Kyra II

Derpy ran into the library. "Twilight?!" She yelled, looking around. Looking around, she saw no one. "Twilight?!" When there was still no answer, she bolted from the library to go find the unicorn somewhere in Ponyville. She wasn't sure how much time she had to warn them of Kyra. When she was about to leave, she bumped into Luna.

"Oh, princess," Derpy gasped. "Apologies!"

"It is alright," Luna reassured her. "Where is Twilight? Kyra's after the source of the Elements."

"I-I don't know," Derpy stammered. "She's usually here."

Luna nodded. "We have to find her fast. And get the Elements."

"You get the Elements, princess," Derpy said with a forced smile. "I'll go find Twilight."

The alicorn nodded and placed her hoof on the mare's shoulder. "Good luck," she said with a smile before taking off back to Canterlot.

Derpy bolted out of the library to go find Twilight.

Kyra trotted down the long staircase, heading down into the cavern below. Getting to the bottom, she saw the cave with an ethereal glow emanating from it. Smiling, she trotted over to it. "There you are," she cooed, approaching the mouth of the cave.

Standing in the opening, she stared at the crystal tree. "It's been a while, tree." She sighed and leaned against the rock wall. "It's nothing personal. I would just... rather eliminate the power than the ponies. They aren't all bad. Tolerable. A little annoying, but... there's something about them. I need to know more, but I'm not safe with you around."

The tree said nothing, but Kyra could feel a calming presence. She closed her eyes and shuddered a little.

"It's so peaceful here." She then opened her eyes. "I may not be able to rip you apart, but maybe I can cause a cave-in." She looked around to check the structural integrity of the cave. As she did, she heard the sound of teleportation magic behind her.

"Kyra!" Came a familiar voice.

The demon slowly turned around to see the Element-bearers, along with Derpy and Luna, standing a few feet away. "You made it just in time to..." She then noticed the ponies wearing their Elements. She then quickly turned to face them as she got into a defensive position. "Make your move! Then, I'll make mine!"

"We aren't here to fight," Twilight said with a shake of her head.

"Really?!" Kyra shouted, before letting out a laugh. "HA! As if I'd believe that shit, seeing that you're wearing them!"

"They're for protection," Twilight reassured her. "If we kept fighting, you'd just keep coming back again and again until we'd be too old to do anything." She then took a step forward. "I know we can't stop you. Even with the Elements. But, you can trust us not to use them on you if we can trust that you won't kill anyone else."

"Those two I killed deserved it!" Kyra shouted, tears starting to form in her eyes. "That stallion was going to rape Daisy in a much rougher way than I did! And, that mare was a thief!"

Twilight sighed. "Daisy likes you, despite what you did. But, those two ponies should've been brought to justice by other means. Your methods are too extreme. But, if we can agree to..."

"I'm not making any deals until this tree is destroyed!" Kyra yelled, turning to the Tree. "You don't know what it was like, being flattened under a pile of rocks for a year! I was awake! I felt everything! I won't let that happen again!"

Twilight gasped and looked at her friends. They all seemed a little shocked by that, too. She then looked at Kyra again and took a deep breath. When she took a step forward, Rainbow put a hoof on her shoulder. Twilight looked at her and gave a nod. The pegasus looked at the demon before looking at her friend again. Nodding in response, she pulled back. Twilight then began making her way towards the cave. When she was behind the demon, Kyra gasped and turned around. Before she could react, Twilight put a hoof on her cheek. The demon gasped and went wide-eyed. Twilight looked into her eyes as the demon stared back.

After giving a light smile, Twilight walked past her and up to the tree. Kyra turned around and watched as Twilight's crown turned into a ball of light before being absorbed into the tree. The unicorn then turned back around and walked up to the demon.

"Why?" Kyra asked, eyes wide and watery.

"Because, I don't want to hurt you," Twilight said gently. "I don't want you to feel afraid or threatened. I'm also sick of all this worrying. Do whatever you have to to feel safe. But, this Tree is more important than you know." She then started to head back to her friends. "I'll leave you to make your decision."

Before Kyra could turn around, she saw the other five Element-bearers walk past her and give up their Element to the Tree, each one giving her a light smile as they walked past her. After all the Elements were in the Tree again, the six friends and Luna and Derpy all gathered. The alicorn and gray pegasus took one final look at the demon before the princess teleported them all back to Ponyville.

Kyra stood frozen in place as she watched the eight ponies leave. Tears started to fall down her cheeks as she gritted her teeth. Her breathing became erratic before she looked back at the Tree. Sniffling, she turned and slowly trotted towards it.

“Wh-Who the fuck am I?” She asked, her voice breaking. “W-What am I?” The tree said nothing. “I-I’m a demon, but… why c-can’t I k-kill…” She suddenly lost the ability to speak as she dropped to her flanks and started crying.

About a minute passed before she felt a hoof on her head. “T-Twili…” She began, before seeing the pony before her. This mare was white with golden eyes and long golden mane and tail. Her mane and tail had an opacity gradient which made the hair solid near the body but transparent towards the ends. It looked as though her hair merged with the light around her. “What?” Kyra asked, dumbfounded.

The glowing mare smiled warmly. “Hello, Kyra. I am glad to see that you have chosen not to destroy me.” The mare seemed to enunciate every word and her voice had a certain ego to it, making her sound ethereal.

“Wh-Who are you?” The demon asked, staring into the mare’s eyes and feeling weak in her presence.

“Hmmm…” The mare thought aloud. “I do not have one. But, if you must address me, you may call me… Harmony.”

“Harmony?” Kyra asked, before eyeing the crystal tree. “As in… The Tree Of?”

The mare gave a single nod. “I have become more powerful over the years and can now manifest into the pony you see before you. I can look like anyone, but… this form suits me.”

“Do you… remember me?” Kyra asked, returning her attention to the pony.

Harmony smiled. “Of course I do, Amber. You were much more happy back then.”

“That was before the bullying,” Kyra explained. “The one that… led to my death.”

“I still cannot believe you chose the life of a demon over the life of an angel,” Harmony sighed.

Kyra shook her head. “No! It’s not my fault I became this. I was a good pony!”

“And, how was it that you became what you are?” Harmony asked.

Kyra thought back to the fire and sighed. “I wished for vengeance.”

“You were corrupted by hatred, and that left you vulnerable to temptation,” the ethereal pony explained. “It was… your doing.”

Kyra let out a gasp and stood up, whipping around to face Harmony. “Bullshit. I didn’t have a choice! I was going to die!”

“You didn’t?” Kyra was about to retort, but closed her mouth and looked away. “Face the facts, Kyra,” Harmony continued. “You are a demon. Pain is in your nature.”

Kyra let out a growl. “You don’t get to tell me who I am or what I can be. You’re just a fucking tree! I’ll show you,” she hissed as she turned to leave the cave. “I’m gonna be the best fucking friend those ponies have ever seen! You’ll see!” She shouted back as she stomped away.

Harmony smiled as she watched. “Attagirl, Kyra.”

Kyra was crying softly by the time she left the Forest. “She’s just a fucking tree,” she told herself, before she saw Fluttershy’s cottage. Sniffling, she trotted on over and knocked on the door. As she waited, she hung her head and tried to stop crying.

The front door suddenly opened a crack. “Kyra?” Fluttershy asked. “How’s the…”

“The Tree?” Kyra asked, getting a nod from the pegasus. “It’s still standing.”

“Oh, good,” Fluttershy replied with a smile.

“Yeah, u-u-um…” Kyra started, her voice starting to tremble again. “Could we… have that tea now?” She asked, looking at the mare.

In the light of the cottage, the pegasus could see the tears. She let out a silent gasp and opened the door. “Of course. Come on in.”

Kyra sniffled again and slowly trotted inside.

The next day, all of Ponyville was gathered around Zecora’s hut to pay their respects. Mayor Mare left the crowd to make her speech.

“It has been one year since we lost our dear friend, Zecora though it feels like a lifetime,” she began. “We were all skeptical of her when she first arrived, but we soon came to call her a true friend. On countless occasions, has she helped us and even let a hoof in the hospital as well.”

As the mayor went on, Kyra’s ears drooped more and more. She was tired from her thoughts when she heard the mayor mention start to mention her.

“I was told that the, uh… one responsible is here with us,” Mayor Mare announced, causing everyone to start talking among themselves. “A-And that she is a… um… well, a demon.”

This caused a mare near Kyra to shriek. The red mare sighed deeply and started to leave the group. The ponies all stopped talking and stared at her. A few in the front took a step back as Kyra turned to face them. All eyes were on her now as the Mayor also backed away.

"A year ago," Kyra began. "I wouldn't have hesitated to kill every single one of you."

"Not helping," Twilight whispered loudly as all the ponies took another step back.

"But, I'm not that pony anymore," Kyra continued, her eyes going to the ground. "When I killed Zecora I... was not myself. I was angry at the princesses for trapping me in stone... and I took it out on the first one I came across." She then looked up at the large crowd. "But, I didn't stop there. I also tortured Derpy." The gray pegasus took a small step forward as her eyes locked with Kyra's. The demon just stared at her, blinking a few times before continuing. "I tore her apart... and put her back together... repeatedly. Then, I captured Fluttershy and forced her friends to come save her... in the hopes to kill them. I also came back to try and kill them again... I saved Daisy from a rapist... only to rape her myself afterwards. I was going to destroy the Elements so that they could never be used against me, despite what the effects that would have on the land." Tears began to drip from her eyes onto the dirt below her. "I have been nothing but horrible... and yet..." She then looked up at Twilight. "I-I keep getting a chance to... to change." She looked back at the zebra's hut. "I had no idea how much she meant to everyone. And, I wish I could take it back, but… what’s done is done. I don’t expect anyone to ever forgive me, though, quite frankly, I don’t really need you to. The only thing I can do is say that I’m…” There was a moment of silence that seemed to go on forever as the demon struggled to get her apology out. “I… I-I’m s…” Her eyes then fell on Derpy. “I’m sorry.” She then disappeared in a burst of dark red smoke.

The crowd chatter picked up again as Derpy walked up to Twilight. “Where do you think she went?”

“I think I know,” Daisy answered as she joined them.

Kyra was hunched over with her cheek resting on the lip of the fountain, staring at the water inside. Her reflection looked back at her. “Did I do the right thing? Confessing? Apologizing? How come I don’t feel any better?”

“These things take time,” Twilight said, making Kyra look back as the small group of ponies made their way towards the fountain.

Kyra was about to say something before Derpy started to approach her. The gray pegasus had the small hint of a smile as she sat next to the red demon.

“Derpy…” Kyra started. “You, of all ponies, should know that I can’t be trusted. And, that I should never be forgiven for the things I’ve done. To others and, especially, you.”

“Well, you sound pretty remorseful,” Derpy said as she looked into the demon’s eyes. “So, I forgive you.”

Kyra went wide-eyed. “B-But, I…” She stopped when the gray mare hugged her. She felt tears starting to fill her eyes again. “Dammit. Dammit. Dammit.”

“It’s okay to cry,” Derpy cooed gently. “Just let it all out.”

“Not here,” Kyra grunted, before teleporting herself to the top of what was left of Dragon Mountain.

She collapsed on her flanks s as she felt the feeling welling up inside her. Clenching her eyes shut, she threw her head back and screamed at the top of her lungs. A pillar of dark red energy shot up from the pony and into the sky as a shockwave made the surrounding area rumble.

When she screamed a second time, this time louder, the red energy turned lighter as the rocks and rubble around the base of the mountain began to spiral around the pillar of energy.

Back at Ponyville, Twilight, Derpy, Daisy, and the others all stared at the pillar. Luna, who was in her room at the Canterlot castle, looked out her window at the red energy.

Kyra finished her second scream and panted heavily before seeing all the rocks. She dried her tears away and stood up, watching the rocks swirl around her magic. Ending the light show, she brought all the rocks in front of her before slamming them all together. She then began to heat them with her demon powers.

When Luna teleported to the base of the mountain, Kyra was just making it to the bottom. Seeing the princess, she tried over to her.

“Think she’ll like it?” Kyra asked. Luna tilted her head in confusion before looking at the top of the mountain. The demon had used the rocks to create a statue of Zecora, in a seated position, looking out over the Everfree Forest and Ponyville. “Now, she can always watch over the ones she cares about.”

The alicorn smiled. “She would have loved it, Amber.” Kyra smiled lightly and turned around to check her work. “Was that a smile?” Luna asked in a mildly teasing tone.

“Stop,” Kyra replied, and closed her eyes. “Just let me have this moment.” They then heard the approaching voices of the other ponies from the funeral. “And, it’s gone.”

When Mayor Mare stepped into view, she let out a gasp when she saw the Zecora statue. “Did you…”

Kyra sighed and turned around before leaving. As she past the mayor, she nodded. “Yeah. I did that,” she answered, walking past all the other ponies, who were all looking back and forth from the demon to the statue.

When she arrived at the end of the line, she saw Daisy waiting for her. “Ready to go home now?”

Kyra trotted over to her and gave her a tiny smile. Without saying anything, she teleported them away.

THE END?

Kyra was woken up with a start as Daisy jumped on her. “Guess what?” Daisy asked with a wide smile.

“What?” Asked Kyra. “This had better be good. I was…”

“I’m pregnant!” Daisy beamed.

Kyra went wide-eyed. “What?”