//------------------------------// // Revealed, Part 2 // Story: Serenading The Fading Light // by Flash Notion //------------------------------// “No, that one back there!” I pointed at the entrance. Just as we passed it. Fluttershy frowned and held up a creased sheet of paper. “But, the map says-” “Both y'all need to stay quiet, ya hear?” Applejack grit her teeth. “We're close enough ah can see for myself. And ah'm lookin' fer one ya don't have to pay to use!” We'd driven all day, and most of the night, too, excepting short breaks for using the bathroom and the like. It didn't help that we'd tried to avoid major roads, so we wouldn't have to explain hauling around a girl in a bathtub full of water. But now we were almost there. And tempers were a little short. “There!” Applejack said finally. “She's perfect!” I looked and swallowed. The old wooden pier looked only marginally better than the original dock at Camp Everfree. Even so, Applejack steered her brother's truck onto it confidently. I decided to trust her. Twisting in my seat, I opened up the rear window. “Are you okay back there?” Sonata let out a faint sound. More like a gurgle than any words. “Hold on a little longer.” I slid the window shut and glanced anxiously at Applejack. The pier creaked under us. I flinched. “Iffin it collapses, at least Sonata'll be in the water,” she joked. “That's not funny,” Fluttershy said. “Think of all the poor fishies...” “Think about us,” I muttered. A minute later Applejack braked to a halt. “This is about as far as we can go,” she said. The three of us clambered out of the cab and took in the view. It was unlike anything I'd ever seen- endless dark blue, from left to right. Out at the horizon, it blurred into the sky so I could hardly tell where one began and the other ended. On our far right, a light flickered on the waves. The boat seemed to be movie the other direction though. But up close, peaks of water rose and fell against the sodden wood. Gulls cried out, even at this time. The smell of salt opened my nose. When I inhaled, the air smelled fresher than ever before. I wondered how it would smell back in Equestria. Fluttershy leaned down and put out a hand, which glowed faintly yellow. “There's sharks, and rays, and lots and lots of small fish. Not many of the medium sized fishes. A few crustaceans. Seems safe enough. I'm telling them that we're friendly.” “How're sharks 'safe'?” Applejack asked. “They're small sharks, not the movie eat-you kind. They'll probably all swim away.” “In that case, we should hurry up a little.” I started back towards the truck. Applejack followed. I pulled myself into the bed and peered into the tub. It was hard to see in the low light, but Sonata wasn't looking good. Her skin was still pale, but now had a scaly look to it. Flecks on the surface of the water made it seem like she'd been peeling. But she wasn't moving at all. Her hair was also strange- some of it was clumped against her, but some of it was splayed out and looked oily. The whole tub looked oily, now that I thought about it. Those spots might be oil, not skin. Most worrisome of all was the red lines on her side. There were two on either side, and they looked like someone had taken a carving knife to my friend. If we had been spotted by someone just now, it would almost look like we were dumping a body. “Sonata,” I said quietly. I gently touched her shoulder. Her eyes snapped open, and she thrashed a moment before finally pushing herself up. “Oh, my head...” “We're here. Come on, we've gotta get you in the water.” “Uhhhhnnn,” she moaned. But she did her best to pull herself out of the tub. I looked over at Applejack, and we both nodded. Together, the two of us pulled Sonata up. She was practically dead weight. Sticky salt water dripped everywhere. “I got her,” Applejack hissed, taking Sonata under both arms. Her hands, too, started to glow. “Get down and take her from the bottom.” Any other time I'd have snickered at that, but I knew what Applejack really meant. I dropped over the side of the truck and held my hands up, ready to bring Sonata down. Grunting, we carefully lowered her to the pier. But I wasn't quite ready for when Applejack let go; Sonata's legs folded completely, and I almost dropped her. “Ow...” I winced and did my best to pull her back up. “Sorry,” I murmured. Precious seconds now counting down, I half-walked, half-dragged Sonata down the pier. “Just a bit more- whoa!” My foot slipped on a patch of wood wetter than the rest. I went down fast, twisting to take the fall instead of Sonata. A splinter jabbed its way into my elbow. “Ow ow ow ow ow!” Sonata groaned. I tried to get back up, but I felt strangely weak- I looked and saw my arm glowing where it touched her. My geode glowed the same. I was absorbing what Sonata was feeling, or at least part of it. Before either me or Applejack could get into place and help her, Sonata did something incredibly stupid. She pushed herself off me, and rolled over the side of the pier. Adrenaline forced me to my feet, and I ran over, the others with me. We got there just in time to see the white edges recede, the water covering the spot where my friend had fallen in. I scanned the entire surface, searching for a sign. But there was nothing. I don't know how, but I fell asleep. Sheer exhaustion, I guess. I'd gone almost two full days without sleep. Now I shut down. I only know I slept because I woke up to the sun peeking over the horizon. I flinched away, then forced myself up. Everything was stiff. I stretched and yawned, working a kink in my shoulder. It clicked; one down. Applejack and Fluttershy sat at the side of the pier, watching the water instead of the rising ball of fire. That's when I remembered. “No sign?” They shook their heads. “Did we- were we too late?” “I dunno, sugarcube.” Applejack took off her hat. “I'd be mighty sorry iffin we came all this way just fer that.” Fluttershy shook her head. “I've asked the fish, but they say that there's nothing down there. And there's no currents this close. She must've swam away.” “But then...” I looked back and forth between them, unable to actually put it into words. Mostly because I had no idea what 'it' was. Just an odd feeling, one I couldn't name. “I... I just want to know she's okay.” “I'm okay!” The three of us about jumped out of our skins. “Sonata!” I called. “Over here.” I looked around, then realized that it was on the other side of the pier. I ran over. “Hiya, Sunny!” Floating in the water was my roommate, very much alive and looking much better. He skin still looked rougher than usual, but it was an even texture. And not nearly as pale. Her hair was now a hundred percent long and luscious. Oiled, but in a good way. She waved. I broke out in the biggest grin. “You goofball, you swam up to the wrong side!” She shrugged. “Whoopsies. Hey, you wanna see something cool?” At that point I'd have agreed to just about anything, so I said, “Sure.” She dived under the water. “What's she doin?” Applejack wondered. “She's... swimming,” Fluttershy said helpfully. I leaned out over the edge, trying to see through the inky waves. “Hang on- I think she's coming back.” I was expecting her to surface and show me something she'd picked up off the ocean floor. I was not expecting her to jump out of the water entirely. All three of us gasped. Sonata had changed, all right. The marks on her sides weren't injuries- they were gills. And in place of her legs, she'd grown a long, curving set of fins. They glistened bright blue in the rising sun, water arcing off her body. She pulled that body into a backflip, then splashed down in the water, drenching us. I gaped at her. “Sonata, you're a- a-” “A mermaid!” Fluttershy swooned. “Oh, how wonderful!” Sonata resurfaced with a satisfied grin. “Yeah. I was actually kinda worried, towards the end. I think I overestimated my time. But you did it! You got me here.” “No problem,” I said faintly. My roommate was half fish. I felt like that should be a big deal, but strangely, I was feeling more relieved than anything. Sonata splashed around a little more. “I'd invite you all in, but a little ways down I saw a sign that said no swimming. I guess that means I should get out of here, too.” “Probably,” I agreed. “Also, none of us brought a swimsuit.” “You should watch out for ship propellers,” Fluttershy warned. “And tell all the sea critters to do the same.” “I can try, but they don't usually listen to me. The dolphins might.” “So you can talk to dolphins?” Applejack was still staring. “Dolphins and whales are the smartest swimmers in the sea, most of the time. I can talk to them, and they'll keep me company.” “The whole four months?” I frowned. That number was actually just starting to sink in. “Well...” Sonata frowned, too. “It would be nice to have some other company. But I can't exactly reveal myself to whomever I want.” “We can visit ya!” Applejack chimed in. “We can drive out every weekend or so. We'll have to find a place we can go swimmin', but that shouldn't be too hard.” “That's a great idea!” I latched onto it. “Whaddya say, Sonata? Ready hand out with the Rainbooms, all of us?” She looked at Fluttershy and Applejack, as if considering. Then she broke into a grin to match mine earlier. “Yes!” She held up her arms to me, like she wanted a hug. Happily, I flopped down, ready to give one. Except I couldn't reach. We both chuckled at the awkward flailing of our arms, slapping in the wind. Finally, I just held out a hand to shake. Sonata grabbed my hand and squeezed, the pact sealed. And then I was looking at myself. I gasped, noticing my geode lighting up under my shirt. The red glow spread down over my hand. I was seeing myself, through Sonata's eyes. And... more. A lot more. Too much-! I dropped Sonata's hand like a hot pan. “Sorry!” I squealed. “For what?” Sonata seemed genuinely confused. I stared at my hand. I could only see the faintest of glows. Anyone else might mistake it for blood rush from our handshake. “I- nothing,” I decided. The glow refused to fade though. And there was something else, too; an itching in my head. Memories, begging to be looked at. And overlaying them, a feeling. Something intense. Something I didn't quite recognize. “Well... I'll be seeing you, then.” “Uh... yeah. Be seeing you.” Sonata stared a moment longer, then shrugged and slipped sideways. Her fins clipped the surface once, spraying water. And then she was gone. But the feeling remained. I stood there a while more, looking at the water, and my hand. Luckily, I wasn't the only one. Fluttershy was entranced by something under the waves, and Applejack was watching the horizon. So I stood, and stared, and thought. In my head, I circled the memories warily. They were like an ocean themselves; thick, concealing, yet full of life. They radiated that unfamiliar feeling. Mentally, I poked at the memories. And suddenly I was sucked into a vision. I saw myself, and Sonata. We were sitting on the couch together, watching stupid comedies and laughing our butts off. Then it shifted. Me and Sonata again. We were putting candles on a birthday cake, and arguing over the right number. Something about the conversion of Equestrian years to human years. Finally, we just put all the candles on. Once they were blown out, we began divvying up the cake. Only to then start shoving it in each others' faces, a full on food fight. Another shift. Just Sonata this time. In the water. Floating. Staring not at a blue horizon, but at a distant shore. She was sad, but I also felt that strange feeling. Pulling her towards the shore, where she couldn't go. Again. Back to Sonata and me. This time, it was when I showed her the flier for the music lessons She wanted to sign up. I looked unbelievably confident when I told her that I had already done it for her. That feeling welled up again, until I thought we would burst- Shift. Sonata, feeling something inside her, a squirming. The change. She knew what was coming. She looked at herself in a mirror, and that same mix of feelings from the ocean came back. Shift. Sonata, waiting tables. She was feeling the squirming. Her foot caught the rug, and she fell. Food spilled. Customers cried out. One or two laughed. Sonata began yelling that someone tripped her. Coriander appeared, upset. Sonata yelled at him, too. He was beside himself, now. Under it all, dismay added to the ocean mix. Shift. Sonata, and Blue Note. Standing in the classroom, attempting to sing. But the squirming wouldn't stop. Her words slipped just like that tray. The harmony fell apart. Blue Note smiled and shrugged, and called for them to start again. But that dismay turned to shame. And Sonata began cursing at him. Shift. Sonata and me. Eating pancakes. Shift. Sonata, crying into my quilt, wrapped around my shoulders. Shift. Me, revealing that I knew everything- almost everything- she'd been going through. Shift. Me, standing with my friends, determined to help her. Shift. Me, dragging her to safety. Shift. Me. Me, standing over her, holding out a hand, smiling. And over it all, that feeling. I gasped as I came out of it. Looking around, only a couple seconds had passed. But I felt like I'd just been though months of Sonata's life. All revolving around... me. I couldn't make sense of it. Finally, Applejack tilted her hat backwards and turned away from the water. “Reckon it's about time we headed home. Comin', Fluttershy?” “Uh-huh! Just a second- okay, now just remember to swim to the sides whenever you see the big shadows. Okay? Buh-bye now!” Fluttershy got up and practically skipped back to the truck. Applejack raised an eyebrow. “Comin', Sunset?” “Yeah,” I said, slowly. I shook my head. “Yeah, definitely.” Applejack chuckled as we got into the cab. “Gotta say,” she smirked, “Ah really like yer girlfriend.” She winked to let me know she was kidding, but that didn't stop the frozen hand gripping my heart. The world tilted, and I was glad I was sitting. Oblivious, Applejack put the truck in reverse and began backing off the pier towards the road. I sat still, stiff. Fear and confusion kept me that way. That feeling I'd felt from Sonata... Could it be... love?