As she watched their new guests get used to their new forms, Queen Novo couldn't help but smile. It had been too long since new faces had come to Seaquestria. She was still upset that Skystar had forced her to show the Pearl like this.

But she was still glad to see new faces. And a new alicorn at that! If this had been another time and place, she would've asked Twilight Sparkle about all of that. But for now, she kept her counsel. Something told her that there was more to this.

"This is amazing! With this, we could transform everypony at home into something powerful enough to face the Storm King's army!" Twilight all but squealed in delight.

And there it was. Novo's face hardened. "Or it could end up in his greedy claws! We came down here to make sure that never happened."

Twilight's face fell. "But..."

Novo's expression softened as she lay a fin on the younger mare's shoulder. "Honey, I'm sorry about your home. I truly am. But my first responsibility is to protect my subjects. The pearl... isn't going anywhere."

Twilight frowned. "But we-"

Novo sighed. She was a stubborn one for sure. "Then tell me, Princess Twilight. What do you think you could do? If Equestria is lost, then you need to think about your subjects. Your friends. Your family. I don't doubt that you would never give the Pearl up or without a fight. I can see it in your eyes. But if I gave you the Pearl for the sole reason to fight, then ponies will die. Do you want that blood on your hooves?"

Twilight's heart sank like a rock, as she finally thought about it. What was she trying to do? She didn't have any kind of plan for this. She sniffed as her head fell. "No. I don't want any of that. Not now. Or ever."

Novo nodded, her heart dropping in sympathy. "That is why we ran so long ago. Could we have fought the Storm King's army on Mount Aris? Yes. But the cost in lives would not have been worth it in the end. And so I did what was best for my people. No matter how much it might have hurt to do so."

Twilight sniffed, as her tears began to fall. "It's not fair. None of this is right."

Novo smiled as she lifted the young mare's head. "No. It isn't fair. But life is not always fair. No matter what we may do." She looked to her side as Jamal swam over and whispered something in her ear. She smiled as she looked at all of Twilight's friends. "You may stay for as long as you wish. I will return you to your normal forms when you leave." Her face hardened. "But you will never speak of what you have seen here if you leave. Am I understood? Seaquestria has survived for this long because no one ever knew of it."

The girls and Spike nodded, for they could hear the threat behind those words if they ever blabbed about all of this. Novo nodded as she saw that they had gotten the point. "Then I'm off for my spa date!" Before leaving.

The girls watched her go with a worried look. "So that it? We left home for nothin'?" Applejack asked.

Princess Skystar's grin made Pinkie proud as she swam back over to them. "Oh, my gosh! Best... idea! You can stay with us! Forever!" She giggled at the idea. "There are so many things we can do! We can make friendship bracelets out of shells and... picture frames out of shells and... decorative wastebaskets out of shells... Oh, I have so many projects that involve shells, haha! Now that I have someone new to share them with! I mean, aside from my friends, Shelly and Sheldon. Right?" She picked up a shell from around her neck. "Shelly?"

Pinkie gasped in surprise, her own grin growing.

Skystar picked up another shell from around her neck. "And "Sheldon"?" She chuckled. "Get it?" She snorted.

The girls rolled their eyes, while Pinkie giggled. But the humor only lasted so long. "That does sound lovely, darling. But you must realize, we can't stay," Rarity finally said.

Applejack nodded. "We've gotta get back to our families."

All at once, Skystar's good mood and cheer fled, and it broke Twilight's heart. "Oh, no. Of course. Of course. Of course, you have your own friends back home. It's fine. It's fine. Heh." Her voice dropped to a whisper, but they could all hear it. "Shelly and Sheldon get jealous anyway. Heh. it's probably for the best." She sighed. Yeah, I'll just, um..." Her whole body slumped sadly. "I'll get Mom to, uh, turn you back so you can go home."

The group watched her go. "She... Really needs friends," Spike said glumly.

Pinkie looked at the others with a pout. "I know we have to go. but you guys saw how disappointed Princess Skystar was. Couldn't we stay for just a little longer?"

Applejack shook her head. "Pinkie, we just don't have time for-"

Twilight shook her head, getting into the middle of the circle. "No. Pinkie's right."

"Say what now?" Rainbow asked.

Twilight gave all of her friends a pointed glare. "This whole misadventure has been nothing but one disaster after another. All because none of us bothered to think!" Her glare grew by the second. "We were almost sold into slavery in Klugetown. All because you blindly accepted Capper's word that he was our friend with no questions asked!"

Rarity had the decency to look ashamed of herself for that.

Twilight turned on Rainbow, who shrunk under the glare. "And you just had to show off for Captain Celaeno and her crew, didn't you? We're lucky Tempest needs me alive." Rainbow also had the decency to look ashamed of herself for that little stunt of hers.

"So. What do we do now then?" Fluttershy asked.

Twilight slumped. "We still need to come up with a plan to get back to Equestria, and not have Tempest catch us. A few minutes won't make a huge difference." She smiled as she wrapped a hoof around Pinkie's shoulders. "And if there's anypony who can cram a lifetime of fun into a blink of an eye, it's Pinkie Pie!"

Pinkie squeed in delight, shivering in excitement.

Twilight's smile grew. "So. Go ahead and show Skystar the best time ever!"

Pinkie saluted. "I won't let you down!"

Twilight giggled. "I know you won't, Pinkie."

The girls giggled as they swam off in the direction the princess had gone. Twilight watched them go for a moment, before sighing. As much as she wanted to join them, she didn't. She still had too much on her mind.

As she looked up at where the Pearl hung, she tried to think of anything that could save Equestria now.

Unnoticed, the Pearl began to glow.
***

Twilight wasn't sure how long she was in the Throne Room alone as she was. She could hear the sounds of what sounded like quite the party going on in another part of the castle, following a rather catchy song done by Pinkie.

As much as she wanted to join in on the fun, Twilight couldn't bring herself to do so. She still had too much on her mind. Even with time to think, she was no closer to a solution that could help save Equestria.

Occasionally, her eyes would look up at the Pearl suspended overhead. Several times, Twilight almost tried her luck and went to steal the Pearl. But she always stopped herself, slapping herself hard for even thinking of doing something so morally wrong like that.

Even if, by some miracle she had taken it, she had no idea of how to use the Pearl. But that didn't excuse the fact that it was wrong to do so. What kind of Princess of Equestria was she? What kind of Princess of Friendship would even think about doing that? While she and Queen Novo hadn't started off on the right hoof, they had grown closer during their brief conversation.

Twilight would not spit on her host like that. And so here she was, back at square one, no closer to a solution than when she had started.

So when she felt a tap on her shoulder and turned to find a smiling Queen Novo looking down at her, Twilight wasn't sure what to expect.

"That you haven't tried to steal the Pearl speaks volumes to your character, Twilight Sparkle. And it makes it clear that you are worthy."

Twilight blinked. "What do you mean?"

Instead of answering, Novo beckoned Twilight to follow her. Not sure what this might be about, the two of them swam up to wear the Pearl hung suspended in a web of seaweed and other undersea life.

In shock, Twilight watched as the queen undid the bindings holding the Pearl, before presenting it to the young alicorn, who looked on in shock. "You're giving me the Pearl?"

Novo shook her head. "I'm letting you borrow our Pearl." She sighed, as she looked down to the ground, where Twilight's friends and Princess Skystar waited anxiously. "Your friends helped me to open my eyes. Maybe we have hidden away for far too long. No longer."

Twilight didn't know how to respond to that, so she kept her mouth closed as she reached out a hoof to take the Pearl. But Queen Novo wasn't done yet it seemed, as her gaze hardened. "On one condition. My daughter, Princess Skystar, will go with you."

Twilight blinked in confusion. She hadn't expected that. Novo seemed to catch on, for she chuckled. "None of you know how to use the Pearl. Skystar does. She can show you all how to use it in a way that won't end badly. Unpleasant things have happened to those who've tried without knowing how."

Twilight gulped. She didn't like the sound of that, so she only nodded, as Novo handed it out to her again.

"And if by some chance you do lose it. The Storm King will be the least of your worries. Am I understood?"

Twilight nodded, her gaze unwavering. "You have my word. As a Princess of Equestria, I promise I will not let the Storm King get his hands on the Pearl."

Novo nodded, as Twilight reached out to take the Pearl. What happened next, no one ever expected.

As soon as Twilight's hooves touched the Pearl, the orb began to glow brightly, engulfing her and Queen Novo in a vortex of energy. Instead of being afraid though, they were comforted. Twilight and Novo sighed, their bodies relaxing. Novo pulled Twilight closer until they held each other close. They smiled at each other, as Twilight turned around so that her back was pressed against Novo's chest, their tails intertwining, as the Pearl floated to them, taking a position at the base of their necks.

Down below, nopony could see any of this and were all worried the more for it. "What's happening?" Spike asked, as the energy vortex grew and grew.

"Is it supposed to do that?" Rainbow asked Skystar, who was just as confused as they were.

"No, it's not. I've never seen it do this before," she replied, worried for her mother.

Soon the vortex began to descend to the ground below. Whatever it was, none of the group felt threatened by it. It almost felt calming in a way. Finally, the swirling energies began to disappear, revealing a single figure at the center.

"Twilight?" Fluttershy asked.

"Mom?" Skystar added.

"We are both Twilight and Novo. And yet we are so much more than who we used to be," the figure replied. Her voice, for she was definitely female, was a perfect fusion of Novo's and Twilight's voices speaking in perfect harmony, neither one trying to outdo the other.

When the light finally faded, everyone's jaws dropped in shock at the figure that was revealed.

Author's Note

I admit that this is 100% inspired by the cover art. Probably not at all what was going on in it. But I decided to run with it. So here we are. I'm not sorry either.

And I admit that I don't know who the artist is. I found it on Derpibooru with no artist tag. If the artist asks me to take the art down, I will.