ARIA Special Navigation: The Magic of Friendship in the City of Miracles

by Planetarian

Rating: everyone
Tags: Crossover, Slice of Life, My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, Alternate Universe, Human, Sweetie Belle, Other, Original Character
Length: 46736

The search for Twilight has taken Sweetie Belle to Neo-Venezia... into a small company of gondoliers.. (Spinoff of Sweetie Chronicle and ARIA.)

Based on Wanderer D's Sweetie Chronicles and Amano Kozue's ARIA.

Neo-Venezia, A.D. 2307.

Life continues in the city of water that was built on miracles.
Aria company was faring wonderfully, with a budding Single and a blooming Prima at the helm.

Sweetie was at an impasse as she found herself over this world that was not made from hooves, but from hands. Why was she in Neo-Venezia? How was she to find her way?

An uninitiated would be easily lost in the currents of Neo-Venezia. Lucikly, Sweetie was not without help.

She would look for Twilight's fragment by exploring everyday wonders with gondoliers of the Aria company that were versed in the magic of friendship.

Another voyage of self-discovery in Neo-Venezia was about to begin.

Published 2013-06-13 14:20:03 UTC
Last updated 2013-07-01 01:27:37 UTC

Prelude -その上げ潮について... That Rising Tide...

Prelude -その上げ潮について... That Rising Tide...

[color=006cac]I've always believed that being totally alone will weaken your emotions as you smile less and less.

That is true. Really true.

Embarrassing remarks are not allowed!

I am looking forward to making new friends, Akari-san! That's a part of the miracles that this city was built upon!

[color=006cac]Ai-chan! Let's go together! It's time to meet a new miracle!

I said that embarrassing remarks aren't allowed already!

\------//

The unfathomable blue stretches as far as the eyes could see.

The lagoon was connected to this aquamarine backdrop through the onset of Acqua Alta.

The city was in a state of lull... gondole and motorboats are tied to the moorings for the day.

The rising sun over the horizon was filling the hearts of those that dwell in this city of treasured memories.

The new world and the new day seemed to wash over the inhabitants of this beautiful planet, which was made possible by the loving hands, sweats and feelings of those in the past and present day.

Thaumaturgy is real. The gem of the Neo-Adriatic Sea is filled with miracles.

This is as planet bathed in the sea of happiness.

A lady with long, flowing pink hair and a white beret trimmed in aquamarine set a soft gaze upon the oceans before her. She was not bothered by the water that had enveloped the roads, nor was she bothered by the stillness of her surroundings.

She turned around and waved at a round, alabaster object which sat on the front porch of a building that rose from the sea. Her short white cape fluttered in the wind.

Maybe Ai-chan is still asleep, thought the lady to herself. Ai-chan, don't you think that wonders are just around the corner? Shouldn't we go and greet those wonders in earnest?

"Aria-shachou! I will make your breakfast very soon!"

The cat waved with two forelegs. He donned a white beret in the same style as the one which graced the lady. He was enthusiastic, and a little desperate apparently.

The lady moved about with a bit of a stumble, but she recovered in a somewhat clumsy manner. She then greeted President Aria with a beaming smile, for that a new day had begun.

\----//

An alabaster unicorn with curly mane and tail was sitting by herself as she gazed at nowhere in particular.

The unicorn could float around the area, as the water was getting close to her barrel.

The unicorn filly with the mark of a broken star on her flanks was bewildered and utterly stomped.

She was in the midst of bipedal, cloth-clad beings, yet they did not bet an eye over her presence. One or two onlookers did wave at her as if they were bidding salutations to the filly, but that was all the reception she had received over this watery place.

The town was far larger than that of her native Ponyville. The filly felt that this place was more akin to that of Canterlot, but the architectures were dramatically different.

A spire-like building and the island that it was built upon could be seen from the filly's vantage point. The filly caught glance of one or two boats that were rowed by people. There was not much traffic at all for some reason, but the filly did not want to dwell on that matter.

She knew that she was at a waterfront. She didn't want to carelessly dip into the water, for she was not sure where the seawall ends. The cement railings did help with locating where the sea starts however. As a result of this decision, Sweetie had been sitting on her haunches for about half an hour, without leaving the spot where she spawned from.

Sweetie Belle allowed her mind to go back to the point where she woke up and was greeted by the sights and sounds of this world. She remembered the hard but warm surface of the stone steps, the soft oceanic breeze, the slight smell of decaying wood, the sound of wind chimes and seagulls and the gentle embrace of the sun at dawn.

This was not Celestia's sun. The angle and the ambiance were alien to Sweetie Belle.

Nevertheless, the warm embrace of sunlight had given the unicorn some measure of stamina.

"I better ask for help..." The little unicorn muttered. She was famished, and the smell of freshly baked bread in the air did not help her in any way.

It was hard to summon courage, but the unicorn knew that she could not remain on one same spot forever.

Sweetie's fur was getting soaked in the still water, but she went on, as she trotted... peddled about using her hooves.

Laughter permeated through the air. Sounds of two girls giggling at each other to be precise.

There's somepony in that house to the side! Sweetie surmised.

As Sweetie closed in on the house, she wondered to herself about the sights and sounds of everything around her. Why was this alien place so tranquil and inviting?

Hi! I am a talking unicorn! Can you tell me something about where I am? Sweetie began to rehearse what she should say to greet the inhabitants of this two-level house that shot out of the seawall.

No. That sounds ridiculous. Should I just say 'Good Morning?' Would 'Buongiorno' be right? This place does not look Germane...

The platform where this two story house sat upon was submerged by a foot of water. Sweetie saw the railings that surrounded the platform, but the gap between the posts gave her some nagging concerns.

If the water remained calm, then I should be all-right. Thought Sweetie to herself. I will just move by grabbing on the railing posts when I get to the platform...

The unicorn proceeded with caution as she treaded down the walkway that bridged the platform to the seawall. She was certain that the laughter and the smell of bread came from this house with flax-colored roof. A white gondola with blue trimmings, and an ebony gondola was next to a white pile that had blue accents.
The wooden deck was a little slippery, but Sweetie could live with it.

"ARIA Company..."

Sweetie read the sign aloud. What kind of business does this company do?

There was a rack to the side where two oars were found. These oars must be the oars that would be used for the boats that were docked next to the platform.

Sweetie was lost in curiosity when the entrance to Aria Company swung open, as the bipedal girl with fern green hair and a white dress chimed happily.

"Hi! This is Aria company! We're not open until..."

Then the girl gazed at the unicorn as she stood frozen solid. Her genuine smile remained casted on her facade.

"O! I am sorry about that..." Sweetie Belle and the girl locked their eyes on each other, each stammering and unable to form anything other than exclamations.

"Is there something wrong, Ai-chan?"

A lady with pink hair approached the door, as she tended to the girl that was at the door.

Ai-chan did not give her an answer.

The pink-haired lady moved toward where the girl with dark green hair was pointing at.

"Hohe!?"

The unicorn, 3 1/2 feet in height, had a dazed expression on her face, while the lady was starting to splutter about as she shifted left and right, unsure of what she ought to do.

Then the icebreaker came in the form of a low growl from the unicorn's stomach.

The lady and the girl's mouths were agape as the unicorn's face became flushed from embarrassment.

\----//

Sweetie was happy to have been invited into the house after her awkward exchange with Ai-chan and the taller human lady.

Sweetie noticed that the two of them had shifty eyes that couldn't help but to be trained upon her. Every inch of her features were being eyed on with awe and bewilderment by the two females that stood before her.

"Achoo!"

Sweetie sneezed and shivered a little. It seemed that she had forgotten about the fact that she was soaked from head to hooves when she ran into the occupants of the house.

"Oh! I am sorry! Let me get you a towel!" The older girl quickly dashed out of the reception area as the girl with green hair approached the unicorn.

"Ur... I need to... O yes! Let me lift you onto one of the chairs! Hang on!"

Before Sweetie could protest, Ai had seized the unicorn and fetched her from the soaked floor.

"Ahh.. ur... you just grabbed me!" Sweetie started to move her limbs and wiggle about.

"Please let me get you onto a chair! I won't let you freeze from sitting in all this water!'

"Ohh..." Sweetie went limp and as the girl firmed her hold onto Sweetie's barrel.

"Here, take a seat for now! Let me get you a cup of tea to warm you up!"

Ai placed Sweetie Belle on her haunches over one of the four chairs that surrounded the dining table. The girl than hurried herself into the adjacent kitchen as she haphazardly turned the stove on while looking for a tea set.

Just as Sweetie oriented herself to face the kitchen, the sound of descending footsteps could be heard within an earshot. Sweetie Belle turned her attention to the staircase as the lady ran to the ground floor with a large, beige towel in her arms.

"Let me get you to dry up!" The lady declared.

Sweetie was then covered by the towel while the lady moved her arms so that the towel can absorb the water on Sweetie's fur. The pony let out a slight whimper as the sensation of slight pressure made by contact points was felt against the pony's body.

After a good few minutes of tussle, the girl released the towel from Sweetie Belle. Sweetie's mane and fur were disheveled, but the unicorn was no longer damp. Her butt did feel cold however, as the moisture from her bottom remained on the seat.

The lady took notice of the dripping water from the seat.

"Here. Let me get you onto another chair."

Sweetie nodded when the lady twisted the towel to dry off the towel. With the towel then slung on one arm, the pink haired lady lifted Sweetie to the adjacent chair, and proceeded to rinse off the chair that Sweetie first sat on.

Both of these human girls extrude a sense of optimism and joy, and Sweetie noted that they were both soft-spoken. She was relieved that they could understand her without any trouble, as it'd be a nightmare if she couldn't communicate with them.

"Ai-chan! Is the tea ready?" The lady inquired while putting away the damp towel.

"It's ready Akari-san. I will get them on a tray. Is President Aria still upstairs?"

So the older one is called Akari-san. Younger one is Ai-chan. Sweetie made a mental note of the girls' names.

"Yep. I will call him down and put this towel away. Don't worry about us and let our guest have the tea first!"

"Okay!"

Sweetie Belle saw Akari-san taking the towel upstairs as Ai-chan came back into the living area with a tray and a couple of tea cups.

Ai-chan placed the tea set on the table and proceeded to pour steaming hot tea from the tea kettle.

"Any sugar and milk?" The girl inquired.

"Urr... one lump would be great. Some milk would be nice too." Sweetie Belle answered.

The girl poured some milk into the tea, placed a lump of sugar, and stirred the tea with a silver spoon. She then held the teacup with her paws as she moved to Sweetie Belle's muzzle.

"Here. Be careful, it's hot." Ai-chan cautioned with concern spelled out of her gaze.

Sweetie was stunned for a second or two, but she quickly returned to reality.

"Oh! Don't worry. I can drink this myself."

"But how can you drink without hands...." Sweetie Belle applied telekinesis on the handle of the teacup, and the saucer that the teacup was served on.

"!!" The girl was flabbergasted.

Sweetie proceeded to absorb the rich aroma of the tea. This was an Assam tea.

Following the sniff, the filly began to drink the hot tea, while Ai-chan stood motionless at the spectacle before her.

"Aria-shachou, Ai-chan, I will go and make break... Hohe!"

Akari-san was unable to process the sight of a unicorn drinking out a levitated tea cup.

"Puipu... PUI!!!"

The white, round being that can only be President Aria was taken aback by the scene as well. It was making its way down a flight of stairs when Akari-san had mentioned about making breakfast.

Sweetie Belle felt that her body was warming up as she took one final sip at her tea.

"Thank you... urr..."

Sweetie Belle found Ai-chan pointing one of her dull claws at her. The girl was shaking while her mouth was moving without forming any speech whatsoever.

"Excuse me?" The filly asked with concern of the human before her.

\---//

"That was unbelievable!"

Ai-chan declared loudly as Akari-san and President Aria took their places around the dining table.

Sweetie was blushing profusely at the captivated, beaming audience.

"Ur... I... that was..."

"Amazing! Truly magical! You were right about running into a miracle today!" The green-haired girl declared ecstatically.

Akari-san could not contain her excitement at all. She stood and embraced Sweetie as she nuzzled the little unicorn.

"That was so wonderful! You are a unicorn that can talk and do magic..."

"Ummpf..." Sweetie Belle squeezed the sound out of the warm embrace.

"Oh! I am sorry! That was so rude of me!" Akari-san left Sweetie free as she took a step back. "I haven't even introduced myself. Please don't be angry!"

Sweetie looked at the frowning audience. The strange being that was called "President Aria" was looking at her with an apologetic expression as well.

"O... no. It's all right. I need to introduce myself too. I am really sorry about everything." Sweetie addressed to the three beings that were around her.

Akari-san returned to her seat as she looked at Ai-chan lovingly.

Ai-chan shifted her eyes from left to right, and decided that she should go first.

"Hi! My name is Ai. I work as an Undine at Aria Company..." She paused for a fraction of a second. "I mean, yes! This is the Aria company. I am a junior Single, so I am not that experienced. Please bear with me!"

As Ai-chan bowed in the direction of Sweetie, the unicorn remained still for two seconds as she was trying to absorb the information.

"Hahi!"

Sweetie Belle turned toward the pink haired lady.

"My name is Mizunashi Akari. Just call me Akari! Mizunashi is my surname. Ur... I am the Prima of the Aria Company, but I too am still inexperienced. Umm... Aria-shachou here has been with company since the beginning! The three of us here are the staffs that work in the company!"

"What is your name?" Akari inquired after having bowed to the unicorn.

"Oh!" Sweetie was in a lull from the lyrical tone of the two girls that spoke to her. She snapped back into reality.

"I... my name is Sweetie Belle! I am a unicorn! I am not from here... "

"Hehe."

Sweetie Belle found that Ai let out a snicker.

"Hmm?"

"I don't think that unicorns are very common! Akari-san, have you ever run into one on Manhome or on Aqua?"

Akari was completely amused and quickly answered her junior.

"No. Never. Sweetie-chan is the first one ever!"

Ai rolled her eyes to the ceiling, and returned her gaze to the unicorn.

"I honestly thought that you were a cat in a costume for a second. But that wouldn't make any sense with how your eyes and body move around... never mind the fact that you talked to me!"

Sweetie Belle was very puzzled by everything that had been said to her. One question took precedence against every other however.

"So... there's nopony whatsoever around here?"

"Ummm..." Ai and Akari cocked their heads.

Akari replied. "I don't think so. I have seen ponies on Manhome, but they are really animals. They don't think like you or Martian cats do, and they can't talk..."

Ai said mischievously. "And they don't do magic."

Sweetie's expressions turned to a frown. "So this is an alien world... completely alien world..."

The two girls went into a bit of a panic. "Ur... don't be sad! We'll help you figure out what to do! We know that we're just Undines, but..."

Sweetie Belle interrupted Akari.

"What... is... Undine? What do you mean about Prima and Single? How does... no, what does the Aria Company do?"

Akari paused, and slapped her right paw on her forehead.

"Undines are gondoliers that work in touring business. Prima and Single are different levels of Undine in seniority! There's also Pair too, but I can explain this to you after breakfast!"

Akari clapped her hands together.

"Please let us cook up a breakfast, and then we'll explain everything to you!" Akari pleaded.

Sweetie Belle chose to accept this as the best answer she could have for the time being
.
Ai stood up and spoke. "Everyone should get something to eat first. It's morning. The baked breads have been sitting there for some time... let's have something to eat first. Sweetie-chan, do you eat eggs?"

Sweetie Belle nodded.

"Good! How do you like your eggs?"

"Urr... over easy please." Sweetie said without giving much thought over the subject.

Her attention suddenly returned. "Oh! What am I doing! I shouldn't be... please let me help! I am intruding on you all. I can make this really good pancake... or I can set the table..."

A paw rested on the unicorn's left shoulder.

"Sweetie-chan, You are our guest. Please relax and we will get the breakfast out. We were already preparing the breakfast when you came to our company, so it won't take long at all!"

Akari said gently to the alabaster unicorn.

"Ai-chan, can you take Sweetie-chan to the attic? The dressing table should have a brush and a comb. Let's straighten her hair first..."

Sweetie Belle felt a need to be pedant.

"I have fur and mane you know..." Sweetie corrected with an apologetic air.

Akari's words were stuck on her tongue.

"Ehh... oh! Sorry about that!" Akari said while gesturing a pardon. "I will handle the breakfast. Ai-chan, let's tidy up Sweetie-chan okay?"

Ai pirouetted toward Akari, and hugged her senior lovingly.

"I will do just that. I will leave the breakfast to you then Akari-san!"

Ai broke her embrace, and turned to the unicorn.

Sweetie Belle was a little aghast when Ai lifting her off of her chair (with some effort.)

"Wha... what are you..."

Ai grinned. "Can't have you get your hooves wet now, can we? I got some rain boots that you could use..."

Ai started to study Sweetie's foreleg as she continued her climb upstairs.

"No... those won't fit. Hmm..."

Sweetie returned a smile at Ai.

"It's ok. I am used to having my hooves wet from crusading and other activities. The water is very shallow inside the house anyways..."

Ai nodded in agreement, and bent down so that Sweetie can stand on her own.

"Let's brush your mane a bit. I really want to brush it..."

Sweetie saw the look of desire in Ai's eyes, which made her swallow a gulp.

\----//

Ai and Akari were gentle with the brushing, and Sweetie found her dried fur well groomed.

Akari went up to the attic after having laid out the dishes, thus she had managed to spent some time with the pony. The three of them had decided to eat their food before the breakfast get cold, so they left the attic bedroom for the dining area.

Ai spoke. "I didn't realize that the Cutie Marks are made up of furs that have different coloring! I thought that they were tattoos!"

"Hehe. We ponies are not born with any cutie mark. They come up magically when we find our special talent. You can't just tattoo a pattern for this."

"That's incredible! It's nice that your magic tells you what your calling is in life! Finding your calling is a very hard thing to do! It really takes a long time." Akari remarked to Sweetie.

"Don't I know it! My friends and I have been crusading for our cutie mark for what felt like an eternity!"

"Hahi!" Akari gently mused. "The moment where everyone can see your calling is truly magical. That moment of blossoming makes you feel so complete about yourself... that you have done something worthwhile for all to see!"

Ai said blissfully. "Congratulation on finding your calling in life, Sweetie-chan! Your friends must have been so proud of you!"
Her expression sunk a little afterwards. "I hope that I can find that calling which makes me truly special as an Undine too. Akari-san worked very, very hard to find that answer before..."

Sweetie, in the arms of Akari, replied to Ai and Akari.

"My fellow crusaders don't even know about it..." Sweetie gave a longing glance at Ai and continued. "Thank you, Ai and Akari, for congratulating me like this."

Sweetie saw Ai becoming animated once more.

"No. Happy things should be shared and cherished! We should thank you for sharing that happiness with us!" Ai exclaimed.
”Hahi!" Akari chimed in. "Let's celebrate Sweetie-chan getting her cutie mark and welcome her to Neo-Venezia!"

"You know... I got my cutie mark a while back..." Sweetie sheepishly added.

"But your friends never did get a chance to celebrate it for you, did they?" Akari raised.
Sweetie was once again in embarrassment. Akari was chuckling as she placed Sweetie down to her seat the dining table as everybody else assumed their place.

\---//

"Well then, itadakimasu!" Akari gestured, and President Aria helped himself to his bowl in earnest.

Sweetie Belle noticed that the terms being used by Akari are foreign, but she for some reason could comprehend them without giving any though over them. She had to think twice to realize that her brain had registered itadakimasu as bon appétit without her knowing the term.

Sweetie realized then that her brain made that link between President and shachou as well.

This examination led to Sweetie pondering of a little question.

"Urr... what does san and chan mean?"

Sweetie spoke aloud while spreading butter on a piece of toast.

"Oh! Those are honorifics!" Akari explained while wiping her mouth with a napkin. "Ai-chan and I are Japanese. San is kind of like saying Mr. or Mrs. when you talk to a person. We say this to people generally. Chan is for well... younger... we use this as kids... girls... well..."

"You are blushing red, Akari-san." Ai didn't bet an eye as she took a gulp of milk.

"I think I get it. So it's kind of cute for somepony to use chan..." Sweetie drifted her eyes to Ai.

Ai noticed Sweetie's gaze, and she had a comeback lined up. "Sweetie-chan, did you just say somepony?"

Sweetie was somewhat lost at Ai spelling out the obvious. "Yes..."

Ai was glowing. "You are the only pony here!"

Sweetie realized that Ai just pulled one on her. She facehoofed.

The surreality of the whole scene had finally caught up to the two Undines; Ai and Akari couldn't help themselves by that point, as they broke into fits of laughter.

Aria Pokoteng, the Martian cat, was too busy eating to join in on the fun. His entire face was buried into the bowl as the pony kept her face buried by her forelegs and the two Undines struggled to get their giggling under control.

\----//

Sweetie, Akari and Ai found themselves in the flooded kitchen.

Sweetie Belle refused to let Akari and Ai do all the work. Ai and Akari had relented, leading to a triumphant Sweetie assisting with moving the plates and the utensils into the kitchen.

"You can do all sorts of different magic, right?" Ai inquired.

"I know a few spells. Not many." Sweetie attempted to hide her pride, but the two Undines saw right through the unicorn.

Ai decided to not humor Sweetie immediately as she turned to Akari.

"Akari-san, you are taking this very well."

Akari paused for a moment.

"Aren't you the same, Ai-chan?"

Ai was stunned very briefly, before giving way to a genuine smile.

"You're right! I really am not surprised about Sweetie-chan for some reason." Ai started to wonder down the memory lane as she gave her reactions some thought.

"With all the magic and miracles that we have witnessed while on Aqua... maybe..."

Akari's eyes were twinkling.

"We came to embrace the power of miracles, whether they be big and small, obvious or subtle, fleeting or ever-lasting..."

Sweetie Belle couldn't help but to leap into some self-examination as she observed how the two humans saw her.

Twilight would've been absolutely fascinated by a human being in Equestria. Applejack may be wary, Rainbow Dash will overreact, Pinkie Pie will host a huge feast, while Rarity might play pin-up doll with the human... the rest of Ponyville might get all paranoid. They did last time with Zecora...

Sweetie Belle looked at the warm dynamism between Akari and Ai, as the pang of regret shot up in her conscience.

Those two are enjoying each others' company so earnestly. They have been growing together, and will keep doing so. Come to think of it, was I ever like that with Rarity? With Twilight? I don't think I had such an ongoing tutelage...

Sweetie Belle couldn't really put away her melancholy at the drop of a hap. The two years' worth of looping came to her mind as she started to think of her mentors and how detached they had been to her individual growth.

I've been growing up all by myself...

Sweetie continued with the filing of cleansed dishes to the drying rack wordlessly, as the two Undines chatter among themselves... the mare didn't feel that she had any right to intrude on the two of them, and that she didn't want to burden the two with her anguish.

\----//

"Sweetie-chan..." Akari took a breath before continuing. "Welcome to Aria Company, Neo-Venezia and Aqua!"

Ai looked at her friend and mentor with glee.

"We have plenty of time in the next few days from the high tide, with Aria Company not having any booking appointment! So we have all this time to ourselves!"

Ai passed the conversation to her mentor.

"Sweetie-chan. Ai-chan and I will do our best to answer your questions about Aqua and Neo-Venezia!"

Ai declared to Akari, President Aria and Sweetie Belle. "Akari-san is the most knowledgeable about the magic of Neo-Venezia! She is a natural about finding those things, and in sharing them with friends from all walks of life!"

Sweetie was amazed at this proclamation, but she decided to not dwell on this.

"Ur... ok! First question."

Sweetie turned to the very floor. All four of them (cat included) are on the second floor of the company building so that they can sit on the floor.

"Tell me what Aria company does!"

Ai was brimming with pride. "Aria company is a tourism and occasional transport company that takes customers onto gondola rides across Neo-Venezia!

"So are Undines tour guides?"

Ai was prepared for this question.

"Undines are ambassadors to Neo-Venezia. We are gondolier tour guides that represent Neo-Venezia to visitors and citizens alike! There are some three-hundred Primas that serve in Neo-Venezia today, with many more Singles and Pairs."
"So apprentices would be Singles and Pairs...?"

"That's right. Pair are the trainees. Single are the more experienced apprentices. They got the names by how that novice gondoliers wear gloves to reduce blisters on their hands."

Akari added.

"By the time that an Undine becomes a Prima, they would no longer need gloves to protect their hands from using the oar, since they would not need to use excessive force or overly exert pressure to steer the gondola. All Undines start as a Pair and work their way up to become a fully licensed Prima Undine."

Ai looked at Akari. "Akari-san, don't forget about Alice-san!"

"Well, Alice-chan was an exception. Athena-senpai gave a Prima exam to her! She's a very special genius!"

Sweetie was bemused about the banter between Ai and Akari.

"So... there must be many companies that are in the gondolier business..."

Akari nodded. "The two largest are Himeya and Orange Planet. Himeya is the oldest, and our grandmother came from that company to start Aria company."

Ai added. "Akari-san has pretty incredible friends! We are both friends to the heiress of Himeya. Alice-senpai happens to be the star of Orange Planet!"

Why doesn't that surprise me... Sweetie Belle allowed her mind to wonder back to the incredible friends that Twilight has.
"Grandmother? Is Aria Company a family business?"

Ai corrected Sweetie Belle. "Nope. Every Undine calls the founder of Aria Company as grandmother. She is the greatest Undine of all time!"

Sweetie thought of the wrinkly but intelligent matriarch of the Apple clan for a second, but she allowed for that thought to perish.

\----//

"Why is Aria Company closed for the day?" The questioning headed to the then and now.

Ai decided to answer. "It's not very safe to conduct tours during Acqua Alta, or alto mare."

Akari lit up a smile at Ai. "Ai-chan, that was great! I didn't think about Aqcua Alta as alto mare!"

Sweetie noticed the term and started to dig into her memory, and a sudden epiphany hit her.

"Wait. Altomare! Oh! Why didn't I think of that! I am in an alternate Altomare. Altomare got its name as the name means high sea.The city is flooded because of the high sea! Of course! That's why the city's so quiet."

Sweetie knew of Altomare from her time spent with Blueblood. She had not visit the city of canals, but she read her share of glowing accounts on the city that was built upon piles and islands.

Ai couldn't help but to correct Sweetie Belle about the name of the city however, so she interjected Sweetie's talk.

"Excuse me, Sweetie-chan, but this is Neo-Venezia."

"No, that's not I meant. It can be an alternate reality..." Sweetie quickly shot back.

Ai would have none of it. "Sweetie-chan, let me finish. The old Venezia that existed on Manhome no longer exists. It drowned to the bottom of the Adriatic sea..."

Sweetie's heart sank with that declaration. "Manhome..."

Ai looked at the gloomy Sweetie. "Manhome was called Earth. Does that mean anything to you..."

Sweetie was sinking into depression. Earth? Is she telling that Altomare has been claimed by the sea a few centuries ago in this dimension? And I am not on Earth...

Akari spoke in a somber tone to further explain the matter.

"Neo-Venezia was made out of the painful sense of loss from those that loved the old Venezia. They couldn't turn against nature, but still they prayed for a miracle... yet the miracle didn't come to the Venetian on Manhome."

Sweetie Belle realized how emotional Akari was as she lamented on the loss of Altomare... or rather, Venezia.

"Neo-Venezia was hand-made on Aqua to realize the love that the people have over their city. I saw the people and their feelings... their work and sacrifices... to make this miracle happen..."

Akari croaked. The memory of a dear and courageous operetta flashed before her mind.

It was... so many thing, so many feelings, so many wishes... The lady bit on her lip as she went on her memory lane.
Ai remarked with a ghost of a smile.

"It has been 150 years since Aqua came into being. Neo-Venezia was built during the terraforming of Mars."

Sweetie was very dejected. "So this is not the same planet..."

Akari had a question for Sweetie Belle. "Sweetie-chan, you said alternate... did you mean that..."

Sweetie was trying her best to hold her emotions in check.

"I... my world... the world that I came from was called Earth. Ponies have not gone to other planets... Twilight told me other planets, but... but..."

Sweetie was choking back her tears.

"I... this..."

Sweetie Belle felt utterly helpless. She was an alien in a foreign world. The very city that she found herself in was a replica to the now-lost Altomare of this reality. Aqua was about as far away from Ponyville as Sweetie had ever gone, in every sense of the word; the zombie pony world at least had ponies.

Akari and Ai witnessed the unicorn curled up into a ball as Sweetie wailed aloud. The two of them were at a loss as to what they should do at the moment.

End Prelude

Author's Note

This is the first time that I've ever really submitted any kind of fan fiction work. Please be gentle with me.

I originally didn't start out with a "Pony in human world" mindset. I was only thinking about how a slice of life can play out when you have poor slider little Sweetie Belle being thrown around the sands of time.

The story will slowly play itself out. This is not going to be a gung-ho, action-packed adventure. Enjoy the scenery porn.

I seriously recommend a read through all of ARIA. The story will explain the mechanics and the back stories as they appear, but knowing the video game, the novels, the manga and the anime will help with comprehension greatly.

I decided to just post this out without alerting Wanderer D (I did read Wanderer D's FAQs.) I hope I can be forgiven for this.

Navigation 1, Part 1 -その素敵な奇跡を... That Wonderful Miracle...

Navigation 1, Part 1 -その素敵な奇跡を That Wonderful Miracle

It's very painful when you can't find a way forward, don't you think?

You become timid, flustered and discouraged.

I know! You need to find yourself first.

You have to let friends into your heart somehow. Let them explore what makes you smile!

Akari-san, doesn't this remind you of being lost in the meeting place of cats?

Yes it does! Maybe Aqua can help again with direction. Let's la-go!

Hehe. You never change, Akari-san...

\------//

Sweetie Belle was not composed by any mean, but she was no longer curled up in a ball.

Akari held the unicorn in an embrace as she did what she could to soothe the traumatized filly.

Ai went back to the kitchen to fetch some chocolate for everyone upstairs.

"How did..." The thought of the loss of Altomare weighed heavily on Sweetie Belle.

"Shhhh..." Akari cooed the brooding mare.

"That's for another time, Sweetie-chan. It's a very beautiful and heart-wrenching story, but it didn't end in darkness. I promise that I will tell you about this story later on..."

Akari faced the despondent mare directly.

"But we need to take care of your wounded heart first."

Akari continued.

"I am only an Undine, but I am here for you through this sad moment. Ai-chan will also be here too."

Ai returned with a box of chocolate.

"We will do all that we can to understand your troubles, if you will let us into your heart." Ai softly remarked to Sweetie Belle.

The unicorn could only manage a nod at this point... she simply wasn't functional for the time being.

\----//

The sun was making good ascent over the Aquatic skies.

The clouds still hung heavily over this city, but sunlight still shone through.

Neat rows of off-shore wind turbine spun about lazily, in concert with the slack dynamic of the entire city as a whole.

The blanket of water across the city seemed to blur the line between the water and the streets. The canals and the streets were merged... submerged into one pane of water, while street lights were no different from the piles next to the seawalls.

Perhaps... people didn't want to work while staring down at a mirror image of themselves.

\----//

Akari looked at Sweetie Belle. She wanted to get Sweetie Belle to hold a conversation again.

"Sweetie-chan, do water spirits exist in your world?"

Sweetie Belle had a visible response.

"They do. Miss Mizunashi, undines exist, but I haven't encountered them yet. Are they mystical to your world?" The unicorn had a coarse response.

"Hahi! Sweetie-chan, unicorns and undines are fairy tales to us. By the way, you can just call me by my name."

So affable... Sweetie said mentally. There's something very special about this place...

"So, what sort of magic is in Neo-Venezia?" Sweetie quipped. "What is the magic that Akari is best at?"

Ai looked at Akari, who was trying to look away.

"Akari-san is a master in the magic of friendship!"

As if on cue, Sweetie stood and took a step backward. "You can't be serious!" She barked out in a shrill.

Ai pressed on. "Akari-san is a genius when it comes to making friends. She is a friend to even Cait Sith, who is the king of the cat kingdom!"

"Wait. A kingdom of cats?" Sweetie Belle found this to be incredulous.

Ai was grinning from ear to ear. "The cat kingdom is on Aqua, and we in Neo-Venezia live together with the cats in peace. They don't show themselves to human usually, but Akari-san is very special."

"You are not kidding..." Sweetie could not utter anything else.

Akari shyly muttered. "I don't do magic..."

Ai disagreed. "Akari-san, I have seen you practising your magic since the day I first met you. You are working your magic as we speak."

Akari countered. "It's not... that's not spells! Sweetie-chan's spells..."

Ai chuckled. "Akari-san... we both know that magic is not always obvious... "

Ai attended to Sweetie Belle.

"Akari-san had discovered all of her magic with her friends."

With an intent to placate her mentor, she shifted her course a little.

"I wouldn't say such embarrassing things to most of our guests, but I think that a magical being such as yourself would understand just how wonderful this magic of friendship really can be!"

Ai chuckled as she gently held onto Akari's twiddling left hand.

"If Aika-san were here, she'd be throwing her 'embarrassing remarks are not allowed' line at us again..."

At this point, it felt as if Ai was much more self-assured than her dear mentor.

Sweetie came to realize that what truly wounded her heart was a shortage of love. It was hard to admit that this nourishment was just as vital to a pony as it were with the Changeling, but the unicorn could do little, except to concede to the facts.

\----//

Akari looked to the blue crystal that hung around her neck as when Ai told Sweetie Belle of Cait Sith. The last face-to-face meeting between the king of cats and the Undine came to her mind vividly, for this was a friend that would always be with her, even when they could no longer meet each other.

She thought that adults were not able to see the mystical realms, since their responsibilities to the realm of their own were all-encompassing. Aika-chan did say that you stop seeing these things as you become an adult.

But here was this mystical guest that had crossed space and time to be in this city.

Akari looked within the depths of her experience. If the dependable Aika-chan was correct, then Mizunashi Akari was still no adult. If the heiress to Himeya was wrong, then there is really nothing that would prevent adults from running into fairies.

Akari wasn't sure what to make of it. She and Ai had experienced some of the splendours in the city of water together in her days as a Single, but she had assumed that she could only act as a guide for her friend and junior now that she was an adult.

I am still able to see how magic affect the lives of everyone!

Akari's heart was sent racing by her line of thought. Maybe I will ride in Ai-chan's gondola on her voyage... to be able to find wonders new and old... be able to renew and create miracles of then and now...

"Wondermaking."

Ai stopped her initiative while Sweetie returned from her mental confines to the confines of Aria company.

Akari repeated. "Wondermaking is the magic of Neo-Venezia."

And here it is. Ai was relieved, yet boiling in anticipation of what the Aquamarine had to say on magic.

"I... said it before that Aqua is a hand-made planet. This planet was made with the feelings, aspirations and hopes of so many from Manhome... the physical manifestation of so many dreams from all walks of life. The planet became a cycle of miracles building upon miracles to create yet more miracles."

Akari saw an answer for Sweetie Belle.

"That is why I think that we can help you, Sweetie-chan. I don't know what is it that you are looking for, where you've come from, where you have been to, or where you will be... but I do know that you are now on a planet of miracles, in a city of miracles. Where else would you find your answer but in a place where magic and miracles are real?"

Ai was ecstatic.

"Akari-san, did you just spoil the whole story to Sweetie-chan? I thought that you only learn about the nature of things at the conclusion of the journey, don't you?"

This is when Akari replied with glee.

"But the nature of those things have been with us all this time! There is nothing that truly prevents you from realizing the nature of wonders, and it is never too early to find out the everyday wonders that have been with us, before we even set sail!"

Rays of hope were being reflected off of those enormous eyes that adorn the alabaster unicorn.

This was no coincidence... yet... she is... so unlike Twilight... she is not even a unicorn... not even a pony, but she wields the magic of friendship as her birthright. Is this Earth pony magic? Why is it this subtle and ever-present?

"Why... why are you so certain about this place? Why are you so certain about miracles and magic in this city, on this planet?"

Akari moved to the inquiring unicorn, and stroke her mane with her left hand.

"Because I have been discovering those miracles with my friends since I come to Neo-Venezia."

She turned to Ai, as the younger girl hugged the unicorn from behind.

"Because meeting you was yet another proof to the power of the everyday miracles that we've come to known in Aqua." The girl with fern green hair of neck length added.

Ai whispered into Sweetie Belle's left ear. "You should believe in miracles... since you are a miracle."

"So it... I was fated to be here..."

Ai nuzzled the unicorn. "I think that it was a miracle that bought you here."

"Pupui~nu!"

President Aria sat quietly by the side, nodding along with a sense of conviction.

Hot tears streamed from the emerald eyes of the unicorn once more. Not out of despair, but out of love.

Akari took to Sweetie's right ear. "Let us look for miracles and answers together, Sweetie-chan."

The unicorn uttered with some difficulty. "Thank you... really..."

\----//

A bell of the Campanile could be heard across the flooded Piazza as it heralded the afternoon.

The other four bells were mute... the city did not go to work today, and that there was no council or Senate meeting to be had with Acqua Alta in full force.

One bell had remained in silence since the Campanile was built. Renghiera had no disaster to announce.

Two Undines in red emblems walked out the faded coral coloured façade of the Himeya Headquarters. One of them had straight, black hair that seemed to run forever, while the other with cobalt colour hair was following her colleague.

"Aika, you did get the walnut bread, didn't you?"

"I have them right here, Akira-san."

The blue-haired girl lifted a basket as she pointed to the her colleague.

"Good. I figured that Akari and Ai-chan won't be able to get bread today, so this would be helpful for them."
"O well, those two will just do things at their own leisurely pace..."

The older of the two shot a sharp glance at the younger. "Suwa!" Don't just let your mind wonder about! The entire shore is flooded right now."

The older Undine continued. "Sometimes I don't even know what to do with you..."

The younger made a retort. "The Great Crimson Rose at a loss?"

Akira shot yet another glance at Aika, and the girl pressed no further. Aria company was about a kilometre away, so the trek was quite manageable.

\----//

The usual dining area at the lower floor wasn't used this time. Sweetie and Ai spent some time to set-up the table and grabbing chairs to host lunch at the upper floor of the company building.

It may be true that there was no hazard in dining downstairs, but the experience from the earlier breakfast had shown that eating while legs were submerged in water didn't make for the best of dining experience.

Ai had a clamshell-like machine like the hoof operated typewriters, except that they have many more keys, and they were laid flatly on the bottom part of the machine. Sweetie had not inquired about the apparatus, since the amount of revelation she had received all morning had pushed her intellect to the edge.

"There is a bad thing about being your pen-pal, Akari-san."

Akari casually placed a large plate of shrimp and calamari salad down on the table. She placed it next to a tray of fettuccine with tuna and lemon. She had more food to bring out from the kitchen for this lunch.

"Hohe?"

Ai turned her attention away from her console. "I can't just repeat your adventures! Your treasure hunt for one... only somebody that had never seen the quest can experience the thrill of a fresh discovery, so it's no-go for me~"

Ai shifted her angle to face Sweetie Belle. "There's shrimp and fish with these dishes. Are you ok with that?"

Sweetie Belle realized that the question was directed to her.

"Well..." Sweetie went on. "The Pegasi do eat fish and seafood, but it's an acquired taste. Most of us ponies are herbivores. I... I can try this. I have been good with trying new things before... so..."

Akari's curiosity was piqued. "Sweetie-chan, do you have pasta and panini back home?"

Sweetie answered. "Yep. We don't have meat in our food though. Do you eat all sorts of greens here?"

Akari thought for a moment as she placed the cutlery down. "Well... ur... we don't eat trees. We don't really eat grass... can you think of anything, Ai-chan?"

Ai motioned Sweetie to her side, as the girl showed the screen to the unicorn. "Human can't eat hay and grass. We are not horses. You can eat more than we can really. It says here that you can eat meat."

"Those are horses." Sweetie had a perturbed look when she took a glance at the display on the device. ”Eating animals... don't you have any problem with killing smart, living being and eat their flesh?"

Ai picked up on a detail. "So cows, pigs and chicken are smart in your world? Like Martian cats?"

Sweetie nodded. Both Ai and Akari were a little speechless.

"That's... wow..." Ai was trying to exit from this part of the conversation.

"Sweetie-chan, we will ask you about the dishes so that you won't eat anything by accident. Is that ok?"

Sweetie's expression was lightened somewhat by Akari's assurance.

"I can't thank you all enough."

Akari was all smiles. "Food is an expression of values. I think that those values are to be shared freely. You understand peoples' feelings by knowing about their values."

Akari went on. "Thank you for telling me about what ponies would eat, Sweetie-chan!"

Someone made a response before Sweetie can utter her gratitude to Akari.

"Embarrassing remarks are not allowed!"

"Ai... Aika-chan!" Sweetie saw Akari in a bit of a panic.

"Is this Aika a friend of yours?"

Ai scoffed. "Aika-san has been our friend back in Akari-san's days as a Pair. She's coming with her senior, the Demon Instructor Akira-san."

"Suwa! I heard that!"

The door to the company opened, and the Undine with cobalt colored hair entered first.

"So, Akari, who's the new friend this time around?"

Ai signalled to Sweetie to stay still as she casually walked to the kitchen.

"Hahi..."

Ai took out a flask filled with water and placed it off to the side of the table. She was waiting for her mentor to break the news.

"It's really hard to say and even harder to believe..."

Aika noticed Ai's shifty eyes. "Out with it, Ai-chan."

Ai gave the go-ahead to unicorn with the mulberry mane and greyish streaks.

"That would be me."

The little unicorn made her way to the Undines.

"I'm a talking unicorn! Nice to meet you two."

As an uncomfortable silence washed over the room, the unicorn cocked her head a little. Things are going exactly as planned.

"This is a really a shock!"

The remark didn't come from the two statues that had obstructed the doorway.

Another Undine in amber trimmed uniform and long, straight pastel green hair was standing by a side entrance.
"Alice-chan!" Akari exclaimed.

The Undine in orange had a bottle of sparkling wine with her. It's clear that she was an expected guest for the afternoon.
Ai moved to Sweetie's side and patted the unicorn's shoulder. "Sweetie-chan is our surprise visitor today!"

Surprise indeed.

\----//

All of the guests at the table had this intense fascination over Sweetie's telekinetic abilities. The filly was not happy about being viewed as a specimen, but there was little that she could do about it. Sweetie had to shut off the world around her and focus on her appetizer before sanity took hold for the other Undines.

The filly felt much more natural after her first taste of calamari. The chewy squid was a delight for the unicorn, although she felt that her filly friends would have been abhorred by the idea of eating fried and battered squid.

"I can't believe this..."

Aika muttered as she was helping herself to some water.

"Aria company really run into mysterious things all the time." Alice quipped.

Sweetie felt that a retort was in order. "You are all mysterious creatures to me..."

Aika shot up from her chair, while salad bits flew from her mouth. "Creatures?!"

Akira was quick with her dressing down. "Suwa! Don't talk while eating, and don't stand up all of a sudden!"

Sweetie owed the blue-haired girl some explanation. "I don't think anypony have seen your specie at all. I may be wrong, but I am sure that most ponies have no clue about you. I don't remember any myth about your kind..."

Except a certain mint-green unicorn... but that's really besides the point.

Akira leaned an arm against her right cheek. "Whereas you are stuff of legends to us... well, you are taking all of this very well. I guess Akari and Ai already gave you the works."

Aika butted in. "Akira-san meant to say that Akari and Ai-chan gave you the embarrassment over-drive as they talk about the city and you. I don't know how Akari and Ai-chan can do what they do while keeping straight faces..."

Alice saw an opening. "You're really tactless, Aika-senpai." She went ahead to address Sweetie Belle. "Sweetie-san, you should know that Aika-senpai is really thin-skinned."

It was strange, but the lengthening shadows of the mind were powerful enough to conjure phantom images that overlap with Sweetie's field of vision...

Urgh, that sounds like something that grannies might talk about. No offence, Apple Bloom.

Granny never used dat tone. Figure dat' be what the Princess might say 'bout life.

I'm bored. When are we gonna finish the meal? We should be out getting our cutie marks!

Sweetie Belle, would ya take some sense into Scootaloo?

"Hello, Aqua to Sweetie Belle?"

Aika nudged the unicorn on her right shoulder. The little filly's suspended fork came crashing down on to her own plate.
"Ohh... Oh!" And Sweetie was pulled back to the tangible world.

Apparently, the Undines were talking about how Sweetie Belle showed up in the morning. The filly was lost in her thoughts and had failed to notice that she was the subject of the gossip.

"Sorry. I must have zoned out..."

"Sweetie-san really didn't notice that you were talking about her, Aika-senpai."

"Wha... hey! Don't get any idea! It's just... it's not like you get to see something like this every day!"

"Aika, Don't treat people as if they are objects! Miss Sweetie Belle, do forgive my junior for not thinking straight with her head."

Sweetie could recount many instances where she and her friends got chastised by those close to them. Hearing the banters of the two Undines from Himeya only exacerbated her reminiscence.

Alas, present reality awaits. Why turn away from this pleasant reality?

Alice stood up, and headed to Sweetie Belle.

"Sweetie-san, may I touch your mane and fur?"

Aika saw a chance to give a jab. "You did wash your hands, didn't you?"

Alice scoffed. "You're really nosy."

Sweetie nodded, and gentle strokes on the sides of her barrel along the filly's ribs were felt. The Undine from Orange Planet was giving a quick study to the symbol on the unicorn's flank as she moved her hand upwards so that she could feel the filly's curly, two-toned mane.

This petting was making Sweetie Belle somewhat sleepy, and then it promptly stopped.

"Ai-san and Akari-senpai were correct. The cutie marks are fur with different pigmentation."

"Hahi!" Akari was putting away some of the dirty dishes.

"Sorry about petting you so much, Sweetie-san." Alice said plainly. "It is really hard to resist adorableness."

Ai added this while petting President Aria. "Don't you agree, Aria-shachou?"

"Pupui-"

"I... I'm sorry!" The blue-haired girl apologized to Sweetie Belle. "I was being rude and didn't think about your feelings."
Sweetie craned her neck, then reoriented herself.

"It's all right, you can pet me if you like, Aika." Sweetie had a foreleg wave in a dismissal motion.

The young adult was all too eager, and her hands found themselves over the unicorn's foreleg.

"So soft and squishy..."

Akira looked at Sweetie Belle with resignation. "Sorry about this. She's still just a big kid inside..."

Sweetie Belle giggled over Aika's probing of her hoof. "It's ok... hehe... being curious is good..."

Akira bent down to give a soft stroke on the unicorn's head.

"You really do follow your namesake, little Miss Sweetie."

Sweetie turned demure.

Ai reflected. "There it is... the allure of the Crimson Rose."

\----//

Sweetie found seafood to be compatible with her palette, much to the relief of her generous hosts.

The unicorn was pondering about the title that was used by some of the Undines, when the Undines came to realize that they did not even initiate a proper round of self-introduction to the unicorn.

As Akari and Ai were working away at the dishes, the rest of the guests had moved to congregate over the open patio, as they looked over the shimmering sea below. A couple of cushions were thrown on the ground to make kneeling and sitting more comfortable.

Akari and Ai returned with refreshments and some cookies, and the group sat on the floor to continue the lunch discussion.
Sweetie did some mental arithmetic about the length of time it took to train an Undine, and felt that four to five years would not be surprising for someone to go from total beginner to a professional gondolier.

Sweetie had concluded that Akari essentially was the manager of Aria company. It was easy to conclude this as Sweetie saw scheduling charts, itineraries and transaction logs on a desk that had Akari's photos with her friends, plus she saw the "work" that President Aria was occupied with.

The self-introduction had revealed that Akira E. Ferrari was the most senior Undine of them all, having trained Aika S. Granzchesta as an apprentice a few years back. Aika was a branch manager for the venerable Himeya Company, and carried the weight of her family enterprise on her back.

Alice Carroll had a double promotion by the end of her mandatory schooling, making her a unique case among Undines. Sweetie had estimated that it may have taken her two to three years for her, as she was promoted by the end of her primary schooling.

The mentor to Alice was a former Undine that turned to become a professional Opera singer, who was also known as the Siren. Akari's mentor was just as illustrious, being a board member to the Gondola Association (that was the equivalent of the board of transportation for Neo-Venezia.)

It turned out that the mentors of the three were also personal friends that trained together in the same fashion as were the case with Akari, Aika and Alice.

So these Undines were trying to become Prima as they train together... that's not any different from us Crusaders.

"Not so different... We work with our friends and closed ones to find our future."

Aika swung her head to the pony's abrupt pronouncement.

"Going on daily adventures and running into hijinks with great friends as you grow up together... what a precious thing really, almost magical. I think that all of you probably kept those days very close to your hearts"

I won't allow myself to ever let those memories go. They are all that I have now...

Akari and Ai were beaming as Alice was slightly blushing at the earnest statement. Aika was a volcano ready to explode on the other hoof. Akira looked very amused.

"Akari! Look what you've done now. Embarrassing remarks are NOT allowed! NOT allowed!" Aika was bright red.

"Heeee?"

Aika wasn't finished. "Aria Company always make people say these embarrassing things without them even realizing it!"

Ai decided to give Sweetie Belle a tidbit of information. "Alicia-san, the senior to Akari-san, used to drive Akira-san crazy with her habit of saying ara ara and chuckling away with ufufu. I still have the letter from Akari-san about this one time when Aika-san ran away from Himeya during Acqua Alta come to think of it...

"Wait! You actually wrote a letter to Ai-chan about that?" Aika was stymied while Akira suddenly turned defensive.

Ai said nonchalantly. "That's how I came to know Akira-san as the Demon Instructor."

"AIKA?" The look on Akira could kill.

Ai continued in a whisper to Sweetie's right ear as the filly swivelled her ear to face Ai. "Aika-san ran away from her company and wanted to join Aria company out of an angry fit with Akira-san. She really admired Alicia-san by the way. You'll get to meet her tonight."

Sweetie's mind flashed several scenes from her life episodes, but she brushed them aside as she turned to the Undine. "So let me guess, Alicia-san is soft-spoken, mature, graceful, intelligent, warm and kind?"

Ai gave Sweetie a hug. "They don't call her Snow White without a good reason. Her smile is almost mystical."

Aika was trying to get Akari to spell out the contents of the offending letter, while Akira pressed her junior on what sort of misinformation the girl had managed to convey to others behind her back. The scene left Alice rolling her eyes.

\----//

Rainbow Dash can learn a thing or two from Akira Ferrari...

The dashing Crimson Rose and her former student had made their exit, albeit with a promise to come back at the earliest opportunity.

"Surely Alice didn't mean end of the world in the literal sense?" Sweetie Belle made an off-the-cusp remark about the Orange Princess to Ai.

"Alice-san is a bit childish at times, although she always means what she says." Ai gave a conflicted expression. "I don't think that the world will end if the three of them don't meet up, but metaphorically speaking she's right."

Ai had Sweetie's full attention. "They're that close?"

Ai nodded. "These three grew together at a very important point of their lives. They are irreplaceable to each other. A tripod needs all three legs to remain standing, at least that's how I see it."

Akari heard this discussion from a few feet away, and what came to her mind was how that Ai was very contemplative of events and people. Akari recalled that Ai was very observant starting from the time that they first met, and that the girl wouldn't shy away from character analysis.

Ai knew more of the facets of Aqua than Akari did at her age. The girl was deeply curious, and she loved to look for answers whenever she can. Akari felt that Ai's strength as a conversationalist came from her ability to incite curiosity and to obtain information in dialogues.

Her observation of Sweetie Belle was not on the obvious biological points of interest. Aquamarine was interested to know what were the things that the unicorn cherished and loved.

She did not sound much older than Ai, but Akari couldn't really be sure of the pony's actual age. The unicorn was deep hearted, and a little introverted. The unicorn was moody, but she suppressed them in the company of strangers. It was clear that the unicorn truly valued life, or she wouldn't have such an episode over the demise of Venezia.

More importantly, I want to know if she is all right at the moment...

Akari moved to her protégé and the little equine, who were sitting over the patio.

"Sweetie-chan." Akari asked. "Were you scared when you got here?"

Sweetie nodded.

"I don't like the feeling of waking up to a new place all of a sudden. Nopony knows you, and you're on your own again. So yea, I was scared."

Sweetie thought for a second.

"Although this is not so bad. I've had worse. Waking up to carnage all around you for one, then there's waking up to familiar scenery but nopony remembers you. That's torture. Make a friend, and the pony doesn't even know you by the next day... "

"Huh?" Akari didn't follow.

"Sweetie-san, are you saying that ponies forget about you as you go from one dimension to the next?"

The filly looked surprised.

"No! There was one dimension where I was stuck in an endless recursion of time, but that's something else." Sweetie paused momentarily.

"Basically, if there's a Sweetie Belle in the dimension that I end up in, I would take over their body, so ponies would know of Sweetie Belle, but not me. I have to tell those ponies that I am not their Sweetie Belle all the time."

Sweetie looked downcast.

"I guess I feel better here since I can be myself. There's no Sweetie Belle for me to take over. The usual dimensions that I've gone to would land me at where I live... I meant to say where Sweetie Belle lives. So I keep running into Rarity and Twilight that are actually strangers to me, with me being a stranger to them as well."

Ai noticed the mentioning of two names, but she decided to leave them in her head for the time being.

"Sweetie-chan, how old are you?"

Sweetie looked at Ai with a haunted expression.

"I don't really know how old I am. I started going to different dimensions when I was partway in elementary school. I guess from my body that I am not really an adult mare yet. I am bigger than I was when I started. I would still be a filly from the looks of it though."

Akari kneeled to bring her eyes to even level with Sweetie.

"Sweetie-chan, do you have any sisters or brothers? Are you now as old as they were?"

Sweetie looked at Akari and shook her head.

"I think that Rarity's still a hoof or two bigger than I am... she's my big sister. She's a grown mare. She's normal size for a mare..."

"So something like this?" Ai gestured at around 4 feet, and received a confirmation from the unicorn.

"I think that she would have loved to have met Aika and you, Akari. Rarity owns her own fashion boutique and she loves beautiful things. She would've been all over your uniforms, and she would have been really happy to talk about running a business with those that know about the labor of love that goes into it..."

"She would've begged for a chance to be a passenger on a gondola ride."

Fashion boutique? Sweetie's back-story was getting better and better for Ai.

Akari had a moment epiphany upon hearing about gondola ride.

"Sweetie-chan." The Undine gestured to the mouth of the Neo-Venetian lagoon before them. "I really want to show you this city, if you'd let me. Water should recede enough by tomorrow for us to navigate the canals, so I would like to invite you to come with us!"

Sweetie was stunned.

"Really? But that's..."

These Undines have to earn their livelihood. It's not right for me to have them bend over their backs to help me like this...

"There's nothing that I can offer you two! I..."

Akari placed a finger over Sweetie's muzzle.

"Sweetie-chan. You don't owe us anything. This is something that I want of you, so I am the one that is asking for your favor. Would you like to tour the city with me tomorrow?"

Sweetie's eyes were getting watery.

"I... how can I..."

Sweetie nuzzled Akari as Ai looked on. Ai had a sweet expression on her face.

"Akari-san! Can I come with you?"

Akari extended a hand to hold Ai.

"Ai-chan, we'll be in your care tomorrow! Will you think of a travel plan for us?"

Ai knew at that moment that Akari had meant to ride in her gondola for the tour.

Ai shuddered a little. It had been more than a month since she had conducted a tour for a guest. A Single cannot conduct any paid tour without Prima supervision, so aspiring Undines tend to do mock tour practices among themselves. Akari practiced with her as a when she was a Single, during their first meeting on Aqua for one.

Ai said resolutely. "Yes! I will think of something for tomorrow! Thank you, Akari-san, Sweetie-chan."

Akari stood up while the filly looked at the endless blue before the balcony.

Sweetie's heart had been a tidal wave of feelings, with this overflowing torrent of emotions that had pounded mercilessly at her psyche all morning; Seeing the tranquil sea was much welcomed for the battered unicorn.

"You were saying that Alicia, your mentor, was coming tonight..."

Sweetie wanted to know this so that she can gauge she should disclose in the scheduled social function.

"Hahi!" Akari hummed energetically. "She and grandma, my great-senior, are both going to visit us. Grandma can't return home due to Acqua Alta..."

Author's Note

The pace of life in Neo-Venezia is even slower than that of Ponyville. I imagine that things will start to sink in for Sweetie as tries to get herself settled in.

I intend to do what I can to keep this canon-compatible. I hope I can get some idea about how to integrate the drama with Rarity of the original world into the story.

Navigation 1, Part 2 -その可能性の獣と... That Beast of Possibilities

Navigation 1, Part 2 -その可能性の獣と... That Beast of Possibilities

Navigation 1, Part 2 -その可能性の獣と... That Beast of Possibilities

How can we make something of the future?

I wonder if I can make of something out of what I have?

I think you can. I think that wonderful things can lead to more wonders, but only if you let it happen.

You have to be the one that decide on what will do. What you have done in the past would help you decide on that shall come next.

If you are caught up in the sorrows of the past and couldn't see the fun now, it would be terrible, wouldn't it? You can't see the future if you can only see the past. Ufufu

You can change from within so that you can enjoy anything, because living each day for the possibility of the future is wonderful.

But the simplest of things are the most daunting of all...

-----/

The sun still had plenty of intensity left, although it was longer at its apex.

For those at the Aria company, the day was oddly short.

Ai pulled a map of the Neo-Venetian lagoon out of a drawer.

"Grandma lives over Jougasaki Village, which is over the plateau. We need to take a tram to get there."

Sweetie Belle saw Akari moving to their direction, as Ai continued her narration.

She pointed to the general area northwest of Neo-Venezia proper. "Ponte della Libertà is the only link to the plateau, and this is why Grandma cannot go back home. She can't use the Marco Polo Spaceport either, with this flooding and all."

Sweetie Belle studied the detailed map intensely. Blueblood's cartographic knowledge had been very helpful for the filly, so she was able to read the map and grasp the sense of scale fairly well.

From the layout of the lagoon, Sweetie found that the city area was larger than Greater Canterlot, although smaller than Manehattan. Neo-Veneto area, to the Northwest, was a far larger expense of land.

Ai looked at Sweetie. "I will ask Alicia-san to talk about this with you. You seem to like this topic."

Sweetie looked a little startled. "No need to go through that kind of trouble! I already impose so much..."

Ai patted on Sweetie's shoulder. "This is no trouble at all... we love talking about this city and this planet. Alicia-san would know the hard number best though, and I know that she'll be very glad to talk to someone about it."

Akari spoke up. "Alicia-san and grandma are far more knowledgeable than I am. I think that it must have been a miracle that you came on a day that both grandma and Alicia-san are visiting us! They would be so glad to see a visitor from so far away... you would love meeting them. I am sure of it! The whole city loves them."

Ai snapped her fingers. "Akari-san, when is the Bucintoro scheduled for the Marriage to the Sea ceremony? Isn't grandma here to plan the details with the Gondola Association?"

Akari nodded. "Grandma will be the Doge once again. I think that the Three Water Fairies will be guests of honour for sure! Akira-san and Aika-chan have been busy with the Undine formation come think of it, as it fell on Himeya this year to orchestrate the possession. Hahi. It'd be so exciting to see the three great fairies together again!"

Ai scratched her head. "So that means that Alice-san and you will be leading the Bissonas?"

Akari was a little puzzled. "I don't really know what I will be doing, Ai-chan. I should be with the Prima squadron. The Pairs and the Singles will form the vanguard of the formation, with us following you. The black gondole will fall from the vanguard to form the flank of the fleet."

Her face turned to a smile. "You would love the experience. I told you about the Marriage to the Sea processions before, but you'll be here to be a part of it!"

\---//

Doge was a word that was not terribly familiar to Sweetie, although she thought that it may mean the same as a Duke. The unicorn's mind immediately worked to form the notion that this humble little company might have been a crown enterprise that serves to groom for future successors to the crown.

Not so far-fetched if you think about the tutelage of Twilight by Princess Celestia, mused Sweetie. Her curiosity must be sated somehow.

"So what exactly does the Doge do?" Sweetie raised.

Ai and Akari were reminded of Sweetie's presence, and Ai took to answer the question.

"Doge would be similar to a Lord Mayor of a free city-state. Venezia on Manhome had Doges for about a thousand years, but the practice stopped more than 500 years ago. They were something like a duke or a prince, but they were elected by a group of aristocrats in the city."

Ai added. "Neo-Venezia didn't revive that office. Grandma would just play the part for the ceremony."

Akari was astonished.

"Wow, Ai-chan! That was incredible! Thank you for explaining this to me!"

Sweetie felt that she may have a kindred spirit in Ai, so she continued her questioning.

"Ai-chan, does that mean that Venezia was a republic?"

Ai felt the same vibe. "Yes in a sense. It was really an aristocratic oligarchy for close to a thousand years. How does it work with where you come from, Sweetie-chan?"

Sweetie couldn't hide her excitement. "Absolute diarchy! Equestria went through diarchy, and 1000 years of monarchy and then a return to diarchy! The ruling diarchs have stayed the same."

Ai was quite astonished. "Sweetie-chan, how can someone live for more than a thousand years? They would be immortal..."

Akari was struggling to keep up with the frantic pace of the conversation. "Wouldn't that be possible if magic was real, Ai-chan?"

Ai's brain went into a halt. "But magic isn't..." Then Sweetie rudely woke Ai's brain up. "This is incredible. Godly rulers that have lived for thousands of years."

It was clear to the unicorn that the event was of major significance to Neo-Venezia. More than 600 gondole would have to take part in it should the Undines be out in full force.

Sweetie wanted to get more information on the founder of Aria company nevertheless. "Ai-chan, going back to the earlier topic. Who would usually act as the Doge in this kind of ceremony?"

"Ara ara, ufufu" was heard from the floor below.

Sweetie Belle had registered it mentally as "well well, hehehe." The nagging thought that something was doing this translation for her had returned.

But Sweetie found no time to pursue the notion. The sound of sloshing and splashing water got closer, with a second source closely following the first. The entry of two people into Aria company could only have meant that Alicia and grandmother had arrived.

A quick look at the clock showed that it was half-past 4 already.

Ai and Akari both turned quickly to the flight of stairs, as the younger of the two hurried down to the bottom of the stairwell. Sweetie sat on her haunches over one of the cushions, as she waited for the Undines to lead their guests upstairs.

"Grandma! How have you been? It's so good to see you!" Akari happily greeted the elder.

"Here, let me take these to the kitchen!"

"My my, you've grown so much, Ai-chan."

"Hehe. We've had a good harvest back at the farm, so I thought I'd bring some over."

Sweetie was definitely able to discern the two voices and assign them to Alicia and grandma. It felt as if that the entire corporate family shared this soothing quality to their tone.

The unicorn allowed her own curiosity to take her body and plant herself near the stairwell. Her eyes saw the warm embrace of the pink-haired Undine with the grandmother. The graceful visage of a blonde lady that that was busy in the kitchen with Ai was mesmerizing to behold.

The matriarch before her had aged very gracefully. The grandmother extrude an air of humility, wisdom and beauty in no small measure.

Sweetie found this to be such a dramatic departure from Granny Smith, whose own beauty did not radiate on a day-to-day basis, although the filly distinctly remembered moments where Granny could take breaths away from colts, even as the matriarch of the Apple family was in her twilight years.

I wonder if Rarity will look like that. Sweetie reflected mentally as the four of them made their way to the stairwell. The unicorn returned to her place near the fireplace as the humans ascended to the top floor, in bare feet.

It was not hard for Sweetie to understand why human would need some form of shoes. As the filly studied the feet of the approaching ladies, she reflected on the ponies' need of horseshoes to prevent calluses.

Sweetie braced herself for yet another round of examination by new people. It was quite odd for her to mentally substitute people for ponies actually, but she tasked herself to do so.

Alicia and grandma had the look of bewilderment and wonder in their eyes as they first laid eyes on Sweetie Belle. Sweetie saw that both ladies' eyes were sparkling with that special kind of wonder that young fillies would have possessed over everything around them.

The azure eyes of Alicia drew Sweetie's gaze. They made the unicorn very intrigued about what thoughts that lay just beyond those eyes. Grandmother had a slightly darker shade of plum, with her eyelids fell more heavily than the younger girls around her.

Grandmother's light browned colored hair still retained a shimmer. The aura that the lady radiated reminded Sweetie Belle of how that the elderly before her would have stood as tall as Alicia did, and was every bit as captivating as Akari had proven to be.

Alicia gestured to grandmother as the elder took to a seat on a nearly chair, while Alicia had settled herself to a cushion. Akari and Ai then followed suit and sat at the cushions once more.

Alicia spoke. "Miss Unicorn, to answer your question, one of the directors of the Gondola Association would act as master of ceremonies for the Marriage to the Sea event. Grandma is one of the directors, and she is most experienced Undine."

Grandmother was bashful. "Please, Alicia. It's been a long time since I rowed a gondola. The other directors are simply too shy to do this. They needn't be when it's only once per four years."

Ai added in a jolly manner. "I didn't get to see this event at all. I only know of it because Akari-san and I exchanged emails with one another."

Alicia looked on playfully. "But you know a lot, Ai-chan." She sighed for a second. "We should introduce ourselves before going any further. My name is Alicia. I left Aria company after Akari-chan became a Prima. I am now a board member of the Gondola Association, and I am in charge of tourism affairs, which include the Undines."

Grandmother spoke next. "My name is Ametsuchi Akino, little unicorn." She politely bowed to Sweetie Belle, making the unicorn stood to attention immediately as she returned a courtesy to the elder. "These Undines at the Aria company are all my adorable juniors, and I can't ever really leave this city that's given me everything in life."

Sweetie Belle was collected. "Really an honour to meet you two. I am very fortunate to be under the care of you all. My name is Sweetie Belle, and I am not of this world. I am from a world where magical ponies live with dragons and griffon." She then returned to the cushion.

Alicia and Akino clearly had the desire to know more of this realm of magic, but they both reined their feelings on a leash.

Sweetie decided that she should take the initiative and set the agenda. "Ai, Akari and I were talking about the Marriage to the Sea ceremony. It sounded very important, so I don't want to stop this topic."

"But I will definitely talk about myself and some of the things that I've been through afterwards. Are you all fine with that?"

The four Undines of the Aria company exchanged glances at each other, then Akari spoke for them all. "Thank you, Sweetie-chan. We are all happy with that."

Alicia abruptly stood as an idea came over her. "I can make some hot cocoa! It's a little colder than usual today, so this might be good for everyone. It'll just be a moment!"

Before anyone could protest, Alicia had promptly left for the kitchen. Sweetie wanted to follow, but Ai gestured Sweetie to remain at where she sat.

"Let Alicia-san do this. You'll love her hot cocoa."

\---//

"Venezia was a maritime power." Alicia began. "People came to the Venetian lagoon some 2000 years ago, in order to escape from the turmoil of the time. The water protected the people that had chosen to live there, and it's been important since the beginning of the city."

Sweetie's acumen came to life. "Socio-political?"

Grandma's eyes widened just slightly. "My my. Little unicorn, it was from war, pillage and destruction. The great Roman Empire that once ruled the area became weak and couldn't protect its citizens any longer. Those people fled for the hope of a better life."

Ai took her "computer" out. (Sweetie still didn't manage to ask more about the operations of the machine.) "The Romans controlled the entire Mediterranean sea, as you can see here" The young girl circled the vast inland sea. Venice was first settled when this empire fell into two parts, with the western part being too weak and too poor. A lagoon would not have been the first choice for anyone to live in, right?"

Sweetie nodded. "Ok. I get the importance of the sea now. Did Venetian lagoon also fell to the invaders?"

Alicia shook her head. "No. What happened would lead to the reason why Venice was a republic. The eastern part of the Roman empire survived, and Venetian lagoon was one of the last places they held in the general area."

Ai aided Alicia by showing the Italian peninsula to Sweetie as she added. "The Romans would always have this regret about losing Rome, the city where their civilization had started."

Akari nodded in approval. "It is very painful for people to lose their homeland and their heritage.. That's why they would hold onto what they have so preciously, since what last forever can disappear in a blink of an eye."

Alicia gave yet another sigh. "The city eventually became very isolated, but very well protected. The city's ruler went from a proxy of the Eastern Roman Empire to a ruler in his own right about 14 centuries ago. Because of the importance of the area, the city was dependent on the sea for everything. This is why that the Doge of Serenissima was in command of the entire navy of Venezia."

Akari started to ponder. "But then, was the Doge passed on from one generation to another? Like how crown prince or princess will be the king one day?"

Grandma shook her head. "No single family had that kind of power. Several families controlled Venezia, so the Doge didn't become hereditary."

After a pause, Alicia went on. "After a major naval victory against pirates some 1300 years ago, the Doge at the time began the practice of holding major naval parade as the waters of the sea gets blessed. This celebration grew as Venezia became more and more powerful, and Venezia came to be known as Queen of the Seas."

Sweetie had managed to catch on. "And the Doge would marry the Sea once every four year as a symbolic gesture and a show of maritime power?"

Ai looked at Sweetie with a little bit of mischief. "Once every year! I was very shocked when I found that out."

Akari was awestruck. "Every year? Venetian did something that incredible every single year?

Alicia chuckled lovingly. "Serenissima was an empire, ufufu."

Sweetie had managed to digest the information. "So does that mean that the ceremony today would be something as serious as a naval review?"

Ai responded with a question. "So you've actually seen a serious naval review, Sweetie-chan? Does Equestria have a navy important enough to hold something like that?"

Sweetie did not know how a naval review would be like (she had never seen one, and Equestria was not about naval prowess.) She did have colour trooping in her mind as a model.

"Sorry, I have never seen one." Sweetie added. "I think there would have been major sea festivals for Princess Celestia, but Equestria was not a sea power."

Sweetie was apologetic. "I wish I knew more, but I come from a small, rural town that exists next to a major forest. The biggest celebration that the town hosts, which takes place in mid-summer, is not an event with thousands of ponies attending. It's nothing like this."

The filly turned back to the discussion. "How many ships are there for the event in total?"

Akino slowly replied. "This year, we plan to have 3 large galleys and have the Bucintoro at the centre." She smiled at Alicia. "600 Undines will take part in their gondole, but there are many more civilian boats that will be involved."

Alicia filled in additional details. "Private gondole and motor boats will be the rearguards of the line. I think that the fleet will be well over a thousand strong in size. It will be troublesome if there's more than a thousand boats taking part in the event...

Ai said rather seriously. "Almost every family in Neo-Venetia have a boat. Cars don't make sense here and hover vehicles require special permits to use. There's some 500,000 people that live in Neo-Veneto and Neo-Venezia. 250,000 live on the main islands and Murano."

Those numbers were staggering for the filly.

\---//

Alicia cited that there were a little over a thousand gondole in service, with the majority being used by Undines. 600 gondole was actually realistic a number for the event.

That would be a major undertaking. Sweetie muttered to herself.

"Akari-chan, I wanted to let you know that you will be one of the pilots that will guide the Bucintoro and the galleys!"

"Hohe! But..." The girl was stammering. "Butbutbut... only water fairies that lead the industry..."

"Ara ara. I am very proud of you, Akari-chan!" The senior to the pink haired Undine said whimsically.

Akari was dizzy as Ai reasoned. "So it's pretty much a given that it'll be Aika-san and Alice-san for the other two pilots? I guess that Akira-san had to organize all the Undines for this parade."

Alicia looked very intrigued. "Ai-chan, you made a great guess. Yes, Akira-chan is in charge of the Undines, which leaves Aika-chan and Alice-chan as the other two pilots."

She chuckled. "Athena-chan will give some lesson for you three, as the three of you will have the sing a Canzone together."
Akari was in a flight of panic at this revelation.

Ai looked at her senior with concern and a bit of pity. The friendly Undine was no attention seeker.

"Ai-chan, since you already know so much about what's going on, then you should be okay by not being with the Pairs and the Singles." Athena turned to grandma.

"Ara ara." Grandma lovingly approached Ai. "Ai-chan, I am going to be a little selfish and ask you to keep me company and run errands on the large galley for me. I can't really go anywhere fast, you know."

It was Ai's turn to be totally overwhelmed. "Grandma... that's..."

Alicia sneaked by and gave Sweetie some idea about the state galley. "Miss Sweetie, the ship is a floating palace. It takes 84 rowers to move her. 90 guests will be on-board. Ai-chan is going to be Grandma's aide. I would've done that, but I must be on one of the three galleys."

"How big are the Bissona support galleys?"

"Hmm. 16 rowers in total with many people on-board each of them. Akira-chan will be in the lead Bissona to supervise the Undines. I will be looking over the entire fleet. Ai-chan will be talking to both of us over the whole route. Ufufu."

"Sweetie-chan," Alicia said while stroking the filly's mane. "See our city with Akiri-chan when possible. She has this magic spell that makes you see all the wonders around you."

A flash of inspiration came to Alicia. "Akari-chan, let's have Sweetie-chan board your gondola! What better way for a guest to Neo-Venezia to see the city than from your gondola?"

Akari was hardly responsive by then, while Ai was being assured by grandma that the Single was qualified to be the aide to the Doge.

Sweetie gave a dry laugh. These reactions from the Undines were giving her flashbacks of days of yore.

\---//

The discussion was so animated that the cocoa was room temperature when the guests had finally gotten thirsty.

As Sweetie downed the beverage, she thought about the actual likelihood that she would stay to see the event. Marriage to the Sea was scheduled in two months.

The filly felt that she would've wanted to watch the event even if she had managed to find Twilight's fragment in that span of time. There was much to learn, and the student of Twilight Sparkle would do herself a disservice by not taking the time to absorb what she could.

Sweetie returned her attention to the room. Akari was calmed by Alicia, and Ai was back to herself. Grandma was patiently waiting for everyone to return to where they were, as if she was waiting to hear Sweetie's tales.

Now it was Ai's turn to fire the volley. "So, I guess Princess Celestia is an immortal pony goddesses? You must have kings and queens right?

Sweetie did not recall ever mentioning about the Princess. "How'd you know about the Princess? But we don't have kings and queens any more."

Ai looked a little puzzled. "But if there's no king or queen, then that means that your princess chose to stay as a princess for one reason or another."

Sweetie was thoroughly impressed. "Ai-chan, I wish I could tell you the real answer to why is it that the Princess never chose to become a queen, but that'll have to come out of the horse's mouth. I don't think anypony aside from her has that answer really."

Sweetie found saying Ai-chan a bit more natural than "Ai", as her mind didn't want to work with a monosyllable name.
Grandma was more than amused. "Ara ara. A kami that rules over the land physically. Ancient Japan had myths about the goddess of the Sun, with the emperors being her descendants."

Sweetie was in disbelief over the 'goddess of the sun'. "It's... Princess Celestia is seen by some as the goddess of the sun. She does move the sun every day, and even moved the moon in the 1000 years that Princess Luna was banished to the moon."

Akari couldn't help but to jump into the topic. She wasn't even seated. "Hahi! I heard of stories of Kaguya Hime, the moon princess that was raised by commoners on Manhome in ancient past."

The filly's head turned. "Really! Our Princess Luna is the co-ruler of Equestria. She turned into this thing called Nightmare Moon, and was banished to the moon for a thousand years, when she came back to fight Princess Celestia."

Sweetie exhaled. "I was there when Nightmare Moon showed up in Ponyville. My sister Rarity, my mentor Twilight Sparkle and four mares went into a ruined castle in the nearby Everfree Forest to battle Nightmare Moon, where they purified her. It does sound hard to believe, doesn't it?"

A moment of silence came over the occupants of the building, with Ai typing on her computer and Alicia scribbling on a notebook. The quality of the paper and the strange pen blew Sweetie Belle away.

Akari broke the silence. "Sweetie-chan, how old were you when Nightmare Moon came to Ponyville? Is Ponyville the name of the town that you have come from?"

Sweetie responded. "Yes, I was in elementary school. I was a much smaller filly. I lived with my sister in Ponyville. She and I live in her boutique, much like how that you are living in your company building. Rarity was a dressmaker."

She looked around as she thought for a second. "I guess the attic is where you'd sleep? There's only one bed though."

Akari was all smiles. "The newest member of the Aria company would live in this building. I did in the past, and so had Alicia-san!"

Alicia let loose a chuckle. "Ara ara. This always brings back happy memories. Aria company that grandma built will always be a home to me."

Sweetie's nostalgia assaulted without warning. Those feelings that Rarity must have had over her boutique had tugged at the heartstrings of the unicorn. Sweetie felt that she was a part of the boutique, even if she was not able enough to really assist Rarity at the time.

Sweetie wonder that Rarity might have done the same with Carousal Boutique, just like how Aria company went from one generation to another.

Did that immortal Rarity take in apprentices that lived and worked with her? Did those apprentices leave the boutique? Did Rarity have to suffer from saying goodbye to her apprentices as they head to their future? How did Rarity cope with final farewells to her juniors? Rarity was alone in the sea of change.

"I hope that my Rarity can find worthy apprentices to share the joys of her craft with." Sweetie resigned. "I can't be there for her, and I was totally useless anyways. I've already messed up the life of my mentor..."

Sweetie shuddered as she trained her eyes onto the floorboard.

"Your sister wouldn't have felt that way."

Alicia was resolute. "She watched you grow and shared the tribulations that came with growing up with you. The feelings that you had over her, and your earnest desire to help her with her work would not have gone unnoticed."

She walked to the sullen unicorn. "Your feelings would have been so ever present, like this sea in high tide. Her heart would've been filled by this overflowing love on a day-to-day basis. It can be overbearing at times, and it can be frustrating to find your way through this tide, but there was no denying the reach and the depths of those feelings of yours that have enveloped around your sister."

Grandma's eyes shimmered. "Kirin-chan, you have to be committed to do anything in order to be good at it. People can forget that they need the heart just as they need the time to learn how to do something."

Akari held onto the filly's right foreleg. "Sweetie-chan, you really do love your sister. You must have tried so hard to grow up in order to help her... because you know that she loves you with all of her being, and you saw her work so hard every day."

Ai made a closure. "It is not helpless. Those feelings that you have over her drives you even right now. You want to return to your home, see if she is all right, and to be there for her, and you won't stop until you get there, right? So don't give up and say that you can't help your sister."

The crestfallen unicorn shook as she lets loose her own longing in front of strangers. Those feelings had only gotten stronger with each passing world, and the filly grew increasingly unwilling to unleash them on familiar strangers in those alternate Ponyvilles.

Yet here she was, crying her eyes out for the second time in a day, in front of yet more strangers.

\---//

"The mares that went to fight Nightmare Moon became friends and comrades for life."

Sweetie was now on the lap of Alicia, as the rest of the group huddled around the unicorn.

"Twilight Sparkle did not live in Ponyville. She came to Ponyville to organize the Mid-summer Festival, which was the festival that I told you about. I don't think it was a coincidence that the regent of the sun would send her beloved protégé to the quaint little Ponyville on such a fateful day really."

Sweetie took yet another sip at the cocoa. "The six of them wielded six elements of an artefact called the Elements of Harmony. Twilight, being the most magical unicorn alive, held the element of magic. Rarity held generosity. The other four were those of honesty, laughter, kindness and loyalty, but I won't talk about them right now."

Sweetie paused momentarily. "Maybe I shouldn't say held. They were those elements. Actually, more on magic. The element of magic was not magic in general, but magic of friendship. Most ponies would scoff at the thought that magic of friendship is actually powerful in a physical sense. Nopony would usually study this. Twilight had become the only exception to that, and even she didn't realize this until the dust had settled with the Nightmare Moon incident."

Ai thought back to morning. "So that's why you panicked when I said that Akari-san is the master of the magic of friendship!" She clicked her tongue as her eyes rolled to the side, and then her view returned to Sweetie. "Those elements could be found all us by the way. It doesn't take much to match some of our friends with these elements."

Ai then cleared her throat. "Magic here is mysterious and subtle. I really don't think that you'll see Undines or Gnomes being called to beat demigods." She then sheepishly added. "I don't think so, at least."

Akari looked relieved.

Sweetie couldn't help but to assume that the poor girl must have pondered about what it would have meant to face down primordial evil as a mortal being. Maybe Fluttershy's mental processes would be a good way to approximate Akari's reasoning.

Both grandma and Alicia looked as if that their entire world had changed. They were not hysterical, nor did they wallow in despair, but they had a tint of apprehension that was blending with their curiosity about what might come from this meeting of worlds.

Alicia's expression softened, as she addressed Ai and Akari.

"Congratulation, Ai-chan, Akari-chan. You have managed to tame a unicorn."

She was greeted with loud exclamation by the two Undines.

"Only pure maidens can calm the unicorn, the beast of possibilities. That's how the legend goes. The symbol of purity, beauty, justice and nobleness would sleep in the laps of chaste maidens as they crave purity." Alicia told her friends.

"Or the avatar of hope..." The grandmother added. Ai was quick on her computer to show Sweetie an image that she found just then.

"La Dame à la licorne, Sweetie-chan." The girl presented cheerfully. "Here be the unicorn, the beast of possibilities, in love and understanding of all things."

Oh, this is the animal that never was.

They did not know it and, for all that,

they loved his transformations, his bearing, and his gait

that into the tranquil gaze of light, he lived.

Really it was not. Of their love they made it,

this pure creature. And they always saved a space

And in this place, clear and hollow,

lightly he raised his head and scarcely needed

to be. They did not feed him any corn,

only the possibility that he might

exist, which gave the beast such strength, he bore

a horn upon his forehead. Just one horn.

Unto a virgin he appeared, all white,

and was in the silver mirror and in her.

Rainer Maria Rilke. Sonnets to Orpheus II, 4

"In your case though, the unicorn would be a 'she'." Ai mused. "You don't need us to think that you exist, and just thinking that you might exist wouldn't do anything for you."

Grandma concluded. "For that hopes and dreams are very real. I wonder what possibilities await in the future..."

President Aria's cries were in agreement with grandma, as the cat found his way onto the elder's laps.

Akari's eyes seemed to encompass the mild gaze of the "unicorn" more so than Sweetie. The kind of euphoric realization that wonders are abound, flourishing and right before her own grasp had rendered the Undine in a state of total bewilderment.

Sweetie was awestruck in equal measure by the imagery shown with this unexplainable contraption, and the message that had been conveyed to her. Shouldn't they be saying all of this to Twilight or Princess Celestia?

Princess Celestia and Twilight Sparkle are truly beasts of possibilities. Although I wonder if Twilight was the one that appeared before the Virgin Princess, or was it the other way around...

The unicorn thought to herself, as the Neo-Adriatic sea flickered in the twilight glow of the setting sun.

Author's Note

The Unicorn sonnet is interesting, isn't it? Rilke made a good point, and just on what Bandai was trying to get at...

Celestia as a Virgin Princess is a bit of a superimposition on my part. Was Elizabeth an archetype of sort? Maybe. Whatever it is, this image of purity has always lend itself to the divine (or the impressions thereof.)

I really find it relevant when it comes to the examination of the relationship between Celestia and Twilight. The chicken or the egg question behind practice and belief really makes you wonder about how the two feed into each other in a perpetual manner.

This day 1 is in three parts. It's a bit long, but bear with me.

Navigation 1, Part 3 -その粉砕された星を... That Shattered Star...

Navigation 1, Part 3 -その粉砕された星を... That Shattered Star...

I've been picking up the pieces, but I don't think I can put things together as they were.

Four-score men and Four-score more, Could not make Humpty Dumpty where he was before.

That's it. That's how I feel like. Things change regardless of what I do...

I don't even get to feel that things can ever last. Hooves of time have been cruel to me.

If you are caught up in the sorrows of the past and couldn't see the fun now, it would be terrible, wouldn't it? Think of what is fun now to get the most of now!

You can change from within so that you can enjoy anything, because living each day is wonderful.

Maybe I'll try that.

\-----//

Dinner got inevitably delayed.

The talk went on till sunset, with nobody the wiser until the whole of Neo-Venezia was covered in an orange tint... as if it were hearkening to the days when this planet was orange and not blue.

Sweetie Belle realized that she needed time to absorb all of this information. There was simply so much about this world and the old world that it was connected to for her to take in all at once.

The other thing that was dawning on her was the charm of the Aquamarine. This momentary break from intense exchange of ideas had given her the chance to reorient herself, and she found that it was no exaggeration that the pink-haired Undine did command the magic of friendship.

The filly had opened her heart to this human In mere hours after being hurled into the world of Aria company and Neo-Venezia. The Undine took this alien along into this watery world of wonders, while treating the pony as she would of the innumerable splendours that exist on this planet.

The Undine's field of effect was so strong that those around her came to view the alien as something that was quite familiar. In fact, it was difficult for even the alien (Sweetie Belle) to think of the human as being fundamentally different from that of a pony.

Mizunashi Akari did not express herself through magic on a horn as did Twilight. She was the magic in and of itself.
Akari saw not of strangers, but of friends, and apparently this was felt reciprocally.

None in the group could convince another to do nothing. Sweetie found herself using her telekinesis to set the table, and to move food from the kitchen below to the floor above. Ai travelled from the kitchen to stairwell frequently, while Akari, Alicia and Akino kept themselves in the kitchen.

Sweetie looked at the table as she allowed her memory to recall her life in Ponyville. Ponyville was a small, rural and rambunctious place, with larger-than-life persona driving the daily lives of the settlement. The ponies there were really a happy, simple bunch.

This city had such an illustrious past, yet it did not fall victim to the sort of decadence that Canterlot was known for. These Undines were very conscious of the past, but they were not beholden by it. It was somewhat unfortunate that Canterlot could not stop being pretentious of itself really.

Twilight Sparkle was a sure avenue for intellectual examination of things in Ponyville, but she was empirical and did not explore the philosophical questions significantly.

Applejack was too stepped in pragmatism, and could only infer to the immediate now.

Rarity relied on persuasion and not of wisdom or intellect, while Pinkie Pie was simply too abstract.

Lastly, Rainbow Dash did not concern herself with rationales, as she was only willing to entertain her own perception of things mostly.

The passage of time would tamper these mares, but that thought was sobering to the filly.

Sweetie had no bond with Princess Celestia or Princess Luna that would allow her to hold engaging talks with them on the foibles of sentient beings or the daily idiocies of life and such. The filly found that the only solace to be had was that the Undines of the Aria company were very introspective and would not shy in exchanging their feelings and their thoughts with the unicorn.

It was nice having ponies... people to talk to.

Smiling in the face of her reality was a bit hard. Sweetie Belle was born an optimist, but her own apprehension had casted a dark cloud over her psyche.

The unicorn lined the chairs up out of reflex. Somepony or somebody to talk to would be great right about now.

\---//

Down in the kitchen below, the Undines were cooking away and kept the chitchat away from the festival planning, which was the most important subject for the Gondola Association as of late.

Having Sweetie Belle the unicorn to talk about was an interesting departure from the usual topics on Undines, their extended family, self reflection and the life of the city.

Alicia chuckled once more as she placed one of the lobsters to the side. "I think that Akari-chan and Ai-chan did superbly for humanity's first contact with ponykind!"

She turned to President Aria. "Aria-shaachou is a fine representative of Martian cats! You were so understanding throughout the meeting!"

"Puipui-nyu~"

Ai was busy getting the utensils ready. "Alicia-san and grandma would be the high level representatives! This is really too perfect."

Grandma chuckled. "Ara ara. I didn't do anything. That was all just happenstance. I was only here to visit everyone at Aria company. You and Akari-chan did all the work, Ai-chan."

Alicia was rather contemplative. "Akari-chan, Ai-chan, it was a good thing that you two were there for Sweetie-chan. She would have no one to open her heart out to, and that can lead to many misunderstandings. I can't help but to think of how lost she must have been, having found herself in a totally strange land."

Akari dismissed any credit on her conduct. "Nonono, Alicia-san! Sweetie-chan was the one that found us! She was so lost and so sad... and it was Ai-chan that really reached out to her!"

"You did way more for her, Akari-san." Ai had a bit of a frown on her face. "I don't think that Sweetie-chan is much older than I am. She had many worries though. She is very smart, and she isn't shy, but she is lonely."

Akari shared the same expression as Ai. "She had the same look of lament and melancholy as Adelina-san. Only someone that have gone through similar pain would react the way that she did over the fate of old Venezia. That powerlessness and the heartache on her face... it's not something that a little girl should have come to known."

Alicia opened the oven and took out a few plates of Gratin. "Sweetie-chan is a good girl. She really cares about her sister, and I can tell that she wants to help others in need. I hope that we can understand her better though. You said that she's been through several worlds already, Ai-chan?"

Akari nodded. "Sweetie-chan had been through some sad worlds, but she didn't say anything on the details of those worlds. She said that she would take over her alternate selves in worlds where she exists..."

Ai stepped in. "She would use the body of her alternate selves in those worlds, and get a whole new body in worlds where she doesn't exist or had already died. She wasn't happy about this when she talked about it with us in the morning."

Grandmother voiced her opinion as she rinsed her hands. "Let us give Miss Unicorn all the attention that she deserves. She has chosen to accept out our rude invitation to our city, so that's the least we can do to compensate her for her burden. It is very important that she doesn't feel that she has nowhere to turn to or that she is trapped here."

Akari concurred with grandma, as Alicia slowly moved the gratins onto a tray. Ai moved in and lifted the tray.

"Sweetie-chan, incoming tray!"

"Ok! I am coming to the stairwell!"

The handover went without a hitch as Sweetie Belle took telekinetic hold of the tray. She levitated the tray without rocking the contents and then moved the gratins to their assigned positions. Ai watched Sweetie levitating the empty tray to her and shook her head in slight disbelief the moment that the tray returned to her.

"I don't think I can ever get used to seeing this." Ai said aloud.

"Telekinesis is a basic unicorn skill." Sweetie had a matter-of-fact tone in answering Ai. "I had to learn how to do this of course. I had to use my hooves and forelegs to hold things, and still do. It's nice that I can just use telekinesis for hot stuff though."

"Not every pony is a unicorn right? You said Pegasi before."

"There's also the Earth Ponies. They have strong bodies and have this special connection to the land. A small number of ponies have horn and wings."

"Wow...thank you. I will ask you more about Equestria when we eat dinner, Sweetie-chan."

\---//

The meal went without a hitch. Sweetie enjoyed the Gratin.

The unicorn made a comment about her diet. "We ponies do fry hay and use flowers in our dishes. Twilight for one practically swears by Daisy for sandwiches."

Alicia was highly interested. "How about sweets and other confectioneries?"

Sweetie's expression was bright. "Macaron, éclair, cake, tiramisu... ice cream as well. We have fancy stuff too, but Ponyville's a small town so we don't get all the best stuff. There's a confectioner called Bon Bon in Ponyville, so there's no shortage of specialized licorice flavour and so forth."

Ai gave Alicia a conspiring glance, with Alicia returning in kind.

"We'll have to treat you to a gelato here. There's this boutique nearby the Rialto Bridge that makes exceptional gelato. Neo-Venezia is an excellent place for your palette."

Akari quickly added her own two bits. "We also have a Pâtissier that occasionally makes this gorgeous heart-shaped chocolate that are placed in glass bottle! He's normally over Piazza San Marco. He will be there when the Acqua Alta has come to pass!"

Ai tapped Sweetie on her left shoulder, as she showed Sweetie a photo of the Pâtissier and his stand. "The Piazza is a must-go destination, so we always buy a jar or two. His work is very gentle and warm, as is his personality. You'll get to see it in no time."

Sweetie looked at the plates longingly. "Ponies work with their hooves to produce all the foodstuff in Ponyville, down to the very wheat used to make flour. Everything that we eat came from the hard work of somepony that poured out her time and love into making the food or the ingredients..."

The unicorn didn't used to ponder that hard about the fruit of hard labor when she was in Rarity's care. "It's as Akari said. They worked, hoping for better lives. The very food itself is a miracle formed of those labour that the farmers had, all under the blessing of Celestia's sun."

"I guess we really don't stand alone. We depend so much on the efforts of others just to live in the world." She said to them all, but to grandma in particular.

The perceptive elder inquired. "Miss Unicorn, are some of your friends farmers?"

Sweetie Belle looked down on the leftover crumbs of an apple cake. "Apple Bloom and Applejack of the Apple family. Sounds funny isn't it. They are apple farmers. Applejack is the Element of Honesty, and her sister Apple Bloom happens to be one of my closest friends. They make an honest living and are selfless to a fault."

"How did their food taste like to you?"

"Unbeatable." Sweetie Belle said with absolute conviction. "Applejack knew every tree at the Sweet Apple Acres. If that's not dedication, I don't know what is."

Grandma asked. "How much does she love her work?"

"Her family is that work. She can be stubborn as a mule with how she does things, but she truly loved her farm with all of her heart. Rarity told me of how that she loved her own apple tree to the point of reading it bedtime stories... as silly as that is, that's the kind of love she has of her work and livelihood." Sweetie played with the plate as she recounted the paragon of rustic virtues that was Applejack.

"No wonder you treasure your friends so much." Alicia spoke. "They are the bedrocks of what makes you who you are. Everything that they did have etched deeply into your mind, and you're carrying those thoughts with you all this time."

Akari had a word to share. "You always feel those genuine feelings from your friends, and they in turn enter into your soul and form a part of your feelings. This is why when you think of Applejack-san, you think of their values and how they have affected you. Their happiness, success and lives become part of your own."

Ai looked at Akari with dreamy eyes. "Akari-san's life at Neo-Venezia was real to me, even when I was on Manhome and could only hear her or see her words. I never did leave Neo-Venezia, even if I couldn't be here physically until I got older. It was through her words that I first met everyone at Aria company, Aika-san, Alice-san, Akira-san and so many others."

"But I am growing apart from all of the friends that I've made. I can't talk to my Rarity, and poor Twilight is literally in pieces. I don't know how I can reach out to those friends that I keep saying goodbye to..." The unicorn was emotionally spent, so she made this retort in a listless fashion.

Akari went over to Sweetie and stroke her mane. "There must be a way. There has to be a way for those feelings to cross dimensions. I know that those feelings on letters can cross space and time, so don't despair, Sweetie-chan!"

"How..."

Ai moved to Sweetie Belle. "Because the cats here have taken us across space and time to deliver and to receive those feelings that living being have had over Aqua in the past and in the present day. You understand what we meant, Alicia-san?"

Alicia nodded. "I saw those feelings transcending space and time with my own eyes. Akari-chan's magic made it possible to see to see something that would've been impossible for me to see."

Grandma looked at President Aria. "A big thank you for you, Aria-shaachou! You had a hand in this, didn't you?"

President Aria was blushing as he shyly dismissed the praises heaped by Akino unto him. The girls in the room had a hearty laugh over this, and the gloominess was forgotten by all.

\---//

"Both Applejack and Rarity lost their parents, so they had to raise their little sisters. Apple Bloom and I came out of that sort of background."

"But Rarity and Applejack don't always get along because of their radical differences in lifestyle?" Ai reasoned.

"Yea, you can say that. Applejack and Rarity would put their lives for each others' sake, but they are both too stubborn to cave in to the little differences that they have. Rarity really appreciates the fine things and all the efforts that have gone into making those things, but Applejack couldn't understand the value behind them. On the other hoof, Applejack and her unwillingness to treat herself well really hurts Rarity. That's the sort of relationship that they have."

The Undines were forming mental pictures of the farmpony and the fashionista from the alabaster unicorn's narrative.
"You girls are horrible." Sweetie Belle declared. "The last time that I cried so much in the course of one day was over my alternate sister doing something tragically stupid to herself..."

The humans had the "we're listening" look in their eyes.

"You really want to hear this?"

The filly sighed. "In this one world, it turned out that being bearers meant that you turned immortal. I got there when it's been 300 years since they defeated Nightmare Moon, so most the friends that I would have know have died out in that world. Only the two princesses and the Elements were alive."

Sweetie kept the fable going. "Rarity there tried to live her life through me, and she didn't try to achieve her own happiness. When I... when her Sweetie died, she had the great idea of cutting her wrists, but it did nothing except leaving her with scars."

"I saw my sister being broken by having nothing to fill her life with after losing me. I got a bad feeling that my Rarity may have done the same to herself, but that's beside the point." Sweetie had to collect herself at that point.

"All of her fellow Elements there had to suffer through the consequences of being immortal, but Rarity made things that much worse when she didn't make live a life for herself. That whole experience was really painful to go through."

Sweetie's mental floodgate was wide open, so she allowed for yet another memory to be shared.

"And then there's the case of one of my poor mentor's fragments being driven to insanity from loneliness. Getting thrown three hundred years back into the past, can't get a physical body, forced to live in an imitation of Ponyville... it's terrible for Twilight Sparkle, an obsessive-compulsive perfectionist. Her own insanity made her kill me time and time again as I tried to get to her shard."

She noticed that she had finally managed to lose the comprehension of the Undines.

"This broken shard of Twilight channelled her loneliness and desperation with her intellect to the protective measures put forth by this pony that looked after her fragment, and I had to live through being killed by own mentor a couple hundred times to get to her. I was a loop immortal since I was in a time recursion, so I only had to suffer emotionally through the whole thing. Twilight had much worse."

"But that's not what you all are wondering about. Basically, each shard of Twilight moves me to another world when I find it." Sweetie pointed to the broken star on her flank. "The shard is in this dimension, but I have no idea as to where the shard would be in this dimension."

"So, returning on topic. This loneliness can kill, and I it... and it's been scaring me. I don't want to become a monster from my sorrows, and I don't want to sink into that kind of despair and live like a walking dead."

"And that's really the heart of my problems." Sweetie noticed at just how uncomfortable her audience were over the agony and ecstasy of Sweetie Belle. "I saw ponies die in agonizing manner, I saw power-hungry monsters, I saw devastation, I saw regrets... all bad, but nothing scares me more than losing myself."

"But I feel a lot better now." She turned to the morose Undines. "All of you have reminded me of what is it that I am trying to do. I am trying to put the magic of friendship back together and return it to its rightful place in my home."

Everything came to a halt for about a minute.

Finally, the youngest Undine came forth. "You cannot do that without accepting the magic of friendship into your own heart. I think you know that too. The moment you stop believing in the magic of friendship is the moment that you become truly lost in space."

Sweetie gave a solemn acknowledgement, after a few stiff seconds. "With all that's been said, I can only close by saying that I am in your care."

The filly's expression softened. "I am in the care of the magic of friendship that runs within you, Akari-san, and in the friends that are right beside you."

Alicia looked on. "I am very happy that you could finally see your heading so clearly. You've been on this course since the beginning of your voyage, but to have discovered it and to realize this endpoint is a very incredible thing."

Sweetie elegantly curtsied to her gracious and beautiful hosts. I Quattro Elementi training had given the unicorn a mean to return the graceful Undines in kind.

Akari and grandma had elected to a deep, sincere bow to address the unicorn. Alicia bore formal courtesy, while Ai opted to kneel on one knee as she held the little unicorn's forelegs.

Sweetie addressed gratefully. "All of you are so good and wise, and have taken so much of your time to hear out a total stranger's troubles from worlds that really shouldn't have met. I don't know how to possibly thank you all enough."
Akari waved her hand in disagreement.

"Sweetie-chan, I do think that meeting you is a miracle, a wonderful one. Any miracle has to be understood and taken to the heart, and be treasured. Some miracles only last for a fraction of a second while others are nearly time immaterial, yet they all need to be cherished. That's why you have nothing to be sorry about."

Ai saw grandma moving toward Sweetie. She tried to stand to assist the elder, but she was waved to stay as she were while the greatest water fairy of all came to the unicorn's eye level.

"Little unicorn, don't deny the possibilities ahead of you." Akino said. "Everything moved so very hectically around you that you barely had the time to pause and to rest your weary soul, and that sort of pacing is making you forget about the possibilities that exist from being alive."

Akino glanced at President Aria, as the azure eyes of the cat gazed back. The elder then returned her focus onto the unicorn.

"You hold the key to how miracles will unfold. You will be content if what you do makes you happy. The little things around you will surely lead to that distant goal, but it is very easy to forget about those simple things."

"That is why, little unicorn, you have to find enjoyment in things and allow those things in life to show you the path to your goal."

Akari moved to Ai's side. "We'll have to find Twilight-san using our magic of friendship. I think this is going to be another grand adventure like the one Aika-chan, Alice-chan and I did to reconstruct the scripts and the scores of The Water Fairy."
Ai hadn't let go of Sweetie's forelegs. "Being an Undine of the Aria company is unlike being an Undine anywhere else. This company is magical after all. So do we start tomorrow?"

Alicia shook her head. "It started the moment that Sweetie-chan met you, Ai-chan. It's just like what Akari-chan has said... we are in the midst of a miracle right now.

Alicia and grandma exchanged a glance, and Alicia made her address to Akari as she hugged her precious junior.

"Akari-chan, your Aria company is more wonderful than what I have ever imagined it to be. That magic that you have which had transformed my world is now taking us beyond this world. My Aquamarine..."

Akari allowed the warmth to soak into her soul, and said nothing while locked in Alicia's arms.

Grandma had some words for Ai. "Ai-chan, I am very thankful that you chose to be with Aria company. Our company has had the pleasure of having you on our side since you first came to Aqua as our guest. We are in your care."

Ai was flabbergasted when Akino bowed to her. Grandma didn't let the Single stand up. Alicia was the one that righted Akino's posture.

Akari, while hugging Alicia, admitted her own gratitude to her seniors. "I am very grateful to have Ai-chan as my junior and to be in grandma's Aria company. I am so thankful that I had the beautiful Snow White as my mentor, and this company has given me endless wonders."

She then spoke to Sweetie Belle. "We too are in your care, Sweetie-chan. You are at the heart of this wonder. Please lend us your trust, abilities and wisdom."

Sweetie was a little dazed. "Does that mean that..."

Akari smiled brightly. "Hahi! We welcome you to stay in Aria company with us, for as long as you like. Will you allow us to undertake this adventure with you?"

The unicorn's eyes were moist as she moved her muzzle to Akari. She consented by nuzzling the Undine.

\---//

The Neo-Adriatic sea reminded Sweetie of its all-encompassing presence by a slightly salty breeze.

The unicorn took a moment to look at the deep blue that was reflecting the lights from the city on the blanket of water beneath her.

Sweetie found the tranquillity to be very soothing. She had never lived over a lagoon before. Then again, this was the first time that she had to live in an alien city in every sense of the word.

Many things were different, yet they were so very familiar. The food, the atmosphere, the outlook on life... they were not foreign to the filly.

"I wonder why is it that my friends at Ponyville are so hyperactive? It wasn't just Scootaloo, but even Applejack and Twilight are more prone to overreaction than any of these Undines."

Sweetie Belle started to think of what would've happened Ai was the one that ended up in Ponyville.

Ai-chan will run into us Crusaders or Rainbow. It doesn't matter who comes first.

Rainbow Dash will cause a ruckus, and then Applejack will be called to action. Cheerilee may or may not be involved, depending on whether if she was teaching us or not.

Pinkie Pie will beat Twilight to the punch and loudly proclaim that a party shall be had.

Twilight Sparkle will send Pinkie away for a time as she acted as the straight, sane pony and exchange some pleasantries, and get her first round of questions in. A letter will be made out to Canterlot afterwards.

Ai-chan will then face the full Pinkie treatment, and the day will be totally used up as Crusaders circle around her like a pack of hungry timberwolves. Ai-chan will eventually fall asleep in the library or the barn, where the party was likely to be held.

The letter will reach the Princess before dusk, and Celestia will arrange for royal audience at some later date.

The second day will start with Ai-chan getting grilled by Twilight. She won't have a chance to ask Twilight questions until Twilight's done with her questioning.

Given Ai-chan's knowledge of things, this round of questioning will keep getting long and longer, and ponies that were interested with the alien will lose their interest in the conversation before long. I can think of Rainbow Dash and Scootaloo as prime examples of this.

"Ara ara. Is something on your mind, Sweetie-chan?" The blonde lady pulled the unicorn away from her imagination.
The filly's face turned slightly flushed. "I was... just... thinking about how things would've gone if it were in reverse... how Ai-chan might've reacted if she was in Ponyville."

"Ara ara ara. That would have been very amusing. Many little girls would be envious of her for one."

"Hehe. I wouldn't envy her." Sweetie added. "My friends would've meant well, but they would've been too much for her as they overwhelm her with loud parties and non-stop questions."

"Ara ara, ufufu." She bent her back a bit toward the unicorn. "Let's be with the others. You have to allow your heart to rest after all. It's been a long day for you."

Sweetie banished her mental projections away. The filly left her spot over the balcony as she and the woman returned to the Undines that were sitting over the dormant fireplace.

\---//

"Well, welcome to Aria company!"

Ai was in pajama. Akari, Alicia and grandma left the company together after having cleaned up with Ai and Sweetie.
Sweetie had laid bed sheet on the floor. A pillow was fetched telekinetically.

"Thanks." The filly gazed at the semi-spherical window that adorned the attic. "This is actually the first time that I've been invited to work at a company."

"Didn't you do some work for Rarity at the Carousal Boutique?"

"Not the same. I mean she's my big sis and that I was painfully inept in anything really." Sweetie noted.

Ai nodded at her. "I know how that's like. Onee-chan got married and had a kid when I was still in elementary school. I felt pretty useless around her at the time, honestly. This is partly why I hate Neo-Venezia and the Undines when I first came here."

The girl kept the confession going. "Onee-chan got married and her honeymoon was over Neo-Venezia. She was under the care of Alicia-san, and she wouldn't stop heaping praises about the service. I came with my mom and dad, partly with skepticism, and partly with bitterness about my big sister growing up and leaving me."

"Thankfully, my run-in with Akari-san had turned my perception of the city around totally. She made me stop feeling bitter and showed me the everyday wonders that this city had. Things that Manhome had lost... Akari-san didn't just turned around my view of the city, but rather my whole world view that day."

"That's partly why I am an Undine for this company. All the friends that I have made on Aqua came about from Akari-san and how she had made me into a part her friend's lives. She is truly special. I came to know of all of the Undines that you saw today while having been on Aqua during the holidays. I only started to live here a year ago."
Sweetie looked at Ai with sympathy.

"You know," Ai mused. "Unlike other companies such as Himeya, Aria company normally can only train one Undine. Only in exceptional circumstances did we have two Undines under training, as it were with Agnes-san."

Sweetie lifted her brow. "There's only you and Akari. I am not an Undine."

"That's not the point." Ai continued. "Undines of Aria company have to practice with friends or Undines outside the company, since Akari-san won't be around all the time to supervise me. This was the same with Akari-san when Alicia-san taught her."

Ai had a bit of a frown. "I spend a lot of time with Akari-san and her friends. I think that made Single or Pair keep their distance from me. This is why I would like to ask you to come with me so that I can practice courtesy and touring! You're very intelligent and I think that you are the best choice in grilling me on Neo-Venezia."

Ai let air out of her lung, then took a breath. "We need to explore Neo-Venezia if we are to have any chance in finding Twilight Sparkle's shard, and I think you want to know Neo-Venezia as much as I do. That's what I felt about you."

The green-haired girl grabbed the alabaster unicorn's forelegs again. "How does that sound?"

The unicorn hugged the girl. "You're a dummy to think that I'd pass on something like that. I'll jump on that opportunity to find out about Neo-Venezia and get any clue about where Twilight's shard might be. I thought about going out on my own at that."

The unicorn added. "Thanks. It means an awful lot to me for you to offer something like this."

Ai smiled. "The feeling's mutual."

The unicorn didn't break from embrace. "So, what else other than rowing, tourism and courtesy do you need to worry about?"

Ai winced slightly. "There's Canzone. I have to sing."

"Really!" The unicorn lets loose a snicker. "That I can help you with. My callings are in songs and magic."

"Well that's just.... you are a miracle."

"I feel the same way right now. Running into somepony that knows as much as you do is really a blessing."

"It's really cute when you say pony. I can understand it, but it's just..." Ai was giggling to an unamused Sweetie Belle.

"VERY FUNNY."

Ai changed the topic. "I kind of have an idea about where to take you and Akari-san to tomorrow."

"Really? You hardly had the time to think by yourself... today was..."

"I know. Today was very, very intensive. A normal day on Aqua would've been very carefree. Everyone was struggling to keep up with you today."

Sweetie was a little defensive. "Well I didn't expect to pour my guts out when I started the day.'' "If anything, I felt very overwhelmed by today."

Ai made chortle. "Akari-san and I didn't expect that a unicorn will show up at our doorsteps. We only get miracles this extreme when we look for them."

The unicorn was not amused. "This extreme?"

The giggling didn't stop for the Undine. "You'll see. I am going to sleep now."

Ai moved to the floor and it was obvious that she intended for the unicorn to sleep on the bed.

"This is your bed, I can't..."

Ai looked at Sweetie.

"Then let's sleep together. I am too tired to demand you to sleep on the bed."

The unicorn found the human hugging her as Ai covered the two of them with bed sheets haphazardly. Rarity would've never approved of such sloppiness, but she was nowhere to be found.

Sweetie Belle's eyelids got heavy, and sleep overtook her.

End Navigation 1

Author's Note

And finally, Sweetie gets to vent to sympathetic ears that are not bound to the equine world view.

It makes you wonder just how utterly different Sweetie would be from just about every pony when her odyssey finally comes to an end. She can never see the ponykind in those same lights as the ponies would have had of themselves.

I think that I will definitely need to consult Wonderer D on the mindset of Rarity from Sweetie's home dimension, if I were to dabble on how she might be pulled into this world. O well.

Navigation 2, Part 1 -その忘れられない出会い... That Unforgettable Encounter...

Navigation 2, Part 1 -その忘れられない出会い... That Unforgettable Encounter...

I really do treasure the opportunity to share those wonderful things about our life to our friends.

Remember how we've first met, Akari-san?

Aika-chan turned you into her friend that day. It was wonderful, wasn't it?

It really was.

So history repeats itself in some ways?

Hahi! The more things change, the more they stay the same.

-----/

The day after would start itself with the sensation of unnatural weight being pressed upon the unicorn's body.
Sweetie Belle did not enjoy that sensation. She had her share of being crushed after all.

She didn't have to bear the weight by herself... much of it fell to the human girl as the pony was still wrapped about the human's arms.

Ai woke herself as the blue skies heralded the new day. There were no piercing rays of light, as the sun was much further to Aqua than that of Manhome.

It turned out that President Aria, the Martian cat, was rather heavy.

Sweetie decided to wake up as well, while shuddering just slightly from the loss of the bed sheets.

"Morning, Sweetie-chan."

"Good morning, not that I really like waking up..." The alabaster unicorn muttered.

"One thing I like about Aqua comparing to Manhome is that the sun treats us here much more gently than it does to those on Manhome."

"Oh? Really?"

Ai rotated her neck a bit. "Well, you can take a look yourself!"

Sweetie made her way to the semi-spherical window that was next to the bed. She fumbled about over the soft mattress, and as the human wiggled her way out of the bed.

That blanket of azure blue below was shimmering as if it were made of Topaz. The flicker of light made the unicorn winced every now and then.

Turning to the heavens made Sweetie realize just how different this sky was. It was easy on the eyes, but the sun simply did not command that presence here.

Sweetie found this glowing orb in the sky. It was no bigger than her hoof. It was not pleasant to stare at the light coming off of this orb, but it didn't pierce into her retinas as readily as Celestia's sun did.

The unicorn chose not to stare upon it. Knowing that Iridium's light of death was a small-scale replicate of the sun was incentive enough to never study the ball with naked eyes.

"You know..."

Sweetie remarked listlessly.

"I've never actually gone next to the ocean like this."

"So Ponyville must be totally landlocked?" Ai questioned while changing into her uniform, just as the unicorn stuffed her head to a pillow.

"Yep." The unicorn snaked about on the bed. "Ponyville was rather close to the center of Equestria. The country does stretch from sea to sea, but I didn't get to see any of it. Most of what I've known about living next to the ocean came from Applejack, who spent some time living over this city called Manehattan, at the east coast of Equestria."

Ai was adjusting her one-piece dress. The sleeves exposed her forearms to the elements, and it allowed Sweetie a chance to see just how hairless the humans are.

"I guess not having any fur means that you really need to wear clothes."

Sweetie lazily commented as the girl started to comb her hair.

"So that makes your sister the only one in town that makes dresses?"

The unicorn summoned a bit more energy as she poked her head out of the pillow.

"More than that. Rarity was able to design whole ensembles, plan choreography for events, tailor suits and virtually every piece of clothing imaginable. She's a self-appointed art director for Ponyville. She also makes jewelry. I think that she's one of the most skilled artisan around."

"My sister craves recognition and adoration." The unicorn left the bed and started to tend to her mane. "She really wanted to share her works with ponies. She wants to be appreciated really. I guess that it's hard for ponies in general to appreciate it, with no need to wear any clothes and such."

Ai stood in front of the dressing mirror as she pivoted towards Sweetie.

"How colorful are the ponies? We never did ask about that..."

Sweetie's attention snapped back, as the filly churned her mental gears.

"Urr... very colorful. Rainbow Dash had this light cerulean coat that would've blended with the sky if not for her rainbow-colored mane."

"So Rainbow Dash has rainbow-colored mane. She must be very dashing, loves to run into trouble or be a hero, and runs very quickly right?"

Sweetie was fully awake. "How could you have possibly known that! She doesn't just gallop her way into trouble... she flies her way in. Rainbow Dash is a Pegasus. The fastest one there is."

This human girl was dead on when it comes to describing what the brash Pegasus with that multicolored-mane was like.

"Well... your names are all very meaningful to what you are. I was listening to you yesterday. Celestia is the sun, a celestial body, while Luna is an embodiment of your moon. This is why Rainbow Dash was very obvious to me."

Sweetie Belle decided to give Ai a challenge. "Alright, what can you tell me about Applejack the Apple farmer?"

Ai pulled out her computer and the first thing she did was to look for definition of "Jack". Sweetie Belle decided to let her do this, although she felt that the girl was cheating in a sense.

"Okay! Applejack. Apple farmer, laborer, just one of the Apples, and... makes a really mean cider?"

Sweetie fired a tirade in return. "I am speechless, dumbstruck, humbled, rendered mute, astonished, wordless, amazed, stunned..."

Ai tapped on Sweetie's shoulder. "Give me a minute while I put together a proper comeback."

Sweetie was slightly puzzled as the girl worked away at the clam shell-like apparatus.

The girl suddenly raised to her full height without any notice.

"Sweetie-chan, just what are you? A dictionary? A thesaurus? A census? A lexicon?"

Sweetie was a unable to comply, and the girl felt good about this.

I remember this all too well.

Sweetie thought of Scootaloo and Apple Bloom once more. Nostalgia seemed to love her company as of late.

"Ai-chan, Sweetie-chan, good morning!"

"Akari-san! I am sorry, I am coming right now!"

Sweetie was oblivious to the call while Ai quickly descended to the ground floor. The unicorn stood as her mind transported her to the comforts of Carousal Boutique...

Rarity would've been the first to wake up. She would have called me to get ready for school. Apple Bloom and Scootaloo would show up at the door just as I am eating away at my breakfast...

"Pupui..."

Sweetie's mind came back to the attic when President Aria showed a look of concern through his azure eyes. The cat (completely different beast from Opalescence) had donned his beret and his stylized bow tie without Sweetie being ever the wiser.

"Aria-shachou, Sweetie-chan, did you sleep well?"

The melodic voice of Akari traveled their way to the attic. It was time to meet the new day.

"Good morning, Akari. I was just thinking to myself. I will come down with President Aria!"

Sweetie looked at the cat and got a little curious. Given her current frame, carrying the cat shouldn't be an issue...
"Do you want a ride, President Aria?"

The cat was terribly eager. In a rush, the white blob clumsily attempted to mount the pony, but his short stature ran up against the barrel of the unicorn and his hind legs couldn't really propel him to fully scale to the filly's back.

Sweetie was feeling rather irritated. She crouched down to allow the cat a lower clearance.

The flabby cat sagged around Sweetie's back, much like a heavy bag of flour with some sort of a back plate in the bag.
Sweetie found herself in a bit of a struggle as she summoned quite a bit of strength to get to a standing position.

"Okay. How can you possibly be as heavy as a pony?"

The Martian cat groaned shamefully.

I am going to have to use telekinesis to hang on for my dear life as I walk downstairs.

The unicorn took hold of the railings as Atlas would had done... with the weight of the world on his shoulders.

She felt the momentum from gravitational acceleration with each step of the stairs. It was manageable, but not comfortable by any measure.

Sweetie found that the ground floor was no longer inundated. This would have meant that it was time to clean the debris off of the littered floor. Akari and Ai were both involved with that task, while the filly took a few seconds to catch her breath.

"Aria-shachou, how was horseback riding?"

Ai asked while gathering the leaves and twigs that were swept into the house during the tide.

"Puipui-pui!" The President answered in high spirits.

Ai replied. "Pui-nyu~."

"You actually know how to speak to him?" Sweetie was visibly surprised.

"You kind of do after having been with him. All of us here could understand him. He can communicate to you by written words if you want."

Sweetie pointed to an interesting variation of the hoofwriter. There is no lever, and the keys were all laid out on a grid, as was with Ai's computer. The hoofwriter in comparison had a Gimbal to shift the orientation of the hoof to allow for character input, and the device would have been mechanical.

The President took a bow at the unicorn as he held onto her left foreleg, and kissed it with his lips. He then moved to his typewriter and proceeded to construct a message. The typewriter made an electronic hum as servomotors spun about, which was quite different from the mechanical actions of the hoofwriter.

Sweetie gazed in silence while Ai and Akari went about with the room cleaning.

The written text was held by President Aria. He moved it to Sweetie's field of focus, and the unicorn took the paper with telekinetic held.

Grazie per il passaggio. Centro equestre è doloroso. Indossi sella?

She knew that this wasn't Fancy or Germane, but once again, she simply 'understood' the contents.

Thank you for the ride. Horseback riding is painful. You wear saddle?

" Aria-shachou does talk that way. He's very cute and succinct." Akari was very cheerful.

"Some ponies do. It... can be... risqué. Yea. Risqué piece of clothing. Not always. But ponies don't just let anypony ride them."

"Hahi! I don't think you will let Maa-shachou ride on your back all the time either, Aria-shachou!"

”Puipui."

The unicorn made a curt smile as President Aria fetched a feather duster. She wasn't about to sit on laurel and not help with the clean-up.

"Akari, may I ask where's the garbage can?"

---/

The lower floor of the company was in orderly fashion.

The water wasn't filthy, so there was minimal fuss in the wrap-up.

The ambiance was far better this time. Although the large shutter that served as the service counter on the side of the wall that faces the Canale di San Marco remained closed, the amount of light that had flooded into the building was terrifically empowering.

There was the smell of salt in the soft breeze, and a sense of lightness to one's heart and body. The weariness that plagued the unicorn in the day before was nowhere to be found.

The kettle boiled, and Akari gave a small chuckle to herself.

"What is it, Akari?"

Sweetie looked at the pink-haired Undine.

"The day really gets moving when you start to hear all kinds of noise, doesn't it?"

The unicorn swiveled her ears, as the sound of footsteps, splashing water, metal scratching against hard surfaces, grinding sound from hand rinsing, the ambient noise of the refrigerator and the sizzling noise coming from the oven made themselves known to her.

"You're right... although it's normally not this subdued for me."

Akari's face was bright. "Yep!"

Ai had a sagely tone. "Not the first time that Akari-san had noticed this little detail."

The President's stomach growled rather loudly. It was high time for breakfast.

Breakfast took place over the same table and the same set of chairs that the Undines and the unicorn dined in yesterday.

President Aria had a booster seat to better facilitate his frame. A cushion was placed on the chair that Sweetie sat upon to allow for greater comfort as the unicorn dined with the Undines and the Martian cat.

Sweetie noticed the presence of sausages that were dark brown in coloration. It was clear that those were meat sausages. It didn't upset the filly really, considering that cats are carnivores.

What was more bizarre about President Aria was the fact that he had little qualm with eating tomatoes, fruits and yogurts.

Well, it's not as if Spike doesn't eat typical pony food... but I've never seen a cat doing this.

"Ai-chan, the weather today is ideal. Where would you like to take us to?"

Akari was spreading butter on a piece of toast when she raised the question.

"I know that we normally would go through the Canałasso usually, but I think that we can do something more special than that!"

Akari looked at Ai with a puzzled expression, while Sweetie raised an eyebrow.

"I want to retrace the first gondola ride that I've ever taken by myself."

Sweetie's mind caught on. "So you are going to tell me about Akari by this gondola ride? And what is this Canałasso?"

Ai slapped her forehead. "The Grand Canal is the central artery for Neo-Venezia. This is the face of the city, and it's a must-see for tourists."

Akari paused for a good second, before she exclaimed. "Ehhhh!"

"That's right." Ai casually replied as she downed the milk. "The number one thing really is to enjoy and to have fun. Let your soul take in the city, one bit at a time."

Akari chuckled. "It is very easy to spill the water when you pour too fast into the cup. Pouring it gradually may take some time, but then you won't waste the prepared liquid that way."

The filly was having a yogurt.

"I wonder which is better when it comes to learning... by the books, or by hooves-on experience?" Sweetie had a bit of a sly facade when she posed this question.

Akari's soft gaze rested upon the unicorn.

"Whichever one that can truly reach your heart, Sweetie-chan. Some people close their heart when they have to face new situations, while others close their heart to that what haven't face. Learning is about being willing to accept new things, so what matters is to choose the best way for those lessons to reach your heart."

Ai looked on. "Both ways can and do work, as long as the heart is willing to accept."

The filly had been bested. I wonder if Twilight or Trixie can ever mount an apologetic against this?

Admitting defeat, the little unicorn continued to eat into her small bowl of yogurt.

---/

Sweetie looked at the wall-mounted telephone intensely. It looked very familiar accent wise to the sole telephone in Ponyville, but it very remarkably different in the detailing.

The most notable were the absence of the hoof-cranked magneto and a total absence of wiring.

The unicorn looked at the wireless earphone, as she wondered about how the phone would have operated.

The phone rang as an orange glow came from one of the lights that was on the top right-hoof side of the unit. The phone then played the voice of Akari back.

A pre-recorded message? How was this done? An audio spell that will automatically activate when the phone call isn't picked up?

The message played itself out.

Hahi! This is Aria company! Thank you...

Sweetie was startled for a second, but she can imagine what the proper etiquette should be of incoming calls.

"Akari, telephone!"

"Coming!"

The Undine fumbled about as she reached the receiver.

The Undine had parked the receiver to her ear. Sweetie observed how that Akari wasn't even facing the phone to speak to the transmitter.

"Hello! Thank you for calling the Aria Company. We're closed-"

A projection was formed at about two hooves away from the transmitter. A male with ponytail could be seen holding on a receiver.

This is incredible! The transmitter here isn't used to transmit voices, but to project live images!

Ai made her way to the unicorn, and then she parked herself next to Sweetie Belle.

"Akari-san is speaking to Akatsuki-san, an old friend. You could call him the boyfriend, but he'll never admit it."

Akatsuki's voice came out.

"Oy. Why do you interrupt so much, Pigtails? I was almost about to press '5' so that I can record my message."

"I am not Pigtails..."

"You were, and still are Pigtails. You still have those Pigtails."

"Hairs are not Pigtails... and there's no booking today, so..."

"I'm very busy because of Acqua Alta. I don't have the time to talk to you. Bye."

The filly was very underwhelmed by the exchange.

"How long has this been going for?" Sweetie asked.

Ai took a breath. "Back when Akari was still a Single. It's been more or less the same story."

Sweetie really didn't know what to say about this. Just say 'Nice phone?'

---/

"I was the one that called Akari-san. Chances are that I wasn't the first to call Akari-san that day. Alicia-san was fully booked that day, so Akari-san had to say that she can't take any customer to me."

Ai looked at Akari with adoration.

"I thanked her, and sneaked aboard her gondola. I then demanded her to get under way with me on board as 'a friend of hers'."

"I'll scream..."

Sweetie was highly amused when Akari froze up. "What...?"

"Kidnapper... somebody... save me..."

Odd sweat drops formed on Akari's face.

Sweetie pretended to take offense. The Crusaders were not above crying murder if it meant that they can have their way.

"Don't tell me that you actually screamed!" The filly's face then snapped to become perfectly level. "Not that I have any problem with it."

The startled Undine in pink was quivering a bit.

Ai shook her head. "Nope, it never came to that. She took me as a friend."

Akari looked somewhat stiff. "Ai-chan did mean well..."

Ai then pulled the unicorn aside. "Your shrill scared Akari-san, by the way."

"Akari really, really should meet with Fluttershy."

The little unicorn accidentally let loose her thoughts.

Ai pondered. "An awfully shy pony?"

"Yes, and that's an understatement. I will tell you about her after I say sorry to Akari."

---/

The expensive azure sky was invigorating to behold.

When Akari and Ai took Sweetie to the platform, the filly was assaulted with the sheer grandeur of what laid before the company.

The pristine water and the cries of seagull reminded the filly that she was in no danger. The slight screeching noise from atop was not that of a sword connecting to another object, but merely that of the weather vane pointing itself toward the wind.

The tarp cover was removed from the ebony gondola by hand. it was soaked from the unpredictable weather during the day before. Sweetie found that the gondola's clearance from the water was only as tall as the platform's distance from the water.

"The water level isn't usually this high, Sweetie-chan." Akari said. "We normally have to take a couple of steps to get to the gondola." The Undine pointed to the head of the gondola as she continued her lecture. "The head would be about a step or two away from the platform level, depending on the tide!"

Ai went on. "We usually would have our guests wait over the ground floor as we prep the gondola. Akari-san doesn't always meet the guests from the company, but this is where the first appointment of the day always begin."

Sweetie nodded as she thought of the daily schedule. "How often does Akari have to return to the company? I imagine that you would plan your route as efficiently as possible, so that the gondola would be occupied in each point of call.

Ai lets loose a chuckle. "Sweetie-chan, it's hardly that efficient here! We would greet our guests and then set out on the itinerary, which can change while under way. The tour doesn't always end at the predetermined point, so we have to put some slack time in."

Sweetie felt that she really couldn't do without making observations on the go, but she had no quill, no inkwell and she didn't want to waste the precious pages in her notebook recklessly.

"Akari-san, Ai-chan, sorry for being selfish, but I need to grab a quill, some parchment and an inkwell..." The little unicorn pleaded.

Ai was very giddy. "Akari-san, Sweetie-chan really wanted to relive the renaissance! This might be the first time that any guest wanted less convenience!"

Akari got the gondola to the spiral staircase that led from the top level of the building to the gondola. "Hahi! Some guests would ask for a source of electrical power, remote-controlled drones and other tools when they board the gondola. Guests from Manhome are all very used to the convenience of technology!"

Ai then addressed Sweetie. "There should be shops that would carry parchment, quill and inkwells. If you just need to take notes though, we got paper and pen, or you can just use the computer!"

Sweetie immediately jumped with the mentioning of pen and paper. She remembered the remarkable ease that Alicia had with the use of the pen, and the unbelievable papers were simply sublime!

"Really?"

The filly allowed her puppy-eyes to do their magic.

Akari returned with a smile that could melt frozen blocks of ice.

"Hahi! As many as you need, Sweetie-chan!"

An Undine in the crimson red of Himeya, face flushed in pink, made her presence known with one single line.

"Embarrassing things are not allowed!"

The warning fell on deaf ears however. The Undine snuggled the unicorn as the filly nuzzled back in broad daylight, without a care of the world around them.

---/

Sweetie Belle was hungry.

She wouldn't leave until having achieved an understanding about the operations of the ballpoint pen. Ai was more than happy to oblige, as Akari and Aika sat over the table at the ground floor, watching the young Undine indulging the unicorn's thirst for knowledge.

Akari was visibly excited as her breath was taken away.

Ai had just dissected a pen.

"Look at this!" The girl announced. "The tiny ball here keeps the ink from coming out of the tube reservoir by being in a socket. There is enough room for the ball to roll around when you put it against a sheet of paper-"

Ai made a pen stroke with another pen.

"and the ink comes out of the gap, carries itself along the surface of the ball, and then 'drips' onto the paper!"

Sweetie thought intensely. "And because it's a socket, the ball won't just sink into the reservoir! Genius!"

Ai wasn't done. "Pens can write upside-down if you find a way to pump the ink through the tube."

Sweetie was letting her imagination do the work. "Drinking straw! I can suck on the straw and it'll pull the water up!"

Akari got caught up with this. "Sweetie-chan, we can't suck on the reservoir tube! We have to make the ink go out of the ball!"

Aika S. Granzchesta, the heiress to Himeya and a personal friend of the Undines at Aria company, was really at a loss as to how she had managed to find herself in this fuss about something that was so mundane. The scary thing was that Akari was making the ballpoint pen look magical on her, by infecting her enthusiasm onto everyone in attendance.

"Pump the ink?" Sweetie mused as her head laid low and her right foreleg tapped against her cheek. "That's fiendishly difficult!"

Ai conceded. "We'll need to think about this problem later. Someone solved this a long time ago. There was this one guest that was using such a pen to write upside-down..."

Sweetie decided to move on. "Let's see. Spring. Arresting cog. Trigger." The unicorn listed the parts out as she studied them. This coil works like a pogo stick. The gear turns to the right... locks into two positions..."

Ai took out the completed pen to compare with the dissected pen. "So that way, you can retract the tip of the pen when not in use."

Sweetie studied the material. "Is this hoof... I meant hand crafted? No. It can't be... look at the precision on these threading..."

The pony was humbled. "We ponies are very, very behind. Just look at how simple, how neatly integrated this writing instrument is. Quills and inkwells are horribly antiquated!"

Akari had the look of gratitude on her face.

"Don't belittle the quill, Sweetie-chan. Our desire to record and to express ourselves have made us look for better ways to write. The pen is a product of all those innumerable works of the past."

Akari thought of the quill. "The quill and the fountain pens are no different from voice commands and stylus... they allow thoughts to be transmitted across boundaries. These things have allowed for knowledge, feelings and dreams to survive across space and time, thus enriching our lives."

She said slowly, as she reconstructed the pen and handed it to Sweetie Belle. "Let's use the pen to put our own thoughts down..."

Ai looked with appreciation. "For the pen is mightier than the sword."

Sweetie leaned back against the chair. "No wonder Twilight is so dangerously powerful..."

Aika tried to repeat her famous refrain, but she had no will to beat the dead horse.

Sweetie held onto the pen in her hooves with reverence... as if this was a timeless artifact that was entrusted to her for some sacred mission.

The four of them gazed out to the San Giorgio Maggiore in silence.

---/

"Akari! You've done it again! Jeez..."

Aika was slightly fuming at her hapless friend.

"You started the day with one really embarrassing set of comments, and you didn't stop there."

"You went into embarrassment over-drive!"

Aika was busy chewing out her friend while Ai was telling Sweetie about what she was looking at.

The gondola was technically under way, but it was only starting to leave the company pier.

Ai was giving Sweetie the tour while Aika kept her mentor out of the picture.

"You are staring at the Isola di San Giorgio Maggiore. The spire would be the bell tower. That entire island was imported form Manhome. The island is still the headquarters of the Cultural Foundation which was instrumental in preserving Serenissima in a very real way."

Sweetie was in awe. "It's... you took whole islands across the universe...."

Ai looked at the bell tower. "It's really the buildings. Many buildings weren't transported. Only furnishing made it onto Aqua. A lot of the buildings had to be reconstructed from holographic diagrams."

The filly buried her face in her forelegs. "Holo... graphics..."

Ai looked sad. "The island is not a perfect replica, but it really makes no sense to simply copy. It hurts when guests would accuse of this city as an imperfect imitation of Venezia..."

Akari couldn't leave this wrong be. "I want to let others know that those feelings are real, and it is those feelings that give meaning to the things that are around us, for there is no understanding without love."

The little unicorn was beyond words. She wondered whether or not if ponies would go to such length to preserve their legacy and their way of life.

---/

"This is a little different than what I've had expected..."

Sweetie leaned her head against the starboard side, and lazily glided her hoof across the water.
The gondola rocked a bit.

"I guess I can't help it, can I? It's rocking against the wind."

Sweetie didn't hear Ai's own admittance. She was too lost in her own thoughts.

Aika was done berating Akari, and was now joking with the Undine about Aria being the first gondola company to host an extraterrestrial.

"To think that the unicorn would be a free-rider."

Akari was in a bit of a bind. "Well.. you could say that."

"C'mon. Hurry up and get moving."

Just as Ai was about to propel the gondola, Sweetie looked at Aika and Akari.

"I wonder which one of the two is better?"

The question was meant for Ai, but both Akari and Aika heard it.

"Well, it'd be me if it comes to getting things done."

Ai saw her chance to repeat history. "Then would you row?"

"Huh? Why should I?"

"Because you're a friend."

"That's not it."

"Well, it's a friend so it's ok."

"That's not it."

"Then just ask Sweetie-chan and see what she thinks!"

"Wait. What do you mean?"

Akari came out swinging from the left field. "Well, we've already gotten to know her yesterday... right?"

"Why am I getting a serious case of déjà vu over this...?" The Undine of Himeya uttered to herself.

---/

Sweetie started to mutter to herself.

"So it's been 150 years since humans turned this planet into this watery world..."

"156 years." Aika appended. "Just being accurate on this fun ride."

"Akari, why are you still stiff as a board?" Aika noted her friend sitting perfectly still after Sweetie's innocent question.
Ai looked on at the pensive Sweetie Belle.

"Do you like this city?"

Sweetie paused, as the two Prima gave their full attention to the unicorn.

"I think I do. I didn't choose to come here, but I think that like this world and Neo-Venezia. The sheer level of advancement and the gentle pacing of it all..."

Akari was reflective of herself. "This city is made of miracles, isn't it..."

Sweetie looked at Akari. "How was this planet like before the terraforming?"

Aika replied. "There was no air and water was locked up in ice caps. It was a freezing, orange world."
Ai whispered in an audible voice. "Miracles..."

Akari continued. "Those feelings from those people that wanted to make this city... gave birth to this miracle."

Akari, sitting at the bow of the gondola while facing Sweetie, Ai and Aika, had one more thing to say.
"Our meeting was definitely a miracle!"

Here it comes... Ai thought to herself.

The Undine with blue hair pointed accusatively at Akari.

"Embarrassing remarks aren't allowed!"

Ai had a beaming smile when Sweetie looked back at the Single.

"Aika-san said the exact same thing to Akari-san when I was in Akari-san's gondola. This is no coincidence."

Sweetie could only acknowledge Ai with a nod as Akari gave Aika "Ehhh" in reply.

---/

"That butter potato stand should be coming up..."

Ai said to nobody in particular, but all of the passengers have heard the Single's monologue.

"Buttered potato..."

Sweetie shot a glance at the shore, and she found a floating stand on a bigger boat than the gondola that was docked to a small wooden pier.

"You want one?"

Akari asked.

Ai chimed in. "When Akari-san asked me of the very same question those years ago, I said no at first. These are much, much better than the ones on Manhome."

"But I don't have the bits to pay for one..."

Aika snorted. "Of course you won't! It's on us!"

Sweetie shyly shrunk to the bottom of the hull. "Thank you..."

The Undines would have none of it. Ai steered the gondola to the stand, and in less than a minute, the four of them found themselves sitting over cement stumps over a patch of grassland next to the pier.

"Ooo, Akari-chan. Looking good in the summer uniform as usual!"

"Hahi! We're finally getting close to summer again, Ojisan."

Just as Akari was about to buy the buttered potatoes, President Aria showed up in a small boat.

"Aria-shachou! Sorry about leaving you by yourself!"

Akari apologized to the cat as he appeared next to the crew.

The little boat looked like a miniature gondola, and there was a hole over the bow ornament. There was a fòrcola, but how the cat would have managed to row the boat was beyond Sweetie.

Sweetie was studying her bowl.

"This looks kind of hard to eat with hooves and snout..."

Ai took a long look at her own butter potato as well.

"Potatoes are always cut up on Manhome. It was quite a surprise when I first had this. It was the same exact spot at that."

Sweetie used her telekinetic skills to position the fork and dug into the potato, dipped a portion of the potato into the hot butter, allowing the steaming bits of food to cool as she blew upon it, and only then did she proceed to partake the dish.

The unicorn was able to dine with only the Undines and the cat staring at her, much to Sweetie Belle's relief.

---/

"So the money here isn't made of gold. These coins are nickels and whatnot..."

Sweetie gazed at the Euro with fascination.

Ai chuckled happily. "These coins are a legacy of the past. Only Neo-Venezia and a few cities still use coinage."

Sweetie paused. "So they're all using paper tender?"

Ai shook her head. "No. We don't really use paper or coins for transactions anymore. It's all done by electronic account transactions."

The girl took out her wallet, and showed her a card. "This card allows for me to pay for things as it gives the access to my account. We can accept payments this way too."

Sweetie thought about this form of banking. She had imagined that the topic would be a highly theoretical one, restricted to big wigs in Canterlot that had nothing better to do but to play with other ponies' hard earned bits.

Seeing this in practice was incredible, but not earth-shattering.

The unicorn smacked her lips as her hunger was sated.

"Thank you very much!" Akari was the one that returned the bowls to the stand.

"Hai Hai! Thanks." The cook turned around to put the bowls away.

"Thank you! The food was delicious!" She gave acknowledgement to the seller.

The vendor didn't even look back at the unicorn when he was filing away the dirtied bowls. "Really? Thank you!"

Sweetie Belle felt at peace with herself. Her weariness was gone, and she felt that the world was more than willing to accept her, rather than treating her with skeptical eyes.

The scenery was picturesque, the mood was great, the food was delectable...

but something's amiss.

"Well then, we should get going." Aika declared rather energetically.

"Shachou, we're going!"

"Aria-shachou?" Akari repeated.

"Where did Aria-shachou go?" Thought Aika aloud. "Please don't tell me that this is actually happening again..."

Ai had a look of dread as she pointed at the canal.

"Umm... he's..."

President Aria was sailing away, to the mouth of the Canałasso, in his small boat. The President lost his oar, so he was helpless in the water.

Time suddenly stood still for the Undines and the unicorn.

Author's Note

Well, we're finally getting somewhere. I do feel that the first part was a bit too dreary.

All of this gondola ride should be very familiar to anyone that's followed the series. Watch the anime episode to get the mental picture of where exactly Ai took her friends to.

I guess I should add that the story title is actually a link to a piece of music. I would have liked it if youtube box can be made hidden, but that's not the case...

Navigation 2, Part 2 -その大胆な救助を ... That Audacious Rescue...

Navigation 2, Part 2 -その大胆な救助を ... That Audacious Rescue...

I guess I still have growing up to do, huh.

Hahi! I still am inexperienced really.

Past experience... they really do make a difference to the future.

These experiences open up new routes and new possibilities that we would've missed.

Those roads wouldn't be open if not for those experiences...

One thing for sure. We wouldn't know how to cross if we don't have what it takes to do it.

-----/

The traffic was making the cat's boat spin about without any clear heading.

Ai stood back, and immediately turned to Aika, as they nodded to each other.

Akari seemed to know exactly that the two were implying, as she assumed the place of the oarsman.

Ai dipped her hand into the water. "About a knot." She shouted.

Sweetie jumped aboard the gondola, which was leaving the pier in a backward orientation.

It was clear to all who were on-board the gondola that they were going to intercept President Aria before he could drift into trouble.

Ai assumed to the bow of the ship, looking out to the rear view, while Aika was sitting before Akari and the fòrcola.

Aika, one eye sealed shut while her head craned to look past the rower, was shouting course adjustments to Akari. Ai kept her hand dipped in water while she gave reading on the speed of the gondola and the current.

The sea lane was not as busy as usual, but commercial activities were still brisk. Sweetie Belle gasped as she saw the shores widen around the mouth of the canal, as the ocean and the islands show themselves in all of their majesty.

The gondola was moving to the President's position while going backward.

This realization sank in for the unicorn just as Ai and Aika's voices vanished into the rushing headwind.

Sweetie left her seat and went to the stern of the gondola, where Akari was.

"Just get close enough." The unicorn said loudly as her horn began to flare. "I can intercept in about 4 times the length of this gondola."

This may be pushing it, thought Sweetie to herself. If only I could teleport like Twilight can...

Ai translated to the crew. "Get to within 40 meters of Aria-shachou."

Sweetie took mental note of this unit. The gondola would be 10 meters or so in length.

Aika eyeballed the distance. "Less than 100 meters, Akari!"

The girl was rowing with all of her might. Sweetie felt the boat slicing the top of the water as the world whizzed by the gondola. They surely were going to make it.

"Less than 80!" Aika yelled.

A huge, airborne vehicle blocked out the view as it made waterfall.

The gondola rocked violently as water splashed itself on the occupants of the boat. They clenched their teeth and hanged on, while fighting the pounding waves from the wake.

It took half a minute to compensate for the disruption, but the gondola kept going, despite having been veered off-course. Unfortunately, the gondola had lost speed.

The unicorn's light pink aura was visible to the Undines as she strained to halt the advance of President Aria's boat. The distance was simply too far.

The gondola kept getting further, and Sweetie Bell couldn't feel anything at all.

"Not doing it!" Aika barked.

Akari was rowing with all of her might while the boat rocked against the broken wake of the spaceship.

"Sweetie, break the forward waves!"

The unicorn had no time to argue with Ai. She redirected her focus to the boat's bow shock (although it's the stern,) and took the brunt of the kinetic stresses from the momentum of the gondola upon her frame and mind.

The gondola had a very shallow displacement. Sweetie was able to give the craft better stability by not exposing the boat to the wake.

"We're gaining speed." Ai reported.

"Ok! We're in business!" Aika called.

Sweetie strained herself while she held the force field. The forward momentum of the boat was slamming her mentally and physically against the crashing waves, and she had to make the waves give in.

"50 meters!" Aika marked.

At the peak of her exhaustion, Sweetie turned her attention towards the President's boat. Without having been cued, the unicorn mustered all that she had on the little boat before her.

The whole boat was lifted from the water as the unicorn sent the boat and the cat onto a collision course either the occupants of the gondola, or the water next to them.

The freefall of the boat was an exercise in slow-motion. Sweetie had sent the President on a steep arcing angle, with the boat cart-wheeling in the air.

The unicorn shielded her eyes as she expected the hear the impact of a belly-flop to the water, but it never came.

Ai and Aika had somehow managed to prevent the destruction of the President's barge as they held the boat by their hands, with the cat still affixed to the miniature gondola.

---/

Akari was panting.

"This really brings back that day, doesn't it?" Aika spoke to the group.

"Alicia-san saved the day with impeccable oarsmanship. She was a lady knight, graceful and precise."

Aika attested on the might of Alicia during the previous rescue on the wayward President. "So at least now I know how things would've gone if we actually got to Aria-shachou." The Prima from Himeya groaned as she made that comment.

Ai said softly. "Wait till Alicia-san hears about this..."

Sweetie gave a deadpan response. "I don't think you need to..."

The figure rose from the waters on a bright red platform, with an oar in hand. She was majestic, and the waterways were her domain. She was clad in a striking white set of business suit.

"Akari-chan!" The figure called.

Akari turned to her mentor while Aika, Ai and Sweetie were rendered still by the serendipity of the whole episode.

The Snow White lost none of her luster as she arrived in a gondolino, while in suits.

Aika uttered Alicia's name in reverence, while stuttering badly.

"Most Undines cannot handle a gondolino. They are fast and twitchy. Think of them as you would thoroughbred horses or super cars." Ai remarked.

Her presence was so commanding. Sweetie saw Undines over the nearby pier swoon at the sight of Alicia.

"Ara ara, that was an amazing rescue!"

Ai's eyes were wide as saucers. "Alicia-san, you saw us?"

The Snow White hugged the teary-eyed President, as she acknowledged the electrified crowd of Undines and passerby.
"I came to the scene as fast as I could. I had to borrow this child from the post office rowing team."

The gondolino was bright red, and it stood in contrast to the Snow White.

Alicia was radiating a very loving smile. "These kind Undines by the pier were trying to reach Aria-shachou in their traghetto, but the rowers lost balance in the wake, so I had to help them first."

Alicia gestured to an elongated gondola that trailed behind her. Two Undines were waving enthusiastically at the crowd.

Alicia went on. "Everything that you have done in the past have been reflected in what you have done today." She looked at the entire crew of the ebony gondola. "None of you wavered for even a second about what course of action should be taken to help Aria-shachou."

The gondoliers and the sole pony felt a tint of embarrassment coming to their visage.

"If it wasn't for that spaceship..." Aika mumbled with a deep blush as she lamented on how that Alicia's rescue of President Aria was disrupted by the landing of that leviathan of a machine.

Sweetie was too exhausted to pay heed to the might of humanity being so visibly demonstrated. The pony had applied her shielding and telekinetic abilities in ways that she had never thought of before.

Ai was also spent. The girl was trembling slightly over the way how that her own snap decisions were of pivotal importance. The weight of having been trusted by the crew to this extent caught up to the girl.

Akari, Aika and Alicia all noted that the pony and the Single were brooding to themselves.

President Aria nudged the two adolescent beings with his paws, while showing a very concerned look on his face.
Ai swallowed a bit of saliva before paying heed to the Martian cat.

"I could have really hurt Sweetie-chan back there..."

The Single turned to the filly.

"Whereas I did hurt you..."

The filly had a taste of disgust in her tone.

Ai would have none of it. "No you didn't. You used your gift and everything you had to get Aria-shachou to safety."

Sweetie was morose. "You saw what I did. I hurled him and his boat into the air. What was I even thinking?"

Alicia's gondolino was now next to the gondola.

"Both of you were thinking of how to save Aria-shachou. Neither of you let anything else came before you."

Alicia looked at the Single and the unicorn.

"Both of you hold yourselves to this scrutiny because of how much you care about everyone, and how much you've known from the past. This is what makes applying what you know to be a very scary thing. Your understanding is what truly scares you about your actions."

---/

Aika turned to Akari while Alicia tended to Ai and Sweetie Belle.

"Akari, I am really envious of the Aria company."

"Heeee?"

The heiress to Himeya looked at Ai. "You can't train an Undine to be what Ai-chan is. She knows about what she could work with, and then she makes her decision in a snap. You don't have to tell her about what she needs to do at all."

Aika added the unicorn into the picture. "You make friends that will perform feats of miracle with you on a dime. Akari, I forget about this when I'm this close to you, but little miss unicorn here helped us with everything she's got when she barely knows us!"

The Undine in red then looked at her idol. "The incomparable Alicia-san cannot be touched. She is a figure larger than life... I mean... we have just witnessed the birth of another legend, with Show White gracefully leading Undines to safety."

"And then there's you." Aika stated. "You just took me across space and time. I went from a branch manager to be that Single Undine that gets a bit annoyed about her easy-going friend. How do you manage to make me live this past again?"

Akari was not sure about how to answer to Aika.

Ai took to the podium.

"Aika-san. I think I have an answer to that."

She lets her mind loose.

"You still are Aika-san, the Undine that stayed level-headed for everyone. You shoulder so much on yourself, and it's always been like that for you. I think that's why this flashback was so powerful for you."

Sweetie finally recovered enough to have a word of her own.

"Well, Miss Aika, you were the eyes for this boat. If I am hearing this correctly, you did the same before. Maybe this is not just literally, but it also applies in a figurative sense. You've been looking out for your friends... all this time..."

The Prima in red was very flushed.

"I... this kind of embarrassing remarks... are not allowed..."

Her voice grew increasingly timid.

Akari hugged her friend while Alicia had an understanding expression in her eyes.

---/

The Undines over the traghetti service point couldn't contain their excitement.

To them, what Aquamarine and Snow White did during this afternoon was worthy of songs.

Aquamarine rowed a fully laden gondola in reversed direction at a speed of three to four knots.

Snow White steered a gondolino as the only pilot without her breaking a sweat.

The water fairies of Aria company could win a Regata in just about any rowing boat with that kind of skill and force. Those two may even obliterate veterans of the Regata Storica in gondolini category.

As the two of them coped with the adoration of the Undines, the three passengers and the cat had time to sit back and relax.

Ai spoke first. "I am happy that Akari-san's unique skill gets put to use. That backward rowing ability is one of a kind."

Aika had a curt smile. "Alicia-san in full form on the water made me very so happy. She is meant to be on the water."

Sweetie gave a long stare. "First time that I've done anything like this on water. I feel a bit out of place I guess."

Ai gathered herself together as she asked Sweetie a question. "So, how'd you like it?"

Sweetie gave a tired smile. "Miss Alicia was beautiful."

Aika couldn't agree more. "She sure is..."

Sweetie concurred, then continued. "Is this what you meant about changes in itinerary?"

Ai felt the bite. "Sweetie-chan, we don't end up chasing Aria-shachou at a sustained three knots against a current every day."

Aika scratched her head. "Don't you worry, Sweetie. This sort of craziness will die down now that the show's over. The afternoon will be fine and peaceful."

The sound of the bell in Campanile reminded everyone that it was afternoon.

The Prima noted the time. "Since we're over Campo del Traghetto, we might as well as to get back to Aria company. Other places haven't gotten back to work yet."

Sweetie and Ai nodded.

"Is it always like this in the event of Acqua Alta? With the disruption and all."

Aika was brisk in answer. "Basically always. It hits once or twice a year or so. We can ask Al about why that is the case."
"And Al would be..."

"Albert, he is a Gnome. They regulate the pull of gravity on the planet." Aika cheerfully provided the answer for Sweetie.
Gnome? Gravity manipulation? This world was becoming more and more incredible by the second to the unicorn.

---/

"Yo!"

A voice came from yet another traghetto.

"Ahh, Ayumi! Sorry about the ruckus."

Aika waved to one of the two Undines on the traghetto. This one's a Prima.

"It's not every day that you get Undine heavyweights together like this."

The loosely kept short auburn color haired lady had her periwinkle eyes trained on the unicorn and the Undines sitting there.

Ayumi was rather playful. She had the traghetto parked over the meadows as the Single junior aboard was forcibly dragged out of the boat and shoved to the presence of the heiress of Himeya company.

"This little one here is a bit jumpy." She said of the Single that was with her. This girl in Himeya uniform had a sandy brown hair that went to her shoulders. Her eyes were dark brown.

Akari and Alicia walked toward the confident Prima.

"Ayumi-chan! Sorry for the trouble!"

"Alicia-san, Akari. Nice to see you two!"

Sweetie realized that this girl was more than a casual acquaintance of theirs.

The one in charge jumped out of the boat and motioned for the other Undines to settle down and gather around.

"Alright! Listen up!"

Ayumi projected her voice to all the Undines that were at the service point. The little ones were all energetic.

"Today's not going to be busy. I want most of you to catch a break. Annette, Andrea and Angelica can keep working. Report to the office and log your hours. That's all!"

The unicorn noticed that these Undines were Singles.

The rest of the singles happily went off. "Thanks, capo!"

Ayumi winced a little, while Aika did a spit-take.

"I wish they didn't give me that nickname..."

The chief of Campo del Traghetto sighed, and then continued with her salutations.

"These girls are really kind, Ayumi-chan."

Alicia noted the three that were to stay behind.

"They are really hot-headed and they bit more than what they could chew." Ayumi was dismissive in jest.

"On the other hand, Ako here needs to open up more! Come on, Ako-chan, say hi to Alicia-san and Aika-san. They're only the bosses of your boss!"

Sweetie could've sworn that the poor little thing was whimpering (despite the fact that she was much taller than the unicorn.)

"Hello..." It was a meek greeting that could rival Fluttershy.

Alicia was being her radiant self. "Ara ara. You balanced the traghetto very well, Ako-chan!"

Sweetie saw the little girl mumbling. It wasn't hard to imagine just what she was going to say to Alicia.

Ai provided some explanation to Sweetie. "Ayumi-san is a rarity. She's a Traghetto specialist. Traghetti are water taxis that take people across points on the Canal Grande."

Ayumi decided to butt in. "Ai-chan! Good to see you!"

Ai was quite jovial. "Ayumi-san, are the traghetti just fine from last few days of weather?"

The chief smirked. "I had them fished out of the waterway before the worst of it. These girls spent the morning getting them back into the water. The boats are all in great shape."

The chief turned to greet the unicorn. "Hi there Miss Kitty. Nice unicorn costume you got."

Ayumi left Ako to fend for herself as she studied the 'cat', and Sweetie cocked her head to study the human.
"Wait, those are hooves... cats don't have hooves."

"No. Cats do not have hooves. What sort of cat would have a horn on his head by the way?" Sweetie had enough.

"Whoa! You just talked!" Ayumi was visibly excited. She was grinning from ear to ear as her gaze scanned the other Undines.

"Something very fishy is going on here. Having the Rosen Queen, the Snow White and Aquamarine would have been an event already, but this?"

Ai casually replied. "It's really just me doing a touring practice and giving a ride for Aika-san."

Ayumi scoffed. "And then there's Ai-chan. Will wonders never cease? Okay. That was a great trick really. Making a robot this good. Voice control and all... quite an idea for tourism..."

Sweetie was thoroughly insulted. She opened her mouth.

"Look in my mouth. Look at my teeth. Do robots have saliva?"

Ayumi peeked at the oral cavity of the little pony, and she stepped back as she lost her breath.

"No way. Flesh and blood, and smells like butter." She shook her head. "And I thought that intelligent cats were pretty much as far as it gets for us on Aqua. Now horses too?"

The unicorn had to correct the human. "I am a pony. Long story short. I am not exactly from here."

Aika had the look of disapproval as she turned to Ayumi.

"Ayumi, come over to Aria company and we'll explain it to you. It's not as if that the service is running today. Not even tomorrow for that matter."

The Prima was somewhat pensive. "Alright. Let's just wait for those two over there to come back with the boat." She said of the two Undines that got rescued by Alicia. "Angelica gets too carried away about helping others that she forgets about her own limits."

Ayumi wasn't done with the pony. "I'm dying to hear what's going on from you, Miss Unicorn. Come on my boat."

The auburn haired lady pivoted to Ako. "Want to come with us?"

Ako was very flushed. She was being praised by one of the idols of the industry.

"Well then!" Ayumi was just a little scheming. "Alicia-san, we'll take you to Aria company on this boat here. Enjoy your first random inspection, Ako-chan!"

"Ara ara. This is a very good idea." Alicia went to Aika. "Aria-shachou, come join us on Ayumi-chan and Ako-chan's traghetto!"

The cat energetically responded to Alicia, as he went to her arms.

---/

Sweetie was sitting in front of Ayumi, who was rowing from the stern of the traghetto.

"How many people would normally be seated on the traghetto?" Sweetie asked. "It looks a lot like the gondola, but it has that other oarlock..."

Alicia said to Sweetie. "The oarlock is called fòrcola. These are custom-made for the gondoliers, since each gondolier is different."

Ayumi scoffed. "Not on these boats. Part of the challenge with traghetti are to be adaptive as you have to work with the given boat. They don't have individualized fòrcola that you'd mount on a gondola."

Sweetie started to look at the boat and Ai's gondola that was abreast. "So I guess that the traghetti are not so fancy because they are used for public transportation?"

Alicia was very impressed. "Ara ara. That's very good, Sweetie-chan! The traghetti often taken from gondole retired from touring duties."

Ayumi added. "This fleet has been growing. We are now up to 21. There's about 18 that's assigned, leaving us with three boats per service point. You are sitting in one of the three reserved boats."

Sweetie looked at the boat. "So that's why you need two to row this boat..."

Ayumi added. "You can be down to standing room only. I've squeezed 20 people onto one boat a few times."

Alicia had that ethereal smile on her face again.

"Sweetie-chan, how do you like Ai-chan's gondola?"

The unicorn blinked for a couple of seconds.

"She said that events like this only happen if she's out to look for miracles. I do like this somewhat, but I am not sure if tourists can handle this sort of action..."

Sweetie sniffed the air around her. "but it was fun, even before the drama. Ai-chan, Akari and I started the adventure even before we hit the water."

The little unicorn hovered the ballpoint pen that Akari had reassembled before Alicia and a totally enamored Ayumi.

"Did you just..." The Undine saw that Alicia was completely unflappable at this incredible sight.

The unicorn continued. "Ai-chan's gondola ride made me appreciate what I got, while Akari finds new things for me to think of. It's quite amazing, really."

"How about this traghetto?" The taxi chief asked.

Sweetie closed her eyes to feel the winds blowing against her mane.

"Carefree. I feel as if I am gliding past this place. I am not so overwhelmed by the details all around me when I am on here."

Ayumi was quite humbled.

"I don't know anything about what you are, or where you're from, but... thanks. Not many outsiders would immediately want to take a ride in the traghetto. They want be guided by an Undine in a gondola. Not that there's anything wrong with that..."

The girl was very sincere in her appreciation.

"Thank you."

"Ara ara. Ayumi-chan, this is why we have to think of ways for more people to realize the wonders of traghetti! Introducing this role to Undines, one at a time, and we surely will spread those feelings across eventually."

"Alicia... I... wow."

Ayumi looked at the deck.

"No wonder Akari is this good. Heck, if it wasn't for you, Akari, Ayumi, Anzu and Atora, I would have never even bothered to get this Prima qualification."

Ayumi thought back to her days as a Single, when she was urging Atora to not abandon her dream of being a licensed professional and start touring.

"Ayumi-chan, is it possible for you to have the Undines working at the traghetti to row a Disdotona? We want to feature Undines rowing one alongside the rowing clubs."

"That's the big 18 that Orange Planet and Himeya had commissioned! Alicia, taking these out during La Sensa?"
"We're counting on you, Ayumi-chan! Ufufu."

The unicorn was not sure of what Alicia was suggesting, but it looked as if that this was not an ordinary task.
"Wonder if Anzu and Atora would like to lend a hand..." Sweetie heard Ayumi uttering aloud.

---/

Akari remained on the oar as Aika, Ai and President Aria quietly thought to themselves.

It was odd for all of them. They've poured out their feelings just a little while ago, yet their business of the day were far from over.

Ai finally broke the ice. "Sweetie-chan at least didn't have a boring gondola ride. I hope that she did have fun though."

Aika and Akari looked at the somewhat dejected junior.

"If we didn't have her help, Aria-shachou would have been in a real pinch."

Akari wasn't about to let Ai berate herself.

"All of us worked together to get Aria-shachou to safety. We couldn't have done it without each other."

The President tugged Ai's top by one of the sleeves, with beady, teary eyes and a most apologetic expression on his face.
"I am not angry at you, Aria-shachou..." said Ai.

"I just wanted to show Sweetie-chan about Aqua. I wanted to do more than talk about it, with those that I love."

Their gondola went past the Campanile as the bell chime reminded the citizens of the time.

The Single confessed. "I've come to love this city because of you two, and I've wanted Sweetie-chan to have that same opportunity that I had."

Aika, lost in thought, spoke without thinking. "It is a miracle to reaffirm that love..."

The girl came to as all the eyes on the boat were on her.

"I... ur..."

Aika had to salvage the situation somehow.

"Embarrassing remarks aren't allowed! For myself! Again!"

"Hahi!"

The heiress hung her head low in shame as her face was flushed with blood.

---/

Ayumi's group arrived at Aria company earlier than Akari's entourage.

Alicia fastened the boat to the painted Palina. She insisted on getting Ayumi and Ako into the building first. The Palina bore the insignia of the Aria company.

Sweetie was off the boat, but she didn't enter the building. The filly sat on her haunches as she waited for Akari to moor the ebony gondola.

"Alicia-san! You don't need to..." Akari exclaimed when Alicia was taking hold of the mooring cable.

"I got it. All of you should get some rest."

"Demo...”

"Akari-chan, the cable please~"

"Hahi..."

There was little that Akari could do when it comes to caving in to her senior.

"Hehe. Alicia-san still wants to spoil Akari-san." Ai let loose a chuckle.

"Akira-san would've never done that."

"Living up to her reputation as the Demon Instructor..." Ai was pouring oil on a fire.

"Hold on! I hadn't call her that! You're the one that's been sticking that idea in her head!"

Ai was unfazed. "Wasn't she going to drown you to the Neo-Adriatic sea?"

Aika's eyes were wide. "You still remember that?! Well I don't think she was totally lying, but still! She really gave me a hard time for that Demon Instructor nickname!"

A look of desperation washed over the Prima's face.

"You don't know the half of it. Akira-san was really angry that you made Sweetie-chan her think of her as a tyrant. Well she is a benevolent tyrant, but she doesn't like it when random strangers think of her like that!"

Sweetie had her ears tuned to this outburst, and she practically glided to the eye of the storm.

"So Miss Ferrari can be a harsh mistress huh..."

Aika had a hand up against her forehead. "Oh no... look. Just don't land in hot water..."

Alicia was done fastening the boat by that point in time.

"Akira-chan really loves you, Aika-chan. She gets hurt and jealous about all sorts of little things that you do. Ufufu."

"And I was supposed to meet up with her at the branch..."

"Ara ara. I am going to call Akira-chan to come down here instead!" Alicia was rather delighted for some reason. "I didn't get to discuss any of the planning for La Sensa with her yesterday."

---/

Ai faded from that exchange with Aika in order to turn to Akari and Sweetie.

"Sweetie-chan, are you unhappy about how things have turned out?"

The little unicorn frowned slightly. "Only at myself. All of this was exciting, except for me throwing the President's boat into the air."

Ai walked to Sweetie to give her a hug. "Thank you... and Aria-shachou felt bad about it. He said that he was a disgrace for letting a lady down actually."

"That's... cute..." Sweetie turned her thought back to the topic. "Thanks."

"We'll head out again. We don't do crazy things like this every day by the way."

"I know."

Akari was visibly relieved. "Ai-chan, Sweetie-chan. What were the good things that you've found this morning?"

Sweetie had a ghost of a smile. "I got to see your true colour. I really like it."

Ai was a bit bashful. "I saw what made me love Akari-san so much once again."

Akari added. "I saw just how much we really believe in each other this morning."

Alicia made her presence. "I saw how you all have stayed true to yourselves."

The Snow White turned her attention to Aika. "Ara ara. It's your turn, Aika-chan."

"But it's embarrassing, Alicia-san-"

"Ara ara, ufufu."

It seemed as if that there was no way around Alicia.

"I... I... saw just how much I I... really love being with all of you..."

"Hehe. Aika-san is very cute when she say such embarrassing things." Ai rubbed some salt onto Aika's bruised ego.

"Hey! Is that any way to address your senior?"

And laughter was abound, at the expense of the heiress of Himeya.

---/

Aika looked at the clock as she pondered aloud. "Just how long is it going to take for Akira-san to get here?"

All the Undines and the unicorn were at the top floor of the Aria company building. Nobody entertained Aika's question for some reason.

"This is the first time that I've been here." Ayumi spoke. "Well Ako, this is it. Aria company that grandma built."

The little Single was fidgety. She still didn't utter much to the group at all.

Sweetie took the chance to ask Ai about the Disdotona, with Alicia giving the response instead.

"A Disdotona is almost twice as long as a gondola. They can have 18 rowers. There was only one in the whole of Neo-Venezia, and it is owned by a rowing club."

Aika added. "Himeya and Orange Planet commissioned two of these boats. The Singles and Pairs would have no clue about how to time and balance themselves with these. It's not something that Akira-san can coach on either, so we'll have the traghetti Undines learn from the rowing club."

Ayumi flat out made her admission. "I've never had a boat full of rowers. Getting the girls ready in less than two months... I can see why you'd ask for the traghetti for this."

The chief of Campo del Traghetto- Calle Lanza relented. "Yea, I will do it. Those girls will get a real shocker."

The unicorn then turned to Ayumi and offered a hoof. "Well, I should introduce myself. My name's Sweetie Belle."

The Undine was stunned for a second, but she recovered as she grabbed the hoof and gave it a solid shake. "Ayumi Jasmine. Hi there, little Sweetie. Real life unicorn, neat. I am going to add this onto the list of the things that I've seen in my life."

Ako was very meek in her introduction. "My name is Ako. I became a Single this year..."

Ai looked at Ako with a smile. "Where? The Hill of Hope?"

The little Undine took a step back, and barely summoned enough fortitude to continue. "At... Murano..."

"I wanted to do something a little different with Ako-chan here." Ayumi said matter-of-factly. "Ako found out about that, so I had to ambush her... like this!"

"Eeekkk!"

The little Single was in the clutches of the senior.

"Hehe. A bit surprised that there's actually an Undine this shy in our company, Aika?"

"Yes actually." Aika shook her head. "I've been spending most of my time at the branch though, so I guess I won't really know about the newcomers at the headquarters."

"Sweetie-chan will be spending her stay at Neo-Venezia over Aria company." Alicia quipped.

"This place will get swamped by visitors. Never mind that. Undines will line up to hug the unicorn..."

Ayumi looked at Sweetie. "No offense."

Sweetie rolled her eyes. "Like I am some kind of exotic pet..."

The door to the upper floor from the spiral staircase swung open. "Suwa! Why'd you had me called to Aria company out of the blue!? I really hate that!"

"Akira-san. There you are."

"Anyways. Aika. Am I hearing right that Ayumi will deal with the Disdotone?"

"Yep. Alice won't have to handle this then."

Sweetie looked on, as a cup of hot cocoa came to her side from behind.

"Here. Let's have them while they are still warm, ufufu."

Alicia waltzed her way back to the top floor without anyone noticing her.

"Alicia, how will the Disdotone work with the gondole?"

"I was thinking that the Disdotone will come before the gondole, as they dash down the channel without pause. We can make changes if that's needed."

"That's fine. I am happy with that." Akira nodded.

---/

The tedium behind event planning and assignment could not be understated.

Sweetie couldn't help but to concede that she didn't get anywhere when it comes to finding Twilight.

Then again, these people have their own life to run.

The filly was feeling a bit weary in the mind as she wondered off to the balcony.

I wish I have some idea about where to start, but I just don't.

The unicorn listened in on the gentle sea as water pound against the seawall and the platform. Lumber screeched ever so slightly with the tidal actions from the left, and of course, chatter from the rear.

I feel so useless in a way.

The little unicorn got herself to a lounge chair.

Ai walked to the balcony as well.

"Sweetie-chan. Let's head out again."

The filly snapped her head.

"I'd like that."

The unicorn then realized that she'd somehow forgot all about those notes.

"What was I thinking! Where'd those paper go..."

Ai watched the peeved unicorn scanning around, frantically looking to see if she had left the notes on a desk somewhere.

It was quite entertaining to see the filly moving around and using her forelegs to move things out of the way. Frankly, the whole scene screamed adorableness.

But the fun must be spoiled.

"I have them downstairs. Already took them out of the gondola when we got back."

Sweetie was not amused.

Ai went downstairs with Sweetie as the two of them took notice of Ako sitting by herself.

The little girl looked much more at ease than she was for much of the afternoon.

Maybe afraid of her own shadow? The filly pondered for a second.

Sweetie casually went up to the table as she fetched the papers, while startling the girl.

The girl took notice, fidgeted, tried to say something to her, but words failed to materialize from her.

The unicorn went a little closer. "Hi!"

The girl took around 10 seconds before returning the greeting. "Hi..."

Only to cower at the sight of levitated notes.

"It's only paper..." The unicorn spoke of the notes without any enthusiasm.

Sweetie watched as the girl struggled between curiosity and fear. It was strangely fun for the filly.

The unicorn moved to the girl. "I won't bite. Don't be so scared..."

Ai felt that she couldn't let the girl be. "She means it."

Ako was highly cautious, but her fear lost to her inquisitiveness.

"... How..."

The little unicorn pointed to her horn. "With this, and training, and magic!"

"...wow..."

The girl mellowed out, and the unicorn felt that she had a bit of minor triumph for the day.

Author's Note

I've decided to imagine how things may have gone with the traghetti trio.

Anyways, I find it utterly amazing that FiM was action-packed comparing to Aria proper. It's almost as if Ponyville was the bastion of all that is good, as the fantasy kitchen sink gets poured out on the denizens of that small town.

(And to think that little girls aren't the main audience of Aria, by any stretch of imagination)

I don't think I will be moving at a snail's pace of one day at a time. (It's only been 2 days and we've gone over 30k words by this point.) I do intend to look into a single day with the same kind of detail, but I don't think I will be covering a whole Martian year with 730 Navigation in all.

Lastly, thank you for reading this thing. I can't believe that I can do this on the first serious fic that I've ever written. We are now in novella territory. Yay.

Navigation 2, Part 3 -その安堵の溜息を... That Sigh of Relief...

Navigation 2, Part 3 -その安堵の溜息を... That Sigh of Relief...

It's nice when you can just relax, don't you think?

I like it. Stress really doesn't help with anything!

Being with friends is invigorating. I feel so much lighter...

Hehe. That's what keeps us going in life.

-----/

"Ako! Where'd you go..."

Ayumi was poking her head about, trying to locate her fragile, little junior.

She found herself looking at a page torn from fairy tales.

Her junior was all smiles as she cuddled the unicorn, while Akari's apprentice was taking a photo of the occasion.

"I... I've always..."

Ako was absolutely star-struck.

Ai decided to put words into the girl's mouth. "You've always believed that magic and miracles are real?"

The girl buried herself in Sweetie Belle's mane.

Ayumi's heart could barely handle this lethal dosage of sugary cuteness, yet she couldn't find the will to disrupt the adoration of the unicorn.

"Ara ara. You should go and ask Sweetie-chan if you can stroke her mane, Ayumi-chan."

The slightly tomboyish Prima turned her head back to the commissioner. The little girl inside the heart of the grown Undine was all too apparent.

"Ara ara. You can come out too, Akira-chan."

The Compass would catch a side of the Crimson Rose that she'd never known before.

Shyness was not the word that one would usually associate the Prima Donna of Himeya, but Miss Ferrari was not so different from a girl whose heart had melted into sugar, spice and everything nice.

She clearly wanted to seize on what is almost unobtainable... a dream that could almost as said as a primal human desire of sorts.

She wanted to cuddle a unicorn pony.

The two adults found their bodies moving without their head giving any sort of command... they more or less drifted to the gravity well that was the alabaster unicorn.

The Undine from Himeya, tamed by the unicorn, was content and at peace. She was undisturbed when the two Primas of the same company descended next to her.

Akira spoke first. "Miss Sweetie... may I ask you of a favor?"

The filly knew of what the humans had desired of her. "You may. Go ahead and hug me or touch my mane."

Sweetie Belle felt rather regal in that instance, and she started to ponder of what it would have been like for Princess Celestia to give royal assent for somepony to pet her.

Ayumi forgot to ask for the unicorn's authorization as she began to glide her hand along the neck. The poor unicorn made a shriek from the sudden change in temperature.

Ayumi woke from her trance when three pairs of predatory eyes were fixed upon her.
"I'm sorry..." she mumbled.

The unicorn scoffed. "You need to ask for permission, you know."

Before Ayumi could leave in shame, the little filly extended her left foreleg to her. "I guess you should feel my foreleg. You human really like to feel the hooves, wrists, ankles and so forth..."

"So... incredibly soft..."

Ayumi obliged, and she quickly lost track of everything around her other than the warm, fine sensation of well-groomed fur against her fingers.

---/

The group had moved back to the top floor once more.

Sweetie distinctly recalled wanting to go and look around in Neo-Venezia with Ai, but she didn't feel the 'itch' to leave the building at this point in time.

The unicorn was at a loss as to why all the Undines from Himeya looked mellowed out and blissful. They had spirits that tread so lightly that one may call them cuckoolanders to describe them.

Aika was unable to keep her composure. She was laughing to the point that her stomach was in pain.

"O... those... photos... Akira-s...sa..."

The swagger in the filly's movements were undeniable.

"So this old gal's still got it."

Ai looked at the unicorn with suspicion.

"You mean swindling your way to the hearts of young maidens?"

The filly was taken aback.

"How rude! I just felt good about being plenty adorable."

Ai scoffed. "You know that your wiles won't work on Akari-san and I..."

Sweetie widened her eyes to the size of saucers once more as she engaged her overload mode.

"Won't you give me a hug?"

The audience were stunned. They didn't know what to make of it.

Ai backed herself, and took a defensive posture.

She wasn't about to be defeated with such a cheap trick.

The Undine then softened her expressions significantly.

She walked to Sweetie, and extended her index finger on her left hand, while allowing her eyes to reflect light all around her.
The unicorn was a little baffled, but her wide eyes kept their assault on the human.

Ai was undaunted.

Sweetie didn't expect what hit her...

as Ai gently touched the top of Sweetie's snout, and withdrew her finger like a scorpion's tail after it stung the target. Her hands moved with glee.

Sweetie winced a little, and then Ai made her move.

She held onto the unicorn's neck with one arm, and the top of the head with another, as she pressed her own nose against Sweetie's snout.

"Won't you give me a hug?" The girl returned the request in kind.

The pony placed her forelegs around the girl's upper torso.

The whole room went quiet as a girl and a unicorn locked themselves together as Apollo-Soyuz had before.

---/

Ako bid her farewell a little while before the group congregated upstairs. Ayumi was quite satisfied with the girl ending her day on a jovial note.

The meeting took place upstairs, with cushions abound as it usually were with gatherings over Aria Company. Iced milk were served.

Alicia would take the initiative. "Ai-chan, please come with Sweetie-chan to the Arsenale by Thursday."

The Single asked. "But isn't that the Association headquarters? Normally..."

Alicia was waiting for Ai to finish her train of thought.

"Normally, only Association staffs would go there."

The commissioner was anticipating something from Ai.

"This has to do with Sweetie-chan, doesn't it? We have to get her some sort of observer guest pass or maybe get some paperwork done..."

Alicia nodded, but it was clear that she wasn't quite done with Ai yet.

"But... I..."

The lady with blonde hair decided to throw Ai a bit of a hint.

"Ara ara. Ai-chan, remember what we've talked about yesterday?"

Ai tried to recollect anything that may be relevant to what Alicia was hinting at.

"Marriage to the Sea? I was asked to help grandma..."

Ai was starting to comprehend Alicia.

"I need to report in as well, and get some sort of guest pass for the event?"

Alicia was angelic when she praised Ai.

"You did really well! You were right that Sweetie-chan needed to be registered. You also have to be given permission to be aboard the bucintoro."

Alicia looked at Ai with expectation.

"I will guide you, Akari-chan and Sweetie-chan around the plant as well. This is why it's important that you come to the Arsenale with Sweetie-chan."

"But... but..."

"Ai-chan. You will be getting your membership into the Association on Thursday."

The little unicorn observed the apprehension on Ai's face, as Akari took a long gaze at the nearby window.

Akira caught on the conversation. "Alicia, you're sponsoring Ai-chan? I wonder if there'd be gossips about nepotism from this."

Alicia's reply was the usual ara ara ara.

The Crimson Rose looked at Ai with a very serious look. "Ai-chan, listen well. There will be Undines that are going to say that about you. You, Alicia, Akari and grandma are all Aria Company bloc."

Aika inserted herself. "We know that you didn't get to spent much time with other Undines. It's bad enough that you're in Aria Company, but running errands with us made it worse for you. It's really not fair."

Akira's closing was rather heavyhearted. "You've been doing paperwork and such when you were a Pair. I don't think you really got to make friends with other trainees, did you?"

Ai disagreed. "I don't think of what I do as work. Akira-san, you, Aika-san and Ayumi-san all know that Undines don't always do tour as their major duty."

She reflected on the past. "I was with Akari-san when she was training to be a Prima. I got to know all of you through her, and I am happy that I can help and grow with you all."

She looked at her mentor. "I remember how much Akari-san had wanted to help Aria Company and Alicia-san. I also remember Akira-san telling Aika-san that you can't be someone else. You must find your path."

Ai closed her eyes. "My path is with all of you. It was set the moment that I came to Aqua in Akari-san's gondola."

Sweetie recalled this sort of determination. Very similar messages had been echoed to her by ponies before. The human was hardly alone in her view.

Akira locked her eyebrows.

"Aika, when's the next Association meeting?"

The branch manager took three seconds before forming an answer.

"Next Tuesday. I don't know if it'll be delayed though."

"I will go down to that meeting this time. Figures that others are just waiting to hear from me."

Ayumi made a suggestion.

"I will tell Anzu and Atora to get ready to cover for Alice. The Orange Princess in attendance should strike home whatever message that needs to be send."

Sweetie wanted more insight.

"Miss Ferrari, just what would the association want of you and Miss Granzchesta?"

"Call us by our name." Akira continued. "The Association wanted to see how I'd handle the Undines. With Alicia and Athena out of active duty, I am the no.1 Undine by default. I got more than a dozen companies that would gripe over Himeya."

"At the moment, the Undines that have the most clout would be Aika and me. Alicia and grandma technically are retired. Aika here is the branch manager, so she won't get dragged to Association matters usually, but that's not the case for major events."

Akira felt that there's no need to pursue the topic any further for the day.

"Alicia. I am going to check if that Ristorante is open. Ayumi, call over those two friends of yours. We might as well as to make the best of the day."

"Will do. Akari, I will borrow your phone for a bit."

"Hahi! It's downstairs over the counter. You can't miss it."

The auburn haired Undine went down by herself.

Sweetie couldn't just let the whole matter drop for some reason.

"Wait."

Akira turned her attention over to the alabaster unicorn.

"I know that I am useless, but I want to do something to help Ai-chan and Akari. I want to help, even if I don't have a clue about anything here."

"That isn't your problem." Akira shot back flatly.

"Ara ara. We forgot about Sweetie-chan."

The unicorn pondered for a second. "I think I can do some of the desk work for Akari and Ai-chan if I get to know how to work the gadgets here. I don't want to be a dead weight."

Akira was rather stern. "Miss Sweetie, thinking about how to help us will get you nowhere. What would really help is for you to be there for Ai-chan."

"But Akira-san..."

Akira would not let Akari interrupt her. "Shut up! I don't mean babysitting. Alicia had set things up so that Ai-chan can take you around without anyone betting an eye about you or her. Go with Ai-chan. Don't let her be all alone, talk to her and bounce ideas with each other."

The handsome Undine gave a very intense gaze at the unicorn. "So don't think that you're not helping us. Just learn and grow with her. I don't like saying this, but we're the ones that's making you help us."

Aika felt that she had to clarify her mentor's curt reply. "Sweetie Belle, you are a whole new pair of eyes and a whole other brain to look over things that we can't see by ourselves. We are kind of using you. Sorry about that."

Sweetie nodded as Akira rustled the unicorn's mane.

"Now that's over with, I have to see if that shop's open. We'll be having Pizza tonight if it goes well!"

Akira took her hand away from Sweetie as she readied herself to leave the room.

Before Akira can go anywhere, Aika spoke her mind.

"Thought you'd use a bit more tact than that..."

Akira was unfazed. "Aika, it'd be rude to not be honest to an honest person. Complements can be very insulting to the smart ones."

The Prima Donna threw a passing glance at the unicorn to her rear, as she gestured Alicia over.

Ayumi had returned from the bottom floor to rejoin the group.

"Ayumi and Anzu are looking for Alice. They'll be coming tonight."

"Good. So I have the final number. Alicia, shall we?"

Aika threw her hands into the as she turned to face Sweetie, Akari and Ai.

"Well, that's Akira-san for you. Sorry about that."

Sweetie was rueful. "I wasn't thinking..."

Ayumi took her seat on her cushion.

Ai took words to defend the unicorn. "Sweetie-chan, you have nothing to be sorry about. You did nothing wrong."

Aika couldn't agree more with Ai. "That's right! Akira-san was being mean. To think that she could do that to something this cute..."

Akari grabbed Sweetie's foreleg. "Sweetie-chan, let's get something to drink. We need to let ourselves relax."

The unicorn didn't budge, but she made a half-hearted moan to acknowledge Akari.

Ayumi asked aloud. "What just happened?"

Aika rolled her eyes. "Sweetie-chan got chewed out by Akira-san."

"What! For what?"

"For wanting to share Aria Company's office work and to help us somehow."

"What's wrong with that?" Ayumi was not too forgiving in her tone.

Sweetie had enough.

"Me being stupid, that's what. I should be with Ai-chan when she look over things as she runs errands for you. Miss Akira woke me up. I need to help Ai-chan. Her job is not an easy one."

Ai made her voice heard.

"I don't like this! I am dragging you into this mess! You aren't even from... you're not a part of this, Sweetie-chan."

Sweetie had to retort Ai. "Miss Akira was right. I won't let you go all alone. No way. I am making this my business, not after what all of you have done for me..."

Akari took Ai and Sweetie in an embrace, taking both girls by total surprise.

"Don't argue... you two have nothing to argue to each other about. We know what we have to do now, so let's not argue, ne?"

The Single and the Unicorn wordlessly returned Akari's affection.

---/

Alicia felt rather guilty as she walked with Akira to the Ristorante.

The floodwater was around 1 1/2 feet in depth. This was not really a bother to any of the two natives of Neo-Venezia."

She decided to begin by addressing the most affected parties. "Sweetie-chan and Ai-chan were scared of themselves."

Alicia said to Akira.

"Ai-chan was scared about failing everyone's trust in her by making a bad decision, while Sweetie-chan was scared about hurting people if her control on her power slips."

Akira was fond of playing the straight role. "Oh? Aika told me about that stunt they pulled to get to Aria-shachou. I need to have a word with her actually, but what did you do about the two of them?"

"I told them just that. They are scared of themselves since they know of what they could've gone wrong from their actions."

The direction where Alicia's train of thought was getting to was plain as day to Akira.

"I am not any better, Akira-chan. I am afraid and I do distrust myself sometimes."

Akira's short fuse went off. "Suwa! Now listen good. Stop kicking yourself, Alicia. They didn't let this get in their way. Akari should be proud of Ai-chan."

The Undine from Himeya vented her steam. "All we have to do is to make sure that they stop kicking themselves when it does them no good. That goes to you too."

"Ara ara. I really am no better."

"I really hate it when you give me that look, Alicia." Akira's words dripped of venom.

"Ara ara. You always read through me, Akira-chan."

"Hmmph."

"I am happy that Ai-chan can learn together with a sweet soul. They both could use each others company. Ufufu."

The star of Himeya made an admission as she sighed. "Ai-chan's a good kid. Smart, but that's also something that makes things hard for her."

"Ara ara. Just like Alice-chan..."

"Ai-chan doesn't really push Undines away. She just doesn't get to be with girls her age. It'd be easier if Aika and Alice would have their own apprentices... but you can't force things like that."

Alicia was repentant. "I think that I failed Ai-chan and Akari-chan. They're helping me while I couldn't help them. I ended up asking more of my juniors, and they are all too eager to help... and I do need help."

"Well, Ai-chan has been growing together with Akari really. Girl's right. She's been a part of Akari's Aria Company even before she became an Undine."

"Akari-chan and Ai-chan's Aria Company, ufufu."

Alicia's face fell a little after that remark.

"I made you say those things to Sweetie-chan too..."

Akira scoffed. "You didn't make me say anything. I don't want her to let her heart get in the way of where her brain should be."

Akira had little interest in unnecessary self-inflicted punishment.

"Ooo! So they're open today after all!" The topic shifted back to dinner.

"Oy! I need to put down a reservation for a whole table!"

Alicia watched Akira marching into the store in high spirits.

Akira-chan is incredible. Alicia thought of her childhood friend, as she waited patiently outside the establishment.

---/

"You don't have to take the helm, Alice-chan."

A girl with black hair that reached the ears remarked. Her brown eyes were affixed on the white gondola with orange livery.

"we really just need one boat." The green haired Undine was self-assured. "Aria company doesn't have enough space for four to five boats to dock anyway."

"And don't bring any food, We really don't need to repeat that picnic."

"I can't believe you still remember that, Alice-chan..." the girl sulked.

A bespectacled girl with burgundy colored hair walked to the white gondola as Alice and Anzu were in the midst of preparing the gondola for departure. The girl's wavy ponytail, almost reaching her waist in length, was listless since there was no wind in the air.

"Anzu! Weren't you the one that picked up Ayumi's call? What else did she say other than come for dinner?"

"Urr... don't bring any extra food, and we have things to talk about, that's about it..."

"She didn't say what she wanted to talk about, did she..."

"I didn't ask... she just said that Alice-chan should come to Aria company too."

"Oh, that's typical of her all right. Sorry to have you come with us like this, Alice. I am not exactly psychic..."

"Really not a problem." The green-haired gondolier was not bothered. "I find all of this really interesting. Why did Ayumi-san ask for us to come to Aria company? It's really a mystery! I intend to find out."

The two Undines nodded in agreement as they prepared to disembark from the company's indoor piers.

The three of them headed out of the imposing portal of Orange Planet Company that had its own canal running straight into the structure... not unlike that of a submarine pen.

Atora fastened two lanterns on the bow and stern heads of the white gondola. It was important to have these on the return trip.

The three did not laden themselves with much. Alice saw to that.

Traffic was not heavy at all. only occasional Vaporettos were seen cruising down the Canal grande.

Alice had to bent down for a few of the bridges along the way. The girl was very used to this fact of life in Neo-Venezia. The water level was about a foot higher than usual, so the girl was quite careful about clearance.

The group passed by the San Tomà Calle Traghetto Vecchio as they slipped to the main artery of Neo-Venezia. There was no work at this Vaporettos service point for the day.

Alice steered hard to port as she left Rio de la Frescada, while calling out that a gondola was coming through. The girl was cutting across the main canal in order to reach the Rio di San Luca, which was around 10:00 from the mouth of the Rio de la Frescada.

9'o clock view was that of the Rialto Bridge.

The Vaporetto station had people boarding. Anzu and Ayumi hailed a grocer and a young boy that waved at them, and exchanged salutations, while Alice aimed the boat at the direction of Palazzo Grimani a San Luca.

Water level was high, and the stairs leading to the doorway at the front facade of the two Palazzi were quite submerged.

Alice moved on and slipped her gondola southbound.

This passageway was rather busy. Many boats would utilize this route instead of going through the Canałasso. About 3 boats can move in the channel, while being mindful of berthed Sàndolos, Batèle, Caorlìne and gondole about.

This passageway changed its name three times as it crosses the sestieri (district) of Cannaregio. The middle section was called Rio dei Barcaroli while the southern approach that fed out to Canale di San Marco was called Rio de San Moisè.

Alice steered forward as she used her foot to push her gondola away from the building.

---/

"Did Ayumi mention who's there other than Akari-chan and Ai-chan?" Atori asked.

"Well... she just said that we'll meet up at Aria Company and we'll eat out at a restaurant nearby. I think it's going to be pizza." replied with some uncertainty.

"Interesting." Alice quipped.

Alice banked to port as she took the gondola onto the Canale di San Marco. This was the most traveled and some of the most iconic sights in Neo-Venezia.

Most of the buildings here were not replicas. Many were transplanted from Manhome.

Alice's gondola went past a few gondole owned by Himeya. This was expected, as Himeya's headquarters overlooked this main waterway. The San Marco Spaceport that was just west of Himeya was still in operation for the day however, so there was still some business happening on this day for the venerable Himeya Company.

"I love this time of the year." Anzu dreamily said.

"You like the weather?" Alice decided to ask.

"It's lovely. The sun is not scorching and that the city really does things at its own pace. It's as if we're saving our energy for the festivities that are bound to come soon."

Atora looked back at the gondolier. She sat at the bow. "I suppose you're right, Anzu."

Close to half an hour had gone by without any of the three Undines noticing.

The crew arrived at Aria Company, next to the mouth of the Rio de la Ca' di Dio.

The work day was over by this point. Campanile's bell confirmed it.

The three girls were greeted by Ayumi, who was at the ready with mooring lines on hand.

"I knew I can depend on you to keep Atora and Anzu on task, Alice!"

Alice was unflappable as she took the mooring line. "What is really going on, Miss Ayumi?"

Ayumi decided not to entertain the question immediately. "That you'll know soon enough." This was cheerfully said with a huge grin on Ayumi's face.

Anzu and Atora both had a frown on their faces. They knew of Ayumi too well to not know that a bit of mischief was about to come their way.

Ayumi waltzed about in a jaunty way.

"Now come on and get inside the company already. I will keep those two busy for you, Alice."

"Wha... hey!"

Before Atora could voice her protest, Ayumi had extended an arm and practically hoisted Atora out of the gondola, while Anzu stood as if she was a statue.

"And out you go! C'mon Anzu, arm out..."

"That was mean, Ayumi-chan..." The black-haired Undine protested listlessly.

"Arm, Anzu-"

Ayumi took Anzu in a whirlwind and spun her around before setting her down on the platform stairs.

Alice was very composed as she left her gondola. She moved wordlessly to the entrance of the company, paying no heed to the three Undines that were giving each other harmless grief.

Akari greeted Alice.

"Alice-chan! You made it! But where'd Ayumi-chan and the others go?"

Alice shrugged as she gestured to the outside. "They really took their time doing meaningless things."

---/

"The look on your faces were just precious."

Ayumi snickered at the newcomers that had long been taken their seats nearby the fireplace on the top floor of Aria company.

"Why didn't you say something..." Anzu was a little mad. Her voice had indicated that she was sulking.

"You never asked!" Ayumi announced and stuck out her tongue.

Sweetie Belle had come to the conclusion that she was a topic of conversation in and of itself. She really was the unicorn, the pony in this city, and likely the only one of the entire dimension.

"This is starting to creep me out..." Sweetie uttered.

"You're as cute as a button, Miss Sweetie Belle. There is really no way of stopping you."

Alice was drinking a cup Jasmine tea as she note the obvious dryly.

"So, we got our work cut out for us." Aika took everyone's attention.

"Ayumi will run combined training for the disdotone with Alice, Ayumi and Anzu. This might be a fun one." Aika scoffed. "I have to go to the association and walk on eggshells."

The heiress of Himeya went on. "Akari, you're coming to the meeting too."

Alice's eyes flashed for a second. "I agree. We really need to go together, or the end will come."

Alicia and Akira were quite carefree by this point. Most things have been sorted out, so it's pretty much idle chitchat and then dinner, where more of the same was to come.

Rozen Queen stood up and yawned as she stretched her arms into the air. "Well Aika, time to drag you, Alice-chan and Akari-chan through the mud! It'll be fun."

She turn turned to Sweetie. "You and Ai-chan will have the freedom to do whatever behind the scenes. Maybe you can think of something by Thursday. Ayumi, what about that scaredy-cat of a junior?"

Ayumi clicked her tongue. "She needs the kid gloves treatment. I think that I will have her work with me on this little group project."

"So, any question?"

"Walking on eggshells?" Sweetie Belle wasn't sure what to make of the mental image.

"Ara ara. Aika-chan wanted to say that she had to be very considerate during the association meeting."
Ai chuckled. "Alicia-san is being very gentle here. That's how she is..."

The unicorn got the idea.

"Anzu has a question."

Akira lifted an eyebrow. It was Atora that voiced this.

"Well... umm..."

The demure Undine fidgeted. "I... umm... wanted to know about Sweetie Belle-san's world. Magical ponies really is quite interesting..."

Ayumi quickly added. "Me too! Tell us more about you! What's your hobbies, your boyfriends and things like that!"

Sweetie Belle had to think about boyfriend before making the mental connection to coltfriend.

"What... ewww! I am just a filly! I am not into colts!"

Aika felt a chance to rub at Sweetie had emerged. "So you're into girls?"

The little unicorn was frustrated. "No! Well I don't know about this kind of stuff! It's about the furthest thing from my mind! Jeez..."

The Undines' hearts were close to the melting point; Sweetie's face was flustered and puffy.

"Hmmph!"

The unicorn fussed.

The rest of the Undines knew that they had better be nice or Sweetie's done talking.

"All right, all right. We'll behave..." Ai was in salvaging mode as she shot a glance at her senior. "Pretty please?"

The little unicorn was slight reluctant, but she relented.

"Well... where do I start..."

"Ponyville! Tell us about Ponyville, Sweetie-chan!"

Akari and President Aria's eyes were gleaming in anticipation.

Sweetie closed her eyes to think back to her home, as she began to take herself back to the eccentric town that she called home.

"Ponyville is a young town. I think it may be younger than Neo-Venezia.... Granny Smith was one of the first settlers that came to the edge of the Everfree Forest, and that grew into Ponyville."

Sweetie remembered Granny Smith's story as she started to swell with a sense of pride. Here she was, telling new people about Ponyville... Equestria... and ponykind...

Sweetie continued the talk through Granny Smith's life story. The filly came to know of the town's past through the matriarch's account after all.

---/

"After the Mare of the Moon event, the town was not free of danger. We suffered a bout of invasive Parasprites that ate buildings, this gigantic star bear that ruined much of the town, Changeling invasion, and all sorts of disasters big and small."

Sweetie felt a bit relieved by this point.

"But the town remained standing. The ponies loved Ponyville too much to give up on it."

Ai was making notes while Alice clearly had something on her mind.

"Miss Sweetie, a question."

The unicorn nodded."

"Does Ponyville have a river that runs through it?

"Yep. We also have a dam too." The unicorn professed.

"I wonder how does Ponyville look like..." Atora voiced.

"Hmm. Very different from here. We have single houses, nothing very fancy. It's a rural town and all."

Alicia was intrigued.

"What kind of roofing, Sweetie-chan? Are they tiles or thatched?"

Sweetie quickly answered.

"Straws... thatched! Most of these houses are made of wood."

The unicorn then returned to the topic of the appearance of the town. "Ponyville has the Sweet Apple Acres next to it, and the Everfree Forest is beyond the farmstead. Ponyville isn't very big. Everything kind of circles the town hall."

Ai was hit with an idea.

"Hey, Sweetie-chan, I can show you pictures of buildings so that you can tell me which ones would look most like what you'll find in Ponyville. That'll give us a good idea about what Ponyville is like."

Akari was all smiles. "Hahi! That's a good idea, Ai-chan. Alphonse-san would love ideas such as this."

Sweetie wasn't sure of what Akari was talking about.

"Who's this Alphonse?"

Akari had the attention of most of the Undines in the room.

"Alphonse-san is this scaled modeler that loves building miniature. He built a scaled model of Neo-Venezia! I think that he's the one that made the model in Marco Polo Spaceport!"

"That's incredible..." Anzu was blown away.

Alice scoffed. "That's why Akari-senpai's a genius at making friends."

The clock struck at 6:30. It was time to leave for dinner.

"Miss Sweetie, can we continue this conversation over dinner? It's getting quite interesting!"

Akira was grinning radiantly as she towered over the unicorn. There was a look of fascination and delight on her face.
"Okay."

The unicorn stood on her legs. "I will talk more over dinner."

The entire entourage stood up, stretched their legs, and slowly moved out of the top floor as they leisurely made their way to the ground floor of Aria Company.

It was time to go.

---/

The Pizza was delectable.

Sweetie Belle was eating into the Pizza Capricciosa of the house. This was a fully-loaded thing that the unicorn could not resist.

The entire group ate heartily. This was a much-needed meal following the high-tension relief effort in the afternoon.

"So the morning basically was a repeat of your first day on Aqua?"

Anzu was downing a salad while she asked Ai about the earlier adventure.

"It was a repeat. I didn't expect it to turn out that way. Our routes were the same... and Aria-Shachou got into trouble as he did last time."

"You should've been there." Ayumi had a cup of water. "I saw Akari whizzing by. They weren't kidding about the backward rowing. Those girls over the station were all swooned by Alicia too."

"That must have been nice..." Anzu's words trailed.

"Please don't tell me that you saw us hurling President Aria's boat into the air..."

Sweetie shuddered a bit as her mouth continued to chew.

"That was ridiculously amazing! So you were the one that sent him flying?"

"I was hoping that nopony saw that..." Sweetie looked dejected.

"You did that?! Wow. Just like how you're using the knife and fork?"

Sweetie thought of Ayumi's question for a second. "Well... yes, I guess. I don't exactly hurl knives and forks into the air..."

Ai was having pasta. "Sweetie-chan did more than that. We couldn't have made it to Aria-shachou if she didn't reduce the waves. It was amazing."

Alice had a bottle of sarsaparilla beside her. "I'd really want to experience this in person."

The little unicorn was a bit embarrassed. Her ears were flaccid.

Atora looked on with delight. "Look! Her ears react to her moods!"

Akira wanted to scold the Undine, but she held her tongue. The statement was no exaggeration, and the whole display was too endearing to brush off.

"Ara ara. Her ears must be as sensitive as those on horses. Ufufu." Alicia chuckled away.

Aika leaned in to Ai's direction. "Don't speak behind her back. She's likely to hear it."

Sweetie felt that she should demonstrate there and then. "I heard that."

Her erected ears swiveled to the direction of Aika and Ai.

Ai stood up to fondle the left ear a bit. This made Sweetie twitch a little.

"Hehe. It's really neat... I think I've seen one person that could move his ears a bit, but nothing like this!"

The unicorn endured this ticklish sensation for about 10 seconds.

Akari moved herself next to Ai and Sweetie.

"Hahi! This is just so amazing!" The Prima studied Sweetie Belle's ear as Ai took her hand away from the unicorn's ear.

Akira let loose a yawn.

"Glad you liked the food. We get lots of seafood here, so it's great that you're ok with having fish, shrimps and things like that."

The little unicorn licked her lips.

"I only get to have this kind of stuff occasionally back in Ponyville, and I don't think there's any place in Ponyville that serves fish. Although I remember Fluttershy feeding her animal friends with them..."

Sweetie thought about the more exotic diets.

"Well, Spike eats gems. He's a dragon..."

"...Wait... what?!" Aika and Atora practically called out in unison.

"Dragon... eats gems? You... live with real life dragons? Aren't those things... massive?!" Aika exclaimed.

"Spike and I were about the same size." Sweetie waved her hoof in the air to indicate Spike's height. "He's only a baby dragon. Less than 10 years old."

"Isn't it wonderful, Aika-chan?" Akari said merrily. "To live in harmony with other creatures, to be so colorful and different, and be accepting of others' differences. It's a wonderful feeling to know that you can live happily with such different friends and family members that love and help each other all the time, anytime."

Aika shot back quickly. "Embarrassing remarks are not allowed-"

"Ehhhhh?!"

"You are really hypocritical." Alice said matter-of-factly.

The table guests all chuckled at this familiar skit.

---/

"How old's Aqua, your niece?"

Sweetie asked this of Ai, who was in her pajamas.

"Aqua's about 6. She's growing up. I think of her more as a little sister than as a niece. It's kind of funny that I am actually an aunt and all..." The girl was quite tired.

Sweetie shorted. "I can imagine. I don't know what I'd do if Rarity had decided to have a foal."

Ai leapt onto the bed. "So Rarity never actually had her own children in the worlds that you have visited?"

Sweetie thought back. "None so far. She didn't want to have any in that world where she's immortal. She wouldn't get close to any stallion..."

The girl pondered for a bit. "Well, it's understandable. I mean think about how sober it is to bury your own child while you stay young and healthy."

The unicorn solemnly nodded. "Pinkie Pie had a huge family in that world. Apples of course were huge in number too. Although only Pinkie Pie could stay cheerful through all of this... Fluttershy's husband was Applejack's big brother, and both of them never got over it."

Ai in turn nodded to herself.

"Well, let's leave this alone for now. Do you want to sleep with me or..."

Sweetie looked at Ai, and she jumped to the bed. She telepathically picked up the bedsheets from the ground to cover herself.

"It kind of tickles when I get caught in your field." Ai noted.

"Really? That's interesting..." Sweetie was yawning from exhaustion. She then used her telekinetic power to flip the light off.

"Thanks. Didn't want to get out of bed... you figured out how to work the switch. That's good."

Ai moaned a bit as she eased herself into a comfortable position.

"Don't mention it..." Sweetie was pretty much done for the day.

"Night, Sweetie-chan." Ai had her head planted to the pillow, while totally ignoring the snoring noise of President Aria.

Sweetie didn't answer, for she was sound asleep.

End Navigation 2

Author's Note

This took a bit of time to do. Work and whatnot...

The mood of the story is not nearly so sombre as before. The transition had been a bit difficult, since it's only been one day chronologically speaking.

The following segment will be about the Arsenale visit. Neo-Venezia is this enormous setting, and frankly it swallows details like a black hole.

This chapter now puts this story at the length of a novel. Let's see how long this may take us.

Navigation 3, Part 1 -その貴重なメモリを... That Precious Memory...

Navigation 3, Part 1 -その貴重なメモリを... That Precious Memory...

Hanging onto precious memories really matters a lot to me.

It's about all that I can really take with me...

You are not alone. We've delivered and preserved those messages before.

Don't worry. Let's do all that we can to take thoughts across space and time!

-----/

Dear Pen Pal:

How have you been? I have been well. The city and my friends have taken great care of me. Thank you for your concern about the slight fever that I had a month ago by the way.

I wanted to tell you something that's wonderful and exciting.

Sweetie Belle-chan, a unicorn from another world, came to us about four days ago! She came to our company during Acqua Alta, and Ai-chan was the one that received her (she will write to you about it as well, I am sure.)

Sweetie-chan is really incredible! She has magic that is different from any that I've seen before! She made me think about Cait Sith actually, but she's much smaller! Sweetie-chan is no bigger than that a big dog, but she's more colorful! With a white coat and has this beautifully curled mane of mulberry and rose. Her tail is like that too!

I am sounding like a little girl, but we all got like that over her... even Akira-san! I was really surprised! Everyone have been keeping rather quiet about Sweetie-chan though.

Sweetie-chan and Ai-chan will be together more or less. She's living with us over Aria Company. I was really worried about what Sweetie-chan would eat and drink, but she's ok with eggs, toasts and orange juice! She had Cod without problem, but I saw how she was a bit scared of lobsters... it's really cute! Maybe Japanese food will be a fun one to show her.

We are preparing for Marriage of the Sea. I have to be in the procession with Alice-chan and Aika-chan! I feel really nervous about this! It's been four years since I've done the last ceremony, but that was when I was a Single! I don't know if I can do nearly as well as Alicia-san... but I'll try. You always asked me to do that.

Ai-chan and Sweetie-chan will both be there for the event! Ai-chan actually will be with grandma on board the Bucintaro! Alicia-san, Akira-san and even Athena-san will all be on the water that day in their own boats! This really is miraculous!

Please send my regards to Adachi-san! I hope his stomachache will have gotten better by now.

Come see us any time! I would love to introduce you to Sweetie-chan!

Best Wishes,

Akari

---/

Morning came with Ai and Sweetie losing out to Akari in racing to the kitchen.

Akari had latte in mind when the two came down to the ground floor. President Aria drinks milk, so it was rather sensible to make that choice.

"This would be the fifth day since Sweetie-chan had arrived to Aqua!"

The seven-day cycle was identical to what Sweetie was used to while in the various versions of Equestria. She found this familiarity to be rather comforting.

The little unicorn was interested to know how to operate the ceramic white gas range.

"Here. You turn on the knob a little bit to this notch here. It'll click. When the gas gets ignited, then you can turn the flame up or down."

Ai gave Sweetie Belle a quick demonstration then moved aside.

The unicorn focused on the knob that operated the top left cook-top. She had to watch herself as she controlled her telekinesis application, since she could not feel the kind of force feedback that she would have had with her hooves.

The knob was depressed and dialed to the right. The electric spark jumped, and the unicorn waited for a second.

The flame came on without trouble. it was a blue flame.

"It's really beautiful..."

Sweetie was quite mesmerized by the clean burn as she turned the dial forward a bit.

Ai placed a frying pan on top of the flame. "It's neat, isn't it? If we don't clean up the heads, or if something drips down to the cooktop, the flame will flicker and turn orange."

Akari was cheerful. "That reminds me of how the skies turn from blue to orange for some reason."

Ai added. "Maybe like Aqua as well. The planet's reddish tint became blue...."

Sweetie Belle stared into the dancing flame. "I wonder if Princess Celestia's mane can glow in bluish tint as well..."

Ai was snapped out of her little trance as she tended the flames. "Huh?! Bluish tint? Can ponies really just change their mane color at the drop of a hat?"

The eggs were sizzling when Sweetie replied.

"Well... it's not like that... Princess Celestia's mane kind of floats by itself. She has this mane that has four different bands of color, being this cerulean blue, a very light green, this thistle color and another shade of blue."

"Hahi! That sounds amazing!" Akari was grappled by the description while she held the milk packaging.

"How tall is Princess Celestia, Sweetie-chan?" Ai had decided to ask.

"She's pretty tall! I think about as big as you, Akari!" Sweetie gestured.

"That's about as tall as some horses I think! She's big!" Akari was very surprised.

Sweetie was beaming. "I know! She's really a goddess! She moves the sun every day... and the moon. I think Princess Luna does that now."

The eggs were done and carefully laid out onto the plates. The tomatoes were diced and placed on the plate by Akari.

Ai fetched a few links of sausages, and she made a few cuts on them. These sausages were then placed on the pan.

Sweetie levitated the coffees from the nearby counter as she went to the table. President Aria was busy laying out the placemats when Sweetie came out of the kitchen.

"Here you go President, your mat and your tray."

"Pui-pui!"

The President acknowledged Sweetie with much dignity, and sat upright in his booster seat.

"I will grab the utensils next!"

Sweetie returned to the kitchen.

She knew that Martian cats tend to eat similar diets to human beings, so it was clear that Ai and Akari would have consumed those sausages. This made her curious about what the sausages were made of.

"Urr... I am curious about something."

Sweetie turned to Akari and Ai as she looked at Ai putting the grilled sausages onto the plates.

"What kind of meat are the sausages made from...?"

Akari scratched her head a little.

"Salsiccia use pork! These are made right here in Neo-Veneto. Woody-san would know of the details." The Prima answered.

Ai turned to Sweetie. "Why'd you ask?"

Sweetie revealed her reason. "I was thinking about what meat cats would eat. I know that they may eat birds and rats..."

Ai's face faulted just a little.

"Those meat we don't touch if we can help it..."

Akari was actually rather discomforted as her mouth went wide. She was letting out this stammer.

It was a rather awkward moment for all involved.

Finally, Akari was capable of coherent speech. "I'm sorry, Sweetie-chan! You must have felt this, just worse! I am sorry!"

Sweetie was at a loss as to what to say to Akari. She made a grown woman upset!

"I am sorry! I didn't know that humans don't eat all the cat diets! I am sorry!"

Ai did the sensible thing as she grabbed her mentor's hand and the unicorn's hoof.

"Let's try to get back to laying out the table. Thinking about this only makes it worse..."

The two girls nodded in unison, as they try to empty their heads of stomach-upsetting thoughts.

---/

The breakfast went without a hitch.

Sweetie found that she was compatible with Caffeine. Her adolescent frame, plus a day's worth of activities, had been good in making sure that her sleep would not be impacted in any way.

The unicorn was sipping the latte when she saw Ai pulling out the laptop again.

There were two different types laptops in use at the company. Akari's unit was the one that Sweetie had first seen in use. The second unit that Ai had was interesting, in that it does not close off like a notebook.

The laptop 'projects' a flat display holographically, and the "Keyboard" (human hoofboards were quite literally a board filled with keys) was really the only physical component of the whole unit.

Sweetie had been watching Ai and Akari using the device, and it was pretty clear to her that the machines were light years ahead of Equestrian typewriters.

"Whacha using it for?"

Ai looked at Sweetie, as she motioned for Sweetie to her side.

"I am making a letter to my pen pal. Our e-mails messages can travel across Aqua and reach Manhome, so it doesn't really matter where the pen pal is."

Ai continued as Sweetie saw how fast a human's input speed is up close.

"I can't do that even if I were to write using telekinesis! This is just super fast!" Sweetie admired Ai's dexterity with her thin digits that had no sharp claws.

"Well, you should go ahead and try it out! You got the time, so why not!" Ai said cheerfully as she talked to Sweetie while paying no heed to the keyboard whatsoever.

"You're so used to this that you don't have to look at what you're typing! Ai-chan, just how many years have you been doing this?"

Ai was a little embarrassed.

"Well, this is actually a bit old-fashioned. People on Manhome don't even bother to type sometimes. I started typing when I was only a kid... before I met Akari-san."

Sweetie got very interested.

"Wait! Humans on Manhome have ways to write down things even faster?"

Akari cheerfully joined the conversation while holding a basket of croissants.

"Hahi!" Some people would dictate to computers. The computers can directly record down what they say by turning speech into text! There's also computers that can read your thoughts directly! Those are the fastest. Whatever you think of shows up on the screen immediately!"

Sweetie's eyes were wide open.

"This... this... wow. It would make recording down things soooo much easier! It's really marvelous!"

Ai poked Sweetie at her left shoulder.

"We have breakfast to eat you know! We can learn and play around with this later!"

Sweetie was somewhat unwilling to let go, but Ai had a point. It'd be a waste to allow her breakfast to sit.

The unicorn returned to her seat as she stepped onto a bench, so that she could elevate herself to the chair with ease. The bench was the stepping stone for her. She found that only using her forelegs to get up to the chairs was quite the chore.

Sweetie Belle had a pillow cushion to allow her more comfort in assuming the seating position. Ponies normally sit on their haunches, but these chairs wouldn't facilitate for such seating arrangements. As such, Sweetie allowed her rump and her pelvis to be placed on the cushion while letting her hind legs dangle freely.

This seating position was a little tricky, but not uncomfortable for Sweetie to maintain. The unicorn was not interested in crossing her hindlegs and to sit on them, so sitting and leaning on a cushion would have to do.

"You said that humans do have shorter tables than these before..."

Akari energetically replied.

"Hahi! Japanese tables sit much lower to the ground!" Akari noted.

Ai showed Sweetie a photo of traditional Japanese low tables that rely on cushions. "Japanese don't sit on their haunches when using these. They kneel by putting their knees together as they fold the legs so that you are sitting on your own legs really. It's a proper way to sit, but most would cross their legs instead."

Ai then admitted with a little bit of a guilty look on her face. "I am not used to that. How about you, Akari-san?"

Akari also was a bit embarrassed. "I didn't do that at grandma's..."

"Sitting like that... urgh."

Sweetie shuddered at the thought of trying just that.

President Aria was in total agreement with the Undines and the unicorn.

---/

"Akari-san, the first appointment should be at around 9:30! I will make a call at around 9:00 to confirm!"

Ai was updating the schedule on a wall adjacent to the service counter. The shutter was opened, so the smell of the sea was circulating freely in the building.

Sweetie thoroughly enjoyed the invigorating scent and the sensation of oceanic breezes that would greet her every time she walked by the counter.

Akari had filed away the last of the dishes.

"Thank you, Ai-chan!"

Sweetie noticed that there's three appointments from 9:30 to 2:30pm.

"I guess that means that Akari will join us at around 3:00?"

Ai placed her right hand over her chin.

"Yea. That sounds about right."

Akari was ready to head out and prep her gondola for the day's work.

"I will be heading out!"

Akari was energetic. Ai quickly followed to the Palina.

Sweetie made her way to the door just as Ai was helping Akari to untie the mooring lines.

"Everything looks ok. The tarp might need to get replaced though..."

Akari frowned slightly.

"Mr. Tarp has worked hard... he's been there for as long as I remember! Alicia-san used it to protect this gondola..."

Akari was folding the tarp as Ai rolled the rope and placed it over the platform. Sweetie extended a telekinetic grip to take the tarp from Akari.

"I'll put it away."

"Hahi! Thank you, Sweetie-chan!" Akari was appreciative.

After laying the folded tarp into a cabinet, Sweetie proceeded to use telekinesis to steady the gondola a bit. The white gondola in blue trimmings and gold adornment was quite a sight to behold.

"That telekinesis is really useful!" Ai smirked.

The unicorn smirked back. "I can never go back to just using my hooves."

Akari's oar was fetched by Ai, who delivered it to her mentor.

The Prima assumed her position and the gondola was ready for its sorties.

Ai cradled Sweetie in her arms as the two of them waved Akari away. President Aria was over the service counter.

"See you very soon!" Akari cried.

"Take care!"

She looked down at the unicorn.

"Well then, we should get ourselves ready to head out soon."

Ai snickered a bit.

"It's just so cute when you wave goodbye with your foreleg. Hehe."

Sweetie looked at her foreleg. "What else am I supposed to use to wave somepon... somebody goodbye with...?"

Ai left it at that. The two had a little bit of time to get themselves ready to leave the company building.

---/

Ai was on the telephone.

Sweetie came to understand the operation of the telephone unit before her. It differed very significantly from how telephones work back in Ponyville.

Sweetie knew of telephone operation from her days with Blueblood. 'Dialing' the phone meant connecting the call to the switchboard, where an operator pony would have transferred the call to the intended destination. There were very few numbers that could be called directly, and Sweetie Belle can remember how long it took Blueblood and Mayor Mare to just get to the right pony for their calls.

On Neo-Venezia, all phones have a unique set dialing codes. The human only had to press the keys and the caller would have reached the recipient.

Ai thanked the guests that were due for the 9:30 appointment, and hung the phone.

"Well, it's all good! I was able to remind them at their hotel room! They were a cute couple!"

Sweetie decided to dabble in a little bit of gossip.

"How were they like? Were they young? Was the wife beautiful? How tall's the groom?"

Ai paused momentarily. "They were neat. A couple that come from Northern Italy on Manhome. They said that they've always wanted to get a sense of how La Serenissima was like!"

Sweetie looked at Ai as she had her left foreleg dabbing her lips.

"So they're tourists, huh?"

Ai enthusiastically replied. "Yep! They look like they've retired. They're a cute bunch! Really loving. I hope that Akari-san can fill in the details on them when we meet later today."

Sweetie Belle began to reminisce about loving couples.

How would Shining Armor look like as an elderly? Did he and Princess Cadance share a love that spanned decades?

What of Big Macintosh and Fluttershy?

How about Granny Smith?

With these unfinished thought hanging in her mind, Sweetie turned to present day.

"Finding a special somepony that can go so far together... it's really incredible..."

Ai had a reflective expression as well. "It takes quite the magic to keep something like that going..."

The two of them stood quietly as the gentle waves of the Neo-Adriatic Sea pounded the platform.

"It does feel fulfilling, doesn't it?" Ai spoke.

"Fulfilling?" Sweetie posed.

"To be here and being able to share a bit of the magic that had sustained their marriage. We're not there yet... and it looks so easy and obvious... but it's not."

The filly laid her head low as her soft gaze swept across the floor.

"No wonder Rarity wouldn't tell me whether or not if I've gotten married..."

The two of them had to allow some time to soak this feeling of warmth into their hearts. They stood motionlessly for about a minute, as the room was filled with the ambiance of Neo-Venezia.

The smell of fresh bread, the sea, a little bit of stench from fish, the sound of footsteps, the flow of water, the gentle breezes, the cries of seagull, the sound of boats... and the chattering people from far and wide.

All of it was within this room, as the room was within all of this space.

Ai lazily turned her attention onto the alabaster unicorn before her.

"Sweetie-chan, would you like to call Alicia-san?"

The little unicorn had awaken from her trance.

"Yep. I'd love to do that if you can tell me the number!"

The girl walked up to the unicorn as she gently brushed Sweetie Belle's mane, while the young filly leaned in and nuzzled slightly.

The two made their way to the phone next to the counter. This was the start of the day after all.

---/

Sweetie held the receiver telekinetically. The unit was not big enough for her to press her hoof against her ear.

"You may want to turn down the volume, Sweetie-chan. I think your hearings are much more sensitive than ours."

Ai showed Sweetie the volume rocker that was situated on the left side of the box. The unicorn nudged it using her left hoof, and a projection of a bar dropping down came to her view.

"It that it? It's playing a sound..."

Ai nodded. "Yep. The sound's the volume. Tune it so that it's comfortable for you!"

The unicorn obliged.

"Ok. All set!" Sweetie indicated to Ai.

"Here's the number. Go ahead and dial! You know the rest."

Sweetie went ahead and dialed.

The telephone rang, just as Sweetie had observed of Ai and Akari when they make outbound calls.

The filly's heart swelled with anticipation.

The screen revealed a portrait view of Alicia. She was in business attire. This time she's wearing a suit in blue and a white blouse.

"Moshi moshi. This is Alicia."

Sweetie was visibly excited.

"Miss Alicia! This is Sweetie Belle! We're just calling you in to let you know that we'll be on our way by 9:30 and should get to the Arsenale by 10:00!"

"Ara ara! Thank you for calling me and confirm about your arrival. I was about to do the same! Both of you are very considerate!"

Sweetie looked back at Ai, who was all smiles.

"Ai-chan says hi too! She's letting me make the call."

Ai went up to the phone and pressed a button. The voice of Alicia went from the earpiece to being broadcasted around the vicinity.

"Sweetie-chan and I will be on our way. Should we bring anything? Sweetie-chan will be using a digital camera for taking photos."

The unicorn had managed to learn of how to use the digital camera two days ago, while aboard Ai's gondola. The filly snapped pictures of just about everything when she first got going.

I am going to stick the memory cards, a camera and maybe whatever device that can record those images in my notebook...

Sweetie thought of this to herself, as she moved aside to allow Ai to share the view with her.

"I will see both of you soon! Take care!"

Alicia waved them goodbye, and the call was terminated.

Sweetie turned to Ai, who was quite content.

"Ai-chan, just how many photos can one single chip store?"

Ai looked at Sweetie with some doubt on her face.

"it'll be in the hundreds of thousands... I know that it can take holograms in the thousands. The camera can tell us the exact number."

Ai went upstairs while Sweetie was making a plan of attack.

I take camera footages, make recording, then come back, figure out how to use one of those computers and start typing out everything that I can, print them out somehow, and then turn them all into compacted bookmark! I have to record as many things as I possibly can!

Ai noticed Sweetie Belle being absorbed into that inner world of hers.

There was a notable tinge of desperation to the pony's eyes. The unicorn's vision blinked with intensity.

She nudged Sweetie's back. The little filly bent her back and stood, while whinnying.

"Don't do that!"

Ai had the camera with her.

"I was about to show you how to check, but your head wasn't on Aqua."

Sweetie was slightly humiliated.

Ai turned on the camera before Sweetie.

"Here. It's in menu, storage..."

Sweetie was beginning to understand the various menu terms from two days of familiarization. These interfaces were straightforward, but they weren't immediately obvious to Sweetie Belle. The file storage analogies for one were still a bit lost to the filly.

"It's saying that you can take about 4 hours of holographic video footage. If it's still photo, then it's close to a million."

Ai looked at Sweetie.

"We can buy more chips if we run out. It's about 30 Euro to get one that's twice as big in size."

Sweetie looked amazed.

"30 Euro! You were saying that a typical meal was about 15... so roughly 6 bits! That's amazing!"

Sweetie suddenly realized something however.

"But wait. Twice as large. The camera only has this one slot for the card. How can a card twice as big fit into the camera?"
Ai gave a toothy grin, showing even her canines.

"Sweetie-chan, twice the capacity doesn't mean the size of the card itself changes! Tiny diamond-like crystals store the data, and they are layered! The card just has more of these crystals in them to store more data!"

Sweetie was trying to wrap her head around this.

"So... these crystals are really nowhere as big as the memory card..."

Ai nodded.

"Others can explain this better than i can, but yes. The manufacturers put more of these crystal lettuces in to get more storage into a card."

"Lettuce?"

Sweetie had to pause.

"Flat sheets of crystal, Sweetie-chan! Much thinner than the hair. I don't know the details of it... but that's how it does it!"
"By Celestia's will..." The little unicorn was flabbergasted.

"Rarity and Twilight would kill to have this kind of precision in making crystals. Nothing I've seen comes remotely close!"

Ai was now the one that had questions.

"Sweetie-chan, you mean that it's possible to store information in your world? Not just written words on parchments and books..."

Sweetie wordlessly demonstrated her storage medium, being that of the inter-dimensional notebook.

"This notebook was made in the first world that I went to by Twilight, Rarity, and Trixie, who was another teacher of mine."

Ai was blown away.

"You have a magical artifact with you! This artifact that has transcended space and time! That is just..."

Sweetie placed her hoof onto one of the jewels that adorned the spine of the notebook, and a gown appeared before Ai.
The gown was mostly white, trimmed with pink inlay and it had an expensive share of gems and pearls, complete with a saddle (which was somehow peculiar.)

"This dress was stored in one of these gems."

Sweetie pointed the white quartz on the spine.

"That... wow..."

Ai looked at Sweetie with awe.

Sweetie approached Ai as she levitated the dress away from the girl.

"My notebook only has so many of these gems. It's mostly pages for me to take notes with. I have rolled up papers, bookmarks and photos into the notebook."

Sweetie looked at Ai with gratitude.

"Ai-chan, I can actually store voices and music on the pages of this notebook, but I can never use that page again if I stored a piece of music on it."

The unicorn continued.

"The immortal Twilight had embedded a spell that made recording possible... but I can't really afford to take as much note and record as many messages as I want with this."

She looked at the camera.

"Something like the crystal storage cards in your world can solve this problem for me... I can take it with me if I can get it into the notebook."

It dawned on Ai what Sweetie really needed.

"Sweetie-chan, let's buy the storage card with the largest capacity that you can get! That way, you can bring a much larger bit of Neo-Venezia with you!"

The alabaster unicorn waved her forelegs in refusal.

"But... I can't have you pay for all of this! It's..."

"Sweetie-chan, it's ok! You are always looking to help us, and you have been working with us! I will be happy to pay for this."

"I didn't... do... anything..."

The filly was moved to tears. Her head was depressed as drops of watery tear trickled down to the floor.

Ai genuflected on one knee as she drew Sweetie Belle in for an embrace.

"It's ok, Sweetie-chan. You are not useless. You are doing your best and pulling a heavy load."

President Aria magically emerged on-scene to pat Sweetie Belle on her side. The cat had watery eyes as well.

The unicorn didn't realize that her emotional state was as fragile as it were.

"Thank you..."

Sweetie Belle could only manage a whisper.

---/

"These cards work with computer as well!"

Sweetie was exhilarated.

Ai withdrew the card from a slot, as she promptly placed the card back into the camera.

"You can take information stored on the computer and put it onto the cards too, Sweetie-chan."

"I... need to know how to use computers. They don't just type... or add..."

Ai gently held onto Sweetie's hoof.

"One step at a time, Sweetie-chan."

The little unicorn agreed.

"So, as planned before, let's make videos and take photos! I will tell you where we're going and you can record things down as we go. We can take tomorrow to write things down and review."

Ai was typing on the keyboard while she talked to Sweetie.

"I need to return a message to my pen pal as well. Akari-san and I correspond with him. It'll be a good time to show you how to type and do word processing."

"Word processing?"

Ai smiled. "I will explain this later. We will be late if we don't leave in 10 minutes."

Sweetie's eyes shot wide open.

"Oh! I totally forgot about the time! What are we going to do? The black gondola..."

Ai snickered as she powered off her laptop.

"Let's go, Sweetie-chan! Grab the oar on your way out! Number 12!"

Sweetie darted out of the chair as she leaped to the door.

---/

The unicorn suspended the oar using telekinetic hold while she held onto the mooring line with her teeth.

Ai reeled the line in and coiled it. After that, she placed it over a hook on the platform.

Ai bent to Sweetie Belle while she assumed the pilot's position at the stern of the boat. The Fórcola was to the right the girl.

After clutching onto her oar, which was made of wood. It was painted white with gold inset and blue accents.

The tarp was still partly on the boat. Sweetie Belle was the one that dragged it out of the gondola by sheer force. She had to fold the tarp and put it away without any other assistance.

The unicorn then quickly grabbed a map of Neo-Venezia. She had been using this as an aid for last few days, and she expected that the map would accompany her for the days to come.

The unicorn looked at the Undine, who held the gondola by the platform's railings.

"I'm coming in!"

It was difficult for Sweetie to take an Undine's hand due to her profile. After their first trip on water, Sweetie proposed that the Undine should just focus on steadying the ship while she gives a warning about her imminent boarding.

This arrangement was effective.

Sweetie Belle entered the gondola as it rocked slightly. President Aria was already on-board and was waiting for the two with great patience.

"Thank you, President!"

The cat bowed to the unicorn as he guided the unicorn to her forward-facing seat.

The gondola quickly departed the pier, as it entered the main traffic of Canale di San Marco.

"So, Sweetie, you've noticed that we don't call just about every canal canals, right?"

The unicorn nodded.

"Why do you think that is?"

The pony pondered for a second.

"Most of the smaller canals are really roads. I guess that's why they are called Rios."

Ai looked as if she had more cards up her sleeves, but she didn't push this topic further.

Sweetie began to record on the camera. Her telekinetic power held the contraption firmly.

"The building behind Aria Company's called the Forni Militari. It was a military bakery during the times of the Venetian Republic, and it still is a bakery today. The storehouse and the adjacent building are all houses for rent. Akari-san lives over the Santa Maria alla Ca' di Dio."

Sweetie scoffed.

"She lives that close to the company?"

Ai was quite jovial.

"That's the thing. She sneaks into Aria Company very often!"

The gondola headed sharply to port.

"We're now pointed at the Ponte San Biasio delle Catene. It's got this beautiful view of the Campanile! The waterway here was called Rio de la Madonna, but it was changed to Rio de l'Arsenale."

Sweetie Belle looked at the whole wall of buildings that flanked the wide waterway that laid before her.

"The Naval Museum is to your right. The archives were very important in rebuilding the historical ships. This is a really neat place for those of us that love the seas."

Ai kept her narration.

"The Guardhouse and the Treasury followed. These are all administration buildings."

Sweetie thought back to Canterlot.

"Wait. This means that this arsenal really was a military place..."

Ai nodded. "More than that. It was the heart of the Venetian war machine. It is a huge part of Venezia."

Sweetie noticed the numerous lion statues that littered around this complex. This was something that saw over San Marco Square as well.

"What's with the winged lion?"

Ai looked at Sweetie and dug into her memory.

"Leone di san Marco. This lion gave the name to San Marco. It's a symbol of Venice. I don't really know why they use the lion or why they have wings... but it's an old symbol of Venezia."

Sweetie accepted this for the time being.

"This complex is huge... I think the whole of Ponyville could be fitted in here!"

Ai scratched her head.

"I think that Alicia-san can tell us more. I mean... there's no way that this large site is only used by the Gondola Association. I never really did about this though..."

Ai decided to ask Sweetie in turn.

"Sweetie-chan, have you ever seen a military site like this?"

Sweetie shook her head.

"No, never seen this... shipyard, I guess? I've seen barracks, but this is a totally different scale! I think that the distances of the two bridges would be 200 trot.. I meant meter."

Ai listened in and wanted some clarification.

"A trot is close to a meter?"

Sweetie nodded.

"Yea. Off the top of my head anyways. I should just think in meter. I think I can understand why we have to come in a gondola and not walk here..."

Alicia was standing to the right of the drawbridge and the two towers that guard the mouth of the Arsenale. She was waving at them.

"Alicia-san!"

Ai greeted cheerfully.

Sweetie turned the camera onto Alicia, whose braided, golden hair was resisting against the wind shear.

"This way! Turn right and use the piers at Darsena Grande!"

Alicia was walking with the gondola as Sweetie, Ai and the very energetic President Aria were piloted by the veteran Undine.

When they came into the Darsena Grande (large basin,) they could not believe their sight.

In front of them was a floating pavilion lavishly plastered with gold. It was a galley that ran more than 30 meters in length.

It had carvings that would have rivaled the white and golden splendor of the Hall of the Solar Regent in Canterlot.

The sheer audacity of the vessel was intimidating to all before it.

Author's Note

The Venetian Arsenal really is quite remarkable if we think about it... let's end here for the time being.

It's quite fun to see how fast a young one can take up techs. They absorb know-how easily!