Many residents of Ponyville had a difficult time of it last night. The search parties were out until the early morning, when they learned Twilight had been found.
Several ponies were given the job of preparing for her arrival. She was to be held under guard in the library and the place had to be locked down tight, with no means of escape. The only one who would be allowed to stay in there with her, aside from the royal guards, would be her dragon assistant Spike.
Shining Armour would also be there to look after her, though he was not in command of this mission – his familial link meant he was too prejudiced to take charge.
That matter fell instead to his deputy, Valiant Shield – a pegasus with a strong sense of duty that took precedence over his fair and just attitude.
The guards assumed responsibility for Celestia's prisoner, which left the four spies without any official duties to carry out. However, there was still plenty that they wanted to investigate.
Their chief concern was to find out why the princess was acting so out of character. They had found out about her behaviour last night and even Noteworthy had to admit something was deeply wrong – Celestia had almost left Twilight to die of her injuries, only healing her under duress from her sister.
Fortunately this was not common knowledge in Ponyville – this information had only been shared among the direct employees of the castle. There was no point in causing concern among the ponyfolk, especially given recent events.
There was also the matter of the attempted murder of Noi and Ruby Pinch, which had resulted in Noteworthy being crippled.
But they had no leads and their investigations were made more difficult by the fact everypony now knew they were spies. Many ponies forgave them for keeping this secret from them, though some saw it as a betrayal of trust and were unwilling to speak to them just yet.
However, much of the town had turned against Lyra. She had been the first to have her secret identity revealed and the way it had been uncovered had driven Twilight into a deeper panic. Some ponies placed the blame for the young unicorn's fate directly on her.
With some sadness, the other spies realised she had become a liability. For that reason, she was cut out of their investigation – the ponyfolk would be more willing to co-operate without her around.
It was late afternoon. Lyra had spent most of the day locked away in her home, away from the accusing glares of the other ponies.
It had been a truly miserable few hours, which dragged by slowly with no respite. She could find nothing to take her mind off her situation. She couldn't even concentrate on playing her lyre, which usually helped her to reach an inner peace.
All she had was her thoughts, which were centring on whether she would be forced to move out of town. She would have been long gone already if it hadn't been for Celestia assigning her to keep tabs on Berry Punch. That fool's errand was where this whole mess had started. If she had been allowed to move on, Ponyville would now be nothing more than a happy memory.
Finally, Lyra decided she had had enough. Moping at home was making the situation worse, sending her mind to dark places that she didn't want it to go. What she needed, more than anything, was a friend.
She stepped outside – a couple of ponies noticed her leaving her house and quickly turned their heads away.
The green mint-coated unicorn strolled briskly through the streets, avoiding making eye contact with anypony. The last thing she wanted was to bump into anypony who was likely to start an argument with her, such as Rainbow Dash.
She paused when she reached Twilight's library, which was encased in a magic-nullifying forcefield. Inside the barrier, a couple of guards stood firm outside the entrance.
Lyra felt a tug of sad helplessness – the pony she had looked out for during most of her time as a spy was now a prisoner in her own home. The worst part of it was that she was partly, perhaps even wholly, responsible.
She was jolted out of her reverie when she heard her name being called. Applejack was marching towards her, a tired scowl on her face.
Lyra held up a leg in self-defence. "I… I don't want any trouble," she said.
The farm pony stopped, then looked at the ground and gave a heavy sigh. "Lyra," she said wearily, "That is your name, isn't it? Ah just wanna say my piece and then I'll leave you alone.
"I like ta think that I'm a reasonable pony. Ah can understand why ya did what ya did – Celestia gave you a job to do and you didn't want anypony close to you getting hurt. I'm sure you've done all sortsa things that've helped Equestria, even protected it. Anypony who's worked so close with the princess can't be a bad sort.
"Now, Rainbow Dash tends to over-exaggerate things acus that's just her way. Ah'm inclined ta believe Berry Punch's story that she didn't exactly help matters none when it came to calming down Twi.
"But fact is, she wouldn't have gotten herself inta such a panic if it hadn't been for you. Because'a you, she spent hours runnin' away from us, putting herself in danger. Then she tried ta free Discord, attacked Luna…"
Her voice broke and she stopped talking for a moment, in an attempt to regain her composure. It didn't work.
"She almost died, Lyra!" she cried, gaining the attention of several ponies in the vicinity. The unicorn squirmed uncomfortably as Applejack squeezed her eyes shut, trying to calm herself down.
"So, here's the truth," she said finally, "An' I think I speak for my friends when ah say this. You're a good sort, Lyra, and you were a friend to Twilight before this all happened. We all know it was a mistake on your part, but it's one that's gonna be mighty hard to forgive. Ah think…"
She fixed Lyra with a hard stare, though there was a hint of sympathy in her eyes.
"Ah think, after what you've done, that I'd prefer it if ah never saw you again."
Lyra held a hoof to her mouth, trying to fight back the tears. "I understand," she said, "I'm… I'm so sorry."
Applejack nodded in acknowledgement, looked at the library, then slowly walked away.
***
Dr Whooves' cottage was small but cosy, and it had been his home for the entire time he had lived in Ponyville. His main room was tastefully decorated and was centred around the fireplace on the back wall. A plush red rug lay in front of it, deep and comfortable to kneel on – he had had many conversations with friends there, sitting in front of the fire during the winter months.
No matter how long you live, time always passes more quickly than you expect, he thought, as he stood there reminiscing.
Pictures and letters from his time in medical school adorned the wall. There were no other mementoes from his past, no tokens of his childhood or his life elsewhere. Nopony had ever thought to mention this.
He smiled to himself as he remembered old friends who had since passed on. Several lifetimes of memories, the majority of them happy ones.
Yet still he felt that anxiety. The uncertainty. He needed something to calm his nerves.
The earth pony stepped over to a cupboard in the corner of the room and, using only the power of his mind, opened it and pulled out a stick of incense.
He would never dare to use his inherent magic ability in public – it would raise far too many questions that he could not easily answer. Here, when he was alone and safe from prying eyes, he could take advantage of its convenience. Nopony needed to know that he was far older and more powerful than he appeared to be.
He levitated the incense stick to a holder on his mantelpiece and, on a whim, created a spark of flame to light it. The fumes created a calming aroma.
Kneeling down on the rug, he closed his eyes and began to meditate.
A few minutes later, the tranquillity was interrupted by a knock his front door. In the time it took him to pull himself out of his trance, whoever it was knocked again, more insistently this time.
A sorrowful and nervous Lyra was standing on his front porch, her stance belying her reticence.
"I expected you to come round earlier than this," said Whooves, "I apologise. I should have visited you myself, but I've only just finished work."
"You're not angry with me?" she asked, her voice small and pitiful. "Everypony else hates me now. I was worried that you, that you might…"
"Lyra." He spoke with such warmth that it almost moved her to tears. She rushed forward into his embrace, holding her head against his neck for comfort. They held that pose for some time, as the unicorn took solace from his friendship.
Her eyes snapped open suddenly. "What the…" she said, pulling her head back and sniffing the air. "Is something burning?"
Whooves chuckled. "Just something I use to help me relax. Come on inside, it might help you as well."
She followed him into the main room, noticing the incense on the mantelpiece as she did so, and the two friends hunkered down on the rug.
"It's been a fraught few days, hasn't it?" he asked rhetorically, to which Lyra simply nodded. His face showed concern. "How is she?"
"Not good," she replied, staring at the floor. "I feel so guilty over everything that happened. If only I had been more careful. I, I had no idea she would be so paranoid."
She looked back up at him. "Everypony blames me, you know. Even the ones who accept it wasn't all my fault. They're hardly going to speak out against Celestia, and Twilight… poor Twilight. So that just leaves me."
"These things pass," he said, "Soon they'll realise there were other factors in play. I'm not blameless either – if only I had let Twilight down more gently than I did, perhaps I could have stopped her from running away."
Lyra didn't answer. She was having difficulty looking him in the eye. The pair sat in silence for a while until she worked up the nerve to say what was on her mind.
"I'm sorry, Whooves," she said. He raised an eyebrow, confused. "I'm sorry I kept this secret from you. If there was anypony I should have let in on my double life, it was you. You're my closest friend but I couldn't, I couldn't open up to you."
He smiled. "Lyra, Heartstrings – it doesn't matter what your name is. You're my friend and I'll support you whatever happens. I understand. You were working for Celestia, in a line of work that could make a lot of enemies."
"Yeah, well," she said ruefully, though not without a hint of humour. "You're right on that last part."
"There you go. See? Time heals all wounds. You'll be able to look back on this time and joke about it, eventually."
"That all depends on what happens to Twilight," she replied.
He didn't have an answer for that. The room fell quiet again. Lyra closed her eyes – she still wasn't happy, by any stretch of the imagination, but it was the best she had felt all day. Whooves was right – the incense did have a calming effect.
"So, going back to our discussion the other day," he said, "Was this it? Was this the secret you were unwilling to talk about?"
Lyra's face took on a haunted quality and her body tensed up. She would dearly have liked to pretend her identity as a spy was the only thing she had been holding back, but that wasn't the truth and it didn't feel right to lie to Whooves now.
It was something she didn't want to admit to, because she didn't know where the conversation could lead.
"I'm… I'm not happy," she said. Whooves frowned, but indicated for her to continue.
"Deep down, I mean. It's kinda hard to explain," she said, speaking slowly and thoughtfully. "It's like… do you ever wonder if you got your cutiemark too soon? So, you think you're going to grow up as a certain type of pony but you realise later on that that's not you?"
Whooves looked back at his hourglass cutiemark, then back to his friend. There wasn't really anything he could say on the matter – his cutiemark had a deeper meaning, one he wasn't willing to reveal to her, and he hadn't obtained it in the normal way.
Lyra continued. "I got my cutiemark because I loved playing my lyre, even from a very young age. I thought this meant I was going to become a musician, so I applied to join the Canterlot Orchestra. But when I was at the entrance exam, in front of an audience, I choked. I couldn't play.
"I was so upset. I felt like a failure. It was only when I was older that I realised it was because my music was something personal to me. I couldn't share it.
"But that makes me different to other ponies. Cutiemarks are supposed to represent your future career, or something you do to help improve society. My cutiemark only represents my hobby. It's like I have no purpose."
"Now hold on, that's not true," said Whooves, "You're a spy. You work directly for Celestia, to protect Equestria. That's a noble cause."
"And I was about ready to pack it in," she said, "I didn't see my time in Ponyville as a permanent arrangement. How could I? Heartstrings was just an assumed identity, one that I would drop when I was ready to go back to my life as Lyra. I was increasingly beginning to feel like my life was a lie."
"But the truth's out now," he said, "And although your name's changed, you're still the same pony you were before. Once the dust's blown over here, the rest of Ponyville will come to accept that. What about the other spies? I imagine they'll keep on living here, continuing as they were before."
"But they have careers to go back to. Berry Punch has her wine business, Carrot Top sells vegetables. Noteworthy only does odd jobs, but he's happy to perform in public. That's the thing. My cutiemark represents something that's only for myself.
"I'm lost, is what I'm trying to say. I don't know what to do next. I don't know what I want out of life. I'm not saying I haven't achieved some great things, because I have."
She paused for a second, wondering if she should tell Whooves about the biggest assignment Celestia ever sent her on. Her mission to reactivate the Elements of Harmony. She decided against it. That had been a truly dark time.
"All I've ever wanted is to find something that gives my life meaning," she said, "To find out why I'm here, what I was born to do. A pony of my age should know what their purpose is already – but I haven't found it."
Whooves didn't respond immediately. He could tell this was a big admission for Lyra – she needed a little time to come to terms with it.
"You say that like it's a bad thing," he said. She opened her mouth to protest but he kept talking: "So your cutiemark doesn't represent your career, or what you feel to be your true purpose. It's still a part of who you are. You're a talented mare, Lyra, and there are a lot of options available to you. I know there's such a thing as having too much choice, but it's not a bad problem to have. If you need guidance, look to your friends for advice.
"You don't necessarily need to have a purpose in life to make you happy. No matter what you do, even if it's a job you're only doing to bring in some bits, find something you enjoy and do that as well. It doesn't matter if it's a hobby, or something you do only for yourself. Learn to confide in your friends and keep them close, whatever you do. If you stop worrying about the big stuff and live your life the best you can, you might find that the rest happens naturally."
"I've tried that," said Lyra, "Really, I have. I got involved with the big social events, I've made friends. Whenever my worries got too much for me I would play my lyre and that would calm me down, but… but not today.
"I can't help feeling that I've lost everything I had here. I know I was planning to move away, but until now I always had the option to come back. I've got friends in other towns but it'd still be like starting again. I've done that before but, now this has happened, I've realised I don't really want to have to do it again."
She sighed and lowered her head. "I guess you don't know what you've got 'til it's gone."
Whooves brought his head down so he could catch her eye. "Lyra, you still have friends here. You know how this town can get sometimes – the ponyfolk are easily led by the herd mentality. If you've decided you want to stay here, then that's great news. It means you've found something you want to hold onto.
"But you're going to have to fight for it. No matter what happens with Twilight, there are still going to be ponies who don't like you any more. All you can do is keep your friends close and live your life as best you can, because who knows… who knows what's going to happen tomorrow."
Lyra's head was still down, so she didn't see Whooves' face blanch at his poor choice of words.
The pair remained quiet for a while – Lyra was too miserable to speak and Whooves had been hit by a sudden attack of guilt. His thoughts had turned away from her own plight and on to his own. He felt an overwhelming urge to tell her what was coming. Of the strife that tomorrow evening would bring.
But he couldn't. If he told anypony else what he knew, then the consequences could be so much worse.
"Your friends," he said, with a catch in his voice. He cleared his throat. "The other spies. I know you caught the brunt of it, but they're in the same boat as you to a certain extent. You're not alone, Lyra."
She raised her head as a thought struck her. "You're right. It's not just me that might end up as an outcast. Berry – she's always been the life and soul of the party, she's always socialising. That won't be the same for her now."
She stood up. "And she'll be alone after today's investigations are over. She'll be missing Ruby Pinch, and Carrot Top and Noteworthy will probably head off by themselves. I should… I should go check on her."
Whooves flinched. "Wait, you're leaving?" he said unhappily, "I'd been hoping we could hang out tonight."
Lyra hesitated, not wanting to disappoint him but at the same time eager to go to see Berry. Whooves looked at his friend, then came to a realisation.
"You two have been getting close recently, haven't you?" he said, "She was at your home when I went to visit you the other night, and you were together when I messed things up with Twilight."
"Yeah, she's a good friend," she said absently, "It's funny really. A short while ago we were at each other's throats, but these past few days we've been supporting each other a lot."
Whooves smiled, a sensation of warmth passing through him. This past week, he had been worrying that he was going to be leaving Lyra alone. Now he felt assured that she had another good friend who would take his place.
"You should go see her," he said, "But I want a chance to chill out with you tomorrow, okay? We'll get breakfast or something."
"Okay, that sounds like an idea," she said, "And… thanks, Whooves. I know we didn't solve my problem, but it's probably done me some good to chat about it."
With that, she left the house and Whooves was alone.
He was upset that he wouldn't have the chance to spend the night chatting with Lyra, but there was always tomorrow.
He could say goodbye then.
For the earth pony had a gift of foresight – or rather, in this case, a curse. He knew exactly what was going to happen to him tomorrow. His fate was set and there was nothing he could do to change it.
At sunset tomorrow, his life was going to come to an end. At least… life in its current form.
****
The sky was starting to grow dark as the evening drew in. An unseen watcher lurked in the meagre shadows near Berry Punch's house, cloaked by an invisibility spell – the same one that had kept her hidden from sight after she launched her attack against Noteworthy.
That same spell prevented her from assaulting the ponies who walked past her spot in the alleyway. It was not the same one that had been cast by Twilight in the Canterlot courtyard.
When she had been created, the watcher had been given the power to change her form and, to a limited extent, alter reality. She had transformed herself into a gaseous form to render herself invisible.
Her strength had been growing over the past week, as had her desire for revenge. There was an almost undeniable need in her to spill somepony's blood as payback for the torment she had endured.
She saw her target approach. Lyra trotted up to Berry Punch's front door, ignoring the glares she received from other ponies.
The time wasn't right. In order to attack, the watcher would have to phase into a physical form and that would make her visible. She could not allow herself to be seen and run the risk of ruining everything. She had already been warned not to carry out any more conspicuous assaults.
She would have to hold off a while longer. Try to control her urges.
****
"Lyra!" Berry's mood immediately brightened when she opened her door to see the unicorn. She leaned forward and nuzzled against her in a show of affection. "It's so good to see you! How are you?"
Lyra walked inside, letting the door shut behind her. "I've been better, if I'm honest. I'm public enemy number one."
"I can imagine." The earth pony grimaced. "Ponyfolk haven't exactly been friendly towards the three of us today, but yesterday they were just about organising a lynch mob for you."
"Thanks," she said with flat sarcasm. "How did your investigations go?"
Berry shook her head. "No leads. No clues. No nothing. Not to mention that I've been feeling like a third wheel all day. Carrot Top and Noteworthy need to stop skirting around each other and get on with it."
Lyra chuckled. "Sometimes these things take time. They've only just met each other, after all."
Berry smiled back, though she was also feeling a little impatient about her own love life.
The two ponies had been giving each other a lot of emotional support these past few days. Lyra had been there for her when Pinchy had to go to live elsewhere, for her own safety. That was the night when Berry had really started to fall for her – her initial attraction had been based on the unicorn's good looks, but she had since proved that she had a kind heart as well.
Berry's wild days were behind her and she was looking for a partner she could settle down with. Somepony she could trust.
She believed Lyra felt the same way about her but she wasn't willing to give her heart away until she was sure.
Perhaps tonight was the night. They were both feeling pretty low – in need of something positive in their lives.
She walked towards the kitchen, continuing her conversation with Lyra as she went. She smiled to herself as she worked out a basic plan of seduction. It would be the same as her past partners – give them a good meal, get them drunk as hell and let nature take its course.
Berry Punch was about to get her game on.
"Applejack doesn't mean any malice, she just says what she feels," said Lyra, "It stung, though. Brought it home that I don't have that many friends at the moment."
"Well, you've got me and that's all you need tonight," she replied with a wink. She placed her front hooves on the kitchen counter and lifted herself up so she could see her friend on the other side. "More importantly, have you been taking care of yourself? Have you eaten much today?"
"Not really." Lyra rubbed her stomach, which suddenly felt quite empty. "Great. Now you've reminded me that I'm hungry."
Berry grinned. "Soon sort that out. Hope you've got an appetite on you."
Lyra watched as the earth pony got to work, trotting to and from the fridge and opening cabinets as she pulled out a variety of ingredients and Tupperware. The unicorn grew a bit disconcerted at the sheer amount of vegetables that were starting to pile up on the sideboard, and she was quickly roped into helping Berry with cutting and preparing the food to be stirred into a sizeable stew.
Soon the two ponies were each settling down to a large bowlful of the stuff, with large chunks of bread on the side to mop up any gravy.
It was a much larger meal than Lyra was used to and she was soon starting to struggle, while Berry was still happily eating away.
"I can't manage any more, sorry," she said, pushing the bowl away. "It was good, though."
"It won't harm you to pig out once in a while," said Berry cheekily, booping her on the nose. "You could do with a little more meat on your bones. Pass your bowl over and I'll finish it…"
She blushed as Lyra looked at her in surprise, wondering how she could pack so much away.
"Ah, sorry," said Berry, "Force of habit. I'm a mother – it's part of the job description to finish off the food my daughter won't eat. That's why I've got this tummy."
She stood up and patted her belly, which was slightly larger than the average pony's. She picked up the bowls and started to clear them away.
"Oh, don't worry about it," said Lyra, "You're not so… oh, um…"
The unicorn's face flushed as she realised there wasn't a single flattering word to finish that sentence with.
"Not so what?" Berry said with a teasing smile. She grinned as Lyra struggled to reply, enjoying watching her squirm.
She turned away and placed the bowls in the sink. "We can clean those up tomorrow. We've got more important things to take care of."
Lyra was glad at being let off the hook but was confused at what Berry meant. She was so full of food that she didn't feel capable of taking care of anything.
"Come on, follow me," said Berry, briskly walking up the stairs to the indoors balcony that was above the kitchen.
"What? Ugh, ok," she replied, lumpenly plodding up the steps. "I don't know how you can move so quickly with a meal like that inside you."
"Ah, come on. You'll be fine soon. I've got something that's good for what ails ya."
Lyra hesitated after hearing that last sentence, but then pressed on regardless, still uncertain of what she had in mind.
The upstairs balcony was half the size of the downstairs open-plan room and had two doors leading off to the right, to a bathroom and Berry's bedroom. Lyra smiled as she remembered the last time she was in this house – that had been a rather more physical encounter than anything she would experience tonight, she thought to herself.
At the back of the room, Berry was fiddling with the lock to a large cabinet. It opened with a click and she swung the doors wide to reveal several rows of bottles filled with alcohol.
She gestured with her hoof and shone a wicked grin. "Welcome to my bar."
Lyra was nonplussed. "Berry, I don't drink. I'm sure I told you that."
"True, true," she said with a shrug, "But after all we've been through over the past few days, I think we need to let loose a little."
She pulled out a bottle of wine and patted it. "My own brand. One of the lower alcohol varieties."
"I don't know… what if we're needed to help out with something? What if something comes to light on the pony who tried to kill Noteworthy?"
"You're reaching for excuses now. It's alright, I'm not going to force you to drink. It's good stuff, though" she said. She turned the bottle over and started reading off the back. "The finest berries, chosen specially for your delectation. A smooth and sophisticated sipping wine, perfect for entertaining, with a surprisingly fruity finish."
Lyra crossed one of her front hooves over the other and gave Berry a disapproving look.
"First you say you're not going to peer pressure me into it, then you give a detailed description of what I'm missing out on. I know what you're up to."
"I sincerely hope so," she said. Her grin faltered under Lyra's stare. "Oh, okay then. We'll stay sober." She placed the bottle back in the cabinet. "Geez, we really are different ponies, aren't we?"
"Yeah. You can see it in the way we've decorated our homes." She looked around the room. Pictures of family and happy memories adorned the walls and the place was well furnished. It was a stark contrast with her own house – she had only equipped with the basics, the bare minimum of what she needed to get by.
"I like this place. It's homely." She smiled sadly. "You know, Berry, I envy you. You've got it all. Dozens of close friends, a daughter who dotes on you. Sometimes I wish I could have all of that."
The earth pony tilted her head coyly. "I wouldn't say I had it all. A partner, for instance. Somepony I can confide in, somepony I can snuggle up with at night."
"Oh," said Lyra, not noticing Berry's come-on. "That shouldn't be too hard for a pony like yourself. You're kind, you're fun, you're pretty – anypony would be glad to have you as their special somepony."
Berry sauntered over and raised her head, looking around the room before fixing her gaze on Lyra. "Well," she said with a smile, "Here we are."
The room fell quiet as their conversation dried up. It was a comfortable silence but Lyra had a small, nagging voice at the back of her mind, telling her she was missing something. She went to speak, then stopped herself. Berry waited in anticipation.
"You know, maybe a little wine isn't such a bad idea," Lyra said, "I mean, I've never tried it before. If I'm ever going to have some, it might as well be the best."
Berry took that as a sign that Lyra needed a little liquid courage before she made a move. In truth, the unicorn was simply looking for something to cheer her up.
Two wine glasses were quickly filled – Lyra's was fuller than she would have liked, but Berry teased her that it would be rude not to finish it.
To the unicorn's surprise, she enjoyed the taste. She only sipped it at first, because she found the aftertaste had a bit of a kick to it. Berry slowed her normal drinking pace to keep level with her friend – no point in being the only drunk pony in the room.
The two friends chatted about their lives in Ponyville and how Lyra feared she would have to leave. Berry did her best to reassure her that wouldn't happen, secretly pleased that her friend had had a change of heart. Lyra had been adamant she was leaving a few days ago, yet now she was keen to stay.
The conversation moved on to their work: their concerns over Celestia; the attack against Noteworthy; and what had happened to Twilight. They came up with a couple of theories on what was going on – some of them linked the three incidents together, others tried to explain them separately. None of their ideas stood up to scrutiny.
Lyra sped up her drinking pace while they spoke, more as a crutch to help her talk about a difficult subject. She finished her first glass about an hour after it had been poured. The second glass went down in about half an hour.
She was now what could be described as merry – not drunk yet, but in a sillier mood than normal.
"So here's a radical idea," she said, using her magic to pour herself a third glass, draining the remains of the bottle. "What if there's a secret cabal of beings who've been behind everything so far? A group that controls everything we do, writes the scripts of our lives and watches us as we go about our daily business?"
"That sounds like a crazy conspiracy theory to me," said Berry with a grin. "So it obviously has to be true. What would you call these mysterious creatures?"
Lyra stood up and adopted a mock-serious expression. "There's only one name that fits. Only one name that can describe these nefarious monsters."
She stared off into what would have been the middle distance if there hadn't been a wall in the way.
"The Illuminati. An enlightened organisation that masterminds events and controls world affairs through contacts in government and businesses in an attempt to establish a new world order."
Berry feigned shock. "My goodness! And what will they do? What do they want?"
"They want to spread darkness where there is happiness and light. They want to create ponies that are more powerful than anything Equestria has ever seen! And some other stuff, I dunno. Sex and drugs, probably."
She used her magic to lift up her glass and noticed it was only half full. On a whim, she downed it in one.
Berry had to stifle a laugh – Lyra was really beginning to loosen up. That was good. She had obviously been upset by recent events.
"So, that's the first bottle destroyed," she said, "Should I open up another?"
Lyra nodded and Berry scanned through her selection.
"Do you fancy more of the same, or should I get something stronger?" she asked.
"Variety is the spice of life," said Lyra.
"Okay, let's give this one a go," she said, pulling out a half empty and slightly dusty bottle. "This one's of a particularly fine vintage that I brought up from the cellar a couple of weeks ago. It's to be enjoyed slowly, not slurped back in an afternoon."
She poured a couple of glasses, filling them only halfway, then re-capped the bottle and put it back.
Lyra lifted up her glass and took a gulp. The strength of it hit her in the back of the throat and she began coughing.
Berry walked over to her. "Do you need a pat on the back?"
Lyra shook her head no and eventually recovered. Wiping the tears from her eyes, she took another, more tentative sip and swilled the liquid around her mouth before swallowing.
"I can still feel it. It's like it's burning a hole in my stomach." She looked at her friend. "Do you drink this stuff regularly?"
"It's one of my favourites but, as I said, you're not supposed to chug it down."
Lyra looked at her warily. "How are you still alive?" she asked.
"You get used to it," said Berry, settling down in a spot much closer to her than before. She nodded her head towards the cabinet. "If you want what you were having earlier, take one off the top row."
Lyra used her magic to levitate another bottle over and the pair continued drinking.
Their conversation became more personal and they started talking about their families.
Lyra's parents had always been supportive of her in whatever she did. She was an only child and they had always urged her to try to succeed – though this had the unfortunate side-effect of sometimes making her feel like they were disappointed in her, though they had never shown it.
She became morose, feeling that everything she had tried in her life had ended in failure. She had been turned down for the Canterlot orchestra and now her reputation and career as a spy were in tatters.
Berry reassured her that wasn't the case, comforting her with a hug. The earth pony then began to speak about her own past.
She was the black sheep of the family, with her taste for parties sullying her name in upper class Canterlot. Her mother, Berry Shine, was particularly disapproving of her, especially when she had a child out of wedlock.
She ran the Ponyville branch of her family's alcohol company but the only pony she was still truly on good terms with was her younger sister, Pina Colada.
"I see her at least once a year, for the Sisterhooves Social," she said, finishing her final glass from the second bottle. "Rest of the family thinks it's common. They don't know the meaning of fun. Pina Colada and I'll win it one year, I can tell you that."
The two ponies were now resting with their backs against the balcony railings, side by side – a sitting position that came more naturally to Lyra.
"Should we open another bottle?" asked Berry.
"That's probably not a good idea," she said, resting her head against the other pony's shoulder. "I think I'm a little bit drunk."
"Well, that was the aim of the night. Mission success," said Berry, slurring slightly. She looked over at her tipsy friend - they were so close now, so intimate. If Lyra didn't make a move soon, she'd do it herself.
The unicorn nestled herself against her, sighing happily. "Your coat is so fluffy," she said.
She raised her head and looked Berry in the eyes. The purple pony felt a rush of exhilaration, ready for what was coming.
"Who was the father?" Lyra asked.
"What?" she asked, totally thrown for a loop.
"Ruby Pinch. Who was her father? How'd you meet him?"
Berry's mood darkened and she looked away. "I don't really want to talk about him. He abandoned us. We were going through a rough patch but I thought we were getting past it. Then, out of nowhere, he ups and leaves with just a note telling me to look after Ruby.
"The nerve of it. He abandons me with our daughter but feels he has to remind me to care for her? He showed up again a year or so later, wanting to be part of Pinchy's life again. No explanation for where he had been."
She growled, trying to turn her negative emotions into anger rather than sorrow. "What could I do? Pinchy still remembered him of course and she wanted to see him. I had to work out an arrangement for visits. I don't tend to handle myself well when he's around. The worst time was the Cutecenera for those two brats at the school. I got so wasted that I think I was drinking out of the punch bowl at one point."
"But who was it?"
She sighed, her face twisted into a scowl. "It was Pokey Pierce, okay? Stallion from Canterlot. I was young, I made a mistake. Tried to stay with him so Pinchy would have two parents, but he was insufferable. Acts like a child half the time."
Lyra couldn't respond. She was too stricken by shock. She knew the name Pokey Pierce well, because he had been present at one of the darkest times of her life. He had been part of the mission organised by Celestia to reactivate the Elements of Harmony.
"Berry," she said finally, now wide awake. "Berry, I think you have it wrong about him."
The earth pony shot her a look that bordered on disgust. Lyra quickly held a hoof up to prevent any argument.
"Oh no, don't misunderstand," she said, "Everything you said about his personality was right. He'd say anything that popped into his head, didn't matter if it was insulting or inappropriate. He had a reputation for being far too honest but… but I guess at that stage of your life, you must have as well."
Berry frowned, clearly upset. "And just how would you know that?"
Lyra took a deep breath as she tried to hold her nerves together. The alcohol in her system had taken away the inhibitions that normally prevented her from talking about this, but it was still hard for her.
"It was in the years just before Nightmare Moon returned," she said, "The dark goddess was growing in power and Celestia was having difficulty maintaining the barrier that kept her banished on the Moon.
"There was a problem. The only things that could truly defeat Nightmare Moon were the Elements of Harmony, but they had been dormant for ages. Celestia had undergone a long struggle to study them, understand the origin of their power and discover how to reactivate them.
"It took her centuries to learn how to do it, and when she did, she believed the cost was too great. By this point her sister had already been gone for several lifetimes – Celestia thought it was best to try to find a less harmful way of bringing the Elements back.
"But she couldn't. She could only find a way to refine it, so the spell wouldn't need the sacrifice of hundreds of ponies, but a mere six."
"Lyra, what are you saying? What does this have to do with Pokey?" asked Berry, concerned. She could tell the unicorn was having difficulty relating her story.
"Just let me finish, okay?" she said, "Now, Celestia was already training Twilight to become the bearer of the element of magic, though Twilight didn't realise it at the time.
"The Elements were created by the greatest magic users of Celestia's time - they transferred all of their power into a set of six stones, with each one representing an Element of Harmony. The process killed them. They were that determined to defeat Discord that they were prepared to give their lives.
"The Elements of Harmony were damaged in Celestia's first fight with Nightmare Moon and their power had almost completely faded. To reactivate them, six volunteers, each representing one of the Elements, would have to go through a similar process to that of their creators.
"It was carried out at Nightmare Moon's last point of contact with the planet – her castle, deep in the Everfree Forest. Her influence was beginning to spread through the forest and the animals there were becoming restless. Reactivating the Elements there would create a knock-on effect and curb her power."
"Wait a minute," said Berry, "You're saying Pokey went on this mission? Why? He didn't work for Celestia – there's no reason why she would have contacted him."
"He wasn't working for Celestia, but you were," Lyra said, "He told me what happened, though he never told me your name.
"It was late one night. His daughter was asleep and his marefriend had fallen unconscious after a night of drinking. It was at that point that Celestia's letter came through. She was contacting anypony who might be willing to carry out her mission, such as trusted guards, spies, you get the drift.
"He read the letter and decided he couldn't risk the chance that you'd go through with it. He feared Celestia might try to contact you again, so he went in your place instead."
Berry scratched her head, the drink hindering her comprehension. "I still don't get it. Why would he do that?"
Lyra looked her dead in the eyes. "He may have been selfish sometimes and a bit of a dreamer, but he knew which parent his daughter loved best. Ruby needed her mother.
"Celestia had refined the process but she didn't know what would happen to the six volunteers. The Elements would be reactivated by their life energy in much the same way as they'd been created but there was no telling how much power they would drain.
"It was, to all intents and purposes, a suicide mission."
Lyra turned away. She was finding it difficult to continue.
Berry leaned back against the balcony railings, stunned. When Pokey had left, she'd had nopony else to help her. She'd been forced to clean up her act, stop partying as hard as she had been and focus on caring for her daughter.
His desertion had helped turn her into the independent mare she was today and it had taught her to be more careful. Her protectiveness towards Pinchy had been born on that day and although she had kept her friends close and still pursued relationships, she had always made sure that she was strong enough to cope on her own.
All because of what she had always seen as a selfish act.
It would take her some time to come to terms with this new information, but in the long run it didn't change anything. She would still be the same pony as she'd always been.
Though it did mean she'd owe Pokey an apology the next time she saw him – after smacking him upside the head for never telling her the truth.
There was something else that was of more concern to her right now, however.
"You joined him on that mission," she said.
Lyra's face was lined with sorrow. "Celestia needed ponies who were willing to make the ultimate sacrifice, for whatever reason. Some had loved ones that they would die to protect; others did it out of a sense of duty. It's been kept secret how serious the situation was – Nightmare Moon's influence over the Everfree had grown to the extent that she was almost capable of organising a full scale invasion by the creatures of the forest. Who knows how many could have died?"
Berry pulled the drunken unicorn close and allowed her to rest her head on her chest.
"Why did you do it?" she asked, stroking Lyra's mane to comfort her. "What did you have that was worth dying for?"
"I didn't have anything, really. That was kind of the point," she replied, "All my life I'd been searching for a purpose. I couldn't perform my music in public, so that wasn't it. I'd done good work as a spy, but I wanted to do more. I was frightened, but I knew that whatever happened I would be saving Equestria. Even if I died."
"But you didn't die. And now you've got the whole of the rest of your life ahead of you."
"That's not true," she said, then continued before Berry could correct her. "The spell was too strong. It didn't kill us outright, but it left our souls in a kind of state between life and death. It took Celestia a long time to fully bring us back.
"My memories are fuzzy but they're still there. I was trapped in the void, not able to hear, speak or move, but still able to think. It felt like I was trapped there for an eternity, but it was only a month. That experience changed me forever.
"I think that's why I'm not able to make any strong connections with anypony. I spent so long alone, with only my thoughts for company, that I don't think I can let anypony else in."
Berry's brow furrowed in pity. She put her hood to Lyra's chin and lifted her face up. "Lyra," she said, "I'm here for you. You're not alone."
She leaned forward, closed her eyes and moved in to kiss her.
Lyra almost submitted to it. The atmosphere, their closeness – she had opened up her soul to Berry and it would have only been a small step to take that connection a stage further.
For hours afterwards, the question would plague her mind – what would have happened if they had kissed? Would their friendship have moved on to the next stage? Would she have been happier?
But instead, at the last second, something clicked in her mind and she scrambled backwards away from her, horrified.
"Berry, what are you doing?" she cried, shocked by her sudden advance.
"Well," the earth pony said, more than a little stunned by Lyra's violent reaction. "I was trying to kiss you, but then you moved your head away."
"Berry," she said, upset enough to be breathing rapidly. "Berry, I'm not gay."
The purple pony frowned for a moment before what she had said actually sunk in.
"What? You're not…" She paused to catch her breath, stung by the unexpected rejection. "But what about those rumours about you and Carrot Top? I knew they weren't true but they wouldn't be spread around if you were straight, would they? I… oh hell."
She sunk back against the railings, miserable. Tonight had only served to deepen her attraction and now it seemed clear it was never going to happen between them. There was also the fear that their friendship would never quite be the same again.
"You've fancied me this whole time, haven't you? And I didn't notice," Lyra held her hoof to her face, cursing herself for being blind to it. "I'm sorry, Berry. I'm sorry. I do care about you, really I do, but I'd have said the same to anypony – I'm not available."
The earth pony thought it over and suddenly made a connection. There was one pony who was always around Lyra, a stallion who she seemed particularly close to.
"It's Whooves, isn't it?" she said sadly, "Why didn't I see it sooner? You guys hang out with each other so often, it's almost like you're attached at the hip. So to speak."
"Whooves? No, no," Lyra said, shaking her head. "We're just friends. Why would I try to set him up with Twilight if I was dating him? I'm not with anypony, I've never… I haven't got the time for a relationship."
Berry blinked with surprise, noticing her slip of the tongue and remembering how she had said her experience in the void had left her unable to connect with anypony. "You mean, you've never had a relationship?"
Lyra turned her head away self-consciously. "It's difficult, you know? There's always been other stuff going on in my life. There's always been reasons why a relationship would be a bad idea. I've become used to being alone. The whole idea of getting involved with anypony is strange to me. I don't… I don't even know which way I'd turn if I decided I wanted to…"
Berry got onto her hooves, realising she might have a chance after all. "Lyra. Lyra, gender shouldn't matter. It all comes down to how you feel about somepony, whether you'd be a good match. I wouldn't have tried to kiss you if I hadn't thought there was a connection there, that deep down you felt the same way about me."
"Stop. Just stop, alright?" she said, becoming frustrated. "Stop trying to push me into this. I don't know how I feel about you, okay? I would probably have reacted the same way if you were a stallion and I… I don't know what that means right now."
"That's alright. You need some time to think," said Berry, "I'm not going to say anything more. Whatever happens, I don't want to lose you as a friend. I know it might be too late for that now but, please, stay here tonight. It'll be harder if you walk away."
Lyra sighed heavily and kneeled down on the floor. "This is why I've always avoided it," she said, "It makes things so complicated. I always made excuses. When I was in Canterlot, I told myself that I'd have time to work things out when I went to Ponyville. When I was in Ponyville, I told myself there was no point in starting anything because I'd end up moving away. It was never the right time."
"Oh, Lyra," Berry said compassionately, "It sounds like you've spent your life waiting for your life to start."
Lyra sat bolt upright. There hadn't been the slightest hint of malice behind that comment, but it had hurt her. Hurt her badly. For a unicorn who had spent so long struggling to find her role in society, to hear that her life hadn't yet begun – and by implication, that her time alive so far had held little significance – was something that cut too close to home.
The amount she had had to drink that night, especially for a teetotaller, did not help matters either.
She staggered to her hooves, clenching her mouth shut and narrowing her eyes in a bid to retain control of her emotions.
"Lyra? What's up? Did I say something wrong?" asked Berry.
"I think," she said, her voice breathy and unsubstantial, "I think I want to go home now."
Without a further word, she turned away and started walking down the stairs. Berry thought over what she had last said, combined with all Lyra had told her tonight, and correctly guessed at why she was upset.
"Oh no. Lyra, wait! I didn't mean it like that!" she cried, chasing after her. The unicorn ignored her and pushed her way past the front door, out into the night.
Berry followed her and tried to catch up with her. Lyra was fast-marching her way through the street, determined to block out the other mare's cries and get home as soon as possible.
"Lyra, please. Come back inside. I'm sorry. We've had a good night, let's not end it like this. You're drunk, you're not thinking straight."
"And whose fault is that?" she cried, turning round aggressively. "That was your plan, wasn't it? Fill me up with wine then take advantage of me!"
"Hey, that's not fair!" said Berry, stung by her attack. "Just because I find you attractive, it doesn't mean that I'm going to suddenly jump on you!"
"Well, it felt that way to me!" she said, "I was baring my soul to you, talking about the most traumatic time of my life, and out of the blue you try to kiss me!"
Berry turned her head away, Lyra's anger causing her to wince. As she did so, she saw a flicker of movement in an alleyway across the street. She couldn't make out what it was at first, but then she realised it was the silhouette of a pony.
"You should have given me some warning. Told me how you felt. Allowed me some time to think about it."
Berry still couldn't bring herself to look at Lyra. She kept her eyes on the pony in the shadows, projecting the self-recriminating anger she felt upon it.
Then she caught a glimpse of something that forced her to take a closer look. She held her position and squinted her eyes to see – there was a flash of metal.
"But no. You just assumed I felt the same way. You had to ruin everything. And now I don't, I don't even know how I feel about you any more!"
The pony wasn't moving. It appeared to be watching them. Berry wondered what it was up to – it was holding a long metal object, like a bar, or a bat.
"Are you listening to me?" shouted Lyra, enraged.
Berry was about to answer but stopped when she saw a small ball of flame burst into existence near the pony in the alleyway. There was a flash of light as the pony swung the metal bat towards it with its full strength.
"Get down!" she cried, diving at Lyra and knocking her to the ground. Not half a second later, something flew past at high velocity, inches above their bodies. It smashed into the wall beside them with an almighty crash, scattering masonry and dust.
"Move!" she shouted. Lyra didn't need to be told twice, immediately realising they were under attack.
Another fireball zipped past them and smashed through a house window, setting light to the curtains as it went.
Berry looked back in panic, trying to spot their attacker while worrying about the residents of the home that had been hit. Lyra suddenly pushed her to one side as a fireball plummeted from the sky and shattered the ground where she would have been.
The two ponies zig-zagged across the town centre as they frantically tried to dodge their unseen assailant. The attacks came infrequently but they were terrifyingly powerful, with the fireballs embedding themselves deep within whatever they hit.
Lights began to flicker on in the upstairs windows of nearby houses. Ponies woken by the almighty sound of the assault poked their heads out to see what was going on.
The two spies shouted back at them to stay inside as they ran past, heading for Lyra's house.
They were there within minutes – Lyra barged the door open and slammed it shut after Berry followed her inside. She rested against it momentarily as she tried to catch her breath, then Berry pulled her away.
"Keep back from any doors and windows! They're vulnerable!" the earth pony said, "Upstairs! It should be safer!"
The two ponies rushed on up and stopped in the upstairs corridor. They waited there and listened out for any further signs of attack, barely daring to breathe.
There was relative silence. All they could hear was the distant sounds of the ponies who had been woken up, calling out to each other in an attempt to find out what had happened.
Their shouts became more animated as they realised somepony's home was on fire. Berry felt a rush of relief – the crowd would be able to save the homeowner. She had realised something else.
"Whoever it was, they stopped attacking once the other ponies woke up," she said, "They obviously don't want an audience."
"That doesn't mean we're safe," said Lyra, "Once they go back to sleep, whoever it was could try again. One of us is going to have to stay up, keep watch."
"I'll do it. I'm not going to be able to drop off, not after tonight."
Lyra gasped. "Carrot Top. Noteworthy. They could be targets as well. I'm going to warn them."
Berry held her back. "No way. I'm not letting you go outside by yourself, you'll be a sitting duck. Besides, if they're at Noteworthy's house, then they'll be fine. He's invented a bunch of security alarms – if anypony tries to break in, he'll know about it."
Lyra sat down, her fears allayed. The two ponies looked at each other – now the danger had past, the uneasy atmosphere had returned.
"Did you see who it was? Any defining characteristics?" Lyra asked.
Berry shook her head. "It was dark. It was a short pony, I know that much. I think it was a mare – her mane was kind of poofy."
Lyra looked at her for a moment, then closed her eyes in frustration. "Go to sleep, Berry. I'll take first watch," she said.
Berry opened her mouth to protest but then realised she wasn't going to take no for an answer. She wandered off to find a safe spot to rest, then turned back to face the unicorn, unwilling to end the night on such a sour note. "Lyra…"
"I can't talk about us right now," Lyra said in a pained voice, raising her hoof to prevent any further conversation. "I can't. Please, get some sleep."
Berry had no further scope to argue. She found a blanket to wrap herself up in, then bedded down in a corner, not knowing what the morning would bring.