At that same time that the duel was occurring, chaos was raining down in Canterlot, as Amber kept spreading anger everywhere all the while, chasing the mare that was keeping her rage burning bright.
"For pony's sake Amber, I know we might have our differences, but I'm still a civilian that hasn't broken any laws!" Scarlet tried to defend herself as she dodged yet another attack from Amber, her rage had made her unstoppable yet, sloppy and uncoordinated in her attacks. Which was the only reason Scarlet yet breathed. Her dress was ripped to pieces, the makeup she was wearing smeared on her face, and her mask destroyed long ago as a result of the fight.
"It all your fault, you're trying to kill the prince" Amber responded as she charges her horn again.
"Kill him?!" Scarlet turns to her in indignation "I wouldn't hurt a single hair of that golden mane!" She defended herself.
"Lies!" Amber yelled as she unleashed a series of consecutive magic blasts that would have hit Scarlet if Pinkie hadn't tackled her out of the way.
"Pinkie?" Scarlet look at her savior with a confused expression. "Please tell me you are not here to rip me in half too."
"Nope, I'm here to save…duck!" Pinkie pushes Amber head down, just before a spear would have impaled it.
"What are you doing Pinkie! She is our enemy!" Amber bellows at her.
"Nope, she is just weird" Pinkie pulled her party cannon and startled Amber with a confetti shot, to make her escape with Scarlet as they enter a random room, and lock the doors behind them.
"Ok, we should be fine for a bit now."
"Good, in that case, care to explain what is going on?" Scarlet asked her in exasperation while trying to recover her breath, before remembering something and glaring at the pink mare, "And what did you mean by me being weird?"
"It ok, weird is good. It means you are funny" Pinkie tells her with a chuckle. "Anyway long story short, a meany pants pony tried to kill Blueblood, the guards cornered him but then he spat fire and run away and turns out, his fire makes any pony that touches it, extra extra grumpy" Pinkie explained at a fast pace, which only served to confuse Amber even more.
"What?"
At that moment Amber starts to buck on the door, trying to smash it down. Pinkie and Scarlet held the door as much as possible. "Amber is not thinking clearly and it's just lashing out at everyone that she sees, oh and you should avoid the fire she is launching. If you touch it, you will get angry too." Pinkie resumes explaining.
"Ok that explains her behavior, but why is she chasing me?"
Pinkie looks at Scarlet with a neutral expression "Oh right."
The doors finally give in, and Amber pin both mares against the ground. Acting like a mad dog keeps her gaze on Amber with fury on her eyes. "Amber no, you are not thinking clearly! Just count to ten" Pinkie try to reason with her.
"Enough! I will rid Equestria of this plague once and for all!" She shrieks at Pinkie before charging his horn even more. "Die" Once fully charged, Amber pointed her horn at Scarlet and was about to shoot when a magic blast hit her chest and pinned her against the wall before restraining her in a blue shield spell.
"Oh dear! Are you two ok?" A concerned Cadence appeared from behind them and removes the doors before helping both mares stand up.
As they recovered, the mares saw as both Princess Celestia and Cadence as well as Shining Armor standing in the middle of the room after teleporting inside, Shining Armor, in particular, was focusing his magic on containing Amber as she keeps thrashing around.
"Well talk about dramatic entrances" Scarlet breathed a sigh of relief before looking to Celestia "You have no idea how happy I'm too seeing you, princess."
To her confusion, the princess just keep looking at her with a neutral expression before turning her gaze to Shining Armor, something that grabs Cadence attention "What the status, Shining Armor?"
"It just as we feared, princess," He sighs and looks back at her. "She is infected by the anger spectrum. Even if we used our teleportation to reach its source I'm afraid we are too late, it spreading already and at a breakneck rate. The assassin definitely is familiar with crystal ponies magic…as well as the forbidden emotion." He informed the group in sadness.
"Well duh, he is a crystal pony after all" Pinkie voice her opinion before getting confused "Wait, crystal ponies can use magic like that?" She wondered out loud to the group as Cadence checked both mares for any sign of burn marks before smiling when she didn't find any.
"It's a long story, for now, we need to contain the infected ponies before they spread the rage even more and…" In that second the mental link with the princess is reconnected, and she heard the voices of the changelings all at once, screaming at her,
Princess!… Where are you?! Things are bad…they are really bad! You need to come here…quickly!
"What?" The princess asks trying to understand what they were saying
Prince Blueblood…he is in trouble!… Come to the gardens…now!
"Blueblood?" She asks out loud as her eyes widen, Cadence, and Scarlet too growing concerned.
Shaking her head she looks back at the rest "Shining, Cadence, contain this as fast as possible and then, meet me in the gardens, my nephew needs me!" She charges her horn before either can voice their opinion.
"Oh no you don't, I'm coming too!" Scarlet proclaims and grabs Celestia hoof. The Princess tries to shake her off, but it was already too late as both mares are teleported to the royal garden where they cry out in shock at the spectacle holding the attention of the audience.
"What is the meaning of all this?!" To everyone's surprise, even Celestia's, it was Scarlet who yells at everyone in anger once she is able to grasp what she sees. The prince lying on the ground breathing heavenly and holding a golden sword while Fluttershy cradles his body. Not far from the two was none other than Jet Set. Holding another sword and looking at the princess in surprise.
The commotion managed to rouse the prince a little bit as he with no small amount of effort, managed to shift his gaze to see his aunt and Scarlet fast approaching the two.
"Ah, Princess Celestia so good for you to join us…unless, of course, you aren't the real…" Jet started to speak. Yet the princess wouldn't have any of that.
"SILENCE!" Using her own Canterlot voice, she proved to be the real princess Celestia as she looks at the gathering guards with some degree of anger, and confusion into why didn't they protect her nephew.
"I believe that Ms. Lips asked you a question, and I would have it answered as well. I want you to explain to me what exactly is going on here. You will explain why my nephew was beaten up, on the ground…and you will explain why the royal guards did not intervene" She ordered while maintaining a glare that burned with all the intensity of a solar flare. Rooting everyone in place, making all the guards gulp in fear
"Well, dear princess if you let me explain…" Upper Crust begins with a smile, but Fancy Pants interrupts her, not trusting her or her husband one bit after this display that they had put on. "I would prefer it if I explained things." He flatly states, dismissing her with a glare to which Upper Crust rolled her eyes and gestures for him to continue.
Fancy then looked back at the princess who was looking at him expectantly "There is no reason for you to punish your guard's princess, what happened here was a duel that had the consent of both parties involved" He began to explain.
"What?!" Both Scarlet and the princess exclaim in surprise. Catching the attention of the monarch and the prince who look at her in confusion, as Scarlet stalked angrily up to Jet Set.
"What did you do?"
"I imparted justice" He answers before walking past her and toward the Princess with his wife without letting her speak. "Princess Celestia, although we understand why you haven't taken actions about your nephew's behavior. We, the citizens of Canterlot, just could not wait any longer." Upper Crust tells her with sadness.
"Oh? And just what were you waiting for?" Celestia asks calmy, yet her voice was cold and neutral.
Jet Set retrieves a copy of the list of crimes of Blueblood and passes it to her. On the surface, the princess remained calm and composed, but beneath her facade, the feelings of worry and fright began to fester. She was afraid she knew what was developing as well as furious for what these two just did to her nephew.
"The law is more than clear princess Celestia, Blueblood broke the law, and as such, I, as a graduate of your school, and a noble stallion of high status, have the right to issue retribution. Which I did."
The princess sighed and put the paper down before looking at both nobles before her "While I agree that it is within your right to issue a challenge for this. I was not aware of nor approved of this course of action." She informs them with a glare. "As such, this was an unsanctioned duel, and I will NOT acknowledge it nor will I validate its outcome."
"You can't do this to us, princess!" A voice in the distance tells her.
"What?" The princess questioned, genuinely confused by that response as she looks around, all around the voices keep complaining.
"Jet Set was right, you simply keep hiding the prince behind your tail."
"The prince is not above the law."
"Blueblood is not fit to be called prince."
"That brat has made our lives miserable, he got what he deserved, it not fair that you want to pardon him now."
"Order!" The princess commanded yet everyone seemed to be on even more on edge and kept arguing with her.
"So much anger, so much tension" Upper Crust coyly voiced her opinion with a theatrical sigh as she looks at the princess "Please princess, is he really worth the trouble? I understand that is your relative, but how can your kingdom trust its rulers when they put their own family above the people and the law?" Upper Crust simperingly tells the princess.
Anyone else listening in on the conversation would think she was just being reasonable and understanding, but Celestia could read her like a book and what she saw made her blood boil she could see the tiny twitch of a smirk on the mares face in front of her. They both knew that Celestia was currently cornered.
The prince eyes slowly widened as he continued to watch on as everything unraveled around him and slowly putting the pieces together, finally understood what Jet Set's and Upper Crust's end goal was.
Not only did they want to strip him of his title, but they also were trying to completely destroy his relationship with the kingdom and his image as a prince. Even worse they were using him as a pawn in a game against his aunts looking to force them into a position where, if they defend or help him. The faith and trust that the citizens have in the crown would forever be lost.
Oh dear god, I'm an idiot! Those two set me up, and I took the bait, hook, and sinker. Now, if my aunts defend me and revoke the outcome of the duel. Canterlot will spit apart, maybe it could even result in a civil war, and if that happens…the Windigoes!
Blueblood looked back the couple, Jet Set caught his eye and put on that insufferable grin he had been wearing the entire night. He already knew what the prince was thinking and just wanted to twist the knife slightly more.
Damn it! DAMN IT! He knew it! He knew it, and he knows that I need to take the fall because if I don't…it will cause irreparable damage to Canterlot, maybe even to all of Equestria! The prince rants in rage internally as he comes to the realization that there is only one thing he can do.
Curse you Jet Set. And damn you to hell! I don't know how or when but I swear I will make you pay for this! Feeling the princes discomfort and looking at his pained face, Fluttershy tightened her hug, bringing him crashing back to reality and tried to calm him down with a small yet hopeful smile, though the guilt and the effects of the sword still in place made him believe that Fluttershy was glaring at him in disappointment.
She gets confused when the prince just looks down in shame and nod before standing up and lightly pushing her away "I understand, don't worry I will fix this" He mumbles to her, which just further confused the pegasus as he takes some steps forward.
"Blueblood what are you…"
"Everypony just, please…SHUT UP!" The prince roars out at the top of his lungs, hoping to stun the audience into silence and capture their attention away from the game being played between the nobles and the Princess. It has the desired effect, and everyone turned their attention to him. After taking some deep breaths the prince address the audience in anger. "I might be a lot of things, but a coward will not be one of them anymore, I'm guilty, and as such I will face my punishment head on!"
The prince takes everyone by surprise when he grabs his mane and uses his sword to cut it out in one swing before raising it into the air for everyone to see while tossing the sword into the ground. The princess even gasping in shock as she understood what the action meant.
"Take this as proof of my resolve Canterlot. From this moment on, I Blueblood, formally abdicate from my title as prince and will become…a Ronin" He tells them in shame and his head low.
"Ronin?" Scarlet asks confused by the name.
"It means a pony without a home or purpose, he…he is exiling himself" Princess Celestia explains as she shakes her head in sadness and anger at this outcome, as her mask starts to break, and lets some of her emotions out. "And that is something I will not accept" She goes to him and grab the prince using both of her wings "I have already suffered the pain of banishing a loved one, I will not do it again!" She tells everyone present.
"Auntie…please you have too let me go, it’s the only way. Canterlot has spoken." The prince argues back and tries to pull away from her grasp, but the princess refuses to let him go as she strengthens the hug, not only that but he soon finds another set of hoof hugging him from behind. "Then Canterlot is wrong, Blueblood. This isn't fair, you are a good pony, there must be another way!"
"I wish there were Ms. Shy" Upper Crust chimes in "But unfortunately there is not, the duel was fair and legal, so now the ex-prince needs to get out, those are the rules."
Everyone cheers in agreement and Celestia angered to the point where she was considering immolating the mare where she stood maintained her hug and narrowed her eyes, considering. She had almost made a decision when Scarlet unexpectedly came to their rescue.
"Legal? Legal you say, dear? Yes, I'm afraid I will have to call you on that one." She speaks earning the confusion of everyone present. "Legal or not, you put the PRINCE of Equestria," Emphasizing the title while glaring at Jet Set "Into an unfair position and without the princesses consent or presence during the duel. Legal though it may be, and that is one for the courts to decide, it was quite shady and horribly unfair at best and downright dishonorable and villainous at worst." Her words finding home with the audience as they once again start to mumble at the weight what she was saying, yet she wasn't done.
"Just look at ourself Canterlot, if we accept this duel, then we will be no better than the prince in his old days! Just brats throwing a tantrum, and abusing our rights without any consideration!"
The audience began to feel ashamed and looked down. Smiling nervously Upper Crust approach Scarlet slightly scared. "Scarlet…what are you doing?!" She harshly whispers into her ear, yet the mare in question just glares at her. "I will deal with you two crowbars later!" She whispers back "For now, let me fix the mess you two idiots made!"
She then takes a step toward the royals, the princess still unsure of her actions, covers her nephew in a protective matter. "I'm not suggesting, a revoke of this duel, what happened is already in the past. But I'm saying the prince deserves a second chance, just like we have given to our princess Luna, to Discord, even to the changeling race! Aren't we or are we not the citizens of Equestria who's pride and joy lays in our values of friendship and harmony!"
"Yeah" The audience cheers in agreement.
"Aren't we above pity grudges and lingering anger?"
"Yeah"
"And does anyone here really have the heart to break a family who has nothing but the purest of love for one another?"
"No"
The royal family and Fluttershy slowly end their hug as they all see Scarlet speaking, confused yet happy for what she was doing.
"Then its decided, the prince will get the right for a rematch to get his title back and with it, the pardon from all of his past crimes."
"Yes!" Everyone cheered in agreement and Celestia couldn't be happier as she silently nods her thanks Scarlet for her intervention, yet in the back of her head she still didn't trust her completely and was growing more and more confused in why was she helping them.
"Wait" Upper Crust try to speak again "Are we really going to simply pardon everything the prince has done? Just like that. Think ponies, because of him, we all are going to go to harsh times. Our economy suffered a harsh blow, maybe we will never recover!" She yells back, "I say that if we really are going to give him a second chance, the least he could do, is clean up all of his own mess first, what say you Canterlot? I think its time the prince got a taste of humility and owned up for all of his mistakes, then and only then will we agree to a rematch."
"That list is extremely long, and some of the problems can't be fixed overnight, it will take him years to complete it" Celestia voiced her concern to which the noble, shrugged "All of them were his doing princess, and because how hard they are. I say that they are fair." She then points a hoof at Celestia. "And he can't have any royal or noble assistance during them, he made all these problems, its only fair for him to solve them alone."
She tells them before looking at Fluttershy "That includes no elements of harmony, no living arrangements on the castle" She then look at Scarlet too with a smirk "And no living with any noble."
She remains neutral, but the princess could detect some fury coming from the mare from that remark.
"You are telling me to throw my nephew out in the street, in the middle of the night without anything on him, and ask him for the impossible?" The princess asks as her anger rise again. "I will never agree to…"
"No" The prince interrupt her "It more than fair,"
"What?! No, Blueblood please don't" Celestia tried to stop him but, he simply raises his hoof to silence her response, before looking at her with a smile, it was forced and painful, but he at least wanted to ease some of her pain. Even if it was only a little,
"Don't worry au…princess" Blueblood called her by the title, breaking her heart from hearing him using the honorifics "I will be fine" He then look at Upper Crust, and Jet set with determination "I agree to your terms, until I repay my debt, I will not issue a rematch for my titel back."
"Then its decided, and until you do, you will be known as The Blue Ronin." Jet Set claims in victory "Now get out of my castle!"
Celestia eyes wide before snapping to the couple with a glare that could melt icebergs, making them flinch and take a step back as the air around them heated up almost imperceptibly. "YOUR... Castle?" Before she could vent her wrath upon the two, the prince surprised her with one unexpected hug that managed to calm her down somehow. "Just one last act before my departure, princess, maybe it was short but…thanks for everything."
"Blueblood" The princess' heart cracked once more at the emotion as she tries to hug him back "Thank you…and goodbye."
Before she could complete the gesture, the prince was gone, leaving no trace behind, surprising everyone in the garden. "Ah…what just happened?" Fluttershy asks still dumbfounded by that. Celestia holds her tears and keeps her head low.
"I WANT EVERYPONY WHO DOES NOT WORK OR LIVE HERE TO LEAVE THE ROYAL GROUNDS THIS VERY INSTANT!!! NOW!!!" Using her Canterlot voice, everyone fled as fast as their wings, hoofs or horns could carry them.
It was only when the princess was alone that she let her mask go. It was when there was nothing but the light of the moon in the room where she collapsed and yells at the top of her lungs in rage and sadness as she lays in the ground and openly cries. She could feel the hoof of Fluttershy petting her mane in sorrow, she never left, the princess knew it, but she couldn't care less. History had just repeated itself, and once more she lost a family member.