The dragoneqques sat on her cloud, basking in the warm, mid-day sun, when she saw someone coming towards her. With a sigh, she flapped her large wings and moved out of the way.
But, to her surprise, the stallion didn't fly past- he landed on the cloud she had been on.
"There you are!" he said with a smile.
"Uh... are you talking to me?" Melody blinked. She didn't have any friends, and she barely made eye contact with anyone. That was fine with her, but this stallion was different.
"You're Melody Skies, right?" he replied.
"Yes..."
"Good! I have a few questions to ask you!"
"Wha-"
"Come on, where's your house? It'll take a while."
"Over... here?" Melody replied with a confused blink, then turned and flew to her large-ish house.. The stallion followed her. "So, what kind of... questions are you going to ask me?"
"Well, first of all, my name is Nature Calls. I want to ask about... well, your past," Nature explained.
"Huh?" Melody blinked.
"Like... uh... what were you like before moving here? Why are you always alone?"
"Oh... I think this will explain," the dragoneqques replied with a frown, as if she didn't like to talk about it. "Well, the Sun is going down- you better get home. Come back here when you're done."
"Alright," Calls replied before putting the book-sized box in his saddlebag and flying away. Melody watched him go and, with a sigh, closed the door and headed off to bed.
When Nature Calls got home, he turned off all the lights in his house, grabbed a flashlight, and started to open the box in the dark comfort of his bed. The top popped off easily, but what he saw confused him. A small, leather-cover book. He set the box aside and started reading, not sure what he'd find.
Dear Diary,
Today, Mother gave you to me. My friends all have different opinions on it, but I don't care- they aren't very good friends. I'm not sure what else to write, besides my friends' names: Flame, Talon, and Bubbles.
Melody
Dear Diary,
Mother said that I'm going to have a brother! I'm really excited, and Mother is really happy- but Dad just acts like nothing is different and hangs out with his friends, having contests and stuff.
Melody
Dear Diary,
Flame and Talon say that having a sibling will make me lame, and that they won't hang out with me any more. Bubbles apologized for them, but it doesn't make me feel better. I'm starting to hate the idea of having a brother. But Mother says that if someone isn't your fried anymore, just because there is some change, they were never your friend in the first place. ...I like Bubbles, though, she's still nice to me.
Melody
Dear diary notepad,
At first, Talon thought having a Diary was cool. But Yesterday, she said they were lame, and she had a notepad instead. I said mine was a notepad, too, but she said "Whatever" and flew off with Flame. Bubbles doesn't do anything with them anymore, so she spends more time with me- but what I really want is to fly. I'll ask Dad about it tomorrow.
Melody
Dear Diary,
I've decided you're still a diary. Talon and Flame aren't my friends anymore, so I shouldn't change who you are so they like me. That's not who I am. Dad started teaching me about flying today! He says I'm a natural, and Mother watched from the ground. Even though she's a pegusas, she says she can't fly because of my brother. I can't blame him, though- he'll be so cute! Anyways, I saw Bubbles while I was resting on the clouds. She says dragons can't do that, but I'm part pegusas, so I can!
Melody
Dear Diary,
I accidently scared some normal ponies today. There were hiking, and I flew down to say hi. ...They screamed and ran away. Am I really scary? Mother would've told me something to make me feel better- but she left. I helped to decide on a name for my Brother yesterday- we all thought Zap was a nice idea, so that's what we'll call him when he comes back. I can't wait!
Big Sister Melody
Dear Diary,
Zap came this morning- but Mother didn't. I asked father about it, but he was quiet and flew away. He hasn't come back yet.
Scared Melody
Dear Diary,
Someone came and tried to take me and Zap. He was a normal pony, but when I roared and growled, he didn't go. I picked Zap up in my talons and flew away- the Earth Pony could do nothing about it.
I got tired and we landed in a bug field with some cows. They were nice to us and gave my and Zap all the milk we could drink. But, if we stay too long, the stallion will come and get us. We will leave tomorrow.
Independent Melody
Dear Diary,
I found a forest for us to sleep in. It's dark, and sort of scary- but I can scare away lots of the monsters with my fire and talons. Zap helps, too, with a stick that a bit of an ember landed on to make it burn with fire on the end.
When we left, we came to a town called 'Ponyville'. Some nice ponies lived there- but most of them were afraid of us. It gets colder every day, and the warmest place we could find is back in that forest, next to a nice stream.
Cold Melody
Dear Diary,
Sorry that I have to use mud- but it's free. I found some bits on the ground yesterday- they were dirty but still bits. I used some to buy fruit from a blind salespony who we didn't scare, but when I tried to get more ink, the shopkeeper took our bits and made us go away.
...Well, me. He took Zap.
Angry Melody
Dear Diary,
I haven't wrote for a while, but I'm over Zap's departure. I don't know where he is, but I hope he's happy. The day the shopkeeper took him, he said Meody.
I'll never hear him say it again.
At least whoever took him should know his name- it was written on his old, blue blanket. I wish I had a blanket- it's really cold outside now.
Freezing Melody
Dear Diary,
It should be warmer up north, so that's were I'm going- to the northern hemisphere. Father used to teach me all about that, and some things about it that they didn't teach in school.
After a while, I found a city called Salt Lick. I know that no one will like me there, either, so I'm staying in the woods next to it. At least I feel warmer here.
Melody
Dear Diary,
It's already evening, but I saw some DRAGONS flying into S.L.C.- and they didn't leave, they could stay! Maybe I should try going tomorrow...
Curious Melody
Dear Diary,
The dragons I saw yesterday took me in for a while. Although they said they had to leave, they left me their big, pony-like home that they will return to in the Winter and a large supply of bits so I can buy things in that time. If I just look out the window, I see all kinds of creatures I didn't know exist!
Happy Melody
Dear Diary,
I'm sorry that there hasn't been much to write about all summer. But I found you under my bed (why were you hiding?) and decided to write. It's already mid-winter, but the Dragons still haven't returned. I'm starting to worry.
Melody
Dear Diary,
I went to buy some food today, and when I came back, all of my stuff was outside and the door was locked. I was really sad, but mustered the strength to bring my waterbed into in alley, away from the winter snow, and all of my other stuff. Must of it is broken- but I'm glad you're safe. I'm also glad I kept all of my bits in a saddlebag- but it isn't very full right now.
Melody
Dear Diary,
Other then you, all of my stuff is gone. A mare took it all- not because she really needed it, like I did, but because she could. I had hidden a blanket somewhere, though, and when I find it, I can shelter in a cardboard box that is facing the opposite way of the snow. I don't know when this'll stop, but I can't go outside anymore because it's so icy, and my food is running out- that's the only other thing she didn't take.
Why'd she do that?
Confused Melody
Dear Diary,
The snow stopped. But something really exciting happened today- I have a job! It's easy, too. I just walk around and ask people if they want something or other (a blanket, food, et cetera) and it'll have a number. If they want it, they give me the same amount of bits on the yellow tag, the price, and I bring the money to my Boss after it's all gone.
He pays my ten bits once a week, and I use most of it for food. He also gave me a jacket to stay warm while I go door-to-door. It's really cozy, and he says I can keep it. I wear it all the time, especially at night, in my box.
Worker Melody
Dear Diary,
I forget why I stopped writing in you. It's been a few years now- and I'm old enough to buy a house. Through all of my jobs, I have been saving up to do just that, so I have enough money for one. I can't believe it, but it's the one those dragons used to own.
Although friends are nice, I don't want to lose anyone or anything else, so for now, I'm staying solitary. This is your last page, even though I wish you could hold more of my words.
Thanks for staying with me, diary.
Finally, Melody
Nature stared at what he had just read. His eyes darted around the back cover, but as he flipped over to the front, he noticed something he had somehow missed before.
Two scales, duct taped onto the leather. One was light blue, obviously Melody's, and the other was yellow with blue markings. He guessed that one was Zap's. He frowned and started crying for a moment, then placed the book next to his bed and slept. He would bring it back in the morning.
When Melody went outside the next morning, she saw her Diary. Her Diary and a note. She picked it up with her long talons and started to read:
Dear Melody,
Your Diary has taught me so many things. I never thought your story would be so... sad. I promise that I will never stop looking for your lost brother, Zap, and that I will always be thinking of you. I know what he looks like from the scale on the front- a dragoneqques with yellow-and-blue scales. By the time you see this, I will already be in Ponyville, searching away. I hope I can find him.
Your friend, Nature Calls.
