Princess Celestia sat at the head of the dining table, spectating her subjects chatting away about the day's future endeavors. Laid out across the table were some of the finest dishes and cuisine found only in Equestria, crafted only by Canterlot's finest chefs. Herbs, vegetable omelets, and muffins alike were strewn about on only the daintiest of platters. It was just another day in Canterlot Castle, experienced within the same monotonous routine the castle's workers have grown so accustomed to.
Celestia smiled softly, relishing in the glorious image of all twenty-four residents conversing with one another. She levitated a small cup of tea to her lips and took a quiet sip. Today was the usual breakfast: Fire spore tea with a hint of ginger, buttered toast.
Beside her, a tired and mostly bare Philomena dutifully pecked at her bowl of birdseed, stationed at the bottom of her cage.
"P-Princess Celestia?" a voice shaken with anxiety piped up among the clamorous chatter.
Celestia glanced up, catching a glimpse of Scribe Rothrock trying to hide behind a pitcher of orange juice. The sun goddess chuckled softly and asked, "Yes, Scribe? What is it?" Her tone was warm, welcoming, vainly attempting to coax Rothrock out of hiding. Though unfortunately, he was always known as a nervous wreck, though Celestia refused to give up on any of her subjects.
Rothrock cleared his throat and waveringly asked, "I-I-I have taken notice in the a-absence of Princess Luna. W-Where is she?"
The sun goddess glanced to her left, at the empty seat stationed beside her. "I'm not sure," she admitted with a slight disappointment tinting her voice. "Strange, considering Luna's always the first one here for breakfast."
"Then she screams to the heavens 'We are going to bed! We thank thee, big sister!'" The few dozen ponies sitting at the long table turned to the speaker, Court Jester Surprise. She was rocking back and forth in her chair, cackling like a hyena. Her messy, blonde curls bobbed about like they were nothing but air, with the morning sunlight bouncing off her pristine white coat clad in a scarlet jester's attire.
Every scribe, paladin, and craftsman at the table stared at Surprise, slack-jawed wide-eyed. Not one pony found her sense of humor funny; just disrespectful. But Celestia, always looking out for her subjects, gave a round of forced laughter. "Yup, that's Luna all right!" The gesture was convincingly authentic.
When no one else took the hint, Celestia shot them a serious glare, signaling the group to ensue in a rather unconvincing bout of laughter.
"Oh, ha-ha. You're so funny, Surprise."
"Yeah, you really got... me?"
"Gee, Princess Celestia. You sure are good at fake laughing."
The princess chuckled, not taking the comment to heart. With the fabricated merriment bouncing off the walls of the spacious dining hall, Surprise remained utterly oblivious to the heavy sarcasm. She, instead, was just glad someone found her jokes humorous.
Right here. This is the reason why Princess Celestia loved being the ruler of Equestria. This is why she survived decades of immortality. Her subjects, every one of them, was like a family. But the ones that lived in the castle, the ones whose lives were destined to serve the Princess by past generations, they were the ones that truly gave the word 'family' it's definition.
They squabble, they work, they laugh. But at the end of the day, they were like the Princess's family. It's a tightly woven group, too. When the Princess returned after the Summer Sun Celebration, she told everypony with a heavy heart that Twilight Sparkle will not be returning. Dinner was eaten in silence that night, with everyone recollecting the memories they had with Twilight around. Others awaited the chronic crash of dinner plates, followed by a naive Twilight Sparkle shouting from the kitchen 'My bad!'
"Tia! Sister!" a familiar voice called from the end of the dining hall.
"Pfft, 'Tia,'" Adviser Burning Glory snickered.
Princess Luna soared across the dining table, trying to make up for lost time. The ponies beneath her had their stylized, heavily pampered manes ruined. Several voices grumbled, making futile attempts at fixing their own hair. Celestia's stylist, Ginger Spice, shrieked in horror as her violet beehive hairstyle went flat.
"Luna, what is it?" the Princess whispered, trying to ignore the heated stares directed at her younger sister.
"It's this," she replied with a miserable frown. A parchment, encased in a dark blue glow, levitated towards her older sister. "And... and don't read it aloud."
Thinking this would be a perfect opportunity to tease her sister, Celestia read it aloud just to spite her. The servants and bodyguards tuned in.
"Dearest Celestia and Luna-"
"No sister! Don't!" the moon goddess pleaded, hopping from one hoof to the other in urgency.
"-we've not seen you two in centuries, and have decided to come visit for a few days. We'll be there in five minutes. Lots of love, Mom and Dad." Celestia looked up from the letter, her face drawn to a blank. She continuously stared out into space, allowing the four-sentenced letter to race through her mind at least a dozen times in succession.
'Mom... and Dad!?'
Luna swallowed hard, looking back at the ponies with hungry eyes fixed on their beloved rulers. The two bodyguards stationed at the end of the hall, Shield and Sword, dropped their respective weapons and stared with the same slack-jawed look.
The only thing that broke the most awkward silence in Equestrian history was Philomena bursting into flame.
"Luna," Celestia muttered from the corner of her mouth. "How long has it been since you've received the letter?"
"Four minutes," the younger sibling replied, the normally boisterous alicorn now quieter than her sister.
Princess Celestia sucked in a drawn breath of air, recovering from this bit of shocking news. With much courtesy and two-hundred thousand years of wisdom, she stood up and yelled, "Everypony! To your stations!" She then finished in the rarely-used Canterlot voice, "NOW!"
The servants all panicked at their level-headed ruler's desultory fear and urgency. Their parents, the rulers of the galaxy itself, was coming here to Equestria! Nothing in the universe as bigger than this, so there's no time to waste! Mares and stallions of varying attire and color all mobbed out of the dining hall as one, knocking over chairs and dishes in the process.
Surprise was at the rear of the crowd, trying to push it through the narrow doorway. "Move it, jerks! I gotta get my joke book!" With great effort, she reared back and flew head on into the mass of ponies, pushing them through the exit and cracking the bordering drywall in the process.
Everpony was in such a panic that even the bodyguards that were supposed to be at Celestia's side twenty-four seven cleared out of the room.
Only the chefs and cleaners remained but for only a fraction of a second longer, taking little time in collecting the dirty dishes and fetching brooms and dustpans for the broken windows.
Only then did Celestia and Luna remain, giving the occasional eye-twitch. Philomena poked her head out of a pile of ashes and let out a harmonious caw.
No comment yet?
Let's fix that! The Prospect of the Alicorn Sisters Parents visiting must be quite the shock for the both of them.
I can't wait for the next chapters. Interestig story and well written
You have my attention.
aaaaand here we go!
I can picture this scene perfectly, the looks on everyone's face. When Philomena, sitting above Celestia, just bursts into flames before falling off the back of the chair. This is an image that may never leave my mind.
Liked and tracked fine Sir. *flails arms wildly* Wooooh Surprise is here!
Yeoman, out
YES! This is something I've often wondered about.... If they're the princesses, where are their parents?
+Fav... Anticipating More!
I must read this.
I MUST!
(Will read later, I promise! )
OH SHIT
Wow, can't wait to see what happens next.
............., Tia and Luna are screwed.
Oh boy, here we go!
This I gotta see!
I like how this is going, keep it up.
~Eathlome
I must agree with Light mask
Do go on.
Plus, you have my like and fave. Use them well.
You have caught my interests. Please, do go on.
That letter gave Philomena a heart attack. That had me rolling.
Like it already! Please go on!
Mum and Dad are visiting? Freak the fuck out! Hell, when my parents come visit I just put up a password on my computer and I'm jelly. Wonder what the embarrassment levels will be. Hopefully over 9000
dl.dropbox.com/u/31471793/FiMFiction/discord.png <(Go on.... I would like to see your parents..."Princess")
!ALERT! WE ARE AT DEPTH CON F4M!7Y! !ALERT!
HIDE YO FOALS! HIDE YO MARES! HIDE YO STALLIONS!
Let the hairliity ensue!
This is win so far. Please continue
What will they think of Luna's temper tantrum 1,000 years ago? Or Celestia's humiliating defeat at the hands of a giant love-bug during the wedding?
Well, considering their daughters have managed to make and maintain a near utopian society? I can't see them being too disappointed, really. I'd be more concerned with taunts of "Where are my grandfoals?"
Awesome Sauce.
The internet is dangerous alone ,here, take this like and fave
Also, Surprise is the court jester
Lol keep going can wait to see where this goes!
The only thing that broke the most awkward silence in Equestrian history was Philomena bursting into flame. thats perfect.
i think that thier parents are were the previous rulers or somthing, actually i hope they bring this up In the show.aNYWAY this is a fun what if story!
I think that bird's got the right idea.
Haven't read it yet but I like it already!
Hmm... Looks and sounds pretty epic so far. Going on my faves...
Here's a mustache, , now update!
moar pls
maniacworld.com/too-much-want.jpg
That there:
weknowmemes.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/yes-moar-of-that-biden.jpg
Uh yeah, I'm tracking.
Well, you certainly have my attention now.
AND THE SHIT HIT THE FAN !!
^^ Im lovin it
Cant wait for the folks to pull out the baby photos out for when the main 6 arrive
dashie.mylittlefacewhen.com/media/f/img/mlfw8224-ib1xWpVV8MnzW61.png
Well this is Tia on her second birth day.
Mooooooom!!
Well you were really cute
Oh here is one of my Favourite luna and tias first time using magic
Wow Lunas lifting a big rock..but why Is Celestia lifting that pebble?
Luna always was a little better at magic
Huh i wouldn't have guessed
* Try's to hide under her blush* I want to die...please not the bath photos!
Wow...
Hahahaha
Can't wait to see what comes from this!!! I see plenty of headaches for Tia and Luna though.
LOL you need to continue this
CONTINUE THIS OR FACE THE WRATH OF THE INTERWEBS!
Interesting. Although I must insist that you fix one mistake I saw rather constantly. SomeONE, everyONE and no ONE should all be pony instead of one.
Other than that, you have my interest. Keep this up!
1847450 Only if it's in dialogue or first person.
oh man, finally a fic about their parents. yay.
Give me moar.
My Interest, you have it
Keep it up, looking forward to more. Especially thier reaction to what must be the most powerful beings in existance appearing near enough unannounced. What will the parents think of the ponies, or Twilight and Cadence. Oh, this is gonna be good.
No mistakes that I saw.
Also, somebody stop surprise before she gets to her joke book, but then parents like bad jokes
Honora Imperator
My i use the names King Artemus and Queen Solianna, for my next chapter of my story, i will give you credit
Y U NO continue?!
You have all my interest, this is something that I've wondered and absolutely can't wait to see your next chapter
Make. More. Of this. Beautiful. Piece of art. NOW!
2576550 Before season 2 I guess.
2577024 I'VE WAITED FOR 1 BUCKING YEAR FOR THIS STORY TO BE UPDATED!!!!!!!!!!
WHERE ARE YOU???!!!!!