The Melody of Despair

I came to in a black void. I looked around but could not see anything but darkness. I then lifted my right hoof in front of my face to see if I still had the ability to actually see anything but instead of a rose pink or a light brown color my hoof was white. “Oh, I see I must be dreaming,” I said as I felt my forehead for a horn and sure enough I had one. “Yep defiantly dreaming.”

“Well, not quite gem butt.” A voice said from behind me. I turned around and saw the mismatched figure from my last dream sitting in a chair that was hanging upside down. I tilted my head as he continued to talk to me. “You see, while we are in your mind you aren't dreaming. You were knocked out and I took the chance to have a heart to heart as it were with you.” He said as his heart floated out of his chest and came to rest in front of me.

“Why should I listen to you? Luna warned me about you said that you would say anything to be free and do not trust a single thing you say.” I told him. Right after I said that the heart in front of me broke apart into little pieces and fell to the floor.

The mismatched figure also broke apart and then fell to the ground in a pile. “You break my heart, Crystal. After everything, we have been through. We weathered the end of a timeline together and this is how you treat me with suspicion and doubt?” He asked as his body parts put themselves back together. After most of him were pieced back together his body bent down and picked up his head. “Well, I guess that's to be expected as you only have Crystal’s essence. You are more akin to a reincarnation then anything else, although I have to applaud the old tree for choosing you to host Crystal’s essence.” His head said with a chuckle as it was reattached with his body.

“Well onto business as they say.” He said as he waved his lion paw and the black void faded away to reveal ruined Ponyville. Buildings rotting, trees all shriveled and dead, and the sky being empty of either the sun or moon. There were pony shaped skeletons lying about everywhere I looked. I took a closer look at the some of the skeletons and every one of them looked as if they just laid down and died. There was no evidence of struggle it was as if everypony just lost the will to live. “This is the future that awaits you if you don't listen to what I have to tell you.” He told me his tone suddenly turning serious and all brevity leaving his features.

“You are the hope of this world but you can't do it alone.” He stated as an image of my cutie mark appeared before me. “If you don't find the six other lights then you will fall into despair and upon falling you will pave the way for Serenade to return.” As he explained that the image of my cutie mark blackened and a dark shadow emanated from it.

“Seek out these marks.” He said as six images replaced the one of my corrupted cutie mark. “A rose, a crescent moon, a kite shield, a gear, A palm tree, and a present. Gather the ponies attached to each of them and then lead them to where despair met with eternity.” He said as the images started to float around me. My surroundings then started to fade out. “ Well looks like you are waking up. One last thing when you see Luna again tell her that Mixed Blessings never meant for things to turn out the way that they did and that he misses her.” He said as my dream faded out completely.

I awoke to a dull pain in the back of my head. ‘What hit me?’ I tried to ask myself out loud but no sound came out my mouth. I started to panic and reached my front hooves up to my throat only to feel a collar around it. I felt all around the collar but found no clasp holding it together. It was just a single enclosed band and as it was skin tight I couldn't pull it off over my head. It was about that time that I noticed that my hooves were my natural light brown color which caused me to pause. ‘Wait I could have sworn I had my earrings on. Ok, think Rose what is the last thing you remember?’ I thought to myself then proceeded to go through the events that I could remember in my head. ‘Okay so I talked to Princess Luna, then Dash came to me in a rush about our sisters being in the Everfree forest. We were about half way to Zecora’s when something hit me on the head and then nothing but another weird dream.’ Finding nothing helpful in my memory I decided to examine my surroundings. I was currently laying in the middle of an empty room with no windows and only one door. The room seemed to be lighted by some kind of magic as there was no discernable source. The stone of the walls seemed wethered but as if to contrast the door looked as if it was just installed. The door suddenly opened up to let in a grey-furred green-maned earth pony mare. The mare didn’t notice that I was awake right away, however, I was able to notice that her ears were tufted just like mine before she looked in my direction. Her blue colored slanted eyes going wide at seeing that I was awake. She then proceeded to back out of the room then close the door. I then heard the click of her locking the door quickly followed by the sound of hoofsteps rushing away from the room.

‘Great, there goes my chance at getting out of this room and finding out what is going on.’ I thought in announce as I could have got up and rushed to the door instead of just laying here like an idiot. I then followed the advice of hindsight and got up and headed to the door. I turned around and pulled my back left leg up to my belly. I then shot my hoof at the door with as much force as I could muster. My hoof connected with the door with a resounding thud but that was all that happened. ‘Darn guess it was a long shot hoping that I could break the door down. It’s not like I am an Apple.’ I berated myself as I moved away from the door to return to the center of the room. I then laid back down as to save my energy.

After about fifteen minutes my ears picked up the sound of multiple hoofsteps coming toward the door to the room. I flapped my wings to get into the air and hovered there waiting for my chance to rush out the doorway the moment they opened the door. As the door started to open I rushed forward only to stop halfway to the door as I suddenly felt weightless. Through the door entered two insect looking ponies encased in black colored shells and having horns and dragonfly-like wings. Both their horns were lit with magic.

“Okay Hex she is restrained and you were right she did try to rush the door.” The one on the right said as another pony entered the room. This one having a brown colored coat and a salt and pepper mane. But what took most of my attention was the bat-like wings on his back. ‘So I have been foalnapped by thestrals.’ I thought as he looked at my floating form. He then held up what looked to be a book with a black heart on the cover. The book became encased in a red aura as soon as he brought it close to me.

“Yes, she is the one we have been looking for.” I heard him mutter to himself. “Welcome my dear to the castle of shadows. Now I am sure you have questions but I am afraid that because of the siren half of your heritage, we can't let you have the ability to speak.” As he said this I tilted my head in confusion. “All you need to know is that you won't be here for long.”

“Oh, and if you are thinking that you will be missed, do you know what these fine gentle stallions are?” He asked me. I shook my head as I continued to float in the air.

“These are changelings and they have the most useful ability to transform into other ponies.” He explained as the one on the right was engulfed in green flames instead of a bug pony my illusion form stood there. “I had one these changelings take your place so you can expect no rescue.”

“Now I am sure that you have noticed your new collar. Well besides suppressing your ability to make sounds it also lets me know exactly you are at all times. So please don't waste energy trying to escape. It will just make things harder for you. Now excuse me but I have other business to attend to.” He said as he and the changelings left the room. As soon as the door closed the magic holding me up dissipated and I fell to the ground with a thump. I just let out a silent sigh and sat on my hunches.

After about an hour my mind started to wander as I mulled over my chances of escaping from here wherever here was. ‘Probably somewhere in the Everfree as I don't think I was out longer than a few hours.’ I was so deep in thought that I didn't notice the pony in a silver cloak standing in front of me. I let out a silent gasp and backpedaled until I felt my back against the wall. The cloaked pony held up a blue colored hoof up to their hood and pulled it back to reveal an older unicorn mare with silver hair. She then held up her hoof in a way as to show that she meant no harm. Her horn then lit up with magic. “There no nopony will be able to eavesdrop on us.” The mare said she slowly approached me. “Now hold still while Trixie gets this collar off of you.” She said as she lit her horn and after a couple of minutes I felt the collar fall off my neck.

“Oh thank you miss but why are you helping me?” I asked in wariness.

“I am the Trixie the Great and Powerful. And if I am not mistaken you are Melody Song.” She said as she floated my hair ties over to me. “Trixie believes these are yours?”

“Yes, they are, thanks.” I thanked Trixie as I put the ties where they belonged in my mane and tail. “You didn't happen to find a pair of crescent moon earrings did you?”

Trixie’s ears dropped a little at the question. “Trixie regrets to inform you the earrings were not with the ties so does not know where they are.”

‘Great, mom will kill me.’ I thought as my mom had told that those earrings had come from my father. ‘Wait what did she call me?’

“What did you call me?” I asked her.

“Trixie called you by your name Melody Song.” The unicorn answered.

“My name is Rose Storm.” I told her. Her left eyebrow lifted in response. She then just shook her head.

“You can call yourself whatever you want and you will still be Melody Song. Now we need to get out of here. Trixie can teach you how to walk unseen with magic so you can sneak out while Trixie causes a distraction.” I stared at the mare as if she was crazy.

“You do know that I am not a unicorn right?” I asked in a deadpan voice.

“Do you take Trixie for a fool? Trixie feels your magical signature on the gems of your ties. You may not be a unicorn but as part siren, you can weave spells with your voice.” She said with a huff. “Now sit so Trixie can teach you.”

I did as she asked and sat in front of her. “Okay now as a siren you won't actually make yourself invisible but rather by singing you can convince anything that hears that you are not there. It is more akin to mind magic than an illusion.” She lectured me. “Now when you cast the spell you have to be thinking about the effect you want. Say you want somepony to be happy just think of that when you start singing. Same for convincing ponies or animals that you are not there. Just think that they can't see you and they won't be able to. However, it only works if the subjects are not aware of what is happening. If you bump into them they will notice you. So you have to be quick about it.” She explained to me as I listened. “Do you thi…”She started to ask as she trailed off mid-sentence. Her ears the pressed flat against her head.

“Well looks like Luna got the message that Trixie sent and is leading a raid on this place. Old Hex is probably on his way to collect and move you to a different location. Now, remember what Trixie told you about your magic. You have to keep yourself hidden until Luna can get to you.” She told me.

“Okay but what about yo...” I started to ask her as she simply just vanished from view. ‘Wait where did she go?’ I thought as I looked around the room but found no sign of her anywhere. I then heard more hoof steps coming down the hallway. Thinking quickly I got into one of the corners of the room and started singing while thinking about how nothing could see or sense me. The hoofsteps stopped just in front of the door.

“How did the princesses know where we are? We already have four of the ponies that we needed for the ritual. We have to get this one out of here and to the thestral homeland before Luna or one of her night guards find her. Now get ready to detain her with magic while I ready the escape route.” Hex’s voice said from the other side of the door. I kept on singing as the door opened to reveal the to changelings from before they scanned the room. I felt their eyes roam over the corner that I currently was in and passed right over me. They then saw the collar on the floor.

“Hex I think that they have beaten us here.” The left changeling said.

“What?!” Hex screamed as he rushed into the room. He looked around and just like the two changelings his eyes went right over me but didn't see me. “How did they get here so fast?” He asked as his eyes stopped on the collar. His ears flicked back and forth as if trying sort through different sounds. I began to fear that he would break free from my spell and see me when a black thestral mare entered the room.

“Hex we have to go. Luna is on the way here being led by a light brown thestral mare with golden eyes and mane,” she said.

“ Damn! Come let’s go. We must cut our losses and try again. We now know who the ponies we need are. We will get another chance.” He said and the four of them left the room. I waited until I heard Luna’s voice before I stopped singing.

“Are you sure she is here Miss Hooves?” I heard Luna say from the hall. ‘Wait... Miss Hooves? Mom!’ I thought as I rushed out of the room and upon seeing my mother next to the princess I yelled, “Mom!” My mother looked my way when she heard me yell. She then rushed to me faster than I thought possible and pulled me into a hug.

“Oh, my little muffin are you okay? I was so worried.” She asked as she nuzzled me. It was at this point that I noticed something of about my mom. I slowly worked my way out of the hug and got a good look at my mom. When I did what I saw through me for a loop. My mom was a thestral like me bat-like wings and everything. I must have spaced out for a bit as the next thing I knew I was out in the Everfree forest sitting next to my mom as Luna talked to one of her guards.

“We were able to find all but one of the replaced ponies, a Twilight Sparkle who was visiting Ponyville with her brother.” The guard said.

“Keep searching the castle for any sign of her. Teleport the rescued ponies to the Ponyville hospital to be checked out by medical professionals.” Luna told the guard then turned to my mom and me. “Now I believe you owe me an explanation Miss Hooves,” Luna said sternly to my mom.

“Can it wait till we get back to Ponyville? I want to at least get Rose looked at by her doctor first.” Mom said as she stared down the princess.

After a tense five minutes of them glaring at each other Luna relented. “Okay I will teleport you to the hospital but you will explain while she is getting checked out, deal?” Luna offered then held put her hoof to mom.

Mom for her part just looked at the offered hoof for a minute before shaking it with her own. “Deal.” She said as they shaked.

“Now gather close and I will teleport us now,” Luna said as she lit her horn and everything disappeared in a flash of light.