She poked her head above the waves. She hadn't been wet until that moment, when water began to run across her scales in smooth sheets. Her eyes were locked on the beach, where ponies were playing and frolicking in the way that ponies liked. They had no room for her. Sirens were monsters, not a welcome friend.
In the past, her kind had sometimes seduced ponies away from their fellows. Sometimes, it had been to eat them. Others, they simply enjoyed the sweet chaos and misery that could result. Symphony sighed, watching the ponies play.
Her voice was music incarnate, sweet and beckoning. She wondered what would happen if she sang to them now. Would they all flee? Try to hurt her? The last thought made her shudder, but there was something intoxicating about the danger.
Surely, if she sang just right, they'd be hypnotized, just like the old days. She could reduce their day of fun into one of tragedy. Symphony shook her head slowly. "I don't want that." She splashed the salty ocean water with a huff. "I just want to say hi."
"That's how it always starts," said a voice from behind her.
Symphony leaped into the air, backflipping through the water and diving low. Her powerful tail propelled her through the depths, her arms pulling herself through the rough, cool water. She almost crashed into what had been the source of that voice.
The other siren laughed as she surfaced. "You looked awfully distracted."
"Fluke!" Symphony shoved the siren back into the water with a laugh.
The two swam together for a while, laughing and catching up. Fluke was one of her oldest friends, someone she trusted above all others. "Why were you staring at the ponies? You know they're dangerous prey these days."
Symphony huffed at that. "I wasn't hunting them. I wanted to go say hi."
Fluke clicked her tongue disapprovingly. "Your fascination with them is dangerous. If you need a friend, I'm right here."
"They're not so bad," Symphony said, but she knew it wasn't convincing. "I just want to make more friends." She darted in, touching noses with her fellow siren. "Is that so wrong?"
"Maybe." Fluke stuck out her tongue. "I just think there are better ways to make friends."
Symphony snorted. "How would you know? When was the last time you made a friend who wasn't a siren?"
Fluke waved a clawed hoof at Symphony. "Wrong question. I'm happy with the ones I have. Get your head out of the seaweed!" She turned so powerfully, she splashed water over Symphony, laughing as she fled.
Symphony growled but decided against pursuing. Instead, she drifted towards shore, watching the ponies frolic and play. The beach wasn't far now. Maybe just close enough for her voice to carry. Maybe they'd hear her, or maybe she could just sing for herself.
A head popped up, then was lost. Symphony watched the spot, just to see that head again. It was a pony, a little pony. It was gone.
It came up, gasping for air in the moment it had before it sank. Symphony was very confused. Why didn't the pony swim? She ducked beneath the waves and raced to snatch the little pony in her hooves, hugging them as they propelled towards the surface. The little pony struggled at first, but the second they breached, their hooves wrapped around Symphony's shoulders.
Symphony worked her powerful tail, keeping them up as the little pony coughed. "Are you okay? Why weren't you swimming?"
The little pony laughed at that. "I can't swim."
"Why not?" Symphony asked, genuinely perplexed. The water was so nice!
"Most ponies can't," said the little pony. "Until they learn how."
Symphony was baffled at the very idea. "Ponies are strange." She lowered the little pony to be nose to nose. "You're strange."
"You're strange too." The little colt booped Symphony on the nose. "Thanks for rescuing me! I thought I was gonna get hurt!"
"Oh, well, um..." Symphony blushed. She hadn't ever been this close to a pony before, except when she was hunting them. It was exciting. "I'm Symphony."
"Cool! I'm Sea Shell! I was looking for fun shells and went a little too far." He laughed nervously. "Nice to meet you."
"You too." Symphony considered the little pony she was holding. She could snatch the colt away. Nopony was close enough to stop her. Dinner, right there. "You like shells, huh? They're pretty."
"I collect 'em." He squirmed a bit. "Can you put me back on the beach? My legs aren't really made for swimming."
Symphony peered down. Sure enough, she could see that he wasn't very streamlined at all. Poor ponies weren't built for swimming. She drew him close. "Hold on, I'll get us closer."
They talked all the way there. Sea Shell liked talking, and Symphony liked listening. It was relaxing, compared to what her life usually involved. When they reached the beach, she hovered at the edge of the water as the little pony looked around. As poorly equipped as the little colt had been for swimming, walking and running seemed to be things ponies did quite well.
Symphony considered trying to follow him, but her swimming tail was no good at walking, or running. Flopping about on the beach didn't feel very fun as an idea. She didn't want to end up in a bind again, with the rest of the ponies starting to give her the stink eye.
Sea Shell gathered up his shells. When he was done, he came back over to where Symphony was peeking out of the water. "Thank you again."
Symphony emerged from the water with a cautious smile. "You're welcome. The other ponies don't look happy that I'm here though."
"They don't like merponies much," Sea Shell said with a frown. "Sorry."
Symphony's crest fell at that. She'd suspected as much, but hearing it hurt. "Oh. Um. What if I promise to be nice?"
"I could try to explain it to them. Some of them listen to me, I guess." He looked around, then nodded. "Let me try!"
Before she could respond, Sea Shell was running up and down the beach, waving his hooves. She ducked into the waves, just the top of her head free to keep an eye on the little foal.
The worst possible outcome was happening. The foal was returning with not one but about half a dozen adults, including a griffon. She edged back, fear building. Had she gone too far? Was this how it ended for her? The others would drag her from the water and cut her open, and she'd be no better than dinner.
"Hey!" shouted Sea Shell. He waved at one of the ponies. "This is my da! Da! This is Symphony. She's a nice merpony."
'Da' approached with splashes as he descended into the water, reaching his main barrel. "That there's a siren, not a merpony."
Sea Shell stamped a hoof. "She's nice." He turned to Symphony. "You're nice, right?"
"Yes." She wilted under the glare of the adults. "I don't want to hurt anypony."
They all glared at her suspiciously, minus the supportive Sea Shell.
The griffon shrugged. "She hasn't hurt anycreature. She hasn't tried to hurt us. If she's hunting us, she's playing the long game."
One of the other ponies gave the griffon a dour look. "She might not have attacked yet, but we can't just let her swim off! She's probably calling her friends for backup!"
'Da' put a leg out in front of the other pony. "She's just floating there, looking scared. We're being mean. Sorry, miss. My son said you saved him from going in too far. I'm real thankful for that."
"You are?" Symphony couldn't believe it. "But I'm a siren."
"And they're ponies," the griffon said. "Friendship is one of their big 'things'. Confused? Welcome to the club."
Symphony stared around. "So, you're not going to hurt me?"
"Not if you're nice," said the pony that had been blocked by 'Da'. "My name's Sundrop."
Other names began to emerge from the group, and Symphony's smile only grew with each one. She had made friends that day, and she was eager to embrace and play with them. Not all the problems between sirens and ponies were vanquished that day, but at least one little bridge had started to form, and Symphony decided that was good enough for one day's swim.
That they had, and shared, tasty grilled food was a nice bonus.
Author's Note
A silly one shot with silly creatures in it. Would hug them all.
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