//------------------------------// // Now what did we learn? // Story: New Life of a Crow // by Knight of Crows //------------------------------// Griever POV True to my word I did not sleep, we had been at that for hours and shit is Eris creative. Everything she thought of had to have been from the same source as the minds of the devs of Bloodborne, but instead of a heroine induced nightmare it was paradise. As fun as it all was for the 3 of us, currently I can't feel my ANYTHING, but totally worth it. We stayed in this position until a maid (damnit Celestia) entered the room and promptly left before she could say what I knew Celestia sent her here for. After our bath Eris wrapped herself around my neck like a pet snake would (which was kind of cute) we all made our way to meet the princesses for breakfast and possibly the annoying 6 if they decided to do things the smart (my) way. Upon entering I found Cadence and Shining who looked as tired as Luna usually does who has her coffee first this time, but the 6 weren't there thank God (or should I say me now). "So Shining, how's the hunt going?" "Buck you!" he said in an irritated tone "To answer your question we just got that record book so not much progress has been made, and we have confirmed most of the slavers are either in the dungeon or are dead unfortunately." "They're not dead, they're painting and decorating the scenery. There's a difference!" "Hehe, you have a twisted sense of humor, you know that right?" "I can be MUCH worse on better topics, just ask Misty." I said turning towards her, Eris now seated next to where I do, Misty and I taking our seats shortly after "He's not joking, he once told a friend of his to look up something on the internet that sounded like a rapist version of a character from a very child friendly series and what he didn't know was his friend's safety filter was turned off. I still remember their reactions to it, 'OH GOD WHAT THE HELL' and 'scarred for life'. Even in death we will never let him live that down if we some how see him again." Misty said trying to hold back the laughter, Cadence chose this moment to speak to Eris "I'm sorry, but I don't think we've met before, I'm princess Cadence, and you are?" "I'm Eris, you've probably seen me as one of the statues in the garden." "Before you ask, your aunts have pretty much pardoned her for all her crimes for various reasons that we would appreciate you not asking about and yes, she is in our herd." I told her "Wait, you were that statue? How did you even get into his herd?" She asked Eris, I chose to answer her for Eris "She grabbed my ass then other stuff happened." "And you were okay with that?" she asked while blushing "I was later." blushing intensifies She kept asking about our relationship while respecting boundaries not being too intrusive. When she was done I asked Celestia if she chose to go along with my plan and said she's already called them back. I did take this opportunity to warn her that if they attack Eris I would make our first fight look like an elementary school skirmish and it would include the non-combatants with them. She assured me they would be stopped before they did anything stupid, but I'm going to leave a few shadow snakes with a fast acting paralytic venom around just in case. I have no patience for stupidity and just as much for repeated acts of such from supposed national heroes. She said they would be here shortly so hopefully they learned to think BEFORE they act. She held off on day court for the day (both are doing that much more than I would expect of royalty) as we waited in the throne room for an hour before I excused myself to head back to the bunker. It was about time I forged Gae Bolg, Excalibur and Avalon (Fate series), and because why not the Exalted Umbra Blade. While I was there I grabbed Muramasa to help Nightmare and Daybreaker later, I also decided to switch my other weapons except Nevermore for a few scythes of my own design: Dark Harvest (drains life force, magic, and stamina while replenishing my own), Bloodlust (becomes sharper, more painful, and increases my speed for each consecutive hit, can use blood to enhance it), Soulrend (can negate or store magic and hurt magic pools of victims, can use soul magic to enhance), Lifebane (wounds cannot heal without divine healing, insta kills after a maximum of 24 direct hits depending on time of day), and Voidfang (can erase anything after being enhanced by the void, otherwise capable of changing size and shape using arcane). Edgy yes, but I prefer the weapons names fit the appearance and/ or abilities. I stored them away and grabbed Tenseiga on my way out. SWORDS ARE GOOD! SWORDS HEAL THE SICK AND DYING! I flew back and saw a few chariots landing with the idiots getting out. I chose to land in front of them. "Good timing, you were taking so long so I went back to the bunker to grab a few things." "And what did you have to grab?" Twilight asked "Yeah, you have new weapons again. What, other ones not good enough?" not questions I ever expected, even from Rainbow "I could tell you, but either I won't be able to get a word in like last time I was being stormed with questions or you are going to completely misinterpret or disregard what I say or do and you will assault your prince in a misguided attempt to serve your country. The only thing I'm going to say is I have a friend with me who might be able to save 2 others who deserve a chance at living their own lives. Muramasa, could you come out please?" he materialised behind them "You called master?" everyone jumped and turned to see another human "We've been over this before, as your creator I may as well be your father, or adoptive father in this case considering what you originated from, but still your father, even if I'm a poor one. Don't call me master, it makes me feel like I own everything that makes you who and what you are. Call me father, Ryan, or Griever, I don't care which." "I'm sorry, but who is this? And what is he wearing? I don't think I've seen clothing like this anywhere." Rarity said inspecting him closely "I am an artificial soul based on a fictional character from father's era, created and bound to one of the swords he has with him, however he chose to give all other zanbaktou and resureccions he could remember a form of their own. As for what I am wearing, it is my normal and only attire. Is it not to your liking miss?" "Not to my liking? I love it! Oh I can already see a new fashion trend." "Artificial soul? As in soul magic? That's not only VERY illegal, but so dangerous even the princesses don't go near it! How can you use it and why would you even use it in the first place?" Twilight asked I turned and told her I would tell her as we walk "For starters, any magic that is banned I'm the exception to because I've been using magic, 4 taboo magics included longer than any races in this world have been using magic. I've been using magic you banned for longer than the laws prohibiting the use and study of have even existed. As I've said to the sisters, my magic is either different from yours or I'm highly resistant if not immune to them. Darkness doesn't corrupt me, chaos doesn't turn me into something else for reasons you wouldn't expect, blood is just water manipulation, and while soul magic does make me feel weaker, I've got high speed regeneration to counter it. Since I'm a prince now those laws have even less of an effect on me. That reminds me, since I killed Blueblood I should have access to unicorn magic now so I should be able to find out if your magic is different from mine." "Even if that's the case which isn't possible, I wouldn't risk it" for a genius you are really stupid "Unless it's proven to be impossible, it is possible, just because it isn't possible now doesn't mean it will still be later, magic isn't even supposed to exist and not only are we using it, but efficiently as well. Remember the last time you said something was impossible? Everything that happened the day before proved that belief wrong and your princesses didn't even deny it when I said 'history is written by the victors' implying one of them is guilty of this whether they knew it or not as you'll find soon enough. Besides, progress never happens without some risk. A medicine might cause major damage to a test subject due to an allergic reaction or other health problems, a spell meant to revive plants might turn them carnivorous or poisonous, if the reward is high the risk usually is and vice vers." "Even still the cost is too high! You'd willingly sacrifice everything for power?" nothing is without sacrifice "I have no reason to believe they cost anything but free time. As I said, the costs of blood and soul magic are negated by my abilities, I embraced my darkness long before I even had my powers, and true chaos magic just has one rule: change is the only constant, I doubt even Eris or any other draconequus had as much control over their magic as unicorns do. Even if they do harm the user, that's likely with excessive use of the magic." "Ah don't like it, but he's got a point sugarcube." thank you Applejack "You can't seriously be siding with this guy AJ!" damnit Rainbow "She can, but she isn't, she just sees the logic in my words. She's still against it, but she won't stop me." I looked up ahead to see the throne room "Looks like we're here. Let's not keep them waiting. I'm warning you right now, if you attack our guest or the 2 others that might appear I will drop you faster than a kurari dart." "What's a kurari dart and who are the guests?" Twilight asked "Kurari is a poison so deadly you would need to be in the ER with a full team of doctors when you got hit and as for the guests, you'll see." We walked up to the throne and I noticed Eris was nowhere to be seen, I'm guessing she was hiding behind the throne or she was in plain sight. "Griever, who is this?" Luna asked "This is Muramasa, the one I told you about earlier. As much as I would like to help them, we have a more urgent thing going on at the moment. Eris, would you kindly show yourself?" she dropped from the ceiling (I checked that first stupidly enough) like a slinkie of all things then wrapped herself around me again. She seems to be very physical not that I'm complaining, makes her look more adorable half the time anyway, as a security measure I put up a wall of light behind me just incase "So, what'd you do in the bunker?" Eris asked "I made a few weapons and switched out the others. I still have Nevermore on me, but I switched out the others for 5 scythes, Muramasa, and the only sword in existence that has less killing power than a wooden spoon as it only heals people." she almost burst out laughing "Eris, as in the Spirit of Chaos Eris?" Twilight asked then snarled "Why is she free and-" "I would hold my tongue if I were you. Everything I speculated about her past was true meaning damn near everything she did was legal and/ or morally justified not to mention necessary or expected. To say otherwise is to say she deserved to be treated like she was worth less than the dirt and quite literally demonized for a reason as petty as being born different. If that is the case" I summoned Soulrend and Voidfang then turned hollow before channeling their respective elements "then you are no better than the xenophobic assholes who pushed her to her snapping point." I felt Eris's grip tighten "Ryan please, stop. Nothing good can come of this." I did as she asked "You know I wouldn't do it anyway, I would have more to lose in doing so than I would have to gain." I turned back to the idiot 6 "We really just needed you here for a cover story for Eris and maybe 2 others depending on what Muramasa and Tenseiga can do." "Ya mean ya want us to lie to everypony so she don't have to face her crimes?" Applejack asked "No, all you lot need to do is not tell the whole truth or don't say anything. Besides, I have to ask, what crimes? Morally speaking she was justified in her actions, legally speaking she was permitted to do most if not everything she did. The worst she did was try to help and when that didn't work she left everyone alone. What is destruction of property, abusing magic, and disturbing the peace which she didn't start doing until I'm guessing her early 20's compared to all the years of armed assaults, attempted murders, false charges, acts of reckless endangerment, and more she was a victim of and/ or falsely accused of since she was a child which should earn at least double the punishment?" To say they were shocked was an understatement "Legally speaking she was permitted to kill a lot of people indiscriminately, but the worst she did was flip a house after suspending it in the air, after years of torment she would have been more than justified in killing everyone and I do mean EVERYONE indiscriminately. When you spend your entire life as the victim you either give up or grow numb to the pain, when you finally throw that first punch you learn it's a lot more run being the one inflicting pain than receiving it. No matter how you look at it she would maintain the moral high ground for 1 reason: she wouldn't have done anything to them that they hadn't already tried or actually done to her first for as long as she can remember, and unlike them she would have only done it once." A few of them looked like they were on the verge of crying now "1,000 years for a few misdemeanors at the worst hardly seems fair considering the MANY felonies committed against her that would have guaranteed they be imprisoned for life or executed, but they ALL went free happily living out the rest of their worthless lives while likely demanding her statue be destroyed. Can you honestly say that's fair, that it was just? Can you honestly say you wouldn't have done the same having spent your entire life with everyone demonizing and trying to kill you for no other reason than being born different? I can guarantee you every single one of them is burning in Hell and still asking why." Applejack looked down, ashamed and no longer able to hold back her tears "Ah can't believe it. How can you be telling the truth? How could anypony do even half those things?" She asked "Believe it or not very easily, it only happened for 16-20 some years on an almost if not daily basis. Muramasa." "Yes father?" everyone's eyes except the 6 shot open "Is there anything you can do about the other souls tied to the princesses? "I'll see what I can do." he walked over to Nightmare and Daybreaker while Misty and the others walked up to me "When were you going to tell us you had a son?" Celestia asked "Is there another herdmate we don't know about?" Luna asked, please one at a time "Why does he look nothing like you?" damnit Shining "He was created, not born. I may as well be his father, but that's as his creator. I haven't been anywhere near that close with anyone except Misty and Eris." they were about to respond before Muramasa stepped in "I can give them their own bodies, but not without damanging and weakening them and their hosts." I saw a glimmer of hope in the eyes of the darker halves before they were replaced with fear "I can fix that easily, maybe even prevent it probably." hope shined once more in their eyes "They've waited long enough so let's not keep them waiting." they openly cried hearing this. We had the princesses move between us as we tried to separate their others, they showed discomfort, but nothing unexpected or alarming. Eventually the room flashed brightly causing everyone to look away, when we looked back we saw 2 more people holding each other close. They gasped as they realized they had physical bodies now, that they could feel and speak again and leapt towards me, holding me and thanking me for everything. I also noticed something at this moment "Muramasa?" "Yes?" "Did you forget to give them clothes?" everyone especially Nightmare and Daybreaker were blushing "No." why do you have a look of shameless guilt on your face "That would imply I meant to do so." oh Me he has a troll face Should I run?