After a tragic accident claims the lives of Fluttershy and Big Macintosh, Twilight Sparkle begins to grow distant from her remaining friends. She locks herself in her castle and spends her life working on a cure for aging in the hopes her remaining friends can be saved.

Meanwhile, Pinkie Pie comes up with an idea for the best surprise ever. For three years she works in secret on a surprise for Twilight Sparkle. But Twilight's gift won't be revealed until the last of her friends has passed away.

What kind of surprise could possibly make up for the loss of your best friends?

Early one morning, Twilight Sparkle gets up to make some tea.

Sometimes, a cup of tea is just a cup of tea. This is not one of those times.

Presenting Princess Celestia, fair and beloved ruler of Equestria, and her daughters, Luna and Twilight, heirs to the Equestrian throne.

Wait, what was that last bit?

Due to an unknown spell, Princess Celestia must take care of her new young daughters as she fights her stronger-than-ever motherly instincts while finding a way to return everything back to normal.

Now with 20% more cover image thanks to the wonderful LevelDasher!!

FEATURED BEYBAH!
03/23/15-10/16/15
It was featured again while cancelled lol (19/10/20)
Thank you, everyone!
This was adopted from TheFaceOfMercy

Twilight forgets to tuck something in when she wakes up.

Princess Twilight Sparkle invents a new way to travel between universes. On the maiden voyage with her best friends, something goes wrong.

Her discovery resurrects a secret from her past, one she has only shared with Princess Celestia. When Twilight learns of the price required to return things to normal, she is left with an impossible choice.

Written for The Writeoff Association's "Closing Time" contest. Preread by Axis of Rotation.

NOTE: I'm aware of Trotsworth's pony names. I chose not to use them.

Each pony of the main six randomly starts seeing questionable images within their heads.

Rainbow Dash envisions herself with Pinkie Pie, and vise versa.

Rarity and Fluttershy see these images of themselves, too, and so does Twilight and Applejack.

Twilight decides it must be some sort of pattern, but what does it all mean?

After an extensive night of gazing at the ceiling, and entertaining their feelings in the dark, Twilight has something important to ask Trixie, come the morning light.

NOW WITH DRAMATIC READING FROM GOOMBASA!!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nMyryRd4o1s
Thankyouthankyouthankyouthankyouthankyouthankyouthankyou SO MUCH!!! <3<3<3

Trixie makes a sudden realization in the middle of a romantic evening.

UPDATE
So, uh, turns out somepony did a reading of this. Much ultimate surprise! Very shock!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vlDmKht0X_0
Thank you so much Winged. T. Spears

Poor little Spike. Time and time again he's heard vicious arguments between Twilight and Trixie, but now he finally sees it, first claw, and can't take it anymore- he pours his heart out to Applejack.

After a night at Twilight's library, Trixie discovers something horrible about her new girlfriend:
She's a morning person. UGH.