When they got back to the island kingdom, they were overjoyed to see that it was back to normal. Not a single snowflake, icicle, or cold wind anywhere.
"Home sweet home…" commented Rock Salt.
The twins, Apple Butter, Snow Pea, and LB nodded happily in agreement. Then RS briefly said goodbye to the royals and he and Lil ended up lingering on each other before they took separate ways.
When they reached the castle and walked into the throne room, Sweetie Belle gasped as she threw her arms around her daughters and Button followed. Scootaloo, Rumble, Pip, and Apple Bloom did the same to their children as their cousins watched on, wishing they had their parents there in that moment…
Suddenly, there was a bang as the door opened, revealing the Canterlot royals. Twilight was at the head of the group as she said, "We came as quickly as we could-" She was cut off when her children attacked her in a tight hug.
"MOM! DAD!" they said as they tackled each of their parents.
"Goodness!" voiced Fluttershy as Screwy tightly hugged her and Discord.
Discord choked, "Screwy, I do enjoy getting hugs from you, but isn't this a little tight?'
Pinkie commented, "No kidding! Cotton, honey, why are you squeezing us?"
Cotton blubbered, "I just… I can't believe… I was so scared that I lost you there for a while there…"
The rest of the kids were blubbering as well. Starling wept, "She's right… We came that close to losing you… All of you…"
Snow Pea was crying from being so happy before her smile faded as she addressed her family, "It was my fault. When the Windigos took me, they wanted me to destroy the first Hearth's Warming, but when I refused, I destroyed your lives instead…"
"WHAT?!" the parents shrieked.
Snowy eyed her cousins as they nodded and slowly, they took turns telling the whole story…
Even though Snow Pea didn't tell them about her otherworldly visit, the parents were still shocked to hear that their kids had just been on a great adventure.
Twilight could hardly say anything as they sat at the dinner table, "I just… I can't believe…"
Flash nodded while being dumbfounded.
Rainbow uttered, "It's so hard to believe that I could run away like that… Me!"
Pinkie's mouth was gaped wide open as she could hardly see herself as a Gloomy Gus in a different time.
"A statue… I was still a statue…" Discord kept muttering in disbelief.
"That's so horrible!" Fluttershy wrapped her arms around him in comfort.
"I just can't believe a tornado was the reason I came to the castle in the first place!" said Spike. He then pointed to Cheese, "Or that you were the reason I was there at all!"
Cheese replied, "I know! I remember taking the egg to the front steps, but I didn't realize that was your egg!"
"We were brothers-in-law before we even became that!"
Cheese held out his hoof and Spike hoof-bumped it, "You said it!"
Rarity told her husband, "I just can't believe you would have ended up a janitor if a tornado didn't bring us together!"
Fancy commented, "It certainly is strange how that one moment changed everything…"
Snow Pea told her aunts, uncles, and parents, "I thought destroying the tornado would have been a better alternative than destroying the first Hearth's Warming, but as you know, it failed spectacularly on me… But in doing so, I learned a few things along the way and fulfilled the prophecy. Olaf was right. Sometimes, prophecies are cryptic. In this case, I had to strike my hoof three times and break a gem that influenced time. That way, I destroyed the alternate timeline."
Fire said, "We just had to find those mirror shards. We felt responsible for taking away everything you knew."
Dignity said, "We learned a great deal because of this whole thing."
Star took over, "Here we were, complaining how you were ruining our lives, when it was really we who ruined your lives…"
Apple Jewel said, "We were so upset about the whole suitor situation that we didn't realize how lucky we had it."
Cotton pointed to the moms, "We had a choice. You didn't…"
Screwy sadly admitted, "And I was jealous how everyone around me had love and I didn't…" She started weeping and quickly said, "Excuse me." She raced out of the room.
Discord and Fluttershy were confused about this. He asked, "What's wrong with Screwy?"
Gemstone sighed, "There's something we haven't told you…"
"What?" Twilight questioned.
Fire Spark said, "I would be happy to tell you…" He addressed his sister and cousins, "But the rest of you should go comfort her. Out of all of us, I think she suffered the most from this adventure…"
They nodded and left the room as Fire told their parents all about Mothball…
Screwy cried on a balcony as it all came at her at once. Chances were she would never see him again… Suddenly, a hoof touched her shoulder as she saw Apple Jewel giving a sad smile. Gemstone also did so as well as their other cousins. She welcomed their warm embrace, because she needed them more than ever now…
They spent the night at the castle until they had to depart in the morning. It was happy goodbyes as Discord teleported the Canterlot royals back to Canterlot castle. He, Fluttershy, and the other parents agreed it wasn't the best time to bring up the changeling prince that their children befriended in the alternate timeline. The kids had already been through so much that the parents decided to wait until the children were ready.
Discord and Fluttershy were especially were worried about their daughter moping over a changeling. He was tempted to bring up the subject, but Fluttershy told him to be patient until their daughter had time to heal.
Cotton and Starling knew that Cannon Fire and Pen Pusher were leaving soon, but they knew they had to tell them how they felt.
Cannon was packing his suitcase when a knock came at the door.
"Enter," he stiffly said.
Cotton softly said, "Cannon…?"
He looked back and a smile spread across his face, "Cotton! I thought you left for Marendelle."
"I did, but now you can see I'm back. And I got something I need to say to you…" Her face grew serious. There was a pause before she said outright, "I want to marry you."
His eyes bulged as he uttered, "What…?" He couldn't believe what he was hearing.
"Cannon, you are forced to marry some princess you don't love… But… you said I bring you happiness, so I want to offer myself so you can have that happiness. You won't have to worry about disobeying your parents."
"You… you… you would do that for me?" he said in disbelief.
She nodded.
He frowned, "No. I can't let you do that…"
"Why?!"
"And deny you happiness?! I couldn't do that to you, Cotton!"
"You idiot! Don't you realize you're my happiness?!"
He uttered again, "What…?"
"It's true… I actually came to love you, Cannon. Your laugh, your smile, even when you act boring! I love everything about you! But… I can understand if you cannot return my love… but making you happy is all that matters to me… If our marriage has to be one-sided, then so be it. I can do all the loving while you do all the work…" She gave a small smile.
Cannon was flabbergasted for a moment until he let out a great smile and took her hoof, "I can't think of anypony else who will make a better wife… Because the truth is… I love you too, Cotton…"
She gasped happily, "Really?! You do?!"
"I do."
She nearly cried tears of joy as she started singing, "At last there are no questions…I know all there is for me to know… My heart and I have all the answers… I know how I want my life to go… At last the mist has lifted… It's all so simple, so crystal clear… Why did I fight what was meant to happen? The fight is over, at last I'm here… I don't need the sun to make me shine inside… I have your eyes… And I don't need light for me to see what's right!"
He sang back, "At last there are no questions…You know all there is for you need to know… My heart and I have all the answers… I know how I want our lives to go!"
They sang together, "At last, the mist has lifted… It's all so simple, so crystal clear…Why did we fight what was meant to happen? The fight is over, at last you're here!"
They went in for a kiss.
Whirl flew straight to the Wonderbolt derby, calling out, "Sky! Sky!"
Sky was on the bleachers when she saw him coming, "Whirl? What is-" But she was cut off when he wrapped his arms around her and she could feel wetness. "Are you… crying?" She was shocked to see a tough colt like Whirl shedding tears.
"I was so afraid I would never see you again…"
"What…?"
"Not here." he motioned them to the dressing rooms. Once they were inside, he told her everything.
After an hour, she gaped at the whole thing. "Whirl… that's… that's…"
"So hard to believe? I know, but if you talk to any one of my cousins, they'll give you the same story… And being away in a different timeline has made realize something… I don't want to lose you, Sky…"
She slightly gasped.
"…Those days were unbearable without you…I found that I couldn't imagine a life without you. When I was in that different world, I saw how my parents' lives went wrong without each other. I don't want the same thing happening to us…" He bended down as he humbly requested, "Sky, be my wife…"
She was on the edge of tears as she uttered, "Oh, Whirl… yes… but…"
He held a hoof up, "I know… you already told me this, but… I got an idea."
Starling saw Pen magically carrying his luggage and briefcase. She knew she had to confront him about why he left the library the other day.
"Pen Pusher." she stated his name.
He stopped and faced her, giving a small bow, "Your Highness."
"I want to know why you left the library that day. I thought we were having a good time."
"We did. I just realized how wrong it was for me to socialize with you the way we did…"
"Do you honestly think I care about that? I'd rather we talk normally versus formally. And here I was hoping you would be my prince consort."
In that moment, he dropped his things in shock, sputtering, "Prince… prince consort…?'
She said with big eyes, "I cannot deny my feelings any longer, Pen… I love you…"
His lips trembled as he shouted, "Star Swirl's beard! I can't deny it either!" In a swift move, they kissed.
Moments later, Whirl and Sky were in the mayor's office at the Town Hall in Ponyville. Once they explained their situation to her, she was thrilled to perform the ceremony.
"Your Highness, I am absolutely honored you would choose me to do this wedding!"
"Well, we couldn't do it in Canterlot or Cloudesdale without our families finding out. Luckily, Ponyville is secluded enough to cover up the marriage, providing of course you don't reveal anything…"
Sky pointed, "Do you Pinkie-Promise?"
"Certainly!" She did the gesture while saying, "Cross my heart, hope to fly, stick a cupcake in my eye!"
The couple sighed in relief.
"Shall we begin, then?"
They glanced once at each other before nodding in determination.
"Join hooves, please."
They did as the mayor said.
"Dearly beloved, we gather today to join this prince and this young Wonderbolt in marriage. Do you, Prince Whirl Wind, take Sky Blitz to be your wife?"
"I do." he stated.
"And do you, Sky Blitz, take Prince Whirl Wind to be your husband?"
"I do." she smiled brightly at him and he returned it.
"Then I pronounce you husband and wife! Congratulations!"
They moved in for a passionate kiss.
"I do so love weddings! Now, all I need is your signatures on the marriage certificate and you should be all set!"
They grabbed for a quill and wrote down their names.