Epic Pony: Friendship is Legend

by Deucey Dee

Rating: everyone
Tags: Adventure, Princess Celestia, Main 6, My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, Princess Luna
Length: 20648

The fate of Equestria- neigh, the entire Pony World!- lies in the hooves of one pony...

An ancient evil, older than even Discord, returns to wreak its horrible vengeance. Now, the existence of ponykind is threatened, and there is only one who can stop the dark forces closing in. Divided into three grand parts, this fan fiction will expand the horizons of the MLP:FiM universe, going as far back as the very beginning.

Part 1: Equestrian Secrets- The discovery of a strange new pony sets Twilight and friends on a journey to learn the truth. Meanwhile, Celestia and Luna have their own concerns to tend to, as a haunting figure from the past seems to be on the approach.

Published 2012-02-21 00:54:05 UTC
Last updated 2012-06-06 01:17:55 UTC

Part 1, Chapter 1

Part 1: Equestrian Secrets
Chapter 1: The Pony in the Lake

“So, have you heard the exciting news, Rainbow Dash?”

“Pinkie, for the last time, I don’t care about every little thing that happens with the Cake twins!”

“Not that news, silly! I’m talking about what’s going on in Canterlot! Everypony’s been talking about it! Well, maybe not everypony, but a lot of ponies! Well, maybe just that group of ponies that hangs out in front of Sugarcube Corner, but that counts as a few ponies. Of course, if everypony’s been talking about it at Canterlot, then that would make it-”

“ Ugh, just tell me the news, then!”

“Oh yeah. I heard that Princess Luna is coming to Canterlot to visit Princess Celestia!”

Over the hill came Rainbow Dash and Pinkie Pie, Rainbow Dash trotting gruffly with Pinkie Pie bounding high-spiritedly behind her.

“Doesn’t Luna already live in Canterlot?” Rainbow Dash asked, looking behind her at Pinkie Pie.

“Duuuuuuuuuh!” Pinkie Pie exploded, with a silly expression, “She so doesn’t live in Canterlot, silly! She has her own castle on the other side of Equestria! I can’t remember the name, though. Didn’t you know?”

“I don’t have time to learn about all the places in Equestria!” Rainbow Dash retorted, rolling her eyes. “Anyway,” she continued, “This visit, what’s so important about it?”

“Well,” Pinkie Pie explained, “It’s not every day two powerful, awesome, super-rific leaders who happen to be family members visit each other! I mean, come on! Different sides of Equestria! If you and I lived miles and miles and miles and miles apart, wouldn’t it be something special if I visited you?”

“I beg to differ…” Rainbow Dash mumbled, and looked back at Pinkie Pie to say something, but before she could speak, a distraught cry rang through the air.

“Help! Somepony, help, please!”

It didn’t sound like anypony Rainbow Dash or Pinkie Pie knew, but still they galloped in the direction of the voice. They came to a lake, and found a worried pony, half-submerged, trying to climb onto land. As hard as she pushed on the ground with her front hooves, she couldn’t lift herself any farther out of the water. When she saw Rainbow Dash and Pinkie Pie approaching, she called out, “Oh, thank goodness somepony heard me! I was just swimming around in the lake, and my tail got caught in the seaweed! I’ve tried and tried, but I just can’t pull it out! Can you help me?”

“No problem, sister!” Rainbow Dash remarked, and leapt into the air. She flew over to the pony, then grabbed onto her hoof, hovering beside her. She tugged at the pony’s hoof, while the pony used her other hoof to push on the ground. After only a few seconds, Rainbow Dash commented, “Wow, that’s gotta be some tough seaweed,” and lowered herself onto the ground. Once she landed, she continued her efforts, using her back legs to add force. Still, nothing.

“Help me out, Pinkie Pie!” Rainbow Dash shouted. Pinkie Pie, who was standing on the other side of the pony, suddenly looked at Rainbow Dash, as if she had been spacing out.

“Hm? Oh, right, sorry,” she said, “I was just looking at these weird markings on her cheek.”

“This is no time for examination, Pinkie!” Rainbow Dash barked. “Just help me pull her out!”

“Right!” Pinkie Pie exclaimed with a salute. “Maybe I should dive down and untie the seaweed that’s holding onto her.”

“It’s tangled in a big knot,” the pony stated, “A tough one, too. You won’t unable to undo it. Believe me, I tried.”

“Oh, I’m good with knots,” Pinkie Pie assured, putting on a scuba diving mask, “I once untied about a hundred or more balloons all tied together in a bunch, and it only took me one whole day!”

“Can you do seaweed in less than that?” the pony asked desperately.

“You can bet on it!” Pinkie Pie declared, and dove into the water. Not even a moment later, she popped her head back out, with a look of bewilderment on her face.

“Um, Rainbow Dash?” she timidly asked.

“Just take care of it!” Rainbow Dash ordered.

“Yeah, but I really think you should see this,” Pinkie Pie said.

“I’ll look at it later!” Rainbow Dash shouted. “Now get to that knot!”

“Alright,” Pinkie Pie quietly responded, and dove back down. After a minute or so, the pony started to rise further out of the water with each tug, until finally, she lunged out of the water, landing right next to Rainbow Dash, who fell over. Rainbow Dash looked over at her and suddenly fell silent. With a sigh of relief, the pony looked at Rainbow Dash and panted, “Oh, thank you so much! I thought I was going to be stuck there for a long time! I wish I had time to show you my gratitude, but I’m afraid I must be going.” And with that, she plunged back into the lake and swam out of sight, with Rainbow Dash staring incredulously after her. As Pinkie Pie climbed onto the shore, she asked, “You saw it, too, right?”

“How could I not have seen it?” Rainbow Dash answered. “Then again, how could I have seen what I just saw? How could it be possible?”

Wringing out her mane, Pinkie Pie asked, “Do you think it was some kind of trick, or joke, or prank, or hallucination?”

“It couldn’t have been!” Rainbow Dash affirmed. “It looked completely real! It looked like that pony actually had…” She looked at Pinkie Pie, and they both cried in unison, “A FISH TAIL!”

At Fluttershy’s house, the melodic sound of birds chirping came from every direction. Fluttershy herself was out back, seated at a table with Sweetie Belle. Laid out on the table was a platter of sandwiches, a pitcher of lemonade, and bowls of assorted vegetables. Sweetie Belle watched and listened intently as Fluttershy vocalized a tune.

“Okay, now you try,” Fluttershy said softly when she finished. She took a carrot from one of the bowls and tossed it lightly to a nearby rabbit. Sweetie Belle cleared her throat and attempted to sing the same tune, and her voice was almost as smooth and pleasant-sounding as Fluttershy’s, though not completely. When she finished, she pouted a bit. “Don’t worry, I’m sure you’ll get it,” Fluttershy assured with a smile. Just then, a knocking sound came from the direction of the house, followed by Rainbow Dash’s voice calling out, “Fluttershy! You home?”

“I’m in the backyard,” Fluttershy responded, then, realizing she said it too quietly to be heard from the other side of the house, she repeated it in a louder voice. As she sang again, Rainbow Dash flew over the top of the house, while Pinkie Pie scurried around the side.

“Ooh, you got some tasty-lookin’ sandwiches there!” Pinkie Pie thought aloud, eyeing the plate on the table.

“Help yourself,” Fluttershy uttered, “We were just having some lunch, and since it’s such a nice day outside, we decided to eat out here. I was also giving Sweetie Belle some lessons for improving her singing- though, of course, she can already sing so beautifully.”

“Aw, shucks, Fluttershy,” Sweetie Belle said, blushing.

“Oh, but I mean it,” Fluttershy continued, “You have the voice of an angel.”

“That’s not important,” Rainbow Dash blurted out impatiently, “Have you seen Twilight? We looked all over Ponyville and couldn’t find her. Nopony even knew where she was!”

“Twilight?” Fluttershy inquired. “She went to Canterlot to greet Princess Luna. Her departure was on short notice, so she didn’t have time to tell anypony. Rarity went with her, too.”

“Anything to take some time off with ‘a more proper crowd’,” Sweetie Belle commented in an almost mocking tone, “Since they were in a hurry, Fluttershy agreed to look after me for a bit. Of course, I’m not going to spend the whole day lounging around here.” Her eyes then lit up. “Scootaloo and Apple Bloom came up with the perfect idea for getting our cutie marks! Applejack said it’s too dangerous for us to try on our own, so we managed to talk her into coming with us!”

Suddenly, she flinched. “Speaking of which,” she added in a panicked tone, “It’s almost time! We agreed to head out right after lunch! Oh, no! I hope I won’t be too late! I hope they won’t leave without me!” And with that, she dashed off as quickly as she could.

“Sweetie Belle, wait!” Fluttershy called after her. “Don’t-! Oh, well, she’ll be in good hooves.”

Fluttershy then turned to Rainbow Dash. “Anyway, Twilight is going to be out of town for a bit,” she restated, “Did you need something from her?”

“Well, she’s the smart pony,” Rainbow Dash explained, “So we were going to ask her about… something. To see if she knew anything about it.”

“About what?” Fluttershy asked quietly. Not hearing her, or maybe just ignoring her, Rainbow Dash continued, “And if not, we were going to see if there were any books about it in her library.”

“About what?” Fluttershy asked again, but, instead of answering her, Rainbow Dash turned to Pinkie Pie and suggested, “Do you think Zecora would have any information? It could’ve been some kind of weirdo magic or something.”

“Dere’f nerr wray erf norring,” Pinkie Pie mumbled through a mouthful of sandwich. After swallowing, she added, “But if it is, then Zecora’s the perfect pony- or, zebra, to turn to.”

“What are you two going on about?” Fluttershy persisted, raising her voice only slightly, so that she was speaking at normal volume. Pinkie Pie turned to her and opened her mouth to explain, but Rainbow Dash quickly covered it with her hoof.

“Oh, it’s nothing,” she interjected, “Just a bit of trivia. Nothing important, nothing to worry about.” She glanced sideways at Pinkie Pie, who was looking at her with a bemused expression.

“Oh, okay,” Fluttershy murmured, looking the least bit dispirited. Pinkie Pie, noticing Fluttershy’s sadness, frowned at her, then stood shaking nervously on the spot before suddenly blurting out, “We saw a pony with a fish tail!” Rainbow Dash put her hoof over her face, and Fluttershy leaned back in astonishment. “You saw what?” she asked.

“A pony with a fish tail!” Pinkie Pie repeated loudly.

“Pinkie…” Rainbow Dash muttered reproachfully, glaring at Pinkie Pie.

“What?” Pinkie Pie blared. “She was sad that we wouldn’t tell her, and I don’t like making a friend sad by not telling them something when I could tell them but then I just decide not to tell them because I feel I shouldn’t tell them even though telling them wouldn’t do any harm and it’s not like I can’t tell them and if I would I could but when I don’t and it makes them sad then I just have to tell them!”

Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy stared at Pinkie Pie for a moment, then Fluttershy said, “So, about this pony. With the fish tail. Did you really see one?” When Rainbow Dash nodded in response, Fluttershy continued, “My, that’s definitely something interesting. Do you think maybe the Princess, or Princesses, would want to hear about it?”

“I don’t think we should bug them about it,” Pinkie Pie cut in, “It would be rude to interrupt their family reunion. On the other hand, I’m sure Twilight would be all over it.”

“Yeah, she’d probably turn the Canterlot library upside down for books on the subject,” Rainbow Dash joked, and chuckled at the thought, then added, in a more serious tone, “I think we should write a letter to her.”

“Ooh, good idea!” Pinkie Pie cheered. “I’ve never written a letter to a friend before! I have lots and lots of friends, but I’ve never had to write a letter to one before! This should be so exciting! I’m so excited! Is anyone else as excited as I am right now?”

“I am,” Fluttershy breathed, “At least on the inside.”

“Okay then,” Rainbow Dash announced, “So, we’re going to need something to write on, and something to write with, probably a pencil or a quill. Since none of us are unicorns, we’ll have to write it by hoof, or by mouth. Plus, Spike’s probably in Canterlot with Twilight, so the only way to send it to her will be by mailpony. This is going to take awhile…”

Part 1, Chapter 2

Part 1: Equestrian Secrets
Chapter 2: The Nightmare

The whole of Canterlot seemed to be enveloped in an aura of anticipation for Luna’s arrival. Everypony in the citadel had it on their minds, even as they carried out their usual business. From inside her tower, Celestia gazed out at the land that lay outstretched beyond the window, watching for a sign of her sister approaching. Although this kind of thing is usually a very somber act, Celestia was relaxed, and simply looking forward to spending some time with Luna. Like Pinkie Pie had mentioned, reunions like this weren’t very common.

“Once again, Twilight Sparkle,” she said, for Twilight was standing beside her, “You don’t need to accompany me in welcoming Luna. It’s not like I’m going to be nervous or anything. After all, she is my sister.”

“Oh, I don’t mind,” Twilight insisted, “The same goes for me- the part about not being nervous, that is. I’ve had a chance to get to know Luna in the past, so it would be nice to see her again. I won’t get in the way, I promise.”

“Very well, then,” Celestia replied with a smile, “You may stand by me when she arrives, if you so wish. Just imagine,” she continued, looking back out the window, “My most faithful student and my dearest sister, together. You could say it’s a ‘when worlds collide’ situation. I’ll be a teacher, a leader, and a sibling at the same time. Of course, I’ve always, in a way, been such for Luna. Ever since… well, for a long time.”

Twilight smiled up at her teacher and leader. When she turned to the window, something caught her eye. “Is that her?” she asked.

“Yes, that would be her,” Celestia answered serenely. In the distance, a dark speck could be seen, quickly drawing nearer. Celestia rose from her seat and made her way out of the building, with Twilight following close behind.

Once they were outside, the scene was bustling with ponies readying for Luna’s arrival. Guards were assembling into neat regiments, while the rest of the ponies gathered on either side of the main road. Twilight waved at Spike, who was standing next to Rarity among the crowd. Rarity was engaged in a sophisticated chat with a fancily dressed pony next to her, she being fancily dressed herself. Soon, a fanfare started up. A posh-looking pony by the gates cleared his throat, and declared, “Announcing the arrival of Princess Luna, Maiden of the Moon, of Equestria, here from the region of Nocturnica!”

Just as the pony finished his announcement, a pair of dark, snake-eyed ponies trotted through the gates. They hauled in a chariot of magnificent and yet macabre design, seated in which was Luna. As the vehicle passed through, all of the ponies kneeled in respect. The ponies pulling it stopped once they were in the center of the square. Luna rose, beaming at the crowd, and proclaimed, “Citizens of Canterlot! I am pleased that you have all gathered here to welcome me! I, Princess Luna, have come from my dominion of Nocturnica to spend some time here, in this glorious city! However, this is not a formal visit, I am here for the cause of reunion, so…” she stopped to think, then finished, “You are all… erm… dismissed. Off with you.”

The ponies in the crowd looked at each other, shrugged, and dispersed, going back to their activities for the day. Luna trotted over to Celestia, who gave her a short hug when she was close enough. “It is wonderful to see you again, younger sister,” Celestia said warmly.

“The same goes for you,” Luna replied with the same amount of affection, “But did you really have to gather the whole city together to meet me?”

Celestia laughed lightly. “They congregated on their own,” she pointed out, “And you should be glad they did. It looks like they’ve all put the past behind them.”

“I only wish I could do so,” Luna sighed. When she finally noticed Twilight, she lightened up instantly. “Twilight Sparkle! ‘Tis a pleasure seeing you here!”

“The pleasure’s mine, princess,” Twilight said with a smile. Noticing Rarity and Spike approach, she added, “There’s a friend of mine who would love to meet you.”

Luna turned around just as Rarity reached her. “Princess Luna,” Rarity began elegantly, “Why, what an honor to finally meet her royal highness up close! I’m simply brimming with glee!” She gave a quick gesture similar to a curtsy, and Spike did the best he could to bow while holding a bag brimming with what appeared to be various clothing materials. “Twilight has told me all about you,” Rarity continued, “And might I say I love your style.”

“Here, why don’t we go inside?” Celestia offered. She headed into the castle, with Luna and Rarity following as they talked. Twilight waited behind for Spike, and walked alongside him. “So, you been doing some shopping with Rarity?” she teased, looking at the bag Spike was holding, “I see Rarity got her little dragon servant to carry around some stuff.”

“Oh, I don’t mind,” Spike replied, “In fact, I offered to carry this for her. She was quite flattered, and said I was ‘truly the best assistant anypony could ever have.’ I tell ya, it was awesome touring Canterlot with her. I managed to show her some places I was familiar with that she hadn’t been in before.”

“Sounds like you two had fun,” Twilight commented seriously.

That night, after a feast prepared in Luna’s honor, both princesses decided to retire for the night. Celestia showed Luna to her quarters then went to her own bedroom. After closing the door behind her, she walked over to her bed, using her unicorn magic to remove her tiara and necklace and place them on the nearby vanity table. Once she reached the side of her bed, she carefully pushed off her shoes. With a relaxed sigh, she climbed into bed, pulling the covers up to her neck. She laid her head on her pillow, and quickly fell asleep.

She suddenly found herself in a familiar setting: the ruins of the old castle. Luna lay on the ground before her, crouching. Celestia looked down upon her, and pity filled her heart.

“It’s time to put our differences aside,” Celestia implored, “We were meant to rule together, sister. Won’t you accept my friendship?”

Luna rose to her feet and looked up at Celestia. There was grief in her eyes. Celestia expected her to run up to her and ask for forgiveness. However, her expression changed from sorrow to fury. “No,” she stated defiantly, and stepped away from Celestia. “Never!” Her voice took on a tone of pure loathing. “NEVER!” As her cry rang throughout the ruins, she turned into a great black cloud and took to the skies. The sunny day became a stormy night in the blink of an eye. The roof of the castle was savagely torn off, revealing a swirling black cloud. It was headed for Celestia, gradually taking the shape of an alicorn as it grew nearer. Once it reached Celestia, it shrieked and lunged for her. After that, everything went dark.

Celestia opened her eyes quickly and silently. Slowly, she rose from her pillow, and looked around the bedroom. “It was… a dream…” she said to herself, “But was it only a dream?”

There came a knock at the door. Celestia cleared her throat and announced, “Come in.” The door creaked open, and Luna poked her head in.

“Did you have one, too?” she asked timidly as she entered the room. Celestia nodded curtly. “Did you see… her?” Luna further inquired, now at the foot of Celestia’s bed. Celestia nodded again. Luna sniffed. “Oh, Celestia,” she whimpered, as her eyes filled up with tears, “I’m scared.” At this point, Luna had lost all the majesty she had displayed earlier that day. Shaking, silently crying, she was nothing more than a frightened young filly who had had a bad dream.

“Oh, don’t cry, dear sister,” Celestia said reassuringly. She left her bed and stepped into her shoes. “Come, let’s take a walk through the palace garden,” she suggested, slipping a light silk robe over herself via unicorn magic, “We can talk about it there.” And with that, Celestia led her sister out of the room, looking very grave.

Part 1, Chapter 3

Part 1: Equestrian Secrets
Chapter 3: A Walk in the Garden

A cool night breeze blew around Celestia and Luna as they strolled through the castle grounds. Soon they reached the palace garden, which was as beautiful as ever, decorated with a diversity of plants and animals. After watching a colorful group of birds fly overhead, Celestia turned to her younger sister and said, “Alright, let’s talk about the dreams we had. What did you see?”

Luna, with a tear-stained face, explained, “Well, I saw you, and we were… we were home. There was this big storm, and… a dark cloud came towards me. As it grew closer, it turned into… well, it turned into… her.” Luna gave a half-sob before continuing. “It just… it scared me so much. After I returned to ruling Equestria alongside you, I was so busy clearing things up and settling down that I didn’t even think about it. But then, when I had that dream, it all came back to me, and I… I was just so scared, because then I remembered.”

“It’s okay,” Celestia reassured, “It is a horrible memory.”

“So what did you see in your dream?” Luna asked.

“Well, I saw you, as you had seen me in yours,” Celestia answered, “Except we were in the ruins of the old castle. The place where you were defeated as Nightmare Moon. I also saw the storm, and the cloud, and her, except she was coming for me.” Celestia decided not to mention that, in her dream, Luna had turned against her, and that it was in fact she that had turned into the black cloud. “So, tell me,” she mentioned, trying to sound as unsuspecting as she could, “Why did you come to Canterlot, again?”

“Like I said, just a family visit,” Luna replied almost immediately. After a brief pause, she added, “Although, I did have this strange feeling before that I should come and see you; kind of like an impulse, or something. Do you think this is more than a coincidence?” she suddenly asked, looking at Celestia with wide eyes. “Do you think maybe we were meant to have these dreams once we were together?”

“I don’t know,” Celestia asserted quietly.

“Do you think it’s a sign?” Luna continued. “Maybe it means something. Maybe it means that… she will return?”

Lowering her head solemnly, Celestia affirmed, “Given the circumstances, I would agree.”

Luna gasped when she heard her sister’s response, and stared straight ahead in thought for a moment as they walked on. “Then that must mean…” she muttered fearfully.

“Luna,” Celestia suddenly uttered, half-stern, half-nervous, “No matter what may happen in the future, I just want you to remember one thing: Everything I’ve done was for you, to protect you, because you are my dearest sister, and I want what’s best for you.”

At that moment, Luna stopped dead in her tracks, and gazed dubiously, almost angrily, at Celestia. “That’s not true,” she argued quietly.

Celestia, surprised by her sister’s remark, turned to face her completely. “Of course it’s true,” she insisted.

“How can you say that?” Luna blurted out. “How can you say that everything you’ve done was for me, when all it’s done is made me feel alienated? What about you overshadowing me as the bigger sister, and as the bigger ruler of Equestria? Did you think that was what was best for me?”

“Now, Luna, stop that!” Celestia commanded. Her voice was beginning to waver from distress.

“A thousand years ago, you said we would rule as equals, but it was a lie!” Luna cried. “Everyone loved the sun and the daytime so much more than the moon and the night!”

“That’s not true, Luna!” Celestia shouted.

“And what about when I was Nightmare Moon?” Luna continued heatedly. “You imprisoned me in the moon for a thousand years! Was that for my protection?”

This time, Luna had said too much. For a moment, Celestia stood rooted to the spot. Her weary eyes quivered, seemingly on the verge of tears. Suddenly feeling sorry for what she said, Luna eased up. When Celestia finally spoke, with her head bowed, her voice was quieted with sorrow.

“Your heart had been corrupted, Luna. You turned against not only me, but everypony else in the kingdom as well. I did what I had to. The only other option was… well, you know what it was, but I just couldn’t bring myself to do that. I wouldn’t be able to forgive myself if I did. No matter how evil you were, you were still my sister. It pained me enough just to do what I did. For a thousand years, I was lonely, and I felt like I would never see you again.”

Seeing Celestia stricken with grief, Luna cautiously trotted over to her. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean it,” she sympathized, “It’s just that… she was there.” Celestia looked up at her. “In the moon. With me. She wasn’t really there, but a trace of her power lurked in the darkness of the moon. For a thousand years, while I was half-asleep and half-awake, she tormented me. She gave me nightmares. Sometimes, when I was suffering so badly, I would see…” She sniffled, trembling, and started again, tearing up, “I would see…”

Suddenly, Luna thrusted herself onto Celestia, crying uncontrollably. Celestia extended her wing and wrapped it around her comfortingly. When Luna regained control of herself, she stated, “I would like to stop by the Sculpture Garden before I return to bed.”

“Very well,” Celestia calmly replied, and the two of them continued walking. The garden was now much quieter, since the animals had sensed the tension of the moment and hidden away. After walking along the flower-lined path for some time, the sisters passed through a beautifully decorated archway, leaving the plant-filled garden behind. Now they were on a trail secluded by walls of hedges on each side. The ground was not adorned with eccentric flora, just plain grass. Billowing flags visible above the hedges indicated that the garden maze was nearby.

Walking on, the two sisters passed by different statues of ponies and other creatures in dramatic poses. “It’s strange,” Luna remarked as they continued, “I’m getting a weird vibe from these statues. Like they know something’s going to happen. Like…” She trailed off, peering at the statues as they passed them by. Just then, they came across a very familiar one: Discord, reared up in a defensive pose with a frightened expression. Luna suddenly shivered. “Especially from him,” she added timidly.

Eventually, they reached a dead end, where a stone slab rose out of the ground, surrounded by flowers. Engraved on the stone were various intriguing designs, resembling stars or other things. Luna approached the platform, then kneeled on the ground in front of it, while Celestia bowed her head. A moment of utter silence followed, after which Luna rose, turned around, and walked back to Celestia. Together, they returned to the castle.

Meanwhile, in the Canterlot Library, Twilight and Rarity were in the midst of a frantic search. Twilight had received the letter from her friends just before the banquet, and when she read it, she was instantly anxious to look into what they had written about. After dinner, she had excused herself and Rarity to the library, saying that she had some “late-night studying” to catch up on. Now, the two of them were poring vigorously over book after book.

“Funny, one would think that they’d find something on the matter in Creatures of the Equestrian Waters,” Rarity pouted, disappointedly shutting a book with a fancy turquoise-colored cover and tossing it over her shoulder using her unicorn magic. “Anything on your side, Twilight, dear?”

“Not yet,” Twilight stated plainly, perusing an old-fashioned brownish book. “It’s not in Ancient Equestrian History, either,” she finally reported glumly, setting it down and picking up a book entitled What I Saw in the Deep Blue: A Marine Report by Prof. Ocean View.

“It’s too bad Spike couldn’t come and help us,” Rarity thought aloud, “He’s such a darling when it comes to finding things.”

“Well, you know he needs his rest,” Twilight pointed out, flipping pages, “I’d love to have him help us out, but it’s better to do this at night. That way, we won’t run the risk of being found out. I don’t want to cause any commotion with this ‘fish pony’ business.”

“Speaking of which,” Rarity remarked, looking through Mysteries and Marvels of the Deep, “And I know I probably should have asked this sooner, but… do you really think they saw what they said they saw?”

“I know that they wouldn’t lie about something so serious,” Twilight answered confidently, “And I know that they don’t just see things that aren’t there. However, I can only hope that whoever this pony was wasn’t just playing some kind of trick.”

“It might’ve been those ponies that hang out in front of Sugarcube Corner,” Rarity mumbled disapprovingly, “I wouldn’t put it past them to stoop to something so low.”

The both of them nearly jumped at the sound of knocking coming from the library door. Worried, they looked at each other, and then at the piles of books they had made.

“Okay, put the books over there,” Twilight quickly ordered, pointing to the second floor, “I’ll go and see who it is.”

As Rarity levitated the books up the stairs, Twilight nervously cantered over to the door. When she opened it and found Celestia and Luna standing outside, she didn’t know whether to sigh of relief or panic.

“Princess Celestia!” she exclaimed. “And Luna! How nice to see you two!”

“Good evening, Twilight Sparkle,” Celestia calmly addressed, “I saw that the lights were on in here, and I thought I’d check on my faithful student. How is your ‘late-night studying’ coming along?”

“Oh, it’s, uh, going great,” Twilight uttered, “I’ve gotten a lot of studying done, and I mean a lot. And Rarity’s been helping me out, right, Rarity?”

“Why, yes!” Rarity declared from the top of the stairs, faking a smile.

“I didn’t know your friend Rarity was equally studious,” Celestia noted curiously.

“Well, she is, I mean, she isn’t, I mean,” Twilight stammered, “Well, you see, the thing is, it’s about… fashion. Yes, fashion. I wanted to look into clothing styles for a change, and, since Rarity’s such a fashionista, she decided to help me out.”

Celestia gave her a mystified look, and Twilight hoped for a way to change the subject. Luckily for her, she noticed the tear stains on Luna’s face. “Why, Luna! What happened? Is everything alright?”

“Hm? Oh, yes, everything’s fine,” Luna reacted, wiping her face. “Just had a… erm… sentimental moment. Nothing to worry about.”

“Well, we must be off,” Celestia added, giving Twilight a kind look, “Don’t stay up too late, now.”

“Oh, not at all, princess,” Twilight immediately responded, and waved as Celestia and Luna trotted off. When they were far enough away, she closed the door, and she and Rarity looked at each other and sighed.

“I’ll have you know,” Rarity suddenly stated, looking displeased, “This is taking up my precious beauty-sleep time.”

Part 1, Chapter 4

Part 1: Equestrian Secrets
Chapter 4: Attack of the Chimaera

“Do you think we should’ve told them what we were really doing?” Twilight asked, feeling sorry for lying to Celestia and Luna.

“No, I think it’s quite alright,” Rarity reassured, looking through her outfits, “Sisters or not, when two very important leaders are together, they eventually start focusing on issues, and… stuff. I’m sure they have a lot on their plate. Besides,” she added, carefully placing a fancy red hat atop her head, “We shouldn’t get anypony else involved, especially the princesses, until we’ve at least confirmed that this sort of thing is even real. Now, get your things together, dear, our train home will arrive at the station in a few minutes.”

It was the next morning, and the girls were getting ready to return to Ponyville. Not long after the princesses had visited them in the library, they had decided to give up their fruitless search and turn in for the night. Spike was currently out in the town square, getting some breakfast for the three of them.

Once their bags were all packed and they were ready to go, the two of them left for the station. They had hardly taken a few steps when they met Celestia at the top of the stairs. Twilight flinched, then tried to cover up for it by pretending to check under hoof for a rock she supposedly stepped on.

“Why, good morning, Princess Celestia!” Rarity greeted kindly, as if they weren’t expecting to meet her, “Have you come to see us off?”

“Actually, as a matter of fact, I have,” Celestia replied, not having even noticed Twilight’s little convulsion, “I just wanted to say that it was nice of the two of you to come over for my sister’s visit.”

“She’s not returning to Nocturnica so soon, is she?” Twilight asked, stepping forward.

“No, of course not,” Celestia assured with a smile, “She’s going to stay here for some time, while she and I attend to some… business.”

Rarity gave Twilight an “I told you so” look.

“Anyway, the two of you will miss your train if you stay up here,” Celestia continued, “I’ll walk down the stairs with you, if you don’t mind. We could talk as we go along.”

“Mind? Why, not at all!” Twilight uttered nervously. Of course, the thought of having to keep the secret away from Celestia while talking to her in person made her feel uneasy. Celestia turned and headed down the stairs, with the girls walking right next to her.

“So, how are things in Ponyville?” Celestia asked courteously.

“Hm? Oh, they’re fine,” Twilight answered, still feeling nervous, “Everything’s great, everypony’s doing wonderful; nothing to hide- I mean, report! Nothing to report!”

“I see,” Celestia commented, “And how are your friends?”

“My friends? Oh, they’re all right,” Twilight said. Pausing, she decided not to be entirely discreet, and added, “Actually, speaking of them, they sent me an interesting letter last night.” Rarity gave her a cautious look, but she didn’t notice.

“That sounds wonderful,” Celestia remarked, “What was it about?”

Twilight thought for a moment on what she should say. Finally, she explained, “Oh, nothing of consequence. Just a little happening in Ponyville, somepony thinking they saw something, that’s all.”

“Is that what you were researching last night?” Celestia asked. Twilight suddenly found herself speechless, but then Rarity cut in.

“Why, of course not!” she declared immediately, almost startling Celestia, “We were simply looking into fashion, both old and new. I found a very exquisite book with tips on making fancy dresses, entitled Glamour at a Glance.”

“Oh,” Celestia uttered, trying not to sound disappointed, “Well, I’m glad you found what you were looking for.”

“Yep, so am I,” Twilight lied, giving Celestia the most convincing smile she could, while feeling extremely upset on the inside.

“Well, here we are,” Celestia said, as they reached the foot of the stairs. “Have a safe trip home, you two.” And with that, she walked off.

Once they were sure she was out of earshot, Twilight and Rarity both gave sighs of relief.

“ ‘Just a little happening in Ponyville?’” Rarity scolded, giving Twilight a serious look. “ ‘Somepony thinking they saw something, that’s all?’”

“Well, at least she didn’t suspect anything,” Twilight noted.

“Ugh, whatever,” Rarity pouted, “Let’s just go, already. Spike should have some food ready for us, and I am simply famished.”

The train ride to Ponyville was completely uneventful. Rarity, still just a little frustrated with Twilight, spent the whole time reading Glamour at a Glance, which she had borrowed from the library after the search. Spike quietly sat next to her, smiling and looking up in deep thought. Twilight sat across from the both of them, next to the window. During the trip she stared at every body of water that passed by, half-expecting a pony with a fish tail to suddenly leap out of the water.

Finally, sometime around noon, a uniformed pony trotted down the aisle, announcing, “Next stop, Ponyville! All fillies and gentlecolts getting off at Ponyville prepare for disembarking!” Rarity closed her book, Spike blinked and looked around, and Twilight moved away from the window.

Once the train had pulled into the station, and stopped with a mighty heave, Rarity said to Spike, “Go on ahead of us, dear. I need to have a word with Twilight. Alone, if you please.”

Spike nodded, and left the compartment. Closing the door with her unicorn magic, Rarity turned to Twilight and gave her another serious look. “Now, not a word to anypony in Ponyville,” she instructed sternly, wagging her hoof at Twilight, “And I mean not a word. I don’t want to cause a riot, so don’t try to get clever with me. We went to Canterlot and came back. Nopony said anything about an unusual sighting. You got that?”

Twilight nodded in agreement. She was surprised that Rarity would act so severe towards keeping a secret. Then again, as a pony who often gave fashion advice and listened to gossip, Rarity could be trusted to know what did and did not need saying.

As they got off the train, they saw Spike running up to them. “You guys!” he panted when he reached them. “You need to come and see this! It’s Fluttershy!”

Twilight and Rarity looked at each other. Judging by the panicked look on Spike’s face, they could tell that, whatever it was, it was horrible.

“Take us to her,” Rarity commanded, looking worried. Spike turned and ran, with the girls following close behind. Within moments they came to the center of Ponyville, and as they hurried around the side of Sugarcube Corner they saw Fluttershy underneath a tree in the middle of the plaza. At first glance she looked all right, but as they drew closer, they could see that she was quivering intensely. She was also staring off into the distance, looking pale, as if she had seen a ghost.

As they approached, Rarity exclaimed, “Fluttershy, dear! What has happened to you that makes you cower so?”

Fluttershy looked at her but didn’t speak; keeping her mouth shut, she merely whimpered.

“She can’t talk,” Spike pointed out, “Or at least, she won’t. I found her like this, right here, and asked her what was wrong, and she did the same thing. No matter what I say, she won’t even open her mouth! Do you think somepony… stole her voice?”

“C’mon, now, Spike, you know nopony would do that,” Rarity assured, “However, something is keeping her far from speech. Just what is it, Fluttershy? You can tell your dearest friend Rarity. Has something scared you?”

Still trembling, Fluttershy nodded.

“Well, in that case,” Rarity noted thoughtfully, “We’re going to have to calm her down if we want her to talk.”

They took Fluttershy to the spa, but, even after being given every treatment imaginable, she still remained tremulous. So they decided to take her to her house, where they hoped they could find something that would get her to settle down. As they entered, Angel the rabbit woke up from his nap on the couch, and hopped over to them.

“Oh, Angel, you have to help us!” Twilight pleaded. “It’s Fluttershy! She’s been scared speechless!”

Angel gave Fluttershy a peeved look, crossing his arms and tapping on the floor with his foot.

“Please, Angel!” Twilight persisted. “We need to know what happened to her!”

Angel looked at Twilight for a moment, then nodded. With a confident look, he pointed at himself, indicating that he knew what to do. He hopped up to Fluttershy, positioned himself, and began rubbing affectionately against her front leg. Immediately, Fluttershy’s trembling started to lessen, and within seconds she was still.

“Why, Angel,” she uttered quietly, “I didn’t know you could be so sweet.”

Twilight gave a sigh of relief, while Spike cheered and Rarity put her hoof over her chest. Angel made a proud face, and hopped back to the sofa to resume his nap. Twilight stepped towards Fluttershy, who was now taking deep, slow breaths. “What happened?” she asked. “What made you so scared that you couldn’t talk?”

“Oh, yeah, that,” Fluttershy murmured. She began to shiver again, but explained, “You see, yesterday, I was watching over Sweetie Belle, and Rainbow Dash and Pinkie Pie came over, and then Sweetie Belle went off to join her friends. She said they were going to do something with Applejack. After Rainbow Dash, Pinkie Pie and I sent you a letter- did you get it, by the way?” Twilight nodded, and then Fluttershy continued, “After we dropped it off at the post office, I went over to Sweet Apple Acres to check on Applejack and the fillies. I couldn’t find them, but Big Macintosh told me that they had gone into the mountains, and would be camping there for the night. He said they would be back in the morning, so I spent the night there. When morning came, I waited and waited, and they didn’t come back, so I decided to… to… go into the mountains myself. And then… and then…”

Fluttershy stopped and began to whimper and shudder all over again. For a moment, it seemed as if she was scared speechless again, but then she regained control, and proceeded with her story. “I heard screams, little filly screams, and I heard roaring, horrible roaring. I followed the sounds, and I found Applejack in a cave with Apple Bloom, Sweetie Belle, and Scootaloo. They were all running from something. And then, I saw… I saw… a most terrible beast. It scared me so much that I ran away, and I tried to get help, but I was so terrified that I couldn’t even say anything.”

“Well, what was it?” everyone asked.

“It was…” Fluttershy stammered, “I-it was… a… a… CHIMAERA!” She dropped to the floor and covered her face with her hooves, whimpering.

Twilight and Rarity both gasped. “A CHIMAERA?” they both exclaimed.

“I’ve heard about Chimaeras,” Rarity stated, “Many a wonderful dress has been torn completely to shreds from a Chimaera attack!”

“Um, what’s a Chimaera?” Spike asked, looking bemused.

“They’re said to be one of the most ferocious and fearsome creatures in the whole world!” Twilight pointed out. “The Chimaera has a lion head, a goat head, a body that is half of each, and a dragon tail with a third head at the end!”

“Wow, that sounds cool!” Spike reacted, but quickly corrected, “I mean, terrible! That sounds like a really hideous monster!”

“They’re still up there, in the mountains!” Fluttershy blurted. “Unless the Chimaera has caught them by now, that is…”

Rarity gasped with horror. Her eyes began to fill with tears. “Sweetie Belle, my darling sister!” she wailed. “She’s out there with only Applejack to protect her, and she’s being chased by this… this… monster! Oh, she must be so scared!” Distraught to the point of anger, she turned on Fluttershy. “This is all your fault!” she screeched. “How could you let this happen? You were supposed to look after her! She’s only a filly!”

Fluttershy met Rarity’s glare with trembling eyes. “You’re right, Rarity,” she mumbled, “You told me to watch over her, but I let her go with her friends, not thinking that they might be getting into anything dangerous. I thought Applejack could take care of her instead, but now I realize that I shouldn’t have just left the job to her. It is my fault Sweetie Belle’s in danger now. This has happened before, too. I’m… I’m an awful babysitter!”

“Calm down, girls!” Twilight interrupted, “Now’s not the time to be blaming anypony! We need to get over there right now and help them out!”

“Hang on, Sweetie Belle!” Rarity cried, dashing out the front door, “Big Sister Rarey’s coming for you!”

“Rarity, wait!” Fluttershy called out, as she took off after Rarity. Twilight followed, leaving Spike behind. “You don’t know where she is! You could get lost in the mountains!”

“I have unicorn magic!” Rarity announced defiantly, “And the way I’m feeling, I would track her down even if she were hidden away in the farthest reaches of Equestria!”

“At least let me lead you to where I saw them!” Fluttershy insisted, flying ahead of Rarity.

As they ran on, they passed by Pinkie Pie and Rainbow Dash, who chased after them.

“Hey, what’s going on?” Rainbow Dash called, as she and Pinkie Pie caught up with Twilight, “Why are you in such a hurry?”

“Yeah, are you late for something?” Pinkie Pie asked.

“Applejack’s in the mountains with Apple Bloom and her friends,” Twilight quickly explained, “And they’re being attacked by a Chimaera!”

“A Chimaera?” Rainbow Dash responded, “Sounds serious!”

“I don’t know what a Chimaera is,” Pinkie Pie stated, “But anything mean enough to attack innocent ponies can’t be good!”

“It’s not just not good!” Twilight shouted. “It’s bad! Very bad!”

“Oh my gosh!” Pinkie Pie exclaimed. “That’s terrible! And horrible! It’s… torrible!”

“Then we’ll come along, too!” Rainbow Dash declared. “It sounds like you’ll need all the help you can get!”

And so, the group headed into the mountains. Fluttershy led them into a large cave, and, after running through a long tunnel, they stopped at a small pond. Looking up, they saw Applejack on a ledge high above the pond. She was standing bravely in front of the three young fillies, who were huddled up against the cave wall. And approaching them menacingly was the Chimaera. It was daunting in size, at least twice as big as Applejack. A vicious lion head and a brutish goat head were side by side at the front of its body, both glaring ahead at Applejack. Its body was almost distinctly divided in the middle, the front being golden yellow with lion paws, and the back white with goat legs. Coming out from the back was a scaled serpentine tail, ending in a scowling dragon’s head.

As it stepped closer to Applejack, the Chimaera gave a mighty roar with all three of its heads. The roar echoed throughout the entire cave, striking fear into the hearts of everyone who heard it.

Part 1, Chapter 5

Part 1: Equestrian Secrets
Chapter 5: Rescue From Below

Snarling and hissing, the Chimaera neared Applejack and the fillies, while the others looked on in terror from below.

“Git back!” Applejack commanded, standing her ground, “Ah said Git back!”

The Chimaera roared fiercely at Applejack. Behind her, Sweetie Belle suddenly whimpered.

“Sweetie Belle!” Rarity shouted.

“Rarity!” Sweetie Belle yelped back, her voice wavering from fear.

“Don’t worry, Sweetie Belle, we’re going to get you out of there!” Rarity hollered.

All three heads of the Chimaera turned in the direction of Rarity’s voice. Seeing her chance, Applejack turned and gave a mighty kick to both the lion and the goat heads with her back legs, which, as the girls knew well, were quite strong. With a furious bellow, the Chimaera recoiled in pain. It lashed out furiously at Applejack, and, with a single powerful swipe, knocked her to the ground.

“Applejack!” Apple Bloom cried in shock. She looked at her downed sister with tears in her eyes, until another roar from the Chimaera brought her attention to it.

“That’s it!” Rainbow Dash fumed. “Nothing attacks our friends! C’mon, girls! ATTACK!”

With a vigorous war cry, she charged straight through the air at the Chimaera. Once she reached it, however, it immediately spewed flames at her, and she was nearly engulfed. She managed to pull away in time, so only her tail caught fire.

“Yipe!” she exclaimed, flying to and fro in an attempt to put her tail out. “Why didn’t anypony tell me it could breath fire?”

The Chimaera readied itself to emit another stream of flames, but was stopped when a pebble came out of nowhere and flew right into its goat head.

“That’s for scaring the hooves off of my sister!” Rarity yelled, and used her unicorn magic to throw more pebbles at it. Twilight Sparkle quickly joined in, while Pinkie Pie said to Fluttershy, “Quick! While it’s distracted, carry me up to the ledge!”

Fluttershy flew over to Pinkie Pie, picked her up with all the strength she could muster, and made her way around Rarity and Twilight’s pebble projectiles to where the fillies stood dumbfounded. When she carefully dropped Pinkie Pie on the ledge, Pinkie Pie whistled at the Chimaera, and shouted, “Hey, you! Yeah, you! You big meanie three-heads!”

The Chimaera turned its attention to Pinkie Pie, the pebbles beating into its side.

“When you’re dealing with me,” Pinkie Pie declared, “You’d better be ready for a PARTY!”

And with that, she took out and opened up a wooden crate, and a bunch of balloons zipped out, deflating in the Chimaera’s faces. It reared up, clawing at the balloons with its paws. Pinkie Pie quickly took out what looked like a missile launcher. As she fired it, large clumps of confetti pelted the Chimaera.

“Ha! How about a little confetti?” Pinkie Pie remarked boldly, and fired until her confetti launcher was empty. The Chimaera moved this way and that, trying to shake off the confetti. The dragon head started choking on a handful of streamers.

Pinkie Pie then took out a couple of cream pies, and threw them right into the Chimaera’s faces. It howled with fury.

“I sure hope defeat is your favorite flavor!” Pinkie Pie commented snazzily. Behind her, the fillies rolled their eyes and murmured in response to her cheesy lines.

Seething with rage at this point, the Chimaera threw off the cream pies and fired a jet of flames. Since she was standing in front of the fillies, who were huddled behind her, Pinkie Pie took the blaze full on. When the flames subsided, she was black with soot, and her mane was frizzy.

“I guess roasted pony is your favorite flavor,” Pinkie Pie weakly moaned. She coughed, then fell over on top of Applejack. The three fillies screamed. Rainbow Dash, who had just put her tail out, saw Pinkie Pie and became furious.

“Alright, you’re asking for it, now!” she thundered, and charged at the Chimaera again. Unfortunately, it was quick, and caught Rainbow Dash by her head just before she rammed into it. With a mighty heave, it lobbed her in another direction. Unable to resist the force, she crashed into a cave wall with an unpleasant thud.

“It really is one of the most ferocious creatures in the world,” Rainbow Dash mumbled dizzily, as she slid down the wall.

“Rainbow Dash!” Fluttershy called out. “Pinkie Pie!”

The Chimaera now turned to Rarity and Twilight, who were still launching pebbles at it. With a flick of its tail, it sent two pebbles hurling straight at them. The pebbles hit them square in their foreheads, not enough to knock them out, but enough to stun them a little. As she massaged her forehead, Twilight thought she saw movement in the pond in front of her.

“Alright, that does it!” Fluttershy yelled, landing in front of her unconscious friends. She was infuriated, and to those who knew Fluttershy, that meant trouble. “It’s bad enough that you’re an intimidating monster,” she blustered, staring the Chimaera down, “And it’s bad enough that you’ve probably attacked ponies before, and it’s bad enough that you have the nerve to torture these three little angels, but now you’ve hurt every one of my friends! And I don’t like it! I’m going to give you one last chance to stop, because you wanna know what I think? I think you’re a bad, BAD, BAD, BAD KITTY!”

The Chimaera stared at Fluttershy for a brief moment, then roared in her face. Fluttershy jumped back with a squeal, her newfound bravery instantly gone, and timidly asked, “Are you sure you don’t want to ease up just a bit?”

The Chimaera took a few steps closer, and looked ready to pounce, but, just then, a pony poked her head out of the water and called out, “Hey, furball!” Right when the Chimaera looked in her direction, she fired a burst of water at it, soaking it entirely.

Still just conscious enough to see and talk, Rainbow Dash stated, “That’s her. That’s the pony we saw. The one in the lake. The one with the… fish tail.” And with that, she let her head droop.

With an aggravated roar, the Chimaera spewed flames at the pony, who ducked into the water in time to avoid them completely. A few seconds passed, and then the surface of the pond began to swirl. Twilight could see the silhouette of the pony rocketing to the surface, spinning rapidly, as the water twirled faster and faster. Finally, with a mighty leap, the pony breached the water, bringing a vortex of water with her.

And then, Twilight saw it. Rarity saw it. The fillies saw it. They all gasped when they saw the pony’s tail, for there it was, a fish-like tail, as clear as day, in the place of normal pony hindquarters.

The pony sailed right into the Chimaera, directing the vortex of water right at it. Colliding hard into it, the pony ricocheted off and fell back into the pond, while the water from the vortex splashed onto the beast. The Chimaera, now roughened up and soggy wet, stomped wrathfully at the ground. The pony peeked out of the water again, this time holding a strange orb containing a crystal in her hoof.

“If you think that’s ‘cool,’” she said, imitating Pinkie Pie’s style, “Then why don’t you just… chill… out!” And with that, she chucked the orb at the Chimaera. Once it made contact, the orb shattered, turning into a fine blue dust that began to surround the Chimaera. As it writhed in agony, the Chimaera began to stiffen and crystallize. Slowly its whole body turned to ice, starting from its feet and working up the body to its heads. With a final, drawn out howl, the entire creature was transformed completely into an ice sculpture.

For a moment, everypony stood rooted to the spot. Then, the fillies walked up to the Chimaera and made faces and taunted it, to see if it was still alive. Seeing no response, they shared a sigh of relief.

“You saved us!” Sweetie Belle appreciatively called out to the pony in the water. “And you helped, Rarity!”

“But of course,” Rarity responded, “You’re my sister.”

“Just one question,” Scootaloo piped up, looking at the pony, “Who… I mean, what… I mean, how… I mean… well…”

The pony smiled up at Scootaloo. “I suppose you’re curious about my tail,” she said, “Well, I should have expected that. I’ll explain later, but first, it looks like your friends might need some patching up.”

“Applejack!” Apple Bloom suddenly gasped, and turned to her still unconscious sister. “Is she gonna be all right?” she asked tentatively.

“She’ll be fine,” the pony assured, “Just get her over here so I can heal her.”

“I’ll do it,” Rainbow Dash stated, getting up, “Fluttershy, you take Pinkie Pie.”

Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash flew up to the ledge, grabbed their friends, and lowered them carefully to the pond’s edge, where the pony swam over and examined them. While she did that, the two made another trip for Sweetie Belle and Apple Bloom. Once she was safely on the ground, Sweetie Belle scurried over to Rarity, and the two sisters hugged.

“Oh, Sweetie Belle,” Rarity wheezed affectionately, “When I found out the situation you were in, I was so scared. I thought I was going to lose you.”

“And I thought I would never see you again,” Sweetie Belle replied.

Scootaloo cautiously glided down to the ground. Landing next to Rainbow Dash, she suddenly threw her hooves around her and buried her face into her side, surprising her. “That was so scary!” she sobbed in a muffled voice.

“Whoa, whoa, whoa!” Rainbow Dash exclaimed, pushing Scootaloo aside quickly, “That’s a little too close, sport.” Seeing Scootaloo mope, she reached over and patted her on the head.

“How are they?” Twilight asked, walking over to Pinkie Pie and Applejack, who were lain out side by side on the ground.

In response, the pony pointed at Applejack. “This one’s scratched pretty badly,” she reported, and then pointed to Pinkie Pie. “And this one’s burnt about the same amount. However, it’s nothing I can’t cure,” she added jovially, and dove under the surface. She returned a minute later holding a curious-looking plant in her hooves. The plant was aquamarine in color, with long, curled leaves coming from the stem, and a large tear-shaped bud at the tip. The pony squeezed the stem lightly, and the bud opened to reveal a similarly shaped glob of electric-blue gel, which the pony began to rub on Applejack and Pinkie Pie.

“This should do the trick,” she explained, “It’s Aqua Vera*, a medicinal plant found only underwater. It has amazing restorative qualities, but it only works on injuries on the outer body.”

While the pony applied the Aqua Vera gel, the others decided to get a good look at her. She had a blue-grey coat, with a soft, yellow-green colored mane. Her large, friendly eyes were a beautiful sea green. Instead of nostrils on her snout, there were gills behind her cheeks. As she leaned over Pinkie Pie and Applejack, the others could see a cutie mark on her side: three small orange fishes swimming in formation.

Much to everypony else’s surprise, the Aqua Vera worked fast. Within moments of it being applied, the marks on Applejack were gone, and Pinkie Pie returned to a bright pink coloration. As soon as that happened, the both of them stirred, and slowly opened their eyes.

“What… happened?” Applejack asked quietly.

“Did it… eat me?” Pinkie Pie wondered aloud.

The two of them rose to their feet, looking around. When they noticed the iced Chimaera, Pinkie Pie burst, “Hey, look! The Kimmy… thing turned into a beast-sicle!”

“How in tarnation…?” Applejack began, but then she turned her attention to the pony in front of her. “Who are you?” she asked.

“She’s the pony we saw in the lake!” Pinkie Pie blurted excitedly, bouncing up and down, “The one with the fish tail! She’s the one with the fish tail! Come on, let’s see it!” she requested, staring at the pony with interest.

Blushing, the pony lifted her tail partially out of the water. Applejack nearly fell over in astonishment.

“You’re a… a fish pony?” Applejack remarked.

“Well, ‘fish pony’s’ not exactly the official name for it,” the pony pointed out, “But, yeah, pretty much.”

“Where did you come from?” Twilight asked. “Are there others like you? If there are, how come I’ve never read about you?”

“I’m afraid I don’t have any time to explain,” the pony sadly replied, “I have to get back to where I live, otherwise I’ll be in trouble. Big trouble. How about we meet again sometime? Tomorrow afternoon, maybe? We should might right here, in this cave.”

“Okay, we’ll see ya then,” Pinkie Pie said casually, as if they were planning an everyday meetup.

“By the way,” Rarity uttered, as the pony made to dive down, “Thank you for saving pretty much all our lives just now. I can’t thank you enough for rescuing my dear sister Sweetie Belle.”

“Oh, it was nothing,” the pony said, “Your friends helped me out the other day, so I was simply returning the favor.”

She was about to submerge herself in the water, but then Rarity called out, “Wait! In all of this excitement, we didn’t even ask for your name! How very rude of us!”

“Oh, I don’t mind,” the pony replied, “And my name is Kelptail, but just call me Kelpy.”

And with that, she waved at everypony, and then dipped into the water, out of sight.

*A play on “aqua” and “aloe vera”. No relation to any products that may have this name.

Part 1, Chapter 6

Part 1: Equestrian Secrets
Chapter 6: Twilight’s Preparation

“Let’s not talk about our ‘new friend’ around anypony else, agreed?” Rarity urged everyone, on the way back to Ponyville. Everyone nodded their heads in agreement.

“Um, Rarity?” Fluttershy uttered. “I’m sorry I didn’t look after Sweetie Belle like you told me to. I should’ve been more responsible.”

“All is forgiven,” Rarity replied, with a smile, “I shouldn’t have told you off like that; I was just in such a shock at the moment. Besides, Applejack is a very responsible pony, so it was all right.”

“Okay,” Fluttershy responded, then turned to Applejack. “What were you girls doing in the mountains, anyway?”

“It’s an int'restin' story, really,” Applejack answered, “Y’see, a few days ago, Apple Bloom an’ ‘er friends apparently decided t’go spelunkin’ in the mountains, an’ they were about t’jus’ waltz off when ah decided to stop ‘em an’ ask what they were up to. An’ a good thing, too, ‘cause ‘ey did’n’ even have th’proper equipment. When ah found out where they were headed, ah said that ah simply couldn’t let ‘em go off on their own. ‘It’s dangerous in th’mountains,’ ah told ‘em. But then, they said, ‘so come with us.’ At first, ah said no, but they wore me down lahk a cart full o’ anvils, so ah agreed to take ‘em. We took a couple days t’prepare, an’ left jus’ yesterday. We actu’lly had a lot o’ fun. We spent th’night campin’ in one of th’caves. Earlier t’day, we did a li’l more explorin’, an’ were jus’ about t’head home when that thing appeared.”

“It was just standin’ there, lookin’ at us,” Apple Bloom cut in, “And we were all afraid a bit, ‘cept fer Scootaloo. Isn’t that right, Scootaloo?” Scootaloo tossed her head upward with a proud expression. “Course, then it came fer us,” Apple Bloom continued, with a smirk, “And Scootaloo was runnin’ faster than any of us!”

“Hey!” Scootaloo protested, frowning at Apple Bloom.

“It’s true, you know,” Sweetie Belle added, trotting at Rarity’s side, “Applejack had to use her awesome lassoing skills to keep you from falling off a cliff that one time.” Scootaloo turned and glared at her, then looked down.

“Now, Sweetie Belle,” Rarity interjected, “Promise me you won’t get into anything dangerous ever again.”

“I promise,” Sweetie Belle agreed, “That monster really scared me. It scared all of us. We’re not going to do anything like that again.” She paused briefly, then added, “Unless, of course, all of you will be there to help us.”

Rarity sighed, while the others laughed. And so, they made their way out of the mountains, talking about the exciting things the three fillies experienced while spelunking, about the Chimaera, and, eventually, about Kelpy. Rainbow Dash and Pinkie Pie were happy to relay how they first met her, and how they managed to write and send the letter to Twilight. Twilight and Rarity then talked about their visit in Canterlot, and their late-night research on Kelpy, and how they kept it as a secret from Princess Celestia and Luna. By the time they were finished with their conversation, they had reached the edge of Ponyville, where they split up and went to their homes.

Twilight picked up her pace as she headed for the Library, her mind now full of ideas. There was something that she wanted to do, something that she could look into when she got home. When she arrived, Spike was waiting inside.

“So, how’d it go?” he asked eagerly, when Twilight closed the door behind her. “You girls took off so fast I couldn’t follow you, so I decided to come here and wait until you came back. If you came back. Which you did. So, how was the, um… what was it called again?”

“Chimaera,” Twilight answered enthusiastically, scanning the bookshelves, “And it was pretty terrifying, all right! Just like it said in the books! Luckily for us, there was this-” Twilight stopped herself. She almost brought up Kelpy, which she had just promised not do. Thinking, Twilight continued, “Um, avalanche. Yeah. There was this avalanche in one of the caves, and the Chimaera was trapped in the rocks, but everypony got out safe and sound.”

“Wow!” Spike exclaimed, “I wish I was there!”

“Believe me, you would’ve been amazed at what you saw,” Twilight hinted, taking books out and examining their titles, “Could you help me out, Spike? I’m looking for the book Spells for Exploration. There’s a spell that I want to try out, and I’m pretty sure it’s in there.”

“Spells for Exploration,” Spike repeated, “Got it.” And with that, he scurried off to look for the book.

It only took them a couple of minutes to find the book. When Spike handed it to Twilight, she immediately began flipping through the pages.

“So, whatcha looking for?” Spike asked, rocking back and forth on his feet curiously.

“Oh, nothing important,” Twilight answered firmly, not looking away from the book, “Just something that I suddenly felt like practicing for no apparent reason, and that has nothing to do with anything that’s happened recently.” She stopped to give Spike an assuring smile, then continued browsing.

“Well, is there anything else you’ll need?” Spike asked, with his eyebrows raised.

“Actually, yes,” Twilight answered, “I’m going to need a medium-sized tub filled with water. Put it in the small room, if you please. You know, the one with the door that can be locked so that nopony can look in on what I’m doing… because, um… I’d like to practice in private.”

Spike stared at her for a moment, then shrugged, said, “Alright,” and went outside to search for a tub.

Right after he left, Twilight declared, “Aha! I found it! Now, to study it, so I can practice it, so I can master it. I don’t want to mess it up when I use it later on. It’s going to be very useful in the near future.”

And so, for the rest of the afternoon, Twilight secluded herself in the small library room, with the tub of water and Spells for Exploration. She practiced the spell she found in the book over and over again, with not much success at first. Spike, who stopped every now and then to listen at the door, could hear nothing but splashes, sputtering gasps, and growls of frustration.

“Argh, this spell is trickier than I thought!” Spike overheard Twilight fuming at one point. Spike wanted to knock and ask how Twilight was doing, but he knew she didn’t like being disturbed when she was focusing on something.

Eventually, Twilight managed to cast the spell perfectly. After that, she tried it again and again to make sure she had the hang of it, and was pleased to find the same results. Hearing her squeals of joy, Spike went over to the door and reached to open it, but then Twilight flung it open, sending him flying.

“I did it, Spike!” Twilight cried. “I mastered the spell!”

“That’s great,” Spike said, holding his aching head, “What spell is it?”

“Oh, just… something to do with water,” Twilight responded, looking behind her into the room. Seeing that she left the book open to the page she was studying, she quickly shut it with her unicorn magic as Spike entered the room. The first things Spike noticed were the puddles of water on the floor.

“Whoa,” he remarked, “Whatever that spell is, you must've done a lot of practicing. I suppose I should mop this up,” he added with a sigh.

“Actually, I think I can handle it,” Twilight stated.

“Really?” Spike asked incredulously.

“Of course,” Twilight insisted, “This is my mess, so I should be the one clean it up.”

Spike leaned toward Twilight and looked her precariously in the eye. Twilight stared back with a nervous smile. Spike made a passive noise, then walked away.

“In that case, I’m heading over to Sugarcube Corner,” he said, “Pinkie Pie made a brand-new type of cupcake, and she wants me to try it.”

When he left, Twilight picked up the mop and bucket via unicorn magic, and took them into the room. As she swabbed the floor, she thought to herself. With the mastery of this new spell, her plan was now confirmed. She wondered if she should pack anything, but then she realized that nothing she had was very waterproof, and even the new spell couldn’t change that. She thought and thought and thought of other possibilities and ideas, and it took her a while to realize that the floor was now completely dry.

Setting down the bucket and mop, Twilight mumbled proudly to herself, “Got it all under control.”

That night, Twilight went to bed early, arousing Spike’s suspicion even more. He brought home one of Pinkie Pie’s new cupcakes, but Twilight told him she would try it in the morning. Even as she snuggled up comfortably under her blanket, Twilight found it hard to sleep. She was just too anxious about tomorrow afternoon. Thoughts were running through her head nonstop. She tossed and turned, and tapped impatiently with her hooves. It seemed like she wouldn’t be able to fall asleep at all that night. Eventually, though, her eyelids grew heavy, and she slowly, but surely, drifted into sleep.

Part 1, Chapter 7

Part 1: Equestrian Secrets
Chapter 7: The Meeting with Kelpy

The next morning went by fairly quick for Twilight. For all she remembered, she woke up, had breakfast, took a stroll around town, and then had lunch. While the day itself seemed to zoom by, the afternoon seemed to take forever to arrive. Twilight found herself thinking so hard on this phenomenon that she didn’t notice her friends gathering at her table, and almost jumped when they said her name.

“Wha-! Oh, hey, girls,” she spluttered, “Funny seeing you here.”

“Well, we did agree to meet at this exact place and time,” Rarity stated, “Remember?”

“Oh, yes, that’s right,” Twilight commented. They were all seated at a table in front of a simple diner. Twilight had eaten her lunch here, and had been just sitting around when the others arrived.

Looking around, Twilight noticed that the three fillies weren’t with the others. “Where are Apple Bloom, Sweetie Belle, and Scootaloo?” she asked, half-concerned.

“Oh, y’know those fillies,” Applejack said, waving a hoof, “Off’n their silly shenanigans again. Our… new frien’ gave ‘em some more ideas. Ah made ‘em swear not t’do anythin’ dangerous, so they’ll be all right.”

“I was almost surprised that they didn’t want to come with us,” Rarity added.

“Yeah, who’d want to miss this?” Rainbow Dash interjected.

“Well, I guess we’re going without them, then,” Twilight said, “Everypony ready?”

“Yuppy guppy!” Pinkie Pie exclaimed gleefully. Next to her, Fluttershy nodded quietly. She looked a little timid, but not more than usual.

“In that case, let’s go!” Twilight announced, standing up. With an ecstatic cheer, her friends followed her in the direction of the mountains.

Not in a hurry to save anyone’s life this time, they trotted the whole way, admiring the scenery as they went. When they finally reached the mountains, they instinctively knew which cave to enter. Strolling through the tunnel, they came to the pool. They could see that the frozen Chimaera was still on the ledge up above. To them, it wasn’t as intimidating now as when it was first transformed, though Fluttershy still shuddered at the sight of it.

“Well, here we are,” Rarity thought aloud, “Now, we wait.”

They all sat in a row on the pool’s edge, staring eagerly into the water. Their enthusiasm dampened after several minutes went by with no sign of Kelpy. Rainbow Dash grew impatient quickly, and began meandering about the cave. Eventually, Pinkie Pie, Applejack, Rarity, and even Fluttershy joined her. They did whatever they could to pass the time: talking, kicking pebbles around, getting up on the ledge to take a closer look at the frozen Chimaera. Twilight remained by the pool, staring so hard into the water that she felt like she was slowly sinking into it. She was confident that Kelpy would show up, but she wasn’t sure when that would happen.

The others were engaged in a sport like game, in which they kicked a pebble around like a soccer ball, when Twilight suddenly announced, “There she is!” Hearing this, the others immediately stopped and rushed over to the pool. Twilight rose to her feet as the surface of the water stirred, and a shadow approaching the surface took form. Within moments Kelpy emerged, met with a joyous reception from Twilight and friends. Accepting it with blushing cheeks, she said, “It was nice of you to wait for me. Were you waiting for very long?”

The girls insisted politely that it was nothing.

“In that case,” Kelpy replied, “Where should we start?” Right when she said it, everyone but Twilight bombarded her with questions.

“Where did you come from?”

“How did ya know we were bein’ attacked by that horrible beast?”

“What was that awesome crystal thing you used?”

“How do you keep your mane looking so nice?”

“Do you have any underwater pets?”

“What’s your favorite flavor of cake?”

“Can you teach me that really cool move you pulled off yesterday?”

“How come nopony else ‘as seen yer kind before?”

“Does that plant you used have rejuvenating qualities, too?”

“Do you have your parties underwater?”

Kelpy gave a nervous smile. “My, that’s… a lot of questions,” she commented, looking away, “I don’t even know which one to answer first.”

“I have an important question,” Twilight cut in quietly. Everyone looked curiously at her. She cleared her throat and asked, “Just what are you?”

“Me? Well, I’m a hippocampus pony,” Kelpy answered, “That’s the official name for our kind.”

“What a dazzling name,” Rarity complimented.

“I like ‘Sea Pony’ better,” Rainbow Dash remarked.

“‘Your kind’? So there are others like you?” Twilight continued.

“Well, of course!” Kelpy declared, “There are civilizations full of us! We’re an entire race of ponies!”

“Then how come you don’t appear in accounts of Equestrian history?” Twilight inquired.

“Well, the thing with that is,” Kelpy pointed out, “We’ve been living in seclusion from the surface ponies since before Equestria was founded. While we learn all about you, we’ve been keeping ourselves hidden away, so your kind doesn’t even know we exist.”

“But… why?” Twilight questioned, shocked.

“To tell you the truth, I don’t know why,” Kelpy responded nervously, “Whenever we ask our leaders, they refuse to tell us. We always assume that it is for either our own safety or 'the good of ponykind.'” When she finished, Kelpy sighed gloomily.

“It’s alright,” Twilight assured, “Maybe we could figure it out together.”

“But how?” Kelpy inquired, “All known records of pre-Equestrian hippocampus history are hidden away somewhere beneath the surface.”

“What if we helped you look for them?” Twilight proposed. Kelpy half-giggled in response.

“That’s nice of you to offer,” she stated, “But your kind can hardly survive underwater. I mean, you’ve got those mask things, but those aren’t going to last long enough for you to do a good, thorough search of the ocean depths.”

“Oh, that’s not a problem for us,” Twilight uttered confidently. Everyone gave her a surprised look.

“What do you mean, it’s not a problem?” Rainbow Dash asked doubtfully.

“Well, what I mean is,” Twilight boldly proclaimed, “I have a spell that can help us!”

“What kind of spell?” everyone asked eagerly.

“A spell that will allow us to breathe underwater!” Twilight declared. Her friends gasped in excitement. “I practiced it as soon as I returned home after the 'event' yesterday,” Twilight continued, “And I’ve managed to perfect it. Perfectly.” Her friends cheered.

“Well, if it really works right,” Kelpy explained, “Then I could take you to my hometown, where we could hunt for information on where those hidden records might be. It’s a start...”

“Then it’s settled,” Twilight concluded. She tilted her head forward and screwed up her face in concentration. Her horn lit up, and a magenta-violet aura enveloped her body. As the light intensified, the others, except for Kelpy, were also shrouded in the glow. The light from Twilight’s horn blazed its brightest, and a blue-tinted substance began to encase their bodies. Once they were all completely covered in a layer of the substance, the light vanished completely.

“Hey, what is this?” Rainbow Dash asked, when she noticed it. Her voice sounded slightly muffled and warped, as if she were speaking through a window of some sort.

“It’s a waterproof covering,” Twilight explained, “It’s like a skintight bubble.”

“Cool! I love bubbles!” Pinkie Pie shouted excitedly.

“It feels so comfortable,” Rarity crooned pleasantly.

After her friends took a moment to adjust to their strange new coatings, Twilight proudly straightened herself up.

“This is it, girls,” she declared, “The start of a new adventure. Underneath the surface of this pool awaits a valiant quest for the truth. There’s no knowing what we will find, who we will meet, or even where we will go. Who knows what new friends we will make along the journey? Who knows what dangers we will face? Who knows-?”

“Ah think we git th’idea,” Applejack interrupted, as politely as she could.

“The very thought of it overwhelms me,” Rarity wondered aloud.

“I love making new friends!” Pinkie Pie blurted out.

“I don’t know, that part about the dangers sounded a little… dangerous,” Fluttershy mumbled.

“Aw yeah!” Rainbow Dash proclaimed. “We’re gonna have an awesome time! Let’s go, already, before I get too bored!”

Disappointed she couldn’t finish her speech, but eager to move on, anyway, Twilight turned to Kelpy. “We’re ready,” she stated firmly.

“In that case, follow me!” Kelpy called out. With a quick turn, she dove below the surface. She swam for a moment, then stopped and turned, waiting. The girls gathered around the pool’s edge. They stared nervously at the water for a brief moment, then Pinkie Pie leapt in, shouting, “Cannonball!” As she smacked into the surface and sank, water splashed onto the girls, rolling down their protective bubbles.

“I can’t feel a thing,” Rarity observed, almost astonished, “These really do work!”

Pinkie Pie popped her head out of the water. “Of course they work!” she cheered. “I can even talk really fast down there!”

“Believe me, we don’t need to worry about that,” Rainbow Dash teased.

The others laughed lightheartedly at Rainbow Dash’s joke, even Pinkie Pie, and everyone jumped in, one by one, amazed by the effect of the spell. Once they got the hang of swimming around, Kelpy turned around and headed towards an opening near the bottom of the pool. The girls followed her into an underwater tunnel, moved by a feeling of wonder.

Part 1, Chapter 8

Part 1: Equestrian Secrets
Chapter 8: The Underwater City

Kelpy proceeded through the underwater tunnel, with the girls following as close behind as they could. Of course, her fish tail made for more adept swimming, so every now and then she had to stop to allow them to catch up.

“It’s so… nice in here,” Fluttershy wondered aloud, noting the billowing groups of seaweed lined along the tunnel.

“Yeah, I love seaweed,” Kelpy mentioned, turning around to talk to the girls, while still swimming onward, “It’s so soft, and smooth. Sometimes I just hang out in kelp beds whenever I’m feeling lazy. I guess you could say that’s where I get my name.”

“So that’s why you were caught in seaweed when we first met you,” Rainbow Dash uttered.

“Well, yes,” Kelpy confirmed, “There was a particularly dense clump of seaweed in that lake. It felt really nice, but I moved around a lot, and it began to wrap around my tail. Before I knew it, I was stuck, and squirming around only entangled it worse. Lucky for me, you two came along,” she added, looking at Rainbow Dash and Pinkie Pie.

“Lucky for us, too!” Pinkie Pie replied excitedly. “I never thought I’d meet a pony like you! Well, I did have a dream in which everypony had fish tails, but that doesn’t count, because I knew it wasn’t real. But now, I have a friend who really does have a fish tail!”

“And who would that be?” asked Kelpy, a little confused.

“Why, you, silly!” Pinkie Pie answered.

“You think I’m your… friend?” Kelpy questioned nervously.

“Well, of course!” Pinkie Pie insisted. “How could we not be friends, after everything we’ve done so far?”

“It’s nice of you to consider me a friend,” Kelpy stated, “I haven’t really made any friends. I mean, I get along with everypony just fine, but… let’s just say that living in a society concealed from the world has sort of had an effect on me.”

“I know how you feel,” Twilight assured with a smile, “A long time ago, I didn’t really pay much attention to making friends, either. Then I came to Ponyville, and I discovered what a wonderful thing friendship is. You should give it a try.”

“Thanks,” Kelpy responded, “I think I’ll start with you girls. Will you all be my friends?”

“Sure!” they all answered in unison.

And so, they swam on. The tunnel soon ended, opening up to a broad stretch of ocean floor. Hills of rocks and coral, topped with seaweed and other aquatic plants, decorated the landscape. Kelpy stopped and turned to face the girls.

“Alright, my hometown is a few minutes’ swim from here,” she reported, “Just stay by me. There are lots of marine creatures here.”

“Ma-marine creatures?” Fluttershy stammered uneasily.

“Don’t worry, it’s mostly just small fish,” Kelpy explained. She swam off in a slower pace than before, and the girls followed along.

After swimming for a while, the girls spotted something in the distance. An immense rock formation loomed up ahead. It was extremely wide, and stretched beyond the surface. To the girls, it looked like an underwater fortress wall. Kelpy beckoned the girls to keep close as she headed for it.

Once they were close to it, Kelpy held up a hoof to tell the girls to stop for a moment. Looking around, she spotted a boulder larger than she was, covered in moss. She went up to it, and began to swim rapidly in circles in front of it. Her movements stirred up a current that surrounded the boulder. To the girls’ amazement, the boulder gradually rotated with the current, and slowly lifted up from its spot, revealing an opening in the rock formation. Kelpy stopped swimming in circles and entered, motioning for the girls to follow. Once they were all inside, the boulder returned to its original position, blocking the entrance. It was dim inside, but light shone from ahead.

“Stay with me,” Kelpy reminded, as they swam in the direction of the light, “I don’t know how everyone’s going to react when they see you, but I don’t want them to think you just strayed in here on your own.”

Continuing on, the group soon entered an open area. Sunlight beamed down from the surface above, and the reflection of the ripples illuminated the scene. What the girls saw made them gasp in awe.

“Welcome… to the hippocampus city of Oceanopolis,” Kelpy proudly announced.

Before them lay a collection of buildings of various color, size, and shape, arranged neatly in rows. Each building had circular, barnacle-like windows here and there, and a round door or two set a ways above the ground. Streets paved with a scaly-looking material ran between the rows of buildings.

The girls could see vividly colored figures bustling about. They were all hippocampus ponies, just like Kelpy, their fish tails swishing back and forth as they moved from place to place. In diversity they were equivalent to the residents of Ponyville. Some of them were accompanied by other creatures, including crustaceans, manta rays, and many different types of fish.

Kelpy pressed on, and the girls trailed along nervously, walking on the street. As they passed them by, the other hippocampus ponies stopped and stared at them. Some looked appalled, others curious. One little filly gazed so intently at them that she forgot to catch a round, shell-like object her friend had tossed to her, and it bumped into the side of her head.

“Okay,” Kelpy uttered, falling back to swim alongside the girls, “We need to look for information on where the hidden records might be… well, hidden.”

“Do you have something like a library here?” Twilight asked.

“Well, yes,” Kelpy answered, “Although I don’t know if we would find anything on them there. They're hidden for a reason. Even if there was any information on them, it would probably have been confiscated by now. Our chief wouldn’t want just anypony to go and look for them.”

“So they’re that big of a deal, huh?” Rainbow Dash remarked.

“Well, if he’s so intent on keeping it a secret,” Twilight suggested, “Then maybe he knows where they are.”

“I suppose asking him might be the most… logical option,” Kelpy stated, “But he probably won’t even tell us.”

“Well,” Rarity spoke up, “Perhaps, with a little persuasion, he might see reason and-”

“Oh my gosh!” Fluttershy exclaimed suddenly, zipping over to a market stall set up next to a large building resembling a fancy conch shell. All over the stall were glass boxes and cages filled with various creatures. A sign next to the stall read, “Freshly Caught! 10% Off Today Only!”

“I’ve never seen so many uncommon marine creatures in one place before!” Fluttershy tittered excitedly. She pointed out a number of them, saying their names out loud. “That’s a Huffpuff Fish! And those are Mini Minnows! And there’s a Silver Goldfish! And-” she gasped. “Are those Paper Lantern Jellyfish I see? Girls! They have Paper Lantern Jellyfish!”

When she turned to her friends, she noticed them giving her an odd look. Blushing, she explained, “I like underwater animals just as much as land animals.”

A hippocampus pony emerged from the conch-shaped building and spotted Fluttershy by the stall. “Hey, you! Get away from those animals!” she shrieked, quickly swimming over to her.

“Oh, sorry,” Fluttershy mumbled, backing away, “I was just having a look.”

“‘Just havin’ a look,’ eh?” the pony repeated in a doubtful tone, “Is that what you came all this way for? Just to have a look at our pets?”

“Well, no,” Fluttershy muttered nervously, “Y’see, we were just-”

“How did you even get here, anyway?” the pony interrupted impatiently, “You earth ponies aren’t supposed to know about our city! You’re not supposed to be here!”

“Well,” Fluttershy began, “We came here with our friend-”

“Intruders!” the pony cried out, ignoring her. “Guards! We’ve been infiltrated!”

Fluttershy shrank away from the pony and went back to her friends, who looked at each other in worry.

“We’re in trouble, now,” Rainbow Dash commented quietly.

Within a few moments, hippocampus guard ponies came from every direction and surrounded them. Their helmets resembled dorsal fins, and each carried a trident, which they pointed at the group.

“Yeah, big trouble,” Rainbow Dash muttered.

“You are trespassing in hippocampus pony civilization!” one guard barked at them, “You are to be taken to Chief Freshwater! He will decide what to do with you!”

“Wait!” Kelpy shouted, swimming in front of the girls, “It’s not their fault! They didn’t just wander in here! I… I led them here…”

All the nearby hippocampus ponies gasped in response.

“In that case,” the guard replied passively, “You shall go with them!”

And with that, the guards lifted their tridents and began swimming in the same direction, pushing the group along with them.

“Well, we’re going to get an audience with the leader, just like we planned,” Rarity whispered to the others, “Although I’m sure this isn’t how we were hoping to do so…”

They pressed on, heading towards a large, castle-like building in the center of the city.

Part 1, Chapter 9

Part 1: Equestrian Secrets
Chapter 9: Chief of Oceanopolis

Inside the castle-like building, in a room with a window overlooking the city, an indigo hippocampus pony swam worriedly back and forth with his hands folded behind him. His neat hair and goatee were nearly dark grey in color, with a bluish tint. The image of a sparkling drop of water adorned his flanks. Around his neck he wore a necklace with an unnaturally shiny white seashell.

“Oh, what has that Kelptail been up to?” he asked himself, “She’s been leaving the city more often than usual. I just hope she isn’t venturing beyond hippocampus boundaries; there’s nothing but trouble out there.”

Just then, a knock came from the large double doors on the other side of the room. It opened, and a guard poked his head in.

“Sir,” he addressed, “A group of surface ponies has been discovered within the city. We have brought them to you.”

“Surface ponies?” the pony repeated quizzically, “How did they get here? How could they have gotten here?”

“One of the citizens led them here,” the guard answered plainly.

“I think I could guess who that would be,” the pony commented snidely, “Alright, bring them in, then.”

Both doors were opened, revealing the girls and Kelpy, who had been waiting nervously. The guards pushed them into the room, saluted the pony, and exited, closing the doors behind them. The girls looked at him in wonder, but Kelpy stared down at the floor.

“You must be Chief Freshwater,” Rarity said, stepping forward and extending her hoof in invitation. From the looks of her cordial behavior, one could hardly guess that she was actually very nervous.

“Yes, that would be me,” the pony replied, giving Rarity an unsettling look. He took no notice of her hoof, so she moved it back. “So, surface ponies,” he continued, “Ponies of the earth and the sky, but not the sea. And yet, here you stand, on an ocean floor civilization, still able to breathe, mind you. And you,” he added, turning to Kelpy, who continued to avert his gaze, “I’m hearing that you brought them to our city. What is the meaning of this, Kelpy? How could you expose surface ponies to our concealed existence?”

Kelpy didn’t respond, or move, or even look up from the floor.

“Hey, leave her alone!” Rainbow Dash interjected. She walked up to Chief Freshwater and glared directly into his eyes. “The reason we’re here,” she snapped, “Is because we want to know why you guys have been hiding away in the first place!”

“How dare you!” the chief exclaimed in response, “I’ll have you know that our ancestors made an agreement to live in isolation from the surface ponies!”

“And why is that?” Rainbow Dash asked loudly.

“That is on a need-to-know basis!” the chief bellowed.

“Well, we need to know!” Rainbow Dash retorted.

“You are in no position to talk about what should and should not be done!” the chief roared, raising himself up, “You barged into our civilization, you disrupted the peace of our society, and you have shown utter disregard for our way of life! I may be merciful now, but if I weren't, I would have you all bound in fishing net and cast into the deepest depths of the ocean faster than you can say-!”

“Father, wait!” Kelpy suddenly cried, looking up. She swam between Rainbow Dash and the chief.

“Father?” the girls repeated.

“Take it easy on them, please!” Kelpy pleaded, “They don’t know what’s going on! They’re just curious, that’s all! They didn’t mean any offense towards our people!”

“I should hope not,” the chief responded glumly, sinking back to the floor, “Now, I’ll ask again, Kelpy: What is the meaning of this?”

Kelpy sighed, and told him about everything that had happened between her and the girls: how they first discovered her at the lake, how she saved them from the Chimaera, and how they eventually decided to investigate the mystery behind the hippocampus ponies.

“So, you see,” she finished, “We just wanted to look for the hidden records of ancient hippocampus history.”

Chief Freshwater tapped his chin in thought. “You’ve all come a long way for something so important,” he said to the girls.

“So, you’ll tell us where they are?” Fluttershy asked hopefully.

“Sorry, but no,” the chief replied, “You see, these records are not only hidden, they are also secretive, more so than our race as a whole. They were put away for a reason.”

“Whatever secrets they hold, they couldn’t be that bad,” Rainbow Dash objected.

Giving Rainbow Dash a reproachful look, the chief insisted, “They tell of dark times, times of war and unrest. The story they bear is not one to be sought lightly.”

“We seek them because we want to know the truth, nothing more,” Twilight stated, “Perhaps if you knew who we were, you would understand. I’m Twi-”

“Twilight Sparkle,” the chief interrupted, then pointed to the others, “And the rest of you are Rainbow Dash, Pinkie Pie, Rarity, Applejack, and Fluttershy. You girls have saved Equestria twice, once from eternal night and once from chaos. Yes, yes, I know all about you.”

Kelpy’s eyes widened. “You girls are heroes?” she asked in amazement.

“It’s nice to see that somepony recognizes us for our deeds,” Rarity commented daintily.

“Believe it or not,” the chief continued, “We stay pretty well updated on the news of your surface kingdom.”

“Then y’all know ‘bout Princess Celestia?” Applejack checked.

“Why, of course!” the chief declared almost immediately, “She has ruled Equestria for over one thousand years!”

“An’ does she know ‘bout y’all?” Applejack proceeded.

“Of course she does,” the chief answered, with much less vigor, “She meets with all hippocampus leaders regularly. She agreed to maintain the decision between us and the alicorns.”

“The… alicorns?” Twilight reacted, gaping, “There are alicorns, too?”

“Indeed there are,” the chief stated, “Though, of course, they’ve hidden themselves away, as well. But, seeing as you are now aware of us, you might as well-”

“How can you all stand to isolate yourselves like that?” Twilight blared out, looking dismayed, “How can you endorse love and toleration, and at the same time keep each other separated like this? What happened that was so bad it caused all of ponykind to drift apart?”

Chief Freshwater looked into Twilight’s eyes and sighed. “To tell you the truth,” he replied quietly, “I don’t even know. For generations, we’ve been keeping the records completely hidden away. We’ve never even looked at them, so even we don’t know what they say. From leader to leader, the promise to guard them has been passed down, and nothing more.”

Everyone looked at him, speechless. “Father,” Kelp uttered, “I… I’m so sorry. If only I’d known that… all this time, you were just trying to keep us safe …”

“You don’t need to apologize,” the chief pointed out, “I’ve been more ruthless about it than I needed to be. And I’ve seen how this secrecy has affected the hippocampus ponies. We allowed them to learn of the surface world so they wouldn’t go up and look for themselves, but then we caged them in so they wouldn’t accidentally reveal us. For the most part, we’ve been happy all this time, but even I can see the flickers of misery in the hippocampus ponies. The more independent out of us have instead been afflicted with fear- fear of the unknown, of what could happen to us. Every now and then, I wonder if there’s a better way for us to live our lives.”

For a moment, no one spoke. Then, Twilight walked up to the chief.

“But there is a better way,” she explained softly, “If we could figure out what caused this rift, and fix it, then you won’t have to hide anymore. So, we need to know what it was that happened between the ponies.”

After taking a brief moment to think about it, the chief finally admitted, “I suppose you’re right. Those records may be the key to uniting the ponies.”

Pinkie Pie gave a holler. “And here I thought he would never give up!” she exclaimed casually, looking around triumphantly at her friends.

The chief dismissed her comment by clearing his throat. As he swam over to his desk, he announced, “You’ll need a map, since the sea is much more vast than any land mass. Now, where did I put it… ah, here it is!” He pulled out a wrinkly map, made of a material similar in appearance to paper, and set it on the desk. “This happens to have the precise location in which the records are kept,” he explained.

The girls walked up to the desk and examined the map. To them it was breath taking, since it depicted a world that they were just visiting for the very first time. Symbols with names indicated hippocampus civilizations. Also noted were various oceanic landmarks, including things that could be seen above the surface, as well. After scanning the entire map, Rainbow Dash looked up and said, “It doesn’t… look like it has the location of the records.”

“Well, of course not,” the chief stated matter-of-factly, “Otherwise anypony could steal it and look for them. The location is on this map, but it’s concealed by magic, which is why,” he held up his seashell charm with one hoof and smiled admiringly, “You would need to consult the leader in order to learn of it.”

Bending over the map, he touched the seashell down onto a blank spot. The seashell sparkled and made a harmonious ringing sound, as an image instantly faded into view on the spot. In mere seconds it looked as if it had been on the map the whole time. The girls gasped in awe, even Kelpy.

Straightening up, the chief pronounced, “Here is where your journey for the hidden records will take you. The ruins of the Sunken Temple.”

“The Sunken Temple,” Kelpy whispered in wonder, “I thought it was just a myth.”

“Oh, it’s real,” the chief insisted, “Not that I’ve seen it. You must be careful, though. Vicious sea creatures and renegade tribes have been known to inhabit the surrounding region. I’d go with you, but I must stay here and fulfill my duties as leader, not to mention it would arouse suspicion. Now, before you head out, it would be best if you could safely roam the streets without being reported again.” He pulled out a sheet of the same paper-like material and wrote something on it with a pen-like tool. When he finished, he stamped the paper with a seal matching his cutie mark, then rolled it up and handed it to Kelpy.

“You have to promise me one thing,” he added, suddenly looking grave.

“Yes?” The girls asked curiously.

“Don’t mention any of this to anypony,” the chief ordered.

“We won’t, father,” Kelpy assured, with a quick bow. She rolled up the map and took it in her other hoof. And with that, the girls turned and headed for the double doors.

As they left the room, the chief remarked, “Oh, and one more thing: do try not to cause any more trouble while you’re here. I would appreciate it.”

Part 1, Chapter 10

Part 1: Equestrian Secrets
Chapter 10: Kelpy’s House

Showing the guards the message from Chief Freshwater, the girls were able to exit the building without any trouble. Once they were back on the streets, Kelpy suggested, “Let’s stop by my house before we leave. Y’know, to suit up for the journey.”

Interested to see where Kelpy lived, the girls agreed. With Kelpy leading, they made their way through Oceanopolis. The other hippocampus ponies, now fully aware of the presence of “surface ponies”, were no longer shocked to see them, though many still ogled them curiously as they passed by.

Soon, they arrived at a house that resembled a branch of pinkish-white coral. By the look of the texture, it seemed to be made of the very material, too. A garden of bizarre flowers lay in front.

“Could someone open the door for me?” Kelpy asked, gesturing towards the smooth stone door, “As you can see, my hands are full.”

“Oh, of course!” Rarity announced. She used her unicorn magic to pull the door open, and the girls swam to it and entered.

The house was very spacious on the inside. The layout revolved around the ability to freely move upward and downward. Instead of stairs leading to higher levels, doors on the ceiling indicated rooms above. Most of the bookshelves and cabinets and such went from the ceiling down or stood separate on the wall, some stretching all the way to the floor. Bench-like couches and chairs connected to the wall here and there, and more rested on the floor. Aside from the strange style of arrangement, the furniture and decorations were relatively normal, albeit noticeably aquatic-themed for the most part.

“Nice place you got,” Pinkie Pie commented casually.

Just as Rarity closed the door behind her, a scuttling sound came from an open doorway nearby. A minute crab appeared and scurried over to Kelpy. Every part of its shiny-shelled body was some variation or other of the color red, except for its large, black, beady eyes, which glared at Kelpy in an adorably cross manner. Fluttershy’s eyes widened when she saw it.

“That’s a Ruby Crab!” she gasped, “Oh, it’s so cute!”

“His name is Snappy,” Kelpy said plainly, “And for a very good reason, too. He’s my pet crab. He may be troublesome at times, but he’s generally harmless. So there’s no need to be afraid,” she added, looking at Rarity, who had swum onto a chair and was looking at the crab uneasily.

Snappy, still looking miffed, clicked its pincers at Kelpy, who gave an exasperated sigh.

“Yes, Snappy, I know,” she responded gruffly, “I’m not supposed to bring surface ponies here, yes, yes. Everypony already knows they’re here, so it’s not a big deal anymore.”

She listened as Snappy clicked its pincers in reply, then explained, “We’re not staying here. We’re going to go somewhere. For a bit.”

Again Snappy answered with its pincers. When it finished, Kelpy retorted, “That is none of your business. All you need to know is that I’m going to be away for some time.”

Snappy clicked out another reply, this time hopping up and down furiously. Kelpy’s moody face eased.

“Oh, did I forget again?” she checked, “Aw, I’m sorry. You could’ve just told me.”

She glided out of the room, with Snappy following. After a brief moment, she reentered, unaccompanied by her pet.

“Sometimes, when I go out, I forget to give him food,” she explained, blushing. Swimming over to the girls, she continued, “So, we need to prepare for a possibly long journey.”

“Oh, I wish I’d brought my waterproof bag,” Rarity pouted, “It would’ve been so handy.”

“That’s okay, you can use mine,” Kelpy suggested, “I have a few extras.” She opened a closet door and brought out four bags. “Though I should mention,” she added, putting one on to show the girls, “They’re a little… more suited for hippocampus ponies like me.”

Rarity, Pinkie Pie, and Twilight slipped into the remaining three, and the girls could see what Kelpy meant. The pouches sat sideways on their waists, but for Kelpy, whose torso was vertical, they were upright.

“Well, it shouldn’t be much of a problem,” Rarity commented, giving them a look that said otherwise.

“Then let’s get packing!” Kelpy announced, and the girls split up and explored the house. They gathered food, books with helpful information, and other things, including items the girls weren’t familiar with. When they were done, they reunited in the living room, where they reexamined the map.

“Okay, so, the Sunken Temple is north of Oceanopolis,” Kelpy described, gesturing on the map, “The safest route would be to cross the Gaping Chasm here, and then go through the Noiseter Beds. After that, we’ll be in the dangerous territory my father warned about. It would be best to go straight through to the Geyser Fields at that point. By the looks of it, the Sunken Temple must be right smack in the middle of it.”

After putting the map and the chief’s note in her bag, Kelpy looked around at the girls and stated, “We’re about to embark on a perilous journey no hippocampus pony has made before, to discover secrets which have forbidden for ages. Are we ready?” The girls responded in turn.

“Ready!”

"Yahoo!"

"Hooray!"

"Aw yeah!"

"Quite."

"Okay."

The girls made for the door, but before they could reach it, a knocking sound came from it, followed by a male voice. “Kelpy? Are you home?”

Kelpy swam ahead of the girls and opened it. A yellowish-orange hippocampus pony with a maroon and golden-yellow striped mane was standing (or at least the underwater equivalent) just outside the doorway. The girls gasped when they saw him, for atop his head was-

“A horn?” Twilight blurted in amazement. “You’re… an underwater unicorn?”

“Yes,” Kelpy answered, “Some of us hippocampus ponies have a horn, and some of us don’t. He’s an Aquaricorn.”

“Aquaricorn,” the girls repeated in awe.

“So,” the pony said coolly, looking at the girls, “These must be the surface ponies I heard about. Y’know, the ones that ‘intruded’ on our hometown.” he added, smiling teasingly at Kelpy.

“Yes, they are,” Kelpy replied, “Girls, this is Sun Splash. He’s my father’s Recreational Advisor, so he takes care of events in Oceanopolis. Sun Splash, these are my friends.”

“You made friends with a bunch of surface ponies?” Sun Splash asked, raising his eyebrows, but he lit up as he continued, “That sounds great, Kelpy! You sure have an eye for foreigners!” As he patted Kelpy on the shoulder, the girls could see his cutie mark: a sun wearing shades, its rays resembling waves.

“Thanks, but we need to get going,” Kelpy pointed out anxiously, “Places to go, things to see, you get the drift.”

“Takin’ ‘em on a little tour, eh?” Sun Splash said with a grin, “I like it. Have fun, and take care, all of you.” And with that, he waved to the girls and swam off. The girls exited the house, and touched down on the ground in front of the garden.

“We should get going now,” Kelpy uttered, “The sooner, the better.”

“Right,” the girls responded, and together they followed kelpy as she led the way to the city entrance.

Meanwhile, at Canterlot, Celestia was out on the highest balcony, watching the skies carefully. She flinched when Luna appeared by her side.

“Looking for something, sister?” Luna asked lightly.

“You know what I’m looking for,” Celestia answered firmly, “Whatever signs may point to the coming of what we fear.”

“How long have you been here?” Luna inquired worriedly.

“Since lunch,” Celestia sighed, gazing at a far off cloud.

“You can’t do this all day every day,” Luna admonished, “It’s not healthy. And what would your subjects think if they were to find out their ruler spends all her time staring into the heavens? You’ll only bring more pressure to yourself.” Using her unicorn magic, she brought a levitating cup filled with liquid to Celestia. “Here, drink up,” she offered.

Celestia took a slow sip from the cup, then stated, “I know I shouldn’t be so attentive, but… this is more serious than anything we’ve dealt with before. I just don’t want to be caught off guard.”

“And you won’t be,” Luna assured, putting her hoof on her sister’s shoulder, “You’ve already taken measures to ensure that. You’ve sent word to every leader in Equestria to be on the alert, and you’ve tasked Canterlot security with keeping a close watch inside and out. They are all watching the skies for you.”

“But still,” Celestia disagreed, “I feel that it’s not enough. I need to be sure.”

“‘Better safe than sorry,’ I suppose,” Luna remarked, drinking from her own cup.

“Are you not worried?” Celestia asked nervously, turning to her sister.

“I am very much worried,” Luna replied gravely, “My fear for the future is as great as yours, if not greater. But I know that there is nothing we can do about it for now, except be ready for it. And we are as ready as can be.”

“I guess you’re right,” Celestia noted submissively. Without another word, she continued to drink from her cup. When she finished, she looked out in the direction of the Sculpture Garden. “Luna?” she muttered.

“Yes, sister?” Luna answered.

“You remember that one night, when we went into the Sculpture Garden?”

“Yes, I remember it very clearly.”

“You know about how you said you could sense… something, as we passed by the statues?”

“What of it?”

“…I think I feel it, too.”

Celestia looked at Luna, eyes trembling in despair. Luna paused for a moment, then smiled warmly.

“Come,” she declared, turning and entering the building, “Let us go inside.”

After one more look at the sky, Celestia followed her sister.

“At times like these,” she explained, “When I find myself stressed, there is something that often comforts me.”

“And what is that?” Luna asked hopefully.

Celestia laid down on a cushion, then said, “Well, somepony, actually: Twilight Sparkle.”

Luna seated herself on a cushion next to Celestia.

“For some reason, I always feel relaxed when I look at her reports,” Celestia continued, “To read of her experiences, and see what she’s learned, and the progress she’s made, it makes me… confident.”

“And you have every reason to be,” Luna affirmed, “Twice, she has saved our world from ruin. She freed me from the darkness that held me… from… myself…” She stared into space for a moment, then cleared her throat and continued, “She is very studious and observant, just like you.”

“Yes, she is,” Celestia uttered, “In fact, I feel that there is something she knows. Maybe not about this, but she’s found out something. Something important. I could sense it in her as I saw her off. Perhaps we should write her a letter.”

“If it will make you feel better,” Luna responded caringly, “Though you shouldn’t make it seem as if you suspect her of anything. Simply… let her know that you’re there for her, to listen to whatever she has to report.”

“Very well,” Celestia said with a formal smile, bringing out a quill, ink, and a scroll of parchment from a nearby desk with her unicorn magic. She set the ink and parchment down, and kept the quill floating in front of her as she pondered what to write. After a brief moment, she dipped the quill into the ink, and began writing, with Luna watching.

Part 1, Chapter 11

Part 1: Equestrian Secrets
Chapter 11: Journey to the Sunken Temple

The girls exited the tunnel into the open seafloor, the entrance sealing behind them.

“Alright, then,” Kelpy uttered, looking around, “We begin by going… that way.” She pointed in a direction, and they took off, beginning their journey.

At first, their trek was relatively uneventful. They moved along the ocean floor, making their way around rock formations and marveling at the marine creatures they spotted passing by. None of them were dangerous, as Fluttershy or Kelpy would explain each time, and some came over to the girls for a closer look. One particularly interesting creature was-

“The Wisdom Fish!” Fluttershy breathed, enthusiastically examining the creature in front of her. It was a minute fish with a long, billowing tail and fins, and even longer whiskers. Its body was a magnificent violet with a curious red hue to it.

“Is it… glowing?” Twilight asked curiously.

“Sort of,” Kelpy explained, getting closer to the fish, “This fish is known as the Prophet of the Sea. It changes color when it senses something in the near future. Red means it senses danger. Hippocampus leaders often keep one as a sort of consultant. Oh, it’s so rare to see these guys out in the open,” she added, patting it with one hoof. The fish, its appendages billowing majestically, paid no mind.

“If it senses danger in the near future,” Rarity pointed out, “Then we should keep on our toes from here on out.”

“Right,” Kelpy agreed, and led the girls away from the Wisdom Fish, which continued swimming slowly along to nowhere in particular.

After continuing on for some time, the girls stopped abruptly as Pinkie Pie suddenly gave a violent shiver.

“Are you okay?” Kelpy asked cautiously.

“It’s her Pinkie Sense,” Twilight answered worriedly, “Oh, please tell me it’s something good. This is not the time for anything bad to happen.”

“Hm? Oh, it’s not my Pinkie Sense,” Pinkie Pie responded gleefully, “I just suddenly felt cold, that’s all.”

“That must mean we’re getting close to the Gaping Chasm,” Kelpy concluded, turning around. The girls again proceeded, and, sure enough, they all began to feel a chill. As they went around a large hill of moss-covered rock, they saw a giant black mass just up ahead. Though at a distance it looked like some sort of dark substance, when the girls came up to it, they could clearly see that there was nothing at all; just a dark, ominous gap that seemed to go on forever in both length and depth. Luckily, it wasn’t as immensely wide, and the girls could see that the other side wasn’t too far off.

“Whoo! That there is one heck of a hole!” Applejack burst out.

“It’s so big,” Twilight commented nervously.

“And dark,” Rainbow Dash added in awe.

“And scary,” Fluttershy whimpered.

“And hideous,” Rarity scoffed.

“It’s the Gaping Chasm, alright,” Kelpy stated, “We can go over it, but you have to keep swimming, otherwise you’ll be pulled in,”

“Pulled in?” Rarity questioned uneasily, “By what, might I ask?”

“Well, not really pulled in, but that’s what it feels like,” Kelpy clarified, “Y’see, the pressure and gravity are more intense here, so you could sink right down if you're not careful. You just have to swim really hard, and you’ll be fine.”

“Well, here goes,” Pinkie Pie declared, and kicked off the edge over the chasm. Paddling her hooves vigorously, she was able to hover safely above it.

“Come on, everypony!” she called excitedly, “Easy peasy, rice and- whoa!” She suddenly began descending towards the darkness, but lifted herself back up. The girls, at first anxious, laughed a bit, dispelling some of the tension. One by one, they leapt off of the cliff and followed Pinkie Pie as she made her way to the other side. Kelpy went last, and gradually passed everyone else. Within a minute or two, she had reached the other side, and so did the girls.

“Phew,” Pinkie Pie panted, plopping down on the ground, “See, girls? That wasn’t so tough, now was it?”

“It sure was frightening,” Applejack remarked, “Is ev'rypony alright?" she stopped and looked around. "Hang on, where's Fluttershy?" she asked.

The girls heard a panicked whine and turned around. Fluttershy was still above the chasm, and she was gradually sinking, despite her frantic kicking.

“Fluttershy!” The girls cried out in despair.

“Help me!” Fluttershy shrieked, as her paddling began to slow down, causing her to sink faster.

“Don’t worry, I’m coming for you!” Kelpy shouted, diving after her. As they plunged further, the two of them faded into the darkness. The girls stood on the edge, gazing apprehensively into the pit. Almost immediately, they spotted a silhouette moving towards them. Kelpy faded into view as she rose from the trench, carrying a paralyzed Fluttershy with her. Once they were safely on land, Kelpy placed Fluttershy down and lay next to her, exhausted.

“Now that was close!” Pinkie Pie exclaimed.

“I think we should take a little break before we move on,” Twilight suggested.

Agreeing, the girls edged away from the chasm and then stopped to rest.

They rested for a few minutes, had a snack and a drink, and were once again on their way. As they ascended a small hill, Kelpy warned, “We’ll be entering the Noiseter Beds pretty soon. Watch your step; since the place is simply packed with them, startling one might cause a very… unpleasant chain reaction, so we have to be very careful.”

Once they reached the top of the hill, the girls could see what Kelpy meant. The hill stretched outward in a wide U-shape, with the inside of the curve dipping down steeply to form a sort of trench. Multitudes of smooth, multi-colored objects were strewn about everywhere, covering the floor of the trench, the bottom of the slope, and even each other.

“That’s a lot of Noiseters,” Twilight observed.

“Couldn’t we just swim over all of them?” Rainbow Dash asked skeptically, pointing over the trench.

“Well, if we do, then other marine creatures, including the dangerous ones, will be able to see us,” Kelpy answered, “It would be best to lie as low as possible.”

Rainbow Dash sighed. “The hard way it is, then,” she moaned disapprovingly, and began down the slope, with the girls following behind her. The slope was so steep that, after only a couple of steps, they found themselves sliding downward. In an instant, they went from sliding to rolling, and tumbled ungracefully towards the floor of the trench. Luckily, they managed to regain their footing right before the first Noiseter. They stood tentatively, not moving, until Kelpy swam up to them and beckoned them to proceed. One by one, they kicked off from the ground and began swimming just above the Noiseters.

They managed to make it halfway across the Noiseter Beds without any trouble. Suddenly, an earsplitting shriek burst out from behind, startling everyone. The girls turned back to see Fluttershy looking down at a Noiseter that had its mouth wide open. Pinkie Pie, startled by the noise, flailed and upended.

“Fluttershy!” Rainbow Dash muttered harshly.

“I’m sorry!” Fluttershy squeaked, “It’s my tail! It brushed up against it! They’re apparently very sensitive to touch.”

“Pinkie, look out!” Twilight quickly shouted.

Pinkie Pie, who had been slowly sinking in her daze, was a hoof’s distance from a handful of Noiseters. She attempted to turn herself around, but only caused herself to ram down onto the creatures. They responded with the same deafening sound, propelling Pinkie Pie upward. In the confusion, the rest of the girls forgot to keep themselves adrift, and landed on a cluster of Noiseters each. Now, the whole trench was filling up with their clamor, as, true to Kelpy’s word, the surrounding Noiseters began going off in turn.

“Ugh, what an unheavenly sound!” Rarity shouted over the din.

“Swim for it!” Rainbow Dash declared, and the girls made for the other side, followed by the Noiseters’ shrieking. Once they were far enough away from them, they stopped and looked behind them.

“Better to lay low, huh?” Rainbow Dash repeated, looking at Kelpy, who shrugged nervously. When she turned to look in front of her, she gasped. What lay ahead of them was a wide valley, stretching as far as the eye could see, though one couldn’t see too much of it on account of the forests of seaweed that dominated it. In contrast to the trench behind the girls, the valley was filled with an eerie silence. The subtle sounds of the ocean were seemingly magnified, increasing the eeriness.

“That’s-” Rainbow Dash began, too overwhelmed to say anything more.

“Yup,” Kelpy added, “Dangerous territory.”

A distant moaning sound echoed from a valley, almost in response. For a moment the girls stood rooted to the spot, staring fearfully into the valley. Then, Pinkie Pie started walking forward, looking around.

“If we stay around the seaweed, then we won’t have to worry about anything seeing us,” she explained optimistically.

“Let’s hope,” Kelpy uttered, as they proceeded.

After Celestia sent her letter, she and Luna waited for what felt like hours for the reply. Finally, a wisp of green flame whizzed out of the mail chute, danced over to Celestia, and transformed into a rolled-up scroll. Celestia immediately opened it up and began reading out loud.

“'Dear Princess Celestia,’” she began daintily, but her smile slowly lessened as she continued. “‘This is Spike. I’m afraid Twilight is out at the moment. She left this morning, and hasn’t been back since. I’m not sure when she will return. Can I take a message?'”

When she finished, Celestia halfheartedly let the letter drop to the ground.

“Fine time to be out, I must say,” Luna commented dismissively.

“But, where is she?” Celestia asked incredulously, “What is she doing? What if she’s in trouble? Oh, this isn’t helping.”

Luna stared at her sister bemusedly. “Celestia, my dearest sister,” she addressed, “You are running yourself ragged. That night, when we had the nightmare, I was scared out of my wits, but now, it is you who are doing the panicking.”

“I suppose I am letting this get the best of me,” Celestia sighed, “It’s just that, since the chat we had that night, I’ve realized a few things. These realizations have made me restless. I’ve never paid more attention to anything before, but now I realize that I should have, in all of my duties as ruler of Equestria… Co-ruler of Equestria.”

“Listen to me,” Luna commanded, turning Celestia’s head with her hoof, “You are not a bad ruler.”

“But I could’ve been better,” Celestia argued despondently, turning away, “All this time, I’ve been too confident in myself to worry much about anything. Every problem I’ve faced, I’ve been able to make it through, but when I think of this… this shadow, I feel so…” she hung her head, “…hopeless.”

Luna’s expression turned to worry. She stood watching Celestia, unable to find anything to say. Finally, she gave her a nudge, and stated, “The best thing to do now would be for you to take a load off. You’ve had enough stress, so you are in dire need of some rest and relaxation.”

As Celestia rose to her feet, Luna continued, “Say, I do believe there is a great spa in this wonderful city, is there not? We should go there and rest our weary souls. What say you, sister?”

Celestia nodded feebly in reply. Luna headed for the door, and as she opened it, she felt a hoof on her shoulder.

“Luna?” came Celestia’s voice from right behind her.

“Yes?” Luna answered kindly.

Celestia paused for a moment before uttering, “…Thank you.”

Luna put her hoof on her sister’s. “You don’t need to thank me,” she humbly replied, “We’re sisters. It’s what we do.”