//------------------------------// // Justification // Story: Equine Royale // by MemoryLane //------------------------------// Meanwhile, Lyra and Bon Bon were still hanging around their makeshift base camp. Both ponies, using their method of sleeping and keeping watch, resulted in both ponies getting a decent amount of sleep. Leaving them feeling quite refreshed as they stood up and stretched their tired limbs. Bon Bon, after failing to keep watch, had actually fallen asleep on the very same rock that she was supposed to be keeping guard on. It was fairly early when Lyra had awoken. She jolted up from her sleeping bag, drenched in sweat. It had been a rough night, and she had only slept for about an hour. She rubbed her eyes and searched for her best friend, who was lying a little bit away from her, and let out a great big sigh of relief. "Haha! What do you know. I got to live through another night..." She muttered to herself. She didn't sleep at all because of her paranoia. She was deathly afraid of, well, death. She didn't want to die, and Bon Bon didn't know how much fear and psychosis was pent up inside of her. She was more afraid of being killed in her sleep, where she wouldn't have a chance to at least defend herself. That someone would like to make her an "easy kill". No. She won't have it. If someone's going to try to kill her, she's going to at least put up a fight. And she wouldn't give up, even if she had a bullet in her chest. She knew in her mind that it wouldn't happen, but she also feared of being killed by Bon Bon. Sure, she ha the most gentle soul, and that she wouldn't hurt a fly, but even still, the thought was beginning to kill her. She didn't want to be double crossed, and her friendship is mainly what kept her going. But it also cursed her. She felt her mind slowly begin to snap. Various voices in her mind plagued her, and spoke evil thoughts to her. Kill her now! While she's asleep! They shouted inside of her head. It'll be quick and painless! I bet she'll be thankful! "No..." She muttered to herself, trying desperately to get the voices out. She was not going to kill her best friend. There was no way. And she knew that Bon Bon wouldn't kill her either. She doubts that she had even thought such a thing yet. She was such a kind, and fairly innocent mare. Quick! Strangle her to death! Find a sharp stick! Do it now! "No! No! No!" She shouted, before covering her mouth. She knew that she needed to stay quiet to win this game. Luckily, the beige earth pony didn't stir. Only one of you can win! It's either you or her! Do it now! "GrrrrAGH!" Lyra shouted before tossing the nearest thing into the brush, which happened to be a very heavy rock. The rock smacked against a thick tree and landed on the ground. This was enough to wake Bon Bon up, to Lyra's dismay. "Lyra? What are you doing?" She mumbled as she rubbed her eyes, her back aching after sleeping on a rock all night. Lyra blushed slightly, not wanting to explain herself. "I thought I saw a bug..." "Wha-?" "How did you sleep?" Lyra asked quickly, hoping to change the topic before Bon Bon grew suspicious. Bon Bon quinted at the turquoise mare, before yawning. "I slept alright, my back hurts though." She could kill you at any moment! Lyra sighed as she knew the voices where right. She didn't even know what weapon Bon Bon had. And she wasn't just going to go searching through her bag. She still wasn't going to murder, however. "Are you okay? You seem...off?" Bon Bon asked, standing up and off the rock. Lyra just shook her head. "Yeah, I'm fine. Just tired..." She mumbled. She was totally out of ideas for what to do. One of them has to die. Whether either of them like it or not. Should she just kill her friend now and get it over with? Do it! But...they've been friends since elementary school. Everyone's time comes! She wanted to tell the voices to shut up, but she knew they wouldn't. Her obsessions were only getting deeper, and darker, to the point that she might want to take her own life instead. "I'm kind of hungry..." Bon Bon muttered, before going through her bag. Lyra jumped at first, afraid that her friend was going to pull out a gun, but saw that she had only taken out an apple, she let out a loud sigh, and Bon Bon furrowed her brow. "Are you sure you're okay?" "I'M FINE!" Lyra shouted, a little too loud. Bon Bon just shook her head and continued to munch. Lyra walked over to her own bag, and looked through it, she rummaged through her bag, which had her first aid kit, her water, and....wait... "My...my foods gone!" Lyra cried, emptying out the contents onto the ground, when no fruit came out, her suspicions were confirmed. She immediately glared at Bon Bon. "What!?" Bon Bon's mouth fell open. "Who the hay did that!?" "Don't act like you don't know! Mrs. 'keeping watch'!" Lyra shouted, pointing her hoof at her friend. Bon Bon gasped, and dropped her apple on the ground. She felt her blood boiling at being accused. "What!? I didn't touch your food! I was asleep all night!" Bon Bon tried to defend herself, but Lyra didn't want to hear any of it. She knew it was her. And nothing was going to convince her otherwise. "Don't lie to me! I knew it was you!" Lyra's mane became increasingly messy, as she occasionally ran her hooves through it, trying to contain her paranoia. I told you! She can't be trusted! Kill her NOW! "Lyra! We're best friends, I didn't touch any of your food! Honest!" Bon Bon replied, before taking a step back. She had a feeling that her best friend's mind has snapped. "Liar!" She shouted, tears streaming from her eyes. She began to circle around the earth pony. "Trying to starve me to death, eh! So that was your plot all along!" "What? I-" "I bet the Doctor was on YOUR side the whole time! Steal my food, take my first aid kit, maybe even have him kill me!" She accused, her crying beginning to become uncontrollable. "Then you both can run off into the sunset, knowing that I'm bucking dead!" It was Bon Bon's turn to let a few tears fall down her cheek. "L-Lyra...n-no..." "Admit it! You were against me this whole time!" "Lyra just calm down!" She tried to ration, hoping and praying that this would end well. "Only one gets out of here Bonnie! Only ONE! You were planning on having me killed by that Doctor! So you wouldn't have to do it yourself!" "Lyra...p-please stop..." Bon Bon didn't know how to defend herself when Lyra kept yelling and screaming at her like this. "No!" Quick! Kill her! Before she kills you! Lyra couldn't take it anymore, and let her mind take over. She charged at Bon Bon, yelling a loud battle cry. She didn't have a weapon herself, but she figured she'll do it herself! With her own hooves! Bon Bon will die. Bon Bon screamed as she ran away, tears streaming down her face as her psychotic friend chased after her. Her heart was beating a mile a minute, and she hoped that the adrenaline would kick in sooner rather than later. To Bon Bon's dismay, Lyra was faster. She quickly caught up to the earth pony and tackled her to the ground. "Lyra! Don't!" She screamed as sat ontop of her friend, burying a hoof into her eye, which began to immediately swell. Bon Bon kicked off the unicorn with a swift kick, and with her earth pony strength, and began to back away. "Stop! You don't know what you're doing!" She cried, holding a hood to her throbbing eye. "Yes I do! We may have been friends! But now we're enemies.." The word "Enemies" hurt Bon Bon more than anything else. "One of us has to die! And it's not going to be me!" Lyra picked herself off the ground, and charged again, this time more angrier than before. Bon Bon stepped to her left, hoping to get out of the lunatic's way. But what would happen would immediately make her thing otherwise. In Lyra's fury, she smacked her head into a very thick tree. She smacked into it very hard as her speed and force was undeniable. A large CRACK was heard, and Lyra slumped to the ground. Bon Bon put a hoof to her mouth, realizing what she had just done. Lyra's horn was now broken into two pieces, and blood poured out of her ears. Her glossy eyes, replaced her normal ones as the effects of her broken neck took over. She died within seconds. "No...No! Lyra!" Bon Bon cried uncontrollably, looking around and calling for help. "Help! Someone help her! Please!" She cried, before staring down at what she had just done. She didn't care if anyone killed found her and killed her at this point. She just didn't care anymore. "I didn't mean it!" She repeated to herself. What...have you done...? The little voice in her head told her. "I...It was an accident..." Bon Bon sat down, trying to cope with her feelings. "I'm so sorry...Lyra..." Lyra Heartstrings, her best friend in the world, was now dead. Because of no one else but her! She didn't know how to cope. She didn't know what else she could do. She can't go on in these games without her best friend. She was all alone. She turned to her left, where she saw the cliffside, she could hear the ocean waves colliding with the rocky shore. Which is off limits. She knew what she had to do. It's what Lyra would want. She stood up, getting her bearings before taking a few careful steps to the off-limits area, her cheeks stained with her own tears. Either we both make it together, or we both die together. It was now or never. She took a few more steps. She could already feel the poison in the air. She knew that her time was up, and that it was also time to give up. Lyra, we're doing this together... #2 Lyra Heartstrings, dead #27 Bon Bon, dead 7 to go.