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.