//------------------------------// // Patriots Disbanded // Story: Chronicles of Bon Bon // by Anonimoose //------------------------------// Lyra fended off the onslaught of war-machines, the lunar soldiers caused them to flinch but continued advancing, while Lyra's cannon created an explosion of shrapnel and parts turning the once beautiful garden into craters and smoke. Ritz tasting various emotions in the air but putting them off for the time being, "These things wont let up!" Lyra said reloading the huge cannon, a shell bouncing off the floor with a loud metallic ping. "Where's Tatau!?" Ritz asked as he handed another shell to Lyra and helped load the weapon, with the cannon reloaded Lyra began to push back the machines one at a time, "He's in the mansion, something about having a plan," Lyra looked around frantically, "where's Bonnie?" Ritz could hear the worry in her voice. "She.." "Ritz, Where is she?" "We don't know, listen, I'll tell you everything that happened AFTER this is over, I swear." Ritz reasoned with Lyra who hesitantly accepted the deal and returned to the barrier to fend off the machines as Ritz ran into the mansion, in the lobby he saw the hole where Backfire drove the tank through, the tank now sat right outside the hole to cover the breach firing at a shield pulled up by the princess, running to the west wing of the mansion he ran into the study to see SP, Lightning, and Backfire posted on the windows with mounted machine guns firing at the advancing possessed guardian tanks, "Where is Tatau!?" Ritz yelled over the gunfire, "What?" Backfire said pointing at her ear, "WHERE IS TATAU!?" Ritz repeated, "I don't know, we didn't know you guys got back, wheres Canvas, Hilt, and Bonnie?" "Canvas and Hilt are with Luna, she's safe." "and Bon Bon?" Backfire asked Ritz remained silent looking down at his hooves, "Later, now I have to find Tatau!" as he bolted out of the study he made it to the kitchen peeking outside he saw Sifty jumping over the cover and into the line of fire, "Dumbass," He muttered as he ran to the library to grab the only weapon he would think could bring down Celestia and noticed the case was open and the weapon inside was taken, as he ran the layout of the mansion through his head he knew the one vantage point that Tatau would use, the east wing. as he made it to the lobby of the mansion a loud shot came from behind the door and a second later Ritz was sent flying into the west wall of the lobby, in a dazed state he opened his eyes to see the entire east wing was missing, the only thing remaining was the charred foundations, he tried to reach out to Tatau telepathically, no response. "TATAU!" Ritz screamed, still dizzy from the blast, "TATAU!" he began to panic running into the charred remains of the east wing he began throwing the rubble around looking for Tatau, for the first time in his entire life, Ritz shed tears for his fallen brother, looking up he saw the War-Machines fall to the ground, Ritz thinking the blast might have been the culprit he then saw Celestia dazed but alive, standing up and throwing the destroyed amulet on the ground, as she did the sun turned to its original color, though slightly darker, then the now weakened goddess teleported away from the battle leaving Sifty standing alone in the destroyed front yard. --eight hours later-- In the town Lyra and Ritz sat at the local bar, they were supposed to be briefed by Luna on the next phase of the attack, but they did not care, for the second time, Bon Bon was gone, and for Ritz he had lost the one person who gave him a reason to stick around, the pair grabbed the largest bottle from over the counter and threw some bits at the bartender and began to drink their sorrows away, "So what now?" Ritz asked, taking a shot of the beverage, "I dunno Ritz, who's left?" "You, me, Paz and Mir, that griffon messenger, and a tank." Ritz said tallying up in his head the heavy losses the patriots faced. Ritz started to speak up about a rebuilding process but Lyra stopped him, "The Patriots are gone, got a letter from Armor right after we briefed him on the situation, as far as he's concerned the Patriots was a failure and are to disband and 'never happened'." Lyra said unfolding the letter and giving it to Ritz, "What are we going to do?" Ritz said, "I'm finding Bonnie's parents, I couldn't save her, but I can at least save them.." She took another drink, "So you gonna stay with the group?" "Tatau was the only reason I stayed, as far as we're concerned this isn't our war anymore, we did our part now we let the heroic Sifty take over." he said with disgust, "So wanna go to Fillydelphia and kill everything that tries to stop us?" Lyra gave Ritz a drunk grin and bro-hoofed making their way outside they entered Ritz's truck and drove into New Paradiso, Paz and Mir laid a wreath for the fallen patriots and saluted the crosses laid out, noticing Lyra and Ritz paying their respect they approached, "You heard the news?" Paz asked, wiping a tear away with her talon, "Yea, I didn't know they'd screw us all over like that, I'm sorry." "It's not your fault, we can find a new homeland.." "So where to now?" Mir asked, "what do you mean?" Lyra asked confused. "As far as I'm concerned, we're the only thing we've got so we stick together." "As 'Patriots'?" Lyra inquired, Ritz speaking up, "No, as family." "So where's the peace-maker?" "Lunar Coalition 'confiscated' it for R&D." Mir said in a disgusted tone. "So how are we gonna reach the mainland?" "Well," Ritz spoke up, "We can 'confiscate' something back." "Let's do it."