Lyra burst into the cabin, Colgate’s limp body draped over her back and the ax held firmly in her magic. Bonbon sat up straight on the bench and gasped as Lyra dropped the other unicorn to the floor. “Is she alive?”

“Yes.” Lyra dropped the ax and held out Colgate’s injured leg for inspection.

“Are you sure she’s alive?” Bonbon shivered as she eyed Colgate suspiciously.

“Yes,” Lyra repeated, looking worried. “But I don’t like the look of her leg.”

“What happened?” Bonbon did not move from the bench, but craned her neck to get a better look.

“Derpy bit her, really hard.” Lyra picked up the ax. “And I think the bite’s infected.”

Bonbon squinted. “Why do you think that?”

Lyra tapped the ax blade just below the joint of Colgate’s right foreleg. “Because the bite mark is turning black.”

Bonbon blanched. “What are you going to do?”

“Amputate it,” Lyra said, bracing herself as she raised the ax.

“Lyra!” Bonbon gasped, but it was too late. Lyra brought the ax down with a sickening crunch. Bonbon turned away, looking pale. “Oh sweet Celestia.”

Lyra wrenched the ax free from Colgate’s leg, feeling bile rise in her throat. She wanted nothing more than to squeeze her eyes shut and block out the sight of what she was doing, but she needed to hit her mark precisely if she wanted to avoid mutilating her friend’s leg any worse than it had been already. She swung the ax down again and heard the hard thump of the head sinking into the floor.

“OK… let’s never do that again.” Lyra released her hold on the ax and quickly snatched the table cloth. Tearing it into lengths, she bound her bleeding friend’s stump into a makeshift tourniquet. “There,” she said, sitting back. “That will keep her from bleeding out.” She bit her lower lip and added, “I hope… I have never actually done this before.”

Bonbon pulled the blanket she had brought from the bedroom tighter around herself. “What is going on?” she asked, more to herself than to Lyra.

“I don’t know,” Lyra answered quietly. She looked over at the record player, which lay where Derpy had kicked it. “But, I know who does.”

“Lyra, what are you thinking?” Bonbon had turned back around and looked scared. “Don’t you even think about touching that… that thing again!”

Lyra grimaced. “I don’t like the idea all that much either.”

“Then don’t do it!” Bonbon’s voice had grown shrill as she pleaded. “Whatever that horrible thing was, you finished it! Colgate is hurt, but if we just wait till morning then we can leave this horrible cabin and get help.”

Lyra shook her head. “Whatever that thing was, it got into Derpy while she was out in the woods. If there is still something out there, then we would be trotting right into it with an injured mare.”

“Then let’s leave her!” Bonbon cried. Lyra’s eyes widened as Bonbon quickly added, “Not like that! We could leave her here to go get help. If there is something out there then, with Derpy…” She swallowed. “Well, the cabin seems to be the safest place around right now, so it’s not like she will be in any worse danger then she is now.”

Lyra chewed her lip for a moment before shaking her head again. “No.” Her voice took on a tone of finality. “We can’t risk it. Not if there is a chance that there is something we’re missing.”

“But what if it happens again?” Bonbon shivered and edged closer to the fireplace. “What if you just make it worse?”

Lyra thought for a moment then smiled. “Well,” she said, sounding almost cheerful. “If it starts playing crazy, human demon summoning rituals again, I’ll just skip ahead!” She winked. “Should be easy now that I know what that sounds like.”

Bonbon stared aghast at the smiling unicorn as she seemed to wrestle with some deeply held emotions. “Can you at least do it in another room?” She asked weakly.

“No problem.” Lyra nodded as she levitated up the record player.

Lyra made her way into their bedroom and firmly closed the door. While the walls of the cabin were paper thin, she had no intention of letting out anymore sound then was absolutely necessary. Finally she started the old machine.

“KAANNDA!”

“LYRA!”

“Sorry!” Lyra hastily lifted the needle off the record and held it there for several seconds, waiting for the sound of shattering glass or inequine screams. When no such sounds occurred, Lyra let out a breath and shoved a pillow case into the mouth of the megaphone.

“OK, round two,” she muttered, gently moving the needle up the track.

The voice of Professor Orange, now muffled, returned. The old unicorn’s voice sounded old and tired as he recounted, “I know now that my assistant, Cobalt, has become host to a Kandarian demon. I fear that the only way to stop those possessed is through…” The stallion’s voice faltered for a moment, then continued more firmly. “…Is through the act of bodily dismemberment.”

Lyra felt a cold knot form in her stomach. The record continued. “I hope to find some way of sending the demons back through further research into the Necronomicon, which I have locked safely in the cellar. I at least take some small solace in knowing that, should I fail, no pony will find this place. Not till the Princess’ come to look for me, and they will be better able to deal with this better then any…” The stallion trailed off again as a thought seemed to strike him. “Did I remember to tell Lyra that I would be using this place, this year, after all?” There was a longer pause in which Lyra ground her face into her hooves. “Yes, I am fairly certain I did. Thank Celestia for small favors, I suppose.”

“You could have recorded over the stupid translation!” Lyra cried, giving the record player a kick.

Lyra’s ears perked up as she faintly heard the sound of a door open and close. Rushing back to the main room, she frantically looked too the now-empty bench where Bonbon had been sitting. “Bonbon!”

She dashed through the main door and looked out into the empty darkness of the woods. “BONBON!”

Back inside the house Colgate stirred, muttering something that Lyra could not make out. Lyra danced on the spot, torn between her friends.

Help us

Lyra spun toward the woods. “Bonbon?” She telekinetically grabbed her ax and charged after her marefriend.

Help us

The dark shapes of trees flashed by as Lyra galloped down the overgrown trail, eyes darting left and right, searching for any sign of danger or the lost mare. A glimpse of white caught her eye, and she veered off the path toward it.

Through the trees she saw Bonbon, her back turned to Lyra and galloping hell for leather through the trees. “BONBON!” Lyra screamed as she charged after the fleeing pony, heedless of the branches and brambles that seemed to reach out to block her way. Her attention was so focused on her friend, in fact, that she did not notice the large tree root jutting from the ground till her hoof caught on it. Lyra shouted in alarm as she fell to the ground in a heap.

Dazed, Lyra pushed herself back to her hooves unsteadily. Looking back toward where Bonbon had been, she saw nothing but darkness. “Bonbon!?” Lyra gasped, looking around. “Bonbon, come back!” Lyra tried to resume the chase, but almost fell again when she tried to put more weight on the hoof that had caught the root.

Lyra cursed as she examined her leg. It was not bleeding, nor did it look obviously broken, but her ankle appeared badly bruised where she had been tripped. “Oh, you had better not be a torn ligament!” Lyra moaned, prodding the sore area.

Help us

Lyra’s ears perked up as she peered around. “Bonbon?”

“Lyra!” Bonbon’s voice was shrill and desperate.

“Hold on, I’m coming!” Lyra called back, hobbling at top speed toward the sound of her friend.

As Lyra hurried toward the call, the trees seemed to push in all around her, as if attempting to block her path. Then, the trees opened up and Lyra found herself at the edge of a clearing, in the middle of which sat a familiar cream-colored pony. Bonbon’s chest rose and fell with deep sobs that wracked her body, and as Lyra approached she saw that Bonbon’s coat was matted with dirt and blood.

“Bonbon, it’s ok. I’m here.” Lyra limped to her crying friend and reached out to her with her injured hoof.

“It’s not ok!” Bonbon curled tighter into a ball as Lyra touched her. “Derpy and Carrot Top…”

Lyra stroked Bonbon’s back as she knelt down beside her. “I know.” She gave the clearing another searching look before laying down the ax beside Bonbon. “We’re all scared right now, but we can still make it through this.” Lyra wrapped her good hoof around Bonbon and tried to ease the other mare out of the fetal position. “We have made it this far together and if we can just make it till morning, then we can walk out of here together!”

Bonbon shook her head. “We can’t leave together! Derpy is dead!”

Lyra held Bonbon tighter. “I know!”

“Carrot Top is dead!” Bonbon wailed.

“We can still escape!” Lyra almost screamed, clutching Bonbon fiercely.

“Colgate’s dead,” Bonbon said.

Lyra froze as she felt her blood run cold. “What?” She asked, voice wavering.

“You left Colgate alone with Carrot Top and now she’s dead.” Bonbon said, voice suddenly cold and amused.

Lyra stared at Bonbon in dawning horror as she felt her hold loosen. “Bon, what did you just say?”

Bonbon’s body shook as she began to laugh. “You brought Colgate out here, making her think that you were finally catching on to her feelings. Then you brought your marefriend and all her friends along to blame and mock her. And then, when she needed you most, you left her to die, all alone.” Bonbon’s laughter rose to a giggle as Lyra recoiled in shock.

“You’re lying!” Lyra shoved herself away from Bonbon as the earth pony continued to laugh. “You’re not Bonbon!”

“Oh I’m not the one who’s been lying, Lyra.” Bonbon looked at Lyra, pale eyes gleaming. “She died knowing you had betrayed her!”

“I didn’t! I wouldn’t!” Lyra grabbed for the handle of the ax, but the possessed Bonbon picked it up before Lyra could get a grip.

The monster cackled as it dragged the ax toward Lyra. “You cannot deny it. We know her mind better then you ever did.”

Lyra scrambled to her hooves, backing away from the creature. “I know what you are and I know how to stop you!” Lyra wished she knew whatever spell Colgate had used before.

“Stop us!?” The demon threw back its head and laughed. “You cannot stop us! Even now we have your darling Bonbon’s soul! She suffers in torment!”

“NO!” Lyra screamed as she turned and fled, leg pain ignored as she galloped away from the laughing demon. Branches scratched her coat and tangled in her mane, but she tore free, all thought banished from her mind except the need to escape. Her friends were dead and she had nothing left to keep her from running till she was as far from these terrible woods as her legs could carry her.

Suddenly a tree branch lashed out and knocked her from her hooves. As she tried to get back to all fours she felt something grab one of her legs. Without thinking, she wrenched herself free from its grasp and turned and bolted down an opening in the trees.

Behind her Lyra heard the mad laughter of the possessed Bonbon and felt a rush of adrenaline propel her forward. Ahead, she saw the trees begin to thin and she thought she saw the faint light of civilization. With a triumphant cry she bolted out of the forest and into the warm light of a familiar cabin.

Lyra sat heavily as she stared at the cabin in stunned disbelief. From behind her she heard Bonbon chuckle. She looked back to see the blood-splattered mare slowly strolling down the pathway, ax dragging along the dirt path behind her, chuckling and staring at her.

Looking back at the cabin Lyra felt her mouth twitch up into a strained smile. “Heh…” She laughed nervously as she turned back to the approaching monster.

Bonbon smiled sweetly at her as she hoisted the ax up to her shoulder. The earth pony’s lovely blue eyes seemed to shine in the light of the cabin as she giggled. Lyra could not help herself as she started to guffaw. Bonbon joined in as Lyra sank to the ground, eyes watering as she laughed even harder.

From the cabin Lyra heard a loud bang, followed by a peal of high-pitched laughter. She turned back to see the shutters and door swing wide open and closed in time to a cacophony of laughing voices. Lyra howled with mirth as she rolled onto her back, looking up as the trees started to sway and bend, adding their own voices to the deafening sea of laughter.

Lyra’s voice cracked and tears rolled down the sides of her face freely as she looked up into the smiling, pale-eyed face of Bonbon. The laughter filled her ears and mind as Bonbon raised the ax high above her head, in a perfect mirror of her own stance before finishing Derpy.

There was a bang and Bonbon was flung backwards. The ax she had been holding fell blade-first into the ground next to Lyra’s head with a thud that silenced the world.

“Who’s laughing now, huh?” Colgate asked weakly. Lyra turned back to see the other unicorn leaning against the doorway, face pale and haggard.

“Colgate?” Lyra rubbed her eyes and stared at her friend in astonishment.

“Sorry,” Colgate apologized, awkwardly hobbling down the front steps on her three remaining legs. “Had trouble thinking of something clever to say.” She stumbled slightly on her way to Lyra, but managed to stay upright. “Do you know where my leg is?”

Lyra threw herself on Colgate with cry. “YOU’RE ALIVE!”

This time Colgate didn’t manage to stay upright and the two ponies were pulled to the ground. “Ow!” Colgate yelped as her stump smacked into the dirt.

Lyra was too relieved to notice and just held Colgate closer. “I can’t believe you’re alive!”

Colgate shifted nervously and blushed. “Um, well, I am?” her horn glowed to life and Lyra heard the ax drag itself away from where it had fallen. “I mean, I feel pretty woozy and my leg’s missing, but I guess I’m not dead… probably.” She looked around as Lyra nuzzled into her chest. “I hope I’m not dead. This would be a pretty mediocre afterlife if I was,” she concluded looking at Lyra and blushing. “No offence.”

Lyra just gave Colgate another squeeze. “Colgate, please stop talking.”

Colgate flushed harder as she hugged Lyra back. “Sorry.”

From behind them a cold voice began to laugh.

Lyra felt a chill run down her spin as she let go of Colgate. She looked up into the unicorn’s bright-red face and felt a sick knot form in her stomach. “I’m sorry.” She backed up from Colgate. “We need to deal with… it.”

Colgate nodded, offering Lyra the ax.

“You cannot kill us, Lyra,” Bonbon giggled.

Lyra raised her ax and advanced on the posed pony.

“You can only delay the inevitable.”

Lyra took a deep breath and swung the ax back, hesitating as she looked into the frightened face of Bonbon, her blue eyes filled with tears. “Lyra, please help us!”

“I’m sorry Bon.” Lyra closed her eyes as she brought the ax down. Bonbon’s scream turned to a bellow of rage as Lyra stuck again.

And again…

And again…

Finally she set down the ax as she turned away from the mutilated remains of her closest friend. Colgate offered a supportive hug, but Lyra just trotted past her into the house.

“What now?” Colgate asked, hobbling after Lyra, ax levitating behind her.

Lyra pointed to the trap door with her injured leg. “We are going to finish this.”

Author's Note

Sorry this took a bit longer to come out then it should have. I am very careful about using multiple editors and proofreaders before I upload anything and that slows things down. On the bright side, this story is done! Obviously not in this chapter, but the whole story is written, edited and awaiting proofreading as I type this!

And on an even better note, I have just reserved the gorgeous title card art for my next story from the lovely and talented CreativPony, (who has also started working on the comic I write for aging, which you should definitely cheek out) so if you want a hint as to what is coming next, cheek out his tumbler!

On one finale note, I am THIS close to releasing the full cast reading of chapter 2, so if you have been waiting for that, its close!

OK I said that was going to be the last note, but one last amusing thing to go along with that, the voice actress for Colgate is my current main editor and the voice actress for Bonbon is my main proofreader. After reading this chapter, the Colgate VA demanded that I have Lyra and Colgate get together and give a happy ending to Colgate where the Bonbon voice actress sent me as part of her feedback: "COLGATE YOU ASS!"
I don't think I could ask for a higher complement then having the readers of the story start to fictionalize in camps based on there view of the characters. : P