“I still say that this is a bad idea.”
Kyle sighed and looked over at Fluttershy. “Yes. You’ve let me know. Multiple times.” he said curtly, turning his head back towards the building in front of him. The house was quite large - larger than Kyle had expected Lyra’s house to be. Behind the house, Kyle could just make out the trees of the Everfree Forest. Even though the sun had just dipped over the horizon, Kyle could see no lights coming from within the house. In fact, it looked as though nobody had been into the building in quite some time.
“I’m just saying, Lyra’s always been a bit… off,” Fluttershy continued. “I mean, she’s nice enough, but she’s always been kind of strange. You know? And if she’s not come out of her house in two weeks… Oh my goodness. Celestia knows what that’s done to her mental state.” She closed her eyes and shuddered. “Besides, this place is so… scary-looking. It’s not like Lyra to let it get this bad, and yet…”
“And that’s exactly why I need to go in there,” Kyle countered. “If she’s slipping into insanity, we need to find out so she can get treatment. And I feel like I’m best suited to dealing with a potential madman - er, mad-mare.”
“And you realize that in her mind, you’re likely the reason for what’s happening to her?” Fluttershy asked. “What if she’s aggressive? What if she attacks you? She doesn’t have a history of violence but… well, as I said, she’s always been a bit off.”
“It’s a risk I’m willing to take,” Kyle replied. “Especially if it’ll stop Bon Bon from acting like I’m a piece of filth on an otherwise stainless floor.”
Flutershy sighed in defeat. “Well… I suppose you have a point. So what am I here for?” she asked.
“You’re my backup.”
“Wait, what?”
“Just wait out here,” Kyle explained as he began to move up the front walk. “I’ll be out as quickly as possible. If I’m not out in an hour, or I haven’t at least checked in to let you know everything’s alright, you’ll need to go get help.”
“Alright… I’ll just be back here…” Fluttershy replied, backing up to the other side of the street. “Good luck!” she called out.
“Thanks!” Kyle called back, turning to face the door in front of him. “I’ve a bad feeling that I’m gonna need it,” he muttered under his breath as he raised his hand. He took a deep breath and rapped his fist three times against the door.
For several moments, there was no reply. As more time passed, Kyle grew increasingly anxious. Eventually, Kyle knocked on the door once more. Still, there was no response - Not even a trace of movement from behind the door.
“Oh well. Looks like she’s not home. We’d better call it a day,” Fluttershy called out with a nervous chuckle.
Kyle turned to reply, but paused. A slow creaking sound from behind him drew his attention. He looked back at the door and saw it slowly creaking open, permitting him entrance. “That’s not spooky,” he muttered under his breath. He took a moment to collect himself and shove his fear aside before stepping through the threshold, closing the door behind him.
The inside of the house was dark as a moonless night, and for a moment, Kyle could not see anything. Slowly, his eyes adjusted to the darkness, allowing him to see. The furniture in the front room was coated in dust, as if they hadn’t been used in a while. A spiderweb had been strung across the entrance to the dining room, where two places had been set. Only one had been used.
“Definitely not spooky at all,” he gulped, taking another deep breath to calm himself. “Lyra?” he called out. The only response that he got was his own voice echoing back to him an instant later.
Kyle growled, more out of fear than irritation. The battlefield brought no fear for him, for he knew what foes to expect there. Here, however… he was clueless. Lyra could be anywhere in the house, or not in the house at all. And Light knows what else could be waiting around any corner…
A loud creak from upstairs made Kyle jump and yelp loudly. He whipped his head towards the direction the sound had come from. The ceiling obstructed his view, but Kyle had other means of seeing what was there. He closed his eyes and reached out, trying to sense the Chi of those around him.
There. Right there, at the end of the upstairs hallway. Kyle opened his eyes once more. “Definitely a Pony,” he murmured. “But why did she not reply… unless it’s not her?”
Only one way to find out.
Kyle quietly made his way over to the staircase and looked up, peering in the direction that he had sensed the Chi. Indeed, a small light could be seen flickering against the walls, like a candle in a gentle breeze. Kyle shoved his fear aside once more and began ascending the steps, kicking up a light layer of dust with every step.
As Kyle turned down the hallway, he saw the source of the light. A door at the far end of the hallway was cracked ever so slightly, allowing a sliver of light to escape and penetrate the darkness that engulfed the rest of the upstairs. Kyle slowly approached, his entire body tense and ready to react to any threat that might reveal itself.
Kyle reached the door and slowly pushed it open. The room on the other side was quite large - an upstairs waiting room of some kind, by the looks of it. Once again, Kyle found himself questioning why Lyra’s house was so big, but he forced his thoughts back to reality as he took in the rest of the room.
Most of the room was bare, with only a couple of tables pushed up against the wall. On these tables were various bits of paper and used pens and pencils. Other scraps of paper were pinned onto pinboards scattered around the room. Kyle could clearly make out one bit of paper - the headline of a yellowing bit of newspaper.
EQUESTRIA TIMES SPECIAL REPORT - PRINCESS CELESTIA REVEALS THE EXISTENCE OF LIFE OUTSIDE OF EQUUS!
Kyle tore his gaze from the newspaper and focused instead on the source of light that had lead him to the room. Rather than a candle, it was a large fire roaring in the fireplace. Instantly, Kyle’s eyes were drawn to the figure sitting in front of the fireplace. Even against the glare of the flames, Kyle could make out the mint-green coat of Lyra.
Kyle hesitated for a moment. Apparently, she had not heard him open the door past the crackling of the flames. Should he approach? Should he call out to her? Should he turn tail and flee? Kyle shook his head vigorously. “No. I’m not running. Not now.” he growled internally. He took a tentative step forward…
And winced as the floorboard he stepped on creaked loudly.
“Damnit…” Kyle swore as Lyra’s head whipped towards him. Her mane was disheveled and sticking out in random directions, as if she hadn’t washed or groomed it in days, and her eyes were a quarter of their normal size. Most unnerving of all, however, was her smile. It was not one of joy - no happiness radiated from that toothy grin of hers.
“I’ve been expecting you, Kyle,” she whispered, pushing herself to her hooves. Her grin faltered for a moment, and she looked down at the floorboards “I was beginning to worry that… that you wouldn’t come.” She looked back at Kyle as her joyless smile returned. “But you did. He was right. He told me you would come. He was right.”
Kyle felt himself break into a sweat as he looked at the Unicorn in front of him. “Lyra. Look, if I hurt you… I’m sorry, okay?”
“You came. Just like he said you would.”
“W-what are you talking about?” Kyle stammered, his heart racing in his chest. He had battled the Sha. He had fought against Garrosh Hellscream’s ‘True Horde’. He had faced death on a near-daily basis for over five years.
Never before had he felt terror as he felt now.
“He came to me. He kept me company. He told me you would come.”
“L-Lyra, please, who are you -” Kyle began, but froze mid-sentence. A terrible, creeping cold filled the room, chilling Kyle to the bone. The flames behind Lyra began to fade, plunging the room into darkness once more. As the last ember died, another fire erupted from the fireplace. This fire, however, was not the vibrant red and orange that Kyle normally associated with fire. Instead, it hissed and seethed, pulsing in a terrible black and white hue.
Kyle’s eyes went wide with horror. “Oh shit…” he whispered. “No. No, no no no no….”
The flames erupted from the fireplace, swirling through the air around Lyra. Her mane was blown upwards, and many of the papers on the tables were swept away by the sudden rush of air. The flames spiraled around her before flying into her body. As he watched, Kyle could see a dark haze forming over Lyra’s eyes.
Kyle turned to flee, but found the door behind him was suddenly bolted shut. A deafening boom rattled the windows of the room as lightning tore through the sky outside.
The windows…
Kyle took one more look at Lyra, whose eyes were now almost completely consumed by the black flames, and ran to the window. He tried to throw it open, but found that it, too, was locked shut.
“There’s more than one way to open a window,” Kyle growled. He took a step back before launching himself at the pane. The sound of shattering glass surrounded him as he slammed through the window, flying out of the second story of the house. He landed in the bush underneath the window and covered his head as shattered glass showered down around him.
As the last of the glass fell to the ground, Kyle dragged himself out of the bush, quickly brushing some branches and leaves from his hair. Another bolt of lightning seared the sky, and as he looked up, Kyle saw the telltale vortex of dark energy forming over Lyra’s house.
The Sha.
“Kyle!”
Kyle whipped his head around as Fluttershy flew towards him. “Oh Kyle, thank goodness you’re okay! What happened? Why did you jump out of the window? Is Lyra -”
“Fluttershy. Go get Pinkie. Now,” Kyle replied with a trembling voice. “Lyra’s been possessed by the Sha, and I’d bet you a million bits that it’s the Sha of Misery.”
“But… but what about you?”
“I’ll hold her off for as long as I can, but I won’t be able to stall her for long,” Kyle growled. “Only Pinkie can stop the Sha of Misery. Now go! Fly! Show me the meaning of haste!”
Fluttershy squeaked as another bolt of lightning flashed through the night, and quickly flew away. Kyle turned his attention back to the window he had jumped from. Standing there, staring out of the opening, was Lyra.
“Your doom approaches, Human,” she seethed. Kyle backed away from the house as Shadows began to pour from the building and erupt from the ground, coalescing together in small pools. From the pools erupted the all-too-familiar forms of the Sha.
Kyle watched as more and more Sha rose to face him. Soon, there were ten. Then, twenty. Thirty. Fifty.
Too many.
Kyle lashed out as one Sha leaped at him. His fist smashed through the monster, eliminating it in a burst of smoke. His foot slammed down through another one, but as he watched, four more Sha emerged from the ground.
“You cannot win,” Lyra hissed. Her horn glowed black for a minute before a flash of white light erupted from her. All at once, the Sha turned towards Kyle and began advancing.
Kyle took one look at the approaching army of Sha. Even under the best of circumstances, such a fight would have been a monumental task. Now, in the cover of night in the middle of a brewing storm, with one of the Prime Sha backing them up? It was nothing short of suicide.
So instead, Kyle turned and fled down the street, praying that everyone had been smart enough to take shelter from the unnatural storm that the Sha had caused. A horrible screeching sound from behind him let him know that the Sha had not given up their chase.
“Yes, little Human. Run,” the Sha’s voice echoed from behind him. “You can run. But you cannot hide. I will find you. And I will kill you,”
Kyle risked a glance behind him and found, to his relief, that he was outpacing the Sha. They dragged themselves along the ground as quickly as they could, but none of them could keep up with him. The first trickles of rain began to fall as Kyle launched himself into a Flying Serpent Kick to put even more distance between them, and continued running.
Soon, Kyle found himself on the other side of town, hunched over and breathing heavily. By now, the storm had erupted in full force, and rain poured from the skies like a ruptured dam. The Prime Sha was just a mass of darkness on the edge of his conscious, and the minor Sha had long since faded from his senses.
“Damnit Pinkie… what’s taking you so long?” he hissed, looking around. The streets were completely empty, deserted by the Ponies as they ran to take shelter from the sudden, unscheduled storm. In fact, besides Kyle, only one other form could be seen in the rain.
“Scootaloo?” Kyle called out. The filly raised her head and turned towards him as Kyle ran over to her. “What are you doing out here? Why aren’t you home?”
“I was headed home from the clubhouse, and got caught in this rain,” Scootaloo explained, her eyes wide with fear. “What’s going on? The weather team never mentioned a storm tonight, and I didn’t see them moving any clouds…”
“Scootaloo. Listen to me carefully,” Kyle said firmly, kneeling down and placing his hands on her shoulders. “Get home as quickly as you can. Run. Don’t stop. Don’t look back. Don’t come out. It’s not safe out here right now.”
Scootaloo’s pupils shrunk even further. “W-what do you mean?” she stammered.
“Don’t ask questions, just go -” Kyle was cut off by a horrendous screeching sound to his left. Kyle whipped around and lashed out with his fist, sending a Sha flying through the air. It slammed into a wall and exploded in a puff of smoke.
“Too late,” he hissed. “They’re here. Prepare yourself!”
From the shadows of the buildings, pools of black energy coalesced and gave birth to the Sha. They slowly advanced, surrounding Kyle and Scootaloo from all sides. The two quickly stood back-to-back, turning slowly to observe their attackers.
Kyle heard Scootaloo whimper as more and more Sha emerged from the darkness. “Control yourself, my young apprentice,” Kyle murmured, sounding much calmer than he actually fet. “Remember your training. Stay focused, and do not let fear overwhelm you. The Sha will not hesitate to destroy you. You must not hesitate either. Use your quickness to stay alive, and your magic to fend them off.”
The first couple of Sha charged, leaving no more time for Kyle to prepare. He dropped under the first one and allowed it to sail over his head, where it collided with another. A third Sha lunged at him, and he reached out, grabbing it around the throat. He threw it to the ground and raised his foot, slamming it into the Sha’s head.
From behind him, Kyle heard the sizzle of electricity. He risked a glance behind him and watched as Scootaloo electrocuted a Sha that had been approaching her. A second Sha approached, only to be destroyed as Scootaloo unleashed a Chi Burst at it. The third Sha lunged, and she sidestepepd, allowing it the land right behind Kyle. He kicked backwards, sending the Sha flying into the darkness.
And so it continued. Time dragged on as Kyle and Scootaloo defended themselves, the Sha continuously throwing themselves to their deaths. Kyle was as fast as the lightning that sizzled overhead, and just as deadly. Sha seemed to explode around him as he lashed out at them.
Scootaloo, too, was quick, using her agility to avoid the attacks of the Sha. Her control over Chi was as clear as day as she harnessed its magic time and time again. Bolts of lightning flashed from her hooves to match the ones that seared the skies, and bursts of energy exploded around her.
As the battle wore on, Kyle began to feel a change in the atmosphere between the two. As they had begun to fight, they had been mentor and apprentice - one clearly more experienced, more battle-hardened, than the other. As more and more Sha fell to their attacks, the line began to waver. Scootaloo’s ability to manipulate Chi far outstripped Kyle’s, and her quickness, while used to avoid rather than counter attacks, was equal to his own.
As Kyle punched through another Sha, he felt a flash of heat from behind him, as though a fire had been lit upon his back for an instant. He whipped around to see a Sha dissolving right behind him. On the other side, Scootaloo had her hoof pointed towards him, still crackling with Jade Lightning. Kyle blinked, processing what had just happened. Slowly, he smiled and nodded approvingly before turning to resume the battle
After that moment, the Sha no longer faced a mentor and apprentice. Instead, they faced the fury of two Monks - each gifted in their own way, working together and watching each others backs. The Sha stood no chance. Soon, they backed away, hissing in fear and anger as they retreated back to the shadows.
Kyle wiped the sweat from his brow as he sat down in the middle of the street. Scootaloo collapsed next to him, breathing heavily. They were tired and soaked to the bone from the constant rain. Yet as they recovered their energy, a laugh of mirth burst from Scootaloo’s lips. “We did it… I can’t believe it…”
Kyle smiled weakly and wrapped an arm around her. “Yeah. We did it,” he said. “You did very well, Scootaloo. Very well indeed.”
And just as suddenly, the joy was gone. The hairs on the back of Kyle’s neck stood on end, despite the rain that plastered them against his skin. Next to him, Scootaloo tensed up, taking a sharp breath as she looked around wildly.
“The Prime Sha approaches,” Kyle muttered. “You did well to hold off the Sha just now, but the Prime Sha is far beyond anything we just dealt with. Run. Get out of here.”
“No way,” Scootaloo shook her head. “I’m not leaving you to face that thing alone.”
“You are not ready to deal with the Prime Sha. It will destroy you!”
“Are you any more prepared than I?” Scootaloo countered. “Unless you plan on retreating as well, I’m sticking with you.”
“Your courage is impressive, little whelp,” A dark voice echoed down the street. A shadowy figure rose from the shadows, taking on the shape of a Pony. Soon, Lyra had completely emerged, and was walking down the street towards the pair, hatred burning in her eyes. “But it will not save you.”
“Your little pets couldn’t stop us, Misery,” Kyle spat. “And neither shall you. You face the might of not one, but two Monks.”
Lyra laughed, a cruel, barking laugh that held no mirth in it. “You dare to call this mite a Monk?” She asked. “This little foal is no more than a pest, to be crushed underfoot. Whether you call her a Monk or not is insignificant. You will both die sobbing, knowing as you suck down your last breath that the other is doing the same.”
“Last chance to run,” Kyle murmured, glancing over at Scootaloo.
She grinned viciously. “Not a chance.”
“Before you die, though, I must express my gratitude, Human,” The Sha announced. Lyra’s mouth split open in a malicious grin. “You delivered my host directly into my claws.” Its voice took on a mocking tone. “Poor Lyra, rejected time and time again. And then, rejected and turned away from even a friendship with a creature she so longed to get to know better. It broke her little heart. And in her despair, she turned to the only creature who would comfort her.”
“Me.”
“You try to blame her misery on me,” Kyle retorted. “And perhaps, in a way, you are right. But I have learned from my past mistakes. Regret will not change the past. It will only cloud my vision of the present. I have made a mistake, yes. But That won’t stop me from fixing it.”
“A commendable sentiment,” The Sha growled. “But again, it will not save you. Or her.” Lyra reached out with a hoof, pointing right at Scootaloo. A blast of dark lightning lashed out at her, blasting her backwards down the street. She landed in a heap, unmoving. Kyle snarled in fury as he ran towards Scootaloo.
“Today, your apprentice dies.”
Kyle turned his head just as Lyra raised her hoof towards Scootaloo again. Time seemed to slow for him as her hoof crackled with dark energy. Kyle felt the Chi within him moving towards his fingertips, his willpower directing it faster than his conscious thought. As another bolt of Sha Lightning ripped through the air, a jet of green energy raced towards Scootaloo as well. As it touched her, it formed a barrier around her motionless body, lifting her into the air. The Lightning impacted against the bubble, making it glow brightly, but could not shatter it.
“Your Life Cocoon will not save her,” Lyra hissed as Kyle stood behind the shield as well. He quickly uncapped his Mana Brew and chugged the entire bottle before doing the same with his Energizing Brew. Power flew through his body as he directed both Mana and Chi into the Life Cocoon, refreshing and reinforcing the shield.
And not a moment too soon. Another bolt of Sha Lightning exploded upon the barrier. This time, connected to the shield as he was, Kyle could feel the power of the attack. A single unmitigated strike from that could easily kill even the sturdiest of creatures. Kyle yelped as another bolt struck the cocoon, and he poured even more energy into maintaining the shield.
“Why. Won’t. You. Give up. And. DIE?!” Lyra snarled, each word punctuated with another bolt of lightning. Each bolt broke against the shield, unable to penetrate it. From an outside perspective, it looked as though the Sha would be unable to win.
And yet, Kyle knew better. He was tired. So tired. After running from and defeating an entire horde of Sha, and then maintaining a shield as blow after blow rained down upon it, he felt the fatigue setting in. His arms hurt, his head hurt, the world spun around him, and his vision became blurry. Yet he still poured into the shield, long after the effects of his Brews wore off. “I will not fail you, Scootaloo.” He thought dimly as yet another bolt bounced off of the shield.
“DIE ALREADY!” Lyra roared, lashing out with another bolt of lightning. As soon as it bounced off, she lashed out again. Kyle felt the Cocoon crack under the attack, and through the swirling energy, He could see a smirk upon Lyra’s face. Another bolt of lightning struck the shield, and the cracks deepend. Desperately, Kyle took a deep breath and drew upon his own life force, his own Chi, to try to maintain the barrier.
A harsh sound rang through the air, like glass breaking, as the next bolt finally shattered the cocoon. Scootaloo was thrown backwards, slamming into Kyle. The two flew backwards, and finally landed hard on the ground, with Scootaloo lying on top of Kyle’s chest.
Kyle’s vision flickered as the sound of hoofsteps in the rain reached his ears. He looked up to see Lyra standing over them, her face red with anger. She was breathing heavily, and Kyle took a weak yet vicious pleasure in knowing that his defense had managed to tire one of the Sha. His arms burned from the strain of his efforts, and yet he somehow still found the strength to roll over, placing his own body between Scootaloo and the Sha.
“You have failed,” The Sha hissed, all traces of humor gone. “And yet you still resist the inevitable.” Lyra tilted her head, her expression unreadable. “You mortals are quite amusing. Perhaps I will keep a couple of you around to keep myself entertained.”
She raised her hoof and pointed it towards Kyle. “But you shall not receive that honor. Now. Die.”
Kyle closed his eyes and let out his breath, prepared for the end.
A sound like a cannon going off punched through the silence. Instead of the pain that Kyle had been expecting, all he felt was the soothing coolness of rain upon his skin. Slowly, he opened one eye, looking at where Lyra had been.
Instead, there was only a few pieces of confetti.
Kyle blinked and looked down the road. Lyra was pushing herself to her hooves, hissing and spluttering as she tried to remove bits of paper from her mouth. “Who dares to strike at me?!” she snarled.
“Oh come on, Lyra, don’t be such a meanie pants!”
Kyle’s head turned towards the new voice. Standing on the other end of the street was a familiar pink Pony, with her trademark smile plastered across her face. Her front hooves rested upon a colorful cannon, the barrel of which was still smoking and covered in confetti. Even in the rain, her pink mane remained poofy.
“About damn time,” Kyle wheezed.
“Pinkie Pie,” Lyra hissed. Her fury was instantly replaced by fear. “Stay back, you crazy mare!
“Aww. Sounds like somepony’s cranky,” Pinkie cooed, taking a few steps forward. Lyra took a few steps backwards in return. “You know what always makes me feel better when I’m cranky?”
“A hug!”
“STAY BACK! NO!” Lyra roared as Pinkie bounded forward. Lyra turned and attempted to flee, but Pinkie was faster. With a squeal, the pink mare leapt forward and wrapped her front hooves around Lyra, sending them both to the ground as she enveloped the Unicorn in a tight hug.
An ear-splitting scream filled the air as the Sha erupted from Lyra’s body. The dark shadow twisted and writhed in the air as it wrapped in on itself and began to dissolve. Finally, the last traces of smoke vanished, and a small crystal dropped from the air right into Pinkie’s outstretched hoof.
The Sha of Misery was dead.
Kyle let his head fall back to the cobblestone pavement with a great sigh. His vision grew dark as the sound of hooves approaching from behind him reached his ears. He heard yelling, but couldn’t understand the words. His last thoughts as darkness enveloped him were of the filly behind him.
His body went limp as unconsciousness took him.