Re: Lyra

Re: cruiting

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“Lyra?  Are you in there?”

Lyra looked up towards the door.  “I’m in, Min.  Is something wrong?”

The door swung open a slight fraction more, and Minuette’s voice came through more clearly, if still softly.  “Princess Cadenza wishes to speak with you.”

“I’m coming,” Lyra called out as she rose from her reclining couch.  “Did the princess say what she wanted to talk about?”

Minuette took the lead down the hallway as Lyra stepped out of the room.  “She didn’t say specifically,” the other bridesmaid said, not bothering to look back at Lyra, “but she just got through taking me to task for disagreeing with her earlier.”  Minuette shrugged.  “I would guess you’re going to receive the same treatment I did.”

Lyra winced.  “Eesh.  How bad was it?”

“It wasn’t very bad; her highness was a bit brusque at the beginning, but I…”  Minuette shook her head slightly, as if trying to shake something loose from her thoughts.  “Let’s just say that by the time we were done I had come to understand her viewpoint quite well.”

Lyra’s eyes narrowed.  “Understand it, sure.  But do you agree with it?”

“I do,” Minuette said, nodding.  “We were in the wrong to disagree with her.  I’m sure you’ll understand as well once she’s finished explaining it to you.”

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“Your highness?  I have returned.”  Minuette spoke through the door as Lyra waited, snorting slightly.  A second later, Princess Cadenza’s voice came in response.

“Good.  Bring her in.”  A film of green light covered the door and swung it open, almost hitting Lyra as she tried to dodge out of the way.  She bit down on a frown and followed Minuette inside.

Once they were inside, Lyra noted that Twinkleshine was already present, standing just in front of the princess, her back to the doorway.  Minuette walked over, standing next to Twinkleshine and bowing down before Princess Cadenza.  “As you requested, I have brought Lyra.”

Cadenza looked downward at Minuette.  “You have done well,” she said, condescendingly.  In response, Minuette’s ears perked up, then flopped back down to normal.  “Did you tell her why I wanted to speak with her?”

“A bit,” Minuette said.  “I felt that you would want to tell her the details yourself.”

“Wisely chosen, little one.  I do.”  The princess’s horn lit, and the door behind Lyra slammed itself shut, the sound of it causing Lyra to jump.  A second later, the door’s lock clicked, and Princess Cadenza stepped forward, past her bridesmaids.  They turned, keeping their eyes on Cadenza’s form, and for the first time since they’d parted ways earlier in the day, Lyra saw the faces of her fellow bridesmaids.  When she did, she fell back, rump impacting the sealed door as she tried to get away.  And with good reason.

The eyes of both mares were filled with a sickly light.  It differed a little, being green instead of gray, but other than that it was a light Lyra was very familiar with.  Frantic, Lyra spun and grasped at the door, trying to force it open.  A half-second afterwards, she finally realized she should be working on the lock, and switched her target.  It wasn’t any use though; the princess’s ‘grip’ was stronger, and Lyra couldn’t make the lock move.  She spun again as Cadenza spoke.  “Excuse me?  I don’t recall giving you permission to leave.”

“I don’t need your permission!” Lyra snarled.

In response, Cadenza’s eyes narrowed.  “Oh?  Need I remind you which of us is the princess here?”

Lyra snarled again, not with words this time, just a single drawn-out growl from deep within her throat.  “Neither of us, that’s who,” she said.  “I may not be a Princess, but at least I’m a real pony, changeling.”

Lyra briefly had the gratification of seeing Cadenza, or whoever she really was, widen her eyes in shock.  Cadenza quickly narrowed them again, this time in concentration instead of annoyance, and the princess’s purple eyes flared a two-toned green for a few seconds.  “So you are,” the imposter princess said.  “Too bad for you.   I don’t know where you learned about us, you little pest, but I’m going to make sure you regret ever hearing it.”  The imposter’s telekinetic grip expanded, enveloping Lyra in a wash of green, and Lyra felt herself being lifted from the ground and thrown back against the wall, pinned high enough by the fake princess’s magic that ‘Cadenza’ was able to look her straight in the eye.  “You’re mine, now,” the imposter said, as another wave of green light flared across the room.  “Lyra Heartstrings, Listen To Me.”

“Whuh, what’s…”  Something felt off to Lyra.  Something more than simply having herself hoisted against a wall by a monster.  She turned her gaze left, then right, trying to figure out what it was.  Each time, her head was jerked back to where she was forced to stare into ‘Cadenza’s eyes.

“You know,” the false princess said, haughtily, “things would have probably gone better for you if you’d pretended you didn’t know about me.”  She nodded back towards Minuette and Twinkleshine, both of whom were still happily grinning off into space, their eyes vaguely pointed towards ‘Cadenza’.  “Now, of course, I’ve got to do something more… permanent… about you.  But originally?  I honestly had simply intended to call you in here and deal with your little issue of insubordination in front of that seamstress.”

“All we said was that we liked what she’d done!”  The words came out in a rush, probably the only reason Lyra was able to finish speaking them.  Almost instantly afterwards, she felt her jaw being forced shut by the changeling’s magic.

“You said that after I said I wanted them changed.  You really shouldn’t have done that, should you?“  Guilt flooded into Lyra.  The Princess was right; she was the only one whose opinion mattered, and they shouldn’t have disagreed.

Lyra was on the verge of nodding in shame when she recognized the technique.  It should have floored her instantly, but she’d faced its like before, albeit never as strongly, from her own roommate.  Bon Bon occasionally expressed approval or disapproval in a similar manner.  Fortified with that knowledge, Lyra forced herself to hold still long enough for the guilt to pass.  “Doesn’t matter,” she croaked out, “‘s not your wedding dress.”

A vicious, mocking grin covered the imposter’s face.  “Oh, it will be.  Trust me on that one, my little pest, it will be.”  She then nodded her head slightly.  “And you’ve earned a bit of my respect for resisting that.”

Lyra nodded as a wave of happiness flooded through her.  A grin started to spread over her face before she caught herself.  “Not gonna fall for it, you monster.”

“Then how about falling for something else?”  With those words, the false princess released her magic’s grip on Lyra, causing the mare to drop to the ground.  “Oh, don’t bother to get up.  You know you don’t stand a chance against me, right?”

“Don’t… engh!”  With a massive wrench of her shoulders, Lyra was able to force herself to rise to her feet.  “Don’t make me laugh,” she said, her sides heaving with her efforts.

The changeling pivoted slightly, bringing her horn to bear on Lyra.  “I’m not trying to.”  She nodded, a smirk covering her face.  “I’ve decided what I’m going to do about you.  You won’t stop me, my dear.  In fact, you’re going to help me take over Canterlot.  Willingly and gladly.”

For a brief moment, Lyra felt her heart stop beating as a surge of desire, the yearning to do just that, washed over her.  Then, as it weakened, she snorted.  “Not going to happen.  I’ll never betray them!”

“Oh?” the changeling responded, her horn still crackling with green light.  “Do you really think I was giving you a choice?”

“I know what you are, and I know what you’re up to,” Lyra forced out.  “You can’t keep me in here forever, you know.  Not and still get out to play your own role.”

“You know, you’re probably right.  Right now, you’re probably the only pony in Canterlot who knows about me.  Well, besides these two,” the false princess said, swishing her tail at Minuette and Twinkleshine.  “It feels like the weight of the world is on your shoulders, doesn’t it?”

Lyra’s knees buckled.  The false princess stepped closer to her, chuckling at the sight.  “My dear, I can help you with this.”

“I don’t want your help.”  The words came out in a hoarse whisper.  They should have been yelled out, but Lyra’s strength was quickly fading.

“Oh, but you do.  You just don’t realize it yet.  We don’t have to fight, my dear.  There are other options.”

“No… other…”

“But there is, my dear.  Yes, Lyra Heartstrings wants to stop me.  But you don’t, do you?  Of course not.  And why should you?”  The princess gave a gentle smile to Lyra.  “Just let go, my dear.”

“Let… go…?”

“Of course.  There’s no need for you to bear Lyra’s burden anymore.  Just relax, and let it all slip away from you.”

“Let… go…”  Slowly, the mint unicorn nodded at the thought.  It was a good one.  She didn’t have to hold out any longer.  She wasn’t even certain anymore why she was holding out in the first place.  “Let… go…”

“Yes, dear.  Let go of your burden.  Just let go, and let everything slip away from you.”

That calm, gentle voice… the unicorn mare knew she could trust it.  “Let go,” the mare said, one last time, and she did so.

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The mare floated in the warm darkness, unheeding of the passage of time, unheeding of the strange noises which echoed through the void.  Eventually, though, a sound she could hear came, as of somepony speaking.  “Follow the sound of my voice,” the speaker said.

The mare followed.

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Slowly, the mare came to wakefulness.  A body lay circling around her, cradling her in its span.  She looked up, into a black-chitined face bearing a pair of fangs set under cat-slitted green eyes.  The eyes were unfamiliar, but other than that... “A… a changeling?  Who…?”

“Shh,” the owner of those eyes whispered back, gently.  “It’s all right, Requiem.  I’ve got you.  You don’t have to worry any more.”

The mare nodded.  Here, now, it seemed as though worry was impossible.  Still, there were a few things nagging at her.  She poked at the first to rise through her thoughts.  “Re...quiem?”

“Yes, dear.”  The changeling looked back at the unicorn mare, a sad smile on her face.  “That’s your name.  Don’t you remember me?”

Requiem frowned.  She tried, but… “No.”  At the look of pain on the other’s face, Requiem’s eyes began to water.  “Should I?”

The changeling’s eyes glistened as well, and she turned her head to the side.  “After what they did to you, I suppose it would be too much to ask.  I am Chrysalis, a queen of the changelings, Requiem.  I am also your sister.”

“My sister… I’m a changeling?”  Requiem looked up at Chrysalis.  “Why can’t I…?”

Chrysalis shook her head, sadly.  “You came to Canterlot to help set up the invasion.  Oh, I wish you could remember.  Mother and I were so proud when you volunteered to lead the first infiltration team!  But somehow, one of the ponies caught on to you.  I don’t know all of what she did to you, but…”  Her voice trailed off, nervously.

Slowly, Requiem nodded.  The story sounded strange, but it felt right.  She glanced down at her own hooves, covered not in smooth chitin but in coarse mint hide, then looked back at her sister.  “Did they…?”

“I’m afraid so,” Chrysalis said, turning her face aside again.  “I’m sorry.  I tried to help you transform back, but, well...”

Requiem rocked back against the floor, her face a mask of pain.  “I’m trapped like this, then.”  She looked back at Chrysalis, shame and sorrow covering her face.  “I’m sorry I failed you, Sis.”

Chrysalis leaned over, placing a kiss on Requiem’s forehead.  “You haven’t failed all the way, yet.  There’s still one thing you can do for us, even stuck as a pony.”

Requiem took in a deep breath, holding it for a moment before letting go.  “Whatever it is, I’ll do it.”  Her sister’s smile at those words filled Requiem with joy.

“That’s wonderful, dear.  You can’t imagine how proud I am of you.”  Chrysalis rose to her hooves, her telekinetic grip picking up Requiem and allowing the smaller mare to get her own legs straightened out underneath her barrel.  “I’ve entranced two of the ponies that were keeping an eye on you, Requiem.  They’ll obey whatever you tell them to do.”

Requiem smirked slightly.  “Seeing as I can’t recall at the moment, I have to ask:  Are your gifts normally this good, Sis?”

Chrysalis snickered at the question.  “You’ll find out soon enough, won’t you?”

Requiem paused and thought, nodding after a moment.  “Yeah, I guess I will.  So what do you need me to do?”

Chrysalis draped her foreleg over Requiem’s withers.  “We’ve got a captive in the caverns under the city.  It’s critical to our plans that she not make it out until after the invasion is over.  I’ll transport you and your two new pets down to the entrance to that set of the caverns; you just keep watch to make sure she doesn’t escape.”  Chrysalis paused, then winked down at Requiem.  “I kind of hope she tries, though.  She’s the one who did this to you, and I bet  you’d like to get a little revenge, wouldn’t you?”

“You know it.”  Requiem saluted Chrysalis, one mint hoof tapping against her horn as she stepped between the brainwashed ponies.  “You can count on me, Sis.  I promise I won’t let you down.”

In response, Chrysalis began her spell, a raised ring of fire surrounding the three ponies inside of it and pulling them away.  Her words were bright and cheery as she called back, and it might have been for the best that the rising flames drowned out the malevolent sneer on her face as she said them.

“I’m sure you won’t.”

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