The master and the windigo

by stupidswampdragon

33 - Betrayed

Splinters of wood flew as Lyra's hoof crashed against the door. She banged again and again, louder and louder each time. It was the most savage announcement she had ever made; it left her hoof tingling with pain.

That was a very convincing argument that she ought to take a little break.

Massaging her aching leg with the other hoof, Lyra sat down and waited. Nothing better to do, she idly raised her nose and ran her gaze up the bark of the humongous tree-house. It's been so long since I've last come here, she thought and sighed.

Huh... was it really that long?

She worked the gears in her head, counting the days and nights. Her last visit to the Golden Oak was about two weeks ago, give or take some days. She broke into a sombre chuckle at the realization.

It certainly felt longer to her.

"I'm coming, I'm coming! Stop trying to break the door already! Who is it?!"

The question came from the other side of the door, and Lyra was sure the voice was feminine.

Answering the knocks yourself... ah-ha! This means your pet dragon isn't around! Lyra licked the corner of her lip. Splendid.

"I'm Lyra!" she yelled, squeezing all the air from her lungs. The loudness was likely an overkill; she was standing right next to the door, her face pushing against the painted wood. Even so, she wanted to make extra sure that she was heard and understood. "Lyra Heartstrings. You may have heard of me!"

She fell silent squeezed her lower lip between her teeth. She didn't even breathe; she remained perfectly still in a bid to hear the answer more clearly. All she heard was her heart pounding away.

She was really anxious. She wasn't expecting Snowy to have made a mistake, but there was no room for errors either.

"Lyra?" the librarian finally asked from the other side of the door. Despite the layer of wood muffling her voice, the confusion was clear in Twilight's tone. "I... don't think I know you. Sorry, but the library's closed right now. Come back tom- I mean next week."

Turning her head slightly, Lyra threw her windigo a subtle nod.

Well done.

Owing to her previous mishap involving Twilight, Lyra had decided to play it safe this time. She couldn't afford to make a scene - so she'd had Twilight completely forget about her.

"I'm not here to borrow a book." Lyra pushed her face back against the door. She had to use all her acting skills to keep her voice constant. As she found, sounding as if she wasn't anxious was quite stressing. "I brought you a message."

No answer came. No matter how much she focused on her ears, Lyra couldn't hear any answer coming from the other side of the door. The pause wasn't to her liking. She couldn't afford to sit in the Golden Oak's door for too long.

While far from the afternoon rush traffic, the street behind her had a fair number of ponies milling about. Quite a few of those were already staring at her, obviously wondering just what she was doing.

Come on, Twi! Lyra hissed and ran her gaze down a few of the onlookers. Attention was the last thing she needed. Let me in already...!

"A message." Twilight finally broke her silence. Judging by how incredulous she sounded, she was probably also shaking her head in disbelief. "From whom?"

"From her highness Princess Celestia," Lyra made the boldest lie of her life. She could barely stifle the nervous grin. "From what I was told, it's pretty urgent too... so, uh, could you please take it from me already?"

---

"Funny..." Twilight hummed and eyed the rolled-up parchment. The wax-sealed paper floated directly in front of her, suspended by her magenta magic. "Celestia has never used messengers before."

"The Princess moves in mysterious ways," Lyra mumbled. She was holding her head backwards, trying to get the lock on her saddlebags to close. "I'm just as surprised as you are."

She felt glad that she was looking away. She was a passable actress at best - and this lie would have needed a pro to utter with a straight face.

That parchment was far from being unknown to Lyra. It was, in fact, the centrepiece of her plan.

It was a mere letter on the outside, just like the thousands of others Princess Celestia had written before. The wax seal, the parchment, the ink; had anypony checked those, everything would have seemed genuine. Indeed, this particular letter bore no difference from the rest.

Apart from one tiny detail: the fact that Celestia had absolutely nothing to do with it.

This letter had been conjured by Trixie's servant, less than a day ago. To Origin, a servant who could create any sort of matter, replicating an official letter was a trivial effort. All Trixie had to do was to take a close look at one at the Major's office.

"The seal looks proper," Twilight inspected the brown wax closely. "The paper is also of the right texture... huh... this thing is official."

"Oi! The mere suggestion offends me!" Lyra snorted loudly and slammed her hoof onto the floor. "What did you think? That us couriers mess with the packages we're entrusted with?"

Twilight jolted at the sudden accusation. She lowered the parchment and blinked ashamedly, avoiding to so much as look near Lyra.

"Well, I... no, I didn't mean anything like that," she stammered. She was in discomfort; her hoof waded through her mane, scratching the back of her neck. "It was just... I don't know, it was strange. Celestia has always sent messages through Spike. Why a courier all of a sudden?"

"Maybe it's confidential," Lyra shrugged, her voice as uncaring and nonchalant as she was capable of sounding. "I mean, it sounded like a big deal. Celestia told me that I can't leave that scroll alone until I've seen you break the seal. Personally - and without anypony else looking."

Raising an eyebrow and cocking her head to the side, Twilight gave Lyra a long stare.

"How about you? You're obviously looking."

Turning away with a huff, Lyra awarded that comeback with a silent praise. She hadn't thought of that one.

"Then I'll just listen to for the seal to crack," she shrugged in feigned disinterest. "We'll both be fine that way... as long as you don't read out loud."

The cracking of a seal was the answer, followed by a longer period of silence. Her back to the librarian, Lyra snickered and threw her windigo a wink. We've done it, was what her gaze betrayed. It was an easy victory, too; much easier than she had feared it would be. In the end, a poker face and a perfect forgery were all that she needed.

Only one thing prevented Lyra from fully enjoying her success.

She lowered her gaze to the floor and rocked back and forth, trying to ignore the pangs of her conscience.

It was easy because ponies are trusting, that internal voice reminded Lyra. It was easy because Twilight doesn't know what kind of a monster you are.

Her glassy gaze resting on her hooves, Lyra answered the chiding voice with a sombre chuckle.

A monster... haha! No denying that. But after all I've been through, how could I not be one?

"WHAT?!"

The enraged question cut through the silence like the rumble of a thunder. Lyra bore the outburst quite stoically; she lifted her head and lazily peeked behind her back. Only then did she shudder - and even then only at the lack of her reaction. She had almost given away how much she had been anticipating the 'surprise'.

If Twilight wasn't so preoccupied...

Clenching her teeth, Lyra spun around. The move was exaggeratedly fast. Her hooves lost traction for a moment and she skidded, barely managing to keep herself from tumbling onto the floor.

"Is there a problem?" she gasped, her eyes wide. She hoped that she was looking frightened enough.

A numb headshake was Twilight's answer. She couldn't tear her gaze from the parchment; her eyes were jumping as she re-read the letter again and again.

Lyra observed the reaction with both curiosity and worry. This was it! The moment where the fate of Equestria hung on the blind trust of a singular pony.

Well, Twilight... Lyra gulped silently. Let's see if you're as loyal as the gossips say.

The magenta aura vanished; Twilight stopped her magic. The parchment, no longer suspended, began to fall to the floor, fluttering as the light material tumbled in the air. It finally settled onto the floor with a barely audible crumple, right next to Twilight's hooves.

Celestia's favoured student paid it no attention. She turned around, facing the wooden bust in the middle of the library.

"Uh... bad news?" Lyra posed a calculatedly meek question. She began to tire of having to act; it was keeping her on the edge all the time. She could never be sure what passed for a genuine reaction. She tried to think with the head of a true messenger - but she didn't have much experience in that field.

Let's not push it further, she decided after a momentary pause. No mailmare would be standing around here, gawking like an idiot.

That sounded logical.

"Nevermind. It's none of my business, haha... message delivered! I should be going now! Goodbye!" she yelled and began walking. She wasn't really leaving, though. She may have been walking towards the door, but she was certain that Twilight would order her to stay before she could get that far.

Any moment now, Lyra drew a ragged, shallow breath. It was tough, knowing what would happen and still acting as if she had no idea. The anticipation was killing her. The muscles in her legs cramped as she dragged one hoof after another, the limbs divided between the need to move and the desire to stop already.

"Ah... ah! You- er, Lyra! Wait!"

Lyra paused so abruptly that her head swung downwards. Her mane, driven by inertia, flew into her face - just in time to cover the dark grin she flashed.

Took you long enough.

"Do you have anything urgent to do? Because... I, well... I would like to ask you to stay if not." Twilight muttered. She was standing in front of the table with the bust, her left hoof scratching the top of her head. "You see, Cel... ah, Princess Celestia wrote that I'm going to need... you... for the next lesson."

"There's no way I could decline if the Princess went so far as to pick me personally," Lyra lowered herself to the floor in a theatrically deep nod. She stayed there too; only her eyes moved. She was peeking upwards, shooting a curious glance at Twilight. "What am I needed for, though?"

Staring at Twilight, Lyra berated herself a little. That act was shoddy - it was overdone and artificial. She needed to learn subtlety; no real pony would have reacted like that.

It was hard to be subtle when she could feel all her veins bulging, though. Her heart was pounding so hard that she could count the pulse in her neck, even without holding a hoof there.

I'm going to have a stroke if this scene lasts too longer, Lyra widened her eyes a notch. Drops of cold sweat rolled down her side. Her eyes burned and her face began to itch. She had no idea how long Twilight waited with the answer, but to Lyra, the wait felt like an eternity of torture.

"You'll be part of a... pretty special assignment." Twilight exhaled loudly. "We are to tame the most dangerous being Equestria has ever known."

---

Lyra shifted around, ill at ease. The cushions were very comfortable, that she had to admit. She still couldn't sit in the same place for too long, though; she had to vent her anxiety somehow. She was sure that she would explode should she be unable to fiddle.

She had thought that the worst would be over once Twilight had read the letter. That assumption had been soundly proven wrong; she simply traded one act for another. As she had found out, feigning camaraderie was every bit as bad as feigning ignorance.

"We could move the statue beforehoof," Twilight hummed and rubbed her chin. "I'd rather conduct this experiment anywhere than the middle of the most crowded city."

"Does the place really matter?" Lyra sighed and straightened her back, shifting backwards. "I mean, I'm no magician - but I don't think distance would really impede him."

Twilight scowled at the remark. She leaned forward and groaned, furiously scratching the back of her neck. That did seem to calm her down - a few moments and many torn strands of hair later.

"Yeah. Distance isn't a factor with Discord... the whole world is his toy," she finally ceded. She remained on the floor though, her hooves pressing down on the back of her head. "Aaargh! It's no good - it's no good, no matter how I try to think about it! Why would Celestia decide on something this crazy?!"

Lyra reached for her glass and took a sip. The lukewarm water failed to do anything to the sour taste in her mouth, however.

That odd, metallic smell...

I never knew guilt smelled, Lyra frowned and set the glass back on the ground. She had believed herself to be an expert on the matter of conscience; a fair number of plays were about suffering, how an ailing soul would tear itself apart. Only now did she realize how superficial her understanding was. That her previous life had been too peaceful to allow the kind of insight she now possessed.

The way she ran her tongue around her mouth, looking for the source of the odd taste... the way she turned her head a little and sniffed, searching for the source of that curious smell...

Even though with some delay, she recognized the scene from some plays. The subtle ways conscience manipulated the senses.

I wonder if I would see my life turned into a play one day, she thought and twisted her mouth to a light smirk. They better give the lyricists a prominent role if they do! I'm tired of violinists hogging the spotlight.

"Master..."

Lyra didn't turn her head; she had to be as subtle as possible. She simply moved her eyes to the translucent ghost on her left.

"Is this really worth it?" Snowy motioned at the struggling Twilight.

Lyra shook her head and looked away. Such a useless thing to fret about! It didn't matter how much they discussed or regretted now. The dice had been cast. What did it matter how the scales looked?!

That being said... pointless as it may have been, Lyra couldn't simply ignore the question either. It resonated with the scolding voice in her head.

"Stop asking stupid questions," she declared loudly. She didn't keep her voice down; an intentional decision on her part. She sprang up from her place and took a step forward. She was determined to answer everypony at the same time. Twilight, the windigo - even her own tempestuous conscience.

"Why would you not take this step? Why would you pass up on this chance?" she asked, her head turned at Twilight.

The librarian quickly scampered from the floor. She looked absolutely confused; she obviously wasn't expecting such a tirade to be thrown at her.

"Would you rather not interfere? Would you rather let the world run its course? Enjoy the peace, however long it may last... sit around and do nothing?" Lyra blared, her face twisting in disgust.

A few weeks ago, she would have had no issues accepting that proposal. She had believed her world to be quite perfect. But now, after witnessing how easily lives broke down... after seeing how easily the oft-forgotten monsters of Equestria could wreak havoc... after tasting first-hoof how easily injustice could be carried out...

There was no way she could accept such a world. Not anymore.

"We love to forget about the fact, but it's a very thin ice we're walking on. One crack - and the entirety of Equestria drowns in the cold water." Lyra carried on, pacing towards the bust in the middle of the library. She hoped she hadn't taken a very long pause. She was prone to being distracted by her own thoughts, and she didn't want that to ruin the message she was trying to convey. "Heck! You also saw the changelings rampage in this very town! We were all this close to being turned into hollow husks... and that made me realize: weren't we at the mercy of those vampiric bugs all this time? Of course we were! For all those years-!"

"Umm, about that... I, uh..." Twilight rose her hoof. She then trailed off and hung her head in thinly veiled shame.

"Right. You were off to Canterlot yourself." Lyra snorted. The urge to call the other pony out on that one was strong. Lyra, however, chose to do away with the karmic retribution for now. It wouldn't have served any purpose. So she simply shrugged and waved a hoof at the ailing Twilight. "It's all right. The disaster was averted... for now. But for all we know, another could come next week. Or the week after that. What will we do then, I wonder? Hope that we'll have another foolhardy hero who's willing to die for others?"

Lyra turned her head and brought her gaze to Snowy.

The windigo didn't offer any answers. She simply jolted and shirked away, almost melting under the furious gaze.

Curiously enough, that reaction did serve a very good purpose. It reminded Lyra that she needed to dam her overflowing emotions. She needed to remain calm and calculating. Now more so than ever before in her life.

"I'm here... and I'll do my best that such a thing never happens again." Twilight muttered, slowly collapsing back onto the floor. She seemed pretty drained, and that made her promise sound ridiculously hollow.

I guess you're not happy about the status quo, Lyra wrinkled her eyebrows at the sight. She then allowed herself a barely noticeable smirk. It was probably terrible of her, but it was vindicating to see such cues of anguish.

"I'm glad you're willing to help us!" she bowed towards Twilight, her smirk broadening to a full-blown toothy grin. "Doesn't this mean that you're giving up on your family, though? I mean, they live in Canterlot. That's almost a day away, even by the fastest trains."

Twilight jerked her head up. The remark seemed to have blindsided her, leaving her at a complete loss as to how to respond.

"Sorry. I probably could have phrased that one better," Lyra chuckled darkly. The phrase came out exactly as she thought it should, but there was no way to admit to that little indulgence. "Even so, you get my point. You may be Celestia's one and only student... but you're still just one pony. You can't claim this town under your protection! You couldn't possibly make true on that promise. You'd need a small army to keep your word! And don't you dare mention the bucking Guard. We both know they can't even defend themselves, much less anypony else."

Twilight closed her mouth and glanced to the side.

"And Ponyville is just one town," she sighed and shook her head. Her words had a palpably bitter edge to them, the sole emotion in the otherwise hollow voice. "Seriously, what about the other towns? There's so many of them... Equestria is so big..."

Dipping her head to the side and giving her lips a barely noticeable lick, Lyra awarded herself a silent commendation. That was exactly how she had hoped Twilight would react. In the end, all those nights preparing this speech weren't in vain.

"Exactly!" she yelled and pointed a hoof at Twilight. "This is a problem greater than any of us could fix. This is a problem with this whole world. And in order to fix the whole world..."

Lyra intentionally trailed off. She wanted to give Twilight a real chance to participate - to see whether the librarian could feel the plan as her own.

"...you need a power that can fix the whole world." Twilight gave the answer Lyra had been expecting of her. She didn't seem fully convinced just yet, though. She was still staring at a random bookshelf, her tone was still lacking any sort of conviction. "But, even so... why Discord? What makes Celestia think that he'd actually help us? He'd sooner turn us into chocolate milk than listen to us! And we expect HIM to provide assistance?"

Bobbing her head slightly, Lyra gave Twilight a silent praise. That was a pretty valid concern.

But it was exactly because of that worry Lyra had developed contingency measures.

She sneaked a peek to her side, at the silently staring windigo. Snowy was the best of all failsafe measures. Should anything go awry with Discord, that windigo could reduce the so-called 'god of chaos' into a blabbering, infantile draconequus.

That was the biggest lesson Lyra had learnt from the Chrysalis-incident. She no longer feared gods or demi-gods. While incomprehensibly powerful, even Discord couldn't do a thing if he had absolutely no thoughts left in his mind.

There was no way - nor need - to explain all that to Twilight, though. Her role would end before Discord could play a part.

...which was, somewhat ironically, another point that Lyra had decided to keep to herself.

"You don't need to concern yourself with that. Just have some faith! This plan will work out." Lyra gave a confident, almost prideful smirk instead. "Besides, we're talking about making the whole world better. Surely this outcome warrants a few risks along the way."

"A few risks! You weren't there the last time Discord..." Twilight groaned. She smacked herself in the face before she could finish the complaint though, then rubbed her forehead. Her mouth also kept moving, but no words rang out; she was talking solely to herself. She appeared to have some serious internal strife over the proposal. She only spoke up after a while, and even then only in mistake, judging by the content. "...ugh, this is crazy. This is reckless. I can see the possibility, but this is still ridiculously careless. Why just me?! We should have at least the other Elements on standby...!"

Raising her head high, Lyra narrowed her eyes. This seemed like the final obstacle she needed to clear. Victory was in her grasp!

...and she had prepared a trump card just for this occasion, too.

"Ahem! Twilight - please don't forget who sent you the order," she cleared her throat and threw a wink at the librarian. "Surely Celestia has her reasons. Who are we to doubt her?"

Twilight shut up right away. That was the perfect method to quiet her dissent; all she could do was nod with a blank expression.

Phew. Lyra breathed out as her anxiety let up. Her head dropped a little and her ears dipped; the entirety of her entered a more relaxed state. Got me worried for a second... but in the end, it's just as I thought. You are a lot like Snowy, Twilight. If you're called to Canterlot, you go... if you are told to return here, you return. You're like a servant. As long as your master orders you to jump, you don't care where the leap ends.

Hidden behind a hoof she raised to her face, Lyra couldn't help but break into a dark, self-deprecating smile. To think that she, the pony who had originally wanted to set Snowy free, would now stoop to abusing such bonds to her own ends.

She could almost hear as her conscience yanked on its chains.

Stop that, she tried to quieten the already subdued voice. Save your strength. Today's not over yet. What would happen if you went hoarse before the grand finale...?

"You're right. Celestia wouldn't ask something like this for no reason," Twilight sighed. Her transformation was nothing short of magical. She looked revitalized; she hopped back onto her hooves, even going as far as to giggle a little. "I mean, I should really know better by now! Celestia always likes me to learn on my own, haha! She never tells me anything until I have solved the issue."

Still partly in the cover of her hoof, Lyra couldn't even imagine just how that fact could make anypony happy.

---

"Haaa..." Twilight breathed in deep. She seemed to need a lot of air; she even arched her back to maximize the intake. She then breathed out, repeating the motion in reverse. "Haaaa."

"You seem tense," Lyra noted aloofly. She wasn't paying the librarian much attention; the saddlebags on her side kept her more preoccupied. She went through their contents again and again, double- and triple-checking that everything was in order. There was no room for stupid mistakes anymore. "Surely breaking a curse is no big deal for Celestia's finest student."

She shuddered at her own words. The act was becoming a little too natural. There was no need to push Twilight anymore; yet here she was, packing jabs anyway.

Oi, oi, oi... why is this so easy to get used to?

"Ha! Easy for you to say, miss Observer!" Twilight giggled and rolled her head around, popping her neck a few times. She then reached to the golden tiara on her head and rightened it. "I may be the Element of Magic, but I'm still only one of the six Elements. It took all of us to seal Discord the last time... I don't know what made Celestia think that I can undo the curse on my own now."

"The six of you, huh." Lyra bit onto her lip. She wasn't privy to that detail.

"Eh, no matter! I guess this is just another test of aptitude." Twilight giggled and waved a hoof in the air. She was a lot better than a half hour ago; she was overflowing with energy and motivation. "I'm sure I'll pass just fine! Can't disappoint my mentor, ahahah!"

"I'm sure you'll do fine!" Lyra winked at the librarian. She returned her gaze to her saddlebags and worked her magic, producing two train tickets from a pouch. "Anyway, we should get going. The last express leaves in less than an hour. We really don't want to be missing that one."

Twilight wrinkled her eyebrows at the floating tickets.

"Train?"

It was Lyra's turn to falter in confusion. She had no idea what was so outlandish in her offer - apart from the fact that she couldn't have possibly known that Celestia's letter would require her to accompany Twilight.

In which case pre-purchasing two train tickets wouldn't make much sense of her to do.

Oh snakerattles, Lyra felt her limbs run cold and tingly. Girl, you've done bucked this one up. Uhh, let's see. What could I say? I could have been planning to go to Canterlot for other reasons... as for why two tickets, I, uh... I don't know. I could have planned to travel with a colt? I mean, it would be awkward, buuut... but duty before personal affairs, right? Surely Twilight wouldn't object to-

"Why would we go by train?" Twilight snorted and swatted the tickets away. "I would rather take this test as soon as possible. Imagine, I could be the one waking Celestia tomorrow morning! With the news of my success, no less. Mmm..."

Her mouth hanging wide open, Lyra found herself only being able to gawk. That was a reasoning she definitely did not see coming. She was so dumbfounded, a single word was all she managed to dish out.

"How...?"

"By teleporting, of course!" Twilight giggled. She then popped out of Lyra's view - only to pat the cyan pony on the head the next moment. "Magicians travel in style. Especially when there are important matters to settle, tee-hee!"

Lyra was still gawking. She almost jumped when the hoof touched her from behind. She did recall the sensation from before, however. She had suffered the same trick already, back when Twilight had used it to pounce on her from above.

Teleport...! Lyra gasped. Tsk! I completely forgot about that one.

Her panic was fleeting, though. The idea was sound, after all. There was no reason to pick the train if other, more convenient methods of travel existed. As long as everypony arrived to Canterlot safe and sound-

The realization hit Lyra with the gentleness of a speeding truck.

SNOWY!

There was no way all three of them would arrive to Canterlot. After all, how would Twilight teleport a being she had no idea about?

"Wait-!" Lyra yelled, her voice tinted by the knowledge that she was already too late. She could tell that Twilight's magic had enveloped her; the spell was already in progress. "SNOWY!"

Out of the corner of her eye, Lyra could see the blue shade spring into action. Then the magenta colour overpowered everything, and all Lyra could feel was the world disappearing from beneath her hooves.

---

The arrival was about as comfortable as the departure had been. The magenta colour cracked apart like a thin panel of glass, revealing nothing but darkness. In the initial few seconds, Lyra wasn't even worried. The spell had completely fooled her senses. She was so lost that she didn't even realize that she should have worried in the first place.

Then the magical bubble burst.

The resounding boom clattered Lyra's teeth against each other. The loud sound acted as a great anaesthetic, too; she didn't notice when or how she had landed. She simply found herself lying on the cold ground, her hooves clutched over her burning ears.

She had no idea what happened, but her ears rang louder than ever before. Also, on a possibly related note, her head felt like exploding.

"Master! Master!"

Clenching her teeth with all her might, Lyra overpowered her trembling muscles. She was hurting, but that was hardly a reason to become paralysed. She had been through worse and lived to tell the tale. The presence of her servant was more demanding of attention. She was glad to hear that Snowy could, in fact, make the jump with them.

"Snowy! Sno... wy? Uhh..."

Blinking rapidly in the utter darkness, Lyra wasn't sure if she had heard herself talking. The voice seemed distorted and unusual. She could feel her mouth move, she could feel air rush through her throat, she could feel her tongue forming the words. The sole issue was with the end result. It sounded alien and strange.

As she mulled over the fact, Lyra came to discover that the world around her was also pretty subdued. For a city with the size of Canterlot, her surroundings were eerily quiet. She could barely hear any noise over the constant ringing.

"What happened?" Lyra rubbed her ears. Her eyes were already adjusting to the darkness, but the ringing just wouldn't let up.

"Master - stop shouting! We will attract attention this way!" Snowy barked. She was the only thing that Lyra could hear with acute clarity. "Twilight's spell was already bad enough! We need to move before anypony comes to investigate that loud boom!"

A loud boom, Lyra nodded silently. She wasn't convinced that she had been shouting, but she trusted Snowy's judgement on that one. She stood up - and then promptly sat back down. She couldn't feel her balance. The imaginary axis pointing up kept wobbling around, pulling her along with it.

Keh! That idiot Twilight, she messed up the spell! Lyra fumed as she tried to stay upright for a second time. I knew I should have taken the train!

Twilight spared her the effort of re-learning how to stand, though. The purple unicorn popped up in Lyra's vision and scooped up the struggling musician with a burst of magic, dragging her away on the double.

---

"Air... pressure?" Lyra gasped. She then swallowed - and broke into a shudder. Her left ear produced a resounding crack, and she felt as if a tiny chisel was being hammered into her skull.

"Yeah... I now remember just why I never travelled so far this way," Twilight cringed. She was also struggling, pressing her hooves against both her ears, visibly taking large gulps every few seconds. "I teleport a small bubble with me in the centre... so if the air density doesn't match up with the destination, it can... ahaha, it will equalize rather suddenly... ow! Owowow, my poor ears..."

"Ohh." Snowy bobbed her head. "That makes sense! Canterlot is higher than Ponyville. Quite a lot higher, in fact! In which case the air would be less dense, right?"

You're always so smart when it no longer matters, Lyra shot an angry glare at her care free servant. No, she wasn't envious of the windigo! Not the slightest.

She absolutely didn't wish that she was an intangible ghost who didn't have to deal with the complications of a physical body.

"Just keep... gulping. Owowow..." Twilight shuddered, one of her ears twitching pretty violently. "This shouldn't be enough to shatter our eardrums... so it should get bet- OW! -better before long. Argh."

Glancing at the early stars above the rooftops, Lyra nodded in agreement. There was no rush. In fact, she would have really preferred meeting Discord in the middle of the night, when there would be even fewer curious eyes around.

---

Despite the poor lighting, the garden of Canterlot Palace was nothing short of breathtaking. Corridor upon corridor, all made of carefully trimmed hedges with the occasional statue sprinkled in to break the monotony. Lyra found herself gawking all the time; she couldn't get enough of the sight. It was the first time she had been there.

Alright, so she had been to the gardens before - technically. She had been only privy to the large open area where the gatherings and parties were held. She was never allowed into the restricted portion.

Well, not like I have a permission right now either, she ceded with a dry chuckle.

"I wonder if this is wise," Snowy hissed. She was moving right next to her master, her crimson gaze darting around, constantly on the lookout for potential dangers. "Going straight into the lion's den..."

The concern was understandable, but also baseless. There were no dangers to be afraid of. Even though they were walking in seeing distance from the Palace, so close that Lyra could see the lights emanating from the windows... there was nopony to be afraid of. The Palace garden was completely deserted; throughout their walk, Lyra couldn't see a single soul about.

She was glad for the fact. While she didn't have to be afraid of repercussions - straying into the garden with Celestia's student would hardly be a punishable offence - bumping into anypony would have forced her to take action. She didn't want that to happen. She didn't want to mindwipe more ponies than strictly necessary.

Twilight was moving in front of her. The purple unicorn neared an intersection and slowed down. Then she stopped, hugged the trimmed hedge and slowly crept forward, peeking out with glacially slow movements.

"Clear," Twilight whispered and bounced up, taking a left turn. "This way! We're not far now."

"I can't help but notice just how many ponies are good at sneaking around." Snowy shook her head with a scowl. "What is this world coming to?"

"Want me to change that as well?" Lyra rolled her eyes.

We are here to change the world, after all.

She couldn't help but re-enact the way Twilight had moved. She crept to the intersection and inched forward until she had a clear view of the next corridor. Then she sprang into gallop, banking sharply to the left. She could see the purple magician move a good forty steps ahead of her... and then suddenly switch to a languid pace, almost stopping in the middle of the corridor.

What now! Lyra fumed silently. She didn't dare ask loudly, though; she simply followed suit, a decision that ultimately proved wise.

The reason for Twilight's hesitation became obvious as soon as Lyra reached the same spot.

They were both standing at the edge of a larger plaza, complete with finely crafted benches, carefully arranged flowers and an artificial stream. It was a sight to behold, even with the night dulling the colours.

As far as the two ponies were concerned, however, the large statue in the middle was the most interesting piece of the picture.

A draconequus stood there, frozen in his perpetual, eternal laughter.

Lyra couldn't help but lick her lips. Not because she was overflowing with anticipation; she was quite nervous, in fact. So nervous that she could feel her drying lips flake.

It was that feeling she hated.

"Haha... if at first you don't succeed... well, so much for setting mad gods free," Twilight giggled. It was an anxious laughter, betrayed by the trembling tone. "Oh sweet Celestia, I better not muck this up."

"You'll be fine." Lyra pat the nervous pony on the back. Considering her own mood, she wasn't in much position to placate anypony - but this act was for a purpose as well. She really, really needed Twilight to be at the peak for the next few minutes. "Remember, this is for the betterment of the world. So just hang in there... have faith. The rest will work itself out."

Twilight eyed the stony draconequus in revered silence, finally breaking into a sigh.

"Faith..." she mumbled and shook her head angrily. "Hmpfh! As if I ever doubted Celestia!"

Revitalized, Twilight charged ahead with heavy hoofsteps.

That's my pony, Lyra gave a nervous smirk and began moving herself, her ghostly windigo in tow.

---

"I can't believe nopony is seeing this," Snowy turned her head around for umpteenth time.

Basking in the vivid magenta glow, Lyra found herself sharing that concern. Twilight's magic was a lot flashier than she had imagined it to be. The golden diadem - or the Element of Magic, as Twilight had referred to it - could have easily doubled for a portable reflector, filling the entire plaza with eye-searingly bright magenta light.

It was a pretty intimidating sight, and not just because of the strong light.

Despite Twilight's assurances of how safe the entire process would be, Lyra found herself backing away all the same. She could feel the magical energies surge and shift about. While she had used unicorn magic on a daily basis, Lyra had never experienced magic even remotely close to that scale.

It was an otherworldly and terrifying experience.

Twilight, on the other hoof, didn't seem very shaken. She was standing still, her eyes closed and her features calm. Only her mouth was moving ever so slightly, but there was no telling just what she was whispering. Probably the incantation of the magic spell, if Lyra were to take a guess.

Observing the purple pony from a hopefully safe distance, Lyra could only liken Twilight's state to that of a trance.

I very doubt she could hear me, then.

"Snowy," Lyra mumbled. "Remember. When I give the sign... you do your thing. No questions, no buts, no ifs. We can't afford to slip up here."

"What if the plan doesn't work, though?" Snowy turned to the source of bright magenta light herself. "Won't we need Miss Twilight if Discord doesn't cooperate?"

"Oh, but he will co-operate." Lyra flashed a grin and shook her torso a little. That made her saddlebags bounce about; she could feel as the two scrolls also rocked around inside. She liked that feeling; it was truly reassuring.

"We will leave him no choice."

Narrowing her eyes, Snowy hesitated... and then gave a curt nod anyway.

"I shall follow Master, no matter where Master may take me." The windigo proclaimed with grim determination.

Oi, oi, oi... stop talking so ominously! Lyra shuddered. I won't fail. Not here. Not after all I've been through.

She steeled her jaws and gulped dryly. She had already passed the point of no return; there was no room left for doubts. She opened her mouth, ready to berate her servant - but she was silenced by a decidedly sickening sensation. The flow of the magic shifted, like calm water ravaged by sudden winds. Gasping for air, Lyra pressed a hoof to her chest. She had no idea why, but she felt a dull pain throbbing all across her body. The magic pulsed around her, unsteadily and unpredictably; she could barely keep up with the wild twists, let alone do something about it. All she could do was wince as the invisible waves battered her, threatening to pull her very being apart.

"What incredible power!" Snowy gawked, her outlines fading and brimming as the waves washed across her. "This is-!"

Lyra gave her servant a curious glare, then realized how the windigo could have only been talking about that thing. Training her eyes on the statue herself, Lyra felt her jaw drop.

Cracks appeared all around the draconequus, spreading and widening. They formed a delicate pattern at first, then disappeared as the thin layer of marble stone peeled away, revealing the body underneath.

There was a sudden howl, and Lyra wasn't sure which hit her worse - the raw magic or the deafeningly loud shout.

"HAH! I AM FREEE!"

"Discord! You have been freed so that you may redeem yourself!" Twilight exclaimed, wasting absolutely no time.

Hastily unlocking the saddlebag on her right, Lyra had to give the librarian some props. That was an incredibly gutsy move, ordering Discord around. Or, well... trying to do so, anyway. It was the thought that counted.

The draconequus didn't bother with answering right away. He held his arms high and stretched, warming up after his year-long sleep. Even then, his answer defied the expectations.

"Oh come on, Twily. Hitting such a tone after shaking me awake... tsk, tsk." He shook his head in disapproval. "Ah, I swear you're all getting worse as time goes by. At least Celly had the decency to ask kindly before she put me cold. Haa, get it? Put me cold?"

"That's Princess Celestia for you!" Twilight hissed through her clenched teeth. "And don't forget that this is just a test. Should you be found lacking... well, we've turned you to stone once! We can do it again."

Judging by how he started picking the dust from his ears, Discord didn't seem very alarmed by the threat.

"Yes, I'm totally shaking with fear here..." he groaned, then leaned closer to Twilight, making the pony back off a step. "You're totally lacking imagination, little lapdog of the white princess. Petrifying me clearly didn't work the last two times... just why would you try it again? Seriously, I'm so bored I'm this close to teaching you some quality tricks-"

"Discord!"

The yell took both the chaos god and Twilight by surprise. They turned in complete unison; they even had the same dumbstruck look on their faces as they faced Lyra.

"The invoice for your freedom." Lyra unfurled the scroll she had taken from her backpack. Her grimace mirrored her tone - shameless and self-confident. "Sign it. Now."

"Invoice?" Twilight cocked her head to the side and gave the top of her skull a scratch. "What is that even...?"

Discord, on the other hoof, simply broke into another roaring laughter.

"Bwaahahah! Okay, that is new!" He hollered, slapping his sides to stem his laughter a little. "But seriously, look at you! Threatening me of all things! Do you even know who I am, pony? Celestia I could understand... heck, even Twilight, with that fancy Element of hers! But you... just what could you posses, huh?"

Her lips parting, Lyra's smile widened until there was only a toothy, deranged grin left.

"I possess Snowy," she yanked her nose, motioning at Snowy. "But more importantly, I possess an absolute and utter disregard for your life, Discord."

She took an intentional pause to get the scroll out of the way. She wanted the draconequus to have a good look at her face. She wanted Discord to understand how different she was from Twilight - or from most other ponies.

"I set you free so you could help me." Lyra continued, growling without a shred of dishonesty. It felt reinvigorating, no longer having to act. "You can decline to be an ally... but then I'll make sure you are no longer in any position to be a threat."

Comments

[Sage Probo]

Wow, that was dark.

And I like it.