A Friend from the Deep

Chapters

Prologue
A New Home
The Surface
Land Creatures
Two More Nights
An Ascent to Remember

Prologue

After King Solaris and Queen Galaxia left the throne, their two daughters Princess Celestia and Princess Luna took over. With Princess Celestia ruling over the day and Princess Luna ruling over the night in a peaceful manner, they soon gained the favor of their subjects in Equestria. Only about a month after they inherited the throne, the king of oceans King Troton heard of the new princesses.

King Troton ruled over all of the bodies of water in Equestria, proud of his beautiful flora and fauna, yet he was jealous of and furious with the land. Ponies would build magnificent structures that towered to the sky. They mined precious minerals only they had. They were able to grow food of all kinds straight from the ground. One could not do this underwater. There were no beautiful stars that would twinkle at night, nor were the creatures of the sea able to feel the sun’s warmth on their skin. King Troton’s elegant ocean life was covered by the cold, dark, roaring waves on the surface of the water. Ponies would even “enslave” his precious fish just so they could swim around in a tiny bowl and do nothing. He even thought that land ponies would capture and slaughter his subjects that he cared about very much, using them for potions and decor. This drove the king mad.

Equestria's waters grew restless. Every time a ship was sent out to trade with neighboring nations, they would never return. The sea would devour them in minutes. Storms would come out of nowhere, striking ships with fatal lightning, engulfing them in blinding flames of fury. After sinking after sinking, sailors, traders and any other ponies were forbidden to take their boats out to sea. Princess Celestia and Luna suspected King Troton right away. Taking their troops, they went out to the shores to settle this once in for all.

Before they do, however, a tragedy had occurred. There was small town that was founded off the coast of the southernmost ocean called Haysead Borough. This town, disastrously, was attacked by a giant tsunami sent by none other than King Troton. The entire settlement was wiped out, a few lucky survivors saved by the Royal Guard and rescue teams. Most others weren't so fortunate, as the calamity was out of the blue.

Thus, this triggered the start of Princess Celestia and Princess Luna's first war as rulers of Equestria.

The war was not as long as others, only for about a year’s length, yet many suffered the effects of the war, which seemed to go on for an eternity for them. Because the sea was their enemy now, just going to a nearby river or well was life-threatening. Who knows what deadly creature or poison was waiting for them below the rushing currents? Who knows what might be swimming around at the bottom of the well and jump into ponies’ buckets as they draw them up? Because of this newfound water phobia, crops were drying up, ponies couldn’t clean, and they were absolutely parched. Fruit juices were the main source of drink for a while until vegetation grew scarce. The Royal Guard took it upon themselves to supply the vast land of Equestria with pure drinking water. It wasn’t an easy task. King Troton fought the guards by trying to wipe them out with his mighty waves. Unfortunately, many guards were unable to bring back much water to the ponies of Equestria.

After months of endless torture and fighting, Celestia and Luna used their mighty magic to strike down the powerful King Troton. His body sank to the bottom of the Mareiana Trench to rot and decay. But now that the king of the waters was vanquished, there was no ruler of the oceans. Celestia and Luna divided the seas amongst themselves, creating the Celestial and Luna Oceans. Because the war was fought amidst the soon-to-be Celestial Ocean, the war was dubbed the “Great War of the Celestial Ocean.”

Even after the war was won, Equestria still feared the ocean and what could be waiting to strike below its waves. To protect the ponies of Equestria from whatever may be still lurking in the waters, the princesses cast a magical shield around the nation, keeping whatever monstrosities that may be still lurking in the oceans away from the beloved ponies of Equestria. The only exception that was passed was that a small river (which was heavily secured) was allowed to flow through. This little river eventually formed a decent-sized lake, dubbed the Saddle Lake, which the princesses decided to shield off as well.

A New Home

A tired, sore body… is that what normally happened to those that went dimension travelling for the first time?

"Roxanna…"

Why did she have to leave? She didn’t even get to say goodbye to her friends. Everything seemed so confusing and scary. What was going on?

"Roxanna, dear…"

It all happened so quickly. Why did Mommy and Daddy seem so urgent about getting her to leave? Did she do something wrong? Did they not love her anymore?

"Sweetheart, please wake up. I know you must feel exhausted, but you must wake up."

She let out a groan, stretching her limbs under the cozy kelp blankets. With heavy eyes, little ten-year-old Roxanna finally looked up at the mysterious voice calling her name. Her childish curiosity took over as she examined the elderly face smiling down at her. His silver-blue eyes met with her own. “Ah, good morning, dearie. You must’ve had quite the journey, hm?” The aged man chuckled merrily, helping Roxanna sit up in the makeshift sponge bed as she draped her fins over the side.

“Wh...Who are you..?” The young girl asked in a meek voice; a stranger’s face was not the most comforting first thing to see when you first awake.

The elder keeled down on his bronze tail to Roxanna’s level, giving her a gentle grin. “Didn’t your parents tell you about me? I’m Mordecai, your new caretaker.”

Roxanna recalled her mother and father’s parting words before she left through the portal. They did mention a man named Mordecai would be waiting for her on the other side. “Oh yeah… Mommy and Daddy said I would be staying here with you.”

Mordecai took her by the hand and carefully guided her out of bed. “That’s right, dear. This will be your new home for… quite some time.” Looking at the distraught look on the mermaid’s face, he added, “I know this is quite a big change in such a small amount of time, but I assure you that you will one day be able to return to your own world. You know my brother, right? He was the royal adviser to your parents. About every thirty tides or so, I go visit him or send him messages through the portal. As time passes, I’m positive you’ll be able to make this world a home to you as well. I know I have.”

“I never wanted to leave,” Roxanna stated in a small voice, letting go of Mordecai and swimming around to find the portal entrance.

“Nobody wanted you to leave, Roxanna,” Mordecai said as he observed her, “but your family had no other choice but send you here for your safety.”

“Mommy and Daddy kept me safe!” She argued, crossing her arms. “I was fine there. Nobody ever hurt me.”

Mordecai sighed quietly; it was apparent to him that this child did not understand why she was here or the events that led up to it. “Dear… let me explain.” He sat down on her bed, stroking his short, gray beard in thought before folding his hands across his scaly lap. “Have your parents explained why they sent you here?”

“A little bit.” She replied. “They said that I had talents that others didn’t understand, and when I used those talents, merpeople took it the wrong way.”

“I see.” Mordecai looked down at his lap, once again in thought. “Do you you know what that means?” When Roxanna shook her head, the old merman felt a heavy burden placed onto his shoulders. She’s only a child… she’s not old enough to understand what kind of dangers were out there for her. How can I put this..?

“You know that picture you have on your side?” Mordecai pointed to Roxanna’s hip. A symbol of a large grayish-pink seashell with a treble clef centered in the middle of it was emblazoned on the side of her sea green tail, slightly covered by a short, skirt-like, translucent magenta fin circling around her waist.

Roxanna put on a grin as she ran her little hand across the symbol, suddenly feeling a little better at the mention of it. “Yes! It’s very pretty. It reminds me of music. I like music! I got it when I sang at my first recital.”

Mordecai couldn’t help but smile and chuckle at Roxanna’s youthful excitement. “Yes, that’s exactly what it seems to be, an expression of your love of music and singing. No other merperson seems to have what you have.”

Roxanna couldn’t help but smile proudly before Mordecai continued. “Ah, and your recital. I hear that was marvelous. Did anything… interesting happen during it?”

The girl let out a hum of thought before lightening up with a memory. “Oh yeah! There was this part in my song where I sang the wrong note, but the merpeople who were watching me didn’t seem to notice at all! Oh, and Mrs. Crago had to leave because her twin babies were crying like crazy! I think they were hungry.”

“That's interesting, dear, but did anything… unusual happen?”

“Oh, oh, oh!” She bounced excitedly. “At the end of my song, all of these pretty lights flew across the room! It was as pretty as a rainbow trout!”

“Magic, Roxanna.” Mordecai stated firmly. “What you did was magic.”

“But we don't have magic.” Roxanna replied nonchalantly. “Some merpeople say our ancestors had magic, though, but I'm not a siren, Mordecai! Sirens are bad!”

Centuries ago, before the merpeople were officially a species, sirens wandered through the oceans of Earth. They were known for using their enchanting voices to lure helpless sailors to rocky islands, crashing their ships and killing all aboard. It wasn't until sirens started forming lives outside of their deceiving ways that the merpeople were formed, and any traces of siren magic faded away as their powers were used less and less until they were completely gone.

“I know… but that's what’s causing so much trouble.” He gave Roxanna the gentlest look he could. “Honestly, Roxanna… the kingdom is afraid of you. No mermaid has ever had a symbol or magic such as yours. They fear having you as their princess because of what you could possible do with it one day.”

Roxanna stayed silent for a moment. “I'm… bad?”

“No, no, my dear!” He shook his head and hands, not wanting her to think such things. “Others are just… having a hard time comprehending your abilities. That's what your parents meant when they said they were taking your talents the wrong way. However, there are neighboring kingdoms who are very… very interested in your powers. That's why you had to come here. This is the only place they won't look for you.”

“Look for me? Why are they looking for me?”

Mordecai stayed silent for a moment, taking a deep breath. He placed his wrinkled hand on Roxanna’s shoulder. “The thing about multiple kingdoms is… they want to do their best to be the highest in power in all of the oceans. There isn't magic anywhere else, Roxanna. Other kingdoms think that if they could somehow take your magic, they'd have power over all of the waters. There are guards all over Aquatania, even invading the castle. They've come from Bubbleopolis, Crustacea, even Atlantis… we’re on the verge of war, my dear.”

“W-War?” The water around Roxanna felt cold. No wonder she hadn't had any of her friends over to play in a while. No wonder visitors acted awkward around her, no matter how hard she tried to act properly. Her happy demeanor vanished, reality of the situation finally settling in. One horrifying question popped into her mind. “Am I… a siren?”

The silence that followed felt more unsettling than any other moments of it that preceded. Mordecai didn’t know what to say quite yet. Magic was the main thing that separated sirens from mermaids. He took Roxanna’s chin in his hand, gently lifting her eyes to his. “There are some answers I’m afraid I can’t answer right away, Roxanna. Only Poseidon knows what lies ahead for you.”

Instead of continuing this path of conversation, Mordecai took Roxanna by the hand and swam her to the kitchen. “How about some dinner? I’ve got something delicious planned for tonight!”

Roxanna looked up at him. “Is there going to be tuna?”

“I’m afraid not.” Mordecai sat her down at the table, getting a plate ready for her. “Tuna don’t swim around here. We live in a lake, Saddle Lake to be precise. We have some prawns, though. You like prawns, don’t you?”

Roxanna nodded, a little disappointed that one of her favorite meals was not available here in this world. While waiting for her dinner, she began thinking about the life here in this world. “Mordecai, what’s the 'up world' here like?”

Mordecai nearly dropped Roxanna’s plate of food in surprise. Wide-eyed, he looked back at the girl who was staring back at him, waiting for an answer. “Roxanna, why would you ask about something as ridiculous as the surface?”

Roxanna shrugged, rolling her eyes. “I dunno… I’m just wondering.”

Mordecai gave Roxanna her dinner, sitting down across from her. He let out a small sigh. “The surface world here… well, I guess you’re better off knowing than being clueless your whole time here. Fine, I’ll tell you.” Roxanna, dismissing her dish of prawns and seaweed for the time being, scooted her chair closer to the table to listen. “Well… there are no humans there. Instead, there are these strange, colorful, four-legged creatures. I don’t know what they’re called, but what I do know is that they don’t like water, which means we don’t have to worry about fishermen, boats, fish hooks, nets, and such. However… they have… well, they have magic. All of them have magic in one form or another.”

“Like me?” Roxanna asked with immense curiosity.

“Yes… like you. And they also have strange symbols on their sides, just like you.” Mordecai ran his fingers through his gray hair, almost disturbed to state this fact to the little princess.

Roxanna grinned widely, her fins flapping excitedly under the table. “Does this mean you’ve been to the 'up world', Mordecai?”

“...Yes, I have. But only for research, mind you!” He gave Roxanna a serious look. “That is the whole reason I’m here, Roxanna. When I found the portal here, I came here to study the magical qualities that abide here. I trusted my brother to keep the discovery a secret. However, when I heard that you were in danger, I let him notify your family to send you here. While this may be a new world, the rules are still the same. The surface world is completely restricted and forbidden to you. Do you understand?”

“That’s not fair!” Roxanna pouted, crossing her arms. “You get to go up there! Why can’t I?”

“Because the creatures up there are dangerous, Roxanna, as well as all other land creatures. They won’t resist the opportunity when given to fight with us. It is my duty to keep you safe until you can return home, and I will not hand you over into the arms of danger.”

“...Can’t I go up there just one time, just for a minute?” She begged.

Mordecai shook his head firmly. “No, Roxanna. You are never to go there. It takes time to learn how to protect yourself up there, and you’re much too young to do such a thing. Besides, there’s nothing worth seeing up there. Even if you did end up at the surface, you’d want to come back down here where you’re safe and happy. Our underwater world is much more prettier and exquisite than any old land home anyways. Now do you understand?”

Letting out a defeated huff, Roxanna scooted her plate over, digging around with her fork. “Yeah, I understand.”

Mordecai nodded in approval. He swam around to her and patted her head. “Don’t worry, dear. You’ll find many exciting things to do here. With your magic, it’s best not to ignore it, hm? I have some special music I’d be happy to teach you tomorrow.”

“Special music?” Roxanna raised an eyebrow, gobbling up a rubbery prawn.

“Spells are a better way to put it.” Mordecai smiles. “They’re very simple spells. I thought that might interest you.”

Roxanna gasped excitedly, jumping out of her chair. “Really?! Wow! I’m gonna learn magic!” She let out a happy giggle, doing a flip in the water. She hugs Mordecai tightly, surprising the old man. “Thank you, Mordecai! Thank you, thank you, thank you!”

Mordecai chuckled, giving Roxanna a gentler hug in return. “You’re welcome. We’ll begin in the morning.”

As Roxanna returned to the table to finish her dinner, Mordecai went to fix up his own serving. He looked back at her and gave a small grin. "She'll be a handful... but a handful I will cherish."

The Surface

For a class about magic, Roxanna never imagined something like it could get so boring. She put an elbow on the table, leaning a hand against her cheek. Who knew that she would have to get a music lecture first before trying out the good stuff?

“And that is why you must be able to tell the difference between the treble and clef scale, otherwise your spells could end up completely different than what you intended,” Mordecai explained, tapping his chalk on a piece of flat stone. Roxanna lazily nodded, although she wasn’t paying much attention to what was being said. Mordecai glided over to his bookshelf, scanning through various books until he found the one he was looking for. He gently placed a bulky, dilapidated tome in front of the mermaid. It was written in some sort of language Roxanna could not understand.

“Be careful with this book, dear,” Mordecai gingerly pried the book open, using the gentlest of ease to flip through the pages. “This is a relic to us. Our ancestors have written down many of their greatest spells in this book. I’m very fortunate to even have this is my possession. Perhaps Poseidon has destined this very moment for you.”

“Our ancestors..? But Mordecai-!”

“I know, I know. Yes, this book was written by sirens, and it does contain a few dark spells conjured by them, but most of the spells in this book are more beneficial than they are evil, and they don’t use any dark magic at all! For instance, this is a basic healing spell usually taught to children about your age.” He flips to the simple sheet of music with a very basic arrangement of notes Roxanna could easily recognize thanks to her previous music lessons back in Aquatania. “This should be a good starter spell for you to try. How about you study this for the night, and you can try it out the first chance you get, alright?”

Roxanna nodded, carefully sliding the slightly hefty songbook into her arms. She noticed seaweed bookmarks towards the back of the book. She began to flip towards the bookmarked pages until Mordecai quickly placed his wrinkled hand on hers. “Those pages are the spells with dark magic. We’ll let those be for now. Just study the unmarked ones. Those are safe for you.” Mordecai pats her head, swimming towards his study.

Roxanna flipped her tail and glided to her room, setting the book on her bed and watching it sink a bit into the sponge. She examined the music, humming a couple of notes as she read before looking out the huge window next to her bed. She swam up to it, popping her head out of the hole in the wall. She watched a snail slowly inch by, a little turtle catching up to it. Roxanna giggled as a school of guppies flew through her hair, the tiny fish investigating this new creature they have discovered.

“Hi! I’m Roxanna!” She chortled as the little fish gave her tiny kisses on her cheeks in return. As fast as they came in, however, they left through the window, leaving Roxanna alone once again. She let out a little sigh, gazing out into the open waters. She noticed how extremely different the bottom of the lake was than her original home in the open sea. There was not a single piece of coral to be seen, and the colorful tropical fish she saw everyday were nowhere to be found. These fish were replaced with odd-looking ones that were not as pleasant to look at; they sported browns, greens, and greys rather than blues, yellows, and oranges. The water in the distance had a greenish haze to it, an algae-covered log buried in the stone-covered sand. The freshwater felt bizarre as it passed through her gills in her hips and neck, not at all like the salty sea water she was born into. Roxanna sighed once more. This would take a lot of getting used to.

“Mordecai?” She swam out into his study, careful not to knock over the strange-looking bottles his kept on his shelves. “Mordecai, are you here?”

“Hmm?” The elder looked up from his work on his desk, turning his attention to the child. “Ah, yes, dear?”

“Can I go for swim and look around? I won’t go too far, I promise!” Roxanna gave a small smile, giving her fins a little swish.

Mordecai hummed in thought. “Oh… alright, but like you said, not too far out into the lake! Be back before dark, and stay away from the surface. That’s all I ask.”

“Thanks, Mordecai!” Roxanna quickly made a turn to head out.

“Oh, and one more thing, Roxanna!”

Roxanna rolled her eyes, slowly turning to face her guardian with an irritated look. “Yes, Mordecai?”

He gave a little smirk, a small glimmer in his eyes. “It’s ‘may I go for a swim’.”

Roxanna rolled her eyes again but in a more playful manner this time. “Okay. I’ll see you later.” With a flip of her fins, she took off, a small trail of bubbles following behind her from her sudden leave.

As soon as she left Mordecai’s cavern, Roxanna got a closer look at her surroundings. She ran her hand through the coarse sand, hoping to find some beautiful seashells. However, all she found were the tiniest shells and little pebbles. Dirt puffed out in a cloud, forcing Roxanna to wave her webbed hand through the dirt to clear her vision. The sun’s rays permeated through the lake’s depths, allowing Roxanna to relish in a warmth not familiar to her. She sat herself down on the sunken log, gazing up toward the surface, the temptation of swimming up to take a peek at the “up world” looming over her mind and heart. The surface of the lake was the barrier between her world and another world filled with excitement and mystery.

The creatures on land can’t be as bad as they sound, can they? Roxanna thought to herself as she got up from her log, gliding back towards the cavern. But what if they are…

Visions of teeth as sharp as knives and glowing, blood-red eyes filled her mind. She remembered the lectures her father and mother would give her time and time again: humans are evil. Anything from the surface was evil. Her friends back at home would always tell stories of merpeople who were captured by humans to have their tails chopped off and eaten. The market would always chatter excitedly about any shipwreck that happened just recently, everyone feeling it was Poseidon’s blessing that more humans had perished because of his mighty sea. However, no matter how many merpeople or sea creatures she asked, none of them admitted to have actually seen a human for themselves.

Roxanna drifted back into her room, glancing over at the spellbook on her bed. She flipped through the pages, browsing titles of various spells. That one healing spell, a couple of self-defense techniques… and there lay one of the forbidden spell’s bookmarks.

Maybe… just a peek… She thought to herself as she slowly lifted the pages.

“Roxanna!”

The mermaid jumped as she was startled by the sudden voice. She turned around to meet the disapproving face of her new guardian before her. He picked up the tome from her bed. “I was coming in to tell you it was time for bed. You know you are not allowed to view the siren spells.”

“I just wanted a peek, I wasn’t going to try it, honest!” Roxanna rambled.

“That’s enough spells for tonight. I’ll be taking this until morning. Sleep well, Roxanna.” With that, he swam out of her room with the spellbook in tow. Roxanna pouted as she hid herself under the covers. That’s not how her mother and father said goodnight to her.

This isn’t fair. This isn’t my home, and there’s no way I’m staying with that old guy. Roxanna gazed out her window, the upper waters gaining an orange hue. From what Roxanna was told, the sun was setting. What was a sun anyway? She didn’t have the slightest idea. She didn’t feel the slightest bit tired either.

Suddenly, an idea popped into her head. Roxanna smirked as she draped her blanket over her pillow. She swam as quietly as she could to find Mordecai, spotting him asleep on his bed.

Yes!

As stealthily as she could, Roxanna swam out of the cave. She grinned as she spun through the water, although it didn’t feel nearly as good as darting through the ocean’s waters. Moonbeams glistened in her eyes, causing her to look up toward the night sky hidden by the rippling surface of the lake. This forbidden world brought excitement and fear to Roxanna’s heart every time she considered breaching through the waters into the fathomless air she was told existed there, as well as gruesome monsters thirsty for her blood.

But this is a new world…

Was there a difference? Mordecai said the creatures here were different. Maybe they acted different as well? Roxanna looked back at the cave. The area around it was green with algae, bits of plants drifting around aimlessly only to be thrown about by a fish tail or eaten. A dull world. That’s what it was. Yet there was that majestic ray of light from above, a signal of hope that practically called her to swim up to it, an invitation that would be foolish to ignore. With her heart pounding, Roxanna gave a flick of her tail to begin to her first adventure to the surface world.

Roxanna’s braided hair suddenly bounced up as she came to a sudden stop. Just inches above her was the separation of her waters and the mysterious world above. Water pumped through her gills as she contemplated her decision. Just a peek. Just a quick peek was all she needed before she could swim back down and go to bed for the night. With this plan set in her mind, she slowly began to rise.

A sudden sensation of nothingness surrounded Roxanna’s head, causing her to dart back into the water in fright.

Did that hurt? ...No, I don’t think it did… did it?

Roxanna gingerly reached her fingers above the water. That strange, cooling feeling of air returned. Seeing how the air caused her no pain, Roxanna cautiously broke through the water again, swimming as slow as she could. Her bangs now drooping in front of her eyes, she tucked her dripping hair behind her ear. As soon as her vision adjusted, she was left bewildered.

The moon; a giant, radiant pearl in the sky beamed down on the glistening lake. Millions of stars twinkled around it, hanging in a glorious indigo sky. Roxanna spotted a grassy beach out of the corner of her eye. She glanced over the small, rolling hills that revealed a little village in the far distance. Seeing no threats in sight, Roxanna cautiously made her way towards the shore, perching herself on a large boulder near the rocky shore. A gentle wind danced through her fins, flapping them gently like a flag.

Roxanna ran her hand through the coarse sand, curiously watching how perfectly it poured from her palm back onto the beach without dispersing into a dusty cloud like it normally would underwater. Gravity was strange on land. How did creatures move around if they couldn’t glide through water? Everything was just stuck to the ground.

*chirp chirp*

Roxanna leaped back into the lake as quick as she could. What was that noise? Could it be a land creature? She slowly peeked her eyes out of the water. On the beach, a small, green insect was hopping around, chirping its little song. Roxanna swam back to the shore, examining this new sight. However, her approach caused the bug to hop back into the tall grasses. The mermaid waded in place as she watched the thing runaway from her. Perhaps it was more scared of her than she was of it. Once again, Roxanna rested on top of the rock near the beach, deciding to get one last view of this world above the water.

The grasses in the distance rustled.

Roxanna’s attention turned to the moving grass. It was extremely tall, at least up to her hip. There was a figure working its way through the untamed grass, growing closer to the beach below. Her heart racing, Roxanna ducked behind her rock, eyes just high enough to peek over and watch what would happen. As the creature approached the shore, the moonlight hit them just right to make out details. A lanky figure about her size stepped onto the beach, something bulky hanging from its neck. They stood on four long appendages, hair dangling from both on top and behind them. In fact, their whole body seemed to be covered in a coat of fine hair.

With a little flip of her fin, Roxanna scooted just a little further up the rock, wanting to get a better view of this mysterious being. A smaller rock was jostled from its place beside the boulder, splashing into the water and halting on her fin which was floating on the tide. Roxanna gave a small yelp as the sharp tug on her tail caused her to slip back towards the water. She glanced at the hefty boulder crushing her thin pink fin. Struggling grunts escaped her throat as she tried to push it off her tail. It refused to budge. Roxanna looked behind her seeing the creature starting to move. It looked like it was getting closer to her!

Panic rushing through her body, she tried to pull her fin free from the heavy trap. Her life on the line, she shut her eyes and curled up into a protective ball. She heard sand crunching as her doom loomed over her body, their next prey. Silence followed. After nearly a minute of quiet, she slowly squinted her eyes open. A couple feet away, the land creature stood motionless. Was it preparing to pounce? Was it giving her just a couple more moments to live before she would become their next meal?

The two of them only stared at each other, examining the other in anxious interest. The wind whistled quietly. The being before her inched towards her, Roxanna trying to back away. She shook before him, clenching her eyes as they watered up as she awaited her end. However, she felt a pressure being relieved from her tail. She glanced down at her tail and watched as her supposed attacker grunted as they pushed it away. The rock rolled into the lake, freeing Roxanna from her trap. She looked in awe at her rescuer, one who she was sure would end her life. Their green eyes twinkled in the moonlight as they stared back at her in fascination.

“Are… you okay?”

Roxanna’s eyes widen as she heard them talk. Giving her head a tiny nod, she replied, “Y-Yeah… I’m fine.”

The two continued to glance at each other, unsure of what to say until… “Thank you… for helping me. Um… my name is Roxanna. ...What’s your name?”

The creature, which Roxanna assumed was a “he,” awkwardly traced the end of his leg into the sand, apparently just as unsure of her as Roxanna was of him.

“...The name’s Macintosh.”

Land Creatures

The water rippled gently atop of the expansive lake, the moonlight highlighting every little splash of water the waves threw into the night sky. A gentle breeze rustled through the grassy plains in the background, causing two heads of hair to swish around as they stared at one another in fascination. One mermaid. One unique land creature. A meeting that was forbidden for centuries was finally taking place. From each of their perspectives, a creature so bizarre, so peculiar, and yet so intriguing was staring right into their eyes. What was going to happen now?

“What are you?”

The pair of them had the exact same question at the exact same time. They looked away awkwardly, not quite sure who was to answer first. Roxanna was relieved when Macintosh decided to speak up first.

“Well, Ah’m… Ah’m a pony.”

Roxanna examined his form. Such a simple name for a being that looked so complex to her. “A pony… I like that.” She gives a small grin before realizing that it was probably her turn to tell him who she was. “I’m… a mermaid.”

Reversing their roles, it was now young Macintosh’s turn to look over Roxanna, almost like each of them was a zoo exhibit, and they were the newest additions. Something caught Macintosh off, however. A look of surprise formed on his face. “Ya have a Cutie Mark?”

“A what?”

“Ya know, that symbol on yer side.”

Roxanna lifted up her skirt-like fin and glided her hand over her shining scales, some colored differently than the others to form the seashell with a treble cleft “Cutie Mark” permanently embedded on her hip, covering a large portion of her upper tail. “That’s what it’s called?” She mumbled to herself. “I don’t think Mordecai knew that…”

Macintosh overheard her. “Mordecai? Who’s Mordecai?” These mermaid critters sure have weird names…

“Oh, well, he’s my guardian.”

“Guardian? Ya mean… like, yer dad? Yer uncle?”

“No, not like that. He’s the royal adviser's brother. At least where I come from.”

By the look of Macintosh’s face, he had no clue about what she was talking about.

From the best of her young mind, Roxanna tried to explain the situation she was in, from coming to a different world; having a magical singing voice; and the war such magic could start.

“Wait, wait, hold on now.” Macintosh interjected. “Yer a princess? From another world?”

“Y-Yeah… is that… bad?” Roxanna looked away from him.

“Well, uh… Ah don't really know. Ah’m not really supposed to be here, ya see. Ya shouldn’t be here either. Ponies don’t take kindly to folks from the underwater world,” The red colt explained.

"...What did we ever do?" Roxanna backed up a bit, slightly offended by this fact. "Land creatures were the ones who took our kind and cut off our tails! And they throw all their gross junk into our waters!"

“H-Hold on now! Yer world and mine aren’t the same. Ya’ll got land folks that wanna make food out of yer kind and litter yer water. Our feud, though, is fueled by hatred from both sides. Long ago, a war took place between land and sea. The sea king started it, though; he was jealous that the land had all the nicer things, and he wanted those things fer ‘imself. The princesses managed to stop him from floodin’ all of Equestria, but that didn’t stop ponies from hatin’ an’ fearin’ anythin’ that came from the water. Still goes on today.”

Roxanna took a moment to process what Macintosh had said. “That was mean… but I’m not mean; you don’t look mean either. Why didn’t you try to eat me?”

“Eat ya?” Macintosh recoiled in disgust. “Why in Equestria would Ah try to eat ya? Yer a livin’ thing! That would be jus’ plain wrong.”

“Oh…” Roxanna tried to wrap her brain around these ideas; this was the first time she had ever heard a philosophy different from the one she taught: humans eat fish and have no empathy for ocean life. Even though this pony before her wasn’t human in the slightest (at least from what she heard humans looked like), he didn’t share any of those qualities. She was stumped.

“Ah don’t get why ya didn't tried to drown me in the sea. Ain’t that what sea critters do when ya get too close to ‘em?” Macintosh asked.

“What? No! Only sirens do that, and I’m not a siren! I-I think…” Roxanna looked down, suddenly feeling unsure of herself.

“Ya think so?” Back to the awkwardness again; both children were unsure what to say, as proven by the lack of eye contact.

“Well… when I sing, I make magic stuff happen. Mermaids aren’t supposed to do that; only sirens can. We used to like sirens because they would sing to lure human sailors into sinking their ships, protecting us. But as their magic grew, so did their want for power. Soon they betrayed us, using magic on their own kind to get whatever they wanted. They were banished from merpeople kingdoms, and they are now gone as far as we know of.”

Roxanna wiped a tear. “I don’t want to be a siren; sirens hurt people and don’t do any good things. I don’t want people thinking that I’m evil…"

Suddenly, she felt herself being embraced, the texture her skin rubbed against foreign to her. The short, coarse hair itched a tad, but the warmth that it brought gave Roxanna a sense of comfort. She looked up into the green eyes of the pony above her.

“Ah know yer not evil; ya wanna do good. Jus’ keep that in yer head, and everythin’ will be okay,” Macintosh smiled down at her.

“Okay…” Roxanna smiled in return, happy to know that this pony was on her side. The world above didn’t seem like such a dark place anymore; Macintosh was a shining light that proved that there was love and hope in a place, from what she was taught, was only filled with cruelty.

The two gazed out at the lake’s horizon, the Mare in the Moon reflecting perfectly on the water’s surface. Crickets chirped and frogs croaked. A small gust of wind rustled their hair.

Macintosh stood up, the warmth he provided the girl leaving her. “Ah gotta go now. Mah family will start to worry if Ah stay out any longer. Ah’ll be back tomorrow at the same time as tonight. Will… you be here too?”

Roxanna nodded. “Yeah, I’ll come back! Maybe we could bring some special things to show each other, you know, like treasures.”

“Treasures, huh? Yeah, Ah think we could do that.”

The mermaid grinned, pulling herself back into the water. Her dry gills thirstily gulped down water, and Roxanna felt a rush of relief she never knew she was missing, like a breath she was holding too long was finally released and replaced with fresh air. In her case, however, her body was replenished with water. I better not stay out of the lake for too long… Roxanna noted to herself. Just before they were to part, she had one more question to ask Macintosh. “Hey… why did you come here in the first place?”

“Guess Ah was jus’ curious,” he replied. “What about you?”

“Same reason.” The two shared a small chuckle. “Goodbye, Macintosh; I’ll see you tomorrow.”

“See ya tomorrow, Roxanna.”

The two departed for the night, Macintosh heading back to the homestead on the farm while Roxanna dove under the waves back to Mordecai’s cavern. The familiar rush of water on her skin soothed her. She swam through her window, cuddling up in her bed under her seaweed blanket. Her excitement from this night had left her restless, but she was exhausted from staying up so late. While her mind prepared dreams of the above world, Roxanna dozed off, more than ready for when night would return and she could see her new friend once again.

~~~

“Roxanna, time to wake up! Breakfast is ready!”

Mordecai’s loud announcement stirred Roxanna from her sleep. She groaned as her heavy eyelids forced themselves open, not rested enough due to her late-night bedtime. Roxanna slowly sat up and yawned, trying to rub the sleep out of her eyes. She swam out to the kitchen and sat at table. Mordecai brought out her dish and placed it in front of her. He noticed how Roxanna leaned against her propped-up arm, her eyes barely staying open as she took her fork to start eating.

“Roxanna, did you not sleep well last night?” He asked, concern in his voice.

“I slept fine; I just didn’t enough of it.”

“Did you stay up?”

Roxanna’s heart raced up a bit. She couldn’t let Mordecai know what she did last night. She knew the consequences she would have to face if he did. “Y-Yeah… I was looking at song spell book.”

“I see. Well, please, no more reading late. Though that will mean that you will be prepared for today’s lesson.”

Most of the lessons Mordecai taught that day were a summary of what Roxanna would be learning from him while she was under his care. She would still be learning the basic academics required of her back home (much to her displeasure), but the study of her newfound magical abilities would be of the main priority.

“The beginner spells that I have been researching for you will be primarily for your protection, such as if you were to run into any sharks or a land creature-”

“Mordecai?”

The elder teacher looked over at his new pupil. “Yes, Roxanna?”

“Are the land creatures here just as bad as the humans at home?”

Mordecai gave a gentle nod of his head. “Why, yes, Roxanna. Of course they are. In fact, I have recently discovered ancient writings of a species that used to inhabit this very lake long ago. From what I could translate, the land creatures here are vicious and cruel. They are like humans, throwing waste into our waters and slaughtering much of our kind, but the worst of all is a great war that caused the divide in this world. The creatures above acted as though they towered and dominated us, taking any risks necessary to prove that they ruled over the oceans and were far superior to any being under the waves. The previous king of the ocean was never acknowledged by the land creatures; they were too infatuated with their land rulers to care about the waters. Many of our beloved sea people were terminated because of the thoughtlessness of those disgusting wastes of life; the pollution that poured from their constant building and so-called ‘improvement’ of their land leaked into our bodies of water, poisoning those within. The great king knew he had to protect and avenge his people, so he used his mighty power to send massive floods throughout the land.”

“Why didn’t he just go to the rulers and tell them he was mad?” Roxanna asks.

Mordecai furrowed his eyebrows. “To go see a land creature in person would be lower yourself to their level. To go see a land creature in person to negotiate would mean to show mercy, Roxanna! They are nothing but pests to our kind, and we must establish that we are the more powerful ones! They may think that they are all high and mighty as we sink to the ocean depths, but trust me when I say that our day will come when all of the land above shall be sunken miles beneath the depths of our oceans, along with any land creature that dares to even think that they are the masters of us!” The old man tightened his grip around a coral staff, a majestic pearl infused on the top. He slammed the bottom of the staff into the ground, causing a small surge of its magic to rush through. Roxanna remained silent. Mordecai took a short period of time to recompose himself. Finally, he continued.

“Anyways, I believe Poseidon has blessed you with your magical voice to end the existence of the land creatures as we know it, both in this world and in ours. The ones above in this dimension possess powerful magic; with the proper training, I believe you will be able to defeat even the strongest of the magic-welders here. You’ll do the merpeople proud, Roxanna. I have faith in you.”

Roxanna sat still in her seat. All of a sudden, regret started creeping into her mind about visiting the shore the night before.

Two More Nights

“I believe you are ready to test out your healing spell now, Roxanna.”

The mentioned girl flipped through her spell once more, thinking back on the melody Mordecai played on his conch shell. Roxanna stood up (or, at least, the mermaid equivalent of standing), rolling her shoulders back and straightening up her back. She gazed forward at a wilting plant, brown and weak-looking; it wasn’t dead yet, but she doubted it could last much longer. Water rushed into her gills, giving her the energy she needed to fill Mordecai’s cavern with her song. The elder’s eyes closed as he smiled.

Before her eyes, Roxanna saw the plant begin to show signs of recovery. A healthy green returned to its leaves as it began to perk up from a slouching state. As soon as she finished her melody, she squealed like an elated fan girl, swimming over the plant and spinning around it in awe. “Mordecai! Looklooklook! Looooook!”

Mordecai chuckled. “Yes, dear, I can see that. It’s perfectly healed. I’m very proud of you.”

At that, Roxanna felt a surge of pride flow through her veins. For the first time since… well, for the first time actually, she was being praised for her magic. I wonder if Mommy and Daddy would be proud of me…

That evening, Mordecai rewarded Roxanna’s achievement with her favorite dessert of honeyed scallops. “The honey I used for this recipe was a gift from my brother. Sometimes he was sent to the above world back when he was a knight to your parents. He claimed to have received it from the remains of a shipwreck.”

“Did he tell you what the above world was like?”

He raises an eyebrow. “Why do you ask?”

“Just… wanna know.”

Mordecai wiped his mouth. “Well, I’ll have you know that the above world isn’t worth any of our time. He didn’t say anything to me about that place once he got back.”

Roxanna slumped in her seat. Guess I’ll go see for myself once I get back home…

Mordecai gave a quiet sigh to himself, not understanding this child’s fascination with the surface. In an attempt to change the subject, he said, “Now, seeing your success with your spell today, we will move on to a basic protection spell tomorrow. I feel that it is important that you are provided the resources needed to fend for yourself, even in these calm freshwaters. You never know what could attack.”

While slightly intrigued by the idea of self-defense, Roxanna was not in the mood to discuss it further. She picked at her treat, her mind roaming in a fantasy of what she was going to do once she returned to the surface that night to see her new land friend. A treasure… she needed a treasure to show Macintosh; that was their plan after all. But what to bring? It needed to be extra special, something that would really show how wonderful life underwater was. As she finished her snack, an idea popped into her mind. “Thanks for the meal, Mordecai! See you later!” With a burst of energy, she leaped from her chair and headed to her room, leaving a surprised and slightly confused merman at the table.

Roxanna dug through the suitcases she had next to her bed; apparently, that portal she came through was also handy as a luggage transporter. Her hands suddenly felt a hard box which prompted her to pull it out. She opened it up to reveal an assortment of jewelry; it was a simple jewelry box. She dug around once more until she found a simple necklace; a thin piece of rope (probably cut from a shipwreck) held two brilliant pearls with a pink seashell in between them, one that looked an awful like the one on her cutie mark now that she thought about it. Mentally throwing the coincidence aside, she put it on and examined herself in the mirror. The decorative pieces of the necklace settled just above her magenta bikini top. She recalled back to when she had first received this piece of jewelry and how her mother said it made her look like such a splendid young merlady. Roxanna brushed a thumb over the shell; a bit of hesitation was stuck in her mind.

What if Mommy and Daddy find out I gave it away? Would they be mad? Of course they would, I’m giving it to a land creature…

The young mermaid looked around her room to see if there was anything else she could give instead, only to see scattered suitcases and a few articles of clothing on the floor. Finally, she shrugged and tucked it away in a little purse before setting it by her bed. Just as she had hoped, the day rushed by, and the waters turned dark. After dinner, Roxanna let Mordecai tuck her into bed. The elder swam to bed himself leaving Roxanna to wait for his snores. After what seemed like an eternity, she leaped out of bed after she heard a snort from Mordecai’s bedroom. She snatched her purse and rushed out her window, not wasting any time to get to the surface. She had to swim up a bit down a connecting river to get to their meeting spot first, but she didn’t mind; a good swim reminded her of the endless blue of her Atlantic home. It still felt a bit creepy breaking through the waves and feeling… nothing. Goosebumps dotted along her arms as the cool night air drifted against her wet skin. If she had been told about air without visiting the upper world herself, the concept would have been impossible to comprehend.

Roxanna turned toward the shore and spotted the tall grass rustling. She ducked back into the water instinctively to avoid any chance of being attacked by an evil land creature, but a peek calmed her fears as she saw the familiar red figure trot through. She swam to the lakeside to meet Macintosh once again. The two smiled at each other.

“Howdy.” Macintosh knelt down and set his saddlebags in the sand. They looked packed with… whatever saddlebags could be packed with.

“Hi!” Roxanna grinned and dropped her purse next to her. “What’s in those bags?”

“Oh, just a little somethin’.” He chuckled before taking out a small picnic cloth and spreading it against the rocky ground. It wasn’t very smooth, but it would work. Macintosh pulled out an assortment of apple foods and arranged it onto the blanket. “Apple family specialties. Heh, Ah sneaked out as much as Ah could. Hopefully it ain’t too cold.”

“Food?” Roxanna gazed upon their small banquet. Although she had never had apples before, her mouth was already watering at the smell emanating from the treats. Why didn’t she think about bringing seafood to feed Macintosh? Perhaps next time she could pack a special snack for him, maybe catch a cod or a small pike on her way up. Well, she would have if she didn’t remember that ponies didn’t eat living things.

Macintosh hoofed over a small red apple. “Ya got apples underwater?” When Roxanna shook her head in reply, he continued. “This is whut mah family grows. We have the best apples in all of Equestria. Go on, try a bit.”

The mermaid examined the fruit in her hands. It felt smooth and shone in the moonlight. Slowly, she raised it up to her mouth and took a little bite. The sweet taste flowed over her tongue as she chewed it up, a dribble of juice trickling down her chin. She gulped it down and wiped her mouth with the back of her hand. “Wow! That’s really good!”

“Ain’t it? All this is made from apples. Got some apple fritters right her, mah sis’s favorite.” Macintosh then gave her an apple fritter. Roxanna took no time at all to bite into it. She was in love with the warm, gooey treat. Soon enough she had tasted everything Macintosh had to offer from pie to cobbler to even cider (the non-alcoholic kind of course). The cider was the most interesting food she ate. From what she got out of Macintosh’s explanation, since ponies didn’t live in water, they needed to eat liquids in order to stay hydrated and alive. Roxanna was beginning to understand the need for it due to her mouth becoming slightly dry from no longer being submerged in the lake. Eventually, both of them got their fill and relaxed with each other on the beach, gazing at the moonlight together.

Roxanna noticed a purple shimmer that would occasionally sweep across the night sky and pointed up at it. “What’s that purple shiny thing up there?”

“Oh, that’s our protective barrier. It… well, it’s meant to keep water creatures from getting on land and to prevent ponies from gettin’ to the water.”

Roxanna was quiet for a moment. Macintosh started to worry that he had offended his new friend until she asked, “How did you get here then?”

He let out a chuckle. “Ah dug under it.”

Both of them laughed together and continued to gaze up into the stary night sky. After Roxanna spotted a strange pony shape in the moon, Macintosh spent a few minutes telling her about the Mare in the Moon, a legend his granny had told him many times. The princesses, Nightmare Moon, the Elements of Harmony… he didn’t spare any detail. Roxanna continued to gaze at the moon as she listened to Macintosh’s story. After he had finished, she remembered the gift that she had brought for him. She opened her purse, took out the seashell necklace, and placed it in his hoof. “Um… I know the sea is scary to ponies, but the truth is that we’re just as scared of you as you are of us. I mean, I’m still pretty scared since you’re the only thing I’ve gotten to know about the up world, but I hope this necklace will remind you that at least I’m not scary, and that I want to be your best friend forever. I’d never try to hurt you, Macintosh. I promise.”

Macintosh stared at the simple piece of shell jewelry in his hoof. It was too small to put comfortably on his neck, but it fit perfectly on his hoof like a bracelet. He smiled and embraced Roxanna in a hug, something she was more than happy to return. “Thanks a bunch, Roxanna. Ah’ll keep this forever. And Ah promise the same fer you. Ah’d never try to hurt ya either.”

The two grinned at each other before deciding it was time to say goodnight. They said their goodbyes and made plans for the next night. They gave one last look at each other before returning to their respective homes. Roxanna swam back into bed with a belly stuffed with apple desserts and a mind buzzing with the story of the Mare in the Moon. She let out a yawn and let her eyes finally shut for the night.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Once again, Roxanna awoke late with tired eyes the next morning. It didn’t take long at all for Mordecai to assess the situation.

“While I appreciate that you are working hard on studying your music, my dear, I cannot let you continue to stay up so late. I will be keeping your spellbook with me during the night from now on.” The merman set Roxanna’s breakfast in front of her before sitting across the table with his own serving. “Since it’s Saturday, I let you sleep in a bit today. That also means no lessons for today. Maybe you can take the day to explore the lake a bit more. I know it’s not as aesthetic as the Atlantic, but the waters clear a bit once you swim out aways.”

“Okay,” was all Roxanna had to say. A look around the lake didn't sound too bad, but she would much rather swim toward the surface and see if she could sneak peeks of land civilization. Maybe she could even see the sun, which is what Macintosh said brought light to the day. But then again, she could be seen by an evil pony or some other land creature; perhaps she could ask the young red colt tonight to guard her while she took a quick look at the land once the day returned.

To pass the time, Roxanna swam further out into the lake, having been reminded by Mordecai to avoid anything that could have possibly come from the surface. “It takes a professional to assess items from the surface to see if they are safe for use” he had said. As the day went on, Roxanna tried to get her mind off the land above in order to make the hours seem shorter, but the excitement that rushed through her blood whenever she thought about what else could possibly be up there was too much to settle. How different was it from ocean life? Were there any similarities at all? She had so many questions, even Roxanna couldn’t count them all.

Just when Roxanna thought she couldn’t wait any longer, the sun’s rays began to disappear from above, signaling the end of the day. She wasted no time preparing herself for bed. Mordecai came and tucked her in as usual, this time taking her spellbook with him. Now it was time for more waiting… and waiting… and wai-

Sn-Snoore…

Out of bed she flew! Once she broke through the waves, she was glad to see Macintosh was already there, hiding in the reeds in case any other ponies were out. He smiled and scooted closer to the water’s edge where Roxanna rested her fins. They greeted each other and talked about their day. Macintosh got to watch his parents harvest a special kind of apple called a Zap Apple and help his granny make it into jam.

Roxanna was a little embarrassed that she didn’t have an interesting story to tell like he did, so she proceeded to talk about the new magic she was learning. She looked down at her fins as they floated along with the waves. “Have you ever touched water?” She asked Macintosh.

“Huh? Well, yeah. When Ah take baths er water Ma’s veggie garden. But that water came from the sink er a well. Ain’t never touched this kinda water.”

“Really?” Roxanna’s surprised look was almost instantly replaced with a grin as she held out her hand to him, not bothering to ask what all that pony stuff he mentioned was. “Then come on in!”

Macintosh’s eyes widen, and he takes a step back. “A-Ah dunno… can’t swim none.”

“You don’t have to go in that deep. There’s a little land you can stand on. Just get your… your, umm…”

Macintosh looked down as he saw Roxanna motioning toward his legs. “Mah… hooves?”

“Yeah, hooves! Get your hooves wet!”

He looked at the edge of the water and took a deep breath. Gingerly, he slowly lowered the tip of his hoof in the most shallow part of the water. He gasped and jerked it back. “I-It hurt me!”

Roxanna cocked her head to the side. “Water can’t hurt you. You barely even touched it.”

“M-Maybe it’s cursed to hurt ponies er somethin’!”

Roxanna rolled her eyes. If there was such a hex, Mordecai would have told her. With that in mind, she grabbed onto Macintosh’s hoof, pulling him toward the tide. “Remember my promise, Macintosh. I would never hurt you. Please trust me.”

His gaze cast down at the girl holding his hoof, Macintosh saw the pleading glimmer in her eyes, his heart still pounding in his chest. The tide just touched the tip of his hooves and receded. His hooves sank slightly into the wet sand it left behind. He felt no pain from the minor contact with the lake water. Finally, after what seemed like an eternity of silence, Macintosh took a small step into the shallow tide. It quickly dawned on him that the sensation he felt as pain before was nothing of the sort; the water was simply cold. Macintosh’s lips grew into a small smile now that he knew one of his biggest fears was behind him. Roxanna kept her hold on his right hoof and helped guide him into the lake until the surface reached his knees.

“Better stop here. Don’t wanna lose mah footin’.” Macintosh said, Roxanna loosening her grip on him. He looked down at himself; never in all of his life did he think he would be standing anywhere close to a body of water, yet here he was half-submerged in it. Besides the coldness that numbed his lower legs a bit, this was no different than stepping into a bath or pool. He looked over at Roxanna, seeing her smile back at him.

“Like it?”

“Yeah… jus’ a lil’ chilly. Mind if Ah head back to the beach?”

Roxanna nodded, taking hold of his hoof again to help him safely return to the beach. When she felt Macintosh had suddenly jerked and heard his sudden cry, she looked over to see his eyes squeezed shut and his teeth clenched in what had to be a sharp pain. “Macintosh, what’s wrong?” She asked as the colt limped onto the shore. He laid down on the sand as soon as he had reached dry land.

“Nngh… scraped mah hoof…” He grimaced, raising his hoof to inspect the damage. Roxanna looked at it as well. It was no little scrape. A deep abrasion ran across the fleshy part of the bottom of his hoof. It bled and got soaked into the sand underneath. Roxanna dipped her head into the water, immediately sensing blood as her gills breathed. Just off the coast, she spotted a pointed rock that must have caused Macintosh’s wound. She sat back up and saw the colt reaching for the cloths he had used to wrap their feast in.

“What are you doing?” Roxanna dragged herself closer to him.

“Gotta cover this cut… stop the bleedin’. Ah’ll git mah parents to take me to the hospital in the mornin’. This time of night’s too suspicious… need to think of an excuse to-” He stopped talking once he felt Roxanna’s hand on his leg. She took away the cloths and held up his hoof, gently placing it on her scaly lap.

“No… I can help you. Just stay still.” Before Macintosh could say anything else, Roxanna let a gentle song fill the air. After singing just a couple notes, her throat started to glow with a warming golden light. Macintosh’s eyes widened to saucers as he witnessed what had to be some sort of magic. His mind told him that this might be dangerous, but Roxanna’s calming voice eased any anxiety that was building up inside him. As she continued to sing, the shining glow she was creating began flowing from her neck and into large, stunning ribbons of gentle light. It danced through the sky, slowly rippling like silk gliding underwater. Macintosh might have been lulled to sleep on the spot if it weren’t for the tingling he suddenly felt on his wound. The magic light that had surrounded them started wrapping around his hoof, sending a sensation of warmth and comfort through his entire being.

Then it all stopped.

Macintosh snapped back to reality and noticed Roxanna with an amazed smile on her face. Looking down, he let out a gasp as he saw that his gash had completely healed. No pain, blood, or scar remained, as if his injury never happened in the first place. “...How-”

“Yeah, um, remember that magic I told you I had a couple of days ago? That’s one of the things I learned to do… though I don’t remember the glowy stuff ever happening. The last time something like that happened was when I first sang at the concert ha-”

“That was amazin’!” Roxanna immediately felt herself being wrapped into a tight hug by Macintosh who was wearing a massive grin. “Ah never saw anythin’ like that in mah life! An’ you ain’t even a unicorn!”

“A-A what?”

“And yer voice! That voice… Ah’ll never get it out of mah head. Roxanna, Ah can’t thank ya enough. Ya saved me from a heap o’ trouble. If there’s anythin’ Ah can ever do to repay ya, let me know.”

Once more, the pony and the mermaid met gazes under the moonlight. Roxanna slipped her tail back into the water, her eyes never leaving the ones in front of her. “Of course. Um… thank you.” She gave him a smile, and he happily returned his own. The crickets chirped in the distance. The lake’s waves created a soothing whisper that warmed the cool night’s atmosphere. Once again, the night was peaceful.

A mighty splash erupted from the lake. “Roxanna!”

The two children let out a startled cry as they jumped in their seats. Roxanna’s heart pounded in her chest as she immediately recognized the source. “M-Mordecai..!”

The old merman sped toward the edge of the water, his pearl-topped staff radiating intimidating magic toward Macintosh. “Roxanna, get back in the water at once!”

“W-Wait! Don’t hurt him!” Roxanna pulled herself across the rocky sand and stopped in front of the colt who was trembling with fear.

Mordecai’s face was one of pure shock until a fuming grimace replaced it. He raised his charge staff just slightly. “Not… hurt him? What has gotten into your mind, child?! Get back into the water!”

Suddenly, a new voice was heard. A distant voice was growing closer to the three of them with each passing second. “..intosh! Another pony was coming into view. Her curly orange blew in the breeze as she ran closer to the colt she was calling for. Large aqua eyes grew wider as she saw the sight in front of her, and she immediately tried to make her way to Macintosh. However, a run-in with a near-invisible force field kept her from getting any closer. “Macintosh!! Whut are ya monsters doing with mah son?!”

“M-Mama!” If the panic Macintosh was experiencing wasn’t evident before, it was clear as the purest water now.

“Monsters?!” Mordecai roared with burning rage as he aimed his magic at the mare. “No one ever calls me nor the princess of Aquatania a monster!” A massive lightning bolt shot toward Macintosh's mother, but the magic barrier between them prevented any damage from being done to her. Macintosh was attempting to make a run for it back through the hole he had dug. Mordecai, however, was not having any of it. “Don’t move, land creature!” He pointed his staff toward Macintosh, freezing him in his tracks.

“No, Mordecai, please!” Roxanna dove back into the lake and grabbed onto his waist. “Don’t hurt him! He’s my friend!”

“Friend?!” Both guardians exclaimed as they once again make eye contact with each other. Vengeful glares were exchanged. Mordecai turned back to Roxanna, formidably looking down at her with cold eyes. “No Mer will ever… ever call any land creature… a friend.” He gripped his staff tighter in his fist.

“He saved me!” She exclaimed. “I got trapped in the rocks, and he freed me!”

“You did whut?!” Macintosh's mom immediately gaped at with great alarm.

“Sh-She looked scared! A-Ah couldn’t leave her like that! And she saved me too! She healed a big scrape Ah got!”

Mordecai suddenly turned toward Roxanna looking like he had just been betrayed. “You used your precious magic… on a land creature?!”

“You let her use her evil witchcraft on ya?! What were ya thinkin’?!” The mother shouted once again at her son.

“Enough!” Mordecai’s yell echoed through the night and silenced everyone. He shut his eyes tight in frustration. All eyes were on him as he pulled his staff towards his chest. “I have made up my mind. For the three of you, this night shall have never existed.”

“M-Mordecai…” Roxanna’s eyes began to water as she gazed up at him with pleading eyes.

His staff began to illuminate. “For the princess’s protection, I will remember tonight so I may train her better to keep away from the likes of you.” He pointed toward Macintosh once more. “You, how long have you known the princess? Speak!”

His hooves quivered beneath him. “W-We met two nights before this one, s-sir…”

“Don’t ya dare call that thing ‘sir’!” The outraged mom hollers, finding Macintosh’s tunnel under the barrier and wriggling herself through it to rescue him.

“Silence!” Mordecai quieted the group once more. “Three forbidden nights… no memories of these nights will ever be remembered! Once dawn breaks, none of you will have any recollection of what transpired here!” With a mighty swing of his enchanted staff, a brilliant beam of light blasted at the remaining three.

“No!” A distressed cry from Roxanna escaped her as she sprung out of the water as high as her tail could thrust her to block Mordecai’s cast. It only took a couple of seconds for the spell to fire, but in that amount of time, a glimmer of magic formed from her voice that grew into what could only be described as a shield big enough to only protect part of her face. But as soon as it had appeared, it vanished as Mordecai’s spell struck them. Roxanna splashed back into the water, knowing she was too late. All was silent as the affected took a moment to gather their bearings. Roxanna and Macintosh could only share one last quick glance at each other before Mordecai pulled the young mermaid back under the waves.

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The underwater cave was still and quiet as Mordecai loomed over Roxanna, her head downcast while her face showed a mixture of devastation and shame. Her guardian could only glare back down at her. “You have been asking questions about the surface world lately,” he says sternly, finally breaking the silence, “but I was foolish to think you wouldn’t actually go up there yourself. What were you thinking?! Do you even realize what could’ve happened to you? You could’ve been killed! You would have been unless I intervened! What would I have done then, Roxanna? What would I tell your dear parents who were ready to give everything they had to ensure you wouldn’t be harmed during these political affairs? All these years of them teaching you the dangers of the surface world were for nothing!” He pounded his staff against the sandy ocean floor, making Roxanna jump. “But tomorrow… tomorrow will be like nothing ever happened, and you will no longer wish to return to that horrid world above the waters…” he glanced deep into her saddened eyes, “and I will make sure of it.” Mordecai gives a sigh. “So… is there anything you have to say for yourself before you go to bed?”

Roxanna cautiously lifted her head back to look at Mordecai’s eyes, his face still as stern as ever. Her stomach turned as she could only shake her head. With that, Mordecai turned around and left her room. Now alone, Roxanna curled into her bed and hugged her pillow close to her chest. She let out her cries silently so Mordecai wouldn’t hear her and come back to yell at her. Would she really forget everything she learned about the surface world once she woke up? All the memories about the beautiful skies, the stories about the mare in the moon, the delicious apple foods and drink… and her best friend Macintosh… all gone? Roxanna was determined to not fall asleep that night; maybe the spell wouldn’t work if she never slept in the first place. But her bout of crying wore out her body, and she didn’t even realize her eyes shutting for the night.

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The light streaming into Roxanna’s eyes the next morning woke her up. She sat up slowly and rubbed her eyes, letting out a yawn and stretching before getting up and swimming to the little kitchen she and Mordecai now shared. She saw Mordecai setting breakfast on the table, looking over and noticing. He clears his throat, looking away with what seemed to be hints of nervousness. “Ah, good morning, Roxanna. Did you… sleep well last night?”

Roxanna simply nodded and sat at the table, casually eating her meal of seaweed. After a period of silence, Mordecai spoke up again. “Anything in particular happen?”

She gives him a slightly odd look before replying. “No, I just studied my spells before bed.” She smiles sweetly in a way Mordecai had not seen in a while. “I can’t wait to show you how well I’m doing!”

Author's Note

Wow, I can't believe I finally finished this part of the story. It's been years since this was first thought up, about the time Season 4 was first going to air. Back then, Big Mac was a character I enjoyed who didn't have any of his own episodes or story arcs, so that was my inspiration for adding him into the story, although that was a couple of years after my first draft.

To keep with my original idea, this story will be set during Season 4.

Also as a side note, this chapter originally had Granny Smith coming to rescue Macintosh, but for reasons that will be later revealed, I changed the pony to Buttercup.

An Ascent to Remember

“Eighteen years old… my, where has the time gone?”

Mordecai gazed at the mermaid in front of him with pride. In the eight years they have known each other, Roxanna had grown to become the merlady he had been shaping her to become. “Happy birthday, dear princess. It’s been an honor to watch you grow and learn each and every single day. It feels like only yesterday that you first arrived here, and I treasure every moment we got to share together.”

Roxanna grinned up at him, a blush adorning her cheeks as she went in for a hug. “Oh, Uncle Mordi, you’re gonna make me cry! You make it sound like I’m going away.”

The old merman gratefully embraced the young lady. “Well, it won’t be long now until you can safely return home to Aquatania. Your parents have prevented war between neighboring kingdoms, and those rulers are finally getting it through their thick skulls that your magic is no threat to their power.” He chuckles. “I know you’ve only been able to see your parents rarely during your time here, but I’ve been writing to them frequently telling them about your growth and progress here. They couldn’t be more proud of their daughter.”

Roxanna rubs her arm, smiling and looking longingly at the ground below. “Mother, father… I’ve missed them so much, and I can’t wait to return home. But, Mordi… I think I’ll end up missing you even more. Please tell me you plan on coming back to Aquatainia with me.”

Mordecai gave her a bittersweet smile. “I don’t know, Roxy. I’ve learned so much about this world, but I’m wondering if I should leave at all.” He grabs Roxanna’s spellbook from nearby. “You do remember why you’re going through all this training in the first place, don’t you?”

Roxanna straightened up and put on a confident grin. “To demonstrate the power of Poseidon's people and establish our dominance over the evils of the surface world!”

“Correct!” He smiles proudly. “And why do we have this goal?”

“The Mer originated from pure-hearted humans who were once slaves under their own people. Poseidon heard their cries and helped them escape, giving them improved forms to live one with his oceans. To avenge our ancestors, we will praise all-mighty Poseidon for his blessings by wiping away the evil from the above world with his waters!”

“Exactly! You have learned well. And he has blessed you, princess, with the power to do just that. You are what the Mer have been waiting for centuries for!”

“It will be an incredible honor to be the one to achieve our dream.” Roxanna bows her head respectfully.

“Poseidon has guided you on your journey, and now that you have ascended into young merwomanhood, I believe it’s time for you to begin bringing our people justice.” He swims out of the room briefly before carrying out a flowing magenta gown to her in his outstretched arms. Roxanna gasps as she examines the beautiful dress in front of her, feeling the silky material glide against her palms. Mordecai smiles in return. “Your parents had this gown prepared for your eighteenth birthday. It’s made with the finest material in all of the seven seas, the color made to perfectly match your fins.” He chuckles. “That is your favorite color, yes?”

Roxanna’s fingers ached to caress the fabric again, but her mind held them back in order to not risk possibly damage such a treasure. “Mordecai… I… it’s beautiful!”

“Your parents will be elated to hear that,” he grinned, “because this dress was made special. You shall wear this when you use your beautiful voice to submerge the land above.”

“Wow… this is incredible…”

“And that’s not all!” Mordecai said, pulling out a large clamshell and opening it up. Inside rested a majestic pearl tiara that shimmered even in the smallest bit of light. “You haven’t worn this since you were just born. Now you have reached the age where you can be entrusted with this crown, and I also trust that you will proudly adorn it during your grand performance.”

Roxanna’s heart pounded in her chest as adrenaline rushed through her veins, joy and shock flooding her mind as she longed to see her parents again and thank them for everything that they had done for her. For now, the princess settled on embracing the dear man she affectionately called her uncle. The merman gladly returned the favor, the two enjoying the sweet moment before letting go. “Thank you, Mordecai. This wouldn’t be possible without you.”

Mordecai gave her a kind smile. “And thank you, my dear. All the work we’ve done together will soon reap its reward. As such, you will be reviewing all of the spells you’ve learned under my instruction since your first lesson. And also…” he points to a bookmark inside Roxanna’s spellbook that she had seen every time she studied from it, “it’s time for you to consider an important decision.”

Roxanna’s eyes widened immediately. “Y-You mean…”

The man nods. “The siren songs. Some may consider these to be dark magic, but that is up to you, my dear. You’ve grown responsible enough to decide for yourself whether you should use these spells or not. I will not judge you either way. As long as you use these spells to bring glory to Poseidon and honor to the Mer, that’s all I care about.” He looked Roxanna straight in the eye, brows furrowed slightly. “These spells are powerful. If you do decide to use them, be very careful that you do not overwork yourself. You’re still young remember. Sirens were older women who were very experienced in their craft. The last thing I want is for you to get hurt.”

“Don’t worry, Mordicai. I promise to be careful.” Roxanna looked down at the book, then back up at her mentor. “Mordi… am I siren?”

Mordecai followed the girl’s gaze downward. This was not a new question for him. He gently put his boney hands on her shoulders. “It is not I who’s to give you either title. That responsibility is on your shoulders, Roxanna. Follow what your heart says is right. No matter who you think you are, know that your parents and I will always love you regardless. Nothing can change that.”

Roxanna lets out a heavy breath before planting a kiss on Mordecai’s cheek. “Thank you, Uncle Mordi. I love you.” She holds the large spellbook to her chest. “I’m going out to practice.”

Mordecai nods, watching Roxanna swim out the cave’s threshold. “...I love you too, my little mermaid.”

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There was an open space a little ways from the cave where Roxanna usually practiced her music when she got the chance. The water was clearer here compared to the more murky waters surrounding her home; it was easier for her gills to breathe deeper here. An algae-covered log rested beside a large rock formation that protruded a bit near the middle, the perfect place for Roxanna to prop her book on to read while standing up. While the lake had very little in terms of eye-catching scenery, Roxanna’s swims around the area reaped the occasional shell or shiny rock that she used to decorate her practice area. There were times where she would come across items she had never seen before, and her lectures from Mordecai helped her identify them as surface world objects. The temptation was strong to bring some of them back to beautify her space, especially the golden, shiny things that sparkled in the sunlight. However, not wanting to risk bringing bad luck or possibly even harm, she left the mysterious treasures where she found them.

Roxanna cast her eyes around her surroundings as she made her way to her area. As usual, the water was tinted green with the occasional log, rock, or tree branch protruding from the rocky sand below. She had to be careful not to swim to close to the bottom or risk kicking up a muddy cloud with her fins which would get in her gills and blur her vision. Her mind started wandering back to memories of her Pacific home of Aquatania. The endless blue ocean that greeted her every morning when she looked out of her window… the colonies of rainbow coral that were majestically sprawled across the ocean floor for miles… the friendly, colorful fish that she would always run into that had so many varying species that she couldn’t possibly remember them all… and the merpeople. So many different types of Mer would constantly be swimming around the kingdom before retreating to their homes for the night. Roxanna recalled a family of Mer with shark tails, some distant relatives who were half-octopus, and even two twin boys who were part seahorse. Thinking about it, she wasn’t sure she could handle having so many people around her now. Only having Mordecai and a few lake critters through her teenhood was plenty enough social opportunity for her. Besides, she preferred being on her own in the castle when she was little anyway. Her childhood home… the vibrant scenery, adventure around every corner, something new to see everyday… why couldn’t have Mordecai chosen a more beautiful world to study in? And why did the portal have to transport them to this drab lake? The lure to return to Aquatania after the submersion ritual was stronger than ever.

Roxanna arrived at her practice space and placed her book on the rock’s ledge. “Let’s see… all of my spells, huh?” She flicked her finger through her numerous bookmarks, the strips of seaweed getting more shriveled and torn the closer toward the front cover they got. Seeing how many songs she had to review intimidated Roxanna slightly; the ritual may have to wait longer than she had hoped. She opened up to the first song and read the inscription. “A… healing incantation?” She raised an eyebrow and inspected the song closer. “Since when did I learn a song like this? It looks like it should be the first song I ever learned, but…” Reading the notes, she tried to recognize the melody, but no song came to mind. Now Roxanna was grateful for the music interpretation lessons she was given by both Mordecai and her music teacher back in Aquatania.

After identifying each note, she was able to attempt singing the spell. Her body straightened up as she allowed her midsection room to expand. Taking a moment to let the freshwater circulate through her, she opened her mouth and slowly sang her music. About halfway through, Roxanna felt a warm sensation in her head. She put a hand to her forehead, though her voice continued to flow despite the slight concern she felt. It was then that her vision was filled with a golden glow, and strange visions began to flash before her. A starry night above the lake, a beautiful moon reflecting on its surface… the melody she was singing encompassed her and the surrounding lakeside… as she healed a land creature with her magic.

Roxanna gasped and stumbled, sitting down on the nearby log and putting her hands to her head. Her breath was quick, her heart raced, and shivers traveled from head to fin as she replayed the scene in her head. Everything was so vivid, it was almost scary. She wanted to dismiss it as a dream, but such detail wasn’t dismissable, and now the healing song was coming back to her memory. Roxanna’s throat tightened as she looked up toward the lake’s surface high above her. “...I went to the surface world. I met a land creature.”

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Mordecai was working in his study room, carefully examing old texts in front of him. Strange lettering scattered across the pages which he was in the middle of translating into his notes with the help of his staff’s magic. He felt the water surrounding him start to stir, signaling another presence. He turned around to see Roxanna swimming by. “Hello, Roxy. Back so soon?”

“Just taking a break.” She replied, not even glancing at him as she headed to her room. She set her spellbook on her window’s ledge and sat on her bed. The images in her mind played over and over like a broken record. Shame and guilt burdened her chest. How could she have broken the most fundamental law of the Mer? She may have been young, but she was a princess. If word ever got out about this, she couldn’t even fathom the disgrace and dishonor it would bring her and her family. Roxanna’s stomach churned and her head ached. Laying down, she decided the only way she was going to feel better was to nap. Closing her eyes, she focused on relaxing her tense body and falling asleep.

Roxanna shot up with a gasp. Looking around, she saw her bedroom was now dark. It was already night. She let out a troubled sigh, draping her fins over the side of her bed and placing her head in her hands. The one memory was disturbing enough… now even more plagued her. She started piecing together each of them. She breached the surface not once, but multiple times. She ate something while up there, somehow not getting poisoned in the process. She learned a story about the moon in the sky. Finally, she gave away one of her own necklaces. And all of these stories were connected by one thing.

“Macintosh…” Roxanna let the name roll off her tongue. She remembered his features well from his four-legged body, his orange hair that blew in the wind, and his emerald eyes that would light up whenever they met. That’s what threw Roxanna off. Not once in any of these memories was this land creature cruel. In fact, he was just the opposite, showing kindness and happiness whenever she was around him. However, Mordecai had always told her that all living things on the surface were evil and cruel. So why didn’t Macintosh try to kill her? Now that she thought about it, how could she have possibly forgotten about going to the surface? Roxanna got up and started swimming out her room, knowing only one place where someone as desperate as herself could possibly get some sort of answer. She heard Mordecai’s snoring and knew it was safe to enter his study without being caught. Books and parchment were strewn around the room, practically begging the mermaid to enter and rummage through them. She gladly answered the call.

Roxanna quietly hummed to herself, her voice producing a dim light just bright enough for her to read what was in front of her. Scribblings about various sorts of magic from the above world caught her eye, but nothing about the land creatures themselves. The textbooks Mordecai had next to his notes weren’t any help either; she couldn’t even read whatever strange language was written in them. Roxanna’s search was becoming fruitless. She was starting to give up hope when she reached the last of Mordecai’s research. Flipping through a textbook, Roxanna suddenly stopped on a page, one of the few not bookmarked. While she couldn’t read what it said, she did recognize an illustration on it. It was a land creature. Four legs, a large torso, and a head that reminded Roxanna of a seahorse. Roxanna glanced back at Mordecai’s notes. She saw magic spells, magic effects, types of magic… but nothing about these creatures. That’s when something clicked in her mind.

“Could… Mordecai actually be as clueless about the surface world as I am?”

Mordecai had always told her that the land creatures here were just as dangerous as humans, if not even more. However, she couldn’t recall him ever calling the surface inhabitants by a certain name, nor did he ever tell her what they looked like. All he cared about was the magic they possessed. Roxanna thought back on her times with Macintosh. Her heart was telling something odd, something she would’ve never thought in her entire life if it weren’t for that meeting many years ago. Maybe… maybe land creatures here weren’t as horrible as they thought.

Roxanna slowly swam back to her bedroom, reflecting on her findings. If what she thought was true, then they had no reason to hide from the above world here. She swam over to her window, poking her head out and gazing up once again. Mordecai would never agree to teach her anything about what was above the waters, that is if he even knew anything about this place. The only way to find out the truth, Roxanna thought, was to go up there herself. The thought made her swallow a lump in her throat, yet the allure of returning to the world up there that she remembered taking her breath away with its beauty was persuading both her heart and mind. Perhaps just this one time… just for tonight, she would breach through the water and look at what the land had to offer. She glanced at the spellbook next to her. “If I do go up there… I should protect myself just in case.”

She carried the book back to her bed and flipped toward the back, hoping to find an advanced defense spell to cast just before she would leave. However, the music she came across looked unfamiliar to her. That’s when she noticed a certain bookmark she had passed. Roxanna gasped, shutting her eyes as if to shield them from some unknown horror. She had opened to the siren songs. After a minute, she allowed her eyes to slowly peek back at the music she was reading. Flipping back a page, she saw what the spell was for. “A transformation spell?” Her curiosity peaked, she read the description. “A surge of power will alter the body of a siren, constructing out of pure magic the form of whatever creature they intend, whether it be above or below the sea. The waters of their home will cancel the spell.”

Roxanna’s heart began racing in her chest again. In theory, this was better than any protection spell she could find; she could simply blend in with the land’s inhabitants! “Then that’s what I’ll do.” Roxanna nods. The plan was set. She would perform the spell, explore the land until sunrise, then return back to the lake before Mordecai woke. So not to wake up her guardian, Roxanna took her book and swam out of the cave and toward her practice spot. The lake looked a bit eerie darkened by the absence of light. Recasting her lighting spell, Roxanna felt safer traversing through the night. Once she arrived, she sat down and studied the music in front of her. Without Mordecai to help her learn, Roxanna had to rely on her own skills to interpret what was on the pages. She didn’t know how long she stayed there, but it was still dark when she finally felt confident enough to try the spell out.

Getting into position, Roxanna pulled her book close and attempted the song. She stumbled a few times but managed to save herself and keep going until she reached the end. She stayed absolutely still, waiting for any sort of reaction. Nothing happened. Roxanna looked back down at her music. “Guess I need to try aga-” Her throat suddenly beamed with magical energy, Roxanna’s eyes glowing white as a flow pure magic surged out of her gaping mouth and engulfed her body. Frightened and dazed, she began thrashing about. She couldn’t see it, but the fins at the end of her tail and around her waist fell off like autumn leaves before dissolving into foam. Magic struck her tail, cracking it right down the middle in two. Their seafoam color traveled up and covered every inch of Roxanna’s skin. Her limbs thickened, her hands forced into fists before they began morphing with her arms. Her gills were getting sealed shut, and Roxanna desperately kicked to swim to the surface for air before she drowned. Just when her chest started aching for oxygen, Roxanna’s head burst through the surface. She gasped loudly for air, her sore and foreign body getting swept toward the shore.

Roxanna’s visioned was blurred, and her throat hurt too much to even swallow. Every ounce of energy had been drained from her body. Not even the bizarre feeling of air against her form could rejuvenize her as she washed up onto the rocky shore. Too fatigued to move, she passed out under the moonlit sky.