Scratching away with a pencil, Tarnished Teapot was outlining an idea that might allow plants to grow here on the Pie Family Rock Farm if poison joke was planted. He had tried to think of everything, including making certain that everypony had a steady supply of preventative cure. The general idea was, if poison joke cleaned the soil and water of disruptive corrupted magic, then stuff should grow again. At least, that was the idea. He was not a farmer however, and had no idea what sort of things were ideal to grow in this area. Cabbages and potatoes seemed like things that should grow anywhere, so he had written those in as placeholder vegetables. Setting down his pencil, Tarnished Teapot heaved a sigh and thought of Maud.
Maud, who he could bounce ideas off of, and she would make his ideas clearer, better, she had a knack for refining a half baked idea into something worthy. Maud would know what sort of vegetables would grow best in this region. Maud would point out flaws, help him understand how to set up better controls. All of this drove home an important point. He needed Maud.
When he heard the kitchen door open, Tarnished Teapot looked up from his work. He saw Marble coming in. She moved with complete silence over the floor, approaching him with a shy smile, the sort of smile that Tarnish could not help but feel hopeful when he saw it.
“Telegram here. You need to be on the six in the evening train to Ponyville. We need to get you to Rock Haven, it’s past four thirty and going on five o’clock.” Marble sat down in a chair at the kitchen table, took a deep breath, shook her head, and then smiled at Tarnish.
Trying to remain calm, Tarnished Teapot closed his notebook. He felt panic creeping up inside of him and a tightness in his stomach. Ponyville. The place where he was banished from. It seemed that he was allowed to return. He wondered what was about to happen. Looking up from his book, his gaze fell upon Marble.
“Let me put this up and then I guess I’m ready to go at any time.”
There was no train station in Rock Haven, but there was a train stop. Tickets were sold in the general store - post office - doctor’s office. Beside the tracks there was a simple lean-to shelter and a bench. Scattered around the shelter and the bench was a patch of gravel, so somepony waiting in the rain wouldn’t become too muddy.
“Dear, try to just relax and enjoy the ride. Everything will be okay, you’ll see,” Cloudy Quartz said to Tarnished Teapot in a soft voice that was filled with motherly love. “I’ve packed you some sandwiches for the trip. They’re in your saddlebag. There is also some fudge, some popcorn balls, and a few other treats. It’s okay to eat if you’re nervous, lots of ponies do it.” She glanced over at Limestone as she spoke.
“Give Maud our love.” Igneous pushed his hat back on his head and looked at Tarnish. “And Pinkie Pie too, if you happen to see her.”
Tarnish nodded. “I will.”
“Are you coming back home to us?” Marble asked, her eyes wide as she made her question. “You don’t plan to stay in Ponyville, do you?”
Turning his head, the colt looked at Marble. “I don’t think I’ll be allowed to stay in Ponyville… and Ponyville is no longer my home.”
“Then you’ll be coming back to us?” Marble asked. She gave a sidelong glance to her mother and her father and then looked at Tarnish. “I mean to say, things are working out between you and Maud… both of you are very close… and, uh, that’s how families happen is when two ponies love one another and… um…” The filly fell silent and pressed up against Limestone, unable to finish.
“I don’t know what the future holds, Marble,” Tarnish said. As he spoke, a train whistle could be heard. “But I have no intentions of giving up what I have with Maud. I will follow her to the ends of the earth.”
“Here comes the train.” Limestone peered down the tracks, looking east. “Tarnish, keep my sister’s mane all curly, it looks good on her.”
Flustered, Tarnished Teapot blushed at the filly’s words. As he started to turn his head, he was surprised by a kiss on his cheek. He saw Cloudy in the edge of his vision.
“I always wanted a little colt… I never got one.” Cloudy blinked away a few tears. “Come back to us Tarnish. This is your home now.”
Chugging, the train pulled into the stop, billowing steam and making a ruckus. It came to a stop, blew its whistle, and nopony was getting off. The conductor stuck his head out of the door and looked at the family gathered together.
“We gotta get moving if we’re going to keep to the schedule! All aboard who's coming aboard!”
Surrounded, Tarnish felt solid bodies pressing in from all sides and heard the sounds of goodbyes being said. It was an odd experience for him, unique, and for some reason, he thought of his last couple of goodbyes, which involved him being run out of town.
This was a place he could return to.
The train barreled along through the darkness, rocking back and forth along the track. Tarnish, much to his surprise, was alone. There were other ponies on the train, but there was not one, but two empty cars. The conductor said that a whole bunch of ponies would be getting on the train in Ponyville, and then they would continue on to Las Pegasus.
Tarnish was terrified something would go wrong, and he avoided using his magic at all costs, even though he suspected that his magic was not the culprit, but he himself. Thinking of Cloudy’s advice, he pulled out a sandwich that had been wrapped in wax paper and sealed with cellophane tape. He tore away the wrapper with his teeth and sniffed. The wax paper fell into his saddlebag, much to his relief. It would have been hard to hoof it.
“Oooh… hey, lucky day… egg salad sandwich… with little minced up bits of gherkins.”
He stuffed his sandwich into his mouth, bit off the corner, and started chewing. He looked out the window, but couldn’t see anything except his own reflection in the glass. He watched himself eating his sandwich. The colt in the window looked like a very different colt than one who had left Ponyville in what felt like an age ago. His mane was a little longer and hung in his eyes. It needed a bit of a trim. Tarnish couldn’t put a hoof on what it was that was different, but he entertained the idea that perhaps, he had grown up a little and it showed.
He ate more of his sandwich, chewing in silence, contemplating his immediate future. He thought about his mother, he thought about Ponyville, he thought about Twilight Sparkle, and with all of these troubling thoughts, he took solace in thinking about Maud.
Ahead, Ponyville awaited.