The crystal Empire dinning hall was truly a sight to behold. A large room with high vaulted ceilings, crystal columns, and and a huge chandelier, hanging from the ceiling over the center of the huge table the stretched almost from end of the room to the other. Every one took their seats. Shining armor was a the end of the table, and Cadence was on one side of him while Twilight sat on the other. Everyone else filled in the other seats near by. Flash then decided his work was done and left for the mess hall where guards ate their meals. After a few minutes of idle chit-chat. Twilight finally asked the question that had been on her mind all day.
"Sooooo Cadence, What was the big news you and Shining have?"
Cadence suddenly fell silent and turned to shoot her husband a somewhat worried look. Shining replied with a nod and Cadence turned back to Twilight and spoke.
"Well Twilight, you see.....your brother and I are, well......"
Twilight began running through every possible answer in her head. Her mind raced as she tried to come up with the answer before it was spoken.
"Maybe their moving to Ponyville. No what am I thinking they have to stay here. ok ok, maybe....they got a new assignment from Celestia. No that can't be right, If it was that it wouldn't be so hard to say......Wait, hard to say. NO IT CAN'T BE."
Twilight sprung from her seat and stared into Cadence's dark purple eyes.
"Tell me your not getting a divorce!" Twilight spoke on the verge of tears. Shining spit up his drink when he hear the word 'divorce'.
"WAIT, WHAT WE'RE GETTING A DIVORCE!"
Cadence looked to her husband in shock.
"NO NO. Twilight we're not getting a divorce, we're having a foal. Twilight I'm pregnant, your going to be an aunt."
Suddenly the entire room was filled with the sudden sound of pony's spitting out their drinks. Every one on the room stared at Cadence before Pinkie broke the silence.
"Ok, let me get this straight. Your two are having a foal?"
"Well....yes"
Pinkie sudden pulled a cannon out seemingly nowhere and began shouting at the top of her lungs.
"THEN IT'S PARTY TIME. BABY SHOWER PARTY. WHOO-HOO!!"
Within seconds the entire room was covered in party decorations.....That is until Cadence pulled them down and shoved them back into the cannon from whence they came.
"Sorry Pinkie Pie but we can't have a party now. Shining and I haven't even told anyone other then you seven. We really don't want to make a big deal out of this, it's stressful enough as it is."
Twilight sat in her chair in deep contemplation. she didn't speak, she didn't move, she didn't even blink. Finally after a few minutes she said...
"I'm......going to be aunt?" She spoke barely above a whisper. Even Fluttershy had trouble hearing her.
"I'm going to be an aunt?" She spoke louder now.
"I'm going to be an aunt!" Now she was jumping around the room. Filled with pure joy and happiness.
"I can't believe it, you two are having a foal. I'm going to be an aunt. This is the greatest news ever." Twilight leaped forward and pulled her brother and step-sister into long happy hug. Tears were almost flowing freely now.
"I'm glad your happy Twilight. Your brother and I thought you might have a different reaction."
"What do you mean?"
"Well we thought you might be upset........for some reason."
"Upset? No no no I'm sooooooo happy. This is great. Nothing, I repeat, nothing can ruin this moment of pure magical..."
"buuuuuurrrrrrrb"
The entire room fell silent and Twilight's eyes began to twitch.
"SPIKE" Twilight gave a cold glare at the young dragon by her side.
"I can't believe you did that. We had such a magical moment and you just went and killed it. I mean honestly how can be so inconsiderate of...." As Twilight rambled on Spike just sat there waiting for her to finish.
"What do you have to say for yourself?"
Now Spike looked up at twilight and spoke.
"I've got nothing.......but apparently Princess Celestia has something to tell you." Spike lifted up his hand. He was holding a small scroll, wrapped closed with a red ribbon stamped with the equestrian royal seal. Twilight shrunk back a little and gave Spike an apologetic look.
"Heh, Sorry Spike."
Twilight took the letter and opened it up. After reading it she gave a puzzled look to Cadence before handing the letter to her. Cadence took the letter and read it herself.
"Dear Twilight,
I understand that you and your friends are enjoying a trip to the Crystal Empire. However I have recently been informed of a possible rising crisis in Fillydelphia. I'm sorry to ask this of you, But I need you and Princess Cadence to come to Canterlot at once, so that we may discuss our next course of action in response to this troubling news. I hope to see both of you soon.
Sincerely, Princess Celestia
Cadence lowered the letter and looked at Twilight, who look straight back at her.
"I'm sorry but Twilight and I need to talk for second."
Twilight and Cadence left the dinning hall and went to Cadence's bedroom to talk in private.
"Well?" Twilight spoke with concern and confusion in her voice. "What do you think we should do?"
"I think there no question. If there is a crisis at hand it is our duty to convene as princesses and try to figure out what we should do. I can leave Shining in charge of things here, and your friends can stay till we return."
"Alright, I guess I'm just little upset that we have to get pulled into a crisis during one of our visits......again."
"Don't worry Twilight. Tell you what, well get this thing situated and then you and I can spend some quality time together."
"Really, you mean it?"
"Of course I do. Now come on we should go tell everypony so we can get going."
******************
After explaining the situation to everyone, Twilight and Cadence boarded a chariot and set off for Canterlot with Flash Sentry. Although Flash insisted he come for security reasons. Twilight couldn't help but feel like he had other motives. However, there were more important things to think about. Twilight couldn't stop thinking about Celestia's letter.
"Why would the princess want me there? I know I'm a princess and all but, I don't know how to react to this sort of thing. I don't even know where to start. Oh well, I bet the princess knows exactly what she's doing. Or at least, I hope she knows what she's doing." Twilight felt a gentle nudge on her shoulder, and turned to face Cadence who was giving her a reassuring look.
"Hey don't worry. I'm sure Princess Celestia knows exactly what she's doing. We'll get this thing sorted out and we'll be back in the Crystal Empire in no time."
Twilight gave her sister in-law a faint smile. "Thanks Cadence. Your right, I shouldn't worry so much."
The trip to Canterlot didn't take long. forty-five minutes at the most. As the chariot approached Canterlot Castle Twilight could see Princess Luna and about seven or eight other guards waiting for them. Once they landed, Luna walked up to them and spoke. Her voice seemed worried, or at the vary least stressed.
"Twilight, Cadence. Thank you both for coming on such short notice. Come we must meed my sister to discuss this crisis."
"Princess Luna, wait" Twilight ran up to the Princess of the night before speaking. "Whats with all the guards? Why do you seem so worried?"
"*sigh* Because this crisis just get a lot more.......interesting."