//------------------------------//
// Chapter 29 - Four Words 
// Story: Sensation (SFW Version) 
// by Vivid Syntax 
//------------------------------//

We lay on the large, soft bed, our bodies warm and sticky as we enjoyed the afterglow and the soreness. Dark chocolate still coated the inside of my mouth, and I ran my tongue around my teeth and sucked out the extra flavor. A seed from a chocolate-covered strawberry had gotten stuck in my molars. The plush bed seemed like it barely moved, even as the train rattled along the tracks. My tummy ached, and so did my butt. But it was a good ache. Braeburn was spooning me and gently petting my belly, and that made it feel a little better. His head rested on my face, and the smell of milk chocolate and toffee rolled across my nose. Between breaths, he nibbled lazily on my jaw. My head swam with each tired, playful bite.

Our bodies were exhausted all over again, but in a good way this time. We'd gone at it three times over a few hours, and between the different positions and eating the whole box of chocolate, our nerves buzzed from overstimulation. Every little fiber in me felt like it was alive, like I would shake apart, and Braeburn's strong legs were the only things holding me together.

Resting his chin on my head, he whispered into my ear, "Mighty fine way to spend our last train ride. You have fun?"

"Mmm…" I cuddled back into him. "Yeah…" I craned my neck back, and we kissed deeply for a few long, luxurious moments. "It's not the last one, though. The 'Bolts perform all over Equestria, and we'll have plenty more train rides. You'll come to the shows, right?"

Braeburn paused, still stroking my belly. He took a deep breath and let it out slowly before nuzzling me. "Of course I will."

After a few more hours of snuggling and dozing off (plus one more session for good measure), the train began to slow down. The momentum rocked us forward as the conductor put on the brakes a few minutes later, but we didn't rush to get up.

Braeburn stroked me one more time and cooed, "It's time to go, Soarin'. If we wait any longer, somepony might come 'round and kick us off."

I sighed. His hoof felt so good petting me like that. "Yeah, okay… What's the plan?"

Braeburn sat halfway up and kissed my cheek. "Not much of one, actually. Aunt Honeycrisp's letter said that we could show up whenever we needed to, but it ain't easy coordinatin' somethin' like this by mail." He squeezed me. "We can probably get a carriage, though."

"Okay," I said softly, closing my eyes again. I didn't move.

Braeburn snickered and nudged me with his nose. "C'mon, Soarin'. Let's go."

"No," I whined. "Carry me."

He laughed. "Ha! Fine, ya' lazy ass."

I cracked an eye open and smirked. "Hey, my ass is not lazy. It's just had a rough afternoon."

"Heh, least I can get up when I have to." Braeburn stood up and stretched, and then he collected our dusty saddlebags. He packed Rarity's gifts into them, slung both of them over his back, and walked back to the bed before putting his forehooves on mine. "You ready?"

"Ready for whaAAHH!"

He yanked me towards him and ducked down. I slid off the silk sheets, landed sideways on his back, and stopped snugly between the two saddlebags. "Geez, Brae! Little warning first?"

He straightened out his back and stood up. "Heh heh. Aw, Soarin' gettin' cranky after his nap?"

I laughed and gently jabbed his flank. "Eh, shuddup," I said with a smile.

Earth ponies are great. Braeburn carried me and all our stuff out the cabin doors and down the hall to the exit. We were getting off at Hoofenburgh, one of Manehattan's exurbs, along with just one other couple. Luckily, they didn't notice us.

The station was pretty standard for a rural area: a well-kept platform and a wooden building in the middle of a big plain. A few signs advertised for local and big-city tourist sites, and the weather-worn signs directed us to the impossible-to-miss stairway. A bored-looking mare sat behind the counter, flipping through a magazine. She raised an eyebrow at us and stood up to poke her head out the window. "He okay?" she asked, pointing to me.

Braeburn responded with a hearty, "Eeyup! Just a little too much fun, I think. He's fine."

She looked disappointed. "Oh. 'Kay." She went back to lazily flipping through her magazine.

The only other pony that noticed us was a tired-looking carriage driver. She perked up when she saw us descend the wooden stairs out onto the dirt road. "Uh, hi!" She walked up to Braeburn. She was a green earth pony mare, and as she got close, she tipped her wide-brimmed hat and said, "Mr. Apple and Mr. Windsong, right? Do you need a lift?" She stopped and raised an eyebrow. "Or, like… an ambulance?"

I shook my head and flapped my wings, jumping off of Braeburn's back and landing next to him on the dirt road. "Nah, it's cool, thanks, but… could you keep it down?"

She nodded. "No problem. I think you'll be okay, though. The Equinerer said you were heading for Las Pegasus again, and every other paper ran with it." She looked between us. "Need a lift? No charge!"

Braeburn shook his head. "That's mighty kind, but we insist on paying."

"No, really! It's fine. It'll be fun enough just to help out." She shrugged. "Hell, this is the most exciting ride I've given in months!"

When she wasn't looking, I winked at Braeburn and said, "Okay. If you're sure."

"Absolutely! My name's Greener Hills, by the way. Can I get your bags?"

She loaded everything up for us. Her service was better than most hotels I've stayed at, even if she was more "friendly neighbor" than "charming professional." I liked her. She was chill. We even rode up at the front of the small carriage in the navigator's seat, just so we could talk more.

The countryside rolled past us as we got further and further from the train station. It was a place I recognized from my flyovers, at least a little. The trees grew thicker the more we got away from the train station, and little ponds and rolling hills reminded me how easy it was to escape the city if I needed to. Manehattan's skyscrapers dominated the horizon behind us, but we focused on the ride.

Greener Hills was bright and cheery. "Your aunt didn't mention you were coming. I guess I can understand why. She's pretty crafty."

Braeburn asked, "You know her?"

"Sure! My mom plays cards with her on Tuesdays, and my dad's on the community council with her."

I nudged Braeburn. "Leadership runs in the family, eh?"

He smiled. "I suppose it does. What runs in yours?" When he saw me frown, he blushed and said, "Uh… s-sorry."

I don't blame him. It was a natural question. Still hurt a little, though. "It's okay," I said quietly. "Honestly, I wish I knew."

The sun had gotten low in the sky by the time we'd arrived at Honeycrisp's farm. Braeburn distracted Greener Hills while I got our stuff, and I left a small pile of bits inside for her to find later. After that, we said goodbye – a quick one, for once – and I promised to give her a headshot the next time she was at a show.

The house was the same as I remembered it: a little red two-story house with dark shingles. It looked solid and square, and it sat in the middle of a large patch of grass with a small path leading out to the main road. It didn't look weathered at all, and it was probably the most welcoming house you could ever want, but…

I didn't want to go in. I froze, staring at it, the details of our first fight playing over and over in my brain. I'd crashed into Braeburn's apple cart, and he'd brought me back to make sure I was okay. He'd even made me a pie, and the conversation we'd had was special. It was real. There wasn't any celebrity worship or falseness to it, and for the first time in a long while, I'd felt like I was having a real conversation with somepony who liked me. But that hadn't been enough for me. No, I'd thought all I wanted was another warm body to grind against, and when I hadn't gotten it, I'd flipped out and said some awful, awful things. All because I wanted to get off. Stress isn't an excuse, and neither is anything else I could come up with. I'd yelled at him and berated him, right after his previous coltfriend had done the same. Seeing that house brought it all back.

Braeburn bumped his flank into mine. "You okay, Big Blue?"

"Yeah," I said, still staring at the house. "Just…" I looked at him. "You go first, okay?"

Braeburn cocked his head to the side, then opened his eyes a little more. He smiled slightly and nodded his head. In a soft voice, he said, "I understand."

We walked up the path with our stuff. Braeburn knocked once on the front door, and then he walked right in. "Aunt Honeycrisp? We're here!"

I walked in right behind Braeburn and saw a purple mare turn away from doing the dishes. "Braeburn?" Honeycrisp was tall for a mare, and she was built like a workhorse. She still managed to look feminine, though, with her light blue mane wrapped up in tight bun and wearing a little eyeshadow that matched a petite jeweled necklace. When she spoke, she seemed halfway between the country accent Braeburn used and the Manehattan accent I was used to.

She quickly dried her hooves and trotted over. "Come in, come in! How was the trip? Glad you made it safely, of course." She gave Braeburn a kiss on the cheek and, looking at our studs, said, "I love the new accessories y'all are sportin', and you better believe I'll want to hear about it." Then she turned to me. "And you must be Soarin'! Pleasure to meet you."

"You, too, Honeycrisp. It's–" My eyes snapped wide open, and my wings drooped. "Uh…" I suddenly remembered something else from my first trip to her orchard, and I knew I had to take care of it. I reached into my bag and grabbed a bit, then gave it to her. She looked down at it with a raised eyebrow, and I bit my lower lip. "Actually…" I fished out several more bits and placed them in her hoof.

Honeycrisp looked between the bits and me. "Pardon?"

My eyes darted around the kitchen. "I… yeah. They're for… messing up your apples." I gulped. "Aaaand trying to steal one." I felt like a foal admitting he'd cheated on a test.

When I looked back up, Honeycrisp wore a smug smile. She said to Braeburn. "Honestly, I'd forgotten, but who am I to stand in the way of a stallion settling his debts? You found a good one, Braeburn." She looked back to me. "I like him."

I breathed a sigh of relief, and Braeburn bumped me with his shoulder, saying, "Yeah. I like him, too."

Honeycrisp set the bits on the kitchen table. "Now, come on in, you two!" She looked at the clock. "Better not rest too long, I'd say. Geez, I'm running late on dinner." She turned back to us. "Got caught up baking a cake for one of the workers on account of his new colt, and I've been behind the whole day." She flicked a hoof and rolled her eyes. "No bother, though. Y'all come in and take a breath, and I'll cook us something nice. Of course, since y'all are staying here, I'm expecting you to help with the dishes. Ha! Anything to get out of that. Shouldn't take you too, long. I've got washer liquid near the sink and a few fresh rags in the cupboard."

I could see where Brae had learned to take charge.

We went to the parlor. Honeycrisp sat on a big chair, and Braeburn and I sat on the couch. Yes, that couch. The one we'd made out on right before I'd freaked out at him. I felt my wings tense.

Braeburn, though? Braeburn sounded like we were still cuddling on the train. He sighed and said, "Been a hell of a couple weeks, Auntie Crisp. Couple months, actually. Seems like life hasn't settled down since Bronze left." He took off his hat and set it aside, followed by his vest. "Just about drank myself to death, came here, met Soarin', and then that whole…" His ears went in different directions, and he cocked his head to the side as he said to me, "Actually, how would you even explain what happened?"

I groaned. Honeycrisp noticed. She gave me a wry grin and said, "This'd be the part where you apologize again?"

I turned my head towards Braeburn. "Yeah. Sorry again, Brae. I shouldn't have said that stuff."

He leaned over and kissed my forehead. "Forgiven. You did come all the way to Appleloosa to apologize, after all."

Honeycrisp laughed. "See? I knew he was the type to make things right."

I snorted and said, "Yeah, eventually. I… still kinda screw things up a bunch."

"Everypony does," she said with a nod. "The important thing is that you try, and when things go south, you make 'em right. So, you stayed in Appleloosa for a few days, and then the big story broke, and y'all skipped town. Is that about right?'

Braeburn nodded.

"Mighty lucky none of those reporters were able to follow you."

Braeburn chuckled. "Heh. Nothin' lucky about it." He nodded to me. "Soarin' and Slate and I gave 'em the slip, and Soarin' knows how to handle those assholes in the media."

"Did you really hide out in Las Pegasus?"

Braeburn lit up, and his eyes sparkled. "Aw, you shoulda seen it, Auntie Crisp! They had lights and roller coasters and everything! Soarin' even took me to the gay strip club!"

I snapped to attention and whipped my head first toward Braeburn, then back to Honeycrisp. I couldn't believe how forward he'd been about that, but then again, this was one of the family members Braeburn had come out to.

He continued. "Never thought I'd see one of those. Heck, didn't know they even existed! Ever taken a gander at a buncha dancers like that, Auntie Crisp?"

She threw her head back and flicked a hoof at us. "Ha! Well, can't say that I have. Mighty expensive, as I recall. Plus, I can get an eyeful whenever I want to with the farm workers." She winked at me. "Don't you worry, though, Soarin'. I'm not that kind of gal. Always keep it professional." She nodded at Braeburn. "I take it you had a good time, then?"

"Oh, of course! I got to… I got to just be gay for a while, and even if all that pink and all those fancy clubs don't suit me much, I'm glad I got to try it. Soarin'…" He looked at me and put a forehoof on mine. "Soarin's shown me a lot over the past month or so. He makes me feel like it's okay, that everything's gonna be okay, even with all this nonsense."

I smiled and blushed and let his hoof just stay there for a little while.

Honeycrisp cleared her throat. "Hate to name the devil, but you're sure this isn't just a fling to get your mind off of Bronze?"

She was just concerned for Braeburn, and I was in too good a mood to let her spoil the moment. Instead, I just laughed and feigned offense. "Ha! I'm sitting right here, you know."

"Yes, you're right here, and that speaks volumes," she said in a tone that was both firm and warm. "But I gotta keep an eye out for my favorite nephew." She lowered her voice and put on a sultry tone. "So if you hurt him, I swear you'll regret it."

I smirked. "Heh, between you and Mac, there wouldn't be anything left of me." Braeburn snorted next to me, and I asked, "What?"

Braeburn smiled. "Mac's size is mighty intimidatin', I suspect, but really, I don't think he'd have it in him to hurt somepony."

"More for me," Honeycrisp giggled. "Speaking of family, though, Cortland and Gala caught hell a few days ago, didn't they?"

Braeburn nodded. "Uh-huh. Some asshole reporter stalked us out there. We kinda…" He looked down at the ground, and his ears fell flat. "It was a bad day." His eyes flicked toward me for just a moment.

Taking a deep breath, I set a hoof on his shoulder. "I'm sorry, Braeburn." That hoof turned into a hug, and I held him a while Honeycrisp looked on.

Braeburn hugged me back. "I know, and I'm sorry, too, much as you might disagree with me feelin' that way." We stayed like that for a few moments, then separated. Braeburn continued his story for Honeycrisp. "The Ponyville side of the family hid us for a couple days, but we had to get outta there, too. Trust me, Little Bloom's got quite a big mouth."

Honeycrisp let out a long breath. "Hoo! Quite the tour you colts went on. So, now you're here. What's next?"

I butted in. "We're going to Cloudsdale until the heat dies down."

Honeycrisp raised an eyebrow. "Really, now? Huh. That'd be a sight."

We filled her in about a bunch of other little details: me getting cut from the roster, getting our ears pierced in Las Pegasus, Braeburn having words with his parents. We… left out the bit about us fighting in the carriage after I almost bashed that reporter Tom Ink's face in. I think it was still a little too raw.

Luckily, Honeycrisp eventually decided she'd had enough. We went back to the kitchen, and Braeburn and I washed dishes pretty much non-stop while Honeycrisp made dinner: a spicy tortilla and rice dish with a bunch of vegetables. It was tasty, but not Braeburn tasty. By the time we'd finished eating, explaining more about the trip, and cleaning up again, the sun had gone down.

Since gem lamps were scarce, we got ready for bed. As we climbed those wooden stairs, they didn't seem so daunting anymore, not with Braeburn leading the way. The upstairs was just like I remembered it – small and cramped, perfect for one pony to live by herself but not enough to have many guests over. Once we'd brushed our teeth and were snuggling into the bed, Braeburn rolled over to me and said, "Gonna be a big day tomorrow, Soarin'. Auntie Crisp's retiring to the guest house tomorrow, and she's lettin' us use this one all day. I hope you don't mind, but I'll need most of the morning to prepare."

I smirked, "So does that mean I can sleep in?"

"To a point," Braeburn responded. He leaned over and kissed me, long and slow. When he pulled away, he said, "G'night, Big Blue."

"Night, Applebutt."

I slept well that night. I didn't dream. Who would need to? I had everything I would ever dream about right next to me. Besides, the pillow was still going to smell like him in the morning.

Before I knew it, there was a poke at my side, and then another. I whined in a raspy voice, "Whaaaaat?"

Braeburn's soft voice floated to my ears. "Time to get up, Soarin'."

"You said I could sleep in."

"It's almost noon."

I opened an eye and saw him shaking his head. I said, "Fine. You all done with… whatever it is you needed to do?"

He smiled. "Eeyup. Made it to the market early, and the laundry's out to dry. Now, eat your breakfast before it gets any colder. I'll be downstairs when you're done, but, uh… don't worry too much about cleanin' yourself up." He winked at me, and I felt my spine tingle.

The smell of warm, buttered oats with cinnamon finally registered in my brain. I rolled over and looked at the end table next to the bed. It was set with a little tray that had a bowl of oats, a sliced orange, some apple juice, coffee, and toast. There was even a little vase with a fresh daisy inside.

My jaw dropped. "Dude, how long have you been awake?"

"Heh. Oh, 'bout dawn or so."

I looked back at him. He looked fully awake. He didn't have his vest on, but his hat was squarely on his head, and he was smiling down at me. The fog was clearing, and I said, "Braeburn, this is super nice. Thank you."

He leaned in and kissed my cheek. "You're worth it. I'll see you downstairs." With light steps, he left.

I was stunned. I sat up and looked at the stained-wood door, but nothing changed. Slowly, I grabbed the tray and brought it onto the bed. I stared at it, finally reaching down and nibbling on the corner of my toast. It was buttery with just the right amount of jam. I set it down.

The room stayed frozen a moment longer, until a smile spread across my face, and my eyes watered just a little. In a soft voice, I said to myself, "He thinks I'm worth it."

Breakfast was delicious, of course, and it gave me time to finally look around the room. If you've ever been in an old farmhouse before, you know that musty, stale, woody smell that never leaves. The walls were covered in a yellowed wallpaper, and a few awards and certificates hung there, most for some charity function or other. Two rugs covered most of the floor, and a large wardrobe took up one corner, turned forty-five degrees so you could actually open it. The room felt cozy, and I wondered how Braeburn would decorate my condo.

Once I finished breakfast, I grabbed the tray, headed downstairs, and rounded the corner into the kitchen, where a little golden pony caught my eye. 

Braeburn was beautiful. It was like a vision or something. He was sitting at a small table, naked except for his hat, eyes on a newspaper and lifting a cup of coffee to his lips, blowing on it just slightly. His coat glowed in the sunlight that streamed through the window. He looked peaceful. Calm. At home.

He looked up as I set the tray on the counter. A warm smile spread across his face, and he set his paper and cup down. "Afternoon, Big Blue. You ready?"

My heart skipped a beat. "Uh, sure? Ready for what?"

He chuckled. "Pick a towel."

Braeburn was all ready to go. He had a big bag, and soon we were out the door. The air smelled like apples and freshly cut grass, and from the house's place on its little hill (which, according to Braeburn, kept it from flooding), we could see out over the orchard, hundreds of different trees waving in the warm breeze. Cicadas buzzed nearby, and as we stepped onto the dirt path that led away from the house, jagged rocks poked at our hooves, but not enough to slow us down.

Shortly after we'd left, a moth landed on the brim of Braeburn's hat. He let it stay there, eyeing it and smiling. I offered to swat it away, but he gave me a gentle look and said, "Aw, he ain't hurtin' anypony. You should just let him be." I don't know why that hit me so hard, but it did. I couldn't remember the last time a moth or butterfly had landed on me, and I wondered if they just knew who was the gentlest.

It was a warm day. Not hot, but we were sweating by the time we'd gotten a few hundred paces down the road. I offered to carry the bag, but Braeburn just said, "Well, I wouldn't be very much of a gentlepony if I didn't carry my date's stuff, now would I?" He beamed at that. He stood up straighter, too.

I could tell he liked it this way: traditional and safe. Still, I couldn't let him just have it. "Oh, so I’m your mare now?"

He cast a sly look my way. "Soarin', what would be the point of bein' gay if I liked mares?"

"Ha!" I flashed a cheesy grin and leaned in a little. "Admit it, Brae. You liiiiike me being your big, strong stallion." 

He smirked. "Or maybe I like makin' my 'big, strong stallion' into my little bitch."

I snorted a laugh, then bumped my shoulder into his. "Oh, c'mon. You take over one time and–"

"Three times, technically."

"Okay, fine, three–"

"And there was that night in Las Pegasus."

My voice caught in my throat. "Uh–"

"You remember, right?" he asked, grinning and looking at me with narrow eyes. His voice lowered. "That night where you were beggin' me for more? I seem to remember somepony liked havin' a black scarf over his eyes."

I felt myself shrink. My stupid brain kept flashing back to Las Pegasus: Braeburn blindfolding me, exploring all over my body, and making me feel more submissive than I'd ever felt before. I awkwardly crossed my legs.

Braeburn noticed. "Heh heh. Looks like you remember."

"Y… yeah," I sighed.

He rubbed up close to me. "Aw, don't feel bad about that, Soar. Hell, I like that role as much as you did. Nothin' like it." I chanced a look up at him. The sun shone in his eyes, and he stood proud and tall. Leaning in, he nuzzled me and said, "And I really don't mind you takin' me to town, if that's what you want. That's the way I like it most of the time. No shame either way, ya' hear?"

Heh. Getting a lesson in being comfortable with yourself from the guy I'd thought was totally closeted. Life's weird sometimes.

Braeburn saddled up closer to me as we stepped out of the orchard and onto a wider dirt road. "We'll have plenty of chances to explore it both ways." His voice got quieter. "Plenty of time, okay? You need to understand that."

I pulled my head back to look at him more directly. "What's wrong, Applebutt?"

He perked up again. "Oh, I'll tell you later. Right now, just enjoy the day, okay?"

"You sure?"

He stopped and smiled, then hugged me and softly said, "I'm sure. Today's all about us, okay?"

He was warm. "Yeah," I whispered back.

"Good," he said, pulling away and jerking his head towards a small lake at the end of the path. "Because I don't want you belly-achin' when you're eatin' my dust! Yah!" He reared up and took off sprinting down the road.

"Wait, what?" I blinked a few times, then realized what was going on. "Oh. Shit!"

Crouching down, I launched myself forward, wings flapping as hard as I could from a dead stop. He'd had a head start, but it only took a few seconds before I was speeding right by him. I winked at him as our eyes met, and a few moments later, I landed on a small, sandy piece of land that could generously be called a beach. There were only a few meters of sand, and the lake wasn't very big: maybe forty meters across. I imagined it was artificial, but at least it was clean, and a small, wooden dock led from the beach to the center. Even if the whole thing was pony-made, it felt secluded and pure, like that old swimming hole that grandparents always seem to talk about. Just standing there, breathing the fresh air and seeing all the nothingness around us… It felt safe.

I turned around to see that Braeburn had almost caught up. "Ha! C'mon, Brae." I gestured to myself. "I mean, Wonderbolt! C'mon!"

He galloped up to the beach, then tossed the bag and his hat onto the sand alongside him. "Don't be so cocky, mister. You haven't crossed the finish line yet."

I looked over my shoulder at the water. It might as well have been frozen over. "Oh, hell no."

"Yee-haw!" Braeburn shouted, dashing for the dock. He galloped all the way to the end, and with a quick tightening of those ridiculously powerful legs, he leapt, soaring through the air until he landed with a giant splash. He went completely under and didn't come back up.

I shook my head. "No bucking way," I said, staring at the water. I was already shivering, and I tried to think of how I'd get out of having to swim.

But Braeburn didn't come up for air.

I wasn't buying it. I rolled my eyes and shouted, "Nice try, Brae! Not gonna happen."

He didn't come up for air.

And he didn't come up for air.

And he didn't come up for air.

I fidgeted. Slowly, the desire not to get splashed was overwhelmed by fear. I'd seen it happen: pool parties where somepony got wasted, passed out into the pool, and nearly drowned. My heart raced, and my hooves felt like lead, and my whole body felt cold.

And Braeburn didn't come up for air.

I panicked and bolted over there. "Dammit!" I hovered at the end of the dock, scanning the perfectly calm water for any signs of yellow. My heart stopped, and I landed on the dock. "Braeburn? Braebur–"

"Gotcha!" Braeburn popped out from under the dock. His hooves wrapped around my body, and just like that, I was going down. I tumbled in, and the cold pierced right through me. I was completely disoriented, and some water went up my nose and into my sinuses.

The hooves around me let go, and I struggled to the surface, my lungs burning and my legs flailing. As my head broke the surface, I sucked in a big breath and shouted, "Fuck!!!" My wings flailed, but I was too bogged down to fly, and I thrashed about, trying to swim. "Fuck fuck fuck fuck FUCK!!!" Damn, it was cold. 

"Aaaahahaha!" Braeburn erupted from the water near the dock. "Soarin'… Eh heh… Soarin', just stand up!"

If there's one thing in the world that can calm me down, it's that voice, and even though my muscles still spasmed and every inch of me wanted to get out, I finally let myself sink a little. When my hooves hit the bottom, the water only came up to my chin. "Oh." I glared at Braeburn. "Not cool, dude."

Braeburn was still chuckling as he waded over to me. "Well, you weren't gonna get in on your own, were ya'?"

I scrunched my face up and tried really, really hard to look genuinely mad, even though I wasn't. "No. I can't fly like this, especially since it's so cold."

"Well, I think that just means…"

I cracked a smile. "You'll regret it…"

"…that you just need to get used to it!" He slapped the water, splashing me on the face.

"Hey!" I shouted, splashing him back. I flapped my wings at him and managed to send a wave of water into his open mouth, followed by another quick splash from my hoof.

Braeburn pushed another wave at me, and we laughed, splashing each other and getting closer and closer until we were together, close enough to go in for a kiss.

Of course, we both knew it was a trap. We immediately reared up and tried to wrestle each other under the water. We kept shifting our weight and trading momentum, each of us taking turns below the surface. Braeburn managed to dunk me a few extra times – freaking earth ponies, right? – but he didn't get away with a dry mane, either. But I didn't mind. When we touched, the water didn't feel so cold anymore.

We eventually ran out of breath and stood in the chin-high water, laughing some more. Braeburn's mane was stuck to his face, and I'm sure mine was no better. Our laughter subsided, and then, our eyes met. Water dripped from our faces, and we spent a few minutes just looking into each other's eyes. They were green. So green. Greener than the grass or anything else. I didn't really have any thoughts, just this feeling. It was a feeling like we were getting closer together without even moving, like we were sharing the same space and that the world didn't exist beyond the water's edge. The stillness was comforting and refreshing, but the desire to get closer built up inside us, growing and growing until we couldn't hold back and just had to leap on each other all over again.

We played around some more, and when we got tired, we floated on our backs in the crystal clear water, letting the sunlight warm our bellies and our faces while the water kept us from getting too comfortable. We took shallow breaths to stay buoyant, but it wasn't too hard to just lie there, enjoying each other's presence.

Our ears were barely above water, and my eyes were closed. The smell of flowers perfumed the air. A few insects buzzed past us, and when a bee landed on my stomach, I didn't swat him away. I just lay there, watching him take small steps across my skin. He looked at me with those weird insect eyes of his, and then he turned around, trusting me to be cool. Tiny waves lapped at my sides, and my tail twisted lazily in the water below. Soon, the bee left. Neither of us had gotten hurt. 

I could hear Braeburn breathing nearby, and I reached out a hoof to him. He wrapped his hoof in mine, and we lay there on our backs, feeling the warmth in the silence. 

At least, it was silent until I started snickering.

Braeburn asked in a flat voice, "What?"

"Eh, nothing."

I could hear his tail flick just below the surface. "That didn't sound like nothing. What is it?"

"Really, it's fine," I said through another little laugh.

"Heh. Don't make me take you under again," he teased.

I cracked an eye to look at him. "Just… sunshine. Down there."

"Ha!" He adjusted a little in the water, and it took him a second to start floating again. "Yeah… Feels nice, don't it?"

"Yeah…"

We sighed together and kept floating. My mane danced like seaweed below me. We floated on like that for a long, long time, still holding onto each other, never wanting to let go.

After I'd nearly dozed off, Braeburn said in a quiet voice. "I want you to be happy, Soarin'."

As much as I tried to resist, those words brought me back to the real world. Focusing on shallow breaths, I opened my eyes and turned toward Braeburn. He was looking right back at me. He had a kind of sad smile on his face, and his eyes drooped.

I held his hoof tightly. "I am happy, Braeburn."

It was true. I couldn't think of the last time I'd gone so long without having second thoughts, without questioning what was going on or what somepony was hiding from me. I hadn't been worried all day about work or the media or anything else. That might have been the best gift he gave me that day. No, wait. Second best.

Braeburn shook his head slightly, as much as he was able without going under. "Not just today," he said. "Always, as much as you can be. You're a good stallion, and you deserve to feel good. You're not some screw-up, and I… I just want you to know that."

His words resonated in my soul. They warmed me more than the sun ever could, and they felt complete, like nothing else could or needed to be said. I had to tell him something, though. I couldn't hold the words in. "I really, really, really want to kiss you right now, Braeburn."

He smiled, a real one this time, and in a soothing voice, barely audible above the wind and the tiny splashes against our bodies, he said, "I can do you one better."

My heart beat faster, and I smiled, too.

We swam back to the beach and shook off. Braeburn looked breathtaking and radiant, glistening in the sun. He was true to his word, and, keeping our bodies as close together as possible, we dug into the bag and laid a towel out on the sand. Braeburn had brought the lube, and he set it on one corner of the towel. He lay down on his back, legs in the air, waiting for me. I slowly lowered myself onto him, kissing him deeply and letting our bodies warm each other, our hearts beating together.

We made love on that beach. It was slow, and it was comfortable, and it was perfect. We breathed in time with each other, and we didn't care if the whole world saw us. The wind gently dried our coats, twisting all around us but never finding its way between us. We didn't speak, and we barely even moaned. Slow. Relaxed. Together. We crossed the threshold subtly, as comfortable and natural as waking up in your coltfriend's embrace.

We stayed together long after we were spent. After several minutes, I finally settled all my weight down onto him, and we dozed off.

We must have slept for over an hour, and I'm lucky I didn't get badly sunburned. We might have stayed asleep longer, but a stiff breeze made me shiver, and that woke both of us up. Braeburn cleared his throat and moaned. In a raspy voice, he said, "We should head back. Still lots to do today. Should probably shower first, too."

I squeezed him tightly. "Can we wash each other?"

"I wouldn't have it any other way."

We walked – I remember I didn't fly – back to Honeycrisp's, staying close together the whole time. I felt connected to him, like there was this tether between us that nothing could separate. I liked it.

Back at the farm, we went upstairs again and into the bathroom. While Braeburn was getting more towels, I snuck another smell of his mane. It smelled like sweat and sex and lake water, and it was almost a shame to wash it all out.

Luckily, Honeycrisp's house had plenty of hot water. The shower was tight and not really suited for two ponies, but once we'd drawn the curtain closed and the steam had started curling around our bodies, we didn't care. We wouldn't have wanted more space, anyway, and as we gently scrubbed each other, we found ourselves just pausing and enjoying the feeling, over and over again. And there was a lot of kissing, and we went through all the hot water by the time we were done. I promised I'd pay Honeycrisp back for that, too.

We dried off, and my muscles felt completely relaxed, like I was ready to fall over. 

After that, Braeburn led me downstairs. We walked into the kitchen, and he started pulling ingredients out of the cupboards. He'd gone shopping that morning while I'd slept in, so it didn't take him long to find everything.

I looked around. "So… what are we doing?"

Braeburn set a bag of flour on the table. "Well, I'm gonna make dinner. You," he said, pointing a hoof at me, "… are makin' dessert."

I threw my head back. "Ha! Okay. Buttered bread it is."

He looked down with a smile. "Soarin', I wanna give you a gift."

My head cocked to the side. "Cool! What is it?"

He smiled and pulled a small, gift-wrapped box out of the pantry and said, "Had to hide it where you wouldn't look." He gave it to me.

I opened it, and inside was a small, metal box. On top was a fancy, pink paper label that said "Recipes" in fancy hoofwriting. Braeburn's hoofwriting. I stared at it.

Braeburn came up beside me and said, "Look at the first one." 

I set the box on the table and opened it up. Squinting and reading carefully, I read it aloud. "Two-Apple Twirl?" It dawned on me, and I looked up. "Braeburn, that's…"

He nodded. "The pie I made for you before, yeah. It's my specialty, and I want you to know how to make it, for whenever you're feeling down."

I felt my eyes water just a little. "Thank you, Braeburn." I set the box down and hugged him.

"You're welcome, Big Blue."

I half-chuckled, half-sobbed into his neck. "You know I'm going to screw it up, right?"

He laughed and held me tighter. "That's why I'm here to help you. But you can do it. Honest. I know you can."

"Thanks, Applebutt."

"You're welcome. Let's get started."

I sighed and looked back at the table, but I caught the clock out of the corner of my eye. "Wait, it's only, like, three o'clock. I thought pies were pretty quick."

Braeburn winked at me. "Got a lot of confidence in yourself, don't you?"

Braeburn helped me get everything ready: he called out ingredients, and I'd find them on the table. He taught me all the basics, from what a tablespoon was – it's not just the spoon you put on the table, it turns out – to how to level off flour to how you should add wet ingredients into dry ones so you don't make a mess. When everything was measured out and set up and I had my space on the table, I turned to him and cheerfully said, "Okay, now what?"

He was starting to mix something on the counter. "Now you follow the recipe."

I tensed up. "Uh… what are you going to be doing?"

"Makin' the rest of dinner. It's a little complicated, so I won't be able to hold your hoof, but don't worry. You'll be okay."

I stared down at the recipe card and didn't move. 

"Just think of it like a Wonderbolts show."

I nodded. 'Okay,' I thought. 'Yeah. Just like a show, in front of the most important audience of your life. But you got this.' I smirked at myself. 'Who the best? You the best. Who the best? You the best. You're Soarin' Bucking Windsong. You got this.' I squinted down at the first line of the recipe card for a few seconds, but I couldn't read it.

Braeburn laughed. "Aw, my hoof-writin' ain't that bad, is it?"

I blinked a few times and tried harder. "Flour… flour the… Flour the work surface." I looked up at Braeburn. "What's that supposed to mean?"

He was cutting up some butter into chunks. He didn't need a measuring cup. "You gotta put flour on the table so the crust doesn't stick."

"Gotcha." I figured two cups would be enough, so I leveled it off like I was supposed to and forcefully dumped it onto the table.

Braeburn would later say that the cloud of flour puffed all the way up to the ceiling. I didn't notice, though, since I was too busy hacking and sneezing and wheezing and trying to spit the excess flour out of my mouth. In my panic, I jumped back into the air, flapping my wings to get away, but that just made the flour go everywhere else, too, including into my feathers. When I realized what I was doing, I dropped straight to the ground, but my hoof bumped the table, and the sugar spilled onto the floor.

When the white dust settled, I stood there, frowning. "…Dammit."

Braeburn was busting a gut behind me, enough that his legs buckled and he ended up on the floor. I just glared at the very well-floured surface. 

Braeburn got up, still snickering. "Heh heh. Aw, don't be sore. You haven't wrecked the show yet."

I sneered at the white table. "Yeah? How do you know?"

He came up beside me and kissed my powdered face. "Your audience is still here." 

And I felt better.

It went like that for a couple hours. I forgot to add a bunch of stuff the first time, and the second time, the dough ended up on the floor after it had wrapped around the rolling pin. I didn't slice the apples thin enough at first, but Braeburn showed me how. I mixed up the salt and the sugar at one point, but thankfully he tasted my work at every step. I kept screwing up, but after a couple hours of frustration and determination, I had it. The crust was kind of inconsistent and grey, and the apples weren't all the same size, and there was a little bit on the top that wasn't covered because I hadn't rolled the crust out enough, and I'd forgotten to preheat the oven so it took twice as long to bake as it should have, but I still smiled. I'd done it.

Using the hot-pad holders Braeburn had told me about, I took the pie out of the oven and set it on the windowsill, just like they always do in the books. Was it perfect? Hell no, but it smelled amazing. I licked my lips and just stared at if for a while, and a smile spread across my face as I said out loud, "Holy shit, I think it's edible!"

I'd been so wrapped up in my own work, I was taken aback when Braeburn appeared next to me. "Wow. That looks spectacular, Big Blue!" He wrapped a hoof around me and kissed my cheek. That was reward enough. I felt pride swell in my chest – I'd made Braeburn proud, and that was as good as any pie.

He let go and said, "Smells might tasty. Perfect timin', too. Dinner's about ready, and the pie should be cool by the time we're ready to eat it." Did I want to dig in and eat it right there? Maaaaaaybe, but I was willing to wait. "Now then, why don't you clean up and head out back?"

I looked at him. "What? Why?"

He smiled. "You'll see."

I did as I was told, and my nerves buzzed as I stepped outside and rounded the corner to the back. There, in the middle of the clearing between all the trees, Braeburn (or maybe Honeycrisp) had set up a wrought-iron table with a glass top, accompanied by two chairs. It had the whole treatment: white linens, red candles in heavy silver holders, and a bottle of chilled white wine with two glasses. It was all against this idyllic backdrop of the apple orchard with the sun hanging low in the sky. It was fancy and welcoming all at once, the kind of atmosphere that Canterlot's best restaurants wish they could have, and Braeburn had made it perfect.

I was stuck in place, wide-eyed and barely breathing. "Wow."

Braeburn came up behind me, carefully balancing a tray with our meals. "Best hurry, now. Wouldn't want it to get cold." Always practical, my Applebutt.

I slowly nodded and stepped over to the table. Braeburn served us each a large, rectangular plate. On it was a ramekin with creamy risotto with tomato sauce, a mixed green salad with homemade raspberry vinaigrette, and apple bruschetta with herb brie. The plate was perfectly clean and precise, like the kind you'd pay fifty bits for at a fancy restaurant. All I could do was sit down at the table and stare. "Braeburn… this looks freaking amazing!"

"Heh," he chuckled, sitting down and unfolding his napkin. "Well, I'm glad, but I care more about how it tastes. Let's dig in."

I sampled everything, and it was spectacular: creamy, cheesy, with a mix of textures and deep, brilliantly blended flavors. Rich, but not too heavy. Everything was perfect. I shook my head after a few bites and looked up with a smile. "Yeah, I'm still happy."

Braeburn smiled.

We ate slowly without saying much. I needed to savor it, the meal and the atmosphere. The sun was still an hour or so from setting, but this quiet hush had taken over the orchard, like we were in our own little paradise.

After a few more bites, Braeburn sat up suddenly. "Oh! Almost forgot the wine." He stood up, uncorked it, and slowly poured us each a glass, not spilling a drop. "Sorry it ain't anythin' fancy."

As he corked it again, I raised an eyebrow and smiled. "Applebutt, when have I ever complained about you not being fancy enough?"

He blushed as he stuck the wine bottle back into the chiller and sat back down. "Well, I'm not much of a wine expert. Don't get much out in Appleloosa 'cept for weddings and the like." He started rambling, and his eyes kept darting between the bottle and me. "Wouldn't really know the good stuff from the junk. Heh heh. Not that I think it's junk, really. The nice mare at the store said it was a good one for the price, and I didn't know if I should spend more for the really high-quality stuff, but she said that most ponies wouldn't even know the difference, and, uh, do you drink much wine?" 

I leaned onto the table and laughed. "Nah. Wine tasting's bullshit anyway."

His face went a little white. "So you don't like it?"

I narrowed my eyes. "Brae, I haven't even tried it yet." 

He blushed again. "Oh. Right."

My heart sank just a little, but I knew what to do. I lifted the glass to my nose and snorted loudly, pretending to inspect the smell. In my snootiest Canterlot accent, I said, "Mmmmmyes. An aromatic blend of heady flowers, with just a… a hint of citrus. Must be a Bourgeois Oaks 18-year. Quite good. Quite. Mmmmyes…."

Right as I looked back at Braeburn, he burst out laughing. He covered his face and tried to calm down, but it took him a while, and he wiped a tear away from his face. "Dammit, Soarin'." He looked back up, grinning. "Now I'm almost afraid to try it."

I shrugged, still holding the glass. "Meh. You should. Besides, I can't drink it until you toast, right?"

Braeburn nodded, then lifted his glass. "To you, and to me, and to us." He sighed and shook his head, just a little, a small smile still on his face. "To… an adventurous past, a wonderful present, and a bright future, whatever it may look like. To us."

"To us," I said.

We each extended our glasses. The rims met with a soft clink, and we drank. It was a good wine, and after we'd each tasted it, we exchanged reassuring nods.

We set our wine glasses down, and I marveled again at the meal that was still in front of me. "How do you do it, Brae?"

He wiped his mouth with a napkin. "Well, I learned from the best."

I thought about what that meant, and my shoulders slumped. 

Braeburn must have sensed my tension. He reached over and put a hoof on mine. "You did, too, Soarin'. From everything you've said about him, your daddy seems like one hell of a guy."

I set my napkin down on the table and shrugged. "I… don't know." I looked out to the trees that spread out from the clearing. "I feel like I never paid enough attention, you know?"

His hoof pet mine.

I sighed. "I mean, don't get me wrong, he taught me a lot of stuff when I was a colt, but I don't know how much of it really sank in. I'm not on the weather team, and he didn't, like, teach me to cook or fix stuff." I looked back to Braeburn. "He was always super encouraging, and I think he wanted me to do my own thing, you know? But, like… it feels like I missed out, like there was more I was supposed to learn."

Braeburn smiled. "Well, you learned how to raise a foal."

I raised an eyebrow and chuckled bitterly. "Heh. Yeah, right." I took another drink of my wine.

Braeburn put both his hooves in front of him on the table, then leaned in. "I'm serious, Big Blue. The way you kept playing with Scootaloo back in Ponyville? She loved it. Don't know if I've ever seen a filly so happy to just be with somepony."

I shrugged and looked down, defaulting to my Wonderbolt interview voice. "Well, what can I say? We do anything to please a fan."

"Soarin'…" The sadness in his voice made me look up, and he was giving me droopy eyes. "I mean it. From where I was standin', she wasn't just some fan that wanted to meet somepony famous. She likes you. You. She likes you a lot, and you made her happy just by bein' around her, and you inspired her to do somethin' great, greater than she's thought she could before. That's all there is to it, I think. The important stuff, anyway. The rest is just diapers and food."

I looked back down at my meal. I couldn't say anything. I felt my cheeks flush, but I couldn't tell what I was feeling.

Braeburn let out a long sigh, and I heard him pull back his forehooves. We sat there that for a long moment, just breathing. I looked up, and Braeburn was staring out into the orchard with a neutral expression on his face, like he was tapping into some deep insight that only earth ponies knew how to find. "Do you want foals someday, Soarin'?"

I laughed. "Heh. Hell no."

He slowly turned his head towards me. "Why not?"

I gestured to myself with a hoof. "Dude, can you imagine me being responsible for a foal? I work all the time, I spend all my nights partying, and I do so much stupid shit that it's a miracle I haven't been completely axed and thrown in jail yet."

His head rolled to one side. "Those seem like reasons not to have foals right now. I mean, would you like to have them, you know, someday?"

It was my turn to look out into the forest. The trees stood there, unmoving, like they weren't really alive at all. I could barely tell them apart, and I wondered if any of them were related.

I sighed. "Braeburn…" I looked back at him. "I don't wanna do that to some kid."

Braeburn stuck out his lower lip. "What do you mean?"

I crossed my forelegs in front of me on the table. "I mean, like, what if I'm no good?" My heart felt like it was dropping out of my chest, but even if I couldn't look Braeburn in the eye while I was talking, I could at least tell him what I was feeling. I owed him that much. "Yeah, you said you learned from your parents, but that could be a bad thing, too, right? I mean, what if… what if I didn't love them enough? What if one day I just couldn't take the pressure anymore, and I just… left. I wouldn't put it past me, and that kid would be all kinds of fucked up. I know he would. And it would be my fault." I lowered my head a little more and put my forehooves on my temples. "Like… how could I be good father when I don't know what the hell I'm doing most of the time?"

"Because you learned from the best." My ears perked up, and I sat up straight. Braeburn was staring at me, frowning and unblinking. He radiated that calm feeling, and I felt like I couldn't look away. "Your daddy didn't know what the hell he was doing, either, Soarin'. He didn't plan on gettin' a divorce or havin' to raise you on his own, but he still pulled through and raised the greatest son a parent could ask for, somepony who makes him proud every day." He leaned in and tapped the table. "Every. Damn. Day. And not just because of his accomplishments, extensive as they might be, but because he's got a good heart. That's what you learned from him, Soarin'. Trust me, I've seen it."

My eyes burned, and I heard a slight ringing in my ears. The pang of loneliness and grief came back to my chest, and I started breathing more irregularly. I looked back down at my hooves. They seemed so small.

"What's his name, Soarin'?"

I looked back up, and my ears swiveled forward. All I could manage was, "Hm?"

Braeburn nodded and gently asked again. "Your father. You've told me so much about him, Soarin', but you never told me his name. What is it?"

I looked up into the blue. The sky was clear and nearly cloudless, and a moment of serenity washed over me. I tried to remember the last time I'd said his name out loud, and I realized that it…

Well, it was during my eulogy for him.

…

…

Sorry. Sorry, I-I just…

…

…

I think…

I think that's why I always just called him "Dad." It was more personal, like he was still there with me. His real name is something formal, something grown-ups used to refer to him and his "early passing." It was something they used to treat him like an object, not a pony, but at the same time, it was something sacred, something that I almost never used. At the funeral, I'd choked up and sputtered his name during my eulogy, and for years, I'd felt guilty about it, like I hadn't really honored his memory the right way. His name became this piece of him, this thing that I always clung to that I wouldn't let go. Like, I'd never really said it during the funeral, so it didn't count, right? He was still just Dad, and that meant he hadn't left me, not really. I didn't have to let go of the past as long as I didn't admit he was really gone.

But here was Braeburn. He was my future. He was the one that I'd sacrificed so much for just for the chance to be with. I didn't want to hide anything from him. I wanted to be able to share, to open up, like we had at Sweet Apple Acres. I was afraid, though. Afraid of what I'd lose if I let go of the past. Afraid that I'd somehow lose my dad's love if I moved on. But if I didn't, what would I lose instead? How could I really leave the pony that was right in front of me, just because I couldn't move forward?

…

Sometimes… you don't feel like you even need to make a choice. Sometimes, you get this moment of clarity, and it feels like the choice is already made, and you understand that the time is right, and all you have to do is let it happen. My head was still tilted back, a few tears ran down my face, and I said in a clear, direct voice:

"Skywise. Skywise Windsong."

Through blurred vision, I looked back down to Braeburn, whose face looked warm and inviting. No judgement. No fear. Just concern and understanding and… Slowly, he stood up from his chair, came around the table, and hugged me. "He's very proud, Soarin'."

"Yeah," I managed to mumble. I dried my face on his shoulder.

"And you know what?"

I paused and took a shuddering breath. "What?"

He rubbed my withers and held me close. "I think you'd make a great father."

…

Thanks, Braeburn.

We finished dinner, and Braeburn brought out the pie. It wasn't quite right. The flavor was a little off, and since the crust wasn't even, there were some parts that were a little underdone. It was still good, though, and Braeburn told me it was his favorite pie ever. I called him out on that, but he corrected me: even if it wasn't the best pie he'd ever eaten, it was still his favorite. I smiled and almost cried again, and suddenly, I knew I'd be making it again.

We brought everything back inside. It wasn't a chore, though. I felt… liberated. And lost. And untethered. It was a good feeling, I think.

Braeburn gently eased me out of my weird headspace. "We'll be bad and leave the dishes for tomorrow. There's one more place I wanna take you tonight."

I'd had a hunch, but it wasn't any less romantic when he led me out of the house, down the path, and to a nearby hill out by the barn. It wasn't too far into the orchard – just enough that we could lie down under a tree and see the sunset over the over the hills in the distance. We'd gotten there just in time for it to start.

We lay down next to each other, our sides pressed against one another and resting our heads together. Our bellies were full, and he felt warm next to me. We were still. The trees were still. The world turned slowly, and for once, I was glad that it was quiet, just me and my Applebutt, enjoying the sunset.

You only get so many of those moments. It's hard to appreciate them when they're happening, but they're some of the most valuable things you'll ever have. Everything's perfect, and you don't want to move, and you're afraid that you're going to break the magic or wake up or something, but you don't. It's real. You know it's real, because you can feel it in every piece of you, body, mind, and soul, where you can feel everything – everything – from the way the earth beneath you is a little warmer than the air, to the sound that the wind makes as it dances over each individual leaf, to the heartbeat of the pony right next to you.

It's real. It's real, and it's wonderful, and it only gets better.

I looked over at him. He looked back at me. We were lost in each other's eyes, and I felt a swelling in my chest as he put his hoof on mine. "Soarin', I…" His voice caught in his throat.

I smiled. "Say it, Braeburn. Please say it."

He chuckled. "You say it, Big Blue. I know you're feelin' it, too."

I bumped my nose into him. "No. I want you to say it first."

He bumped back. "Well, I want to hear it first."

I don't think what happened next was pure chance. I wasn't going to back down, but there was only one way to get what I wanted. I grinned. "Together on three?"

All too quickly, he grinned back, and he said in a low voice, "You got it. One…"

I knew I had him. "Two…"

We each took a breath, never breaking eye contact…

And…

"I'm getting you season passes." "I want to buck a few apples tonight."

Our mouths dropped open, turning into smiles of shock, our eyes wide in disbelief.

Braeburn smiled. "You asshole!" He playfully shoved me.

And I playfully shoved him back. "Hey! You did it, too!"

He bumped me again. "Only 'cuz I knew you were gonna do it!"

"Yeah?"

He growled, "Yeah, ya' varmint!"

"Ha! Varmint? That some kind of hick word for sexiest pony alive?"

He smiled and sneered. "I wouldn't expect a city pony to know a varmint from their own ass."

"Yeah? C'mere, you!"

"Gah! Ha-ha!"

I tackled him, and we rolled around under that tree, giggling and swearing and hugging and calling each other names and laughing and yelling and laughing some more, our bodies intertwined as we half-wrestled, half-hugged each other until we completely lost it, me on top of him, sneaking quick kisses between fits of laughter. A tingling feeling spread through my whole body, and it took a long, long time for it to subside. When it did, though, I looked down and saw that Braeburn was looking right at me. Slowly, he raised his hoof and gently stroked my face. We kept eye contact, neither of us blinking, as the sun shone its dying golden light on the two of us.

It was time. I could feel it. I held my breath as Braeburn drew in one of his own and said,

"I love you, Soarin'."

The whole universe was right in front of me. Everything. The sun, the moon, and the stars, the ladybugs and crickets and ponies and plants, the seas and the mountains, the valleys and the orchards, everything that would ever exist was right in front of me, all contained in a yellow stallion with strong legs, a beautiful mane, and a voice that would save my life. He was my universe, and my universe was perfect. Every star was aligned, every blade of grass pointing exactly where it was supposed to. Everything was connected, and everything was whole. That's what it felt like to hear those words. And yet, for the infinite things I felt, there was only one way to express them, a single way to sum up everything inside me, everything I was, and it was so, so simple:

"I love you, too, Braeburn."

We kissed. It was short, it was sweet, and it said everything.

And then we kissed again, saying everything all over. We held each other and kissed deeply and felt the love flow through every fiber of our beings, one soul in two bodies, together again at last. Everything was right. We were beyond everything, beyond paradise, somewhere meant just for us, where no one else could go, and we spent eternity in that moment.

And after a lifetime had passed, when we finally came back to Equestria, Braeburn looked at me again. "Are you happy, Soarin'?"

I brought his hoof to my lips and kissed it. "Of course I am, Braeburn. Today has been the best day of my life."

"I'm glad, Big Blue. I wanted it to be… special for you." His tone was off. It was heavy. Mellow. Sad.

I cocked my head to the side. "What's wrong?"

Braeburn hugged me to him, bringing my head down to his chest. "Today had to be perfect for you, Soarin'. I want you to cherish it. I want you to know how I feel about you, how good you really are, and how much you mean to me. Promise me, Soarin'. Promise me you'll remember it forever."

I couldn't begin to comprehend what he was saying, but I still felt safe. "Of course I will, Braeburn, but… why?"





"Because it's time for me to go home."





My perfect universe ripped in half.

I sat bolt upright, fear racing through my body and across my face as I stared down at the pony I loved.

My eyes stung. I was that little colt, watching his mother slam the door and not understanding what I'd done wrong.

My legs shook. I was that young stallion closing the casket, full of rage and unable to change anything.

My heart stopped. I was that Wonderbolt captain, lost and alone with no team to support him.

I was scared. I was hurt. I was angry, depressed, confused, and desperate.

Because Braeburn wanted to leave me.

Braeburn couldn't look at me, and I could only barely hear what he was saying. 

"…about it for a long time. …" 

My blood turned to ice. 

"…and I talked to Big Mac, and…" 

My ears rang. 

"…don't even have a plan, and with all these reporters and your job and…" 

He was saying all these things that didn't make sense. 

"…long distance could work if we…" 

These… words that tore everything apart, and I… I had to…

…

…

…

Four words.

Four words is all it takes to change the course of somepony's life. One moment of weakness, of attachment and panic before you're ready, is all that it takes. Four words can bring you to the highest and lowest you'll ever feel, and when everything falls into place, you can't stop yourself from saying just four short words.

"Come live with me."

Braeburn snapped to attention. "Wh… What?"

"Come live with me, Braeburn. With me. In Cloudsdale. Together." I was talking at a million miles an hour. "It'll be okay! I-I can work for both of us, and they have magic, so you can walk around, and it'll be safe!" I didn't know what I was saying, but I couldn't stop saying it. Everything hurt, like it was being ripped apart, and all I could do was flail around, trying and failing to hold it together. "There's plenty of older pegasi that need help, and they never have any accidents, so it's p-perfectly safe! And we have grocery stores! Good ones! So you can cook and we can do lots of fun things all the t-t-time together and it'll be great!"

I was shouting and sobbing, and I buried my face in Braeburn's chest again, clinging to him and squeezing him more tightly than I ever had before. "You'll b-b-be happy there, Braeburn, I promise! I-I'll do everything for you! I'll be better. I'll do whatever it takes." 

I went on and on and on, promising Braeburn everything I could think of, but the tightness in my chest wouldn't go away. My heart pounded faster than at any Wonderbolts show, and I couldn't make myself let go of him.

"I love you, Braeburn," I sobbed. "I-I love you, more than anyp-pony in the world."

Braeburn wrapped his hooves around me. Quietly, he said, "I… I love you, too, Soarin'. More than you know."

I tried to stop crying, but the tears wouldn't stop. My voice was hoarse, and I whispered, "Then don't leave me, Braeburn. Please, Braeburn, please just… please don't leave me." I hid my face as much as I could. "Just please don't leave me."

Braeburn was quiet for a long time, and I kept shaking and sobbing into his chest.

The silence lasted for what seemed like hours, but when he finally spoke, he said, "Soarin', I'll… I'll do it."

I didn't believe it at first. 

My body felt like it weighed too much, but when I finally managed to sit up and look at his face… I saw it. The big eyes, the gentle smile, the way he started stroking my face. I understood. He was sincere. The feeling started coming back to my body, first to my hooves, then spreading all the way to my heart. The heaviness disappeared, and all at once, the world seemed bright again.

Braeburn blinked away a few tears of his own and said, "Didja hear me, Big Blue? I said I'd coAAAHHMMMFFF!!!"

I didn't intend to grab him around his middle, launch the two of us into the air, and kiss him so deeply that I could taste his throat. It just kinda… happened. We soared up above the treetops in a tight spiral, leaving the earth behind, and I felt like I could fly forever. It was only Braeburn's panicked flailing that finally convinced me to break our kiss and actually remember that earth ponies miiiiight not like being that high up. "Uh… sorry," I said, blushing.

We floated gently back to the ground, and as Braeburn caught his breath, I flared out my wings, practically bouncing in place and nuzzling him at every opportunity. "It's going to be great, Braeburn, I promise! It's nice and private, and there aren't any reporters, and there's tons of stuff to do." I wrapped a wing around him and pulled him in close. "And I'm gonna give you everything, Braeburn. You'll love it."

Braeburn chuckled and shook his head. He panted and still looked a little dazed, but he soon looked up at me with bright eyes. "Yeah, Big Blue. Yeah. I… I think I will." He blew some air out of his lips. "Heh. Now, can we please settle down before I have a heart attack?"

My heart felt like it was on fire, more full of life than it ever had been, and silently, I thought, 'Anything for you, Braeburn. I'll do anything.'

We settled down onto the grass. I reclined against the tree, and Braeburn lay across me. The sun had nearly disappeared, but when he saw me squinting at the light, Braeburn took off his hat and put it on my head. As thanks, I gently pulled his head towards me and softly nibbled on his ears, just the way he liked it. His cheeks glowed, and his chest rumbled with approval.

With a quick nuzzle to the top of his head, I whispered, "I love you, Braeburn."

And he whispered back, "I love you, too."

And we were happy.