Sensation (SFW Version)

by Vivid Syntax

Chapter 28 - The Generosity of Friends

We'd been at the Apple house for two days, and this little pegasus filly had managed to ask me a hundred times, "Are you really friends with Rainbow Dash?" Her name was Scootaloo, and she bounced up and down on the couch next to me while her orange wings buzzed and her short purple mane bounced with her.

"Well…" I teased. "I mean, I gotta be careful what I say. I might be her boss someday."

Scootaloo's eyes lit up. "She's going to be a Wonderbolt for sure!? That's so cool! Rainbow Dash is the best!"

Applejack looked up from her book. "No jumpin' on the furniture, Scootaloo."

I looked up and around the living room. It was an open, square space with wood floors covered in big, decorative rugs. The walls were painted peach-colored, but you could hardly see it behind all the family pictures and blue bookshelves. The ceiling was high, and dark blue wooden beams stretched across the whole thing, giving a strong sense of exactly how old the place was. Apples decorated the trim in every room of the house, and the doors were that old-fashioned barn style where you could swing the top and bottom halves open separately. I imagined it must have been super drafty in the winter, but that day, it felt warm. The whole house had this warmth to it, the comfortable kind that holds onto you and makes you want to just sit and enjoy it with the ponies you care about most.

The Apple family gave off that same warmth, too. It was… weird. Don't get me wrong – I really liked it, but part of me just didn't trust it. It seemed too perfect. Like, how could a family just sit together and be happy and not be tense around each other, especially with everything that was going on? That's… I mean, I know it was my fault more than theirs, but I wish I could have appreciated their family togetherness for what it was.

Scootaloo and I sat on a pink chaise with little hearts sewn on. Granny Smith was knitting quietly on her rocker while Big Mac sat reading the paper on a large, green chair nearby. Applejack had put down the farmer's almanac she was reading and was just enjoying watching Scootaloo go nuts over meeting a Wonderbolt.

Aaaaaaand then there was Braeburn. Poor Braeburn. He sat on a plush, dark blue chair struggling with Mac's other little sister Applebloom and her unicorn friend Sweetie Belle. They sat on the ground, staring at him and waiting for him to answer their question. Braeburn's lip was curled in a weird, wobbly way, and he was actually sweating. "See, I like stallions because, uh… With m-mares, I don't f-feel the same…" He wiped his forehead and chuckled awkwardly, looking everywhere but at the curious fillies. "See, uh… S-Soarin' has some very nice, uh…"

"Eeheehee!" Granny Smith cackled. "He's got quite a set of wings, don't he? That what yer lookin' fer, Braeburn?"

Braeburn flashed a grimace. "Uh, yeah! Yeah, that's it. I really like his wings."

Granny Smith smiled and muttered, "And ya' know what they say 'bout stallions with big wings." Applejack gave her a shush. "Eeheehee…"

Sweetie Belle cocked her head to the side. "But…" She asked in a small, innocent little voice, "How can you have babies? Rarity says you need a daddy and a mommy to make a baby."

Applebloom threw her forelegs up onto the chair. "Yeah, cousin! Are you gonna be the mommy, or is Soarin'?"

Granny Smith flashed a wicked smile. "I'd wager Braeburn's the mare more often than not."

"Granny!" Braeburn shouted, redder than the apple on his ass.

"Eeheehee!" She slapped her knee – which I swear creaked – and shouted, "Well, I ain't wrong, am I!?"

Braeburn flattened his ears, then pouted and mumbled, "I'm not always the mare."

I smiled. He was having a comfortable moment, where all he had to worry about was being embarrassed in front of his family. Nothing else bothered us. I wanted to freeze time like that, but as much as I liked seeing him blush, I had to save him. "Eh, lay off, Granny. He's a hell of a stallion, too." Then, in a soft, relaxed voice, I added, "We can both be the mommy sometimes."

Braeburn's ears came back up a little, and he gave me a shy smile from across the room.

He still looked tired and a little sad, but it was getting better. Two days of rest had done us both a ton of good, and he looked much more glow-y. We'd slept or stayed indoors for pretty much all of Monday, and Tuesday was just some chores, mostly around the house where we wouldn't be seen. The one time we'd gotten to be outside, we'd harvested some asparagus from the far field, and Applejack had cooked it for dinner that night. Good stuff.

Sweetie Belle looked back and forth between the two of us. "You guys are weird," she said flatly.

Applejack stood up and stretched her back. "All right now, little fillies. Best give these two some space. They still need to pack up."

Scootaloo looked up at me and whined, "Aw, you're leaving already? Why?"

Applejack narrowed her eyes and spoke gently but firmly. "Because somepony went and blabbed about these two hidin' out here, and now they need to mosey 'fore the papers find 'em."

Sweetie Belle gasped. "What? That's awful!" She looked at Applebloom. "Who would have told on them?"

Applebloom raised an eyebrow. "I dunno. The only ponies that know they're here are AJ, Big Mac, Granny, and–" Here eyes went wide, and she quickly looked at her two friends. "Uh…" She shrank, and even the bow on her head seemed to deflate. "Sorry, Braeburn."

Braeburn just smiled and shook his head. "It's all right, Little Bloom. Mistakes happen." He reached down and patted her head. "Applejack's right, though. We'd better head out. I wanna get there by tonight."

Applebloom perked up. "Ooh! Where ya' headin'?"

Braeburn narrowed his gaze.

"Oh. Right." She looked away.

Scootaloo started jumping around again. "Can I at least have one more ride?"

Applejack spoke up. "Now, Scootaloo, Soarin's been more than generous with those already."

"Just one more? Please please please please please?"

I chuckled. "Heh heh. Eh, it's fine." I gave her a playful, fake punch on the shoulder. "Just once around the barn and back, though, 'kay?"

"Yay!"

Applejack gestured with a hoof. "Keep it close to the ground, Soarin'. I ain't gonna explain to Scootaloo's parents why she's got a broken leg."

"No problem." I looked over to Braeburn. "I'm always careful, riiiiiight?"

Braeburn just smiled and shook his head.

I got up and stretched, and we walked over to the door and outside, off the porch and out onto the grass. It was a bright, sunny morning, where you could see for miles around. Everything was clear: the sky, the air, and my head. Rolling green hills stretched out everywhere we looked (as long as we didn't look back towards Ponyvile), and fields of crops checker-boarded the landscape. Some of them were already yielding super-tasty fruits and veggies, the stuff that's always fresher than what we get in Cloudsdale. A slight breeze rolled through the grass, making it tilt in waves like the ocean, and the rustling sound made me stop and breathe in time with the wind. The dew was still on the grass, and everything had that wet, natural smell that I'd learned to love. It's the kind of smell you can't get in the city, and sometimes, I wanna fly back out there, just to breathe in the fresh air.

When I looked back down at Scootaloo, she had this wide, beaming smile, and her tiny wings were flicking up and down. I crouched down so she could get up. "Ready, Scoots?"

She squeaked and hopped up onto my back. After the dozen or so rides I'd already given her during our stay, we both knew the drill – she wrapped her forelegs around my neck, tight enough to hold on but not enough to choke me, and her hind legs straddled my back, squeezing a little for extra safety. "Ready, Soarin'!"

My wings flared out and started beating slowly. Not enough to give me any lift, but plenty to get her excited. It was like performing for any other audience: the little uneasiness in the pit of your stomach, the slight light-headedness as your heart rate picks up, and the prickly feeling all across your skin. You know something awesome is about to happen, and you can't decide if it's fear or anticipation buzzing through your body.

I set my jaw and looked straight ahead at the windy road towards the barn. "Awesome! Because here..." My wings beat faster. I hitched up my shoulders into a take-off position. My voice got louder. "…we…" She started shaking on my back. My muscles tightened. My leg twitched. Energy built up inside of me, like a rubber band stretched to its limit. My body was a machine built for just this one purpose, and my blood had been stoked for the big explosion. I was ready. She was ready. It was time to…

"GO!"

Everything released at once, and we rocketed forward, kicking up a giant dust cloud. Scootaloo squealed as we dashed just above the ground, the grass whipping my hooves. We cut left and right, zig-zagging across the trail, and the air tore at our faces. Even over the sound of the rushing wind, I could hear her yell, "This is awesome!" She'd said the same thing on all the other rides, too.

Buuuuuut, since it was the last ride, I wasn't going to go out without one last show-stopper. I stopped zig-zagging and sped directly for the big, red barn, shooting toward it like lightning.

Scootaloo craned her neck towards my ear. "Hey, Soarin'! You might wanna turn."

I kept going.

"Soarin'?"

I beat my wings harder. My breaths were shallow. The side of the barn took up our entire field of vision, and we were too close to brake.

"Soarin'!!!" She clung to my neck…

…and I jerked my wings back, snapping directly upward in a perfect ninety-degree turn and shooting straight up into the sky. I only went up about a hundred feet, but based the high-pitched screaming in my ear, we might as well have flown to the moon. "Oh my gosh oh my gosh oh my gosh!!! Soarin', this is so cool! This is the best day ever!"

I smiled. "Hold on, kid!" I did a quick corkscrew turn, which got another squeal, and finished with a final loop-the-loop before slowly descending in a lazy spiral while she caught her breath.

She was babbling incoherently all the way to the ground, and as we landed, Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle rushed up to us, gushing in that high-pitched tone that only fillies can manage. I thought my ears were bleeding. Somewhere in the middle of it all, though, I managed to pick out a "Thanks, Soarin'!"

I nodded at her and said, "No problem, kid." I gave her one last pat on the head before the three of them scuttled off.

It felt good to be famous again. I got to be a Wonderbolt for a few minutes, somepony that foals could look up to. Scootaloo didn't care that I was in the middle of a media scandal or that I was sleeping with another stallion or that I was a total wreck with the maturity of a newborn puppy. She just saw something in me that made her happy and excited, and that was what I needed.

Braeburn had been watching. He stepped off the porch, the fillies running between his legs. He kept looking at them as he stepped up to me, then turned to me with a smile and a little laugh. "Heh heh. AJ's gonna be mighty sore when she finds out what you did. One of y'all coulda been hurt, ya' know."

I shrugged and smiled. "Eh, worth it. She had a good time."

"She wasn't the only one," he said, nudging me.

I gave him the plastic, celebrity smile and the goofy interview voice. "What can I say? Everypony loves a Wonderbolt, especially a Wonderbolt!" I raised my eyebrows twice in quick succession.

He bumped his nose into mine. "Oh, everypony, huh?"

I lifted my chin up high in the air and flared out my wings. "Sure they do!" I paused, and my expression went a little blank, and I looked back at him. "Uh… right?"

Braeburn blinked at me a couple times, and his smile faded. He tried to keep it there, but it looked forced.

We stood there for several seconds, and an awkward silence hung in the air. A lot of our conversations had gone like that those past couple days. It was a lot better than fighting or breaking down, but something still felt off.

We hadn't talked about Bronze since that big conversation in the orchard, and even though I was still worried about him, something told me that I needed to leave the subject alone for a while, even if I wasn't being completely honest about everything I was feeling.

I felt awful once I realized we were just pretending again, like we'd made a breakthrough but were taking one step back for every two steps forward. It's hard, though, you know? I knew there would be more time to talk when we were alone, and I promised myself I'd bring it up again if he didn't. I needed to be honest with him. He deserved that.

Of course, he wasn't being totally honest with me, either.

Braeburn sensed that he was taking too long to respond, and he forced out a laugh. "You got nothin' to worry about, Big Blue." He leaned in and kissed me, then looked up the road to the house. "We should probably get back inside before somepony sees us."

I stepped closer to him. I didn't want to end another conversation like that, so I whined, "Aw, but I wanna plaaaaay." I stuck out my lower lip and batted my eyes at him.

He put on his mayor voice and gave me a goofy, stern look. "Now Soarin', that wouldn't be responsible. You can play outside later if you finish your homework, but for now, we need to go."

"Make me!" I dove at him.

"Gah!" We tumbled to the ground together, a lumpy mass of tails and legs. "Ha-ha!"

I started kissing him and nibbling at his neck. Not forcefully, but enough that he knew I wasn't totally against the idea of just screwing him right there in the grass. He giggled underneath me until we heard Applejack say from the porch, "All right, you two. Keep it clean. There's foal about."

I stopped and looked down at him, stroking his chest. He leaned in and kissed my hoof. The sun caught his face in a way that made him glow and reminded me how radiant he could look when he wasn't worried about anything. He glanced at me, then reached up and brought me in for a deep kiss, the kind with lots of tongue. His breath was heavy in my mouth with little hints of breakfast. We took our time.

And that's probably the best thing about the country. You can take your time. You don't have to rush to the next show or interview, and if there's something important you have to do, the world will wait for you. You can kiss your stallion. Really kiss him. Feel his rough tongue on yours, his shallow little breaths on your face, and the way he likes to suck on your lip. Feel the muscles in his face tense and relax, and feel the gentle heat from his body melting with yours. There's no pressure, only desire. No schedules, just letting nature run its course. No world around you, just you and your stallion, together.

And so, we took our time. We let ourselves kiss until we were both satisfied, and when we were ready, only when we were ready, we parted lips, snuck one more quick kiss, then stood up and went back inside.

We didn't have much to pack, of course. The train ride to Honeycrisp's would take all day, and we hadn't picked up much stuff from the farm: some snacks, water, tissues, clean clothes for Braeburn… It was all pretty basic.

While we were stuffing things into bags, Big Mac pulled me aside and asked to talk. We sauntered to the kitchen while Braeburn stayed in the living room with Applejack and Granny Smith. Big Mac moved slowly, and we sat down at the table, not saying anything. His posture was different, more relaxed than back at Honeycrisp's farm. His shoulders were lower, and his back wasn't so straight, and his jaw wasn't as set.

I let the quiet stay there for almost a full minute, just to show him I could do it, before I said, "What's up, Big Mac?"

He cracked his neck. "Can't ya' guess?"

I grinned. "Eeyup!"

Big Mac smiled. He was still the same guy from Honeycrisp's farmhouse, but it was different. Over the previous few days, Mac had talked to me more. He'd relaxed around me more, too, and he didn't keep an eye on me all the time. I wasn't just the pile of blue feathers that made Braeburn cry anymore. I was Braeburn's coltfriend, and he was starting to accept that. Maybe even like it.

He kept smiling and scratched his chin. "We gotta talk about yer apple harvestin'."

"C'mon," I said, smiling and rolling my eyes. Braeburn had told his family about us harvesting the spring varietals back in Appleloosa. That was our first date, I guess. It had been the day after I'd arrived, the day he'd made me fly around collecting apples, and the day I'd figured out where the bruise on his cutie mark had come from. I wondered how much Mac knew, but I wanted to stay cheerful. "I wasn't that bad. Didn't he tell you how fast I was?"

Big Mac's chest rumbled. "Huh huh. He told me half of 'em were bruised. Lucky for you he makes a mighty fine applesauce."

I shrugged. "Meh. They're still tasty. A bruised–" My eyes went wide. "Oh! Dude! I get it!" I smiled, and my eyes narrowed at Big Mac as I lowered my head. "Nice try, Mac, but I'm on to you." I pointed a hoof at him.

He gave me a coy smile, and his head tilted back. "Hm?"

"You were gonna do that folksy wisdom thing where you pretend like you have this deep insight, but it's really just a metaphor, weren't you?" I playfully slammed my hoof onto the table. "Ha!"

Big Mac leaned in and stared me right in the eye. It was that same look he'd had right after I'd challenged him to that drinking contest on the first night. "Eeyup."

"Ha! I win!" I threw a hoof in the air, straight up.

"Nope."

I brought my hoof down and raised an eyebrow. "Oh. Right. I need to figure out what it was. Okay…" I leaned in and held my hooves up at the sides of my head to help me think. "So, you were gonna say how I need to learn about taking care of apples, right? How I shouldn't bruise this one, because apples are precious, and Braeburn's my apple or something, right?"

Big Mac rolled his head to the side and scratched his chin again. "Mmm…"

I sat up straight. "Aaaaand, probably that if I bruise this apple, there'll be heck to pay, right?"

He laughed. "Eeyup."

I smiled at him. "Don't worry, Mac. I'll keep him safe."

Mac was silent for a moment, then said, "He really likes you, Soarin', and he's got more troubles than anypony deserves." His tone was somber all of a sudden. "Don't be too hard on 'im."

I got the sense that I was missing something. "Mac, is there something I should know about?"

Big Mac looked over to the other room, and my eyes followed his. Granny and Applejack were talking with Braeburn, and Big Mac just sat and watched for a while. His eyebrows furrowed a little, and he frowned. "Braeburn's had to make some tough choices in his life. Don't pressure him about it. He's, uh, he's already bruised enough."

My heart sank. I played with my hooves. "Mac, I promise I would never, ever hit him, no matter what." I didn't know if I could truthfully say, 'I'm not Bronze' anymore, but I knew I'd never hit him. "Never."

I didn't get a response, and the conversation was floating over from the other room. I looked up at Big Mac, who stared at me with a slack jaw.

My teeth clenched, and my wings folded in tight, and I shrunk. "Uh… did he… not mention that? Dammit. Sorry. I-I shouldn't have…" I suddenly found the floor super compelling.

Big Mac closed his mouth and took a deep breath. "I knew, but… he only just mentioned it last night."

I sat up and let his words sink in. "What?"

Big Mac nodded. "Braeburn told me 'bout Bronze gettin' physical. Last night. I… assumed nopony else knew."

Slowly, my head turned toward the living room, to Braeburn and his family. They were still talking. "You… didn't know until last night?"

"Nope. Sounds like you were the first one to find out."

Braeburn trusted me. He could let me in. It hit me again what an ass I'd been, worried about him wanting to talk to Big Mac. I told myself I had worried for nothing. I nodded at Big Mac and politely said, "Excuse me," before leaving the table.

I walked into the other room. Braeburn was facing away from me and saying something about pie, and I looked at the way his head moved. It bobbed to the side, bright and lively and giving his family his full attention. His posture was straight and welcoming, and he looked outwardly relaxed.

But he had to be thinking about it. He had to be wondering if he should tell them, too, or if Mac would accidently spill the beans as soon as we'd left. He was still keeping it in, even from the ponies he trusted the most.

Except for me. He'd told me. I knew.

I brushed up against him, making him jump and shout, "What the–" I nuzzled his neck and planted a big, noisy kiss on his cheek before cuddling him under his chin, not caring whether Applejack and Granny Smith were staring. With brightness in his voice, he said, "Well, hello to you, too! Heh heh." His laugh made my head swim, and I felt his hoof rub my back.

Applejack cooed, "Aw… y'all are too much." I pulled back and saw her smiling and shaking her head, one foreleg crossed over the other. "To think you wanted to hide somethin' like this."

Braeburn tried to hide his smile. "Well, he is bein' mighty affectionAH!!!" I'd kissed and started nibbling on his shoulder. "Affectionate! Geez!" He leaned in and whispered in a tender voice, "Oh, you stop that. We're guests."

Granny Smith cackled, "Eeheehee! Aw, let 'im have his fun. Prob'ly all pent up, havin' ta keep himself from jumpin' on ya' for two days."

I glanced at Braeburn just as his mouth did this weird little twist and his eyes scrunched up. "Uh… Granny…" His face went red.

Granny Smith waved a hoof. "Aw, don't be so embarrassed."

Braeburn had a slight edge to his voice. "Granny, if I'm embarrassed it's 'cuz you made me out to be a sissy in front of the fillies."

"Hell, Braeburn, don't let somethin' like that bother you none. What business is it of ours that you like a big, strong stallion shovin' himself up yer butt?"

"GRANNY!!!" Braeburn had gone from red to whiter than Celestia's ass.

Granny Smith snorted and flailed a withered foreleg around. "Well, that's whatcha do, ain't it? No need t' be sore about it." She turned to me and winked. "Figure this one'll make ya' sore enough soon as I turn my back."

Braeburn started shaking, and his voice seemed caught in his throat, and he couldn't blink.

Applejack and I died laughing, to the point that our legs gave out and we ended up on the floor.

When I'd regained my voice, I sat up. "Dude! Your Granny's awesome!"

Applejack stood up, still giggling, and wiped a tear from her eye. "She's – hoo-whee! – she's somethin', alright."

Granny Smith gave us all a smug, innocent little smile. "And don'tcha forget it!" She walked shakily up to Braeburn, who had just started to breathe again, and gave him a kiss on the forehead. "Eh, I'm just ribbin' ya', Braeburn. You know we love you, and who ya' shack up with ain't gonna change that." She nodded at the door. "Now you best get goin'. Don't be a stranger, Braeburn, and we'll see you soon."

Braeburn's look softened. "Thanks, Granny."

"One more thing." She motioned at Braeburn to lean in. He did, and she whispered something into his ear, which made Braeburn step back and burst out laughing, too. Granny narrowed her eyes. "Show 'im what an Apple's made of, ya' hear?"

Braeburn hugged her. "I will, Granny."

"There's a good colt." She turned to me as well. "Soarin', pleasure ta meet ya'." She gave a polite little bow. "And I fully expect ta see ya' at the next reunion, ya' hear?"

I flared out my wings and stood tall. "Wouldn't miss it."

"Well, there ya' go! Happy travels, you two. Send word that yer safe once all this nonsense calms down."

Braeburn nodded. "Will do, Granny. Thank you."

Applejack stepped forward. "Wish you two could stay longer. Even if the circumstances ain't exactly ideal, seein' you again made us happier'n a bear in a beehive."

Braeburn tipped his hat. "Well, we loved bein' here, AJ, and it's been mighty kind of y'all to welcome us on such short notice, but, uh…" He clicked his eyes to me. "We still got some business to take care of, and we wouldn't want the papers swarmin' this place like a buncha parasprites."

I cocked my head to the side. 'Business?'

Braeburn smiled wide. "Besides," he said, throwing a leg around me and tightening his grip.

"Hey!" I struggled, but he had me.

He gave me a noogie. "It's all I can do to keep this guy – oof! – behaved!" He nuzzled my head and let me go. "He gets pretty crazy sometimes."

Big Mac wandered into the room. "Seems like he's just crazy for you, Brae."

I laughed, "Ha!" and narrowed my eyes at Braeburn. "See? Everypony else likes it!"

Big Mac looked between the two of us. "Uh… y'all ready?"

Braeburn nodded, ignoring me. "Eeyup!"

I saluted. "Ready!"

Big Mac straightened up. "All right, then. Cart's just outside."

Applejack sighed. "Sorry Twi couldn't just teleport you there. Said she hasn't researched long-distance spells on other ponies yet, and that there could be disaster if she's never seen the place. Said she'd figure it out soon, though."

Braeburn perked up. "Oh! Well, how soon is soon?"

Applejack rolled her eyes and said in a flat voice, "I figure halfway between two weeks and never." She chuckled. "Probably safer to just take the train. Y'all know the drill?"

"Mm-hm! Mac'll stash us in the cart and take us to the east side of the station. Miss Rarity'll be there to get us on the train and sweet-talk anypony that tries to bother us."

Applejack winked. "Ya' got it." She gave Braeburn one last big hug and told him, "Be careful out there, Brae, and let us know if there's anything you need. We love you, cousin, and we all just want you to be happy and safe."

"I love you, too."

I wanted those words. I wanted those words more than I wanted air.

"And I will. I promise."

Applejack let go. "I'm holdin' ya' to that." She turned to me. "Soarin', you're a good stallion. Take care of him, will ya'?"

I nodded. "Totally."

Mac was next, and I saw him tear up a little as he and Braeburn hugged goodbye. He said something to Braeburn, who responded, "Yeah. It's… for the best. Thanks, Big Mac." Something about his tone resonated inside me and made me feel hollow, but I couldn't place it.

I got a hug from Big Mac, too, and before they could start with another week-long goodbye, I grabbed our stuff and pushed Braeburn out the door.

Outside sat a rickety old cart with two big, wooden wheels and a yoke for a large stallion. It was well-sanded and dusted, at least, but I wasn't looking forward to our trip. The back was big enough for both of us to lie down on our sides, and it was lined with fresh hay. We crawled in and lay down, and Big Mac covered us with a hot, heavy, scratchy blanket. The sun beat down, and it smelled like the rest of the farm, but just a little more intense. Braeburn and I snuggled up against each other, our cheeks touching.

"Don't fidget, 'less you wanna get caught," Big Mac said from outside. The cart tilted up, and we heard the squeaks of Big Mac adjusting the yoke. With a small lurch, the cart rolled forward.

Braeburn and I stayed in the cart without moving for a few minutes, and I started reminiscing about the day we'd met. Weird to think how things had kinda gotten back to where they'd started: I was in trouble and needed help, and there I was, riding in the back of a cart again while somepony else took care of me. It wasn't completely the same, though. This time, I had somepony with me, somepony that meant everything to me.

I couldn't help it. I knew we weren't supposed to move at all, but I turned my head just a little and gave him a peck on the cheek. He smiled at me, then leaned in and closed his eyes. His mouth was open, and even though we'd agreed not to move too much or make much noise… weeeeell, kissing doesn't make that much noise. We shared a long, slow kiss, his rough tongue…

…running along the top of my mouth. He jerked his head away and gave me a toothy grin.

I shuddered, and my wings twitched, and the tickling feeling raced across my skin, down my neck and to my tail and to every hoof, and it was so, so much worse because I knew I couldn't move. I scowled at him and bit my cheek until it stopped. When it finally passed, I mouthed, "Dick."

He mouthed back, "Later, if ya' earn it."

We stuck our tongues out at each other, and I bit mine when the cart stopped suddenly. We both tensed and held out breath.

"Good morning, Big McIntosh!" It was a mare's voice. Bouncy and a little condescending, and it reminded me of Princess Celestia. Or maybe Spitfire on a weird day. I dunno. She sounded super friendly, at least.

Big Mac stammered, "Uh… uh…" He didn't usually stammer. Braeburn tried to mouth a word to me, but I didn't understand and just shook my head.

The mare said, "I'm glad we bumped into each other! May I walk with you? I'm heading to the train station, and I would love some company."

Braeburn and I stared at each other, and neither of us dared breathe.

"Uh…" Big Mac paused, and the cart rocked just a little. He must have fidgeted.

We were both sweating. 'No, Big Mac. No no no no NO!!!'

"Uh… Ee… Eeyup."

I couldn't see much under that blanket, but I made out Braeburn biting on his hoof. I wasn't faring much better. My wings itched and told me to fly away as fast as I could, and it took all my focus to keep my hoof from tapping against the cart.

The cart moved again, and the mare kept talking as it rolled along. "Thank you, Big Mac! That's wonderful to hear. You see, I was hoping you could help me with something. It's very important that you keep it a secret, though. Nopony can find out."

Big Mac's voice shook. "Uh… uh…" I could almost hear him sweating, and his gait became awkward. The cart tossed us side to side, and we had to struggle to keep in place and not let the blanket fall off while we pretended to be sacks of flour. I may have let out a small, "Eep."

The mare said, "I'm sure I can trust you, Big Mac. After all, you'd certainly tell me if everypony in town started gossiping about one of my secrets, right?"

Big Mac groaned, and the cart slowed just a little. Poor Mac. A few other voices floated by, so we had to be someplace public, and he obviously cared about whoever this mare was and didn't want to hurt her feelings, but how the hell do you weigh that against family, right?

She said, "You see, I have a few… friends staying over at my house."

Braeburn and I stared at each other with wide eyes.

"Well, one of them is a pretty new friend, actually, and the other is my cousin."

Wider eyes.

"You've probably read about them. They've got quite a reputation these days."

We weren't so much ponies with eyes as we were eyes with ponies attached as an afterthought.

"Do you understand what I'm saying, Big Mac?" she said in a mockingly sweet tone.

Big Mac kept going. His voice squeaked, "Uh…" He cleared his throat. "Ee… yes."

"Well," the mare began. "The problem is that one of my students – I won't say who, of course – found out. She hasn't kept the secret very well, and now I need to sneak them out of town before word spreads too far."

She knew. She knew, and she was teasing us. I wanted to bolt out of there, but there were still other voices nearby, and I couldn't risk it.

"But I'm worried that somepony will notice us." Her voice became much softer and milder. "And it would be so much easier if I had somepony to talk to while I snuck them to the train station."

Big Mac stopped in his tracks. "Hm?" He paused, then we moved forward again.

"That's right, Big Mac. You see, if I were to start pulling a big cart through the center of town in the middle of the day, I'm sure somepony would stop me and try to make conversation. And, of course, they'd want to know what was in the cart. That would be terrible!" She giggled.

"Yes!" Big Mac's voice boomed. "Uh…" He regained his composure. "It… would."

"Right. But if a certain somepony kept talking to me during the whole trip, then I bet I could get all the way through town without anypony interrupting our conversation or asking about the cart." She spoke up a little louder. Just a bit. "And my guests would be perfectly safe, and nopony would know they were there."

Either a sudden gust of wind picked up and blew half the buildings in town over, or Big Mac let out the largest sigh of relief I've ever heard. "Ah… Heh heh." We sighed, too, and only then did I realize how sore and tight my wings felt.

The mare said, "Of course, I'd love to thank such a helpful pony for their assistance. Maybe… by taking them out for milkshakes after my friends were on their way. Would that be alright, Big Mac?"

I don't think I've ever heard him so relieved. "Heh heh. Eeeeeeeeyup!" The cart slowed down again a little. "Thanks, Cheerilee."

Braeburn gently shook his head and smiled. He whispered, "Way to go, big guy."

I whispered, "Marefriend?"

"Heh. Not yet, but give it a year, tops."

Big Mac and Cheerilee – well, mostly Cheerilee – kept talking all the way to the train station. Eventually, the ground changed to rougher rock, and I started getting a headache from all the bouncing. Fortunately, though, the turbulence didn't last long. Big Mac stopped and unhitched himself. He let the yoke down slowly so we wouldn't get jostled around too much.

Cheerilee asked, "Do you need any help with them?"

Big Mac paused for a long moment. "Nope. Looks like Miss Rarity's doin' her job." Another pause. "We'll be alright."

"Well, okay, Big Mac. I'll see you at Sugarcube Corner once you're done. Take your time, though. I'll just be working on lesson plans for next year. Talk to you soon!" The rocks crunched under her hooves, and as she passed by the cart, she cheerfully said, "Good luck, you two!"

We stayed still, and after a few moments, Big Mac said in a low voice, "She's a mighty fine mare." I don't think he was talking to us.

We stayed under the blanket, groaning about how hot it was. A couple minutes later, another set of hooves crunched up to the cart. "Dreadfully sorry, Big McIntosh." Another mare. Canterlot accent. "Promontory is simply enamored with me these days, and I couldn't very well give him a cold shoulder. He's been so kind to all of us lately, after all." She paused. "Oh, dear! Is Soarburn still under there?" A silver-blue aura enveloped the blanket. "It looks terribly itchy. Couldn’t you have found them cashmere? Or at least velour?" The silver magic lifted the blanket, and fresh air and light flooded in.

We were behind a cluster of bushes on some loose, gray rocks. A train rested on the tracks about three meters away, and the roof of the station was visible over the train. We must have been on the edge of town. To our opposite side, we saw a big, open plain with a shallow river running through it. A few houses were scattered around at the edges of our vision, but there weren't any ponies with cameras around, so we were okay.

Rarity magically folded the blanket and set it down on the grass. "There we are. Much better!" She turned back to us and nodded her head. "Good day, Soarin', Braeburn. Lovely to see you both again."

Rarity didn't look like most unicorns. Sure, she was all proper and looked more delicate than an earth pony or a pegasus, but there was something about her, more than just her white coat and neatly styled purple mane. Maybe it was the unwavering way she stood or her slightly downturned eyes that looked confident without being bitchy. Maybe it was the slight lilt, or maybe it was her perfect grooming. Whatever it was, she looked delicate without being fragile. Does that make sense?

She was also beaming and shaking slightly with excitement, "Ooooh, this is almost too much!" She trotted quickly in place, biting her lower lip, and any accusations of pretentiousness went out the window when she squealed like a little filly. "Eeee!"

Braeburn sat up and tipped his hat. "Thank ya' kindly, Miss Rarity. We really appreciate your help."

Rarity took a breath, turned her head to the side, and waved a hoof. "Oh, you charmer! I assure you, the pleasure is all mine. To think I would get to assist Soarburn in the middle of their escape! It's like something out of a Nickering Sparks novel!" She threw her head back. "Ah!" She was gushing again.

Braeburn laughed. "Well, I don't know much about…" His head tilted to the side. "What did you call us?"

Rarity was taken aback, and she settled down. "Why, Soarburn, of course! It's all over the tabloids."

Braeburn blinked a couple times. "Uh… what?"

She looked genuinely shocked. "Braeburn, you're part of a celebrity power couple now! Lovers like the two of you always have a portmanteau fan name." She turned to me. "Soarin', I'm surprised you didn't tell him."

I just shrugged. Yeah, the papers did that sometimes, but I always thought it was pretty stupid.

Rarity spoke up again. "Oh, no matter. There will be plenty of time to catch up on your newfound fame later." She struck a series of increasingly ridiculous poses. "For now, there's excitement! Adventure! A daring escape!"

Big Mac stepped toward her. "Uh… Rarity?"

"It's just overwhelmingly romantic. Star-crossed lovers from different worlds, fleeing a public that can't possibly understand them!" She held a hoof to her forehead and closed her eyes, and I thought she might faint.

Big Mac's eyes narrowed, and his voice was flatter than usual. "Rarity."

Rarity whipped her head towards me, and her purple mane bounced against her face. "The bright, rising star, fleeing his loneliness, ever searching for inner peace in a lifetime of noise!" Her voice had become rushed and overly dramatic.

I hopped out of the cart, sweat evaporating off my skin. "Rarity?"

"And you!" she shouted at Braeburn, pointing a hoof. "The simple farmpony, THRUST onto the world stage against his will, fighting the inexorable tide of fame!"

Braeburn stood up in the cart. "Miss Rarity!"

"Whaaaaaat?" she whined. When she saw us glaring, her smile drooped, and she straightened her mane. "Oh, apologies." She bowed slightly. "Forgive my romanticism. I'd always imagined myself as the star of such a story, but I must say that being an accomplice to your tryst has been equally, if not more satisfying." She adjusted her mane. "Oh, but listen to me! I refuse to be the chatty friend that gets you caught at the last moment." Her horn glowed silver-blue, and a window on the train opened. "Now, we mustn't waste time. I asked Promontory to fetch me a few first-class tickets, and I imagine he'll be back any moment. Are you ready?"

"Just a tick, miss." Braeburn turned to Big Mac and gave him a big hug. "Gonna miss you, big guy. Thanks for everything, and I'll, uh… I'll see you soon."

Mac squeezed him. "Eeyup. Take care, Brae." He let go, then came over and offered me a hoof, which I took. He looked me square in the eye and set his jaw. "Brae says you're a good stallion, and past coltfriends aside, he's got a good head on his shoulders. You treat 'im right, ya' hear?"

I nodded. "I will, Big Mac." I glanced at Braeburn. "Ready?"

He puffed up. "Ready!"

Rarity had stars in her eyes. "Superb!" She cleared her throat. "Ahem. Now, do try to relax. This may feel a touch odd." Her horn sparked to life, and my vision was tinted silver.

Levitation isn't like flying. It's like falling. You feel completely weightless, and you can't control where you twist or turn, no matter how much your wings rotate. The ground practically disappears from beneath you, and you lose all sense of orientation. Honestly, I think it was totally reasonable for me to flail around shouting, "Weh!"

Rarity rolled her eyes. "Hold still, Soarin'. This will only take a moment, but I need to fit you through that dreadfully tight window."

Braeburn snickered. "Unless you wanna be on top the whole way."

I'd rotated upside-down, so I craned my neck to face him. In a sultry voice, I asked, "Is that an offer?"

Rarity squeaked.

With a deep breath, I folded my wings back in "Okay. Good to go."

I felt a slight pull upwards. Rarity delicately floated me through the air and into the open window, setting me gently down in the middle of a large room. It was a luxury car. A real one.

"Score!" I shouted, pumping a hoof.

It was a triple-wide, and there weren't any stupid bunks to hit your head on. The room was painted a deep crimson with gold highlights, and a small chandelier hung from the ceiling, lit with gems. There was a minibar to one side, and a table with two chairs sat near the door. A bathroom, tiny but private, took up one corner of the cabin, and there was one large bed with red silk sheets. Silk sheets! You can barely get that on a normal luxury train. There was even a heart-shaped pillow on it. Plus, there was a little gift bag and a card laid out on the bed. I figured we'd gotten the honeymoon suite and that the help had left them for us as part of the package.

I jumped a little when a set of hooves landed behind me, and I spun around to see a smiling Braeburn drinking it all in. He let out a long whistle. "Celestia's name, look at this place!"

Our luggage gently floated in through the window and landed next to the bed.

I took a second look around the cabin. "Yeah. Didn't know they even had trains like this all the way out here."

Braeburn raised an eyebrow. "They, uh, they usually don't." He looked around again, and I could see the gears turning. "Rarity must've…" Braeburn turned and jumped to the window, which shut just as he got there. "Hey!" With quick hooves, he tried to open it, but a faint glow still covered the lock.

I flew over and hovered above him. "What?"

We both looked out the window. Outside, Big Mac and Rarity were walking away, but Rarity looked back and caught us staring. She gave us a sly little wink.

Braeburn laughed a cute laugh. "Generosity indeed."

I glided over and landed on the bed. I kneaded it with my hooves. It was soft and spongy – that fancy stuff that feels like a cloud but twice as firm.

Anyway, that stuff's not cheap. I mumbled, "No kidding." I sat down and noticed the gift bag again. Pointing to it with a hoof, I said, "Wanna open this thing?"

"Aw, she didn't!" Braeburn trotted over, kicked off his vest and hat, and joined me on the bed. "Heh heh. 'For Soarburn.'" He looked at me. "Do they really give ponies fan names like that all the time?"

I lay down. "Oh, yeah. Totally. Back when I was dating Sapphire, they called us Soarshore."

Braeburn's face wrinkled up. "Oh, yuck."

"I know, right?" I laughed. "Freaking awful."

He looked back down at the bag. "I think Soarburn has a nice ring to it."

I smiled. "Me, too." I nudged the bag towards him. "Go for it. I've already gotten plenty of gifts from fans, and you'll need to get used to it…" I bumped his cheek with my nose. "…Mister Celebrity."

"Soarburn…" Braeburn said with a sigh. He shook his head, opening up the envelope. The card inside had an intricate, hoof-drawn pattern of blues and golds and oranges. Braeburn flipped it open and read, "To Equestria's Darlings, the cutest couple…" He looked up at me. "Are we really 'cute'?"

I put a hoof on his. "Heh. You sure are."

He chuckled and kept reading. "…the cutest couple I've ever seen. I hope you don't mind terribly much–"

"Do the accent."

"But I took some lib-air-teez with th' rum." It was like listening to a colt doing an impression of an eighty-year-old doing and impression of a nut-job. Mixing accents does that, I guess. "Do styay sa-afe a-and… and–" He snickered. "Do stay safe, and know that some of us are still rooting for you." His impression dropped off, and his voice became a little softer. "We haven't forgotten the ponies amidst the story, and as much as your fans may gush over the romance of it all, your happiness is what we care about most. Please enjoy these little gifts – you deserve all of them and more. Keep in touch, and good luck. Your friend, Rarity."

Braeburn sighed. "That's mighty sweet of her." When he heard me snickering, he looked up at me. "Aw, the accent wasn't that bad."

I had a hoof in front of my face to hide my grin. "Yeah, it was." I put my hoof down and peeked into the bag. "What's inside?"

Braeburn tipped the bag onto the bed, and after unraveling the tissue paper, we found a big box of fancy chocolates, some deeply red wine, two red towels with monogrammed "S" and "B," and a bottle with tiny wording. Braeburn picked up the bottle and squinted. "Natural oils for massage and–" He bit his lower lip to stifle a smile. "Oh my."

I leaned in, but I couldn't read the words. "What is it?"

Braeburn cocked his head to the side. "Personal use, alone or together."

I threw my head back. "Ha! She wants us to bone!" I laughed a few times. "Dude! Stallion sex totally gets her off!"

Braeburn laughed along with me and set the bottle down. His voice became bouncy and a little sarcastic. "Well, after all these nice gifts, it wouldn't be right to disappoint her, now would it?"

Wrapping a wing around him, I said in a bubbly voice, "I like the way you think." My eyes caught the chocolates again, and I remembered something he'd done with Bronze. "Buuuuuuut, maybe we can cuddle and, like, feed each other chocolates first? That stuff's supposed to be an aphrodisiac." Part of me realized I was just desperately trying to replace Bronze in his life, but the rest of me knew it would make him happy. I like to think that's what made me want it. "That okay?"

Braeburn narrowed his eyes, then pushed the gifts gently to the side. He leaned in and pushed me onto my back, pinning me down. I didn't fight it, and he started kissing all along my chest until he was gently nibbling my neck.

I moaned. I liked where he was going.

Braeburn licked the side of my face, then stopped with his mouth right next to my ear. He whispered, "I finally have my sexy pegasus all to myself, and you really expect me to wait?"

My cheeks flushed. I felt head rising in my chest. "So… sex first?"

He laughed smoothly and warmly. "Eeyup. Then you can have your chocolate. Then more sex, then chocolate, then sex." He squeezed me with his big, strong legs, and I felt myself melt. "If you're up for it, of course."

My body felt warm, and a smile crept across my face. "Oooooh, yeah," I moaned.

"Good." Sensually, he said, "Now get yourself ready. Granny says I gotta make a proper mare outta you."

And holy fuck, he did.