Family bonding

"Twilight, calm down!" Celestia yelled, as he held Twilight back from assaulting, and trying to kill, her parents, Luna doing the same with Cadence. Discord was just sitting in a lawn chair in the air with a bag of popcorn watching television. "Any time now, Discord!"

"Why?" he asked. "I figured you two would be able to explain it best. They still don't trust me, after all. Even after all Fluttershy and I have done with them."

"That might have to do with how you're acting, Discord," Chrysalis said.

"That, we can agree on, mother," Luna said, barely holding Cadence back. "Cadenza, calm down and let us explain."

"Bu they're controlling you!" both Twilight and Cadence yelled.

"What makes you think that?" Celestia said.

"Because-well, because those two tried to destroy Equestria. Chrysalis even imprisoned Cadence!" Twilight yelled.

"Did you not wonder why we still had the title of Princess, Twilight Sparkle?" Luna asked. "It is because they still lived. Why do you think I wasn't at Cadence's wedding?"

"But how is Sombra here?" Cadence said. "I saw him explode!"

"If you calm down, we will tell you," Luna said. "Now, both of you, stop acting like foals!"

Grudgingly, Twilight and Cadence stopped trying, that being the keyword, to murder Chrysalis and Sombra, and sat on the floor.

"I imagine you want to know why you saw father die?" Ceestia asked, to which the other two mares nodded. "It was all a ploy. He was actually a kind ruler-"

"Can't say the same for being a father," Luna mumbled.

"-but, when we learned of a seal the entire family had placed on. . . someone we would rather not name, he decided one of us had to be officially dead to the world to keep an eye on Tartarus, where the force was imprisoned. He cast a spell over the ponies there to make them believe him to be a cruel ruler after he had volunteered to do so."

"So he sacrificed himself," Cadence asked.

"I don't buy it," Twilight said, crossing her arms.

Chrysalis chuckled. "I can see why you took Twilight as your student, Celestia. She's just like you when you were her age."

"I was not," Celestia said with a small blush, which got a few chuckles out of all present, even Twilight and Cadence, which helped to lighten the mood, if only slightly.

"Well, if you all are done," Discord, still on his seat, said, "the rest of the family should start arriving soon, so, Cadence, Twilight, please try not to kill mom and dad. For this week, at least."

"I suppose we can at least try," Cadence said. "Doesn't mean we're going to like.

"All we're asking," Luna said. "So, who's going to arrive next?"

Discord put his taloned hand to his chin. "Hm, if I remember correctly, it'll be Aphrodite, Artemis, and Apollo."(1)

Luna nearly sequeled with happiness as she began to jump up and down. "Oh, I can't wait to see Artemis and Apollo. I missed seeing them!"

"Her favorite cousins," Celestia informed Cadence and Twilight. "Really, the only two who gave her attention, much to my sadness that I didn't, before her banishment. Artemis actually visited her from time to time on the moon, if Luna's telling the truth."

"They actually had Celestia's and Luna's jobs before they came of age," Chrysalis said.

"So, when are they going to get here?" Sombra asked Discord.

"A few minutes," he said before the door opened. "Or, right now, I really don't care."

At the door stood three ponies.  The one in the center of the three had a vibrant pink skin, much like Cadence, but her hair and tail were a light brown, and she wore a white gown that went to the floor, her wings furled on her back. On her shoulder was her cutie mark, a simple heart.

The mare to her right had white skin, and silver hair and tail. The edges of her wings could barely be seen. On her back was a quiver and bow, no arrows in the quiver. Along with those two accessories, she had on a pair of faded camouflage pants and a short sleeved, white tank top on.

Her brother, standing on the opposite side of Aphrodite, had a bright, yellow skin and orange hair and tail. He had a sleeveless shirt, which showed his cutie mark that resembled an ancient drawing of the sun, as well as shorts that went to his knees. He had a lyre in his hands.

Before the three of them could say anything, Luna rushed over and hugged Artemis.

"Hey, Lulu," she said. "Been a while, hasn't it?"

"Yes, it has been," Luna said as she released Artemis and hugged Apollo. "Hey, Apollo."

"Hey, Luna," the yellow alicorn said. "Good to see that you're off the moon. Shame, I liked the scenery. Quiet and beautiful"

Luna chuckled. "It  has been a while, hasn't it, Apollo?" Luna then released him and have Aphrodite a small hug, to which the pink alicorn gave Luna a small peck on her cheek.

"Hello, Luna," she said, compassion in her voice. "I missed you."

"I missed you too, auntie," Luna said with a smile. "You are my favorite aunt, after all."

"I know, Luna," Aphrodite said as she pushed a lock of Luna's hair out of the lunar alicorn's face. She then looked at her other niece. "Hello, Celestia. How have you been?"

Celestia smiled a little and joined her sister in hugging their aunt. "Just fine, Auntie. How have the three of you been?"

"Good, Celly," Apollo said. "How's the sun?"

"Temperamental as always, Apollo, just like when you gave me the responsibility of raising and lowering it."

"But I thought you always raised the sun," Twilight said, getting the attention of the three arrivals.

"I guess that's your student, Celestia?" Artemis said as she walked over to Twilight, sizing her up. "I can see her magic potential."

"What do you mean?" Twilight said.

"Ah, a lesson I had planned for you for just after the reunion, Twilight," Celestia said. "Alicorns, with training, can see latent magical auras of other ponies, or any being for that matter. That's why she is such a good hunter."

Both Twilight and Cadence put on a look of disgust on their faces. "She hunts?"

"I am the alicorn of archery, and archery is a skill for hunting," she said. "What did you think this was for?" She pulled the tip of her bow, making it snap back with a twang.

"Recreation," Cadence said sheepishly.

Artemis just stared at the two of them, and then chuckled. "I like you two. I can see why Celly made you two a part of the family."

"Th-thanks," Twilight said nervously, to which Apollo chuckled.

"It's alright," he said. "She tends to be a little hostile to anyone she meets, family or not." He promptly ducked under a magic arrow Artemis fired from her bow.

"Please shut up, Apollo," she said. "There's a reason I try to hit you every time we go out hunting together, and that would be your big mouth."

"Would you two please stop," Aphrodite asked. "Your father asked me to look after you two until he could get here, and I don't want to explain to him why Apollo has an arrow through his chest."

"Fine, auntie," Artemis said as she put her bow back on. "Don't want the others to get here and Apollo to have an arrow brought on by his stupidity."

"Thank you, Artemis," Aphrodite said as she released her nieces and walked over to Cadence, who shrunk a little. "Hello, Cadence," she said.

"Hi," was all Cadence could say. "Um, if I can ask, why is your cutie mark a heart like mine?"

Aphrodite chuckled. "Because I was the alicorn of love before you," she said. "I stepped down a few years after you met Celestia, knowing you'd be able to handle the responsibilities."

"What," Cadence asked. "I'm your replacement?"

"No, my dear," Aphrodite said. "You are my successor. I watched you before Celestia had met you, and it was I who gave Celestia the spell that allows you to control love, as well as other skills you have yet to learn." She chuckled. "But that can wait. For now, we have fun!"