E S C A P E

by OfTheIronwilled

Part Four

Twilight's blood feels like it's boiling. She can barely breathe. Every breath she does take is tainted, now that she can place the smell to its source; rancid, metallic, meaty stench pours into her lungs. She can even taste the corruption that's overtaken Lyra, the fragrant aftertaste on her tongue just like the time she accidentally ate a ladybug as a filly.

But she tries. She tries so hard to focus. Equestria needs her. Her friend Lyra Heartstrings needs her.

Thankfully, Lyra doesn't seem to be actively attacking her, at least not yet. Instead the mass of ungulating ponyflesh just twitches in her direction while Lyra screams at her, froths at the mouth. So Twilight takes this precious time to just think.

you can try and trick her into helping you solve this mistery she even gave you the means to do it

Her first thought is that, well, this is great! Not the situation, obviously, but the opportunity! The other monster in the castle was so intent on devouring her alive that there was no reasoning with it, but Lyra is at least aware enough to form coherent sentences and ask questions! Maybe she can tell Twilight what caused her to mutate, and Twilight can help, or at the very least form a plan of action!

So, shivering, her tail tucked between her legs, Twilight squeaks out a shaky, "L-Lyra..."

The creature that used to be her friend spasms. Her pony body, hanging limply off the mound of chitinous meat, flops limply as the rest of the monster thrashes against the stone. There's a horrible squelching noise, wet, and the tinny skittering of insect legs tapping the ground. The hairy human arms flail, splattering the nearby grass with gore, and then the Lyra-thing heaves forward a good couple of hoof-falls.

Twilight squeals and rears back, the magical light swaying wildly into the pitch, refracting off of the squirming insect-parts.

"Where. Is. Bonnie?!" Lyra seethes. Her teeth gnash with a click.

I think your best bet is to distract her with a spell that can mimic Bonbons voice calling for her in a different direction far off.
While shes distracted slowly back away.

Okay, that didn't work. Twilight shakes on the ground, coat soaked with sweat, her chest heaving and burning with white-hot pain. Her next instinctual thought is to mimic Bon-Bon since that's who Lyra is so focused on, but... absently, Twilight clops a hoof gently to her horn, feeling at the gnarled chipped edge of the gouge in it.

So... what Twilight's going to do next... her heart aches, and not just because of her mystery wound. Lyra is corrupted by magic, panicked, her mangled body probably in so much agony. They might not be as close as they used to be, but Twilight can't help but feel horrible for her. She hates to manipulate a friend who's in so much pain, but...

"Where's B--"

"She's over there!"

And Lyra stops dead. At once the lumpy appendages chug to a grotesque stop, fluids oozing now that they've been given an opportunity to rest. The meat and exoskeleton relax into a puddle of body parts on the stained ground. Her face... shifts. Her pupils blow out to the size of fishbowls, her irises twinkling a bright purple in the glow of magic illumination. Her gnarled teeth click together, and then sneer upwards in the biggest smile Twilight's ever seen on somepony who isn't Pinkie Pie.

"Where?" Lyra asks, her voice bright, peppy, her breath only slightly strained. She perks her head up, cracks her neck around in desperation, her ears straining.

Twilight's stomach churns. But dutifully she cocks her head to some random direction in the darkness.

"O-Over this way, Lyra," Twilight stammers. "I just passed her on my way to the market, haha. And I would be more than happy to show you where she is, but..."

Twilight stutters to an awkward cough, and then into silence as Lyra bores into her with those excited, excited eyes. Twilight isn't sure what to do here.

you can try and trick her into helping you

I think her mind has been broken so she won't listen to reason

I don't know how fast she can move with her body in the shape its in but do you really want to take a chance?

Should she try to get Lyra's attention, and coerce her into explaining? Or would trying just spurn her into a rage? She doesn't exactly look like she can move too quickly, but in this state neither can Twilight - her whole body is trembling now, a creeping numbness hanging heavy as stone in her forelegs. And - Twilight hates to think it - could Lyra even survive a chase like the last monster gave her? Could she? Oh, this whole situation is awful!

But Twilight has to say something now, what with Lyra waiting and very much still dangerous. So Twilight takes a deep breath through her nose, coughing at the beetle-stench that clogs her throat, and opens her mouth to say--

Lyra explodes into ichor.

Twilight rears back on her hind hooves as in front of her, liquid rockets into Lyra's side. Droplets spray wildly, glistening in the magic-light, spiraling onto the grass and slicking into thick, viscous puddles on the path. The grass the liquid splashed on crinkles, peels back from the puddles and putrefies into crispy tendrils of brown dead plant matter. Lyra screeches out a snarling scream of pain as the black ooze drips down her throbbing body. There's a hissing noise, high and horrible, and Twilight watches in abject horror as Lyra's new skin bubbles and ripples and smokes, plumes of acrid stink rolling off of her, deep black as the eternal night surrounding them. The stench is so much worse, now. It stings in Twilight's throat.

Panicked, Twilight whinnies and twists her horn around to the direction she thinks the ichor came from. She blows out the radius of her light, flashing the area monochrome with twisted shadows, her horn igniting into flares of agony, and in the cocoon of glow there's another pony.

This one is normal enough, at first. Splashed a stark purple from Twilight's magenta magic, impossible to tell the identity of until she turns and there's fruits on her rump. Berry Punch. Berry Punch, projectile vomiting onto the grass. Berry Punch, suddenly looking in Twilight's direction with slit eyes and gore dripping from her mouth.

Twilight watches, numb. Berry Punch takes a step towards her. Then another. Then the sound of retching as she gallops, spitting, towards her.

Oh no.

Please Recommend an Action

Comments

[Dragoknight92]

Did Fluttershy turned into a zompony?

[stag the story teller]

Try to get Lyra to help subdue Berry and try to explain what you know to them, hoping that at least one will help you regardless of the reason why they decide to do it

[LadyDiscord]

Tell Lyra that Berry has taken Bonnie away, then while they fight make your escape quietly