"I won't beg you to take me back. I'm going to let you decide. Only you, and no pony else. This is your decision alone. If you take me back, then... well, you know. We're back. If you don't, then I completely understand. I will respect your decision. What'll it be?"

It felt as if all of nature around them silenced itself just for this moment. Connor looked into her eyes, which were filling up with tears. She bit her bottom lip, stifling its quivering. The colt's face remained blank. He did not want to smile, pout, or give her any puppy eyes. It would be rude to place more pressure onto a pony who was already battered with so much of it before.

Her head shook gently left and right, hardly visible to any pony standing ten feet away.

Connor sighed through his nostrils. He was surprised that he did not feel any hint of defeat emerged from his heart, but he did not make it obvious. His face remained blank, only a little bit sadder. He looked away, nodding.

"Okay... You... You made your decision. I will not argue. I will respect it..." he said calmly. "However, let me say one last thing. I will never forget you as a friend. I will never forget everything we did together. We may forget each other, but we will not forget the wonderful memories we share. That would be the worst thing we could do. I wish you good luck in the future. I hope your next colt will treat you well."

He took a step closer to her. He lifted his hoof and pushed a loose strand of her pink, silky mane back into the mass where it came from.

"I guess... This means 'goodbye'," he breathily said.

Fluttershy said nothing, but looked into his eyes.

Connor ran his hoof down from her mane and onto her cheek, gently stroking it with one, steady swipe.

"Goodbye, my little pony..." he whispered.

After two seconds of staring into her eyes, he pulled away. His hoof remained on her cheek. As he backed away, his reach began to diminish. He released her cheek from the hollow of his hoof and his back turned toward her.

As he walked, his breathing became smoother, free of nerves and stress. He did what he did. She made her decision. It was official.

No longer were they together.

However, he knew that they will be together forever in memory...

"Wait!" Fluttershy squeaked after him, which immediately made the colt turn around.

"Yes?" he automatically answered.

She said nothing but softly galloped up to him, hardly making a sound because of her light, weightless pegasus body. She slowed to a stop just in front of him before she lifted a hoof to stroke her other foreleg bashfully while she blankly stared at the colt's hooves. Small, strains of shortcoming breath resided in her mouth, trying to think of something to say. This made Connor anxious, leaning in closer to her to try to decipher her mumbling until she looked up at him, glancing at him in meek disapproval.

"Y... You know it's rude to turn and leave just before somepony was about to say something to you..."

A weak, shamed smile cracked across Connor's lips. "Oh... I... I'm sorry."

Fluttershy slowly leaned toward him and pressed her soft, warm, damp cheek onto his, nuzzling lightly. Small gasps for air tickled the colt's ear.

"Good-bye, Connor..." she whispered without releasing her embrace. "I'll miss you... Those times we had together... Everything."

"Me, too," the colt tearily responded, yanking her in for a final hug. "Please don't forget me entirely..."

She whimpered in response, which the colt was sure that meant, "I won't."

As they held each other, they could feel their pulses in each other's necks, the tremors in their lungs as they breathed, and the personal warmth that would no longer cease to exist between them in the future. After what seemed like ten seconds, Fluttershy lifted her head from her former lover's neck and stopped to where the tip of her muzzle caressed the fur of Connor's muzzle. An electrifying, invisible current sparked throughout their foreheads as they were pressed against each other. The two ponies stared deep into each other's eyes before their lips touched.

They remained together for one second before they separated. Somewhere in the colt's mind, he knew this was their last kiss, but he felt that it should have been deeper, more passionate, and affectionate. However, further in the back, such a kiss would only reconcile them. It was Fluttershy's decision that they should part, so the kiss had to be brief before they begin to regret their decisions.

Their eyes met again, both shimmering with approaching tears.

The space between grew as they slowly separated. Connor's eyes never left from hers for a few steps before turning fully around to break the line of sight.

The fading sound of shuffling grass hissed behind him followed by the sound of a dreary creaking of a closing wooden door.

Then, all he ever heard after the click of the door was the sound of the hissing wind brushing violently past the leaves in the trees surrounding the cottage and him.

He deemed it crazy and strange, but he was sure that he could hear the yellow pegasus' crying echo in his mind.

"Damn it..." he cussed in his breath. "I need a drink..."

The door leading into the Guzzling Gallop opened, which immediately caught a lime-green mare's ears and full attention from a tall glass she was wiping down with a clean, damp rag. She was about to say her lines that she had written and memorized in the back of her mind, but who she saw entering the room had shut it down.

"Well, look who's here!" she said with a cheeky, yet friendly grin. "Mr. Charmer! Did you woo another lovely mare on the way here today?"

Connor could only respond with a heartless grunt as he sluggishly sauntered up to the bar. He drearily lifted his rear onto the bar stool and heavily placed his forelegs on the bartop, hanging his head like a vulture with a neck that was snapped clean into two pieces. A long, disheartening sigh escaped his pouting lips. Seeing him act like this made the lime-green mare lift an eyebrow in concern as well as disapproval.

"Feeling down? Come on, Connor, what did I say before? A bar is a comfort zone for customers and staff. Nopony is gonna be feeling sour in my bar. Lighten up, buck-o! Enjoy yourself! Smile! Be positive! Kick nature in the a--!"

"Please, Cherry..." he rudely cut her off, not looking away from his forelegs resting in front of him. "Just... stop it, okay? Can't I feel sour just this once?"

The green mare's eyebrows furrowed in disapproval, feeling some bitterness grow in her heart because of his uncalled-for interruption. However, seeing him look surly and depressed shook her out of it. She gently placed the the glass, midway its cleaning, and walked along behind the bar, stopping directly in front of him. The only face she could see was the hair on his bowed head, buried behind his forelegs.

"Hey," she calmly said. "What's wrong, hun? Why the long face?"

...

"Well?" she gently pressured him.

"I don't want to talk about it..." his muffled voice responded.

"Come on, Connor," she said. "You can tell me. It's all right. I'm all ears."

"No..." he groaned.

"Don't be like that. Look, just because I'm your boss doesn't mean I can't be your friend, too. You can tell me. Nopony else is here but you and me."

"Sorry, friend, but I don't feel like telling you. It would only make me feel worse, reminding me how idiotic I was..."

"Idiotic?" her head drew back slightly in concern. "What did you do?"

The colt cussed in his breath. He said too much.

"I said I don't want to talk about it!" he barked, suddenly lifting his head up from his forelegs.

After five seconds of haunting silence, Connor buried his face into his hooves, sighing loudly. Meanwhile, a frustrated Cherry Limeade stood in front of him.

"Fine. Whatever," she huffed, turning back toward her tall glass that she was wiping on before. "If you're going to act like that, then..."

"I broke up with Fluttershy..." he stopped her, finally giving in. He didn't like where her tone was leading to.

Cherry whirled around in surprise. "Wh--? What?? You broke up with her??"

Connor nodded.

She gasped as if her feelings were hurt. "I--! You mean that sweet, yellow pegasus you were with before? Why did you do that?? You two looked so happy together! Come on, dude!"

"That's the problem..." the colt responded, looking back his folded forelegs. "It was because of me..."

He looked back up to see the barista stare at him in disbelief. He sighed through his nostrils, fretting what would happen next if he told her. Would she be mad at him? Would she take Fluttershy's side and fire him for his stupidity aside the fact that he was suffering from humiliation already?

Whatever the effect may be, there was only one way to find out.

"Get comfortable, Cherry," he sighed. "You're in for a long story."

"And... that's how I'm here," he finished.

He heaved a loud sigh, seeking rest after talking for what seemed to last about fifteen minutes. He said nothing more afterward.

He slowly looked up to see Cherry Limeade. Her eyes, full of shock, disappointment, mortification, and disbelief, pierced into his own eyes and protruding to the back of his brain. He cringed in shame. Those mixture of expressions and emotions screaming from her face were much identical to those of Fluttershy's when she found out about his moment of disloyalty.

"So, let me get this straight..." she said, pointing at him rather coldly. "You kissed that Lily character behind her back because you thought it would help her out of her funk? That's... That's just so... dumb!"

"I know," he sulked. "That was before Rarity told me about how kisses should not be underestimated. I had no idea."

"Well, she's damn right about that," she scowled. "Celestia's beard, Connor, I can't believe that you would do something so idiotic like that! I mean, really? You've really gotten yourself in a pickle! A really rotten one."

Groaning, the colt buried his face into his forelegs once more. Enough with humiliation already. Didn't he suffer enough?

"But..." she said with a calmer tone. "You admitted to yourself that it would be best for you two to separate because you felt that you weren't worthy enough for her anymore?"

"Correct..."

The lime-green mare turned away to face the wall, breaking her eyesight with Connor. She rubbed her forehead with his hoof and sighed like an overly-stressed working mother would at the end of the day, which unnerved the colt. Her hoof slowly trailed down her cheek and fell back down onto the floor.

She did not say a word for fifteen seconds.

Then, her head turned toward the clock.

"It's near opening time," she muttered, loud enough for Connor to hear it on purpose.

She turned back around, tight-lipped. Then, when she looked back at him, her expression calmed.

"Thank you for telling me," she said blankly. "That wasn't so hard, was it?"

Connor lowered his eyesight meekly.

"Well, now it's time to get to work," she said as she put on her rose-red apron. "Be warned, Connor, there's going to be a lot of work prepared for you today. Maybe it'll teach you something..."

"Whoopee..." he mumbled to himself as he walked to the hanger to retrieve his apron.

"Thank you for coming to Guzzling Gallop, sir!" Cherry said cheerily, waving down a stallion walking out of the door.

"And thank you for your service, Miss Cherry," he replied.

"You're welcome! Have a nice night!"

The door shut behind him and Cherry Limeade sunk in her spot, sighing in relief. The bar was as empty as a cathedral. The only sounds that could be heard was the faint buzzing of the overhead lamps and the neon lights. The ceiling fan sliced mercilessly against the inactive and lazy air. Next, there was the sound of a squeaking wheel belonging to a moving dolly.

"Whoooo!" hooted a hot pink pony with a cranberry-colored mane and tail. "Look, ma! No hoovz! Uh'm flyin'!"

"Yes. Yes, you are, Berry Punch," Connor sighed. "Come on."

After chugging large amounts of the beverage clasped in her hoof, the drunk pony summoned a loud, ear-piercing belch. "Shaddap, Fido! Yuh'll wake tha neighbors! Bad dawg! Uh, wait... ah don' havva dawg... Nuh, I havva cat..."

"Yyyyyeah. Go home, you're drunk," he said, tipping her off of the dolly just as soon as he reached the front door.

"Ahhhh, ha, ha, haaaaa! That's whut dat otha guy told me lass night! And tha night before dat, an' tha night before that, too. Ya know whut? Ya look lus' like him!"

"Yes, that was me. Now, shoo! Shoo!" He closed the door partway. "Be safe!"

Then, he shut the door, sighing in relief as well. He wedged the tip of his hoof between his coat and the neck string of his apron. As soon as he was able to get between them, he lifted his apron to take it off.

"No, no, no, Connor," Cherry cautioned him. "Keep that apron on. I still got some things for you to do. You're gonna be working late tonight."

"Really?" He stifled a defeated groan.

"Mm-hmm. Get back over here."

He sighed again as he dropped his apron back onto his neck. He walked toward her. As he walked, he wondered if him working late was another one of Cherry's plans to daunt him for his idiocy regarding Fluttershy. As if that wasn't enough, he could feel his limbs tremble from fatigue resulting from all the work he had to do during business hours. Now, he was going to work even more? Shit. That barista was tough.

As he approached the table, he was greeted with a bemused frown from the lime-green mare. The colt stood patiently in front of her, waiting for a command like an automaton. He didn't look at her for too long, because her piercing, cherry-red eyes were still skewering into his shamed soul, making him feel meek and weak.

"Now," she said, breaking the silence. "I want you to wipe this bar top down, and I want to see my face reflecting off of it by the time I return from wiping down the rest of these glasses. Understood?"

"Yes, ma'am," Connor meekly responded.

"You can start now..."

She placed a damp rag onto the bar top and parted for the sink, leaving the colt behind like a army commander dismissing his soldiers after a mission briefing. Still feeling rusty with fatigue and guilt, he pinned the rag underneath his hoof, allowing a bunched part of the cloth to fit snugly in the hollow, and started wiping.

After ten minutes, Cherry Limeade returned, inspecting the bar top as she slowly sauntered up the the laboring pony. He never looked up, but Connor could tell that was looking at him like a condor would, waiting for its prey to drop to the ground and die. A creak vibrated through the wood of the bar top, which was caused by the weight of a pony leaning on it. He saw through the reflection of the bar top that her expression was stern but blank. At least, that was what he made out of it at first sight. The uneven, lubricated coating morphed her face into three to five different expressions. Whatever it was, he assumed it was not very convincing.

Then, he heard the sound of a glass being placed onto the bar top. He heard the metallic ring of the shaker being placed on top of it as well. He heard some liquids being poured into it. Next, he heard ice cubes clink as they collided against the glass. Finally, Cherry Limeade shook the liquid in the shaker before pouring out a pinkish liquid into the glass. It fizzled lively, spitting microscopic bubbles on the bar top. A trail of the pinkish liquid trailed down the shimmering, crystal-like glass, spreading on top of the wooden, glossy surface.

Feeling that she made that small spill on purpose, he scowled inside. Just how far was she going to push him?

Then, his thoughts were interrupted by the sound of gulping. He could hear loud slushing as mouthfuls of the cherry limeade she was drinking rushed down her throat. He glanced up to see that the glass was nearly empty. Then, his eyes looked over to her head, tipped high up, exposing her entire neck, which was shifting and moving every loud gulp she made.

When it was all gone, the mare lowered the glass, letting out a sigh, hardly coughing at all. The colt's eyebrow peaked in surprise.

"You know," she said finally, placing the glass in the small sink in front of her just behind the bar. "I have to say, you're a real jerk to have done something like that to a sweet pony like Fluttershy. You've got some nerve."

His shame clawed into his heart once again, preventing him from speaking.

"That's the worst kind of stallion to have."

"If you're trying to make me feel even more daunted and ashamed of myself, it's working..." Connor spoke.

He pushed the rag to wipe at the pink ring until a green hoof suddenly fell on top of it. He flinched in surprise, but his forearm was calm and limp after feeling the hoof gently and slowly push his closer to the stain, wiping it up. Then, sliding off from top of his hoof, the green hoof pressed down against the bar, pulling up the rest of the body attached to it.

Confused, he looked up to suddenly see the green mare's face nearing his, inch-by-inch. Her eyes glistened behind its half-lidded expression, which beheld a saucy smile growing on her lips. Her cheek glowed a rosy pink underneath her lime-green fur. Her silky, bobbed, cherry-red mane hovered over her shimmering eyes decorously like a golden-lined balcony on a marble castle. The closer she got, the more Connor could feel her moist, warm breath sift through the trunks of his fur on his muzzle and tickle the flesh in between. Soon, the barista's torso and abdomen were hovering over the bar, revealing a sudden, roller-coaster-like curviness that he he had never expected to see on her at such an angle. Her cutie mark shone over the edge of the bar. His eyes traced down from her chest to her belly, showcasing a lean front with hardly any chub at all. It was slender, smooth, and mesmerizing.

"But, then again," she said in a low, soft tone. "Admitting your faults and trying your absolute best to amend them is the best kind of stallion to have. I like humility in a stallion."

The ponified human's jaw immediately went slack.

His own boss...

His employer...

He was so stunned, he didn't notice until one second later that her lips were nearing his. He flinched back, throwing himself off of the bar. Cherry's eyes flickered open, disappointed of not being able to make contact.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa! No... No... NO." He shook his head.

"What's wrong?"

"THIS. What you're doing right now. I... I just can't."

"Oh, come on," the green mare tittered. "It's all right. We've been seeing each other during work. We know each other well. We get along well. We were able to connect with hardly any trouble at all, so why not?"

"But, you're my boss!" he emphasized. "I can't do this with my boss! I mean, what if I made a grave mistake that would cost us our relationship? What if you fire me because of it? It's going to be a huge mess of emotions. I just can't go through with this."

"Don't worry about it," she smiled flirtatiously. "Besides, there's hardly even a chance that I would break up with you or fire you. That is, if you don't mess up first." She winked.

"Just stop it! Please!" he begged. "I can't do this, especially after my recent break-up with Fluttershy."

"And that's another thing," she said, pulling herself fully on top of the bar, lying of her side. "I don't want you to feel so sad about all of what happened anymore. You just looked so miserable earlier today, that it nearly broke my heart. Well, sure you needed to be taught a lesson, but I don't like it when you're sad. You need to feel relaxed when you're here with me. Things would be so much better that way."

"Much appreciated, but..."

"Ever since we first talked I knew there was something special about you. Something about you just fit me wonderfully like a hoof glove. You had good spirit. Plus, I don't know how she did it, but Princess Celestia sure made you look fine!" she purred.

The colt's expression calmed. His brows furrowed.

"Plus, surely you didn't believe that all of this time I was watching you only to make sure you were getting your work done," she winked.

"Wait..." He lifted a hoof up in thought. "You..."

Connor was wiping the floor with the mop clenched between his teeth. He looked up to look at his work and admire it until he saw a visible stain underneath a chair. Rolling his eyes, he lowered his front and bowed his head to wedge the mop between the spokes of the chair.

Behind him, Cherry was rinsing the drinking glasses. She looked up to inspect the colt, but instead, she was met with the facade of his taut rump from a distance. No matter how hard she tried to get command herself to look away, her eyes disobeyed, intently noticing the muscles working behind the coat of peach-colored fur. It felt like it was staring at her, greeting her, welcoming her to leer at it. Then, a shameless smile cracked across her cheeks. Later, her eyes traced down his legs, likewise watching the muscles tense up and sink down from behind his coat of fur. She hummed in content.

The colt's head suddenly rose from underneath the chair, and it alarmed her, immediately making her look away and resume cleaning her drinking glasses.

"You..." he stuttered. "You were... ogling me? Most of the time I was working here?"

Cherry inhaled through her bared teeth. "Well... To be honest, yes. I gotta say, Connor, you've certainly got it all. And I mean, all."

"So, the reason why you're holding onto to me is because you only see me as eye candy? Some walking beefcake poster to keep you entertained and perked up while you work? Jesus Christ, Cherry, how dare you!"

"I didn't say that! I just said that you--."

"You know what? Shut up, okay?!" he coldly interrupted her. "Just shut up! You said enough! I can't believe you would have the gall to tell me all of this while you were trying to move in on me and expect me to go along with your ride. Well, I'm not flattered! I'm offended! As if I hadn't felt like shit enough today!"

Then, he tugged at the neck string of his apron, yanking it over his head and off of his body. He hurled it onto the ground.

"If that's all you think about me, then I'm done! I'm not going to be your eye candy anymore! I quit, you hear me?! I QUIT! Have somepony else be your eye slave! See you never!"

He whipped around, stomping over to the door like an angry rhino.

When he reached within one foot of it, something suddenly flew past his head and shattered loudly against the door, throwing him off of his angry fit. Scattering around his hooves were shards of broken glass. If not only glass, there were also some ice cubes present in the pile of oblivion.

He gazed up in shock and hushed surprise. Looking behind himself, he could see a green foreleg in follow-through position, which had a pair of angry orbs glaring at him from behind it.

Connor was silent and a tad scared like a school foal who had been caught cheating on a test by classically peeking over somepony's shoulder. Whether or not it was intentional that she was going to hit his head with her projectile, he was going to find out.

"You dumbass," she growled. "How dare you think you can just quit like that! Didn't you hear a word I had just said earlier?! Do I need to repeat myself?? I didn't see you only as eye candy, you got that?! I said you had got it all! Personality, charm, and good looks! I'm not just some stupid, shallow mare as you falsely proclaimed that I am! Luna, I could fire you right here on the spot for what you just said! But I don't! I like you a lot, Connor! Get that through your thick head!"

She inhaled loudly, pushing back a loose strand of her bobbed mane back into its mass.

"I'm not shallow, Connor," she resumed. "I never will be shallow! Not again..."

Suddenly, all of Connor's lust for contempt melted away from his heart. Meanwhile, the green mare's rubbed her forehead, heaving a great sigh summoned from the deepest sacs in her lungs.

"Again?" he asked. "What do you mean, 'again'?"

After stroking her forehead for five seconds, she looked up from her hoof. Her eyes shimmered sadly at him. Then, she waved her hoof.

"Come over here and wait. I'll be back in a second."

She slid her rump off of the bar top, falling gently onto all fours, and walked through the doorway leading into her office just behind the wall. Connor meekly and obediently sat down onto a bar stool. He swung his hind legs over the ground, keeping himself slightly occupied while he waited for his boss to return. A crisp scent emitting from the bar top filled his nostrils.

That patch of the bar top was where Cherry Limeade was sitting. Feeling curious and slightly adventurous, he leaned his head closer and took another whiff at it.

His lips pursed in interest. She smelled pretty good. She smelled exactly like key lime pie. He also noticed a small patch of condensation. Surely, it had to take some heat in order for that sort of thing to happen.

Then, he heard the door to her office creak open. He leaned quickly back up to hide the notion of what kind of research he was doing. Cherry had a small, hinged, velvet box placed on her back. After stopping in front of the colt, she took it gently between her lips and placed it in front of him.

"Open it," she simply said.

Without hesitation, Connor obeyed, gripping the top of the box with one hoof while pressing his other on the bottom. Opening it, he saw a golden ring, slightly tarnished, but not completely stripped of its luster.

"You can take it out and look at it, if you want," she said.

He gripped it firmly between his cumbersome hooves. He noticed pattern-like slits engraved on the inside of it. Squinting deeper, he noticed that it was engraved lettering. He licked his lips before he read them aloud.

"Beefcake and... Cherry Limeade?"

"Yes..." she sighed. "It was my wedding ring."

"Your.. wedding ring?"

"That's right, Connor. I'm a divorced wife." She looked at her reflection in the mirror behind her collection of spirits and other alcoholic, imported, bottled drinks.

"W... Whoa," he softly exclaimed. "I... I-I-I had no idea! I-! I never thought that you--..."

The lime-green mare never looked away from her reflection. "I was so happy to know that I was one of those mares who would live her dream to be married to the stallion of her dreams. Yet, look how that all turned out. Now, I'm here, working at a measly bar in a quaint, small town when I could be raising a beautiful family and spending time with my loving husband... All because of how foolish I was..."

Connor leaned closer to her, curious to hear what she was going to say.

"Years ago, I was a child. To be more specific, I was a child in a fully grown mare's body, naïve and immature, still in the midst of growth. I was so fed up with the popular girls in college teasing me about how I would never score with a hunky stallion, that I wanted to prove them wrong. I aimed for the hottest stallion in the campus, Beefcake, who was presumably out of my league. After much effort, I finally did it, but I had nearly lost myself in the competition. It cost me my friends, my reputation. However, I didn't care. I showed those prissy harlots who was boss. I was so proud of myself. Later, I married Beefcake. He was all mine."

...

"But as soon as the wedding was over, I realized what a grave mistake it was to marry him," she grimly said. "Turns out, behind those taut, stone-cut muscles and charm was a pig. A greedy, arrogant, two-timing, double-dealing, insolent, disrespectful son of a mule. I was going to throw him out, but he had beat me to it. I roamed the streets of the city for weeks until my gift in concocting delicious spirits and drinks pulled me out of the gutter. Because of that conceited bastard, I was close to being a nopony, but I was lucky that my gift saved me. From then on out, I resolved to never betroth myself to a stallion mainly on looks. Stallions who actually talk to you, listen to you, make you laugh, do things for you, write your name on Princess Luna's moon for you are the kind of stallions I would love to consort with for the rest of my life."

A small reminiscent smile formed on Connor's lips. Rarity said something similar like that to him a few days ago. Then, Sweetie Belle's cute, smiling face floated in front of his eyes. He wondered if any of those things Cherry and Rarity said was what made the little white filly fall in love with him.

"And if I'm lucky," Cherry continued. "I could meet a stallion who is charming and all of what I mentioned."

She turned around to glance at him, half-lidded.

"Does that sound familiar?" she said with a wink.

He blushed in response.

"Best of all, I found out you are humble, too. That is passable in my books. Nopony likes a conceited, selfish pony."

She, then walked slowly up to him, not breaking her sultry gaze from the colt.

"So, know this, hun," she said. "I am not a shallow pony. I have my standards."

Her smiling face was two inches away from his now. A spark ignited in Connor's heart, seeing his employer in a whole new light.

"I now know that you aren't," he smiled.

Cherry's smile grew even wider as she pressed her forehead onto his.

"So..." she tittered. "Can I kiss you now?"

"You may."

Soon, his lips were met with hers. What started off as a simple, innocent brushing of the lips evolved into a circling lip-lock. He felt her forelegs wrap behind his neck, and his wrapped in the very swerve of her back. He felt her warm breath tickle his cheek as she panted in content. Seconds later, he felt the wet surface of her tongue pushing its way past his lips, which he would not ignore to respond.

After what felt like a minute, they separated the kiss, catching their breath. His eyes fluttered open to peek into her shimmering orbs. How her kiss felt, it was much different from Fluttershy's because of past experiences with kissing. Cherry used to be a married mare, so her experience in kissing felt a lot more advanced, yet all the more enjoyable. Her body felt different, too. It was leaner, stronger, and curvy, but not as curvy as Fluttershy's aside from her softness. Also, the scent of Cherry was entirely different, too.

Now, the taste...

"You taste just like cherry limeade." He licked his lips.

"And you taste horrible."

...

"Kidding!" she laughing.

"There's always an opening for you to joke around, isn't there?" the colt chuckled, kissing her again.

"You better believe it," she hummed, lifting her chin for him to kiss her neck.

He brushed his lips in the crook of her neck. Every small nudge or even the slightest hair of contact he made emitted content moans and squeaks from the blushing, charming mare, coercing the lucky colt to continue. The enchanting scent of key lime pie filled his nose. He could not stop himself from kissing her velvet-soft neck. Suddenly, she stopped him, which made the colt grunt in disappointment.

"Whoa, hold on," she said, pointing to the broken glass at the foot of the door. "We've gotta clean up this mess first. After that, we'll continued from there."

The colt noticed the purr that rumbled in her throat when she said the last part.

"Who's gonna clean it up?" he asked innocently.

"I will," she answered. "It's my mess, after all. I'll go get the broom and dustpan."

Unlatching herself from him, Cherry disappeared into the closet. When she returned was carrying a small, hoof-held brush and a dustpan between her jaws.

"You're really using that broom?" Connor pointed. "Why not use a longer one? You wouldn't have to worry about hurting your back with--."

Cherry Limeade tilted her hip to one side, showcasing her slender, green flanks, glancing at him saucily. She dropped the dustpan by her hooves and clasped the small broom with her teeth. She bent over, bending her forelegs as well. She began to sweep, and as she swept, she shifted her rear left and right, showcasing her taut flanks at Connor on purpose. She would occasionally lean her body backward to give him a better look. She threw in some sexy glances intermittently, allowing the colt's mind to run amuck with dozens of naughty imaginations. Normally, it was rude to stare at someone's rear end without them realizing it, but when soneone was actually allowing you to look at it, it was a hell lot more enjoyable. Her flanks just looked so... hot damn! Not only did they look so taut and curvy, but the lime-green color made it shine brightly.

Then, the lime mare picked up the dustpan and walked over to a trashcan, where she disposed of the broken bits. She placed the small broom and the dustpan back into the closet. Then, she sashayed up to the front door. She spun around to look at her new sweetheart, but never changed direction. She backed up to the door, pressing her flanks against it. She slowly lifted her hoof to turn the lock, shutting the door. Finally, she walked directly up to Connor, where she was greeted with another passionate kiss.

"I don't want you to be sad anymore, hun," she smiled innocently. "We can get through this, I promise you."

"I think I'll be jussst fine," the colt winked.

"You liked what you saw?" she purred, stroking her hoof up and down along his foreleg.

"You bet your cute little flank I did."

After another kiss, Cherry wrapped a hoof around his neck and playfully pulled him toward her until the edge of the bar top stopped her. She lifted her hind leg over the edge and lifted his other after it. Releasing her grip from the stallion, she stretched herself on top of the bar top, exposing her entire body, curvy and slender. Her silky, bobbed mane fell on top o fhe wooden surface like silk curtains.

"Thank you, Cherry..." Connor whispered in her ear, nibbling it.

"That's what friends are for," she whispered back, holding back her moans of pleasure.

The two ponies engaged in a deep, deep kiss, forgetting about tomorrow.

"Well?" Connor asked. "Don't you need any help with your homework? Can't do much with you standing around like that."

"Um... Connor?" Sweetie Belle squeaked.

"Yes?" he patiently asked.

"Um... C... Can I...? Um... Can I, you know, um... cuddle next to you?" she meekly smiled, her cheeks red as roses.

Connor's eyes grew wide in surprise, but then his whole face relaxed into a warm smile. She still loved him.

"Why not?" he smiled.

At first, Sweetie Belle knew she should be excited that she was going to be intimately close with her dreamboat, but something brewing at the back of her mind kept her quiet. She shuffled up next to Connor and sat down on her stomach gingerly. She did not dare to cuddle next to him... Yet.

"Connor?" she asked.

"Yes?" he replied.

"S-so... I heard that you and Fluttershy are broke up."

"That's right."

"Well... I... I just want to say... it's really... really sad that you two are no longer with each other. I mean, you two were really meant for each other. I... I wish that I could be your favorite little filly and fillyfriend, but of course, you could see for yourself that that's going to be impossible. Still, if you need any help with anything, I will be more than happy to do it for you," she said, trying to push her chest proudly out to show humility. However, deep down, her dream was impossible to achieve.

The colt smiled. Her wrapped his foreleg around her shoulders and pulled her in for a big hug. Sweetie Blle's breath sounded sharp in surprise as he hugged her so warmly.

"Thank you, Sweetie Belle. Thank you for your consideration. But what do you mean by 'impossible'? You're already my favorite little filly, and you always will be. Sure, you made mistakes... Which were caused by me, but you get the idea... But that does not change the fact that I still care for you. You're like my little sister, and a big brother would not be a big brother if he continues to hate her for the rest of his life. I don't hate you. I love you, too, Sweetie Belle."

His cheek nuzzling into her mane sent a shock of delight coursing down her spine. He grabbed around his neck, hugging him back. She felt his breath pour onto her cheek as she felt his lips kiss her warmly on the cheek. Her heart did a flip.

However, she did not want to be selfish. Once Connor broke the hug, she immediately sprung onto all four hooves and kissed him back. The colt chuckled as he blushed a little. She hugged around his neck once more, nuzzling her into his.

"Now," he smiled. "Let's get on with this math homework, hmm?"

"On it!" she squeaked.

She landed on her belly and snuggled tightly next to him. The vibration in his chest caused by his talking made her hum in content.

It was good to have her iron shield back.

The End...

Author's Notes:

I have added this chapter because I noticed that some of you were wishing that Connor and Fluttershy were broken up, along with some of you who were willing to see how the story will end whether they separate or not. Now, you can see what will happen.

Also, another thought came to mind before I considered writing this alternate ending. What would it be like if Connor was going to be shipped with Cherry Limeade? Then, I thought, "Why not? It would be interesting to see, since they seem to have a good connection even if they were not going to be shipped." What's wrong with a little curious creativity or creative curiosity?

Anyhoo, I hope you get a good kick out of this experimental ending!

Ceehoff out.

Zzzzzzz.......