Brave

by TheRedFox

Chapters

Start//End
Chapter x: 02:09
Chapter 1: Drowning
Chapter 3: rock + roll
Chapter 5: Wonder
Chapter 6: Nocturne
Chapter 7: Gold
Chapter 8: End Credits
Chapter 9: Circles
Chapter xx: Interlude
Chapter 10: Fumes
Chapter 11: and
Chapter 12: Forever//Over
Chapter 13: love; not wrong (brave)
Chapter 14: Gravity
Chapter 15: Falling in Reverse
Chapter 16: Wake Up
Chapter 17: Man Down
Chapter 18: Crash
Chapter xxx: Crowd
EP: Catch me if you can
Better Together
Chapter 2: Lost//Found
Chapter 4: Scribble

Start//End

Chapter x: 02:09

*click*

“- it’s not, really. Ponies love to exaggerate everything based on books and whatnot.”

“Fascinating. Well, thank you for your time tonight.”

“Gladly.”

“All right everypony, let’s give one last applause for-”

*click*

After several attempts, the stallion’s flailing hoof struck the radio and silenced it. The mare’s drunken giggling put a smile on his face. “H-hey! I was listening to that!”

He laughed. “Sure you were.” She rolled her eyes, giving him a light punch with her hoof.

“Turn it back on.” The stallion shrugged but obeyed. As he fidgeted with the antenna, a pony passed by their hotel suite. Her voice came drifting through the door.

“Heh. You’re in a hurry.”

“Yeah? You’d be in a hurry too if you could see what Ah'm seein’.” The voice that answered sounded distant and faded.

The mare chuckled. “And what do you see?”

“Somethin' beautiful, Ah suppose."

The mare sighed. “Heh… you ever hear that saying, seize the moment? I… I don’t know. I think it's the other way around. Like the moment seizes us.”

Static filled the radio for a second. “Can’t you feel it? In the air?” said a garbled voice.

Miles away, a stallion lounging underneath an apple tree sighed, his eyes up in the stars. “Yeah. Yeah, ‘ah get what you mean.” Above him, the skies seemed to burn with an unseen fire, bright and furious.

The stallion in the hotel room blinked. He set the radio back on the nightstand, as the static cleared. The mare outside the room trotted by, her words fading away and getting replaced by new ones over the radio “-no. It… actually… yes. Yes, it gets easier.”

He turned to the bed to find the mare asleep. He smiled and trotted over to her side, leaving the radio on.

“If you take time to find who you are, the little things won’t upset you anymore.” The voice on the radio droned on, “You might hate what you write and what you do, you might hate who you are, and the pictures you take, but you’ll figure it out.”

The stallion pulled aside the covers, climbing into the bed. “Don’t worry, take your time, and you’ll figure it out.” The stallion hesitated before getting in the bed and wrapping his hooves around the mare.

“I’m not worried about you,” finished the voice on the radio.

“I’m not worried about her,” the stallion in the bed muttered as sleep overtook him.

“I’m not worried about him,” the mare down the hall said aloud, though she didn’t believe it.

“I’m not worried about it,” the stallion under the tree thought, though he knew in his heart he was.

Author's Note

So, what is The Eden Project?

The Eden Project is an anthology-type story that aims to explore a history between these two characters. Recently, I was introduced the music of EDEN, formerly The Eden Project. The songs I listened to amazed and intrigued me, and both the sound and the lyrics conveyed a sense of meaning and power, whether it be sadness, loss, or hope.

I have worked to interweave the lyrics of my favorite songs into a story. There is so much meaning in the lyrics that I could probably write countless stories based on the same song, so even though I have tried something like this already with Wings, Songs, and Other Things and West of Equestria, I have decided to give this one last go.

The song which inspired the chapter is listed in the title, followed by a quote from the song. I do not claim ownership to any of the songs or lyrics, they belong to and were published by EDEN with the exception of Drowning and Man Down (Published under his previous alias, The Eden Project,) and Scribble (Published by Puppet, whose work is equally amazing.)

You don't have to listen to these songs to understand the story, but I highly recommend you listen anyways. As always, I hope you enjoy.

Chapter x: 02:09

Chapter 1: Drowning

“I am drowning in liquor and apathy will be the death of me…”

It was like his head had been submerged in water. There was a pounding in his head, heavy and fierce. Something surged in his chest, shooting through his body. His eyes shot open, and he gasped for breath. Air filled his lungs, and he blinked, sitting up. Groaning, he found himself in the same wooden room he always found himself in. He tossed off the covers, resting his hooves on the ground. He lifted a hoof and lay it in front of him. Then the memories of last night resurfaced. He collapsed on the floor in a haze.

He looked up and saw it. The mare responsible for this. He rubbed his eyes. “Go ‘way.” When he opened them, he found her gone. “Ah’m losing mah mind,” he proclaimed, getting to his hooves again. The door opened, and an orange coated mare stuck her head in the room.

“Brae? You all right?” The stallion nodded, staring at where the ghost stood.

“Jus’ seein' some ghosts, AJ.” The mare frowned, eyebrow raised. Her eyes widened, taking in the mess and the smell of alcohol.

“Oh no, Brae. Not again.”

The stallion rolled his eyes, ignoring her.

“Come on, Braeburn, I thought-”

Braeburn threw up his hooves in despair, his back landing on the bed. “Whaddya want me to say, Applejack? That ‘Ahm fine?” He scoffed. “Ah’d say it, but Ah’d be lying.” He dug his head into the pillow, drowning out his cousin’s reply.

His mind went back to last night. A conflict emerged in his head as he struggled to swim through his thoughts. Organizing them into things he should have said and things he shouldn’t have turned into a hopeless task. “Ah’ve seen her cry, but Ah’ve never seen her shout. Not even last night. ‘Ah guess that’s what scares me.”

“I’m sorry, it’s the truth,” she said when they got home last night. Braeburn laughed and took the bottle in front of him.

“Nopony’s bulletproof, you know? Same idea with words.” She bit her lip as she watched him take a swig.

“Remember that next time, before you shoot me like that,” He threw the bottle on the ground. “If there’s a next time.” Braeburn’s mind snapped back to the present. He rolled onto his back again, grunting. Applejack was at his side now.

“What happened this time?” she asked in a soft manner.

“...’Ah can’t remember,” he muttered. “Mind’s blurred. Hazy. Faded.” He pressed his hooves against his head, trying to stop the pounding. “Heh… guess she was right, ‘ah don’t know mah limits. Ah, Celestia damn it…”

“Braeburn, please! You can’t keep doing this to yourself, it’s not healthy!” she had cried.

He didn’t remember what he did, but he knew what he said. “So what? It’s not like this is love anyway. We both know that. This feels like a war, if anythin’.”

She was silent for a while, but her next words stuck with him. “So what? Everything you said was just a lie? This entire friendship, or whatever you call it, a lie?”

“ ‘Ah never lied, swear to Celestia. It’s just… ‘Ah can’t go on like this.” She knew what he meant.

“I know that you think I’m dragging you down, but… dreams are dangerous, Brae. I’ve seen them ruin ponies. I just wanted to save you before you destroy yourself… but don’t worry. If you don’t want me to bring you down off your high, then fine. This is the last time I ever will.”

“Save me? You don’t even know how I feel. It’s like… Ah’m drowning in mah thoughts.”

She sighed. “I know. I’m not taking you down, Braeburn. You’re doing it to yourself.” He took another swig, though he knew she was right. “You keep falling, but you tell me you’re not. I can’t help you if you keep lying.”

“Braeburn?” Applejack’s voice brought him back to reality again. “I know you don’t want to hear it… but she was right, in a way.”

Braeburn chuckled. “Thought you were on mah side, what’s with the friendly fire?” Applejack opened the blinds, causing the sunlight to streak in. “Just leave me alone to suffer, thank ya kindly.” It wasn’t the first time that he had done this, laying in the fallout caused by his own words.

“Jus’ listen for a second. You just need to stop thinkin’ so much, Braeburn.” Braeburn mulled on this. It was true that his train of thought crashed into other trains, and that he found himself thinking too much about things that never happened. He was so wrapped up in these thoughts that he never paused to figure out that she was never fully there. He had poured out his heart and soul to her, yet she never seemed to return the dedication.

But even then, it seemed like no matter what he said, ever friendship or love he ever had ended up spinning out of control and crashing in a burning heap of lies. After that, the two would part, never to see each other again, and Braeburn would stumble along in an alcohol induced haze until he met a new pony. Then the cycle would start again, but no matter how many times it happened, it just seemed to get harder. “Only way to drown out mah thoughts is to drown them with liquor, cuz,” Braeburn said absently.

“Apathy’s gonna kill you, Brae.” replied Applejack before she left the room.

Braeburn groaned again and sat up. “She was right, that was the last time,” he mused.

Chapter 1: Drowning

Chapter 2: Lost//Found

“Cause if everyone is gone, then I don’t want to be here, I don’t want to be left alone…”

The train pulled to a stop, hissing and creaking. Few ponies disembarked, trotting down the platform. A yellow coated pegasus with a fiery mane strode up and down the platform impatiently, her eyes scanning the crowd. Finally, her eyes settled on a pegasus with an olive green coat, laden down by saddlebags. “Daring! Over here!” She called.

The pegasus gave her a weary smile. “Hey, Spitfire.” The two exchanged a quick hug. “How’d it go?” inquired Spitfire. Daring Do rolled her eyes.

“I feel like… I lost myself again.” She sighed in frustration. “I don’t get it. I’m supposed to be searching for myself, why do I keep getting so lost?” Spitfire pat the pegasus on the back.

“Hey, it’s fine. Come on, let’s talk.” Daring nodded, and the two trotted off down the platform. The two pegasi neared the cafe where another pegasus sat. His ears perked up when he saw the two approaching.

“Hey, Daring!” he called.

“Hey, Soarin,” she responded as she pulled out a chair next to him. Soarin exchanged a glance with Spitfire.

“Still no luck, huh?”

Daring shook her head, laying it in her hooves. “No… It’s getting harder to tell if I’m who I want to be or who they want me to be.”

“Hey, it’s fine, take your time,” reassured Soarin.

Daring slumped back in her chair. “That’s the problem! It feels like everypony’s done waiting. I have no time left. What am I supposed to do?”

Her friends couldn't answer the question. She doubted anyone could. Her mind flashed back to last week, where she was trekking through the desert sands. She spent the week learning about the cultures and traditions there, an overall great experience for her. Yet as she trekked through ancient ruins, she felt as if the ground she walked on was breaking and burning. And no matter how hard she tried, she felt she was drifting farther away from her friends.

On one of the last days, she crawled through the sands, having run out of water the day before. “This is it,” she decided, before flopping on her back, staring up at the sky. For a moment, she shut her eyes, deciding that she would die where she lay. She felt happy to escape all the pain and struggles that awaited her at home.

When she opened her eyes again, she found the hazy form of Celestia staring down at her. “Giving up so soon?”

Daring rolled her eyes. She sat up, squinting in the intense heat. “Why not? Every plan I’ve ever had fell apart.”

Celestia shrugged. “Plans change a lot.”

Daring chuckled to herself. “Yeah… Yeah, they do.” She lay in the scorching sand for a little more. After a few minutes passed, the pegasus heaved herself up, blinking. Celestia disappeared, and Daring had doubts she was even there at all. “Dehydration… must be worse… than I thought....” she mused. She hoisted herself up and continued on her journey. “Plans change,” she said to herself. “Plans change.”

Back in the present, Daring stood up from her seat. “You know, I guess… I guess I need to change things. Maybe if I push my luck, I can get something different for once.” Spitfire raised an eyebrow but remained silent.

“So, you'll stay in town for a while?” asked Soarin.

“Yeah, until I figure out what to do now,” responded Daring. Spitfire stood up.

“We've got to get going. You need anything?”

“No thanks, I’ll figure it out.” The three exchanged farewells and soon Daring was alone on the platform. Reaching into her pocket, she pulled out a locket. She turned it in her hooves, her face hardened. Ignoring the thoughts flying through her head, she pulled it closer to her chest. “I won’t give up, I won’t fade away. I won’t lose hope, I won’t lose faith… I won’t turn to light or to dark, but if everyone else has gone… I don’t want to be alone.” Daring closed her eyes, the surrounding sounds fading out. “Please don’t let me be alone.”

Chapter 3: rock + roll

Chapter 4: Scribble

“I’m no ghost, let me go!”

Applejack paced on the porch, her eyes glancing out towards the barn in the distance. Soon, her brother appeared down the path, pulling a cart filled with apples behind him. “Mac, is he still up there?”

The stallion sighed. “Eeyup.”

The mare sighed, staring out towards the barn again. “Ah’m worried, Mac. He's been doin’ this for weeks now…” She kicked the ground in concern. “We gotta do somethin’.”

Her brother was silent as she helped him unhitch the wagon. “It’s just… Ah don’t know what to do anymore. Ah’ve said everythin’ Ah can think of.” His silence began to agitate her. “Come on, Mac, you’re really going to sit here and do nothin’?

Big Macintosh gazed at his sister. “Ah did somethin’. Sent a letter.” He nodded towards the sky.

Applejack followed his gaze and saw the faint outline of a pegasus flying towards them. “Who’s that?” she questioned.

xXx

From his vantage point, Braeburn could see over the entire orchard. The apple trees that his cousin’s farm was so famous for sprawled far and wide over the landscape. A pen and pad of paper sat beside him, an apple core resting on top. His hat was laying on his chest, his eyes up towards the clouds.

He sighed before grabbing the pad. On the first page was a crude sketch of the landscape before him. On the second page, he began writing.

“I’m out of time. I can hear them calling me now. It might be bright now, but it’ll be gone again tomorrow. Fires burn strongest when everything’s on the line, after all. I don’t think anyone remembers me, but if you do, forget me. Cross me out, erase me, scribble me out. Life goes on when I’m gone.” He lay the pen down again, satisfied. He rose to his hooves, feeling calmer than he had in a long time.

“Brae!” Looking down, he saw a familiar pegasus below him.

It had been several weeks since he last saw Daring Do in the bar. He just assumed that she had forgotten about him, like everyone else. “What are you doing up there?”

Braeburn shrugged, carefully not to slide off the roof he was sitting on. “Jus’ come here to think, Ah suppose.”

Daring raised an eyebrow, taking in the height of the barn that he was sitting on top of. “... Okay.” With a few beats of her wings, she was at his level. “You want to talk?”

With a defeated sigh, Braeburn flipped the pad shut. “Not much to talk about.”

Daring landed, then scooped up the pad in a swift motion. “Hey!” He tried to grab the paper back, but couldn’t move quickly without sliding off the slanted roof. Daring spread her wings and hovered above the barn. Braeburn scowled, climbing towards the flat side of the roof.

Daring flipped open the pad, her eyes skimming what he had written. She landed back on the flat roof, tossing the pad to the ground. “I think there’s a lot to talk about.”

Braeburn rolled his eyes. “That wasn’t yours to read,” he snapped at her.

“Listen to me, Braeburn. You don’t want to do this. I know.”

The stallion scoffed. “Know? You don’t know me at all. We met for less than a day. How could you possibly know what I want?” He fell back onto his haunches.

“I can see it in your eyes.” He didn’t know how to respond to this statement. The pegasus continued. “I can help you Brae, trust me.” She extended her hoof.

Braeburn accepted the hoof with his own, and the pegasus pulled him up. “Come on, your story’s not over yet,” she smiled.

He hesitantly took a step backward, and his rear hoof slid off the roof. Daring quickly pulled him back, stabilizing him. “Woah! Careful!”

“Thanks,” Braeburn whispered. Something was stirring inside of him. He looked out over the orchard, as the sun bounced off the trees and fences and apples. Maybe it was the adrenaline from almost falling off the roof, but something was rushing through his body. “Is this what it feels like to be alive again?” he wondered.

“Hey, come on. Your cousins are worried about you.” Daring spread her wings and flew off, landing on the ground.

“Ah’ll be right down,” he shouted. Grabbing the pad again, he tore out the page. “I won’t fade,” he wrote. Braeburn kicked the apple core off the roof, watching it tumble to the ground. He laughed, heading for the roof’s hatch.

Chapter 5: Wonder

Chapter 6: Nocturne

“So I won’t sleep, no more…”

“Are you sure about this?”

Braeburn rolled his eyes. “Sweet Celestia, AJ. Ah’ve said it already, Ah’m sure. Ah go up there all the time.”

Applejack looked form him to the rooftop, then back to him. “Ah really don’t know…”

“Hey, if you fall, Ah’ll catch you. Okay?” Deadpanned the stallion.

Applejack glared at her cousin. “That ain’t very comfortin’, Brae.” With a sigh of frustration, Braeburn grabbed the weather vane from her saddlebag and stuck it in his own. Trotting over, Braeburn climbed the ladder to the barn’s roof.

As Applejack watched her cousin install the tool, her ear twitched as she heard a pegasus land behind her. “Help you?” she asked.

The yellow coated pegasus shook her head. “I was looking for him, actually,” Spitfire answered, jerking her head at Braeburn.

“Oh, he’ll be down in a minute. Anythin’ Ah could help with?” Spitfire shook her head.

“It’s about a friend of ours.”

Applejack chuckled. “Friend… It’s been a while since Brae’s had one.” Applejack turned, noticing the time. “Ah’ll leave you to it.” With that, she trotted back towards the farmhouse. Spitfire watched as the Braeburn stepped back, satisfied with his work, and descended the ladder.

“Hey, Braeburn? My name’s Spitfire, I’m a friend of Daring.”

Braeburn nodded. “Yeah, she’s mentioned you. How can Ah help?”

Spitfire followed as Braeburn began to trot back to the farmhouse. “Daring speaks highly of you.”

“Pfft. Ain’t nothin’ much to say about me,” scoffed Braeburn.

“Look, I need a favor from you,” Spitfire said, ignoring his comment.

Squinting at the sunset, Braeburn opened the barn doors, a half-dismantled wagon sitting inside. “Shoot.”

“It’s about Daring. She hasn’t been sleeping much lately. I think she’s stressed by something, I just don’t know what.”

Braeburn hesitated before responding. “Darin’ an’ Ah have an… understandin’. She doesn’t ask about my problems, an’ Ah don’t ask about hers.”

“Please, Braeburn, just talk to her. She’s seemed a little distant lately, and she won’t talk to me or Soarin. We’re worried about her, and we don’t know what to do.”

He could tell that the pegasus was genuinely concerned, and thought for a minute. If he prodded too deep, would he lose the best chance at friendship he’d had in ages? Or what if he didn’t like what he found? Defeated, Braeburn sighed.. “Ah’ll… see what Ah can do.”

Spitfire smiled. “Thanks, I owe you one.”

xXx

The wind breezed by Daring’s face as she flew is a lazy pattern. The city miles away had long fallen asleep, leaving her alone with the stars. Circling one last time, the pegasus landed on a small hill on the outskirts of the city. A pony was watching her, leaning against a tree. “You come here often?” she asked, flashing a grin at him.

Braeburn rolled his eyes. “Not exactly. Ah get the feelin’ you’re here more often than Ah am.”

Daring shrugged, settling down on the grass. “I’ve just been doing some thinking lately.”

Braeburn trotted next to her, but remained standing. “Goes for me too… What’s been on your mind?”

The pegasus lay on her back, crossing her hooves behind her head. “I made a decision the other day. Decided that I’m not going to write books for an editor, just like I’m not going to go on expeditions for the sake of fame. I mean, sure, it’s great to have fans, but I shouldn’t have to write for them. I want to write because… because I want to, not because I have to.” She blew a stray strand of her mane out of her face. “I’d rather put my faith in nothing rather than something I don’t believe in.”

“Darin’... Spitfire paid me a visit earlier.”

Daring was quiet. “And she asked you to check on me, huh?”

“You don’t have to talk about it if you don’t wanna.”

A peaceful silence fell between them. There was a silent understanding between them, even though no words were spoken. It usually happened when one of them didn’t feel like talking, and the other didn’t want to push them. This time, however, it meant Daring did want to talk, and Braeburn was willing to listen.

“If… if there’s anything I’ve found out, it’s that life goes by fast. A blink and you’ll miss it sort of thing. I’ve been fighting to keep my eyes open so I don’t miss a second of it, but sometimes you can’t help but blink. Like I said, I don’t want to write what they want me to write. It just feels so… cold and fake. And I don’t want to be upset that things are the way they are, so I just accepted it.” She shifted her gaze from the ground to the sky.

“Feels like I can only make headlines at night, in my sleep. I keep dreaming about making things right, but I have no idea where to start. So I keep living this lie, and I hate myself for it, but I guess there’s no one else to blame but myself.”

As she talked, she ceased caring who she was talking to. The only thing that mattered was getting the words out. “I couldn’t take it anymore, so I just decided to stop sleeping. Wasn’t a straight up decision, actually. It started with me trying to come up with a way out of this. One night turned into another and another and now… here we are, I guess. Along the way I just figured that there was more than wishing my life away, so I went out and tried to find that something. Didn’t matter what I did or where I went, I couldn’t find it. Every trip seemed to get more and more confusing. I guess I just had this notion that I could figure out my life without giving up what I loved doing. Yet at the same time, I didn’t want to dream anymore.”

Daring traced a constellation with her hoof. “I don’t know, I can’t really describe what it feels like. This doubt has been lingering inside me for ages now, but it seems to be getting stronger each day.”

“It’s only real if you let it get to you.” Remembering she wasn’t alone, she turned her eyes to Braeburn. The stallion was still standing, watching the same stars she was. “That’s what Ah decided. Figured if Ah didn’t let anythin’ bother me, why, Ah’d practically be invincible.” He chuckled.“Didn’t work all too well, but still. The idea still stands.”

“Guess so,” Daring responded, her eyes moving back to the sky. “Since I got back from my last trip, I’ve been letting go of my ghosts, so to speak. Trying to get rid of these things that’ve been haunting me all my life. Hasn’t been easy, but I’m getting there.” She reached into the pocket of her dark green shirt and pulled out a folded up piece of paper. “I tried writing all of this down, but it didn’t make much sense. Still… these words are all I’ve got now.” The pegasus sat up.

“This is the first time I’ve talked about this… and it actually feels good to get it out there. Makes me feel like… like if I kept talking, I’d find the answer to all my problems.”

“Maybe you will,” offered Braeburn.

Daring wrapped a wing around him. “Thanks, Brae. You’re a great listener.”

Braeburn laughed. “First time Ah’ve ever heard that before.”

The two sat in silence, watching the stars. “Say, Brae… you ever have a dream that you gave up on?”

“Eeyup. Ah wanted to start the first desert farm known to pony kind.” He laughed. “Can you imagine that? An orchard of apples in the desert?”

“Hey, it might be possible. Who knows?”

Chapter 6: Nocturne

Chapter 7: Gold

“Make peace with your mistakes, and they’ll turn to gold.”

“Wow. That’s, uh… somethin’ else.” Soarin said, raising an eyebrow.

“I’ll say,” agreed Spitfire as she stuck her head in the room. “What was that?”

Daring Do just pointed to the guitar in Braeburn’s hooves. The stallion had a perplexed expression on his face. “That’s, uh… Huh. Ah’ve never heard anythin’ like that before. This tunin’ is… weird. No offense, Darin’.”

The pegasus shrugged. “I was just messing around with it, I didn’t mean to do anything.”

Soarin looked at the guitar, then to Daring. “... what were you doing with a guitar?”

Daring rubbed one forehoof with the other sheepishly. “Braeburn was teaching me how to play it,” she answered.

Soarin’s jaw dropped. “Woah! Dude, you gotta teach me how to play! I’ve always wanted to know!”

Braeburn laughed. “Well, Ah dunno how well it’d go with this here tunin’, but the basic idea is-”

Spitfire flew back into the room, cutting him off. “He’ll have to teach you another time, Soarin’. We’re going to be late.”

Soarin got up from the couch, rolling his eyes. “Spits, we’re supposed to be some of the fastest pegasi in Equestria, how are we going to be late?” Before he could finish his sentence, the fiery maned pegasus had flown out the door. “Great.” Soarin trotted after him, grumbling to himself. “You coming, Daring?”

“Right behind you!” she called. She watched as Braeburn fiddled with the guitar. “Come on, Brae, fix it later.”

“Nah, Ah nearly got it… Ah’ll meet you downstairs.” Daring shrugged and trotted out into the hall. In a split second decision, she climbed the stairs onto the roof. Spreading her wings, she flew up into the air. After climbing for a bit, she let herself drop back towards the ground. She always found a strange thrill in free falling, with the wind howling in her ears and the ground getting closer and closer. Before she hit the ground, she spread her wings, slowing herself down before landing near Soarin, Spitfire, and Braeburn.

“Deserts aren’t that bad,” Braeburn was saying.

“I hate them! The air always feels so dry,” Soarin complained.

“Desert air ain’t gonna kill you,” chuckled Braeburn.

“Not so sure on that,” admitted Daring. “Last time I was in a desert, I got pretty banged up. Ended up stumbling around, half convinced the world was ending. At one point I couldn’t even breathe in, almost like I was drowning on land.”

“See!” exclaimed Soarin. Braeburn just rolled his eyes.

“Say, Soarin, what say we work on our speed trials?” Spitfire interjected with a smirk.

Soarin narrowed his eyes, and his stance dropped. “Deal.”

“Catch me if you can!” In a flash, the two pegasi were off, leaving Daring and Braeburn behind.

“Aren’t they gonna wear themselves out?” asked Braeburn.

“They’ll be fine,” replied Daring. The two began walking, following the blurs of light. A few ponies were strolling along the streets, enjoying the summer night. “Never liked walking in the city at this hour… it just isn’t my place or my time,” she muttered.

“Me neither,” agreed Braeburn. “All these ponies stuck forever chasin’ the right moment, bright-eyed and blamed for everythin’ that goes wrong.”

“Something tells me you’re speaking from experience,” Daring replied, glancing at her companion.

“Might be.” He sighed as a gust of wind sent warm air through the streets.

“Ugh, I hate the summer,” Daring grumbled.

“Maybe it’s just you,” Braeburn chuckled. “Ah know you think life’s fast, but maybe try to slow down a little. Youth ain’t done with you yet.”

The pegasus rolled her eyes and smiled. “Yeah, maybe.” As the two neared their destination, more ponies appeared. One of the ponies nearly ran them over as he ran past.

“Sorry!” he yelled without looking back.

“Geez,” remarked Braeburn. “Talk about slowin’ down.”

“Everypony’s running somewhere,” commented Daring. “We’re no different.”

“Call it runnin’, call it quitin’. Ah just call it movin’ on,” said Braeburn. He glanced at her. “We all need to move on at some point. Sometimes we walk away from somethin’, other times we run away screamin’. Point is, we’re always movin’. Whether we like or not.”

Daring pulled out the folded sheet of paper from her pocket. It was the same one she had shown her a few nights ago. “You just saying that because it’s what I want to hear?”

“Darin’, Ah gave up sayin’ words Ah didn't believe in a long time ago.” He lay a hoof on her shoulder. “Don’t take any offense, but Ah never understood why you were rushin’ everywhere. Ah know you feel like life passes you by fast, but who said it’s now or never? Ah don’t think you’re taking the right advice here.”

“You really believe that, huh?”

“If Ah didn’t keep movin’ on, Ah would have given up a long time ago.” Daring nodded, crumpling up the paper. She tossed it into a trash can and exhaled.

After a moment, she smiled and started walking again. “That felt… good, actually. Like I can finally breathe on my own for once.” The two continued in silence until Daring had a thought. “Braeburn… when we first met, what did you think of me?”

The stallion sighed. “Well… Ah certainly didn’t expect this to happen, that’s for sure. To be honest, Ah didn’t want to meet you. Ah didn’t want to start another friendship only to watch it break down, like everythin’ else in my life. But after what you said… Ah don’t know, Ah figured this time it’d be different. Like it was the start of somethin’ beautiful.”

“Don’t worry, Brae. This time, it will be different. I swear it.” She looked up as a group of pegasi flew high above her in a tight formation.

“Ah’m not worried about my mistakes, Ah’ve made peace with them. And somehow… somehow, they come up from time to time. Not as painful reminders of what Ah did wrong, but memories. Nothin’ more, nothin’ less. Either way, Ah’ve let ‘em go now. They don’t hold much weight to me anymore. Maybe it’s time for you to do the same.”

A group of colts and fillies ran past them, yelling and shouting to each other. “Yeah. Maybe it is. I’m not sure I can ever stop running, but I guess I could look back every once in a while.”

“Ah’m not sayin’ you should stop movin’. Maybe just slow down a little.”

Daring shrugged. “You call it moving, I call it growing up. Any other insightful words you got for me?”

Braeburn squinted, making out the stadium in the distance. “Nah, Ah’m done.”

Chapter 7: Gold

Chapter 8: End Credits

“So this is how it goes, the end credits they roll…”

Braeburn lay on his bed, staring at the ceiling. The room was illuminated by a flickering candle, the sky outside his window dark and dreary. He swung his legs off the bed, trotting over to a drawer on the other side of the room. He removed a box, taking it back to his bed. Inside were several photos, some of ponies, others of the landscape. He sighed as he removed the first few photos. “Huh. Ah remember it bein’ so much better than this,” he muttered. He removed one picture of himself standing next to a mare. “Ah thought Ah got rid of all of these.” Rolling his eyes, he held the photo to the candle, watching as it caught fire.

As the photo burned, Braeburn stared down at it. Tiny embers fell to the wooden floor, like tiny wildfires burning in a forest of brown. Holes began forming in the photo, burning with a bright orange. In his mind, the holes became dots in his memory, flashes against his dark and depressing past. Through the holes were tiny pricks of light, hope for whatever the future held.

There was a tapping on the window. Startled, Braeburn turned and stared out into the darkness. Trotting over, he nosed it open and stepped back as an ever familiar pegasus flew into the room. “Daring… what-”

The pegasus seemed to be bursting in excitement. She was laden down with saddlebags, filled to the brim with papers and equipment. Braeburn took a step back, noticing the crazed look in her eyes. “Uh, Daring… could this maybe wait until mornin’?”

“No time!” exclaimed the pegasus. She pulled out a weathered map and spread it on Braeburn’s desk, scattering some loose papers and a pencil. “I’ve been doing some research lately, and I made a discovery. You hear of the lost treasure of Canterlot? Rumors say the bandits buried their treasure somewhere in the desert. Countless others have searched for it, but it's nowhere to be found. I believe it’s because it's not in Equestria anymore. I was reading a journal recovered from one of the bandit’s lookouts, and I found references to locations I’ve never heard of.”

Daring’s eyes gleamed as they settled on Braeburn. “Brae, this could be a monumental discovery.”

“Glad you’ve found it,” chuckled Braeburn.

“Brae… I want you to come with me.”

The stallion froze. “...What?”

“It’ll be an adventure, Brae!”

The stallion sighed. “Darin’, Ah… Ah can’t.”

Daring paused for a moment and glanced at him. “You know… I was kind of expecting you to say that. Why not?”

“Ah… Ah don’t know… it’s just… well, Ah don’t heal very well. Ah’ve still got some open wounds and scars that haven’t faded. Every time someone lies to me, Ah just slip further an’ further. It doesn’t hurt me as much as Ah used to, but Ah’m still gettin’ used to it. An’ Ah’ve been stayin’ up for nights, tryin’ to think of how to change myself, but Ah’ve still got nothin’. The future’s scarin’ me. That’s why Ah’m always talkin’ about slowin’ down.”

He sat on the bed, glancing at the candle. The photo he burned was a smoldering pile of ashes now, sitting near the base. “Ah never wanted much from life. Don’t want fame, fortune, or any of that. Ah just want truth and light. Ah don’t want to dream about better times, Ah want ‘em to happen.”

“I get that, Brae,” replied Daring. “So why not come with me? You could run, escape all the problems you have here.” She sat down next to him. “Hay, we might even get a shot to live like those storybook characters.”

“Ah don’t need a storybook endin’. Ah just want to be there for someone, listen to whatever they have to say. An’ if one day they decided they didn’t need me, then Ah’d be fine. Ah wouldn’t mind that it was over. Least Ah didn’t think for a while. First thin’ Ah learned was not to drag out friendships. Livin’ a fake life doesn’t mean a thing. To answer your question… Ah guess Ah’m too scared.”

Daring reached out and grabbed his hoof. “Listen, Braeburn. It’s fine to be scared. I was scared when I first left. My first expedition was out to jungle in Southern Equestria. It felt amazing to get away from all the chaos and pressure of my life. It’s a sort of escape that you can’t get anywhere else. So come on, Brae. We can run from the lies. Make our escape, our getaway. It doesn’t matter who we are, we could be anyone, all we would need is tomorrow. We could slow down like you always wanted. Tomorrow’s going to come, but it's miles away, we don’t have to worry. Please. Come with me. We could live like shooting stars, burn as bright as we want.” She sighed, looking away. “Happy endings are the hardest to fake, after all.”

Braeburn chuckled. “Why would you ever want to fake a happy endin’?”

“To make sure nobody worries. So that everyone thinks you’re fine. Look, I know how much you hate lying to yourself and everyone around you. Please, come with me.” The two stared at each other for a long time.

“Darin’... the sun’s been settin’ for me for a while now. There ain’t much color left. An’ Ah’ve been tryin’ to break out, reach the other side. But… Maybe it’s better if Ah showed you.”

Sliding his hoof out of Daring’s, Braeburn pulled out the box filled with photos. Reaching in, Braeburn pulled out a Polaroid of himself with Applejack, a hammer, and nails in his mouth. “Us Apples… We’ve always been about family. That ain’t going to change anytime soon. My Granny told me she’d rather Ah burn out young than grow up and regret everythin’. She was the first one Ah went after Ah my first heartbreak. So all of these plans… well, they’re great, but Ah don’t think Ah could ever leave everyone behind. Not after what they’ve done for me.”

Daring Do gave a frustrated sigh. “Well… this treasure… this is all conjecture anyway. There’s probably no gold out there.”

Braeburn narrowed his eyes. “Daring, listen to me. Ah don’t want to be the reason you give up.” He rolled up the map and shoved it into her hooves. “Get out there and find yourself that treasure. There’s so much out there, and it takes ponies like you to go and find it.”

“Well what about you? I’m not going to leave if you need help,” Daring countered. “That gold will be there for Celestia knows how long. It can wait.”

“Time waits for nopony, Darin’. One of these days, Ah’ll get over myself. Ah’ll make sure my family will do fine without me, then we can run off. Make our escape, like you said.”

Daring gave a small smile. “Yeah… running through the dark, forgetting who we are.”

“An’ live like shootin’ stars,” Braeburn said, returning the smile. The next minutes passed in silence. Despite Braeburn’s claim that he didn’t mind when friendships ended, he couldn’t bring himself to let her go.

“So this is how it goes, huh,” he said to himself. “The end of this story?”

“No. I’ll come back, I swear it.”

“Darin’, it’s fine. This bridge is burnin’ down. You don’t have to come back.” The candle flickered for a moment.

“We’ll watch it burn together then.” She sighed as she folded up the map and stuck it back in her saddlebags. “Sure, I want good times, but you helped me realize there’s more than having a good time. It’s about having the right ponies to spend it with.” She stuck out her hoof, and Braeburn shook it. “I wish this could have gone differently.”

“You could wish your life away, but you can’t find anythin’ like today.” Daring chuckled, and turned to the window. “You could leave through the door, you know.”

“True, but this is more fun. See you around.”

“See you.” Braeburn turned away from the window, listening to the sound of beating wings. He gathered up his photos, putting them back in the box. Reaching under his bed, he pulled out a bottle of liquor. He set it on the desk, relit the candle, and sat in his chair. He stared at the bottle for the rest of the night.

Chapter 8: End Credits

Chapter 9: Circles

“This is my life, I will not run in circles, ending where I start…”

Applejack was greeted by an unusual sight when she approached the orchard. The baskets were already full, and a good portion of the orchard had already been bucked. She traced the sound of hooves on wood to a far corner of the orchard. “Braeburn? Up already?”

Braeburn grunted as his hooves made contact with the tree. Apples fell out and landed in baskets placed below. “Problem?”

“You’re never up this early, Brae. Somethin’ on your mind?”

The stallion sighed, wiping the sweat from his brow. “Lemme ask you a question, AJ.”

“Sure.” The farmer leaned against a tree, watching her cousin.

“If Ah laid out your entire life for you, and everythin’ you’d ever do up until you died, would you change anythin’? Like if Ah told you how your story would end, would you change a single step?”

Applejack drew a breath. “That’s one heck of a question, Brae.”

Braeburn leaned against a different tree opposite of his cousin. “Yeah, Ah know.” He took off his hat, running a hoof through his mane. “Ah know for sure that if Ah could go back and relive my life, Ah wouldn’t change a step Ah’d take.”

“Really? You wouldn’t try an’ change your mistake?” inquired Applejack, a bit surprised.

“Eeyup. Ah’m more scared of what Ah don’t know than my mistakes.” He reached into the basket and pulled out an apple. “Ah want to go back, find my best moments. But all those memories ain’t gold, and there’s some that Ah’d rather not live through again.”

“Yeah… Memories can be painful, cuz, but you don’t have to relive them if you don’t want to.”

“Ah know. Ah’ve learned from those mistakes, though. Ah learned somethin’ Ah should have realized a long time ago.” Braeburn gestured with a hoof to the trees around them. “All of this is great an’ all, but it ain’t gonna be here forever. An’ neither are we. We’re just like this here apple, one in a sea of millions. A tiny speck in a sky full of stars. An’ when our time’s out, well, we’re gone. Slippin’ through the spaces in between then an’ now.”

“Huh. That’s insightful, Brae. You should write poetry,” replied Applejack. “Guess Ah see where you’re comin’ from. Sure, we ain’t here forever, but we’re still here for a while. Hard to see the difference between livin’ for now and livin’ for tomorrow.”

“Glad you agree. Nice to have someone agree when you say you feel wrong… ‘specially when you haven’t felt right in years.” Braeburn tossed the apple back into its basket. “Darin’ left on another one of her adventures last night.”

“Oh.” Applejack’s gaze fell. “Sorry to hear that.”

“Hey, it’s fine. Ah’m learnin’ how to let go now. Ah’m not gonna let these ghosts keep hauntin’ me. Rather bury my past right next to my fears.”

Applejack stood up. “You really think that this time?”

“This is my life. Ah won’t run around in circles, endin’ right back where Ah start.” He pulled out a crumpled sheet of paper from his vest pocket. The words ‘I won’t fade’ were scribbled on it. “Ah made a promise to myself… and Ah intend to keep it.”

Applejack threw her hooves around him. “Ah’m happy for you, Brae.”

Braeburn said nothing, hugging his cousin back. He burned out slowly, and knew he had time to recover from Daring’s departure. He thought back to last night and wondered why his heart leaped when Daring said she’d be back.

“Aw, Brae. Ah’m sure you’ll find someone to love soon. Just don’t give up,” Applejack said as she pulled back.

A sad smile appeared on his face. “Love means nothin’ to me, AJ. Ah don’t know what it means anymore.” He replaced his hat on his head. “All Ah want now is to be the pony that Ah’ve been dreamin’ to be.” He took the folded up piece of paper and stuck it in the brim of his hat.

“Brae-”

“AJ, Ah’m all out of words. They keep comin’ back to haunt me, showin’ me that Ah’m not who Ah say Ah am. Ah’ll learn, Ah’ll figure it out… please, just give me some time.”

Applejack was silent, and nodded. She trotted off towards the other side of the orchard, to finish the morning chores. Braeburn reached back into his vest pocket and pulled out another crumpled piece of paper, one with different writing on it. “I’m just falling through the gaps, fading into dark. Just time that’s running out. I don’t want to fade. Please don’t let me fade.”

As he read Daring’s words, he sighed and fell to his knees. The farm around him was silent as one single tear fell into the dirt.

Chapter 9: Circles

Chapter xx: Interlude

"I've been trying to dig my way out of ocean, and punch a hole in the sky..."

“Alright! We all havin’ a good time?” The crowd whooped and stomped in response to the DJ’s prompt. “Alright, okay! This track’s going out to those bayside cities! This is for them! Let’s rock this!” A dark grey coated pony, sitting across from a white pegasus, rolled her eyes.

“Vinyl seems to be enjoying herself.”

Soarin rolled his eyes. “Aw, let her have her fun, Octavia, she’s the one who wanted us to be here in the first place.” His eyes drifted to the dance floor. “And I guess she’s not the only one having fun. Where’d Lyra and Bon Bon go?”

“I wouldn’t worry about them,” Octavia answered

As the music pounded through the speakers, Soarin held his head, raising his voice. “How are you not even fazed by this?” He shouted as the music cut out. Instead, it was replaced by a soft piano intro.

“Being Vinyl’s roommate, you get used to it. I think the better question is, where’s Spitfire?”

Soarin shrugged. “Dunno, she said she’d meet us here.” The song continued, the piano notes growing louder until they cut out. The song continued, a mix of vocals, bass, and electronic notes. “Guess she’s coming… What’s this song called again?”

xXx

Outside the club, Spitfire was pacing the street. Her eyes were ablaze, full of confusion, anger, and relief. “I don’t get you.”

Inside, Vinyl’s voice carried through the door. “Alright, alright! This is it, show me what you got!”

Daring watched her friend trot back and forth. “What’s not to get?” Spitfire flinched as the voices of the crowd pulsed through the door.

“LOVE!”

“You tell me that you’re going to stay for awhile, then you take off without warning. You didn’t tell me anything, for Celestia’s sake! How was I supposed to know where you went?!”

“NOT!”
Daring pawed at the ground. “Look, I’m sorry. It’s just… I guess I got swept up in my excitement.”

“WRONG!”

Spitfire rolled her eyes. “Yeah… Yeah, I know. I know that you come alive when the light goes out, but we’re your friends, damn it! We want to help you, but we can’t if you won’t let us!”

“BRAVE!”

Above them the sky was dark and overcast, promising rain soon. Spitfire frowned, turning away from her friend. “Daring, you can’t keep doing this. I can’t help you anymore.”

“LOVE!”

Daring’s eyes widened. “What do you mean?”

“The Wonderbolts are doing a rank reshuffle. The captain’s spot is open, and I’m next up on the roster to take it. That’s what tonight was supposed to be about, a celebration.”

“That’s great, Spitfire!”

“Yeah, but… It means I’ve got to leave. I’ve got to move closer to base, Soarin too.” She glanced back at Daring for a moment. “We can come back now and then, but… I’m sorry.”

“NOT!”

“Daring, you’ve got to trust us more,” Spitfire continued. “We want to help you, but you need to let is in.”

“Spitfire, I’m fine.”

She laughed bitterly. “That’s twice you’ve lied now. Didn’t think you’d listen anyway. My advice doesn’t mean shit to you, does it?”

“BRAVE!”

Daring smiled at her. “Spitfire, I’m… happy for you. I know how much the Wonderbolts mean to you. Don’t let me hold you back.” She hugged her friend. “Just make sure you don’t get drowned in paperwork, you hear?”

Spitfire softened. “Come in, Daring, get a drink with us.” Daring shook her head.

“Nah, I’m fine. I’ve got to go… meet a friend.” Spitfire nodded and stepped back.

“You sure?”

Daring smiled again. “Yeah. I’ll see you around.” She spread her wings and flew away.

Spitfire watched her friend fly away as raindrops began to fall from the sky. After a minute, she turned and entered the club.

xXx

By the time Daring touched down again, the clouds had let loose a deadly downpour. The rain obscured her vision, forcing her to land. Drawing a deep breath, she entered the same bar she had entered months ago.

Braeburn was sitting inside, across from another brown earth pony. “Don’t worry about it, Caramel, you’ll do fine.”

Caramel rubbed his face, groaning. “But will I, Brae?”

“Hey, look at me, Ah’m still here, and Ah’m fine,” he responded. Glancing up, he saw Daring walking towards them. “Darin’?”

The pegasus gave him a weary smile. “Hey, Brae.” She took an empty seat at their table.

“Ah didn't know you were back.” She shrugged.

“I’ll see you tomorrow, Brae,” said Caramel as he excused himself from the table. As he left, the two sat in silence for a moment.

“Brae… I need to say something. I’ve been lying through my teeth lately. More than I’ve ever done before. I just… I need to try and get the feeling right. I need to feel okay, and I’ll do whatever it takes to get there.” She sighed, her rain-soaked body shivering in the warmth of the bar. “I… can’t do this anymore.”

“Darin’. Ah’ve been caught up in my fair share of things. Ah keep chasin’ sunsets when Ah know better. And if there’s one thing Ah learned, it’s that bottlin’ up ain’t never helped no one. That’s why Ah want to be there for ponies. To help them let it out. Ah get how you feel.” He fell silent for a second. “And if we’re being honest… well, Ah’ve felt better than Ah have in a long time, yet Ah feel like Ah’ve been dying ever since you left.”

The sounds of the bar faded around them. “Brae… Forget me. I can’t wait for anyone, it just doesn't work for me. I live fast, and not everyone can keep up with me. It’s just… It feels like I’ve been trying to dig out of the ocean, and trying to punch out a hole in the sky, just so I can breathe again. I know I’m falling, but I don’t want to accept it. I’m trying to find light, but everything’s so dark around me… Brae, what do I do?”

“Ah don’t know where you’re goin’, Darin’, but Ah have faith you’ll get there. If somethin’ didn't work, well, it probably won’t work a second time. Important thing is there’s a reason it didn’t work, and you just have to keep that in mind.” The rain outside pounded down, the tiny drops landing in a veristle ocean of water outside. Braeburn took Daring’s hoof and looked into her eyes. “Ah’m not worried about you.”

xXx

“Hello…. Hello? Can you hear me?”

“...”

“... Please. I need you… Hello?”

Chapter xx: Interlude

Chapter 10: Fumes

If all we have is time, we'll be alright...

By the time the morning light had pierced through the clouds, Big Mac had already been awake for several hours. After completing some of the more mundane chores, he headed out to the fields to do some bucking. As he passed the barn, he froze, and his eyes narrowed. There was someone on top of it.

Half expecting to see his cousin, he squinted against the sunlight, ready to shout. He was surprised to find that it was a pegasus, hugging her forelegs, sitting near the roof’s edge. “Miss Darin’?”

Daring flinched at her name. She looked down to see the red stallion staring up at her. “Y’all alright up there?”

She sighed, staring up at the sun. The new day seemed to give her the lifeline that she had been reaching for. It gave her an escape from everything that happened in the past week. “Yeah… Yeah, I’m fine.”

A memory flashed through her head, and she winced. “I should have listened to what he said last night,” she grumbled. “Stupid. This is your fault.”

“Hey now, you want to talk about it?” Called Big Mac. Daring sighed, rubbing her temples.

“We can’t keep doin’ this. Fallin’ for alcohol and lies.” Cringing at the memory, Daring stepped off the roof, falling towards the ground. She spread her wings and landed easily. If the move had impressed Big Mac, he didn’t show it.

“Never understood why you pegasi enjoyed doin’ things like that,” he said.

“Thrill, I guess. What’s the point of dying if you don’t feel alive while doing it?” She kicked the ground. “Feel alive… that’s something I can’t do very well. All I’ve been doing is falling, and screaming the whole way down.”

“What do we have left, Darin’?”

“Time, I guess. We’ll be alright, Brae, trust me.”

Braeburn had rolled his eyes at the statement. “Not much, then.”

Daring shrugged. “It’s better than nothing.”

The pegasus blinked, pushing down the memories. “Sorry… I’ve got a lot on my mind.”

Big Mac glanced up the path. “Ah’ll leave you to it, then.” He hoisted a bucket onto his back and left, as another pony came into view.

Braeburn said nothing when he saw Daring. After an awkward silence, Daring sighed and turned away from him. “Where did I go wrong, Braeburn?”

“...You know Ah can’t answer that,” he responded.

Daring felt like she was about to collapse. “I don’t think I have much left, Brae… Been running on nothing for a few days…” She rubbed her eyes. “We’ll make it through tonight, sure. But what about tomorrow? Or the night after?”

“What do we have, Darin’?”

She looked up at him. “I don't know, but it’s better than nothing.”

xXx

A few days ago, Braeburn found himself in a dusty town, out on the outskirts of known land. Underneath the night sky, he entered a dusty old building, another stallion alongside him. “She means well, Deputy.”

“Does she? Sure don’t seem that way to me.” They came to a stop outside a large jail cell. “Hey! You’ve got a visitor.”

Daring looked up. The deputy unlocked the cell door and Braeburn stepped in. “Darin’... what did you do?”

She huffed in annoyance. “I didn’t do anything! I just made a… slight miscalculation.” The deputy coughed. “What are you doing here, Brae?”

“To get you out.” He turned and left the cell. Daring stood and followed.

“Thanks, Deputy,” Braeburn said, tipping his hat at him.

“Please, Brae, call me Silverstar.”

xXx

The two stood on the train platform in silence. After several minutes, Braeburn broke the silence. “Why’d you do it?”

“I don’t want to talk about it, Braeburn.”

“Darin’, come on. Please, tell me.”

She turned on him, a fire burning in her eyes. “Brae, I thought we understood each other. I thought that if we didn’t want to talk about something, we wouldn’t.”

“We did. But Ah think this is somethin’ we need to talk about.”

Daring rolled her eyes and stomped to the other end of the platform. “We don’t need to talk about anything!”

“Ah’m your friend, damn it! Ah want to help you!”

“Well, I don’t need your help!” The two now stood on opposite sides of the platform and were yelling across at each other.

“Then are you my friend or not?!” After the retort, the two stopped, glaring at each other.

Daring spoke first. “Brae… I’m sorry. It’s just… I need time to figure things out. My dreams are so close to coming true… Just… give me time.”

“Time… yeah. Time.” Braeburn scoffed and sat down on a bench. The conversation died down as the train arrived.

xXx

As the desert landscape flew by the window, Daring tried her best to pull herself from her mulling. She glanced across the aisle at Braeburn. The stallion had been silent after their confrontation on the platform. Giving up, she turned her eyes back out the window and drowned herself in her thoughts.

She had spent most of her time building walls between everyone she knew. For the most part, she had succeeded. She wanted them to be as far away from her as possible, lest they get hurt from getting too close. It was something she had done before, yet why did the wall between her and Braeburn keep falling down?

In the back of her mind, she knew that her friendships would keep dragging her back down. A deadweight, sinking her right down to the bottom. It wasn’t his fault, she reminded herself. Braeburn was rooted in his family, and wouldn’t leave them behind. Daring, on the other hand, was constantly bouncing around the world. Things hadn’t been the same between them since she came back. She had to let him go.

Yet she couldn’t. Daring frowned at the thought. She was lost again. It was a familiar feeling for her. Right when she was certain she found her way, she made a wrong turn and got herself lost. Running along a winding curved pathway, chasing a hint of a dream, Daring wasn’t sure where she was going, or how she was getting there. All she knew was that she wanted to spend more time with him, yet she was running out of time.

In a subconscious movement, she pulled out the locket and began rubbing it. “I won’t give up… I won’t fade away,” she whispered. What was she thinking? She couldn’t tell. The answer seemed so simple: leave him behind. Then maybe she wouldn’t get lost anymore.

She looked up at Braeburn again and her mind flashed back to when he found her on the hill. All those words they had said, it all seemed so surreal. They had laid on the grass, sharing plans and dreams, illuminated by the moonlight. Or had they?

As Daring thought back to that night, she remembered that she had talked for ages when she remembered Braeburn was there. He hadn’t said much himself, rather he had listened to what she had to say. As much as she tried, she couldn’t fit him into her dreams. It just wouldn’t work.

Her mind changed scenes to when she visited his house late at night. After their conversation, she turned back to the window. “I’ll see you around,” she had said. Why hadn’t she said goodbye? Why did she come back?

As she flew away from the farm, she reached into her shirt pocket and removed a picture. It was the one that Braeburn had shown her, the one with him smiling next to his cousin. If he knew that she had taken it, he hadn’t said anything.

Before she knew it, their train had arrived at its destination. As they disembarked, Daring saw Braeburn underneath the platform light. She realized how late it was, and how they were both covered in desert sand. “Brae… I don’t know what I’m missing, but I’m missing something… I don’t know what it is, but I’m doing what I can.”

“Ah know, Darin’. Ah know.” Braeburn sighed. “We can’t keep doin’ this, fallin’ for alcohol and lies… What do we have left, Darin’?”

“Time, I guess,” she answered.

Braeburn scoffed. “Not much then.”

Daring shrugged. “It’s better than dreaming.”

Chapter 10: Fumes

Chapter 11: and

“And this is just another sad song, I can’t deny that I’ve been needing one…”

“Brae?”

Braeburn looked up at Applejack. “Sorry… yeah?”

Applejack glanced at the record player on the table next to him and then back at him. “You’ve been listening to the same song for a while now.”

Braeburn shrugged. “That a problem?”

“Just seems like it’s a sad song, that’s all.”

“Ah’ve been needin’ a sad song, cuz.” Braeburn stopped the player and sat back on the couch, staring into the fireplace.

Applejack glanced from the fireplace to her cousin. She sighed and left the room, a little worried.

Braeburn looked out the window as his cousin left. In the past, he was certain that it would be things on the other side of the window that brought things to an end. He and Daring hadn’t done anything to fight them, so where did they go wrong?

He sighed, leaning back on his couch. What if it wasn’t the world outside the window? What if the problem lay elsewhere? Blaming the world was just an excuse, Braeburn decided. The problem wasn’t out there, it was inside.

As he stared out the window, he thought of all the other ponies. Each of them had a life as complicated as his own, filled with different conflicts and questions. It seemed so obvious, that everyone else was alive. So why did that thought scare him?

xXx

“Daring? You there?”

Daring looked up from the cup in front of her. “Yeah, yeah. Sorry, I was just… thinking.”

Soarin raised an eyebrow. “Okay…”

“Soarin…. I’m sorry. I’m sorry I can’t find the time to meet with you guys. I’ve just been so preoccupied… and…. I’m sorry,” she said, unable to meet his eyes.

“Daring… it’s okay. Spitfire’s moved on now, forget about her,” chimed in a cream-colored pony.

“Yeah, we’re still here for you, Daring,” finished a mint green unicorn.

“Thanks, Bon Bon, Lyra.” She stood up from her seat. “I… need some time.”

Soarin nodded. “Yeah, go ahead. Take as much time as you need.”

As she flew high up in the sky, Daring thought about her last conversation with Braeburn. She wondered how she would feel if the situation were reversed. If Braeburn stopped talking to her without warning, disappearing in a moment to chase a dream.

She shuddered. She knew that she had to try more, for the sake of her friends. “I’m sorry,” she said, the wind drowning out her voice. “I’m trying, I really am. I just keep getting caught up in myself… in my own problems.” In the middle of a cloud, it became impossible to see through it. For a second, it was like she was flying in a void of nothing.

“Can you hear me?” she wondered. “I’m trying so hard not to try this hard… does that make sense?”

xXx

Braeburn stepped out onto the front porch of the house. “Ah’ve been tryin’ to let go now. Is it enough? Is it worth it?” He asked aloud, staring up at the sky.

xXx

“I have nowhere left to go,” Daring whispered as the wind streaked by her face. A single tear rolled down her cheek. She turned around and flew back towards her friends.

Chapter 11: and

Chapter 12: Forever//Over

“And we were really breathing, not silhouettes…”

The gardens were the last place Daring expected to find herself that night. She strode down the paths, eyeing the statues and sculptures mixed with the plants and trees. She stopped at the end of the path, staring up at the frozen embodiment of the lord of chaos, Discord himself.

She sighed, staring up at the statue. The gardens were empty, devoid of other ponies. If he were to leap off of his podium and attack her, there would be no one around to hear. The effigy seemed to stare back at her. “Life’s going so fast,” she said aloud. “I don’t think I can catch it, no matter how hard I fly. I don’t think anyone can.”

“What are you running from?” the statue asked.

“I don’t know,” she answered in defeat. “I don’t know.” As she continued her aimless walk, Daring let her thoughts wander. She thought back to the night she left last year. Was it really a better time?

Those nights they spent lying under the tree and talking, without a care in the world… It was as if time ceased to exist, and the nights lasted forever. “I’m not scared. I’m downright terrified.” She tried not to think about what the future held, or what would happen when summer ended, and she would be swept away into another adventure.

A break in the clouds let moonlight stream through the overcast sky. Daring trot up a hill, ignoring the cool wind blowing through her mane. As she approached the lone tree on the hill, she made out the shadow of another pony. “Hey, Brae.”

“Hey, Darin’.” The pegasus settled herself down next to him. Braeburn lay flat on his back, hooves crossed behind his head.

Braeburn still couldn’t believe that a year had passed since Daring first left. Time seemed to be going far to fast than it should have been. They were a little older now, but they were still acted the same. And despite everything they had in common, they were different ponies. Their plans had split them apart, and Braeburn doubted they would bring them together again.

“How long has it been since that thing in the desert?” he asked. “A few weeks?”

“About a month, yeah,” replied Daring.

“Huh. Ah guess Ah haven’t seen you for a while now.” Braeburn glanced over at the pegasus. “We had a good time, but… but Ah think it’s over now.”

Daring shrugged, looking up at the stars. “Yeah…. You know, I don’t feel sad about it…. It’s just… it’s just weird.” She chuckled as she sat down. “Here we are again. Lying on the grass, talking about our lives.”

“Talk’s getitn’ old. Feels like Ah’ve said all Ah have to say.”

“Maybe it is. Remember last year? We lay here, living under the stars. Talking about who we were and what we wanted. Kind of bold, now that I think about it. Thinking that we knew where we were going.”

“Yeah, Ah remember. We felt like outlaws, runnin’ towards the sunset. If only we slowed down for a second. Ah well, our loss, Ah guess.” He fell silent for a minute. “Ah want to go back to those days.”

“So do I.”

He chuckled. “So it’s a race, huh? Catch me if you can, then.”

Daring smiled. “You never were the kind to get tired, were you?” Another moment of silence passed between them. “I was always trying to break out, both as an author and an explorer. Sure, I had some fame, but hell, I wanted more. Then I got it, and…. I guess I didn’t know what I was getting into.”

“Hey, if you have to leave again, Ah’m fine with it. Goodbyes don’t hurt me anymore.”

“Really now?”

“Yeah, that’s just the way things go. You’d think Ah’d know better by now…” Braeburn sighed, turning to face Daring. “You know… Ah swear Ah heard your voice last night, before Ah fell asleep. Driftin’ through the walls of mah house.”

“And what did I say?”

“There are no ends, just grays and half lives.”

Daring blinked. “What does that mean?”

“Ah dunno. Guess it means that nothin’s ever over, and there’s always somethin’ left behind.”

“Huh. Interesting.” Daring lay back on the grass. “Our plans are going to split us up again, aren’t they?”

“Only if we want them to.”

Daring stood, avoiding his gaze. “You were right… We haven’t seen each other in so long. So…. so long, I guess.”

She turned away from him and began to trot down the hill. “Darin’, wait!” She paused as Braeburn called out to her. “Darin’... Please, don’t fade me out. Ah know things haven’t been right between us, but we can still fix it. You said it yourself, all we have is time.”

“Brae, please. I don’t want to hurt anybody anymore.”

“Come on, Darin’... please don’t lose me now.”

Daring Do stared into Braeburn’s eyes. In a second, thoughts flew between their minds, reflections, and observations flying at light speed. Daring heard all the words that she never said, and the ones that Braeburn held back. She was able to see right through the smokescreen the were hiding behind, and for the first time in years, she was able to ignore all the dreams and hopes cluttering her mind.

She exhaled, knowing form Braeburn’s face that he was feeling the same. They could never be what they wanted to be, she knew that now. It didn’t matter how high or how fast she flew, life was dead ahead. She imagined herself flying at a breakneck speed, with a massive mountain right in front of her. “Please don’t fade me out.”

The thought alone sent a shiver down her spine. Her head began to spin, and everything around them faded. The stars flickered out, the clouds vanished, and the ground disappeared. If this was what it felt like to be alive, then what was everything else? Why had she never felt like this before?

Braeburn couldn’t place the feelings that were building in his chest. Everything around them became irrelevant. It wasn’t fear, he thought. He was used to losing friends. Yet whenever one of them left, he would only ever feel the pain after they were gone. Daring was still here, so why was he hurting? Was he hurting? “Please don’t lose me now.”

“Braeburn,” Daring whispered. “Were we alive? Were we breathing, living? Please tell me we were. Tell me we were breathing, not shadows.”

“Yeah, we were. We were breathin’, not silhouettes.” Braeburn grabbed her hoof. “Ah promise.”

Daring grabbed Braeburn and pulled him into a hug. “I don’t want this to end,” she said.

“Maybe in another dream, it wouldn’t,” he answered, returning the embrace. After a moment, the world around them began to return.

“Everything’s not alright,” Daring sighed, pulling back. “We’re falling, but… I guess that’s life. You can’t fly high if you don’t ever feel low.”

Braeburn lay a hoof on her shoulder. “Everythin’ will be okay. Sure, we’re hurtin’, but time flies by fast. Pain can’t last forever.” He motioned to the tree, and the two sat underneath it.

“Forever…. Ever….. It’s just such a weird concept,” Daring mused as she sat down.

“Yeah, Ah guess it is. Ah keep sayin’ you should slow down, you know, but… Ah’m not sayin’ you should be all cautious. Hell, Ah’m quite the opposite of that. It’s just… it’s weird, you know? Time flies by so fast, but it doesn’t mean anythin’.”

Daring sighed, staring up at the stars. She rested her head against Braeburn’s shoulder. “To last forever… To last forever is ridiculous, don’t you think?”

“Yeah. Ah think it’s ridiculous.”

“You think it’s ridiculous?”

“Course. Everythin’ has an end.”

Chapter 12: Forever//Over

Chapter 13: love; not wrong (brave)

But please just hold on to me, I've slayed these demons they're old to me...

“Dear Spitfire,

I’m sorry that I’ve closed myself off to you. I know that you just wanted to help me, but I shoved you away. I’m not sure who I can trust, you know that. And I know that I’ve been hard to reach lately, but… I’m trying. You’re tired of it now, and that’s fine. It’s getting old, I know. So you won’t hear from me again. Goodbye.”

Daring sealed the letter shut, and lay it on a stack of other letters, each addressed to a different pony. With a sigh, she leaned back in her chair, stretching. A clatter from the other room caused her ear to twitch. “Darin’?”

Braeburn stuck his head in the room. “What’re you doin’?”

“Letting go,” replied Daring. “They don’t deserve me. I can’t be the friend they need, and I don’t want to drag them down anymore.”

Braeburn was quiet. “Ah don’t suppose there’s a letter for me in that stack?”

Daring shook her head. “No.”

“Darin’, Ah’ve fought off these demons before. It’s nothin’ new to me. If you need to let me go, do it.”

“That’s just it, Brae. I don’t want to forget you. You changed my life, either for better or worse. You were the first person I ever trusted fully.” Daring turned to the record player and set a disk marked ‘Vinyl Scratch Live from Manehattan’ on the turntable. As the song began, she continued to talk. “Sure, I still have the same dreams I’ve had for years, but this time… this time it’s different. It’s like I have control over it now, almost like a lucid dream.”

“Lucid dreams… those are the ones where you know you’re dreamin’, right?”

“Yeah.” As the chorus began, Daring turned to face Braeburn. “Brae… I know you don’t care much for love. Frankly, I don’t either. But I still want you to feel it.

“Alright, let’s hear it!” shouted Vinyl over the record.

“LOVE!” The recorded voices of the crowd exclaimed.

“It’s not here forever, Brae. I want you to feel it before it’s gone.”

“NOT!”

Braeburn was silent, unsure of what to say. Daring grabber his hoof and continued. “I think we’re more than we’re not, Brae. We don’t have to worry about what we’re not because what we are is so much better.”

“WRONG!”

“Ah know, Darin’, but… Ah’m scared.”

“Don’t be. Don’t be afraid to feel it.”

“BRAVE!”

Braeburn frowned, still hesitant. “But… everythin’s still wrong. How can Ah feel it?”

“LOVE!”

“It takes a skillful eye to find some beauty when everything’s going wrong,” she answered.

“NOT!”

“You just need to be brave, Brae. That’s all we could ever be.”

“BRAVE!”

“No matter how bad it looks, your world’s not ending. It’s just beginning.” She released his hoof and sighed. “I won’t leave, not now.”

She frowned at the letters. “I’m still fighting this one-sided war, and there’s no victory in sight. I can’t keep fighting it much longer, but I’m trying. I want to be the pony you think I am.”

“Darin’, who Ah want you to be doesn’t matter. It never has. If you figure yourself out, then it doesn’t matter if no one else understands. Sometimes you can’t explain it. You can’t sing, but you sing it anyway.” Daring turned away from the letters to look at him.

“Brae…. Please, just hold on. This isn’t our end, we’re not done yet. I’m figuring it out now, I’m changing.”

“Ah know. Ah’m not worried about it, Darin’.”

Pushing the letters to the side, Daring pulled out a stack of papers. “These fears that are in my head, the dreams I have in my sleep, they won’t get the best of me,” she thought. “I’ll chase them down. I’ll bend these nightmares until they’re gone. All I need is another happy ending.”

Braeburn lay his hoof on her shoulder. “Ah won’t let my doubt haunt me anymore,” he thought. “Ah’ve faced these demons before. They’re not new to me,” he said aloud. “Hold on, Darin’, and we’ll get through it.” He stared into Daring’s eyes. Colors around him seem to burst in hue and intensity.

His hooves slid from her shoulder to her hoof. “Darin,” he whispered. “Ah want you to feel loved too.” She held his gaze. “Weŕe not here forever, and hell, who knows how much time we’ve got left? Ah know you’re more than you think you are.”

“Brae… I think you think too much of me,” she replied, a blush forming on her cheeks.

“You said it yourself. Never fear to feel good.”

“LOVE!”

“Even when everything’s wrong,” she finished. Their faces moved closer until they were inches apart. “I can’t fight this anymore.”

“Then don’t.”

“Brae… I’m scared.”

“NOT!”

“So am Ah, but we have to be brave. It’s all we ever are.”

“All we ever are is brave….” As the song ended, their lips connected.

Chapter 13: love; not wrong (brave)

Chapter 14: Gravity

"Falling's easy, but there's only one way up..."

“Where is he?!” Bon Bon bit her lip, glancing about the room. “Does anyone know?”

Before Lyra could reply, the apartment’s door flew open, and Soarin entered, panting and exhausted. “I tried his house, he wasn’t there. I… I don’t know where he is.” The three stared at the door on the far side of the apartment.

On the other side of the door, Daring Do sat. She was slumped against the wall, her head in her hooves. A tear stained letter sat by her side, the boring font not fit for the message it conveyed. Her locket lay open on the ground, revealing a picture of a filly in her mother’s hooves. Pictures and letters surrounded her.

“I wanted you to be the last thing I dreamt about. I wanted you to be the reason I could finally breathe again. But… I can’t dream about us anymore. I can’t even sleep.” She took a shaky breath. “I wanted us to fly high…. But I just feel low.” She looked to her left and read the letter again.

“We regret to inform you that…” She looked away and cried again.

xXx

Spitfire ignored the wails of the bar’s drunken ponies, her eyes scanning the room. They locked onto a pony seated at a booth in the corner. She frowned and walked towards him. Braeburn sat alone, surrounded by several empty bottles. “I thought you were better than this,” she remarked as she slid into the booth. “Hey! Are you even listening to me?”

Braeburn squinted at her. His vision was blurred and he could barely make out who was sitting in front of him. “What?”

Spitfire sighed. “You don’t learn, do you? Drinking never leads to anything but downfalls. Braeburn… what happened between you two? I thought you were doing fine.”

He was quiet. “We were. Ah don’t know what happened, but she got a letter. Now she won’t talk to me anymore.” He took another drink. “And you’re not the only one who thinks Ah drink too much.”

“What did she say?”

“That she had to go and save herself. Ah know she lied.” He thought back to last week. Daring had received a letter in the mail, and though she wouldn’t divulge its contents, he had an idea as to what it said. “Brae… I need time to figure this out,” she said. “It’s not that I don’t want to tell you, it’s just… everyone's telling me everything I don’t want to hear.”

“Darin’, it’s fine. Ponies say a lot of things, you just can’t let it get to you. You can’t second-guess yourself, there’s only one good thing that comes out of it.” Even then, he could see the doubt in her eyes. The conflict she was facing was something that Braeburn was vaguely familiar with. The only way he could help her was to be the worst friend possible. “You can leave if you really want to.”

Daring looked up. “What?”

“Family always comes first, Darin’. No one knows that better than me. You can run away from this if it keeps hurting you. If whatever we have is makin’ you doubt yourself… it ain’t worth it.”
She snapped at him after that. “I would never leave you! You know that!”

“Ah’ll be fine, Darin’. You can ask it any way you want, Ah’ll be alright. Ah know this is hard, no one ever said it’d be easy.”

“So what? You’re telling me I should just keep falling?!”

“No. Falling’s easy, Darin’. Just… Just remember, it doesn’t matter how many times or how hard you fall. There’s only one way up.”

Back in the present, Spitfire frowned at him. “That’s really what you said?”

“Ah didn’t want to be the reason she did somethin’ she’d regret.” He lay the now empty bottle to the side. “Ah dunno… Lately, Ah’ve been thinkin’ that Ah think too much.”

“A lot of ponies do,” Spitfire answered.

“Hm.” He rubbed his eyes. “Ah do think that you don’t need to sleep to dream. Still, what Ah’ve been seein’ sure don’t feel like dreams. Feels like life’s burnin’ down around me. And from my experience, there’s only one way to drown it out.” He gestured to the empty bottles scattered around the table.

“How can I let this go? How am I supposed to move on after I threw it all away?”

“Please, Darin’. It’ll be better when you wake up and let this go.”

“I can’t, I never leave anyone behind. It’s who I am…. isn't it? Tell me I’m not going crazy, Brae.”

“You’re not.”

“It’s just… You’re telling me to go, to jump. If I go first…. How do I know you’ll follow? How do I know you’ll be there, falling with me?”

“Ah will, just have faith.”

“That’s it, though. Falling’s always been my downfall. Yours is… I don’t know, drinking, or talking even. I can’t take this anymore. This… doubt, this insincerity. I need to… save myself.”

“You’ll figure it out… don’t worry about it. Every pony talks a lot, and it doesn’t mean a thing until you let it.”

“You keep saying that… I wish I could believe you.”

“Brae?”

Braeburn looked up to realize he had been lost in thought. “Yeah?”
Spitfire rolled her eyes and grabbed him by the hoof. “Come on, cowpony. Daring needs you now, and from the look of things, you need her too.”

xXx

The apartment door opened again, and Braeburn was greeted by a hail of voices.

“Brae, did you hear-”

“Got a letter, not good news-”

“She won’t talk to any of us-”

Braeburn raised a hoof. The others fell silent, and he turned to Spitfire. She nodded, and with a heavy sigh, he trotted over to the door.

Daring was facing her bed when the door opened. “I thought I asked you not to come in here,” she growled.

“Ah thought Ah said all Ah had to say. Spitfire thought otherwise.”

Daring relaxed a little and turned to face her friend. “I… I don’t know what I have left to say.” She slumped over on her bed. “It’s not like I can go back now, even if I wanted to.”

“Come on, Darin’. You’re an adventurer, fearless and brave. If you really wanted to, you’d find a way. And don’t let me hold you back. Ah said it before, Ah’ll say it again. You can leave if you really want to. You can run if you have to, do whatever you need to. Go. Ah’ll be fine.”

Daring looked up at him. “Are you sure? I mean… look at you.”

He laughed. “Ah can drink if Ah feel Ah have to, Darin’. And it’ll take me a few drinks, but yeah. Ah’ll be fine. Don’t worry about me.”

“It’s… I don’t know. Hard. I’ve been trying, but I can’t feel like I used to. I can’t relive those days anymore.” She stared out the window. “I can fly, but it doesn’t feel the same. It’s like… Like gravity’s still keeping me grounded, even though I’m up in the air.”

As she said this, she left the room. The others were gone. She kept going, out the door and into the hall. Braeburn followed her. A pair of drunken ponies passed them by, giggling to themselves.

“Ah think Ah know how you feel. Goodbyes only drag us down, after all.”

Daring glanced up and down the hall to find it empty. She could hear a faint sound of static from one of the rooms. “Then spare me the fall.”

She sighed and kept moving forward. Braeburn keeping pace with her. “Heh… You’re in a hurry. Any reason why?” She asked, noticing his pace.

“Well… you’d be in a hurry too, if you could see what Ah see,” he answered.

“And what exactly do you see?”

“Ah dunno. Somethin’ beautiful.”

She rolled her eyes. “You ever hear that saying…. Seize the moment? I don’t know, sometimes it almost feels like…. Like the moment seizes us, you know?”

The two descended the staircase, entering the lobby.

“Yeah, Ah know exactly what you mean.” As they exited the building, the moon glowed bright, surrounded by a blanket of black. The stars pierced through the darkness, shining and gleaming.

“Huh.... It is beautiful,” She remarked. “Brae… ’m trying… but I just can’t. I’m trying to fight it, but I keep falling.”

“Fallin’s easy, Darin’.”

“Yeah… but it only brings me down.”

“True,” he answered. “Ah’ll spare you a goodbye then. Good luck.” He turned and trotted back towards the farm.

As she watched him trot away, Daring exhaled. “I’m not worried about him,” she thought, though she knew she was.

Chapter 14: Gravity

Chapter 15: Falling in Reverse

"So just breathe, it's almost over, and don't let the monster in your head become your fears..."

“Come on, Daring! What’s the big deal? Nobody’s that heartless!”

“I wouldn’t be so sure…”

Braeburn rolled his eyes and closed the book, setting it back on the desk. He took out a sheet of paper and began to write.

“Dear Daring,

Listen, I know things have been hard for you lately. I know you probably don’t want to hear this, but just hear me out. I feel like I’m the voice in your head now. I just want to help you, to let you know that everything will be alright. But what I’ve said, it’s made you feel scared. And that’s the problem, I’m scared too.

So here’s to you and all the problems we caused. All we ever wanted to do was follow our dreams and avoid all these problems, but they showed themselves anyways. I once told my cousin that I felt like I was drowning in my thoughts, and I think that’s something that won’t change. It’s hard to stay afloat in your own head when all your thoughts become monsters.

Monsters. Funny how a simple thought can turn against you like that. Like one stray word drags you down. And when it does, it seems like nopony around even notices. It’s a strange feeling, one that you feel deep in your chest. It’s like your insides are hollow, and you can’t even breathe. There’s a monster lurking in your head, one that no one else can see.

But… no matter how hard it seems, you can’t let it become your fears. If you do, it doesn’t exist in your head anymore. You see it everywhere you go, and it’s in everything you do. You can’t let it happen, Daring.

All you need to do is breathe. It’s almost over, and these times can’t last forever. You can save yourself, and I don’t want to be the reason you don’t.

It’s hard, I know. Maybe I can’t be the friend that you want or the one that you need. But I realize there’s a difference now, between a friend you want and a friend you need. I’m figuring it out now, and I’m sorry I didn’t realize this sooner. It’s like a voice in my head started talking, and won’t stop. It’s annoying, sure, but it’s helping me figure it out.

That’s what I want to be now. I want to be a voice in your head, saying whatever you need to hear. A voice that will be there forever, no matter what happens. So that even if no one else is there to hear you, you always have me to talk to.

I think this is it for us, Daring. We’ve run out of things to say but we’re still talking. I think it’s time for us to move on. Daring… I hope you know a good thing when you see one, and that you’ll treasure it as much as those artifacts you hold dear. Who knows, maybe someday, you’ll find a pony just like you, one who can fly up high right next to me, and give you help when you need it most. I know I could never be that pony, no matter how hard I try. You’ll never be alone, Daring. I hope you know it.

Last time we talked, you mentioned something about falling. Like how gravity keeps pulling you down. I have to ask… did you ever take a moment to wonder if we’re not falling down? Like, what if we were… I don’t know, falling in reverse? Falling up?

I… I don’t know. I’ve been thinking about Vinyl’s song lately. The one that goes, ‘Love, not wrong.’ I think that it’s right, in so many ways. Love’s not wrong, and all we ever are is brave. Sure, love can hurt, but time heals all wounds…. Doesn’t it?”

He put the letter into the envelope. Before he could seal it, he hesitated. He opened the book, found the right page, and tore it out. He rummaged through his drawer and pulled out a picture. The picture showed himself sitting next to Daring under a tree, staring up at the sky and talking.

It was strange that after all the time they spent together, this was the only picture he had with the two of them. He slid the picture into the envelope with the torn page and the letter.

“Come on, Daring! What’s the big deal? Nobody’s that heartless!”

“I wouldn’t be so sure…”

From somewhere in his house, Daring’s voice flowed through the walls. “There are no ends, just grays and half-lives.”

Braeburn stood up, wiping a tear from his eye. “It’s time.”

Chapter 15: Falling in Reverse

Chapter 16: Wake Up

"So stay, you're not what you're hearing, cause I've been watching you changing, and who said you're one in a million.... Anyway?"

It was early. Or maybe it was late. Daring didn’t know anymore. Whatever time it was, the farm was silent. None of the Apples seemed to be awake yet. Daring stood on top of a hill overlooking the main farmhouse. She wanted to go down, knock on the door. It was what she wanted, but was it what she needed to do? Would it give her closure or pain?

“You’re up early.” Her ear twitched as she heard hoofsteps behind her.

“Hey, Brae,” she said without turning around. “So are you.”

“Ah was sittin’ on the roof again. Hopin’ to watch the sunrise.” He fell silent.

Daring nodded, looking up at clouds. “How did we get here, Brae? I can’t remember anymore.”

“Me neither. We sure did come far, though,” Braeburn noted.

Their minds wandered back to last year. Braeburn was trying to run from his pride and mistakes, Daring was looking for someone to talk to. Somehow, they had met each other and their skies seemed to burn after that.

It was beautiful, but it left them open to the tragedy and problems that made up life. Daring sighed. She never told him what had happened after she left last year, on the 23rd. Daring sat alone on the airship, staring at the picture she had taken from him. It was a strange feeling, being so high yet felt so low. She looked out the window, watching as the Eastern end of Equestria grew farther and farther away.

“I’m sorry, Brae.”

“Ah know.”

“I’ll make it all up when I get back, swear to Celestia.” She sighed, listening to the winds rustle through the orchard. “I don’t think this is a phase anymore. I thought that once I found my success, it would just be over, but… I don’t know, it feels like I’m going to keep looking for it.”

“Well, shootin’ stars all burn out at some point,” he answered. “Things that burn bright burn out fastest.” He shifted his weight, uncertain. “So… Amareica, huh?”

“Yeah. Things are different there, and I love it, but…. It’ll never be my home.” Her hoof went into her pocket, fiddling with the locket.

“Ah hear things are better there,” Brae said. “Ponies like to say the streets are made of gold there.”

Daring laughed. “Not exactly. Who knows, maybe we could fly out there someday.”

“Nah, my family would kill me if Ah ever went there. They don’t think too much of it.”

She squinted up at the sky. “They call it the land of opportunity…. Brae, I’m not scared of it anymore.”

“How do you mean?”

“The last time I went there… I don’t know, I was scared. Scared of what my family would say when they saw me again. Now… I’m just… numb, I guess.”

She glanced at Braeburn. He seemed to be a bit distracted. It was like he was miles away, and she had to shout through wind and noise to get to him. She settled down, lying next to the tree. Sitting in such a position gave her flashbacks to the time they had spent on the hill. As she looked back over those days, she couldn’t hear their conversations. But when she looked at his face, the message was clear.

“Stay, Darin’,” she imagined him saying. “You’re not going to leave me. This place, right here… it’s where you need to be.”

“Is it?” She wondered.

“I don’t understand. Why do your words mean so much to all those ponies out there, but they don’t mean anythin’ to me?”

Daring cringed.

“Stay, Darin’,” he continued. “You’re not what you’re hearin’. You know ponies like to say things, it doesn’t mean anythin’ until you let it.” Those words sounded so familiar to her. “Ah’ve been watchin’ you change, Darin’. Who said you were one in a million anyways?.”

She ended the imaginary conversation. “Hey, Braeburn? You ever look back on memories and feel like you’re only seeing what you want to? Sort of like tunnel vision?” she asked aloud.

“Yeah, actually. Ah think you only remember what you want to remember. It blinds you, in a way. Makes it so you can’t see what’s wrong. Makes you sleep right through the things that matter.”

“And then your dreams come to life around you, but so do your nightmares. They don’t come in your sleep anymore, they’re in your life,” Finished Daring. “Then you’re just sleepwalking, going through the motions without meaning. I think… I think that maybe if we took a second, and just kept talking, maybe we could figure it all out.”

“Maybe. Darin’, what’s on your mind? Ah’m sure you didn’t come all the way out here to watch the sunrise.”

“That’s just it, Brae. I don’t know what I’m thinking.”

“Ah’m scared for you, Darin’. I’m worried you’ll fall.” He looked into her eyes. “Ah’m worried you’re going to crash if somethin’ goes wrong. But… you’re not.”

“That’s comforting,” Daring scoffed.

“Sorry. Darin’, think of this all as one bad dream. It’s long and tiring, but it’ll be better when you wake up. When you take a step back and admire who you really are underneath all the words and costumes. You always struck me as the type of pony to live sunset to sunset.”

“And what does that mean?”

“Just means that sun washes our pain and fear away. It brings a new day, a chance to leave it all behind in yesterday. And no matter where you are, it’s shining somewhere. Just gotta get there.” He glanced up. “Even in Amareica.”

Braeburn sighed, looking at Daring. “Don’t you have an airship to catch?”

“Doesn’t leave for a while.” Daring looked back at him. The two fell silent, but noise seemed to form around them. They began to hear bits of conversations, words they had said in the past, thoughts they had. It all flowed together, a perfect symphony. It was confusing at first, but it began to make sense, forming intricate songs and melodies.

“Can’t you feel it? In the air?”
“It’s… 02:09, I think…”
“She was right, that was the last time…”
“Feels like Ah’m drownin’, really…”
“I’d rather put my faith in nothing than something I didn’t believe in…”
“Plans change... “
“Please don’t let me be alone…”
“... lost. Found?”
“This is who Ah am, huh?”
“LOVE!”
“You ever feel… like all you want is to be up there, right next to all the legends of Equestria? Like some sort of rockstar?”
“NOT!”
“To be remembered… that’s all I could ever want.”
“WRONG!”
“You’re not going to here forever, Darin’....”
“BRAVE!”

“Stay, Darin’. You’re not gonna leave me…”

“Sex and drugs and rock and roll…”
“I think there’s a lot to talk about...”
“Come on, your story’s not over yet…”

“It feels like I’ve been trying to dig my way out of the ocean…. “

“Just scribble me out…”
“I won’t fade…”
“LOVE!”
“Never liked circles much…”

“Can’t help but wonder…”
“Hey, if you fall, Ah’ll catch you…”
“NOT!”
“If… if there’s anything I’ve found out, it’s that life goes by fast…”
“This is the first time I’ve talked about this… and it actually feels good to get it out there. Makes me feel like… like if I kept talking, I’d find the answer to all my problems…”

“You’re not nocturnal...”
“WRONG!”
“Desert air ain’t gonna kill you…”
“Call it runnin’, call it quitin’. Ah just call it movin’ on…”

“Heard there’s gold out there…”
“BRAVE!”
“Huh. Ah remember it bein’ so much better than this,”

“This place, right here…. It’s where you need to be…”
“Ah don’t want to dream about better times, Ah want ‘em to happen…”
“An’ live like shootin’ stars…”

“… And punch a hole in the sky…”

“This bridge is burnin’ down. You don’t have to come back…”
“End credits are rollin’.”
“Ah’m more scared of what Ah don’t know than my mistakes…”
“Rather bury my past right next to my fears…”
“I’m just falling through the gaps, fading into dark. Just time that’s running out. I don’t want to fade. Please don’t let me fade…”

“So tired of running around in circles, you know?”
“Look, I’m sorry. It’s just… I guess I got swept up in my excitement…”
“I need to feel okay, and I’ll do whatever it takes to get there…”
“Ah’m not worried about you.”
“The interlude, I guess…”

“Ah don’t understand. Why do your words mean so much to all those ponies out there, but they don’t mean anythin’ to me?

“LOVE!”
“Time, I guess. We’ll be alright, Brae, trust me…”
“Then are you my friend or not?!”
“NOT!”
“Brae… I don’t know what I’m missing, but I’m missing something…”
“It’s better than dreaming.”
“WRONG!”

“Running on fumes now…”
“Ah’ve been needin’ a sad song, cuz…”
“BRAVE!”
“I won’t sleep…”
“I have nowhere left to go…”
“And… And I guess that’s it.”

“... And flood the light through to midnight…”
“I heard the words that you never said…”
“We had a good time, but… but Ah think it’s over now...”
“...Smokescreen from a cigarette…”
“You know, I don’t feel sad about it…. It’s just… it’s just weird…”
“...Exhale, we could never be what’s in our heads…”
“Catch me if you can, then…”
“...Elevation doesn’t matter now, it’s straight ahead…”
“Goodbyes don’t hurt me anymore…”
“...Sending shivers down my spine, life pirouettes…”
“... no more.”
“...It’s cool, we’re used to losing real friends…”
“So…. so long, I guess…”
“... Only ever feeling it in retrospect…”
“... And I don’t know where you’re going…”
“... And we were really breathing, not silhouettes…”
“Please don’t lose me now...”
“... Maybe in another dream, this would never end…”
“Nobody lasts forever. It’s over now…”

“Stay, Darin’. You’re not what you’re hearin…”

“No, I won’t sleep…”
“To last forever… To last forever is ridiculous, don’t you think?”
“Ah’ve fought off these demons before…”
“...Yeah. Ah think it’s ridiculous...”
“I want you to feel it before it’s gone…”
“...You think it’s ridiculous?”
“ I want to be the pony you think I am…”
“...Course. Everythin’ has an end.”
“...You can’t expect the past to repeat with the ending changed…”

“Love’s not wrong. All we ever are is brave…”
“We regret to inform you that…”
“... No more…”
“You can leave if you really want to…”
“Ah know this is hard, no one ever said it’d be easy...”
“How am I supposed to move on after I threw it all away?”

“Ah’ve been watchin’ you change, Darin’...”

“I can’t fight gravity anymore…”
“But what I’ve said, it’s made you feel scared…”
“So here’s to you and all the problems we caused…”
“...So don’t forget where you came from…”
“I think this is it for us, Daring…”
“Like, what if we were… I don’t know, falling in reverse?”
“...And we are never alone…”
“...What’s the big deal? Nobody’s that heartless!”
“There are no ends, just grays and half-lives…”

“Who said you were one in a million?”

“You hear it too?” Daring glanced over a Braeburn, a placid smile on her face.

“Yeah. It’s beautiful, isn’t it?”

“Really is. You think you could write that down or somethin’?”

“Couldn’t if I tried.”

Braeburn sighed. The sigh wasn’t a depressed, resentful one, but rather one of bliss. “Darin’, Ah know you think of yourself as a heartbreaker, as someone who leaves all their friends behind on purpose, but… You’re not. You’re so much better than that. Ah know it, and Ah hope you know it too. You know, bein’ with you…. It’s inspired me. Like maybe Ah could ride out into the desert and start a town.”

Daring glanced at Braeburn. “Brae… You should stay. You’re not what you’re hearing either. I don’t care what any of your exes or your family says, you’re one of the kindest, friendliest ponies I’ve ever met. You’re my best friend, Brae. And I’ve seen you change too, for the better. And who says we have to be one in a million? I think what we have is more like… One in infinity.”

“Heh… One in infinity.” The two ponies fell silent as the sun began to break the clouds high above them. Applejack and Big Mac were up already, somewhere in the orchard. For the first time, they didn’t feel lost anymore.

“Hey Brae?”

“Yeah, Darin’?”

“No matter how bad it seems… or how dark it gets, just remember, no nightmare lasts forever. You’ll feel better when you wake up, just remember that.” With that, Daring took out her locket from her pocket and handed it to Braeburn. The photo of the filly and mare had been replaced with a picture of herself next to Braeburn, sitting underneath a tree. “I’m sorry, and I’ll make it all up when I get back. Maybe then we’ll have our happy ending.”

“Ah don’t think either of us want a happy endin’ anymore, Darin’.” Braeburn removed a letter from his vest pocket and handed it to her. “Nothing’s going to drag you down or hurt you. You just keep chasin’ your dreams. And if you need me, Ah’ll scream as loud as Ah can just so you can hear me. Don’t you ever change because somepony told you to, Darin’. You’re so much better than that.”

The two ponies hugged. “So long, Braeburn,” Daring said, wiping her eyes.

“So long, Daring,” Braeburn answered, a sad smile on his face. Daring Do turned and left the orchard. Despite every bone in her body screaming at her, she didn’t look back. She couldn’t.

Chapter 16: Wake Up

Chapter 17: Man Down

"And these words, they don't come easy, and they don't come loud, so you'll never notice, screaming man down..."

Braeburn woke up in a cold sweat. The room was dark, except for a lone candle on the desk. A box full of photos lay open, and Braeburn narrowed his eyes. This was familiar. There was a knock on the window, and Braeburn’s heart skipped a beat. He trotted over, praying to Celestia that this wasn’t what he thought it was. He opened the window, and an ever familiar pegasus flew into the room. “Darin’... what-”

She didn’t seem to hear him, flying over to the table. “Darin’ … couldn’t this wait until mornin’?”

Something clicked in his mind as Daring jumped into an explanation. This happened almost two years ago. As he looked over his old friend, the feeling was bittersweet. It was nice to see her again, in a way, but he had let her go. So why was she still here?

“I want you to come with me, Brae.”

A thought crossed his mind. What if he could change the past? Then he wouldn’t have to deal with the pain and tears of the past few years. “Aw hay, why not?”

Daring frowned at him. “You can’t change the past, Brae. I thought you’d know that by now.”

“Worth a shot.”

There was a sharp crack, and he doubled over with pain as if he had just been shot at point-blank range. The candle went out and the room plunged into darkness.

xXx

Braeburn shot up in his bead. Another crack of thunder sounded from outside. “Stupid dream,” he muttered, getting up. He rubbed his chest. It still felt like he had been shot in the heart, a burning deep inside him. “Ah’m not what she wanted… Ah just want her back….”

He trotted over to his desk. Shoving the old box of photos aside, he took a quill and paper. The wastebasket under him was filled with crumpled pieces of papers, drafts of letters he would never send.

“I hope you notice it, Daring. I’ve been hoping that you’d come around someday, but I know you’re busy. I’m sorry I haven’t written in months, it’s just… I’m trying, you know? I just… I just can’t keep friendships very well. You know that. I always blow it, running them into the ground.

What about you? You haven’t written either. I hear that you’re busy, but… I don’t know. Do you still care? I need to know… Your silence is hurting me, Daring. I’m stuck here, not knowing what to say, and you’re not making a sound either.

Silence is like a bullet, Daring. I’ve been shot now, and I hope you know it.”

With a disgruntled sigh, he crumpled up the paper and tossed it into the wastebasket. He glanced over at the open book on the desk. “You know how everyone’s always saying seize the moment?” Asked Daring. “I don’t know… I’m thinking it’s the other way around. Like the moment seizes us.”

Next to the novel was a newspaper. “The famed adventurer Daring Do has done it again. Audiences everywhere are lining up outside of bookstores, hoping to get their hooves on a copy of her latest novel…”

He snorted. He told himself that he wouldn’t pay attention to those headlines anymore, that he was over it. But it wasn’t true, he thought, glancing at the stack of newspapers in the corner of his room.

Why was he so divided? His dreams always seemed to revolve around that one day years ago. Did she still care? He searched his memories for an answer. He thought back to the time they sat under the tree on the hill, in the dead of the night, when she leaned her head on his shoulder.

He knew that his lack of letters made him seem distant, hard to reach, but their friendship wasn’t over. He wished he knew how to tell her that. But what if he got a letter from her? Would he open it?

He had to know if she still cared if he was alive, but what if the answer was no? If silence was a bullet, then what would a response be? Braeburn shuddered. “We could have made it… right? Ah dunno… Am Ah crazy?”

xXx

Daring squinted into the sun, trying to figure out what time it was in Equestria. Around her, Amareicans went about their usual business, chatting amongst themselves. A few glanced her way, but for the most part, she went unnoticed. It had been months since the funeral, but she had elected to stay to tie up some loose ends.

Or that was what she told herself. Maybe she was too scared to go back to Equestria, though she knew she would have to return someday. With a sigh, she turned and went back to the hotel. The entire time she had been in Amareica, she hadn’t received a single letter from Braeburn. She had tried to write a few herself, but she just couldn’t figure out what to say. Some writer she was, she scoffed.

In her room, she grabbed a quill and paper. “I don’t know if you know this, Brae, but I think you do. Silence hurts, you might as well shoot me. I’m not what you wanted, and I’m sorry for that, but all I want now is to hear from you again. I’m shot Brae. Help me.”

She sighed, folding up the paper and tossing it into the trash can. Braeburn would never know how she felt, she thought. She had too much pride to admit she made mistakes. It was easier to just hide behind her ego and block out the world, ignoring the pain.

She had to say it, but it was hard. It was harder than anything she had ever done in the past. It wasn’t easy to say, and it surely wasn’t loud. “Brae… I miss you. And I hope you notice…” she whispered.

xXx

In the pouring rain, Braeburn stumbled out of the store. He stared at the bottle of liquor in his hooves. His ear twitched as a pony past. Looking up, he found himself staring at Princess Celestia. His eyes widened. “You’re lost,” she said. Braeburn blinked, and she was gone.

“Heh. Ah’m lost,” he muttered. He tossed the bottle into a trash can and trotted home. “We’re lost.”

Chapter 17: Man Down

Chapter 18: Crash

"Woah, old friend it's bittersweet... Woah, how could you do this to me?"

xXx

Laughter echoed down from the orchards. A group of ponies trotted down the path, headed back towards the farmhouse. “You were really friends with Daring Do, Brae?” Caramel asked.

Braeburn shrugged. “That was years ago, Caramel. Yeah, Ah guess Ah was.” As the conversation carried on between the others, Applejack slowed her pace so that she was next to him.

“That’s the first time in a while you brought her up, Brae.”

Braeburn sighed. “It’s been a few years since she left, AJ. Ah ran out of tears a while ago.”

Applejack sighed. “Ah think you’ve done her proud, cuz.”

“Reckon so. Ah didn’t want to let her down, so Ah grew up to be the pony she wanted.”

“You really have changed, cuz. Ah’m proud of you.”

He rolled his eyes. “It’s just time, AJ. Ah’ve still got a few years ahead of me. Ah’ll see you back at the farmhouse.”

Braeburn entered the barn, dropping some empty baskets in the corner. A rustle behind him made him freeze. “Ah said Ah was comin’, AJ.”

“Did you?” The voice sent a chill down his spine.

He didn’t need to turn around to see the pegasus standing there. Setting the bucket on the ground, he turned around. “Darin’. Nice to see you again.”

Daring Do stared at the ground, not meeting his eyes. The stallion pushed passed her heading back to the farmhouse. “Wait, Brae-”

“Wait?” He stopped. “Ah’ve been waitn’. Do you have any idea how long it’s been since Ah’ve been sure of anythin’? Of what Ah want? Of where Ah’m goin’?” Taking a deep breath, Braeburn calmed down. “Look, Darin’. Ah let you go some time ago, and now you come back again… Seein’ you is… bittersweet, ah guess.”

“I know, Brae. I know.”

“How could you do this to me, Darin’?”

The pegasus flinched. “Me? What about you? You’re not who you think you are, Brae, I thought I made that clear.”

“Yeah, you did. Ah could have been jealous of you, runnin’ off from home to find success. But Ah’m not. Ah’m proud of you.”

“Were you?” There was an awkward pause. “I waited… for so long to get a letter. And when it finally came…” she dug into her vest pocket and threw a letter on the ground. “It killed me. ‘Goodbye, Daring.’ Do you know how much it hurts to wait for so long, and end up with ‘Goodbye, Daring?!”

“You’re the author, not me! And you have no right to say that! At least Ah wrote somethin’! You? Not a single letter!”

Daring fell silent, seething in anger.

“All Ah had were those stupid books of yours! And as Ah read them, those words mocked me. They proved you were still alive, still out there. But not one damn letter!” He advanced now, his voice raising. “You know what? Ah’d prefer the silence over a fake smile or a fake laugh.”

“Fake?! What we had was real! None of it was fake!”

“Then why didn’t you say anythin’?!”

“BECAUSE I LOVE YOU!” She shouted, tears streaming down her face. The world bent around them, ceasing to matter.

“Well, you have an odd way of showin’ it. Is this what love is? Blockin’ out the one you want, pushin’ them away?” He wasn’t yelling anymore, but his eyes were red and wet.

“I didn’t want to tell you… I couldn’t,” she sobbed. “I loved what we had. Lying under the sky, saying whatever came to mind… That was real, Brae. I didn’t want us to read from a script, and say things because we had to.”

“Darin’... All this time, Ah thought Ah was growin’ up. Ah found out that Ah’m really just fallin’.” He took a deep breath. “Ah’m sorry.” He threw her hooves around her and pulled her into a hug.

“You have nothing to be sorry about,” she murmured. “I’m the one who’s been haunted by my thoughts, drowning in them.”

“Then why didn’t you say so?” he whispered. “Ah’ve been there, Ah can help you.”

“Because I’m Daring Do, damn it. If I can’t help myself, no one can. That’s how it’s been for me, Brae, and that’s how it’ll always be.” She rubbed her eyes and smiled. “You were the only one who made me doubt that belief. You… messed me up, Brae.”

“Yeah, you did too.” Braeburn took a step back. “When you left… Ah ran out of things to say. AH guess that isn’t true. Ah have so much to say, but Celestia help me, Ah can’t find the right words. So… Ah guess Ah’ve got nothin’ to say to you.”

Daring nodded. “It’s fine. You’re right, too much time has passed. I’ve moved on… I think we both have.” She hesitated. “You know… as much as I say I’m over it… I’m still hurting. Celestia knows I’ve tried to be strong, but… It hurts, Brae.”

“Ah know it does, Darin’. You’re not alone there. You can tell yourself a thousand times you’re over it, but that won’t make it disappear.” He lay a hoof on her shoulder. “Hey, you know… Maybe Ah have been growin’ up. Ah realize now Ah’m more than just lonely.”

She chuckled. “Maybe. Keep fighting, Brae.”

“You too, Daring.”

The pegasus spread her wings, ready to fly.

“Darin’...Ah think it’s best if you don’t come back. For both of our sakes. Ah need time to heal, and Ah think you do too.”

“And I haven’t seen your face or heard your voice in so long…”

She nodded. “Yeah, I know. So long, Braeburn.”

“...So, so long…”

“So long, Darin’.”

“... We had a good run…”

The adventurer spread her wings and took off flying.

“...It’s over now…”

“... Course. Everythin’ has an end.”

xXx

Chapter 18: Crash

Chapter xxx: Crowd

Some Time Ago

“Alright, Manehattan! We all having fun?”

The crowd roared in response. “Alright, I like it, I like it!”

Vinyl Scratch flashed a smile at the crowd. “Listen up, everypony! I’m going to need your help! I’ve got a list of words right here, and when I tell you, I’m going to need you to shout them out, loud as you can. Think you can handle that?”

The crowd cheered, yelling and stomping.

“Alright, alright. First word here is ‘Love!’ Lemme hear it on 3! 1,2,3!”

“LOVE!”

“Okay, alright! Next up is ‘Not!’ 1,2,3!”

“NOT!”

“I like it, I like it! What’s next…. ‘Wrong!’ 1,2,3!”

“WRONG!”

“Aw yeah! One more here, ‘Brave!’ 1,2,3!”

“BRAVE!”

“Now put it all together! 1,2,3!”

“LOVE!

NOT!

WRONG!

BRAVE!”

“Awesome! Thanks so much! Who knows? Hopefully, that worked, and you’ll end up in a song!”

Chapter xxx: Crowd

EP: Catch me if you can

“I want to be like John Dillinger… Just try and catch me if you can....”

“Dear Cuz,

You would not believe the day I just had. Dunno how fast news travels down there, but maybe y’all have heard about the return of Nightmare Moon. Well, let me tell it from my view. It all started when this purple unicorn came down to the farm…”

Braeburn rolled his eyes and smiled as he read his cousin’s letter. Applejack always had a knack for getting into all sorts of trouble. It was good to see that she was still doing well.

Laying the letter aside, he glanced at a piece of paper he had been writing on. ‘Chapter 1:’ he wrote. He hesitated. It didn’t seem right starting with ‘1.’ He crossed it out and wrote instead, ‘Chapter x.’ Thinking for a minute, he checked the time. ‘Chapter x: 02:09.’

His quill hovered over the sheet for a minute. He dropped it to the table and searched his bookshelf. He pulled out a record and blew the dust off of it. ‘Vinyl Scratch: Brave,’ he read. A knocking at his door caused his ear to twitch. “You in, Brae? Ah need to talk to you,” a voice called.

“Be right out!” responded Braeburn. He grabbed his hat and vest and left the farmhouse.

On the porch, he breathed in the dusty desert air. It had been a hindrance at first, but he got used to it. “Howdy, Brae,” greeted a pony.

“Mornin’, Sheriff. What’s the news today?”

Sheriff Silverstar rolled his eyes. “Buffalo seem to be keepin’ their distance for now.”

“Good to hear,” commented Braeburn as he looked towards the apple orchards. Growing apple trees in the desert had been no easy task, but they made it work.

“By the way… you’ve got a visitor.”

He raised his eyebrow. “Visitor? Now, who in their right mind would want to visit Appleoosa?”

xXx

The pegasus squinted through the dust cloud at the small town. “He actually did it… Unbelievable.” Her companion laughed.

“You sound scared, Daring.”

Daring rolled her eyes. “Of course I’m scared, Soarin. Would I be thinking straight if I wasn’t?”

He shrugged. “Come on, it’s not like you don’t know him.”

She pawed at the dirt. “But that’s just it! We haven’t talked at all since I left! How do I know he hasn’t changed or something?”

Soarin fought off the urge to slap his hoof against his face. “I thought you were Daring Do, fearless adventurer adored by colts and fillies everywhere? The explorer who isn’t afraid of anything?”

“Even if I say it doesn’t scare me… it does, damn it. It does.” She gave a frustrated sigh. “I’d almost rather drown in an ocean somewhere than do this. At least I’d know where I was going.”

“Oh, come on, Daring. We’re all headed somewhere, that’s pretty much the same thing.” Soarin nudged his friend. “Besides, no turning back now.” He pointed down the hill, where a pony in a brown vest and hat was headed their way. “I’m going to see if I can’t track down some pie. Good luck!” With that, the pegasus took off.

Braeburn came into view, nodding at Daring. “Hey, Darin’!”

She smiled at him. “Hey, Brae! It’s been a while.”

“Yeah, it sure has.” He gestured towards the town below them. “S’pose Ah should welcome you to Appleoosa.”

“Doesn’t sound right,” she mused.

“What doesn’t?”

“The name. Maybe if you said it more like…” Daring reared up on her hind legs. “Aaaaaaaaappleoosa!”

Braeburn chuckled. “Heh, maybe. We’ll see.”

“How’d you get all the way out here, Brae? Last I saw you were still living with your cousin.”

“Long story. Ah just liked the thought of bein’ able to run away for once. Besides, my cousins can handle themselves. Ah’ve faith in them.”

“Hey, Brae… Are you still scared of the future?”

“Reckon so. Ah guess Ah always will be. What about you?”

“Me? Well… I’ve always liked the idea of being a runaway. I don’t know… I’ve been feeling kind of nostalgic. Guess that’s why I came back. What if we did the things we used to do, Brae? You think that would take us back to those days before I left?”

He thought for a moment. “Worth a shot, Ah guess.”

As they settled down on the barren hill, he chuckled. “You know… Ah still hear the song. It’s the same one, after all these years.”

“I hear it too, Brae,” she answered. “I guess not much has changed. Still, I want to go back to those days. Life wasn’t so complicated then.”

“Nah, we just thought we understood it. Ah kind of get what you were talkin’ about when we first met. Ah just want to ride off into that sunset, not a care in the world. No plans or anythin’ to hold me back.”

“Plans change a lot,” she replied. “They're overrated anyways. I get what you said too. Nopony ever really knows where they're going, but they love rushing towards it. It feels good to slow down sometimes.”

Braeburn squinted at the sun. “You ever feel like the past keeps changin’? Like every time you think about it, it’s not as good as it used to be?”

Daring nodded. “Yeah, and I hate it. I just want to cherish these memories, but they’re just not golden anymore. I want to change that so, but I can’t.”

“Last time we met… We decided it be best if we took some time to heal. You think we’ve healed yet, Darin’?”

“I guess… It sure doesn’t hurt as much as it used to.” A thought occurred to Daring. “Brae, when we first met… Soarin wanted me to give a package to your cousin. What was in it?”

Braeburn blinked. “You still remember that?” He thought for a second, then grinned. “Oh, you wouldn’t believe me if Ah told you.”

“Try me.”

He laughed. “It was your book, Darin’.” The pegasus blinked. “Soarin was tryin’ to get Mac invested in your series. Thought it be funny if you delivered it yourself.”

The two laughed. The more she thought about those days, the more Daring realized that even though they were scared of the future, they didn’t let it bother them. They had gone and made something.

“Brae… Who says we can’t go back?” She shot up, eyes gleaming.

“What do you mean, Darin’?”

“I mean, who cares if we lose the past? We have today! We have tomorrow! Let’s go make some more memories, if only for today. We lived because we loved it then, so let’s do it now.”

Braeburn smiled at her enthusiasm. “Well… Ah guess it’s worth a shot. Even if it’s only for today.”

“Let’s do it then! I’m going to relive the past!” She spread her wings and smirked at Brae. “Catch me if you can!” She shot to the sky.

The stallion laughed. “You’re on.” He took off running down the hill, leaving a trail of dust behind.

“... Oh, I’m going back, Catch me if you can.”

xXx
end
xXx

EP: Catch me if you can

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Better Together

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Chapter 2: Lost//Found

Chapter 3: rock + roll

“And that I gave it hell, and if it hurt, oh well…”

Despite the hour, the bar was quiet. Few ponies were lounging about, chatting amongst themselves. The air was filled with the sounds of clinking glasses, voices, and an ambient song playing from the jukebox in the corner. Braeburn was sitting across from a large workhorse who dwarfed the other patrons in size. Playing cards were laid out in front of the two, but Braeburn couldn’t remember what they had been playing before they gave up.

“You good?” His cousin’s voice caused Braeburn to look up.

“Fine, Big Mac.” He eyed the bottle sitting to his right, still untouched. “Thinkin’ of laying off on the hard cider for a while.”

“Good choice,” responded Big Mac. He stood up, finishing his own drink. “Headed back. You comin’?”

Braeburn leaned back in his chair, stretching. “Nah, not yet.” Big Mac nodded, leaving the bar. Braeburn’s eyes followed him. His cousin was a stallion of few words, yet he was a hard worker, willing to give it all to his family. Not unlike himself, Braeburn thought. He would gladly lay down his life if only to make somepony else happy. Too bad nopony ever requested that of him. He ended up staring at the bottle, thoughts running through his head.

“This is who I am, huh?” he said softly.

xXx

Daring Do trotted down the streets, darkened by the night. Few other ponies could be seen, most of them keeping to themselves. With a sigh, Daring paused at the street corner. Her eyes wandered across the signs before finding what she was looking for. Entering the quiet bar, she was almost relieved that none of the patrons seemed to notice her. She trotted up to the bartender. “Excuse me, I was looking for a Big Macintosh?”

The unicorn set a glass on the counter with his magic. “He just left. Did you need something from him?”

Daring shook her head. “I was supposed to give him something.” In her saddlebags was a package from Soarin. The pegasus would have delivered it himself, but an emergency had occurred, commanding both his and Spitfire’s attention.

“Well, you could give it to his cousin. That’s him right there,” the bartender said, jerking his head at a tan stallion sitting alone at a table.

“Oh? Thanks,” Daring said, trotting over. The stallion was eyeing a bottle, leaning back in his chair. A brown hat sat on the table, along with some scattered playing cards. “Excuse me,” Daring said.

Braeburn looked up from the bottle. “Hm?” An olive coated pegasus stood in front of him.

“I have a package for Big Macintosh, the bartender said you were his cousin?” Braeburn nodded, leaning forwards so that his chair touched the ground again.

“Eeyup.” Daring reached into her pack and pulled out the package, wrapped in paper. She set on the table, then pointed to the bottle with her hoof.

“Are you going to drink that?” Braeburn glanced at the bottle, thinking for a moment, before sliding it across the table.

“Thanks,” responded the pegasus, popping the cap. “My name’s Daring, by the way.”

“Braeburn,” came an almost automated response. Daring took a swig from the bottle, then set it back on the table.

“Braeburn… are you okay?” The pony blinked. “I don’t mean to pry, it’s just… you look a little out of it.”

He chuckled. “Nah, ‘Ahm fine. I guess… this is just who I am.”

Daring spun the bottle on the table before steadying it. “You don’t believe that, do you?”

Braeburn glanced at her. “Ah… dunno anymore. Ponies tell me Ah’ve got somethin’ more, but ‘Ah don’t know what the hay it is.”

Daring nodded knowingly. “I know exactly what you mean.” The two sat in a strange, comfortable silent for a moment.

Braeburn spoke first. “You know… you could be loved if you really want to.”

The bottle froze in Daring’s hooves. “Huh?”

Braeburn shrugged. “You’ve got friends, a life, a chance. More than Ah’ve ever got anyways. Ah’m tired of listenin’ to them tell me that ‘Ah can be more than what ‘Ah am. Way ‘Ah figure it, you’ve got it better than ‘Ah ever could.”

The pegasus chuckled and took another swig. “Not exactly. Yeah, I’ve got some great friends, but… I just don’t want anypony to see me when I’m down. And it seems that I’m losing friends faster than I can make amends.” The pegasus paused, a stray thought crossing her mind.

“You ever feel… like all you want is to be up there, right next to all the legends of Equestria? Like some sort of rockstar?’

Braeburn looked at her quizzically. “Not sure Ah follow.”

“I don’t know… At this point, I don’t even care what I do. I could save the world or end it, doesn’t matter.”

“As long as you’ll be remembered, huh?”

She nodded in confirmation. “To be remembered… that’s all I could ever want.”

The stallion was silent for a moment. “Aren’t you famous already?”

Daring Do blinked, then sighed. “So you did recognize me.”

“All due respect, Ah don’t see why a pony like you is so worried about bein’ forgotten,” stated the stallion.

The pegasus rolled her eyes. “Yeah? May seem like that, but nopony’s going to remember some writer from years ago. I’m going to burn out soon, I can feel it… might as well enjoy my 10 minutes of fame while it lasts.” She drank again, emptying the bottle. “Even if those 10 minutes just turn into 10 years of telling ponies what they want to hear before I fade into obscurity.”

Daring rubber her eyes. “Why am I even talking to you? It’s not like I owe you anything… or even know you for that matter,” she grumbled.

“Mhm. Guess you’re right, Ah don’t get what you fear. But Ah still think you could be loved. Just remember, you can’t keep runnin’ from your mistakes forever… that’s somethin’ I learned.” Braeburn scooped up his hat and gathered the playing cards. “Ah best be goin’ now. Ah’ll make sure this package gets to Mac.”

Daring’s mind flashed back to a conversation she had the other month. “You’re not going to here forever, Daring,” the pony said.

“I’m not dumb, you know,” she snapped back. “You’re only here because of that stupid book. Some friend you turned out to be.”

The pony raised an eyebrow. “Daring-”

“No. I don’t need you. I’m want to be something new, something that doesn’t fit these stupid molds you throw at me. And I don’t care if you keep doubting me, I-”

“Daring, stop,” the pony commanded.

The pegasus looked into the other pony’s eyes. “I can’t.”

Daring blinked, realizing she was still sitting at the bar. She shot up and trotted out the door, catching Braeburn down the street. “Braeburn, wait!”

The pony stopped and turned, confused. From the nightclub next to them, hard rock music could be heard pumping through the speakers.

“Look, I’m sorry about what I said earlier. It’s just… I’ve been a little stressed lately.”

“Braeburn waved a hoof dismissively. “It’s fine. Ah shouldn't've been so blunt. Ain't nothin’ wrong with wantin’ to burn bright.”

The author heaved a sigh. “Yeah… Wonder what it feels like to burn out before you hit the top, though. To go down in flames… Spitfire would kill me for using those words,” she muttered.

“Maybe it’s better to burn out young. That’s how most of those rockstars went anyways,” responded Braeburn, noting the song blasting from inside the club.
“Alright everypony! Let’s hear you shout!” The DJ’s voice carried through the door. “I want to hear you make some noise, you here?”

Daring scraped her hoof against the sidewalk. “Heh… All I’ve ever wanted is for someone to cry when I’m gone.” Her eyes locked with Braeburn. “What about you?”

“We all know this song, yeah? Alright! Let’s get this on! Lemme hear you say ‘love’ on 3!” The DJ roared.

“Me? Ah don’t think anyone will notice when I’m gone,” responded Braeburn.

“LOVE!”

The two didn’t flinch as the crowd’s voices crashed through the door.

“No rock and roll for you, huh?” joked Daring.

“NOT!”

“Reckon not,” confirmed Braeburn.

“WRONG!”

“You know… I guess I’m not scared to live anymore.”

“BRAVE!”

“Ah felt like that once… A long time ago. All Ah want now is to see what’s underneath those empty words ponies say.”

“LOVE!”

“What changed your mind?”

Braeburn glanced up at the sky, lost in thought.

“NOT!”

“Ah dunno… guess Ah wanted to feel like Ah was still livin’. When Ah die, Ah want to feel like I lived in paradise already, ‘stead of feelin’ like I’m headed to it.” He blinked, and the moment passed. “But that was then. Ah’ve already given it hell. No point in beatin’ the dead horse.”

“BRAVE!”

Daring lay a hoof on his withers. “Darin’... does it get any easier? Findin’ yourself, I mean?” asked Braeburn.

She sighed. “No, it… You know what? Yes, yes it does. You just have to figure out what you want.”

“Ah’ve already tried that. Everythin’ Ah’ve done’s fallen apart. Mah friends are gone, mah family’s worried… ”

“Relax. You’ll figure it out.” She smiled at him. “I’m not worried about you.”

Chapter 4: Scribble

Chapter 5: Wonder

“Chasing round and round in circles, on purpose, looking for something…”

“You really going to try and fix that?”

Braeburn kicked the damaged wagon’s wheels. “Nah, this thing’s screwed.”

Daring rolled her eyes. “Then what are you going to do with it?”

“Dunno, tear it apart, probably.” He turned to a table filled with tools. “On second thought, Ah should wait for Mac to come back, make sure he doesn’t have any plans for this thing.”

Daring ran her hoof over the wagon’s side. “This thing looks like it’s been to Tartarus and back.”

Braeburn chuckled. “That it has. Why do you ask?”

The pegasus watched as he arranged the tools on the workbench, in an order that made sense to him but not to her. “Well, I can’t help but wonder how a sturdy wagon turns into… that.” She rested on top of a stack of crates.

“Long story.” The stallion spun one of the wheels, watching it go around and around. “Shame, really. We built this thing right here, in this very barn, and now we’re gonna take it down here.”

“Came full circle, huh?”

A rooster cawed in the distance, and Braeburn sighed. “Never liked circles much.”

Daring glanced at him. “Why’s that?”

“Dunno. A long time ago, I wondered what it was like to feel somethin’ like love. Ran around in circles for a long time there, on purpose. Ah was just tryin’ to learn somethin’. Soon Ah was still goin’ in circles, but no matter how hard Ah tried, Ah couldn’t get anythin’ to go anywhere. Not that Ah didn’t try, it’s just… Ah’m ramblin’. Sorry.”

With a thump, Daring landed behind him. “What do you think about love now?”

The pony sighed. “I still dunno. Maybe Ah’m learnin’ somethin’. Ain’t sure what, though.”

“Yeah, I feel like that too,” confessed Daring. “Sometimes, I think I’ve already found out, but just don’t want to believe it.” Braeburn pulled up a smaller crate to sit on, gesturing to the stool that sat near the workbench. “Thanks. Anyways, I still think about how things would be different if I actually tried to do what I’ve always wanted. But… I think I’m good now. Like I found whatever I was looking for.”

She shrugged, glancing at the wagon. “Oh well. Guess love’s not meant for everyone.”

Braeburn shrugged, following her eyes to the wagon. “Reckon not.”