This chapter follows the Lightning family as Bellatrix and Batman prepare to leave for college. Bellatrix struggles to fix a shower while Buzz enjoys "smustling". Belle sings a song to honor her late grandfather that brings her family together. The twins do well at college while Buzz receives a wormat named Panda Bear from them for his birthday. The chapter sets up an heir poll to determine who will be the next generation's founder.

1. THE LIGHTNING LEGACY Chapter Eight For Good

2. Welcome back, dear readers! This be chapter eight of the Lightning Legacy. After this, we’re following the B-kids to college. This will be a better pre-college chapter than last generation. *winces* And yeah, I put this chapter up on boolprop at one in the morning. It was a much better alternative than trying to sleep with a cold. So let’s see what the Lightnings are up to.

3. “If I don’t look, it’s not happening, if I don’t look it’s not happening, if I don’t---” “Oh, Chandler!” “Oh, Annabeth!” “Kids, get a room!” “It is rather disturbing, isn’t it?” Caleb remarked. “Oh, please, like you two never—ooh, Chandler!” “We never showed such public displays of affection.”

4. “Liars.” “Hey, this is from when we were just married. You weren’t even born yet!” “Although I do believe you were pregnant with her at the time.” “Shut up, you’re not helping.”

5. The elders eventually ended up just leaving the room, but here’s some Chandler/Annabeth spam just because I love them so much. Let’s go see what Bellatrix is up to.

6. It would appear that Bellatrix is repairing the shower that Buzz broke with her…. Zero mechanical points. Yeah. I ran out of things for A-gen to do in college, so I’m trying not to have the B-kids have ¾ of their skills maxed before they get there. Anyways, how’s it going, Bella? “I don’t know what Buzz did to this thing. And don’t call me Bella!” *clang clang* I’m no expert at fixing things, but I’m pretty sure banging the screwdriver on the spout… won’t… uh…

7. Meep! I’m leaving…. And this is where Bellatrix’s one nice point shines through.

8. “Oh, I get it now!” “Frankly, Belle, I don’t know why you’re asking me for help on your homework. I was never good in school.” “Granddaddy said the same thing. Aww, I got that problem wrong.” “How funny….”

9. Her daughter’s words brought Annabeth back to a time many years ago, when she was about Belle’s age. It was after she’d received her third D. Desperate, she’d given up her vow to keep her grade a secret and ran to her dad. He’d comforted her and helped her with struggle through the school work until she was able to do it on her own. Thinking about that moment when she was in her father’s arms, she remembered how the robbery last week had really shaken Belle up. Her grandpa had been the one there to comfort her and let her know that everything was alright. Annabeth smiled. Her father was a special man, and a family sim through and through.

10. “Grandpa look, Grandpa look! I’m the top of my class!” Caleb cheered and whooped along with his granddaughter. “Good for you! You‘re doing better than I ever did in school.”

11. Aaah! No! Death, go away! LEGACY WRITERS. ALWAYS BELIEVING THAT THEY CAN CONTROL WHEN THEIR CHARACTERS DIE. Liberty, don’t go into the light! Stay away! Stay away from the light! “I’m not a fly, Anna. I’ll see you on the flipside!” Aaah!! My poor founder!!!

12. Liberty was a great founder, even if she did complain a lot in the beginning. A Knowledge sim who achieved two lifetime wants. She was a good wife, mother and grandmother. She picked a great guy to marry and I will always love her for putting red hair into the genetic tangle so early on, plus her “lightning” blue CC eyes. Liberty Lightning, you will indeed be missed.

13. “My wife died!!” Aww, poor Caleb. I’m sorry! I told her not to go into the light! But she didn’t listen! “Now I want to die.” Hey, hey, no suicidal thoughts. Your time will come soon enough. “I have nothing to live for!” Um, you have a house with 4 grandkids, you daughter and her spouse behind you, plus something else I think will make you feel loads better….

14. A do-! Ahh! Batman! Not you, too! You haven’t even gone to college yet! I haven’t even put up the heir poll!!.... Wait, why is Death not coming….?

15. Oh, I see! You’re teaching Bubbles to play dead! Bad Batman! You probably gave Tiffany a heart attack…. But anyways, that’s right, I finally have Pets! I bought it in the happy little bundle with Family Fun and Mansion and Garden Stuff. Now all I need is AL…. Anyways. Meet Bubbles, named after nothing in particular. She’s going to start the line of Legacy dogs. Yes, dogs. I know like everyone does cats in their legacies, but I will be different and do dogs! Plus, I hate cats and love dogs. It’s a win-win situation.

16. We haven’t seen anything of Buzz this chapter but I adore him. Hey Buzz, what’cha doing? “The smustle.” Isn’t that what you doing last time we saw you?“Your point?” Oh, boy, folks, we’ve got a smustlefantic on our hands. Can’t wait to release him in college. :)

17. “Hi, Belle, what are you doing?” “Singing. Grandpa likes it when I sing.” “What song?” “I haven’t decided yet. How about this one: Little town, it’s a quiet village. Every day, like the one before. Little—” “Stop, stop that one can’t work. This is a Legacy house. Every day is certainly not like the one before.”

18. I really don’t understand pets. There are two perfectly good bowls of food, both dogs are in hunger failure, and they go for the same one and Bubbles refuses to try the other bowl. By the way, that’s Otis. We adopted him. He’s going to breed with Bubbles.

19. You can give me thought bubbles and whine all you want Otis, it’s your own fault you’re hungry. There’s food downstairs. And I thought my dog was dumb. At least he knows where the food is.

20. Soon enough, there were puppies in the house! I don’t know which one Bellatrix is holding, but Bubbles had two puppies, which I named Fidelity and Fabian.

21. But with birth came death. Dang it! I suppose there’s no point in trying to convince you to keep him here, my friend? NONE AT ALL. NOW, RIGHT THIS WAY SIR, YOUR WIFE IS WAITING FOR YOU. “Yay!”

22. Caleb was the co-founder of the Lightning Legacy. A family sim, and a great dad, who accomplished 3 lifetime wishes. He added recessive genes (blonde hair) to the gene pool as well. He was completely faithful to Liberty and never so much as looked at another woman. Caleb was a great sim, I really am going to miss him.

23. The weekend marked the last two days before Bellatrix and Batman went off to college. Saturday was spent with the whole family joining in a game of Marco Polo in the swimming pool. Batman here seems alarmed to see that Bellatrix has just cannon-balled into the pool.

24. “Aaah, never mind!” “Oh, come on Buzz, have some fun!” Belle, who recently grew up, yelled to him from across the pool. “No way, no way, the diving board’s too high!” …..

25. “Then try jumping in from the side like this,” Belle said, tucking in her knees and jumping off the side. Buzz laughed delightedly as he jumped in the pool. “This is way better than the diving board!” he exclaimed

26. While Bellatrix made Grilled Cheese for lunch (her secondary aspiration is Grilled Cheese), Belle decided to take a mammoth shower. Why, helllloooo, there. Shut up, Floyd. She’s a potential heir. You have to leave her alone. “Who was that?” Me. “No, the other voice.”

27. That was me, baby. Your one and only. I told you to shut up. “Wait, the MAMMOTH is talking to me?” Yes. I’m telling him to leave you alone. “If I didn’t know I was in a Legacy before….” Are you questioning the sanity of legacy writers, Belle?

28. After many threatenings from Anna of bringing a whip the next time she came to the legacy house, Belle got away from Floyd and got to her grilled cheese. All of her siblings had already finished and wandered off, but Belle had something to ask her parents. “Mum? Dad? I was wondering if we could get the whole family in the game room tonight.”

29. “I don’t see why not,” Annabeth answered. “But can we ask why?” “Oh, I just want to do something for you all…” she trailed off, returning to her grilled cheese.

30. Belle spend the rest of the day getting ready in the skilling room, refusing to let anyone in. Playing a melody on the piano, she sang softly, perfectly, hitting every note, and when she reached the end, wiping a tear away, whispering, “Grandpa, I really miss you.”

31. Belle put on a smile as she picked up the microphone, looking around at her family. “Um,” she started. “Thanks for coming. Ugh, that sounds weird. But anyways, this is a song Grandpa taught me before he died, and I thought you’d all like to hear it.” She pushed play on the console in front of her. The music started out soft, with just some violin and some woodwind instruments. Then Belle took a breath and began to sing:

32. “I’ve heard it said That people come into our lives For a reason. Bringing something we must learn. And we are lead to those who help us most to grow if we let them. And we help in return. Well, I don’t know if I believe that’s true But I know I’m who I am today, Because I knew you… Like a comet pulled from orbit, as it passes a sun. As she sang, she remembered the first time she’d sung this song for Grandpa….. Like a stream that meets a boulder, halfway through the wood Who can say if I’ve been changed for the better, but because I knew you… I have been changed… for good. “It well may be that we will never meet again, in this lifetime, so let me say before we part, so much of me is made of what I learned from you. You’ll be with me, like a handprint on my heart.

33. “And now whatever way our stories end I know you have rewritten mine By being my friend… Like a ship blown from its mooring by a wind off the sea Like a seed dropped by a sky bird in a distant wood. Who can say if I’ve been changed for the better, but Because I knew you -Because I knew you, I have been changed for good. “And just to clear the air, I ask forgiveness, for the things I’ve done you blame me for… But then I guess, we know there’s blame to share and none of it seems to matter anymore….

34. “Who can say if I’ve been changed for the better… I do believe I have been changed for the better…. And… Because I knew you -Because I knew you Because I knew you I have been changed….. For. Good.”

35. Belle was confronted by Belle the next morning. “Belle, last night was…. Amazing. Thank you.” The younger sibling smiled. “You’re welcome. Thanks for listening.” “You know, I was considering not listening, but as soon as you started singing, I couldn’t notice anything except your voice and the words coming from your mouth.” It was silent. “You know, Bellatrix—”

36. “I know,” her sister cut her off. “Let’s not get all mushy here.” Belle laughed. “It’s true. For good.” “For good.” “You have a good time at college, okay?” Bellatrix nodded. “I will. You’ll join soon enough.” “I suppose that’s true.” “Oh, my taxi’s here. I’d better go. See you later, sis.” Bellatrix spun into everyday and went down the stairs, leaving Belle behind her.

37. As a quick sneak peek, here’s the twins at college. They’ve turned out nicely, don’t you think? Although Bellatrix seems to still be using her magic against her twin. “Ow, Bella, that’s my ribs.” “That’s what you get for calling me Bella!”

38. Buzz woke up Tuesday morning feeling rather depressed. He was growing up today, and the twins wouldn’t be able to come. He frowned. He wished they would’ve waited a couple a days before running off.

39. He brightened up, however, when he saw a cage in his bedroom that had not been there when he went to bed. It contained a wormat. It was black and white, like a panda. Buzz laughed delightedly . “I’ll call you Panda Bear!” he exclaimed.

40. Buzz spotted a tag on Panda Bear’s cage. Buzz: Sorry we can’t be here for your birthday. So here’s a birthday present. Love, your siblings, Batman and Bellatrix. Buzz smiled and cuddled Panda Bear up close to his face. He was even more special now he knew he was from his siblings.

41. Buzz did grow up that day, and he grew up great! And this brings us to the end of the chapter, and the heir poll! Belle and Buzz are not moving out yet, but we might as well get this going. The stats of all the kids are up on boolprop. Don’t forget to vote and thanks for reading!!