--------- Melody’s Tale - Wrath of the Four Winds ---------

”FLY!”

It was a command. She couldn’t ignore it. Melody felt something well up in her chest. It felt like her magic, her power… Since the shackles had been clamped onto her wrists, Melody hadn’t felt it. Admittedly, that was half the reason she had been shaking… Being locked away from your magic was a scary, frightening thing… But now, her magic was beginning to build within her. It filled her chest, built up until the pressure was too much. She couldn’t hold it back. She couldn’t fight it.

The bonds shattered.

”RRAAAAAAAAAAWW!” Her cry screamed through the air. The ground shuddered from the impact. Spreading her arms, no, her wings, Melody took to the sky…

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“What the fuck IS that?!”

“RUN!”

“Go, get out of here!”

“Lily, come ON!”

Panic erupted in the sky above Nest. The five of them all shouted and scrambled, wings flapping and feathers flying as they fought to get out of there…

“Mom, I’m…”

“Verse, stop squirming!” Dash grunted. Verse had suddenly begun twisting about in her hold. She was unable to hold him as a rough blow landed straight to her sternum. “Oof! Fuck! Verse, no! AUGH!” Feathers billowed around the remaining four as Verse fell. He had only just begun his descent when, just like Melody far, far below, he changed… Twilight screamed as Noth dropped her in the confusion. Her hands flailed about as she tumbled through the air, wait, hands? HANDS?! Summoning her magic, Twilight wrapped herself in a telekinetic field, stopping her descent. She grunted as the force of her own magic kept her from plummeting to the ground far, far below. Lily, Dash, and Noth flapped harder to reach her. As soon as Dash wrapped her arms around Twilight, the magi relaxed, feeling safe in Dash’s iron embrace.

“Guys, what ARE those?!” Noth’s voice was panicked as he pointed with both arms. Beneath and next to them, two creatures that ought not to exist, invariably did… Huge, hulking, massive… Twilight could only describe them in a single, breathless syllable. She and Lily spoke it at the same time. Both of them couldn’t believe it. Didn’t WANT to believe it…

“Roc.”

“What?!” Noth panted, dropping his arms. Above them, harpies took to the air, panicked, bird-like cries and screams punctuating the rumbling sound of displaced air.

“It’s a Roc!” Twilight said, clutching tighter to Dash. “Celestia controls the sun, Luna the moon, who do you think controls the winds?!” She watched in horror as the one on the ground far, far below them spread it’s wings and took the sky. The other, the one Verse had turned into, flapped harder, gaining hundreds of feet in altitude with a few flaps.

“They’ve been dead for millennia! They died along with Aqua, the dragon who controlled water! All the old creatures of legend are dead! How could they-“

Lily was cut off by an ear-splitting screech. Bursting above the wide plateau of Nest, one of the Roc screamed down at the harpies scrambling about. Hundreds of them took to wing, and hundreds of them were swept aside as the gusting winds blew them off of the plateau.

“Dash, Lily, go! Fly! Get out of here!” Twilight panicked, urging them to get out, to get away. Roc were said to control the winds. If they didn’t fly now, they would be caught up in the maelstrom. Dash turned around and flapped away hard and fast… Twilight saw, over her shoulder and through the flapping wings, the other Roc breach the top, screaming another deafening vocalization and blowing the wind back towards it’s pair. Both of them were different colors. One of them had a blue base to it’s feathers, fading into a brilliant, bright yellow near the tips. The other was red, with emerald-green feathers. A color for each of the four winds… Blue for the north, red for the east, yellow for the west, and green for the south… Even now, the two Roc flapped wings and screeched at the panicked harpies beneath them… Twilight lost sight of them as she looked forward. Dash was wheeling in a wide circle, turning down towards the ground. Even if Twilight wasn’t an avian, she knew that the sky wasn’t a wise place to be right then…

“There!” Lily pointed ahead, at a small grove. For their high-speed approach, it would be ideal to land in.

“Got it! Hang on, Twi!” Flapping hard to slow their descent, Dash pulled up short, landing at the speed of a run on the lush grass. She tripped, stumbled, and fell, her and Twilight sprawling out. “Oof! Ow! Fuck, Twi, you okay!” Dash grunted as she rolled to her feet, scrambling towards Twilight’s prone form. Lily and Noth landed less-than-gracefully behind them. Twilight groaned and cupped her head in a hand.

“’M fine.” She muttered. “Just hurt… How do you stand falling like that all the time, Dash?”

“Practice. Come on.” Dash looped Twilight’s arm over her shoulders and lifted her up. All three of them looked up at the top of Nest before making their way towards the safety of the pine forest…

----------

“Clutchmother!” Melody cried out. Her voice came as a rumbling, screaming eagle cry, the kind that blasted wind across the plateau. Together, she and Verse landed atop Nest, their talons cracking stone beneath their formidable weight. Every harpy was either flying away or cowering atop the plateau, wide eyes frightened at the visage of their two gods bearing down at them.

“Great Roc!” Melody spied the Clutchmother, patron saint of the harpy race, extending her arms atop one raised platform near the middle of Nest. Harpies flocked towards her, crying out to their priestess for guidance. “Why have we angered you? What have we done to incur the wrath of our guiding winds?!” Her voice lifted strong and proud over the roaring winds. Melody spoke in a voice that didn’t belong to her, screaming words that weren’t entirely hers…

“You and your people have betrayed the way of the winds! You wage war and kill and sow violence! Your corruption and insolence killed us! Killed your gods! WE DEMAND BLOOD!” Together, she and Verse dove forwards, beaks grabbing the Clutchmother’s withered body. She was as easy to rip in half as a sheet of paper. Flinging the two halves of her body from the mountaintop, she and Verse screamed their commandments to the sky for all to hear.

“YOU ARE ALL CONDEMNED TO WANDER THE WORLD WITHOUT YOUR GUIDING WINDS! ONLY WHEN YOUR CHILDREN AND YOUR CHILDREN’S CHILDREN PREACH LOVE AND PASSION, NOT WAR AND VIOLENCE, WILL YOU RETURN TO LIVE BY OUR SIDES!” Screaming loud and long, Verse and Melody flapped their wings once more. The gale-force winds sent harpies tumbling across the surface of the massive stone mountain, their frail bodies breaking against their homes, against the iron cages, tumbling off and into nothingness as they were swept away. Storm clouds brewed above Nest, striking flying harpies with loud, crashing lightning. Fire leapt from their wings, engulfing feathers and torching fleeing harpies. Their burning bodies fell from the sky, screaming and begging for mercy as they died.

Only a few escaped. Maybe a quarter of them. They dove low along the mountainside and cut across the tops of the trees, dodging bodies of their friends and families, some of them crushed by falling homes and buildings. Verse and Melody cleared the ground of Nest, their claws sweeping stone homes off of the mountaintop, their winds knocking the iron cages and other devices off and into the forest below. All the while, the storm raged, gusting winds and cracking lightning. When their home was clear, the twin Roc raised their heads to the sky and let out a piercing eagle call that rumbled across the lands…

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“Let me GO! I have to go back!” Lily struggled against Dash’s grip, her eyes set on the maelstrom atop Nest. The four of them watched the burning bodies tumble from the sky like meteors, though they were thankfully far enough to avoid the crashing homes and wreckage. Nest was being ripped apart before their very eyes, the massive, monolithic home of the harpies being ripped to pieces by the deity gods it paid homage to. “I have to rescue my children!”

“Lily, those ARE your children!” Dash grunted, holding the weakened changeling in place easily enough. “That’s Verse! That’s Melody! Don’t you get it?!” She growled. Twilight understood. She knew what had happened. She didn’t believe it, she most definitely didn’t WANT to believe it, but there they were… The change had happened right in front of her eyes. Verse and Melody had changed, becoming the massive, hulking, feathery beasts that now wrought destruction on their rightful home. Nest was, after all, the ancestral home of the two Roc that had existed long, long ago… Their wrath shook the earth, made the ground rumble beneath their feet. The lightning storm began to spit rain. Not a gentle, nourishing type of rain… This was the type of rain that numbed hands and feet, cut through the air and stung skin like needles…

“WAIT, DAMNIT!” Dash finally had to take action. Fist curled, she struck Lily right at the base of her skull. It didn’t knock the changeling unconscious, but it made her slump forward. “We need to get to shelter. Noth, help me with her.” Dash grunted and hoisted the groggy woman up just as Noth dipped his shoulders underneath one arm. Twilight woodenly took Lily’s other arm, leaving Rainbow Dash to shake her hand out with a grimace. “Has she always been LITERALLY hard-headed?” Dash grunted, surveying the bruising flesh of her hand.

“You don’t even know…” Twilight said weakly, her legs shaking. The rain was already beginning to fall harder, peppering the four of them with ice-cold droplets.

“We need to find shelter.” Noth grounded them in reality, pointing with his chin at an outcropping of rock nearby. “Maybe we can find a cave, or at least some high shelter there.” Dash grunted and took the lead, walking fast towards the stone formation Noth had indicated. Twilight and Noth followed slowly, dragging the limp, mumbling Lily after her. When they followed Dash around the right edge, they spotted her waving them on.

“I found a shelf. It’s no cave, but it’ll keep us dry. Come on.” She called, urging them on. Twilight summoned what little strength she had and followed Dash in under the rocky shelf. The rain thankfully didn’t follow, and near the back, she collapsed with Lily.

“Oww…” Lily groaned as they fell, the hard stone unforgiving.

“Sorry, love…” Twilight panted, her skin breaking out in a feverish sweat.

“I’m going.” Dash said, standing at the entrance.

“You can’t.” Noth laid a hand on her arm. “Those winds will rip you to pieces.”

“I’m the only one who CAN handle those winds, Noth. I need to get our supplies. Look at them. Lily’s probably got a concussion, and Twilight’s about to get a cold. We won’t survive without the first aid supplies or food. I don’t think we’re far. The clearing we landed in was the one we passed before we dropped our bags. Stay here, cut some pine boughs for a bed and a fire, and do what you can for them, okay?” Dash slipped one of her knives out of it’s sheath, handing it to the changeling lieutenant. Noth took it hesitantly, weighing the options she presented.

“Fine. But try to fly low. I know you’re strong, Dash, but you’re no use to us dead or hurt. They need you now.” Noth glanced at them over his shoulder. “I need you.” Dash smiled at him before pulling a pair of goggles from beneath her waistband. She snapped them on her head, leaning in to kiss Noth before taking off.

“Oh.” Twilight said, waiting a few moments after Dash had flown off to speak. Noth glanced at her, smiling sheepishly. “That’s new… I never figured Dash for the type to fall in love.”

“Hey, hey…” Noth said, walking forward slowly. “Easy with the L word, there. Besides, you’re one to talk, falling for a lieutenant yourself.” He nodded to Lily, her eyes fluttering as she raised her hands to her head. “She needs help.” He said. “I don’t want to leave both of you weakened like this. You need to warm up. Here.” He set the knife aside, smoothly shifting into a hulking, furry bear. Twilight almost gasped, but the bear smoothly turned around and pressed it’s side against them, gingerly laying down. The heat radiating out from the musky, grizzled fur was enough to make Twilight forget about her pain. She curled close to Lily, both of them huddling inbetween the cold stone wall and the warm bear.

“Lily… Come on, hon, stay awake.” Twilight urged, shaking Lily gently. “You can’t sleep with a bonk to the head like that. Stay awake. Stay awake for me, okay?”

“Hmm… I’m okay, Twi… Just hurts.” Lily mumbled slowly. Twilight knew she wasn’t okay, but she was lucid. Coherent, even.

“Just stay awake, okay?” She urged, driving the point home. Lily smiled at her bravely.

“If you can keep me up.” The bear grumbled then, making both of them grin and laugh. “Ow,” Lily groaned, holding her head. Twilight sighed and pulled Lily close against her chest, both of them soaking up the warmth from the big, hairy bear. “Dash can punch REALLY hard…” Lily mumbled softly, nuzzling closer to Twilight.

“I know… We’ve all changed…” Twilight said softly. So much had happened, she wasn’t even sure if this was real or a dream. Surely, the Roc couldn’t be real, right? Celestia had told her the story how they had died thousands of years ago… Their bones were lost, never to be found, and the winds had died. It had become the duty of the avians to control the weather, carrying clouds and making winds when they needed to… That was why the dragon territories were so barren, she had been told. The loss of the Roc and of Aqua, the water dragon, had left the land barren and scorched. The dragons would survive, but the other races living there had died along with it… Equestria had flourished, thanks to the avians, and the harpies had adapted well enough… The northern land of Hearth, though, was subjected to the vicious Wendigo, making it a snowy, icy land of unforgiving, unrelenting cold… And the Shadowlands… No one knew what happened in the Shadowlands… Equestrian history in a nutshell, really… The six lands, Equestria, the Shadowlands, dragon territory, Featherhome, Hearth, and the changeling home of Hive, made up the whole of the world as anyone knew it…

To the south were the seas, where no ship had returned from, and the same for the far east, past the dragon territories… North of Hearth and Featherhome, the mountains rose to impassable heights, where cold froze anything that tried to fly over, and no passage was known. Sandwiched in it’s small place between the Shadowlands and Hearth, Hive normally kept to itself, and west past the Shadowlands… No one knew what was past the Shadowlands.

“Twilight?” Lily said gently, returning the magi’s thoughts to the present.

“Yes?”

“Are they going to be alright?” Her lover asked, her voice muffled through the fabric of Twilight’s worn, dirty shirt. Twilight heaved a sigh, her hand idly stroking Lily’s fiery-red curls.

“I don’t know, Lily… But if anyone can survive this, it’ll be Melody and Verse. They’re a lot more mature than we give them credit for… And a lot stronger, too…” Twilight kissed the top of Lily’s head, her lover finally done shaking. “They’ll make it. I know they will.”

“They have to.” Lily said softly.

Atop them, Noth grunted.

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

“Fuck!” Dash cursed as the winds blew her off-course again. She was strong, but so were the winds. She was actually lathered in sweat by the time she had made it back to the meadow they had landed in. Wings flared, she caught herself and turned about, flapping hard to regain the ground she had lost. She just had to make it to… There! The tall, dead pine… Brown needles were being stripped off of the tree in the hurricane-force winds, peppering Dash almost as much as the icy, lance-like rain. Atop Nest, high above her, the Roc continued to screech and scream. They spat bolts of lightning from their beaks, striking down any harpies that came close. Dash stayed low, just above the treetops, well out of the way of their wrath. It took her at least a half an hour of hard flying, but she finally made it to the tree. Sure, she could have walked, but she would have been lost in an instant. Dash needed to be airborne to keep her sense of direction.

There, stashed against the tree trunk, were the packs she and Noth had brought from Eyriewatch. They had stopped off at the tower-like town, resupplied, and got one night of rest before continuing on into Featherhome. Not that Dash would call it rest… There would be time for lusty thoughts later on. For now, Dash started the hardest part… She couldn’t wear the packs when she flew, so she had to hold them both in her hands, weighing her down, and giving her two more wind-catching devices to fight. Taking off again, Dash turned her back to the wind, fighting to get swept away as she huffed back towards the meadow. Flying with the wind wasn’t as hard as flying with it, just more tricky. It took technique. And for Dash to do it in such high winds with the load she bore, it spoke very much of her natural talent. Grunting, she landed and tumbled again.

That’s twice in two days, Dash. She thought, spitting grass from her mouth and searching for the packs. They had caught on a stray root, thankfully. Yanking them free, Dash rested her wings and walked off towards the rock. This way, at least, she knew… Fifteen minutes later, just over an hour after she had left, Dash ducked under the overhang. She was lathered with sweat, dirt, grass, dirty, smelly, and tired. Nevertheless, she smiled at the big bear. “How are they?” She asked, dropping the packs at the bear’s paws. Noth emerged where the bear had been, revealing a surprised Lily and Twilight.

“They’re fine. A little cold still, but fine.” Dash smiled and crouched down, flipping one pack open. She pulled a medium-sized blanket out, threw it open, and covered them with it. Noth retrieved the knife he had set aside, whispering in Dash’s ear that he was going to get some pine boughs for their shelter. He slipped out and into the storm, leaving Dash to her task.

“Where’d it go… I thought I tucked it in with the- AAH! Here we go.” She pulled a small bottle out, swirling the dark blue liquid around. “Twilight, know what this is?” She asked, holding the small vial out. Twilight squinted at it for a moment.

“Is that… Arcanum?”

“Yup. Arcanum.” Dash thought Twilight might need a little bit if she was malnourished after being held prisoner. The apothecary at Eyriewatch had given her the magical elixir gladly when she explained they were on a prisoner rescue mission. “Here, drink up. I need you to make sure Lily isn’t concussed. Sorry about that, by the way.”

“I’ll pay you back.” Lily smirked as Twilight took the bottle, popping the wax seal and drinking half the liquid. She replaced the wax and handed it back to Dash. This potion was mixed from Arcanum flowers and water from a Purespring, a magical source of water that dotted the land of Equestria here and there. It helped replenish a magi’s reserves, refresh them, make them temporarily stronger if they were already full. For Twilight, it would only help temporarily. She set to work immediately, her hands glowing as she cupped Lily’s head.

“Hmm… Oh, you’re fine, Lily… Just a bruise is all. A big one, but no brain damage.” Twilight said after a few long moments.

“Does this mean I can go to sleep?” Lily asked weakly. Twilight chuckled and nodded, kissing Lily’s head as she took a moment to heal the bruise anyways. Lily almost immediately closed her eyes and tucked up against Twilight, her even breathing filling their small space. Dash smiled at the sight of her slumbering friend, thankful the two of them were alright. Still, the more important two were in jeopardy… Or maybe not. Dash really didn’t know. All she DID know was they were still screaming atop Nest, the ground rumbling with their power now and then.

“Here,” Dash held out a thin strip of jerky to Twilight, keeping one for herself. Twilight smiled and took it, adjusting just a bit for the damp, sweaty Dash. Not that she smelled any better herself… Harpies didn’t believe in baths or showers for their prisoners. Using what water they did get for hygiene meant going thirsty. Twilight would have given her right arm for a good bath… “Are you guys okay?” Dash asked. Twilight sighed and looked down at a slumbering Lily.

“I think so. That was tough, Dash… I honestly thought we were going to die…” She said softly, her eyes suddenly feeling heavy. She kept herself awake by taking another bite of jerky. “Is it true?” She asked gently. “Is Celestia prisoner?” Dash sighed and leaned back against the wall, her side pressed against Twilight’s.

“It is.” The avian replied softly. “For a little over a year now. The changelings pushed through to the palace. She wouldn’t give it up without a fight. It was brilliant, Twilight… I’ve never seen her OR Luna take out that many changelings… Casting spells left and right, they’d plow through them in droves. You could SEE the magic for miles… The guard was getting slaughtered, though… We had to pull out, or lose everyone. Celestia stayed, Luna took off to one of the towers, and then flew south to meet up with the guard…” Dash started explaining the events, swaying between energetic and happy to sad, almost reserved…

“She lasted for HOURS, Twi! Spell after spell after spell, one after the other, just bam, bam, bam! It was INSANE. Eventually, though, she was swarmed… Chrysalis sent a letter to Luna with her terms. The surrender of Canterlot, or she would feed off of Celestia day in and day out until she was strong enough to take over all of Equestria. There was only one problem with that,”

“Her magic.” Twilight said.

“Exactly. We got reports that she’s being injected with magesbane over and over. She’s chained and locked up, and we have reason to believe she’s doing the same thing Lily did with all of us to get what power she does have…”

“Wow, really?” Twilight asked incredulously. Dash just nodded at her solemnly. “Well… If her magic wasn’t locked up, she might actually like that…”

“And if it wasn’t the queen of the changelings herself… I meant to tell you, by the way… Rarity really did it… Chrysalis is missing her arm. She cut it off, and the bitch hasn’t been able to grow it back. She looks so damn ugly…” Dash smiled slightly, mirroring Twilight.

“You go, girl…” Twilight said softly, a silent nod going out to the memory of her dead friend…

“So… Chrysalis is stronger than ever. We haven’t seen ANY primes in the past few months. She’s slowly feeding off of Celestia’s magic, what little there is…” Twilight gnawed on her lip for a moment, thinking through it.

“How… How did you know where to find us, Dash?” She asked softly. Dash glanced at her with a smile.

“Luna has a few defected lieutenant spies. Since Chrysalis can’t feel them in her mind, since they’re independent, they left her. One or two of them told Chrysalis to her face, but a few of them just left… To those who turned themselves over, Luna promised a bunch of stuff. Citizenship, money, land, whatever… But she promised more if they became her spies. That’s what Noth is.” She nodded out into the storm. “He was there when Celestia received the letter you guys sent from Spike. Chrysalis read it, and sent a huge force this way. Don’t worry, Noth and I passed them two weeks ago. They won’t be here for a few days,” She laid a hand on Twilight’s arm to settle her. “We have time to get Verse and Melody back before we leave. Relax. But Celestia got the letter in her captivity, Chrysalis read it, and sent them here. It was thanks to that letter Noth knew. He came and told Luna, and I volunteered to bring you four back myself. Noth came along, thanks to her orders. I wouldn’t have been able to do it alone…” She said wistfully. Something, though, was nagging at Twilight…

“Dash, you said Celestia was being injected with magesbane, right…?” She asked slowly. Dash nodded.

“Yeah. The liquid form. Hard stuff. I think they said every two hours. Even Celestia couldn’t break through that…” While Twilight didn’t doubt the palace had a large enough stock to keep Celestia locked away forever, she did doubt that Spike’s letter had gone through.

“Dash… Spike’s magic is a two-way sort of thing… He wouldn’t have been able to send that letter if Celestia’s magic was locked away… It wouldn’t have gone through.” She said quietly. “Poor guy accidentally ate a magesbane flower out in the forest with the crusaders one time… Celestia tried sending a letter during those few days, and when I learned of it, she said she had torched nearly half of her bedroom… It would work the other way, too… We would all have burned when Spike sent that letter…”

“So… You’re saying…”

“Celestia’s magic isn’t locked away. Not completely.”

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“Alright, bitch.” Celestia looked up at the lieutenant changeling as it pushed through the door to her cell. The chains clinked as she shifted slightly. “Time for your injection. Double dose today. Chrysalis is out, and doesn’t want you to have ANY of it.” He chuckled, holding two syringes packed full of clear liquid.

“Oh? Chrysalis is out?” She asked, her tone halfway bemused. The lieutenant smacked her rough, hardly a tingle, really…

“Quiet, you bitch! I don’t want to hear anything from you!” He grasped her chin, wrenching her head around. “But yes, Chrysalis is gone. What’s more, she said we could have our way with you. So after this, I think I might just get my dick wet. You’d probably like that, you little wh-URK!”

“Hmm… I don’t think so…” Celestia’s lips spread in a thin smile as she grasped the lieutenant with her magic. Her very real, very alive magic. “Not today. Not anymore.” With a sickening crunch, she twisted his neck. The syringes fell to the floor, breaking open and spilling their deadly liquid onto the floor. Celestia slowly pulled herself away from the post she had been chained to, the links glowing red-hot as she rose up, her body passing through the molten metal with ease. She stood up, nonchalantly brushing hissing metal from her breast and shoulders.

“What’s happe-AIIEEE!” Another changeling had burst through the door, but was quickly engulfed in flame.

“Hmm.” Celestia mused to herself. “If I was full strength, that would have disintegrated him… I ought to be careful. Oh well. I just need to get the message out.” Smooth and slow, she walked out of the door, her body dirty and scarred from the long ordeal of being held captive. She was nude, and slightly thinner than she had been. Two more changelings in the hall succumbed to her flames as she slowly made her way out of the dungeons. By the time she was in the halls, a dozen had burned away before her.

“Ooh, ow…” She popped her back, feeling the muscles twinge slightly. “Not good for me to sit around all that time… Would have been nice of dear old Chrissy to let me stretch now and then…” Nonchalantly, Celestia cast her hand towards the first window she came across. From her fingertips burst a dazzling ball of purple and pink flames, arcing through the sky. It whistled as it flew, arcing high through the air. When it burst, the light shone through the long row of windows she had been walking past, burning more and more changelings. She made it to the entry, pulling the doors open for Luna, who smiled as she ascended the steps.

“Good to see you again, Tia.” Luna said softly, wrapping her sister in a hug. “I heard from Mathias when Chrysalis left to go speak with Baal. We waited for your signal, as planned. Here you are.” Luna broke the hug and waved her hands, summoning a small, wrapped bundle. Celestia smiled serenely at her sister, pulling on the simple white blouse and long, brown skirt she always wore.

“Thank you, sister. And sorry for worrying you so.”

“Bah. Melody and Verse are fine, apparently… I knew you’d survive. You always do.” Luna smiled as she and Celestia turned back into the castle. They joined hands, night and day once more. “By the way, Gale and Hurricane are back.”

“Oh really?” Celestia arched her eyebrow at Luna, who nodded softly.

“Reports from Eyriewatch say Nest has been all but obliterated… The four winds blow again, sister. Roc rule the skies once more.” Luna smiled wide at her sister, even as the war cry of the guard roared up from the south… “There is much for you to catch up on.”

“This is good news. I wonder if Verse and Melody had anything to do with it…?”

“Oh, most definitely. Well then, are you ready?” Luna smiled at Celestia, who nodded and took the first few steps into the palace.

“Time to take our city back.”

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

Melody watched herself as she spat fire and lightning down from Nest. The arcing lighting crashed with deafening blows into the earth, tearing up trees and lighting the forest aflame. Her wings sent spinning tornadoes of flame out into the air. Long ago, the harpies that survived had fled, now, they were just venting their rage. She and Verse kicked up hurricane winds and lanced lightning out into the land, exercising their new powers…

Though it wasn’t really her. More and more, Melody felt herself beginning to detach from the massive, frightening form. Her vision dulled, growing fuzzy until it felt like she was looking at the world through a long tunnel… Then it went dark. She was blind, and alone, and very, very frightened. One moment she was dead, the next she was flying, screaming, casting fiery spells and lightning and…

“I want my mother…” She whispered softly.

”Oh? Your mother?” The voice was low, vibrating through her chest like the screams had earlier. But it was soothing. It made her feel warm, and very safe…

“Yes. I want my mom!” Tears began to course from her eyes as she cried, shaking a little. She didn’t know where she was or what was happening… She was so scared…

”Shh, shh, child… Relax. I cannot give you your mother. But how would you like to see your brother?”

“Verse?! Yes, please!” She cried out, her tears still running from her eyes, though she stopped sobbing.

”Very well. Open your eyes, child.” She snapped back to consciousness then, gasping as the cold reality struck her. Cold. Ice-cold. Like, windy cold and rain. She was standing atop Nest, the harpy city almost completely wiped from the mountaintop. Before her, Verse stood, tears shining on his face as he looked around dumbly at their surroundings.

“Verse!” Melody cried out, running to him.

“Melody?” He didn’t even stumble as she threw her arms around him, halfway thankful for his warm body, halfway thankful for his warm hug… Very warm. So warm, in fact, he was…

“Oh shit!” Melody gasped and wrenched herself away, realizing then the two of them were entirely nude. Hands flying to try and cover herself, Melody jumped away. Just then, a massive wing cut off her view of him. The feathers were… Red... They slowly faded into a brilliant green, though, just near the tips. Following the wing up, she slowly came face-to-face with a very large, very deadly-looking bird.

She screamed.

”Shh! Shush, child!” The voice thundered at her, making her scream cut off. She fell back onto her rear, the cold stone hurting her backside as she fell. ”Relax. I am Hurricane, Roc of the southern and eastern winds. I will not harm you.” The voice soothed her once more, made her heart stop thundering in her ears.

“H-how… Wait, I… We were…”

”Yes, Melody. You gave birth to me. Would you like me to explain?” Melody’s head reeled at the implications, her mind struggling to grasp what the massive beast said. Slowly, dumbly, she nodded her head, even as she began to shiver. The cold bit into her, making her quiver atop the cold stone. With a gentle, tender motion. The Roc cupped it’s wing around her. Each feather was nearly as large as her body, and there were hundreds… This beast was massive… She felt herself gently picked up, brought closer to the Roc’s downy breast. There, amongst the ruby and emerald feathers, she was nustled, kept warm against the fire-like beating of it’s heart. The voice filled her once more, soothing and warming her in equal measure.

”My brother Gale and I died long, long ago… Our people, the harpies, betrayed us. They no longer guided the world, like our winds guided the weather. Instead, they bartered and traded, fought and squabbled. Their betrayal slowly withered away on us, killing the spirit of the four winds. We flew over the northern mountains and died together, our bones buried under the snow and ice. However, it was written that two children of love would come into the world, and from their power, we old gods would be born anew, to fill the world once more. Melody, it is thanks to you and your brother Verse that Gale and I can fly once more. The betrayal of our people was not forgotten, though… Now that we are strong once more, we can punish them for what they have done, and guide the new generation back to where they need to be.

“Without your power, your unique brand of magic, I would not be alive today. Nor would Gale. I cannot promise our immediate children will like you, but I will say this…” Melody felt something wrap around her body, warming her further. It filled her senses with it’s warm, comforting embrace. She inhaled the heady scent, a primal sort filled with heat and musk. The cool stone was set against her feet once more, and she stood on strong legs. Looking down, she saw she was clothed once more. ”I owe a debt of gratitude to the children of love. As long as I draw breath, Nest will always welcome you. My power is yours, Melody. Ask, and you shall receive.”

Melody’s eyes went wide as she looked herself over. She wore a beautiful blouse, ablaze with the colors of the winds. Red and green embroidery decorated the muted yellow fabric, the whole thing trimmed with blue… It was a vibrant, striking garment. In it’s embrace, she felt supported, warm, and comforted. The biting wind was nothing more than a refreshing breeze. The cold rain felt like a spring shower. She smelled of flowers.

“I…” She struggled to find the words. “Thank you, Hurricane.” She looked up at the Roc, suddenly not so frightened anymore. “Thank you so much… You saved my life as well…” The face was drawn and hard, the cold eyes glaring down at her… Yet the aura of power emanating from this magnificent creature was comforting and warm, and it seemed as if the Roc was smiling at her. It tucked it’s wings against her body once more, and across the wide plateau she saw Verse. He was clothed in a very similar tunic, his long arms bare. His lower half was clad in loose brown trousers, and once Lily glanced down, she saw she wore the same. Their feet sported strong, supportive boots. Thick soles and tight laces.

”I know you wish to see your mother. She and her friends, and her lover, are resting right now. In the morning, they will come for you and Verse. Until then, stay with us.” This was Gale’s voice echoing through her now. It filled her senses much the same way, though it sent a shiver down her spine… Unlike Hurricane, Gale’s voice was cool… Like stepping into a walk-in freezer, and held a hint of something dark… Gale, brilliant with his blue and yellow colors, was the bearer of the winds of the north, of Hearth… And of the West… The Shadowlands.

“Thank you both.” Verse said quietly, smiling over at Melody. “But… What do we do now?” His expression darkened, along with Melody’s, as they awkwardly stood atop the wind-swept, shattered plateau. Before them, Gale and Hurricane swung their massive heads around, looking deep into one another’s eyes. After a few long moments, they gave a slight, almost imperceptible nod.

”After this, the children of love have a task. It was written long ago you two would fill the world with the old gods once more.”

“The God of Water, the dragon Aqua, died with us.”

“The God of Darkness, Shadow, has not died, but lies dormant to the west…”

“The Gods of Cold, the Wendigos, have long since passed from this world.”

“The God of Discord lies banished in the garden of Canterlot.”

“And many, many more gods have perished in the ages past… You two, Melody, Verse, will bring them back. That is your task.”

-----------

“Twilight. Twilight, wake up.” The gentle voice lulled her from her sleep. Groaning, she opened her eyes and looked up. In the cold pre-dawn light, she saw the shadowy outlines of three people leaning over her.

“What? What’s happening?”

“We don’t know,” Lily said quietly. “But we need to get up to Nest. The storm has died, and the winds are calm. Come on.” They gently pulled her up, giving her time to wake up. She was handed a canteen full of cool water and a thick strip of dried jerky. She ate and drank greedily, enjoying the feeling of strength returned to her once more. Her magic was back in place, and her body felt rested, despite the hard surface beneath them.

“Alright, let’s go…” They pushed the sodden pine boughs away from the opening of the overhang, looking out at the pine forest. Birds chirped in the early morning, and pine needles dripped water onto the forest floor. It was serene, a stark contrast to the previous day… “Woah.” She said softly, looking around. The sight of Nest made her look up, at the peak, where she saw… Nothing… Just the cold edge of the monolith.

“Come on. I’ll carry you, Twi.” Dash said softly. Twilight nodded and let Dash pick her up, the four of them taking to the sky. Judging by how easily Lily was keeping up, she had recovered as well. They flapped hard, gaining altitude on their long climb up to Nest. It took them a while, but they finally made it, and when they breached the edge of the mountaintop, what Twilight saw nearly took her breath away.

”Aah. Melody, Verse… Your parents are here…”

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

So, the path is laid for the rest of the story. Melody and Verse have to somehow bring the old gods back into the world, and are the bearers of an old magic none know how to use. Indeed, bringing the Roc back was almost chance… However, if anyone can do it, it’d be these two.

Meanwhile, Chrysalis is regaining her strength… So much so, in fact, that there have been no primes of late. How long will her strength last, though? Has she just bought a few years, or has feeding off of Celestia’s power secured her place as queen for the next few centuries?

Good thing Celestia escaped, then. The war re-heats as Celestia and Luna fight to regain Canterlot.

I hope you all enjoyed this double upload ^.^ About 3/4ths of the last chapter, and this entire one, were written in one singular night at work. I’m doing this for several reasons:

- I won’t be updating The Untold Chapters for a long, long while.

- I’ll only be updating Melody’s Tale every week. Look for new uploads on Wednesdays.

- I’ll be focusing on the new story for EQAD’s Cloptober contest, which is also the reason for the previous two. Check my most recent blog posts for more information on this

- Mists of Pandaria released, and I’m fucking hooked again. I may very well be cancelling livestreams in lieu of leveling, writing, and, you know, sleep…

- I fucking love writing. The ideas came smooth and easy, and helped lay the groundwork for the rest of the story.

- It’s fucking Melody’s Tale, man! Y’all should be fuckin’ happy XD

Also, I explained a lot of shit in this chapter… Particularly, the layout of the world. I KNOW! I KNOW! Calm your tits, everybody… There’s a canon map of Equestria out there. I know this. This is part of the knowledge I have in my brain.

I just don’t give a shit. I started writing ADKOL before that map was released, and I like making my own world as it is. So, shut your face and read my fucking story. If I get any gripes about geography, I’m going to laugh at you derisively and insult your mother. Then ignore you.

Also: I kinda want to draw out the map for this… Just so you guys know where everything is, since I’ve covered a HUGE amount of ground in the last four chapters. There are a few problems with this, though…

I can’t fucking draw T-T

If anyone knows a map-building program for like, D+D or something, I would much appreciate a link/description how to get. There are only a few stipulations: Has to be online, or at least bought online, can’t require me to have a printer (I need to just have, like, an image saved to my hard drive.) And if it requires a tablet that you have to draw with… Well then I’m fucked. Though my friend has one I might be able to borrow.

Alternatively, if someone would be willing to draw a map for me on commission, I would be incredibly happy, and perhaps willing to pay? There are a few stipulations for this, as well: It’s my fucking map. If I want you to change something, you either change it or we give the project up. My imagination, your talent. You will get recognized (And possibly paid) for your work, but I want it to be as damn close to perfect as it can be.

If you know something along these lines, or ARE someone alone these lines, please, send me an email jordanwilliams08(at)gmail.com or leave a comment or send me a PM on the site or SOMETHING!

And that should be all. Like I said, I wrote a TON of content in the past week, so my chickens might not all be in order. If I missed something, leave a comment, send me a PM, and if I didn’t mean to do it, I’ll fix it. I cannot TELL you how many times a comment from a reader pointed out a major issue with the chapter.

Thanks to ALL my readers, I love you all ^.^

Loyal out <3