Winding Roads Chapter 4

Disclaimer: I do not own My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic. It belongs to The Hub, Hasbro, Studio B, and Lauren Faust. I do not own any of these characters in any way or how, nor do I claim ownership to the pony franchise. These characters are simply my toys.

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"Stop lying... It hurts..."
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Winding Roads
Chapter 4: Twists and Tales

A deep, throbbing pain pounded in Braeburn's skull as he found his own eyes opening, only to snap back shut as a wave of nausea flooded over him.  He made a sharp movement with his hoof to keep down his dinner as he slammed it over his mouth.  The yellow earth pony whimpered gently as his tummy began to toss and gargle out horrible pain.  His head felt stuffy, and his eyes were blurry, and there was the horrible taste of vomit in the back of his throat... he couldn't tell if he was sick... or just badly hungover.  Maybe it was both...

It took the yellow pony to take in one fact... he was lying in a bed.  He didn't want to sit up, he feared he would die from pain if he did.  But he still forced himself to slowly sit up in the bed, his long, soft and flowing mane tickling his neck.  He closed his eyes and felt his head.  His hat was gone... and so was his vest.  The pounding continued as he sniffled his stuffy nose.  He was almost scared to open his eyes, the light pouring in was almost like needles constantly stabbing his pupils and reaching into his brain.

He forgot how much it sucked to be hungover.

His mind hurt, but through the pain he forced himself to think about why he was in a bed... Soarin passed out, he caught him, held him until he decided it was time to find a place to rest...

Soarin.

Braeburn's eyes shot open.  He suddenly realized there was something more in his ears than the rushing blood and pounding muscles.  It was snoring.  His own head slowly turned to its side.  His eyes were only half open and one was twitching as he shot his head the rest of the way to the spot next to him.  Soarin was lying with his mouth wide open, drool coming out, he was on his back, body sprawled, without his costume on, Braeburn wanted to hit himself when his eyes glanced down for even a second, but silently thanked that a blanket was covering his lower half, his wings were spread out, and covered almost all of the bed.  Braeburn had to have been lying on one of those... he had to have been close to him...

Realization dawned on the yellow pony a little slowly.  He had no vest or hat on, and the other was out of his costume... they were in the same bed.  His mind took in the shock as his reflexes kicked in and he jumped out of the bed, head smashing against the wall before falling down and slamming on the floor, ripping the blanket off with him as he ended up in a tumble of blankets and mane.  "Oh Celestia, I didn' jus' buck ya, did I?" He cried, face furiously blushing red as he slammed his hooves into the blanket.

"Huh... wha?" Soarin grumbled out, seemingly just coming around.  He was a darn heavy sleeper, Braeburn could give him that.

"I think I'm gonna be sick." Braeburn said as he put a hoof over his mouth and rain dizzily off toward a large can in the next room and threw his face in it, all of the previous nights dinner burning his throat as it came out.  He sat there for a few minutes, head still in the can as he gasped for air, eyes stinging and throat burning.  He was limp, and felt a tad dead from the waist down as the can supported all of his weight.

Needless to say, it more than shocked him when a wing slapped over his rump.  He jumped out of the can and fell back with a burning face.  "Morning sunshine." Soarin teased, a smirk on his face before proceeding to slam his face in the same can and making horrible noises that Braeburn only winced at.  His head hurt, he missed Appleloosa...  His hooves felt where the wing slapped him as his cheeks flushed red.  Did he... did he become Soarin's bitch?

"Don't worry, I ain't a jerk." Soarin said, seemingly reading his thoughts as he lifted out his head, eyes watering from the pain in his stomach and throat.  He smiled and wiped his eyes with his wing "I ain't the kinda stallion to buck on a first date.  I like cuddling a lot more." He said with a tongue stuck out.  Braeburn couldn't imagine the pain he must be in, the pegasus had ten times the drinks he had had!

"Oh, and in case you're wondering, Fleetfoot took us here, she seemed to fancy you, y'know that?" He asked.  Braeburn grumbled something as his eyes looked irritated as he shakily got on all of his legs.  He had to be reading his thoughts, this was just weird now.  "Wait, how come ya 'member that there?  Weren't ya passed out?"

"Na, just liked to cuddle you... your fur tastes like apples, know that?" Soarin asked, his green eyes not hiding a hint of shame as they sparkled in Braeburn's eyes.  The yellow pony took a step back as he came forward, his eyes were puffy and sick looking, but he still was the Soarin he had met a few days ago.  He chuckled "You should hit me, I deserve it." He said.

Braeburn considered this for a few moments, blinking slowly.  He felt irritated, but he found himself giggling as he reached out a hoof and nudged the others neck lightly.  He looked a tad surprised.  "C'mon buddy, let's fix ya up, ya look like horseshit."

"Wait... you just called me buddy."  Soarin said, stumbling forward.

"No I didn'" Braeburn snapped out, glaring at the other.

"Yes, you di-"  Soarin paused "Know what, my head hurts too much to care..."  the pegasus whimpered gently as he tried to extend his wings "Darn things always freeze up after a show." He mumbled "Guess we can't take the fun way back to your town."

Braeburn paused as he blinked slowly.  Realization struck him he was missing a full day of work at the moment.  "I'm gonna go broke." He whimpered gently.

Soarin rolled his eyes, but whimpered as his head pounded "Know what, I'm just going to go and get a drink of water."  He started to walk, but found himself tripping, but was caught by a pair of front legs that grumbled gently.

"I'll get it, you just go back to bed."

Soarin looked pathetic as he was all but drug back into the hotel room's bed.  He felt himself be hoisted up by the rather strong earth pony.  He looked into the emerald eyes.  "You don't seem as cynical as the first time I met you." He mumbled.  Braeburn found himself jumping as his cheeks blushed.  He shook his head several times, as if shaking off a thought that he found horrible.  Soarin smirked "Guess you don't feel so locked down outta that town, huh?" He was only half joking.

"Guess so..." Braeburn mumbled.  He blinked his eyes, shocking Soarin by the straight forward answer.  He looked away "H-Hey, ya look exhausted, try and sleep, 'right?"

Soarin smirked and put both hooves behind his bed "Whats wrong, can't take my teasing?" He asked, a snappy playfulness in his voice.  Braeburn rolled his eyes and shoved the blanket up past the others head.

"Can't wait till these darn two weeks are over 'matter er fact!" He growled, only half joking.
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"Nice flying out there Rapidfire, but I think you should try and increase your wing power by about three before the next show, and Fleetfoot, you need to slow down and keep up with the rest of us."  Spitfire said, pointing her hoof out to two of the pegasi, who nodded in return.

"Something wrong, Brae?" The voice broke Braeburn's thoughts.  The yellow pony was so intent on staring at the floor that he was too scared to look up, in fear it might vanish from underneath him.  He gulped loudly, sweat coming from his forehead and getting stuck in his coat.  He chewed on his lip before taking a glance over at the other.  Soarin looked at him, he seemed... bored...

Braeburn bit his lip and looked down again.  He didn't say anything.  His cheeks remained a shade of red as he squirmed a bit, unsure of himself at the current moment.  He was both nervous and shy.  He was never one to interact with other ponies head on, unless they talked to him first.  Crowds simply made him nervous, he liked to blame it all on these past three months of ridicule...

"Hey, nopony cares 'bout these stupid meetings, Spitfire just likes to sound official." He chuckled.  Braeburn still hadn't comprehended how he had gotten over his hangover in a single nap while his own head still pounded, nor did he find the energy to give two bucks.  "Besides, I'm vice captain, I'm usually acting official up there with her."

"Y-You, official?" Braeburn asked "T-That there's a joke if I ever 'eard one."  He dared to glance up at the table.  Nopony was watching them, but he still felt like everypony was judging him for just how abnormally close the older was sitting next to him, almost rubbing his wings on his sides.  The room they were in had no windows, and it made him feel like the walls were closing in on him.

"There's the Brae I know!" Soarin said, a little too loudly for Braeburn's comfort, as it caused an eye or two to be drawn to him.  Soarin must have sensed his uneasiness, for he forced himself to calm down, the talking and drilling of the squad continuing.  Braeburn kept his hat down past his eyes.  He didn't like being the center of attention, he truly didn't.  Even thinking about it made him tremble like crazy.  "C'mon, cheer up, we'll be outta here soon, promise.  Though you can leave on your own... just good luck getting tickets without my money." The pegasi teased.

"I just... I just don't like all of these ponies staring at me..." Braeburn mumbled.  He ran his hoof down his yellow coated arm.  He blinked several times.  Soarin stopped giggling, which was rare, and looked at the earth pony "It makes me think of..."

"Yeeees?" Soarin asked, his eyes breaking through his defenses.

"...Back in Appleloosa... all anypony ever does these here days... is look at me like I'm a crook."  Braeburn mumbled.  Why was he telling this to a pegasi who was pretty much a stranger anyways?  He still didn't understand it, why Soarin was able to break him down with ease.  He was so strong.  "And last night... everypony thought I was some kinda backwash scoundrel."

"Don't get many of those ponies back home in Cloudsdale, where I grew up."  Soarin mumbled "Most ponies were friendly to everpony else unless they really were crooks and scoundrels."  Talking to the earth pony seemed to sooth his nerves "But I guess Earth, Pegasi, and Unicorn ponies really are all different, in more than the obvious.  Think I learned that the hard way on our first tour, everpony was just so different from what I was used too."

Braeburn nodded, he wondered what it must be like, to be such an openly famous coltcuddler.  He looked up at the pegasi who was bigger than him.  He blinked several times, his shy eyes darting as the others didn't even blink they were so focused on him.  He was strong... stronger than himself.

"Pegasi don't care about that kind of coltcuddling or fillyfooling crap, they only care about important things."  He said "None of my friends are gonna glare at you."

"I'm not a coltcuddler..." He grumbled out.  

"Sure, I know."  Soarin said, totally unconvinced.  He rolled his eyes and spread out a soar wing and placed it over the earth pony's back.  Braeburn jumped and squirmed slightly, he opened his mouth to scream, say something, ANYTHING!  "Anypony here looks at you a way you don't like, I'll skin em."  Soarin grumbled out.

Braeburn felt his cheeks flush.  Why was Soarin so... cool?  And why did he feel so safe... like nothing or nopony could hurt him.  "Just look at me if you get scared, alright?"  Braeburn pondered this for several moments.  He was... very friendly toward him.

"A-Alright..." He mumbled.

The rest of the meeting seemed to go by too fast, all the yellow pony did was stare at the pegasus and never once thought of looking away, even for a second.

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Night seemed to come too fast for a change, all of the judgmental glares didn't happen for once.  The empty train cart clicked and clacked along the railroad as Braeburn sat in it alone in solitude.  The hills that rolled by didn't intrigue him anymore, in fact, they bored him with ease.  He sort of hated himself even more for it, but he would rather be talking to Soarin than sitting here alone.  He glanced up, his eyes drifting to the sight of light blue wings in the tiny window at the back of the train.  It was mesmerizing, to see those pale blue feathers blow one by one.

He watched out of the corner of his eye for the better part of five minutes before staring dead on for the next ten.  After twenty, he finally decided he had tortured himself enough and walked up and out of the cat onto the back of the train, onto the balcony.

"Took you long enough."  Soarin teased.  Braeburn felt his cheeks flush and became grateful for the darkness as he blinked several times and looked away.  "Sure is a pretty sky, out here in the country I mean."  Soarin said, glancing up at the sky.  He smiled warmly, and sincerely "What I wouldn't give to just do a show out here without all those flashy lights and stuff, y'know, dude?" He asked.  "Just something for me, not anypony else."

"That would be nice."  Braeburn said.  He looked down "I don't... I don't think I ever really took time to look at them that often."  He mumbled, his emerald eyes reflecting the nighttime sky.  He briefly wondered what the stars were controlled by.  Luna, or Celestia?  Or was it simply a force without magic?  He realized he was thinking way too deep into this, and should simply enjoy them.

A sudden gust of wind came and hit him.  Braeburn shivered and put a hoof over his head to keep his hat on.  "I'm thinkin' I might head back inside."  He mumbled.

"Cold?" Soarin asked.  The pegasus proceeded to spread out his wings and usher for the earth pony to come.  Braeburn blushed and opened his mouth to protest, but a wing seemingly forced its way over his back, to which he squirmed at slightly.  Everything in his mind was screaming at him to run, run as fast as he could.

"I... I should go back inside..." He squeaked out.  Soarin chuckled and used his other wing to tickle under the yellow pony's chin, causing both forced giggling and confused feelings to burst from the other.  "N-Nohoho, really." He stammered, his lips quivering at the feathers teasing his neck and chin.

"Oh shut up and lay down, you're cold and I am too..." He grumbled.  Though based on his feathers, he seemed VERY warm to the earth pony who was suddenly all but thrown on the ground.  He was caught only by a pair of hooves as he was brought to a warm chest.  His heart raced.  "See, comfy?" Soarin mumbled.

All Braeburn could do was gently whimper and squirm in protest.  "What's got you all antsy?" Soarin asked.

"I... I jus'..."  His mind hurt, and so did his heart.  He was scared, scared beyond any reasonable amount of the warm arms cuddling him closely.  Protectively.  "C-Colt's shouldn't cuddle... or b-be cuddled, t-they shoul' only cuddle the m-m-mares they love..."

"Do you believe that?" Soarin asked.  "Or do you want to believe it?"

Braeburn sniffled loudly.  The fear from the pit of his belly started growing.  Soarin gently rubbed his back "Shhh, calm down buddy, everything's alright."  The yellow pony seized up as something wrapped around his bushy tail and tugged playfully and carefully.  Soarin's own tail twisted around his.  "Why is it so wrong for a colt to be cuddled if he likes it?" He asked, reaching out a free hoof and lifting the others hat to reveal his teary eyes as they sat alone together on that balcony, the wind bouncing off of the wing, away from the earth pony.  "I'm serious, why is it wrong, why do YOU think it is?"

"I-It just... if they did..." His eyes teared up.  He regretted coming out here.  "My dad told me after I was 'round five or six... can't remember when... but I 'member him telling me colts shouldn't be cuddled... That I shouldn't cuddle anypony but a mare."

Everything was silent for a few minutes "When I was little... I remember just playin' with one of my friends."  Braeburn didn't know where this story was coming from, it just started to come up from his heart "I don't even 'member his name... I didn't see him aft'a that day..."

"Why?" Soarin asked, the goofy tone was nowhere to be found.

"Well... his father and my father were talkin'... I think it was 'bout a pair of coltcuddlers or fillyfoolers or something like that movin' in the town we lived in at that point.  They sounded like they were angry, and disgusted... I remember them grumblin' about it for a long time, long enough to keep my interest at that young age anyway."  Braeburn mumbled, looking down at his hooves "I... I think I asked him somethin' like... "Why do you two care so much 'bout two fillies or colts livin' 'gether'"

"Go on..." Soarin grumbled, shaking him a little when he paused.

"I should get back in der." Braeburn mumbled.

"Go on." Soarin ordered, giving Braeburn a deathly glare that caused the colts fur to stand on end.  The twisted tail around him tugged gently, reassuring him Soarin was not angry.

"They looked at me like I just 'aid I have lobsters growin' outta my ears."  He mumbled, his eyes welling in tears.  "'N my daddy said to me 'Son, don't you see anything wrong with them?' And I said 'No, why?'"  Things went silent as Braeburn's body physically shook.  "He told me that two colts didn't belong together, and I looked at 'im like he was the crazy one, not me!" Braeburn's eyes welled further.  "He told me again that they couldn't when I didn't say nothin'"

"Then?" Soarin asked.  He seemed just as anxious to know as Braeburn was as anxious to shut up.

"I told him that was horseapples, two colts or two fillies should marry if 'ey wanted... I told him that... that I wanted to marry another colt..."  Braeburn was silent, for a long time.  He kept his hat down past his eyes, Soarin didn't dare push him.  "I didn't mean it..."

"I know."

"It was an accident, I swear."

"I know." Soarin reassured "Go on..."

Braeburn took a deep, shaky breath "He... he didn't think more than a second... and then I remember his hitting me over the head as hard as he could.  The other colt's father looked disgusted and took his son away... I wasn't allowed to play with him after that..."  Braeburn fiddled with his hooves, a tear ran down his cheek that he couldn't control.  "D-Daddy got really angry, and I got scared... there was... there was a lot of blood..." He was shaking now.  "Mommy got real scared, and there was a lot of yelling... I just curled up in my room, my body hurt... a lot..." He bit his lip.  He didn't seem to realize he was calling his parents 'mommy' and 'daddy'.

"DIdn't anypony else see the bruises or nothin'?" Soarin asked.

Braeburn shook his head "N-No..." He whimpered "My s-school teacher asked what they were from, and when I told 'er, she looked at me like some kind of freak and refused to believe me..."  His eyes began to flow.  "I r-remember 'aving a lot of nightmares, and mommy stopped coming to cuddle me when I was scared, and daddy stopped going easy on me when I screwed up..."

"Brae... you can stop..." Soarin mumbled, running a hoof down the others cheek, cuddling him tighter.

Braeburn buried his head in his upper legs, his chest began to heave as he made muffled sobs into his hooves.  "N-Nopony t-treated m-m-me the same, I-I f-f-felt like a f-f-freak!" He wailed out, now openly sobbing "I-I-I j-just wanted s-somepony ta tell me what I did wrong!  E-Everypony t-treated me like an adult so suddenly, a-and all my friends left me because I acted so weird, I-I just wanted m-my ma ta hug me like she used to, and m-my dad ain't never seen me the same since!"  He cried "I a-ain't never regretted a slip of the tongue since!"

Braeburn lowered his head and openly began to sob "I'm a good pony... I'm a good pony... I'm sorry!"

"Brae, it's alright, please don't cry, I'll cuddle you, I'm right here." Soarin said, nuzzling the seemingly tiny pony's neck lightly and tightening his grip around his waist, the wing gently petting his body in long and gentle strokes.  He lifted his hat and wiped a hoof under his eye.  He nuzzled his cheek "I'll cuddle you whenever you want, please stop crying... you don't look as cute..."

"No!" Braeburn cried out, the words crushing his heart.  He began breaking away, cursing himself for letting himself believe for half a second that was true "I-It was 'cause of ponies like ya that It's like this."  He broke away, the harsh winds hitting him, stinging the tear trails under his eyes.  Part of him missed the gentle hooves cuddling him.  He was terrified, terrified of letting the other seep any deeper into his mind. "I hate ya!" He cried out, turning to try and kick open the door only to see a hoof slam in front of him on the metal.

"You don't hate me." Soarin stated.

"I... I do."  Braeburn wasn't sure of himself.

"No, you don't" The pegasus stated "You like me because you think I'm attractive, you like me because I'm willing to be there for you when everypony else hates you, you like me because I'm starting to make you see you don't have to be scared of falling in love.  And you like me because I'm stronger than you, and you envy me, you wish you could be more like me and be able to tell right from wrong with ease.  And right then you wanted nothing more than to cry in my arms and have a happy ending, didn't you?" He growled, his eyes... they were so...  Braeburn whimpered away, tears in his eyes as he tried to back up.  "Am I right or not?"

"I... I..."

Soarin had pinned the other against the metal of the railing.  His eyes locked with his.  They were screaming at him things that his mind told him were false and his heart told him were true, his emotions began to overflow.  He had never seen this side of Soarin before.  It was scary, it frightened him with the battle that began to rage inside of him.

Before he could open his mouth, Soarin grabbed his head and yanked his lips to his, smashing them against each other.

Braeburn screamed.