--------- Melody’s Tale - Duty, Honor, Respect, Loyalty ---------

The spa treatment had been just up Melody’s alley… Together, she and Lily went with Twilight to a small spa just outside of Eyriewatch’s walls, and on Twilight’s dime, enjoyed the deluxe treatment. Maybe it was that it was relaxing, or maybe Melody was a bit more vain about her appearance than she thought, but having the two attendants that had been assigned to her to fret over every little detail in her hair, smooth and buff out all the imperfections in her skin, and rub the oils and lotions that made her feel like she was radiant… It made Melody feel... Like a woman.

The steam baths, the mud soaks, the massages… Melody didn’t feel like she explicitly needed all those things… But they sure were nice. They followed the visit up with a light dinner at some fancy-ish restaurant, and the salad that Melody enjoyed was very, very good… At the end of the day, Melody felt like herself again. She could move on, at long last. She and Verse even caught up, for a little bit of a one-on-one chat… Something they hadn’t shared in quite some time.

It reminded her of home… When they used to sit under their tree and look out over the ocean, talking and chatting, or singing and playing songs… Instead, they sat atop Eyriewatch and watched the sun’s slow descent towards the horizon.

“Do you ever feel…” He asked first. “Like we’ll never be the same?”

“I do… Because honestly, we won’t.” Melody said gently, her eyes fixed on the blazing golden display.

“Is that a good thing, though?” Verse swept his hand out. “Are we better off for having known this… All of this. The good and the bad? I mean… We lost Twilight for a while… And you know Lily wouldn’t have been able to live through it, either… You saw how hysterical she was. And all the other stuff, to… Spike and the changelings, Nest… What happened there… We almost died. Are we really better out here?” Melody had a hundred and one justifications for leaving home, but against her brother’s infallible logic, none of them really felt worth it… Save for maybe a few.

“I know I’m better off for having known Connor.” She said softly. “And we almost lost mom, true… But what did we gain in return? We awakened another god, and got our mother back… We helped destroy more changelings, and were there to witness the saving of a city…” She sighed and leaned back on her palms. “I think leaving home was a good choice. Otherwise we’d have been shut-ins our entire life…”

“Perhaps… I’m just not sure the risk is worth it…”

“Oh? I’m sensing something else here, brother.” Melody teased, grinning at him. Sure enough, Verse’s subtle blush betrayed something more behind his question. “It hurts.” She said softly, knowing exactly what he was going through. “But you can’t let it keep you down… For a week, I was a wreck. Granted, me being female didn’t help, but still… A whole week. That’s a week I could have spent helping at the clinic, or practicing, or doing something constructive… Instead, I spent it curled up in a pathetic little ball, crying over someone who was already long gone… It hurts, Verse. It really does. But you can’t go on forever, and you can’t mope around. Let it hurt. Let the pain sink in and fill your heart. Then pick yourself back up and go back to being normal…”

“Huhn… That bad?”

“I was on my flow…” She shrugged. “Just didn’t help the situation.”

“Ick.” Verse grew up in a household with three women. Yet he still held a certain revulsion for menstruation.

“Oh grow up. How ARE things with the two of you, anyways?” She asked. They really hadn’t talked at all since that fateful night when they both went on that date.

“It’s just time to let it go… She’s picked up guard duty, in addition to her courier tasks. She’s too busy to do anything, and we need to focus, as well…” She arched an eyebrow at him.

“Focus? On what?”

“Hmm? You don’t remember the original reason mom had us, you know… Find someone?” She blinked. That’s right… Lily had asked them to foster a relationship with their targets for a reason. Melody grimaced at the thought of having to recall such intimate details about him… Not that she wanted to forget, just that she wasn’t happy revisiting the memories. Not yet. She sighed and nodded.

“I remember now… Yeah, I suppose it’s time we move on with that, too… You know what I just realized, though?”

“Hmm? What?”

“When’s the last time we played?” Verse blinked at her question.

“That’s… A really good question. Where are our instruments, even? Did we lose them at Nest?” Melody shook her head.

“We lost them when we were with Spike… The changeling attack.”

“That’s right… We didn’t have much of anything in Naga-haal… Just our packs. Well crap, I loved that guitar…”

“Applejack gave it to you, didn’t she? A long ways back?”

“It was my tenth birthday present. She sent it with Fluttershy, when she came to visit that year…”

“I remember that… Same year she gave me that violin. Said it had been her aunt’s or something… I left that one at home…” She sighed. It had been a long while since she had played an instrument of any kind… The desire was coming back.

“You know what?” Verse stood up, smiling at her. “Let’s see if Dash can tell us where we can find some.” Melody grinned at the idea and stood with him, both of them shifting into avian and flying down to their respective balconies. They met in the hall and knocked on the door to the Commander’s personal room, at the end of the corridor. Slowly, the door swung inwards…

“Uuh… Hello?” Melody said hesitantly. The door was almost always closed… Slowly, she and Verse looked inside, their brows furrowed with a sense of curiosity and caution. It seemed the latter was the most needed at that particular moment. What they saw made both their jaws drop.

“Fuck.” Verse let the word slip out.

There, both bodies twined together in a very exotic pose, was Rainbow Dash, and… Was that… Another Rainbow Dash? Both of them stared, wide-eyed and frozen with shock, at the two young adults peeking in on their intimate session. Both of them were naked. Both of them were very sweaty, and both of them were slowly turning very angry.

“I thought you said you shut the door.”

“I thought you said YOU shut the door!”

“Run!” Verse panicked. He and Melody turned tail and ran, booking it down the hall. Noth, shifted back into his normal form, complete with clothes, hollered at them as he gave chase. Behind him, they could hear Rainbow Dash cursing loudly as she struggled to pull her pants on.

“Outside!” Verse panted, turning a corner.

“What?! It’s fucking DASH! She’ll catch us in a second!”

“We stand a better chance on the streets than we do in these halls!” Verse grunted, pouring on the heat. He started to inch ahead. They rounded another corner, though Melody thought she saw Noth spin the last turn right on their heels.

“Fuck! Go, go, go!” Laughing with half childish glee, half nervous panic, the two of them vaulted up on the balcony at the end of this hall and dove off into open space… Only Rainbow Dash did the same, two balconies to their right.

“Fuck! Dive!” Melody tucked her hastily-shifted wings and dove, her and Verse immediately dropping out of the sky.

“Oh no, you don’t!” Dash was ten times the flyer either of them would ever be… She didn’t just dive, she flapped to increase the speed of her dive. Cutting through the air like a knife, Dash smoothly caught up with them and caught both the scruffs of their necks, hauling them to a stop with three rough, fast wing beats.

“You two are coming back with me.” She growled. Above them, Noth peeked over the railing.

“Got ‘em?”

“Oh yeah I do…” Defeated, Melody and Verse hung there, dangling in Dash’s iron grip as she hauled the both of them back up to the balcony of her own room. “Walk.” She commanded, pushing them through the open doors. Hanging their heads, the two children walked into her room.

“We’re dead.”

“So dead.”

“Do you think it’ll be quick?”

“Hardly. She’ll hang us with our own guts.”

“Eew… You wouldn’t do that, would you, Dash?”

“Words cannot describe how angry I am with you two right now.” Dash growled, scanning the skies outside… When she seemed satisfied no one had seen the Commander of Eyriewatch dressed in nothing but jean shorts and a tank top haul two kids back up to her room, she turned to both of them. She and Noth crossed their arms.

“Heh. You look more alike when you stand like that than when you’re in bed.” Verse shot at them.

“Why you little-“

“Can I skin him? Please, Commander?”

“At ease that shit.” She growled, walking forward. She pushed the two of them down on a nearby couch, looking down her nose at them. “Why were you coming into my room?”

“The door was open. You should have locked it if you were going to be fucking.” Melody teased.

“You’re lucky you’re your mother’s daughter, or I’d have hung you for that.” Dash groaned, covering her face with her hand. In the end, it really had been her own mistake. A nervous ripple of laughter made it’s way around the room, and even the uptight Noth shook his head with a smile.

“Honestly, what brought you two up here?” She asked again, seeming more relaxed.

“Truth? We thought we’d ask you where we could get our hands on some instruments… Verse and I haven’t played in a long, long time…” Melody relaxed knowing Dash wasn’t truly angry with them. Just a random happenstance. That, and they had something to laugh about now. Apparently, Dash had a thing for herself. She wondered how Noth felt shifting into the brash avian, just so his partner could get off…

“Instruments? Oh yeah, you two play… Did you not know about the music room?” Noth interjected, looking between the two of them like they were silly.

“Music room?” Melody asked, arching her eyebrow.

“Yeah. It’s down on the… Uuh… Twentieth level? I think? Somewhere around there. Ask a guard for directions.” He said, waving a hand dismissively.

“Huh… I’ve been all over this tower, never heard of a music room…”

“It’s part of the barracks.” Dash said. “But they let anyone who knows where it is go in there. You’ll find others who play, instruments, whatever. Just go check it out. Now, out. Both of you.” Dash shooed them from the couch, waving her hands to get them to move. They both made for the balcony, opening the doors and shifting into avian.

“Oh!” Verse said, turning around as they stepped up onto the stone railing. Dash arched an eyebrow. “Were you two trying to re-define the phrase ‘Go fuck yourself?’” And then they were off, diving down the tower. She thought Noth threw something at them, but she was too far gone, laughing too hard, to even care.

They found the music room sure enough, after following some easy directions from a patrolman. The room was incredibly well-lit, with a series of four high windows lining one side. A bookshelf jam-packed with what appeared to be sheet music and tabs sat in one corner, and opposite the windows were deep-set cabinets and cubbies, all of them labeled with one instrument or another. Two other guards were already there, one of them playing the piano, the other reading some sheet music.

“Hello.” Melody said pleasantly, smiling at them.

“Hey. Not too many others come ‘round here, since most of us are deployed… What’s up?” One of the soldiers, who was a regular human, surprisingly enough, smiled back at the two.

“Nothing, we just found out about this place… Haven’t played in months… Is there… Do you guys have a violin?”

“Or a guitar?” Verse asked. The soldier smiled at the question.

“You’re Melody and Verse, right?” He asked, pointing between them.

“Eer… Yeah…” Melody answered hesitantly.

“You two are… Well, for lack of a better word, famous. Rumor has it Celestia herself has ordered your protection while you’re here in Eyriewatch.” He said, smiling at his friend. The soft strains of the piano died out as the other soldier joined the conversation, smiling at them.

“Hey, you are! I remember you. Melody, I escorted you while you helped the wounded, just over a month ago. Remember me?” His face came vaguely through a haze of dead and injured bodies, lots of blood and a fair amount of inner strife. He was, indeed, one of the guards who had escorted her on that fateful night. The night she nearly lost her mother.

“I remember you!” She said with a smile, walking forward to shake his hand. “I never did get your name, though…”

“Comitatus.” He said, smiling. “This is my friend, Nicholas. He’s a steward here at the tower. Nice to meetcha both.” Introductions were exchanged all around, smiles and handshakes.

“You said you played… The violin?” Comitatus asked, walking over to a nearby rack. The doors were closed and labeled. Melody spotted everything from “Flute” in a smaller cubby to “Tuba” in a rather larger one…

“Yeah… A four-by-four, if they have it…” Best to keep it basic. She hadn’t played in a while.

“Hrm… Aah, here we go!” Smiling, Comitatus withdrew a case from one cupboard, handing it off to her. Carefully, she threw the clasps and opened it to reveal a simple, dark wood violin. All the essentials were there. Rosin, the bow, a small screwdriver for the smaller tuning screws at the bottom of the strings… Gently, she ran her fingers over the strings, feeling the texture of the metal, the tension that held them in tune… Behind her, a hushed conversation took place as Verse located a weathered acoustic guitar, soft notes sounding as he began to tune it. Carefully, Melody began to get ready to play…

“I see you two found the music room.” Lily said from the window. Both of them looked up at her with a smile. Their mother slipped in, her wings folding up against her back as she smiled at them.

“Hey Lily.” Nicholas said gently.

“Hmm? You know our mother?” Melody asked, slightly distracted, one hand on the rosin the other on her bow.

“Of course. She comes here regularly.”

“Sorry I haven’t told you earlier. I guess it didn’t cross my mind that you two might want to play…” Lily said gently. Melody shrugged and returned her attention to applying the rosin. She knew now, that was what mattered. “Well… Where’s my favorite instrument, gentlemen?”

“Aah. I put it away just a few minutes ago… It’s here.” Comitatus pulled a huge case out of one massive cupboard. Melody knew from the shape it was a cello. Together, all five of them prepared to play. Nicholas’ talent was his voice, so he agreed to sing for them. Comitatus took his seat at the piano, plinking a simple tune while they all got ready.

They played happily, all five of them singing and laughing and playing tunes they all knew until Melody’s fingers began to burn with the constant motion along the metallic strings and Nicholas began to grow hoarse. It felt like she was truly back in that moment, finally in her element. She had her music, she had her family, and she had new friends… Life was good.

-----------

The first wave of injured soldiers returned three weeks after they had been deployed. As soon as Melody heard about it, she rushed to the clinic and arrived just as the first wave hit. She was wrapped up from then on out. She assisted in surgeries, handled stitching, cleaning, and prepping. In one emergency situation, she even handled an amputation… That had been a grisly affair. But the other nurses and doctors complimented her on her touch, on her tireless work. It wasn’t as bad as the last time, outside the city, when she didn’t have many supplies and there were too few workers.

Not to say there wasn’t work to be done… She could assist day and night, and it seemed there would be no end to it. The week passed in a haze. She’d work sixteen hours straight, grabbed maybe two or three hours of rest, and then get back on it. The lines between night and day blurred. Secretly, she hoped she didn’t have to see Connor… This was another area Melody felt like she was in her element. She became accustomed to blood and pain, and developed skills both with magic and her hands to help the wounded… Some reports wafted by her ears. In that way, she became privy to information most others were not.

“Rumors of harpy raids in the southern lines. Tattered remnants of what happened at Nest. They’re mistaken, they think it was we avian who demolished their home…” Melody shared with Verse on an off day. A rare occurrence. The tide had eventually stemmed, and while there were wounded to tend to, she needed to pace herself. The short lunch with Verse was her break.

“That’s odd… You’d figure they would know it was their own foolishness that wrecked Nest… I’ll even shoulder the blame myself, if they’d listen to me for two seconds before gutting me…” He muttered grumpily. Melody continued solemnly.

“That, coupled with the skirmishes on the Hearth border, they’re just beginning to pile up… But it seems like all of this is taking place in the southern area…”

“You’re worried about Connor.” Verse said gently.

“I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t.” She admitted. In that week, Verse had broken up with Sam, so he wasn’t feeling too great either.

“I’m sure he’s fine… Can’t you ask around? See if someone knows him?” Melody shrugged at the suggestion. She could, if she really wanted to… But did she want to know? Did she want to risk the possibility of finding out he had died, or was wounded, or was perfectly okay? Was it better to remain blissfully ignorant? She mulled it over and sipped at her tea.

“I need to get back.” She said softly, finishing her cup.

“Good luck, Melody. You should sleep sometime soon.” She nodded and wiped a hand over her face. Her eyes constantly felt scratchy, and she wondered if she’d ever get the red tinge of blood stains out of her hands.

“I will. Tell Lily and Twilight I love them. How’s the training going?” She asked, kind of as an afterthought.

“Good. It’s not that hard, once you’ve… You know… Been there.” He said gently. Melody smiled warmly and slipped away. She would have time to train how to shift into Connor when she wasn’t worried he’d end up on her operating table one of these days.

The injuries finally stopped coming. It seemed the approaching early-fall snows were slowing things down up north, and one overnight freeze had made travelling some ill-mentioned pass difficult. Not to mention the high winds. The medics had time to catch up with the wounded, some of whom had been neglected. Melody helped as much as she could, and was soon six hours into another night without even noticing it had passed two in the morning.

“Melody,” one of the doctors said gently to her. “You need some rest. I know you can help stocking when you’re tired, but please. For your own sake. Get some sleep.” He pleaded, laying a hand on her shoulder. She sighed and slipped another roll of bandages back in it’s place with a slight nod.

“Alright, doc… I’ll go get some sleep. Need me back tomorrow?”

“We’re wrapping up here. And it is tomorrow. Go get some sleep, Melody. If you feel the need to return, I’m sure we’ll have something for you to do. Though there are a few other nurses who will be glad you’re gone so they can have something to do for themselves.” He chuckled, making Melody smile. She pulled her apron and nurse’s blouse off, dropping them in one of the many soiled/bloody linens bags before stepping out of the stinking clinic and into the night air. None of the patrols accosted her as she flew to her balcony, deciding a long bath was in order.

Afterwards, she nibbled on some fruit before curling up under her blankets and passing out. As she had been doing the past few days and nights, she dreamt of the blood, the wounds, the death, but it wasn’t a restless sleep… She awoke well into the day, feeling surprisingly refreshed despite the pain and agony she had seen. She didn’t even bother with her hair, just pulled it back into a loose ponytail and dressed simply. She felt the need to discover something… Gently, she knocked on the door to Dash’s office.

“Enter.” The voice said gruffly. She did so, smiling a little when Dash looked up at her. “Melody. What brings you around?” She asked. She appeared to be alone, going over some document or another. Her desk was cluttered with maps, folders, reports, and correspondences…

“I… Honestly, I wanted to ask about Connor.” She said quietly, hoping she wasn’t disturbing Dash.

“Hmm… I think I can help you. Hang on a tick…” Dash shuffled through the papers for a minute, checking on document against another before turning to a filing cabinet behind her. Shuffling through it for a moment, she pulled out a file near the back. “Here we go… Forty-eighth scouting unit, dispatched to the twelve-hundred seventy-seventh block, section Alpha-seven-niner… Last report was from five days ago. They are doing well, no casualties or hardships to report. Supplies are good, spirits are well… They reported an anomaly, though… Says here there’s a cave or a ruin of some sort. They’re proceeding with caution in scouting it out. Night operations, full stealth gear.” Rainbow Dash looked up at Melody’s quizzical expression. “They found something odd, and they’re investigating. Very carefully.” She explained, waving the paper. “Oh, and from two weeks ago… Connor Hearthfire was promoted to Platoon Sergeant. He’s in charge of that unit now.” She felt relief, happiness, and a bit of concern all at once… As of five days ago, he was safe… But something about this ruin, or this cave, or whatever it was… Didn’t sit right with her… She gnawed on her lip, thinking about it.

“Is there anything else?”

“Hmm… Nothing. A minor injury report of some frostbite, but that’s it.”

“Frostbite? Our gear is fur-based… And it’s the summer months still. They shouldn’t be suffering frostbite if they’re careful.” Melody frowned a little. “Who was it?”

“Eer…” Dash flipped a page, looking further along the report. “It’s… Someone named Sergeant Barris. Hang on… Says here they couldn’t remedy the situation… ‘Amputation recommended, subject shows recovery afterwards. Two fingers lost, returned to duty in 4 days.’ Sounds odd…”

“Frostbite is curable… Connor should know, he’s from Stalliongrad. He’s of northern blood, he’s seen it before. There’s something fishy about that report.” Melody felt her sense of dread grow as Dash continued the report. Connor was safe, she knew he would be, but that frostbite… No, something seemed off about it… “Dash, I need to-“

“You know I can’t let you, Melody.” Dash cut her off. “Not without going through the proper channels. Don’t get me wrong, I think you can handle yourself out there. But you know Twi would cut me to pieces if she found out I let you go without her consent. Not to mention, I have my own orders from Celestia to keep you safe. If you go, and I do mean if, it will be with a lot of protection, and only with your mother’s permission. Go speak with them first, then come back to me.” She said. This was no longer her ‘auntie Dash,’ who had delivered supplies and gifts to them year in and year out whenever she could find the time… This was Commander Rainbow Dash. And her word was law. Melody knew she wouldn’t get away with it if she went against this woman’s words. But she didn’t have to be pleased about it.

“Fine.” She huffed, leaving the office with a door slam. Not like Dash would understand how she felt… Noth wasn’t out there on the frontlines, risking HIS life against cold and chimeras and harpies… She stomped off to find Lily, to explain the situation. She HAD to go North… Not just for Connor, she told herself. But there was something fishy about that frostbite report, and that ruin… Or cave… Or whatever. She felt compelled to investigate.

----------

“You’re putting me in a spot here, Twilight…” Dash said with a sigh.

“Why? I think she’s fit to go.”

“Yeah, but not BOTH of them… Let alone with Lily. I can’t guarantee three people’s safety against the cold and anything that might happen.” The meeting was taking place the next day, after Melody had had a long talk with Twilight, Lily, and Verse. Twilight and Lily were unimpressed. Dash wiped a hand across her face with a sigh. “Alright, let’s level here, then… Let me send an advance unit out to check on them. If they return and say all is well, would that satisfy your curiosity.”

No. “Yes,” Melody huffed, despite her thought. “But what if everything is NOT well? What then?”

“Then, I’ll have had a week to assemble a team large enough to protect three civilians on their way to investigate. Admittedly, I’m interested in what’s going on myself. I’ll agree with Melody in that there’s something fishy about this report.” She flicked the folder with the report in it, looking over all of them. “Lily, you’re awfully quiet. Anything you want to add?” Her mother had been leaning against the far wall, her arms crossed and her expression dark.

“I think…” She paused, trying to gather her thoughts. “I think Melody and Verse can hold their own. Melody’s been working tirelessly in the clinics since the first wave arrived. She knows more about medicine than some of your doctors and nurses by now.” Exaggerated as the statement was, it wasn’t completely untrue. Some of the nurses had been drafted civilians, who helped clean and stock and organize. Some of them were volunteers. Just under half of them had never seen exposed brain tissue. Melody herself was in the former… That had been a dark night. “And I can vouch for Verse personally.” She continued. “I’ve been continuing his lessons while Melody works. He’s an accomplished shifter, and one of the most talented Magi I’ve personally ever seen… Twilight will back me up on that.”

“Both of them are,” Twilight said. She was, undoubtedly, the authority on magic. Dash couldn’t easily ignore her words. “They can probably keep up with some of your battle magi. Dare I say Verse can put their firestorm spells to shame. Melody’s pretty quick with her own spells, as well. Trust me, Dash. They won’t be a liability. And neither will Lily. Personally, I give them my full support.” Again, Dash couldn’t ignore the words of a goddess. Or her friend.

“Fine. But I can’t send you out right away. The advance team will take five days to fly there and back. The weather’s cleared up and the flight should be easy. Five days to get word. Five days to build a unit large enough to escort you all safely. Give me at least that much.” Dash tapped the desk, pleading with them. Melody wasn’t satisfied, and would insist on going no matter what the advance unit said, but she nodded her head.

“Fine. I’ll agree.” She said. Verse mirrored her, and Lily chimed in last. Dash looked to Twilight.

“Anything to add? Are you going with?” Twilight shrugged and shook her head.

“I’m better off here. Books and research and whatnot… Plus, I’m still coping with some changes of my own. No. I’m in no shape to attend this little... Expedition.” She said gently. “Besides... I’ll be focusing on what happens in the North anyways. Just in case.”

“Well... Alright then. I’ll send the advance team out immediately.” Dash sighed and turned to a map spread out on the wall behind her, looking at all of the small, glowing pinpoints of light. They were troops and bases and fortifications, all of them spread out over a detailed map of the Hearth/Featherhome border.

“Alright. Noth?”

“Yes, Commander?”

“Send the eighty-eighth cavalry unit. I hear Stormcloud is a fast flyer. Have him gather his four best and check in on map sector twelve-hundred seventy-seven, section alpha-seven-niner. Their CT is Platoon Sergeant Hearthfire.”

“Yes, ma’am.” He saluted and slipped away. Melody took a moment to note that outside of the bedroom, she and Noth were very professional... Still, she was irked at the loops they had to jump through just to investigate a claim... It’s not like they were going into changeling territory, and the skirmishes on this side of the border were just that. Skirmishes. The scouting party she was sending out would have been enough to protect them... She sighed and tromped off, going to her room to sleep out the wait...

No one checked in for two weeks.

It was on the fifteenth day of worrying herself sick that Melody decided to take action upon herself. She and Verse had a little meeting...

“You’ve felt it, too, right?”

“I have...” He affirmed, nodding slightly. “Like... I don’t know, something just bugs me... It doesn’t add up. Dash said it would only take five days, and they’ve been gone two weeks. No, you’re right. We need to take matters into our own hands. Gale and Hurricane’s clothes will keep us warm in the snows, and we’ll take it slow going up there. Go get changed.”

“Dammit I love you, brother.” Melody laughed and threw her arms around him. To her parents and Dash, she was running off to join Connor. She was a lovesick teen who needed to be with the man she thought she loved. But to Melody... She was investigating a serious, nagging doubt in her mind. Rumors of a frostbite and some vague ruin or a cave should not be this unsettling. Just as she and Verse met in the hall, though, Dash came around the corner.

“You two.” She pointed at them. Verse and Melody shared a look. She was blocking their exit... But they could nip into Melody’s room, dive off the balcony. “Don’t you dare run. I’ll haul you back like I did last time.” She said. This wasn’t ‘Auntie Dash’ right now. This was the Commander, and she was dead serious. “Come on. Lily and Twilight have already been informed.”

“Informed?” Melody asked, her tone somewhat shaky. “Of what?” Dash swept past them, heading towards her office. “Dash, what’s happening?” She kept walking... “DASH.” The avian stopped, her shoulders sagging in that moment.

“The scouting party returned... What’s left of them.” Melody’s eyes went wide. “Scouting unit Forty-Eight is MIA.”