//------------------------------// // Chapter 55: Trial by metal KFC bucket. // Story: Era of Harmony // by Gambling_Sam //------------------------------// *Ronin POV* "That doesn't make any sense!" Chrysalis snarled as she paced around the room we were in. After we had settled the whole problem of whether or not I could actually go on trial, the girls and I had been moved to a room nearby the throne room while they got the room ready for the trial. And to pass the time, we were attempting to make sense of all the things that had happened recently, to little to no avail. "Calm down, Chrysi." I said as I lounged on a couch that looked familiar, though I had to pull glass shards from it before sitting on it for some reason. "Ronin's right." Redheart, who was snuggled up on my right, said cautiously as to not frustrate the already tense Queen. "I'll admit learning that Ronin is indeed from Griffonia is startling, but it's nothing to lose our heads about. We need to focus on bigger issues that have come up." Pinkie, who was on my left and was receiving a back massage from my left hand, frowned a bit as she looked up at me. "Him being a Griffon does explains the wings though..." She gave me a lustful gaze as she leaned into me with her back. "...and his skills in bed." This stops Chrysalis in her tracks, forcing her to look at Pinkie in shock. "Are you feeling alright, Pinkie? I'm usually the one who makes sexual comments to Ronin at the worst times, not you." "It's true, she does it relentlessly." I said before looking at Pinkie with mild concern while ignoring the mild glare from Chrysalis. "You've been acting odd recently, though I have to wonder if its because of all this trial crap or something else." Pinkie looked away and sighed, her hair deflating slightly. "I dont know. I've been feeling strange since a couple of days ago." Redheart, our friendly healer of the group, was the first to react, unsurprisingly. "What sort of symptoms do you have?" Pinkie narrowed her eyes at the ceiling in deep thought for a moment before looking to Redheart with an answer. "Um...I've had some weird feelings in my tummy that have made me throw up, amd I've also been flipping betweeen happy and angry easier." Redheart nodded while writing on a notepad she pulled from...somewhere. "So, you have vomiting and mood swings." She said as Pinkie nodded. Redheart chewed on a pencil in thought before her eyes went wide as she looked between Pinkie and I. "What is it?" Chrysalis stated as she walked over and moved Pinkie to my lap with a levitation spell, ignoring Pinkies yelp of suprise, and snuggled up to me as Redheart put down her notepad. "Ronin...how many times have you slept with Pinkie, and how often?" She asked me as I frowned at the left field question. That was NOT gonna be an easy question to answer. I groaned mentally as I heard Chrysalis, and about six hundred changelings in my head, giggle at my misfortune. They better be glad I'm busy, or I'd do...something! I shrugged as I used right hand to rub Pinkies head, as said pony was now pressed up to my chest as she looked at Redheart. "I dont know, but it's at least ten times." I said, causing her jaw to drop. "T-ten?!" She asked before looking between Pinkie and I again. "Now wonder she's showing signs of pregnacy!" She said before covering her mout with a hoof, but it was too late. Time froze as I felt the air around me thicken. Pregnant? Nonononono, that can't be happening! I'm a damn human, and she's a pink pony! How would that even... I groaned as my head started to hurt. Pinkie was confused and looked to be slightly freaking out at the sudden news. "But how could I be pregnant? Ronin isn't a pony. How would that even work?!" Chrysalis sighed as she put a hoof on Pinkies shoulder. "I have an answer to that, Pinkie. When Ronin became a changeling, he must've inherited our ability to reproduce with any species." Pinkie blinked for a second before looking straight at the ground, unmoving as her hair deflated. I picked her up while standing up, placed her where I was sitting, and knelt down in front of her so I could see her face. "Are you ok?" I asked her as she looked at me in slight shock. "Ok? OK?! Do I LOOK like I'm ok?! I just found out I might be pregnant! I can't be pregnant, not yet! We haven't married, you haven't managed to get a job that can support our herd AND a whole species yet." Chrysalis snorted at this, making me glare at her before looking back to Pinkie, who was now looking close to hyperventilating. "Not to mention that you may DIE today!" She was about to continue rambling on when I cut in. "Pinkie." I said seriously, causing her and the other two to looke at me. "You being pregnant may not be something we counted for, or even wanted at this point, but IF it's true than there's not much we can do. If anything, it gives us more motivation to keep me alive through this trial." Redheart nuzzled Pinkies cheek as she smiled softly. "Ronin is correct. We don't even know if you are pregnant, though I do have the materials necessary to test you right here." She pulled a mini bag from somewhere, though this time I didn't keep silent about the weirdness of doing so. "Where the hell are you pulling that stuff from?" I asked as she turned to me with smile. "Oh, just my prision wallet." She said nonchalantly as she started going through the bag as Chrysalis and I looked at each other for a moment, then back to Redheart. Prison wallet...Ok then. Definitely NOT something I'd thought I'd hear in this world. I shook my head to clear my thoughts as Redheart pulled out a pregnancy test and looked to Pinkie. "Alright, now all we do is go to the nearest bathroom and see if your really pregnant." Chrysalis frowned. "Why can't you just test her here? That's how changelings test for fertility." She stated as I shook my head, disgusted by the thought. "Nope! I am not watching you stick a medical stick up her glory hole, so please go find a bathroom." I said as Pinkie giggled and Redheart rolled her eyes as they got up and walked out the room with a quiet click of the door opening and closing. For a moment, it was quiet. Then Chrysalis spoke up. "We need to discuss something...important." She said as I looked to her, slightly confused. "Like what?" She narrowed her eyes at me. "Daybreaker." Shit. "Uh...what about her?" I asked as I fiund myself staring into the unamused eyes of Chrysalis. "What about her? Oh, I don't know, how about the fact that you went behind my back and transformed Celestia into...that thing." She stated as I sighed. "It needed to happen. We both know what Celestia did to the hive a thousand years ago." I replied as her eyes went wide. "How did you...Melfesia, right." She shook her head. "Did mother happen to tell you what Celestia looked like when she burned down that hive?" I went to answer, but stopped. She hadn't, just that it was her. Noticing ny lack of an answer, she continued. "Then I shall enlighten you. She looked exactly like Daybreaker." It was my turn to be suprised. "If Daybreaker killed the hive before, why is she helping me now?" Chrysalis sighed and looked down. "I don't know, Ronin." She said with a slight chuckle before looking away. "It's funny, ever since I became this...cartoony form that line seems to be all I ever can say." She said, her tone sounding extremely negative as her ears splayed against her head. I frowned and pulled her into a hug. "Chrysi...I'm sorry about going behind your back with all of this, but what's the worst Daybreaker can do?" She pulled away slightly and looked me in the eyes, what was sorrow earlier was now slight annoyance. "That mare is many things, and to answer your question...a lot." I groaned as I leaned back on the couch. Chrysalis, noticing this, immediately followed suit amd sprawled out on top of me. Almost as a pure reflex, I reached out and started scratching behind her ears, causing her to coo slightly. "Chrysi...how do you feel about all of this. Not just Daybreaker, but me as well. I apparently come from Griffonia, have a twisted side of myself that nearly killed you and Nurse earlier, and now I changed you into this white butterfly pony thing." Chrysalis smiled softly as she nuzzled my face. "Ronin, I do not regret saving you in that courtyard, and to be honest this body is kinda nice. It even caught the eye of your brother Raiden." She said as I frowned. "Ew. The fact that he gave you the bedroom eyes alone made me wanna barf." Chrysalis laughed. "Indeed. The fool really thought he had a chance with me for a second. I could TASTE his lust for me." She sighed as she ran a hoof down my plated exo-suit. "I could care less the armour you dawn, or your origin story. I love you for who you are." I smiled, deeply moved by her words. I grabbed her by her sides and pulled her closer to me while moving my hands down her spine, eliciting a moan from her. "Oh, Chrysi...You always know how to make a man feel loved." I said as she leaned in and kissed me passionately. After about five minutes, we broke apart as she gave looked around before grinning at me. "That pregnancy test shall take a while. Why don't we find a way to pass the time? I don't know about you, but I am particularly famished and could go for a meal right now." She said as she eyed me hungrily. I grinned wide as I realized I would be getting a show before my trial. "Very well, lets not keep the Queen under now." I said as she started to snake her way down my body. I Really hope there isn't any guards near the doors. **************** Raiden POV **************** We found ourselves at the entrance to the gardens, though neither of us moved an inch. With Ronin and his girls awaiting the trial to start, Twilight and Luna had accompanied me to confront the threat that was here. Daybreaker, on the other hand, ended up staying in the throne room to deal with another frozen land issue, this time it was near the ocean. Luna was the first to speak. "We feel something here, and we do not like it." It was true. She had been shaking slighty since entering the garden. Whatever was here had a strong enough aura to make a celestial body moving princess worried. I turned to Twilight, who was currently watching Luna with worry. "Twi, I think I forgot my axes in the throne room. Could you go get them before we go any farther?" She looked up at me and nodded. "Alright, but don't do anything until I get back." She said as she vanished with a flash of puprle light. I turned to Luna, a solemn look on my face. "Can you put up an barrier around the garden or something that blocks out magic?" She nodded and, with a flash of her horn, created a blue bubble around the entire garden. "You know Twilight will be upset that you tricked her like that." She said as I shrugged before starting to walk deeper into the garden. "It was for her own safety. That, and we have a LOT to discuss that needs to stay between us." I stated as she started to follow beside me. "What does thou mean?" She asked as I stopped and turned to her, ready to discuss some of the things that had occured recently. "Ah! You've arrived! I was worried you wouldn't show!" A loud voice called from in front of us. We turned to the source of the yell to find a sight I thought I'd never see. It was another human! Though this guy seemed more...ethereal somehow. Not just because he towered over me and luna by a head or two, or even the fact the man was wearing HORSE leather for clothing. No, what stood out was the fact that the mans whole right arm and hand was all bones and no flesh. "Who the hell are you?" I asked, almost not wanting an answer. He eyed me carefully, looking like he was sizing me up, before frowning. "Your one of them, alright. Though how you became a damned dragon is beyond me. Perhaps our lovely lady here had something to do with that." He laughed, pointing to Luna with his good hand. "I wonder, how much about her past do you know?" Luna growled. "We are royalty, and will not be talked to like this by a scoundrel like you!" She stated as the man put a hand to his chest. "Scoundrel, moi?" He said in a faux hurt tone. "You wound me, Luna. But that question was referred to our dear friend here. Does HE know about how far you went for 'true love' centuries ago?" Luna flinched as I raised an eyebrow. Centuries ago? Wouldn't that be Dadiolus then? But she said he caused the problems back then. "Luna, what does he mean?" I asked as she sighed, looking at the ground while pawing at it slightly. The man laughed even louder in response to this. "You seriously haven't told him? Do you want a repeat of the Callobrim incident? Because I seriously am getting sick of seeing you and Celestia's love lives enter Tartarus." He said as Luna looked up in shock. "No...thou can't be him!" She said, fear starting to appear in her tone as I looked between them. "Uh..Am I missing something, because who are you?" I asked the man as he turned to me and flashed a decayed smile (the dude had black TEETH...BLACK TEETH!). "Since your marefriend doesn't tell you anything, it falls to me to tell you the rest." He smiled as he grabbed a squirrel from the ground that was skittering by and held it up. "My name is Tarus, watcher of Tartarus and eater of souls. I have been searching for a human that has been exposed to dark magic, seen him anywhere?" He's talking about Ronin...though I can't let him know he's nearby. I shrugged. "That would be my brother, but he might've left the city already. He was just accused of a crime and the guy had been planning an escape." Tarus growled and looked away. "Damn, and I was hoping to use my little friend as a bargaining tool...oh well." He turned to an odd clearing. "Fluttershy, you may come out now." A soft gasp was heard from in between some trees, followed by a giggle. "I am not Fluttershy, I am a tree." What the... So that explains the pegasus that was talked about while Goldspoon was possessed, though it seems that she is doing pretty ok and definitely NOT dead. Tarus sighed before shaking his head. "Element bearer, I know I said you could pretend to be a tree and I'd water you, but we have guests that I know you know." With that, Fluttershys head popped out from inside a tree before she flew over gracefully, landing in front of us. "Oh! Hello, Raiden." She turned to Luna and bowed. "Hello, princess." Luna sighed. "Please don't bow to us, kindess. it is not necessary after you saved us from Nightmare Moon." Tarus narrowed his eyes after she said that as he growled lightly. "Fluttershy, would you mind going to get us some more tea from the royal kitchen? We don't have enough to accommodate everyone that has arrived." He said as Fluttershy beamed at him. "Ok, Mr. Tarus. I'll be right back." With that, she flew off, leaving us alone with the underworld tyrant. Tarus sighed. "That mare is too pure to see the bloodshed that will be commenced soon." He said as I frowned. "Excuse me?" He raised an eyebrow at me, looking suprisingly shocked. "What? I'm the lord of the dead. When a lot of poeple, or ponies, are about to die, I get this tingly sensation in my belly." He pats his stomach three times. "A gods gotta eat." What? Did he just say he's a... "God? Thou surely jest." Luna said for me as Tarus frowned before pointing at me. "Enough. I will not have you blasphemise me right here. Tell me the exact location of where your brothers are or die." He growled as I smirked, summoning my axes and readying myself for a fight. He raised an eyebrow at the show before rolling his eyes. "Don't do this, kid. I didn't come here for you." He said as Luna summoned the mace she had used against Volt and smirked. "Tis too bad. We find you guilty of attempted murder in two accounts, the element of kindness and most probably Raidens brother, and this cannot stand." I wasted no time rushing him after Luna finished her sentence, swinging my left-hand axe right at his chest and landing it there with a sickening thud. "Ha! So much for a...god?" I said as the wound started to heal around the axe, forcing it out of his chest. He sighed as he stared into my eyes. "I only came here to kill ONE human, but it seems two will have to do." He said as waved his hand, causing some unseen force to throw me back where I was, landing on my back with an oof, before turning to Luna. "Princess, you must stop trying to get your mates killed. I can only hold so many souls in Tartarus that are your consorts, after all." He didn't give her a time to reply though as he started shaking and convulsing while a black aura surrounded him. I swear you could hear what sounded like people screaming as the black stuff enveloped him and got bigger...and bigger. "What's happening?" I asked as I felt myself starting to regret attacking a guy who said he was a god. Luna frowned and took a battle stance as she turned to me. "Raiden, stay alert. Whatever comes out of that black fog cannot be allowed in the castle. We must defeat it here!" I nodded and turned my attention to the now gigantic black blob in front of us ad the blackness dispersed. "What the hell is that?!" I yelled as I set my sights on the thing that remained after the transformation. ************** Nicholas POV ************** We were now floating right above the city as we prepared to perform. Octavia told us to prepare while she connected our gear to the ships speakers. "So, what's the plan?" Axel asked me as we were huddled on the poop deck (hehe). I turned to Tak and smiled. "You have the mic, so you'll need to sing." Tak frowned. "But what song? I doubt I know any songs that will work." I grinned. "I have a song in mind, but how fast can you learn it?" He smirked. "Give me about five minutes with it, I can remember anything." he stated proudly as Roxas cheered...from the top of the mast. "Alright! Lets get some love!" Axel frowned as he looked up at him. "Why do you keep going up there? GET DOWN!" Tal and I laughed as we climbed up to the steering area where my DJ set, and a working Octavia, was currently at. She turned to us as we approached and grinned, holding out...no way. "Here! I added a jack function for headphones. These were a newer brand Vinyl made for the public listen to her wubs without disturbing others." She said as I happily grabbed the ear buds and ran over to my set. I found a jack on the front and plugged it in before getting behind it and connecting with it. Now for the song. I thought as the ultimate song came to mind. I felt my power flow into the set as I heard the sing start to play in the buds. I waved Tak iver and gave him the buds. "Listen to this and memorize it, I'm gonna check on the guys." I said as I dropped down to the poopdeck as Octavia went into the control room. Looking up, I was able to see that Axel had proceeded to climb the mast to grab a quite defiant Roxas. I chuckled before feeling that cold feeling return, except this time it was stronger. Help me... That voice from before stated, causing me to shiver. Last time I heard that I ended up nearly passing our at the boutique before having that nightmare... Oh no. It couldn't be her, right? Tak said he shielded my mind! I was slowly starting to panic. What if I freeze up during the performance? What if that lady actually appears?! What if- "Nicholas!" I was snapped back to reality by Axel and Roxas, who had both gotten down and were staring at me. "Dude...are you alright?" Roxas asked, his voice drowned in concern. "I'm fine, just a bit worried about the show." I said as Axel shrugged. "No worries. We just play a song and the ponies love us. it's simple." I sighed and walked over to the ledge, looking over the city. If only it was that simple Axel. I thought as I recalled where the girls were. I hope the girls are ok...though Diamond Tiara is easily gonna kill me, so maybe I shouldn't rush too fast to get this done. *********** Ronin POV *********** I must've conked out, because I was awoken by guards knocking on the door to escort Chrysalis and myself to the throne room where the trial would take place. After being moved to the throne room, I noticed the changes that had taken place. Unlike a normal court room, the positioning of seats was different. The defendant (me) was standing at a podium that was ten yards from another podium in front of me. There were two sets of jury seats (one in my left and one in my right), though they were being used for audience seating instead. Chrysalis was led to the seating on the left where Redheart and Pinkie were already sitting. Noticing that Pinkie had this far off gaze, I made eye contact with Redheart. What were the results? I mouthed at her. Thankfully, she seemed to understand what i was asking. She lookes to Pinkie Pie with a big smile before turning back to me and nodding. Congratulations. She mouthed excitedly, causing my eyes to bug out as I almost got a heart attack. Holy...I'm gonna be a dad. Well, a complete father, considering the drones only count about fifty percent. I looked to the right side of the room and noticed two sets of families in the second seating. No doubt those are the witnesses Blueblood mentioned. I thought as I looked forward and noticed Grimbeak taking center stage at the podium in front of me. He spread his talons out wide, a big and slighty creepy smile on his face. "Greetings! We are gathered here today in defense of one young man for his actions a month ago. But before we begin, I must remind everyone that this is a GRIFFONIAN trial, and it will be ran slightly differently than your pony trials." He pauses to take a breather as the pistons on his wings wheezed in complaint to his movements. Looking behind him, I noticed Blueblood and Gilda. The latter was standing guard next to the former, who was relaxing on the throne with a bored expression. Snide asshole. I thought as I noticed that the sunlight in the room looked like it was starting to turn orange, the first sign of sunset approaching. Which reminded me, where the fresh hell is Daybreaker? She had teleported out of the throne room before when we had all left, but unless she was with Raiden then she was AWOL right now. Clearing his throat, and getting the attention of everyone again, Grimbeak continued. "Now, if anycreature that is not in a relationship with the defendant would wish to serve as Ronin's defense, they should take center stage and appear now." He said before adding. "Oh, and I should mention that if you become his defense, you WILL share the fate of him and his herd." Silence rang out through the room for a noment until a purple light flashed into the center of the room, revealing Twilight. Gasps were gasped by the several ponies as she looked around before turning to me. "Ronin, do you know where Raidens axes are? He said he left them somewhere, but I can't find them..." She stated as I blinked in suprise. "Uh...Twilight." I said slowly, worried about whether or not she knew what she just signed up for. "You know Raidens axes are magical, right? He just summons them. If he told you to get them, he was just trying to send you away for some reason." I let that sink in, watching her face go from shock, to denial, to anger. "W-What? But that's...RAIDEN!" She yelled the last bit as Grimbeak grinned. "Well, it looks like the Element of magic herself has taken the role as defense!" He said making Twilight spin around to face him. "Wait, WHAT!" She yelled in suprise as Chrysalis stood. "Objection! I wish for somepony else to assist Ronin." She pointed to Twilight with a glare. "That lavender idiot might make him lose on purpose, just to spite me!" Twilight frowned at Chrysalis. "And why would I do that?! If I did, Pinkie Pie and Nurse Redheart would get hurt as well." She turned to Grimbeak. "Though I can't accept this role, I'm needed back in the gardens." Grimbeak smirked, raising an eyebrow. "Needed enough to be sent on a wild goose chase?" Twilight looked down, a sad look on her face. "Thought so. Now, with the defense appointed. we can now start the trial!" I gulped slightly as Twilight came to stand beside my podium. There was no turning back now. I would either be hit with a death sentence or pardoned for my actions so long ago. It was time to face the music.