Sparkling sunlight bled in through the window and onto the face of the young, sleeping pony. His orange and yellow mane was a complete wreck with hairs sticking out in every direction. His cheeks had sticky saliva trails going down them, and his eyes were highlighted with crust. He was snoring softly as sunlight hit him. When his eyes noticed the dramatic change in lighting, they slowly opened. He woke up to the site of his room fully lit. When he took notice of his surroundings, Braeburn's green eyes widened dramatically.
What time is it?!
The young stallion turned his head, only to see the clock announce the time; nine thirty in the morning. The moment Braeburn absorbed the information, he jumped out of his bed and ran out of his room. How could he have possibly awoken that late? Why didn't his alarm go off? Why didn't anypony wake him up?
Going at full gallop, the colt ran down the stairs, nearly tripping a few times. When he entered his living room at the bottom of the staircase, the sweet smell of pastries, pies, and deserts of all kinds hit his nostrils. He took in a deep whiff, almost drooling at the scent. From the kitchen, he could hear the faint sound of rustling and conversation. He trotted to the right and made his way onto tile flooring. Behind a wall was the main kitchen. His family was there, adjusting a wagon. He was a tad bit confused, seeing how nopony mentioned an order. Breaburn wearily rubbed his left eye and yawned, which caught the attention of his family. His sister tossed him a smile, which was returned discreetly. He then turned his attention to the rest of his family.
"What's goin' on?" he asked in a deep, tired voice.
"Jus' gettin' an order together," his mom announced proudly. "Got an order late las' night after you passed out."
"Oh... Where to?"
"Some gentlecolt down in Canterlot." she responded. She took a moment to close the top of the wagon, securing the treats. "Our fam'ly back in Ponyville had a pretty bad floodin' and's too busy cleaning everything up. We had to prepare this all last night and early this morning."
"Oh... Why didn't anypony wake me? I mean, Ah coulda helped."
"We jus' wanted to let ya rest," Honeycrisp answered hastily. "We had enough workin' the kitchen as it was. Didn't think we needed any extra support or nothin'."
With that said, the other members of the family nodded their heads in agreement. Braeburn liked the explanation, but had a nagging feeling something else was up. Did they think he was too clumsy to be trusted? Not diligent enough? Whatever the reason, Braeburn felt insulted deep inside.
"Oh... Well, alright." Braeburn forced a smile onto his face. "Should I start workin' the feilds or something now?"
It was then, Braeburn's mother and father looked at each other unsurely. Apple Blossom thought a moment before looking at her son with a half smile.
"I, umm.... Well, we were just thinkin' that maybe you could run these treats up ta Canterlot for us. Ah know you're pretty good with speed and, erm... Socializing? So we thought you'd be more cut out for the job."
"Really?" the colt asked, almost confused. In the past, he was seldom asked to make a delivery. The only time they found it necessary was when Hearth's Warming was around, and there were many celebrations and events taking place. Any other day of the year was handled by one of the parents or an older siblings.
"Well, I mean, yeah. Your father can handle the rest a' the apple-buckin'." the mother said with a smile.
"Ummm.... okay." Why me? Do they just want to get rid of me for a bit...? I don't get it.... "When do Ah have to leave?"
To answer that, Apple Blossom simply turned to her husband, who had a better understanding of Equestria's railroad system. He thought for a moment, before answering confidently.
"I believe the next train departures 'round ten in the morning." He tossed a reassuring smile to his son. "You'd better go now if you want to catch it on time."
Ten in the morning...?
"Who the hay needs apple treats this early in the day?" Braeburn questioned with a bit of attitude in his tone.
"Apparently whoever ordered them needs 'em by noon today. Our cousins didn't say why, but Ah'm not gonna let a costumer down."
Braeburn sighed. He wondered why his parents chose him to do such an irritating task. It's not like he was that experienced in delivery. Maybe it was there way of trying to figure out something he was good at? Whatever was going on, the young colt wasn't too happy about.
"Well, alright." Braeburn agreed with slight hesitation. "I s'pose I'll be on my way then..."
"Good!" his father replied, almost happily. Quickly, he attached the harness of the cart to his chest and started pulling it out of the kitchen area. Braeburn of course, started to follow his old stallion. He was clearly disappointed with the start of the morning. In his green eyes there was little enthusiasm. In his mind, he thought of how miserable he knew his day would already be. His head hung low as he made his way out of the kitchen. On his way out, however, he heard something that made his heart skip with hope.
"Wait, Braeburn!" Honeycrisp's voice came from behind him. Both Braeburn and his father turned around and met eyes with her.
"Yeah, sis?"
"Don't ya need bits for your train ticket?"
"Oh, uhh... yeah. Ma?"
Apple Blossom, who'd completely forgotten about that major detail, nodded. She made her way over to the nearby counter and opened it up. In it was several paper clips, a checkbook, some paper, some stray bits, and a small bag of bits in the center. The mare picked it up with her teeth and tossed it to her son, who went in to catch it with his hooves. When it landed however, the little sac fumbled and fell to the ground. Braeburn blushed and chuckled at his mistake, and quickly picked up the sac of bits with his teeth. After that, his father instantly went back to getting outside. Braeburn followed behind, still unsure of why exactly he agreed to such a task.
"Umm... Pa?" he started as they made their way into the living room. "Where exactly am I s'posed to be deliverin' this to, anyway? Canterlot's a big city."
"Well, when your cus'n came to give me the news of the order, he told me the gentlecolt would be in the theater near the entrance a' the town. Ya know where that is, right?"
"Yeah..." Before they could leave the house, Braeburn removed his cowpony hat from the hatrack. It was very special to him, and was a light shade of brown with a darker stripe in the middle. He placed the sac of bits on his head, then secured them with his hat on top of that. He'd finally started to wake up a bit, even without being able to brush his mane, teeth, or eat breakfast. It seemed to be like that everyday; he'd awake not to a long process of preparing for the day, but to a cruel world full of responsibilities.
"It shouldn't take too long to run up there an' back. Your trip should take maybe two hours at the most." the stallion told his son as the exited the house.
"Two hours?!" Braeburn muttered incoherently under his breath. If there was some possible way to back down without getting yelled at by everypony, he would.
"Oh, don't get all grumbly now. You didn't have to do nothin' when we were actually bakin'. The least you can do is deliver the order."
"Ah am... Jus' tired."
"Well, maybe if you'd wake up earlier, ya wouldn't be."
Braeburn didn't waste his time replying to that comment. He knew it'd only start an argument. He just didn't understand why his father could be so critical. It wasn't something the teenager ever discussed with anypony.
At the two ponies went to the side of the house, the older stallion detached himself from the harness, letting it fall to the ground. He took in a deep breath and smiled at his son.
"Mah old bones aren't as strong as they used to be. Been gettin' a lot harder to carry things lately." He smiled. "Wish I was young as you, Brae. Ya don't know how lucky you are."
"Uh, thanks Pa," he replied hesitantly.
"No problem..." The stallion wiped his forehead of sweat. "Why don't ya take the cart and get goin'. Wouldn't want to miss your train an' have to wait an hour."
"Alright..." With a sigh, the young pony got under the harness of the wagon and lifted it up. He briefly adjusted his position before tossing his dad a smile. "Well, I suppose Ah should get goin'. Don't wanna be late or nothing."
The orange stallion nodded his head in approval, which was Braeburn's cue to get going. With a sigh and hunger for sleep, the young teen ventured into the forrest of apple trees, starting his long journey to Canterlot.
As Braeburn had expected, Filly Delphia's train station was flooded with busy ponies. On the medium sized platform held nearly sixty busy mares and stallions on their way to the grand city of Canterlot. The young pony with a mission arrived with very little time to do much. The large clock above the train station read nine fifty. Had he stopped for an apple to eat or quick restroom break, he may not have made it on time. Yet there, near the edge of the train stop, the young pony lugged the cart up a few steps and onto the wooden floorboards of the train stop. Exhausted from his long walk, the pony trotted up to the ticked booth, where one pony was already in line. He placed himself behind her, wiping a few bullets of sweat from his damp forehead.
Man, what a trot! I didn't even think I'd make it on time!
The young pony took in a few breaths as he regained a normal heartbeat. His mane was matted in perspiration from the long walk, and his legs and chest were aching from carrying nearly twenty pounds of weight behind him. At least he'd gained a significant amount of energy with his long trot.
Oh, sweet Celestia! I need a good drink of water before I leave this place... Maybe even pee if I get the chance. But where would I leave my cart? Somepony might try to come along and steal it... Whatever. I can just wait.
After a short moment of thinking and being in line, the pony before him got her ticket and trotted off into the crowd. He moved a few paces forward. The mare at the stand greeted Braeburn with a smile, which caused him to smile back.
"May I help you, sir?" she asked in a very polite tone.
"Uh, yes. Can Ah get a ticket for the nex' train to Canterlot?"
"Sure thing..." The mare opened the cash register before her and punched a couple buttons in. "Let's see... That'll be twenty bits."
Braeburn lifted his hat off his head, only to reveal a small pouch of coins. He took those off his head as well, before tossing them onto the counter before him. The mare took the sweaty sac in her hooves and poured the coins out onto the smooth counter before her. She counted them with her hoof and smiled at the exact amount. She swept the coins into the register with a smile retrieved a ticket on the counter before her. The one she got was the color purple, and had a series of numbers and letters on it. She slid it over to Braeburn, who took it into his teeth with a smile.
"Thank you, sir. Have a nice day,"
"You oo," Braeburn replied, muffled by the ticket in his mouth.
The young teenager made his way from the ticket vender and to the larger crowd of busy ponies. Silently, he sat there, awaiting his train's arrival. The bustling ponies moved all around, creating quite the ugly sound. The noise, however, was enough to overshadow the young pony. He took advantage of opportunity and started talking to himself, quiet enough to not be heard. The colt spat the ticket out and instantly started ranting.
"Tain't fair... Ma and Pa treat me like Ah'm not good 'nough to work in the kitchen. They always act like I'm weak or somethin'. Like, everypony in my house thinks I'm the weakest 'cause I bring in the least amount of stuff and whatnot. Why don't they give me a break. I mean, was e'rypony else doin' better when they were my age? What if I really am weaker then them, though? That'd be sorta sad..." Braeburn though for a moment. "Also, I mean, they could just need me to do this 'cause they're too tired, but Ah don't know... What if they're jus' tryin' to get rid a' me for a bit. I just feel like they could be, considerin' Ma was pretty upset with me yesterday. She prob'ly told Pa about it... It's not like he doesn't already have enough of a reason to think I'm clumsy or stupid..." The colt took in a deep breath. "Whatever... maybe when I'm older Ah'll be able to impress 'em..."
It was then, Braeburn heard the faint sound of a train in the background his ears perked up at the noise, and he looked to the West, only to see what he suspected; a train not too far away pulling up to the station. The young pony adjusted his hat and stood up, ready to board. The train started to slow down as it came closer to its destination. As came to a complete stop, it hissed angrily and let out gallons of white steam from its wheels. The long train hesitated a short moment before opening its side doors, reveling a few hoof-fulls of ponies that were waiting to get out. The ones ready to go in the train waiting a moment for the others to clear out. Before anypony made a move towards the train, the conductor stepped out. He put his grey hoof to his mouth and shouted for everypony to hear him.
"All aboard to Canterlot, Ponyvily, then Dodge Junction!"
With that, a large frenzy of ponies made their way onto the train. Braeburn followed the crowd. As the individuals hopped onto the train, each handed the conductor their tickets and were allowed on. The young pony ended up somewhere in the middle of the line; not too far back, but not in the front either. He was a bit impatient to hop aboard and find a seat, which caused him to tap his hoof into the wood beneath him. Thankfully, the line moved quickly, and within a minute, he was at the front. The little stallion near the entrance of the train wore a smile on his face. Braeburn handed him his ticket and was allowed aboard. The moment he entered the train, he was stroked by the gentle touch of cool air. He let out a long, happy sigh and took a moment to appreciate the coolness. After a moment of absorbing it, he moved along, turning right and going into the deeper sections of the train. There were quite a few ponies moving about, but he did see a couple available seats in the back. He made his way through there, careful not to bump anypony with his cart. The velvet flooring felt like heaven against his hooves as he walked. When he got to the back, he detached himself from his harness and took a seat in the farthest place available. It felt amazing to finally have all that weight lifted from him. The colt let out a long sigh as he let himself relax, taking in the beautiful atmosphere.
Man, this is the life... Braeburn took his hat off, welcoming the cool air against his mane. Even still, he was sure to keep his hooves on the cart so it didn't roll away. That air feels so nice... Oh, Celestia! Braeburn brought his free hoof up to his droopy bangs and pushed them back. Wonder if I can get any water on this thing... I'll have to ask in a bit.
For the longest minute, the colt simply relished in the cool air, not wanting to part from it for one second. His body relaxed, and his sore muscles soon started to heal. His tongue draped out. Never before had he felt so much bliss at one time. It felt like resting on cloud.
"Alright." the conductor stepped on the train after it seemed like everypony had gotten on. His loud voice echoed through the train. "We should be arriving in Canterlot in approximately forty-five minutes. Please remain seated for the entire ride, and keep all possessions with you at all times. Please relax, and enjoy your ride."
Ah, Canterlot; the most beautiful city in all of Equestria. The capital city was flourishing with ravishing buildings and noteworthy landmarks. The ponies there were only of highest society, one of them being Princess Celestia herself. Every last detail was flawless; from the food, to the art, to the citizens themselves. Only the most amazing events were held in Canterlot, and only the top actors, artists, and musicians had the slightest chance of being showcased there. Any pony with a hint of class would dream of one day living in such a place...
Braeburn, however, was not one of those ponies. He was on a mission. The moment he entered the gorgeous city, he trotted as fast as he could to the area ponies would direct him when he asked about the theater. He ignored every perfect detail, only focused on what had brought him there to begin with; the wagon attached to his body the entire time he was there. The theater, he found difficult to locate. Everypony either responded with an odd set of directions he couldn't follow, or the question "Which theater?". It was all rather confusing, and had him circling the city for what felt like hours on end. After only forty minutes of being there, however, he finally located his desired location; the theater.
Royal Canterlot Theater was only the most pristine, well-known theater in all of Equestria. It held the finest performances, and had one of the most gorgeous insides one could imagine. In reality, it was much more like an opera house than anything, but most citizens didn't call it by that name. The building was two stories in height, and was even beautiful on the outside. It was painted a beautiful shade of white, and had a large, round roof on the top. Its windows were all stain-glass, and depicted beautiful patterns of red, purple, and gold. Just standing outside the building was magical, and Braeburn had then experienced the true beauty of the actual thing. He gave a whistle of admiration as his eyes locked on to well-designed building.
"Wow... These fancy folk really know how to make things."
With a smile, the young colt made his way into the theater. The front doors themselves were a few meters in height, and a bit difficult to open. He managed, however, and walked on into the inside.
The moment Braeburn entered the theater, the cool AC brushed against his warm fur. The soft carpet below felt like a thousand little blankets reaching up to greet his hooves. The light scent of vanilla filled the room, and caused the teenager to take in a long whiff.
It even smells good...
The inside of the place was as large as it looked on the outside. In the corner, there were several ticket booths, along with a costumer service desk next to them. On the far left and right, there were theaters, both able to seat hundreds. Right before Braeburn, there was a large, golden staircase that lead up to a second floor, which he assumed had more theaters in them. It was really all fancy, and far brighter than he ever imagined.
Trying to brush off the beauty of the place, the colt wandered towards the costumer service desk, which had a mare in swivel chair sitting lazily, reading a fashion magazine. The wheels of the wagon hardly made a sound as they headed towards the far corner of the room. The mare hardly even noticed it when the young colt approached her. She only noticed the moment he made it to the desk and cleared his throat to get her attention.
"''Scuse me, miss," he started a bit shyly, almost intimidated by the fancy culture. The mare gazed up at him, little enthusiasm sparkling in her pink eyes.
"Can I help you?" she asked in a bored tone.
"Well, yes. Ah was jus' here to drop off an order. You wouldn't happen to know who I should bring this to, would ya?"
The unicorn let out a long, unhappy sigh. Lazily, she brought her left hoof up and pointed towards the theater.
"He's should be in there..."
"Uh, thank ya, miss."
With a smile and a tip of his hat, the country pony made his way from the counter to the closest theater. He was thankful that he'd finally be able to get rid of the hefty cart and find his way back home. The thought made him very enthusiastic, but he didn't pick up the pace. The soft carpet and cool air was too nice to disregard of in such little time. Maybe slowing down wasn't too bad of an option.
As the colt wandered down the hall, he started to hear the faint sound of classical music playing. The closer he got to the door, the louder it became. His curiosity struck him, and he sped up the pace, chasing the flow of melodies from the other room. When he at long last got to the doors and entered the room, the music became crystal clear. The sound of a grand orchestra rehearsing echoed throughout the room. Breaburn started to wonder if that was really the right place. He of course, didn't want to interrupt, but at the same time couldn't help but stay to make sure he was in the right room. He waited patiently, hoping the orchestra would cut off.
Not really sure as to what to do, Braeburn detached himself from the cart and decided to watch a bit. That wasn't something that'd cause much harm. The orchestra seemed to be a chaotic mess of melodies and harmonies at the time, creating a large, mind-twisting sound of polyphonic texture. Every instrument seemed to be playing a different part, yet it all sounded as though it fit together. The strings were moving fast and firey, much like a phenix. Braeburn couldn't exactly tell what speed the woodwinds and other instruments were just by looking at them, but he could hear them doing a wide variety of things. He wasn't quite sure if he enjoyed the crazy mix of melodies. Classical music was never his favorite, but he had to admit it was rather complex.
As the orchestra went in to what seemed like the climx of the piece, the stallion conducting the orchestra cut them off in a flash of his baton. The music almost instantly stopped, but vibrations still lingered around the theater. The entire ensemble gazed up at their maestro as he gave instructions.
"All right you guys... At L, we need to hear more of the woodwinds. Bassoon and flute have the melody... Strings need to be softer." The stallion turned a page of his score. "At O, I want the crescendoes and decrescendoes to be more emphasized; softs need to be softer, louds need to be louder." The conductor flipped his page back and raised his baton. "From N."
Oh no! They're 'bout to start again! Come on, Braeburn, this might be your only chance to speak for a few more minutes!
"'Scuse me!" the young pony called from the back of the theater. His voice echoed off the walls and grabbed the attention of the orchestra. He blushed a bit, feeling rude for the interruption. "Did ya'll order any apple goods?"
For a moment, the conductor hesitated. He wasn't quite sure how to respond to the young farm pony. Unsurely, he turned to the orchestra, who all looked equally dazed. He looked back at Braeburn, and then back to his ensemble.
"Break!" he announced with the drop of his baton. All lowered their instruments, glad to finally have a short rest. The maestro of the orchestra hopped off the stage and trotted up the isles. Braeburn removed himself from the seat he chose and met the conductor half-way down the isle. He was an older stallion, and looked the part of a conductor. He had a slicked back, black mane and wore a little, elegant tuxedo. He also had a big pair of chunky glasses that sat awkwardly before his bright pink eyes.
"Now, uh, young stallion, what was it you wanted to ask me?"
"The, uhh... Pony at the front desk said ya'll ordered what Ah brought. It's basically jus' a cart of apples and apple treats and stuff." When Braeburn explained that, the cunductor's eyes lit up.
"Oh, right!" he chuckled. "You see, my orchestra and I are rehearsing nearly all day, so I thought I'd get them something to calm their appetites when they got hungry. Most of the stuff here in Canterlot's a bit expensive, so I wanted something a bit more affordable."
"That's fine. The cart's in the back with all the stuff in it."
"Oh, good!" the stallion smiled proudly. "Now, what do I owe you for this?"
"Uhh.... Ah don't know..." It was then, Braeburn realized he'd forgotten to ask his mother what the payment should be. "We usually charge 'round fifty bits for a full cart of stuff."
"Well, that's not too bad..." The pony put his hoof in the front pocket of his tux and searched for a moment. Upon not feeling a single bit, he took a moment to think. "Do you think you could take your payment in gems? I'm sure there's some bank that'll exchange them for bits if you'd prefer that."
"Oh, uhh... Sure thing."
"Great!" the pony pulled a large, red gem from his front pocket. It was sparkly like a shimmering sunbeam, and caught Braeburn's attention almost immediately. "Will this do?"
"Definitely!" Braeburn agreed hastily. The musician handed over the gem as if it were nothing, shocking the farm pony on a new level. "Gosh..." he muttered under his breath, gazing at his reflection. After a moment, he quickly placed the gem under his hat to conceal it.
"Oh, it's nothing really..." the conductor thought for a moment. "Hey. If you'd like, I could get you a free ticket to tonight's concert. My own daughter, Octavia, will be performing a cello concerto this evening. It really is magnificent. You should come if you have the time..."
"Oh, I, uhh... I don't think Ah can. My family's pretty busy most the day. Ah jus' don't have the time, is all."
"No problem. I suppose classical's not really something you're into anyway." He chuckled. "Now, why don't you go on about your business? I have quite a bit more to do."
"Alright." Braeburn turned around and headed for the exit. "Thank you so much, sir!"
The conductor simply nodded, while young teenager made his way out of the theater, and back onto the busy streets of Canterlot.
Braeburn let out a happy sigh as he sat down on the comfortable seating of the train. His body was fully relaxed, and his hooves felt like they'd just received a massage after his walk there. The cool air was wonderful, and the seats were soft. He rested his head on the soft pillow-like seat behind him. He felt like napping after his long day. Maybe it'd restore him from all work he'd done. The thought didn't seem too out there, and the train was comfortable enough to do so. On the half-empty train, Braeburn finally decided to give in to his desire. He tilted his head back, and allowed his eyelids to fall. The last words he heard were those of the conductor's.
"Alrighty folks. Since this train is going up, we'll be hitting by Filly Delphia next, then make our round trip back down to Canterlot, Ponyvilly, and Dodge Junction. We will be arriving in Filly Delphia in approximately forty-five minutes. Please enjoy your ride, and keep all belongings to yourself. Thank you."