"Do you hear their cries, do you hear them? Such a wonderful symphony! I could listen to it all day." Kefka danced around the kitchen of Sugarcube Corner, knocking over pots and pans in his mad jubilation. His prancing slowed as he began to run out of breath, and he turned to the other pony in the room who was displaying far lower quantities of excitement. "Ah, but we don't have all day, do we? Lyra, quickly, take care of the survivors would you? Once they've recovered from the initial shock, they'll start to flee, and we can't have that now, can we?"

Lyra nodded and silently slipped out the kitchen's side entrance. Kefka tried to maintain a semblance of poise and dignity, but he couldn't prevent a wide grin from worming its way onto his face. Soon, the mad mage was cackling in glee yet again.

"This is wonderful! Splendid! I can feel my magic whole once more, and once I gather all that delicious magicite, I will be unstoppable! Who needs troublesome espers when there's such an easy source of magic right here! Wee hee hee hee hee hee!"

"KEFKAAAAAAAAA!"

Kefka barely had time to duck as the front door of the kitchen flew past, trailing smoke. He whipped his head around to the now unoccupied door frame to see who had interrupted his victory monologue.

"You." That annoying purple unicorn with all the questions. Kefka cracked a smile. "Did you like my surprise?"

Twilight's horn glowed brighter as every loose object in the kitchen began to hover around Kefka. Spoons, mixers, knives, bowls, cupcakes, and even the oven were now airborne, encased in a lavender aura.

"I'm going to take that as a no." Kefka pouted. "And I put so much work into it, too."

"RAAAAAGH!" Every single object in the room collided at once, directly where Kefka was standing. Flour bags exploded, covering the area in an impenetrable cloud of white powder, and the floor directly under the crash site cracked under the pressure of the entire room's contents. Twilight gasped as the dust cleared, revealing Kefka completely unharmed amidst the carnage.

"I'm disappointed in you, Miss Sparkle. I thought you said your special talent was in magic, and all I get is a simple levitation spell? How boring," Kefka sighed, and dismissed his shield spell. "It's just as well. I'm a bit rusty, just regaining my powers and all, and I should probably start with something easy to warm up."

Twilight instinctively built a small shield bubble around herself, stopping a bolt of lightning in the air, mere inches from her face. More bolts continued to hammer at her shield, weakening the entire structure. She focused the shield's remaining power into a smaller area in front of her to hold back the onslaught of electric missiles, until her eye caught something in the reflection of a pot lying nearby. She rolled to the side, narrowly avoiding a shower of icicles that had fallen from the ceiling.

Meanwhile, Kefka stood in his original spot, looking quite relaxed. "Bravo, Miss Sparkle. It appears this will be more fun than I expected."

Twilight rolled herself into an upright position, and glared at Kefka. "Why are you doing this?" She cast a small reflective shield to bounce back a gout of flame that shot out of the shattered tiles in the floor. "How are you doing this?"

Kefka laughed. "How? Why it's quite simple, really." Kefka conjured a ball of flame, twisting it around in the air with his magic, giving it the illusion of life as it danced around. "I've watched you ponies these past few days, you and your so called 'magic'. Levitation, transmutation, conjuration, you only seek to create and manipulate. You only desire to live in harmony with the world around you. Disgusting." The fireball shaped itself into a lance and launched itself at Twilight, narrowly missing her head, singing the end of her mane. "True magic, true power, is the ability to take all that exists, and end it. Chaos can so easily put an end to that harmony you ponies love, but harmony can never do the same to chaos. Chaos is eternal, and unlike you simpletons, I embrace it."

"You're a monster."

"Oh, and now we're name calling? What a pity." Kefka grimaced as he continued to pelt the irritating unicorn with his black magic.

She's more powerful than I thought, that shield just won't go down. I need to think of some way to end this. When brute force won't work, you exploit other weaknesses. Now, what are your weaknesses, Twilight Sparkle? Aha!

"Tell me, Miss Sparkle, why do you fight? You're fighting purely defensively at this point, what do you hope to accomplish by stalling?"

Twilight growled as she focused all of her energy on maintaining her shield spell. "Isn't it obvious? If I'm holding you here, you can't hurt any more of my friends!"

Kefka chuckled. "You know, that's funny. I was just thinking something very similar. If I'm holding you here, you can't save any of your friends."

"What? What are you talking about?"

"Simply this; while you and I are tied up in our eternal struggle of good versus evil, my associate is cleaning up the refuse outside." Kefka rubbed a hoof on his chin. "You know, she shouldn't be too much longer, I wouldn't think."

Twilight's eyes went wide as the realization hit her. "Lyra!" Her shield spell dropped and she immediately disappeared in a flash of light.

"And she can teleport. Wonderful," Kefka grumbled as he headed for the door.

Twilight Sparkle was horrified by the scene before her. The last of the poison victims had succumbed to the toxic liquid, but beyond that were the charred remains of those unlucky enough to have survived the initial attack. Twilight frantically searched the battlefield for any survivors, and was relieved to find a small group of ponies huddled together in fear. Her relief washed away when she saw what had them so terrified.

"Lyra, stop! You don't have to do this!"

Lyra paid no heed to the pony shouting her name. She had a single job to do, and her final targets were gathered before her. One final spell would do the trick. She conjured a fireball, large enough to engulf the entire group, and propelled it towards her victims. The fireball exploded on impact, setting many of the corpses in the immediate vicinity ablaze. The smoke dissipated, revealing a large pink bubble with the huddled ponies safe inside.

"Lyra, why are you doing this? This isn't you!"

With single minded determination, Lyra launched another fireball at the bubble. Still, the ponies inside remained unharmed.

"Lyra, stop this madness! Why won't you listen to me?" Twilight shouted until her throat was raw, and still Lyra refused to acknowledge her. Twilight suddenly felt a sharp pain in her skull, and she tumbled face first into the ground. She checked around the back of her head with her hoof, and felt blood flowing freely from her wound. A sharp chunk of ice lay on the ground, half covered in the same sticky red substance.

"She won't listen to you, you know," Kefka explained. "She's under my complete control, such a loyal little dog." Kefka whipped another crystallized missile at Twilight's head. The hailstone flew straight into Twilight's nose, a shield forming behind it a second too late. Blood coated the unicorn's face, and much of the ground as it dripped off of her chin. "Ah ah ah, I wouldn't try that if I were you," Kefka crowed. "I doubt you can protect yourself and them at the same time."

Twilight lifted her head, fighting against the agonizing pain in her snout, to look at the other victims, still under siege from Lyra's unending fireball assault. It was true, she couldn't save them and herself at the same time, and she would have to make a choice. She squinted her eyes to try and make out the ponies in her protective field. Sweetie Belle was there, along with her pegasus friend, Scootaloo. She could just make out another small figure with them, purple and green, a dragon. Twilight breathed a sigh of relief.

Thank Celestia you're okay, Spike. I don't know what I would have done if they had gotten you, too. And it looks like Cheerilee is with them. Good, good, she'll be able to take care of the foals after this is over.

Kefka looked at the broken unicorn, confused by the smile on her face. "Why don't you let them die? You cannot hope to win if you can barely protect them and yourself."

Twilight was sweating now, the strain of maintaining the barrier against Lyra's onslaught was pushing her magic to its limit. "They're my friends, and I can never turn my back on them. My friendships give me strength, without them I have nothing. If I let them die to save myself, it would be as bad as killing them with my own hooves. That is harmony, Kefka, something you will never understand."

Kefka glared at the beaten mess of a unicorn at his hooves. He had expected crying. He had expected anguish. He had expected the unicorn to sacrifice her friends to save her own skin. What he saw instead was a hero, the one thing he hated more than anything else in this or any world. His cocky attitude had all but vanished, replaced with pure anger and hate. He raised a hoof above Twilight's head and stomped as hard as he could. "Idiot! Foolish neanderthal! They are insignificant, and you still sacrifice yourself for them!" Kefka stomped again. "What do you hope to accomplish? They are going to die either way, and you still refuse to see reason!"

Twilight met Kefka's hate filled gaze with a smile.

"They're my friends."

"Shut up!"

"As long as I draw breath..."

"Why won't you just die, you miserable insect!"

"I won't let you hurt them."

"I hate you!" Kefka reared up on his hind legs. "I hate hate hate hate hate hate hate hate hate hate hate hate hate hate hate hate hate you!" Kefka punctuated each "hate" with another stomp to Twilight's skull. He stepped back to examine his handy work. Twilight no longer moved, her face completely covered in blood, but her taunting smile yet remained. In his rage, Kefka blasted the body with flames until only an unrecognizable blackened corpse remained.

Kefka stood still, breathing heavily as his rage slowly washed away. After calming down, he looked over to where the other ponies stood. Lyra was simply staring at him, her task forgotten after Kefka lost his cool. The others were staring at the spot where the unicorn known as Twilight Sparkle once stood, tears in their eyes, paralyzed with fear.

"Lyra, what are you waiting for," Kefka growled. "The shield is down. Finish them, and help me gather up the magicite."

Lyra turned to the huddled ponies and roasted them alive with but a single thought.

The process of gathering magicite had helped greatly to lighten Kefka's mood. Achieving ultimate power tends to do that to a person. He skipped merrily to the town border, saddlebags bulging with freshly harvested magicite at his side.

"There were some bumps along the way, but overall I'd say this was one of my more enjoyable outings. It's smooth sailing from here on out!" Kefka stopped his skipping. "Lyra, do you feel that?"

Lyra shook her head.

"Hmm, I feel something pulling me in... that direction." Kefka pointed a hoof northeast. "It's a powerful magic, familiar, like my own. Aha! That must be what those idiot engineers used as a beacon to find this place! I probably couldn't feel it before because of this stupid pH synchronizing nonsense. Lyra, what lies in that direction?"

"Canterlot."

"Canterlot, hmm? Well, it looks like I'll be paying Canterlot a visit then, won't I? How far away is it?"

"About four days by hoof."

"Hmm. Four days, eh?" Kefka thought in silence for a few moments. "Lyra, I'm afraid your services are going to have to end here."

Lyra cocked her head, though she didn't raise an objection.

"You see," Kefka continued, "with all this magicite, I cannot carry enough food for the both of us for a four day trip. Besides, now that I have my magic back, your services are no longer required, and I'd hate for you to overstay your welcome."

Kefka turned toward Lyra and closed the distance between them with a few steps. He smirked at her, an idea popping into his head. "There is one other thing you can do for me though, a little something for the road." He lifted a hoof to Lyra's forehead, caressing the metal band wrapped around her skull. "I'm going to need this back." With a flick of his hoof, Kefka yanked the slave crown from Lyra's head.

The first thing she felt was pain. The pain accumulated from four days of constant physical abuse rushed back to her all at once. Her legs buckled as her body was finally allowed to follow its own orders for a change. She let out a sharp cry when she hit the ground, the impact shooting waves of intense pain from her broken ribs throughout the rest of her beaten form. Her brain kicked into overdrive, assaulted on all sides from numerous warning signals delivered by her nervous system. Eventually, her body settled down, allowing Lyra to think once more.

She looked around at the deserted buildings surrounding her. Ponyville looked like a ghost town, not a pony in sight. True, it was pretty late, but there were usually still a few night owls out and about. As she twisted her neck around to try and get her bearings, she spied the outline of Sugarcube Corner behind her. Something was off about the place, and it didn't take her long to pinpoint the discrepancy. Even from a distance, Lyra could see the forms scattered across the ground. Ponies, dead ponies, everywhere. Memories started to claw their way to the forefront of her mind, dug up by the fresh bodies that littered the street.

"Why are you doing this?"

"Don't hurt them! They're only children!"

"Lyra, stop! You don't have to do this!"

Tears started to form as Lyra remembered what she had done.

I did this. I killed them. Oh dear Celestia, I slaughtered them all!

Tears were flowing freely now, and she had begun to hyperventilate as her more recent memories were replaced by older ones, showcasing each of her atrocities in reverse.

"Please, help me..."

Minuette.

"Don't do this, I'm begging you! I'll do anything!"

Blossomforth.

"What's going on? What's happening to me?!"

"How could you do this? You traitor!"

Lemon Hearts... Cherry Berry.

Lyra was sobbing loudly now, gasping for breath as she was pelted with memory after memory of her crimes until one final memory wormed its way into her mind.

"Lyra, why are you doing this?"

Bon Bon? No, this can't be happening! Bon Bon!

"Is it because you don't love me anymore?"

Oh no, Bon Bon, stop! I still love you!

"What did you do to her, you monster? Why won't she answer me?"

I wanted to answer you, so badly. I just wanted to hold you in my arms again.

"It's okay, Lyra. I know you would never do anything to hurt me."

Please don't do it. Bon Bon, don't say it. I don't deserve it.

"I forgive you."

No no no no no no no no!

"I love you, Lyra. I will love you, forever."

Lyra sat motionless in the street as she relived the memory of Bon Bon's final moments. She watched herself electrocute her love, and listened to her cry out in pain. She could feel the impact of the icicle that she stabbed straight into her chest, and she could see the pained look on her face when all she could see in her dying moments was Lyra's unfeeling, empty eyes. She could see everything as though it had happened just minutes before; Bon Bon, the shop, the fire... and the stallion that ordered her to do it.

Lyra slowly swiveled her head around until it landed on the very same stallion that had taken everything away from her, had ordered her to take it all away with her own hooves. Sorrow was replaced with rage as she recalled all the abuse, the torture, and the innocent lives lost because of this one stallion. Lyra ground her teeth as tears streamed down her face.

Kefka sneered at his broken plaything. "I suppose it's too late to take you up on that tour offer, hmm?"

Applejack tucked Apple Bloom into bed, and headed outside, careful not to slam the door so her sister could sleep. She sighed as she looked at the long road back to Ponyville.

"It's gonna be a long night."

She walked past rows of apple trees in silence. The clear night sky did little to ease Applejack's mind. She had spent most of the trip thinking about Kefka's strange behavior, trying to convince herself that it was nothing to worry about.

He was probably just confused after his little accident. Probably a bump to the head, scrambled his thoughts, happens all the time. Right?

When she reached the gate that marked the end of her family's property, she heard a noise in the distance that stood her hair on end.

"What in tarnation is that? Is that coming from... Ponyville?"

Applejack picked up speed, running to close the distance between her and the town border. As she got closer, the sound was more easily identified.

"Is that... screaming?"

The agonized wailing was like nothing Applejack had ever heard before. It was an uncivilized, primal scream, powerful enough to echo for miles. Applejack pushed herself to her physical limits, galloping as fast as she could. The scream was growing louder, and she could feel immense anguish mixed with anger in the haunting cries. Just as she could see buildings popping into view, Applejack was blasted backward by a wave of raw, uncontrolled energy radiating from the center of town. She picked herself up and started running as quickly as she could, but stopped when she saw a change in the sky.

Lightning rained down from the heavens, engulfing all of Ponyville in periodic flashes of blinding white light. Each new scream was emphasized by erupting fountains of flame. Not since fighting Nightmare Moon or Discord had Applejack felt anything close to the fear she felt now. She took a tentative step toward the apocalyptic scene and was immediately blasted back by another wave of energy. She slammed into a tree, cracking it at the point of impact, and immediately blacked out.

Kefka wiped the soot off his face with a hoof. "Impressive." He looked around at his new surroundings. The town's transformation was spur of the moment, but not entirely unpleasing. Most of the bodies had been cleaned up, incinerated by volcanic fire. A good number of the buildings were gone, too. Kefka chuckled at that.

"If there was anyone hiding inside, they're gone now."

The most notable feature was the gargantuan crater where the initial explosion had taken place. At the crater's center was a lone figure, an aquamarine unicorn. Lyra's body stood at ground zero, frozen in place for all to see. She was resting on her haunches, hind legs spread out to either side. Her body was curved backwards with her head tilted towards the sky, and her front legs lay limp at her sides. Her jaw was stretched wide; she had died mid scream. Her eyelids stayed open, though her eyes had rolled back showing only white. Kefka examined the body closely, and was unsurprised to find the fur on her face was still wet, drenched with her tears.

"See, now this is why it's unhealthy to bottle up your emotions. Although, I must admit, in some cases it does get better with age." Kefka brought his face close to Lyra's own, and rolled his tongue up the side, tasting her tear stained cheeks. He licked his lips, silently contemplating something. "Hmmm, not bad, not bad. A fine vintage, though next time I think I'll let it set for a couple more days."

Kefka broke out a maniacal grin and turned his sights toward his next destination.

"Next stop, Canterlot!"

Author's Note

So, just thought I'd mention this. I got a bit of inspiration for Lyra's breakdown from Asura's Wrath (Great game if you're into games that are 90% cut scenes). I'll link the specific scene below:

DON'T CLICK FOR SPOILERS