//------------------------------// // Finish them! // Story: Lyra - Escalation // by XyroX //------------------------------// I didn’t know what was going on, what the rest of my mind and my body were doing, but I felt some vibrations even inside my prison. Whatever happened out there, I was sure it wasn’t good. I felt how my emotions went euphoric… that couldn’t be a good sign. So Lyra, we finally arrived in Canterlot. It’s a shame Celestia wasn’t happy to see us again, and she didn’t want us to give what we demand! But anyway, we are in charge now. You see, nothing can stop us! How could you even think about defeating us? You are weak, and you will always be! “I may be weak, but at least I’m not a psycho like you are. You aren’t a part of me, neither of you. You infested my body with all the negative powers a human can feel, but I’m no longer human!” It’s true, you aren’t human. You are less, you’re a pony, one of the creatures we will subjugate once we rebuilt the portal. You’ll see, Lyra, thanks to us, there will be a new world for humans, a world that isn’t corrupted like earth! Don’t you see what this means to us, and to you as well? To your entire species? “I’m glad you imprisoned me here, I don’t want to see what’s going on out there… I don’t want to see what you are doing with me!” Now excuse me, I have a world to invade… After Lyra defeated Luna and Celestia, she cleared the whole castle. After about two hours, she was the last remaining living being in it, except the two princesses she forced into some crystal prisons. They were conscious, with their eyes open, Lyra wanted them to see the damage she caused and the one she was going to cause. She placed them like statues in the throne hall, one on each side of the throne she had placed in the middle of the pedestal. It wasn’t an ordinary throne anymore, she used her magic to form it, with ornate human figurines in heroic poses on the top and subservient ponies underneath them. The figures were made out of gold, the rest of the throne was colored in the familiar red and black. Pleased with her work, Lyra sat down on the throne in human matters, idly playing with Celestia’s crown in her claws. It’s time to open the portal. We mustn’t waste any time! Calm down, we’ve got plenty of time. Who could possibly stop us? The only ones that have enough power to bug us are the Elements of Harmony, but even they won’t be able to stem us. I look forward to them to finally come, that will be the last time we can have an actual fight! Sure there are still Princess Cadence and Shining Armor, but honestly, they aren’t even as powerful as Queen Chrysalis, and she was just a sidekick. Let’s just wait for the elements to come. After we crushed them, the portal will be opened. And once this is done, nothing can stop us! You may be right this time. They’re probably on their way already, so we should get sure to provide them an adequate welcome, shouldn’t we? The entire castle shook as Lyra used her magic again to transform every banner in the castle, each of the artful windows and anything else inside the masonry. Soon the castle looked like a mirror of her sick mind, the banners had now the Alicorn Amulet on them, all the statues showed humans and the bright light of the chandeliers was replaced with a dim light of cursed, flameless lanterns that threw a red glimmer on the floors. The windows, formerly showing historic happenings in Equestria like the defeating of Nightmare Moon by the Elements of Harmony, were now signs of the cruelty of humans, showing heroic pictures of soldiers fighting each others, the two nukes ‘Little Boy‘ and ‘Fat Man‘, the fist of the allies crushing a swastika, but also evidences of their technological superiority like the moon-landing, submarines in the deep of the black sea, airplanes starting from an aircraft carrier in the middle of an ocean and jets flying at supersonic speed. Lyra tore out the door that once protected the necklaces of the elements. This was going to be the place the portal would be installed, once she was sure that nopony would disturb her. In the human world, she was never a popular girl. No friends, bad marks and not even loved by her family. But she wanted to bring humans to Equestria, so she finally would get the recognition she deserved. She wouldn’t back down ever again, now it was her turn to bug on others and to give commands. It felt good, having this much power. Now there was just one more thing to do: Waiting for the elements to arrive. Lyra was excited like she was never before. Fighting Luna and Celestia was fun, but they clearly hadn’t had a chance. But fighting the elements, six enemies at once, would finally be a little challenge for Lyra, though she knew she couldn’t lose. The thought of the upcoming fight was enough to make her shaky. Rarity, Fluttershy, Rainbow Dash, Applejack, Pinkie Pie and of course Princess Twilight Sparkle, combined against one single pony, and they will be crushed by a power beyond their imagination. Lyra knew that they were strong, after all they managed to defeat Nightmare Moon, Discord, Queen Chrysalis and King Sombra, but these were all just little bugs compared to her. She sat down again in her throne and waited, scanning the castle with her magic and looking for the Elements to finally show up. Pinkie Pie, Rarity and Applejack sat in Twilights balloon which was pulled by Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash, Twilight herself was flying behind it and creating some strong blasts to push the balloon with incredibly speed towards Canterlot. All of them were wearing their necklaces with the element stones in them. Except Pinkie they all had the same serious face expression. “I can’t believe she really did this. I knew she was corrupted by the amulet, but I never thought she would do something like this! We should have stopped her when we had the chance to!” “It’s not your fault, Twilight. You tried stopping her, remember? The only one who is to blame for her actions is Lyra herself. And we will call her to account!” “Maybe you’re right, AJ. I’m sorry for what we have to do, but it has to be done before even more ponies get harmed. Or whatever she is going to do…” Lyra could feel them even before they landed the balloon next to the castle. The magic of the elements was something completely different than her own magic or the ones used by Luna and Celestia. It was the purest, uncorrupted magic she had ever seen, almost the complete opposite of her own cursed magic, but she didn’t care. The end justifies the means, so if she needed to use cursed and corrupting magic to gain enough power to reach her targets, that’s what she’d do. And everypony judging her for this will be punished in a way that will warn everypony to never doubt her strength or intentions again. The Elements were perfect to make an example for this. Suddenly, the door to the throne hall was kicked open and the elements dashed inside. Lyra was still sitting on her throne, rattling her claws on the armrest and grinning evilly. “I’m so glad you finally made it! I already awaited your arrival here.” She stood up on two legs, what granted her five surprised gazes. “You know, your pathetic princesses,” she pointed on Luna and Celestia, still in their crystal prisons, “They were so easily to defeat. I had some fun with them, but still it’s boring if you know you can’t lose. Of course I know you won’t be able to harm me, too, but I’m sure that I’ll have much more fun with you six! So many strong enemies at once… you are the last ponies between me and reaching my target.” “You won’t get away with this Lyra. You may have won against Celestia and Luna, but you would be the first to resist the power of the Elements of Harmony! We will end this madness right here, right now! I never thought you would turn into something like this… but apparently I was mistaking.” “Silly little Twilight. I’m not the weak Lyra you used to know. This pathetic pony mind isn’t in charge anymore! I am a human, and I will always be. And the only things that are going to be ended here are your lives! Maybe I’ll let you live like the other princesses, I actually like collecting statues like these, but your friends… well. You are going to die now!” Without any more word she rushed onto them and threw herself into battle. I felt how my prison shook a bit, and suddenly I was able to hear what was happening on the outside. I don’t want to hide this from you, Lyra. Look, and see how the last hope for your Equestria will die! Once the Elements are gone there will be nothing left to believe in! I was shocked, but I knew I had to do something, whatever it was. The black walls became transparent on one side, so I could now see what was going on, too. I saw how the Elements fought against my body, but I knew they wouldn’t have a chance to subdue it. I saw how Rarity and Twilight threw spells at ‘me’, Applejack trying to kick me in my legs to bring me down, Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy flying around and throwing things at me and in the back corner I spotted Pinkie Pie with a huge, pink cannon, rapidly shooting everything she could grab and stuff into the barrel. In return I saw bunches of red and black spells flying through the room at the six ponies and my claws slitting through every face that got near them. My human part yelled in euphoria, not a spot of fear in her voice or emotions, just the pure satisfaction of being in battle again. She played with them, just waiting until she got bored to finish this. And I knew that wouldn’t take long. I had to finally do something! “I must admit, you’re tougher than I thought. Still no threat to me, but tough, really. Too bad I have to end this now. I have more important things to do, things you would never understand.” “We don’t know what you are about to do, but you won’t be able to do it!” Applejack ignored the deep cuts in her face and took an attack position again. “It’s time to reveal the real power of the Elements of Harmony. Come here, girls!” The six ponies grouped up with Twilight in the middle. She began casting a spell to connect the elements with one another and after she finished a beam of six different colors fired at Lyra, covering her in light and lifting her from the bottom. “Your weak magic won’t stop me! You can’t hold this spell forever, and once you let it down, I will still be strong enough to destroy you!” After the element spell hit my body, I saw that the concentration of my emotions went to it to defend the body from getting damage and my prison became weaker and weaker. Thanks to the power I was able to gain from the amulet I managed to break through the black walls, but instead of being back in my body I still was captured inside my mind. It looked like a long corridor leading to a big door far away. I ran towards it and reached it after a few seconds, though it felt like an eternity to get there. I dashed inside and stood in a big room, actually looking exactly like the throne hall my body was fighting in. On the pedestal were two thrones, one with my human part sitting on it, and one with a whirl of black and red smoke, shaped like a human. This must’ve been my emotions, stuffed into one single manifestation of pure negativity. “Ah, I knew you wouldn’t stay where we could control you. It’s time to finally get rid of you, once and for all!” Don’t think we couldn’t kill you, Lyra. We don’t need you to let this body be alive. We don’t need you in this mind. You are just a parasite, just like all the changelings we already killed. “At least I die fighting, trying to do the right thing! Bring it on!” My human me and my emotions charged at me and we started fighting. Inside our mind we weren’t able to use spells, so it all went down to punches and hooves onto noses. Of course I hadn’t a chance against two enemies who already had perfected their skills and I soon lied on the black ground, bleeding out of my nose and mouth. “It’s over, Lyra. Time to let say goodbye.” They were just about to take a swing for the deadly punch, but it never came. I suddenly shined in a bright light and felt how I got stronger and stronger, I even was able to stand up again. I looked to my left and saw a creature, made out of pure light. I knew instantly what it was: The opposite of the shadow manifestation, it was the incarnation of positive emotions; hope, love, honesty and generosity, even more positivity than the Elements of Harmony. “Let’s make this an even fight. It’s time to leave all the hate behind and start a new life, as a pony in Equestria, not as a human in a world it doesn’t fit in.” This isn’t possible! How can you still believe in emotions like these when you experienced the power I granted you? “Hate will never be more powerful than love. We will prevail and end this!” With my new ally by my side I finally believed that we could really win this fight. We just had to be fast enough to end this madness before the Elements were too exhausted to maintain their spell. And we were fast. The light creature encased his dark double while I took care of my human part. We both had to be careful as there were explosions every time our emotions collided. It took a few minutes and a lot of loud bangs and kicks in several faces, but we finally managed to take them down. Coughing they lied on the ground with me and the light creature standing above them. “You have caused to much suffer to just lock you away. This will be the last time I kill somebody, and it will be the first time it will really free me.” With these words I crushed them under my hooves. Right after the deaths of my human part and my negative emotions I felt how I finally got control over my body again. Still in the elemental beam I grabbed the Alicorn Amulet and ripped it off my neck, throwing it from me so Twilight could see it. A second later the spell ended and I fell on the ground. I just lied there, waiting for anything to happen, actually waiting for Twilight to kill me, but suddenly I heard Princess Celestias voice. The crystal prisons must have been destroyed the second I eradicated the darkness from my mind. “Enough, Twilight. This isn’t the Lyra anymore you started fighting with. It seems she really managed to defeat her own mind.” “Princess! I’m so sorry for what happened… I just lost control and was overwhelmed by my emotions! I trusted them and my human part… but they just used me to get stronger. I should never let them control me like they did.” I cast down my eyes and began to cry. I knew what I had done, all the suffer and death I brought to Equestria. “I’d understand if you want me to finally leave. I’ll go back to my world, so nopony will get harmed by me anymore.” “No, Lyra. It’s true, you caused a lot of chaos the past time, but that wasn’t really you. The real you is the one who ended this. I’m proud at you. You did something I didn’t even think was actually possible! You managed to win against your own mind, you defeated yourself to save us all. A lot of courage is needed to admit your mistakes, but it needs a real hero to face your actions and do anything to make amends. I would be happy to see you in Equestria’s future. You are somepony to look up. Just like my sister you may have caused pain, but you finally are rehabilitated and ready to do good.” I looked up into Celestias light magenta eyes and sniffed. She really wanted me to stay, I hadn’t expected that. I would be an idiot to say no now. “I can’t thank you enough, Princess. I promise I’ll do whatever I can to rebuilt the castle and help you with whatever you need to do. I promise to pay back my fault, every little bad I caused to Equestria. That’s the least thing I can do.” Celestia smiled at me and gave me a hoof to stand up. Meanwhile Twilight had taken the Alicorn Amulet and brought it to the Princess now. “Princess Celestia, this artifact has caused enough damage. It’s time to finally get rid of it.” “Yes, you are right, Twilight. Bring it over to my room, we will take care of this later. First, it’s time to clean up the mess here.” Without a word more she started rearranging the castle again and soon it had back its old glory.