“Ah dunno what Ah’m gonna do. It seems that Ah’m a laughing stock”, a teary-eyed stallion said to himself.
Braeburn was a simple kind of stallion. He worked hard and did what he loved to do, and loved every minute of it. He was friendly and everypony loved having him around. However, something wasn’t exactly right.
You see, there was a long-standing rumor about Braeburn that most folks in Appleloosa believed for some reason.
Ponies thought he was..Well...Gay. He didn’t know why they believed it or who even started the rumor, but it had sure costed him some happiness. In fact, it all came to a head when he asked a long time crush on a date.
She laughed directly in his face, called him a colt-cuddler, and said to drop the straight act. What made it worse was that they were in a bar, and everypony there had overheard their entire ordeal.
He galloped out of that bar, heading straight home and crying his eyes out.
As he made his way into his home, he remembered that he had invited Applejack and all her friends to celebrate the harvest that year. He sighed, and fought an Internal struggle for a brief moment while deciding what to do.
After a bit, he chose his bed.
——————————————————————
The Next Night~
“It’s safe to say that this party is awesome, Pinkie! You always manage to outdo yourself!”, Rainbow Dash said as she danced.
Pinkie Pie and her friends were in Appleloosa celebrating the town’s most successful harvest in history, and the party was rocking. Ponies were dancing, jumping, and generally moshing around as the band on stage played some swing.
However, something was irked Pinkie as she scanned the room. Where was Braeburn? He was the one who invited them all in the first place, so where was he?
“Hey, Applejack?” , Pinkie called to her friend.
“What is it sugarcube?”, Applejack responded as she sipped on some cider.
“Where’s Braeburn? Did he leave already?”, she asked feeling a bit deflated.
Applejack looked around and, sure enough, he was no where to be seen.
“Ah dunno where he might be, Sugarcube. Why don’t you check his house? They’ve had a hard season and he might be plum tuckered out from it all”, Applejack pointed out.
“Okie Doki Loki!”, Pinkie said before trotting away.
Before she left the party, Pinkie Pie realized that she didn’t know where Braeburn lived, so she spotted a few locals and asked them.
“Braeburn?”, a mare said back”, He lives right down the road, five houses down in fact. It’ll be on the left side when you reach it”.
“Thank you very much!”, Pinkie said with a smile.
“Why are you checkin’ on him? Ah don’t think he’d be into your type”, a purple mare said while chuckling.
Pinkie couldn’t say why, but that purple mare seemed very...mocking.
The group laughed as Pinkie Pie looked on. While she was confused, she ignored it and carried on her way. She stepped out into the warm, Appleloosa night and made her way to the stallion’s home. As she walked, she couldn’t help but wonder why those ponies back there were such meanies. Had Braeburn upset them, or something?
She counted and spotted the home, trotting up to it and knocking on the door. She waited for a bit before it opened, revealing what she could only describe as an emotionally broken expression staring at her.
Braeburn’s eyes were red and wet, and gone was his hat and vest. He looked so baron and down that at first she thought it was the desert playing a trick on her.
“Braeburn?”, she said”, What’s wrong? What’s got you all sad?”.
“Ah’m sorry about the party, Pinkie”, Braeburn responded”, A-Ah didn’t mean to hurt your feelings in anyway. Ah guess I just kinda...L-Lost track of time”.
“You didn’t hurt my feelings, Braeburn. I came here to check on you, and it looks like I’m just in time. Do you mind telling me what’s wrong?”, she asked calmly.
Braeburn looked at the ground again, tears starting to form in his eyes.
“Ah don’t think Ah can. You’d probably just laugh right along with them”, he said sadly.
Pinkie looked a bit hurt, but knew he was just down.
“I wouldn’t laugh at you unless you told a joke, and right now you don’t look like you’re in a jokey kind of mood”, Pinkie said.
“You’re right”, he paused”, Ah’m just the town’s joke”.
She cocked her head to the side, wondering what he meant. He sighed and stepped aside.
“Why don’t you come in. Ah suppose ah could tell you what’s wrong”, Braeburn said”, Just take a seat on the couch”.
As she sat on the sofa, he sat in a rocking chair nearby, and cleared his throat.
“Pinkie”, he began”, Ah didn’t come to your party because Ah was afraid of showing mah face. Last night was just about the most humiliating night of mah life. Ah admitted my feelings to a mare Ah’ve liked for a long time, and she turned me down in front of everyone”.
“Aw, I’m sorry that happened to you Braeburn”, Pinkie sympathetically said.
“It wasn’t just that, she made fun of me. She called me something horrible, and everypony joined in”, he said back painfully.
The look on his face was enough to tell Pinkie Pie that this was no mere insult. Whatever the mare had called him had truly upset Braeburn.
“What did she call you?”, she asked.
Braeburn hesitated before telling her, and even when he did he was nearly in tears again.
“She called me...A-A....Colt-Cuddler!”, Braeburn said as he broke down.
Pinkie’s mouth formed into an ‘o’ shape, and she say their for a minute. She wasn’t uncomfortable around gay ponies, nor did she hate them. After all, Ponyville had some couples and she was never one to judge other ponies for their choices. She was shocked because of the way this stallion was treated.
“Ah don’t know what Ah’ll do now”, he said”, No mare will want me now. All because of some silly rumor”.
Pinkie Pie, upon hearing that, shook her head.
“Nope”, she simply said.
“Ah beg your pardon?”, Braeburn said back.
“Braeburn, that rumor is complete nonsense. If these mares actually believe it, then why go after them? You are really sweet and nice to everypony you meet”, she paused as she prepared for her next words”, And ..To be honest..You’re very handsome”.
Braeburn’s expression changed slightly, and looked to her.
“I mean, look at you”, Pinkie blushed”, Any mare would be dumb to turn you down. I’m sure that there are several mares here who would love to get to know you better. Celestia knows I do”.
That last part made him perk up even more.
“U-Uh Pinkie Pie? Are y’all saying that you..?”, he trailed off.
“I like you, Braeburn. You’re just so different from all the other stallions. Ponies believe me to be obsessed with partying, but that doesn’t mean I’m not a mare at heart”, she chuckled”, Ever since the first time we came here, I’ve thought you were really something special”.
He sat there stunned, not knowing what to say.
“I’m sorry if it’s a bad time for me to admit this to you, considering you are in a lot of pain right now”, Pinkie said with a massive blush on her face.
They sat in silence for a moment before Braeburn spoke up again.
“Pinkie, Ah think you’re swell too”, he said softly.
They locked eyes and smiled at one another.
“Thank you, Braeburn. Do you want to go to the party? I’m sure that a bit of fun could cheer you up”, Pinkie asked.
“What if ponies make fun of me?”, Braeburn asked back.
Pinkie simply chuckled a bit, and they left for the party.
——————————————————————
“Well there he is!”, Applejack said as she waved”, Hey there cousin!”.
Braeburn waved as he trotted along side Pinkie back into the party.
“Howdy, AJ. Thank y’all for showing up to this party, it means a lot to me”, he said with a smile.
To Pinkie Pie, that smile was very natural for him.
As they spoke with the gang, a voice stopped the flow of the party and caught every ponies attention.
“Well, well, Well”, a rude sounding voice called”, If it ain’t Braeburn”.
Everypony turned to find a smirking purple mare, the same one that Pinkie came into contact with. Her group was laughing as the mare spoke once more.
“Ah thought you wouldn’t show your hide ‘round here, considering yesterday’s events”, she laughed”, So, how’s it going? Find a coltfriend yet?”.
Braeburn stood there with his head down, his smile fading.
“Cousin, what is she talking about?”, Applejack asked with concern.
“It ain’t nothin’, Applejack. Let’s just ignore-“.
“Don’t you say that! Tell me, have you found a stallion to rock your world yet, Gayburn?”, she cackled.
The bar’s inhabitants grew still, accept for the group of heathens laughing.
“Hey!”, a new voice called out.
Everyone turned to see Pinkie Pie standing next to Braeburn, bearing a look that her friends had never seen in their lives.
She wasn’t angry, she wasn’t sad, she was even disappointed. No, she was focused. She trotted up to the mare and stared deep.
“Now, what makes you think you can just make fun of him like that?”, Pinkie asked calmly.
“Well, I-!”.
“It doesn’t matter what you think!”, Pinkie interrupted.
The bar “Ooooed”.
“You see, Braeburn told me about how a mare showed him up yesterday. I’m assuming that the bitch that did that is you?”, Pinkie said confidently.
Her friends were speechless, but Braeburn was smiling. The mare’s mouth was hanging open as the pink pony continued.
“You think you can just tear him down? And for what? Asking you out? Pffft!”, Pinkie laughed”, Girl, I thought you had eyes. Look at him, he’s a hunk!”.
Braeburn blushed as Pinkie pointed his way, waving slightly before she continued.
“Why did you do it?”, Pinkie asked simply.
“Ah’ll have you know that Ah had a perfectly good reason for it!”, the purple mare spat out.
“And what would that be?”, Pinkie asked back.
“That colt-cuddler over there saying that he liked me is a damn joke!”, The mare said”, Ah, Violet Damsel, am the most beautiful mare in this town, and he’s just some filthy farmer!”.
“Now wait just a cotton-pickin’ minute!”, Braeburn said aloud.
“You mean to tell me that you showed me up because you think I’m just a filthy farmer?”, he asked with disdain.
“It seems that way, Brae”, Pinkie nodded.
“Well, ain’t that just hilarious”, Braeburn deadpanned”, To think Ah liked you for years. Ah don’t believe Ah’ve ever had the displeasure of meeting such a vile mare in mah life. And to insult gay ponies! They aren’t different from you or me! They may be different in choice, but they are still ponies with real emotion, something you clearly lack!”.
Violet looked down at the ground in anger, taking it all in.
“Ah do believe that this party was for something positive, and Ah don’t seem to recall anything that you said being positive, so how about you just go”, Braeburn said firmly.
Violet Damsel huffed and trotted out of the place, her group in tow.
Everyone’s eyes turned to Braeburn and Pinkie, who were standing in the middle of the dance floor. Braeburn began to speak again, this time more positively.
“Ah do believe that parties are meant to be fun, right. Hit the music!”, he commanded.
The party sprang back to life, leaving everypony to dance. Braeburn walked back to Applejack and the Elements, who all congratulated him on standing up for himself.
Pinkie Pie then kissed his cheek, which made him blush.
“Pinkie, would you like to dance?”, he asked her.
“You bet, Braeburn”, she smiled back.
THE END!
