LOVE'S BEEN A LITTLE BIT HARD ON ME

Chapter 29: Lightning Crashes

Hearthember 25, 1005

Twilight efficiently, but gently pulled both the brushes through the unicorn fillies' manes despite their protests. “Just bear with me for a little longer, girls. We're almost done.” She glanced over at Spitfire, who was grooming Starslayer's wings, pulling out tiny, downy feathers, and carefully placing the little pink treasures in a pile to be used in a new pillow for the foal later. “Almost done there, Hot Stuff?”

Spitting out a mouthful of feathers, the pegasus smiled at her. “Just about. Don't worry. We'll be done before the guests arrive.”

A knock at the front door put lie to the Wonderbolt's statement, and Twilight grinned. “They're here!” she cried out happily, only to be imitated by Sunny. The unicorns all ran off to answer the door, leaving the pegasi in the room, content to continue their grooming routine.

Stopping at the door, Twilight smiled as she felt two bumps into her hind legs. She opened the door, and greeted her guests with glee. “Happy Hearth's Warming, everypony!”

Twilight Velvet walked in, shedding snow as she did and hugged her daughter tightly. “Twily, Sweetheart, Happy Hearth's Warming!” Looking down, she saw two of her granddaughters, and immediately scooped them up in her forelegs. “Oh, my little Darlings! Happy Hearth's Warming!”

“Happy Hearth's Warming, Grandma!” Sunny cried out.

Night Light gently pushed her into the house so that he could shake off his own light dusting of snow. He kissed Twilight's cheek and ruffled her mane. “Hello, Twily. Thanks for having us over.”

Twilight returned his kiss on the cheek and took her father's scarf from him. “You're all always welcome here, Daddy. Come in out of the cold, everyone.” She stepped aside and beckoned the rest of the group inside.

Celestia walked past her, stopping to quickly drape her neck over Twilight's, who gleefully reciprocated the gesture. “Happy Hearth's Warming, Twilight.”

Luna followed her in and repeated the gesture and greeting, though with slightly less exuberance.

Finally, Cadance and Shining Armor came in, closing the door behind them. Right away, Sunny Squirmed out of Velvet's grasp and began galloping in place in front of the smallest alicorn. “Cady, Cady, Cady!” Cadance dropped her front down as they performed the Ladybug Dance as it had become known. Starry Skies tried to imitate them, but just could not keep up with their pace. Ritual completed, Cadance swept up Sunny and Starry, hugging the giggling fillies close.

Shining wandered over to his sister and gave her a gentle noogie. “Hey there, LSBFF. You keeping my nieces in line, or are they running roughshod over you?”

“I'll have you know-” Twilight's rebuttal was interrupted by the front door opening again, allowing Spike, Trixie, and Cheerilee to lead Spitfire's parents as well as Vintage Fields, Berry Punch and Berry Pinch in. More greetings were exchanged, and it all happened again when Spitfire walked into the room, Starslayer keeping station above her head.

Needless to say, the living room was quite crowded, but a companionable susurration of pleasant conversation grew naturally. The egg nog flowed, and the ponies were having a pleasant time until a the high-pitched TING TING TING of Celestia tapping a fork against her glass got everypony's attention. “Everypony! Your attention, please. I believe it's time to give the gift,” Celestia called out.

Twilight looked a little confused. “Exchange the gifts now? But I thought we were waiting until tomorrow morning to do that? You know, actual Hearth's Warming day?”

“Normally, we would wait until tomorrow morning, but given the circumstances, it might be better to give just this one gift now, rather than wait until then,” Celestia remarked, waving a hoof at the room packed to the gills with ponies and one baby dragon. She clapped her hooves, and said, “Come on, everypony. Dress warmly. Let's go.”

Sidling up to her, Twilight quietly asked, “Dress warmly? You mean it's outside?”

Celestia smiled at her, a twinkle in her eyes. “Well, it certainly couldn't fit through the door. Now go get your fillies dressed. Spike, too,” she said with a wink.

A few minutes later found them walking through the streets of Ponyville, greeting ponies as they passed in the deepening dark of a chilly night. Ever since Twilight came to live there, they had gotten used to seeing their Solar Princess walking their streets more often than Canterlot did; and so they had gotten to the point where they would simply nod with respect and perhaps give a verbal greeting when they pass her by. This was helped by the fact that the Princess's guards had quietly spread the word that she did not wish for a full obeisance every time they crossed paths within Ponyville's borders.

Spitfire pulled up even with Luna and asked, “Princess? Just where is this gift? Why couldn't it be left outside of our home?”

The Alicorn of the Night smiled down at the pegasus. “Prithee, possess thyself with a modicum of patience, Our Little Pony. The answer to thy conundrum lieth around the corner.”

She was about to respond to this answer, when she heard her parents snorting in laughter behind her. Turning to them, Spitfire said, “Okay, you two. Fess up. What do you know about this?”

Her father, Swiftwing, badly hid his smile with his wing. “Why, nothing at all, Pumpkin. You must be imagining things.” His poorly concealed smile failed utterly to convince her of his innocence in the matter.

Turning to her mother, she said, “Come on, Ma. Just a little hint? For me?” Hashslinger smirked at her daughter and snapped her gum, but remained otherwise silent. Seeing that she was getting nowhere, she returned to Twilight's side and tried to distract herself by playing with Starslayer, who sat secure in her carrier on her Mom's rump.

Celestia, who was leading the group, finally came to a stop next to a recently planted hedge wall taller than herself, and grinned. Twilight tilted her head in confusion, then looked to Trixie, who just shrugged in confusion. Turning back to her mentor, Twilight said, “I don't understand, Princess. Where's the gift?”

Celestia politely coughed, and her eyes flicked over to a small plaque in front of the tall bushes. Taking the hint, Twilight bent over to examine the embossed metal plate and read it aloud, “Number twelve Magister avenue, The Twilight herd?” Twilight's head shot up, and she looked around the hedgerow to see the manor that had been under construction for so long.

Velvet could resist no longer, and rushed forward to embrace her daughter once more. “Happy Hearth's Warming, Baby! We all pitched in for this.”

While Twilight was struck speechless, she wasn't the only one. Her herd-wives joined in her stupification, and they stared at the enormous building that they now apparently owned. Cheerilee lifted a hoof and in a brilliant display of her erudition, managed to intelligently stammer out, “Uh... buh... huh?”

The rest of the group pulled, pushed, and prodded the four mares to the building, which was even festively decorated, complete with a Hearth tree in front of the window, clearly on display for any who should happen to pass by. They reached the front door and the four were herded in, all seeking the warmth promised by the cheery, golden light pouring through the windows.

The manor was far less ostentatious than the librarian had feared, going by the outside. The rooms were large, but filled with furniture that all the mares could agree upon, the library, enormous by household standards, but large enough to hold all of their personal collections, and then some. Enough bedrooms were to be had to accommodate Twilight's growing herd.

But what surprised them were the three ponies already in the house, wearing impeccable uniforms, and bowing before them all. Celesta came forward and waved a wing to the new ponies and said, “Allow me to introduce your staff. This is Citadel, your personal assistant and driver on the rare occasions you need one,” she pointed towards a pegasus stallion, “Clean Sweep, your maid and cook should the need arise,” she then pointed towards the earth pony mare in the middle, “and finally, your household nanny, Civil Discourse.” She finished the introduction, indicating the final stern-looking unicorn mare.

It took several moments before Twilight and her herd regained voluntary control over their muscles, and hugs were given all around.

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Piaffe 3, 1012

Sunny adjusted the Mortarboard, and turned her head to the left and right, trying to see if there was an angle that didn't make her look like a total tool. Sadly, it seemed that her efforts were in vain. No matter what angle she used, the image in the mirror always looked stupid by her reckoning.

“You actually got into a three-way kiss with Twist and Silver Spoon?”

With a moue of annoyance, Sunny turned around to face Starslayer, who was lounging on the unicorn's bed and reading her diary. “What of it? You don't even like her anyways. What was it you called her? A 'Hag-nag'?”

Starslayer rolled over onto her back so she could see her older sister, though upside-down. “I don't. Like her, that is. Just wondering what could have possessed you to kiss her with your fillyfriend. I thought they hated each other.”

Sunny rolled her eyes and took the diary back with her magic. “They don't hate each other. It's... complicated. Besides, she's not so bad since Diamond Tiara went off to college in Canterlot.”

With a snort, Starslayer picked up Mr. Bun-bun from next to the pillow and began throwing it up in the air, catching it on the way back down. “Yeah. Real complicated. Like 'electricity and water' complicated.” She looked over once again at the unicorn, who had resumed trying to find a good angle on the mortarboard, moving the tassel to either side. “You know they make you wear those ridiculous things just to make sure you never want to come back.”

“I'll remind you of that when it's your turn,” Sunny shot back. “Don't you have a race to be preparing for?”

With a dramatic stretch of her massive wing, Starslayer lightly patted the unicorn on the head. “Silly Sunny. Such sacrilegious sayings shan't sway certain supremacy.” With a flick of the overly large appendage, she flipped off of Sunny's bed and onto her hooves. “I got this in the bag, as Mommy would say. There is absolutely no way that Howling Thunder can even hope to win against me.”

“I dunno,” Sunny replied with a grin. If there was one thing she enjoyed, it was pushing her sister's buttons. “She's made some real improvement lately. And she is the daughter of the fastest pegasus in all of Equestria.”

Starslayer waved a hoof dismissively. “Stuff and nonsense. I may not have pulled off a sonic rainboom like Auntie Dash, but I'm just around the corner from breaking the sound barrier; she said so herself.”

“Whatever you say, Sis.” Sunny didn't have to look in the mirror to know that her most annoying sibling was finally gone, most likely to practice for her silly upcoming race with their cousin. However, her shoulders slumped as she looked at herself. “Ugh. This thing is just so... bleagh. Maybe Miss Rarity can do something with it.”

With that, she stuffed the hat into her saddlebag, fastening it to her barrel. As she walked down the stairs, she passed by the nanny, Civil, trying to shush the twins, Hocus and Pocus. The two were in the middle of their favorite pastime, crying. She nodded to the mare, who only smiled in return, her voice busy making soothing sounds that were going unheeded by the foals in her forelegs.

Sunny finally made it downstairs and heard a familiar alicorn's voice coming from the library. That's right. Satyrday. Mom's day to spend with Auntie 'Tia and Auntie Lulu. I should pop in and say hello. Knocking on the door to the library, she pulled open the slightly ajar door and poked her head in. “Hi, Auntie 'Tia, Lulu!” she called out happily. She walked further into the room as they returned her smile and greeting. Standing before Twilight, she said, “Mom, I'm heading over to Miss Rarity's for a bit, okay?”

“That's fine, Sunshine, but why are you going there? Sweetie Belle's with her parents visiting her grandmother, remember?” Twilight replied.

Sunny nodded, and replied, “I know. I just need to ask her advice on something.” Seeing her Mom arch an eyebrow at her, she knew that explanation would be insufficient. “It's about fashion. Don't worry, I won't bother her if she's busy, but I kinda need some of her flavor of expertise.”

Seeming to accept this, Twilight nodded her approval. “Alright, just be back by dinnertime. We're having rose casserole tonight.”

“I will. Bye, Mom. Bye, Aunties!” With a kiss on the cheek for each of them, she was off. As she left the house, she had to chuckle to herself as she spotted Starslayer running through a self-made cloud obstacle course. That's one pest out of the way.

The trip to the Apple orchard was long, but thankfully, uneventful. As she started past the apple trees, she saw many of her cousins helping out in the fields, watering, setting up pesticide sigils on the trees among other chores. She waved to them, and they waved back, but didn't leave their tasks, like all true Apples. She finally reached the farmhouse and walked in. It had been long established that as extended family, she was welcome to just walk on in anytime the door was open. “Miss Rarity? It's Sunny. I need your advice.” she softly called out, in case some of the foals were sleeping. Walking into the living room, she spotted Rarity in her rocking chair, darning a tear in a filly's dress. “Miss Rarity, I need your help.”

Rarity immediately set the sewing down and patted the hoofstool in front of her. “Well, of course, Darling. What can I do for you?”

Sunny sat down and pulled her mortarboard out, hoofing it over to her. “Is there anything you can do? The graduation ceremony is in Juno, and this is the color of our robes and hat.”

Placing the hat on Sunny's head, Rarity gave an appraising hum. “Hmm... Yes, I see the problem now. Orange just isn't your color, Dear. Especially not with your lovely pink mane. No, no, no. This simply will not do.” She removed the hat and placed it next to the dress. “I'll see what I can do, Sunny, but there really isn't much to work with. There's only so much one can do with a mortarboard and get away with it, I'm afraid. Worry not, for I shall do my best.”

The younger filly threw her forelegs around her in a tight embrace. “Thanks, Miss Rarity. I knew I could count on you.” With that, Sunny quickly left, saying she wanted to see her cousins in the fields.

Rarity picked up the mortarboard again and looked at it with fond disgust. “It really is a hideous thing, isn't it? Ah, well. At least this time around, I have a better color sense than I did with my own. Perhaps Rose quartz? It would match her mane, after all.” She put it back down and resumed her earlier sewing, humming a happy song to herself.

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Nightober 31, 1019

“Will-o-wisp, you watch out for Cloverleaf and Sweet Reeds, you hear me?” Spitfire smiled when she saw the pegasus filly dressed up like a zombie wave back, then ushered her little sisters (dressed as a construction worker and Starswirl the Bearded respectively) off into the crowd on their annual candy hunt. Smile intact, she turned to Trixie next to her. “You sure you're up for this? You can still go home and pass out candy with Starry Skies, if you're still a little queasy.”

Trixie shook her silvery mane and patted her bulging belly. “I'm sure. This isn't my first rodeo, as Applejack would say. I'm just glad it's not twins this time. I love Hocus and Pocus dearly, but I would not care to go through that again.”

Spitfire's smile turned into a grin. “You're just lucky that it was Cheerilee that got you this time instead of Twilight. I swear that mare must have supercharged juice or something. She just keeps going like she's still seventeen instead of her mid-thirties.”

“Must be making up for lost time,” Trixie replied. Looking around, she spotted Twilight in her atom costume talking to Howling Thunder, who was running the Spider Toss booth for her mother.

They approached the booth and Twilight gave each a peck on the cheek when they arrived. “Feeling better, Trix?”

Trixie flipped her mane with a well-practiced motion of her head and lifted a foreleg, striking a pose. “I should say so. I may not be able to participate in the costumed portion of tonight, but I never miss a Nightmare Night.”

“Besides, we have plenty of costumes at home for... private use,” Spitfire added with a wiggle to her eyebrows.

Twilight turned red, while Trixie and Howling Thunder rolled their eyes. “I swear, you four are worse than my own mothers. It's enough to drive a moral pony to crime,” The filly noted.

“Speaking of crime, where is our own delinquent?” Spitfire asked.

Thunder rolled her eyes again and answered, “Knowing her, out having fun with my Ma, pranking all the foals like I should be instead of running this dumb stall.”

Twilight straightened up and assumed her best teaching posture. “Well, that's what happens when you skip out on school for a week straight. Especially silly when you consider that the teacher knows not only you, but your parents personally. I hope you've learned your lesson from this. All your actions have consequences.” She leaned over the filly and her eyes took on a pitch-black appearance with glowing red dots in the centers. ”All your actions,” she said in a sepulchral tone.

Right then and there, Howling Thunder resolved to never get on this mare's bad side. “Y-Y-Y-Yes, Miss Twilight. Understood.”

Immediately, Twilight's happy mood returned like flipping a switch. “Great! Now if you'll excuse us, we're going to be late for Pinkie's party as it is. Ready to go, girls?” she asked Spitfire and Trixie, who were staring at her in awe.

As they walked away, Spitfire leaned in close and whispered so that only the three of them could hear, “You have got to do that in the sack, tonight. It was ten kinds of hot!”

“It is fortunate that I already have a bun in the oven, or I would be demanding you do so this instant in front of everypony,” Trixie said.

Twilight rolled her eyes, but did so with a smile. “I've created a couple of monsters,” she joked.

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Juno 23, 1081

“Trix? Where are you, Sweetie?” Twilight looked around from her place on the couch, blearily trying to focus her rheumy, old eyes. She finally spotted the blue mare on the other side of the library, shelving some books. “Trixie? Come here, Love. We need to talk about what we're going to do for Cheery's birthday next week.”

The blue mare looked over at her, and walked over to the couch. “No, Mom. I'm Sweet Reeds. Mama's gone. Mommy, too.”

Twilight squinted at her in confusion. “Gone where? She knows we still have to talk about Cheery's birthday. She didn't spill the beans, did she?”

Sweet Reeds shook her head, tears forming in her eyes, but she refused to let them fall. “No, Mom. I mean they're gone. They passed away over a decade ago, remember? We talked about it just this morning,” she said around a hitch in her throat.

“Passed away?” The old, grayed mare asked with a gasp. She leaned forward and whispered, “Does Spitfire know?”

The younger librarian laid a hoof on Twilight's and gently rubbed it. “No, Mom. She passed away a couple of years before.”

This news was considered, while her daughter silently lent her support. After a moment, she said, “Fetch your sister, Sunny. We need to discuss the inheritance before something happens to me, as well.”

Knowing that tone of voice would brook no argument, Sweet Reeds sighed. “Alright, I'll go get her, Mom. Would you mind watching the library while I'm gone?”

Twilight chuckled and waved her off. “Silly filly. I've been running this library since before you were born. I know what to do here.” She pulled her close and kissed her forehead, then gently pushed her towards the door. “Go on. Go get your sister.”

Sweet Reeds walked over to the door and called back, “I'll be right back, okay?”

Twilight waved to her with a shaky hoof. “Go on, you scamp. I'll be fine alone for a few minutes. Celestia knows I went through enough time alone to figure out how to manage.”

The door closed with a click, and Twilight laid her head down, exhausted, though unsure why that was. Feeling a sudden chill, she used her faltering magic to spread a light blanket over herself. “Oh, youth is wasted on the young.”

“Truer words, were never spoken.”

Twilight lifted her head and turned to the sound of the voice and saw three mares standing next to her. “Oh, I'm sorry,” she said in a weak voice. “I didn't see you there. Anything I can help you find? I may not be able to use the ladders very much anymore, but I still know where every book is.”

“Oh, we're not here for a book,” the magenta mare in the middle said.

“We're here for you, Love,” The yellow one to the left added.

Blinking and squinting, Twilight tried to focus her old eyes, until she finally recognized them. “Spitfire! Cheerilee! Trixie! What happened to you? Sweet Reeds said you'd all passed on, but I knew that couldn't be right. I just talked to... you...” She drifted off as she noticed all three mares looked to be in their prime of youth. “Why do you look so young?”

All three mares looked at her with melancholic smiles. The color slowly faded from them, and the two mares flanking the one in the middle disappeared entirely. The middle mare however, grew, her form becoming more slender and delicate, and her coat becoming a bone white, with a billowing mane and tail to match that slowly waved in a wind that only it could feel. A long, tapering horn grew from her head, and majestic wings the color of her coat unfurled from her sides. In a graceful move, she extended a hoof to the mare on the couch and simply said, “IT. IS. TIME.”

Twilight hesitantly reached out a hoof to take it, and immediately felt rejuvenated. All the years sloughed off her like she was shedding a heavy winter blanket. Her coat returned to it's vibrant colors, and the wrinkles disappeared. The aches in her joints abated, and that annoying palsy that had recently taken up residence in her muscles fled. Looking down, she marveled at her restored youth, and capered around the large, Pale Mare, laughing gaily.

It was while she was playing, that she spotted the old mare laying on the couch, seemingly asleep. It took her a moment to recognize herself, old as she was. She approached the old mare, but was stopped by a gentle, yet unyielding hoof on her shoulder. Twilight looked up to see the Pale Mare shake her head. “But, my daughters. I can't go without saying goodbye,” she pleaded.

Again, the Pale Mare shook her head, and turned Twilight around. The unicorn spotted her closest friends waiting for her, standing in a field of golden grass that waved in the wind. As the library began to fade around her to be replaced by the golden field, Twilight took one last wistful look back at her body lying on the couch, and silently hoped for the best for her children.

The door to the library opened, admitting two ponies deep in discussion. “I know she's already made her final will, but she wanted-” Sweet Reeds covered her mouth when she noticed the still form on the couch. “Shh. I think she fell asleep.”

Sunny Days walked in behind her, still wearing her stethoscope and lab coat. She looked over at her mother and smiled gently. “I'll stick around in case she wakes up and remembers that she sent for me,” she said quietly.

The younger earth pony nodded. “Alright. If you need me, I'll be in the stacks. Let me know if you leave, okay?”

With a nod, she walked over to Twilight. The closer she got however, the more wrong something felt to her. The last few steps had turned into a trot and she held her face close to Twilight's. She felt a stab of fear and inevitability as she cast a spell that would give her a patient's vital statistics, fearing, but already knowing what it would tell her. A tear rolled down her cheek at her worst fear confirmed. With a dull ache in her heart, she pulled the blanket over Twilight's head.

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Juno 30, 1081

It was the largest, most well-attended funeral in Celestia's long memory. Not even Blueblood, the Duke of Canterlot, undoubtedly the most beloved to hold that position since the first, had a turnout like this for his. Just going by the Apple family, the Rainbow herd and Twilight's even larger herd, the palace's royal garden was filled to overflowing.

Not one, but six of Equestria's most beloved heroes were being laid to rest at once, and a national period of mourning was announced. Many took it to be a bad omen that all six were found dead on the same day, and it was all Celestia and Luna could do to keep their ponies from panicking. But like all other sad events, they pulled together, closing ranks to support one another in this time of profound sadness.

There was no shortage of volunteers to give the eulogies, and Celestia was forced to limit them to just ten each for the sake of brevity. Everything else was pretty much a blur to the three alicorns. While the other immortals and dragons in attendance knew and called all six of them friends, none were as close as they. It was a week before any of the alicorns felt up to holding court.

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Hearthember 25, 1082

Celestia awoke from a dead sleep and looked out the open window into the night. Something is about to happen... something... wonderful. Without a second thought, she dissolved into a mote of light, which also faded out of existence... and back into being in the Firmament. Looking around, she spotted her sister Luna, as well as Cadance, Nyx, and Salanshandaraen. With a nod, she thought, ”You felt it too, then?”

”How could I not?” Nyx asked.

”Where is she?” Cadance asked. ”I want to see my new-old auntie!”

”Patience, little one,” Sal said. ”The time is upon us, but she will show when she is ready; not before.”

As if on cue, a nebulous field of stars coalesced into being before them, vaguely in the shape of a pony. The form became more distinct by the moment. A horn took shape here, a tail there, wings in between, until an alicorn-shaped window to the night sky as tall as Celestia stood before them. She looked around at the assembled personages, and smiled.

A sphinx made of rune-covered paper, a radiant pink alicorn just oozing love from her very being, a titanic dragon made of golden armor and golden light, and finally, the moon and the sun smiled back at her. All in a rush, they ran forward and embraced the reborn alicorn, heedless of the effects their forms had on each other.

”Welcome home, little sister.”

~Owari~

Author's Notes:

I'm not gonna lie. I was close to crying writing this chapter. That last scene with Twilight in the library... yeah. Well, it's been a Hell of a ride, and I hope you all enjoyed it as much as I did. If you'll excuse me, I'm gonna go play some WoW, eat lots of chocolate, and maybe listen to some happy music. Yeah, that sounds like a good idea. By the way, the fillies listed here are far from the complete list, so don't feel bad if your suggestion didn't make it.

The usual disclaimers go here. I own the arrangement of the words, Sunny Days, Twilight Starslayer, Swiftwing, Hashslinger, Citadel, Clean Sweep, Civil Discourse, and Howling Thunder. Will-o-wisp is owned by me and Seether00. Sweet Reeds is owned by me and Nostromo Crew. Starry Skies and Cloverleaf are owned by me and Spamotron. Hocus and Pocus were inspired by Der_Fur_Shur and are owned by us. Everything else is owned by Hasbro and Lauren Faust.