Trotting along the great plains of Appleoosa, the blue morning sky stands in complete contrast with the golden desert floor. The landscape ahead was rugged but well used, shown by the twisty path etched around the gigantic pillars of rock over the eons, but for now the only signs of life where the faint rustling of small animals buried deep inside the small, herbal plants that littered the landscape.
Walking on the soft, grainy sand, the sun slowly starts to creep over the surrounding hills, casting long shadows of cacti along the ground in the process. It was early. Way too early for any normal pony to be up at; but Braeburn's mad schemes usually involved a large pile of apples and getting up at a unholy hour, so there was little point in resisting it now. Maneuvering over to your destination, you sit down and wait patiently for...
“HOWDY!”
Leaping out on you from behind a nearby boulder, a silhouette of pony is projected against the sun. Landing on neatly on top of you, you to skid along the dusty ground before grinding to a slowly to a halt in a pile of sand. As you slowly start to open your eyes, the dust starts to settle down, revealing a yellow pony grinning on top of you. Rolling your eyes, he looks down at you excitedly.
“Hey Braeburn...”
“There ya’ are! Take your time why don’t ya’, I was starting to worry that ya’ weren’t going to come! Well now, this is no time to be lying around lazying about; come on!”
Smiling at you innocently, his emerald green eyes sparkle the mourning sun. With his trademark brown hat sitting smugly on the front of his head, he reaches down and grabs your hoof, pulling you up off the ground in one swift motion. Tutting loudly, he starts to walk around you, dusting you gently with his tail as he did so. Giggling under the sensation of his tingly hairs, you playfully push him away and walk up next to him.
“Why wouldn’t I come? Wait... what are you going to do...”
“Oh nothing now! It’s not like I’m going to foalnap you or anything...”
As you slowly back away from him suspiciously, Braeburn lets out a cute snort before quickly covering his mouth in embarrassment. But trying to contain his laughter only makes things worse however, causing him laugh uncontrollably under his hoof. Mimicking his laugh, you notice a shy smile emerge on his face before he playfully nudges you with his flank.
***
Trotting over the brow of the hill, a small apple orchard over looking the valley comes in to view, with a picnic basket laid neatly out near the top. Turing to look at Braeburn, his blond mane falls down covering his face, followed by nervous smile in the corner of his mouth.
“Apples? My Braeburn, you really do like your clichés don’t you?”
Flustered, his emerald green eyes start to dash in all directions when he's talking. Prodding his hat back up his head, he starts to rub the sand beneath his hoofs.
“Well I just thought it would be nice for us to watch the sunrise, ya know. Anyway, I thought ya liked apples?”
Looking into the dead center of his eyes, a smirk slowly creeps onto your face.
“Oh, you know I love apples...”
Your stomachs bloated with all kinds of apples, you both lie in the lazily in the glow of the morning sun. Reaching out towards the last remaining apple in the bucket, you turn to see Braeburn staring at you through shifty eyes.
“Now, are ya really going to eat that?”
Looking into his eyes, you slowly take a bite out of the crunchy apple, before chewing it sarcastically loud. Squinting at you, a sly smile appears on Braeburn’s face.
“Oh ya’ did not”
Playfully reaching across you, Breaburn tries to grasp the apple from you. Getting tantalizingly close, he suddenly loses his footing, causing you both to roll down the side of the hill and into the shallow stream below. Landing on top of you, water flowing around your body, he leans down and rubs his face gently against yours. Your heart beating faster than ever before, his cheeks turn bright red as he pulls away sharply and retreats behind the safety his hat and mane, giving you no chance to respond.
“Erm... I’m awfully sorry; I don’t know what came over me. Erm, I should...”
For the first time ever you see Braeburn speechless. Searching around for an excuse, he puts his hoofs on the ground and tries to get up, only to be stopped by you grabbing his jacket. Doing the only thing you can; you instinctively reach up and peck him gently on the cheek. Despite looking as confused as a mule in a fashion show, a slight smile starts to emerge on his face as he smiles lovingly back at you.
“Wait, ya mean?”
Nodding, he leans back towards you as the passion of the situation takes over. Wrapping your arms around his neck, you quickly drag him back towards you, locking your lips in a fiery passion that not even Celestia herself could break. Rolling over in the stream, the warm glow of the sun shining upon you, everything was perfect.
As he reluctantly pulling away, water still dripping from the ends of his mane, Braeburn slowly sits up and readjusts his hat. With the shade of the trees partly covering his big, green eyes, he reaches down and rubs is face against yours again, this time a lot more confidence. There was no pressure, no awkwardness between you now. As his blond mane drapes to the side of his face, the panting Breaburn rolls next to you and smiles curiously.
“Well, that was mighty...”
“...unexpected?”
Looking at you through shifty eyes, a sly smile spreads across his face. Grabbing your hoof, he pulls you out of the river and begins to waft you with his tail.
“Well, I was thinking more about it being, ya know, perfect. But look us, where drenched! Come on, I think I have a blanket around here somewhere...”
Shaking the excess water off, grab Braeburn’s scared hat and trot off into the distance. Giggling like a school filly, Breaburn reaches over and tries to get it back before chasing you back up the hill.
Yep: things where perfect now...
