Pursuit of Knowledge And The Enemy!
She heard the Princess’s roar, even from the dungeon. The castle carried sound well. It was curious to her, as crystal typically absorbed all kinds of energy. In fact, the mare had even developed a method of using them as a power source. If she’d had her magic, she would have built the device. She would’ve built many things, had she her magic. But alas, the device on her horn prevented her from so much as levitating her pen and pad. One of the…
“Lyra? Are you okay?”
“Huh?” The mare snapped out of her daze and looked back at her visitor.
“You were spacing out.”
“Sorry Bon Bon. I was just thinking. I really don’t have much else to do, you know?” Lyra smiled at her best friend, Bon Bon, wishing the bars between them would disappear. Not that it would matter. Without forelegs, she could not hug her friend as she wished to, and with no magic, she couldn’t even levitate over to her. All the same, Lyra was grateful for the company. It was sweet of her best friend to visit every week, even after seven years in the crystal dungeon. “What were you saying?”
“That sounded like Princess Twilight. What do you think she wants?” The visitor asked, letting panic flood her voice.
“Who knows. Maybe Spike burnt one of her books?” the prisoner joked, her smile immediately fading at Bon Bon's bemused glare.
“She said ‘bring me Lyra.’ I don’t think she wants you to fix a book,” Bon Bon said as her panicked eyes darted between her friend and the stairway leading up to the main floor. “Maybe she’s decided to exe…”
“NO! Don’t even say it! She PROMISED me! Ten years and I can get out and I… and I… and…” Lyra trailed off. The mare’s angry scowl had made Bon Bon flinch at it’s harshness. “And I’m sorry. I shouldn’t shout at you. If that is the case, it’s not your fault, Bon.”
“Yes it is! I went to the guards… it’s my fault your even in here…” the beige mare cast her gaze down at her hooves.
“You only did what you thought was right," Lyra said, flashing a warm smile at her friend. "Can’t say I agree with it, but whatever. It’s in the past. Oh, here come the guards. Hey fellas! Can it wait a sec? I‘m in the middle of a visit,” she said, noting with great disdain who accompanied her typically friendly warden.
“No. The Princess has demanded your presence. Immediately,” an orange pegasus stallion with a blue mane said as he trotted down into the cell block.
“Oh come on, Lieutenant Flash… Please?” she said teasingly, batting her eyes at him in mock sweetness.
“Are you serious? You’re more damaged than I thought. Why in Equestria would I be attracted to a two legged mare like you? You’re a monster!” he scoffed, glaring at the amputee in her cell.
“Am I? What’s more monstrous, improving myself or tearing somepony’s dreams away from them?” she replied, grinning menacingly at the guard.
“Flash! That’s enough chatter. Princess Twilight wants her now,” the older stallion reprimanded the lieutenant, as he unlocked Lyra’s cell.
“Oh hiya there, Cap! How ya been? Wife and filly doin well?” the prisoner asked, smiling genuinely at the Captain of Twilight's guard.
“Very well, Lyra. Thanks for asking,” he answered, lifting her by aid of his magic.
“You’re so much nicer than your underlings. How come?” she said as the greyed stallion assisted her onto a waiting hover cart. Captain Stronghoof’s coat was actually red, and his mane orange, but age and stress had worked together to turn them both pale.
“Because we’re a lot alike,” he replied shortly as he, Flash and Bon Bon stepped into the harness. “Miss Bon Bon, you don’t have to help.”
The mare shifted on her hooves a bit, before stepping away from the cart. “If you say so… Is it okay if I come anyway? I’m worried.”
“I don’t think the Princess would mind. You head on up,” the captain answered, smiling at her.
“All right. I’ll see you up there Lyra,” she said with a nervous smile, and made her way towards the stairs.
As the confectioner trotted up the stairs, Lyra shuddered, remembering having pulled her down a similar flight some years ago. She had broken the poor mare’s leg that day. “No…” she whimpered, shaking her head violently.
“What was that, Monster?” Flash snapped, scowling fiercely at the mare.
“Not that it concerns a plothole like you, but I was remembering, or rather trying not to remember, something that could make that nickname true,” she snapped back, as a single, barely unstifled tear rolled down her cheek, which was quickly wiped away be the Captain.
“It’s like you said, it’s in the past, Lyra,” he said, smiling kindly to her, then turned back towards the bumper, letting it rest across his broad chest, and began to push. The captain was so kind to her… he said it was because they were similar. How could a sick mare like her be anything like this great stallion? He had never ridiculed her, as Flash had. He had never condemned her, or even shown the slightest contempt for her. But why? Why would anypony treat her any other way than with hate? There was no feasible reason…
Lyra felt the cart tilt upwards as it began to ascend the stairs. She wouldn’t slide off, thanks to a vertical panel that her flank rested against. She gazed at the back of the Captain’s head, wishing he’d give her that smile again. It was a magical smile… she loved it. Perhaps it was not just the smile that she loved. After seven years of imprisonment, he and Bon Bon were the only ones to show her any kindness. Perhaps she had allowed herself to become smitten with the old guard. Lyra quickly dismissed the notion. If she chose to pursue Captain Stronghoof, she would only end up hurt. He was married and had a little filly to care for.
The light of the ground floor burned her eyes, and caused her to blink several times before she could start to see anything at all. However, her brow remained furrowed and her eyes cut, so she could at least tell where she was going. They approached a magical lift that Lyra herself had designed before her incarceration. Almost a perfect year before, actually. She smiled softly at her handiwork. It had taken twenty-six work stallions and three weeks to build the device. A rock specialist name Maud had been called in to clear out some of the wall and ceiling for the lift. Now that Lyra thought about it, she recalled Pinkie Pie bouncing around the specialist like they were best friends or something. It was weird.
As they boarded the device, she watched as Captain Stronghoof activated the control panel with his magic and the machine hummed to life. Bon Bon was already on before them. Unfortunately, the device could only be operated by a unicorn, so she, an earth pony, had to wait for them.
The Captain’s kindness flooded her mind again. She still couldn’t fathom how they were alike! No. she was done thinking about it. She was determined to find out. “Captain.”
“Yes?”
“Earlier, you said we were alike. How did you mean? It’s puzzling, that’s all.”
>X<
With a sigh, Flint Stronghoof turned towards his ward. Summoning a small amount of magic, he gripped his armor’s fastener and unclasped it, revealing to Lyra a long, jagged scar that ran across his chest. “When I was sent to Manehattan to help with the riots, one of the civilians stabbed me with a makeshift spear. It broke off in my heart, and it had to be replaced. Unfortunately, despite having a common blood type, there were no donor hearts available. Lots of healthy ponies in that city apparently. It was decided that I would be given an experimental, artificial heart. One of your design, actually.”
“I… I see. So you… you’re body is like mine was. Partly artificial. I‘m sorry. It must have been hard for you. I chose my modifications. Yours were forced unto you.”
“Yeah, it was. Thank Celestia that the solar guard insurance plan covers all work related operations,” he replied with a chuckle, and refastened his armor. It was strange; it felt good to speak to the mare about his past. Maybe later he’d tell her about some of his adventures in the Everfree forest with that strange red and white gypsy pony. The lift screeched to a halt when they reached their floor.
“I’ll go ahead and tell the Princess that you’re coming,” the Lieutenant muttered as he hopped over the carts bumper and flew off towards a massive bronze door down the hall.
>X<
“Princess, I don’t care that he lost his heart because of his duties! He should be expelled from the guard!” The orange stallion grimaced as he argued with Princess Twilight over the matter of Captain Stronghoof’s artificial organ. “And I can’t believe you still haven’t executed that sick, monster of a mare!”
“Lieutenant! Stand down!” Rainbow Dash commanded as she stomped over to glare at him in the eye. “You’ve overstepped your bounds, colt!”
“I don’t have to listen to you, fake Wonderbolt! You aren’t my CO!” he shouted back, pawing at the ground aggressively.
The Captain's eyes widened, then promptly narrowed, as her hoof nearly raised itself to strike the lieutenant's muzzle. “FAKE?! You watch your step, lieutenant! I’ll have you court marshaled!” she threatened, and slowly lowered her foreleg.
“I’d like to see you try, Captain Wannabe!” he roared in response, clearly lacking the restraint of his superior.
“Stand down, Lieutenant! Captain Dash is still your superior, and you will show her the respect she deserves!” Captain Stronghoof commanded as he entered the chamber. However all eyes were on the mare resting on the hover cart, not him. Most of the ponies in the room had never seen Lyra after her arrest.
“Lieutenant Flash. Return to your barracks," Twilight ordered, stepping forward. "You will be relieved of your duties until further notice. You are dismissed.”
“Yes… Princess,” the pegasus growled, before slinking out into the corridor, passing by Lyra on the way. that of course, drew everypony's attention back to her.
Rarity was the most perturbed by the seafoam mare’s appearance. They had once been relatively close acquaintances, but Rarity had cut off contact with her after the incident. She had changed so much, too. Her once bright golden eyes were now a dull yellow and had sunken in, leaving dark circles under them, and her coat was matted and her mane and tail were left unkempt. But what stood out most were the bronze colored sockets on either shoulder, with the flesh around them cauterized and bare.
Pinkie had seen it before. She had accidentally wandered down to the dungeon one day a few years back, and then promptly un-wandered back out after seeing Lyra. Thankfully, Fluttershy still had her face buried in her mane. She didn’t need to see this. Pinkie remembered seeing the article about it in the Ponyville newspaper. The head line was ‘Psychotic Mare Modifies Body.’ She hadn’t read the actual article. She knew it would be depressing, and depression was not something she could handle. Not anymore.
Applejack, on the other hoof had read the article. It sickened her to think that the engineer would go this far to be like a human. According to the papers, Lyra had removed her own forelegs and replaced them with… oh what did they call them things? Harms? No that wasn’t it. It was something to that affect, though.
Rainbow Dash however, had been in charge of crime scene security. At the time, almost all of the Princess’s guards had been incapacitated by Lyra’s resistance, so the Wonderbolt reserves had been called in to assist, as the training facility was closer to Ponyville than Canterlot. Rainbow Dash had seen the crime scene and everything that it entailed. They had found the mares forelegs in a garbage can, cut into three pieces each. She had seen the saw that she had used. She saw the blueprints for the arms. The amount of time Lyra had put into planning the procedure… she wasn’t crazy. She wasn’t desperate, either. She wasn’t anything like that. She was determined to get what she wanted. The pegasus had almost wanted to praise her for it. But that was then. Now, she only saw a pitiful excuse for a unicorn mare that had given up too easy. She saw a pony that let her dreams get snatched away from her. It was pathetic.
Trixie had seen the amputee on a number of occasions, and had become somewhat amicable with her, having chatted with her on occasions when she was asked to check the wards on the castle's dungeon cells. In Lyra, Trixie could see what she might've become, had she not been stopped and given not one, or two, but three chances to start over. It was a sobering sentiment.
“Hello Lyra, Bon Bon. How have you been?” The princess asked, smiling politely, her earlier harshness having vanished completely.
“I have been well, Princess,” Bon Bon said, bowing slightly for the alicorn. “My shop has seen a business boom in recent years.”
“I’m glad to hear it! Lyra, how are you? I trust the dungeon isn’t too uncomfortable?”
“Eeeehhh it’s so-so. Bed could be softer, but it is a prison. Oh, and my ears are still ringing from earlier. Maybe you should try again, I don’t think they heard you in Germaney,” Lyra said, grinning all the way. Her grin may have seemed malevolent, but that was just her face. It was truly a good natured smile, and the princess knew that.
“Very funny. I am sorry for my outburst. I promise, you are not in any trouble." The princess paused for a moment before continuing. "Not yet, anyway. However, what you tell me in a moment may determine the truth of that statement, and what your future holds.”
“Wow, that‘s… frightening,” the prisoner replied with an audible gulp.
“Indeed," the violet Alicorn replied, and turned to her prized pupil. "Sweetie Belle, will you replay the recording for Lyra?”
“Yes, Princess,” the pale apprentice answered, bowing her head slightly.
>X<
The creature pushed the door open without so much as a grunt. With considerable ease, he pulled the guards through, and tossed them into a corner. The thing stood on two legs that closely resembled a pony’s hinds, and its head was that of a pony, but that’s where the pony ended. Its barrel was wider and flatter, with two lanky arms. Of course, those arms had hands at the ends. It was a stallion, judging from its mustachioed muzzle. He was of a muscular build, so he was probably a draft breed, like a Clydesdale or a Shire. His hooves-but not his hands-had black feathering around them, to match his long black mane and tail. Said mane was slicked back behind his ears, and fit well with his black and white piebald coat. He wore a short, red, double breasted jacket with his sleeves pulled up to the elbow, along with a pair of black trousers that reached to a few inches past his hocks. On his flank resided what appeared to be a black katana.
He made his way to the bell jar and reached for his blade. “Alright, then. This was a lot…” He stopped and turned towards the door. He suddenly grimaced, and brought his fist down and shattered the bell jar, causing several pieces to cut through his arm. It immediately gushed a massive amount of blood, but he just flung it to the ground, then grabbed the amulet. He followed up by running up the wall beside the door and grabbed the top of the door frame.
Moments later, Trixie cautiously entered through the opened door as the intruder watched intently from above. After Trixie had passed under, he swung through, and a light clop noise could be heard from the other side. As Trixie finished lighting all the lanterns, she gasped at the scene before her, and galloped out of the room.
“This transpired twenty minutes ago. Tell me Lyra, can you identify the creature, or is it perhaps your own handiwork, carried out by another?” Twilight asked, then trotted over to the amputee and leaned down to get close to her face. The unicorn did not flinch, but met the Princess’s gaze with her own stoicism. “I suggest you tell me the truth.”
“Well, Princess, as much as I would like to take credit for those amazing arms, they appeared to be natural to me. I can’t help but reason that he may have done it to himself using magic. Or perhaps he is like a human, and not of this world. I recall reading of a mirror that allows one to travel to another world. Perhaps he used a similar device? I am greatly intrigued by this theory, and would like to help in any way I can.”
“Thank you, Lyra, you’ve given me all I need, and more." The Princess sighed, and gingerly raised a hoof to wipe her face in exasperation. She did not want to send Lyra back down there... "But I no longer require your assistance, so I am afraid you must return to your cell.”
Before Lyra could reply, a loud crash interrupted the discussion, and a teal pegasus mare with a blonde mane crashed through the window and galloped up to Twilight. “Sorry for the glass Princess, but we found the thief! He’s on his way out of Ponyville now!”
“Thank you, Lightning Dust," the Alicorn replied, and turned to her friends. "Let’s move, everypony.”
As the elements and their apprentices fled to give chase, Lyra was left alone with the Captain and her only two friends, Bon Bon and Trixie, the latter of whom was beginning to clean up the blood. The captain looked down at Lyra dejectedly. “You really want to help, huh?”
“Mostly for research purposes, but yeah, I do,” she said as the Captain and Bon Bon pushed the cart back into the hall. It did not take long to reach the lift, and from there it was a matter of moments to arrive at the dungeon.
“Lyra, I wish there was something I could do to help you…” Bon Bon whispered, just before the cell came crashing closed between the two friends.
“Aw it’s okay. In three more years, I’ll get out and build me some new forelegs," she said, shaking her head, "Then we can go on our own adventures."
“Alright. Well, Captain, I leave her in your capable hooves,” the confectioner said quietly, an left to return to her home and business.
“I’ll take good care of her ma’am.” Once Bon Bon had left the castle the Captain turned towards Lyra and grimaced. “If things go south, should we proceed ahead of schedule?”
“Perhaps… we need to wait. The Princess may come back, or send for me,” the mare said, lowering her gaze to the floor.
“Right..." The Captain paused. "I do have a question, though.”
“Yes?”
“Did you really not plan this?” he asked, taking a seat on the bench across from Lyra's cell.
“Again, I am sad to say that I did not. I wish I had, because that was cool!" Lyra's face began to light up as she became more excited by the Idea of something even remotely similar to a human being present in her world. "I mean, did you the way he climbed up the wall? It was like a monkey or something!”
“There it is,” he remarked, smiling gently at Lyra.
The mare blinked in response. “What?”
“The shine in your eyes,” he said, still giving her that warm smile from before. “I’ve watched it disappear over the years and now it’s coming back. It’s good to know that you’ve still got that passion in you somewhere.”
“Why, Captain, you’re making me blush!” she said, then promptly burst into laughter. The captain quickly followed suit, lying on the bench in front of the cell.
>X<
“Rainbow, Scootaloo, Fluttershy, circle around and head him off! Pinkie, Applejack and Bloom, I need you to catch up and steer him to Spike! Rarity, Sweetie, form a daisy chain net spell with me and get ready to catch him! Spike, be ready to fight; he’s armed, and probably dangerous! Is everypony in position?”
A unanimous “Roger that!” sounded throughout the telepathic ‘radio’ spell they used.
“Good, now, break!” Everypony splintered off to perform there assigned task, and Spike dashed away into the forest, grinning. No doubt he had grown bored from a lack of combat as of late. There had been a surprising lack of world threatening villains in the past two years. Yet he always wore his sword. He claimed it was so that he would always be ready.
The maneuver they were using was intended to corner, and eventually capture, but not eliminate. It had actually been adapted from one of Applejack’s herding formations. One of many formations, actually, that had been adapted from certain backgrounds. They had even used a formation based on Rarity’s signature stitch pattern on one occasion.
In recent years, the elements had learned to operate as a cohesive unit, instead of a group of individuals acting separately. While many had complained about the months of practice, they had participated, and the unit mentality became almost second nature. Eventually, even the apprentices were able to pick up on the elements’ cues and act in synchronization.
Twilight could see the thief ahead, galloping at full speed into the forest. “Alright, U-team, start the spell!” The three mare’s horns started simultaneously glowing, and a beam of energy connected between them and formed a triangle. Slowly, smaller beams began weaving themselves from each of the points, and made their way to the opposite side. The net was soon complete, and all that was left was for the others to do their jobs.
“Listen up, P-team, don’t give an inch!” Rainbow Dash shouted as they circled to the thief’s left with a slight descent. Their plan was working, he spotted them and changed direction, heading for Spike. P-team dropped even lower, and flanked him, but maintained a 60 hoof altitude. That was too close, apparently. A loud bang sounded, startling a lot of birds from the trees. Suddenly, Fluttershy screamed and spiraled towards the ground. “Scoots! B.O.T.A.R. Flutters! E-team, I’m dropping now. I need a flank on his right. Pinkie, transfer to my team!”
Rainbow dropped down below the tree line, spiraling so she didn’t clip her wings. “RD, was that Shy screaming?”
“Roger that. I sent Scoots after her,” she replied as she dropped to a mere ten feet and moved into position as Pinkie Pie did the same.
“That… Jerk!” Suddenly the pink mares fluffy mane deflated and she started to gallop even harder after the thief. “I’ll break him in two! Nopony hurts my wife and gets away!”
“Pinkie, no! I’m okay! He just clipped my wing! Please dear, stay in formaton,” the gentle mare’s voice said over the radio. She sounded pained, but no doubt was putting on for her wife.
An awkward silence filled the air for a moment until Pinkie answered. “Alright. I trust you.”
Rainbow Dash nearly breathed a sigh of relief, but stopped when she saw that Pinkie’s mane had not re-inflated.
The thief was led closer to P-team, herded like cattle by E-team. “Spike, are you in position?”
“Roger that Dash.”
They were closing in on the clearing he stood in. Fast. That was okay. He was ready. Baring his teeth, he took a stance he had learned from an old sword master from Neighpon. He breathed in deeply, preparing to draw his blade in a flash. His grip on the sword’s hilt tightened, his eyes narrowed, and his breathing became slow and controlled. Spike played out how the encounter would go. The thief would move in slow motion to Spike, as his blade would slide from its scabbard, and swing forth with blinding speed. He would miss. He would know he would miss the instant the thief stepped within the clearing. His steps would have changed. He would have jumped over the sword. And he would have gotten away. He altered his plan slightly. Now he would not miss.
80 yards. 60 yards. 40 yards. 20 yards. The dragon counted the distance excitedly. The thief reached to his flank, where his own blade resided. His eyes narrowed at Spike for a moment. He was also plotting out how the encounter would go. Spikes prediction seemed to have won out, as his steps changed pace slightly as he entered the clearing. The thief dew his blade, and jumped, spiraling over spike’s head. He wore a confused look as Spike did not swing. That look turned to pain as the tip of Spkie’s scabbard crashed into the stranger’s stomach, causing him to flip and correct his landing. As he slid to a stop, he tsk’d lightly, and dashed back at Spike.
The ponies had stayed back to let their friend handle the swordplay. Rapid clangs could be heard as the two dueled fiercely. The U-team was behind slightly, but the dragon seemed to have things locked down.
Fluttershy galloped up and stopped short, eyeing Pinkie’s mane. “It’s not inflated…”
“It’s hard to smile when you’re worried about somepony getting hurt. Especially when it’s your wife.”
“But look, I’m okay. It just grazed my wing. Please don’t be angry. Scootaloo says that I’ll be back in the air in no time.” She stepped up and nuzzled Pinkie softly, then pulled back and kissed her lips gently. “Smile for me, my love.”
“Okay… I’ll smile. But only cuz ya kissed me and called me your love,” she said, barely suppressing a burning urge to grab the mare and smother her in affection. Her mane was starting to slowly rise back up.
Fluttershy smiled, but on the inside, she was terrified. It seemed like it was getting harder and harder for Pinkie to cheer up after her episodes, and increasingly easier to slip into said episodes. She was terrified that Pinkie might not com back next time.
The clanging in the clearing stopped, and everypony turned their gazes to the duelists. They were at a stand off, resizing each other. But this did not last long, as the U-team burst through the tree line and launched their net at the thief. It hit home and he found himself trapped in a glowing, sparking cage.
“Nice work everypony. We got him.”
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"I never asked for this." Stronghoof is now voiced by the same man behind Adam Jensen.
Also, muchly improved from the first chapter's quibbles. You've earned another like.
EDIT
You forgot the quotation mark before "Not".
Should read "idea of," and "did you see the way he climbed up the"...did you mean "wall"? He didn't exactly run up the door, but whatever.