//------------------------------// // Chapter 12 // Story: Princess and Her Guards: The Early Years // by PinkieLunaShy //------------------------------// “I don’t like suits.” Said Jamie, tugging on his clip-on tie. “Welcome to the club. Princess Celestia wanted you guys to be dressed to the nines.” Replied Wyatt as he and the other guards led the children to the dining hall. “Why?” asked Genievieve, taking off her headband for the umpteenth time. “I can’t say.” Wyatt glanced at Geneivive. “Why?” “Because it’s a surprise.” Said GraceLynn, placing Genievieve’s headband back on her head. “I don’t like suprises.” Muttered Dominic, rubbing his eyes. “I do!” said Genieivive as she bounced up and down, “What’s the surprise?” “It wouldn’t be a surprise if we told you.” Replied GraceLynn “Aw!” “L-Luna?” “No, its Mother Tia.” Luna deadpanned. “Don’t joke about that LuLu. Especially while she’s in the castle.” Celestia ran and embraced her sister, “I’ve missed you.” Returning the embrace Luna sighed, “I’ve missed you too.” Breaking the embrace Celestia looked at her sister, “But how? There’s at least 10 years before you’d be released.” “I don’t know. She’s still up there. At least from what I can feel. I guess the elements felt my time had been served.” Luna shrugged. Celestia sighed before smiling, “The children will love to meet you!” “Children?” “Oh yes!” Celestia grabbed Luna’s arm and set off down the hallway, “You’re going to love them.” “But I don’t like children.” “You shouldn’t use those plates.” Said Tau, as Daniel pulled out the gold and white china. “Why not, your majesty?” asked Daniel, turning around to face the queen. “They look like everyday china.” Tau opened another cabinet and pulled out red, green, and gold china. “Those are the Hearth’s warming china.” Said Daniel, taking the china and setting it back in the cabinet, “It is only to be used on hearth’s warming eve and hearth’s warming day.” Tau looked at Daniel before using her magic to pull it out again, “Then they aren’t everyday china and will be used.” “What about these?” Asked Seth, carrying black and midnight blue china, “I found them all the way in the back of the supply closet with a sign on them.” “I really hope it didn’t say ‘do not touch’.” Said Daniel, running a hand though his hair. “It didn’t.” Seth set the china down on the counter, “It said ‘Luna’s China’. Whatever that means.” Daniel sighed before turning to address the queen, “Well your majesty, what abou-. Where did she go?” “Color me confused.” Seth shrugged, “So blue and black china?” “Yeah. Wait ‘color me confused’? What does that even mean?” “Dunno.” Seth grabbed the china to set the table, “It sounded cool.” When the group had arrived at the dining hall Seth was setting the table. He talked to the children while he worked, telling adventures of made up things from the land of make believe. A few times he almost dropped the plates he was holding causing GraceLynn to hold them in her magic as a precaution. One story he told, however, had all the guards involved. “Do you guy’s remember the day we did scenes from Romeo and Juilet?” asked Seth, setting a plate at the head of the table. “Yeah, how could I forget? My sword broke on stage!” replied Grant, glaring at GraceLynn. “I told you not to hit them together that hard. They may have been wood but they were props! My dad and I made them in one afternoon with some scrap wood!” GraceLynn responded folding her arms, “Besides we got an A on it so what does it matter?” “What happened?” asked Genievieve, leaning forward in her chair. “Well,” started Seth, “It happened about 4 years ago. We were freshmen in high school.” “What’s a ‘freshmen’?” “Oh! It’s a fancy name for people just starting high school.” “Oh.” “Anyway, our English teacher, who was really cool, had our class act out scenes from a play. There was a swordfight scene and that’s what GraceLynn, Grant, Wyatt, and Jeff chose.” “We had practiced and practiced.” Said GraceLynn, taking over, “Well, half practiced half watched other groups practice. “ “Them we had to perform. We had costumes and all of our props. It was going great too! Until..” said Wyatt, looking at Jesse. “Grant and Devin were doing the fight scene. They hadn’t accidentally hit each other and it was perfect. But when Grant went to block a hit, the sword snapped in half!” said Jesse. “Then what happened?” asked Dominic, looking the most awake he had all day. “We continued our scene! Everyone was laughing, including us. I had to fight with a stub of a sword. That is until GraceLynn tossed me her sword and I won the fight!” said Grant, puffing out his chest proudly. “Can you show us?” asked Jamie, pushing his glasses up. “Maybe later, okay? Sounds like someone is coming.” Said Jesse, putting on his helmet. Wyatt started chuckling, “I’m not gonna say it. That would be way too easy.” “Hmm?” Jesse thought about what he said, “Good gravy man! Get your brain out of the gutter!” Wyatt laughed, “I can’t help it! It’s stuck!” Grant grinned as he put on his helmet, “At least he’s not as bad as Devin. That would’ve been awkward.” GraceLynn rolled her eyes and sighed, “You three need to grow up.” “Never!” they chorused, smiling. “I really hate to interrupt such a fun time, but I do believe I’m supposed to meet someone here.” Said a deep voice from the doorway. “Your majesty!” said the guards bowing. King Leon smiled before beckoning them to rise. He was a few inches taller than his wife at 7’3”. While Tau was all business, Leon seemed extremely relaxed and approachable. His crown sat lopsided on a mess of navy blue hair. His clothes weren’t perfectly straight and ironed, either. “Well, these must be the grandchildren my wife told me about.” Said Leon, looking at the children, “Let me guess, Jamie is the one with the glasses.” “Yeah!” said Jamie, climbing out of his chair. “Angelina is the one with the blue hair and Ryan is the one with the black hair, unless those are the names of the twins.” “No, I’m Genievive!” said Genievieve, getting up and grabbing her brother, “And this is my brother!” “Hi.” Waved Dominic before yawning, “I’m Dominic.” “That’s Angelina,” Genievive pointed to Angelina, “And Ryan’s next to her!” “I thought so.” Leon picked up Genievive, “Now we all know each other.” “Not really.” Said Ryan, “We have no idea who you are.” “I knew I forgot something!” Leon smiled, “I’m your grandpa.” “Do we have to call you Grandfather?” asked Jamie, scrunching up his nose, “Grandma make us call her Grandmother.” Leon shook his head, causing his crown to slip, “No, you may call me whatever you’d like.” “I like Grandpa.” Said Genievive reaching for Leon’s crown. The other children voiced their agreement before Leon spoke again, “Then Grandpa it is.” Just then Wyatt’s watch started beeping. Looking at it, he shut it off and said “Well that’s our alert,” glancing at his friends he removed his helmet, “Let’s go find Devin and the others and clock out.” “You aren’t gonna stay for dinner?” asked Genievive, trying to make Leon’s crown stay on her head. “Not this time.” Said GraceLynn, slipping off her helmet, “Besides we weren’t invited.” “Oh..” “We’ll see you tomorrow!” Grant said as they walked through the kitchen entrance, “Bye.” “Bye.” The children chorused, waving. Leon smiled mischeviously, “How would you all like to play a joke on your Grandmother?” “Okay!” said Jamie, pushing up his glasses. “When?” asked Genieveve placing Leon’s crown back on his head. “Right now.” Replied Leon, setting Genievive down. “What kind of joke?” asked Ryan, getting up. “A very funny one.” “I like jokes.” Said Dominic, setting his head on the table. “Okay then, here’s the plan…” “And Jamie-” continued Celestia, her nails digging into her sisters arm as she continued to talk about the children. “Sister!” Luna wretched her arm from Celestia’s grasp, “I get it, you really love them! I honestly don’t care!” “You will care after you meet them.” Said Celestia, looking her sister dead in the eye, “They are the children.” “No idea what you’re talking about. Am I supposed to?” asked Luna, arching an eyebrow and folding her arms. “You remember the Shadowbolts counterparts to the Wonderbolts?” “Of course I do, I made them.” Luna looked down at the floor and sighed, “And I failed them.” “Not necessarily.” Said Celestia with a smile, then she thought about it, “Well, kind of.” “What do you mean?” Luna looked at her sister, “If you are suggesting that those children are related to them in any way, I highly doubt it.” “Why Luna?” asked Celestia folding her arms, “It is possible for them to have children. Making these their great- great- great- great- great- great-grandchildren.” “Did you have to say all those greats?” Luna deadpanned, “I don’t care if they were natural born alicorns sister. Read my lips. I. Don’t. Like. Children.” Luna walked past her sister. “Fine.” Celestia rolled her eyes, “Where are you going? You don’t know where these halls lead!” “As long as it isn’t off a cliff, I don’t care. Even if it did I can fly.” Luna waved a hand at her sister. “I don’t like this...” said Angelina, looking at the table on the ceiling. “It’s just a trick ‘Lina!” said Genevieve, shrugging Dominic off her shoulder. “But we don’t really know her… It feels wrong.” Angelina looked at the floor. “How about this,” said Leon bending down to Angelina’s height, “After you get to know your Grandmother better we’ll play a joke on her. Is it a deal?” Angelina looked at Leon, “It’s a deal,” with a smile she added, “Grandpa.” Leon smiled, “Great.” “Now what?” asked Jamie, pushing up his glasses. “I don’t know.” Said Ryan, his green eyes fixed on the table that was slowly detaching itself from the ceiling. “Now we wait for your Grandmother and Celestia so we can eat.” Leon brushed his jacket off. “Fun.” Sighed Jamie, climbing back into his chair. “You know what I hate?” asked Seth, setting the dining car. “What Seth,” asked Daniel, as he finished icing a cake, “What do you hate?” Seth tugged on his tie, “Being a server.” “Not my fault people didn’t show up to work now is it?” asked Daniel, placing the icing bag on the counter. “I never said it was.” Replied Seth. Daniel fixed Seth with a glare, “You where implying it was Seth. You and LesLee where the only two I could spare to fix the two missing servers.” Seth shrugged, “I know Danny! I was just saying I don’t particularly care for the role.” “Don’t call me Danny.” Daniel set the cake in the fridge, “Tomorrow I should have replacements.” “Okay.” “You’re late Celestia.” Said Tau, glaring at her daughter as she walked down the hallway to dining hall, “And your hair is an absolute mess, did you even change your dress from earlier? It has a dirt ring around the bottom!” “Yes Mother, I know.” Celestia rolled her eyes before looking around, “Where’s Luna?” “Don’t joke like that Celestia, you very well know Luna is not here. You banished her after all!” Tau folded her arms and glared at Celestia even harder. “But she is here Mother! I just talked with her!” Celestia sighed in exasperation. “Honestly Celestia! I thought we were over the lying! Ever since you where young you’d-“ “I’m not lying!” shouted Celestia, “I saw her, I hugged her, Luna is here!” “Hey!” said Leon, walking out of the dining hall and firmly shutting the door behind him, “Celestia don’t yell at your mother.” “But-!” Celestia started only to be cut off by her Father raising his hand to silence her. “I wasn’t finished.” Leon turned his attention to his wife, “Tau, it was one incident, it was years ago. Remember how Luna came to us afterwards and explained what really happened?” “I doubt she had anything to do with the situation.” Tau glared at her husband before pointing at Celestia, “She’s the reason it happened, it wasn’t Donovan’s fault and it certainly wasn’t Luna’s. I highly doubt that the whole “Nightmare Moon” issue even happened. Celestia probably made it up so she could get rid of her sister!” Halfway through Tau’s statement, Celestia had closed her eyes. As soon as she heard the last part her eyes flew open, “How dare you! I love my sister and it tore me apart to banish her! I didn’t even make the choice, the elements did!” Celestia closed the gap between her and her mother as she continued, “And another thing! Donovan only pushed Luna off the edge of the cliff because she was pushing him! He didn’t mean to, she lost her footing and fell! So when we had to get Father to get Luna, I lied and said I pushed her for being a brat! I did it to protect them!” Genevieve stuck her head out the door, “Why is everyone yelling? Can I yell too? I wanna yell!” Celestia sighed and calmed herself before looking at Genevieve with a smile, “We were just talking Genevieve.” “Oh, cause Angelina said you were fighting and that Jamie and I shouldn’t stand by the door and that you weren’t gonna have dinner with us.” Genevieve looked up thoughtfully before continuing, “She didn’t say the last part but I think she was thinking it. You also scared Dominic so bad he fell out of his chair!” Leon picked up his granddaughter, “Well then you should go in there to make sure he isn’t hurt.” “He isn’t.” Genevieve poked her grandfather’s nose, “I checked before I came out.” Looking at Celestia again she said, “Also I have to go to the bathroom. Real bad too.” Leon passed Genevieve to Celestia, “Well then Celestia will take you.” “Right.” Celestia started to walk past her mother only to be stopped by a hand on her shoulder. Tau glanced at her daughter, “We will finish this later.” Celestia looked at her mother, “No, we are finished. The guards will escort you out Mother.” Turning her attention to her father she said, “You are welcome to stay for dinner.” “I think I will.” Said Leon, folding his arms. With a nod Celestia walked down the hallway, leaving Tau and Leon with one another. Tau glared at her husband only to be countered with a glare of his own. “Go home Tau.” Leon said, before opening the dining hall door, “You’ve caused enough trouble for one day.”