In the Station Master’s Office Perks brightened a lamp to get a better look at the broach Firelight got given for her birthday, “That’s a mighty fine little broach that. I don’t think I’ve seen anything look so much like a buttercup, without it being a real buttercup.”
Firelight nodded and explained about how she got it, Perks look surprised as he remembered “Oh is that it? I’ve never seen it close up before, highly decorative thing it is too.” He gave it back to her, she put it back on her collar and looked back as Perks got himself a cup of tea “When is your birthday Mr Perks?”
“My birthday? I gave up keeping track of my birthday since before you were born.”
Autumn looked saddened “But you must have been born sometime, you know. Even if it was twenty years ago or thirty years ago or sixty or seventy.”
Perks flustered “It wasn’t quite that long ago miss. If you really want to know, I’ll before forty-two years old on the fifteenth of this month.”
Autumn then asked, “Why don’t you celebrate it then?”
“I’ve got other things to keep besides birthdays.”
“Oh what?” Autumn asked, “Not secrets Mr Perks?”
Perks chuckled as he put more water into the kettle “No, the wife and kids.”
Scribble smiled as the Foals returned to the Three Chimneys, they meet at the window, the Matriarch of family showed them a letter “I’ve sold another story darlings. The one about the Wombles idea Lord Moonlight gave me, so they’ll be buns for tea. You can go get them the moment they’re ready.”
The Foals looked excited, but, Firelight asked “Mummy, would you mind if we didn’t have buns for tea tonight? But on the fifteenth?”
“I don’t mind when you have them darlings, but why?”, Firelight explained, then Stone added “We thought we’d make a nice birthday for him. He’s been very nice to us. And we agreed that next bun day we'd ask if we could.”
Scribble nodded “It would be nice to write his name in pink icing wouldn’t it.”
Stone looked unsure “Perks isn’t a very pretty nice.”
Autumn spoke up “Noble is his other name, I asked him once, I think Noble is a pretty name.”, the looked at her and she asked, “What’s the matter with that?”
The Foals sat around a nearby barn thinking. Autumn asked, “What about flowers?”
Stone shook his head “He’s got lots of flowers in his garden already.”
Firelight then spoke “Yes, but it’s always nice to be given them.”, Autumn then diplomatically said “Let’s all just sit and think. No-ponies to speak until they’ve thought of something.”
The sat thinking in silence.
Finally, Stone stood up “I’ve got it.”
“What?” her sisters asked.
“Perks is so nice to every-pony, right?”
“Right.” They said.
“So, there must be lots of ponies in town who’d want to make him a nice birthday, right?”
Firelight looked unsure “Mother said we weren’t to ask ponies for things.”
Stone shook his head “Only for ourselves silly, not for other ponies.”
“I think we should ask Mummy first.”
They did so, she said they could if they did it right, and make sure it wasn’t simply because the Perks family didn’t have as much money to go around, Perks seemed a very proud sort, not the type to freely accept charity. The Foals said it wouldn’t be out of charity, it would be out of fondness for their friend.
Scribble agreed and offered to give some of the cloths the Foals outgrew for the Perks children.
The Foals then went into the village to ask around. They first went to ponies who often came to chat with Perks at the station, like Helmet Listener.
Then around the High Street. Muffins at the Post Office nodded “Come back tomorrow and I’ll see what I can do. I’ll tell Cipher to ask on his rounds too.”, the Foals left smiling and with complimentary muffins.
At Sugarcube Corner, Pinkie Pie couldn’t hold her excitement and began asking dozens of questions about, also if they needed help, the Foal did ask some advice on presents.
Rarity offered to make Perks a new suit, but the Foals said they would have to ask him first, she understood. Besides, Rarity did have a meeting with Mr Moonlight Spectre, although her manner of talk towards the noble Bat Pony did make Firelight wonder slightly.
Some they asked were kind and did give, some regretted to say they couldn’t but wished Perks a happy birthday. Some however became crusty, one pony flat out said he hated Perks, the Foal sarcastically thanked him.
After a day of asking a collecting, and a delivery from Cipher, the Foal sat up in Stone’s room looking over the inventory, Firelight spoke the item out load “Tobacco pipe, half a pound of tea, woollen scarf from Miss Draper in Huntersfield. A stuffed squirrel from Helmet Listener…”, Stone wrote the items down in a notebook so they could make labels.
The Foals returned to Muffins the day of the fifteenth and found her waiting outside with her husband Dauntless Doo and their youngest child, Dipsy, the yearling filly now could walk, and much preferred a ride on her daddy’s back than in a pram. And so, Muffins gladly gave her slightly used pram over to the Foals to give to Mrs Perks. The Foals decided to use it as a cart so they didn’t waste magical energy on carrying he many small presents.
Time Turner came running up “Sorry I’m a little late, I missed Cipher this morning. Anyway, I made this for Mr Perks.” He pulled from his back a shovel. The Foals thanks the doctor and continued their journey.
Finally, they made it to the Perks House, the nearest house to the Railway Station. They opened the gate and lugged the pram up the small step. “Hello?” Stone called “Is any-pony at home?”
From the small wooden building, close to the back of the house the sound of tiny hooves reverberated. The head of a young colt appeared “Mam’s upstairs. Mam! Visitors!”
“Thank you, Junior.” Came a sweet, but careworn voice “Just coming.”, the front door opened and a mare, a little rough and just as careworn as her voice stepped out, she wore a necklace with a cross on it, “Sorry I did an extra clean, it’s my husband’s birthday you see. I don’t know why he’s suddenly wanted to celebrate his, we do the kids mind you, but myself and Noble Senior don’t have time for ours.”
Stone smiled “We knew it was his birthday. We’ve brought him some presents.”, Mrs Perks looked amazed at the pram and the stuff in it and she smiled “Bring them in my dears.”
They went into the dining room and started unloading the pram and putting the stuff onto the table. Mrs Perks sat down and dabbed her eyes with a handkerchief, Stone notice and knelt beside her “Oh, don’t, please don’t, Mrs Perks. Whatever is the matter? Do you mean to say you don’t like the things we brought? Don’t you like them?”
Mrs Perks turned to him as smile as the Perks Foals entered, the colt, Noble Junior, being the eldest, then unidentical twin fillies, one of them held an infant colt. Mrs Perks put a hoof to Stone’s shoulder “Don’t mind me, I’m alright. Like them? Why it’s a birthday such as Mr Perks has never had, not even when he was a colt.”
Stone smiled “Good, I’m glad your pleased. Can we wait and see it Mr Perks is pleased?”, she happily gasped “I won’t say another word.”
Firelight spoke up “Could we have a plate for the buns Mrs Perks?”
“Of course, missy.”, the Perks Foals looked excited.
The table look grand, the buns set in place and the presents all about, Mrs Perks just smiled “Fit for a prince, I never thought there’d being anything for him, expect the pinch of his favourite tobacco I got him. Of course, he never smokes in the presence of the foals, only when he out in the garden.”
Presently they heard a voice singing. Mrs Perks gasped “Good heavens, he’s early!”
Firelight turned to the kitchen “Let’s hide in there. Do tell him about this, but give him the tobacco first, after you’ve explained we’ll step out and give him many happy returns.”, she and her siblings ushered the Perks Foals into the kitchen.
The front door shut and Perks called in “How do all?” He entered the dining room and stopped, he eyes crisscrossed the table and he gained a face of surprised confusion “This is a pretty set out.”
Mrs Perks nodded “It’s your birthday tea Noble dear.” She picked up the tobacco “And here’s an ounce of your favourite particular.”, Noble smiled “Thank you love.” He kissed her, then glancing over her shoulder he noticed the pram. He asked her about it “You’re not, again.”, she shook her head being to become unsure. Perks then walked around the table “What’s with all these bundles? All the sweet stuff?” then he chuckled confused “What’s this squirrel doing on the table?”
“There presents Noble, gifts for your birthday.”
“Who found out it was my birthday? We made Pinkie Pie promise never to make a fuse about our birthdays, and she’s never yet broken a promise, even that one about the news of Princess Flurry Heart.” He looked at the gifts again “No labels, so are they all from one lot?” he paused and scowled “The Waterbury’s isn’t it. And they told me they couldn't afford much, if this is charity I won’t stand for it.”
“But Noble you make such a fuss about them, your friends.”
“I don’t care if they’re Angels for Heaven. I’ve gotten through these year without asking, without relying on others, in all those years I never wanted to be given charity, and I won’t start now.”
“Hush Noble, watch that tongue of yours.” She glanced back to the kitchen “The three of them are in there with the children listening to every word you speak.”
“Are they now?” he trudged over to kitchen door and opened it “You can come out now I won’t a word with you three.” His foals started to move as the Waterbury Foals left, Perks sighed “Not you kids, just there for the moment. Wisdom,” he said to the filly with the infant “Get South cleaned up, we have guest.”, the Perks foals nodded and their father smiled before closing the door. He then turned to the Waterbury Foals “Right,” he walked passed then to stand at the other end of the room “You can start by telling me what you meant by this. Have I even complained to you about being short?”
Autumn looked ready to cry “We thought you’d be so pleased, Mr Perks. I’ll never try and be kind to any-pony else for the rest of my life. No, I won't. Not never!”
Stone spoke next “We didn’t mean any harm.”, Perks then spoke again “It isn’t what you mean as much as what you do.”
Firelight took up the conversation “We thought you’d love it. We always have things on our birthdays.”
“Oh yes, from your own relations that’s different.”
“No, not just our relations.” Firelight corrected, Stone nodded “They’re from all sorts of ponies from all over Everfree.”
“And who put them up to it?”
“We did.” Autumn admitted.
Perks remained silent before sitting down “So you’ve been going around telling every-pony in the Kingdom we can’t make ends meet? Well, now you’ve disgraced us as deep as you can in the neighbourhood. You can take that whole pack of tricks where they came from. I’m grateful for the gesture, I’m sure, I don’t doubt you meant it in kindness, but, I’d rather not be acquainted with you any longer.” He turned the chair around to face away from the Waterbury Foals.
Firelight broke away and approach him “We’ll go if you like,” Autumn and Stone came to her side as she continued “and you don’t need to be friends with us anymore if that’s what you want but…”, Autumn cut into her speech “We’ll always be friends with you, even though you’re nasty to us.”
Firelight continued as she levitated the labels they made out from her dress pocket “But before we go, do let us show you the labels we brought to put on the things.”
Perks grumbled and crossed his fore hooves “I don’t want to see any labels expect proper luggage labels.”
Autumn pleaded “Oh please, let Flame show you the labels.”, Perks sighed “Alright then.”
“Well then,” Firelight started “We wrote down everything everybody said when they gave us the things with the ponies’ names on. Because Mother said that we ought to be careful because, Well I wrote down what she said and you’ll see.” She hooved the label over to Perks who took it in his hoof, “That’s from Mother. She thought Mrs Perks might like some of our old things that we’ve outgrown.”, Perks read the label and nodded “Well, that’s alright. I mean you Mom’s a born lady.” He glanced to his wife “We’ll keep the clothing for the foals and what not Flambeau.”
She nodded with a small smiled.
Firelight continued “Then there’s the perambulator and the sweets, there from Mrs Muffins, the Post Mistress.”, Flambeau walked up “I can’t send the pram back Noble, and I won’t, so don’t ask.”, Perks shook his head “I’m not asking anything.” He said looking at the label with Muffin’s words.
“Then there’s the shovel. Doctor Time Turner made that for you himself, and he says, now where is it?” Firelight filed through the labels, she tried to give it to Perks, but he held his hoof you “You can read it.”
Firelight nodded and read out aloud “He says, you tell Mr Perks it is a pleasure to make a little trifle for a stallion who is so much respected.”
Perks nodded “Good chap the Doc, very good chap.”
Firelight looked through all the labels “And every-pony who gave anything said they liked you and thought it was a very good idea of ours. And no-pony said anything about charity or anything horrid like that. We thought that you’d love to know how fond every-pony is of you. And I’ve never so unhappy in all my born days.” She sighed and put the labels in Perk’s lap “Goodbye.” She turned to her siblings “Come on.”
Before they could exit the door, Perks called out “Stop!”, every-pony turned to him as he spoke “I take back every word I’ve said contrary to anything you’d wish.” He sighed and put the labels to one side “Flambeau?”
“Yes Noble?”
“Put the kettle on.” She nodded and went to the kitchen.
Stone spoke up “We’ll take away the things it you’re unhappy with them.”
“I’m not unhappy about it.” He stood up and turned to them with a face of pure apology “I don’t know when I was ever more pleased, not so much with the presents frankly, they are a bit a bit a hodgepodge, but it’s the kind respect of our neighbours, that’s worth having.” He turned to his wife bring the foals out, “Isn’t it dear?”, she chuckled “I think it’s all worth having. And you’ve made a ridiculous fuss about nothing.
“It was just a misunderstanding that’s all.” He turned to the Waterbury foals “You’ll stay for tea I take it?”
Stone nodded and held out his hoof “May the garland of friendship be evergreen.”, Perks chuckled and took Stone’s hoof “I like that phrase, that should be the national motto for the EK, fits it like glove. Now then, let’s have a look at those buns you’ve brought.”
The Foals all messed about in the front garden of the Three Chimneys a few days later.
Perks came down the country lane with a bundle wrapped in newspapers on his back. He stopped at the gap in the wall. He stood up on his hindlegs, put the bundle in his right hoof and squeezed through the gap. He approached the house and met Firelight first “Hello my dear.” He called out to the three of them he put the bundle down “One good turn deserves another I always say. You say I found these magazines in the waiting room, they were only collecting dust,” he scratched the side of his head “I thought you might like them, a lot of pictures in them, and you can colour them up with crayons,” he shrugged “Anyway I don’t want them.”
Firelight chuckled “You’re a dear.”, the others agreed. Perks nodded “I must be getting along, got lots to do, and Perks must be about it.”
“Thank you.” Firelight called and the Station Master happily walked away.
Thunder cracked and Firelight turned to her siblings “I think better go inside. Starry Eyes did say a storm was scheduled.”, the younger foals ran into the house and Firelight leaned down to get the magazines. Then she paused at an article on the newspaper. The article included the image of a stallion she most certainly recognised.
It read ‘Moral Waterbury. End of Trial Verdict. Sentence Five Years Penal Service.’
Firelight couldn’t believe what she read. It talked about her father selling national secrets to the Changeling Kingdom. As it must have happened before the Hearth’s Warming when he got taken, it meant, if true her father helped Queen Chrysalis in knapping the Royal Family and the Council of Friendship. It all started to make sense, and yet absolutely no sense at all. Tears formed as she uttered “Daddy.”, teardrops and raindrops fell onto the paper. Firelight quickly grabbed the bundle and ran straight for her room. She put the bundle on her bed and she broke down.
“Flame?” she heard her mother called and the approach of hooves. Quickly she flipped the bundle over and turned away from the door.
Mrs Waterbury opened the door and asked concerned “Flame? What is it darling?”
Firelight turned to her and sobbing with an utter of “Mummy.” She turned the bundle over and show her mother the newspaper article.
Thunder crashed outside. Scribble quickly came to Firelight said and asked, “You don’t believe Daddy, did it?”, she turned to her and said straight out “No.”
Scribble nodded “Because it’s not true. They have shut him in prison but he’s done nothing wrong. He’s good and honourable, he loves the Royal Family and he belongs to us.”
“Would it upset you if you told me all about it? It’s just I want to understand.”, Scribble explained about the Bat Ponies on the Hearth’s Warming Night and going to more details about the charges brought before him.
Firelight shook her head “How could any-pony believe that? How could any-pony do such a thing?”
“Some-pony did.”
“Why did you tell some-pony? A lawyer? There wasn’t any-pony who wanted to hurt Daddy on purpose, was there?”, Scribble frowned “I don’t know, it’s all so complicated.” Her eyes narrowed “There was a stallion in the Foreign Office who very envious of your father, Daddy always said he never quite trusted him.”
“Why didn’t you explain that to some-pony?”
Scribble shut her eyes and sighed “No-pony would listen. The court didn’t wish to involve the Princesses because they thought it would give them a relapse, and so I wasn’t allowed to explain to them when I asked to move here to Ponyville. Since the Trial I can’t show my face in Canterlot again. Do you suppose I haven’t tried everything?”
“What Princess Twilight?”
“I can’t, she’s far too busy, especially now since she’s with foal.” She tightly embraced her daughter “What we have to do you and I and Daddy is to be brave.” She kissed her.
Firelight didn’t know if she wanted to be brave. She did act brave to save those ponies from the landslide, but now, she didn’t know if she could just, bravely wait out five years. She needed to do something, and she felt she knew how.
Early the next morning she wrote a letter and enclosed a cutting of the newspaper article. She ran to the station and gave the letter the Perks. If her mother couldn’t get an audience with one of the Princesses on the matter, then surely their friend Lord Blue Moon could.
As she walked back home she began to wonder if she made the right decision, what if Lord Blue Moon believed every-pony else? What if by learning who she and her family were Lord Blue Moon would no longer want to speak with them? What if the Princesses would not want to hear about it?
She heard a voice above her “Where have you been?”, she looked up at the tall wall beside the walkway and found her siblings looking down at her. “Where have I been? Down at the station, but don’t ask me why, it’s a secret.”
Stone rolled his eyes “Oh, please yourself.”
Firelight then gave them some news “That’s going to be a paper chase tomorrow.”
“Whoopy!” Autumn said. Stone tilted his head “Who’s running in it?”
“Colts from Princess Celestia’s School.”, meaning Unicorn boys.
Autumn looked more excited “Zippy!”, Firelight smiled “Perks says we can watch them beside the line.”
“Really?” Autumn asked, then she frowned “What’s a paper chase?”, Stone and Firelight rolled their eyes.
A paper chase is a special race. One pony at the front laying down a trail and the others quite some ways back follow it. This chase happened to be a charity fundraiser organised by Canterlot glamour model Fleur Dis Lee.
Beside the tunnel mouth the Foal sat when they heard frantic hoof steps “Let me pass please.” A colt with a saddlebag lay down bit of paper came down the steps. They got out of his way. The colt ran down the steps and onto the railway line and into the tunnel.
Two railway works just stepped out of the tunnel mouth as the colt ran in. One looked back “Hey, that’s against regulations. I ought to report him.”
“They’re only having fun Station.” His colleague said, Mr Station replied, “Passengers are forbidden to walk on the line on any pretence, Steam.”
“He’s no passenger, anyway I can’t see him anymore. Out of sight, out of mind I always say.”
More hooves sounded out and down the path came a dozen other colts in sport jerseys, they followed the paper into the tunnel, some of them commented about the dark.
Mr Station shook his head “They don’t know what they’re in for. It’s not easy running in the dark.”
Stone called over “They’ll take a long time going through, won’t they?”, Mr Station nodded “Yes, they will.”
Presently an older colt, mid teenage came running down the slope. Athletically built with a shining bluish grey coat with a mane and tail of three brown tones, for a light orangey cream, then a milk chocolate shade and finally an almost black dark brown. He wore a red jersey over himself. His dark blue eyes looked around before he stumbled down the embankment passed the Waterbury Foals, he got up and looked about again and rubbed his horn.
Stone pointed to the tunnel and called over “They went that way.”
The teenage colt nodded “Oh, thanks.” He said in a refined Canterlot accent before he entered.
Just after he disappeared into the dark, Stone got up and spoke to his sisters “I know, why don’t he cut across the top and see them come out the other end? We’ll be there before they are.”, the three climbed the embankment and ran over the hill, jumped over fences. Paused for a moment. Then they slowly went down to stand just above the other entrance of the tunnel. The paper already laid and headed up the hill in the direction of Huntersfield.
The colts started running out and scrambled up the hill.
After non-pony, else existed Firelight turned to the other “There, that’s all. What should we do now?”
Stone meanwhile looked down “Not yet, there’s the one in the red jersey, he hasn’t come out yet. Come on, let go to the tunnel mouth, perhaps we’ll see him from the inside.”, Autumn followed, Firelight stood for a moment before joining her siblings.
Autumn gulped “It’s dark in there. I don’t like it.”
They could just make out the light at the end of the tunnel which curved around slightly.
Stone spoke “No sign of him, I think he must have had an accident. Let’s go and rescue him.” He walked in. Firelight passed Autumn and turned back to her “Come on Autumn, keep close behind me. If a train comes along stand with your back flat against the wall and hold your skirt against you.” Firelight ran in after Stone, Autumn slowly walked behind “I still don’t like it.”
Further in Stone stopped a lit lantern. He narrowed his eyes at a sound “What is that?”, Autumn held onto Firelight “Sounds like another earthquake!”, the sound approach and sounded like chuffing, then a whistle sound, Firelight commented “It’s a train.”, Stone pulled the three into a small alcove in the tunnel wall. The all stood reared up and tightly packed.
The green six coupled engine thunder through the tunnel and dominated the space. It’s shrill whistle and blastpipe bark almost defend the foals. Autumn shouted out “It is a dragon! I always thought it was!”
The train rattled passed. The foals waited until it cleared the tunnel. Stone looked to his sister and said, “Come one.”
Autumn’s eyes widened “Suppose that colt was caught underneath the train?” She grimaced and shuddered. Stone looked glum and said, “We’ve got to go and see.” With his magic, he took the lantern and walked along the line and called “Hello?”, his voice echoed. The light cast onto something red “Hey,” he called to the girls “you two come quickly!”
The girls joined Stone. The colt lay on the trackside passed out. His right back leg broken. Autumn shut her eyes “Is that blood?”
“Autumn please!” Firelight said, she took the lamp “You two go and get help.”
Mr Station and Steam carried the colt on a makeshift stretcher to the Three Chimneys, the nearest house. Stone and Autumn walked beside them as Firelight ran to the door.
She went into her mother’s room. Mrs Waterbury sat writing when she barged in “Do come down Mother, we found a colt in a red jersey in the tunnel and he’s broken his leg, they’re bring him her and I’ve sent for Nurse Redheart.”
“Shouldn’t the boy be taken to his Mother?”
“He’s from Canterlot, he can’t be transported far, we’re the nearest house.”, Scribble got up and went to her wardrobe.
Firelight gulped “Oh Mother, you will be nice to him, won’t you? I told him you’d wont to help, you always help any-pony you can.”
“Come along.” Scribble said give Firelight some bedding and grabbing a pillow. They went down the kitchen where the colt laid on a table.
Scribble’s eye widened when she entered “Let’s get him to bed before the Nurse arrives.”
The colt spoke “It’s hurt when you move me Mrs Waterbury. I hope you don’t think I’m a coward if I faint again. I honestly and truly don’t do this on purpose, and I don’t want to cause you any trouble.”
“Don’t you worry.” Scribble assured him “You’re the one who has the trouble. We’d love to have you here.” She turned to her eldest daughter “Wouldn’t we Flame?”, Firelight blushed but nodded “Yes.”
After getting the colt, called Greater Thunder, or Thunder for short, to bed in Stone’s room the family and Starry Eyes worked to get dinner ready.
The doorbell rang. Scribble put her utensils down “That must be Nurse Redheart.” She left the kitchen.
After a voice moments, the Foal heard a muffled conversation, but the other voice sound male. Firelight frowned and whispered “I know that voice. At least I think I do.”, Stone nodded “I thought I recognised it too, but it’s not Mr Comet Tail, Doctor Horse or any of the Everfree Guard, they’d be the only one to have a reason to be here.”
Autumn frowned in confusion “Why would Mr Comet Tail come here?”
“Maybe to inform Mummy Nurse Redheart is indisposed. Maybe she is and this is the medical pony who’s come instead.”
They heard the door to Stone’s, currently Thunder’s bedroom open. The Foals went to the door and opened it slightly, Firelight frowned “It’s rude to listen in like this.”
“It’s not listening in,” Stone said “no-pony in their senses would talk secrets on the stairs.”
“Children,” the mother called, they opened the door further and looked up at Mrs Waterbury at the top of the stairs, the mother continued “A relative of Thunder has come. He wants to see you. Wash your hooves and faces, we’ll be in the dining room when you’re ready.”, they nodded and re-entered the kitchen. Stone turned to her sisters with a face of embarrassed pride “There now, fancy not think of that.” He turned to Starry Eyes “Any hot water Starry?”
“Coming right up.” He called pouring out the kettle into the sink, the Foals rushed over to clean themselves up.
After smartening up they went to the dining room and opened the door. They all blinked and surprised smiled graced their faces, Stone spoke “Well I never did…”
None other than lord Blue Moon sat in the chair. The mother smiled and spoke “This my dears is Thunder’s grandfather.”, the Foals approached and Autumn started talking “I’m so glad it’s you, when I think of all the old gentle-colts there are in the world it could have been any-pony.”
Stone then asked, “You’re not going to take Thunder away, are you?”
“Only to the Ponyville General Hospital, but with my busy schedule at the current time I will be unable to visit him, his Father is a Royal Knight, currently away in the Griffon Lands, and his Mother is also too busy as a top professor at Princess Celestia’s School. So, your mother has kindly offered that herself and you three will visit him, keep him entertain as his leg heals and to keep me updated. Thunder is very important to me, not only as my eldest Grandson, whom I am very proud of, but also since his Father is a Royal Knight, the duty of which to Equestria generally forbids inheritance, my title and estate will fall to Thunder.”
They agreed to the arrangement and the Viscount Boxer asked Firelight to escort him out. Once she closed the front door it gave them a chance to speak in private, Lord Blue Moon started “I got your letter my dear, but it wasn’t needed. When I read about your father’s case in the papers at the time I had my doubts, you see I would sometime pass him in Canterlot and I could tell he was of fine character. And ever since I’ve known who you were I’ve been endeavouring to find out the truth, and I have hopes.”
Firelight smiled, the Viscount then turned to her “But keep you’re secret a while longer, it wouldn’t do to upset your mother with false hope, now would it?”
“But it isn’t false, I know you can do it, I knew you could when I wrote, so this isn’t a false hope, is it?”, Blue Moon smiled and shook his head “No, my dear.” He stated.
“So, you don’t believe Daddy did do it? Don’t say you do.”
“My dear, I’m perfectly certain he didn’t.” He bowed his head and walked away from a smiling Firelight.
Over the coming weeks as the season of autumn rolled in. The hospital took good care of Thunder, put his leg in a cast, and the Waterbury family true to their word came down every day to keep him company. Interestingly Firelight went down nearly every day, often spending all her spare time with Thunder too.
Finally, Thunder’s leg held and Thunder’s family came to collect him. Thunder joked he could final scratch this persistent itch.
At the station, Thunder said goodbye to the Waterbury family and to the hospital staff. Firelight ran along the platform as the train left and Thunder took her hoof with the promise “I’ll write.”
Autumn and Stone watched with shock and Stone commented “They’ll have to marry now.”
After Thunder left, the Waterbury Foals didn’t seem to be the Railway Foals, as Lord Blue Moon so aptly called them, anymore.
After a while, as the frost of winter pulled in Autumn voiced this notion “I wonder if the railway misses us? We never go and see it now.”
Firelight nodded “It seems ungrateful, we loved it so when we had no-pony to play with. The thing I dislike is no longer waving to the 9:15 and sending our love to Father by it.”
Autumn smiled and suggested “Let’s begin again tomorrow.”
Next morning the three ran down the field and to the fence of the embankment.
The red engine whistled and its shadow appeared on the other embankment.
The Foals took out their handkerchiefs and began waving and called “Take our love to Father!”
Next came a surreal moment. As the train approached, every-pony, engine crew, passenger and carriage staff alike all waved handkerchiefs and cheered back at them. The driver even cheerfully tooted the whistle.
Lord Blue Moon leaned out of his carriage window and tapped a hoof on a newspaper.
The Foals stopped waving and observed this. The train disappeared out of sight and Stone turned to his sisters “Most extraordinary?”, the girls agreed repeating his word.
Later in the day the Foals attended classes in the Schoolhouse. Miss Cheerilee drew the image of a country and spoke as she turned around “Now, Firelight, can you tell me…” she paused as she looked at the older filly, Firelight looked out to the window, with, seemingly, the thousand-yard stare. Cheerilee approached “Firelight? Are you unwell?”
Firelight turned to the teacher “I, I don’t know. I don’t know how I feel. Can I ask if you let me off lessons today, I know you don’t like those requests, but, I feel like I won’t to be quite alone.”
Cheerilee smiled “Alright, just this once, off you go.”, Firelight nodded and left the Schoolhouse. As she left, she couldn’t understand it, but she seemed drawn to the station. On the way, she got hearty and happy greetings from nearly every-pony.
She got to the station as the bell for an approaching train rang out.
Perks ran out of his Office and turned to see her, he smiled widely “There you are! If this is the train this’ll be smart work, prefect timing.” He approached her “Bless you miss,” he held out a folded-up copy of the Equestria Daily “I’ve seen it in the papers, sorry but on a day like this I must.” He kissed her on the cheek “And one for luck.” He kissed her on the other cheek “You’re not offended, are you? I haven’t taken too much of a liberty on a day like this?”
She smiled and shook her head, as the chuffing on the train approached “No Mr Perks, you haven’t take a liberty, we love you quite as much as if you were an uncle of our own.”, he chuckled, then she asked, “But on a day like what?”
“A day like today, I told you I read it in the paper!” he ran to the other end of the platform.
“Read what in the paper?”
“Ponyville! Ponyville Station!”, the steam of the locomotive filled the platform. She heard door closes and Ponies leave the coaches. Perks helped with doors. Only a few passengers for Ponyville this morning.
Firelight looked about confused, she turned to the locomotive end on the train. The steam filled the platform. One last door shut and Perks called back behind her “Right away Mr Cryer!”, the guard’s whistle blew and the train slowly pulled out of the station. Firelight remained standing there looking at the steam which still filled the platform, and indeed, it grew thicker. Eventually it drifted away, a silhouette of a stallion appeared.
As the steam cleared, she got a better look at him. A tall figure, standing alone. A small saddlebag and the clothes on his back his only possessions. His mane, tail and beard long and rougher. But Firelight knew him. She took a step forward, then another, and another, before entering a gallop with a happy cry “Daddy! My Daddy!”
Moral Waterbury reared up and caught his eldest daughter in an embrace. Reunited after almost a year apart. He kissed her on her cheeks.
Firelight and her father made their way up to the Three Chimneys, heads and horns touching. When the house came into their view she pointed it out, he smiled “It’s sweet.” He chuckled.
She ran ahead to tell her mother. He approached and looked at the house, the home of his family and his for the foreseeable future, he looked back over the valley and saw the quite town of Ponyville, then he glanced up to glimpse the Castle of Friendship.
Firelight exited the door and nodded to him. Morals smiled and walked inside. She walked away.
Autumn and Stone came running from around the back of the house. Firelight told them the marvellous news and lead them away. “I think just now,” she said “we’re not wanted there. Not for a few minutes anyway. I think it would be best if we good quickly and quietly. We’ll go to the end of the field, among the thin spikes of grass. We may just take one last look over our shoulders, at the house where neither we, nor any-pony else is wanted right now.”
And they did exactly so, but hopeful and happy.
This is the end of their story, but nothing truly ends, in truth there are only new beginnings.