Chapter 28: The Ceremony

The next morning the army gathered in front of the city's main gate and waited for Firestorm's execution. Night Hawk stood upon the gatehouse and looked down at them; as far as his eye could reach he saw the armored ponies. He saw light-armored bowponies, light-armored ponies with two sheathed shortswords at their backs, heavy-armored ponies with a sheathed longsword at their backs, heavy-armored ponies with a sheathed shortsword at their flanks and a targe at their backs; here and there he spotted some of his own comrades who were wearing their power armor. "I 'm starting to understand why Thunderwing wanted that they camp outside the city until the execution was over." He thought as he saw the huge amount of troops and flew down to talk to some of his comrades.

"I hope he will suffer pain." Was the first he heard from one of the bowponies after he landed. "I hope that we can invade the city after his death." Another one answered while it changed the standard arrowheads with some that were much more cruel, "I can't wait until one of them pierces the head of one of those Equestrian assholes."

Night Hawk couldn't listen to them so he decided to carry on and find one of his comrades and soon he reached a battalion of heavy-armored warriors.

"I heard that you deactivated the force field. Is that true?" one of them asked stepping towards him.

"Yes, that's true."

"Look! I found the pony who gave us the chance to invade Canterlot!" the warrior called out and the overleaf ponies turned towards the Pegasus. "Tell us how you made it."

"It was just a simple knockout."

"Just a simple knockout?" the pony asked incredulous, "That was not just a knockout that was a brave deed!"

"Maybe for you, but not for me."

"Can you do us a favor?" the warrior asked and drew a small dagger.

"What kind of favor?" Night Hawk answered doubtful as he saw the dagger.

"This is the dagger of the founder of this battalion; it was forwarded to every captain of the battalion. -" The pony explained, "May you ram this blade in Firestorm's chest?"

"I should do WHAT?!"

"Ram this dagger in Firestorm's chest."

"Sorry, but I can't do that."

"Why?"

"Because – I'm a friend of him." The Pegasus said and left without giving them a chance to react. He decided to go to his comrades he had seen near the gatehouse.

"Those ponies are crazy!" he thought and just in that moment he ran into a group of ten ponies; ponies without any considerable armor. He took a closer look at one of them; it wore two leather straps which crossed at the chest and held a big battle-axe upon its back. The other nine ponies wore the same outfit.

"Hey! Don't bump into me!" one of them called angrily and Night Hawk spotted some gang tattoos on its body; the same tattoos like the others. "Don't mess with the Berzerkers." A light-armored pony warned him, "They aren't ponies to be trifled with. All what they want is blood."

"Thanks for the warning."

"BLOOD!" the Berzerkers called suddenly and began to beat each other up.

"That's what I meant."

"I think I understand why you warned me." The stallion said as he saw that one of them didn't stop fighting even though it had an open fracture at the left foreleg. "Those ponies are really crazy."

"Yeah. Normally they're the scum of Nordheim, but in the war they're pretty good warriors even if they aren't really reliable in following orders. That's why ponies like me have to keep an eye on them. They are both, our friend and our foe."

"Congrats to you, but I wouldn't let them fight if I had an army."

"But why? They're still loyal to the king."

"Maybe they are, but a good warrior has to follow orders."

"That's why I make sure that they will."

"Tell them that they should stop fighting or it will have consequences."

"The pony stepped towards the fighting Berzerkers and yelled, "Stop it, you've fought enough for now!" The ponies immediately stopped fighting and made way for Night Hawk.

The Pegasus stepped closer to the gatehouse and as it saw that the ceremony began he flew up to watch at close range. Night Hawk saw Thunderwing, the spirit of Firebolt, Shadow Hunter, Rainbow Dash and Firestorm standing upon the gatehouse. He went towards Firebolt and the others while Thunderwing stepped towards the edge and raised his voice, "Hear ye, hear ye!"

Immediately the murmur stopped and it went silent.

"Today we are here to execute Firestorm, the murderer of Nordheim's prince! –"

The guards pushed Firestorm towards the edge and Shadow Hunter stopped Rainbow Dash who was trying to stop them. "Don't worry, he'll be fine." She soothed the mare and brought her back to the others.

"I know that I promised you that he'll hang, but I've made a decision!"

He pushed the alicorn closer to the edge and forced him to his knees so that his neck lay upon the rampart.

"He won't hang!"

The army began disgustedly to bawl.

"But he'll die anyway!-"

They went silent again as their king drew his bony sword and raised it above Firestorm's head.

"Kill him!" some of them bawled delighted.

"Let him pay for his crime!" a few other ponies yelled.

"Prince Firestorm, you're guilty of the murder of my brother. – Hence I condemn you to death!"

The sword rushed down and the crowd began to cheer, but as they realized that the sword got stuck in the stone they stopped.

"You may think that I spare his life – and yes - I spared his life. – But not because I'm weak – No! – I spared his life because he isn't a murderer."

"Kill him! – He's a killer!" some ponies called out, "He deserves death!"

"I found a witness of the murder and he wants to tell you who is the murderer. – The witness is no pony else than - the victim."

Firebolt hovered beside his brother without using his wing before he raised his voice, "This stallion –" he pointed at Firestorm, "isn't a killer! – He found me after the real murderer killed me! – I begged that he'll bring my body to Nordheim. He's a friend of mine. – That's why he brought me to Nordheim."

The spirit let the words sink in and looked down at his friend before he raised his voice again. "He is a friend – and not a foe! – While you tried to kill him the real murderer escaped the punishment! – I ask you, do you allow that she'll cheat justice?!"

"NO!" the crowd yelled.

"So it's decided – We'll march to Seaddle and fight against the changelings and her queen, my murderer!"

He stepped aside and hoofed over to his brother who immediately raised his voice, "But before we'll march - we have to apologize." He grabbed his sword and turned to the still kneeling alicorn, "Prince Firestorm"

Thunderwing raised his sword, "Stand up!" Firestorm stood up and turned to the blue stallion who lowered the blade and held it horizontally. "I'm sorry that I suspected you – and I'm sorry how some of my subjects had threatened you."

The stallion took the blade and rammed it into the ground. "Apology accepted!"

The king raised his hoof and touched Firestorm's necklace which fell to the ground as well as the bond that tied his wings to his body.

"Now, - you are a free pony again."

"Thanks."

Thunderwing turned again to his army and began to speak, "Is there anypony who doubts my decision? – If there's such a pony, so come over here and tell me why!" He waited a while but nopony moved except Firestorm and Firebolt; the two flew above the army and the blonde alicorn raised its voice, "Together we'll be able to defeat the changelings and revenge Firebolt!"

"He'll need your help, but if you don't want to fight with him you should know that you are fighting for my revenge!" the spirit of the golden stallion added.

"Won't you fight with us?" he heard a pony asking.

"That's a good question and I'll repeat them for all. – Some pony asked me if I won't fight with you and unfortunately I have to affirm it. I can't fight with you because I can't; I am only a ghost and I can't interact in this world without a body, but I'll watch if somepony kills my murderer; whoever it will be I won't ever forget the pony's name."

"I ask you," Firestorm continued, "Will you follow us into war?"

The ponies remained in silence and uncertain they looked up to them; Firebolt hovered there in the position as if he lay somewhere else while Firestorm used his wing in order not to fall down. A few minutes later a heavy-armored unicorn stepped beneath them and drew its sword; the warriors around it receded. "I – and the 2nd heavy cavalry – will follow you, my Lord – but we won't fight for him!" the pony said pointing at Firestorm, "I don't trust him – and so should you – but except of that you can count on us –The time has come to hunt some bugs!" The unicorn raised the sword and yelled, "Raise high the flag!"

"And let them know who comes to claim their lives!" about five hundred ponies continued in the distance.

"I think we got them." Firebolt said to Firestorm as he saw that two more commanders made their way through the warriors.

"Not we. They're following you, but not me."

"The whole light cavalry will follow you, my Lord – From the darkness we strike, fast and lethal, and by the time our foes can react –!"

"Darkness there and nothing more!" thousands of warriors answered loudly.

"Even the Hunters will follow you, my Lord. – And we'll follow you." The commander, a dark grey unicorn mare, looked up to Firestorm and smiled, "You can count on us. – For the King!"

"For the King!" Everypony continued.

"I told you that we got them." The ghost of the golden alicorn teased the blonde stallion with a big grin on its face.

Meanwhile upon the gatehouse Thunderwing stepped towards Shadow Hunter and Rainbow Dash. "I'm sorry that I didn't tell you what I've planned, but if I told you, you hadn't reacted like that and therefore I have to thank you." He told Rainbow, "Since we left Nordheim I did my best to save him, but in the end it was my brother who saved your coltfriend."

"But why did she know it?" the mare asked indignantly.

"I didn't know that she knew it, but I guess that Bolt told her."

"I didn't know what you've planned." Shadow answered, "He just wanted me to sooth you during the ceremony; that's all he said."