Chapter 54: Cold hearts, Burning spirits pt.6
*Ronin POV*
The snotty prince took a step forward, pointing a hoof at me.
"I have come here to personally escort the hairless ape to his trial." He said as Twilight stepped forward, a determined look on her face.
"A trial that is against the law, Prince Blueblood!" She levitates a thick book from who knows where. "It says so on page three fourty-five in article seven in your own book: Unless the accused is born in Equestria, he or she cannot be prosecuted by our governing authority!"
The prince grabbed the book in a blue aura and levitated it over to him, reading the page. He raised an eyebrow before laughing as he magically tossed the book back Twilight.
"Oh this is rich!" He exclaimed in between chuckles. "You think you've outsmarted me in my own area of expertise? I have ample evidence provided by my guests here that the human originates from Griffonia, and can be put on trial in the presence of Griffonian royalty based on page three fifty-two article four of the same book: If the accused is born from a neighbouring land, a governed official from that land may watch over the trial." He cited as Twilight flipped to the page magically and reads it before looking up at us and nodding, albeit regretfully.
"It's true. If Ronin does have Griffonian descent, he can be tried for the crimes."
Gasps could be heard from me and everyone else as what had to be Grimbeak stepped forward, his body covered in gears and pistons.
"But that doesn't make any sense!" Raiden exclaimed as I found myself staring into the eyes of the Griffon king. "Ronin was born on earth just like Nicholas and myself! Hell, we didn't even know about this world until a month ago!"
Chrysalis glared daggers at Gilda as she picked up where Raiden stopped. "And even then, he was with my kind the whole time. How could he be of Griffonia descent?"
Grimbeak chuckled as I noticed Redheart start to stir, causing Pinkie to look to her and help her stand up.
"It does seem outlandish, I'll admit. But Ronin comes from my land, although the how is quite complicated." He pulled out a sack and pulled an big black feather from it. "This is a primary feather, enchanted to grow alongside its owner regardless of being plucked out. If it matches Ronins wings, then he is surely who I say he is, and can be prosucuted as followed in that law book."
Daybreaker narrowed her eyes. "And if it isn't, you must explain why there is fresh blood on your right wing."
Sure enough, we looked and saw green blood dripping from his wing. Grimbeak shrugged his wings, caring less about the odd stain.
"I'll tell you that now. There was a changeling who attempted to eavesdrop on me during a private moment, and our kind does not take well to...spies." His voice dripped enjoyement as he recalled the event as I felt a rising rage deep withen me from his words.
Pinkie was the first to speak up, leaving Redheart to lean on Daybreaker, who looked uncomfortable with Redheart on her. "You and Blueblood were planning on doing something bad to Ronin when we overheard you." She got face to face with Grimbeak quick, now VERY agitated as her mane was now hanging low. "What did you do to Larxene?!"
"Pinkie, stop!" Twilight exclaimed, pulling her back from the smug king as Chrysalis walked over to them, looking Pinkie in the eyes as she approached.
"He killed her, Pinkie Pie...He killed her in cold blood" She said, malice clear in her voice as Pinkie seemed to freeze up. I turned back to Grimbeak, absolutely ready to kill the guy.
Raiden, able to sense my anger, stopped me with a clawed hand on my shoulder. "I know your itching to kill that old fart, but the last thing we need to do is have another crime on our hands. Let them test the feather, and if the feather doesnt match I'll help you tear him apart, aight."
I sighed and summoned my wings, which brought another thing to light.
"Uh, how are you gonna compare that feather to my wings if my wings are made of steel?" I asked as Grimbeak approached, making everyone tense up.
"If it is your wing, then it should undergo the same transformation like the others when it is held up to you." He said as the wing left his claws and floated over to me. It rose up to the tip of my left wing and turned slightly before sinking into a small opening I hadn't seen before, turning to metal as soon as it latched in place.
Time stopped as I looked at the wing on complete shock. B-But how? I thought, unable to wrap my head around it.
Everyone else looked on in stunned silence as Grimbeak returned to his original position beside the prince and Gilda, the latter had refused to even look near me during the whole situation.
"It fits?!" Raiden yelled, looking like a mix between mad and suprised as he turned to Grimbeak. "How?!"
The king tilted his head, looking at Luna and Daybreaker with a coy smile. "Hmm? You don't know? And here I thought you were just being difficult, but the royal sisters actually haven't told you about your parents, huh?" He laughed as looks of confusion washed over most of our faces while Luna looked...ashamed?
Daybreaker snorted, seeming unsuprised by all of this.
"Of course they didn't tell the humans the truth about their family!" She stated, ignoring a glare from Luna as we turned to her. "Considering the events that occurred with their parents, it's no suprise Celestia and Luna witheld the information." She stated as Twilight turned to Luna while Blueblood started tapping his hoof, looking a mite impatient.
"Princess...what did Cele-Daybreaker mean by that?" She asked the night princess, who refused to meet Twilights gaze. Raiden walked over to her and tilted her head to face his.
"Luna...do you know something that we don't?" He asked, worry in his voice as Blueblood snapped.
"This is taking forever! We have proof Ronin is from Griffonia, so we will be conducting his trial the way Griffonians do theirs...in private."
That did NOT sound good at all, and based on the frown upon the others faces, they thought the same as well.
"A private trial? And what makes you think we wouldn't want to take part in this?" Chrysalis stated as Redheart, who had been listening in while waking up, stepped forward.
"Ronin has a herd that is willing to stand by him, even in the face of court law." She said as Grimbeak grinned.
"A herd, huh? Well then, Griffons have a bi-law for that. You may be permitted to accompany him, but all that do so will share pubishment with him if he found guilty." He said, making me turn to the girls, worry on my face.
"Whoa whoa whoa whoa. That's where I draw the line. No one is taking the blame for this but m-" I found my mouth frozen by a green aura as Chrysalis glared at me.
"You are an absolute idiot if you think we are not joining you for this trial." She turned her glare to the prince, who looked away with his nose in the air. "Not only because we are a herd, but to ensure rules do indeed be kept and no one is hurt."
Redheart nodded as Raiden turned to Luna.
"We can't do anything to stop this?" He asked her, causing Luna to sigh.
"As much as we hate to say so, this is now a Griffonian trial. To act now would be to spark a fight with the Griffon king, and in lesser extent, his people. Nay, we must allow the trial to commence while we look into the threat in the garden." She said as Twilight gasped.
"That's right!" She turned to Blueblood and Grimbeak. "How could you two demand a trial when there's something dangerous in the castle right now?!"
Blueblood, for the first time, looked unprofessional as he frowned. "I thought that was these buffoons down here that caused the explosion. If not them, than who?"
"I'm not sure, what do you think Gilda?" Grimbeak said, looking to where Gilda was noticing she was gone.
wait...what?
"Where did that layabout go?!" Grimbeak demanded as Daybreaker turned to Luna with a slight look of curiosity.
"Dear sister..." She began, earning a glare from Luna.
"We are not thou sister, demon." Luna said, causing Daybreaker to chuckle.
"Perhaps not, Luna. But have you thought about how odd all of this is? There just happens to be some sort of problem in the gardens at the same time this king demands a trial from Ronin?"
Luna, although frowning, nodded her head. "Tis true, it seems to be very suspiciously timed. But the decision has already been made. While Ronin and his herd go to the trial, we will go to the gardens and save the pegasus that is held captive there."
As those two spoke about plans, I looked to the Griffon king and sighed. "So, where's the trial being held?"
He smiled and motioned towards the door. "We will hold it here as soon as the external parties leave."
Chrysalis walked up next to me and gave me a look as she eyed Grimbeak. "I have need to speak with my herdmate...in private." The Griffon shrugged and walked over to the prince, who was currently ordering the just returning Bellflower to look into the garden issue.
After the Griffon was put of range of our voices, Chrysalis glared at me. "What the hell is going through your thick skull, summoning that Daybreaker without telling me or the others first?!"
I groaned. "Chrysi, it was the best thing to do. You, of everyone here, knows about what Celestia has done to deserve locked up mentally."
Redheart and Pinkie joined us, the latter looked very exhausted.
Wonder why Pinkie looks so tired... I couldn't help but think as Redheart spoke.
"Ronin, I understand there being a grudge between Chrysalis and Celestia, but was it really necessary to swap her mind out with...that?" She pointed to Daybreaker, who was watching Raiden and his group of two mares prepare to leave.
I nodded. "In my opinion, yes. Though I definitely should've told y'all first." I said as Pinkie smiled.
"It's alright, Ronin! It's not like you helped an evil queen or anything." She thought about that for a second as Chrysalis rolled her eyes. "...Again, anyway."
I smiled, but stopped as the lavender unicorn walked over while Raiden and Luna seemed to be arguing about who would investigate the garden.
"Could I talk with Pinkie for a second?" She asked as we all looked to each other before Chrysalis nodded.
"Sure...but make it quick. We are not done giving Ronin a hard time, and we would like to finish before the trial starts." She said as Pinkie was pulled to the side by Twilight.
Redheart turned back to me as they conversed, a slight frown on her face.
"So, how intimate have you been with Daybreaker without us knowing?" She asked, not a hint of hesitation in her voice as I groaned.
***************
Raiden POV
***************
Today had so far blown everything out of the water. From Goldspoon selling us out to some evil power, to Ronin (and me and Nicholas potentially) being FROM Equestria and it's neighbouring kingdoms!
It was a lot to take in, and I for one needed a plan to organize at least some of the current chaos, so Luna and I planned strategy while Twilight went to get Pinkie.
"Thou is not approaching the garden alone." Luna exclaimed as I face-plamed.
"Luna, he asked for a human. And that means me."
"To be fair, you don't look like a human." Twilight said as she and Pinkie approached. We turned to them as Luna smiled.
"Ah, Twilight. Now that Laughter is here, We can bring up the next topic: Daybreaker."
For some reason, that name gave me shivers everytime it was spoken, though it was a topic that needed to be discussed, and Twilight looked pretty ready to discuss it.
"Princess, with all due respect, that...whatever she is isn't Princess Celestia." She turned to me, and I could see the anger in her eyes. "What was Ronin thinking, pulling something like this and?"
I groaned, remembering countless times he would be rash in his decision making when we were younger. "He almost never thinks about things for the long run, just short term most of the time. But this easily blows everything else out of the water."
Pinkie frowned. "C'mon, guys. Ronin has to have a very good reason for changing Celestia...right?" She turned to Twilight, who shoke her head.
"Pinkie...I know your in a herd with him, but what Ronin did wasn't exactly good guy behavior. Add that to the murders he is in trial for and..." She trailed off, causing me to look at her carefully.
"And what?" I asked, curious as to what was on her mind. She looked up at me slowly as I noticed a hint of worry in her eyes.
"Raiden...is Ronin the type of man to hurt others just for the sake of it?" She asked me as Pinkie gasped and my eyes went wide.
"What? No! Sure, he has a warped sense of justice half the time, but he's not a cold blooded murderer." I exclaimed.
"The trial states otherwise." I heard Luns mutter, earning a glare from me as Pinkie narrowed her eyes at Twilight.
"Twilight! You can't say that about Ronin! He's a good person!" She stated as Twilight frowned and returned the glare back at her.
"Pinkie, he killed several ponies a month ago, and now replaced Celestia with a alternate version of Nightmare Moon!" She stated while I looked to Luna.
"And that's another thing. I thought Celestia was pretty much this worlds god or something. How'd she get overpowered by Ronin and Daybreaker?" I asked her as her eyes narrowed in thought before they widened.
"The guard from earlier said Daybreaker started the...love fest from earlier. Perhaps she tapped into Ronin's love magic." She stated as Twilight gasped.
"Wait a second. Does that mean Ronin is powering her with his own love magic?" She exclaimed as I nodded.
"Indeed. No wonder Celestia was overpowered. She was double-teamed by both Daybreakers own magic and Ronin's collective love he stores from his herd." I said as Luna gasped.
"That would mean she is currently being powered off it now, and the only way to free Celestia would be to..."
"Stop the source of love itself, which would be Ronin." I stated, causing Pinkie to back away slightly.
"No...There has to be another way! Maybe Daybreaker isn't that bad? Or Celestia deserves to be locked away..." Pinkie Pie said, though it sounded like she was close to tears. Twilight, however, wasn't having it.
"Pinkie, if we don't disconnect Ronin from Daybreaker, then Princess Celestia might never come back!" She pointed to Ronin and his herd, who were currently arguing about the trial. "We need you to ask Chrysalis about the love connections changelings can make. If there's a way to disconnect the two without hurting Ronin, she would know."
Pinkie looked down and pawed at the ground slightly, her eyes having a dejected look to them. "I don't know, Twilight. This feels wrong to to this behind their backs."
Twilight rested a hoof on Pinkie Pies shoulder and smiled softly. "Pinkie, as elements of harmony, it's our job to protect Equestria. If we don't bring back Celestia, who's gonna rule the kingdom during the day?"
Luna frowned. "We would not advise letting Daybreaker on the throne." She said, stealing a glance at said pony that was currently looking around the throne room with an observant eye, likely taking everything in. "We cannot trust her, Laughter. And we need our sister back if more of these problems we are facing are to surface."
Pinkie sighed, looking up at me, and in doing so let me see the extreme exhaustion that was present in her eyes. "Raiden...If Ronin was to become a bad guy, could you be able to hurt him?"
I went to answer with a solid no, but found myself pausing. WOULD I be able to hurt him, or even kill him, if he threatened Luna or Nicholas or any of our friends? And if so, what does that say about our relationship as a family?
I sighed. "Pinkie, while I doubt Ronin would go mass murderer on everyone, if it came down to it then yes, I would be able to hurt him. But only to protect those I care about." I said softly.
This was enough for her, for her mane seemed to inflate a bit as she smiled. "Thanks Raiden...I'll go and ask Chrysi about the love connect-whatzit and see if we can break it without hurting Ronin." With that, she turned and hopped towards her herd, leaving us to stew on the discussion.
"Well, now that that's oit of the way, we need to go to the gardens and meet with our...uninvited guest." I said as Luna prepped a teleport spell, but before she casted it she looked over to Grimbeak first, then over to Daybreaker.
"Let us hope nothing goes wrong while we investigate this issue." She said as she warped us out of the room.
*****************
Nicholas POV
*****************
"Is everypony in position?" Octavia exclaimed from the wheel of the ship. We had finished loading things (like subwoofers and other gear) onto the ship and were about to take off.
"All clear up here!" Roxas yelled happily from the mast as I chuckled. boy reeeally likes that spot.
"Ready at the bow!" Axel called out, though a hint of melancholy was evident in his voice, and considering what apparently happened with Larxene, I don't blame him.
"The poop deck is secure, I repeat, the poop deck is secure!" Tak reported from the...well, poop deck.
I looked to Octavia and smiled. "We're ready for liftoff." She got a big smile on her face and stomped her hoof on the flooring, alerting our guard friend below that we were ready for liftoff.
Now, underneath the ship were these circles that kinda looked like the wheels of a Mario Kart 8 vehicle in float mode, and I had never thought about what they did until now as we started moving.
There was a low humming that sounding like buildup for a dubstep song as we slowly started to float up higher.
"6T! Untie the anchor!" Octavia bellowed. Tak did a two-finger salute and undid the knot before pulling the anchor up onto the ship and depositing it on a side wall.
Octavia looked off to the side area of the warehouse at a slightly familiar mint unicorn. "Heartstrings, open the roof!"
Said Heartstrings pulled a lever near her, causing the roof over the place to contract enough for the airship to fly out of the warehouse with that wub-like sound still going.
I turned to Octavia. "How is this thing floating in the air?"
She smiled and tapped the floorboards. "We have a recording of Vinyl's beats going right now, and since the ship runs on music, that's how it operates."
Well that's cool. I thought as I looked at the city we were flying over. With the sun being right in the middle of the sky, I was able to see all of Canterlots beauty.
"Whooaaa." I exclaimed, to Octavias amusement.
"Isn't it beautiful, Nicholas." She said as looked back at her with a wide grin on my face.
"It's absolutely amazing!" I yelled happily, earning a giggle from the grey mare before me.
"I'm glad your enjoying yourself." She said before getting serious. "Now, we're about to be above the center plaza of the whole city. This will be the easiest place to play your music and get everyone's attention." She said as she notioned behind me to my DJ set I had set up before the take-off. "You and you friends better get ready."
I nodded with a smile before turning to the front of the ship. "Alright, guys, Get ready!" I called out as I climbed down from the steering perch.
Roxas climbed down from mast while Tak and Axel met us halfway.
"So, what's the game plan?" Axel asked us as I smiled.
"I have a perfect song set up for this, but since it's an earth song, how are you guys gonna play along?" I asked before Octavia butted in from above.
"Your Instruments are linked with Nicholas's DJ set. All you have to do is play them and you'll automatically be in tune with the song he's playing." She stated as Tak frowned.
"That fixes that, but how do you know that song will work? We have one shot, and I'd rather not lose another potential father." He said as I nodded.
"I know, my brothers on the chopping block if we screw this up. But this song started a whole movement when it came out, so I know it will work...it has to."
They all smiled and nodded as Roxas spoke up. "Well, what are we waiting for?" He put his hand forward. "For our friends."
Tak nodded, his face one of hope, as he put his hand top of the one Roxas put out. "For the hive."
Axel, who had been smiling before, now sighed and put his hand on top of. Taks. "For Larxene."
I took a deep breath as emotions ran through my mind: fear, excitement, happiness...freedom. I was feeling it all, and it was exhilarating!
I put my hand on top of the pile of fingers. "For family."
Let's save my brother.
****************
No POV
****************
Now, you have to be asking at this point...what about Fluttershy? With all the insanity that has been going on, It could be easy to forget her.
Said mare was perfectly safe right now, if her having tea with a small amount of small critters was anything to go by.
"Oh yes, Mr.Squirrel. You can have another cup." She said softly she poured another cup for her mammal friend, the small critter chattered out a thank you, to the delight of the animal whisperer herself.
Fluttershy then turned to a bigger guest that stood out among the others. Now, when a tall human that Fluttershy didn't recognize appeared out of nowhere, it had scared her badly. (She had almost broke her tea set in the rush to hide behind a tree!)
However, when the man found her, he smiled and introduced himself. His name was Tarus, and he was waiting for her human friends. He claimed he knew about them and could help them find out more about their past. After hearing such news, Fluttershy invited him to sit with her for a spot of tea. After all, what sort of hostess would she be if she didn't treat such a nice human to some refreshments.
Of course, The fact that he wore clothing that looked eerily like pony fur set off the mood slightly. But when asked about it, he laughed heartily and said it was fake (A souvenir from Griffonia, how exotic!).
This calmed her down and allowed her to resume being friendly with the rather tall man as she was currently pouring him some tea.
"Here you are, Mr.Tarus." She said, pouring a fresh cup of tea into his outstretched cup. He sniffed it before smiling at her.
"Ahhh. Just like mom used to make." He sighed before taking a long sip. After finishing, he put the cup down and looked to her. "Ms. Fluttershy, I must say, your tea is to kill for."
The way he said such things so easily made her a tad uneasy, but considering she had already heard Ronin say something similar involving Angel bunny and cooking him, it was apparent that violent phrases were a human thing.
"Thank you." She said meekly, hiding behind her mane to avoid staring into the oddly souless eyes of her guest.
Said guest was now looking around quite expectantly, as if he expected guests very soon. "No problem. Now where could they be? I told them an hour, and yet no humans."
Fluttershy tilted her head, unsure of what he meant. "Why are you waiting for Raiden and the others?"
He stopped looking around and focused on Fluttershy before standing up, making his ripped physique all the more intimidating...and hot, by Fluttershys personal opinion. Her animal friends didn't share the same opinion, and fled immediately, to her dismay.
"I need to have a...conversation with one of them, and it needs to happen soon." He said, a tone of malice in his voice. It was then Fluttershy felt a cold chill run through her causing her to shiver, though she shook it off, blaming the tea.
As she stared at the man who now was silent, she couldn't help but feel worried about Nicholas. Was he ok? There had been a loud explosion about an hour ago and she had been hiding here ever since. She shook her head. Don't be silly. He had his friends, and he was safe in the castle with the princesses. As she looked up towards the sunny sky she smiled.
Nothing could possibly go wrong today.
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10845942
But, don’t humans also go into heat?
So he removed his exoskeleton?
How is that changeling politics?
Have you mention them before?
10845977
We do, but whens the last time you refered to it as a "heat" to another person?
its more of a magical disappearance. Like being summoned and sent away.
Infiltrate the enemy, conquer them, and drain their love. Sounds like everything the current throne ever practiced before.
In a EARLY chapter, I think in the first 10 somewhere. (id have to look.)
10845982
Never, but that’s because I don’t talk about it at all. Don’t some people call it a heat cycle?
Then, why did they say to take it off?
Simple politics.
Are there more?
10846024
I think so
Any sort of equipment that could be used agaisnt them is illegal, therefore they made him make it disappear. Its a protocol thing for them.
I want to say yes, but that may be spoilers.
10846353
It just seems like nic is smarter than his brothers.
No, I mean if it’s an exoskeleton than how can he take it off?
10846024
Eh, The three just don't know what a heat is, is all.
Exo-suit/ exoskeleton. It doesnt "come off" It disappears and reappears on will. (such as with his wings.) to put it blandly, he deactivated it.
10846379
Ohh. So they told him to take it off because they didn’t know it was an exoskeleton?
10846463
Yeah, they figured it was just battle armour.
10846476
So did he have it activated?
10846490
up till that point, yes. And as stated before though, due to his exoskeleton needing repairs, it was only the bottom part that was activated.
10846587
So he can choose which part of his armor he wants to activate?
10846606
Pretty much. Recall when he spoke with melfesia about his armour. She was gonna fix the upper half while he kept the under half intact.
10846628
His upper half is still damaged after all this time?
10846637
its being fixed as of right now...that topic will be covered in about 4 chapters or so from your current place
10846646
Oh ok.
10851125
Bro, I haven't forgotten that Raiden is now a Dragon.
But I have a question about this: does he not only spew flame with his mouth? But also ... something else?
Remembered some old fantasy movie in which the Dragon spewed fire from his ass!😄
10851141
Hehehe, in short...yes.
I was referencing a movie called ghost rider 2, where the ghost rider is shown being able to piss flames. I figured that a dragon would be able to as well, ESPECIALLY one that would get heated during sex
10851289
How do you imagine it? Don't you feel sorry for Luna?
Or is it fireproof? You don't seem to write horror films!
10851295
meh, something purely sensual and enjoyable, like sitting by a fire.
Daybreaker hasn't roasted anyone with her mane and tail, but being in the same room with ... if you watch this whole dramatic and arcane scene that you describe in Ronin's first person scene, it's kind of funny.
You started the drama, however. Perhaps this is much more interesting than just getting into Equestria and going to Applejack every day to help with apple picking. At the end of the day, after feeding you an apple supper and with thirty coins, you will go on a one-off trip to the local store where you can buy yourself a Sofa and some feathers! (Slice of life is small problems compared to your story) But that's good too! Because in the end it becomes more interesting to expect the plot to unfold. Empathize with the main characters.
And you also wrote to me: The twists in this chapter were insane!
But your plot twists are just as insane! Especially the true origins of the brothers (Ronin! ???)
Poor Fluttershy ...
10897686
Of course, Luna and Twilight wouldn't be too happy about the Daybreaker situation. As for Ronin and his origins....heh.
But yes, Although I could've probably halted Ronin's growth by having him work at the farm, I had to finish off his arc in a way no one could've guessed. And its only gonna get crazier from here, my friend.
10897713
I had no doubts, my friend!
Let such stories be written by someone else, but you and I are not simple authors! It's important for us to keep the tension and intrigue, unexpected plot twists and epic scenes. Awareness of the secrets of love and many other very important things.
And may all kinds of people named Anon continue to pick apples from the trees and enjoy the quiet life in Ponyville! But man is not an easy creature, he always wants to find his own Paradise. But the road to real Paradise always lies through thorny bushes. 😉