//------------------------------// // Hello and Goodbye // Story: The Bystander // by Kerberos //------------------------------// 13 Years Before the NNM Incident Today was a new day. The birds were chirping. The ponies were out in the streets getting ready for work. The sun was shining… right through the curtains of an annoyed Iron. As closed as curtains could get, they always seemed to hit that one spot that shines right into anypony’s eyes. This was the case for Iron. ‘Why can I never sleep in? What did I do to you Celestia?’ Iron tossed and turned in his bed, trying to fall back asleep. After a few minutes of flipping, he gave up. Throwing the sheets off himself, Iron trudged to the bathroom. He turned the knob on the shower and jumped in. He, however, didn’t wait for it to warm up before putting his body under the stream of icy cold water. With a manly yelp, Iron jumped back out of the shower. ‘Well, I am awake now.’ After a few moments of waiting, he took a comfortable shower. The colt brushed his teeth and all his other bathroom needs after drying off. He walked downstairs and poured himself a bowl of “Honey Oats”. His dad had already left for work. Iron munched on his oats, lost in thought. He put his empty dish in the sink and walked into the living room. His mother was sitting in one of the La-Z-Colt chairs, reading a book. He trotted in and flopped onto the couch. “Hey mom.” Iron was looking up at the ceiling trying to figure out something to do. “Hello Iron. How are you doing today?” Virtuous replied. “Bored,” he stated. “Dad said he wanted me to meet somepony today, but he didn’t say when or where.” Iron was a bit annoyed from the lack of information his father held from him. ‘You would think that when trying to meet somepony that you would, at least, tell the pony when and where to met them.’ “Oh yes, your father did mention something about that,” she began. “He is going to pick you up for lunch.” ‘Oh… well nevermind’ Iron looked over to the clock at the wall. It was 9:21 right now. “When he gets home, tell him I will be in my room.” With a sigh, he got up and walked up to his room. He pulled out a pencil and paper on his desk and started to draw some metalwork designs. Lunchtime rolled around faster than Iron would have liked. He was working on a spear that looked like what the royal guard used. Trying to finish up his sketch, he was interrupted by a knock on the door. Iron furrowed his eyebrows and let out a sigh. ‘I was THIS close to finishing.’ He opened the door to reveal his father. “Hey there. I hope I am not interrupting anything,” Flawless said. “No no, you're not. It’s not like I can’t work on it later.” Flawless raised an eyebrow, but had nothing to say. A sudden wave of excitement crashed into Iron as he remembered that his father was going to show somepony to him. “So, who is this pony you want me to see,” Iron asked, trying to be as sly as possible. In truth, he could always come back to drawing. However, he REALLY wanted to know who his father wanted to surprise him with. “Like I said before, it is a surprise,” Flawless teased. Anytime he would be around Iron, he would always try to tease him in some way. It was something they have both grown used to. Their father son bond was always strengthened by it. Iron knew his dad loved it when he squirmed cause of something his father said, but he also knew it was all in good fun. “So why are you standing there? I want to know.” Iron all but pushed his father down the stairs and out the door. “DADISTAKINGMEOUTTOLUNCHSEEYOULATERMOM!” With a slam, Iron and Flawless were out on the streets of Canterlot to visit this secret pony. “So, um… *gulp* H-He is in there?” Iron felt very nervous where his father was taking him. He thought he was going to a restaurant or maybe a shop in the city, but not here. This is the last place he would ever expect his father to take him. They were standing in front of the gate that lead to the royal palace. “Well, you know I work here often. So, why wouldn’t he be?” Flawless had to work hard to not fall over laughing at his son’s sudden wave of nervousness. He, however, could not hold back the grin on his face. “Well c’mon. He won’t be waiting forever you know.” He nudged his son forward towards the gate. Iron hesitantly walked forward. The colt was sweating bullets as he walked by the guards. Flawless just smiled and gave a nod towards the guards. The armored stallions have seen Flawless enough to let him through without trouble. The only reason they didn’t stop him from bringing in the young colt was because the day before he told them he was bringing his son in. The guards returned the nod and returned to their emotionless stature. With Flawless taking the lead, Iron was almost hugging his father’s leg. His ears were splayed back accompanied by his tail between his legs. The natural wonderment of the colt was all but canceled by the overwhelming fear and nervousness of being inside the royal castle. ‘Why am I so nervous? So what I am in the castle where every major decision in history is made. So what the princess happens to live here. So what… Ok, that isn’t helping.’ Iron was sweating so many bullets that he was afraid one might shoot off into an eye of a guard. He was always proud of the fact he was able to remain calm in tough situations, but this was on a whole new level. The only thing that brought Iron out of his self destructive thoughts was the fact that his father stopped walking. “Well, if it isn’t Gallant Knight. What have you been up to?” Iron looked up to see his father talking to a strange unicorn. “Flawless! I have been good you crazy stallion.” Gallant gave Flawless a high hoof before looking at the scared colt hiding behind his friend. “And who is this little guy?” he gestured towards Iron. “Ah yes! Gallant, this is my son, Iron Smoke,” Flawless stated. He moved out of the way for Gallant to get a good look at his son. “Iron, this is Gallant Knight, captain of the royal guard.” If Iron’s jaw could have fallen off, it would already be sitting on the floor. ‘C-C-C-Captain of the royal guard!?!’ His brain took a few moments to reboot in order to process the new information. After a quick system check, Iron gathered as much courage as possible. “H-Hello. It’s n-nice to meet you Captain Knight.” He didn’t quite know how to proceed. So, when in doubt, bow. A chuckle broke the silence. Iron looked up to see Gallant, a smile spread across his face. “Please, I am not the princess. You don’t have to bow to me. As much as I appreciate the jester, a wave or hoofshake would be fine,” Gallant said, “It is nice to meet you to Iron.” The captain looked over to Flawless before starting again. “So is he here to see…” He wasn’t able to finish his sentence due to Flawless’s forehoof in his mouth. “Yes, he is here to see him,” Flawless said, removing his hoof from his friends mouth. “And I would like it if you DON’T spoil the surprise.” Gallant was re-adjusting his jaw while Flawless doned a sheepish grin. Gallant sported a smile of his own. “Well then, don’t let me keep you waiting.” He then turned his attention back to Iron. “And I am sure we will see each other again.” He kneeled down to be eye level with Iron. “If you ever need anything, just ask for Gallant Knight, and I will be there.” Iron smiled and nodded. Gallant stood up and walked down the hallway after saying goodbye. Iron and his father started to walk down the hallway again. “Soooo, when where you going to tell me you knew, I don’t know, THE CAPTAIN OF THE ROYAL GUARD!?” Iron was more than annoyed that his father decided to keep this tidbit of information to himself. Flawless, once again, had to hold in the urge to laugh at his son’s misfortunes. That did not stop him from putting on a shit eating grin. “I was going to mentioned it later.” Iron was not satisfied with the answer. ‘And the father son bond grows stronger’ Iron thought. As they walked down the maze of hallways, they could hear the faint ringing of hammers hitting metal. Flawless kept up his grin while Iron was wondering where his father was taking him. The hallway was starting to heat up and the hammers were getting louder. The gears in Iron’s head were turning. Then, he came to the realization that he was heading towards, “THE FORGE!?” Iron didn’t know how many more surprises he could take before his heart would give out. “Well, where else would you want me to take you?” It was an honest question. The only place in the palace that Iron would ever want to go was the forge. They kept walking towards the door. Flawless knocked on the door a few times. The hammering did not stop, but the door glowed an orangish color before opening. When the door opened, a wave of heat hit both ponies. After wiping their watery eyes, both ponies noticed a figure in the doorway. He had an reddish orange coat and a pure white mane. He looked a few years older than Iron. “You the guys that Steel said was comin’?” the strange unicorn asked. Iron finally was able to tell that the unicorn was wearing a heavy apron. ‘Is he a royal blacksmith?’ Iron was full of so many questions. “Yes, I spoke with him about a week ago,” Flawless spoke up, “and this is my son Iron Smoke.” Flawless pushed his son in front of him to take in the unicorn. Iron gave a small, almost sheepish, smile along with a wave. The mystery unicorn put on a smile. “Ah, well, hey Iron. My name is Bronze weld, but you can just call me Bronze.” Bronze stuck out his hoof. Iron finished the gesture by connecting their hooves. “Well, I can see you two hit it off. I have to get back to work,” said Flawless. He already knew that his son was in good hooves. He has been talking to Steel ever since he arrived in Canterlot. Steel was a good pony and Flawless trusted him with his son. He turned to Iron and said, “I will come after work to pick you up, is that ok?” As if he had to ask. Iron gave a nod to his father. He may have been social around his friends, but the colt was shy around ponies he didn’t know. It took his father being there for him to say any words to Gallant. It didn’t help he was also captain of the royal guard. His father gave him a hug and a pat on the head, and with that Flawless was out the door. Now, Iron and Bronze were in the doorway eyeing each other. Iron bit his bottom lip and kicked his front leg. Trying to break the insufferable silence between the two ponies, Iron tried his luck. “So… who is Steel?” asked the colt. Iron always hated silence. There was just something about the lack of noise that just didn’t sit right with the colt. True, there was still the ringing of hammers in the background, but it didn’t help when looking right at a pony. Bronze waved for Iron to come inside. He then closed the door and waved for Iron to follow. “Steel is the one in charge of the forge. Me and Tin are his apprentices.” As they walked towards the ringing of the hammer. “Who is Tin?” Iron asked. “That would be me.” A scratchy female voice cut through the noise of the hammer. Iron turned around to see an off silver earth pony. She was Bonze’s age and had muscle definition. Not that Iron would pay attention to her appearance. He didn’t care for girls yet. Tin stuck out her hoof the same as Bronze did when he introduced himself. “The name’s Tin, Tin Strike.” Iron returned the hoofshake. “I’m Iron, Iron Smoke.” He was still nervous, but he was already pushed out of his comfort zone. So, he decided to try and suck it up, and deal with it. ‘If I get lucky and get to work here, I will be seeing these ponies everyday. Might as well get to know these ponies.’ “So, how did you guys get to work here?” Iron was hoping for some tips for getting to work here. “Well, Bronze here got in by getting caught by some royal guards after he broke into the forge.” Iron looked over to Bronze who sported a prideful grin and nodded in agreement. “Yeah.. I really wanted to work on some designs I had but this is the only forge that has all the materials I needed. So I broke in and started working on a cool sword. Unfortunately, the guards didn’t share my… enthusiasm. They brought me and my sword to Steel. He waved the guards away and asked if I wanted to work for him. Obviously I said yes. So, here I am.” Iron’s attention never left Bronze as he recalled how he got into the forge. “He still hasn’t learned to stay out of trouble yet,” Tin said, playfully hitting Bronze on the shoulder. “But, I still love him like a brother. Now, let’s see. How did I get in?” Tin tapped her forehoof under her chin trying to recall how she started working. “Well, I was out at other blacksmith shops, looking for some inspiration. That’s when I found you and asked if you wanted to work for me. Of course you said yes, or how would you be hear now?” A new voice cut in the conversation. Iron just noticed that he no longer heard the ringing of the hammer. He turned to see an older looking unicorn with a hammer sitting in the unicorn’s tool belt. “Hello there... Iron?” He was looking down at the young colt who nodded. “I am Steel Hammer, the royal forge master. I see you have already met my apprentices Bronze and Tin.” The only thing Iron could do was nod in agreement. “Yup! We were just telling him about how we got to work here.” Bronze stepped in for the colt. Iron was thanking Bronze silently for helping him out. As much as a pony could suck it up, Iron was still nervous around new ponies. “Ah, well, did you tell him about that one pony who got in because his father is a friend of mine?” Steel inwardly chuckled. He hoped Iron would pick up on his meaning. This hope was lost on the colt, who turned back towards Bronze with a raised eyebrow. Bronze only shrugged. He didn’t know who Steel was talking about. Bronze turned towards Tin, who was in the middle of a facehoof. Tin grabbed Bronze’s ear and whispered something into it. Bronze donned a face as he just had an epiphany, then promptly facehoofed. While those two were working over Bronze’s problem, Iron tried to solve the problem himself. ‘Bronze said only he and Tin worked here. Bronze got here cause he broke it. Tin got here cause apparently she showed some kind of talent or something. The only other one here is me, and I got her cause my dad brought… me… here…’ Iron’s eyes went wide as he was also struck with an epiphany. “W-Wait! D-Did you m-mean me?” Iron asked cautiously. He did not want to overstep his bounds. He was new here after all. Steel nodded and hoofed over an apron that was Iron’s size. “I trusted your dad when he said you would work hard, and I will always welcome a pony who will work hard.” Iron put on the apron, mindful of his wings. “So, you want to help me with my project?” With a nod and a toothy smile, Iron agreed. “Alright, if you come with me I will…” *Knock Knock Knock* The knocks interrupted Steel as he turned towards the door. Bronze was already on his way to the door. The door took the orange color that Iron saw when he came in. As the door opened Iron almost threw up his forehooves and yelled in frustration. The universe was not kind to Iron that day. It was always one surprise after another. This time, the universe threw out it’s trump card… Princess Celestia. Iron only heard the stories of what the princess looked like, but seeing it first hoof was something completely different. She was by far the tallest pony he has ever seen. She towered over everypony in the room. Her multi-colored mane flowed in the non existent breeze. Her coat was as white as new fallen snow and her regalia was a brightly polished gold. Iron looked away from her to see how the others were handling the situation. He almost cried out in horror to see he was the only one not bowing. Iron quickly lowered himself as close to the ground as he could possible get. “Arise my little ponies. You know that you do not have to bow to me when I come and visit.” Her voice had a motherly tone to it. It made Iron feel safe and secure. Her voice seemed to rush all his anxieties away. That is, until she looked directly at Iron. “Oh! And who is this young one?” Her smile never left her face. “This is Flawless’s colt. I am sure you heard him mention that he was bringing his son in today,” Steel spoke up. He has worked in the castle long enough to be able to talk to the princess like any normal pony. “Oh yes. I do remember him mentioning something along those lines.” Celestia turned her attention back to the black colt. “What is your name little one?” “I-I’m Iron… Iron S-Smoke.” Her voice helped push back the nerves, but they were still fighting for control. “Well, let me be the first to formally welcome you to Canterlot. I do hope you have a pleasant time while you are here. You will be working for Steel I take it?” Iron felt the nerves start to melt away under her gaze. The mention of working for the royal blacksmith filled Irons heart with glee as he responded. “Yes!... I mean… yes, he offered me to work for him.” Iron almost slapped himself for almost yelling in the princess’s face. “That is good news. I hope that I will be seeing you around the castle then.” Her smile never faded in addition to being genuine. She looked back to Steel before starting again. “I am just wanting to know how much longer before my new slippers are done.” Steel stared off into space for a moment before he answered her. “It should be done by tomorrow if all things go right.” The princess was about to respond before a huge explosion sounded throughout the forge. The walls shook and some of the tools started to rattle against their hooks. Iron looked out the window just long enough to notice a faint rainbow disappearing into the sky. “I am sorry to cut this meeting short Steel, but I must see to what caused that noise. I will be back to pick up my slippers tomorrow. It was nice to meet you Iron.” “It was nice to meet you too princess.” Iron was still a bit phased from the explosion outside for his nerves to surface. She gave a small nod before heading out the door. Iron just sat there pondering over what he just saw. ‘A giant rainbow explosion? That doesn’t make any sense!’ Iron would have started thinking more of this if Steel didn’t pull him from his thoughts. “Sorry bout that. She comes in here maybe once every few weeks to check up on something,” Steel said. Then he leaned over and added, “She can be a bit of a worry wort.” Steel chuckled at his own little jab at the princess, which brought out a small smile on Iron’s face. “So! If you want to help me out here is what you can do.” Steel started listing off all the things Iron was going to be helping out with for that day. As Steel was talking, only one thing was going through Iron’s mind. ‘This is going to be the best job ever!’ 4 Years Before The NNM Incident Iron was right that day. He loved every bit about his job. Iron found out his best job in the forge was shaping the raw metal into a usable shape for either Tin or Bronze to work on. Hitting the raw metal created sparks similar to how his cutie mark showed. Iron was the first pony to handle the metal when an order came it. He wasn’t limited to just forming the metal. Steel made sure Iron got the full experience and training to become a royal blacksmith. Bronze and Tin became siblings to Iron while Steel became like a second father. Celestia made regular trips to the forge ever since they day Iron first showed up. She would always be there in case he needed some advice but was too embarrassed to ask either of his parents. He thought of her as the cool aunt that could relate to him, even though they were incredibly different. In a way, the forge became a second home to Iron. He made a few friends in school, but none as close are Tin or Bronze. Every day after school. The colt would go home, drop off his school saddle bag, grab a snack, and head to the forge. The black stallion was now working on a more delicate project. As much as Iron loved to work with armor or weapons for the guard. Steel made a habit of giving his apprentices some work for the local jewelry store down the street. This was the one projects that Iron, Bronze, and Tin loathed to do. Iron was shaping some of the last chains for the necklace that he was commissioned to do. ‘Of course I had to come in early and get thrown the pain in the flank project.This job is better suited for a unicorn. I don’t have the magic to be as precise as Bronze or Steel.’ Steel never let anypony in his forge use magic as an excuse. The voice of Steel echoed through Iron’s head, ‘If you can’t make it with your own two hooves, magic is not going to help.’ Iron was roused from his thoughts when the doors opened. A smug looking Bronze walked through the door. “I should have known you would get here first,” Bronze said, giving a playful pat on the back. “You practically live here.” Bronze was an interesting friend to say the least. He had a habit of getting into bad relationships. This would prove an interesting show when Iron and Tin watched the reddish orange colt run through the streets with an angry filly in tow. Just by leaning all the lessons from Bronze’s failed relationships, Iron was able to hold an encyclopedia of relationship information. How Bronze never was able to learn the same lessons was always a mystery for every pony around him. “Had I known Steel was going to give me this to work on, I would have waited a bit before coming in.” It was good practice for detailing when working on jewelry. Even though Iron prefered to work on something guard related, he knew that he could use these talents to make elaborate patterns in the armor. “I am with ya on that.” Bronze walked over to his station. After shuffling through his quota, Bronze decided to cut Iron some slack. “You know,” Bronze began, “I will need someone to form a couple of helmets…” Bronze trailed off, hoping that Iron would take the bait. “Yeah, I could use a break from this chain.” Iron and Bronze had an understanding that only best friends could understand. Bronze hoofed over a list of what materials to use along with the dimensions that the helmets should be. Iron wasted no time heating up the forge till it was burning bright. Iron was midway through the first helmet when he noticed somepony was missing. “Hey, where is Tin. I haven’t seen her all day.” Bronze responded with a shrug. It wasn’t like Tin to be late. “You sure? You guys usually get here around the same time.” Bronze turned to Iron with an unamused face. “It is not like we set a time to meet up and plan on it. We just pass each other in the halls. Why are you worrying so much about this? I am sure she is fine.” It was a good question. Why was he worrying so much about this? ‘I guess I just got use to her being here on time. You use to be able to set a clock to her.’ Iron felt like something was just… off today. He didn’t know why, but he had a bad feeling. Iron shrugged it off as working on Bronze’s task instead of the one he was assigned. A few more minutes went by till the door opened again. Tin walked into the room with a conflicted face. It wasn’t the conflicted, “Should I tell my crush my feelings?” nor was it the, “What do I want to eat today?” The face she wore was of a mournful confliction. She closed the door and walked over to where Iron was working. Her hooves were dragging across the floor as if she didn’t have the strenght to carry herself. “Hey Iron?” Her voice was raspy and just barely above a whisper. Iron did not notice Tin when she walked into the room. After a few more swings of his hammer, Iron turned around to face Tin. “Hey Tin. Where have... you… Are you alright?” It wasn’t a question of if Tin was feeling bad. The answer was obvious on her face. Iron could see it clear as day. What Iron asked was a clever mask for the real question “Do you want to talk about it?” “I’m fine,” she lied. “The princess asked to see you though.” Iron raised an eyebrow at this. He knew she was lying through her teeth, but that is not what caught his attention. Princess Celestia never asked to see him. He always the one to search her out. If she ever wanted to speak to him, she would walk to the forge. She knew he practically lived there. “Did she say why she wanted me?” Iron was feeling a little uneasy about how Tin was acting. She shook her head to say no. Iron hesitated for a moment, looking into Tin’s eyes. He put on a face full of concern. ‘Why is she acting like this? Did I do something wrong?’ As he turned towards the door, he felt her hoof hold him back. Iron was caught by surprise when she pulled him in for a hug. “Just remember that we are here for you. We love you.” This raised red flags in Iron’s mind. After a few confused moments, Iron pulled out of the hug and put a forehoof on Tin’s shoulder. “Tin, you are starting to scare me.” Iron’s shaky voice was mixed with many emotions: confusion, concern, sadness, nervousness… nothing that set well with Iron. “She is in her study,” Tin ignored him. Her expression never left her face. Without another word, she removed the hoof on her shoulder and made her way to her station. ‘Ok, she is starting to freak me out.’ Iron walked out the door, and headed towards Celestia’s study. ‘What in the world could have had her so… so… I don’t even have a word for it! She literally walked in like she had just seen a ghost. I have never seen her so… unnerved? No! She was just so… AAUGH! Am I overthinking this?’ Iron then recalled the face of Tin. ‘Not with the look on her face. That face just screamed… loss? What did she lose? Wait… she said “We will always be here for you.” What in the hay did she mean?... Did… Did I lose something?’ Iron was more than a bit scatterbrained over the matter. Iron looked up to see he was at the princess’s study. He cautiously reached for the door and knocked. The entrance glew a goldish hue and the door opened only enough for Iron to walk through. The door shut behind him and the glow disappeared. Looking at the middle of the room sat two cushions. Celestia occupied one of these cushions. “Come. Please sit.” She had no emotion in her voice. Her face held a neutral expression. Iron was able to tell something was bugging her. Celestia may have been able to forge a neutral face for noble ponies and dignitaries, but her eyes always gave her away, and Iron could tell. He slowly walked across the room and sat down in the cushion in front of the princess. “Iron… do you remember the day we met?” To Iron, this was coming way out from left field, but he decided to take the princess’s lead. “Yes… You came in to check on your slippers.” Iron was trying to make the connection of what angle Celestia was getting at. Celestia put on a sad smile. “You looked so cute that day. You couldn’t have been more than ten.” Iron would have blushed a bit if it hadn’t been for Tin’s face haunting his thoughts. “I also recall, a few weeks after you came and asked me for some advice.” He nodded in agreement. The advice he asked was what to get his parents for their anniversary. “Do you remember what I said that day?” Iron remembered the conversation they had together. It was in the very room they were in now. The advice he asked for wasn’t life changing, but he was in a bind and had no pony else left to turn to. His memory wasn’t the greatest, but he recalled it was to give a gift from the heart. Iron was going to answer when the voice of the princess cut him off. “I told you that you could come to me for anything. That anything said in this room would stay in this room.” Celestia’s eyes never met Iron’s. Her sad smile faded back to the neutral expression she had when he walked in. Iron could now see the princess trying to find a way to avoid the elephant in the room. He decided to speak up. “Not to seem rude, but why did you ask me to see you?” Once those words left his mouth, Celestia’s entire demeanor changed. Her neutral face turned to a frown. Her ever flowing mane wind stopped completely and fell over her shoulder. The colors faded enough to where one could still see three separate colors, but they were all hit with a touch of grey. Her eyes were starting to water. Iron felt terrified. He has never seen the princess this way before. She looked like she lost something very dear to her, and knew that it would never return. “Your mother.” It was nothing more than a whisper, but that whisper caught Iron’s full attention. The face on the colt melted from scared to heartbroken. His mind raced with the thoughts of something happening to his mother. “H-Her… her heart failed…*sniff* S-She was taken... to the hospital. They c-” Celestia choked on the back of here throat. Iron felt himelf do the same, even though he was not the one talking. “Couldn’t get her h-heart started again. T-They couldn’t save her. I… couldn’t save her.” Celestia’s eyes were now shedding tears. She no longer had the strength to carry on, but the hopeless look on Iron's face told her there was no need for her to continue. She wanted to cry out saying she was sorry. That she did everything she could to save his mother, but she lost her voice in the grief she and Iron were both feeling. The only thing she had the strength to do now was cry into her forelegs and blame herself for her failure. That mare was her best friend for nine long years. They both shared secrets with each other. They both helped raise little Iron into the stallion he was today. They both were able to confide into one another… like a sister. ‘First I lost Luna… now I lost her.’ She was hit with flashbacks an emergency room where Virtuous had been operated on. Celestia stood outside the hospital room that Virtuous resided. Her legs felt weak, as if they would collapse under her at any moment, her heart was alive with terror and felt as if it would burst from her chest at any moment. She remembered so vividly how one of her guards had rushed into the castle that morning, informing her that his patrol had witnessed the mare collapse in the middle of a street. He had sent the rest of the patrol to carry Virtuous to the hospital. "Please mother, father. Not this one, please don't take her! She has a colt to look after. Please don't take her yet. Oh, please be okay, Virtuous! Celestia begged over and over in her mind. She wanted to bust through the emergency rooms doors, to plead and wail over her dying friend and beg her to stay. She wished with all her powerful heart that she could try every spell, technique, anything she could do to start the still heart of her friend. But she stayed, pacing the waiting room and feeling as helpless as a newborn foal. While the minutes stretched into hours, and Celestia continued to pace and fight her own impulses, the doctors worked frantically to restart the mare's heart, but their efforts were in vain. When the doctors finally emerged from the emergency room, the only thing they could do was shake their heads, signaling that the mare had passed. Celestia let out a defeated wail. "No!" she cried, pushing past the doctors and racing to Virtuous' lifeless body. "How could you!? You're supposed to take care of Iron! You promised him that you would always be there!" She wanted to be angry. She wanted somepony to blame. “You!” she cried at the doctors. “You were supposed to save her! You were supposed to make sure she saw her family again! How can you call yourselves doctors if you cannot even save one mare's life!? You were… were supposed to... ” she tailed off in tears.The doctors, who stood solemnly off to the side of the room, looked at each other, full of regret, before leaving the princess with her lost friend. Celestia buried her muzzle in Virtuous' fur, feeling the warmth that had occupied the mare's body not minutes earlier start to ebb away. "I am so... so sorry," she wept in nothing more than a grief-stricken whisper. She was brought back to reality by a small sniff. The look on the colt’s face shattered her heart. He wasn’t out right crying, nor was he screaming and getting angry like his father when she told him. She made sure to send Gallant to watch over Flawless in his weakened state. Iron, however, looked broke, an empty shell of what he was that morning. ‘She is just… gone?’ Tears were welling up in his eyes, but none of them fell down his face. He was beyond crying. This was not something he could shrug off like all the times he and Bronze got into trouble. This was something far worse. This was something he could not even begin to deal with, but he didn’t have a choice. All he could do is stare blankly at the floor, while the thoughts of his mother lying dead flowed through his mind. “Iron?…” He didn’t react to his name. He just looked at the floor with an empty expression. His blinks were long as if they were helping him block out reality. Celestia wanted nothing more than to run over and pull him into a tight hug, telling him everything will be ok. But she couldn’t. That was a job for a mother. Without a warning, Iron stood up and walked out the door. His head was hanging low, looking at the floor. Celestia wanted to stop him and help him let out his feeling right now. She didn’t care if he would cry his eyes out to mourn his late mother, nor did she care if he would try to hurt her for not being able to save Virtuous. All she cared about at this moment was helping Iron come to terms with what she had told him. Iron trudged down the long hallways of the castle. His eyes were permanently cast downward. He wanted to block the world out. The only thing that came into his vision, other than the floor, were lavender hooves rushing toward the study he just left. Iron had no destination in mind. He just needed to get out and be alone for a bit. His path lead him to the gardens. The only thing going through his mind were the memories of his late mother. The first time he could remember hugging his mother. The first time he could remember saying ‘I love you.’ The last time he said ‘I love you.’ He wanted to be held by her, just one last time. For her to just run her hoof through his mane and hold him close, never to let go again. His emotions were running wild with sadness and grief. All he could ask for right now was a bench and some time with his thoughts. He found a bench that overlooked a small pond. Where animals once came to splash and play became a silent oasis to be alone with one’s thoughts. Iron stared into the water in front of him. His eyes were watering but only a single tear flowed down his cheek. ‘She’s just… gone...’ The lone thought haunted his mind, echoing the fact that he no longer had a mother. He didn’t know what else to think about. What could he think about? So, he just sat there, trying to grasp what he was told. That was when the dam broke. He sat there and cried into his forelegs. Nopony ever came by and the animals stayed away from the broken colt. The afternoon drifted into evening as the sun hit the horizon. Iron was still sitting on the bench, staring blankly at the water. His tears have all dried up. He was just thinking of all the time he spent and would have spent with his mother. He was pulled from his thoughts when a pony sat down beside him. Iron didn’t bother to look; he didn’t care. Through his peripherals he saw a grey color. The same grey color that matched his teacher, Steel. “Pretty calm night.” Steel knew he was going to be the one to break the ice. Celestia told him of Iron’s situation. He never had to deal with that kind of problem before. His parents both left him when their time came. That fact was not going to stop him from helping a pony that Steel looked over at Iron to see that the colt still hasn’t moved an inch, or even acknowledge his existence. “C’mon, it’s getting late.” Steel patted Iron’s back and got off the bench. Steel started to walk away when he noticed Iron was still sitting on the bench. “You can either follow me or I can carry you. Either way you are not staying out here tonight.” Iron weighed the options in his head, or at least as much as he could with his shattered mind. He reluctantly eased off the bench and followed Steel to the palace. It was only a short walk till Iron found himself back in the forge he left that afternoon. Steel waved him over to a bench off to the side of the workshop. Iron walked over and sat down in the same position he was in when he was in the garden. Steel could be heard rummaging through the fridge they had in their personal breakroom. The forge master came back with two bottles in his magical grasp. “Here, this will help you feel better.” Steel floated a bottle into Iron’s grasp. Iron looked at the bottle to see it was a beer. He looked at the bottle with a confused look before glancing at Steel. The only response he got from his teacher was an understanding nod. Iron cautiously opened the beverage before taking a small drink. The legal age was eighteen but Iron never thought much about drinking. The taste didn’t set well with him, but he didn’t care. He just wanted something to numb the pain. “I won’t say I know what you are going through, because I don’t. But what I do know is that you are hurting, and it isn’t good to bottle those feelings up.” Steel took a swig of his own drink before continuing. “You and I both know you are not the type to talk about your emotions, and I understand that. That doesn’t mean you have to push ponies away. If you don’t let us in that is fine, but at least don’t push us away. We all care about you,” Steel finished, as took another drink. Iron was halfway through his drink when Steel finished his talk. Like always, Iron could tell his teacher was sincere about what he just said. It felt comforting to know that there will be ponies around to help him out in his troubles. With that in his mind and the beer in his liver, he could feel a bit of weight off his shoulders. Iron looked over to Steel and gave a small smile. Nothing more was said between the two. Nothing more needed to be said. They both had an understanding of where each of them sat in this situation. The forge kept them warm as it passed later into the evening. Iron was now feeling the fatigue of the day hitting him. His eyelids grew heavier and he slouched more on the bench he was sharing with his teacher. “Alright there sleepyhead. Let’s get you to bed.” Steel helped his student rise off the bench. Steel lead Iron back through the halls until they came to a door. Iron looked confused. ‘This isn’t my house.’ He turned to Steel for an explanation. “I asked the princess to give you a room for the night.” Steel was one of the few ponies that could even think about asking the princess for something like this. “Her door is just down the hall in case you need anything.” Iron followed the direction Steel was pointing. Down the hall set a pair of golden doors with a sun detailed on the doors. A pair of guards stood at attention on each side of the double door. “Now if is all the same to you, I will be getting some sleep of my own. Goodnight Iron.” Steel pulled Iron in for a hug. It wasn’t a long one, but it still held meaning. “Thank you,” Iron whispered into Steel’s ear. Iron pulled out of the hug to see a smiling Steel before him. Without a word, Steel walked back down the hallway and disappeared around a corner. Iron entered the room, caring little about the decor. He has seen many rooms in the castle. All he wanted to see now, was the side of a pillow. He pulled back the queen sized blanket and sheets and slid into the bed. His dreams tonight would surround his mother, and all the memories he had of her. It was only a couple of weeks till the funeral was held. Iron was doing his best coping with the situation. His work suffered a bit, but he didn’t stop. He was now married to his job. Flawless, however, didn’t adjust well initially. Gallant had to stop his suicide attempt. Flawless was now getting help from a psychologist. He showed vast improvement during the second week, but Iron knew his father was just burying his feelings… just like him. The funeral was like one would expect it to be. There were rows of ponies dressed in black. A single open coffin in the front. The princess attended in the audience while a preacher pony gave the final blessing of Virtuous. Flawless and Iron both opted out of giving a eulogy. They were still hurting too much. “Ashes to ashes, dust to dust…” The preacher was wrapping up the ceremony while Virtuous was being lowered into the ground. Once she hit the bottom and the preacher finished his verse, the funeral was concluded. The crowed mournfully walked back to their respective homes leaving only four ponies left: Iron, Steel, Flawless, and Celestia. They were all staring into the tombstone at the front of the grave. Here lies Virtuous Heart A loving wife and mother She will be missed. August 10, 996 It was simple but meaningful. Just the way she would have wanted. She always liked the simple tastes in life, even though she would live in higher class places. ‘I may like to live in more expensive neighborhoods, but I don’t forget the simple life that I was raised in to get here.’ That would always be her excuse whenever somepony would ask her why she would act like a ‘commoner’. Iron felt a hoof on his back. He turned to see who it was before getting pulled into a hug. His father was holding him close. The only thing Iron could do was rub and pat his fathers back. Once out of the hug, Flawless gave him a small smile before returning home. Celestia was next to show her affections as she also pulled him into a hug. “Make sure you come and visit,” Celestia said quietly. It wasn’t a whisper but her voice was scratchy and didn’t travel very far. “I will,” Iron replied. She gave him an affectionate muzzle. Celestia was the only motherly figure in Iron’s life right now, and she was going to be just that for Iron. A mother. She was the one to pull out of the hug and gave a small smile of her own. With that, Celestia walked down the path that would lead her back to the castle. The only pony left with Iron was Steel. They didn’t hug or give each other heartfelt goodbyes. Steel just floated over a bag of bits. On the bag was a note that read “For the road.” He talked to Steel about getting out of Canterlot since the passing of his mother. The city was fine but it would remind him too much of Virtuous. Steel set him up in a town called Ponyville just at the base of the mountain. The town was in need of a blacksmith and since Iron was looking to set out on his own, Steel managed to pull a few stings and got a forge set up just outside of town. With a knowing nod, Steel returned to the royal forge. Iron was now alone at the grave site. Iron laid down the flower he was holding throughout the ceremony. It was a single yellow rose that matched her coat. “I’ll miss you.” Iron didn’t have anything else to say. He has already said all his prayers and praises for her since her passing. It was now his turn to part with his mother. He turned around and walked towards the carriage he had asked for to help move some bags. His journey in Canterlot began with a train ride with his mother. It was now going to end with a train ride and the thoughts of his mother.