Title:           Students of Heaven 41-43 (Complete)
Author:          LineOfFlowers
Pastebin link:   http://pastebin.com/Ep0wdvqw
First Edit:      Tuesday 24th of May 2016 08:15:36 PM CDT
Last Edit:       Tuesday 24th of May 2016 08:15:36 PM CDT

Students of Heaven 41-43 (Complete)
 
 
Post 41
 
>I am calm.
>My breath is even and measured,
>my snout is level and my eyes are serene.
>Inside, I'm anything but;
>my stomach flutters,
>and I feel the room might drop out from under me at any moment.
>The feeling of my hair in it's etheral breeze adds to my discomfiture.
>"You're hiding it well, sister" Luna not-quite-whispers.
>I meet her smile with one of my own;
>her gentle voice and kind eyes give a much needed anchor for my emotions.
>"Not well enough, it seems."
>"Oh no, sister," she says with a light chuckle. "Not even we can pierce your facade."
>She winks at me
>"We simply know you better than you give us credit for."
>The feeling of Cadance's delicate nuzzle on my left cheek,
>then, as she presses her shoulder to mine:
>"That's right Aunt Cely, we're your family, and we're here for you."
>With a smile, I lean more firmly into her, and feel Luna's weight on my right side.
>They're nervous too, but not like me.
>I'd told Luna about Sunset, and Cadance even met her briefly, years ago.
>They were both delighted at the emergence of another alicorn,
>and when Twilight said Sunset had asked her to seek my permission to return,
>they'd all but begged to be there when she did.
>Not that they needed to, of course,
>but they don't share our history,
>and so, don't share my doubts.
>Idea after unwanted, distracting, idea runs through my mind.
>Slowly, carefully I breathe in.
>I pause, focusing on the heartbeats of my sister and niece at my sides.
>Slowly, carefully, I let it go,
>and send my rampant thoughts with it.
>The mirror begins to glow;
>They are here, and I am ready.
 
 
Post 42
 
>Side by Side, so close their flanks are touching,
>they step over the mirror's threshold.
>Sunset Shimmer, ice-blue eyes fixed intently on the floor, turns to me.
>She opens her mouth to speak, but only manages a soft gasp.
>Tears well in her gorgeous eyes, and she tries again,
>but no words come out.
>Trembling with effort she forces her face to meet mine,
>opens her mouth a third time,
>and breaks in to uncontrollable tears.
>Her legs give out beneath her and she sinks to the cold floor.
>Luna and Cadance are silent; undoubtably wanting me to take the lead.
>Twilight drops back as I step forward,
>one measured pace after another.
>I can't run, I can't speak; if I do, I'll lose control.
>She moans softly as my hoofsteps come to a halt.
>I stand over her, emotions churning wildly, my eyes never leaving this one little pony:
>the very center of my world.
>"I'm sorry. I'm so, so sorryyyy"
>Her voice breaks as the last sound stretches out to a wail.
>Slowly, carefully, I lay down in front of her.
>Slowly, carefully, I wrap my wings around her.
>"I am too."
>And suddenly, we're crying together.
>She crawls closer and pushes my neck with her own.
>We nuzzle, and lean, and hold each other,
>sobbing away our pain, fears and regrets together.
>Our tears mingle hot and wet on the cold crystal floor,
>as our hearts finally begin to heal.
>At last, we are spent, and I look around to see my family smiling at us.
>My family.
>Cadance was right; they are my family.
>Luna, my sister;
>first to ascend, and show me my lonliness would not last forever.
>Cadance, my niece;
>whose unconditional love taught my heart to hope again.
>Twilight, also my niece, through marriage if nothing else;
>who returned my sister, and Sunset, and saved my ponies time and again.
>And Sunset...
>Poor orphaned Sunset.
>My adopted daughter,
>in whom I saw so much of myself I threw caution to the wind,
>and in so doing nearly doomed an entire world.
>Here we are, all together for the first time.
 
 
Post 43
 
>A smile spreads across my face, waxing larger and brighter as my happiness grows.
>Luna is the first to speak:
>"Welcome home, Princess Sunset."
>She looks up at me, brow furrowed in confusion,
>before her gaze slides to my sister.
>"Thank you Princess Luna. Princess Twilight told my you'd come back."
>She looks back at me, then at Luna again.
>"If it's not too late, I'd like to say the same to you, Princess."
>"It is not, and we thank thee, as well..."
>A mischevous twinkle flashes in my sister's eye "...Princess."
>Sunset looks between us again.
>"Princess Luna why do you keep calling me that? I'm only a unicorn."
>Cadance lets out a little laugh.
>"I bet Twilight would have told you, but she didn't know either."
>She grins at Twilight, open-mouthed with disbelief.
>"Serves you right for taking off again before we could tell you anything!"
>Sunset's head swivels between my wings, looking at the four of us.
>"What do you mean, Princess Cadance? Twilight?"
>With a gentle nuzzle, I whisper "See for yourself" and let our hug go.
>"I have wings?" she gasps.
>Luna snorts facetiously
>"To think a pony could undergo apotheosis and not even know."
>"I have wings! When did...?"
>A look of shocked understanding shoots across her face.
>"The school? But how? You weren't even there!"
>"I've never really been as far away you think."
 
>Time passes in its slow, inexorable way.
>There is laughter and tears.
>More of each are sure to come, but we're mending;
>at long last, I have my family, and they have me.
>We'll live each day and each night in love,
>for our ponies, and for each other.
>Forever.
 
And that's more or less how it ends, dear reader.
I could keep picking at random ideas, but I've gotten out what I wanted to,
and think it's a fine place to bring it to a close.
I hope you enjoyed it.