Author's Note

Happy early Halloween.

Fractured.

A robed figure trotted through a snowy, bland wasteland. As far as the eye could see, there was nothing but occasional trees and powdery snow that crunched underneath the character’s hooves as they trotted. The pony flipped up their hood. Melody’s long mane flowed out forwards. It was messy and unkempt, much longer than she normally kept it.

“YOU CAN’T JUST HIDE OUT HERE FOREVER!” Melody shouted angrily into the wasteland before her. A closer look at Melody’s robe revealed battle scars - slices, cuts, holes. Whatever she had been through recently, it must have been a tough battle.

Suddenly, Melody was knocked off her feet and into a snowbank by a harsh kick to the side that seemed to come from nowhere.

“Oh, what, can’t get up? Come on. Get up. GET. UP.” A gruff female voice commanded. Melody struggled to her hooves again, brandishing her sword quickly. Before she could even brace herself once more, another sharp kick to the face sent her flying across the landscape. Melody skidded to a stop in the snow, her sword lost to a nearby snowbank. Melody coughed up a clot of blood into the snow.

“I SAID. GET UP!” The voice commanded. Melody felt herself lifted into the air by her throat slowly. “LOOK AT ME.” the unidentified female voice boomed into Melody’s face. Melody kicked her hooves in the air, desperate for breath.

Melody brought her eyes up to meet the figure slowly choking her to death. She saw flashes across the face of the pony holding her. First, it was a dark blue mare she recognized that sent a shiver down her spine, their red eyes piercing her soul to its barest point. As dark shadows and faint stars swam in her vision, she watched the face and body of the mare flash to that of a golden coated filly. As Melody felt herself losing consciousness, the face flashed once more to one Melody recognized all too well.

Suddenly, Melody was not in a snow covered bank at all. In fact, she was in a nice, comfy and warm bedroom. If only anything could ever be that simple. The face in front of her had changed to one of horror and agony, as Melody felt herself thrust her sword deep into Lily’s chest. She staggered back in horror, disgusted by what she had done. Lily let out a piercing scream and began to sob. A picture of a dark blue mare hung on the wall above Lily, it’s disturbing red eyes following Melody as she backed against the wall and began to scream.

“NOOOOOOOOOOO!” Melody erupted, a scream so emotion filled that she felt her throat scratching and becoming worn from the force she put into it. Lily slumped to the floor, eyes forever giving a terrified and betrayed expression as life left her body. Melody pressed herself back against the wall, wishing she could just fall through and disappear.

Moments later, she got her wish.

Melody felt herself begin to fall, phasing through the wall into a black abyss. Thoughts ran through her head as she fell, her wings failing her in her time of need. They flapped and fluttered uselessly. Suddenly, Melody’s descent was slowed to a stop. A scene was unravelling before her. She found herself unable to close her eyes.

A robed figure, holding a muffled and crying bundle of blankets hurried down a dark street. The moon shone in the sky above her. Melody caught a glimpse of the newborn foal in the blankets that the figure carried, and felt herself begin to weep. The figure approached a dark tent. They hurried inside. Unknown to anyone involved in the scene, a wide eyed dark blue pony watched silently from the shadows. Melody felt tears running down her face, begging her body to turn away, to not look, to do anything else but watch the scene unfold before her. Her biggest regret, her oldest mistake. The loss of her child. The tent glowed a light white, so white that it blinded her through her tears. How could she be so selfish..? She felt her body drop away once more.

Melody felt herself falling, falling, falling. Falling for minutes. All feeling had left her body. Suddenly, there was light, and she felt herself slam hard into a body of water. She looked up with wide eyes, and watched a fractured reflection of another Melody above the water as she floated down. Just as she felt like she could no longer hold her breath, light flooded her vision once more.

Melody bolted up from her dream, clutching her head and groaning in pain at the splitting headache she was experiencing. Lily lay beside her, the possessed mare’s body twitching and struggling in her bonds. Melody let out a low whine, her body quivering. Melody was laying on a bundle of blankets in the corner of a shadowy room. One appeared in the only doorway that Melody could see in her pained rage. One hurried to her aid, caressing Melody’s sides and shushing her.

“Hey. Hey. What’s wrong? Bad dream?” One whispered, looking around nervously and patting her back lovingly. Melody thrashed in pain from her agonizing headache. One of her eyes shut as she struggled to focus on One.

“I… FEEeeel.. HHHEeeerr..” Melody sobbed and shivered. “IN MY HEAD! GET OUT OF MY HEAD!!” Melody thrashed in pain. The darkness seemed to be swallowing her up. Fear shrouded One’s face. She hurriedly stood up and grabbed her sword, swinging aimlessly at Shadows. Melody’s mind grew more and more fogged by pain and dysphoria. The shadows almost seemed to shift around One’s sword.

One sighed and grabbed her wand, focusing and lighting a little flare at the end of it. The room was quickly illuminated with orange light from the fire hovering at the end of One’s wand.

One didn’t see her. Melody did. Melody screamed. Melody collapsed once more into the covers.

One looked around the room, slightly afraid. Of course, there was nothing there. No one but the souls of the dead lingered in this abandoned village. But… maybe Melody had a point. One could feel her too. One gripped her sword tightly and shut the door, the only entrance to the room. She sighed and flopped down in her own corner of the room. Melody had gotten one hell of a flu in the past day, and it was driving One insane. The poor gal.. One decided to rest her eyes along with Melody in the silent house, nothing but the creeks of floorboards to disturb her.

When Melody opened her eyes once more, she saw One struggling to hold her down. “You're having a fucking fever.. dream..!! God damn it, stay down!” One shouted. Melody blacked out again.

When Melody awoke, she could feel that things were different inside her. Rather than her recent… well, honestly disturbing dreams, she had only experienced deep blackness. She fluttered open her eyes and groaned. She was no longer in a tiny little room, but somewhere more familiar. The smell of.. Pancakes? Was filling the air. Had EVERYTHING just been a dream? Was she back at home, with Lily? She moved her legs. Everything felt stiff from neglect. How long had she been sleeping?

She was… in her bedroom. In her home in Trotston. Her bedroom. “How did I get here?” She wondered silently to herself. She studied the room, taking in every detail. It was exactly as she remembered it. Next to the bed, a small table stood, with objects littering it's surface. It's most noticeable feature was a picture frame, containing a picture of Melody, Lily, and a young mare with an orange and pink mane she didn't recognize resting between then in a family photo style. The Potion rack hung on the wall, freshly used. Books lay open on the table. Had she somehow gone back in time?

The smell of food pulled her out of her dazed state. She struggled to her hooves, deciding that she could figure this all out later. She felt hungry, and very dehydrated. Melody muttered uncomfortably at the stiffness of her joints. It was only then that she realized she wasn't wearing her trademark robe. She gave her wings a little stretch, enjoying having them free for once. She took careful steps toward the door, gently pushing it open into what she remembered to be the living room and kitchen area.

It was like Melody WAS dreaming. The air was filled with the smell of breakfast. The living room was nice and tidy, the carpet freshly vacuumed. A large chair, and long couch, and a loveseat were laid out along the wall. On the far side of the room, there was a wall mounted TV and a bookshelf below it being used to display various interesting artifacts. The living room was separated from the kitchen by a countertop bar, a couple of stools resting on the living room side. The kitchen was your standard kitchen, with appliances along the walls and cabinets lining the top of the room.

One stood cooking at the stove. The scent of pancake batter lingered in the air, eggs already done and waiting on a plate. She turned and smiled when she noticed Melody, awake and standing there in bewilderment.

“Oh. Hey. Glad to see you're alive. I know you probably have a fuck ton of questions, but.. save them. We have a lot to go over. Just enjoy some food, will you?” One said, hoofing her a plate of freshly made pancakes and less fresh, but still recently made eggs. No one said she was the best cook. Melody just stood there in silence before finding her way to one of the stools and setting her plate down.

One turned and took in a breath, shouting towards the hallway Melody had just emerged from, “GIIIIIIRLS!! BREAKFAAAAST!!~”

Lily emerged groggily from the bathroom. She stumbled into the kitchen and smiled at the fact that there were two of her girlfriend there. “Melody! And.. Melody!” She hurried over to One, giving her a kiss and sitting down next to Melody. Melody gave a loving stare at the mare, but resisted giving her a quick smooch. Not hers, she reminded herself. Though aren’t they all hers?

She shook the thought out of her mind and shivered softly. A third plate rested on the counter, One tapping her hoof angrily. An awkward silence filled the room, only interrupted by the scratching of forks against glass plates. One waited a couple moments longer, then turned to Melody.

“I think there’s someone you’d like to see,” One muttered, nodding down the hallway. “Or that would like to see you.”

Melody widened her eyes and shrugged, taking the last bite of her pancake and joining One as she began to walk down the hallway to the last door. One slowly pushed it open and stepped inside. Melody entered behind her. In the bed, laying there, was a mare with an orange and pink mane wrapped in a dark red robe, darker than One’s. One chuckled.

“Card. Wake up!” One teased, standing over the mare. Melody’s eyes widened as she slowly began to realize who she was studying.

The mare slowly lifts her head, muttering in confusion.

“Mom… s?”