Falling Debris

by Storm butt

Battle Scars

Braeburn pursed his lips and shook his head. He could feel his long golden mane whack either side of his head. He didn’t feel like ponies staring at him because he looked out of place and because he was blushing like a complete moron. He bit into his cheek and brought the map up to his face again. Marrington Inn was only two streets down. He paid two bits for a run he could do in less than three minutes.

The stallion whinnied loudly and got to his hooves and quickly stuffed the folded map in his mouth in case he somehow managed to get lost on the straight path down to his destination. The humid air was beginning to make his fur damp and his body sweaty, and he only hoped it was early enough that Soarin hadn’t had time to shower properly. Braeburn went against the flow of ponies and carriages running down the streets. Most of the ponies looked as though they weren’t from around these parts. However; they looked much more like ponies from canterlot or Los Pegasus on a trip of either business or pleasure than some country pony from the next town over. He vaguely remembered that Maringting Inn was rather… pricy. Twenty bits for a train ticket and two bits for a map. If he wanted to eat anything this little morning trip would turn pretty expensive pretty fast.

Braeburn nodded to two dozen ponies that he passed who made eye contact. Less than half nodded back or even smiled, and the stallion only realized then that southern hospitality apparently didn’t travel far from home. Even vendors selling things like newspapers and raincoats who were already beginning to line up outside of the hotels he passed didn’t give him much more than a forced grin.

Braeburn ignored the first building when he crossed the street with little more than a jog in his step. He knew that Soarin’s was in the middle of the next five buildings, and he could even spot it from here. Celestia it was at least twice the size of any building in the city. The sign that seemed almost larger than life spelling out “Marrington Inn” lit up and reminded Braeburn of a casino. While the buildings around him didn’t look awful, they suddenly seemed to drop in quality at the sight of this Inn’s beautifully fresh brick wall and marble staircase that led up to the door. Braeburn stared with wide eyes and picked up his pace to get a better look. He stood at the edge of the sidewalk and darted his eyes up and down the building. Even from here the front entrance was a massive revolving door where he could see a fountain on the inside.

The stallion spotted many golden carts filled with luggage moving out onto the street to carriages, the hotel busy and lifelike even so early in the morning. Braeburn drew himself closer and side stepped many ponies in fancy outfits. He somehow felt even more out of place than he did before. When was the last time he had washed his vest?

“Can I help you… sir?” A deep voice came from behind Braeburn while he was distracted by the fountain in the doorway. The yellow pony jumped and shot his head over to see a stallion in a green vest stare at him. His moustache was white as well was his mane, and his fur was periwinkle. He eyed Braeburn suspiciously, most notably his outfit.

“Fo, fello!” Braeburn tried to speak cheerfully. He had forgotten that he was holding a map in his mouth. “Aa Loofin fe-” Braeburn felt a blush come to his face when he realized just how strange his voice sounded. He spit out the map with a “phooey” noise and everything and stomped his hoof on it to keep it from blowing away. “Heh, sorry ‘bout that. Ah’m here visitin’ a friend. He told me he was stayin’ here an’ Ah thought Ah’d come an’ see him. Ah got a little lost on the way here though.”

Braeburn scratched his blushing cheek and avoided eye contact with the worker. He tried to chuckle again to shadow his embarrassment, however the other didn’t smile. He realized he had been babbling again and quickly but down on his tongue.

“Check the front desk.” Was all the stallion told him. He didn’t seem like he was much one for chatting. Braeburn continued to keep his teeth clenched on his tongue when he nodded his head. He snatched up his tourist map and quickly shoved it into his vest pocket. He trotted away from the worker and placed his hooves on the first step of the marble staircase.

The further away from tourism he got and the closer he got to the rich the more looks Braeburn began to receive. Nopony was quite rude enough to say anything to him, but even the workers seemed to wonder just what he was doing there. When he trotted through the revolving door and came up to the fountain he stared at the lights on the ceiling that illuminated the entire room. The marble had turned to red carpet when Braeburn trotted ahead up to the front desk.

“Hey there!” Braeburn was the first to speak. The desk had four spots available, but only two mares on duty. Braeburn approached one who was scribbling down something with a pen and quill. The pink mare with thick purple glasses gave him a glance and a smile that Braeburn recognized as nothing but polite.

“What can I do for you sir?” She questioned Braeburn.

“Howdy, My name’s Braeburn an Ah uh…” Braeburn bit into his cheek and felt the mare’s eyes stare through him like daggers. “This is gonna sound crazy but a pegasus named Soarin asked me ta come see him. His room is 210.”

“Let me check the book.” The mare reached under the desk and pulled out a small blue book that looked like it had several names scribbled in it when she opened to the first page.

“Couldn’t Ah just head on up?” Braeburn raised his brow and nodded his head in the direction of the staircase to his right. He frowned and began to feel his chest tighten. “Ah ain’t lyin’ ta ya, Ah really know him.”

“A lot of celebrities stay in this hotel,” The mare rolled her eyes and Braeburn had to bite down on his tongue not to snap something at her. “They keep a book of the names they want visiting them along with a description. It’s just standard procedu… Oh look, here you are.”

The mare shut the book and Braeburn had to blink several times before it fully sunk in. Soarin had actually told the front desk he was allowed to visit… that made his chest feel all warm and gooey for some reason. He pulled down his hat several inches and chuckled in an attempt to hide his reddening cheeks.

“Head on up, sir. Enjoy your visit.”

Braeburn barely gave the mare more than a nod before he trotted away from her at a pace just below a jog. He felt a smile hit his face when he passed massive paintings of scenery like lakes and forests just to feel his hooves hit the stairs. He passed no more than three mares traveling up the staircase and when he got to the top he skipped the last two. He saw a large number two before his eyes and soon trotted through the doorway to be greeted by a massive hallway painted in red and gold. The walls were golden while the carpet was red, and every door was crimson.

The stallion chuckled to himself when he realized his heart was beating just a bit faster than usual. He trotted slower down the hallway in an attempt to slow it down, adjusting his hat, mane, and vest in the process.

“208… 209… 210!” Braeburn smiled happily when he came up to the door he was looking for. Without much thought he brought his hoof down to the door and knocked five times. His tail swished back and forth and he realized he was actually excited to see the pegasus. Sure he set out today to see his new friend, but the level of excitement hadn’t quite reached his peak until he was given permission to actually visit his friend.

However; Braeburn felt his smile falter when he heard a groan from the other side of the door. It didn’t sound as though it was coming from directly before him, so the instant fear that Soarin groaned at looking through the peephole was crossed off the list of possibilities. It sounded more like he was rolling out of bed. Braeburn looked down either side of the hallway and began to bounce impatiently in place when the hoofsteps of the other drew near.

There was a brief silence when Braeburn smiled in the direction of the peephole. He gave a little wave and chuckled. The sound of a chain becoming undone as well as a lock turning soon greeted Braeburn to a door opening and… a pegasus that looked like he had awoken from the dead.

“Please tell me why does every farm pony wake up at the crack of dawn?” Soarin yawned. His mane was a mess… well, more than usual. It wasn’t as organized of a mess. His eyes had bags under them that looked much heavier than they had before. He yawned again and looked as though he was leaning against the wall. “Hey there, Braeburn.”

“It’s nearly nine.” Braeburn blinked his eyes. He smiled when Soarin said his name. “Hey there.”

“Like I said, the crack of dawn.” Soarin opened the door all the way and Braeburn was greeted to a darkened room. When he looked into the room he realized the shades were closed and the lights were all off. Soarin was rubbing his eye and stepped aside to let his guest through. Braeburn’s smile had vanished, but he stepped inside regardless. “Didn’t expect you to visit so soon, actually.”

“So soon?” Braeburn asked when he raised his brow. He was squinting, trying to see in the dark and make out objects so not to trip over them. “It’s been three days.”

“Early, that’s what I meant.” Soarin put a hoof to his forehead and shook his head. Braeburn looked at his wing and saw that the bandages looked ragged and in need of a replacement. “Sorry, Braeburn, I’m really tired. Y-You can open the curtain if you want.”

“Ya didn’t get drunk last night, did ya?” Braeburn asked. He trotted past Soarin and to the balcony window to open the shades. He only opened it halfway, the bed still half darkened where Soarin soon sat down. Light filled the room and Braeburn realized it wasn’t nearly as big as he imagined. It was nice, sure, but not very big. The paintings on the wall were large and lifelike, the wallpaper under them crimson like the door. It had a certain sense of wealth that nothing in Appleloosa truly did.

“I think that’d kill me, much as I’d like to have,” Soarin chuckled and in doing so winced. He grabbed at his wing and grumbled under his breath. “No, I just… the doc gave me all these weird meds for my wing. They’re mostly painkillers. But shit, they make me tired.”

“Oh, uh…” Braeburn shifted in place and stared out the balcony. He cleared his throat and turned back to Soarin. “Ah’m sorry Ah came at a bad time then… do ya want me ta leave? Ah don’t wanna be a bother.”

“No, it’s fine.” Soarin yawned once more. He laid down on the bed and was careful not to roll onto his wing. “My friends have been pretty busy since I last saw you. Rapidfire freaking skipped practice just to drag me to that stupid doctor... I’ve just been up here reading trashy novels and newspapers.”

“Trashy what?” Braeburn widened his emerald green eyes.

“Don’t act like you haven’t read books of two stallions grabbing each other,” Soarin smirked at Braeburn. Some of the charm that reminded Braeburn of why he came here in the first place returned to Soarin. “C’mon Braeby, I can tell you’re not a magazine kind of a pony.”

“Ah uh…” Braeburn shifted in place and adjusted his hat. He wasn’t sure if he blushed more at Soarin’s implications or the fact that he was called ‘Braeby’ again. “Ya may be right.”

“Have you read ‘Sensational Windings’?” Soarin questioned and began to wiggle his eyebrows in a way that made Braeburn bite his tongue. “The stallions in that story like to tie each other up and fool around. They use a riding crop an awful lot in that story.”

“Ah… Ah ain’t heard of…” Braeburn put his hoof over his heart and realized it was beating rapidly. His eyes darted around when Soarin began smirking. “Ah wouldn’t know.”

“Suuuuure,” Soarin chuckled, and this time thankfully didn’t grab his wing in pain. Braeburn took several steps forward and sat himself down at the end of the bed. He folded his hooves in each other and stared at Soarin. He rolled his tongue around in his mouth for a few moments, wondering if it was his place to talk.

“Are ya sure Ah shouldn’t leave?” Braeburn cocked his head. He reached out his hoof and briefly considered placing it on Soarin’s leg. He decided against it and pulled it back to his body. “Ya look awfully tired. Ya haven’t been sleepin’ well, have ya?”

Soarin shrugged one of his shoulders and kept his good hoof on the one that couldn’t. “I can’t sleep that well… Before this all happened I used to toss and turn a lot. I keep waking up cause I roll on my wing or something. Hell of a thing to wake up to pain like that. Least in the hospital bed there wasn’t much room to roll around.”

“Ya don’t sleep well in general?” Braeburn frowned at his friend.

“I’m usually way more nocturnal than this.” Soarin shook his head slowly and placed a hoof against his forehead. “Sorry, Brae. Normally I’d do something a little more fun with my friends. I think I’d pass out in the carriage if we tried to do anything in this town.”

“That’s fine,” Braeburn smiled. This time he did reach out his hoof and grabbed Soarin’s own. The pegasus’ smile brought one to Braeburn’s lips as well. “Ah don’t like big cities all that much. Ah like talkin’ with ya though. Ah came ta… y-y’know, see ya, not the city.”

“C’mon, you’ve never been on a big date in a city like this?” Soarin raised his brow in question. He pointed his hoof out to the balcony and slowly scooted out of the light and closer to Braeburn. “There’s so much to do! At least more to do then a tiny town like yours I bet. You don’t get any privacy out there.”

“Ah ain’t been on many dates in general. And Ah don’t like strangers that much,” Braeburn giggled, though he knew in his heart that it sounded forced. He squirmed in place for a bit and felt the bed shake. “Ah like knowin’ everpony. It feels like my family’s even bigger. It ain’t fun not knowin’ everypony and not knowin’ why they look at ya funny fer wearin’ a vest.”

“I take it you saw the usual guests around here?” Soarin grabbed his tail and put it in his lap to hold onto with gentle hooves. “Pretty stuck up, huh?”

“Ah don’t know why Ah expected a big shot like ya ta sleep somewhere subtle. Everypony just wears suits and bow-ties even though it’s hotter than a desert out there,” Braeburn giggled and covered his mouth with his hoof. “I bet nopony here has any idea how ta have fun.”

“I’m not fun?” Soarin smirked in Braeburn’s direction. He squeezed Braeburn’s hoof for a brief moment.

“N- That ain’t what I meant!” Braeburn cried out. He felt the muscles in his legs tighten and he pulled away from Soarin’s grasp. “W-Well… Ah don’t know. We ain’t even spent any time together aside from breakfast. Yer a celebrity an’ all so Ah assume ya’d know how ya have fun.”

“I was teasing you,” Soarin seemed to chuckle at Braeburn’s babbling. “Do you babble at everypony, or just when you’re nervous?”

“Ah… E-Everypony.” Braeburn scratched behind his ear and slowly took his hat off his head and held it against his chest. He looked around the room a bit and noticed several books lying open and newspapers from the past three days all stacked at the end of the bed. The bed itself was ruffled and unmade. “Yer really messy.”

“Hey, don’t change the subject, motormouth.” Soarin smirked at Braeburn.

“Ah’m serious, this place is a mess!” Braeburn cried out with a laugh.

“Hey, you’re the one who visited ten minutes after I woke up,” Soarin said with a roll of his eyes. He laid his body down gently and leaned on the side of his good wing. Once again Braeburn bit his lip when he saw the bandages. They looked so… old.

“Honestly ya could at least clean up a little.” Braeburn puffed out his cheeks and whinnied softly when he crawled slowly across the bed. He grabbed one of the newspapers and saw the previous days date. “Ya sleep with all this stuff coverin’ yer bed?”

“It’s a big bed.” Soarin shrugged his good shoulder and smirked at Braeburn when his eyes scanned the paper. The cowpony opened up to the second page. “I’m more used to clouds, anyway. You can hide all kinds of goodies in them… just good luck getting them out without accidentally tearing it apart.”

“Still, it’s just messy an-... Wait Prince Blueblood and Fancy Pants are datin’?” Braeburn opened his mouth in mild shock at the newspaper. He closed it with help from his own hoof and shook his head. “Well Ah guess they have been spendin’ a lot of time together.”

“Oh don’t tell me you actually keep up with all that gossip crap?” Soarin blew air forcefully out of his nose and shivered. “That stuff’s just a nightmare to deal with.”

“Ah don’t…” Braeburn closed the paper quickly. He suddenly wished that he hadn’t removed his hat, for he groped his hoof above his head out of habit trying to lower it. He instead darted his eyes away from Soarin. “Ah mean… Not all the time. Just if Ah happen ta see a paper or two layin’ around Ah sneak a peak.”

“You know that stuff is usually all made up.” Soarin frowned at his friend. “The papers once said I was dating Spitfire and Hoity Toity at the same time.”

“Ah know. D-Daddy tells me that too.” Braeburn scratched behind his ear. He began to chuckle and feel his forehead sweat. “It’s silly, really. Ah don’t… Y’know, believe any of it. A-And Ah don’t pay attention ta the sports ones.” The stallion quickly grabbed his hat and put it over his head.

There was a brief pause between the two. Braeburn squirmed in place and Soarin’s eyes felt like knives piercing his skin.

“So ya didn’t date Hoity Toity?” Braeburn asked.

“I have never even spoken to Hoity Toity.” Soarin frowned, but something about the way his lips wiggled made Braeburn think he was fighting back a smile. “I can give you a list of five Wonderbolts who have slept with him though, if you’d like. I hear he’s a wonderful dom.”

“Ah’m good.” Braeburn clasped his hooves together. Soarin finally smiled and Braeburn felt his chest loosen just a bit. Soarin reached out his hoof quickly, maybe just to snatch away the newspaper or to flick Braeburn on the nose, but soon recoiled in pain and clasped it back onto his bandaged wing.

“O-Ow, Shit!” Soarin hissed.

“Pain medication not helpin?” Braeburn cocked his head. He scooted himself closer to Soarin and the shadow he sat in. “Can Ah… Ah mean, can Ah help?”

“N-No, I’m fine.” Soarin sucked in a sudden breath of air before forcing it out just as fast. He shut his eyes firmly and Braeburn saw the muscles in his face scrunch up. “Just keep forgetting what side’s the good one.”

Braeburn looked to the bandages again and then back to Soarin. He kept glancing between the two for the next several moments before he closed his own eyes. He bit into his lips and contemplated the situation for the next several moments.

“Hey, Soar?” Braeburn leaned forward and pressed most of his weight on his front two legs. “Ah don’t know if it’s my place ta say anythin’, but when’s the last time those bandages got changed?”

“W-Why’s that matter?” Soarin spat out. His voice contained toxicity that Braeburn hadn’t heard before. It was almost enough to make Braeburn recoil from the topic, however he somehow managed to hold strong. “Southern hospitality is really a pain in the ass sometimes, y’know!”

“Because it’s just gonna get worse if ya don’t get it changed! Don’t act like a lil’ kid over nothin!” Braeburn spat back Soarin’s venomous tone with reasoning of his own. Soarin stared at him wide-eyed, perhaps surprised that Braeburn had it in him to snap back like that. The two sat in silence for a while until Soarin looked down at his hooves. His cheeks were blushing. “So yer all bark no bite, huh? Couldn’t one of the staff help ya?”

Soarin grabbed his leg with his free hoof and squeezed it. He swallowed a lump in his throat and soon began to bite into his cheek. “I… I don’t want ponies to see the scars.”

“What, that’s silly!” Braeburn soon clamped his mouth shut when Soarin glared at him. It took a minute to recover from whatever kind of stupidity had come out of his mouth before Braeburn felt confident enough to speak again. During that time Soarin fidgeted nervously and Braeburn rolled his tongue around in his mouth. “Ah mean… Scars ain’t all that bad. They look a little ugly, sure, but ponies are usually more interested than scared.”

Soarin didn’t reply. His ears were flat against his head like he had been yelled at by a parent.

“L-Look, Soarin here.” Braeburn began to remove his vest slowly, and only that seemed to get Soarin’s attention when he started at the earth pony with bewildered eyes. He pointed to his side and saw a large scar that stood out against the yellow pony’s smooth skin that was at least six inches long. There were two of them, one jagged and one straight. “Ah got this scar when Ah was eight. My daddy was busy with the farm an Ah was screwin ‘round on the fence even though he told me not ta. Ah… Ah kept tryin’ ta hop between the posts. Ah slipped an’ Ah just remember a lot of blood and cryin’. Daddy had ta stop workin an’ rush me ta the doctor soon as he could.”

“Why are you showing me this?” Soarin asked. His tone didn’t have the same spiteful nature as it had before. He seemed more curious than usual.

“Ah’m sayin’ Ah don’t like ponies seein’ this scar that much.” Braeburn covered up the area with his hoof. Soarin’s eyes instantly went to the part that was still visible. “Ah didn’t get it doin’ amazin’ stuff like flyin’ in a crowded stadium, it’s just embarassin’. Ah get embarassed talkin’ bout it. Ponies are really nosy where Ah live. Ah was dumb an’ daddy had ta stop workin’ fer the day and had ta would double the next.”

“It’s… not very pretty.” Soarin forced a chuckle. It didn’t sound disingenuous at least, which gave Braeburn reason enough to smile.

“If ya let me, Ah could bandage ya up. Ah told ya how ponies got hurt all the time when we was settin’ up Appleloosa, right?” Braeburn questioned. He held out his hoof to Soarin’s own, yet let the pegasus’ decide for himself if he wanted to take it. “Ah showed ya mine, but Ah’m sure it ain’t nearly as big as the one ya got.”

Soarin lifted his hoof and Braeburn realized it was shaking. He was frowning when his eyes met Braeburn’s own, but nonetheless he set it down onto Braeburn’s. Braeburn held it tight and brought it slowly and carefully to his own heart. Soarin tried to force a smile, but it only came out as half.

“Is that a yes?” Braeburn asked.

“Y-Yeah… just, do it quick. Alright?” Soarin bit down on his cheek. “The gauze is in my bag next to the bed.”

“Ah’ll do it lickity split!” Braeburn gave a single firm nod. He hopped off the bed with a bouncy nature that he heard Soarin chuckle at. He opened Soarin’s large blue bag with a pull of his hoof and saw nothing but books and sweaters and at the very bottom, some gauze. He pulled it out with a triumphant laugh and gently placed himself back onto the bed. “Well, let’s take those ones off.”

“Uh…” Soarin paused and stared down at the sheets of his bed. “Can we… not talk about my wing?” Soarin’s cheeks were pink. He was squirming in place every few moments. “Can you just talk about something else? I don’t…” Soarin trailed off.

“Sure thing, Soarin.” Braeburn nodded his head. He scooted himself gently to behind Soarin and grabbed at the bandages that wrapped around Soarin’s back. He pulled on the knot and watched the bandages fall. His own face felt warm when he got a closer look at Soarin’s body… he was toned. Braeburn had thought he looked scrawny for quite some time, but now that he got a closer look he had muscles on most of his body. He wasn’t just thin, he was fit as well. “W-What do you wanna talk ‘bout?”

“What’s living on a farm your whole life like?” Soarin asked. He tried to turn his head around to watch Braeburn’s work, but he simply hissed in pain.

“Well, Ah didn’t until Ah was ‘round four,” Braeburn mumbled and untangled the bandages from Soarin’s body and began to work on his wing. He got the first sight of Soarin’s scar. It was so deep and pink that it made him lose his train of thought. “Ah… Ah lived with my cousin’s fer a while, Daddy havin’ ta sell the house since my Ma left an’ all. We moved ta a small town till a few years back.”

“Did that one have a farm?” Soarin questioned. The muscles in his body seemed to tense when Braeburn began working on the wing. Braeburn held his breath and saw the naked flesh where feathers should have been, yet refused to grow.

“Y-Yeah… Daddy worked hard with some other ponies on it. Ah used ta do chores ‘round the house since he couldn’t take care of both. Ah learned ta cook real good an he always complimented me on it.” Braeburn giggled and gently touched Soarin’s wing. The pegasus’ shivered. “When Ah got a little older Ah used ta ask ta work all day. My family always called me the baby but… Ah got my cutie mark before all my cousins.”

“You’re still a big Braeby,” Soarin snorted. If Braeburn weren’t half sane he would jab his hoof into Soarin’s back. Instead he just rolled his eyes and made sure the first wrapping of bandages around Soarin’s chest were extra tight.

“Yer still rude ta yer new friends.” Braeburn tried to match his tone to a growl, though it still somehow managed to come out as a giggle. “But ta answer yer question, it’s nice livin’ on a farm. Ya work hard an’ feel real good fer doin’ repetitive tasks day in an’ day out. Ya can work till yer purple in the face if ya got the stamina. Wasn’t till a few years ago that a bunch of ponies were talkin’ bout expandin the farms out this here way. Probably the hardest Ah ever worked. I helped build my own home fer lands sake!”

“Hey, I built my own home too!” Soarin jabbed Braeburn with his good hoof. “Course that was when I was five and learned I could mold clouds. I camped out in that hut for a year I think.”

“I figured all pegasi build their own homes,” Braeburn raised his brow despite the fact that Soarin couldn’t see him. He began to gently wind the gauze around the top of Soarin’s wing. He touched the scar gently with his hoof, but didn’t bring attention to it. The sight of it made Braeburn’s belly turn. I looked like his wing had been nearly torn out of him. “Do ponies make them fer ya?”

“Sometimes.” Soarin shrugged his good shoulder. “A lot of us just find a good cloud and sleep on it. We don’t have to worry about the rain. Cloudsdale has some molded homes around, but it’s mostly just ponies grabbing onto a cloud. We don’t get cold all that easily, y’know, feathers and all.”

Braeburn was getting to the end of the wing. He felt his chest swell with pride that Soarin hadn’t so much as flinched with his hooves touching them. Braeburn smiled and made several knots at the end of Soarin’s wing before clapping his hooves together happily. “There! I did it!” He called out excitedly.

“You’re a dork,” Soarin stated.

“Well Ah didn’t hurt ya, ya big baby!” Braeburn scooted away from Soarin and examined his handiwork. “Good as new, though!”

“Yeah, I guess it is,” Soarin chuckled and touched his wing gently. “Hey uh... Thanks, Braeburn."

Braeburn smiled at him and got off the bed before grabbing the remaining gauze and beginning to shove it back into Soarin’s bag. He was humming a little victory tune that only seemed to make his smile groan.

“H-Hey, Braeburn?” Soarin asked. Braeburn snapped his head to Soarin in attention and raised his eyebrow.

“Hmm?” Braeburn's eyes met Soarin's own.

“I was just… wondering what you were doing today.” Soarin coughed into his hoof and continued to feel his newly bandaged wing. “I mean, the rest of the morning I guess.”

“Well Ah mostly just planned ta visit Daddy. He gets outta the hospital next week an Ah wanna make sure Ah have the home ready fer him.” Braeburn nodded his head firmly and zipped up Soarin’s bag again. “Course that was after I finished up here. Why ya askin?”

“Do you wanna eat some breakfast with me?” Soarin asked the stallion. He was running his hoof through his mane in somewhat of an attempt to make it less of a mess than before.

“Ya ain’t very original, are ya? Ah’m gonna get bored of ya if we do that fer a third time,” Braeburn giggled and stood before Soarin, but a frown soon fell upon his lips. “But Ah thought ya didn’t feel well enough ta leave the hotel.”

“Ever hear of this thing called room service?” Soarin reached over to the end table beside his bed and snatched up a menu with listings all down the front and back. “I’ve been pigging out for a few days. We can just… y’know, talk for a while. You can tell me more about the farm. I mean, as long as you don’t want to see your dad soon.”

“That sounds mighty fine, actually.” Braeburn got up onto the bed and scooted next to Soarin. Their bodies pressed together when Braeburn leaned over to him to look at the menu. He could feel his own cheeks blush and his body squirm when he giggled. Soarin was warm. He was tired and ruffled and just a bit cranky, but he was still warm. Braeburn had to resist the urge to nuzzle up closer to him. “Just know if yer payin’ Ah’m gonna get somethin’ expensive… actually everything in this hotel’s expensive…”

“Hey, the wonderbolts are all chipping in on this room till I get better,” Soarin laughed and handed Braeburn the menu. “Far as I’m concerned it’s a buffet."

“Well then,” Braeburn gave Soarin a dastardly grin. “I’d be happy ta join ya."

Author's Note:

LIKE A PHOENIX I EMERGE FROM THE ASHES!

MMMM guess whose struggling to remember plot details he forgot.

Guess who also is not used to posting major stories without an outsider viewing it! Mmm that's right it's me.

Comments

[CrackedInkWell]

What this? A new update of a story that no one has heard from for months? Now what possible YouTube clip out there could express what I'm thinking right now? Oh! I know...

[SageBrony07]

I'm glad your back. I can't wait to see how to romance continues to grow. Great job and good luck.

[TheVClaw]

“I can give you a list of five Wonderbolts who have slept with him though, if you’d like. I hear he’s a wonderful dom.”

Oh my... something tells me this should be a story of its own.

Still, this is a wonderful chapter! It's great to see this story get updated after so long, and Braeburn is just as adorable as the last time I read him! Keep up the great work!

[RandomDudeNumber005]

great story i realy like it :D

[HowlingMoon]

Great Chapter! I'm so happy to see these two again!

[blue-hart]

Awesome chapter hope for more and a bottom Soarin in most BraeburnXSoarin story they have Braeburn being the bottom so i would like to see a bottom Soarin in this story if it's ok with you.

[BeatenLover]

I missed u very badly... I am glad u r back

[Misty Horse]

So needs editing.

Sensational windings, huh?

[CrackedInkWell]

By the power invested in me, myself and I, (since this story hasn't been updated for over six months) I declare this story to be dead.

My it forever rest in peace.

[BroBpony]

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