---------- Melody’s Tale : Lies -----------

The hole in her arm bothered her more than Melody cared to admit. She couldn’t shift the hole away, like she could other parts of her body, and she knew trying to cover it would raise some eyebrows, either from people who saw whatever means she had used to cover it, or from Twilight if she cast a spell to conceal it. It was when Melody was puzzling over the hole that a soft knock came from her door. Starting a little, Melody pulled her robe back up her bare form. “Come in,” She called, knotting the front. Much to her surprise, Princess Luna stepped through the door into her cozy little quarters.

“Good morning, Melody.” Luna seemed cheerful. She had a slight bounce to her step, and Melody couldn’t help but appreciate the lunar princess’ ravishing figure. It seemed the stresses of war had done little to diminish her beauty. If anything at all. Melody forced a smile onto her face.

“Good morning, Princess Luna.”

“We haven’t been officially introduced yet.” Luna cut right to the chase, even as she crossed the carpet with her arms open. “It’s a pleasure to finally meet Twilight’s daughter face-to-face.” Much to Melody’s surprise, Luna wrapped her in a tender embrace. Melody subconsciously returned it, smiling as Luna pulled her close. The princess’ hair smelled soothing, and she found her worries slowly melting away in the gentle hug. When Luna pulled away, Melody didn’t have to fake her smile.

“I’m honored, princess.” Melody beamed up at Luna, feeling much more relaxed in her presence. “I thought you would be too busy with other duties to come and speak with me. Either of us, to be honest.”

“Oh I’ve already visited Verse this morning,” Luna waved her off with a smile. “We had a wonderful chat about your journey. But I’d love to hear the story told from your perspective. Come,” Luna lowered herself onto the edge of Melody’s bed, patting the space next to her. “If it’s not too painful, that is.”

“No, not at all…” It honestly was, but Melody wasn’t about to betray her emotions. Call it stubbornness or idiocy, Melody didn’t feel comfortable exposing her feelings to much of anyone, save maybe Verse or her mothers. Still, as she sat on the bed next to Luna, she found herself sharing more and more about their journey than she had previously. They spent the entire morning talking, though Melody did most of it. Some point around ten in the morning, Melody found herself leaning back against Luna as the princess ran a brush through her hair, sharing the most intimate details about her relationship with Faith. How or when it had happened was a mystery to her, yet here she was, gossiping with the lunar princess about some of the most nonsensical things.

She almost forgot the entire reason they were even in Canterlot. A ghost of a frown crossed her face as she sat up a little more straight. Almost as if she had expected it, Luna laid a hand on her shoulder. “Hungry?”

“Yes, actually.” Melody was thankful for the distraction.

“Come, we can finish your story some other time. Get dressed and I’ll show you the way to the dining hall.” Luna excused herself promptly, leaving Melody behind to pull on some clothes. She wore the boots given to her by Hurricane, but the sleeveless tunic would do little to help with her arm. She settled instead for an airy, long-sleeved blouse and short-cut capris. In the hot spring day, she wouldn’t appear any more out of the ordinary than another Canterlite. She just had to make extra sure the left sleeve of her blouse didn’t ride up any higher than her elbow. That was going to be a challenge. Still, as she joined Luna outside of her quarters, Melody had another smile on her face. Whatever it was about the princess, she possessed the same quality that Verse did. She seemed to make Melody smile, even when she didn’t want to.

They joined everyone else in a massive banquet hall for breakfast. The tables were packed full of high-ranking military officials. Her time at Eyriewatch had familiarized Melody with Equestria’s military system, and she noted that everyone present was an officer. The lowest among them was a gold-leaf Major. But aside from the bland military uniforms everyone wore, she spotted Twilight’s vibrant purple hair, and Lily’s fiery red curls, seated near the head table. Luna made a beeline through the chatting soldiers, stopping for a brief moment to share a warm smile with a two-star general. Soon enough, Melody was seated with her family, and a new addition.

“Dash! When did you make it?!” Melody had to go and hug her surrogate aunt. Rainbow Dash laughed and ruffled her hair playfully.

“Noth and I made it in just two hours ago. We flew all through the night to make it here.” The commander-general’s wings were still as radiant as ever, though Melody had to note that seated next to Celestia as she was, Rainbow Dash had a very muted glow. Even as she watched, a single feather darkened and fell off of Rainbow Dash’s wings, floating to the ground where it dissolved into ash.

“You really shouldn’t push yourself. How can you fly when your feathers come and go like that?” Melody asked, slipping into a space between Twilight and Rainbow Dash.

“It’s tricky, but you kind of learn to replace aerodynamics with power. These wings are a lot stronger than my old ones. I make up for technique with energy.”

“And plenty of it,” Noth scoffed, just opposite Rainbow Dash from Melody. She glanced at the changeling Lieutenant with a smirk. The poor guy looked haggard. He was nursing a steaming cup of coffee, and looked ready for some rest. Keeping pace with Rainbow Dash was a taxing experience, she was certain.

“You’ve seen better days.” Melody shot Noth a teasing quip.

“Oh, shove off.” He mumbled, sipping his coffee. Dash laughed and nudged him playfully before turning back to Melody.

“Do you really mean to revive all of the elements of harmony?” She asked, leaning in a little closer. Melody couldn’t miss both Luna and Celestia’s gaze as they settled on her. Thankfully, Verse was seated on the opposite side of the table. They shared a soft look before Verse interjected.

“We discovered something while working with Judicia, and Discord just yesterday. If any gods are linked in any way, we just might be able to revive them simultaneously.” He began pulling salt and pepper shakers towards them, arranging them in a pattern for visualization. Everyone seated at their table hushed as he began the explanation. “Utilizing the same magic that Twilight discovered long ago, we essentially force everyone into the plane where Melody and I work our magic. Twilight and the other bearers of harmony know what I’m talking about.”

“It’s true,” Lily chimed in. “It varies from person to person, but we all know the basis for interaction between all of us is a plain, white plain.”

“That’s the place.” Verse smiled and continued his explanation. “The only reason it doesn’t work is, unlike the link itself, the magic of rejuvenation requires the subjects to be close at-hand. If we could, we would have revived all six elements of harmony the same day we revived Twilight.” A dark look crossed his face, mirrored by Melody. That had been a dark and sad day. The day Eyriewatch had burned. Verse continued.

“We discovered this for certain with Judicia. It was during her revival that we first saw Discord, albeit in his human form. And we discovered something else as well. If any gods are linked, reviving them far apart from their counterparts is not only uncomfortable, but painful as well. This is why we struggled so much with reviving people like Fluttershy. The only other element nearby was Lily, and we were unconscious for almost three days. When we brought Twilight back, the only other nearby elements were Rainbow Dash and Lily, and it exhausted us mentally and physically. Reviving Gale and Hurricane was difficult, not because the two were far apart from each other, but because we were far apart from them.” Verse gestured to the salt and pepper shakers on the table before him.

“The closer all six elements are to one another, the easier we have a time reviving them. This is the same for any gods who share a link. Take for instance, Princess Celestia and Princess Luna. If the two of you were dormant, it would hurt both us and yourselves the further you two are apart. If you were right next to one another, it’s almost instantaneous. And very easy to accomplish. The same if a god were independent, such as the god of shadow, or the wendigo we restored in Hearth. It’s much easier for us to accomplish these things the more independent, or the closer a god is.” Verse finished his explanation, much to the satisfaction of everyone gathered. Melody leaned in to finish his point off.

“This is why we called the other elements here. If all six of them are gathered in one area, we should be able to revive three at a time, without straining ourselves as much as we have in the past. We didn’t want to impose on Rainbow Dash or Fluttershy, so we figured having four in one place would be easy enough. That you managed to make it from Eyriewatch is extremely beneficial to us.” Melody laid a hand on Rainbow Dash’s arm with a warm, if fake, smile. “And with Fluttershy coming as well, we can handle this in as little as an afternoon.”

“Three gods in one afternoon?” Twilight asked, her brow furrowed. “That’s incredible.” Twilight, or more accurately; Ephemira- had much knowledge about magic and its workings. But the magic of reviving gods was known almost exclusively to Melody and Verse. In this, they were the authority. Not her. Even Celestia and Luna would have to acquiesce to their wishes. As if on cue, Celestia stood from the table.

“Forgive me, I have some business to attend to. There are some promotions to be made among the ranks of my officers.” That perked Rainbow Dash’s attention.

“What’s up?” She stood with Celestia, her wings ruffling slightly. Two more feathers turned to ash at the motion. Celestia cast a quick frown at the company gathered at the table before speaking quietly.

“A few short months ago, during Melody and Verse’s absence, we lost five generals in one night. No one knows how or why, but they passed mid-day, in plain view of credible witnesses. We have no proof, but I swear it was the working of Chrysalis.”

“Who passed?” Rainbow Dash’s face looked serious, and she seemed intent on following Celestia. Being the goddess of loyalty and the commander of Eyriewatch, she was privy to certain military intelligence.

“Let’s discuss this somewhere privately,” Celestia indicated with a tilt of her head. Both Noth and Rainbow Dash excused themselves from the table, leaving Lily, Twilight, Melody, and Verse alone. As she watched, more high-ranking officers excused themselves as well, until the banquet hall was all but empty. The buzz of conversation died down, until Melody and her family were only able to talk with hushed tones.

“I’m so glad you’re back.” Twilight nudged Melody’s side gently. Melody offered a quick smile and a kiss to her mother’s cheek. “You had us so worried when you left. But I knew I could trust you two.” Those words sent a spike of pain through her, but Melody didn’t show it. That, along with the obvious stress the five general’s losses; the generals she had killed - was weighing heavily on her mind. “We ought to do something together, to celebrate. Oh, there’s so much around Canterlot I want to show you. The library escaped a lot of the damage, Melody, we should go.”

“I kind of want to show them all the parks, and maybe take them to Maggie’s.” Lily chimed in with a measured smile. Both Verse and Melody shared a look before putting in their two cents.

“We actually were hoping to volunteer with the restoration.” Verse admitted quietly. “We know a lot of the monuments have been restored, but there are still a lot of homes and other businesses that need repair. Two talented magi would be a welcome help out in the city.”

“And there’s a lot on our plates right now as it is. I’d rather stay busy, to keep my mind of other things. Like the war.” ’Like our betrayal.’ Melody added in her head. “If we went to the library, I honestly doubt I’d be able to enjoy it.”

“Oh. Okay.” Twilight seemed to wilt, but Melody didn’t miss the quick smile Lily let play across her lips. She mirrored it with one of her own. “I suppose it’s for the best…” Twilight continued. “Ephemira has so much knowledge. I’ve been working closely with Celestia and Luna the past few months, restoring old books and making new ones. It’s probably best I stay here and continue my work.”

“There’s a lot of things for me to catch up on, too,” Lily leaned back with a groan. “So many new books to read, and there are a few of my old friends in and around Canterlot. I’ve been visiting with them the past few days.” Twilight and Lily stood, their breakfast having been completed long ago. Melody stopped Twilight with a touch.

“Who would we talk to about volunteering?” She asked.

“Speak with Lieutenant-General Mathias. His office is just inside the entry, and he coordinates the restoration effort. He’ll get you squared away.” Twilight smiled and laid her hands on Melody’s shoulders. “I’m so proud of you two. Words cannot describe.”

“Thanks, mom.” Melody leaned her head into Twilight’s soft hug, fighting off tears. One slipped free, but she managed to wipe it off with the hem of her blouse. Melody gave her another hug and a kiss on the top of her head before the two padded off together. Melody and Verse were suddenly alone at the table, both of them looking dejectedly into their bowls of oatmeal.

They didn’t speak, but both of them knew it. Their betrayal was imminent. It was only a matter of time before Canterlot as everyone knew it would be shattered.

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

Lieutenant-General Mathias was a soft-spoken man, but shrewd and calculating. He asked Melody and Verse an extensive series of questions regarding their skills and abilities before ultimately assigning them to a volunteer unit. Before noon, both of them were climbing into the back of a transport truck alongside twelve other volunteers, most of them soldiers. The truck rumbled down the roads, heading south towards the edge of the city. Up north, where the fighting had been the most intense, was already restored. The relief effort had been focused there originally, but now was swinging to the south of the city, where skirmishes and small prime fights had done the most damage. Melody and Verse spent the rest of the day using their magic to restore homes and small businesses in the residential areas of Canterlot.

Most of it consisted of heavy lifting. There were two other magi with them in the group of volunteers, and the rest were human. Together, the four magi would haul supplies from the transports to whatever building needed restoring while the humans did the mundane work like hammering out frames and supports. Only very rarely were Melody or Verse called upon to do anything specific, like cast one spell or another, or something that didn’t require heavy lifting. Not that Melody minded. The work was tiresome, mindless, and simple. She didn’t have much time to let her mind wander to darker thoughts.

They returned to the castle around eight at night, just in time to catch the last leg of supper. Only Noth joined them, the rest of their family mysteriously absent. Again, Melody didn’t mind. The less she saw of her family in the next two days, the better. She and Verse retired early, so they could join an earlier volunteer unit.

So it went for the next two days. The two of them woke promptly at five and were on the six-o-clock transport to the southern edge of the city. They worked straight through the day, sometimes not returning until as late as ten or eleven. They saw little and less of Celestia, Luna, or Twilight. Melody almost forgot about the hole in her arm, but remembered every morning when she showered and nearly dropped her soap through the damned thing.

Before she knew it, the day had come. She was woken with a gentle shake to her shoulder. Verse pressed a finger to her lips before she could say anything, keeping her silent. She blinked up at her brother deliriously for a few seconds before waking entirely. Nodding, she lifted herself from bed and began pulling her clothes on in the near-darkness. A full moon hung just outside of her window. It was very early morning, maybe four-o-clock. She and Verse had things to discuss before awakening the rest of the elements of harmony. Quiet as could be, Melody and Verse slipped into her bathroom, where she turned on both the shower and the sink faucet, to mask their hushed voices.

“The most troublesome one will be Applejack.” Verse frowned.

“That’s true. The element of honesty would probably be able to tell if we’re lying.”

“If Chrysalis holds up her end of the deal, we won’t have to be lying. And hopefully, they will leave immediately. As soon as they’re gone, we act.”

“Agreed.” Melody sighed and rubbed the bridge of her nose. The day had hardly begun, and already she was developing a vicious headache. “Are you sure we’re doing the right thing today, Verse? I just… I just don’t know.”

“Hey,” Verse lifted her chin gently, drawing her eyes up to his. “We’ve come this far. We can’t turn back now.”

“Right.” Melody swallowed hard and wiped a hand across her eyes. In doing so, the sleeve of her blouse slipped up past her elbow. Verse froze, his eyes riveted on the hole she had in her arm. With a blush, Melody fought to cover it up, but was stopped as Verse smiled.

“You too, huh?” Slowly, almost sadly, Verse pulled the hem of his jeans up, revealing a small quarter-sized hole in his calf. Melody could see straight through to the other side, and the floor of the tile beneath them.

“When did yours show up?”

“The day after we arrived here. You?”

“That night.” Melody confessed, blushing slightly. “What do you think it means?”

“I honestly don’t know,” Verse sighed, straightening the cuff of his jeans to cover the hole. “It could be that Chrysalis is losing her sway, or… Well, I don’t think it’s that…”

“That we’re becoming more and more like changelings?” Melody whispered the question. The vein in Verse’s neck pulsed as he swallowed.

“Yeah. That.”

They were silent for a long while after that. Idly, Melody turned the water off in her bathroom. Verse quietly left her room, going to the balcony where he flapped back up to his own quarters. There, they stayed until the moon sunk below the horizon and the sun rose over the eastern plains. Melody left her room at five thirty, going to the banquet hall to eat breakfast. Twilight was already there, alongside Luna and Celestia. Lily, Noth, and Rainbow Dash were nowhere to be seen. Melody forced a smile onto her face as she sat beside Luna.

“Good morning.” She bubbled, pulling a bowl of oatmeal towards herself.

“Good morning to you. Both of you.” Celestia beamed over her cup of coffee, and Twilight kissed Verse’s cheek as he took a seat next to her. “You’ve been awfully busy the past few days.”

“We just want to help out,” Melody shrugged, dumping a small spoon of sugar into her breakfast. “And it keeps us busy. I can’t stand being idle for too long.”

“You’d never have guessed it, given all the naps you took back home.” Twilight teased, nudging Melody’s foot under the table. She got a glare in return, making everyone at the table chuckle. Luna drew her attention with a soft touch to her shoulder.

“Are you ready?” Her low question nevertheless drew the attention of everyone at the table. For what seemed like the thousandth time in the past week, she and Verse shared a solemn look.

“We’re anxious. Nervous. This will be the first time we’ve revived multiple gods at once. And it might just be the last. I think we’re allowed that much.”

“That much and more,” Celestia said softly. “I know this may seem like a hollow deal, but the service the two of you have done Equestria, and indeed, the entire world, should not go without reward.” She set her coffee down, leaning towards the two of them with a solemn look on her face. “Ask anything of me, and you would have it. Land, money, knowledge. Anything within my power, I’d gladly grant it to you.”

“Honestly,” Verse sighed. “We just want to go home. But that isn’t going to happen for a long while. We know you feel like you owe us a lot, Celestia, and we’re sorry for that. But we can’t accept any payment for this. And if we did, the only thing we’d ask would be a swift journey southwards. We seek peace. Not influence or money.” His answer seemed to wilt Celestia. Both princesses frowned and shared a look before nodding.

“When you’ve completed your task, we’ll do what we can to see you safely home.” Luna promised them, laying a hand over her heart. Melody knew that, under different circumstances, she might have had the presence of mind to ask for some ancient and powerful knowledge, or maybe a home closer to Eyriewatch or somewhere else. She could have asked for enough money to see her and maybe even her children, should she choose to have any, set for their entire lives and then some. Instead, she dipped her head to Verse’s humble request, thankful that Celestia would give them that much.

“Good morning.” Lily and Rainbow Dash joined the table quietly, both of them looking surprisingly somber. Even Twilight seemed to share their expression. Melody almost asked them what seemed to be the issue, but all three of them cracked a smile simultaneously. Twilight spoke first.

“They’re here.”

Despite herself, Melody couldn’t help but smile at the prospect of seeing Applejack and Pinkie Pie once more.

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

The meeting was a moderately sober affair. Applejack had seen better days, and even Pinkie Pie was absent her usual laughter. Life in Appleoosa, it seemed, was much more difficult than either of them had previously let on. Still, Melody smiled as she greeted them all. It wasn’t until another arrival that all of them got around to business.

“Why hello there, Judicia.” Celestia greeted two more people who had seemingly appeared from nowhere. “Discord. Always a pleasure.”

“Celestia. Charmed.” Discord, in his human form, bowed low to the solar princess with a wicked smile. Judicia, however, remained silent. Where Discord was flambouyant and well-dressed, Judicia was the opposite. She wore a moderate white blouse and a simple brown skirt that fell to her ankles. She might have been Celestia’s twin, were it not for her narrow, hawk-like expression and raven-black hair. Still, she was tall, well-proportioned, and stern. She struck an intimidating figure, as she and Celestia shared a simple embrace.

“It’s been too long, aunt.” Judicia greeted Celestia and Luna with her traditional scowl.

“Judicia. My, how long has it been?” Luna embraced the goddess of order gingerly.

“Three thousand eighteen years, four months, eighteen days, and forty-seven seconds.” Judicia promptly replied. “Less so for my brother.”

“A paltry twenty-eight years, I’m afraid.” Discord shrugged nonchalantly. “I didn’t count the seconds.”

“What brings you two to Canterlot?” Celestia’s question was customary, but she delivered it with a guarded tone. Judicia and Discord shared a look before answering.

“Dark tidings, I’m afraid. And none of my doing, either. First things first, though.” Discord turned his fiery red eyes on Melody, Verse, and the wielders of harmony. “We need to restore the elements of harmony to their rightful place. Go on, ladies. Oh, and Verse. Get to it.” He waved his hands at them, almost like he were shooing a dog away. Melody narrowed her eyes at the incomprehensible man before turning to her family, and the other four wielders of harmony.

“Fluttershy, Rainbow Dash, Twilight, we need you at even intervals between the other three. Pinkie Pie, stand here.” Melody indicated the spot to her left, while Verse directed Applejack to stand opposite Rainbow Dash from her. Twilight joined hands with Applejack, and Lily took hers. Fluttershy bridged the gap between Lily and Pinkie Pie. Soon enough, the six wielders of harmony stood in a circle, their hands clasped, with Melody and Verse in the middle. Judicia, Discord, Celestia, and Luna stood by, watching with interested looks at what was about to transpire.

In the moments before she and Verse began, Lily realized something. This was the largest congregation of gods that the world had seen in well over a thousand years, probably even much longer. There were seven present, and before they were done, there would be ten.

Somehow, that wasn’t very comforting to Melody.

-----------

“I seriously hope they find it in their hearts to forgive us.” Melody said quietly. She and Verse had been standing back-to-back on the stark white surface for what felt like an eternity. And yet, no one had shown themselves. The two of them were alone. They didn’t grow tired or fatigued, but there was no real way to tell time in this place. It could have been five minutes or five centuries they had been standing there.

“Applejack might hold it against us. She hates liars.”

“I get the feeling none of them are too fond of murderers, either.” Melody’s mind went back to the Mord, and the five souls he had reaped at her behest.

“There’ll be a lot of static from Pinkie Pie as well.” Verse mused. “We’re about to make a lot of people frown.”

“Ooh, I wonder how Rainbow Dash will feel about this betrayal.” Melody’s frown intensified, if such a thing were possible.

“Lily might just forgive us. She might just see how we’re giving everyone their lives, rather than taking them.”

“I still think we’re being awfully selfish. Oh, and Fluttershy will most definitely dislike us after this.”

“Given the alternative?” Verse scoffed. “We’re doing the whole world a kindness.”

“Maybe.” Still, Melody sighed. Her actions weighed heavily on her mind. “Where are they?”

“Might be that they haven’t shown yet because they’re all so close.” She could feel Verse cross his arms and start tapping his foot. Despite the long wait they had endured already, Melody felt herself growing impatient. How long until they showed? How much longer would they have to wait?

It could have been a millennia before it happened. All at once, the six women flashed into existence, naked as the day they were born. Twilight and Rainbow Dash landed with grace, but the other four fell to their asses.

“Ow, ow, ow,” Fluttershy whimpered. “It’s never like that normally…”

“What, when you go into the link?” Melody offered a hand to the busty avian with a smile. “It’s a different creature altogether.” Fluttershy raised to her feet, still rubbing her sore rear. Lily, Applejack, and Pinkie Pie looked around them with wonder.

“This is familiar.” Lily said quietly, noting the landscape.

“It’s the place we came when we conceived these two.” Twilight chuckled, gesturing to Verse and Lily. “You remember, after that one night?”

“I remember now.” Lily smiled at Melody and Verse. “That seems like forever ago.”

“It was b’fore the war.” Applejack chimed in. None of them seemed conscious of the fact they were nude. Melody was rather thankful for that. The last thing she needed right now was dirty thoughts about her extended family. Instead, she focused on the task at-hand.

“Let’s begin, shall we?” Together, she and Verse pulled Pinkie Pie, Applejack, and Lily away from the rest of the group. Not very far, just about five feet. Then the five of them joined hands. Melody and Verse shared one last look. They had spoken about this before. This was the only part they didn’t know about.

’Would Applejack be able to see through their lie?’

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

“That was awfully quick.” Celestia’s tone drew Melody out of her slight funk. She blinked a few times, but other than a slight ache in her back, she didn’t feel very tired. Not like she did when coming out of her revival of Fluttershy. “Good work, you two. Look.” Verse and Melody were still holding hands, but all around them, a brilliant light was glowing. Through all six women, a rainbow of light joined them together. Six beautiful hues lit the day with a light that was both calming and reassuring to see. Melody knew then; these were the elements of harmony. Six goddesses, each of them an embodiment of the power they held. Kindness, Generosity, Laughter, Honesty, Loyalty, and Magic. Together with Order and Chaos, these seven powers were the key to restoring Equestria, and indeed the entire world, to peace. They all stood in awe of the power for a short while, basking in their accomplishment.

Even with the dark reasons they had cooked up to bring them all together, Melody still felt proud of her accomplishment. Some small, infinitesimal part of herself still found it hard to believe all they had done. Reviving gods, leaving their home, seeing dragons and wendigos and roc and all sorts of mysterious, terrifying things… They had seen good, too, of course. Melody had seen kindness and love, had shared in the wonders of sex and companionship. She had a loving family and a wonderful brother.

But these things did little to lighten her heart. Discord stepped forward, clapping slowly. “Beautiful work, you two. Almost as good as you did bringing me back.” His devious grin made Melody shudder. Even though she knew he was the only one here who even remotely agreed with her plan. His smile faded, though, replaced by an uncharacteristic frown. “But as I said, Judicia and I come with dark tidings. Tell me, dear auntie, when was the last time you received a report from Southbay?”

Melody could tell by the look on Celestia’ face. She immediately tensed, glancing between Judicia and Discord. “What is happening in Southbay? What ‘tiding’ is this?”

“Show her, sister.” Discord crossed his arms, still frowning. Judicia sighed and pulled a pair of glasses from a pocket of her skirt. When she put them on, a square of light appeared before her. In that square, Melody could see it.

Fires.

“Chrysalis has made her move. Southbay is being attacked as we speak.” Judicia showed all of them, swinging the square of light around to show the coastal city, wreathed in flame and writhing masses of black changelings.

“This is chaos,” Discord said quietly. “But it isn’t mine. And together with my sister, even this much chaos threatens to upset the balance.” He turned back towards the eight people, still wreathed in the beautiful rainbow of light. “She and I are the balance in this world. And together with balance comes harmony. Ladies, as much as I hate to say it, we need to work together.” He opened his arms, indicating the eight of them. Everyone except Celestia, Luna, Melody, and Verse. “We need to leave for Southbay with the bulk of Equestria’s army immediately. Like, right now.” There was a pause after he spoke. His hands curled into fists, and he stomped the ground.

”NOW!” That snapped them into action. Everyone started talking at once, jostling and scrambling. In the chaos, Melody and Verse managed to slip away from the six wielders of harmony and make their way to Luna and Celestia. Arguments and suggestions were being thrown left and right, while Judicia tried calmly to organize them all. In the end, they settled on a plan.

“I can teleport all of us at least a portion of the way there.” Twilight held her head high and proud. “With the other elements lending me power, I might be able to get us there all the way. Give me sixteen divisions, Celestia. I’ll save Southbay.”

“We’re all goin’ with her. Ain’t no way ah’m letting no changelin’ live after this.” Applejack nodded her approval. Dash was grinning excitedly.

“We’re all together again. You know we can do this, Princess.”

“Those poor people…” Fluttershy muttered, tears brimming in her eyes. “We have to go help them.”

“We can’t waste any more time,” Lily chimed in, her fiery hair matching her attitude.

“Agreed.” Judicia even added in. “The longer we wait, the more they suffer.”

“Very well.” Celestia raised her head above them all. “I’m assigning the fourth through twentieth divisions to your command, Rainbow Dash. You and the other elements of harmony, and the force of balance, are to make it to Southbay immediately. I’ll not have another Baltimare on our hands. Use any means necessary to save the city. Your priority is citizens and civilians. Now, GO!” She flung her hand out, and the eight of them took off immediately. Rainbow Dash flew into the air, gone to rally the divisions. The rest went to find a place large enough that Twilight could teleport them all to Southbay safely.

“You two,” Luna beckoned Melody and Verse. “Come with us.” She and Celestia stalked back towards the castle, with Melody and Verse in tow. The ascent took much longer than Melody had expected. They climbed staircase after staircase. She was glad the revival hadn’t taxed her as much as others, else she would have collapsed halfway through the hike. After about half an hour of tireless climbing, they arrived at their destination. The late-afternoon sun lit the whole of Canterlot with a brilliant, golden glow as the four of them emerged onto the Observatory balcony. Melody gasped at what she saw. A mass of soldiers, all of them glimmering in armor and weapons, complete with trucks of supplies and provisions, were massing in the largest park Canterlot had to offer. There were tens of thousands of them, and at the very center of the mass, a small circle of eight people. Even from here, Melody could see the rainbow of light connecting the elements of harmony.

“By the stars.” Verse whistled at the sight, leaning against the balcony rail.

“Did you know about Southbay?” Celestia asked immediately. Her tone set Melody on edge.

“No. We had no idea.” ’Of course we did, we planned it. Melody hoped her lie took.

“This is news to me. Chrysalis could have picked a better time to attack.” Verse made a show of pinching the bridge of his nose. “At least we’re prepared. The elements will save Southbay. You’ll see.” He finished with a smile, though. “If anyone can do it, it’d be those eight.”

“I can still hardly believe it.” Luna breathed, moving to stand beside Verse. “We’re trusting a city of three million people to the hands of the likes of Discord, a librarian, and a farmer.”

“They’re hardly just that.” Celestia joined her. “You know as well as I do Lily and Twilight alone are capable of feats the likes of which we haven’t seen in millennia. Look at them.” Celestia opened her hand towards the mass of people. “Forty years ago, they may have been naïve and foolish. Now, we have no choice but to put the fate of Southbay in their hands. Personally, I can only think of two people more suited for the task.” Celestia’s frown was gone as she turned to Melody and Verse.

“We owe you two so much,” She took both of their hands in hers. Bringing them together in a simple embrace, she smiled at both of them. “I know you say you just want to go home, and I can’t grant you that peace just yet, but please. Don’t hesitate to ask for anything.”

A jolting explosion made them all jump. Purple energy shot upwards into the sky, crackling as it went. The park was empty. Twilight, Lily, Rainbow Dash, Applejack, Pinkie Pie, Judicia, Discord, and all of the soldiers were gone. “She did it!” Luna cried, raising her arms triumphantly. “She’s gone to save Southbay! She teleported them all! Look, there’s hardly any damage!” Even Melody and Verse cheered with the princesses. The four of them shouted their encouragement from the balcony, whooping and hollering until the last flicker of energy had died away. Afterwards, both Luna and Celestia turned back to Melody and Verse.

“It’s all thanks to you two. Without you, Southbay would be lost.” Celestia threw her arms around Verse, while Luna rushed forward to hug Melody. “I honestly, truly, sincerely mean it. Ask, and we’ll give you anything you want.”

“Actually,” Melody sighed, looking over at Verse. Together, they reached for one another’s hands. “There is one thing we have to ask of you.”

“Name it, and it’s yours.” Celestia pulled her head up just as Verse wound his hand through Melody’s. Already, their power was humming in the air around them. Lily saw it then. There, in Celestia’s eyes. In one split second, it all became clear.

Fear.

Betrayal.

Treachery.

The lies.

Verse and Melody spoke as one.

”Go to sleep.”