//------------------------------// // Blueblood, A Joke Prince Or The Real Deal? (RB and BS) // Story: The Humble Prince // by Lighting Ace //------------------------------// "But…but this is my grandma's sewing machine! Please, this is the only thing I have left! Please don't take this!" Coco Pommel pleaded, hugging her family treasure tight while tears streamed from her eyes. Yet the two stallions that had come early in the morning simply shrugged and grinned. One, using his magic, yanked the object away from her. This was how things had, unfortunately, devolved all over Manehattan. Thanks to the power vacuum in the criminal underworld that resulted from Fort Knox's arrest, multiple, lesser criminals rose to power and lept into violent turf-wars to assert their dominance. Everywhere in the streets, at all hours of the day and night, brutal skirmishes would erupt between groups to see who would rise up above the others to take control as Fort had done. "No!" Consequently, the crime rate skyrocketed in a matter of a few short days, despite the best efforts of the police force and even with the support of the royal guard stationed in the city. There simply was not enough. When the forces of law and order would crack down in one area, two hotspots would flare up due to the lack of police presence. For every police raid, two more gang attacks would be directed at the officers themselves in retaliation. Some larger, more successful crime bosses began to leverage their position within the cities new order to demand payment for 'protection' in their territories. They would easily bleed dry anyone unfortunate enough to live in their areas with a smile on their faces before tossing them out into the dangerous streets and the bosses gained more territory. "Sorry, miss Pommel, but you understand, right? These are some tough times. With Canterlot on lockdown and the Equestria's economy hitting rock bottom. You never know when somepony will break into your apartment and steal everything you own. Wouldn't it be better to just pay up front for security, so that doesn't happen?" He tells her with a light chuckle as she openly wept. "But you are already have taken everything!" She bawled out, laying on a wooden floor in what had once been her home, now foreclosed. The two stallions were now in possession of everything she ever owned. "If you are even taking my supplies and materials, how I'm supposed to work or even pay you next month?" "Not our problem miss, you should have thought about that, before buying such cheap posse~SIONS!" as the thug turned to leave, both he and his partner were yanked into the air and hung there choking for breath with their hooves scrambling to find purchase on something. There were suspended by a powerful aura of magic and could only hang there for a moment before being forced to turn around and face four hooded figures that had made themselves known. "Normally I would try to defuse the situation with dialogue first, but today has been a particularly long day, so I will keep it short. Yes, I know who you are. Yes, I know who your BOSS is, I'll be going after him next, and please spare me the 'you will regret this and that' speech; you'll be the fifth pair of goons who have told me that. Now out!" a male voice commanded, and before the pair could even protest, both were launched out of the building through an open window and into the streets. Once they recovered their breath, they glared back. "You don't know the mistake you just made, I will personally make you-AH!" The goon barely dodged a blast of magic and turned to see a small squad of guards in full battle armor in the entrance of another building. The lead one of which had a telltale swirl of smoke dancing about his horn while others in the squad made ready to do battle. Unicorn horns glowed ominously, pegasus wings unfurled and one particularly burly specimen of an earth pony stallion bent his riot baton in anticipation for the fight to come as they began to close in on the goons. The pair of thugs shared a quick glance and immediately reached an understanding, this was a fight they could not win, and they both knew what to do in that situation. You ran, as fast and hard as you could, which is precisely what they did. The hooded pony let out a sigh and groaned once they are gone. "I swear if I have to hear 'I will make you pay' one more time…' "He stopped before looking to Coco Pommel who had crawled into a corner and stayed there shaking like a leaf when everything started. Slowly, the stallion approached her, but that only made her flinch and tremble even more. "NO! Please, just take everything and leave me alone, please don't hurt me!" She pleaded in pure terror until she heard the voice of the stallion. "We are not here to hurt you, Coco." "Huh? w-ww-Wha?" Looking up, Coco saw how the stallion pulled off his hood to reveal a weather-worn, and slightly muddy Blueblood, sporting a mullet and some coarse facial hair on his chin. "We're here to help." She sniffled a couple of times before launching herself at him and hugs him tightly. "Your Highness!" she cried out before renewing her sobs. "Wow, hey! Easy there." Blueblood complained, not prepared for this reaction. "I was So scared! those ponies have tormented everypony on the block for weeks, I really thought I was going to lose everything!" She croaked out to him in between sobs, not able to contain her emotions anymore. "Looks like we have another hugger," Hurricane remarked, revealing her face as well. After hearing her, the ex-prince smiled and returns Coco's hug, letting her emotions run there course, occasionally patting her back and whispering comforting words to comfort her. "There, there. It all over now, everything will be fine real soon." Once she recovered, Coco let him go and cleaned her face a little. "B–but your highness, how are you going to…?" He silenced her by lifting his hoof. "Before I explain, perhaps it would be better if you stopped calling me that. Remember I lost my title; I'm no longer a prince." "Told you that they will keep calling you that!" Pudding Head grinned as she revealed her face too. She, as well as her friends, decided to accompany Blueblood into the city without their usual attire, in an attempt to not attract too much attention. Coco could only blink as Blueblood sighed while the mare next to him chuckled at all that was happening. She was sure that she had never seen any of the mares with the Prince and yet, there was something very familiar about them. Something that she couldn't put her hoof on. "Coco?" She snapped back to reality when Blueblood asked her name. "S-sorry, what were you saying?" "I was asking, where do you want us to put all your stuff?" He inquired while levitating a coffee table and some fabrics back inside the apartment, his friends doing pretty much the same. "Oh, dear! Your Highness please you don't need to do…" "Please, we insist," He told her with a smile. "Besides, you'll need your equipment for the favor I need to ask of you." "Favor?" She asks, confused. The ex-prince face split into a crooked grin as he looked back at her "I have a plan to take back the city from those rats that overstayed their welcome. And for that, I will need your help." "M-my help?! B-But I'm just a tailor!" She tells in shock. "What can I possibly do of help?" "You'll see." Platinum answered with a sing-song voice and an impish grin as they keep unpacking all her stuff back inside. Later that day, and with the help of Coco, the ex-prince held a clandestine meeting with the ponies that they have been rescuing all day long. All of them were eager to hear the plan he had in store. They were all dumbfounded though when instead of laying out a masterful plan leading to their liberation, the ex-prince all but prostrated himself before them pleading for their assistance. "Please, help me save Manehattan." He asks them politely as he held his head low. "Now wait a minute here, lad." An old stallion approached him with a glare. "You are telling us that you came from who knows where, and beat the living daylights out of our tormentors, AND gathered us all here…just to ask for our help to solve the problem YOU started?" "That is precisely the long and short of it, yes," Blueblood answered as he looks back at them with some shame. "I will not lie, or make excuses. Corrupt or not, apprehending Fort left a gaping void in the city that caused this problem. And because I was too busy planning a party, I personally contributed to letting this situation become this bad. I can't take back all the harm that you have suffered, but I can make sure it ends." "And how are you going to do that?" "The only way I know how," He tells them in confidence. "By crippling them, all of them, beyond recovery. I'm going to make them regret that they ever had the slightest thought about hurting all of you." He declared before sighing before looking at them again. "But I can only do this if you let me help. I know I'm asking a lot, but in order for me to defeat them, I will need you to entrust all of your businesses and assets to me." The room exploded into a cacophony of jeers, shouts, and insults as everyone voiced their displeasure at once and glared daggers at the ex-prince, who remained silent and calm. Letting them vent their frustration in peace. Coco kept alternating between looking at him and her friends and neighbors. Once the commotion died down, the prince spoke again. "I'm not asking you to hand them over permanently, I'm just asking you to let me... borrow them... I need acting authority. " "Absolutely, not!" One mare snapped. "It wasn't enough that you ruined Canterlot, now you are here after my flower shop?! Have you no shame, or do you really think we are that stupid?" "My family has run our storage business for six generations! Tartarus will freeze before we gave it to some snobbish brat that doesn't know how businesses work!" "Guys..." Coco tried to speak, but she was drowned out by the volume of the protests. "You say you want to fix your mistakes, but then you came here and simply ask us to just hoof over everything. Everything that remains of our livelihoods? Of our lives? How is that any different from what those ruffians have done so far?" "Guys..." Coco tried again. "At least those criminals were honest when they were robbing us, you are treating us as fools thinking we're just going to hoof over all that you wish, just because you asked!" "GUYS!" Coco yelled, finally getting everyone's attention. "What would it matter?" She pleaded with them while walking towards the Prince before addressing her friends. "Have you forgotten what all those criminals have been doing to us? They tell us that we are being protected but what will be the point of paying them if we keep losing everything we own? This morning I almost lost the last of my possessions, and that was possibly the most frightening thing that has ever happened to me. I'm sure more than one of you almost went through the same thing, just today." Everyone looked down, not particularly wanting to make eye contact or relive the memories. "Our Prince is just asking for a favor from us, something to save us from this nightmare. Maybe I don't understand it completely, and I think it's a big risk, especially considering everything that he has done, but what other choice do we have? We might lose everything tomorrow when we can't pay with anything else, or worse they will take all that we have built and twist it into something horrible, or just burn it all down for laughs. I don't know you, but I would rather put my business in his hoofs when he asks nicely than let a bunch of strangers take it for themselves by force." She stood firmly by his side. "I swear I will return them. Better than ever even, I might never earn your forgiveness for all I have done, but I have to try, and that's why I'm asking you. Trust me with this one." He pleaded once more, lowering his head until it touched the ground. "Please, give me a chance to redeem myself." The room remained dead silent until the elder stallion from earlier groaned and shook his head before holding up a hoof "One chance, Blueblood, ONE." He threatened him. "And just because Coco has a point. I'd rather go swinging than show my belly to the manticore. You think you can beat the stuffing out of those ruffians. Break their snouts for me." "You better take good care of my flowers." The mare reluctantly agreed. "We stock every Tuesday, I will hunt you down if you try to skip your duties." Another stallion agreed as one by one they all acquiesced to his request. "Everypony, Everyone, thank you." He bowed to them in gratitude. "Now, as for the plan. It will be tricky, but if we are working together, I guarantee that we will get rid of all those thugs in no time. But first, we will have to flush them out with a bait that they can't help but chase after" The Prince-in-exile informed them with a smirk as he gestures for everyone to come closer. Some days later, using some deft, morally dubious but nonetheless legal, business tactics, the ex-prince was able to not only save every pony from the economic red line but kick start their sales and skyrocket their enterprises of to profitability in record time. "This…this is impossible," Coco said still in shock as her business kept booming, not only hers but every single enterprise that lent a hoof to Blueblood scheme seemed to be coming back to life in a matter of weeks. Soon, a district that was on the verge of bankruptcy was blooming into a series of economic powerhouses in their respective fields. She turned to Blueblood who at the time was reading through some papers with a neutral expression, she couldn't help but feel a bit confused and sad. He wasn't expressing it, but she could feel his discomfort. "Ah, Prince? Blueblood?" She asks in worry. "Is everything ok?" "Hmm?" He turns to her. "O-oh yeah, yeah everything is fine is just…this is something really hard for me." He mutters out in shame. "You mean because you are putting yourself as bait?" She asks in worry. "What? Oh, no! I'm not scared of that, is just, that being a business stallion is kind of hard for me." "What are you talking about? You are doing a magnificent job! At this rate, you could solve the economic crisis in Equestria with one hoof tied behind your back!" She encouraged him with a playful tone, "There is nothing to worry about." "That is only because you don't know the other side of the coin," Blueblood mumbled to himself. "Did you say something?" "Nothing, nothing. Anyway, things are going well, and we haven't heard of any other gangs operating in the open for a while. That means that the crime bosses must be getting ready for their next move." "And what is it?" Coco asks him. At that moment, a mixed group of griffins and unicorns burst in and started to raise hell, tossing around everything they could find to get everyone's attention. "Ok, who is the sack of shit that is causing all of this? Who thinks that he can mess with us?" A unicorn pony yells like a typical mafia goon. "Intimidation by show of force." Blueblood sighed in resignation. "Right on cue." He then turned to Coco, "You might want to close your eyes for this part, it might get scary." He mentioned before walking toward the goons. "Gentlestallions!" He greeted them with a smile. "Why?" Coco asks but then flinches when her question is answered by Blueblood levitating all the criminals with his magic. She then covered her eyes just as he slammed them into the floor. "So glad you finally visit," Blueblood continued in a cheery voice before all signs of pleasantness fell off of the ex-prince's face, "I have a message for your bosses." He then grabbed a pair of shoes and leaped at them. What is he doing? There is no way that those industrial boots will fit in...oh. Coco thinks, taking a peek from behind her hoofs before covering her eyes once more, shocked at what happened. Ok…I stand corrected. The next day, like clockwork, a reward for Blueblood's head had been placed, in response to this, everyone, guardspony, royal guard and civilian alike, went on the offensive. Launching a massive push back sweeping through the city with a massive cleansing campaign to rid themselves of their foe. They hit all of the gangs and the dominant crime boss's where it hurt the most, using all of the unique tricks and skills that they had their disposal. The amount on Blueblood's head only increased as time went on. ~At 35,000,000 bits~ Groups of criminals tried to assassinate the ex-prince in the dead of night by breaking into the building he was known to be using as a home, only to find an empty room enshrouded in inky darkness. The only light came from a single naked bulb in a hanging lamp, illuminating a single chair with some puddings illuminated by the flickering light. When approaching said treats the would-be assassins froze when all the lights snapped on, and the criminals found themselves without their tools and weapons and inside a jail cell. "Surprise!" Pudding called from behind them, and when they turned, they watched in horror as the mare slammed shut the reinforced door before trotting away humming a tune and twirling a key around her hoof. Leaving them for the police to come and collect them. ~At 50,000,000 bits~ Thugs and assassins tried to ambush any pony associated with the ex-prince in alleyways, only to be counter ambushed by cops and guards, and if they were really unlucky, they found themselves facing Hurricane alone. "Oh, what is this? Twenty against little ol' me? That's just not fair…for you." They flinched when they saw the wicked grin she was sporting along with a blood-crazed gleam in her eye. Soon they regretted their decision five times more as five minutes later when they all staggered out of the alley and made best speed towards the nearest police pony, begging and pleading to be locked in a cell, or an asylum, or a trunk. Anywhere where that crazy mare couldn't get to them. "Aw, no pony wants a second round?" Hurricane asks, emerging from the alleyway. All the thugs shuddered and hid behind the nearest policepony. ~At 75,000,000 bits~ Beyond furious one gang tried to kidnap any pony that handed over their businesses to Blueblood out in broad daylight on the open streets, only to find themselves covered in honey each time they tried to snatch one. "What is this?" One of them asked, confused, and disgusted by the substance. "Release the fire ants!" They looked around, trying to locate the ex-prince before howling in pain as they were swarmed by the dreadful insects. ~At 90,000,000~ Crooked cops and corrupt politicians stepped in and tried to frame the elusive Prince-in-exile, only to be stopped by a squad of guards carrying out an arrest order for them. "This is preposterous?! For what? You have nothing on me!" "Actually they do~" Platinum countered, appearing with two guards and a photo of them receiving bribes from her in disguise. "You…you set me up!" "Don't hate the player, hate the game, dear." She replied with a calm smile. "You miserable, little whorse I'm going…!" He stopped abruptly and began to choke when Platinum stuffed a bar of soap in his mouth. "Launguage~" She scowled at him while patting his head as hoof cuffs were slapped on the pony. "Just because you are going to jail doesn't mean you can act like a brute in front of a lady." Her actions had the additional effect of paralyzing all of the illegal trafficking taking place in the city. Striking a lethal blow to the bank accounts and resources of the dwindling crime lords. ~At 100,000,000~ Enraged beyond all belief, the five remaining crime syndicates called for a truce and planned to join forces to send out one final, massive attack towards the stallion that ruined all of their business enterprises, Blueblood. But when they reached the residential district.…. "Over here!" Blueblood called out, escaping through a tunnel. "Get him!" One yelled, and they all started firing magic bolts and arrows at him entering the tunnel. "Nope over here!" He echoed out from behind a corner, and they proceed deeper into the tunnel. "Here!" Another turn. "Almost!" They saw his silhouette. "Come and catch me!" They were all apoplectic with rage, but when they reached the end of the tunnel, all of them were poofed into toys and fell to the ground with various squeaks, clanks, and whistles. Taking a moment to gather themselves in their new forms they stopped to look up at a smirking Discord standing behind Blueblood and an army of toddlers. Said army consisted of youngsters from all creatures; ponies, griffins, and even yaks with their mothers. "Look, kids! New toys!" Discord removed their exit as the ex-prince sent in the preschoolers, who descended on them like a pack of jackals, making all the now toy goons scream like fillies. "500,000,000,000 bits! Right. Now." Said a crime boss, a unicorn with grey fur and black mane. A scar on his left eye and an elegant blue business suit asked in person to one of his associates in complete desperation. "You get him yourself!" The goon replied before running away. End of song And so finally, the crime bosses of the five shattered syndicates were forced into a meeting to discuss what to do. "What the hay is the meaning of this?!" The unicorn demanded while stomping on a piece of a newspaper. "There is no way that, that... pompous brat is giving us this much trouble on his own! One of you is helping him, isn't it? You! Your all traitorous snakes, I would have your heads for this!" waving a hoof towards the other bosses. Most of them took the insult in stride but one, in particular, a minotaur, sitting across from the unicorn boss snorted in disdain. "Likely story, pony." the minotaur countered as he stood up and rose to his full height picking up a massive battleaxe that was leaning on the table next to him. "I find it very convenient that the only pony here is attacking the rest of us for being traitors; your whole species are nothing but a bunch of spineless sheep that can't do anything without your oh so mighty princesses anyway. Who is to say that you are not a mere puppet of the bratty Prince, eh?" "Nucklehead has a point there." A griffon with the attributes of a panther and falcon commented while munching on an apple slice that he carved off with a knife. "Besides, he is simply too stupid to think of betraying us." "Yeah…hey!" "Enough!" An anthropomorphic tiger stabbed the table that was in front of all of them with a dagger before addressing the others. "We are here to talk and figure out how to solve this mess, not bicker like a bunch of pussies looking for prom dates." He glared at them. "Hmph, who died and make you the leader?" A zebra asks while cleaning his crossbow, which had a quarrel loaded and pointing at the tiger. "Oh, what am I saying? By all means, please. Kill each other, I'll just kill the winner and take over Manehattan myself afterward." He informs the group with a manic smile on his face as they all glare at him. Their bickering comes to an abrupt end when, out of the shadows around them, the sound of echoing laughter made itself known, and it was approaching. Looking behind them, all the crime bosses see Blueblood approaching the group while wearing a newly made elegant white cape, a jacket interwoven with fine cloth and the telltale glint of silver mail and a matching pair of swords resting comfortably on either shoulder. "And here I thought Rarity was dramatic." "You..." The Minotaur glared at the Prince-in-exile and points at the Prince with his axe. "Give me one reason why shouldn't I rip you in half, right…" He halted his threat in shock when the prince pulled out a wrapped bundle from underneath his cloak and tossed at his hooves, spilling out its contents. The bundle contained the shattered and broken remains of four other axes eerily similar to the one he held now in his hand, recognizing the weapons for what they were the Minotaur snapped his eyes back to Blueblood. "Please, let's skip all this, shall we? I have already heard enough death threats and attempts to intimidate me to last a lifetime." He confides in them with a tired sigh. "Those are my Lieutenant's weapons! What did you…?" "Relax, they were still breathing when I left…I think. Anyway, they are in custody right now." He then addressed the others. "As well as yours. So don't even bother calling them." He casually informed the group, stopping in front of the Minotaur. "You. Are. Bluffing." The unicorn called out. "Am I?" He asks them with a quizzical tilt of the head before turning to the minotaur in a frightening display of speed. Reaching up with one hoof to wrap around the hilt of a sword the prince closed in on two hooves, coming into attack from a low angle. The Minotaur barely had time to guard as with one single swift stroke, the Prince-in-exile disarms the bull by cleaving the battleaxes haft in two before somersaulting backward, kicking both halves out of the stunned minotaurs hands. One half spun vigorously through the air before embedding itself into the wooden wall while the other slammed edge first into the desk, splitting it in half before anyone else could react. The Prince-in-exile completed his movement raising his single sword into a low guard after landing easily on his back hooves with no hint of uneasiness or trembling the prince let out a breath of air once more before neatly sidestepping the minotaur's fist as he attempted to land a haymaker of a punch on the unicorn. Weaving around a second punch, the Prince-in-exile takes aim and fires a concussive magical shot point blank into the Minotaur's neck. The creature collapsed to his knees, clutching his throat and gasping for breath. He barely was able to notice a flicker out of the corner of his eye before he was punched in the jaw with the hilt and reinforced guard of the prince's blade. Spittle and blood flew from the minotaurs mouth as he collapsed down to all fours. The ex-prince then brought up one of his hind hooves and stepped onto the back of the minotaurs neck, pushing him down to the ground as the remaining crime bosses finally overcame their shock and stood, readying their weapons. The zebra fired his quarrel, but the Prince's sword flickered out once more with alarming speed, chopping the projectile in half as it drew near, it was unnerving that the prince did not even flinch as the two severed pieces of projectile whipped right by his face. "I think your all misreading the situation your in here, gentlemen." The Prince continues conversationally, calmly before getting angry. "The only reason I haven't cut you all into bloody pieces of meat is a matter of courtesy and an opportunity for you to surrender." He leaned even harder on to his one hoof, starting to choke the Minotaur. "You can't scare me, you can't extort me, and you can't terrorize my friends!" Blueblood charged his horn and channeled it down to his back hoof, as he removed it from the back of the minotaurs neck before bringing the hoof around to kick him bodily across the room towards the rest of the criminals. The wet crack of ribs breaking echoed throughout the room adding weight to the prince's words, "So let this be my one and only act of kindness." He pointed to the group with his sword. "Since you all have so graciously donated the entirety of your fortunes, holdings, and properties to the crown, I will give you one day's head start to leave the kingdom and never return." "We what?!" The griffon screeched at him in rage as the Prince smiled tauntingly back at him before laughing once more. "Oh, sorry, you didn't know? After all, you were already providing a service to the crown by protecting its citizens, and you wouldn't even hear our offer of compensation and instead suggested that we pay you in Pyrite as a form of a present." In alarm, the griffon took out a pouch of gold he was carrying and pulled a coin only to see that it was just a rock veined with the worthless iron sulfide. "Yeah, I might have charged you a bit too much, but hey, that is something you are more than familiar with, right? After all..." the prince's demeanor turned deadly serious again. "You really loved doing the same to everyone here." "You son of a…!" The griffon launches himself into the air his talons blurring back and forth to sheaths on his body before snapping forwards, each time releasing a series of wickedly sharp throwing knives, but the Prince dodges and weaves through the barrage, and then charges forward to intercept the falling griffon unsheathing his second sword. The griffon screeches once more before diving in talons outstretched to rend and tear. The griffon never stood a chance, the prince parried the griffon's outstretched limbs off to the side and then flowed around his new opponent the twin swords single edges glowing like molten silver and the blurred through the air. The griffon slammed down hard on to the ground, barely able to maintain his footing while desperately looking around to find his pray. But his search came to an abrupt end when a searing pain tore its way up from his hindpaw as the prince drove one of his swords through the limb and into the floor, quite literally pinning the griffon in place before removing the blade. The prince then proceeded to lacerate his way up one of the griffon's flanks like a demented buzzsaw from the deepest pits of Tartarus finishing with a brutal crossing slash to the griffon's chest and shoulders. The Griffon collapsed to the ground mewling in pain. "Now this is what's going to happen. You all are going to get out Equestria right now, or I will break all each and every one of your bones, I will paint this room with your blood and then clean it up with your carcasses, and then I will make you crawl all the way from here to Canterlot!" The others try to retaliate but he jumps back, and they only hit the griffon, sending him flying toward a nearby wall and knocking him out cold. "Last chance, ladies." The Prince threatened. "Leave now, or I will toss you into a jail cell on a stretcher." Minus the zebra who decided to make a run for it, all of them howled out battle cries before launching an attack. The Prince smiled and prepares his swords. "Stretcher, it is." He jumps toward them, charging his swords with magic as they meet with the clash of steel. The unicorn tried to blast him with his magic only for the Prince to deflect the bolt of magic with a sword. Blueblood then charged his own horn and creates a wave of magic that launched his two adversaries into the air before he suspending them there with his telekinesis. The ex-prince smile takes on a maniacal tone before turning into a sneer as he floats them closer to regard them much like one would regard a particularly disgusting slug. It was at this moment that the two began to feel something that they had not felt in a long time, Fear. "You can't do this, you were supposed to be nothing but a snobbish brat, a brat!" The unicorn cried out in disbelief of what was happening. "Perhaps, but I'm the brat that beat you." The Prince proclaimed with a deadly cold tone before blinking as his eyes began to glow ominously. "AIso, I wasn't kidding." the wicked smile returned as he lifted his sword. His victims could only gulp and then scream as outside the building any nearby pony would been traumatized by the sounds coming from inside the building. It was not the sounds of breaking glass, bone, and wood that was so terrifying, it was the screams. The screams that seemed to go on forever and get higher and higher in pitch until they were cut short. The next day at the entrance of Canterlot Four guards were in the nearing the end of their assigned night shift when suddenly a flash of light caught their attention, and when they turn to see what was happening all of their jaws hit the ground at the sight in front of them. Approaching the entrance was the Prince, the pillars, and a platoon of soldiers along with three wagons filled to the brim with gold and treasure. Behind the wagon watched over by the sharp eyes and sharper spears of a detachment of guards, crawled four of the five crime bosses of Manehatten. They could barely move from their injuries and the weight of the chains that shackled them together as they collapsed in exhaustion once they reached the gates. "Good morning gentlestallions, don't mind us, we are simply bringing all the money I owe the crown, three times over, to help solve the crisis we have, plus some rats that thought Equestria was easy prey." He informs them while gesturing at his prisoners. "Don't worry, I have their arrest warrants and a comprehensive list of their crimes right here." The Prince tells them as Hurricane passes one of the guards the arrest profile of each of the prisoners to them. The guards blink at one another, unsure of what to think or do in this situation. The cat crawled toward one of them. "Please…just lock me up…get me away from... h-h-he's a monster!" He pleaded, completely terrified. "I-I confess, I'm criminal just please…take me away from that thing!" Unnerved by the self confessed criminal's actions and even more confused by the Prince's calm smile the Corporal in charge of nodded slowly and began to take gesture for the others to assist the returned royal and his cadre. Before moving to speak to the prince. But before he could voice his own words, the prince spoke with a tone that brooked no argument. "Now BRING ME JET SET!" The Prince ordered with the booming base of his very own Canterlot Royal Voice. The pre-dawn night seemed to fade blacker as the words echoed out, laced with so much anger and vitriol. The guard could not help but feel somewhat terrified of just what had returned to the capitol but shrugged the pompous nit has it coming' The guard thought to himself before stepping aside.