//------------------------------// // Before the meeting // Story: Legends of the Mane Six : FIRST BOOK // by Cedric Inuzuka //------------------------------// Big thank to Kidak for pre reading this chapter CHAPTER ONE: Before the meeting Twilight Sparkle was not worried. She had no reason to be troubled, right? This is not a summons from princess Celestia without any other indication that would make her nervous and playing with the hood of her purple robe was perfectly logical for her. “I swear to Celestia and Luna, if you move your hood one more time, I'll cut it” launched a sweet voice behind her. The unicorn turned and saw a golden pegasi. “Oh, it's you Spitfire, are you lost? Again...” “Because I went to the library one time doesn't mean I was lost.” “Keep saying that, and maybe one day somepony will believe it.” “Whatever, were you summoned by the princesses too? And by looking at how you're nervous, you don't know why?” “I'M NOT NERVOUS!” shouted the unicorn who then spoke with a tiny voice “do you know something about the summons?” Spitfire took a few moments to answer and simply said “no but I have some suspicions...” she couldn't finish because a purple mare was in front of her and she was forced to take a step back. “REALLY, please tell me, what is it? The princess isn’t happy with my work ? Did I miss an assignment? Did...” the last question was gently shut down by a golden wing in the muzzle. “Please sweetie, it is always cute when you're speaking a thousand words a second, but calm down a bit and perhaps I will tell you” Spitfire said, while she withdrew her wing from Twilight's face. Twilight rubbed her snout with a hoof then asked “don't call me sweetie and what do you mean 'perhaps'?” “I don't know, to give you free intelligence, it's too easy, don't you think?” answered the smiling pegasi. The purple mare sighed “right, what do you want in exchange for this information?” 'Yes, finally a chance' thought Spitfire. “Easy, you and me” she said while showing herself, with her right hoof, then Twilight  “after the meeting, we going to have a da...” “STOP RIGHT THERE, PEGASUS SCUM!” shouted a strong voice. The two mares turned toward the source of the scream and saw a strong and handsome unicorn who was wearing heavy plate armor like it was nothing. 'Darn so close, by the way why is her brother here?'thought Spitfire. “Hey Shining Armor, don't tell me the captain of the paladins, which is the second best platoon behind the wonderbolts, is spying on his little sister ?” “I'm just protecting her from mare like you” answered the white stallion. “Like what? A pegasi?” “You know what I talking about, your reputation with mares must be known in all Equestria...”answered Shining with a sufficient air. “Wait, what reputation?” interrupted Twilight. “...Or not.” Shining finished. Spitfire approached and stood in front of him, even if she was one head and a half shorter, she raised her left wing and slapped him. “Sometimes I wonder how you two are related, but I am also relieved to know that she isn't like you.” “DON'T YOU DARE TOUCH ME WITH YOUR FILTHY WING!” Shining shouted, loading his horn with magic. Spitfire, for her part, took off and was ready to dive on him but at the last moment Twilight teleported herself between the two captains. “I can't believe you two, you're the captains of two respected platoons and you are acting like two foals, but first” said the younger unicorn, who was now facing her brother “you will stop this nonsense...” “What nonsense?” the stallion interrupted. “Do I look stupid? Do you think princess Celestia would have chose me if I wasn't smart? Please don't answer and let me finish. I know what you're up to, or should I say what our dear father and mother ask you to do, but for your information and our parents too, I am of age so leave me alone, I'm old enough to know what I'm doing.” “Of age? Please you're just out of your fillyhood, you're not old eno...” Shining couldn't finish his sentence as a closed zipper replaced his lips. “Did I say you can talk?” asked Twilight, after one dirty look to her brother, she turned  to the other pony. “Now Spitfire, what were you saying before we were interrupted? Something about after the meeting?” “Oh yeah that right, I was saying that after the meeting we can...” “TTTTWWWWWWWIIIIIIILLLLLLIIIIIIIIIGGGGGHHHHHTTTTTT!!!”cried a voice which belonged to a blue tornado whose flight ended just in front of the purple mare. Twilight, surprised by the sudden appearance of the blue pegasi, emitted a small squeal and with a jump went hiding behind Spitfire. “SOARIN', FOR LUNA'S SAKE!” shouted the golden mare, she was wondering what went wrong, he should have been down for more than half an hour 'and it isn't for lack of trying to hit hard.' “What?” simply answered the stallion while shoving Shining with his right hoof “and what happened to big bro? Why are his lips are zipped?” “It's a long story, but where were you? I've been looking for you since after the training session” “You mustn’t been looking to hard since you had time to put your silver armor on” “Sorry but when the princesses summons us I will not be wearing my training suit and by the way you can’t speak, you're wearing your armor too.” accused the captain of the Wonderbolts. “I didn’t wear it for the princesses, I wear it for Twily and our date.” “WHAT!?” yelled the two mares and one stallion if he could do it. “MHMHMHMHMHHHMMHMHMHMHM” the white unicorn tried to speak but the spell wouldn't budge. “What is it big bro? You’re giving me your blessing? Thank you.” said Soarin' then turned towards Twilight or perhaps the trembling part that was not hidden behind Spitfire. “So Twily, what do you think? You and me after the ARGH...” he could not finish his request because a baseball bat met the back of his skull. On hearing the dull sound of impact, Twilight turned and saw Spitfire with a bat in half in her left hoof and Soarin' on the ground with a bump behind his head. “What just happened?” “Oh just something that awaited him for quite some time.” answered the pegasi while she checked her second in command with her fore hoof, just to be sure she didn't hit him too hard or at least she didn't kill him. “If you say so...” the purple unicorn answered while she turned toward her brother “Shining, I will remove the spell but only and I say only if you will behave, is that clear? Shake your head if you're understand.” The stallion could do nothing but to shake his head and after a purple flash he could speak again. “Spitfire, could you wake up your underling so I can put him in jail?” “What! No way, He didn't commit any crime” “He tried to have a date with my sister, that make him a criminal in my eyes.” “You can't send a pony in jail because he tried to get a date with me” interrupted Twilight, “and Spitfire had already punished him, thank you by the way.” “You're welcome. Hey Shining, where is Cadance? I thought the captain of the paladins will come with the captain of the royal mages?” “That’s princess Mi Amore Cadenza and don't talk to me like that, you're just a commoner and I'm from one of the noble and oldest pureblood fam...” and for the second time Shining couldn't finish his sentence as a closed zipper replaced his lips. “Didn't I warn you to hold your tongue, brother of mine?” “Thank Twilight, I thought I was going to hit another home run” Said Spitfire while she put down the rest of her bat on the floor. A minute later, the light trot of a newcomer could be heard, it was a mare wearing a blue mage robe and on her head stood a wizard hat, she looked at the two other mares and began to speak “my my, the great and powerful Trixie is a little in early but she isn't the first one, nonetheless she is happy to see you two.” “Same here, we just have to wait for Cadance and then I think everypony should be here.” said Spitfire. “So the meeting is for the captain of the wonderbolts with her second, the captain of the paladins, the captain of the royal mages, Trixie...” “The great and powerful” cut the blue unicorn. “... and me” finished Twilight. “That’s a lot of high ranking, I mean look, even if Trixie...” “The great and powerful” cut again the blue unicorn. “... and me haven't a rank in the army, I am the only student of princess Celestia and Trixie...” “The great and powerful” cut for the third time the blue unicorn. “... is the only student of princess Luna, what could be so important that only us should know?” “I think your over-analysis is something that does not need to be done” said a gentle voice behind them who belonged to none other than the unicorn named princess  Mi Amore Cadenza or Cadance like she prefers. “Princess” said the three other mares. “Please, when we are only together, you can call me Cadance, no title is fine” she replied with kindness, but when she turned to Shining all of her friendliness was gone “What did you say to your sister? Again I must add. You know what? I half mind to let you like that, maybe you will learn your lesson.” despite his imposing stature, the more Cadance continued her lecture, the more he grew smaller in front of her. “Psss, hey Twilight...” Spitfire whispered, hoping to attract the attention of the purple unicorn without putting the focus on them. “Yeah, what is it?” “How, in the name of Celestia, your brother, you know the one with a stick stuck in his a...” “I have only one brother.” cut Twilight. “Only checking.” “Right, you were saying, my brother.” “How a mare like Cadance can go out with him? I know that relationships between unicorns are really strict but come on...” “The great and powerful Trixie was wondering the same.” intervened discreetly the blue unicorn. “Girls please, the least I know about my brother's love life the better it is” answered Twilight. Five minutes and some small talk later, Cadence was still discussing with her boyfriend or maybe more like she was the only one talking but other sounds that could be recognized as voices began to be heard along the corridors of the palace, everypony stopped talking and turned their head toward the voices, the thud of metal against marble became louder and louder until he stopped when two   earth ponies clad in gold armor arrived in front of the group. “Greeting young mares and stallions, it seem that the royal guards are the last to arrive, but you will have to excuse an old warrior who had some business to attend before this reunion.” said the older pony, his face and body were covered with scars, signs of a life dedicated to the fight and the protection of his country. Cadance was the first to greet the two newcomers. “Greetings Silver Charger, I see that you were summoned too, and with your new assistant also.” She turned toward the second pony. “Greetings Winter Heart, it's nice to finally meet you, I've heard a lot about you, younger second in command of the royal guards, and maybe you will be the youngest captain since our Spitfire here?” She finished with pointing a hoof to the golden pegasi. “Greetings Princess Mi Amore Cadenza, captain of the royal mages, it's also my honor to meet you.” Answered the young mare, she was wearing her golden armor with pride and the only modification she made was the red headscarf on the front. She stood in front of the rest of the group. “Greeting everypony, since it's the first time I meet all of other leader of the different platoons, I will briefly introduce myself, my name is Winter Heart, I am from the city of Vanhoover near the frozen north and I became the assistant captain of the royal guards just two weeks ago.” All of the ponies greeted her, only Shining did not, but only because his sister hadn't removed the spell. “Hum Twilight, maybe you could remove it?” Asked Cadance. “Okay...” nodded grudgingly the purple unicorn and with a flash Shining could speak again. “Thank you Princess.” thanked the stallion. He turned toward the two earth ponies. “Greetings Winter Heart, nice to meet you, I would wish you luck but with my master as your captain you will not need it.” “He he, young Shining it has been a long time since was your master.” After everyone welcomed Winter, they were trotting toward the courtroom.