The new seapony revealed, as the light finally vanished, threw everyone for a loop. She, for the figure was definitely female, had a coloration that was a blend of both Twilight and Queen Novo's colors. Het twin fins at the end of her tail were split into each of their colors as well, as was her mane. Around her neck was Novo's frill, a light blue in color. On her forehead was also Queen Novo's crown.

What really threw the group for a loop though, was the Pearl of Transformation around her neck. They weren't wearing it. It had fused with them. Seemingly in the same way Novo and Twilight had. However that made sense.

"Was that supposed to happen?" Skystar asked. "I didn't think the Pearl could do this?"

The figure shook her head. "We don't know. But it feels right all the same. One thing is clear though This is not permanent for us. But how long it will last? We are not sure yet."

The group shared a look. That answered some of their questions, but not all of them. "So if you're a fusion of Twilight and Novo. What do we call you?" Pinkie asked. "Novight?" She giggled.

They all rolled their eyes at that. "If you must. Novight is as good a name as any," the figure responded. "We can't think of any that would be a good fit. And we do need a name."

Applejack shook her hate. "Hate to break this up. But we're still stuck. We still need to get back to Equestria, and then save it from the Storm King. This ain't helping that."

Rarity nodded. "Indeed, darling. And there is also the fact that Tempest is still out there. I doubt she's given up on finding us that easily. If she followed us all the way here as she did before."

Everyone shared a look, but Novight seemed unconcerned. "That is true. But now we leave with something that gives us an advantage," she replied.

Skystar nodded, her smile growing. "Using the Pearl is actually pretty easy. Just think of anything you can think of, and it'll change you into that." She smiled sheepishly. "Doing it in a large group isn't so easy though, which is why I was going with you." She swam over and poked the Pearl. "Not sure about that now though."

Novight blinked. She had felt that. Not as Skystar touching the Pearl itself. But as if the Pearl itself was physically a part of her body. Strange. Just another question on her long list of questions. But that could wait for now. "The same still applies now. I can feel it. Though I'm not sure how."

"So now what?" Spike asked.

Novight grinned. "It is time to stop playing nice. Tempest expects us to run. That's what she wants us to do. But I say no. No more running. We need to get back to Equestria. I say we take her airship."

Rainbow looked excited at the idea. "How? I'm all for action. But it can't be that easy. We can handle the guards. But I doubt Tempest will be that easy." The others nodded in assent.

Novight's grin only grew. "Leave her to us. One broken horn unicorn will not stop us. She can try. But Tempest Shadow will learn the hard way why you don't piss off a princess and a queen. Especially after they've become one!"

The whole group shared a laugh at that. "Do we just go back the way we came in?" Fluttershy asked.

Novight shook her head. "There's a secret exit we can use. Only a few know about it. It will give us the element of surprise. And payback for all the pain and annoyance we've had to go through."

The group couldn't argue with that, as Novight lead them away from the Throne Room and down a series of back tunnels and hallways.

***

As they swam down another tunnel, Twilight and Novo found themselves facing each other in their mind. Neither minded the effect. It was much easier to talk to each other this way.

"You know Tempest, don't you?" Twilight asked.

Novo nodded. "She came to Hippogriffia some years ago with that army of hers. She tried to steal the Pearl. But we managed to escape by becoming seaponies as you know."

Twilight nodded. "But why? What happened to her horn?"

Novo sighed. "I asked her the same thing. An Ursa Minor broke it off when she was a filly. Her friends abandoned her in fear, and she turned her back on Equestria. Blaming them for everything that had happened to her. Tempest believes that by helping the Storm King, he will restore her horn when he has all the alicorn magic."

Twilight blinked, before facehooving. "Oh for the love of..."

Novo gave a concerned look. "Can it be fixed with alicorn magic?"

Twilight shook her head. "No, it can't. Even if he got all the alicorn magic in Equestria, it still wouldn't be able to heal her horn. There is no magic that exists that can fix it. I have a friend who has problems with her wings. She asked me the same question once. I hated to have to crush the idea."

Novo's heart sank as she watched Twilight sniff. She quickly pulled the alicorn into a hug, one that Twilight was happy to return. They held it for a moment, but it felt like hours. It was something that Twilight desperately needed after everything that had happened.

Finally, though, they broke apart. Twilight looked down at the Pearl that was fused into her chest. The same as the one that was fused into Novo's. "So, um. What are we going to do when we get up to the surface? I know how the Pearl works now. A benefit of us being together like this I guess. But we need a plan. We're a team now. We do this together."

Novo nodded. "We can transform into literally anything either of us can think of. Though I suspect we need to agree on a form for us to become it. There is your normal alicorn form, Twilight, and I have my hippogriff form. But I know from experience that neither will do us much good in the long run. We need another one. Especially if we all make it to Canterlot."

Twilight nodded. She had expected that. For a moment, neither of them said a thing, before Twilight broke into a huge grin. "Idea! Tempest won't know what hit her. And neither will the Storm King if this works."

Novo was intrigued. "Do tell?"

Twilight whispered something in her ears. One that made Novo's grin as wide as Twilight's own. "Oh. That's brilliant! I don't know why I never thought of something like this back then!" She gave her companion a look. "Will it work though? It's a big risk if we do."

Twilight could only shrug, as the whole group came out from underneath the island and into the waters around Mount Aris. "I guess we'll find out soon."

Author's Note

First I need to thank TSPunk for actually coming up with Twilight and Novo's fusion name. I was having no luck. And then I need to thank Mutter Butter for the awesome new cover art.

The original artist, VenomTwT-ArtistOWO, did ask that I take the old one down. But never said anything about the story. So this story isn't ending anytime soon.