------------- Melody’s Tale - Taking the Fall -------------

Melody pulled for what had to have been the hundredth time at the bindings holding her wrists together. To no avail, of course… The iron links clinked and jingled, still glowing and pulsing faintly. She wasn’t sure if they knew she had some sort of inherent magical ability, or if they were just playing it safe, but all four of them had been bound with magic-inhibiting cuffs. What’s worse, they were all split apart. Their prisons were actually cages suspended over the edge of the harpy city Nest. Thousands of feet beneath the floor of her iron cage of a cell, the pine forest surrounding the massive stone edifice looked like a lush green carpet, stippled with dark shadows that looked like stitches in a quilt. The wind whipped by in gusts, making the long, clinking chain jingle as her cage swung back and forth. She had no choice but to close her eyes and ignore the feelings pulling at her.

They fed her twice a day, mostly just bread and dried jerky with a small cup of water. She ate it all, and waited… And waited… And waited…

“Wake up.” The voice growled at her. She recognized the throaty, gravelly tone of her captor, the same one that had given her food. He was the only outsider she had any contact with. She could see other cages swaying in the wind far away, above and to her sides, but her calls had been lost on the wind and she gave up after hollering herself hoarse. Stirring in the middle of her cage (to keep it from tilting,) she opened her eyes to look at the harpy. He and one other, another male, were hovering just outside of the iron bars. “We’re-e-e mm-here to take you to the Clutchmother. Sit still.” She blinked away the sleep, shivering in the pre-dawn cold as the two harpies winged up to the top of her cage. She heard the jangling of keys and creaking of old iron hinges.

“Hands up.” She raised her cuffed wrists up towards the hole in the top of the cage. A taloned hand reached down and hoisted her thin frame up with ease, setting her on top of the cage. She immediately reached out and clung to one of the chains supporting the cage, feeling the wind pick up and swing the whole thing back and forth a little. Just like they had done to bring her up to the top of Nest, they both gripped her arms and tore her away from the cage, flapping hard to bring her up to the top again.

She audibly breathed a sigh of relief as they set her down atop the weather-worn surface of the top of Nest. Stumbling a little, she caught herself and stood on weak legs, shivering and looking around. How long had she been in the cage? A week? Two? She didn’t even know. All she knew was she was very, very cold right now… Shuddering, feeling numb, she hugged herself as best she could with the glowing shackles and looked around. They were close to the edge of nest, a wide array of metallic arms holding chains out over the edge of the city. She guessed this was where they anchored the prison cells to the mountainside. She was craning her neck around to look more closely at the row of metallic arms when something heavy and furry landed on her.

“Augh!” She gave a clipped cry of surprise as the heavy, oppressive thing weighed her down. Initially, she thought it was some sort of predator leaping on her, or maybe this was the soft, feathery down of one of the harpies. She expected it’s claws and fangs to sink into her any moment… Instead, she hoisted the weight, noticing it was much lighter than originally thought. Then she realized it was a blanket. A very large, very warm and furry blanket. She clutched onto it then, wrapping herself up in the warm embrace as fully as she possibly could. She shivered in it’s furry recesses, clutching tight as the warmth slowly began to flow into her body.

“Y-you gonna hog all that to yourself?” The voice was muffled through the fabric of the blanket. Melody fought for a few seconds to poke her head out. Bad move. The first ruffling wind that caught her face felt like knives cutting into her flesh. She actually winced as she fought to see who it was. Verse grinned sheepishly at her, shivering on the flat surface next to her.

“Get in here.” She said, taking a few steps close to him. Verse woodenly shuffled forward, and Melody wrapped him in the blanket. Together, they huddled close, thankful for the body heat and the warm, wonderful blanket. “You okay?” She asked.

“Y-yeah, just cold.” He muttered softly, still shivering. Melody let him hold the blanket around them as she rubbed her hands up and down his arms, trying to warm him. Soon enough, he stopped shivering, and was content to huddle close and absorb the warmth. The sound of flapping wings met her ears, and Melody peeked her head out to see both Twilight and Lily dropped off next to them. Immediately, she opened the blanket to them, the four of them huddling close under the wonderfully warm blanket.

Then they waited… Which was odd… Why pull them out of their cages if they were just going to wait. Not that Melody minded, really… She was happy to huddle close under the blanket, talking quietly with her family.

“Are you guys okay?” She asked.

“It’s REALLY cold up here,” Lily groaned, the last to stop shivering. Melody smiled weakly at her, rubbing her arms with Verse helping on the other side.

“These damn cuffs… It’s like that time we got taken prisoner. Remember that, Lily?” Twilight asked softly. Lily chuckled, a shuddering, quivering action that made Melody smile.

“I remember I turned into a bear and beat back four guards just to get to you.” Lily said quietly, her quivering becoming slightly worrisome to Melody.

“Shining Armor used to be a real pain in the ass…” Twilight said softly.

“Worked out in the end, though… And we had some fun, too.”

“Shh. Kids, darling.”

“Right. Well, it was fun. So ha. You know, I just realized…” Lily finally stopped shaking, stepping forward to huddle close with the rest of them. “You guys turned eighteen a while ago, didn’t you? We didn’t celebrate or anything…” Melody blinked. The realization came a little after her sentence, making her think about it… She was one hundred percent right. She and Verse had turned eighteen sometime in the past two months. The days were lost to her, she didn’t know if it was Monday, Tuesday, or Friday… What month, what number, nothing… She hadn’t looked at a calendar in forever. All she knew was it had been an untold number of days since they had left Equestria… They were all several months older now. Her eighteenth birthday had come and gone and none of them had even realized…

“Huh.” Was all she could say. Eventually, the sun came up. She could feel the rays warm the blanket up even further. She soaked up every bit of heat she could, knowing it wouldn’t be long before she was back in the cage, shivering in the corner as she waited for whatever was going to happen come to pass… Eventually, though, the heat became too oppressive and they shed the blanket. It was the first time Melody had gotten a really good look at Nest. As far as she could tell, they were alone on top of the mountain, but the massive plateau stretched on as far as she could see before the buildings took up her vision. It had to have been at least half a mile on each edge… It truly was massive. The sort of big that staggered the imagination and made her wonder how such a thing came to be…

The buildings were crudely constructed, build with wide, low, sloping walls that all angled one way. The material appeared to be some sort of stone or rock, but didn’t look cold to the touch. Hesitantly, Melody approached one building and laid her hand against it. Nope, definitely cold. Figid, even… She inhaled through her teeth and rubbed her hands together to return warmth, grimacing at the wall. How in the world did the harpies survive in such oppressive cold… She was in awe of how they wore thin clothes and flew through the frigid air like it was nothing. She was not used to such cold… The heat of the dragon territory and her southern home had always been welcoming and warm… Maybe she just wasn’t acclimated…

“Mm-good… You are exploring. Getting to know your surroundings…” The croaking voice came from around the wall she had just touched. Gasping, Melody jumped back, rejoining her family as a harpy unlike any other emerged from around the wall. Stooped with age, this harpy had long feathers that framed it’s face, the furry layer of down sagging from it’s skull. It used a very knobbed old staff to help it’s limping gait, the claws on it’s hands and feet worn and dulled with age. This was obviously a very old harpy… Draped over her skeletal frame was an elegant dress, though… Not the sort of dress that Melody had grown up with, but rather, the kind that was woven from beads. Handmade. It glimmered faintly in the morning sun. Around this old harpy was a very tangible aura of power. This woman, despite how old she may seem, commanded some powerful magic.

“Clutchmother?” Twilight said hesitantly, taking her spot in front of the four of them. She reverently bowed her head, the others following suit.

“Mm-yes… I am the… Clutchmother.” She said, her voice markedly more scratchy than the others. Melody almost felt bad for her. Then again, the past week or however long she had been imprisoned had been horrible. She steeled herself and waited for the conversation to continue. “You and yours have-e-e come to mm-Nest for… Safety?”

“Yes. My family and I are fleeing the changelings.” Twilight explained, stepping forward. She was halfway between them and the Clutchmother now. “They chased us east over the mountains, then north into your territory.”

“Hmm… Fleeing the jaws of the lion, only to find yourself in the claws of the leapord…” The Clutchmother chuckled, a cawing sort of motion that racked her entire body. She hobbled over towards the cliff side, looking out over the forest beneath them, off towards the hazy horizon. “Our kind have been at eachother’s throats for what, eleven years? Twelve?”

“Longer than that, I’m afraid, Clutchmother.” Twilight said softly, looking at the old harpy’s back. Her wings, despite the rest of her shriveled body, looked strong still. They were the same mottled sort of grey as the rest of her body, a stormy, depressing color…

“Hmph. The years pass mm-so much quicker when you’re as old as I.” The Clutchmother tapped her staff on the ground and looked back at Twilight. “You’ll understand, soon enough… But for now…” The elderly harpy slowly shuffled towards them, the worn clacking of her claws mixing with the firm impact of her staff. “You will die.” Smooth and cold, she slipped past them. All four of them were frozen. Melody whirled around, stammering.

“Wh-why?!” She gasped, feeling the breath leave her lungs. Dread filled the empty space. Cold, clammy fear that made her shiver on the spot. The Clutchmother stopped, her back turned to them for a few long moments. She turned around slowly, fixing them all with a keen eye.

“Sunbringer is captured. I’ve no use for the prisoner of a prisoner. Tomorrow morning, you die.”

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

“No, please… No…” Celestia struggled against her binds as she kicked her feet uselessly at the sheet of paper. “Why now, of all times? Damn the luck!” Toes curled, Celestia did her absolute best to try and retrieve the paper that had appeared before her in a flash of green flame and ash. Spike, long since asleep, had just sent her a letter! Celestia knew full well that Twilight had fled east over the mountains into dragon territory, and a letter from her student’s assistant only meant they had found him, roused him, and had sent this message… She was desperate to hear from Twilight and Lily.

Just then, the worst possible thing happened… Celestia gasped as Chrysalis entered her cell. Just as she had grasped the paper inbetween two of her toes, as well! The changeling queen grinned evilly at the bound princess, closing the distance in three long strides. She snatched the paper out of the air, waving it in front of Celestia’s face.

“And what have we here, dear princess?” She teased, grinning down at Celestia’s expression of despair. “A letter from your student, perhaps? Hmm, I wonder what it says…” Chrysalis righted herself, grinning down at Celestia once again before she started reading... “Lieutenant! Get in here!” She called. Celestia watched the door swing open again, creaking on old hinges.

“Yes, my queen?” The lieutenant said immediately. Celestia watched as Chrysalis lit the page on fire, the green flames eating away at the paper slowly.

“Liliana and her ‘family,’” She spat the word, like it was poison. “Are heading to Nest. Take as many changelings as you can. A hundred. A thousand. Take a million! I want her, and I want her alive.” Chrysalis glanced down at the ashes slowly tumbling across the floor towards Celestia… “And bring me the head of Twilight Sparkle.”

Celestia began weeping as they left her cell… The lieutenant nodded and went a different way, walking fast through the old, worn corridors… Up several stairs and into a better-lit portion of the palace, and into the grand halls. What once was the largest and greatest castle in all of Canterlot was now a changeling hive. Drones flitted off to the side, racing about to do who-knew-what… For now, this particular lieutenant had a task… He moved through the drones, parting them like water when they were bogged down in one area or another.

Silently, they began to fall in behind him. They were heeding the unspoken order. Even one or two more lieutenants followed, slipping into the ranks silently. All of them followed the one higher into the palace, leaving the halls behind for one large, tall tower… Up and up, over hundreds of stairs, they flew or walked, shuffling, following the lieutenant’s untold, iron command… Upon reaching the first balcony, the lieutenant silently walked to the edge, and tipped off…

His diaphanous wings spread in an instant, fluttering to catch his weight and propelling him forward. Smooth and easy, he winged off towards the north-east, a dark cloud of changelings following him. There were easily ten thousand behind him.

No one noticed, no one blinked an eye as one of the other lieutenants broke from the massive group, flitting down into the shadowy, late-day alleyways below… Breathing heavy, he surveyed the skies for a sign of anyone nearby, guard or changeling otherwise… Satisfied, he started flying… Fast and low, ducking through dark streets and filthy alleyways, he began moving south, around the palace grounds… Halfway between the palace and the southern border, he ran into the first patrol. Still keeping his changeling form, the lieutenant raised his arms and slowly approached them.

Spears leveled, they all started hollering at him. Unintelligible orders to get on the ground, put his hands behind his head. Above all of them, he shouted one word.

“FLASH!” The guards stopped. Spears bobbed up and down in confused hands. They were tense, until one of them replied.

“Thunder! Stand down, boys, this is one of Luna’s spies. Today’s the twenty-fourth, that makes it-“

“Chicken. Yesterday was the eighteenth, which makes it-“

“Sugar. Welcome home, lieutenant.” The guard smiled and clapped the changeling on the shoulder. “Stand down, men. He checks out.” The passphrase had been developed close to the beginning of the war. Answering the quick, simple chain of questions ensured none of the involved parties were changelings. At least, not changelings allied with Chrysalis… “You’re makin’ ‘em kinda antsy. Mind changing into something better?” He mumbled quietly, leaning in to the changeling.

“What, you guys want tits or something?” The lieutenant replied, grinning at the captain. He got a playful nudge in the ribs before smoothly shifting into a well-built avian, wearing a simple courier’s uniform. To the soldiers, he looked like any other message-bearer. They relaxed a little, thankful the frightening black visage was gone. “I have an urgent missive for Princess Luna, she needs to see it immediately.”

“Right then, you heard the man. Let’s get him to base.” There was clanking of armor and hefting of gear as the soldiers formed up around the courier and began walking further south. Other units they passed were asked questions, and they all answered the same. This was repeated time and again until they were deeper in the heart of the Equestrian forces. Soldiers were now camped in the streets, circling fires or stretched out on simple bedrolls. The sounds and smells of living filled their senses as they continued travelling south, all the way to one building in particular.

“Thank you for the escort, sergeant.” The courier saluted the man, who returned it curtly. They left the changeling at the door to this squat, square building. Promptly, the disguised changeling knocked twice on the door, paused for a moment, knocked twice more, then another pause… Finally, he knocked three times. The door silently swung inward, and a spear was thrust out at him. The point dug into his chin, lifting his gaze upwards.

“A man stands alone on a hill,”

“So he pisses in the wind.”

“A wolf hunts alone in the woods,”

“So he howls for his pack.”

“A queen commands no one,”

“Until she commands herself.” The spear lowered and the door swung open the rest of the way. Smooth and easy, the courier dipped inside. Every precaution had been taken to ensure Princess Luna’s safety. Not everyone knew that particular passphrase to enter the command building. The front room was laden with guards, all of them standing at attention as he passed. There were at least twenty of them. They parted the way for him, armor jangling as he made his way towards one of the doors set in the far wall. Without a word or a knock, he entered.

“Who is this, then?” Another blade pressed to his throat.

“An enemy.” He replied smoothly, stopping short.

“When alone in the dark,”

“Seek the shadow.”

“When you stand in full light,”

“Blend with the crowd.”

“Welcome back, Lieutenant. Didn't recognize you there for a second.” Lights flicked on and the room snapped into focus. With the audible sound of steel being sheathed, the woman before him put her blade away.

“Understandable, General Dash.” The changeling said, grinning as he rubbed his throat. “I needed a shave anyways.” They laughed and clasped hands. The vibrant-haired woman would never have been recognized by any of her friends. A few years back, Rainbow Dash had been relieved of her commission with the Wonderbolts, and had been hand-chosen by the princesses themselves. She served as their personal bodyguard and liaison between the Changeling Secret Forces and Princess Luna, who had openly welcomed all changelings with no loyalty to Chrysalis and a knack for espionage. The man standing before her now was one such changeling, a lieutenant who had served Chrysalis for a very, very long time. Dash guided him through the room and into another, this one already lit.

“Princess,” She said, watching as Luna raised her head from her desk. Upon spotting Dash and her visitor, Luna shot to her feet immediately. “Your spy returns.”

“Noth! What new do you bring?” The Princess looked haggard. She would have, since she had been raising both the sun and the moon every day for the past year and a half. Noth saluted, as was customary, before stepping forward to deliver what he had learned.

“Apparently, Celestia received a letter from Twilight Sparkle during her imprisonment. Chrysalis read the letter, and dispatched a massive changeling force north-east accordingly.”

“Yes, we saw that particular swarm leave just a few hours ago. What of it?” Luna asked quickly. Noth continued, unfazed.

“Twilight Sparkle, Lily, and their children have crossed the dragon territory into Naga-haal. Their plan was to go north from there and be willingly taken prisoner by the harpies.” Luna, already of milky complexion, paled even further at the news. “Chrysalis dispatched all she could spare to take Lily, and bring her back alive. However…” He was cut off as Luna’s eyes fixed on Dash.

“When was the last time you felt her through the link?” She asked suddenly. Dash furrowed her brow before answering.

“We agreed to let Twilight go dark for as long as she needed. Both her and Lily. Just in case one of us was captured. After the episode in Appleoosa, any of us could have been taken, tortured, questioned… Best for us not to know, so we couldn't tell…” Luna grunted, half out of annoyance and half out of relief.

“That was smart thinking, Dash… But when was the last time you felt her?”

“Just outside of the forest of their home… After that, she went dark. Lily stayed on for the next few miles, but she went dark after that. Since then, I haven’t heard from either of them…” Her vision went out of focus for a while before coming back. “And neither have the others.”

“Damnit… Not good… You can’t-“

“There’s more.” Noth said quietly, cutting both of them off. He hesitated, glancing at Dash. He knew well the bond of friendship she and the others shared… “She wants the head of Twilight Sparkle.”

“Princess!” Dash said loudly, striding forward. “Let me go! You know just as well as I do that I can’t sit around here, threatening everyone that walks in here while my friend and her family die!”

“Dash, calm yourself!” Luna barked. The floor trembled a little bit. “This is beyond your power, general.” She said, a little more calmly. “If that entire swarm was sent just for the four of them, you’re going to have difficulty fighting them AND the harpies off. You’re going to need help.” Dash drew both her blades in a flash. She sported twin daggers, both of them keen and fast as a lightning strike in her grip. Where many warriors needed strength to fight, Dash needed only speed. Noth had seen her cut down an entire advance of changelings in ten seconds.

“Not for the type of mission I have planned. If the Clutchmother knows Celestia’s captive, she won’t let Twilight live. If I don’t make it there as soon as possible, they’re all going to die. Not just Twilight. All of them.” Rainbow Dash was as serious as ever. “I slip in at night, free the four of them, and bring them to Eyriewatch. They’ll be safe there. Harpies hate changelings almost as much as they hate avians. At the very least, I’ll use the distraction of that fight to slip in and out. Please, Princess… Let me do this…” Luna looked at Dash, her expression dark as she thought long and hard.

“Very well, general.” She said softly, straightening herself. “But you know those children, Melody and Verse, are the entire reason behind this mission. Difficult as it’s going to be to prioritize them, I need you to ensure their safety. Dash, I cannot-“

“You can’t expect me to leave my friends behind to die!”

“I CAN AND I WILL IF IT MEANS THE SAFETY OF MELODY AND VERSE!” Luna roared. Both Noth and Dash stumbled backwards under the power of the Royal Canterlot Voice, the same that had ordered nations be destroyed and kingdoms be leveled. Dash wilted slightly, and Luna pressed her advantage. In a flash, she was around the desk and looming over both of them. “BOTH of you will go to Featherhome and rescue Twilight, Lily, Melody, AND Verse. You will return to Eyriewatch with ALL FOUR of them, or the world as we know it will END!” Her words boomed out at both of them, driving them back step by step until they were flat against the wall. Noth feared for his life, as did Dash, apparently… Both of them were staring wide-eyed up at the princess, even as Luna’s voice and expression softened.

“Please, Dash… You have to understand that keeping their children safe was the entire reason Celestia and I sent Lily and Twilight south when this war started. It’s written in prophesy that Verse and Melody will change the world for the better… If they do not, then both Celestia and I will die… Likely, everyone and everything you've ever known will die… Please, Dash… This goes beyond your friendship.” Luna’s wide eyes brimmed with tears as she lowered her head. The hardwood floor under her feet was dotted as she began to cry. “Don’t let Celestia die…”

“Princess, I…” Dash reached out to her slowly. Luna turned her back and stepped away, her shoulders shaking. Dash let the hand drop, and by her tone, she suddenly felt very sheepish and embarrassed. “I understand. I will bring them back. All four of them. C’mon, Noth.” She said quietly. The door was pulled open as she turned to leave. Noth began to follow her, but Luna’s voice stopped him.

“Noth,” She said gently. “Can I speak with you for a moment?”

“Be right there.” He said to Dash, giving her arm a gentle squeeze. Lips thin, Dash nodded at him and closed the door. “Yes, Princess?” He asked, folding his hands behind his back and stepping forward.

“Tell me… How is Celestia?” Noth swallowed.

“They inject her with undiluted magesbane every two hours, even when she sleeps… She’s chained with enough metal to keep an ursa minor subdued, and she never sees her own sunlight. She’s fading, princess… Fading fast.” Noth watched Luna sag a little bit more. The princess was silent for a few moments. Quietly, he slipped out…

Luna straightened herself once the door closed, padding to a nearby map. Her eyes flickered between Canterlot, in the middle of Equestria, and Nest, close to the middle of Featherhome in the north-east. “Hold on,” She said quietly. “All of you, just hold on a while longer…”

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

“Well… At least they put us all together…” Verse said quietly. They were all back in another cage, this one only marginally larger than their individual cages they had been in previously. The four of them were huddled close together for warmth, though they still shivered in the midnight chill.

“So they can kill us all at the same time.” Twilight said gently, looking up into the night sky, where the chain supporting them extended up and away into darkness. “They’ll drop the cage and be done with it. They don’t even have to listen when we hit the rocks below.” Her voice sounded despaired. Quiet. Very subdued. Melody’s spirits sank along with her mother’s words. All of them were quiet for a few long moments…

“At least… We’ll die together?” Verse spoke once more. All of them looked at his sheepish, quivering smile. “Better than dying alone, right?”

“Heh. Leave it to you to make me smile on the eve of my death.” Lily chuckled and ruffled his hair, making Verse wince but nudge closer. Melody smiled despite herself and curled closer. “You guys should get some sleep.” Lily said gently. “I’ll stay awake, and if they need us, I’ll wake you up…” Melody couldn't help but feel tired, whether it was because of the cold or her despair, she didn't care, either… Nuzzling closer to the warm body of Twilight and Verse, she slowly closed her eyes and began to drift off…

BANG!

The loud noise jolted her awake. Judging by the position of the moon, she hadn't been asleep long.

“Shh!” Lily hissed, her face turned up to the top of the cage. Melody looked upwards, and there, blotting out the stars in the night sky, two harpies crouched atop their cage.

Oh great, She thought to herself. They’re not going to drop us together, they’re just gonna pull us out and save themselves and extra cell… Then something hit her in the face.

“Shit, sorry, Melody.” It was hard, and cold, and metallic. Wincing, Melody cupped her stinging cheek and picked whatever it had been up from where it had landed on her stomach. In her hands, she held the lock… The lock to her cage! Ignoring the pain, Melody looked up again, and saw the smiling face of Rainbow Dash looking back down at her.

“Dash!” She whispered loudly. “How are you-“

“RAAAWW!” The piercing scream woke all of them, now. “THEY’RE ESCAPING! CUT THE CAGE!”

“Fuck!” In the blink of an eye, Dash was holding two wickedly-curved daggers, looking up into the sky. The other avian with her, whoever it was, quickly opened the metal grate on top of the cage.

“Lily! Come on!” He said, thrusting a hand down into the cage.

“Noth?!” She panted, scrambling up to her feet. Raising her hands, she clasped wrists with the other avian and was hoisted out of the cage.

“We’re gonna need your wings. Think you can carry someone down?”

“I’ve got Verse.” Dash said, still looking up at the sky above them. “I’m the only one that can carry him. He’s too heavy for anyone else.”

“I can’t carry anyone!” Lily said worriedly. “I can’t even change, thanks to these damn shackles!” She thrust her hands out, her bindings clinking. “They lock off our magic! Think if Twilight could cast any spells, we’d be caught in this swinging deathtrap?!” The entire cage jerked around them.

“Fuck, get out! Twilight, here!” Dash had sheathed her blades, and helped Noth pull Twilight and Verse out of the cage. Melody was the last to get hoisted out, even as Dash turned to Lily’s wrists with her blade in hand.

“What, Dash, get me first!” Twilight protested. Dash grunted and pulled her blade upwards, shearing the metal with a flash of sparks and magic. Lily grunted and shifted into Dancer, the lithe avian flyer she had used before.

“No time. I need to carry Verse while Noth carries you. Lily can take Melody, since she’s the lightest. I’ll cut your bonds as soon as we get to the g-“

Then there was nothing. Time seemed to stop as Melody watched everyone slowly float up off of the cage… Her stomach said hello to the back of her throat, and she slowly began to fall…

Hearing returned first. The screech of metal and jangling of the long chain were most prominent, followed by everyone screaming. Then came vision. She clearly saw Dash snatch Verse out of midair. The one they called Noth swooped under Twilight, grunting as he hoisted her into the air. Lily, though, was slowly shrinking away from the rest of them. The other five hovered in the air, even as she began to fall…

Faster and faster, the feeling of her impending fate filled Melody with fear. Terror. Anxiety. Her hand was still gripping the chain of the cage. She let it go, wind picking her up and ripping her away from the rest of the iron, jangling contraption… Away from the mountainside. The wind roared in her ears, increasing in intensity even as her clothes whipped around her body. She was able to spin around, to look down at the ground…

She had time. She just had to wait for Lily to catch her. Lily would catch her, right? Glancing over her shoulder, she saw panic among the others. In the glimpse she got, it looked like Dash was fighting to get Noth to hold Verse, but that meant Lily had to carry Twilight, and-

No matter. She had already accepted her fate. She knew she was going to die, she just had to wait, now…

Melody, eighteen years old, was going to die… Splattered on the ground beneath Nest, far away from her cozy home, cold and afraid and crying. She had never loved, she had never wooed over a strong, muscular man… She had never played to a concert hall. She would never know the joy of being a mother, of kissing the one she loved… Stretching out on a couch with them on a stormy night for wine and wonderful, passionate sex… Tears spilled from her eyes as she mourned a life not fully lived, of joys unknown. She was still so young. The brief excursion into Appleoosa had shown her so much of the world she hadn't seen, places she didn't know…

Then it came to her. One word. Just one. It blazed into her consciousness, screaming through her every cell, the very fiber of her being. It ripped into her soul, gripped her by the throat, and commanded one thing.

And one thing only.

”FLY!”