Braeburn stood alone at the train station on the edge of Apploosa and gave a small sigh. He'd been standing on the small depots platrorm for nearly an hour. An hour of patient waiting as a light snow continued to fall across the desert plains. He shivered slightly as he pulled his hat down lower, and wrapped his scarf up around his muzzle before looking down the line again. What am I doing? I could go home now if I wanted to, but... no, I gotta leave. But where do I think I'm going anyway?
He continued to stand as close to the edge of the platform as he dared to without coming out from under the shelter provided by the roof. He kept a vigil watch down the line for the first sign of the coming train, and was greeted by nothing. Not a puff of smoke, nor a gleam of lights, let alone the low rumble of its approach. He looked at the station's clock, and sure enough the time for it's arrival had come and gone already. Darned snow, they probably had to get a crew to pull the thing again because of the weather.
He looked through the window of the depot and felt a deep longing to be inside. In there it was warm, and the stationmaster was chatting idly with the telegraph operator while minding the ticket booth. They both had cups of hot apple cider, and he could see the steam rising into the air before it would dissipate. Suddenly the telegraph operator held up a hoof to get the stationmaster's attention, he then pointed at Braeburn through the window, and the stationmaster turned around to look outside. He saw Braeburn, and gave him a friendly smile, and waved for him to come inside.
Braeburn smiled out of habit as he turned away from the window and walked inside the station. The warmth inside wrapped up around him like a blanket, embracing him like an old friend. He made his way across the room with the same practiced smile that he'd been giving everypony for some time now before letting himself into the back with the others. "Hey there, Linewire, Timely, what's up?"
The stationmaster, Timely, smiled wide as he patted the empty seat next to him. "Braeburn! It's freezing cold out there! Sit sit, would you like some hot cider? Or maybe you're in the mood for something else?"
Braeburn thought about it for a few moments before shaking his head. "No, no cider please. You got any tea?"
The other two stallions looked at each other before shrugging. Timely got up and began to prepare the drink, leaving Linewire to speak with him. "So, you headed to Manehatten huh?"
Braeburn froze in his seat, not from any source of cold, but because of the question itself. "Well, ah... where are you really going? yeah I am."
Linewire and Braeburn sat quietly for a few minutes, neither sure of what to say next as Timely came up and hoofed him his cup of tea. Braeburn sat and stared at the cup for several moments before finally taking a sip. The tea was perfect, not too sweet, or too bitter. No milk of any sort, and not too hot that it burnt his tongue, it was perfectly warm. The three of them sat in relative silence, sipping their drinks as Linewire would occasionally tap out a message on the telegraph, or write down a receiving message and pass it to Timely.
Braeburn sipped slowly on his drink a few more times before putting the cup down and looking out the window again. "You know," Timely said with a sly grin. "Looking at the window or clock isn't going to make the train come any faster."
"I know, but I just want to get going already."
"What for?" The question was asked out of curriosity, but he couldn't help but feel as if Linewire was attacking him.
"I just need a bit of time to myself is all. I've been here since before we broke ground on this here town, and I need some time to myself."
"Well, didn't you go to your family reunion last year?" Linewire paused to sip from his cider and sighing with content before continuing. "I mean, I know you work hard here, but you must'a had some alone time then."
Braeburn looked at him with a cold, distant glance before shaking his head. "Not really, my cousin AJ kept us all so busy, that I couldn't give second thought to what I need to do." He frowned as he drained down the last of his tea and looked at the clock. "Besides, with winter settling in I can take some time off now."
"Hm, you gonna see your relatives in Manehatten?" Timely asked with a smile.
"Maybe," Braeburn replied back as he looked at his empty tea cup. "I have a week before I come back, I'll probably stop by."
Timely smiled as he sipped on his cider and leaned back in his seat. He looked at a clock up above and watched the pendulum sway back and forth, filling the room with it's soft click. "Well, everypony needs time. Will you be back in time for Hearths Warming Eve?"
Braeburn smiled back at him before wrapping his coat a little more. "Sure thing. Like I said, it's only a week, and I wouldn't miss Hearths Warming Eve with my friends and family for all the bits in the bank. Besides, the mayor wouldn't be able to host a decent shindig without my planning."
Linewire suddenly pressed a hoof against one side of his headphones to listen to the incoming message over the wire, and quickly wrote down marks for the several clicks that made up the coded message, and passed it to Timely. Timely stared at it through his reading glasses and smiled softly. "Well good news, your train just passed an outpost just a little ways outside of town from the south. It should be here any minute now."
Braeburn smiled and nodded slightly before standing up. "Well then, I'd better get going. I'll see you all in a week." He walked out into the lobby, and looked at the big clock on the wall and shook his head. Only an hour late. Not too bad I guess. He continued to the door to the platform, and adjusted his hat, scarf, and coat a few times before opening it to the cold.
He walked to near the edge of the platform and waited, keeping an eye down the line as he watched the puff of smoke grow closer, bringing with it an audible growl as the rails sang with it's approach. He turned and looked at the town and gave a small smile. I'll be back in a week, by then I'll know for sure. The engine of the train passed the station, brakes screaming into the cold air and steam blasting Braeburn from the pistons as it ground to a halt. The hot steam condensed back into water, and felt as if it would freeze on his face from the cold weather.
He shivered slightly as the train stopped, and reached into his coat to find his ticket. As he did, the conductor hopped out of a car and looked at his watch. "Attention passengers! All off for Apploosa! Next stops are Dodge Junction, Ponyville, Baltimare, Fillydelphia, Manehatten, and the Crystal Empire! All aboard!" Braeburn walked over to the conductor and passed him his ticket. The other pony looked at it for a few moments before punching a few holes into it and passing it back to Braeburn. "Okay, you've got your own private cabin, coach eight, on the right. Enjoy your trip on the Northern Flyer."
He nodded back to him before entering the train's car. It took him a little while to find the right room, but as soon as he did, Braeburn entered and shut the door behind himself quickly. He looked around for a moment before he shook his saddlebags off, and let himself relax on the cushioned bench. This is it, time enough at last.