//------------------------------// // Prove Yourselves // Story: Rainbow Dash Around the World // by MagicS //------------------------------// “I’m a little concerned over how long it’s taking for Princess Fairscale to come back,” Gilbert said as he clacked his claw on top of the stone windowsill he was standing at. “Me too. I don’t know how big this castle is but shouldn’t she just be going in and coming right back out with the Necklace?” Breakwater said, frowning. “We don’t know,” Daylight said, also frowning like usual. “This place is still plenty mysterious to me. There might be something else to this “Keeper”.” Senax just stood quietly, deep in thought as she stared out the window they were gathered around. After telling them about the Keeper, Princess Fairscale had guided them to this little room at the front of the castle, above the main entrance, and left. From the window Senax could pretty much see the entire island thanks to how high up they were on the mountain. Of course it was still such a long island that she couldn’t really make out anything past the jungle. At least there wasn’t any huge wall of fog or clouds from above that also blocked out sunlight. “At least we know that we’ll get good food for however long we stay here...” Gilbert said. “We still can’t stay here no matter what, Gilbert,” Daylight said to him. “Regardless of getting the Necklace or not we’ll have to go look for Rainbow Dash.” “I-I know! I was talking about after that!” He sputtered. “Yeah. Sure,” Daylight rolled her eyes. “By the way did anyone else find it weird that the Princess was the only one to speak our language?” Breakwater asked. “Maybe she’s the only one who knows it. Or is the only one allowed to. It could be a royalty thing,” Daylight shrugged. “I wish we could understand their language too. Otherwise the locals are just going to sound like a bunch of hissing snakes every time we meet them,” Breakwater said. “Ahem.” The subtle cough caused the four of them to turn around in surprise and see Princess Fairscale standing in the doorway behind them with her elder lizards once more. She held nothing in her hands. And her face was pulled down in a stony mask of neutrality, but underneath it seemed like she was struggling greatly with something. Senax felt a pit of unease grow in her stomach. “The Necklace…?” “The Keeper will not give it to you,” Princess Fairscale calmly said. Daylight’s jaw dropped open in surprise, and her face quickly twisted into anger. “Why not?!” She shouted as she stepped forward. “That Necklace belongs to Senax!” “Please, Daylight,” Senax said as she placed a hoof on her friend’s back. She turned her gaze to the Princess, staring imploringly into the lizard’s eyes. “Can you tell me why not?” Princess Fairscale looked dejected, but not threatened by Daylight’s outburst. She nodded her head and licked her lips. “There are… several reasons. Some of which I only just learned from the Keeper myself. I—we had all never expected this to happen. The consequences of giving the Necklace away weren’t known, and things have changed on the island in the long time since it was first given to us.” “Consequences?” Breakwater questioned. “I… I truly, completely, wish that I could give you the Necklace,” Princess Fairscale said. “But the Necklace and the Keeper are… connected to one another. If the Necklace leaves her, she will die.” “How is that possible?” Daylight frowned. “When you said Keeper I assumed you meant some other Elder, is there something more to this?” “The Keeper of the Necklace has been the same lizard from the beginning. Our matriarch from centuries ago, who was first given the Necklace for safekeeping. Using magic, her life force has been tied to the Necklace in exchange for great power. But the cost will be her death when she gives the Necklace to another,” Princess Fairscale sadly looked to the ground. “Even then, both she and I would willingly hand the Necklace over if that was the only cost.” “But there’s something else,” Senax stated. Fairscale nodded. “It is the Keeper’s magic that protects our island. The fog, the whirlpools, when she dies they will go with her. Our island will be utterly defenseless and we are not… we are not ready to join the outside world. We have some defenses, some magic of our own, but we are a small people. The Keeper is loyal to the will of Ponyseidon and his descendants, but she is still our matriarch as well. She must know that we are in good hands, that we will not be abandoned or discarded after she gives you the Necklace.” “What would you even want us to do about that?” Daylight asked. “We can’t stay here and help your island grow, or find some other way to protect it. All we could really do is give you our word that we wouldn’t tell others about you. Once we have the Necklace we’re going to have to leave to Merlantis, and Senax will need to travel a long ways to gather the other merponies.” “The Keeper would want the word of the Child of Ponyseidon. Nothing more. She must have utmost faith and trust in her. We both know that you have your own journey that still needs to be completed, but we must know we will not be forgotten by you,” Fairscale said. “I promise I won’t forget you. You’ve already helped me so much, I could never forget or abandon you. And from what you’ve told me, our peoples are tied together, when we return to the Grand Ocean I would like us to become friends again,” Senax said. “Real friends. You will not be subjects, and we will not ever return to the old ways. Things will be better than before.” “I believe you,” the Princess sadly nodded. Daylight frowned. “There’s more though, isn’t there?” “The Keeper needs just your word… but she needs to be able to believe it,” Princess Fairscale said. “She must know you can keep your promises, know that you are willing to help us, and know that you are truly worthy of the Necklace.” “That’s not exactly just needing Senax’s word,” Breakwater huffed. “Worthy?” Gilbert repeated. “But you said it doesn’t matter if Senax wants to continue Ponyseidon’s legacy or not. Isn’t just being a merpony all that matters?” “Yes. But she still must be strong. The Keeper also doesn’t care if Senax would or wouldn’t do the same thing as her progenitor, but she can only give the Necklace away once. She must know that Senax has the will to overcome anything. She doesn’t want the Necklace to be kept as an heirloom, it must be used for change, it must be used to get to Merlantis and the Trident by the one she gives it to or there is no reason for any of this,” she said. “Senax does have that will!” Daylight shouted before Senax could answer herself. “If you had been with us for what we’ve already been through you’d know that! She’s worthy of the Necklace—which is hers to claim by all rights I can think of in the first place!” “Calm down,” Gilbert said and tried to hold the unicorn back. “What do I need to do?” Senax asked, cutting through them all. “I… I myself will be the first to admit that I haven’t always had an unbreakable will when it comes to finding Merlantis. There are times when I wanted to give up. But not anymore, I will never give up on finding my people’s home. So what do I need to do to prove myself to the Keeper?” Princess Fairscale took a deep breath before she answered. “Much has happened on this island since the Necklace was given to us. One of the things was a schism many years ago between our people. There were two factions: one loyal to Ponyseidon that only wished to fulfill our duty, and one that wished to leave the island and forget about the Necklace entirely.” “As you can surely guess, we are the descendants of the faction that stayed loyal. The descendants of the others live on the western side of the island.” “They’re still around?” Breakwater asked. “Yes,” Princess Fairscale. “Neither side can be said to have “won”. Our people still became fractured, and they never got their wish of leaving the island. But now, after being separated from the matriarch and their history for so long, they have degenerated into nothing more than a society of savages. They settled in an ancient city first built on the other side of the island by Ponyseidon and have lived their since. Unfortunately because of their cultural degradation the city is a mere shadow of its former self. Everything is falling apart, and all they do is hunt and scavenge through the jungle and fish in the ocean for food.” A darker expression came to her face. “And spend their time attacking us, trying to make their way into the mountain to destroy us. Even after centuries of separation their violence and hatred towards us hasn’t stopped.” “I’m sorry that you have to deal with that. I wish your people weren’t divided like this,” Senax said. Daylight bit her lip. “If they’re on the other side of the island and in the jungle, it makes me worry about Rainbow Dash...” “Yeah,” Breakwater nodded. “But um... I’m a little lost. What exactly do you want us to do?” Gilbert said as he raised his talon. “We want you to make sure the ones who split from us will not threaten us anymore. To prove yourselves, the Keeper wants you to solve that problem so we will be safer when her protection disappears,” Princess Fairscale said. “Solve the problem... does that mean kill them?” Daylight narrowed her eyes. Senax jolted. “I would never—even if they are violent and threaten you, I could never do something like that!” Princess Fairscale held up a hand to stop their speculation. “It means solve the problem. Like has been said earlier, we have no right to speak up on what you desire to do with the Necklace or if you plan to continue Ponyseidon’s will or not. It does not matter to us. Whether you solve this problem peacefully or with violence matters not either. We do not have the right to judge or ask more. What matters is that you have the will and conviction to accomplish this difficult task to gain the Necklace in the first place.” Daylight turned to face Senax and raised an eyebrow at the merpony. “Like always, it’s up to you. I don’t like this but if it’s the only way to get the Necklace...” “If it’s the only way then there’s no choice in the first place. We have to do it. We’ve made tough decisions before, and we decided long ago that we wouldn’t hesitate to do what it takes to get the Necklace and find Merlantis,” Senax said. “Regardless of the danger.” “Rainbow Dash would be proud to hear you say that,” Daylight smiled. Senax smiled in turn as she thought of her pegasus friend, the image of that rainbow pony filling her with confidence. She stepped towards Princess Fairscale and nodded. “We will help you with the ones who left. I don’t know how, but we’ll make sure there is no more war on this island. Your people will be safe, I promise.” “Thank you,” Princess Fairscale sadly looked at her. “A-And I’m sorry that you must go through this, Child of Ponyseidon.” “It’s alright,” Senax looked back at her friends. “We’re pretty used to this by now.” “I assume you’re going to want to go as soon as possible then?” Fairscale asked. Senax nodded. “Yes. We were already in a hurry and now... well, we better not waste any time.” “Then before you leave there is something that I will have the elders do for you to help you on your mission, and to make your time on the island more pleasant altogether,” the Princess said. The six grey-scaled elders stepped forward and clasped their hands together as if in prayer. Senax and the others watched as a slightly glowing aura appeared around them before it morphed into something like a light fog. The fog grew and spread out before inching through the air towards them. Senax and the others apprehensively took a step back but as the fog reached them it felt completely normal, it settled around them before appearing to almost sink into their bodies and disappear. Daylight blinked. “Um... what was that?” “That will allow you to understand our language,” one of the elders said. Senax and the others looked at him, surprised. “Oh, well that will certainly help,” the merpony said. Princess Fairscale smiled. “Yes, and good luck out there.” “Then if that’s all-” Daylight said as she looked at Breakwater, Gilbert, and Senax in turn. “Let’s do this.”