The Alicorn Disability

by TypewriterError

Ruins

“We’re almost there. Keep close. You’re in no condition to defend yourself.”

“You still haven’t answered my question."

"Too risky here."

"I’m pretty sure nopony is listening.”

“You don’t need to know who she is yet. You’ll meet her in awhile. I just need to get you to the ruins.”

“Why are we going to the ruins?”

“Because that is where we are.”

“Who is “we”?”

“Those still loyal to you and your sister.”

“Where is my sister?”

“Starswirl’s beard, Princess Luna! I haven’t answered that question for the past few miles and I don’t intend to answer it now. How’s your hoof?”

“Sore. But how long have I been gone?” Lyra groaned dramatically

“I can’t just explain it to you. We’re almost there.”

“This is not the way to the ruins, you know. Are you sure we’re not lost?”

“This is a different set of ruins. It will make sense when we get there...oh finally.”

Luna looked and saw white stars up ahead. They were approaching a clearing. The luminescent grey of the path widened outside the scattered line of trees. Luna could hear a waterfall to her right and left. Lyra stopped when they approached a stream that had no bridge.

“Can you fly across?”

“I don’t mind getting my hooves wet...”

“It’s a lot deeper than you think. I don’t want you drowning or going over the waterfall.”

“Lyra...the ruins didn’t have a waterfall. What ruins are these and why did I not know about them before?” A crack and a resounding thud silenced her as Lyra let a thick tree fall across the stream. Well, they now had a bridge.

“Just cross with me. I’ll make sure you don’t fall.” Lyra grunted as she climbed into the wide log. She held a hoof out to Luna who gave her the injured one. The wound which had begun to heal opened and sent a new river of blood over her fetlock. Lyra had some choice words as soon as she pulled Luna onto the shaky log and noticed the blood covering their hooves. Once Luna was upright on the log the unicorn walked backwards and watched the alicorn’s shaky legs advance slowly.

“If you need to stop, let me know.” she said more than once right before Luna usually paused to catch her breath and focus on other things outside of the pain in her hooves. After what seemed like an hour at least, Luna stumbled to the ground safely. Lyra stepped past her towards the log.

“What are you...” A ray came from Lyra’s horn and within seconds the log was charcoal. Luna watched it sink into the stream and break up to float down the river.

“Come on.” Lyra said as Luna looked out towards the cliff's edge a few yards away.

“Lyra...I think...” Luna trailed off.

“...There’s more ruins up ahead...” Lyra said, but Luna could tell her heart was not in it. Luna limped towards the pond at the base of a large waterfall which led to the stream they had just crossed.

The foundation of the building which had once stood there was still present. Luna could almost picture the structure which rose from the crumbled, decaying stones. The once trim bushes and shrubs had grown wild to overtake what had been the entrance to a grand city. A turret roof sat on the ground, devoid of its color and pattern but still intact otherwise. Mountains rose in front of her as she gingerly stepped over the circle of wall that was still left.

Lyra followed her quietly as she walked through the mountains by the tunnel cut for a railroad. The wood boards had rotted away who knows how long ago, leaving the iron rails. At the other end of the tunnel, Luna stopped as she saw a familiar sky where red was crawling over the horizon to announce the coming of the sun. She had never seen a sunset this way before. Her eyes watered as she looked around her at the ruins.

It was Canterlot. The ruins were all of Canterlot, or what was left of it. The mountain looked as if the whole city had been chipped off to fall into the ravine below. Her home was gone. Could Twilight's spell have done all this? Could this really be... Was her home really gone? The streets where earth ponies and unicorns once walked, the houses ponies had lived in... Gone? Destroyed?

“Lyra?” Luna saw the unicorn’s eyes clench shut. “Lyra, who did this? What happened here?”

“What happened here?” Lyra breathed back, looking incredibly old, “I happened here. I, my friends, all the unicorns and earth ponies and pegasi who bothered to come. I was one of the first.”

“You did this?”

“We all did.”

“But why? Why would you destroy Canterlot?” Lyra sat on a pile of rubble.

“I was angry. We all were. Mob mentality. It’s a terrible thing to use, but, it’s also very effective. It only took us an hour to knock the alicorn oppression into the ravine.”

“Alicorn Oppression...?”

“Things changed, Princess Luna, after you and your sister left; especially after Princess Celestia left.” Every sentence seemed like a labor to the unicorn, but once it was said, it seemed to bring some relief. “Do you know how frightening it was for us to not see the moon rise? Can you imagine the panic we had when you and your sister were nowhere to be found? We begged for Cadence to take the throne but she didn’t want it. That’s when...that’s when somepony set out an alarm that Discord’s statue was gone. And everypony panicked.

“Rumors were created and spread like adrenaline. It was Celestia’s fault. She must have killed you and run away with Discord, Nightmare Moon has returned, it’s the alicorns fault... Rumors were created that nopony would have started had they just thought things through and been patient. I was younger then, wanting to make a mark and a difference in the world... Mob mentality, I tell ya...

“I was one of the first unicorns to help in destroying Canterlot. Most everypony saw what they had done and felt the thrill of the taboo, the challenge of authority, the thrill of self-rule...I felt disgusted. I never realize just how far I would go to prove myself... I helped create these ruins...” Lyra said, looking over the stones, which seemed to silence her for a long while. Luna lay on the grass with a headache.

So many question still to answer. Now she had some new ones to worry about.

Comments

[thelazycommenter]

Do you know how frightening it was for us to no see the moon rise?

I'm sure that "no" should be "not".

[ultra1437]

Well, the implications presented here... range from unpleasant to downright terrifying. Good job, now i'm wanting another chapter already.

[TypewriterError]

1588182 oops! thanks!