Guitar Lullabies

Melodia could only watch as her mother started pacing, wings ruffling. She opened her mouth to speak but Spike shot her a look, and she closed it again. This was no time to be asking questions. Her mother's friends looked worried, and Pinkie's mane had lost some of it's bounce. Sunset just looked upset.

"I'm sorry, Twilight. I tried, really, I did. But Flash, h-he's lost hope. He always thought he'd see you and Melodia again, and sure, he understands you're a princess and all, but you're still his wife. And he hasn't seen his daughter grow up. He missed a lot in her life, and your daughter needs her father."

Melodia was confused. "But can't my dad just move to Ponyville?" she asked.

Sunset sighed. "It's a bit - scratch that - a lot more complicated than that, Melodia. The Canterlot your father comes from isn't the one you know."

The pegasus frowned. "Come again? I'm more confused than a hippocampus out of water."

Spike groaned, massaging his temples with a foreclaw. "Oh brother. Here it comes."

Sunset blinked. "You... mean you don't ... know?" she said slowly, incredulously. "Twilight never told you?"

"Told me what?" Melodia queried.

The unicorn's eye twitched, and she growled, stomping a hoof on the floor. "Twilight! How could you?!"

Her mother stopped her pacing, eyes widening with fear and regret. "Yes, Sunny, I never told her. I-I couldn't - it hurt too much."

"Ponyfeathers, Twi! You mean to tell me your daughter doesn't a thing about CHS? The Sirens? Even her own father? Argh!"

"I... no. No, she doesn't."

"Oh, brilliant." Sunset replied sarcastically.

"Twilight..." Spike muttered anxiously.

"Okay, I get!" the alicorn snapped. "Spike, take a note."

"Righty-o, Twilight." The dragon snapped his claws and a quill and parchment appeared in his grasp. He began to write as Twilight started speaking, quill scratching the parchment.

"'My fellow Princesses,

Due to a personal emergency, I leave my duties in the hooves' of my friends. I do not know how long long I will be gone, but I'm more than confident in my friends' abilities. Come if you wish to see me before I leave, as I have to make preparations, but please know that I must do this alone. This is my mistake that I made, and thus it is my mistake to fix.

Sincerely,

Twilight Sparkle.'"

Melodia had turned away as her mother finished speaking, ears flat against her head. Her wings folded themselves at her sides, and she slowly trotted away. She only noticed Sunset had teleported in front of her when she bumped into the unicorn, causing them both to fall.

"Oh, I'm so sorry!" Melodia apologised. "I didn't mean to, Sunset, I swear! Sorry!"

Sunset laughed, getting back on her hooves. "It's okay, Melodia. Your parents used to bump into things too. I'm not surprised, really."

"Really? I never picked my parents as the clumsy type,"

The mare grinned. "Oh, but they were. Twilight had the worst habit of bumping into people - er, ponies, I mean, and your father? Pfft. Flash ... Flash bumped into objects. Walls, tables, doors - once he even walked into a vase and broke it. So, yes, they were clumsy."

"How'd he walk into a vase?" Melodia demanded. "Goodness, not even I can manage that!"

"I don't know. He just did. Although, playing guitar in the hallway probably wasn't the best idea," she added with a snort of laughter.

"My dad played guitar?!" she squealed, jumping to her hooves in excitement. "Did he really?!"

The unicorn chuckled. "Yes, he did. He was brilliant, you know. He taught me how to play, and it's something I'll always be grateful for."

"Can you teach me? Can you? Can you, please, Sunset? I've always wanted to learn how to play!" she begged.

"Hmm... why not? Sure! I'll teach you what I know - you've got the want to learn, and the natural aptitude."

"Yes, yes, yes!" she giggled.

There was a flash of light behind them, and Melodia turned in surprise. She hardly had time to push Sunset out of the way as a pale grey blur tackled her in a hug, squealing in delight. Her aunt giggled, waving in welcome. Melodia grinned back.

"Diva! Girl, it's been soo long since I've seen you!" her cousin cried.

"Oof! Sky, I'm happy to see you too, but you're crushing me!"

Sky's grin never left her face as she released her from her bone-crushing hug, and Melodia collasped in a heap. Sighing, the filly hauled herself back upright and shook out her mane and tail. Her cousin's blue eyes widened as she spotted her cutie mark, and she bounced in glee.

"Oh my goodness, you got your cutie mark! Diva, that's awesome!"

She grinned. "It's even more awesome when you hear how I got it, Sky. How's life as heiress to the Crystal Empire?"

Her cousin wrinkled her nose. "Boring."

Sunset laughed. "I, for one, am glad I never succeeded as Celestia's pupil. I wouldn't be able to handle the life of an Equestrian princess."

"You were Princess Celestia's student too? Like Aunt Twilight?" Sky asked curiously.

"She was, Sky Aria. And- Melodia, your mane!" Cadence's voice was shocked. "Let me see!"

The filly shuffled on her hooves as her aunt trotted closer, Sunset automatically backing away. Cool metal met her chin as Cadence tilted her head up, her eyes widening in amazement. Melodia half opened her wings and her aunt's eyes widened further, trotting around her niece's side to examine her wings more. She tried not to laugh at the look of complete shock on Cadence's face but couldn't help the snort that escaped.

"Pretty cool, am I right, Aunt Cadie?"

"Indeed, Melodia Sparkle," A regal voice agreed. "I do believe congratulations are in order, no?"

"Princess Luna!"

The navy alicorn smiled, dipping her head in greeting. "Not only did you receive your cutie mark, child, but it would seem you were granted royalty's wings. However did this occur? You appear to have accessed a new kind of magic."

"Forgive me for speaking out of turn, Princess Luna, but it is by no means 'new magic'," Sunset interrupted dryly.

"Oh? Do explain, Miss Shimmer."

Sunset waved a hoof in Melodia's direction. "Something similar occurred with my friends and I on the other side of the Crystal Mirror. I've come to call it Harmony magic, but this is by no means accurate. Each one of us would 'pony up', for lack of a better term, when we showed the truest part of ourselves. Loyalty, Generosity, Magic, etc.  Whatever characteristics that person's pony counterpart had, they would gain one way or another. Wings, pony ears, longer hair and so on."

Luna was nodding. "Ah. But no horns?"

She shook her head. "No. My thought is because horns would look highly out of place with human anatomy. However, this doesn't mean unicorns cannot use magic. I've tried this myself, and my hypothesis was proven correct. Thing is, it only ever works if an Equestrian accesses their magic in the human world, or if they carry human blood and are exposed to Equestrian magic."

"Like my daughter. Her father was - is - human, and really, Diva owes her musical talent to him more than me. But due to my magical power, and the fact that she is half-human, it would seem her magic manifests in the way that Sunset is talking about," Twilight added as she trotted over.

Cadence grinned. "I think I understand now why the pony Flash always got sent off on missions when you visited. You didn't want him around, did you, Twily? Least of all meeting your daughter, hey?"

"Something like that," she mumbled.

"And it explains the whole situation with you bumping into him after you went through the Mirror. You weren't thinking of that Flash at all, were you? You were thinking of the one you knew. The guitarist; not the guard."

"It doesn't help that I pretty much bumped into him the same way," Twilight admitted. "I'm not that clumsy!"

Sunset snorted. "You bumped into people, Flash bumped into objects. Did Rares ever tell you about the time he stuck his head in during band practice? He wanted to know any of our 'out of town' friends were coming to visit, what with it being a charity event and all."

Twilight blushed. "She mentioned it, but I had no idea it was that bad."

"No, that wasn't bad. What was bad was that he kept asking me how you were - at least once every two weeks, too. It got the tiniest bit annoying, to be honest. Although I did find Rare-rares 'smitten kitten' comment pretty cute. And he wasn't the only smitten one~" she teased.

Twilight buried her face in her hooves. "Sunny!" she wailed. "Stop!"

Cadence giggled. "Oh my goodness! Twilight, are you okay? Sunset seems to have found a weakness!"

She groaned. "Don't you dare tell Shiny. I'll never live this down!"

Luna smiled. "I am curious, Sunset Shimmer. What other tales could you have to tell us?"

Sunset grinned. "Lots, Princess. All very embarrassing for Twilight. But since I promised Melodia I'd teach her how to play the guitar, I better keep my promise. Besides," Her grin grew wicked, "you can always ask Twilight. Or invade her dreams. I wouldn't though - you might get a shock!"

"Sunset Shimmer! H-how dare you!" Twilight snapped. "That was h-highly...."

"True, Twi and we both know it. For the Princess of Friendship, you sure get lonely."

Cadence winked. "Ah, I see. Auntie Luna, I think you'd best leave this to me. I am the Princess of Love after all."

Luna laughed. "Of course, Cadenza. I must admit, I'm sure Tia would be delighted to hear this."

"Luna!" Twilight wailed. "You can't tell Celestia! She'd throw a fit!"

"Aye, a laughing fit. Honestly, Twilight, you are incredibly silly sometimes."

"That," Melodia agreed, "I can attest to."

Sunset shook her head, smiling. "Come on, Melodia. Do you want those guitar lessons or not?"

"Are you a former student of Princess Celestia?" the filly retorted with a laugh. "Of course I do!"

"Ooh, did somepony say guitar?" Pinkie chimed. "I know where some are!"

Sunset chuckled. "I thought you would. Thanks, Pinkie - if you could go grab them, that'd be great."

The pink mare bounced towards the door. "Yepperoni! No problemo, Sunny! Come on, Mel-mel!"

Caramel Cream giggled, bouncing after her mother. "Coming, Mama Pie!"

Sky sighed. "You don't mind if I come and watch, do you, Sunset? I've seen Mum 'interrogate' ponies before and it's essentially a polite invasion of their privacy. I wouldn't want to hear the secrets Aunt Twilight keeps in her heart."

The amber unicorn shook her head. "Not at all, Sky Aria. You are rather wise for your age, and such a decision, to me, proves your capabilities as future leader of the Crystal Empire.  You're more than welcome to come."

"Oh - thank you." Sky mumbled, surprised. "You're not too bad yourself."

Sunset chuckled. "Trust me - it's an accumulation of years of experience and mistakes. I didn't get this way overnight."

Sky grinned at that. "I suppose we all make mistakes - it's part of what makes us ponies."

"Very true," Sunset agreed. "Come on, girls. Let's go see about those guitar lessons."