Sometimes Birthdays, Sometimes Hearth's Warming
By the time Sunset arrived at Sparkle Manor, the Moon had well risen and the streets were dark. She shouldered through the front door, which always stuck a little bit. She smiled as her hooves followed the sound of voices.
When she pushed the door to the sitting room open, she was struck by the thought that the scene before her wouldn't look out of place in a Normal Rockhoof painting. She was shocked when she put voice to face.
“Shining! When did you get back?”
The doofy colt before her mock-saluted with a grin. No, not a colt anymore. They were only five or so years apart, but Sunset had been twenty going on fifty when they'd met. Five short years had turned the skinny, leggy dork into a real stallion, and a slightly larger dork.
“Just this evening. I think I got in while you were all away. Month long furlough for… bereavement.”
Sunset nodded, staring at the floor. They were all three of them gathered near the hearth where a merry blaze crackled in the grate. This high up, winter never really left- during the daytime summer heat it skulked in shadows and crept back out when the sun set. She smiled and rested a foreleg over Twilight, taking in her mulberry coat.
“If I'd known snapping you out of that funk would be that easy, I would have asked Celestia to bring Shiny home early.”
Those amethyst eyes looked up at her, and the corners of her mouth tilted up. Sunset could see the warmth returning, that small spark of life burning brighter- but the filly’s eyes were still hard and edged, glittering with the reflection of life rather than glowing with it.
“I have something you all need to hear.” She dug through her saddlebag for the packet of paperwork.
“You're secretly a stallion.” Shining, the dork.
“Celestia is sending you on a mission to hunt down the terrible Snapper Snipe?” Shining’s grief had been expected. She suspected Cadance of falling prey to his worse nature.
“You're going to shave off all your hair and live as a dragon named Sparks?” Sunset’s jaw dropped at Twilight actually getting a dig in. She almost teared up at the tinkling laugh she hadn't heard in a month.
She chuckled despite herself and reached out, tucking a foreleg over the filly’s withers. She drew her into her barrel and rested her chin atop her skull, taking a deep breath.
“Well, Spike isn't setting everything on fire anymore so he's going to be coming home. The second thing is…” She took a breath, and her voice hitched slightly. “I went to see Miss Inkwell today, about the will. And… I've been named your guideparent, Twilight.”
The filly’s eyes widened. She hadn't considered in her grief who might care for her- but the choice was obvious. Shining Armor was a guard cadet and spent large periods of time in the Everfree Forest, the Frozen North, the Untamed West; hardening his body and learning to lead ponies. Cadance had her princess-training to consider, and generally didn't have the time to care for a child full-time.
Sunset, however… As far as Twilight knew, the older mare had no friends and no family aside from Celestia. Her schooling had only prepared her to be a professor, or an archmage- and the second hadn't been seen in Equestria for five hundred years. She was soulbound to a phoenix, a creature that lived forever, making her a mare who would never leave her.
Sunset withdrew slightly, and ground her forehooves in small circles, one against the other.
“Do you remember, Twilight? The first Hearth’s Warming that I came here? You were so small…”
Sunset Shimmer stood before the doors leading into Sparkle Manor. Almost unconsciously she adjusted her scarf and jacket, turning the collar up against the chill. A deep breath steamed from her as she reached up to tap the knocker.
After several moments there was a commotion on the other side of the door, and it sprang open to reveal her student, staring wide-eyed up at her with that intense gaze of hers before slamming facefirst into her barrel.
“Sunset!” The mare slid a little bit and allowed herself to be tugged by the tiny filly’s telekinetic aura. Twilight grew stronger every day, she noted with a quiet pride.
The inside of the house had been completely transformed from Sunset’s last visit, garlands and tinsel strewn almost haphazardly everywhere. A fire crackled in the hearth, the rest of the family gathering close under the lights wrapping the massive tree in one corner.
Twilight took her coat and scarf and hung them to dry, and Night Light gave her a mug of steaming mulled cider as Star dashed upstairs.
She returned and proudly offered her a wrapped package, that proved to contain the ugliest sweater Sunset had ever seen. A quick glance around, and she noticed everyone else watching her wearing similar sweaters.
Hoof-knitted, with a great deal of love and enthusiasm and only a modicum of talent. She begrudgingly dragged it on and settled down on a cushion, with Twilight immediately welding herself to her side.
Once everyone was situated and comfortable, Star Sparkle cracked open a battered hardcover copy of A Hearth’s Warming Tail, and began to read.
Sunset had of course read it before, and had listened to Celestia talk about her personal friend the real Snowfall Frost and how she came to value other ponies. But it was a little different then from now, starting on a new path and staring down the barrel of her past. You could change “Snowfall Frost” to “Sunset Shimmer” and never skip a beat.
“Your parents accepted me at face value. I never… had a family before, Twilight. It was the beginning of understanding a lot of things, like why you all wore and pretended to like those awful sweaters. Because Star made them, and wearing them made her happy.”
Twilight slowly nodded, and squeezed Sunset’s hoof in her own. She smiled softly.
“‘member… your last birthday?”
Sunset smiled. “When you broke into my tower and everyone surprised me?”
Twilight nodded.
Sunset gently stroked her mane. “Of course I do. You made the cake yourself. Best damn cake I've ever eaten…”
They talked late into the night, until Twilight was falling asleep on Sunset’s shoulder. She tucked the filly underneath her and let her conk out.
“There's something else I need to talk to you guys about, now that Twilight is asleep.” She paused, and checked for the tell-tale signs of a filly pretending.
“In the… will, there was some interesting things. Did you know that your parents were paying Trixie’s tuition?”
Cadance furrowed her brow, and Shining blinked.
“I did some more digging. Turns out… Felicity Lulamoon, Trixie’s mom, worked at the observatory with Night Light. And left for an undisclosed reason the year Twilight was born. Trixie’s birth was registered about eight months after she left, on Nightmare Night of that year. It's all in legalese but Raven helped me parse it. Trixie is your half-sister, Shining.”
She took a deep breath.
“With you being a stallion, and military personnel on top of it, you're ineligible to inherit. Twilight is too young, so as the guideparent it falls to me to determine the disposition of your parents’ estate. Raven suggested that I stop the tuition payments and the financial support that Felicity draws, to preserve the estate and because she has no legal claim to either. I have a lot of decisions to make, and… I need you guy's support behind whatever I decide, and your advice. I'm… I started out as an orphan, grew up a scholar, and now I'm a glorified nanny. I don't understand this thoroughbred crap.”
Shining and Cadance linked hooves, and the room fell to silence. After a few moments, Shining spoke up while keeping his eyes on the floor.
“Whatever you decide, obviously we're behind you one hundred percent. I trust you to do right by Twilight. If Trixie really is our sister, then we should do the right thing by her as well.”
Cadance smiled suddenly. “We can do both. I'll send Lord Pants a message to meet tomorrow if he can. You'll be filling the Sparkles’ Parliament seats until Twilight is of age. Fancy was one of their closest friends and allies, behind closed doors at least. They'd start huge rows and the others would shuffle allegiance to either side- with what they wanted to achieve between them. I trust you too, Sunset. I think we can do a lot of good, in honor of the Sparkles’ memory.”
They hashed out a brief battle plan to bring to Fancy Pants the next day. Twilight would likely wish to move fulltime to Sunset’s tower, leaving the Manor and the estate near the Everfree unused. Both were large enough to support a small staff, and Fancy would likely agree to converting both into group homes to catch the runoff from the already overcrowded Canterlot orphanges towards the mountain.
They also agreed that the support for Felicity and Trixie should continue- apparently Felicity and Star had been good friends despite the infidelity. Her tuition costs would be moved to a scholarship they planned to propose. The School for Gifted Unicorns should be for the gifted, not just the wealthy.
Sunset climbed the stairs with a heart lightened by love and the promise of good works. She slipped into bed with Twilight and nestled the filly against her barrel, kissing her forehead.
“Goodnight, my little starshine.”
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wat
Not that long and anyway, with what you've brought us it makes up for any problems
9321091
A turn of phrase indicating someone is mature beyond their years.
See also Good Omens where Shadwell is derisive of "southerners" and is "by inference, located on the North Pole".
9321093
Does it really?
9321097
Yes. Yes it does. This was a beautiful chapter.
9321091
9321097
There is also the opposite, such as 20 going on 10, for someone who is immature compared to their age.
Nice chapter with some interesting developments.
Wait... Trixie is Twilights half sister?! Why isn’t this going to be brought up to her??? She needs more family now! Poor Trixie... she never got to know her dad...
What if... starlight Glimmer is the same?! But her mom didn’t tell Night and disappeared to some small town out in the boonies? This would mean 3 strong magic talented all cane from that line!
Ok, wasn't thinking Night had had an affair for Trixi to exist, what with Jack Pot and everything, but it does explain why they were paying for her schooling.
9321097
28 days is hardly a delay on its website. Sometimes, we have to wait years for a new chapter :)
9321119
Thank you.
9321129
Dun dun dun...
Nah, timing isn't right. Twilight and co are all within one year of one another's ages.
Also it's important for future events that Trixie doesn't know.
9321134
Jack Pot is like her uncle or some shiz.
9321097
oh okay
... and sometimes Umbrum. They leave with students in dunce caps, like it’s Sombra’s personal study hall. The headmare raises hell and all, but in the end she signs.
I’ve seen all this before. Good ponies made powerless....
9321103
Agreed on both counts
Easily the most productive political discussion any family has had over the holidays. Good to see Twilight on the road to recovery. Not sure if knowing she has additional family would help, but I have no doubt Trixie will be there for her regardless of whether the two find out, just like her other friends. Especially Sunset, though there the line between friend, teacher, and parent is terribly blurry.
Sun ponies tend to do that.
9321239
Discussion of Hearth's Warming past notwithstanding, this is still like Julyish. Canterlot is on top of a mountain above the treeline, it'd get pretty chilly.
Also, as sun horses do.
9321225
Took me a second, sadly. I laughed.
Awkward
Wait, is Sunset immortal? When did that happen?
Why not?
9321262
When she hatched Phil.
Reverse Gender Roles Equestria
9321253
You’re welcome, hon.
9321266
Wow. How did Sunset react upon learning she was immortal?
So stallions can't inherit...but they CAN enter the armed forces?
9321269
Probably proved it empirically. Also yes.
Very heartwarming. Trixie being a half-sister I was not expecting. It's nice seeing Cadence there with all the legal stuff already in mind to help out.
> She was soulbound to a phoenix, a creature that lived forever, making her a mare who would never leave her.
Am I just really bad at remembering past chapters, or is the casual reference to Sunset being immortal the first time that's been mentioned?
9321277
By repeated attempts at suicide, I assume. After which she laughed maniacally for an hour straight about how she'd become a god.
If gender roles are reversed, shouldn't most military personnel be female?
9321334
Probably has to to with bloodlines. Males can pull what thier father did, Females have proof that it's thre child and blood. Egypt ran off that, it's why sisters were married so often.
As for the military, well they are still Sexually dimorphic, males are still bigger and stronger, the Princess' not withstanding. So, many males are going to go into it. It's probably a pretty even split, or still male dominated, depending on cutimarks.
9321277
If she proved it, does she respawn in fire too or does she just not die?
Does this also mean that Twi has a dragons life expectancy? Because, while still mortal, that's going to take a while!
9321269
You don't worry about the family line being killed off if it's matrilineal.
So I just want to point out something I just relized;
Batman lost his parents at a young age, who were very wealthy, and was then raised by the next closest thing to family he had.
Twilight has now lost her parents at a young age, who were apparently rather wealthy, and is now going to be raised by the closest thing to an adult parent she has
Coincidence? I smell set up!!
9321294
Cadance is fuckin done being the "Smile and Wave" Princess.
9321320
Last chapter during the flashback to hatching Phil, and just afterwards. She mentions that her magic meshed with Phil's and bonded her as a familiar.
9321334
There's a story that explores Twilight being a "born Alicorn". During her first surge (iirc) her head exploded. Kinda like that. "Oh well, guess I'm combusting again."
9321373
Her corpse burns and she rises from the ashes.
Also yes, Twilight shares Spike's magic pool and lifespan.
9321490
They even have a big spooky house to live in...
9321373
9321569
Well, that's another thing Sunset can feel comfortable about. She's going to live forever, Twilight's 'just' going to live for a really really long time.
Well that went well and I am glad that Shining Armor and Cadance understand and support the continuing education of Trixie.
By God! Twilight's dad had an affair before his death.... That slippy, when wet bastard!
9321138
I'm still waiting for updates on several fics.
Twisted Tales, Stranger and Wind and Stone were some of my favourite fics on the site.
Let's not forget I'm probably the leading member of the Harmony Theory fan club.
9321726
Until she becomes an alicorn and meshes again with a fundamental universal force.
9321950
9322455
Have you ever seen Goodfellas or Wolf of Wall Street?
Something like that is kept hush for propriety's sake, but it's a feather in Star's cap. A status symbol. Her stallion has stamina enough for a girlfriend and a wife, and a heart big enough for two kids, a wife, and a pregnant mare, and then three kids, a wife and a girlfriend.
9321277
What story is twilight born an alicorn?
9322506
https://www.fimfiction.net/story/289100/of-alicorn-foals
9322488
She's immortal, Sunny's got plenty of time to get wings.
9322488
Fair enough
9322455
Oohhhh, that sounds better
The Trixie half-sister idea's back. Even though Sunset's bound to Philomena, isn't she mortal?
9321113
Ah, a perfect descriptor for me.
Loving it! Great story and. . . was that a Sandlot reference a few chapters back?
Also, I always thought it would be neat/interestiing if the main unicorns of the show (apart from rarity) had grown up together and/or were related. Again, love what you're doing with this and can't wait to read more!
9322911
YES THANK YOU.
I would have thought "chubby kid with a hat befriends dork, takes dork to play baseball, baseball gets sploded" would have been a dead ping.
9323590
Wait. . . did no one else get that?
9327266
They didn't comment on it, at least.
9327917
ah. . . having a good monday?
9321266
Why do all of your comments automatically have 2 down votes? Someone must really hate your story
I know this is a couple years old but didn't the last chapter say that Phoenixs lay their egg right before the last time they burst into flames, meaning that they are in fact not able to live forever?