Cleaning House
Night patrol ch 14
By foxgear
Lord Greenblood was on his way home from a significant “business” meeting involving some ponies that owed him money and a reminder of what should happen if they cannot pay by the end of the mouth. He snorted in disgust at the memory of that filthy peasant throwing himself at his hooves, crying for his family as if he could be bothered by such things. They were just the riff raft that eats the scraps from his table, and even that was too good for them. He grumbled in disgust as he had his mare servant clean the hoof the wretch dared to touch.
“Make sure you get, WOAH!” Greenblood lurched forward as the carriage came to an abrupt stop sending him flying on top of his maid. Angrily, he pushed her aside and stepped out of the carriage. “What is the meaning of this…” The words died in his throat as Greenblood come face to face with an entire squad of night patrol ponies, clad in full armor and holding his guards captive as more ponies ransack his home, throwing valuable objects on to the lawn as if they were common garbage.
“Are you Lord Greedy Greenblood?” The leader of the squad demanded.
“I am, and what in the name of Tartarus do you rabble think you are doing? This is my home! How dare you defile it with your sully hooves! I demand to speak the pony in charge and explain what is going on!”
A shadow loomed over Greenblood, causing him to turn on his rump and stare as the shimmering towering figure of Emerald Cutter stood over him. Her sparkling crystal-like coat blinded him as her long blade-like horn drew closer as she lowered her head to speak to the shorter pony.
“That would be me, I am Emerald Cutter, and I at this moment officially charge you Lord Greedy Greenblood with fraud, tax evasion, suspicion of corruption, bribery, and assault. By order of the Princesses Celestia and Princess Luna, you are as a result of this stripped of your noble status and are to be detained until your trial. Nico Vega if you would be so kind as to escort Mr. Greenblood to his cell.”
Nico Vega grinned as he roughly grabbed Greenblood by the scruff of the neck with his claw. “At once, ma’am, Come on you, we got a nice cozy spot set out just for you.”
“No, this cannot be! I am a noble! You cannot arrest me!”
“Bye-bye,” waved Emerald Cutter as she looked over Greenblood’s guards, “Now, what to do with you lot?”
She leaned close, scrapping her horn across one of the guards’ helmets, making them tremble as she paced back and forth.
“I’m thinking banishment to the Northern wastelands or to Yakyakastand or how about the Everfree forest? You ever hear of the Everfree ponies? I hear they eat the flesh of other ponies they find wandering in the forests. I’m interested in finding out what ponies taste like myself, see, I got the teeth for it.” Emerald opened her mouth showing off her fangs, “Of course, you could tell me all you’re bosses dirty secrets in exchange for your lives, but…”
“We’ll tell you everything! Please, please don’t eat us!” One of the guards screamed, breaking down, crying a waterfall of tears.
“Well,” Emerald blinked, awkwardly she and her fellow patrollers watch the full-grown stallion balled his eyes out like a foal, “That was easy. Alright round them up and will somepony please shut that guy up!”
It was mid-morning. Usually the time for a late breakfast or a calming puff from his pipe, but not today, no today was the time for running. The word has spread. Lord Greenblood has been arrested, his house and assets seized, and the pony himself was sitting in the dark dainty dungeons beneath the castle, all by order of the princesses. He didn’t know what was going on, but he, Lord Shirker Yellowblood, was going to find out. He bolted pass, numerous guards, taking no note of their white armor or their various and strange races as he knocked open the door to the throne room.
“Princess Celestia! What is the meaning of this… out…rage…” His words fall flat on his tongue as he stared at the room full of ponies, very scary ponies. Ponies with claws and fangs, ponies that stared at him with disdain and hatred in their eyes, ponies that bore the symbol of the moon upon their white armor and there in the middle of them all standing tall and proud was the pony he feared the most, Luna.
“Ah Lord Yellowblood, how nice to see you even though you’re rather…” Luna twirled her hoof in the air thinking of the words to say, well tactful words at least, “well you’ve made quite the grand entrance. Now, what was it you were saying? Celestia and I were much too engaged in our work to hear you. I’m afraid.”
Yellowblood’s mouth went dry as both princesses approach him. They looked different. They felt different. There seem to be an aura around them that made him want to tuck his tail and run. By his own words, he would say the princesses looked… angry. Yet their faces were as welcoming and kind as any other day.
“I um… heard about Greenblood and I’m simply here to hear the facts is all. Arresting a noble is a serious matter, you know.”
“And these are serious crimes,” Chimed Celestia, holding up several documents, “Very serious. I would advise you to stay out of it, Lord Yellowblood. Your close friendship with Greenblood could, as you told me once about Luna actually ‘be hazardous’ if you get my meaning.”
“Yes, sound advice indeed,” Yellowblood slowly backpedaled out of the room as the monstrous ponies closed in around him. Their sharps eyes borrowed into him like knives, “Advice I will heed right away, my dear princesses, please excuse me.”
He fled the room as fast as he could, a cold sweat matted his coat as he stopped to catch his breath. Those eyes! He couldn’t get them out of his head!
“Yellowblood? Is that you?”
“Ah, what? Oh, lady Voiletblood. How nice to see you. I trust you’ve heard the news?” Yellowblood quickly stood up straight and proper, he needed to keep his mask of strength preserved, no matter how scared he actually was.
“I have,” She said with an agonizing cry, she was all ways a bit of a dramatic, probably from her short acting career. No pony questioned why it was so brief. Not if you read the reviews anyway. “It’s dreadful to think such a thing could happen to one of us, but that’s what you get when you’re not careful. Tell me how long till Greenblood is out? An hour or less?”
“Unknown.”
“I beg your pardon?”
“The princesses themselves are investigating him with an army of monstrous ponies! Lady Vi Violetblood, we must rally our colleagues if we are to counter them. We cannot let our work go to ruin before it’s ready!”
Violetblood recoiled as Yellowblood got in her face, his… enthusiasm was startling, to say the least. The look in his eyes disturbed her. He might do something dangerous if she doesn’t stop him now.
“I understand your concern Yellowblood, but…” (What to say?) “I think you're too hasty. Think about what may happen if we act too quickly. We could ruin everything with our impatience.”
“Are you betraying me?”
“What? No, no, all I’m saying is that we need to be smart. If Luna and Celestia are working together again, then you know there is nothing we can do politically to stop them, they are the co-rulers of the kingdom, if they both agree on the issue, then we the council have no say. That is the reason we drove Luna away, remember? And you know how long that took. We almost blew that when we got ahead of ourselves.” Yellowblood seemed to calm down at her words, for which she was very grateful. “Listen, you go home and relax. I will go gather the others for a… party let’s say. You just leave everything to me. Also, be careful about what you say from now on, who knows who may be listening.”
Yellowblood seemed to deflate, all his bravado leaving him like a gust of wind. The noble stallion hung his head as he trotted pass Lady Violetblood. “You’re right Vi, I’ll just go home for now. I’ll leave things in your capable hooves.”
Vi sighed with relief once Yellowblood was gone. Out of all them, he was always their most vocal member, but everypony knew he was a coward at heart and tends to let his fears overrun him if they weren’t there to keep him stable.
(Now its time to get to work.)
In the throne room, Luna and Celestia had their own conversation, mostly made of mischievous giggles as they laugh themselves silly at the look on Yellowblood’s face when he scampered off. After years of taking the nobles crap, it was nice to get some revenge. The fact it was Greenblood they went after first was of no coincidence.
Celestia’s mood took a darker turn as she thought of her personal maid, Dippy Hooves, and the mistreatment given to her by the noble class just because she was of lesser birth. She still remembered the day she found Dippy at home after she failed to report in for work one day. The poor mare had been beaten black and blue by some “Thugs” that tried to rob her. She gave them everything she had, which was very little and they still attacked her, if not for her guard Stronghold, who she sent to check on Dippy, who knows what could have happened. This, of course, this happened the day after Dippy accidentally spit hot tea on Greenblood.
“Luna,” Spoke Celestia, her tone devoid of the previous laughter as she seriously addressed her sister. “Will Dippy be safe at your castle?”
Luna gave her sister her best reassuring smile as she wrapped her foreleg around Celestia’s neck, “Rest assured sister, Dippy Hooves and her family are being guarded by not only my patrollers but also the entire Apple Clan and many more and she has the best personal bodyguard no amount of money could pay for. Trust me even Discord would have a hard time getting to her now. Killing Perfection will ensure no ponies’ breath even touches her mane.”
“I’m still not sure about her name, she’s a good pony, but Killing Perfection? How or why did she choose that name for herself?”
“Well…” Luna began, “In the early days when the rinin were choosing their names, Killing Perfection went out on a lot of missions against dangerous creatures and every attack she made always ended up being a killing blow. Ponies called her by many names, One shot, Sure Kill, White death, so on and so on, after being called by so many names, all of them involving death, she just took the name Killing Perfection, though I do wonder at times if that's what she really wants to be called.” Luna wondered how KP really felt about the matter, knowing such a title could be burdening. (I’ll have to talk to her about it sometime.) “Moving on, who’s our next Noble? Best to round up the ones we can prove are guilty quickly before they start covering their tracks.”
Celestia held up the list of names and crimes, “Let’s see Red blood and Orangeblood, followed by Blueblood.”
“Very well, let us make haste then!”
Duke Cobalt Blueblood sipped his whiskey slowly, staring out at the setting sun. A letter sat on his desk, opened, but discarded. His friends were plotting again, and he knew the game was up. Besides, it’s not like he had a lot of time left, why waste it in vain? When he could be doing something more significant. The others were fools thinking they could outlast the princesses. That would never work. Become their enemies today, and their children will suffer for a thousand years, but gain their favor, and they would be blessed for all eternity.
“Fetch me, my son,” Cobalt demanded, a maid rushed from the room with all haste. He waited only a few minutes for his eldest son, his heir, Azure Blueblood arrived. A stallion of many talents and always ahead of the curb. Cobalt remembered when he sent him out with a bag of bits and told him not to come back until he’s made double the amount. One year later Azure returned with four times the amount.
“What is it, father? Are you not feeling well again?” Azure asked with concern. Recently Cobalt’s health has been in decline. One day Azure found two maids’ whispering about some blood on his father’s favorite liquor glass, Cobalt denied the claim, and he dropped the matter, but he kept his eye on his father, and he’s noticed his father may not be as healthy as he claimed but refused to see a doctor.
Cobalt paused briefly before shaking his head. He placed all his hopes in Yellowblood and the other’s plans, ignoring his son’s concerns in favor of what they promised. He did, in fact, go and see a doctor recently and it’s too late for him. He wouldn’t last in time for the plan to bear fruit and as he held the small black book in his hooves that held everything the princesses would need to cuff and collar them all, his only thoughts were on his son and the punishment he would endure for his mistakes. He had to make this right.
“No, I just wanted to give you something before I go, lest I forget in the morning after drinking with the others.” Cobalt turned his chair around, so he faced Azure and laid the book on the desk. “I want you to have this. When the time comes, you will know what to do with it.”
“What is it, father?” Azure asked inspecting the book. He felt nervous like it was some omen.
“Don’t worry about it. Just know you may have use of it soon. Now I must be off, and I believe you have a date tonight with your mare friend correct? Go on and have fun and leave this old stallion to play cards and drink with his friends.”
“Oh, alright,” Said Azure uncertainly, his father’s behavior unnerving him slightly. “Have a good night, father.”
Cobalt tapped his hoof nervously has he watched Azure leave, one final thought picking at his conscious, “Wait, Azure, one last thing before you go.”
“Yes, father?”
Cobalt hesitated with his question, knowing it would surely make his son suspicious, yet he had to know, “I’m a good pony, son?”
“You’re a good father, you taught me what I need to know to be a proper stallion and much more.”
“I know, but am I a good pony? When you look back and tell stories of me to your foals, how will you remember me?”
“I-I don’t… why are you asking?”
“Please son,” Cobalt pressed, “Answer the question.”
Azure hesitated, “I think you are the best pony I know, you’re my hero, but in my travels, I have heard… unsettling things about you, but to me, you will always be a good pony.”
A tear fell from his eye, Cobalt quickly swiping it away, drowning the last of his whiskey in a single glop. “Thank you, Azure, for being honest with me. Rest assured, I intend to change my reputation aboard. Now off with you, the night is young and so are you. Enjoy tonight with Sapphire Sea.”
“I will, good night, father.”
“Good night, son,” Said Cobalt as the door closed, “And goodbye.”
Cobalt arrived at Lady Violetblood’s manor by carriage around ten-thirty. He recognized his fellow nobles carriages parked alongside the mansion, Greenblood’s was of course absent. The driver brought him around the front where a maid welcomed and offered him a drink and smoke. He accepts both needing to calm his nerves.
Vi’s manor was decorated with, of course, the color violet, shades of purple adorn every drape and chair, even the rugs. Thankfully she had the sense to contrast the color with some white marble. He knew the way to their usual meeting room, finding it quickly as he finished his drink and smoke. Determined, he entered the room.
Inside was every noble, not in jail, enjoying the finest Canterlot had to offer and in volumes that not even they could eat in one night. As he wandered the room taking another glass of whiskey and sat quietly between Redblood and Orangeblood. At the head was Vi with Yellowblood to her right. So far no conversation on the matter at hoof had yet to come up, but with his arrival, it was sure to begin any minute.
“Cobalt you’re here!” Yellowblood exclaimed, strangely excited, “I’ve devised the perfect plan to deal with the princesses. I’m sure our ‘friends’ abroad will be more than willing to support us in our endeavor. The kingdom will be ours and soon the secrets of alicornhood!”
Cobalt calmly looked through his glass at Yellowblood, who was clearly drunk, explaining his strange behavior. Poor guy must be shaking in his boots if he’s already this drunk.
“I think,” He began, all eyes turning to him. “I’ve had enough of this nonsense.”
“What?” Sputtered Yellowblood, spitting his drink all over the table, “What do you mean, you’re done?”
“Just that. I’m done. I’ve decided I don’t want to burn in Tartarus for this half-assed scheme. I’ve already set things in motion. The princesses will know everything by morning. Now I will take my leave, enjoy your freedom, it will only last tonight.” Declared Cobalt as he left his fellow nobles stunned. Quickly he slipped out towards the door, hearing the galloping of hooves, he turned surprised to see Yellowblood of all ponies charging at him with is horn lowered in attack.
“Die, traitor!” The yellow coated noble screamed as he jabbed his horn into Cobalt’s barrel. Cobalt winced in pain as he felt the horn puncture his lungs. Yellowblood stumbled back breathing heavily and swaying on his hooves from drinking too much and running so fast. Coughing up some blood Cobalt swiped his lips clean as he stared down Yellowblood, causing the yellow stallion to tremble as he towered over him.
“That all you got? Seems you forgot I served in the royal guards when I was young and unlike you, I was actually pretty good at it.” Cobalt punched Yellowblood with his hoof sending the stallion down to the floor with a single hit. “Anypony else?” The other nobles did nothing. Confidently he left the room, keeping pressure on the wound as he trotted out on three legs. On the streets he looked back, watching the silhouettes of his fellow nobles as they scramble to make a quick getaway. He looked up spotting some shadowy figures in the dark of the night.
The princesses would need evidence, and nothing was guiltier then a pony running before the crimes could even be named and for him, his injury, well unplanned, would help his son succeed into glory by the princesses’ sides. The Bluebloods would be around for a long time.
Hobbling down the street Cobalt turned towards the more unfortunate part of town, coming to the local cemetery, a fitting place to end things. He thought as he climbed onto a nearby bench. There he stared at the orphan graves.
Tears fell from his eyes as he imagined all those foals, foals just like his son, all gone, taken out of greed and desperation and misguidance. Blood fills his throat, he didn’t have much time left, and there was no pony around to tell. Dabbing his hoof in his own blood, he wrote his final passage. Once finished Cobalt laid back and closed his eyes as two ponies drop down from the sky. He could barely make out the one’s pony’s face in the moonlight, but he remembers those eyes, filled with determination and anger.
“Ferocious…”
“What was that he said?” Nico Vega asked as he looked the dead stallion over, he was one of the nobles for sure, and he suffered an attack to his lungs by horn or spear it seemed. “Did you hear him, Fury? Fury? Hey, are you listening?”
“Quiet Nico,” The red stallion said, pointing to the ground, “Look at this.”
“Foals in the factory?” (Foals? What foals?) Nico looked up at the orphan graves. “Fury?”
“Get Princess Luna, something more is going on here.”
Azure sat drinking his morning coffee, noticing the staff was strangely apprehensive this morning never meeting his eyes and avoiding small talk. He wondered what was wrong with them as he opened the morning paper. Azure froze as his eye caught a glimpse of the front page article. Slowly he turned it back, the headline reading.
Duke Cobalt Blueblood found dead in Cemetery. Princesses set to investigate
He dropped the paper dashing for his father’s study, where he had left the book given to him. He burst through the door, breaking the lock on the text and began to read it, it didn’t long for him to find what he needed to know, but he wished he hadn’t, oh the princesses he wished he hadn’t.
“Father… why…” He broke down and cried, trying to hold on the image of his beloved father as it faded away to a much darker one.
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Awesome chapter!
6521620 Thank you very much for saying so, I'm always a bit nervous when I post new chapters.
Really good chapter, the beginning was good and satisfying seeing the noble getting stop by the night patrol.
And you explain why the blueblood bloodline is still alive at the "MLP : Fim" time, great.
6526679 Thank you, after many failures with my past stories I try my best to make thing match or make sense as possible.
6530923 Thanks for pointing that out I'll get that fixed right away.
I've caught the whiff of a rainbow factory...