"Добрый день, любовь!"

(Good afternoon, love!) Valinka called from upstairs as she heard the front door open.

"Добрый день! Как прошел твой день?"
(Good afternoon! How was your day?) Returned Pavel as he shut the door and began walking upstairs.

"Обычно."
(The usual.)

The two exchanged a short kiss as Pavel made his way to the top of the stairs.

"Тоже самое. Это было довольно тепло сегодня, я, конечно, чрезмерно одетым."
(Same here. It's been fairly warm today, I was certainly over-dressed.)

"Термометр сказал это было 16 по Цельсию сегодня. Удивительно, что есть еще снег."
(The thermometer said it was 16 Celsius out today. It's a wonder there's still snow.)

"Это апрель и есть еще хороший 30 сантиметров в полях. Мы должны делать, как ваш отец предложил и двигаться вниз на юг к столице."
(It's April and there's still a good 30 centimeters in the fields. We should do as your father suggested and move down south to the Capital.) Pavel said with a smile as he walked into the home's bedroom.

The two paused as the home shook; the rumble of a helicopter passing overhead rattling the windows.

"Кто-то получил травму, я думаю. Это будет второй раз в этом месяце."
(Somepony else got hurt, I guess. That will be the second time this month.) Valinka Commented.

"Я не знаю, любовь. Это звучало намного глубже, чем обычный вертолет, который показывает вверх."
(I do not know, love. That sounded a lot deeper than the usual helicopter that shows up.) Responded Pavel as he walked from the bedroom towards the stairs.

Valinka followed her husband outside as they looked to the direction of the aircraft that had arrived; their eyes catching a large, dark green dual rotor aircraft with 'ROYAL AIR GUARD' painted on its side as it approached the field behind Tisy's Clinic.

"Вертолет Royal Air Guard? Ты думаешь...?"
(A Royal Air Guard helicopter? Do you think...?)

"То, что это принцесса Селестия? Я не знаю, но я готов поспорить, что это есть."
(That it is Princess Celestia? I do not know, but I am willing to bet it is.) Pavel spoke with a smile as he and Valinka began down the street towards the Clinic.

Upon reaching the stairs at the base of the clinic, the two stopped dead in their tracks as the two front doors to the Clinic swung open, an impressively tall, bright white Alicorn adorned in her usual gold attire stepping outside; a shorter, navy blue Alicorn to her side.

"Pavel! Valinka!" Beamed Celestia as she hurried down the stairs; her now proper crutch slowing her progress by a little.

"Ты вернулся! Это так замечательно видеть вас, Селестия!"
(You came back! It is so wonderful to see you, Celestia!) Responded Valinka as she and Pavel met their friend halfway down the stairs.

"Да! Да! Это здорово, чтобы увидеть вас обоих еще раз!"
(Yes! Yes! It is great to see the two of you once more!)

Celestia sat back on the stairs as she took the two with her front legs, pulling them into her chest and wrapping her wings around them.

"Ваш объятие не получил какой-либо слабее."
(Your hug did not get any weaker.) Commented Pavel as the overjoyed Alicorn released him and Valinka.

"Я не должен надеяться! Я делал быстрое восстановление, как я уверен, что вы можете сказать."
(I should hope not! I have been making a quick recovery as I am sure you can tell.)

The group began back down the wooden stairs, Princess Celestia smiling and waving at the several Stalliongradians that had been passing by.

"It will be wonderful to finally be acquainted with these two. You have spoken very highly of them, sister." Princess Luna commented with a smile as the four walked, Valinka and Pavel off to Celestia's side.

"It is good to be back in this town after so long. I'd kind of like to show you where everything happened."

"Я так рад видеть, что ты выздоровел от всего. Это было шоком видеть вас без каких-либо повязок."
(I am so happy to see that you've recovered from everything. It was shocking to see you without any bandages.) Pavel injected, looking up at Celestia.

"Единственное, что до сих пор со мной не так это нога. На следующий день врачи очистили меня ходить сам по себе, я договорился, чтобы прийти сюда и посетить вас двоих."
(The only thing still wrong with me is this leg. The day the doctors cleared me to walk on my own I made arrangements to come up here and visit you two.)

"Прошло четыре месяца, и вы по-прежнему нужен костыль для этого ноги? Я никогда не понимал, как плохо было."
(It's been four months and you still need a crutch for that leg? I never realized how bad it was.)

"Это был худший из моих травм, за исключением ножа в моем животе. Вы двое были хорошо?"
(It was the worst of my injuries, save for the knife to my stomach. Have you two been well?)

"Вещи были нормально, так как вы были здесь в последний раз. Павел, и я получил немного больше внимания, чем мы обычно делаем на некоторое время."
(Things have been normal since you were last here. Pavel and I got a little more attention than we normally did after you left.) Valinka said as the four arrived at a certain home.

Celestia looked at the little two story house as she sighed, memories coming back to her like a flood.

"Должны ли мы войти внутрь?"
(Shall we come inside?) She finally spoke, looking back to Valinka and Pavel.

"Конечно! Я рад видеть принцесса Луна здесь с вами; встречи с ней будет хорошо!"
(Of course! I am glad to see Princess Luna is here with you; meeting her will be nice!) Chirped Pavel as he opened the door, holding it open as Celestia and Luna came inside.

"Mr. Minsky says he's excited to finally meet you, Luna."

"Tell him I feel the same way."

"Моя сестра рада встретить вас двоих; также. Я много говорил ей."
(My sister is pleased to meet the two of you; as well. I have told her a lot.) Celestia said as she and Luna took a seat in the home's couch.

After making herself comfortable, Celestia's eyes looked over the interior of the home, a smile still upon her expression as she reminisced.

"It hasn't changed a bit. Well, Luna; this is where I lived for four days. Cozy, isn't it?"

"A little small for my likings,"

"That's amusing! I am the tall one and yet you are the one to say it's too small!"

Celestia and Luna shared a chuckle. A gasp came from Celestia as she noticed a particular item hung from the wall of the staircase; it was the sheet tray she had been lent.

"Вы держали эту вещь? Я никогда не думал, что я был бы рад видеть поднос листа!"
(You kept that thing? I never thought I would be happy to see a sheet tray!) Celestia spoke as she turned to Valinka.

"Конечно, я держал его! Ваш рюкзак в другой комнате, а также. Павел схватил его после того, как мы помогли вам на вертолете."
(Of course I kept it! Your backpack is in the other room, as well. Pavel grabbed it after we helped you onto the helicopter.)

"Я не верю этому! Зачем вы держите эту сумку?"
(I do not believe that! Why would you keep that bag?) Responded Celestia with a hearty laugh.

"Вы сказали, что ты вернешься, так что мы оба думали, что вы можете видеть, что это в последний раз."
(You said you would come back, so we both thought that you might want to see it one last time.) Pavel informed.

"Ну ... это просто слишком много. Ой! Это напоминает мне!"
(Well... that is just too much. Oh! That reminds me!)

Celestia's horn came to life as a shiny new sheet tray was teleported into the room.

"Я обещал, что заменить, что один."
(I promised I'd replace that one.) She said with a smile.

"Вы не должны! Я пошутил только тогда, когда я сказал, что лист лоток был мой любимый!"
(You should not have! I was only joking when I said that sheet tray was my favorite!) Valinka responded as she took the tray from Celestia's magic, examining the object.

Engraved on the back of the sheet tray in very exquisite font read the words: 'Будем надеяться, что это не будет использоваться в войне. Для Valinka Мински и Павла Мински; Пусть наша дружба в прошлом к солнцу и обратно.' (Hopefully, this one won't be used in a war. To Valinka Minsky and Pavel Minsky; may our friendship last to the sun and back.) Valinka's mouth remained open as she read the inscription, her lip quivering.

"Y-вы не должны иметь, Селестией!"
(Y-you should not have, Celestia!) She spoke with teary eyes.

"Моя сестра предложила мне, чтобы не иметь ничего выгравированный на лотке, как это может сделать вас не хотите использовать его, но я сделал это в любом случае."
(My sister suggested for me to not have anything engraved on the tray, as it might make you not want to use it, but I did it anyway.)

"Я буду использовать это каждый шанс, я получаю! Спасибо огромное!"
(I will use this every chance I get! Thank you so much!) Valinka cried, putting the tray on the table as she moved to give Celestia a warm hug.

"не нужны спасибо. Я до сих пор чувствую, как будто я должен сказать спасибо вам и Павла для всей доброты вы показали мне. Той ночью я дрался Star Yield ... когда мы все заснули перед огнем, я чувствовал, что у меня был дом и семью."
(No thanks are needed. I still feel as if I should say thanks to you and Pavel for all the kindness you showed me. That night I fought Star Yield... when we all had fallen asleep before the fire, I felt like I had a home and a family.)

With tears of her own starting to well in her eyes, Celestia let Valinka go as she wiped her own eyes with a hoof.

"Пока Павел и я живу, вы будете иметь семью здесь, в Тисы."
(As long as Pavel and I live, you will have family here in Tisy.)

The group conversed for a fair hour before Celestia and Luna said their goodbyes and began back down the street towards the Clinic, many tears of happiness had been shed between Celestia and her two friends. Since she had first gotten back into the town, a silent thought had blanketed everything in her mind.

She knew that one day Valinka and Pavel would become old and pass as every friend she had ever made had done. It was a thought Celestia wished she didn't have to think about, but death had very much been on her mind since her very close encounter with it. She shook the thought from her mind once more as she and Luna boarded their helicopter. It was a simple fact of life: the good things will eventually pass on; even immortality was no way to escape such a truth.

One can only hope to cherish the good while it is present; hold on to the brightness when there is darkness, and never forget joyous times, even if doing so brings pain to the heart.