How Fragile a Crystal Heart Can Be

by Coyote Mustang

Rating: teen
Tags: Original Character, My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, Romance, Braeburn, King Sombra, Slice of Life
Length: 14000

Braeburn now lives knowing the heart that's inside him is not his own. How will the stallion live on when the heart's own past keeps Braeburn from moving on?

Braeburn's life is turned upside down when a medical emergency lands him in the hospital. Facing down death, Braeburn is left to question his choices in life. But when that life is saved by an anonymous donor, Braeburn is too afraid of those around him to take the risks he had always wanted to take. Soon, a series of dreams will lead him down a road of life, love and death and as it draws to a close, will Braeburn still be too afraid of the love that exists in his own crystal heart.

Written for the June Crack Ship contest
So many thanks go to KitsuneRisu for editing this, despite a heavy work schedule and many other stories to read. Thank you for all that you do for me.

Preformed live by The New York Philharmonic Orchestra.

Published 2013-06-24 05:50:03 UTC
Last updated 2013-06-24 05:50:03 UTC

The Love in Dreams and Nightmares

The summer sun beat down on the small town of Appleloosa, its inhabitants ducking for cover anywhere they could find the shade. The townsfolk that finished their days’ work took refuge in the homes they built, the children playing in or near the ponds and rivers that made this desert land fertile enough to farm. The single apple farm that found its existence in such a harsh land stood steady in the sweltering heat. And all of this was thanks to a simple stallion that kept the town’s businesses moving and the town fed for the most part.

Braeburn was working the west fields this day. The stallion’s sweat dripped like soft rain down his face, leaving trails in his fur. He was always a hard worker, a fair boss and a strong provider for the town he loved. He didn’t usually work the fields on the weekends, but a weather forecast had shown a heat wave was moving into the town. He had also hired a few extra ponies to work for the week, paying them a small wage for their services. And on a day like this he was glad he offered them jobs watering the remaining fields.

Braeburn had just placed the last of the buckets down after watering his section of the orchard and sat under the nearest tree. His hat lay low on his head, the sweatband soaked to its capacity. He knew he needed a cool place to stay for a few hours to keep the heat exhaustion away as well as a cold glass of water or juice. He stood and made his way to the others who were working, announcing as he went that their jobs for the day were over. He invited them to his home for cool air to rest in. Many accepted his offer, following behind him.

He approached the last worker in the fields, his second in command on the farm. The dark blue stallion stood poised over a bucket of water, His eyes staring intently at the cool refreshment that lay within. The hesitation to drink from the bucket he had came from the stallion’s knowledge of the chemicals that were in the water and how it could kill him if he drank it.

“Hey, Violet Carson, it’s time to finish work for the day. Why don’t you come back to the house for a cold drink? I guarantee it will taste better than that.” Braeburn chuckled as he walked next to the stallion. Carson began to nod his head vigorously, eager to sate his dry throat. The two of them made their way back to the house, each silent as they walked. Carson’s lack of speech was due to a lack of hydration. Braeburn’s was for a different reason.

For a while now, Braeburn had been interested in this particular stallion. It had started as a simple appreciation for the work he did on the farm. It had grown when the stallion had first begun to talk to him less like his boss and more like a friend, showing the intelligence he hid from the town.

It blossomed into affection during a night of hard drinking between the two of them at Braeburn’s home. Carson had a lot to drink that night, loosening his lips a bit more than what he had intended. He had confessed right to Braeburn’s face that he enjoyed working for him and if he wasn’t the straightest pony he had ever worked for, He’d have jumped him long ago.

Braeburn’s muzzle grew red as he remembered that time. Braeburn knew of his affection for Carson, and to hear that back was a great thing to keep a pony going. However it was the town they lived in that made it difficult. Appleloosa wasn’t one of those flank-backwards hillbilly towns that were typically depicted in bit store novels, but it wasn’t the most open of towns.

Violet Carson lived in the guest house on Braeburn’s farm as he claimed paying for a home in the town was hard to do on his salary. Braeburn knew the town’s home prices were on the decline, so his pay was not the problem in this situation. He also knew that several of the others he employed had homes and large families living in them and they could afford it fine.

Braeburn’s smile dropped as he thought that over: what would happen to him if he were to come out? Braeburn shuddered at the thought of the repercussions, An act that didn’t get past Carson’s attentive gaze.

“Mr. Apple, is everything ok?” he asked as he stopped next to Braeburn’s form. “I only ask because that was a mighty shiver you just had.”

“Yes, Carson I’m fine. The heat’s just getting to me.”

Carson’s eyed his boss skeptically but, with a shrug, the two continued to walk until the farmhouse could be seen on the horizon.

Braeburn could see the front door of his home, a red speck in the waves of heat that rose from the ground. He began to trot faster, his body waiting to embrace the cool air of the home. He was nearly in a run when he began to feel something strange take over his form.

It started with his vision; the red speck seemed to flee from his sight. Next went his movement, a slowing stagger took over his body, keeping him from running. Last came the pain – Braeburn gripped his chest and it looked to Carson as if he were trying to rip his heart out. Braeburn’s vision slowly faded to black as he crumpled on the hot dirt right in front of Violet Carson’s hooves.

Braeburn awoke to a bright moon rising over the horizon, its silvery glow shining through a nearby window. He tried to sit up, but his chest screamed in pain at the mere thought of doing so. His glance moved from side to side as he took in his surroundings.

He lay in a hospital bed in a room of off white walls, the paint peeling in places from being cleaned with high strength industrial solvents. . The curtains hung low to the ground, with a gap for the moon to shine through. He slowly felt himself over, trying to find the I.V. lines and any injuries he may have sustained from his heat stroke. His hooves swept over until they both came to a sharp line of stitches that went straight up his stomach. He prodded it with a hoof, spiking his pain with each movement of the stitches.

“Ah, Mr. Apple, I’m glad to see you’re awake,” a stern voice sounded from the doorway of his room. Braeburn looked up to see a doctor moving towards him.

“Good evening doc,” he responded as the doctor stood next to him, watching his vitals. “What exactly happened to me?”

“It appears you suffered a broken heart.” The doctor laughed forcibly as he noted the numbers on the monitor.

Braeburn’s expression was one of disdain. “A what?”

“Sorry, medical joke.” The doctor’s laughter stopped as he finished writing his note on his clipboard. Braeburn gave the doctor a cold stare, willing the doctor to just get to the point. The doctor’s forced smile left as he placed the chair next to Braeburn’s bed.

“Mr. Apple, you arrived here with a torn aorta and we had to move you to the operating room immediately. We had to resuscitate you several times in the operating room, but we were able to fix the tear. But I’m afraid I have bad news, the test results came back on the tissue sample we sent to the lab. It shows a cellular structure the likes of which we have never seen.”

“What is wrong with it?”

“Mr. Apple, the results show your heart tissue is extraordinarily weak. In fact, The walls are so thin that the tech we had examining it thought it had come from a cadaver in the morgue. The medical staff here has come to the conclusion that without surgery, your lifespan will be reduced to no more than a few months.”

“Months?”

“Yes, Mr. Apple, we think the tear you experienced will not be a one-time event. They are so weak that we fear another rupture can occur at any moment. Now, the only known cure for this is probably one of the most drastic things we in the medical community can do. You need a heart transplant.”

Braeburn’s eyes grew large at those two words. Heart Transplant. He took in a deep breath as he soaked in the information the doctor gave him.

His voice quaked as he repeated those words to the doctor, “heart transplant?”

“Yes,” The doctor responded with a slight shake to his voice, “and the worst news is still to come. We did a blood test on you to determine your donor compatibility and where on the list you are. We determined that your blood type is so rare that finding a heart in time is next to impossible. We don’t like telling our patients this but we suggest getting your affairs in order in the next few months.”

Braeburn’s eyes dropped to his chest, falling on the stitches that held his chest closed. His heart, for being such a small thing, it sure could cause a lot of problems. He had so much in life that he hadn’t done: never travel the country, never fallen in love, never been kissed...

No, he wasn’t going to accept death that willingly. He would fight until the very end if he had to.

“Doctor, I have a unique blood type?” He questioned as he looked back up.

“Yes, a very rare blood type, its chances of occurring are one in a million.”

“So there's hope, right? I mean if it’s one in a million, there has to be some pony in Equestria that shares it with me,” He replied with a glimmer of hope shining in his eyes.

The doctor didn’t answer, only giving a small nod at his patient’s optimism. He talked Braeburn through the directions for living his life to the fullest and minimizing the risks to his heart. Braeburn was saddened when he learned he couldn’t work anymore, the doctors believed his previous working had cause the first tear.

Braeburn’s mind wandered for the remainder of the day, too distracted to do anything but think. Luckily for him, a visitor arrived to break him out of it.

Violet Carson walked into his room, a soft smile across his face. Braeburn smiled at him as well, thankful he was walking alongside him when this happened. The two of them talked for a few hours, discussing the work that was being

Carson soon began to yawn, signaling the end to their talk. They wished each other a good night and Braeburn was left to cry softly at another missed opportunity.

The next day his cousin, Applejack, had stopped by with her friends for a few hours as they passed through on a train bound for someplace called ‘The Crystal Empire’. He greeted them with a smile, still happy for their help a few years ago.

They left after only an hour, their connection arriving slightly behind schedule as Twilight made a point to show. They swiftly gave their goodbyes and Braeburn was left alone in his room. He was happy to see his cousin again, happy that atleast for some of his family, life wasn’t being spent in a hospital room.

_______________________________Two Months Later___________________________

Braeburn awoke from another night of dreamless sleep. It had been dreamless since he left the hospital after recovering. He had delegated the workings of his farm to Carson, feeling the stallion could take charge in his absence. Braeburn’s days were reduced to sitting in the house, cooking the food for the workers every day and taking care of the finances to his business.

Braeburn cursed his condition under his breath . He hated it, hated the fact he couldn’t work, that Carson was both his caretaker and acting manager of his farm. He hated that he had nothing but complaints about Carson from the other ponies on the farm since he was put in charge. Some went on about his lack of focus in the watering of the trees. Others noticed he seemed distracted when he was taking inventory. Braeburn chalked most of the complaints up to Carson being new, and placed in a position of authority without the proper training. He let out a long sigh, feeling alone in the world. It wasn’t until Carson arrived at the home after a long day’s work that his mood improved, as slight as it was.

It was a warm night in Appleloosa when Braeburn’s phone began to ring. Carson reached the phone first, lifted the receiver and answered.

“Apple residence, Violet Carson speaking. Yes, Mr. Apple is available, one second.”

Carson hoofed the phone to Braeburn with a large smile.

“Hello?”

“Good Evening,Mr. Apple, I was calling to tell you some great news. We found a donor heart for you!”

Braeburn’s eyes nearly exploded in size as he took in the message. “You found a donor?”

“That we did. Now I know this is quite the shock, but we need you in surgery as soon we can, as the heart only has a few hours before it is rendered useless.”

Braeburn couldn’t believe it.

It was a one in a million chance. there’s no possible way my luck is that good.

“Yes sir, I’ll be right there.”

Braeburn held the receiver for a few more seconds after the other end cut off, waiting for the dream he was in to collapse and allow him to return to the reality of his death. It was Carson’s laughter that brought him out of his stupor and into a world where his life was to be saved. They rushed to the hospital as quick as the two of them could.

His thoughts circled as he was wheeled into the operating room, a smile across the rest of the staff’s faces. He was instructed to start counting down from a hundred to one. As he spoke ‘ninety-five’, the world faded around him and he fell into a comfortable sleep.

Braeburn’s eyes slowly opened, trying hard to focus in the light. What he saw was not a hospital room, but the bedroom of a home. The ruby red silk sheets flowed gloriously over a body as it righted himself in the bed.

Where am I?

Braeburn had only a moment to think before his sight began to move without him. He saw himself moving towards a mirror in the room, an action he wasn’t taking himself. But as he reached the mirror and sat down, he saw not his own face but that of a young colt, no more than seven or eight. His black mane sat frazzled on his head, a mess of oil and sleep. A brush swiftly lifted to fix it, a magical glow surrounding it.

This is so strange.

Braeburn could only look out the eyes of this colt, his movements made no difference to the scenes he watched. He’d thought about trying to leave his dream, to wake up and try returning. But the more he tried to leave, the slower the movements Quartz became. Braeburn soon gave up leaving and settle into watching his dream.

“Master Quartz, it’s time for breakfast,” an older pony announced as he poked his head into the room.

“Coming, Rough Cut,” a soft whisper spoke as Quartz turned to answer. Quartz soon fixed the last of his bed head and placed the comb down on the vanity. He levitated a small golden crown onto his head, settling the ends between his ears. Braeburn watched as Quartz made his way out of his room and down a long flight of stairs to the dining room.

The stairs soon vanished as Quartz walked into the dining room. A large grey stallion sat at the head of the table, his muzzle deep in a stack of papers. Quartz sat down in the seat furthest from him and quickly ate his breakfast. Braeburn wasn’t the best judge of ponies, but the speed the colt he knew as Quartz was going in eating all of his breakfast told him this pony was no one to be messed with. As Quartz finished his plate, Rough Cut arrived in the dining room and placed a backpack on the colt.

“Come master Quartz, we mustn't be late for school.”

Braeburn watched as the two of them walked the path that led to the school. Neither spoke a word to each other, each choosing to enjoy the scenery that lay around them. Braeburn marveled at the images of spiraling towers, large crystals and a large heart that lay in the center of the square.

The school drew close as the two made their way down the main street in town. Rough Cut bid Quartz farewell and turned to walk back. Quartz was greeted with a smile from the teacher that stood in front of the door. He took a seat near the middle of the school house in the front row of the class. The last image Braeburn saw before the world grew fuzzy around him was the face of a colt about Quartz’s age. His red mane hung over his eyes, making it hard for Braeburn to see him fully. The mass of mane gave a soft smile to the Quartz and they both turned forward to the teacher’s opening lecture. The day seemed to flash by in Braeburn’s mind; the details grew as fuzzy as the images he watched. It was like a poorly done film, shaky and uncoordinated.

The image cleared again as the day drew to a close, and once again he saw the black-maned colt named Quartz, whose eyes wandered across the town's architecture. His steps fell in sync with Rough Cut as he escorted him home, their trotting sounding down the barren streets. Braeburn watched as Rough cut held the door to Quartz’s home open, a monolithic structure of crystal guarded by a few royal guards up front.

Quartz walked up the stairs to his room. Upon opening the door Braeburn’s eyes were drowned in light. He blinked furiously, trying to readjust his eyes and soon she was looking at a ceiling of white. Braeburn swiftly looked around the room and found the monitors of the hospital beeping next to him.

“Mr. Apple, please don’t move for a while. we had some difficulty closing your incisions.”

Braeburn looked down to his chest, and found gauze wrapped tightly around it. He could feel the stitches pressing against the gauze and despite having made it through this ordeal, he gave a long sigh.

Braeburn placed his hooves behind his head, the only position he found that didn’t stress his stitches. His life was saved because somepony else lost theirs. That pony could have been a father, a son, a brother, an uncle, a friend... and now they were gone. Braeburn had a new heart, he should be happy. But more he thought about the pony whose heart gave him life, the heavier his heart felt.

Wait, my heart is actually heavy.

Braeburn took in a breath and felt his heartbeat as he held his breath. It was slow, and it resonated with a heavier thud than what he was used to. Maybe it was because his heart had been so weak he didn’t know what it was actually supposed to feel?

Many thoughts circled in Braeburn’s head as he questioned the heaviness to his chest. He was so caught up in thought that he failed to notice a pony enter his room.

“Evening, boss, how are you doing?” Carson questioned softly, trying not to startle him.

“Better, now that I know I’ll be able to live my life again. Even if it was at the expense of another,” Braeburn answered with a weak smile. “But that’s besides the point, How’s everything at the farm?”

“As well as it always is. The guys still refuse to talk to me for more than 2 minutes and the towns folk seem to stare a little longer at the fruit when they buy it from me.”

Braeburn’s eyes rolled as he listened in. He had figured his workers would have gotten over his decision to place Carson as acting manager. To hear from Carson that this was not the case made him more than a little disgusted. He quickly hid his disgust as he noticed Carson’s staring.

“I apologize for sticking you in this mess. I know it must be hard to take the reins of the farm on such short notice, but this operation should be the last one I’ll ever need so long as I live.”

“It’s no problem boss. As long as you need me to, I’ll be there to take it and keep the business afloat.”

Braeburn gave him the best smile he could, one that wouldn’t show the pain he was in. He and Carson spent the next hour talking about the businesses finances, how they could improve their quotas and other business-related things. The night approached as the two of them began to run out of things to discuss. Carson’s hooves swiped the floor, as if he had something to ask, but was afraid to say it outloud.

“Carson, is something wrong?” Braeburn asked as he watched him fidget.

“Mr. Apple,...”

“Braeburn, please.”

“Right, Braeburn, why did you say “At the expense of another”?”

“My heart, Carson. It came at the expense of another. Somepony’s family is grieving as I lay here happy to be alive.”

“You don’t seem happy to me, In fact you look quite depressed to me.”

Braeburn gave him a soft smile, but the tears that began to well in his eyes told Carson a different story.

“Yes, Carson, I am happy but not in the way I should be. I’m happy that I can live a normal enough life now. I can see my farm grow in size as well as the city. But I am also sad. Sad that another had to give their life so I may do all of these things. They have given me the greatest gift I could even have, and yet I can never know who this pony was. I don’t know if they ever had children, if they ever had a special pony in their life, I don’t even know their name? It’s like they don’t exist anymore, a name is a pony and yet they remain nameless to me. How can I live with this heart if the one that lost it isn’t remember as well?”’

“You could live for the both of you?”

Braeburn gave Carson a confused look, unable to see his point.

“Live for the two of you, continue to live your life so that pony’s death wasn't in vain. You don’t want this pony to be forgotten and he won’t if you continue to live and remember his sacrifice.”

Carson was right, there was no need for him to be sad. His life was keeping the pony’s memory and spirit alive. He kindly thanked Carson as a nurse arrived to inform them that visiting hours were over. They gave each other a small wave as Carson departed back to the farm.

A doctor arrived a few minutes later, a smile strung across his face.

The doctor spend a good portion of his time talking with Braeburn about the operation. He also explained that sometimes the body will reject the new heart and he would need to be on medication for the rest of his life to stop that from happening. The doctor did smile when he told Braeburn that his life could be lived much fuller now, as the heart he received was quite healthy.

Braeburn smiled back, a faint amount of pain in his eyes. The doctor seemed to notice this and walked over to his I.V. Braeburn couldn’t see what exactly he did but he sure felt it.

A small feeling of euphoria washed over him as the increase to his pain medication entered his bloodstream. His smile grew wider as the feeling made its way down to his lower half. The doctor laughed lightly at Braeburn’s reaction and proceeded out of the room.

Braeburn enjoyed this feeling, a happiness he hadn’t felt in a few months. He let it continue to wash over him and soon his eyes grew heavy.

He soon found his eyelids struggling to stay open and rather than resist, he welcomed this sleep with a smile, confident he would wake up the next day.

Braeburn’s eyes widened to the shine of the sun, but as he looked around he saw he was not in the hospital room he fell asleep in. The ruby red sheets were back, and Braeburn thought he recognized where he was once again. Braeburn watched as the yes tracked across the room and the pony made its way back to the vanity, but his face had changed from last time. Braeburn saw Quartz was a little older, His mane longer than before.

Quartz brushed his long mane in the mirror of the vanity, taking care to pull the knots out before he smoothed it out. Rough Cut poked his head in, telling Quartz it was time for breakfast. Quartz finished before he began down the stairs. Quartz hurried past the dining room and went straight to the front door.

“Young Master, what about breakfast?” Rough Cut questioned as he gestured to the dining room.

“Not today, I have something I need to do. I’m sure my father will understand.”

The older pony only nodded and Quartz soon stepped out the door.

Braeburn’s ‘movie screen’ blurred as Quartz stepped outside and cleared up again to show him a new section of the town, one that wasn't the area outside of Quartz's home.

Braeburn watched as Quartz stepped into a large grassy area where a large group of ponies were playing. He watched as a few of the ponies passed a ball around magically. They seemed to be throwing it as hard as they could, within the boundaries of their power. Quartz walked over to the group, who stopped as soon as he entered the field. He asked if he could join in as it looked like fun. The others gave him a devilish grin before accepting his offer.

Braeburn didn’t like the look those ponies just gave Quartz. The hide something behind their smiles, something Quartz would probably soon regret.

The game hadn’t even started when the ball was sent flying hard into the back of the colt’s head. He had landed with his muzzle buried in the grass. Tears welled up in his eyes as he looked up to the group of students that had amassed.

“Why did you do that?” The soft voice of the colt said as he wiped the dirt from his muzzle.

“Because I could, coltcuddler.”

Braeburn winced inside Quartz’s mind, hearing that word used. He had always hated that word, His family used it far more than was necessary.

Please, Quartz, leave while you still can.

“Well you didn’t have to hit me so hard. I only wanted to be friends,” Quartz said as he looked the group over.

Laughter grew amongst the ranks of the group, each snickering at Quartz’s comment.

“Friends?” The tallest pony called. “What makes you think we want to be friends? We would never hang out and play with somepony like you. We only let you in so we could have something to hit other than each other for once.”

Braeburn watched as Quartz began to walk off the field, afraid they would continue to mock him. He made it no more than ten feet before the crowd closed in around him.

“Oh no, You aren’t getting away that easily! Guys, get him!”

It started with a shove, one that knocked Quartz off balance. Next came a hoof to his ribs. Braeburn watched as Quartz curled up in pain, gripping his chest tight. A flurry of hooves came crashing down on the wounded colt as they continued to hit him.

Braeburn could only scream to himself, the beating was growing heavier and heavier the more this dream went on. He felt his own tears stream down his face, saddened by the cruelty of the pony’s that were attacking him. Soon anger replaced his tears as he yelled at the screen.

“What the buck is their problem, He only wanted to be friends.” He yelled as the screen continued to twitch as the hooves impacted Quartz, shaking his eyes in place. Through Quartz’s imobile gaze, Braeburn could see several ponies sitting close to the brawl, none of them even moving to help.

Bucking help him, you useless...

“Stop it, Leave him alone!” A feminine voice yelled out as the beating slowly subsided. Quartz’s head turned up to look at his savior. A red maned colt stood over him, looking worriedly at the injuries he may have sustained. He leaned down and started to wipe the tears from around Quartz’s eyes away.

“What is going on over... oh my celestia!” one of the mothers nearby screamed and quickly made her way to his side. She waited only a second before turning and running from the yard. She arrived back quickly with a set of royal guards and a doctor from the local hospital. Braeburn could only watch as Quartz was lifted in a blanket of magic and rushed off to a blinding light of space.

“Stop!” Braeburn screamed as he woke up, violently swinging his hooves. Tears were streaming down his face; the dampness from them and sweat from the dream had left the pad he slept on soaked in fluid. He felt so bad watching this nightmare. It was so real that he felt the pain of the kicks Quartz sustained in the dream. A doctor came running into the room, a look of pure panic on his face. The light switch was flipped as he made his way in.

Braeburn looked in the glow of the light to see that it wasn’t sweat but blood that had soaked the pad. He looked over his form and found the gauze covering his stitches soaked in blood. His head spun as he passed out and awoke a few hours later, a new vest of gauze holding his stitches down.

Braeburn was so traumatized by his dream that he spent the rest of the day in a nightmare induced stupor, too afraid to close his eyes for fear of finding the blooded body of Quartz lying behind them. He lay and stared at the ceiling, alone with only his thoughts. Braeburn could feel everything; the kicking, the punches, everything. He shivered as his mind went over the assault in detail, drawing Braeburn deeper into stupor.

Carson visited for only a small amount of time; No more than an hour or so.They struggled through the day’s quota, talked very little the finances and the other business stuff was left by the wayside. Carson left with another small wave, to which Braeburn only nodded. His mind was still stuck on the dream, and to make things worse, Braeburn’s eyes began to grow heavy again.

Braeburn struggled to stay awake as long as he could, but soon sleep overtook his will and he slid into an uneasy dream state.

The ruby red sheets were back as Braeburn struggled to wake himself. He watched as Quartz awoke from his sleep.

Quartz walked over to his vanity, a different one from before, and sat down. The young colt that Braeburn knew as Quartz had changed so much since the last dream. His black hair now stretched half way down the left side of his face. His body was now more lean, sleek and fit, as well as much taller than before. It was when Quartz smiled that Braeburn was sure it was him, as the same soft smile radiated with understanding.

The combing was done as methodically as before, but the knots were also smoothed out with a sort of gel type substance which added a nice shine to it. Quartz slicked his hair back, leaving him with a pompadour. He placed a silver crown atop his head, and walked out the door. He levitated a set of satchels over his back and gave a soft wave to Rough Cut who stood by the door.

Braeburn couldn’t believe it; he had seen this stallion beaten so severely that blood was nearly spilled. And yet he walked with no limp, showed no scarring from the attack and even his kind demeanor was still there.

Braeburn watched as Quartz walked down the halls of his home, smiling and waving to the servants that were out and about. He even greeted his father on his way outside, only receiving a grunt for his efforts. As he approached the front door, his father yelled after him.

“Prince Lazuli Quartz, where are you going?”

“I’m going out, father.”

“That didn’t answer my question, Where are you going?” The King yelled as he stood next to Lazuli.

Celestia, he doesn’t have to yell. he’s right there.

“I’m going to the market to find something for my room. I’ll be back in a few hours.” Lazuli answered as he swung the door open and left without hearing his father’s response.

Lazuli made his way down the now familiar streets of the town in which he lived. He walked for a while, alone with his thoughts.

“Hey, Prince Quartz!”

Lazuli looked up to see a friend bouncing his way over to him. He waited until the stallion was next to him to answer.

“Strawflower, what have I told you, it’s just ‘Lazuli’, none of this ‘Prince Quartz’ stuff.”

“I’m sorry, I’ll try and remember that in the future.”

“Thank you, now how has your day been?” Lazuli questioned as he smiled at his friend.

The yellow earth pony shared a large toothy smile with the prince, denoting his feelings for the day so far. The two of them started walking towards the town center together, chatting all the way over.

The town center bustled as the prince entered the market area. Shops of all kinds were open and many ponies were trading for the goods they would need to survive. The prince strolled down the center of the market, shopkeepers and other patrons moving so they wouldn’t block his path.

Lazuli found it hard not to blush as the town folk tried hard to please him. He didn’t want this sort of attention; he just wanted something nice to put in his room. He browsed the stalls, asking Straw for advice on several of the pieces. He finally settled on a nice rug, one with a very intricate floral pattern. The seller tried hard to give it to the prince for free, but Lazuli knew it was an expensive item to begin with and giving it away would cause heartache for the merchant's family.

The merchant, upon payment, sent for a colt to haul the heavy rug back to the palace. The prince only smiled before lifting the rather heavy rug upon his back and he set off for the castle.

Strawflower walked next to him, his bubbly personality infecting the shy prince. By the time they had arrived back at the castle, Prince Lazuli was in a deep fit of laughter.

“Well this is your stop,” Straw said as he looked up at the highest peaked roof on the building, “I guess I’ll see you around.”

Lazuli frowned as he looked up to where his room was in the castle. He knew his father didn’t like ‘commoners’” on the castle grounds. But this was Straw, his best friend.

“Hey Straw?” Lazuli questioned, “Do you want to come in for a little while? I was really enjoying our conversation.”

“What about your father?”

“What he doesn’t know won’t hurt him, right?”

Straw took only a second before bouncing up the stairs to the doors. Lazuli laughed softly as he followed his friend up and opened the door.

"This Strawflower. He acts like somepony I’ve met before. Celestia, what was her name?" Braeburn thought as he watched the two of them sneak past the throne room and up the stairs to the prince’s chambers.

Lazuli opened the large oak doors to his room, letting Straw enter before him. Straw gave him a smile and Lazuli closed the door behind them. Lazuli walked over to his vanity and wrapped the crown he wore in a blanket of magic. He placed the crown upon a figurehead on the vanity and turned his attention back to the rug. The blanket of magic moved to wrap itself around the heavy item and soon it laid spread across the floor.

Strawflower sat and watched this display, giggling lightly at the prince’s attention to detail. He watched Lazuli place it in one position in his room, think for a second then move it to a different part.

It was a rug, you can only place it one way, on the floor.

Braeburn heard Straw snicker again as he too watched the dance the prince did in placing the rug down.

At least somepony else finds this funny.

As soon as Lazuli released the magic surrounding the rug, Straw ran and landed atop it. He slid across the room, his laughter as loud and raucous as could be. Lazuli stood and watched, completely dumbfounded.

“Strawflower, what is the meaning of this? That rug was a work of art and you just used it like a sled to move across my floor.”

“Yeah Lazuli, and it was fun. Come on, give it a try, I guarantee it will be more fun than you think.”

Lazuli looked skeptically at his friend. Sliding on a town pony’s hard work seemed like a monstrous thing to do. He looked at the rug, then back to his friend. Straw only waved his hoof in a gesture one uses to say “come and and do it”. Lazuli took a few steps back, cursed under his breath and ran forward.

With a small jump, Lazuli landed on the rug and felt it slide across the floor. The silky smooth glide he did was like nothing he had ever experienced. Lazuli didn’t want to say it out loud, but it was in fact quite fun for him. The two exchanged riding across his floor on the carpet, their laughter growing with each slide.

The two of them soon collapsed onto the prince’s bed, each too out of breath from all the laughing to talk right. Lazuli looked over mid-snicker and watched his friend’s laughter with soft eyes. Strawflower looked happy for his family’s line of work. Being the son of the town’s undertaker, one would think his life would be a little more morose than it was.

Strawflower’s laughter tapered off as he caught Lazuli staring at him. Lazuli’s eye’s sparkled in the light of the room and his soft smile brought a warm feeling to Straw’s face. Straw took a few seconds before sitting up and moving closer to the prince on the bed. Lazuli sat up as well, if only to be courteous to his guest. He was meet with an awkward smile from Straw.

“Hey Lazuli, can I ask you a question?”

He nodded calmly, his smile unwavering.

“When you walked onto that field all those years ago, what were you trying to do?”

Lazuli looked down at the floor as he remembered the incident at the field. His ribs left out a phantom pain if only as a reminder. He took a deep breath before answering.

“I was hoping to make friends. Isn’t that what all colts want when they are young?”

His friend let out a soft laugh, “Yeah, but not all colts are the future ruler of the empire.”

Lazuli blushed at this comment, knowing how foolish it was for him to wish that. He laughed along with him, if only to deflect his embarrassment.

“Well, it technically worked, that’s how I met you.”

“Yeah, that is true.” Straw said as his gaze move up to the ceiling.

“Hey Lazuli, have you ever loved another pony?”

“Well, that came out of nowhere. I suppose I love my father, for the most part...”

“No, Lazuli, I mean a romantic type of love, like a special pony?”

Lazuli had to think for a second on that. He had had his share of mares meet him in his chambers, but those were selected by his father seeking a bride for him.

“I don’t know, does a father trying to wed you off count?” He answered with a small chuckle.

He received one back, but Strawflower’s laugh seemed more like a nervous chuckle than a light-hearted one.

“Straw, you know I’m here for you. What's on your mind?” Lazuli said as he placed a hoof around His shoulder.

He felt Straw stiffen up, as if not expecting it. He soon felt him physically relax, but his voice didn’t.

“Lazuli, I think I’m in love with somepony, but I fear the repercussions if I were to ask them.”

The prince gave his friend a soft smile and pulled him into a semi hug. “Well, you would never know unless you act on it.”

Straw sighed softly before turning to face the prince, “you’re right, I need to act.”

Strawflower closed his eyes, leaned forward and brought his lips to Lazuli’s. He held for a few seconds, afraid to let go for fear he would yell out for the guards. His eyes opened to find a rather flustered friend on the end of his muzzle. Strawflower released the kiss and quickly stood to walk out. He made it halfway to the door before a blanket of magic lifted his body from the ground.

Braeburn felt his face warm in a blush, he wasn’t prepared for that sort of reaction. He was happy to see Strawflower take the initiative and act on his feelings. But he also feared for him, as unicorns never used their magic to capture somepony else unless it was a bad thing. Braeburn knew a unicorn scorned was dangerous to a pony’s health. He could remember being lifted by a unicorn once, after the unicorn thought he was shortchanged with his paycheck. Braeburn could still feel the pressure from being wrapped in magic as he thought about it He turned his thoughts back to the scene in front of him and hunkered down for the fallout.

Strawflower felt his body move back across the room, and his heart sank as he was seated back on the bed. He turned to look at his friend, a shade of crimson lighting up his features.

“I’m so sorry, your highness, it was uncalled for and it will never happen again. Please have mercy and let me...”

Straw was silenced by a kiss on his lips. His eyes closed softly as he placed himself further into the kiss. Straw felt a tongue play against his lips and he opened to let it invade his muzzle. They both continued for a few more seconds before they both released, gasping for breath.

Braeburn’s face was still a dark coat of red, his embarrassment fighting hard to keep its place. Of all the things Braeburn would have thought Lazuli would do, kissing Strawflower back wasn’t one of them. Braeburn felt the heat from his face travel down to his chest and settle over his heart. The warmth gave Braeburn a happy sort of feeling. He turned his eyes back to the screen that was Lazuli’s vision, wanting to see Straw’s reaction, but he found Lazuli’s view of Straw blocked by a hoof.

“Thank you, Prince Lazuli, you have no idea how great it felt to have this moment. However I must say this is the only time we can do this. If your father finds out...”

“My father can kindly take whatever he thinks about this and shove it so far up his plot, he’ll choke on his own hoof.” Lazuli answered as he looked his friend over. He pushed past the hoof and planted another kiss on his friend’s lips.

If Braeburn’s face was red before, the shade only darkened as he watched the two of them. Braeburn felt like a voyeur, he felt dirty for watching something so intimate and not being able to look away. Luckily the film soon began to speed up, allowing Braeburn to see the rest at a quicker pace.

The two of them lay on the bed for the remainder of the evening, each indulging in the feelings of new love. Before long the sun began to set and Straw had to leave for the evening. However, Straw did promise to return in a few days. It was a promise Lazuli took to heart as he bid his new coltfriend farewell.

Braeburn’s heart fluttered as he watched Straw leave the castle. He felt happy for Lazuli finding love in a friend. Braeburn’s smile could barely be contained by the contours of his face, and his laugh was as light hearted as it could be. He had just witnessed a confession of love between two ponies and he got to enjoy the revelation. I mean it was such a sudden thing to Braeburn that he could only think of the quickness and how easily Lazuli could be swept off his hooves.

Suddenly, the warmth that was in his chest turned slowly stoked itself into a burning anger. Braeburn knew this was only a dream but how could Lazuli choose somepony so willingly? He hadn’t even had a proper relationship before and suddenly he jumps headlong into one? The nerve of this stallion, the nerve to have the guts to say what you want in life and take it with open hooves. Braeburn released a loud scream in anger, an anger released upon a dream world. His tears welled in his eyes as he released another scream.

Braeburn awoke to contrails of tears on his face, a sadness in his chest giving his heart even more weight. He now hated the dream world he saw every night. He hated the stallion he watched as his life only gave the happiness that Braeburn could hope for in his. Lazuli lived with his love without fear of the consequences, without fear of retribution from the ponies he will be leading later in his life.. He hated him so passionately that he couldn’t stop thinking about him.

Braeburn wanted to be able to stare longingly into Carson’s eyes, much like Lazuli would stare into the mirror every night as he dreamed. He wanted to run his hooves through Carson’s mane as gingerly as Lazuli groomed his own mane in every dream. He wanted to be the stallion on the other end of a most passionate of kiss, much like Lazuli when in the presence of Strawflower. But all of this was simply a dream, a passing fantasy, something that took a courage Braeburn didn’t think existed in him. And nothing he could do would change that. Braeburn’s tears began anew and his heart beat on, just as heavy as it had been when it was first placed into his chest.

Violet Carson arrived to a nurse walking out of Braeburn’s room. She gave him a shake of the head, an indication of his mood. Carson dropped his head and turned in place to leave the hospital. He gave a small glance back at the room before exiting through the main entrance.

Braeburn cried all that day, making himself sick on more than one occasion. The doctor’s couldn’t find anything physically wrong with him, so they wished for him to see a psychiatrist in the morning. Braeburn huffed at the doctor’s insinuation, but he agreed if only to get him to leave.

The time came for a light’s out call, forcing Braeburn to turn over and try to sleep. Braeburn wasn’t tired, he wasn’t even close to tired. But in his mind he wanted to see Lazuli again. He wanted to see the stallion that was so alike and yet so foreign to him. His head hit the pillow and he was soon asleep, dreaming of the ruby red sheets again.

Braeburn saw through Lazuli’s eyes a large mass of red mane. Braeburn watched as a hoof took the mass and brushed it away.

Lazuli sighed contently, it had been three months and he had never been happier in his entire life. For the second night, he had awoken next to his love, his red mane still getting in the way.

“Hey Straw, Have you ever thought of getting this cut down to size?”

Straw laughed as he turned over in the bed. He smiled softly to Lazuli before planting a small kiss on his nose, “No. Have you ever thought of getting that jet black cat cut off your head?”

Lazuli gave his special pony a soft punch before planting a small kiss on his forehead. Lazuli pulled him tight to his chest, holding him close as if he could lose him at any second. They lay in the bed for a little while longer, but soon their tender moment was interrupted by Straw’s voice.

“I have to go now, my father is waiting for me.”

Lazuli sighed, he knew he had to leave, but did it have to be so soon? He relented in his hug, but still stole a kiss from Strawflower before he followed him out. He gave Straw a small wave before he closed the large door to the palace. Lazuli turned to head back to his room but instead he turned to see a large pillar of grey in front of him.

Lazuli looked up to see his father, a look of fury in his eyes.

“What do you think you're doing? Have you no honor, no sense of family pride?”

“What do you mean father, I was just...”

“Don’t you dare deny what you have done. You have shamed this family with your little indiscretions. To think — the heir to the crystal empire, a fucking coltcuddler.”

Lazuli winced as his father spoke that word. His father was right, he was the heir to the empire and he was a coltcuddler. But was that such a bad thing? Lazuli was happy and his decisions seemed to be the best he had ever made. He looked back to his father and he spoke defiantly, “So what if I am, what does that have to do with anything?.”

His father struck him upside the head with a hoof. The armor piece he wore also made contact with Lazuli’s head, amplifying the pain. The prince winced in pain, but still stood defiantly in front of his father.

“You will never stop me, I love Strawflower too much to give him up. What you hoped for, a son that’s feared by all in the empire, will never come to be. I will create an empire that is tolerant of the ponies that live inside it.”

The king released another hoof at his son. However this one didn’t connect with the prince’s face, it connected with his chest. The wind flew out of Lazuli as his father’s armor clanged against the ribs in his chest. As he crumpled to the floor, he felt his father strike him again, another hoof to the chest.

“You insufferable, Idiotic son of mine! A king is supposed to be feared by its citizens, This is the only way to control a population. Your mother would roll over in her grave if she heard you talk like this.”

“At least she had the good grace to die before she saw what you have done to me,” Lazuli spat out as he tried to stand.

The last hoof connected with his chest, cracking the ribs on his left side. The prince doubled over in pain and fell unconscious.

In the darkness of the dream, Braeburn’s cries went unheard. The dream refused to release him into the world of the living, Its film only half played. Braeburn could only think of the damage the king had inflicted on his own son, but he feared this was only the beginning. His fears hung heavy in the air as Lazuli’s eyes opened.

They opened to a scene no pony should ever witness. Lazuli stood in front of the gallows, dressed in his royal attire. The clouds loomed ominously over the droves of ponies in the square. Lazuli looked up to see a single figure standing on the platform, a hood over his head.

His father did this for the citizens of the kingdom. He used these public executions to strike fear in the masses and entertain as well. Lazuli hated his father’s displays of power, he had always believed that the populace only needed a ruler to step in when it was absolutely necessary. Lazuli stood silently as the undertaker stood next to the latest victim.

The red stallion stood stoically as he looked over the crowd. His smile was a little too wide for somepony that kills others for a living, but i guess if you’ve do it for most of your life it becomes an enjoyable thing to do. The king nodded to the stallion and he began the execution.

“For the crime of treason in the attempted assassination of the prince, you are hereby sentenced to death. Have you any last words?” the undertaker yelled as he lifted the hood.

A yellow stallion looked onto the crowd, his eyes watering in tears. Lazuli couldn’t take his eyes away.

Strawflower!

Straw scanned the audience, and soon found Lazuli in the crowd. “Lazuli, until the end of time, I will always love...”

The king didn’t let him finish as he gave the command for the trapdoor to open. Lazuli clenched his eyes shut, fearing that if he opened them he would see Strawflower face. He began to run north through the crowds of ponies that had gathered for the public execution. He ran away from the town, towards the outskirts where he had a little spot he went to when his father became violent with either Lazuli himself or others that sought to defy him.

He soon arrived at an alcove of boulders, his legs numb from the pain, too numb for his body to see the cuts the rocks had left on his hooves. He sat on a stone that lay buried and cried. He cried and screamed for his nightmare to end, for his colt friend to appear so they could leave together.

Braeburn mirrored the prince’s tears with his own; his cries, almost as loud. He had watched Lazuli become the happiest stallion he could ever be, and now it was all for nothing. Lazuli’s one love had just been executed for simply loving him. Braeburn could not feel the prince’s pain but he knew it must have been tremendous.

Lazuli’s thoughts surrounded him, his crying drowning out the world around him. Strawflower was gone, hung by both the king as well as Straw’s own father. Lazuli’s father had seen to it that his heir’s ‘mistake’ was fixed before word could circle through the town. His father had made sure his son would be the proper ruler of the empire, an empire ruled by a stallion that hasn’t defied the empire’s own laws. Lazuli sat and thought of his life, of the happiness that had just been cut from it, and of his revenge for his father’s cruelty.

Braeburn watched the images change, all the color bleeding out of the frames until only the black and white remained. He was afraid of this change as it had never happened before in his dreams.

This can’t be good.

Lazuli returned a few hours later to his father’s throne room, a cold expression on his face. His father took notice of his son’s entrance and ordered the entire court out of the room. As soon as the room was cleared, the king stood to greet his son.

“Lazuli my son, I know you are upset. But if you could give me a chance, I can explain my actions.”

“Oh yes, father, tell me why you had him hung from the gallows? Was it to set an example for the populace? By lying about your son’s injuries? By blaming them on another to get your way? Or could it have been a warning to all that oppose your will? Or perhaps it’s because you loved me too much to see me happy in any other way than the one you want? Please father, enlighten me.”

The king raised a hoof in idle threat, but hesitated for a second.

Lazuli didn’t hesitate, he swung his hoof into his father’s chest.

The king reeled at the strike, the breath knocked out of him. He looked up at his son, expecting an apology. Instead he was greeted with a set of red eyes looking at him.

Another swing hit the king’s chest, knocking him to the floor.

“Yes father, explain to your son why he can’t be happy in his life?” the prince screamed as he continued to hit his father. “You seem like a happy sort of stallion, being the king of an entire empire. Is it that kings can be happy but their kin are only allowed to be miserable? That must be it; it’s the only explanation for what you have done to me!”

The king stood again, and didn’t hesitate. The king swung his hoof, connecting with his son’s muzzle. Lazuli didn’t so much as flinch before his magic wrapped around his father.

“And if that is the case, you have raised your son well. He knows only misery, so when he takes your place as king, he will understand that happiness is something to be enjoyed. Thank you, father. And for that lesson, I think you deserve a present.”

Lazuli walked over to a doorway that lead to an adjoining hallway, his father magically held in place next to him. The King tried to call out for the guards to storm the throne room and take care of his son, but the magic that wrapped around him silenced all noise he could make. The king watched horrified as Lazuli opened the door and with a single blast of magic created a portal inside it.

“This, father, is my gift to you. A prison cell that no pony can ever escape from. It lets a pony live on the edge of death but never allow them the satisfaction of knowing its embrace. Enjoy it, for it will be your home for the rest of eternity. But I wouldn’t worry, for you will be allowed to cause misery for as long as you reside here. Whoever looks through this doorway will only see the pain and misery that comes from the fear they hold deep in their hearts. Fitting, for a bastard like you.”

The King was turned to face his son, his red eyes like hot daggers, burning what was left of the soul that lay in the king’s body.

“The king is dead, long live the king,” Lazuli said with a wicked smile.

The king could only scream as Lazuli flung him through the doorway and slammed it shut behind him.

The new king slowly walked over to the throne and took a seat on the cushion that his father occupied no sooner than a minute ago. He growled happily as he called for the court to return. A sea of faces crowded into the throne room, each looking frightened by the prince on the throne.

“Good evening everypony, There is no cause for alarm. My father has just taken a rather long break from his appointment as the empire’s king. From this day until he returns, I will be your king.”

“The king is gone? but how?”

“My father exited through the side door over there,” Lazuli pointed with a hoof to the hallway door. “He apologizes for his poor performance in his duties to you all today, but i can assure you I will do my best to assist you in his absence,” The king laughed as he stood up from the throne. His walking directed all of the room to follow with their eyes. He stood in front of the crowd, an evil smile on his face.

“Is the undertaker and headsman, Mr. Rafflesia, in the room?” Lazuli questioned, scanning the crowd for the tall red stallion.

Rafflesia made his way forward, his head held high. He walked until he arrived at the side of the king.

“I am here, Prince Lazuli, what can I do for you?” He answered with a smug grin.

King Lazuli smiled at the stallion’s arrogance, he knew what came next would be that much sweeter.

“Ah, Mr. Rafflesia, I wanted to discuss something with you. As the royal undertaker, I want you to bury the latest execution victim in the royal cemetery plot. I think that young stallion deserves it don’t you?”

“I must decline, Prince Lazuli, Your father had traitor's arrangements made up before his absence.”

“I see, where exactly will you be burying Strawflower?” The king asked, causing the crowd to gasp.

“The headsmen killed his own son? why would the headsman's son try to kill the prince?” One pony in the crowd asked another, evoking a loud conversation.

“He didn’t try to kill me, it was my father’s hoof that caused that damage. Tell the court why you let him be killed, Mr. Rafflesia.”

All eyes fell on the Rafflesia, some in pure wonder, others showed their disgust for a father so vile, he would not think twice about killing his own son.

“ I let him be killed so I could satisfy my own greed. The king asked me to help him rid his life of a problem, who happened to be my son. He promised my family a large sum of bits and protection from any crimes my family may have committed from previous executions. If i didn't cooperate, he would have killed me. What else was i supposed to do?” Rafflesia answered as he looked around the room worriedly. His eyes searched for an escape, so he may run and get his family out of their home before the mobs came. He noticed the hallway door near the throne and took his chances.

Rafflesia ran as fast as he could and soon reached the door. His hoof grabbed the doorknob and with one swift pull he opened it. Rafflesia’s eyes grew green as he experienced the nightmare that lay beyond.

Rafflesia watched as his family was torn apart by an evil presence. He watched as his other sons were hung from the gallows, each accused of a horrendous crime. His wife sat grieving at their hooves, but she soon faced her husband.

“How could you kill all of our children? They did nothing to deserve this!” his wife yelled at him.

“But I didn’t kill them, they are still alive,” he said back, but his voice tapered off as a presence made itself known.

A red maned pony stood by the gallows, an evil smirk spread across its face. It flicked a hoof and soon the dead sons descended from their nooses and attacked the father. As he felt them rip into his flesh, and the pain intensified, he heard the king's voice call to him.

“A true father would have done everything for his son, even given up his own life. What was your son's life worth?"

The stallion gulped loudly before answering. "500 bits."

Rafflesia felt a hoof track across his muzzle, and it only stopped as the hoof cupped behind his ear. He heard the king's last words to him and what was said brought him to tears.

"A gift from Strawflower, may you rot in the hell you placed yourself in this day.”

The king walked his way around to the back of Rafflesia and with a swift kick, knocked him into the doorway. Rafflesia screamed as he plummeted into his nightmare head first, the sound reverberated throughout in the room. The king shut the door again, and turned to the audience in the room.

“As you can see, Those that feel the need to speak against me, harm me or those I ever loved will meet their end by my hooves. This kingdom will be changing and I expect you all to do your part. Now I wish for a royal engineer to appear before me.”

The stunned silence in the room only angered the king. His hoof stomp broke the silence and soon a small pony appeared in front of the king.

“Are you a royal engineer?”

The pony gave only a nod, too afraid to speak.

“Good, I want all of the statues my father had made of himself torn down and ones of me put in its place. Is this a problem for the royal engineers?”

The pony again answered with a shake of the head, letting the king know he was understood. He gave another wicked smile and strolled back to his chair. He took a seat and barked for the rest of the room to depart.

Braeburn couldn’t believe what he had seen. This was not the stallion he had watched for all these days. He had no conscious, no mercy, no compassion and no love. Braeburn hated this stallion, he hated him for taking the Lazuli he knew and saw every night in his dreams. .

Braeburn turned his back to the eyes he always watched the dreams from, knowing Lazuli no longer existed in this cold hearted stallion. His walking lasted for a few minutes of time, each step retreating even further back from the view into the king’s world. A soft light soon engulfed Braeburn’s form and he accepted his exit from the dream.

Braeburn awoke to another wet pad on his mattress, but it wasn’t blood this time. It held all the tears Braeburn had ever held for the stallion in his dreams. He continued to cry long after the dream was gone, his love was rended from his body leaving only a shell of himself in its place.

The next day consisted of a visit from the hospital’s psychiatrist, a shrink that thought Braeburn was suffering from a high bout of depression brought on by his near-death experience. He answered the psychiatrist’s questions, not completely worried or caring about what it was the doctor wanted from him. Carson had also visited, but Braeburn wouldn’t look at him. He didn’t want to see Carson today, his heart wouldn’t be able to take it. A heavier depression descending onto his form, driving Braeburn into a dark and gloomy place.

The night approached quickly, another day in recovery gone by with no semblance of care taken to not waste it. Braeburn was about to lay his head down for another night of tears, but a soft voice spoke from the darkness.

“Excuse me, sir?” A voice questioned from the door of the room.

Braeburn nearly jumped to the ceiling when the voice sounded. He looked into the darkness and only saw the silhouette of a pony by the door. He looked younger than him, shorter as well. A large tangle of mane lay atop his head, but the color seemed to be missing from his features.

“Are you Braeburn?” The pony by the door asked.

“Yes, I am. Who are you?”

“So you are the one who has his heart, good.” The figure said as it softly smiled. He still stood by the door, as if afraid to walk in further.

“What do you mean good? Do you know who gave me this heart?” Braeburn asked with a note of urgency.

The figure only nodded.

“Whose heart is this?”

“That heart has a curse upon it. You must fix this, so that those you see at night may find their rest in eternity.”

Braeburn’s eyes grew wide; he had never told anyone about his dreams. He looked harder at the darkness, trying to see the face of the pony in the room. His efforts were fruitful as he caught glimpse of a small clump of red mane in the edge of the moonlight.

“Strawflower, but how are you here? I watched your execution...”

As Strawflower turned towards the door, he gave one last instruction for Braeburn

“Return the heart to the Crystal Empire. Return it so that we may sleep together again, this time for all of eternity. Do this for the heaviness to leave your heart.”

Braeburn wanted to yell at the figure, but his chest unleashed a pain the likes of which he had never felt before. The pain radiated through his entire form, a burning that started at his core and spread outwards. Braeburn was about to scream out loud when he awoke to the light of a new day.

Braeburn sat up in his bed, sweat sliding down the sides of his face. He looked around the room, looking for any evidence of the pony that visited him the previous night. His eyes found nothing, an empty room in a hospital as it always was. He dropped back onto his pillow, and took a deep breath.

“Return the heart to the Crystal Empire, return it so that we may sleep together again, this time for all of eternity. Do this for the heaviness to leave your heart,” he spoke out loud.

“What’s this about the Crystal Empire?” A male voice sounded, causing Braeburn to sit up.

Violet Carson stood in the doorway, his hooves crossed in front of his form.

He walked to the side of Braeburn’s bed, a small smile on his face.

“Oh, good morning, Carson, how was the farm today?”

“Oh no, you are not changing the subject. What’s this about the Crystal Empire?”

Braeburn’s eyes tracked around the room, stalling for time to think of his answer. Would he believe his dreams to be true, or would he call the psychiatrist in to have a second look? No, he couldn’t risk it; he had to think of an excuse.

“You know my cousin just came back from there a few months ago, and she told me how pretty the scenery was. I was thinking maybe when I’m feeling better I could take a small vacation to relax before coming back to work,” he replied, forcing a big smile.

Carson looked at his boss skeptically, but he soon shrugged and sat next to the bed.

“I think that’s a tremendous idea. The only problem is you would be leaving me with no way to contact you.”

“I wouldn’t be gone for a long time, just enough to get some R&R for myself. This whole recovery thing is kind of boring,” Braeburn answered with a laugh, and soon Carson joined in. They talked for the remainder of the day, both on his recovery schedule and on the work being done on the farm. The doctor arrived halfway through their conversation to tell Braeburn that he could be released after a few more tests, giving an estimate of only one or two more days.

Those days passed by quickly and the nights were dreamless, giving Braeburn actual rest for once. The day finally arrived as Braeburn left the hospital and returned to his life. He was met at the door by Carson, who held his train ticket to the Empire. Braeburn was escorted to the platform, helped into his car and soon he left to right the wrongs he saw in his dreams.

Braeburn’s arrival into the empire could have gone better. The second he took a step off the train and onto the platform, a number of guards were there to greet him and extend an offer to see the princess, one that couldn’t be refused. He was walked slowly to the palace gates, and then escorted to the throne room.

Braeburn’s eyes could barely maintain their focus as he entered the room. The crystals that sprouted from everywhere in the room dazzled the farm pony. Braeburn was so distracted that he nearly tripped on the steps to the throne itself.

His gaze, as he looked up, was met by the eyes of the princess, a soft shade of violet, one much lighter than Carson’s coat.

“You are Mr. Braeburn Apple are you not?” Princess Cadence asked as she looked him over.

Braeburn could only nod, his throat to dry to speak.

“Why are you here?”

“I came here so I could recover from a heart transplant I recently had. I was told by my cousin that this place was perfect to relax in,” He replied with a forced smile.

“Yes, we here know of your medical history. It was a pony here in the empire that gave you the heart that currently beats in your chest,” Cadence replied with a small laugh, one of concealed annoyance.

“You know whose heart this is? I’ve asked my doctors but they would never answer me. Please, I would like to meet the family of the pony who gave me this heart. I wanted to tell them that with their loved one’s sacrifice, I am alive today.”

Cadence turned around and seated herself on the throne. She eyed the farm pony, as if debating whether or not to tell him where the heart had come from.

“What do you know of this empire, Mr. Apple?”

“Only what my cousin, Applejack, has told me. She talked of the ponies here and the games.”

“What do you know of its history?” She questioned.

“Nothing, your highness.”

She let out a small sigh before she beckoned him over. Braeburn took a seat across from the princess and watched as a tendril of magic touched his forehead. He watched as the empire was founded, the rulers established and the succession of rulers taking their place on the throne. Braeburn’s breath became ragged as he watched the final image appear, one of the dark king beginning his tyrannical reign..

Cadence released her magic and looked at Braeburn again.

“Your heart belonged to the former ruler of this empire, King Sombra. After your cousin and her friends saved the empire from his return, several of my guards found his body near the edge of the empire. He was brought back to the local hospital and placed in containment.”

Cadence stood from the seat and walked to a window in the castle.

“He was still alive when he arrived and we had hoped he would stay that way so he could stand trial for the crimes he had committed. It was unfortunate for us that his recovery started to spiral out of control after a few months and we pronounced him dead a few days later. We typed his blood and discovered a match in the system.”

She turned to look at Braeburn, her eyes cold as the eyes Braeburn had seen in his dream.

“It was decided that his heart could be donated for the good of the ponies in this world. We thought that was the end of it, but it seems the heart had other plans.”

Braeburn could sense the guards approaching, and he spoke quickly.

“Your highness, I am here to right a wrong in Lazuli’s life.”

Cadence motioned for the guards to hold, a surprised look on her face.

"What did you just say?"

"I was bought here to right a wrong in Prince Lazuli Quartz's life."

Braeburn soon began recounting his dreams, in detail, to the princess. He told her of the colt he saw, the stallion he had watched in his dreams and of the wicked transformation he underwent to become the King Sombra he was remembered for. Cadence called off the guards, intrigued by her visitor’s knowledge. She looked a little surprised at her guest’s knowledge of things nopony outside the empire would know. The moment when he named Sombra before his transformation was the biggest indicator that he was telling the true.

They sat for a few minutes, letting Braeburn catch his breath and let the adrenaline subside from his system. He dusted himself off and thanked the princess for not jailing him. Cadance smiled at him, the hostility from before had disappeared from her gaze. She was about to let him leave when a guard came running into the room.

“Princess Cadence, the spirit is back!”

Cadence stood quickly, making her way over to a side door. She stopped as she remembered something from her earlier conversation with Braeburn.

“Mr. Apple, what was the name of the coltfriend the king had?”

“Strawflower, your highness, why do you ask?”

Cadence beckoned Braeburn to follow her towards the door. She opened the door to reveal the private cemetery that was on the palace grounds. Braeburn couldn’t understand why he had brought here, he didn’t know why spirits were in this particular graveyard. But as Braeburn looked down the rows of the gravestones, he saw a pony crying in front of one. A yellow colt sat near the grave, his tears soaking his face. Braeburn could tell it was Strawflower, the mass of red mane he had sealed it for him.

Braeburn ran towards the colt, yelling for him to stop crying. He made it no more than ten steps before his heart began to weigh heavy on his form. The beating of his heart rang through his entire body and its speed kept climbing as he tried to continue forward. He was only a few steps away when he collapsed to the ground.

His vision slipped in and out as he felt hooves lift him. The figure of the colt turned to look at him and he gave a soft smile to Braeburn. Braeburn felt a bolt of pain hit his chest and he gasped loudly. He watched as a tendril of magic sprouted from his chest, right where his heart would be. A second form materialized in front of Braeburn and stood next to the colt-- an older stallion with black mane looked down to him. The two waited a second before planting a kiss on each other’s muzzles and turned to Braeburn.

“Thank you,” the two voices called to him, a look of happiness across their faces. Braeburn gave a small smile back and passed out in the hooves of the paramedics.

He awoke to another hospital bed, another room smelling of industrial cleaner. He looked around and found Violet Carson asleep next to him. He smiled softly as he laid his head back on the pillow. He fell asleep again, but his dreams were not filled with the Prince of the Crystal Empire, but of Carson’s smile.

He awoke to the sight of the princess and her husband entering his hospital room. He sat up to welcome them and felt something strange in his movements. Braeburn’s heart still felt heavy. It still felt as heavy as it had been the first night with it. However he pushed his frown away as he greeted his guests.

He spoke of his experience to the princess, from the spirits being reunited to the last image he had of Strawflower and Lazuli. She only smiled at his stories, she had seen them as well.

Cadance and Shining were about to leave when Braeburn stopped her. He requested for her to stay a little longer as he needed to talk to her about something. She agreed as her husband left the room to wait for her. Carson had left moments earlier to obtain tickets for the trip back home.

“Princess, your talent is love correct?”

“Somewhat, I have the power to influence love. I can never force it into ponies.”

“But you know what love feels like?”

“Mr. Apple, I hate to be rude, but I’m still the leader of this empire. So if you would kindly get to the point?”

Braeburn sighed softly and opened up to her.

“Princess, has your heart ever felt heavy?” he asked as his face flushed.

Cadance thought for a second before responding. “Yes, while I was imprisoned by the changeling queen my heart was heavy. I missed my husband so much that it felt as though it was made of lead.” She said as she smiled. “Why, is there a heaviness to your heart?”

“Yes, and the colt in the graveyard told me in the last dream I had that if I helped him become reunited with his love, the heaviness I felt would end. He lied to me, the heavy feeling remains.”

The princess smiled again and leaned in close to him.

“You like Violet, don’t you?”

Braeburn didn’t need to answer her; the blushing did it for her. Her smile widened, “Mr. Apple, love is a heavy thing to hold onto. And while the love between Lazuli and Strawflower may have been lifted from your heart, your love for that colt still weighs on you.”

He waved to Cadance as she stopped by the door to talk to Carson for a second. They made their exit and left Braeburn to think about the princess’s words.

He did love Carson, and he knew the consequences of following that path. His life, his reputation, and his financial resources would all be for naught by following that path. Why would he jeopardize that?

Braeburn’s mind showed him the prince’s sacrifice. Lazuli nearly gave up everything, the kingdom, his father and the people of the town he was to govern simply to love the colt he wanted. He watched the first kiss they had shared again and again, sensing the love that radiated from it. Braeburn knew why he had, and saw the consequence to his choice.

Braeburn’s mind sprang to the execution, a single word to end a single life. It was the lowest point in the prince’s life and Braeburn could only watch as it ruined Lazuli. He nearly cried as he thought that scene over again, but a touch to his face brought him out of his daydream.

Violet Carson placed a handkerchief under one of Braeburn's eyes and wiped the tears away. Braeburn couldn’t contain the rest and he soon began to cry deeply. He grabbed Carson and pulled him onto the bed. Braeburn cried into his shoulder, and Carson soon reached around and pulled him into a hug.

Braeburn’s heart fluttered at Carson's touch, his heart not heavy like lead but as light as a feather in the summer breeze. He had realized something as he felt Carson’s embrace. Love doesn’t care about money, it doesn’t care about family, it doesn’t care about the property you owned. All love wants is to be shared with the pony you want to share it with. Love is a life lived without regret and without needs. At that moment, Braeburn knew he could live his life without the money, the family, and his farm. He couldn’t live without Carson.

The two of them lay together for an hour, just letting all of the emotions that were between them drain away. Braeburn looked up to the pony that was there for him, the pony that would always be there, and the pony he wanted to love for the rest of time.

Braeburn planted a soft kiss on Carson’s lips, one that Carson soon reciprocated. The feeling of finally having happiness made Braeburn’s heart flutter, as light as the feather in the wind. And it would remain that way for the rest of their lives. Braeburn learned that while love may be a heavy burden, it does lighten when you have someone to help carry it with you.