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Description
Disclaimer: I do not own My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic. It belongs to The Hub, Hasbro, Studio B, and Lauren Faust. I do not own any of these characters in any way or how, nor do I claim ownership to the pony franchise. These characters are simply my toys.

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"Why the hell do I love you?"
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One Night Stand
Chapter 1: A Rainy Night

That feeling of guilt in the pit of your belly is something everypony has felt at least once in their otherwise peaceful lives, at least once that is clearly memorable, either because of how atrocious it was, or how senseless it seemed in retrospective.  For some of us, it was as simple as when we had our hooves in the cookie jar when we were told to save room for dinner.  At other times, we feel it after a hot and steamy rendezvous affair with another mare, or even a colt.  But nevertheless, we have all felt that pure guilt in our lives, the guilt that can cripple a pony and cause him to tense up.

I myself have only felt this feeling once in my eventful life, at least one that sticks out in my own mind.  I don't know why this suddenly popped into my own mind; perhaps it was because I was simply unsure of what to say at the moment, as those eyes of the yellow coated mare in front of me held both confusion and anger.  I wanted anything but to meet those eyes with the truth, so my mind decided to revert it's thoughts into something entirely different.

I was around the age when I was older than a colt, yet younger than a stallion.  I remember in my first year of Flight School, when I was the class clown, a trait that still somewhat stuck to me and my stupid goofy grin even to this day, I always used to be a trickster.  I could remember always purposely bumping into the other pegasi ponies when I flew through the obstacle courses in order to win.  Usually they would simply stumble and then get back on the path, giving me a mean look for the rest of the day.

One time, just one time I remember the other pony not getting back on the path after I rammed into his body, and instead he freaked out, his wings clinging to his back as he dropped from the sky like a stone.  He was unable to ever become a professional flier after that, I remember that clearly.

The guilt I felt back then was about half of the pure pain in my belly at this moment as I am unable to meet the eyes of my squad captain.

I know this gives you a pretty bad impression of me right off the bat.  You likely don't sympathize with me at the moment if I did something that horrible to a colt I didn't even know, and this is somehow worse.  If it makes you feel any better, I did visit him every day in the hospital, and even became good friends with him.  Hell, it hurts to say that when I can't even remember his bucking name.  But it has been years since I last talked to him, so I at least have a somewhat reasonable excuse.

I blinked several times, lost in the memory that I was desperately attempting to not leave, no matter how horrible it seemed.  It had to be better than this, than those eyes that the mare in front of me was giving me.  Time seemed to slow down as I remembered the past, remembered myself, before I met this mare or any of my newly found friends who had become a second family of mine in a way.  But that's another story for a much better time.

This is where I currently stand, in front of this mare with the piercing gaze in the middle of the hotel with ugly halls and carpets, like so many before this night.  My mind is attempting not to think about the situation, but it is a clearly losing battle as she opens her mouth, shock and bewilderment both coming out.  "W-What the buck is this?" Her voice cries out.  My green eyes catch the sight of the paper she is waving in front of my eyes, as if she is trying to get my attention.

"S-Spitfire…" I trail off.  It starts becoming hard to talk.  My throat is drying up more than the desert land in the southern area of Equestria.  The guilt lodged in my belly beings to feel like a knife stabbing deep into my pale blue coat.  I begin to question myself on what to say next, a million possibilities of what to do enter my mind, some more rational than others.  I can't think of anything.

"What in the name of Celestia do you think you're doing, Soarin?" The golden mare almost wailed at me.  "Why is there a resignation paper on my desk?" She questioned, the anger in her voice was apparent to me.

I chuckle.  It's sad at almost how funny I find what I'm going to say next.  I feel like I'm drunk, even though I haven't taken a sip of anything in days.  "I'm obviously resigning from the Wonderbolts." I say this with a big, goofy grin as usual, closing my eyes and showing my teeth to her.  "C'mon, Spitty, you're a big mare, you can figure that out!"

I feel a sudden sensation in my cheek that is both burning and stinging at the same time.  I try my best not to let out a single sound as my grin disperses into thin air, my hooves readjust themselves as I attempt not to fall over with my now spinning mind.  I knew that was coming, I should have thought that last line through.  I crack open my eyes as I begin to rub the spot where her hoof landed.  "Gotta be so rough?" I snap at her.

She ignores my question, and follows with her own.  I can't say I blame her all that much.  I suppose I would be just as angry if I were standing in her hooves.   But did she really have to hit me that hard?  Wouldn't a simple love tap be just as effective?

"T-This is right out of nowhere, what in the buck is wrong with you?" She was nearly screaming.  I physically winced, my ears lying flat on the top of my head, my wind-blown mane tickling the tips of them.  I began to wonder if she was waking anypony up.  This was supposed to be quiet and simple, just slip it under her door and bolt for it.  Why in Equestria was she still awake?  Its midnight for pony's sake!

"Was it really out of nowhere?" I mumble.  I feel as if I'm asking myself this question, for even I don't know the answer.  All I know is that the stabs of guilt keep hitting me, sinking deeper each and every time.  I want to leave, leave this hotel.  I don't want to see Fleetfoot or Rapidfire.  I just want to be alone.  If I run now, Spitfire will only follow me.  I curse under my breath as I begin to grind my teeth.  I can't tell if I'm angry at Spitty, or myself.  It's likely a mixture of both, and I'm not sure why this is becoming so hard just to leave.

I feel two hooves slam into my sides as my body is thrown into a wall, Spitfire's muzzle inches from mine as she glares into my eyes.  "What the buck is going on?" She hisses out the noises at me as if she was a rattlesnake, and could kill me in a moment's notice.  "W-W-Why is this happening… is it something one of us did… or said that you didn't like?" Her voice is shaky.  I suppose I should feel bad that she is so upset… but to be honest I'm a little numb at the moment.

I didn't push her off of me, or even hit her.  I knew she was both stronger than me, sadly, and could hit me back tenfold.  Instead, I chose a few words that I knew would hurt her more than anything else.

"Did it ever come across your mind that it might be because of us?" I snapped at her, a tone of bitter resentment in my voice.

I feel her hooves suddenly tense up.  Spitfire trembled once before slowly lowering her hooves, keeping her head down.  She looked as if she were about to cry before turning away, biting her lip.  I turned my head and trotted away.  As I turned the corner I swore quietly once more, feeling as if I had basically stabbed one of my best friends.

Like I said before, you probably don't like me very much right now.  And you already have a bad impression of me right off the bat.

I'm not meant for the main character role, I'm not heroic or even able to tell a lie, even if it means hurting the other.  I don't blame you if you don't want to continue this story, but I'm normally not like this, I swear.  It's just that… some things have changed in the past year to make me act like this lately.

"I really need a drink…" I mutter under my breath.
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I really don't know what I was thinking as I downed yet another drink, my pale blue cheeks becoming tinted in a shade of crimson.  There really aren't many things going through your mind when you attempt to get drunk.  I didn't think about Spitfire, nor why I resigned from the Wonderbolts.  Truth be told, I wanted to forget I even joined the Wonderbolts at this moment.

It was probably a sign for me to cease downing drink after drink when I began to wish I was a lightweight.  It wasn't like I didn't have the money to afford it, but I felt like I would roll over and die the next morning at this rate from such a horrible hangover.

My ears twitched as I listened to the pitter patter on the roof of the bar.  As it rained over the skies of Hoofington, I couldn't make up my mind on if it was fitting for the moment, or horribly cliché.  Flying back to the hotel was going to be a pain in the ass either way, I would likely get lost and pass out.  I was downing the drinks so fast that I wasn't allowing the alcohol to take effect.  At this point I was starting to feel more than tipsy, to put it lightly.

I rested my head on the table to stop my head from spinning.  I finally put the glass down and managed to tell the bartender to stop filling it back up as I gave out five bits on the table, closing my eyes a moment as I let my drunken mind think about happy things.  I felt both numb on the outside and fuzzy on the inside.  It was a nice, happy feeling.  The guilt ceased stabbing me, and began to simply lightly poke me.  Sometimes I feel like life would be easier if I was always drunk, and hangovers didn't exist.

Of course then I wouldn't suddenly sit up and barf all over myself.  "I must look like a regular drunk right now." I thought to myself as the burning sensation hit my throat right before I felt myself kissing pavement, rain pouring on my body as I lay face down outside of the bar.  I heard the bartender yell a few words that I didn't bother listening to before slamming the door shut.

Like I said before, I'm more than a little tipsy, so it took me a moment to realize that that entire incident did indeed last more than three seconds in everpony else's eyes.  I began to feel like a drunk as well as look like one as I turned my body over, feeling the vomit and alcohol wash off of my body as the rain poured onto me.  I opened my mouth and let it fill with the pouring water before swallowing, trying to get rid of that horrible taste.

I must look pathetic.  That thought crossed my mind.  At least I vomited up half of that crap that I let into my body, now I wouldn't be as miserable tomorrow.  For the sake of Luna, I feel pathetic.  I'm almost like a foal, who ran away because of something stupid.  I have to go back to the hotel room at some point, and then Spitfire and the rest of the squad will torment me about that slip of paper.

Maybe it would be better just to fall asleep in the rain, I might get sick or even die if I don't find warmth or shelter soon.  Dying is an option I suppose… it isn't very pleasant, but it'll work for now.  Spitfire crossed my mind, and I began to mumble curses at nopony.

I might have very well stayed there, cursing in the middle of the road with rain pouring on my already freezing body, if it weren't for the sound that hit my ears.  The second the sound hit my ears my eyes snapped open, although slowly since I was indeed, more than a little tipsy.  I turned my head slowly, and raised an eyebrow as if to inquire where the sound was coming from.  It was something very quiet, although in the rain it made it almost impossible to make out… but if I was right, it was a small cry.

Crying was something I was normally able to ignore, I had been able to block out annoying sounds for years now, what with screaming fans everywhere I go… but there was something different about this cry.  It didn't even sound like a child, or even a mare… it sounded like a stallion.

I began to blink my emerald-green eyes several times as I slowly turn my body over and shakily get to my hooves, legs trembling as I take several steps toward the sound of the cry.  Something about this cry forced me to go toward it, as if it would solve all of my problems, for it was how I felt at the moment, yet couldn't express.

I stopped when I reached a large gap in-between the bar and the next building over.  The muffled crying was coming from there.  I took several steps in, almost tripping each and every time I stepped into a new puddle.  I saw a trash can, with two lower, dark yellow legs sticking out from behind it.  I paused.

I wondered if I really wanted to go down this road, the crying of this stallion wasn't my problem, nor did I have to make it mine.  I could easily just go back to the hotel (At least attempt) and pass out in a nice bed instead of dealing with a complete stranger's issues.  But that for some reason seemed unreasonably cruel considering just how deep I was into this already.  I swallowed hard, trying not to trip as I took those final few steps before poking my head around the trash can.

I saw a yellow stallion, his yellow coat was covered with mud and he was dripping wet.  If he were both clean and dry, his coat might have been as bright as a sunflower's petals.  His mane was the same as his coat, dirty and wet.  It appeared to be a light brown, or even golden.  He wore a worn vest on his body, and a droopy cowpony hat atop his head.  I blinked my eyes several times as I saw fresh tears well in his eyes on his already soaked face.

There was something off about his crying… or at least something that he found was rare when somepony cried.  It wasn't the kind of cry a child would give off to gain attention, which was loud and proud, it was the type which was muffled, where the owner honestly wasn't able to stop.  This stallion looked like he had been through hell and back.  I honestly almost felt guilty for worrying about my own problems, as I realized there were ponies with much greater ones, going through much rougher times.  I know that might sound silly, but it really is what I'm thinking right now.

"Hey there cutie, what's up with the crying?" I meant that to sound less creeper-like, I really did.  I suppose it was because I was drunker than Rapidfire after a show, but I was honestly trying to help him, not scare him.

I watched the younger looking stallion jump, and glance up at me with tearful eyes and a runny nose.  He looked a little scared, or at least worried.  "A-A-Ah'm sorry, w-was ah cryin' too loud?" His voice was hardly above a whimper, and he was already apologizing.  I watched him try and sit up "A-Ah'll leave."

I don't even know what went through my mind as I reached out a hoof and shoved him back against the wall before plopping right down next to him.  "Can hardly hear ya…" I mumbled.  As I glanced over, he looked a little intimidated by the scent carried on my breath, along with my drunken expression.  The idiot looked like I was about to take advantage of him, for he was trembling in fear.

"You ain't from around here, are you?" I asked, glancing at him with one eye open, the other closed.  "You sound totally different than anypony around these parts… plus it's a little unnatural to see somepony in that kind of attire."

I watched the yellow stallion glance down at himself with a sniffle as he shook his head.  Rain continued to pour on both of us as we sat next to each other.  I rolled my eyes.  "What's got you bummed, eh?"

I had no idea why in Equestria I was acting so… chipper… I just felt that this pony needed my help.  All things granted, I should be crying like he was.  However I had finished crying a long time ago.

"Why don't ya just leave me alone?" The other whimpered out.  I blinked several times and began to grumble as I watched the other wince.  I then realized that I was indeed a complete stranger.  My reason for coming over here could have been the alcohol talking.  I was obviously drunk and smelled like vomit; I wouldn't want to talk to somepony like me when I was sobbing either.

I stopped growling after a few moments and let myself calm down, simply shrugging before closing my eyes.  Things were silent for several moments.  "So… what's your name?" I slurred out.

Silence was followed for several moments before I heard the mumble of.  "Braeburn."  It was a soft and pitiful voice.

"I'm Soarin." I said.  "And that explains the cutie mark." I mumble, nodding at Braeburn's flank.  I watch him shudder at the thought of a drunken pony staring at his cute mark so close to his rump.  I force myself to suppress a drunken giggle.  I am currently at the stage in my attempt to ruin my life with alcohol where I would laugh at low brow comedy such as toilet humor.  "Favorite kind of apple, y'know that?"

"I really have to g-" I force my hoof back onto the other's chest and shove him against the wall once more "Stay, stay, more the merrier." I say.  Luna I was wasted right now, I'm surprised I haven't been hit across the face yet for pony's sake!

I close my eyes and put both hooves behind my head before letting out a yawn.  At least I'm not thinking about the squad.  I listen to the muffled crying of the other for several moments.  Part of me wants to help, but another part of me realizes it would be awkward for a complete stranger to suddenly hug me, or something like that.  So I stay silent, giving him several minutes to calm down without rushing him.

"S-Soarin…" Braeburn began.  He started as if he had something to get off his chest, and telling a complete stranger was better than nothing at all.  "'Ave ya ever had yer heart… broken?" He asked in a tiny voice.

"Sounds familiar." I say.  I like to think I'm helping this stallion right now… but I don't even know him.

Braeburn paused.  "Well… ya see… ah came to this town because of a mare." He mumbled.  He paused for several moments "A while back, she had ta move away from her town in Appleloosa, where ah'm from." He paused for several moments as he tensed his muscles, as if angry.  "S-She was never really kind ta me… a-and ah think ah only stayed with her because she always told me ah would never find better than her… so I kept writing her, not wanting ta believe it was over… she sometimes replied, but she never said anything special in the letters… I always tried ta tell her I loved her…"

I paused, raising a brow in question.  "So, what happened when you came?" I asked.

"Ah went ta her address… and ah found her sleepin' in the bed… with another stallion…" Braeburn mumbled, lowering his head.  "S-She… s-she didn't even act like she was sorry, a-and made me feel like a fool…" He paused to sniffle several times "She jus' came to the door with him draped around her without caring ah was there… She couldn't even say it was over in the letters… maybe ah would 'ave let it go a long time ago… and wouldn't 'ave been in denial either." He paused a long time.  "Ah don't even know if I loved her ta begin with… 'ave never dated anypony else…"

I was silent for several moments as I watched his chest heave.  Getting it off his chest seemed to hurt him more so than help him.  I reached out a hoof and began to rub his back.  I don't know what I wanted from him, but this wasn't what I expected.  The worst part was I couldn't even muster up the courage to feel sorry for him.  I felt better… I felt better knowing somepony else was hurting as well.

I must be a horrible pony.

My hoof stopped moving.  This pony's body was freezing.  "How long have you been out here?" I felt the words slip out without realizing it.

Braeburn's shoulders moved up in a shrug.  He sniffled once more "Dunno…"

"Got… got any place to stay?" What am I even thinking?

He shook his head.  I gulped, not knowing why I suddenly felt so nervous.  "So do you… I have a hotel and all… beats the rain like this…" I mumble.  I suddenly lean over and wrap my wing around him, and feel him suddenly shudder from the warmth it holds.  I think it might be a lie, I don't want to cheer him up, or even help him all that much.  I just desperately don't want to be all alone tonight in that hotel room.

"Got anything to eat?" Braeburn mumbled.

I put on my best fake, goofy smile.  "Oh yeah!" I say "Plenty of apples!"

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I begin to stare at the earth pony on my bed, wondering if he is crazy for following a drunk pegasus with only the promise of warmth and food.  At least he isn't ugly… now that my vision has cleared up a bit, I can easily see that he really is the cutie I first said he was.  I watch him as he curls up under the blanket, shuddering at its warmth.

I blink several times.  I'm not sure why, but I feel a little better with somepony to talk to, rather than staying silent or going for the talking to myself option.  It's simply relaxing to talk to a complete stranger who I'll likely never see, therefore I can pretty much say anything I wanted.

"So… this mare…" I begin.  "What was… her name?"

Braeburn seems to pause.  He blinks several times "Uh… her name was…" He stopped for a single moment before answering "Meteor Shower." He murmured.  "She was…" the stallion paused, as if struggling for a compliment.  "She was… really pretty." He said.  "But after tonight… I feel like I just want to forget her…"

"Don't say that, dummy." I suddenly say.  I roll my eyes and trot over to the bed, jumping on it.  "Just try and remember the good times, or something like that.  Like your first kiss, or first time in bed…" I mumble these words, and my mind suddenly flashes to Spitfire.

"It's hard… she wasn't exactly nice… I can't believe it took me so long to realize that…" Braeburn hissed out, as if angry with himself.  "I just want to forget…"

"Maybe if you remember the good times, you won't have felt like you wasted a good portion of your life with Spitf-" I stop dead.  I suddenly realized I was about to say Spitfire.

"Spit?" Braeburn asked.  "Her name was… Meteor Shower…" He paused a moment.

I shook my head, trying to clear my thoughts.  I blink several times to rid my eyes of sudden tears.  I thought I was done crying.  "Maybe if you just forget she cheated on you like that… you wouldn't have had to give up your life dream." I say out loud to myself.  Braeburn reminds me about myself a lot about a year ago.

"Soarin… are you… crying?" Braeburn suddenly asks, placing a hoof on my shoulder.  I glance over with suddenly watering eyes.  I shake my head to rid myself of the tears before biting my lip.  "G-Guess I am." I gasp out.  "M-Must be the… alcohol."

The hoof begins rubbing my shoulder.  I pause as I look at it.  This stranger is… well… strange.  I glance at the owner of the hoof, stare into his mesmerizing golden mane.

I don't know what came over me in that second, but I suddenly reached my hoof around his head and pulled it toward mine, feeling Braeburn's body tense up suddenly and squirm before I quickly pinned him on the bed with a gasp for air.  He stopped squirming when I went back down, and even moved along with me.

Perhaps it was just because I was so stressed that I did it, I still don't know.  I just needed something to let all of that anger out of me, and it isn't like I haven't done it with another stallion before, he meant nothing to me, and I would forget him in three days… right?

If I remember correctly… something like this is usually called…

A one night stand.

Description
Disclaimer: I do not own My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic. It belongs to The Hub, Hasbro, Studio B, and Lauren Faust. I do not own any of these characters in any way or how, nor do I claim ownership to the pony franchise. These characters are simply my toys.

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"Why the hell do I love you?"
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One Night Stand
Chapter 1: A Rainy Night

That feeling of guilt in the pit of your belly is something everypony has felt at least once in their otherwise peaceful lives, at least once that is clearly memorable, either because of how atrocious it was, or how senseless it seemed in retrospective.  For some of us, it was as simple as when we had our hooves in the cookie jar when we were told to save room for dinner.  At other times, we feel it after a hot and steamy rendezvous affair with another mare, or even a colt.  But nevertheless, we have all felt that pure guilt in our lives, the guilt that can cripple a pony and cause him to tense up.

I myself have only felt this feeling once in my eventful life, at least one that sticks out in my own mind.  I don't know why this suddenly popped into my own mind; perhaps it was because I was simply unsure of what to say at the moment, as those eyes of the yellow coated mare in front of me held both confusion and anger.  I wanted anything but to meet those eyes with the truth, so my mind decided to revert it's thoughts into something entirely different.

I was around the age when I was older than a colt, yet younger than a stallion.  I remember in my first year of Flight School, when I was the class clown, a trait that still somewhat stuck to me and my stupid goofy grin even to this day, I always used to be a trickster.  I could remember always purposely bumping into the other pegasi ponies when I flew through the obstacle courses in order to win.  Usually they would simply stumble and then get back on the path, giving me a mean look for the rest of the day.

One time, just one time I remember the other pony not getting back on the path after I rammed into his body, and instead he freaked out, his wings clinging to his back as he dropped from the sky like a stone.  He was unable to ever become a professional flier after that, I remember that clearly.

The guilt I felt back then was about half of the pure pain in my belly at this moment as I am unable to meet the eyes of my squad captain.

I know this gives you a pretty bad impression of me right off the bat.  You likely don't sympathize with me at the moment if I did something that horrible to a colt I didn't even know, and this is somehow worse.  If it makes you feel any better, I did visit him every day in the hospital, and even became good friends with him.  Hell, it hurts to say that when I can't even remember his bucking name.  But it has been years since I last talked to him, so I at least have a somewhat reasonable excuse.

I blinked several times, lost in the memory that I was desperately attempting to not leave, no matter how horrible it seemed.  It had to be better than this, than those eyes that the mare in front of me was giving me.  Time seemed to slow down as I remembered the past, remembered myself, before I met this mare or any of my newly found friends who had become a second family of mine in a way.  But that's another story for a much better time.

This is where I currently stand, in front of this mare with the piercing gaze in the middle of the hotel with ugly halls and carpets, like so many before this night.  My mind is attempting not to think about the situation, but it is a clearly losing battle as she opens her mouth, shock and bewilderment both coming out.  "W-What the buck is this?" Her voice cries out.  My green eyes catch the sight of the paper she is waving in front of my eyes, as if she is trying to get my attention.

"S-Spitfire…" I trail off.  It starts becoming hard to talk.  My throat is drying up more than the desert land in the southern area of Equestria.  The guilt lodged in my belly beings to feel like a knife stabbing deep into my pale blue coat.  I begin to question myself on what to say next, a million possibilities of what to do enter my mind, some more rational than others.  I can't think of anything.

"What in the name of Celestia do you think you're doing, Soarin?" The golden mare almost wailed at me.  "Why is there a resignation paper on my desk?" She questioned, the anger in her voice was apparent to me.

I chuckle.  It's sad at almost how funny I find what I'm going to say next.  I feel like I'm drunk, even though I haven't taken a sip of anything in days.  "I'm obviously resigning from the Wonderbolts." I say this with a big, goofy grin as usual, closing my eyes and showing my teeth to her.  "C'mon, Spitty, you're a big mare, you can figure that out!"

I feel a sudden sensation in my cheek that is both burning and stinging at the same time.  I try my best not to let out a single sound as my grin disperses into thin air, my hooves readjust themselves as I attempt not to fall over with my now spinning mind.  I knew that was coming, I should have thought that last line through.  I crack open my eyes as I begin to rub the spot where her hoof landed.  "Gotta be so rough?" I snap at her.

She ignores my question, and follows with her own.  I can't say I blame her all that much.  I suppose I would be just as angry if I were standing in her hooves.   But did she really have to hit me that hard?  Wouldn't a simple love tap be just as effective?

"T-This is right out of nowhere, what in the buck is wrong with you?" She was nearly screaming.  I physically winced, my ears lying flat on the top of my head, my wind-blown mane tickling the tips of them.  I began to wonder if she was waking anypony up.  This was supposed to be quiet and simple, just slip it under her door and bolt for it.  Why in Equestria was she still awake?  Its midnight for pony's sake!

"Was it really out of nowhere?" I mumble.  I feel as if I'm asking myself this question, for even I don't know the answer.  All I know is that the stabs of guilt keep hitting me, sinking deeper each and every time.  I want to leave, leave this hotel.  I don't want to see Fleetfoot or Rapidfire.  I just want to be alone.  If I run now, Spitfire will only follow me.  I curse under my breath as I begin to grind my teeth.  I can't tell if I'm angry at Spitty, or myself.  It's likely a mixture of both, and I'm not sure why this is becoming so hard just to leave.

I feel two hooves slam into my sides as my body is thrown into a wall, Spitfire's muzzle inches from mine as she glares into my eyes.  "What the buck is going on?" She hisses out the noises at me as if she was a rattlesnake, and could kill me in a moment's notice.  "W-W-Why is this happening… is it something one of us did… or said that you didn't like?" Her voice is shaky.  I suppose I should feel bad that she is so upset… but to be honest I'm a little numb at the moment.

I didn't push her off of me, or even hit her.  I knew she was both stronger than me, sadly, and could hit me back tenfold.  Instead, I chose a few words that I knew would hurt her more than anything else.

"Did it ever come across your mind that it might be because of us?" I snapped at her, a tone of bitter resentment in my voice.

I feel her hooves suddenly tense up.  Spitfire trembled once before slowly lowering her hooves, keeping her head down.  She looked as if she were about to cry before turning away, biting her lip.  I turned my head and trotted away.  As I turned the corner I swore quietly once more, feeling as if I had basically stabbed one of my best friends.

Like I said before, you probably don't like me very much right now.  And you already have a bad impression of me right off the bat.

I'm not meant for the main character role, I'm not heroic or even able to tell a lie, even if it means hurting the other.  I don't blame you if you don't want to continue this story, but I'm normally not like this, I swear.  It's just that… some things have changed in the past year to make me act like this lately.

"I really need a drink…" I mutter under my breath.
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I really don't know what I was thinking as I downed yet another drink, my pale blue cheeks becoming tinted in a shade of crimson.  There really aren't many things going through your mind when you attempt to get drunk.  I didn't think about Spitfire, nor why I resigned from the Wonderbolts.  Truth be told, I wanted to forget I even joined the Wonderbolts at this moment.

It was probably a sign for me to cease downing drink after drink when I began to wish I was a lightweight.  It wasn't like I didn't have the money to afford it, but I felt like I would roll over and die the next morning at this rate from such a horrible hangover.

My ears twitched as I listened to the pitter patter on the roof of the bar.  As it rained over the skies of Hoofington, I couldn't make up my mind on if it was fitting for the moment, or horribly cliché.  Flying back to the hotel was going to be a pain in the ass either way, I would likely get lost and pass out.  I was downing the drinks so fast that I wasn't allowing the alcohol to take effect.  At this point I was starting to feel more than tipsy, to put it lightly.

I rested my head on the table to stop my head from spinning.  I finally put the glass down and managed to tell the bartender to stop filling it back up as I gave out five bits on the table, closing my eyes a moment as I let my drunken mind think about happy things.  I felt both numb on the outside and fuzzy on the inside.  It was a nice, happy feeling.  The guilt ceased stabbing me, and began to simply lightly poke me.  Sometimes I feel like life would be easier if I was always drunk, and hangovers didn't exist.

Of course then I wouldn't suddenly sit up and barf all over myself.  "I must look like a regular drunk right now." I thought to myself as the burning sensation hit my throat right before I felt myself kissing pavement, rain pouring on my body as I lay face down outside of the bar.  I heard the bartender yell a few words that I didn't bother listening to before slamming the door shut.

Like I said before, I'm more than a little tipsy, so it took me a moment to realize that that entire incident did indeed last more than three seconds in everpony else's eyes.  I began to feel like a drunk as well as look like one as I turned my body over, feeling the vomit and alcohol wash off of my body as the rain poured onto me.  I opened my mouth and let it fill with the pouring water before swallowing, trying to get rid of that horrible taste.

I must look pathetic.  That thought crossed my mind.  At least I vomited up half of that crap that I let into my body, now I wouldn't be as miserable tomorrow.  For the sake of Luna, I feel pathetic.  I'm almost like a foal, who ran away because of something stupid.  I have to go back to the hotel room at some point, and then Spitfire and the rest of the squad will torment me about that slip of paper.

Maybe it would be better just to fall asleep in the rain, I might get sick or even die if I don't find warmth or shelter soon.  Dying is an option I suppose… it isn't very pleasant, but it'll work for now.  Spitfire crossed my mind, and I began to mumble curses at nopony.

I might have very well stayed there, cursing in the middle of the road with rain pouring on my already freezing body, if it weren't for the sound that hit my ears.  The second the sound hit my ears my eyes snapped open, although slowly since I was indeed, more than a little tipsy.  I turned my head slowly, and raised an eyebrow as if to inquire where the sound was coming from.  It was something very quiet, although in the rain it made it almost impossible to make out… but if I was right, it was a small cry.

Crying was something I was normally able to ignore, I had been able to block out annoying sounds for years now, what with screaming fans everywhere I go… but there was something different about this cry.  It didn't even sound like a child, or even a mare… it sounded like a stallion.

I began to blink my emerald-green eyes several times as I slowly turn my body over and shakily get to my hooves, legs trembling as I take several steps toward the sound of the cry.  Something about this cry forced me to go toward it, as if it would solve all of my problems, for it was how I felt at the moment, yet couldn't express.

I stopped when I reached a large gap in-between the bar and the next building over.  The muffled crying was coming from there.  I took several steps in, almost tripping each and every time I stepped into a new puddle.  I saw a trash can, with two lower, dark yellow legs sticking out from behind it.  I paused.

I wondered if I really wanted to go down this road, the crying of this stallion wasn't my problem, nor did I have to make it mine.  I could easily just go back to the hotel (At least attempt) and pass out in a nice bed instead of dealing with a complete stranger's issues.  But that for some reason seemed unreasonably cruel considering just how deep I was into this already.  I swallowed hard, trying not to trip as I took those final few steps before poking my head around the trash can.

I saw a yellow stallion, his yellow coat was covered with mud and he was dripping wet.  If he were both clean and dry, his coat might have been as bright as a sunflower's petals.  His mane was the same as his coat, dirty and wet.  It appeared to be a light brown, or even golden.  He wore a worn vest on his body, and a droopy cowpony hat atop his head.  I blinked my eyes several times as I saw fresh tears well in his eyes on his already soaked face.

There was something off about his crying… or at least something that he found was rare when somepony cried.  It wasn't the kind of cry a child would give off to gain attention, which was loud and proud, it was the type which was muffled, where the owner honestly wasn't able to stop.  This stallion looked like he had been through hell and back.  I honestly almost felt guilty for worrying about my own problems, as I realized there were ponies with much greater ones, going through much rougher times.  I know that might sound silly, but it really is what I'm thinking right now.

"Hey there cutie, what's up with the crying?" I meant that to sound less creeper-like, I really did.  I suppose it was because I was drunker than Rapidfire after a show, but I was honestly trying to help him, not scare him.

I watched the younger looking stallion jump, and glance up at me with tearful eyes and a runny nose.  He looked a little scared, or at least worried.  "A-A-Ah'm sorry, w-was ah cryin' too loud?" His voice was hardly above a whimper, and he was already apologizing.  I watched him try and sit up "A-Ah'll leave."

I don't even know what went through my mind as I reached out a hoof and shoved him back against the wall before plopping right down next to him.  "Can hardly hear ya…" I mumbled.  As I glanced over, he looked a little intimidated by the scent carried on my breath, along with my drunken expression.  The idiot looked like I was about to take advantage of him, for he was trembling in fear.

"You ain't from around here, are you?" I asked, glancing at him with one eye open, the other closed.  "You sound totally different than anypony around these parts… plus it's a little unnatural to see somepony in that kind of attire."

I watched the yellow stallion glance down at himself with a sniffle as he shook his head.  Rain continued to pour on both of us as we sat next to each other.  I rolled my eyes.  "What's got you bummed, eh?"

I had no idea why in Equestria I was acting so… chipper… I just felt that this pony needed my help.  All things granted, I should be crying like he was.  However I had finished crying a long time ago.

"Why don't ya just leave me alone?" The other whimpered out.  I blinked several times and began to grumble as I watched the other wince.  I then realized that I was indeed a complete stranger.  My reason for coming over here could have been the alcohol talking.  I was obviously drunk and smelled like vomit; I wouldn't want to talk to somepony like me when I was sobbing either.

I stopped growling after a few moments and let myself calm down, simply shrugging before closing my eyes.  Things were silent for several moments.  "So… what's your name?" I slurred out.

Silence was followed for several moments before I heard the mumble of.  "Braeburn."  It was a soft and pitiful voice.

"I'm Soarin." I said.  "And that explains the cutie mark." I mumble, nodding at Braeburn's flank.  I watch him shudder at the thought of a drunken pony staring at his cute mark so close to his rump.  I force myself to suppress a drunken giggle.  I am currently at the stage in my attempt to ruin my life with alcohol where I would laugh at low brow comedy such as toilet humor.  "Favorite kind of apple, y'know that?"

"I really have to g-" I force my hoof back onto the other's chest and shove him against the wall once more "Stay, stay, more the merrier." I say.  Luna I was wasted right now, I'm surprised I haven't been hit across the face yet for pony's sake!

I close my eyes and put both hooves behind my head before letting out a yawn.  At least I'm not thinking about the squad.  I listen to the muffled crying of the other for several moments.  Part of me wants to help, but another part of me realizes it would be awkward for a complete stranger to suddenly hug me, or something like that.  So I stay silent, giving him several minutes to calm down without rushing him.

"S-Soarin…" Braeburn began.  He started as if he had something to get off his chest, and telling a complete stranger was better than nothing at all.  "'Ave ya ever had yer heart… broken?" He asked in a tiny voice.

"Sounds familiar." I say.  I like to think I'm helping this stallion right now… but I don't even know him.

Braeburn paused.  "Well… ya see… ah came to this town because of a mare." He mumbled.  He paused for several moments "A while back, she had ta move away from her town in Appleloosa, where ah'm from." He paused for several moments as he tensed his muscles, as if angry.  "S-She was never really kind ta me… a-and ah think ah only stayed with her because she always told me ah would never find better than her… so I kept writing her, not wanting ta believe it was over… she sometimes replied, but she never said anything special in the letters… I always tried ta tell her I loved her…"

I paused, raising a brow in question.  "So, what happened when you came?" I asked.

"Ah went ta her address… and ah found her sleepin' in the bed… with another stallion…" Braeburn mumbled, lowering his head.  "S-She… s-she didn't even act like she was sorry, a-and made me feel like a fool…" He paused to sniffle several times "She jus' came to the door with him draped around her without caring ah was there… She couldn't even say it was over in the letters… maybe ah would 'ave let it go a long time ago… and wouldn't 'ave been in denial either." He paused a long time.  "Ah don't even know if I loved her ta begin with… 'ave never dated anypony else…"

I was silent for several moments as I watched his chest heave.  Getting it off his chest seemed to hurt him more so than help him.  I reached out a hoof and began to rub his back.  I don't know what I wanted from him, but this wasn't what I expected.  The worst part was I couldn't even muster up the courage to feel sorry for him.  I felt better… I felt better knowing somepony else was hurting as well.

I must be a horrible pony.

My hoof stopped moving.  This pony's body was freezing.  "How long have you been out here?" I felt the words slip out without realizing it.

Braeburn's shoulders moved up in a shrug.  He sniffled once more "Dunno…"

"Got… got any place to stay?" What am I even thinking?

He shook his head.  I gulped, not knowing why I suddenly felt so nervous.  "So do you… I have a hotel and all… beats the rain like this…" I mumble.  I suddenly lean over and wrap my wing around him, and feel him suddenly shudder from the warmth it holds.  I think it might be a lie, I don't want to cheer him up, or even help him all that much.  I just desperately don't want to be all alone tonight in that hotel room.

"Got anything to eat?" Braeburn mumbled.

I put on my best fake, goofy smile.  "Oh yeah!" I say "Plenty of apples!"

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I begin to stare at the earth pony on my bed, wondering if he is crazy for following a drunk pegasus with only the promise of warmth and food.  At least he isn't ugly… now that my vision has cleared up a bit, I can easily see that he really is the cutie I first said he was.  I watch him as he curls up under the blanket, shuddering at its warmth.

I blink several times.  I'm not sure why, but I feel a little better with somepony to talk to, rather than staying silent or going for the talking to myself option.  It's simply relaxing to talk to a complete stranger who I'll likely never see, therefore I can pretty much say anything I wanted.

"So… this mare…" I begin.  "What was… her name?"

Braeburn seems to pause.  He blinks several times "Uh… her name was…" He stopped for a single moment before answering "Meteor Shower." He murmured.  "She was…" the stallion paused, as if struggling for a compliment.  "She was… really pretty." He said.  "But after tonight… I feel like I just want to forget her…"

"Don't say that, dummy." I suddenly say.  I roll my eyes and trot over to the bed, jumping on it.  "Just try and remember the good times, or something like that.  Like your first kiss, or first time in bed…" I mumble these words, and my mind suddenly flashes to Spitfire.

"It's hard… she wasn't exactly nice… I can't believe it took me so long to realize that…" Braeburn hissed out, as if angry with himself.  "I just want to forget…"

"Maybe if you remember the good times, you won't have felt like you wasted a good portion of your life with Spitf-" I stop dead.  I suddenly realized I was about to say Spitfire.

"Spit?" Braeburn asked.  "Her name was… Meteor Shower…" He paused a moment.

I shook my head, trying to clear my thoughts.  I blink several times to rid my eyes of sudden tears.  I thought I was done crying.  "Maybe if you just forget she cheated on you like that… you wouldn't have had to give up your life dream." I say out loud to myself.  Braeburn reminds me about myself a lot about a year ago.

"Soarin… are you… crying?" Braeburn suddenly asks, placing a hoof on my shoulder.  I glance over with suddenly watering eyes.  I shake my head to rid myself of the tears before biting my lip.  "G-Guess I am." I gasp out.  "M-Must be the… alcohol."

The hoof begins rubbing my shoulder.  I pause as I look at it.  This stranger is… well… strange.  I glance at the owner of the hoof, stare into his mesmerizing golden mane.

I don't know what came over me in that second, but I suddenly reached my hoof around his head and pulled it toward mine, feeling Braeburn's body tense up suddenly and squirm before I quickly pinned him on the bed with a gasp for air.  He stopped squirming when I went back down, and even moved along with me.

Perhaps it was just because I was so stressed that I did it, I still don't know.  I just needed something to let all of that anger out of me, and it isn't like I haven't done it with another stallion before, he meant nothing to me, and I would forget him in three days… right?

If I remember correctly… something like this is usually called…

A one night stand.