//------------------------------// // Chapter 2: The Peace Corp. // Story: A Broken Balance // by Spell Bound //------------------------------// The Peace Corp Thunderhoof valley. The fools had confronted Spell Bound in Thunderhoof valley. And now they had to go clean it up. Nurse Lyra walked along side Director Fluttershy, over watching the nurses and doctors pull out the living and wounded from the piles of dead. The survivors were all that’s left of the 5th Solar Legion. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Lyra couldn’t help but sigh. Such careless death and destruction. The valley used to be so beautiful, Lyra used to come here on holiday. Now it was stained red with blood, and due to Spell’s nature magic all the plants where mutated and impaling the dead, if they were lucky. She had already seen five soldiers still holding on to life, with tree branched punctured through their stomach. But even then, they where the lucky ones. Those who had felt Bone Shredders wrath and lived where the unfortunate ones. The blade cut through bone and flesh as if butter, so you would think it would be easy to repair damage. The problem was that because of this the blood flowed through wounds a lot faster and easier, and it was the blood loss that killed them. But not quickly. First they would go through hours of torment. Fluttershy thought back to when Spell was like her, and abhorred violence. He was sweet and peaceful, even though his life was full of hardship. And now, He was the most fearsome killer of this war. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Fluttershy was tending to her animal friends. Spring had arrived and they had a hard winter. Food simply wasn’t growing fast enough to feed all her little friends. She was worried that some of them wouldn’t survive, and that was making her sad. “Seems your friends are hungry Flutters.” Spell’s voice startled her, as she was alone in her garden just moments before. Spell was new to Ponyville and hadn’t really had a chance to bond with Fluttershy. “Y....eah.......” “You really are a shy one aren’t you? “............” “Wow...ok. Well then, I just popped by to say hi and give a helping hand.” The runes that marked him as a seer glowed and the fruits and vegetables in her garden to grow. “Tha....thank you.” “No problem Fluttershy. Next time you need my help just give a shout.” Spell walks off leaving a confused Avian behind him, a smile on his face. Fluttershy looks back at her animals and smiles as well, sensing a kindred spirit within him. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Snapping back to the present the Director notices a youth reaching out for help. He couldn’t have been more the 17. His leg was crisscrossed with vines entering his leg, keeping him in place. “Please....help....I don’t want to die....” Lyra rushed to him and started to use her magic to remove the vines. “What’s your name boy?” “Da....dawn chaser.....” “It’s ok. These wounds aren’t that bad. We should have you back on your feet in a week.” “I don’t want to die...I want to retire....I...I can’t face him again...The soulless devil...keep him away from me!” Dawn chaser passed out from fear. Lyra stifled a chuckle at the fact he got himself worked up over nothing, but Fluttershy was deeply worried. ‘The soulless devil.’ Spell Bound was being referred to that more often now. Many believed it was because of his fighting skill, or the fact he cut through legions of men as if they were nothing. These were true, but it was also the innate fear of the different. His eyes struck fear into the strongest opponent. “Get him back to the Lionheart hospital Lyra. I need to return to Headquarters.” “Of course Director.” Lyra watched her superior fly off. She knew the true reason she was leaving. Seeing the results of Spell Bound hurt her, as they where such close friends. Lyra thought back to her first encounter with the strange seer. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Lyra shuffled around awkwardly outside Bon Bon’s shop. She had been waiting for weeks to tell her how she felt, but always ran away out of fear of rejection. She wanted to tell Bon Bon that she loved her but she just couldn’t. She turned and walked away head down, and walked straight into Spell. Both fell to the ground, the papers he was carrying falling down around them. “Oh! I’m so sorry sir! I didn’t see you there!” “No it was my fault. I shouldn’t have been reading while walking. Cotton Needle is right, it only causes more harm than good.” “You accent, you’re from Canterlot aren’t you?” “Indeed. And you are Lyra aren’t you? The musician seer.” “Yes...how did you know?” “I recognise you from Celestia’s school. You where always so nice to Twilight. Let me introduce myself.” Standing up he offers a helping hand to Lyra. “I am Spell Bound. I’m surprised you didn’t recognise me. Hard to mistake these eyes.” “Why? They look normal?” Lyra says taking the offered hand standing up. “Huh?” Summoning a mirror Spell inspects his eyes. “Oh right. I cast the changeling spell so people wouldn’t freak out as soon as I came into town.” Deactivating the spell his eyes lose their pupils and turn turquoise, causing Lyra to gasp slightly. “I have that affect. Anyway don’t let me stop you.” He stoops down to pick up his papers. As Lyra is about to help him a voice calls out. “HEY LYRA! YOU WANTED TO TELL ME SOMETHING RIGHT?” Bon Bon was starting to run up to them. “You know she feels the same about you. I can sense the love emitting from you two. Don’t ask how as i don’t know. Just tell her already.” Spell whispered standing up with his papers and walking off. Lyra could only stand dumbfounded at the peculiar seer. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ ‘If it wasn’t for him Bon Bon and I would never have gotten together, and we wouldn’t be married right now.’ Lyra thought. Where did things go wrong? Why had he become a spreader of hate and death, instead of love and happiness?