//------------------------------// // Secrets Revealed Part 1 // Story: The Hearts Melody // by Saro0fdemonz //------------------------------// "Oh Spike, today was simply wonderful..." Rarity cooed in the embrace of her beloved. The drake merely smiled, wrapping an arm around her and holding her close. For a moment the mare felt like something was missing from the embrace, but her thoughts were quickly replaced with the sounds of her children laughing and playing nearby. Though as she continued to gaze at the two young Kirin, laughing and enjoying a game of tag, she couldn't help but feel uneasy. Spike seemed to notice and tightened his hold on her. "Something wrong Rarity?" he asked her softly, his words laced with concern. The unicorn shook her head. "Its nothing Spike. Just a bit tired is all. It was a rather long day." she said, her smile returning. Emerald froze, pinned beneath her brother who had been tickling her without mercy who had also frozen, both of them staring at a figure as it marched towards them. Spike loosened his hold on her, growling low in his throat as the figure came into view. "T...That's not possible...Spike?" Rarity asked in disbelief, a copy of her beloved standing before them, scars criss-crossed his body, his left eye jammed shut and a massive purple bruise surrounded his throat. "Rarity...you've gotta listen to me, none of this is real! Nyx..." The drake grunted as Amethyst tackled him, standing between him and Rarity. Her Spike stood between them, staring down his copy "I don't know who you think you are, but how dare you pretend to be me?!" He roared, steam rising from his flared nostrils. The copy merely chuckled, standing his ground. "Because I'm the real Spike. You may love her as I do, you may protect her as I would, but you could never know Rarity the way I do." The wounded dragon spoke, his eyes latched onto Rarity who had pushed to her hooves. Emerald had tucked herself in hiding behind her mother while the 'battle' raged on. "You aren't my dad." Amethyst growled. "And you aren't my son. You're just an image of him. Even so...I'm still proud of you..." the copy said, watching as Amethyst's expression softened. "w...what?" he said softly, blinking in surprise as he was pulled into a tight hug, tears streaming down the drakes face. "You've always protected them...no matter the cost to yourself...you've always taken care of your sister, even when you were little and she was being bullied. You came home with a busted wing and a smile..." "He never broke his wing! You're being stu..." "I remember that..." Rarity said softly, interrupting Spike. He spun, looking at her in shock. "And the first time he flew, Emerald tried to copy him and he caught her. He twisted his arm so far it nearly snapped..." The copy continued, letting go of Amethyst and walking towards Rarity slowly. The mare hardly noticed as the world around them began to fade away, rushing toward the dragon, throwing herself into his arms. She suddenly felt warmth around her, her face buried in her beloved's worn scales as she cried, her memories suddenly rushing back to her. "Shh...its ok Rarity...I'm here..." "J..Just like you promised..." she choked out. She looked into his eyes, or his eye rather, her hoof brushing against his cheek "Oh Spike...what happened to you?" she whispered. He only shook his head, holding her close. "Now isn't the time for that Rarity...I promise, I'll tell you everything later." "Heh..see..I told you I could do i..." THUMP. "MELODY!" Nox could only watch as Melody's horn grew brighter and brighter with the effort of the spell, blood dripping down her nostrils and her eyes bloodshot. The cloak she wore began to glow dimly, clinging tightly to her body and aiding her in her spellcasting, though moments later a strange black goop began to grow from the cloak, staining Melody's coat, vanishing only to appear again and again. She could only watch as every attempt at helping was met with cold eyes and unspoken orders to stay back. "I...won't...GAHHHH! Let you..lo...lose...your..f..foal..." Melody managed to say, her eyes losing focus for a moment. She planted all four hooves in the ground which shifted slightly underneath her as she poured more magic into the spell. It was becoming harder to maintain the link and Spike's resistance to magic wasn't helping any. "Please Melody! j..Just let me lend you some of my magic..j..just a little!" Nox begged. She expected her friend to yell, to get angry at her. But as the unicorn turned she wore a soft smile. "Nox...There is an innocent life inside of you, desperate for its mother to protect it...don't leave it alone...it needs you..." she said with tears in her eyes. Realization hit her so hard it nearly knocked the wind out of her. Melody had spent the past seven years without her parents, it was obvious she might have felt abandoned at some point and couldn't bare to think of allowing anything similar to happen to another. The Alicorn nodded sadly, watching as her friend continued to pour her life and blood into the spell, smiling as Rarity fell, Spike quickly waking and catching the distraught mare. She smiled as they shared a romantic, sob-filled reunion, watching her friend put on a smug smile. "Heh..see..I told you I could do i..." Melody collapsed, hitting the ground hard with a loud thump. "MELODY!" Nox screamed, standing over her friend, her horn lit up dimly and she gasped, feeling Spike's claw around it, stopping her magic instantly. "If you do that now, all that she did will have been for nothing..." he said softly, releasing her horn. With Rarity still clinging to him weakly the drake placed a hand against the younger unicorn's cheek, wincing as his claw brushed against the cloak. "This cloak...its Piper's cloak isn't it?" he asked softly. Nox nodded, not sure what he was getting at. "Its filled with both the magic of Harmony and Discord. She's worn it this entire time...for seven long years she has held back the madness of it...but why?" He asked no one in particular. He reached to remove the cloak, blinking in surprise as Melody weakly placed a hoof against his arm. "N...No...I can't...not yet..." she mumbled, pushing his claw away. With grim determination and a gasp of pain the young mare pushed to herself into a sitting position. "Melody...what..." Rarity placed a hoof against her nieces' cheek. "You've grown so much..." "Somepony had to." she said quietly. The words hit Rarity hard but brought a smile to her face. "Just like him..." "Like who?" "Your brother...you're just like him...When he came back to us." she looked around for a moment. "Just...how long was I..." "Seven years." Nox answered. Rarity paused to think and nodded. "Tell me everything." "CHAAAAAAAAAARGE!" The commander roared, leaping ahead of her soldiers, her mane hung flat against her as her blades tore through her enemies. There wasn't a creature dead or alive who would challenge her upon the field and hope to win, but orders were orders, and so Griffons hurled themselves into the death machine that was one Pinkamena Diane Pie. This war had cost so many so much, ponies and Griffon alike. Her daughter and granddaughter had vanished without a trace, her husband had been murdered, and her sanity had long since left the building. Rainbow had managed to keep her focused, managed to help her maintain herself by keeping her on the front lines with a promise that she would have her revenge against the ones who had taken her family from her. She had always trusted Rainbow Dash, but it had been two years now and she had seen no sign of the murderous fiends. Her patience, what little there was, was wearing thin. But with Applejack promising the same as her friend Rainbow Dash she was forced not to question them. Applejack had never lied to her, at least not about something as important as this and even those hadn't really been lies. Even so, she was growing tired of the slaughter, it didn't fill the void left behind by her family. But she had sworn that she would do as ordered until she found the ones who took away her family, so it was that she made quick work of the Griffon Siege, standing on her hind hooves amidst the corpses. She looked up to the sky, tears mixing with the blood staining her coat. Her soldiers stood behind and let her vent out her pain. It was like this after every battle. The pink mare would always stare at the sky for a moment before sinking to her knees and letting the tears take over. Her mane would return to its normal poofy self, signaling that it was safe to carry her 'home'. The ponies gathered around her, lifting her in silence, letting her sob silently atop them. Nopony was entirely sure why the sky brought her to tears, only that afterwards her mane would become flat against her body once more and she would become their Commander, leading them into another battle. It was always the same. No attempts at comfort would be made, many had learned the hard way that the mare did not want to be consoled, one of which had been Rainbow Dash herself. Though today to their surprise they found said pegasus waiting for them outside Pinkie Pies quarters, wearing a smile. "Pinkie." Rainbow said softly, this grabbed her attention. It had been ages since she had been called by her name. Rainbow had always referred to her as Soldier ever since Braeburn's death. It had helped her remain detached, had allowed her to cling to her last tiny shred of sanity. Something had to have happened for her to be using her name now. "What?" the mare almost spat as her soldiers lowered her. Rainbow pulled the earth pony into a hug and whispered something the pink mare thought she would never hear. "Strawberry is alive." she said. Pinkie Pie merely stared into the distance for a moment, rushing into her tent to find her daughter with a filly pegasus asleep against her. Her words of anger died in her throat at the sight. The two stared at one another until Pinkie pulled her daughter into a deathhug, crying into her stripped coat. In that moment she didn't care where her daughter had been, she didn't care that there would be more killing tomorrow or that she was still soaked in blood. In that moment she was once again Pinkie Pie the baker of Ponyville, the party pony of Equestria and all was right in the world. Piper found himself in a place he thought he would never see again. In the white abyss with Harmony. He had thought he would feel anger, that he would unleash his rage upon the Alicorn Goddess and make her feel the pain she had caused so many. But to see her in such a state as she was made him regret ever harboring such thoughts. Her mane hung limp against her bruised and battered frame, the clouds in her wing had long since turned gray, sagging painfully and all the stars in her opposite wing had burned out. The flames that had once been her mane were on the verge of death themselves. On either side of Harmony stood Luna and Twilight, chained to the abyss, collars around their throats and shackles clinging to their hooves. On either side of Piper stood Sora and Riku, their keyblade's drawn, both of them sinking to one knee and bowing their heads to the Queen and Princess'. Piper was lost, just what was going on? As if on cue Discord appeared in front of him, along with the six figures atop their pillars. "Piper." "No" he said simply, each figure staring in shock. The pegasus pushed to his hooves, glaring at each of them in turn. "Don't you even DARE! Just look at them!" he roared, pointing a hoof at the downtrodden mares before him, even Discord looked worse for wear. "A lesson had to be learned." "What lesson?! That you are a bunch of cruel bastards with no respect for life?! well point proven!" he yelled. "Piper." Luna said quietly, drawing his attention. She smiled and shook her head. "You and I are both aware that Twilight and myself brought this upon ourselves. It was to be expected. Demi-gods are not to interfere in the affairs of gods." "And the same goes for Gods interfering in the affairs of mortals." Piper spat, Harmony wincing. "I see...so that's why..." "Yes my little pegasus. That's why we have been put through every horror you and your friends have experienced. A lesson for us all, don't you think?" Discord said, stroking his goatee. "Release them." Piper said as he lowered his head. When no one answered him he growled, his keyblade hovering in front of him. "I SAID RELEASE THEM NOW!" He screamed, his blade glowing brightly, the restraints clinging to the Princess' instantly melting away, leaving them to gasp for air that had so long been denied them. With a flourish of his blade the darkness that hid the figures from his view vanished, leaving them all in shock as, standing above them upon the pillars were faces all of them recognized. Embedded just underneath them were the Elements of Harmony, Magic, Honesty, Kindess, Generosity, Laughter, and Loyalty. The final figure wore a smug grin, the pillar it stood atop lowering itself to Piper's level. "Bu...wha...I don't understand..." he tried to convey his thoughts into something that made sense, but then again nothing really did at the moment. "Its alright Squirt, we'll explain it later." Rainbow Dash said, ruffling his mane. "I suppose we lost touch with ourselves for a while there didn't we?" Rarity said as her pillar landed. "Yea, but it was super fun being in charge!" Pinkie giggled. "Yes, but it was a lot of work as well. I think its about time we pass the torch." Twilight spoke up. Princess Twilight stared at the pony, realizing the Twilight who had held her prisoner was still only a Unicorn. "I know what you are thinking." The unicorn said with a sheepish smile. "Well I'd assume so seeing as you're me..." The Alicorn returned. "But its like Rainbow said earlier. We can't rightly explain it all right now, there's too much t' handle right now. But ah promise ya that we'll explain everythin later." Applejack spoke up. It was then that they noticed something strange about the ponies gathered around them, which was only confirmed as Fluttershy joined them. Each pony had a horn and as they continued to watch they saw all six grow and spread out their wings, forming a circle around the gathered creatures. Riku and Sora stood with smiles on their faces. "Alright, everyone ready?" Riku asked. Together they nodded, Discord answering with a yawn and a snap of his claws. Above and below them two locks appeared, Sora aimed for one, while Riku aimed for the other. "This is gonna be a bumpy ride!" Riku yelled as both locks opened.