Family - the Appleloosians

Here's one more piece for my the "family" project I'd sort of abandoned some time ago, and this time it's Braeburn's family <3
First of all, let me tell you that I simply love Braeburn's design and character in general. He definitely deserves more attention, both in the show and in the fandom. I had a lot of fun drawing and coloring him, I just adore his mane (long-maned stallions are the best! <3), and his vest was a nice challenge as I rarely ever draw ponies in clothes. Furthermore, what I love even more is the relationship he has with Soarin' (in my AU, of course, since sadly they've never even met in the show :C ) and the many possibilities of how it could play out... I just love these two guys together. I'd first drawn them here, where I'd also explained how their first met (whose story is here) and how things for Brae went. Here's a summary anyway:


To please Chief Thunderhooves and unite the two "tribes", Braeburn got engaged to the leader's daughter, Little Strongheart. The two never felt any romantical sentiments towards each other, and always believed they'd been somehow forced to be in a relationship.

One day, Applejack invited Braeburn to go see with her Rainbow Dash's first official debut in a Wonderbolt tour which would take place in Mexicolt. The stallion was pretty unsure at first, but he was later convinced by his cousin's strong reasoning.
The spectacle was astonishing and very enjoyable, but as the evening approached a new problem presented to the three ponies: where to spend the night. The Wonderbolts had their own reserved five star hotel rooms, but the Apple farmers were actually homeless in the big Mexicolt City. Little did they know, that Rainbow Dash had booked a room in the same hotel so that she could spend time with her marefriend. The fliers were not "officially" allowed to host other ponies in their rooms nor to leave them during the night, but the blue Pegasus had somehow persuaded Spitfire into letting her break one or two rules about that. 
So, Rainbow Dash spent the night in her lover's room and literally kicked Braeburn out of it. The stallion, with his affable and friendly attitude, did nothing to stop her but felt a little offended by his cousin. And, while he was pondering on which part of the floor would be best to sleep, a door cracked open and revealed Dash's room partner, Soarin'. The Pegasus kindly offered to share his now half-empty room with Braeburn, who gladly accepted. 
Nothing particularly surprising happened that first night, but the two stallions soon became great friends. They talked, laughed and joked almost all night long, and were happy to repeat the experience the following nights. However, while Soarin' didn't suspect anything from his new companion (or so Braeburn believed), the cowboy started developing different feelings towards him. He eventually talked to Applejack about this, and the farmpony was more than ready to help him having felt the same with Rainbow Dash.
Braeburn and Soarin' never met for a long time after the beginning of their solid friendship, until the Pegasus decided to visit his former-room partner's hometown in Appleloosa. He spent a couple of weeks on holiday there with the excuse of seeing again his old friend, and Braeburn felt as flustered as ever. He finally showed him his feelings on the last day of Soarin's vacation and, to his great surprise, the Pegasus reciprocated his romantic intentions. 

Life came back to normal not long after Soarin's visit, when the two stallions had decided to undertake a long-distance relationship. Braeburn ended up telling his mate Little Strongheart about his newfound, true love, and the buffalo filly reacted in a much better way than the stallion had expected. The two decided to keep it a secret, seeing as how even Little Strongheart had fallen in love with a young bison in her herd. 

Now, Soarin' visits Braeburn as often as he can and loves his coltfriend more than anything else. The two stallions still live their relationship secretely and have decided to keep things as they are - mainly because of how Soarin' fears the consequences of telling it publicly. The only other pony who knows about it, except Applejack and Rainbow Dash, is Soarin's best friend, as well as captain, Spitfire. She's been his sister in all but blood since they were young foals, and respects his choice and decision fully. 
So that the Appleloosian ponies and buffaloes would cancel their forming suspects, Braeburn and Little Strongheart adopted the small Pegasus that had been living in the town's orphanage and treated him as their real son. Blue Moon Quartz eventually discovered his parent's "undercover" relationships, but started loving the effective mates (especially Soarin') anyway. 

I'm not sure if it makes much sense, but I have to say I've always quite liked this idea I'd come up with, and I don't think I'm ever going to change it. Anyway, here's the usual "official" information about Blue:


Blue Moon
Complete name: Blue Moon Quartz
Nicknames: Blue, Quartz, Blondie
Gender: Male
Age: 21
Species: Pegasus
Mother: (Unknown)
Father: (Unknown)
Unique Talent: Surfing
Story: Blue Moon Quartz is a friendly, cocky and stubborn Amarecan Pegasus stallion. He's got a curious physical appearance, which indicates his different origins - from all three tribes, according to him. He's young, but very mature and responsible, even though he loves pranks and is ironical about pretty much anything. He's got a tattoo of blue waves around the cutie mark on his right flank, and his character is that of a charming young stallion who loves flirting with anypony he finds desirable.
Not much is known about his past: he was abandoned somewhere outside the small town of Appleloosa when he was just a few years old, and was welcomed in its orphanage shortly after. He got his cutie mark a few years later, while his adoptive father Braeburn and a Pegasus friend of his, Soarin', had decided to visit Los Pegasus since the Wonderbolt was on tour there and Blue had insisted so much to come. Only then did the colt find out the truth about Braeburn, eavesdropping part of a conversation between him and Soarin'. After the stallions noticed him, he ran away and almost got lost in the big city, causing Braeburn a half heart-attack. Thanks to Soarin', though, the young pony was found pretty soon, and flown back home so that the three of them could talk and explain. It took Blue some time to understand and accept his adoptive father's secret choice, but he wasn't able to hate him for too long, and started enjoying Soarin's company as well. He grew up in Appleloosa with Braeburn (Little Strongheart actually spends more time in her herd and is almost never home), eventually becoming the assistant of the vice-sheriff (Braeburn himself) and helping around town in general. He loves travelling to the ocean cities from time to time, but the brisk air of the Crystal Empire he finds equally pleasurable.
Little to nothing about his biological family is known: the backstory behind the sociable and charming stallion has gloomy and mysterious shades. Though he never revealed his origins, many say he was the son of a renowned jeweller (hence his complex and specific name) who rejected and disinherited him, discovering that he had born from an adultery. Quartz actually prefers denying any version he's asked to comment on, but the most common theory is probably the actual truth.