Soarin' is an accomplished Wonderbolt, but lately he's been making too many simple mistakes during practice. One day, he and Spitfire come to the conclusion that he needs a change of scenery. Through a brief negotiation with their manager, Soarin' is given a week's time to secure a future performance in Appleloosa. He accepts this task and flies to the new town.

However, there's more to Soarin's life than he's letting on. He's constantly battling his inner demons, all while trying to ignore the hounding media. He's kept himself in check, but his past is about to come forth once more, and in ways he isn't prepared for.

All because of a strange colt he met during a stop at a bar.

Braeburn Apple has always been raised in a conservative household, as a member of the Apple family.
Throughout his life, he's been taught what's 'wrong' and what's 'right', who he was allowed to love, and who he wasn't. Above all, he was told what to be, and how to be it.
When he meets a certain blue Pegasus stallion buying pies at Sweet Apple Acres while he just so happens to be staying there, he discovers feelings he never knew he had.
Unfortunately, they happen to be the same ones he was always taught to suppress.
Can Soarin convince him that it's not wrong to be in love, and that, sometimes, in order to be happy, you need to break out of your comfort zone?
A story about discovering who you are, and being that person, no matter what others tell you to be.

WARNING: M/M, SoarinxBraeburn Coltcuddling! Touches up on some serious social issues in the real world, but with ponies, and at least 20% cooler.
If you don't like it, please do not read it.

Featured on EqD!

Cross-posted to FanFiction.NET.

Rated T for alcohol references, crude humour, and slight language.

Cover image is by Mn27 on DeviantART.

Edited by many people, included Carcer, LunaUsesCaps, and Diexna, but none have contributed more than the amazing Smayds, who has been my main editor for almost every chapter.

The Equestria Games are about to begin! Ponies from all over Equestria have come together to compete, representing their hometowns in dozens of events. However, such a monumental event requires an immense amount of preparation and what better warm up for the contestants than to help prepare for their competition?

Both Braeburn and Soarin are competing for their cities, both of them arrived to the Crystal Empire a bit earlier than the other teams, and both have been roped into helping ponies that they know. As luck would have it, it also roped them a bit closer together.

It's been weeks since Soarin was expected to recover from his flight accident that happened in the middle of the Wonderbolt's tour. The hospital walls seem bare and uninviting, his only escape from the silence being the heavy downpours frequent in the rainy season. He happens to meet Braeburn on the night of the Wonderbolts final show of the tour which he was supposed to be with, upset and angry he finds comfort in Braeburn's warm words and kindness. Soon their lives become entangled, their stories intertwining under the falling debris.

It's been a long year since Soarin and Braeburn went their separate ways due to Soarin's work, and somehow every opportunity for the two to meet up was canned in one way or another. They keep in touch through letters, trying to keep their pathways of life entangled no matter how far apart they remain. What either pony was half-expecting to be a simple week of passion and discovery grew, in a way, through this connection. But still, it's not enough. This becomes clear when Braeburn's letters one day cease to arrive.

Caramel's life could be considered a simple one at best, but a boring one at first. He's never been one to easily make friends, that's for sure. He sticks to himself mostly and attempts to stay out of the way of the lives of ponies around him. It's easier that way. Simpler. Talking to ponies is a challenging enough task on its own merits, but romance? He's never dreamed of romance.

Of course, that all changed when Big Macintosh entered his life.

(Cover art by Snark!)

A story of romance, affection, right, and wrong. A stallion named Braeburn will find where he truly belongs.

The world coltcuddler has been floating around the town of Appleloosa as of late, and it always comes around to the earth pony named Braeburn, who himself has since denied any accusations, despite the townsfolk's disbelief, harsh words, and actions toward him. Three months is a long time to go without a single friend in sight....

Denial is a new word however, and the the strange light blue pegasus named Soarin decided to use this when Braeburn insisted he wasn't interested in colts after meeting in a bar. The pegasus doesn't say where he's from or why he is passing by, accoring to him, he only wanted apples, and is now expecting a one sided promised date from the earth pony!

The truth soon falls into place, and Braeburn is faced with one of the hardest things anypony has ever done. Facing the truth as the war in his head between right and wrong rage on.

All he wanted was a drink...

A tad fluffy, but there is plot somewhere... trust me...