The Forgotten Melody

Picture credited to mlpwikia

Chapter Two

Applesause!

* * *

Twilight stepped off of the train and just about got her face blown off.

"YAAAAAAY! TWILIGHT AND SPIKE ARE BACK FROM CANTERLOT EVERYPONY!!!" yelled the most cheerful, but crazy voice that just about blew off the rest of Twilight's head that wasn't gone from the noises and excitement already. Spike just stood by her side like a statue, his scales shaken up.

A cricket chirped. Twilight's hair, which had blown clean up in a straight line, fell back into place as she stared into the dark center of a blue cannon.

"Ugh," Twilight moaned. Now she was happy to be home, but was a little exhausted from all the action. A pink earth pony jumped around Twilight faster than the alicorn could blink, her magenta, cotton candy-like hair bouncing in a gnarled flip with every hop.

"So," began the pony,  "howwasequestria?DidyouseePrincessCelestia?Ofcourseyousawher,sillyme!DidyougettoseeALLofthecastle?Iknowy-"

"PINKIE PIE!" Twilight yelled to keep the pony from gibbering on. Pinkie stopped right in front of her, blinking at her with her playful sky blue eyes.

"Hee hee! Sorry, I just got TOTALLY EXCITED!" she yelled so loud that it echoed off the buildings. Spike looked as the echo faded, taking notice that the station, the town, everywhere it was deserted.

"Hmm, looks like I stand corrected, Twilight," said the dragon, taking a step forward and showing his observation. "Maybe nopony likes you anymore after all." Twilight saw the bare town and felt about the same way. But before any sad thoughts entered her mind, Pinkie put a hoof on her shoulder.

"That's silly!" she said. "Of course we all remembered about you! Everypony's just-" Pinkie then shoved her hoof in her mouth mid-conversation. "Mmmmmffnmgh!"

"Pinkie?" asked Twilight.

"Errr! I can't tell you!" Pinkie shouted. "Uh, sorry Twilight, but, uh, hey! Will you meet me a Sugarcube Corner at sundown today?!" Twilight closed her eyes and silently laughed, understanding the situation and making connections.

Pinkie Pie. Surprise Return Party. It was obvious.

"Well, okay!" responded Twilight knowingly. "I'll be there!" Pinkie gave her a wide grin.

"GREEEAT! We'll all be expecting you there! ...oh, and of course you too, Spike! Everypony's invited of course!" PInkie Pie then let out a huge gasp. "OH MY CELESTIA! I HAVE STUFF TO DO!!!" Pinkie sped off, wheeling her blue Party Cannon away with her. "See you guys later!" And with that, she vanished around the corner.

"Wow," said Spike, almost in relief. "Looks like you didn't nee the whole town's welcome. Pinkie Pie was enough."

The pair then decided it was best to head back to their home to relax a while before the "party" at Sugarcube Corner, and since they hadn't been back home for two weeks. With Ponyville silent, Twilight assuming everypony was at the Corner, the dragon and alicorn strolled through the streets and back to the center of town, where a large oak sat firm in the square. This wide tree was hollow in the inside, a full library and home filling it up with various porches and windows peeping through the branches of the trees. This library was Twilight's sanctuary, her bed, her comfort, her study. This library was the place where Spike knew there was food and sleep ready when he needed it.

The two creaked open the door, which almost felt unfamiliar considering how long they had been gone, however, Twilight flickered on the lights and was welcomed by the sight of her home.

And then she gasped.

"So.....disorganized!" she exclaimed in disgust.

"It's just as you left it," stated Spike.

"Yes, but my methods of organization change from time to time, Spike," Twilight said. "And it's dusty! Look at how filthy this place turned out while we were gone!" Spike smeared his finger on a nearby table. Nothing. He rolled his eyes.

"Ugh! This will take forever to rearrange!" shouted Twilight, grabbing all the books and things in the room with her magic. Spike tried to retort, but the pony had already thrown everything to the floor, ready to be organized again. She started sifting through books and things. "I'll have to start the process now if I'm going to make it to Sugarcube Corner by sundown tonight!" Spike walked up to the frantic Twilight.

"Orrrr," he began.

"Or what?" asked Twilight, letting the books continue sorting in her magic as she turned to Spike. The baby dragon cracked his knuckles and picked up a nearby feather duster.

"I can clean up this place while you take a break," he suggested.

"Really?" asked Twilight, her eyes widening as she dropped all she was holding. "Spike, you don't have to do this."

"Eh, I need to," he said, commencing his dusting. "While you've been working your flank off in Canterlot I've been doing nothing but sitting around and eating pie with Soarin' and-"

"Wait, what?!" said Twilight. Spike cowered a bit, realizing he had said too much. "You said you were at the Canterlot park!" Spike laughed nervously.

"Well, I was going to the park, but then I met Soarin' because he was off on a break." Spike continued to dust again. "Said something about Spitfire working with a new recruit and she gave him a break. So he came to Canterlot, was on his way to his favorite pie place, we ran into each other and...things fell into place from there." Spike stopped his story when he noticed Twilight still looked stressed. He placed a claw on her shoulder.

"Look, you've been stressed enough in Canterlot as it is," said her friend. "Why not just take a breather?" Twilight processed it in her mind, then sighed.

"Okay, I guess it sounds reasonable, and I might as well look for friends anyway, meet up with them you know!" Twilight began trotting to the door. "You sure you can handle this, Spike?"

"Heh, I've cleaned this library plenty of times!" said Spike confidently. "Leave it to me!" Twilight smiled, and left the library knowing it was in good claws and knowing that a break really was a good idea for her. Besides, her friends probably missed her so much, and she missed them even more.

But during her search...nothing. Nopony. Not even her friends roamed in Ponyville. (She didn't check Sugarcube Corner of course, but she assumed that if Pinkie was making her a surprise party, that it would be rude to barge in.) Still, Twilight assumed her friends would at least stick around for a second before the "party".

"What is this?" she asked herself. "No Rainbow Dash? Well, the sky is clear, she did her job...but Rarity's boutique was closed, and Fluttershy's cottage empty too, so I'm guessing they're all with Pinkie." Twilight then looked in the direction of Sweet Apple Acres.

"Well, I can always see Applejack if Pinkie hasn't stolen her either," perked Twilight. Happily she strode down the path towards the farmlands, enjoying the sun on her face and the breeze in her mane. She almost started to even hum to herself. Anything to get her relaxed. This was her break, after all.

Twilight closed in on the farm, when something just didn't seem right. It was the air. Twilight didn't know what was strange about it, but then she figured out that it smelled abnormal. It smelled blunt, rustic, not terrible but not a good smell. It was dirt, the scent traveling through the wind, and as Twilight got closer the pungent smell became more prominent.

"Talk about the smell of spring," said Twilight to herself. "Still, I don't remember Sweet Apple Acres smelling this...dirty." She continued to travel over a hill, and on the other side where the farm was, the pony found her answer. Most all of the apple trees in one section of the land were completely uprooted out of the ground. This to any regular pony would seem like a natural disaster, but not to Twilight.

It was hard to think so when the trees were floating in mid-air and hanging upside-down!

"What in the name of Equestria is going on here?!" she yelped. There was nothing else for her to do next but sprint for the farmhouse and burst in the front door to warn all of the Apples. Twilight was so concerned that her last two weeks' training of etiquette flew out the window.

"APPLES OF ALL AGES!" she exclaimed in the doorway. "YOUR TREES ARE BEING DESTROYED!" Twilight stood there out of breath until she realized that nopony was there but Big Mac. The stallion was snuggled up on the couch with an ice pack atop his head, his expression telling Twilight that she was slightly insane.

"Oh, Big Mac, thank goodness!" said Twilight as she ran over to him. "Your trees! They're...they're upside-down!" Big Mac blinked, then casually he pulled out a handkerchief and blew his nose.

"Eeyup," he then said in a sick tone, sniffling.

"I know, and...wait, why are you not concerned?" asked the mare. "Do you already know this is happening?"

"Eeyup."

"And...you're not worried?"

"Nope."

"Um..." Twilight stood there, like she was in a weird dream. What was she supposed to do next?

"If ya don't mind," interrupted Big Mac from Twilight's confusion, "I'm down with the fever. Need my rest." Twilight snapped out of her bewilderment and grinned.

"Oh, yeah, um, sorry about that, you know, that I barged in then," stuttered Twilight. "I was just concerned is all. Floating trees really aren't the norm here, you know, and I was just concerned."

"Ya'll can talk to Granny instead," suggested Big Mac before sneezing. "She's out in the barn." Twilight nodded politely.

"Of course, thank you," responded Twilight. "Oh yes, and I hope you feel better too."

"Eeyup."

Twilight casually walked out of the door, but once she was out of Big Mac's sight, she ran as fast as her hooves could take her to the barn. This wasn't right. How could Big Mac, sick and unable to perform his duties, not be concerned that the Acres were going berserk? Was he just out of it? Twilight didn't know, and the sooner she talked to Granny Smith about the matter, the better. Swiftly the pony opened the barn door to find that the old mare was there. She was sitting at a small table in the middle of the barn, a chess board on top of it.

Twilight's jaw dropped.

Granny Smith was playing chess with Discord!