Minuette paced around her house impatiently. Literally. She was pacing around outside of her house. Something was obviously troubling her. If there wasn’t, she wouldn’t be pacing. “Come on… Where in Celestia’s nine tail extensions is she?” She asked nopony in particular. Seeing a couple ponies looking at her oddly, she ducked back inside her house to start pacing around her couch.
Some time later, a knock on the door caught the attention of the blue unicorn. Minuette rushed to the door and opened it so fast the door nearly came off its hinges. Standing at the door was a rather surprised-looking mint green unicorn mare. “Lyra! Thank goodness you’re here. Come on, inside!” She ordered, pulling Lyra in quickly and magically slamming the door shut behind them.
Lyra suddenly found herself sitting on the couch, watching Minuette pace back and forth. “So, um… What’s wrong Minuette? Why did you want me here so quickly?” She had to ask. “Did Berryshine crash in your bedroom after a party again? Is she still there?” She asked, then paused. “Did you sleep on the couch last night or in bed with her?”
Minuette looked at Lyra harshly, a blush easily visible on her face. “Lyra! This is serious!”
Lyra giggled mischievously. “Alright, fine… Was it hot?”
“LYRA!” Minuette shouted, her face red as a beet.
“Okay! Okay… Geez, what crawled up your plot today?” Lyra pouted, crossing her forelegs. “So… What is the problem anyway?” She finally asked.
Minuette opened her mouth to speak, but the words caught in her throat. “Well, um… It’s hard to explain…” The mare looked nervous and jittery, much different than her usual elated self. It made Lyra a bit nervous herself. “But I figured if anypony could handle it, it would be you Lyra. Just… Come see for yourself…” She started walking upstairs. Lyra got up from the couch and followed her friend.
As they reached her bedroom door. Minuette turned back to Lyra and put a hoof over her mouth. “Alright, just… be quiet… Berry’s still asleep. I don’t want to wake her.” She warned.
Lyra grinned. “So I was right! Did ya really sleep with-” Lyra was cut off by a blue hoof being shoved into her mouth. That smug face of hers didn’t away and she mumbled something into Minuette’s hoof.
Minuette looked angry, her face once again reddening. “Shush! Berry isn’t my problem anyway. It’s in the bathroom.” She pulled her hoof away from Lyra and looked at it. “Did you… lick my hoof?”
Lyra giggled. “Sorry, I couldn’t help it. It tasted like mint. And you know how much I looooove mint.” She said with a wink.
“Ugh, you are the worst. You know that, right?” Minuette glared at Lyra. Lyra just grinned mischievously and opened the door to her friend’s bedroom. Sure enough, there was a purple mare sleeping soundly on Minuette’s very blue bed, in her very blue room.
Lyra let her gaze move around a bit. “I see you’ve redecorated. There are fewer hourglasses in here now. Where’d they go?” She asked. “And what’s with all the blue? I swear you could camouflage yourself in here perfectly.” Lyra made a mental note to never play hide-and-seek with Minuette in her own house.
Minuette rolled her eyes. “You should know that I hide my hourglasses whenever Berryshine shows up. She can’t be trusted near them. And as for the color… I like blue. Is that wrong?” She whispered as she slipped past Lyra and opened the door to her bathroom. “Quickly, it’s in here. Just… don’t startle it…”
Lyra tilted her head in confusion and was about to ask what she meant when a very familiar voice spoke up from the bathroom. “You’re back already?” It sounded just like Lyra’s voice. But that couldn’t be right. Lyra was Lyra. That was not Lyra.
Lyra stood there for a minute, trying to piece together why should hear her own voice from the bathroom. She pulled Minuette closer to her, giving her an upset look. “Are you hiding a changeling in your bathroom?” She whispered sharply. “You know what those things did to us!”
Minuette shook her head. “Don’t worry. It’s not a changeling. It’s a… um… different kind of creature. Special.” She said.
The voice spoke up again, cutting her off. “Minnie? Miiiiiiinnie? I know you’re out there.”
Lyra, no longer cross about a potential changeling in the house, started giggling at what the voice called her friend. “Hehe, seriously? Minnie? You haven’t let anypony call you that since Magic Kindergarten.” She said, giggling some more, much to Minuette’s embarrassment.
Minuette sighed in exasperation. “Come on already. You want to see it or not?” She asked, feeling about ready to chuck the lyrist out the window to see if she’ll grow a pair like Twilight.
Lyra rolled her eyes at the hourglass mare. “Alright. Lead the way, Minnie.” She teased, motioning for Minuette to lead.
Minuette led Lyra into the bathroom. The room itself seemed to be devoid of creatures, though behind the bathtub curtain, the sounds of splashing could be heard. A silhouette could also be seen behind the curtain. So this was what was causing Lyra’s usually upbeat friend so much distress. Whatever it was, it was behind this curtain.
Lyra stepped forward and lit her horn up, the curtain gaining a shimmering golden glow equal to that of her magic. When she pulled the curtain back, she finally got a look at the creature. It was sitting half-submerged in the tub, its mint-green hooves resting on the edge. A smile was on the creature’s muzzle as its golden eyes locked onto Lyra’s. It lifted a hoof to wave at them. “Hey Minnie, who’s your friend? She looks just like me. Only with four legs. And a fluffy tail. Oh! Can I pet her tail?” It asked, its excitement causing its tail - its long, scaly, fish-like tail - to splash around, getting more water on the floor. “Whoops, I’ll clean that up.” It lit up its own horn, a shimmering golden glow emanating from it as a towel floated by and wiped up the water. “There.”
Lyra just stared at the fishy doppelganger of herself, slack-jawed. “H-how is this possible? How did an honest-to-Celestia seapony version of myself end up in your bathtub?” She wanted answers, and looked to Minuette for them.
Minuette just shrugged. “I have no idea. I woke up this morning and there she was. In my bathtub. Singing. I called for you immediately afterwards. I figure somepony who studies weird creatures such as yourself would be able to figure this out.” She explained.
Lyra sighed and shook her head. “Okay, first off, it’s called cryptozoology. Second, I told you it was just a thing I went through in school. I don’t even remember much of what I did study. Though I think Bon Bon still has a book back home that might help us out. I’ll see if she’s willing to help us out.” She gave another look at the seapony, who waved again. She had that big innocent smile on her face that Lyra was known for. It was like looking into a mirror, except her mirror reflection had a fish tail.
Minuette waved a hoof dismissively. “Right. Krypo-what's-its-face. You think Bon Bon would be any more help?” She asked, getting kinda creeped out by the smiling fishpon.
It was then there were interrupted by a yawning Berryshine walking into the bathroom. “What time is it? Hey Minuette. Some fun last night, huh?” She paused upon noticing Lyra. “Oh, hi Lyra. What brings you here? And why are you both in the bathroom?” She then noticed the fishy doppelganger in the tub, who once again gave a happy smile and a wave. Berry’s response? Turn around and walk away. “...I need a drink…”
Berryshine chilled on the couch, a bottle of sparkling cider held in her hoof, while Minuette and Lyra paced around her. “Seriously, calm down. It’s not like this is an invasion. Seaponies aren’t going to rule the world or anything. Fishra up there can’t even leave that tub, so what has got your socks in a bunch?” Berry asked, taking a drink from the bottle.
Minuette stopped and looked at Berryshine. “Well, it’s because we have no idea how to deal with this. We don’t even know where she came from or how she got here. For all we know, she could be the first step of an alien invasion!” She replied, starting to sound rather paranoid.
Berry looked to Lyra, who just shrugged. “I’m just pacing around because I’m bored.” She said. Just then, there was a knock at the door. “I’ll get it!” She ran to the door and yanked it open, showing a rather surprised-looking cream-colored earth pony mare. “Bon Bon! Thank goodness you’re here. Come on, inside!” She ordered, pulling Bon Bon in quickly and magically slamming the door shut behind them. Minuette gave Lyra a look, showing that she wasn’t amused. “What? That’s how you ‘invited’ me inside.”
Bon Bon looked between the two unicorns and sighed. “Okay, calm down you two.” She turned to Minuette. “What’s so important that you needed not only Lyra’s help, but Berryshine and me too?” She asked.
“Hey, I’ve been here since last night. I’m just a bystander.” Berryshine said defensively. “Also, where did you get this fancy cider? It’s really good.” She added towards Minuette.
Minuette ignored Berry’s question. “Something found it's… her way into my bathtub this morning and… Well, just come and see for yourself.” She told Bon Bon, leading her upstairs.
Lyra looked over at Berryshine. “Soooo… What do you think her reaction will be?” She asked. A second later, there was a screaming and a crash from upstairs.
“My guess? Probably that.” Berry replied.
Lyra raced upstairs to find Bon Bon in an aggressive stance, facing down a scared-looking Fishra. Minuette stood between them, trying to calm the earth pony, to no avail. Lyra stepped in to assist her fellow unicorn. “Bon Bon, calm down. She’s just a seapony. She’s not a kelpie.” Lyra assured her.
Bon Bon glared at her roommate. “That’s what they want you to think. One moment you’re enjoying a nice breakfast then the next you’re seconds away from being thrown into the pits of Tartarus itself.”
Upon seeing the extremely confused faces on both Minuette and Fishra, Lyra explained. “Let’s just say that we had an incident with a kelpie that negatively impacted Bon Bon’s… personal life. She’s really good at problem solving though, and I think she can help us figure out what to do.” She noticed Bon Bon give another glare to the seapony and sighed. “Just as long as it isn’t killing her.” She added.
“Well, we aren’t so different from kelpies,” Fishra spoke up, startling Lyra, “though I personally don’t like them. They’re a shady bunch. They never just sing for fun. Oh, but the sirens were the worst. According to the stories I was told, they would bring out the worst in others, just to give themselves satisfaction. I have no idea what happened to them though. The last of them disappeared about a thousand years ago. No trace.”
“Maybe Bon Bon happened to them.” Lyra joked, eliciting a giggle from her fishy doppelganger.
“I think Twilight mentioned something about sirens once, last time we met. Though it’s obvious fishy Lyra isn’t one of them.” Minuette said. “So Bon Bon, Lyra said you had a book that would help us?”
Bon Bon nodded, reaching into her saddlebags. “I was curious why you wanted to borrow this. I didn’t know you were actually keeping a seapony in your bathtub.” She pulled out a book entitled 101 Strange and Mythological Creatures. “Though, why didn’t you just tell me about the seapony in the first place?”
“I wanted it to be a surprise.” Lyra said, grinning. “Surprise!”
Fishra and Minuette let out a giggle, but Bon Bon just deadpanned. “Riiiiight…” She opened up the book and skimmed through its contents, presumably looking for the section on seaponies. “Ah ha, here it is. Seaponies.
“The legend of seaponies dates back to before the unification of the three pony tribes. More specifically, the earth pony tribe. It’s said that they were discovered when Chancellor Puddinghead found one in her private bathing quarters.” Bon Bon read aloud.
Lyra burst out laughing. “Seriously? Is it normal for seaponies to just poof into other ponies’ bathtubs? That’s the craziest thing I’ve ever heard, and I’ve heard a lot of crazy things.”
“I dunno Lyra. Why don’t you let me find out?” Bon Bon asked, slightly irritated by the interruption.
“Oh, sorry. Continue.”
Bon Bon turned her attention back to the book and continued reading. “The seapony claimed to be from another world. One that was completely covered in water. Despite the Earth ponies best efforts, they couldn’t find a way to return the seapony back to it’s home.” Bon Bon looked up at the seapony in the tub with a frown. “I dunno if we’ll be able to get you home.”
Fishra let out a giggle. “Oh don’t worry about you guys getting me home. I can get myself home just fine. I used a spell to get here, and I can use the same spell to take me home again.” She said.
“Wait, what? You could just go home at any time? Why haven’t you said anything before?” Minuette asked, confused and a bit upset.
“Well, you ponies are kinda cool, and funny, and nice. I like you.” Fishra replied. “Besides, Starswirl the Scaled wouldn’t like it if I just wasted his old spell like that.”
Bon Bon’s eye twitched. “Starswirl the…” She turned around and walked away. “I need a drink…”
Lyra and Minuette watched the earth pony leave the room, the former just barely holding in laughter. When she left, they turned their attention back to the seapony. “Well it’s been fun. Though next time, pay me and Bonnie a visit. I’d love to have a seapony over for dinner.” Lyra said.
Her seapony self nodded. “Sure, I’ll even bring my own Bonnie. See ya later!” She lit up her torn, and with a bright flash of magic that tore through time and space, she vanished.
Lyra and Minuette looked at each other for a few seconds. “So… what now?” Minuette asked.
“Well, since I’m here, why don’t we gather the others and go out? Maybe head to Donut Joe’s?” Lyra suggested.
Minuette smiled. “That sounds nice. “I’ll fetch Moondancer. You get Lemon Hearts and Twinkleshine. We’ll meet at Joe’s.”
“What about Berryshine and Bon Bon? And what about Twilight?” Lyra asked.
“Berry and Bonnie can come if they want. As for Twilight…” She glanced at the now empty tub. “The less she knows, the better.”
Lyra nodded. “Well come on then! Let’s go, Minnie.”
"Lyra!" Minuette shouted and chased Lyra downstairs. As confusing and frustrating as this day was, she had to admit, it was still fun. She wouldn't trade this day for the world.
Author's Note
Don't ask why I felt like writing this. I just did. And it was fun.
