Mane Six, the CMC and Nyx (when she was Nightmare Moon and after) was here before. Each visit was either an emergency or a special event. And for the latter part, today is like no other.
Shining takes his sister and her group to the throne room where Twilight smiles as she saw Princess Celestia, her mentor, teacher, closest thing to her mother and aunt in law, waiting on her throne. And of course, her niece Cadance, who is also Twilight's foalsitter/sister-in-law and Shining's wife, is nearby waiting.
"Princess Celestia!" Fluttershy said meekly as she, Spike and the other ponies bow to her beloved ruler.
"Please, please, no need to bow to me. I don't need any of that today." Celestia insists sternly. The ponies and Spike rise up making the alicorn smiles, "But I will have a hug, Twilight, for your new aunt-in-law."
Twilight giggles as she comes up and hugs Celestia who hugs right her back. Once the hugging stop, the purple unicorn exclaims, "You may be my aunt-in-law now but you will always be my teacher."
"I'm glad to hear that."
"Twilight, it's good to see you again." Cadance giggles as she goes up to Twilight. The two mares smiles as they did their hoof shake from all their times together, "Sunshine, sunshine, ladybugs awake. Clap your hooves..."
"...and do a little shake." Twilight and Cadance exclaims at once as they laugh once their hoof shake is done.
"What's the deal with that?" Scootaloo ask puzzled.
"It's a secret hoof shake that mommy and Aunt Cadance like to do!" Nyx explains to Scootaloo happily. "I should know, mommy taught it to me three days ago."
"I still don't get it."
"Well, now that we're all here, time we get things underway." Celestia said with a delightful smile.
"Any chance yew could tell us more about 'dis here founding?" Applejack ask Celestia curiously. "We need all 'de details an' all 'dat jazz."
"I will be delighted." Celestia got up, trotting over to a window that shows certain generations of ponies. She motions to one of a human girl and unfamiliar ponies. "Generations ago, our world was in danger of being conquered by an evil centaur named Tirek the Abomination. He would've succeeded if not for Megan whom the ponies known sometimes to be the Mag'ne. Firefly, one of the ponies back then, brought to our world and with the Rainbow of Light, which is now known as the Elements of Harmony, destroyed Tirek. She would come back time and again to help us make friends and save our world."
"No offense, your majesty, but we already know that part." Spike said to Celestia with a frown, knowing this story many times already. "Mind getting to the founding?"
"Oh yes. Ahem, you know how the three tribes once fought generations ago, around the same time Megan was still around as a child, and soon became friends to found Equestria, right?"
"Yeah, the three rulers stop being so mean and work together." Sweetie said, recalling the play from Hearth's Warming Eve.
"That wasn't the real truth. The rulers were frozen in that cave even to this day." Celestia explains to the fillies, much to their shock. "We altered that event because it was too dramatic for the little ones."
"Of course, just like Disney did with their movies!" Pinkie remarks in agreement.
Just then, a familiar Goddess of the Night appears, making a cup of coffee float via her magic. She said, "Princess Platinum's father Blueblood I, with the help of Star Swirled the Bearded and Spellion the Powerful, to sign a treaty on behalf of the Mages of the Rock. The Ponies of the Plains and the Sky Clans joined the following week."
"Princess Luna!" Twilight exclaims with a smile.
"Wow...didn't expect you to be this up." Rainbow remarks while blinking her eyes a bit. "You normally show up at night."
"Tia suggested that I drink coffee to keep me up at day so I can tend more stuff." Luna remarks while rolling her eyes, "Personally, I think she's doing that just to prank me."
"Would I ever do that?" Celestia ask, hiding a secret smirk. The Goddess of the Sun got back to business. "Anyway, ever since then, every few years or so, we celebrated Equestria's founding."
"An' let me guess: we got a part in it right?" Applejack asks Celestia curiously, making her friends look at her. "Well, shoot, we often git involved in these here events."
"Indeed you are." Cadance said with a smile. "Aunt Celestia needs someone to help out be in charge of the contests and other events. And of course, you too Spike."
"Yes, thank you!" Spike exclaims with glee. "It's like some folks always trying to keep me out of cool stuff. Oh! Do I get to be in charge of the gems?"
Twilight glances at Spike for the remark then speaks up, "We promise to do our best, Princess Celestia. I just hope we don't go through any more problems like with the Changelings."
"Relax, Twilight. I know how bad that went." Celestia said with a sigh. "That's all in the past now so let us focus on the future. So, do you wish to be escorted to the guest rooms?"
"Well, I did some thinking and thought that my friends and I can stay at my parents. It's been a long time since I was home last and I wanted so much to show my friends there."
"Please please?" Nyx ask with a hopeful giggle.
"Well, I don't see any reason to make you change your mind." Celestia said with a smile.
"I already told mom and dad that you and your friends were coming, Twi. I was planning a trip home myself." Shining said with a grin. "You wanna come, Cadance?"
"I thought you never asked." Cadance giggles playfully to her husband as the two wedded couple and the ponies leave on a trip to the home of Mr. and Mrs. Sparkle.
"I think the founding is going to be better as last time, wouldn't you agree, Luna?" Celestia ask Luna with a smile. The Goddess of the Night made a screeching noise and spits out the coffee. "Luna!"
"TOO HOT! THIS COFFEE IS TOO HOT!" Luna exclaims with a loud yell making Celestia snickers a bit. WE SWEAR, CELESTIA, THOU DID THAT ON PURPOSE!"
----------------
Meanwhile, the ponies and the CMC arrive at Twilight's parents' home in Canterlot, where Mr. and Mrs. Sparkle were there waiting.
"Mom; Dad," Twilight exclaimed happily as she ran up to her parents and hugged them happily as they hug her back.
"Twilight, darling," Mrs. Sparkle said with a happy smile, "It's so good to see you again after the Canterlot wedding!"
"Despite that we saw you a few days ago, honey, we missed you so much." Mr. Sparkle said, also smiling.
"I missed you both, too, Mom, Dad." Twilight said warmly as she hugged her parents again.
Mr. and Mrs. Sparkle then look at their daughter in worry as the former said, "Twilight, you still don't have a somepony of your own."
Mrs. Sparkle agreed as she asked in concern, "Yeah, dear. Why is that?"
"Oh, don't worry, it's no big deal." Twilight insisted.
"Okay, but what about Nightm-- I mean, Nyx?" As she asked that, Twilight's mother indicated the black alicorn filly in question, "We heard about what happened, and we're not sure if we should accept her as our granddaughter."
"She's right, Twilight. Not to offend her or anything, but what if she turns into Nightmare Moon again?" Mr. Sparkle asked in concern.
"Mom, dad, I assure you. Nyx won't turn into Nightmare Moon. She hasn't for months now." Twilight said with a groan. Why is it so darn hard to convince even her parents of the truth?
"I know, I know." Mr. Sparkle said in hesitation. "But..."
"Hi, grandpa, grandma," Nyx's voice rang out. The other Mane Six ponies and the CMC giggles as they, along with Twilight and her parents saw a cute sight: Nyx wearing socks on her upper forelegs and one sock on her horn. "Hope you don't mind but I wanted to dress up for you. But I got confused. Is it all right to wear your socks?"
Seeing this got Twilight's parents laughing a bit. Perhaps their daughter was right about her, being as what Nyx did was too cute and too different to be Nightmare Moon.
"Maybe you're right about Nyx after all, Twilight." Mrs. Sparkle giggled, "We'll accept her as our granddaughter."
"Thank you." Twilight sighs in relief. At least it's a relief knowing that her entire family accepts Nyx now. The purple unicorn is still concerned about Celestia and Luna but that's for another time. "You girls wanna go upstairs to my room?"
"I get dibs on bouncing on the bed!" Pinkie exclaims as she rushes upstairs.
"Pinkie Pie, come on!" Twilight protests as she gallops after her. "My bed has been perfectly made since I left!"
"Oh, I can't wait to see what your room is like!" Rarity said eagerly as she galloped upstairs.
"I hope it's awesome and cool!" Rainbow exclaimed as she flew upstairs.
"Just try not to break anything!" Twilight insists to her friends.
"Shucks, we are already darn careful!" Applejack insists. Her flank however ends up knocking over a lamp, luckily it didn't break. "'Dat don't count."
"Hey, wait fer us!" Apple Bloom shouted as she, the rest of the CMC and Spike ran after the Mane 6.
The gang heads into Twilight's room, which is the same as it was when she left it: books in the right place, stacks of them, even her toys remain.
"Yeah, figures that you are some sort of book worm." Rainbow said, observing Twilight's books.
"When yew said 'dat yew read a lot o' books, yew ain't kidding." Apple Bloom exclaims in amazement at the books.
"Yeah, well, I like to do that when I was a filly." Twilight said proudly. "What can I say? I love to learn."
"What's in here?" Nyx ask curiously as she saw a pony shaped bank on a stand.
"Oh! It's my old pony bank when I was a filly! I forgot that I left some money in there." Twilight exclaims eagerly as she made it float over to her with her magic. The purple unicorn tries to get it open, "Horse feathers! I forgot how to open it as well!"
Suddenly, some powder explodes in her face, making Twilight yelp. She sneezes a bit while saying sheepishly, "Oh, I forgot about that booby trap, too. I made it to keep Shining out of my bits."
"This room is so fantastic, Twilight! I can't believe you have all this to yourself!" Rarity exclaimed in delight.
As Twilight uses a hanky to wipe her face clean, she remarks, "Well, my parents need how important my studies are... well, that and I wanted to get out of sharing a room with Shining. So they gave me a bigger room."
"Hey, what's this?" Fluttershy ask as she puts down an old schoolbook.
"Oh, I haven't seen this since I was a filly! This was my schoolbook back to when I attended another school before joining Celestia's." Twilight chuckles while she opens it, "Ah, the memories."
Soon, the ponies looked through all the photos of Twilight through her school days, up to her graduation.
"Yew sure is a filly colt, Twilight." Applejack remarked with a smile.
"Yeah, even for an egghead." Rainbow agreed, "Oh, no offense."
"None taken," Twilight said with a smile.
Just then, Fluttershy noticed a lonely colt by himself in the photo as she asked, "Twilight? Who's that pony?"
The purple unicorn looked at who Fluttershy was pointing at in the album.
After a moment, she turned her head away as she replied in a sad tone, "Oh, that's just no one. No one at all."
-------------
It was a while later. Shining Armor went back on guard duty while Cadance head back to the castle to help her aunts with the preparations. Twilight felt like she should take her friends and daughter on a scroll through town.
The ponies of Canterlot do what they do: shop, do their business, socialize, etc. Although the ponies themselves enjoy the Mane Six's presence, they are still too unsure about the filly formerly known as Nyx. Of course, Celestia made sure to keep guards on certain posts to make sure that no pony would bring harm to the filly.
"I got to find some sort of outfit to wear to the festival." Rarity insists eagerly. "Why, wearing old dresses won't just cut it."
"Ah done imagine 'dat we can hang out at 'de local shops an' git some supplies." Applejack remarks with a shrug.
"Luckily, I know Luna's credit card number so we can get what we want!" Pinkie exclaims while bouncing happily.
"How did..." Twilight begins to ask but thought better of it. She decides that she herself doesn't want to know how Pinkie knows Luna's credit card number.
"Oh, nice ducks," Fluttershy said noticing some ducks flying overhead before she and her friends head on.
At least, they were nice ducks but gunshots are heard firing in the air. One shot hits a duck, sending it flying down towards the ground where two ponies are holding sacks with their mouths in hope to catch the dead bird. One of them is a purple coated Unicorn with a spiky like short mane, yellow eyes and a short tail. He got a number 2 symbol on his rank. His name is Dum-Dum.
The other pony is a white coated Pegasus pony with a long mane, a long mane, orange eyes and a dunce cap on his flank. His name is Boxco.
The dead duck land a yard in front of them. Dum-Dym yelps then nervously got the duck into the sack. He and Boxco head over to where someone is blowing the top off a gun that is being used by magic. Boxco himself exclaims, "Wow! As usual, you're the greatest; you don't miss a shot, Boris!"
"Yes, yes, I know." The stallion said with a grin. Boris is a red-colored furred colt with a black sharp like mane with a black tail, wears a necklace of gold and silver, wears a vest and has a shotgun cutie mark. Now this stallion is considered to be a hero amongst the ponies of Canterlot so he was prepared when the Changelings attack a while ago.
"Nothing, no beast or monster would stand against ya. Not even a filly, that's for sure." Dum-Dum chuckles while he and Boxco held Boris's latest trophies. They enjoy doing odd work for their boss and willing to do what it takes for him.
"Oh yes...but there's only one trophy that I have to get and it's a filly. The one in question that I want is that one."
Boris eagerly points a hoof to a familiar purple unicorn walking away with her friends and daughter. Boxco blinks his eyes while asking, "Wait, Princess Celestia's student/niece in law? I heard that she was back in town!"
"Yes and a perfect way to win her heart and hoof! That's the mare that I want to marry!" Boris exclaims eagerly while looking into a mirror, admiring himself. "Oh yes, this is my time."
"But are you sure?" Dum-Dum asks Boris in concern. "Twilight got some bad rap due to the accusation against Princess Cadance. Well, it was actually the Changeling Queen at the times. Plus, she is one perfect freak and..."
"I do not care less. Ever since before she left for Celestia's school, Twilight Sparkle was the one filly that I wanted to be with! Which makes her the best, and you know that I deserve the best!"
"Of course, of course, but..." Boxco begins to spoke up but Boris would hear none of it. He prepares to head off after Twilight's group in determination and eagerness.
"Well, stop squawking you dopes and come on!" Boris snaps to his minions impatiently, making them yelp as they rush to catch up. "We mustn't lose them."
Twilight and her friends were up ahead, Rarity was looking at one dress while saying, "Please tell me that this would look good on me."
"Yes, yes, I think it would look lovely on you." Fluttershy said with a gentle nod with her friends agreeing with the Pegasi's POV. "Uh, though it looks a bit expensive to purchase but whatever you want is fine."
"Hmmm, you may have a point, Fluttershy. I may have to make my own dresses for me and you girls to wear to the festival."
"Twilight, oh Twilight," Boris's voice calls out. Twilight's eyes shrink in alarm as she saw Boris and his goons heading their way. Her friends are startled as she begins pushing them aside.
"Let's go, come on, no need for us to dawdle. Come on!" Twilight exclaims quickly; The female purple unicorn for some reason sure wants to leave and away from those guys.
Suddenly the two minions yelp in alarm as an annoyed Boris use his magic to bash his minions' heads together. The boss snaps, "It's 'ponymarine', you two; 'Funny as a screen door on a ponymarine'! You sound like dumb foals when you get it wrong!"
"Ouch, that hurts." Dum-Dum groans while feeling his head.
"Ahem." Applejack said with a sigh. "Mah name is..."
"So anyway, Twilight..." Boris begins to say, trying to ask Twilight out again.
"Look, the princess has already chosen me and my friends to help out in the festival." Twilight groans a bit and in annoyance. "I don't think I have any time for dating."
"Yeah, mommy needs to make sure that things end up being perfect, something that clearly isn't important to you!" Nyx exclaims in agreement. "Wow, I sound like Uncle Shiny when I say that."
"My Celestia, did you really adopt that little monster?" Boris asks in amazement and disbelief. "I mean, shocking!"
"Why is it shocking?" Rainbow asks Boris, frowning as she doesn't like the comment towards Nyx.
"The whole city of Canterlot is talking about it. It's not right for you to be a monster of Nightmare Moon. Sooner or later, she may stab you in the back and begins her Equestria conquest again."
"Boris, you are living in the past." Twilight said to Boris sternly. "My daughter isn't Nightmare Moon anymore. Princess Luna took her powers back as well as the memories, except with Nyx's times with me, my friends and the whatnot. She hasn't try to cause trouble before. Some ponies agree to move on. You, sir, are being primitive."
"Why thank you." Boris said in amusement, not really realizing that he is being insulted.
"Excuse me, Darling. But we aren't introduced." Rarity said while clearing her throat. "My name is..."
"Oh yes, I have heard of the rest of Twilight's good friends. The Pegasis known as Rainbow Dash who made the interesting Sonic Rainbow at the wedding, the shy little Fluttershy and the little Scootaloo. The unicorns whose are the fashion designer Rarity; Love your dresses BTW."
"Thank you, Boris, I appreciate it."
"And her sister Sweetie Belle," Boris said with a chuckle. Pinkie clears her throat while smiling. "Oh yeah, and the rest are the Earth pony filth."
You could hear a needle drop or a magic explosion being heard from a distance the moment Boris called Applejack, Pinkie and Apple Bloom 'Earth pony filth'. Some of the fillies gasps as a glaring Applejack ask, "What did yew called me, Pinkie an' mah sister?"
"Come on, you heard me; Earth pony filth; the peasants of the land, the lower class."
"Lower class," Pinkie Pie whispers as if her feelings are hurt. You can tell with her mane deflating that she is very sad indeed.
"What are yew saying?" Apple Bloom snaps angrily at Boris's remark.
"Oh come on, take a hint, you runt!" Dum-Dum laughs stupidly. "Everyone knows that the Pegasi are the powerful and the unicorns are the magic givers. Earth ponies are only made to give us food and stay out of our way."
"Yeah, thank you Dum-Dum." Boris remarks in amusement.
"Why, o' all 'de biggest lies 'dat Ah have ever heard in mah life!" Applejack growls angrily at what she's hearing. How dare these stallions badmouth the Earth ponies like that! "Earth ponies aren't ones 'ta discriminate here!"
"Yes, the Earth ponies are important in Equestria like we all are!" Fluttershy protests in agreement. "Why, if it weren't for them, Equestria wouldn't been founded."
"Honestly, I don't see why we even need them." Boris comments while looking in a mirror in amusement. "Why else is Canterlot has mostly unicorns and sometimes Pegasi?"
"I don't like your attitude, you jerk!" Rainbow exclaims angrily while Rarity and Fluttershy nods in agreement. Twilight's friends can see why the purple unicorn doesn't like this. His discrimination against Earth ponies can make any pony mad. "It's so happens that Applejack, Pinkie Pie and the other Earth ponies hat we know aren't what you think they are!"
"Right, they provided an important role in Equestria." Twilight said in agreement. "Plus, two of them are my friends!"
"Right, wit' me being theirs," Apple Bloom remarks angrily while hugging Sweetie, Scootaloo and Nyx. "Yew insult me, yew insult them."
"Whoa, whoa, calm down. I am not like most of you ponies. Even I know better than to be continued being shunned like you did when Twilight accuses that fake." Boris remarks with a chuckle, making Twilight's friends and Spike a bit upset.
"Oh, he has to bring that, doesn't he?" Spike mumbles angrily under his breath.
"Come on, time for us to go!" Twilight snaps angrily as she turns and leave. "Nice bumping into you again, Boris, but I am not going to be around if you're going to insult my Earth pony filly friends like that. Come on."
"What? Come on, at least stop and talk a while." Boris insists to Twilight, not wanting a chance for a long time.
"I know what you're up to! I mean, trying to 'pick me up' so you can either have me for yourself or be close to royalty all because of my brother's marriage to Princess Cadance. Well, I am not that like of filly and never will be!"
"Right, so leave mommy alone, you stubborn jerk!" Nyx exclaims in agreement.
"So what, you're going date-less?" Boxco remarks in amusement. "Still pining for that loser who disappeared years ago?"
Hearing that made Twilight stop, looking a bit furious. Boris comments, "And you said that I should let go of the past. That colt is gone, disappeared off the face of Equestria! Why, you better off not waiting for that fool to come back because he's better off dead!"
Boxco and Dum-Dum laughs cruelly along with their boss. But then something terrifying happens: Twilight turns around and growls furiously at the trio, making them stop and look nervous. Then she jumps into the air and goes into some sort of darker mode. Her friends gasps a bit and in concern.
"Here we go again!" Spike exclaims in alarm. The last time that Twilight was this furious was when she found that Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon tricked Nyx into going into the Everfree Forest in hopes to get even with her.
Twilight charges at the trio of cruel stallions, slamming them all into the wall while scaring the Tartarus right out of them, much to the alarm of the ponies watching. She snaps while pointing a hoof at Boris, "Don't... you... DARE say that way about Ben! You are not half the pony that he was and NEVER EVER will be! So don't you ever EVER insult him like that or else, you insensible monster!"
The whole scene went silent; her friends' mouth went open in shock by what Twilight is saying. Boris and his goons were almost close to being terrified out of their minds, the young foals look a bit shocked a bit. After her darker tone down, Twilight begins to trots away ignoring the looks from the other ponies' face.
The others, a bit silent, finally spoke as Rainbow asks, "What the hay is that all about? Who is Ben?"
"Ah don't know... but we're going to find out." Applejack said sternly. Like it or not, Twilight will tell her friends what was bugging her!