//------------------------------// // Chapter 2 - Big Brother's History Lesson // Story: The Legend of Lyra // by LynkAdams //------------------------------// Chapter II Big Brother's History Lesson Lyra and Sprout arrived at the Everfree Village. "So who would know what should we do?" asked Sprout. "Well I am curious now. As I had forgotten about the event the day I met you, I certainly forgot about that mysterious weapon. I never got to find out what it could be, we should try and find out what it could be." said Lyra "Okay, so who would know anything about that weapon we saw that day?" asked Sprout "Well my brother has a good knowledge on weapons and knows a lot of other cool stuff too, no harm in trying to ask him what he may know about it." "Well what are we waiting for? Let's go!" Lyra and Sprout began their search for Lyra's brother-figure. Lyra thought to herself where could he be. "I think I know where he could be, come on Sprout." said Lyra as she cantered toward her brother's secret area of solitude. "Wait up, my wings aren't as fast as your 4 legs!" shouted Sprout in her struggle to keep up with the cantering pony. "S-sorry.. I forgot." replied Lyra as she slowed her pace down and allowed Sprout to catch a ride upon her back. "So where are we going?" queried Sprout. "To my brother's place of solitude, he showed me it when I was really young. He told me if I ever feel like I need time to myself that I can go to it whenever I want. I suspect he may be there." explained Lyra. As the pony reached a (what looked like) a dead end in a valley. "Uh, maybe you took a wrong turn?" said Sprout. "Nope, that is the best part about this place of solitude, no one thinks to look around." said Lyra with a giggle like she had something to hide. "Huh?" the dumfounded Sprout said with a confused look upon her face. Lyra pointed to a veil of leafy vines across the stone wall of the valley. "Sprout, I want you to fly as fast as you can directly at those leafy vines." said Lyra with a cheeky grin. "You're kidding me right?" "C'mon Sprout don't be chicken." said Lyra before she started imitating the sound of a chicken. "You can do that all you like, I'd rather not hurt myself." Sprout shrugged "Too bad, you're doing it." Lyra grabbed Sprout in her mouth and flung her toward the veil of vines. Sprout released a very audible scream as she was hurled toward the vines. As she made contact with the vines she disappeared from Lyra's vision and Sprouts scream had stopped. As Sprout parted the vines and poked her head through"Oh that is so not cool, Lyra." she said. Lyra just giggled and walked toward the vines, she parted the vines and walked into the opening. It was a cavern behind the leafy veil. "Even though I am not happy you threw me, this is pretty cool." said the shocked sprout as she looked around the cavern. The pony and the fairy progressed through the cavern toward the light at the end. They reached the end of the tunnel to find a crystal clear spring with white marble sculptures and pillars surrounding a plateau where none other than Lyra's brother was meditating. "Hello, Big Mac. Sorry to disturb your meditation." said Lyra "That's okay little sister and hello to you too Sprout." replied Big Mac "Hey Big Mac." "So what brings you two to the solitude?" asked Big Mac "Well Sprout and I were walking through the forest as we came across a stream. This stream was where I met Sprout after saving her from 3 Ponyfos. Well I saved her from two, but something or somepony saved me from the last one." said Lyra. "So what are you getting at?" replied Big Mac "Well the thing that saved me was a mysterious weapon I haven't seen before. It was long and thin, very thin. Made from deku stick had a silver tip that was triangular in shape." explained Lyra. "That sounds like an arrow. A weapon used by the Sheika ponies. The Sheika haven't been around for centuries. When did you say this happened?" said Big Mac. "Well as I said, the day I met Sprout. which was about three years ago." replied Lyra. "So that must mean that somepony has created it or the Sheika are still around." Big Mac said as he scratched his head. "So who or what are the Sheika?" asked the intrigued pony. "The Sheika were a tribe of zebra's who used to live in harmony with the ponies. But one day, when the Sheika tribal chief asked the princess of Hayrule for help in a war against the Gerudo thieves, the princess declined helping them. Causing their bond to be shattered, the tribal chief was confused why the princess declined helping them, even after previous wars of the Sheika and Equestrians fighting side by side. " explained Big Mac. "Wow, you sure do know a lot about things that have happened in Hayrule." said Lyra with a look of amazement on her face. "Well my family have been around for generations and used to be part of the soldiers who fought along with the Sheika." replied Big Mac. "So who drove the Sheika out of existence?" asked Lyra. "It was a powerful creature, with magic that could be unmatched, his name was Discord." said Big Mac. "Tell me more about this Discord character, I am interested." enquired Lyra "Discord is God of chaos, he is a Draconequus, with the head of a Pony and a body of various creatures. He used to rule over the Gerudo ponies many years ago, until the war upon them and Sheika took place. After several grueling days the Gerudo were defeated, Discord was infuriated at his loss of the war, so he used all his power and cast a spell that eliminated the Sheika. However, his spell caused immense strain on himself and he lost control of his spell causing him to be taken with the Sheika. Legend has it he will rise again 1000 years after that event took place." explained Big Mac. "That is a lot to take in big brother, but I thank-you for help. Well Sprout let's go back to Everfree village." said Lyra as she made her way toward the exit of the sanctuary. "You stay safe." shouted Big Mac as Lyra passed through the leafy veil of vines. Sprout poked her head through the leafy veil and told Big Mac not to worry, that she will take care of Lyra. Lyra and Sprout began walking back toward the village, Lyra began thinking about her dream some more and what it could mean. Sprout noticed Lyra seemed a bit different than usual. But she figured it was just because of what Big Mac had told her and didn't really look into it. As they arrive at the village Lyra looks up at the sky. "Look at the sky, it's beginning to get dark, it must be getting late. How time flies when you're being told a story." said Lyra. "Yeah, well I don't want to be out flying around in the dark, can I stay at your cottage?" asked Sprout. "Sure." The two pressed onto Lyra's cottage. As they were venturing toward Everfree Village Sprout started to concern about Lyra and the facial expressions she had the whole time they were walking back from the sanctuary. She knew something was up, but didn't want to seem intrusive by asking, but she knows that a good friend would worry if they thought their friend had problems. "What's wrong, Lyra?" "Huh? What are talking about Sprout?" replied Lyra with hesitance. "Nothing really, you just seem really.. Not yourself." said Sprout. "I'm fine, I promise." Lyra replied with a smile that Sprout could see straight through. "Okay I believe you, sorry for asking." They continued walking when Lyra suddenly heard something that sounded like a quiet voice being carried through the gentle breeze 'burn' it sounded like. "Did you hear that, Sprout?" she asked. "The wind?" replied Sprout. "You heard the voice in the wind!" she replied in hope. "I heard the wind and the sound of it passing through the leaves, but no voice. Maybe you're hearing things." Sprout followed by a giggle. As the got close to Everfree Village Lyra felt like something wasn't right. She also caught whiff of an abnormal aroma in the air, the smell of sulfur and wood being chard. She looked up into the sky to realize that it wasn't as late as she thought but the sky had darkened from billowing dark gray smoke passing atop in the sky. "That's coming from Everfree!" Lyra shouted before she rushed off galloping toward Everfree Village. "W-wait for me!" shouted out Sprout trailing behind Lyra. Sprout caught up with Lyra, as Lyra came to a halt. "Thank-you for waiting up for me, Lyra. Lyra!?" Sprout looked toward Lyra to see her face in despair. "What's up?" she asked. Lyra was stunned and wouldn't reply, Sprout in her rush to discover what had Lyra so distraught didn't think to look ahead. She turned her head away from Lyra in curiosity at what Lyra was looking at to see a blazing fire all across Everfree Village. Lyra's eyes began filling up with a droplet of moisture that trickled down her cheek. "M-my home." she quietly cried out. The site of ponies running in fear, everyponies house set ablaze, the look upon everyponies face. It was to much for Lyra to handle, she felt sickened by the site as well as extremely angered. She released a long and loud scream. "That sounded like Lyra." said Big Mac as he heard the loud scream while walking back toward Everfree Village. He galloped toward the village, upon reaching it he saw Lyra sitting there crying. He quickly made his way over to Lyra and place his hoof on her shoulder. "Are you hurt?" he asked her. But she was too shocked to answer Big Mac, let alone even notice his hoof on her shoulder. Big Mac told Lyra to 'wait there' but she didn't even hear him. He quickly galloped over to every house to see if everypony had safely evacuated their homes. He looked through a window of the first house he went to, but he couldn't see anypony. "Anyone in there?" he shouted "H-help." he heard from the house next door. Big Mac rushed over to the house. "Where are you?" he yelled out. "In here, quickly, I'm stuck under a beam of wood." the voice replied. Big Mac went over to the door, turn away from it and gave it a hard buck. knocking it off it's hinges and sending it crashing to the floor. Big Mac rushed into the home to see the pony stuck under the wood beam. "Cheerilee!" he shouted as he rushed to her aid. He placed his head in an opening wedge of the beam and with all his strength he lifted it off Cheerilee's back and helped her to her feet. "Thank-you so much Big Mac." said Cheerilee followed by giving Big Mac a kiss on the cheek. "You're welcome, now quickly, go!" he said. Big Mac checked every other house, thankfully everypony had escaped safely. He then made his way back to Lyra. "C'mon, Lyra. Let's go find somewhere to stay." said Big Mac with great concern and heartbreak in his voice. "Why not the sanctuary?" asked Sprout. "Sounds good to me." he replied. Big Mac began walking toward the sanctuary, but Lyra wouldn't move, she was still in too much shock. Big Mac went over to Lyra, but to Lyra it was like Big Mac wasn't even there. He picked her up and place her on his back and carried her as he made his way toward the sanctuary with Sprout flying right beside Lyra. "Lyra, I hope you are okay." she said softly to her.