Heartwarming / The Nuptialverse

Post Nuptials

• This story is an aftermath of "A Canterlot Wedding," it goes into bigger detail on what Princess Celestia, Shining Armor, and the Mane Five are all quite surprised that Twilight Sparkle shows no resentment for leaving or shunning her. Even though they've shown regret for it, Twilight Sparkle insists not to be so hard on themselves, and that their actions are understandable.
  • Until later on...she admits that she did feel resentful towards them for abandoning her, but her friends assured that they were going to talk to her after the reception, and were never really going to abandon her.
    • And to show her that they care about her, they recount all the times their friendships were tested, with instances of inflated egos, chewing-outs and falling-outs, but ultimately had happy endings.
    Rarity: Twilight, all those incidents ended with good memories, but they only came after bad ones.
    Applejack: Yeah, and that's the point we're tryin' to make. We've all hurt each other, acted stubborn and stupid. But we've all forgiven each other, even if we had to knock the other one down a bit to do it. That's just part of havin' friends, Twi. It can...no, it will be painful. We are all going to hurt each other even more over the years. But every time we do, we're just going to be all the stronger for it.
  • On that same note, both Princess Celestia and Shining Armor insist that if Twilight had been wrong about the fake Cadance, they would have forgiven her.
• Equally heartwarming are the lines that immediately follow. Applejack says that Twilight made them all worthwhile, a point which Twilight shoots down without missing a beat. What makes it heartwarming is what she follows up with:
  Twilight Sparkle: Everything that I've ever done worth bragging about is because I've had one of you at my side, keeping me strong. It isn't me that makes all of you worthwhile...it's the other way around. I don't want you to ever forget that.
• This gem during Luna and Celestia's conversation after the wedding.
  Celestia: You know, I've always envied Twilight's parents. Because no matter how much Twilight might love me, adore me, and strive for my approval, they will always hold the place in her heart that I want.
  Luna: You love her that much?
  Celestia: Like a daughter.
  • Luna tried and failed to bring Celestia out of her guilt over how she ignored Twilight. The younger alicorn then suggests bring the older's student in so they can reconcile and talk it out. Celestia begs her not to, feeling that she doesn't even have the right to look at Twilight at the moment. Luna goes and gets Twilight anyway and lets her into Celestia's room. When they begin to apologize to each other for what happened at the rehearsal, Celestia asks her student if she can sleep with her, like how Twilight used to fall asleep at her side after a long day of work. Twilight smiles and admitted that she was hoping for the question to pop up.
• Luna gets asked by Celestia, and later Applejack and Rarity, if she would have believed Twilight if she was at the rehearsal. Luna, while not sure, admits she probably would've at least checked into Twilight's claims, since Twilight willingly helped Luna on Nightmare Night and convinced Ponyville to give her a second chance after the whole Nightmare Moon fiasco.
• Both Soarin and Fancypants Show they are aware of all the Mane 6 have done for Equestria and highly respect them for it, and also show distaste that the Canterlot elite don't know about what they have done or are even aware how close Equestria came to being conquered if it wasn't for them.
• Rainbow Dash letting Scootaloo hang with her and Soarin when she shows up and asks her about Soarin. Soarin also if very kind to the filly, and is just as worried about her as Rainbow when Scootaloo mentions she still cannot fly yet and avoids the topic of her parents.
  • Soarin comforts Rainbow when she tells him about what happened at the wedding rehearsal, and how she was the one most vocal of the group saying they shouldn't forgive Twilight so easily, only to feel like an absolute jerk when Twilight was proven right and forgave them for abandoning her instead of yelling at them like she felt they deserved. He tells her that like one of her flying exercises, she messed up and crashed this time, but that doesn't make her a bad friend. He is nothing but understanding to her and doesn't blame her for dumping all her problems on him during their first date. Rainbow doesn't try to deny that it was a date either, and the two of them make plans for Soarin to visit her in Ponyville for a proper one.
• Fancypants mentions during his talk with Rarity how his wife, Fleur, came from a small town like Rarity and explains how she got her cutie mark and mentions she looked just as lovely then before she got her city makeover. Their marriage in general sounds healthy as he mentions Fleur won't mind him dancing with a friend like Rarity.
  • Fancypants also helps get Rarity's mind off the aftermath of the events with Twilight by commissioning several dresses from her for a charity he is holding for Zecora's homeland Zebrica, and he shows interest in meeting Zecora when Rarity informs him about her.

Honeymoon

• After their wedding, Cadance comforts Shining Armor, not wanting him to feel like her kidnapping was his fault, or what happened afterwards.
• Shining Armor got his cutie mark when he protected his baby sister from a stray dog that was getting dangerously close to her. That was also the day Cadance fell in love with him, for risking his own life to save his sister's and deciding he wanted to do it for the rest of his life.
• Shining Armor comforts Cadance after her parents are killed and she stays with him and his family for awhile.

Outrage

• The guard that escorts Velvet and Night Light to their room apologizes to them for not believing Twilight. He also says that he was just a rookie when Twilight first came to live in the castle and he watched her grow up just like Celestia did, calling her the sweetest thing.
• Twilight explaining to her parents why she's willing to forgive her friends for them being tricked into turning against her by Chrysalis:
  Twilight: Listen... what happened between me and the others was painful, and I’m sorry this has to be your first impression of them. But they’ve all practically begged me to forgive them, and I had as much to blame for them not believing me...
  Velvet: Twilight, do you really want them back? After what they did to you?
  Twilight: Yes. I do. Because what they did recently can’t break what they’ve done for me before.
  Velvet: And what have they done for you?
  Twilight: They've... changed me. Two years ago I thought having friends was a waste of time. Now I don't think I'd last without them. These last two years, they've been the happiest of my life. And even after this, I think it's only going to get better. I... I think they might have saved my life.
  Velvet: Saved your life! They nearly got you killed yesterday!
  Twilight: I told you, the whole mess was my fault too... but never mind that. The point is that they helped me when I was hurting, and I thought it was appropriate to do the same. Maybe I should have come and talked to you... no, I certainly should have, but it had been a hard day, and I just wanted to put it behind me.
• Twilight also admits that while a part of her wanted to yell at her friends, she knows that it wouldn't solve anything and that it would only widen the gap between them.
• Velvet openly calls Spike her and Night Light's grandson. Showing that Spike's wish of being Twilight's son was already shared by the rest of the family.

Families

• Twilight's reaction to finding out that Spike wants her to be his mother. After initially being stunned, she's deeply touched by the idea.
• The entire sequence between Twilight and Spike in the "Lullaby" chapter. Words do not do it justice.
• After Twilight and Spike finally mend the rift between them, Scootaloo is still disgusted with how Spike tried to avoid his problems and how he was throwing his guilt out-of-proportion. While Rainbow Dash agrees with her student that Spike was acting stupid, the blue Pegasus says that since she wasn't really herself after the drama at the wedding, either, she really didn't blame him for his emotional breakdown.
• After Twilight's third Nightmare Sequence, she accidentally wakes Spike up when she bolts upright in bed (he moved back into her room after he got over most of his guilt). Instead of complaining, he climbs into her bed and pulls her into a comforting hug akin to how Twilight would help Spike with his bad dreams when they were younger.
• When one of Olive Branch's co-conspirators comes to Ponyville to defame Spike for drawing a gang of dragons near town as part of some tyrannical plot of Princess Celestia's, how do the citizens respond? By running the conspirator out of town for picking on one of their own and insulting their princess. Even the Keeper compliments the townsponies for their valor.
  • What makes it truly heartwarming is who the first pony is to interrupt the conspirator: Bonbon, the one pony whom Fanon has painted as the most critical of the Mane 6's (and Lyra's) usual shenanigans.
• While Pinkie's history with her actual parents fall under Tear Jerker, her history with the Cakes is pure this. Mrs. Cake first met her as a hungry foal and offered her some baked goods. Pinkie decided to help and ended up spending the night. She never left and the Cakes basically became her parents.
  Mrs. Cake: You know we've never regretted taking you in, right?
  Pinkie: I know. I've never regretted coming here.
  • The Tear Jerker quality of Pinkie's family history is what makes her reunion and reconciliation with them all the sweeter.
• Though also played for laughs at times, Rainbow and Soarin starting their relationship together is pretty heartwarming. When Soarin first arrives he surprises Rainbow with a hello kiss and she takes a moment to kiss him back before freeing herself from his grasp, only to joke about it shortly afterwards. The two also flirt with each other by playfully bickering before heading to Scootaloo's for dinner with her parents.
• Rainbow Dash letting Scootaloo sleep at her house after her parents are arrested.
  • Tank stays with Scootaloo while she sleeps, believing that she needs him more than Rainbow did at the moment.
  • Soarin' arrives late at night and after snuggling with Rainbow Dash in bed tells her that he'll help her take care of Scootaloo when she adopts her, assuring her that she's going to make a great mother.
• It's a milder example, but it's touching that Owlocious has taken on a mentorship role for Peewee.
• The montage at the end of the final chapter (before the epilogue that is). All the characters are shown relaxing and happy together with their families. Twilight making plans to frame and hang Spike's adoption papers and improve his home life, Rainbow and Soarin tucking in Scootaloo before heading to bed together determined to spend the last day of Soarin's leave together, etc. Even minor and supporting characters that only briefly appeared or were only mentioned in passing appear and are shown to be quiet happy with their loved ones. Plus, while all this is happening it is also shown how the villains who have done wrong are suffering and struggling just to survive, showing that there is still hope for the future even if there is still a long way to go.

The Visit

• Rainbow Dash and Soarin supporting Scootaloo through the whole trip.
• The way Scootaloo describes how everyone in Ponyville, even strangers of helping her in someway, and says that they're way better than her own parents.
• By the end of the visit Scootaloo finally starts calling Rainbow Dash Mom and Soarin Dad, even if he and Rainbow aren't engaged yet.
• Soarin promises that even if things don't work out between him and Rainbow he'll still be there for Scootaloo.
  • This is then followed by Rainbow joking they should make it official quickly since they're in Las Pegasus, since they are already raising a child, they practically live together, and already have "fun" with each other. Doubles as a Funny Moment.

Direction

• Rarity dropping everything, even her part in the investigation, to care for Sweetie Belle when she gets sick.
• The exchanges between Rainbow Dash and Scootaloo showing that the latter is Happily Adopted.
  • This is especially poignant after the main characters fight Trixie and everypony finds out that the CMC explored the Everfree Forest at night. Rainbow sternly tells Scootaloo what she and her friends did was wrong, and punishes her by having her help out on Sweet Apple Acres while Applejack recovers from the injuries she got from Red Hoof. However, at the same time, Rainbow listens to Scootaloo about why she did it, and the older Pegasus never even thought about doing corporal punishment. Then to let Scootaloo know that everything is still fine between the two of them, Rainbow Dash leaps on her and tickles her as "another part of her punishment". All this is a far step up from what Scootaloo's biological parents were like.
• Fluttershy trying to help a down Peewee.
• Rarity taking care of Sweetie.
• Rarity talks down the crowd that has gathered after Trixie's arrest to prevent the criminal in question from becoming a victim of mob anger by asking if that was Twilight would have wanted. And this is after Trixie infected Sweetie Belle with all that dark magic.
• While trapped by the Changelings we see four of the five mane members' greatest dreams.
  • Applejack has a happy life on the farm with her parents still alive, Twilight coming by to help her, and the whole family about to celebrate Apple Bloom's cuteceañera. Also apparently Big Mac is dating Cheerliee.
  • Rainbow is captain of the Wonderbolts, has adopted Scootaloo as her daughter, and is married to Soarin.
  • Rarity is among the elite in Canterlot and engaged to Trenderhoof but has not forgotten her roots in Ponyville. Sweetie Belle is with her as well and is the youngest singer at the most exclusive club in Canterlot with Spike as her manager and coltfriend.
  • Fluttershy has reformed all of their old enemies to help them care for the animals around town, and has even tamed the Everfree Forest. To top it all off she has been accepted by the Canterlot Orphanage to come the next day and take home a foal.
  • Pinkie was not affected by the trap because as she said herself, she already has everything she wants in life after reconnecting with her old family in the previous story and still having her new one. She decided to just do what she can to make everyone happy.
• The Changeling Queen tries to remind the Mane 5 about how badly she tricked them with her Cadance disguise during the Royal Wedding, in order to let their guilt get to them during the ensuing fight. Their response? They laugh their heads off and mock Chrysalis for thinking that was actually going to work since it's been an entire year. Sure, they still feel bad for not listening to Twilight at the rehearsal, but they've moved on from their guilt and aren't letting one bad mistake control their lives. That's some major Character Development for all of the Mane 5. It also counts as an Awesome moment.
• Rainbow Dash being willing to give Gilda a second chance, since she genuinely misses their friendship.
• Sweetie Belle choosing to forgive Trixie for what she did to her while corrupted, inspired by Twilight forgiving her friends and family for the rehearsal incident, how Rarity prevented Trixie from being a victim of mob anger when she was arrested, and how Pinkie reconnected with her biological family.

Through the Mirror

• Despite just meeting Twilight and Spike and knowing absolutely nothing about them, Principal Celestia offers to help them and takes them home with her so they can explain what's going on to her.
• After Twilight explains everything to Celestia and Luna they offer her a place to stay until she can go home and decide to make a cover story for her, that she is their niece visiting from out of town.
• Many students at CHS defended Rainbow and Fluttershy from other homophobic students who believed the rumor on how they were in a sexual relationship.
• Flash helps Twilight with her research on how her the human versions of her friends broke up. Afterwards when he finds out she doesn't know how to dance he takes her to the school roof and gives her some quick lessons as her partner.
• Even though they currently absolutely despise Rarity thanks to Sunset's manipulations, Rainbow, Applejack, and Pinkie are adamant that Rarity didn't deserve what Sunset did to her.
• In "Another Lesson", The Keeper meets with Twilight and teaches her not to assume the Humane 5 are going to be the same as her friends by showing her several different universes where various villains won and where Celestia and the Mane 6 are evil. The universe that horrifies her the most, though? A universe where Twilight refused to forgive her friends for what happened at the wedding rehearsal and bitterly ended her friendships with them.
  Twilight: Please, just tell me I wasn't that cruel to Spike!
  Keeper: Of course YOU weren't. That Twilight wasn't you. That's the entire point of this!
• Fluttershy genuinely misses her friends and despite being terrified of working with them and against Sunset, she's willing to help Twilight.
• When Twilight sees a poster for her campaign she becomes worried when it shows her and Flash holding hands, worrying that Flash will think she was just using him to get back at Sunset. When she finds him he already knows about the poster and doesn't have any problem with it.
  Flash: Twilight, you didn’t ask me to do anything for you, I helped you entirely because I wanted to. And you didn’t know I was Sunset’s ex until afterward, unless you were a really good actor.