The Odyssey of Xheda

"These old bones have endured the
test of time, but for the sake of Harmony,
they will endure the Wrath set upon them."
- Biju, The Diamond Dog Scholar

It was a warm summer morning for the melon farm, muggy and muddy from the previous day of rain. A few bugs and the occasional parasprite had been seen circling the biggest of watermelons only to be quickly swat away and out of the air by a large mare, a blue and orange polka dot cloth tied nicely around her thick and curled brown mane and a few gardening tools at her disposal in her saddlebags. Always by the end of the day, her orange coat is thick with sweat and covered in mud, With a mark bearing a stack of melons on her flank, Melon Drop worked day in and day out on her farm; her sons all grown up and moved to big cities like Manehatten, her daughters all married to the rich blooded ponies and never having to worry about working a day in their lives again, and finally her husband who had perished two years back, leaving her with the great melon farm to tend to by herself. Well, that is incorrect, the farm had been left to both Melon Drop and their adopted child, a changeling boy that Melon Drop and her husband had come across in...Heh, well, perhaps that should be explained first.

--

With his final suit case packed and ready, the last son of Melon Drop and Fruity Seed had left the farm to live out his life following his destiny. The house now an empty nest, the crop lifted and ready to be sold, all was quiet on the melon farm. But even with the peace finally attained, it could not shake the feeling of sadness from Melon Drop's heart. A big family, four sons and three daughters now reduced to just the parents and a large settlement of farmland.

"Fruity, what do we do now?" Melon Drop asked her husband, her form back then had been smaller and lacked the great muscle it would soon have in the future.

"Ah, don't fret y' pretty head, Melon M'dear! We've known th's day would be comin' soon didn't we?" Fruity responded with a cheerful tone to his wife; a gray stallion with a cut black mane, a series of seeds with various fruits on his flank bore itself as his cutie mark. "C'mon, lets git to town and relax fer the night, eh?"

It had been two whole years since the new princess had been announced to Equestria, Ponyville flourished greatly and had expanded, both becoming the kingdom to the new princess and home of the elements of harmony. Dubbed New Ponyville, the new kingdom was vibrant with nature and color, yet of course also retaining the history of Ponyville as well with a dividing gate between Old Ponyville and New Ponyville, not to separate two factions, but to preserve memories and history. Within New Ponyville, just beyond the gate, was a variety of markets, granted to the various races. Housed under marble rooftop and held up by fine carved Corinthian pillars and positioned in a circular formation, the markets were perhaps the loudest section of New Ponyville and carried with the hustle and bustle the variety of scents too.

Acting as a free land, one would find an assortment of characters as passerby folk, ranging from goats who brought forth their whimsical instruments and highland music to Diamond Dogs that traded gemstones and metals for means of expanding their strongholds beneath the ground. Just beyond the markets stands the keep of the princess, standing tall with the six banners of the elements fluttering in the wind from the poles on its surface; Under the caring eye of the new princess Twilight Sparkle, Ponyville, both new and old, was a safe haven of tolerance towards all races. Save...for one. Tolerable as many can be within the walls of Ponyville, a natural hatred is still shared amongst them towards the Changelings, for not even the princess herself can change the minds of thousands who had endured and lost many to the emotion feasting creatures that crept and sneaked about.

With a day of celebration and cider in their bellies, the sunset soon greeted Equestria, letting all know of Celestia's time to sleep and Luna's time to rise. But though Fruity Seed's heart was content, Melon Drop's was longing, she had loved to work on her farm, but she loved even more to be a mother, to look after her children and raise them. With her sons and daughters now gone, her heart was empty, until the sounds of laughter filled her ears from the side; an orphanage with little fillies and colts running around on its property in the child-like humor that most children show these days, common to playing outside in the fresh air. It was just the answer Melon Drop was seeking to her dilemma!

"Fruity! Look over there!" Melon Drop pointed towards the Orphanage with a glimmer in her eye, her husband Fruity Seed obeyed without question and turned his head. He didn't need to question why or what he was seeing, it was clear to him what Melon Drop wanted just by simply asking him to look. "The farm's goin' to be right tough to take care of, I reckon. And Ah, well, ah sure wouldn't mind a little one callin' me 'Ma' again."

"Well then, lets hustle on over an' have a look at the lil ones!" Fruity seed spoke and smiled, gently nudging his wife onward as they approached the orphanage. Bearing a similar resemblance to the old one room school that was ran by Cheerilee despite the fact that it was a two story building unlike the school, the orphanage bore a grey color and stood tall over the playing children. Fruity Seed and Melon Drop sat down on the grass and watched the fillies and colts enjoy their youth playing in the lawn outside the building. Fruity Seed would likely had just picked one out at random and been done with it but Melon drop on the other hand, she wanted something more; she wanted a unique child to raise, one that stood out fro the rest, one that could be identifiable without a second guess. And then, her attention turned towards a single tree that stood beside the orphanage, staring upon a small figure wrapped up in a beige cloak as though trying to hide himself from the world; Melon Drop approached the caretaker immediately.

"May ah ask ya'll who that little one is over there?" Melon Drop inquired about the cloaked orphan. The Caretaker looked over at the tree and sighed softly, gently shaking her head as she turned her attention back to Melon Drop.

"That's Xheda, ma'am. He and the others don't exactly get along, even though I try to get them all to play nicely with each other." The caretaker responded; when asked why they did not get along, the cartaker gently turned Melon Drop's head towards Xheda, who had quietly removed the hood of his cloak. "Because he is a changeling."

It had screamed out to Melon Drop, her heart, her mind, her very soul, telling her that this was the one, this was the unique child she had been thinking of. It wasn't long before Fruity Seed was filling out the adoption forms, Melon Drop had begun to converse with her new child Xheda, wanting to know about him more and more, "Whats your favorite food? Favorite Color? Do you love drawing? Have you been to a farm?" The constant questions didn't leave Xheda in a good bind, but he didn't mind it, he finally had someone who wanted to take care of him; He had found someone who he could call 'mother.'

--

It was the middle of the afternoon by now, Melon Drop had finished her harvest and loaded up the last watermelon onto the cart and had strapped herself in for the voyage to New Ponyville. She then whistled behind her as loud as she could, "Xheda! Come along! We're headin' fer New Ponyville!"

And without wasting a moment, the young changeling came running out of the barn and to his mother's side, his green-turquoise pseudo-mane hanging over the right side of his head, he smiled up at his mother and latched himself into a smaller harness, although the harness was not attached to the cart in a way that could be helpful, but it eased Melon Drop's heart to see Xheda look like he's doing work when he wants to. "Alright, Ma! I'm all strapped in!"

Digging her hooves into the dirt and Xheda digging his little digit claws in as well, the two pulled on the cart, or rather Melon Drop had pulled with her tremendous strength, onward towards New Ponyville for a day of business. Though it was clear to Melon Drop that she could never surpass the Apple family, every year she would try her hardest to compete with them in sales, but this would be the first time ever that she brought Xheda with her into New Ponyville, unsure if it would help her sales or make her the town pariah. An hour of travel behind them had revealed to them New ponyville, alive with sounds and voices; it was clear to Melon Drop that it was going to be a difficult day as always. Onward the two trotted into New Ponyville, earning the silence of others as they stared upon them, or rather, upon the changeling that accompanied Melon Drop; Xheda quietly eyed left and right at those who stared upon him, he had begun to become nervous and quietly moved himself underneath Melon Drop for comfort.

Melon Drop looked down and smiled gently, "Now don't ya'll be afraid, Xheda, ye' ain't got nothin' to worry about. Now C'mon, we got some melons to sell!" Melon Drop spoke to Xheda and smiled.

Something about her voice and her smile filled Xheda with confidence and vigor, he slid out from under his mother and nodded his head, "Okay, ma! Lets sell!"

Taking the cart into the market district, Melon Drop and Xheda had begun to call out into the crowd with the promise of fresh melons for as little as 4 bits. And then a voice rang out in Melon Drop's ears with the promise of bushels of Apples for as little as 4 bits; it was the apple family cart with their harvest on display; Melon Drop grit her teeth and stamped her hooves down, "Fresh Melons for 2 Bits!"

Almost instantly, the crowd that had approached the apple family cart turned tail and headed to the Melon cart, and earned the scowls from the apple family, "Bushels of Apples for 2 bits!"

Thus a pricing war had broken out between the two families, drawing the crowd left and right to their deals.

"Bushel of Melons for 2 Bits!"

"Buy One Bushel of Apples, Get one Free!"

"Buy One Bushel of Melons, get two Free!"

"Three Free!"

"Four Free!"

And finally the youngest representative of the apple family cart, with her red mane and ribbon, slammed her hooves down, "Pay 50 Bits and get every apple on this cart!"

Melon Drop's jaw immediately was agape, selling off every single apple for just 50 bits? Had they really wanted to keep her down this badly? Xheda looked upon his mother and rubbed his nose with a digit before gasping and hopping up onto tip top of the Melon cart, a rather precarious area of the melon cart, and raised his hooves up high, "Pay 40 Bits and every melon is yours!"

Now Both the apple family and Melon Drop's jaws were agape, selling every single melon for just 40 bits was ludicrous! But nonetheless, The crowd ran for Melon Drop's cart, bags of bits held out to Melon Drop, who could only grit her teeth as she had grabbed the closest bag of bits. However, the holder of the bag was all too familiar to Melon Drop, and she grimaced at the blonde and tan colored earth pony with her cowboy hat perched on top of her head.

"Afternoon, Applejack..." Melon Drop scowled as she slipped the bag into her saddlebag, her rival only smiled and thought nothing wrong between them.

"And a howdy to you too, Melon Drop! Not sure why'd ya'll would sell everything for one payment of 40 bits, though! But shoot, I ain't passing up a deal like that!" Applejack spoke and tipped her hat as a few of the family members came and unloaded the cart, carrying melons over to the Apple cart and putting them up for sell for 5 bits a melon. "But hey! There's always next harvest! Hope to see ya'll there next time, Melon Drop!"

Melon Drop slowly turned her head towards Xheda with a scowl, "40 bits for every Melon..." Xheda slowly started to shake, knowing that Melon Drop was furious. He wanted to apologize, he wanted to take back what had happened and start the day over, but it was too late for take backs. Melon Drop proceeded to strap back into the reins until Applejack's voice called out to her again, she groaned as she turned her attention to her rival. "Now what, Applejack..."

And the tan pony removed her hat and pressed it against her chest, "I feel terrible for leavin' ya'll with just 40 bits. I can't blame the little one you have for trying to help you out. So why don't I, at least, give back a few of yer melons?" Xheda smiled at such generosity, he couldn't think of the reason why his mother would consider Applejack her rival, but before Xheda could speak up, Melon Drop stamped her hoof down.

"Ah don't need your damned charity, Applejack! Ya'll bought the damn stock, now leave me be!"

And Applejack was thrown aback by Melon Drop's tantrum, all she had done was try to help, knowing full well that Melon Drop had been working herself to the bone on that farm all by herself with Xheda, but Melon Drop was too prideful, and refused her offer; she had even refused the apple family's assistance with her farm for she believed it to be some form of take over on her farm when all they wanted to do was help out a fellow farmer.

The ride back towards the melon farm was a silent one, Melon Drop wouldn't speak and Xheda was too afraid to speak up, he quietly watched Melon Drop from beneath her until he looked at the ground and frowned, "Ma...do you hate me?"

And the cart came to a halt as Melon Drop stopped in her tracks, for a moment she blinked with confusion before realizing what was asked of her. She looked down at Xheda who had begun to sob and undid his harness, taking him gently into her hooves, "Of course not Xheda...I love ya'll with all my heart. But...that wasn't a smart decision back there."

And Xheda looked up at her and frowned, "But that other pony was giving back some melons...why wouldn't you take 'em?"
Melon Drop sighed and looked ahead into the distance, "This ol' girl has too much pride, Xheda, and since all I have is it and you, I ain't giving it up for anyone." Melon drop gently put Xheda down and smiled, "Now c'mon, lets get back to the...farm?"

And as they cleared the hill, all they could see was fire, burning down the farm, the trees, everything around the land. Without a second thought, Melon Drop ran towards the scene with Xheda, their precious home was engulfed in the fires. Xheda stayed behind his mother, who stormed in through the flames, leaving Xheda in the safety outside of the fire, he didn't know what was going on, or how it came to be or even why this had befallen them; his ears then rung as Melon Drop screamed out, "Xheda! Run!"

Xheda's eyes had widen as Melon Drop ran through the flames, chased by what looked like charred creatures, Pony, Diamond Dog, Gryphon alike, but he did as he was told and he quickly turned to run, only to gaze up upon a tall charred beast that stared back down at him. It had looked almost like an Alicorn; it raised its hoof up and then swing it down, grazing Xheda's front right arm and sending him sprawling to the ground. Xheda gasped and clutched his arm, the smoke of the flames slowly getting to him and beginning to knock him out from consciousness.

As Xheda blacked out, a voice called out to him, almost as listening to the whispers of a ghost, "This is where your journey begins, I pray you will forgive me one day."

And then all was silent.