I will make no excuses for the very very long absence. I will simply say that I do plan on finishing this story.
--==--
Braeburn hummed, wiping the sweat from his brow. He looked about him at the nearly-bare apple trees surrounding him. He smiled a bit, watching a young colt kicking at a tree, trying to coax the apples from their spot closer to the heavens. Braeburn trotted towards him, rubbing the small colt's head playfully. "Havin' fun, Bucky?"
"No, I shore ain't!" The little pony frumped, groaning with frustration. His short, frizzed mane was a bright blonde color, slightly browned with dust. His coat was a very bright white, or rather, it would be were it not for the dust turning it a light brown. His eyes were a very light shade of blue, and were squinted with concentration "Ya' see, I figger that everypony's name is usually what they're good at, right? Mah name's Bucky, so I'll probably get a cutie mark fer buckin' apples, right?"
Braeburn laughed, shaking his head a bit. "That's a good idea there, Bucky, but apple bucking ain't really somethin' that anypony as young as y'all can do. I didn't start 'til I was 'bout twelve." Braeburn smiled comfortingly at Bucky.
"Hey, Braeburn, when's my ma comin' back from Canterlot?" Bucky asked, looking up at Braeburn, his eyes large and sad.
"Umm... soon, Bucky, soon... Hey, why don't you try buckin' the apples again? Maybe you'll get it this time!"
"Yeah, I'll do it! I"ll get it!" The colt giggled, his large eyes glistening with excitement. He turned to face away from the apple tree, closing his eyes and rearing up on his front legs, slamming his stringy legs against the thick trunk, small bits of bark chipping off as his hard hooves connected with the dense wood. The apples swayed, threatening to fall from the branches. Bucky stared at the tree, his eyes beginning to wet themselves with tears when he saw that he did not succeed in his endeavor. Braeburn coughed gently, kicking his leg to the side and skillfully hitting the tree powerfully, yet silently. Apples began to rain down on the stallion and the small colt. Bucky gasped, wiping the tears from his eyes, astonished that he had accomplished his feat. He jumped up and down with glee, laughing happily.
"Oh boy! Where is it? What's my cutie mark look like? Is it an apple tree? An apple? " Bucky stared back at his flank, searching for the image that did not exist.
"Sorry, Buck, but ah keep tellin' ya, These things take a while. Ah didn't get mine 'til I was quite a bit older than y'all. 'Sides, ya don't wanna grow up too fast, you're still just an itty bitty thing." Braeburn frowned, placing his hoof comfortingly on Bucky's back.
"Ah know, ah know..." Bucky grumbled, shaking a bit in his frustration. "Ah just wish ah knew what was right fer me!"
Braeburn sighed quietly, looking to the clouds floating gently above. "Ah know how ya feel, bud..." He paused, turning his gaze to the baked earth, cracked from the lack of rain. "More than you know."
---===---
On the outskirts of Appleloosa, A pegasus pony was flying closer with each impending moment, the small town now appearing as only a tiny dot. She hummed a tune as the air whipped past her, her eyes watering. On her side was a large, brown bag made of enchanted cloth, cloth that would never show any sign of wear and would never grow heavier no matter what was placed inside. It was the bag given to all mailponies by Princess Celestia herself, and so carrying one is one of the greatest honors most ponies would ever have. The pegasus sighed happily, her blonde mane flowing behind her, the sun glistening off her light gray coat. Her eyes were looking straight ahead, or as straight ahead as she could make them.
"Mom, are we almost there?" A small voice peeped from the pegasus's back. The pegasus looked to her back, smiling at the smaller pegasus that clung to her. The smaller pegasus was a nearly exact copy of her mother, except for her cutie mark. Rather than the bubbles her mother bore, the filly had a pair of racing goggles. Her large eyes were squinted, the wind causing her eyes slight pain and discomfort. Normally she would be wearing her goggles, but she'd lent them to her friend Scootaloo.
"Everything's always about speed with you, isn't it, Little Doo?" The larger pegasus laughed gently, shaking her head. "We'll be there very soon, dear."
Little Doo rolled her eyes. "I'm going to be a Wonderbolt, Mom, I have to worry about speed."
The filly's mother laughed gently. "Not everything is about speed, Little Doo. Sometimes you just have to enjoy the view. Besides, this may be a business visit, but I'll be taking care of some personal things while I'm here."
"But I'll be so boooored!" Little Doo groaned.
"Deal with it." Her mother smiled at her. "Besides, one of my friends is watching a little boy your age, I'm sure you two will get along."
Little Doo rolled her eyes a bit. "All parents think that any two foals around the same age will always get along."
"Well..." Her mother shrugged as much as she coud while flying. "We're almost there." She looked at the fast approaching town. Other than the train tracks leading from Ponyville to Appleloosa, the town was the only sign of life for miles. The town was very distinguishable, its large, colorful buildings contrasting the yellow, thirsty ground dramatically. The pegasus circled the town a few times as if she were looking for something. She gently descended, landing in the apple orchard next to Braeburn and Bucky. "Hello Braeburn! I have a letter for you." She couldn't hide the enormous grin on her face. She unclasped her bag and reached into it, pulling out a small, brown envelope marked to Braeburn.
Braeburn took the envelope, ripping it open with his teeth and reading the enclosed letter. "Ah see, so... there's a storm brewin' in Ponyville?"
The older pegasus shrugged. "I don't really pay attention to the weather. I have to deliver the mail no matter what the weather is, so what's the point in knowing ahead?"
Braeburn laughed a bit. "Just as bubbly as always, ain't ya, Ditzy Doo?"
"I told you, just call me Ditzy." The older pegasus smiled at him. "And I'll bet you're wondering who this social creature is." Little Doo was still clasped to her mother's back, looking up at Braeburn suspiciously.
"Not at all. This has gotta be the Little Doo I've been hearin' so much about." Braeburn laughed. "It's alright, I promise not to hurt ya'... So long as you listen to yer ma."
"Braeburn!" Ditzy Doo scolded. "You can't say that to a child!"
"You look like Apple Bloom." Little Doo squinted at him.
"I should. She's mah cuz." Braeburn smiled. "Gosh, I ain't seen her since she was apple-sized."
Bucky looked up at the pegasi in awe. He had never seen a pegasus in his life. Appleloosa was founded by earth ponies, and the few pegasi that used to live in the small town had left when the drought began, the year before Bucky arrived.
"Little Doo, dear, why don't you go play with Bucky? I need to talk to Braeburn." Ditzy Doo smiled at the filly still sitting on her back.
"Okay." Little Doo hopped off of her mother, landing with a small cloud of dust. She shook her head, her mane flopping about her. "It's so dusty!"
"You'll get used to it." Bucky grinned. "Come on, let's go! I know this place with great climbin' trees!"
"Cool!" Little Doo hopped a bit. "I love climbing!"
Bucky ran ahead down the path that ran between the yellowing trees, kicking up a cloud of dust in his wake. Little Doo ran up to him, catching up easily with the help of her wings. The two skidded to a halt in front of the largest tree in the orchard. The tree was leafy, and had small, infant apples hanging from the branches, which hung low to the ground.
"Wooooooow!" Little Doo grinned. "This'll be a great climbing tree!"
"It shore is!" Bucky grinned, jumping up and wrapping his front hooves around a low branch, flailing his back legs around, trying to raise himself up on the branch. The branch snapped, bringing Bucky to the ground. Little Doo ran to his aid, picking up the now even more browned colt. A deep scratch ran down his flank, a small amount of blood trickling out. Bucky groaned, trying to stand on his leg, only to have it buckle under him.
"Are you okay?" Little Doo gasped, looking around for anypony to help them.
"Do ah look okay?" Bucky said through gritted teeth. He winced as she gently touched his flank, slapping her hoof away. "That hurts!"
"Sorry!" Little Doo took a step back. "It looks broken..."
Bucky groaned, slamming his front hoof into the crusted earth. His face was contorted in a mixture of pain and disappointment. "Shoot! How am I gonna get my buckin' cutie mark now?!"
"I know you're in pain, but that's no excuse for language like that..." Little Doo said gently.
"No! A cutie mark for apple buckin'! It's what I have to be good at!" Bucky grunted, forcing himself up on three hooves, his back left hoof hanging on the ground uselessly.
Little Doo quickly got under him, letting him fall onto her back. "We have to get you to a doctor."
"The only one in town who knows a lick 'bout doctorin' in town is Chief Thunderhooves." Bucky said, the pain evident in his voice. "And he's all the way back in town."
"Well, I don't want to brag, but I can get there in 30 seconds flat." Little Doo smiled.
"Impossible! It's too far!" Bucky said.
"I won't let you stay in pain any longer than you need to be, Bucky, ol' buddy! Now hang on!" Little Doo grinned, happy to take any opportunity to show off.
"Well, I ain't really your ol' buddy, ah mean, we jus' met like, twenty minutes ago." Bucky said.
"Well.... still!" Little Doo laughed a little, lifting off the ground, adjusting her wing flapping to adjust to the weight of another pony. She shifted her weight forward a bit to avoid dropping Bucky. She took off like a blast from Pinkie's party cannon, racing towards the town, careful not to jostle the colt too much. She skidded to a stop, landing in the center of town.
"Well? Which place is it, Buck?" Little Doo asked. "By the way, twenty-eight seconds."
Bucky's mouth hung wide open, staring at her in stunned silence. "I-I... that one..." Bucky slowly pointed towards a building modelled after a teepee.
Little Doo smiled brightly, trotting happily towards the building, knocking her head on the door a few times, afraid to lift her legs and knock Bucky off. The door opened, a large, intimidating buffalo staring down at Little Doo and Bucky. Little Doo gasped, slowly backing away from the beast.
"Bucky?" The buffalo asked, his deep voice calm and soothing. "What happened?"
"I think I broke my leg, Chief..." Bucky winced, suddenly reminded of the pain he was feeling.
"I see. Bring him in, please, miss." The Chief stepped inside, leaving the door open for Little Doo. She stepped in, still nervous about the lumbering creature.
"You didn't tell me he was a... whatever he is." Little Doo whispered to Bucky.
"He's a buffalo, and I didn't think it mattered none." Bucky whispered back.
"Please set him down on the floor, I need to treat the scratch and wrap his leg." Chief Thunderhooves said, producing a bottle of alcohol and a sort of greenish cloth that seemed to be covered in some sort of gel.
Little Doo obeyed, carefully setting down the injured colt.
"You may leave, if you'd like, this will be fairly boring." Chief Thunderhooves began applying the alcohol to Bucky's leg, Bucky drawing back in pain.
"No. I'm staying." Little Doo said, sitting right in front of Bucky and taking his front hoof in hers. "Just squeeze if it hurts."
Bucky nodded, wincing as the alcohol was poured onto his leg. "This will hurt." Chief Thunderhooves warned, grasping Bucky's leg at the top and bottom, wrenching it from the strange angle it was at and putting it back how it belonged. Bucky screamed in pain, squeezing Little Doo's hoof hard as a few tears dripped down his face.
Little Doo winced, trying not to let Bucky see how much his squeeze had hurt her. She wiped the tears from his face with her free hoof.
"The worst of it is done. I'm sorry I had to do that, but we don't want it healing wrong." Chief Thunderhooves bowed his head in apology, then got to work wrapping Bucky's leg.
Bucky hesitantly let go of Little Doo's hoof. "Why are ya bein' so nice to me?" He asked. "We barely know each other."
"Because, you're my friend." Little Doo smiled. "Besides, your dad and my mom seem to be more than friends, if you know what I mean."
"My... dad?" Bucky looked at the ground.
"Yeah. You know, Braeburn." Little Doo nodded at him.
"He's not... My dad is... He..." Bucky frowned, turning his face from Little Doo.
Chief Thunderhooves leaned towards Little Doo. "His father passed on." He whispered to her.
"He... oh... I... Oh, gosh, I..." Little Doo frowned, not knowing what to say. "I'm sorry, I just..." A tear slipped down Little Doo's cheek.
"It's okay, y'all didn't know." Bucky put on his best fake smile he could. "I'm fine, really."
"I'm sorry... So, then Braeburn is...?" Little Doo asked
"He's just takin' care of me while my ma is off in Canterlot guardin' the princess." Bucky said.
"It is finished." Chief Thunderhooves said. "You should be able to walk on it, just no running. You'll want to go tell Braeburn what happened, he went to the mess hall."
"Mess hall? Like at camp?" Little Doo cocked her head to the side.
"Well, we ain't big enough fer a full-sized restaurant, but we need someplace to eat." Bucky shrugged, standing shakily on his injured leg. "Thanks, Chief."
Chief Thunderhooves smiled, nodding to him. "I will expect you back in two weeks, the medicine on that wrap should make your leg healed by then."
Bucky nodded, starting his way to the door, Little Doo close behind. Bucky hung his head a little as he walked towards some of the larger buildings in town.
"How did... what happened to your dad?" Little Doo asked, her curiosity getting the better of her.
"He was a conductor on the train when it crashed last year." Bucky said sadly. "And then mom had to leave, so now it's just me and Braeburn."
"Sorry..." Little Doo said quietly.
"No, it's fine. It gets real old pretendin' it didn't happen. 'Sides, Braeburn's as good as any dad. Speakin' of him, why'd you say him and yer mom were more than friends?" Bucky asked, turning his head back to look at her.
"Mare's intuition." Little Doo smiled, walking up so she was next to Bucky. "I can tell."
"So, yer dad is...?" Bucky asked cautiously.
"Up in the clouds, probably. Mom said he was 'just a fling...' whatever that means. I don't think I was supposed to hear it." Little Doo shrugged.
"And... Ah hope ya don't mind me askin', but what's up with yer eyes?" Bucky inquired curiously.
"My mother says it runs in the family." Little Doo nodded knowingly.
"Ah see..." Bucky nodded back at her, and for a while, they walked down the dusty road in silence. Bucky turned right and stopped in front of the door to a large, blue building. "Would ya mind? I'm not used to havin' three hooves."
"Oh, sure thing." Little Doo opened up the door for him.
"Thanks, Little Doo." Bucky smiled at her, walking in, limping a little.
"Call me Doo." Little Doo grinned right back at him, following him inside. She looked around the small tables, spotting her mother sitting at a table, her hoof placed on top of Braeburn's, with something different about it catching her eye. On her hoof was placed a large, golden ring.
--==--
Thirty minutes earlier...
--==--
Ditzy Doo nuzzled Braeburn's cheek, grinning widely. The wind rustled the leaves of the apple trees. "I've missed you." She whispered into his ear, moving one of her eyes up to face him, her other eye looking down at the ground.
Braeburn smiled back at her, kissing her snout. "Ah know, but we're both so busy."
"We both have children to take care of." Ditzy Doo smiled. "When will his mother be returning, anyways?"
Braeburn's face fell. "She... she isn't..."
"What do you mean?" Ditzy Doo slowly asked.
"His mother... she was killed protecting the princess..." Braeburn looked to the ground. "Ah just... ah haven't had the heart to tell 'im..."
"Oh, Celestia... how did it happen?" Ditzy fell back on her flank, her face flushed.
"An assassin... a pegasus... he brought a bomb made of that zebra boom powder..." Braeburn sighed. "Ah'm his legal father now... He's had such a hard life, ah just... I didn't wanna make it worse."
"You can't keep lying to him, though..." Ditzy Doo put her hoof on his shoulder. "One day he'll find out..."
"It's jus' that... the boy needs a mother... and so... well... never mind." Braeburn sighed.
What is it, dear?" Ditzy Doo prodded him gently.
"Ah was just..." Braeburn gave out a heavy sigh. "Ah suppose it's now or never... Ah know this isn't how you probably pictured it, but..." Braeburn reached into the pocket of his vest, pulling out a large ring. "Would you marry me?"
Ditzy Doo gasped, reeling back on her hind legs. "M-marry you?!"
"Yes." Braeburn's voice was tense, and his face was contorted in a kind of preparation.
"Oh, Braeburn, of course I will!" Ditzy Doo wrapped her hooves around him, her eyes beginning to tear up. "How long have you had this planned?"
"About a month..." Braeburn fell on his flank with relief. "I'd been waiting for the next time you came..."
"You're so cute!" Ditzy Doo grinned, smooching his cheek. "I can't wait to tell Little Doo!"
"Tell me what?" Little Doo asked, walking up to the table.
Ditzy Doo blushed a little. "How long have you been there?"
"How long should I have been?" Little Doo inquired.
"Little Doo... Braeburn has just asked me to marry him..." Ditzy Doo said slowly, unsure how she'd react.
"Really?!" Little Doo's eyes began to sparkle. "I'm going to have a dad?!"
"If yeh'll take me." Braeburn smiled at her.
"Of course!" Little Doo ran over and wrapped her hooves around him.
Bucky limped over to where the three were. "What 'bout me, Braeburn?"
Braeburn looked down at Bucky's leg, gasping. "What happened, Bucky?"
"I broke it climbin' a tree, but what will happen to me?" Bucky said quickly.
"Well... You'd be with me still. In fact..." Braeburn sighed. "Bucky, I need to speak with you."
"Okay..." Bucky hung his head a little. He trotted over to an empty table with Braeburn close behind. Bucky sat on the floor in front of the table, laying his head on the table. "You're leavin' me." He said sadly.
"Bucky, yer mother... she... Ah'm sorry Buck, but she died..." Braeburn looked to the floor, trying to keep the tears from falling to the ground.
"Ah know..." Bucky said sadly, his voice shaking a little. "Ah've known fer a while now... Ah can just... Ah can feel it..." He lifted his eyes, his head still resting on the dark brown table. "An' now with you gettin' married, Ah'll be alone..." Bucky kicked at the floor, his mind flashing back to when his mother was still with him and... alive. Being a part of the princess's royal guard meant that although she was still living with him in Aripona, she was called away so often that it seemed as though Bucky was on his own. He had to learn to fend for himself, since his father was at that time already in Appleloosa conducting the train. But whenever she would return, it would be as though Hearth's Warming Eve had come early. But now... Now he would never feel that happiness again, and he felt as though a black hole opened itself up in his heart, sucking in all emotions and feelings that he had, leaving nothing but a shell. And though he had felt in his gut that his mother would never return, nothing compared to the emptiness he felt when he heard it said. It was as if somepony had ripped out his heart and threw it on the ground. He closed his eyes tight, a few solitary tears dripping down his face, washing off some of the dirt to reveal the creamy white coat of the colt. He tried to hold in his tears, only succeeding in causing himself to cough uncontrollably.
"Buck... yer mother knew this might happen, so... she made it so that if it did, Ah would become yer father. Buck... Ah'm yer dad now." Braeburn reached his head across the table, kissing the top of his head. "An' I couldn't ask fer a better son."
"D-do ya' mean that?" Bucky sniffed, looking up at the stallion, his eyes filled with tears.
"Ah do." Braeburn smiled at him, reaching a hoof across the table and placing it on Bucky's shoulder lovingly.
Bucky jumped up from the floor as fast as his broken limb would allow and ran around the table to Braeburn, wrapping his hooves around the stallion. "Really?" He asked, tears freely flowing from his eyes.
"Of course." Braeburn held him tight, wiping a few tears from Bucky's eyes. "An' now yer gonna have a mother an' a sister too."
"Ah will?" Bucky smiled a bit in spite of himself.
"Yes." Braeburn smiled slightly, turning Bucky to face Ditzy and Little Doo.
The mare and the filly simultaneously smiled at the colt. Bucky walked over to the two, limping heavily.
Ditzy Doo gasped a bit. "What happened to your leg, Bucky?"
"He fell out of a tree... well, more that the tree broke and then he did." Little Doo informed her.
"The climbin' tree I showed ya?" Braeburn asked Bucky.
Bucky nodded slowly. "Sorry fer breakin' it..."
Braeburn frowned deeply. "Oh, no, this drought is worse that I thought... If the biggest tree in the orchard is so weak, the harvest will be ruined..."
"Drought?" Ditzy Doo frowned. "I thought the pegasus ponies were supposed to keep the ground hydrated enough to grow crops."
"They are." Braeburn sighed. "From what Ah've heard, they're refusin' to even talk to anypony that's not a pegasus, and even some of them ain't allowed. If this goes on, we'll starve..."
"Maybe I should talk to them." Ditzy Doo rubbed her chin with her hoof.
"No, Ah don't think you should. Apparently all pegasuses that get sent up there have to stay or leave forever." Braeburn trotted to her side. "When was the last time y'all were up there?"
"Oh, my, it must've been what... two years now? Why?" Ditzy Doo asked.
"Apparently somepony made themselves king up there recently. There've been talks of war." Braeburn lowered his voice so only she could hear. "If that happens... Nowhere in Equestria'll be safe."
"Dear Celestia..." Ditzy Doo gasped loudly.
The door to the mess hall slammed open, a darkish brown pegasus stomping in, snorting loudly, his messy blonde mane falling over his eyes.
"Dumb-bell!" Ditzy Doo bit her lip, drawing her face away from the door.
"Ditzy! So this is where you ran off to!" Dumb-bell angrily trotted over to her, grabbing her mane in his hoof and yanking her from her sitting position. She let out a scream of pain. "What the hell are you doing in this Earth town?"
Braeburn delivered a hard kick to Dumb-bell's side, the cracking of ribs echoing throughout the hall. "Get off of her!" He screamed at the top of his lungs.
Dumb-bell spit blood from his mouth, standing up as if nothing had hit him. "Who the hell are you?"
"Ah'm her fiancee." Braeburn growled, placing a hoof gently on the bloody spot on Ditzy Doo's head where a small patch of mane had been ripped out. "And y'all just got yourself into a world of trouble."
"This country hick is marrying you? Your standards must have dropped to zero after me." Dumb-bell sneered, walking back to the table, his access to Ditzy blocked by Braeburn.
"What does he mean, hon?" Braeburn asked, not taking his eyes off of the pegasus.
"Mom?" Little Doo asked quietly.
"Mom?" Dumb-bell looked over to the small filly. "So this is the little bastard child, is it?"
"Don't call her that!" Bucky grunted, stepping in front of Little Doo.
"And who is this useless little runt?" Dumb-bell reached out a hoof, smacking Bucky to the ground.
"Hey!" Braeburn fumed, his muscles tensing as he smashed his back hooves into Dumb-bell, his years of apple bucking causing his kicks to be powerful enough to crush bone without much effort. His hooves connected with Dumb-bell's front left leg, a deafening crunch resounding as the bone was pulverized, bits sticking out of the skin, stained red with blood.
Dumb-bell paid no attention to his shattered leg, simply staring at Little Doo. "Do you know who I am, little bastard?"
Little Doo slowly shook her head. "Don't do this!" Ditzy Doo cried out, her voice hoarse from her pain.
"I am your father, the pony that your mother tried to hide from you all these years. She was quite a slut in flight school. I barely had to get her drunk at all before she was all over me." Dumb-bell smirked.
"You're lying!" Little Doo shouted. "You're just a bully!"
"That's what they used to call me." Dumb-bell laughed darkly. "Now they call me Captain."
"How are you still standing?" Braeburn growled angrily.
"The king has given me magic that you earth ponies and unicorns could only dream of." Dumb-bell smiled his evil smile.
"Why did you come here?!" Ditzy Doo screamed at him, hatred seething from her voice.
"I came to take my blood. I want to teach the little bastard the pegasus way. And she can't do that when she's surrounded by scum." Dumb-bell chuckled a bit at his own insult.
"Over my dead body." Braeburn stepped in front of Little Doo.
"Mine... too..." Bucky coughed, a spot of blood appearing on his creamy white coat as he stepped in front of Braeburn.
"Bucky..." Little Doo gasped.
"This here's mah sister, and that means Ah gotta protect her." Bucky's legs trembled as he stood.
"An' this is mah daughter, an' Ah'll be damned if Ah'm lettin' you take her away from the pony I love." Braeburn growled, stepping in front of Bucky, almost face to face with Dumb-bell.
Dumb-bell grunted, falling to the ground, his shattered leg no longer supporting his weight. He coughed up blood as his cracked ribs began to affect his breathing. He limped towards the hall's exit, grunting with the effort. He kicked the door open with his good front leg, knocking it off of its hinge. He stomped outside, unfurling his wings, lifting a little. Every beat of his wings obviously caused him great pain. He took off slowly towards the sky, looking behind him. "You've made a huge mistake! This was the last bit of mercy the king was willing to offer! Remember the name of the king, as he will soon be yours as well! Remember the name of Discord!"
--==--
End of Chapter