------------- Melody’s Tale: Nightmare’s End -------------

The white background was familiar to her, and after seeing her mother ravaged the way she had been, Melody was almost thankful to be here. She didn’t stumble or even sway when the reality slammed into existence. Verse was with her, too. The two of them offered a warm smile to one another as they turned back-to-back.

“We did it, huh?” Verse asked quietly. His voice almost shocked Melody. The quiet in this place was absolute. Melody stilled her beating heart and managed a smile.

“Well I’d hope so. If not, we’re probably fucked.”

“True.” Verse sighed. “We have to make this work. If we don’t, well… I’d rather not think about the consequences.” They stayed like that for a while, standing back-to-back, watching the bleak white horizon. Of all the things they had done, Melody hated these parts the most. Anyone could arrive at any time, and probably do anything to them. She still didn’t know exactly how much power she and her brother retained in this world, but she knew it was a little. If Chrysalis arrived here, and she decided to attack them, they might not stand a chance. Then again, they might overpower her. Melody had never been here with a hostile being before. Verse might have, when he confronted the wendigo in the northern cavern, but they never really talked about that encounter. Melody had some pretty bad memories of that day herself.

The moments stretched on. Melody began to count in her head, slowly. She arrived at four thousand and twelve before anything happened.

“Whoa!”

“Hey!” Two changelings flashed into existence before them, both of them sprawled flat on the white ground. At first, Melody couldn’t tell the two of them apart. But one of them, the taller of the two, was missing her right arm. And judging from the look she was giving the other, Melody didn’t miss the connection. She ignored the one-armed changeling and approached the shorter one with a smile.

“Hello, mom.”

“Melody? Verse?” Lily stood up, swaying slightly. “Where are we? Wait… Wait, I recognize this…”

“It can’t be.” Chrysalis was on her feet as well, backing away from the three of them slowly. “Not this place.”

“Hmm?” Verse looked at her questioningly. “You know this place?”

“Only all too well…” Chrysalis swallowed hard, her eyes wide and fearful. “I… This is where I became Queen. Where me and my friends would… Used to…”

“Your friends?” It was Melody’s turn. She pulled away from her mother to advance on Chrysalis, frowning slightly. “What friends?”

“Other gods and goddesses…” Chrysalis continued to back away. “Long, long ago, we… We would come to this place within us, within our bodies. And we would… We could… Talk. No matter how far away we were. But more than that, we could feel one another, what our thoughts and emotions were. Why am I here now? What have you done to me?” Chrysalis was afraid. Melody, Verse, and Lily all walked towards her, forming an intimidating front.

“You’re in our realm now, Chrysalis.” Melody and Verse swept around in front of Lily, moving towards her step by step. For each step Chrysalis retreated, Melody and Verse advanced two. Soon, they were in front of her, both of their hands glowing with a teal-colored, bright light. “And it’s time we put you to sleep.”

“Sleep? What? No! You can’t! Stay away!” She went to turn and run, but Verse’s hand darted forward and snatched her wrist. She wrenched against him, but Verse had her in an iron grip. Melody could tell from her enraged expression that the queen was trying as hard as she could to break away from her brother’s iron grip, both with magic and might, but she couldn’t do anything. Verse had her tight. Melody joined her brother, reaching out to grab the stump of her right arm. Between the two of them, she wasn’t going anywhere.

“Come here, mom.” Verse offered his free hand to Lily. Melody felt her mother behind them. She offered her own hand, all of them holding one another’s hands now. They formed a circle. Melody and Verse were the conduits. Lily was the recipient. And Chrysalis the victim. A low, dull hum began to fill the air, steadily growing in intensity. Before long, it permeated the air, almost making Melody wince with its intensity. She gritted her teeth and tightened her grip. Chrysalis was frozen, her mouth open in a half-scream.

Then she began to dissolve. It happened slowly at first, but Melody watched it grow up her legs. Chrysalis’ screams came then. Horrendous, gut-wrenching screams of terror and fright. Chrysalis began to disappear inch by inch, her knees gone now. She doubled her efforts fighting Melody and Verse off, but the two kept her held tight. Still she fought, screaming louder until Melody fought to distinguish her from the intense humming in the air.

By then, the dissolution had reached Chrysalis’ stomach. Melody watched as the black skin began to peel away from her bit by bit, the shreds dissolving into black dust that floated away as if on some unseen wind. Chrysalis stilled her thrashing at long last, but she didn’t stop crying. Tears coursed from her eyes, falling down her body as she sobbed. She began to choke out her final words, slowly, as if she wasn’t quite unsure of them.

“You’re no changeling, Liliana.” She whimpered, sniffling and shaking as she sobbed. “You’re a human. A lowly, disgusting, filthy human. You don’t deserve to be called a changeling, let alone an lieutenant. You had such promise. You were the star of my horde. You and Ajax. Together, the two of you were going to accomplish incredible things. You would have put me on the throne. I’d have lived forever. And in return, I’d have given you the world.” Chrysalis looked up at them. Her entire chest was consumed now, and as she glared at Lily with her evil, reptilian green eyes, her left arm began to disappear. Verse followed her arm as it dissolved, and Lily did the same when the stump of her right arm began to vanish as well. Still, Chrysalis continued to glare at Lily.

“But you left us. I gave you a simple task, an enjoyable one, and you betrayed us all. You’ve sealed the fate of every changeling in the horde, Liliana. I spit on you, and whoever this next queen is. Be it you or one of the other drones that rips you and your ‘children’ to shreds. Because none of you know, do you?” She looked around at all of them. Her arms were gone to her shoulders, but the dissolution began to eat in on her hair. “None of you know if the horde will be under her control. And what of the lieutenants? They’re all independent of the Hive Mind. They’ll destroy you the moment they realize what you’ve done to me.” Chrysalis’ head began to vanish, bit by slow bit. It started with her forehead, slowly inching down her scalp towards her face. Her shoulders and what remained of her chest began to disappear as well. Melody and Verse followed the dissolving flesh inwards, their hands still glowing.

“You’re going to destroy everything we changelings stand for, Liliana. In one fell swoop. I pray they rip all of you to pieces. I hope Canterlot is leveled. I wish they’d spread destruction as far and wide as possible. Then, when your entire world has been shattered and broken beyond repair… Then I hope what remains of your pathetic races cannot find their home. Let them wander far and wide, picked off by predators, until nothing remains. That is the fate I wish upon you and yours, Liliana.” Chrysalis’ eyes flashed dangerously, even as they dissolved away. Her mouth continued to move, and her speech reached their ears, even after her lips had gone, and her neck was being removed from existence bit by bit.

“You’re no changeling of mine, Liliana. The others will see it as well. None of them will follow a queen such as you. You’ll be killed and the primes will rampage anyways.” Melody and Verse’s hands were nearly to her breast. Melody gasped at what she felt there. Chrysalis’ disembodied voice came to them still, though it sounded far off and weak.

”I can rest in peace knowing my horde will never follow your command.”

In a flash, she was gone. Melody and Verse gasped as a blinding, intense light pulsed outwards from their hands. A shockwave lifted Melody’s hair from her shoulders, and nearly made her fall over. Lily clung to both of them, each lending support to one another. When Melody opened her eyes, she marveled at what she saw.

“Woah.”

“Is that…”

“It’s hers.” Lily breathed. “Chrysalis’ essence.” In her left hand, Verse’s right, the two of them held a shifting, ephemeral orb. Melody recognized it as the same Twilight and Lily had shown them before leaving Southbay. Perhaps not the exact same, but very similar. Twilight’s was purple and deep, while this one was a vibrant, bright green. It shifted, as if on the same breeze that had taken away the particles of Chrysalis’ dissolved body.

“I think I know what to do with this.” Melody said quietly. She looked at Verse, both of them sharing a quick nod before hefting the essence. Melody was shocked to discover it had weight to it. Not a heavy one, but very solid and reassuring, almost like a stone in a pocket. She could feel its presence, hefty and reassuring. Lily’s eyes went wide when she realized what Verse and Melody were doing. She swallowed hard before nodding faintly. Carefully, slowly, they gave it to her.

Reality slammed back into existence. Verse and Melody sprawled out on the floor, grunting at the hard impact. Above them, glowing with the same green light as Chrysalis’ essence, was a new and frightening figure. When Melody saw what it was, she scrambled to get away. The changeling prime glowered down at them, its devilish body curled tight upon itself. It still stood well above either of them, even folded up as it was, but from its eyes and mouth came a sickening green glow. Melody’s hands glowed as she brought forth the shield to protect her and her brother.

The prime brushed her shield aside as if it were nothing. Verse tried to cast a barrier, similar to the one he had erected previously, but the prime pushed through that as well. As the two of them scrambled across the blood-soaked carpet, it followed them. The green light intensified as it advanced on them. They had nowhere to run. The barrier keeping the other lieutenants out was still in place, as was the one on the balcony. Slowly, Melody and Verse were backed up to the wall. Still, the prime padded towards them, walking on all fours. Its wicked claws left black marks on the carpet, and the glow from its eyes and mouth was beginning to become blinding.

In the back of her head, Melody began to curse herself. ’It didn’t work. The primes will come forth now, and Canterlot will be destroyed. We can’t fight this thing off with magic. We’re going to be ripped apart right here, and there isn’t a thing we can do about it. Twilight, Lily, everyone, I’m so sorry. I’m-‘

Arms wrapped around her. Melody gasped, her eyes shooting open. The person, or thing, whatever it was, that had them wrapped in a hug was more-or-less human. They stood maybe an inch or two taller than Melody, and a few inches shorter than Verse. Their skin was jet-black, their hair teal and long. Melody nearly cried when they spoke.

“My children.”

“Mom?”

“Lily?” Verse and Melody both pulled away, looking at the new person in front of them. Technically still a changeling, this new being was tall and alluring. Her jet-black skin seemed less intimidating and more warm, almost like a soft black comforter on a cold winter night. Her eyes were still reptilian, but they glimmered with mystery and intrigue. The diaphanous wings growing from her back glimmered as well, shining with a beautiful sheen. The holes in her arms and legs were no longer promises of how empty this person was, but instead a show of welcome, inviting anyone and anything to love this person, and be loved in return. Melody’s tears came fast and free as she collapsed back into the embrace of her mother.

Liliana, Queen of the Changelings.

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

“Melody! Verse!” Twilight appeared in a flash, panting and frazzled. They stood on a balcony overlooking Canterlot, watching as the last traces of the changeling horde disappeared over the North-Western horizon. “What happened?!”

“We did it.” Verse said simply, his eyes still fixed on the shifting, black horizon. Night time had fallen, and the last rays of sunlight were acting as a beacon for the horde to follow. “Chrysalis is gone.”

“Really?” Twilight breathed, her eyes following theirs to the horizon. “So it’s done. She went dark on the link a few hours ago. I’ve been working on getting enough energy to teleport myself here since then. What… What about-“

“Her element?” Melody sighed. “We can’t be certain, but…” Melody turned to Twilight and began a long-winded explanation, one that she and Verse had been discussing for the past few hours while they watched Lily and the horde leave Canterlot.

“Chrysalis had been to the white plane before, the place you and the other elements go when you converse. The same place Verse and I go whenever we revive another god. She said she had other gods there that she had met and spoke with before. We can only assume Chrysalis is… Well, was… A goddess.”

“A goddess?” Twilight appeared taken aback. “Goddess of what?”

“We can only speculate.” Verse interjected, rubbing the bridge of his nose. “We think… The elements of harmony have counters. Discord has used these against you before. Remember the story, how you told us he had changed your friends? We think he may have simply invoked the opposite of your respective elements. For instance, Fluttershy. She’s the element of Kindness, right? She became very mean during that time. The element of Malcontent. Rainbow Dash, who would normally have been loyal to her friends, instead left for seemingly no reason. The element of Independence. Applejack became a compulsive liar. The element of Lies. And Rarity… The element of generosity…” Verse and Melody both looked back to the horizon, where the last traces of the changeling horde had disappeared. “We believe Chrysalis was more than just a changeling. We believe…” Verse looked at Twilight seriously.

“She was the element of Greed.”

They were silent for a long while after that. Twilight appeared to be very pensive, seriously considering something dark and foreboding. Melody couldn’t blame her. Instead, the three of them stood side-by-side, watching the last traces of daylight recede over the horizon. Twilight didn’t speak until the last rays of light were extinguished, leaving nothing but the starry skies above.

“So you think each element has an opposite?”

“We think so.” Melody sighed.

“What about mine, then? The element of Magic?” At that, Verse and Melody shared another look.

“Yours too. And we think the most pure and simple example are the primes.”

“Primes? How so?”

“Have you ever fought a prime, mother?” Verse asked quietly.

“I have.” Twilight’s voice was dark, but filled with understanding.

“You’ve seen how they just melt through the most powerful spells with ease. There isn’t any magic that can effect a prime. They brush aside shields and barriers, and spells are just absorbed. More than that, though, they’re negated. Completely and utterly obliterated.” Verse nodded towards the horizon, frowning slightly. “We think all the counter-elements still exist. Chrysalis, or Lily now, was one of them. But you see, she went dark on the link. We think should any two elements come into contact with one another, they would negate one another. The element of Greed wants everything, and the element of Generosity can give it everything. So the two have no more reason to exist. That’s why Lily left the link. She’s no longer an element. Of Harmony or Disharmony.”

“That’s… Terrifying.” Twilight shuddered. “To think there’s an anti-magic element out there…”

“We don’t know if all of them are active right now, though.” Melody felt exhausted. She wanted to go to sleep. Instead, she willed herself to explain. “Much like we had to revive you and the others, we’ll likely have to revive these anti-elements. Which means we have to go and find them.”

“Where, though?” Twilight asked quietly. Her low voice chilled Melody. Verse answered solemnly.

“Where else?” He pointed West, towards the dark horizon. “The Shadowlands.”

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

The city was eerily quiet. Melody disliked the silence, but she couldn’t sleep. The only beings alive for twenty miles in any direction were herself, Verse, and Twilight. The other two she had left behind in the castle while she went out and about, to stretch her legs and let her mind wander. The streets and buildings bore the signs of both the recent restoration and the more recent quarrels. The guard had tried to take the city back after Verse and Melody had put Celestia and Luna to sleep. Evidence of their struggle remained in the form of broken buildings, blood-stained courtyards, and ravaged parks.

The long, dark shadows the buildings cast in the light of the half-moon made Melody shiver. She felt like anything could leap out at her from them, but her fears were childish and unfounded. Each time she walked past one, she became more and more comfortable with the darkness. By the time she felt comfortable with the dark buildings and quiet, her mind was exhausted and her muscles tapped. She managed to return to the palace, and the wing where she and her brother had stayed previously. Twilight was sound asleep on the bed when she returned, and didn’t stir when Melody slipped in beside her. Melody closed her eyes and slept through the night peacefully.

Come morning, she was greeted with even more quiet. Twilight slumbered on, even as the first rays of sunlight danced through the window to wash over them. Melody quietly slipped away from the bed and out onto the balcony. The city below was so still, it was almost frightening. She wondered how much warning Twilight had given the guard before she left for Canterlot, or how far away any relief might be. She could always go to Fillydelphia herself and let them know Canterlot was liberated, though. She decided to wake Verse and ask his opinion.

Much to her surprise, her brother was already awake. When she crested the balcony, he was pulling his boots on. “Good morning.” She smiled at him as she landed on the balcony.

“Good morning, sis.” He shot her a warm smile before shoving his foot into the last boot. “Sleep well?”

“I had to go take a walk to clear my mind.” She sighed, rubbing the bridge of her nose. Truth be told, she was awfully tired. How many months full of sleepless nights and terrible dreams had she endured? Now that she came to think on it, how long had it been since she had slept more than six hours in a night? “The city’s so quiet, it’s eerie.”

“Heh. You should have told me. I couldn’t sleep last night either.”

“Wish I’d have known. I’d have taken a walk with you.”

“That would have been nice. Want to see what they left for breakfast?”

“Sure.” Melody followed her brother out of his room and into the castle proper, their hushed footsteps whispering across the carpet. Something appeared to be bothering Verse, but Melody knew the best way to learn what was under his skin was to not pressure him and let him come to her about it. Sure enough, before they even arrived at the kitchens, Verse opened his mouth.

“You know what we have to do next, right?”

“I think so.” Melody sighed.

“We have to go to the Shadowlands.”

“Yeah…”

“The question is, when do we leave?” Verse seemed relieved that Melody shared his sentiment, but that didn’t dull the worry for either of them. The Shadowlands were shrouded in mystery, and for good reason. Rumor had it anyone who walked through the Everfree forest and into the dark lands died. Avians who tried to fly over it never came back. No one had ever returned from whatever horrors the mysterious world beyond the Everfree held. Melody was not very keen on visiting that place.

But if anyone could cross that border and return, it’d be the two of them.

“I think we should leave as soon as we can.” Melody said, turning the last corner to the kitchens. She wondered what use changelings had for food, and if they had kept this place clean at all. Sure enough, when they checked the perishables, the cupboards and lockers were clear. All that remained were canned and frozen foods. They quietly set about to cooking a hearty breakfast. Verse didn’t say anything to her, nor did she to him. They were of like mind, and silence suited them.

Breakfast finished and eaten, they took leftovers to Twilight. Their mother was just waking up when they pushed into the room. “Breakfast in bed?” She asked tiredly, yawning and stretching.

“I guess so.” Verse smiled and handed her a bowl of sugary oatmeal. Twilight smiled and dug in heartily while Melody went to sit next to her. Twilight smiled at her as well, reaching a hand out to ruffle her hair playfully. Verse and Melody waited until she was finished before they told her.

“We need to leave for the Shadowlands as soon as possible.” Melody spoke first. Twilight set her empty bowl aside with a slight frown. Melody feared she would raise protests, or ask them to reconsider. Instead, she just nodded.

“I understand. Is there anything I can do to help?” Her answer took both of them by surprise. Melody and Verse both blinked, but smiled after a short pause.

“In all seriousness, there really isn’t.” Verse patted Twilight’s knee. “You know as much about the Shadowlands as we do. Which is to say nothing.”

“We’re walking in there blind.” Melody lay her head on Twilight’s shoulder. “We don’t know what waits for us, if anything. For all we know, these elements of Disharmony are the last we need to revive, and we’ll be finished. Or we might discover a hundred new gods we need to restore. Who knows?”

“You two,” Twilight sighed and pulled them both into a warm hug. “You’re making me so proud… I wish I could help.”

“You can help.” Verse smiled as he kissed Twilight’s cheek.

“How? What can I do?”

“One thing, and it’s very simple.” Melody kissed her other cheek as she and her brother got to their feet. Together, they walked towards the balcony. Twilight watched them go with a faint smile. Their wings spread wide, and the two turned around to face her with warm smiles.

“Give us a home to come back to.”

And then they were gone, flapping off towards the West. Towards the Shadowlands.