The sounds of hoof beats echoed off of the empty streets of Canterlot as Melody galloped through the maze of side streets and alleyways, stopping only for a moment to look up at the great tower that loomed over the city. Even through the pouring rain, she could faintly see a black alicorn preparing to take flight in search of her with a troop of royal guards.
Frantically, Melody dashed through the empty streets, picking up random objects as she passed them. After picking up about ten or so objects that were heavy enough not to blow away in the wind, she ducked into an alleyway and scattered them around herself. Taking a deep breath, Melody closed her eyes and concentrated on casting her spell. After about 30 seconds, she felt the familiar sensation of her magic being dispersed into the objects around the alleyway, leaving her with just enough to maintain the spell.
Satisfied, Melody sprinted for the orphanage three blocks away. She ran around to the back and knocked on a window. Surprisingly, there was an immediate response as the window flew open and she was hauled in by a brown-coated colt.
"What the HAY is going on out there, Mel?!" he exclaimed.
"Ah, Chivalry Shines," said Melody, calmly. "I didn't expect you to still be here. Hey, so do they still call you Shiv?" she asked, suppressing a laugh.
"Regretfully, yes, and getting stabbed in the flank was NOT funny!" said the colt with a small smile on his face. "Well, at least it wasn't at the time, but catching up is not what you’re here for, is it?"
"No," she said. "I need you to hide me for a little while, just for, like, a day or two."
"On one condition."
"What?"
"You tell me what happened to you."
"No."
"Mel-"
"I said NO!"
"OK, your choice."
Shiv walked over to the window and held it open.
“You’re kidding me!” said Melody.
"I'm afraid I'm not."
Looking around frantically, Melody sighed. "Fine, but you can't tell anypony, OK?"
"OK."
"It had started out as a usual week, going to school with my sisters, then, immediately afterwards, going to try to find our special talent. We called ourselves the...."
"Cutie Mark Conjurer librarians, YAY!" shouted the three young unicorns as they high-hoofed.
"We are going to be the best librarians ever, right Sugar?!" said the small yellow one.
"Right, Star!" replied the orange coated Sugar Song, a huge grin plastered across her face. "The best ever...of all time!"
"Ummm, guys?" said the light green unicorn.
"Yea?" replied Sugar and Star.
"I think we are supposed to be quiet in a library," she whispered.
Looking around, the three unicorns noticed a multitude of angry glares and a few stifled giggles coming from ponies throughout the library.
“Excuse me, girls,” came a voice from behind them.
The three fillies turned around, coming face to face with a brown-coated unicorn.
“Hi Mr.Dewey!” they said in unison.
“Are you three ready to help?”
“Yes, sir!”
“Good. Star Song, if you could read to those elderly ponies over there, I’m sure they would love it. Spring Song, it would be great if you could help out at the checkout counter. That would be great. Sugar Song, could you please take the books that are left out and put them away? Thank you, girls, I really appreciate the help... Girls?”
Dewey Decimal turned around, only to find the three young fillies already engaged in their assigned tasks. He smiled. “Those girls,” he mumbled to himself as he walked away. “Always so eager to help. Now, where has Lyra gone off to this time?”
Sugar Song, Star Song and Spring Song walked down the streets of Canterlot towards home.
“Anypony get their cutie mark today?” asked Star Song.
“No,” said Spring and Sugar dejectedly, hanging their heads low.
“Well, we could try apple picking!” suggested Star.
“Where are we going to find an apple... HEY!” exclaimed Sugar as a pink and purple unicorn galloped past, knocking her out of the way.
“What was that about?” asked Spring.
“I don't know,” said Star. “She seemed like she was in a rush.”
A moment later, a small purple and green dragon ran up to them. “Sorry about that,” he said. “Twilight gets a little pushy when she’s rushing.” With that, the baby dragon took off down the street, yelling, “Twilight! Wait up!”
“You have sisters?” asked Shiv gently
“Had...” responded Melody dryly, holding back a flood of tears.
“I’m so sorry. What happ..”
“I’m getting to it!”
“Girls I think its time for you to go to bed” said a light pink pegasus.
“But moooom we wanna see Celestia raise the sun! Dad, tell mom to let us stay up!” said Star.
“Your mother is right girls it’s time for bed” replied the large stallion.
“Okay” said the three unicorns as they walked off to bed.
“What's their problem?” asked Star.
“I don’t know, but mom seemed nervous about something” replied Spring.
“Ahh whatever” said Star, “Don't worry about them...I have a plan.”
“Ohhh nooo not again!” groaned Sugar and Spring
“Don't worry it’s nothing big, all we have to do is stay up in bed for a while so we can watch the sun come up from the window.”
“Well...okay” they replied
“Wait...was that the same night that nightmare moon came back?”
“Yes, now shut the hay up and let me finish!”
“Star I’m getting tired, can't we just go to bed?” whined Sugar
“No! The sun will be up any minute now.”
“But what if it’s not coming up? What if the princess forgot and fell asleep?”
“She’s not going to forget dummy, so wake up” said Star, giving Sugar a punch in the arm
“Ow!” Said Sugar angrily “That hurt!”
“Did not!” replied Star
“Did to!”
“Did not!”
“Did to!”
“Did not!”
“It did to, I’m telling mom!” yelled Sugar as she ran out of the room yelling “Mooooom, Daaaad Star hit me!”
“No I didn’t!” exclaimed Star, pursuing her.
“Yes you did and you called her a dummy!” yelled Spring, following close behind.
“Girls!” exclaimed the light pink pegasus, “I thought I told you to go to bed!......Girls?”
The pegasus gave them a worried look.
The three small unicorns stood in the center of the small room blankly staring ahead
“Gir...”
The pegasus was cut off as a blinding light flashed from each of their horns as streams of rainbows came from every direction, being absorbed into the three unicorns.
“Hun!...Honey I need you to come in here something is wrong with the...” the pegasus never got to finish as the air around the centermost unicorn was set ablaze with pure magic, incinerating everything.
“I’m so sorry” said Shiv empathetically
“Don’t be” replied Sugar song in a monotone voice
“So your sisters...”
“Died”
“What about your parents?”
“Dead”
“Was there a funeral?”
“There was nothing left to bury” she said, her voice starting to crack
“What did you do?”
“I wandered the streets for a few days until I was found and brought here...” she said, looking him straight in the eye as her face softened and a tear slipped past her eyes. “And then I met you”