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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"Out with the old in with the new.”
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Falling Debris
Chapter 1: Crumbling Skies
The blue pegasus felt stared straight ahead once his eyes focused on what was the only object in the room that wasn’t pure white. It wasn't the snow colored walls or the dreadfully dull white floors, but the red trail of the heart monitor that danced rapidly across it's own screen. The room was quiet when he whinnied. His eyes followed the trail of red when it traveled it’s path along the black screen only to smash up against the other end. He could feel himself flinch when that horrible beep of a tone hit his ears. He almost wished he could turn away from the screen. However; the breathtaking pain in his left side shut the thought away quickly. Another flinch overtook his body when the noise whipped his ears.
The pegasus brought his hooves to his lips and felt his teeth sinking gently into his cyan fur. He shifted on the stiff bed as much as he could bare without letting out another weak, pathetic moan that he was prone to these days. He gazed at the window; however the rain splashing against the glass only made his heart sink. A nostalgic memory of rain splashing down on his wings played in his mind. He felt a desire deep in his chest to feel the rain hit his body once more. If he could manage to without pain; he would have reached out his hoof towards the window.
Alas; even moving his hoof sent a sharp pain through his leg and reminded him all to clearly of the needle running through his vein. He tried not to think of the metal inside of him, for it only made his belly ache. The tape covering the needle made him feel a little better, for at least it distracted from the strange lump under his skin that injected a fluid steadily into his veins. He wished more than anything he could lose his leash.
The pegasus breathed in and held his breath when the beep made him flinch once more. The sound drummed in his ear like a hammer. Eventually he simply laid down and covered both ears with his hooves, not exactly in a rough or forceful manner, just something to try to relax himself.
“Mister Soarin…?”
The voice made a rather unmanly noise escape Soarin’s throat. The pegasus breathed in life once more as if he just resurfaced from drowning or had awoken from a horrid nightmare. He instinctively trying to sit up only for his own body to fight against him and snap him back down to the bed. A sharp hiss escaped his throat and he laid back down quickly. With great effort he managed to see a dark coated stallion trotting towards him.
“Oh, hey nurse,” Soarin said and tried to sprawl his body the best he could. He wish he hadn’t been curled up trembling at nothing, he’d probably get a few questions about his psychological state again. The pegasus once again attempted to sit up, though this time he paced himself and learned to work around the pain instead of charging into it like a wall.
“Hello there!” The large steed said with a toothy smile. He brought a cart with him filled with gauze and chemicals that Soarin didn’t know by name. The pegasus only that they hurt like hell. “I came to change your bandages again.”
The pegasus felt awkward when the other’s hooves helped him adjust to sit in the right spot. The nurse's hoof stroked over the fabric that contained his wing. The bandage covered every inch of his wing and even wrapped around his body for good measure. All and all Soarin felt like a big mummy. He wrapped a leg around himself in half a hug and sighed. The nurse began to unravel his bandages.
“So Doc, how’s it look?” Soarin chuckled dryly. He decided he wasn't in the mood to sugar coat things today and soon dropped the chuckle flat on its face.
“Hmm… not for me to say honestly,” The stallion laughed when he finished unraveling the bandages. Soarin felt them fall from his body and leave him exposed. “I just know about changing bandages and fixing little things up and giving shots and what not. I don’t have much of a professional opinion on how long a wing takes to heal in any condition, much less one that was in such bad shape when we brought it in. It certainly looks better than the mess it was the day you came here."
“I guess.” Soarin put a hoof to his forehead and leaned on it. “Sorry for asking, nurse.”
The nurse didn’t say much more after that and simply began applying a new set of gauze to his wing. He began to get a sinking feeling in his gut as it was trapped once more, tightly constricted as he began wrapping it around the front of his body. What scared him more wasn't that he was being contained again, but that he was glad nopony would see.
“Well good news,” The brown unicorn said when he began to trot around the bed to look the pegasus in the eye. He was holding a clipboard before him with his brown tinted magic, his hooves still working on the gauze. “You’re set to be released from here in three days. The doctors decided if you came regularly for the next month, you should be able to at least sleep in your own bed for a while.”
“Heh, who knows how far away that is.” Soarin joked as he avoided the other’s golden eyes. "No travel, huh? I can't just visit the Cloudsdale hospital?"
“I'm afraid not. Traveling with your stomach as weak as it is and your wound still in the condition it is might make it worse. I apologize, I forgot you were a long way fro-” The nurse’s smile faltered and he trailed off. His eyes wandered behind Soarin to the doorway. “Can I help you… miss?”
Soarin felt himself instantly turn to glance behind him. His eyes caught sight of a fiery orange mane with burning yellow fur attached to it. He felt a pain in his side as he turned back quickly, hissing once more.
“Dammit Spitfire, do you have to be so god damn quiet when you come in like that?” He grumbled under his breath and felt the final knot of the nurse’s bandages tighten. He coughed into his hoof. “Hell, thought you were another one of the vultures.”
“I wouldn’t talk about your fans like that…well okay maybe some of them,” She spoke with a stretch of her legs before fluttering in with a brief flap of her wings. “Sorry to interrupt your little operation doc,” She said to the nurse in front of Soarin.
“I was just finishing up actually.” the stallion nodded to Spitfire as he gave Soarin a gently pat on the final knot he tied. He began to move away from the pegasus and to the open hallway. “He’s all yours, visiting hours end at five.”
“Rodger,” Spitfire spoke when the other passed her, giving him a nod before she trotted over to Soarin. “How ya doin’ big guy?”
Soarin didn’t bother trying to smile anymore, instead he just sighed. His sides ached once more and felt a flinch force itself onto his body. He glanced out the closed window, watching a bird land in the middle of a tree, trying to escape the rushing raindrops above. “Fine.”
The mare gave him a strange look when he answered, but didn’t seem to press further. There was a awkward silence between the two where Spitfire dragged her hoof along the ground uncomfortably. Several times she would open her mouth only to close it moments later.
“Oh, reminds me!” Spitfire spoke loudly and fumbled around with the pair of goggles around her neck before pulling them off past her massive mane.
“I didn’t say anything,” Soarin’s lips fought his efforts at a smile with how awkwardly the mare managed to pick up the conversation.
“Shut the buck up,” Spitfire sung the harsh words at him before reaching out her hoof and pressing the goggles into Soarin’s hoof. “I have a present~”
“Wait... These really mine?” Soarin eyed Spitfire suspiciously when he ran his hoof gently over the glass. “I mean, I know you said you knew a guy who could fix em, but they were crushed like hell.”
The yellow mare shrugged as she landed gently on the floor, her hooves giving a quiet click. “You looked like you were gonna cry when you found out your fat ass crushed them in the accident. I thought you’d be a little more happy.”
“I am, I am,” Soarin reassured the mare as he raised his hoof on his good side. “Just kinda hard to…Y’know.” The pegasus looked down at his hooves as he fumbled with the goggles. “Thanks Spitty, nice to know everything wasn’t ruined.”
“C’mon, I know you haven’t eaten anything today.” Spitfire cocked her head to the door. “Gotta force feed you this junk every day till you get out.”
Soarin started to groan; however, Spitfire held up her hoof in front of his mouth, shaking her head before walking closer, letting his rest on her weight before she pulled him to the ground.
“You doing okay? Don’t need me to get a wheelchair or anything do ya?”
“My ribs are fine now, it’s the damn wing that’s buggin me,” Soarin grumbled as he moved his right leg and felt the bandages restrict his movements. He was glad he was past the days of being wheeled around, walking was at least a sign he had regained some of his strength.
“That’s a hell of a lot of stitches though,” Spitfire snickered as she looked at the pegasi’s back, hoof carefully stroking the area just below the bandages. “How many did they staple you with?”
“Lost count,” Soarin grumbled as he shrugged Spitfire off his shoulder with a grunt. “Too damn many…hate to see that crap in me when I look in the mirror.”
Spitfire nodded, seeming unsure herself as he looked to the bandaged wing. “Scars are sexy though, I’ll say that. Gives you a nice war story. Think all those stitches will show through your fur?”
“Only the girls like scars Spitty.” Soarin rolled his eyes at the mare as they began trotting into the hallway. There weren’t too many ponies in this section of the hospital, aside from doctors and nurses with a few patients tagging along with them. “Men usually just want to show you their own.” Soarin ran his hoof through his mane before he felt the goggles down around his neck. “And yeah, pretty sure I’ll be a rugged war hero.”
“Look, the doc said you can be flying in a few months. Rapidfire’s a hell of a flier but he sure as Celestia isn’t anything like you,” Spitfire spoke as she stepped forward to look him in the eye. “Nopony is gonna replace you on the front line for good…I know you told Rapidfire to stop visiting you. And I know you did it because he could barely stay awake with learning all the routines you used to do and visiting you. He can’t juggle all those tasks like you used to, a lot is up to him and it stresses him out more than it ever did to you.”
Soarin’s eyes traveled down to his hooves as he trotted along. The mumbling of doctors and their conversations about operations and medical procedures began to make his stomach turn.
“They used to try to visit every day,” Soarin’s voice came up when he looked away from Spitfire. “I mean, a lot of my fans. There were a lot of gifts and flowers and crap like that…I threw them all away and thought most of them were annoying even without seeing them,” He halted in the hallway, giving Spitfire a glance, unable to look in her eyes.
“They got bored of me pretty fast… I kind of miss being annoyed every hour because some mare wanted to visit me.” He let out a nervous laugh when he grabbed his mane to pull on it gently. Spitfire stared at him, unsure of what to say
“They want me to have physical therapy,” Soarin grumbled under his breath as he bit into the inside of his cheek. “That’s supposed to hurt like hell. I mean, I know how to bucking fly, I don’t need...”
“Soarin.” Spitfire’s words fell on deaf ears as Soarin looked to the rain outside from a passing window. He looked to the sky from the window once more. “We should go get you some food. I’m sure you didn’t eat today.”
Soarin paused for a long time before looking to Spitfire again, his mind deep in thought. Before he realized his voice would crack he already began to speak, “S-Spitty… do you think ponies are gonna forget about me?”
“I’m sure that you…” Spitfire began, but her words grew quiet when she looked the other in his eyes. The bags under them seemed more present than ever. She looked down a passing hallway briefly, lips forming a frown. “I don’t know Soarin.”
The two walked in silence for a few minutes, Soarin swallowing hard as his wing began to cry out when he took a misstep. He could tell Spitfire was watching him more than usual as he closed his eyes, afraid of the ponies in the hallway around them seeing him like this.
“Does it look bad?” Soarin asked suddenly, his voice barely above a whisper. “I mean I kind of don’t want to look at it. I tried but my eyes blur up and... d-does it look like it’s heal soon?” He forced the words out. “I know you saw some of it last time you were here… you barged in when all the bandages were gone.”
Spitfire paused with words on her lips that she wanted to speak as they stopped in the hallway, nearing the food court, eyes yearning to enter it and avoid this point of the conversation.
“Where it isn’t bandaged it’s a little pink, there’s a ton of stitches, that’s gotta sting,” She mumbled on as she shook her head. “It…yeah I’m not gonna kid you it looks bad.”
“When do you think I can fly. I-I don’t want some stupid Doctor’s opinion, I want…” He couldn’t finish. He could feel his body trembling as he closed his eyes. “Lie to me, dammit.”
Spitfire was silent for a long time, Soarin struggling to stay quiet as well despite knowing his breath was beginning to speed up the more he forced himself to stay calm.
“You’ll be flying within the week.” She started, pressing her hoof gently against the center of his chest.
Soarin closed his eyes, taking a deep breath before letting it out as slowly as possible. He looked into Spitfire’s burning orange eyes, forcing a smile that ached the moment he put it on his face. Just for a moment, he wanted to believe a peaceful lie.
“Okay…let’s go get something to eat…”
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It was sudden when the yellow stallion felt his chin hit his chest as he felt himself dozing off. The mood of the room around him was rather quiet and calm before it happened, much like a dream. But all too suddenly the stallion felt himself jump, his hoof instinctively clutching itself to his chest over his brown leather vest. He felt his hat fall from atop his head at the sudden jerking motion as his eyes blurred the room around him.
There was a moment where the earth pony felt disorientated, the white walls with little color seeming foreign to him as he glanced around, seeing a hallway through the glass in the doorway. Ponies in labcoats were walking past, along with sickly looking characters. It wasn’t until the stallion’s eyes wandered to the bed in front of him did he see the pale yellow stallion with his locks of a bright red mane. His lower leg held a thick cast that was elevated with the help of a support rope tied to the ceiling.
“Ya wake yet, Braeburn.” The other’s voice was rough as he spoke. Though his eyes held a warmth as he looked up and down the other, one hoof running down his hospital gown.
“A-Ah’m sorry, Daddy,” Braeburn looked down to the tiled floor before pressing both hooves to his eyes, groaning quietly as he shook his head, trying to suppress a yawn to prevent the pink on his cheeks from growing in size. “H-How long was Ah out?”
“I’d say ‘bout ten minutes or so. Ah didn’t think it was worth wakin’ ya up ta watch me complain’ ‘bout my medicine.” Magnum Gala responded, his older features softening as he reached out his hoof to gently tap the yellow pony on his cheek. “C’mon, stop blushin’ over nothin’.”
“Hush up,” Braeburn spoke softly as he pushed his father’s hoof away with a laugh in his tone, trying his best not to redden his cheeks further as the older began chuckling. He scooped up his hat that fell from atop his head as he put it back in it’s rightful place, looking the other in the eye. He could briefly recall a nurse coming in, finding his own eyes closing as he was ignored from the conversation between the two.
“Yes, Ah took my medicine,” His father’s voice spoke up, causing Braeburn to open his eyes wide as he glanced to the other.
“W-What?” Braeburn questioned with a tilt of his head. He sat up on the small couch he rested on, trying to look as attentive as possible.
“My medicine, ya always bug me ‘bout it if ya don’t see me take it,” Magmus smiled at Braeburn, giving him a short nod. “Look, Ah know yer tired from workin all day, if ya stay till five the train ain’t gonna get ya home till it’s dark.”
“No, No Ah’m fine!” Braeburn insisted, his belly turning as he thought about falling asleep at a time like this. “Ah just… tired.”
“Am I that boring?” Magmus laughed at him. There was a long silence between the two as Braeburn fidgeted nervously. He began rolling his hooves over each other, glancing to his father who waited patiently for him.
“Applejack and Granny were sad ya didn’t make it. Ta the reunion Ah mean.” Braeburn finally spoke up, watching his father’s eyes light up at the mention of family. “Ah mean, so was Mac and AB and all the other’s, but AJ was a little sad everypony couldn’t make it like last year. But Ah got ta see everypony Ah needed ta see.”
“Ya didn’t sleep well last night.” The stallion stated, not really allowing the words to be a question. “Look, Ah know ya came home early and ya’ve barely slept well since. A real man knows how ta balance out his feelin’s so he can focus on more important things than his stupid old man. Ah still worry that ya ain’t takin good enough care of yerself.”
“But I…” Braeburn’s words trailed off as he let out a brief sigh. He twisted the skin on his leg briefly as he bit the inside of his cheek, glancing away from his father. He didn’t have much to say, but he stood up and put his hooves on his fathers. “I… I worry about you too… I’m fine.”
There was a grumble from under Magnum’s breath as he shook his head. Braeburn felt himself frown as he stared at the older stallion, who dropped the conversation the way he filled the room with silence that began to get under Braeburn’s skin.
“Is yer hip hurtin’ Daddy?” Braeburn asked as he tapped his hoof softly on the hard blue cast encasing the stallions leg from his hip to the bottom, the end of his hoof sticking out. “Ah know ya been drowsy as heck since the surgery, still dopin’ ya up on all those meds?”
“Not too much today.” The older snorted as he looked to the other, raising a hoof to his mouth and away from the doorway. “Stuff makes me want ta drill my head in it makes me so dizzy, Ah ain’t tellin’ them somethin’ hurts less it’s worse than the meds.”
The yellow stallion frowned at that, which must have made the other sense the disappointment and worry in the air, for he lifted both his hooves and shook them in front of Braeburn as if to say he were joking.
“Ah paid off Doctor Browncoat today.” Braeburn spoke up as he took off his hat as pulled on either end with his hooves, resting the upper half of his body on his father’s bed. “He let some of it slide since Ah helped him a lot when we were all settlin’ inta town. Good thing too, we’re running short on bits with the hospital fees an all. He’s a real nice guy, dontcha think?”
“That idiot’s the one who tried to make a poor helpless old man like me lift twice as much as Ah could handle by myself.” Magnum snorted a laugh when he spoke, shaking his head with a dumb smile on his face. “Ah should charge his ass.”
“Yeah, he said he shoulda expected ya ta be a weaklin compared ta my work.” Braeburn couldn’t help but laugh as he relayed the message with a smirk on his face. “But Daddy, ya gotta be nice ta people who treat ya well.”
Braeburn watched his father began to laugh too, however he clutched his hip with a pained look on his face. He closed his eyes firmly as he grabbed the cast. “Bad laugh, bad laugh.” He groaned under his breath, Braeburn chuckling as he watched him only to feel his ear be pulled by the other for a brief moment.
“When yer in pain and hurt Ah’m gonna laugh at ya.” His father threatened, Braeburn still giggling as he pushed the other off of him. He watched his father’s smile fade slightly over the next few moments as he continued to rub at his cast. “Damn thing split right off, gonna hurt like hell ta start walkin’ again with this new plate in here.”
“Ah’m sure ya can do it Daddy,” Braeburn spoke confidently as he smiled at the other. “We only gotta pay off yer bills fer this place then we can focus on ya gettin’ better… Ah worked overtime today and got ten more bits, if Ah do it again tomorrow Ah…”
The stallion felt himself trailing off as the other looked to him, a stern look growing behind his warm eyes the longer Braeburn spoke, the yellow stallion’s mouth hanging open for the moment before he shook his head, closing it and clearing his throat. “Ah mean well Ah’ll… It’s my fault yer in here an Ah...”
“What’d Ah just tell ya?” The stern voice spoke, from the tone it had it didn’t really expect an answer. “Ya need sleep and rest, Ah don’t want all of this on ya.”
Braeburn felt smaller than before as he frowned, biting his tongue as he looked to his father. “Ah know… Ah know.” He began pulling gently on a lock of his long golden mane as he let out a deep sigh from within. “Ya ain’t gotta ramble on an on, we gotta do this together, Ah know. Ya need ta take care of yerself.”
Magnum may have began to sense a hint of mild irritation in his son’s tone when he spoke, however if he did, he didn’t show so, simply put his hoof onto the other’s head and rubbed it gently, a blush rising from his cheeks once again. Braeburn put both hooves over his stomach as he frowned, feeling small once more.
“Y-Yeah, Ah uh...” The older spoke as he scratched his cheek with his hoof. He let a whinny past his lips as he shook his head before looking at his son. “Did ya eat anythin’ today at least? Ya got here real early.”
“Course Ah di-” But Braeburn’s words trailed off, the question catching him a bit off guard with how obvious the answer his father wanted him to have was. However he shook his head. “No.”
“We can talk when ya do,” The pale yellow stallion spoke to him as he lifted his hoof from off of the other’s golden mane. “Ya gotta take care of yerself.” He looked into Braeburn’s emerald green eyes briefly before smiling gently, smirking briefly.
“D-Daddy Ah…” Braeburn tried to speak up, pausing briefly as he bit his lip, staring at his hooves before he shut his eyes like two curtains. “Ah’m sorry… that it’s my fault ya got hurt… Ah just wanna make sure Ah ain’t slackin’ off in helpin ya get well.”
Magnum opened his mouth briefly as if he were about to speak, Braeburn rising as he did so as he began to walk to the door, pausing briefly to look at his father. The older looked at his blankets as he gripped them, falling back against the pillow with a sigh as he raised his hoof and waved it at the door.
“Go, we can talk later.”
Braeburn nodded his head, staring at his father’s leg briefly before turning and heading out the door.
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“Rapidfire’s doing a lot better than he was last month.” Spitfire spoke, resting her hoof on her chin as she stared at Soarin with a slightly bored expression. The cafeteria was a little busy, as it was closing in on dinnertime, many ponies snagging seats, some alone in their hospital gowns, some with family. Soarin sat at the table, a rough scratchy cushion under his rear as he tried to eat using only his right hoof, as using his left too much caused his wing to send a ripple of pain through his spine.
“He was pretty shaken up about it when he visited me the first few times,” Soarin mumbled as he put a spoonful of carrot and corn in his mouth, chewing quickly to ignore the dull flavorless food. “He was all cryin’ like a baby since that… dumb magazine talked about him sabotaging me for my spot.”
“Oh really?” Spitfire inquired as she ran her hoof around the rim of her glass filled with water. “Rapidfire’s way too soft to do that to you, he likes being in the middle, we both know that.”
“Yeah yeah, I know how much he loves to stare at my ass or whatever,” Soarin waved his hoof with a shrug as he swallowed his mushy food whole. “I believed him, he was just really annoying about it. Idiot saved my life and then cries because he gave me a boo-boo.”
“Well he’s not exactly any better than you ever were,” Spitfire added as she nodded to Soarin, holding her glass in both hooves before sipping at it carefully. “He knows the moves but he just looks so stiff in the sky having to lead everypony.”
“I can’t fly like him either, he’s a lot better at scary head dives than I am,” Soarin chuckled as he thought of his friend. “Crazy ass is gonna get himself killed.”
Spitfire snorted her laugh at Soarin’s choice of words as she leaned into the table. She took a big sip of her drink before setting it back on the cheap looking table. She began stretching one of her legs as Soarin took the moment to look around him, not many stallions giving the two a second glance.
“Normally it’s harder to have a private conversation when you visit.” Soarin mumbled under his breath as he rested his face against his hoof. “Maybe my crappy fame is rubbing off all over you.”
“Doubt it,” Spitfire spoke cockily as she puffed out her chest in a joking show of her confidence. “‘Sides, anypony whose anypony that gives a lick about us is probably waitin’ for the stadium to open.”
“Stadium?” Soarin questioned as he glanced to the yellow mare with a puzzled expression on his face. “Wait, today isn’t the…?”
“That’s right, tonight’s our last show before the tours over. We get a nice long month break before we start looking for new cadets,” Spitfire laughed when she spoke, a sense of excitement in her town only dampered by the frown on Soarin’s face. “After that though, the summer tour’s up and runnin’.”
“You’re out visiting some cripple like me when the other guys are all nervous about tonight?” The blue pegasus questioned, his tone a mixture of annoyance and concern as he lifted his face from his hoof. He began leaning into the table, making sure to favor his right side, to look the other in the eye. “You nuts? You’re always the one riding my ass about being on time and making sure to make everypony not feel so nervous.”
“Excuse me for visiting a friend,” Spitfire grumbled as she looked away from Soarin, annoyance creeping into her tone. She let a whinny past her lips before she leaned against the table. “Little harsh, don’t ya think?”
“Look, I’m not the one who can actually be with the team!” Soarin snapped at her. He was well aware that the ponies who hadn’t given him a second glance a moment prior were now all staring at his outburst. He grinded his teeth together as he grumbled under his breath, feeling the muscles in his right leg tighten as he hit it against the pillow he was sitting on. “This is what ponies are gonna think of us for the next three months until the summer tour… we shouldn’t be so sloppy.”
“H-Hey, Soar, look I’m sorry,” Spitfire lifted both her hooves defensively, looking around with an awkward laugh in her voice as she looked to the ponies already growing bored with staring at the two. “It’s not till midnight if that makes you feel better.”
“No, it doesn’t,” the pegasus grumbled. “You should be with them… you can be with them… I just…”
Soarin gripped his right leg with his left, ignoring the pain in his wing as he stared firmly at the table. He shook his head as he grumbled incoherent nonsense under his breath. He pushed his food away from him before looking to Spitfire.
“I’m just… gonna go back to my room.” Soarin whispered just loud enough for Spitfire to hear, his eyes stinging as he held back the urge to sniffle, his anger melting quickly into a pool of emotions. He stood up quickly, causing ponies to look at him again. He watched Spitfire lift her hoof, as if to stop him from storming off. He closed his eyes, turning away before he could listen to her protests.
The pegasus knew she wasn’t going to follow him, not when he was like this. His eyes stung as he made a beeline for the exit, feeling his emotions toss between frustration and embarrassment at the way he acted. His eyes hurt, along with his wing as he held his breath, turning the corner sharply.
Normally he would have kept going and hoping everypony bolted out of his way, however in no less than ten steps did he find himself crashing into what felt like a wall. He took several steps back, bouncing into the wall on his right side as he let out a hiss of pain, glaring at the pony he had crashed into.
“Oh um… Ah’m sorry.” The yellow stallion before him spoke, quickly standing up as he held his hat to his chest, as it had apparently been knocked clean off his head in the collision of the two, however he still managed to stand strong. He pulled on the end of his leather vest to straighten it out as he felt himself blushing, looking down at the over who wobbled uneasily.
“A-Ah didn’t mean ta…” He started to speak, putting his hoof behind his head to scratch.
“Watch where you’re going.” Soarin snapped at him, lifting his hoof to push him aside, feeling him give little resistance as he towed around him. He could feel his stomach turn as he kept walking firmly.
“Um, hello?”
The pegasus heard the thick accent from behind him. He tried to ignore it for a good five seconds, but could hear the hoofsteps behind him as he stopped in his tracks to turn around. He glared at the other, standing as high as he could so not to feel like he was being looked down upon, nearly tall enough to meet the other’s eyes head on.
“Um… H-Howdy there mister,” the yellow stallion spoke quickly, finding it hard to look the other in the eye, expression looking worried the longer Soarin glared at him. “Ah uh noticed ya ran inta me back there. Fancy that. Well ya see, when ya did ya kind of…”
“Spit it out already.” Soarin stated, letting his expression soften slightly as he could tell it was making the other babble what could be explained in half the time. He watched the other blink a few times before lifting his hoof and pointing at Soarin’s bandaged wing. His own eyes glanced behind him, looking at a long thick string of gauze that had managed to become untied when he had bumped into the wall. He could feel the wing loosening already from it’s hold as it flopped down lower from where it was originally held, a dull pain throbbing at the base.
“Oh erm,” The pegasus found his expression softening to one of sheepishness, feeling his face grow warm as he looked back at the other, who was still staring at him with those wide eyes, his body squirming as if he wanted to hurry along the conversation, or was simply impatient with the Pegasi’s reaction time. It was beginning to make him a bit wary. “T-Thanks. I’ll go find a doctor or a nurse or something, let me just…”
“Don’t be silly!” The yellow earth pony smiled at him as he took a few hesitant steps forward in the crowded hallway full of ponies going to and leaving the food court. He stepped to the side of the pegasus, who made an uncomfortable noise as he tried to squirm away from the other, however a strong yellow leg tapped his ear.
“W-Wait, get off of me!” Soarin whined in a hushed tone, not meaning to start anything and cause doctors to come rushing because it seemed like the other was honestly trying to help him. “Haven’t you heard of personal space at all?”
“Stop Squirmin’, yer wing looks real bad, better ta get it tied up fast as possible rather than lettin it drag ‘round an get dirty. Don’t worry, Old Doc in Appleloosa had me help him out when we was buildin up the town and bunch of ponies got busted up.” Braeburn giggled at the end of his words, making Soarin feel silly for squirming like a child the way he had.
“Look, I’m fine, I just…” Soarin looked down to his hooves, opening his mouth briefly to put up some kind of protest at the other’s hands grabbing his wing. Honestly he would feel much better having a doctor take care of his wing over some stranger; however, his eyes kept stinging as he grumbled under his breath in frustration. He didn’t feel like arguing right now, or snapping at somebody who was only trying to be nice to him, even if his mood wasn’t exactly in high spirits. “Just… hurry up.”
The pegasus sighed as the other held his wing firmly, careful not to squeeze too hard near the base where it was the most heavily bandaged. He felt the wing be tied back in it’s spot very slowly and carefully, hooves gliding across to make sure it wasn’t loosened in areas as he managed to tie them back into place.
“Name’s Braeburn by the way,” The stallion spoke, his voice bubbly and excited despite how slow his hooves were moving. “Ah sure am sorry I bumped inta ya back there, wasn’t payin no good mind ta where Ah was headin’. Probably a good thing Ah bumped inta ya too, woulda been bad if thing wing of yers got all unraveled. Then again it might have been my fault since ya bounced up ‘gainst the wall… er, am I ramblin’ too much mister?” The over laughed again as if there was something funny, though when Soarin looked to his face he saw the hints of an embarrassed blush
“You talk a lot, Braeburn.” Soarin stated, it being the only thing that could come to his mind in this moment. He felt a smile come to his lips when the other spoke to him, though there was a hint of annoyance in him about the other’s blind cheeriness after being rammed into. He watched as Braeburn brought his hat briefly down past his eyes as he shook his head, that same smile on his face he had held since the start of their conversation.
“It’d be awfully rude if I kept my mouth shut while I groped yer wing like that.” Braeburn smiled at Soarin, a hint of sheepishness in his tone. “Ah… Ah er babble when Ah’m nervous. Forget Ah said that… and that.”
“It’s also a little rude to grab injured people’s injured parts.” Soarin put his good hoof against his forehead as he moved the shoulder on his bad side, feeling Braeburn’s eyes bore into him. At least his wing was beginning to feel better. He saw the other look to the floor, a briefly defeated look on his face before he lifted his eyes back up, a new and fresh warm smile on his face.
“Can Ah walk ya ta yer room at least, Mister?” Braeburn asked as he looked at the other’s wing. Soarin turned to look at it as well. Braeburn had done a good job patching it up as far as he could tell, it didn’t exactly look any different from when a proper nurse did it for him. “Ah’d feel real sore if it came undone cause Ah screwed up.”
“Fine, I guess,” Soarin looked at the other. “Do you have to call me mister though? It’s…weird.”
“Ah don’t exactly know what ta call ya.” Braeburn spoke loudly as he tied a final knot in the other’s bandages, letting the wing down gently with a smile on his face as he nodded at his work. Soarin began walking, the other scurrying briefly to walk beside him.
“You don’t know me?” The pegasus questioned as he turned to face the earth pony properly. He couldn’t help but grumble as he shook his head, looking to his hooves. Just how fast did word about him fade away?
“W-Why, should Ah?” Braeburn spoke in a mildly panicky tone, the wheels in his head turning to think of whoever this pegasus in front of him was when he laughed once more. “Ah’m real sorry if Ah know ya. It’s on the tip of my tongue, Ah promise.”
Soarin noticed the other for the first time wasn’t looking him in the eye, his laugh much more forced and nervous this time around as he began pulling on his mane, biting the inside of his cheek.
“Well, you’re a bad liar.” Soarin spoke, a smile almost reaching his lips. “Don’t worry, I’m just… My name is Soarin, People usually recognize me, didn’t think you’d get worried over it.”
“Oh, that’s real good.” Braeburn spoke up with the same enthusiasm as before. “Not that Ah didn’t know ya, but that Ah didn’t forget ya and now that Ah know ya, even though ya say a lot of people know ya and… know what Ah’ll shut up.”
Soarin couldn’t help but smile, for the first time in what felt like eons it didn’t feel forced. He felt himself starting to chuckle as the other began to grow frustrated, lifting his hooves to push on his front gently.
“Now ya hush! Ah just told ya Ah babble!” The yellow stallion watched as other ponies glanced to them as they passed to see what was making all the noise. His tone turned to a grumble as he shook his head. “Daddy was right, Ah talk too loud.”
“You make me feel really quiet, blabbermouth,” Soarin teased the other, who gave another nervous giggle. “It’s cute though.”
“It uh… it is?” Braeburn asked just as the time it occurred to Soarin that he hadn’t actually seen Braeburn when his face wasn’t at least partially engulfed in the fire of his blush. It was obvious he wasn’t used to being complimented like that, because his earlier nervous babbling grew silent, near awkward as his words came out slowly. “Nopony ever called it that before… annoyin’ is usually it… thanks Ah think.”
“Mmm.” Soarin nodded as the two began trotting, suddenly feeling strange for saying such a thing. The silence between them nice for the time being as they listened to the snippets over doctor’s conversations as they passed by. Their hooves tapped against the floor for a few minutes before they passed by a window, the evening sun bright, near the point where it would set and cover Equestria in night before Luna rose the moon.
“Oh…” Soarin spoke under his breath.
“Somethin’ wrong there, Soarin?” Braeburn asked, stopping abruptly in front of the other to look out the window as well. “Do ya see somethin’?”
“It just stopped raining.” Soarin mumbled, half to himself. The tree outside of the hospital that obstructed most of the view of the town was still dripping with the aftermath of the downpour. “I like the rain, it’s easier to fall asleep if it’s raining.”
“Really?” The yellow stallion questioned him, cocking his head to look at Soarin with a puzzled expression. “Why’s that?”
“I used to nap on a nest of clouds when I was a kid near my house.” Soarin snickered at the memory. He was a little surprised that Braeburn was still staring at him, as if expecting him to go on. “Then again the rain was always under me up in Cloudsdale, so I guess I just like the sound.”
“Cloudsdale, huh?” Braeburn questioned as his eyes fell to the goggles around Soarin’s neck. “Yer a long way from home then… Ah shouldn’t say that though, few years back and Ah felt the same, new home with nothin’ in it an all cept my family.”
“I’ve been around,” Soarin smirked at the other when he spoke, lifting his hoof to point out the window. “I should be out there tonight though, flying up high in the sky with my friends… Pegasi don’t really know how much they love their wings till they do something stupid like me.”
“That’s how ya got hurt?” Braeburn asked as he looked to Soarin’s bandaged wing. “Well, guess there ain’t many other ways it coulda been busted up like that. Ya were with yer friends?”
“Mmm.” Soarin nodded as he felt his smile begin to ache once more. He scratched his mane as he grumbled under his breath. “I yelled at one of my best friends and she’s gone by now, out with them I mean.” He looked down to his hooves as he softly kicked at the wall below the window.
“That ain’t very nice.” Braeburn spoke up, that same cheery voice he had managed to keep for most of their conversation somehow still breaking through. “Though Ah’m sure she knew why if ya felt strong ‘bout it… ya seemed upset when Ah ran inta ya.”
Soarin shrugged at those words, glancing out the window at the buildings around. He could almost feel the wind through his mane if he thought hard enough… if only it didn’t end in him crashing down each time.
“I miss flying… nothing makes you feel alive like that rush,” Soarin gave off a bittersweet smile as he stood there staring out the window. “I wish it would rain again… damn meds don’t help if I move too much.”
The silence was brief before Braeburn took a step towards him, his voice a tad panicky, though still holding that friendliness that it had from his first words. “H-Hey, Ah ain’t from this town either.”
“I guessed that already,” Soarin told the other with a roll of his eyes. “Only a few doctors have that accent… and nopony dresses like that Ah’ve seen.”
“What’s wrong with my outfit?” Braeburn spoke, his tone pouty as he frowned, feeling his leather vest and hat with a tap from each hoof. “A-Ah thought Ah looked fine.”
“You do, just a little stereotypical I guess.” Soarin chuckled as he started walking again down the hallway. “I take it you like working on fields more than watching sports?”
“Er, no, Ah ain’t too big on sports these days, why ya ask?” Braeburn tilted his head at Soarin when he asked the question, keeping up a steady pace beside him.
“No reason.” Soarin shrugged in response, keeping a smirk on his face as if he knew something, only to begin receiving a confused look from the farmpony.
“Er, anyway,” Braeburn turned his thoughts back to himself when he began speaking again. “Daddy got in a little accident and hurt his leg. Ah’ve been tryin’ ta visit him when Ah can.”
“Sounds like you love your dad,” Soarin told the other in a quiet voice. “Do you blabber to him as much as you did to me, country boy?”
“D-Don’t call me that.” Braeburn spoke in a voice that tried to sound annoyed, however he was a very bad actor.
“What’d you rather I call you? Braeby?” Soarin chuckled at that one, seeing Braeburn’s face actually look annoyed as well as sheepish at that one. His lips curled when he saw that expression.
“Oh come on, stop teasin’ me!” Braeburn whined at Soarin’s choice. However Soarin simply looked ahead and ignored the whining, his smile soon fading as he realized they were approaching the door to his room.
“Oh… uh… this is actually my room.” Soarin spoke as he trotted up two doors ahead. The room was as bare as ever, white and uninviting, not to mention growing dim with Celestia’s sun setting on the other side of the building.
“Oh.” Braeburn’s voice for the first time contained a hint of melancholy at their arrival. He looked to Soarin’s wing, staring at his handiwork with a chuckle. “Looks like Ah worried ‘bout nothin’, wing’s fine… might wanna get a doctor ta change it since it was draggin’ fer a few feet.”
“I’m glad you walked with me.” Soarin spoke quickly, a little unsure of why it came out so fast. However Braeburn blinked at him before closing his eyes and smiling, showing off his white teeth with a giggle.
“Ah… Ah could always see ya ‘round, Ah’m visitin’ Daddy again when Ah get an off day.” Braeburn spoke up, a hint of excitement which never seemed to fade in his voice.
“I’m actually set to leave the hospital in three days.” Soarin spoke as he scratched behind his ear. Strange, he didn’t think those words would sound as disappointed as they came out to me.
“Oh… Well, Ah’m sure we’ll see each other again.” Braeburn smiled at Soarin, giving the other a sense of hope where before there was doubt. He wasn’t sure how the other did that.
“Yeah, maybe.” Soarin nodded.
“Ah hope it rains.” Braeburn spoke up when Soarin reached for the door handle to his room. He raised a brow at the yellow stallion when the words came from his mouth. “Ah mean, so ya can sleep well.”
“Actually…” Soarin began as he looked to the window, the silence in the room not as overbearing as it had been before. He looked back to Braeburn, giving a chuckle that surprised himself.
“I think I’m going to sleep fine for a change.”