The Call of the Waves

by Mystic Mind

Rating: everyone
Tags: Seaponies, Adventure, Sandbar, My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, Yona, Silverstream, Romance, Drama
Length: 10093

Yona joins Sandbar and Silverstream on an epic ocean voyage to find the mysterious sea dragons. Can Yona overcome her crippling fear of deep water in the process?

Ever since he was little, Sandbar has loved sailing. It has always been a part of his family heritage, and now, during his final year of Friendship School, he has the opportunity to partake on an epic sea voyage off the coast of Baltimare. Better yet, he has the love of his life, Yona Yak, and one of his best friends, Silverstream, to join him!

The only problem? Yona has thalassophobia. She cannot swim, and her fear of the ocean is as crippling as it is deep seeded. Can Yona face her fears and help Sandbar find the legendary sea dragons? And how will it effect her relationship with Sandbar, long term?

A last minute entry to the Pride and Positivity event! Extended to early July, each fic submitted will count as a donation to LGBTQ+ charities, or similar humanitarian efforts.

This story is a sequel to Transitioning Love, but prior reading of that story is not required. Mild content warnings for references to Transphobia and depictions of panic attacks.

Story title named after a song by Alestorm, and cover art used with permission from Little Tigress.

Published 2021-06-30 22:50:01 UTC
Last updated 2021-07-06 22:49:37 UTC

Part 1

The day had finally arrived. After many months of planning, gathering of supplies, and saving up the bits to travel, Sandbar was ready to embark on his most epic adventure yet.

“Rise and shine, sleepy heads!” he declared as he leapt out of bed. Drawing back the curtains, he opened the windows of his hotel room and took a long, deep breath. The morning air was cool and crisp, and the sparkling blue waters that splashed along the Baltimare coast were even more beautiful than the postcards depicted.

Internally, he was giggling like a school filly on Hearth’s Warming Eve; only this time, the presents were not stored in fancy-wrapped boxes. Rather, his gifts were two of the most important creatures in his life.

“Ugh, Yona not awake,” she grumbled, burying her face in her pillow.

“Good timing!” Silverstream chirped, sitting up and stretching their arms. “Five minutes before the alarm, just as I wanted.”

“Did you have a good sleep?” Sandbar asked with a smile that gave Celestia’s sun a run for its money. “As much as I’m itching to sail, I won’t risk setting off with a sleep-deprived navigator.”

“Then Yona has five more minutes?”

“I’ll admit, I was up for a while after lights out.” Reaching over to their bedside table, Silverstream put on their pearl-shard pendant and kicked off the covers. “But I’ve always been a light sleeper. So, I’m as fresh as I can be.”

“That mean Yona has to get up?”

“Unfortunately, yes,” Sandbar trotted over to his partner’s side and gave her a small peck on the cheek. “But, once we’re on the boat, the cabin’s all yours. Sounds good?”

Slowly, Yona turned on her back, blowing her messy bangs from her eyes. “Alright, Yona agree,” she said groggily. “But it be a while before Yona come out.”

“What, is she non-binary, too?” For a moment, Silverstream’s eyes sparkled with anticipation, then the penny dropped. “Oh. Wrong coming out, sorry.”

“It’s quite alright,” Sandbar chuckled, sitting down at the window-side desk and picking up his hairbrush in his hooves. “I’m gonna freshen up a little. If you want to explore the city, now’s your best chance.”

“I’ll be back before breakfast!” Clapping their Talons together, Silverstream hopped out of bed and pranced toward the door. “Oh, I can’t wait to get a taste of the local donuts!”

Silverstream gently closed the door behind them with an audible click…

…to then be followed by the heavy thump of Yona rolling off the bed and onto the floor.

“You okay there, love?” Sandbar’s brow furrowed.

“Yona be fine,” she groaned, stiffly pulling herself to her hooves. “Yona not morning Yak.”

“I’m sorry, love.” Putting down the brush, Sandbar knelt beside Yona and gave her a nuzzle. “Take as much time as you need. I know oceans are… not your strong point.”

“Sandbar can say that again,” Yona sighed, a heavy shiver rippling through her body. “Yona not want to think about big water. Not when bottom not visible.”

“Hey, don’t sweat it,” he pressed his hooves against Yona’s cheeks, making eye contact. “I’m happy you’re coming with me. I don’t expect you to swim or anything, so just relax and enjoy the ride however you can.”

Yona bit her lip.

“Yona… not holding Sandbar back?”

“Absolutely not,” he gave Yona another kiss on the cheek. “That’s why I have Silverstream to help me, both with research and navigation. Honestly, I’m proud of you for coming along at all!”

“Sandbar mean that?”

“You know I do. You mean the world to me, Yona.”

Energized by his words, Yona tackled Sandbar to the ground, wrapping her hooves around him and giving him a long, passionate kiss on the lips.

“Steady, Yona!” Sandbar said the moment he could come up for air. “I just finished combing my mane.”

“Oh, Yona sorry,” she eased off, letting him get up. “May Yona help you tie Sandbar’s bows?”

“Yes please!” he rapidly clopped his hooves together. He never missed a chance to get dolled up by his favourite yak.

With breakfast done, the three could at last begin their long walk down to Horseshoe Bay. As he left the hotel, tail wrapped around Yona’s, he felt an odd sense of nostalgia wash over him. Some of his best memories were of visiting his cousins in Baltimare, but that was all before he’d transitioned, back when ponies still thought of him as a girl.

So much about this city he loved: the warm climate, the steep hills he’d race down on his scooter, and especially the long sandy beaches where he would spend hours collecting shells. Yet on the flip side, each of these memories was stained by the constant misgendering he faced daily.

No fault rested with his family for this. After all, they had no knowledge of what being transgender meant, and it wasn’t as if he could articulate it at such a young age. Sandbar was just himself, always carrying an undercurrent of wrongness about who he was that he could never quite place.

But now, strolling down those same streets toward the sea front, he finally felt at peace – thanks largely to the special girl in his life, Yona. If he had learnt anything from his Hearth’s Warming at Yakyakistan two years prior, it was that she cared not one bit how he expressed himself.

Sandbar was almost old enough to be a stallion, and he would present his love for the cute, pastel femininity as openly as his undying love for her. This was their final year at Friendship School, and he could think of no better activity to commemorate their growth than with an epic sea voyage.

“Thank you, Yona,” Sandbar said.

“What for?” Yona tilted her head.

“For dating me, and for agreeing to this vacation. You’re a special yak to me, Yona, and there’s nothing in Equestria or beyond that I’d trade our relationship for,” Sandbar raised Yona’s hoof and kissed it. “I love you.”

“Yona loves Sandbar, too,” she said, returning the kiss. “Sandbar always make Yona feel safe. Sandbar is great like that.”

“Oh, my gosh,” Silverstream squealed, flying a short distance behind Sandbar. “You two are just the cutest! I am so jealous.”

“Silver,” Sandbar looked back at the bubbly hippogryph with a slight frown, his tone somewhere between admonishment and humorous ribbing. “What did we say about fawning over me and Yona?”

“Tone it down a shade?” they answered with a bashful smile, holding their talons behind their back. “Sorry. You two are like, my ideal relationship goal, so it’s hard to resist, y’know?.”

“Does Silverstream not have crush on Gallus?” Yona asked, rubbing the back of her head.

Silverstream’s expression dropped. Only slightly, but it was enough for Yona to realise she’d touched on a personal matter.

“Silver not answer if they not want.”

“No, no, it’s fine, really,” they waved their talons rapidly. “We didn’t really… what’s the word? Click, I guess. Besides, Gallus isn’t even sure he’s into non-binary mares. Or, well, mares in general, so there’s that.”

“Seems we’re, uh, all still figuring out ourselves, huh?” Sandbar quickly turned his attention back to the beach. “So, this is where I grew up…”

For the journey’s remainder, Sandbar and Silverstream made idle chatter while they walked, discussing the ins and outs of sailing, among other topics of nautical nerdery. Yona, however, remained silent. Just the thought of stepping hoof on a boat filled her with intense dread.

She knew she’d have to confront her fears eventually. That was a given, by virtue of dating Sandbar. She’d been given plenty of opportunities to withdraw consent, but she didn’t.

She couldn’t.

Sailing was far too important to Sandbar. His cutie mark was that of a sea turtle, for Celestia’s sake! What kind of romantic partner would she be if she brought him all the way to Yakyakistan, confronted his fears of transphobia, and then refused to return the favour?

Sandbar would always give her a choice, but in her heart, she knew there was none. This did nothing to lessen the deep anxiety that was busy tying her stomach in knots. Yaks weren’t meant to sail. They were mountain creatures, built to withstand high altitudes and steep slopes, not bobbing along helplessly in the water. How many other Yak had ever been sailing before?

This sense of wrongness was compounded only by how utterly opposite the experience was. Yes, there were deep gorges around Yakyakistan, but those could easily be bridged, creating a link between two solid surfaces. For the ocean, the boat was the only solid surface. If the worst were to happen, then that was it. She’d be done for.

“Yona?”

Sandbar’s voice broke her from her trance.

“Are you okay, Yona?”

“Yes, Yona fine,” she forced a smile. “Yona… just not know what to expect. Sandbar knows Yona’s never taken boat across ocean before.”

“Don’t worry, I’ve not forgotten,” he leant over and gave Yona a small nuzzle. “The dock’s just ahead of us. Do you need more adjustment time?”

Yona shook her head vigorously.

“No, Yona want this. Yona never going to conquer fear if Yona avoids it.”

“That’s great to hear!” Sandbar trotted on the spot, unable to contain his excitement any longer. Grabbing Yona’s hoof, he raced to catch up with Silverstream, who was already at the dock.

“Good timing,” said Silverstream. “The shipwright just finished their inspection. Luna’s Wonder is ready to go whenever we are.”

“Aye, that she is,” the shipwright hopped onto the pier and took a small bow. They were a masculine looking unicorn, with an emerald-green coat and a short, red mane covered by their long, hooded cloak. “Built her with me own magic, I did. She’s a fine vessel, and I hope she serves ye well.”

One look at the pristine white wood of the yacht was enough to make Sandbar squeal with delight. The edges of the folded sail rippled in the wind, waiting for the chance to unfurl to their fullest span and glide the ship across the water.

“She looks just like I imagined!” Sandbar exclaimed, grinning from ear to ear. “Thank you so much… um, sorry, what did you say your name was again?”

“Worry ye not,” said the green pony with a small chuckle. “My name is M—”

At that very moment, a larger ship decided it was an appropriate time to bellow its foghorn, alerting every pony to its arrival.

“Well, looks like it’s time for me next job,” said the green pony, and before Sandbar could ask for his name again, they teleported away. He glanced between Yona and Silverstream, hoping that either of them had caught what they said. Alas, they just shrugged and shook their heads.

Trotting down the pier, Sandbar and Silverstream hopped onto the deck without skipping a beat. Yona, however, lingered for a few moments longer.

“You can do this, Yona,” Sandbar turned around and held his hoof out to help.

For him, standing on a boat was as natural as any other flat surface, his sense of balance ignoring how it bobbed around in the water. Though the movement was minimal, it didn’t stop Yona’s anxiety from ringing as many alarm bells as it could get its hooves on.

A thousand different scenarios flooded her mind. She was too heavy; the boat would flip over. Her horns would get caught in the sails, tearing it apart. She could lose her balance, fall into the water and get eaten by sharks, or Celestia-knows what else was lurking down there.

None of these were rational. She was smart enough to know better. But neither would her imagination slow down, even if the voyage went without a hitch. She still had an out, but she knew it’d do no good. Either she faced her fears, here and now, or it would never go away.

So, gulping hard, she jumped, landing with a heavy thud on top of Sandbar.

“Um, Sandbar,” Silverstream cringed. “Are you okay?”

“I… think I’ll be fine,” he wheezed, caught somewhere between the pain of the impact and the comfort of Yona’s thick fur. “Yona, I love you, but can you get off, please?”

“Oh, sorry,” Yona stood up tentatively, wobbling on her hooves as she orientated herself to the boat’s natural movements. She bit her lip, tensing herself as she tried to reign in her rapid breathing. “Can Yona go down to Cabin, now?”

“Of course, sweetie,” Sandbar rolled to his hooves, stood up, and kissed Yona on the cheek, all in one motion. “You take it easy. Silverstream and I will get us moving in no time at all.”

“Yona thanks Sandbar,” she gave her coltfriend a weary smile. “But where is Cabin? Yona not know anything about boats.”

“Right this way,” Sandbar took her hoof and led her down a small flight of stairs to the lower deck. It was all he could do not to skip as he began a long infodump about all the different features of Luna’s Wonder. If nothing else, the unrestrained enthusiasm of Sandbar gave Yona a warm sense of pride. One way or another, she was going to enjoy this adventure.

With Yona settled below deck, her face comfortably buried amongst a pile of pillows, Sandbar set himself the task of casting off. While he cranked up the anchor, Silverstream used their more dexterous claws to untie the mooring rope. Strictly speaking, only one of the two was necessary to keep the boat in place, but Sandbar knew from experience that one could never be too careful.

Now that it was floating free, he grabbed the mast rope in his teeth, yanking the main sail open just in time to catch a strong gust blowing in from the south. As Silverstream set about unfurling the secondary head sail, Sandbar decided now was the perfect time to show off his piloting skills.

Rearing up against the wheel, he slapped it into a spin with the back of his hoof; to which the vessel responded in kind, deflecting its rudder and pushing its stern hard to starboard. With his lucky bronze compass clicked into place on the cabin’s roof, Sandbar reversed the turn with expert precision, setting the course of Luna’s Wonder straight forward on a north-westerly heading.

“Onward!” Sandbar proclaimed, before busting out into a fit of giggles. Oh, how he’d missed this. He could barely begin to describe the feeling of returning to the ocean, after all these years. “To the Great Atoll Novo Reef!”

“Yay, go Sandbar!” Yona croaked from below deck. It warmed Sandbar’s heart to see her attempts at optimism, despite her anxiety.

Part 2

“So, what’s our goal for today, Captain Sandbar?” Silverstream asked with a quick salute. Sitting down on the steering platform’s edge, they flipped through their notebook until they reached a fresh page, resting a pencil on their ear. “There’s so much about the Equestrian seas I wanna learn about, but since it’s your trip, I’ll let you pick first!”

“No worries there, First Mate Silver,” Sandbar chuckled, his elated grin still etched on his face. “Did you bring another magic necklace?”

“You bet I did!” they flashed him a quick thumbs up. “And believe me, you are going to love being a seapony.”

“No doubt about it,” Sandbar peered over his map through the wheel, pinning the edges beneath his hooves. “We should be able to spy the reef any minute now. Once we drop anchor, we’ll begin our search for any signs of sea dragons. Think you can heave the sails while I go check on Yona?”

“Of course,” Silver’s expression dropped. “Will she be okay? I know Yaks don’t do oceans, but…”

“I’m sure she’ll be fine,” Sandbar replied quickly - almost too quickly. “The waters around here are crystal clear. And with the reef dead ahead, she’ll find something to enjoy, I know it.”

“Here’s hoping.” Despite their optimistic tone, Silverstream couldn’t stop themselves from tapping their talons together, betraying their true emotions. “She won’t know what she’s missing!”

“Don’t get me wrong, I appreciate that you care for her, I really do. But it’ll be better for her to go at her own pace with big phobias.” Turning the yacht to starboard, Sandbar stretched his legs and hopped down from the steering platform. How in Equestria could he be so calm about his lover’s anxiety? “Do you remember what to do? About the sails, I mean?”

“I… think I do?” Silverstream blushed, fidgeting faster. “But, um, could you remind me anyway? Just in case.”

“It’d be my pleasure!” Sandbar clopped his hooves together. “It’s quite simple, actually. Now that I’ve turned us against the wind, all you need to do is let the sails hang loose. That’ll slow us nicely until we’re ready to drop the anchor. It works ‘cause the sails act like a wing when tight, but loose they’ll just—”

“I... got the picture, thanks,” Silverstream rubbed the back of their head, their grimace as awkward as a misshapenly baked cake.

“Oh, sorry!” Sandbar blushed. “I’ll, um, let you get on with that.”

Trotting off down the stairs, he gently rapped on the cabin door. “Hey, Yona! It’s me. Can I come in?”

“Yona not feel well,” she grumbled. “But Sandbar can come in.”

When he opened the door, he saw Yona had come out from her little pillow fort, only to hang over the bed with a bucket directly below her.

“Let me guess - sea sickness?”

“Yona not like water roller coaster. It goes up and down, up and down, and make Yona feel dizzy.”

“Yeah, that’ll happen without a solid horizon to look at,” Sandbar leaned in and kissed Yona on the forehead. “We’ll be stopping soon. Maybe you could come up top and get a bit of fresh air while the water’s still shallow?”

“Yona heard Silverstream and Sandbar talk,” she looked up tentatively, her face coloured an unpleasant shade of green. “Yona not know what Coral is, but Yona happy to try and stand on deck. Can’t promise Yona do it for long, though.”

“Sweetie, any length of time is good enough for me.” Taking Yona’s hoof, Sandbar gently rubbed it against his cheek. “Even if it’s just a couple of seconds.”

A weak smile grew across Yona’s face, her shoulders relaxing. “Yona loves Sandbar, very much.” Rolling off the bed, she took a few unsteady tries at standing up before finding her hooves and returning Sandbar’s kiss.

“And I love you, too,” Sandbar let out a contented sigh. Even while ill, Yona’s eyes were still as bright and beautiful as the corals he was about to show her.

After two minutes of carefully walking up the stairs, Yona made it to the top, and then was immediately ambushed by Silverstream.

“Oh, my gosh, Yona!” they yelled, their wings flapping hard as they grabbed Yona’s hoof, pointing over portside. “Come look, this is so totally amazing!”

“Steady as she goes, First Mate Silver,” Sandbar giggled, barely able to contain his own excitement. “Let Yona breathe a little, first.”

Yona did as instructed. The air was salty, and the harsh sun bore down on her unrestricted. With no clouds in the sky, it was as blue above as it was below – or so she expected. She closed her eyes for a moment, preparing for the shock of the endless expanse that no doubt surrounded her.

But when she reopened them, that wasn’t what she saw. Just below the crystal-clear surface, there stretched a huge rainbow array of organisms. Most looked solid, and often sharp, yet they weren’t exactly rocks, either. She knew they were called ‘corals’, but the name did little to tell her what they were in the first place.

No two corals looked alike, displaying a range of shapes, sizes, and patterns that were as diverse as they were colourful. Some had long, cylindrical arms, while others looked rounded and fuzzy. The more she thought about it, the number of different coral types exceeded the number of words she had to describe them.

And this was just what she could see shimmering below the water’s surface. She could only imagine how far the reef stretched, sinking down, further down, deeper into the crushing, lightless depths, beyond the faintest hope of coming up for air…

“Yona?”

Yona snapped backwards, feeling her heart almost leap out of her chest. Her head spinning, she lost her balance as she tried to scramble backwards, her hooves slipping on the deck as her mind screamed at her to get away from the water.

“Woah!” Silverstream leapt to Yona’s aid, but Sandbar got there first, catching his partner mid-fall.

“Hey, Yona, over here,” Sandbar spoke softly, though it took a moment to pierce through Yona’s mental alarms. “Focus on me for a minute. We’re not sinking, and you’re safely on deck. You remember the feather technique I taught you?”

Feather. That one word shone through her mental haze like a lighthouse in the distance. She closed her eyes, conjuring the image of a golden feather being whipped around by her emotional storm.

Feather… Sandbar… Yona tensed her muscles. Staring into the aquatic abyss made her feel like she was drowning, but deep down, she knew she wasn’t. So, she took a long breath, sucking in the emotional weather before exhaling it in the form of a calming breeze. She repeated this motion over and over, settling her breathing into a series of predictable movements.

Rise... fall… rise… fall…

When Yona finally regained her situational awareness, she noticed that she was lying on her back. Both Sandbar and Silverstream stood over her, their faces taught with worry.

“Yona sorry…” she sniffled, her eyes tearing up. “Yona not help being afraid of big water, but Yona trying.”

“It’s fine to take baby steps, my love,” Sandbar pulled Yona into a tight hug, rubbing his cheek against hers. “You’ve got nothing to apologise for.”

“Yona would like to go back below deck now,” she looked down at her still shaking hooves, her ears falling flat against her head. “If that okay.”

“Of course it is,” he nodded, then looked over to Silverstream. “You go on without me, Silver. I’ll catch up soon.”

“Are you sure?” Silver started fiddling with their talons again, their beak pursed. “I haven’t shown you how the shell’s magic works.”

“I’ll figure it out.” Sandbar stared out over the water. Though he tried to sound optimistic, Yona still noticed the slight hesitancy in his voice. “Don’t forget I’ve got experience with diving, as well as swimming.”

“Alright…” Silver said with a hesitant sigh, then pushed themselves to smile at Yona. “Rest well, buddy. Like Sandbar, I’m also super proud of you for coming this far.”

Grasping their necklace, Silverstream transformed in a flash, swapping their hind quarters for a long, fish-like tail. From there, they shuffled over to the edge of the boat and flipped backwards into the water.

“Silverstream amazing,” Yona chastised herself under her breath, slowly pacing her way back to the cabin. “Unlike Yona. Yona useless.”

“Hey, that’s enough self-hatred for one day, okay?” Sandbar gently patted Yona on the back. “You’re trying so hard to challenge your phobia, after all. For now, let’s focus on getting you back to bed, ‘cause I’ve got a boatload of cuddles with your name on it.

To some ponies, swimming in the ocean was a unique, novel experience. Merely a decade prior, seaponies were thought to be a myth, an impossible creature from the time before Equestria. For Silverstream, most of their life had been spent beneath the ocean waves, hiding away from the Storm King’s wrath.

For them, walking on land was a novel experience. They remembered the ecstatic feeling upon first encountering stairs, a simple, yet obvious solution for flightless ponies to ascend. By comparison, swimming in the ocean was as easy as a duck quacking. Quack.

They supposed it was an apt metaphor for their gender: an ever-shifting scale ebb and flow of the tide. They were both seapony and hippogryph, yet simultaneously neither. Some days, they enjoyed the firm security of land, while on others, the freedom of the sea held a greater sway – though neither were ever absolute.

Diving deeper along the reef wall, Silver’s thoughts turned to their changeling friend, Ocellus. Sandbar had considered inviting her along, too, but with the combination of family obligations and minimal cabin space, she politely declined. It was a shame, too, as with her greater transformation powers, she would have felt right at home among the ocean creatures.

How ironic, Silver chuckled to themselves. Ocellus can change her body on a whim, but I’m the one who’s genderfluid!

They supposed it was just another part of their aquatic affinity. Whatever their shape or gender manifested as today, Silver knew they would be happy. They had some of the best friends a pony could ask for, giving them the space to truly flourish as themselves.

With Sandbar still tending to Yona, Silver decided to relax a little and observe the abundant wildlife of the reef. On their right, they saw a small school of slender fish, green in colour with long, horizontal white-stripes. Just above that, they spied a couple of slender, arrow-shaped fish, their thick, vertical black-and-yellow stripes contrasting the fish below.

Then, a short distance below that, they spotted a larger, white fish with alternating black stripes, reminding Silver of Zecora. Unlike Ponyville’s local zebra, however, the back of this fish was lined with long, dangerous-looking spines, which Silver knew were highly venomous. Using their fin-like wings, they decided to paddle back a little and give it a wide berth. In doing so, they caught a fleeting glimpse of a long, slender eel, poking its toothy jaws out from a small crevice.

It was a shame Yona had such crippling thalassophobia. It was obvious from the way she looked at the coral that she appreciated the beauty of aquatic wildlife; it just wasn’t enough to break through her anxiety over drowning. Even if the seapony transformation worked on Yak, her inability to swim would leave her paralyzed – or worse, panicking.

Maybe I could find a fancy pearl or shell for her? Silver pondered. Give her something pretty to help her relax a little. I hope she’s okay.

After a few more minutes of exploring, Sandbar at last plunged into the water, though he didn’t transform right away. Instead, he took his time swimming down, gently stroking his forehooves outwards as his hind hooves kicked in a rhythmic fashion. By their estimate, he swam to around twelve metres down before he activated the shell’s magic.

“Impressive!” Silver exclaimed, flicking their fluked tail back and forth. “Not many ponies can dive like that in one breath!”

“Not to brag, but what did you expect?” Sandbar smirked and cocked an eyebrow. “I didn’t get my cutie mark for nothing.”

“Good point,” Silver chuckled. “How’s Yona holding up?”

“She’s calmed down for now,” he let out a small sigh. “I love her with all my heart, but I can’t lie. Her phobia is a struggle to deal with. I knew from the start that it’d be a problem, but… I don’t know.”

“Is it putting a damper on our voyage?”

“I guess,” Sandbar gave a reluctant nod. “I hate feeling like this. I’m supposed to be her supportive boyfriend, but here I am, complaining about a fear I knew about for years.”

“Would you like a hug?” Silver held their arms open wide.

Sandbar nodded again, swimming into Silver’s embrace.

“If it makes you feel any better, I knew you loved the ocean from the day I met you,” Silver made eye contact with Sandbar, their infectious smile already transmitting. “Everything from your cutie mark to your mane colour screams ‘surfer pony’ to me. I’ve had so many dreams about you as a seapony, and hey, guess what? You made that dream come true!

“I know we’re not, like, romantic partners like you and Yona – and don’t get me wrong, it’s totally cool we stay friends. But you’re still special to me, and your feelings are valid. So even if you can’t do stuff you love the most with Yona, maybe I can, like, fill that gap, or something, if it makes sense?”

“Yeah, it does,” Sandbar blushed. “I’ve always felt safe with Yona, and, well, I guess I feel safe in the ocean with you, too.”

Silverstream opened their beak to reply, only for something behind Sandbar to swim their way.

“Oh. My. Gosh!”

Sandbar titled his head, but before he could think to respond, Silver had grabbed his hoof, pulling him straight down into a dive. It had only been visible for a second, but what Silver had seen filled them with such an overwhelming sense of joy, they had to confirm that it was real.

So, they pressed on, past a school of black-tipped sharks, past the bottom-feeding rays, right along to the opposite side of the ring reef some two hundred metres away. What they discovered was something straight out of Silver’s foalhood dreams.

There, sheltered below a hard coral overhang, was a tiny village built from an assortment of seashells. This was the home of tropical seaponies, though besides the name, they looked almost nothing like Silverstream.

Whereas their tail was closer to a fish’s, the tails of these ponies were curved into a little spiral, used more for grasping in lieu of arms. They used the tiny little fins on their backs to propel them forwards, and instead of a beak, they had a long, thin snout akin to a snorkel.

“Are those…?” Sandbar began, but words failed him. To see a race of ponies he had never known existed was simply enchanting. The tropical seaponies, however, were not so ready to make chatter. At the sight of the two large ponies, the citizens swam away as fast as they could, fleeing back to their homes.

“Um, it’s okay, little seaponies!” Silverstream said, trying hard to contain the excitement in their voice. “We won’t hurt you. We’re also seaponies— well, kind of.”

“Could we maybe speak to—?”

“Stay where you are!”

Before Sandbar could question who was yelling, a group of two-dozen seaponies burst out from the corals above, riding on the backs of stingrays via reigns made of kelp. Soon, the two friends were surrounded, held in place by the long, barb-ended spears pointed at their heads.

“Who are you? State your business!” snapped one of the guards, thrusting their spear at Sandbar. Though it was small, Silver recognised the weapon for what it truly was: a venomous barb from the back of a Zebrafish.

“We’re not here to hurt you, honest!” Silver exclaimed, clasping their talons together. “It’s just… I’ve never seen another type of seapony before – ones not like myself. I didn’t know there were any!”

“Well, now you do,” said the guard, narrowing their eyes. “So, if you would be so kind, leave us alone.”

“Wait a minute!” Sandbar interjected. “Do any of you know of Princess Twilight Sparkle?”

Something clicked in the minds of the guards, straightening out as if they’d been shocked by an electric eel. For a moment, they hesitated, almost pulling back their weapons. From what Silver could see, a few of the seapony citizens poked their heads out from under their shells, cocking their ears toward Sandbar.

“She’s the reason why we’re here,” Sandbar continued. “Do you think you could help us?”

At first, the guards remained quiet, with a few murmuring in another’s ear. Then, at the far back of the village a clam shell slowly popped open. The seapony it revealed was bright yellow in colour, and had a short, fringe-cut emerald mane. At first glance, she could’ve been mistaken for any other random citizen. She wore no crown or other decadent jewelry, and instead sported a small bowtie of kelp around her neck.

“Guards, you may stand down.” She spoke in a regal accent that reminded Silverstream of Princess Luna. Though her tail was coiled tightly against her chest, she seemed to look upon Silver and Sandbar with a cordial gaze.“My name is Princess Sandy Shoal, pronouns she and her. Surface ponies are hardly regular visitors down here, as by your own admission, few know we exist. You two, however, both look to be seaponies of the northern variety. What exactly do you hope to achieve this far south?”

“Hello, Sandy,” Silver introduced themselves with a small bow. “My name is Silverstream, pronouns they and them. Me and my friend Sandbar, here, are on a voyage, looking for sea dragons. The only one we know is named Steven Magnet, and he prefers freshwater to salt. We figured the coral reefs were a good place to start looking for others. It’s not a problem, is it?”

“It shouldn’t be,” Sandy relaxed a little, though she still maintained a defensive posture. “But you must understand, we’re not exactly top of the food chain. For the sake of our survival, we are wary of outsiders, and take great care as to who we trust.”

“I understand,” Silver nodded briskly. “What can we do to earn your trust? Do you have anything in mind?”

“Actually, I have an idea.”

When Silver looked back at Sandbar, their jaw dropped. He had undone the seapony transformation magic, and now floated in the water with puffed out his cheeks, holding his breath and triggered the transformation magic – an act that garnered a surprised gasp from the gathering crowd.

Seconds ticked by, and Sandbar didn’t move. His eyes were shut tight, and he held his legs crossed, striking a meditative pose. For Silver, it was as fascinating as it was nerve-wracking. Until now, the irony of an earth pony being at home in the water had been totally lost on them. They dared not even blink, for fear they’d miss their chance to help should something go wrong.

Despite the water pressure, and despite him holding his one, single breath for over a minute, Sandbar remained the epitome of relaxation. Even so, Silver knew he couldn’t hold it forever. All they could do was hope it was enough to convince Princess Sandy.

Then, Silver’s ears pricked up to a faint, but distinct, sound. Was it… laughter?

Princess Sandy Shoal was bellowing with a grand, triumphant fit of laughter!

“Well then,” Sandy said once she’d regained her composure. Looking back at her guards, she straightened her tail and puffed out her chest. “What do you say, friends? Think we should stand down before this earth pony goes blue in the face?”

The guards looked at each other. “Yes ma’am,” they grumbled.

Only once Sandbar had re-transformed did Silver realize they’d been holding their own breath. After letting out a long sigh of relief, they pulled back their arm and gave Sandbar a heavy thump in the arm.

“Ow! What was that for?”

“That was a gutsy move there, dude,” Silver snickered. “You had me worried!”

Sandbar folded his hooves over his chest. “Hey, it went well, didn’t it?”

The sharp sound of Princess Sandy clearing her throat grabbed the two ponies’ attention back.

“I will admit, I’m impressed,” she rubbed her chin with her tail. “You, earth pony. Your name is Sandbar, yes?”

“At your service,” Sandbar twirled in the water and made a lavish bow. “My pronouns are he and him, by the way.”

“A pleasure to meet you,” Princess Sandy bowed in return. “It’s clear to me now that, despite your tribe’s name, you have a grand affinity for the sea.”

“What can I say?” Sandbar grinned. “It’s been part of my home ever since I was a colt. I love the ocean with all my heart and soul!”

“Of that, I have no doubt,” Sandy gave him a warm smile. “You wish to know about sea dragons?”

“Oh, yes! Absolutely!” Silverstream nodded vigorously. “It’s part of Princess Twilight’s mission as new ruler of Equestria. She wants to unify as many non-pony races as possible, which she’s been trying to do ever since she started her School of Friendship, where me and Sandbar are students.”

“Well, I can see you’re certainly enthusiastic about the cause,” Sandy’s smile grew into a grin as she stifled another chuckle.

“Oh, sorry,” Silver blushed, twiddling their talons. “Did I get carried away there?”

“It’s quite alright,” Princess Sandy flicked her tail downwards, which Silver took as a dismissive wave. “I will admit, our knowledge of sea dragons isn’t much greater than yours, as they are rare and elusive creatures indeed. However, I can still provide you with a valuable clue.

Part 3

It was night by the time Yona awoke. Her panic attack had left her exhausted, and after much consolation from her coltfriend, she’d drifted off into a deep, peaceful sleep. It was almost enough to forget that she was on a sea voyage, floating on what was a tiny white blip in an endless blue expanse.

As her freshly opened eyes regained their focus, she noticed something heavy pressed against her chest. It was Sandbar, who had also fallen asleep since his return from the dive. He still wore his pearl-shell necklace, and though his fur had mostly dried out, the ribbon he wore in his hair was still damp.

Yona had to admit, on a calm night like this, the gentle rocking of the boat felt kind of tranquil. Even in Ponyville, it was never truly quiet at night. There would always be something going on, be it drunken revellers stumbling home from a night at the pub, or the scurry of nocturnal animals scouring trash cans for food. Out here, however? The rhythmic splashing of waves over the boat’s hull was all there was to hear, save maybe for Sandbar’s gentle breathing.

A small ‘aww’ escaped her lips. She loved the way Sandbar pouted in his sleep. It was one of many traits she loved about him, especially the way he smashed through gender norms like an angry yak in a ceramics shop. Ponies had such strongly held senses of gender identity, frequently organising grand formal events as an excuse to dress up.

It was the opposite of Yak culture, the definition of functional. Sure, they liked to weave cloaks in plenty of fancy colours, but no one gender would ever claim to revolve around a particular palette like ponies did. Her partner was male, but he was also exceptionally feminine – not to mention exceptionally cute. He was unashamedly Sandbar, and for that, she adored him.

“Sandbar is Yona’s best coltfriend,” she kissed him on the cheek.

A long yawn escaped Sandbar’s lips, and he sat up. “Hi, Yona,” he rubbed his eyes. “Did you sleep well?”

“Yona did,” she replied with a light nod. “Yona not wake Sandbar up, did she?”

“Nah, you’re fine,” he stretched out his forelimbs and popped his neck joints. “I never sleep much at sea, anyway. How are you feeling?”

“Yona feeling okay,” she said after a moment’s pause. “Yona still not used to boat movement, but Yona not feel sick, at least.”

“I’m glad to hear that. Silverstream and I made an interesting discovery down at the reef. You wouldn’t believe what we stumbled across!”

“Oh?” Yona tilted her head. “Please, tell Yona!”

“Seaponies! But not just any seaponies: southern seaponies, completely different from the kind Silverstream and I can become. They live in the water indefinitely as a part of the huge reef ecosystem. And, get this, they don’t have any arms! They just have these tiny little wings that propel them through the water, and grasp stuff with their tails. They’re supper small, too, only as wide as my hoof.”

Yona listened intently as Sandbar rambled, nodding along as she conjured vivid images of this strange new breed in her mind.

“Seriously, I wish you could’ve seen it. Coral reefs are such amazing places!”

Her expression dropped. “Yona sorry she miss it,” she twiddled her hooves. “Yona want to like it, but Yona too scared. Yona hate letting Sandbar down.”

Sandbar’s expression wavered. It was only for a second, but it was enough to know that he, too, felt a certain pang of guilt over the whole situation.

“Yona, I…” he began, then sighed. “I can’t lie to you. I am a little disappointed that you’re still afraid, but not in you.”

Yona blinked.

“What Sandbar mean?”

“I mean, it’s not your fault you’re still afraid. I set my hopes too high. It’s not realistic for you to just clop your hooves and be rid of a lifetime’s worth of fear. I’m sorry I pushed you into this.”

Yona remained silent for a little longer, allowing Sandbar’s words to stew in her mind.

“Yona wanted to come,” she said eventually. “Yona love seeing Sandbar so happy, and Yona know that ocean makes Sandbar happiest. Yona not care how scared she gets, so long as Sandbar is happy.”

“It’s silly, isn’t it?” Sandbar sniffled. “I set myself up for failure, and now I’m guilt-tripping you over this whole thing. I can’t be happy if you’re not happy, and you can’t be happy if I’m not happy.”

“But Sandbar want Yona to be happy?”

“Of course I do!”

“Yona agree, this be difficult. Yona want to keep talking and find compromise, but Yona not sure what more to say.”

Sandbar rubbed his chin, then looked out of the cabin window. “I have an idea.”

Yona’s ears pricked up. “What Sandbar thinking?”

“How about we chill up top for a bit? We can look at the starry sky together.”

“But Sandbar,” Yona said, barely hiding her growing smirk. “Starry Sky live in Ponyville, not out in ocean.”

Sandbar stared blankly at Yona for a good ten seconds before the joke clicked.

“Gotcha,” Yona giggled, booping Sandbar’s nose with her hoof.

“Okay, I admit,” Sandbar laughed back. “That was a good one.”

“Sandbar feel more happy, then?”

“Absolutely,” he leant in and kissed Yona on the lips. “I love you, Yona.”

“Yona love Sandbar, too,” she replied, then leant back to kiss some more.

It took a moment for Yona to find her hooves again, but not for as long as earlier in the day. When she reached the top of the stairs, the sight before her took her breath away. She had seen stars before, but never like this. In Ponyville, she could see maybe a few hundred stars, if she were lucky. But out here? They were sprinkled across the heavens like toppings on Pinkie Pie’s cupcakes.

There were more stars in a single nebula than there were grains of sand across Baltimare beaches. The bright, incandescent full moon was like the ocean’s reflection; a marble orb resting upon an onyx canvass.

Yona didn’t feel the least bit scared. She looked at the night sky in the same way Sandbar looked at Equestria’s ocean; marvelling at its beauty, instead of fearing the dangers.

She recalled the special significance of the moon in Equestrian culture. Where once it had been a rocky prison—forever reminding the ponies below about the price of treason—now it was a jewel in the heavenly crown of Luna’s domain. Now that she thought about it, it wasn’t hard to see Luna’s viewpoint. So many creatures took the night sky for granted, using its darkness to rest and recharge from a long day of hard work.

The longer she stared, the more she realized how few ponies understood the incredible nature of a clear night. One could spend a lifetime naming the stars, only to never make it halfway. It was the stuff of dreams made real, and it was through those dreams that Luna brought peace to the creatures of Equestria and beyond.

“Beautiful, isn’t it?” Sandbar said, dropping down a pair of pillows before laying back against one, his forelimbs tucked behind his head.

Yona didn’t reply. What could she say? There was not a single word in the Equish language that described how utterly flabbergasted she felt. How had she been so oblivious to such nighttime wonders until now?

“Attention, Yona! Equestria to Yona!” Sandbar mimicked the sound of a loudspeaker radio as he poked his yak lover.

“Sorry.” Breaking from her emotional enchantment, Yona sat down and shuffled up to Sandbar. “Yona just amazed by beautiful stars.”

“You know, it’s kind of funny. I had the same reaction on my first sea voyage, too.” Sandbar turned his gaze skyward, pointing to a cluster of stars directly above him. “See that? That’s the constellation Sleipnir. If you look at it just right, you can see it has eight legs, like in the myth.”

“Wow,” Yona remarked, then pointed over to Sandbar’s left. “And what’s that one?”

“That one’s Ygdras. It’s supposed to be a coiled dragon eating its tail, but if you ask me, it looks more like a nautilus; you know, those squids with the spiral shells?”

“Did Sandbar ever collect seashells?” Yona rolled onto her side, asking him expectantly.

“I used to, but haven’t had time,” Sandbar rubbed his chin. “Maybe once we graduate I’ll start again.”

“Yona loves that idea! Maybe Sandbar can teach Yona all about different shells, and different stars, too?”

“I was just thinking that! How about I tell you what my favourite star is?”

“Yes, please! Yona really want to know.”

Sandbar rolled onto his side, extended out one hoof and tapped Yona on the nose.

“It’s you, silly.”

A hot blush burst across Yona’s cheeks. “But Yona not beautiful like stars are. Yona just plain old Yak.”

“Think of it this way: in one galaxy, there are billions upon billions of stars. All of them are as bright, or even brighter, than Celestia’s sun. And around each star, there are uncountable numbers of planets. And yet, here we are, just one pony, and one yak, floating in the Southern Celestial Sea. Out of all those stars, all those planets, you exist on only one.

“You could be anyone or anything, yet you are the Yak that transformed my life. Equestria is a special place, precisely because Equestria has you. I love you, Yona. And there’s nowhere else in the whole wide universe I’d rather be. You are the rarest treasure a pony could find, and I want to hold on to that treasure for the rest of my life.”

Yona’s jaw dropped. A small trickle of tears dripped down her face, but she smiled regardless.

“Yona mean that much to Sandbar?”

“You do, absolutely,” Sandbar reached out and grabbed Yona’s hooves between his own. “You are my special Yak, the only one I’d ever want to be with.”

“Yona loves Sandbar!” she cheered with an unrestrained explosion of delight. Throwing her hooves around him, she pulled him in close, smothering him in kisses. “Yona want to be with Sandbar, for as long as stars shine.”

For once, Sandbar didn’t object to the near bone-crushing pressure of Yona’s hugs. Instead, he returned the intimacy with equal force, pressing his whole body against her as he returned the kisses. For tonight, they had something to celebrate: the revelation that not even the ocean could keep them from loving each other.

The following day, Sandbar set a course for the open sea, adding Princess Sandy’s gift to his navigational aids. Slotted between the compass and its housing, the bright purple dragon scale gently flickered as the yacht sailed on, pulling its needle in what Sandbar hoped was the direction of sea dragons. He had been warned that it wasn’t an exact science, but without other methods of locating the illusive serpents, he would have to make do.

Days passed. The scale’s glow remained constant, but still there was no sign of any dragons, though this didn’t stop Sandbar from enjoying all the oceanic treasures. He made a reliable routine, following Princess Twilight’s example to schedule his activities—splitting his time between steering, swimming, and spending evenings alone with Yona.

On occasion, he even managed to coax her out from the cabin, just long enough to witness the open ocean wildlife in action. One day, a pod of grey-shaded Dolphins raced alongside the ship’s hull, performing a variety of spins, flips and other acrobatics that rocketed them clear from the water’s surface.

Yona watched them intently, leaning on the deck’s railings for a good ten minutes before she started feeling dizzy. In a move that would make even Twilight blush, Sandbar made a point to record his partner’s progress through each day, scribbling down each cumulative second, with intent to create a full-sized graph. Should she ever waver in her battle against her fears, her coltfriend would be there, ready to remind her of all she’d achieved so far.

As if to reward her courage, the next day brought a sight even more spectacular than the last. A pod of gigantic whales arose from the depths, their over-sized foreheads poking out of the water just long enough to take a breath.

Not to be outdone by the Dolphins of the previous day, one whale shot up from the depths, breaching the surface with a grace unbecoming of its gigantic form. For one, long second, its body appeared hanging in the air. Then, it toppled over, splashing back down with boat-rocking force.

“These whales are some of the most incredible divers,” Sandbar said to Silverstream. “They can swim down to over two-thousand metres on a single breath—”

“Hey, uh, Sandbar,” they pointed their talon behind Sandbar to no avail.

“—That’s like the abyssal zone levels of depth. You know, where light can’t reach at all…”

With no other option left, Silverstream rolled their eyes and let out a long sigh. “Hi, Yona.”

Sandbar’s expression fell. Slowly, he looked over his shoulder, and saw Yona sitting behind him. How he hadn’t noticed her dredging up the stairs was a mystery as big as Equestria itself.

Yona, for her part, was still smiling regardless, even letting a little giggle escape from her lips. Even so, she still had one of her braids twirled around her hoof.

“Sorry, Yona,” Sandbar blushed, flattening his ears. “I haven’t upset you, have I?”

“No, it ok!” Yona beamed back, rising to her hooves and trotting on the spot. “Yona love how much Sandbar knows, remember? Please, tell Yona more!”

By the fifth day at sea, Sandbar’s quest was starting to feel hopeless. Despite all the wonders he’d seen, in addition to the dragon scale’s guidance, he hadn’t seen anything reptilian, dragon or otherwise.

Then, later that evening, Silverstream burst into the cabin, rapidly bouncing on the spot.

“Guys, guys!” they chirped, rapidly clapping their claws together. “You’ve got to see this! Quick, quick!”

“Uh, wha—?” Sandbar sat up and rubbed his eyes, still held within Yona’s loving embrace. “Silver? What’s going on?”

“Sea dragons, sea dragons!” Silverstream was now bouncing so fast, they were practically vibrating with unrelenting Pinkie Pie energy. “Come on, you’ve gotta see them!”

“What Silverstream yelling about?” Yona asked, blinking several times as she rested her head on Sandbar’s shoulder.

“Sea dragons, Yona!” he proclaimed. “Seems we’ve hit the jackpot.”

Sliding out from her hooves, Sandbar stood up. But as he made for the door, the yacht suddenly lurched to starboard, nearly throwing him into the far side wall. He held himself steady, but his expression soon darkened, reflecting the ominous grey clouds gathering outside.

“Looks like a storm’s coming,” he said matter-of-factly. “That boat’s already rocking over the swells, but we should be able to manage it, if we’re careful. Might want to stay below deck, Yona. It’s going to get a little rough.”

Yona’s eyes went wide, the dire news waking her up faster than an extra-strong shot of black coffee. It was a cruel irony, to come all this way on a nerve-wracking journey, only for the treasure to be snatched away at the last moment. Already she could feel her knees rattling harder than ever.

“No,” she gulped, straightening her posture. The little yak in the back of her mind was screaming to drag her flank back into bed and re-bury herself under the pillows. But she refused to relent. She was going to do this, no matter how scary it was. “Yona want to help. Yona can hold compass, or read map. Yona not care about storm, so long as Sandbar and Silverstream get to see dragons.”

“Are you sure about this, love?” Sandbar took Yona’s hoof and looked her in the eye. “When I said it’s gonna get rough, I’m not kidding. Please, don’t push yourself for our sake. Silver and I can handle the ship, no problem.”

“Yona sure!” she exclaimed, forcing her bravest face and banging her forehoof against her heart. “Yona feel safe with Sandbar. Yona came on voyage to test herself, and Yona feel she came really far. Yona can’t back down now!”

“Um, no pressure or anything,” Silver added hesitantly, tapping their index talons together. “But if we’re gonna catch up, we’d better get sailing soon.”

Turning the sails sidelong against the wind, the yacht burst into motion. True to Silverstream’s word, dozens of serpentine creatures swam past the boat’s hull, their long bodies arching repeatedly as they swam just below the water’s surface.

Now that he had a better view, Sandbar saw they weren’t running from the storm; they were swimming toward it. A huge cell of blackened clouds enveloped the sky, pelting Luna’s Wonder with rain and churning the waters into a long series of peaks and dives.

Yona’s heart hammered in her chest, forcing her to take deep gasps of air just to keep her panic reflex checked – made even harder by the frequent spray of salty water washing over her. Her gut clenched with every drop, filling her mind with vivid visions of impending doom. Would the yacht capsize? Would it split in two? Would she cling on to the wreckage, or go down with the ship? Even with the seapony magic, how would Sandbar and Silver keep her afloat?

No. She forced those worries down, sealing them within a mental box of hardwood and heavy iron. She had to focus. She would defy every worry, every conditioned response that tried to make the worst-case scenarios a reality.

“North-Northwest!” Yona bellowed. “Little more left! Straight ahead, now!”

The seas were getting rougher, but Yona persevered, her eyes glued to the compass as the needle spun, predicting every change in the dragon’s direction seconds before they moved. The scale’s glow was her light in the dark, its radiance acting as her soul distraction from violent waters around her.

Just as she thought her fear had been conquered, a flash of lightning shot down from the heavens, striking the water with a tremendous boom. Yona screamed. Her box burst open. This was it. She could take no more. Throwing herself flat against the deck, she covered her head with her hooves and waited for the end.

“Oh. My. Gosh.”

At first, Yona couldn’t tell who was speaking. Was it Celestia? No, not with that vocal cadence. Was she dead? No, she could feel her body sprawled against the cold deck, and her head supported by soft pillows. Her fur, however, was soaked through to her undercoat, despite the thick blanket draped over her. Her ears still rang from the deafening thunder.

“Yona!” She heard a familiar voice cry, followed by the fast clopping of hooves against the deck. Was it…? It was! It was Sandbar, her coltfriend, his loud voice overflowing with an odd mixture of concern and enthusiasm. “Yona, are you okay? Can you open your eyes? You’re gonna want to see this!”

Slowly, she did as he suggested, lifting one eyelid just a crack. Then she opened the other fully. Dots flashed across her blurry vision, but she could still make out the vague shapes of Sandbar and Silverstream. She stood up slowly, fighting back a wave of dizziness. Sandbar dropped to his knees, catching her in his waiting hooves.

“Easy there, Yona,” he smiled. Once her vision settled, she noticed how still the boat was, barely moving at all. The sun was out, erasing all traces of the storm as if it had never happened.

Then, she saw it.

What fluttered down from the heavens was not just any bird. It was a bird the size of a fully grown dragon, its golden-brown feathers shimmering in the sunlight. It had a short, narrow beak, big enough to swallow a pony whole, a broad fan of tail feathers, and, most spectacular of all, four gigantic wings, enveloping Luna’s Wonder within its shadow.

But its fearsome black talons were not descending over the boat. Rather, they were spread out, ready to land on something even bigger.

At first, Yona thought they had run ashore, stumbling upon an island slap bang in the middle of the ocean. But the more she looked, the more she understood. It wasn’t just an island. It was a living island, with trees, grass, and a breath-taking array of flowers growing off an earth-covered shell.

“Aaaah!” the turtle bellowed a long sigh of relief. “Fresh air at last!”

Yona was stunned. Never in her wildest dreams had she ever conceived of a creature so… Well, huge didn’t even begin to describe it! Sandbar and Silverstream were just as dazzled as her, their eyes glued to the turtle as it shook off a hail of barnacles from the sides of its shell.

“What do you say, Yona?” Sandbar asked, once again trotting on the spot. “Think we should ask to go ashore?”

Yona answered by charging Sandbar, tackling him to the ground and nuzzling his cheek.

“Did Sandbar see Yona? Yona did it! Yona was brave! Oh, Yona loves Sandbar, so very, very much!”

“Should I take that as a yes?” Sandbar giggled, blushing brightly.

“Oh, my. What’s going on here?” The turtle looked over the boat. “Ponies? All the way out here? Well, that is a surprise!”

“Well, we did sail here to find dragons,” Silverstream flew closer, hovering just beyond the yacht’s bow, their voice shaking with childish glee. “But I would love to talk to you, as well! Can we, can we please?”

“Well, you certainly are enthusiastic, I’ll give you that,” the turtle chuckled. “I suppose introductions are in order. My name is Chelys A’tuin, though you can call me Mr. Chelys, if you’d prefer.”

“It’s a pleasure to meet you,” Sandbar said, somehow managing to pry himself away from his ecstatic lover. “My name is Sandbar, pronouns he and him. This is my partner, Yona, and the hippogryph in front of you is one of my best friends, Silverstream.”

“Hi!” Silver chirped. “My pronouns are they and them and it’s so awesome to discover turtle islands really exist!”

“Yona happy to meet Mr. Chelys, too, but…” Yona hesitated, suddenly noticing the gap between him and the yacht. “…may Mr. Chelys swim closer? Water still very deep, and Yona not want to fall in.”

“That’s quite alright,” A’tuin said with a small chuckle. Dipping his head, he gently flicked his massive fins, pushing himself forward just enough to meet the boat.

With the sails safely straightened, Sandbar threw on his pinkest dress and wrapped his tail around Yona’s. Gently, he led her across the bow of Luna’s Wonder, ready to begin the next grand phase of their adventure.

Laying back in the shade of a tall palm tree, comfortably snuggled against Yona’s thick fur, Sandbar took out his pencil and began jotting down the first draft of his essay.

Dear Princess Twilight, Sandbar began. For my final friendship report, you are not going to believe what I came across on the voyage of Luna’s Wonder!

Author's Note

I hope you enjoyed this fic! I've been wanting to write a happy story about sailing the ocean for some time now, and who better to do it with than Sandbar? Splitting this story into parts allowed me to expand on it, so that the latter half of this part wasn't as exposition-heavy.

Big thanks to my editor, Gree, for being both a Beta reader and to help bring up concerns regarding the story progression. Feel free to leave any feedback or comments you have below!