The dinning hall of the Imperial palace was busy as a feast was being prepared for the return of two of the Emperor's sons, Jaghatai Khan and Leman Russ. The later returning with the surviving Wolf Guard spacemarines that came with him into the warp. Some of the spacemarines are being treated for injuries both new and old, while the two primarchs talk with their father about what happen since he's been healed by their little sister. Which is why a feast is being held in the dinning hall to welcome them back and for them to get to know their little sister Sunset and step mother Celestia.
The dinning tables are being laid with many alcoholic drinks from wine to strong vodka like drinks. Which the spacemarines be drinking by the barrel. There is also many non-alcoholic drinks as well, with several pitchers of styger milk. Which is fresh thanks to several nobles of Terra importing styger's to Terra in private indoor gardens turn into pens. Which is where the small herd found in one of the palace indoor garden turn animal pens. The milk that the styger females produce a viscous fluid on which its young feeds. So thick is this vile substance that when a human consumes it, the milk coats the throat, windpipe and stomach for up to a day after being ingested. As well as being full of nutrients and proteins, the people of Fervious have found that the milk engenders resilience to poisons and toxins. The Styger milk is so effective at neutralizing toxins that all Fervious' nobles, as a matter of course, drink it before eating.
Sunset drinks the milk daily and several times a day. Finding the milk to be tasty and gave her the nutrient her body needs. With how big a fully grown equestian is, when they're young like Sunset is they always hungry. Which came to a surprise to the kitchen staff, who fed her a meal meant for children and she still demanded more food. The emperor and the custodes remembering how much Celestia ate, quickly put Sunset on the same nutritional requirements as that of a spacemarine. After finding the kind of food that Sunset would eat, with many meals being given and being thrown back because of how yucky it tasted to her.
Already the Space Wolves are feasting after they had removed their armor and cleaned themselves up. After so long away from Imperial space and only being able to be able to survive on what they could find in the warp. They're taking the time to enjoy the rich food and drink that's being offered to them, with the honor to share it with their emperor. There are several whole roasted grox being served on giant plates placed along the tables, some have already been all but picked clean to the bone.
At the main table where the emperor sat with his 3 sons, two chairs remained empty. Near by is a table with custodes joining in on the feast and another table in reserve for Celestia guards. Both Jaghatai Khan and Leman Russ still had many questions for their father and brother Sanguinius. Not to mention learning the fact that they're not the first batch of primarchs that their father created and they're only around because the machine that was used to created them couldn't make more after them.
"How many were there before us?" Russ ask.
"You and your brothers are number 3964," the Emperor answers causing his 3 sons to stare at him. "Creating you and your brothers wasn't a simple matter and there were many failures and accidents over the years. Many of the people, I had working on the project came and went as it was refined and unforeseen flaws kept coming up."
"Wasn't the way that you created us like how you created the custodes?" Kahn ask.
"They're the results of all the failures and the equipment that was used to create you and your brothers. As Celly said just couldn't be used to create anymore. The equipment was already breaking down with the last batch and I had everything poured into making all of you," the Emperor explains.
"How many were there in our batch?" Sanguninius ask.
"There were 104 of you with only 21 of you surviving," the emperor stated causing his sons to stare at him. "Your brother Alpharius has a twin brother, Omegon who they switch their identities all the time with."
"You knew?" Russ ask.
"I saw it myself when they were still in their birthing pod. It had happen before and they're the only ones who survived," the emperor said.
"You're being honest with us because of Celestia being here and keeping her from revealing things to us. So you're just telling us before hand," Kahn said.
"Celestia will do whatever it takes to get Sunset to return to Equestria. And how I did things before just had your brothers who turn to chaos lose their trust in me because of how I was before. I can't let anything that will make Sunset turn her back to me happen. She is the best hope we have," the emperor said.
"Is she really that important?" Russ ask.
"She is and more. Celestia was able to do what, I couldn't do. Drive chaos away from Terra using her magic that destroys chaos on contact. they can't even get near it. When Sunset uses her power even as weak as they are now, with mine when we power the Astronomican together. It cause the wrap for the few seconds she is able to power it with me, for the forces of chaos to flee deep into the wrap where the light can't reach them. It's like being struck by plasma for them when the light touches them, only able to survive a few seconds before burning. If, I could do the same with Celestia the pathways through the wrap would be clear of chaos. Even the Chaos Gods would be force to flee deep into the wrap to avoid her light," the emperor explains.
"Which is why you're making changes and reordering the Imperial as you are," Sanguninius said. "To make it into something that Sunset will want to rule instead of just going back to Equestria and ruling her mother's empire."
"As Celly said. As the Imperial was before I started to make changes was, no still is a decaying husk of what it should have been. If Sunset appeared anywhere else, she would had been killed or worse because of her not being fully human. And Celestia would had likely thrown Terra into the sun," the emperor said.
"Is she really stronger then you?" Russ ask.
"As I was before, I wouldn't had been able to do anything to stop her. Now that I'm healed, its not a question of who's stronger. The question is how much of Terra would be left afterwards. And without Malcador around to keep us from coming to blows the only thing holding us back is Sunset being caught in the middle," the emperor said.
“All these changes you’re doing. All so that Sunset doesn’t have deal with how the imperium is now. And grow to resent how she’s stuck dealing with them and just leaving,” Kahn said understanding why his father is tearing apart their very culture so that it would be something that’s pleasing to Sunset.
“Yes I... no none of us can risk anything that will cause Sunset to turn her back or become so disgusted with how the imperial is that she leaves, or ends up like so many governors who only cares about their own needs and party while their planet burns or in Sunset case the entire imperial empire of mankind burns around her. She isn't like any of you, what she...," their father stop as he stares ahead causing his 3 sons to turn their glazes to what he's looking at.
Stepping into the dining room is Celestia who is no longer wearing her power armor that is a twin to the emperor's as they were forge from the same template. Instead she's wearing a white silk dress that is more modest then what the Emperor remembers her wearing. The billowing skirt and petticoats hid her firm round bottom and long shapely legs. But the top of her dress while covering and showing no hint of flesh couldn't hide her giant breasts that strain to pop out. In her arms she carried Sunset who now dress in a dress like that her mother is wearing. Followed by her personal bodyguards behind her.
While her bodyguards sat at the table reserved for them next to the custodes who are have a history with thanks their lords coming and going to each other's worlds. Celestia took the empty seat next to the emperor while placing Sunset in the seat next to her. She said nothing as she took a plate and using her telekinesis place different foods from the different serving plates and gave it to Sunset before doing the same for herself.
"You haven't been feeding Sunset right Ham," Celestia said.
"What do you mean?" Ham ask.
"With how big I am compared to her. In Sunset's growing years she needs to eat her fill with each of her meals if she isn't stunted in her growth," Celestia explains.
"What is she suppose to eat then?" Ham ask glancing at Sunset who is busy eating.
"For one thing you're not giving her enough sugar," Celestia said.
"Wouldn't that make her fat?" Sanguninius ask.
"For a human, for a pony she's able to eat 10 times the amount of sugar before she starts gaining weight. At this age till she's around 13 in human years that her growth spurts begins, she should be gaining weight for all the growing she'll be going through in a few years," Celestia explains.
"Anything else I should know?" Ham said as he's been raising Sunset as a human while she's half pony.
"She won't be a adult till she's around 80 where she'll be finish growing to her full size," Celestia said.
"Really?" Russ ask.
"Ponies can live for thousands of years," Ham explains.
"So at Sunset's age she's nothing but a baby still," Celestia said.
"That explains alot," Sanguninius said.
"What do you mean?" Kahn ask his brother.
"I been thinking that Sunset is acting like a baby most of the time but turns out that she is still a baby," Sanguninius said.
"The only reason why I allowed Sunset to stay when she first came to this world was because she was safe with Ham," Celestia said.
"Why did you keep you being Sunset's mother hidden from her?" Ham ask.
"We we're still are war with the Changelings and it would had put her in danger if Sunset was revealed to be my daughter," Celestia said.
"Oh," Ham said.
"What are Changelings?" Kahn ask.
"Shapeshifters who can perfectly transform themselves into anyone they like, within their body size that is," Ham said.
"And why I allowed Sunset to stay here was to be able to fight the changelings without worrying about Sunset," Celestia said. "Now that we have a peace agreement I'll be able to truly bond with Sunset," Celestia said.
"You're old room will....," Ham began but was cut off.
"I'll be sleeping with Sunset," Celestia said.
"Sunset?" Ham ask.
"It's perfectly normal for Sunset to sleep with me. Not to mention she'll be safe with me, more then those sisters or whatever they're called," Celestia said.
"Adepta Sororitas they're going to be Sunset's space marines," Ham said.
"Have them copy like the Salamanders of your son Vulkan. Seeing how unlike your other son's marines they actually care and have a connection with the civilians they're suppose to be protecting which many of them have forgotten. They still have a connection with their family and never forget that they are human," Celestia said. (1)
"Celestia they're...," Ham began but was cut off again.
"Sunset what do you think of my plan for your space marines?" Celestia ask.
"Yeah that sounds good," Sunset said.
"There she agrees as it is her legion that she one day command or you're going to have them be like your other sons legions where they look down and think of themselves as better then the people they're suppose to be protecting?" Celestia said.
"Very well, I'll give the order," Ham said wondering how things will be like now that Celestia is around.