Discord's Songbird.

by WondersparkOfHope

Chapter 4: An Unexpected Attack.

Lydia was in a daze. Even by the time they got back to the palace where they were staying with Twilight Sparkle for the summer, she was still collecting her thoughts, sorting out those which would help her decode what had recently occurred, those which would only confuse her more, and the thoughts that fell somewhere in between.

She remembered a voice mentioning her father and an angel sent by him. As fantastical and storybook-esque as it sounded, it was true. Her father wanted to keep her innocence, so when he was dying of ponymonia, he didn't want her to grow up miserable from the loss of her father. Instead he had told her that, when he was in heaven, he would send an angel to watch over her and to guide her, in hopes of easing his passing upon the then-six-year old filly.

Even now, ten years ahead of his death, Lydia still held the belief that an angel was watching over her. It seemed silly, but it seemed the only plausible explanation.

"So what happened?" April inquired once they had returned.

They laid upon the queen sized bed in Lydia's summer room, as the storm began to lighten a tad just outside of the castle.

"I'm not exactly sure myself," Lydia groaned, holding her hoof to her head.

"And what I am sure of sounds far fetched, even for me."

"Well, you didn't suddenly just decide to walk into the Nevermore Forest by yourself, did you?" Bubble asked concerned.

"No, at least, not that I'm aware of. If I did, it would've been a subconscious decision."

Suddenly the door opened and the sound of clattering china was heard entering the room.

"Here you are, girls," came the lyrical voice of Twilight Sparkle.

The purple alicorn stepped into the room, careful not to spill the cups.

"Are you okay, Lydia?" she asked as she took notice of the unicorn's hoof upon her forehead.

Quickly, she nodded.

"I'm fine, Twilight," she lied.

"Just a little headache is all."

"Well then, this tea should help you feel better."

Carefully Twilight used her magic to set the tea tray down upon the bedside table.

"I'm so glad you're back. I was beginning to worry when that storm came around. Where did you girls go anyway?"

Lydia groaned. Twilight was always the nosiest one, possessing the urge to know everything about what was going on in their lives.

"Oh, you know," Bubble said quickly, always the one with the quickest mind.

"A bit here. A little there. Everywhere."

Twilight giggled. She always enjoyed Bubble's quick wit and word choice.

"I hope that doesn't mean the Nevermore Forest."

A sense of unease possessed the three at roughly the same time. To contain their fear, they laughed along with her, but in a self-conscious sort of manner.

"Of course not," April said sheepishly.

"Good," Twilight said with relief.

"I'll leave you three to chat."

And with that, she left the room. Quickly Bubble shut the door quiet enough so as not to arouse suspicion. This was too private of a matter.

"Okay. Tell us exactly what you can remember," she told Lydia.

"Alright, but you're going to think it's too crazy."

"We've heard crazier," April scoffed.

"You won't be able to say that when I'm finished, but alright."

She took a deep breath.

"First off, I don't really remember much considering I wasn't aware of much."

"How is that possible?"

"It was like I was in a daze or a trance of some sort."

"What?"

"I don't know. My head hurts and I can't really think of any other way to describe it."

Suddenly a chill began to run up her back again.

"What is it?" Bubble asked.

Her jaws began to force itself open and her vocal chords started to open themselves up. Imbalanced Lydia began to stumble around the room as laughter invaded her head.

"Sing for me, my love," she heard a purring voice in her mind.

Here she was again, feeling the same sense of entrancement. Only this time, it was much more painful, as if someone was angry that she hadn't fallen under the spell the first time.

In a panic, she began to bang her jaw on the bed.

"Lydia, what the hell are you doing?" April exclaimed in a panic.

She could feel the first note of a song slowly climbing up her throat, as if it was grabbing onto the inside with a sharp and painful force. Lydia could taste blood in her throat as she attempted to keep the note down. She had to resist. And yet, she didn't want to.

"Sing for me!" the voice snapped.

In a last minute attempt to bring herself back, Lydia threw herself on the floor and began seizing in such a way that she almost seemed possessed.

"Lydia, are you insane?" April shrieked.

She could faintly hear the doors bang open and several pairs of flopping hoofs canter inside just before the note threw itself from her throat in a pained and tortured scream and her world began to fade into a black abyss.

Author's Note:

Finally! The fourth chapter. I may have to delay the next one as finals are coming up for me. But let me know your thoughts in the comments below. :)