A young unicorn moves from Scoltland to Ponyville in hopes to practice the old ways of magic of her native land, and discovers something that sends her on a quest in her own past.
Melody is a unicorn from Scoltland, and she moved to Ponyville in hopes of a better life. Her parents had always been restrictive, and they have long since abandoned the ways of old magic. Melody was fascinated by the old magic books she had found in her grandmother's attic, and would spend hours reading them. When her parents found out what she had been doing, they forbade her from seeing her Grandmother any longer.
After exchanging many letters with her pen pal, Pinkie Pie, Melody decides its time she went to Ponyville. So she travels to Ponyville, and there she meets her pen pal, as well as Princess Twilight Sparkle. When she discovers the princess's arsenal of books on magic in her library, Melody decides to use the library to her advantage and study up on any old magic she can find.
As Melody delves into the world of magic, she comes closer to finding why she doesn't have her cutie mark. However, this leads her into something much bigger than she had ever imagined.
The train's whistle blew loudly, waking Melody from her nap. She yawned and rubbed her eye with a hoof. She peeked outside and saw a train station coming into view. Melody blinked, and then smiled. The train was just arriving at Ponyville. She could finally begin her new life.
24 hours ago, Melody had been in the living room of her parents' home in Scoltland. She had just announced that she was leaving Scoltland and going to Amareica to begin her new life. Now she was waiting for her parents' response to this announcement. She knew they would have to consider the fact that she was of the age where she could travel on her own. She was no longer a little filly, and she knew how to take care of herself.
Her father studied his daughter's expression carefully. Key Note could clearly tell that she was determined to go through with this. He could see it in her dark eyes. Melody had always been a stubborn mare. She had also matured a lot over the past few years, proving herself to be a responsible unicorn. Key Note looked towards his wife, hoping to get her opinion.
His wife caught his gaze and nodded. "Melody, your father and I only want what is best for you. If this is what you want, then we respect your decision," said Dawn. "However, as your mother, I want to make sure you know what you intend to do when you arrive. Where will you be staying? And will you have a job?"
"Yes mum, I will," Melody said. "As you know, I have a pen pal named Pinkie Pie who lives in Ponyville. She's offered to let me stay at her place, and I can work as an assistant at her bakery."
Dawn nodded, liking the sound of this. She looked to Key Note, who said, "You sound like you have a plan."
"You will write to us, won't you dear?" Dawn asked, concern on her face.
"Of course I will mum!" said Melody with a smile.
Dawn's expression softened at that. She was proud of her daughter. There was one other matter that still concerned her, and Melody knew it too.
"Who knows, maybe I'll get my cutie mark while I'm in Ponyville," said Melody hopefully.
Melody sighed as she remembered the last bit of the conversation. She looked towards her coral colored flank. There, on her rear, was a blank spot where her cutie mark should have been. There was a certain fear in her heart that she would be judged about being a full grown mare with no cutie mark. Melody shook her head, she didn't need to be thinking about this right now. Pinkie Pie was going to meet her at the train station, and Melody didn't want her pen pal to see her with a frown on her face.
Melody straightened her self out, having slept for several hours in the same spot. She stretched out her joints, which had been still and unmoving for a long time. She worked out a kink in her shoulder, and then heard the train whistle, letting her know it was nearly time to get off. She aimed her horn towards the two suitcases she had with her and levitated them up into the air. Once the train had stopped moving, she carried her bags off the train with her. Melody took a deep breath, taking in the air around her. It wasn't exactly Scoltland, but the air was still almost as fresh. She looked around, hoping to catch sight of her pen pal, Pinkie Pie.
Suddenly Melody was barreled over by a mass of pink, knocking both of them to the ground. She giggled, recognizing Pinkie Pie's face from the pictures she had sent her. Her personality also matched the way she wrote her letters. This was definitely her friend Pinkie Pie.
"I'm so happy you're here, Melody!" Pinkie Pie squealed excitedly. Pinkie Pie pushed herself off of Melody and helped her pen pal up to her hooves. "We're going to have so much fun! Oh my gosh I'm so excited! Come on, I'll show you around!"
Melody chuckled and said, "That sounds great Pinkie Pie, but I want to put my bags away in my room before we do a tour of Ponyville." She gestured to her two suitcases.
"Oh of course!" Pinkie Pie scooped up her bags and balanced them on her back. "I got them! We're going to be the best roomies ever!"
Melody giggled again. Pinkie Pie sure was energetic, that much she could tell. She definitely liked the pink mare's enthusiasm. Pinkie Pie beamed at her and led her into Ponyville. Pinkie Pie had told her Ponyville was mainly an earth pony town, which was true for the most part. However she did see one or two unicorns, and a few pegasi flying around. Melody was also surprised at how friendly everypony was in the town. She hardly saw any ponies with grumpy expressions or dour auras emanating from them. Melody noticed she was lagging behind a bit and picked up her pace to catch up with her pink friend.
They went to Sugar Cube Corner and Melody was greeted by the smells of many sweets. She felt her own mouth start watering and swallowed. Everything smelled really good, and she could tell the smells lived up to the bakery's name. Pinkie Pie led her into where her room was. There was a new bed set up just for her. Melody put her bags on the bed and turned to her friend Pinkie Pie.
However Pinkie Pie had left the room. Melody was surprised at how fast the pink mare was, since she had only just seen her a few seconds ago. Frowning, Melody walked out of the room and went down the stairs. She walked into the shop and Pinkie Pie appeared with a batch of cupcakes.
"Surprise!" Pinkie Pie said with a grin. "You can't leave Sugar Cube Corner without having something sweet to eat, so have a cupcake!"
Melody smiled gratefully and used her magic to levitate a cupcake up and to her mouth. She took a bite and chewed, tasting the texture of the icing and cake. She swallowed and licked her lips. It was really good, a vanilla cupcake with strawberry flavored icing.
"This is great, Pinkie Pie!" she said with a smile, eating the rest of the cupcake.
Pinkie Pie giggled happily and set the batch down on the counter. She bounced back over to Melody and asked, "Can we go tour Ponyville now? Please?"
"Yes, we can!" said Melody. Then she remembered her flank and said, "Oh, um Pinkie Pie? Can I ask you something? Um did you tell anypony about the fact that I don't have my cutie mark?"
"Well, I only told the ponies who knew you were coming today. And that's only five other ponies. Don't worry, they won't say anything," said Pinkie Pie. "I told them not to."
Melody smiled, relieved to hear that. "Thank you Pinkie. We can go now if you'd like."
"Right!" Pinkie Pie saluted her and turned on her hind hooves as if she were a soldier. "Forward, march!"
Then she giggled and trotted out of the shop. Melody laughed with her and followed her outside. She looked around from where they currently were. There were all three types of ponies here, to her surprise. Mostly unicorns and pegasi lived in Scoltland, and she didn't know many earth ponies aside from Pinkie Pie.
Pinkie Pie nudged Melody, getting her attention again. Melody let her lead the way down the street. First they came to Ponyville's Library, where Princess Twilight Sparkle made her residence. Melody knew this from the letters she had received from Pinkie Pie, and now she faced a dilemma. Would the Princess let her go into the Library and read books or would she have to have special permission? What if Twilight wasn't as nice as Pinkie Pie said she was and forbade her from entering the Library? No of course not, she told herself. That would be silly.
Pinkie Pie did not notice this as she just went to the door and knocked on it. A few moments later the door opened and a young dragon appeared.
"Woah! So this is Spike!" Melody had heard about him in Pinkie's letters, but she had wanted to see him in pony. Thoughts of the Library and the Princess forgotten, she went to the baby dragon and smiled. "Hello! My name is Melody! Dragons are really rare, and legendary where I come from! You're even cooler than I thought you would be!"
Spike had already been notified by Twilight Sparkle that Pinkie Pie would be bringing a new friend over soon. He hadn't expected this kind of praise however. He blushed and smiled at the unicorn in front of him.
"Thank you, Melody," he said. "We can talk later if you want, I'm a little busy right now though. Did you want to meet Twilight?"
"Yes, I did," said Melody, remembering where she was now. She felt a little nervous, having never met any of the princesses before. Yes Pinkie Pie had told her Twilight Sparkle was a newer princess, but still a princess all the same.
The Princess of Magic appeared behind Spike and smiled. "Hello Pinkie Pie! And you must be Melody, Pinkie's pen pal from Scoltland."
"Y-yes your majesty!" Melody spluttered, backing up and bowing to her. She was surprised to see a blush form on the princess's face.
"Please, you can just call me Twilight Sparkle," she said reassuringly. "Pinkie Pie told me you're very fond of reading. Is that right?"
Melody nodded. "Yes your-I mean, Twilight."
Twilight smiled and said, "You're welcome here any time. I don't get to meet very many ponies with a love for reading."
"Really? That's a shame," said Melody. "Thank you very much!"
"Of course!" said Twilight. "And if you need anything, feel free to ask Pinkie Pie or me, or any of our friends. We're here to help if you need it!"
"Thank you again, Twilight," Melody smiled happily at her.
"We need to finish our tour of Ponyville," Pinkie Pie chimed in. "We'll see you later Twilight!"
"Okay, Pinkie Pie. Have fun you two!" said Twilight Sparkle.
"Bye!" said Melody before following Pinkie Pie again.
Pinkie Pie continued to show her around Ponyville. She met many new ponies, including Lyra and Bon Bon, Time Turner, and Derpy Hooves. Pinkie Pie showed her where Rarity's boutique was, and barely managed to escape being measured and used as a model for some of Rarity's latest designs. The dressmaker was a very nice unicorn, but Melody wasn't really into modelling. It wasn't exactly her forte.
Melody was starting to wonder if she was the only one without a cutie mark when Pinkie Pie introduced her to the Cutie Mark Crusaders. She was relieved when she met the trio of fillies, because even though they were still young, they didn't have their cutie marks either. Unfortunately after a few minutes of conversing with them, the Cutie Mark Crusaders started worrying about ending up like Melody, with a blank flank. Melody apologized to the three fillies as Pinkie Pie pulled her away to continue the tour.
"Oh look, it's Roseluck! Her name is Roseluck, but everypony just calls her Rose," Pinkie Pie explained.
Melody followed Pinkie Pie to where Rose's stand was. She smiled at the scent of roses and other flowers. They were all quite lovely, clearly living up to Rose's special talent. Rose smiled when she saw Melody and walked around the stall to meet her.
Pinkie Pie introduced them and Rose said, "Well if you're new, then I should give you a welcoming gift!"
"Oh, you don't have to," said Melody politely.
Rose got a white lily from her stand and gave it to Melody. "I insist. It's free of charge, so don't worry about the bits."
"I...well thank you," said Melody. She couldn't help but smile at Rose's generosity. She gently took the flower and tucked it behind her ear with a hoof. "It was nice meeting you, Rose."
"You too. We should hang out sometime, if you want that is," said Rose. "It's not everyday I get to meet a new pony."
"Why not," said Melody with a smile. "I'll stop by again later, okay? Pinkie Pie's taking me on a tour of Ponyville. Though I have a feeling we're nearly done."
"We are," said Pinkie Pie. "Just a couple more places to go!"
Melody chuckled and nodded. "All right then. See you later Rose!"
"Bye Melody."
Melody smiled and let Pinkie Pie finish taking her on a tour. Pinkie Pie showed Melody the way to a yellow pegasus's cottage. The pegasus was Fluttershy, and like her name, was a very shy one according to Pinkie Pie. They went to her front door and Pinkie Pie knocked a few times. A few moments later the door slowly opened up, revealing a turquoise eye. When the eye's owner saw that it was Pinkie Pie, the door opened up more. Melody saw a canary yellow pegasus with a long light pink mane.
"Oh, hey Pinkie Pie," said Fluttershy in a low voice. Then she saw Melody who was smiling at her. "Oh...um, who's your friend?" she asked shyly.
"This is Melody," said Pinkie Pie. "Remember I told you I had a pen pal? This is her!"
"Oh...okay," Fluttershy smiled shyly at Melody. "It's nice to meet you."
"You too," said Melody. "Pinkie Pie says you take care of animals, is that right?"
"Um, yes I do..." said Fluttershy.
Pinkie Pie smiled kindly at Fluttershy and said, "I'm taking Melody on a tour of Ponyville. I'll see you later, okay?"
"Okay..." said Fluttershy. "Um, bye..."
"Bye Fluttershy," said Melody.
She waved a hoof and Pinkie Pie led her away. Melody thought about her encounter with Fluttershy. The pegasus was definitely shy, and Melody had a feeling it would take some time for the pegasus to warm up to her.
Pinkie Pie pulled Melody out of her thoughts when she said, "Sweet Apple Acres is next! You need to know where that is, so come on!"
Melody giggled at the energetic pony and followed her through Ponyville. They went down the dirt road that led to Sweet Apple Acres, and the young unicorn looked at all the apple trees surrounding them. Soon they came to a barn where an orange mare with a blonde mane was pulling a small cart of apples into the barn.
"Applejack!" Pinkie Pie called. "Come meet my pen pal!"
The mare named Applejack paused before she went into the barn and looked over. She saw her friend Pinkie Pie and a new pony she hadn't met before. Applejack remembered Pinkie Pie telling her that her pen pal would be coming to Ponyville today. So she put a smile on her face and trotted over.
"Well howdy there, Pinks. And hello to you too, my name's Applejack. Pleased t' meet ya!" she spoke in her cowgirl accent.
"Hi, my name's Melody. Nice to meet you too!" said Melody with a friendly smile. "I take it this is your farm, judging by your cutie mark?"
"That's right! We here at Sweet Apple Acres grow only the best apples in Equestria!" Applejack said with a proud smile.
"I'll have to come by again later, in that case," said Melody thoughtfully.
"That would be great!" said Applejack. "You're welcome here anytime, Melody."
"Thank you," said Melody.
"Well I think that's it for our tour of Ponyville!" said Pinkie Pie. "What do you want to do now?"
"Hmm, Roseluck did ask if we could hang out after the tour. I think I'll go see her," said Melody. "Thanks for showing me around, Pinkie Pie."
"No problem!" said Pinkie Pie with a grin.
"Roseluck huh? Well ah guess that explains the flower then. Unless of course you got it on the train," commented Applejack. "Well y'all have fun now."
"See you Applejack!" said Melody. "Bye."
Melody and Pinkie Pie headed back into Ponyville, leaving Applejack to her work. Pinkie Pie went back to Sugar Cube Corner while Melody went to look for Roseluck. She found the earth pony at her flower stand. Roseluck smiled when she saw Melody.
"Hey, I'm still working, Melody. You're staying at Sugar Cube Corner right? I'll come by when I'm done for the day, okay?" Roseluck asked.
"Oh, I understand. That's fine with me," said Melody. "I might be at the Library though. Princess Twilight said I was welcome there, and I love reading so..."
"Oh gosh," said Roseluck. "Be careful Melody, as nice as the Princess is, she's a little too attached to her books."
Melody giggled and said, "I'm familiar with the type, don't worry."
"Haha, well see you later then?" Roseluck asked.
"Yep, later," Melody gave her a wave and headed off to Twilight's library.
As Melody turned to leave, Roseluck noticed her blank flank. She frowned, not having seen a full grown mare with no cutie mark before. She wanted to ask, but she did have to work and she didn't want to make Melody uncomfortable so soon after meeting her. She decided she would bring it up later, as subtly as she could.
Melody came from a family of musical talent. Most of the talent was found on her father's side, but there were a few relatives on her mother's side who possessed musical ability. Her father was a composer for formal events like orchestras and choirs. Key Note was well known in Scoltland, and had earned enough wealth for his family to have a good home and lifestyle. He was the one who had given Melody her name, with her mother's agreement of course. Key Note had also changed her mother.
Dawn's lineage consisted entirely of unicorns. There were no earth ponies or pegasi on Melody's mother's side. They had also practiced the old ways of magic. Dawn's mother, Melody's Grandmother, was deeply rooted in the old ways and preferred a quiet lifestyle on the edge of the forests in Scoltland. When Dawn met Key Note, he did not approve of the old magic style and tried to get Dawn to abandon it. Dawn was reluctant at first, but she found that she loved Key Note more than she did the old ways. So Dawn moved out of her mother's home and moved to Edinburgh, Scoltland. That was where Melody was born.
For most of Melody's childhood, she lived with her Grandmother. Melody's parents had busy life styles, and didn't have a lot of time to care for her. Melody didn't mind living with her Grandmother, however. She adored the elderly mare. Her Grandmother taught Melody all about the old ways of magic, and even welcomed her into the attic where all of the books were stored. Each night, her Grandmother would play a single song on her flute. It was a flute that her long deceased Grandfather had made, and a precious family heirloom. Melody loved listening to this song, as it made her feel safe and at peace. Eventually she convinced her Grandmother to teach her the song and how to play the flute.
Melody kept all of this a secret from her parents for a long time. She feared that if they knew, she wouldn't be able to see her Grandmother anymore. Unfortunately that fear came true when her parents made a surprise visit when Melody was 13 years old. There was a teary farewell between Melody and her Grandmother, and the elderly mare left Melody the flute as a parting gift.
Ever since then, Melody was never seen without her flute. Her parents didn't mind, since it was a musical instrument after all. For a while Melody didn't want to play it. She thought it was the kind of treasure that should be kept safe and hidden. As she grew older, her parents encouraged Melody to practice playing the flute. To satisfy her parents, Melody did practice every once in a while. Her parents decided that if Melody practiced playing her flute twice a week, that would be enough. Melody accepted this, since it was the only way she could please her parents.
The flute was one of the first objects Melody had packed the day before boarding the train to Ponyville. She kept it in a wooden box with a golden lock and key. Melody kept the box in her saddlebag so she could keep it close by without worrying. The young unicorn planned to bring it everywhere she went, because like it was to her Grandmother, it was a precious treasure.
It was late afternoon now, so Melody had a few hours before she would meet up with Roseluck. She shivered slightly in the cool autumn air as she stood in front of the door to the local library. She knocked twice with a hoof and waited patiently until the door opened. Melody smiled when she saw it was Spike who had answered the door.
"Good afternoon, Spike," she said. "May I come in?"
Spike chuckled and said, "This is a public library. You're welcome to come in at any time. It's just Twilight's floor you need to ask permission to enter."
"Oh, right," Melody blushed, a darker red spot forming on her coral pelt. "Thanks Spike."
Spike smiled and moved so Melody could walk inside. He closed the door behind her and Melody looked around the room. Twilight was actually on the main level of the library and sitting at her desk. The alicorn princess looked up and smiled when she saw Melody.
"I hope I'm not interrupting anything, Prin--I mean Twilight," she said, correcting herself at the end of her sentence.
"Not at all, Melody," Twilight Sparkle smiled assuringly at her. "Do you want help finding a book to read?"
Melody looked towards Spike and said, "Actually I wanted to ask Spike about what he knows about dragons. I've never met an actual dragon before."
"Oh," Spike frowned, understanding what Melody wanted. "I actually don't know very much. I was hatched from an egg in Princess Celestia's Academy for Gifted Unicorns. Sorry," he apologized.
"Oh, that's a shame," said Melody, a little downhearted.
"Melody, I have plenty of books on dragons for you to read," Twilight said when she sensed the young unicorn's disappointment. "Though if you've read a lot like Pinkie Pie told me, you may have already read some of them."
Melody smiled a little and said, "I probably have. My Grandmother had a lot of books on Scolttish Mythology."
Twilight caught the tense Melody had used in her sentence and a sympathetic look formed on her face. "Your Grandmother must have been a smart pony," she said gently.
Melody realized that Twilight had caught the meaning of her words, but she was grateful the alicorn librarian was being kind about it. She smiled and nodded. "She was amazing."
"Well you can look at my collections of books on dragons and see if there are any you haven't read yet," said Twilight.
"Sure!" said Melody, smiling more.
Twilight walked to one of her many book cases and looked up. She scanned the shelves until she spotted what she was looking for. A magical aura surrounded her horn and it extended to the books above. She levitated several dozen books off the shelf and put them on a table. Melody went to the table and started looking through the books.
"See anything?" Twilight asked after a few moments.
"Well I see many familiar titles, but some I haven't seen yet," Melody replied. "Is it okay if I stay in here while I read?"
"That's fine, just ask me if you need anything else," said Twilight.
"Thank you, Twilight," said Melody.
Twilight went back to her desk and Melody looked down at the piles of books in front of her. She got the first unread one and opened it up. There were several myths depicting dragons in the book, some she had read before and some she hadn't. Melody eventually became engrossed in the book and continued to read. A few hours passed and both unicorns were suddenly distracted by the sound of the door opening.
Melody looked up at the sound and saw Roseluck come into the library. The Scolttish unicorn looked towards the clock and realized she had lost track of time. Frantically, she shut the book she was reading and went around the table to Roseluck.
"I'm so sorry, I wasn't paying attention to the time!" Melody apologized. "Please don't think badly of me."
Roseluck giggled and waved a hoof in the air. "Don't worry about it. Are you having fun in here?" she asked, glancing behind her at all the books Twilight had out.
"Yeah, I was just doing some reading," said Melody, relaxing now that she knew the earth pony wasn't upset. She looked over to Twilight and said, "Twilight, thank you for letting me stay for a bit. I might come again tomorrow, okay?"
"I'll look forward to it!" said Twilight with a smile. "Bye Melody."
"Bye," said Melody before she left the library.
She followed Roseluck out the door, gently closing it behind her with her magic. The sky had started to turn a bit darker, since Luna was currently raising the moon. The weather ponies had made it a clear night, so all the stars would be visible in the night sky. It had gotten a little chillier, but Melody didn't mind. She was used to this kind of temperature after growing up in Scoltland, which was colder due to its location in the north.
Roseluck nudged Melody's shoulder, getting her attention. "Hey, want to go get some food?" she asked.
"Sure, you pick where to go though. I'm new here," said Melody.
"Right, I know a good place," Roseluck said. "Come on."
Melody walked alongside Roseluck as they made their way down Ponyville's streets. There were still ponies out and about, either closing up shop or doing last minute errands for the day. There was a gentle breeze coming in from the north, reminding Melody of home. She smiled and glanced up at the sky, which was embedded with bright jewels that spread out across the gradually darkening expanse. Eventually they came to a diner that was still open. Roseluck got them a table inside since it was cold, and they took their seats. After ordering drinks, Roseluck started conversation.
"So Melody, what's Scoltland like?" she asked, genuinely curious.
"Cold," Melody said, which got a laugh from Roseluck. She smiled and added, "A lot colder than here. Also a lot greener than it is here in Amareica."
"That makes sense," said Roseluck. "You have a nice accent too."
"Thanks," Melody smiled at the compliment. She paused as the waiter came by with their drinks. The two then went on to order their meals. Once he had left, she continued. "So what about you? How long have you been in Ponyville?"
"I was born in Fillydelphia, but I grew up here," Roseluck explained. "I come from a family of florists."
Melody laughed softly and said, "I come from a family of musicians. Guess we were both given appropriate names."
"Looks like it," said Roseluck, smiling. "I even got the right cutie mark."
At the mentioned of a cutie mark, Melody's face fell slightly. She quickly tried to hide it, but Roseluck had already seen it. Melody sighed, she knew somepony was going to notice sooner or later. She didn't want to lie to her new friend either.
"I don't have one," she said softly. "It's embarrassing, being a full grown mare with no cutie mark."
Roseluck slowly took a drink of her iced tea and set her glass down gently. "You're probably just a late bloomer," she said kindly. "I don't know a single pony whose ever gone through their entire life without a cutie mark." When she saw that only made Melody hurt more, she quickly added, "If it helps, my grandfather didn't get his cutie mark until he was in his middle 40's."
"Really?" Melody looked hopeful, which made Roseluck regret her words.
"No," she said. "But still, it'll come. I know it will."
"You don't have to lie," said Melody, downtrodden. "I appreciate you trying to make me feel better but lying won't help."
"Sorry," Roseluck apologized.
Melody sighed and took a drink of her own iced tea. She stared at her glass, the mood making her feel depressed. Roseluck kicked herself inwardly. She had just met the mare, and she had already hurt her feelings. Roseluck decided to try and change the subject in hopes of lifting her new friend's spirits.
"So do you have any hobbies?" Roseluck asked, hoping the change in topic would take away Melody's frown.
Melody smiled, grateful for Roseluck changing the subject. She nodded and said, "I like to play my flute sometimes. It was my grandmother's, and I like to play it whenever I start missing her."
"That sounds really nice," said Roseluck with a smile. "I would love to hear you play."
"If you don't mind too much," said Melody.
Roseluck shook her head. "Not at all. And you know, maybe playing the flute is your special talent."
Melody laughed hollowly at that. "I doubt it, but I'll play it for you if you want me to."
"I do," said Roseluck.
A waiter finally came over with their food. Melody had gotten a lettuce, cheese, and tomato sandwich. Roseluck had gotten a daisy and lettuce sandwich with hay fries on the side. They shared the fries as they ate their meals together. Melody was glad to have gotten another good friend in Ponyville. It was a good start to her new life and it made her temporarily forget about her personal issues for the time being. Soon dinner was done and Roseluck went ahead and paid the bill, since Melody's Scolttish money didn't work in Amareica. The two of them left the diner with full bellies and smiles on their faces.
Roseluck walked with Melody back to Sugar Cube Corner. The two friends parted ways and Melody went inside. She met Pinkie Pie in their room and the pink pony prodded Melody to tell her all about the rest of her day. Melody did so and once she finished, Pinkie Pie promised her that the next day would be better. The coral unicorn giggled at Pinkie's optimistic nature and bade her good night. As Melody tucked herself in her bed, she reflected on the days events.
The day had gone well, in her opinion at least. She had met most of Pinkie Pie's friends, and had earned two possibly close friends as well. She started thinking about Roseluck. The earth pony was a kind one, as far as she could tell. Roseluck had a friendly nature and had even treated her to dinner. Melody wondered if Roseluck had just been showing her Ponyville's hospitality towards newcomers. That wasn't true though, because Roseluck seemed genuinely interested in becoming friends with her. She had even asked to hear Melody play her flute. That went beyond basic hospitality and into friendship.
Melody turned in her bed as her thoughts moved onto her blank flank. Roseluck had tried to cheer her up, and even though she told a lie, her intentions had been good. Still, despite what Roseluck had said, Melody couldn't help but feel alone. She had met the cutie mark crusaders, but the three of them were still fillies and could easily get their cutie marks soon. Melody was a full grown mare with no cutie mark, and every single adult pony in Ponyville had their cutie marks. She felt lonelier than ever, and the loneliness threatened to pull her into depression. A loud snore from Pinkie Pie's side of the room stopped that from happening.
Melody still had three friends, one was Pinkie Pie who had offered her both a home and a job. She had Twilight Sparkle, who shared her love of reading. Then she had Roseluck, and even though they hadn't known each other very long, there was still a blooming friendship between the two of them.
Melody sighed, thinking she should try sleeping now. She closed her eyes and cleared her mind, trying to imagine her Grandmother playing the flute for her. She smiled as she remembered the sweet tune, and she played it in her mind.
Melody woke from a dreamless sleep. She slowly opened her eyes as she picked up on a delicious scent wafting into the room. Momentarily, as she hung between the realm of sleep and the waking world, she forgot her surroundings. Then memories of the previous days events came swimming back to her. She was at Sugar Cube Corner, sharing a room with her Pen Pal Pinkie Pie. And now, as she glanced towards the window, she could see warm sunlight coming in through the glass. The young unicorn yawned slightly and got out of her bed. She stretched out her body before giving herself a little shake. Now that she was more awake, she could focus better.
She could still smell that delicious aroma coming from outside of the room. Melody had a feeling it was Pinkie Pie or the Cakes making breakfast. She glanced over towards her roommate's side of the room, seeing a lack of the party pony. Her suspicions confirmed, she left the room and first went to the bathroom to wash up. As she looked at herself in the mirror, she couldn't help but giggle at how ridiculous her mane looked. It stuck out in all directions, giving herself a slight punk pony look. She cleaned herself up and brushed her mane down to its side swept style. Then Melody went down to the main floor of Sugar Cube Corner.
"Good morning," she said brightly as she entered the room.
She saw Pinkie Pie setting down a big plate of blueberry pancakes on a table. There was milk and apple juice on the table, as well as toast with butter. Pinkie Pie beamed when she saw Melody and went over to her.
"You're just in time Melody. I made breakfast!" she said excitedly.
"It smells delicious, Pinkie," Melody said with a giggle. "I am actually hungry."
The two friends sat down at the table together. Pinkie Pie handed her a glass and a plate, and Melody took her share of the breakfast items. She filled her glass with apple juice and started on her breakfast. She glanced at Pinkie Pie who was happily devouring three pancakes like she would any other treat. She giggled, seeing that the pink mare was just as hungry as her.
"So whatcha doing today, Melody?" Pinkie Pie asked conversationally as she ate some toast. "You don't start work until next week right?"
Melody nodded in affirmation. "Well I thought I would go visit Twilight again, and maybe go see Roseluck."
"Aw, you don't want to hang out with your favorite party pony?" Pinkie Pie whined.
For a moment Melody thought she was genuinely hurt, but then she saw the laughter in Pinkie Pie's eyes. "I'm happy to hang out with you any time, Pinkie Pie," she said. "You're welcome to come with me to Twilight's."
"Nah," said the party pony. "No offense, but books aren't as fun as all the other super cool things I can do around town."
"And what would those things be?" Melody asked curiously.
Pinkie Pie giggled and lowered her voice as she said, "It's a secret."
She put a hoof to her lips and winked at Melody conspiratorially. The coral unicorn laughed at this and nodded. "Right, of course."
She smiled, taking another drink of her apple juice. She finished up the last of her pancakes and wiped off her mouth with a napkin. Melody rose from her seat and proceeded to take her dishes into the kitchen. But Pinkie Pie stepped in her path and took the dishes off her hooves.
"I got it Melody, don't worry!" said Pinkie Pie, expertly balancing the dishes on one hoof while she carried her own on another.
Melody watched in amazement as the pink mare easily walked into the kitchen area and set the dishes in the sink. She blinked, and glanced over to where the Cakes were. However the two adult ponies didn't seem to be paying much attention, as they were tending to the Cake twins. Melody decided that this was probably normal and she shouldn't look too much into the matter.
"Well I'll be off then," said Melody. "Thanks for the breakfast, Pinkie Pie!"
"No problem, see you later!" said Pinkie Pie.
"See you!" Melody waved at her pen pal.
She turned and went back to her room to grab her saddlebag. She made sure she had her notebook and flute case inside before leaving. She walked out of Sugar Cube Corner and into what was a sunny day in Ponyville. She was glad for this, as she was way too used to seeing rain and cloudy skies in Scoltland. There was a cool breeze in the air and it swept through her mane. She smiled again and headed down the street towards Twilight's library.
Melody's path was suddenly blocked when three fillies came dashing into view. It was the Cutie Mark Crusaders, all donning their trademark capes. They each seemed to be carrying a filly sized backpack on their backs. She chuckled at the sight as the Crusaders smiled sheepishly at her.
"Sorry, we didn't see you there!" Sweetie Belle apologized.
"We didn't mean any harm," said Scootaloo.
"Where are you going?" inquired Applebloom, looking at the unicorn curiously.
"I was going to the Library," Melody answered. "And where are you three going?"
The three fillies all shared a secret smile and Applebloom answered, "We're going to get our cutie marks in backpacking!"
Then the three of them shouted out together, "CUTIE MARK CRUSADER BACKPACKERS!"
Melody winced slightly at the loud tones, but shook her head. "Well be careful!"
"We will, don't worry!" said Scootaloo. "Come on guys!"
Melody watched as the three of the scampered off. They were quite energetic all right, maybe even more than her roommate. Of course her roommate's energy went with her cutie mark. As for the three fillies, well Melody didn't know. She sighed as she looked at her own blank flank, wishing she could have some of that energy as well. Melody continued to the Library, glad to have a distraction from the dour reminder.
When she entered the Library, Melody was met with a pacing alicorn surrounded by books and notes. Twilight Sparkle looked rather stressed, and Melody could even see some hairs out of place. She cautiously approached the Princess of Magic, not wanting to startle her.
"Um, Twilight? Are you okay?" she asked warily.
Twilight's head snapped towards her, having not seen Melody come in. Then realizing it was only Melody, she relaxed slightly.
"Oh hey," said Twilight. "I'm sorry for the mess. I've been trying to study the three components of an alicorn's magic: The magic in the hooves that earth ponies possess; the magic in the wings of pegasi, and then of course unicorn magic which resides in the horn. It's a new approach that I hadn't even thought of doing before, but it's also very difficult."
"Oh..." Melody glanced at all the books around her. "Well...is there anything I can do to help?" she offered.
"No no, I'll be fine," said Twilight dismissively. "Feel free to browse around, don't mind me."
Melody frowned slightly as she watched Twilight return to her pacing. Every few moments the alicorn princess would use her magic to pick up several documents or books and look at them closely before deciding they were useless or didn't have the information she was seeking. Melody couldn't help but be concerned for her friend, who seemed to be overworking. Then a thought occured to her.
"Twilight, when was the last time you went outside?" she asked.
Twilight looked in her direction and blinked, as if trying to process what the coral unicorn had said. Then she responded, "I don't know, two days ago? I think I went to get lunch at Sugar Cube Corner or something."
Spike appeared at Melody's side and whispered, "I had to force her to do that."
Melody looked at the dragon and nodded. Then she looked at Twilight, who had already gone back to her work. She sighed, wondering how a pony could live like this. Melody loved books, and she loved learning new things, but she wasn't as quite obsessed as the Princess of Magic was. Still, she didn't think it was her place to order a princess to take a break and get out of her own Library. She decided it would be best to leave her be.
Melody went on to do what she came here for, and that was to find something to read. She went to a lower level of the library where there were more books available. She found some interesting topics on Coltic magic, and decided she would check those out. Spike went ahead and gave her the receipts for the two books Melody had picked out, and told her she needed to return them in two weeks. Melody thanked Spike and went back to the main floor of the Library.
"See you later Twilight," she said to the busy alicorn.
Twilight nodded, not looking at her. "Bye Melody," she said.
Melody sighed, seeing the alicorn was too immersed in her work to pay any attention. She stuck the two books she had checked out into her saddlebag and headed out of the Library. She paused momentarily to decide what she would do next. She had two new books to read, but the weather was too pleasant to be inside nose deep in books. She wanted to stay outside and be in the fresh air and sunlight.
Melody walked down the street, feeling the cool autumn air on her coat. She spotted the Carousel Boutique and thought Rarity. The dressmaker was closer to Twilight than she was, maybe Rarity could get Twilight out of the Library. Melody liked that suggestion and changed her direction towards the Boutique. She went inside and saw the dress maker using one of the pony mannequins as a model for a dress.
"Rarity?" she called her name.
The white unicorn turned and smiled when she saw Pinkie Pie's pen pal. "Oh hello Melody, what can I do for you?"
Melody smiled in a friendly manner and said, "Well actually I was here about Twilight. I was just at the Library and she looked a little stress. I was thinking maybe you could help her out, since you know her better than me."
Understanding came across the alabaster unicorn's face. "Ah, I see. I can fix that. Is that all?"
Melody nodded, "Yeah, I just wanted to let you know. I'll see you around Rarity."
There was a flash of disappointment in the unicorn's eyes and Melody felt slightly guilty about leaving so soon. "Maybe you can show me some of your latest designs?" she said, trying to console the dressmaker.
Rarity brightened at that and said, "I would love to. Of course you're a unicorn however, and the latest dresses I have are designed for Pegasi. Would you like to see them?"
"Sure," said Melody with a smile.
She followed Rarity into another room and tried her best to be interested in the dresses that Rarity showed her. She listened patiently as Rarity went on about how she had gotten the right fabrics and other materials for each dress, and how each feature would bring out the most stunning parts of a pegasus. Soon however, Rarity picked up on Melody's disinterest.
"Melody, if you happen to see Fluttershy today, would you mind asking her to stop by? I can tell you're bored. It's all right, really," said Rarity gently.
Melody sighed and said, "I'm sorry Rarity. I'm not really into dresses. I mean your designs are great, but you know.."
"I understand darling, don't worry too much about it," said Rarity. "Thank you for trying, anyway."
"You're welcome," said Melody politely. "And I'll be sure to ask Fluttershy to come by."
Rarity smiled and said, "Thank you Melody. See you around then."
"Bye," said Melody.
She left the Carousel Boutique and headed down the street. Sure enough she did see the shy pegasus up ahead. Melody approached Fluttershy carefully and told her that Rarity wanted to see her. The yellow pegasus nodded and quickly walked away, clearly not having warmed up completely to Melody. The coral unicorn watched her go for a minute before continuing on through Ponyville.
She looked around for a certain florist when she spotted Roseluck at her stand. Smiling, Melody walked over to the earth pony who returned the smile.
"Hey Melody," said Roseluck. "How are you doing this morning?"
"Fine, Rose," said Melody. "How about you?"
"I'm fine, I'm just holding the fort for Daisy while she's on her date with Lily. When they come back, we can hang out if you want," said Roseluck.
"Yep, they are. I think they're perfect together, anyway," said Roseluck with a smile. "I'm happy for them, even if I do get left out sometimes."
"I think that sounds cute," mused Melody in regards to the couple.
"Hey, Melody," Roseluck drew her attention back. "Do you happen to have your flute with you?" she asked hopefully.
"Huh?" Melody looked at Roseluck. "Oh, I do actually. Why?"
"I still want to hear you play the flute," said Roseluck with a smile. "If you have it with you, I'd like to hear your music."
"Oh...um you mean here?" she asked nervously. "I'm...I don't really like playing my flute in public..."
"Oh, why is that?" Roseluck asked, her smile fading into a look of concern.
"Well, it has to do with my parents."
"Ah, I see," Roseluck could sense the coral mare's discomfort. "You can tell me at my place. I can see Daisy coming back now."
Melody smiled gratefully at Roseluck as Daisy arrived. Roseluck left the stand in Daisy's care before going with Melody to her place. The two mares went around Roseluck's house to her garden. Melody's eyes widened at the sight of the garden. It was made up mostly of roses, clearly living up to Roseluck's namesake and cutie mark.
"Wow," Melody murmured. "This place is beautiful!"
Roseluck blushed at the compliment, "Thanks. I grew it myself."
"You did a good job," Melody said. "It's lovely."
"It is, isn't it?" Roseluck agreed. "Come on."
Roseluck led Melody to a gazebo that sat in the middle of the garden. They took a seat on the benches and Roseluck turned her attention to Melody.
"So, tell me about your parents?" she asked.
Melody nodded slowly and said, "Well my father was a musical composer. He orchestrated formal events, while my mother wrote songs for him. One day my father wanted me to take part in an orchestra, and he asked me to play my flute. I didn't want to disappoint my father, even though I didn't want to play the flute either. I joined the concession and well...it ended badly."
"I'm sorry," said Rose sympathetically. "That wasn't right of your father."
"It's not your fault," said Melody with a heavy sigh. "This flute belonged to my Grandmother. I see it as more of a treasure than a musical instrument. Though, I do still play the song she taught me sometimes."
Her horn glowed a rosy red and her saddlebag opened. The case containing the flute floated out and Melody removed the flute from its casing. She looked at it sadly, memories of her grandmother coming back to her.
"You miss her a lot, don't you?" Roseluck meant it as more of an observation than a question.
Melody nodded slowly. "Yeah..."
Roseluck looked at her friend for a few moments. Then she spoke softly, "Do you still want to play?"
Melody smiled slightly. "I do, actually."
Roseluck smiled and watched as Melody brought the flute to her mouth. Melody began to play her flute. A sweet tune filled the air, and Melody closed her eyes, letting herself be lost in the music. It was a meaningful song, filled with love and kindness. It was a song taught to her by her beloved Grandmother, who was one of the most precious ponies Melody had ever known. As she played her flute, the wind lifted slightly, coming a little stronger. The roses swayed gently all around them. The melody coming from the flute surrounded the two mares, and Roseluck found herself getting lost in the music as well.
Melody continued to play, unaware of what was happening around her. At their feet, roses with their petals closed began to bloom. The grass grew a little taller, and turned a little greener. A magical aura began to surround Melody, and she felt warmth envelop her. Roseluck opened her eyes and saw what was going on. Her eyes widened and she got off her seat, backing away from Melody. The magical aura continued to swirl around the coral unicorn, growing even stronger as the music went on.
Melody felt something inside of her, and her eyes opened immediately. She saw the aura, Roselucks's mixed look of surprise and fear, and the growth that had occured around her. She ceased playing her flute, setting it down in front of her. Melody looked around, stunned. That had never happened to her before. She had to have played that melody dozens of times, but she had never felt magic like that before.
Roseluck finally broke the silence by saying, "W-what was that?"
Melody swallowed and looked at her friend. "I don't know," she admitted. "That's never happened before."
"Strange..." Roseluck said. She decided it was safe now and returned to her seat. "That song though, it was beautiful."
Melody smiled slightly, "Thank you."
Meanwhile, miles away in Canterlot, the two royal pony sisters had sensed a slight change in the atmosphere. The ambiance around them had shifted, to their surprise. Neither knew where it had come from, but it was certainly new. Princess Luna found herself looking in the general direction of Ponyville, suspecting that the change in the ambiance had come from there. Princess Celestia followed her gaze, and she understood. Tomorrow the two sisters would pay a visit to Ponyville.
