"Come with me."
Twilight opened her eyes and looked at the girl she held, rocking gently on the end of her family's dock. The redhead was giving her a look she had never thought she would see. Pleading. "What do you mean?" Twilight replied.
Pearl Rose rolled her eyes. "You know what I mean. It's my birthday today."
Twilight nodded with a smile. "And Pinkie threw quite the party, didn't she? I didn't think she could top Sunset's, but I was wrong."
Pearl giggled, a sound that Twilight loved. "Yeah, and I'm going to miss them every year. But I'm a mermaid. I can't stay here forever." She gestured to the sea before them. "The sea is my home. I miss my family, the never-ending wonders you can't find up here."
Twilight frowned. She knew what it meant if Pearl stayed. "You'll become human just like me. But is that so bad?"
Pearl shook her head, holding her hands. "No. But it's not who I am." She held up her necklace, the red gem seeming to glow in the sunlight. "I have one more change on this before I absorb it. But this doesn't have to be goodbye. Come with me, Twily."
Her girlfriend shook her head in exasperation. "Pearl. In case you forgot, I'm not exactly a water breather."
The youngster nodded excitedly. "Not yet anyway. There's one more thing I didn't tell you I can do with this. A one-time thing and you better damn well want it for it to work. You can be just like me. We'll never have to be apart ever again."
Twilight squeed at the thought with a grin, before her mind caught up to her heart. "But? There's always a catch with stuff like this. I've seen the movie Splash."
Pearl groaned. Damn it. There was that brain she loved so much but also drove her up a wall all the time. "They got part of it right at least. You can never come back to land. You'll never be human again. Neither will I after today. And this won't work unless you absolutely want it. No takebacks or second thoughts once it starts. Every mermaid can do this. Just... Not many do."
Twilight fell back in shock and horror, and it broke Pearl's heart to see it, even knowing it would happen. "Pearl. Do you realize what you're asking me? To give up my life, and my friends. My family. All of it."
Pearl nodded forlornly. "Why do you think few of us ever offer this? I can count on one hand how many I know who have, and it's always to a girl. There are no boys down there. Never have been."
Twilight rolled her eyes. "Boys are overrated anyway. Why do you think me and Timber Spruce never worked out?"
The two giggled helplessly at the thought before Twilight stood and sighed. "Pearl... I don't know. How can I give an answer now? This is all so sudden. Everything will change. I need more time to think."
Pearl nodded glumly with a sad sigh. "I'll be here all day. If you're not here by the time the sun sets?" She sniffed, holding her legs close. "I'll always love you, Twily. No one will ever replace you. I don't care how long I live, and I'll live a long time. Damn mermaid extended lifespan."
It was a dagger to Twilight's heart, as she turned and walked away, her mind turning over what to do now.
Sunset listened as Twilight finished her tale, unable to hide her shock and surprise. "Wow. I knew Pearl was a bit odd, but I never expected something like this. And I thought I was far from home. Guess not."
Twilight rubbed her forehead irritably. "Does Equestria even have mermaids?"
Sunset shrugged. "We have seaponies. But they're really only hippogryphs who changed into that shape to escape the Storm King. Far as I know, they're the closest we have back home."
Twilight nodded. Go figure. It wasn't much, but it was still something as she held herself close. "What am I supposed to do, Sunset? I love Pearl. I love her more than anyone. But she's asking me to give up everything and everyone I know." She sniffed. "Part of me wants to. Gods, I want to so much. Damn the consequences."
Sunset chuckled as she sat down next to her friend. "Twilight. I know what it's like to leave everything I knew and loved behind. Just look at me. I'm a stranger in this world. No matter how long I've lived here, I still want to go home to Equestria. Maybe finish my studies with Princess Celestia. But part of me is slapping that part upside the head, saying that this is my home now."
Twilight giggled at the mental image of that. "It would be easier for you, Sunset. You can go back and forth any time you want. This is forever. I'll never be able to come home again. Never see my family or friends ever again."
Sunset sighed as she took her friend's hands. "Twi. You know the girls and I will support you no matter what choice you make. As will your family. We love you, and just want the best for you."
Twi smiled. It helped a little, she had to admit.
Sunset saw this and stuck a finger on Twi's forehead with a smirk. "You're letting your head do all of the talking for you, Twilight. Again." She placed a hand over her heart. "But what is your heart telling you? Stop using your head for once in your life, Twilight Sparkle, and follow what your heart wants. Please? For all of us?"
Twilight took a moment before her smile softened and she threw her arms around Sunset, hugging her tight, one that the fiery-haired girl was more than happy to return. "Sunset. Thank you," she whispered.
Sunset's smile softened as well but was tinged with a hint of sadness, knowing what this meant. "Any time, Twilight."
Pearl watched the setting sun, before turning back to the mainland, and still no sight of Twilight. She was almost out of time. "Damn it all. Maybe I was hoping for too much. Why would she ever come with me?" She sniffed.
As the sun reached just above the horizon, the glow around her gem intensified, and her urges peaked to new heights she hadn't expected. The Call of the Sea. Casting one last forlorn look at the empty dock, Pearl sighed and prepared to return home.
"Pearl! Wait!"
Pearl nearly fell off the dock in shock, as Twilight's voice reached her. Looking back, she watched as her girlfriend ran up to her, almost out of breath, now wearing her favorite blue swimsuit. "Twilight?" She asked, unable to believe it.
Twilight gave her a reproachful look as she finally got her breathing under control. "Pearl Rose. Were you thinking of leaving?"
Pearl rolled her eyes. "Um. Yeah? I kinda don't have much of a choice, Twilight. We just went over this." She smirked, poking her girlfriend. "I didn't think you were that much of a scatterbrain. Should've known better."
Twilight shook her head with an eye roll. "You are not going anywhere, Pearl." She smiled softly as she took Pearl's hands in her own. "Not without me at least. Never again."
Pearl's breath hitched, hoping against hope. "Twilight... Do you mean?"
Twilight nodded, stroking Pearl's cheeks tenderly. "Take me with you. I want to go wherever you go. From now on. I never want us to be apart ever again."
Pearl squeed as she threw her arms around Twilight, laughing wistfully as Twilight returned the hug, before leading them to the end of the dock. "Thank you."
Twilight chuckled, kissing Pearl's cheek. "Now what though?"
Pearl's smile grew as she took off Twilight's glasses and set them on the dock. "Well. You won't need these, that's for sure." She held Twi's hands tighter as they stood at the edge. "Now. Do you trust me, Twily?"
Twilight didn't hesitate as she nodded. "I trust you, Pearl."
Pearl nodded, before diving into the ocean below, which glowed red for a moment. Unsure what else to do, and casting one last look at her old life, Twilight jumped in as well. Immediately, she felt how warm the water was. Unable to open her eyes in the salt water, she could only hope Pearl knew what she was doing.
A giggle came to her ears. "Relax, Twily. Let me show you just how wonderful and magical my world really is," Pearl whispered, seemingly with two voices speaking as one, as she touched her gem to Twilight's forehead.
Immediately, Twilight felt the changes begin. Her hair tore free from its banding, growing longer and down past her waist, her legs merged together into a powerful tail, and her swimsuit vanished until only the bra portion remained, this changing into a seashell bra.
But her mind was changed as well. Her memories remained the same, but no longer did Twilight feel any attachment to the world above the waves. A life that meant nothing to her now. The world was her oyster, and she was the pearl at the center of it.
After a moment, the changes ended, and Twilight opened her eyes, looking down at what had changed for her. Her tail was a beautiful shade of blue, as was her bra. Feeling the strap behind her, she felt no way to remove it, now as much a part of her as her tail was.
Pearl giggled as her gem merged itself into her, sighing as it did so. It was a weight off of her shoulders at last. "Damn. You really do make blue look good, Twily."
Twilight looked over at her girlfriend, and her breath hitched at just how beautiful Pearl was in her natural form. Her bra and tail were as fiery red as her hair was, her green eyes offering a nice contrast to her pearl-white skin. "So now what?''
Twilight giggled, poking her girlfriend. "You tell me, Rosie. This is all so new to me. I don't even know where to start."
Pearl smirked. "Well, I know one way to break you in. Come and get me!" She giggled, before speeding off with surprising speed. Leaving Twilight to try and catch up. Easier said than done as it turned out, for no matter how hard she tried, Twilight could only just keep up with the younger mermaid, leaving the mainland far behind in short order.
For hours, Pearl and Twilight just enjoyed the freedom of the open sea. Playing among the coral, swimming alongside huge schools of fish and other underwater creatures, and exploring several shipwrecks, sadly finding nothing but rotting wood and other sea life. Twilight had never thought this would feel so amazing, that she would ever feel so alive.
Finally cresting a rise, the pair came upon a sight that took Twilight's breath away. A city more beautiful than she had ever imagined lay before her. It reminded her in a way of Atlantica from The Little Mermaid. And everywhere, mermaids swam, played, and went about on various business. As Pearl had said, all of them were girls. Oddly as well, none appeared to be older than their mid-twenties. Strange.
"Welcome home, Twilight," Pearl said tenderly, holding Twilight's hand as she smiled at her.
Twilight smiled as well. "It's beautiful." She took Pearl's other hand and kissed her girlfriend. "Just like you."
Pearl blushed, before leading the two down to the city, already thinking of the future they would build. Together.
As they neared the city, Twilight blushed at all of the looks she was getting. None were hostile at least, but all were curious as to who she was and why she was with Pearl. "Why is everyone so young?" She finally asked.
Pearl shrugged. "We live a long time, Twily. Extended lifespan. We stop aging at a certain point no matter what, and it's always before we reach what you used to call our mid-twenties. Don't ask me why, I have no idea. It's always been this way."
Twilight nodded. "And you, Rosie? How old are you really?"
Pearl giggled. "Get your mind down, Twily. I'm sixteen through and through. Haven't shown any signs of the age freeze yet. It's different for all of us. Some of us stop before we get to that point. But there are a few exceptions to all of that as well."
Twilight blinked as she saw what Pearl might mean. Several mermaids swam past the pair, and both of them were older than everyone else she had seen so far. In their thirties, if she had to guess. Strange. "So why is everyone a girl? Not that I am complaining of course."
Pearl rolled her eyes as they turned a corner. "Nobody really knows. But who needs them anyway?"
Twilight giggled as they stopped before the most ostentatious house she had seen so far. It reminded the new mermaid of Pearl's home back on the surface. "This is where you live, Pearl?"
Pearl nodded happily as she swam up to the door. "Yep! Mom and momma should be home by now. They knew I was coming home today."
And there was something else Twilight couldn't wrap her head around. "What about Cirrus and Stratos? Were they ever your parents? Even family to you?"
Pearl winced at the accusation in Twilight's voice as she took her hands. "No! Gods no. They are family, and I love them. I always will. Mom is more like my aunt though. A mermaid who chose to stay on land for the man she loved. They never cared what I really was. Family is still family. No matter what."
Twilight relaxed, a worry finally put to rest. "Sorry. Just with all of this? I couldn't help but wonder..."
Pearl nodded, squeezing her hands with a smile. "Well. Now you get to meet the rest of my family. Don't worry. They don't bite."
That wasn't what Twilight was worried about as Pearl knocked on the door. But it was too late to turn back now.
Author's Note
Just a silly idea I had a few months back. So I made a full story out of it. Might come back and fill out everything that leads up to the beginning of the story. For now, this will remain a one-shot. Hence the lack of more leadup.
Cover art was done as a Commission by Not Quite Equine. Old one done by TealHikari as a Your Character Here.
