Author's Note

Our favorite chaotic snake makes his appearance in this chapter. I hope you enjoy it.

Chapter II: The Visit

"Well, everything is set," Twilight observed as she signed a scroll levitating in her magic before turning to Cadence. "Sunshine Glimmer will steward over Equestria in my absence, and we have more than enough time for everything."

"Still the master organizer as ever," Cadence giggled.

"You know me," Twilight blushed. "Ever since I could read, I've been organizing everything from books to bedsheets." Cadence smiled at the grown mare Twilight had become as she remembered when Twilight was half the size she is now. Tall. Slim yet, curved. Regal and beautiful. Cadence has grown over the years as well. In fact, all the alicorns have grown into similar stature as Celestia, but each offered their own unique charm. If you were to judge the princesses on their silhouettes alone, you would never tell them apart but, with their flowing manes and tails, coat colors, and of course, their cutie marks, all five of the alicorns offered something unique and beautiful in their own right.

"Well, are we ready to go?" Cadence asked with a smile as she walked up to Twilight.

"Normally, I would panic about last-minute details I might've overlooked," Twilight began as she smiled.

"But, now you never miss a beat," Cadence finished, earning a proud yet humble smile from the lavender alicorn. "Is there anything you need to pack before the trip?"

"No," Twilight answered. "I've got all I need." They smiled at each other.

"Then let's get going," Cadence said. With that, the two alicorns grabbed a couple of bags with their magic and left Twilight's private chambers.

"Your highness," one of the guards said as he stood at the ready. "We stand ready to guide you on your journey!"

"That won't be necessary, good sirs," Twilight replied with a smile.

"But, your highness," the guard began to protest. "It is the duty of the royal guard to-"

"Silver Shield," Twilight interjected. "I'm well aware of your responsibilities and am truly grateful for your dedication." Silver opened his mouth to protest before a familiar draconaquus appeared beside him, making the guard jump in shock.

"No need to worry, my dear friend!" Discord said with a smile as he draped his eagle claw over the guard's back. "Our beloved princesses have been through thick and thin just fine without the aid of the royal guard!" Discord pulled away as he wiped away a tear. "Makes me so proud!" Twilight shook her head with a smile on her face.

"Shall I dispose of this pest, your highness?" Silver queried with a glare.

"Stand down, Silver," Cadence ordered with a smile of her own. The guard stood at ease.

"Discord will be accompanying us on our journey," Twilight explained. Discord offered a respectful yet dramatic bow.

"At your service, m'lady!" he proclaimed proudly. Twilight giggled. Over the years, she grew to appreciate the draconaquus's antics. Even after Fluttershy reformed Discord, Twilight never trusted Discord. He never gave up his chaotic nature and, which led to several instances she felt he betrayed her and her friends. It was not until after all of Equestria was threatened by the combined forces of Queen Chrysalis, Tirek, and Cosey Glow that Discord proved his loyalty to not only Equestria but to Twilight as the high princess.

"Ready to go, Discord?" Cadence asked.

"Oh, I've been ready from the moment Celestia sent the letter!" Discord proclaimed in excitement. Twilight smiled at Discord. She knew Fluttershy was his closest friend up until the day of her passing. He must have taken it hard, though he never showed his pain. If ever there was a time he would open up about it, she would be there for him. He proved he would be there for her in her hour of need, so it only seemed fair she would return the favor.

"Then, let's get going," Twilight said happily. Discord suddenly appeared between Twilight and Cadence.

"Allow me!" He grabbed them by the torsos.

"Discord, wait!" Cadence cried out, but it was too late. In a flash of light, all three found themselves in a grassy field. "Discord, we needed to go pick up Flurry first!" Cadence explained.

"My dear Cadence," Discord began with a smiled on his face and a lion paw on his chest, "where do you think I brought us?" Cadence looked around to find they were outside the Crystal Empire. She narrowed her eyes before she looked at him.

"You couldn't have teleported us inside the castle?" Cadence asked in annoyance.

"And miss out on an opportunity to have fun with you?" Discord asked as he pinched her chin. Twilight only giggled as she took a step forward.

"You know Discord loves to have his fun, Cadence," Twilight observed. Soon, Cadence broke a smile.

"Alright," Cadence relented. "But, can you teleport us inside? I'd hate to get the crystal ponies worked up at the sight of a draconaquus." Discord hung his head so much; it fell off his neck onto the ground.

"I agree with Cadence, Discord," Twilight added. "Everyone's used to you being at Canterlot, not the Crystal Empire. It might cause a panic."

"But, I'm with the two most powerful figures in all of Equestria," Discord protested as he picked his head up and held it under an arm like a basketball. "If I'm with the high princess and her closest friend, it won't cause too much of a problem."

"Discord, I know you're the spirit of disharmony," Twilight began, "but we're not here for you to have fun. We're only here to pick up my niece, then head straight for Silver Shoals." Discord snorted before he put his head back on his neck like a helmet, then snapped his eagle claws. All three appeared in the court hall.

"Oh, fine," Discord sighed as he folded his arms. "Spoilsports."

"Aunt Twilight!" a young female voice screamed with joy. Twilight and Cadence looked up to find a full-grown Flurry Heart flying straight for them. Twilight smiled at the younger alicorn as she braced for the tackle. The force from Flurry's charge sent them flying onto the ground in a fit of giggles. "Oh, aunt Twilight, I've missed you!" Flurry cried out with joy as she hugged the lavender alicorn tightly. Cadence chuckled as she walked over to the couple on the floor. Even Discord cracked a smile at the youngest alicorn's enthusiasm.

"I've missed you too, Flurry," Twilight replied as she returned the hug.

"Okay, young lady," Cadence said through her giggles. Flurry had grown to be quite the beautiful mare, always acting composed and regal to show her status as the Crystal Princess. However, she always became a child again whenever she saw her aunt. "You know you're going to see your aunt all week, so let her up." Flurry looked at her mother with a pout.

"Aw, but it's been forever since I last saw her!" Flurry cried.

"You just saw her last week," Cadence chuckled. Twilight enjoyed the interaction. Given her position as the princess of Equestria, she cherished these moments. However, as with everything else, the moment had to come to an end, and Flurry picked herself off Twilight.

"It's still wonderful to see you, aunt Twilight!" Flurry smiled at Twilight as she pulled herself off the ground. Twilight loved Flurries tackle hugs, but she would never do such a thing to Celestia. Discord appeared between the three.

"What? No hug for your uncle Discord?" he asked with a smile as he opened his mixed forelimbs. Flurry chuckled as she wrapped her forelegs around his long, brown body.

"It's great to see you too, Dissy," Flurry offered.

"Oh, what a wonderfully chaotic nickname!" Discord purred as he hugged the youngest alicorn. Twilight and Cadence smiled at the two as they embraced for a minute before Cadence stepped up.

"Are you all set to go?" Cadence asked.

"Yes," Flurry answered proudly. "My steward is ready to lead, and all my subjects have been notified about my absence." Cadence smiled proudly.

"That's my girl!"

"So, can we go now?!" Flurry asked as she bounced like a little filly. Twilight beamed at Flurry. She grew up to be an excellent ruler, but she was never afraid to act like a child whenever she got the chance. Seeing family and friends always brought out her inner child unless they were in the presence of others.

"Then, let's get going!" Discord stated as he held his eagle claw.

"Don't you think we should-" Twilight began to protest.

Snap.

A flash of light and the four found themselves outside a town but the seaside, far enough out of sight so that no creature took notice of their arrival. Off in the distance stood a single house on a hill. The house was close enough for regular trips to the main town but far enough away so the residents would not be bothered.

"... let them know we're coming?" Twilight finished her sentence before she realized they were already there. She hung her head with a sigh. "Why do I bother?"

"Now, cheer up, Twilight!" Discord said as he appeared around her neck. "It's not often we all get to see our old friends, Celestia and Luna, at the same time!" Twilight could not help but smile at his observation. He was right. Twilight made efforts to see her former mentor as often as she could, and so did Cadence, Flurry, and Discord on their own times, but the opportunity rarely occurred for all four of them to visit the sisters at once. However, this was an extremely rare occasion.

Before anyone could say anything else, Twilight, Cadence, and Discord looked up to find Flurry flying toward the cottage at top speed. "Auntie Celestia! Auntie Luna!" Flurry called out. Cadence and Twilight flew after her.

"Flurry, keep quiet!" Cadence called out.

"Not to worry, Princess," Discord proclaimed from atop her head. "Thanks to my magic, no one can see or hear us." This did nothing to ease Cadence's worries.

The three got to the cottage to find the front door already opened, and they could hear laughter coming from inside. Twilight walked into the cottage with a smile on her face as Cadence followed with a miniature Discord on her head. They found Celestia laying on her back with Flurry on top of her in a tight hug, both laughing joyfully as Luna joined into the pile.

"Now, isn't that a beautiful sight!" Discord proclaimed as he vanished from Cadence's head and reappeared around the trio, pulling them all into a snake-hug.

"Hello to you too, Discord!" Celestia chimed. Twilight walked up with a beam on her face.

"Celestia!" Twilight called, getting the eldest alicorn's attention.

"Princess Twilight!" Celestia said with a smile. Discord let the three go as Flurry hopped off Celestia as both the alabaster alicorn walked over to give her former student a warm hug. Luna walked up behind her older sister with a smile her own smile.

"How many times must I ask you to call me Twilight?" Twilight asked. Celestia giggled.

"Just for old times sake, my dear," Celestia countered as she smiled at Twilight. Twilight turned to the navy-blue alicorn, politely waiting for her turn.

"It's wonderful to see you too, Luna," Twilight proclaimed as she pulled Luna into a hug.

"My dear friend, Twilight," Luna beamed. "It's always a pleasure to see you." After their hug, they smiled at each other. As Luna and Twilight offered each other greetings, Celestia turned to Cadence and gave her a warm hug before Luna followed.

"Looks like everyone's here," Celestia observed. "Would any of you care for some tea?"

"I would like that very much," Twilight smiled.

"Yes, please," Cadence agreed.

"I want some!" Flurry cheered.

"I'm not in the mood for tea, so naturally, I'd be glad to accept," Discord smiled. The four alicorns giggled at Discord's chaotic nature before Celestia and Luna guided them to the lounge.

"Make yourselves at home," Luna said as she offered them all a seat while Celestia continued into the kitchen beyond. Twilight, Cadence, and Flurry found a seat while Luna planted herself on the loveseat across from them. Discord, however, sat upsidedown on the ceiling.

"We can't tell you how happy we are to have you here for this," Luna stated with a smile on her face. "And so quickly, too."

"Was there any doubt?" Cadence offered. "Twilight is a master of organization, so something like this was a walk in the park for her." Twilight blushed at the compliment.

"And what about you?" Luna asked Cadence.

"Flurry's the one who makes the calls at the empire now," Cadence answered as she smiled at her daughter.

"And I learned from the best princesses in all of Equestria!" Flurry declared cheerfully. Luna giggled at the youngest alicorn's enthusiasm.

"So," Twilight piped up. "What made you two decide to do this?"

"Luna and I have been close since the day she was born," Celestia answered as she walked in with a tray levitating in her golden magic.

"Not the whole time, Tia," Luna countered with a look of shame on her muzzle.

"There have been rough patches," Celestia replied as she set the tray on the table between the seats and offered a glass to all their guests. "However, we still stayed true to each other," Celestia added with a smile as she sat next to her sister. "Every relationship has rough patches, and ours is no exception." Luna beamed as Celestia planted a kiss on her cheek.

Twilight smiled at the two. Ever since she and her friends rescued Luna from her curse, she knew Celestia and Luna were close. Their relationship only grew stronger since that day. Little did Twilight know the two got into several arguments over the years. Most of the time, they just bickered over simple things, but no matter how bad it got, they always came back to each other with the same love and devotion they always had for each other.

Celestia turned to Cadence and opened her mouth to say something, only to bite her lip when Cadence shook her head. Celestia giggled and offered Cadence a reassuring smile. Twilight glanced between the two. "What's going on with you two?" she asked herself.

"Oh, Celestia," Discord chimed in from the ceiling. "You simply must tell us about the proposal!"

"Yes!" Flurry cheered. "Tell us, auntie!" Luna blushed while Celestia giggled.

"Yes," Twilight added with a smile as she broke from her thoughts. "I'm curious myself as to how it all played out. I bet you proposed to Luna, didn't you, Celestia." Twilight beamed at her former mentor.

"Actually, Luna proposed to me," Celestia explained with a smile. Twilight blinked while Cadence smiled, and Discord spat tea out of his nose.