------------ Melody’s Tale - Eyriewatch ------------

The wind roared in her ears, almost painfully loud. She winced her teary eyes halfway closed and looked into the wind, trying to see where they were headed. Ahead of them, a massive, tall tower loomed on the horizon. She could just see the pale stone face rising up from the wide, open plains. Much like the plains inbetween her home and Appleoosa. “There it is!” She cried over the wind. Her voice carried over to the other massive Roc, their impromptu means of transportation.

“Eyriewatch!” Rainbow Dash confirmed, her voice clear as a bell over the roaring wind. The avian had opted to fly alongside the Roc, rather than on their backs. Her excuse being ‘it’s not every day you get to fly alongside a God!’ The three sets of wings flapped harder as their goal became clear to them. In the early evening, the sun was just beginning to paint the sky a dull, faded orange. Melody knew it was commonplace… Ever since the war started the nights and days lacked the beautiful luster her mothers had said would often leave a person stunned and in awe. Just once, she would like to see the day as Celestia had intended it… To view the night sky as Luna painted the masterpiece of stars and swirling galaxies and the big, white moon… Still, the sight was a welcome one as they winged across the wide plains inbetween Featherhome and Eyriewatch. They had crossed Equestrian borders an hour ago.

“Been a while since I’ve seen this place…” Twilight said behind Melody. She turned her eyes down at her mother, who was curled up on her side atop the Roc’s back, huddling close for the warmth of it’s brilliant feathers. Hurricane, god of the South and East winds, had gladly accepted the ‘Children of Love’ as he called Melody and Verse, on his back. Gale, the brilliant blue and yellow god of the North and West winds, bore Noth and Lily upon his own. The two of them had made an excuse that it was ‘Changeling Business’ they needed to discuss.

”Rainbow Dash,” Hurricane’s voice rumbled beneath their feet, making them all vibrate with the force of his gentle speech. This was, after all, the creature that had swept dozens of harpies off of the peak of Nest with it’s voice alone. ”Roc have not lived for thousands of years, and I’m afraid that many might mistake our presence for a threat. Would you be so kind to fly ahead of us and deliver a message? I know my brother and I will live through any attack, but I cannot guarantee the safety of the Children of Love if we are seen as a threat.” Melody spied Rainbow Dash banking into a wide turn to come closer as Gale spoke, and she smiled.

“No problem at all! I’ll see you guys at the top!” Melody inhaled a breath as Dash spoke, her wings beating faster as she gained headway against the massive Roc. This was something she had always wanted to see… A sonic rainboom! Flapping harder and harder, Dash began to reach speeds that, until her existence, had previously been legend. The air began to twist and contort around her… She was doing it! Melody crouched low, her voice lifted in a cheer as Dash gave one final, decisive flap.

The shockwave nearly blew her off her feet. She felt the surface of the feathers slide underneath her as Dash rocketed off towards the tower. She was a blur, a streak of light that could just barely be seen arcing towards the top of the pinnacle of the avian-built city. Behind her, the rainbow-colored trail of light washed over their bodies, the Roc cutting a path through the light with powerful flaps. Melody’s breath was taken away in the beautiful spectrum of brilliant light, her eyes wide at the display. Slowly, her arms raised up, running her fingers through the air.

“In all things,” Twilight said gently, braving the wind to stand next to Melody. “There is magic.” Melody fought tears, both from the wind and the beauty… Behind her, Verse was just as stunned. It was moments like this that made Melody wish she could fly, like she had when she was shifted into the Roc. Just so she could wheel through the sky fast and free, laughing and smiling like Dash always was whenever she had flown close enough for her to see… Like the harpies had when she watched them dive from the edge of Nest every morning… Like Lily did. Flying atop the Roc wasn’t nearly the same, though… Granted, she could see the wide horizon stretching endlessly around her, but she had seen it before on the plains. The broad back of the Roc sloped away after twenty feet to either side, and getting close enough to the edge meant falling off. She couldn’t see the pine forest slide underneath them, the trees giving way to the wide plains… It was flying, but not the sort that Melody desired. She wanted to be free and independent, to fight the forces of gravity on her own, to have absolutely nothing inbetween her and the sky…

Slowly, her eyes turned around to look at Gale, at the two people riding his wide back. They had all spoken of Melody and Verse’s changeling powers before… Twilight stressed magical development from an early age, though, and had explained that changelings could be taught at any time they pleased… Magi, however, took development… So, Lily had never had the chance to teach her children how to shift, how to adapt the form of another like all changelings could… Melody COULD fly… She just had to learn how. The impatience of her youth won out, and she made the decision in her mind to ask Lily as soon as they landed.

The light from Dash’s sonic rainboom faded away slowly, leaving behind awe and wonder in the minds and hearts of the two young children. A welcome diversion, of course, from the life they had lived so far. Not to mention the recent, rather disturbing news. It still nagged there, at the back of Melody’s mind, like a sore on your lip you were trying to force yourself not to lick anymore. She had many questions and knew that more than a few would go unanswered, but that didn’t mean she didn’t want to ask them… Right at that moment, though… Melody was far too entranced with the brilliant display to worry about the future. Something her mothers had taught her. The future was no good if you didn’t spend the present enjoying yourself.

The wind seemed to pick up in intensity and speed, the soft rocking motion of the Roc beneath her slowly becoming more difficult to stay stable underneath. Eyriewatch lurched closer and closer in their vision, slowly filling their eyes bit by bit… It was only when Twilight spoke that Melody gained a true appreciation for avian architecture. “Woah,” Her mother said softly. “I had almost forgotten…”

Eyriewatch was much like Nest. Home to all the races of Equestria, the massive tower was built by avians long, long ago. It dated back to a time when Starswirl had been a prominent name among magi, and Equestria was still relatively young. Rather than built by human hands, as Trottingham had been, or magic, as was the case for Canterlot. Eyriewatch was tall. It didn’t aspire to be as monolithically tall as Nest was, but it was still a very dominating structure. From horizon to horizon, it would be visible for many, many miles… The white stone face had been worn with time, giving it a light grey color, a faded and worn, warm sort of welcoming texture. Wind and dirt and even harpy arrows had done little to impact the impressive tower. Large, glass-less windows dotted the surface of the tower, and even as Melody watched, she saw an avian sweep out of one window and into the open sky, winging hard with two of his fellows close by. Together with the windows, there were several balconies with wide doors and openings, and Melody thought they could only have been made to accommodate larger winged creatures. The plains around the tall tower were dotted with a small town of sorts, though the tallest building amongst them was hardly a tenth the height of the tower itself. While this may have been home to several human and magi, it was predominantly an avian city. It was also the closest to the border of Featherhome, the territory owned predominantly by the harpies. The flight from Nest was relatively short, given how long it had taken them to walk to it from the southern dragon territory… A flight, Melody was both thankful and worried to note, was completely devoid of changelings… Where was the massive force that was allegedly heading their way?

Melody felt a twinge of realization as Gale and Hurricane began to circle the tower… The space atop Eyriewatch had been cleaned free of debris and other clutter… There was no one standing atop the stone edifice, waiting to greet them… There was, however, a few dozen avians hovering in the air about it. They turned to watch the massive Roc bank their wings into a wide, graceful turn. Melody had keen vision, and she could see their mouths open in shock, their expressions dumb with realization. The gods of the winds had returned.

Hurricane and Gale flapped their wings hard as they began to light atop the tower. Melody realized now that it was thanks to Rainbow Dash they had a safe spot to land that wasn’t down on the plains. The lurching motion grew rougher as the two Roc came to a stop, their wings working to settle them so close together. Melody never had taken a guess as to the dimensions of the two Roc, but now that they were so close together atop the tower, she realized they both must have easily been two hundred feet long from beak to tail feather. Indeed, the three of them had had more than enough room to stretch out on the back of Hurricane, and Gale was just as large. Their wingspan, massive and impressive to behold, was easily three hundred feet. Their beaks could easily open and swallow a human or avian whole, wings and all. When they finally came to a rest, Hurricane lowered his shoulder to the stone face, and Melody slid down his feathers to the floor. Her feet hit hard stone hard, making her stumble but not fall. Twilight came behind her, and Verse last. When Hurricane righted himself, Gale repeated the motion so Noth and Lily could slide down.

”You are back in your homeland now, Melody. The winds have no home, so we shall travel the world, spreading news of our return. It is thanks to you that we are free to do so, and I give you my humble thanks.” Gale’s rumbling voice still carried the dark, cold undercurrents of his name. Even in the colorful clothes she wore that had been granted to her just yesterday, Melody shivered. Gale turned an unblinking amber eye upon her, staring straight into her soul. ”Your brother and you have much to accomplish in the coming years. As my brother has said previously, our home is yours. Should you ever need my assistance, turn to the Northwest and whistle long and loud. No matter how far I am, I will hear your plea, and I will come to your side. My power is yours to command for this day, and all the days to come. When it is your time to pass this world, your children may wear my vestments, and will command the same power that you do.” Despite the cool shiver that ran through her body, Melody felt a smile spread across her face. Gale lowered his head closer, and she and Verse gingerly laid their hands on the warm, hard surface of the massive beak. Hurricane spoke to them next, and they turned to the brilliantly colored Roc with a smile. His warm voice filled them, ran through their bones, inundated them with a sense of welcome and comfort.

”My brother speaks for us both, Children of Love. Should you ever require my aid, turn to the Southwest and whistle long and loud. No matter if I wing the edges of this world or slumber peacefully beneath the waves, I will rush to your aid, no matter the task. My power is yours to use as you see fit, as I owe the two of you the debt of my very life. Pass your clothes on to your children, and they too shall own this power. You and your family will forever be a friend to the winds. Now, everyone… You may want to cover your ears. We have a little… Announcement to make.”

Melody’s smile wilted at the warning. She shared a look with everyone else assembled atop the platform, and heard the same warning repeated to the avian filling the skies around the peak of Eyriewatch. She watched as all of them dove out of sight, undoubtedly seeking shelter in the tower beneath them. She realized then that Eyriewatch had been constructed long, long ago to serve as a roost for the Roc… As the two massive creatures turned around, their tailfeathers fanning out into the air above their heads, their talons settled into smooth grooves cut in the stone. Gale faced almost directly Northwest, while Hurricane faced Southeast. Back-to-back, the Roc opened their beaks and cried out for all to hear. Even though her hands were pressed tight over her ears, Melody could FEEL the power rip through her body.

”Equestria! Hive! Hearth! Featherhome! Shadowlands! Dragon territory! Hear our call and heed our words!” Both Roc lifted their heads and roared their speech loud and long. Melody had no doubt in her mind their magically-carried words reached the ears of all to hear… From the far reaches of the shadowlands, to Dragonpoint and as far north as the imposing wall of mountains… None were exempt from the Roc’s declaration. Melody knew what they were doing… She knew their purpose. Their words made her quiver and shake in both fear and awe.

”THE ROC LIVE AGAIN! THE SKIES ARE OURS! WE COMMAND THE SNOW, RAIN, AND CLOUDS! AT OUR CALL, THEY DANCE AND SING! AT OUR BEHEST, THEY WATER YOUR LANDS AND COVER YOUR HOMES! DENY US OUR BIRTHRIGHT, AND FACE OUR WRATH!” That invariable commandment roared across the lands, spreading the word for everyone to feel and hear. From the dark depths of the Shadowlands to the West, all the way to Dragonpoint in the far East, all heard, and all would obey… In the coming years, word of what happened at Nest, at the betrayal of the harpies, would travel to all ears willing to hear. None would cross the Roc again. If they did, their demise would be as swift as the roaring winds themselves.

To those that obeyed, though… They faced temperate winds and cool winters. Their snow was heavy and wet, providing much fun for their children to frolic and play in, and their summers were warm and full of sunshine. In autumn, their trees would turn golden and paint the landscape with magnificent colors. Spring brought hope and renewal to their hearts, filling them with the wonders of a world shaking off the snow and starting anew. In that moment, though, Melody’s hands fell off her ears as she watched the most magnificent thing she had ever seen…

Both the Roc flared their wings out. Their feathers changed drastically, the colors mirroring that of the winds. Around her, blue and yellow, red and green, they mixed and melded together, and the wind whipped her long hair around her face. The clouds wheeled overhead, spinning in a tight circle that slowly grew. Under their dark cover, thunder rumbled and rain fell. Lightning struck their wings, igniting a fire among their feathers that burned with the heat and intensity of the summer sun. Snow swept around their feet, drifting against their legs and chilling their skin. It melted away to cool water that fell from the peak of Eyriewatch in beautiful waterfalls, the misting droplets catching the brilliant light of the fire in their wings and painting the sky in a brilliant rainbow. All around her, the seasons shifted and changed as the Roc exercised their power. They were commanding. They were powerful. They were majestic.

They were home.

And then they were gone. Leaving in their wake a dark grey storm cloud that continued to pour a warm spring rain on their heads, Hurricane and Gale were off into the sky. The smoke from the fire in their wings joined the large grey cloud overhead, spreading the rain over the plains and beyond. Thunder rumbled with each flap of their wings, and when they opened their beaks in a cry, lightning arced into the ground far, far below. The six of them stood completely speechless as the Roc flew away into the sky. Hurricane flew to the Southeast, Gale to the Northwest. When the gods of the winds were gone, the rain fell hard and fast, soaking them all to the skin.

“Hey.” The new voice caught Melody’s attention, and she spun to face it. Raising above the threshold of the floor came a new face, an avian, wearing a tight-fitting sleeveless vest and baggy cargo pants. Her brilliant orange and red hair clung to her head in the rain, the leather hugging her chest tightly. “You should probably come in out of the rain. You’ll catch a cold.”

“Spitfire!” Lily cried out, laughing as she rushed forward. The avian grinned and wrapped Lily in a warm hug, encouraging the rest of them closer. Behind her, Dash mounted the steps with a smile, her own rainbow hair laying flat against her head.

“C’mon, guys. We’ve got fresh clothes, hot baths, and food for you all.” Twilight groaned audibly, and Melody would have sworn Twilight could have kissed the brash avian in that moment. Of them all, Lily and Twilight probably had it worse. They hadn’t eaten a full meal in months. There was one night in Naga-haal where they roasted hot dogs on an open fire, but ever since then, it had been summoned jerky and dry granola, water and the occasional canteen of juice for them all to share. Twilight was versatile, but she said the store room she drew from wasn’t. Melody wondered if she could petition for some dried fruit to be stored in the near future… Together, they descended into the tower, walking down wide worn steps while Lily, Twilight, Dash, and Spitfire chatted like old friends, which Melody assumed they really were…

Rain chased them down the stairs in rivulets, but disappeared into small holes in the joint where the stairs met the wall, undoubtedly curving through the stone and mortar out to the exterior. After the first few hundred steps, the only water came from their dripping forms. The tower was slightly dusty, warm, and well-worn. Melody had never been inside such a massive structure. Delving deeper into the tower was both a disorienting and exciting experience. Small, confined spaces never really scared her… She had been diving in a portion of their little cove that had many little caves and worn coral formations, and that had never made her squeamish. She wasn’t claustrophobic, but she was new to large buildings in general. When they went ten minutes without seeing a window or the sky, her heart raced in her chest. She felt wonder and excitement race through her veins. Judging by Verse’s wide grin, he felt much the same.

As they walked, they passed several other parties, mostly cleaning crews. A magi gripped several brooms in her magical grip, holding them off to the side as the small crowd passed. She gave a small ‘tsk’ as they dripped water on her stairs, but returned to sweeping with a smile on her face, the brooms all moving in sync as she resumed work. Hallways and corridors branched off of the stairwell, seeming to radiate outwards or inwards at four regular points. Melody caught glimpses of everything from store rooms to living quarters, armories and even one bathroom. Her bladder was beginning to act up when Spitfire finally exited the stairwell into a wide, warmly-lit corridor. Rather than lamps or overhead lights, this corridor was lit with burning torches. She stared in wonder at the intricate iron work that held the burning sticks in place, their oily smoke filtering upwards through the same holes water filtered downwards.

“Eyriewatch is very old, and very traditional.” Spitfire explained, smiling at Melody’s expression. It was the first time the avian had addressed her specifically. “While some of the lower levels have opted for more traditional forms of light, such as lamps or stuff like that, we make sure it’s nothing but torches and hearths up here. Aah, here we are.” She turned a corner into one moderately short hallway. “The commander’s quarters. You’ll be my personal guests while you’re here, if Twilight and Lily don’t mind bunking together, you’ll each have your own rooms.” Dash grinned and patted Noth on the stomach with the back of her hand.

“We’ll take our own room, too.” She said with a wide grin. Spitfire’s eyes widened slightly as she looked between the two of them.

“Really?” She asked, pointing idly between Dash and the tall, muscular Noth. “Don’t tell me you’ve gone straight on me…”

“Who says she’s straight?” Noth immediately shifted, the muscular, slightly imposing form gone. In it’s place, a very beautiful, very alluring young woman stood. Melody, Spitfire, Twilight and Lily watched with wide eyes as the shifted Noth wrapped his… her? It’s arms around Dash, pulling her into a very heated kiss. Verse was nowhere to be seen, but a rapidly-shutting door told Melody he had disappeared. She flushed and followed suit, silently slipping into a nearby room. After a moment’s hesitation, she threw the lock and leaned against the door. Alone at last. For the first time in many, many long months, she was alone…

The room she had chosen was very warmly-appointed and dully-lit. Candles burned on some of the open spaces, and a fire burned warmly in the hearth, but darkness still lurked in the corners of the rooms. The storm clouds outside of the smaller windows told her it was still raining very heavily outside… That, and she could have sworn she heard the rain splattering against stone nearby… The main room she stood in held two couches turned in an L-shape towards the hearth, a wide table with four chairs and a hot meal already set out, and a book case stuffed with books. The smooth stone floor was covered for the most part in thick rugs that her booted feet sunk into as she walked across them, exploring. To her left and right were two closed doors, and she opened them both. One opened into a dark bathroom that boasted just a single candle burning weakly next to a bath tub, where a steaming tub full of water sat just waiting for her to emerge herself in. Warm, fluffy-looking towels lay out on the stone shelves cut into the wall, and on the ledge above them was a selection of soaps, shampoos, and if she wasn’t mistaken, lotion and conditioner as well.

The other door, however, led into the largest bedroom she had seen yet… Larger even that Braeburn’s room in Appleoosa, the bed dominated half of the far wall. Melody was scared if she crawled up onto it, the heavy blankets and sheets would wrap around her, pull her in, and make her lost in the warm embrace of the fabric forever. To the left opened one of the wide balconies she had seen earlier, and that was where the splattering noise she had heard came from. The balcony was separated from the room by a wide, deep archway, and none of the lancing rain carried across the threshold. The rug leading up to the archway was dry and slightly cool, and in the wall across from the archway, another warm fire burned. Melody recognized the same magic Twilight had used on their journey, a fire that burned but didn’t consume the logs. If she had to guess, that fire had burned for a very, very long time.

Then Melody was struck with a dilemma. One that wasn’t very major, admittedly, but it still presented her a choice. Should she bathe, eat, or sleep first? No one had knocked on her door yet, so she figured they had some time to rest before whatever came next. Finally, she set on the most logical course of action. With a ravenous appetite, she set in on the dinner, eating more than she had in the past few long months. She ate a thick venison steak cooked medium-rare, half a dozen rolls, two full wooden mugs of what she guessed was grape juice, another mug of cool, sweet water, and half a mug of what she could only guess was a sort of spiced, mulled wine. It bit into her tongue and made her senses a little fuzzy. She felt sleepier than she had previously, so she only drank half of her mug and left the other half for after her bath. She continued to eat, however, crunching through two whole apples, a banana, a small fistful of grapes, and a very large portion of mashed potatoes with a thick, delicious brown gravy. The gravy even had sliced mushrooms in it. Incredible. Finally finished, she decided a bath was in order.

Shamelessly, and very thankfully, Melody stripped her clothes off in the dark bathroom. Surprisingly enough, they were almost completely dry. “Huhn,” She said as she held them up, one hand running over the soft, warm fabric slowly. There wasn’t even a damp spot. Odd, since in the rain they had clung tight to her skin, feeling clammy and cold. A very complex, primal sort of magic she decided, folding them and neatly placing them on the floor of a small basket next to the towels. The bath still steamed slightly as she laid her hands on the edge of the tub, testing the water with a hand. The temperature could only be described as one hundred percent perfect. Slowly, she eased her foot in, wincing a little as the water burned just a touch. Then came the other one. Inch by inch, she slid her body into the water, feeling the warm embrace of the hot bath wrap around her every curve. When her rear finally settled onto the bottom of the tub, her eyes were already closed, the tension melting away smoothly. She sunk in up to her shoulders, leaning against the back of the tub, her entire body submerged. It was quiet. It was hot. It was exactly what she needed. Telling herself how much she needed this, Melody let herself relax…

Sadly enough, sleeping in a bathtub wasn’t very comfortable. She began to feel a bit sore from sitting against the hard surface of the tub, so she moved on to the other half of the bath she had been expecting. Soap and rag worked together to scrub away the dirt and weariness of a long, tireless journey. She grimaced as the water slowly began to grow cloudy, but felt happy as her skin began to return to it’s pale, creamy complexion. She scrubbed everything on her body, the slippery feel of the soap on her skin feeling clean, and even slightly sensuous. Like the touch of a long-lost lover… When she started scrubbing her teal-colored hair with a very generous portion of shampoo, she could almost imagine someone else’s fingers combing their way through the long, frazzled strands. Tender and loving, they made sure not a single lock of hair was neglected, all of them scrubbed and cleaned very carefully…

Not that she knew what any of those things felt like, though… She drained the tub and used a fresh spout of water to rinse off. She used a bowl on the edge of the tub to fill with hot water to drop over her hair and skin. The tub did not have a showerhead, else she would have used that. Still, the feeling of dumping hot water over her own body was slightly… Sexy. The only thing she was not completely satisfied with was her natural growth. The soft, curly layer of fur on her pubis had long ago left the neatly-trimmed strip she normally kept. A quick search in the dimly-lit bathroom revealed a razor and a bottle of shaving cream. Despite her slightly tired mind, Melody felt compelled… She shaved every last hair away, and gladly removed the soft layer of fuzz from her neglected legs and arms.

Feeling smooth and refreshed, she smiled to herself and stepped out onto the thick rug, her bare feet sinking into the soft fabric as she started to towel herself dry. Remembering back to the first time she had shaved, and the coupled irritation, she took a moment to rub a healthy portion of lotion into her arms, legs, and smooth pubis. She was about to dress in her clothes when she remembered she was alone. No need. Leaving the damp towels on a bar drilled into the wall, she grabbed a brush and padded through the warm living room into the large bedroom. Plopping on the side of the bed closest to the fire, Melody paid her hair some much-needed attention, her eyes closed as she blissfully brushed her damp hair free of all tangles until it had returned to the luxurious, silky-smooth texture that fell through her hands so perfectly…

Tiredness found her then, wrapping her senses in a warm blanket of weariness and exhaustion. She barely had the strength to set her brush aside and slip under the covers, but when she did, she was asleep as soon as her head met the soft pillow.

Melody dreamt of flying.

--------------

Nothing woke her. There was no sound, no exterior distraction… She just opened her eyes, looking around the dim room from where she lay stretched out on the massive bed. The warm sheets wrapped around her bare form, hugging her in all the right places as her tired mind recovered from the wonderful dream. She had experienced everything from wonder to the rush of adrenaline to pure, abject fright at going much, much to fast… Which had only led to excitement. Groaning, Melody couldn’t stop her hand as it slowly trailed lower…

“Aahh…” She breathed out as her fingertips probed experimentally… Rolling onto her back, Melody spread open and let herself get lost… It had been far, far too long… Melody may have been a stranger to sex, but masturbation was no new phenomena to her. Long ago, her body had matured. She had bled for the first time when she was fourteen, and from that day forth, her body could not stop it’s natural desires. Hormones did what they had to do to her body, and she could not deny them… Right then, the fires needed to be stoked, and Melody needed to feel the heat. Her fingers gingerly spread her moist lips apart, exposing her clitoris to her other hand. Gnawing on her lower lip, Melody began to smoothly rotate that magical little bundle of nerves in a smooth circle. Her juices flowed freely, coating her fingertip and invariably dampening the sheets beneath her… Another side-effect of being shaved.

“Hmm!” The pleasure began to pulse through her in crashing waves, the first bits of stomach-twitching sexual fulfillment she had felt in far, far too long… There was little to no privacy during the long trip from Appleoosa, and she had more than once been feeling the side-effects of all the pent-up desire. Her early-morning grogginess burned away completely under the intense fire stirring in her crotch, even as she spun her clitoris more and more rapidly. The first orgasm came quick and easy, making her thighs clamp closed and her eyes flutter. Both her hands were caught in the vice-grip of her thighs, and wouldn’t be released until she came down from that beautiful, warm peak.

One was never enough, though… Now that she was thoroughly warmed up, Melody made some small adjustments… Her middle and ring fingers gingerly slid inside, moving slow so her tight muscles could adjust… She could hardly move a half an inch before the spasmodic twitching would clamp around her fingers, making her body shudder at the feeling of being filled once more… Her other hand was hardly idle, though… Flicking her clit back and forth, side-to-side, she doubled her pleasure, stirring the fire until it was a roaring blaze. She hadn’t even noticed that her two fingers were smoothly pumping in and out of her core, making lewd noises as her juices spread and squelched. A smile curled her lips, even as she writhed her hips wonderfully.

“Aahn!” The second orgasm came with a small portion of liquid, the damp spot growing underneath her as she quivered. “Haah… Haah… Guh,” Breathing ragged, Melody lay with her legs splayed open as the second burned intensely through her every sense. She was tender, every slight motion magnified by tenfold. She had to pull her hands away to stop the orgasm, both palms cupping her breasts so her fingertips could gingerly pinch her rock-hard nipples. It really HAD been too long… Her skin was on fire now, the sheets feeling clingy and hot in the aftermath. Quick as could be, she kicked the blankets off of her slender body, relishing the feel of the cool morning air washing over her skin. It rolled over her thighs in waves, brushing her crotch slightly…

“Ooooohh,” She groaned softly, feeling the fire leap to life at the fresh air once more. The walls were thick, stone, and there was tons of fabric around… No reason why she couldn’t enjoy herself… But her fingers wouldn’t do it anymore. Rolling her head to the side, Melody spied exactly what she needed in that moment. Grasping the hairbrush by the end with the long, stiff bristles, she smoothly guided the wooden handle against her slick center. “Oh yesssss…” She let her exhalation hiss past her lips as she felt the bulbous end of the brush press inbetween her lips. She slid it up and down, coating the wood with her juices, feeling the knob at the end brush against her clitoris. She teased herself, adding pressure, pulling away, spinning the wet wood around her clit, parting her muscles just a little…

“AAHN!” Her breath passed her lips in an airy groan, loud enough to be heard in the thin walls of her home, but certainly not here… She lifted her hips, smoothly pushing the handle of the brush into her. Previously, Melody had only ever used her fingers or the showerhead in their bathroom… Putting something this smooth and thick inside of herself was alien and new… Her hymen had ruptured a while ago, thanks to a tree climbing accident. The whole thing had actually scared her, made her cry and worry while Lily and Twilight explained it was perfectly normal, that it happened, and the blood wasn’t anything to worry about. Now, she was glad she didn’t have to worry about the pain… She tested her depths, found she could slide the handle in all the way to the base comfortably. It was when she pushed down, though…

The rounded head leveraged upwards, and the pleasure was so intense Melody almost screamed. She had to pull it out, but the feeling of being suddenly and immediately voided was too much to resist. Her breath left her lungs in a high-pitched scream, even as she felt her urethra expel the thin, clear liquid of what had to have been the most intense, wettest, best orgasm of her young life. Her back arched, lifting her hips from the bed, giving her crotch a better angle to spray her prodigious release into the sheets. Not that she could care. Her scream cut off with a squeak, her shaking muscles roughly dropping her hips back into the soaked sheets. She panted, her chest heaving, her flat stomach twitching as she fought to reign her thoughts back around to some semblance of normalcy. She couldn’t do it, though… Muddled thoughts drifted through her mind, her core muscles spasming and twitching as she shook and whimpered atop the abused, soaked bed…

It felt like a year, but it had to only have been thirty seconds. Lucidity returned in a rush, making Melody groan as her shaking muscles finally relaxed and made her sag back into the wet sheets. The hairbrush dug into the back of her thighs from where she had dropped it onto the sheets, and she fished it out with a groan. The smooth wooden handle was soaked with her thin juice, but the bristles had more-or-less escaped the brutality of her squirting orgasm. With shaking hands, she set it back on the bedside table, and began to work on getting her legs to follow her brain’s commands. She wiped her hand over her sore crotch, marveling at the feeling of just how wet she was… It dripped from her fingers as she surveyed them in the bright morning light and the glimmer of the flickering fire.

“Wow…” She muttered, slowly pushing herself up. She leaned back against the wooden headboard, letting her muscles recover as she surveyed the damage. Yup, going to need to replace the sheets… Unless she was mistaken, there was another basket for clothes or linens in the bathroom… Once she felt strength return to her legs, she smoothly slipped off of the bed and walked around it in a slow half-circle. Her ejaculation had very nearly reached the edge of the bed. Smiling despite herself, Melody began stripping the bed down to the mattress, piling the heavy quilt, sheets, and mattress pad next to the bed. A quick search of the bathroom revealed nothing more than three extra baskets. She emptied her clothes from the fourth and used all of them, the quilt spilling over the edges though the sheets and mattress pad filled their own baskets. Satisfied she had cleaned up, Melody drew another bath and spent the rest of the morning cleaning and shaving the rest of her body. There were a few spots she had reluctantly missed…

------------

“Spitfire, I have to thank you for your kindness,” Lily was the first to say. “That was the first real bed I had slept on in… Hell, months.”

“Yeah, well…” Spitfire said, waving her off. They had all joined together for a large, hearty late-morning breakfast in a large, warmly-lit hall that opened to the air. “I don’t think many of you got much sleep last night.” There was a moment of silence, of blushing glances and looks of shock before everyone burst out into laughter.

“Seriously, did you go pressing your ear to EVERY door in your guest quarters?” Dash teased, nudging the avian commander with her elbow. Spitfire grinned and sipped at a large glass of milk.

“No, I just go reading the laundry reports every morning.” There were a few more chuckles, but everyone soon sobered up… Looks of confusion and a little bit of suggestion were shared, but Melody tried to melt into her chair, to escape their judging looks.

“Uuh, we left our sheets on our bed.” Dash said, leaning back and pointing across the table at Noth with her chin.

“So did I…” Verse said. Everyone looked at him, and he flushed brighter as he mumbled into his water. “Bathtub…”

“Well, same for us…” Lily said gently. Slowly, every eye at the table turned around to rest on Melody. Her pale face turned beet red.

“Shut up,” She muttered, trying to hide behind her bangs as the entire table burst out in uproarious laughter. Fists thumped the table and hoots and hollers drew curious glances from the other high-ranking officers who had joined their breakfast. Melody was the only silent one, her hands tucked in her lap as she flushed bright enough to outshine the torches. Order returned slowly, everyone wiping tears of mirth from their eyes. They all sobered up, though, when Dash asked a soft question.

“How has the war been the past few weeks?” Her question was clear as a bell. Spitfire stopped smiling, her face set in stone. Melody thought in that moment that she looked very, very older… Much older than her slender body betrayed. Her face turned hard, the kind of hard Melody would have assumed a commander had not learned but acquired over a very long career. Slowly, the officers stood, and their breakfast was cleared from the table. When everything settled, Melody laid a hand on Verse’s arm, nodding towards the exit. They stood up to leave, but Twilight held up a hand.

“No. Not this time. You two deserve to be here as much as anyone else.” Twilight and Lily shared a look, and when they looked up the table to Spitfire, she gestured to their empty chairs. Hesitantly, Melody and Verse sat…

“Reports from Canterlot indicate that Celestia has freed herself, and the guard is on the offensive.” Spitfire’s first sentence was met with a wave of sighs of relief and un-tensed muscles. She smiled at their reactions, almost as if she had felt the exact same thing they did in that moment. Particularly Twilight, who Melody could have sworn shed a tear. “Additionally, the palace is back in their control, and the borders are slowly pushing into the woods north of the city. I don’t know for sure, but I’m assuming that the recent return of the wind gods would free up the avian weather teams. Previously, they had been tied up across Equestria directing the winter wrap-up efforts, but now that they’re back… Well… We may be able to bolster our forces.” Spitfire leaned forward just as one of the other officers spread out a map on the table, her finger pointing out key positions.

“With an outrunner force of five thousand avian, we could easily re-capture Trottingham. A Trueform shower and a foot mobile force of maybe five hundred magi cavalry could re-secure the interior, and we could use the same herb at all the entrances and exits. Under guard, commerce with Trottingham’s magi towers would arm us with the scrolls and spells we need to help the war effort. We could push the front back to the spot inbetween Stalliongrad and Ponyville. After that, it turns into a real war… The chimera would attack from the North and the East while we push the changelings back to the East… But using Trottingham as a spearhead, we could hold the line.” She indicated each area with a broad sweep of her finger, drawing a line from Canterlot up to Trottingham, then arcing it down to the spot between Stalliongrad and Canterlot, and the spot north of Eyriewatch.

“Using our own avian air force from Eyriewatch, we could help put the pressure on the chimera from the south, making them fight a two-front war… According to Dash’s report, the harpies have been devastated. They won’t be tying us up in skirmishes to the Northeast anymore, so with any luck, we can sweep around through Featherhome, and flank their positions FROM the East… If we play our cards right, we’ll lose some forces, but we can push the chimera back into their own territory. Once our borders are secure again, we can devote all our attention back to the changeling threat. Now, without Celestia, Chrysalis is going to start losing her power again.” Spitfire held up a finger as she explained, rotating the map so the dominant view was that of the area Northwest of Canterlot, inbetween the Northern reaches of the Everfree forest and Hive, where it nestled between the borders of Hearth and the Shadowlands. “She’ll be losing her own forces to the rising changeling prime threat, while we let the horde tear itself apart. Time and again in the past ten years, we were on the verge of losing a fight when a dozen changelings would shift into primes and rip themselves to shreds. We counter-attack after the skirmish and wipe out the weakened force… In another two years without Celestia’s magic, Chrysalis will lose more and more of her own force to her failing magic.” Spitfire frowned a little as she continued.

“ Still, it’s a war of deception. It really is. The changleings are VERY rough opponents, they shift in a blink and impersonate us. While we can keep our bases secure, the front is a constantly shifting line in the sand…” Spitfire wove a wobbly line across the map with her fingertip, cutting in and out of small towns bordering the forest. “If we take back Trottingham, though, their apothecaries could finally start using the backlog of herbs to develop more trueform. After that, we push for Ponyville. We re-appropriate the crops to start growing more Heart’s Desire and the other things we need, and we could make enough trueform to shower the lines daily. All of this is unofficial, and none of it has reached Celestia’s ear. The last thing she needs right now is to focus on the endgame. She needs to make sure we win Canterlot back before we worry about taking Trottingham or Ponyville. I’m sure she got the message, but I dispatched fifteen wings this morning to help her re-take the city.” Spitfire finally finished talking, her hands flat on the table as she smiled at them. Melody broke the brief silence as she spoke first with a doubt that had been nagging her mind for the past two days.

“We heard word of a massive Changeling force headed into Featherhome, skirting the border between Equestrian and chimera lines to your north… What happened to them?”

“I think I can answer that for you, commander.” One of the officers cut Spitfire off as she opened her mouth. With a soft smile, she leaned back in her chair as he stepped forward. In a moment of stunned silence, three feet of steel slid out of Spitfire’s throat, red with her wet, dripping blood.

“We’re right here.”

-------- Notes from the Author --------

As promised, here’s your Wednesday update. Thanks to EQAD’s cloptober, I’ll be focusing the main part of my writing time at work on the new story. For the next four weeks, Melody’s Tale will only be updated on Wednesdays, and there will be no livestreams. I think I may give them up entirely, to be perfectly honest. I don’t think it’s worth it for me to stress myself putting decent content on a stream for seven people, one of which I get the feeling doesn’t care terribly much about the story. In addition, I’m deleting the facebook page, unless I can get 12 more likes in the next week.

Melody’s tale will, indeed, have sex. I promise you this. The lack of sex up to this point is thanks to story development. Melody WILL have sex, and there will be more than a few scenes with other characters. However, they will only happen when the timing is right, and it fits the story. Much like the masturbation portion of this chapter. The only reason I included it was the re-affirm the sexuality of this story.

The new story will be titled “Other Side of the Apple,” and is the story of how Applejack slowly realizes she’s a lesbian. I’m about halfway through the first chapter already, and it will be EXTREMELY clop-heavy. In addition, it’s pony-fied. Not humanized, like the majority of my work is.

One last note: I am looking for a pre-reader. I have some strict guidelines here, and I’m expecting weekly work at the very least. If you are interested in being privy to new chapters of “Other Side of the Apple” and “A Different Kind of Love: Melody’s Tale,” please meet and follow these guidelines:

-I REQUIRE a gmail account from you. We will be using Gdocs to edit and proofread new chapters

-For legal reasons, please be over the age of 18. (I know I have readers that lied when they clicked the “View Mature” box)

-Must have a good grip on the English language. You will be picking out grammatical and continuity errors.

-An eye for detail is highly encouraged, if not a must. My readers probably know as well as I do I confuse Lily and Melody a lot. I need you to pick out every error like these.

-If you do not have and are not willing to make a gmail account, I prefer you have Apache Open Office downloaded (Not word. My computer does not have Word, and there are some issues when transferring data between the two.) This is non-negotiable. I will not struggle with formatting issues when a free download or a free e-mail account are all that is required.

-If you are still interested, please, SEND ME A MESSAGE. Be it a private message here on fimfiction or an email sent to jordanwilliams08(at)gmail.com, SEND. ME. A. MESSAGE. If I get a comment asking to be my proofreader, I will laugh at you openly and insult your mother.

-I understand these guidelines are strict. I am looking for excellence, simply because I want my readers to have the best ADKoL experience they can get. Melody’s Tale is obviously going to take a very, very long time to write out, and will cover a very large amount of time and territory. To a dedicated proofreader, I can promise several things:

-At the end of the story, your choice of $50 Steam content (If you are not a PC gamer or do not have Steam, I will gladly pay you $50 in your choice of merchandise. Be it a gift card to some store or even cash mailed to your home, I will happily pay you for your devotion.)

-First look at EVERY new chapter for both stories, and if you so choose, any of my future work

-I will write you a personal 25k word (Or longer) story of your request, to be published or for your eyes only, whatever you choose. All content will be yours to decide and mine to write

-You get me as a friend! WHEEEEE!

-Your name (Screen name or real) will be mentioned in the author’s notes of every chatper, and the description of the story

-*BUT*-

-You MUST proofread the chapter within two day’s time of me sending it to you

-If you will not be available to proofread, I do require some sort of advance warning

-Unreliability on your part will result in the forfeit of the aforementioned benefits, and a very sad Loyal

I am a kind (if tired and slightly crabby at this moment,) individual. People who do me a kindness will see the same done to them plus some.

“But Loyal!” I hear you cry. “Why not post one of your infamous long, random, and completely pointless blog post about your proofreading needs?!” To which I give a chuckle and a soft, patronizing smile. I reply with a puff of my corncob pipe, smoke billowing around my mysterious face.

“Why, my dear fan… If you’re reading this, it means you’ve read the chapter. And likely the chapter before this. And probably the entirety of A Different Kind of Love. Therefore, you already have a passion for the story. As will likely be true of my future proofreader. (If there will be one >.>) This is my way of giving back to one or two very lucky readers, and putting a better product out for ALL of you to enjoy. You see, the only one suffering any loss here is myself, as I will be out $50 and a head of hair that isn’t grey. Though, with any luck, I may gain a friend who won’t kill me or steal my girlfriend.” I knock the ashes from my pipe and re-load it with more tobacco, lighting a wood match and puffing the fire back into my lungs. “And besides,” I say, extinguishing the flame and dropping the faintly-smoking stick into the ashtray. “I’m posting a blog entry with all of this information anyways. So suck it.”

With that, I hope you all enjoyed the chapter as much as I enjoyed writing it. Loyal out!

P.S. If you DO NOT play World of Warcraft, ignore this bit.

If you DO, then here is my character list, so you may play alongside your favorite clop author:

Feathermoon-

Glayve: lvl 90 Night Elf Marksman Hunter

Taashaa: Leveling Night Elf Holy Priest (At the time of this post: 78)

Kaaylan: Leveling Night Elf Frost Death Knight (At the time of this post: 66 I think)

Shaofen: Leveling Pandaren Monk (At the time of this post: 4 I think)

A few choice others

Wyrmrest Accord-

Daawnstar: Leveling Human Protection/Retribution Paladin (At the time of this post: 45 I think)

Sisters of Elune:

Amuun: Leveling Tauren Protection Paladin (At the time of this post: 25 I think)

All of these realms are prominent Roleplaying realms, and I DO roleplay erotically with all of these characters. If you don’t RP, tell me when you contact me, otherwise I’ll flirt like a motherfucker with you. To each their own.

If you’d care to know, their roleplaying names are as follows:

Glaivestryke Arrowsong (The Hunter. She likely has the most engaging story I’ve ever read. Not my own, but I am playing it.)

Tasha Arrowsong (The Priestess. I enjoy RPing with her. ERPing, that is…)

Khalan (The Death Knight. Yes, it’s a blatant ripoff from Terry Goodkind’s Sword of Truth. Bite me.)

Xiao-Fen Tenderpaw (The Monk. Younger sister to Lin Tenderpaw from the Valley of the Four Winds quest chain, she’s not quite to the “RP” point yet… Thanks to the fact she’s brand-fucking new and still very low level.)

Rebekkah Dawnstar (The Paladin. Careful with this one, she’s got a secret.)

Amun Sunstrider (The other Paladin. He has a dark history.)

Loyal out ^.^