Rarity walked back to her treasured home, the Carousel Boutique, and opened its doors to find the three ponies she left in its care greeting her.

“Welcome home, Rarity!” Twilight said with cheer handing her a folder with a few papers in it, “I took care of all the orders that came in on Saturday and Monday morning!”

She also saw Opalescence sleeping comfortably in a yarn-knit bed besides Fluttershy, who turned to her with a smile. “I also put my knitting skills to use and made Opal a pretty new bed. Do you like it?”

Rarity gasped. “Fluttershy! It’s beautiful! I don’t understand why I don’t have you here to design dresses with me!”

“Sweetie Belle was a big help,” Fluttershy said, “although she remarks that Opal wouldn’t stop playing with the yarn when Fluttershy was knitting.”

Sweetie Belle jumped up and down excitedly, saying “Cutie Mark Crusaders Cat Bed Knitters! Oh wait, it was only me,” before realizing that Apple Bloom and Scootaloo weren’t there to help her.

Rarity smiled holding back tears. “My little sister’s growing up,” she said, before realizing that she wanted to show some modifications to the dress idea that Sweetie Belle gave her. “By the way, I wanted to make a few changes to your idea, what do you think about these notes?”

Sweetie Belle took a look and said, “Y’know, I just realized. Those colors remind me of someone who just moved into town!”

“Moved into town,” Rarity said, “Where did they move in?”

Rarity couldn’t believe what she was hearing.

“Well, not exactly in Ponyville itself,” Twilight remarked, “but rather a little bit on the outskirts of the town. Applejack told me that she and he built a little cottage outside, so that he could ‘ease the aches of weary travelers’ or something.”

“Easing aches?” Rarity said, almost with wonderment. It was totally what she was expecting.

“Indeed,” Fluttershy said, “said he came from Canterlot or something.

Rarity gathered the three other ponies together. “Well what are we waiting for? Why don’t we get the others and welcome him into town?”

Rarity gathered the rest of her friends, as well as Apple Bloom and Scootaloo, for Sweetie Belle’s sake. Twilight also brought Spike along from the castle, and the collective ten of them all stood around the small wooden house now build on the outskirts of Ponyville. They weren’t just going to welcome T.C. to Ponyville, they were going to show him a good time around town.

Pinkie Pie gave a knock at the door, and it opened. On the other end was none other than T.C. himself. The griffon could barely emit a hello out before being blasted in the face with Pinkie’s trademark party cannon. Pinkie Pie sang a song welcoming T.C. to Ponyville; the same one she sang for Cranky Doodle Donkey years ago, which gave T.C. a tearful laugh, as he was so amused yet so happy that Ponyville was this welcoming, and to a griffon to boot! T.C.’s house was very nicely designed too, and he thanked Applejack on such a wonderful job helping him with it. He flew with Rainbow Dash and was told that he was almost as cool as her other griffon friend who was currently spreading friendship in Griffonstone. He met some of Fluttershy’s animals, as well as Discord, and had fun playing with all of them. He had the most fun with Discord, as he and Fluttershy told the story about how Discord tried to train one of his paws to fetch a leg, and with T.C.’s new collar, it gave him some ideas. He explored the Castle of Friendship with Twilight, and was marveled by its architecture and the massive map in the center room. He helped Applejack with some farm work, and despite his achy joints, he found some fun in that too. He closed the night of fun back at his house, in which he had the brilliant idea to make a fire pit for, and the collective twelve of them all enjoyed s’mores and other campfire treats courtesy of Pinkie Pie. And before everyone departed, Rarity called Photo Finish over to take a picture of the entire crew, which she let T.C. keep in a frame built by Fluttershy from some old bird houses. When they all departed, T.C. climbed up to his bedroom loft, picture in hand, and set it beside his bed.

And for the first time in forever, T.C. felt like he was home.

Author's Note

Last Train Home, the final chapter! Yes, it’s named after the Pat Metheny Group’s song of the same name. Yes, it could be considered a reference to JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure if you want to consider it one, but what can I tell you; it’s one of my current favorite anime/manga series of all time. (currently reading Steel Ball Run, I can totally see Gustave and T.C. as Gyro and Johnny!) I wanted to give the rest of the Mane 6 a chance in this story, so they all have little cameos at the end, and all welcome T.C. to Ponyville in their own way. And at the end of the story, T.C. remarks on how this is the first time in forever he’s felt at home, which implies T.C. has had a first home. And you know what?

If you demand it, you will see T.C. in another story.

And even if you don’t, I’m writing it anyway.

Cheers!