The master and the windigo

by stupidswampdragon

29 - Shattered souls

"WHAT!"

The Source lunged forward, so quickly that the shapeshifted game master almost fell out the window. There was enough time for the pony to grab the window ledge, but the stop was still harsh; the straps of the bothersome Guard helmet gave up and the headgear fell off. It clanged loudly against the top of the window-frame, then entered a steep dive towards the cobblestone street below.

The loss didn't register with the Source. The omnipotent game master was completely awestruck, even forgetting to blink. What the red-violet eyes saw was so outlandish that for a passing moment, the Source doubted its own eyes.

Down below, Lyra was screaming. More importantly, she was turning translucent and had retained only the rough outline of a pony; she looked as if she was the unholy offspring of an ice-ghost and a unicorn.

Witnessing the whole transformation, the Source found itself at a lack of words.

"Don't tell me... that you could actually..!"

---

Released from the confines of a magical cage, Lyra found every step liberating but she couldn't truly enjoy her newfound freedom. She couldn't find a single positive thought in her mind.

All she could see was the Queen of Changelings. The one who had murdered her most precious servant... the single biggest disaster among the many lives lost that day.

"YOU!"

Her voice had transformed, so much that she barely recognized herself. It wasn't wholly surprising; Lyra had heard of that phenomenon before. Extreme emotions could do funny things to tone and speech.

Truth be told, she was feeling quite extreme in that moment.

"THE LIKES OF YOU!"

She wasn't sure why she was screaming, but that didn't prevent her from doing so. She had discarded logic and reason - a singular desire was guiding her, and she didn't want anything getting in her way.

The ground was closing in on her, and she braced for the violent impact; she was going way too fast, faster than she had ever been. Slowing down didn't occur to her. Spraining a leg would have been bad, but it was ultimately an acceptable price. She was willing to hop on three.

She was willing to do anything that got her closer to that murderous Queen.

She caught a lucky break somehow, a definite first for her rotten day. She touched down, gracefully and silently - and most importantly, without losing momentum. All for the better; she could correct her heading and spring back into the air without delay. She didn't need to coil up; the speed was already there. She pushed against the ground and leaped, headed on a direct course for Chrysalis.

She wasn't sure what she would do once she was close to the Queen, but she wasn't thinking that far ahead anyway. She would do something, that was for sure. The exact details didn't matter. Only the outcome did.

Revenge...

It was a desire unlike her; Lyra knew that. There was nothing left of what had made her herself, however. She had lost her talent. Her attempts at being a hero turned her into a veritable monster. Her home was being laid to ruin, and she had given up on ever seeing Bon just so her friend could escape. And then, to stamp out what little good she had left in her life, she saw her unconditionally loyal windigo executed, right in front of her.

I know this is wrong. I shouldn't revel in this. But... but what else am I supposed to feel?!

Vengeance felt so near. It was such a simple concept, too; she was hurt, so she would repay the pain. It didn't need to be any more complicated than that.

Besides, who knew? Perhaps the fires of revenge would fill the void in her soul. Thaw it out, cast the bitter cold away.

"What- what are you?!" Chrysalis shrieked. The Queen was no longer playing games; she looked alarmed and on the edge. She dodged to the side, tried to put some distance between herself and Lyra.

Lacking wings, Lyra couldn't change her direction mid-flight; so when Chrysalis moved out of the way, she had no choice but to wait 'patiently' until she landed. It was a decidedly strange sensation, having to wait until her hooves touched the ground again. She had never jumped that far before.

She landed without any fuss. It was as if the ground became wobbly; the normally hard soil didn't threaten to crack or twist her legs, but accommodated her hooves snugly. She had overshot her target; Chrysalis was behind her. Lyra spun her head around, furiously searching. It didn't completely register in her mind, but the world surrounding her was losing colour; everything was fading to black. Everything except Chrysalis, the changelings and the limp pony bodies around.

Everything emitting heat.

It was a blessing Lyra could easily get used to. With such easily readable highlights, it took her less than a second to reorient herself. She kicked hard and was back in the air, the image of a rattled Queen filling her sight.

I will make you suffer for everything you made me go through!

"Stay away from me! You- you monster!" Chrysalis barked. She slammed her hooves down and braced; she must have realized that there was no point in running away.

Lyra saw the Queen's jagged horn glow white-hot. She figured that Chrysalis was preparing for a beam-attack, and found herself in an interesting conundrum. She could try to avoid the beam; but then she would need to break pursuit, giving Chrysalis that bit more time alive. On the other hoof, she could simply ignore the threat and push onward. It was a murder-suicide if she ever saw one. She would willingly take a lethal blow to deliver another.

Her ears snapping snugly to her neck and her lips parting in a mad grin, Lyra chose the latter.

Fine! Then let's end this now!

The green beam erupted, connecting the two figures for a brief moment. Lyra braced for the searing pain; after what had happened to her sword, she was expecting to lose a leg or two.

Her grim expectations were proven wrong, however. Nothing happened.

The beam dissipated before long - and she was still whole, still closing in on her foe.

Did she miss? At this range?

Of all the possible outcomes, Lyra found this to be the most unlikely one. And, judging by her expression, so did Chrysalis. The Queen's eyes were wide but her pupils had shrunk to tiny dots. Her mouth was open, but no sound came out; she was either too dumbstruck or too terrified to speak. She was wasting precious time either way, gawking like that.

In stark contrast, Lyra had perfect focus.

She bared her fangs, but the jump was too short. No matter; she sunk a hoof deep into the soil and then pushed herself forward. This was the final lunge; she was so close that it was impossible for her to miss. She held the other hoof in front of her and braced for impact. Her pony instincts shouted at her to close her eyes, turn her head away; but the flighty instincts were contested by another, more powerful voice.

One that demanded that she keep her eyes on her prey all the while.

Lyra had no idea where the latter thoughts originated from. She had never heard them before; she had never thought like a predator. But that voice, that cold, calculating voice... it was hungry. It longed for something Chrysalis had.

It longed to devour the Queen - and, in doing so, it also promised to satisfy Lyra's thirst for vengeance.

Hardly a difficult decision.

She parted her teeth and broke into a chilling roar. The voice which left her mouth wasn't really hers, but she wasn't disturbed at all. It was a predator howling, yes; but to that voice inside Lyra’s head, that roar was really familiar.

"Changelings! HEL- UGH!"

Chrysalis missed too many beats, an unforgivable sin in combat. Her command came too late; Lyra crashed into her before she could finish the last word. Lyra's momentum was too great and Chrysalis tripped, sending them both tumbling to the ground.

The world spun around Lyra, but she wasn't dazed in the least. She was simply overjoyed. Even though she was rolling, she was holding the prey in her grasp. All she needed to do is sink her fangs into Chrysalis, and-

-and-

-what am I doing?

She had to pause; she was confused. She had all those sharp teeth. What was their purpose if not biting? How could she strip that foolish mortal from all that precious heat, if not with those teeth?

That felt so clear. So why did she have the idea that all those thoughts were fundamentally wrong?

"HELP!"

The shriek broke into Lyra's thoughts, pulled her into the outside world. She found herself standing; but on Chrysalis instead of the ground. The mighty Queen of the Changelings was lying sprawled out under her hooves; trembling, yanking her head from one side to the other, screaming at her underlings.

"I AM ORDERING YOU IMBECILES! COME TO MY AID - AT ONCE!"

The underlings in question were, however, backing away instead of obeying. Each with the same aghast look, most of them silently shaking their heads.

Lyra was profoundly confused by the sight. So she had managed to overpower Chrysalis - that was one thing. But what had made the changelings freeze up like that? Were they afraid of her, all of a sudden?

The mere idea made her snicker. Such a ridiculous concept! There was no way the bugs were afraid of her alone. She could never defeat all of them. She was still just one lone pony.

Yet, all the black bug-eyes were staring at her in what looked like complete awe.

That bothered Lyra. It bothered her almost as much as her desire to sink her fangs into Chrysalis... to feed until she was satiated. Until her vengeance was done. Until she was warm and the Queen was not.

Vengeance...

"You damned monster!" Chrysalis rattled, twitching with all her might. She had realized that she wasn't getting any help; so she began fighting for her life in earnest. She tried to free herself, but Lyra was too strong. She would sooner break her own legs than wriggle free.

But Lyra didn't even feel like she was doing anything. She was simply keeping the bug-queen pinned. She was mesmerized by the sight; the image of that monster rendered helpless was more placating than she would have guessed. She could watch it all day. Make that Queen squirm and beg for her life, the same way she had made so many ponies before. Give her a full taste of her own medicine. And then...

And then devour her.

Suddenly, Chrysalis roared and fired off a blast of magic. At point blank range, the green beam couldn't possibly miss; and, indeed, it struck Lyra square in her jaw.

Lyra didn't even flinch. The searing hot beam passed through her harmlessly, so she was free to ignore it. She leaned over Chrysalis and grinned madly. Saliva dripped from her fangs; she had ran out of patience.

She was taking her rightful prize. She parted her jaws and-

- and saw something red reflect in the eyes of the terrified Queen. Leaning so close to the alicorn, Lyra couldn't help but catch a glimpse of it. Everything was black and white around her, after all. That red glitter... it stuck out like a sore thumb. Huffing and with barely anything holding her back, Lyra raised her gaze to take a better look. She was hungry, but also curious; the predator hadn't suppressed the pony just yet.

Much to her surprise, Lyra found her own image reflecting in the Queen's watering eyes.

It wasn't really the face she had gotten used to, however. Owing to her new vision, she couldn't see well, but she got one detail down for sure - the eyes. Her formerly amber eyes were now burning with crimson flames.

She saw a feral monster in that reflection.

A true windigo.

Lyra reared back by instinct. She wasn't expecting that. She was only-

She was only standing on a defeated Chrysalis, fully prepared to sap the alicorn of her warmth.

She yanked her hooves off of Chrysalis and used them to squeeze her own head instead. She could hear the voice again, demanding that she finish the battle; but this time, she could easily tell that it wasn't her voice . That wasn't a pony talking. That was a vicious predator. A vicious predator who certainly didn't like being restrained.

Lyra could feel her jaws parting, clouds of mist forming as her frozen breath mixed with the warm air. A pained, beastly howl burst forth of her mouth.

What-! Nnn-no! I'm not- I'm not like this!

It turned out to be one polite beast, the one sitting inside her head.

It sensed Lyra's displeasure and allowed her to take back control. She couldn't consciously tell how, but she could feel the invading entity retreating from her mind. The change was rapid, almost instant. The world around her returned to its old, colourful self. She could feel the warmth returning to her icy limbs...

A black hoof popped up in her vision and smacked her in the nose, sending her tumbling backwards.

---

Despite the lack of wings on its chosen form, the Source was practically flying down the stairs, taking them by three at each step.

There's no doubt about it! That was transfiguration, just now!

The stairs ended and the Source felt its belly crash against the floor; the Guard officer's legs didn't stand a chance against the crazy momentum it had built up racing down. The armour creaked and a few items scattered on the floor - some coins, a badge - but the game master ignored them and raced on, towards the door.

Astounding! To think you'd manage pulling such a high level ability without any experience of the intermediate ones...

The door to the street was closed. The Source couldn't be bothered to waste time on opening it however, so it simply had the Guard officer close its eyes and brace for impact. That barrier was no issue. A thin panel of wood stood no chance stop a fully armoured, charging pony.

Indeed, the door burst into a cloud of expanding splinters on contact. The Source winced; that sort of dynamic exit didn't come free. Had that officer been a real pony, he would likely had suffered some degree of concussion at least.

Luckily, that was only a magically conjured body.

Finally in the open street, the Source banked hard to the left and raced on. It had to reach the plaza before the changelings could do something stupid - or before the real Guard showed up.

Lyra Heartstrings... it is now imperative that I dye you into my colours.

---

Lyra landed on her side, her legs hitting the ground shortly after her torso did. It hurt, that kind of rough handling; she could feel her ribs shifting around. She had no time to waste, though. She sprang back onto her hooves and then took a moment to carefully stabilize herself. She was wobbling like a shaky leaf in the autumn wind.

Whoa. Wasn't this a lot easier a few moments ago?

A warm sensation flooded her nose, coupled with a dull, throbbing pain. Grimacing, Lyra gave a wry grin; after being so cold for so long, anything above freezing point was to her liking. The more warmth the better, actually. Then she felt something drip from her nose and tasted copper when she stuck her tongue out.

Ugh... guess my nose is broken.

"Master!"

Completely forgetting about her nose, Lyra tore her head to the side. She moved so fast that she lost her balance and stumbled; but not even that could tear her gaze from the windigo at her side.

"Sno... wy?"

She wasn't sure if she could believe her eyes. She was at a complete loss regarding the last few minutes of her life already. Coupled with the reappearance of the windigo, she was growing wary that she may have just lost her mind.

"My most sincere apologies, Master!" Snowy rushed to her side and crouched down. She was faint and barely visible, but she was definitely there. "I... I have no idea what just happened. I think I've lost control, somehow. Is Master hurt?"

Am I... hurt?

Lyra couldn't take that question any seriously. Her own well-being was the least of her concerns. She reached out to the windigo and tried to pat the familiar face, but her hoof passed through the ghostly body.

"I'm all right," she giggled, trying hard to keep her tears back. "I'm pretty-"

"ENOUGH!"

That was some fearsome cry. It was so loud that it barely fit into the plaza; it resounded between the clouds and the ground, threatening to push them apart. Lyra and Snowy both turned to its source, their combined gazes settling on Chrysalis.

The Queen was back on her hooves, and looked positively furious.

"Sitting down and chattering as if you were on a picnic... did you think you had me beat? ME?! Or are... or are you just toying with me? You really think I would let you get away with that? The nerve...!"

The Queen became the living avatar of anger. She was frothing as she spoke, the veins visibly bulging on the sides of her head.

Even though she was sitting a little distance away, Lyra couldn't help but shrink away. That outburst was pretty intimidating.

"AND YOU!" Queen Chrysalis turned around, to the nearest changelings. She moved slowly, her head lagging even more so. There was a fair deal of theatrics in the move for sure, but also a lot of barely controlled rage. "Just what were you thinking, huh?! I explicitly ordered you to help me! You will be paying for this... you will all be paying for this!"

The changelings uniformly shrunk a size and backed off. Lyra found that reaction amusing - as if a little extra distance could have lessened the edge of their Queen's words.

"Are we still going to stall for more time?" Snowy whispered and motioned at Chrysalis. "To be honest with Master, I have no idea how we've lasted even this far."

Lyra nodded. That was all too true. However...

"...do you think she'd simply let us walk away?" She shook her head with a sombre chuckle.

"Suppose not." Snowy hummed and followed her master as they stood up. "What now, then?"

"Your punishment shall wait! Right now, there's work to do. Your due sentences will only come after you useless lot get back onto the schedule! We have wasted too much time with this dusty village already!" Chrysalis shouted, working her enraged gaze through the crowd of quailing minions. "Spread out and grab every pony you can find! I will deal with these two. Why are you still standing around?! GET! MOVING!"

The blood ran out of Lyra's limbs as she heard that.

Oh no.

It was a decision made in the heat of the moment, but she saw only one way to stop the impending disaster.

She joined in the yelling.

"Don't follow her! You can't do that!"

Every changeling turned to her right away. Even Chrysalis turned back around, bewilderment mixing into her fury.

"Why not, exactly?"

The dumbstruck question came from no other than Snowy. The windigo was staring at Lyra and was blinking rapidly, her head crooked to the side.

Lyra tucked her ears to her neck and gave that extra doubter an angry leer.

Ah geez. I was so happy to see you just now! Could you just, like, not spoil the mood? Just once?

Despite being the rain on her parade, the question was pretty legitimate however. The only way to keep the changelings there was to give them a reason to not follow the orders of their Queen. Lyra had seen them disobey orders just now; so the bugs obviously had a semblance of intelligence of their own. As long as she could appeal to that...

How should I go about that, though? she mused hastily, biting her lip. I'm probably not 'food' to them any more, but the rest of Ponyville still is. They came here to eat in the first place! So, I guess... I should make this place unappetizing as well. Hmm.

Her mouth curled into a devious grin. She had an idea.

"Because if you do, then I am coming after you."

It was a preposterous proposition. A mere pony threatening an army of changelings! They would have had a good laugh before tearing her to shreds.

Ordinarily, that is.

This time, however, the changelings were staying put, only exchanging nervous glances among themselves. Lyra felt vindicated at the bugs' hesitation; it was nice to see her continued struggles bear fruit.

"What-! What are you all standing around for?!" Chrysalis boomed and spun around, her eyes throwing angry sparks. "Get going! I TOLD YOU TO GET GOING!"

Good, Lyra smirked darkly. She cleared the most immediate hurdle.

"Such a simple trick won't hold up for long though," Snowy leaned closer and whispered, taking the words straight from Lyra's mind. "We need something better."

Lyra nodded and hummed, the concentration drawing wrinkles onto her eyebrows. She was also thinking about just that.

How could I stop this massacre...

She couldn't make Chrysalis stop, that much was clear. The Queen was just too powerful, despite refusing to make use of her dragon-servant so far. There was no way to force her to do anything. But on her own, Chrysalis was just another ruffian. She couldn't cause massive havoc without anyone following her.

If only I could get the changelings to stop following her!

Lyra jolted. That's it! Her ears perked up, her eyebrows raising as high as they could go.

"Snowy! Make everyone forget who Queen Chrysalis is!"

It was a really simple plan. The Queen couldn't order her changelings around if she no longer was the Queen they had known, right?

"Everyone, Master?" Snowy cringed and hung her head low, her crimson gaze casting doubtful peek at Lyra. "In this case-"

Were she not surrounded by mortal foes, Lyra would have slapped herself on the forehead.

Haa... right. I can't oppose this monster if I can't remember what she had done. I'm still pretty reckless with my commands, aren't I?

"Everyone but me and you," she corrected herself.

"That's still an awful lot of minds to affect. It's going to be dangerous to Master," Snowy growled, completely unamused by the 'stricter' list of targets. "I beg Master to reconsider."

There was no time to reconsider anything though. The booming, angered voice of Chrysalis reminded them of that fact.

"Keh! Well, fine! If you are more afraid of her than of My Royal self... then I will show the lot of you just who is making the rules here!"

The Queen's words were followed by deeds. She blasted off and flew towards Lyra. Her wings beat with a buzzing sound, scattering the ground dust into large, uneven clouds.

"SNOWY!" Lyra cried out. She needed that mind-wipe, and she needed it now. Before the changelings realized that she was at the end of the rope.

Chrysalis was closing in fast. Lyra began running diagonally, trying to make the Queen miss her; but the difference in speed was just too great. Chrysalis could easily compensate, as she was still speeding; Lyra, on the other hoof, was back to her sluggish self.

Gnn... why am so slow? I was so fast a moment ago!

Still, the Queen was charging in rather recklessly. That was something Lyra could use to her advantage. She may had been a weak little pony, but she wasn't offering her hide cheap. She coiled up and jumped. This made her even more defenceless; she couldn't change her direction while in flight. That was all right, though; it was a calculated risk. She was sure that Chrysalis would take the bait. All she would need to do is grab some debris from the ground and swat the Queen bug at the right moment.

A whack on the head wasn't going to defeat Chrysalis by any means, but it would give her some breathing room. Hopefully. It was an admittedly wishful plan, but it was still better than standing her ground, blindly hoping for a miracle.

Darting her amber eyes back, she saw the huge black alicorn catching up to her. Just as planned.

Good monster, Lyra hissed and clenched her teeth. Her horn flared with an amber aura, and a loose piece of wood sprang up from the ground. She twisted herself around, her legs dangling helplessly at the snarling Queen; but the piece of wood also moved, following her gaze.

Right, eat this and-

Pain struck the middle of her skull. It wasn't an ordinary migraine; it didn't stop at her head. It spread out instead, rippling through every inch of her body. An army of green dots marched into her vision, then her sight cut out completely; all followed by a dull sensation as her left shoulder rammed into something pretty solid, bruising the skin and scraping her hide.

---

Lyra came to. Her first thought was to blink; then she winced. She had made a pretty poor landing, that was for sure. She was lying flat on her side; her tongue was in the dirt and her shoulder was burning with pain. It was her head that had fared the worst, though. The splitting headache didn't want let up; it ebbed and flowed, leaving Lyra almost half-blind when a worse wave struck.

Ugh... did I mess up? Did the bug Queen get me?

She glanced down, cautiously. She was afraid of what might greet her; she wouldn't have known what to do if she saw a set of sharp teeth descending on her. Then she sighed, her tone full of relief. She was in the clear... relatively speaking.

Chrysalis lay not far from her. The Queen wasn't looking ready to attack anypony though; she was lying on the ground, moaning in a low tone. A defeated monster, if Lyra had ever seen one.

As for the ordinary changelings, they were still forming a circle around Lyra; but they no longer seemed to know just why they were milling around. Their uniform line had started to break up, and they were chattering amongst themselves. They were more of a lost crowd than an organized task force.

The sight managed to draw a wry grin onto Lyra's face.

Success.

Not a complete success, though. Not at that point. There was no telling how Chrysalis had fared. If the Queen could reorganize the raid before the Guard showed up...

I can't let that happen.

Squeezing one eye and gritting her teeth in pain, Lyra pushed herself upright. It was difficult to stand, and doubly so to walk; the numbing pain in her head messed up her sense of balance.

Ugh. I need a... a... what do they call that pill the docs give for headache? The white one.

Despite the complications, she prowled towards the limp Queen. It wasn't a victorious march. She was stumbling left and right; her steps were shallow and her hooves kept getting stuck into every sort of obstacle. Unconscious ponies, beat-up changelings, debris from the earlier melee... all sorts of things she could barely step over and absolutely didn't want to step on.

It was a sobering walk. She hadn't been feeling particularly victorious in the first place, but the fallout of the battle still managed to dishearten her. That wasn't what the heroic plays and movies had shown her about making a stand. Though frankly, she couldn't see how any play could give the sight of scattered bodies any justice.

"Master?"

Lyra carefully placed her hoof between the still legs of a unicorn, then looked to her side. Snowy was approaching her, wading through all the rubble without the slightest care.

"Is Master all right?"

Lyra drooped her mouth and carried her gaze around silently. She didn't say, but her thoughts were clear enough.

Look at this mess. Look at what I've been through. How could I be all right?

She drew a deep breath and humoured her trusted servant with a lie nevertheless.

"I'll live. You?"

"Nothing that'd render me useless," Snowy grinned.

Lyra hummed and nodded, then carried on with her slow walk.

---

The plank felt too light to cause any damage, and looked way too fragile to defend with. It was readily available, though. Lyra didn't feel like shuffling bodies around to look for any wayward weapons. So, armed with the flimsy plank, she made the final few steps to the ailing Queen.

Chrysalis didn't pay heed to her arrival. The dark grey alicorn was laying on the ground, curled up and snivelling.

"It's over." Lyra declared. She reached back to her acting lessons; in order to keep her grasp on the situation, she had to appear calm and composed.

It was strange, though. She couldn't remember just when she had picked up acting.

Focus, she chided herself. Now was not the time to reminiscence on her life.

"Over...?"

Chrysalis stirred awake. She didn't get up; she simply raised her head and turned to Lyra, her green eyes full of confusion.

"What... what's happening? Who are... you? Ah, wait. Before that... Who... who am I?"

Lyra tightened her grasp on the plank. She smelled a trap; she wasn't buying any of that helpless act. Queen Chrysalis was a monster, and monsters never cried.

That's right, Lyra steeled her face and her nerves. Monsters like you can't have feelings. There's no way you could wreak so much havoc if you were capable of feeling anything.

She raised the plank high, and held it there, ready to strike. In the end, it didn't matter whether Chrysalis was acting or not. The changelings were the immediate concern. That horde had to be dispersed.

"CHANGELINGS!" Lyra boomed. "HEAR ME! HEED MY VOICE!"

The loud exclamation made Chrysalis cower in fear; she used her wings to cover her head. The rest of the changelings, already in disarray, yanked their heads up as one. They were all looking at Lyra; she who had defeated them earlier, and was now addressing them.

"THIS WAS THE LARGEST OF YOUR KIND!" Lyra pointed a hoof at Chrysalis. She was careful not to mention the Queen by name; she had no idea how thorough Snowy's powers were. They had never used the ability on such a grand scale before. That last thing she needed was for the changelings to start remembering. "AND NOW, EVEN SHE LAYS DEFEATED! SO SCRAM! ALL OF YOU! SCRAM... OR ELSE YOU SHALL FEEL MY WRATH!"

A murmur ran through the changelings' ranks. They didn't seem to scatter; but that was all right. Lyra wasn't expecting them to flee after the first threat. That was the reason she had brought the plank along, actually. It was for demonstration purposes.

She brought the slab down on Chrysalis. The former Queen groaned loudly. Twice, actually; first when the wood knocked her head down, and then when her head bounced back from the ground. Then for a third time, when the plank met her head sideways. For a light piece of wood, the plank proved pretty effective; the ex-queen could only wince as she fell over, laying helplessly on her side.

Watching the former monster whimper at her hooves, Lyra began to feel conflicted. It wasn't nice, beating down a helpless creature. It was pretty repulsive, if she were to be honest. Chrysalis looked absolutely pitiful; she wasn't even pleading for mercy. Only high-pitched whines left the oversized changeling's mouth, and her hooves were digging in the dirt as she tried to claw herself away.

On the other hoof, Lyra still remembered how the same Chrysalis would kill any number of ponies without breaking a sweat.

Besides, she wasn't tormenting the former Queen for her own amusement. Taking a little pause, Lyra sneaked a glance at the horde surrounding her. The changelings were wavering; a number of them had already begun to flee, but the majority of them were sticking around for some reason. Most probably because they were too dumbstruck to high-tail it just yet.

I guess I'm not convincing enough just yet, Lyra furrowed her forehead, and cracked down with the plank once more. Well, sure thing. Have it your way!

"Master..." Snowy sneaked into Lyra's view, positioning herself between her master and the bruised Chrysalis. "Is this necessary?"

"It is, as long as I have this... audience." Lyra motioned at the scattering ranks of changelings. "The beatings will continue until the soul-devouring monsters are out of my town."

She rose the plank and placed another blow on Chrysalis. She couldn't see where she was hitting, thanks to Snowy being in the way; but she didn't need to be precise either. Anywhere was good as long as she didn't miss the bug-alicorn.

"Master, please! Enough!" Snowy moved further into the picture. The windigo was now sitting on their defeated enemy, fully in the way. "Master is better than this! Master wouldn't turn into a monster...!"

Already swinging the plank for the next strike, Lyra clenched her teeth and moved the strike higher. The plank whooshed, only cutting through empty air; then the slab retreated, floating back to Lyra's side.

"A... monster?"

Her memories were hazy, but Lyra remembered Chrysalis also calling her that. She had ignored it at that time, but the same word sounded completely different from her servant's mouth.

Why would you call me that?

"Snowy, what are you-"

Loud shouting interrupted her, closely followed by the sound of a thousand hooves thundering. Lyra yanked her head to the left and saw her wildest nightmare coming true: all the changelings to her left had begun moving. The whole wall was running straight at her.

She only had time to make a dumbstruck face. She also had the idea to pray - but she couldn't recall any prayers. Not beyond the first few words.

Holy Celestia-!

By some miracle, the changelings didn't stampede her. The bugs made a point of steering well out of her way; they weren't keen on getting beaten with a plank. Of course that raised another, more interesting question.

Why are they even coming this way, then?

Standing in the middle of the changeling-free bubble, Lyra was utterly puzzled by the bizarre behaviour. The changelings were coming at her, but were clearly in awe of her at the same time. She simply had to wave the plank at the bugs which wandered too close, and they promptly disappeared back into the stampede.

Then, after a half minute of continuous changeling-traffic, the situation became crystal clear. Lyra saw armoured ponies charging down the street; the Royal Guard. She was never happier to see soldiers - though she couldn't stop herself from cracking the overused joke.

"Pffft! You colts are late for the show."

She broke into a short laughter. She teared up, even; she could feel an incredible weight rolling off from her shoulders. She had managed to stave off the invasion... and lived to tell the tale.

Back at the beginning, she wouldn't have bet on that outcome.

"Hey!" She waved the plank at the first few Guards reaching her. "I've got something for y-"

The Guards weren't in the chatty mood. The first pony who had reached Lyra promptly tackled her. It wasn't a pleasant experience, having a fully armoured colt crushing her into the ground.

Wha-!

She wasn't sure what to make of the gesture. Had she not known better, she would have thought that the Guards mistook her for a changeling.

"What are you doing!" She groaned from beneath the armoured colt. "Let go of me, you dimwit! I've- ouch!- I've just done the job you were supposed to do!"

"Hoo, did you now?"

The voice was familiar but she had no time to ponder. The trooper got off her and yanked her back on her hooves. She was promptly joined by another Guard on the other side - and heard the click of shackles around her legs before she had a chance to object.

"Are you for real?!" Lyra snorted and reared her head back. She tried to kick, to break free; but she was too late. All she did was rattle her chains, right until a Guard knocked her in the ribs. The impact winded her; she hunched over and coughed.

This can't be happening!

"Resisting arrest is a punishable offence," the familiar voice continued.

Breathing hoarsely, Lyra peeked up - and felt her face going numb.

She was facing the very officer who had given her the sword. The colt's helmet was missing, but it was definitely him.

"But you... you saw me... you saw me fighting the changelings," Lyra wheezed. Thanks to the earlier assault, she couldn't breathe properly; so she couldn't talk properly either. That did little to quell her righteous anger, however. "We were... fighting them... together, even!"

"Oh, really? Hmm..." The Guard officer hummed, holding his armoured hoof to his chin. Then he shook his head and giggled lightly. "Nah, I don't think so. I certainly didn't fight these monsters. You can even ask my colleagues here - they met me en route. I was taking some R&R in a nearby house. You must be confusing me with somepony else, miss."

"Oh- ooh." Lyra exhaled, the dejection clear on her face and in her voice.

Say what you want, I'm sure it was you. She glanced up, scanning the armour of the officer; and before long, her gaze stumbled onto the empty scabbard. Dude, your sword's missing... where did it go if you weren't fighting?

"Anyway - ahem!" The officer cleared his throat and switched to a more formal tone. "You are being charged with aggravated assault. You have the right to remain silent; anything you say may be used against-"

"WAIT!"

Lyra screamed and lunged ahead - or rather, tried to. The chains around her legs did a good job of keeping her in place. The rest of the work was finished by the two troopers on her sides, both of them keeping her back with the shaft of their polearms.

"You can't be seriously charging me with assault!" Lyra cried out, then sneered at one of the Guards holding her back.

"Sure we can." The Guard officer squinted at her, then motioned his nose at the battered figure of Chrysalis. The former queen was in a pretty poor shape - and was actually being helped up by a trio of Guards.

The sight was so surreal that it made Lyra stop. She seriously wondered if she was delirious.

"Some of us saw you beating that pony with a plank," the officer turned back to Lyra, his red-violet gaze meeting hers. "Beating ponies up isn't a nice thing to do, miss - changeling attack or not."

"But- but she is Queen Chrysalis!" Lyra cried out. She couldn't comprehend how it was her who had been chained, when the real monster was being treated to first-aid. "She was the one leading the-"

"Queen Chrysalis?" The Guard officer raised his eyebrows high, curiosity written all over his face. "Who is that?"

Lyra cocked her head to the side and stared at the officer with glassy eyes. She had an inkling of what was going on, and she liked none of it.

"Any of you know a Chrysalis?" the officer yelled to the other troopers.

The answers were unanimous.

None of them did. One pegasus even swore to his immortal soul that he had never heard of the name.

"I'm sorry, miss." The officer turned his attention back to Lyra. "It would appear we aren't familiar with this... feud of yours. But, a Queen you say! My, my. Were you assaulting a pony of such high standing? I advise you to keep silent until your lawyer arrives, miss. This could be a very serious offence."

Lyra nodded, curtly and numbly. She had it all figured out.

None of those Guards knew who Chrysalis was.

No-one could have, in fact.

No-one... apart from her own dumb self and Snowy.

"Lead her away," the officer commanded, and the troopers began pushing Lyra away. She didn't resist. She only stumbled once, when she managed to catch a glimpse of Chrysalis out of the corner of her eye.

Troopers were bandaging the monster, one going as far as consoling the whimpering ex-queen.

---

Sloth rose from the roof-tiles. She stretched her arms lazily, one by one; then flared her wings. She moved the unruly limbs in slow circles, careful that all the muscles got warmed up.

Not that she had any actual muscles to warm up. She was simply a creature of habit.

Then, once she was all ready to go, she sprang up from the roof. She glided for a while, and then her wings took over. Slow beats, but powerful ones. She was ascending and left the dusty village behind in no time.

She didn't look back; there was no reason to bother. She had trusted Nix, and the accursed windigo delivered. She saw her Master being reduced to a whimpering nopony, that was enough. Chrysalis no longer knew of her. She was free to enjoy the world. Perhaps seek a nice, bother-free nest to bide her time.

She angled her wings and made a lazy spin around her torso. The sun was shining onto her back; while the rays of light passed through her ghostly body, she could recall the sensation well enough from her living years. She could recall them well enough to relive them too.

The warmth drew a half-hearted smile onto the dragon's face.

It was never her style anyway, kneeling to masters. It was good to be free.