A Tale of Hunters, Wanderers, Hucksters and Monsters.

Chapters

Prologue - A Series of Meetings
Chapter 1 - The Broken Rule
Chapter 2 - Unraveled
Chapter 3 - A Long Awaited Reunion

Prologue - A Series of Meetings

It was a clear and sunny day, the birds were singing, the animals were enjoying life and everything was peaceful.

Right up until a swooping shape tore into a pair of rabbits and sliced their throats open with quick,deft movement as their killer, a young female griffon, began expertly draining the corpses of blood before with a few quick cuts using her razor-sharp talons, began tugging the skins off and scooping out the guts to leave for the scavengers.

"Fucking Rainbow Dash, fucking pink bitch, fucking idiot pegasus, fucking naive townsponies..." She hissed under breath as she scrubbed a bloody claw across her face to get rid of the tears that threatened to fall, "N-not going to cry, tougher than that, been through worse, had worse done to me..." She sniffled before coughing harshly, "Fuck! Fuckfuckfuck!"

"Now there's a voice I haven't heard in a while." The Griffon whipped around, cursing her inattentiveness, as the bushes shifted to reveal a unicorn standing there with a smile, "Hello Gilda, it's been a long time."

Gilda smiled weakly, still sniffing slightly, "Figured it would be you. You weren't there at the party after all."

The pony's smile dimmed slightly, "I wanted you to reconnect with Rainbow Dash, but then you were always a brash creature Gilda, always charging into the fray and letting your blood boil." She shook her head, "How long has it been since we travelled together?"

Gilda sniffed slightly, "Six years, it's been six years. Maybe you should have talked to me, stopped me from doing something stupid."

The Pony giggled as she approached and sniffed the rabbits, "Ah, young bucks. With the breeding season so near, it's better than having to deal with pregnant does." Gilda shivered.

"How the hell does a pony become a better tracker than a Griffon I'll never know." She held up her kills, "You want to join me? I could use a friend right about now, remember old times."

The Pony nodded, still smiling, "Of course. It has been a long time since I've have field-roasted rabbits and traded Griffish hunting songs." She flicked her head back the way she came, "Come on, I found some nice wild herbs we can use season the kills and a clear spot to burn the remains for the ancestors."

Gilda smiled, "Lead the way."

Zecora smiled as the now-cured group of ponies left her hut and sighed as she regarded the mess, "Truly their lesson learned is one of the best, but on me it was such a test." She muttered with a sigh before blinking as a golden-green aura lifted an upturned pot and replaced it on its rightful place.

Smiling, she turned her head slightly, "Into my home I welcome you, but I hope you were not so foolish as to tread on the flowers blue."

A chuckle sounded as a unicorn stepped into the hut and bowed her head respectfully to the shrine Zecora held to her tribal totems, "Maker of potions and toxins, into your door I advise you place some locks in." She spoke in the same rhyming speech as she helped the Zebra clean up, "Pray tell oh shamaness, why allow your home to become such a mess?"

Zecora sighed with a smile, "Let them break a few crocks and pots, no greater relief for when the blood runs hot." They shared a smile, "It is good to see you, truly I am happy to see your new found peace made true."

The Pony smiled, "I miss the old days, I will not pretend, but our friendship shall remain and never need to mend." She bowed low before the Zebra waved a hoof, bangles jingling.

"Rise my friend, as you have said, we shall not pretend." She motioned to the smaller of the fireplaces, and placed a black iron kettle upon the rack above the flames, "Now then, tea we shall drink, and of those days we shall think."

The Pony smiled before her expression sobered, "I anticipate your fine brew, but your deadliest poisons I also require of you. A task must be done, in secret and in silence, with discretion and prudence."

Zecora nodded as she measured out tea and poured the water, "Of my brews I shall provide the foulest and most cruel, for the slaying of this fool. But you aid I require, so that your foe shall more properly taste your ire."

Nodding, the pony accepted a cup and as she sipped, began picking out the necessary ingredients while Zecora prepared the cauldron for their work, muttering ancient curses and words of power as the lanterns in the hut flared and changed colour.

"I do believe dear brother, that we may be using the wrong business strategy, and that our future profit-finding endeavours shall be quite difficult." Flim remarked to his twin brother Flam as the Super Speedy Cider Squeezy 6000 trundled down the dirt road.

"Quite. Perhaps however, we should make a prefunctory effort to ensure that the next batch is at least somewhat drinkable, and also...I say, is that who I think it is?" Flam questioned as they spotted a unicorn standing on the side of the road, regarding them with a wide and happy smile, one that Flam eagerly returned, "I say Flim, look who it is!"

Flim whooped with happiness, "A friendly face! Pull over brother, surely we can delay our trip to speak to her!" Flam was already slowing the steam-powered machine down in a hiss of steam before they stopped in front of the Unicorn, who stared up at the slowing machine without even a hint of fear at the possibility of being run over.

Before Flam had fully parked the machine, Flim was already on the ground running to the unicorn and giving her a hug that she returned warmly, "It is you! Oh I thought we'd never see you again after that day!"

The Pony smiled, "As did I, but look at you two, on the road and selling snake-oil to snakes and bad cider to the rest." She cast a practiced eye up at the machine, "I do hope you two haven't lost all of your cider making skill. Sweet Apple Acre cider is fine and dandy, but I find myself thirsty for a proper Red Barrel Hard Spice."

Flam smiled and laughed as he opened a side door with a flourish to reveal several dark red wood barrels, "But of course, hucksters, snake oil sellers and con-artists we may be, but our private reserve is always open to those we call friends! And you, my dear have proven yourself a dear and true friend, even after our own failings."

The Pony smiled and trotted over, before kissing Flam on the cheek, eliciting a bright blush that shone under his blonde coat, "And the two of you have proven yourselves a thousand times over, you incorrigible geniuses." She pulled out a silver tankard from a box set into the wall and waved it at the barrels, "Now let's drink! I want to hear about what you've been doing since our glory days."

Trixie spat on the ground as her illusion ran off into the distance and she overheard Twilight Sparkle's comment of, "I'm sure she'll learn her lesson."

"Naive fool, Trixie learned her lessons a long time ago, and learned them through far harder and violent lessons than you. To blame me for the foolishness of children, how narrow-sighted you are." The blue mare spat as she wrapped her star-swept cloak around her and vanished into invisibility, "Allow me to extract payment for my performance, I'm sure you won't mind."

As the town began to celebrate the purple unicorn mare's achievement, the show mare slipped into homes and extracted her payment, never taking enough to be noticed, along with a few supplies for the road, "Hmph, Trixie will have to purchase another wagon at some point." She muttered as she slipped into one home and began searching for valuables to take, "Though this does bring back memories."

"Good ones I hope my dear Trixie." Trixie stiffened as she felt the blade tickling the fur of her neck as a warm voice whispered into her ear, "My, my, it seems that you fell afoul of this town's signature attraction, the Elements of Harmony." Trixie resisted the urge to swallow as the blade slid along her throat, not piercing the skin, but the sudden chill of air against bare skin told her that this blade was sharp enough to shave her coat.

"Trixie is not afraid of death, you will gain no satisfaction from me." She hissed defiantly, before twitching at the throaty purr sounding next to her ear.

"Oh, it has really been too long Trixie, six years hasn't it? Surely the Moonlight Thief, who stole into the Vaults of Twilight and duelled with the Shades of Dusk, would have found a more...luxurious lifestyle to suit her, she certainly stole enough to pay for it."

Trixie sniffled, "How could she? Trixie is a wanderer, unsuited for the high-life, her money invested to make more money so she might finance her wandering ways. How can one be happy in the glitz and glamour when she misses the days scrabbling in the dirt and blood, wondering where her next meal will come from, and who she might kill to gain it."

Another purr, "So many good memories, so many adventures...Go to the kitchen, there is a travelling pack on the table. Exit through the back door and go straight, it will take you out of town and away from anyone wandering around."

Trixie nodded and the blade vanished. Trotting into the kitchen, she picked up the pack and slung it over her back before heading to the back door, managing to hear a mare's voice ask, "Why are you sitting here with the light's off?"

Whatever reply was said, Trixie ignored, she had no reason to invade an old friend's privacy.

"Besides..." Trixie murmured as she hefted a large bag of gold bits, "Trixie is more than amply compensated for her trouble." She laughed to herself as she jauntily trotted down the road, whistling a nameless tune.

Chrysalis, Queen of Nightmares, Destroyer of the Wastes, Ruler of the Black Hordes, cursed her bad luck and her softness. She should have slain those two and replaced them, robbed Celestia of her power before she was revealed, something, anything but act like so many other petty warlords!

She had failed, but that fault also lay with her current brood, a Queen's forces reflected on the Queen, and her forces were too soft, too weak since those glorious days at the head of an army of ravening monsters feeding on the fear and pain of her enemies and extracting secrets through seduction and desire.

"How the mighty have fallen." She hissed as glowing green ichor dripped out of her wounds from her landing outside of Equestria before skin shifted to seal the gashes. That was when she heard laughter and whipped her head around at the source, horn firing a spray of razor-sharp shards at the bushes, revealing nothing as Chrysalis listened to the laughter.

And snarled, "So, it was really you. Of course my hypnosis wouldn't have affected you. Not with the zebra's protections, the brother's elixirs and the blessing of the griffon's ancestors." A unicorn stepped out of the undergrowth, eyes glowing with power as she smiled, still giggling.

"Let's not forget your blood oh Queen of Nightmares, Goddess of the Cursed Isles, which you offered to us freely and in friendship." The pony replied, smiling wide and showing off some rather sharp teeth as Chrysalis smiled.

"Truly, those days were ones to be treasured." She said before the Changeling Queen hissed in the Black Tongue and her brood, depleted but not totally destroyed, launched into the fray alongside her as the pony yanked out a heavy blade from a holster and split a charging changeling in two neat halves, the corpse landing with a wet crunch of chitin, ichor and organs, the pony already making her own charge as the blade locked into a strange brace on her right foreleg that whipped up to slam the blade into a changeling's leg.

Blood boiled and flowed from the hole as the changeling left off a gurgling screech as the blade slipped out with a wet *SCHLURCH* and the pony slammed into Chrysalis.

"Remember the armies of the Blood Winged King? You were glorious! Leading your hordes into their teeth and blades! Hundreds dead by your horn alone!" The Pony declared as they wrestled, horns glowing with deadly spells, as Chrysalis laughed.

"Thousands! And you! You were the one who put an arrow in his champion's eye! His son! Killed before the first charge even met my battle lines! I remember the field after the battle, the Blood Winged King duelling..." She snarled and kicked the Pony off her body into a crowd of changelings as she rose to her hooves, hissing and snapping, "It isn't fair! He should be here with us! He should be enjoying this peace as well! Not...not trapped there!"

She ignored the screams and pleads for aid as limbs, heads and ichor flew into the air, an errant application of power smashing a head into gory pieces as Chrysalis strode forwards, "Tell me! How is it fair to us? To him? Tell me!"

There was no answer and Chrysalis screamed to her remaining brood, "Kill her! Crush her!" They obeyed as Chrysalis allowed the pain of the memory to break down her emotional barriers and she collapsed in a weeping heap as ichor and pieces of Changeling landed on and around her.

A glow suddenly lit up the few gaps in the piles of Changelings before an explosion ripped through them, Chrysalis ignoring the rain of body parts and ichor as she sobbed, before looking up at The Pony, "End it. Please. I cannot go on like this."

*KRAK!* Chrysalis' head snapped back from the punch as the Pony spat on the ground, "He wouldn't want to see you cry." She waved a gore-covered hoof at the carnage surrounding them, "Your weak brood is dead, your shame is erased. The traditions of your kind tell you what you must do." She drew the blade across her foreleg and held out the bleeding appendage, "The one who defeated you offers you succour from your agony and shame by giving you her blood, so that the next brood you birth shall be stronger than the weaklings that lay here dead."

Chrysalis stared up at the Pony's eyes and smiled sadly, "I do not deserve your friendship."

"He believed you to be worth his. Do not insult him."

Chrysalis laughed as her skin shifted and a trace of her true form revealed itself, "Indeed I shall not. Thank you, I shall name my first-born General after you. It is time I lived as a true Queen should."

Her mouth opened and revealed her rippling maw before it clamped down on the bleeding limb and Chrysalis began to feed.

It had been a tiring few weeks since the wedding, and she was glad to be rid of that place, so much light and hope when there were still pockets of dark things nibbling away at the borders to cleanse. Maybe...

No, they had vowed to save their strength until the appointed time, but even so they had gotten soft.

That unacceptable. Flouncing off her bed, trotted over to a set of boxes locked with secure magical combination tumblers and with a flick of magic opened one to regard the weapon inside.

It had been so long since they parted ways, and it was lonely without the sound of bawdy songs, the heady scent of Red Barrel cider and cooked meat, stories and boasts before the gambling of gold and trinkets in games of dice and cards. Perhaps it was time she called them all together, to remember old glories, and rededicate their resolve to helping the one who was not here.

Her eyes flicked towards an article of clothing hanging on the wall, and she approached it before placing her muzzle against it and taking in a deep breath. It was still there, underneath the tang of blood and her own scent, that rich, musty smell that reminded her of the one who had brought them all together.

She sighed and returned to bed, she had a trip to Hoofington in the morning, and from there a nice five week hunting and survival trip. Then back to Ponyville with some supplies for a small get together between friends.

She smiled, Bon Bon would be able to keep the house in order, and she would leave plenty of money in case of emergencies, though she knew Bon Bon could buy Ponyville a hundred times over really, and Bon Bon knew The Rule, so her stuff was safe from meddling.

Lyra Heartstrings smiled. Nothing was going to go wrong.

Chapter 1 - The Broken Rule

Bon Bon quietly hummed to herself as she entered the empty house and looked around before sighing sadly, ever since Lyra went on that trip to Hoofington, the house felt so empty that she was half tempted to pay Pinkie Pie for a party just so she could have some music, some laughter, anything to make this place feel less empty!

But Lyra had promised to return after five weeks and tomorrow was the day she came back to Ponyville and Bon Bon could go back to rolling her eyes at Lyra's tall tales about humans and places beyond Equestria while she played the lyre and still managed to pay large amounts of money even though she never seemed to work.

Bon Bon glanced at the stair and bit her bottom lip, thinking about the locked door at the top of the stairs that blocked entry to Lyra's room. She shook her head, they had a good friendship but Lyra had made one thing clear, and that was The Rule.

Never enter Lyra's room.

It sounded so simple, a request for a private place, and for six years Bon Bon had been happy to stick to that Rule, mainly because every time she joked about breaking it, Lyra would place a hoof around her neck and hug her. Every time, hard enough to be painful, with a smiling expression that could best be described as empty.

Bon Bon stopped joking after the third year, because then Lyra had deliberately nicked her with a kitchen knife, and The Rule remained unbroken. But now...

Now it was so tempting. For all of Lyra's strangeness and friendliness, Bon Bon had no knowledge about her past after a certain point before the unicorn mare walked into her parent's candy store in Baltimare and purchased a crate of Chocolate-covered Caramel Bon Bons. Lyra would happily talk about her foalhood, life growing up, but there was a four year period that remained blank because she never spoke about it.

But there had to be clues, a diary perhaps? Treasured trinkets hidden in a small chest? If she could just go and take a peek...Bon Bon shook her head. What was she thinking? This was The Rule, no-one broke The Rule. Before they came to Ponyville, the pair had lived in Manehatten and Lyra started seeing a nice colt. Then he tried to break into her room because he was curious and Lyra simply broke his legs without so much as a flinch.

Lyra had hurt ponies in the past, that much Bon Bon had figured out. Especially when she maimed a mugger the next day with a spray of magical crystals that had shredded the stallion's legs and sides. Bon Bon shivered, that mugger had powerful friends so leaving to Ponyville was the only option, it was close enough to Canterlot that she could use some of her family's influence, and far enough that she could still have some peace.

Even so...there was such a thing as too much peace, and Bon Bon was going crazy! She nodded to herself and marched over to the stairs. She was going to do something nice for Lyra!

And if that meant breaking The Rule, then so be it!

Trotting up the stairs and pausing in front of Lyra's room, Bon Bon realised just how intimidating her house mate and best friend made the door by carving strange patterns in the wood. It was another quirk, every door in every place they lived, Lyra would always carve the same patterns into the door to her room, along with installing a large lock, but after so long living together, she had foregone the lock for their new home in Ponyville but carved the pattern regardless.

Bon Bon shrugged and opened the door.

Golden eyes snapped open as her alarm wards screamed in her mind, "No...no, no, no no nononononononononononoNONONONONONONONOOOOO!" She shot up out of the comfortable first-class bed and immediately opened one of her bags, pulling out a crystal that would help identify her intruder.

Lyra paled as she recognised the pattern of colours, "Bonnie! No!" She slammed her head into the floor of her room and spat curses in Zebrican, Griffish and the Black Tongue, the lights in the room flickering as her horn glowed, before she took a deep shuddering breath and tried to calm down.

"Okay...maybe it's not so bad. She was always curious before, maybe this is a good thing? Maybe it's time I let her know about that time before I met her. Maybe I can introduce her to the others? Yeah, maybe...maybe it's for the best."

Shuddering slightly, she tried to get back to sleep, before grunting in annoyance and leaving the room to find the bar.

"I need a fucking drink."

Bon Bon looked around and felt her nose crinkle as she took in the scent of Lyra's room. There was Lyra's scent of course, sharp and yet sweet, but she could smell other scents as well, the faint copper tang of blood, and another smell. It was a thick, cloying scent that made her want to sneeze, rich and musty like aged liquorice.

She looked around and noted that the room was covered in patterns, painted in a dark red like fine wine, but the patterns were so complicated that Bon Bon realised she had started whimpering and shook her head to clear her mind.

Moving her gaze from the patterns to the rest of the room, Bon Bon approached Lyra's bed and noticed that it was higher than a pony bed, with a set of drawers on the bottom. Compact, clean and neat. Bon Bon shrugged and opened one before rearing back with a shocked whinny.

Inside were bottles, vials and phlasks and while Bon Bon was no doctor, she knew enough about chemicals to know that they were all drugs and poisons! Many of them were illegal as well! Bon Bon closed the drawer with a shiver, and glanced at the next one before opening it and gaping at the sight.

Inside were sheathed knives and large heavy blades she had recognised as Griffon Machetes, along with strange throwing daggers and a sword that she had no idea where it came from but it looked incredibly sharp and dangerous even in it's sheath.

She closed the drawer and took a deep breath, "Okay Bon Bon, your best friend and house mate stores blades and enough poisons and drugs to make half of Equestria high and the other half dead. Leave it alone, you're going to be in enough trouble."

She looked over to a corner and noticed the only other thing in the room, a set of large boxes fitted with magi-locks. Bon Bon grimaced, "Probably got Griffon Kingdom rifles in there for all I know, or Diamond Dog throwing glaives. Better not try to force them, no telling what sort of protection Lyra has on them."

She turned her attention the other object in the room, hanging from a coat hanger on a wall hook, "A hoodie?"

It was a black hoodie, and it looked like it had seen a lot of action, but Bon Bon knew that was impossible since that particular piece of clothing had only started showing up in Equestria three years ago. And yet this one looked far older, especially as it seemed to have been modified. Extensively.

There tears in the soft cloth and on the inside Bon Bon could see what looked like, "Sand Viper leather..." She whispered. That was rare and expensive because of how aggressive the creatures could be and the fact that they lived in the deepest parts of the desert, near the mountainous border to the Badlands and Far Country.

But it was worth it, Sand Viper leather could turn aside all but heavily enchanted blades and even then could heal from the damage. It regulated temperature and was comfortable to wear, making it suitable to put inside armour like that of the Royal Guard, Zebras and Griffons were known to wear Sand Viper leather armour because they knew that Ponies had only barely scratched the surface of the new 'guns' that both kingdoms had introduced in their latest border skirmishes and still relied on crossbows, spears, hoof-mounted swords and wing-blades.

To have that sewn into a hoodie...that would have taken a lot of money, more than what even Bon Bon would be willing to spend on a luxury item and yet this was not a luxury item. There were places where straps and holsters could be fitted, the pockets were deep and the lining between the Sand Viper leather and fabric was the strange mesh worn as armoured clothing by the ponies of the Cursed Isles to protect against predators.

Bon Bon shook her head as she traced a blood spatter on the left sleeve and noted that it was paint. Not only old but silk-screened as well? She sighed, before her nose crinkled as she realised that the scent that permeated the room was strongest on the hoodie.

It couldn't be dirty; apart from the rips it was clean and pristine, so perhaps it had maintenance spells on it? It would explain the strong smell, unless the garment or object was absolutely spotless and clean the spells would maintain even the scents that were on it unless it was washed with powerful detergents like those easily available to ponies or a cleaning spell, which Bon Bon was confident Lyra knew, it was a basic spell for everyday living after all.

Lyra obviously cleaned this, but not with normal detergents, perhaps hoof-washed with soap? Shaking her head, Bon Bon carefully took down the hoodie and draped it over her back before leaving the room, she would take it to Twilight to have a look at it and perhaps use a cleaning spell to get rid of the smell, before paying Rarity to patch it up.

That should make Lyra happy.

Twilight Sparkle hummed to herself as she sorted some books on the shelves when there was a knock at the door. Trotting over to open it, she blinked and smiled, "Bon Bon! Nice to see you! I haven't gotten that new chocolate cooking book you wanted yet though..."

Bon Bon shook her head, "That's fine, I know you'll find it. I need you to take a look at this hoodie for me."

Twilight blinked before nodding, her horn glowing to wrap it in her magic when she suddenly shrieked as if scalded, prompting Bon Bon to jerk backwards, "Twilight! What's wrong!"

Twilight took a shaky breath, "I'm okay...I'm okay. It's just..." She looked at the hoodie with a serious expression, "Can you lay it on the table for me? I need to catch my breath." Bon Bon nodded and quickly placed the black garment on the table as Twilight regained her composure, "Okay, that shriek I made? It was because this hoodie is loaded with protective enchantments. Alarm wards, anti-magic sigils, and I narrowly avoided setting off a series of trap spells. Not only that, it's packed with military-grade shielding spells layered over each other, what appears to be a chemical sealing enchantment, weapon summoning spells linked to a large number of weapons, dimensional pockets...Bon Bon, this hoodie has had more spellwork done on it than most Royal Guard armour! And it's being fed by an ambient thaumatic condensor framework!"

"Look on the inside of it and underneath the tears, there's Sand Viper leather and Cursed Isle mesh sewn into it." Bon Bon stated and watched as Twilight carefully opened the hoodie to view the leather, using a ruler to probe the tears.

"Hmm, Cursed Isle mesh alright, used to defend against predator attacks and only the ponies who live there know how to make it. This combined with the Sand Viper leather and the enchantments...Bon Bon, has Lyra ever travelled far?"

Bon Bon nodded, "She takes yearly trips to Hoofington and Stalliongrad to visit relatives, usually its a few weeks like now, but sometimes it takes months."

Twilight frowned, "That doesn't explain these enchantments and modifications, nor this damage. Bon Bon, is there anything unusual about your friendship with Lyra, if that's okay." She quickly added as Bon Bon frowned slightly, "I think Lyra is hiding something."

"She is." Bon Bon answered, before she sighed, "Lyra is a wonderful friend, but there are two things that make it a less than normal friendship. One is something she calls The Rule, and it simply is a rule to never enter her room under any circumstances. The second is that there's a four year period of her life before we became friends that she never talks about."

"Four years...I remember you said you became friends six years ago. So ten years ago, Lyra was doing something for four years that required...this." She waved a hoof at the hoodie, "Which makes this thing impossible because hoodies only started appearing three years ago, and this thing is at least twenty years old!"

"There's also the smell." Bon Bon stated and Twilight blinked before taking a curious sniff of the hoodie before she recoiled with a sneeze.

"Ack! What was that? Doesn't Lyra wash this thing?" Bon Bon nodded.

"She does, but I think it's hoof-washed with a mild soap, just to get dirt out of it. Her room smells of this thing as well, it even overpowers her own scent."

"Hmm..." Twilight considered, before nodding, "The defences shouldn't go off if I use a cleaning spell, but I still have to be careful..." She trailed off as her horn glowed and the hoodie glowed the same violet colour before the spell faded and Twilight sniffed it, "Okay, that worked! I can do the same to Lyra's room as well Bon Bon."

Bon Bon nodded, "Be careful, she has these patterns painted on every part of the walls and ceiling, wierd ones that made my eyes hurt and there's all sorts of poisons and drugs under her bed!"

Twilight clucked her tongue, "I'll have to send a letter to Princess Celestia asking my brother to send some guards down then, but only after Lyra explains herself. In the meantime..." She draped the hoodie over her shoulders, "Let's see if Rarity can patch this up."

As someone who was familiar with clients wanting some minor protections on their clothes, Rarity's reaction to Twilight's warning was to cast a simple scanning spell, at which point she raised an eyebrow and vanished into the basement before returning with a white sheet that she laid on the floor, "Place the garment here please."

She indicated the center of the sheet and after Twilight did so, made some adjustments to its position and then cast a spell. Immediately the room darkened as a complicated series lines and runes appeared as Rarity studied the patterns before nodding, "Well, you certainly find the most interesting things darling. Did your brother send you this as a gift?"

Twilight shook her head, "It belongs to Lyra." Rarity paused, before turning slightly.

"Are you absolutely certain Twilight? Because if you are joking its in poor taste. This garment is a literal fortress of defensive and offensive enchantments, why would it belong to a mare who plays in the park for spare change?"

Bon Bon stepped forward, "It belongs to Lyra, I found it in her room, along with a lot of other stuff."

Rarity made a thoughtful noise, "Hmm, did you try to use a spell on it by any chance Twilight?" At her nod, Rarity made another noise, "I thought so. You see this part here?" Rarity indicated a section with her magic and continued at Twilight's nod, "This records the magical signature of everypony that has ever cast a spell on this hoodie, so its defensive enchantments can be raised without the wearer having to focus on activating them. According to this, it's seen a lot of use over a four-year period, yours is merely the latest signature in several thousand."

She prodded it with a hoof, "The age is also interesting. I can tell that it's been worn heavily before, at least for twenty years, but the enchantments are only ten years old, which means somepony wore it before it became enchanted and so heavily modified."

"Can you repair the tears?" Twilight asked, mind trying to find an answer to the questions in her head as Rarity nodded.

"So long as I work carefully, many of these enchantments have a distinct hair-trigger, but if I start now I can have it done late afternoon."

Twilight nodded, "That's fine Rarity. I'm going to check out Lyra's room, we'll be back later to pick it up." Rarity nodded absent-mindedly as she carefully used her hoof to pick up a needle and picked out some black thread so she could begin her work.

Once they were gone, the seamstress sighed, "And here I thought we were due to have a break from excitement after that wedding."

Twilight stood in front of Lyra's closed door and grimaced, "Bon Bon, I think Lyra knows you've been in here." The other pony cocked her head quizzically as Twilight indicated the pattern carved on the door, "This is a Griffon alarm ward, carved into the entrances of their homes and places of great importance to alert guards and occupants of visitors or intruders by sounding an alarm in the mind of the one linked to the ward. Lyra probably thinks somepony's broken into her room."

Bon Bon winced, "And here I just wanted to do something nice for her."

Twilight smiled, "Don't worry Bon Bon, you've been Lyra's friend for six years, I'm sure she'll forgive you if we explain the situation calmly." She trotted into the room, "Now let's seeeeEEEEEEK!" She back-pedalled out, ears flat against her skull, eyes wide as she turned to Bon Bon, "You said she painted patterns right?"

Bon Bon nodded, confused and frightened by the way Twilight was acting as she stared at visible lines on the walls of the room from beyond the doorway, "Those aren't just patterns, its a death sigil! Bon Bon, Lyra's sleeping in a room with a spell that can annihilate anypony who walks in! Unless she has a way to identify who enters her room, she could have killed you with a thought!"

Bon Bon had tears in her eyes, "Twilight, I'm scared. What if all this is related to what she did ten years ago? What if she told me to stay out because she wanted to protect me!" She started crying, "I'm a fool! I shouldn't have broken The Rule! I should have trusted her! And now she's probably going to kill me to keep her secret!"

Twilight immediately hugged the distraught mare, "Shhh, it's okay. It's okay." She soothed, "Lyra isn't going to kill you. The death sigil is inactive, that means she knows you went in but allowed you to see it. That means she must want you to know, because she thinks you're ready to know."

Bon Bon sniffled, "You think so?" Twilight nodded and her expression became resolute, "Then let's go! I need to show you what she has inside!"

She moved inside and opened the drawers to show Twilight their contents, "See!"

Twilight swallowed as she picked up a bottle with her magic and inspected the label, "This...this is serious. Bon Bon, regardless of Lyra's reasons, I need to tell Princess Celestia about this."

Bon Bon nodded, "I understand. I just hope Lyra understands."

"I hope so too, someone who has this kind of supplies...it's shows that no matter how much you know a person, they'll always have secrets." She inspected the boxes, "Military transport crates with magi-locks. We shouldn't try and tamper with these. If Lyra has a death sigil in here, who knows what these will set off."

She sniffed the air, "You were right about the scent, I can only barely make out Lyra's in here."

Bon Bon nodded, "I don't know why she sleeps with this scent. It's disgusting!" She coughed, "Ah, I can taste it!"

Twilight nodded, "I should be able to clean out the scent from here." Her horn glowed and the pair found that they could breath easier as the scent vanished, "There. With Rarity repairing the hoodie, I think Lyra will be happy, I mean, there's no way she could have been comfortable sleeping with that scent everywhere.

Lyra felt her eye twitching as she settled down in the train connecting to Ponyville and tried to relax, but sleep wasn't coming easily as her mind tried to find a way to tell Bon Bon the full story without freaking her out.

Still, she would be back in Ponyville and she could take a long nap in her bed, in her room, inhaling that wonderful scent, and losing herself in her memories.

Everything would feel better once she returned home.

Chapter 2 - Unraveled

Bon Bon was nervous as she waited for the train to arrive at Ponyville train station but she kept a hopeful smile on her face as the train came into view. Next to her, Twilight Sparkle nudged her encouragingly.

"Just stay calm Bon Bon; Lyra will get off the train, you'll explain everything and apologize, she'll forgive you and then she'll be happy when you tell her about what we did for her!" Twilight smiled, "I even made a checklist to keep us on track!"

Bon Bon giggled, "That is so like you Twilight Sparkle." Her ears perked up at the sound of a train whistle and she bounced nervously, "It's here! Itshereitshereitshereitshereitshereitshere..." Twilight leaned against Bon Bon and the mare calmed down, "Right, right, sorry, just so nervous."

"Just take deep breaths Bon Bon, the train's almost here." Twilight was right, already the locomotive was thundering down the tracks and already the platform signaller was raising the flags that told the train that there were passengers to pick up. As it began slowing and hissing to a stop in a cloud of steam, Twilight and Bon Bon waited nervously before blinking as Lyra hopped out of the first-class carriages with a pair of large packs slung over her back.

The mint-green unicorn mare searched the crowds with her golden eyes before they locked onto Bon Bon and Twilight and she trotted over, face set in a neutral expression as she approached. Once she was close enough, she nodded to them, "Twilight, Bonnie."

"Lyra...I..." Bon Bon started before Lyra pressed a hoof to her lips.

"I know Bonnie, and I'm not mad. Maybe I was being silly, holding it all back from you for six years. I should have trusted you more." She smiled sadly, "Maybe it's for the best, I have so much to tell you, and you have to meet my friends, I'm sure they'll love you!"

Bon Bon blinked, "Friends?" It was silly to think that Lyra was alone before they met, but knowing that she had friends before her still stung a little.

Lyra nodded, "I made some very close friends during those years, the best I could ever have. I was planning on sending them some messages asking if they'd like to come to a little get together." She suddenly points at a nearby bush, "That means a small party, not some huge shindig like you usually plan Pinky!"

Pinky Pie popped out of the bush with a pout, "Oh phooey, and I was all set to meet them as well."

Lyra shook her head with a grin, "Ah what the fuck..." Twilight raised an eyebrow at the strange word as Lyra continued, "If you promise to just bring a large chocolate fudge cake, I'll let you and your friends meet them as well." She smiled, "I'm sure you'll love them, they're the most loyal and wonderful friends in the whole world!"

Pinky nodded vigorously, "Okie-dokie! Tell me when you're having the party and I'll whip it up in two shakes of my tail!" She dashed off as Lyra chuckled.

"Same old Pinky, same old Ponyville." She sighed before turning to Bon Bon, "So, you went into my room. You didn't touch anything did you?"

Bon Bon smiled weakly, "Well...I wanted to do something nice for when you came back and it smelled kinda bad in there..." Lyra stopped listening as her pupils shrunk to pinpricks. Smell? Do something nice?

"No..." She whispered as Bon Bon announced, "So I had the hoodie and room cleaned of that nasty scent!"

"NO!" No-one was expecting Lyra's shriek of terror as her horn glowed and she shoved Bon Bon out of the way, the packs sliding off easily as she ran like Tartarus was after her towards their home.

Bon Bon scrambled back to her feet, "Lyra! Wait!" She turned to Twilight, "What happened?"

The purple unicorn shook her head, "I have no idea! We'd better follow, who knows what she's going to do!"

Lyra ignored the ponies saying hellos or asking her what was wrong as she dashed towards the house she shared with Bon Bon, whimpering to herself, "Nonononononononononononono..."

She didn't bother slowing down to open the door, and before the eyes of everypony, she simply blasted the door in and dashed up the stairs towards her room, kicking open the door as she slid inside and sniffed the air desperately.

Nothing, there was nothing in the air, and the panicking mare frantically dashed over to the hoodie hanging on its hook, plunging her nose into its folds and breathing deeply, trying to find something, anything, that managed to escape the cleaning spell that had been cast on it.

Tears dripped from her eyes as she sobbed before she smashed her forehooves into the wall of her room again and again, cracking the plaster until a hoof smashed straight through as she breathed hard, eyes wide and unfocused, before she unsteadily dropped back down on all fours and approached the crates, magic tugging the hoodie off to slip it on as the crates clicked open.

Outside, Bon Bon and Twilight stopped as the window to Lyra's room exploded into a spray of glass shards as a shape leaped out and landed to reveal Lyra standing there, the hood of her garment down to reveal that she was wearing a long red scarf that obscured her muzzle, but what caught their attention, and the attention of the other townsponies, were the weapons strapped to her form.

Throwing knives were strapped to one foreleg, a long blade set into a strange brace on the other with a compact contraption that looked something like a bow, if it was collapsed inwards, to Twilight's eye, slung across her back. A twitch of Lyra's back leg sent a bundle into the air as the unicorn closed her eyes, and sang.

Twilight suddenly froze and looked down at her hooves and she gaped upon seeing her shadow literally fusing with her legs as the bundle glowed before exploding into a shower of sparks that covered the entire town. Looking around, she could see ponies attempting to flee before their own shadows suddenly fused to their hooves and stopped them moving, leaving them to cry for help as Lyra flicked her right foreleg and the blade shifted into a ready position as she approached Bon Bon.

'This is it.' Twilight thought, 'I am going to die here...unless...I have to try!' She focused her magic and suddenly screamed as a lance of agony went through her skull and she stopped, breathing heavily as Lyra continued approaching, before she focused on Bon Bon.

"Lyra..." Bon Bon whimpered as Lyra flicked her leg and the blade sprang out, and from her position, Bon Bon could see that it was very sharp, "Please...don't do this...I'm sorry."

"I'm sorry too Bonnie, but I have to do this, otherwise I won't be able to stop myself." Bon Bon blinked at Lyra's reply and realised that Lyra was shivering slightly, "You have no idea what you have done. Oh Bonnie, I should have told you earlier, should have explained The Rule, but now its too late. If I don't do this, the fury will overwhelm me, and then you will die. You and everyone in Ponyville."

The blade lifted to Bon Bon's neck as Lyra continued, "Just a drop, just a drop spilled, and I can explain everything, I can tell the whole story and then vanish back into the Badlands and the Far Country." Bon Bon swallowed as the blade came closer, and closer, when a bolt of magic and a rainbow streak smashed into Lyra at the same time, sending her flying into a house as Rainbow Dash hovered above the cobblestones.

"Bon Bon, are you alright?" Rainbow asked the mare as Twilight Sparkle trotted into view, breathing heavily as her horn glowed with magic that surrounded her feet, "Twilight, what the heck's going on!"

"I don't know Rainbow, one minute Lyra's panicking because we...cleaned her stuff. Oh no, she must have gone crazy after she checked her room! Rainbow! We need to..." Anything further was drowned out as a wave of magical energy swept over them along with a sound that made Bon Bon shudder, a scream of fury that made Twilight and Rainbow Dash freeze as Lyra stepped out of the ruined front door, eyes glowing as motes of magic span around her.

Twilight swallowed heavily, "Rainbow, I need you to do exactly as I say. Hopefully we can slow...Rainbow!" The brash Element of Loyalty was already charging towards Lyra, who turned her gaze to focus on the pegasus and snarled, a sound that should not have come from a pony's throat rumbling through the air.

Zecora hummed a short tune to herself, part of an old tribal children's song, as she approached Ponyville, intent on purchasing some items for a new batch of medicinal potions when she felt the pull of her shadow on her hooves and frowned lightly, whistling a small charm that immediately shielded her from the binding spell as she focused her attention more fully on the town.

"Powerful magic is in the air, it seems one was not being very aware." She slipped a hoof under her cloak and checked that the darts and blowgun she always carried were still there, "If an enemy from home is there, they shall find I do not fight fair."

She dashed into the town, ignoring the cries for help from other trapped ponies and rounded a corner just in time to see a pony get sent flying into a statue. Approaching the prone form, Zecora noted that it was the brash pegasus, Rainbow Dash if she remembered correctly, and she was not in good shape.

The flying pony was covered in cuts and three distinctive throwing knives were embedded in her side, causing Zecora to grimace, "So it is the fury of the heart that upon this town fell, truly the curse of memory contains a powerful spell."

She trotted in the direction Rainbow Dash had come crashing down from and regarded Lyra Heartstrings stalking towards a battered Twilight Sparkle, eyes and magic tainted through with a bloody red energy that the Zebra shamaness recognised instantly, "Blood is what you crave, even though lives you wish to save. For you old friend I cast my die, and with this attack let fly."

She grabbed a dart, slipped into her blowgun, brought it up to her lips and with a deep breath, aimed and blew. The projectile, tipped with a sleeping potion for defending against Everfree beasts, zipped through the air and struck Lyra on the neck, prompting a howl of rage as the unicorn turned her attention to Zecora, who simply sang and before the unicorn could react, her shadow suddenly bound her in place and she began to struggle as Zecora approached, watching as the unicorn mare's struggles began to weaken until she finally collapsed.

"Zecora!" The Zebra turned from her inspection of Lyra to see Twilight Sparkle approaching slowly, magic around her hooves to try and stop the spell from latching onto her hooves.

Zecora whistled, loudly, and just like that the citizens of Ponyville were free as Twilight found herself flailing for a moment before she steadied herself. Approaching the Zebra, who was now singing softly to Lyra, Twilight looked down at the unconscious unicorn, "I don't understand, I had an idea that Lyra would be upset, but why did she try to kill us?"

Zecora finished her soft song as Lyra's shadow formed chains that wrapped around her as the Zebra turned to the purple unicorn, "A curse on her family that has caused many tears, one that dictates her hopes and fears." She carefully draped Lyra over her back, "A message to your princess you should send, to ignore this is not something you can pretend."

She turned to leave but paused as Twilight shouted, "Wait! Where are you taking her?"

Zecora smiled, "A message I too must send, to summon those who are her closest friends." With that, ignoring Twilight's shouted calls, the Zebra whistled and simply dropped into her own shadow.

Twilight stared for a long moment, before gasping, "Rainbow!" She galloped to where she had seen Lyra throw her friend to see if she was okay.

In an empty field on an abandoned farm, a blue mare practised her latest act, face set in concentration as she went through some flourishes and sweeping of her cloak to distract her audience as he then released a set of magical fireworks to blind as she vanished into invisibility before moving to the rear of the group of stolen pony dress forms that acted as a makeshift audience and dropping the invisibility.

Nodding in satisfaction to herself, Trixie decided to practice her usual showmare boasting, when she blinked as her magic told her that the stone in her travel pack was had received a message. Shrugging, she trotted over to her pack, opened it, and pulled out a small crystal and concentrated.

Trixie's eyes instantly flew open as she tossed the crystal back into her pack, slung it over her back, and dashed out of the field. She paused just long enough to cast a spell on the dress forms and smiled as she blinked and the inanimate objects were now positioned to be staring directly at her.

She turned and left, content her little prank would scare a few foals and wanderers.

Gilda yawned as she lounged in the sun, a passing pony moving a little quicker as the action revealed the razor-sharp rear teeth behind her beak. Nothing like soaking up sun in beautiful Colterado on their famous beaches. She twitched as a chiming sound in her mind dragged her gaze lazily towards her travelling pack.

Grumbling, the griffin used her tail to pull the pack closer and tugged out a crystal from a side pocket, and concentrated.

Her eyes flew open and she quickly tossed the crystal back into the pocket, secured her travelling pack and shoved a pony to the ground, "Move dweeb!"

Her wings flexed and she was airborne.

"I hear those things are awfully loud." Said a pony in time to the piano beat.

"It glides as softly as a cloud." Replied Flim as Flam played the piano.

"Is there a chance the track could bend?" Sang a pony.

"Not on your life my pony friend!" Answered Flim.

"What about us lazy slobs?"

"You'll be given cushy jobs!"

"Were you sent here by the griffons?"

"No good sir I'm...hold on a moment." Flim suddenly stopped the song as he trotted over to a saddle bag set down next to the piano as Flam stopped playing and the ponies in the audience watched as Flim pulled out a crystal and concentrated.

His eyes flew open and he turned to his brother who nodded and smiled to the audience, "My good ponies, unfortunately a situation has arisen with another client that requires our immediate protect...I mean attention! We hope you enjoy your purchases of Flim and Flam's Patented Multi-Purpose Elixer, thank you Goodpony Springs!"

They leaped into the Super Speedy Monorail Maker 2000 and roared off into the distance. Once they were fully out of view of the town, Flim turned to Flam, "We need to go faster!"

"Then we shall engage the Ultra-Power Velocity Magnifier 600 and engage the Super Gliding Wings my dear brother!" He grabbed a lever, "Hold on to your hat!" He yanked the lever.

A bird sitting on a cactus chirped in shock as in the distance a great plume of smoke and sand appeared before a dull boom echoed through the air as a streak rocketed into the sky.

The bird swore it heard the sound of two ponies cheering as it fluffed its feathers and flew off.

In a dark cave across the sea, on an island wracked by constant storms, a queen studied the first of her newborns with a practised and expert eye as she glided through the mewling, chittering mass of bodies and slime, inspecting them for flaws and weaknesses when she twitched as a chime sounded in her mind. Turning slightly, her horn glowed and she picked up a crystal from a pedestal and concentrated.

Her eyes opened lazily as she smirked, "I think I will enjoy the look on their faces." She murmured as her form began to warp and shift, compressing inwards until a black alicorn with dragonfly wings, crooked horn and strange holes in her legs was standing amidst her brood, who slithered across the black stone to hunt for food.

She took wing and vanished into the stormy skies.

Zecora sighed as she sang the spell to its end and regarded the sleeping Lyra, tossing and turning in the binding circle as she snarled and wept, and the shamaness smiled sadly, before removing an object and placing it near the unicorn, who sniffed it and suddenly breathed in deeply as her fitful sleep became more peaceful.

Still smiling, Zecora prepared some tea and waited.

It would not be long.

Chapter 3 - A Long Awaited Reunion

Dear Princess Celestia,

I recently found out that sometimes, doing a nice thing can have unintended consequences, as I found out when Bon Bon contacted me yesterday to help her clean her friend Lyra's room. As it turned out, Lyra had been keeping secrets, big ones, and we hoped that Lyra would be able to explain them.

She was about to, when we revealed the second part of our surprise; cleaning a strange scent from her room and a well-used hoodie. It...didn't go well.

Lyra suddenly armed herself and attacked us, using strange binding magics that held everyone in town by fusing their hooves to their shadows, before attempting draw blood from Bon Bon. I managed to overhear what she said and I think she would have calmed down, but then Rainbow Dash interfered, and Lyra suddenly became consumed by this terrible fury and fought us.

Princess, the magic and fighting techniques I witnessed...I should be horrified because they were all being used with the intent to cripple if not kill and Rainbow now has scars from where Lyra threw a trio of throwing knives into her side, but even as I tried to fight her, I was fascinated. I wanted to learn the strange magics Lyra was throwing around, I wanted to know how she could fight so well.

I wanted to learn everything, and it scares me.

Lyra was subdued, by Zecora, who had apparently arrived to purchase supplies, using some kind of sleeping dart, before binding Lyra and dispelling the spell trapping everyone in Ponyville. She took Lyra back to her home, saying something about summoning her friends.

Princess, I think there is a lot that hasn't been explained or told, and I would like you to be present when we speak with Lyra to find out the truth.

Your Faithful Student,

Twilight Sparkle

Celestia closed the letter and searched her memory of the last census done in Ponyville, "Lyra...Lyra...Ah yes, Lyra Heartstrings." She smiled sadly, "Such a shame, but it was inevitable I suppose, their family curse always does strike at the most inopprtune times." She turned to her seneschal, "Summon Captain Armour for me please."

"At once Princess." The pony replied and with a short bow, left the room to summon Shining Armour as Celestia searched her long memory for details of the Heartstrings family, before deciding that a walk would help her memory. Rising from her throne, with two of her guards trailing after her, Celestia wandered the halls until she paused in front of a painting.

It was an Earth Pony, wielding a Minotaur bow known as a Dragon Slayer that seemed comically tall in comparison, facing down a charging dragon and though the weapon was massive, the pony stood on his hind legs easily and was drawing the bow with the skill of a master, a nocked arrow as long as the pony was tall nocked to the string in a curious brace while another held the bow steady.

Celestia studied the painting and nodded, "Of course, a daughter of the Heartstrings."

"What is this about a Heartstrings, Tia?" Celestia turned her head to see Luna approaching and smiled.

"I thought you were asleep Luna." Her sister shook her head.

"We cannot sleep, powerful magic was used yesterday and we are annoyed that the residual energy is continually interrupting our slumber." She sent a small glare to Celestia, "Please tell your student to be less...overt with her magical experiments, particularly ones that invoke the magic of Zebrican Shamans."

Celestia shook her head, "Twilight is blameless in this circumstance. I received a letter from her just a few minutes ago. It appears a daughter of the Noble House of Heartstrings fell victim to her family curse before being subdued."

Luna gaped in shock, "Truly? How is that possible? A Heartstrings in the grip of the Fury of The Heart is impossible to stop unless slain outright! And your student, while powerful, is not trained or skilled in the arts of combat magic to face a Heartstrings in such a state!"

Celestia nodded, "Yes, which is why I am grateful that a Zebra Shamaness who lives in the Everfree was to subdue her with sleeping darts and bind the Heartstrings with her magic. Come Luna, Captain Armour should have been found and summoned to the throne room, and I believe that we might need his help with this."

Luna nodded and in a flash of light and one of shadow, they reappeared in the throne room just as the doors opened to admit Shining Armour, who saluted the Princesses as Celestia nodded, "At ease Captain, thank you for coming so promptly."

Shining smiled, "As much as Cadence would like to keep me chained to the bed and extend our honeymoon, I do have to earn my keep around here Princess."

Celestia giggled, "Please Shining, you are an in-law now, it will not hurt to call me Celestia on occasion." Her expression turned serious, "But this is not a social call unfortunately. Captain, I require you and twelve of your best guardponies to accompany me and my sister to Ponyville. A situation has arisen and your sister has unfortunately found herself at the centre of it all yet again."

Shining gasped, "What happened Princess? Did we miss a pocket of Changelings?"

Luna raised an eyebrow, "Again with giving those creatures the name of Changelings. Captain, we do not know how long it has been since a true and proper Changeling attack, but those were not Changelings, not true ones." She sniffed as she gave Celestia a small glare, "Bad enough that when I allowed my powers as the Nightmare of Canterlot to cloud my sanity your historians made me out to be a jealous monster, but to have allowed all knowledge of the Black Hordes of the Cursed Isles to waste away sister? Peace is nothing without a strong foundation of knowledge to defend it."

Shining blinked at the irritation in Luna's voice and couldn't help but ask, "Why do you think they weren't real Changelings Princess Luna?"

Luna snorted as her gaze fell fully upon him, "Because Captain, if that was truly Chrysalis, Queen of Nightmares and Goddess of the Cursed Isles, none of us would be standing here. However that thing managed to bind me using my remnant powers as a Nightmare, if it was truly her then Canterlot would be a hive filled with screaming, chittering monsters birthed by a being more ancient than Discord. There would be no dream-land inside pods extracting happiness like some Griffon butcher hacking at meat, we would be living amongst them, serving them happily, because that is how Changelings rule."

She snorted again, "They do not like to waste food after all." Luna shook her head, "But that is neither here nor there."

Celestia nodded, "Indeed." Her gaze returned to Shining Armour, "Captain, twelve of your best ponies and one of them must be from the House of Heartstrings."

Shining blinked, "Heartstrings? Forgive me for asking Princess, but a Heartstrings is overkill."

"Not if you were facing down another Heartstrings fully in the throes of the Fury of The Heart." Luna stated coolly, prompting the white Unicorn to pale, which was impressive considering his snow-white coat.

"I...I understand. I shall them ready to depart within the hour."

Celestia shook her head, "You have twenty minutes Captain." Shining's eyes widened slightly but he saluted and galloped off as Luna stretched her wings slightly.

"I shall handle your court for now sister, so that Canterlot does not fall to the unwashed hordes of minor nobility with their petty games. Take as along as you require, we shall make certain your kingdom does not fall into anarchy..at least not too much anarchy." Luna giggled as Celestia rolled her eyes while rising from her throne.

"If I return and find that you've decided to rule as we did in the old days, you had best be starting from the mid-point of our rule, we wouldn't want the nobles to feel completely useless now do we? I imagine the old Martial Houses like Heartstrings, Lulamoon and Frostfire would enjoy it though..." She trailed off musingly as Luna smiled wickedly.

"Fear not sister, you shall return to find this place still retaining it's veneer of civilisation, though I make no promises regarding the continued virginity of the guards." Luna started laughing as Celestia sighed and walked out.

"That sister of mine." She muttered affectionately, before sobering as Shining Armour appeared with twelve ponies, breathing hard but clearly still ready for action as he saluted.

"Princess, the best ponies under my command, and allow me to introduce you to Sergeant Callan Bower of House Heartstrings." A Pegasus mare with bright blue eyes, dark red mane and coat covered by guard armour, approached and bowed.

"Princess, how may I serve you?" She spoke with a confident, yet icy voice as Celestia nodded.

"A pony by the name of Lyra Heartstrings has fallen victim to the Fury of The Heart. She has been subdued, but I need advice..." Bower shot to her feet, eyes narrowed.

"Subdued? Not slain?" Celestia shook her head and Bower made a thoughtful noise, "How has she been subdued?"

Celestia revealed the letter and presented it, the pegasus taking it in a hoof and reading through it, Shining Armour surreptitiously reading over her shoulder as the pegasus made a pleased noise, "A Zebra Shamaness, and likely a powerful one, so that's some good news. Zebra binding magics are powerful, so we shouldn't be expecting a fight. However..."

She suddenly checked her wingblades, "We'll need to have her feed on the blood of the one who was responsible for cleaning her room and prized possession of her favoured scent. You can control the curse, even harness it for your own ends, but once something that holds a precious memory is destroyed, you can't control it until you've either killed the one who did the deed or fed on their blood."

"You sound as if you have experience with this curse." Celestia remarked as the pegasus shrugged.

"We learn to control and harness it early in our lives, and the power it provides is well-worth the risk of maiming a friend or lover, I'm just glad she was subdued so early." She stared at the letter as if it would tell more, "The longer you remain in The Fury, the more powerful you become. If that Shamaness had arrived just minutes later somepony would have died horribly."

Shining grimaced, "Is there anyway to remove this curse?" Everyone blinked as Bower laughed, a derisive and scornful sound.

"You find something that can do that, you and your wife will be dead within the hour. The Heartstrings have made their legend on both their natural mastery of the bow and the Fury of The Heart, and to remove The Fury is to invite civil war." Shining was about to retort when Celestia waved a wing.

"Enough. The chariots are ready to depart, we can continue this discussion in Ponyville. Sergeant, can you subdue this Heartstrings if she breaks free?"

Bower nodded, "I will try Princess, but you must know that if I cannot, I will slay her rather than sacrifice the lives of my comrades or an innocent."

Celestia nodded, before turning to lead the way, "Then let us be off."

Twilight Sparkle found the rest of her friends already standing around Rainbow Dash's bed, and she could tell that the pegasus was in low spirits, "Rainbow, how are you doing?"

Rainbow managed to smile, "Feeling good, but the doc said I can't do any really stressful flying until the stitches are removed." She turned slightly to show Twilight the three long series of stitches in her side, before she relaxed and sighed, "Hard to believe Lyra did that to me. I mean, she was just some pony who played a lyre in the park you know? Did it for spare change too, never professionally."

"She was so happy this morning as well..." Pinky said sombrely, hair straight and sad, "She wanted me to make a chocolate fudge cake too."

Applejack couldn't take it anymore, "Dagnabbit! If I knew I would have..."

"You would have died darling." Rarity interrupted, continuing as Appplejack glared at her, "Don't give me that look Applejack. I have done more than a few dresses and suits for ponies that have been laced with protective enchantments and some have even place attack spells to ward off hoodlums. Lyra's hoodie would have made her invulnerable to your physical skills and her own prowess would have seen you dead in an instant."

"If she hadn't cheated..." Rainbow began, only for Rarity to glare at her.

"There is no such thing as a fair fight Rainbow. Only the winner and the loser. Rules for battle are just an attempt to make us look more civilised than other beings, but if it came down to your life or theirs, you would do anything you could to win." Rarity intoned seriously, "And once the Princess arrives, we can find out the truth about Lyra Heartstrings and get an explanation for her sudden bout violent insanity."

Twilight was about to say something, when she noticed Fluttershy shivering, "Fluttershy? What's wrong?" The impending argument was stopped cold as the others noticed their friend's distressed state.

"How could she hurt so many ponies?" Fluttershy whispered, "Why would she do something like that? Why try to kill you and Bon Bon? I thought she was nice, but she's mean!" Her voice hitched, "What if she hurts someone again! What if she kills someone! We can't let her live here, it won't be safe!"

Twilight winced, "That's something only Princess Celestia can decide. But she should be here soon, and once we get an explanation out of Lyra, then she'll decide what to do with her."

"I hope she banishes her, no-one like that should live in Ponyville." Fluttershy stated with a surprising amount of venom in her soft voice, "No-one like that should have friends."

Twilight was about to say something when Nurse Redheart entered, "Twilight, the Princess is waiting in reception for you." As the purple unicorn left, she focused her attention on Rainbow, "The doctor says you're clear to be released, but don't get into any fights, flying stunts or strenuous activity because you could pop your stitches. I'll get you some bandages so you can change them every week."

Rainbow nodded, "Thanks. I'll be glad to be walking again." After she received a small pack with the spare bandages and had her side wrapped securely, the blue pegasus carefully tested her wings and hovered off the ground before landing on her feet, "Right, now let's go talk with Lyra! She's at Zecora's right? So let's head over there!"

"You got that right sugarcube! And if Ah don't like the answer, I'm going to buck some sense into her head!" Applejack vowed as the group left the hospital room.

Upon arriving at the ground floor, they found Twilight with Princess Celestia and Shining Armour, a group of Royal Guards standing nearby. Twilight turned and smiled, "Ah, here they are now! Girls, great timing! I was just about to come and get you!"

"It was lucky, wasn't it?" Rarity replied as they bowed to the Princess, who waved for them to rise with a wing.

"My dear little ponies, I have found someone who may be able to explain what came over Lyra." Celestia started as Rainbow grimaced.

"So was she possessed by something like Nightmare Moon?" She asked before frowning as Celestia shook her head, "Did someone cast a spell on her?" Celestia shook her head again, prompting Rainbow to raise her voice impatiently, "Then what was it? What happened that made her do...this!" She motioned with a hoof to her bandaged side.

Celestia's smile remained, "That can be explained by this pony. Sergeant Bower, please step forward." A pegasus mare stepped forward, "This is Sergeant Callan Bower, a relative of Lyra Heartstrings." The pegasus nodded in greeting as Applejack suddenly got into her face.

"Now see here! Yer cousin went plumb crazy this morning, and Ah want some answers!"

Sergeant Bower snorted, "Didn't your mother teach you any manners?"

Applejack's eyes widened and she snarled, "Oh, that's it! Nopony, but nopony, insults mah parents and gets away with it!" She whirled to deliver a powerful buck when she found herself thrown into the ceiling before collapsing on the tiled floor as the others backed away upon seeing the Pegasus snarling in fury, eyes glowing red as sparks of scarlet lightning crackled across her body.

She slammed a hoof into Applejack's back, prompting a yelp of pain as the lightning crackled more frequently, before it suddenly stopped, the red glow fading from Sergeant Bower's eyes as she stared at Twilight Sparkle, "That was what you saw didn't you? A peaceful pony suddenly snarling with rage and fury, seemingly becoming stronger with every passing second?"

Twilight nodded shakily as Bower stood back and let Applejack rise unsteadily to her hooves as Bower continued, "What you saw is know as The Fury of the Heart, and it is the greatest weapon and curse of the House of Heartstrings."

Twilight blinked, "Noble...House...?" She gasped, "You mean Lyra, our Lyra, is a daughter of one of Equestria's Great Martial Houses?"

"Not just any daughter." Bower answered, "The name Heartstrings is reserved for the actual Heartstrings family, the leaders of the House. Lyra is a direct descendant of the Titanslayer, Hero of the Northern Wall."

"Frankly Sergeant, we don't care if she is related to a Stalliongrad whore." Rarity stated, "What is important is explaining what this Fury of The Heart nonsense is."

Bower snarled, "Impudent wretch." She hissed, red lightning sparking before it vanished as she took a deep breath, "The Fury is related to a soul-borne ability to relive any memory in life, good and bad, to gain insight and perspective, and to ground our attitudes so that arrogance does not infect us. With it, we can recall the most minute facts and never forget any detail."

She stalked forward, eyes glowing slightly as Rarity backed up a little, "And in doing so we have to live with the fact that one day we could turn on a friend, a relative or a lover, and kill them for something as innocent as cleaning a garment! I've had my hooves stained with the blood of my mother and sister, with the blood of friends, with the blood of my husband, and all because they innocently destroyed or lost an object associated with my most precious memories. But with this curse I can tear you apart and there is not a damn thing you can do to stop me."

"Sergeant, thank you for telling us this, and I hope that it satisfied your curiosity Rarity since she could have simply refused." Celestia spoke with a hint of steel in her voice as Rarity nodded, still unable to speak from the raw emotion Bower had placed in her voice during the telling.

"Indeed, it promises a mighty tale. One that makes the legends of my tribe seem pale." Everyone turned at the voice to see a cloaked Zebra standing in the shadows, "Peace, I mean no danger, I am here so that I am not a stranger."

Twilight smiled, "Zecora! Is Lyra still..." She asked uncertainly as Zecora picked up on the unspoken question.

"Slumbering she remains, but upon the magic her fury drains."

Sergeant Bower nodded, "Not surprising, the longer she remains in that state the stronger she'll become physically and magically. Have you acquired the blood of the one responsible? It's the only way to calm her."

"This is knowledge I know too well, where the one named Bon Bon went I cannot tell." Zecora replied.

"I believe I know where she is." Rarity spoke up, "First off, my apologies Sergeant, we're still feeling a little raw from these events, and secondly Bon Bon is staying as my guest at my home."

"Then I go to collect her, the sooner the deed is done the better." Zecora stated and with a whistle vanished back into the shadows.

Shining shivered, "That kind of magic always gives me the creeps." He muttered, prompting a surprised look from Twilight.

"You've fought Zebra's before?" She asked, and Shining nodded.

"The warriors and skirmishers we can handle, their weapons are conventional. But a Zebra Shaman or Shamaness with a rifle can bring down anyone, especially with magic-eater bullets." Shining admitted, "The skirmishes are getting more bloody these days, especially as too many settlers are ignoring the the calls to look to the West beyond the Everfree to colonise the Ash Lands and settling for the easier to inhabit Southern Deserts or the Northern Ranges near the Eyrie Dominions."

He shook his head, "But that's something for later. We should get going to this Zecora's residence. Where does she live?"

Twilight smiled, "She lives in the Everfree, but close enough that we shouldn't be in much danger. I'll lead the way."

Zecora's hut was empty when the group arrived, but then a shadow warped and out stepped Zecora with an ill-looking Bon Bon following after her, "I don't know how you can handle travelling like that. It's so...disturbing."

Zecora laughed, "Worse things I have seen, and worse places I have been." She looked to her door and saw her visitors, "Ah friends come in, to leave you without comfort would be a sin!"

Twilight smiled, "Thank you Zecora." She looked around the hut at the various pots, hanging herbs and strange concoctions, before her gaze fell on..."Lyra!"

Bon Bon turned and saw her friend, fast asleep with a smile on her face, still bound in shadowy chains. But the mare's body was still rippling with blood-red energy as Sergeant Bower shook her head, "It's a testament to your skill Shamaness, no other could bind one of our blood without making a mess."

Zecora smiled, "Thank you, I am glad my skill still proves true." She pushed Bon Bon forward, "Place your hoof in the ring, and out of her slumber I will bring." Bon Bon nodded and carefully placed her hoof inside the glowing magical circle on the ground as Zecora chanted.

In a flash of non-light, the chains fell away as Lyra began to stir, then awoke snarling and shivering, looking around before her eyes locked on Bon Bon's. WIth a shudder, the mint-green mare managed to speak, barely suppressed fury making her words harsh, "Bonnie...you shouldn't have...come...you STUPID BITCH! I'LL FUCKING KILL YOU!"

Bon Bon shook her head, keeping her hoof in the circle, "I just want you to stop Lyra. Please."

Lyra rumbled before her glowing eyes fell on Bon Bon's hoof and before anyone could react, she lunged. Bon Bon screamed as Lyra's jaws clamped down and some of the Royal Guards moved to help when Bower raised a wing, "Stop! This is how the curse can be sated. Lyra just needs to feed on Bon Bon's blood for a few seconds and it will release its grip and she'll be able to calm down."

After a few seconds had passed, the glow began to fade, and with a shudder Lyra pushed herself away from Bon Bon, tears in her eyes, "Oh Bonnie, I'm so sorry I hurt you." She sniffled as Bower came forward.

"Who is your sire?"

Lyra stiffened and nodded seriously, "I am born of Titus Heartstrings and Talon the Farseeing."

Bower nodded, "Have you a title?"

Lyra nodded, "I am House Huntress, earned sixteen years ago before I embarked on my Wild Hunt."

Bower nodded and bowed, "I greet you warmly oh Heartstrings, you are missed in your home."

Lyra grinned, "I know." She turned to Bon Bon, "Bonnie, I wish I told you sooner, you deserve a better friend than me."

"Oh I don't know, you acted much the same when we first met." Everyone turned at the new voice and the guards stiffened at seeing the black alicorn standing in the doorway, "Oh don't stop on my account, the emotion is so thick and rich here, I feel like I've found a feast."

"Chrysalis!" Twilight shouted as she got into a stance, "You won't get us this time!"

For her part Chrysalis simply rolled her eyes, then regarded Lyra, "Mind if I give them a show?"

Lyra shrugged, "Go ahead."

Chrysalis smiled, showing far too many teeth and setting everyone save for Lyra and Zecora on edge as the Zebra dispelled the magic circle and put on a pot for tea.

Then the Queen of Changelings simply opened her mouth.

She closed it again and regarded the cowering ponies as she smiled widely, "My failure during the wedding was because I was too focused on blending in, even going as far as to birth a far weaker brood than what I typically commanded." She sauntered into the house and accepted a cup of tea from Zecora, sipping it carefully while blowing on it occasionally, "You were simply lucky. Had I been actually focused on victory, there would have been nothing to stop me."

"I still think you weren't serious." Lyra commented as Bon Bon clutched her tightly, sipping her own tea as Zecora joined them, "You just wanted to relieve some boredom and get rid of a weak brood."

"Perhaps." Chrysalis replied cryptically as she took another sip.

Twilight shivered as she stared wide-eyed at Chrysalis, "W-what are you?"

Chrysalis smiled as she turned an amused eye towards Celestia, who was regarding them warily, "I'm shocked Celestia. Didn't you tell your student about the Goddess of the Cursed Isles, the Ruler of the Black Hordes, the Queen of Nightmares, Chrysalis of Storms? For shame."

"Twilight's a good kid." Lyra piped up as Bon Bon remained latched tightly to her, "But a little lacking in the whole worldly knowledge deal." She smiled, "Heh, I bet if I took her out hunting in the Northern Wastes she'd try and follow a checklist and I'd find her a few days later with a checklist that had no check marks on it and she'd be a frozen treat for the Storm Hawks."

"How rude!" Rarity managed to recover enough to be outraged, though she pointedly avoided looking at Chrysalis, "I'm certain Twilight would be just as accomplished a hunter as you if she put her mind to it. And why would you hunt anyway? Such a barbaric practice."

"And why are you having tea with her!" Rainbow jabbed a hoof in Chrysalis' direction, the Changeling Queen simply smiling again, "She's evil! She tried to have us wrapped up in pods and steal our love!"

Lyra giggled, "The Memory Pods? Really? Chryssie, you really weren't serious were you? The Chrysalis I know would have drowned Canterlot in her brood-horde and broken the Elements of Harmony over her chitin. Face it, you were bored." She smiled at Chrysalis, who smiled back.

"Perhaps. Maybe more importantly I wanted to do something, anything, to help me get over what...happened." Chrysalis sniffled, "I just needed to try and forget the pain."

Lyra smiled, and easily slid out of Bon Bon's grip to hug the Changeling Queen, "I know, I miss him too." She looked over to Zecora, "Are the others coming?"

The Zebra was about to reply when Applejack finally had enough, "Now wait just an apple-pickin' minute here! How can you two..." She waved a hoof at Lyra and Zecora, "Be friends with that low-down, pony replacing, wedding ruining, shapeshiftin' monster!" She stomped a hoof, "Ponies got hurt during that little invasion of hers!"

"Did any die?" Chrysalis asked blandly, and when Celestia shook her head, sniffed, "Then I wasn't being serious. Merely attempting to do something rather wallow in depression at losing a dear friend."

Rainbow snorted, "You? Having friends?" She scoffed, "And who would be friends with You?"

"I would be for one." Zecora stated with a hard tone, "Her whims make life interesting and fun." She refilled Chrysalis' teacup, "Your bonds formed through luck, happenstance and fate, ours was formed from battle, blood and hate."

Twilight frowned, "Now wait a moment, our friendship has been through its own challenges, you can't just say we've had an easier time!" She stepped forward, "Furthermore, friends have things in common as well as differences, so what could you have in common with her!" She challenged.

"What we have in common a drive for adventure, for glory, and for coin. To see the world and its wonders, and then take all of its plunder." All eyes turned and only Chrysalis, Lyra and Zecora smiled at seeing the blue unicorn mare standing in the doorway, star and moon cloak draped around her as her hat leaned at a jaunty angle while she drawled arrogantly, "How far have you travelled Twilight Sparkle? Do you go beyond the borders of Equestria and see places like the Eyrie Dominions and the Zebrican Desert? Have you taken a boat or airship across the Eastern Ocean to the Dark Lands? Have you ever braved the darkest depths of the Everfree and gone into the Eternal Jungle? Have you crossed the Northern Wastelands to the Diamond Sea? Or braved the Ash Lands? Maybe you believe yourself capable of braving the Badlands and seeing the strange cities of the Far Country?"

"Trixie." Twilight stated evenly as the blue mare walked in and accepted a cup of tea from Zecora, "What are you doing here? Back for more boasting?"

"Yeah!" Rainbow spat, "I bet you have some boast about taking on Sand Vipers or taming an Ash Crow."

Trixie sniffed, "I have no need to make up stories about those achievements, because I have done just that. My boasting is part of my act as a showpony, wild tales to excite the mind and inflame the imagination. If a hick town like this is so feeble-minded that they cannot distinguish fantasy from reality...well, as an old friend once said, 'Bury your head in stories, and you won't leave a story when they bury you.' An apt saying."

She was about to take a sip when suddenly Fluttershy flew over and knocked the cup out of Trixie's hoof, "How can you such a thing! You...you...you BULLY!" Before Trixie could retort, Fluttershy fixed the unicorn with The Stare, "But that's not surprising, you're a boastful bully, Chrysalis is a bully who wanted to lock us all up in a dream for the rest of our lives and Lyra's kept secrets from all of us! The only one who is actually good and kind..."

"ENOUGH!" Trixie shouted as she shot to her hooves, fixing the Pegasus with a glare that stopped the rant in its tracks, "Trixie doesn't know what you think she is, but Trixie is not some animal who will be cowed by a glare! I have earned my friends trust, companionship and love through things that would make a cowardly little wallflower like you die long before you encountered any physical threat!"

She stepped forward, pressing her head firmly against Fluttershy's as Lyra, Zecora and Chrysalis smiled in open amusement, "Who are you? I'll tell you who you are. A nobody, a quiet little wallflower too scared to even look at her own shadow, who prefers the company of animals to other ponies, and who hid like a frightened foal when Zecora first arrived here. If it wasn't for the Element of Kindness welded to your soul you would have died in obscurity. Trixie on the other hand, is famous throughout much of the nations beyond Equestria!"

Rarity raised an eyebrow, "I find that hard to believe."

"Believe it twerp." Celestia wondered just who else was going to arrive as a female griffon strode in, ignoring the guards, and the others, to sit near Lyra and accept a cup of tea from Zecora, "Trixie's famous in a lot of places. My people call her the Moonlight Thief, the Zebra's know her as the Dust Devil, the Minotaurs and Boars call her the Night Witch, the ponies on the Cursed Isles name their daughters after the Blessed of Shadows, and the ponies who live in the Far Country and Badlands know her as the Rogue of Stars."

She took a sip, "Not bad what one can do in four years eh?" She sent an amused glare to Fluttershy, who was now looking at her, then before anyone could react, roared in the yellow pegasi's face, sending her zooming back to hide behind Applejack trembling like a leaf.

"BWAAAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAA!" Gilda started laughing, "Whaddya know, you still can't handle a Griffon roaring in your face dweeb. Not surprising, you were doing so well at failing to intimidate Trix here." She continued giggling as Trixie huffed.

"Trixie could have handled her, thank you very much. Besides, I seem to remember you getting into more trouble than you could fight your way out of on occasion, oh Shrike of the Sands." She shrugged, "For the youngest griffon to earn the title of Silent Storm, you certainly made a lot of noise."

"Hahah, fuck you Trix, or should I remind you of the time you nearly got eaten by some of Chryssie's newborns." Trixie blushed at the memory as Lyra started laughing.

Chrysalis smiled, "You made such delightful squeaks when they started nipping at your feet." She mused, "They grew up so fast."

"And they were hungry." Trixie complained grumpily as she accepted a new cup of tea from Zecora, before looking around, "Well, it seems as though we are only missing the two..." She grimaced slightly, "Geniuses. I wonder what steam-powered monstrosity they're using to arrive here?"

Lyra shrugged, "Dunno, but it should be good." She glanced over to the other ponies and waved to them, "You know, you're all being terribly rude just standing there while Zecora is making tea." She stated with a small smile, "In the Zebra Deserts, that's grounds for the visitors to be thrown out of the host's home."

Slowly, warily, the guards, Princess Celestia and the Elements of Harmony sat around the large fire in the center of the hut, opposite Lyra and the others, as Zecora moved to a cupboard and removed a steel wire lattice that she placed over the flames before looking at Gilda, who nodded and darted out an open window as Zecora began pulling out bread, herbs, and from an icebox a thick-looking white substance that had Lyra smiling, "Ooh, spiced cheese!"

Zecora smiled as she laid out the various items on a large platter as Lyra scooted forward, Bon Bon nervously sitting next to her, while Chrysalis lounged near the fire and Trixie took up a seat near her, coincidentally ensuring that the two groups were neatly opposite each other as Zecora hummed a tune while removing more foodstuffs as Lyra sighed happily, "Bread, soft cheese, herbs and as soon as Gilda gets back, some meat to go with it all."

Rarity made a face, "You actually eat meat?" Before Lyra could reply, Bon Bon spoke up.

"She does. She used to eat it when we were living in Manehattan. Every week she'd go a Griffon restaurant and order meat dishes before trading Griffish songs with the staff and patrons." She smiled slightly, "It was always fun to watch her singing with a group of Griffons, even though I never understood a word."

Twilight was about to comment when a thunderous crash sounded outside and although Twilight, her friends, Celestia and the guards shot to their feet, Trixie simply gave out a long-suffering sigh while smiling fondly, "And so they arrive in style, steam and fire. Typical for those two."

"And yet you wouldn't trade them for any other." Lyra snarked back as Trixie chuckled lightly while two blonde-coated, red-maned unicorn stallions in strawboater hats and striped vests walked in with a flourish, trailing smoke while Gilda followed them in, a dead boar slung over her back, shaking her head.

Lyra smiled, "Woah! How'd you two get here?"

Flim, patting out a small flame on his hat, shrugged, "Well..."

"There's Ponyville in the distance! We should arrive momentarily Flam!" Flim shouted over the rushing wind as their vehicle roared through the skies above Ponyville, "Who says that flight is only for Pegasus!" He laughed.

"Indeed!" Flim shouted back, "Although next time, we should plan for future air travel in our designs! I don't think we can maintain our stability for..."

The vehicle shook violently and the two brothers looked at each other, then to the rear of the vehicle, watching as the left Super Gliding Wing, a wing made for Gliding and not Flying, shook rapidly before with a crack that was felt rather than heard, fell away and the vehicle began to list as Flam struggled with the controls.

"Oh, this is not good! Get ready for landing brother!"

"And that's how we arrived." Flam finished as Flim patted some smoke off his vest as everyone stared at them, before Lyra, Trixie, and Chrysalis started laughing uproariously as Zecora smiled and gave the pair some tea while Gilda took the boar to the back of the hut, smirking at Fluttershy's visible discomfort as she took a knife from a hanging rack.

"Only you two!" Lyra guffawed, "Only you two would think Gliding is the same as Flying!" She started laughing again, "That's almost as funny as the time you tried to make a boat swim underwater! Without any air!" She couldn't take it any more and started rolling on the ground laughing her head off as Flim and Flam smiled and bowed.

"Never let it be said that we allowed the potential consequences to stand in the way SCIENCE!" The two declared as thunder rumbled in the background and Lyra's laughter only increased.

"Stop! Stop! You're going to kill me!" She laughed as she tried to calm down, hiccuping slightly as she tried to catch her breath, "Every time! Every time! How is it that even when you're being serious you crack me up?" She giggled slightly as the two ponies shrugged.

"Perhaps it is our effervescent charm and jovial nature Flim?" Flam asked his brother.

"I think not! It is clearly our positive outlook on life, inexhaustible supply of enthusiasm and dedication to hard work!" He replied, to which Applejack open scoffed.

"You two? Work hard? Yeah right! You tried to swindle the town with cheap cider and that fancy contraption of yours! I bet you two have never worked hard a day in your life!" She spat as Lyra stopped laughing and glared at her, prompting the farmpony to glare back, "Don't you dare try to defend them Lyra, these two are nothing more than a pair of low-down dirty cheats!"

Lyra snarled, "Yeah? So what! I've known these two for four years, and I'd rather trust a pair of snake-oil selling hucksters than you." She waved a hoof at them, "These two are geniuses! I've seen them work miracles with alchemy and chemistry! They can do more with a steam engine that Equestria has down in centuries! They can make the ancient technology of the Old Ones, even the Humans, work after only a few minutes of tinkering!"

She trotted over and hugged them tightly, "They've saved our lives too many times to count. These two are con-artists, hucksters, snake-oil sellers and cheats, but they are the most wonderful, compassionate and brave ponies I have ever travelled with." She then smiled wickedly, "And they can make a damn better cider than yours Applejack!"

"That tears it!" Applejack shot to her hooves, "I can maybe understand what you're saying, but no-one and I mean no-one, makes better cider than Sweet Apple Acres!"

Lyra looked at the brothers, who kept their faces studiously neutral, and grinned slyly, "If I know you two, your private reserve would have survived the crash just fine. And the meal will go down much, much smoother with a mug of your Red Barrel Hard Spice in hoof you know..." She trailed off meaningfully and Flim made a sigh of resignation, only a few ponies missing the twinkling in his eyes.

"I suppose that if we're soothing flared tempers, than a peace offering should be made by us, I shall return momentarily. Try to keep the ladies entertained brother!" He left with a flourish and trotted outside as Applejack was dragged back to her seated position, still huffing from what Lyra said.

"Wow Lyra..." Bon Bon, who had remained quiet, especially as Chyrsalis would occasionally yawn in amused boredom, spoke up, "You seem so...different, than how you usually act." She glanced at Trixie who was idly juggling several coins expertly and was now adding some throwing knives, a smoke bomb, and what appeared to be a vial of poison. On a single hoof.

Lyra smiled, "If anything, I'm acting normal Bonnie. Ponyville is a nice, peaceful place, at least it was until Twilight Sparkle here showed up." She indicated Twilight with a hoof as she continued, "But the Lyra you knew, playing a lyre in the park for spare change, was a mask. It was an attempt to bury my past for six years, but..." She stroked her hoodie meaningfully, "When you can remember everything, and combine it with the fury that trying to destroy those memories will always bring, you can't bury it too deep."

"Lyra..." Bon Bon whispered before Trixie sniffed.

"So this is what the best of us has reduced herself to? Some charlatan playing at being a good little pony?" She easily caught the objects and returned them to her cloak, then waved it to show that they had disappeared, "Trixie is glad she doesn't have to hide what she is."

"And what exactly are you?" Rarity spoke up then, "All I see is some boastful mare."

Trixie laughed, "Exactly! I am an arrogant mare, a vagrant unicorn who cannot put down roots because she hears the call to travel, and I have done more and seen more than you have in your boring, plebian lives." She smiled and flourished, and suddenly a large dagger was in her hoof, "I am a Lulamoon, daughter of one of the Wandering Families of that Martial House, and I will not pretend to be some boring mare hiding her past because she's afraid her new friend will reject her."

Rarity was about to reply when the door opened and Flim trotted back in with a red wooden barrel floating behind him, "I return with drinks to quench our thirsts! Come, let us enjoy this moment as old friends reunite!" He set the barrel up and accepted large mugs from Zecora, before turning the tap set into the side and pouring a dark cider as he passed the cups around, the first going to Princess Celestia, who took a careful sip, before she blinked.

"This is very good. What do you call it?" Flam, who had been speaking with Zecora about something, smiled and spoke up as he accepted a mug.

"Why it is our famous Red Barrel Hard Spice! It is an old family recipe for a strong, spicy and refreshing cider with a low alcoholic content; perfect for a fire-cooked meal between friends, a hearty round of drinking in a Griffon-run tavern, or a drink after killing the Abomination of Travon in a thrilling steam-boat chase through the river-city in question!" He announced before taking a deep gulp, exhaling in satisfaction as Gilda finally appeared from the back with a tray, "And here's the meat! Now we can have ourselves a grand party!"

"I admit, I am interested in what sort of dish you have planned." Celestia admitted as she took a seat, sipping her cider more conservatively while Twilight and her friends hadn't touched theirs while Gilda laid out the meat to cook.

"Nothing like a properly spiced boar Princess." Gilda replied with a friendly smile, "I remember Lyra and Gunner..." She trailed off with a blink of shock before she brought a claw up to her beak, "Ah crap, I'm sorry Lyra." She apologised as Lyra's smile became pained before she waved it off.

"No, it's all right. Besides, I want to tell Bonnie the truth and it'll mean telling her about Gunner." She went quiet for a long moment, before looked up with a bright smile, "But who cares about that! I have my friends with me and we're going to share stories and remember the good times and the bad! But first..."

She lifted her mug, "I need a refill!"