Ra-Ra saw how the girls greeted their sister and husbands as they came back from whatever it was they were doing while she and the girls were reliving old times. The minute they came inside, the girls rushed to them and Ra-Ra stepped off to the side to give them their privacy. So much had changed since she last saw them. They had families and discovered a long-lost sister. She, on the other hoof, fulfilled the duties that were required for a countess of her stature. She started heading upstairs when a small voice said.
"Aunt Ra-Ra?"
She turned back to see Applejack's daughter, Apple Jewel. Ra-Ra thought how much Jewel was a splitting image of her mother.
"Can we call you 'Aunt Ra-Ra'?"
Ra-Ra smiled, "Of course, you can." She saw how the other royal children were peeking their heads out of the room.
Jewel took Ra-Ra's hoof and led her into the room.
"Were you and our mommies really best friends?" Gemstone asked.
Ra-Ra giggled, "Uh-huh."
"Do you have kids?" Screw Ball asked.
"Are you married?" Starling questioned.
"What's it like being a countess?" Cotton inquired.
There were so many questions that Ra-Ra had a hard time keeping it all straight, so she answered the ones she managed to get. At that point, Applejack was sent to find the kids, only she found them and Ra-Ra together. She stood by the doorway, listening in.
"Well, no, I don't have children and I am not married, but I was once engaged. As a countess, I have an important job serving Equestria's royal families and watching over the kingdom where I live."
"Who were you engaged to?" Apple Jewel asked.
"Well, I was actually betrothed to a stallion of my parents' choosing. They thought he was some pony that was looking out for my best interests. But a few weeks before our wedding, my servants warned me how he was just using me and my family and I saw they were right. Thankfully, my parents chose to listen to me and our engagement was called off."
AJ's mouth gaped at learning this new information about her old friend. It wasn't that long ago when she and her sisters came that close to marrying stallions they knew nothing about. She decided then to get back to what she was doing in the first place and cleared her throat before entering the room.
"Sorry for disrupting you, Ra-Ra, but we were wondering if the kids would like to make some Hearth's Warming Eve treats for dessert tonight." The kids gasped in excitement as AJ chuckled, "I'll take that as a 'yes'. Go on ahead to the kitchens, then. Your mothers are already there and so is your grandma."
In what seemed like a stampede, the kids rushed out of the room and Ra-Ra was calmly making her way out until Applejack came up to her.
"I didn't mean to pry, but from the sound of it, you got away just in time before marrying some pony you hardly even know. Who was that creep?"
Ra-Ra sadly sighed, "Baron Svengallop… He tricked my parents into thinking he was going to be a good husband for me by looking out for my needs and giving me protection. Luckily, my servants told me what his true nature was and with their help, I exposed him for what he really was. My parents learned a valuable lesson and they are now letting me choose who I marry."
"Good call. I don't need to tell you how close we came in a similar situation."
"I know. I think when my parents heard about your mother's proclamation of asking for suitors for her daughters, they thought they needed to do the same for me."
"And we haven't been the only nobles that it's happened to. You remember Sweetie Belle's tale of when she met her husband?"
Ra-Ra sadly shook her head before starting to smile, "At least we were lucky to escape a loveless fate."
"You got that right." She quickly hugged her friend before motioning, "Now come on. We can use the extra help in the kitchen to make those goodies."
"I'm right behind you."
They laughed as they made their way to the kitchen.
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The royal mares and the children were all busy making treats such as Equestria flake crepes, Windigo frosted snowcones, and Chancellor Puddinghead puddings. To Cotton, though, the puddings were just a bitter reminder of a part that could never be hers unless her cousin was to get sick or give up the role. There were also gingerbread pegasi, unicorns, and earth ponies on peppermint sticks. It was quite a mess in the kitchen with bowls of batter and dough still laying on the countertops. Some of the mares and kids had batter and flour on their faces and hair. Those ponies were Pinkie, Rainbow, Applejack, Luna, Cadence, Apple Jewel, Skyla, and Cotton.
Whirl Wind, Screw Ball, and Gemstone ended up playing with the ginger ponies.
Whirl holded up his ginger pegasus, "Hey! Aren't you the guys that aren't sharing the food?!"
Screwy held her earth pony, "Well, aren't you the one causing the freaky weather?!"
Gemstone levitated her unicorn, "Well, one of you is responsible and it certainly isn't us!"
Dignity commented, "Well, that's certainly one way to get into character."
Whirl mentioned, "Hey, we need all the practice we can get. Do you know how many lines we each have?!"
"We got to get it just right!" said Gem.
"Or else we're going to be stuck with one lousy pageant." pointed Screw Ball.
In a corner, the twins, Little Button, Apple Butter, and Snow Pea were licking their lips as they were about to snack on the crepes until their mothers noticed and Sweetie magically grabbed the treats out their grips.
Apple Bloom gestured, "You know you have to wait until after dinner, kids."
Apple Butter used her pleading eyes, "Aw, Mommy, can't we just have one little crepe?"
"Please…?" the kids pleaded as well.
The mothers were unfazed.
"That may work on your dads…" said Scootaloo.
"But not on us." said Sweetie.
They groaned.
Not far from them, Cadence was showing her daughter how to be careful around the oven while she put a batch of fresh cookies in.
Skyla asked, "When can I put cookies in the oven?"
"When you're older," both Luna and Cadence said.
Next to them, Applejack, Ra-Ra, and Apple Jewel were hard at working making the snowcones.
"Does this look good, Mommy?"
AJ chuckled, "It sure is."
Ra-Ra complimented, "You're a natural at this, kiddo."
Jewel blushed. Next to her, Fire Spark and Starling were cutting the flattened dough into shapes of the three pony tribes as Celestia helped them. Near them, Pinkie, Fluttershy, Rainbow, and Rarity were working on the puddings.
In another part of the kitchen, Twilight was mixing a bowl full of batter, but Sunset was next to her and she stated, "No, no, no."
"What?" her alicorn twin inquired.
"You're not mixing right. Here." She took the bowl with her aura and started mixing in a different way.
"What's wrong with the way I did it?" Twilight crossed her hooves.
"Nothing, except I noticed the batter was looking lumpy."
"Hey!"
"Lucky for you, Sugar Belle taught me a few things."
Twilight scowled until she saw a piece of batter on the counter and, with a playful smirk, decided to throw the batter in the bowl, causing it to spatter all over her sister's face.
Sunset gasped and saw Twilight whistling innocently, but she knew better and smirked in return, "Oh… so that's how you want to play it…" She got ready with a ball of dough.
Twilight went, "Uh-oh." She made a run for it.
"Come back, you coward!"
"You got to catch me first, Sunny!"
"Oh, it is on, Twily!" She threw the dough, but at the last second, Twilight ducked underneath the counter and the dough hit the back of Rainbow's head.
There was a gasp as everyone stood silent. Finally, with a smirk, Dash threw the batter at Pinkie, who widely smiled and yelled out, "BATTER FIGHT!"
The chaos ensued as batter and dough was thrown across the room. Celestia and Luna were particularly aiming at each other while Rarity and Gemstone were keeping their heads down to avoid getting their manes and coats messy. There was laughing and yelling until a voice shouted.
"Cer du mont! What have you done to my beautiful kitchen?!" Chef Gustave Le Grand was standing at the doorway. He could see batter all over the floor and walls.
The royals stopped with what they were doing and Celestia addressed the chef, "Forgive us, Chef Gustave. We simply got carried away with all the fun. Please, allow us to clean the kitchen to make up for the mess."
Twilight nodded, "It's the least we can do."
"If that is what Your Highnesses wish, but it is quite unheard of for royals to clean."
Rarity muttered, "It certainly is…"
"We'll clean up the mess." gestured Twilight.
After mops and rags were given to them, they spent most of the time getting the cleaning done. In no time, the kitchen sparkled. The same could not be said for the mares and the kids, who were covered in grime from all the cleaning.
"Well, one thing's for certain," said Applejack, eying the kids, "we know who's getting a bath before dinner."
The younger ones moaned, "Bath? No!"
The mothers giggled.
Sunset pointed herself and her sisters, "Well, they're not the only ones."
Rarity said, "Quite correct." She cringed at her dirty hoof.
Celestia motioned, "We shall all get cleaned up first, and then meet for dinner."
They agreed as they headed out and went straight to their rooms.
When it was late at night and when they knew their children and grandchildren had gone to bed, Celestia and Sombra sat in front of a blazing fire in the large fireplace where the royal family kept their Hearth's Warming Eve dolls on.
Husband and wife snuggled close to each other.
"Remember our first Hearth's Warming Eve? Before the girls were born?" Celestia said softly.
Sombra gave a deep chuckle, "How could I forget? It was shortly after we were married. It was just me, you, and Luna."
Celestia giggled, "Back then, there were only three dolls on that mantle…"
"But when Fluttershy came, it was one more…"
"Then Rarity, Cadence, Applejack, Rainbow, Pinkie, Sunset, and Twilight…"
They sighed.
"As happy as those Hearth's Warming Eves were, there were ones of sadness…" Celestia admitted.
Sombra somberly nodded, remembering all those Hearth's Warmings he spent alone in that old castle while under the curse.
"It just wasn't the same without you and Cadence, and even though we couldn't remember our darling daughter at the time, it felt like something or some pony was missing on that special day…"
"Like Twilight with her dreams, we must have known deep down that we were missing Sunset."
"Thankfully with our memories returned, I can remember the twins' first Hearth's Warming together." she giggled.
Sombra chuckled as well, "They certainly were the highlight of the day."
They nuzzled their heads affectionately before going into a deep kiss.