Things are not always what they seem and Emerald knew that, the seaside city before her was one such that didn’t seem real. The busy ponies going about their business, or rushing to their next destination. The foals running through the streets without a care in the world. Emerald stood stunned her mouth wide open. Standing next to her Lizz had her wing on her back as usual.
“So where do we go from here?” asked Lizz
“I have absolutely no idea” replied Emerald still shocked at what was happening before her eyes “But, I think we should get over the ocean.”
Lizz turned to Emerald her eyes filled with questions
“I have no idea how we’re going to do that.” Emerald said, she took a deep breath, the salt air was refreshing but it felt like it was burning her throat “Hey dad you got any idea’s”
The gem on her neck pulsed for a second “I believe the earth and pegasai ponies all use the tools called ships to go across the ocean.” Replied her father “I suggest you get one.”
“Right… Where are we going?” asked Emerald with a confused smile
Syrreth groaned loudly “You are some kind of filly aren’t you,”” he said “you are going to Manehattan.”
“Wait, I thought this was Manehattan.” Emerald said
“Not even close,” chuckled Lizz “We are in the seaside town of GrandTower.”
“Why do they call is GrandTower?” Emerald asked, she looks up to see a lighthouse overlooking the town “okay, never mind.”
Lizz chuckles “I think we should get out of the street though, I think the Pegasus are going to make it rain.” She said
Emerald nodded and leads her to a small diner, as they entered the sound of thunder was heard as the weather Pegasus brought in the clouds. Emerald looked up at them from the windows of the diner in awe, as she has never seen weather ponies at work.
“Dad,” she whispers “How come we never had weather ponies where we’re from?”
“Equestria is a magical place Emerald.” Syrreth said “Something’s work differently in dragon land.”
Emerald nodded as a waitress walks up to them “Hello can I take you to your seats?” she asked, Emerald nods, leading the way the waitress sits them at a window table. She levitates two menus at puts them in front them “I’ll be back shortly to take your orders.”
“Thank you.” Emerald said as the waitress leaves, opening the menu Emerald looks it over and shrugs “They got hay fries and cucumber sandwiches, oh there’s also pies.”
“You really like pies huh?” Lizz asked smiling “I’ll have a cucumber sandwich and a appleshake, lemme guess you’re gonna get a pie”
“You know me so well.” Emerald teased as the waitress returned and took their order, Emerald looked back outside the window to the rain clouds “her Lizz?”
“Yeah?”
“How come I’ve never seen you fly?” Emerald asked looing at the weather Pegasus zip around the sky, Lizz remained silent “Lizz?”
“You’ll laugh if I told you.” Lizz said softly, she hung her head in shame
Emerald puts a hoof under Lizz muzzle and lifts her head “I would never laugh at you, come on why would I laugh,” Emerald said “I’m a pony who knows nothing about pony life.”
“That is true.” Lizz said “hearing you go crazy on the train ride was really something else, you thought we were going to die.”
“We were I felt every pebble,” Emerald said hurriedly “we could’ve fallen off.”
“No we wouldn’t.” Syrreth chuckled
“Stay out of this dad.” Retorted Emerald “come on tell me why Lizz.”
Lizz takes a deep breath “It’s cause,” she begins “I’m scared of heights.”
Emerald looks at her confused “You’re a Pegasus.” She said simply
“I know and that’s what so horrible about it.” Lizz buried her head in her hooves “a Pegasus who’s to afraid to fly, where has that ever happened.”
Emerald chuckled “We all got our flaws,” she said “remember I was raised by a ferocious dragon who couldn’t eaten me at any time.”
“I wouldn’t want that kind of indigestion.” Syrreth said with a cough “Getting rid of that belly pain would’ve taken a few centuries.”
“Dad, do you want me to drop you in the middle of the ocean?” asked Emerald, just then the waitress brought their meals and sets it in front of them they wait until she leaves, Emerald takes a bite of her pie “oh yeah Lizz you’re blind.”
“Oh, really I didn’t notice,” Lizz said “I just thought I was keeping my eyes closed.”
“No silly, I mean how can you tell you’re high up if you can’t see?” Emerald inquired
“Well, I kinda feel it.” She said “pegasai are connected to the sky, when we’re in the air we feel everything in the sky that terrifies me.”
“Ohhh,” Emerald said understanding finally “well I doubt we’ll have to fly anytime soon.”
Lizz laughs as they eat
“Is everything alright?” the waitress asks coming over
“It’s delicious.” Emerald said between bites
“It’s good.” Replied Lizz with a smile the waitress turns to leave “wait, we could use some information.”
The waitress stops and looks to Lizz “Yes?”
“The ships, any of them sailing today?” asked Lizz
“There’s always a ship sailing dear.” The waitress said “I think the last one should be boarding in the next hour or so.”
Emeralds eyes grew wide, jumping from her seat she started hopping on spot as she took out bits and placed them on the table.
“Lizz, we gotta go buy tickets fast.” She said, Lizz got out her seat and followed Emerald, running back Emerald ran back in to the waitress “um, where’s the boat.”
“Oh, you go down this street and take the last left you’ll see the port there.” Said the waitress
“Thank you.” Emerald shouted running out the diner once again
Matching pace with Lizz, they ran down the street through the rain. Emerald led them to the in the direction the waitress had told them. As they ran towards the port there was a boat setting sale.
“WAIT!” shouted Emerald but it was in vain, the ship began to move, Emerald took up the pace “for dragons sae wait!”
They reached the port as the boat pulled away from jumping distance, breathing hard both mares stood in the rain and watched as the boat went further and further away. Emerald stomped her hoof hard.
“We didn’t make it!” she shouted angrily
“It’s my fault,” said Lizz “I was slowing you down.”
“It’s not your fault,” Emerald said still agitated “we just didn’t have enough information.”
A brown earth stallion walks up to them at that moment, he was fairly old and wore a sailor uniform and a pipe in his mouth. He stood next to them watching the boat go in the distance.
“You mares missed the boat did ya?” he asked
“Yeah and this was the last one today.” Lizz said sadly
“Where you mares headed?” asked the stallion
“Well, we’re heading to the mainland.” Lizz replied “we gotta make it to Canterlot.”
The stallion looked at them wide eyes “You mares still hae a long ways to go.” He said taking a pull of his pipe “I am not headed to the main land but maybe I can take you all to the white island, it’s closer to the main land and you can hire a small boat from there.”
“You would do that for us?” asked Lizz
“Of course I will,” smiled the stallion “the spirit of generosity and kindness lives within us all teaching us every day.”
“The who and what now?” asked Emerald, the stallion looked at her shocked “Oh I’m just playing I know what they are.”
“Don’t frighten and old mare like that young filly,” chuckled the stallion “you had a old captain questioning what they were teaching in schools today, now come on the sea’s a waiting”
The stallion walked off towards the few small ships docked in the port, Emerald and Lizz followed close behind.
“Lizz?” Emerald whispered
“Don’t worry, I’ll explain the elements of harmony later.” Lizz whispered back
“Thank you.” Emerald said as they stopped in front the boat “The dancing Mare.”
“A’int she a beaut?” asked the stallion “me and her been sailing the sea’s since my retirement.”
“Wow,” said Lizz in awe as the stallion hopped on and motioned for them to do the same “shall we?”
“Be careful Emerald,” said Syrreth “the sea can be unforgiving maiden especially when it comes to one of her own.”
“I have no idea what you speak of dad.” Emerald said hopping onto the boat with Lizz
“This old sea captain is married to the ocean.” Said Syrreth calmly “the sea won’t be kind to those taking her stallions.”
“Ew, dad that’s disgusting.” Emerald said as the stallion prepared the ship, Lizz and Emerald stood out the rain in the ships port
“Calm down filly.” Syrreth said
“So, what’s the white island?” Lizz asked “first time I ever heard of it.”
“The white island was a flourishing island filled with food and beautiful animals.” Syrreth explain “but that stallion the one called Sombra destroyed it, laying it to ash, hence the name white island.”
“King Sombra did that?” Lizz asked “I thought he was defeated by the princess and her friends?”
“He was.” Syrreth said just as the boat began to pull out the port, Syrreth stopped talking then as the captain entered the port and took hold of the wheel
“Don’t worry the rain will stop once we get away from the island.” He said pulling on his pipe and blowing a puff of black smoke “the names Tidal Waves, but you can just call me cap.”
“I’m Emerald and this is Lizz.” Said Emerald “thank you for taking us to the island.”
“It’s my pleasure little filly.” Smiled the captain “now you can enjoy the boat to your hearts content, we got food and drinking water below, and beds are down there too.”
“Thank you.” Lizz said “how long will we take to reach the white island?”
“If the sea favours us a week at most.” Tidal wave said
“A week,” Emerald said “that’s ok.”
As they pulled further and further away from the port the rain eased, soon they were sailing in sunshine, Emerald and Lizz went out on the deck and sat, they felt the motion of the waves carry them along slowly.
“This feels so peaceful.” Lizz said in a drowsy voice
“I agree.” Added Emerald as she looked over the edge at the crystal blue water, she saw her reflection staring back at her, her features had changed once again, her eyes were turning a shade of red while her mane was thicker than it was before “wow, I look so different.”
“What do you mean?” asked Lizz
“I don’t tend to fuss over myself much,” Emerald explained “if I see myself in the water or a stream or something, I’m lucky if I notice my own reflection.”
“You know, for a mare that can see, how can you be so blind to your own self?” chuckled Lizz
Emerald playfully hoofed Lizz in the face, they returned to hanging over the railing taking in the relaxation. Lizz explained to Emerald what the elements of harmony were along with some of their stories, Syrreth filled in the information they didn’t know.
Time passed quickly and soon both mares were asleep on the deck curled up in balls next to each other.
***

Princess Twilight happily trotted down her castle bypassing the throne room , she looked in all the rooms searching. Soon she came to the large meeting room, pushing open the doors she entered, laying on the ground asleep with a book in front him was a giant dragon his slow rhythmic breathing vibrated the ground under Twilight’s hooves.
“Silly dragon,” whispered the princess walking towards him “sleeping like this, you’re never gonna change no matter how big you get.”
Twilight trotted over to the dragon and stood in front his face, with a sly smile she used her magic covering his nose. After a few seconds the dragon began to choke of his inability to breathe, his eyes flashed open to reveal giant green orbs, looking down at twilight.
“Glad you’re up spike.” Twilight smiled dispelling her magic “We got work to do.”
“Ah, Twilight,” groaned spike “didn’t we rearrange the library last week?”
“Really it’s been two weeks already, we may need to rearrange it again.” Twilight said trailing off in her own little bookworm world, Spike lifted his head and yawned, using his claws he closed the mouth of Twilight stopping her from her rant
“Twilight, I’m going to release your mouth.” Spike began “you’re going to tell me what is going on okay.”
Twilight nods as Spike removes his claw “Right so, Tia had a vision and it may be of Equestria destroying level.” Explained the princess opening her wings for extra emphasis
“Isn’t it always the same though,” Spike said scratching his stomach “think about it, Nightmare Moon, the changelings, Sombra…shall I go on?”
“This time it’s different,” Twilight said excitedly “we aren’t the ones to save the world this time, well I don’t think so, but from what Luna showed me, there’s this pony with fiery eyes and a mane of fire-“
“Wait stop.” Spike said holding up a claw “a pony of…fire.”
“That’s what Tia saw,” Twilight said annoyed that Spike interrupted her “anyway, the changelings are back and they’re working with some shadow thing, we got to find this pony before it’s to late.”
“Twilight, I’m going to say this because I love you,” Spike said yawning again “you are crazy.”
“What!” exclaimed Twilight “I am not crazy that’s exactly what Tia saw, you have to help us find her spike.”
Spike looked down at the pony he has called his sister since birth as she looked at him with sad eyes and sighed “When you do the sad eyes I can’t say no can i.” he said defeated “I guess I could use a vacation out the castle, I’m still not used to being treated like royalty.”
Happy Twilight flew up and hugged Spike’s muzzle “Alright, well lets go get the others, I have a feeling we’re all going to be needed on this.” Said Twilight “Do you mind if I change your size, it’ll be easier for you to manoeuvre”
“Sure,” Spike nods as Twilight lands once again and looks up at him her horn glowed as the dragon was covered in light and began to shrink to a fairly smaller size, when the light faded Spike was only a bit bigger than Celestia “wow been almost eighty years since I was this size.”
“I know right, I remember the time you were small enough to side on my back.” Twilight smiled as they walked out
“A time you don’t ever seem to forget,” Spike mumbled making Twilight laugh “So where are they?”
“We had tea day before,” Twilight said thinking “They can’t be that far.”
“Right, you do know who we’re talking about right?” Spike said looking at Twilight, the guards of the palace watched as Spike and Twilight walked the palace grounds particularly Spike and his reduction in size “can’t you do a summoning spell or something?”
“If I did I would have,” Twilight said “this isn’t like your comic books Spike, I can’t just magically summon ponies when I want to.”
Spike stopped walking, and sighed “I can’t believe I’m telling you of all ponies this, but have you tried?” asked Spike “You’re the element of magic if I remember that correctly.”
“Fine, to prove to you that it doesn’t exactly work, I’ll do it.” Twilight huffed “And when it doesn’t work, you will have to redo the library.”
“Deal,” Spike said slyly
“By word count.” Twilight said with a smile making Spike groan loudly, Twilight walked to the garden and sat in the centre surrounded by all the variations of fauna within the kingdom, with a deep breath she closed her eyes, Spike took a seat under the shade of a tree and watched her
A few minutes passed and nothing happened, but soon the purple aura appeared around Twilight’s horn, a beam of light shot into the sky , Spike watched wide eyed as the beam faded in seconds and Twilight opened her eyes.
“See Spike,” she said walking up to him “it didn’t work.”
“OKEY DOKEY LOEY!” the voice echoed through the sky
Spike looked at Twilight his lips curled up in a smile

Author's Note

So I was toying around with what I actually wanted to do with the mane seven. I hope you all like what my idea is, and yes Lizz is a pegasus who's scared of heights