by Fuzzyfurvert
***
Twilight raised an eyebrow as she read over the script that had been given to her. Celestia’s office was warm and smelled faintly of cedar from the fireplace and seasonal holly that was strung about as the only decoration for the holiday. Twilight read a few more stage action annotation lines and finally looked up at her monarch who was smiling anxiously.
“Um...why aren’t we doing the traditional Hearth’s Warming Eve play this year? This seems...odd. To me.” Twilight looked back at sheets for a moment and squinted. “It says here that you’ll be playing the part of ‘Gendo Ikari’ and I play ‘Shinji Ikari’ who is Gendo’s daughter? Or is it son? I honestly can’t tell. Who wrote this?”
Celestia’s smile fell slightly. “Luna wrote it. She said it was based off of one of her imported Neighponese games. I take it you don’t like it?”
“No! Nonononono! ‘Dislike’ might be too strong a phrasing.” Twilight chuckled nervously. “I’m just…a little confused? I mean, I see some of the obvious symbolism here and the religious allegory is nice, I suppose. I’m just not sure why we should do this play as opposed to the Founding of Equestria.”
“That play is old hat, Twilight.” Celestia sighed and took a seat behind her desk. “Besides, it’s just as much hogwash as this one, you know that.”
Twilight nodded absently as she flipped through more pages of the script, mumbling to herself. “It says here that Luna is playing a character named ‘Asuka’? And the character ‘Rei’ has been earmarked her Fluttershy? Wait.” Twilight’s eyes scanned the section near the end she was reading. “I don’t think you’re allowed to do that in a hospital room - let alone on stage in public! Hmmm… I suppose that settles the question of Shinji’s gender…”
Celestia cleared her throat. “This year, the Hearth’s Warming Eve play will have all of your friends and roles for myself and Luna as well! It shall be splendid. I’ve already started practicing for my part!”
Twilight looked up and froze. Her mentor, her Princess, her oft-times prank loving partner in all things was staring at her with the most intense look of unamused parental disappointment she had ever seen. Celestia glared at her over small round rimmed glasses that perched delicately on her muzzle, her forehooves steepled in front of her.
“It’s been a while.” Celestia’s tone carried the same weight as her gaze with a note of curiosity.
Twilight blinked and looked down at the script. “F-father…”
Celestia didn’t move and continued on in a lighter tone. “Shinji, when we are alone, you may call me ‘Big Poppa’...”