I have been given full permission to use the artwork in this chapter, the piece was made by Ende26 on Deviantart!
This chapter is meant to be the set up for the next part of the story, hence why it is as short as it is. But you get fluff and something special at the end... no not clop... so enjoy :)
Disclaimer: I do not own My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic. It belongs to The Hub, Hasbro, Studio B, and Lauren Faust. I do not own any of these characters in any way or how, nor do I claim ownership to the pony franchise. These characters are simply my toys.
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"You're so warm..."
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Winding Roads
Chapter 6: Clickity Clack
Soarin could easily feel the increased weight on his body as a certain yellow earth pony leaned against him when they finally ceased their continuing walking. He could feel each and every spasm surging through Braeburn's body as his legs trembled with pain, fresh out of their casts. A gentle panting and wheezing breath tickling the fur on his ears caused his hoof to reach up and gently pet down his lover's mane, assuring they could rest in just a few minutes. His lips brushed against Braeburn's cheek quickly, so to the many passerby's it might have just looked like he was whispering into the earth pony's ear.
Braeburn, fresh out of the hospital looked at Soarin, his eyes were watery with pain, but his lips held a small smile. Soarin smirked at him warmly, giving his mane one last ruffle as he set down the large bag of Braeburn's belongings. He began stepping up to the pony behind the glass, leaving Braeburn a few feet behind him leaning on his large bag. He looked at the stallion, noticing right off the bat he was an earth pony.
Soarin resisted a grumble. He began to hope this whole thing would go over smoothly. He took several steps up to the window "Two tickets in a private cart, for me and my friend here." He said warmly, pointing with his head to the earth pony behind him. He waited several moments for a response.
"Ya.... ya know the Private Carts only 'ave one bed?" The earth pony questioned, cocking up a brow.
Soarin narrowed his eyes at the earth pony behind the window, suddenly wishing he could punch a hole in it. Ever since he snapped back in Appleloosa, he felt ready to attack anypony hurtful toward Braeburn in an instant. "I'm well aware." He hissed.
The earth pony gave a disgusted look for a brief moment. Soarin became glad Braeburn was likely hunched over on his bag. Soarin lifted a large bag of bits from seemingly nowhere and all but smashed down a hoofful of bits. When he was handed the two tickets, he snatched them in one quick swipe, glaring at the earth pony. "Keep the change." He grumbled out before turning around, turning back to his goofy self as he snagged Braeburn by the neck and ruffled his mane once more.
Braeburn was life some kind of drug to him... he was never angry when close to him. At least not if it was for stupid and simple things like this. The earth pony looked to be in pain as Soarin took up the large bag, letting the earth pony lean on him as they slowly walked through the crowds of ponies flocking in and out of trains. "I got us a private cart." Soarin whispered into Braeburn's ear.
"Finally alone, huh?" Braeburn asked, smiling happily, a feeling of joy spread out Soarin's body as the smile directed itself at him. If he were alone and in the cart with Braeburn right now, he would cuddle the crap out of him.
Soarin glanced at the ticket in his hooves and then to the numbers above each cart, he counted off each number as they walked along the wooden planks underneath their hooves. When they reached their destined cart, Soarin spread his wings and flew up to the door, throwing it open and tossing in the bag of Braeburn's belongings before landing in the cart. He reached out his hoof and snagged Braeburn's own, bringing him up inside the cart before closing the door once more.
The earth pony groaned gently in pain as his back legs hit the carpeted floor. His hoof began to rub one of his legs as his rump planted itself on the ground. Soarin tore his eyes away, not wanting to feel the pain in his chest from looking at his lover any longer. He quickly glanced at the pink carpet, along with the maroon couch next to one of the large windows. His eyes drifted to the bed, it held the same maroon color on it's blanket and pillows.
Soarin put a smile on his face as he spread his wings and flew over the few feet to Braeburn, gliding around him in circles "In three days, we'll be in Trottingham!" He said "Oh it'll be great, trust me, you really need a vacation, and you can't imagine just how sick we party!"
Braeburn glanced up at the floating pegasus, his eyes betrayed no emotion for once as his hooves gently ran down his hind legs. "You got everything from the hospital, right?" He asked "Paid for everything?" He ignored the pegasi's statement about his squad entirely, as if he didn't want to think about it. Soarin didn't dare push.
Soarin shook his head with a slight chuckle before landing on Braeburn's side, snagging him around the neck and ruffling his mane with his free hoof. "You worry too much for somepony who cost me that many bits!" He growled playfully.
"Too many bits?" Braeburn inquired.
"Go get hurt and cost me a thousand more, then we'll talk." Soarin mumbled, a smirk on his face before he suddenly scooped up Braeburn in his arms and glided into the air. The earth pony suddenly jumped in mid air, yet didn't budge from Soarin's upper legs.
"S-Soar, ah can walk myself!" Braeburn spat out, his cheeks lighting up a bright red as his tail whipped around, snapping on Soarin's hind legs.
Soarin chuckled "I know." He whispered, his wings beginning to flap as he glided over to the bed, letting himself fall as he slammed down Braeburn's body, gently, onto the mattress, hearing a gasp from the earth pony. Soarin took a full five seconds to assure he hadn't hurt the earth pony before he mashed his lips against the other, unable to stand it any longer. Braeburn struggled at first, mostly from surprise, but he slowly calmed down and let Soarin's lips move against his before letting the pegasi's tongue slide into his mouth and play with his. Soarin backed his head away, sitting on Braeburn's chest as a string of saliva connected the two, Braeburn having a look of joy plastered on his face. The pegasus smirked "Celestia's sun, you have no idea how long I've wanted to do that these past few weeks." He said.
Braeburn blinked several times. "Why the buck did ya pull away?" He whined, his back legs shifting in discomfort and impatience.
Soarin let out a laugh as his wings shot out and he brought them down to glide across Braeburn's cutie mark on either side. He leaned his head down, a hoof gently stroking Braeburn's chest, feeling his body both tense and loosen. He slowly reached into the vest, pulling it off of Braeburn's body in likely the most tempting way for the earth pony. "You're just asking for it now, buddy." He teased before sinking his teeth into Braeburn's neck, pure passion filling him as he heard the musical moans escape his lover's throat.
He didn't realize until that moment just how much he truly missed Braeburn.
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As the train slowed to a halt, Soarin felt his head slam into the wooden wall of the train cart. He jumped in pain, forcing his and Braeburn's lips to part. He blinked several times, reaching a hoof behind his head to feel the lump. "Ow." He mumbled begrudgingly. He slowly removed his other hoof from Braeburn's plot, looking dead straight at Braeburn's blushing cheeks. The earth pony was silent for several moments as he shifted on Soarin's body before turning his head to the window.
That was one way to kill the moment...
Soarin was silent for several moments. His eyes shot open as a scent entered his nose. That damn scent that he would hate at the moment if his lover didn't smell like them so bucking much.
Apples.
Braeburn got off of Soarin's body and glanced his head out the window and stared into the town of Appleloosa. He didn't say a word, or betray emotion. Soarin quickly got up next to him, the open window blowing in scents from the town that were all too familiar to the earth pony next to him.
"Ah'm really never comin' back." Braeburn mumbled suddenly, the silence being broken lifted an enormous weight off of the pegasi's shoulders. He simply nodded before lifting a hoof and rubbing Braeburn's back. The earth pony let out a sigh as he glanced up. He pointed out a hoof "Ah think ah see The Salt Block," He mumbled "That's where I first met you!" He said.
"I was there." Soarin joked, however Braeburn didn't respond and drew a hoof to the large apple orchard.
"And... And there... Ah worked my hind off every day just ta make a few bits, and ya could do my entire day's work in five minutes!" He cried out. Soarin realized Braeburn's eyes were watering...
"Brae..." Soarin began.
"A-And there..." Braeburn mumbled, pointing to the street "Ah used ta walk home... e-every day, and just wish everypony would stop looking at me funny... and ya saved me... me from all those colts... and I finally convinced myself I loved you more than anything, and I never wanted you to leave again..." His chest trembled lightly.
Braeburn slowly lowered his body and wiped his eyes. "Ah love this town." He whimpered "No matter how much ah hate the ponies... it's still my home... she was always kind to me, she let me have so many happy memories with ya." He sniffled loudly. "D-Damn... tears..." He hissed out, wiping his eyes yet again.
Soarin let out a sigh. He got down next to Soarin and took one of Braeburn's hooves into his own. "Brae... do you really think it's the town that you have all of those memories?" He asked.
Braeburn sniffled lightly. Soarin thrust his lovers hoof against his own chest, and watched Braeburn stare at it for quite a long time. "All of those memories... their just that. Memories. It isn't the town that you love." Soarin mumbled. "Hay, if you really want to think like that, think about all the names those ponies who called you names, or hurt you for no reason. Think about how helpless you felt when they hurt you, how much you wanted to fight back but couldn't... the town was the one who did that, the people in it are the town. Appleloosa is nothing but a bunch of hateful, homophobic, ignorant buckers."
Soarin tugged on the hoof over his chest once more. "All those happy memories aren't from the town, their from here." He whispered. "All the happy time you had with me are right here, you can't just lie to me and say you think you were the only one falling in love back then. I fell in love with you right in this town." He spit out "But I still hate this town to the core!"
Braeburn was silent for several moments, sniffling lightly. He felt the gentle thumping of Soarin's heart against his hoof. "This town hates your guts." Soarin mumbled. "But I love you, all the happy memories were with me, not Appleloosa."
The earth pony blinked several time, his tears slowly evaporating. "Soar..." He whispered. His emerald eyes blinked several times. "Yer... yer right." He confessed. "Ah... ah'm worried for nothin'... ain't ah?" He asked.
"I wouldn't say nothing." Soarin mumbled, leaning in and kissing one of Braeburn's watery cheeks. "It is scary to leave your comfort zone for the first time... but I'll be with you the entire way..." He suddenly smiled, getting up on all fours and pulling Braeburn forward with one of his hooves.
"Don't even look at the town, it's behind you now." Soarin mumbled, dragging his lips across Braeburn's cheek and down to his muzzle. "Now let me take all those bad thoughts away..."
And with that, he brought his lips to the earth pony's.
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"Please give me a valid reason why ya have all of this..." Braeburn answered, his voice but a whimper. He could hear the gentle chuckling of Soarin as a hoof slid down his chest. "D-Do you just take this stuff wherever you go, that's really creepy Soar!" He cried out, cheeks blushing wildly.
"Oh shut it, you know you look adorable." Soarin mumbled, stroking a hoof across the objects encasing the earth pony's upper legs.
"Ah look stupid!" Braeburn cried out. His cheeks blushed deeper. Soarin merely chuckled.
"I think that you like it." Soarin mumbled. Luna's moon pouring into the window gave him a clear look at his lover's face as the clicking sounds of the train rolled throughout the land. Braeburn looked both nervous and embarrassed that Soarin had made him put on something so... so...
"Ah hate you so much right now." Braeburn hissed, trying to back away before an upper leg snagged around his back, forcing him against Soarin's chest, a tongue slowly drew itself up Braeburn's ear, sending trembling shivers through out his entire body.
Braeburn looked away, cheeks still wildly blushing. "C'mon, live a little." Soarin teased.
Neither of them noticed the crack in the doorway at the back of the cart.
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"Uh... AJ?" Big Macintosh asked as he stood in the doorway of his home, his cheeks pink. He became grateful for his red coat all of a sudden the longer he stared.
The red stallion was attempting to ignore the small body of Applebloom weaving between his legs, Celestia's sun just spreading over Sweet Apple Acres, lighting up each and every apple tree. He stared at the issue of Equestria Daily in his hooves. Big Macintosh was one of the few stallions who subscribed to this paper, it usually held news about the food supply in certain parts of Equestria, so therefore he and Applejack could determine which towns to ship hoards of apples to.
However... the certain image on the front was that caught his eye in the first place.
"What is it, let me see!" Applebloom cried out, jumping in an attempt to see the image Big Macintosh was so intrigued by.
"Just a minute Big Mac, Granny needs to get her breakfast!" Applejack called from the kitchen. He could hear several grumbles and such from his grandmother, none of which made sense to him.
"Ya really need to see this!" Big Macintosh called. He stared at the picture for quite a long time, as if trying to determine just how real it was.
"Ah said jus' a gosh darn minut', ya'll act like the orchards burnin' down!" Applejack called, her silver tongue snapping at her brother. Normally Big Macintosh would wait and just reply with an "Eeyup." However today, the picture staring him straight in the face was making him uneasy in all the wrong ways. His eyes couldn't be cruel enough to deceive him, could they?
The red stallion quickly turned tail and trotted into the kitchen, his cheeks pink under his red coat. He made sure that Granny Smith couldn't see the paper, he had no idea how she would react, growing up in a different time. Hay, he wasn't even sure how he himself felt about the image he was seeing at the moment. All he knew was that it was going to spread all over Equestria like fresh and steamy apple pie.
"Heaven's to Betsy," Applejack snapped at her older brother. "Can't ya wait just a few minutes, what could be so important?" She half-yelled at her brother. Applejack wasn't the best morning mare, that was for sure...
"Ya need to see this."
"C'mon Big Mac, ah ain't a baby, ah can handle it!" Applebloom called, whining silently.
Applejack stared into her brothers eyes, her annoyed expression stayed on her face as she grabbed an apple and took a bite, grabbing the paper from his hooves. "Alright, let me see what's got ya so gosh darn ruffled up, but ah can't see what's so import..." She paused.
Applejack blew chunks of apples out of her mouth all over the floor as her brain finally registered what she was looking at. She began to cough and wheeze the bits of apple stuck in her throat.
"B-B-Braeburn?" She cried out. "What in the name of Celestia..." She looked at the picture closely. "And... what is he wearin'?"
Right there, on the very front page of the paper, under the title.Wonderbolt Soarin's new lover revealed? Did she see her cousin...
"Oh Luna." She mumbled.
(For those of you who want to see the Picture...)