Broken Family, Healed Family

by Amos Anon

What are Heavy?

Author's Note:

Yeah, I know it took a while to write this chapter, but can you really blame me? This one was a struggle, and it was incredibly hard to write because of the nature of the scenes that I chose to depict. I’m going to warn my readers now; The first few sections of this chapter are going to be pretty depressing, and will contain some very sad and extremely serious scenes. I know that some people don’t handle funerals all that well, so if you feel that this might be too much for you, then I would suggest skipping ahead to the last section of the chapter. The silliness and fun will resume in the next chapter, but for this one, you might want to have a few tissues ready.

Ch.10
What Are Heavy?
By Christina Rossetti
What are heavy? Sea-sand and sorrow;
What are brief? Today and tomorrow;
What are frail? Spring blossoms and youth;
What are deep? The ocean and truth.
Source: https://www.familyfriendpoems.com/poem/what-are-heavy-by-christina-rossetti

.

“Is it finished?”

“Yeah. I put the last few touches on it last night.”

Ixisten and I stood back, admiring his handiwork.

“That.. looks really good. I’m sure this will honor them.”

Ixisten sniffed, and swallowed. “It was... probably the hardest thing I’ve ever done.”

I placed a hoof around my brother’s shoulders, and pulled him close. “I can imagine.” The two of us regarded the wooden sculpture in its entirety, breath hitching in our throats. My heart felt heavy as I comforted my brother. Eventually, the moment passed, and I pulled away, taking the opportunity to examine the art piece in detail. As I ran a hoof across the wooden swirls and minute details, admiring the care Ixisten had put into it, I thought about everything that had happened up to this moment in time. It had been quite an adventure. A crazy, illogical, improbable adventure, but one that I wouldn’t have changed for the world.

Actually... I kinda did change it for the world in a way. Funny how that works. I straightened up, and turned to Ixisten, who’d been sitting on the wooden shaving-covered barnboards. “I guess it’s time to call Twilight.” He nodded, and together we stood, leaving the dark barn behind as we made our way to Twilight’s castle.

---

Music played as ponies from the town and beyond silently took their seats in Ponyville town hall.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BVe2_0blWkg

I sat in the front row with my family on the right side of me, eyes straining to see through the black sheet covering the enlarged sculpture that sat on the stage. Princess Celestia sat to my left, with Luna on the other side of her.

The only noises were the sounds of the rustling of the dark clothing that many of us wore, and a few scattered coughs. I tore my eyes away from the sculpture, and instead began to study the vaulted ceiling, counting the tiles.

Inwardly, I was thinking long and hard. Not about anything specific, but rather flitting from subject to subject, trying to keep my brain busy with anything but the unwanted emotions threatening to take hold of my mind.

There would be time for that in a moment. For now I wanted to keep my composure for the sake of my family. It occurred to me that they were probably thinking the same things as me, and I nearly looked over at them to confirm this, but resisted the urge, and instead tried to calculate the size of the room we were sitting in based on the size of the tiles and how many there were on the ceiling.

I don’t remember how long I sat there for, but I was snapped out of my inner musings by the music slowly fading out.

All the ponies in the room stilled, and the rustling that had pervaded the room lessened drastically.

Mayor Mare appeared from behind the curtains on the stage, and made her way up to the podium. She tapped the microphone with a hoof, and then slowly cast her eyes around the room, taking in the number of ponies filling the town hall.

“The last time we all came together like this, it was for a much happier occasion.” Her eyes misted over slightly as they passed over my family. “Today we do not celebrate a union, but instead mourn the loss of friends and family, and a civilization.” She paused, and turned her eyes toward the curtain behind her. “I would now like to invite Princess Twilight Sparkle to speak on behalf of the Hillberry family.”

I gulped, and felt Otto’s comforting hoof settle on my foreleg.

Twilight lit her horn, and levitated a stack of cue cards onto the podium in front of her. She glanced up at the audience, and cleared her throat.

“When my good friend Starswirl the Bearded and I set up a portal that would take us to another world, we never imagined in our wildest dreams that it would bring a family to our dimension instead.” She smiled at us, and wiped a tear from her eye. “It has been my pleasure getting to know all of you. Instead of us ponies gaining knowledge, we instead gained sixteen precious new friends.” Another tear fell from her eye, and she apologized as she wiped it away. Her voice trembled as she read the next part. “Little did we know of the many precious ones you had left behind.”

My breathing became hoarse as I heard that part, and I bit my lip in an attempt to hold back the tears.

What am I doing? If there’s any time to open yourself up to your emotions, this is it.

Twilight continued on; “An entire people. A Place called Earth has passed away. The ponies you see here are the last of them.” She was outwardly crying now, and I finally couldn’t hold it in any longer. I burst into tears, leaning against my father for comfort as I silently wept, my body wracked with sobs of pain for those we had left behind. I could feel the jerking motions from Otto as he, too, was swept up by the emotions.

Twilight then drew in a large breath, attempting to regain control of her emotions as the room filled with the sounds of sniffs and quiet sobs. “I would now like to call Motodrop up to the podium to say a few words.”

I wiped my tear-stained eyes as best I could, gratefully taking a stack of tissues offered to me by Panara. Twilight pulled me into a hug as I stepped onto the stage, and whispered in my ear;

“All of us are here for you and your family.” She then stepped back, and I nodded my thanks to her as I moved up to the mic. I adjusted the device for my height before regarding the room before me. I saw many ponies in the crowd that I recognized. I saw Bon bon, Lyra, Octavia, even Vinyl Scratch, and a great many more. I locked eyes with Coloratura, who had returned from her tour the day before. She faintly smiled, offering encouragement.

I let silence ring in the room for a few moments before breathing deeply. “Thank you all for coming here today. Many of you barely even know us, and yet you chose to come and support us anyways. You have no idea how much it means to us knowing that we have such good friends here in Equestria.” I glanced down at my family, barely able to make out their features through the blinding spotlights centered on the stage. “Most of you don’t even know what this place called ‘Earth’ is, where it is, or even how it perished.

“I grew up on Earth. I was born there, raised there, and had a steady income with a place to call home... That was before the war.” Okay, keep it together. “War destroyed us. It tore us apart. It broke my family, and it took many of the people that I cared for.” My voice hardened, and my resolve grew firm. I stared hauntingly at Celestia and Luna, my eyes boring into theirs. “Don’t let that happen here. Learn from what we went through, and never let it destroy your world like it did ours.” I then softened my tone, and smiled wistfully, recalling fond times. “We may not be able to ever go back to Earth again, but that doesn’t mean that we can’t carry the love and happy memories with us as we start our new lives in our chosen homes. I have a good friend to thank for reminding me of that.”

I paused, and once more took in the ambience of the room; The brown walls, the salmon doors, and the balconies. “If not for a seemingly random chain of events, we wouldn’t be here. If not for the exact circumstances that led us here, I doubt we would have ever found peace. It’s even likely that we wouldn’t be alive at this very moment. And yet, thanks to all your support, friendship, and love, we’ve come to find a place for ourselves here. I’m proud to call Equestria my new home.” I turned my attention down to my family, and smiled. “I would like to call Ixisten up to the stage, and Princess Luna, you should come up, too.”

Luna looked surprised at this, but she followed Ixisten up the stairs to stand beside me. I turned to face the two of them as they stepped up to my right side. I hugged Ixisten closely, and I bowed my head to Luna in respect. The dark blue Alicorn dipped her head in return, and I looked toward Twilight, nodding.

The sheet that had been obscuring the sculpture was pulled away in a magenta aura, revealing the figure of two humans in an embrace, the wooden marbling and veins lovingly enlarged and preserved thanks to a petrification spell from Twilight. A collective gasp was heard from the audience as they beheld the beautiful curves and sharp lines that had been placed in great detail upon the statue.

Twilight stepped up to the lecturn. “This sculpture was carved to remember all the lost citizens of Earth. It will serve as a reminder to all of us that these people once lived. Together, we will remember the legacy of the Humans of Earth.” She turned to Ixisten and I, who were both weeping silently. “I would personally like to thank Ixisten here for carving this stunning statue. And Motodrop has requested that I extend his and his family’s thanks to Luna for her support, and for setting up this event.”

Luna blinked, but a warm smile formed on her muzzle as I grinned at her though my tears.

You thought I was going to let that go unsaid? Not a chance in Equestria. “You’ve helped us in so many ways.” I whispered to her. “I just thought that deserved a little recognition.”

A tear formed in the corner of Luna’s eye, which she quickly wiped away with a hoof.

“It was my pleasure to be of help to you and your family.” Luna stated, and we turned to leave the stage as Twilight finished up her speech, placing a hoof on her chest as her wings flared out ceremoniously.

“And so, on this day, I; Princess Twilight Sparkle, the Princess of Friendship, now sanction this monument to be placed in the town square of Ponyville to be a memorial to the citizens of Earth, that they never be forgotten.” She paused, glancing down at her notes before looking back up at the audience. “This concludes our memorial ceremony.”

She stepped away from the microphone, and ducked behind the curtain as the music swelled once more. The audience took this as their cue, and slowly stood to made their way out the main entrance of the town hall, leaving just my family, Luna, Celestia, and Twilight, who had joined us shortly after her disappearance behind the stage curtain.

Celestia stared at the sculpture on the stage, her expression unreadable. She seemed... Contemplative.

She is over a millenia old. I guess seeing thousands of aquaintences pass away would do that to a pony.

“You have a truly extraordinary family, young Motodrop.”

We all jerked our heads in Celestia’s direction, surprised at the comment. She slowly turned her head to meet our gazes, and one-by-one, took it in turn to study each of us until her eyes settled on me.

“I have seen many countless friends, lovers, and children be born, grow old, and pass away. I have taught and raised up so many pupils, some of whom pleased me greatly with their accomplishments...” Twilight blushed, and hid her face in embarrassment. “...And some who disappointed me to the verge of tears.” She breathed in deeply, savouring the autumn breeze that was now entering through the open doors of the auditorium. “I’ve seen villains destroy, and heroes save. I’ve even seen heroes reform some villains.” She smiled kindly, and turned her gaze back to the statue. We all waited in rapt attention, eager to hear what Celestia had to say next.

Eventually, the monarch sighed. “But losing the people dear to you never gets any easier. It’s one of the curses of being immortal, and It’s why I’m glad I no longer have to take up that mantle alone.” She leaned against her sister Luna, and the two shared a quick nuzzle. “Still, to see a group of ponies so close to one another... I suppose this is how war affects families. It tears them apart, but also drives them closer than they ever could have been without it. War is something that Equestria has not seen much of since the days of the Windigos. We have had our fair share of disturbances and threats,
but not a war among our own species. Watching your family has strengthened my resolve. Motodrop Hillberry, I took the words you spoke to heart. I promise you that I will not let what happened to your world happen here in Equestria.”

“We both do.” Luna spoke with firm resolve. “If what I have seen from your dreams is any indication of what happens when a world is consumed with war, then I am all the more determined to avoid the same fate. You have our word, friends.”

I nodded firmly. It would do.

“Well.” Otto sat staring at the monument. “I suppose that’s it.” He smiled proudly at Ixisten. “That’s one incredible sculpture, son. I’m proud of you.”

Panara laid a hoof around Otto’s shoulders. “We all are.”

---

“So... I guess it’s time, eh?”

Ixisten, Maelstrom and Anima, Hawk and Tumak, myself and the kids stood facing Otto and Panara, Karra and Eren, and Percy in Twilight’s castle library. The mirror portal glowed behind them while Twilight, Starswirl, Starlight, Coloratura, Octavia, and the Apple family stood to the sides.

“I guess so.” I swallowed a lump as the two groups regarded each other. I suddenly galloped over to Panara and Otto, hugging them closely.

“I know we’ll be able to visit, but I can’t help but think that our family is splitting apart again.” I sniffed away my emotions, and was relieved to feel the rest of the Hillberry family join in on the hug. I looked up to see the others in the room regarding us with smiles, and beckoned for them to join in. “You guys, too. You’re as much a part of this family as the rest of us are.” I heard some assenting ‘mhm’s from my siblings, and reluctantly, the other ponies in the room were slowly pulled into the group hug. There was more than one tearful face in the group as Otto began to speak.

“Don’t think of us as splitting apart. We’re all family, and that will never change. I like to think of this as us maturing as a family. It’s a good thing when a child leaves their mother and father, and starts out a life on their own. It’s a source of pride to us as parents. We’re sad that you’re not around, but seeing you all mature into lives of your own fills us with such gratitude that we were blessed to bring you into the world.” Otto kissed the side of Panara’s face, happy tears running down his muzzle. “A number of years ago, it was just the two of us with six children. Now we have six adults with three spouses, and five grandchildren. You have no idea how fulfilling it is to see you how you’ve all grown in different ways.”

Otto pulled away, and the group hug broke apart.

This is it. The five who’d chosen to leave Equestria looked over to Twilight, and she nodded to them.

“Sunset Shimmer will be waiting for you on the other side of the portal. I’ve given her instructions to help you all find places to live, and to help you become integrated into the society there. I wish you all luck.”

Percy smirked. “Don’t need luck.” He breathed deeply, and waved a hoof to us. “The most painless way to remove a bandaid is to just rip it off and get it over with, sooo... See you guys!” With that, he stepped backwards through the portal, disappearing from sight.

He’s gonna regret backing into the portal like that.

Karra rolled her eyes. “That is so like him. Anyways, we’ll see you guys soon. Maybe around Christmastime?”

I smiled. “I believe you mean Hearth’s Warming, don’t you?”

She laughed. “Aaaaand that’s our cue to go. Shall we, honey?” She looked to her husband, and he curled a hoof around hers.

“Yep.”

The two stepped through the portal, just leaving Otto and Panara.

Our parents regarded all of us with smiles on their faces, and then turned to Twilight.

“Make sure Moto finds a girlfriend.” And then they were gone through the portal.

Those sneaky... I chuckled, as did the rest of the siblings left standing in the library. I turned to Twilight, and quickly dispelled any plans she may have been cooking up regarding my state of singleness. “Don’t even think about it, Princess. I’m perfectly capable of finding a girlfriend on my own.”

“I believe you mean marefriend.”

I facehooved.

“You are hopeless.”

These ponies are going to be the end of me.