Chapters Once upon a time, in a world we know as Earth, there was a kingdom. But not just any kingdom, it was a kingdom under the Atlantic ocean. This kingdom was known as Mertropolis. This kingdom, as well as many other undersea kingdoms in the world, was inhabited by many aquatic creatures, as well as the wonderful mermaids and mermen. The existence of these kingdoms and their merpeople were unknown to the humans, but under the sea, Mertropolis was one of the biggest underwater kingdoms in the world. In this kingdom, a new princess was born to the king and queen. This was their first and only child, and they named her Roxanna. Everyone celebrated the princess's birth with a huge feast. They were all filled with glee and were merry.
As the child grew older, she discovered a love for singing. Though she was at a young age, about five years old at the time, she had one of the most fairest and most beautiful voices of all the oceans. But Roxanna had a special voice, a voice no one else could mimic if they tried. For you see, her voice was magic. Each note by itself represented a spell. If she sang that note, she could produce that spell. She didn't have to worry about accidentally producing spells while she sang songs. Her mind and intentions let her voice know if she wanted to cast a spell, or if it was just a long note. After performing some songs in front of the kingdom, a mysterious mark of a treble clef with a musical staff wrapped around it appeared on her hip. The merpeople have never heard of such a thing happening before. The mark couldn't be rubbed off, and it never wore off either. It never bothered the princess, so she always was able to deal with it. But that wasn't the only mark she would get.
One day, a few miles from the kingdom, an underwater volcano erupted. The guards never noticed it before, for they haven't been in the outer reaches of the kingdom for quite some time. The volcano probably wouldn't be visible for them. It might have only been a small mound of sand the last time they went out of the kingdom. But when it did erupt, huge boulders came tumbling toward the city. Roxanna could've produced a force field around the kingdom by hitting a high G, but it would be too late by the time the spell was finished. Most people would think it would be amazingly foolish what Roxanna would do next, but an urge inside her told her that she should do it. A gigantic boulder was rolling towards a schoolhouse, with young merfolk and teachers trapped inside. The princess cared for her people, both young and old. She would risk her own life for their safety, which she was about to do. She swam from the balcony of her castle toward the school. She stood in front of it and projected a high G. But before the spell was cast, it was too late. The boulder reached Roxanna. Everything went silent. No one said a word. Had they just lost their young princess? That was on everyone's mind.
But, suddenly, the boulder was lifted into the air! The people gasped as they looked at the source. It was little Roxanna! That little mermaid could lift a boulder that was nearly twenty times her own weight! Everyone looked at the girl astounded. But the silence was broken by cheers and hollers. This princess was most definitely a hero. Then, Roxanna saw a twinkle in the corner of her eye. She looked over to her hip. There lay another mysterious mark: a dumbbell! Now she had marks on both of her hips. Something was special about this girl, and not just because of her royalty and talents. This girl had a destiny far beyond her imagination. Her destiny began a few months later, in a way, undoubtedly, people wouldn't want their dreams to start.
It all started...with a war.
Most would think this war was for land, rights, or something along those lines, but that wasn't the point of the war at all! It's sad, but true, that the neighboring city of Aquatanina wanted a valuable treasure from the kingdom all to themselves: a princess. They knew of her mysterious powers, and if they could somehow obtain them with powerful magic, they could use them to become one of the most powerful kingdoms in the world. The king and queen of Mertropolis knew that their daughter was far from safe. There was no place in the palace or the city that wouldn't be searched to find Roxanna. When all hope seemed lost, a hooded merman, who was very elderly, motioned for the royal family to follow him. Naturally, they wanted to know if he was a friend or an enemy. To this he replied that he was a meer sorcerer named Omnius Kri, the cousin of one of the royal guards named Judiah Lancing. He also brought forth valuable gems and incense. Seeing that he, hopefully, was a friend, they followed him to a small hut away from the neighboring houses. Inside, they saw brewing stands brewing magical potions and shelves that were lined with books filled with mystical spells. Then they came up to a small, locked door. Omnius removed a key that was tied around his neck like a necklace and unlocked the door. They were almost blinded by a burst of light coming from an unknown source. When it died down, they saw before them a mirror. It was a large mirror with a beautifully decorated border.
"Your highnesses, I present to you what merkind hasn't known about for centuries. Only your's truly and one other merman has seen it until now." "I'm afraid I don't get your point." said the king confused. "How will a mirror possibly protect our daughter?" "Ah, but this is no ordinary mirror, your highness. This is a portal to another world, a world where the princess will surely be safe." The king and queen held their daughter tight. "Are you saying that we send our only daughter into this mysterious realm alone?" asked a worried queen. "I'm afraid so." replied Omnious. "For if we sent the whole kingdom to this dimension, there would be an unbalance between worlds, which would cause problems much more grave than now." "How are we to trust you?" asked the king. "I fully understand that you find it hard to gain my trust, but I promise that I would never set forth harm to the royal family or its kingdom. There is one merman in the other world, and only one. His name is Mordecai. He will gladly take care of the girl. The creatures under the sea are much like ours, and may even have some new species. The princess will make many friends."
"What about the surface? What are its inhabitants?" asked the queen. "We have humans in our world," said Omnious, "but in this world there are no humans." The royal parents sighed a big sigh of relief, until Omnious cut them off. "Though I'm afraid there are creatures on the surface that I can't identify. They're colorful, four-legged creatures. Some possess the ability to fly, and some can conjure magic! With such powerful abilities, Mordecai would never let the princess meet the surface." "Will we ever see her again?" asked the king. "Every thirty tides, the portal will open for three tides. The princess may come back to visit." Roxanna was worried what would happen to her and her family. She only understood that this world was her only hope. "Mother, Father," The two looked down at their lovely daughter. "I understand what I must do. I promise I will visit! I will respect Mordecai and make many new friends. Though it is hard to think about losing you." She hugged her parents tight, all having grief and sorrow in their hearts. After a long embrace with each other, Roxanna finally said goodbye. Before she swam through the portal, her mother stopped her for a moment.
"Angelfish, before you go, we want to give you a gift." She handed her a small box wrapped with a seaweed bow. The girl's face lit up when she saw what was inside. A golden clam attached to a gold chain shimmered in the box. She opened the clam to reveal a magic bubble hologram of her and her parents happily joined together. "I...I don't know what to say!" said the young princess, trying to keep herself from crying. "It was going to be for your birthday, but we figured that now was the best time to give it to you." said the king. Everyone was in deep sorrow, but they knew this was the only hope they had in saving their princess. "Goodbye, my dear family." said Roxanna, shaking in despair. She took a deep breath, then she swam through the portal.
Roxanna woke up, feeling tired and weary. After regaining focus, she looked around her. She lay in a bed made of sponge with another one at her head as a pillow and a thin, seaweed blanket covering her tail. She had no idea where she was, nor how long she was unconscious. Curious, she decided to look around. She exited the room she was resting in and entered the one next to it. It was unlike anything she had ever seen. The walls were lined with mysterious books and bottles which each contained a peculiar substance. By the looks of the place, Roxanna figured she was in some kind of natural cavern, due to the stone formations and the musty smell of the cave. Suddenly, she heard a noise, not far off. It sounded like someone humming a cheery song. She followed the noise to what reminded her of a kitchen.
At the sink, she saw an elderly merman dressed in an apron, washing dishes. She wasn't sure if he knew of her presence, so she politely cleared her throat to gain his attention. The merman turned around. His face was all rosy with calm, blue eyes; big, bushy eyebrows; and a short beard. He smiled when he saw the child. "Why, look who's awake! How are you feeling, young lady?" Roxanna was a bit shy around this stranger, but gingerly replied, "I'm feeling quite well, thank you." The man swam closer to her. "May I introduce myself? My name is Mordecai, and if I remember correctly, you're Miss Roxanna, I'm I right?" he asked her. The girl's eyes widened in surprise. "Yes, I am. How did you know?" "You've met Omnious Kri, haven't you?" asked Mordecai. "Yes, I did. I didn't know you had interactions with the other world, though." replied the princess.
"Why, of course!" exclaimed Mordecai. "Omnious Kri just so happens to be my younger brother. He sent me a message to me through the portal during the beginning of the war telling me that I was your only refuge. I gladly accepted the priority of caring for you until further notice." "May I ask why you are here instead of with the other merfolk?" asked Roxanna. "My dear, during your stay, you will be under my teaching. For years I've been studying magic and alchemy. When we discovered the portal, I went through it to continue my research. It was to my surprise and delight that magic in this world is much more common than ours. When I heard about your magical voice and the mysterious patches on your hips, I ditched my current work to find out more about your gifts. The results astounded me!"
"I would love to hear more about it!" said Roxanna cheerfully. "You will...tomorrow morning." stated Mordecai. Roxanna let out a deep sigh of disappointment. "Now don't let me see such a sad face during your first day." said Mordecai, trying to cheer up the young, mermaid princess. "The sea creatures are eagerly awaiting your arrival. They have never seen a mermaid before. They have only seen your's truly, an old merman. Now how about you go out and explore, plus meet some new friends." Roxanna liked the sound of that, so she headed towards the door. "And you know the rule, don't you, dear?" he asked. "Yes, sir. Stay away from the surface."
The surface was forbidden to all merfolk, and only the authorized could go up there, which there were very little of. The reason being because the humans and all living creatures up there were thought to be vile, gruesome, blood-thirsty maniacs who were thought to slaughter anything in their path and use their carcuses for food and other ideal supplies. We know, of course, that this is not true. Yet the merpeople, both on earth and in this new dimension, were terribly afraid of the possible dangers of the surface. Though Roxanna was told this many times, she still wondered about what the surface was like. She was told it had no water, as if millions of bubbles had taken its place. What could a place possibly be like with no water? Roxanna's questions and curiosity about the surface world persuaded her to think that someday, she would sneak up to it during the night. She was a bit anxious about this dream, but wished deeply to fulfill it.
Meanwhile, Roxanna was swimming out the door and into the great blue. She loved the colorful plants that covered the ocean floor. The sea was crystal clear and was a beautiful shade of blue. She hummed a merry tune as she flipped through the currents, trying to find a group of creatures to meet. All of a sudden, she heard the sound of laughter. "Maybe whoever's giggling would like to befriend me!" thought Roxanna happily. She swam toward the cheery sound. She pulled back a bundle of seaweed to reveal two shark children and a little, blue octopus. They looked about Roxanna's age, which may I remind you, is now six years old. She tuned in to their conversation. "Hey, look, Jim. There's that nitwit squid we saw at the park yesterday." said one of the sharks. "Yeah, it is him, Bobby!" replied the other shark, who apparently was named Jim. "It's been so long. I was starting to miss him!" The little octopus lifted himself straight and tall. "Well, I haven't missed you guys at all, and not to mention that I'm most certainly not a squid. I'm an octopus! See, I have eight tentacles, not six." The sharks laughed mockingly at him. "Geez, I'm sorry!" said Bobby. "I must've miscounted. Let me try again." The octopus raised out all of his tentacles. "One, two, three, four, five, six." counted Bobby. "You forgot these two!" shouted the octopus, waving the remaining two angrily. "No I didn't." replied Bobby. "Because once you think about it, they're not even there! We'll chomp them right off and slap you with them. Talk about hitting yourself!" The two sharks started laughing once more as the blue octopus tried his best to back off, but the sharks kept on following him. " Awww, is little squidy scared? Well, you should be!" said Bobby, gnashing his teeth at the poor lad.
Roxanna felt sorry for the young octopus as her rage for the sharks grew. She came out from hiding and shouted, "Hey, knock it off!" Both the sharks and the octopus turned their attention to the young mermaid. They gasped when they saw the mysterious creature. The octopus buried himself in the sand to hide. The sharks pretended to not be afraid of Roxanna, but inside, they were trembling with fear. "What in the world do you think you're doing, treating the poor octopus like that?" she asked, her voice raised and fins positioned straight and tall. The shark boys backed up a little. "Wha...what do you mean?" asked Jim, trying to clothe him and Bobby in innocence. "We were just messing around. We do this all the time!" "Well, I'm not enjoying your little game. You have ought to be ashamed of yourselves for bullying him around like that, and by the looks of it, this isn't the first creature that you messed around with either, am I correct?" asked Roxanna. The shark boys were rattling in fear, even though the girl was just as old as they were, possibly a little older. "I don't even need an answer, because your foolish ways told me that you've had some practice, and not just on him. If I catch you two acting this way to anyone else, there will be consequences. Do I make myself clear?" "Yes, yes! Please don't tell anyone, we'll be good!" said the sharks, rattling frightened. The two swam off as quick as they could, until they could be seen no more.
The princess saw something shift out of the corner of her eye. The little octopus cautiously came out from cover. "It's okay, you can come out. They're gone now." said Roxanna, with a calm, soothing voice. The boy shook the access sand off his body. He looked astonishingly into the girl's eyes. "I...I can't believe it! You stood up to the shark twins. Nobody in my class at school has ever done something like that before, at least the way you did it! How can I ever thank you?" The mermaid blushed at the compliment she received. "It was no problem, buddy. Just knowing that you're okay if enough for me. Though, I wish to know your name." "I'm Squirt. What's your name?" he asked. "I'm Roxanna." she replied. "I'm pleased to meet you." "Same here." said Squirt. "Though, I do have one question. What exactly are you? I've never seen a creature like you before." "I understand, for you see, I'm the only female of my kind of this world since today. I'm a mermaid, and the merpeople are my kind." said Roxanna."Wow, amazing!" exclaimed Squirt. "When I first saw you, you reminded me of someone named Mordecai the Wise. Is he a merperson?" "Why yes! In fact, I'm under his care until I can return home to my kingdom." "Your...kingdom?" asked Squirt, surprised. "Oh, it's a long story." she said. "Oh no, please, tell me everything! I want to know more." he said excitingly. Roxanna giggled. "I wish to explore my new home. Perhaps, if you wish, I could tell you my story while we swim." "That sounds great!" said Squirt. "Let's go!"
The two friends set off on their adventure together, while Roxanna told her story. Every bit from being a princess, having a magical voice, earning these mysterious marks on her shoulders, her super strength, and teleporting to a different world for refuge never brought a moment of boredom to Squirt. "You're amazing! I can't believe what I'm hearing, yet I know it's true! You'll love it here, I promise." he said, filled with glee. "I'm sure I will!" said Roxanna, twirling happily among the waves. Then, Squirt saw something shiny fall off of Roxanna. He looked at the object lying in the sand. "Roxanna, I think you dropped this." he said, picking it up and handing it to her. Roxanna looked solemnly at the treasure in her hands. "What is it?" asked Squirt. Roxanna's hands trembled as she carefully opened it. A burst of bubbles broke free, revealing a huge one in the center...with a picture inside. It was Roxanna's locket she had gotten from her parents before she left. Squirt stared in awe of the beautiful photo of the family that shone. "Is...Is that your family?" he asked, saddened by the look of the princess' face. The girl could only reply with a sniffle as she floated down slowly and sat on the ocean floor. The little octopus swam over to the weeping child and wrapped his tentacles around her shoulder. Roxanna ran her fingers over the golden shell, when she felt an odd bump. She examined it to reveal it was a button. Curious, she pressed it. Out of the locket came a beautiful melody. She gasped when she remembered the tune. On cue, she began to sing along.
"Rest now, my child.
It's time to go to bed.
Settle down your fins,
and lay your woozy head.
May the currents of the night
sweep you to a place
where everything is wonderful
and troubles are erased.
Rest now, my child.
Don't make another peep.
It's time to close your eyes
and go to sleep, sleep, sleep."
Squirt unleashed his tears of pity for his new friend, knowing that it will be a long time until she and her parents could meet again. "Perhaps we should head back." said Squirt. "Mordecai is probably waiting for you." Roxanna wiped the tears from her eyes and stood back up. "You're probably right, Squirt. You're family will want to see you too, I presume." "Yeah, I guess I got to go." said Squirt, sad that they had to part. "Would you like to meet again tomorrow?" "I would love to!" said Roxanna, feeling a bit more cheerful. "Come over to Mordecai's cavern when you're ready." "It's a plan!" said Squirt. "See you tomorrow." "Goodbye!" said Roxanna as they waved to each other. She set off for home, happy that she made such a wonderful friend.
Chapter 3: Seaweed Fricassee & Lessons
Roxanna opened the door to Mordecai's cavern. "Mordecai, I'm home!" cried Roxanna happily as she entered. Mordecai peeked out from the next room. "Welcome back, Roxanna! You made it just in time. Dinner is almost ready." he said."Thank goodness, I'm starved!" claimed Roxanna. "Go ahead and have a seat at the table. Dinner will be out shortly." She thanked Mordecai and seated herself at the table in the kitchen. It wasn't exactly like the dining hall back in her castle in Mertropolis, but she didn't find it hard to adjust to life without a royal treatment. Before she knew it, Mordecai came out with the dish in his hands. He set the steaming tray on the table. Roxanna looked at the dish, which looked rather peculiar. "This is my own, personal recipe. It's called Seaweed Fricassee." "May I ask what's in it?" asked Roxanna. "It has a variety of ingredients, such as roasted sea cucumber, a layer of aqua noodles on the bottom, a bit of fresh algae, some sea tomato sauce, and of course, a nice, thick layer of seaweed on the top." "It sounds delicious!" said Roxanna. "But I do have one question. You said it was called Seaweed Fricassee, but don't fricassees usually have meat?" "Not mine." replied Mordecai. "I don't usually eat much meat because the prices for it are just crazy these days! I settle for vegetarian meals. I hope that's not a problem for you." "Not at all!" claimed Roxanna. "I'm sure this will be delicious. "
Roxanna wasn't a picky eater, but she was still a little worried about liking this new dish. The Seaweed Fricassee was scooped onto her plate. Merfolk don't use the same silverware that you and I do, though it is very similar. What they use for forks is a stick of coral with three, prong-like sticks coming out of the end. It nearly resembled a trident. Roxanna picked this up and dove it into her meal. Much to her surprise, after tasting it, it turned out to be one of the most delicious things she'd ever tasted! "I love it!" cried Roxanna to Mordecai, immediately scooping another fork-full. "Excellent!" said Mordecai. "It's my best dish. Perhaps I can teach you to cook it one day." "Oh, please do!" said Roxanna cheerfully. "I can't wait for you to teach me everything you know." Mordecai grinned from ear to ear. "You'll be happy to know that your first lesson begins tomorrow, first thing in the morning." he said. "Oh boy, I can't wait!" cheered Roxanna. After dinner, Roxanna was ready to go to bed. She climbed into her spongy bed, and later she was tucked in by Mordecai. "Sweet dreams, sweetie." he said as he swam out the door. Roxanna was asleep in no time.
The next day, Roxanna leaped from her bed and swam quickly to the kitchen, where Mordecai was making breakfast. She chowed down as soon as it was set down on the table. Mordecai was surprised at how fast the little girl was eating. "Woah, dearie, take it easy!" said Mordecai, rubbing on the back. "Wouldn't want to get a stomach ache now, would you? What's the big hurry?" "Today's going to be super special!" said Roxanna, mumbling with her mouth full of food. "I'm going to have my lessons with you, and later on I'm meeting up with Squirt again. We're going to have so much fun!" "Who's Squirt?" Mordecai asked. "He's a little, blue octopus, about my age. We met yesterday." Mordecai was happy that Roxanna was making friends so quickly. "That's wonderful, dear! Well, since it seems that you've already finished your food, how's about we start your first lesson?" Roxanna's face beamed, and she leaped from her chair. "I'm ready!" said Roxanna.
Mordecai led her to a small part of the cavern she'd not been yet. A desk was sitting in the middle of the room with a chalkboard in front of it. Roxanna immediately took her seat. Mordecai stood in front of her. "Okay, Roxanna. As you remember, last night I told you that I would teach you about those mysterious patches on your hips." "Oh, yes!" exclaimed Roxanna. "What are they?" "They are called Cutie Marks, my dear." said Mordecai. Roxanna giggled. "Cutie Marks? I like that name!" she said. "Yes, it is a darling name, but they're very interesting." claimed Mordecai. "You see, Roxanna, you are the only merperson to gain a cutie mark ever in the history of the merpeople." "Really?" asked Roxanna in astonishment. "Then, how do you know what a Cutie Mark is?" "This is what amazes me." said Mordecai. "In your world, there is no such thing as a Cutie Mark, but in this world, only the land inhabitants have them. But I've never heard of someone with two Cutie Marks before." Roxanna's eyes widened in amazement. "I have so many questions right now." said Roxanna, rubbing her forehead.
"I understand this is a lot to process," said Mordecai, "but it will come to you eventually. It will help if I explain what a Cutie Mark is. It is a picture on your body to represent a special talent you possess, and usually points in the direction of one's destiny. I don't know why you have them and no one else in your world does, but perhaps this is also part of your destiny." Roxanna was writing this down using a sea urchin spike dipped in squid ink, and writing with it on a very wide piece of seaweed. "Mordecai, what are the land inhabitants called?" she asked. "All I know is that their colorful, four-legged creatures, and that some possess magic or the ability to fly." "I'm very glad you asked that question, my dear," said Mordecai, "because it's very important for you to know your enemies and how to identify them." He took out a piece of chalk and started drawing on the board. It was a picture of a horrifying pony-like creature with a spiked mane, devious eyes, a serpent's tongue, sharp teeth, and a broken heart for a Cutie Mark on its side. Roxanna was nearly startled by the terrifying monster. "This is your average land inhabitant." he claimed. "These horrible creatures are called ponies."
Roxanna was writing everything down, having more interest in these so called ponies than ever before. "These are why the surface is strictly forbidden to merfolk." said Mordecai. "There have been many tales of our kind being captured by ponies and using our scales for decorations, and even our own blood for magic potions. We used to be at peace with ponies centuries ago, but only through a now extinct creature called the hippocampus, or sea pony: half pony, half fish. It wasn't until a plague struck them, and the ponies blamed us for it. " He looked down at floor in despair. "My own cousin perished after being crushed by a land ship." Roxanna looked at him in pity. "I'm...I'm so sorry." she said in a small, timid voice. Mordecai looked at Roxanna with a serious look on his face. "You are my child, who I must care for and protect with my life. I forbid the uniting of the surface in any world because I love you. Though we have known each other for only a short time, you already feel like a niece to me." Roxanna blushed. "My love for you, Mordecai, has grown greatly as well." she said. "It's almost like I have a second uncle." They embraced each other, with hearts filled with love. "Shall we get started on today's lesson?" he asked. Roxanna beamed and nodded in reply. "Great," he claimed, "let's get started."
Roxanna learned much about her voice from Mordecai. She learned certain spells she could create when she sang a single note. She almost didn't want this class to end, until she remembered her playdate with Squirt. After class, she rushed out the door, seeing that he was just arriving. They ran towards each other and gave a big hug, which was hard for Roxanna to control due to her strength. "I...I know...what we should...do today." he panted, trying to regain his breath. "Awesome! What are we going to do?" she asked. "Follow me and I'll show you!" he said, shooting in another direction. Roxanna followed him to an open plain beyond the town. It seemed empty, until Squirt pointed at something in the distance. "Roxanna, you and I are going on a treasure hunt!" Roxanna gasped when she saw what it was. A sunken ship laid slightly buried in the sand. "Is that what I think it is?" she asked him in awe. "Yep, it's a land ship!" said Squirt, his eyes filled with excitement. "I never knew you had an interest about the surface world!" said Roxanna. "Yeah, I love it!" claimed Squirt. "Just don't tell anyone, okay?" Roxanna giggled. "Of course, as long as you do the same with me." "You like land stuff, too?" he asked in surprise. "Oh, yes! It seems so interesting." she replied. "Mordecai told me they're vile creatures, but something tells me otherwise."
She swam toward the sunken ship, with Squirt following from behind. They entered a small opening within the base of the ship. "This is so exciting!" she squealed as she slid inside. The ship was dark and spooky, but just made for a more exciting adventure for the two friends. "You never know what you could find!" claimed Squirt, looking around for some items. Roxanna caught a shimmer in her eye. She dug up a small, shiny item from the rubbish. "Squirt, look what I found!" she shouted. Squirt came over to examine the item. "Hey, I've seen something like that before." he said. We would recognize this object as a coin, or a bit, as called in this world. Roxanna had her satchel with her, so she place the object inside. "This is fun, let's keep looking!" said Roxanna.
The two buddies spent all afternoon searching for treasures. When they finished, Roxanna's satchel was filled with all kinds of things. "Roxanna, can I tell you a secret?" asked Squirt. Roxanna nodded. Squirt looked around to make sure no one was around, then whispered into Roxanna's ear, "When we're big kids, I hope you and I can go up to the surface together." Roxanna gasped in delight. "That will be the best day of our lives!" claimed Roxanna. The two laughed and headed on back to the town. "I'll keep these in a place where Mordecai will never find them." she said, patting her satchel. The two headed back to their homes, and Roxanna snuck into her room and buried the treasures with sand under her bed. Roxanna's adventures with Squirt was just the beginning of a whole new life for Roxanna, and these two's friendship blossomed into one of the greatest friendships known under the sea.
Years went by like a breeze against the face of the water. Roxanna and Squirt were no longer 7 and 6 year olds, but 15 and 14 year olds, with no wearing of their friendship whatsoever. Roxanna was known by everyone in the surrounding area, often being seen with Squirt. She grew up to be a beautiful mermaid with such a wonderful voice that no one could dislike one bit. Her knowledge of the magic in her voice was great, for she knew many spells. Squirt was pretty much the same as before, though he had much vigor and boldness for his age. And there was one thing that was still alike about the two: their interest for the surface world. Many treasures were gathered over the years, and not one was yet discovered by Mordecai, who now was like an uncle to Roxanna, and she a niece to Mordecai. As promised, Roxanna was able to see her parents once every thirty tides, but her position in royalty made it dangerous for her to go home, due to the rivaling cities still remembered her. One visit, she was given a harp, which could play a magical, soothing tune. She was also given sheets of musical spells to practice. Playing the harp was one of Roxanna's favorite pastimes.
One night was going to be one of the most exciting nights Roxanna ever had, for she and Squirt planned the most exciting adventure of their lives. That night, Roxanna pretended to act very tired before bed. Mordecai tucked her in as usual, then she waited for him to fall asleep. Roxanna had a window in her bedroom, which she would sometimes open and sneak out of in the middle of the night. She tucked some pillows under her blanket to look like she was in bed, then quietly snuck out of the house. She met Squirt at their usual meeting place: the edge of the Kelp Forest. The two were quietly giggling in excitement. "Are you ready?" asked Squirt. "Ready as I'll ever be." said Roxanna. "Let's go!" The two swam out of town into the open plains. After that, they began to swim in one direction: up.
Chapter 5: A Hearts and Hooves Day Disaster
The two could feel the water getting warmer as they swam upward. Deep sea creatures were given skin to keep them warm in a freezing climate. Just before they reached the surface, they paused. "Imagine, a place with no water!" exclaimed Roxanna. "I wonder what it will be like?" "There's only one way to find out." said Squirt. They held on to each other as they burst through the surface. The air's tingling sensation felt odd, but amazing at the same time. "This is...awesome!" cried Roxanna with glee. "It's so beautiful up here." claimed Squirt. "Just look above us." The best friends gazed at the beautiful, crystal clear sky above them. "It's like a bunch of pearls were hung up there, with a huge, shiny one next to them." Roxanna pointed to the moon, shining a beautiful light. Just below it, they spotted something. "Let's go see what it is!" cried Roxanna. They swam toward the mysterious object. It got bigger as they approached it, until they immediately knew what it was. "It's a land ship!" exclaimed Squirt. "And where there's a ship, there are bound to be ponies!" claimed Roxanna.
They swam closer to the ship. Roxanna put Squirt on top of her head, and leaped to a small ledge from a window at the foot of the ship. The two peaked inside and gasped. The ship was filled with many types of ponies! The two remained quiet, so not to be caught. They stared at them for a while until Roxanna spoke up. "I knew it! These ponies are nothing like Mordecai says they are. They're so amazing and beautiful." They looked around some more. "Hey, Roxanna, look at that one with the pink, poofy hair!" said Squirt, pointing to a pony on the boat. She glanced over to a hot pink pony with thick, curly, pink hair. "Weeee! Now this what I call a party!" she cried as she turned up the volume on a record player. She danced wildly along with a few other ponies. "That thing...it makes music!" said Roxanna, pointing to the record player. "Oh boy, she does look like fun!"
After a few minutes, they saw another pony coming in with a cart full of bottles. "Anypony ready for some good ol' fashioned cider?" she asked. A large group of ponies came over and took a bottle of cider each. In just a matter of seconds, the cart was wiped clean of cider. She gasped at the rush. "Whoa nelly!" she cried. "I reckon I better make another batch." She went down some stairs into the base of the boat.
The two looked over to see a little, yellow pony. The young mare was with a group of birds. They started chirping a beautiful melody. The music was pleasing to Roxanna's and Squirt's ears. Then, a white pony with a beautiful purple mane arrived next to her. "Fluttershy, darling, don't draw too much attention yet. Your braids are falling apart." The pony had a magic horn on its head, which produced a sparkly hue as it used magic to fix the pony's braids. "Thanks, Rarity." said the little pony quietly. "I hope I don't draw much attention, though. My hooves tend to get shaky at the thought of it."
Suddenly, a flash of colorful light zoomed in from the sky. Another pony with wings appeared. "Don't worry about a thing, Fluttershy." she said. "Everyone will be watching me perform an awesome sonic rainboom to notice much." Fluttershy sighed a sigh of relief. From the other side of the boat, horns blared loudly. The sudden noise almost caused Roxanna to fall off the boat. On the balcony, a small, green and purple dragon stood in front of a microphone. Neither Roxanna nor Squirt have seen such a creature before. "I don't think he's a pony." said Roxanna.
He cleared his throat. "Fillies and gentlecolts, may I present to you the princesses and prince of Equestria!" The horns blared once again as four princesses and a prince stepped out from behind a curtain. Roxanna and Squirt gaped at the beauty of the princesses and the handsome prince. He and his wife stepped forward. "Thanks you, everypony, for making this the best Hearts and Hooves Day Cadance and I have ever had." he said. Everypony cheered. "I would especially like to thank my sister, the newly dubbed Princess Twilight Sparkle, and her wonderful friends for surprising us with this party. This will be a night we will never forget." The prince and Cadance looked deeply into each other's eyes. The rainbow pony took off at lightning speed. Just as the prince and princess kissed,
BOOM!
A burst of color lit the sky! Roxanna and Squirt were speechless at the beauty of the sudden outburst. The watched the color spread across the sky behind them, but that's when they noticed something. Bobbing in the water was a group of black, ghostly figures. Roxanna gasped. "Oh no, the evil sea spirits!"
These sea spirits caused much trouble to the ocean, especially to ponies that roamed on the sea. They were minions to an evil sea witch named Medulla. Before Roxanna could do anything, the spirits were already starting to stir up violent waves. The boat began to rock violently among the sea. Roxanna held on tight while Squirt clung to the top of her head. She could see the panic of the ponies aboard. Sailors climbed up the masts to trim the sails. Suddenly, a flash of lightning struck from the sky and hit the ship's mast. An orange flame immediately flourished. Pegasi were seen carrying the sailors to safety before the mast collapsed. "The Orange Light!" cried Roxanna in fright. "It's a bitter enemy to the land, and it brings destruction to whatever it may touch."
The other ponies have started to set up a life raft for themselves. She saw the ponies from before about to step on when...
"HEEEEELP!"
She turned around in horror when she saw the little dragon with his tail stuck under the fallen mast. The purple pony princess rushed to his aid. She was exhausted from trying to help the other ponies. Try as she might, her magic was too weak to free him. "Girls, over here. Quickly!" The five others climbed onto the blazing ship. Each of them lined up against the mast and pushed with all their might. In a short matter of time, the dragon was free. They raced towards the raft as the ship began to crumble and snap beneath them. Right when they got to the edge of the boat, the floor beneath them began to crack rapidly. At the last second, the dragon was thrown overboard onto the raft, and the others fell through the floor.
Screams of terror filled the air as the ponies disappeared into the sinking ship. Roxanna had to do something, for she didn't want this to be the fate of the ponies. She smashed the glass of a porthole and swam through with Squirt. She flopped onto the flooded floor behind some barrels. "Is everypony alright?" asked the purple one. "Gah, I think I sprained my wing." cried the cyan pegasus. "Umm...girls?" whispered the shy, yellow pegasus. "I think we may have a..." Nopony seemed to hear her. "Don't worry, we'll find a way out." said the princess. "But...but..." The yellow pegasus was shaking in fear. "I think I read a book on how to..."
"LOOK!" she eventually screamed horrified. The others finally heard her and looked the direction she was pointing. A string from a giant crate of fireworks was set ablaze! The girls could do nothing more than duck for cover.
BOOOOM!
The fireworks were set off and the ship exploded from the eruption. The ship sank into the deep abyss.
Chapter 6: The Mysterious Hero
Roxanna and Squirt were blasted from their spot and shot through the wooden base. Luckily, they had very few injuries. The water reflected the smoky haze that remained in the air. Roxanna splashed beneath the storming waves in search of the ponies. She was horrified when she saw the sea spirits had multiplied and were separated into groups to drown their prey. "You vile creatures!" she hollered. She sped up to a group who held the pink pony. She released the power of her voice unto her foes. It trapped them in an inescapable bubble, which when popped, rid the spirit inside. She did this for every group, and sang another spell to produce a force field around the ponies so they could breath. After the battle, she rose to the surface and set off towards the shore, a place she'd never been.
Once she got there, she carefully released the ponies onto the sand. They were currently unconscious, but Roxanna could see them trying to breath. Squirt washed up on the sand behind her. "Roxanna, quick, hide before they see you!" She turned to her octopus friend and smiled. "Don't worry, Squirt. They haven't awoken yet." She gazed upon each of the colorful creatures, each of them with torn outfits and some sort of injury. Roxanna got out her harp and sat it on her lap. "I will watch and care for them until they awake, then I will go. They are such wonderful beings. I wish I didn't have to leave once they awake." She relaxed herself on the moonlit beach; her long, thick, brown hair was waving in the breeze. The tune she began to play on her harp seemed to mix with the sound of the waves. Her voice rode along the winds of the seashore.
"Rest now, my child.
It's time to go to bed.
Settle down your fins,
and lay your woozy head.
May the currents of the night
sweep you to a place
where everything is wonderful
and troubles are erased.
Rest now, my child.
Don't make another peep.
It's time to close your eyes
and go to sleep, sleep, sleep."
"Twi, you guys, please tell me you're here!" It was about ten minutes since another noise besides Roxanna and Squirt were made. The mermaid was startled to hear the dragon's voice. She and Squirt quickly jumped back into the sea. She hid behind an island of rock. The dragon turned a corner and cried tears of joy as he ran up to his awakening friends. The princesses and prince followed. The ponies coughed and wheezed as they rose from their unconscious state. "I can't believe you guys are alive!" the young dragon cried. The royals were overjoyed as well. "Wha...what happened?" moaned Applejack, the orange pony, rubbing her head. "How'd we get here?" "A mare..." replied Twilight Sparkle, the purple one. "What?" replied the others. Twilight was still a bit dazed. "A mare...rescued us. She...she was singing. She played music, too. It was so...beautiful."
Shining Armor, the prince and her older brother, placed a hoof on her head. "Twily, I think you may have bumped your head pretty badly. We should get you guys home." The ponies were fully awake, and more confused than ever. "But...but she was real!" she claimed, getting back on her hooves, stumbling a bit. "You guys heard it too, didn't you?" She gazed anxiously among her friends, but none of them seemed to get Twilight. "We were the only ones on that ship, Twilight." said Rainbow Dash, the blue pegasus. "There's no way somepony could've swam all the way here carrying us." The others seemed to agree. "But...I..." "Don't get worked up, Miss Sparkle." said the tall, white, majestic princess, who was named Princess Celestia. "We must get you and your friends home."
The 6 friends stayed over at Twilight's library for the night, where they snuggled around the fireplace, wrapped in blankets. "Well, once I get back to the boutique, I can start on fixing up our dresses." claimed the white unicorn Rarity. She examined the wrecked condition of everypony's outfits. "It shouldn't be...too big of a problem...I presume." Rainbow Dash had her wing bandaged up, estimating that it will be at least a week before her sprain was healed, much to her despise. Pinkie Pie was trying to keep everypony's spirits up by telling silly stories or just being random, but it was hard, considering the fact that the storm kind of caught her off guard and she was still a bit shaken up by it. It was especially hard to cheer up a sulking Twilight in the corner.
"Hey, Twilight, what's the matter?" she asked finally. She didn't reply. Fluttershy timidly stepped forward and brushed her silky, pink mane against her cheek. "I know that storm had a hard affect on us, Twilight," she said in a soothing voice, "but the good news is that the worst is over, we're all safe and sound, and everything is okay." Twilight seemed to have a sudden shock within her. "No, Fluttershy, everything is NOT okay!" She grabbed her by the shoulders and began to shake her back and forth. "Does everything look okay to you?" "Woah there, sugarcube!" cried Applejack."Try not to work yourself into a tizzy and tell us what happened." Twilight paused and released Fluttershy, blushing about her losing her senses. "I'm sorry," she said, "it's just that when we were on the beach, I remember hearing a mare singing to us as she played on what sounded like a harp. I couldn't quite make her out, but I remember her shining face and luscious mane blowing in the wind. Her voice...it was the most beautiful thing I've ever heard! Until I find her, it's going to haunt me every minute!"
"Wow, I wish I could've heard her." said Fluttershy. Twilight didn't say anything, but instead shoved her face in her arms. Everypony remained quiet. The truth was that pretty much all of them had a hard time believing Twilight. How could a mare possibly have saved them in the middle of the ocean? Weren't they the only ones on the ship before it exploded, or was she on with them somewhere? Hopefully they'd find out soon before a certain alicorn princess goes crazy.
Chapter 7: Watching Behind the Rocks
Roxanna sat behind an island a rock she found a little outwards from the beach. Squirt floated in the water beside her. They were listening to the conversation on the shore. They saw the ponies awaken from their unconscious as they saw the dragon and the royals run towards them. "I can't believe you guys are alive!" the young dragon cried. "Wha...what happened?" moaned the orange pony, rubbing her head. "How'd we get here?" "A mare..." replied the purple one. "What?" replied the others. "A mare...rescued us. She...she was singing. She played music, too. It was so...beautiful."
Roxanna's eyes went wide. "Hey, she remembers you, Roxanna!" cried Squirt, trying to keep quiet so they wouldn't be discovered. Roxanna gasped in delight! They looked as the prince examined her. "Twily," he said, "I think you may have bumped your head pretty badly. We should get you guys home." "But...but she was real!" she claimed, getting back on her hooves. "You guys heard it too, didn't you?" The others looked confused. "We were the only ones on that ship, Twilight." said the blue pegasus. "There's no way somepony could've swam all the way here carrying us."
A wave of disappointment washed over the mermaid's and the octopus's faces. "Well, she doesn't seem to remember me." said Roxanna. "Nor do the others." added Squirt.
"But...I..." "Don't get worked up, Miss Sparkle." said the tall, white, majestic princess. "We must get you and your friends home." Roxanna admired the beauty of the princesses, and was saddened to see them all leave for home. The two friends watched them walk away until they could no longer be seen, then jumped back into the water. The water tingled on their skin, having been out of it for a while.
Squirt noticed how giddy Roxanna was as she giggled and twirled through the sea. "That was the best adventure ever!" she squealed as she tumbled around. "It was, wasn't it?" replied Squirt, her happiness rubbing off on him. "Yes, I can't wait to go back up there tomorrow night, and the night after that, and the night after that! Maybe we can even meet Twilight Sparkle!" said Roxanna. "Twilight who now?" asked Squirt. "That purple princess who remembered me, she's named Twilight Sparkle. Didn't you hear on the boat?" "Oh, must've forgot." claimed Squirt. "Though, I thought it was kinda weird they called you a mare..." She giggled. "Silly, a mare is a female pony. Twilight thought a pony saved them." "But you're not a pony; you're a mermaid!" Roxanna sighed. "Yeah, if only she knew that."
The two looked at the night sky that seeped through the surface of the sea. "We'd better head back to our homes before they notice we're missing." "Oh dear, I hope it's not too late! See ya, Squirt!" She dashed away back home, relieved to see Mordecai sound asleep and her bed undisturbed. She climbed back in, finding it hard to sleep after what happened that night. It took her a few hours to fall asleep.
The next morning, she was still as happy as ever! She swam out to the kitchen, where as usual, Mordecai was making breakfast. "Good morning, Mordi." she said happily as she kissed his cheek. Mordi was Roxanna's nickname for him. He turned around with a surprised, but cheery look on his face. "Why, good morning, Roxy!" he greeted happily. He also had a nickname for Roxanna, that being Roxy. "You're certainly in a good mood this morning." "And why not?" replied Roxanna. "The sea is bright and clear; the fish are merry. It's just been wonderful for me, lately!" Mordecai served Roxanna her morning dish. "I am so pleased to hear you say that, Angelfish!" As Roxanna was eating, she saw him bring out a bunch of cleaning supplies. "Today is Reef Cleaning Day, and such high spirits will definitely help speed things along." Suddenly, Roxanna's happy levels dropped about 20%. "But Mordecai, I was planning to go exploring with Squirt this evening, and I'll be too tired to if I start right after breakfast!"
"I'm sure you'll be fine." he replied. "Time will pass, you'll see." He went to put her supplies in her room. "I just can't wait to return to the surface!" thought Roxanna to herself. "I'll let you take a break this afternoon if it looks like you used your time wisely." Just then, an idea popped up in Roxanna's mind that made her face beam! "Hey, if I get that break, I can tell Mordecai that I'm off to play with Squirt, and he and I can go to the fields and surface while it's daylight! Oh, how lovely the place will look!" she thought once again to herself. "Don't worry, Mordi. I'll work my hardest." She gave him a salute and swam off to her room. She dusted her shelves, swept the floor, made her bed, and shined her window. By the afternoon, her room was spotless. Mordecai swam in, very impressed at her work. "I can definitely see someone really was diligent in their work, a trait to be proud of." Roxanna blushed. "Thank you so much, Mordecai." "Now if I remember correctly, you have a meeting with a certain, little friend of yours?" Roxanna boldly smiled as she hugged her second dimensional uncle. She swam off quickly to meet up with Squirt.
She found the blue octopus hanging out on his porch. Without warning, she grabbed him by a tentacle and dragged him to the fields. "WOAH! Roxanna, where are we going?" "We're going back up." she whispered back. "But it's not nighttime yet, we'll get caught!" he replied. "Not if we surface out in the fields." she claimed. Before Squirt could say anything, Roxanna boosted herself, leaving behind a trail of bubbles. A while later, they reached the fields. "It's going to be hard to hide if there's no darkness to shadow us." claimed Squirt. "Don't worry about a thing." she said, a calming tone in her voice. The two were tentacle in hand as they resurfaced once more. They shut their eyes for a while, trying to adjust to the brightness. Once they did, Roxanna stretched out her arms and floated on her back.
"Maybe someday, I can join the ponies on land." said Roxanna. "But how?" asked Squirt. "If I can convince Mordecai that they're not evil, he might reunite land and sea for good, and maybe give me a chance to be like one of them." Squirt tried to imagine his best friend as a pony, but the image was still pretty blurry. "Mordecai's pretty strict about that stuff, Roxanna." he warned her. "He's the governor of the whole sea, and he forbids us to even be up here." "Pish posh his rules are." said Roxanna with a wave of her hand. "Come on, let's get closer to the shore." They were a few miles away, but that was nothing to a mermaid. They docked on the same rock they did the night before. To their delight, Twilight was on the beach with the dragon. He walked beside her, as they were just arriving. "I dunno, Twilight." he said, scratching his head. "Are you sure somepony was actually singing to you here?" "Sure as I'll ever be!" she replied. "Do you think it was a dream?" "No, Spike, it was not a dream!" she growled, getting a little irritated by her assistant's doubt in her. "She's as real as the sea itself." They gazed over the ocean's horizon. "I just have to find her, I have to!" She sat down and cuffed her hooves around her muzzle.
"HELLO? IF YOU WERE THE PONY WHO SAVED ME AND MY FRIENDS LAST NIGHT, PLEASE COME OUT SO I CAN THANK YOU!" she shouted.
There was a moment of silence. "Should we go say hi?" asked Squirt, surprising himself with his own question. Roxanna's tail was fidgeting. "I don't know," she replied anxiously, "it's like I want to, but my fins won't flop to it!" Another thought drifted in her head. "Plus, how'd she react to me? Mordecai and I are the only merfolk in this world, and none of the ponies probably know what a merperson is! If I were to reveal myself, would they beat me up like Mordecai said? Or would they just be a little scared, but eventually become my friend? Or run away in terror?" Before she could go see for herself, another pony came into view. They slid further behind the rock. "Howdy there, sugarcube!" said the orange pony. "Applejack, what are you doing here?" asked Twilight, surprised. "I've had a long mornin' of applebuckin', and sometimes I like to come here to relax my hooves in the water durin' break." She slid her hooves into the cool water, sighing a sigh of relief. "Say, what'cha doin' here for, Twi? I've never seen ya 'round when I come here." "I don't, usually." she replied. "She's still looking for that mare she claimed rescued and sang to you guys after the shipwreck." said Spike, sounding rather annoyed. A look of confusion, but mostly care, spread across Applejack's face. "Hon, I believe ya when ya say ya heard somethin' that night, but you're turnin' an anthill into a mole mound." Now it was Twilight's turn to exchange looks. "You're making problems bigger than they actually are." she explained. "Ya need to just take your mind off things for a while. How's about we talk about the sea?" Applejack then realized that wasn't the best subject change for this time, but it might help a little.
They once again looked out to the blanket of water before them. "Granny told me the sea is the greatest mystery known to pony-kind." Twilight didn't really want to change the subject, but she'd go along with it to make AJ happy. "Yes, that's true. I bet even if I read every book in Equestria about it, there'd be plenty of questions still left unanswered." Spike looked up to her in surprise. "Really?" he asked. "Every last book?" Twilight nodded and rubbed him on the noggin. "Yep, some things we just can't know." Her eyes widened as she looked out to sea, then saddened. "Like where your mystery mare is when you really want to know." Applejack's face turned concerned. Apparently her idea of changing the subject didn't work. Suddenly, a large belch was heard coming from Spike. A scroll appeared from his fiery breath. Twilight began to read it aloud. "My dearest Twilight, please gather your friends and meet me and Princess Luna in the castle courts ASAP. A meeting must be held at once. I will explain everything once you and the others arrive. Sincerely, Princess Celestia." "A meetin'?" asked Applejack. "I wonder what it's all about?" "Nothing bad, I hope," replied Twilight, "but it sounds urgent. We'd better get going." Before long, the three ran off towards Ponyville, their hometown. "Boy, I wish we could go to that meeting." said Roxanna. "I wonder what's going on?"
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Chapter 8: A New Element of Harmony & Secrets Revealed
The Mane 6 waited for their train at the train station. "So, what's the meeting about?" asked Rainbow Dash. "I told you, I don't know, but it sounds very important. Celestia is counting on us to be there." "Hey, maybe she's throwing a surprise party for us!" exclaimed Pinkie Pie, the hyper party pony. "When we get there, we might play Pin the Tail on the Pony, eat cake, dance, drink punch, do karaoke, eat cake, play Charades, go bobbing for apples, hit a pinata, eat cake, and how about..." She was interrupted by a hoof being shoved into her mouth. "Um, I'm pretty sure we're not going to be thrown a surprise party, Pinkie." said Twilight. Everypony was used to this demeanor out of their friend. "Oh well, at least I brought my Party Cannon!" she said cheerfully as a colorful cannon popped out of her saddlebag and shot a round of confetti. Twilight rolled her eyes.
"ALL ABOARD WHO'S COMING ABOARD TO CANTERLOT!" shouted the conductor. All the ponies boarded the train to go to the capital city of Equestria. All the way, Twilight gazed out the window, daydreaming of meeting the mysterious mare. Her dreamy daze was interrupted by the screech of train brakes. They had arrived. "Ah, it's so wonderful to be back in Canterlot again!" sighed the fashionista, Rarity, as she stepped off the train. "Yes, it's a very beautiful place." said Fluttershy, following behind. The Mane 6 made their way to the castle, stopping now and then due to a certain pink pony wanting to sample some local, sweet delicacies. Eventually, they arrived at the castle courts. Just as the letter had said, Princess Celestia and Princess Luna were waiting.
"My friends, it is so good to see you." said the eldest as they entered. All of them bowed, even Twilight, though she was always forgetting she didn't have to since she was royalty now, too. "Princess Luna has witnessed an event of utmost importance. I will let her tell you all about it." The younger sister stepped forward. "Last night, I was watching my skies, making sure all was peaceful, when I noticed one of my stars seemed brighter than the rest. Not only that, but it seemed to be getting brighter. Suddenly, a beam of light streamed from it, and my horn released an uncontrollable beam to meet with it in the middle. Once they met, a scroll appeared from the clash. I was able to retrieve it." She hovered the scroll from a table in the corner of the room. "It's seal was one unlike any other I've seen, yet I still read it. It reads: To the royals of Equestria, tonight a prophecy has been fulfilled. The heavens declare that the new Element of Harmony has been revealed."
"A NEW ELEMENT OF HARMONY?!?!?!" cried the Mane 6 in shock.
"But there can't be another one. That's impossible!" cried Twilight. "Without all the elements, they can't work!" "Settle down, dears. Let Luna finish." The princess nodded to her sister, and she continued. "This element is like no other. I know the elements still work without it, but it is not at all considered unneeded. I have heard of the sacrifice made in the Everfree Forest regarding the Tree of Harmony. If the keeper of the new element is found, she can give you the power you need in place of the elements, for she shall be a guardian. As you know, friendship is the main key to activating this power, so don't keep the guardian around just for your own benefit, but accept her as one of you, as a friend you will never betray. To the ex-keepers I say, be on the look out for this element. We don't know what it is yet, but you will realize it when you see it. I wish you the best of luck. Signed, Starswirled the Bearded."
The closing left Twilight gaping. "St...St...STARSWIRLED THE BEARDED?!?!?!?!" she exclaimed, once again in shock. "But he passed away hundreds of years ago! How could he be writing to us?!?!?!" "It is a sign from the heavens." stated Luna. "A prophecy has been fulfilled, and it is your duty to fulfill the rest. "But...but..." stuttered Twilight, "but what if we DON'T find the missing element?" "Twilight," whispered a timid, yellow pegasus, "you were able to discover the Element of Magic, so I'm sure you'll be able to find this element." The others agreed. "And once we do, we can throw a huge we-just-discovered-a-new-element party!" cried Pinkie Pie. Twilight giggled. "Thanks, everypony. It's just that I don't have a clue who this mystery mare..." Suddenly, her eyes widened, and she gasped a gasp a mile long, as if she just arrived at Equestria's largest library. "THAT'S IT!" she squealed. "THE MARE WHO SAVED US THAT NIGHT, SHE MUST BE THE MISSING ELEMENT! IF WE FIND HER, WE MIGHT DISCOVER WHAT THE MISSING ELEMENT IS! WAHOOOOOO!"
She found herself hopping around the group in circles squealing "Yes!" quickly over and over. Everypony just watched her. Rainbow Dash facehoofed herself. "Gah, please don't tell me she's still obsessed with that so-called mystery mare." "Sorry, Dash, but it's true." replied Applejack. "Checked up on her earlier...on the beach." Everyone continued to look at the overly-excited mare, with Pinkie bouncing behind her, joining her fun. "Twilight, once again, CALM DOWN!" Celestia said with a raised voice. Twilight got an unsettled look on her face as she realized her sudden outburst and the princess' reaction. She stopped in her tracks, her cheeks turning bright red. "Have you settled down, now?" asked the princess. "Um...hehehe...yes." she replied.
Roxanna swam through her window and under her bed where she kept all her land items. She dug them out from under the sand. She looked at all the treasures she and Squirt have gathered over the last few years. It was fun to try and guess what each thing was for. Roxanna found herself in a giggle fit thinking of the possibilities. "What's so funny, Angelfish?" asked Mordecai, entering the room. Roxanna's heart skipped a beat when she heard Mordecai. "N...N...Nothing Mordi." she stuttered. "I...I'm just daydreaming." "Under your bed?" He came over and lifted the sheets that draped over the edge. The two gave a long gasped at the sight of each other. Mordecai frantically looked at the pile of things that surrounded his daughter. "Wha...Wha...What IS ALL THIS?!?!?!?!" He dragged Roxanna out of the way and pushed the bed aside.
Roxanna noticed that Squirt followed her and was looking through the window, a worried look on his face. She opened the window and held him like a scared child and her teddy bear. "I have a feeling these didn't just so happen to be here, were they?" asked Mordecai with an angry look on his face. Roxanna gulped as Mordecai clutched his staff harder. His staff, his magical staff, was a sign of power and authority in the sea. It was made of violet coral with a shiny, white pearl at the top, slightly hued a golden yellow. "WELL?" yelled Mordecai. "N...No." replied Roxanna. "I found them." "WE found them, sir." admitted Squirt, who couldn't bare see his best friend be the only one to blame. Mordecai raised an eyebrow in suspicion. "These little adventures you have with Roxanna, where do you go?" "Leave him alone!" cried Roxanna. "Silence!" replied Mordecai, his gaze returning to Squirt, who was trembling in Roxanna's arms. "We...We..." He looked up to Roxanna for an excuse, but she only lowered her head in surrender. "When I first came here, we found a sunken ship, and we found much of those things in it." "Roxanna, I don't believe what I'm hearing!" cried Mordecai. "You know Rule #23: Stay at least one hundred and fifty clam shells away from sunken land ships!" "There is no danger in them!" argued Roxanna. "Luck, dumb luck that ship was!" he replied. "You know how dangerous ships are. Your father back home is still recovering!"
A week ago, her father was swimming too close to the surface, and he was accidentally hit by the rudder of a ship, nearly costing him his life. Miraculously, he survived and was taken in for treatments. Roxanna rubbed her arm. That event scared her dearly, but she wasn't going to let her surrender from her side of the argument. "Well, that was a MOVING ship." stated Roxanna. "And besides, we're not dealing with humans anymore." "But those creatures are still horrid, devilish, fish-eating scumbags who want nothing more than to rid of us!" "That's not true!" cried Roxanna. "They're kind, caring, wonderful ponies who want to learn more about us!"
Everything went silent.
Then, Mordecai asked sternly and slowly, "How do you know all this?" Her pupils shrank as she realized what she was going to have to confess. "I...I..." "No, Roxanna don't tell me, you didn't...you didn't GO TO THE SURFACE, DID YOU?!?!?!"
Another moment of silence.
"ROXANNA!" shouted Mordecai, pounding his staff on the ground. "YOU DID, DIDN'T YOU? IT IS CLEARLY STATED AS RULE #1, NUMBER ONE, ROXANNA, THAT UNDER ANY UNREASONABLE CIRCUMSTANCES, CONTACT WITH THE SURFACE IS STRICTLY FORBIDDEN!"
"But if I never went up there, they would have died!"
"WHO, ROXANNA?"
"6 ponies, the evil sea spirits destroyed their ship and were drowning them! I had to do something, and just had to!"
"If you have had let them be, there'd be six less to worry about. And you say they want to learn about us? What better way than to kill us and gut us?"
"Lies, they are LIES!"
"ROXANNA!" he yelled once more. "I will NOT accept this ANYMORE! As long as you live under these seas, you will obey my rules. When these rules are broken, there are bad consequences. Roxanna, since you have broken your promise with me and your family, punishment must be issued.
And with that, he levitated all of the land items with his staff. With it raised, he pounded it on the ground. Suddenly, all of Roxanna's precious land items incinerated with an underwater magic. Every last treasure Roxanna and Squirt collect perished forever. She threw herself to the ground and bursted into tears. Mordecai swam out the door, but not before taking one more look at Roxanna. He hated having to be so harsh, but it was the only way he could get through to her. He left the room, leaving a bawling Roxanna behind him.
Squirt snuggled beside her with much pity. All was interrupted when a creaking of the window was heard. Two mischievous looking sea snakes slid in. Sea snakes were one of the most untrusted creatures in the sea, but made up for it with their cunning use of speech.
Roxanna and Squirt looked at them with fright and curiosity. "Who...Who are you?" asked Roxanna. "Why, us?" replied one of them. "We are what you could call angels in disguise." claimed the other one. "We couldn't help but notice your dilemma." "What a shame, all those years of treasure hunting, destroyed by that monster you call your uncle." "Now hang on, he's not a monster, he's just very stubborn." claimed the princess. "I think that's an understatement; would you agree, my dear brother?" "Of course, fellow brethren. If only there was a way to make all of her highness' sorrows go away." Sparks seemed to ignite in their eyes when they said together, "Ah, but there is!"
"What are you talking about?" she asked. "Our master," said one, gliding the tip of his slimy tail under Roxanna's chin, causing her to wince, "she can make everything all better." "Follow us, and we'll take you to her. She's always willing to help anyone...including merfolk." "Wait a minute, you'd better promise not to hurt her. She's much more powerful than you think!" proclaimed Squirt, protecting his beloved mermaid. "Oh, don't worry, we won't harm a scale." one replied. "Now, come with us." Not wanting to stay with Mordecai, Roxanna followed the sea snakes out the window with Squirt gently wrapping two tentacles around her neck like a backpack to hold on.
They were led to a spooky kelp forest, somewhere they've never been before. After navigating their way through the weeds, they arrived at an underwater cave. The smell emitting from within wasn't pleasant, and a dark, gloomy, misty corridor awaited its visitor. "Master, we have returned with guests." said the two snakes. "Guests? Oh my, I do love company. Do come in." The voice echoed through the cave, having a low and sly tone. As they entered, the water cooled down. The sea snakes swam ahead to greet their master. "Well, well, well. What do we have here?" A large figure emerged from the cave's murky mists. "A mermaid? And her little octopus, too? Oh my, how lovely!" The two "guests" stopped in their tracks. "MEDULLA?!?!" "Of course, dearies. Who else would be here? Davy Jones, perhaps? He's a few miles from here, but anyways, of course it's me." Medulla, no other creature was like her. She was half human, half snake. Her big, thick tail was so long, it twisted around the nooks and crannies of the cave. Her grey hair waved menacingly in the water, and her eyes could hurt anyone who dared stared into them long enough. Her pale skin contrasted her ruby red lips, but her fangs and snake tongue ruined its appearance.
"So, from what it seems, you have quite the problem on your hands." "How did you know?" asked Roxanna. "Why else would swim into the dark depths of the sea? Plus, my precious sea snakes accompanied you. Does that answer your question?" "I...guess." "So then, what's been troubling you, dearie?" Medulla wrapped her arm around the princess, her cold and wrinkled hand making her twitch. "Uh, well...you see, I..." Medulla put a finger to Roxanna's lips. "Ah ah ah! Let me guess." She put her fingers to her chin and hummed a small "hmmm" in thought. "I've got it! Ever since you came here as a youngin', you've been collecting land items with your little pal, here. But lately, your uncle Mordecai discovered them and destroyed everything. Plus, you recently rescued a group of those pony creatures from drowning in a shipwreck. You wanted to standby and guard them until they awoke, singing and playing your harp in your spare time. When they woke up, only one remembered you, and no one else believed her. Now, you want to convince them it was you, but you don't want to put yourself or your kind at risk."
She stared into Roxanna's eyes, filled with a mix of shock, fright, and amazement. "Guess I was right. Come, follow me." The two followed her into her lair, despite her freakish knowledge of their recent events. "So, from what I've heard, these ponies are looking for something. Something YOU, my darling mermaid, have. And before you ask what it is, let me tell you. When you rescued those ponies that night, you did more than save their lives; you fulfilled a prophecy." "A prophecy?" repeated Roxanna in surprise. Then she recalled what caused the incident in the first place. "Wait a minute. Weren't YOUR sea spirits the ones who wrecked the ship?" "Yes, they were. I've summoned so many of them over the past years that they escape right from under my nose! I can't really keep good track of them." "I see..." said Roxanna, slightly suspicious. "So, what's this about a prophecy?" "Before I tell you, dear, I must ask you something. Have you heard of the Elements of Harmony?"
"Yes, Mordecai told me about them. He claimed that they were destroyed, though, after the hippocampi extinction." "Lies, dearie, lies." claimed Medulla, as she put an enchanted book on a pedestal. Using some magic, she brought up a hologram-type of image of the six ponies and their elements. "These are the ponies you rescued, yes?" Roxanna nodded. "Well, these ponies were guardians of the elements, until they had to give them up to save their land. The prophecy states that when you saved those ponies, a new Element of Harmony was discovered. They don't know what it is, yet. But the princess who remembered you thinks you're the one." "Me?" she asked. "But I'm not a pony! Though, if I was this missing element, what would Mordecai think? I'm willing to bet that he'd want them perished! Medulla, what should I do?" The witch smiled a devious grin. "That, darling, is where I come in." She took out another book, this time filled with spells. "How's about we strike up a deal? I was thinking, if you want to fulfill this prophecy, but wish not to harm the merpeople, why not go to them in disguise?" Roxanna and Squirt looked at her, having a slight idea where this was going. "Your point, may I ask?" said the mermaid.
"My point is..." She slithered closer to the princess. "...for a short period of time, I, personally, could turn you into a beautiful pony."
The two friends' jaws hung agape. Was she serious? "You...could do that?" asked Roxanna quietly. "Certainly!" replied Medulla. "The spell lasts for a week. I'd be willing to do it...but, like I said, I have to make a deal." "What is it?" she asked. "Well, since I definitely believe you are the new element, you, and you alone, must convince the princess and her friends that you are it. If you do, I will be willing to change you into a pony permanently! Though, if you don't, you'll turn back into a mermaid, and you must spend the rest of your days as my slave! You'll be kept in heavy shackles and be treated miserably. Although, the chances of that are unlikely." Roxanna shivered in fright. "Plus, you must also pay your fee." "But I don't have much money..." "Why would I need money, dear? I'm banished, after all. No, I want something much more valuable." She flicked her finger against Roxanna's chin. "I want your voice."
Roxanna gripped her throat. "My...my voice?!?! But how will I ever tell..." "You don't need a voice to tell them. Actions speak for themselves, darling. Don't worry, it will be safe with me." From out of nowhere, a scroll and pen appeared in front of her. "So, do we have a deal?" Roxanna wasn't so sure. It was very risky, but the positive outcome seemed possible. She looked over at Squirt, who was clenching onto her shoulder. He looked up at her, a small smile on his face. "Roxanna, know whatever you choose, I'll always be there for you, and you'll never stop being my best friend." Roxanna smiled big and hugged her buddy. "Come now, make your decision. I haven't got all day." claimed the witch, snapping her fingers repetitively. She looked over at the floating parchment and took a deep breath. She grabbed the pen and signed her name at the bottom. "The deed shall be done!" With a 'POOF!', the scroll disappeared.
Medulla opened up another spell book and started chanting magical words. The force of the spell flung Squirt off of Roxanna and onto the cave floor. A hurricane like magic swirled around the two women, blocking them from seeing the area around them. The sea witch opened a fancy bottle, and afterwards said, "Sing, my child! Sing your voice to me!" Roxanna nervously started singing a simple up and down scale, moving up a note every new round. Her voice shook as a pair of ghostly hands rose from the bottle and floated towards her. One wrapped around her tightly, while the other slid down her throat, grabbing her magical voice and taking it away. She clenched her throat as her voice echoed its last noise into the awaiting bottle, which Medulla instantly closed. Her maniacal laugh rebounded through her lair. Squirt saw a silhouette of his best friend being captured in a bubble of magic. He hid behind a rock as he watched on terrified. Roxanna's tail split in two, her fins falling to the floor, along with the same colored skin around her waist. The color of her tail spread through her whole body, minus her hair. All of Roxanna's skin was now an aqua green. She felt her arms and split tail thickening, her hands being forced into fists. The soon resembled hooves. A wave of thick, brown hair grew behind her, above where her belly and tail met, while her ears became more pointy and moved closer to the top of her head.
All of a sudden, a burst of light emitted from the bubble. The magic field disappeared, leaving Squirt to gasp with his jaw agape. Roxanna finished her transformation, her once mermaid body now completely turned into a pony. She squirmed in the water, not knowing how to swim in her state. Squirt's instincts kicked in and he swam towards Roxanna. He knew what she needed. She need air...now. He grabbed her, and with all his might, helped her swim towards the surface. "Swim for your life, pony princess!" were the last words, along with her wicked laughter, that the two heard from Medulla. Roxanna was getting weak, as they were really deep underwater. When she thought she couldn't hold her breath anymore,
SPLASH!!!
They broke through the surface. Roxanna gasped for air and coughed. "Come on, Roxanna. We need to get you to shore." The pony was really tired and weak from the transformation, so she simply nodded as she caught her breath. The two made off toward the land, where she could rest until she was ready to explore.
Chapter 10: Welcome to Ponyville
The sun shined upon the two as one of them dragged themselves onto the shore. Roxanna finally got the chance to rest and catch her breath as she lay on the warm sand. She looked over at Squirt, who bobbed in the water and gazed at her. "You know, I always wondered what you would look like as a pony." He scanned over Roxanna's new form one more time. "I must say, you look more beautiful than I could've ever imagined." She blushed, and the words 'thank you' were formed on her lips, though no sound came out. She was quite disappointed at the loss of her voice, and a bit nervous if the use of actions instead of words would ever reveal to the other ponies who she was. At the moment, Roxanna was too nervous to care too much. "You look tired." claimed Squirt. "Get some rest. I'll watch over for you." She smiled at him as she got comfortable in the sand, closing her heavy eyes as she drifted for a short rest.
"Roxanna...Roxanna wake up! Someone's coming!" The princesses eyes slowly opened, the blazing sun shining in her eyes. After a moment of adjusting her sight, she saw Squirt pointing in the other direction. Off in the distance, a small spot could be seen getting closer. She quickly got up, only to wobble and fall over. Roxanna then realized she still had her mermaid top on, so she quickly shook it off and hid it in a patch of reeds. The spot got closer, revealing a pleasant sight. A purple alicorn was casually trotting her way. Squirt went and hid among a spot of tall grass. Roxanna's hair was quite the mess, but that was the least of her worries. She sat in the sand, waiting for the mare to arrive.
Twilight sighed. "That voice...I can't get out of my head." she said to no one in particular. She decided to head down to the beach one more time. Maybe today she would strike some luck. When she looked up, something caught her eye: a green figure, sitting on the beach, and it seemed like it was looking straight at her. Curious, she quickened her pace to examine the mysterious object. As she got closer, she realized that this wasn't a thing, but a pony. "What is she doing here?" Twilight asked herself as she approached the mare.
Roxanna fidgeted in her spot, the distant blur now focusing and becoming the young princess she rescued that night. "Okay, Roxanna, stay calm and collected." she thought to herself as Twilight arrived. "Excuse me!" called the purple alicorn as she came closer. Roxanna looked at her, a mixture a shyness and excitement in her eyes. "Hello, there." she greeted, Roxanna still seated in front of her. She smiled shyly and turned her head to the side slightly. Twilight chuckled. "Oh, there's no need to be shy." She took a good look at the mare in front of her, then tilted her head slightly, a small look of confusion on her face. She didn't think she saw this mare before, but then why did she look so familiar? "You know, I think I've seen you somewhere. Have we met?" Roxanna nodded excitedly. Suddenly, something clicked in Twilight's mind. "Wait, you're the one! I've been looking for you for days! Please, I must know your name!"
Caught up in the excitement, Roxanna tried to say her name, but all that came out was air. She lowered her head. "Are you alright? Is something wrong?" She put a hoof to her throat. "You...can't speak?" In reply, she shook her head. "Oh, I'm sorry. I must've mistaken you for somepony else." "I knew that trade would make this nearly impossible." she thought. "Well, I haven't seen you around here before. Are you new?" Roxanna nodded. Then, she had an idea. She pointed to the sea. "Um, you...used to live out there?" Once again, she nodded. She made a swooping motion with her hoof, like it was going underwater. "Sinking?" Before she could reply, Twilight gasped. "Were you in a shipwreck? Oh dear, that's terrible! Two in one week! Are you far from home?" At this point, Roxanna realized there was no way she could convince Twilight she actually lived underwater without her voice. She decided to just go along with the whole shipwreck thing. She nodded her head in reply to her question; she was pretty far away from her home.
"Oh, I'm so sorry. Until we find out where you live, allow me to offer you a place to stay. Follow me." Walking, she didn't even think about practicing walking when she arrived on land; she was pretty worn out anyways. "Maybe it's not as hard as it looks." With that in mind, she slowly started getting up on her hooves. They were a little sore, but not that bad. She wobbled quite a bit, but she eventually got her balance.
"Good, nice to know you can still stand up." claimed Twilight. Roxanna tried to remember how the ponies walked: one hoof in front of the other. She started to move forward, but as quickly as she started, she stumbled over. Luckily for her, Twilight leaned against her to keep her upright. "Whoa, careful!" Roxanna smiled, more in embarrassment than in thanks.
"Don't worry, I'll help you." Twilight grabbed her right hoof and draped it over her back for support. Roxanna looked back at Squirt and gave him a wink, while he waved his best friend goodbye and good luck. Together, the two ponies walked (with Roxanna wobbling most of the way) towards Ponyville to the Golden Oaks Library.
After walking became easier for her, Roxanna took the time to look at her surroundings. Colorful ponies trotted around the village, some casting glances at the two alicorns. Though, nopony knew she was royalty, for her horn was covered up by her big mop of messy hair. Soon, they arrived at the library. She gasped at the mass amount of books around her. Even under the sea, they had books, but not this many!
"Welcome to Golden Oaks Library!" said Twilight. "Feel free to make yourself at home. I have a spare bed you can sleep in tonight, so you don't need to worry about that. My assistant, Spike, will help you get situated. SPIKE, WE HAVE COMPANY!"
From upstairs, they could hear a loud yawn as the young dragon woke up from his deep slumber. As he came downstairs, loud thumping emitted from his footsteps, and he dragged his blanket lazily from behind. Roxanna slightly gasped at him. Sure, she'd seen him before, but she never thought she'd him this up close.
"Yeesh, Twilight, not so loud." he said, rubbing his eyes.
"I'm sorry Spike, but we have a guest staying with us for a while. She was washed up on shore in a shipwreck.
"Another shipwreck?" asked Spike, surprised, now starting to wake up. "Yep, and this young mare doesn't live in Equestria, so it's our duty to figure out where she lives so she can get home."
"Uh...can't she just tell you where she lives?"
"She's mute, Spike. She can't talk."
"How convenient. "
"Spike! That's not how we respond to somepony with a disability! Please apologize."
"...Sorry..."
Roxanna smiled forgivingly and ruffled the scales on his head, causing him to giggle. "Spike, please help her get situated. I'll bring the girls over." The girls? Did she mean the other ponies she rescued that night? It must be.
"Come on, I'll help you get set up for the night." called Spike, motioning her over. The two went upstairs to Twilight and Spike's bedroom. On the wall, there was a rope. Spike pulled it, and the wall opened to reveal a spare bed. He pulled it from its hiding spot and placed it in front of Twilight's bed.
"There we go." he said, smoothing out the bed's sheets. "Now you'll be all comfy and cozy for the night. Though, just to let you know, if you hear thumping downstairs during the middle of the night, it's probably Twilight. Lately, she's been doing her midnight pacing and reading after an accident a couple days ago. You won't believe what she told me!"
He sat down on the bed, Roxanna doing the same. "So, on Hearts and Hooves Day, Twilight had this big plan for her brother, Prince Shining Armor, and her sister-in-law, Princess Cadance, to sail on a huge ship and have a big party
with a ton of ponies. Then, all of a sudden, this crazy storm appeared out of nowhere! The pegasi didn't have any plans for a storm that night!"
"The pegasi?" thought Roxanna. "Is he saying they actually MAKE the weather? I'll have to figure that one out later." Spike continued his story.
"This huge lightning bolt came down on the mast, and lit the whole thing on fire!" Fire, was that the Orange Light Roxanna saw? All these new words and such would need some getting used to. "Then, the whole thing collapsed and landed on my tail!" He showed her his tail, bruised and with some damaged scales. She gasped and stroked it gently. The princess leaned down a gave it a kiss. "Aww, shucks." he blushed. "Anyway, Twilight and her friends got me out, but the floor started collapsing. At the last second, they threw me overboard onto a liferaft. Then, the floor gave way and they fell to the bottom of the boat!"
By this point, he was really getting into it. Spike was doing little actions while telling the events. "Everypony waited to see if they would come out, but they never did. Instead...BOOM!!!" He jumped off the bed and shot his arms into the air. "The whole ship exploded! I thought they were gonners, I tell you. The royal guards went to check the wreckage while the rest of us sailed back to shore. After an hour passed, the royals and I decided to go check the beach to see if the guards brought them back alive. To our relief, they were! But then, Twilight said something crazy. She said that a MARE rescued them, not a royal guard! And that's not even the craziest part! She also said that this mare was singing to them and playing music!" Spike chuckled at the thought. "But that can't be possible, because they were the only ones on the boat when it exploded, and no mare could've carried them a mile back to shore! Nopony believes her, not even the other girls! Even I have trouble believing her."
Roxanna thought about what Spike told her. She knew the story, but she wanted to see it in the dragon's perspective. She slightly giggled at the thought that Spike was saying this stuff to the very mare Twilight said rescued them. Suddenly, they hear a door open. "That must be them! Come on, I bet they'd love to meet you!" They went downstairs to see a group of ponies gazing up at her.
"There she is!" claimed Twilight. "Girls, this is the mare I found on the beach this morning." Each of the ponies gave their greetings to her.
"So, you're the pony who got caught in a shipwreck?" asked Rainbow Dash, her wing still in bandages. Roxanna nodded. "You're lucky you washed up on shore alive. We have hooves-on experience with this kinda thing."
"It must've been just terrible!" cried the timid Fluttershy. "Alone, cold, wet, and worst of all, stranded in the middle of the ocean!"
"Oh, come on, girls!" cheered Pinkie Pie. "Now's not the time to talk about scary shipwrecks!" She put her hoof around Roxanna's shoulder and drew her against her face. "We need to welcome this pony to Ponyville! We need a party!"
"But Pinkie Pie, she's not ready for a party!" claimed Rarity. "No offense, darling, but your hair looks like it's been in a hurricane." Using her magic, she received some hair supplies from her saddlebags. "Luckily, I always bring these in case of emergencies."
"Of course ya do, Rares." said Applejack, rolling her eyes.
"Come along, dear." said Rarity, pulling her by a hoof. "When I'm done with you, you'll feel much better and more refreshed." And with that, Rarity and Roxanna went into the bathroom, slamming the door behind them.
"Yeesh, does Rarity always have to play fashion police?" asked Rainbow Dash.
"Apparently so." said Twilight. "You know her, always wanting everypony looking picture..."
"SWEET CELESTIA!!!"
"...perfect..."
The bathroom door opened revealing a nearly hyperventilating Rarity. "Rarity, what happened?!" asked Twilight, worried for her friend. The unicorn didn't need to answer. From behind her, Roxanna appeared, confused, and her mane still a mess. Everypony gasped loudly when they saw when they saw that not only did the pony have a pair of wings, but she also had a unicorn horn protruding from her head.
"YOU'RE A PRINCESS?!" they all cried, causing her to flinch.
"Why in Equestria didn't you tell us this in the first place?!" cried Rainbow, zooming up to her face.
"She's mute, Rainbow, remember?" said Twilight. She walked up to the alicorn, until Rarity blocked her off.
"No, Twilight! We can't afford any distractions from the matter at hoof!" She looked at Roxanna. "We need to get you to the spa, pronto!"
Once again, Rarity took her by the hoof and ran out the door. Everypony stood silent.
"Well, that was...interesting." said Twilight.
The two mares arrived at the Ponyville Spa. "Lotus? Aloe?" cried Rarity as she burst through the door. Immediately, the two sisters appeared. "We have a spa emergency!"
The spa ponies gasped when they saw the princess. "Right this way, your majesty!" said Lotus, ushering her to a hot tub. In a matter of minutes, Roxanna was being bathed in bubbles, bath salts, and having a hair stylist wash her mane while another did her tail. Rarity watched from aside, not wanting to get a treatment for herself. She wanted the princess to get the best, and the more workers, the better. "Rarity, who is this young princess?" asked Aloe, the others listening in as they worked.
"The poor dear was washed up on shore after a shipwreck. She's a princess from another land."
"The sea has been pretty gruesome to ships the past week." said one of the spa ponies, who was filing one of Roxanna's hooves.
"Indeed." agreed Rarity. "Luckily, Princess Twilight is letting her stay at her place until she can return home."
"Why, isn't that sweet of her?" replied another spa pony. Now Roxanna was laying down on a massage table, her face covered with a fancy facial with fresh cucumbers over her eyes. After that, she got a mudbath, a seaweed wrap, a hooficure, and lastly, her hair done.
After a while, Lotus and Aloe went into the waiting room, where Rarity was reading a magazine. "We're done!" they sang with big smiles on their faces.
"Oh, wonderful! Let me see her." The two stepped aside, and the princess entered. Rarity's eyes widened and she gasped happily. Roxanna's coat shined, along with her silky, brown mane. It was wavy, with two cute, little, curly locks of hair on the side of her face.
"FABULOUS!" She cried, holding her cheeks and giving a kiss to each one. Roxanna smiled shyly and blushed. "You ladies did a wonderful job!"
"It was our pleasure, Miss Rarity!" said Lotus. "This was on us, today. No need for payment."
"Oh, please, allow me to at least give you a tip!" she claimed, tossing over a small coin purse. "Thank you for everything, dears!"
They bid their farewells as they left the spa. Rarity giggled as they left the spa. "I think fifty bits should be enough for a tip, don't you think?" she asked the alicorn.
Even though she didn't know the currency system, fifty bits still seemed quite a lot for a tip. Roxanna gave her a semi- surprised look.
"Tee hee, don't worry, darling. It was all worth it. Come now, the others will love to see how gorgeous you look!" The two trotted back to the library.
"Wow, that was amazing!" thought Roxanna. "And I just got here! I wonder what else will be in store for me?"