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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Minuette took the sandwiches out and set them on the plates, sighing about the topic at hoof. Just as she finished setting her sandwich down, Minuette said, “Can we please talk about another topic? It’s just depressing, and it’s a good day out. I'm not willing to have it spoiled talking about how we can't land any good stallions.”

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

All three other mares shook their heads and continued to eat their sandwiches. Despite drinking tea and eating their daffodil sandwiches, all 5 of them were trying their best to get off the topic of stallions. Once they were done, they to tried small talk about other topics. This worked until Lily broke the conversation, “Oh, buck! I can’t get over this! I want a stallion!”

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

“YEAH!” shouted Bulk Biceps.

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

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

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

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

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

“Cherry, you keep doing it.”

She asked, “Doing what?”

Roseluck answered, “You keep staring at him.”

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Lily and Roseluck nodded and said, “Mhm.”

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

She whispered, “It is now.”

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

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

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

Cherry Berry nodded, making Christopher smile.

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

Her eyes widened as her friends smirked and grinned.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

“Yes?” asked Christopher.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

She didn’t understand until it hit her.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

“Madam, your coffee.”

“Oh, thank you!”

The waiter nodded once more before attending to other customers.

”Okay, Christopher, I’m ready!”

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Author's Note

Aww! Poor Cherry Berry, Christopher stood her up! Clearly the power of the P&P was too much for him. Poor mare, hopefully she will find her love elsewhere...

Or will she? Is this the end of Cherry Berry's interest in the man? What is Christopher doing?!

Who knows, I'm curious if I should continue this in separate stories. But for now, a one shot shall suffice.

Personally if it was me....I'd hit it, and I many of you guys would too.

I hope you all like it either way. I had fun writing this.

EDIT: Sequel is on the way, due to overwhelming positive feedback. Follow me toet the sequel! I should have it out in less than a week.