The Silver Stallion Braeburn

by KenSES64

Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Braeburn tossed and turned in bed, unable to fall asleep. Not because of nightmares, yet even if he fell asleep they probably would wake him up anyways. The reason why he couldn’t fall asleep is because trying to sleep while wearing armor is not comfortable at all. Not to mention it was also hot, and the armor around his neck made Braeburn unable to crack his neck, and he really, really needed to. Braeburn was fine with his fake metal legs, he could live with the visor, he had no problem with the extra gadgets that at the moment have served him no use, but why did he need the armor! Did Valiant think it just made him look cool?

He lets out yet another sigh and sits up, looking around the room. It was a simple small bed room with not much furniture beyond a bed and night stand. There was a clock on the wall that showed that it was barely midnight.

Braeburn rolled out of bed and decided to get some fresh air. He made his way out of Cherry Jubilee’s house, making as little noise you can with metal hooves. Braeburn looked at the pictures hanging in the hallways. Most of them had Miss Jubilee as a little filly, and with two other earth ponies, one male and one female, that Braeburn assumed were her parents.

The stallion was built like Braeburn's cousin, Big Macintosh, and seemed to be a complete color swap of Miss Jubilee, because where she had a cream-colored coat with a red mane, he had a red coat with a cream-colored mane. His cutie mark was of one red cherry and another yellow one, with their stems twisted together.

The mare on the other hand was a light pink color with a long red mane. She had soft blue eyes that just by looking at them, you could tell that she loves her family. She also had a slice of cherry pie with some whip cream on top for a cutie mark.

Braeburn thought to himself that she was a very attractive mare. Come to think of it so was Miss Jubilee. He shook his head at this, ‘What are y’all thinking you idiot?! You been here for less than 12 hours and you’re thinking about making googly eyes at your new boss?! Yes, she’s attractive, and she hasn’t treated you any differently than she would with other ponies, but that’s it! You’re never going to be with another mare again! You’re a robotic monster and if you weren’t you’d be a cripple!’

When Braeburn finished yelling at himself in his own head, he noticed that he had gotten outside and he couldn’t see a inch in front of his nose. ‘Well a good as a time as any to try this night vision thing.’ Right as he thought that it switched on and he could now see the orchard, but in shades of green.

Braeburn trotted thought the many rows of trees, which for him was a bit nostalgic of the fields on Sweet Apple Acres or even the one that once stood in Appleloosa. Even thought it have been almost two years since the massacre it still was troubling him. Yet, that goes without saying since that was the whole reason why he came here in the first place. Braeburn then thought if this was how he would have to spend the rest of his life? With this dark cloud over his head.

Braeburn stopped right in his tracks when he heard a very loud growl. Braeburn slowly turned his head to see what it came from. What he saw was some sort of animal, or maybe it was a plant?
It resembled a wolf or something in the canine family, but it’s body looked like it was made out of cacti, with needles coming out of it’s body and everything. Braeburn noticed that it had long, sharp claws, like you’d expect. The creature bared it’s fangs, saliva pouring out of it’s mouth and it growled again. Braeburn had only one thought in his mind at that point, ‘run’.

As Braeburn was rushing back to the safety of Miss Jubilee’s house thoughts race though his mind. It went something like this, ‘Oh my gosh! Oh my gosh! Oh my gosh! What in Tartarus is that bucking thing?! It seems to be a wolf, but it’s a cactus. Is that their version of Timberwolves around here? Back in Ponyville the sound of Timberwolves means that it’s zap apple season, so does this thing serve any importance? The biggest question is why and how is it in the orchard?’

Braeburn turned his head to see if the creature was chasing after him, it was. This proved to be a mistake because since he looked back, he ended up tripping on a rock that was sticking out of the ground, and landing flat on his face. Before he had a chance to get up and rub the bump he probably had, he got pinned down by the beast. Braeburn fearfully started into the beast's glowing eyes. Braeburn tried to struggle, but the beast scratched him in the face. He let out a yelp in pain, but continued to try to get this beast off of him. He got his back legs under the creature's body and kicked forward to shove the creature off himself.

Getting back onto his hooves he quickly rushed at the thing, slid his body 180 degrees, and bucked it in the face, making it roll back serval yards. The creature got back up after a few seconds and tried to run at him again, but when it put pressure on the front left leg it let out a whimper on pain. It turned around and Braeburn watched as it limped its way to the fence, crawling under a spot that had been dug under it.

Then some lights turned on behind him. Braeburn turned off the night vision and turned around to see Miss Jubilee with her mane down, which was really long, about down to her knees. She was wearing a see-though pink bed robe and some fuzzy slippers of a similar color. “What’s with all the noise?”

So Braeburn walled inside and told her what happened while she helped clean and bandage the scratch mark the creature left on his face.

“Oh that was a Cactus Coyote.” Cherry Jubilee said.

“Cactus Coyote?” Braeburn asked.

“Yeah, they’ve become kinda a problem recently. The town has even been trying to find a way to take advantage of the situation, but I think only the local bar has benefitted.”

“In what way?”

“Well the owner of the bar, a pegasus named Root Beer, took some advice that some earth pony gave him and started serving stronger drinks.”

“What does that have to do with the coyotes?”

“I’m getting to that, apparently their blood is more like a type of water, and he puts it in his drinks.”

Braeburn’s face turned white at the idea of ingesting some animals vitally fluids seemed just sick.

“Yeah, I thought the same thing, but I’ve tried it, and it is very strong, and I mean strong. After a drink or two you’ll start seeing friendly mushrooms.”

Braeburn was silent, having no idea how to respond to that.

Cherry Jubilee chuckled and said, “Okay Braeburn, I’m going back to bed. I suggest you’d do the same. You’ve got a bit to do tomorrow. Starting with filling up that hole under the fence.”

“Okay. Goodnight Miss Jubilee.”

She turned around and said with a wink, “Oh please call me Cherry.”

Comments

[Divine Path]

...another type of floral predator? Ingenious!
Awaiting further releases.

[KenSES64]

1811220 Sorry it took so long. First I was hit with some good ol' writer's block, then that personal stuff I talked about in that blog entry, and then I was sick for almost 4 day.

Hopeful the next chapters will take less time to make.

[Divine Path]

1811446
I see.

[swyrl]

After a drink or two you’ll start seeing friendly mushrooms.

"Giant mushy friend." Nice TLA reference.