• Published 29th Apr 2012
  • 3,036 Views, 190 Comments

Spyra - angelofrombelow



Lyra's a spy! And this is a pretty dark story.

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Chapter 10

For several seconds, nopony was able to move. Splinters and wood dust lay scattered across the area next to the hut, with their friend in the centre of it, only partly visible underneath the wreckage.

Carrot Top, who was closest to the scene, came back to life first.

"Noteworthy!" Her scream pierced the quiet of the morning and sent a chill through the other two adult ponies.

She rushed over to the stallion, the back end of his body buried under the splintered wood. Berry Punch, fighting her instincts to run after her, quickly looked into the sky to see if she could spot their attacker. No luck.

She ran towards the two shell-shocked fillies who were staring at the spot they had been standing just moments before the impact. The spot they would have been standing in if Noteworthy hadn't moved so quickly to push them out of the way.

Noi was the first to realise the full implications of this and began to cry. Carrot Top made a faltering attempt to calm her sister, though she was having difficulty keeping her own emotions in check.

Berry arrived soon after and took over, trying her best to block the fillies' view of Noteworthy. Carrot Top quickly went to the stallion's side, frantically checking for any life signs.

Lyra was the last to recover from the shock. She shook herself into action, squeezing her eyes shut briefly to try to stop them from watering, then took a few steps towards the others before realising the best way she could help them.

"I'll, I'll go and get the doctor!" she cried, turning to run.

"Lyra! Lyra, wait!" Berry called out, her voice cracking. The unicorn turned to face the earth pony, who was holding the two frightened fillies close to her.

"Be careful," she said, "This was no accident. Whoever did this is still out there."

Lyra nodded, then broke into a sprint towards town. Meanwhile, Carrot Top was crouched low near Noteworthy, unable to tell if he was breathing.

Berry checked the skies, squinting past the wetness in her eyes into the horizon. Just as before, there was no sign of anypony. There was no cloud cover either, nowhere for a pegasus to easily hide.

She turned her attention back to the scene of the crime, wincing as she noticed a patch of skin on Noteworthy's back that had been torn away by the force of the impact.

"Carrot Top, is he…" she asked tentatively.

"I don't know!" the mare replied hoarsely, by now too upset to carry out her job effectively. "I think he's breathing but I can't feel a pulse."

Berry stepped forward, having to extricate herself from her daughter's grip as she did so, and left Carrot Top to look after the fillies. She lowered herself down to Noteworthy's muzzle – she could feel his breath, though she wasn't sure if that was wishful thinking on her part. Finding a pulse was more difficult. There was one, but it was very weak.

"Lyra needs to get back with that doctor as soon as she can," she murmured.

She looked at the wreckage again. Shards of wood littered the area but none of them appeared to have penetrated his hide. She pulled her head back in surprise as she finally recognised what it was that had hit him. There were dozens of wires in amongst the mess, underneath what had obviously been a large lid.

But the biggest giveaway was the black and white rectangles that were scattered on the ground – piano keys.

She shook her head in bewilderment. "I don't understand," she said, her anger rising, "Who would target us like this? Who would attack two innocent fillies? And how, how could a pegasus fly overhead without us noticing, attack us, then disappear just like…"

Her voice trailed off as the realisation hit her like a thunderbolt.

"Like magic." She spoke almost in a whisper. "It wasn't a pegasus that attacked us. It was a unicorn. It was a…"

Her quiet shock gave way to unbridled rage as she realised the length of time it had taken her to figure this out undoubtedly meant the assailant had got away.

"Damn it. DAMN IT!" she cried, dashing a short distance away from the hut, looking out into the surrounding trees. "Come out! You coward! Trying to kill two young fillies! Trying to kill my daughter! When I find you… when I find you, I'll…"

"Mummy?" Ruby's voice was so quiet, so vulnerable, that it was almost inaudible. She was staring, wide-eyed and tearful, at her mother. She had never seen her so angry, and it terrified her.

The sight of her sapped Berry's energy completely – her fighting spirit left her and it was all she could do to stumble over to the filly and hold her in a tight embrace. Defeated, she began to weep.

Carrot Top also held Noi close as she tried to soothe her. If not for Noteworthy's bravery, both fillies would have died today.

****

For Lyra, the day passed by in a blur. Once she had fetched Dr Whooves, she took him to the scene and stayed with him while he did what he could to save Noteworthy. Berry Punch and Carrot Top took the two fillies home, not wanting them to watch what could well have been the stallion's last moments.

More medical staff were called quickly. Specialist unicorns, who were able to cast spells to see inside his body without the need to cut him open, assessed the damage so they could give him a prognosis.

The initial findings were not good but they were better than they could have been. His internal organs had not been ruptured, but his body had undergone serious trauma and several bones had been broken.

All the activity roused the attention of the Apple family and Lyra suddenly found she had some difficult questions to answer. There was no point in trying to hide what had happened, taking into account the height the piano must have been dropped from to shatter in the way it did. The fact the pony responsible hadn't stuck around suggested they were trying to escape the blame or, worse, that it had been a deliberate attack.

A small crowd of onlookers gathered, though Lyra did her best not to get into a conversation with them. She was too upset to talk, and besides, she had to inform Celestia.

Her message got through to Shining Armour but he was too busy with his duties at the castle. His deputy, Valiant Shield, went in his place and Lyra informed him of all that had happened in private.

Once that matter was dealt with, she went to the town hospital. Applejack and Big Macintosh were already waiting there – Noteworthy had been a constant help on the farm whenever they had needed him and he was a friend of the family.

The three of them didn't talk much. Big Mac tended to be on the quiet side anyway and Lyra and Applejack didn't know each other. Besides, their minds were occupied. All they could do was wait.

****

Canterlot castle's corridors echoed to the sound of Princess Luna's hoofsteps as she made her way to her sister's chambers.

It was now late afternoon and the sun was at its brightest. This was normally the time Luna preferred to be alone as it was when she was least busy, but duty called. She wondered why her sister had summoned her.

The guards to Celestia's room bowed at the dark-coated alicorn's arrival and stepped aside to allow her to enter.

Upon seeing her sister, Princess Celestia stood up from her resting position on the floor. She had a grave expression on her face.

"Sister? You wanted to see me?" said Luna.

"Indeed – thank you for coming so promptly. I am afraid that I'm going to have to send you away again."

"What do you mean? What's this about, Tia?" she said, faintly concerned by her sister's frosty demeanour.

Celestia walked over to the world map on her chamber wall and tapped her hoof against the area that denoted the Griffin Kingdom. "I am unhappy with the agreement you worked out with the griffins, and that's putting it mildly. It's one thing for them to demand compensation for what happened with Discord, but for you to actually agree to it? What were you thinking, Luna?"

She was at a loss for words to start with. "You told me to keep the peace by whatever means necessary, and that's what I did," she said. The fact she had been caught on the back hoof by this was audible in her voice. "The sudden switches between the day and night cycle led to some of their crops being ruined. The cattle they had living nearby got spooked and went into a stampede. They wanted us to share some of our produce to make up for it and I agreed as a show of goodwill."

"And in so doing, you accepted responsibility for Discord's actions on behalf of Equestria," said Celestia, "Have you forgotten our history so easily? When we first banished Discord, our race became hated for centuries. We were blamed for the mess he had created and the disasters that occurred when he was no longer there to oversee it. We became little more than slaves, forced to manage the ecosystem on behalf of all the other races."

She drew herself up to her full height, looking down her nose at her little sister. "And now, with his return, the griffins would seek to blame us again for something that was never our fault. They want us to pay them when they should be thankful to us for liberating them from tyranny. This isn't a matter of goodwill – it's an insult."

Luna bowed her head, ashamed. When her sister had sent her on her diplomatic mission, she had informed her to explain what had happened and keep the peace. She hadn't considered the issue of national pride.

"What would you have me do?" she asked quietly.

"Another diplomatic mission will be necessary, I fear. This time, I believe we will need to get an agreement from them in writing. I will be briefing Shining Armour on the matter presently – he and a small number of guards shall be travelling with you."

"What?" said Luna, taken aback, "You're sending the captain of the royal guard? Tia, don't you think that's overkill?"

A dangerous look flashed in Celestia's eyes and Luna was instantly cowed.

"As you wish. Once you have informed Shining Armour, I will meet with him so we can work out our case and draft a new agreement," she said.

Celestia's expression lightened. "Thank you, Luna. I am sure your mission shall be a success."

Luna nodded in deference and left her chambers. She thought over her new mission as she walked off through the castle corridors. That encounter had brought it home to her that Celestia was still very much in charge and it would be a while before they were on equal pegging once again.

This was to be expected, however. Luna had been away for 1,000 years and her name was still stained by her actions as Nightmare Moon. Once her people had fully accepted her again and she took on more responsibilities, then she would once again be her sister's equal.

For now, she was just thankful that her days of darkness were behind her.

****

Lyra was sitting alone in the hospital corridor outside Noteworthy's ward when Berry Punch and Carrot Top finally returned. She shone them a sad little smile when she saw them approach.

Carrot Top trotted a few steps forward, then stopped. Her eyes glimmered with worry – she wanted to know but was afraid to ask.

"He's going to live," said Lyra, and the two mares both let out heavy sighs of relief. It had been a traumatic day for the pair of them but this news made up for all of that.

Dr Whooves stepped out from the ward and coughed to catch their attention.

"Your friend is very fortunate, in a manner of speaking," he said, "Fortunate to be alive, but I'm afraid that's as far as it goes.

"We've had our best surgeons working on him but the amount of damage there… it's unlikely he'll ever be able to walk unaided. It would take a level of restorative magic that only somepony like Princess Celestia is capable of."

Carrot Top's expression stayed solemn, though the doctor's throwaway comment had sparked a small hope in her that Noteworthy might be able to make a full recovery.

Whooves smiled compassionately. "For today, you should just be thankful that he survived and try to help him through what's going to be a difficult time. He's awake now. The Apple family are with him, but I'm sure they'd have no problem if you wanted to come through."

The three mares thanked him and headed into the ward, but Whooves stepped in front of Lyra and held his hoof up to prevent her from following the others.

"Are you alright?" he asked. She nodded, but he wasn't willing to let her go just yet.

"Are you sure? You have a habit of bottling things up. This has been a day unlike any other and I'm sure it's come as a shock to the system."

"I'm fine," Lyra said simply. Whooves seemed unconvinced but didn't press the matter further. He had other concerns.

He said: "I know everypony is trying not to jump to conclusions here, but there's absolutely no doubt in my mind – this was attempted murder. It wasn't an accident, like in the case of Twilight and Derpy Hooves."

Lyra couldn't look him in the eye, so she inspected one of the floor tiles instead. "Yeah, that was a lucky one. If Twilight hadn't summoned up a shield on reflex, Derpy might have succeeded where Nightmare Moon didn't."

"There hasn't been a crime like this in Equestria for decades, at least none that have been made public knowledge," said Whooves, "Do you have any idea who could have done it? Did Noteworthy have any enemies that you know of?"

"I'm not aware of any, no," she said truthfully.

"Then, could they have missed their intended target? Did anypony else in your group have somepony with a grievance against them?"

Lyra paused a while, wondering just how much she should tell him. He was her most trusted friend in Ponyville but her loyalty to Celestia came first. Not only that but letting him know the truth could place him in danger, especially after today.

She looked him in the eye. "I honestly have no idea. This whole thing is crazy. Though we did find out later that it was actually Noteworthy's piano that was dropped on him – somepony broke into his hut before we got there."

"And nopony else knew you were going there?"

Lyra shook her head. The only other pony they had spoken with that morning had been Applejack and there was no way she could be responsible, nor any way she could have overheard their plans to go to the hut unless she had hung around outside after buying that ginger from Carrot Top.

Whooves' expression remained grim as he considered what she had told him. He leaned in close to her. "Come what may, you should look out for yourself. You're a dear friend to me and I hate the idea that you could be in trouble."

He pulled his head back and smiled apologetically. "I have to go. Duty calls. I'll see you later, okay?"

Lyra nodded and the doctor walked down the corridor towards Nurse Redheart, who had been waiting patiently for him for the past minute or so.

The unicorn made her way into Noteworthy's ward again – she had visited him earlier, before going to wait outside for Berry and Carrot Top to arrive.

Applejack greeted her. "Hello again," she said, her mood understandably brighter than it had been a few hours ago, "Big Mac an' I are heading on home. We gotta catch up on our work at the farm and this room's starting to get a mite cramped anyway. Y'all better take care of this guy now."

Carrot Top, who was standing right at the head of Noteworthy's bed, managed a weak smile at this sentiment. Applejack gave Big Mac a nudge to tell him it was time to get going.

"You get well soon, ya hear?" he said to the patient, who closed his eyes briefly as an indication that he'd do his best.

Noteworthy was in terrible shape. His entire lower body was wrapped up and his blue coat had lost its sheen. He had barely spoken since waking up and was too weak to do anything for himself.

The three other ponies stayed and talked with him for a good while, though he wasn't in any condition to say much back. Eventually, evening came around and Nurse Redheart entered the ward to ask them to leave for the night.

"We'll be back tomorrow, okay Noteworthy?" said Berry, "Hopefully you'll be feeling better and we can talk about… stuff."

The ponies had avoided talking about the circumstances that had led to him being in this position because they wanted to avoid upsetting him and, as yet, they had no clues to work on anyway. Berry and Lyra walked out together.

"So, ah," said the unicorn tentatively, "I haven't had a chance to ask about what you and Carrot Top got up to today."

The earth pony stopped walking and she had to take a moment to collect herself. When she spoke, her voice was quiet and faltering.

"We couldn't allow Pinchy and Noi to stay in Ponyville any more, not with a killer on the loose," she said, "Canterlot isn't running regular balloon ferry services at the moment, so they couldn't stay with our parents. Luckily, Carrot Top had a friend in Manehattan who could look after them, so we spent the whole day travelling to and from there."

She coughed to clear the lump in her throat. "It was difficult. Facing up to the fact I couldn't protect her, couldn't guarantee her safety. The worst part of it was she didn't want to go, that's what made it so hard to say goodbye. There were tears. On both sides."

She stopped, squeezed her eyes shut. Lyra couldn't help but be affected herself.

"You should stay over at mine," she said, "I think you need a friend tonight."

Berry nodded, her eyes still closed, and managed a grateful smile.

The two friends left the hospital. Carrot Top was still in Noteworthy's ward, talking to Redheart.

"You don't mind, do you?" asked the yellow-coated earth pony, "I promise I won't be any bother. I just don't think he should have to be alone."

"Well, I suppose… given what he's been through, having a friend by his side will probably aid his recovery," said the nurse, "We should have a spare blanket and pillows so you can hunker down. Haven't got any beds spare though, I'm sorry."

Carrot Top sighed happily, grateful at being allowed to stay. "The floor will be fine," she said with a smile.

Noteworthy turned his head after Redheart left and weakly uttered: "Thank you."

Carrot Top's voice was low, affectionate. "After what you've done for me, there's nothing I can do that can thank you enough. I owe you so much. You're a hero, Noteworthy."

She nuzzled her head against his then settled on the floor beside him, where she would spend the night.

****

Berry went into Lyra's home first and was surprised to see how sparse it was. There were no decorations and only the bare essentials as far as furniture was concerned.

The large main room only contained a sofa that, as comfy as it looked, seemed at odds with the vast expanse of wooden floorboards.

"Wow, this place is very… minimalist, isn't it?" she said.

"I just buy what I need," said Lyra, not noticing the surprise in Berry's voice, "It's lucky actually – I had considered selling off all of my furniture when I was leaving Ponyville. If I'd done that, then Celestia would have sent me back to an empty house."

"And it's not empty now?" said Berry, bewildered at how she could live like this. There weren't even any pictures on the walls, no reminders of family.

"Would you like something to drink?" Lyra asked, "Perhaps something to eat? I'm guessing you haven't had time for anything much today."

"I could do with a glass of red. Nothing too earthy though, I'd prefer something that'll slip down nicely."

Lyra paused by the fridge, suddenly realising that Berry Punch's tastes didn't match her own. "I was thinking more along the lines of fruit juice, actually," she said sheepishly, "I don't keep any alcohol in the house."

"You don't drink?" The purple pony thought back to last night and remembered that Lyra hadn't touched a drop of Carrot Top's wine. "Okay, fruit juice it is, then. I'll go with grape, if you've got any."

"I'll sort us out a salad as well. Nothing too heavy."

"So her diet's as minimal as her decorating. No wonder she's so slim," Berry muttered to herself, feeling self-conscious about her slightly chubby belly.

She wandered through the main room while her host rustled up some food. The place looked as though it had been barely lived in – either that, or the pony who stayed here had barely lived.

Berry couldn't help but think that Lyra needed a good marefriend to look after her.

There was only one other room that led off from the main area apart from the kitchen, so she took a look inside. There was only one thing inside but it took pride of place in the centre of the room – a beautifully crafted lyre. She hadn't seen an instrument like it since her childhood in Canterlot.

Lyra came into the main room, concentrating hard as she used her magic to hold two bowls of food and two glasses of grape juice. The two mares sat down to eat.

"How often do you play the lyre?" Berry asked after a few minutes.

"Whenever I have time to relax. Haven't played it since I got my mission from Celestia," said Lyra, "I try to keep in good practice."

"My parents used to take me to see the Canterlot Orchestra when I was a foal. I always enjoyed it."

"I tried out for the orchestra before I became a spy. Didn't get in, obviously," said Lyra.

"I'd like to hear you play some time." Berry swallowed her mouthful and looked down at her half-eaten bowl of food. "This is nice, but I don't think I'm that hungry. I'm sorry."

She climbed up onto the sofa and watched while Lyra finished off her own food. The quiet gave Berry time to think back on the day – up until this point she'd tried to distract herself with other things.

She wondered how her daughter was doing, forced to live in a stranger's home. Carrot Top's friend seemed like a good pony, but she couldn't help worrying.

Lyra took the bowls through to the kitchen to wash up wile Berry remained wrapped up in her thoughts. Ruby Pinch had never so much as gone for a sleepover before. Now she was not just sleeping in a different bed, but a different town and one that was far busier than Ponyville. The residents there were of a similar mindset to Canterlot, so there was the culture shock too.

But she couldn't stay in Ponyville because there was no way Berry could guarantee her safety.

Berry's eyes began to sting. All the care she had taken to ensure Pinchy had been raised right, all the effort she had made to keep her safe, hadn't mattered in the end. When it had come to an actual life-or-death situation, she hadn't been able to protect her.

She felt her throat tighten and she squeezed her eyes shut, but there was no way she could stop the tears coming.

Sensing something was wrong, Lyra came back out into the main room and saw her struggling to control her emotions, teeth clenched and cheeks stained wet.

The unicorn rushed over to the sofa just as Berry broke into full-on sobbing. The purple earth pony pulled Lyra tight to her with her right foreleg and pressed her face against her neck, her heaving cries muffled in her coat.

Lyra tried her best to comfort her, trying not to tear up herself so she could stay strong for her friend.

It took a while before Berry was able to form coherent words, let alone sentences. "I wasn't there," she said, her words choked, "If Noteworthy hadn't… if he hadn't…"

"Shush. You can't think like that," Lyra whispered, "You'll end up torturing yourself if you keep thinking about the 'what ifs' and 'if onlys'. We'll find out who did this and when we do, she'll be with you again."

"I can't stop thinking about it. If anything had happened to her, I don't know if I'd be able to carry on."

Lyra simply stood there, trying to support her as best she could. She figured it was probably better to let it all out.

Berry continued, her speech punctuated by sniffles. "I'd do anything for her. Anything to protect her, no matter the cost. When you broke into my house last night, you can't imagine the rage I felt. It frightened me. I wasn't sure how far I'd be willing to go to stop you."

Lyra was unable to hide her alarm at that comment, but she recovered from her shock quickly – and was suddenly all the more thankful that Berry was on her side.

"That's why I can't understand why Celestia would do this to us. Why would she lie about something that could have such serious consequences? It doesn't make sense!" Berry cried.

"You're right. You're right. But we'll figure it out. Once we've had a chance to speak to the princess."

Berry's heaving chokes were beginning to gives way to tired sniffles. There was nothing else Lyra could do but wait for her to regain her composure.

Eventually Berry's tears subsided but she kept hold of Lyra, using her as an anchor of support. The mare was emotionally worn out but felt a strange sense of relief, as if the load weighing her down had been lightened.

"Thank you," she said, "Thank you for being here. Today's been dreadful and you've been so kind to me that I..."

She pulled back, still keeping the unicorn in her embrace, and looked her deep in the eyes, their faces almost touching. A moment passed, then Berry let her go and turned away.

"Sorry," she said, "I'm not… I'm just feeling a little vulnerable right now."

"You've got nothing to apologise for," said Lyra, confused, "After what you've been through today, I mean…"

Berry let out a small chuckle, suddenly aware of what a mess she must look. "I think I need to get some sleep," she said wearily, "Have you got any spare blankets?"

Lyra replied in the affirmative and went upstairs to get some extra bedding material – and to find something to wipe off the snot that had accumulated on her neck.

For a second there, it looked though Berry had been about to kiss her. Lyra smiled to herself, thankful that hadn't been the case – how awkward would that have been?

She picked up some sheets and carried them down, then made sure her guest was comfortable.

She was about to go upstairs to bed herself when Berry called out to stop her. She was looking into the recreation room, at the lyre.

Berry seemed almost bashful, which was most unlike her. "I know this is kind of an odd request but… could you play for me?" she asked, "It's just, that instrument has such a wonderful sound and I'd like to listen to something, well, something soothing."

Lyra grimaced, feeling a twinge of guilt. "I've never really played for an audience before," she said, "Not since I failed my entrance exam to the royal academy. It's become something that's kinda private, just for me."

As far as the orchestra had been concerned, the lyre had always been an instrument better suited for a soloist and Lyra hadn't been a strong enough performer to take the stage by herself.

But whenever she played, her music would melt all of her concerns away and she could allow herself to be happy, just living in the moment. She wasn't sure if she wanted to share that feeling with anypony.

The look of disappointment on Berry's face was hard for her to cope with, however. She hesitated, and might even have relented to her request if there hadn't been a knock at her front door at that very moment. She felt some relief as she went to answer.

It was Dr Whooves – his sense of timing as impeccable as ever. Upon seeing him, Berry decided it would probably be best to just try to get some sleep. She didn't know how long he'd be here and she wasn't in the mood to socialise with somepony new.

"You'd better come through to the kitchen. She's had a long day," said Lyra, keeping her voice low.

"I'd imagine so," the doctor said quietly, "And what about you, Heartstrings? How are you holding up?"

"I'm fine," she said, without even thinking about it. She opened her fridge. "Can I get you something? I know you're not a drinker, so you should be easier to cater for."

Whooves closed the fridge door and beckoned for Lyra to sit, his stern expression indicating that he wouldn't take no for an answer. When they were both settled, he spoke with an almost fatherly tone.

"There's something I've noticed about you in the time that I've known you," he said, "Whenever anypony asks you how you're feeling, whoever they are, you always give them a dismissive answer. You're always 'fine' or 'good'. Earlier today, in the hospital, was a fine example of that. You were upset but you weren't willing to speak about it."

"My friends had been through worse. They needed me there to support them. Sometimes you have put others' feelings ahead of your own," she replied, taken aback by what appeared to be the start of a lecture.

Whooves leaned forward. "But you always put other ponies' feelings ahead of your own. That's not healthy. You're a very good friend, Heartstrings, but I sometimes get the feeling that you're hiding something from me."

So that's what this is about, Lyra thought. He was a perceptive pony and she should have known he'd figure out she wasn't quite who she said she was at some point. But she wasn't willing to tell him the truth, not with a potential killer on the loose. She couldn't put him in danger.

Whooves sighed when she didn't reply. "Do you want to know what I thought when I first met you?" he asked.

She remained quiet, trying to work out ahead of time what he was going to say. Coming up blank, she motioned for him to go on.

"I thought 'there's somepony who needs a friend'. Not just an acquaintance, or a colleague, which you have plenty of, but a true friend. Someone you can truly be yourself around."

He smiled ruefully. "And although you've been willing to open up to me, you've never told me everything. There are still parts of your history that I know nothing about, because whenever I bring them up you just change the subject. You still haven't told me what you were doing just before you came to Ponyville."

Lyra turned a shade paler at the mention of it. Her mission to aid the fight against Nightmare Moon. She had been convinced it would end up killing her and had been surprised when it didn't.

Whooves noticed her reaction. "You see, that's what I'm talking about. And now I've got you caught on the subject, without any way of switching to a different topic, you're still not going to tell me anything, are you?"

Lyra closed her eyes, lowered her head. She had tried to push that time of her life permanently to the back of her mind. Tried not to answer the questions it raised about her. Tried not to think back to the way she had felt throughout that mission – sometimes determined, sometimes afraid, sometimes angry, but always proud.

She couldn't look back up at Whooves. She wasn't able to speak about that part of herself, even to him. "I'm sorry," she said, her voice less than a whisper.

He nuzzled against her, forced her to raise her head. "It's okay, take your time. I just want you to know that if you ever need to speak to somepony about it, about anything, then I'm here. Make sure you don't take too long though – I'm not getting any younger."

That comment helped to lighten the mood. Lyra chuckled. "Not getting any younger? You're not that much older than me."

He smiled, despite himself. She had no idea how wrong she was.

"Anyway, you can still attract the mares," she said, adopting a more playful mood, "There's a certain librarian who's still interested in you."

"Changing the subject again, I see," he said, but she pretended not to hear him. Their conversation for the rest of his visit would be made up of her continued attempts to play match-maker.

He was happy enough – he had said all he needed to say, for tonight at least.

But he would tackle her again on the subject and he fully intended to get her to open up to him, and the sooner the better.

Because he knew all too well what his future held.

****

Her attack had failed.

Oh, it had been a successful diversion, all right. Their entire day had been wasted, which meant she was another 24 hours closer to pulling off her revenge without anypony seeing it coming.

But although blood had been shed, there hadn't been anything like enough.

She remembered again the thrill she felt when she dropped the piano, the exhilaration when she saw it shatter against that egotistical stallion's back. A taste of the payback she would wreak against ponykind.

There had been such disappointment when she learned he was going to live. A shame. It would have given her so much more pleasure if the piano had fallen on those two fillies. Imagine the mess they would have made.

She had been admonished for her failure. That had hurt – she was the one doing all the work, she was the one who had the most to lose.

For now, she would have to go to ground, take a lower profile. Her targets would be wary, watching for their unknown attacker. She would have to be careful.

But she needed another distraction. A way to prevent those four spies from getting to Celestia and asking too many questions.

****

Twilight Sparkle let out a protracted yawn, then finally put her quill away.

It was nearing midnight and she'd been hard at work all day, reorganising her checklists and filing systems to ensure she'd never mislay anything again.

She smiled wearily, looking down at what she had accomplished. The perfect system – one master checklist to hang on the wall that gave her a summary of all her other checklists, daily checklists to keep track of all her tasks and back-up checklists that gave basic overviews of every week.

She checked the clock on her desk and gasped – she hadn't realised it was that late. Time had somehow gotten away from her.

After safely packing away all her scrolls and making sure the next day's list was in prominent position on her desk, she stumbled up to her bed and wrapped the duvet snugly around her. She hoped her dreams would be free from nightmares tonight.

Everything was prepared for tomorrow. All she had to do was pick up some supplies from town and then she would finally be able to relax. Her friends had arranged a picnic – she was bringing the cupcakes – and she was looking forward to an afternoon relaxing in the sun.

It was going to be a wonderful day.