Long Road Home

"And that's what a herd is!" said Pinkie pie as she and cheese scooted uncomfortably close to Courier. Courier was red in the face and felt ripe to die from embarrassment alone. Applejack and Rarity wanted to be part of his...herd? True, He liked them both, but could he really be a polygamist? It was at this point everything caught up with him. He was in a magical world of anthropomorphic Ponies. He was missing a limb. If he ever wanted to return to the Mojave, he'd have to talk to three immortal princesses who may or may not be deities. Oh, and he was sitting in a jail cell with a mare who had (several times already) broken the very laws of reality and physics.

"Y'know courier, If ya don't have a thing for mares, I swing both ways" said cheese with a waggle of his eyebrows. Courier's Brain ground to a halt as Pinkie cracked up. Courier just fell over, unable to compute all the information that had assaulted him that day. Cheese just laughed and sat by Pinkie. "do ya think we took the joke too far?" asked cheese conspiratorially. Pinkie just shook her head and giggled.

It was that moment the sheriff opened the cell door. "Alright everypony! the judge'll see you now." he said. The trial was over in about half an hour. (Funny how fast these things go when four of the elements of harmony are vouching for you) The grey unicorn (courier'd never gotten his name) and his herd were given community service and a restraining order, while Courier was deputized by the sheriff.

*******Three days later*******

Courier was as red faced as one could get as he looked at the four mares in front of him. "so... all four of ya wanna be part of my herd? No foolin'?" he asked tentatively, unused to such attention.

"Of course, dear! you are the epitome of the gentleman, with the heroic spirit of a knight!" Said Rarity, Flashing a smile so beautiful it caused a passerby to walk into one of the gas lamps that lit ponyville up at knight. courier just pulled down the brim of his old hat and hoofed the ground.

"Some knight I am. You and the others pulled my sorry hide outta the fire more times'n I kin count." Courier said

Applejack softly bopped his head and raised his face. "And you saved us, Taught us how to survive. Ya never asked us fer nuthin', Ya just treated us with Kindness and helped us along." said Applejack kissed Courier, before drawing back.

Lyra walked up and hugged him. "You taught me all that you could about humans....and proved that not all of them were bad. You listened, but you never laughed at me, or called me names. You just...cared." she said before drawing away also.

Fluttershy Fidgeted and her face, while half hidden by her hair, was almost as red as Courier's. She finally worked up the courage to step forward and throw her arms around him and nuzzle him. " You were always so nice...I could see how much it hurt every time you had to shoot somepo- er somebody. The way you smiled when you helped someone though...When you did something good? I-I just...I love you" Fluttershy kissed Courier deeply, her wings fluttering a bit before she broke contact and ran behind Applejack, who smiled warmly.

"See Pardner? We go together like apples and fritters." she said, extending her hand to take courier's. "Now come on, ah got first dibs, and ah wanna go on a date"