Chapters The little filly had just finished breakfast and now the whole weekend was hers to enjoy. The only snag with this warm sunny day was deciding what today's adventure should be! The stream seemed like an ideal place to find inspiration, so off she trotted.
While the cool water ran past her hooves a new thought crossed her mind. Where did the water go? She knew where it came from, as she had been with Glyn and Sam to the spring on a picnic. The rain fell on the hillside and bubbled up from the gravel, which was simple enough. But where did Black Brook's water disappear to? She went to find Dad.
She soon found Glyn working on the mower in the biggest hay barn. Parts lay all around him as he fumbled with a small gear in his large hooves.
"I think this machine must have been built by fairy watch makers," he said as Fish appeared around the door. "Put this onto that would you, before I loose it completely. The rest I can do, but not this bit. Your mother said I should have had taken it to the blacksmith, but I'm too far into it to admit defeat."
Fish slipped the little spur gear onto the shaft with ease. She thought it might be a fair swap for a question.
"Daddy, where does the Black Brook go?" she asked, as Glyn fitted a square nut to hold the gear on.
"Oh, yes, I remember the first time I followed it to the river when I was your age. I nearly fell in!" Looking down at Fish wistfully he added, "I guess you'll be jumping in? Assuming you don't just walk the stream bed all the way. Be careful of the river though, as the water can drag you off. I don't want to be catching a train to the sea side to fetch you back," He grinned.
"I'll be careful," she sang as she trotted out of the double doors towards the stream. Glyn tightened the nut and popped into the house to make a phone call.
"Done already?" asked Sam, who had heard some heated words directed towards the mower earlier.
Glyn gave her a hug. "No, but thanks to Fish's little hooves I'm well on the way. I've just popped in to ring a friend who lives by the river. He can keep an eye out for our little wandering Cloud. She should be there in an hour or so."
Fish did indeed follow the stream bed. Some bits were flat and the water flowed wide, bubbling gently over small stones. Other parts were narrow and fast where tree roots had grown close together and channeled the flow. She had to be extra careful with these, as the water tended to dig out the bed eroding a deep hole.
She also passed through a couple of muddy ponds that turned her soft coat from light grey to stinky black. It soon washed off when she reached a clear section.
"Where are you off to?" asked a tan mare feeding some chickens, a flowery bag hanging at her side and a puzzled expression on her face.
"I'm off to see the river!" exclaimed Fish.
The mare chortled. "Say 'hi' to the seaponies for me then," she smiled, as Fish disappeared into another deep bit.
As Glyn had predicted, her short legs carried her out across the water meadow to the edge of the river in an hour thereabouts. From her viewpoint the stream began to widen and then flow slowly sideways. As the banks fell away to the sides she could see the river in front of her. It was clearly deeper than the stream and floating leaves showed it had a steady motion. She moved forward, carefully making sure she didn't step into a drop off.
The water became ever deeper as she kept walking. It was up to her middle as she noticed something move under the water in front of her. Fish was used to being teased and was fairly sure that the mare had been trying to fool her earlier. However, the thing that just swam past under the surface didn't look much like a trout.
Standing completely still Fish moved her nose closer to the water as she tried to look through her own reflection. But that wasn't her face looking back from below the surface! She jumped back in surprise as a unicorn filly popped up out of the water with a big smile on her face.
"You're new, I haven't seen you here before? I'm playing chase with the otters, come and join in." And with that the seapony disappeared back into the river with a splash of her tail.
Fish was now completely baffled. A pony she had never met before, that wasn't earth pony, pegasus or normal unicorn had just asked her to play and she was too scared to follow!
The water stirred again as the head popped up right in front of her. "I'm Lilypad, I forgot to say that before, are you coming? They have a head start on us."
Fish just managed a, "Hi" before the seapony was gone. A second later she was back.
"Are you going to transform? Mummy say's I'm too small to try yet... Oh!" Lilypad paused for thought. "You're a land pony," she giggled. Placing her head under water she made an odd noise before re-surfacing. Upstream an otter's head appeared and then disappeared. "I said I would be along for a re-match in a while. I'm Lilypad," she grinned.
Fish replied cautiously, "I'm Cloud, but everypony calls me 'Fish' because I play in water so much. I wondered where my stream went after it left our farm and it came here. I can swim really well, but that looks dangerous."
Lilypad looked a bit taken aback that her playground could be considered dangerous. It was a bit more exciting when it flooded, because you had to be careful about logs in the fast moving water, but dangerous? It was the safest place in Equestria as far as she could tell.
Thinking about it further Lilypad could see that Fish wasn't going to be able to play in this part of the river. Just downstream was a large gravel flat which was deep enough for her and not too deep for her new friend. "Come on," she called, "we can play just down there." She pointed a hoof at the bend down river. "Race you."
Fish fully understood that dare and jumped for the bank just as she heard Lilypad's tail splash. Leaping through the reeds she quickly made for the open grass. Speeding along she ran down a sand bank and out into the shallow water. Lilypad was already waiting for her further out.
Neither pony was quite in their element, but playing chase was still good fun. Fish swallowed quite a lot of water and Lilypad got beached a couple of times. Despite her aquatic tail she was soon back in the water.
Once they had got bored of that game they changed to stick racing. It was nice to play with someone who could easily race downstream and fetch them back for another try. As the sticks floated gently past Fish decided to ask more about the river. "Do you live here all the time?"
Lilypad stared at the water. "Mostly. We go to the sea to visit family. Mum and dad work in the river down at the docks. They used to live in the sea, but I've always lived here. The sea is huge and I like my friends here better and our house is here."
Fish wondered what a seapony home was like. She was sure it would be amazing, but she knew she couldn't get to it without breathing underwater. There wasn't time to do much about it anyway looking at the sun. It was late afternoon and she had to be back before dark.
"I have to get home," she said. "It's a long walk back and I mustn't be late. Will you be here again?"
"Of course," said Lilypad. "Just come back here and bang two stones together under the water three times. One of us will hear you."
The little grey filly made her way steadily back up the Black Brook to her home. She paddled past the farm where she had seen the tan mare, who was now playing with a small filly. Just before home she found a clean hollow with bubbly water to wash off any remaining mud. Arriving at the kitchen door covered in dirt was guaranteed to instigate a severe scrubbing behind the ears!
A quick run around the meadow to dry off and she was ready for tea and to tell of her wondrous day. Sam and Glyn listened fascinated to the story of what was for them a very rare pony indeed. Then they put their excited but exhausted little filly to bed ready for a new day.
The next morning woke bright and sunny with Glyn at work early. As he laboured his ear twitched at a new sound from the yard. Could he hear hammering? Ten minutes ago he thought he heard the unmistakeable sound of a barrel being rolled across the cobble stones. He hadn't been expecting either, so he decided to stop cutting down nettles in the paddock and investigate. Stepping carefully around the wash house he found Sam watching something in the yard.
"I have no idea what she is up to now," whispered Sam. "There was a moment when I thought I would give myself away with my giggling. She climbed inside that barrel, moved around a bit and then with perfect comedy timing, poked a little nose through the filler hole. It snorted and disappeared like some wooden whale," said Sam with a chuckle.
Glyn tucked in close to see what would happen next. The box of jam jars certainly seemed an odd thing to combine with the large wooden barrel? All was revealed as Fish began to try various different sized jars in the hole.
Glyn winced as he realised the enormity of his daughter's current project. "That's a submarine that is. The jam jar is a porthole, the hose into the tap hole is the breathing tube."
"What!" screamed Sam, "Not on my watch." The commotion caused a dull thud inside the barrel to be heard, before Fish appeared rubbing her head with a hoof. Sam was about to launch into a rage about attending her own daughters funeral when Glyn stepped in.
"I can fix this," he said. "I'll take her to go see a pony about a thing. I know just the mare to help and we'll be back before tea time."
Glyn whisked up a surprised and confused Fish, popped her on his back and made for the gate before Sam could challenge them. They were past the village green before Fish gained her senses.
"Are we going far, I didn't say goodbye to mummy," came a small voice.
Glyn turned his head and smiled. "I might have fibbed about being back at tea time and she'll figure that out any minute now. I want to be out of ear shot when she does. We are off to see the only mare I know of with a fish for a cutie mark. A mark which could very well be yours one day maybe?"
They walked for a couple of hours with Fish running this way and that as she attempted to investigate everything. Eventually they came to a thatched house with a front garden full of weeds and brass pipe fittings. Glyn knocked on the open door and waited for hoofsteps on the quarry tile floor.
A sea green mare appeared with a huge smile. "Glyn, is it really you, have you left Sam?"
Glyn coughed. "No of course not! What a thing to say, I....."
She laughed and put a hoof over his mouth. "Your face is a picture right now. Nearly as embarrassed as hers is surprised," Fish looked up open mouthed at this new pony and her strange ways.
"I'm Jacky," she continued. "From what I've heard you'll be wanting to see this," she added, turning to show the turquoise fish mark on her flank. "And if you like that you'll be needing one of these."
She reached up to a shelf and pulled out a box with a flexible tube attached. The tube finished in a thing like a sink plunger and the box had two straps. Before Fish could ask any questions Jacky thrust the device over her muzzle. A confused Fish looked cross eyed down her nose at it.
"It's like a fish's gills. You swim through the water and the magic inside takes air from the water so you can breath. The water goes in through these louvered slots on the side. It cost a fair few bits back in the day. If you try to go too deep a bladder pops out and floats you to the surface. It's some of the finest unicorn technology I've ever seen and now it's yours."
Fish mumbled something incoherent so Jacky removed the mask. The little filly studied the device with eyes glazed over. "I can swim with Lilypad?" Her expression changed from surprised to utter glee. "I can see her house, I can..... WOW, Lets test it!"
At the back of Jacky's house was a small lake ideally suited for practice. Glyn sat on the bank and watched through the reeds as Fish listened intently to her diving instructor. It was nice to see her so wrapped up in something. Her school grades were not going to get her a job in the Town Hall and she was no farmer.
She did however seem to have a knack for working in water. Jacky clapped her hooves together with delight as a stream of bubbles weaved this way and that across the surface. Every so often a little grey head would appear before diving back down and heading in a new direction.
Too soon it was time to leave. Jacky said she would post the instructions when she found them and they said their goodbyes.
Jacky shouted after them, "Remember Fish, don't go too deep and come up if you get cold."
Glyn continued the thought of his little filly's future on the way home. As foals they had all grown up together and out of all of them Jacky had been one of the most successful. Maybe that ball of cloud grey hair half asleep on his back would do okay in the world. Maybe the breathing box still tied to her could be the start of something big?
Back at the farm all was now in darkness. They had grabbed a snack at Jacky's so he popped Fish straight into bed and put the shiny yellow metal box on the side board. Tucking her in he kissed her on the forelock and went into the kitchen. Lighting the lamp he heard Sam enter the room.
"How was Jacky?" she asked.
"Same as usual," replied Glyn. "Same colour, same cutie mark, same insane energy. We should have taken you I guess. You would have loved to have seen Fish actually 'enjoying' education," He said with a wink.
He continued, "I can't tell you it's all sorted, but it's a lot safer than a jam jar wedged in a barrel. The device we came back with lets her breath underwater and has a safety float built in. If anything goes wrong she pops to the surface. Lilypad and her family will keep an eye out as well. I'll go with her first time out."
Chapter 3 - Lilypad's House
The next weekend they were set. For Glyn's sake they traveled by road to the river. He pointed out that even if he fitted through the narrow bits, his size would churn up a lot of mud in the farm ponds along the way. Fish accepted that as reasonable and let him carry her aqualung box. Glyn asked a few questions on the way to be sure of the situation.
Once they had arrived Fish reached into the river and banged two likely looking stones together three times. Sitting back she wondered how quickly Lilypad's 'door knocker' worked? Her question was answered as an otter's head bobbed up near the other bank. Glyn and Fish watched as it disappeared up stream. Ten minutes later Lilypad's head appeared from the water with a squeal of delight.
"You made it back," she sang! "Mummy said you might not be able to come back. She said ponies are scared of the deep water, because it might carry them far away to a sad place."
Glyn held up the aqualung and placed it on Fish's back. "She was quite right," He said. "But now our little 'Fish' can swim underwater." He helped her do up the straps so that it stayed firmly in place and gave it a good test wiggle. Lilypad watched in fascination as he fitted the muzzle cap.
Fish stepped into the deeper water just as she had practised with Jacky. The river bottom was different to the lake though and she scrabbled to find her feet on the stones. She soon had the hang of it and stood fully submerged face to face with an excited Lilypad. The seapony beckoned her to follow and took off with great speed.
Glyn watched as the stream of bubbles steadily worked their way up the river. He was pleased that should the emergency bladder inflate she would come floating past him where he stood. The water did indeed look inviting and it was a shame to be left out, so he waded into the middle to cool down. It was quite deep for a foal, but to a fully grown Glyn the river seemed to have shrunk compared to so many years ago.
Lilypad explained things as they went, but murmese wasn't something Fish could understand. She made a note to find a book on it next week at school. Soon enough they were floating outside Lilypad's house, which was built into the roots of a large tree. It didn't have a door as such, but it did have a window. Between the roots the gaps had been filled with carefully stacked river stones to make walls. Some were very large to stand up to any flood water.
Swimming into the underwater house Fish was surprised to see how different it was. Bright white shells covered the entire ceiling giving it a strange glow. Up high and off to one side was a roof light which sat just above the water line. There was a light 'tap' on its surface as a large fly confused it for an opening.
The inner walls comprised of the same stones and roots as outside. In an alcove between them some kelp grew under a glass dome as a reminder of the sea. Lilypad pointed to a corner before flicking her tail and pretending to be asleep. Then she opened a big brass door to show Fish a collection of fresh water oysters. Lilypad offered her one to try, but Fish pointed a hoof toward her mask and Lilypad nodded.
"This sure is different," thought Fish looking around the underwater home. A shelf had brightly coloured stones on it, just like her collection at home, but there were no chairs or a fire place. After a while her mind turned to the cold beginning to seep through her skin as she floated there. Waving a hoof she pointed it upward and set off back to the gravel flat. Breaking the surface she removed the breathing mask.
"Wow! Daddy, that was amazing!" she said to Glyn. Then turning to Lilypad she asked; "Do you eat oysters?"
Glyn laughed at Fish's expression, which told the whole story in one scrunched up nose.
"Land ponies mostly eat plants and seeds," he explained. "We grow them in the summer and store them for the winter."
The conversation was broken by a loud splash as a much larger seapony worked her way up river. Upon seeing them she made for the shallows and began to lift herself from the water. A vibrant blue mane clung to her neck as her horn glowed bright gold. With perfect timing her fish like rear became a pair of rear legs that confidently stepped ashore.
"Mummy," called Lilypad. "This is Fish and her Dad. Fish has this magic box and she can swim underwater with me!"
With a swish of her newly formed tail the elegant white Seapony smiled. "I've heard so much about you. I'm Whitecap. I work at the docks downstream. A passing otter said we had visitors so I thought I would finish early and say hello. I hope Lilypad has behaved herself?"
"She's been Lovely," replied Glyn. He eyed the height of the sun adding, "But I think it's time we made our way home. It will soon be tea time and I still have jobs to do. It's a shame Lilypad can't come to the farm. We have a pond, but it's really quite a distance to walk."
The white mare became deep in thought for a moment. "I suppose she can. She is quite young, but I can try to teach her the land spell. If Fish comes to visit us tomorrow I will see what I can do."
Making their goodbyes Glyn and Fish made their way back across the water meadow to the road. Opening the gate through the hedgerow Fish asked, "Can I come back tomorrow?"
"Of course," he said. "I don't know anything about magic, but I imagine that leg spell will be really hard to do. Lilypad will be glad of a good friend to help her try it out."
3. Fore Legs and Four Legs
The next day Fish was awake bright and early. Sam managed to convince her to eat a good breakfast at a steady pace before she was gone out of the door. Wearing her aqualung she made her way downstream all the way to the river. Once there she fitted the mask and set off excitedly downstream to the gravel flat.
Lilypad and Whitecap were already there practicing the spell as Fish surfaced and made her way ashore. Lilypad recited the spell carefully as her horn began to glow.
"One of the sea, be one of land, four hooves I have, that I can stand."
As Fish watched the purple and turquoise tail transformed into rear hooves and a rather odd looking tail. Fish tried to hide her giggles.
"Don't worry little one," comforted Whitecap. "That was a very good attempt. You nearly have it now."
Lilypad turned to inspect her tail which was still more fin than hair. The new sight got the better of her legs and caused her to fall back into the water with a splash. With a loud "Oh!" she turned back into her old self.
Her mother laughed. "They follow behind you, but they aren't a tail. You need to run around with Fish for a bit and get used to them. Even I get confused by them if I get frightened."
With another glow of her horn Lilypad became a proper unicorn filly, with a beautiful turquoise tail flowing behind her. "Yes!" she said proudly looking at the extra pair of golden hooves.
"Here is a little present," said Whitecap hanging a reed purse around Lilypad's neck. I made it myself between boat moorings. You can put things in it and I've written the spell on the inside. Now off you go and play in the water meadow."
Fish and Lilypad chased dragon flies and grasshoppers around the field for the afternoon. Fish was careful to look after her new friend who was still quite wobbly. When they rested Lilypad tried using her magic to make daisy chains. But no matter how far she stuck her tongue out in concentration, they still broke. They tasted just as good though.
Soon it was time for Fish to leave for home. "Will you be able to come to Black Brook Farm next weekend?" asked Fish.
"I think I could," said Lilypad. She didn't sound too confident though. "Your pond sounds nice. I can rest there if my legs get tired. Maybe Mummy will come with me."
It seemed a long week at school and by Saturday Fish was getting very restless waiting for Lilypad. She had stayed near to the farm yard since early morning so that she didn't miss her new friend. Sam had said that maybe they wouldn't be able to make it this far on land, but Fish was sure they could.
It was mid morning before Whitecap and Lilypad arrived at the gate. They thanked Glyn for his directions with landmarks, but still looked hot and bothered. Sam showed them to the pond where they quickly changed back to their natural state.
As the little fillies chattered Sam made a cup of tea for Whitecap. Passing it to her she asked; "I thought that might have been too far for you?"
"It wasn't too bad, but I had to go at Lilypads pace. She has never walked any distance and it took much longer than I expected. I thought I might have to find a pond for her half way."
Sam nodded. "Glyn had better carry her back to the river later. The day will only get hotter."
Once everyone was refreshed the seaponies transformed into unicorns to tour the farm. Whitecap was interested to see what a winter's supply of food looked like and Lilypad was keen to see everything else. She and Fish ran off across the meadow to check out the 'Black Brook'.
Lilipad eyed it carefully before sticking her head in. "It sort of tastes of river" she commented, digging the bed a little with a hoof. "It must take hundreds of these to make my river." Fish thought so too. The river was big!
Next on the list was the view towards the village from a low ridge at the edge of the farm. Climbing a short way up they sat down and took in the view.
"Are those more barns?" asked Lilypad, pointing a hoof at a larger building with a bell on top.
"That's my school," replied Fish. "I have to go every day and learn to read and write. Then there is history and art. Last week I was drawing seaponies, but I couldn't draw your gold eyes right. The books didn't help."
"There are books about us?" asked a surprised Lilypad.
"There are books about everypony," replied Fish. "And other things too like dragons and yaks."
Lilypad didn't have a school to go to. Maybe they had one in the sea, but the river didn't. She learned all her history from her parents in the songs of old. There were songs of wars and great heroes, city builders and healers. She wondered if she could go to school with Fish.
After a while they thought it time to return to the pond and see if there were any snacks going. Entering the yard they could see Sam and Whitecap lying in the pond. Fish had never seen Sam anywhere near it and giggled at the scene. Lilypad stepped into the water with a sign of relief as she lay down.
"I would like to go to Fish's school," announced Lilypad.
Sam and Whitecap looked at each other with surprise.
"I guess that's a good idea. What do you think Sam?" Whitecap asked. "I want her to be able to read and write properly."
Sam thought for a moment. "All we need is a big tub at the school house so she can rest at break time. I'm sure we can find one of those. My friend Jenny lives near the river and her little filly is starting school soon, so they can walk in together."
And that was how it worked out. The stallions moved a large wooden half-barrel next to the school house and re-directed a drain pipe so it was always full. Lilypad would come to school a couple of times a week when it wasn't too hot or very cold. It stayed like that for many a year as the two friends grew up together. Adventure was always just around the corner though!
The End
