Gallow wiped the sweat off her brow. The coffin was finally complete. The lid bearing Ironside’s cutie mark was now accompanied by carved panels depicting historic railway scenes as well as the Mane 6 and the Elements of Harmony. It took Gallow forever to complete every panel that she thought would go into making the box, and the panels left over could easily make another complete coffin and most of yet another. A knock on the door to her room interrupted her admiration. She turned her head to see Princess Celestia standing in the doorway. “Oh, I was just, uh…” started the little unicorn.
“It’s beautiful,” said Celestia smiling.
“You really think so?” asked Gallow. The princess nodded. Gallow sighed. “It’s too bad Iron won’t be here to see it.”
Gallow no longer was under the impression that Iron was dead and gone; “Don’t rush it, kid. There’s still time,” she remembered Thanatos saying. She knew full well that Ironside was banished, however, and she did not believe that he would ever return.
“What was I thinking?” asked Gallow, “I spent all this time working on something he’ll never even use.” Celestia trotted over to her.
“It’s a very beautiful waste of time, dear,” she said softly, “I’m sure he’ll love it.”
Gallow was confused. “Wait, what do you mean ‘he’ll love it’? I thought he was banished for good.” Celestia shook her head, still smiling. “You mean…?” asked Gallow. The princess nodded. Gallow had no idea what to say.
“Twilight had a change of heart,” said Celestia, “She wanted to give him a second chance. He’s heading home as we speak.” The little unicorn sat down beside her work and smiled; it was unlike any smile that ever spread across her face before.
1015 and Hildegard cruised the high iron on the return to Canterlot at a steady 55. The ponies were divided evenly between the two engines: Ironside, Twilight, Spike, and Rarity rode in the lead engine (1015) while Applejack, Fluttershy, Rainbow Dash, and Pinkie Pie rode in Hildegard. Blitz, Sunny, Trixie, and the CMC remained behind in the Crystal Empire with Cadence and Armor. Excitement ran rampant through their veins as the towering spires of the castle rose prominently over the treetops. Ironside was so eager to return to Canterlot, he had to prevent himself from pulling the throttle open all the way and highballing all the way to the city. The train had yet to pass through Ponyville, where there was a speed limit of 45 for through trains. The two engines roared out of the forest and into the open fields surrounding Ponyville, passing the mortuary where Gallow now worked at the edge of town. From their vantage point in the orchard, Big Mac and Granny Smith could make out the two speeding locos in the distance. Applejack, able to see them from Hildegard’s cab, blew Hildegard’s single-chime whistle and waved to them. They waved back happily.
Racing by the roundhouse, Iron noticed that both 2398 and Big Mike were both steamed up and sitting patiently in their stalls. 2398 whistled out of sheer surprise and joy at seeing his engineer. Mike joined in, followed by 1015 and Hildegard. Ponies working in the shops recognized the style of whistling from 1015 and happily waved to the engine as it raced by. Ponies at the station gathered round to witness the triumphant return of the local legend as the train raced past, the lead engine whistling as if to alert the entire town that Ironside was back. They barely had time to wave before the train vanished from view on its way to Canterlot.
Ironside opened the throttle wide as the train began its climb to the capital. He pushed the Johnson bar as far forward as it would go, signaling to Hildegard to give 1015 some backup power, which was quickly provided. The columns of smoke issuing from the engines’ smokestacks reached far above the treetops, so high they had to have been seen by the Princesses from their vantage point in the castle. The sharp barks from their stacks echoed across the landscape. Never before had two engines worked so hard up the steep grades to Canterlot. It wasn’t that they were having trouble getting up the grade; it was that they were in such a race to get to the castle that they weren’t letting the grade slow them down in the least.
The Canterlot station finally appeared in the distance, signaling the conclusion of the journey. Many of the well-to-do ponies came to see the spectacle of the two engines arriving in the city, as they had heard that Ironside had finally come home, and that the Elements of Harmony had returned as well. In fact, the ponies were inundated with warm welcomes as soon as they disembarked from the engines. Ironside began to see just how much he was missed when he realized that everypony that came to see him knew him by name and was giving him more than just a friendly hoof-shake when they came to see him. It took a bit of coaxing on the part of the royal guards to get the crowd to disperse and allow the ponies to enter the castle.
Celestia and Luna sat in their respective thrones in the main hall, awaiting the news of the train’s arrival. A guard then came galloping toward them, coming to a stop just a few feet in front of the steps. “Your Highnesses,” he said, gasping for air, “They’re here.” Luna looked excitedly at her sister, who for some reason wore a more serious look on her face. Without changing her expression at all, she looked back at Luna and winked. Luna knew what was up; she quickly hid her excitement under the same serious look that her sister wore. “Bring the engineer inside,” stated Celestia, “Keep Twilight Sparkle and her friends outside the doors. They will know when they can step in.” The guard bowed and quickly galloped to the doors.
“The Princesses wish to see only Ironside for now,” the guard stated. Twilight looked worriedly at Iron, who turned his gaze to the floor upon hearing the news.
“I probably do have to serve some kind of sentence for what I did,” he said gloomily. A second guard peering into the main hall through the doors saw Celestia give a signal to admit Ironside into the room.
“The princess will see you now,” he said.
“We’ve got your back, Iron,” whispered Rainbow Dash. Iron turned to her and nodded before pushing the door open and stepping into the main hall.
The main hall was only about 700 feet in length, but it might as well have been 700 miles for Iron. He could see the Princesses staring back at him in the distance, and as soon as he caught their gazes he turned his head instantly downwards. He began to walk slowly towards the thrones on the far side. As he did, he began to ponder what would happen to him. Would he have to serve time in the dungeon for his transgressions? Was he still barred from returning to his post as top driver? He was so caught up in these worries that he was at the steps to the thrones before he realized that he was at the other side of the hall.
Ironside looked up at the Princesses. The expressions they wore did not appear necessarily angry, but they were indeed serious. Ironside sighed and hung his head. For the first time since he had first met them, he spoke to them formally. “Your Highnesses,” he said, “I come before you to ask for forgiveness for my transgression of the previous year. Indeed, I take full responsibility for the assault committed against Gallow Drop. Believe me when I say that I am truly sorry for what happened that night, and I pray that no such incident shall ever occur again. If I was brought here to be reprimanded, then I accept the punishments allotted. I shall make no case in my defense, for only I am guilty of the crime.”
He looked up at the Princesses. Celestia turned her gaze to Luna and nodded. Luna nodded in response, then stepped down from her throne and approached Ironside. “Dost thou swear that what thou speakest be the truth, the entire truth, and naught excepting the truth?” she asked.
“I swear upon my life that I speak only the truth,” Ironside replied, “Cross my heart, hope to die, stick a needle in my eye.” Behind the (mostly) closed doors on the other end, Pinkie gagged when she heard that version of her promise. Luna, who had kept her head high, now lowered it to Ironside’s level, her eyes lining up with his. “I believe it goes, ‘cross my heart, hope to fly, stick a cupcake in my eye.’” At this, she finally smiled. Ironside knew right away that he wasn’t here to be punished, but to be welcomed back with open arms. Luna provided those open arms, embracing her friend more tightly than Ironside thought was possible. He felt no pain, however, only love.
The Mane Seven came rushing in as soon as Luna hugged Ironside, giggles resounding throughout the hall. Luna released Ironside as soon as the rest of the ponies came galloping up to the thrones, at which point Celestia stepped down to greet them with warm hugs. She was able to find a break in the happy reunion to embrace Ironside tightly and (to his honest surprise) plant a few kisses on him as well. As the rest of the group reunited with Luna, Celestia whispered to Ironside where Gallow was staying and told him to go to her. He went with great haste.
The room that Ironside ran into was deserted, excepting the mahogany coffin lying in the center. He could tell by the panels and the giant cutie mark on the lid that this was his own. He gingerly lifted the lid up to inspect the interior. Impressed, he ran his hoof along the soft silk cushions that lined the inside. “It’s beautiful,” he said softly.
“Do you really think so?” asked a small voice behind him. He turned around to see the little unicorn filly standing behind him. Ironside slowly lowered the lid back down, and then gingerly stepped over to Gallow.
“I know so,” he said, running his hoof through her mane.
“Do you know why I did this?” asked Gallow. Ironside nodded.
“It’s because I have a friend who is far more than what I deserve,” he answered, “But I don’t get why you built me a coffin. Is it because I deserve to die, or…?” Gallow shook her head.
“It’s my true talent,” she said, “Funerary practices are my true talent, and I thought that you deserved something special from me because you are my friend. Even though you got drunk and beat me up, the bond between us could never be severed. I made the coffin for you as a reminder that friends will go through many high and low points, but the bonds they forged between them will always endure.”
Ironside hugged Gallow. “I can never apologize enough for what I did to you,” he said, “I really should be rotting in a dungeon cell for my crime.” Gallow pushed him back a bit so she could look into his eyes.
“But you’re not rotting in prison, are you? You’re together with loved ones. You’ve been given a second chance to make things right.”
Ironside nodded. “I want things to be right again, Gallow.”
“Then promise me that you’ll stay with us and be the best friend you can be.”
“As long as there is life left in me, I promise.”
At that moment, Gallow felt a strange tingling sensation on her flank. Simultaneously, her cutie mark began to glow. "Wha-what's happening?" she asked in shock. Ironside could tell that it was something magnificent and simply smiled. The glowing continued for about 30 seconds, then quickly dissipated. When it did, the two ponies beheld its results. Gone was the gruesome hangman image, replaced now with a black coffin, its lid opened to reveal the velvet lining inside.
Gallow gasped in joy. "It's...it's..." she stuttered.
"It's your true cutie mark," finished Ironside.