//------------------------------// // Chapter 5 // Story: Equestrian legion: Scipio // by Krieg cormac //------------------------------// The next day "So how do you think Daddy's doing?" Cadence asked as she walked next with her aunt. "I'm sure he is fine, but I'm thinking he's been taking this too well." Celestia replied calmly. They had gotten up early in the morning to do somethings like forcing your fiancé to take the day off, canceling day court, and making ones sister stay in her room. Right now were one their way to go check up on their castles newest guest. They wanted to check up on him and see how he is adjusting. After all, it must have been shocking to be in his position. They eventually came upon the door to his room. Celestia moved to knocked on the door, but got no response. Frowning she knocked again. "Do you think he's asleep?" Cadence asked nervously hoping nothing bad happened to her father. "No. He doesn't sleep this late. He always gets up at 8 in the morning and earlier if something important comes up." Celestia said as she knocked again and again. Nervously she decided to take down the door with a spell. After all she was one of the richest ponies in Equestria. She could always replace it. Seeing this Cadence decides to stand back with a small energy wall in front of her. Charging up her magic through her horn, she then fired a bolt of yellow looking energy at the door blasting it apart. Celestia then ran inside the room only to stop in her tracks. Standing right there in all his glory was a naked Atticus. Celestia then covered her eyes with her hand, but not before sneaking another peak through her fingers. "Cadence, I think we should leave and come back later." Celestia said slowly walking backwards out of the room. "Why Aunty?" Cadence asked entering the room finally, pausing, before walking out again. "Leaving now." "What's her problem?" Atticus said to himself shrugging. He then moved to put on his undergarments and then armor with a confused face. Once in the hallways Celestia removed her hand from her face to reveal a cherry red face. A thousand years ago she would have fine, but morals had went up since then. Especially regarding the opposite gender. Plus what made that situation worst was that she never got to tell him her feelings to Atticus before he was turned to stone, he was always dense when it came to matters of the heart. Still, she saw him as her legionarie in shining armor. Meanwhile walking next to her, Cadence was feeling a strange aura surround her aunt, and it was directed at her beloved father. Thinking hard about what this means, she realized that their will be more one wedding that will happen either this year or the next. With a smile on her face she started to skip down the hallway acting like a little filly all over again, all the while Celestia looked confused at her niece. Atticus room Atticus was confused. Why did Celestia react that way? He was asking himself questions in his mind as he was walking to the dining room. He had to retrace his steps from yesterday, but most of the walk was him admiring the new castle. It was certainly different from the other one that they had. Still, he missed the other castle. He would stay there when he wasn't at his villa that he had built. Speaking of his villa, what had happened to it. 'I'll ask Tia when I see her.' Atticus thought He then reached the dining room door and opened it revealing that the six mare from yesterday. They looked like they had just got here a couple minutes ago. "Good morning." He said walking in. Atticus moves to sit in one of the empty chairs. He sat in the chair next to the purple mare with a pinkish streak in her hair. Twilight of his memory still serves him. As he sat down she look turned to look at and started to speak? "Good morning Mr Atticus." Twilight said. "You don't have to say mr. It makes me feel old." Atticus said with a chuckle. "Just call me Atticus. That goes for all of you." He continues pointing at all of the main six. "Very well Atticus." Twilight said. "Would you mind if I ask a couple questions." "That's would be fine. What are they?" Atticus replied. "Ok. First question. Why are you still wearing your armor." Twilight asked with a notebook in her left hand and a pencil in her right. Several of her friends face palmed. She could have asked any other question that would be more important, but Twilight was always a stickler for detail. "Well. I don't seem to have any clothes around." Atticus said. "Plus it seems to me that togas aren't worn anymore so that seems to be out of the question." That answer seemed to excite the unicorn with a purple mane and white fur. Rarity, Atticus believed. "Ok. Next question. How is Cadence your daughter?" "Her family was killed when she was a recently born filly. She lived in a outlying town that had decided to join Equestria. I was to go and secure it before it was attacked. We arrived just as her family's house was lit on fire during a diamond dog raid and her parents managed to get her to safety at the cost of their lives. They used their bodies to shield herMy men were able to to stop the fire before it spread, but not before her parents died." Atticus said sadly. "So I took it upon myself to adopt her and to raise her." "Ok. Next question." Twilight said sadly. She couldn't believe that Cadence never even knew her birth parents. Nopony should have to go through that. Twilight saw that the others were shocked as well. "What do you mean by men. Do you mean the legionaries the legend says that you formed an army when Princess Luna turned into Nightmare moon." At the mention at that name he visibly started to burst with anger before calming himself down. "Yes. I already had formed a army. You cannot form an army in several days. You need to train them, give them equipment, and you need to make sure everything is organized. And my army was the most powerful in the land. Your legend is wrong Ms. Twilight." Atticus said. "And for future questions and conversations, do not mention to me that name." "Excuse me sir what would you like to eat." A voice behind Atticus said. He turned around to see the waiter. "Surprise me." Atticus said facing Twilight again. "Of course sir." The waiter said. The waiter then started to take the others orders. "Any more questions?" Atticus asked. "One more. Why did you need that army if you were not fighting a war?" Twilight said. "What makes you think that we were not fighting. Even though we were not at war, we still had to deal with pirates, raiders and rebels." Atticus said. "Many of the nobles wanted to get Celestia out of power, but they couldn't. The reasons why, the common ponies loved her, and I had my legions with me. My men are loyal first to me, then to Celestia and so on." "Oh. Well that's a good reason." Twilight said. A couple minutes later the door opened revealing Princess Celestia and Cadence. They moved to sit down. Celestia sat at end of the table and Cadence sat across from each other. They were each to the left and to right of Celestia respectively. Celestia looked a bit embarrassed as she looked at Atticus. "So how was your sleep." Celestia asked. "It was fine. I have a question." Atticus asked. "What happened to my villa." "Your villa is still around. Both me and Cadence couldn't stand to let it fall into disrepair so we maintain it. Cadence still goes there every once in awhile to check on things." Celestia answered. "Has the waiter taken your orders yet?" "Yes Princess." Twilight replied. "Oh good. I had already given both mine and Cadences's order earlier and told them to make it when the rest of you guys order your food." Celestia said. "Now Atticus. Do you need me one clear anything else job?" "Yeah. What happened to my workshop?" Atticus said with a nervous look on his face. "Well, I made sure to place a spell on it to make sure only a few selected ponies and well human could enter." Celestia explained. "It's still in the same place. It has been practically untouched since your turning to stone." "What workshop are you talking about Daddy?" Cadence asked confused. He had never told her about a workshop. "Well since Equestria is not in a war currently, I might as well tell you." Atticus said. "But all of you must promise to not say a thing." He started to look at the elements. "Of course we won't say anything I Pinkie Promise. Cross my heart and hope to fly, stick a cupcake in my eye." Pinkie pie said slappping herself with a cupcake. The other repeated what she did without the cupcake. "Oook." Atticus said weirded out by that. "Well my workshop is where I design new weapons of war and test them out. Most of them are prototypes, though some of them were near completion before well, I think we all know what happened." As soon as he finished saying that their food started to come in. When they placed his food in front of him, he noticed that his food was a bowl full of fruits. He grabbed one of the things called 'fork' and started to eat. "So what's your plan for the future Atticus." Rainbow Dash asked. "Are you going to go on adventures like Daring do?" "No. I won't." Atticus replied wondering who that was. "Well what do you plan on doing. If you don't mind me asking." Fluttershy asked. "Have any of you heard of my second favorite quote." Atticus said. "No what is it." Twilight asked. "If you want peace, prepare for war. Atticus replied in his politician voice that he useses when addressing the senate. "What does that mean for you Daddy." Cadence asked already knowing the quote. Then he started a smile. "I will rebuild my legion and make sure thing like that whore Nightmare moon never cause harm to Equestria again."