//------------------------------// // Chapter 21 // Story: Spyra // by angelofrombelow //------------------------------// Two figures walked along the path to Ponyville – a young filly and an adult male. Neither of them understood the full extent of what was happening. They just knew that something was wrong. Big Macintosh and Applebloom were searching for Applejack. The orange-coated mare had been out bucking trees in the orchard when her younger sister suddenly heard her crying for help. Applebloom had called out to her brother and the pair of them had rushed down to the fields. What they found had concerned them greatly. There had been signs of a struggle – buckets of apples had been overturned and the grass was scuffed – but no sign of their sister, or any clue as to where she went. Their journey to Ponyville had been carried out in silence. Applebloom had found it incredibly uncomfortable. She had wanted to ask her brother what had happened, whether he reckoned Applejack would be alright, but she knew he was as much in the dark as she was and anything he could say would only be empty reassurances. As they neared the town, Big Mac stopped abruptly and pricked up his ears. He could hear something. "There's some sorta commotion going on," he said. Voices were being raised, ponies shouting out orders to one another. "Come on!" Applebloom cried, breaking into a run. The source of all the shouting quickly became clear. Big Mac could see smoke rising, signs of a fire starting to take hold. He increased his pace when he realised whose house it was coming from, leaving his sister in the dust. Flames were licking at the ground-floor windows of Noteworthy's home and the upper section was also starting to catch light. A blaze was underway but the building hadn't been consumed by it yet. Mayor Mare was standing outside, directing other ponies to action. "Where's Noteworthy?" Big Mac's voice boomed, catching the attention of all present. He was worried, his expression angry – the blue stallion had helped out several times on the farm and was a friend of his. "I've already put an order out for weathermares," said Mayor Mare, speaking quickly but authoritatively. "We need a rain storm to put this fire out. Some of the earth ponies are getting hoses to dampen it down. We've been calling out for Noteworthy but there's been no response. I'm hoping he's not inside." "But you don't know? Nopony's found him yet?" he asked. She shook her head, worried. "This is the second house fire we've had this week. This could be the work of an arsonist. Heaven knows, with the recent revelations about his true profession there could be somepony with a motive for it." "If he's been attacked, then he could be trapped inside, unconscious or maybe worse," he said. Applebloom finally caught up with him, her pace slowing as she saw the full horror of what was going on. She gasped as Big Mac, having come to a decision, suddenly ran towards the front door of the burning building. "Wait!" she cried, "Ya can't go in there! Wait for somepony to put out the fire!" "Nope!" he replied, before turning round and knocking the door off its hinges with a powerful kick from his hind legs, then jumping in past the flames. One look inside confirmed Mayor Mare's suspicion that the fire had been deliberate. A large wardrobe had been tipped over in the centre of the room and was well alight – it was the main source of the blaze. The floor around it was afire, spreading out for a couple of yards and catching nearby fittings and furnishings. Smaller fires had been set in strategic points around the room. The floor underneath the two front windows and near the doorway was burning, the stairway to the upper floor was alight and, through the doorway out of the main room, Big Mac could see the kitchen had also been hit. If he'd arrived any later, the fire would have grown to the point where he wouldn't have been able to get in. Still, time was running out. The room was filled with smoke, making it hard to breathe, and he could feel the heat rising rapidly. "Noteworthy? Noteworthy!" he called out, praying the other stallion wasn't on the top floor. The burning stairway had already rendered that place out of bounds. There was no reply. Big Mac hesitated – the fire at the doorway, which at this point was his only way out, was growing ever higher. If he stayed here much longer, he wouldn't be able to escape. It was then that something caught his eye. The burning wardrobe in the centre of the room was starting to fall apart and the floor underneath it had caved in. But the ground underneath this house was solid – there was no way the floorboards could have given way to that extent unless… Unless there was a room below. Noteworthy could be down there. Big Mac looked at the burning wreckage on top of the trap door with trepidation. He only had one way to clear it. Gritting his teeth with resolve and bracing himself for the pain, he charged at it with the intent of knocking it away. **** It hit her the moment she regained consciousness, the sensation from her migraine resonating from her head down through the rest of her body. She kept her neck rigidly still, afraid of worsening her pain by moving around. She was faintly aware of the fact she was lying on a hard surface of some sort, with something soft and warm wrapped around her. Carefully, she opened her eyes a chink. Her vision was blurry but she managed to ascertain that she was in a building of some sort. Sunlight was pouring in through an open window and it was too bright for her to look for long. She let out a tiny sound that was a cross between a moan and a whimper. There was the sound of somepony shifting near her. "Lyra?" said a familiar voice, "Lyra? Zecora, I think she's awake." Still feeling incredibly fragile, the injured unicorn opened her eyes again. There was a purple blur in front of her, which slowly came into focus and revealed itself as Berry Punch. The earth pony came closer, her whispered voice full of concern. "Lyra? How are you feeling? Can you speak?" Lyra winced as another cruel wave of pain passed through her. She couldn't decide if it was better to keep her eyes open or shut. "Hurts," she whimpered, unable to say anything more complicated than that. There was another voice – this one had an exotic twang to it. "Spike, give this to our poor friend. It will help her pain to mend." The young dragon pulled up a chair so he was level with the table Lyra was lying on. He was holding a cup full of a liquid with a medicinal smell, which he held close to her mouth so she could sip it down. It didn't taste pleasant, but not to the point where it was hard to drink. Zecora looked at her. "That should ease things to a point where you can rest. Please try to sleep now – it is for the best." Lyra was in no condition to argue. As the minutes passed, her migraine lessened and she grew increasingly groggy until she was unable to stay conscious any longer. **** "Lyra." Somepony was shaking her gently. There was a catch in their voice, as if they were trying to hold back tears. "Lyra. You have to wake up." The unicorn slowly opened her eyes, her migraine deadened to a dull ache. She still felt as if she had been punched in the head. Berry Punch was standing beside her, obviously distressed but trying to hide it. "What happened?" she asked, gradually coming to her senses. "I… the castle. It fell and then I… I used the Elements to save you." Zecora walked over from the table she used for mixing potions and remedies. "The Elements of Harmony have had an alarming effect on you. They drained your strength – something they were not supposed to do. Your friend brought you to my hut and not a second too late – without her, you would have met a much worse fate." "I carried you on my back, all the way from Nightmare Moon's castle," said Berry, a haunted expression on her face. She attempted a smile. "It wasn't easy. Good job you're so thin – any heavier and I probably wouldn't have… I wouldn't have been able…" She squeezed her eyes shut and held a hoof to her mouth, unable to continue. Spike came forward and opened his arms wide, offering her a hug which she gladly took. He was also clearly upset. Lyra was concerned now, worrying about what they knew and she didn't. She looked at Zecora, who was trying to work out how best to tell her. "I have tried everything to help you, but there is nothing that I can do," she began, "Your horn is the source of your pain, tied to a nerve within your brain. The Elements, they drained your power… I've looked at your condition for hours, but I cannot… there's no way that I…" "What is it? What have they done to me?" asked Lyra, her lip trembling. "I have seen cases where magical power has been diminished and, with some assistance, it can be replenished. But for it to work, there must still be energy there," she said, tapping the side of her head. "I have run tests and I'm afraid your stocks are bare. "Such was the extent, the violence of that drain, that I fear you may never use magic again." Lyra felt her heart skip a beat as she realised the enormity of what the zebra had just said. "I can't use my magic? Never again?" she said, "Are you… are you saying I'm crippled?" Zecora closed her eyes and bowed her head. "I am sorry." Lyra gritted her teeth, tears welling to her eyes. Berry leaned forward and held her head close to hers, trying to comfort her as best she could. They held that pose for several minutes. "Berry? Lyra?" Another voice, this one deeply masculine, finally broke the silence. Valiant Shield walked into the hut, having been waiting outside for Zecora to break the bad news. "Lyra, I can't understand what you're going through right now but you're needed in Ponyville. There've been some disturbing developments since you left and your advice could help us greatly. Are you able to stand?" She looked at him incredulously through tearful eyes, in no mood to do anything other than curl up into a ball and hold Berry close to her. "What's happened?" she asked, bracing herself for another bombshell. "Nightmare Moon isn't our enemy. It's Discord," he said, "He had help on the outside and they cursed the Elements, using them to drain Celestia of her power ever since he was turned back into stone. That's why she was acting out of character, it was his influence." She gasped – this new information explained a lot. "That's why…" Her voice cracked and she paused to clear her throat. "That's why it hurt to wear the Element of Magic. It was agonising. If Celestia's been suffering from that all week, it's a wonder she was able to function." "It's doubtful that they've been draining her on that level all this time, it would have been too noticeable," said Valiant Shield, "Our enemies probably think they've already won, so they've increased the power of the curse. We need to get to the princess as soon as possible – we're hoping she may have some idea how to break out of it. "The two guards I had at my disposal have already scouted out Canterlot castle – everypony there has been transformed into statues and Celestia was unconscious. "It gets worse. Twilight and her friends have been turned into stone. They were hidden away but we've already discovered them, though we've been unable to free them. We're hoping Shining Armour can help but we're going to need Zecora's help with that. He's been drugged." The zebra lifted up a bag full of a pungent paste. "This concoction here should make him better and if it works on him, it should rouse Celestia." "You said you needed my help?" asked Lyra. She sounded lost – all of these revelations, along with how unwell she felt, were piling on top of her and pushing her close to breaking point. Valiant Shield could see she was having difficulty. "That's right, but I'll give you the details once we get to Ponyville. You've got enough to cope with right now," he said, "But time is of the essence. The creature who placed this curse on Celestia is truly evil, utterly sadistic. The princess's life is in danger." Lyra turned to Berry, silently imploring her to explain the situation further. The earth pony's expression crumpled and she buried her face in her shoulder, holding onto her tighter. "Oh Lyra," she said, more a declaration of grief than a full-formed thought. A minute passed before the two ponies disengaged themselves from their embrace. Zecora pulled away the blanket that Lyra was wrapped in and the unicorn tried to stand. She rolled onto her front and pressed all four hooves on the tabletop, then attempted to push herself upwards. But the front leg that Berry had grabbed onto earlier, to stop herself from falling off the edge of the cliff, was too painful to stand on properly. It had been bandaged up and treated, but wasn't ready for use yet. She only succeeded in raising her belly off the surface before it gave out, causing her to drop back down. "You're weak from all the medication," said Zecora, before turning to Valiant Shield, "Perhaps, sir, she could be taken to Ponyville upon your back. You have the strength that Lyra lacks." "Agreed," he said, "Berry, You'll have to take the Elements. Be careful not to touch them." She nodded, wiping her tears away. Valiant Shield had arrived at Zecora's hut with Spike some time ago and had instantly realised there was something wrong when they discovered Carrot Top wasn't there. Over the course of the next couple of hours, he had returned to Ponyville, retrieved the Elements of Harmony and helped Zecora tend to Lyra. The Elements had been painful to touch, so he had borrowed the metal gloves from Berry to allow him to carry them. Despite the fact they had been corrupted, they could still be vital to saving Equestria from Discord. He allowed Lyra to climb onto his back and then everyone present followed him as he led the way to Ponyville. **** Nurse Redheart had seen three new patients today, one of whom she could do nothing for. That one was Shining Armour. The sleeping drugs that Whooves had given him were strong indeed, and nothing she could do would rouse him. The second was Noteworthy. Big Mac had managed to clear the wreckage trapping him in his basement and dragged him out of his home. The blue-coated stallion had been treated for smoke inhalation and minor burns that he received during his rescue. The third patient was Big Mac himself, who had fared worse than the pony he saved. He had burned himself badly on his shoulder where he barged the wardrobe out of the way, and on his hooves while moving the burning wood to one side. The brave stallion had arrived in the nick of time – Noteworthy's attempts to free himself had simply resulted in the wardrobe atop his basement door collapsing inward, almost crushing him and leaving him completely trapped. The underground room had filled with smoke and he had nearly asphyxiated. He was waiting outside the Ponyville surgery with Nurse Redheart when Valiant Shield and the others arrived, staring dispassionately at the ground. With the drama of the fire over and done with, he had had time to consider what had happened this afternoon. The reality of the situation had hit home but he wasn't able to react emotionally to it yet. He was still in shock. Berry Punch saw him, placed the Elements on the ground and removed the gloves, then walked up to him without a word and hugged him as best she could, with the restrictions of his wheelchair. Valiant Shield was the one who had discovered Carrot Top's body. He hadn't been able to speak to anypony for a good half hour afterwards. He cordoned off the entire house and point-blank refused to allow anypony else go inside, which told Noteworthy all he needed to know. The one consolation, if any could be taken in a situation such as this, was the knowledge that it would have been quick. The stab wounds inflicted on her had been so deep that she wouldn't have survived more than a few moments. Screwball was not a being that was capable of restraint. Lyra had been informed of the grisly murder on the way over and it had hit her hard. Her own affliction was all but forgotten as she mourned for the friend she had only known for a matter of days. The four spies had grown very close in the short time they had known each other and now, just like that, one of them was gone. She disembarked off Valiant Shield's back and stood up, her legs shaking but able to support her weight. Her eyes met Noteworthy's and she tried to offer some form of comfort, some words of support, but there was nothing she could say. It wasn't necessary. He could see the sadness in her, and just having the two remaining spies with him gave him a small sense of solidarity. None of them knew how they would be able to break the news to her little sister Noi, who was still in Manehattan. The poor filly had no idea that her world had fallen apart. Zecora looked at Nurse Redheart and motioned towards the hospital door. "Shining Armour is inside. Show me. I have brought along a remedy." The pair went on through, hoping that the herbs Zecora had brought with her would be strong enough to rouse the captain of the Canterlot guard. Valiant Shield placed a hoof on Noteworthy's shoulder. "Friend, I need you to be strong now. I need you to tell Lyra what you heard before you were attacked," he said, "I think she's recovered to the point where she'll be able to cope with it." "Wait," said Lyra, her voice shaking. "Wait, oh hell – there's more? What, what else is going on?" The unicorn was unsure how much more of this she could take. She was weak, injured and at her lowest ebb, but the issue couldn't be put off any longer. She had to be told the truth. "I heard it all," said Noteworthy, "Through the bug in Twilight's library. When Celestia defeated Discord, he split his essence in two just as he was being turned into stone. This created a second being – as I understand it, his personality was split right down the centre. "Basically, this meant there were two versions of Discord, one being the draconequus that was trapped in stone and the other taking the form of a pony, who was free to roam around and silently plot his revenge in the shadows. "When Discord broke free again, he had gone crazy. He was conscious the entire time he had been trapped as a statue, locked within his own mind. He went to his other self for help." The stallion inhaled deeply and took a moment to steady his emotions before continuing. "Discord split himself in two again, with the idea that two minds would be better able to cope with his mental torment. This created a third being – the one who attacked us. She's completely insane. And she's the one who turned the Elements of Harmony into an energy siphon. Celestia's at her mercy." Lyra frowned, trying to take in everything he had said. "I think I'm following you. So, Discord's split himself in three. One is the draconequus we all know about, another is the monster who… who… and the other one, what's his role in all this?" "He planned it all. He's the one responsible for all the craziness recently," said Noteworthy, his expression darkening. "He encouraged the female Discord to plant thoughts in Celestia's head – to pit us against each other, to terrorise Twilight and keep us all distracted until it was too late." He hesitated. There was no easy way to break this to her. "Lyra, he's somepony you know." She stared back at him in shock, her mind racing as she tried to work out who it was. Her thoughts kept settling on one pony in particular, but it couldn't be him. Not a chance. But in the back of her mind, she already knew. There was only one pony who she was closer to than anypony else, only one pony who Valiant Shield would need her specific knowledge about. "Lyra," said Noteworthy, "It was Dr Whooves." Her hind legs collapsed from under her and she fell back heavily onto the ground. She didn't feel the impact – she was too numbed from the revelation. Whooves. The closest friend she had in Ponyville. The stallion who had dedicated himself to his job as a doctor, shown her compassion and support when she needed it most and appeared to care about all living things. Underneath it all, he had been seeking to overthrow Celestia and usher in a new era of chaos. He was a traitor. She just couldn't marry those two thoughts in her head. It was impossible, he wasn't capable of it. "Whooves?" she said, her voice strained and barely audible. "No. No. No, I don't believe it. It must have been a trick. You couldn't see him, you could only hear him. It's a trick by Discord, he's trying to confuse us, delay us even further." Berry reached out to her. "Hon, I'm sorry. It's the truth. Think about it – why would Discord reveal his plans before it was safe to do so? Whooves didn't know he was being listened to." "And he's gone missing," said Valiant Shield, "Nowhere to be found in Ponyville. Nurse Redheart's been taking it pretty hard too. He had everypony fooled." Lyra shook her head, unable to accept it. She couldn't believe that her friend could carry out a deception of this magnitude. She started questioning herself – had he ever really been her friend? Had he simply used her all that time? If he had set the four spies against each other, he must have known about her secret identity all along. And now he had carried out a plot to overthrow Celestia, a plan that resulted in Carrot Top's death. Valiant Shield waited a short while before continuing. "What can you tell us about him, Lyra?" She wasn't able to respond. Berry nuzzled against her in encouragement but she remained despondent, lacking the will to even raise her head. Valiant Shield stepped forward. "I need you on this, Lyra. We're out of time. Look." He pointed a hoof up to the clear, blue sky. The Sun was shining brightly at its highest point. "The Sun hasn't shifted position since you left the library. Celestia's power has waned to the point where she can't carry out her daily duties any more, and with Luna gone there's nopony to back her up. The planet has stopped turning. "It's actually late afternoon right now and, according to Noteworthy, Whooves intends to free Discord at sunset. We urgently need Celestia back if we're going to stand a chance against him, but we need a back-up plan. Your relationship with Whooves is central to that strategy." Lyra took a deep breath, shaken out of her reverie by a renewed sense of urgency. She closed her eyes and held a hoof to her forehead, trying to block out all other distractions so she could think back. Think of the time she had spent with him, memories of things he had done or said. The last time she had spoken with him, he seemed upset. His last words to her… he had told her to stay safe. That whatever happened, he was her friend and he had always wanted the best for her. It had been an emotional outburst and it had confused her at the time. Now it made a sickening kind of sense but it also brought a small spark of hope. It suggested their friendship had been genuine and he cared about her. This could be used to their advantage. "We were friends. We were close," she said softly, "Everything he'd done until now was for the benefit of other ponies. To think of him as what he truly is, and to know he was alive for centuries before he met me – it scarcely seems possible. "His loyalty to Discord comes first, obviously, but I don't believe he knew what this third character was up to. If he had intended death for whoever went to Nightmare Moon's castle, I believe he would have done something to stop me from going." "So you think this female Discord is going against his original plan, beyond his control?" asked Valiant Shield. Lyra looked back at him with a new resolve, a new determination. "I can reason with him," she said, "What he's done is unforgiveable, but we still have a connection. Once he discovers how twisted his partners really are, we may be able to get him on our side." The hospital doors opened wide and Zecora emerged, closely followed by a barely conscious Shining Armour. Her herbal remedy had roused him from his enforced sleep but the drugs were still taking their toll on him. "Twilight," he said simply, his rage clearly audible through the drowsiness that fogged his voice. Zecora had briefed him on what happened while he was out. "Have you found her? Where is she?" "Good to see you awake," said Valiant Shield, "Yes, we found her in Whooves' house. We're just working out our plan of attack now." "You'll need the Elements," he said, "Corrupted or not, if you get them to Celestia she may have some idea of how to restore them to their natural state." "No matter what, we need to stop them from draining her power," said Noteworthy, "The curse was placed on them by the same one who attacked Carrot Top. We know what that monster is capable of." It was time to make a move. Valiant Shield lifted his head and whistled loudly, summoning the only two members left of the Canterlot guard. The pegasi had two carriages in tow, harnessed to their backs, which could be used to transport the non-flying ponies back to the castle. "Lyra, get on board," said Valiant Shield, opening a door on the side of one of the vehicles. She complied, swiftly followed by Berry. With them on board, there was no room for anypony else. Shining Armour went to board the second one but was stopped by his deputy. "Not you," he said, "We need you here." The white-coated unicorn snorted angrily, staring at his subordinate with bleary eyes. "They attacked my sister. I'm not going to let them get away with that." "Neither are we," said his comrade, putting a hoof on his shoulder to calm him. "But you're not thinking straight. Twilight and her friends are more important than your revenge. You're just about the only one who could have the magical ability to set them free. Take some time to recover, then get to it." Shining Armour bowed his head, wordlessly acknowledging that his friend was right. "Here is the remainder of my brew," said the zebra, giving Valiant Shield the remedy they needed to rouse Celestia. "Would you like me to come with you?" He thought it over for a moment. "No. No, you should stay here. We're going to have to face facts – even with Celestia on our side, we may not be successful in stopping Discord. You've contributed all you can for now, so if it comes to the worst, you'll be able to help with plan B. Whatever that might be." He looked to his guards, Lyra and Berry, then nodded. "Okay, let's be on our way. We can carry the Elements in the second carriage. There's no time to…" "Wait. You've still got room for another one," said Noteworthy, "I'm coming with you." Valiant Shield looked the wheelchair-bound pony up and down, with some disdain. "Absolutely not. This is going to be dangerous and you've got no means of defending yourself." The blue stallion snarled at him, suddenly furious. "They murdered Carrot Top, crippled me and burned down my house. You are NOT shutting me out of this. I want to see Celestia take them down." "Noteworthy, be reasonable. How are you going to…" Noteworthy grabbed the bag holding the Elements to stop them from leaving without him. "I'm not arguing with you. I'll stay out of the way once the fighting starts, but I want to be there. I need to be there." He turned to Spike, who had been hanging back while the ponies discussed their strategy. "Spike, I showed you how to use my equipment while we were searching for Twilight. I have a back-up receiver in my hut at Sweet Apple Acres. It'll need a unicorn's magic to activate it, but if I take a bug with me it'll allow you to hear what's going on. If nothing else, you'll be kept informed." The young dragon agreed readily, while Valiant Shield acceded to Noteworthy's demands. He helped raise the earth pony and his wheelchair into the second carriage. The deputy commander of the Canterlot guard mentally assessed his team. A disabled unicorn, a crippled inventor, two pegasi and an earth pony. If they couldn't rouse Celestia, he didn't fancy their chances. Lyra's connection with Whooves was their only back-up plan. On his signal, he and his guards took to the air and began the long journey to Canterlot. **** The chariots came in to land near the main gateway into Canterlot castle. The building, once alive with the sound of ponies going about their daily duties, was now deathly quiet. The Sun shone brightly overhead, its light reflecting in the crystallised bodies of Discord's victims. Dozens of statues stood outside, frozen in the position the ponies were in when the wave of magic consumed the castle. It was an eerie sight to behold: they were beautiful in a sick kind of way, their colours shifting with an observer's movement due to a prism effect. If an artist had created them, they would be hailed as a masterpiece. But within them lay the souls of the afflicted, neither alive nor dead, just altered. Transformed into their own, unnatural prison. The three spies were visibly disturbed by the sight of them. Even Valiant Shield, who had been hardened by his training and occasional combat against the creatures of the Everfree Forest and from beyond the gates of Tartarus, felt a creeping unease as he looked upon his petrified compatriots. "Hurry," he said, "But be careful not to touch them. They may be fragile. Noteworthy, make sure to bring the Elements with you." He nodded to the two guards. "Lead the way." The squad followed the pegasi into the castle, slowing their pace as they passed frozen ponies in the corridors. The silence was deeply uncomfortable but nopony wanted to be the one to break it. There was nothing they could talk about that could ease their sense of dread. Shortly, they reached her private chamber. Noteworthy and the two guards remained outside, as the room only had space for a few bodies. The princess was lying motionless besides her writing desk and she was in a terrible state. Screwball's curse, which had been working slowly over the course of the past week, had accelerated in the past few hours while she had been unconscious. Her coat, once a pristine white, had degraded to an ugly shade of grey. Her multicoloured, ethereal mane had faded to mere sparkles while her eyes had seemingly sunken back into her skull, with dark rims underneath them. Valiant Shield felt his breath catch in his throat at the sight of her. Quickly, he opened the bag that Zecora had given him and held it close to her face, praying it would awaken her. Lyra and Berry watched on, horrified to see the princess so unwell. The way she looked, they doubted whether she would be capable of anything, let alone help them defeat a Godlike being such as Discord. She let out a pained moan as Zecora's remedy worked its magic, then slowly opened her eyes. They widened in anger as she saw the other ponies in the room, her mouth curling into a snarl. "This… is my private chamber," she hissed, Discord's magic having fully transformed her personality. "GET. OUT." Valiant Shield took a step back, his stomach lurching from the sheer venom in her command. "Princess." His voice quavered at first, but this corrected itself as he continued. "Princess, your life is in danger. Discord has corrupted you, he's draining your power using the Elements of Harmony themselves. We need to break the curse he has placed upon them, find a way to reverse it so we can get you back to your full strength. Everypony else in the castle has been turned into statues. Equestria needs you, princess, now more than ever." Celestia stared up at him from her position on the floor. She could see the truth in his words. Even though her kindness had been turned to vitriol and her sense of justice turned to spite, she could see past the darkness that clouded her mind. She remained silent as she mentally reached inside herself, to see the damage that Discord had done. She searched for the magical connection she had with the Sun and its life-giving properties, a connection she had held for so long that she couldn't remember a time without it. It was gone. The celestial fires that had been hers to control for eons were lost to her, as far from her spirit as they were in distance. She forced herself up onto her hooves – given how weak she felt, this was a feat in itself. Her body shook, her muscles screaming at her to lie back down and rest. Without acknowledging the other ponies present, she took one shuddering step forwards. The effort involved was almost painful, but she was determined. She turned towards her balcony, slowly making progress, with the intent of taking in the view it afforded her of all of Canterlot. "Princess?" Valiant Shield spoke quietly, his concern colouring every syllable. She ignored him and kept pushing forward, taking it one step at a time. A little closer. A little closer. The Sun's rays fell on her face and she permitted herself a small smile. It had been so long since she had actually taken the time to appreciate its warmth. Her kingdom stretched out before her, the lush grass of her gardens giving way to the bustling city of Canterlot itself. Beyond that, the plains and peaks of Equestra faded into the horizon. Beautiful. Her heart swelled in her chest, even as she feared for her country's future. If her spell to keep the planet turning had not dissipated, sunset would have taken place more than half an hour ago. She felt a small pang of sadness, then gently closed her eyes and fell sideways. Her body hit heavily against the balcony floor. "Princess!" Valiant Shield rushed forwards to her side and frantically felt for a pulse, for any sign she was breathing. "Guards!" he screamed, panic-stricken. "Guards, help!" The two pegasi ran into the chamber, pushing Lyra and Berry to one side as they went past them. Lyra held her hoof to her mouth, hoping against hope that she hadn't just seen what she thought she had. It couldn't be. The princess was too strong, too powerful – she was eternal, Equestria's eternal protector. It was only when she saw one of the normally stoic Canterlot guards openly weeping that she could accept the horrible truth. Princess Celestia, who had ruled over Equestria for eons with a prevailing sense of justice and kindness, was dead.