Note: This chapter has been re-written. Any quotes and references to contents to the chapter that don't line up with the current chapter are to be taken as a part of that re-write. Thank you, and enjoy.

The two of them stared at each other, taking in various details about the other. Both of them seemed frozen, neither willing to make the first move. Finally, Scootaloo said, “R-rainbow Dash?”

“Hey”, she said. “Long time no see, eh?”

“W-what happened to you?”, Scootaloo said.

“It’s, it’s a long story,'' Rainbow said. “Come on. We can talk about it over dinner.” She gestured to a table behind her, covered with several platters of food.

“Yeah, but can you come and let my parents in? The guards said they wouldn’t let them in, and they want to see you again, too”, Scootaloo said.

Rainbow cocked her head. “I don’t think I’ve met your parents before.”

“Oh, I think you have,'' she said, somewhat sarcastically.

Rainbow said, “Alright then. I’ll go talk to the Decurion. You can stay here if you want.”

“I, I think I’ll come with you. Prevent something happening that you won’t really like”, Scootaloo said.

Rainbow was still a bit confused but decided to just see who they were. She headed out of the tent, with Scootaloo following her. As they made their way along the makeshift road of the camp, several of her troops stepped to the side, saluting before they continued with their tasks. Scootaloo said, “Jeez. These guys respect you, don’t they?”

“Yeah. Most of them have served under me for years,” Rainbow said.

Scootaloo said, “I’m still trying to get over you being a soldier. I just never could’ve seen you as a soldier.”

“‘You never know what the future holds, save that change will be a constant’”, Rainbow quoted.

“Huh?”, Scootaloo asked.

Rainbow chuckled and said, “It’s a quote from Drucius the Wise, a Caesar of the Pryhan Empire from about twelve-hundred years ago. He’s known as a philosopher, and has a bunch of quotes like that.”

“Since when did you start quoting old people?”, Scootaloo said, before giggling.

Rainbow shrugged, before replying, “I had a lot of time on my talons a few years ago, before I was involved in the Pryhan army.”

“Why’d you have a lot of free time on your hoov-er, talons?”, Scootaloo said, swallowing lightly as she looked over her idol.

Rainbow said, “I’ll tell you about it in a bit. We’re here.” They arrived at the gate, with a pair of her soldiers standing guard. “So, Scoots. Where are your-GAAH!!”

She was suddenly tackled, sending her sprawling on her back. She hissed as she fell on some of her old scars, before opening her eyes only for them to widen further. She was greeted by her parents, hugging and sobbing into her cloak and armor. She squeaked out over their strangling, “Mom!? Dad!?”

Her dad said, “Oh, Dashie!”

“We’re so glad you’re home!”, her mom said, sobbing along with her dad.

“Ca-can’t breathe!”, she said.

Her parents began to back up, stopping suddenly. Looking past them, Rainbow saw the pair of sentries with their swords at the backs of their heads. One of them said, “Praetor. Are you ok?”

“I’m fine,” she said, standing up and brushing herself off. “Now, back to your posts.”

The other one said, “But, Praetor. They-”

“They’re my parents. Overly enthusiastic ones, but my parents none-the-less. Now, fall to command,” She said. The two of them nodded and saluted, before backing off and heading back to their posts. “Mom, dad. This is a pleasant surprise. What’re you doing here?”

“Well, you invited your sister to dinner, and we figured we’d-”, her dad said, before Rainbow interrupted him.

“Wait wait wait. Sister!?”, she basically yelled. “When did this happen?”

“About two years after you were exiled”, her mom said.

Scootaloo seemed to catch onto an idea that might be in Rainbow’s head. She said, “T-they didn’t do it to replace you. I was living on my own, and they gave me a home.”

“You were living on your own?”, Rainbow said. “Why didn’t you say anything?”

“I didn’t think you’d think it would be cool”, Scootaloo mumbled.

“That’s a terrible idea,'' Rainbow said, wrapping a wing around her. “Admitting you need help isn’t a sign of not being cool. If you had asked, I would have helped you. Sis.”

Scootaloo smiled widely. “Would it be out of place if I said this is one of the best days of my life?”

“Fuck no,” Rainbow said, smirking. “I always wanted a sibling.”

“Hey!,” a voice yelled from outside the gate. “Uh, can I come in now?”

Rainbow looked up and saw another pegasus outside the entrance of the fort, about fifteen feet in front of the sentries. He had a light grey coat and darker grey mane, who was nervously pawing the ground in front of him.

Rainbow said, “And, who are you?”

Scootaloo said, “That’s Rumble, my colt-friend. Can, he…?”

Rainbow glared at him, noting him smiling sheepishly. She dropped her glare and said, “Well, I was only planning on having Scootaloo over, so I only paid the cook for a small amount of food. But, I fail to see why not. Sentries! Let him in!” As Rumble entered, she said, “Come on. Let’s eat.”

They made their way back down the road, back towards her tent. The two Praetorians outside her tent stiffened and saluted, returning to a normal stance as the last of them entered the tent. Rumble said, “This place is pretty cool.”

“Some Perks of Being a Praetor, and a Triumphator at that,'' she said.

Her mom asked, “A what?”

“Triumphator”, Rainbow said, opening a bottle of wine. “It’s not a rank, but a title. The highest honor in the Empire. And I’m the first one in over five-hundred years.”

“Th-that’s awesome!”, her dad exclaimed. “Oh, our little dashie is always the best!”

“Thanks, dad. I try,” she said, pouring the wine into several cups. “Here.”

“Is that wine?”, Scootaloo asked.

Rainbow then realized that Scootaloo and Rumble would still be underage in Equestria. “Sorry. The legal drinking age in Pryha is lower than in Equestria. I can get some water if you like.”

“Can we, Mr. Hothoof?”, Rumble asked.

Her dad said, “I fail to see why not. Go ahead.”

The four of them grabbed the cups, taking sips of the red liquid. Windy said, “My! This is good!”

Rainbow couldn’t help but grin with pride. She said, “Pryha has a reputation for good wine, among other things. Now, let’s eat.”

They all sat down around the table, the four equestrians looking in amazement at the food. Each of them had a bare plate, with several platters of food in front of them full of various items. One was laden with bread, another with grapes, another with lentils, and another yet with other, various fruits. In the center of the table, there was a large bowl of salad of lettuce, onion, and various herbs covered with a vinaigrette. Rainbow said, “This is a bit plain, for Pryhan dinners, anyway, but I figured you wouldn’t want any meat.”

“Meat!?”, Scootaloo said.

“There isn’t any in the food, trust me.” When she realized that wasn’t what she meant, she chuckled sheepishly. “Right. Me eating it. Like I said, things are different in Pryha. Don't let that stop you from eating; you must be hungry.”

The others looked between themselves, before seemingly overcoming their hesitation and began to put the food on their plates. They began eating, while Rainbow didn’t even touch any of the food. Her dad noticed, and said, “Dashie. You aren’t going to eat anything?”

“I-I’d eaten earlier. I was, just thinking,” she said.

Her mom asked, “About what?”

Rainbow sighed, removing her helmet and setting it on the table. “Just, just about all of this.”

Scootaloo asked, “‘All of this?’. What does that mean?”

“Well, what’s changed”, Rainbow said. “It’s not just the drinking age, the meat; hell, the fucking quote I told you earlier, Scoots. It’s been nine years since I’ve even been here. It’s so much different, I almost don’t even recognize it!”

“That doesn’t mean anything,” her mom said. “You’re still our daughter.”

“I’ve ordered creatures crucified. Had them nailed to crosses and left to die.” As they all gawked in shock, she continued. “I’ve killed hundreds of creatures. The only period of peace I’ve experienced in the Empire has been the past year. Like I said-”

She was interrupted by Scootaloo standing up and walking over to hug her. Rainbow squawked in mild alarm, but before she could say anything, Scootaloo said, “I don’t care.”

“B-but I-”

“You’re still my sister, and mom and dad's daughter. I don’t care if you came back as something from a Power Ponies comic, as long as you’re my sister. We’re family, and I don’t care. Don’t blame yourself.”

Rainbow opened her mouth to reply, but stopped before any sound came out. She sighed and leaned into the hug. When Scootaloo released her, she said, “Well, I guess I was right about what I was planning on doing.”

“What were you planning on doing?,” her mom asked.

“Well, I didn’t know Scootaloo was my sister,” Rainbow said. “So, I guess you’re going to have to settle to be my son's aunt instead of his godmother.”

Shit then hit the fan.

“WHAT!?,” Her parents yelled, standing up and gawking.

Rainbow cleaned out her ear with a talon, before saying, “Geez. Can you keep it down? That was fucking loud.”

“You have a son!?”, her dad yelled.

Rainbow smirked, and said, “Yeah. That's why I had all that free time a few years ago I told you about, Scoots. Hold on; I got a photo.” She reached into the pocket of her tunic, pulling out a small piece of paper. She unfolded it and showed it to her parents. “There. Right next to me.”

Her mom said, “D’awww.” She then straightened up and froze, seeming to realize something. “I’m a grandmother.”

“Are you ok, Missus Whistles?”, Rumble asked.

“I’M A GRANDMOTHER!”, she yelled.

Her dad pointed with a wing, and asked her, “Who’s that?”

“That”, Rainbow said, preparing herself for the yelling. “Is my husband, Castus.”

True to her expectations, her parents both yelled, “YOU’RE MARRIED!?”

After her ears stopped ringing, she said, “Yeah. Our anniversary is in about four months.”

Her dad grabbed her with his wings. “When are we getting to meet them?”

She snorted, before saying, “Don’t worry. I was planning on using this opportunity to take you to come meet them. I just figured you'd be in Cloudsdale, not in Ponyville. So, after the campaign is over, are you willing to come with me to meet them?”

“Are you kidding me!?”, her dad said.

Her mom said, “We wouldn’t miss meeting our daughter's family for the world!”

“Thanks”, she said, swirling the wine around in her cup. She raised the cup, smiling. “To family!”

The others grabbed their cups and repeated the toast. “To family!”