//------------------------------// // The Meet-Up // Story: Princess Preparatory // by Melody Song //------------------------------// Thorax and Pharynx stepped off their carriage followed by the three students. Celestia, Luna, Ember, and Tempest waited outside, standing with five girls. Four of the five wore simple shirts and jeans, one wearing a blue and yellow patterned jacket. The last wore a skirt and polo top. "Twily!" Spike and Shining ran for the girl in the skirt, who laughed and hugged them. "Hi guys." "Fleetfoot!" Dark Shooter ran to her, and the girl with white-ice blue hair gasped. "Dark?!" she was pulled into a hug by the boy. "Hey." Pharynx greeted their friends. "Hello Phar." Tempest said, giving him a half-smile. This, by Tempest's standards, was equal to a full smile. "Sorry about the sudden invite of the students, but Fleetfoot seemed very upset, and I couldn't deny her close friends a chance to comfort her." Luna apologized. "Not a problem Lulu. I figured Shining and Spike would like to see their sister anyway." Thorax replied. "This guy. Even when we're supposed to be taking a break he finds a way to drag work into it." Pharynx added. "Hmm. Reminds me of Em and Tia." Lulu teased. "Hey!" all three exclaimed together, drawing the attention of the kids. "I'm not that big of a workaholic, not nearly as much as Tia." Ember objected. "And I was only trying to help, Pharynx. I didn't offer to bring them on a whim." Thorax added. "Oh, sure." Pharynx rolled his eyes, making Tempest laugh. "I don't know what you're talking about Em, I am not a workaholic." Celestia objected, crossing her arms. "Mm. Pouting's not a good look for you Tia. Just accept it and move on." Luna said, smiling at her sister. "Um, Professors, are-are we going in?" Twilight asked. "Yes, Twilight. Thank you." Celestia walked past her friends and held open the door. "We should introduce the girls to you two." Luna said, then gestured to each one. "Spitfire Flare, Princess of the Fire Kingdom, Fleetfoot Frost, Princess of the Ice Kingdom. Rainbow Dash and Daring Do, Princesses of the Light Kingdom. Twilight, like her brothers, is from this village." They took their seats at the tables. "Hey Twi, remember how we used to come here and get a new doughnut each time?" Shining asked. "Oh, she told us about that. You were trying to eat them all at least once, right?" Rainbow Dash asked. "Yeah. Should we keep up the tradition?" Shining Armor asked, and Thorax noticed him pull out his wallet. "I don't know, it doesn't feel the same without Minuette, Twinkleshine, Lemon Hearts, and Moondancer." Twilight sighed. "Nevermind then." Shining shrugged. "Shining, you don't have to pay." Thorax said gently as Shining set his wallet on the table. "So, you two are on first-name terms with your students?" Ember asked. "They are?" Twilight glanced at her brothers. "Not me." Dark Shooter corrected, staying by his sister and her three friends. They noticed his sister had tear streaks running down her face. "We play-" Thorax was suddenly jabbed in the ribs by Pharnyx. "We've...talked before." "Mm-hmm." Luna hummed disbelievingly. The group got their doughnuts and began talking. Shining and Spike were telling Twilight about what was going on with them. "What about you Twily?" Shining asked, while the adults had their own conversation. "Well, Fluttershy's being more assertive now. And Rainbow, Spit, and Fleet invited Daring to join their soccer club." "I can't see myself being very useful. Adventures are more my speed. Soccer's a whole other thing." Daring added, taking a bite of the doughnut. "Adventures?" Pharynx asked, and Daring looked up, nodding. "Yeah. I'm an adventurer, I protect my kingdom from threats while my sisters stay in the public eye. Kind of works out since with this hair no one really thinks I belong in the light kingdom." Daring ran a hand through her black and gray hair. "Which is just a load of baloney. You're as much their Princess as me." Rainbow added. "Those four are the only students in my self-defense class. Quite good too, if they weren't poised to take over their kingdoms I'd recommend them for knight training." "I'd accept that recommendation." Fleetfoot murmured, breaking her doughnut in half. "I'm not taking over my kingdom anyway." "Why not?" Thorax asked. "Our parents want me to." Dark Shooter explained. "That's the thing we needed to discuss with you two." Luna said, and Pharynx leaned in. "It appears that Fleetfoot and Dark Shooter's parents have been abusive to their daughter." "Why one child and not the other?" Pharynx asked. "That's what I said." Spitfire remarked, reaching to put her hand over Fleetfoot's. "They think Fleetfoot is less important, that just because she's not a girly type of princess she's in some way less than perfect." Dark Shooter explained. "It's not just that." Luna added, looking softly at Fleetfoot. "Daring has told me a secret, surely you have learned that I won't speak of it if you do not wish me to." "I'll tell them." Fleetfoot sighed, then looked away. "How exactly do you 'tell' it?" Rainbow asked, getting elbowed by Daring. "I have a lithp." Fleetfoot stated. "And?" Pharynx asked. "I mean, that doesn't mean anything." "We keep telling her." Spitfire said, smiling at Fleetfoot. "Our parents don't like it, they told her not to talk in front of other royals. Or pretty much anyone else. They don't know she talks while at school." Dark Shooter filled them in. "What should we do about this?" Celestia asked them. "All I know is this was supposed to be a break for Thorax's sake and now we're solving some family's relationship problem." "Pharynx..." Thorax warned, gritting his teeth. "What? It's true." "Not. Right. Now." Thorax emphazised. Luna and Celestia glanced between the two, then Luna looked at the kids. However, before Luna could open her mouth, Twilight spoke. "Um...Headmistress Celestia, would it be alright for Shining, Spike, and I to show them around the village? We'll come back soon." "Of course, go ahead. We'll take care of the food." Luna allowed. "Come on." Twilight stood up, and they followed. "Where will you show us first?" Rainbow asked. "How about the park?" Shining suggested. "Yeah, great idea. I told them all about how you and Cadence had your first kiss there..." "You...what?!" Shining's spluttering could be heard as they left the shop. "Okay, now please fill us in on what you were talking about." Luna said, and Pharynx began to explain. "Thorax is overworked from running the school and a kingdom, and I figured this was the best way to take a much-needed break." Pharynx explained. "Oh, Thor, why didn't you tell anyone?" Ember took his hand gently. "S-sorry." Thorax ducked his head and Ember leaned on his shoulder. "Yes, sorry Thorax, we shouldn't have made you feel like you needed to help." Celestia said. "I-I just was having one of those days. To be honest, I thought helping you would remind me of my role." Thorax admitted. "Thor, next time just tell us." Pharynx emphasized. "Heh. Sorry." Thorax chuckled, and they all stood up, and hugged him. "Stop apologizing Thor." Ember murmured, kissing his cheek lightly. They finished eating, paid for the food, then left to find the kids. They first found Rainbow Dash and Daring Do, who were skipping stones across the lake. "Ha! Longest yet!" Rainbow pumped her fist in excitement. "Sorry, but calculating wind, weight of the stone, angle thrown, and the distance of the lake..." Daring flung her stone, which skidded across the lake before sinking. "I win." "Aw come on!" Rainbow kicked the grass angrily. "And that is why it pays to have brains along with the brawn." Daring tapped the side of her head, grinning. "Where are the others?" Celestia asked "They got bored of watching us. They went over there." Rainbow pointed to the trees, where they found the siblings and Dark Shooter. "So then, Shining and Cadence were so close and I mean, like, this close-" "Stop." Shining moaned. "How do you even know about that?" "I'm your sister." Twilight responded. "Where are Spitfire and Fleetfoot?" Luna asked, and Spike pointed a few feet away. "They went over there." "I think they're busy." Rainbow joked, and Daring snorted in laughter. "What-?" Thorax went forward and pushed the branches aside. Spitfire and Fleetfoot were sitting under a tree, Fleetfoot resting in Spitfire's arms. Spitfire had put her jacket over Fleetfoot's shoulders, and was talking in a low voice to her. Pharynx barged right past Thorax and froze at the sight of the two, realizing he just interrupted something. Spitfire and Fleetfoot jumped apart from each other and Fleetfoot let the jacket fall. "Sorry." Spitfire mumbled, walking past them, Fleetfoot following after picking up the jacket. "This could have been avoided if you just told everyone the truth from the start." Twilight remarked. "Shut up." Spitfire snarled, and Twilight backed away. "It's okay." Celestia assured her. "Although I suppose this explains why you two were so eager to have a room to yourselves." Spitfire and Fleetfoot blushed, and Daring cleared her throat. "I-uh, when I moved in with them I promised I wouldn't bring it up as long as they didn't try to...you know..." Daring trailed off. "Well, let's go back then." Celestia sighed. "Alright you three, back to your dorms before anyone catches you and wonders where we took you." Pharynx ordered. The boys thanked them, said goodnight, then headed up the stairs to their dorms. "Phar, why did you stop me from telling the others that we play Ogres and Oubliettes?" "Because I know Temp would have laughed at me. Come on little bro, let's go to bed." "She wouldn't have." Thorax insisted. "How do you know?" "Because she likes you. She wouldn't do anything to hurt you." "She does, doesn't she..." Pharynx then realized what Thorax was implying and turned. "Now I'm really gonna kill you." "Eh, worth it. I needed this. Thanks Phar." Thorax hugged Pharynx, expecting him to struggle and break away. Pharynx only hugged Thorax when he felt like it, not the other way around. But surprisingly, Pharynx hugged back, and Thorax smiled. "Okay, you survive, for now. But don't think I'll forget this mister." Pharynx warned, breaking the hug. "I'm confident you won't." Thorax laughed, then headed to his room, hearing Pharynx retire to his own chambers.