Youngblood

by Centurion Pike-Wall

24~The Arrival

December 18th, 3095 Imperial Calender (1522 AD)
Canterlot Train Station

The next day, the group made their way back to the train station. DJ said, "I will admit. That... play? It wasn't bad."

"Yeah, it ain't bad", Pound said. "I heard your mom actually played Commander Hurricane one time. Pretty cool, right?"

"Really?", DJ asked.

"Etiam", Depressi said. "I heard her mention it."

"Yeah!", Pinkie Pie exclaimed, hopping in between them. "I remember that! She was soooooo good. It was really impressive, and-" She suddenly stopped, her ears twitching, before she let go of DJ and Depressi's shoulders. Her teeth began chattering slightly, before grinding to a halt just as suddenly. "Huh. That's interesting."

"What?", Depressi asked.

"Twitching ears. Pain in my knees. Chittering teeth", she explained. "It's one of my Pinkie Sense signals. It means I'll see a good friend I haven't been around for a long time. This has only happened once."

"Pinkie Sense?", DJ asked.

"Yeah", Southern said, chuckling. "Pinkie's got some... signs. They reveal things in the future that'er gonna happen."

"Yeah", Pinkie said. "Like, for example, if my tail twitches, then something is gonna fall out of the sky! And, before you try and justify it with anything, Twilight already tried. She gave up in six hours, twenty-four minutes, and eighteen seconds."

Both of the Pryhans affixed her with looks that ranged between confusion and bewilderment. Twilight said, "She's right. I can't explain it. It just... happens."

The brothers turned their gazes to one another as DJ said, "Huh. I just thought she had a Muscle condition."

"You've seen her do this?", Depressi said.

"Around town sometimes", he said. "I was too far away to hear her say anything. Again, I thought it was a medical condition. You know about my relation with that; I thought it'd be imprudent to mention it."

"Boys! The train's here!", Scootaloo called. Sure enough, the brightly colored engine pulled into the station, grinding to a halt as the doors opened. "I'll see you all in Ponyville."

"You ain't comin' on the train with us?", Iron Will asked.

"No, we're going to be on this train", Rumble said. "But, we wanted a bit more wiggle room for the ride home, so I got us seats in the next car."

"That... ain't the reason", Applejack said bluntly. "Not fully, at least."

"Why does it matter?", Depressi asked.

"It really don't", She said. "Ah just wanna know."

"And we don't really feel comfortable telling you", Scootaloo said, rubbing the back of her neck with a sheepish grin on her face. "I'm sorry."

"Oh, I'm sure it's quite all right", Rarity said. "Now, come come. I feel like having a bit of a lie-down."

As Thunderlane helped Rarity onto the train and the others followed, Scootaloo and her family veered off from the first car to the second one back. Behind her, Scootaloo heard Twilight call, "Hey, wait up!" Turning around, they saw as Twilight, Shadowlock, and their daughter Styx come up behind them.

"Why aren't you going with the others?", Depressi asked.

"Well, apparently", Shadowlock said, looking at his wife over the bridge of his muzzle. "My wife bought us tickets for this car as well. So, we'll be joining you as well."

"Look, are you sure, that may not be the best-", Scootaloo began, before Twilight waved her hoof.

"Scootaloo, we know who's also in there", she said. "She agreed to let us come with her. Something about blending in better?"

Scootaloo shook her head, giggling. DJ shrugged and said, "Yeah, that sounds like her."

"ALL ABOARD!", The conductor bellowed, drawing their attention.

"Let's go", Depressi said.

The seven of them entered the train car, with the door closing behind them. The conductor leaned up against the wall of the car, tipping his hat as the two families passed him. They looked around for a bit, before spotting two booths in the corner of the car.

Twilight whispered to Styx, "Styx, I want you to be nice to Catalia. From what I've been told, she's rather nervous around strangers. Can you do that for me?"

"Yes, mother", Styx said, before a look of confusion came over her. "Wait. Who's Catalia?"

"DJ and Depressi will introduce you to her", Twilight said. "Now, let's go."

The group walked over to those booths, before splitting up. Depressi, DJ, and Styx went into the closer one, while the adults went into the further one. In said further one were two creatures. One was a Caragor, wearing a long cloak and a simple brown fedora. He was holding a small, grey and rainbow-maned foal in a carrier, carefully rocking it back and forth slightly. The other was one that they all recognized immediately: A heavily-scarred, rainbow-maned Pegasi.

"Good to see you, sis", Scootaloo said, pulling her into a hug.

Rainbow Dash chuckled, returning it. "You too, Squirt. I wish it were under better circumstances, but nonetheless."

"And by 'Better Circumstances', I assume you mean not in Equestria", Shadowlock said.

Rainbow smirked, commenting, "Of course you'd get one with a good head on his shoulders, eh Twi?"

"I guess?", Twilight said, giggling sheepishly.

"Anyway, it can't be that bad!", Scootaloo said.

Rainbows smirk turned to a small frown. "Sis. I got letters, begging me for a second chance and all that crap from Pinkie, for TWO, YEARS."

"And it's been ten", Scootaloo reminded her. "It won't be that bad. Trust me."

"For their sake", Rainbow said, leaning back in her seat and glancing up at the ceiling. "I hope so."

+++++~+++++

In the other booth, the three slid into the seat across from Catalia. Styx herself was directly across from her, while DJ was next to Catalia and Depressi in between them.

Catalia herself seemed to try and meld into the seat, eyeing Styx nervously. Still, Styx got a good look at her. Catalia mostly took after her father, with a Caragor-like body and head. Her skin was a light cyan color, while a small coat of short fur in a darker cyan color surrounded her neck and head like the mane of a lion. She wore a simple black cloak and a pair of wire spectacles.

DJ leaned down next to him, whispering to Catalia, "Look, just say hi. You don't have to do anything beyond that. Just be polite."

Catalia nodded, before turning back to Styx. She said, "S-salut. Je m’appelle Catalia. T-tu t’appelles Styx, n’est-ce pas?*"

Styx cocked her head to the side. "What? Is that Prench?"

Catalia returned the gesture, before her eyes widened in what appeared to be panic. She reached into her cloak, pulling out a small, flat stone on a chain, along with a stylus and an ink pad. She used her cloak to start smearing the ink off, muttering, "Merde, merde, merde, merde, merde!"

DJ put a paw on Catalias shoulder, and said to her in a surprisingly soft voice, "Calm down. It won't work if you panic. Go slowly. Remember the runes. Breath."

Catalia nodded shakily, pushing up her glasses back on her face. "R-right. Thanks, DJ."

While they did that, Depressi leaned over to Styx. "Forgive my sister", he said. "She's... skittish, for lack of a better term. High strung. Prone to panic. That sort of thing."

Styx nodded slowly. "I-it's fine."

After a bit, Catalia stopped writing on the stone, putting away the stylus. She then placed the stone on the table, putting her paws on it and closing her eyes. A small, cyan light filtered out of her paws, flowing into the stone. Styx watched as a small design on the stone began to glow with the same cyan light, before fading into a small glow. She put the stone back in her cloak, asking, "Is that better?"

"Yes?", Styx said.

Catalia half-gasped, half-laughed in response. "Oh, thank Damocles. I'm so so sorry about that. The rune for 'Prench' and 'Equish' are REALLy similar, and I messed up in making it. Course, the Translation rune is really simple to make, and I was able to... I'm rambling again, aren't I?"

"Kind of", Styx admitted.

Catalia smiled sheepishly. "Sorry. It's an issue."

"Oh, don't worry about it", Styx said, laughing. "One of my friends, Cherry, does the same thing. Course, she does it because she has enough sugar to supply the entire Eastern Hemisphere for a good two months."

Catalia laughed. "Right. Well, nice to meet you. Styx, right?"

"Yeah", Styx said. "Anyway, how'd you do that?"

"Oh, I'm what's called a 'Rune-blood'", Catalia explained. "Originally, it was a trait the Bighorns had exclusively. But, due to interbreeding between the species of the Empire and some Earth Pony natural magics, it's become a bit more widespread. Still mostly Bighorns, though."

"How does it work?", Styx asked, genuinely interested. "I mean, you don't have a horn?"

"It's... oh, how did Grandmother say it?", Catalia said. "My grandmother-Dad's side, not moms-compared casting magic like trying to light a fire. Unicorns can cast it easily due to their horns-it's like a using a lighter. Meanwhile, being a Rune-blood is like trying to light a fire with firestarter and tinder. We light the tinder-runes-with our internal magic, and use that to cast magic."

"That's... really interesting", Styx said. "I'm not much for the theoretical aspect of magic, but I'll admit, that's cool. So, is it like magic, where you have to use more effort to do something big?"

Depressi, meanwhile, asked, "They're kind of cute together, huh?"

"Yeah", DJ said, smiling. "I'm just glad that Catalia is making a new friend. Much as I like them, Praefect Vexillum's kids are a bit... colorful."

Depressi chuckled. "Yeah, I guess."

+++++~+++++

The train pulled into the Ponyville station, the crowds inside spilling out. Rainbow stood to the side of Shadowlock and Twilight, lowering her head to try and obscure herself from the group that came from the other car. Twilight asked, "Rainbow? Are you really that paranoid?"

"It's not paranoia", Rainbow said. "I just don't want to interact with them if it can be avoided. I'm here for my family; not their conscious's."

Twilight sighed. "The great Rainbow Dash. First in generations to do a Sonic Rainbow. Triumphator of the Pryhan Empire. Scared of a few social interactions."

"I'm not scared", Rainbow said.

Before Twilight or anyone else could get in another word, a loud gasp interuppted them. "RAINBOW!" Catalia jumped in alarm, latching onto DJ's leg. All heads turned to the other former Element Bearers, who pushed past the other ponies on the platform.

Rainbow sighed. "Castus. I'll see you at Scoots house. Just... try and make sure they don't follow you. Please?"

"Of course, dear", Castus said.

Love you", Rainbow said, giving Castus a quick kiss. She removed the hood of her cloak and spread her wings. She took to the air, before taking off into the town.

Pinkie swerved on her hooves, turning to give chase, only to be stopped by Scootaloo standing in front of her. "Pinkie. How many times have we been over this?"

"But she's finally here!", Pinkie yelled. "I have to pull out all the stops! Pies! Presents! Punch! EVERYTHING!"

"I think you've done enough", Castus said. As the others turned to him, he said, "Look. I get it; I really do. But you can't just force it on her."

"We don't want to", Fluttershy said. "We just want to make it up to her."

"If she wants to make amends with you all, she'll do it of her own volition", Castus said. "But don't count on it."

"So, you're sayin' we shouldn't even try?", Applejack asked.

DJ rubbed Catalia's head, calming his younger sister. While he was still doing so, he looked at them, a mild degree of disgust in his still-functioning eye. "I think you have done enough."

"Yeah. I gotta agree with them here", Scootaloo said. "Come on, let's go."

The rest of Rainbow Dash's family left the platform, soon leaving Depressi the only one remaining. He shook his head, before saying, "Just. Just try and leave her alone. As my father said, she'll come back and talk with you when she wants to. She's entitled to that..."

"We can't just give up on it", Rarity said.

"And I'm not saying you should", Depressi said. "I'm saying that, if I were a betting stallion, I wouldn't put money on it." With that, he pushed past Twilight and Styx, heading after his family.

Author's Note:

*-Hi. My name is Catalia. Your name is Styx, right?
**-Crap, crap, crap, crap, crap!

Comments

[THERDSTORYWHISPERER]

Great chapter!

[WARGAMES]

MERDE, I STILL DONT UNDERSTAND FRENCH AFTER 10 FUCKING YEARS OF LEARNING IT SUNNOVA BITCH

[Centurion Pike-Wall]

10611659
Calm down. I have translations in the Author's Note for just such a circumstance.

[WARGAMES]

10611972
I’m fine, it’s just the fact that my incompetence at learning French horrified me