaned. Carrot had actually worked up a sweat in the late July heat, and the humidity combined with his exhaustion threatened to send him to sleep. Cup placed her hoof on top of Carrot’s and smiled at him.

        “Think you can go a third round?” she asked. Carrot buried his face into his pillow and screamed. Cup propped herself up and shook him, worried.

        “Are you alright?” she asked. Carrot extricated his face from his pillow and glared at her.

        “Does it look like I’m alright?” Carrot asked. “No I can’t go another round! That last erection had me in pain. My hips are sore. I’m about to pass out, and it’s not even noon yet. What more do you want from me?” Cup’s brow furrowed.

        “Just look for a second,” Cup said, reaching for her nightstand. She pulled out a calendar, upon which she had marked when she had been in heat in green and when it had subsided in blue. The month of September was circled in bright red. “I’m on my seventh day. I’ll be lucky to get through tomorrow before I stop ovulating. Then we only have a week in August! After that, we hit autumn and I won’t be able to get pregnant again until April of next year.”

        “I already know that!” Carrot snapped. “What do you want me to do about it?”

        “I need you to hold on just this one more time and then we can try again tomorrow—”

        “Forget it!” Carrot cried, wrenching himself off the bed. “I’m just so fucking sick of this...” Cup winced; Carrot never used language unless he was really angry.

        “What is your problem?” Cup asked.

        “I’m tired!” Carrot cried, glaring at his wife. “Tired of being used over and over for sex! It’s supposed to be the greatest feeling in the world, not a fucking chore!”

        “For Celestia’s sake, do you want a baby or not?”

        “Of course I want a baby! But you’ve gotta draw the line somewhere. I’m barely shooting anything because I have no time to recover. I’m a one-pump chump, Cup. I wasn’t made to spout semen constantly like a fucking fountain! And you don’t even know how much an erection hurts after the first time. It’s like that feeling you get when your hoof starts having cramps. It’s no carnival ride. And I’m barely feeling any excitement when I cum anymore, because I’ve done it so much these past couple of days—scratch that, every time you’re in heat—that it’s just lost its appeal. I know you want me to be a trooper, to tough it out for the greater good. But I’m exhausted! I’ve only been up a few hours and I could use another eight hours of sleep right now. So before you ask me if we can go again, just stop and think about it, will ya?” Carrot stormed into the bathroom and slammed the door.

        Cup felt totally drained. She always hated Carrot’s tone when he was upset about something, but she hated it even more now because she knew he was right. She could only ask so much of him, and she had overstepped her bounds again. Every time I’m in heat, this happens... It’s like we were made to never have kids!

        Cup froze, thinking about what she had just said to herself. Could that be the problem? Is this a medical issue? Cup was horrified to consider it, because if that were the case then they could never have a foal of their own. But this had been going on after months of rigorous sex during every heat cycle, and they had no foal to show for it. Cup considered this more carefully, and she came to the conclusion that even though the truth might hurt, she had to know for sure whether or not they could actually produce foals.

        Now it’s just a question of how to do it. Cup knew that she would have to have both of them tested. She had no problem going into the doctor’s office if it meant finding out if she could have a baby. But what about Carrot?

        Cup rose from the bed and knocked on the bathroom door. She heard hoofsteps, and then the door opened just a creak, only showing one side of Carrot’s face.

        “What?” he asked curtly.

        “I was just thinking, this has been going on for months with no results, so maybe this is more than just bad luck. One or both of us may have a medical problem that’s keeping us from getting pregnant. Maybe we should go to the doctor and get tested—”

        “Absolutely not,” Carrot said flatly.

        “What?” Cup asked, now very annoyed.

        “I’m not going to tell some doctor that we’re having issues in the bedroom. That’s a private matter that has to stay between us.”

        “Stop being so stubborn and listen to me. I’m trying to get us some help.”

        “How?” Carrot asked, smiling incredulously. “How do you think it will help us? If there’s a problem, it means we’ll never have kids! If there isn’t, then we’re right back where we started.”

        “But don’t you want to know for sure?” Cup asked tentatively.

        “Uh-uh. I won’t do it. I just won’t...” Carrot’s anger lost steam as he fell to saddening thoughts. He shut the door on Cup, who was now fuming because her husband was refusing to cooperate.

        Fine! she thought. I’ll just have to find a way to get your sperm tested without you. What to do, what to do...

***

        Cup decided to give Carrot a week off from sex to help calm him down. She noticed after a few days that he was gradually returning to his perky self. During this time, she had debated how to collect a sample of his sperm to take to the doctor’s without him knowing. While Carrot had been out on an errand, Cup had set up a meeting with Stethoscope, Ponyville’s resident doctor, to get both of them tested. That meeting was tomorrow.

Cup was worried, but she thought she had a way out of her dilemma. Before they had seriously started trying for foals, Carrot was having trouble sleeping. They hadn’t wanted to try pills because Carrot didn’t want to become addicted to them. Listening to soft music only kept Cup awake, so that was out, too. They had found at least some semblance of an answer by accident after Cup had given him a blowjob. It didn’t always happen, but once she had finished, especially if she’d taken her time, Carrot would sometimes fall asleep.

During Cup’s heat, the rigorous sex tired him out enough, so they only used this tactic during the off weeks with some success. So, Cup figured it wouldn’t hurt to go about this tactic again. It wasn’t foolproof, as she wished it was, but trying certainly couldn’t hurt.

She was lying in bed with him when she tried to put her plan into action.

“Honey, I know we got into a fight last week, and I know I really upset you. I just wanted to say I’m sorry.” With a week gone, Carrot’s mood had lifted completely.

“You don’t have to apologize, honey,” Carrot said. “I understand where you’re coming from.”

“Oh, but I still feel so terribly guilty for what I put you through,” Cup said, accentuating the word “guilty” with as much flirtatious undertone as possible. “There just has to be a way for me to make it up to you.” Carrot smiled lasciviously.

“Well, I am feeling a bit restless, so maybe we can try that magical sleep aid.” Cup was thrilled that Carrot had been the one to suggest it. It made it so less suspicious.

“I suppose I could do that for you,” Cup said with a smile. “Come here and give me a drink, you big lug.” Wasting no time, Cup lowered her head to Carrot’s limp dick.

We can’t have that now, can we? Cup thought. She licked him gently from base to tip, slathering his cock with her saliva in an effort to make it slippery and easier to take. Her husband’s subtle moaning was an added bonus. With every stroke of her tongue he grew longer and harder. To help him along, she cupped his testicles with her hoof and rubbed them gently. Carrot breathed deeply, immensely enjoying the dual sensation. Gradually his penis extended to its full length.

Cup decided to tease him a little more, to take it slow. It had been a while since they’d last done this, and she felt he deserved the most sensual experience possible. She tenderly kissed his sodden tip, lapping up his salty precum and relishing in its taste. She gazed up at her husband with such passion and care, trying to convey with her eyes how desperately she wanted to please him. Carrot looked down at her, and she saw his eyes shimmering with delight. The eye contact was electric, adding heat to the slow-burning fire. They held the stare for a while longer, but then he closed his eyes and leaned his head back on the pillow while her gaze returned to his member.

She gently wrapped her lips around the tip of the penis and suckled on it. She could smell the musk of his member, and it made her instinctively reach down her crotch and stroke herself. After all, she might as well have gotten some pleasure out of this, too. Dainty squelching noises emanated from her mouth, eliciting a moan from Carrot. Cup continued to tease him until he finally couldn’t take it any more. He moaned loudly.

Okay, Cup, she thought, you’ve teased the poor man long enough. She moved quickly, taking as much of his member as she could in her mouth until his tip touched the back of her throat. She had long since learned how to handle her breathing in this situation, so she took in air through her nose as she sucked on his wet cock. She rubbed herself more vigorously, feeling the heat in her loins flare under her touch.

“Yes, yes...” Carrot whispered as her sucking, and the sounds it made, intensified. Feeling her warm saliva coating his cock, his loins clenched. He knew it what was about to come, but, as per Cup’s request, he did not warn her of the impending load.

Cup had enough experience, however, to recognize when her husband was about to cum. She pulled her mouth up a little bit so that his cum wouldn’t slide straight down her throat when it came shooting out of her husband’s dick. Carrot started panting and bucking his hips as the sensation rocked him to his core.

That’s it, baby, Cup thought, just a little more... Cup lapped at his tip with her tongue, feeling the slickness of it and tasting its saltiness. Her husband’s bucking was making holding on to his penis difficult, as it always did, but Cup stayed the course. Carrot moaned his wife’s name loudly and let some hissing noises escape from his mouth. Cup was sure that the erection was seconds away.

Then the floodgates broke open. Cup lost herself for a moment and eagerly made to swallow her husband’s load before remembering the whole purpose of this exercise. She held as much as she could in her mouth, swallowing slightly anything her mouth didn’t have room for. She felt her own excitement mounting as she vigorously rubbed herself, but an orgasm would more than likely make her spit out Carrot’s precious sperm. She lifted her hoof away and held Carrot’s slowly receding dick in it, pumping it in an effort to get more of his thick fluid to pour out. But soon it seemed he was spent, and as Cup released his dick from her mouth, she could hear the heavy breathing of her husband that indicated he was fast asleep.

Thrilled that her plan was working perfectly, she crept into the bathroom, semen threatening to burst from her mouth. She held it in, however, as she opened the closet and found the plastic container she had stored in there earlier. She opened the lid and then let the semen spill from her mouth into the container. There was enough there to fill half the container. Oh, I hope that’s enough.

She put the lid back on the container and rinsed out her mouth in the sink. She then carefully opened the bathroom door and snuck over to her saddle pack, where she stored the specimen. Confident that Carrot would never know, she relaxed and climbed back into the bed, letting herself fall into a dreamy sleep.

***

        “I’m going out to lunch!” Cup called into the kitchen. “Send Pinkie up front.”

        “Okie-dokie-lokie!” Pinkie called, bounding out of the kitchen to man the counter. “Enjoy your meal, Mrs. Cake!”

        “Thank you, Pinkie.” Cup put on her saddle pack and left the bakery. She walked down the streets of Ponyville, wary of running into somepony she knew. She preferred to keep her “problem” between herself and Stethoscope, as she had emphatically stated when she had gone to make the appointment. Thankfully, she ran into nopony she knew on the way to the doctor’s office, and she knew nopony in the waiting room either.

        She had arrived five minutes before her appointment, but it was another fifteen minutes before the nurse stepped into the waiting room and called her name.

        “Thank you,” Cup said. The nurse led her to Stethoscope’s office and opened the door, gesturing for Cup to step inside.

        “He’ll be right with you,” the nurse said before closing the door. Cup was left to sit on the table. Now that she was here, at the office, she was fraught with worry. She began to second-guess herself, asking herself why she came here, and what would happen if she found out that she could never have foals. Her worry escalated to outright terror before Stethoscope stepped into the office. The sight of another pony caused Cup to relax, knowing that she was not in this alone.

        “How are you doing this afternoon, Mrs. Cake?” Stethoscope asked.

        “Just fine, doctor,” she said.

        “Now, I’m sorry that your husband couldn’t be here today to discuss this with us. Do you have a sample of his sperm?” Cup reached into the saddle pack and pulled out the plastic container filled with her husband’s semen.  Stethoscope smiled, lifted the container with his magic, and placed it in a cabinet to be examined later.

        “Splendid,” he said. “Now, we’re going to get a sample of your blood to check your hormonal levels. Also, with a little bit of magic, I can check your fallopian tubes for obstructions and also get an estimation of the number and health of your eggs.” Cup fidgeted nervously on the table. “Is everything alright?”

        “Yes, I just didn’t expect this to be so...so...”

        “Thorough?” Stethoscope suggested. He chuckled. “Well, testing a mare for fertility is a much more complicated affair. But before we get into all that, I’m going to ask you about your health, how often you’re participating in intercourse, just basic questions to see if there isn’t a problem in those areas. Is that alright?”

        “Yes,” Cup said, breathing deeply. The doctor levitated a clipboard and quill to him. After each question, he scribbled down quick notes. He was skilled at getting this questioning done quickly and efficiently.

        “All right. Have you had any medical issues during your lifetime?”

        “Well, I broke my leg when I was about eleven, but it healed well enough. Would that cause a problem?”

        “I don’t think so. Did you undergo surgery for it?”

        “They just put it in a cast and it recovered within a few months.”

        “All right. Any other surgeries, or have you had any illnesses?”

        “None.”

        “Okay. Do you use any medications, prescription or otherwise?”

        “No.”

        “Drink any coffee? Alcohol?”

        “Sometimes I’ll drink a cup of coffee to get me through a long day, but I’ve never made a habit out of it.”

        “That’s not unusual. Are you exposed to any chemicals or toxins at work?”

        “I work in a bakery. We use all natural ingredients.”

        “That’s a no then. How often do you have sex?”

        “We, uh...we fool around when I’m not in heat. When I’m in heat, it’s usually once or twice a day.”

        “You really want to get pregnant, don’t you?” Stethoscope asked gently. Cup sniffled a bit.

        “Y-yes...”

        “I understand. Every couple I see really has their heart set on raising a foal. Well, we’re going to make sure you can get one. We’ll do everything we can to make that dream a reality.” Stethoscope gave her a warm smile, which Cup returned.

“T-thank you.”

“You’re welcome.” Stethoscope cleared his throat. “Any sexually transmitted diseases or other sexual problems?” Cup took a deep breath.

        “No.”

        “Have either of you had sex outside of your own relationship?”

        “Not at all.”

        “That’s very romantic of you,” Stethoscope said. Silence hung in the air for a moment. “Have you ever been pregnant before? Actually, I don’t know why that question’s even on this sheet. That’s a no, right?”

        “Yes,” Cup said, laughing a bit.

        “Okay. How consistent is your heat cycle?”

        “Once every three weeks, on the dot.”

        “Impressive. Is this the first time you’ve come here with this issue?”

        “Yes, this is my first time.”

        “Alright, this line of questioning is done.” Stethoscope placed the clipboard down on his desk. “We’re going to run those other tests now so we can fix any problems we might find. Okay?”

        “Yes,” Cup said with conviction.

        “Very good, then.” Stethoscope levitated a sterile needle to Cup’s leg. Cup pulled back for a moment.

“Can you take the blood from somewhere less...obvious?” she asked.

“Oh? How come?” Stethoscope looked puzzled.

“To tell you the truth, I don’t really want my husband to know I’ve come here today.”

“Oh...okay. That’s not that unusual. Let me try this...” Stethoscope aimed the needle underneath, a little above her chest. Cup looked away and gritted her teeth, just as she used to do as a foal. There was a prick of pain, but the blood was drawn quickly and soon he extracted the needle. He cleaned the wound and placed a clear bandage on it.

“That should be subtle enough,” he said.

“Thank you,” Cup said with a smile.

        “Okay, now to check the tubes and the eggs.” Cup lay on the table and Stethoscope held his horn close to Cup’s waist. His horn glowed, and suddenly he could see through Cup’s coat to the fallopian tubes in her body. Cup didn’t dare look during this examination; the thought of seeing her insides freaked her out. Not too long later, the examination was done.

        “Now for the uterus,” Stethoscope said. Again, his horn revealed the inner workings of Cup’s body. This examination took a bit longer, but it was finished after a few minutes. Cup stepped down from the table.

        “Well,” Stethoscope said, “as far as I can tell, there’s nothing wrong with your fertility. We’ll have to see what the blood test tells us, but your health is impeccable, your fallopian tubes are normal, and your eggs look healthy. You can set up an appointment for next week so we can give you the results of the blood and sperm tests. Just go to the secretary in the waiting room. Do you have any questions for me?”

        “No, doctor. Thank you.”

        “My pleasure. You have a nice day.” Cup stepped out of the office feeling better than she had when she walked in. In one week, the mystery would finally be solved.

> Chapter 2: Give Her a Poke
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Chapter 2: Give Her a Poke

        The next week dragged on for Cup as she waited for the test results. The store should have been a good distraction, but so much was riding on the results that it was difficult for her to concentrate. The day after the doctor’s visit, she cooked a cherry pie instead of a blueberry pie, wasting precious ingredients and forcing the customer to wait twice as long for his order. Pinkie might have stopped it, but she had been so engrossed in baking a batch of chocolate chip muffins that she hadn’t seen Cup make her error.

        After the customer walked off with his pie muttering to himself, Carrot went into the kitchen and asked Cup what was wrong. Cup froze, cursing herself for her carelessness before quickly coming up with an excuse.

        “I guess I’m feeling tired,” she said, “and the day’s just getting to me. I didn’t sleep well last night.”

        “I noticed you tossing and turning in the middle of the night.” Carrot placed his hooves on her shoulders and gazed into her eyes. “Look, I know that trying to have a baby is stressful, but there’s only so much we’re in control of here. But we have to remember that the customer comes first, so I need you to get focused.” Carrot tried to give her a reassuring smile. 

Pinkie Pie jumped in with her typical overly cheerful banter. “Cheer up, Mrs. Cake. I’m sure you’ll have a beautiful bouncing baby in no time!”

        “I appreciate the thought, Pinkie,” Cup said. “I guess the stress has been getting to me. I’m sorry.” She lowered her head. Carrot lifted it back up gently.

        “There’s no need to apologize,” Carrot said. “I’m anxious, too. But it’s like you said. We’ll just have to keep trying until it happens. It’s out of our hooves.” Carrot gave Cup what he hoped was a reassuring smile. Cup smiled in return.

        “Thank you, honey,” she said.

        After that, she no longer bumbled any orders, but that didn’t stop the looming thoughts from weighing on her mind. At night, she did all she could to keep from worrying about it, but with nothing to distract her, she was unable to fall asleep. Carrot noticed this, too, and he responded by kissing her softly on the cheek and looking at her lovingly.

        “You’re always there to help me to sleep,” he said. “Allow me to return the favor.”

        “What do you mean?” Cup asked, looking at him warily. He leaned forward and gave her a warm kiss on the lips as a way of expressing his compassion. Cup quickly responded to the affection, even sticking her tongue into his mouth. They kissed with more fervor, Carrot rubbing a hoof through Cup’s mane. Cup wrapped her hooves around his neck and pulled him close to her.

Soon Carrot’s lips parted and he nibbled at her neck. Cup lifted her head as she relished the sensation, exposing more of her neck to him. She knew now what was coming next.

“Carrot, please,” she implored him, breathing deeply. Carrot gently kissed her chest and gradually made his way lower down her body. Cup felt a warmth in every spot Carrot kissed as if his lips had been seared with heat. She imagined what it would feel like in the most intimate place of her body and moaned.

Carrot, wasting no time, kissed her folds gently. Cup felt as though her loins were on fire. It had been so long since Carrot had done this for her that she’d almost forgotten what it felt like to have his slick tongue probing inside her. His tongue breached her and lapped on her clit, and a wave of pleasure rode through her like the tide on the beach.

“Yes, yes...” she whispered as Carrot nibbled on her. She remembered the first night he did this to her. He had been sloppier then, but here he was more controlled and more efficient, gradually warming her body and making her gasp with every move he made. He stroked her thigh as he delved deeper inside her, moving her clit in a circle with his tongue.

Cup panted when he took her nub gently in his teeth and pulled on it. That was a new one, and as soon as he did it she wished he would do it every time. He worked more quickly, sucking in the juices that were now spraying into his mouth. He’d gotten so good at breathing through his nose that he didn’t have to come up for air.

Cup thrust her hips forward, and Carrot withdrew his teeth so as not to bite her. He wrapped his lips around her nub and suckled on it. Cup felt her whole body heating up in the muggy summer air, and her nerves tingled as she came close to her climax.

        “Carrot! Oh, yes! Yes!” she cried out, bucking her hips wildly as her body rocked in ecstasy. Rippling waves of pleasure coursed through her nerves and her thoughts were blinded by pleasure. She panted and gasped as the energy overcame her. She pressed down on Carrot’s head with her hooves to drive him in deeper. The intensity lasted for a good thirty seconds before it finally subsided.

        Cup panted heavily as Carrot withdrew his mouth. His muzzle was moist with her fluids, but Cup happily kissed him and licked him clean. Her own taste of cake frosting always made her excited. When she pulled away from Carrot she yawned.

        “Thank you so much, honey,” she said, closing her eyes and smiling as she put her head on her pillow.

        “Good night,” Carrot whispered before turning over and shutting his eyes as well.

        This became the arrangement throughout the week, so that Cup’s incessant worrying became more dormant behind the anticipation for the next time Carrot would orally pleasure her. It made her calmer in the kitchen and on the counter as well; she was no longer botching orders and she treated the customers more kindly.

        Eventually, as it always does, time passed and it was time for Cup to go back to the doctor’s office. Saddle pack on her back, she told Carrot that she was going out for lunch again. Carrot smiled at her.

        “Enjoy,” he said, giving her a peck on the lips. “I love you.”

        “I love you, too,” Cup said, making her feel slightly guilty for lying to him. She waved goodbye to Pinkie at the counter as she walked out of the store.

        The walk to the office seemed to take forever as Cup lost herself in her own assumptions and fears. She remembered a time in her foalhood when she found her parents’ book of baby names and pored through it, imagining someday when she would have her own. That dream had seemed so close to realization when she married Carrot, and it was terrifying to think she would just fall short.

        Take it easy, Cup told herself. You don’t know what the doctor’s going to say. Maybe nothing’s wrong and we’ve just been unlucky. But after months of not conceiving, her gut told her that things were not going to be fine. When this gut feeling overtook her, she stopped debating whether or not she could conceive and instead wondered which one of them was infertile. A morbid feeling of melancholy loomed over her like a raincloud when she finally stepped into the doctor’s office.

        Now she was sitting in the waiting room, and with nothing to do except read a trashy magazine, Cup’s depressing thoughts overwhelmed her. She was convinced something was wrong, maybe even with both of them! Her frantic mind imagined telling Carrot the bad news and how it would all go wrong.

        “Honey,” Cup said, “I just got back from the doctor.”

        “The doctor?” Carrot asked, a look of confusion on his face. “I thought you were going out to lunch.”

        “I lied. I went and got both of us tested.” Carrot’s brow furrowed and he ground his teeth.

        “So you went behind my back after I explicitly told you not to see a doctor. Why did you lie to me?”

        “Honey, I just had to see for myself—”

        “There was nothing to see! You knew I was going to be embarrassed by it and you did it anyway! So what, you tested yourself and...”

        “Well, not just me...” Cup said carefully.

        “Oh, Celestia, are you serious?” Carrot yelled. Some of the customers looked their way. “You mean you brought a sample of my sperm? That’s disgusting! How did you even manage that?”

        “I don’t think you want to know...”

        “Oh, no,” Carrot said dangerously. “No, now you’ve got me curious. How the fuck did you manage to take my semen to the doctor without me knowing?”

        “Why are you doing this?” Cup asked, tears starting to come to her eyes.

        “Maybe so it won’t happen again. You’re my wife, Cup. You’re not supposed to be lying to me!”

        “Honey, the customers are starting to stare—”

        “Do you think I give a shit? Just answer the question!”

        “Fine! I gave you a blowjob and didn’t swallow! I went to the bathroom and spat it out in a plastic container! There, are you happy now?” At Cup’s words, the customers slowly filed out of the store.

        “Disgusting,” one of them shouted. “I’m going to tell everypony I know never to eat here again!” There was nothing Cup could say to make them come back. She stared at her husband as he shook his head.

        “I don’t believe this, I don’t fucking believe this...” he said. He rubbed his temple with his hoof. “Well, I guess it’s too late now. You might as well tell me what the doctor told you.”

        “I don’t...I don’t want to.”

        “Then why did you even bring it up?” Carrot cried.

        “Okay, fine!” she shouted. “We’re both sterile! We can never have a foal of our own! Satisfied?” Cup started to cry when she saw the anguish in her husband’s face. Cup stared at him pleadingly, wishing for him to say something consoling.

        “I can’t do this anymore,” he said. “We’re finished!” He walked out of the kitchen and left the bakery, the bell tinkling on his way out. Cup began to cry, burying her face in her hoof. She looked up at Pinkie, only to find her glaring at her.

        “You lied to your husband,” Pinkie said coldly. “That wasn’t a very nice thing to do.” Normally Pinkie’s childish words wouldn’t affect her, but right now it was just adding insult to injury.

        “I didn’t mean...” Cup sputtered. “I just wanted to...”

        Cup heard the nurse call her name, snapping her out of her reverie. Her stomach did backflips as the nurse led her to Stethoscope’s office. They entered, and Cup sat down on the table.

        “The doctor will be in shortly,” the nurse said.

        “Th-thank you,” Cup choked, watching the nurse leave and the door shut. She continued to grapple with herself until Stethoscope came in. He had a grim look on his face. Cup’s heart sank.

        “Is it...can we not...?” Cup asked, but she couldn’t bring herself to say any more.

        “I understand you’re anxious about the results,” he said. “I won’t waste any more of your time.”

        “Okay,” Cup whispered. Stethoscope took out a folder with his magic and opened it before taking some papers out of it.

        “Cup, your blood tests came out well,” Stethoscope said. Cup allowed herself a small moment of hope. “All of your hormones are at normal levels, showing me that you are perfectly capable of bearing a foal.” Stethoscope stopped speaking, shuffling the papers. His serious expression sucked all hope out of Cup as quickly as it had come.

        “Carrot’s sperm count is low,” Stethoscope said. “What he does have only survives for about a day, and under a microscope it was revealed that the sperm is morphed, or shaped incorrectly, making it a statistical impossibility for your husband could produce any sperm that would live long enough to fertilize an egg. We concluded that he’s sterile. I’m very sorry.”

        Her heart plummeted as she went into shock. Everything she feared had been realized, but the reality was too much to take in. Stethoscope looked at her worriedly. Her eyes had drifted to stare at the wall and her mouth hung open.

        “Mrs. Cake,” he said firmly. Cup didn’t respond. “Mrs. Cake,” he said again. “Cup!” She startled and looked back at Stethoscope, blinking rapidly.

        “Again, I am sorry,” he said. “I wish I had better news.” He returned the papers to the folder and set the folder down on the desk. He took a deep breath and continued to address her.

        “Now, the best way for you to raise a foal is to look into adoption. In the larger cities of Equestria especially, there are many foals in need of a good home, foals in foster care or at the orphanage, wards of the state. Each of the major cities has an office you can visit to apply to adopt a foal. The process is hard, but many couples find it very rewarding...Mrs. Cake?” he asked, because she had started to sob and buried her head in her hooves. Stethoscope walked over to the table and patted her on the back in an attempt to soothe her. Cup sniffled and choked on her tears.

        “It’s all right, Cup, just let it all out,” he said, coaching her through it. Cup sobbed and breathed heavily, as it was difficult to take in oxygen. Stethoscope levitated over to her a box of tissues. Cup looked up at them and took a large bundle in her hooves. She blew her nose loudly, then flipped the tissues over and wiped her eyes. She was calmer now, more in control, but tears continued to fall as she addressed her doctor.

        “I’m sorry,” she said. “This is all so much to take in.”

        “I know, and you don’t have to apologize. All of my patients take the news hard. Take all the time you need to grieve, and then I suggest you seriously consider looking into adoption. It’s the best way to—”

        “Do you know how badly I’ve wanted to bear a foal of my own?” Cup asked, the hurt evident in her voice. “I’ve seen good friends of mine here in Ponyville that were pregnant, and it just made them so happy. They were glowing, they had a positive energy that lifted the spirits of everyone around them. A foal of their own. They daydreamed about raising them, caring for them, loving them. They couldn’t wait to bring their little one out into the world. I’m sorry, but adoption will never feel the same.”

        “I never said it would,” Stethoscope said, “but it’s the best option you’ve got.”

        “But you’re a unicorn,” Cup said, staring at him pleadingly. “You have magic, right? Isn’t there something you can do? I want to have the experience so badly.” Cup leaned forward on the table, clinging on to a desperate hope. Stethoscope took a deep breath.

        “Well, magical insemination has been theorized, but I have no idea if it’s actually been done before. I’m certainly not the doctor to ask about it.” Cup’s hope sank again. Stethoscope patted her on the leg. He then stepped away from her and opened the folder again, levitating some papers over to her.

        “These are a copy of your results. You should discuss them with your husband when you get home.” Cup took the papers and placed them in her saddle pack.

        “Thank you,” she said hollowly as she walked out the door. She stopped in the hall and took the papers out of her pack. She glanced over her results, and then stared at his. The word “STERILE” was printed on the bottom in a box. After staring at it long enough, a rage overtook her sadness. She took the papers in her teeth and tore them to shreds. The ripping sound gave her a cathartic satisfaction. Once the papers had been torn beyond repair, she threw them in the nearest trash can and marched out of the doctor’s office.

        There was nothing keeping her from returning to the store at this point, but she couldn’t bear the thought of going back there and facing her husband, not with the terrible knowledge hiding in her head. Her mind raced, thinking of some way to change her fate, to defy Stethoscope and find a way to get pregnant. She passed by the Golden Oaks library when an idea lighted her way toward a distant hope. She trotted quickly over to the tree and entered the library.

        Twilight and Spike were playing cards on one of the couches. Up to this point, it had been a very slow day at the library. When Twilight heard the door open she jumped out of the couch and eagerly over to Cup with a smile on her face.

        “Good afternoon, Mrs. Cake. How can I help you?” Twilight’s eyes sparkled at the prospect of a patron.

        “I’m not looking for any books today,” Cup said, subduing Twilight’s happiness. “However, I did come here to ask you a question.”

        “Oh? What about?” Twilight asked, regaining some of her eagerness. Answering questions was almost as fun as suggesting books.

        “Well, it’s a bit personal,” Cup said, shuffling her hooves. “I hope you don’t mind.”

        “Exactly how personal is it?” Twilight and Cup sat down on some couches.

        “It’ll make sense when I tell you.” Cup allowed a moment to compose herself. “Um...maybe I shouldn’t say anything in front of Spike.”

        “Oh, okay,” Twilight said before turning to the dragon. “Spike...” He grumbled, muttering to himself.

        “What was that?” she asked.

        “Nothing. I’m going...” he said as he dragged himself up the stairs to Twilight’s room. Twilight returned her gaze to Cup, who was now looking more nervous than ever.

        “So what is this about?” Twilight asked, hoping she was being reassuring.

        “Well,” she said, “Carrot and I have been trying for a baby for months now, ever since we got married.”

        “Oh?”

        “Yes. We haven’t had very much luck. Between you and me, he doesn’t even know I’m here, so I would appreciate if you didn’t tell anypony about this.”

        “I won’t,” Twilight said hesitantly. Cup caught the hesitation in her voice and decided it was best to omit part of the truth.

        “I don’t know if it’s one of us or both of us, but if the problem is him, is there some way to use magic to impregnate a mare?”

        “You mean like magical insemination?” Twilight asked, puzzled. Cup was glad she hadn’t used that phrase, as it might have revealed that she’d already talked to a doctor about it.

        “I guess so. I’ve just always wanted to be pregnant, to bask in the glow of expectant motherhood. You understand, right?”

        “That’s every mare’s dream, isn’t it?” Twilight asked. “I understand, but unfortunately I can’t help you. Perhaps you should go see a doctor.”

        “Oh heavens no, it’s much too embarrassing.” Cup gave Twilight a pleading look as she rocked back and forth on the couch. “Are you sure you can’t find a way? Ponies around town say that you’re one of the most powerful unicorns in all of Equestria.”

        “Oh, I wouldn’t say that,” Twilight said, blushing.

        “You’re too modest, dear, if the stories I’ve heard are true. Surely there’s some book you can look up to help you.”

        “Well, let me check the section on maternity,” Twilight said, rising from the couch and using her magic to levitate a stack of books from the shelf. She glanced at the titles quickly, and when she found something promising she opened the book and skimmed the pages. Cup looked over her shoulder, trying to help her search, but Twilight was such a fast reader that she couldn’t keep up. Soon the pile of books had been exhausted, and Twilight looked at Cup sadly, holding the last book in her aura.

        “I couldn’t find anything in any of these books,” Twilight said. “Besides, doing such complex magic on that small a scale would entail working with a team of unicorns. Life is a very difficult thing to produce magically, and above that of simple bacteria it simply hasn’t been done.” She frowned at the tome she was currently holding and set it down. “Have you considered adoption?”

        “I might have to,” Cup said noncommittally. “Well, thanks anyway, Twilight. Carrot’s expecting me back at the store by now. I told him I was going out for lunch.”

        “Do you need some food? I could whip up a daisy sandwich for you.”

        “It’s all right, dear. I’ll manage.” Cup was eager to leave the library as quickly as possible. She walked toward the door briskly.

        “Mrs. Cake!” Twilight called. She turned around.

        “Yes?”

        “I’m going to continue looking into this, I can’t promise anything, but I’m going to try my best.” She frowned. “Sorry I couldn’t help.”

        “Don’t worry about it. You were very helpful.”

        Twilight shrugged. “Well, I appreciate you saying that.”

        Cup left the library and made her way back to the store. She moved as quickly as she could, hoping the business of running the store would keep her mind occupied and away from her despairing thoughts. She was unsuccessful. I’ll never have a foal, never know the joy of watching her first steps or hearing her first word. Why is life so unfair? It’s all Carrot and I ever wanted. She was so lost in thought that she was surprised when she arrived at the door of Sugarcube Corner. A line of ponies was stretching around the side of the building.

        “Oh my,” she said. She squeezed her way into the store and passed through the throng of ponies to the counter.

        “Oh, Cup, thank Celestia,” Carrot shouted over the noise of the customers. “You wouldn’t believe the rush we’re having.”

        “I can see it for myself, honey,” Cup said. “Where do you need me?”

        “In the kitchen. Pinkie’s working herself to death handling all these orders and she could really use the help.”

        “On it.” Cup entered the kitchen and saw Pinkie mixing batter with one hoof, rolling dough with another, and trying to crack eggs in a bowl with a third. The yolk of the egg oozed down her hoof when she accidentally smashed it into the counter.

        “Yay, Mrs. Cake!” she said when she saw her, making to bound over to her and give her a hug but almost slipping on her yolk-covered hoof. She slid to an awkward stop in front of her.

        “No time for chit-chat,” Cup said. “We need to get to work. What do you need me to make?”

        “Derpy ordered two dozen muffins of all different flavors! Blueberry, Strawberry, Kiwi...”

        “Understood,” Cup said, not even stopping to think about the third flavor Pinkie had mentioned.

        Strangely enough, the rush only got worse as the afternoon rolled by. The extra work in the kitchen stressed Cup and pushed her to the limit. It didn’t help that she was feeling the early signs of estrus, the warmth of the bakery irritating the feeling in her loins. As unpleasant as the work was, however, it did succeed in taking her mind off the baby situation, if only for a few hours. She managed to keep up with Pinkie at baking, which was a feat in itself. As time wore on her back began to spasm and her hooves felt sore from standing on the hard tile. At one point, pain seared through Cup when she overreached for a measuring cup, and she paused, rubbing her back in an attempt to soothe it.

        “Oh, Mrs. Cake, here,” Pinkie said, reaching into a drawer and pulling out a bottle of pain pills. “Take two of these.”

        “Pinkie, you know I don’t like taking those.”

        “You need it, though! It’s the final rush, and we can’t quit now. Just take them!”

        “Okay,” Cup snipped, snatching the bottle and taking two pills. Pinkie handed her a glass of water, which she gulped down.

        “Alright, back to work,” Cup said.

        It was remarkably how quickly closing time came. The busier you are, the faster time goes, as Cup’s grandmother Rhubarb once told her. It turned out she had been right, because Cup couldn’t believe it when Carrot came in to say that the store had closed and all the customers had finally left. They smiled at each other, thinking about the kind of money they had made this afternoon. Pinkie bounded over and pulled them in for a group hug.

        “Now we just have to clean up...” Cup said, looking around the kitchen. It looked like Rainbow Dash had torn through it. The sink was overflowing with dishes, there was batter dripping all over the counters, and the cabinets were half-open, their contents completely disheveled. The three ponies drew a collective sigh before beginning to tackle the project.

        It took them forty-five minutes to return the kitchen to its pristine state, but then they had to deal with the front of the store. There were crumbs all over the floor, the chairs and tables had been thrown about, and the counter was in disarray. They cleaned this as well, and though it didn’t take quite as long, it was more grueling because of the energy they had already expended cleaning the kitchen.

        By the time the whole store was in tip-top shape, even Pinkie was showing signs of weariness. Cup, her defenses down and the work done, felt a black despair creeping into her again. Eager to try to escape it, she came up with a solution that she would usually never think of.

        “Honey,” Cup said to Carrot, “do you want to go to the bar and get a drink?” Carrot looked at her quizzically.

        “We never go to the bar,” he said, “but, as tempting as that idea is, I’m too exhausted to even think about going out. I’m going upstairs to pass out.”

        “I’ll go!” Pinkie chirped.

        “Pinkie,” Carrot said, “you’re not even allowed in bars anymore, remember? After that night with Rainbow Dash?”

        “Oh yeah,” Pinkie said, deflating a bit, “but how was I supposed to know unicorn horns could break?” There was an awkward silence. “Oh well, guess you’re on your own, Mrs. Cake.”

        “That’s all right,” Cup said. “Don’t wait up.”

        “I won’t,” Carrot said with a grin. Cup returned the smile and left the store.

        She was starting to get used to the creeping thoughts whenever she walked through Ponyville. She realized bitterly that yesterday she’d wanted more than anything to figure out the problem. Now she just wanted to forget.

        The sign for Lucky’s was coming up in the distance. She trudged there slowly, wallowing in her sorrow. She stopped just outside the door, put a hoof to her chest, and allowed herself a moment of grief. She resolved to tell Carrot in the morning, but now was not the time to think of such things. She shook herself and stepped inside.

It was a weeknight, so the bar wasn’t all that crowded, which was a relief. The music was a bit too loud, though, but there was nothing for it. She took a seat at the bar and caught sight of a purple mare cleaning a glass with a rag. The mare looked up and walked over to her.

        “Mrs. Cake? I’ve never seen you here,” she said. Cup recognized the voice.

        “Berry Punch?” she asked. Her eyes widened with realization. “It is you! What happened to Shot Glass?”

        “He moved out to Trottingham about six months ago. I guess you haven’t been here in a while.”

        “Not since before the wedding. So you’ve been here for six months?” Cup asked. Berry nodded.

        “Yeah, as soon as I heard Shot Glass had left I jumped at the chance to work here. I like talking to all the ponies, but the best part of the job is free drinks when I’m off duty.”

        “Oh, that must be fun,” Cup said, laughing. Berry chuckled as well.

        “So, what’s your poison?” she asked.

        “Do you have any hard cider?”

        “From Sweet Apple Acres?”

Cup laughed. “Is there any other kind?” she asked. Berry Punch smiled.

        “Not around these parts, there isn’t,” she said.

        “I’ll have a bottle of that.”

        “No problem!” Berry said, reaching down into the large fridge and pulling out a cold bottle. She popped the cap with her teeth and set the open bottle in front of Cup. Cup took it and started swigging. Berry had learned not to pass judgment on how much a pony was drinking; it wasn’t good for business. She returned to cleaning the glasses. When Cup set the half-empty bottle down, Berry came back over.

        “Rough day?” she asked, making Cup cringe.

        “I don’t really want to talk about it.” She turned away and sighed.

        “That’s fine,” Berry said before leaving again. Cup quickly downed the remainder of the bottle and started looking around the bar. Most of the stallions here were chatting up some mare or another, or were here on a date. Cup frowned, remembering a time in her youth when the stallions of Canterlot would hit on her. She never got that kind of attention now, especially now that she was married. I shouldn’t even be thinking about that. Nevertheless, being here triggered those kinds of memories, and they only made her feel worse.

        Cup was now starting to feel a little tipsy. Guess I’m more of a lightweight than I thought. Still, for tonight, tipsy wasn’t good enough. She was about to ask for another bottle when a stallion took a seat next to her. She was startled by his sudden appearance, then even more surprised when she didn’t recognize him. He had a blue coat the color of a dark sky and a wispy white mane that reminded Cup of a cloud. But she was immediately drawn to his hazel eyes, a color which she rarely saw on anypony. Only Rainbow Dash’s magenta eyes had struck her as stranger. Cup felt a powerful heat between her haunches which only intensified when he turned to her and gave her a debonair smile. She flushed with embarrassment, but couldn’t bring herself to look away. The dashing unicorn opened his mouth and spoke.

        “Come here often?” His voice was like silk. Cup stared at him, forgetting her etiquette. He laughed. “I’m sorry, that was terrible. Bad habits from Manehattan, I suppose. I’m new in town, so I figured I’d mingle with the locals, see if anypony would catch my interest. And I’m happy to say I’ve certainly found somepony... ” Cup giggled. She put her hoof up to her mouth to try to hide it.

        “Oh, where are my manners?” he asked. “I haven’t even introduced myself. My name’s Pokey. And you are...?”

        “I’m Cup.”

        “Cup, Cup... Well, it’s a pleasure to meet you, Cup.” The two ponies shook hooves.

        “What’s a good way to quench your thirst around here?” Pokey asked. “I want to get a taste of the local Ponyville flavor.” He smiled slyly. The double entendre wasn’t lost on Cup.

        “Oh, you have to try the hard cider from Sweet Apple Acres. It goes down so smoothly,” Cup smiled and giggled, feeling like a schoolfilly. Pokey smiled. He knocked his hoof on the counter and Berry came over.

        “Two bottles of the cider,” he said. Berry glanced at Cup quizzically but shrugged and pulled up two fresh bottles, popping the caps of both of them and setting them on the counter. She had also learned not to judge the company a customer kept, even if said customer was married. Cup and Pokey clinked their bottles together before taking a swig. They both pounded down about half their bottles before slamming them down on the counter.

        “You’re really putting that away,” Pokey said, amused. Cup giggled; the buzz was definitely starting to kick in now.

        “I haven’t done this in a while,” she said, “so I figured I’d make it good.”

        “Cheers to that!” Pokey said. They clinked bottles again and emptied their bottles.

        “That really is smooth,” Pokey said. “I like it when things are smooth...”

        Cup smiled and scooched herself up in her seat. “So, what brings you to Ponyville?” she asked, resting her head on her leg propped up on the counter. Pokey smiled and cleared his throat.

        “I’ve been a city pony all my life. When I was younger, I used to go clubbing all the time. I drank a lot, danced with a lot of mares, did more than dance with a few of them.” He cleared his throat again and chuckled. “But I’m getting older, and it got too fast for me. I couldn’t keep up anymore. I was trying to think of a quaint village I could live in, and the first name that came to mind was Ponyville. I’ve always been drawn to fame, and I knew the Elements of Harmony were all living here, so I was hoping I could meet them.”

        “Well, I could introduce you to Pinkie Pie,” Cup said with a grin, “and she’d be more than happy to take you to meet the rest. She’ll also throw you a wild party because you’re new here. Just like the old days, right?”

Pokey chuckled. “Not exactly. Manehattan parties were crazy.”

        “You don’t know Pinkie Pie then,” Cup said. Pokey laughed and gazed into Cup’s eyes. She stared right back, then turned away out of shame. Pokey frowned a bit but took it in stride.

        “Do you do shots?” he asked. Cup laughed.

        “Ha! Not since I lived in Canterlot as a young mare.” Pokey’s eyes widened.

        “You’re from Canterlot?” he asked. Cup nodded. Pokey let out a whistle.

        “Wow, all those rich and famous ponies. Plus you were a stone’s throw away from Princess Celestia. I’m jealous.”

        “It wasn’t all good,” Cup said. “I moved out a long time ago. I just couldn’t stand the stuffiness anymore. It wasn’t for me.”

        “Well, if you don’t mind me saying it, you must come from some money. Living in Canterlot isn’t cheap.”

        “My family was well-off,” Cup understated. “Mother and Father were both lawyers.”

        “Well, you must have wanted for nothing then,” Pokey said.

Cup frowned. “It was so lonely though...” She petered off into silence. Pokey took her hoof in his. The contact made Cup tingle and jump a bit, but she found it was actually quite comfortable.

        “I know the feeling,” Pokey said, staring at her in earnest. “All those parties, waking up with all those mares, and I still felt like the loneliest pony in Equestria. I guess I still feel that way...” Cup put her hoof on his shoulder.

        “You don’t have to feel lonely,” she said. “You’re with me.”

        “I am?” he asked, and he smiled a toothy grin.

        “Well, you’re talking to me, aren’t you?” Cup teased. Pokey laughed heartily.

        “Of course, of course,” he said. “What’s the barkeep’s name?”

        “Just call her Berry.”

        “Berry!” he called, knocking his hoof on the counter. Berry came over again. “How ’bout a couple of shots of vodka for each of us?”

        Berry giggled nervously. “Coming right up.” She poured them four shots, two for each of them, and set them on the counter.

        “Oh, come on, Berry,” Pokey whined, “we’re thirsty here!”

        “Why don’t you drink those and see how you feel first?” she suggested.

        “Fine,” Pokey said. “Prude,” he whispered under his breath, only loud enough for Cup to hear. She laughed far more than she should, burying her muzzle in her leg to stifle it. Pokey grinned proudly and patted her on the back.

        “Take it easy there, babe,” he said. Cup didn’t object to the pet name. He raised one of the glasses and gestured for her to do the same. She picked her’s up.

        “Cheers,” he said, and the two tipped up their heads and downed their drinks. Cup sputtered and started to cough a bit. Pokey patted her on the back again.

        “Hooves over your head,” he suggested. Cup raised her hooves and after a while, the coughing did subside.

        “Thanks,” she said, “it worked.”

        “Nah, it didn’t,” Pokey said with a devilish smirk. “That doesn’t actually do anything.”

        “Be quiet, yes it does!” Cup objected, punching him in the leg.

        “I’m serious, it’s an old mare’s tale. You only think it works, but it’s just coincidence.”

        “That’s not true!” Cup protested, giggling. “My mother always taught me to do that.”

        “Here’s a hint,” Pokey said. He leaned over and whispered in her ear. “Everything she told you was a lie.” He grinned and pulled away as Cup started giggling incessantly.

        “You’re terrible,” she said in between gasps.

        “Oh you don’t know the half of it, babe,” he said. Cup was chortling now, unable to contain her laughter. Pokey finally relented and gave her a chance to breathe. Cup took some deep breaths as she clutched her chest with her hoof.

        “Okay,” she said. “I’m okay now.”

        “You sure?”

        “Yes, just don’t say another word!”

        “Another word. There, I said it. What are you gonna do about it?” Pokey chuckled. Cup punched him on the leg again.

        “You ready for round two?” he asked. Cup didn’t even hesitate. She picked up the glass and downed it immediately, leaving Pokey to catch up.

        “That’s some strong stuff,” he said, putting the glass down. “Not as strong as the big city’s, but it’s got some bite.”

        “I haven’t had vodka in years,” Cup said. Her head was starting to swim and her vision began to get hazy. A small voice in the back of her mind told her she had drunk a little too much. It was the same voice telling her to stop talking to Pokey and go home. This voice was quickly drowned out by a primal hunger that made her feel energized. She leaned back in her stool and almost tumbled over. Pokey grabbed her and lifted her back onto the seat.

        “Okay, you look like you’ve had more than enough,” he said. “Let me take you home.” An alarm rang in Cup’s head. No way she wanted to risk Carrot seeing her with this handsome unicorn. He would get the wrong idea.

        “I can...I can walk home by...by myself,” Cup said, her speech starting to slur. Pokey shook his head.

        “No way I’m letting you walk home by yourself,” Pokey said. “What if you fall over and get sick on the road? It would be embarrassing, not to mention dangerous.”

        “Can we...can we go to your place?” Cup asked. Pokey felt a thrill of excitement in his stomach. If she was this drunk and they were going back to his place...there was also that stench of heat on her...

        “Then you can walk home in the morning,” he said. “Fair enough. Let me just get the tab.”

        “Oh right, I have to...have to pay for my c-cider,” Pokey stopped her from pulling out her purse.

        “It’s on me tonight,” he said. He placed a sizable amount of bits on the table. Berry came over and picked them up. She looked at Cup quizzically.

        “Oh,” she said, “he’s just...he’s just gonna w-walk me home.”

        “Are you sure about this?” Berry asked. “I mean, my relief’s coming in about an hour. If you just stuck around, I could take you home...”

        “Oh, it’s really no t-trouble,” Cup stuttered. “I c-can take care of myself.”

        “Okay then...be safe!” Berry said, waving to them. They waved back and stumbled out of the bar, Cup resting on Pokey’s back to keep from falling over. Pokey was feeling a little buzzed himself, but he’d had less to drink and was more used to holding his liquor than Cup. He internally rejoiced in disbelief of his good fortune. Here he’d been, eyeing her from the back of the bar, thinking of the right way to approach her. And now he was taking her home. He knew from experience that something good was going to happen, and it made him feel ecstatic.

        It was a short walk to Pokey’s place, one of a number of small houses near the town square. With Cup on his back making it hard to use his hoof, he levitated his keys to the house and opened the door. They stumbled inside. The living room was mostly clean, but there were still a few boxes of unpacked belongings strewn around the room. It and the kitchen took up the main area, with hardwood and tile floors. Down the hall was the bathroom and then Pokey’s bedroom. He herded cup into the bedroom and did his best to hold her steady as she collapsed on the bed.

        “You just go ahead and get comfortable,” Pokey said. He slowly lifted his hoof up and started to rub her hind legs. Cup squirmed a little at the sensation.

        “What are you doing?” she asked groggily.

        “Shh...” Pokey said, “just relax...” He climbed into the bed and sidled up next to her, nibbling at her ear. Cup couldn’t help but smile.

        “Ever been with a unicorn before?” he asked, trying to steer her in the direction he wanted to go.

        “N-nope, but I’ve always...always been curious...” He swooped in for the kill. He planted a saucy kiss on her lips. He pushed his tongue against her lips, trying to part them. She opened her mouth and he probed her and licked at her tongue. Pokey ran a hoof through her mane and rolled over so he was on top of her. He wrestled with her tongue and touched her face with his hooves. Pokey broke free from the kiss and started to nip playfully at Cup’s neck. She breathed heavily and lifted her head back.

        Pokey decided to introduce some magic into the foreplay. His horn glowed, and he sent feelers to massage Cup’s lower lips. She hissed as she felt the warm tendrils stroke her gently. It was driving her nuts.

        Finally unable to take anymore, Cup lifted herself up, stumbling a bit, and then turned, presenting her rump to Pokey. Her pink lips were slick and dripping, and he could smell an overwhelming musk emanate from her inner chambers. 

“Rut me,” she growled. “Rut me until I can’t walk straight.”

        Pokey was already having a hard time restraining himself at the sight, but the suggestion quickly pushed him over the edge. He was eager to feel her vaginal muscles surround his cock.

He moved up behind her and reared to place his forelegs on her barrel, mounting her like she wanted and aligning his member with her dripping cavern. He pushed up against her lips, feeling her fluid coat his cock and facilitate an easier entry. He slowly pressed against her until he felt his cock get swallowed up into her cavern. Cup felt herself stretch as she took in his impressive length and girth. He thrust into her slowly, allowing her walls to open up to him. Cup thrust her rear back, indicating that she wanted him to go faster. He quickly obliged.

        As he humped her harder, he leaned forward and took her mane into his mouth, tugging on it gently. The thick bristles of Cup’s mane tasted bitter on his tongue, but it was a move he knew would drive her crazy. Cup began to grunt as she felt her head being pulled back and gasped when he started to pound into her with more fervor. Pokey poured all of his energy into rutting her, even using his magic to apply pressure to her clitoris. That quickly got her to gasp loudly. Pokey wondered if the neighbors could hear, a prospect which only made him more excited.

        Before his ministrations sent her rocketing into orgasm, he removed his magical tendrils from her vagina and began kneading her shoulders like they were dough. Cup took a moment to catch her breath, grunting in frustration now that he was holding back, but enjoying the pressure in her shoulders nevertheless. He used his front hooves to stroke at her thighs as well, and that made her nicker and shift her hindquarters back. The added pressure to his dick made his loins tighten up, and he knew he was close.

        “I’m almost there...” he whispered into her ear. Experience told him to pull out, and he did so, getting snagged a bit because she was so tight, but he managed. His cum spurted all over the sheets in large puddles. Cup felt her wave of pleasure subside and, after realizing what happened, became enraged. She turned around and glared at him.

        “You w-wasted it...” she said with a pout.

“What?” Pokey asked, but then she pinned him against the headboard of his bed with her hooves. She lowered her head down to his waist, wrapping her mouth around his cock. The sensation of her tongue lapping at his tip drove any further questions out of his mind. His softening erection quickly swelled again as she sucked on him with fervor.

Cup was doing a haphazard job of blowing him, being not totally in control of her efforts, but Pokey was enjoying it immensely all the same. He thrust into her mouth, breathing heavily as Cup sucked him even harder. The moist warmth made his loins clench, but he knew that if he held it in as long as possible, the release would be even more satisfying. He strained to hold his load, but Cup’s efforts were quickly becoming too much for him to handle. Cup removed her mouth from his cock and turned so that her rump was facing him once again.

“Inside this time, honey,” she cooed.

“Um...okay,” Pokey said. He rose from the bed and mounted her gently. He used his hoof to push his dick slowly into her cavern. Now properly positioned, he humped her fervently. Once again her tight, slick walls made him grow harder and he felt about ready to burst his load again.

That Cup wanted him to shoot off inside her aroused him greatly. He humped in earnest to bring himself to climax. Cup responded by thrusting backward. His loins tightened more and more and up to the point where he knew he would burst. When he felt it coming he leaned back and thrust forward. His load finally shot into Cup’s cavern, the feeling of the fluid entering her driving Cup over the edge as well. 

She was about to scream, but she muffled her cry with the blanket. It was good that she did, because the name “Carrot!” came out of her by instinct alone. She felt raw energy bowl her over and paralyze her brain. She rocked harder and harder as she rode the wave of ecstasy. Once Pokey’s load had finished spurting, his dick softened. He dismounted her, and semen dripped from the tip of his dick and from her folds onto the sheets. They both came down from the high and laid in bed next to each other, kissing gently.

“Why’d you muffle your screams?” Pokey asked gently. Cup felt a latent dread in her stomach.

“I...d-didn’t want to w-wake the neighbors,” she said.

“Let them hear you. Let me hear you. It’s actually a turn-on for me.”

“I’m r-really tired...” Pokey kissed her forehead.

“I know, babe. Me too.” Snuggled up against Pokey, Cup closed her eyes and drifted off into a deep sleep. Pokey shut his eyes as well, hoping to dream of the wild mare he’d met at Lucky’s that night.