The master and the windigo

by stupidswampdragon

42 - I Don't Want to Set the World on Fire

"That's all I know, honest!" the pegasus whined. His distress seemed appropriate, as he was tied tight with a long piece of rope. "We were only told to get the pony with the golden lyre mark! I- I don't know why! I really don't!"

A faint murmur rippled across the crowd surrounding him. The inn's guests had all gathered for the rare show, forming a loose circle around the captive. It was hard to capture the atmosphere; Lyra could only liken it to some sort of a warped garden party. She wasn't sure about her own feelings either; she wasn't angered, nor afraid. She was simply standing near a table, occasionally sipping the cold cider the barkeep had given her. It was on the house, of course; that was the least the barkeep could do for an 'old friend'.

Holding the moist bottle against the side of her head, Lyra was quite happy about this unexpected side-benefit. Axiom's trick was truly a gift that kept on giving.

"Told ya'," the spider grumbled and settled onto her table, barely leaving Lyra with time to yank herself out of the way. "Plain ol' everyday Joes, doin' whatever the Big Brother asks of 'em."

Turning her gaze to the bound pegasus, Lyra nodded and broke into a lengthy sigh. Axiom was right, of course; few ponies would have continued to resist after witnessing how all their comrades had gotten beaten. Most would have folded to any pressure right away.

Heck, I've seen my entire village get abandoned... BEFORE the fight could have begun, Lyra frowned and took a sip.

"So ya've no idea why yer' after her head?" a gryphon cracked his knuckles, approaching the tied pegasus with a rather ominous glint in his eyes.

"Ahaha... I sure don't!" the pegasus cackled nervously, then motioned at the limp body of his commander. "He might have! ...I... I guess?"

Lyra rolled her eyes. She wasn't sure whether she believed that pony - who was either an assassin lying through his teeth, or a thug for hire who didn't mind getting his hooves bloody.

No need to feel sorry for him either way, Lyra decided and sipped some more cold cider.

"I don't really care why you're after me," she slammed her bottle onto the table, glaring daggers at the shivering pegasus. "A knife between my ribs is a knife between my ribs... doesn't matter if it's a birthday gift or the Don's final message."

Biting onto her lip, she quickly pondered just who Don was. She recalled an older pony clad in black clothes, and for a passing moment almost heard the low voice ringing in her ears.

That memory raised some further questions, though.

Just who IS that pony... and where did I even meet him?

"Don't we already know why these sell-swords are after Master, though?" Snowy scratched her head and stared at Lyra from up-close, startling the pony from her momentary stupor. "They are here because the princesses want to take me from Master."

"H-h-heey... I didn't want to stab you," the pegasus whined in a trembling voice. A few more guests crept closer to him, and their faces didn't hint much good for his well-being. "I-I-I have no problems with you! R-really! I w-w-was only following o-o-orders!"

"Really?" Lyra smirked at the snivelling pony. "In this case... you wouldn't mind telling us how many more of you are out there, right?"

As if to add further stress the prisoner's situation, a gryphon lifted the pegasus into the air by his mane.

"There's more of ya'?!"

Steeling her face lest she make a costly mistake, Lyra swallowed her pride and let the obvious stupidity slide. Of course there are more! Nopony knowing about servants would send a single team to capture a master.

Sneaking a glance at the entrance, Lyra felt pretty sure that a whole army was circling the inn at the very moment, biding their time... perhaps waiting for the failed assault team to report back.

This whole place is turning into a trap, she suppressed her building frown. No, it's a trap already. I need to get out of here.

Her gaze snapping back to the now earnestly panicking pegasus, Lyra grit her teeth and narrowed her eyes.

Can't just run away, though. I need to know if there's another trap I could be walking into... might not get so lucky with the next ambush.

"I-I-I- I'LL TELL YOU! JUST LET ME DO- ooof!" the pegasus rattled, then groaned loudly once he hit the dusty floor. He wheezed loudly a few times, then quickly rolled onto his back, holding his bound legs defensively. "Y... yeah, there's more. A-at least three squads. I... I don't know them though! Honest! I never saw those colts before!"

"And in other news, water is wet." Axiom rubbed his head. "That's the usual method: send in some suckers, have the rest wait outside. Either to catch us if we run, or to barge in if we resist... or to contain the news if things go pear-shaped."

"Whoa!" Snowy clicked with her tongue, her head snapping to the spider. "That's quite clever, actually! The princesses are really throughout, aren't they?"

Her chin resting on her hoof, Lyra hummed to herself. At least fifteen more hitponies were waiting for her outside. And to make matters worse, there were few reasons to assume that regular Guard units wouldn't be close either, given how well-prepared the entire operation looked.

One heck of a trap... layers upon layers, Lyra shuddered at the realisation. Those soldiers out there... they can't know me, right? Though then again, they should know how I look. They probably have wanted posters of me, heh. That would be a pretty logical precaution to take.

She glanced at the street through a window for a brief moment.

Seems I really can't weasel my way out of here, she shook her head in dejection. Well, that kinda leaves confrontation as my sole option. But if I start fighting here, so far from the palace...

A particular moment came to her mind. She had spent days studying various maps of Canterlot, planning and playing out scenarios. She did consider this kind of situation; though it only had been one of the many possibilities at the time.

I won't be able to fight my way all the way there, Lyra recalled the outcome of that imaginary battle. No matter how she tried, she couldn't avoid fighting all of the Guard stationed in Canterlot at some point. That was too many armed ponies to chew herself through.

That's only possible by relying on Axiom and Snowy, she winced. And who knows just what I'd look like after abusing the powers of those two?

Cracking her eyes open and staring blankly at the floor, Lyra mused whether that strange Don figure was a warning sign. Axiom had convinced the inn that she was a friend; maybe an imaginary friend was the backlash? And if that was the case, what would brainwashing entire battalions of soldiers do to her?

There's no way I wouldn't go insane, she bit onto her lip. What else can I do, though? Frig, FRIG, FREEEG...!

She stomped hard on the ground, the impact shaking the loose-looking nails in the plank.

If only I didn't have to do this on my own... if only I had some force of my own! Lyra glared at the loose nail, focusing all her desperation on the inanimate object. I wouldn't need so much either. Just enough to even the playing field a little... just enough to hold the Guard up.

She cut the nail a break and closed her eyes, channelling all her dejection into a deep sight.

Where would I get so many combat-ready ponies on short notice, though?

Most ponies wouldn't fight - not on her behalf, nor on anypony else's. They would simply run away. Only ridiculous amounts of brainwashing could fix that... at which point she might as well give turning the Guard to her side a shot.

"I still don't get why they'd target Lyra," a beefy colt scratched his head. He was standing a few steps left from Lyra, staring questioningly at the prisoner. "I mean, what'd she even do?"

Lyra glanced at the big colt and raised her eyebrow. Yeah, no wonder they're confused. They totally believe that they were attacked out of the blue. She almost felt sorry for those drunkards. They were turned into unwitting pawns... incredibly unwitting ones, at that. She couldn't fault them for trying to make sense of the mess that suddenly involved them.

She remembered the time she found herself in the same situation, back in the northern hills. She couldn't make heads or tails of her situation... until she caught a lucky break and overheard the two militia scheming of how they'd foalnap her, all for the sake of nabbing Snowy.

Good ol' days, she sighed with stinging, acidic-sour nostalgia. At least this lot can rest easy. They'll be free of this game once I step outside the inn.

...then, all of a sudden, Lyra's eyes jumped wide as an idea popped into her mind.

Why couldn't they be partaking in the game, actually?

This lot had just demonstrated that they were willing - and actually knew - how to fight. They were also loyal to her; not as followers but as a somewhat tight-knit circle. All of them had reasons to protect her.

Practically thinking, they lacked only the weapons to be called a personal army.

Weapons - and the motivation to follow me all the way to the palace, Lyra quickly corrected herself. Defending one of their own in their home... compared to marching all the way to the palace and causing a ruckus there... haha. This may be a tough sell.

Sipping her cider, Lyra mused on how the latter was the real issue. It wasn't an insurmountable roadblock by any means; were she in a hurry, she could have asked Snowy and Axiom to make this lot follow her blindly.

Settling her bottle on a table, she decided to give her own skills a shot first anyhow. She could always pull an 'undo' if things turned sour.

She broke into a loud yell. "I know why they came here!" There was a bit of a shuffle as all the gryphons and ponies turned to her.

Khg! she shuddered at becoming the centre of attention. It was like an old, unwanted neighbour paying her a visit; she hadn't felt stagefright in a long while. Playing music at fancy events was a lot different to giving a speech in the middle of a slum, after all.

Oi, oi... what's with you, girl? It's not like this place is dangerous now. This lot trusts you completely! she reminded herself. All I need to do is to fire them up. Yeah... all I gotta' do is keep my cool and spout some populist nonsense. Come to think of it, wasn't there a play about a colt who sparked a rebellion...?

She shook her head a little and cleared her throat.

Forget about the Opera, for Equestria's sake! FOCUS!

"Sunbu- Celestia wants to get rid of y- of us!" she hollered at the top of her lungs, slowly carrying her gaze across the crowd. "First they're gonna take this inn away from us... and then they're gonna' kick us out, right to Everfree!"

Lyra had high expectations of her little speech - which clearly weren't met. Only low murmur ran through the crowd, suspiciously sounding as if the native speaking ponies were translating for those who couldn't understand.

"Master should prepare multilingual handouts next time," Snowy giggled nervously.

"What's an everfree?" a pegasus rose his hoof from the back rows. His question was met by a loud choir of concord; many of the guests went beyond simply voicing their opinion and began nodding enthusiastically.

"You're kidding, right?" Lyra frowned. She had no idea exactly whom the question came from, so she had to direct her unappreciative glare at random ponies instead. "How can you not know that?!"

"Cause' he ain't from these parts, and he ain't got no chance to travel... or learn." Axiom sighed and stared at the floor, rubbing his head. "Boss... I get what yer' tryin', I really do. But if ya' wanna' be leadin' this lot, then ya' got to be able to connect to 'em. Try to understand 'em a little! Yer' high-life views ain't gonna' work."

"High-li-?!" Lyra cut her surprised yell short, glaring questioningly at the spider.

Just what is THAT supposed to mean? I was making peanuts compared to the big shots!

"Master has a house... and barely anything else." Snowy rubbed her chin, staring at Lyra with a phased-out expression. "Is that high-life nowadays?"

"As if ownin' a house was nothin' to brag about... but anyway! I've seen how yer' Master has lived," Axiom chuckled and shook his head. Lacking an actual neck, he had to move almost his all body - but he still got the message across. "It's a far cry from what this lot knows. They've come from all over the world... and this time I'm meanin' the entire globe 'o mud, not just this fancy kingdom."

Curious and a little dumbfounded, Lyra raised her eyebrow. She also raised a hoof, signalling to the crowd that she was going to resume her tirade on short order; those ponies couldn't possibly know that she was listening to another tirade in the meantime. For all they knew, her silence meant that she was done talking.

"To simply put it, these folks have gambled... and lost. They've left everythin' and came to a country they've only heard tales of. And now? Now many of 'em got nothing more than what fits in their bags... or on their back." Axiom rose his head, his gaze meeting Lyra's. "Unlike ya', they won't know - nor care -what Everfree is, Boss. They'll be only interested in stuff that gets 'em from one day to the next."

"Ohh." Snowy clapped her front hooves together. "So this is like... knowing your audience, right?"

Don't you act all smug with a phrase you learnt from me! Lyra snorted at the windigo, then nodded thoughtfully. She had no idea how Axiom knew so much, but she trusted his advice. He could have been making the whole thing up for all she knew, but the logic was convincing.

She took a deep breath and resumed her loud monologue. She steeled her face; she wanted to appear as a weathered pony, one who was talking out of desperation and with the numbing knowledge that she had nothing to lose.

Let's hope I became a better actor since my audit at the Opera, she heard her own nervous giggle inside her head. Here goes nothing...

"They're gonna take your inn away," she popped her eyes open. She looked right through Axiom now, focusing her gaze on random members of the crowd. "They're going to take our place away!"

She didn't kid herself; she couldn't fully grasp what Axiom was saying. Despite her longing to be an actual star, she had never really had to face hardships until she got wrapped up in the game. She could only hope to understand the gist of her role.

These ponies and gryphons around her were basically beggars. Beggars with enough pride to deny the obvious - and with enough cheap alcohol to avoid thinking too deeply about the fact.

I need to get them thinking, Lyra studied the faces closest to her. I need to make them think that they can lose everything... and then promise them something. Make them feel threatened by Sunbutt... and entice them with possible rewards at the same time.

In spite of her expectations, knowing what she had to do didn't lessen her nervousness.

Easier said than done.

"Why would anypony need this inn?" a voice asked.

"Why couldn't we go to another inn?" another replied, and a loud murmur followed; the noise only stopped when the barkeep cleared his throat. Loudly. Very loudly.

"Because... uh, because this is your inn! OUR inn!" Lyra threw her hooves in the air, balancing solely on her hinds. She felt a little wobbly, but this posture allowed her to rise above the crowd's eye level; she hoped that this made her look more important. "What else do you have if you lose this place, huh?! Tell me!"

Another loud murmur. Much to Lyra's delight, she saw a lot of the surrounding ponies nod in agreement.

"We ain't got nothing either way," somepony spoke up from behind her. "It ain't gonna' matter where we're gettin' kicked out from at closin' hour."

"So are you gonna' let them do as they please?!" came a reply from the opposite direction. Lyra found simply keeping track of the interjections difficult; she was always yanking her head to the loudest speaker, and that quickly proved to be rather disorienting.

"Yea'! Remember the Belly-up Dragon? That was a nice place."

"It was a cheap place!"

"S'why t'was a nice place, ya' doof."

Belly-up Dragon?! Lyra blinked, quickly realising how that was a name she should have been familiar with.

"Y- yeah. And now they're gonna take this place away, too. Just like the Belly-up d... uh, dragon!" she slammed her hoof down on the floor, the loud thud silencing the unruly crowd. "So are you going to just lay low and hope this blows over?!"

"Um... why not? Hasn't that worked so far?"

That meek question got a lot more applause than Lyra hoped it would. She had no choice but to rebuke it.

"Pffft. What, are you going to move from inn to inn, hoping there's always a new one to run to?" she turned to whom she hoped the previous speaker was. "Are you content with kowtowing, running every time the whims of a crowned pony change? Huh?"

"Course' I'm not," the gryphon grumbled. "But what could I do?"

"Oh, I don't know... we could rise up, for example! We could fight!" Lyra motioned at the tied-up monster-hunters. "We could show those crowned fools that even we need our own place! That they can't simply push us around! That we... that even we have a home! And that we will protect it!"

She flinched almost immediately.

Home, huh? You're sure bringing out some big words now, girl. She pulled her mouth, trying to hide the extent of her disappointment. Better hope these hoodlums have no other inns they like as much as this...

Still, her words seemed to hit the right tones. All the ponies and gryphons began chattering all of a sudden, exchanging hurried glances amongst each other.

"Are ya'll OUT OF YER' MINDS?!" a unicorn began to shout. His voice drowned out all others, silencing all the discussion Lyra had managed to spark. "Yer' talkin' about goin' against the state! The Princesses, the Guard! Ya'll gonna' get yerself beaten up and thrown outta' this city, that's all yer' gonna' do!"

Grrr! You just HAD to ruin the mood! Lyra glared at her newest foe. Seriously, why are you so scaredy?! I thought that a mob like this was like a pile of dry leaves! One spark and whoosh, fire everywhere! Why are you acting as if getting into a big fight was-

"Yer' graspin' at the wrong straw, Boss." Axiom sighed loudly, no less than three of his legs rubbing the top of his head. "This lot ain't gonna' care for morals or stuff like places to belong to. Didn't ya' hear me when I said they're livin' from one day to the other?"

Glancing at the spider at her side, Lyra barely managed to subdue the angered retort building behind her lips.

Why don't you give me some good practical examples then, genius?!

"So what if they throw us out?!" a gryphon sprang onto a table, pounding on his chest with his clenched fist. "I came here eight years ago! What did I get here, huh? Freaking grass seven times a week, that's what! How's that any worse than anywhere else?!"

"Think smaller than a pony savin' the world," Axiom mused, the gryphon in the middle of his bittersweet gaze. "If ya' wanna' get this mob to follow ya'... then ya' need to think with their heads. Do ya' think it's a home they really want? Do ya' think they're concerned about being tossed around? Do ya' think they've got any pride left by now?"

Biting onto her lip, Lyra nodded curtly.

"Well, then ya' know where them gates are!" the unicorn hollered at the gryphon. "Me, I'm gonna' stick 'ere! 'Cause while outside ya' may get all the grass for all the rest o' yer' days, here ya' may be able to get more!"

"Because that dream worked out so fine for us, huh?" the gryphon smirked, his whole expression just dripping with sarcasm. "Vanilla, when was the last time you had something with taste? Something so extravagant as a hayburger, huh?"

"Whoa." Snowy reared her head back, blinking in surprise. "They DO think small, don't they?"

"Fufufu... fwhahahahah. AAHAHAHAHAHAH!"

The whole inn fell silent and turned to the source of the loud, borderline-insane laughter; and this once, Lyra did not mind being the focus of dozens of curious stares.

"Haha... hah... haaa... do you know what a party is like in the palace? Forget that, do you have any idea what a simple dinner is like?" she snickered, stumbling to her side as the laughter left her staggering. "There's food everywhere. Tables and tables and tables, rows of them, all full of delicacies... more than you've seen in your entire life."

The crowd erupted into excited whispers, the hushed voices combining into a constant, buzz-like murmur. Lyra decided to let the crowd take its time; she measured them in the meantime, trying to judge them and their reactions. She couldn't help but also study her own reactions, and the immediate result seriously disheartened her.

In the end, she absolutely failed to relate to this riff-raff. It took actual effort to sink this low.

"COME ON!" somepony from the back finally yelled. "We know what those fancy dinners are like! Everypony does!"

You're my colt, Lyra flashed a toothy grin. Just the perfect line for me to reply to!

"HAHAHA! BOORISH FOOL! You have absolutely no idea what a full treat is like!" she cackled as loudly as she could. "You can't even imagine! So many foods and drinks, you couldn't fit them all in this inn! What do you even mean, 'you know'?!"

No murmurs followed this time. Everyone fell quiet, and Lyra was very nervous about all the eyes staring at her in the dead silence.

She gulped and wondered what else she could add - but the previous colt had mercy on her and finally broke the uneasy silence.

"Okay, so I have no idea what I'm talking about. But how would you know better, huh? You're no more noble than any of us."

I'm treating you to a beer! Lyra sighed with a relief. Seriously, you could be a sea serpent and I'd still treat you to a beer! You're saying all the stuff I absolutely need!

"Hmpfh! Shows what you know," she cleared her throat and pulled her head high, channelling all her pride into her posture. "I am... haha, I used to be quite famous, you know!"

A mischievous cackle followed that boast, but deep inside Lyra was already preparing to keep herself from cringing.

They won't know me... because nopony knows who Lyra Heartstrings is. So I'm... not really famous any more, huh...

The confused whispers around her reinforced that thought. It only made sense - Snowy had never failed to erase memories before. Letting up on her prideful pose, Lyra sighed and rubbed the back of her neck, wondering what sort of lie she could make...

Then, all of a sudden, there was no need for her to lie anymore.

"WHOOA!" a gryphon screamed and took a step away from her. "I... I know you! You're a freaking princess!"

If it weren't for the clattering of glass and screeches of tables being pushed around, there would have been dead silence again. The whole crowd retreated a few steps, as if the air around Lyra had became toxic. Then, once they were at a safer distance, they began chattering agitatedly amongst themselves.

"A princess!"

"Yer' kiddin', rite'?!"

"N-no-nonono. I also remember. She kind of disappeared a few years ago though!"

"Seriously?!"

"Yeah, it was kind of a big scandal. Don't you recall? Wait, aren't you drunk?!"

Holding a hoof to her forehead to mask her dejection, Lyra sighed lengthily. She sneaked a peek to the windigo on her right, but Snowy wasn't paying her attention. That was fine, though. The topic could only be brought up later, as Lyra couldn't actually speak to the servant while she was surrounded by commoners.

Oi, Snowy... this lot seems to know me somehow! Lyra wrinkled her brow. Kind of screwed this one up, didn't you?

A bitter smile on her face, Lyra shook her head and immediately returned to a more cheerful façade.

Eh, the cat's out of the bag anyway. Might as well put this blunder to a use.

"Yeah, found me out! Well done, ahaha!" she faked a laughter, and winked to where the crowd seemed the thickest. "I used to live in that palace, until I was made to leave one day! But trust me, you and me... we can get back in there today!"

She carried her gaze around, her smile deepening until only a toothy grin was left on her face.

"Help me out, and I promise you'll get a feast you'll never forget... every day, for the rest of your days."

---

The decision was fast and completely unanimous. The crowd pledged to follow the unicorn princess wherever she may lead them - and indeed they did, rushing into the street the moment Lyra had left. Even the barkeep followed suit, leaving the completely deserted inn without any sort of supervision.

The almost completely deserted inn, that is.

The monster-hunters were still around, still lying tied-up and unconscious at the base of a wall. Aside from them, only a singular pony was moving; a figure dressed in green cloak, marching to the counter with a slight limp.

Upon reaching the counter, the cloaked pony sighed and grabbed a glass, pouring itself a hearty dose of hard liquor.

"A princess," the Source sighed and held the glass to its forehead. "Of all the things, a princess... seriously!"

The glass offered little help in calming the Source's headache; lacking ice, the drink was lukewarm at best. Rolling its violet-crimson eyes, the game-master changed plans and downed the drink in one go.

That decision was rather easy to regret. What the liquor lacked in taste it made up in strength; a coughing fit took over the Source, the cloaked game-master bending over as it struggled for some air.

I can't believe there are beings who PAY for this thing, the Source shook its head wildly, trying to ignore the burning sensation in its mouth. There were quarantines for liquids half this atrocious back at home.

The ill sensation was thankfully brief, though. The Source cleared its throat and pushed itself away from the counter, its hooves clanging faintly as it made its way to the trapdoor in the corner.

Right... back to work.

---

"Hoooo... so you're here!"

The Source smirked sourly at Pinkie's greeting. Dust tickled the game-master's nose; the green hood rubbed against the unused pieces of furniture, creating a veritable cloud as the robed pony walked across the dark cellar.

"Took your sweet time to show up," Pinkie giggled. She was sitting in front of a lit fireplace, deep orange outlines flickering around her swivelling-chair. "I was beginning to wonder if you'd forgotten about me."

"As if I could," the Source chuckled grimly as it settled next to the swivelling-chair. The fire seemed to be running low; there was barely any firewood left in the pile of darkening ash. "You are one of the hardest things to forget, trust me."

"Aawww. So flattering!" Pinkie rubbed her hooves together excitedly. "We share a special relationship, don't we!"

Hooo, a special relationship you say? The Source's lips turned to a grim smile under the green hood. Well, be my guest. You were the one to bring it up!

"Relationship, huh." The game-master glanced at the pink pony. The hood blocked most of the picture, hiding Pinkie from the neck upwards; but the Source could still tell the pink pony's reaction by body language alone. "Funny you'd mention that. Didn't you know that all relationships end in tears?"

"Ma' and Pa' would beg to differ," Pinkie settled her head onto her hoof, grinning at the hooded game-master.

"...and yet, one day their common story will come to an end," the Source gave a weary sigh. "It has to."

"For an all-knowing god-wannabe, you sure don't know a lot about my parents." Pinkie rolled her eyes. "They're gonna stick together, right to the gra- ohh."

Moving its gaze back to the flickering fire in front of her, the Source allowed itself a dry, sober smile.

Ohh, indeed.

"Still, you never know! Maybe they'll be laughing at the funeral," Pinkie wondered aloud. She didn't even pretend that she wasn't wrecking her mind to come up with a comeback; she rubbed her head so hard that the whole chair rocked around. "I mean, I'd certainly want ponies to remember how happy I lived instead of being all gloomy!"

The Source couldn't help itself; a chuckle made it past the game master's lips.

"Only the happy moments to be remembered, eh? That would be a will quite befitting you," the Source rubbed its head under the hood. The hood obscured such details, but the game master was actually smiling - and struggled mightily to regain its usual indifferent mood.

I can't believe I'm losing my composure, the game-master chided itself. This is the end-game... I should be focused at all times, but now it would be crucial. And yet, even so...

The crimson-violet eyes moved under the hood, sneaking another glance at the pink pony.

Well, I suppose that's why I got you involved in the first place. I wanted to enjoy these chit-chats again. Haha, now that I think about it... this was really foolish of me, wasn't it? Egoistic, even. In my want to abide by my own rules and still get a taste of the old days, I've done something regrettable.

Then the Source closed its eyes and sighed again, conceding the point.

I suppose I am not all that different from Mother, after all... how disillusioning.

Flexing its jaws, the Source made a silent vow to only permit cold rationale from here on out.

"You could use a few happy moments yourself," Pinkie broke the silence, plunging the game-master back to reality. "Seriously, did you ever wonder how ponies will remember you once this is all over? The faceless, always-hooded priestess of gloom... brr."

"Priestess, huh..." the Source chuckled wryly. Then the game-master wrinkled its eyebrows and turned its head to the pink pony, no longer caring if the body language showed. "That's one bold guess, actually."

"Hey, that's just evading the answer!" Pinkie raised her eyebrow, virtually glittering with curiosity. "Don't leave me hanging! Was the guess wrong?"

Pulling on the hood and confident its face was fully veiled, the Source gave that insistent question a toothy grin.

"Priestess... I wonder about that," the game-master mused aloud, careful that the tone remained even. "Priests dedicate themselves to a higher cause that couldn't be explained by ordinary logic... hmm."

"Nopony cares about that!" Pinkie smeared a hoof down her face with a groan. "Priestess, baker, god... that's just a job. Everypony has one and I sure don't care much about them."

Pulling back on the hood so there was a clear view of the pink pony's face, the Source also revealed its befuddled expression.

"Uh... huh? So what was the question about, then?"

"Whether you are a priestess or not, of course!" Pinkie giggled and leaned closer to the dumbstruck game-master.

The Source reared its head back a bit, away from the pink menace; then, once the question fully sunk into its head, the game-master turned its face towards the floor and broke into a short, scornful laughter.

Well, I guess I was worried over nothing. Even if you're Pinkie, you're still a mortal... of course you couldn't comprehend me. Intuition only goes so far.

"I don't get why this is so funny." Pinkie huffed and slumped back into her chair.

"Because that question is even more irrelevant than the previous one," the Source shook its head, its gaze winding up on the flickering fire at last. "As for your answer, Pinkie... I am both a priestess and a priest."

Her head crooked to the side, Pinkie gave the vague answer a disbelieving squint.

"So, that makes you... errr..."

"It makes me none of them. I have transcended beyond such mundane definitions," the Source shrugged. "I am but a vessel now; a hollow shell that functions solely for one purpose. Anything that I had been - dreams, desires, name, gender - I have shed all that unnecessary baggage. They don't serve my purpose, and thus I have no need for them."

"Purpose?" Pinkie echoed in the background. The baker's voice faltered; she was audibly struggling with what she had heard. "Wait, wait. Does you mean that this game served more purpose than your fricking gender? How does that even work?"

"Splendidly," the game-master chuckled and pulled a silver amulet from under the green robe. "It's working splendidly."

---

The fire crackled loudly, spitting a dozen bright sparks into the air. The smell of burning lacquer lingered in the air; the last piece of firewood had been the leg of an old, worm-eaten table.

"Contrary to what you see, I no longer exist. The me who was no longer is; all that remains is but a vessel." the Source leaned back from the fireplace, the violet-red eyes staring into the fire. For a moment, the game-master saw a grand vision in the dancing flames - or, more likely, echoes of events long past, overlaid onto the flames by its own mind. Then the visions ended, and the Source found its voice again. "But that is okay. Personal effects would only get in the way of my purpose. An instrument can only be effective if it has a singular purpose... a clear purpose."

"Uh... is it just me, or did you really say 'splendid' just a moment ago," Pinkie frowned, lifting her eyes from the silver pendant.

A dry smile flashed underneath the green hood, followed by a flash of magenta. The Source's magic enveloped the amulet, and the trinket flew back to the game-master.

"Everything is going splendidly, yes. This farce of a game shall provide me everything that I need to achieve my purpose," the Source chuckled in a dry, low tone as the glittering amulet floated in front of the green hood. "And as long as my purpose is fulfilled, I will be content. Perhaps happy, even. It wouldn't be impossible, theoretically speaking."

"The game, huh." Pinkie mumbled and moaned as she stretched her legs. "ALLLLLWAYS this stupid game, waah!"

The swivel-chair turned, bringing the pink and the green-robed pony face-to-face. The inquisitive blue and the tired crimson-red eyes locked gazes for a second, then both strayed away; one to the fireplace, the other to the silvery amulet.

"Do I bore you? Well, I suppose I would." The Source sighed and absent-mindedly turned the amulet around. "Even right now, I can hear the left side of my brain screaming how boring my single-mindedness is."

Leaning onto the armrest of her chair, Pinkie stared into the fire with a thoughtful smirk on her face.

"I wouldn't dream of badmouthing you," the pink pony finally exclaimed, turning to the Source as her lips pulled to a sombre grin. "I did the same just now... I gamed Lyra into doing something horrible. Made Axiom promise to do things to her, too..."

"Yes, I have seen those." The Source nodded curtly. "You've been my most helpful... and probably my only willing ally."

The chair creaked as Pinkie leaned backwards, throwing her weight against the backrest.

"Don't speak as if it's over yet," she chuckled with a foreboding tone. "I've resigned from the game... which technically means that I've lost. And I really doubt I'd simply need to roll a six to avoid prison this time."

Absent-mindedly turning the silver pendant again, the Source bit onto its lip.

"You're also the first player to bring up the rules after losing," the game-master put the amulet away with a weary sigh, moving its gaze to the pink pony. "So far everypony wanted to weasel out of the deal, one way or the other."

"Well, that's a shocker - I'm not like most ponies! Quick, get the press!" Pinkie cackled. She didn't seem upset or shaken; she was quite nonchalant, as if the topic was purely theoretical. She cocked her head to the side, her cheek resting on her hoof. "So what will it be? I actually read the paper you had me sign when you gave me Axiom. And you know what? There were some interesting conditions in there! Souls were involved. Soouuullsss."

The Source groaned and turned around, setting its back against the damp bricks. Despite being so near to the fireplace, the wall felt pretty cold.

"Well yes." The game-master sighed. "Normally I would take the defeated player's soul..."

The Source glanced to the floor and rubbed its chin. The magics that formed the Game were extremely powerful and costly, even for a being as powerful as the Source. Were the Source bearing the brunt of the expenses, the game-master's body would have given out long ago. The only solution was making the losing players pay for that privilege they had enjoyed - essentially volunteering themselves to the upkeep of the Game. Magic, life... whatever they had.

Just how could that be explained to a pony as cluelessly innocent as Pinkie, though?

"That sounds so anticlimactic." Pinkie rolled her eyes with a yawn. "I was hoping you were doing something more creative than the clichéd soul-stealing."

The Source clenched its teeth instead of answering. It didn't feel right, using the standard procedure on this pony; but the more the game-master thought about it, the less necessary the usual routine seemed. The Game had produced a candidate which seemed suitable - which meant the whole farce would be ending before long.

If it's for a limited time, I can bear the Game's upkeep all by myself.

Pulling the amulet from beneath the green robe, the Source gave the trinket a thoughtful stare.

"I thought you abided your own rules," Pinkie broke the game-master's trance.

"Do you always try to make your own situation worse?" the Source snorted and snapped its head to the pink pony. "Besides, can't I have not have any other considerations?"

Pinkie leaned forward, a smug grin on her face.

"Other considerations? You, the vessel with a singular purpose?"

Its magic holding the amulet so tight that the silver trinket almost began bending, the Source ground its teeth.

You... are you annoying me on purpose?! Can you not see my anguish?!

"Still worrying so much... you didn't change that much, you know! I mean, if you are who I think you were," Pinkie pulled back into her chair, giggling. "See? I can read you. I figured out your plans with Lyra, too."

"And you think that this would be a good idea?" the Source groaned, shoving the silver amulet into the pink pony's face. "Take a good, hard look at it. If I do what I should be doing... then you won't be seeing anything other than that for a long, LONG while."

"Shouldn't be saying, 'but the rules are rules'?" Pinkie pushed the amulet away from her face. "Besides, we both know you need me. Lyra isn't that smart on her own... she's not terribly dense, but she needs the help time to time."

Hopping out from the chair and landing a mere step away from the Source, Pinkie brought out a toothy grin, her expression amplified by the shadows the flickering fire cast onto her face.

"So why won't you let me help you? Aren't we friends?"

The Source didn't recoil this once. The game-master hummed, then finally brought the amulet back into its grasp.

"You're completely correct. I think... that I will take you up on this offer." The Source sighed. "Would you terribly mind having a flashy exit? I would love speeding this game towards conclusion."

---

"FREE DRINKS AT THE PALACE!" shouted a dark-brown feathered gryphon, her words accented by the loud clanging she made with a bell. "FREE DRINKS AT THE PALACE!"

Walking some twenty steps ahead and rolling her eyes in absolute dismay, Lyra wondered just what she was doing. The message of 'fight for your equal share' had morphed into 'fight to liberate all the kegs in the palace cellar', and she couldn't really do anything about the blunder. By this point, her small party had swollen to almost five times the size, and there were even more joining the herd at each intersection.

Oi, oi, oi... I feel like I'm stuck in an avalanche, she glared at the noisy crowd following - and sometimes surrounding - her. Still, there isn't anyone trying to so much as look funny at me. I guess it could be worse-

"THE PRINCESS IS WITH US!" a pony behind her screamed, immediately breaking her chain of thoughts. "THE PRINCESS IS GIVING ALL OF US FREE WINE!"

Oi! I'm pretty sure I promised none of that! Does the palace even have wine cellars? There was never any wine at the popular events... so I guess not, Lyra sighed, then snickered grimly to herself. Well, I can see a lot of drunkards getting disappointed once we take the palace.

Loud cheers erupted from a side-street on the left; glancing there, Lyra briefly caught a glimpse of a band of ponies, all waving mugs at her. Then she was pushed onwards by the ponies behind her, and she lost sight of the odd company. No big loss; she only cared that they weren't a band of assassins waiting to bash her head in.

So an army of drunkards beats a well-woven trap, she giggled to herself, her glassy eyes fixed to the cobblestones of the street below. Kinda hope things won't spiral out of control before I can get the servants, though.

"Boss."

Squinting to her right, Lyra noticed a big spider appear out of the crowd and take its place at her side.

"Boss, this ain't gonna' go so well if ya' keep yer' mouth shut." Axiom dodged a barrel that got in the way, all the while keeping his many eyes on his master. "The rumours are gettin' more vicious by the minute. At this rate, all these beggars' are gonna' be expecting ya' to make a prince of 'em by the end of this day."

A loud chuckle burst out of Lyra before she could help herself. The mere thought was amusing - she was a princess in nothing but title, so the thought of her granting the same title was barely anything other than pure nonsense.

Then she wrinkled her brows and started wondering in earnest.

So... are there any reasons I couldn't do just that?

By the end of the day, she could be the closest thing to an actual God. Either that or she would be dead - but in that case she needn't worry about her promises, so that was equally good as far as her conscience was concerned. In the case of her still being alive by sunset, she had already defeated Luna and Celestia and had acquired almost all servants; with that much power, crowning thousands of princes and princesses was nothing to worry about.

Meh. Might as well make everypony a royal while I'm at it.

Thinking about it, she did recall something like creating a perfect world. Surely everypony being their own lords would be a necessary part of that ideal.

"Seriously?! YER' A PRINCESS?!" an earth pony jumped in front of Lyra, blocking her path and breaking her out of her musing. "Why didn't cha' ever show up before?!"

"Because what I'm about to do would really shake up the status quo," Lyra grinned at the earth pony.

"Sta... whaaa?" the earth pony scratched his head, staining his mane with the grime that was covering the street. The rest of the crowd barely stopped moving; the closest ones noticed the interesting discussion though, and soon Lyra and the other pony were in the middle of a large, and quite colourful soup of individuals - all of which were waiting for the reply of the Unicorn Princess.

"I'm going to give you much more than the wine in the palace," Lyra smirked and carried her gaze around quite theatrically. "I'm going to give the whole palace to you."

The crowd broke into a murmur, then elevated their reaction to a jovial cheer.

Only the earth pony in front of Lyra looked unimpressed.

"I dun' geddit," he kept scratching the top of his head. "What'd I even do with a palace?"

"Whatever you want," Lyra shrugged. It didn't matter if that one pony didn't understand, as long as the rest did. "I'm going to make all of you your own lords, you see."

The reactions immediately started flooding in from all directions.

"We're... we're gonna be royals?"

"Not just royals! Lords, even!"

"I'm... I'm really gonna' get a house? I don't even need a palace... but I will have my own house, right?!"

"You idiot! You could have your own estate! All lords have estates!"

Standing in the middle of the crowd and basking in the attention she was receiving, Lyra was pretty sure that she had gotten the lot under her control. They would surely follow her obediently - and all she had to do was give them promises beyond their wildest dreams.

No way they could come up with anything more outlandish than this, she sighed even as she forced a proud façade. I'm really going to need those godly powers now, though. Frig.

Claws touched her back, a little more forcefully than she had grown accustomed to in the thick crowd. Turning around, Lyra saw an orange-white gryphon facing her.

"That's good and everything, but seriously... where have you been for all these years?!"

"I, uh... I..." Lyra mumbled, quickly realising that she had absolutely no idea why she had been hiding her royal title for so long. It was time for plan B, then; coming up with something easy and easily believable, that is. "I was hiding. The powers that be don't like my idea, you see?"

"Pffft!" The gryphon rolled his eyes. "Princess Lyra, I'm sorry, but that's the most blatant lie I've ever heard. I've been living in this city for twenty years now - and even I know that if the powers that be don't like you, then all they do to you is not give you any free money. This is hardly a reign of terror."

"Yea'," a unicorn directly behind the gryphon nodded. "Celestia ain't THAT bad. She wouldn't-"

Lyra didn't hear any beyond that word. A bright flash caught her attention; but by the time she turned to the source, all she saw was a wall of dust speeding towards her. She barely had enough time to close her eyes before the shockwave hit. The massive air current swept her off her hooves; she tumbled helplessly, finally bouncing off the cobblestones and landing upside-down, her head resting on another pony's belly.

Even though fully sensate, she had absolutely no idea regarding the last few seconds.

Wha... what was that? What in Tartarus happened?

"Is Master all right? That was an explosion just now!" she heard Snowy cry out. The windigo's voice came from close, and Lyra found that fact very reassuring.

You wouldn't let anything happen to me, Lyra gave the windigo a tired smile. Yeah... I'll be okay as long as you're here.

Such was her relief that she barely even noticed when a torn gryphon began yelling next to her.

"The inn...! I think the inn just exploded!"