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Spyra, part seventeen

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Princess Luna flew out of Canterlot castle and into the bright light of the morning.

The night had passed without incident – she had kept herself occupied by handling diplomatic affairs. The Griffin Kingdom was still waiting to hear from them after her sister overturned their agreement to pay compensation for the trouble caused by Discord.

She had more pressing matters on her mind, however. Now her night's duties were complete, she had to confront Celestia about her increasingly malicious behaviour before the worst happened.

The guards told Luna that her sister had recently left her chambers, though they did not know where she was headed. She had last been seen going outside.

Luna found her in the courtyard and she was shocked to see the state she was in. The princess's physical condition had deteriorated massively over the past day – her mane had lost its lustrous sheen and her eyes had dark rings underneath them, almost appearing sunken in their sockets.

She was walking towards the statues of Equestria's greatest villains but was struggling with every step. It was as if there was reluctance in her, like she was trying to fight her own body even as she moved forward.

Luna flew down in front of her, stopping her in her tracks. The two sisters looked at each other with an uneasy tension. There was no denying it – Celestia looked dangerously unwell.

"Sister, what's happened to you?" Luna asked, "Your behaviour these past few days, your health – something's wrong. You need help."

Celestia closed her eyes and turned her head away. "Luna, I…" she began to speak, then shuddered. She seemed to be having difficulty standing.

The Moon princess stepped forward. "I can help you, Tia. If this is what I think it is, then I have been through the exact same thing. We just need to find out what triggered it, how the darkness managed to take a hold of you."

Celestia remained silent for a short while, her body trembling. Soon her shaking subsided.

But a noticeable change came over her.

Her formerly weak stance became proud, confident. She raised her head high, a devilish smile on her lips, and fixed her sister with a hard stare.

"You always were the weak one, Luna," she said with a grin. "Always waiting for approval from your dear sister before going ahead with anything. Always depending on her to make the important decisions. It was always her who despatched with your foes."

"Tia?" Luna spoke in a small voice, fearing the truth but unable to face up to it yet.

"You're alone now, little Luna. Celestia is mine, the Elements of Harmony have been sent far away and there is nopony who is able to stop me."

The Moon princess's breath caught in her throat. "Guards!" She cried out in the Royal Canterlot Voice, immediately gaining the attention of just about everypony in the castle. "My sister's mind is not her own! She must be subdued, immediately!"

Celestia looked at her sister with contempt, and then heard a noise behind her. She turned to see a small squadron of guards approaching nervously, unsure of whether they should actually carry out the order they had just been given. She laughed malevolently.

"Still unable to fight your own battles? Such a pity. Allow me to force the issue – you can look upon this as a test of character."

Her horn flashed and a wave of powerful magic emanated from her body, quickly engulfing the entire castle and its grounds.

Luna was sent flying backwards by the force of it, her body crashing hard against the stony ground of the courtyard. She staggered to her hooves, scarcely daring to open her eyes. She had felt the terrible power of the spell and was frightened by what it could have done.

The guards still stood behind Celestia but their bodies had changed. Where there had once been ponies of flesh and blood, there were now nothing but crystal statues.

Celestia smiled, stroking her hoof on the cheek of one of the transformed ponies.

"I'll admit, she's a powerful one. I don't know why I didn't take over her mind before," she said, then tapped her chin thoughtfully. "I guess it had something to do with the fact she utterly defeated me the last time we met. Ha! How the tables have turned."

Luna could only stare in horror as she realised she was completely alone against whoever was controlling her sister. Celestia had always been more powerful than her.

The dark-coated princess didn't believe she could take her in a fight, and she feared that the fragile bodies of their frozen guards could be shattered if they did enter combat.

"What do you think of them? I know Celestia normally prefers stone but pshaw, it's so passé," said the mind-controlled princess, gesturing at the statues in the courtyard. "And as I said before, it's not my style. Crystal ponies give this place an extra bit of class, don't you agree?"

"You!" cried Luna, suddenly recognising her foe. The air of superiority, the casual disregard for life and the ability to alter reality – it could be no other. Discord.

"Finally, you recognise me! It took you long enough. Oh, how I've waited for this – to have the two royal sisters completely at my mercy. Of course, I can only control one of you at a time, which leaves me with the conundrum of what to do with you."

Luna lowered her body into a battle stance, ready to strike, barely daring to blink. She had no idea what she could do to stop the god of chaos without harming her sister, but she wasn't willing to go down without a fight.

Celestia chuckled. "So tense! Honestly Luna, it's not good for you. You've been working too hard. You need a holiday and I know just the place. It's very quiet, not a soul around for miles – though I'll admit, it does lack atmosphere."

"No," she murmured, instantly guessing the fate Discord had in mind for her. During her 1,000-year banishment her mind had been possessed by Nightmare Moon, so she had not endured the torture of being disconnected from the rest of the planet, to helplessly count time passing by as the friends she knew slowly grew old and died.

She couldn't let it happen. Not knowing that Discord would be wreaking havoc in her absence.

"No!" she cried, her horn sparking into life as she fired a beam of energy at her sister.

Celestia smiled as she countered with her own magic, effortlessly holding Luna's magic at bay.

"Oh please," she said, watching the other princess struggling against her might. "You couldn't take either one of us by yourself – do you seriously think you have a chance now Celestia's power has combined with my own?"

Luna staggered as the possessed princess walked towards her. The Moon princess backed into the pedestal of Discord's statue and was forced to cower under her sister's superior might.

Celestia's smile dropped off her face and she scowled cruelly. "Goodbye, Luna."

Her horn flashed and Luna was overwhelmed. She was encased in a bubble of magic and felt herself being broken down into a wholly ethereal state. She was forced to watch as her body crumbled away.

Her hooves dissolved into dust and the effect made its way up her legs, her physical body becoming nothing more than a black aura, a visible soul.

She took one last distraught look at her sister before the spell reached her head, her vision blurring then falling into darkness as it cracked apart.

Then her consciousness was sent rocketing skyward, through the stratosphere and into space until it reached the Moon. It had been Nightmare Moon's prison for a thousand years. Now it was hers.

Celestia walked over to one of the frozen guards and wrapped a leg around his neck. "I think she'll be quite happy up there, don't you?" she said, "Though perhaps I should have given her time to pack a few things – a book or two would help the eons fly by."

She patted the crystal statue on the back. "Got to go now. Celestia has a letter to send."

The alicorn walked away from the courtyard and Discord's hold on her faded. He was only able to directly control her while she was near his statue.

But he had assistance from the outside, another being who had been planting thoughts in Celestia's mind and influencing her decisions on a subconscious level.

She began to stagger as she made her way into the castle, so weak now that she could barely stand upright – her reserves had been drained by Discord channelling his power through her.

She stumbled through the corridors in a daze, led by a voice in her head into her chamber, where her parchment and quill were waiting.

Her horn glowed and she began to write, barely comprehending what she was doing. The letter was finished quickly and she sent it off in a flash of magic.

With that done, she could stay conscious no longer. The heavily weakened princess collapsed to the ground. She would not wake until sunset.

****

Lyra was wrapped in a blanket on the floor, in a semi-awake daze. She had spent the night resting in the upstairs hallway. Berry had slept for about three hours before taking over the watch, making sure they were ready in case their would-be assassin attacked again.

The unicorn had great difficulty sleeping, and not just because she knew somepony out there wanted the two of them dead. She was feeling the effects of her first encounter with alcohol, a raging hangover making it difficult for her to even think straight.

She hadn't expected it would hit her so hard. She felt fine last night – a little spacey, perhaps, a bit unsteady on her hooves. Nothing that could have prepared her for the stabbing headache she suffered when she began to sober up.

It was slowly starting to fade now but she still barely dared to move. Every time she shifted, it brought a fresh ripple of pain.

She was so tired that it hurt to close her eyes, and the darkness brought a spinning sensation with it,

Berry walked over to the huddled up pony, guilty sympathy shining in her eyes.

"Hey Lyra," she said softly, "We got through the night okay. How are you holding up?"

Her question was answered with an angry glare. Lyra's eyes and her horn were the only parts of her body that weren't covered by the blanket.

"Right. I getcha. Guess we should have stopped drinking after the first bottle, huh?"

"You think?" Lyra replied with a level of vitriol that surprised even her.

Berry winced. "Okay. I deserve that. But you're going to have to get up. It's morning and we've got, we've got stuff to talk about. The attack last night, I mean," she said hastily, not wanting to raise the topic of their relationship, or lack thereof. It didn't seem like a good idea to ask Lyra how she felt about her right now.

The green mint-coated pony groaned, then the blanket shifted as she slowly emerged. She took her time, being very careful not to trip herself up and cause even more pain.

She took a few hesitant steps, squeezed her eyes shut as the room started spinning again, then admitted defeat and went into her bathroom.

Berry grimaced as she heard the unicorn throwing up. She felt a sinking sadness in her chest – she had hoped things might be better between them in the morning.

But given the current circumstances, she couldn't blame Lyra for being hostile towards her.

The bathroom fell quiet for a while, then there was the sound of Lyra flushing away the mess and brushing her teeth.

She marched out into the hallway, looking better than she had a few minutes ago, and moved straight past Berry and down the stairs.

The earth pony followed a safe distance behind her and waited outside the kitchen door as Lyra silently began to fix herself some breakfast.

"Coffee's good if you need to sober up. Oatmeal's also surprisingly effective," Berry offered.

The unicorn ignored her, keeping her back turned as she poured a bowl of cereal and began eating it dry.

"You should really try to get some liquid down you. Washes out the toxins."

Lyra cleared her throat, then resumed eating. She stopped briefly to pour herself a glass of orange juice, before continuing with her meal.

Berry fidgeted in the doorway, uncomfortable with Lyra's persistent silence. She wanted the unicorn to acknowledge her, speak to her, shout at her, something. Anything that meant she wasn't being shut out.

A couple of very unpleasant minutes passed by before she couldn't bear it any more. "Lyra, please…" she began.

"What do you want me to say, Berry?" she said, suddenly turning to face her. She was clearly upset but she was speaking slowly, keeping her composure. "I told you how I felt last night. I've spent my life alone. I've avoided relationships for most of my adult life. And you're expecting me to make a decision, after everything that happened. After what you did."

She stopped talking when she saw the expression on Berry's face – the mare wasn't crying, but she didn't seem far off. She was hurting.

Lyra sighed sadly, realising they had lost something here. The beginnings of a strong friendship, broken before the bonds had time to knit. Perhaps there could have been something more, but she was afraid to admit to it and besides, the way things were now she didn't know if she'd ever be able to feel that close to Berry again.

Far better to stay alone. It was easier that way.

There was a sudden knocking at the door and Berry quickly went to answer it, apparently keen to extricate herself from their confrontation.

She didn't recognise the mare at first. A pink-coated earth pony stood outside, her mouth curled into a snarl and her normally fluffy mane and tail flattened out straight.

Pinkie Pie's mane had been permanently de-poofed ever since Twilight first disappeared and nothing had yet managed to lift her out of her angry depression.

"So, you're both here," she said, practically spitting out the words. "Getting up to all sorts of spying shenanigans, I'll bet. Deceiving innocent ponies and ruining friendships…"

Lyra marched over, seething. "Pinkie, now is not the time, alright?" She spoke through clenched teeth. "I have had a bad night and I don't need you busting in here and…"

Berry raised a hoof and gave her a stern look, to indicate that she should stop in case she said something she'd regret later.

Pinkie Pie frowned and decided it was best to just deliver her message.

"Twilight wants to see you. Both of you," she said, "Something bad's happened at Canterlot Castle."

A sudden shot of adrenaline momentarily cleared Lyra's headache. "What? What's wrong?"

"We found out why Celestia's become such a meanie. She sent Twilight a letter explaining everything and… and… just come to the library. Shining Armour wants to tell you about it himself."

The two mares exchanged worried looks and followed the pink pony to Twilight's home.

As they approached, Lyra was surprised and more than a little happy to see the magic-nullifying forcefield that had been around the library had been deactivated. It appeared her friend was no longer being held under house arrest.

The two Canterlot soldiers were still stood outside her front door. They nodded in acknowledgement as they let the three ponies through.

Carrot Top and Noteworthy were already present – the yellow-coated earth pony held her hoof up in a greeting, but the stallion didn't seem to notice them. He was acting withdrawn, almost afraid.

Twilight Sparkle was standing between Shining Armour and his deputy Valiant Shield, with Spike beside her. Her gaze met Lyra's – the green mint-coated unicorn didn't see any anger in her eyes, but more of a rapprochement. The librarian nodded her head in a greeting. It wasn't a warm welcome but it showed the beginnings of forgiveness.

Shining Armour took the centre of the room, addressing all the ponies present.

"We have a serious problem," he said, "Early this morning, Princess Celestia sent a rather disturbing letter to Twilight."

He indicated to his sister and she used her magic to open up the scroll. She cleared her throat and began to read, her voice quavering slightly.

"Dear Twilight Sparkle," she began, "These past few days I have behaved abominably towards you and I can only beg your forgiveness for my transgressions. I have only just noticed this change in me and now I fear it may well be too late.

"A darkness has fallen upon me, much the same as happened to my sister all those centuries ago. Even now I can feel it corrupting my being, taking over my mind and my very soul. I don't know how much time I have left before I succumb completely.

"Nightmare Moon has returned and this time I fear she has chosen me as her host. This may be my last moment of lucidity before the demon takes control, so I am giving you the means to defeat me in case Luna and the palace guards fail.

"The Elements of Harmony are the only things that can cleanse me of this corruption. They are not safe in the castle, so I have teleported them to the place where they will hold the most power: Nightmare Moon's castle in the Everfree Forest.

"The castle is the source of her power – just having the Elements there will help to weaken her.

"Dearest Twilight, I place my life in your hooves. Please, collect the Elements as fast as you can and use them against me.

"No matter what happens, know that none of this is your fault. It is my own foolishness for not recognising what was happening to me sooner.

"And then she signs off." Twilight lowered the letter and looked down at the floor, unable to speak any further.

The room was silent. Most of the ponies present were having difficulty coming to terms with it – their loving ruler, corrupted by darkness. And there was worse to come.

Shining Armour spoke up: "Spike received that letter this morning, about an hour ago. We have tried to contact the castle several times since then, yet have had no reply. There was no response from Celestia, Luna or any of my squadron leaders.

"We believe the worst has happened and Celestia has transformed into Nightmare Moon, but we do not know why the castle has fallen silent. There are several possible explanations and not one of them is good. We have to assume that we will not have any back-up in the coming battle.

"We must act now. I have formulated a strategy and you all must play a part. Twilight and her friends will go to the Everfree Forest to retrieve the Elements of Harmony, assisted by…"

"Stop," said Noteworthy, holding up his hoof. "Stop. They can't go. This is a trap."

Shining Armour frowned, annoyed by the interruption. "Yes, it is likely that Nightmare Moon will be waiting for them but this a battle they have won before. Celestia is more powerful than her sister, so I want Lyra, Berry Punch…"

"No, you don't understand," Noteworthy said, "This is a trap. Celestia did not write that letter."

Shining Armour paused, swayed by the other pony's conviction. "What do you mean?" he asked.

The earth pony looked at Carrot Top, worried about how she was going to react to his upcoming confession. "Please don't hate me for this," he whispered to her, before turning to the others. "I have been spying on you all in a rather more… hooves-off approach than the other three spies in our midst."

He exhaled nervously. "One of the many things I have invented with the help of my cousin Blueblood is something I call a 'bug'. It is a tiny device, powered by magic, that allows me to listen to conversations from a distance, using a receiver in my basement. I have them placed all over Ponyville. At the homes of ponies I've been tracking, in the town square – there's even one in this library."

The other ponies reacted in surprise, many of them looking around the room to see if they could spot the device he was talking about.

"Wait," said Carrot Top, quickly putting two and two together. "So that's how you knew I was spying on you. That's why you didn't show up to the date we arranged after the party in the town hall. You, you had a 'bug' in my house?"

Noteworthy nodded. "They're everywhere. I'm sorry, really I am, but…"

Carrot Top walked over to the wheelchair-bound pony and nuzzled against him. "You don't need to worry, darling. I understand. You were just doing your job. It sounds quite ingenious really. As long as you weren't listening in on me once you knew we were on the same side."

He grimaced and looked down at the floor. Carrot Top pulled her head back, unsure of whether or not she should be horrified.

"You did stop listening in on me once you knew we were on the same side, didn't you?"

He looked her in the eye. "Yes I did, I promise you. But here's the thing. They can't be switched off and I didn't get a chance to remove it from your house. My bugs record conversations so I can listen to them at a later date, and my playback device tells me whenever there's been some activity.

"That's how I found out about Celestia. I planted a bug in the courtyard back when we were looking for Twilight – that's how I was able to get a message to the princesses about her returning there – and it picked something up this morning."

Shining Armour walked over and looked down at the blue-coated stallion. "Tell me what you know."

"There was a confrontation," said Noteworthy, "Luna asked Celestia why she had been behaving so abominably and Celestia just… she transformed into Nightmare Moon there and then."

The other ponies gasped in horror but he didn't stop talking: "Luna called the guards and then there was this huge rushing sound – I can only imagine it was a spell of some kind. The conversation was a bit difficult to understand at this point, but it sounds like Nightmare Moon turned everypony in the vicinity into statues.

"Then the two sisters fought. I can't be sure what happened but, going by what was said, Luna has been banished back to the Moon. After that, and this is the really important bit, Nightmare Moon said something about writing a letter. That can only be the letter that was sent to Twilight.

"There's no telling if the Elements of Harmony are in the Everfree Forest or not, but one thing's for certain – it's a trap. If Twilight and her friends go, who knows what could happen to them?"

Shining Armour turned to Valiant Shield, who was holding a hoof to his mouth as he considered this new information.

"What say you? What should our next move be?" he asked.

Valiant raised his head. "We have a momentary advantage and we need to make the most of it. Nightmare Moon will be expecting us to head into the Everfree, so we have some time to plan ahead. Our main target should be to find out where she could have hidden the Elements of Harmony."

"I agree," he replied, "You should send the two guards outside to Canterlot on a scouting mission, to ascertain that what Noteworthy told us is true. Twilight and her friends are our best chance of stopping Nightmare Moon, so we need to get them to safety. Pinkie Pie!"

The mare jumped to attention, holding a hoof against her head in a salute.

"Go and gather your friends and meet us back here as soon as possible."

"Okie dokie!" she cried, then leapt straight out of the nearest open window. There was no time to bother with such silly things as opening doors.

"The rest of you, we need to gather intelligence as best we can. Noteworthy, you should go back to your basement, see what else you can find out."

Carrot Top stepped forward. "I'll go to see Zecora. Not much happens in the Everfree Forest without her knowing."

"Agreed," said Shining Armour, "Spike, you should go with her. You can send a message to us if you hear anything."

The young dragon stood bolt upright, holding up a claw in an imitation of Pinkie's earlier salute.

"We'll need to send somepony to Nightmare Moon's castle," said Valiant Shield, "I know it's a trap, but there's still a chance that the Elements could really be there. We have to cover all bases."

Shining Armour nodded. "I'll take care of that."

"No!" cried Twilight, jumping forward and wrapping her hooves around her brother's front legs. "You can't go! It's too dangerous!"

He tried to disengage himself from her embrace, with little success. "Twiley," he said with a sigh. "Somepony has to go. I'll be alright. I'm head of the Canterlot guard, remember? One of the most powerful unicorns in Equestria."

"But you're nothing against her," she whimpered, her fear of Celestia the strongest it had ever been. "I won't let you go. I'm not going to lose my big brother."

Lyra had been silent this whole time, listening to the other ponies discussing their plans and thinking over what she could do to help. Her head was still foggy from last night but she knew this was it.

"I'll do it," she said, surprising everypony.

"The hell you will," said Berry Punch, walking over to her. "You wouldn't stand a chance."

"I've been to Nightmare Moon's castle before. I know how the Elements of Harmony work. This is exactly the same as the mission Celestia sent me on."

"No it's not. You had five other ponies with you to protect you. You had the support of Celestia herself. I'm not letting you go alone."

"Berry, I can't let you go. You have a foal to take care of. If I go by myself, I can be stealthy, go unnoticed."

"Unlikely," said Shining Armour, "Not with somepony as perceptive as Celestia looking out for us."

He tapped his chin. "I was just wondering whether there was a better way for us to do this, using magic. Teleportation's out – it causes a magical shockwave whenever you cast it, which only gets bigger the further distance you travel. She would notice it immediately. It'd also be too unpredictable for getting all of the Elements back here safely in one go.

"However, I do have an invisibility spell. It can cause you to lose your bearings when it's first activated because you literally can't see where you're walking, but you get used to it quickly. No matter how far you go away from me, I'll be able to keep it active."

"That sounds like a much better option," said Lyra, "And if the worst should happen, you'll be able to tell when your spell is broken. You're the strongest magic user on our team, Shining Armour. We can't risk sending you on what could be a fool's errand."

Berry stepped between the two of them. "I'm not letting you go alone, Lyra. I don't care what you think – I am not going to let you face the most powerful being on Equestria by yourself."

"She's right," said Shining Armour, "Lyra, you know the route and the dangers but you can't go without back-up."

"I can offer you some extra protection," said Noteworthy. He raised his hooves, which were shod in the metal gloves he used to roll his wheelchair, and tapped them together to activate the release switch.

He grabbed the gloves and offered them to Berry, who looked at them uncertainly.

"They're strong enough to crush rock and can deliver a mighty punch. If you see any action, they'll get you out of a bind," he said.

Berry slipped her hooves into them and there was a click as they automatically secured themselves firmly on her legs.

"They're a bit tight," she said, lifting one up to inspect it.

"They have to be, so they won't fall off," he said, "They're activated by the nerve impulses in your legs – think about making a fist, and they'll do it."

Berry focused on the glove and it snapped shut violently, making her jump.

Noteworthy laughed. "It takes a lot of practice to use them properly, but you'll only be using them for offence. There won't be any need to be delicate."

He turned to Lyra. "I have a spare set at home. You can take it if you want – it'll mean I'll have difficulty getting around, but your need is greater."

The unicorn looked at the gloves warily and decided she didn't fancy them much. "No, you need to stay mobile. If you hear anything on those 'bugs' of yours, then the sooner you can let somepony know, the better."

"Okay, you all know what you have to do. Let's roll out," said Shining Armour.

The ponies set off to carry out their different tasks. Noteworthy put his hooves on the wheels of his wheelchair and tried to roll forward, but found he was having difficulty getting a grip.

Carrot Top moved forward. "Let me do it, darling." She began pushing him forward, then stopped and whispered in his ear. "I can't say I approve of you listening in on Ponyville's conversations, but I understand why you had to do it. Just promise me you'll get rid of those bugs once this is all over, okay?"

Noteworthy smiled back at her, glad that she wasn't angry with him. The pair headed towards his house as the other ponies prepared to carry out their roles.

"Valiant Shield and I will stay here until Twilight's friends have returned. Spike will head into the Everfree Forest with Carrot Top as soon as she gets back," said Shining Armour, "Now, you two…"

"Lyra?" A familiar voice interrupted him.

Dr Whooves had spotted the gathered group and noticed the grave looks on their faces. He had been searching for his friend for a short while, first trying her house, then Berry's, before finally finding them here.

"Lyra, what's going on?" he said, "What's happened?"

"Ah… sorry doc," she said, "There's trouble. I can't really say…"

She hesitated, aware of her present company but not wanting to keep him in the dark.

"You can't tell anypony about this, but I want to give you a heads up," she said, leaning in close. "Nightmare Moon has returned and the Elements of Harmony are missing. Berry and I are heading into the Everfree Forest to find them now."

"Wait, the two of you are going?" he asked, "Alone? Why aren't you taking any back-up? Shouldn't Twilight and her friends…"

He stopped talking when he noticed the purple unicorn was right there. Valiant Shield frowned at Lyra and advanced on the doctor.

"No citizens should be informed of this. Panic is the last thing we want now," he said, "Lyra, you're out of line."

"He's the best doctor in town. If the worst happens, we need him to be ready," she retorted, "Whooves, I'll be fine. You don't have to worry."

But he wasn't going to be easily appeased. He had hoped he would have some time to hang out with her this morning, because it was the last chance he would have to properly say goodbye before he did what he had to do.

Everything was moving too fast, faster than he had expected. Something had obviously happened this morning that he hadn't been planning for.

He felt a lump rise in his throat as he realised this was going to be the last time he saw her. This would be his final farewell to his closest friend, and he couldn't even tell her so.

"You, you take care, alright?" he said, forcing himself to keep his emotions in check. "Don't do anything stupid. Don't take any unnecessary risks. Your safety comes first."

Lyra closed her eyes briefly, trying to clear her head. Her hangover had her in a foul mood and she didn't need the doctor getting overprotective of her now he knew the true nature of her job.

"I'm a professional. I've done this sort of thing several times before. You don't… hey!" she cried out in surprise as Whooves suddenly nuzzled against her neck, pressing his head hard against her body.

"You're a good mare, and a good friend. You remember that. Don't let anypony tell you different," he said determinedly, "And no matter what happens, remember that I'm your friend. I only ever wanted what was best for you."

"Ah… ok?" she said uncertainly, patting him gently on the back. "Are you alright? Have you been drinking as well, Whooves?"

Berry hung back, looking on jealously as the two ponies hugged it out. "And she said there was nothing between them," she whispered to herself. "Yeah, right."

"I hate to break this up, but we don't have much time here," said Shining Armour, not without a hint of sarcasm. "Lyra, Berry, come here."

The unicorn disconnected herself from Whooves and the two spies stood before the commander of the Canterlot guard.

His horn flashed and the mares' bodies flickered with light, before vanishing completely. Whooves blinked in surprise, though the other ponies were unphased.

"You'll have to communicate as you go, make sure not to lose each other," said Shining Armour, "I'll keep the spell active until you come back. Take care."

"We will," said Lyra, feeling slightly unsteady on her hooves. Being invisible made it hard to see where she was walking – she hoped her hangover would ease off before they reached the castle.

The two spies set off on their journey. Whooves realised that Twilight was staring at him coldly – she hadn't forgiven him for the way he rejected her the other day – and decided it was best he got going.

He pushed his sadness at saying goodbye to Lyra to the back of his mind. There was a lot he had to do.

Things were not turning out the way he had predicted and he would have to alter his original plan to ensure he would save Equestria. He was going to have to work fast.
The next few hours would be vital.

****

The two ponies walked on in silence, following the path through the forest that led to the castle. Many centuries ago the building had been in regular use but it had since fallen into complete decay. The route there was now overgrown, with the nearby vegetation creeping over its formerly smooth edges.

However, for the most part there was still a clear track to follow and the going was easy. Lyra pushed forward in a fast march, not running but not bothering to slow her pace for her companion either. The unicorn's invisibility had been disorientating at first but she had become used to it. It was just a case of trusting her senses other than sight.

Berry was keeping pace with her but the earth pony was having a little difficulty with the metal gloves on her hooves. She had to keep them clenched into fists to make walking easier.

She occasionally called out Lyra's name in a low whisper to ensure they were sticking together, to which the unicorn would give a monosyllabic response.

Berry was growing increasingly frustrated with her friend's sullen attitude but let it slide for most of the journey.

However, soon the path became trickier to navigate. The undergrowth became more prominent and in some places they had to push themselves through brambles and branches.

The two ponies made their way past a river, where they had to go a distance upstream to find a part that was shallow enough to cross, and carefully made their way down a cliffside that was treacherous in places.

It was when they came to a narrow rope bridge that Berry decided she had had enough of her companion's lack of communication.

"Lyra, you have to speak to me," she said.

"I have been. We've been keeping track of each other fine," said the unicorn, "Be careful on this next bit. Parts of this bridge are incomplete – you're going to have to tread carefully to make sure you get a good hoofhold."

"That's not what I meant, and you know it," said Berry, "All of today you've been trying to blank me out, as if I don't exist. I know I crossed a line last night but I've done nothing to deserve this."

Lyra didn't respond. She was too busy focusing on the way she stepped across the bridge, all the while trying not to look down into the ravine below.

Berry was behind her, paying just as much care but talking all the while. "If I'd known about your hang-ups, I wouldn't have come on as strong as I did. But I thought you felt the same way about me, Lyra. The way you acted around me, the emotional support you gave me.

"I'd been watching you for some time before I confronted you in the restaurant and I can tell you're normally a reserved pony, being careful not to let your emotions show too much, even around friends. But with me, you let down some of your inhibitions. You allowed yourself to be silly. Doesn't that tell you something?"

Lyra remained quiet but her heart was torn. As much as she hated to admit it, there was a small part of her that wanted to be with Berry. All that she had said rang true.

But she couldn't do it. She'd spent her life alone and her fear of the unknown was too great. Though she was brave when it came to putting her body on the line, opening herself up emotionally and risking heartbreak was a step too far.

She wanted to stay alone, no matter how much it hurt. No matter what she could be missing out on.

The two ponies made it across the rope bridge and continued on their journey.

"Berry, can we talk about this later? We're getting near to the castle and we're going to have to stay quiet."

"Lyra, face facts," said the earth pony, "We're deep in the middle of one of the most dangerous places in Equestria, potentially about to face the most powerful being in Equestria. We have to talk about this now. There may not be a later."

The unicorn came to a halt, realising that what Berry said was true.

"Okay," she said, building up her resolve. "Okay. You're right. There is something there. I can't deny that. But I don't know how I really feel, whether it's genuine attraction or just a feeling I've got because you're the first pony who's ever truly wanted me.

"I know you want an answer and I know I've been treating you unfairly. I apologise for that."

Berry gasped in shock, which Lyra thought was a bit of an overreaction. That was because she couldn't see what the earth pony could see.

She continued: "The truth is, I can't give you an answer. I need more time to think about it and work out how I feel. But, but you are my friend. And if we're going to face this together, you need to know that. No matter what happens, even if we drift apart because of this, I'll always try to be there for you if you need me."

"Lyra, look at me," said Berry, her voice shaking.

She frowned in confusion, wondering exactly what good that would achieve. She found out when she turned around.

The purple earth pony was standing in front of her, fully visible, with her eyes wide open in fear. Lyra looked down and saw her own hooves, clear as day.

"Oh no. No no no," she murmured, "The spell was supposed to keep us protected all the way here and back."

"There's no way Shining Armour would shut it off before we returned, "said Berry, "Something's happened, Lyra. Something bad."

The unicorn looked up into the sky, half expecting to see Nightmare Moon swooping in to attack. "I think you're right. Nightmare Moon is powerful enough to dispel an invisibility spell, but I don't see how she would have detected us this early. It's possible she could have put a protective aura around the castle, but we're not close enough for that to be plausible."

Her face blanched as a thought suddenly struck her. "Oh hell. Berry, this might be our fault. We were so distracted by the news about Celestia that we forgot to tell anypony we were attacked last night. If the same pony who went after us has…"

"We, we can't change that. And we've come too far to go back now," said Berry, "If anypony's in trouble, we wouldn't be able to get back in time to help them anyway."

Lyra sank back onto her haunches – the thought that Ponyville could be under assault was almost too much to bear.

"Come on," Berry said urgently, tapping her on the shoulder. "I can see the top of the castle just above the trees. We're probably about ten minutes away, less if we run. If the Elements of Harmony are there, they're our only hope."

The two ponies broke into a sprint, racing through the trees.

They slowed their pace as they neared their destination. Berry was panting heavily and welcomed the chance to recover – running was difficult with those gloves on her hooves.

Lyra was breathing easier but she was walking slower than Berry. The castle was dead ahead of them, its crumbling spires making for an imposing sight even in the sunlight.

The castle was divided into two buildings. Barely anything remained of the first, save for the side walls, the splintering front door and a couple of towers that framed the front of the building. A set of stone steps built over a gaping chasm led to the entrance.

The unicorn felt a growing sense of dread as she drew closer. She had been here once before, on a mission for Celestia that had almost claimed her life. Seeing the castle reignited memories of her near-death experience, of the time her consciousness spent floating between life and oblivion.

Berry walked past her and onto the steps leading to their destination, constantly checking her surroundings for any other sign of life. She turned around when she noticed Lyra wasn't following her.

"Come on, it's alright," she said, "There's nopony here."

Lyra hesitated at the edge of the castle grounds, a wave of apprehension making it hard for her to move forward.

She closed her eyes, strengthened her resolve, and forced herself to follow Berry in through the large double doors.

The building consisted of one room that had long been missing its ceiling. In the centre stood a large pedestal with five outstretched arms that had once held the Elements of Harmony. Each one was empty.

"They're not here," said Berry, "Was this all just a diversion?"

"Don't give up yet. This castle was built in two sections," said Lyra, pointing to a collapsed doorway on a side wall.

The exit led to a long stone staircase built into the side of the second building, which was much larger than the first and had held together better over the centuries. It was three stories tall and had several arched windows looking out onto the Everfree Forest. It stood alone on a pillar of rock and earth that had been built up unnaturally to act as its foundation – there was nothing around it except for a sharp drop to certain death.

Lyra led the way this time, carefully navigating her way up the treacherously narrow steps.

The second building was made up of three open rooms, one on each storey. The castle had been created for practicality, for use as a headquarters. The only features of note were the pillars that had been built into the walls for stability and the wide windows that rose up from floor level.

The two spies checked each floor, finding nothing until they reached the top. The doorway leading off the staircase was blocked by fallen rubble.

"This happened recently," said Lyra, "Twilight and her friends fought Nightmare Moon inside here. Someone wants to keep us out."

Her horn glowed and she began to pull the rocks aside. Berry opened up her metal fingers and started clearing the debris faster than Lyra could, the magic-imbued gloves enhancing her strength.

As the rubble was pushed away, they saw a sight that caused them to double their efforts.

The Elements of Harmony were lying in the centre of the room, seemingly unguarded.

Staying alert, Lyra walked over and lifted one up with her magic for inspection.

"Are they…?" Berry let the question hang in the air as she moved in for a closer look.

"They're genuine," said Lyra, grinning wide. She gathered the remaining elements, revealing a lengthy hoofwritten letter that had been underneath them.

She raised it up and shared a misgiving look with Berry.

"This has been way too easy," said the earth pony, who was growing concerned. "That letter means trouble. Skim read it quickly, so we know what we're dealing with here."

Lyra grimaced as she took a closer look – it was written in a childish scrawl that was barely legible. She flicked through it, picking out what little she could read.

"Dear scum," she said, then pulled her head back in surprise. "Well, that's not a promising start. Let's see here… it talks about revenge, something about making ponykind pay, and what's this… the streets of Equestria will run red with blood."

Berry raised an eyebrow. "That doesn't sound anything like Celestia or Nightmare Moon. Whoever wrote this is one bottle short of a picnic."

Lyra lifted the letter up as she read further along, skipping over all the details of the writer's murderous rantings and going straight to the end.

"Thank you so much for reading this letter and I hope you enjoyed it," she read, "Sadly you won't have the chance to see the future I have planned… etc, etc… I placed a dozen magical charges at the base of this castle… they will have sensed you the second you entered and any moment now they will…"

She dropped the letter immediately and used her magic to grab the Elements. "We have to get out of here now. RUN."

Berry felt a surge of panic-induced adrenaline as she followed Lyra's lead and raced down the winding stairway.

Their hoofsteps echoed through the castle as Lyra hoped against hope that they weren't too late. The rubble in the doorway, the letter – both had been delaying tactics aimed at making sure they were killed by the trap that had been set for them.

As soon as they reached the ground floor there was the sound of multiple muffled explosions from far underneath them, which rocked the pillar of stone and earth that held up the castle. The shockwaves rippled up and into the building, causing the ground underneath their hooves to tremble and forcing them to brace themselves to keep their balance.

Earth began to fall away from the base of the column and the entire structure slowly began to lose its stability.

"Move!" shouted Lyra, racing towards the doorway at the end of the open room as the faint sound of crumbling stones grew steadily louder, building to a crescendo.

She headed outside and reached the open stairway, where the sheer drop on either side forced her to slow down. She hopped down as fast as she dared, with Berry just a few steps behind her.

There was a terrifying roar of crunching rock from far below them as the damaged base of the pillar finally began to give way, no longer able to hold up the weight.

Lyra was almost at the bottom of the stairway when it happened. The crumbling land behind her exerted its strength on the fragile structure and pulled it apart.

She went to place her hoof down and it found nothing but air. Committed to her forward motion, there was nothing else she could do but make an unprepared jump for safety.

She rolled as she hit the ground, barely managing the leap. Terror ripped into her and she dropped the Elements around her as she looked back at Berry.

The earth pony was gripping onto the stairway with all her might, struggling to stop herself from falling off the side as the land underneath her gave way. There was no way she could make the jump Lyra had done, and it was growing wider by the second.

Lyra screamed her name helplessly, watching as the unstable earth column began its final descent into oblivion.

But Berry wasn't willing to die without a fight. She released her grip on the steps and raced back up the stairway, her hooves slipping dangerously underneath her. As she reached the top, the entire structure started to go into freefall.

She threw herself against the castle wall, which was now at a diagonal, and ran upwards, putting extra downward pressure on her front hooves in a desperate attempt to stay attached to it.

The castle had lost gravity by the time she reached the top of it and she didn't have enough friction to jump. She flew off the edge, her front legs reaching for the ground that had seconds ago been 30 feet below the peak of the castle's turrets but was now barely level with her.

The lip of the cliff edge slammed against her mid-section and she extended the gloves' metal fingers to try to grab a hold, ignoring the pain of her sudden impact.

Her hands dug into the earth and she momentarily secured herself, but her grip was too loose for her to pull herself up.

Lyra felt a rush of relief when she saw Berry had saved herself, but that was quickly replaced by fear-stricken determination. She raced around the cliffside, praying she would get there in time.

The area was covered by dead trees and bushes and she had to force herself through the vegetation, the spiky brambles scratching her skin.

An almighty crash rang out as the falling castle smashed against the cliff.

Berry shouted out as she felt her handhold slipping away, and pressed her front legs down hard against the ground in a desperate attempt to stop herself from falling.

Lyra was just yards away when Berry lost her grip and began sliding off the edge. The unicorn leapt forward, her hooves reaching out to save her friend.

Then several things happened in the space of about a second.

Berry wrapped the fingers of a metal glove around Lyra's right front leg, but she was ill-versed in how the device worked and had no control over how hard she grabbed her.

The hand was powerful enough to crush rocks in its grasp, so Lyra's leg didn't stand a chance. The metal fingers clasped shut and dug deep into her flesh, almost reaching the bone.

Lyra was too consumed by adrenaline to feel it at first – in that same instant, Berry fell over the edge and her weight pulled the unicorn forward.

Lyra realised that she was going to fall as well and took immediate action, pressing her body flat against the ground and lashing out with her magic. She used the full force of her telekinesis to hold herself still, exerting downward pressure to stop herself from falling forward.

Her front legs hung over the cliff edge, with a terrified Berry Punch holding onto her as tightly as she could.

As soon as Lyra realised they had stopped moving, that they hadn't fallen, the pain hit her. Agony tore into her, red hot spikes of sensation surging from her mangled leg.

She screamed - a shrill, horrifying sound that pierced the quiet of the day. Berry felt her stomach lurch as she looked up at the unicorn and realised what she had done, her guilt fighting with her terror of the fatal drop below.

Lyra screamed again, this time through gritted teeth, her eyes open as she tried to force herself to cope with it. She somehow had enough presence of mind to continue using her magic to hold them both steady – it was the only thing preventing the two ponies from going over the edge.

It took her minutes to reach a stage where she could think clearly again. In that time, Berry had been looking around frantically for a way to save herself.

She was dangling from an overhang. The cliff face curved sharply away from the verge on the top and although she could reach it with her free hand, lower down it was too far for her to touch with her back legs. The cliff top was also out of her reach – Lyra's front legs were dangling over the edge and it was a wonder she was keeping her balance.

Berry tested the dry-looking earth with her hand and it crumbled at her touch. It was too fragile for her to get a grip. Even if she pushed her leg in all the way, there wouldn't be enough density for it to hold her weight.

That realisation sent terror through her. If the ground was that weak, there was a possibility the area Lyra was lying on wouldn't be able to hold her for long.

"Lyra, you've got to lift us back up," she said, her voice barely a whisper. "The ground's unstable, it might not hold."

The unicorn was wheezing, her eyes watering, but she heard Berry's words. Her back legs stretched out behind her. Tentatively, she shifted slightly in preparation for getting up.

She felt gravity taking hold, Berry's weight threatening to drag her over. She immediately pressed herself completely flat again, panic-stricken. It took a few seconds for her to realise she was still safe.

"I can't stand up. I'm too overbalanced," she said in between gasping breaths. "Berry, you're going to have to climb."

The purple earth pony was unable to respond right away. Her fear was beginning to mingle with something else, which she was having to fight away. A sense of inevitability.

"The ground here's too unstable. If we don't do something soon…" she wasn't able to finish her sentence.

A feeling of dread passed though Lyra as she realised it was all up to her. She was the only one who could save them.

She thought quickly. She couldn't risk moving her body, but her physical strength wasn't the only option for lifting Berry up.

Her telekinesis was the only thing holding them steady, so she couldn't dare to reduce its power. If she was going to save her friend, she was going to have to push herself beyond her limits.

A magical aura formed around Berry as Lyra extended the scope of her spell. She focused hard as she tried to simultaneously hold herself down while lifting her friend up.

She grunted with exertion as her magic bore the brunt of the earth pony's weight. The drag on her front leg lessened slightly as Berry began to levitate slightly, shifting upwards by about an inch.

But try as she might, Lyra couldn't lift her any higher. With most unicorns, their magic can only hold the same weight as they can physically carry. She simply didn't have the strength to save Berry.

She tried to push herself harder, the aura around her horn flaring. It made no difference.

Lyra put her all into one last effort, at first groaning with exertion, then building up to a prolonged scream of pain, fear and frustration.

Exhausted, she was forced to release Berry and fully dedicate her efforts to keeping herself steady. She winced with pain as the weight went back onto her front leg.

The earth pony was silent, fighting an internal struggle against her own grief. She had come to a dreadful realisation when it became apparent Lyra's magic wasn't strong enough to lift her up.

Memories came flooding into her mind, visions of important parts of her life, happy times and past regrets. Aspects of her being that would soon be no more.

She looked up at Lyra with a sad, defeated expression on her face. The unicorn saw something in her eyes that forced her to catch her breath.

"Berry?" she said, her voice breaking slightly.

"Lyra," the earth pony said, a whisper on the breeze. "Lyra. I have to let go."
Another huge (by my standards) chapter, and one that required more revisions than any I've had so far.
Just to keep you guys posted, the next chapter may not be long enough to be counted as a story update according to EqD's standards. I'll have it up by Saturday afternoon, Pinkie promise, and if it isn't long enough then it'd be cool if someone could give me a shout out on one of the story update posts - someone with an Intense Debate profile, like Daniel Spike Henderson or Starfall.
Hope you guys...

:iconbonbonplz: :iconsaysplz: EPIC CLIFFHANGER LOL

Sigh... Bon Bon, you're such a dick.

Part eighteen: [link]
© 2012 - 2024 angelofrombelow
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You got the geography wrong. The cliff comes before the river, and the bridge is pretty much on the doorstep of the castle.

This is far more important than anything else that happened in the chapter.