[] Element Of War [] ( LyricStride's BackStory, *Revealed*! )

" Lyric -- Lanto -- run! "

" I can't! "

" You *have* to, Lyric! "

" But, you'll die here! "

" Leave us, and get to safety! "

Thick smoke hung in the clumped house; boards falling away from the main support of the room. " Get her out of here, Lanto! " Grunted a deep voice, it coming from the fathered guardian, BlazeWhirl. " Lyric! Come on, we have to go, *now*! " Lanto snapped, wrapping his hoof around hers, and forcefully hauling her towards the clamped door. " We can't just leave them! Mom! Dad! Please, let me help you! " Lyric wailed, almost choking against the gray smoke that feel like a sharp cling, against her lungs. " Lanto! " The mother snapped, tear droplets flinging onto the closing fire, that rippled over the wooden floor, and closer to her chest area. " Mom! Dad! " Lyric continued to wail, her small body finally picked up by her brother, Lanto, and pointed to the door. " We can't do anything for them, Lyric! We have to get out of here, or we'll die! " Lanto wheezed, using his larger hoof bases to try and push open the door. Lyric cried heavily, as she use her small weight to press against the base of the door; she could hear the screams of her parents, being burned alive, and the heavy pounding of her heart. The door snapped open, sending the two ashed ponies to collapse in the dust, and then quickly scuffle to their hooves, skidding over to turn and watch as the house slowly begin to fall. Lyric was coughing dryly, as ashes cling to the blue of her lush mane, turning it into a fresh gray. The tears left stains down her cheeks, splitting the gray to create a thin barrier; clear; to show her natural flush of gentle silver coating. Lanto, the lithe colt, was as alike, except his blazing yellow pelt cut through the ashes, and just match as the fire shreds slide past their lifted heads.

Flanking to their right, were laughing ponies, joyfully flinging lit bottles to the hayed roof, and sending the flames to burn brighter. Lyric, and Lanto, locked their gazes on them. Lyric, was shocked, in utter depression, and did not dare move. Lanto, on the other-hoof, angrily side stepped, and smacked a lit bottle from the hoof of the leader; the two suddenly tangling into the ground, biting, and punching with each lash of strength they had. Lyric, was just standing, her pupils thinly lined against her navy blue eyes, as she look down against the droplets of blood, managing over the dirt. Then, she glance to the other neighboring yards, some had fled to the opposite side of the road, clinging their children close, while others watched from their bayed windows, taken in awe by the scene.

' This can't be happening.. '

Lanto, and the continued stranger pony, continued to fight. The two side members, gladly standing aside, even though at the own sight of their slowly-to-be-defeated, leader.

' I was weak -- I couldn't do anything..! '

The neighboring ponies, and their children, quickly whipped into the nearest shelter possible, likely of another owner.

' WHY IS THIS HAPPENING?! '

Lanto swung his hoof up, ready to prepare a killing strike to the gashed skull of his opponent.

' WHY WON'T ANYBODY, ANSWER ME?! '

______

Lyric woke up, gasping sharply for breath, as if she'd been in the fired building, once more. But, she wasn't, she was cuddled next to her resting brother. The setting -- in the present -- it all rushed back to her -- it was an apartment, small, dirty, shattered, and she could hear the distant arguing from the rooms below. Lanto shuffled lightly, cracking open his amber eyes, as they directed to, Lyric. " Lyric.. " he huffed lowly, stretching his widened wing, to curl over his younger sibling. " Lanto -- I-I was.. " she began, but was cut off as he pressed his muzzle to the opposite side of her head. " Lyric -- it's okay -- I'm here.. " he mumbled, as she began to faintly sob into his shoulder.

" I am your shield.. " he spoke, clearly, proud to remain with his title.

Lyric sniffed, cuddling tightly to the base of his wing.

" I wish I could be a shield -- so, I could protect anybody from a darkened future! " Lyric hissed, her navish eyes narrowing to the thin blankets, looped over her front hooves.

" To be a shield, you must put all your own problems aside, even family -- if it means protecting them from, a darkened future.. " he calmly retort, not intending for a sharply cut argument.

" But --..! " Lyric blinked, her eyes widening.

" If there comes a time, where you see a dark decision being made, you must leave me behind, leave it all behind, and try to fix it.. " he replied, his tone lowering once more.

Lyric shut her eyes, sniffing.

' I have to choose between him, and a friend's life -- I don't want either to have a darkened future -- what if he dies -- what if I'm dealing with a problem, and I can't be there, for him?! '

" Promise me, Lyric. " he look down on her, while crouching against the base of the bed.

" Promise you -- what? " Lyric look after him, a concerned expression against her timid face.

" That, you'll remain strong.. " he replied.

" I --... "

" . . . "

" Promise me, Lyric.. "

" . . . "

" I -- promise.. "

_____

The two were outside, after a while of huddling within the shatters of the apartment complex.

' Home -- sweet -- hell.. '

Outside, it was utterly chaotic, ponies were scuffling around in cloaks, and vandalizing the bared walls of the once, peaceful neighborhood, ganging up against innocent ponies, without mercy, or warning. The princess's, had never done anything for their small town -- not even near any empire -- but, it'd still made a great contribute to the armies across, Equestria, so, why did they just ignore them?

' I hate it here.. '

While she and her brother quietly walk, they happened to pass a small fight along an alleyway.

" I'm of no worth! " a small filly, screeched.

" You're an alicorn! Of course, you're probably worth MUCH more! " hissed a, stallion, who was looming over her with a darkened stare.

' Alicorn?! '

" Lanto! " Lyric sharply whispered, pulling herself infront of him, to force a pause. Lanto glanced to the commotion, his sharpened ears twitching rapidly, to recall, alicorn, ringing faintly to his attention.

" If you won't come with me, I'll FORCE you! " the stallion snapped.

Lyric felt suddenly angry, a stallion of that size, threatening to turn in a filly to the guards, even if she was an alicorn, nobody should be passed around, like a toy, for money, royalty; ANYTHING! She looked up at, Lanto, who look back down on her, calmly.

' I have to be a shield.. '

She whipped away, leaving her older sibling to watch as she flung herself at the hind leg of the stallion; sending it to bend opposite direction.

' To prevent, a darkened future! '

" Ouch! " the stallion grunted, flinging his heavy hooves to pound against the dust, and whirl to face the young filly. " Dumb, kid! " he spat, raising a hoof as, Lyric, flutter her azure wings, meeting against the lithe hoof, and grabbing it, but not without the exception of being halfly pushed down. The alicorn filly, taking her chance, quickly fled to the side, disguising herself in a shadow's embrace. The stallion, deciding he had no time for this, curved his hoof over the back of her neck, flinging her to the trash bin, where loud crashes echoed, in the thickly walled alley. " U-Ugh.. " Lyric groaned, rising shakily, and slowly, to re-face the threat.

" SHE'S GONE! " the stallion roared angrily, looking around thoroughly, and not finding the plainly disguised alicorn, who was secretly cradled behind, Lyric.

" It's your fault! I could've earned bits, for weapons, to defend myself in the hell town! But, no, you small idiots always prevent safety! " he continued, sliding closer, and grabbing the base of her neck.

" Ghck! " she choked, her small bodice writhing in attempts to escape.

" That's enough. " came a deep voice, as, Lanto, approach the rim of, the filly's, hiding place.

" Who the hell, are you?! -- Wait -- it doesn't matter -- get out of here! " the stallion hissed.

Lyric quickly whirled, knowing the exact hiding place of, the filly, and the position the whole scuffle was settled in, she screeched, " Lanto! Grab the filly, and go hide! I'll catch up! "

" Got it. " Lanto replied, and dove his thick hoof inside the rubble, gripping the alicorn filly, then quickly drifting along the corner in escape.

" NO! " the stallion wailed, attempting to chase after them, of course flinging, Lyric, aside, but, she slid against the bases of her hooves, lurching back, as she smack the stallion to the side, striking against the upper half of his forelegs, to trip him into the rubble of the trash bins.

After the swift move, not even thinking, she snapped out of the scene, sprinting over the blackened ground, and dust, as she attempt to catch up to the furthering silhouettes.

' He has his hiding place, I know exactly where he's going! '

Her legs became more stretched, as her bounds lengthened, and her speed gained incredibly, though she knew where he was going, running always felt like that last bit of freedom NOBODY could claim. Kicking up ashed dust, and letting her mane whip against the line of her neck, she dove towards the opposite side of town.