//------------------------------// // An Exile and Avalanche // Story: The EK // by Magi Tail Welkin //------------------------------// The rain poured down hard onto the station platform. The Waterbury foals sat close to the open fire looking bored out of their minds. Firelight spoke up “I hope Mother doesn’t get too cold up in Canterlot, we don’t want her ill again.” Autumn looked through the window behind her and frowned and the sounds made by the freak rainstorm “It’s like being in a besieged castle. The arrows of the foe striking against the battlements.” “No,” Stone said "it’s like a great big garden hose.”, Autumn didn’t look at her brother but said “You a great big garden hose.” “Thank you.” Firelight shook her head, her siblings, still too young to make sense sometimes. The bell sounded and chuff started to fade in over the rain “Stop it you two, there’s a train coming.” The train whistled and Perks came out of his office. Then paused in the rain, rushed back in, got his raincoat and huddled inside it called out “Ponyville. Ponyville Station.” As the train stopped the doors to the carriages opened and some mare hesitantly got out of the carriages, Perks walked up to them “Come on ladies don’t mind the rain, it’s only a passing shower.”, the mares got out their umbrellas and opened them up. More ponies came out and Perks closed the doors behind them saying “Mind the doors please.” The rain began to lessen so the foals came out to look. Once the last of the doors shut he called to the guard “Right away Mr Mayfly!”, said Mayfly blew his whistle and waved his flag. The engine pulled out. One male Earth Pony on the platform looked in a rush, and he appeared different than the others, his coat, a pale blue, and his triple toned mane and tail, of orange, grey and a creamy yellow, possessed a shine to them. His eyes, grey like the streak of his mane, looked different too with a polygon reflection, he tried his best to keep it hidden under his wide brimmed fedora hat. And he also hid his coat under his thick black overcoat. He didn’t get far as he collapsed, every-pony then gather around him. The foal watched the train go and Firelight spoke up “Mother should be on the next train in fifteen minutes. That one came from Bridle City Port, I think.”, Autumn looked further down “Hey there’s something going on at the end of the platform.”, Stone spoke next “Yes something’s happened. Come on.” They began to walk down and heard the conversation. “If you ask me this is a case for the Everfree Guard.” “No, Ponyville General Hospital more like it.” Perks rushed past the foals and budged his way into the small crowd. The strange Earth Pony spoke something no pony of the platform could understand “Pomogite mne zdes.” “What’s he saying?” “Sounds like Pony Latin to me. The Reverend sometimes speaks in it.” Stone spoke up as he pushed his way into the crowd “That’s not Pony Latin.” “Well what is it then if it’s not Pony Latin?” “I don’t know.”, the stranger repeated his words again and it sounded like a plea, Stone shook his head “No that’s not Pony Latin, nothing like it.” “Trying him with Pony Latin is you know so much clever clogs.”, Stone looked down and spoke the little of the ancient Pegasus language he knew “Vos loqui Pegasus domine?”, the stranger responded with a small gasp and he tried to get up, the crowd help him to his hooves as he spoke “Amore gratias ago Amore. Denique amicus. Filioli mei quem ego placuit nesciunt.”, Stone looked to the crowd smugly “Now that’s Pony Latin.” “What’s he saying?” Stone looked down “I don’t know.” Perks spoke up “Yes, well all right every-pony, keep moving along, please, I'll deal with this. Move along. Thank you.” Firelight spoke up “Take him to the waiting room, Mother can talk Pony Latin, thought she calls it Pegasolopitan, she’s on the next train for Canterlot.”, Perks nodded “Right,” he tapped the stranger on the shoulder “come on.” The stranger turn frightened and tried to run, but stumbled. Firelight tried to work this out “He thinks you’re a solider of some kind, he thinks you’re going to lock him up. I know he does look at his eyes." Helmet Listener, who happened to be on the platform spoke up “They look like a fox’s eye when the beast’s in a trap.”, Firelight walked up to the stranger and spoke in her best attempt at the almost dead language “Expectantibus te. Matrem loqui Pegasus. Nos…” she turned to Stone and Autumn “What being kind?”, Autumn walked up “Bonum is good.”, Firelight turned back “Nos sumus bonum, domine.”, the stranger softened slightly and Firelight helped him into the waiting room followed by her siblings. Perks told the remaining ponies to go how, but promise to tell them about whatever they found out later. The foals sat him down and Firelight spoke again “Bonum. Mater veniet, bonum. Ego auxilium tibi.” Perks spoke up “Look, I’m not sure if we ought to send for the Everfree Guard.”, the fillies looked to him and both said, “Oh don’t.”, and Autumn continued “Wait until Mummy comes, she speaks Pony Latin beautifully, you’ll love to hear her.” And Stone added “I’m sure he hasn’t done anything you're sent to prison for.” Perks nodded “Doesn’t look like he could. Still I don’t mind waiting until you mama comes.” He looked to the stranger “I must I’d like to know what place has the credit of him. He looks like a Crystal Pony to me, but from what Pinkie Pie and Applejack told me about them they been speaking prefect Equestrian since they reappeared.” Stone pulled a few things out of his pocket “Look I’ve got an idea.” Using his minimal magic, he held a bunch of stamps in the air “Mrs Muffins gave me these. Stamps from other countries and Pony Settlements across the world, we’ll show him these.” Firelight nodded and spoke to the stranger, how looked exhausted on his seat “Respice ad pictures. Quae patria?”, the stranger’s weary eyes looked over the stamps, he eyes widened at one and he pointed to it “Zherebets grad.”, Stone turned it around and he blinked “Stalliongrad!”, the fillies’ eyes widened and Perks frowned “What’s Stalliongrad?” Firelight spoke up “It’s a city state, only recently been rediscovered by the Crystal Empire. Beyond the Griffon Lands, it was founded by Crystal Ponies who escaped King Sombra.” The sound of a train drifted in the air and the bell sounded Perks went to the door. Firelight looked to her siblings “I’ll wait until you bring Mummy in.” Perks called out as he left the waiting room “This is Ponyville Station.” He saw one of the doors open and Mrs Waterbury stepped out. The foals ran up to her a frantically explained about the Pony for Stalliongrad. The entered the waiting room and Firelight introduced them to each other. The Stalliongrad pony weakly got up and bowed “Mulier, nomine meo est Iron Spurgenev.”, Scribble gasped and as he coughed she took hold of him and turned to the other “Flame, go and fetch Nurse Redheart, we’ll take him home with us.”, she gave a bit to Perks and the Waterbury family quickly existed the station building. Being helped by Stone and Autumn of one side and by Mrs Waterbury on the other, Iron Spurgenev as he called himself repeated “Gratias tibi.” Perks spoke to himself “I knew he was a Crystal Pony.” Firelight ran to the General Hospital and luckily found Nurse Redheart at the reception, Firelight panted as she approached “Nurse, I need to tell you. Mother's got a very shabby Crystal Pony from Stalliongrad.” “From where?”, she explained what she knew and then spoke again “He’ll have to join your club, I’m certain he hasn’t any money. We found him at the station.” “Found him? Was he lost then?” “Yes, he was. He’s been telling Mother life story in Pony Latin. She said would you please come directly. He’s got a nasty cough and he’s been crying.”, Nurse Redheart smirked and raised an eyebrow.”, Firelight turned said “Oh please don’t smile. You wouldn’t if you’d seen him, I’ve never seen a stallion cry before.”, Nurse Redheart chuckled “Haven’t you? Comet Tail does it all the time.” Nurse Redheart did go to the Three Chimneys to give Spurgenev a check-up. Scribble put the Crystal Pony into her bed for the time being. She got out a trunk with the name ‘Morals Waterbury Esquire.’ On the front. She opened it and took out some clothes, but paused at the picture of her husband and the page of newspaper. She took it out and put the piece of clothing on the clotheshorse to dry and secretly tossed the paper into the fire. She took out another piece of clothing and went to speak with Nurse Redheart and Mr Spurgenev. Firelight came in with a load of wood to be put on the fire. As she left she looked at the open trunk and picked up the picture of her father. She looked up at her mother before putting the picture down and quickly existed the room, she leaned against the wall and heard another set of hoof-steps, from behind her, her mother spoke “Flame,” she took hold of her and brought her around so they could face each other. Tears formed in Firelight’s eyes “I know you said we weren’t to ask any questions, but Daddy isn’t, isn’t dead, is he?”, immediately Mrs Waterbury hugged her daughter “Oh my darling no. Flame look at me.”, Firelight looked up her and Scribble spoke firmly “Daddy was quite well when I heard from him last and he'll come back to us someday.”, she left to attend to the needs of Nurse Redheart and Mr Spurgenev. Firelight considered her mother’s word with some reserve unsure by what she meant by someday, but walked further into the house. Scribble slept with the three foals in the same bed. Firelight looked at her “Do tell us about the Stalliongrad stallion Mummy.” Scribble nodded “I can’t make a long story of it my darling, because I'm very tired. He's a very clever writer, named Iron Spurgenev. But in Stalliongrad one dare not say anything about the rich ponies doing wrong or what ought to be done for the poor. If one does, then one is sent to prison. “Stalliongrad’s ruler is called the Grand Prince, like the Grand Duke of the Griffish Isles but the Grand Prince, Victorious the Second, has all the authority, and has refused to acknowledge the reappearance of the Crystal Empire and the defeat of Sombra, or the authority of Princess Cadance and Shining Armour over the Crystal Ponies. There is also a radical underground movement wishing to turn the city state into a republic run by the poor on an equal ground. “Mr Spurgenev was in the middle, tradition and example of the other Equestrian royalty meant he thinks there should a throne in Stalliongrad, but constitutional like the Griffish Isles, as a dependency of the Crystal Empire. He also advocated helping the poor. He wrote a book all about it, and was thrown into a dungeon for three years, with not light damp and dreadful. Then they took him out and then exiled him into Bug Bear Territory, for life.” Firelight’s eyes widened “For life! For writing a book?”, Stone his head in his mother’s lap nodded and looked up “That’s silly.”, Autumn looked to Scribble “Go on Mummy.” “While he was in Bug Bear Territory, so friends got message to him so say that is wife and children had escaped here to Equestria, and so after many adventures he too escaped and came here to look for them.” Firelight asked, “Do you think he will find them?” Scribble smiled sadly “Oh, I do hope so. I think my darlings you should make a wish tonight, that pity may be shown on all prisoners and captives.” Firelight frowned “All prisoners and captives?” “Yes darling, all prisoners and captives.”, Firelight’s eyes narrowed at this odd request. Over the coming days, Mr Spurgenev adjusted to living with the Waterbury family, he couldn’t speak Equestrian, but the foals did their best to be kind and speak to him in Pony Latin. One afternoon he sat in the front garden reading a book Miss Waterbury borrowed from Princess Twilight’s library, with her special permission to do so, written in Stalliongrad, or Zherebets, as he called it, sometimes mistranslated as Sherbet. Autumn came skipping up to him carrying flowers in her magic, she gave them to him, he took them with a smile and took her hoof and kissed it saying “Gratias tibi.” Meaning “Thank you.”, Autumn giggled and ran back to the garden wall where the other two Waterbury foals watched. Firelight smiled “He seemed pleased. I wish we could think of other things to give him.” Autumn grinned “What about strawberries? Perks promised me some from his own garden ages ago.”, all the foals smiled and ran to Perk’s house. They passed their usual waving spot as they needed to walk over the tunnel. However, they heard a whistle. The six coupled tender engine, with a smart green livery came speeding towards the tunnel. It wheels pounded the ground, and the heavy coaches it pulled, even from where they stood, the foals could fell the earth tremble. After the last coach entered the tunnel the foals started walking. Then Stone pointed “Look at tree over there!” Said tree, old leafless and thick stood on the embankment, stood however, soon didn’t apply to it since it slowly started to move down the bank, as well as a couple of smaller trees. The foals watched with amazement. It quickly turned to fear and dread. The old tree fell forward and tumbled down the embankment, it threw up earth and landed on the railway lines with a mighty crash. The dust settled and the foals looked at the damage. Stone broke the silence “That’ll take some sweeping up.”, the three of them went to get a closer look and descended their side of the bank. Some more earth fell onto the line. Stone blinked and his eyes widened “The eleven twenty-nine hasn’t passed by yet! We must let them know at the station, there'll be an accident.”, Firelight started to run then Stone called back “No wait, it’s late. It’s two miles away, will never make it in time. If only we had something red wave go down the line a wave to it.” Autumn blurted out “Flannel petticoats!”, Stone frowned “I beg your pardon?” “Flannel petticoats.” She lifted her dress to show the red undress, Firelight lifted her up to show just them same. They took them off and the three foals ran around the curve in the line. When they stopped, Stone took Autumn’s and tore it. Autumn protested but Firelight agreed. They found discarded branches and put the tore red garments onto the end. Firelight put two down in between the rails. Stone gave the order rearing up “Stand firm and wave like mad! Keep of the line Flame!” A pillar of white smoke appeared above the embankment. Firelight answered Stone’s request “They won’t see us from the side.” She waved her flag with her magic. The train came around the bend. The train Lord Blue Moon took. The handsome maroon locomotive came ever closer. The foals shouted “STOP!” Leaning out the side the driver’s eyes widened. He jumped at the regulator and jammed it shut. He pulled the whistle for two short blasts and one long one, the Equestria National Railway’s signal for trouble. He twisted the air brakes fully on. The engine’s wheels screamed. Autumn and Stone called to Firelight “GET BACK!” Firelight stood her ground waving. The engine slowed, but still approached. Firelight slowed herself as the red monster came nearer and nearer. She shut her eyes. It did stop, buffer beam inches away from his, coupling hook almost touching her neck. Steam burst from the engine, as if it gave a sigh of relief. Seeing the train still, Autumn and Stone ran to the cab as the driver climbed down. Ponies looked out the windows. From the last carriage, Mikado the guard and Lord Blue Moon, on the train home early, for family reason, climbed down themselves and ran to the front of the train. The foal almost screamed “There’s been a landslide!” The driver, fire-pony and Mikado started running. Then they stopped. Firelight lay on the sleeper out cold. Driver and fire-pony lifted her off the tracks and to the side. Then they started to walk down the track with Mikado “We’ll just have a look at this landslide.” Lord Blue Moon looked at Firelight, then to the complaining passengers. He took out a whistle with his magic and blew it to get their attention. He then told the passengers about the potential danger, to remain calm and to wait. He returned to the foals. Autumn felt Firelight’s check then leaned down to hug her tightly “Oh, Flame.” She sobbed, Stone took her hoof. Blue Moon stood stoic, but spoke up to the foal “Your sisters I believe will be quite fine,” they looked up at him and he smirked “After all, how can one do they life’s calling if their life is cut short.” He lifted her skirt and the two foals’ eyes widened. On Firelight’s flank, a purple lion, lying down, but with the head raised. “Fillies and Gentle-colts,” Blue Moon announced. He stood behind a table with a few other well-dressed ponies and Princess Twilight. On the table rested three finely made pocket watches. The Viscount Boxer continued “I think you’ll will agree with me that we have three charming foals who are indeed an example to us all.” The Waterbury foals stood before a crowd made up of the citizenry of Ponyville and a few from Huntersfield. They cheered at Blue Moon’s statement. The Viscount held up his hoof “I must say, I have learned in the short time I have seen them to look forward to knowing them better. If I had to rename the Waterbury children, I would call them the Three Saviours of the Steel Road or perhaps The Railway Foals.” He looked to the three foals “And now my dears, from the directors of the Equestrian National Railway, in grateful recognition of a courageous and brave action which averted an accident on the 15th Day of the 21st Month of the 1003rd Year of Celestia’s Reign.” The Twilight stood up “And to Miss Firelight Waterbury, who took the greatest risk by standing right in the way of a charging locomotive, on behalf of Princess Celestia, and rightly deserved in my mind, I bestow,” with her magic to made a small box appear and opened it, inside a gleaming cross with trefoil clovers at the ends of the arm, hanging from a ribbon of light and dark blue, Twilight smiled at the collective wide eyes “the Clover Cross.” She then gave the box to Firelight. Perks stepped up and whispered to the foals “It’s your turned to make a speech now. Just begin the Fillies and Gentle-colts.”, Stone gulped “Oh Luna.” “No, Fillies and Gentle-colts.” Perks then stepped back into place. Stone looked to his sisters and then cleared his throat “Fillies and Gentle-colts,” he paused to think of something “Fillies and Gentle-colts. We shall treasure this watches for the rest of our lives,” he blushed and gave small laugh “What I mean to say is, thank you all very much indeed.”, the crowd cheered again. And slowly the party began to leave the station. As the family walked through ponies stepped out of their way and nodded their thanks and congratulations. Rarity spoke up “You much be very proud Mrs Waterbury.” Scribble smiled “Oh I am Miss Rarity.” Perks and Time Turner stepped up, Perks cleared his throat “And this is from us.”, he gave Stone the completely repaired and polished toy engine. Stone smiled at them and nodded his thanks, the two Earth Pony stallions grinned. After bustle of the award ceremony and declining Pinkie Pie’s offer of another celebration party the family returned to the Three Chimneys for a quite rest of the day. Firelight and Autumn examined their watches and Firelight also looked at her medal, she sighed “It was a wonderful day, wasn’t it?” Autumn nodded, and Firelight continued “The kind that very seldom happens to any-pony. But I did so want to talk to Viscount Boxer about something else.” “What did you want to say to him?” “I'll tell you, I've written him a letter.” She pulled it out from under her pillow and read it “My dearest Viscount Boxer, I want to ask you something, please. If you get out of the train and go by the next it would do. I do not want you to give me anything, Mother says we ought not to. And besides, we only want to talk to you about a prisoner and captive. Your loving friend, Flame.” “Very good.” “Yes, it is.” She put the letter back in the envelope. Firelight posted the letter for the Night Mail in the hopes of Blue Moon would receive and read it in the morning. The whistle of the handsome red locomotive echo from up the tracks. The foals sat on one of the station benches as they heard the bell sound. As it approached the train slowed. Autumn gasped and out her hoof on her waist sash “My heart’s thumping like a steam engine, right under my sash too.” Stone stood up to get a better view of the approaching engine “Ponies’ hearts aren’t under their sashes.”, he started walking toward the train and his sisters, Autumn looked to him “I don’t care mine is.”, Stone scoffed “Well, if you going to talk like a poetry book my heart’s in my mouth.”, Firelight spoke next “My heart’s in my shoes it if comes to that.” She sighed and rolled her eyes “Listen to us, he’ll think we’re idiots.”, Stone smirk and nodded “He won’t be far wrong.” Perks called out “Ponyville.” As the last carriage drew level with him he looked at a window and nimbly went to open a door. He stepped back and nodded “Morning sir.” Blue Moon stepped out of the coach “Good morning Perks, how are your wife and children today.” “Oh, very fine sir.” “Very good to here.” He turned and smiled as the Waterbury foals approached “Hello. This is a very great pleasure.”, Firelight smiled “I was good of you to get out.” Perks closed the carriage door and stepped forward “May I extend a cordial invitation to the use of my office, sir?”, Blue Moon smiled and nodded “Thank you Perks.” “Right away sir.” He turned back to the guard “Right away Mr Mikado!” “Thank you, Mr Perks.” Whistle blown and green flag waved the train pulled away as Perks escorted the Viscount and the foals to the house beside the station, not Perk’s actual house, more the reactional building for the station staff, the main rooms being the station master’s office, the tea room and the bedroom upstairs for the night porter. Perks opened to door to his office “Nice and tidy for you sir.”, Blue Moon walked in and smiled “Thank you Perks.” “I'll leave you to it then, sir.”, he shut the door leaving the Viscount with the three foals. Blue Moon looked them “Well.” He sat down on the chair at the desk and then said “Well? What is it?” Firelight looked unsure as she stepped forward “Well, please.” “Yes?” “What I mean to say is,” she paused. Blue Moon repeated “Yes?” “I wish I might say something.”, the Viscount smirked “I wish you would say something.” “Well then, it’s about our Stalliongrad Pony.” Stone sat up on the windowsill and said, “The captive.”, Firelight nodded “The captive. We want more than anything in the world to find his wife and children for him. Only we don’t know how.” Blue Moon nodded “What did you say his name was?”, Firelight smiled and said, “I’ll write it for you.” She then looked about the office for a piece of parchment or paper, a quill, pen or pencil. She turned back to Blue Moon and cleared her throat “Would you have a pencil and the back of an envelope?”, Blue Moon smiled and using his magic pulled out and small notebook and pen from this waistcoat pocket “Here, write it here.”, Firelight gratefully took it and went to the desk, writing the name down with her magic she explained “This is how you write it, you say it, Spurgenev.” She returned the notebook to Blue Moon, who’s eyes widened “That stallion! Bless me.” He turned to the foals “I’ve read his book.” He smiled “And so your mother took him in.” He pocketed the notebook back and spoke again “I'll tell you what, youngsters, your mother must be a very good mare.” Autumn nodded “Yes, she is.”, and Firelight added “And you’re a good stallion.”, Blue Moon nodded like a bow “You flatter me. Now,” he sat up “am I to I to tell you what I think of you?” Firelight shook her head “Oh, please don’t.”, Blue Moon raised an eyebrow “Why?” “I don't know why exactly, only if it's something horrid I don't want you to. And if it's something nice I'd rather you didn't.”, Firelight still needed to get over being a Clover Cross winner, from what she heard Mr Waddle in the Retirement home also won the medal, perhaps speaking to him would allow her the knowledge of how to cope with the award. Blue Moon smiled “Then all I will say is that I'm very glad you came to me about all this, very glad indeed. And I shouldn't be surprised if I don't find out something very soon, when I’m done with the days’ board meeting I will go and have an audience with Princess Celestia, as a noble I have the right to do so.” He chuckled “Well now,” he looked around at the three foals “tell me something about yourselves.” Autumn spoke up “Tea first.”, Blue Moon chuckled again. About a week after, the foal said at the top of the field before the Three Chimneys lounging about in the heat of Celestia’s Sun. Stone glanced up and spotted the tip of something appearing at the bottom of the hill “Who in the wide world of Equestria?”, his sisters looked too. The tip of a horn walked towards them. Autumn stood up “Let’s go and see.”, they walked down the field and then stopped with a smile. Blue Moon came walking up the hill. They greeted each other. Blue Moon spoke “Good news my dears. I’ve found Mr Spurgenev’s wife and children. They found refuge in none other than the Crystal Empire, and I couldn’t resist the temptation of having the pleasure of telling him.” He then he paused at the smiling faces of the foals and smiled himself and looked to Firelight “No, you tell him my dear.”, Firelight walked up and hugged the Viscount and ran off up to the house. Blue Moon returned to Autumn and Stone “The other two will show me the way.”, the nodded and leisurely walked up the path. Scribble sat with Iron Spurgenev at a small garden table. She wrote one of her stories when Firelight came running up looking excited “Mother?”, Scribble looked at and Mr Spurgenev looked with curiosity. Firelight smiled “Mr Spurgenev’s wife and children have been found in the Crystal Empire.” Scribble gasped with joy and took Spurgenev’s hoof and explained “Inventa tibi coniunxque et liberi in crystallo Imperium.”, Spurgenev looked shocked, he looked at Scribble, then to Firelight, a wide smile graced his face and he lowered his head and cried joyful tears. At the station a small party waited, the Waterbury Family and Spurgenev, as well as Nurse Redheart, Blue Moon and Princess Twilight Sparkle and Captain Flash Sentry. A low and loud whistle blew. A streamlined, spotless and sparkling locomotive steam into the station. It gradually slowed to a stop. Flash smirked “Looks like Garter Blue worked out the breaks.”, Twilight turned to him with a raised eyebrow “Was he the one who did that horrible braking when you escorted Cadance here?”, Flash nodded “All the Crystal Ponies were still trying to piece together their lives, Sombra’s spell took it’s time to wear off.” The carriage door opened and out came two Crystal Guard ponies. Followed by both Cadance and Shining Armour, family and friends greeted each other, including Cadance and Twilight’s little nursery rhythm and dance and then the Royals stepped out of the way. Stepping out of the carriage came a yellow-cream coated mare, with a cutie mark of a musical notes and a masquerade style mask, a three-toned mane and tail of a rich purple, then pale purple and finally a greyish blue. Her vivid red eyes widened at Iron and she approached him and put her hoof to her face “Ty vyglyadish' uzhasno, no tak zhe krasiv, kak I vsegda.”, Iron smiled and placed his hoof to hers “Mne vse ravno, tol'ko poka tebe eto nravitsya.” “Papa!” a quartet of fillies, coats and manes a mixture of their mother and father’s colours. Iron hugged each of them. The wife looked to the carriage, Iron looked up from rustling one of his daughter’s manes, his narrowed his eyebrows “Humble?”, Humble Spurgenev trotted to the carriage and held her hoof out. A smaller hoof took it. Iron’s eyes widened as Humble brought out a colt, between three and four years old, looking like an exact copy of himself, she spoke softly and heard the name Inquirer mentioned. The colt stood before the stallion. Iron knelt to eye level. The colt tilted his head and cleared his throat and said slowly and unsurely “Papa. Glad to meet you. Rad vstreche.” Iron shed a tear and said “Mne ochen' priyatno poznakomit'sya, moy syn.” The two hugged. Scribble wiped a tear from her eyes. Cadance walked up to Iron and spoke in Pony Latin “Tu et domus tua et habitabis in terra imperii crystallo.” Scribble stepped up “Forgive me Princess, but why is it your speaking in Pegasolopitan and say thou and thy?”, Cadance smirked “Auntie Celestia taught me it with the Royal Canterlot Voice, old habits die hard.” She returned to Iron “Si vis, potes scribere libros.” Iron’s eyes widened and he smiled once more and nodded enthusiastically “Gratias ago tibi valde.”, he moved away from his family and went to Scribble and her foals and Nurse Redheart. He shook the Nurse’s hoof in thanks for taking care of him he said one of the few Equestrian words he learnt “Goodbye.” Then he hugged the Waterbury fillies. Stone held out his hoof “Goodbye sir.”, Iron took it “Goodbye.” He looked to Mrs Waterbury and bowed “Vale.” He said. Blue Moon stepped up and gave him a bottle of wine “Domum calefacientem enim donum est.”, Iron checked the label “A bonum anno, gratias ago tibi.”, and the Stalliongrad family returned to the Royal Train followed by Cadance and Shining Armour and their guard. Perks called “Right away guard!”, the Crystal Pony guard nodded and blew his whistle, waved his flag, and the train pulled away. The Waterbury family happily returned to the Three Chimneys.