The Silver Stallion Braeburn

by KenSES64

Chapter 5

Chapter 5

Braeburn pulled a cart full of baskets containing cherries of three different colors. The green ones started coming in now, adding to the usual red and yellow. Braeburn had been working at Cherry Hill Ranch for about two weeks now and was getting used to the life in Dodge Junction. He’d wake up, eat breakfast, and then work on the farm. So not much different from his life in Ponyville, just a different fruit, and more sand. Of course instead of his cousins and grandmother, there was Cherry Jubilee. Braeburn grew a goofy smile when he started to think of her, but quickly gave himself a mental slap back into reality, ‘What in the hay is wrong with you Braeburn?! Even if she’s attractive, there’s so many problems with what you’re thinking! One, she’s your boss! Two, she’s about ten years older than you! And three, you’re mostly machine! Stop being an idiot!’

“Is something wrong Braeburn?” Cherry Jubilee asked, now walking besides him.

“N-No, nothing’s wrong Cherry, just thinking about a couple of things.” Braeburn responded.

“Okay, if you say so.”

They got the cart to the barn, and Cherry Jubilee turned to Braeburn and said, “You know Braeburn, you’ve been working really hard these past few weeks, and not to forget to mention that I have more fruit in stock in just two weeks than I usually have in whole season because of you, so how about you take the rest of the day off.”

“You sure? Don’t you want any help making those chocolate covered cherries?”

“Don’t worry, you’ve earned it, but I appreciate the offer.” She said with a warm smile.

Braeburn nodded and began to walk off, ‘What the hay am I going to do with a day off?’ He asked himself, but he then remembered what that pegasus, Root Beer, offered him a few weeks ago, so Braeburn decided to go to the bar to meet up with Root.

After grabbing his duster he made his way through town, looking for the bar. As he walked by other ponies, they gave him quick looks, but didn’t run away, so not as bad as how he was treated in Ponyville.

Braeburn found the bar and walked inside, spotting Root Beer cleaning a glass and talking with a creature that Braeburn didn’t expect to see, a minotaur.

Though unlike most minotaurs, who are very buff beings, this one was kinda scrawny by those standards. He had a light orange coat, the same color as Applejack’s, a black mohawk, and his horns looked like they were almost completely filed down.

As Braeburn started walking up to them he heard the end of their conversation.

“Anyvay, that’s how I lost my medical license.” The minotaur said before they both started laughing.

Root Beer looked over to Braeburn and said, “Oh hi Braeburn, haven’t seen you in a while. Figured that you’d come by here sooner than this.”

“Well, ah’ve been busy working for Miss Jubilee, and she gave me the rest of the day off.”

“Oh, okay.” Root then pointed his hoof at the minotaur, “Braeburn this is Copper Wire, he’s the one who made my replacement wing.”

“Ah I’ve heard of you.” Copper Wire said, taking a closer look at Braeburn, “Wow, you’re really are covered in metal. You got to tell me who made this for you.”

“An earth pony from Ponyville named Valiant, but ah wouldn’t recommend meeting him. He’s not the most sane pony out there.” Braeburn said.

“Bah, being sane is overrated.” Copper said with a slightly creepy smile.

“Umm... ooooooookkaaaayy then.” Braeburn said, backing up a bit, before taking a seat.

“So anything I can get you Braeburn?” Root Beer asked.

“Anything that doesn’t have Cactus Coyote blood in it.”

“Why not?” Copper asked him, “Don’t think you can handle it? Lightweight.”

“It’s not that, ah just find it kinda gross. Is there a problem with that?”

“Whatever you say.”

Root Beer then placed a cup of cider in front Braeburn. Braeburn grabbed it and took a sip. ‘Not bad, but not as good as the cider from Sweet Apple Acres.’ He thought to himself.

So after drinking a bit Root Beer asked him, “So Braeburn, if you don’t mind me asking, how exactly did you, umm... get the way you are?”

Braeburn put his cup down and asked, “Have you ever heard of the Appleloosa Massacre?”

“Of course, it was national news.”

“Well, ah was living at Appleloosa at the time, and a buffalo trampled me. Then ah was in a coma for awhile, and I woke up with three legs, one ear, and an eye gone.”

“Oh, damn that’s way worse than what happened to me.”

“What’s your story then?”

“Well about five years ago I was working the bar when a unicorn stallion,with a crossbow by the name of Quick Draw came in and tried to rob me. I tried to stop him, but he shot an arrow right at my wing, shattering the bone. The doctors said it wouldn’t heal correctly, so it was amputated. Thankfully Copper made this replacement for me. Works pretty well so I can’t complain.”

“You better not, or I can easily take it back.” Copper said.

Root Beer just let out a chuckle as he picked up their cups to be washed.

When he came back Braeburn asked him, “So did this Quick Draw guy ever get caught?”

Root Beer then looked saddened, “To my knowledge, no, but as long as he says away from me and my family I’m fine with that.”

Braeburns jaw dropped, “How the hay can you be fine with that? He took your wing. If ah were you ah’d want him locked up.”

“In my opinion it’s best to let things go and move on with your life.”

A white unicorn colt came up from a back room and said, “Umm... excuse me dad, but I’m done with my chores, so can I go outside?”

“Of course Birch.” Root Beer said to the colt.

As the colt left Braeburn got a look at him, along with being a white unicorn, he had mint green mane and eyes. Braeburn also noticed that he looked like he was around Apple Bloom’s age, or that’s what he assumed since the colt was a blank flank as well.

“So I assume that was your son.” Braeburn said.

“Yeah, that was Birch Beer.”

“Ah noticed that he was a unicorn, is your wife one as well?”

“Of course, if she wasn’t I’d question if she played the field. I mean having a foal of a different type of pony from the parents just doesn’t happen.”

“Well I knew of a couple in Ponyville who were both earth ponies, but there kids are a pegasus and a unicorn.”

“Yah, she cheated on him then.” Copper Wire said.

‘Huh, I feel bad for Carrot Cake now.’ Braeburn thought.

Braeburn hung around for a little while longer before leaving to make his way back to Cherry Jubilee’s.
______________________________________________________________________________

That night as Braeburn was lying in bed, trying to fall asleep, something that Root Beer said stuck in his mind.

‘It’s best to let things go and move on with your life.’

‘Is he right?’ Braeburn asked himself, ‘Should ah just forget it and go on?’

Comments

[Telly Vision]

So does braeburn know his grandmother died of supercancer?

[KenSES64]

1918923 I write so much slower than TNaB so in this story that hasn't happened yet. Since he left durning One Bad Apple and two weeks have past then this chapter is around the time of Sleepless in Ponyville, which that fact will be shown in the next chapter.