Gentleman for Mares

Chapters

The Enduring and Adaptable Gentleman
Take the Heat, Gentleman
Gentleman, Teach Me Something Please
We Need Gentlemen
Gentleman in the Falls
Gentleman Falls
Drowning Gentleman
The Lady and the Gentleman
The Gentleman and His Mare
Spitfire's First Gentleman

The Enduring and Adaptable Gentleman

I felt a shiver down my spine as I sat up. Celestia’s sun filtered through my half-closed blinds, decking my bed and room with horizontal lines of sunlight. I threw off my comforter and placed my feet on the carpeted floor, wriggling my toes amongst the fibers while I slid my fingers through the mess of my hair.

My eyes misted. A cry tried to escape through my chest, but I firmly held it down. I took a few deep breaths and slowly laid back down the bed. On my back, I gradually relaxed, enjoying the feeling of the stiff mattress contrasting with the velvet softness of my comforter. I closed my eyes.

I could still see it. A dark foreboding male figure swathed in the shadows. Most of his features were hidden, but his hard eyes and scowled lips told me the story. He was shouting, at first, indistinctly. But slowly, I began to hear a sound...
not a voice, but a high pitch ringing noise. Louder and louder, until the man began to move aggressively, pointing a finger accusingly to my direction.

Before I woke up, I heard him say, “You’re a disappointment!”

I opened my eyes and sat up. I shook my head. It was two hours before work.

Time for the usual morning routine.

“Morning, Harry!” a red-orange stallion greeted as I passed him. I could only nod back, trying to keep my breathing pattern even as I jogged through the small trail in Canter Park, a community garden on a very large scale.

I heard it all started out as an orange farm before the owners moved out to the big city. The place attracted a few ponies who wanted to maintain the land, and they slowly expanded, making it into a veritable woodland area. Orange trees still dominated the park, but now it had companions ranging from differing flower bushes to other non-fruit bearing trees as well.

My feet were pounding hard and I gasped for air as I finally reached the clearing. The cold air burned my lungs, but I drank it up as eagerly as I could. It’s funny, when I think about it. Physical exertion was not something I saw myself doing back on Earth. I aimed to be a tech expert. Any type of exercise I did was only to maintain my weight. Now, I need it to increase and sustain stamina for my profession.

You don’t get happy customers unless you leave them tired, boss said.

I found it somewhat disturbing hearing that from a female.

“Looking good there, Harry.”

I blinked and looked at my right. Approaching me was Ever Ring, my handler. She was a white unicorn with pink mane and tail, and her cutie mark, though blocked by her small saddlebags, was two silver rings linked together. She had a twinkle in her eyes as she made a very obvious gesture of studying me from head to toe. All she needed to do to complete the picture was for her to whistle.

“Careful, Eve. Stare too long, I may have to start charging you,” I replied with a grin.

“Ooh, I can’t help it,” she replied slowly, in a throaty and sensual voice. “I have a thing for humans who are all wet and tired.”

Oh dear lord, Audio Erotica, your name is Eve.

I just stood there for a minute before I laughed. Eve herself followed afterwards as she stood beside me, waiting for me to recover. When I started walking back home, she followed.

“What brings you here so early?” I asked as I reached my front door. I unlocked it with a key and let her in.

I don’t know how to aptly describe my place. It was too small for me to consider it a house. It had a kitchen complete with small tabletop stove, oven toaster and an icebox (yes, the grandfather of the modern fridge). The kitchen also served as the dining area and had a short square table with four simple thick pads for seats.

The living room area was nothing brag about either. It was carpeted and had couches spread around a small rectangular table. It didn’t have any modern human equipment like TVs or anything. It was basically just a room to stuff your guests in and made sure they were as comfortable as possible.

That left my bedroom, which just had a queen size bed, closet and drawer, and my bathroom that had a modified shower stall, sink and toilet.

Eve followed me to the kitchen, and made herself comfortable in one of the seats.

“You want a drink?” I asked as I went to my icebox.

“No thanks,” she replied. “Why haven’t you bought those new refrigerators the humans and ponies invented?”

I shrugged, and grabbed tall glass bottle of water. “Those things are expensive,” I replied as I placed the bottle on the table and grabbed a clean glass. I sat opposite of her, and poured myself a drink. “I’ll wait until they start mass production. Cheaper that way. Or until they build smaller ones.”

“You should move to a bigger place,” Eve advised, adjusting her glasses with her hoof. She magically lifted a small box from her saddlebags, and placed it on top of the table.

Drinking my water, I opened up the box revealing a substantial amount of small blank business cards. Well, not completely blank, as they had my Gentleman Identification Number printed at the bottom. I raised an inquiring eyebrow at that.

“Platinum thinks that it gives a more personal touch if each Gentleman signs it with their call-name,” Eve replied, her shoulders shrugging. “Personally, I think it’s inefficient, but until I overthrow her reign, I’m stuck keeping my lips shut until an opportunity arises.”

I snorted. “How much will the boss pay me if I advise her that my handler is secretly vying to overthrow and replace her as the manager for the G for Ms?”

“And risk losing me as your handler? Tut, Harry. How could you,” Eve uttered with an exaggerated sniff. “Does our friendship mean nothing to you that you’re willing to throw me out in the wind?”

“Well, you did say I needed a bigger place.”

Eve replied by magically throwing an envelope to my face. “Oh quiet, you.”

I chuckled, and picked up the fallen packet. I frowned as I saw on the cover who the request was from. “Miss Lulamoon. Isn’t this the second time this month?”

“Yes, well I have to say, when her name first popped up for you months ago, I’ve been practically trying to get you not to take it,” Eve muttered. “But I guess I have a chilling eye for talent. Not only did she like you, you had left your number to her. I find it a bit scary, considering how many Gentlemen she went through.”

I said nothing, feeling the parchment paper envelope with my hands, feeling its texture. I caught a scent of something aquatic and floral that reminded me very much of her perfume.

Trixie Lulamoon and I met a few months before Spitfire. It was different then. I was just fresh out of training, cocky and confident. Every mare I saw was a potential new customer, and with my training, I felt I could finally roll with the big boys.

Oh, how life proved me wrong.

Nopony was interested in a fresh face. Most of our customers already had their own preferences—Gentlemen that were already tried and proven in their eyes—and always seemed biased against anyone new. Even the new customers were a hard sell, as they listened to long-time customers on which Gentlemen to pick.

I remembered my first week. I was handed three mares, each with their own preferred Gentlemen. Unfortunately, due to scheduling conflicts, they had to make do with me, though company policy left them an option to refuse.

They all did. The last one, a pretty famous DJ mare with white coat, two toned electric-blue mane and tail didn’t bother to even tell me her refusal. I had stood there, silently begging for a chance when she just placed her purple shades back on, and trotted away.

Since there were no customers, I didn’t get any commission. And through the passing weeks, I quickly became dependent on Eve for necessities. She gave me food and a roof over my head.

I felt like an embarrassment, and I told her. Eve would have none of that. She always cheered me up when I was down. She told me not to give up and that my break was coming.

‘It’s coming, Harry. It’s long overdue,’ she said.

When I finally got my first customer, it felt like a drug. I needed more.

I began imagining what I could do with the money; I could afford my own place, support myself, and even pay Eve back for all the help she had given me. So when Trixie’s name popped up, I went for it. Eve was adamant, even when we were on our chariot ride to Trixie’s place.

She explained that Trixie had gone through five Gentlemen, and only one left their card for her. Even then, she never called that Gentleman back.

I didn’t listen. Momentum was on my side, and I needed to expand my list of mares. I was confident that I would be the second one to leave her my card, and the first to get called back. Eve still requested I turn her down, advising there would be others. I was still at a start of my career, and I could have bitten more than I could chew with Miss Lulamoon.

I scoffed.

“Oh come on, Eve. How bad can she be?” I had to ask. When she didn’t reply, I turned to her, and saw her biting her bottom lip.

“From what I gathered, she tends to like it rough.”

“Well, if she wants rough, I’ll give her rough.”

Eve just sighed. She said it was my choice, and to ‘Remember, Daffodil.’

I always found it funny that in my hurry to gather daffodil flowers, it had never occurred to me that Eve’s words had meant something completely different... not even when I was strapped on Miss Lulamoon's bed.

“Let me go!” I shouted as I struggled against my bonds. The blue unicorn with glowing horn in front of me smiled as she slowly rubbed my erection with the slit of her wet marehood. I shivered as I felt something akin to an electrical jolt travel from the tip of my manhood all the way up my spine. My limbs thrashed uselessly; I couldn’t do anything as she teasingly rubbed my whole length up and down in very slow motion.

“I see the Great and Powerful Trixie has your complete attention,” Trixie declared. She then smiled as she slid her whole body on top of me, purposely pinning my very stiff member on her underside. She began to rub it roughly, smiling as I moaned louder. “How long can you resist? How long before you break down and beg for the Great and Powerful Trixie to release you?”

I groaned as I tried to keep my hips moving against her flow. I wanted to come so badly, but as long as her magic was still at work, I was bound and completely at her mercy. I could only stare at her mesmerizing purple eyes as I struggled through my shackles.

I didn’t mind having my limbs tied, or the way the unicorn always seemed to speak in third-person, as that would have made an interesting night. No, what I did mind was the fact that she cast a damned spell that prevented ejaculation, and kept it active as she found more ways to tantalize me.

I didn’t even know there was such a spell! Unicorns were damn cheaters!

The unfairness of the situation, though, made me want it to stick it to her. She was so damned cocky to think I’d break so easily. No sir. Harry’s a damn fighter, and no matter how great and powerful you are, I’m the enduring and adaptable human!

“I won’t beg,” I whispered. “Do what you want. I won’t beg.”

Trixie smiled. She was really enjoying this! I struggled more as she stood up, and walked towards me. I felt a tantalizing wave of torturous pleasure wash over my erection as her tail slowly wrapped itself the tip, and unhurriedly, tormentingly, twirled in an up and down motion.

I jerked my hips up and down to no avail. Oh God, I was teetering on the edge of release again, only for the feeling to be suppressed before the breaking point. How many times had she done this? Her magic not only kept me from feeling release, but also kept me going on, stoking the fire of my groin to an unbearable level.

“You will,” she simply said. “The Great and Powerful Trixie shall show how you are nothing but putty in her hooves!”

She leaned down, and slowly began to lick my nipples in a circular movement as her tail continued its motion. I felt my limbs shaking involuntarily as I grit my teeth to keep from shouting out loud. There was no way I was going to give her the satisfaction of hearing me cry out.

Her tail let go of my manhood and her tongue stopped moving as well. I felt the pressure slowly come down, but I was still so damned hard. She smiled, stood up, and walked over me. She placed her front legs over the headboard, giving me a view of her wetness. She giggled, looking at me.

“Trixie shall continue her ministrations. However, no more teasing,” she advised. “The Great and Powerful Trixie is going to tell you what will happen. Trixie shall bring you up to the highest skies, then drown you in the deepest ocean. You will feel as you’ve been blinded and thunderstruck. When that happens, you will open your eyes and see the key to your release. Worship it, and the Great and Powerful Trixie shall release you from your bondage.”

She turned and sat lightly on my chest, her very wet marehood in front of me. That was all I could see. It winked and contracted, looking more inviting and erotic every second. Warm fluids dripped down my neck as her quivering her pink folds giving an interesting contrast of her blue color.

I grunted as I felt her move forward and backwards slightly. I could hear a slight squirting sound, and for a second I wondered what was going on. Then, I felt something touch my erection.

Oh God... my manhood was sandwiched by what I could most closely describe as two large cat paws. There were nudges on each motion, complete with slight sucking sensations. Trixie alternated how each of her front hooves moved, like a see-saw. When one came up, the other came down. And true to her word, she wasn’t moving in a slow teasing motion.

She was now milking me for all I was worth.

“You should hear yourself,” Trixie giggled as she went even faster. Oh God. “The Great and Powerful Trixie is not so sadistic. You know what you need to do.” And then she shook her plot in front of me.

No, I thought to myself. And I repeatedly kept thinking ‘no’, but a small part of my mind told me that it was going to be inevitable. I was aching for release so bad, and her hooves were making my resistance crumble with every stroke. My hips were automatically thrusting up, hoping for a discharge.

“Trixie can do this all night!” she laughed.

I sat up as much as the bonds would allow me to. I did what she wanted. I licked her. I kissed her. Desperately.

“The Great and Powerful Trixie accepts your terms of surrender,” she said.

Then, I felt her wrap her mouth around me, thick tongue licking my manhood in fast motions. And at the same time, I finally, finally, went over the edge.

I don’t think I ever shouted as loudly as I did that night. My ejaculation came with a force that I could not describe, even if I had the narrative powers to do so. All I remember is my body jolting, my hips pumping up and down desperately as she drank me hungrily, her tongue feeling almost painful to my very sensitive member.

The last thing I saw was her marehood squirting, moistening my face before I was on my back from exhaustion.

The last thing I felt was her nuzzling on my cheek, licking.

And the last thing I heard was her soft whisper.

“I like you.”

Next time I woke up, I was suspended vertically, hands in bondage and sitting on what looked like a wooden horse. And then I heard a telltale snap of a whip. I realized in horror that the night was far from over.

“I should have remembered Daffodil,” I muttered as I exited my bedroom.

“What?” Eve’s question echoed from the living room area. I rolled my eyes, and spotted her on the couch as I exited the doorway, reading Equestrian Times. She looked at me.

“Daffodil, the safe word,” I replied. “I thought you meant that I should get her, Miss Lulamoon,” I clarified, “daffodils. I completely put that out of my head.”

“Oh, your first night with her,” Eve giggled as she magically folded the newspaper, and laid it down the table at the center of the room. “I remember picking you up. You were crying like a foal.”

“I wasn’t crying!” I protested. “I was in a catatonic state of shock. Oh quiet,” I muttered as Eve’s giggles graduated to full laughter. “What do you think?” I asked, posing.

Eve looked at me, from my white-red shoes, dark blue rip-away pants, and my white Velcro-secured shirt. She raised an eyebrow, a habit, I’m proud to say, she had gotten from me. Long live Spock.

“She really likes to unwrap you, huh?”

“Like a Hearth’s Warming Eve present,” I nodded.

“Are you even wearing underwear?” Eve asked.

“Yup,” I replied. “Trixie really likes to—”

“I don’t want to know!” Eve cut me off. I just shrugged.

“Yeah, well me neither.”

Trixie Lulamoon was always considered the hardest mare to accommodate. It wasn’t just because of her fetishes of dominating her Gentlemen, but also because she couldn’t stay in one place for long. She was a traveling performer, always moving from city to city and town to town and was really strict when it came to her off days.

Her time-frame was always limited and with the considerable money she paid, Gentlemen for Mares always put her as priority. Eve would clear my schedule every time her request envelope comes in a few days prior, and give me a heads up.

Last time we spent the night, she was in the outskirts of Appleloosa. Now, she was miles away from location, near a small town called, due to its star-patterned roads, Star Tracks.

Eve dropped me off a good half-kilometer away from Trixie’s approximate location. The whole area was grassland near a small cliff. Down that cliff was a long stretch of dirt with a few bare trees standing in place. The sun was sinking fast, giving way to twilight, and the strong wind coming from the east left me with the bit of the chills.

I paced myself as I walked to Trixie’s general location. A good walk, I found, was a great warm-up to whatever Trixie seemed to be planning. I also found out she really liked the flushed look I would likely to get when I got a little bit of exercise. A little tended to go a long way, and a happy Trixie was a gentler Trixie.

I didn’t even get halfway there when I heard shouts and barking. My blood ran cold for a moment before I dashed the rest of the way in. I spotted a thick branch lying nearby and picked it up. I prayed I wasn’t too late as I saw Trixie’s cart.

It was a wreck. The cart was lopsided as one of the wheels was missing. The yellow body had scratches and holes, and the mechanical parts that transformed one side of the wall into a stage had been busted, revealing the interior. Inside, there was a purple curtain was ripped in shreds, as well as the banner display. The props didn’t fare any better. Not even fireworks display or the horn instruments were spared.

Around the cart was a group of Diamond Dogs. The lot of them were raiding the cart’s interior, taking whatever they could, mostly gems. The rest surrounded Trixie, looking haggard with her cloak and pointy hat smudged and ripped in a few places.

“Stay back, mongrels! Unless you want to feel the wrath of the Great and Powerful Trixie!” Trixie shouted as she struck her levitated whip and in powerful motions, whipped around it creating snapping sounds. The Diamond Dogs surrounding her were unsure at what to do. One tried to get too close, and the whip came and snapped at his snout.

The sound it made reminded me of something akin to a gunshot. I practically winced as the Diamond Dog whined and backed away. I know I’ve been at a receiving end of her whips, but she never intentionally wanted to cause damage. Now, she wasn’t holding back. I wouldn’t be surprised if that Dog was bleeding from his snout.

The rest of the Diamond Dogs though looked at each other and growled, taking a step toward Trixie.

Uh oh.

“Hey!” I shouted. Five diamond dogs looked at me in surprise, and I’d gotten Trixie’s attention too. “Pick on someone your own size!”

I realized my mistake when some of them began to walk to my direction. I also realized my mistake when I saw that they weren't the usual runts that had a good few inches on me, but the bigger Dogs that were de facto leaders of their raiding parties that towered over me by a good foot or so. Oh, and before I forget, my only weapon was a frigging stick against these carnivorous diggers.

Yeah, smart move Harry. Maybe you’ll get a Darwin nomination for your efforts. Heck, win one while you’re at it!

I swallowed, but stood my ground. I couldn’t take on the group, and neither could Trixie. I was hoping I provided her some leverage so she could make her escape. And if I ran around fast enough and not get caught, I could soon follow afterwards.

Four Diamond Dogs snarled as they approached, only to stop as a powerful roar rang out. I think I dropped my branch as well when I spotted a bright glow of purple light coming from behind them. I think we stood there for a good minute before they all rushed towards my direction, eyes wide while they whined in fear as an Ursa Minor roared after them.

I read of them in ‘Equestrian World for Humans’. They were described as large bears with a coat that depicted the night sky. They were said to be found in deep-dwelling caves in the Everfree Forest, rarely coming out to towns or cities, preferring to stay near their respective territories.

I must have been in shock. I couldn’t even order my legs to move as I stood there like a damned moron while this huge purple-glowing freak of nature was charging at me. When they said it was large, they were really underestimating it. And now, it was coming at me.

I fell down, screaming as the bear came right up to me. The mass of something that big would be incredible, and at speed it was moving at, getting hit by it would be like standing in front of a speeding train. I was pretty sure my bones would be ground to dust, and expected that the only thing left of me would be a pile of flesh and goo.

What I didn’t expect was for it to pass through me harmlessly.

“Holy crap!” I muttered breathlessly as I stayed on the ground a few more seconds. I could feel my heart racing and my head aching. What the hell just happened? I sat up and spotted Trixie, her eyes shut in concentration as her horn glowed with such intense... purple light?

I looked away, back at the Ursa Minor also glowing in purple as it began chasing all the Diamond Dogs away. My eyes widened as I understood. Soon, the rest of the diamond dogs retreated down the cliff, and the illusion of the Ursa Minor faded as Trixie’s horn glow subsided. She almost collapsed.

I rushed at her. “Trixie, you alright?” I asked, placing a hand on her shoulder. She roughly shoved it away.

“Go away!” she shouted. I noticed her eyes were wet. “The Great and Powerful Trixie has no need of your companionship tonight!”

I stood there, stumped as Trixie walked towards her cart. She looked at the whole thing for almost a minute, before she lay down on the grass, shaking slightly. I bit my lip, and then approached. I could hear her sniffling as I came right beside her.

I sat down.

She said nothing.

I placed a placating hand on the base of her neck, just above her shoulders. I slid my hand up and down her silver white mane slowly.

She still said nothing. She just continued to cry.

And I let her.

“This is a total wreck,” Trixie muttered as she magically tied and secured the roof and body of her cart with a lot of ropes. “Those stupid mongrels took everything as well. Trixie will barely have enough food to continue her travels, and her savings! Ugh! If the Great and Powerful Trixie sees them again, oh, Tartarus hath no fury!”

I smiled, still looking down a broken wheel one of the Diamond Dogs had left behind. It was nice to hear Trixie going at it again after she spent almost ten minutes sniffling away into her fetlocks. I just said, “Go Trixie!”

I heard her scoff and huff as she approached me. “And have you found out if the wheel is in fact irreparable?”

I shook my head. I was able to take apart her wheel. It looked like those that belonged in an old western carriage, but more advanced. The wheel itself was made of different removable parts; the outer circular surface covered in a rubber tread, the spokes, and the central hub. Once I separated the outer surface from the attached spokes, I was able to see three spokes bent out of shape.

“It’s intact, though it’ll be wobbly if we don’t replace those,” I replied. “Do you have extras?”

Trixie just walked away, coming back a few minutes later with five of them. At least we’d have spares if we screwed up, I suppose.

We both stayed quiet as we both started the rather boring work of attaching new spokes. Trixie would magically place them, and I’d place the tread above them before I’d hammer it securely in place.

“Trixie may not call you for a while,” the blue mare suddenly declared, making me stop my hammering for a bit. She looked at me, her eyes sad. “I will barely be able to scrape enough to replace everything that was destroyed. And without a working cart, my show won’t be spectacular enough to warrant high payment.”

I grunted, and raised the hammer before bringing it down the covered spoke. “Is there anyone can that give you a loan or anything? Help out?”

Trixie looked unsure. She raised her hoof to her chin, muttering, “Well, maybe. But no, no...”

I brought the hammer down again. “Well, what is it?” I asked.

“Trixie’s home town in nearby,” she replied softly. “She can ask... father. No, no, the Great and Powerful Trixie cannot.”

“Problems with your father?” I asked, checking to see if the spoke was secured. It was. “Alright, Trixie, turn it, and let me secure the next one.”

The wheel didn’t move. I looked up, and saw Trixie looking at the ground blankly.

“Trixie!”

“Wha—what?” she finally replied, eyes wide.

“Turn the wheel,” I repeated. This time, she complied, the wheel turning to the next spoke poking out.

“There’s no need to shout,” Trixie scoffed. “The Great and Powerful Trixie does not appreciate, uh, the... uh—”

I chuckled. “You are very welcome,” I said. I’m pretty sure I earned a glare. I began hammering down again, and asked, “So, are you having problem—" I grunted "—with your father?”

She remained silent. I understood.

“If you don’t want to talk about it, it’s fine,” I advised. “I—ugh—also had problems with my dad. He was a doctor. Surgeon, actually. Good man. He practiced his work like a good Samaritan, always considerate on his patient’s monetary situation, charging them accordingly.”

I finished securing the spoke, and asked Trixie to turn the wheel. She did. I began my work again.

“I have two older brothers and a younger sister.” I paused as I slammed on the wheel. “They all took different courses, all medical-related. One of my brothers became a nurse, the other a pediatrician; doctor for human foals, basically. My sister was a physical therapist.”

I sighed, and hammered down again. “I was... conflicted. I didn’t like medicine. Computers were more of my thing, and I really didn’t know how to tell him. I feared the look on his face. For a year, I did nothing but bum at my parent’s place, listening to my dad kept going at me, on how I was wasting my life. I hated him for it, always talking down on me. When he finally said...”

“You’re a disappointment!”

“I ran away from home. Temporarily of course. I just ran out of the house. I remember my mother shouting for me to come back, my sister yelling at my dad. I didn’t look back. I just ran until I found myself wandering aimlessly through the streets.”

I paused, and looked at Trixie. Her attention was completely on me.

“When I came back home, my dad was waiting on the couch. It was already two in the morning, yet there he was, waiting for me to get my sorry flank back home. I thought he was going to berate me again on how I worried my mother, but instead, he just asked... what did I want with life?

“He said it in such a neutral, non-accusatory manner. He said ‘Please, son. Talk to me’. And, so I did. He listened. Afterwards, he told me to pursue my dreams. He said as long as I did what I wanted to get through life, as long as he knew I would not throw myself without direction, he’d support me all the way. Then I realized how stupid I was not to trust him.”

I wiped the tears threatening to come out of my eyes. Remembering that story just reminded me on how much I missed my family.

“Trixie’s situation is different,” the mare muttered. I looked at her, and gave her an encouraging nod. She took a deep breath. “My father is the great Illusive One. His magic was powerful, and his shows very spectacular. He specialized in multiple-threading.”

I blinked. Multi-threading? Why on Earth was a unicorn talking computer jargon all of the sudden? As far as I knew, Equestrian computers were still years from completion, nevermind the fact she was talking about her father who apparently had been doing it years ago.

She saw my confused look. “That means he could control a large number of items in an instant,” she explained. “That was how he coordinated everything in his show to perfection. He was the talk of Equestria, even performing at the Grand Galloping Gala for Princess Celestia.

“He settled down. He got a herd—you are aware of what a herd is, correct?”

I nodded. Yeah, of course I knew. With the lopsided numbers between stallions and mares, the best way to keep their numbers up was for a stallion to marry as many mares as he could, forming essentially a big family they called a herd.

Funnily enough, humans called it a harem.

“My father had a few foals. I have three sisters, an Earth Pony, and two pegasi. Both were from different mothers. I have a brother, a unicorn, from my mother. When my brother’s special talent was found out to be sewing, Father looked at me. He tried to nudge me in his direction, and was happy when I showed competence and interest. And when I got my cutie mark, his face shone with such happiness.”

I finally finished securing the spoke, and Trixie and I went to cart. The show mare magically lifted her cart on one side as I attached the wheel to the cart, and secured it by hammering down on a spike lock.

“What happened then? Your father seemed proud of you,” I said after I drove the lock in.

Trixie’s eyes went downcast. She gave a shudder. “The Great and Powerful Trixie is... not that powerful,” she whispered. I think it took something out of her to admit that. “When father began to teach me his techniques for multiple-threading, I could not do as much as he could. Each day, each practice, my father’s smile grew smaller and smaller. Trixie could not stand it! Like you, I ran away. I vowed to come back, prove to my father that I am Great and Powerful, to make him proud!”

I think a dam burst inside her as she her eyes suddenly glimmered with tears. She tried to hold them back with her front legs, but she could not hide it from me, not even with the darkened night sky.

“I can’t return to him. Not like this,” she cried.

I stood there, looking at this beautiful mare as she poured her heart out to me. I could tell her I understood and tell her everything was alright, but it would not do her justice. Instead, I wrapped my arms around her, and let her cry into my chest.

“Yes you can,” I told her. “What father would not be overjoyed to see the return of his long-lost daughter? What father would not help her in need?”

She silently tried to compose herself and after a minute, she finally calmed down enough to look at me. I just looked back at her purple eyes and smiled. She scoffed.

“Ahem.”

Yes, she actually said ‘ahem’.

“The Great and Powerful Trixie will not tell you her thanks.”

I chuckled. “Oh that’s fin—”

She pinned me down on the grassy ground, and kissed me. Deep. I was so unprepared for her actions that I numbly laid on my ass as I stared at her, letting her tongue conquer my mouth unmolested as she explored with enthusiasm.

When her lips separated from mines, I saw her hungry expression as clear as day. She grinned. “The Great and Powerful Trixie will show you instead.”

We rolled on the grass, our mouths too busy to talk. Her hooves (cold even through my clothing thanks to the horseshoes she still wore) patted on my chest and sides gently sending slight shivers up my body. Oh, she enjoyed that reaction as she tried to find more spots she could press. In turn, my hands explored her shoulders, underside, teats and flank.

We fought each other for supremacy. I was better. Her resistance crumbled first.

Heh, humans were damn cheaters too thanks to our fingers.

I rolled on top of her, and she squirmed and squealed a bit. I smiled, and with my left hand, I took hold of her horn, stopping her dead on her tracks. Her eyes widened, looking at me as I gave it a slight rub.

“Oh Celestia!” she moaned.

I let go of her horn, and lingered my open palm in front of her mouth. She began licking it in enthusiasm. My right hand dove towards her already wet marehood, and began to explore her lips and flicking at her clit in intervals. She responded by licking my palm faster.

Moistened enough, I touched her horn again with my wet left palm. She stood stock still for a second until I started massaging it with an up and down motion, following the spiral couture of her appendage. Her hind legs began closing around my right hand as I moved my fingers inside of her, feeling the welcoming warm wetness of her insides.

The more I stroked her horn, the tighter and wetter she got until she couldn’t take it anymore. She screamed out loud, her horn glowing bright purple as a spark of her magic shot up in the sky. Her walls contracted as I felt the wetness just spurt out simultaneously as her magical spark exploded in the sky like a firework.

“Oh my, yes... yes!” she panted. I released her horn, and brought my moist right hand to my face. I made sure she watched as I licked delectably on her sticky juices before I kissed her. She kissed me back with enthusiasm.

I let her rest, ignoring my hardness threatening to pop out of my pants. I just slid besides her, continued kissing her lips as her panting slowly died down.

“Trixie is... lucky to have met you,” the mare muttered. “Trixie never had any luck on stallions. They were very choosy, and plain. Mares thought Trixie was too... well, they were choosy too. She remembered her first stallion. He was... okay. No, scratch that. Trixie found him too simple. Especially when it came to bed.” She paused.

I gently kissed her cheek, murmuring her to go on.

“Trixie was tired of basically just letting him rut her so... boringly. One day, Trixie tied him up, made him stand. She touched him with her hooves, took him in her mouth. Trixie wanted him to lick her as well, but he would refuse. Then Trixie began imagining forcing herself to him, imagined how hard he’d cry.” She took a deep breath, face flushed as she finished the last bit in a hoarse whisper. “I imagined him begging for mercy. I wanted to hear it so badly, and I realized how hot and wet I felt.”

She groaned. Good lord, was she getting turned on just by recalling all this by memory? I don’t know if I found that weird or arousing.

Trixie then glared at the night sky. “He thought he was Celestia’s gift to mares that day. Hah! Trixie dumped him like garbage!”

She scoffed , her voice gaining more volume. There was also an edge I could only describe as anger.“But there were no mares or stallions that Trixie met that would want to go through what Trixie wanted. And when you humans were discovered, and the Gentlemen for Mares was created, Trixie thought this was her chance,” Trixie sighed. “The first three and the fifth never left their cards. The fourth was, uh, too enthusiastic? You, though, you were different.”

And she went back to whispering. “You knew how to play with me. You resisted just enough to get me bothered, and would readily collapse at my mercy. You would build up my excitement in ways I never thought possible.” Trixie blushed. “It was always fun to see your threshold. I knew you were the Gentleman for me after that first night.”

I half-wondered if she’d still feel the same if I said the truth was I basically forgot the safe word. I decided not to breathe a word of it to her.

“Why did you leave your card?” Trixie asked softly. “Did you truly enjoy the night under the hooves of The Great and Powerful Trixie?”

I looked at her, and she looked at me. She bit her lip slightly, as if afraid to hear what I was about to say. I just smiled at her.

“I... I know what it’s like to be rejected by mares,” I admitted. “Especially that time. I was still new. I was, well, desperate. I heard you were going through each Gentlemen, and when I heard four of them refused to give you their cards, I had wondered. And that night with you, I finally understood.”

I sighed, and looked up the stars.

“I didn’t get to see much of your face when you tied me to your bed, but after that, I always saw you looked sad every time a, uh, session ended. If I had to guess, you were enjoying yourself but you were afraid what would happen once it was over.” I looked back at her. “Am I right?”

She just nodded. She didn’t have to explain. She had said earlier she found a Gentleman that put a fire in her. She had whispered it in my ear when I was on her bed.

She had been outright terrified she’d never have someone like me again.

“I... enjoyed that day, Trixie,” I said, “because you enjoyed it. I guess in the end, that’s all that mattered. That’s why I left my card.”

Trixie smiled at my answer, and nodded. She rolled back onto all fours and turned, making her tail face me. She moved her tail out of the way, showing me her wonderful wetness.

“The Great and Powerful Trixie hired you for one night,” she said with a slight huff. “Get on your feet, Gentleman Wingman, and satisfy your customer.”

I sat up and touched her flank. She kept still as I leaned over, and kissed her, licking her very wet lips. She shivered slightly, but stood proud on all fours. I continued my ministrations for a few moments before she gave a satisfied shake. I stood up. She turned, and I greeted her with a smile.

“As you command, Mistress Trixie.”

“You don’t look... beaten,” Eve declared in a bit of wonderment as I entered the chariot.

“Why, Eve? Do you like the beaten look better?” I teased, sitting down beside her.

“Kinda,” she replied, earning her a confused look from me. “You tend to be quiet when you are. I like the quiet.”

“Oh, thank God you told me that, because I have a lot of things to tell you!”

Eve immediately covered her ears, saying ‘la-la-la-can’t-hear-you-la-la-la’. I just laughed.

As the chariot passed Trixie’s beaten up cart, I saw her looking at us. I could imagine her giving me a haughty look and going on her merry way. I just smiled, and waved.

Trixie watched me for a second, then turned and walked away.

I saw Celestia’s sunrise, and a little prayer escaped my thoughts.

Until next time, Miss Trixie Lulamoon. Until next time.

Take the Heat, Gentleman

I felt my day was going to take a turn for the worse when I finished skimming through the article. It didn’t matter that it was the perfect day off. It didn’t even matter that I had a rather substantial increase in clientele requests, or that through Eve’s scheduling skills, I had met them head on with a lot of time to spare.

The article I just read pissed me off enough to put me in a foul mood.

“I have no words,” I declared as I finished skimming through the article in Equine Weekly.

Eve, my handler, lowered the Earth-based newspaper (Something Bulletin, or Bulletin Something, I’m not too sure) she was levitating low enough to spy me through her spectacles. “You have no words? That’ll be the day,” she said. I rolled my eyes.

“Have you seen this?” I asked. Clearing my throat, I began to narrate, “’Humans in Equestria: A Mistake?’” I snorted.

“I think that surmises my feelings in regards to you,” Eve chuckled, neatly folding her newspaper. Her eyes turned serious for a moment as she gave me a nod, gesturing for me to continue. I just stuck my tongue out at her before I carried on.

“As the inter-dimensional race known as humans are becoming a common sight in Equestria, a lot of questions were raised regarding these new species. A few ponies have begun to deride the alliance, calling it a mistake for being formed too soon. The most outspoken of the group was Duchess Emerald Château, who had caused quite a stir among the public when she criticized Princess Celestia’s decision to extend her hoof in welcome to the humans.

“‘While I have utmost respect for our esteemed ruler, one cannot help but question her decision of allying ourselves with such a barbaric race. Humanity’s history seems to have evolved from nothing but increasingly brazen conflicts. They are a race that built weapons of mass destruction as means of a deterrent. They are one race, but of many nations, conflicted in cultures, religion, and even ideas. What have they to offer us? We do not need their technology – their so-called ‘magic’ that has been forged through countless conflicts and wars and that have polluted their world! Ponies have survived thousands of years through unity and harmony. We do not need them here.’”

“Ouch,” Eve replied, wincing slightly.

“Oh it gets worse,” I continued. “‘If some unicorn is able to create a spell or potion that would allow reproduction, then they may have some use. With the Gentlemen for Mares and other companies alike already in place, we could use their comparatively higher number of males to boost our population, as long as the resulting foals are one-hundred percent pure ponies.’” I took a breather and raised my eyebrow. “I don’t know what’s more insulting: that she dropped our company name, or the fact she thinks exploiting us as studs is our only use.”

“Ah, pony cultural revolution. Instead of having the stallions on the fields or beds, it’s now just the beds,” Eve shrugged. “Don’t pay any mind to that, Harry. Duchess Emerald sounds like a real twit.”

“Oh, but the article isn’t over. You’re gonna get a laugh at this,” I advised as I let my eyes roam the piece of writing once again, trying to find the specific sentence. “Where are you... ah, there you are. ‘Not all agreed with Duchess Emerald Château’s sentiments, with some publicly defending Princess Celestia’s decision. One surprising defense came from Prince Blueblood.

“‘Duchess Emerald is an old-fashioned, embittered relic. She would have happily had stallions rounded up and forced to plow her fields in more ways than one. I, for one, am glad of our alliance. The Human World is a rich collection of cultures and ideas, and that is why I believe that Princess Celestia made the right decision.’

“Huh,” I muttered, raising an eyebrow at Eve. “Didn’t you call this guy as a class-act jerk?”

The mare rolled her eyes. “That is because he is a class-act jerk. If you’ve been reading articles regarding his visits to the human world, then you’d know he only likes it there because he discovered alcohol, and loves your ‘films’ and ‘movies’. He couldn’t stop talking about that Iron Human movie. I think he’s in love.”

I laughed. “Of course he would be.”

“Please tell me that there’s more. If he’s the only pony defending ‘humanity’s presence’ in that article, it doesn’t bode well,” Eve said as she levitated a glass of water. She drank from it and let it gently down the table.

“Well, there’s this: Also, Princess Celestia’s personal student, Princess Twilight Sparkle, defended her teacher’s decision in regards to humanity.

“‘Well, while I think the Duchess has a point in regards to some of humanity’s history, one should also should take into account these facts: humanity’s world is not like ours. They do not have the ability to manipulate weather, magically find resources, or even grow food as fast as we do. They have lived thousands of years through toil and hard work, in a world not unlike the Everfree Forest, yet they carved a path of civilization, of progress. Their technology, their ‘magic’, is also evolving to the point that the polluting by-products are slowly being eliminated. I also have to point out that for every tale of human atrocity the Duchess can bring forth, I have ten stories that show how they shine.’

“Well, I think I may have fallen in love,” I muttered as I folded my magazine and placed it down beside me.

“With whom, the Prince or the Student?” Eve asked. “The Prince, I’m pretty sure, is high-maintenance and Miss Sparkle, from what I heard, is too nerdy for you. I don’t quite think they are your type.”

“What are you, my mom?” I chuckled as I poked the air with my fork, pointing it at her.

“I am paying for the meal, aren’t I?”

“Touché,” I replied as I lowered my utensil, waiting for the waiter to arrive with our order.

Eve and I were currently at one of the few human-run restaurants that specialized in making vegetarian meals. I had heard they were deft experts in using tofu as meat substitute, and that the way they cooked it was amazing. I couldn’t wait.

Unfortunately, waiting was the game I had to play. So when I saw Eve unfolding the newspaper and reading it once more, curiosity got the better of me. I rarely received any type of Earth-made newspaper, and with my job, it was far more important for me to know more about Equestria’s social scenes.

One of my friends, Sal, based his whole image on being up to date on Equestrian life and politics. He was now the only Gentleman that had a High Duchess—what was her name, again? Gilded Spiral?—as a customer. Lucky bastard. So, following his example, a whole lot of Gentlemen began reading and made sure we were up to date on the who’s who of Equestria—after all, a mare won’t call a Gentleman who can’t even tell the difference between a Wonderbolt and the Wondercolt.

So when I saw the headline ‘Human-Gryphon Trade Talks Begin’, I realized how far behind I was on Earth’s current events. I asked, “Anything interesting back at home?”

“Well, there are the Human-Gryphon trading proposals,” Eve replied without moving, her face hidden behind the newspaper. “From what I gathered, the Gryphons proposed trading precious metals abundant in their mountains for herds of cows and sheep.” She lowered the paper, letting her eyes peek out once more. “You know, I always find it weird your cows don’t talk at all.”

“Really? I found it weird that cows here talk at all,” I replied truthfully. “How do you milk them without it being awkward?”

“Practice,” Eve replied easily. I snorted at the implication, making her roll her eyes. “Here’s something you’ll find interesting, though.”

“What is it?”

Eve cleared her throat. “‘Senator Carl Rowan believes the Equestrian Ponies are demons sent to tempt mankind away from God’s light.’”

“Oh no, God, please don’t,” I shuddered. “Something else, please.”

“I probably should take that as a compliment,” Eve declared, as if ignoring my little outburst. She asked, in her throaty and sensual Audio Erotica voice, “Tell me, Harry, am I tempting you away from God’s light? Does my—” she scanned through the newspaper “—slovenly disregard to modesty, my natural nakedness, turn you to a—” she scanned again “—a sinner?”

Oh, I was ready for that. “I sell my body for money. I think I am way beyond saving at this point,” I replied, deadpan.

She pouted. In her normal voice, she mumbled, “You’re no fun. And oh, this is interesting.”

“What?”

“Did you know Princess Luna is actually studying ‘English’ back on Earth?”

Wait, what?

My expression must have shown pretty clearly because Eve just nodded. “Yeah. Apparently, she’s studying in something called a ‘university’ to improve her ‘English’. She’s quite a celebrity on Earth.”

Wow, I must have reallybeen behind if I haven’t even heard about this. I imagined one of the immortal Princesses of Equestria studying back on an Earth university, along with her archaic Equestrian-slash-English. I could easily see the Shakespeare crowd worshipping her.

Then I imagined Princess Luna interacting with various social groups. An image of her in a cheerleader outfit (good lord where did that come from?) appeared in my head as she waved pom-poms around with her hooves, screaming cheers loud enough to overwhelm the opposition. Before I could even continue to contemplate how many more clichéd images of her I could think of (I stopped at seeing her playing with a video game controller), a unicorn server arrived with a floating tray in tow.

“Faux Tonkatsu Curry Rice,” the server said, floating a large covered bowl in front of me. Placed on the table, he telekinetically took hold of the cover, pulled it off, and my mouth watered at the scent of the piquant blend of curry and spices as it wafted past my nose.

“Here’s the shredded cabbage,” the server added as he placed the bowl of vegetables beside my curry bowl. “And our house-blend iced tea,” he finished as he levitated two glasses and set them down on our table. They were filled to the brim with dark golden brown liquid, complete with lemon slice sitting on the edge of the glass. I gave him a nod, and he in turn looked at Eve. “Have you decided on what you’ll have today, ma’am?”

“No, but thank you.”

I raised an eyebrow. Ever since I got back on my feet, Eve hasn’t exactly been the type to treat me out to lunches, especially expensive ones at that. And if she did, she’d have ordered something for herself.

Suspicious.

“What is going on, Eve?” I asked, putting roasted sesame dressing on the cabbage.

She gave me a smile. Oh, hell. I’m not going to like this, am I?

“There’s a job for you tomorrow,” Eve declared. She paused.

Oh-kay. “Go on,” I replied slowly.

“New client, hiring you out for two days,” Eve continued.

Wow, two days? “This new client must be rich.”

“She’s a school teacher in Ponyville,” the unicorn advised. “Platinum either knows this teacher, or knows of her. She gave her quite a hefty discount, and is willing to pay the rest of the fee.”

Ponyville... that was the town below Canterlot, almost the very base of the mountain, wasn’t it? Not a lot of Gentlemen hired in that location, as most ponies there lived simpler lives, though rumor has it it was more because the Elements of Harmony (who were more or less national heroes) resided there.

And the boss shelling out money for the customer? First time I’ve even heard of it.

“Platinum,” she continued, putting emphasis on the name, “out of the goodness of her heart, has felt that you are the best Gentleman to handle this.”

“Well, I won’t let her down then,” I said.

“By the way, the customer is in heat.”

Ah... wait, what?

“I think she is also a Skipper.”

Holy crap! I think my eyes bulged out of my skull on that declaration.

“No!” I immediately exclaimed. “Forget it! I don’t do customers in heat, Eve, you know that!”

“You were the only one available,” my handler advised.

“What, isn’t Thomas more willing to work with customers in heat?”

“Scheduling conflict.”

Oh come on, you’re kidding me! “How about Richard? He should be free!” I said desperately.

“Broken hip,” Eve shrugged.

What? She was screwing around with me, wasn’t she? “How the hell did that happen?”

“Well, funny story. It involved Fleetfoot and what he called the ‘Pegasus Mile High Club’.”

Oh hell, Richard, you stupid moron. I sighed, and thought of other Gentlemen who should be available for this, but no one came to mind. Maybe I should take that as a sign to have a more involved social life.

“Come on, Harry. Eat your food. Take your time to savor it, and calm down,” Eve declared slowly, urging me to eat with her hoof. “You’ll feel better.”

I sighed again, and used my fork to take a small stab at the faux tonkatsu slices, grabbing a morsel and dipping it in the curry sauce. I scooped some rice with it before I gingerly put it in my mouth.

Oh, God. This was amazing. The flavor of pork washed over my mouth with such tantalizing tingle that it actually really felt like I was eating meat. How were they able to make the usually silky tofu into veritable delectable sequences of textures and taste? I could squeal like a girl, and I would not care.

Eve smiled at my silence. “Now, when the time comes, remember Harry... Eve”—she pointed at herself with her hoof, and then pointed it to the dish—“food. Platinum... customer in heat.”

I raised an eyebrow. “You are one magnificent bastard.”

She just smiled. “Thank you.”

I took another bite.

A customer in heat, eh? A Skipper at that? Oh God, this was going to be ugly.

Anyone who knows horses knows about their estrus cycles, right? Well, it’s almost the same with Equestrian Ponies. Every month, there’s a week when a mare becomes fertile, and their body becomes a mix of hormones and pheromones that give them the ‘come hither’ aura for stallions.

I don’t think it affects humans that much. All I ever noticed is that they smell a bit muskier, but apparently it turns the heads of stallions (and even some mares) around.

And for some reason, their biological evolution made the urge to ‘go forth and multiply’ almost impossible to ignore. To ‘cool’ them off, the body needs to be fooled that they received a healthy dose of ejaculation (or at least, the near equivalent). Making a mare in heat orgasm would only give them pause. Worse yet, if they ignored the urge long enough, it’d addle them into thinking of nothing but sex.

We called mares who did that ‘Skippers’. Most of them were a bit like addicts, as they usually only would put themselves at this phase because, don’t quote me on this, the rutting becomes absolutely fantastic for them. And the more ‘offerings’ they would received, the more satisfying the feeling.

Before the humans were discovered, mares who didn’t want to get foals would use something akin to a dildo pump. It’s a phallic tool made of materials that supposedly felt like a real stallion’s, and would pump out a mixture with the consistency of male discharge. It’s also an essential tool for mare to mare relationships.

Don’t ask me what it’s called, though. Eve called hers Mr. Happy, and I’ve never bothered looking up its proper name.

When Lyra Heartstrings—the first pony to become famous by dating a human—gave her comments of her satisfaction being given human TLC, the boss created the Gentlemen for Mares. However, the company never really became influential until a mare, in heat, hired a Gentleman and realized that ‘it was the best rutting’ she ever experienced.

And as an added bonus, she wasn’t pregnant.

The word spread. The customers came in droves. And the boss, ever the opportunist, raised prices for customers in heat, and has reaped the rewards the ever since, with her best business coming from Skippers who would always hire out two or three Gentlemen simultaneously for the last days of their heat phase.

It was utterly ridiculous.

While I understand a whole lot of Gentlemen like customers in heat (they get a higher commission, and all they have to do is just... rut them), I’m not like that. I want to put a little romance for all my customers, whether it’s a nice date or maybe a slow intimate exploration of their bodies, always aiming to make it less of a business transaction and more of a personal touch.

I sighed. I took another bite. I’m not a big fan of customers in heat. I distinctly remember the first in-heat mare I had encountered. It left me with such a bad taste in my mouth that I never left my card and actively made it a point to avoid customers in heat.

Now, this would be my second encounter.

“Fine,” I finally declared. “What time am I meeting with the customer?”

“Tomorrow, late afternoon. Platinum said that classes end at around five,” Eve replied. “And Harry?”

I looked at her.

“Remember, me? Good and expensive food. Platinum? Skipper Customer.”

I rolled my eyes. “Yes, I’ll remember when it’s time to overthrow the pink-coated tyrant,” I said, taking another bite.

I arrived at the outskirts of Ponyville the next day, nearing five in the afternoon. Eve wished me luck as I clambered down the chariot, and before she signaled the pegasi team to take off, she levitated a small pouch with a shoulder strap to me.

I opened it up, revealing familiar vials of semi-clear golden liquid. I looked at Eve. “I don’t need boosters. Never did.”

“You never had a skipper earth pony either, Harry. Take it, just in case,” she replied, and the door of the chariot closed before it took off, leaving me in the dirt road looking at the entrance of the town.

Ponyville, from what I saw of it from the sky, had a central hub surrounding a town hall with a red roof. The town itself was a maze of houses and trees, of which the most abundant (judging by the sweet scent) were apples. It also had a river going around the hub and was surrounded by the Everfree Forest.

I entered the town, crossed a bridge over the river, and arrived at the town center. I could see the bustle and hustle of everyday life, its ponies of multiple hues walking and interacting; some were selling wares, while others were just greeting each other.

Surprisingly, I saw a few humans too. A whole lot were all dressed in smart-casual clothes—loose-white buttoned shirts, slacks and shoes. Some wore corporate attire, complete with dark jackets, ties and (some of them) vests. Most, though, wore casual—tees , denims (pants or shorts) and rubber shoes.

At least I’m not under-dressed, I thought as I looked down at my clothes: dark brown cardigan sweater, white shirt, grey slacks and brown loafers. Oh yes, no black tops this time.

Some of them formed groups of their own, but for the most part, they mingled with the rest of the Equestrian citizens as naturally as they would with other humans. There was a woman laughing along with five other mares. Another had a group of male humans and ponies doing hoof-and-fist bumps because one man in their group gave a passing mare a wolf-whistle, and amazingly, got a return wink. I couldn’t help but smile.

Oh, what I would give to show this picture to that clueless Senator and twat Duchess.

Spotting a stall filled with red, tasty-looking apples, I approached the mare behind the counter. She had a dark yellow coat, blonde mane and tail. She also wore a cowboy hat. Huh. And it accented her perfectly too. Did she have... yes, she had freckles too. Three white ones on each side of her face, just below the eyeline.

“Well, howdy, stranger,” she greeted me with a Southern accent. “May Ah interest you into getting some of the best darned tasting apples of all of Equestria?”

I smiled. “Well, why not? How many bits?”

I thought I would have to do some haggling, as most small towns loved to sell their products at a higher price in case a tourist from the big city came around. I was surprised, though, when the mare just gave me a somewhat low price on her apples.

I felt a little apprehensive. Would the best apples in the world be bought at such cost? She may have seen my hesitant look, because she suddenly offered one apple to me.

“This one’s for free. If you doubt mah words, you can always taste it yourself. If you ain’t satisfied, I won’t hold it against you none.”

I reluctantly took the offered apple, stared at it for a bit. I looked at the mare, and she just gave me an assuring grin and nodded. Shrugging, I took a bite.

The fact that it gave a loud crunchy sound as I bit down was already an indicator that she was not pulling my leg. I tasted the perfect balance of sweet and sour with no starchiness to it. I ate lot of apples in Equestria, and there was only one apple that tasted as good as this one, and that was at Trottingham, which I bought at almost double the price this mare offered.

“Give me six,” I muttered while munching.

“You got, mister. Six apples, coming up,” the blonde mare happily said as she grabbed a paper bag and deftly put in six apples. I paid her immediately.

“Well, thank ya kindly, mister. Though Ah must ask, are you new in town? Don’t recall seeing your face ‘round these parts.”

“Just arrived,” I replied, finishing off the free apple she had given me. “I’m actually looking for a—” I fumbled through my pocket with my free hand, and grabbed a folded paper out and read the name written “—Miss Cheerilee?”

“Miss Cheerilee? Why, she’s mah little sister’s teacher. Which reminds me,” and she stepped out of her booth. I spotted her Cutie Mark (three red apples) as she walked by, though I was hoping she was wearing cowboy boots. No luck. She looked towards a big red stallion nearby, and shouted, “Big Macintosh, Ah’m gonna pick up Apple Bloom, so mind the stall!”

“Eeyup,” was all the red stallion said before moving behind the counter. Once in place, a few mares began approaching. Huh.

“As it happens, Ah’m on my way there,” the mare advised, encouraging me to follow. “Name’s Applejack.”

“Wingman,” I replied, and we both shook hand and hoof.

We both walked side-by-side towards south-east of Ponyville. Applejack kept pointing out stores she thought I’d like to visit and was generally very pleasant to talk to. She seemed quite well-known around these parts, too, judging by how many ponies and even some humans greeted her.

“And that there is Sugah Cube Corner,” Applejack said, pointing out a building that literally looked like a cupcake. Architecture here was very odd. “Luckily, Pinkie’s outta town, so we can avoid her fer now.”

Pinkie? I mentally shrugged as we trudged on, passing by another building, this time designed as half a tent with a carousel on top.

“That’s mah friend Rarity’s shop over there. The Carousel Boutique. Business has been booming ever since yer kind started living here.”

I could have taken offense on the words she had used, but I got a feeling it was more of a slip of the tongue with her. “Why’s that? Because humans always wear clothing?”

“Eeyup, that’s right. Speaking of which... Hey, Rarity!”

I watched Applejack waved towards an approaching unicorn with one of the whitest coats I have ever seen; it made her Cutie Mark (three blue diamonds) stand out even from afar. Her purple mane and tail bounced with flourished as she trotted towards us, and as she approached, I noticed her lashes flowing daintily as she blinked.

“Good afternoon, Applejack,” Rarity greeted. “Oh, it’s always good to see you darling. And who’s that handsome young man with you?”

“This here’s Wingman,” Applejack replied, introducing me. “Wingman, mah friend, Rarity.”

She gracefully offered her hoof, and I accepted it with poise, bowing down slightly to bring my lips to kiss it gently.

“Charmed, I’m sure,” I said, looking up to her and giving a smile.

“Oh, verily,” she giggled. “I’m actually surprised to see a Gentleman here.” My surprise must have been evident because she tapped my leg gently with hers. “Oh, please. A pony name for a well-dressed man? Who’s the lucky mare?”

“Uh... gentleman?” Applejack muttered.

I paused for a moment. Telling Miss Applejack was fine, but this unicorn, Miss Rarity, was pretty well-informed regarding how the Gentlemen worked. I wondered if it was okay to drop Cheerilee’s name. I might have hated the assignment, but there was no way I was going to feed fuel to any kind of scandal the school teacher would face if the unicorn would chose to.

However, looking at her, I doubted she’d actually cause any. Maybe it was the honest curiosity she was displaying, or maybe the fact that she said ‘lucky mare’, but I felt I could trust her with the information.

“I’m actually here for a Miss Cheerilee,” I replied to Rarity.

“Oh, dear. Miss Cheerilee. Yes, I think I can see it now,” the unicorn nodded. “But I never figured she would be the type to spend bits to have a Gentleman take care of her. She is usually so independent regarding her needs.”

“Now, wait a minute sugahcube. Whatcha mean Wingman’s gonna take care of Miss Cheerilee? Take care of what, exactly?” Applejack interjected.

“Darling, hasn’t Apple Bloom told you how strange Cheerilee’s been acting for the week?” Rarity asked.

“Well, yeah, but that’s just her heat pass...ing,” Applejack blinked, and looked at me for a moment, her eyes widening before narrowing into slits. “Wait a tootin’ minute! What ya’ll trying to say is that this... Gentleman... ain’t nothing but a fancy shmancy talk for a comfort horse!?”

“Well, you don’t have to put it that rudely,” Rarity replied with a slight huff. “Honestly, Applejack, you’d think that with how B—” and she was cut off immediately when the yellow earth pony bumped strongly into her, almost causing her to lose balance.

“Yer mah friend, Rarity, but if yah talk one more word ‘bout that, Ah’ll buck you hard to the next town!”

The white unicorn gave the earth pony a glare. Without taking her eyes off Applejack, Rarity said, “Mister Wingman, I would appreciate if you walked ahead. It seems I’m about to have an argument with my friend, and I really would prefer you not witness this.”

I looked at the unicorn and then back at the yellow earth pony. On one hand, I wanted to stay and try to clear this out. They were friends, and I didn’t like it when friends got into disagreements, especially if I was the one at fault. On the other, I just met these mares. I was essentially a stranger to them, and it would be quite rude and stupid of me to get involved in a row between two friends.

“Um... I’m sorry,” I muttered before I continued walking.

I could hear a few shouts behind me as I trudged on, wincing as I heard really angry words fly through the air. I just forced myself to go forward, thanking my lucky stars that the argument was slowly receding in volume and that I could finally see my destination.

The red building in front of me was built like a schoolhouse, complete with a bell tower, a flagpole (with a small scooter and helmet leaning on it), and a playground to the side. I could see little colts and fillies laughing as they all exited the building, skipping and jumping as their day of school was finally over. They paid me no mind as they passed by.

As I entered the school grounds, I was greeted by three more fillies. One was an earth pony filly with yellow coat, red mane and tail, and quite a distinguishable pink bow, spoke in a Southern accent very reminiscent of Applejack.

“And Ah’m telling ya, Miss Cheerilee’s been acting all weird,” she declared to her two friends, a unicorn with white coat as well as a pink-purple mane and tail, and a pegasus with an orange coat to go along with her dark pink mane and tail.

“Oh, come on Apple Bloom. Miss Cheerilee is probably just tired,” the orange filly replied. “She’ll feel all better tomorrow.”

Oh, you have no idea, kid.

“Scootaloo, she almost couldn’t finish the last problem on the board,” the white unicorn replied. “What if she’s sick?”

“Sweetie Belle is right!” the yellow filly (Apple Bloom?) declared. ”Maybe we should bring her to the hospital!”

“Maybe we could get our cutie marks that way!” the orange filly (Scootaloo?) exclaimed.

Then, all three shouted, “Cutie Mark Crusaders Patient Delivery, Yay!”

I ought to check my blood sugar after this. I’m actually hoping to see if they could actually pull it off, but I couldn’t have them drag my customer around to the doctor, right? So, I walked up to them as normally as I could and gave them a wave as I greeted, “Good afternoon there!”

The three fillies looked up; the orange coated one raised an eyebrow while the rest looked at me with neutral curiosity.

“Hi, I was wondering, is Miss Cheerilee inside?” I asked.

“Um, yes?” the white filly (Sweetie Belle, right? Huh, I think I’m getting a good grasp on their names now) replied, unsure.

“Why?” Scootaloo demanded, moving in front, blocking my entrance to the school. “What do you want with Miss Cheerilee?”

“Nothing you guys should worry about,” I assured as I side-stepped the orange filly, only for her to quickly block my way again.

“Well?” the orange filly asked.

I looked at her, and gave her a small smile. “I’m just here to take care of her.”

“What do you mean?” Sweetie Belle asked.

“You’re not gonna hurt Miss Cheerilee, are yah, mister?” Apple Bloom inquired.

“No, no, of course not.” I paused for a second, trying to think up a good way to explain what I’m about to do that doesn’t involve the birds and the bees. “Miss Cheerilee is a little out of it, and I was called in to take her out and have some fun.”

“What kind of fun?”

Yeah, kid, ugh, damn, why did you ask that? As I stumbled around to find another G-Rated comment, I was saved by a familiar voice shouting sharply behind me. I looked behind me just in time to see Applejack and Rarity approach.

“Apple Bloom!” the yellow earth pony had shouted. She gave me one hard look before her features softened as the yellow filly ran past me.

“Applejack!” the younger earth pony declared as she ran into a welcoming hug.

“Had fun today?” Applejack asked.

“Yup, even if Miss Cheerilee’s acting weird again,” Apple Bloom replied. She motioned her head to my direction, and added, “But that mister says he’s going to help Miss Cheerilee. Ain’t that great?”

Applejack gave me one last look—a neutral one this time—and hugged her sister close, almost carrying her out of there. That left me alone with Scootaloo, Sweetie Belle, and the approaching Rarity.

“I’m sorry about that, darling,” the white unicorn declared as she drew near. “Sometimes, it’s hard to remember that Applejack is a bit of a prude and quite hard-headed when she wants to be.”

“It... it’s not going to be a problem between you two, is it?”

“You’re sweet, but fret none,” Rarity replied easily. “It’ll take more than that argument to actually cause some problems between us.”

“Are you fighting with Applejack?” Sweetie Belle asked.

Rarity looked at the white young unicorn, and shook her head. “Nothing to worry about, Sweetie. Applejack and I are just disagreeing on something. Now, come on. It’s time to go home.”

“Okay,” Sweetie Belle happily declared and trotted beside the older unicorn, who suddenly perked up as if she remembered something.

“Oh, and before I forget, Mister Wingman, would it be presumptuous of me to ask for your card?”

“Uh, company policy doesn’t allow me to give you my card until the first... uh”—I looked at Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo, then tried to find a good substitute for the word—“rendezvous. However, I can give you this.”

I grabbed my pouch with my free hand, and I fumbled a bit on trying to open it when I felt the bag of apples float out of my arm.

“Here, let me take care of this for the moment,” Rarity advised, her horn glowing in light blue light as she levitated my load. With two free hands, I finally extracted a platinum white card with gold ‘Gentlemen for Mares’ engraved into it. I grabbed my felt pen out, and wrote my work name.

“Address is here, so you can write us a letter, or call us if you have the new telephones. Our number is here as well,” I advised, handing a card to her. She gladly accepted it, gently feeling the card with her hooves. “You can ask for me, or take suggestions. We’ll happily mail you a list of Gentlemen at our disposal, and you can find who strikes your fancy. We guarantee satisfaction.”

“You are very kind, darling. Here you go,” she floated the bag of apples near me for easy grabbing, and gave me a wink. “If you are in need of some clothing, may I suggest you visit my boutique? You won’t be disappointed, that’s my guarantee.”

“Will do, Miss Rarity. Pleasure meeting such a lovely lady.”

She giggled daintily. “Oh-ho, quite the charmer, Mister Wingman. Ta-ta, dearie. I hope to see you soon.”

The white unicorns left me alone with the orange pegasus, who was still blocking my way. I looked at her for a moment, and I raised an eyebrow. She raised one back. Not to be outdone, I lifted mines even higher, and she responded the same way. We stared into each other, eye to eye for a good minute before she finally blinked.

I crossed my arms, smirking. Yeah, that’s right, little filly. I win.

She just took her tongue out at me before scampering towards the flagpole and grabbed the helmet that lay on top of the leaning scooter. She motioned her hooves, pointing at her eyes first then at me, before she jumped on top of her scooter and flapped her little wings. Amazingly, she propelled herself with impressive speeds that I felt the slight sucking wake of her passage as she roared past me like a bat out of hell.

Well, at least I avoided more awkward questioning. That just left me with...

Hoo-boy. Is it me, or did the building suddenly transform to a gaping mouth? I sighed, and checked my inventory. Apples? Check. Pouch full of magic Viagra? Check. Balls? Whoops, must have left them near the apple stand...

I almost, almost left. I really, really didn’t like this. I definitely, definitely should have just said no to Eve.

I still entered the building.

I came to the receiving area, and looked around. It was painted in upbeat and bright colors of light green and yellow hues with ponies and horseshoe accents. There were low couches, and on the walls, cork-boards filled with pinned drawings or writings by young fillies, most of them stamped with ribbons of various colors.

Other than that, it was empty. My steps squeaked slightly as I approached the door going into the classroom, half-hoping that it would be empty.

A sound of a hard object thrown behind the door dashed my hopes. Sighing at the inevitable, I gently knocked on the door before I entered.

I smelled it immediately. The slight musk scent clashed horribly with the fresh lemon scent of the whole area. First thing I saw was a rather moist pencil on the ground, and looking up I saw, at the end of the room, an earth pony behind a desk, her face down between her front legs on top of the polished wooden surface, shivering.

“Miss Cheerilee?” I called reluctantly. The pony’s head went up immediately, her eyes unfocused as she looked at me. I slowly approached her, taking careful steps as she slid off her place, slowly approaching me.

She was quite a pretty mare with a unique cherry-colored coat with two-toned pink mane and tail. I noticed her three smiling flower cutie mark readily as she sauntered towards me, her hips really moving in a bit of an exaggerated (but quite seductive) motions.

“My name’s Wingman, and I’ll be your Gentleman for the next two days. I was hoping that—” and I immediately stopped when her snout just went straight for my crotch, her breathing getting rather ragged.

I could hear her coo as she began to sniff, bobbing her head gently. My body reacted immediately, and I felt uncomfortable tightness in my pants. It didn’t help when she was suddenly licking mea over my trousers.

“Oh-kay!” I backed away, only for her to chase forward, her eyes sparkling as she just stared at that area.

“Please,” she said throatily. “Please... please?”

I immediately dropped the pouch and apples on a desk and went towards the door to lock it. After that, I made my way to the windows to make sure I closed all the curtains. Cheerilee followed me all the way, rubbing my legs with her tail. One time, I think she nudged me from behind with her head, as if telling me to hurry up.

I took off my sweater and top, easily slipping out of my loafers and slowly undoing my pants. Too slow for Cheerilee, apparently, as she bit down on one of the leg pants and forcefully tried to remove it. I gently flicked her ear, making her snap her attention at me long enough to remove the pants on my own power.

“Okay, behave or I’m leaving you like this!” I warned as I grabbed a tuft of her mane and pulled it gently, holding her in place. It was really an empty threat. If she wanted to, she could force herself on me and I couldn’t do anything about it. Earth Ponies didn’t have any real vulnerable spots to exploit, like wings of a pegasus or the horns of a unicorn. They were also physically stronger than any of the three types of ponies.

I could only pray that she’d listen.

As I removed my underwear, I could feel her shiver and almost take a step forward. I pulled her mane again and she stilled. Damn it, this was it. No dates, no talks, just straight to tucking.

I really hated this assignment.

I roughly kissed the mare, maybe letting a little anger and irritation take hold as I began to pushed Cheerilee back. Part of me wanted to not care about her. She hired me to scratch an itch, so scratch I would. I let my fingers roam around her neck, then roughly scraped them along her coat as she moaned in either pleasure or pain. I didn’t care. I just sloppily kissed her neck, shoulders, and ended spanking her flank with a little more force than necessary.

She gave out a satisfied neigh and immediately turned, showing me her rump as she elevated her hindquarters. I grabbed a hold of her hips, and without preamble, entered her soft, wet and readily inviting folds.

Oh, God. I forgot how it felt rutting a mare in heat. The closest thing I could describe it as was a marehood that seemed to have a mind of its own, readily accepting my entrance but clamping down hard every time I tried to pull out. It gave the oddly satisfactory feeling of being sucked inside her, and I grunted as I immediately felt the threat of ejaculating a bit too soon.

“Yes, yes, yes!” she moaned, volume of her voice slowly increasing with each thrust. I felt a little fire in me as I realized she was enjoying herself. And as bitter as I was on this assignment, I couldn’t help but feel a bit satisfied.

I screamed and went faster. She was in heat, and the best way to satisfy her was to come. So, I grabbed her mane, pulling it back a bit as I pumped at her even faster. I screamed her name as my rhythm became erratic as I crossed the threshold and came.

Her walls immediately began to move at unbelievable speed, milking me as I spurted as strongly as I could inside her. I felt a mixture of pain and pleasure building as her velvet walls churned around my manhood, as if begging for more, and then slowly, the pleasure faded as the pain began to build.

I immediately tried to pull myself out. She wouldn’t let me. I grunted as the walls still began to agitate around my oversensitive member, and with great force, I was finally able to separate myself from her. I landed clumsily on the hard floor, my breathing somewhat ragged as I saw the Earth Pony slowly lower her rump before she collapsed on her knees and lay down on her side.

I heard her crying.

I heard her whisper.

“Thank you... thank you...” she said softly.

I sighed, placing my hand over my forehead. I sat there for a few seconds before I finally dragged myself to the downed mare. I placed my hand on her side, and rubbed her coat gently. In the softest tone I could produce, I whispered assurances in her ear and gently combed her mane with my free hand.

We stayed like that for a few minutes. It was nice.

It was really nice.

“I am really sorry about that,” Cheerilee declared, her eyes avoiding me as we walked towards her home in Ponyville. “I don’t usually act like that, especially with strangers.”

“Don’t worry too much,” I replied easily, breathing in the crisp cold night air as we walked through the almost empty streets of Ponyville.

It’d been ten minutes since the act, and with her body finally satisfied with my ‘offerings’, Cheerilee’s wits finally returned and she proved to be quite an amicable companion. I felt a bit embarrassed about being angry with her and thinking she would be like my previous in-heat customer, who, after the act, ignored my existence until the next phase came over her.

I was basically her version of Mr. Happy. No surprise I never left her my card, that stupid mare.

Cheerilee, though, was turning out to be quite different. She seemed thoroughly embarrassed by the situation, always avoiding my eyes as she kept apologizing for the trouble. She apparently had wanted to take care of it sooner, but was unfortunately hit by a busy week and a series of bad luck (her Mr. Happy was, uh, worn down, and most of the local stores were out of stock for replacements. She was also skittish of borrowing someone else’s).

I was actually glad that she kept at a generous distance away. I didn’t have the heart to tell her I had thought of her as the usual Skipper, an addict for sex and the ultimate pleasure. My stomach took a deeper dive when she said it was her first time skipping.

Yeah, great move there Harry. Good thing you didn’t open your damn mouth about it too, right?

I was still stewing in my own guilty conscience by the time she led me to a modest house a little west of the school area.

It looked like any house you’d see in Ponyville—a pale-colored rectangular wooden structure with a yellow straw roof and a small chimney on top—and she easily opened her door with a push of her foreleg, making me wonder how safe the town was if these ponies didn’t even bother locking their doors.

“Um, yes, well, uh, welcome!” the school teacher declared as she let me in and good lord, the place was a mess.

No offense to Cheerilee, but how the hell could she be a teacher if she couldn’t even keep her house organized? The place felt like someone had set off a bomb made of parchment and books. Strews of paper was scattered all around the living area, as well as quills (some standing upright, having stabbed the poor couch). Hardbounds were left around haphazardly, some of them open in random pages. Hell, the only thing organized in this dump was a stack of what looked like vinyl records and a phonograph in one corner.

“Sorry about the mess,” she whispered, embarrassed. “I’ve been meaning to clean up, but I was so... busy.”

She quickly trotted around the house, picking up a few random things from the floor, and casually tossing them aside, out of the way.

“Um, are you hungry? I think I have a few sandwiches on the icebox,” she babbled, then immediately dashed towards the kitchen. I raised an eyebrow and followed the earth pony, noticing the lay of her kitchen was the same as mine—an icebox, where she was currently rummaging around, a small dining table, and a small stove.

I smiled slightly as I made my way to the dining table, placing my pouch and bag of apples on top. I sat down at one of the seating pads as I waited for Cheerilee to finally stop rearranging her icebox. She did after a minute. Her head finally peeked out the storage appliance as she placed a hoof on her face. “No, no, no! I thought I had food. I have to get some now—”

“Miss Cheerilee,” I interrupted her. She stopped her mumbling for a minute and looked at me blankly as I tossed an apple to her direction. She caught it easily with her hoof. She shifted the fruit around for a minute before she sighed.

“I’m such a mess,” she declared before taking a seat opposite of me. “I, um, thank you.”

She bit into the apple, letting the sound of perfect crunchiness echo in the small room. Smiling, I got my own apple, and before I joined her in eating, I replied, “It’s quite alright.”

Cheerilee nodded as she took another bite. We settled into a comfortable rhythm of hearing apples crunch delectably with every bite. I was a bit famished, and with only four apples left to divide between us, I was pretty sure I was going to have a pretty large breakfast tomorrow.

Once the earth pony finished hers, I offered her another. She blinked, confusion evident in her eyes, and she hesitantly took the fruit. She shivered when my finger touched her hoof but she quickly hid it by grabbing the apple and beginning to munch on it with deft speed as I finished off mine.

The two apple cores increased to four, and then later, six. My stomach felt filled enough that it won’t complain for a while, and I began to gather the cores and throw them in the garbage bin. For some reason, I could feel the mare’s eyes on me.

“So, um, how does this work?” the earth pony asked. “Do you sleep at a hotel? Is someone picking you up, and you’ll return here tomorrow?”

I turned and faced her. Her front hooves were ineffectively covering her blushing cheeks. “I was hired for two days, so I’ll stay with you for two days.”

“Oh, um,” she paused, eyes swerving around slightly. She began to tap her front hooves together. “Maybe we should, uh, call this off? I mean, thank you for earlier, I really, really, oh Celestia, really needed that, but I’m fine now.” She twitched. “I’m quite alright.”

I didn’t believe her. Not one bit.

“You’re feeling another one coming, aren’t you?” I asked.

Cheerilee just planted her whole face in the table and covered herself with her hooves before she mumbled, “Yes.”

I walked to her place, and let my hand on top of her mane. She shivered at the touch. I leaned down and whispered to her ear, “Let me take care of it.”

Her face rose, eyes sharp as she stared at me. There was still some hesitation as she shook her head. “You... you don’t have to. You’ve done quite enough... no, wait. Wait. Oh n—ugh, yes, you have done eno—” she groaned as I gently bit her ear.

“Let me ravage you, Cheerilee,” I whispered.

“Oh Celestia, yes,” she whimpered.

Her room was as much of a mess as the living room, which suited me fine. I told Cheerilee that the faster she was in clearing the way, the more she could watch me undress. She quickly removed her horseshoes, and trotted around the room, tossing any offending articles aside as I began to strip off my clothing slowly.

That did the trick. She finished cleaning up faster than I did undressing. Motivation was such a powerful thing. And as her eyes drank me hungrily while I slowly removed my shirt, I approached her and led her to her bed. Before gave her a light kiss on her lips. She tried to follow up with a deeper one, but I moved back.

She whined slightly, but stayed put as I began to remove my loafers and socks. Once again, I approached her and slowly grabbed her hips, letting my tongue gently glide over her mare lips, causing her to shiver as she raised her rump up. I just tantalizingly left ghostly kisses on her marehood and disengaged once more, earning a bigger groan from the earth pony.

“No more teasing,” Cheerilee growled.

“You had your fun, earlier. Let me have mine,” I replied, leaving my underwear on as I immediately placed myself on top of her, my lips and hands attacking her everywhere, from her open ready mouth and her messy mane to her flanks and quivering folds. I pinned her down and rubbed myself to her body, enjoying the slight prickly feeling of her coat on my naked skin and enjoying the ever-increasing potency of her musk.

She readily accepted my kisses, and groaned as I began to finger her marehood with my free hand. She was already sopping wet and her hind legs were already spreading as much as they could, waiting for ultimate deliverance. When it didn’t come, her frustrations began to build as she tried to to roll over and pin me down.

It took her a few tries before she finally succeeded on clambering on top of me. I groaned as I found myself sandwiched between her and her bed as she took the offense, kissing me intently while her front hooves touched and sucked on my chest and nipples. When she broke the kiss, she slowly lowered herself to my stomach, gradually, delectably descending lower and lower.

She stared at her target, her nuzzle gently moving through the cotton texture of my boxers. I felt myself getting more excited as her hot breath seemed to have bypassed the clothing and shot a few sparks of electricity to my spine. Using her hooves and teeth, she gently pulled my underwear down, freeing my hardening member from its confines as it stood proudly up in the air.

She looked at me for a moment, and I just nodded, spreading my legs slightly to give a less intrusive view. She gave me a happy nod and began to nuzzle it, contentedly smelling the length, up and down as I groaned, feeling her snorting exhalations and brush of short hair.

Hurriedly, she began to lick my manhood. I almost completely closed my legs in reflex, but I kept them open for her as she licked generously everywhere. One time she licked a bit too low, trapping the air in my throat for a few seconds before her tongue clambered up and wrapped around my tip. She then took me in her mouth.

I groaned slightly as I felt a ghostly brush of her teeth on my sensitive skin as she began to bob up and down my manhood gradually, savoring it as if it was fine wine, slowly, meticulously, and definitely so damn arousing I almost protested when she stopped.

“Inside me... please?” she begged.

“As you wish,” I replied.

I clambered up from the bed, and positioned her near the edge of the bed, hind legs dangling out. I told her to lie on her stomach. I stood outside the bed, grabbed ahold of her hips, and made sure she was safely supported from the front before I plowed into her marehood once more.

“Oh Celestia!” she screamed as I went to a rhythm, fully exploiting my grip on her hips to fully go in and out of her as she writhed, her front hooves creating creases on her bed. My pumping made the bed creak slightly as I kept moving my arms and hips in antagonistic tandem before I shifted her slightly to the side, lifting her right rear leg and having it rest parallel to my chest.

I kissed the length of her leg as I went faster. Her vaginal walls were now gripping me even tighter as I felt myself so close to release. I looked at her, the beautiful Cheerilee, as she bit down on her blanket to muffle her screams before I totally lost it and came inside her for the second time of the day.

I collapsed on the bed beside her, huffing as I watched her shiver with utter joy as she twitched now and then, smile wide on her lips. After a moment, her eyes sleepily opened and she sighed contentedly.

“That... was... amazing,” she whispered.

I kissed her gently. “Wait until you see what I’ve got planned for you tomorrow.”

Gentleman, Teach Me Something Please

“Are you awake?” Cheerilee asked, softly.

I thought it was quite an odd question to ask first thing in the morning, but remained still. Curiosity got the better of me. And if it wasn’t quite so obvious yet, of course I was awake. I always awoke when the Equestrian sun struck me and even now, I have no idea why. It was as if there was something in Celestia’s Light that triggered an alarm clock inside me. It mattered not if I had slept only an hour ago, every time the sunlight hit, my eyes would open.

In most days, it would have been a blessing. Gentlemen were supposed to disappear once the sun rose. While it was not a policy I agreed with, the boss has been adamant on it, and I always tried not to be insubordinate.

Yet, staying in with a mare was very... comforting.

I was currently in Cheerilee’s bed, having been awakened almost ten minutes ago in her warm embrace. I could hear her snore gently as she had snuggled intimately to me, and in turn, I nestled closely, comfortably on her neck, enjoying the slight prickly feeling of her coat as I took pleasure in the oddly satisfying scent of her sex and musk.

I remembered that I had one more day with her and I wasn’t about to waste it, my mind already planning something special for her today. Maybe some breakfast in bed? A nice coat brushing would be a nice touch. Or maybe a personal bath together? As I began to think of other ways to begin her day, she had suddenly asked me that question.

“Are you awake?”

I said nothing, wondering the reasoning behind the question. I kept my eyes closed, feeling her shuffle slightly, trying her best not to try and wake me, I supposed, as she separated herself from me. I shivered slightly from the chilly air that made itself readily present, missing her warmth as I felt her move around the bed.

For a moment, there was nothing. The next, I felt warm gentle suckling sensation of her hooves hovering over my stomach, and to my surprise, began its journey downwards. I almost bit my tongue as I felt her two hooves gently massaging my naked exposed member.

“Please don’t wake up,” Cheerilee began to chant fervently.

Yeah, a little too late about that, I thought.

I suddenly felt her shifting her hooves in an up and down motion, feeling her hot breath encompassing my manhood. She then stopped chanting a few seconds before I felt her tongue work on my growing erection.

Through all that, I suppressed my groans. For some reason, Cheerilee wanted to have a little fun while I slept, and having heard her whisper it so cutely, so passionately, I did what she wanted. I pretended to be asleep. Well, at least, as best as I could with a growing erection. Her hooves and tongue worked wonders on me as I felt a little unbridled lust as she sloppily took me in her mouth and began to suckle on it with gusto.

How could I describe the feeling of her thick wet tongue moving in interesting ways, circling, licking, while her warm mouth blanketed my manhood from chilly air as I felt the ghost of her teeth adding texture to the whole experience? Or how should I express the fact that the sloppy noise of her mouth going up and down on me was probably the most stimulating thing I have ever listened to? Or how about how I felt the warm, suckling sensation of her hooves between my thighs, spreading and holding them in place as she worked?

I can’t. All I can say was it was thoroughly enjoyable, all of it.

Minutes after building me up, she stopped. I almost groaned my protest, but kept my mouth (and eyes) shut. I felt her hooves letting go of my thighs as the bristly feeling of her warm coat slowly enveloped my legs. I felt the bed wobble slightly as she began to clamber on top of me. I could feel her nuzzle me in the neck as warm liquid began to pour over my thighs and manhood. I was also verily aware of her mare folds winking, enclosing at the tip of my erection once or twice.

“Please don’t wake up,” she begged as she lowered herself.

A grunt escaped my lips. I couldn’t help it. Her marehood felt very hot, feverishly so, as it surrounded me. The walls pulsated, moved in random waves as Cheerilee lowered herself totally, absorbing my length. She struggled as she climbed up, but couldn’t get far as her own walls betrayed her, clamping down around my manhood.

Still, with what little she could, she continued in the slightly odd rhythm. She would lower herself and clamber as high as she could, letting her hot and moist walls gleefully rubbed itself around mine, causing an immediate build up of pleasure as I felt the imminence of my ejaculation. I shifted a bit, forcing myself to still my hips as I felt her moving up and down.

She still chanted, begging me not to wake up, but as time passed it was getting harder and harder to fulfill her wishes. My pleasure was passing through its final threshold, and I could only just stop myself from opening either my mouth or eyes as I came inside her.

Cheerilee shouted for almost a second before it turned to a muffled whine. I could imagine herself biting either her lips or front hooves as she finally settled herself to the whole of my length, letting her vaginal walls twist around me, hoping to extract from me all of my juices. It continued on for several seconds, and once more, I was reminded on the exquisite pain of pleasure.

Thankfully, Cheerilee successfully withdrew herself from around me, almost landing on top of me painfully as my manhood was freed from its hot erotic confines. I could feel her lips on my chest as she panted, her body twitching ever so frequently that it touched on my softening sensitive member. I couldn’t help but wince as a something akin to a spark of electrical current travelled from my manhood to my spine.

We stayed like that for a moment, with me enjoying her twitching and warmth. She slowly nuzzled me, licking my neck as she tenderly enveloped me in a hug.

“Thank you... for pretending,” she whispered.

I opened my eyes, and saw her; a beautiful cherry-pink coated earth pony with a two-toned pink mane, looking back at me with mesmerizing light-green eyes. She licked me softly in the cheek before she snuggled her head on top of my chest.

“You knew?” I asked.

“Yes,” she replied in whisper, her tone somewhat sad. “I used to have coltfriends who would pretend to sleep when I turned the conversation something a bit deeper than the weather.”

“They sound like jerks,” I commented. Cheerilee gave me a sad smile.

“Maybe,” she replied, her tone going soft again. She kissed me on the neck once more, sending some good shivers down my back. “It wasn’t really their fault, and I got used to it. This is the first time I recall really appreciating someone pretending to be asleep for me, though. You’re a kind stallion – er, uh, man?” When I nodded, she continued. “Okay. You’re a very kind man, Mister Wingman.”

I moved my left hand, and arched it over her head, letting my fingers run through her mane as I felt her shiver.

“Was that another phase?” I asked gently. I just felt her nod. “You could have woken me, Cheerilee. I’m here to take care of it, and you.”

She was silent for a few minutes. Then, she sighed.

“I...” she began, but stopped for a few seconds before she continued. “I’m sorry. I don’t particularly feel comfortable in letting anyone help me in regards to this. I... I know you are here to help me through the phase, but...”

She trailed off, leaving the sentence hang in the air. For a few minutes, I just continued my ministrations, stroking her mane gently before I extracted myself out of her embrace. I saw the slightly surprised look on her face before her eyes suddenly went down, her lips frowning slightly before I sat at the edge of the bed and stood up.

“D-did I offend you?” she suddenly asked, her voice growing concerned.

I grabbed a fallen pillow off the floor. I gave her a warm smile, and said, “No,” before I threw the cushion gently at her head. She caught it easily with her hooves and gave me a confused look. “I just thought it was prudent to be up and about. Don’t you have classes today?”

Cheerilee blinked and she realized, after a few seconds, the truth of my words. It was entertaining watching what came next; from her prone position, she suddenly jumped and sprung up from her bed and landed all-fours on the ground, like an equine gymnast. Seeing her cute panicked face as she looked around wildly was an added bonus.

“Oh, no! I have to bathe, I have to get breakfast! Oh my... what time is it? I can’t—” and I cut her off with a finger on top of her lips.

“Take a bath,” I ordered. “I’ll take care of breakfast.” When she was about to protest, I shushed her. “Don’t make me repeat myself, Cheerilee,” I declared with a bit of a stern tone. “I’ll take care of breakfast, so you go on and take a bath, now.”

Her eyes sparkled slightly as she looked at me. It was an odd look, as if her eyes expressed both a mix of lust and respect behind them. She could only nod and slowly trot off in a direction, hopefully, towards her bathroom. Satisfied, I began my search for my underwear and clothes, dressing up before I walked towards her kitchen.

What to cook, I wondered as I began to go through her pantry. The icebox had a few bottles of drinks, water mostly, though there were at least two bottles of milk, one, which was half-full, labeled as Buttermilk. There were also a few brown eggs, and a bowl of what looked and smelled like fresh butter, and I also spotted fruits and vegetables, though nothing I could really use to serve a full breakfast. Her cupboards though had a good collection of flour, baking powder, and other items. What caught my attention was a small jar of thick dark-brown maple syrup.

Yeah, I think I know what to cook.

Getting a flat pan and a few bowls out, I made sure I had enough ingredients before I mixed them, separating the wet and dry ones into different bowls. I kept hesitating when it came to handling the fresh butter as I really wanted to taste it. There was something incredibly enticing about freshly churned butter, complete with liquid dribbles on its side, that I could not describe.

I was not a great cook. Heck, I didn’t know how to cook until I came to Equestria. It was made worse when I found out Equestria wasn’t that advanced yet when it came to food technology. Every ingredient was... ‘fresh’ for lack of a better term, making almost any trade between villages and cities reserved for preserved goods, like cider, baked goods and dry ingredients such as flour. It was expected that every Equestrian city to have their own land reserved for growing food.

It also didn’t help when the Diamond Dogs had gotten bolder over the years with their raiding.

Living all alone for a few months pretty much gave me a crash course in kitchen. I had no ‘instant’ food products. I had to obtain ingredients freshly made or harvested, and also had to learn how to cook them myself. So, yeah, no instant pancake batter, no cans of tomato sauce or mushrooms.

I missed the dried pasta, though. Fresh ones tended to spoil faster.

So, yeah... living in Equestria was like living in a bit in an older time, I guess, but one good thing came out of it; the practice paid off. I make the meanest batch of pancakes.

Don’t ask me to cook pasta though. Last time I tried, the fettucini I was cooking turned to macaroni.

Yeah, like I said, don’t ask.

The batter was ready. Heating up the flat pan over the stove was an easy enough task and by the time Cheerilee walked in the kitchen, I was already done cooking the fifth pancake.

She smelled nice. A bath did her good, almost removing the telltale scent of musky sex that clung to her the whole night (not that I minded). Her scent, a mix of earthy floral sweetness, blended well with the smell of the golden brown buttery goodness of the pancakes.

“Oh, that smells good,” she mumbled, her jaw holding on to a brush as she trotted into the kitchen. Her mane and tail were still slightly damp, and a light pink towel wrapped around her neck. I swear to God, she pulled off the wet look so naturally. She looked absolutely delicious.

I placed three fluffy pancakes in a plate, spread out in a semi-triangular shape. I put some butter on top of the three pancakes, letting its still-warm presence melt it as I placed it on the table.

“Come on, Cheerilee, dig in,” I said, motioning her to sit down.

“Oh, I can’t yet. I have to brush” – and I cut her off.

“Cheerilee,” I said, my tone turning a bit stern once more. She gave me that same odd look like earlier before she slowly settled to her seat. I gently grabbed the brush out of her mouth, and offered to pour syrup on her pancakes, only stopping when she told me to.

It was always interesting to me to see ponies work on utensils. With deft practice, her hooves grabbed out a fork and a knife, and with very human-like motions, worked on her pancakes, slicing smaller bits, stabbing them with the fork, and putting the morsel in her mouth.

She groaned slightly, and then blushed when she realized how she sounded. “This is good,” she muttered quietly.

“Glad it is,” I replied before grabbing her brush. “Cheerilee, I’m going to brush you, so just worry about eating right now, alright?”

I thought she was going to protest, but she just nodded and continued eating. I positioned myself behind her, admiring the mussed-up look of her wet coat and the messy style of her mane and tail as I placed my hand on her side, my fingers enjoying the feel of her short cherry-pink hair. I felt her shiver at contact, and a soft groan escaped her lips.

“Mis-mister Wingman, you’re insatiable,” Cheerilee accused. I just smiled.

“I am just admiring a beautiful mare,” I replied easily. “Besides, Miss Cheerilee, I’m not doing anything untoward.” I put a little gruff on my next words. “Unless you want me to, of course.”

She shivered again. “Y-you think I’m... beautiful?”

I picked up the brush with my right hand, and with my left, I smoothed out her coat a bit before sweeping it with my right. “Of course you are,” I replied with total honesty.

We stayed like that for a while; she ate her pancakes while I continually brushed her coat systematically, three strokes per column, smoothing the short hairs into a soft finish. I then began to work on her mane, trying as gently as I could to untangle the knots with my fingers before flattening it with the brush.

“You know, I’m tempted to nuzzle you,” I said, continuing my ministrations. “You smell really good.”

She shivered again. She said nothing, but just continued to eat. I, in turn, just continued to groom her.

It was a beautiful morning.

Cheerilee just left for school, leaving me for clean-up duty. She had tried to protest, again, saying she should at least clean up her own plate, and I’d advised her she was already running late. I didn’t even need to put a stern front again, just mentioning the fillies and colts was enough to push her out of the door.

She cared so much for her students. I wished I had someone like her for a teacher when I was a kid.

Making sure I had arranged everything in the kitchen, I stepped out into Ponyville, just in time to see the morning bustle. As I made way to the central hub, I spotted groups of ponies walking in random directions, talking and interacting – not unusual for a morning routine. There were some humans as well, mostly dressed in casuals or in sweat suits, jogging along paths with their companions (pony or otherwise). I thought it was strange to see so few people until I passed through the train station. There, I saw more people dressed in professional capacities, probably off to work.

I stood still for a moment, watching them. I remembered that if circumstances had been different, I'd probably have been one of them. I shook my head and I walked past the central hub, my eyes searching for the specific sign. I had spotted it from a corner of my eye yesterday, and I could have sworn it was somewhere around—

Ah! There it was.

I walked up to the stall, making sure the sign did indeed have the three white clouds and purple hot air balloon over the light blue background before I approached a bored-looking off-white pegasus mare with somewhat puffy blonde mane and tail. She even yawned a moment before spotting me, and immediately stood up, alert.

“Hi!” she greeted with cheer. “Welcome to Amour Veil! My name's Surprise.”

I smiled back. “Nice to meet you. Name is Wingman, and I want to set up an appointment for later this evening.”

“A little date then?” she asked.

“Yup.”

“Alright,” Surprise declared and ducked under the counter, coming back up with a parchment and a human ballpoint pen (ponies loved them, and it was slowly replacing quills as the mainstream tool for writing) and handed them to me. “I need you to fill up these forms. And you’re in luck. Nopony... um, I mean nobody has scheduled anything for later.”

“Slow day then, eh?” I asked as I read through the parchment. It was the usual reservation form, something I had recognized and filled dozens of times already.

“Yup,” the pegasus replied. “Not a lot of customers for the weekday. I usually get more reservation requests tomorrow. Lucky for you and your girlfriend, skies will be all clear for both of you.”

After I finished filling up the parchment, I paid her in bits and went on my way. Next stop? Carousel Boutique. I was feeling a bit generous with my money, especially knowing I was given an in-heat rate for two days. Also, Eve may have finally infected me with her thoughts as I felt that, with the boss paying more than half of the fee herself, I could splurge a little. Besides, I could use with another set of attire.

Of course, I couldn't deny that I also wanted to see Miss Rarity. There was something about her that grabbed my attention. Maybe it was the contrast of her attitude? She had that air of sophistication that was not misplaced in Canterlot or the bigger cities, yet she showed no sign of the extreme pompous pride and arrogance that many nobleponies displayed.

It also helped she was very easy on the eyes.

I knocked at her door on my arrival, waiting just a bit before I heard a muffled voice coming from the inside.

“Come in!” Rarity’s greeting came out in a sing-song voice.

Entering, I immediately noticed the purple tones of the place. Darker ones crisscrossed in diamond patterns over the lighter shades, creating a design not unlike a fence one would see in a circus fair. Columns were strewn all over the place, giving the surrounding an edged look, and between each column was a large circular window with drawn violet shades, letting in enough sunlight to give the interior a soft glow.

I also spotted pony and human mannequins placed randomly at one side, near the sewing machine and the wooden display that showed off different cloths, threads, and gemstones. Pony figurines sported some of the most complicated-looking dresses and suits. It was a stark contrast compared with the human models, which, while their attires were pretty elaborate and well-made, were far more subdued to fit human fashion culture.

The arrangement was far from tidy, though unlike Cheerilee’s mess of a house, the shop had a look of order in its chaos. All in all, it looked like it was always busy; much like its owner, I ventured as I saw Rarity. She hovered in front of a pony mannequin, sprucing it up with a dark velvet cloth. She was, judging by the way she bit her tongue and the concentrated look behind her red cat-eyed spectacles, carefully sewing the seams. Her magic was working its wonders as the needle and thread, glowing with ethereal light-blue aura, weaved around the cloth in a precise rhythm.

I stayed quiet, unwilling to break her concentration, as she finally began to put the finishing touches. Once done, she turned around, giving an easy smile as she greeted, “I’m very sorry about that. Welcome to Carousel Boutique! Where everything’s—oh, Mister Wingman. What a surprise. It’s a pleasure to see you again.”

“Pleasure is all mine, Miss Rarity,” I greeted back. “I had some free time, and I thought I’d take you up on your offer.”

She blinked and looked a bit confused. “Uh, what offer is that, exactly, darling?”

“You mentioned I should visit whenever I needed new clothing?” I reminded her.

“Oh...! Oh, quite, yes.” She shook her head a bit. “I’m sorry about that. My mind went to places.”

“Why, Miss Rarity... were you thinking of something quite naughty?” I joked, smiling.

Her cheeks blushed lightly. “Now, Mister Wingman, it’s quite rude to tease a lady,” she replied. She tried to sound stern, but her ever-present smile gave it away. “Actually, I’ve been somewhat busy these days, so pardon me if I seem a bit slow on the uptake. I hope the mess of my shop doesn’t turn you away.”

“It just tells me you are quite the busy mare,” I said, and motioning towards the human figurines. “I am actually quite impressed by your sense of human-style fashion. I’ve visited a few stores in Manehattan and Fillydelphia and for some reason they insist of trussing us up in innumerable layers of clothing.”

“They don’t tend to get a lot of human customers, do they?” she asked. All I could do was shake my head. “Well, I don’t mean to speak ill, but it’s no surprise. A lot of ponies are a bit stubborn. It didn’t mean I was much better, of course. My first foray to making human attires ended up in a complete disaster!” She raised her eyes to the sky as she rested her right foreleg on the top part of her head, just below the horn. “Oh, it was quite a horrible time!”

Wow. She can be dramatic at times. My smile widened.

“At least you got better, though, right Miss Rarity?”

“Well, I had to import Earth fashion magazines. Oddly enough, some styles were akin to mine, but there were a lot more conservative designs that I tried, and lo” – she pointed towards the air with her right hoof, smiling wide – “I sold out!”

Yup, she definitely had a flair for the dramatics. I just stayed quiet as she continued to speak, motioning me to towards an elevated stage near the center of the shop, dragging a tape measure, pencil and a human mannequin in tow.

“I then realized something so obvious: humans don’t regard clothing as something only worn for special occasions, but an essential part of their lives! They wear it every day, whether it’s for work, while at home, visiting friends, or even swimming! It was so strange to me.”

“I actually understand that, the strangeness,” I replied, smiling as I remembered my first visit in Equestria. “When I first arrived, I was behind a mare and she was in quite an animated conversation with another pony. Her tail kept swishing left and right, which basically exposed her. My face was as red as a tomato.”

“Oh, dear!” Rarity exclaimed, chuckling slightly at the imagery. “Did you say anything?”

“What was I supposed to say?” I asked. I cleared my throat and spoke with a slightly altered tone, deeper than my usual voice. “Oh, excuse me, miss, but I just got off a boat ride and passed through time and space. I know Equestrians are friendly, but not this much, please. Hoh-oh no. The way I was positioned behind her, if she took offense, it wouldn’t turn out well for me. And you know what was worse?”

“What was that?”

“She and I had the same destination. I could not look at her, at all! I tried to cover my eyes slightly, subtly with my hand, always avoiding her position,” I finished, mimicking my actions with my right hand, open-palm, index to the forehead and thumb to the cheek. Rarity began to stifle her laughter with her hoof. It reminded me how the other ponies at that time reacted to me.

Good God. That was really an embarrassing moment for me. And it also didn’t help that Miss Rarity’s chortling was getting louder.

“Well, at least you are enjoying yourself,” I said in mock anger, crossing my arms over my chest. “Here I am, pouring out my heart and soul, and there you are, mercilessly, gleefully stomping it all over the place. You are a cruel lady, Miss Rarity.”

“Oh, hush darling,” the unicorn declared with a final giggle. She then turned her face, blinking as she gave me a look. “I’ve played that game a thousand times,” she said, giving me one of the most powerful pouts I’ve ever encountered in my life. “Do you want to take me up on that challenge?”

“No,” I said immediately. Wow, that was really unfair. I'm not a stranger to pouting mares, but Rarity's was... just wow. “You win, Miss Rarity.”

Rarity said nothing, just giving me a smile as she snaked her measuring tape around my waist. For the moment, we stayed in comfortable silence, with the dressmaker unicorn writing the measurements down on the human figurine at the same spots where she measured me, with off-hand comments of ‘oh, interesting’ and an ‘oh, my’ for good measure.

I have no idea what was so interesting in my measurements to warrant those comments. And no, she wasn’t measuring anything... ‘dirty’.

“So, how is your tête-à-tête with Miss Cheerilee?” Rarity suddenly asked as her tape measure encircled my arms.

“I’m not the type of Gentleman that kisses and tells, Miss Rarity,” I replied with a slight smile.

“Of course not,” the unicorn declared with utter seriousness. “It is just... well, I sometimes worry about her.”

“What do you mean?”

The unicorn bit her lower lips, her eyes scrunching over a decision. After an internal struggle, she shook her head. “I am not quite... comfortable talking about another fellow pony. She isn’t exactly a friend, but she’s no stranger either. Ponyville is quite a close community; you should ask my friend, Pinkie Pie. She knows the name of every pony, zebra, mule, and human in town.”

“Applejack mentioned someone named Pinkie. Are they one and the same?”

She smiled and nodded. “Applejack and I share the same circle of friends. And if you meet her, you’ll know that there’s definitely only one Pinkie Pie. Thankfully, she’s out of town.”

Huh. That was almost exactly what Applejack said yesterday. What warranted such reaction from both these ponies, her friends? This Pinkie Pie sounded... dangerous.

“Where was I? Ah, yes,” she continued, her tape measure now going around my legs. “I know you’re here to take care of her, but as far as I know, you’re still quite a stranger to town. No offense, darling.”

“None taken,” I assured. “The reason why I’m curious is because she strikes me as a very lonely mare.”

Rarity sighed. “That she is. That she is,” she replied. She looked pensive for a moment before she took a final measurement and wrote down the numbers on the mannequin.

She then turned towards me, smiling slightly. “I may be uncomfortable talking in regards to Miss Cheerilee’s private life, but,” she paused, “you are quite a bright young man. You could probably guess that she hasn’t had much success in her romantic pursuits.”

I blinked, then looked at Rarity as she smiled a bit more deviously. I just shook my head, letting my lips curve upwards.

Oh, Rarity, you are quite the mare.

“She also strikes me as a mare who doesn’t have much confidence in herself,” I ventured.

“If that’s true, and I’m not confirming it is, you could guess her lack of confidence may have affected the premature end of her relationship with Big Macintosh, even though they had something quite heartwarming. However, I can’t tell, and I really apologize about that dear.”

I blinked.

“Big Macintosh, eh?” I asked, letting my mind wander a bit. I heard the name, yesterday. Wasn’t he the big red stallion of Applejack’s?

“If you could talk to him, you could ask him about the details,” Rarity replied. “I can’t tell how much he’ll reveal, but then again, I’ve never been quite clear on the rules of talks between stallions.”

“I would, Miss Rarity, but considering how Miss Applejack seemed a bit, uh, apprehensive on the nature of my work, wouldn’t I earn more of her ire if she saw me talking with her stallion?”

Rarity blinked, her face showing an expression of utter confusion. Then, she broke out a smile, her lips quivering before she burst out in a full-on laughter.

Oh-kay?

“Oh my goodness,” the unicorn began, breathless. “You think Applejack and Big Macintosh are together... in a herd!?”

I could only nod stupidly. I could only assume I was missing something here.

“My dear Mister Wingman, Applejack is Big Macintosh’s younger sister.”

I think my jaw dropped to the ground, and judging by Rarity’s even louder guffaws, steam was coming out of my ears as well.

“Okay, I’m keeping my mouth shut before I embarrass myself further,” I muttered.

“Whatever you say, darling,” she teased.

After all the measurements were done, she and I delved into the colors and styles of how I wanted my clothes to be done, and the matter of payment. I was once more surprised at how low the price sounded, considering all the materials she had enumerated, but she just advised me that since I was a first-time customer, she was giving me a bit of a discount.

I told her she was being a bit generous. She replied, with a slight giggle, that she was known to be quite so.

Okay, that nagging sense that I was missing something returned, this time with a full band of horns and slide whistles. Was there a joke in here, somewhere, that I wasn’t aware of?

It was five o’clock. Anyone coming in just now missed a storm of fillies and colts as they flooded out of the building. And judging by my still ringing ears, the volume they had exuded was much stronger than yesterday’s celebration.

I stood there and watched as all the foals met up with their parents or guardians, all smiles as they finally finished school and could enjoy their weekends. I’m not ashamed to say it, but it warmed my heart. After a while, I saw those three fillies again, Apple Bloom, Sweetie Belle, and Scootaloo. The former was seemingly happy their teacher was now acting relatively normal, and that I apparently did some good work in letting Cheerilee have fun.

It’s nice to get praise from kids, even though they had no idea what they just thanked me for.

Unlike yesterday, though, Applejack or Rarity weren’t present to pick up the fillies. Big Macintosh was there instead. Apparently, with the weekend looming, the three were going to hang out at their clubhouse and continue with their ‘Crusading’. I wished them luck (even though Scootaloo was still looking at me suspiciously) and watched them leave, escorted by the big red stallion.

I was still conflicted. Part of me wanted to talk to Big Macintosh. Another told me to leave it be as I was already treading on uncharted territories by exploring the personal life of a first-time customer, and I didn’t want to needle into affairs I had not fully understood.

It didn’t help that the stallion looked quite intimidating. He was larger than any other stallions I had met, and had quite a deep voice too. That was enough to let me know that, if he wanted to, he could knock me out six-ways from Sunday and Friday (or at least, the Equestrian equivalent) was barely over.

Yet he struck me as a quiet type, more of a listener. He had given me a slight look when he first spotted me. I half-wondered if Miss Applejack had told her older brother about me, but he didn’t show any aggression or even voice an opinion. He just greeted me with a nod.

One odd thing I noticed though was the fact that he had increasingly been receiving stares from a lot of mares, who either passed by or were there to pick up their foals.I was pretty sure Big Macintosh here had some pretty interesting stories to tell.

Now, watching him leave, I wondered if talking to him (even if it was just regarding mundane things like the weather or Ponyville life) would have been a fruitful pursuit.

Well, no use wallowing over wasted opportunities. With them leaving, like yesterday, I was left alone in front of the red building. I felt a wave of trepidation once more, though this time, the school didn’t look like it wanted to swallow me, nor did I feel I left my scrotes at the market. A rational part of my mind reminded me that I was probably nervous because this was actually my first proper outing with Cheerilee and I wanted this to go perfectly.

I entered the school building and knocked on the door leading towards the classroom before I entered. I spotted the cherry-pink earth mare at the end of the classroom, humming a happy tune as she erased the writing on the blackboard. When she spotted me, she smiled ever so slightly, which matched well with her growing blush.

“Mister Wingman,” Cheerilee greeted.

“Hello beautiful,” I greeted back. If possible, her blush went a shade deeper. “Enjoyed your day of teaching?”

“Quite,” she nodded. “I felt another phase during lunch, but i-it didn’t affect me much. And w-with you here...” she trailed off.

I approached her and went down to one knee. My hands cupped her cheeks and I slowly approached, positioning my lips to kiss her. I let my tongue split her lips open, touching her tongue ever so slightly before we lost ourselves, exploring each other. Cheerilee’s face began to heat up as she stepped forward, deepening our little embrace.

I finished by moistening her lips with a lick before separated from her, smiling. I said, “I’m quite proud of your self control, Cheerilee. I’ll make it up to you.”

She shivered, looking at me with pleading eyes.

“Here, now?” she asked throatily.

I brushed her mane with both my hands. I shook my head. “I have something else in mind. Can you hold off until later tonight?”

Cheerilee blinked in confusion. It took a moment before she nodded. “Uh, sure. Why? What do you have planned?”

I gently grabbed her right foreleg, and with practiced motion, placed my lips on her hoof, kissing it.

“Let me have a chance to take out a beautiful mare on a date,” I replied, whispering it slightly. “Allow me to shower her with praises, celebrate on her beauty of both body and soul. We’ll have a nice meal between us. Let me treat you in a way I think any proper mare should be treated, under Luna’s veil of stars.”

She giggled slightly. “The dramatics don’t suit you, Mister Wingman.”

True. We can’t all be a certain Ponyville dressmaker.

“But... yes,” Cheerilee finally replied.

I smiled. “Good. You’re going to love this.”

“Maybe I should have stated that I reserved the right to change my”—Cheerilee shouted the last word as a strong wind knocked our basket around for a bit—“mind!”

I held her tightly, enjoying the contrast of the ever increasing chill of the air and her constant warmth. We were currently a hundred feet or so above Ponyville, riding a dark purple hot air balloon being pulled by Surprise. The white pegasus had a three-cloud cutie mark (two blue clouds at the bottom, and one yellow one at at the top forming a loose triangle), something I finally noticed from this angle as she steered us towards a reserved cloud that was created for the date.

I was willing to bet Cheerilee never experienced an Amour Veil date. Like Gentlemen for Mares, the company started out from an idea; what if they could bring pegasi-exclusive cloud-dating experience to the unicorns and earth ponies? Apparently, a lot of ponies were pretty curious and the company’s been raking it in ever since.

Surprise was having a bit of a hard time steering the balloon as the North Wind had unexpectedly made its presence known, but she assured me that it wasn’t going to be a problem. After a few maneuvers, I finally saw it.

Equestrian clouds looked a bit similar to the Earth ones, though they always seemed to have fuller volumes, being thicker and fluffier. This one was artificially set up, giving it some interesting contours around the edges, as if made into a fence, along with a few mounds to use as seats or recliners. In the center, though, it was made flat to accommodate its guests.

Surprise was finally able to land the balloon on the edge of the cloud, formed like a dock, and began the tie-up procedures.

“Okay, let me take care of this bad boy,” Surprise mumbled, having a length of rope between her teeth. She began to scramble around the cloud, and a few moments later, I could hear her again, quite clearly, “Alright, warming potion is the orange one. Cloud-walking potion is the light-blue one. Both are in the picnic basket.”

I was already ahead of her, having used Amour Veil for quite a few customers already. Grabbing out a warming potion first, I handed the vial of glowing orange liquid to Cheerilee, who looked at it, and at me, apprehensively. I raised my vial, touching hers gently, before I downed it. She followed a moment later.

Swallowing the liquid, I felt a burst of heat blooming from the center of my body going outwards. The north wind was present, but somehow, its chilly embrace was mitigated, transformed to nothing more than a slight cooling sensation.

I still shuddered, though, and this time it wasn’t because of the wind. Potions and the like were something of an ‘acquired taste’ for human beings. Apparently, we didn't have the capacity to break down and digest ingredients of magical nature, leading to some unexpected... side-effects for first time potion drinkers. Heck, my first warming potion turned my hair fire-orange for a day, how weird was that? Thankfully though, human constitution allowed some form of adaptability, and with continued drinking, the side-effects would diminish until no longer present.

Yet, I was still nervous.

“Okay... that was my first warming potion. It was, uh, interesting,” Cheerilee declared as she handed her vial back to me.

“Not as interesting as my first time, believe me,” I replied, grabbing another vial of light blue liquid. “One more to go, Cheerilee.”

The mare nodded and after another set of vials done and over with, I made sure Surprise gave me the okay before I unlocked the hatch of the balloon basket, and slowly guided Cheerilee onto the clouds.

It wasn’t a new experience, walking on clouds, yet the first step always threw me off. Picture yourself stepping barefoot on a thick memory foam mattress – that was how it felt like. It was the weirdest, and oddly, the most comfortable thing your feet will ever step on.

Cheerilee, judging by her soft yelp on her first step, agreed readily with my sentiments.

“Ooh, that is odd!” she confirmed as she took another step, then another. Four hooves on the cloud, she jumped up slightly, giggling as she sunk a bit on landing, but was kept afloat.

There was a rustle of wings as I spotted the white pegasus joining us, smiling warmly. “Okay, balloon’s secured. There are a few flare-gems in the pouch of the picnic basket. You know how to use them, right?”

I nodded.

“Okay, then. Red’s for emergencies and blue is for pick-up,” the pegasus said before pausing and subtly elbowed my leg, giving me a wink. “Enjoy your stay.”

I watched as Surprise left by doing a swan dive off the cloud. I chuckled, finding her quirkiness a welcoming experience. Most ponies I met during my dates regarded me and my companion mare as the most unusual sights they had ever seen. While most kept their gaze professionally neutral, a few were more negatively inclined.

Surprise just showed, uh—well, surprise?—when I showed up at her stall with Cheerilee in tow, and gave me the most supportive smile; first I’d seen, compared to the usual reactions.

It was utterly refreshing.

“Mister Wingman?”

I looked towards Cheerilee, who regarded me with some curiosity. I knelt down on one knee again and gently kissed her cheek, and continued giving out smaller pecks down her neck to her shoulder. Cheerilee just stayed still, shivering and cooing with satisfaction as my lips traveled through her coat.

“Help me set up dinner, gorgeous?” I asked gently. She looked at me, blushing once more before nodding.

The sun was slowly setting when we finally finished arranging our spread. Cheerilee set up the cloth over the cloud and handled the plates as I unpacked them from the big picnic basket. There were some vegetable-sandwich platters, some bowls of salad, some fruits and also a small chocolate cake with a nice red heart drawn on top.

We sat down, just in time to see the orange blaze sink into the horizon, and watched as the light blue sky was slowly overtaken by the velvet blanket of the night sky, filled with glittering stars.

“Oh, my,” was Cheerilee’s reaction as the night sky showed us its beauty. One by one, each house in Ponyville began to glow with warm yellow artificial light, reminding me of immobilized fireflies, contrasting wonderfully with the cool blue sparkling light of the stars.

“It’s beautiful,” she finished.

“As stunning as the mare with me,” I replied. I felt Cheerilee nudge me gently on my shoulder.

“Oh stop it,” she replied with a whisper. “I know it’s your job to take care of me and all, but you don’t have to pretend.”

I looked at her for a moment, losing myself slightly to her green eyes before I moved my hands down her neck, smoothing her coat.

“I am not pretending, Cheerilee,” I declared with absolute finality. “I have been paid to accompany mares on dates or to their beds, but I’ve never been paid to speak my mind. So” – my hands went down to her forelegs and gently grabbed her hooves, bringing them up to my lips – “when I say you are absolutely stunning, I mean it.”

Each of her hooves received one peck before I released them.

Cheerilee looked absolutely lost. Her blush went increasingly crimson, but her eyes wandered, looking at me, shaking with uncertainty. She stayed like that until I spread out the plates and handed her a tomato omelet sandwich and a small bowl of greens.

“Why can’t stallions be like you?” she whispered, as she took her platter. I could hear the strain of emotion in her voice. “Why do you have to be a hired human? Why did I have to be in heat?” Her voice suddenly regained volume and anger. “Why now, of all times!? What took you so long!? And why did I hire you in the first place?! I was happy with everything, and you... you! You come in and sweep me off my hooves pretending you’ll still be here by tomorrow!”

She dropped her plates, making the blanket and cloud under it sink a bit before it reformed. I saw her eyes closing, moistening with tears as she shook her head.

“No!” she declared. “You’re like the rest of them. You must be pretending. It’s your job to.”

I took her accusations head-on, unflinching. I don’t know whether her anger was a product of her failed relationships or her own low self-esteem that has festered over the years, brought about by a somewhat too intrusive human escort and her heat, but I hit a nerve somewhere and it was all finally pouring out.

I calculated the effect of my next words. I’d finally get through to her... or she’d buck me out of the cloud. And it was a long way down.

“Cheerilee, I love my job,” I said softly. I kept my hands to myself. Now was not the time for touchy-feely. “It wasn’t quite what I wanted when I arrived in Equestria, but I learned to love it all the same. And judging from this morning, you love your job too, right?”

There was something frightening behind her now smoldering gaze. She had the aura and face that read ‘Choose your next words carefully’ behind them. How far was I from the edge of the cloud? I was sorely tempted to check.

“When you teach your students something, does it bring joy to your life... or do you just pretend, because it’s your job?”

She took a step towards me, her eyes never changing, and her lips narrowing to one of the thinnest lines I have ever seen. I silently swallowed and just sat there, facing her. She stopped just shy a few steps, staring. I felt a shiver run through my back. I began to expect the worst as she leaned forward and...

It was a kiss—a simple kiss on the cheek. It almost made me jump though. That doesn’t say anything about my bravery.

Nothing. At. All.

“You really remind me of him,” Cheerilee whispered as she stepped away. I grabbed her right foreleg before she could go any farther.

“I remind you of whom?” I asked.

Cheerilee just looked at me for a few seconds, her expression giving me an idea that she was either reminiscing or thinking about something quite deeply. Then, she really looked at me.

“Prove it, Mister Wingman.”

I cocked my head to the side, confused. She just gazed at me in an encompassing seriousness.

“Prove it to me that it’s not just empty words. Prove it to me that you mean what you say.”

I stared at her for a second, before I brought my lips to the base of her hooves, much to her surprise. She told me to stop and that it was dirty, but I paid no mind. I kissed her hoof, feeling the sharp biting cold of steel of her horseshoes.

“These hooves, delicate yet strong,” I declared.

I then approached her, letting my lips climb up her leg to her neck. I kissed her throat, enjoying her silent groan escaping her lips.

“Your neck, slender and straight.”

I climbed to her cheeks, giving them a peck and a deeper one to her forehead.

“A mare of beauty and smarts. Irresistible.”

I delicately began kissing her mane, my free hand moving towards her tail. It twitched as I ran my fingers through it.

“Soft and silky, with a hint of sunflower.”

When I began kissing her shoulders, back and side, I could hear her breathing shallowly. I smiled.

“Muscular tone, strong, yet feminine. Musk mixing with wood—provocative.”

I kissed her flanks, more specifically, her Cutie Mark.

“The symbol representing your compassion, your dedication and your kindness.”

I began my descent down her hind legs.

“Full hips, strong legs. Seductive.”

“Oh, Celestia! P-please...” she finally spoke, moving her hindquarters a bit, hoping I would continue my trek – but no. I rubbed her body, letting my lips travel forwards, hearing her grunt her complaints before I cupped her cheeks and looked at her eyes. I smiled.

“A mare of compassion, beauty, and brains—you, my dear Cheerilee, are beautiful,” I finished, and let my lips touch hers.

She pinned me to the cloud (luckily away from our picnic spread) and began to dictate the kiss, clambering over me and let her tongue explore me as I felt my cheeks moisten. In the corner of my eye, I saw her crying.

As our lips separated, I saw her desperately try and cover her green orbs with her forelegs. My hands rubbed her neck and gently pulled her down to my stomach. She complied easily, setting her full weight upon me, making the cloud embrace and surround me as she wept and hiccupped.

An evening shower, I thought. It didn’t put a damper on the beauty of the night – nor the beauty of this mare.

We stayed there for a moment. I enjoyed her warmth and the view of the night sky, while Cheerilee slowly began to settle down. Her whimpering finally died down, and I could feel her hooves encircle my stomach before she began to pull herself up. Her moist green eyes met mine.

They blazed with desire.

“Take me, Wingman,” she declared. “Now.”

She didn’t even wait for me to move. She clambered up my body, her coat prickly even through the fabric of my clothing as I groaned slightly, feeling it brush through my groin. Her eyes never wavered, looking straight at me as her lips finally reached mine, and gave me a wet, hungry and very hot kiss.

I kissed her just a second before giving her my cheerful reply, “No.”

Cheerilee blinked. A few seconds later, her eyes narrowed.

“W-what?”

I shook my head. “I want this to be special for you. And making love under the stars may seem to fit the bill, but we both know you’re being influenced by your heat. Besides,” I looked towards the yet untouched food placement nearby, “we still have to eat dinner.”

Cheerilee looked at me and then towards the basket. She looked back at me once more.

“You know,” she began in a deep throaty voice not unlike Eve’s. Oh wow. “I have you pinned down. I can do anything to you. And you’re going to enjoy it.”

Oh, God. She was getting sexier by the minute. But no. Not yet.

“I’ll tell you what, Cheerilee,” I replied, my voice getting a bit hoarse, “if you hold off until we get to your room, I will,” I kissed her, “make love to you,” again, “as long,” and again, “as you want.”

I felt her shudder. I saw her eyes glimmer at the prospect, the promise of ultimate satisfaction.

“Can you deliver?” she asked, heat emanating from her voice.

I just smiled.

Cheerilee slammed the door behind her as we entered her house. She was getting frazzled, and I could smell her musky sex in full force once more. She moved ahead of me and I spotted her tail twitching, lifting, always exposing her very wet, very puffy, and very ready marehood. Hell, when she turned to look at me, her eyes smoldered with impatient desire.

“Now.”

Okay, she devolved to cavemare speak. I just stared at her, standing straight and as confident as I could.

“Wait in the room Cheerilee,” I ordered.

“No. Here. Now.”

“Cheerilee, if you don’t go to your room and wait for me, I’m going to leave you like this,” I advised her, sternly.

She shivered and whined a bit, but nodded all the same. I never saw any other earth pony move faster.

Now that she was gone, I began move towards the kitchen, while at the same time removing my sweater, shirt, and loafers. By the time I reached the kitchen, I was working on my pants and underwear. The warming potion could still be working as I didn’t feel the biting cool air. Or maybe I just couldn’t feel the cold because I knew what was about to happen.

I grabbed my small shoulder bag and scrounged for two vials filled with clear golden liquid—Magical Boosters, or as I’d like to call them, Magic Viagra. I never understood how it worked, as magic was always a bit of a mystery to me, but it was, at least this mixture, supposed to increase stamina and boosted fluid production. It also had a nice effect of shortening the refractory period between coitus, allowing more increased performance.

Wow, would you listen to me? I sounded like some sort of sex ad salesman.

I opened the vial. I hesitated, realizing that this was going to be the first time I ever drank a booster and I didn’t know what the side-effects would be.... but I remembered there was a mare waiting for me in her room, and a promise I made.

I drank it.

When I opened Cheerilee’s door, I began to feel its effects. It had a similar effect to the warming potion, but it didn’t convey just one singular feeling throughout my body. I felt stronger, as if my muscles brimmed with combustive energy, springy and ready for action. The usual tiredness I usually felt near the end of the day began fading, as if I had gotten a good eight hours sleep for the past minute. And when I saw her, I felt a primal force of lust overriding my thoughts.

Cheerilee stood there, forelegs at the edge of the bed as she raised her hindquarters, elevating her flanks and hips invitingly in the air, her tail cleared out of the way to show me her wonderful wet lips. She turned her head a bit, looking at me, smiling.

I smiled back.

I knelt behind her. I kissed her. She moaned as I felt her pink feminine folds wink as more fluids began to excrete out, dribbling out and down towards my chin. I held her hips with both my arms as I licked, enjoying her walls trying to trap my tongue inside it.

Yeah, good luck with that.

I spanked her flank gently as I finished my kiss and heard her moan. I let my erection touch her slit. I didn't enter. Not yet. I just leaned forward and whispered near her ear, “Cheerilee, as promised. You’ve been a good filly and good fillies deserve a reward. I’m going to apply everything I learned, all the positions taught to me. I’m going to make sure that you. Will. Be. Satisfied.”

She whimpered. I couldn’t help but smile.

“Let’s start with something simple. You ponies call it missionary. I call this... level one.”

And I thrusted in. I grunted as her folds received me with enthusiasm and began to fold and twist around my manhood. I might have been imagining it, but this felt more intense than the first night with her. Cheerilee herself was now lost in her own moans as her front hooves began to grab on whatever it could to steady herself.

I didn’t pace myself. She wanted it – wanted it really badly. So, I went in as fast and as hard as I could, buckling as I felt myself explode inside her, filling her up as much as I could. She screamed with satisfaction.

I extracted myself and pulled her deeper in her bed’s embrace. I felt a bit of numbness around my hips, but my hands worked on her, touching her, massaging her gently. I let my lips kiss her coat, sides and shoulders. I whispered, truthfully, on how lovely she was.

I was ready again in a minute, the numbness fading from my manhood as it was erect once more. Just in time, too, as Cheerilee herself looked ready for another bout.

“This is called the cross,” I declared as positioned her on her back. I positioned myself perpendicular to her, lifting her legs over my hips, her welcoming walls at level with my hardness. At this position, I could see her face, the one filled with excitement and anticipation that transformed to lustful joy when I entered. I felt my hips increasing pace as her face scrunched with increasing pleasure of the actions I wrought.

Each time I ejaculated, I’d kiss her; remind her of everything wonderful I found within her. I licked and sucked her naked hooves and her swollen teats. I licked her neck, kissing her lips. I did everything I could to allow myself a few minutes to recover before I switched to another position.

I explored the many variations of the belly-to-belly (human missionary) positions, some manipulating her legs as much as possible to hit her at every angle as I could. Then, I began to explore the more exotic positions – The Scissors, The Wheelbarrow, and the like. At one point she became more active as she wanted me on my back.

Her mix of confidence and dominance made her a joy to watch as I taught her the more various positions for the Cowgirl (it was a little different from the human version, but the general positioning was the same). I watched her from below, as she looked down at my eyes as rode she me multiple times, her face transforming every time she made me orgasm.

It was one of the many highlights of the night. And there were many of those. Hours became nothing more than grunts, sloppy kisses, embraces and fighting tongues. Our throats increasingly tightened, notching our voices to a husky finish.

How many variants or positions did we do that night? Use your imagination. We certainly did.

The finish was slow and intimate. I sat, cross-legged, back on the headboard of Cheerilee’s bed as she positioned herself, facing me. Her forelegs rested easily on my shoulder as she straddled me, letting her hind legs encircle around my hips in a modified Lotus position as I entered her.

I kept kissing her as much as I could, whether her neck or lips or cheek. I would grunt with satisfaction with every upward thrust, signaling to her that she was rocking my world. She did. And she loved it.

“Oh, Cheerilee,” I moaned as I felt the building pressure. “You wonderful, beautiful, bewitching, lustful, magnificent mare,” I almost shouted, each adjective coming out breathless as I pumped faster.

“Oh, Celestia yes! Yes!” she screamed, moving her hips faster as well.

I let my left hand cup her cheek and I made sure I let her watch me as I came. Half my eyelids covered my sight as I grunted loudly, thrusting my hips upwards. I wanted her to see her effect on me. I wanted her to see what she has done to me.

I wanted her to see the beauty of her work.

Her marehood swallowed my whole length and I jerked uncontrollably as her walls began to squeeze out anything I could offer at this point. I finally felt drained. I collapsed and would have been on my back had it not been for the headboard supporting me up as I let my arms fall at my side, lightly caressing her flanks.

The last thing I felt before I blacked out was a gentle kiss, and a whisper of thanks.

I woke up, feeling the warm light of Celestia’s sun on my skin, and immediately grunted with pain as I felt like my head was being squeezed in a vice that was carrying a bowling ball in the tow. I was also surprised by the numbing soreness of my muscles, aching as if I had run a marathon.

Well, thinking about last night, I guess I probably did.

I blearily looked at my side and saw Cheerilee sleeping peacefully on my side, her forelegs embracing my left arm, her face glowing with satisfaction and pleasure. I couldn’t help but smile. I tried to extract my arm, but her grip on me was a bit too strong. I sighed and added some more effort in disentangling myself from her, only to feel the grip increase, making me realize something.

She was awake.

“Don’t leave,” she said. Her eyelids opened, revealing her green eyes as she held onto me tightly. “Please don’t leave.”

I frowned. “Are you in another phase?”

She shook her head. “My heat phase is gone. But I don’t want you to go,” she choked out.

I smiled gently and remained with her. I let my free arm caress her foreleg and neck. “I’m sorry, Cheerilee. But I have to.”

“You made me so happy,” she cried, her eyes moistening. “You made me feel... beautiful.”

“I didn’t make you feel anything. You were beautiful all along,” I replied. I carefully wiped the tears from her eyes with my thumb. “Never, ever, let anyone tell you differently. You are a strong mare. And you’ll be alright even without me.”

“You sound just like him,” Cheerilee sighed.

That was the second time she said that. I got curious.

“Who?” I asked.

“Sturdy Will,” she replied. “My teacher.” She paused. “My first love.”

I raised an eyebrow.

“I was... quite a silly filly. It was during the time when most of the teachers were still unicorns. He was the first Earth Pony teacher I met. He was”—she blushed—“big, muscular, strong, and carried himself with absolute confidence. But what made him special was how gentle he was. He made sure everyone had fun, and even joined us when we played.”

She sighed.

“One day, before our class graduated, I met with him alone. I poured my heart out to him, confessed my love.”

“He rejected you, didn’t he?” I asked, as gently as I could.

“Of course he did!” Cheerilee replied. “He had to! I was his student, and far too young for him! But...”

I saw where it was going. The first flag for a bad ending, huh? The first domino to fall.

“You doubted yourself that day,” I finished for her. “And it stayed with you.”

“It shouldn’t have!” the earth pony muttered. “I grew up, I moved on! But it was always there, that nagging feeling that kept saying I wasn’t... good enough.”

“You are,” I growled, surprising her with my anger. “Cheerilee, remember what I said yesterday. Remember the night we had. Do not doubt yourself, not after that.”

Cheerilee smiled a sad smile. “What if I forget?”

I grinned, showing little teeth. She shivered a bit as I made sure she heard every word of my reply.

“I’ll. Remind. You.”

Cheerilee then smiled. She closed her eyes. “Yes. Yes you will.”

We stayed there for a moment, enjoying each other’s embrace. Then, I remembered I was supposed to meet Eve at the edge of Ponyville. I also remembered something else.

“Um, Cheerilee, can you help me with my clothes? I think I left them all over the place.”

By the time I finally found my underwear and pants, I heard very hard knocking in the front door. It echoed violently inside my head, sounding like a stack of thick books dropping from a high place. For some reason, my head was feeling heavier and heavier. The numbness on my limbs didn’t fade either, with the pressing feeling of fatigue.

Man, it was a far cry from being the Energizer Bunny last night.

I heard Cheerilee opening the door as I finally found my shirt. I cringed when I heard a thunderous shout reverberate across the room, and worse, echo in my head like breaking china.

“Where is he!?”

Eve? Damn, girl needs to tone down the damn volume. I found my loafers, slipped them on, and made my way to the living room area.

“You better tell me right now, or I’ll—”

When I entered the living room, I saw her looming threateningly in front of a very confused Cheerilee, her horn glowing with a rather bright magenta aura, magic readily built up for release. When she saw me, her scowl in her face softened as the glow on her horn began to recede.

“What the hell?” I asked, raising my arms to my sides.

“You were damn late, that’s what!” Eve declared, with steel in her voice. “What took you!?”

“I lost my clothes,” I replied, putting on my cardigan.

Eve looked around, and saw the mess of the place. Her face stilled, and she grinned. She shook her head, and said, “I’m going out. Follow afterwards, or I’m coming back in and dragging you out.”

I watched her exit the house and rolled my eyes. I saw Cheerilee look apprehensively at the front door, and back at me.

“Who was that?” she asked, softly.

“My mother, apparently,” I replied with a snort. Ugh, damn, another headache coming. This day was starting to be irritating. “Don’t worry. She was just worried and she may have a busy schedule today. Don’t take it personally.”

“She was... very protective of you,” Cheerilee continued.

“She kinda is,” I chuckled as I made my way to the kitchen and made sure I grabbed the shoulder bag. I also produced my card from my pocket and began to sign my call name. Once I exited the kitchen, I saw Cheerilee now standing behind her front door, as if half-wanting to block my way out of the house.

Cute.

I approached her and handed her my card. She grabbed it with her hoof. “A reminder,” I said. And I gently kissed her forehead. She sighed and nodded. With a gentle kick, she opened the door, revealing the bright morning of Ponyville, with Eve and the chariot waiting for me.

“I’ll remember,” Cheerilee declared with confidence. “Goodbye, Wingman.”

“Take care, Cheerilee,” I replied, and began walking towards Eve. She met me halfway.

“I saw the house. Nice going stud,” Eve declared. “Do you leave all your customers’ houses in such a state? No wonder you’re climbing up the ladder.”

I chuckled. “That was her doing. But you should have seen her room.”

“Yeah, no. Don’t want to hear about it,” she replied. I only chuckled again, only to wince as another sharp pain registered in my head. I stopped half-a-step, wincing as my hand automatically went to my forehead.

“What’s wrong?” I heard Eve asked, worry evident on her tone.

“I drank two, maybe three boosters,” I advised.

“First time to drink that type of potion, right?”

I nodded.

“It could be manifestation of the side-effects. Let’s get you home then,” she said. I felt a hard nudge on my side as Eve began to walk with me, her warm body supporting my weight.

Climbing the chariot ramp was more difficult than expected, but once we got in, I sighed as I made my way to the chair. I closed my eyes and felt something touch my head. I glanced aside with one eye and saw Eve feeling my forehead with her hoof. I also felt the air stirring as I heard the telltale sound of wings flapping.

“Give Miss Cheerilee preferential rate status,” I said. I saw her blink.

“She’s a first time customer. That’s pretty rare, especially for you. Not only that, she was the mare that got you to drink a booster,” Eve advised, sounding a bit confused. “What, did she call you some weird nicknames you found oddly special? Like ‘shmoopy doopy sweetie weetie manly pie’?”

I snorted again, making my head hurt even more. Damn it, I should really stop doing that.

“Oh, God, no. That would be absolutely horrible,” I chuckled through the pain. My head may have hurt, but trying to imagine hearing Cheerilee say that to my face would have been...

Words can’t describe.

“So, what makes her special?”

I smiled. “Nothing really. She’s a teacher in Ponyville.”

And that made her special.

Author's Note

I wanted this one out for before the New Year. Consider it a Holiday Gift to all of you.

Thanks to coandco, murphy, grey conscience, and finally shira for going through this with me. If anyone comments on the quality of the fic, know that its because those guys really helped me along the way.

Happy New Year to you guys, and enjoy the story.

We Need Gentlemen

My stomach lurched slightly as the boat swayed. It was strong enough to be noticeable, but not quite strong enough to make me sick. I half-wondered where we were, as we were already a few days into the trip.

Why didn’t I just take the damn plane to get there? I blinked. Oh, right, probably the fact that the prices were a freaking rip-off.

I sat up, letting my feet find my slippers as I stretched my arms upwards and yawned. I felt the too-warm sun filter through a modestly sized window to my right and smelled the salt in the air. I could hear the constant clicking noise of an old electric fan that was propped up on a small table at the foot-end of my rather tough cot. It clashed with the off rhythm of the water crashing into the metallic hull.

For some reason, I could hear a buzzing chatter along with the squeaky sound of rubber meeting rubber, but I filed it away. It was a nice morning, so why spoil it by overthinking?

I stood up and absently scratched my neck as I went through my usual stretching exercises, getting some feeling back in my muscles. With that done, I sat back down on my cot and took a look at my spartan room—a box of wood-paneled walls (slightly faded), a door giving way to the outside corridor, and a small bathroom to my left. It was quite bare.

I didn’t unpack much, just the clothes I felt I could make do on this nautical trip—casual wear like a few T-Shirts and two cargo shorts. The rest, including my suit and slacks, were folded (or at least I hope they still were) in my traveling case, made of material that was guaranteed to be tough and watertight.

Wrinkled suits don’t look good during an interview, my dad would say.

I walked towards the bathroom and took a look at myself in the mirror, which looked like it had seen many years of constant salty air and neglect. Its smooth silver surface was marred with blackened specks of various sizes. Still, it fulfilled its role, as I spotted my electric-blue eyes staring back at—

Whoa. Oh, man. This trip was really taking a toll on me. I could see my cheeks thinning out a bit, sharpening my cheekbones as I cupped one side of my face with my roughened palm. My dark blonde hair was growing steadily, a few strands peeking out from behind my ears while my stubble was making its presence known. It covered my chin, upper lip and a lot of my neck with a lighter shade of hair.

The only thing that looked okay was my lightly tanned skin. Back home, I could probably spin a tale of being on a beach for the weekend, explaining my sun-kissed skin as a result of surfing the waves every day.

I snorted. Like anyone would believe that. Heck, my build was a bit too skinny to pull of the ‘surfer’ look. Instead of daydreaming, I just turned the knobs on the faucet, letting loose flowing water. Splashing it on my face, I felt the cooling tingling bite of the cold waking me fully as I rubbed my wet palms over my face, feeling the pinpricks of hair on my chin.

I needed a shave.

I went back to my room to dress before I opened the door that led to the outside corridor. I was greeted by an almost constant sight that stayed with me the whole trip.

“Hey, Mister Larson! Good morning!”

A short but rather broad man with golden brown skin greeted me, his head nodding upwards as he gave me a toothy smile. His ebony hair was cropped short and unevenly, a few strands frayed, with his ears sticking out slightly. He had a rather round face, which matched his slightly broad-shouldered body. He was big but it was mostly muscle, as if the man had worked out all his life. And while his accent wasn't exactly what I was used to, it was close enough that I could understand the gist of what he was saying.

I was about to greet him back when I finally noticed the usually subdued boat swarming with activity. The source of the chatter and squeaking of rubber was actually the presence and activity of people moving between halls. Strange, but for some reason, something got their attention.

I blinked.

“Daniel,” I greeted, pronouncing his name a bit thickly ('Dan-yell'. It was the way he introduced himself). “Morning, dude. Uh, what’s going on?”

“Mister Larson,” Daniel said, nodding a few times, his smile widening. “You have to come up and see!”

I followed him as I tried to squeeze through the columns of people standing in the usually wide hall. The boat wasn’t one of the luxurious ferries, but it made do and was comfortable enough the whole trip, yet it never gave me the impression that there were a lot of people on board. Most of the time, I’d see a group of a few nationals sticking together, a few more in the pantry but with everything that was going on, I came to realize how much I underestimated the numbers as the place became quite claustrophobic.

I was jealous of Daniel’s size. He easily parted the crowd like a hot knife through butter. I, on the other hand, would be flicked to and fro at ease. I was so glad when I reached him, as following his path gave the least resistance. After letting my steps swallow the distance, we climbed up a metallic stairway to the outside.

I squinted as the light turned up the notch in brightness and when my eyes finally adjusted, I saw it—the land mass.

It was actually a pretty small island that was formed rapidly in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, west of Hawaii (where I boarded). Nothing special stood out for me. It was a mound of brown earth and green trees, though I could spot a few buildings off a distance. I know there was an airport there somewhere, along with an embassy established by the UN, but from where I stood, I couldn’t spot them.

What did get my attention though was the pegasi patrolling the skies, some even on the ship’s deck, cleared by a few officers rallying the people into a formation. I even spotted a few approaching chariots, a bit more gilded and armored than those you would see from the set of Ten Commandments, carrying unicorn guards that would check the vessel and allow entry.

“Ganda, noh?” Daniel muttered in his native tongue. I didn’t quite understand the words, but I just nodded all the same, agreeing with his tone of voice.

My thoughts came back in a jumble as I realized, for the first time in days, how much I was looking forward to taking a rather adventurous step in my adult life. I blinked, part of me wondering if I was still dreaming, but the culminating images of the islands, the pegasi, and the smell of the salty air convinced me otherwise.

Holy crap. This was it. I finally arrived to Neo Equineox, the portal to Tellus, the Gateway to Equestria.

I grunted as I felt myself pulled back to reality. My eyes opened and saw Celestia’s sun filtering through my shades, but instead of warming me, I felt numbness and a sharp pain of coldness. My head wobbled and weaved, feeling as if there was ongoing construction inside it, and my muscles tingled as if they were being bitten by thousands of ants.

It was enough to make any guy thrash in hysterics.

“Harry!”

I paused as the voice boomed in my head. There was a steady low-tone ringing in my ears, making my head hurt even more, but I recognized the voice.

“I’m here.”

The assurance came a bit more softly this time. I really appreciated it. I took a deep breath and began to relax. I felt a soft warm naked hoof place itself on top of my blanketed chest and rub it in a reassuring manner.

I tried to open my mouth, but my throat felt parched, my mouth filled with sand. For a second, a memory gave way, reminding me of something long past. I ignored it.

I strained as I looked to my left. I saw Eve sitting by my bedside with, apparently, a collection of chemistry glassware on top of a small table near the my right headboard. Her horn was glowing as she began levitating a few vials, pouring liquid into a beaker and then stirring it with a glass rod.

“The hell you... doing here?” I asked.

Wow. I sounded like a creaky old man. Damn, why couldn’t my old man voice sound like Connery’s?

Without looking at me, she answered, “Taking care of you. I thought that much was obvious. Okay now”—she levitated the beaker above me—“open wide.”

I looked at it for a moment, blinking as I looked at the floating beaker above me, glowing with clear yellow liquid. I looked back at her, raising an eyebrow.

“A booster?” I asked.

She just nodded.

The words escaped my lips before I could stop them. “What, are you going to mount me or something?”

A small smile flickered on Eve’s face. “You must really be out of it if you think I’ll be satisfied by you, especially in your state.”

“Ouch, but true,” I replied. I felt too weak to even hug a pillow. Sighing, I closed my eyes for a moment before I nodded and opened my mouth. The beaker slowly descended and tipped into my open maw, pouring the liquid slowly enough I could swallow.

I suddenly felt a better; the warmth began spreading throughout my body and there was feeling coming back to my muscles. I groaned with relief as I finished off the last few drops, and the beaker floated away.

“You had a really adverse reaction to the booster,” Eve explained. “So, as per healer’s suggestion, I’m giving you low concentration doses of the same booster you drank yesterday, along with some healing potions and a bit of relaxant. And judging by your oh-so-satisfied groan, it is working.”

I just nodded. I felt stronger, but my throat still itched. I decided I was better off being quiet and letting Eve do the talking.

“The healer thinks about a few more drinks of increasing dosages would let your body start adapting with the booster. Aren’t you glad you listened to me when I told you to drink the relaxant and healing potions before?”

I only grumbled my reply as I felt light-headed. A slow relaxing numbness began to spread over my awareness as I felt myself float gently in the air, weightless. Eve’s voice also began to recede in volume, her words skipping over, but I paid no mind.

“Anyway, I had Star Chaser, my mousy assistant, take management over my Gentlemen today. She’s going to—”

I found her tone comforting, soothing, and familiar. With everything going on, I could use something like that. As my mind began to wander around, searching in my memories for images, scents and sounds, I concentrated on that warm and recognizable hoof that tapped on me animatedly as Eve talked about mundane, but peaceful, things.

I dreamt of my arrival in Equestria.

It was something I’d rather forget. No, really.

When one thinks back on a whole lot of first-time explorers, ranging from colony ships and the moon landing, the first thing that comes to mind is a tall statuesque human being, carrying a flag, striking the pole to the very ground they stand on. They usually come up with a speech, claiming the land for their King and country, or something a bit more inspirational that will forever be misquoted, like Kirk’s ‘Beam me up, Scotty’.

I wasn’t standing tall. I didn’t have a flag. And with the earthy patch of grass that was currently stuffed in my mouth, you could forget about speeches.

The pegasus guard back on Earth, on the other side of the portal I just walked through, had said it was easy. It’s just like walking through a door, he had said.

Yeah, I have no idea how many doors that pony walked into, but I’m pretty sure doors weren’t big swirling ball of light reminiscent of a galaxy. They also didn’t compress you to a tiny ball when you walk through, then stretch you in rapid succession afterwards before you were broken into a million pieces, each with their own perspective (which wasn’t much, really. If you’ve seen one angle inside the portal, you’ve seen them all), and then squash you back into one whole being before being spat out like rancid fruit.

Oh, and my luggage which I was holding to flew out of my hand, and was delayed for almost a second after my arrival. That too was spat out, and it clipped me in the head hard enough to make me eat grass.

It was like the place didn’t want me, or something.

“Oh dear,” a matronly voice called. “Are you alright?”

I tried to reply, only to feel my throat parched and my mouth filled with sand (I felt an electrical current somewhere in my brain; déjà vu?) before I felt my stomach spin. I heaved on the floor.

“Oh goodness!” the voice declared. I then heard her mutter, more softly this time, “That’s okay, sweetie. It’s normal to feel sick.”

I kept retching, even though I felt I already emptied my stomach twice over before coughing up a storm. I felt a light tapping on my back that helped the coughing recede.

“There, there. Better out than in, I say.”

I felt something warm envelop me, and before I could protest, I found myself floating from the ground, surrounded by a shimmering aura of white-blue light. It turned me upwards, letting my feet dangle and float just a few inches from the ground before the light surrounding me slowly faded and I began to descend.

Holy crap. I just experienced magic first-hand. So that’s what it felt like—a little scary (I had no control of my body), but kind of awesome as well (I really had no control of my body!).

Placed on my feet, I looked at the grayish unicorn and her even paler mane and tail. I noticed she had a red syringe cutie mark (fascinating! I actually studied about them. The symbols always corresponded to whatever innate talent they had). She wore a nurse hat on top of her head. Her eyes, green like worn out bills, crinkled as she smiled at me.

“Welcome to Equestria, dear,” she said. “Now, don’t talk. Right now, I am quite sure you feeling a bit thirsty and weak. That’s normal. Most of you folks that come around these parts usually need some rehydration. Now, why don’t you got and scoot over to Doctor Richardson—” she pointed towards a man wearing a white lab coat with a stethoscope around his neck near a makeshift desk “—there, and he’ll give you a once-over.”

I looked at my traveling case, then back at her. She just nodded.

“I’ll take care of that. Now, off you go.”

I nodded, still feeling the shock of having experienced Equestrian Magic, and trudged my way to the waiting doctor.

I looked at my surroundings, noting the difference between the two gateways. On Earth, the portal was actually housed inside a rather deep cavern, surrounded by metallic housing, steps, and grills. There was a staircase that led up to the entrance of the portal. The Equestrian side, though, looked far more basic. Instead of being under piles of rock, the Equestrian portal was under an open sky, surrounded by palisades and walls of wood and stone. I saw armored ponies marching around the perimeter, while a few pegasi were flying in the air.

It might not have the fancy metal finish, but it looked as secured as it was on the other end.

As I approached, I looked at the doctor a bit more carefully. He reminded me a bit of my dad. His brown hair meshed well with face, his genuine smile producing a dimple on his left cheek. He also stood straight with confidence, but not overly so. He grabbed a clipboard on top of the desk and directed me over a low stool for me to sit on, right in front of the table and just beside a blue thermos box.

He offered me a greeting, which I returned before I sat down. He rummaged through the blue container and produced a glass bottle of clear liquid and handed it to me.

“Okay, this water here is dosed with a few salts and electrolytes. It’ll help you recover fluids you lost with that... episode. And please, drink slowly.”

I unscrewed the cap. I drank some of the liquid and gargled, spitting out the bitter flavor of my vomit before I consumed the water hungrily. As much as I’d like to follow the doctor’s orders, once the sweet liquid reached my throat, it was over. I gulped everything down with gusto, almost turning the bottle vertical to get every drop of liquid down my throat as quickly as possible.

I coughed and hacked as I finished, but I felt much better. The doctor just shook his head, sighing. “They never listen." He offered another bottle, much to my appreciation. This time, I listened to him, and drank this one slowly with my initial thirst sated.

I was halfway when the doctor began reading from the clipboard. “Harry Larson?” he asked.

I nodded.

“Okay, let me review your file before we do the final test...”

That gave me time to finish my drink. When he was done, he grabbed his stethoscope and placed it over my chest. The doctor instructed me to take a few breaths, take a deep one, and then to hold it.

“Okay, strong rhythm for the heart, clear air passages in the lungs,” Doctor Richardson said. “Anything to add, recent diseases you suffered while on your trip here?”

I shook my head.

“Alright,” the doctor declared. “You are now medically cleared to travel through Equestria. You have your papers and documentation ready?”

I nodded.

“Just have them prepared, and show them to the pony with gold-rimmed glasses inside the large tent in the center of this place. You won't miss it.”

I nodded again and spotted my grey travel case at my side when I stood. Huh. I didn’t notice the nurse bringing it to me. Looking back at her, she was back near the portal, staring at it expectantly. I was readying to wheel out my travel case before I heard a loud noise, a deep thrum of bass exploding in the air. It penetrated my skin, vibrated my lungs, and knotted my stomach. The portal itself began to glow brighter, spinning faster before it spat out another human, a woman this time.

“Heh, busy day,” the doctor said, more to himself as he grabbed another clipboard on top of his desk.

I didn’t bother to reply. I wheeled my travel case out of there, got out of the doctor’s way, and walked over to what looked like a garrison. Armored ponies marched, patrolling each wall and the surrounding space around a large tent, its entrance flap wide open revealing an earth pony behind a very rich looking mahogany-brown desk.

I entered the tent, passing between two stone-faced pegasi, and stopped in front of the earth pony. He had a dark green coat with a brown mane and tail; behind his gold-rimmed spectacles were sharp beige brown eyes that stared at me as I approached, his short curved muzzle twisting a bit with distaste.

“Harry Larson?” he asked with a feminine voice. I blinked. God, I had to figure out soon how to distinguish between genders without an audio aid. I had thought she was a stallion.

Unless he was a stallion with a really... feminine voice.

Oh, man. Mouth, please don’t start anything.

“Y-yes, sir, uh, ma’a—uh, I mean, yes.”

Great job, mouth. Really. Great job.

“It’s ma’am,” the pony replied, rolling her eyes. “Do you have your papers?”

My right hand searched in my pocket and fished out the rectangular plastic casing, which contained my passport, Equestrian documents and the letter of invitation.

I handed the pony each of its contents, and she just stared at them for a second, scanning through the Equestrian letter, probably making sure I wasn’t deceiving her. She nodded, grabbed my passport, flipped it open and stamped it on a visa page.

“Lockheart!” she snapped.

I turned when I heard creaking metal, just in time to see one of the pegasi guards turn around and face the wom—mare, and saluted.

“Get one of the Birds. Transport for one human to Manehattan.”

Whoa, Manehattan? What a horrible pun.

“Yes ma’am,” the guard replied in a feminine voice before taking his or her leave. Mare or stallion? Damn, I’m going to get in trouble for this, I swear.

The mare looked at me, probably easily reading my confused expression. “Really? Weren’t you taught anything before you went here?”

“I, uh, I was actually surprised I got the letter,” I replied. “I sent my application a few weeks back. Then, I just received a reply five days ago, asking me to come in immediately.”

The mare scrunched her eyes, and then sighed. “Mares have shorter, curvier snouts than stallions.”

“Oh,” I flushed. Okay, I can work with that. “Thank—” and she cut me off.

“I am also obligated to inform you that you are now in Equestria, and all its laws apply. Ignorance is no excuse. You break them, we take you in. And depending on how severe the laws were broken, you’ll either remain in our custody until such a time your Earth Embassy can send an envoy to plead for your case, or simply get tossed back to wherever the Tartarus you came from. Is that clear?”

I nodded. The mare was giving me a stink-eye. I guess she didn’t want me here. Not really my problem. I took my passport and papers back, stuffing them in my passport carrier. I grabbed the handlebar of my traveling case and asked where I could change my clothes around here, when I heard a familiar voice.

“Harry.”

I turned back, and the mare in front of me transformed to a white unicorn with silver-rimmed oval spectacles.

Wait a minute.

“Here’s the second dose,” she said.

“What?” I asked.

I felt a warm hoof shaking me out of my dream.

“Harry, open your mouth. Here’s another.”

I automatically did, and felt liquid slowly pouring in my mouth. I tried my best to swallow everything.

“You okay?”

I just nodded, and began drifting off once more.

“I can’t believe this! More Diamond Dog raids! Times are changing.”

“Who would have thought that they would finally run out of places to dig? And who would have thought they came in bigger sizes!”

“My aunt said that those could be the true Alphas, and you’d rarely see them around...”

I sighed, and kept my head down. While the conversation of the two mares in front of me were interesting, the one on the left kept swishing her tail left and right, exposing... herself. I could feel my face flush, and I don’t know why. I shouldn’t really be even affected. They were small horses for God’s sake! What the hell!?

I was really tempted to just tell her to stop moving her tail. Ever since I got off the chariot near the streetcar stop, she had been in front of me the entire the time—from waiting for a car, to boarding, and now, going to my stop.

I could have described the streetcar, which was pulled by a few stallions (which I found rather ironically weird), with its cramped space and rickety, jerky movements as it traveled. I could have described the sights and sounds of the big pony city. Hell, I could describe feeling an overwhelming feeling of being surrounded by these Equestrian ponies, these aliens which appeared on Earth few years back, talking about mundane things like the weather (apparently, the pegasi weather team are having it rain later tonight. Yes, they control the weather here) but I couldn’t.

All my mind could focus on was that damn pony mare, swinging her tail around.

I was also gaining attention of the passengers. The older looking ponies gave me a good glare while a few others, mares if I was judging their snouts correctly, winked at me, causing me to blush even more. The stallions snickered out loud, not even bothering to hide it.

Before I could even think, my eyes roamed again at her backside again. A clinical part of my mind found her... ugh, found it smaller than a horse’s. Actually, it looked very much like a woman’s, ugh, thing. Was that why I couldn’t stop staring? I wonder if—no! Stop it, Harry!

I covered my eyes. Damn it. I did not just think of what I thought I just did. No. Just no.

I wished that damn pony would stop moving her tail! And I wished my damn hand would do its job!

Once I reached my stop (Seventh Hoof Street), I barged out there like a bat out of hell, using my arms to clear the way as I passed through narrow passages of ponies and a few humans alike. I was pretty sure the snickering only got louder, and my face was as red as a tomato.

Outside, I took a deep breath, tried to calm myself down as I heard the clopping sound of horseshoes ring around me.

Stupid Harry. What the fucking hell was that, staring at a pony like that? Are you attracted to them or something?

“Excuse me,” someone called, which did not help my mood at all.

I glared towards the direction where the voice came from and with a belligerent tone, I shouted, “What!?”

A white unicorn with pink mane and tail shrank back, looking a bit apprehensive. From this angle, I could see her cutie mark, two interconnected silver rings. Her horn was glowing in a bright magenta aura, my traveling case floating beside her head.

My palm hit my face.

“I’m sorry,” I said immediately. “I’m so sorry, you didn’t deserve that.”

“Its fine, I guess,” the unicorn replied, smiling a bit. “You’re new here to Equestria, aren’t you?”

I just nodded, sighing. Great, Harry. The day isn’t over, the interview hasn’t started, and yet you are perversely looking under a pony’s metaphoric skirt while lashing out to a pony that is trying to return your travel case that you had, in your damn hurry, left behind. What’s the next magic trick you’re going to be performing? How to get into an Equestrian Jail trick?

“Was it obvious?” I asked.

“Flushing like a tomato may have indicated that, yes,” she smirked.

I scratched the back part of my head. “Yeah, well, it’s normal for humans to react that way when faced such... teasing.”

“She wasn’t doing it on purpose, you know,” the unicorn replied, levitating my traveling case near my feet, and gently dropping it on the ground. “The mare, I mean. If she actually lifted her tail upwards when she was swinging it, then she was purposely teasing you.”

I rolled my eyes. “I could still see, uh, it.”

“Well, of course you could. Haven’t you noticed we don’t wear fancy clothing like you do?” she asked, pointing at me with her snout.

I looked down at myself for a moment and had to concede on her point of me wearing fancy clothing. I had changed out of my old shirt and shorts before I took the carriage to Manehattan, and wore something a bit more corporate—white shirt, tie with diagonal stripes of white, black and grey lines, black coat, black pants and black shoes.

“Hold on,” she suddenly declared. Her horn glowed again and I felt a force on top of my jacket, moving downwards to take out the creases that had formed when I made my hasty exit.

“Thanks,” I said. I smiled. I was actually holding a conversation with a pony and as a bonus, she seemed nice.

“No problem,” she smiled back. She had a nice smile. “So, are you here on a job or something?”

“Uh, yeah interview, which I have to get to. Now,” I chuckled nervously. “You wouldn’t happen to know where Futures of Equestria is, right?”

“That government-run project?” She placed her hoof over her chin.

Huh. Their legs really were flexible. It was quite interesting to see.

“It should be just a block that way, right-hand corner,” the unicorn replied, noting it with her hoof, pointing me downhill. “It’s a white building with gold lines. You shouldn’t miss it.”

“Many thanks.”

The unicorn just smiled. “No problem. Maybe we’ll meet again, eh, Mister...?”

“Harry Larson,” I advised, extending my hand. She shook it with her hoof.

“Ever Ring,” she replied. “Good luck with the interview.”

“Thank you.”

She just smiled. I briskly walked to where she pointed, stealing one last glance at her after walking a distance. She was still standing there, looking at me for some reason. I raised my arm above my head and waved. She waved back.

Well, that went really well, I thought as I concentrated on where to go. One block down at the right corner, right?

As I walked through the street, I took in the sights. Manehattan definitely reminded me of a certain city in New York, except for the obvious difference like having a whole lot of ponies. A few gave me looks, but most of them just greeted me. I smiled and greeted them back.

Their buildings were also a heck of a lot smaller than the ones back on Earth, but I did see a few high-rises. Even without modern construction machinery, these Equestrians seemed to have adapted well with whatever they had.

Turning right, I found the building as that Miss Ever Ring described—white, marble-like finished walls with golden lines of various designs, coupled with columns and clear half-domed windows that showed red drapes. It wasn’t as tall as the few buildings I’d seen so far, but it was made with far more elegant touches and bustled with activity. Ponies of various types went in and out, wearing either some sort of simple clothing, or full on layered dresses or suits.

I approached the entrance (it even had a red carpet. Wow, really?) and had to ask a pony for help, explaining to him the reason for my visit. He pointed me towards a pony that would take my travel case and then towards the reception area.

The latter even had seats with a nice sign that said it was only for human use.

Should I even get offended that the sign reeked a bit of racial segregation? Nah. Maybe some ponies kept sitting there, even though it would look really uncomfortable for them.

Right?

I left my travel case and after a few minutes of waiting in the reception area, the stallion receptionist called me by name and advised me that my interviewer was ready for me.

I gave myself a once-over—tie secured, jacket smoothed, shoes still shiny.

Alright, time to bag this job and welcome my new life in Equestria.

I think my mouth was open. I wasn’t too sure. Was there a mirror around this place?

“Ex...cuse me?” I asked in disbelief.

Behind an off-white desk was a brown pony mare with dark blonde mane and tail. Her ears drooped. Even her cat-eye rimmed spectacles couldn’t hide her dark eyes shifting uncomfortably. Her hooves went towards a stamp and like an act of finality, she slammed it down the parchment that was laid open on the desk.

“I’m sorry, Mr. Larson, but I’m afraid we no longer need your services,” she replied.

“B-but why?” I asked and my mind raced with possibilities. “Was I too late? I just received the letter a week ago, asking me to come. Was there something wrong with my documentation? Did I overdress?”

The pony bit her lip. “No, no! You were actually quite early, and your documentation spotless. And you look very dashing.”

“Then why!?” I demanded, my tone getting a bit louder. She shivered.

“I—oh, Celestia, how do I explain this? There was a situation just three days ago,” she began. “A private company that also hired humans for technology development just closed down, displacing hundreds of employees. Princess Celestia thought it was best we absorb those that just lost their jobs, and filling up the open spots.

“You were—” she paused and sighed. “Priority was to get those displaced hired first. I had hoped we still had enough spots but... I’m quite sorry, Mr. Larson.”

A stroke of chance... was this how it ended?

Damn it all. And no, there were no damned tears in my eyes. It’s just the, ugh, the moisture or something in the air.

“The Sovereign Nation of Equestria would like to apologize for the inconvenience and will be happily giving you compensations of all expenses you have consumed during your travels here. And—wait, young man!”

I was already halfway to the door. I wasn’t interested in hearing their apologies or monetary compensations. I didn’t make it in.

God, I didn’t make it in.

I bumped into someone, hard, as I exited the room. I stumbled a bit on the carpeted floor, but kept my balance and just got out of there. I distinctly remember the mare pony shouting about ‘Candice’ or something similar. It could have been whoever I bumped into, but I didn’t care. All I wanted was to get out of there as soon as possible.

Exiting the building, I went off, I didn’t know where nor did I find a peculiar reason to bother. I could have been walking for hours. I don’t know. And it didn’t help that my damn eyes had some sort of allergic reaction to the air.

Exhausted, I finally made it to a... well, judging by the robust intense smell of roasted beans, a coffee shop. I sat down on one of the seating pads and sighed, taking a cursory glance around. I saw the name of the shop; Saddlebuck’s.

Really? You have got to be kidding me. More puns. Worse yet, I had no idea how far I walked, and judging by the unfamiliar place, I was pretty sure I was—

“Wow, you look like a lost puppy.”

The voice was familiar. I blearily looked up from my position, only to see a white unicorn with pink mane and tail. What was her name?

“Ever Ring?” I guessed.

“Harry Larson, I presume?” she greeted back with a smile. “Fancy meeting you here. Is your interview over?”

I winced. “Y-yeah. It went okay,” I lied.

“You got in? That’s great!” Ever Ring declared with a smile. She plunked down the other side of the table, and raised a hoof. “We should celebrate! Waitress!”

I felt a lead weight drop in my stomach. I shook my head deliberately. “Wait a minute, Miss Ever Ring, there’s no need to celebrate.”

“Of course there is, silly.” She smiled even wider. Oh, God, Harry what the hell? “Congratulations are in order, for getting a job, and a welcome to Equestria!”

No, no. Damn it Harry, why were you stringing her along? Just tell her you didn’t get in!

“Waitress! Oh, Tartarus, why is the service so slow around here?” She looked at me, and then blinked. “By the way, where’s your traveling case?”

Something snapped inside me. Anger, red hot boiling anger, began to seep through my chest and towards my stomach, and before I could stop myself, I slammed my fist in the table.

Everything went silent. For some reason, my ears began ringing as I began to take in deep and heavy breaths. I saw Ever Ring’s expression turn from surprise to worry... and then to understanding. My jaw locked in its place, and my allergy was acting up again.

Damn allergies.

“I’m sorry,” I muttered as I looked down at the table. It must have been dirty because it looked all hazy. And my throat started to itch.

I felt something soft touch my cheek. I looked through my half-closed eyes. It was a floating tissue paper wrapped in magenta light. I looked at Ever Ring, who encouraged me to take it. I did. My fingers wrapped around the soft paper and I let my hands do the work.

“Want to talk about it?” she asked, gently.

I should have said no, but I must have wanted to let it out because the next thing I knew, my mouth began to blab out what had happened during the interview. Ever Ring let me talk, nodding a few times, and only interrupted me when she needed some clarification.

After I finished my tale, she looked at me curiously.

“Um, don’t get mad at me for asking, Harry Larson, but why do you seem a bit hung up in getting a job here. Don’t you have jobs on Earth?”

I nodded. “Yes... but I may have burned a few bridges traveling here.”

She blinked. “How?”

“When the letter came in, it asked me to get to Equestria within ten days. I was already in a middle of a job, and I had tried to get my resignation done and over with. Unfortunately, my ex-boss is an ass—”

“Wait, you had a donkey as a boss?”

For the first time, I found myself laughing. The image of my boss, a puffy-faced bulldog of a man, in a donkey’s body was too much to pass up. “No, no!” I said between laughter. “I mean, he was a jerk.”

“Oh!”

“Yeah. So, he tells me he can’t accept my resignation to go to a country filled with, uh—” I looked up “—well, he said mean things about ponies. He also said if I left now, he’d make sure I would never ever work into the IT business again.”

“So, he’s a bit influential then?” Ever Ring asked.

“He knows quite a few people,” I replied. “I guess I could get another job if I moved to another city, but I was hoping I wouldn’t have to.” I winced when I remembered my mom’s reaction to my leaving as well. “I also had an argument with my family about the move.”

Ever Ring stayed silent for a minute, her eyes downcast, looking contemplative. She then looked at me. “Why Equestria, then? You could have stayed there, kept your job and avoided the argument with family. It seems like coming here had a more negative impact on your life. So, why?”

How do you answer a question like that?

Was it the money? It certainly could be. Equestrian pay was higher, especially on human hires that dealt with technology or engineering. Was it the pride of getting into an alien home world, working with them, and gaining status of being quite the pioneer? Or maybe, deep down inside, I was one of those people that were sick and tired of Earth, wanting to escape to an apparently better life in Equestria? The grass was always greener, right?

The answer to all questions was a resounding no, because if I looked at myself honestly, the reason was simple.

“I was always interested in coming here,” I replied, looking up at the darkening blue sky. “Ever since we saw that Rainbow Streak pegasus, ever since I heard your two Princesses speak to us, ever since open trade was proposed and I heard all the stories regarding your culture from what little information I could gather. I guess if I have to put it down simply, it was because I was curious about you ponies.

“I’m a bit of a nerd. I like Science Fiction, watched Star Trek and Star Wars, being a rare fan of both and other space-themed stories. When I was young, I always wanted to meet an alien, know its culture, history, how they live their lives. When I got older, I tempered myself, knowing I probably would not meet other life forms out there... and you guys appear.

“When I got my letter, I saw it as my chance. And I took it foolishly,” I said with another sigh. I looked at the unicorn, who was sporting a small smile. I smiled myself. “What?”

“Well, I don’t get what you mean by Star Trek or Star Warts, but you can’t say you haven’t met any aliens. You met me, right?” she asked. I nodded. “And—” she bent down a bit to the table, and motioned me to follow. She whispered, “If you want, I may have a job opportunity for you. But I don’t think it’ll be something you’d be comfortable with.”

I blinked. A job opportunity? “I’ll take it.”

Ever Ring winced a bit. “You might want to know what the job is all about before saying yes.”

“I can learn. I learn quite fast!” I assured. “Give me a chance. I’ll do it.”

The unicorn sighed and nodded. “Okay. Follow me.”

I stood up, beaming. Holy crap! I could get to stay after all!

“Harry, drink this.”

I blinked. I looked down, and saw Ever Ring handing me a vial of golden liquid.

Wha—

I felt warmness surrounding me as I opened my mouth. Slowly, liquid began to pour in. I was enveloped in heat once more as I swallowed.

Ever Ring led me inside a normal square building built from washed-out red bricks and white windows. It was pretty unassuming, other than an unlit sign in the front door that read ‘Gentlemen for Mares’. Once she led me inside though, I thought I found myself inside the set of Casablanca.

The hallway was domed with columns arching overhead, whitewashed and toned with soft yellow glow coming from the overhead lamps. I was led deeper inside, ending with an open space of wood-paneled floors, polished with dark rich brown tones, and walls that had the felt-green color not unlike the ones found on a pool table.

Low round tables surrounded the place. I couldn’t count them. There was also an elevated stage with a red curtain on the left. The right was covered entirely with a wall-to-wall bar counter; behind that was bottles of differing shapes and colored in wide ranges of brown. The ceiling was surrounded by classy looking ceiling fans, spinning lazily on their axis.

“Wait here,” Ever Ring said, and approached a lone unicorn situated at the center of the room, looking blankly at the stage. “Platinum! I have a recruit here.”

The unicorn turned rather gracefully. I blinked when I took a look at Platinum. The snout was.. well, it was longer than the usual mares, but definitely soft and curved. Her body structure was also quite different—sleeker and longer barrel, lengthier and curvier legs with prominent hooves. She had a pink coat and platinum white mane and tail, though for some reason, the hair struck me as off.

She also wore tight fitting black and blue clothing, covering her entire body, hiding her Cutie Mark. For some reason, she wore a mask. Approaching me with some sort of predatory gait rang some warning bells in my head. I felt I should not trifle with this one.

Platinum looked at me from head to toe, nodding. She began to go around me. I felt I was being assessed for dinner or something.

“Hmmm, nice flank, but he doesn’t seem to strike me as someone who can last long in this business,” Platinum declared as she stepped in my line of sight once more. “Are you sure, Ever Ring?”

I spoke before the white unicorn could. “I’m willing to learn the ropes, everything. You tell me what to do, and I’ll do it.”

Platinum smiled. “Then let’s see. Come with me.”

I stole a glance at Ever Ring, who looked as nervous as hell. I think she wanted to say something, but kept her peace. I scrambled after Platinum, trying my best not to stray my eyes downwards. Thankfully, she wasn’t swishing her tail about as she led me to another hallway near the stage.

I noticed a few wooden doors, unnumbered, and we passed five of them before she led me inside the sixth.

It was a bare room. No beds, no closets. All it had was a carpeted floor and a human chair in the middle. What was going—?

“Sit,” Platinum ordered.

I walked towards the center slowly, my eye on the unicorn, noticing some odd strands of pink and purple in her hair. I also noticed the clothing around her barrel jerking upwards. Weird. Still, I did not want to give the impression that I was staring and antagonize my potential boss, so my eyes roved over towards the chair and sat down. I looked back at the unicorn again. She just... looked at me. Weird.

“Let us start then,” the unicorn declared.

“Sure,” I replied. All I had to do was reach towards my left to get my bag—my bag! My head shifted downwards automatically before my brain reflected that I had left my bag and all my papers back in Futures of Equestria. And before I knew it, I was repeatedly saying “Shit!” before I could stop myself.

“What is it, my dear human?”

My dear human? Really? If I wasn’t panicking right now, I’d probably would have thought of an off-color comment about it, but for now I was in seriously deep trouble. My passports, my resume, my letter of invitation, spare clothes... it was all in my bag. Without that, I could possibly be accused as an illegal immigrant. Worse, I was now imagining a scenario where I was meeting that jerky jerk of a mare that met me in the portal, this time behind bars, as she would condescendingly taunt me about how my arrival was a mistake.

“Calm down,” Platinum declared in a rather soothing voice. It surprised the hell out of me because it actually worked. My mind went blank, then went clear, and then slowly focused. I thought it was magic, but when I checked her horn, it wasn’t glowing. “What is bothering you, my dear human?”

I stared at her. Come on brain, think! Come on mouth, say something other than ‘um’! “Um...”

Great. Thanks mouth. What’s that, two for two today?

“Take your time,” Platinum declared with a small smile.

I sighed. That was just unfair. Now she was putting all the pressure on me and I was still thinking of something to say that wouldn’t lead to a ‘wow this human in front of me is here illegally’ conclusion. My brain finally decided to keep it simple.

“I... currently don’t have my papers on me,” I replied. I also winced. For some reason, the line actually flowed better in my head.

“That is fine,” Platinum said.

“I mean, I don’t even have my resume,” I added.

Platinum looked at me, her expression, from what I could see, meshed oddly as if she was confused. “I do not think your resume would be needed. Especially in this line of work.”

“Okay, what line of work exactly?”

“Ever Ring didn’t tell you?” Platinum asked. I shook my head. The unicorn looked at the doorway for a minute. “Odd. I guess it falls to me and Five Stars to explain then. Basically, Gentlemen for Mares is an escort company.”

I blinked. Five Stars? Who or what was that? And an escort... company? Back on Earth, escort meant a lot of things, like hired escorts for accompanying customers in functions to the more... intimate and bedroom setting type. Surely she meant the former, right?

“By escort, do you mean...?” I left the question hanging.

Platinum nodded. “Yes. Here in Equestria, the mare and stallion population is a bit skewed. For every five foals born, one or two are stallions. I created this company knowing that there are a lot of lonely mares that need attention from stallions. And as luck may have it, human stallion population is quite high enough to give those mares the attention they want and need.”

Okay, that really sounded like an intimate and bedroom setting type of deal. Still, maybe it wasn’t really the latter. Lonely mares, take them out to dates. Sounds logical. Right? “Oh... okay, so we’re hired out to accompany mares out on dates, right?” I clarified.

Platinum looked at me oddly. “Yes,” she replied. “Mares hire out humans, who will be trained to give them a good time and pleasure them.”

Okay... alarm bells were ringing, but she didn't mean what I think she did, right? I mean, ‘pleasure them’ didn’t really mean... right? They were ponies. For them, pleasure could mean a lot of things. So, I had to clarify once more.

“Pleasure them with good dates, food, and socialization, right?”

I think I may have finally gotten some anger because Platinum looked at me, her triangular ears flattening. Even behind the mask, I could feel her eyes boring in on me. “Pleasure as in sex.”

“Ah,” my mouth muttered before my brain could even catch up. When it did, I was left reeling. “Wait, sex?” I asked, shifting uncomfortably around my chair.

Platinum shifted slightly. I was getting the feeling she was probably losing her patience with me. “Yes,” she replied.

Okay. Was it me or was it getting hotter here? “Sex... between humans and ponies?” I clarified. Again.

“Yes,” Platinum replied. Again.

I swallowed. "And between ponies and humans?”

“Yes,” Platinum replied. Again.

I rubbed my arms together. She just didn't mean... but she did, right? Ah, crap, what the fuck did I get myself into? “As in—”

Platinum cut me off. “Sex as in intercourse, procreation, lovemaking if you will.”

I sat there in silence. My lips opened up before closing again. My hand moved from my thigh to my chin. Platinum stayed silent as well, watching me spend the next few seconds mimicking a goldfish brought out of the water. Oh, haha, this was a joke, wasn’t it? Someone exported Punk’d to Equestria or something, right? Or am I in Just For Laughs Gags? I looked at the unicorn, tempted to ask when I saw her looking at me so... steadily. Her expression betrayed nothing.

“That’s... you know,” I paused. I couldn't say 'silly' or 'You must be joking'. Her expression betrayed nothing. I had a sinking feeling. “You’re serious,” I finished.

“Quite.”

An image popped into my head. I remembered my cheeks aflame when I rode that cab all the way here, swinging tail, visible lips. I remembered feeling the stir of emotions just by looking at it, the shame creeping when I realized a part of me was enjoying the view. And now I was being hired to do more than just look.

I took a breath.

“Are you okay?” Platinum asked.

"Huh? Oh yeah… fine, swell, peachy,” I replied, a little too quickly. My brain was going into overdrive. Escort company? Was that even legal here? Seriously?

Platinum Corona didn’t seem convinced. "I know it comes a bit of a shock. Quite a few humans needed a bit of convincing, but we are a legitimate company that is legally recognized here in Equestria."

Oh-kay. Was mind reading part of their magic?

“There are humans who actually agree to this?” I asked.

“Quite a lot,” Platinum replied, nodding. “Of course, there’s a little trepidation. That is perfectly normal. However, in time, that fades.”

I raised an eyebrow. “Really?”

Platinum smiled. “How about a demonstration?” she asked.

“I… okay?” I replied, unsurely.

The unicorn nodded and looked towards the exit. “Five Star, come in,” she ordered. The door opened up to reveal an earth pony mare with a yellow coat, curly green mane and a slightly cropped tail. She looked at me for a moment, and a blush made its way to her face (how the heck did that happen? Did the coat actually turn red or something?) as she strode in front of me.

Was it me, or did she move her hips in an exaggeration? It also emphasized her cutie mark, give small stars arranged in an odd manner – four on top of the fifth, which was slipping off to the side.

“M-may I?” she asked nervously.

“You may start, Five Stars,” the unicorn declared.

Okay, now I really wanted to know what was going on—holy...!

Five Stars, the earth Pony mare, turned, her backside facing me. She lifted her tail and moved it slightly to the side, exposing her pink folds almost right in front of my face. My mouth went agape, and for a few seconds, my mind shut down. I just found myself staring at... her.

“Many human recruits first notice that a mare doesn’t look too different from a female human,” Platinum began.

Oh. Oh dear lord. I felt hot around my cheeks, stirring in my loins as I watched, mesmerized. She was wet, I realized, watching fluid slowly dripping downwards.

Was I leaning closer? God, Harry, what was wrong with you? I felt myself stiffening. Was I really attracted to horses?

“If you feel you want to touch her, go ahead,” Platinum said.

I slowly looked away, towards the unicorn. She was standing just beside me, facing me, expression neutral.

“I… should I?” I asked. This was getting surreal.

Platinum motioned towards Five Stars. “Look at her, human.” I did. “Notice her tail, lifted upwards and brought to the side. Notice her glinting wetness of her folds, on how it closes and opens. She is quite ready to receive you. Smell the musk of her sex. She is aware that you are looking, and that she wants nothing more than for you to mount and rut her, badly.”

Five Stars whimpered, her hips shaking a bit, her wetness, if possible, increasing. Before I could stop myself, I slowly reached forward, fingers shaking. No, this couldn’t be real. I was in a dream. This is a perverse dream. I couldn’t be in this room, lusting after a horse, freely deciding to touch her. It just couldn’t be real!

Then, my fingers made contact. Her lips quivered and Five Stars gave a shout as she moved backwards, letting my fingers enter her lips. It was warm, feverishly so, moist, and tight. I could feel her walls move around my fingers as the mare in question began to shake, her screams getting louder until she gave one final shudder. Thick and musky liquid squirted out from her. It came out so strong that it moistened my hand and got a few drops on my face.

Five Stars gave a sigh of relief and slowly collapsed in front of me, breathing a bit heavily. Her tail was still upwards, still exposing her. I was out of my seat, wanting to touch her again. Five Stars turned her head to look at me, smiling. She wanted me to continue. And God, I wanted to continue. My two hands were on her hips before I realized what I was doing.

I stopped. My brain jump-started back once more.

Holy hell, Harry. What the hell did you think you were doing? She’s a horse! You couldn’t possibly be attracted to a horse, can you?

But I was. Oh, God, I was.

“No,” I muttered, shaking my head. Five Stars looked at me, her expression showing confusion and a little hurt. No, no. “I… no! Sorry!”

I ran as fast as I could towards the exit, leaving the unicorn and the earth pony in the room.

Passing by the hallway, I noticed Ever Ring looking at me, confused. “Harry?” she asked.

“Nope, nope, nope, nope,” I chanted as I passed her, went to another hallway, and exited the building, only to be pelted with rain.

Really? Seriously? What the hell is with this day? I ran. I don’t know where. This day was turning out to be a disaster of epic proportions. Damn Equestria, these ponies. Damn that mare in the train that kept swishing her tail back and forth. Damn that stupid Futures for Equestria! Damn that stupid Ever Ring for bringing me to that place and raising my hopes! Damn her stupid boss! And damn me for being attracted to a damn horse!

I was done with this place! Done!

I didn’t get far before my feet got caught by something on the sidewalk. I flew and landed on the wet ground, ruining the suit I had so meticulously prepared for today. I didn’t bother getting up. What was the point? What was the fucking point in all of this? Why the hell did I even leave Earth? Why did I leave my job? To get rejected in the end? To get hired out as a prostitute for... ponies? Horses?

Goddamned ponies. The whole lot of them. The whole damned lot of them.

I laughed. I just laughed helplessly. Oh, this was freaking unbelievable. This is what you signed up for, eh, Harry—a too-good-to-be-true opportunity to work in Equestria, only to get shoved out of the way by chance, right? And if that wasn’t enough, the only reason why Equestria would want you was if you became some sort of manwhore, right? Damn it all.

I crawled off the sidewalk, towards a wall near a partially roofed area. It was near a garbage can, but hey, what did it matter? From the alien world’s perspective, that’s what I was.

“Crying in the corner, waiting in the rain,” I sang, deliberately off-key, “I swear I’ll never ever do this again. They gave me their word, but apparently those words were lies.”

I chuckled. I really lost it, singing a damn song in the middle of a storm. But at least I felt... better.

I heard soft clopping sound. My head turned towards the direction where the sound emanated from and my eyes narrowed. The rain was getting stronger and the sky was darkening to the point that the approaching pony was veiled in darkness. It wasn’t until she was maybe three feet away that I recognized her—the earth pony mare, Five Stars.

I blushed, remembering where I had touched her earlier.

“H-hello?” she called.

“Leave me alone,” I muttered. I was not in the mood.

The earth mare continued to approach. “I, um, I heard you sing. It was a nice song.”

“It was off-key,” I replied as dryly as I could in this rain.

“You’re wet...”

“It’s raining, genius.”

The pony frowned. She took a few steps forward, making me feel a little apprehensive. She wasn’t displaying any aggressive behavior, though, but still, I was wary. I also wished she’d leave me alone and was utterly confident she was sent to retrieve me, maybe convince me to sign in. No way. I’m not going to be a prostitute for these ponies! I steeled myself, prepared to say no at whatever spiel she was going to spout... so imagine my surprise when she suddenly hugged me.

First thing I felt was... warmness. Delicious warmness emanated from her body, so close to mine. Her two limbs encased me and the rather odd, but not unpleasant, scent of wood and grass with a hint of wet fur entered my senses as I felt prickling hairs over my right cheek.

Oh God did it feel good. Why did it feel good?

“You’re shivering too,” she whispered. “Come with me. Let’s get a roof over your head. My place is nearby.”

She was warm. I felt my fingers flex around her shoulders and neck, the feeling of her soft and wet coat contrasting with her tight muscles. I should have said no. Instead, I just sighed and placed my face deeper on her neck.

I swallowed something liquid and warm, but grunted in annoyance as I felt movement on my right. Damned pillow was moving. Who the hell was taking it?

I grabbed it and hugged it hard.

“I never really got your name, did I?” the mare asked as she fished out a rather large key from her saddlebags. With practiced efficiency, she inserted it in the keyhole.

“Harry,” I replied, shivering a bit from the cold. Even with the toasty warm interior of the building, my wet clothes made me feel like I was doused with ice.

“Well, Harry, make yourself at home!” Five Stars declared, opening the door. She flicked a switch, turning on the lights showing off her modestly sized apartment. The floors were polished wood of light golden brown color, and the walls were painted in beige.

From the entrance, I could see the living room (with a fireplace), which had low level couches and a small rectangular table. Deeper inside, I could see a kitchenette, an ice box, a stove, and a counter that separated it from the small dining area.

“We have to get you out of those clothes,” she declared. She bit down on my jacket, and began to tug, only to lose her balance when I immediately shoved myself away from her.

“I’d be more comfortable if I do it,” I said.

Five Star looked at me for a moment before nodding. “Of course. Follow me.” She led me to the right, down a short hallway until we reached a fork on the hall. She directed me to the left, towards a doorway. She easily opened the door with her hoof (how did those things work, really? The doorknobs were circular!) revealing her bathroom.

“You can change there. Put the clothes in basket”—she pointed towards a wood-weaved storage bin on the floor—“and there’s a human bathrobe here that should fit you... ah, there it is!”

I looked at her towel rack and there it was, a white bathrobe neatly folded.

“I think the shower works the same way the human version does,” she continued. “Red knob is for hot water and the blue one is for the cold water. The shower stall may be a bit too short for you, but it’ll make do. I’ll let you go in first.”

I nodded. “Thanks,” I whispered.

Five Stars just smiled. Both of us looked at each other for a moment, before she blushed.

“Oh, sorry. Let me leave you then.”

She closed the door on her way out. I breathed easier.

The clothes were easy to remove, as wet and slick as they were. They stunk to high-heaven though. And the shower... oh, God, the shower was heaven.

I smelled a bit like Five Stars by the time I was done putting on the bathrobe and I didn’t mind. I felt clean, crisp and wholly calm again. In fact I was beginning to feel the squeamish feeling of embarrassment as I realized that I owed Five Stars for even letting me in her humble abode. Worse, wasn’t I just previously pelting her with my sarcasm?

Nice, Harry.

The floor was warm enough to make walking barefoot in the apartment comfortable. I tried to recall, retrace my steps until I got back to the living room area, and I spotted Five Stars lazing comfortably on the ground, lying on top of a large white towel. When she spotted me, she smiled.

“Okay, my turn!” she declared, and grabbed her towel with her mouth, and proceeded towards the bathroom. I didn’t hear the door close, but I did hear the shower activate.

For a moment, I relaxed on one of the couches. Then, I stood up and began exploring. I could hear Five Stars humming something while in the shower as I explored her kitchenette, making sure I touched nothing.

There were jars of sugar and salt scattered around the marble counter, with the stove covered in cloth. She also had a nice collection of mugs and an open container filled with tea bags.

I looked at her icebox and noticed the surface was almost like a fridge back at home. It was also covered in magnets. It was interesting, to say the least, seeing such archaic technology abound. The lights above the ceiling were definitely run by some type of energy (electricity, or magic?), yet they had no electric coolers, televisions, or anything that resembled a radio. The phonograph on the side was quite cool though.

Then something caught my eye—a shelf just near the exit. It was filled with glass figurines of equine figures, along with two rows of colored photographs (not the flat glossy ones, but the grainy looking images with parchment-like paper).

On the first row, the very left was a picture of Five Stars smiling, surrounded by a few mares and a stallion. The next one on the right was another picture, Five Stars smiling with another set of mares or stallions – then another, and another. I noticed that with each successive picture, Five Stars’ smile was getting smaller and smaller until in the end, where she just stared back at me from the photo.

Luckily, another set of pictures, just below the previous set, showed a much happier mare. However, that wasn’t the only startling difference. The second set had her with paired with someone else, instead of a group. And yes, someone. She was photographed with humans, males, each with different features and nationalities.

The only thing that was similar was the fact that pony and man looked quite happy with each other.

“Those are my students.”

Holy crap!

I flinched automatically and moved away as I spotted Five Stars besides me. She had a towel on top of her head, and her mane and coat were still slightly damp. How did she move so silently? I didn’t even notice her.

“W-what?” I asked with my heart still at my throat.

Five Stars didn’t seem to mind my skittish outburst. Her eyes were still locked on the pictures of her and the men she was paired with.

“I’m actually one of the trainers in Gentlemen for Mares. I teach recruits the finer points on how to make love to earth ponies,” she replied. She smiled a sad smile. “They were my students, actually. Now, they are out there, making some other mares happy.”

I looked again. Even through the images, I could feel a kinship of sorts. Five Stars shared something quite special with them.

“If you had accepted, I would have been your first instructor,” Five Stars admitted, her shoulder shrugging slightly. She trotted to the living room area and sat down in one of the couches. She began to dry herself.

I stood there, rooted on the spot for a few moments before I also joined her in the living room area, though sitting on a couch a bit away from her. I looked at her as she calmly dried herself, my eyes watching as she moved. I noticed the slight creasing of her coat, the smile on her face as she rubbed her mane, the cord-tight muscles as she moved, and the hoof that held the towel.

The last part was really interesting. I haven’t seen a pony hold an object like that up close for this long.

I must have stared too hard or too long because Five Stars suddenly held her hoof in front of me, winking. “You want to see?” she asked.

I wanted to say no, but curiosity got the better of me. I slowly approached, my hands gently hovering over her hooves. When my fingers made contact, I heard her gasp softly. I ignored it. I went through it gently, like delicate china, wrapping my digits around her limb, feeling her hoof. The outer edges were hard as nails, almost the same color (if not lighter) than her coat. The center hoof, though, was soft, velvety, like a cat’s paw. It was also quite sensitive and reactive to touches. It even grabbed one of my fingers poking it.

Wow, this was... amazing.

“So that’s how you can grip things?” I asked.

“Yup. You should see these hooves in action when I sandwich them on a stiff one,” she declared. I blushed and immediately let go of her hooves. “No complaints, I’m telling you,” she continued.

“I’m not comfortable with this conversation,” I muttered as I moved away slightly.

“Why not?” she asked, shrugging before she went back to drying herself.

“It’s inappropriate!” I exclaimed, giving her a bit of a glare. Judging by her smirk, it wasn’t too effective. “And it’s wrong! I’m human, and you’re a pony! We’re—” ugh, damnit Harry, find the word! "We’re incompatible!”

She gave me a confused look. “Incompatible? I’ve been tucked in by a lot of humans, and let me tell you, we are far from incompatible.”

I blinked. “Wha... tucked in?”

The mare just gave me a slight smile. “Sex. Procreation. Rutting. Nightly adult activities. Fornication.”

I groaned. Didn’t I hear that line just earlier? “Okay, okay! Look, it’s just... wrong, okay!? I will never ever feel that way about any ponies. It’s wrong and weird!”

Five Stars shook her head slightly. “You’re blushing, and I can see you forming a tent down there.” I looked down and to my horror, she was right.

“That thing has a mind of its own!” I countered and before I knew it, her neck craned up and bit down on the bathrobe. I fell towards the couch and into her embrace.

Okay, what is it with her and hugs? I tried to struggle a bit, but she wouldn’t budge. God, she’s had a strong hug.

“Hush,” she declared softly. She snaked a hoof at the back of my head and patted me close to her shoulder. “It’s okay. It’s okay. There’s nothing to be ashamed of. There’s some part of you that finds ponies attractive. There’s nothing wrong with that.”

I could only half-hear her words. My body, my lower extremities, actually, was feeling warm. Really warm. Was I...? No, I couldn’t be getting aroused by this! She was a damn pony! A horse!

“I can’t be attracted to a bunch of talking horses,” I whispered, voice muffled by her great-smelling coat. Oh, God. I was getting aroused. My pants began to feel uncomfortable, and I felt my rebellious member trying hard to get out. For God’s sakes, they’re small horses, Harry! Horses! That smells nice! No, wait!

“Yes, well, I said the same thing to myself when I found out I was attracted to bipedal walking and talking apes,” Five Stars declared with a giggle. “But you know what? I’ve accepted that fact, and so do a lot of mares. My students? They were almost as skittish as you were, but they wouldn’t have been recruited if they didn’t have any inclination.”

I closed my eyes, breathing her scent, relaxing under her hug. Damn it. Was this some sort of biological feature they had, some type of sedative scent glands or something?

“How did they get over it?” I asked, trying to keep my mind clear.

“Well, some got over it really quickly after some good ol’ rutting,” Five Stars giggled and let me go. “Others, though, realized something.”

I moved myself a bit away from her reach. I shivered as I could still smell her. “And what was that?” I asked, trying to distract myself.

“Did their hesitation stem from seeing us as animals? Granted, you guys have ponies that really don’t talk or do much, which may color your perceptions a bit. So, I asked them; do you see Equestrian ponies, those who walk, talk, think, and built cities and carved their civilization, as mere beasts?”

I froze. My mind just stopped for a moment, reeling in what she just had said.

I had my head down when she sighed. “Think it through, okay? And once you find an answer... well. You can sleep in the couch if you want.” She blushed. “I’ll be in my room. If you need anything. And I don’t mean just rutting or something. Okay, shutting up now.”

She gave me a reassuring smile before she trotted away, her hips swaying slightly as she went. I stared at her for a second, just confused. Did she just invite me to...? I shook my head. I looked down on my pants. I winced, seeing the little soldier standing in attention. Why the hell did the prospect of spending a night with her arouse me? My mind began to roll out a few excuses but for some reason, her question kept coming back. Was she right? Was I actually attracted to ponies and my panic attacks were basically shame surfacing because I was seeing them as just animals?

I stared at the doorway leading to the hall, towards her bathroom and to her room. Then, my eyes roamed towards the cabinet again, looking at the set of pictures. My feet moved even before I thought of it. I got to the small hallway and instead of turning left towards the bathroom, made my way to the end of the hall that led to a door. It was ajar.

I gave it two respectful knocks before I widened the opening. I spotted Five Stars lying on bed on her stomach, legs curled under her. She was seemingly reading a book before she looked up and saw me. She smiled.

“Changed your mind, huh?” she said in a deep sultry voice. I felt myself shiver slightly, but I shook it off. I motioned my head from side to side, indicating a negative. She frowned.

“I have a few more questions, Five Stars,” I prompted before she could ask me why I was there.

“Okay?”

“You talked about your students, but not about the first set of pictures,” I replied. “Why? Who are they?”

Her ears flattened, and for some reason, I felt that I had just asked a rather painful question. Her hooves closed the book she was reading with a slight snap before she took a deep breath.

“The pictures were of my herd,” she replied.

“Herd?” I asked.

She sighed. “Platinum Corona told you how the rate of stallions and mares are one or two to five, right?” I nodded. “Well, the ensure survival, our familial practice is to form a close-knit tight family of mares and one or two stallions. From what I heard, it’s a bit different from human practices, right?”

“Well... mostly,” I said. “So, ponies practice polygamy?”

“Yup,” the mare agreed. “The theory is sound. It provides practical way of continuing population.”

“You don’t seem to believe that,” I said as I walked towards the opposite side of the bed and sat down. She gave me a glancing look before she nodded.

“My first herd was great,” she declared. “Unfortunately, my stallion there had a favorite, and was a bit neglectful. Most of the time, you could ask the other mares to give you attention, and you would pay them back with the same, but I really wasn’t into mares.

“I got out of that herd, and moved to the next. Same story. The next, same thing, except the stallions I kept picking weren’t even into me at all. They just added me to gain some sort of clout. All and all, it was the same story, just a different herd.”

I patted her foreleg gently with my hand. “I’m sorry I made you retell that.”

“Eh, it’s okay. Besides, that part of my life is over. I put all the pictures there to remind me where I’ve been, and my students to remind me where I can still go,” she replied. “Got another question?”

I took a deep breath. “Is this some elaborate scheme to recruit me? Make me feel more comfortable around mares so I won’t, I don’t know, run off screaming?”

She laughed and snorted. “I can’t recruit male humans. I don’t have the subtlety.”

“What do you mean?”

“It means if I see a male human who I think will vaguely be interested in sleeping with other mares, I tend to grab the rope, and drag them into my apartment,” she replied, sticking out her tongue at me.

I smiled. “You are really into humans, eh?”

“Ever since I first met one of your kind, yes,” Five Stars declared, looking towards the ceiling. “My first human... he kissed my hooves, as a greeting, no less. I was given a Noble Greeting from a complete stranger and an alien at that. My heart raced. It also didn’t help that he was nice, kind, and listened.”

“We have human jerks too, you know. We have a lot of them,” I countered.

“True, but for some reason, with the gender split almost equal on Earth, human males seemed to always at least work to get a mare’s attention. They practice that very effectively with our customers. Sad to say... we mares can be quite a lonely bunch. While mare to mare relationships are an option, a lot of us just want a stallion we could warm.” She looked at me. “Besides, if a human male gets rowdy, we just have to remind them of something.”

“What’s that?”

“That we ponies are pretty strong.”

With that, her foreleg snaked upward and grabbed me. She easily pinned me down to the bed.

I stiffened, a small part of me feeling the creepy dredging thought that I may have made a mistake coming in to her room, especially now that her eyes focused solely on me, blazing. Her mouth parted, her tongue slithering out, licking her lips.

I didn’t know what had changed. I should have been thrashing right now, my mouth forming words, shouting. Yet... the way she looked at me in a very human-like manner, desire and want, left me speechless.

“I’m going to kiss you,” she said. “If you tell me to stop, I’ll stop.”

I swallowed, feeling my heart pump hard as she lowered her lips next to mine. They were a bit bigger than one would find on a woman’s face, but not overly so. They glistened with moisture. I wondered how they would taste.

Holy crap. Harry, were you really going to go through with this? Tell her to stop.

She shifted her head to the side before contact as she parted my lips and her tongue explored me in the deepest kiss I have ever experienced.

I felt the fire stoke within me, even if a smaller part of my brain was telling me I was kissing a small horse. The rest of me found out it didn’t mind because she was delicious.

I surprised her when I kissed back, my tongue meeting hers. It started out strong, wild, and unkempt; it reminded me of my first kiss with a girl so many years ago, before it slowly dwindled to sensuously, erotically, slow. It was as if Five Stars wanted to enjoy it, making it last.

We held the kiss for a few more seconds before she lifted her head up, her eyes misting slightly.

“Was that a yes?” she whispered softly.

I just nodded. I didn’t trust myself to speak.

“Okay,” she said, a bit breathless. “Remove your bathrobe.”

My hands went for the white belt cords, only to stop. Five Stars looked at me, confused.

“A-are you changing your mind?” she asked.

“I’ve never been with a mare before...” I muttered.

Five Stars giggled. “Oh I know.”

I sighed, feeling my cheeks flaming. “I mean... I’ve never ever been with, uh, someone—” I swallowed “—before.”

Five Stars’ eyes widened with disbelief. I felt a pang of embarrassment.

“I’m your... first?” she asked, now really breathless. I just nodded. She just looked at me for a moment, and I wondered if I should just leave before she kissed me once more, heavily.

“I’m honored,” she declared as she came up for air. “I’ll take care of you.” She kissed me on the neck and sent shivers down my spine. “Oh, Celestia, I will take care of you.”

She removed my bathrobe with her teeth and gently began kissing me everywhere. I felt my groin twinge with fire and desire, more so when she rubbed one of her hind legs on my erection, her short hairs brushing my sensitive member. I was jolted to a sitting position, panting at her touches. With agility not found on Earth horses or ponies, Five Stars turned, showing me her backside. She lifted her tail and moved it slightly to the side, exposing her pink folds almost right in front of my face. The second time this day, and still mesmerizing as ever.

“If you want, you’re welcome to taste me,” Five Stars whispered.

My hands slowly, tentatively worked around her hips. I could feel her shiver with anticipation as my lips approached hers. I hesitated for half a second before my tongue began to work on her pink folds. Five Stars moaned excitedly as I felt her walls wink, moistening in such a degree I didn’t think possible. I kissed her sloppily, licked her, tasted her slightly sweet musky fluids. Minutes afterwards, she turned around and kissed me, licking me in my mouth, chin and cheeks, her movements getting more and more aggressive.

“Lie down,” Five Stars ordered, though she didn’t need to. Her front legs held me down as she moved her body, making it writhe around me as she strode on top of me, firmly planting me on her bed.

I would have noted on how flexible the whole pony body was, and how impossibly it seemed to contort around me, but I couldn’t think. Her actions were fraying my nerves as the short hair of her coat rubbed on my skin everywhere, hitting almost all the right spots.

Oh, God.

“I want you to remember this,” she whispered hoarsely in my ear, then suddenly suckling on my earlobe. I jerked even more. “Whether you are joining the Gentlemen, staying in Equestria, or going back to Earth, I want you to remember me. Who am I?”

I croaked out a name, unclear.

She bit my earlobe gently as I felt a longer hair swishing back and forth between my thighs. Oh, God, was that her tail? I jerked my hips higher, but she wouldn’t let me, her body weighed on top of me. I grunted and groaned.

“I said, who am I?” she asked again, with a harsher whisper.

“Five S-Stars!” I groaned. “Five Stars!”

“That’s right, hon,” she declared as she slowly rose from her position, her forelegs pinning my shoulders down. From my position, I couldn’t see exactly what she was doing, but judging by the velvet softness I was feeling at the tip of my manhood, she was positioning herself before the plunge.

I grunted as she did, feeling an overwhelming wave of pleasure wash over me. She was tightening around my member as she stayed in that position, smiling widely, and watching my expression. Then, she slowly, agonizingly, moved up and down, while at the same time I began feeling longer hairs tickling me at the base of my erection, encircling me softly, with additional waves of pleasure.

Oh my God. I felt myself almost immediately succumb. It was barely a few minutes. Was I going to be done this fast?

“F-five S-stars! I’m, I’m close!” I said through gritted teeth. Oh, God. How long was I... ugh, I couldn’t hold on!

“I know, oh Celestia I know,” she muttered, and pumped even faster. She moaned every time she finished a sentence. “Come on—yes—as much as you can. Mph! Everything you can—oh!—give me Harry, I’ll accept. Come on! Come on! Celestia, yes!”

I grunted and opened my mouth to scream, only for Five Stars to come in and kiss me. With her so close, I grabbed her neck, shivering, and jerked my hips upwards, the world shaking as I came long and hard inside her.

Then, I felt tired, drained. Sometimes, my limb, a random one, would twitch as I felt Five Stars hug me once more, kissing me in my neck, lips, ears and chest.

Oh, wow.

“Oh, wow,” I vocalized.

I heard Five Stars giggling. “Oh Harry, it’s far from over,” she declared.

When Celestia’s sun hit me, I immediately smelled a slightly sweet aquatic scent. Everything was warm as well. I felt my arms were still asleep, encircling something soft, furry and... alive. I opened my eyes and only saw white.

“Eve,” I muttered, muffled by her coat. “What happened?.”

I heard Eve groan, and move slightly, turning her body just a bit.

“You kept tossing and turning yesterday,” she muttered sleepily. “You ambushed me with your arms on the last dose and made me sleep in your damn bed.”

I remembered my dream. I swallowed.

“Did we...?”

Eve seemed to sigh. “No Harry. You slept like a rock. Well, a rock that hugged like an Ursa. Now, let this mare sleep, please?”

I mumbled an affirmative. It was time for the morning workout right? I should get up. I moved, only for Eve to groan as I realized one of my arms was pinned under her neck.

Oh, what the hell.

I stayed there, enjoying her warmth.

By the time I opened my eyes again, the sun was already rising at a comfortable pace. My bed was now empty, leaving only the ghost of Eve’s warmth, but I could hear her rummaging through my apartment. I groggily sat on my bed, noting that I wasn’t completely naked under the blanket.

Thank God for small favors.

Something was bothering me, though. As I put on a shirt and some shorts, my thoughts wandered to my dream and Eve’s words earlier. Did I really just ambush her and hold her down against her will? Something about that struck me as odd, but as I walked to the living room and saw Eve sitting calmly at the loveseat with a magazine floating and spread in front of her, I filed the thought away.

“Hey,” I greeted, taking a seat across from her.

“Morning, Harry,” she greeted back.

I paused for a moment. I sighed. “Hey, uh, Eve, I really appreciate you taking care of me. I know you are really busy, and it's unfair of you to just concentrate on my well being when you have a lot of Gentlemen to manage as well, so I want to apologize for monopolizing your time.”

Eve lowered the magazine slightly; just enough to have her eyes peek out as she replied, “Harry, it’s my job. A Handler is responsible for the well-being of her Gentleman, and it’s her responsibility to do everything in her power to ensure that.”

“Wasn’t that rule put in place to excuse Handlers for, uh, testing out their Gentlemen, so to speak?”

The magazine went down further, allowing me to see a lazy smile appearing on her face. “Yes, well... not only.” Her voice turned sensual. “Why, Harry? Want me to test you?”

I chuckled and shook my head. “I’ll leave it for the doctors to decide on my well-being, thank you very much.”

“You always preferred doctors and nurses over me,” she cooed in the same tone of voice, though now she was giving me a pout. Yeah, sorry, Eve. I met a master of such an expression in Ponyville. That won’t work on me anymore.

I countered by also cooing, deliberately making it sound annoyingly grating. “That’s because they actually know what they’re doing.”

Eve giggled. We stayed in comfortable silence for the moment.

“I dreamt of my first visit in Equestria,” I suddenly declared after a few minutes.

I could see Eve’s ears perk up in interest. “I... see.”

“I dreamt of Five Stars,” I continued.

There was a slight crumpling sound as I saw the magazine cover creased. Eve’s expression never really changed, but her magical aura darkened slightly.

“I still don’t get why Platinum kept Five Stars after what she did to you,” the white unicorn muttered. “She should have called me and let me handle you.”

I smirked. “My goodness, Eve. I had no idea you harbored such intent for me.”

The unicorn blinked for a moment, before she blushed. Blushed! Oh wow. This is a first.

“Shut up, Harry. I didn’t mean it that way, and you know it!”

I just chortled, causing her lips and eyes to narrow. Her aura darkened even further before she threw the magazine at me. I dodged it easily.

“Oh quiet, you,” she muttered. “You know what I mean. That deviant should have been arrested after what she did to you.”

“Come on, Eve. All these years, you still holding that against her?”

“She took advantage of you.”

“We slept together,” I shrugged. “We were adults. I consented.”

Eve sighed. “I know you were a consenting adult at that time Harry, but the way I look at it, we had you run out of a building and into a storm. She took you in, and the next thing I knew, you were back at the Den the next morning, looking for Platinum or I so you could sign the contract.” She looked at me. “I have the right to be suspicious.Especially when I learned what happened that night.”

I stayed quiet, wondering why I even bothered bringing the subject up. Eve always had a problem with Five Stars after she found out what had happened, and whatever relationship those two had before meeting me cooled to the point that they didn’t bother greeting each other anymore.

It hurt me in a way.

Maybe Five Stars did take advantage of me. I didn’t feel that way, though. Maybe it was because of the intimacy we had, or maybe the memory on how gentle she was, exploring my body, and having me explore hers. Or maybe it was because she kept her word.

She said she would take care of me. She did, and went beyond that night. She may not have been my earth pony teacher once I joined the Gentlemen, but she did her best to introduce me to other ponies and even to people who would eventually end up being my friends. She was the one that made sure I acclimated to the company quite well.

I’d never forget her for that.

“So,” I began, trying to change the subject, “what did I miss?”

She gave me a look that indicated she knew what I was doing. “You were only out for the day. You didn’t miss much.”

I looked at her. “So, nothing new?”

“Well...” she trailed off, her expression contemplative. Then, as if remembering, she suddenly nodded. “Oh, yeah. I forgot to tell you. Harry, you’re being suspended from duties.”

“Ah.” Then it hit me. “Wait... what!?”

Author's Note

Again, thanks to coandco, muprhy, shira, and grey conscience for proof-reading this for me.

Also, I want to note that it may take a while before I update. I'm still a bit unclear how to proceed after this, and my mind has been in a different mode since working on building the Gryphon Kingdom in Feathered Heart. I do have a very rough outline of the next chapter (which basically means I just know the first line), so this story is not dead. Its just going to take a while to update.

I hope you guys enjoy this chapter, even though the sex was... brief. :twilightblush:

Also, an alternate ending.

UPDATE: RETCON. AGAIN

Hopefully, this'll be the last modification I'd would put in the chapter.

The original version of the chapter is found here...

The first retcon of the chapter is found here...

Gentleman in the Falls

The fountain pen smoothly glided on the surface of the parchment, the dark, rather elaborate and curved signature contrasting quite well on its off-white surface. I carefully replaced the cap as Platinum Corona grabbed the parchment with her magic.

I couldn’t believe I was back in the Gentleman for Mares, I thought. Just an hour ago, Five Stars and I had left her apartment and, with her help, I was able to make it back to the Gentlemen for Mares building, which she called ‘the Pit’. She had basically held my hand (with her mouth, which felt... oddly nice) all the way. I still had misgivings about this place, the feeling somewhat intensifying once I had seen the door leading towards Platinum Corona’s office. She must have seen my expression because she stopped me just a few moments before I entered, asking if I was ‘sure’. All I did was nod.

I had entered the office, found the pink-coated unicorn sitting behind a large smooth wooden desk. Her mask had hidden her expression but I was under the impression that she wasn’t too surprised to see me. I didn’t know how to feel about that.

Now, here I was, sitting on a chair as she reviewed all the papers I signed. I took a moment to check out her office. Like the bar downstairs, it was a box of polished wooden floors and walls, strewn with carpets and furniture that kept the ‘old world’ feel of the place. Picture frames hung loosely on the walls, mostly of crystals with certain transparency. She also had a big map of Equestria.

“With the contract signed, I officially welcome you to the Gentleman for Mares.”

I looked at Platinum Corona sitting behind her chair, her eyes hidden behind her mask, but her smile looked genuine. I gave her a nod, relaxing slightly. She seemed honestly happy to have me. A boss like that would mean a somewhat comfortable working environment. So, yes, Harry, don’t give her a reason to get mad at you. “Thank you,” I muttered.

“Also, regarding last night,” Platinum began neutrally, “I’m actually a bit confused on why you’re here. It is not the first time I’ve seen humans run out of here after realizing what they were being recruited for, but we never experienced someone actually coming back the next day.”

“I... had a bit of a revelation last night,” I replied.

“Would you mind explaining to me?” Platinum asked. I looked at her, smiling slightly but keeping quiet. The unicorn waited for a moment before nodding. “As you wish.”

Maybe it was irrational of me, but I was a bit afraid of this unicorn. She was Five Stars's boss, and I was not sure if the earth pony had broken any rules yesterday by taking me in and... well, bedding me. It also didn’t help she looked bigger than any of the unicorns, heck, ponies I’ve seen so far, and the contract she had me signed also covered a lot of details, some clauses and sub-clauses redundant just to make sure there were no loopholes present. I had to re-read it twice. It showed that Platinum Corona was well aware of the Equestrian laws, even citing them on the contract itself. She surely must be a stickler for the rules, right? So where did that leave Five Stars?

Without really knowing, I proceeded by being silent, opting to review the contract over in my head again. As far as I was aware, nothing seemed out of the ordinary. I mean, it looked like a normal contract one would sign when being accepted to a human company, but it was quite generous in its medical perks. Apparently, Gentlemen for Mares fully covered all medical expenses. And it also wasn’t strict on ‘sales’ which basically meant I wouldn’t get kicked out because I was a bad lay.

“Something on your mind?” Platinum asked, taking me out of my reverie. I shook my head.

“No… well, yes, actually. I think it’s just starting to sink in,” I replied. I was now officially an ‘escort’. I couldn’t describe the feeling.

“You’ll get used to it,” the unicorn declared with a nod. I blinked. Wow. She was getting scarier by the minute. Did she have some sort of Magical Telepathy? “Don’t worry. We won’t just immediately have you bed mares,” she continued. “We want to ease you in.”

Platinum’s words brought me back to the happier memories of Five Stars and her comfortable mattress, and her far more comfortable warm embrace. I felt my face flush. Oh God, Harry. Don’t get a stiffie in front of your new boss. Especially if she can read your frigging mind!

I held my breath when Platinum looked at me before she said, “Let’s get you settled. We’re going to assign three mares to train you—an earth pony, a pegasus, and a unicorn. I’ll have your new Handler introduce them to you,” Platinum finished. Her horn glowed and her magical aura surrounded the door knob, turning it with an audible click. It opened, revealing a familiar white unicorn.

Ever Ring, I thought, surprised. Apparently, she was surprised to see me too, with her eyes widening, her triangular ears standing straight up, and her jaw dropping for less than a second before her face schooled itself into a neutral expression. I looked at Platinum, who was just… smiling.

“Mr. Harry Larson, meet your new handler, Ever Ring. Ever Ring, your new Gentleman, Harry Larson,” Platinum advised.

Ever Ring approached me, her face blank, which was quite a contrast with Platinum who had been all smiles. That really made me nervous. I slowly extended and offered my hand to her. After a tense moment, she extended her hoof and shook my hand.

“Ever Ring,” she declared neutrally. “I’m your new Handler.”

“Uh, right. Harry Larson,” I greeted back. “I… I guess I’m your new Gentleman.”

A nudge woke me up. It wasn’t the normal shift, but a rather noticeable motion that left my stomach swimming. I felt the cold biting winds, muted by the Warming Potion I drank earlier, moving in a steady fast rate that kept me from fully opening my eyes. My ears picked up the howling winds, the groaning sound of metal, and the steady rhythm of wing beats. I let my hand rub over the leather-covered seat of the chariot I was riding, while I stared at the two pegasi in front of me, pulling the air vehicle.

“Sorry about that, sir,” one of the pegasi shouted through the noise, apologetic. He did not look at me, opting to concentrate on his flying, like any professional and experienced chariot puller. “We spotted some indication of air pockets in the area. We had to avoid it.”

I blinked. “It’s fine!” I shouted, my voice mostly muffled by the bearing winds. I stole a glance to the side, half-wondering where we were. I didn’t get any indication. All I saw was the white fluffy clouds, the clear blue skies, Celestia’s Sun, and a washed-out canvas of mixed green and brown tones below. I definitely preferred trains for long travels in Equestria. There was something about the steady rhythm of moving pistons, the clanking metal, and the meeting of a few passengers that made the trip more enjoyable. The view would probably have been better. I mean, yeah, the sky and clouds were interesting, but it wouldn’t beat out tree outlines, seeing their branches and leaves filter the sunlight, having them sparkle like gems as the train passed.

It’s too bad, really. The train ride would have been cheaper too, but they were impossibly full, leaving only the more available, and more expensive, chariots. I guess that’s what I get for getting medical leave during peak seasons. Yes, medical leave. I have no idea why Eve said suspension. Either there was something seriously wrong with pony labor laws that ‘suspension’ and ‘medical leave’ were one and the same, or she was trolling me. I suspect the latter, probably poking at me for bringing Five Stars into the conversation. Instead of working with another client, I was on my way to Neighagra during their peak season. I sighed. Maybe next time, I’d have my body break down during a calmer time of the year.

I placed my hands at the nape of my neck, my mind still showing me images of my dream. Ever since conking out from the Booster, I’d been revisiting my past. It wasn’t even the vague, shadowy dreams I usually had (like the one of my father), but more vivid details of my first time visit in Equestria. Some were pretty... sexual, like the replay of me spending the night with Five Stars. Recently, though, I was having more and more dreams regarding Platinum and Eve.

I tried to relax. It was an hour before we descended. And as we did, I could finally see Neighagra Falls.

The Falls was a four-level waterfall system that cascaded down a mountain. The main attraction was the top, largest one, a bowed curtain of crystal blue waters crashing on its dish, which in turn gave way to two smaller waterfalls, followed by four, and then ending in ten mini falls, where the swimming areas were located. There were pegasi flying around, spreading rainbows around the area, leaving the Falls with a colorful misty look that was nothing short of… picturesque.

And yes, spreading rainbows. Apparently, they’re in liquid form here in Equestria, and taste sweet and spicy... very much like extra hot Buffalo wings.

The chariot bounced slightly as its wheels hit the ground of the landing area near the city of Neighagra. According to the Tourist’s Guide to Equestria (I bought the latest revision, which added details for human tourists), the city had been pretty much forgettable. Its only attraction was the Neighagra Falls, a very natural (meaning no pony manipulation at all. Think of it as the Everfree Forest for kids) landmark – that was until Princess Sparkle opened the Portal on the empty fields between the cities of Manehattan and Neighagra.

The landing station and train station were close together, leading out towards a receiving area. The first thing I heard when I landed was a shrill sound of a horn and the whoosh of escaping air. I saw people, ponies, and even other races like griffins and zebras coming out the track-bound vehicle in droves, in itself an interesting sight. Grabbing my backpack, I immediately exited my chariot, where it left immediately to clear the way for the other air vehicles coming in. There weren’t just chariots in the air, but also air coaches the griffins used, and to my big surprise, I spotted an airship coming from the distance. It looked like an important pony was coming… a Duke or Duchess, maybe?

Not wanting to congest the area because I was standing around like an idiot, I immediately moved towards the mish-mash group of species mingling together as we all slowly made our way towards the receiving area. Leaving the sounds of flapping wings, groaning metal and chugging steam, all of us made our way to a group of unicorns and earth ponies wearing flower necklaces, each of them handing out brochures. There were even tables for handing out complimentary drinks.

“Welcome to Neighagra,” one of them greeted, magically floating a brochure to me. I smiled at the unicorn as I took it, and opened it up. I expected some sort of advertisement for a hotel, you know, the usual type of hand-outs you’d typically get in a tourist spot. And while it did give a few names recommended for human stay, the brochure was really more of a list and guide on what to do on your stay in Neighagra. With my Tourist’s Guide book, it was redundant. However, the drink offered, a small glass of fruit punch, was quite appreciated.

Neighagra… how do I describe it? As soon as I stepped out of receiving area, I saw smoothed stone roads that paved the way, crisscrossing into intersections. The houses were of wooden dwellings mixed in with concrete structures, strewn in an orderly and calculated manner. It reminded me a bit of Ponyville, though the housing and road designs were definitely a blend of human and pony architecture.

The crowd of arrivals slowly dispersed, spreading out on all directions leaving me with a group that consisted of three mares and two women, chatting amicably in front of me. I paid them no mind as I concentrated on the brochure that I received earlier, asking myself who made the damned map in it. I had made reservations to the Water Inn, a hotel that was supposed to be designed to accommodate a lot of species, boasting human facilities such as Jacuzzis and a steam room and massage parlor, meat menus for griffins and humans – basically, all that jazz. Now, according to the brochure map, I should have passed the Water Inn already. I looked back. Nothing.

Ah, screw it, I thought as I put the brochure on my left jean pocket. I grabbed a shoulder strap from my backpack, hoping to extract the Tourist’s Guide to Equestria. Granted, I was going to look silly reading a book as thick as an almanac, but it was going to be better than getting lost.

“Excuse me!”

I looked up, blinking. The group in front of me stopped as they spotted three women dressed in bikini tops and flowing sarong skirts walking towards us. My eyes unconsciously wandered over their necks and shoulders, straying towards their legs and hips before I caught myself.

Should I be glad I still found women attractive?

The one that spoke was a mare from the group, a cute unicorn with a layered two-toned blue mane and tail. Her pale-mulberry coat gleamed with the sun, exposing the cord of muscles as her strong legs worked, giving attention to her flanks. Her cutie mark, two dolphins swimming in a circle, blended well with her fur. As she approached the bikini-clad women, my eyes lingered on her tail and rear. It took me even longer to realize it and looked down immediately, sighing.

It’s like I can’t win in this world.

“Hi, I was wondering if you knew where the Water Inn is?” the pony asked.

I blinked. They were also staying in the Water Inn? No wonder I was walking in the same direction as this group. I paused for a moment, straining my ears to listen. The woman advised that the hotel itself was about three blocks from here, even using her arms and hand as a visual guide. Satisfied, the mare slowly walked back to the group, though her rose-colored eyes focused on me for a moment, her expression curious. I took a moment before I gave her a polite smile, which she, in turn, returned before she joined her group. She spoke to them inaudibly, though judging by the way she pointed forward with her hoof, she was likely relating to them the directions the woman had given her.

Before they walked ahead, though, the unicorn gave me another look, gaining attention from her friends. Now, I had five pairs of eyes pointing in my direction. I froze in place, a little nervous being under the spotlight. One of the mares, a bluish-pink coated earth pony looked back at her mulberry-blue friend, nudged her, and the unicorn's companions laughed. One of the women, a blonde, raised her hand and motioned me to approach.

I think my eyebrow rose for a few seconds before I shuffled slowly towards their direction. I tried not to stutter in my steps. As I approached, I gave a polite smile. “Hello,” I greeted.

“Yes, hi, okay,” the blonde replied, placing her hands on her considerable waist. “Now, are you stalking us?”

My eyes widened for a second before I shook my head. “Uh, no. I was actually trying to find Water Inn.”

“Oh, you too, huh?” the blonde smiled. “Can’t find it in the brochure?”

I shook my head. “Nope. Whoever made the map clearly had no idea what Neighagra was like.”

“We were thinking the same thing. Alright, sorry about that, but a girl can never be too sure. I’m Tara, by the way.”

Ah, a name for the face. I offered my hand. She shook it. “W-Harry,” I corrected myself immediately. I reminded myself I was on medical-leave-slash-suspension. “Sorry if I seemed… stalker-ish to you guys.”

“It’s okay. Besides, even if you were, we got a unicorn, an earth pony and a pegasus that will kick your ass,” Tara declared with a chuckle. The other woman, one with rich chocolate skin and straight ebony black hair, approached, elbowing Tara.

“Tara, be nice.” The other girl faced me with a smile. She shook my hand as well. “Sorry about my girlfriend. Tara’s a little gung-ho. I’m Nadia.”

“Hey there,” greeted the floating pegasus with white coat and blue mane. “Lightning Bolt,” she introduced herself.

“Come on!” the blueish pink-coated earth pony declared, dragging the unicorn forward. The earth pony mare took a look at me, smiled, and said, “I’m Berry Punch. And this”—and with a heave, finally got the apprehensive mulberry-coated unicorn in front of me—“is Sea Swirl.”

Sea Swirl looked up at me, eyes shifting anxiously from side to side. She was trying to smile, but kept failing. “I’m… Sea Swirl,” she said softly. She offered her hoof. Automatically, I grabbed it, softly, gently, placing it over my lips and giving it a light peck before I realized what I was doing. The poor unicorn’s eyes widened, her expression carved in stone. The only thing that indicated life was the red hue that was blooming all over her face. I mentally swore. Goddamn Gentlemen training kicked in before I realized it.

“Well, that was quick,” Tara commented. Nadia elbowed the blonde while Lightning Bolt and Berry Punch patted the still-frozen unicorn, who was struggling to say something. The earth pony looked at me expectantly. Ah, crap. What do I do?

“Um…” Come on, Harry, think! “Did I… do something wrong?” Wow. Feigning ignorance. Yeah, that’s going to work out real well for you, Harry.

Berry Punch looked at me oddly, while Lightning Bolt chuckled. “Are you new here in Equestria?” the pegasus asked.

“I’m here on vacation, actually,” I replied truthfully. I prayed that my wording was good enough so no one would realize I didn’t really answer the pegasus’ question. No one did. The mares and the two women nodded. Safe.

“Well, while not improper, what you did was called ‘Noble Greeting’,” Berry Punch said. “It’s a very flattering type of greeting. You may want to avoid doing that if you want to have a more relaxing time here in Equestria. Unless you like mares. So, do you like mares?”

Before I could reply, Nadia interjected, “Come on, let’s talk while we walk. My feet are killing me.”

“Hey, mister, why don’t you join us?” Berry Punch asked.

“Yeah, since we’re going the same way anyway,” Lightning Bolt added.

I looked at Tara and Nadia, who both shrugged and said “Sure”. I looked at Sea Swirl, who was still in a daze. On Earth, a man would rarely get invited to join an all female group, especially when they just met, more so when that man ‘accidentally’ gave one of their friends a somewhat flirty kiss. However, in Equestria, those rules were a bit… inverted thanks to the high number of mares (compared to the stallions), and the fact that if I did anything to overstay my welcome, I’d have my buttocks handed to me faster than I could say uncle. So, Harry, be nice. That shouldn’t be too hard, right?

“Um, is that okay? I don’t want to intrude.”

“It’s fine,” Lightning Bolt declared, nudging me forward.

“Yeah. And tell us about yourself!” Berry Punch said. “Do you like mares?”

“Berry Punch!” Sea Swirl protested, rather meekly. Tara began laughing and slapped me hard on the back, making me stumble like an idiot. God, that girl packed a punch.

“We have a regular Don Juan here!” the blonde declared. I have no idea if I was supposed to feel proud or embarrassed. I may have gone for the middle-ground, laughing nervously and trying not to say anything stupid.

The trip was… fun. While the earth pony and pegasus were obviously teasing their unicorn friend (there was really nothing subtle about pushing Sea Swirl strongly enough to make her bump me), it didn’t bother me too much. Plus, it helped they were pretty talkative. While Berry Punch had a lot of questions, they were mostly… intimacy driven. Was it really important what kind of mare attracted me the most? Along with Lightning Bolt nudging the unicorn, I was really starting to feel sorry for Sea Swirl.

Tara was a rather interesting person. While it was her first time in Neighagra, it wasn’t her first time in Equestria. She was actually part of the expeditionary group that went to the Gryphon Kingdom more than a year ago.

While this was Nadia's first trip to Neighagra as well, she did considerably more reading about it. She even talked about a human-run bank that had computers. Granted, they weren’t connected to any network, but their processing procedures were faster than a lot of the Equestrian alternatives. They were even using solar panels to run the whole facility. Expensive.

Before we could discuss more, we took a turn at the third corner and immediately spotted the Water Inn. It was a rather large facility, with whitewashed walls and red brick corners. The hotel had a large area of green grass with small trees sporadically placed around it, giving it a warm and colorful organic aesthetic. The all-female group went on ahead, Tara and Nadia waving me goodbyes as they entered, leaving Berry Punch to trot towards the entrance while Lightning Bolt soared in. That left me alone with Sea Swirl, who looked unsure what to do.

“I, um,” Sea Swirl looked at the entrance, then back at me. “I’ll… just be going now.”

I gave her a nod. “Maybe we’ll see each other later?” She seemed to smile at that. Nodding back, she quickly went towards the entrance, leaving distinct clip-clop sounds in her wake.

For the moment, I kept still, sighing when she was gone. Why did I just say that? I wasn’t stupid. Sea Swirl was showing classic signs of being attracted to me. Was I encouraging her? Another part of me was telling me that I was a Gentleman, and my job was to please mares, something I’d had innumerable practice on that end. Was I taking advantage of her?

Before I could delve further into those thoughts, something hard slammed me in the back, grabbing and holding me in place. At the same time, a low, masculine and threatening voice viciously whispered into my ear, “You’re that human that slept with my mare, aren’t you!?”

Holy crap. I went stiff as a board as my heart was trying to jump out of my ribcage. I stayed silent for a moment, my mind running through a few thoughts until something clicked. The voice… it was familiar. A name popped in my head and with it, so did my elbow, hitting my assailant in the gut. I heard a slight ‘oof’ and a coughing sound, his grip loosening enough for me to turn.

“Tom, you asshole,” I muttered, facing a man a few inches taller than me. His hair was curly black with a small ponytail, skin tanned. He would have been described as someone with a smoother facial structure than mine, boyish really, with dark brown eyes that glittered every time he smiled.

Thomas was another Gentleman under Eve’s management. He wore a nicely cut brown suit, white shirt, brown pants and brown shoes. His look was not out of place in a party, an event, or even a date and he carried himself comfortably enough that he didn’t seem to look out of place in the more informal setting of Neighagra either. And he had that goofy smile on his face, which oddly mixed well enough with his expression of mock pain.

“Hey, come on, bro, is that how you greet your friends?” he asked, rubbing his stomach.

I inserted the key and turned the lock. At the click, I immediately entered my room with Thomas in tow. The first thing he did was dart towards the single-seat sofa at the foot of the bed, relaxing as if the room was his. “Yeah, make yourself at home,” I muttered with a roll of my eyes.

“Will do,” he replied, placing his hands on the back of his head.

I shook my head. Leaving him be, I let my eyes roam the room, noting that it was designed for humans. Yellow-orange walls gave the room a warm glow while the higher-than-usual roof (for ponies) gave it a less cramped look. The room design was completed by the grey carpet that covered the entire floor area. A human queen-sized bed was located at my left, with two bedside tables and lamps on both its sides, while on the other had a small closet with a full length mirror and the door that led to what I guessed was the bathroom. In front of me was a glass sliding door that led to a small balcony, and peering outside, it gave a nice view of one of the ten mini-falls in the area. I could see small figures either walking around or swimming in the dish.

God, it looked inviting. When was the last time I had a good swim?

“So, what are you doing here?” I asked Thomas as I walked towards the door, opening it. Yup, I was right; it did lead into a completely furnished bathroom with a shower stall big and comfortable enough for human use. I exited the bathroom, watching Thomas smoothing his jacket with his hand. “What, did Eve ask you to look out for me or something?” I asked as I approached, settling on the foot of the bed.

Thomas scoffed. “While that would be very much in character for her, no, she didn’t ask me to babysit your sorry ass.”

In character for her? What the hell did that mean?

“I’m here on a job,” Thomas continued. “Well, job starts later tonight, but I thought, ‘Why not enjoy the sights while I’m here?’. So, I went around, trying to find a good place to eat, and guess who I see strutting down the street, talking to five beings of the female variety?” His hand suddenly lashed out, slapping me hard on my back so strong the clap echoed in the room. He completely ignored my pained gasp and death glare. “Harry Larson, a.k.a. Wingman. Even when on suspension, he’s still a Gentleman.”

“Actually, it’s medical leave,” I corrected him.

“Toh-mah-toh, toh-may-toe,” Thomas declared. “Though seriously, medical leave? You don’t look sick. What happened?”

“Two or three boosters on my last job. My first. Had a bad reaction to it.”

Thomas cringed. “Okay, that explains it. Platinum Corona was probably just covering her ass. Ever Ring, she probably forced it on you to give you time to shake off any effects.”

“Honestly, the doctor said I was fine. But Eve insisted, so here I am.” I shrugged.

Thomas nodded. “Ah... yeah. She would.” He paused. Rubbing his elbow, he muttered, “Also, Harry... sorry I couldn’t take the last job. I know how you feel about customers in Heat.”

“It’s fine,” I replied. “She wasn’t the overbearing kind and it worked out in the end.”

“Glad to hear that. Oh, and you know what else I’ve heard?”

“What?” I asked.

“I heard that you solicited an Element of Harmony during your job in Ponyville. Nice job, man.”

“Wait, what?” I stood up straight. “How did I…? I didn’t solicit anypony. I just went there and did a job.”

Thomas raised an eyebrow. Not as impressive as my own, believe me. “There’s a letter that was flagged when received. It was from the Element of Generosity. She asked an appointment with a, um, what was that… ah, yes. Quote, ‘A nice, handsome young man with the name of Wingman. The darling generously gave me the opportunity to try out a concept growing in popularity’, unquote. Heck, if you weren’t on suspension, you’d have probably be given the job.”

My legs gave way, making me sit on the bed once more, suddenly feeling too weak to correct him as I found myself with a familiar image popping in my head. I only spent time with her twice, but if what Thomas said was accurate, I knew to whom he was referring. And my head suddenly felt light. “Oh God…” I muttered breathlessly. Rarity? The pure-white elegant unicorn that was doing my suits was the Element of Generosity? “Oh God, I swear I didn’t know.”

Thomas chuckled. “Not a lot of humans do. It’s like winning a damn lottery. Equestrian Laws cover some sort of public type secrecy in regards to the Elements of Harmony, allowing them to live peaceful lives. Princess Celestia herself was the one that wrote and applied the law, so every pony is going to follow it. And you, my friend, landed the biggest client in your career. You know, unless she chooses another Gentleman while waiting for your slow ass.”

“Was that the real reason why I was given medical leave?” I whispered, more to myself. “Did I break a rule or something when I advertised myself to an Element of Harmony?”

“Honestly, dude, if you broke a rule, you’d be told of it, and you’d probably get fired,” Thomas replied. When he saw me staring at him, he shrugged. “Rumor has it that one of Boss’ friends is an Element of Harmony. If that is true, you being given suspension—” I coughed, making him pause and roll his eyes “—ugh, fine, medical leave, it seems too tame of a punishment.”

It made sense. Actually, thinking about it, I reviewed any of the important Gentlemen Rules I could remember. There was nothing that indicated any type of action done in regards to the Elements of Harmony. Thomas was right. Medical Leave, Suspension… if this was indeed a punishment, it seemed a bit too mild. Still, something confused me. “How accurate was your quote?”

“Quite accurate,” Thomas answered with a shrug. “I saw the letter myself.”

“Request letters are quite confidential,” I countered. “Only three people are allowed to read it: A pony from the Receiving Department, the Handler of the Gentleman involved, and of course, the Gentleman.”

It was Thomas’ turn to sweat. He smiled at me nervously before he raised two hands in surrender. “Okay, okay, maybe I didn’t exactly read it. But as far as the quote goes, it’s as accurate as it can be.”

I looked at him. “Are you bribing someone from the Receiving Department?”

“No, I’m not—”

“Because if you are, I’m telling Eve or Platinum,” I finished. A somewhat vindictive pleasure rushed through me when I saw Thomas squirm a bit.

“I’m not bribing anyone there!” Thomas exclaimed. “And before you get into it, it’s not a security breach or something to that effect. Lime just thought that, since you were my friend, you were in trouble, okay?”

I think I stumbled into something. “Lime? Who is Lime? And why would she care if you were my friend?” I asked, noticing Thomas shifting once more, getting very uncomfortable. I didn’t let up. “Tom, who is Lime?”

Thomas sighed. “She’s… my marefriend, okay?”

I found myself utterly speechless. My eyes widened, my mouth agape. For a second my mind was trying to process the thought of Thomas, a friend I’d known since entering the Gentlemen, dating a mare.

“You don’t have to look so disbelieving, you know,” Thomas muttered with a grumble. “Granted, my choice of clientele may leave the impression that I”—I cut him off.

“That you’re a sex addict that only likes mares in heat, those that just want to immediately mount you?” I finished, earning a glare from him.

“I do not just take clients in heat,” he replied.

“Really?” I asked. I received a nod. “So, you being on the job now… it’s a client not in heat?” He only rolled his eyes, crossing his arms across his chest. It was my turn to nod. “Thought so.”

“Oh, for God’s sakes, it has nothing to do with Lime okay?” Thomas muttered, slapping his hands on his thighs. “We met, we talked, and we hit it off. The fact that she even warned me regarding your suspension means she cares.” I gave him a look. “Okay, medical reason. Whatever!” he amended.

“She really isn’t bothered by your job?” I asked. “Does she even know?”

Thomas gave me a deadpanned look. “No, she works in Gentlemen for Mares, receives request letters, so of course she doesn’t know I take clients,” he answered sarcastically, his eyes rolling. “Of course she knows. And she doesn’t particularly care.”

“Really? You’d think a girl would take issue of their boyfriend sleeping around other girls as a job.”

“You lived here for a good while,” Thomas pointed out. “You know they don’t exactly follow human cultural norms.”

“I know that, but they still follow a relationship pattern. Theirs is just polygamy,” I replied. “A stallion sleeping with another mare not of his herd, without even planning to invite her in, is looked down upon.”

“Only because he’s most likely leading her on,” Thomas countered.

“Not to mention the shame the mare will face when she gets pregnant without a herd,” I added.

“That too, but come on, that’s not the point. I’m not leading Lime on, and I doubt I’d be able to get her pregnant of all things. And we’re pretty happy. That’s what counts.”

I nodded. Couldn’t argue with that. Looking towards my right, out towards the balcony, I drank the view of the clear blue skies and the mini-fall. “A relationship, eh?” I sighed.

“Yeah,” Thomas whispered his reply.

“My last client…” I paused as my mind formed a beautiful earth pony with cherry-colored coat and two toned pink mane and tail. “I spent two days with her. She’s… well, let’s just say she had some confidence issues. I took her out somewhere nice. Spent the whole night... doing my job. In the end, she was literally begging me not to leave her.”

Thomas’ eyes looked studious for a moment before he relaxed at the backrest of the chair, his lips forming a small ‘o’. “First time customer, I take it.”

“Yeah.”

“And you put her down gently,” Thomas said, with his voice soft.

“It’s kind of fuzzy, but yeah…” I remembered my words. I spent the second day doing nothing but build Cheerilee’s confidence, only to use that to reject her. Remembering it now, clear-headed, created a gnawing feeling of shame. “I… don’t know if I did the right thing.”

“I know the feeling,” Thomas muttered. He gave a sigh. “Why do you think I like mares in heat? Once I come in, it’s ‘Wham Bang’, and ‘Thank you’, or not, once the Heat is over. They pay me for one thing, not really interested in anything else. It keeps things simple. You, on the other hand...” He trailed off.

“What?” I asked.

“You connect with your clients,” Thomas replied with a shrug. “Honestly, I can’t do that. I mean, I can take them out, dine them, wine them but you... you’re something else.”

I chuckled. “And yet you are the one with a marefriend.”

“Which is what really confuses the hell out of me!” Thomas exclaimed. “You’re more equipped than me, really. You had more practice on it.”

I shrugged. “Maybe.”

“Well, how about that blue unicorn that was shyly thinking of touching you everywhere with her hooves?”

“Hey!”

He ignored me. “She was cute. Talk to her. Get to know her better.”

“I don’t think I should,” I replied.

“What, she’s not your type?” Thomas asked. He stayed silent for a few moments before nodding. “Oh, I get it. You’re more into pegasi.”

“Where the hell… oh, Wingman, right? Very funny.”

Thomas chuckled. “You earned the name, bro. Be proud.”

“Oh shut up,” I replied, irritated.

“Okay, so earth ponies then?”

“No, it’s not that,” I began, but was immediately cut off.

“You’re going for Alicorns? Ballsy. Just know one of them is married, right?”

“No,” I began, adding, “and shut up and let me talk!” when I saw him open his mouth. He complied, much to my relief. “Look, Tom, never really thought about it, okay?”

Thomas stared at me as if I had grown another head. “What the hell do you mean you haven’t thought about it? About what exactly?”

“Relationships,” I muttered.

He was silent for a minute. And no, that wasn’t an expression. He was literally silent for a minute. In that span of time, it was probably one of the most uncomfortable moments in my life. His eyes shifted from left to right, his expression thoughtful and disbelieving at the same time. I was about to leave him to his thoughts when he whispered, “You haven’t thought about having relationships… with what, mares, or just in general?”

I unconsciously scratched the nape of my neck. “Mares, maybe? I don’t know,” I replied. “I guess… I’ve never really thought about it.”

“Okay… why the hell not?” Thomas asked. “The way you handle your clients, I’d have thought this would be something natural for you.”

“Clients are… clients. What I do is a job that I’m well-versed at, correct,” I replied, “but I’ve never really thought about something outside of the job. I mean, honestly, Tom, our job isn’t really a good indication of efficiency or even practice for relationships. We are only hired, most of the time, for a day. We do everything to sell our services, but at the end, we leave, and on to the next client. Relationships are more than just… that. Also, we’re talking about another species. A whole different ball game.”

“They seem quite similar to us, though,” Thomas countered. “Other than the fact they are naturally herbivores and walk on four legs, they are almost… human.”

I sighed again. This room was definitely feeling the brunt of my numerous sighs. “It’s... complicated.”

Thomas looked at me for a moment before he sighed. Great, I got him in on it too. “Okay, so far, all I am hearing from you are logical points in regards to why it might be difficult to have a relationship with a pony,” he began. “You may have said you haven’t thought about it, but you’re shelling out points that say otherwise.” I stayed silent. Thomas gave me a look before he shrugged. “Okay… I guess my question is: Are you willing to pursue a relationship with a pony?”

“I… don’t know,” I replied, truthfully.

“The first step is to try,” Thomas said. “Right now, you have a good opportunity. You’re on break, and you have a nice unicorn mare who’s got the hots for you.”

I shook my head. “I’m not going to use a mare I just met to satisfy a question regarding my views of having an inter-species relationship,” I said.

“Hell, Harry, I’m not asking you to frigging marry her! Just see if you’re actually okay in potentially starting one,” Thomas advised.

“I’m not so sure. With our training, Thomas, we’d literally have them eating out of the palm of our hands. It feels like I’m taking advantage of her,” I said. “Just earlier, I just gave that unicorn a Noble Greeting, something considered intimate to give nowadays,” I muttered. “I had the mare put on the spot because I automatically went through my training… our training.”

“So you have some problems disconnecting,” Thomas replied, shrugging. “It’s not that big of a deal. Mares kinda like the males taking a brave step or two. They find it sexy as hell. Or are you afraid of trying?”

“Are you done?” I asked, trying to cut the conversation short.

Thomas looked at me for a moment, then snorted. “Christ, no wonder she’s having difficulty getting through to you.”

The last part was said in a whisper, but I heard it clearly. “What the hell did you mean by that?” I demanded. “Who’s she?”

Thomas looked at me for a moment, before he shrugged. Immediately, he stood up. “Oh, look at the time. I have to check out some good place to eat before I meet my client. Need the stamina, you know, to rock her world.”

“Thomas—”

Before I could even say anything else, Thomas quickly moved towards the exit, saying, “Alright, I’m out! Just remember what I said, alright? You’ll do great!” and he left me alone, more confused than ever. I stared at the doorway for a few more seconds before lying down on the comfortable bed.

What the hell just happened?

I laid down there for minutes, his words echoing in my head. Someone was trying to get through to me? What did that mean? Also, the whole talk earlier was getting to me. I was already dreaming about my past, with all the colorful bits, and now I have to contend with ideas of relationships as well? It had me spinning as well. And a marefriend? Thomas had a marefriend? I mean, don’t get me wrong, I believe that love can bloom in strangest places. Lyra Heartstrings, who publicly declared her relationship with a human, was a definitive proof. Not to mention seeing a few other couples, mares and men, even a stallion and woman once, as well, but somehow it was always a... background. It never really hit me until a friend of mine showed his willingness to try, and asked me to do the same.

Could I? Shouldn’t it be easy, considering I was trained to please mares? Logically, it should, right? The biggest hurdle in a relationship a human would have to pass was to feel attraction to someone not of their species. Such a hurdle didn’t exist for me anymore, Five Stars thoroughly made sure of that. Yet, for some reason... I couldn’t.

Could I?

I sighed. I couldn’t think. My thoughts were jumbled. My mind felt numb. The only thing I could focus on was the scene out the balcony... the mini-fall, the swimming area, the light reflecting, sparkling on its watery surface with figures splashing around, all under the clear blue skies.

I sat up and looked towards my backpack, imagining myself grabbing my light blue swim trunks. Well, I wasn’t really getting anywhere, might as well take a dive, right?

The water was cool and comfortable. Submerged near the shallow end of the pool, I could hear the muffled sounds of laughter and splashes. The sunlight waved haphazardly, leaving the depths somewhat murky but bright enough for me to spot the legs of any pony, human, or zebra paddling towards the deeper end. I’d have stayed longer if it wasn’t for the fire that was now burning in my lungs. Resurfacing from the watery surface with a little fanfare, I took a deep breath, wiped the water droplets from my eyes and forehead. A few tentative steps later, I checked my surroundings and spotted a lot of foals, human kids, and even griffin children (hatchlings or cubs?) splashing water at each other. Most of the adults were contented with sitting on the sidelines, though I spotted a few griffins and even a few zebras under the mini-waterfall, sitting on their haunches, posed like monks back on Earth.

Walking a few more steps towards the end of the dish, I spotted Sea Swirl just… staring at me. I looked around and didn’t see any of her friends. Making my way to the edge, I spotted my white towel and was about to grab it when a light blue magical aura lifted it from its place. It floated gently towards me. I looked towards the mulberry-coated unicorn, her horn glowing gently even under the bright glare of the sun. I gave her a nod.

“Thanks,” I said. She approached as I began to wipe out the water from my body, ending with hanging up the towel around my shoulders. “Where are your friends?” I asked.

“They’re arranging reservations. You know, to drink later tonight,” Sea Swirl replied, her voice steadier than earlier. She looked much calmer, something I was happy to witness. “Like a bar or something. They’re looking for a place with decent Gryphon and Human alcohol.”

“That’s nice,” I replied. Sea Swirl just nodded. For a moment, we stood there awkwardly, the silence a bit uncomfortable. The unicorn herself looked a bit apprehensive, her calm demeanor slowly cracking. It wouldn’t have been far off to say that she looked like she had forgotten what to do next.

Are you afraid of trying?

Thomas’ words rang in my head, much to my annoyance. I had hoped they wouldn’t bother me for a while, especially since I literally dunked my head in water. But… I guess seeing this poor mare, literally speechless, in front of me had me thinking of my earlier conversation with him. I didn’t know the answer to anything Thomas had asked. However, what I did know was that I wasn’t letting a mare hang out to dry, especially since I could do something about it.

“Have you tried?” I asked.

Sea Swirl suddenly straightened, looking at me oddly. “Tried what?”

I motioned for her to follow. We began to walk towards one of the benches near the edge of the dish. “Alcohol,” I replied as we finally sat down.

“Um, well… I did have Hard Cider once, but Tara said it was pretty mild,” Sea Swirl replied.

“Oh yeah, it is,” I nodded. “Human alcohol tends to be a bit stronger. I don’t know about the Gryphon kind, never really had a try.”

Sea Swirl looked at me oddly. “They import Hard Cider to Earth?” she asked. It was my turn to look at her strangely.

“Um, maybe? Why do you ask?”

“I thought you said it was your first time here in Equestria.”

I shook my head. “It is my first time in Neighagra, but I stayed at Manehattan for a couple of weeks,” I lied. Ah crap, we were going to specific details. I hoped to God she wouldn’t ask anymore. Thankfully, she seemed satisfied with the answer.

“Oh, okay,” Sea Swirl replied. My eyes roamed around her shoulders and barrel, trying to gauge her. I was quite glad to see her relaxing once more. “So, um, how do you like it in Equestria?”

“Beautiful place,” I replied immediately. “And the ponies are also quite friendly. I’ve been enjoying my time here so far.”

“Oh, I’m glad you like it here,” she said with a smile, before it faded once more as we stayed silent. Again, the uncomfortable feeling crept up on us, with Sea Swirl looking around, somewhat desperately, while I began to use the towel to wipe off my already dry shoulders. Oh God, this was seriously awkward. My mind automatically tried to find words to extend or breach a new conversation.

Crap, this is what I would be doing to a client.

Ah, screw it.

“Hey, Sea Swirl,” I began, “how about you? Where do you live in Equestria?”

Her face shone with expression once more. “I actually live in Ponyville… well, most of the time.”

“Most of the time?”

Sea Swirl nodded. “I work there, but on the weekends, I travel, mostly towards Fillydelphia. The beaches between that city and Manehattan are awesome.”

“You love swimming then?” I asked.

“Swimming in the ocean, oh yes,” Sea Swirl replied, her head bouncing slightly as her hooves begin to work, expressing something deeper than her tone and voice could convey. “I mean, yeah, it’s nice to swim in fresh water once in a while… but the sea is so different. The smell, the saltiness... there’s even a small boating company there that would bring you to a small island in the east where you can see dolphins. That’s where I got my Cutie Mark, actually!”

“Nice,” I replied with a smile. “Do you swim with the dolphins there or something?”

“Yup! It’s fun, until some of them get, uh, weird.” I winced. Yeah, I think I know what she meant. “Also, I’ve been learning to surf as well,” Sea Swirl continued. “I’m getting better at standing on my hind legs longer, but it is still a ways to go.”

As she continued, I was once more reminded of the matriarchal nature of Equestria. Role reversal was a pretty common disconnecting theme for any first time visitors in Equestria. Mares dominated almost every aspect of Equestrian life, and if I have my history correct, while Princess Celestia has been promoting gender equality, it was only fifty or so years ago that any real change seemed evident. Even then, there were some things that would confuse humans, especially those of the Western Culture. For example, Sea Swirl was most likely telling me her stories as a means to impress me, trying her best to be entertaining. Usually, back on Earth, it was the other way around.

“Also, yeah, um,” she began, her eyes swiveling left and right. She paused and looked at me. “Am I… talking too much?”

I have to give her credit. She was really trying. And to my surprise, I was enjoying this. So, before I replied, I stuck out my tongue at her. “Yeah, but I don’t mind.”

“Oh, thank Celestia,” she said. “Actually, I wanted to ask you… um…”

“Yes?”

“Are you busy later? Tonight?” Sea Swirl asked. I raised my eyebrow, which immediately got her to pedal back, figuratively. “Oh, I’m sorry, did I do something wrong?”

“Uh, no, not really,” I replied. “I just want to be clear: are you asking me out?”

“I, uh…” Sea Swirl sighed. “Yes. I’m asking you out,” she declared.

“How about your friends?” I wondered.

“What do you mean?” Sea Swirl asked, with her head turning. It gave me an impression that she was suspicious and that I should watch what I was going to say next.

“You guys are vacationing together, right?” I clarified. “I don’t want to get between you girls.”

“Oh, um… okay. Good point. I guess I could ask them, if that’s okay,” Sea Swirl began, somewhat unsure.

“Yeah, I think that could be—”

I was cut off when Lightning Bolt suddenly spoke up behind me. “I think that’s cool.”

I rarely experienced the feeling of my bones wanting to jump out of my skin. This was one such. And seeing Sea Swirl’s eyes go comically wide, she wasn’t aware her friend was behind me either. Both of us turned to the newcomer, who was flying just a few inches above my head with a knowing smile.

“Lightning Bolt!” Sea Swirl squeaked. Yes, squeaked. It was a rather cute squeak.

“Nadia and I were looking all over for you,” Lightning Bolt started, then looked at me and winked. “I knew I should have just started looking for you, dude.”

“It was just a coincidence!” Sea Swirl countered, springing up from her position. “I saw him, and… it was just a coincidence!” she repeated.

“Sure, sure,” the pegasus friend replied, sounding very doubtful. “Hey, if you wanted some alone time with him, you could have just waited unt—”

“Let’s go!” Sea Swirl declared. Whatever Lightning Bolt was about to say was cut off when the unicorn’s horn glowed. A magic aura surrounded the winged pony and pulled her away with a hard yank.

“Oh come on, Sea Swirl, it was a joke!” Lightning Bolt muttered as she was pulled away, mid-air. When the unicorn was unresponsive, the pegasus looked at me. “Hey, I was being serious! We’re going to Crash after dinner! It’s a bar! You’re welcome to join us!”

My hand rose, stupidly suspended in mid-air for a few seconds before it finally decided to wave goodbye. My eyes were still locked on the retreating ponies, a unicorn who was looking decidedly much angrier than her compatriot, making my brain half-wonder if I should be laughing or should just stay stunned. What the hell just happened? Was I just asked out?

I went through the motions; returned to the hotel, dressed up, and ate dinner. After that, I think my brain finally realized at some point that I was woefully unprepared for Sea Swirl. Heck, maybe it was more accurate to say is I was not prepared to be asked on a date, at least outside of work. And worse, Thomas’ words were still echoing on the darker recesses of my mind, like some bad record that just wouldn’t shut up.

Maybe I was curious, or maybe I was being a damn idiot because before I knew it, I was in front of said bar. According to Tourist’s Guide to Equestria, Crash was considered the bar that defined Neighagra nightlife, without exaggeration. It started out as a small bar, initially built with a partnership between an earth pony and a human. It was slowly and steadily built up and expanded until it became the go-to place for everyone. Rumor had it, it also served the friendlier Diamond Dogs that lived near here, in peace with the ponies.

The front had ‘Crash’ written in tubes of bright neon lights of green, blue, red, and pink. It even had an image of a water wave. Honestly, the design of the club didn’t look much different from the ones you’d find back at home, east or west coast. Heck, if one didn’t know better, they’d think they were back on Earth. The design was very human, even though the lights weren’t powered by electricity.

I looked down at myself, wearing a pair of black loafers, a pair of clean new slacks, and a white shirt, courtesy of Miss Rarity, who just yesterday I thought was just a normal yet lovely unicorn. Looking up ahead, I could feel the thumping of bass vibrate out and cascading over my clothes and skin. I was no stranger to Pony bars and their music, which they affectionately called ‘wub’, but I still winced when I entered through the doors due to the volume.

The music only got louder as I entered. I made my way through a hall towards another set of doors. The vibrations in the air were getting more violent, pitches and tempos of a song now getting more and more apparent. Entering the doorway, I was greeted with an image of a mass of bodies, highlighted by colored lights that shifted between purple, blue and green in rhythm with the beat of the music, with flashing white lights that gave the illusion of time slowing in every second. There was a bar directly in front of me, past the open area where humans, ponies and zebras were bustling with movement, couches and seats lining and hugging the wall, with a few side bars served by either humans or unicorns.

I walked along the edges, away from the dancing crowd in the center, and made my way towards the main bar. Behind the counter were a few bartenders, humans and unicorns, mixing and swinging bottles around, putting them on trays. I tried to look around, see if I could spot any of the mares or women that I met earlier, but with the sporadic lighting, all I could really see was gyrating movements in slow-motion. I was on the verge of leaving when I noticed a familiar-looking earth pony coming towards the bar.

“Berry Punch?” I asked.

It was indeed Berry Punch. The mare looked towards me, blinked, then smiled. “About time. We’re ordering our second batch,” she shouted over the music. “Join us!”

After I decided on getting a vodka martini, shaken, and insisted on paying for it (Berry Punch offered to ‘hoof’ the bill), the earth pony guided me towards where they all sat down. It was an enclosure near the bar wall, the inside lit dimly by a light emanating from crystals placed randomly on the wood-and-glass enclosure walls. The entrance of the enclosure was actually strings of beads that draped down. Thanks to the lighting from the interior and the transparency of the drape, I could see Lightning Bolt, Nadia, Tara, and Sea Swirl already sipping on their glasses.

The first thing I noticed when we entered the private quarters was the drastic decrease in volume. I suspected the walls, or maybe the crystals themselves, were enchanted to allow guests to enjoy their conversations without fully drowning out the ambiance of the bar. The next was that the seats were actually one connected u-bench that was wide enough for ponies to sit on their haunches, and a table low enough as to not tower over them.

“Hey, guess who I brought with me?” Berry Punch announced.

Tara, Nadia, Sea Swirl and Lightning Bolt looked up. Seeing me, the unicorn gave a somewhat lopsided smile.

“Hey, you totally came!” Sea Swirl greeted.

“Yup. I did totally come,” I replied. That got Tara to giggle. I gave her a small nod. It seems someone knew her movies.

“Hey Harry,” the blonde said, giving me a smile in return.

“Hey guys,” I acknowledged the rest.

Lightning Bolt stood up from her position. “A little late, aren’t you?” Lightning Bolt asked, grinning as she guided me to my seat, then sat down beside me.

“Better late than never, right?” Berry Punch replied, laughing as she sat right beside Lightning Bolt. It finally hit me. The way they positioned me, it had me sit right beside Sea Swirl. They effectively boxed us in.

“Not very subtle, are you guys?” I asked.

“I have no idea what you’re talking about,” Berry Punch declared. “More importantly, cheers!”

“Cheers!”

Glasses were raised. Clinks were heard. Four pair of eyes looked at my direction before looking at each other, giggling and smiles passed around as if congratulating themselves on a job well done, and finished whatever drinks they had.

“Sorry,” Sea Swirl whispered as she settled her own glass down. Her voice was low enough for only me to hear. I looked at her for a moment. She looked... well, there was a tinge of red on her cheeks with a bit of a swirling tone in her voice. There was something I couldn’t help but find adorable in her expression.

“No worries,” I said. I patted her in her shoulders, a gesture I knew was definitely just friendly... well, except for the pegasi. Shoulders tend to be an intimate contact point for them.

After a moment, the unicorn server came in with a tray of six drinks in various glasses. I recognized margaritas served to Nadia and Tara. Berry Punch got a glass full of what looked like red wine. Lightning Bolt got either a Blue Elephant or Alaskan Iced Tea. Sea Swirl... I blinked. Sea Swirl magically grabbed what looked like a glass of whiskey on the rocks. I grabbed my vodka martini and all of us clinked our glasses together.

“To strangers well met!” Nadia declared.

“Hear, hear!”

Maybe it was Equestrian culture, but drinking with mares was almost like drinking with the guys... except they, at times, hit on you. While Berry Punch and Lightning Bolt were not overly forward, the more drinks they had, the more they kept trying to lead Sea Swirl (who was getting redder and redder) and I together. Tara and Nadia were more alert, eyeing me at times, but slowly the alcohol began to loosen them up as well.

Berry Punch owned a vineyard and had a business of making sparkling grape juices. She planned to go to Earth and see if she could study our winemaking, and Tara had promised to help her out. Lightning Bolt was a weather mare that was assigned over Ponyville, but had plans to apply as one of the first weather pegasi on Earth. Apparently negotiations were taking place to hire out the pegasi and their weather-controlling abilities for some countries back at home. Nadia, I couldn’t read much as she got progressively more quiet the more she drank, but Tara talked enough for both of them. Apparently, she resided in Canterlot, and she was assigned to help her friend, some guy named Marco, staying in the Gryphon Kingdom.

“And he’s freaking pushy too! He’s doing some sort of... plan, to help the griffins out,” Tara muttered. “Honestly, he worries too much. He’s probably just being showy because he has that griffin girlfriend of his.” She downed another glass of margarita. “Hey, we need more drinks here!”

“I got it...” Berry Punch muttered, slowly rising from her position. Her legs looked a bit shaky, but she was still walking a straight line.

“Thanks!” Tara shouted, a few seconds after Berry Punch disappeared from view. Her rant continued, “I mean, seriously, what does he want with the Free Portal Act? All it does is—”

“Tara,” Nadia cut in. “Don’t talk details of work. It’s boring!” she declared with a slight slur on ‘boring’. “You’re boring us. Talk about something more fun!”

Tara looked at her, Lightning Bolt, Sea Swirl and me. “They don’t look bored,” she insisted. She looked at me. “Hey, Stalker-boy”—did she seriously call me that?—“Am I boring you?”

Before I could answer, Nadia replied, “Of course he’s going to say you aren’t! He’s nice man, a gentleman, really.” And exactly at the end of that sentence, I jumped as a loud slam boomed around me, complete with clinking sound of ice cubes swirling around glass. I looked at the offending item, a whiskey glass surrounded by a blue aura, and my eyes traveled immediately towards Sea Swirl, who was wearing a scarily angry expression.

“He’s not a Gentleman!” the unicorn shouted, practically silencing the table. “He’s not,” she repeated, more softly this time. “Don’t compare him to those human comfort horses!”

Lightning Bolt was first to recover. She waved her forelegs in a subduing fashion. “Whoa, wait a minute, Sea Swirl, hold on, Nadia didn’t mean it that way.”

Tara, who was sitting beside Sea Swirl, nodded, looking a bit more sober. “Yeah. Nads was just saying Harry’s nice. She really didn’t mean anything by it.”

Nadia was also nodding, frowning as she said, “I’m sorry, Sea Swirl.”

Sea Swirl, if possible, turned even redder. I thought she was getting angrier, but the way her expression seemed to deflate, her emotions were running in a different direction. “Okay... but he’s not!” she muttered weakly, before she looked at Tara. “I need to go to the mare’s room.”

“Yeah, sure,” Tara replied. The blonde looked at her companion. “Nads, scoot over, will ya?”

With the humans out of the way, Sea Swirl made her way towards the exit, without looking at me. Initially, she walked in a straight and calm manner, only to make a run for it as she exited through the draped beads. Exactly three seconds later, Berry Punch came in, looking mightily confused.

“Was that Sea Swirl?” the earth pony asked.

“My fault,” Nadia replied immediately. “I kinda accidentally called Harry here a ‘gentleman’.”

“Ah,” Berry Punch said, nodding with understanding. I didn’t.

“Okay, what the hell is going on?” I asked. I think my outburst surprised them. Understandable, as I was pretty much quiet the whole time they were drunkenly spilling out their guts. Hell, I wasn’t that buzzed yet, with my third glass of vodka martini, which was not even half-finished. But come on... what the hell just happened? I stared at everyone and everypony, who all looked at each other, probably contemplating how much to tell this total stranger they just met that morning. “What was that all about?” I finished.

“Well... Gentlemen are sort of human, um, escorts,” Nadia started, waiting for Tara to take her seat once more. Tara did while making a ‘psh’ sound with her lips.

“What Nads here means is that Gentlemen are manwhores.”

“Tara!” Nadia admonished, but the blonde continued.

“There’s a big shot company in Equestria that legally hires out human males as bed companions for mares. Funny, considering how escort stallions are illegal.”

Berry Punch grunted as she sat back in her original position. “Comfort horses are not, technically, illegal. But pressure was placed on the companies because of two things: one, the companies that hired them out were limiting the already short number of stallions, and two, the companies weren’t willing to submit to the new labor laws. As far as the Equestrian government is concerned, the human escort company... what was it called again?”

“Gentlemen for Mares or something,” Tara replied.

“Whatever. That company is paying their taxes and they are also following the revised labor laws. I wouldn’t be surprised if these Gentlemen were treated rather well. Better than most of the comfort horses too.”

I kept my mouth shut and neutered my expression.

“Wouldn’t mind hiring one now and then,” Lightning Bolt muttered, earning a disbelieving look from Nadia. The pegasus looked at her. “What? It’s not fair you humans get all the males.”

Berry Punch laughed. “Just don’t go showing off in front of Sea Swirl. She hates them. Gentlemen or comfort horses.”

“I got it, I got it,” Lightning Bolt muttered.

“Honestly, I do not get why you ponies are so much more open about having intimate relationships with another species,” Nadia muttered. “I mean, I like you girls and all, but it’s going to be a long while before I find you guys attractive.”

“It’s ‘cause you’re a prude,” Tara declared, earning an elbow from the annoyed-looking brunette. “It was a joke, a joke!”

Berry Punch giggled slightly. “It’s probably because we have more practice than you humans. We lived with griffins, zebras, dragons, and other species for thousands of years. We had a few mixed relationships over the course of our history. ”

“Granted, not a whole lot of them work out,” Lightning Bolt muttered. “But humans are... different.”

“How so?” Nadia asked.

“Well, your claws, or fingers as you guys call them, are blunt, soft, and warm. Lyra hit the nail right on the head when she said they were amazing. And also, how you humans smell,” Berry Punch replied.

Nadia frowned. “What, do we stink?”

Tara blinked before she chortled. Lightning Bolt chuckled as well, but she shook her head.

“Not at all. You guys smell really nice to us,” the pegasus answered. “And there’s also that whole ‘paying attention to the lady’ attitude. It’s... nice compared to what we usually have.” She gave me a smile, patting me gently on my arm with her hoof. That earned her a nudge from Berry Punch.

“Lightning, hands off the merchandise,” the earth pony muttered, chuckling nervously as she looked at me. “Hey, you’ve been quiet the whole time. Come on, tell us about yourself.”

I look at my glass, still more than half-full of drink. With a swig, I dumped the entire contents down my throat. After coughing a fit, I muttered, “Okay, but I need a new drink.”

Berry Punch perked up. “I can get it.”

“Thanks, but no,” I replied with a smile. “I’d rather get it myself. Um, scoot over please?”

Berry Punch and Lightning Bolt looked a bit disappointed, but moved out of the way. Walking towards the bead drapes, I heard Tara say, “Man, its like watching a bunch of jocks scare away the cute girl,” before I crossed over the magic field that kept the thrumming noise of the bass at bay. The club’s music now reverberated around me as I walked towards the bar, empty glass in hand. I noted that there were more dancers on the floor, with the music going slightly slower than earlier.

Sea Swirl stood in a section of the main bar, in front of a bartender. She was magically lifting a half-empty glass of whiskey. From this angle, I thought she had quite a distant look on her face. Heck, she didn’t even spot me when I stopped right beside her.

“Whatcha need?” the bartender asked.

“Another vodka martini,” I replied. I placed the empty glass on the table. “I’ll go for stirred this time.”

“Very good, then,” the bartender said, taking my glass. He grabbed a new one, readied the bottles, and began to work.

I stole a glance at Sea Swirl. She had been eyeing me, but quickly turned her head. For a moment, we stood there, as silently as we could in a bar full of techno music. I watched her nervously tip her glass magically to her mouth and begin to swallow big gulps of the alcohol somewhat impressively. It wasn’t until the bartender served me my drink did she finally speak.

“Are they calling me back?” Sea Swirl asked. She still didn’t look at me directly. When I shook my head, she sighed. “I’m... sorry for, um, storming out like that.”

“Its okay,” I replied and took a sip from my drink. “They explained.”

Sea Swirl’s head turned so fast I thought she snapped her neck. Her eyes widened, mouth opened for a second before her expression turned even more depressing. “Th-they did?” she asked, almost inaudible with the music in the bar.

“They just said you hated Gentlemen,” I clarified. “Nothing more.”

“Oh...” and Sea Swirl sighed.

I looked at her for a moment. I felt somewhat... sorry for her. I might not fully know the answer in regards to my views of relationships with a mare, but what I did know was that I couldn’t stand seeing a down mare. Blame it on staying two years in Equestria, being a Gentleman for customers who were, in more ways than one, just lonely ponies looking for companionship. Or maybe it was just me, something I hadn’t fully understood consciously. All I knew was that I just wanted to cheer her up.

“Not something you’d like to talk about, I’m guessing,” I asked, taking a sip from my glass.

Sea Swirl looked at me for the moment, probably gauging me before she chuckled. “Yup. I am not drunk enough to explore that troll cavern.”

I laughed, more on the expression rather than statement. “Troll cavern?”

“Nasty things,” Sea Swirl replied.

“I’ll take your word for it,” I said. “Though I’m curious... how drunk would you have to be to explore that?”

“Honestly, drunk enough to forget there was a cave in the first place,” Sea Swirl muttered as she took a sip from her glass before she lifted the glass away, her cheeks flushing red as she let out a whoosh of air from her lips. “Wooh, Celestia. You weren’t kidding when you said your stuff was stronger.”

I nodded, taking a sip of my own drink. “We got plenty more where that came from. Different whiskeys, then you get to tequilas, cocktails, mixes, beer, wine, etcetera and etcetera.”

“You humans amaze me,” Sea Swirl muttered, taking another swig. She probably swallowed a wee bit more than she could handle because she coughed a bit afterwards. “You have so many cool things.”

“Yeah, well, we’re good like that,” I replied with a slight smirk. “I think magic is awesome though.”

“Really? I’m not talented at it,” Sea Swirl began, taking another sip, finishing her glass. She looked at the bartender. “Another!” she shouted before looking back at me. “My talent is to swirl water and play with dolphins.”

“Well, that’s really more than what I can do,” I said. “Though I can do something no pony can.”

She smiled. “Really? And what’s that?”

“I can snap my fingers,” I said, earning a disbelieved look from Sea Swirl. For better effect, I actually snapped my fingers in front of her, smiling as widely as I could. “Bet you can’t do that.”

A snort came out of Sea Swirl’s nose, a cute one, really, before it turned to full blown laughter. “You are nice,” she muttered, taking hold of the newly prepared glass and drinking once more. “You are really nice.”

“I try,” I replied, finishing my own drink. I signaled the barman for another. The martini was really good.

Sea Swirl went silent again. Her eyes trained mostly on her glass. There was a slightly different feel to it than the awkward silence we had earlier. For one, the unicorn looked contemplative, as if trying to form the words in her head. It gave me time to wait out the barman, who served my drink just before she spoke up again. “Um… can I ask you something?”

“You just did.”

Sea Swirl blinked. Maybe the alcohol was slowing her thoughts because it took her a good second or two before she replied, “Oh, haha. No, I’m serious.”

“Go ahead,” I said.

“Um… well… how do you feel about ponies?” Sea Swirl asked.

I swallowed another mouthful of vodka. “What do you mean by that?” I replied.

“Well, I mean, um…” Sea Swirl paused for a moment, staring at her glass. She suddenly drank the still-sizable amount completely, making her cough hard, repeatedly. When it lasted for more than three seconds, I signaled the barman.

“Hey, can you get me some water?” I asked. The barman nodded. I knelt down towards Sea Swirl, patting both sides of her barrel gently. “Hey,” I began gently, “you okay?”

Sea Swirl coughed once more before she gave me a nod. She stared at me for a moment, her cheeks flushed, almost glowing, before she placed a kiss on my cheek. I smelled the alcohol in her breath, the slightly salty aquatic scent of her coat; I felt the prickly hairs of her cheek rubbing slightly against mine, her wet lips warm on contact with my skin. I blinked as the kiss retreated quickly as it came. Sea Swirl retreated back, her eyes wide with fear and apprehension and a little bit of disbelief, as if she just realized what she just did.

“I… oh Celestia, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to… oh no, why did I… oh Celestia, I’m really sorry about that! I didn’t mean to…!” The unicorn was about to retreat. I could see her hind legs shuffling while her front legs teetered from side to side. My hand moved automatically and cupped her cheeks.

“Hush,” I said simply. I let my fingers slowly relax, letting them move gently through her cheeks. “Sea Swirl… was that the question you couldn’t ask?” All she did was nod. I nodded back. “I don’t mind,” I said.

“You… don’t?” Sea Swirl asked, surprised. I looked at her, my eyes wandering over her soft-blue coat, two-toned blue mane, and rose-colored eyes, all mashing in one appealing feature. Her shoulders were broad, her legs were strong. I couldn’t see her flanks and rear from where I was, but at this point, I was falling back to my training, my mind buzzed with enough alcohol to squash almost any lingering doubt.

“Do you want me?” I inquired.

“Yes… if you don’t mind.”

“I don’t.” And our lips met. I parted hers to let my tongue enter, enjoying the strong taste of whiskey that lingered in her mouth as it lashed against hers. My hands roamed around her neck, one going down to rub her shoulders, the other upwards towards her ear, fingers slowly teasing the base of her horn. Sea Swirl sloppily responded back. She was either too inebriated to respond properly or in a current state of disbelief. I didn’t blame her. I, the supposedly vacationing human, was leading the way in this dance of tongues.

When we separated, I could see her face flushed so bad that her face almost glowed. Actually… she was glowing. Her horn was steadily getting brighter.

“Want to, um, go back to Water Inn?” Sea Swirl muttered, words slurring slightly.

“Your room or mine?” I asked.

“Yours. I want you for myself,” the unicorn replied.

The trip back had a lot of stumbling, on both our parts, but I was pretty sure Sea Swirl took the cake. Slamming into a tree was definitely an indicator. Heck, I had to stop her and ask if she wanted to rain check, but she adamantly refused. By the time we reached my room, she was already haphazardly using her magic to try and lift me to bed. She missed and hit a desk lamp instead.

“Stop moving,” Sea Swirl giggled.

“Patience,” I muttered as I kneeled down and kissed her neck. I felt her moan and purr as I began to unbutton my shirt. Sloppily, I let my tongue wander, enjoying the slightly tangy salty flavor of her coat. By the time I got my pants loose enough, I was kissing the base of her horn.

“Oh, Celestia, you’re good at this,” Sea Swirl muttered, enjoying the ministrations I was giving. Her body shivered at my touches, and I could feel her quaking all over. My lips slowly climbed higher, letting my tongue touch her increasingly brightening horn as she held her breath. I left ghosts of fluttering kisses. By the time I reached the top, she was ready to collapse on all fours.

We slowly made our way to the bed. I helped Sea Swirl remove her horseshoes and we clambered up the bed. She immediately pinned me down. The mattress was soft, yet solid at the same time. And the mare on top of me was even softer, warmer, her hooves feeling wonderful on my chest. Her lips met mine once before she turned and showed me her marehood.

“Lick me.”

My hands and fingers gingerly moved over her lower lips, fingers exposing her pink folds. Sitting up slightly, I slowly, teasingly, began to lick her.

“Ooh…” Sea Swirl moaned. I felt her hooves go over my boxers, her breath warm through the cotton. Her hooves succeeded in removing my underwear, exposing my erection for her tongue to lovingly encircle and jerk. We stayed like that for a few minutes, enjoying ourselves with each other. Her lips moistened and I could feel a few dribbles at the side of my lips while Sea Swirl was now using both her hooves and mouth to please me.

Coincidentally, while humans called this position sixty-nine, the ponies called it the ‘swirl’. I guess our unicorn’s talent was not just for waters and dolphins, eh?

Still, as skilled as she was at this, I had more practice. By the end, she was moaning more and more. I did not mind. I kept my rhythm, feeling more and more satisfied as her whimpers and mutterings were getting louder and louder.

“Oh, Celestia, I’m so close,” she muttered, slurred and slowly getting out of it. With that, I slowly moved my hands towards her teats, my fingers gently, in circles, squeezed them. Her body began to shake, legs quaking as my tongue found her clitoris. My fingers, my tongue… they were too much for her. With a final moan, she went rigid as her lips began to wink at me, slowly spurting out a few fluids. I didn’t let up. I continued to lick, earning more sprays of her orgasm before she finally collapsed on top of me, her coat prickling over my sensitive member.

I expected her to move. I expected her to pant, look at me. Heck, I expected her to use her position to tease me, licking me. Instead, what I got was an unmistakable soft sound of snoring.

“Sea Swirl?” I asked. No response. I shook her hips. “Sea Swirl!”

More snoring. Oh, you have got to be kidding me. I tried to sit up as much as I could, trying to check, and sure enough, Sea Swirl’s head was down, her barrel barely expanding with each breath. Luckily enough, she collapsed in a way that didn’t impede my breathing, but as hard as I tried, I couldn’t move her off of me. After my third time, I just gave up, and accepted the fact I just earned myself a warm, fuzzy blanket. I sighed.

“Well… at least the view is nice,” I whispered, mostly to myself. Amazingly, as if in response, Sea Swirl’s tail swished and slapped me across my face.

Great. I’m still erect, and a cute pony is on top of me, sleeping. Here’s to hoping Thomas never hears of this.

Author's Note

Here we go.

This arc is a two parter once more which I'll get to continue once my next FH chapter is done. Thanks to shira, coandco, murphy, grey_conscience for their help, to Starman for giving it a look, and to Typewriterpony for assistance and allowing me to use some of the elements of his story.

And again, sorry for the shortage of the more cloppy material. Next chapter will most likely have more. :rainbowlaugh:

Enjoy people.

EDIT: Realized that Tara was blonde, not a redhead. Corrected that.

Gentleman Falls

“So, how’d it go?”

I looked up and saw Ever Ring walking towards me, magically lifting a glass of water. God, I hoped it was cold. Grabbing the glass, I gave it a nice long sip. Ever Ring sat right beside me, looking at me expectantly.

“It went okay,” I replied after finishing the glass. “I honestly expected to be given… practical tips, like how to pace myself or something.” I looked back towards the room, remembering my lessons. It left me a bit confused. “Did I just learn etiquette?” I asked, mostly to myself.

Ever Ring smiled. “Not much etiquette but more like the most important aspect of being a Gentleman: treating your mares, your customers, right.” She looked at me. “Do you think the lectures are unimportant?”

I shook my head. “No. I know it’s important,” I replied. When Ever Ring gave me an odd look, I raised my hands defensively. “No, really. I get it. The lectures are to ensure that we treat our clients with every bit of respect and attention that they want.”

“Technically, it’s to protect the Gentlemen from litigations,” Ever Ring advised, “but yes. Knowing how to treat a mare is more important than the actual act of sex. Think of it this way: while a customer expects how the night will end, it’s what comes before it that brings them back. They want to be treated right. They want to be showered with attention. They want to be a special pony for someone, even if it’s just for the night.”

I thought back on Five Stars. “Mares are lonely creatures,” I said. Eve stared at me for a few moments.

“Not all of them,” she replied. I noticed she had a peculiar expression when she added, “But most of them are.”

My eyes opened to greet Celestia’s sun. That was my first mistake. My head responded by telling me that my brain either had swollen to twice its regular size or I might have had too much alcohol last night. I could only groan as I raised my hand towards my forehead, eyes closing to take away the brightness. I tried to remember what happened. There was a bar, some drinking, and—oh.

Daring to open my eyes, it took a moment for my vision to adjust, but I immediately realized that no pony lay on top of my naked body. Sea Swirl must have moved last night. Yup, there she was, curled right beside my hip, snoring gently. Her tail flicked once in a while, exposing herself ever so slightly in a way that had me thinking lustful thoughts.

Memories of last night were a bit hazy, but I recalled kissing her there. I also recalled my hands moving along her sides, fingers going through her mane. That was pretty much enough to get my blood pumping, letting my imagination flow. I could wake her up with gentle kisses to her neck, have my fingers roam around her barrel and flanks. She would not need to do a thing. The unicorn could lay there as I showed her my appreciation of her beauty.

Then my mind recalled something else.

“She hates them. Gentlemen or comfort horses.”

My hands covered my face. A groan escaped my lips. Damn it, how drunk was I to forget that? I looked at Sea Swirl, watching as her barrel expanded in rhythm with her breathing. I could smell her scent, aquatic with a bit of saltiness, alcohol, and musk. I imagined one of my hands brushing through her coat, the other rubbing her underside, with my lips around her horn.

I got up from the bed and went immediately to the bathroom. Entering the shower stall, I opened the cold tap and let the icy waters wash over my body, removing any... inappropriate thoughts inside my head. I sighed. There was definitely something nice about having a mare in the room, something nice about staying in.

This wasn’t the first time I’d felt this. My mind traveled back to Five Stars and my first night in Equestria, ending in her bed after a night of carnal pleasures that left me dazed. I remembered Cheerilee and our two nights together in Ponyville, waking up in her bed after the first night. I remembered Eve in my bed, after she nursed me back to health. The feel of a warm being beside you, freed from the responsibility of sneaking away, was very addictive.

It made me feel less… lonely.

I remembered Sea Swirl, her reaction when someone had called me a gentleman. Maybe I was lucky that she conked out before the act because there was no way I was going to escape her wrath if she found out.

Raising my head to meet the falling cold water, I felt a bit put off.

Leaving the shower stall had me wide awake and ready for the new day. Granted, I was still confused on how to deal with Sea Swirl, more so when I exited the bathroom and saw her staring at me with wide eyes. A small languid smile appeared on her face as she scanned me from head to toe. I was pretty sure I knew where her imagination was going.

“Oh, hey,” she said.

“Good morning,” I replied.

Sea Swirl looked at me for a few seconds longer before her eyes went down to the floor, her left foreleg making circles on the carpet. “I, uh, blacked out, didn’t I?”

I nodded. “Yeah.”

“Oh, Celestia,” she moaned. “I’m so sorry. I don’t know if it was the alcohol, or maybe because we were tired from the trip. I honestly didn’t want to leave the night like that! Really!”

“It’s oka—”

“Let me make it up to you,” Sea Swirl offered. I blinked. “Let’s have lunch!” she continued, giving me a winning smile. “I’ll pay. It’s the least I can do.”

“No, um, its fine, Sea Swirl,” I began. “You don’t have to—”

“Alright, it’s settled!” Sea Swirl nodded, multiple times. Was she even listening to me? “I know a good place that has human food,” she continued, “we can meet at the reception area! Let’s say, at around eleven?”

Wow. Honestly, wow. Sea Swirl seemed so different from yesterday, being daring only after she had downed a couple of icebreakers. Now, she was seriously adamant about this. Heck, she was actually giving me a look, as if daring me to say no. After a moment, when I didn’t respond, she looked down on the floor and whispered, “I may have blacked out last night, but I still remember.” I could see Sea Swirl blush. “You were… amazing,” she said. She looked up, her face set in a determined expression. “If you think I’m letting you go that easy, think again.” Her expression gave way, transforming to—

Oh no. Please don’t.

She bowed her head, just a little, and displayed her huge beautiful eyes to me, pouting ever so slightly, just enough to make my heart stop. “So please,” she begged, “say yes.”

Say no, Harry. Just say no. Shake your head, Harry.

After a moment passed, I nodded. Her face glowed.

“Good. I’ll see you then!” she exclaimed and slowly made her way to the front door, swaying her hips while she was at it. Before she exited, she slowly turned her head, blush fully blooming from her cheeks. Her eyes narrowed, transforming her expression to that of longing, which added sensuality to her gaze. “We’ll, uh, continue on from last night afterwards. This time, I’ll be the one to, uh, knock you out.”

Sea Swirl immediately dashed towards the door and slammed it shut with her magic. I smiled. I couldn’t help it really. There was something cute in the way she was acting, and sexy too. It was probably one thing that makes Equestrian ponies so fascinating. They embody both characteristics in one tempting package.

Then I realized that I had just accepted a lunch date with a mare who hated my line of work. I groaned. Walking to my bed, I fell face first to the mattress. It smelled of her—an oceanic fragrance with a floral hint. It reminded me of last night.

I groaned again. Damn it, I just had a cold shower.

There was a knock on my door. With a sigh, I rolled over and sat upright, and made my way towards the doorway. While I wasn’t exactly in the mood to receive visitors, I really could use the distraction. I checked the upper peephole (the other was in the middle of the door, for pony guests) and spotted Thomas smiling on the other side.

I think I groaned again. This was definitely my groaning day. “Thomas, hold on. I’m getting dressed.”

“Oh, do you have company?” Thomas replied. “Should I return later?”

“Just shut up and wait,” I muttered.

“Okay, loverboy!”

Just for that, I dressed as slowly as I could and took my sweet time towards the door before I let him in. His smile never wavered though, as he entered the room. He scanned me from head to toe, while I did the same. I noticed he still wore the same suit he had yesterday, though now it had wrinkles everywhere.

“Hey, morning sleepy head. Did you get lucky yesterday?” Thomas asked, wiggling his eyebrows.

I stared at him. “Huh.”

“What?” he asked.

“Considering you got a customer in heat, you seem a bit too spry this morning.”

“Eh, I had help,” he said. “Having two other Gentlemen does lighten the load.”

My eyes widened. “Wha—? Three?”

“Yup,” Thomas replied. “We’re contracted for a week.”

I… wow. While not unheard of, hiring more than one Gentleman was pretty rare. I mean, the in-heat rates were already higher than normal, and this pony hired three Gentlemen for a week? Thomas’s customer must be very, very rich.

“So, considering that you needed to dress up, I’m guessing you did get lucky last night. Is there any place I should not touch?” Thomas asked as he made his way to an armchair at the corner of the room.

“I think I was too drunk to remember,” I began as Thomas sat down, “but I do believe I may have peed on that armchair.”

There was something funny about seeing a grown man sitting down, only to try and stop at the very last moment and failing. For a second, Thomas had a bewildered expression—disbelief mixed with trepidation. I could barely stifle my chuckle. After a moment passed, he gave me a wry grin. “Yeah, nice try, Harry. The day you lose enough control while drunk to do that, I’ll grow wings and join the Wonderbolts.”

“Fooled you for a moment, didn’t I?” I asked, smirking.

“Yeah, yeah, whatever,” Thomas muttered. He looked at me. “So, busy night? And don’t bother to deny it,” he added quickly when I was about to reply.

“I didn’t even say anything yet!”

“Yeah, but knowing you, you were about to deny that a unicorn just came out of your room, blushing crimson red and humming quite happily,” Thomas replied, smile widening.

That got me to cover my face. “Oh, God,” I muttered. “Oh, man. You just had to remind me.”

“What’s wrong?”

I looked at Thomas, contemplating on whether or not I'd tell him. By the time I sat down on the bed, I told him. I talked to him about last night, about having drinks with her friends. I talked about how Sea Swirl reacted when Nadia had called me a gentleman, and I also talked about how in a drunken haze, both Sea Swirl and I spent the night without crossing the threshold—minus the details, of course. Good friend or not, there are some things you don’t share with anyone else.

“Sea Swirl, huh?” Thomas said. He looked at me. “Is this the same shy unicorn from yesterday? Damn, you must have done something right.”

“I think she was more nervous that she was going to scare me away,” I said.

“And now that you’ve shown that you have inclination and found her attractive, she’s going on full attack? Wow, you lucky bastard.” Thomas chuckled. “Mares like that can be pretty unstoppable.”

I groaned. Yes, this was definitely my groaning day. “I know. Now, in my own stupidity—”

“Spinelessness, rather,” Thomas interrupted. I gave him a look, and he shrugged in return.

“In my own stupidity, I just said yes to a lunch date with her,” I continued, “knowing full well she plans to finish where we left off last night, and knowing full well that she’d be beyond pissed if she found out that I’m a Gentleman.”

Thomas sighed. “Honestly, dude, I don’t see a problem here.”

I slapped my thighs. “No prob—seriously? Did you hear me when I said she doesn’t like Gentlemen?”

“Are you a Gentleman right now?” Thomas asked.

“Uh, yes?” I replied.

“No, you aren’t,” he countered. Before I could speak, he held up his hand. “Look, right now, you aren’t a Gentleman on the job. That’s me. What you are is someone on break, enjoying the sights. Honestly man, is that how you see yourself as, a Gentleman, twenty-four-seven? Right now, you are Harry Larson. Not Wingman. So what if she hates Gentlemen? Does your job define you?”

“I don’t think it’s right,” I said softly. “It’s deceitful.”

“Did you come on to her hoping to solicit her? Are you trying to fool her into making herself a customer?” Thomas asked.

I sighed. “No.”

“Then no, you aren’t deceiving her. You’re just a guy on vacation, and you met a beautiful mare who is willing to spend some good ol’ loving time with you. My advice is to just enjoy it,” Thomas finished. He sighed. “Now, if you are planning to actually have a relationship with her, then yes, you do have to tell her the truth. Otherwise, you’re being unfair to yourself.”

I checked the door for a moment, remembering Sea Swirl walking out. As I gave Thomas’s words some thought, I heard him sigh.

“Okay,” he said, “look, if you really feel that strongly, then maybe you better tell Sea Swirl that you guys should stop seeing each other.”

I looked down, even more confused.

When lunchtime rolled around, I couldn’t make up my mind. Worse, I was already running late. Dressed simply in a polo shirt and khaki shorts combination, I spotted Sea Swirl by the reception desk as I came down. The unicorn was trotting in circles, looking at the wall clock above the receptionist. Half of me just wanted to cancel the whole thing right there and then. On break or no, I doubt she’d understand if she did find out about my day job. However, when she saw me, smile widening as relief washing over her face, I hesitated.

“Hey, you’re late,” she declared as she dashed towards me.

“I…” and I trailed off. Sea Swirl looked at me oddly.

“Is there something wrong?” she asked.

I took a deep breath. “Sea Swirl, maybe it’s best—”

Perhaps it was the tone of my voice, or probably my facial expression, but the unicorn’s mouth went slightly agape. Her lips quivered and she bit down on them, her eyes shaking slightly. Honestly, it was as if she were waiting to be executed.

“—if we hurry,” I finished. “I’m kind of starving.”

Sea Swirl’s unsure expression turned to a winning smile. “Okay! Let’s go then!” She grabbed my left hand with her mouth and dragged me onward. As nice as that felt, I couldn’t enjoy the sensation because I was hitting my forehead with my right palm multiple times.

It must have been a strange sight for anyone else looking.

The unicorn brought me to Terra Glades, a modestly sized bistro situated near the woodland, side of the falls and just a few blocks away from the Water Inn. Two stories high, it was a rectangular building made of red brick with black metal trimming. The outside was littered with patio table sets that had those large umbrellas overhead, and it was filled with dining ponies, with a few humans mixed in.

A few of those ponies stared at Sea Swirl as she made her way towards the door. Looking through one of the windows, I realized why. The patrons inside were mostly human, enjoying some good old-fashioned steaks, ribs, and more. The rest of the diners were griffins, enjoying the meat spread.

No pony patrons, and I don’t blame them.

“Hey, Sea Swirl,” I called suddenly, stopping her on her tracks. “Can we eat outside? I like the fresh air.”

Sea Swirl looked at me for a moment, confused, before she gave me a nod and dragged me towards a free table. It was a pony design, low near the ground, while its floor chairs were of human origin.

“Huh, this is nice,” Sea Swirl declared as she made herself comfortable. First, she sat on her haunches, but when she saw me leaning back, she began to emulate me. There was a slight wobble as she tried to place her back on the back-rest, and sat almost like a human. Honestly, though, her position looked really unstable.

“Are… you okay sitting like that?” I asked.

“Yea—whoa!” Sea Swirl wobbled but recovered almost immediately. As she did, a slight smile appeared on her face. “I’m okay!”

I winced. Her position was quite precarious. Before I could even say anything though, a young man dressed in a white shirt, black pants, shoes, and vest came to us, offering menus. We took a moment, with Sea Swirl saying she wouldn’t mind if I ordered something more ‘human’. I think that garnered the attention of a few ponies around us. I was also pretty sure they were holding their breath as Sea Swirl and I decided on what to get. It must have been quite a relief for them when we decided to get a nice large bowl of mixed greens and a spread of vegetable and flower sandwiches.

“Are you sure?” Sea Swirl asked after the waiter recapped our order. “There’s some human food here. The, uh—” her lips thinned as her gaze washed over the menu “—ribeye sounds... uh, good?”

“Yeah, I think I’m okay for now,” I replied with a nervous smile.

“Okay, well, I’m going to get a bottle of Fillydelphia Cider as well then,” Sea Swirl declared, looking towards the waiter, who nodded.

“Excellent choice, ma’am.”

“It’s quite good,” Sea Swirl stated, floating the menu back to the waiter. “I mean, Ponyville fresh cider is good and all, but for the bottled stuff, Fillydelphia has it made.”

I didn’t want to tell her that I knew what Fillydelphia Cider tasted like (a bit stronger and a little sweeter than Manehattan Cider), especially when she was trying so hard to act like a typical mare trying to garner the interest of a stallion. The best thing I could do was give her a winning smile and nod.

“So, um, tell me about yourself,” Sea Swirl said, licking her lips, moistening them.

I inwardly grinned. Working as a Gentleman through the years, this was pretty much a common question for most first time customers and I got a lot of practice on telling the story of my life. So I started out with where I was born and talked about my younger years. Sea Swirl listened raptly, not even stopping to ask questions. The longer I went on, I realized why: she was repeatedly licking her lips.

I recognized the movement. It was a type of pony flirting that even a human new to Equestria could pick up on. At Gentlemen for Mares, my earth pony teacher even explained the two schools of thought in regards to the action. The first dated back to the pre-Equestria times, when the ponies were suffering from the longest winters thanks to the windigos (yeah, it’s spelled like that. And no, it’s not the Native American mythological creature). A mare wetting her dry chapped lips was an invitation for a stallion to kiss her… and share body warmth (which was probably a euphemism for sex). Of course, my teacher preferred the second school of thought: it was a way to tell the stallion her other lips were wet.

Honestly, you can take your pick.

While I appreciated a mare telling me that she was getting ready for me, Sea Swirl was, uh, overcompensating. The repeated licking had moistened the lips so much that her glistening saliva slowly trickled down on the table, which made it look like she was drooling.

“Um, you’re kinda dripping,” I whispered, handing her the napkin box, motioning to her lips.

Sea Swirl’s blush was bright crimson. “Oh, uh, yeah… um, sorry.” She wiped her lips.

I gave her a smile, which hopefully translated to ‘no problem’ and gave her enough time to compose herself. During that time, I noticed a pair of earth ponies at another table giving us some odd looks. I ignored them, and continued the story where I left off, back to the time when I was a teenager. It was the usual drama within a high school setting. I was the geek—except I didn’t wear glasses or even have excellent grades. I noticed Sea Swirl slowly sinking in her chair, and wondered for a moment what was she was doing when I felt something soft and warm brushing up my leg. I paused, looking down at the table then back again at the unicorn. Was she—?

Sea Swirl gave me a languid grin as she sunk down even lower, the feeling of her hoof going to my knees. I kept still as her brushing went higher and higher, until her already precarious position reared its ugly head and she tipped over. She yelped as she tried to recover, only to slip backwards in a way that kicked her hind leg upwards. The whole table shook with a loud bang. Holy crap.

“Sea Swirl, you okay?” I asked, leaning forward. She raised her right foreleg, stopping me from completely standing.

“I’m okay, I’m okay,” she said through gritted teeth as she tried to extract herself from her… position. She was able to get back to a more normal sitting position by the time the server came, thank God.

“Sir, ma’am,” the server said, carrying a tray of two thin glasses and the bottle of cider inside an ice bucket. He looked at Sea Swirl, who was massaging her hind leg a bit. A professional, he kept his face steady as he asked, “Shall I pop the cork?”

“Go ahead,” I replied. As the server went ahead and opened the bottle, I looked around and my eyes traveled back towards the table of the earth ponies that had been giving us odd looks. Now, they were pointing their hooves in our—no, wait… in Sea Swirl’s direction.

“Cheers!” Sea Swirl suddenly called, regaining back my attention. She magically lifted her glass high in the air.

I smiled and brought my own glass up as well. “Cheers,” I declared. I gently tapped my glass with hers, creating a short clinking sound. I downed the chilled liquid, enjoying the strong taste characteristic of Fillydelphia-style cider. Sea Swirl didn’t drink hers yet. Instead, she opted to try another flirting technique by accentuating her neck, extending it upwards to meet her glass.

For a mare, a long, beautiful neck was the feature she would most likely brag about, other than her hips. I guess she was finally desperate, probably pulling this out to compensate for the last two failures. Honestly, she should have known that this type of flirting was far too subtle for a newcomer to Equestria. Yet, she put her heart into it. Her pose was absolutely elegant, really showing off her beautiful and delicate neck. As a finish, her eyes narrowed seductively, blinking softly as she teased me a bit with a heated gaze, her expression promising wonderful things to come.

Pretending to be new or not, I was never the one to leave the lady hanging. So I gave her a slight smile, and declared, “You have a long, alluring neck.”

“Thank y—ah!” she screamed as her glass tipped, spilling the entire contents on her face.

Okay, this was not her day.

“Sea Swirl?” I asked. For a moment, she was as still as a statue, staring at the heavens with an unreadable expression. Then, she looked at me for a moment before her eyes began to water. “Oh, Sea Swirl,” I whispered. I got a few napkins ready and leaned forward, but she raised her hoof to stop me.

“Oh wow,” she muttered softly.

“Here,” I replied, handing over the napkins I was holding. She magically grabbed them from me and used them with her hooves to wipe her face.

“Thanks,” Sea Swirl whispered. After a while, she sighed. “I’m making a—” she hiccuped, “—fool of myself, aren’t I?”

Oh God. She was very close to crying. I immediately extended my hand and held her hoof lying on the table. I could feel it shaking in my grasp. She looked at me, her lips quivering. I looked at her rose-colored eyes, trying their hardest to hold back their tears. I gave her my warmest smile.

“I have never been given such attention before,” I said softly. She perked up.

“R-really?” Sea Swirl asked, swallowing. She gave a nervous smile. “Y-you’re just saying that.” She swallowed again. “I bet you have a lot of human girls giving you attention back on Earth.”

I shook my head. “Not really. I get overlooked a lot of times.”

“You’re lying,” Sea Swirl replied.

“Swear to God,” I promised.

I actually was telling the truth—technically. My mind went back to my first and only girlfriend, who only wanted to be in a relationship with me so I could do her C-Programming code. Being young, stupid, and having been promised that I would get to touch her breasts, I fell for it.

Never even got the grope. Worst deal ever, really.

I also remembered that other women pretty much overlooked me as well. Even out of college, I was still a skinny nerd and a lot of them prefered the more handsome guys with well-toned bodies.

“I just never really clicked with the girls back at home, I guess,” I replied, shrugging.

Sea Swirl looked at me for a moment. The watering of her eyes was almost gone, and her torn expression changed to confusion as her eyes traveled all over me. “But... why? Are human standards really that different from pony standards?” she asked. “You’re... quite handsome!”

I wasn’t doubting her. Those memories were from long ago and things had changed. My usually short hair had grown to a moderate length, cut stylishly to appeal to mares. I was also far from the skinny dude I had been all those years ago.

The lifestyle of a Gentleman was a demanding one. There would be days where you were in for a long haul, sometimes weeks of continuous days of going from one customer to another, every night with just a little break in between. I didn’t stay skinny too long.

However, that wasn’t important right now. I had a mare in front of me to take care of. So, shaking those thoughts away, I gave her a reassuring squeeze to her foreleg. I said, “Thank you, Sea Swirl. I really appreciate that,” and moved my fingers, just enough to feel the coat of her forelegs. “And as for your question, no, I don’t think such a pretty mare could make a fool out of herself, no matter how hard she tries.”

“T-thanks,” Sea Swirl replied, lips tugging upwards.

There we go. I gave her a wide smile. “Nice touch with your hoof.”

“Yeah, too bad I slipped,” Sea Swirl muttered, her eyes rolling. After a moment, her own smile grew bigger. She leaned forward. “Liked that, did you?”

“Very much. Quite daring of you, too.”

“Well, I can try again if you want,” Sea Swirl whispered heatedly. “Just hold on to my forelegs. You know... so I won’t fall.”

Have you experienced a day when you thought things were turning out well in the end? That the initial problems were slowly smoothed over, and everything was finally clicking?

As I felt her daintily trying to do another hoofsie, confident smile now gracing her features, I thought this was it. Sea Swirl had gone through a bit of a humiliation conga, and with a little assurance, she was coming out swimmingly.

Yet, all it took to bring everything down was just one sentence.

“I’m telling you, it’s Misborn Swirl.”

The whole place went quiet, as if someone had sucked all the air and happiness out of the place. I couldn’t blame them. Misborn was not something anypony should say in a polite conversation.

It affected Sea Swirl the most, though. Color drained from her face. The smile disappeared, her eyes widening with disbelief. She looked towards the direction of the speaker, at the two earth ponies that I saw earlier. Sea Swirl’s hoof stopped moving, and her forelegs shivered under my grip. She recognized them.

“I h-have to go,” she muttered. She shook me off. “I’m sorry.”

“Wait, hold o—”

Before I could finish, Sea Swirl took off, knocking down the floor chair she was sitting on. She was already in tears before she went out of view, dashing away, leaving dust in her wake. I watched her for a moment, feeling utterly lost before the fire of anger and annoyance flared from my stomach. I glared towards where the earth ponies had spoken out, both now finding something very interesting in their dishes.

The server arrived, carrying a tray with the salad bowl and sandwiches. He looked at me for a moment, and where Sea Swirl had been seated. He gave me an understanding look.

“To go?” he asked. I gave the man a generous tip. After he handed the bag, I walked towards the earth ponies’ table. They saw me coming. One ducked his head seeing me approach, while the mare looked up at me with an obstinate expression.

“What?” she asked, challengingly.

“You know, back on Earth, we make glue using hooves,” I replied neutrally.

The stallion just continued to stare downwards. The mare’s mouth went agape for a second before she said, voice quivering, “What are y—”

She swallowed the rest of her words when I gave her a wide smile, showing her all of my teeth. “Have a nice day,” I ended.

I left Terra Glade and took my bags, hoping to see if I could spot Sea Swirl on the way. I did. On the very same spot where she had handed me a towel after my swim yesterday, she was sitting down on all fours on a bench. She stared outwards, towards where humans, ponies and others were enjoying themselves.

I sat beside her. We both stayed silent for a good moment, listening to water splashing and joyful shouts in the air.

“I’m sorry,” Sea Swirl whispered.

I put my hand on her shoulder. “It’s fine. Besides”—I looked around—“this is probably a much better place to have lunch. It was getting a little stuffy there. Of course, we’ll have to avoid the under-the-table stuff. We don’t want to corrupt the kids.”

Sea Swirl turned to look at me, a small smile appearing on her face. Before long, that smile broke into a chuckle. She shifted, just enough to place her head on my lap before she laid down again, shifting her body to the side. I automatically began to run my hand through her mane.

“Sometimes, I think I’m dreaming,” Sea Swirl muttered.

“How so?” I asked.

“You’re here,” she replied with a sigh. “Normally, when a stallion knows about me being a misborn, I’d never hear from him again.” She shifted her head to look up at me, the whites of her eyes a bit red. My hand slowly caressed her cheek. “You don’t know what that means, right?”

Of course I knew, but I couldn’t tell her that.

Sea Swirl shifted her head to her side. “Misborn are foals that were born out of a herd. That’s what I am.”

“Sea Swirl, you don’t need to—”

“My mother hired a comfort horse while she was in heat,” she continued, as if she didn’t hear me. “When she found out she was pregnant, she tried to buy off the stallion from the company. They wouldn’t let him loose, though, because... well, he was the best they had.

“I know you humans were told that Equestria here is a land of friendship and magic, but there are some things which a lot of the ponies here can’t tolerate. Being misborn is one of them.” She laughed, sadly. “My mother carried the stigma of being pregnant without a herd. It should never have passed on to her child, to me. But I guess ponies still think that growing without the stabilizing influence of a herd, I was going to come out wrong.”

Sea Swirl sat on her haunches, looking towards the waterfall. “You’d think that something so antiquated wouldn’t hold water here in Equestria. None of my coltfriends stayed. They left when they found out that I wasn’t raised in a herd, never to even talk to me again. As if I was”—she snarled—“diseased or something!”

“Shows how much they know,” I said.

“You’re sweet,” Sea Swirl replied.

“No!” I declared, hard. It got Sea Swirl looking at me again. “I’m being truthful.” I looked at her. “You are one beautiful pony. Any stallion would be lucky to have you. And if they left you because of something so... little, then they didn’t deserve you.”

Sea Swirl’s lips quivered before they attacked mine. I was almost pushed back as she gave me a heartfelt kiss, a few tears escaping her eyes. My hand automatically held her steady as I kissed her back. We stayed there, connected, together, for a few more seconds before she separated herself from me.

“Your room?” she asked.

“What about lunch?”

Sea Swirl looked at the paper bags, then back at me. “I can... not have lunch.”

I was slammed into the door, hard, before Sea Swirl stood up on her hind legs, tall enough to just reach my lips. Hers had been coated by her tongue multiple times, which made her kisses wet and sloppy. I didn’t mind. I kissed back with as much enthusiasm as I had whilst taking my keys out to open the door.

Once I got it opened, Sea Swirl didn’t even wait for me to get to bed. She magically lifted me there and dropped me on the mattress before she kicked the door closed. Her expression, lust mixed with hunger and need, never changed as she trotted towards me. Jumping up onto the bed, she gave me a deep kiss, our tongues intertwining together as I felt her magic slowly encasing my shorts as she easily removed them without missing a beat.

My hands moved automatically through her coat, feeling the short soft bristles bite into my palm just ever so slightly as it massaged the side of her neck and her barrel, earning a moan from her that reverberated into my mouth as we fought for supremacy.

“Oh, Celestia,” Sea Swirl muttered when our lips separated. She was panting, primed and ready. “I am so glad I am fully awake to enjoy this. I love your fingers.”

I automatically reached for a spot, just between the ears and her horn. Sea Swirl’s eyes widened for a moment before she readily collapsed on top of me.

“Oh! Oh!” Sea Swirl moved her head as if to guide my fingers, her tongue out, licking me on my chest. “Oh Celestia. It’s like you know where to touch me!”

Yes, I knew where to touch her. I knew what to do. I was a trained Gentleman. I was hired to give mares the attention they want. And Sea Swirl deserved nothing less. How could any stallion treat her that way? How could their society allow it? So I kissed her. I massaged her. I made love to her with my eyes, making sure she knew that my focus, my attention, was only her.

She deserved nothing less.

Turning her over, placing her flat on my bed, I kissed her on the lips once more before I moved towards her throat, kissing its length. I moved towards her shoulders, holding the hooves of her forelegs, using my fingers to gently feel the softer parts. They gripped my fingers.

“Oh, wow,” Sea Swirl muttered.

I looked at her. No smile, just my eyes bearing down on her as I put weight behind my words as I said, “You are beautiful.” I released her hooves and began kissing her underside, the hair of her coat gently prickling my lips.

Sea Swirl moaned.

“I love the way you smell,” I declared as my lips went lower and lower. I used my hands and fingers to massage her sides, learning the spots to pay attention to by how loud her moans were, and how much faster she was moving her hips against me.

“How low are you—oh!” Sea Swirl screamed out slightly as my tongue lashed out, circling around the the nipples of her teats. I could feel her hind legs surrounding my head, the musky smell of her marehood getting stronger and stronger as she moved her hips, trying to get closer to my tongue.

I teased her for a few seconds more before I plunged into her folds, kissing her wet lips. The smell of her, the feel of her, the taste of her, I lapped up unabashedly. My arms slowly enclosed around her hips so I could bring her closer to me, while my fingers began to spread her open and tease her clit. I could feel her hind legs kicking upwards with every stroke of my tongue. When I stole a glance upwards and saw her biting on her foreleg, muffling her moans.

The sight of her was... enticing.

My tongue attacked the nub of her marehood full time. That got the loudest moan out of her as she peeked downward, meeting my smiling eyes. I wanted her to see this. I wanted her to experience this. So without pause, without teasing, I licked her in a circular manner, making as much sloppy noise as I could. My thoughts were on one thing: to show her that I enjoyed her, that I wanted her.

As I rolled my tongue, surrounding her nub, I loosened my arm from around her hind legs and began to wriggle my fingers inside her wet folds, reaching in towards her inner walls until I touched a textured spot. That had Sea Swirl losing her grip on her foreleg, letting her moans come out full and sharp.

Rubbing it in a slow up and down motion, I noticed her wet lips winking at a rapid pace. I wiggled my tongue in and out, making her mouth hang open, her tongue lolling out, and her eyes going straight towards the ceiling. Surrounding her clit with my lips, I began to gently suck on it.

“Oh, Celestia! Celestia! Ah!” she screamed fully as I felt her lips winking, wetness splashing across my chin. Her hips were like pistons, moving forward and backwards in quick motion that had me hard-pressed to keep my tongue and fingers in position. However, I did, and continued my ministrations, which got her to moan louder and harder. Finally, she screamed. Her whole body shook at her climax for a few seconds before her body relaxed, like a limp doll.

I released her hips and slowly crawled upward. She was panting, mouth open. I closed it with mine, giving her a very short and warm kiss, but before I could move away, her forelegs snaked around my neck, pulling me close. She licked my cheeks and my lips, over and over.

As she finally regained her breath, she looked at me and whispered, “I want to feel you. Inside me.”

My hand went over her mane. “As you wish.”

I went slow, guiding my hardened member with a free hand. I could feel her wet lips wink as I entered, her warm walls rolling around to welcome me, their tightness getting me to moan as I thrust in completely.

We made love, slowly, gently, and quietly, quite contrasting towards the wilder and louder act just earlier. It was just us. My mind didn’t think of what to do next, of how fast I should go, or even what angle to thrust. Slow and steady, I went, mine and Sea Swirl’s eyes drinking in the sight of each other. Soft moans escaped our lips as we both moved like a gentle wave of the night ocean.

Then, our rhythm changed. Our moans went louder as we started grinding each other a little faster. Each thrust brought me closer and closer to the threshold, but I held on. Our moans began to synchronize. There was nothing but us.

I groaned as I came inside her. She readily received me. Enclosing her hind legs on my hips, she grabbed ahold of me, placing my face on her neck. I breathed her scent. She breathed mine.

We said nothing more, for there was nothing else to be said.

I woke up when I felt a warm soft hoof making soft circles on my cheek. I blinked, staring ahead at the blue blur in front of me. As seconds passed, the lines sharpened and the blur slowly transformed to a smiling Sea Swirl.

“Hey,” I greeted softly.

“Hey yourself,” she replied back, just as softly. She leaned in and left a feathery kiss on my nose. “Thank you for that. That was—” she shivered “—just wow. You probably don’t know how that was for me.”

I chuckled. “From the way you were moaning, I could guess it was pretty good.”

“More than good,” Sea Swirl replied, sighing afterwards. After a moment though, she seemed to have realized something as I felt her squirm. “Oh, Celestia. I was loud, wasn’t I? What if the walls here are thin? Does that mean everyone heard us?”

“I’m pretty sure if anyone heard us, they didn’t mind,” I said. “After all—” I gave her a quick kiss on the cheek, “—you have quite a cute scream.”

Sea Swirl gently bopped me on my forehead. “What if my friends heard it? Oh no, they’re going to tease me for weeks!”

“Now, now,” I replied, moving my hand through her mane, “with all things considered, like your friends basically trying to push us together, they shouldn’t act so surprised.”

“Ah, yeah, they were a bit pushy, right?” Sea Swirl replied, snuggling a little closer. “Sorry about that.”

“It’s okay. I guess helping set up their friend with a cute stranger may excuse their pushiness,” I replied, sticking my tongue out at her. She giggled.

“Really?” Sea Swirl asked, her tone turning somewhat more playful. “Who is this friend of theirs and this cute stranger?”

“Some unicorn and some human that walked out on the former’s friends last night,” I replied candidly. “And that particular unicorn has gone missing again. They’re probably in bed, doing what a lot of couples are doing.”

“So you think that unicorn and that human made out?”

“Boy, did they.”

Sea Swirl giggled, before she nuzzled my chest, licking me. After a moment, she looked at me, frown lines appearing in her eyes. “H-how long are you staying here in Equestria, Harry?”

“Um, well, I was supposed to be staying in Neighagra for a week. So, I guess I would be leaving in about six more days. Why?”

Sea Swirl bit her lips. “Well, we were booked for five days here, and, um...” she trailed off. A blush began to creep in her cheeks. “So, I was, um, wondering if we could, uh...”

“Meet up again?” I ventured.

“Yes!” Sea Swirl nodded. Her lips curved upward, just for a second, before turning to a flat line. “Um, I mean, if that’s okay?”

I nodded. “Yeah. Maybe we can finally eat in peace, eh?”

“Dibs on the dessert,” Sea Swirl declared softly, heatedly, as a small seductive smile appeared on her face. I have to say, it really looked good on her.

“Looking forward to it then,” I replied, softly kissing her forehead, just a little bit to the right of her horn. I felt her shiver and sigh with pleasure as I hugged her closer.

It took almost an hour before we actually climbed out of bed. Promising to meet once more for dinner, I spent the last few hours looking through the clothes I had brought and planned what I could do for Sea Swirl after dinner.

When it was almost dinner, Thomas had knocked on my door, dressed impeccably and ready for another night. Sitting on my armchair again, I explained to him what happened earlier, and what I was planning for later. His reply was sufficiently short.

“I don’t like this.”

I looked at him for a moment, confused. “What do you mean? This is exactly what you told me to do.”

Thomas shook his head. “I said to enjoy your vacation, and spend some time with a nice girl or mare.”

“Isn’t that what I’m doing?” I asked.

“No, it sounds like you’re prepping for a job,” Thomas replied.

“I—okay, yeah, this is what I usually do when on the job, but I mean, come on. Sea Swirl is an amazing mare,” I declared. “She kinda deserves more than what she’s usually going through.”

“See, I’m kinda bothered by that.”

“By what exactly?” I asked, chuckling slightly.

“That you only decided to actually pursue this, to sleep with her, after knowing that she was being treated like an outcast,” Thomas replied. “Honestly, pity is not exactly a good reason to start sleeping with anyone.”

I blinked and looked at Thomas. “If it’s to ease her loneliness, would that be a bad thing?”

“Maybe,” Thomas muttered. He was quiet for a moment as I sat down on the bed and tied my shoes. When I was working on the second shoe, he spoke up again. “Harry?”

“Yeah?”

“Have you made it clear to Sea Swirl on the, uh, nature of your relationship?” Thomas asked.

I blinked. I looked up, only to see him looking at me quite... strangely. “What do you mean?”

“What does she expect from the whole thing?” Thomas continued. “Just a companionship she will enjoy until you leave? Or something longer, something more?”

I thought back on my conversation with Sea Swirl, remembering that she was here for only a few more days. “She said she was staying here for a few more days. Honestly, I’m going to make those days as enjoyable for her as I can, and then we’ll go on our separate ways.”

For a moment, I saw Thomas stare at me, hard. “What if she wants more?” he suddenly asked.

“What? What do you mea—?”

“What if she wants to keep in contact? What if she wants more than just a few days, a real relationship? What then?”

“That’s not going to happen,” I replied.

“Really? Harry... you are taking steps a Gentleman would do to earn a customer. The fact that she’s a very lonely mare makes her even more susceptible to what you’re doing. Are you really telling me that you don’t think she’ll warm up to the idea of continuing whatever it is you guys have right now?”

“Come on, Thomas, even our customers don’t go absolutely gaga over us,” I answered.

“Our customers are fully aware of what we do,” Thomas countered. “Sea Swirl doesn't have that advantage. Do not expect her to act like a customer.”

I opened my mouth, then closed it. I looked towards the carpeted floor, my thoughts running back to Sea Swirl. My eyes traveled back to Thomas. He gave me a hard, but neutral, gaze.

“What do I do?” I asked. “Avoid her?”

Thomas sighed. “You’re kidding me, right?” He shook his head. “Look, don’t just avoid her. That’ll make it worse. No, no. Look, continue the date if you want, but you have to make it clear to Sea Swirl in regards to your relationship. If it’s just for a few days, make sure she understands that. And also, for God’s sake, slow down with all the—” he coughed “—private meetings with her. You’ll get the poor mare addicted. Get me?”

I nodded. I couldn’t really promise that, but Thomas was right about talking to Sea Swirl in regards to what we have. I expect her to probably be a bit disappointed, but I will make it up to her.

As I walked down towards the reception area, I made plans to get everything out first. I spotted Sea Swirl and raised my hand as I called her.

“What do you mean you haven’t talked to her about it yet?” Thomas asked incredulously.

It was a warm afternoon of my fourth day in Neighagra, the day before Sea Swirl would leave. Thomas and I were once again in my room. Apparently, this was his only refuge, the only place to hide from his amorous customer. His suit and pants, not the ones he had worn on the first day, looked like they had gone through the wringer. And judging by his expression, he was going to put me on the same wringer himself.

I shifted uncomfortably under his hard gaze. “Look, I just didn’t have the opportunity to do so.”

“You had four days,” Thomas countered. “Weren’t you even going to broach the subject during dinner, you know, after our little talk?”

My cheeks blazed at the memory. Dinner was pretty much a short affair, with Sea Swirl telling me a lot about her job in Ponyville, and the good places to visit in Fillydelphia. And it ended up in...

“Oh Celestia! Yes! Yes! Yes!”

Her cowgirl position needed work, but I really wasn’t going to complain.

“You slept with her again,” Thomas suddenly declared. I stared at him.

“How—?”

“I am not an idiot, and I know you,” Thomas replied.

“I... come on Thomas,” I muttered. “Sea Swirl’s very passionate and outgoing. There was no way I was going to tell her no.”

“Fine, alright. But seriously, four days, and you haven’t even talked to her about what you guys have?”

I remembered when we tried to have lunch two days ago. Sea Swirl dared me to a game. I was to hold her forelegs while her hind legs slithered under the table. It was the same thing she tried during our first lunch date, and this time, she succeeded without the accident.

“Let’s see how long you last,” Sea Swirl declared, smiling.

We didn’t even wait for lunch. We went at it in the nearby woods.

(We did have to apologize for leaving abruptly, though.)

I shook my head.

“Dude,” Thomas muttered, and paused for a moment. I expected him to continue expressing his disappointment but he sighed instead. “Has she talked about you guys continuing after Neighagra?”

“No,” I replied.

“Okay, then maybe she won’t ask,” Thomas said. He motioned at me. “Dressed up once more. You’re meeting with her?”

I nodded as I fixed the collar of my shirt. “Yeah, one last time, maybe. She said that she and her friends were going to go out for dinner, and she’ll see if she can get me invited.”

He went quiet for a moment, and the next words he spoke came out slowly. “Harry... if it doesn’t come up, that’s good but if it does, it’ll feel more awkward. I just want to make sure you are prepared for that.”

All I could do was nod, though honestly, I knew it would not come to that. As I walked out and ventured towards The Falls Side—a restaurant nearby one of the mini-falls—I remembered how the last few days were: a series of dates that ended in moans, sweat, and sometimes screams. It was a bit like living in a dream.

Honestly, everything was going more smoothly than I expected. Sea Swirl was a wonderful companion, passionate, and beautiful. Spending the last few days with her, intimately, had me quiet when it came to talking about relationships. What we had was perfect. Why complicate it?

“Wingman?”

I think I stopped mid-step. The voice was... familiar. Turning towards the the direction of the speaker, I was surprised by a golden and red blur coming at me at full speed. It was only when I was enveloped in a bear hug, kissed on the cheek, and heard the tell-tale sound of wings flapping that I realized who it was.

“Spitfire?” I asked.

The pegasus backed away, only just enough for me to see her face. I immediately recognized her distinct mane style and color and shining orange eyes. Her face was lit with a dazzling smile.

“I heard you were sick,” Spitfire declared as she let go of my shoulders, standing once more on all-fours.

“Yeah, I was given some medical leave,” I replied, smiling myself. “Were you trying to set up a third date?”

“Yup.”

“I’m sorry about that,” I said, extending my fist. “I’ll make it up to you, next time, alright?”

“Of course you will.” Spitfire gave me an almost predatory grin as she hit it with her hoof. “I’ll be looking forward to it too.”

Before I could reply, a mare spoke out. “Captain? Who’s this?”

I looked behind Spitfire, noticing two newcomers; they were both pegasi, a mare and stallion. The former, I recognized as Rainbow Dash; there was no way to mistake that multi-colored mane and tail. She stared at me with narrowed eyes; her forelegs stretched, curving her body aggressively as if she was about to pounce. Beside her was the pale-blue, well-muscled stallion Soarin’. He was staring at me with wide eyes and mouth agape.

“Dash, Soarin’, this is Wingman,” Spitfire introduced. “He’s my Gentleman I told you guys about.”

I heard murmurs amongst the growing crowd. I guess when the Wonderbolts make a scene, they don’t do things by halves. Ignoring the gathering group of ponies and humans, I gave both pegasi a smile and wave. “Hey guys, big fan,” I said, extending my arm to them.

“Uh... yeah, cool,” Soarin’ replied, softly tapping his hoof with my fist.

Rainbow Dash looked at my hand, expression obviously put off. She looked at me for a moment before she eyed Soarin’, then back to Spitfire. “Captain, I don’t mean to be rude, but we’re going to be late for our appearance.”

Spitfire gently slammed her hoof on her face. “Ah, right. Horseapples, Wingman, I’m sorry, but I have—”

I cut her off. “It’s fine, Spitfire. I’ll have the office write to you when I’m available, okay?”

Spitfire grinned, flying just high enough so she could reach my lips, giving me a short yet very wet kiss. “Thank you.” She looked towards Rainbow Dash and Soarin’. “Alright, let’s leave some dust!”

Once she joined the two pegasi, they began to trot away. I wiped my moistened lips with my hand before I raised it in the air. “Knock them dead!” I exclaimed.

Spitfire gave me a grin and nod before she turned forward, form impeccably straight as she moved forward, clearing the crowd of onlookers and admirers. I noticed Rainbow Dash stealing a glance back at me. She was not smiling; instead, she moved her hooves near her eyes, and pointed towards me.

Huh... that was pretty familiar. Though seriously, what’s her problem?

I let that out of my mind once I reached The Falls Side. Sea Swirl already had a table set up and was sitting on a floor chair, glass of water floating just a little above her head.

“Hey Sea Swirl,” I greeted, smiling widely. The unicorn looked at me for a moment, face devoid of emotion. “Um, am I late?”

She looked at me for a moment. For a second, she just stared at me uncomfortably before shaking her head. “I just... arrived.”

Okay. “Did something happen?” I asked.

Sea Swirl shook her head once more, before abruptly stopping. Her eyes were on me again, lips thinned to a flat line. “Spitfire called you a Gentleman.”

I felt my heart stop, and the pit of my stomach getting heavy. My face began to feel like a hundred ants were walking and biting me there. I stared at the unicorn, whose face was now turning crimson red as her lips transformed with a snarl.

“She called you Wingman.”

“Sea Swirl—”

Before I could do anything, she pushed the table’s edge towards me, hitting my legs hard. At the same time, water splashed my face, and the sound of glass clinking as it bounced on the table echoed around me.

“You’re a liar!” Sea Swirl shouted the last word before she ran off.

Author's Note

Alright, more thanks and shout outs.

Thanks to shira, coandco, grey conscience, Permanent Temporary, Ponyboy245, and AnonponyDASHIE for going through it. While I do have the next outline done, me and shira are going to tinker over something (Harry). I won't say this story will get delayed again, but the next update is not going come out as fast I had planned.

Drowning Gentleman

No. This wasn’t happening. It couldn’t be happening.

“Sea Swirl,” I called, wiping the water out of my face. Then, I pushed the table away from my stinging legs and gave them a good rub while I looked around. I saw a lot of eyes on me; the ponies murmured amongst themselves; the humans were either looking on confused or staring at me with incredulity.

I paused for a moment before I ran out.

I went through a crowd as they moved towards the falls; it was another day of swimming. I may have bumped into a few people, pushed a few of them away roughly, but I didn’t really pay attention. I concentrated on wading through the crowd, trying to chase down Sea Swirl. I was too late. Once I was in the clear, I saw children—foals, cubs and kids—laughing. I saw people, ponies and griffins chatting.

I didn’t see her.

I spent the next few moments looking around, searching for her. Nothing. I couldn't find her. There was a point when I thought I did, but it was actually a stallion with a somewhat similar colored coat. And unless Sea Swirl magically changed to a stallion, that wasn’t her. There was no trace of Sea Swirl anywhere. In the end, I just went back to my room, staring out my window.

Where had it gone all wrong?

There was a knock on the door. I ignored it.

“Harry, open the damn door,” Thomas said through the barrier.

I looked at the entrance for the moment. I sighed, got on my feet, and opened the door.

“Finally,” Thomas muttered as he entered. He walked towards armchair but didn’t sit. “What the hell is going on?”

“What do you mean?” I asked, tiredly.

“I just came from the reception,” Thomas replied. “There’s a pegasus there asking—no, demanding to get the room number of a Harry Wingman.”

“White pegasus?”

“Yup.”

“Lightning Bolt,” I muttered with a sigh. “I guess Sea Swirl told them.”

Thomas placed his hand on his cheek, fingers rubbing his eyebrows. “She found out.” It wasn’t a question.

I nodded, walking towards the bed. “Wonderbolts are here. Spitfire saw me and called me by my work name. She introduced me as her Gentleman to Soarin’ and Rainbow Streak.”

“Rainbow Dash,” Thomas corrected immediately as I sat down.

“Whatever,” I said. “Anyway, I guess Sea Swirl was in the crowd or something. She brought it up at lunch before she threw water in my face.”

“Damn. Of all the things, it had to be a customer that would give you away. And honestly, you got lucky it was just water.”

“Oh yeah?”

“Yeah,” Thomas replied. “That pegasus downstairs? I overheard her talking with her earth pony friend, on how she was going to buck you repeatedly, and that she has no problems hitting stallions. Scarily enough, I believe her.”

“Great, that’s two pegasi having problems with me,” I muttered, groaning as I fell onto the bed. “I’m half-tempted to go down there.”

“And what, show the world that you’re stupid?” Thomas asked.

I sat up. “To see if I can apologize,” I replied, giving him my best irritated glare. It didn’t even faze him.

“Dude, the only thing you’re going to get is a bucking to the face,” Thomas said.

Before I could answer, there was another knock on the door. I got up, but Thomas raised a hand, stopping me. Moving towards the door, he took a peek in the upper peephole. He looked at me for a moment, confusion written in his face.

“Yes?” he asked. “Who is this?”

“Is Harry in there?”

I blinked. I recognized the voice.

“Sorry, lady, you have the wrong room,” Thomas replied.

“Tell Harry this is Nadia. I have something to tell him, please.”

“Look, I’m sorry, lady, but you have the wron—”

I walked forward. “Thomas, let her in.”

He gave me a questioning look. “You sure?”

I nodded.

Thomas hesitated for a moment before he turned the knob. On the other side of the door was Nadia, hair done on a bun, dressed in yellow and white sundress. She looked at me, lips thinned while her eyes narrowed but only for a second. She turned to Thomas afterwards, her eyebrows rising.

“Are you also a Gentleman?” Nadia asked, her tone surprisingly neutral. Before Thomas could answer, she shook her head. “You know what, never mind.” She looked at me. Her expression made me expect something rude. She opened her mouth, shook her head, and said, “You are quite a guy.”

I didn’t know how to take that. I looked at Thomas and he was crossing his arms across his chest.

“Just yesterday, you were the most talked about and probably the most liked human in the conversation,” Nadia continued. “Sea Swirl even asked us if she could invite you over for dinner later... and introduce you as her coltfriend.”

Wait, what? “Coltfriend?” I whispered.

Nadia produced a necklace from her hand. It was of simple construct—chain metal that held a small vial filled with viscous liquid that glowed in light-blue color.

Thomas was the first to react. He palmed his face, muttering “Fucking knew it.”

I said nothing, approaching Nadia slowly, my eyes staring at the chain, at the vial. The liquid was condensed magic, which had various of uses, especially on recharging ‘consumable’ items like Firegems or Dragonfire Crystals. Usually, it would be taken from multiple unicorns, purified to remove most of the impurities. The process leaves the liquid clear and colorless that only shines when shaken. However, the one in front of me was meant for something else.

The constant glow and color indicated that this was Sea Swirl’s pure and unadulterated magic. It would still be usable, but that was not its point; for a unicorn, to give that to someone indicated something pretty intimate. The magic inside the vial represented a part of Sea Swirl. And she planned to give that part to me.

It wasn’t exactly like an engagement ring back on Earth, but it was definitely a request to enter and pursue a relationship. Sea Swirl was planning to ask me to be her coltfriend.

This wasn’t happening. This couldn’t be happening.

“Who gave you this?” Thomas asked.

“I can’t say...” Nadia replied, looking at him. She looked back at me. “Just someone close to her. She’s the one that gave me your room number too. She, uh, spotted you and Sea Swirl enter here a couple of times.”

Thomas sighed. “Right.” He looked at me. “I think its best you get out of here, Harry. Stallion-bucking pegasus may be on her way up.”

I ignored him. “What room are they staying in?” I asked Nadia.

Thomas’s gaze sharpened. “What?”

Nadia blinked. Then her eyes narrowed. “Why?”

“I’m going to go to Sea Swirl, and see if I can fix this,” I replied.

Thomas shook his head. “Uh-uh, I don’t recommend it.”

“Why not?” I challenged.

“Because both of you are still wired from earlier,” Thomas said. “And both of you are running on high emotions. To confront her now would just make the hurt resurface. She’s not going to listen to you or accept any apology.”

I looked at Nadia questioningly. She shrugged.

“I don’t know. Me, I’d apologize,” she said. She looked at Thomas. “But your friend is kinda right. Sea Swirl’s... a bit livid right now. She wouldn’t talk to me or Tara, which has Tara a bit miffed. I think you better avoid both of them.”

I grunted angrily, turning away from both of them, and walked towards my bed. I looked out the window, the sun bright and the sky blue. I didn't want that. For some reason, I wanted rain, thunder, and lightning.

“What do you want me to do, then?” I demanded. “I can’t just... leave it like that!”

“Write her a letter,” Thomas replied, deceptively calm. His hands went up as my mouth opened to protest. “Look, it’s the best option right now. The timing sucks since they are leaving tomorrow, and I know you want to do this now, but trust me, it’s better if both of you calm down before you confront each other again. Best thing I can think of is writing her a letter next week. Unless you fancy visiting Sea Swirl in her hometown, I guess.”

I looked at him for a moment then shook my head. “She mentioned a few places...”

“You have her name, and you know her Cutie Mark. I’m pretty sure we can get an address,” Thomas said. He looked at his watch and sighed. “Okay, look, I’m meeting with the, uh”—he looked at Nadia—“guys.”

Nadia looked at him. “Other Gentlemen?”

“Friends, guys,” Thomas muttered, shrugging. He looked at me. “Look, let’s talk later, okay? Don’t... don’t do anything stupid.”

Thomas quickly exited the room leaving me and Nadia in silence. The woman looked at where Thomas had gone and then back to me. Her lips parted for just a second before she shook her head and made her way towards the armchair and sat down.

“So,” Nadia began, “you’re a Gentleman.”

I looked at her for a moment, gauging her facial expression. It was absolutely still. I shrugged. “Yeah. On leave.”

For some reason, her eyes narrowed. “Since when?”

“Since I arrived here,” I replied. “Hell of a vacation, huh?” I gave a half-hearted chuckle as I sat down on my bed. “Why are you asking?”

“I’ve heard Lightning Bolt talking about how you were planning on seducing Sea Swirl, make her addicted to you so she’d become a customer.”

“That sounds ridi—”

“Ridiculous,” Nadia finished. “Yeah, I know.”

“Why tell me then?” I asked.

Nadia steepled her fingers, her eyes darting towards the left. “Because if you’re going to apologize, you need to know that you’re in for quite a reception.” I stared at her. “Five-eighteen. That’s the room they are staying in.”

Five-eighteen? That’s a floor above me. I unconsciously looked at my ceiling. I knew their room wasn’t directly above me (or maybe it was, depending on the floorplanning), but to know I was just a stairway away from Sea Swirl...

I was going to owe Thomas an apology, but this had to be done.

Nadia let herself out, talking about meeting with Tara. That probably meant I was on my own, which was fine. I thanked her and afterwards, rummaged around my bag, thinking about what to wear. I decided to forgo the suit. I didn’t want to bring up my job anymore than I had to. Instead, I went for a simple tee and shorts combination, something nice and simple with neutral basic colors.

I took a deep breath as I walked out my room. Took the moment to check my surroundings, my eyes actually looking out for Thomas. The coast was clear. With heavy steps, I began to travel up the staircase.

I’d never pass for a ninja; my footsteps squeaked slightly with every step. It was particularly eerie since, other than my steps, I was accompanied by absolute silence. It made me a bit nervous. I should have heard something by now. It seriously gave me the chills, as if I was walking in an abandoned building. Did the the hotel builders build the walls thick here, or were they charmed or magicked to silence?

Maybe that would explain why no one seemed bothered by all the noises Sea Swirl and I made during the late hours.

Thinking of her brought me back to my current predicament. I was on my way to a metaphorical lion’s den. Maybe even worse, because at least if a lion ripped me apart, it wouldn’t be personal. Plus lions didn’t have magic to keep me in place, just in case I decided to run.

Then I also remembered Sea Swirl had two friends, a weather pegasus that claimed she wasn’t above hitting males, and an earth pony who could probably crush my head like a tin can.

I hummed the first few stanzas of Bob Marley’s Three Little Birds, if only to reassure myself. The more I traveled forward, the more nervous I felt , not unlike the feeling of dread when I first entered Ponyville’s school to meet with Cheerilee.

“Don’t worry, ‘bout a thing,” I began singing, trying to keep the accent authentic. “Cause every little thing, gonna be alright.”

My voice echoed around the hall, giving me enough courage to speed my pace. Even if I was to face three angry Equestrian Ponies, I had to do this. Sea Swirl deserved an apology.

Five-eighteen—the gilded numbers at the door shone out, glaring at me. I took a deep breath, hesitated for a second before knocking on the door. It took a few moments before the door opened, revealing Lightning Bolt wearing a neutral expression. That lasted only for a second. Then her mouth twisted in rage as her wings flapped just strong enough to lift her, leveling her eyes dead set to mine.

“You!” she seethed.

“Lightning Bolt,” I greeted, very neutrally. I did not want to set her off now. “May I see Sea—”

I didn’t get to finish. Her wings flapped once, and before I knew it, I was slammed at the wall on the other side, both her front hooves pinning my shoulders in place. Her eyes narrowed dangerously, cheeks shaking with rage.

So much for not setting her off.

“How dare you show your face around here?” Lightning Bolt demanded through clenched teeth.

I heard a noise coming from behind the pegasus. All I saw was a light mulberry blur shoving Lightning Bolt down and aside. First thing I noted on the pony on top of her was the strawberry-and-grape Cutie Mark.

“Berry Punch! Let go of me!” Lightning Bolt demanded, struggling against her earth pony friend.

“Not until you stop acting like an angry griffin,” Berry Punch replied. Lightning Bolt replied by trying to sit up, only to be lightly slammed back down the floor. “Lighty, if you don’t stop struggling, I’m not going to show you Mr. Hummie.”

Lightning Bolt immediately stopped, frown on her face. “That’s unfair.”

I finally stopped hugging the wall. I think I also regained my breath. Standing a little straighter, I watched as Lightning Bolt calmed down enough for Berry Punch. The earth pony moved away from her, letting the pegasus stand. The latter looked at me hatefully but said nothing more.

“Thank you,” I said towards the earth pony. Berry Punch looked at me, expression almost similar to the one Lightning Bolt was giving me.

“Don’t thank me,” she replied, sniffing. “Why are you here?”

“I came to see Sea Swirl.”

“What if she doesn’t want to see you?” Berry Punch asked. “Why would we even let you see her?”

“You’re a deceiver,” Lightning Bolt muttered. I shuddered. For some reason, the soft tremble of her voice felt far more uncomfortable than her screams. “Sea Swirl already suffered more than enough.”

I took a deep breath. I gave them both a nod. “Look, I just want to apologize to her,” I said.

“I can tell you where you can shove your apologies!” Lightning Bolt snarled.

Before I could say anything, Berry Punch extended her foreleg, as if to block Lightning Bolt, and nodded. “Okay.”

Lightning Bolt immediately stared at Berry Punch. “What?”

Berry Punch ignored her. “Sea Swirl’s inside, but we’re going to ask her if she wants to see you. If she says no, you leave. If you insist on staying, you’ll have to deal with both of us. Got it?”

I swallowed, then nodded. The earth pony stared at me one last time before she led Lightning Bolt (whose eyes were still on me) back inside the room. Before they closed the doors, I heard Lightning Bolt demanding something from Berry Punch but I couldn’t get the details. Once the door closed, I was left alone in silence once more.

Okay, maybe the walls and doors did block sounds.

With nothing else to do, I leaned back against the wall, staring at the glinting numbers of the door, waiting almost impatiently for the doors to open. I tapped my foot against the floor, licked my lips, and swallowed to ease my dry throat. The wait wasn’t long, but damn sure felt like it.

The door finally opened, revealing Berry Punch. She gave me a solemn nod, and widened the passageway. I shrugged my shoulders, taking a few deep breaths before I nodded. I let myself in, passing by Berry Punch. I could hear her closing the door behind her. I was a bit relieved when I didn’t hear any tell-tale sounds of the door being locked, and made my way towards the bedroom.

Their room was bigger than mine, but only slightly. The entry gave way to a bedroom with three single-sized beds in front of me, just big enough for a pony to lie rather comfortably, arranged in three neat rows. There was a veranda on the left, looking out towards the falls. On the right, the bathroom door was ajar.

I stared back at the beds. On the right most was Sea Swirl, sitting down on her haunches. The white of her eyes were tinged with red and unwiped moisture was present at the bottom of her eyes. Her mane was a bit of a mess. Judging by the downward curve of her lips, she didn’t look too happy to see me.

“We’ll leave you two alone,” Berry Punch whispered. I didn’t look at her, even when I heard Lightning Bolt groan and complain.

“Hey, let go of my mane!”

Berry Punch grunted. "Like I said, we're leaving these two along. So come on.”

“But what if—”

“Mr. Hummie’s in the bathroom.”

There was a slight pause before Lightning Bolt sighed and said, “You suck.”

I heard the bathroom door close, but not completely. I guess they were taking precautions in case things went wrong, but I put that out of my head. My concentration was on the mare before me, studying her face one more time, trying to gauge her reaction. All I could think was that she had spent a good amount of time crying.

“H-hey Sea Swirl,” I began. I made a gesture of pointing towards the adjacent bed. “May I—?”

“No.”

Okay, this was going to be easy, I could tell. Sighing, I just stood in place, looking at the unicorn for a moment, wondering how I was going to start. I opened my mouth twice, but nothing came out. Sea Swirl herself didn’t even seem to mind. All she did was watch me stay silent.

From the bathroom, I could hear muffled voices, but still loud and clear enough to understand.

“They aren’t talking,” Lightning Bolt said.

“Will you get your ear away from the door?” Berry Punch replied, her voice softer than the pegasus’.

“I was really hoping to hear Sea Swirl give that jerky-jerk a piece of her—is that Mr. Hummie?”

“Yup,” Berry Punch said. I could hear the smile on her voice. “Pretty cool, eh?”

“So... that’s anatomically correct? Are they really curved upwards?”

“I was told this is from an actual mold. The tip probably gives a bit of an extra length, probably to make up it up for being a bit thinner than stallions.”

“Where’s the pump?” Lightning Bolt asked.

“No pump... but check this out!”

I heard grinding gears.

“Celestia! The whole thing is wriggling!”

My cheeks were on fire. I looked at Sea Swirl, and she too shifted uncomfortably. “Want to talk somewhere else? Somewhere with more privacy?”

Her discomfort vanished immediately. Her eyes turned hard as she glared at me. “What for? Isn’t this more of your scene, Mister Gentleman?” she asked, with the last word growling out. “Why don’t you go in there, show them what a real Mr. Hummie looks like?”

“Sea Swirl, come on, that’s not fair,” I replied.

“Fair? Why would a damn liar like you talk about fair?” Sea Swirl demanded. Her expression changed slightly, just enough to show mockery as her horn glowed, lifting a coin purse from her bedside. “Oh, I get it. You need to be paid to show your goods, right? How many bits are we talking here?”

I glared at her for a second, my chest heating up. How dare she? Anger rose like a fire within me, but I took a deep breath to calm it down. I reminded myself that she was just angry. It helped, if only a little though.

“Sea Swirl, please,” I said.

“Don’t ‘please’ me!” Sea Swirl shouted. She jumped off the bed, landing in front of me. Before I could do anything, she pointed an accusing hoof in my direction. “You deceived me! You lied to me!”

“I didn’t mean to,” I replied, my voice going softer than what I wanted. She scoffed.

“Didn’t mean to get caught you mean?” Sea Swirl growled. “I should have known. You knew about Hard Cider. You were too good in...” she went silent. “New to Equestria? Hah! You led me on!”

“Sea Swirl, I didn’t lead you on,” I replied. “I’m on leave, on vacation. Look, I may have lied that I was new in Equestria, and maybe didn’t tell you that I was a Gentleman, but that doesn’t change what we had.”

“We had nothing! Why would I have something with someone as disgusting as you?”

I closed my eyes for a moment, exhaling a sharp breath. “Don’t say that, Sea Swirl. I like you. A lot. You’re passionate and an amazing mare. And when I realized you were—” I sighed. “I just wanted to show you that you deserved more.”

“Deserved more?” she demanded. “You used me.”

I swallowed. “I didn’t,” I replied weakly.

“I opened up to you!” Sea Swirl continued. “I told you... things! I really thought... Tartarus take me, I thought...!”

She trailed off, tears forming in her eyes. I bit my lips. I fished the chain Nadia gave me out of my pocket. The glow attracted the unicorn’s gaze, and she gasped as she realized what I was holding.

“I know,” I muttered. I offered it back to her. “I know you were going to ask. That’s why I wanted to see you now, before you leave. I couldn’t leave it like this.”

I saw a magic aura surround the necklace. I thought she was going to take it, but it stayed in place, the light blue glow around the metal links fading to nothingness.

“I just wanted to say that I don’t deserve this,” I continued. “Not from you.”

I saw her eyes, still moist, staring at me for a moment, her lips a thin line before it transformed to a snarl. I felt the chain yanked from my hands, shooting towards her, leaving a faint blue-silver streak.

“That’s right,” she whispered. “You don’t deserve this. A fraud like you doesn’t deserve anyone.”

The chain glowed bright blue, pulling it to one side, while the vial was pulled the other. I could hear her grunting as she put effort in her casting, the sound of metal creaking before the chain snapped into two, separating the vial. She threw it on the floor before she stomped it hard with her hoof, the glass smashing to bits. I spotted the liquid magic, now tinged with red, spreading out underneath her hoof before I winced as she threw the chain back at me.

“You’re a nobody, inconsequential,” she began.

“Sea Swirl, please don’t—”

“You will go through life, mare after mare. You will lie with them. You will lie to them. Because you are nothing!” Sea Swirl shouted.

I stared at her, shaking my head. “Sea Swirl—”

“You’re nothing but a well-dressed comfort human, paid to give temporary intimacy. And that’s all you’ll ever be. You won’t be anything real to us. You have a fake name. You have a fake life!”

“Don’t go there, please,” I muttered through gritted teeth.

“If you told me the truth about the earth girls passing you, I finally realized why.”

“I didn’t—”

“And when you grow old, when you are useless, you’ll realize that!” Sea Swirl shouted. “You’re going to be alone for the rest of your miserable life! That is what you deserve, faker! You hear me, you deceiver, you liar!? In the end, you’re going to be alone!”

Before I could stop myself, I snarled out these words: “A misborn would know, wouldn’t she?”

Her head snapped back, as if she had been hit. Her eyes widened momentarily, before narrowing as her expression turned even more caustic. I didn’t care. I matched her glare with my own.

“Get out,” Sea Swirl muttered. Her horn began to glow, its intensity increasing with every passing second.

The more reasonable part of me was practically screaming at me to get out. You wouldn’t dare grab a roaring tiger by its tail, right? However, in the state I was in, I just said nothing. I didn’t even move. I wanted—no—dared her to try something, anything.

“I said get! Out!” Sea Swirl shouted, sparks flying out of her horn.

Before I could tell her off, I felt something warm and sharp bite my wrist. I turned my head immediately only to see Berry Punch biting onto me, her expression clearly asking me to comply. I looked below her snout and saw my fist closed. Even with her clamped on my arm, I was shaking. I took a breath before I walked out.

I heard Lightning Bolt talking to Sea Swirl, trying to calm and sooth the unicorn who was breaking down, probably for the second time today. I heard her crying, sniffing. I didn’t care. All I felt was... fire.

Berry Punch led me out of room. I looked at her blankly. Before she closed the door, she shook her head, whispering, “Maybe it was better if I left it alone.”

The doorway was sealed with a small, final click as I was left alone in the hallway. Making my way back to my room, I shut the door behind me. My eyes moistened. I looked at my clenched hand, slowly opening it. The chain that she threw at me was still there, its loops making deep red marks on my palm.

I threw it in the garbage.

There was nothing really left to say. I went to bed until it was dinner time, where I did nothing but mechanically eat whatever was placed in front of me. Food lost its flavor, and I just ate because I was hungry, gulping down spoonful after spoonful. Then, I just went back to my room and slept.

Neighgra lost its charm. Oh, the morning was still bright and sunny, and the visitors and tourists were still happily smiling. However, I wasn’t one of them. I tried, though. I went swimming after lunch, but even the cold water felt unusually heavy. Later, I tried to check out the bars and got nothing but a headache for my troubles. Dinner was as uneventful as yesterday’s.

I was still up in my bed when I realized that I had enough of the place.

I packed my things and went down, towards the reception area. I told the nice young mare my name and that I was checking out. She smiled blankly.

“Um, sir, we have you registered to stay for another day,” she replied.

“I know,” I replied neutrally. There was probably something in my expression, though, because she immediately nodded.

“Alright, sir,” she declared. Her horn glowed, and a notebook floated beside her. It laid flat open on the marble counter in front of me, a pen in the center. “Sign here, and here,” she said, indicating where I should sign. She hesitated. “Uh, sir, just to remind you, Water Inn won’t refund—”

I gave her a gentle smile, no teeth. “I know. Thank you." I bent down a bit and signed my name. "Also, can you contact Chariot Skies?” I asked.

She shook her head. “I’m sorry sir, but Chariot Skies do not travel this late at night.”

I checked the wall clock above the receptionist. It indicated it was nine o’clock, and that the receptionist was quite right. No flying chariots for me then, which left the train. I sighed.

I couldn’t go home. Orangefair, the town where I lived, could only be reached by air or road; and night travel via roads was pretty risky, considering the ongoing raids of the diamond dogs. Bad timing, I guess. I could have probably told the receptionist that I changed my mind, that I’d stay one more day, but I didn’t want to.

I wanted out as fast as possible.

Nodding towards the receptionist, I grabbed my bags and made my way out. There was still one place I could stay. Exiting the Water’s Inn, I walked through soft-glowing roads, illuminated by warm street lights. I passed a few figures, humans or otherwise, as I made my way to the train station. With a ticket to Manehattan bought, I waited for ten minutes until the train arrived and made myself comfortable. The coach was practically empty, so I got the window seat all for myself.

It was a thirty minute ride. A boring ride, actually. Even passing through a mountain tunnel, nothing really happened. An earth pony mare pushing a trolley cart was probably the only companion I had. Normally, I’d have joked and asked for Chocolate Frogs, but I really wasn’t into doing any jokes or references now. Besides, the mare probably wouldn’t get it.

I was treated to the bright city lights as I exited the Manehattan station. Cooler than the warm lights of Neighagra, I felt a bit at home as I walked towards a tram station and rode a pony-tram that made its way towards the heart of Manehattan.

I passed by the pristine and brightly lit shops. All of them were closed, but an overhead light displayed their goods through a clear glass window—brightly glistening jewels, foal toys and trinkets for the human kids to try, and human toys like walkie-talkies and remote controlled cars for the foals.

I always felt they were a bit too gaudy, but I guess that was the point. These shops were for tourists. The shinier, the better.

Going further downtown, the tourist shops gave way to the more regular shops. Saddlebuck’s Coffee along with their friendly rival, Hoofer’s Best, spread around here and there. The tea shop equivalents, Amitea and Emphatea, came in between. Pizza parlors dominated the next area, some housing the last few patrons. I could smell the toasted garlic and cheese in the air.

The deeper I went, the brighter the lights and the livelier the streets. I got off at the corner of 42nd Street and 7th Avenue. There, the shops were still open with ponies and humans alike chatting amongst themselves. I ignored them all as I made my way down 7th Avenue and turned left onto 40th Street. I was greeted by a small unassuming building made of washed-out red bricks and white-framed windows. There was a large sign written in the face of the porte-cochère that simply said ‘Gentlemen for Mares’ in bold white letters over a black background.

I avoided the front entrance. That was mostly for walk-in customers, those that weren’t comfortable hiring Gentlemen for the full service, but still curious enough to experience companionship with a human. They’d come inside, go towards the large bar that looked like a set from Casablanca. It was the perfect place to sell Gentlemen and give customers a good time.

I remembered spending a month here during the final phase of my training, and also during the months I couldn’t nab a customer. Those were the times.

I moved towards the side-entrance, covering my mouth as I yawned. Opening the door, I made a... sound when I spotted Eve right in front of me, like an apparition that just appeared out of nowhere.

“That was an interesting scream,” Eve declared, giving me a smile. “Who knew you could hit the high notes.”

No, she didn’t mean I had a girlish scream. It was a manly scream.

“Holy crap, you scared the shit out of me,” I replied, clutching my chest with my free hand.

“Not really hard to do, honestly,” Eve said, giggling a bit.

I shook my head and gave her a smile of my own. It was good to see a friendly face, but I was also a bit suspicious. Around this time, Eve should have been at home. Yet here she was, sitting on her haunches, moved a bit towards the left of the entry to not block anyone. Her saddlebags were on her side, and her cat-eye rimmed spectacles daintily perched on top of her snout.

“Were you waiting for me?” I ventured.

Eve nodded solemnly. “I received a call from Thomas earlier.”

I rolled my eyes. “So you did send him to watch over me,” I accused.

“Please,” Eve replied, sniffing gently. “He had a job there. I’m actually ticked off at him.”

I blinked. “Why?”

“Like I said, he had a job there. And his job was to take care of the rich client that hired three of my Gentlemen,” Eve replied. She raised one of her eyebrows. “Instead, he spent his time worrying about you. He called me half-hour ago, telling me about your early departure.”

I frowned. “What else did he tell you?” I asked, softly.

“That you were an idiot,” Eve replied with a small smile. “I think that one’s obvious, though.”

“Oh, ha, ha,” I replied. I stuck my tongue out to her. She answered with the same. We both laughed afterwards, which felt good... really good.

“Well, now that you’re here, we can finally go,” Eve declared as she magically lifted her saddlebags and placed it over her back.

“Go where?” I asked.

“My place,” Eve replied. She raised an eyebrow again. “You weren’t seriously thinking I was going to let you bunk here, are you?”

I shook my head. “Eve, you don’t have to—”

Eve cut me off. “Yes I do,” she said. “Now, follow me, or I’ll magically leash you and float you around for all people to see—in your underwear.”

I snorted. “Boss from hell,” I declared.

She walked by me, still smiling. “You like it better that way.”

“Yeah, yeah, whatever,” I replied as I followed suit.

We took another pony-tram ride, and five minutes later, we both got off in a quiet neighborhood, in front of a tall dark-green rectangular building.

“I haven’t been here in a while,” I muttered as Eve magically fished out her keyring from her saddlebags.

“A while?” Eve snorted. “You ran away, never looking back.” Eve turned the key to unlock the door. She grunted as she pushed forward with her shoulders. I helped, pushing the doorway with my free hand. With both of us exerting force, the door easily gave way and we entered.

“Ran away?” I asked as I closed the door.

Eve nodded. “Once you finally got two steady clients, you were practically packing your bags,” she replied. She lifted her right foreleg over her head, reminiscent of another white unicorn I met in Ponyville. “Was I that much of a terrible host that you couldn’t wait to get out from under my hooves?”

“Oh, quiet you,” I said, walking past her and towards the lift, sliding the metallic gate open. I hunched my back as I walked in, and Eve chuckled as she walked in after me. She stood on her hind legs to push a hoof-sized button that had the number six beside it. I heard the sound of gears turning as the lift slowly began to move upwards, picking up speed until it moved at a steady pace a few seconds afterwards.

The lift stopped with a small ding. I opened the gate and let Eve leave first. She went towards her apartment, floated her keyring once more, and opened the door for me.

As I entered, my hand automatically reached towards my left. I felt for the light button indent and pushed it in, bathing the place in warm yellow colors.

The place hadn’t changed at all.

I walked through the receiving area. In front of me was the living room. From where I stood, I could see the large open space and carpeted floors. A rectangular coffee table sat solidly in the center, surrounded by a three-cushion couch, a loveseat, and two single-seaters.

On my left, there was a door that led to Eve’s fully furnished kitchen. Its presence was something I always found funny because, while I wouldn’t say it out loud, Eve was a terrible cook. Worse than I was, and that said something.

On the right was the dining area, complete with a (relatively unused) dining table, tall chairs, and display plates that were stacked on top of each other, gilded spoons and forks shining in silver spread about. On top of the table was a light fixture that had strung gemstones hanging from the ceiling, refracting the light into multiple colors.

I walked towards the living room, revealing more of the area. Everything was as I remembered it, still in place and impeccably clean. Paintings hung from the walls, accenting the tastefully placed wooden furniture that helped frame the room. Some bookshelves displayed her hardbounds, all arranged in alphabetical order by author name. Others were counters that displayed plaques and awards of all sorts, some even given by Princess Celestia herself. And of course, a place dedicated to one of Eve’s few hobbies: touristy collectibles.

She had snowglobes for Canterlot, Vanhoover, Fillydelphia, Las Pegasus, Cloudsdale, Ponyville and The Crystal Empire. I could also spot miniaturized models of Appleloosa and Dodge City as well. Then there were collectibles from human cities, miniatures of the Statue of Liberty, the Space Needle, Mount Rushmore, the White House, and Big Ben.

“Well, make yourself at home,” Eve said as she closed the front door. “You can put your bags in your old room.”

“Don’t want me running away again?” I asked, and made my exit before she could reply.

I remembered walking here the first time around, realizing how similar it was compared to Five Star’s apartment. It didn’t take long for me to make my way to Eve’s guest room—my old room.

Opening the door gave me that tingling feeling of nostalgia, to the time when I bummed inside her apartment. Not my proudest moment, but fortunately, I was able to recover from it after a few months.

The room was still the same—a double-sized bed, a modest closet, a small mirror hanging on the wall, and a window big enough to let the moonlight in. It was a modest room, but during those months, it was my sanctuary and a bit of a personal hell. This room reminded me of the failure I was years ago. Yet, it was also a reminder of a friend who never gave up on me.

I put my bag gently at the side of the bed and walked back towards the living room area, only to see Eve lifting up a pair of whiskey glasses and a clear tall decanter filled with golden amber liquid.

“That whiskey?” I asked as I sat down on one of the loveseats.

Eve simply nodded. She concentrated on pouring the liquid in the whiskey glasses, and floated one to me, which I immediately grabbed. She slowly placed the decanter on the table as I took a sip from my glass. My mouth warmed up instantly. The whiskey was nice and dry with a bit of a salty aftertaste.

I leaned back into the loveseat, closing my eyes and relaxing as the whiskey hit the right spots. I couldn’t stop the groan of pleasure that escaped my lips; it got Eve chuckling. I opened my eyes and saw her sitting on the couch, beside the loveseat, taking a sip from her glass. Her face flushed before she took a sharp breath out.

“Very nice,” Eve muttered. “Should have tried this earlier. This is my first time drinking this.”

“What is it?” I asked.

“Lagavulin,” Eve replied, taking another sip. I whistled.

“That’s a bit expensive, isn’t it?”

“Yes, well, a celebration isn’t really worth celebrating without something good-tasting and expensive drink to share around,” Eve replied with a wide smile.

“And what are we celebrating?” I asked.

“The return of the prodigal son.”

I snorted, which slowly turned to a chuckle. I took another sip and shook my head. “Been reading the Good Book?”

“Ever since I read that article with that horrible senator,” Eve confirmed. “After reading through the Bible, I was forced to conclude that he was talking out of his rear.” She looked at me, a somewhat naughty smile appearing in her face. “And I wouldn’t worry about your soul. Even if you are selling your body, you are one of the most decent guys I’ve met, pony or human.”

“Yeah, well, I have three ponies, and maybe two humans, who disagree.”

Eve opened her mouth for a moment, but closed it immediately. For a moment, we both just sat in silence, sipping the strong liquid. After her third sip, she placed her glass on the coffee table and asked, “Want to talk about it?”

I emptied the glass too quickly. The fire burned my throat and it took me a moment to recover. I stared at Eve for a moment, and motioned my glass. “Give me a bit more, and I’ll think about it.”

The last bit was a lie. As she poured me another glass, I quickly began to tell her what happened. I told her of my meeting with Sea Swirl, that drunken night (minus the details, of course), and the next few days of dates ending with a shouting match at the very end. Eve listened thoughtfully, not raising any questions. She just let me talk, let me spill everything it out. Between her attention and the whisky, the words came out so easily that I finished my tale before I knew it.

“Ah,” was all Eve said. She took another sip. “Thomas was a bit confused on why you left all the sudden. He thought something came up, asked if I called you back.”

“How did he know I left?” I asked.

“Well, he saw you carrying your bag and walking towards the train station,” Eve replied. “Didn’t take a genius to figure out where you’d be going. I mean, where else can you bunk relatively near your place?”

“I could have gone to Hollow Shades,” I countered. “Slept there instead.”

Eve shrugged. “True. And just in case, I was going to give you an hour to appear, then I’d have gone home afterwards. The point is, my deduction was right. I know you pretty well.” She smiled and wiggled her eyebrows. “There’s nothing, no little dirty secret, that you can hide from my gaze, Harry. You are completely mine.”

I stuck my tongue out at her, and we both laughed once more, and we both clinked our glasses together before we took another sip. The whiskey was really working on me. After everything, it felt nice to finally just... relax.

“Okay,” I began, “since you know me so well, and knowing what I just told you, what do you think of the whole thing?”

“Honestly?” Eve asked. I gave her a nod. “You sure?”

I nodded at her again.

“Okay,” Eve paused, and took another sip. I followed suit, steeling myself for something sharp. She didn’t disappoint. “If I have to be frank, I think both of you were being idiotic.”

“Hah!” I exclaimed, smiling a bit. “Knew it,” I mumbled. I paused, and realized what she said. “Wait, both of us? You mean Thomas and I?”

“No.” Eve rolled her eyes. “You and Sea Swirl.”

I blinked. “Why Sea Swirl? I caused the damage. I lied.”

“Yes you did,” Eve replied. “But honestly, the problems you two had were mostly because she was mis-blaming you for Equestria’s problems.” She swirled the whiskey around her glass. “She’s a product of ponydom’s stubbornness to change. It’s inherent in our culture. If you think the donkeys can be hard-headed, they are nothing compared to us.

“For almost a hundred years, we’ve stagnated, culturally and technologically. We hate changes. Pretty open minded when it comes to friendship and harmony, but that friendship and harmony doesn’t extend to you once you’re found out to be a colt-cuddler or a misborn mare like Sea Swirl.”

Eve sighed. “It’s one of the things I hate about Equestria, honestly. Traditional to a fault. I mean, I understand Sea Swirl’s situation, and I’m sure you do too.”

I nodded solemnly. “She’s probably led a very lonely life. She’d have met a few stallions, maybe a few herds, but once she’s been found to be misborn... they’d reject her outright, without leniency or sympathy.”

Eve just nodded.

“She tried hard,” I whispered, “very hard to get my interest.”

“And that’s why I think she was being idiotic,” Eve declared evenly. “Harry, she knew you for less than a week. I find her wanting to take the next step a bit incredulous.” She sighed. “I mean, I can understand why she moved fast. She probably grew up thinking that if she got a stallion interested enough, she could convince him to ignore her misborn status. And maybe you were the first to actually ignore that and it made her feel like you were a keeper. However, it doesn’t change the fact that she was judging you because of your job.”

“I gave her false hope,” I countered.

“She gave herself false hope and deluded herself,” Eve replied. “Do you honestly think that she wasn’t suspecting that you were a little deceitful? Especially when she was raving on about how good you were at rutting? Oh, stop blushing, Harry. The thing is, a human new to Equestria would never be that good in sleeping with mares. I mean, for Celestia’s sake, we train Gentlemen for months to actually be decent, and it takes even a week more of constantly servicing customers to get good. And I’d like to believe Sea Swirl is smart enough to know that because the alternative would much more insulting.”

I said nothing. I just looked down on the ground.

“Harry, I’m not saying that its all her fault,” Eve finished. “Both of you made mistakes. However, think of it this way. If she wanted to make the relationship work badly enough, she could have ignored your job. And even if you honestly told her the truth from the beginning, there was no guarantee that she wouldn’t blame you for trying to seduce her with the Noble Greeting. Honestly, I think it was a no-win situation.”

I sighed. Looking at my own glass, I said, “I should have not gotten involved.”

“Truthfully, yeah. You should have just avoided her,” Eve replied. “But then again, you have a soft spot for lonely mares. That's why a lot of clients like you.”

I looked at her, giving her a sad smile. “Until they get a real look at me."

"What do you mean?" Eve asked.

"I got mad at her, Eve. I threw her misborn title to her face.” She winced. I continued, “I’ve never done that to a mare. Intentionally hurt her, I mean.”

“You both got emotional,” she replied. “If what you told me was accurate, she didn’t even try to give you a chance to apologize. She just threw insults at your face, hoping to hurt you.”

“I guess she succeeded.”

“Don’t let it get to you,” Eve said. “More than half of it wasn’t even true.”

“What if it is?” I asked. I felt Eve’s eyes locking on me.

“What do you mean?”

“Sea Swirl was right when she said I was a nobody and a liar,” I muttered. “I’ve been a Gentleman for more than a year. I just go through day after day, just sleeping with mares. And honestly, I thought I was doing a good thing. A service, to lessen the loneliness of Equestria’s mares. We are the answer to stallion shortage, the alternative for mares who don’t want to have relationships with other mares.

“I can say the right things on the job. I can tell a mare that she’s beautiful, that her hobbies were interesting. I can make her scream at the end of the night. But that’s it. It's easy for me to be what they want to be because they are lonely, and because everything lasts only for a short while.” I clenched the glass.

“When Thomas told me he had a marefriend, I was utterly confused. And...” I sighed. “And maybe a bit jealous. I was... curious how it would feel to wake up beside a mare, without the job to tell me I can’t stay in. And it felt good. It felt really good.” I looked at Eve. “You told me once that most mares are lonely creatures.”

Eve nodded.

“I can relate because I’m... kinda lonely too,” I admitted. My eyes watered a bit. “I’ve never had any close, intimate relationships. I’ve had a lot of friends, yeah, but never really anyone close. There was one... but I drove her away.

“I could never really attract women back on earth. Maybe it was because of me. Maybe because of our culture. Or maybe because it was because of the times I grew up in. Whatever the reason, it was something I had to contend with. Hell, my last relationship was nothing more than being a pretty girl’s gopher boy, there to help her with her programming because she was too fucking stupid to do it on her own.”

“Harry—”

“So I just concentrated on my studies. I graduated with an IT degree and dreamt of going to Equestria, to be of service, to show what humans were capable of,” I continued.

“You are,” Eve insisted. “In your own way, you are.”

“Yeah, for now,” I countered. “What happens when I’m old? When I’m done and useless? Will you take me to the back of the shed and shoot me dead, Eve? I’ll never be important to anyone. Everyone I know, I either know from work or they are customers. Of the former, I don’t have a lot of friends. And my customers? They won’t get invested in me. Heck, I lied to my most loyal client. I used my past so she could get help from her father, when I’m not even sure if my own dad would approve of what I do. No. They’ll move on with their lives. They will find someone more appropriate for them. Because in the end, I don’t matter. Not to anyone.”

I didn’t notice Eve move. Or maybe I was too concentrated on myself to have felt her move because the next thing I knew I felt two warm limbs surrounding me, strong enough to pull me towards the side, towards her.

“You’re important to me, Harry,” Eve said, in a particularly strong tone. That got me to hug her back, hard.

I won’t say what passed between us at that moment. Just know that it felt good to hold someone warm. It felt even better when that someone is your friend. I smelled the woody smoky scent of the whiskey, mingling perfectly with the honey-floral scent of her coat. It was lovely. It was perfect.

“I don’t know what the future holds,” Eve continued, “but you’ll get through it. We’ll find something for you in the future. Even if you want to pursue another career, I’ll support you. No matter what. And... don’t worry about relationships. You’ll do fine.”

I chuckled. “Liar.”

“Okay, maybe you do need work,” Eve replied with a chuckle of her own. “Honestly, I just think you need a mare who will challenge you. A mare who will accept you as who you are. And I’m sure that mare’s closer than you think.”

I laughed and squeezed her. “You always seem to say the right things. I am so glad to have a friend like you.”

I felt her forelegs slack around my neck. She whispered, “A friend, huh?”

“The very best,” I replied. “Heck, I’d never have survived Equestria without you. Thank you, Eve.” I paused. “You remind me of her.”

“Who?” Eve asked.

“That good friend back on Earth,” I replied. I squeezed her a little harder. “I... did something stupid. I didn’t treat her as well as I should have and lost her. I learned my lesson.” I sighed. “Long story short, you’re one of the people I am so glad to have met. As long as I have you with me, I feel like I could take on anything.”

Eve and I slowly let each other go. She had a contemplative expression, but she still smiled warmly, if not sadly. She was probably still bothered by my low confidence, but she needn’t worry. I gave her a smile, which she returned a moment later.

“Glad we got that out of the way,” Eve declared. “More fine-tasting and expensive drink on my, uh... how do you humans say it? On my dime?”

I chuckled. “Yup. Let us enjoy your fine scotch at your expense,” I replied. She poured more drinks on our glass, and we both clinked them together once more and took deep sips. We both breathed the warmness out of our mouths.

“Whew, that really hits the spot,” Eve said.

“Yeah.” I nodded. I looked at her. “You know, you never really talked to me about your dislike of Equestrian culture.”

“What’s there to talk about?” Eve replied. She took another sip. “We were culturally stagnant until you humans showed up.”

I blinked. “Really?”

“Yeah,” Eve shrugged. “Humanity has the most diverse cultures of any race we’ve met. Plus your progress on technology? I mean, yeah, griffin weapons are impressive and all, and the minotaurs have some pretty cool machines we import, but for convenience, you guys have everything. In smaller, manageable sizes too.”

“Hah, knew it,” I teased. I raised my glass. “Humanity! Fuck yeah!”

Eve raised her glass as well, though confusion was evident in her face. “What does that mean?” she asked.

“It means humans are better than ponies.”

“What!? I’m not toasting to that!” Eve declared. “Besides, that’s not true!”

“Why not? Humans got amazing hands,” I said.

“We got magic, external and internal manifestations,” Eve countered.

“Okay, but humans are exceptional lovers. Because of fingers,” I countered back, waving my hand in front of her in very exaggerated motions.

“Yeah, well, those humans and their fingers need months of training,” Eve giggled. I think she was getting into the game.

“We last longer than stallions!”

Eve sputtered. “What?! Where did you get that? From your rear?”

“Its called bullshit,” I replied, sticking my tongue out to her. “And besides, even if it isn’t true, we humans are the ‘caring lovers’, the ‘monogamous partners’ all mares dream of. That’s why we are better.”

“Please,” Eve said, her tongue sticking out this time. “That’s like saying Griffins are better than ponies because they have a culture that makes them monogamous. And that minotaurs are also better because they know how to make better machines than we do. I say ponies are superior to griffins because we are less warlike and teach friendship stuff, and that we’re better than minotaurs because of magic. And stuff!”

“You have convinced me! Equestrian Ponies! Fuck yeah!” I declared, raising my glass.

“Ponies... uh... yeah,” Eve mumbled.

“Come on, Eve. Its just one word, one syllable.”

“Oh, shut up.”

We both broke down, laughing as we drank once more. Eve looked at me for a moment, her eyes narrowing. “Okay, in all seriousness... do humans actually do that whole shooting in the back of the shed thing? As in, do you do that to your elderly?”

“Nah, its mostly for old pets. And that was like... man, generations ago. But then again, Earth’s big, so I guess there might be a few people who still practice that. However, most would just call a veterinarian to do it painlessly, and only as a last resort.” I paused. I looked at her. “Why? Did you guys shove old stallions in the back of the shed, and shoot them?”

“Psh, no,” Eve replied. “We dose them with large amounts of boosters and milk them for all they’re worth. Then we just leave them in the Everfree Forest. Let nature take its course.”

I stared at her for the moment. “That’s messed up.”

“Ah, don’t worry,” she replied easily. “The boosters would still be active. Plus we do it during timberwolves’ heat phase. They’ll get blisters, but nothing too bad.”

“Who gets the blisters? The old stallions or the timberwolves?”

Eve looked at me, her face composed, but that didn’t last. She broke out to giggles, and we were both laughing once more.

We drank for the better part of the hour, until the decanter was almost empty. Conversation jumped from one random topic to another which ended with a bout of giggles and laughter. When Eve couldn’t make more whiskey appear with just magic, we went on our separate ways. I made my way back to the guest room, and slid into the bed, closing my eyes.

For some reason, I couldn’t sleep. Maybe it was the alcohol, or maybe something else, but after a while, I opened my eyes and just stared at the ceiling. I shifted sides a few times, half-wondering if I should just turn on the lamp on the nightstand, maybe scrounge around Eve’s living room to see if she had any books I could read.

I haven’t yet finished Eve's favorite book series: The Knight and Stallion. It was probably the most prolific take on Equestrian storytelling of its classical era, complete with evil sorceresses and baroness. The story was exactly what it says on the tin. It revolved around the heroine, a knight, and her partner, a stallion she had rescued and fallen in love with.

Together, they go on adventures!

I always found it funny on how it was the guy playing the damsel in distress while the mare played the big goddamn heroes. Maybe it was a good time to continue where I left off?

Before I could decide, I heard the doorknob turn. I blinked. It opened up, revealing Eve, her white coat reflecting the pale moonlight. She seemed to stare at me for a moment, then cantered towards me.

I immediately closed my eyes.

“Harry? Are you awake?” she asked.

I didn’t reply. I just kept my eyes closed. I didn’t want to bother Eve now, especially this late at night. She probably came in to check up on me. That was really sweet of her. But she had a job tomorrow, and I was still on leave. She needed the rest. So, I said nothing.

I heard her hoofsteps coming closer and closer, until I could smell her. I wondered for a moment why she wasn’t leaving yet.

Then I felt my bed move, the weight distribution going all wrong. Her leg brushed on my side and her scent dominated my senses. I felt her lips touch my cheeks, a kiss, before I felt her settle behind me, the warmth of her body combining with mine. I felt her hooves touch my side, encircling my stomach.

What the hell was she doing?

“Harry,” I heard her whisper then sigh. “I wish I was the mare that would challenge you.”

Huh? Wait a minute...

I felt her kiss me on the nape of my neck and electricity traveled downwards through my spine.

“I wish you could see me more than just a friend,” she continued.

W-what?

What?

… What?

Author's Note

There we go. The first Gentleman for Mares chapter without clop. I hope you guys will enjoy it.

Okay, as usual, thank you coandco, shira, Permanent Temporary, grey_conscience, Ponyboy245 for helping me with this fic. Shira went overtime on this too. <.< Wonder what's gotten to him. XD Kidding. Love you man.

Also, some extra thanks as well for others.

Burraku_Pansa for suggesting Sea Swirl and friend's room number. If you guys had a problem with it, he said to freely take it up to him. XD

Obelescence for giving me that perfect song that Harry hummed.

Aquilla for providing material for that interesting conversation topic between Eve and Harry. Granted, it wasn't really meant for that, but thanks all the same. ^_^

Alright, if anyone read my blog, know that there's two more chapters to go. Unless I change my mind, in which case I'll give you guys another heads up.

Back to writing Feathered Heart! Later!

The Lady and the Gentleman

How would one deal with being attracted to one’s friend?

That was the question on my mind ever since that night, while I was warmed by her embrace, electrified by her kiss. Eve had admitted her feelings to me, whispering it when she thought I was asleep, inebriated by good single-malt scotch.

The admission changed things. No, more accurately, it changed my perception of her. One day, she was just... Eve, my friend. Now, she’s Eve, my friend, who is also a very good-looking unicorn and has feelings for me.

Looking at her now, pink mane, vivid green eyes behind her cat-eye rimmed spectacles, white well-brushed coat, and beautiful hips and neck, she was a mare that could distract anyone passing by her. Human or stallion.

It wasn’t as if I didn’t think Eve was attractive before, though. It just wasn’t something I really focused on. For the longest time, she was my friend, my very best. She was the one that found me when I first got to Equestria, was the one who took me in when I struggled.

However, her confession had me thinking more about the nature of our relationship. Was it possible to expand our friendship, to become something more? We’d made each other laugh and we’d comforted each other on more than one occasion. I had been in a relationship that didn’t even start as solidly as that—all I saw was boobs and said yes.

So the question popped into my head: could Eve and I work?

I didn’t find the answer. Neither that night nor afterwards. When I had woken up the next day and saw her again, it was as if the status quo remained unchanged. She was my friend once more, slowly becoming my Handler as my leave expired. She never really brought up that night again.

Quite frankly, part of me didn’t want to, either. I mean, considering what had happened to me the past few days, could I say that I was ready for a relationship? And even if we ignored that, what would happen if that relationship... failed?

“Sometimes, you have the most fascinating facial expressions,” Eve said.

I blinked, then looked at the mare in front of me once more. I shook my head, trying to focus on the present.

“Something wrong?” she asked.

“No,” I replied. “A little nervous, maybe. First time on a job since my leave.”

A slight smile chinked the professional expression on Eve’s face. “Why? Its not like you’ve been gone that long. It’ll be like—what’s that human expression? Riding a bike?”

I grinned. “Yeah, like riding a bike. But it's not that. I mean, I know who my client is. And I’ve never entertained an Element before.”

“Yes, well, that’s no reason to be nervous,” Eve said. “I mean, yes, you are about to service an Equestrian Hero, and if she says anything about you, it’ll either make or break your reputation.”

“Well, that’s reassuring,” I replied, rolling my eyes. “I can already feel my nervousness fly away with your assurance.”

“Oh, shush,” Eve said. “What I’m trying to say is that she wanted you specifically. You shouldn’t be nervous at all! Get excited! Use your head, make her happy! Treat her like how you treat your regular customers! What?”

I regarded her for a moment. She was giving me a wide smile, blinking way faster than normal. “You’re nervous too,” I said.

Her mouth opened. “Wha—? No, I’m not. What gives you that idea?”

I raised an eyebrow as a reply. She stuck out her tongue at me in response.

“Fine, fine,” Eve muttered, crossing her forelegs. She pouted. Damn, she had a cute pout. “I have the right to be. You’re my Gentleman, so whatever happens, it’ll be on me too.”

“Yeah, well, I’ll try not to disappoint,” I replied, winking. “After all, can’t have you thrown out of your fancy apartment to starve in the streets, right?”

Eve lowered the tone of her voice, going full Audio Erotica. “That won’t happen because you’ll take care of me, won’t you Harry?”

I suddenly remembered her warm embrace and her electric kiss. I felt my stomach take a dive as I opened my mouth, then immediately closed it.

Eve must have sensed something wrong because she immediately frowned. “Harry, are you okay?” she asked in her normal voice.

I took a deep breath. Damn it, Harry. Calm down. Not trusting myself to speak yet, I just gave her a nod.

Eve looked at me. “Maybe it was too early to have you out there again,” she said. “Maybe we should cancel the appointment.”

I immediately shook my head. “No.”

Eve frowned. “You sure?”

“Yeah.” I nodded. “It’s just nerves. Plus, you know, stuff. Still reeling from the news on how Sal is now exclusive to that High Duchess.”

“High Duchess Gilded Spiral, yes,” Eve replied, nodding.

“I never thought that Exclusivity Clause would ever be used,” I muttered. “You know how expensive that is?”

“Well, when you’re in love,” Eve said with an odd tone.

“So, it’s true? Sal and Gilded Spiral?” I asked.

Eve nodded. “And it makes sense, too. If Sal broke his contract with Gentlemen for Mares, it would have cost the High Duchess a lot more. Now, she can have Sal all for herself while waiting for his contract to expire.”

“And here I thought Equestrian ponies were all about sharing.”

“When you’re rich enough, I guess,” she shrugged. “I mean, take a look at a certain Princess of the Crystal Empire. Plus there’s always that romantic notion of keeping a stallion for yourself. Or at least, be the First Mare, who gets most of a stallion’s attention.”

“Like The Knight and Stallion, right? Which reminds me, any chances I can borrow the books I haven’t read yet?”

“Sure, no problem,” Eve said. She paused for a moment. “Harry, do you remember our talk the night you stayed in?

“I wish I was the mare that would challenge you.”

I swallowed. “W-what talk was that?”

“The one about you leaving Gentlemen?” Eve replied.

I nodded. “Oh yeah. What about it?”

“If you’re going to leave, then maybe taking an Element as a customer would not be wise,” she said. “Especially this one. If she likes you, and if she talks about you, your already growing list of clients will most likely double. Maybe even triple. She has been known to set trends now and again. You could be that next trend.”

“Well, I’m not leaving in the near future,” I replied. “I honestly don’t know what else to do right now, other than being a Gentleman. I’ll be looking out for opportunities, but for now, I’m going to do my job.”

Eve looked at me for a moment before nodding. “Okay. Just... remember, Harry. I’m here whenever you need me.”

I smiled. “I couldn’t ask for more.”

“Of course you couldn’t,” Eve said. “I’m the only thing you’ll ever need.”

I swallowed once more, a bit uncomfortable. Another thing I’ve been noticing was the way Eve chose her words, which with her confession, opens up new kinds of interpretations. Sometimes, I even wondered if Eve was doing it on purpose.

Thankfully, she didn’t notice my discomfort. Instead, her attention was on the newspaper she was magically picking up. I guess that was the advantage of enclosed chariots: no roar of the wind to shout over or fear that it would grab your reading materials from your hands. Or hooves. Or magic, in Eve’s case.

I found myself wishing I’d brought my own reading material, but I made do by taking a look outside, through the chariot’s opening.

The sky was slowly taking on a red tinge, signifying the nearing end of the day. I was not to meet Rarity, my client, until after the sun had set, but this was going to be my first time in Hollow Shades. I wanted to scout the area first, see where to set up the dates, and maybe try and see what unique services were offered in town.

I looked at Eve, half-wondering if I should ask her if she was knowledgeable on anything in regards to Hollow Shades, when I noticed the front page talking about...

“Changelings,” I said.

Eve folded the newspaper, looked at me for a moment before she folded the paper to get a better look at the front page. She frowned. “Yes. Changelings.”

“Weren’t they that race that fed on emotion?” I asked. “Tried to conquer Equestria years before the portal was opened?”

“Yes on both questions,” Eve replied. Her frowned deepened. “We haven’t heard from them since then. And now, this was the second Changeling we found dead in Equestria within the week.”

“I’m assuming you guys aren’t the ones killing them,” I said.

Eve raised an eyebrow. I chuckled.

“Okay, so who’s killing them?”

Eve shrugged. “I don’t know, and it doesn’t matter.” She folded the newspaper. “Changeling news is causing old fears to resurface. Princess Celestia is now trying to raise awareness and I won’t be surprised if the company starts drafting new security procedures soon.”

“Heh, I wonder if it’ll be like the Dominion Wars,” I said.

Eve looked at me blankly. “What’s that?”

“Its from a TV show, Star Trek,” I explained. “They used blood screening to make sure everyone was who they said they were. Was wondering if you guys were going to do something similar.”

Eve giggled. “Yeah, except instead of extracting blood, we’ll use magic to detect Changeling mimicry. Far less needles.”

“But the needles is the exciting part!”

“Well, if you insist, I can always tell Platinum that you rather prefer getting stabbed by needles to prove your identity,” Eve said. She wiggled her eyebrows. “Is that a thing for you? Like Jonas?”

I blinked. “Are you seriously comparing me to the guy who wanted to use ‘Caligula’ as a call name?”

“Well, if the horseshoe fits...”

I replied by sticking my tongue out at her. Her giggles became louder.

“Seriously, though, you shouldn’t worry about this,” Eve said. “You should just concentrate on your client. I mean, do you have a plan ready?”

“I’m forming one.” I looked at Eve. “Are you familiar with the sights of Hollow Shades?”

She took a moment before shaking her head. “Hollow Shades isn’t exactly a big city or a prime tourist spot. It has an interesting history, though. It was formed by a few ponies that were dedicated to Princess Luna before she was overtaken by the Nightmare. They wanted to build a city where the night lasted longer and did it by building the town inside Shady Forest, which itself was unique because the Forest seems to naturally block or absorb sunlight.”

“Any other unique facts about it?” I asked.

“Well, during Nightmare Night, it reaches its peak number of visitors,” Eve answered. “Oh, and the locals favor traditional captured fireflies compared to magical bulbs as far as lighting goes. I mean, they do have bulbs and some modern Equestrian conveniences, but they are very particular in using fireflies as a source of light.”

“That is unique,” I admitted. “But completely useless.”

Eve chuckled. “You’ll get by.”

I wish I had such strong faith in me. In truth, Rarity stumped me as far as mare customers go. Even if I disregard her status as an Element, she seemed to be pretty knowledgeable about Gentlemen.

I mean, even new clients who were recommended to me by my regulars still showed some gap of knowledge and harbored presumptions. Rarity knew how our call names were designed to roll with Pony name-theming, which in itself was not something we advertised.

If something so subtle was known to her, what else did she know?

Of course, I took that as a positive. After what had happened in Neighagra, I’d rather deal with a pony who knew what she was getting into, who knew what I was, and who still accepted me enough to hire for the night.

Then again, her knowledge would make it harder for me to entertain her. Plus, she was an Element of Harmony, a national hero; and considering how sophisticated she carried herself, she was probably quite experienced in the high life. And with nothing much to go on in Hollow Shades, I’d have to rely on my skills on sweeping mares off their hooves.

Still, I was confident I’d pull through. I was a great believer in the school of thought that entertaining a mare was nothing more than finding a connection with her. The fact that I had the advantage of meeting her before and having talked in a capacity meant I wasn’t going in cold. She carried herself as a proper lady—at least, proper in terms of Equestrian culture, and would most likely expect the best, whether during the date or after.

It was time to bring the A-Game, Wingman.

“We’re here,” Eve said.

I looked outside the window. The chariot was slowly descending, and the first thing I noticed was the immediate darkening of the area. The sky was still red, but for some reason, the intensity of the sun was muted to just barely visible.

The chariot pegasi were good at their jobs; I barely felt the wheels hit the ground. As we finally came to a full stop, I felt for the door handle and opened it, revealing the town to me for the first time. Houses were seemingly carved out of trees, lit by soft-glowing lights. The cobblestone roads were rich with street lamps that contained fireflies inside. They glowed with an intense yellow light before dimming at certain intervals, then brightening again. The rest of the lighting came from the numerous fireflies that flew around town, landing on grass or trees, or even by hitching a ride from other ponies that walked around.

I spotted a few modern establishments, judging by the use of modern signs and light bulbs, but they still tried to fit in with the rustic aesthetics, using soft glow yellow lights and well-dressed maitre d’s. Still, the lighting looked a bit artificial, but considering the number of patrons inside, it seemed that the locals didn’t mind.

I heard a familiar clip-clop sound and spotted a pony-pulled open-roof carriage passing by the chariot. It was well made, polished and gleaming with dark shades of red and black. The earth pony pulling it had a pair of prop bat wings attached around his barrel.

I stepped out the chariot, drinking in the sights before me. I even took a deep breath, the smell of wet earth dominant in the verisimilitude of scents: freshly baked bread from a nearby bakery, crushed basil with a nutty, buttery tinge, and a familiar honey-floral scent.

The last bit caused me to look to my left. Eve was leaning forward, her snout almost touching my cheek as she too took a look outside. I just... stared at her for a moment as she scanned the town, whistling afterwards.

“Wow,” she muttered. “It’s like Nightmare Night. Did you see that carriage-puller’s bat wings?” She pointed her forelegs towards the one that passed by. She smiled. “This town seems fun to visit!”

I couldn't keep my eyes off her, so I settled on smiling as well. “We can always come here again once we have free time.”

Eve looked at me for a moment, confusion evident in her face. That’s when it hit me that my statement wasn’t as innocent as I had initially thought. Part of me wondered if I had opened Pandora's Box, and if I had thrust myself into something I wasn’t ready for.

Yet as much trepidation as I felt, a part of me felt... curious on her reply. So, I held my breath for a moment, keeping my face neutral as Eve slowly smiled and nodded. “Why not. I could use a break too.”

I breathed a little easier. “Thinking of getting ‘suspended’?” I joked. I received a gentle bop to my head for my troubles.

“I thought we were over that, Harry?” Eve mock complained, raising the pitch of her a voice just a bit to give that ‘whiny’ flavor. “You’re never going to let me live that down, are you? I misspoke, Harry. Misspoke!”

“You scared the crap out of me, that’s what you did,” I replied. I tried to be deadpan, but I couldn’t help but chuckle. Eve joined in as well.

“Fine, Harry. I’ll get ‘suspended’ too, if it’ll make you happy.” She looked at the town again. “Okay, if we’re going to visit this town again, you need to find any good places where we can eat. And maybe something fun to do here.”

“Well, I’m going to do that anyway,” I replied, looking at the town again. I took a breath. “Well, yonder I go, stepping to and fro.”

“Where did you get that?” Eve asked.

I looked back at her with a smile. “My brain.”

“No wonder it sounded stupid.”

I stuck my tongue out at her. “My genius is never appreciated.”

“Well, Starswirl, get your unappreciated-genius rear out there and earn your pay,” Eve replied, giggling. “Good luck.”

I turned around, waving my hand. “Never needed it!” I declared. I heard her giggle one last time before the chariot door slammed shut. By the time I walked a good moment away, a whoosh of air blew around me and I spotted the chariot take off towards the muted red skies.

I watched the chariot disappear before I moved forward, wasting no time. A good chunk of the next hour was spent on scouting restaurants, reading menus, and taking a close look at the ambiance. The rest, I spent on finding a few more things I could use on my date, and spreading a few more bits around to make sure everything went smoothly.

There was nothing more off-putting than when a date gets delayed because someone forgot to pay the bill. And I would know. It happened to me—only once, though.

After I went over my date plans and checked the pegasi weather schedule to make sure there wouldn’t be any problems there, and I made my way towards the Amaris Inn.

It was a rather fashionably built building that chose to forgo the local aesthetics. Instead of looking like a building carved from a tree, it was a solidly-built rectangular establishment made of wood and stone. While the design wasn’t as grandiose as the ones from Manehattan, it looked luxurious compared to its surroundings, with its smoothed walls, smart color scheme of blue and white, and bright bulbs that lit the area. Yet, as different as it looked, it somehow still blended well with the town’s image. Maybe it was the trees that seemed to surround it, or maybe the numerous fireflies that roamed the area. Whatever it was, Amaris Inn looked like a good place for any visitor to stay as they enjoyed the local sights.

I entered, greeted by quite a large group of ponies that looked at me in surprise. A few moved quickly away as I made my way towards the stairs, and slowly climbed to the second level, going to room twenty-three.

Before I knocked on the door, I took a moment to look at myself using a nearby wall-mirror and made sure there weren’t any creases on my black suit and pants, both made by Rarity herself.

They were simple yet elegantly designed pieces of clothing that not only blended well with my collared white shirt, but were also comfortable to wear. I adjusted the silver-gemmed cufflinks, something she also included in the package when the clothes were delivered to me. I was pretty sure I did not commission her to include that.

She wasn’t kidding when she had said she was generous. And I think I finally got the joke.

Once I was ready, I knocked on the door thrice, took a deep breath, and closed my eyes for a few seconds. When I heard the metallic click, I opened my eyes.

I was about to greet her, only for the words to be taken right out of my mouth. My brain suddenly shut down as I stared at the pony in front of me. It was definitely Rarity, judging by her off-white coat and styled long purple mane. But I guess I was expecting her to look like she did back when I met her in Ponyville.

Boy, was I wrong.

Rarity wore a very tight-fitting dress. It wasn’t of pony design, however, but a bit of amalgamation of the human style with a pony body. The collar was bare, almost absent, which exposed a healthy amount of her beautiful neck. There were barely any foreleg sleeves. Most of the layers were concentrated on the barrel, which complemented a lot of her features, ending with a loose skirt towards her rear, with a high cut slit that barely exposed the bottom gem of her cutie mark.

“Good evening, Mister Wingman,” Rarity greeted, moving just slightly towards the side. Her actions emphasized the curves of her rear, and with the way the dress was cut, it affected me more than if she were unclothed.

I could only stare. “I, uh...”

I heard Rarity giggle, and that snapped me back to reality.

“Darling, are you okay?” Rarity asked. “You seem to be quite... distracted.”

My eyes took one last look at her well-curved rear before going towards her face. That’s when I noticed that she also worked on her make-up and mane. She sparkled. And no, I wasn’t being metaphorical. I didn’t know what she put around her eyes or in her mane, but she shone like stardust. I also noticed that her collar was actually a necklace made of red gemstones. To finish it off, she wore green gemmed earrings.

If anyone else wore something like this, I’d have called it extravagant. Not Rarity, though. Maybe it was because she carried herself so naturally that the gems, the make up, all complimented her, rather than detracting from her beauty.

“Good evening, Miss Rarity,” I finally said. I knelt on one knee, offered my hand, palm up. She easily placed her hoof on top of it, and let me kiss it gently. “I’m quite sorry for being a bit distracted. It tends to happen when there’s such a beautiful mare in front of me.”

Rarity blushed but remained composed. “You are quite forgiven, Mister Wingman. Though please, call me Rarity.”

“Then if it would please the lady, call me Wingman,” I replied back, smiling. I stood up, and motioned towards the hall. “Shall we?”

“Verily.”

I led Rarity down the stairs. Once I was at the foot of the stairway, I tried to keep my eyes away from her. I failed. All I could focus on was towards her well-formed rump that moved emphatically with every step she took. I have no idea if she was doing this on purpose, but I was quite sure that she knew I was looking. Every moment I looked at her, she had that small smile, as if celebrating a small victory, but didn’t say anything to dissuade or encourage me.

As I led her outside, her eyes widened a bit as she saw the carriage waiting for her. The puller had already opened the door and set up a small ramp, ready to receive us.

“Very nice,” Rarity declared, scanning the carriage and its interior. She looked at me, smiling. “Are we going far?”

I shook my head. “Not quite. But I felt that, since I'm new here, I’d rather have someone who knew their way around town take us around.”

“A wonderful idea,” Rarity replied, trotting up the short ramp. “I, myself, am quite new in town as well.” Before she fully entered though, her tail gently caressed my hand, just quick enough to tickle.

I looked up, noticing her tail was lifted. My brain translated that as she was exposing herself to me, interested, but the fact that she was covered had me reacting even stronger than when she wasn’t clothed.

She knew. Oh, she knew, giving that wink as she settled down in one of the seats. “I cannot imagine how the night will go if both of us get lost.”

“It would definitely be a novel experience,” I replied, my voice getting a bit ragged. I followed afterwards, gently closing the door behind me before sitting down, opposite her. The carriage-puller immediately removed the ramp and shortly afterwards, we were moving.

“I have never been on a carriage before,” Rarity said after a moment. When I looked at her, she was staring at me a bit, her eyes conveying some sensuality without being overt. “Well, at least not with a Gentleman.” She blinked, slowly, just enough to emphasise her long eyelashes.

I smiled. “I’m quite glad you’re enjoying the ride, Rarity. Though, I have a confession to make.”

She blinked. “Oh? And what would that be, Wingman?”

“The carriage ride is only so I could enjoy your beauty that much longer.”

The mare smiled. “Now, now. No need to exaggerate.”

I offered my palm again, and after a moment, she obliged. I encapsulated her hoof with my fingers, slowly bowing to kiss them. Twice. I looked at her again, giving her hoof an emphasizing squeeze. “I am not exaggerating. You, Rarity, are a breathtaking creature.”

Rarity’s cheeks reddened. And once again, I noticed that satisfied expression lingering on her face. It only lasted a few seconds, though, before she schooled it to a more neutral look. “It is quite a pleasure to have somepony who is most appreciative of beauty.”

“No, my lady. The pleasure is mine.”

Rarity covered her snout daintily with her hoof, giggling gently. “Do behave, Mister Wingman. There’s time for that later.”

“As you wish,” I replied, winking. “Though forgive me if I lapse once more. You are quite... irresistable.”

“And you are quite incorrigible,” Rarity declared, shaking her head. “Are you going to have a hard time keeping your hands off me, Wingman?”

“Maybe,” I said. “But for you, I’ll try my hardest to keep them to myself for the time being.” I winked. “Well, unless you say otherwise.”

Rarity shook her head once more, trying her hardest not to smile. She failed. “Miss Cheerilee was quite right about you, Wingman.”

“How is she?” I asked, curious.

“She is still quite the same, though she is starting to move with more purpose. It is quite enjoyable to watch a mare finally walk with more confidence.” Rarity looked at me. “And she has you to thank, I believe.”

I shook my head. “She could have found her confidence elsewhere.”

“I think not,” Rarity replied. “When a mare faces off against three other mares to defend you, it is pretty obvious.”

I blinked. “Defend me?”

Rarity nodded. “There was a reason why I set up our date here in Hollow Shades. I did not want you to face the brunt of anger that has been spreading around Ponyville. Sad to say, it would probably be better if you avoided the town for a while. Just some friendly advice.”

I looked at her for a moment, contemplating what she said. It took me a moment before I realized what had changed.

“Sea Swirl,” I said.

“Well, not only her,” Rarity huffed. “It started out innocent enough, I suppose. I had finally convinced Miss Cheerilee to talk about you when Applejack and Rainbow Dash, my other friend, joined in the conversation.”

“Wait a moment... Rainbow Dash? The Wonderbolt?” I asked.

“Yes,” Rarity nodded. “I believe she is quite famous among you humans. She was the first one to cross the portal, which scared Twilight senseless.”

Wait, what? “I’m sorry, Rarity... but this Twilight... is she Princess Sparkle? The Princess of Friendship?”

The unicorn nodded again. “Quite right. Twilight is another friend of ours. I wasn’t joking when I said Applejack and I share quite a familiar circle of friends.”

I blinked for a moment. Maybe it was my overactive imagination, but I felt a shiver run down my back. It seemed like every new discovery uncovered some more depressing consequences. It was fine when one Wonderbolt didn’t like me, but now that Wonderbolt had a friend who personally knew the leader of Equestria?

Great, Harry. What’s next, that all of them were the Elements of Harmony?

Rarity continued, unaware of my train of thought. “So, I was talking to Cheerilee, to get more information about you when your name was recognized by Rainbow Dash. She suddenly started talking about how she met you in Neighagra and how much she distrusts you. Then, Miss Sea Swirl appeared, asking if we were talking about a Harry Wingman.”

I winced. I tried to hide it well, but Rarity saw it. She gently patted my knee.

“I am guessing Harry is your name,” she said, softly.

“Yes. But Miss Rarity, I would prefer if—”

“If I refer to you as Wingman,” Rarity finished, nodding. “I understand.”

“Thank you,” I whispered. I sighed afterwards, rubbing my chin. “I am guessing the conversation turned... unpleasant.”

“Quite an understatement,” Rarity said harshly. “Miss Sea Swirl was saying... unfavorable things about you. Rainbow Dash and Applejack seemed quite convinced, the former talking about how she ‘should have known’. I guess it was too much for Miss Cheerilee. She shouted at the three, and Miss Sea Swirl shouted back. My friends and I tried to reason with the two, but the turnout was so bad that Mayor Mare had to intervene.”

I squirmed in my seat with every word. Oh, man. Did Rarity just tell me that my work name caused a small riot? I needed a drink.

“I’m sorry,” I said, shaking my head. “It seems I have a knack for causing you trouble.”

“Not your fault,” Rarity replied.

“I’m not too sure,” I said. “Honestly, I’m surprised you still want to have anything to do with me, really. Maybe it would be much better if you distanced yourself from me, make it easier on your friends.”

“Please, darling, I am a grown mare,” Rarity replied. “I know about Sea Swirl’s situation. And I know my friends well enough to know that they are only acting like this because one is playing matchmaker and the other... well, I should not say more. Plus, I like you. So, that is that.”

I looked at the unicorn for a moment, who stared at me firmly, daring me to counter her. Equestrian mares: they were something else. I conceded with a nod and said, “You are too kind, Rarity.”

“Yes, well I do have my moments,” she replied with a wink. “Though if you do not mind, let us move the conversation to something more positive. Like that delightful suit you are wearing.”

I chuckled. “Do you like it? It was made by quite a generous and special mare.”

Her eyes slyly narrowed as she placed her hoof on the side of her cheek. “Oh, really?”

“Not to mention, quite beautiful,” I added.

She giggled. “She must have been quite somepony.”

“One of these days, I shall endeavor to pay her back for such generosity,” I said, a bit of huskiness escaping my voice.

“Why, do tell.”

“Hmm, better yet, let me show you.”

The carriage began to slow as we arrived in front of the restaurant where I had placed my reservation. Helping Rarity down, I led her through the doors, making sure I held them for her. As we made our way to our table, I moved the seating-pad and waited for her to be seated, ensuring she was comfortable. All the while, my eyes never left her.

Not that it was hard, with both the way she dressed and the way she moved.

I kept my hands busy, lest they go somewhere untowards. I limited myself to her hooves and fetlocks, once touching her mane, tucking it behind her ear. I thought I was overdoing the hoof touching, and I made sure to ask if Rarity felt comfortable with it.

“Oh, quite,” she replied. “Your hands feel absolutely nice, warm and soft. I find it quite amazing how nimble they are.”

“Thank you,” I said, feeling through the hard parts to find it smooth and almost without any rough edges. “Let me pay the compliment back as well. I find your hooves quite immaculate.”

“Thank you, kind sir,” she replied, smiling. “I am a firm believer that a mare should always take pride in their appearance. Though I must confess, I was quite tempted to ask Twilight to cast that spell on me to give me those fabulous wings again.”

I blinked. “Huh. Is there such a spell?” I asked.

“Yes,” Rarity replied, smiling a bit wistfully. “Well, not pegasus wings. Which I guess makes the point moot.” She looked at my hands. “Though if I was a pegasus, I would be quite tempted to feel your hands on them. After all, with a name such as Wingman, it should feel quite divine.”

I chuckled, shaking my head. “You aren’t missing much, Rarity. My name isn’t actually an indication of my skills in handling wings.”

“Oh? Then how did you get your work name? Was it picked at random?”

“Not exactly,” I replied. “And you don’t want to hear it. It’s a story filled with much sighing and embarrassment.”

“Now you have me curious,” Rarity said, grabbing my hand with her free hoof. “Do tell, Wingman. How did you get your name?”

I looked around for a moment before nodding. I leaned forward, conspiratorially, and Rarity followed suit. “Well, it has to do with one of my teach—uh, with a pegasus mare. She wasn’t a particularly nice mare, constantly berating me on how poorly I... performed. Then one day, she offered to just lie still, daring me to make her, uh, scream.”

“Oh, this sounds like a naughty story.”

“Not quite,” I replied, smiling. “I was... well, I was a little frustrated, so I made her scream.”

“Oh-hoh!”

“By biting her wing.”

The unicorn’s eyes widened, her mouth slackened for just a second before she shook her head disbelievingly. She gently bopped my arm with her hoof. “Mister Wingman, I believe I said this to you once, but it is quite rude to tease a lady.”

“My apologies then,” I said, raising the said hoof to kiss it.

Yet another one who couldn’t believe how it had happened. I guess truth was stranger than fiction.

Dinner was wonderful. I talked a bit about myself, about my life back on Earth, while she told me how she began on her adventures as an Element. It was nothing grandiose, and honestly, it felt more like an exploration of the deepening of friendship between her and the other Elements. She refrained from saying names, of course, but I didn’t mind.

A few patrons seemed to recognize her, some pointing in our direction. However, I guess the respect they had towards Rarity was the reason why nopony gave us the stink-eye.

After dinner, we took another carriage ride, this time towards a flower shop, where I had reserved a small bouquet of undyed flowers. Presenting that to Rarity really seemed to please her, even moreso when I asked her if she’d give me the honor of allowing me to feed her.

“This night is quite wonderful,” Rarity whispered with her head in my lap as she stared up at the sky.

“I’m glad you’re enjoying it so far,” I replied, separating another stem and flower. I offered it to her, and she gently nibbled it, licking my palm in the process.

She chewed for a moment before swallowing. She licked my hand again. “I have never experienced being flower-fed. Not even like this. Quite frankly, I am surprised a human knew about it. The practice is quite... antiquated.” She looked at me. “Wingman, how did you know about it?”

“I got it from reading The Knight and Stallion,” I replied. “I found it weird, until Eve explained the finer details, of why it is considered romantic, to me. She was particularly thorough.”

Rarity looked at me. “Eve?”

“A friend,” I replied quickly. Maybe too quickly, as the unicorn pondered over that for a moment. After a moment, she just nodded.

“So she taught you a bit of Equestrian culture?”

“Yeah, quite a bit,” I said with a chuckle. “She taught me that a mare would give a flower to the stallion she was interested in. Apparently, it was a common practice done by earth ponies which was adopted by the unicorns and pegasi. Though I think giving vials of magic and primary feathers are trending again.

“Anyway, she told me that, symbolically, the sweetest thing a stallion could do was offer a flower back to her, which she would eat. He’d either use his hooves or his mouth to feed her.”

Rarity nodded. “That is quite correct. Though the mouth is a bit more... intimate because it can easily lead to kissing, which in turn can lead to something more.”

I nipped another flower out of its stem. “She mentioned that too.”

Rarity looked a bit unsure for the first time, her eyes turned away from me. I could see her cheeks slowly reddening.

“I don’t want to be presumptuous, Wingman, and Celestia knows the night has been wonderful so far, but I was wondering if—”

I silenced her by gently grabbing both her cheeks with my hands, slowly nudging her to look at me. Her expression was confused at first, her mouth opening to ask what I was doing, until she spotted the newly-nipped flower dangling from my lips.

“Oh...! Oh, my,” was all she said. As I lowered my head to meet her lips, her mouth opening daintily, just enough to devour the flower I offered, before sealing her lips with mine. We gave each other a simple kiss, just one, before she slowly moved away from my lap.

She settled on sitting opposite me, laying down on all fours. She stretched her neck, moved her shoulders slightly as she crossed her forelegs, back arching which made me, once more, aware of her tantalizing curves that were barely covered by her dress. She made me watch as she slowly chewed her prize with an easy and sensual smile. Holy crap did that put a fire in me. I could only stare at her whole being, maybe unconsciously licking my lips, waiting for her to swallow. And she took her time. She knew what she was doing to me, and she enjoyed every second of it.

When she did, I wasted no time. As much as space could afford me, I knelt beside her, grabbing her cheeks, feeling the finely brushed hair of her coat with my fingers. “Forgive me for being a bit forward,” I said, before attacking her mouth with mine.

Her lips parted easily, and our tongues met, slithering to meet each other. I felt one of her forelegs snake behind my head, keeping me in place as we shared a long fiery kiss that promised a lot of things. My hands roved over her neck, gently rubbing it in a circular manner. Her kiss suddenly felt hungrier, her lips and tongue now moving at a faster pace. I obliged, meeting her speed with mine until I felt wetness on my cheeks.

I stopped, reluctantly, and slowly moved away from Rarity, who was now sporting a few tears in her eyes. I gently wiped them away with my thumb.

“Did I hurt you?” I asked gently.

“No,” Rarity replied, shaking her head. “I... I guess I was just a little bit too happy. Oh, this will ruin my make-up. There goes my perfect image.”

I kissed her on the cheek. “Make-up doesn’t make the mare. Without it, you’re still perfect in my eyes.”

“Oh, you are the worst, Wingman,” Rarity declared, embracing my neck with her forelegs. “The worst to make such a mare so happy, even if it is for such a short time.”

“And you—” I pecked her right cheek “—are quite the seductress.”

“Oh, whatever do you mean?” she asked with mock innocence.

I replied by kissing her on the lips, “I mean—” again “—the dress—” and again “—and the teasing.” I separated myself from her. “You really didn’t think I wouldn’t figure it out? You did some research.”

A satisfied groan escaped her throat. “Oh no, darling, not research. That’s Twilight’s specialty. No, I acted on a few theories.”

“Hmm, educate me, Rarity,” I whispered in her ear. I felt her shiver.

“Oh, I like that,” she replied throatily. “We really should do this more later. Where was I?”

I nibbled her ear. “You were about to enlighten me.”

A giggle escaped her lips. “I know humans are predators, and I have met quite a few of our predatory neighbors. They always find the thrill of the hunt so exciting. I am also inclined to believe that none of your customers wear any clothes on your dates. And considering your culture of reverse gender roles and in regards to clothing, I wondered if by covering myself up and being a bit less... aggressive, you would be more... enticed than normal.” She smiled widely. “I think I was right. You could not keep your eyes off me.”

“Nor my hands,” I added.

“Nor your hands,” Rarity agreed. “You have been wanting to take me since you saw me in my room.”

“Yes I have,” I admitted. “Though Rarity, you didn’t need to go through all that to make yourself enticing. You are very easy on the eyes.”

“I believe you,” Rarity replied. “However, I am a bit of a stubborn mare. I wanted your complete attention. I wanted to be the only thing in your mind tonight. That is a bit of a dream for me, you see. To have somepony, someone, special. And only for me.”

“You have no need to worry then, Rarity. I am all yours tonight.”

She reluctantly let go of her embrace, slowly sitting on her haunches. I motioned to sit beside her, and she nodded, shivering a bit. “Oh my, is it me or is getting a bit chilly?”

“Hold on,” I said, automatically removing my jacket, wrapping it around her. She practically glowed as I tightened my embrace a bit, motioning her to come closer. I tried to keep balanced as much as I could, since she towered over me a bit in this position. In the end, she settled down on my lap once more as my hand gently caressed her neck.

A groan of pleasure escaped her lips. “Hmmm, I wish—oh, that was nice, would you—ah! Thank you.”

I continued to massage the spot, smiling at her. “You are very welcome.”

Rarity closed her eyes as she groaned once more. “Why can't they make stallions like you?”

“Because then I’d be out of a job,” I replied good-naturedly. “And you wouldn’t wish that against me, would you, Miss Rarity?” I gently licked her lips, which opened readily for me. My tongue met hers as we both explored each other just briefly before I separated from her. “Would you?”

Rarity giggled. “Of course not,” she replied, before letting out a sigh. “It’s just... there are days I would wish that stallions acted differently. More like you. Attentive.” She frowned. “Interested.”

I kissed her on the forehead, gently around the base of her horn. I felt her shiver from the contact, and when I came back up, saw the blush of her cheeks brightening. “It seems to be an ongoing theme here in Equestria. Miss Cheerilee, and now, you,” I said quietly. “You’d think that being an Element would at least ensure no shortage of interest. Surely you could capture the attention of many stallions.”

“Being an Element is actually part of the problem,” Rarity replied. “Though if I have to be honest, it is me. Or at least, my reputation.”

“What do you mean?”

Rarity looked at me for a moment, lips turned down in a frown. I immediately caressed her foreleg and shoulders reassuringly.

“You don’t need to answer that, Rarity,” I added.

“Maybe,” she said. “However, it is nice to have someone with a sympathetic ear. Would you mind terribly lending one to me?”

When I nodded, she smiled.

“I guess it starts with my family. Have you heard of the term Matched Pair?”

I nodded. “That’s when the family is basically just one mare, one stallion. A monogamous relationship. Very rare. And very polarizing. I think the most famous example is the one of Princess Cadance and Prince Shining Armor.”

“Correct,” Rarity replied. “There are more, less well-known, examples. Like Mr. and Mrs. Cake in Ponyville.” She paused. “And my parents.

“Growing up in a Matched Pair family was... difficult to say the least. Especially when you reach the age of social interaction. You are quite right saying the nature of Matched Pairs is quite polarizing. There is a bit of a romantic notion of one mare not sharing her stallion, where all his attention was on her. But there is also the reviled aspect of it, as a Matching Pair is not as practical or ‘harmonious’ as the traditional practice of herd bonding.

“I never really quite fit in. Unlike misborns, I was still considered raised ‘right’, but the fact that I only have two parents made me seem... less equipped than ponies raised in a herd. It came to the point that once I got my Cutie Mark, I changed my name and distanced myself from my family. I wanted, no, needed more friends, ponies that would not judge me because of my parents. So, I comported myself as a lady who would not be amiss in the Court of Canterlot. I even joined a herd for a while, convincing myself that I had finally come into my own.”

She sighed. “However, it did not work out. I guess familial bonds are stronger than we would like to think. As much as I wanted to fit in the herd, I felt at a loss when the stallion was not paying as much attention to me as I wanted. After some time, I realized that I wanted a stallion of my own, not shared with anypony else.”

“Like your parents,” I realized.

Rarity nodded. “Of course, I realized how impractical and selfish it was for me to think that. So, I settled on being a stallion’s First Mare, the one whom he shall pay attention to most. I took even more care with my appearance, used my hobbies of dressmaking, and my talent of finding gems to start a shop. I wanted to show that I was a mare who can provide, and who is proper and responsible.

“Things were looking up, especially when I became one of the Elements of Harmony. Even more so when I was invited to the Grand Galloping Gala a few months later. I was so excited, especially when I realized I could meet the stallion of my dreams!”

“And who is this stallion that captured your heart, Rarity?” I asked, smiling. For some reason, her face became harsh, transforming into something just short of a scowl.

“Prince Blueblood,” she replied.

I blinked. “Oh,” was all I could say. “I’ve, uh, heard a bit about his reputation.”

Rarity nodded. “Yes, well, he had a bit of a reputation back then as well, but I was naive. I felt that someone from Canterlot, someone with such a title, would be appreciative of the traditional aspects of... well, romance.”

“I am guessing he wasn’t,” I ventured.

Rarity huffed. “Not in the slightest. The whole night I spent with him was a complete and utter disaster of untold proportions!” She raised a foreleg to her forehead, near the horn. “The night ended with me calling him an uncharming royal pain.”

“Oh, I bet he loved that,” I said, chuckling. Rarity joined in as well.

“He was more bothered by the cake frosting I smeared on his coat,” she replied. “To be fair, Prince Blueblood and I met afterwards, and it was on better terms. He even invited me to the launching of his new airship, asking me to break the bottle. However, what happened at the Grand Galloping Gala gave me quite a fearsome reputation that hasn’t changed much since.”

“And what reputation is that?” I asked.

“A traditionalist mare, the one that stallions nowadays avoid like a disease.”

I made a show of looking at her from horn to tail. “I don’t quite see it, Rarity.”

“Except that you are not from here, Wingman,” Rarity countered. “I do not know if you could understand why I am quite an intimidating figure to stallions.” She smiled sadly. “And maybe that’s your advantage.

“You do not see me as a figure of power or translate my romanticism of tradition as me being an old-fashioned mare.” She looked away. “However, they do. To them, I am a horror of a mare who would only use them as a means to raise my station, for their comforts, and as a convenience.”

“That is quite presumptuous of them,” I replied. “Honestly, Rarity, they are doing both you and themselves a great disservice.”

Rarity relaxed, leaning even closer to me, closing her eyes. She had a satisfied smile on her face. “Oh, I am not quite sure. Lest we forget, I hired you as a convenience.”

“You hired me because you were in need of companionship,” I countered.

“And how does that discount the fact that I am using you to fulfill my own needs?”

“Everyone has needs,” I replied, softly kissing her mane, moving my hand lightly down her side. “And everyone has the right to be happy. Now, hush. I won’t stand for anyone talking badly about you. Not even yourself.”

Rarity let out a throaty growl of satisfaction. “I would have said that you were a perfect gentlecolt, Mister Wingman, if it was not for the fact that your hand is caressing my hip.”

I chuckled. “Ah, but I did apologize in advance.”

“Hrm-hmm. Yes, you did.”

My hand never left its place until we reached the hotel, and by that time, both of us were just barely controlling ourselves. Rarity was already patting my thighs, nuzzling my arm, tail swishing about. On my end, I was already tempted to take her right there in the carriage, especially when I smelled a strong musk that mingled with her scent—floral with a hint of rosemary.

I think the carriage-puller knew. He quickly had the ramp set up by the time we were in front of the hotel. I gave him a small extra bag of bits for his troubles. Rarity and I made our way towards the stairs, not quite running, yet not quite walking, until we reached her room.

It was quite modest, lit with multiple firefly lamps scattered around the room. It had quite a spacious bed, a few closets, a vanity mirror, and a balcony that had a clear view of the night's velvet sky, glowing moon hanging in the air. Any other details of the room were lost from the soft lighting. I wouldn't have noticed them anyway since my eyes rarely roamed away from Rarity’s magnificent form for less than a minute.

The unicorn strutted slowly towards the closet, her hips swaying hypnotically with every step. She looked back at me with sensual eyes as she motioned for me to approach with her hoof.

“Mister Wingman, would you mind assisting me in removing such constrictive clothing?” she asked.

“It would be my greatest pleasure,” I said rather huskily.

I let her magically guide my hands over on the right side of her barrel, where I found a small zipper. Zipping it open was also quite an interesting experience, like unwrapping a present. Her white coat, contrast with the red dress, seemed to glow in the semi-darkness, which only got me breathing harder.

I suddenly realized why Trixie loved undressing me.

As the zipper reached her hips, I noticed a black line going around her stomach. I realized what it was a moment later. I was kneeling down right behind her when I finally removed the dress, carefully making sure her tail wasn’t tangled, when I saw it.

Rarity was wearing panties, a light-blue pair with a dark slit in the middle. Again, it had quite a profound affect on me. The evidence of her arousal along with the very strong sense of musk overwhelmed me. I touched the moist fabric with my lips, enjoying her wetness, her taste. I felt her shudder at my kiss, letting me linger there until she moved away, shaking her head as I tried to stop her.

“Mister Wingman, behave,” she declared with a dangerous smile. “A lady has to ready herself.”

“You look quite ready, Miss Rarity,” I countered, breathing a little too much harder than normal.

“I shall be the judge of that,” she declared, moving towards the bed. “You may watch. Plus, I believe you are awfully well-dressed. Why don’t you slip into something more comfortable?”

I was already unbuttoning my shirt when she slid on top of the bed, magically removing her unmentionables. Her eyes were on me, smiling as I kept staring at her as I fumbled on my shirt. She slowly spread her hind legs, her marehood covered in shadows as she used her hooves to massage them.

Oh, wow.

She softly groaned as she touched herself. There was nothing vulgar with the way she spoke out, or the way she moved. It was a beautiful scene, like watching the sun rise of the very first time. Her eyes were half-closed, watching me as I finally unbuttoned my pants, cooing in a way that really drove me wild. Even with the limited light, I could see liquid glisten around her hooves as she moved a bit faster with her panting.

When I removed my boxers, I didn’t walk as much as sprinted towards the bed. Rarity’s smile widened as I looked at her completely, from her twitching forelegs, her wet hoof, her swollen teats, long neck, and to her beautiful cerulean eyes.

“Yes, darling?” she asked with a heated tone.

“I want you,” I said, almost growling out the words. Rarity’s hoof moved faster.

“Oh! Oh, yes!”

“I want to have you badly.”

A groan of pleasure escaped her lips, her eyes closed as she moved her hips along with her hoof.

“Let me have you, Rarity. Let me worship you.”

Her hoof lifted from her marehood, displaying itself for the first time in front of me. It was a beautiful sight, its pink lips swollen, as well as the clit sitting on top of it. It was spurting out clear liquid, quivering as it waited for its release.

I gave it to her.

All it took was one kiss—just one kiss to her swollen nub. Her hind legs immediately hugged my head, trying to pull me deeper inside her. My tongue moved, lapping her up as she exploded into an orgasm. Viscous fluid dribbled out in droves, leaving my senses with nothing but of her—her white coat, her warmth, her musky smell, her taste, and her muffled screams.

I didn’t know how long I stayed kissing her marehood, enjoying her shiver with each lick. Once she had settled down, she finally released the hold on my head, and I slowly climbed upwards, kissing her still-swollen teats, to her stomach, to her chest, and to her neck. I rubbed my swollen member at her lower lips as my eyes made contact with hers.

No other words were spoken. I kissed her deeply, enjoying the taste of her mouth as I slowly entered her, my aching member becoming more agitated by her moist, moving walls. I thrusted slowly, trying my best to ignore the loud part of me screaming to take her fast and hard. I made sure I kept my eyes on hers, my lips, if not kissing, telling her how much I wanted her. How much I needed her.

Rarity’s only response was moans, which was beginning to get louder with every second. Her walls enclosed around me, almost twisting in ways that had me swimming in pleasure. In the end, my louder voice won out as I began to build speed. The pressure inside me mounted up to something almost unbearable, until I screamed out as the threshold burst.

I tirely collapsed into Rarity’s ready embrace, her hind legs trapping me inside her. She licked my shoulders, which only added to the sensation as I shuddered with every burst; my vision turned completely white; my nose smelled rosemary; I could barely hear my groans, muffled by her chest.

I finally extracted myself from her lips, but not from her embrace. I didn’t mind. I enjoyed every bit of her warmth and floral-honey scent as I slowly recovered. I extracted myself from her embrace, watching her green eyes sparkle with joy as my hand slowly combed through her pink mane.

“Harry, that was wonderful,” Eve said.

I looked at her blankly. Why was—?

“Harry, what’s wrong?” she asked.

I breathed a little harder, staring at her hard. I licked my lips, feeling for her hips. They were warm. They were real. I shook my head. “Nothing. Nothing’s wrong.”

I kissed her hard. Eve. Mine. A felt her tense a little, but slowly melted as I moved my hands around her body, my fingers feeling through her well brushed coat. I wanted to kiss her everywhere, lick every inch of her. My loins stirred, but I held off, wanting this to last.

Slowly and steadily, my fingers touched her swollen pink lips, feeling for her walls. She moaned, licking my arm as I brought her over the edge again. I watched shudder with every stroke until she bit her foreleg to muffle her scream. She wet my hand, moistened my fingers.

Eve. Mine.

I wrapped my arms around her, enjoying her warmth as I waited for her shaking to subside. I whispered sweet nothings to her ears, praising her beauty, describing aptly how soft was her coat, how immaculate was her hooves, and how irresistible she smelled. Then, we made love. We started with pony missionary, moving slow and deliberate. We grunted as we slowly shifted positions, having her lie sideways as I kissed her hind legs, before we faced each other once more.

Eve closed her eyes, her groans getting louder as I went faster. Oh God, we were so close. I could feel it. The air smelled of perfume and musk and sweat. There was no one in the world but us. I grabbed ahold of her pink mane as we rocked against each other faster and faster. She opened her eyes, green orbs looking at me with longing as her smile lit up my world.

“Faster, Harry. Please, go faster.”

I went faster. I couldn’t stop staring at her beautiful features, watch them twist in pleasure and ecstasy. Time seemed to slow down, which only increased my need for release as Eve whimpered in pleasure.

“Harry! Oh Harry!” she began.

I didn’t trust myself to speak. I only leaned forward, and she followed suit, her sparkling green eyes hinting playfulness as we kissed.

Eve. Mine.

We climaxed together.

I collapsed beside the unicorn, panting, spent. I could barely do anything except kiss her shoulders. Judging by the way she could barely move, she hadn’t the energy to do anything as well. I closed my eyes, enjoying the scent of rosemary.

“Oh, Wingman, that was wonderful,” Rarity whispered.

I opened my eyes. Eve was gone, and I was in bed with Rarity. I shuddered for a moment before hugging my client, the one I was supposed to spend the night with.

Holy shit. What the hell was wrong with me?

“Anything for you, Rarity,” I whispered back, snuggling a little closer to her.

I couldn’t sleep. I just stayed awake, enjoying the warmth of Rarity’s body as she slowly drifted to sleep, her snores coming out in gentle whispers. After an hour of hearing the rather comforting rhythm of her breathing, I slowly extracted myself from her, and went towards the balcony.

The night air hit me like ice as I made my way to the railing. I stared at the starry velvet sky, watching a quarter moon hang in the air. There was no one in the cobblestone streets below. No pony saw me in my all naked glory, except for the crickets that whistled softly and the fireflies that glowed around the area like specks of ember.

I closed my eyes and saw Eve, face in ecstasy. I shivered.

“You must be cold.”

I immediately turned around, hand clutching my chest as I watched a shadowed figure approach. The first thing that came to light, when the figure stepped out the balcony, was a white horn, followed by purple mane.

“Oh, my apologies, Wingman,” Rarity said. “I did not mean to frighten you.”

“And I didn’t mean to wake you, Rarity,” I replied with a soft smile.

“You have done no such thing, darling. I felt a bit thirsty, and when I saw you here, it piqued my interest. Quite underdressed, are you not?”

I looked down at myself. I forced a smile. “Maybe a bit.”

Rarity looked at me for a moment, then asked, “Wingman... is there something bothering you?”

I hesitated for a moment before shaking my head.

“Liar,” Rarity said, giggling.

“Oh, Miss Rarity, you wound me,” I replied, mock clutching my chest as if I’ve been pierced by an arrow. “What have I done to raise doubts?”

“Well, you called me Eve.”

W-what?

“Twice if I recall,” Rarity continued. “I think it was when you were rubbing my coat, whispering how soft it felt.”

“Oh. Oh God,” I muttered, covering my face with my hand. “Miss Rarity. I’m... I... oh God. I’m sorry. I’m so sorry.”

I felt a soft warm hoof touch my leg. I lowered my hands just enough to see the unicorn smile warmly at me. She motioned towards the balcony door.

“Come, Wingman,” Rarity said softly. “The night air is far too chilly for me.”

Hmph, I wasn’t the only liar in this room. However, I didn’t say anything and went inside, with Rarity following suit. She trotted, overtaking me, jumping over the bed. She sat on her haunches, relaxing a moment, then tapped her hoof on the bed, inviting me to sit with her.

I hesitated for a second before climbing up.

“So... your friend, Eve?” Rarity asked.

I sighed. “Miss Rarity, look, I want to apologize for that. Her name came out by accident. I’m—” I stopped, a groan escaping my lips. “It's...”

“Personal?” she ventured.

“Unprofessional,” I finished. I gritted my teeth, unwilling to look at her. “This was supposed to be a night for you. No one else’s. Not mine. Not...”

There was a moment of silence before I felt something warm touch my shoulder.

“Harry, what is bothering you?”

I looked up, expecting Eve to replace Rarity once more, but no. It was still the Element of Generosity, looking at me worriedly. I sighed. If she was calling me by name, I must look like a trainwreck.

“I can’t burden you with this, Miss Rarity.”

“After the good you have done for me tonight and, from what I have heard, what you have done for Miss Cheerilee, I disagree,” she replied, her tone turning a bit hard. “In good conscience, I cannot just turn deaf ear to someone like you.”

I said nothing.

Rarity slowly nodded, not asking anymore. Instead, she cupped my cheeks with her hooves, and kissed me in the forehead gently, before shrouding me with her embrace.

I began to talk. Slowly. Surely. I didn’t know what exactly went through my head, but I explained about Eve, my handler, about my friendship with her, and her admission during that drunken night. As I went on, Rarity slowly pulled me down towards the bed, nodding and not saying anything. By the time I finished my tale, I was returning her embrace.

“And she hasn’t said anything?” Rarity asked.

I shook my head. “Nothing, whatsoever.”

“Do you have any idea why?”

“I may have a few theories,” I replied. “Eve’s a paramount professional. She doesn’t follow the rule of ‘inspecting’ her Gentlemen and maintains professional interaction during work duty.”

“You think she doesn’t want the trouble of maintaining a professional relationship with you?” Rarity asked.

“Maybe,” I reasoned, “but our relationship is already less formal at most times. I think it’s something else.”

Rarity just nodded, and rubbed my shoulder reassuringly.

I continued, “That night, it was between friends. Nothing related to work, just us. And she only admitted it to me when she was inebriated and thought I had been asleep.” I sighed. “I think why she won’t say anymore is because she feels like me: that it would jeopardize our friendship.”

Rarity blinked. “Why would you say that?”

“Because I’ve seen friends who, after taking the step, were irreconcilable afterwards when it didn’t work out.”

“Has it happened to you?” she asked.

“I—well, no,” I admitted. “But... I know, first-hand, how to lose a friend. I will never forget that feeling when I lost her.”

“Her?”

I nodded, sighing. Cathy. Abandoned her when she needed me the most, all because all I had in my brain at that time was boobs. Shaking my head, I said, “Doesn’t matter. What matters is if the subject was broached, and she says yes... what happens when we don’t work out? Will it turn out like the friends I’ve seen, who won’t even talk to each other anymore?”

“Yet you are still willing to try,” Rarity said. Then she giggled. “Otherwise, you wouldn’t have been whispering her name instead of mine.”

“Sorry about that,” I muttered, shifting uncomfortably, which only got Rarity to hug me a little harder.

“Like I already said, it is quite alright,” she replied firmly. She giggled again. “Besides, the story is worth listening to! Love blooming from friendship! Two sides, one who has been harbouring such feelings, and one just discovering them!” She shivered. “Romance! Trials! Tribulations! Oh, darling, this is divine!”

I smiled. I couldn’t help it. “Well, I am glad my suffering entertains you, Miss Rarity.”

“Oh, hush. So, what do you plan to do?”

I shrugged. “I don’t know. I’m not sure if she wants to even broach the subject itself as well. I think we’re both happy with what we have, you know.”

“Yet, clearly she wants more. And judging by earlier, you as well,” Rarity countered. “As a somewhat hopeless romantic, my advice is talk to her about it. It doesn’t have to necessarily end with the question of whether you remain as friends or become more, but at least be clear on where both of you stand.”

I looked at her unsurely.

“I really think it will be much better than what is happening now,” Rarity continued. “And someone told me earlier that everyone has the right to be happy. I think that someone has to practise what he preaches.” She winked at me. “Don’t you think so?”

It took me a moment before I pulled Rarity to me. She let out a cute ‘Ooh’ before she surrendered to me. I kissed her neck gently. “You are one generous mare, Miss Rarity,” I said. “These presumptuous stallions? They don’t know what they are missing.”

“Maybe, but you do, don’t you, Mister Wingman?” Rarity’s eyes roamed downwards. “Or else, I wouldn’t be feeling that. You are quite insatiable.”

“It is because I have a beautiful mare in my arms,” I replied. “And she is a generous, fashionable, kind, and very lovely.” I stared into her cerulean eyes. “Her name... is Rarity.”

I slowly pinned her in the bed, watching her glow with delight as I said her name, again.

I never misspoke it afterwards.

I woke up, feeling chilly air enter through the balcony door that had been left open last night, yet comforted by the warmth of the unicorn mare beside me, mumbling in her sleep. I spotted sunlight coming through the windows. Apparently, even with Hollow Shade’s reputation to block or absorb sunlight, it couldn’t completely stop it when the sun was raised for the new day.

With some regret, I extracted myself from the bed and made my way towards the vanity mirror, where my clothes still lay scattered. I dressed up slowly, watching Rarity continue to sleep. I wrote my call name in my card, and added ‘Thank You’ to it as well, leaving it on the bedside table. I gently kissed her cheek before exiting the room, closing the door softly behind me.

I made my way out of the Inn, noticing that the morning wasn’t as active as the night. I saw some sleepy looking carriage-pullers, taking a moment to pause to cover their yawns. The only active ponies around were fillies and colts, running around the area, shouting in glee. Some even pointed towards me as I passed, and I gave them a small smile in return.

Eve was outside the enclosed chariot, looking as professional as ever: brushed coat, combed pink mane, complete with red cat-eye rimmed spectacles perched on her snout. I took a deep breath, remembering the image of her in ecstasy, and my heart skipped a little beat. I immediately squashed the feeling down, though, and made my way to her.

“How was the date?” she asked, smiling.

“Hit a little snag at the end, but it worked out fine,” I replied.

“And Miss Rarity?”

“A wonderful companion,” was my immediate response.

“So, I’m guessing she liked you,” Eve said.

“Safe to say.” I looked at Eve for the moment, just admiring her features. She gave me a confused smile, then looked at her forelegs.

“What? Do I have something in my face?”

I shook my head. “Nothing. It’s just... you look good today, Eve.”

“Hah. Well, that’s new. But thanks, Harry.” She looked at me, head to toe. “You look like you could use a brush.”

“Hmm-hmm,” was all I said, my eyes not moving from place. After a moment, I looked away, sighing a bit.

“Harry,” Eve called, frowning, “is there something you want to talk about?”

I looked back at her, at her worried green eyes. I thought back on my conversation with Rarity. I took a deep breath, opened my mouth. I formulated on what to say. There were so many things to talk about...

Eve, I was awake that night.

Eve, I think you’re pretty.

Eve, we’ve been friends so long, and I may feel that I want more.

Eve, there was nopony else I could think of to be a better special somepony for me.

… and many more.

There were some I felt would work. Others felt too long. Even some that felt like something that only a television drama or a fictional character would say. And all I had was her in front of me. Eve. My friend. Eve, who may be someone more.

Everyone deserves to be happy.

But... wasn’t I happy with what we had now? Was I willing to risk that?

“Nothing,” I said, smiling at her. Shaking my head, I walked towards the chariot, hand going towards the door knob.

When the time was right, I decided. I looked at Eve, smiling. Maybe next time, when we’re both ready. When we’re both on the same page. And if that never comes... at least, I would still have her as a friend.

I sighed. Out loud, I just said, “Nothing at all.”

“Wingman!”

I blinked. I turned and spotted Rarity coming at me, unclothed. She had a playful smile on her face as she began to cross the cobblestone road. I looked at Eve, confused, who looked back at me with probably an equal expression.

She walked forward, professional smile on her face as she extended a hoof. “Miss Rarity? Hello, my name is Ever Ring, and I’m his hand—”

Rarity just brushed past her, eyes only on me. Eve’s eyes narrowed with annoyance, which widened a bit with surprise as Rarity stood on her hind legs, pinning my shoulders to the chariot and gave me a very deep kiss. I didn’t kiss back, but I still felt her tongue snake through my lips, unopposed.

When her tail rubbed up my leg, Eve’s eyes widened even more, if that was possible, threatening to pop from her sockets. Her jaw opened in disbelief, which remained open even when Rarity had finally separated from me a few seconds afterwards.

“Darling, last night was utterly amazing,” Rarity declared, in a bit too loud voice that felt... well, I couldn't quite place it. “You are everything I’ve been missing my whole life! Oh, I cannot wait until we can meet again!”

Rarity pushed herself away from me and trotted towards the still-shocked Eve, looking at her from head to toe.

“Dear, your mouth is open,” Rarity declared. Eve immediately closed her mouth. “Are you his handler?”

“Uh, yes, my name is Ever Ring.”

Rarity made a ‘hmm’ sound before saying, “Well, Ever Ring, you have quite a perfect Gentleman here. Worth keeping, I say. Does Gentleman for Mares operate like the other companies? Could I buy him off from you?”

“I, uh, that is—”

“Oh look at the time,” Rarity declared in an even louder voice. “I’m sorry, but I’m quite needed elsewhere. I shall call Gentleman for Mares, and see if we can work something out.”

She turned her around, and Eve’s eyes hardened as she stared at Rarity, who once more stood on her hind legs, forelegs on my shoulders, and gave me one simple peck on the cheeks before she winked.

“Good luck,” Rarity whispered. Then, she said, loudly once more, “Ta-ta, darling! I hope to see you soon!”

I could only stare as the purple-maned unicorn took her leave, gracefully crossing the cobblestone roads and back towards the hotel. I must have stood there for a few minutes, and I’d probably have stayed like that if it wasn’t for Eve, who roughly nudged my leg.

Coming back to my senses, I looked at my friend. Her eyes sparked with anger, but her expression remained neutral. She gave me a look, and motioned towards the chariot, raising an eyebrow. I immediately opened the chariot door, and we both climbed in.

The rest of the trip was spent in uncomfortable silence, with Eve staring outside the window, looking stiff and deep in thought.

Author's Note

The second to last chapter. Next, the end of Gentleman for Mares.

Thank you, shira, coandco, Permanent Temporary, Ponyboy245, grey_conscience for editing, pre-reading, and as general idea bouncer and general characterisation. I could not have done this without you guys.

EDIT: Thanks to AnonPonyDASHIE and TownCrier for the additional help.

Epilogue is coming. For the meantime, though, enjoy this chapter.

The Gentleman and His Mare

I gingerly knocked on Eve’s apartment door, solid wood echoing around the empty corridor. It was a sunny afternoon in Manehattan, a first since the pegasi had scheduled some rain over the past two days.

I hadn’t seen Eve since my date with Rarity four days ago. I had to deal with Star Chaser, Eve’s mousy assistant. When I asked, she informed me that Eve was currently in the middle of something, though she still submitted reports and schedules for the Gentlemen she handled. Then yesterday, Star Chaser called me, saying Eve was calling for a meeting back at her apartment.

I was wondering what the meeting would be about when I heard the clank of the metallic lock before the door swung open, revealing Eve, coat and mane looking like it needed an extra brush or two.

“You okay?” I asked, looking at her from head to toe. “You look...”

“Unkempt?” Eve finished, smiling a bit. “Believe me, I looked worse yesterday. Come in.”

I entered the apartment and took one final look at her before I approached, kneeling down, and gave her a hug. I felt her stiffen in my arms before she returned the hug back, chuckling.

“Well, aren’t you all touchy-feely today,” Eve said.

“Yeah, well, I missed you,” I replied. “Two days, and no word? Plus it didn’t help that Star Chaser has nowhere near your managerial skills. Maybe you ought to train her up.”

I felt her gently bop my head as she extracted herself from me. She gave me a very cute pout. “I see what you’re doing. You’re trying to replace me!”

I rolled my eyes. “Psh. Like anyone could replace you.”

Eve looked at me for a moment, small smile in her face before she shook her head and motioned me to the living room. “Well, come on. And make yourself comfortable.”

I sat at one of the loveseats. “Are we going to drink again? Coz, I gotta tell you, it’s way too early for me.”

“No, not that,” Eve replied, trotting around the coffee table. She looked around for a moment before settling on the couch beside me. She sighed.

I leaned forward and rubbed her shoulder. She looked at my extended arm softly before finally relaxing. “Okay, what’s wrong?” I asked.

Eve took a deep breath. “Harry”—her horn glowed—“there has been something I’ve been wanting to say for a long time. Even now, I can’t just seem to say it out loud, but...” she trailed off as something behind her, a glow, rose up above her head, and slowly made its way to me.

I kept still for a moment, focusing on the floating glowing orb, before I reached for it, grabbing it. As my fingers enclosed around the floating object, Eve’s magic glow dissipated. I looked at her for a moment. Ever since we had met, I have never seen her look so unsure. The pit of my stomach took a dive as my fingers felt the object. I knew what it was.

I opened my hand. It was a beautiful glass orb filled with liquid magic, glowing in bright magenta, held by an intricate silver work of loops and lines forming a heart.

Eve shifted uncomfortably. “I know this might come as a shock to you, but—”

“I knew,” I admitted.

“—Harry, I want...” and she stopped when she heard me. Her eyes widened, jaw slackened as she stared at me with disbelief. “You knew?” she whispered. “How?”

“I was awake that night,” I replied, holding on the vial, “when you climbed on the bed.”

Eve did a very good impression of a fish. She stared at me for a few moments before her expression turned contemplative, eyes closed, lips moving as if she was trying to recall something. Then, she nodded. “That’s why you were acting a bit differently. I thought it was because of Neighagra, but...” she trailed off, going silent again for a few seconds before her eyes hardened and blazed with annoyance. “Why didn’t you say anything!?”

“Hey, you kinda took me by surprise, okay?” I replied, meeting her gaze. “And with what had happened to me that day, I wasn’t exactly thinking straight.”

“You still could have said something afterwards!”

“I didn’t know how to approach the subject, Eve,” I muttered. “For God’s sakes, we’ve been friends for more than a year. I did not expect anyone to harbor any feelings for me, much less you. I needed a few days to think about it. It didn’t help that you just went on like everything was normal.”

Eve stared at me. “You ‘needed a few days’,” she repeated. “Does that mean... you’ve already decided?”

“I... no. Maybe?” I palmed my face with my free hand, muttering, “Oh, God. I thought I was over this, but I’m still undecided, like before.”

“‘Like before’?” Eve asked. “What do you—” and another thought entered her mind. “Harry... did you, by chance, talk to anypony about this?”

I looked at her, slowly nodding.

“Anypony. Okay, so, pony,” Eve muttered. “By chance, is this pony a customer?”

I nodded again.

Eve closed her eyes. “‘Hit a snag’...” Her eyes snapped open. “Oh, she played me!”

“Played?”

“Miss Rarity,” Eve said. “That day, when I picked you up. She played me like a fiddle!” Her eyes suddenly regained that hard edge as she jumped out of the couch, and charged at me. Before I could react, she put one foreleg right between my legs, awfully close to my crotch, and the other on my side. “Were you in on it, Harry? Did you ask her to fluster me?” she demanded, eyes quivering.

I replied by touching her shoulder, rubbing a bit of her neck. I looked at her. “Christ, Eve, I’d never do that to you. You’re my friend. One of my best. I would never try and hurt you like that.”

Eve looked down, nodding. “Yeah. I know,” she said, whispering the last part. She sighed and shook her head, moving away from me. “Sorry. The past few days have been... hard.”

I frowned, my hand going for her cheek. “Want to talk about it?”

She leaned on my hand for a moment before she separated herself from me. “What’s there to talk about?”

“What have you been been doing for the past few days?” I asked.

Eve jumped up onto the couch and laid down on all fours. She looked towards her right for a moment before sighing. “Losing my mind, that’s what.” She used both hooves to massage both sides of her head.

An idea formed in my head. “Eve, where’s your brush?” I asked

“Uh, why?” she asked.

I raised an eyebrow. She raised one back, and after a while, we both grinned.

“In my room,” she finally replied. “You know where, right?”

“Yeah,” I said. “I’ll be back.” I left the vial on the coffee table and immediately left the living room.

Eve’s room was further down the hall, past the guest room. It was as I remembered it—a comfortable-looking room complete with carpeted floors, luxurious-looking blinds, and a large king size bed that was immaculately made and clean.

The white-bristled brush was on top of a mirrored dresser. By the time I was back in the living room, brush in my hand, Eve was on the loveseat, sitting on her haunches, waiting for me.

“Took your time,” Eve muttered as I sat beside her. She slowly shifted her body, back facing me.

“Nag, nag,” I replied. With my free hand, I felt the hair of her coat between my fingers before flattening it with a gentle stroke of the brush. I repeated the procedure a few more times, earning a small groan from Eve.

“You’ve been practising,” she said. “Remember when you first started?”

“You’re not going to let me forget that are you?” I muttered, brushing her barrel.

“Nope,” Eve replied, giggling. “It’s amazing how much better you have gotten.” She paused. “Harry... thanks.”

“Least I can do,” I replied. “Besides, a certain fashionista said that a mare should take pride in her appearance.”

“She would say that,” Eve grumbled. “I’m still a bit ticked off at her. I mean, I spent two days trying to get as much info as I can about her.”

“Why?”

“To see if she was actually serious in buying you from the company,” Eve replied.

“You know she can’t,” I replied. “Gentlemen for Mares don’t operate like the old comfort horse companies, sell out Gentlemen contracts to mares. It’d cause too much of a commotion among us.”

“True, but she can still pay for Exclusivity,” Eve countered.

I blinked. I didn’t think about that. “So, was that what you were looking for? Financial records?”

“Yup,” Eve replied with a short nod. “Had to go comb through a lot of things. Her shop isn’t actually the only business she has. She is heavily invested on other businesses, like Photo Finish’s Modeling Agency, Fancy Pant’s Antiques, and she even does business with Prince Blueblood’s airship company. She’s also been heavily investing in Earth fashion magazines, maybe even planning on publishing something there. She’s been moving a lot of bits and precious gemstones, and if things go right, she’ll probably be able to afford you within half a year.”

“And you got all of that within two days?”

“I am very good at linking things,” Eve said with a bit of pride. “Anyways, her business and investments were not the only things I’ve been investigating. I also looked into the mare in question. She has a reputation on being quite a traditionalist. She could pretty much translate Exclusivity to ownership. And if you were exclusively hers, she can... convince you to just stay with her after your contract expires.”

“I wouldn’t do that...” I muttered.

“Are you sure?” Eve whispered. “Harry... you have plans to leave Gentlemen for Mares. And you admitted that you are pretty much lonely. Miss Rarity? She’s a responsible mare, has her own business, and is pretty smart. If she offered you a way out, a life of companionship with her, you’d most likely take it.”

“You don’t know that,” I said.

“Maybe,” she conceded. “But I didn’t want to risk it. In a way, maybe I should be thanking her. I would never have given you that”—she motioned the vial on the coffee table—“if she didn’t put the possibility in my head.”

We stayed silent for a moment, my hands kept brushing. Eve’s coat was finally evening out, so I started working on her mane. She leaned a bit closer to me as I started doing the initial brushes.

“So... uh, what do you think?” Eve muttered nervously. A first, since I’ve known her. She looked at the vial that was still on the table, then back at me.

I looked down towards my hands. “Why me?”

“Because you have a good heart,” Eve replied.

I scoffed. “Some would disagree,” I countered. “Look at Sea Swirl.”

“You can’t please everybody, Harry,” she said. “Besides, look at your customers.”

I shifted a bit, pausing on the brushing.

“Oh. Uh, bad topic?” Eve asked.

“A little bit, yeah,” I replied softly.

“Sorry,” she said. “Okay. Look, forget about Sea Swirl. She doesn’t know you like I do. You’ve made me laugh, made me frustrated, and made me feel a lot of things—things no other pony made me feel.”

I smiled a bit. Did she really leave an opening like that? “Oh, really?” I asked, chuckling. “Made you feel that way, eh?”

Eve replied by looked at me, her cheeks tingeing with a bit of red. I blinked.

“No,” I muttered in disbelief. “Really?”

“Harry, I’m a mare who has needs too, you know.”

“When?” I asked.

It was her turn to shift uncomfortably. She faced away, eyes forward, and I continued my ministrations, which got her to relax a bit. “When you first stayed here. For the first time in my adult life, I had a single stallion staying in my apartment. I think that’s when I stopped viewing you as just a friend. You became a potential companion, and I learned more about you than when we lived separately.”

I had to pause my brushing. “You were seriously considering on jumping me then?”

“The thought had crossed my mind, yes,” Eve admitted.

“Okay,” I muttered, my hands moving again. “Since then, eh? But that was... quite some time ago. And honestly, Eve, I doubt I would have said no to you then. So, why did you stay silent?”

“I was... afraid,” she replied.

“Afraid?”

“Afraid you’d reject me,” Eve clarified. She sighed. “Harry... you never really looked at me as a mare. I always felt that you just looked at me as... Eve, your friend.”

I winced. “Yeah... I did look at you that way.”

Eve perked up. “‘Did’?”

“Yes, ‘did’,” I confirmed. “Am I going to have to keep watching what I say to you?”

“You can try,” she replied playfully. “So... ‘did’, eh? Did you start imagining me in lewd poses?”

Oh, fucking hell.

“I... uh...”

Eve turned to look at me, a big smirk on her face. “Oh, you did. When, Harry?”

I shifted uncomfortably. “I... look, don’t get mad. Please?”

Eve frowned. “Okay. Why?”

“It was with Rarity,” I whispered, my cheeks feeling hot. “I kinda just... imagined she was you.”

She stared at me for a moment, which only increased the discomfort I’ve been feeling. ”Really?” she asked.

I nodded.

“Wow,” Eve muttered. “I don’t know if I should feel happy, insulted, or relieved.”

“Happy? Happy’s nice,” I said.

Eve giggled. Her horn glowed, and I felt the brush pulled magically out of my hand. Gingerly, she slowly sat back up, to her haunches. I suddenly missed the warmth. I looked at the brush float almost lazily towards the coffee table. Once it settled on the surface, the vial began to lift from its place and floated in front of me, waiting to be grabbed.

“Harry... will you be my col—boyfriend?” Eve asked.

I looked at the vial once more, then back at Eve. She smiled hopefully at me, but I could still see the worry in her eyes. I took a deep breath. She frowned.

“Y-you’re going to say no, aren’t you?” she whispered.

“You’re not the only one who’s afraid,” I replied.

Eve blinked. “What do you mean?”

“Eve... I don’t want to lose you,” I began. I shifted to face her, and she did the same. “You’re one of my best friends. I don’t think I can take that.” I sighed. “I had a friend once... Cathy Biggins.”

“Harry, what does this—”

“Please let me finish,” I said. Eve frowned, but nodded. “Cathy Biggins. You could say she was my mentor. She pretty much taught me all the basics in regards to computers. Databases, programming... I think I mentioned once that you reminded me of her.”

“I remember that,” Eve said, nodding.

“We were a bit inseparable,” I continued. “We attended the same high school, entered the same college. We made plans to team up, work together on her project, something we could both take credit for.”

“What happened?”

“I was an idiot,” I muttered. “I promised I would help her, that I would be there. Except I blew her off because I had a girlfriend that ‘needed’ me more.”

“The one that couldn’t do the Seeing Programming?” Eve asked.

“C-Programming. And yes, the very same,” I replied. “Cathy got her project running of course, but she never talked to me afterwards.” I sighed. “I... I know the situation is different, but I’m still afraid. What if we don’t work out?”

“We’ll make it work out,” Eve replied, leaning forward.

“You can’t be sure that will work,” I muttered.

She placed a hoof on my shoulder. “No one is really sure about the future, Harry. You can’t be sure that it won’t work out.”

“We’ll fight. We’ll disagree.”

Eve slowly pushed me downward. “We’ll also know more about each other,” she said. “We’ll share each other’s world.”

I was on my back, Eve’s face in front of mine, our lips almost touching. I swallowed. “You deserve someone better,” I whispered.

“And I want you.” Her eyes bore to mine. “Harry... yes or no?”

I felt her body leaning down on me, heavy, comforting. I smelled her honey-floral scent gently wafting around me. I felt the tremble of her voice as she asked me that question. My hands wrapped around her chest, encircling her just below the neck.

I nodded.

Her smile lit the room. Her eyes quivered as tears began to form. She slowly licked her lips, wetting them, before she touched mine, gentle, wet. I shuddered on contact. I squeezed her hard.

I was wanted. Eve, my friend, now my current marefriend, wanted me. And as I enjoyed the taste of her mouth, the feel of her tongue, the warmth of her body, and the smell of her coat, I looked at the floating vial of heart, glowing bright magenta and swore to it.

I shall be Eve’s until she says otherwise.

I will be her boyfriend until she finds another.

And she will.

She deserves better.

But I’ll be hers until then.

Author's Note

And thus, Gentleman for Mares ends.

Thank you towards the following: shira, coandco, Permanent Temporary, grey_conscience, TownCrier. To murphy for helping me in the beggining. And to AnonponyDASHIE for his input as well in the previous chapter.

Also, thanks to The Equestrian Critics Society, WRITE, Charlezzz, Aquillo, Burraku_Pansa, and Professor Plum.

While Gentleman for Mares ends, Harry's story will continue. Like I said previously, the working title is basically the title of this chapter. It'll be a bit different, focusing more on Harry and Eve. Well, at least I hope that's how it goes.

I still have Feathered Heart to write, the new Changeling fic, and that Gentlemanverse First Year. So... more hard work, I predict.

To my fans, thank you all for following the story, and I hope you enjoyed the ending.

Spitfire's First Gentleman

It all started from an idea, born from a newspaper article of the Equestrian Times when they interviewed Lyra Heartstrings—a unicorn that became well known for being the first pony to be in a relationship with a human being—as she spilled the beans.

She was quoted, “And I love his fingers. They reach places nopony could with their hooves alone! And I’m not talking about just ‘tucking’ you know. I mean in general. The way they touch your coat, massage your hooves... yes! A-ma-zing!”

The words were taken as Gospel. Wheels were set in motion. The idea was quite simple: if humans were potentially the next best thing since sliced bread, why not share the joy to every mare for a fee?

That’s when Gentlemen for Mares was created.

I knocked on the door gently and stood back. Trainers had told us that even if the demand for the job was there, ponies were still not used to the tall bi-pedal nature of humanity. A few still considered us too alien, with our smaller eyes or sharper teeth. Being an omnivore in a country where the majority of the population were herbivores tended to inspire a little fear with the locals.

There was a rustle, and the sound of metal hitting wood slowly grew louder. I smoothed the slight wrinkles on my black coat and gray slacks. I hoped my brown shoes were presentable.

The door opened, revealing a pony with orange coat and a fiery mane and tail (it literally looked like flames!). Her head reached my chest on all fours though I knew she would overtake me in height if she stood on her hind legs. Her first action was to take a deep breath as she spotted me, her eyes brushing over my features, notably at my hands and... oh, cute. She tried so hard not to stare too long.

“You’re early,” she greeted, her voice quivering slightly. I noticed her wings began to slowly flex upwards and downwards, a telltale sign that she was trying to get herself ready for some late night frivolities.

“I wouldn’t keep a lady waiting,” I replied back, smiling. I almost showed teeth. Never show teeth, unless they ask for it.

“Come in. Um, do you have a name?” she asked as she entered her hotel room, motioning I follow her inside.

I ducked under the door frame, and replied, “My name is Wingman. And yours?”

“Spitfire... and Wingman huh?” she paused, and repeated the name, rolling the call name in her tongue, looking downwards.

I didn't like that name. The way it originated was a story with much sighs and embarrassment, but the earth pony mare that handed out the call names apparently knew what she was doing. Spitfire liked it enough, which was really the important part.

The pegasus looked at me. “And aren’t you awfully well-dressed? All considering.”

I had to remind myself that she was new to this. It wasn’t so strange. Almost all my first time customers thought that once a Gentleman arrived at the door, it was time to hit the bed in all conceivable ways, only to be taken aback. Her inexperience would give me an opportunity to change her view. That was definitely the fun part. Oh, yes. She was certainly going to have an enjoyable night.

As the boss is fond of saying, ‘A happy customer is a repeat customer.’

So, I went down on one knee, and opened my hand, palm upwards and towards her. She blinked, confused, before she placed her front hoof on top of my palm. I slowly encapsulated it my fingers, enjoying the biting coldness of her horseshoes as I gently kissed her hoof.

“Miss Spitfire, I’d be honored if you would grace me with your company for dinner.”

“Oh... oh my,” was all she said.

How long ago was it? Five years ago, I think. The world was abuzz as the skies literally opened up. Satellites all over the world went ablaze as an anomaly appeared in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, just east of the Philippines. For weeks, news all over the world interviewed scientists who gave, at one point, hourly updates of the mysterious energy output and water displacement. Soon afterwards, a small land mass had formed.

The UN sent scientists and journalists to investigate the anomaly. They were aboard a US carrier escorted by a few destroyers, and waited for days before they had First Contact.

I believe I was still continuing my computer studies when the news came in; Earth’s first contact with aliens, they had said. They explained that the land mass formed in the ocean was no bigger than a small island, and apparently has finally stabilized. No one knew what caused it, but it relieved the scientific community as there was a lingering fear that whatever the anomaly was, it was going to get bigger and bigger until it covered a continent. Some said, even the whole world.

Then, it appeared. A pony with wings, cyan coat and, oddly, a rainbow-colored mane and tail was flying around the patrolling helicopters and boats, twirling in the air in great bursts of speed and exuberance.

I remembered my friends and colleagues laughing with wonderment. We expected humanoid figures with big grey heads and eyes. What we got was a pegasus, a creature believed to be a myth, doing what looked like flying stunts.

Humanity called their first alien contact Rainbow Streak.

More surprises came when more aliens showed up. Whispers of excitement and worry came about as another pegasus, this time with a yellow coat and pink hair showed up, apparently trying to talk to Rainbow Streak. The latter seemed to ignore it, as it twirled a few more times in the air, and it moved its hooves in a very human-like motion as if to signal everyone around to watch it do a few more moves.

The third pony also made an appearance. A winged unicorn with a purple coat, dark purple mane and tail (both with pink streaks), seemed to pop out of nowhere. Like the second alien, it tried talking to the first one before finally, all three disappeared into nothingness.

It was a week later when another huge revelation left humanity speechless once more. Two winged unicorns appeared from the sky, and much larger than the last three equines that appeared before. One had a white coat and the other one with dark blue coloration. The former’s mane and tail were the colors of the morning sky, while the latter's had colors of the starry night sky. They introduced themselves as Princess Celestia and Princess Luna.

Surprisingly, they spoke good English, although the latter spoke it in an antiquated manner.

“And let me introduce the Princesses of Sovereign Nation of Equestria, Princess Celestia and her sister, Princess Luna!” the UN spokesperson announced, giving way to the two royal equine.

Their presence was received favorably, as representatives of many countries stood up from their platforms and clapped.

Celestia acknowledged them, nodding to each side slowly. Once the clapping died down, she cleared her throat and looked surprised when it was heard from all around. She stopped for a moment, and looked at the metallic phallic tools in front of her.

The UN Representative seemed to whisper something to Celestia, and the white Princess looked impressed.

“Oh, astounding. Microphones,” she declared with a smile.

I remembered chuckling at her reaction, watching the whole thing from the TV.

“Apologies, but I’m a bit new regarding technology,” Celestia started. “As said, I am Princess Celestia, and it warms my heart to receive your welcome...”

She began explaining a brief history of their country, cultures, and even a brief introduction to magic, with Princess Luna demonstrating a few simple spells. It was not far off to say that such demonstration had stilled the world in awe and silence. She also explained the mysterious events that had occurred weeks ago.

Apparently, one of her students, also another Princess named Twilight Sparkle, along with a few other gifted unicorns, had been experimenting on viable stable teleportation methods as a means of mass transportation from one part of their country to another by creating linked wormholes. It was a means to solve logistical problems caused by raiding parties of Diamond Dogs.

Diamond Dogs. Yeah, they must be Bowie fans.

Instead of succeeding in linking two wormholes, though, they just succeeded in punching right through the Time-Space Continuum. The wormhole they were working on opened up here on Earth, connecting the two universes.

Don’t ask. I’m pretty sure they explained it all, but the only image that pops up in my head was that they were building something akin to a bypass that apparently shot straight through dimensions.

Yeah. I still don’t know how the hell that happened.

Princess Celestia explained that they would have a full write up of their world, named Tellus, as the equines, or ponies as she called her citizens, were not the only sapient beings of their reality. She was also open to questions.

Most were basic, we-need-to-know-you-aren’t-hostile questions and my respect for Princess Celestia grew as she answered them all in a level-headed manner. She was also happy to demonstrate a few more basic spells, and advised that they were open to talks regarding cultural exchange.

The highlight of the day for me though was the last question.

“Are we allowed to visit Equestria soon?”

Celestia blinked in surprise, and then gave a slight smile. “Of course. However, take note that there are risks in exposing oneself to foreign elements. For your safety, I can devise a potion which will fully transform you into ponies before entering Equestria.”

For the second time, the world may have stood still as the whole UN went deathly silent. Princess Celestia looked confused for a moment. It would have been chaos a few seconds later if it wasn’t for Princess Luna gently shoving her sister aside.

“Listen not to our sister’s jest. Of course, all is welcome to Equestria.”

The UN representatives looked at each other, breaking out into murmur. Some laughed. Celestia looked somewhat disheartened.

“They didn’t get the joke?” she whispered to her sister, though picked up by the microphone.

“Sister, please, ‘twas far from a decent jest. Thou remember doing the same thing, almost costing us the Gryphon alliance a thousand years ago?” Princess Luna whispered, her lips minimally moving to no avail, as everything she said was picked up by the microphones. She waved at the clapping UN representatives. “Just wave and smile.”

Humanity heard. They chuckled out loud and relaxed, realizing that First Contact was over, and it did not end in Armageddon.

The sun was setting when we arrived at the restaurant. It was a modest establishment, if one is to judge in human perspective. It lacked the detailed carpeted floors, fancy ceiling chandeliers, warm wall lights, and even the gilded patterned wallpapers one usually found on Earth. But judging the way Spitfire’s eyes widened a bit, nodding as we were ushered to our table, it must have been the fanciest place in the city.

“I hope this pleases the lady,” I advised, offering my hand again to the pegasus. She accepted and I assisted her to her seat before I made way to my own.

It took a moment before I could find a comfortable spot to relax. Pony tables were lower than the human equivalent, and their seats didn’t have those backrests (they were basically just a mound of hay covered in cloth).

Spitfire giggled. “Why, I never expected this, really,” she started.

“Your first time, right?” I asked gently.

She blushed, and placed her front hooves on top of the table. She looked away slightly. “Fleetfoot was... generous in her praises. She was the one that convinced me to give you humans a try. I was really nervous, you know? I think I took a bath twice or something, and when you asked me out for dinner, I didn’t even prepare to—”

“Hush,” I whispered while slowly reaching for one of her hooves and gently squeezing it. “This is your night, Spitfire. I’m just going to make it as enjoyable as I can.”

I gave her a wink and she chuckled.

The waitress came in, handing over a menu. She gave me a funny look, I but paid her no mind. This was Spitfire’s day, and nopony else’s. Besides, I was just glad she was slowly relaxing, never mind that her wings still twitched slightly.

I didn’t take the menu. Instead, I advised the waitress I had ordered ahead and gave her my call name. A few minutes later, a unicorn server came in and began to magically lay down a spectacular platter. In the center was a variety of chosen greens tossed in dressing, and surrounding it was a bed of hay fries, which, strangely enough, were baked potato strips—basically, french fries.

That in itself should tell you the difference between horses back on Earth and the Equestrian Ponies.

And completing the platter was the different types of sandwiches. All in all, it was a very generous serving, as it should be, considering that it took almost half my commission to set everything up here.

“And our finest cider,” the server advised, magically grabbing a classy metal ice bucket stand filled to the brim along with two bottles of cider. He also levitated two wine glasses to our table, and popped the cork.

I noticed Spitfire’s eyes widening continuously with every item served on the table. I couldn’t help but chuckle. In turn, she looked at me, her eyes scrunched in confusion.

“This is quite a spread,” she whispered.

“I hope it’s to your liking.”

She seemed to giggle. “You’re not just fattening me up before you eat me, are you?”

Wow. Did she really leave an opening like that? I whispered, “Well, there’ll be plenty of that later, I assure you.”

Spitfire’s mouth opened in shock with her wings drooping downwards. Her eyes widened, and I could have sworn the background chatter just went dead silent. It took a moment, before I realized my mistake.

“Um, Spitfire, you do know I didn’t mean it literally,” I said, trying to put my best calming and soothing voice, raising my hands slightly.

She shook her head, and then smiled. “Of course not. Fleetfoot would have told me otherwise,” she said. She stole a few glances at me. I’d like to think she was staring at my mouth. “Um, Wingman, by the way, what did you mean by it?”

I raised an eyebrow. I motioned her to get nearer, and we both leaned down the table as I whispered to her ear exactly what I meant. In detail. She gave a gasp, and almost sat right up, her cheeks blossoming scarlet, wings fluttering at her side.

“You’d do that?” she asked in whisper. “Not a lot of stallions would...” and she trailed off.

“I’m not a stallion,” I replied, and reached for her hoof. I let my fingers run over her coat delicately before lightly squeezing it. “I’m a Gentleman. And for tonight, Spitfire, I’m yours.”

Dinner was a pleasant affair. The salad was the right mix of differing flavors; from the bitterness of the Arugula, to the sweet tangy taste of the dressing. I avoided the flower sandwiches, but absolutely loved the egg and vegetable ones. There was no meat, of course. It was a sacrifice I was willing to make while working on the job here in Equestria. Even off-work, there was a limited stock on what ponies would find acceptable to serve.

As a general rule, whatever meats they served in Equestria were the same type of meats they would sell or cook for Gryphon dignitaries and guests. Pork seemed to be most abundant and commonly served meat, though I heard the Gryphons found it too fatty. They favored hunted game like mice and other animals that were abundant in the large forest area surrounding the country.

Spitfire didn’t talk much, but that was fine. I was pretty sure she was slightly overwhelmed. The poor mare probably didn’t normally get dates like this and I wasn’t being mean, arrogant or insulting. I’ve been told that a lot of ponies were overwhelmed by their first date with humans as we were practically a mythology for them.

So I did what any guy would do to maintain some equilibrium—I talked about a lot of my life back on Earth. She listened raptly as I described to her what a beautiful place it is (once you get past its grimy parts) and the friends I left behind as we pursued our own careers.

“Wait, so you’re some sort of com-pewter guy?” Spitfire asked, roughly rolling the foreign word on her tongue. “That’s the thinking machine, right?”

“Yup, Bachelor of Science, Information Technology. We call it IT, though,” I replied, taking a drink.

“There was heavy recruitment of engineers and technology specialists years ago,” Spitfire commented, her hoof going to her chin.

I took another swig and let the cider wash over my throat. It didn’t have the effect one would have when drinking whiskey, but I wasn’t spoiled for choice. I remained silent as I waited for the obvious question to pop up.

“How did you end up doing, uh, whatever it is you’re doing?” Spitfire asked curiously.

I remembered as I stood in front of an off-white desk, hearing the apologetic voice coming from a pony with cat-eye rimmed glasses as she stamped on a parchment. I watched through misty eyes as she shook her head, trying to console me as I felt my throat dry and my head shaking slightly in shock.

“I was too late,” I replied simply. “Equestria had already an abundant supply of humans with engineering and tech backgrounds. By the time my number came up, they said they didn’t need me anymore.”

Spitfire looked crestfallen. I am always impressed by the way the ponies were empathetic of other creature’s plights, no matter how alien they looked in their eyes.

“At least you’re enjoying your time here,” Spitfire smiled, and then blinked. “You are enjoying your time here, though, right? You’re not like, you know, sort of held against your will?”

I laughed, and shook my head. “I’m having dinner with a beautiful mare. I am enjoying my time here very much.”

She laughed in return, blushing once more. She looked at me and smiled. “So, Wingman, how long have you been here in Equestria?”

“A good year.”

“Then you must know the Wonderbolts,” she said.

“Oh, I’m a fan,” I replied. “Tight body suits, impressive wings, amazing airplay; what is there not to love about the Wonderbolts?”

“Any favorites?”

I smirked. “Well, I really like this one Wonderbolt with blue wings and purple mane.”

Spitfire blinked, and then smiled. “Soarin’? Why on Equestria is he your favorite?”

“Have you seen that stallion eat pies? Enviable.”

Spitfire blinked, and raised an eyebrow as she took a drink from her cider. She was lost for a moment before I made slight licking motions with my tongue, and she laughed so hard, she had to cover her snout with a napkin as she began to cough a fit.

“That’s horrible!” she exclaimed after she had controlled herself.

“Made you laugh,” I said. “It mustn’t have been that horrible.”

“It was,” Spitfire giggled.

“In all seriousness, though, I have a soft spot for their captain,” I said, refilling her glass.

Spitfire nodded her thanks, and smiled. “Well, that captain’s days are numbered with the addition to our new recruit.”

“Rainbow Streak?”

“I’m sorry, Rainbow Streak? No, you got it wrong. Her name is Rainbow Dash,” the mare advised.

“Um, yeah, I know her name,” I scratched the back of my head. “I just tend to call her Rainbow Streak because that was the name that we gave her when the portal to Equestria appeared. She was actually the first pony, the first pegasus to appear on Earth and made a show of doing barrel rolls, and a few aerial stunts that left streaks of rainbow in her wake.” I smiled at the memory.

“I heard about that,” Spitfire smiled. “I heard she was almost shot down though...”

“Well, it was understandable. There it was, a mysterious small island popping up on the barren sea. Those that were sent to investigate feared the worst,” I paused. “And then, out pops a pony with wings, trying to show off. I think the only reason why no shots were fired was the fact that the situation was so ridiculous. Imagine, a pegasus doing stunts while cannons and gun barrels were aimed at her, and she had no idea she was in firing range. To think she was trying to get more attention as her hooves were going up and down, as if asking us to cheer for her as she did more stunts.”

“Oh that’s definitely Dash. I could imagine her saying,” and what she did next was an imitation of Rainbow Dash’s voice as she raised her hooves, “‘Come on, cheer already! No? Okay, let me try the Los Pega feint! What? Okay, how about the Triple Somersault Wing Clip?’”

I laughed. That was a really good imitation. “Maybe she was about to do her move... what was that, the Sonic Rainboom?”

Spitfire nodded.

“Yes, the Sonic Rainboom until her friend told her that she was probably frightening the poor humans,” I chuckled.

“I don’t know if I find that funny or frightening! Humans and ponies fighting because of a Sonic Rainboom,” Spitfire shuddered, and then giggled.

“She has quite the fans on Earth,” I said. “She’s also somewhat delegated as a symbol for sexual freedom. There’s still quite a few humans wondering whether she’s a lesbian or bi-sexual.”

“Les—? What?”

I tapped my chin, trying to remember the term. “I believe the term lesbian means filly-fooler in your tongue. A bi-sexual is one who is sexually open to both male and female.”

Spitfire scrunched her face in a confused manner. “Why would they think she is one?”

“The rainbow mane. Back at home, the rainbow color is considered a representation of homosexual pride,” I paused. “You do know what homosexual means, right?”

“It’s the filly-foolers and... the like?”

I ignored her discomfort at the end. “Yup. And her appearance stirred real movement among the groups. Her human fans are still trying to figure out if she, uh, tucks that way.”

Spitfire laughed. “You need to learn more filly terms. As for Dash, well, her human fans will be disappointed but Rainbow Dash has found her one true love.” She looked up. “It’s the sky she flies. It’s the wind beneath her wings. Her love for flying will be reason why one day she will replace me as Captain of the Wonderbolts. One day when I’m old and can’t fly as good.”

She had that forlorn look on her face. It was as she had accepted that fact, yet dreaded the day would come. I said nothing for a moment, and left her alone on her thoughts for a minute before I gently touched my glass to hers. She looked at me questioningly.

“A toast to our future retired Captain, though I am pretty sure by that time you’ll still be a pretty mare in my eyes.”

Spitfire smirked. “You overdid it, but I’ll toast to that anyway.” And she raised her glass, and we both drank the wonderfully chilled cider.

Once she had set her empty glass down, her eyes went straight forward, as if drinking in the image of the human date she had paid to accompany her tonight. Her smile became more pronounced as her wings slowly began to stiffen.

“So, what was that about eating me, Wingman?”

It was not my first time being shoved roughly inside a hotel room, nor was it my first time being manhandled. Or was it ponyhandled? At this point, I don’t think I cared.

Spitfire used her front hooves and pinned me down on her couch, her wings now standing fully erect behind her, spread almost vertically upwards. She was breathing a bit heavily as her mouth tried to unbutton my shirt, but instead, I cupped her cheeks and kissed her on the lips, letting my tongue explore her mouth slightly as she returned the favor with gusto, favoring licking over my canines.

There’s a technique in making sure kissing a pony goes as smoothly as possible. Their lips felt like a normal human’s but their tongues were definitely longer and thicker. They tended to drool more, but if the pony maintained personal cleanliness, they would taste as neutrally as any human woman.

It was the snout that really caused most of the problems. It clashed pretty badly with the shape of a human’s face, and one always had to approach on an angle to make sure no one hurt anyone or anypony.

I remembered my training and let Spitfire’s tongue explore me as much as she wanted. I let my fingers run over her mane and began using my digits to stroke at a few spots behind her ears and neck. She practically melted on top of me.

“Get your clothes off,” she said huskily as she disengaged from the kiss. “I’ll clean up.”

“Yes, ma’am,” I replied with a bit of heat in my voice.

Her hooves lingered on my chest for a few moments before she grudgingly left the couch and walked away. I slowly removed my shirt, and heard the tell-tale clanging of metal. She probably removed her horseshoes. By the time I was working on my shoes and pants, I saw Spitfire making her way to the bathroom and heard the shower a few moments later.

I shivered as a chill encompassed my nakedness. I slowly made my way to the bathroom, and took a peek. Spitfire was behind a semi-transparent curtain and judging by the steam, she was starting off with a warm shower. Hadn’t she said that she had already taken two baths before dinner? I found it endearing and wondered if maybe it was time I helped.

I slowly drew back her shower curtains, earning a small gasp from Spitfire.

“Wingman, what are you—?”

“Hush,” I said, placing a finger on her snout. I grabbed a bottle of liquid soap and opened it. I spread an adequate amount on my hands and rubbed them to lather, its scent spreading in the stall. It was smaller by human standards, but quite generous for ponies. I still took care as I stepped inside just to make sure we were both as comfortable as possible.

“May I?” I asked.

She took a moment before she nodded.

I used my hands and fingers to slowly spread the soap evenly on her coat, making sure to keep a steady pace. Her breathing slowed as I felt her shiver under my touch, my fingers running through her ears, mane, then went gently down her legs. I went up again as I gently rubbed her very stiff wings, and slowly wrapped my arms around her stomach. I think she held her breath as I washed her underside, making sure I massaged her shoulders as well before going to her flanks and slowly washing her tail.

The water was already washing off most of the soap when I knelt down behind her. I rubbed her flanks a bit as I said, “Spitfire, don’t buck me please.”

“What are you talk—”

I kissed her exposed marehood. She almost buckled down, losing control of her forelegs, but kept her hind legs up and steady.

“Oh, oh!” she moaned.

I continued to administer kisses on her lips, feeling them wink as I slowly inserted my tongue in and out of her. My fingers explored the untouched parts of her labia, spreading it slowly as I looked for her clitoris. Her wings began to flap erratically as I inched closer, and once I felt the slight nub, I heard her panting.

“Celestia, oh Celestia!” she almost screamed. She hadn’t felt anything yet.

Slowly moving myself beneath her, I slowly began to lick her clit, causing all kinds of commotion. Her hind legs began to buckle, threatening to sit on top of my face as I licked her sensitive nub in circles of differing directions. Finally, I wrapped my tongue around it, and slowly slithered up and down while at the same time, inserting my two fingers inside her, slipping in and out in tandem.

She muffled her scream of ecstasy with her foreleg as she began to reach her orgasm, almost collapsing on top of me. I paid no mind, reinforcing her backside with my free arm as I increased my pace, enjoying her loud moans and the warm splashing water from the shower.

She finally gasped as she went still. I could feel her powerful contractions with my fingers as she took a step forward and collapsed, her soft coat made its presence known to my growing erection. Her increased breathing pace created a wonderful friction between her coat and my member, but this was not the place.

Slowly lifting myself up, I freed my erection and closed the shower. Spitfire looked at me, her gaze going from my eyes to my groin as she tried to lift herself. One of her wings flapped, grazing my manhood slightly.

“Come back here,” she said huskily. She was finally on her able to lift herself up, and touched my manhood with her front hoof. Without the horseshoes, it felt like those soft pads in cat’s paws, except it moved with unbelievable dexterity, creating a feeling of grip not unlike a suction cup.

Oh god, that felt good. I retreated a bit farther, smiling slightly as I began to exit the bathroom. Spitfire growled.

“Oh no, you are not leaving me alone in this state,” she said with a warning tone. She stood up. “I want you. Now.”

“In time, my dear Spitfire,” I replied, leaning forward and kissing her lightly on the lips. “I’ll do anything you want... if you catch me first.”

I scrambled out of the bathroom, leaving the shocked and steaming Spitfire in the bathroom. It was not my best dash, and it wasn’t supposed to be. The aim was not to escape, but tease her, keep her wanting. I also needed some time to make my way to the room. The bathroom seemed like a great place to go at it in stories, but trust me, the narrowed walls and items poking out of it was a disaster waiting to happen.

I heard a frustrated growl behind me and a rustle of stiff wings as the mare tried to chase after me. I was pretty sure if her wings were more responsive and not as stiff as they were now, she would have caught up to me by now. She was the Captain of the Wonderbolts. It was virtually impossible to escape her.

The inevitability caught up to me in the bedroom. Spitfire finally got in range and jumped at me, pinning my shoulder on her bed with her front hooves. She smiled as she looked at me in the eyes. She lowered herself, and gently licked my lips before she kissed me again.

She collapsed on top of me, making sure she didn’t suffocate me as she rubbed her stomach on my hard member, earning her a few gasps. She giggled with a wicked tone as she continued exploring my mouth and battling my tongue.

She lifted her head and smiled as she increased her rubbing. “How does it feel, Wingman?”

“Amazing,” I gasped as I felt as if all the hair of her coat was rubbing antagonistically on my sensitive member, creating an unbelievable wave of pleasure. “Oh, Spitfire.”

She slowed down, earning a groan from me. “You won’t waste your erection on my coat, Wingman. I want you inside me."

“Any position you want to try?” I asked.

She opted to do a belly to belly and placed herself at the bottom, spreading her hind legs wide. I thought it was pretty daring, considering how nervous she was from her expression. Deciding to start slow, I lifted her right hind leg and kissed her naked hoof, loving the gentle suction feeling around my face while my free hand massaged the other.

I then slowly kissed upwards, going up her leg, my free hand following the same pattern on the other leg. Then, I gently went over her beautiful yellow marehood, kissing around its edges, and giving it a slight blow. She groaned as she tried to push herself forward, but I moved on, kissing gently on her stomach, kneading her teats slightly before suckling them a bit.

I continued my way up, kissing her chest, my free hands now massaging her wings that lay straight and flat on the soft bed, and climbed up to her neck. Spitfire growled.

“Inside me. Now,” she declared in bated breath.

I didn’t say anything. I just kissed her again on the lips before I entered her.

“Oh Celestia!” she screamed.

I built a rhythm, going in and out of her while her vaginal walls were trying to their hardest to suck me in. I explored her mouth with my tongue as my hands began to increase their pace. I began to pinch certain areas in her wings, further increasing the contractions, making my manhood swim in the waves her tightening and moist walls produced. I grunted, feeling the pleasure building as I increased my pace.

Spitfire was shouting out, demanding I go faster and faster. I was on the brink, but so was she. My fingers began to massage her wing tips, which were now super sensitive with all the ministrations I gave her whole body, tipping the scales to my favor.

Her whole body stiffened as I felt her tighten around me, and I too felt everything explode. I screamed as I felt the pressure finally give, the dam breaking, the walls crashing down. I continued to pump as I squirted inside her, screaming slightly louder with each pump before I finally shuddered and collapsed on top of her, taking deep ragged breaths.

We stayed in that position, enjoying the warmth of each other’s bodies. I murmured as I gave her coat a few flighty kisses before Spitfire mumbled out something and turned and faced me. She weakly nuzzled my lips before she gave a content sigh.

“That was... oh my.”

I just hugged her, enjoying the feel of her warm coat on my naked body.

We stayed in peace for five minutes, before she blinked.

“Um, Wingman, I do get to keep you for the whole night, right?”

I chuckled. “Until Celestia’s light, I’m yours.”

“Oh good,” Spitfire giggled. “I’m going to enjoy this.”

The better part of the night was filled with grunts, sweat, and tongue fighting. The sensual dance I had with Spitfire lasted until four hours before sunrise, leaving her in an exhausted state. I wasn’t faring much better, either. We ended up in bed in a tight hug, enjoying each other’s presence and body heat until sleep overtook us.

I woke up when I felt the sun on my skin. I blinked a few times and heard Spitfire snoring softly beside me, mumbling something in her sleep. I smiled, pecked her gently on the cheek, and made my way out of the bed as smoothly as I could.

I dressed up and got a piece of parchment, wrote a simple goodbye and folded it. I took out a card that had the Gentlemen for Mares shield and logo, and wrote 'Wingman' and my Gentleman Identification Number on it before placing it inside the parchment. I then left it on the table near her side of the bed before I quietly got out of the door.

Exiting the hotel, I was greeted by the early-rising ponies going about their business. I felt some eyes going to me, and I ignored them as best I could as I approached an awaiting chariot.

The gilded door frame opened up, revealing a bespectacled unicorn with a white coat and pink mane/tail. She gave me a slight smile as she motioned with her hooves to approach and sit right beside her, hooves hovering over a cutie mark that consisted of two connected silver rings.

She was my handler, Ever Ring, or Eve as I called her. And yes, handler. Not the other word.

“Happy customer?” she asked.

“I’d like to think so,” I yawned. “I know you warned me, Eve, but wow. She was almost like an earth pony mare. Please tell me I don’t have any requests for this afternoon, because I’m beat.”

“I’ll make the arrangements, Harry,” she replied. She magically closed the door and signaled the pegasus chariot-pullers to begin their ascent. “How is Miss Spitfire? Did she treat you right?”

I nodded. “She is a perfectly behaved mare, though she was under the assumption I’d jump right at her in the beginning. I may have corrected her view on that.”

She ruffled my hair slightly with her hoof before I gently shoved it off. I gave her a mock glare, and she smiled in response.

“Relax Harry. Time to get you home.”

I yawned again. “I’m going to sleep, so please don’t mind if I crash into you.”

“I hope you don’t mind if I dodge then,” Ever Ring replied.

I just chuckled before I felt my eyelids close.