Sea Beans -- "Beans" for short -- had grown tired of leaving the ocean. It was why after working it for nearly thirty years,the earth pony decided to sell his oceanic farm, where he cultivated and harvested oceanic plants, and collected anything edible that wound up in the tide pools. At the same time, he still loved the water, and wanted to live near it.
It was why Canter Mist Lake ended up being perfect. The water was a beautiful blue with hint of green to it. On a calm day, it was a mirror of the sky and green hills around it, and up close, he could look down into the water and watch the fish moving around. There was even a little island, where a variety of fruits and nuts grew, ready to be collected by anypony who was willing to make the trip.
So it was that he bought a little cabin not far from the northern shore. A nice little place, just big enough for one stallion. It even had a little dock which he could use for his canoe, to swim from, or sit there and watch the sun either rise or set.
One cool autumn night, Beans sat in front of his fireplace, holding a stick with a cactus pear on the end. It was quite an exciting find when he discovered it at the market. He had never tried desert-based food before. Hopefully he was not too old to try new things.
As he sat there, slowly turning the fruit to make sure it cooked evenly, he started to hear something.
Singing?
Pale sand colored perked up, shifting as he tried to listen better. It was singing alright, but he could not quite make out any more details.
Setting the treat aside, the stallion got up, made his way to the front window and looked out into the night. Up above in the sky, it was clear and beautiful. The moon was well past half, waxing toward full. Stars filled the sky, twinkling and shining. Closer to the ground, a fog covered the lake, and part of the shore, shining a dark silver in the moonlight.
His shale colored eyes narrowed. Was there something on the dock?
After lighting a lantern, Beans carried it with him as he went outside. Now, he could hear it louder, more clearly. It indeed was singing. The voice was soft, feminine. The singer was not singing any actual words, but a simple melody that repeated over and over.
Almost... hypnotically.
He made his way toward the dock, toward the fog. It was thick, engulfing him completely as he stepped into it. Even with the lantern, he could not see very far. Looking straight down, his hooves were nothing but a silhouette of shadow. The dock could not even be seen. It forced the stallion to walk slowly, having to go more by the feel of the wooden slats under him and instinct than by sight.
As he reached the edge, he caught sight of her.
She was a beautiful earth pony mare, tall and thin. Her coat was a pristine and glistening white, with her mane and tail a bright, deep, luxurious red color. On her flank was a red ruby, with one of those pair of eighth notes that are connected surrounding it like a pair of headphones. She turned to him, looking with glowing green eyes.
The mysterious mare stepped backwards, continuing to sing as she vanished into the fog.
Snapping out of his frozen state, Sea Beans ran toward where she had been. His front hoof hit the edge of the dock, almost causing him to fall in. He pulled back hard, grabbing at the edge and bracing himself to keep from hitting the water.
His eyes caught the glow of the lantern, vanishing from sight just before he heard a splash.
More importantly, he could still hear the singing. Her singing. It was clear in the still night, but distant, coming out from somewhere over the water ahead.
The island. He realized it had to be the only possibility. She must have gone to the island.
As quick as he could, he climbed into his canoe and cast off. He paddled as fast as he could, following the singing. The voice. He had to follow it. Had to find her. To see her.
By the time he reached the island's shore, he panted for air and his forearms ached.
There she was, standing on the edge, her hooves just above the water line. She looked at Beans, and smiled as she continued her singing.
Once again, she stepped back into the fog.
"WAIT!" Beans cried out. Dropping the paddle, he jumped out of the canoe. The water was ice cold, reaching just the underside of his barrel as his hooves touched the ground. He plodded forward, pushing as fast as he could. The water slowed him down, more than he would have liked, and cold sank into his limbs, chilling them to the bone.
Panting for air, lungs now burning, limbs aching and frozen, he reached the shore.
There was no time to rest. He continued on, following the sound. It led him to a small path. The ground was rough, stony, with some cutting into the soft flesh of his frogs. Brambles and branches grew in the way, hitting him the face, catching at his mane and tail, and scratching at his skin.
He pushed through it all, following her. Following her voice.
Somewhere along the way, the fog had vanished. The moon and stars now shined down on him, allowing him to see the way.
The singing came to an end, just as Sea Bean caught sight of the mare stepping into a cave.
It was a small entrance, just barely large enough to fit him. As he stepped inside, something one the wall caught his attention. Some sort of symbol that glowed a faint silver in what light managed to slip into the cave. It was like nothing the stallion was familiar with.
He gave a shake of his head, turning away. He was not here for some sort of archaeological expedition or whatever. He was here to find her.
He made his way further and further inside. He moved slowly, trying to let his eyes adjust to the darkness, and keep his hooves from slipping on the wet stone beneath him. His ears shifted back and forth, trying to catch even the slightest sounds beyond his own hooves and breathing. His gaze drifted to every possible spot, trying to catch sight of something that could help him out.
After he did not know how long or how far, a glow began to appear. It was faint at first, unnoticeable, but as he continued, he could see more and more of the walls around him. More of the cave he was walking through.
More symbols etched into the wall.
The stallion reached a small cavern. The space glowed with luminous moss and mushrooms, giving it all a gentle, dreamy look to it. Off toward one side was a dark spot, what turned out to be a pool of water.
Realizing he was thirsty, Beans walked toward it. The water should be drinkable. He would have a little, then check a little further for the mare. A part of him thought that he should turn back. He had already come pretty far, looking for her, and had not seen or heard her since the entrance. However, between how long he had been looking already, and how badly he wanted to meet her, turning back seemed like a bad idea.
Perhaps if he reached another cavern and still did not find her, he would. Or, maybe if there was no other lights down here.
As he bent down to drink, the water exploded as something emerged from it. The head looked like a dragons, complete with a fin on the top of its head, and one on each cheek. At the same time, it had pony-like ears, and a longer, rounder muzzle. Its body was scaled, looking almost like a fish. There was a gem of some kind in its chest, glistening and glittering in the cave's light. Its forelegs were long, lean, and horse-like, ending in a pair of hooves.
Before he could even process what he was seeing, the creature bent down toward him, opening its mouth wide.
He did not even manage a scream before teeth came down him.
