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Proverbs 15:13 ~

A glad heart makes a happy face; a broken heart crushes the spirit.

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Princess Sky Star and the Seaponies

Chi's arms were tired from all that flying, but they did it. They made it. Mount Aris was just as it was depicted on the map. A tall mountain top partly enveloped in massive stones that resembled wings and a talk cylinder with a sparkly pearl-shaped orb at the top. It was so high clouds floated around it. The stone staircase that started at the bottom looked like the kind they had envisioned would lead them to the heavens after death. The surrounding area was covered in dried up grass and waves crashed against the shoreline.

The kids hopped off of Chi's back and she changed back into her preferred, blue humanoid form. She stretched her arms and legs. "I'm getting too old for this."

"But you still don't look a day over two hundred." Chrysalis said, making the wisp smile in agreement.

Akari's eyes sparkled once they reached the entrance of the city. Two stone columns carved into equine creatures with wings, beaks for mussels and feathery manes faced one another flanked the entrance. Traces of vegetation had already begun to grow around them, and small bits of the statues had been chipped off, but never the less, it was a breathtaking sight.

"This is it!" Iris said, taken away by the beautiful structure. She had never seen anything like it before.

"Finally!" Akari had never felt more relieved in her entire life. Their journey was finally over. They were finally going to save their parents. The Storm King's reign was about to come to an end.

"Ooh!" Hiro looked up at the statues and the city that laid before them on the other side.

"We… actually made it." Hozu said. While everyone else had reactions of excitement and interest, Hozu was downright baffled. He witnessed the Guardians overcome such adversities to get to this point. So many times he doubted they'd actually get this far, but here they were. It was… truly remarkable.

Gallant laughed in exhilaration and trotted forward. "Hippogriffs, here we come!"

But the further the children walked into the city of the Hippogriffs, one by one their excitement died down. The chill in the air made them shiver and the ghost-like whistling of the wind was a sure sign that nobody was going to come and greet them.

A light fog had settled onto the city, which was a far cry from the land they had expected. They anticipated it to be a vast civilization with the majestic creatures soaring above their heads with all the grace and majesty that only an equine could posses. But, instead of a paradise of color and mystic beauty, all they saw was the desolated land and shattered remains of a once thriving country.

The fog made it hard to tell if it was still day or night, and all around were dome shaped houses, designed to look like extravagant bird cages. The windows shimmered with faint hints of color, no doubt they had once looked beautiful.

Doors and windows were torn off, roofs shattered and remains of things such as teapots, plates, even a few bird-like toys were spread carelessly across the weed infested grounds. Spiderwebs covered the once beautiful architecture, and small roaches crawled under the heroes's feet.

"Are you sure this is the right place?" Hozu asked. He had expected the Hippogriffs to be better groundskeepers than this.

Mai cupped her hands round her mouth and called out, "Hello?! Is anybody home?!"

Hiro inspected an old teapot, removing the top but saw nothing but more cobwebs and a few spiders. "No Hippogriffs here!"

Hiro spread out, looking into empty houses, careful not to touch the broken shards of glass. "Or here! Or here! Or here or here or here!" He stopped in front of a Hippogriff statue. "Waaaaaiiit!" he looked behind it and then used his earthbending to lift it up and look underneath the ground. When he saw nothing he put it back in it's rightful place. "Nope! This place is emp-ty!"

Akari and Iris looked at one another, as if expecting one of them to have some kind of explanation. They both knew it was futile, since neither of them had the answer to their identical question. How could this place be empty? There was a city, statues of Hippogriffs everywhere, but it looked as if nobody had been here for years.

"What if Hozu was right?" Chrysalis said in dreaded realization. "What if… they're not around anymore?"

Akari shook her head in defiance. "No! They have to be here! Leilani… The map. She wouldn't have trusted Celestia and Luna to find them if they didn't exist!"

"Guys." Every one turned towards Hozu, who had stooped in front of the statue of a beautiful Hippogriff, raising its front bird-like legs with its majestic wings outstretched. One of its legs was broken off, and grassy moss had already grown all around its body.

"I think I know what happened." Hozu crunched down and picked something up from the ground.

Iris was the first to step forward and instantly she clapped her mouth with her hands. Her eyes shimmering in despair at what he held in his hand. Everyone else gasped and trembled at what Hozu held in his hand.

That explains it. The Hippogriffs were here. They were real… but the Storm King got to them before the Guardians did. They were too late.

Iris couldn't stop the tears from falling. She fell into a puddle on the floor, hugging herself as she sobbed. Chi and Hiro both kneeled down and held her close.

Akari was frozen in place. For a moment, she could hardly move her hooves. Was this the fate that awaited Equestria? Was this the future the Storm King had in store for their people? Had they really left home for nothing?

The flag, the destruction, it had that monster's handy work written all over it. Rather than denial, Akari felt anger take full control. Her body moved again but rather than cry, she started kicking at everything in her wake. She blasted at various stone statues, not even caring that she was destroying priceless relics. Who cares about historical architecture when her entire home was about to suffer the same fate as this place.

Tears ran down her cheeks without end. She wanted to punch and kick everything. Gallant Steed rushed to her side, gently gripping her haunches with his hooves. Akari knew her furry wasn't going to solve their problem, but she had to vent out her frustrations somehow. Iris was reflecting exactly how Akari felt. Helpless. And she hatted nothing more than feeling helpless.

Akari wrapped her hooves around Gallant, the loving unicorn stallion rubbed her back, consoling her. He led her towards Iris and the others. The Avatar wrapped her arms around the alicorn pony princess, their tears merging together as they hit the ground. The faded light that managed to break through the thick fog captured the waters of their grief, creating a faint rainbow effect.

Hozu didn't know what to do. He had never consoled anyone before, but seeing his… friends… so broken-hearted after all the work they have done was… it made him want to cry too.

He was just about to hug Iris when a new sound filled the air. It was faint and rather distant, but it was there. The kids stopped sobbing and Nori's ears twitched to get a better reading.

"It's… it's singing!" The merpony galloped ahead, following the haunting, yet beautiful melody.

"Nori, wait!" Iris called out and they followed after her. Nori galloped over the stone remains of pillars that have long since fallen, reaching a building with tall archways. From a far, it almost looked like it had once been a majestic castle.

It was dark inside, so Akari and Gallant used their horns to light the way. The entrance was nearly crumbled, but it was wide enough for them to walk through. The singing grew louder, accompanied by the droplets of running water.

At the end of the cavernous tunnel, the children reached a beautiful grotto. A pond of shimmering crystal clean waters illuminated the room. Two stone columns of Hippogriff heads with water running down their necks to resemble manes poured like majestic waterfalls into the pool. In the very center was a large, pink lotus flower floating above the waters.

It looked so clean Nori was tempted to just dive right in. It had been such a long trip, and after that unbearable experience in the desert, the merpony was homesick for her native element.

The enchanting melody was coming from inside the flower. Only it wasn't the flower singing, but somebody inside. Or… somepony? The children caught the faintest hint of a pony shaped head but it was too far and blurry to tell. The figure also appeared to be glowing, radiating with a yellow light as it moved around gracefully in a serene dance.

Nori took a step closer, but the small staircase that lead to the pond was old and a piece of it chipped off. The sound of breaking stone caused the singing to stop. The glowing creature gasped.

The mysterious figure dove into the water. "Hey! Wait up!" Nori called out as she galloped ahead, ignoring more of the crumbling staircase beneath her hooves and did a nose dive into the waters.

"Nori!" Akari cried out and she and the others followed, walking into the waters, wetting their legs and cloths, or in the pony's case their hooves. Nori's lower half shimmered and sparkled in the waters. Her back legs transformed into their tail form, her cutie mark attached to both sides of her purple tail.

She surfaced, shaking her hair wet. Small droplets fell on her friends. "She's gone!"

Nori suddenly felt the waters around her spiral. Soft at first, but then rapidly increasing in speed, pulling all of the other guardians along with her. The pond had turned into a raging whirlpool, the lotus flower sucked into the waters as the guardians struggled to fight back the current. The water suddenly smelled like salt, and the temperature warmed.

"When I said I wanted a pool, this isn't what I meant!" Nori screamed as she and the rest of her friends all screamed as they were taken down into the depths of the sea.

Once they reached the other side of the whirlpool, the Guardians were completely submerged in water, all floating in a darkened undersea cave. Nori was able to breath just fine due to being part fish, but the same could not be said about everyone else. Iris managed to stay conscious long enough to bend the waters around her, creating air bubbles to wrap around her head, then Mai's, Hiro's, Gallant's and Akari's. Using her magic, Iris manifested the water into solid air bubbles for her friends to breath with.

Mai, Hiro, Gallant and Akari gasped for air, while Chrysalis had magical changed her body to resemble that of a merpony like Nori. Chi transformed her lower half into that of a dolphin's tail and she now wore a one shoulder top with a wolf's head symbol. Her hair was loose and she had a dorsal fin on her back. She also now had gills so she could breath underwater.

"Wait, where's Hozu?!" Iris looked around frantically. There was no sign of him anywhere.

Hozu appeared right behind them. It was dark so it was still a little hard to see. Iris and the others were left speechless. Hozu was swimming alongside them… and he was breathing underwater!

"What happened?" Hiro asked. That was a good question. Where did that whirlpool come from? And what was that mysterious creature they heard singing earlier.

Something swam past them. A shadowy fish-like creature judging by the fin. The children huddled together. "Hello? We don't mean any harm, we're only looking for the Hippogriffs. Do you know if they're still here?" Iris boldly asked.

The same radiant sun-like glow from before manifested before them, lighting up the darkened cave. A feminine voice echoed within the light. "How do I know I can trust you?"

"Please." Akari begged, "The Storm King invaded our land. And we really need their help."

"The Storm King?!" The voice repeated, gasping in alarm. The glowing light took on a specific shape, her light dimming but still glowing radiantly.

The Guardians could hardly believe what they were seeing. Swimming before them was a beautiful Seapony! The first one they had ever encountered. She was young looking, around their age with pale yellow scales and aqua-colored fins on her head to resemble a mane. A single one hung over her head, illuminating brightly like a unicorn's horn. She had a cute pink sea anemone on her head, resembling a pink flower and a pale sandy pink collar around her neck where a shimmering pearl rested.

She had the head and front legs of a pony, only her 'hooves' were like fins, matching her mane-like fin and bright blue eyes that sparkled with wide-eyed beauty. Instead of back legs, she had a long tail with blue fins and transparent pink fluttery wings. She also had dorsal fins above her tail

"I'm so glad you guys aren't dead!" She said, speaking in a high pitched, excitable voice that reminded them of Pinkie Pie.

Both Nori and the Seapony giggled and held hooves, swimming around one another excitedly. Their movements were reminiscent of ponies galloping happily around one another.

"Wait, aren't those the same thing?" Hozu asked, earning startled gasps from both Nori and the Seapony.

Nori swam up to him, crossing her front hooves. "For your information, Merponies are a subspecies of earth-ponies with the ability to change our lower halves into tails at will."

"While Seaponies--that's me--are purely half fish, half pony and live in water all the time!"

"Duh!" The two aquatic ponies said in unison and hoof pumped. They had only just met and already they were acting like they were life long friends.

The Seapony swarm around the Guardians like an energetic child. "I can't believe it! Visitors! It's been so long, somebody pinch me! Or should I pinch you? Maybe I'm hallucinating, the salt water's finally gotten into my brain--Wait! I'll pinch both of us!"

The Seapony pinched her own tail and then she pinched Gallant Steed's hoof. Really, really hard. On her, it didn't hurt as much, but on him it felt like a needle just pierced through his leg. She was a strong one, that was for sure.

"Nope! Not hallucinating. Yay! Oh, I'm sorry, it's just you have no idea how excited I am right now!"

"Really? Couldn't tell." Mai said sarcastically. The Seapony laughed, oblivious to the human girl's sarcasm.

"It's nice to meet you Sky Star. I'm Iris. That's Mai, Akari, Gallant Steed, Nori, Hiro, Chi, Chrysalis and Hozu."

"Well, Iris, Mai, Akari, Gallant Steed, Nori, Hiro, Chi, Chrysalis and Hozu, I'm totally taking you to my mom!"

The Seapony--Sky Star--took Iris by the hand with her fin-hoof and started swimming alongside her. The others swam close behind. "Does your mother know where the Hippogriffs are?" Akari asked.

"Oho! She might have an idea!" SkyStar said in a singsong tone. Akari let out a happy cheer.

"I like her! She kind of reminds me of Cookie!" Hiro said as he swam alongside the others. There was just something about Sky Star's bubbly personality that reminded him of Pinkie and Cookie. How he missed them, and with her help, they just might be able to save their home yet.

"We're almost there!" SkyS tar swam at an even paste, fast enough to get them there fast, but not too fast as that the others couldn't keep up. They didn't even question on whether or not they should trust her. After all, nobody could fake that type of bubbly-ness.

Sky Star led them through a colorful sea tunnel, bypassing several colorful fish. On the other side of the cave resided a luminescent underwater palace, growing from the dome shaped cave. All around were shell-like houses and sea-caves were Seaponies resided. They were all slender and beautiful with bright colorful fins and pointed ears. But, when the children swam by, the poor sea creatures dove back into their anemones and sea caves. Mothers and fathers held their children back from swimming towards the new strangers.

Nori took notice at how jittery the Seaponies were. "Are they okay?" she asked Sky Star. "They seem so… scared."

"Yeah, well, we're not used to new guests is all. Come on! My place is just up ahead." Sky Star swam farther upwards, dodging Nori's question.

The children have seen many wondrous and beautiful things. Equestria and the spirit world was filled with all sorts of undiscovered lands that took their breath away every time. But this was unlike anything they had ever seen. Not even Nori, who had been traveling the ocean her entire life, could compare this sight to anything else she had seen.

The palace was a stunning glass and coral structure with see-through walls and pearls adorning its walls. The opening of the palace looked like an upside down flower and Sky Star invited them all inside. The seapony princess spun around, showcasing her home.

The interior was even more beautiful inside than it was outside, if that were possible. Neon-blue jellyfish-like strings dangled from the walls and around the throne room was a beautiful coral reef garden. A purple throne stood at the very center, where a pearl-white seapony sat. Her fins were purple as were her transparent fin-like wings. Blue fins grew from the top of her head, and a trail of peacock-like purple fins grew from her head down her back. Her fin-hooves were a light blue and she sat on her throne luxuriously, eyes closed enjoying the peace and quiet. Her golden crown sparkled in the light.

"Is it another shell?" The older seapony asked, not even opening her eyes. She sighed and rubbed her eyes, almost in exhaustion. Judging by her reaction, this type of exchange between mother and daughter wasn't anything new.

"Because I am telling you if it is another shell, I am—" The seapony gasped loudly once she saw the guests her daughter had brought home. "Princess Sky Star, what have you done?! You know surface dwellers are forbidden here! Guards!"

At her command, four seapony guards swam up, aiming their spears at the guardians. "Whoa, whoa! Watch the bubble!" Hiro said, feeling the pointed end close to popping his only source of air.

"No no no! M-M-Mom, please! It is so not like that!" Sky Star said, begging her mother to have mercy on her new friends. "The Storm King is trying to destroy their home, too!"

"We need to find the Hippogriffs. Do you know what happened to them?" Iris asked, while Hiro carefully tapped on the tip of the spear pointed at his face.

"Well, of course I know. I'm the queen. I know everything." The seapony queen said with a sassy tone. He was the type of Queen that knew she was one, and wore it to the point she made sure nobody forgot it.

"Don't you dare tell them!" The queen warned. But, as any teenage youth, Sky Star ignored her demands and just kept on doing what she was doing. The princess swam up to a wall, waving her fin around the surface and an illuminated illustration of Mount Aris with hippogriffs soaring across the sky appeared, all the while Sky Star narrated.

"Once upon a time, like, a while ago, the Hippogriffs did live on Mount Aris."

The queen slapped her fin against her head, shaking it in annoyance. "Did I not say don't tell them? But hey, I'm just the queen. Don't mind me."

"Fine! I can't tell you!" Sky Star rolled her eyes at her mother's attitude. For about two seconds before bouncing back to her excitable self once more. "But if I could tell you, I'd say that that horned beast did show up to steal their magic!" Sky Star swam to another window, where an illuminated image of the Storm King appeared.

"But, to keep it out of his clutches, their brave and majestic leader, Queen Novo, hid them deep underwater where he could never go!"

Sky Star swam to two more walls, where images that depicted the same Hippogriff statue they saw back on the surface magically appeared, and another that depicted Sky Star's palace and the seaponies, which now that the Guardians were looking at it closely, the seaponies really did resemble the winged creatures from the last picture. The only difference was that their feathered wings were traded for transparent fins, their lower horse-legs had been changed into tail-fins, and their mussels resembled actual noses rather than beaks.

"We are... Well, we were the Hippogriffs! Ta-da!" Sky Star giggled and whispered excitedly to Nori, "But I totally did not tell you that!"

The Guardians all looked at one another. So, the Hippogriffs were still alive after all and they had transformed themselves into seaponies to escape the Storm King's wrath. Their quest didn't end in vein after all.

"Well, I guess the pearl is out the oyster now. I am Queen Novo." The Queen said regally.

"Hang on a tick." Mai said as she swam towards the queen, only to be blocked by the spear of one of the seapony guards. "Let me get this straight. When the Storm King came, you just abandoned your entire city and fled?"

"We didn't flee! We swam!" Sky Star said with a snort, "Y'know, in order to flee."

"Oh! Can we show them? These are the first guests we've had in, like, foreveeerrr! Can we, can we, can we, can we, can we, can we, can we, can we, can we?" Sky Star tugged on her mother's shoulders excitedly while the queen sat stoically and unfazed.

Novo looked at her daughter and then at the children. She really shouldn't show them, but the damage was already done. They knew of their true origins, and knowing Sky Star, she was not going to give her a moment's peace if she didn't comply. Not to mention her daughter was almost always bored enough as it was, the least she could do was let her play with her new friends for a bit. They didn't seem that dangerous, and they were just kids.

Queen Novo swam out of her throne alongside her daughter towards a transparent jellyfish that hovered above her like a chandelier. Its translucent tendrils moved gracefully along the underwater current. The queen and princess swarm around it and the jellyfish released a shimmering pink pearl. Illuminating lights and spirals danced within it's core like a kaleidoscope. The Guardians looked at it in awe. The pearl had some deep, powerful magic contained within it.

Sky Star giggled excitedly as the pearl landed gently on her mother's outstretched fins. With an elegant wave of her hoof, the pearl sparkled and wisps of magical energy spiraled out like strings of gold before bursting into the form of flower petals that enveloped the Guardians. Chrysalis, Chi, Nori and Hozu stepped back, the magic focusing more on those who had the air bubbles.

Iris gasped when the bubble around her head burst, but she quickly found out that she didn't need it to breath anymore. The water around her felt like air from the surface, yet she could still feel the strength of the ocean currents around her body, merging with the magic of the pearl. Her father's scarf unraveled, but remained close around her shoulders like a floating shawl as the transformation took hold.

Iris's cloths melted away but she didn't feel embarrassed at all. Her shirt had transformed into a shimmering tube top with strings of pearls wrapped around her neck, connecting to the top, and a single underwater flower blossomed on the center. Her stomach was exposed and her legs had merged together to form a shimmering violet tail with blue, red and deep purple scales. Her fins were faded pink, matching the feathers of her wings with some added dorsal fins on the side to match. Her arms gained some shimmering scales that sparkled like sequins on her skin. Her wings had turned into transparent wing-shaped fins that floated gracefully behind her when she moved. Her dad's scarf floated around her, never once drifting apart from her no matter how much she moved.

Iris moved her new tail and did several flips in exhilaration. The same transformation happened to her cousins. Mai's new tail was a deep read with shades of orange, making it look like a dazzling flame and fins of gold. She wore a one shoulder top with colors that resembled a lion-fish, and a coral clip at the top. Like Iris, her stomach was also exposed. Hiro was shirtless, and his tail was green with shades of yellow, and his fins were a lemon lime color that reminded him of the same shade as his mother's eyes.

Akari and Gallant both received the same transformation, with Akari's mane turning transparent like fins and her lower half transforming into a tail-fin that matched her coat color. Her fins were the same color as her mane, accompanied with the streaks, and her cutie mark was on her dorsal fin and her wings were now transparent fins. Gallant Steed's fins also matched his own mane color and his cutie mark was also on his dorsal fin.

Nori couldn't contain her excitement. Her best friends had tails now! She swam up to Mai, who swiped her tail from side to side. The Sato heiress was already a good swimmer, but this was a completely new sensation for her. She managed to use her tail as if she had it her entire life.

"Hey, sis, race ya to that coral!" Hiro challenged, already swimming around like a pro.

"You're on!" Mai adjusted her hat, which floated above her head and didn't separate from her, much like Iris's scarf. The two swam off, swimming right past Gallant Steed who was still adjusting to his fins. Akari already got the hang of it, swimming around with the same speed she possessed when she could fly on wings.

Iris and Akari swam side by side, a wave of 'Woo-hoo's and giggles filled the undersea palace. The entire time, Hozu couldn't take his eyes off of Iris. The tail really did suit her and she swam with all the grace and strength of a princess. He felt a nudge on his elbow and saw Chrysalis and Chi both smirking at him. Hozu turned away from Iris and the two shape shifters, his face tainted with red while folding his arms.

"This is incredible!" Iris said in excitedly, still astonished at the fact that she had been transformed into an actual mermaid!

Akari swam up to Queen Novo, "With this, we could transform the Storm King's army into something that will be powerless to fight back!"

"Or it could end up in his greedy claws!" Queen Novo rose from her throne, her face dark while holding the pearl close to her chest. Her tall presence toward over Akari, causing her to shrink.

"Honey," The Queen's voice softened upon seeing the defeated look on the pony's face, "I'm sorry about your home. I truly am." The softness of her voice gained a new sense of authority, yet still kept at an even volume that made Akari feel both intimidated and at ease to know she wasn't going to do anything to harm her.

"But my responsibility is to protect my subjects." Novo extended her hoof and the jellyfish took the pearl from her, securing it within its tendrils and Novo sat back on her throne. "The pearl is not going anywhere."

Despite being surrounded by the cold waters of the darkest part of the ocean, Akari could feel the heat of nervousness envelop her body. The rest of the Guardians shared her distress. This pearl might have been their one and only chance to finally overpower the Storm King, knowing their own powers alone wouldn't be enough. The army was capable enough to trap even their most formidable warriors, they needed something else.

Iris swam up to the queen, in a desperate last minute attempt to get her to reconsider. "But we've come all this way. And you can't just hide down here! Trapped forever! There's so much you're missing!"

"We are one hundred percent okay with that!" Queen Novo insisted, "Aren't we, Sky Star?"

The princess took a little while to process what her mother had questioned her. "Huh? Oh, yes, yes, of course we are!" She said cheerfully as she swam around the Guardians. "I mean, we've got water, and the salt, and… and the seaweed, we have everything! Heh, heh." Sky Star gave a nervous laugh, trying to avoid her mother's cold stare.

They had only just met Sky Star, but the Guardians had already learned that the hippogriff-turned-seapony princess was not someone who masked her emotions well. She was an open book, and even with her forced smile the kids knew she wasn't being entirely honest. Sky Star's fin-shaped ears lowered as would a pony's ears to showcase sadness.

Akari looked at the guards. While Novo held her head up high with no visible hint of regret, the guards didn't succeed in masking theirs. Akari thought of the other seaponies they had seen on their way to the palace. They were all trembling in fear at the sight of the Guardians, and the palace was silent save for the sounds of moving currents. As bright and resplendent as the undersea wonderland was, the seaponies themselves looked just as Akari suspected they felt.

They were prisoners. Trapped under the waves in darkness, away from the land that was once their home.

Even Nori realized this. She had lived underwater her entire life. The sea was her home, and in her eyes there was no other place more magical than living under the waves. But, she was a merpony by blood. It was in her nature to feel at home underwater, but the Hippogriffs, they were creatures of the land and sky. A wild bird can never be happy inside a cage, no matter how beautiful it was. The same applied here. These winged creatures were stuck inside a cage. A beautiful underwater cage, but a cage none the less.

"No." Akari shook her head in defiance. "No, you're not okay with that. I don't think any of you are."

The Guardians all cringed in concern when Queen Novo turned her cold eyes onto Akari. Sky Star held her breath.

"I understand you only did what you had to to save your people, but Iris is right. You weren't meant to live underwater for the rest of your lives. This isn't who you are!"

"That's enough out of you." The Queen warned, but the alicorn princess refused to back down.

Before the argument could go on any further, Iris quickly swam up, holding Akari back. "Your Majesty, please. You're not the only one who's had to face the Storm King's wrath. We're only trying to held the ones we love."

"And I'm only trying to protect the ones I love. If living down here is what keeps us alive, then so be it." The Queen stated firmly. She kept her sharp gaze upon the two, daring them to say another word. Akari was tempted to narrow her eyes in the same manner but withheld herself.

Deep down, Iris felt just as infuriated. She understood the queen's reasoning, but Akari did make a valid point. If they just hid underwater forever then the Storm King would have won. How can anyone be one hundred percent okay in just succumbing to fear and letting a monster take control of everything you know and love?

Iris wanted to try and reason with Novo, but she knew that an argument would only make matters worse. Neither reasoning or tough negotiation would get through to this Queen. She was unbendable.

A small little octopus swam up to the queen. "Yes, Jamal?" the little aquatic creature spoke in jitters, which Novo apparently seemed to understand. Her once stern demeanor changed in a blink, she was now beaming excitedly. "Ooh! Time for my seaweed wrap."

With that, she swam away, her little octopus companion chittering once more behind her. "Yes, a massage, too. Mama needs her deep tissue."

"Oh… my gosh!" Sky Star then gasped, her eyes shimmering like a child's on Heart's Warming Day upon seeing his presents under the tree. "Best... idea! You can stay with us… forever!"

The young princess squealed with excitement, and swan from one corner of the palace to the next, picking up various objects from within the anemones and sea-flower bouquets that adorned the throne room.

"Oh! There are so many things we can do! We can make friendship bracelets out of shells, and picture frames out of shells, and decorative wastebaskets out of shells. Oh, I have so many projects that involve shells! Now I have someone new to share them with! I mean, aside from my friends, Shelly and Sheldon."

Sky Star showed the Guardians two little oysters, a purple and pink one, each with a pair of goggling eyes. The pink one had eyelashes stick to them.

The entire time the sea princess was swimming around to her heart's content, fantasizing about the many fun activities she could do with her new friends, all the Guardians could do was stare as if they were watching Cookie Cream in another one of her sugar rush episodes.

Hiro and Nori appeared to be the only ones who actually found any interest in Sky Star's suggestions. Nori had spent most of her childhood with her widowed father traveling across the seas of Equestria before settling down in Harmony City bay, so Nori was no stranger to using shells to create beautiful accessories to pass the time and to share with her friends.

As for Hiro, he simply adored Sky Star's adorably bubbly personality. She was so impeccably similar to Cookie Cream. The daughter of his mentor was like a second baby sister to him, no doubt she would have loved Sky Star.

"Right? "Shelly"? And "Sheldon"? Get it?" SkyStar chuckled and snorted as she demonstrated her new friends to her self-made companions. Nori thought they were adorable, but the other Guardians had a different take on the matter.

The fact that this princess had to make up her own friends from nonliving objects indicated that the poor thing was very lonely. Just like her cousin, Iris too couldn't help but develop a soft spot for the kind-hearted young seapony. Such wide-eyed innocence always managed to warm the Avatar's heart.

Chrysalis had to admit, Sky Star did a pretty good job with these little oysters, and Sky Star looked so excited to begin the activities she had planned, but the changeling lowered her ears in regret at what she was about to say.

"We have to get back to our families." Mai said, absentmindedly reaching out for the hat floating above her head. Her long raven locks elegantly moving around her like a black current.

"Oh, no. Of course. Of course. Of course you have your own friends back home. It's fine. It's fine." SkyStar insisted, trying to act as if their words didn't make her feel like one of the guard's spears had ran right through her chest.

She desperately hoped she managed to fool them enough so that they wouldn't see how disappointed she was. That unavoidable sparkle in Sky Star's eyes had extinguished in the time it took the children to blink. They never thought someone's spirits could drop so quickly, but Sky Star managed to prove them wrong.

Sky Star wasn't angry at the Guardians. After all, they had people to get back to, and even if she was looking forward to finally having some friends, she knew in her heart that keeping them away from their loved ones would be a fate worse than being stuck underwater away from her childhood home.

"Shelly and Sheldon get jealous anyways." SkyStar whispered, making sure her oyster friends didn't hear. "Heh. It's probably for the best."

"But, you've got other friends here too, right?" Hiro asked the saddened seapony, ignoring the glare he got from Nori. She swatted him behind his head with her tail, silently questioning him why he would ask such a thing. It was clear Sky Star was disappointed enough as it was, did he really need to make it worse?

"Oh, uh, yes! Yes, absolutely! I have, plenty of friends." Sky Star insisted, but the nervous chuckles that sprinkled her words were a dead give away. "I mean, sure being the princess and all can make it a bit tricky since, hippogriffs look up to royalty, and my mom is pretty strict and--" realizing she was revealing a bit too much, Sky Star shook her head. "But it's fine! You're right, I can totally make new friends--I mean Hang-Hang with my new friends--No, I mean! Uh…"

Sky Star dropped her shoulders in defeat. She was really, really bad at hiding her emotions, unlike her mother. Novo was the ideal image of the picture perfect queen, something Sky Star could only ever hope to accomplish.

"Anyway… Yeah, I'll just, um…I'll get Mom to, uh, turn you back so you can go home." Sky Star swam off, holding Shelly and Sheldon close to her chest, her fin-shaped ears dropping sadly.

Hiro and Nori watched sadly as SkyStar disappeared behind a pillar. Hiro managed to catch the faintest hint of a stutter in the princess's tone. If it weren't for the salt water, he could have sworn he saw her about to cry.

Hiro bit his thumb and turned to the others. "Guys, I know we have to go, but you saw how disappointed Princess Sky Star was."

"Her and the rest of the seaponies." Nori pointed out. "I mean, I know the ocean can be a great place to live but, I'm a merpony. I was made for the ocean… they weren't."

"I agree." Gallant said. "They may be seaponies now, but they will always be hippogriffs at the core. No amount of metamorphosis can change that."

"Ruining lives seems to be the Storm King's calling." Chi muttered with visible bitterness, crossing her arms and gritting her teeth. "And he's disgustingly good at it."

Iris, Chrysalis and Mai agreed. Even Hozu felt bad about leaving the poor seapony princess alone by herself. It had been so long since he allowed himself to freely care about other people without the fear of hurting them, and looking at how scared and sad the seaponies really were, it made him feel a terrible ache in his chest.

Akari, on the other hand, was still trying to figure out a way on how they were going to get back home without the pearl. She refused to believe this was the end of the line for them. She refused to allow her nightmare to become a reality. There had to be another way.

Iris pondered on their situation for a bit. The queen was not going to hand them the pearl anytime soon, but the others made a good point. The Seaponies were indeed more depressed than the queen led them to believe. Even as she processed this she could feel the deafening silence filling the throne room and even outside, accompanied by the faint swishing of tail fins. The queen was only doing this to protect her subjects so…

"Couldn't we stay for just a liiiiittle longer?" Hiro asked hopefully, placing his thumb and index finger together.

"The queen is only keeping herself, Sky Star and everyone down here to protect them from the Storm King, right? But, I don't think she realizes just how miserable her subjects really are."

"Or she does and she's just too scared to face the Storm King again." Akari said, sounding more harshly than she had intended. Iris shrugged it off, understanding her friend's frustration, but the Avatar had a plan.

"Exactly. So, maybe we just have to remind them what they're missing back up there." Iris swam closer to Hiro, taking his hands into her own. "And, if there is anyone who knows how to cram a lifetime of fun into a blink of an eye, it's our very own Hiro Sato!"

The earthbender-turned merman smiled and rubbed his knuckles against his bear chest, then looked at his nails, looking all confident. "Well, can't argue with the facts. And Pinkie Pie did teach me everything she knows."

Akari swam up, "Iris, I know what you're getting at here but, what if Queen Novo still says no?"

"She might have said no to us, but who's to say she'll do the same to her subjects?" Chrysalis said. "I say it's worth a try. Besides, we're kind of out of other options here."

"So, your last chances of saving Equestria rests in you showing Sky Star and the rest of these sea--I mean, hippogriffs the best time ever?" Hozu asked, rather perplexed.

"Yep!" Hiro said enthusiastically. "Come on, guys! We've got a princess to cheer up!"

The other guardians swam after Hiro to find Sky Star, but the only ones who still lingered were Hozu and Akari. Hozu did so out of uncertainty. Their last means of getting the help they needed rested on having a little party? Well, it worked with the sky pirates, maybe it could work on the seaponies. After all, these Guardians were full of surprises--including Iris--they just might surprise him yet again.

Akari lingered longer, looking up at the jellyfish that still held the pearl. How easy would it be to just… No, no, no, no. Akari shook her head so rapidly that bubbles practically blinded her vision. Iris had a plan so she should trust her. After all, they were a team.

But, what if their plan wouldn't be enough? What if something went wrong again? Worst case scenario, the queen denies them again. Akari took one last lingering look at the jellyfish and swam off behind her friends.

The image of the pearl within her grasp trailed at the back of her mind like a vail.

Princess SkyStar curled herself into a corner of the palace. She was going to keep her word. She would find her mother and ask her to change the Guardians back into themselves so they could return home. Sky Star held her breath, bitting into her cheek to keep the tears from coming out. She had only just met these guys and yet, she already felt like a part of her was being ripped right out of her.

She felt the tears already presaging her of their inevitable escape but she whittled herself. "It's probably for the best." She said. A sob had managed to make its way out of her mouth and she quickly sucked in her lips.

"No, no! Princesses don't cry… princesses… don't… cry." SkyStar closed her eyes shut to the point that they ached. She tried to stop the tears, but they wouldn't obey.

The princess heard the sound of moving bubbles and when she opened her eyes she saw Shelly and Sheldon, both being held by Hiro who spoke to her using funny voices to match the two. The gesture made Sky Star smile for a moment.

Sky Star beamed with excitement. All of the Guardians, Hozu included, wanted to stay around longer to have fun with her. As wonderful as it was, it probably wouldn't matter knowing they would have to leave at some point. Sky Star didn't want to be selfish, especially towards such brave folks, she just didn't have the heart to let them stay just for her sake.

Hiro gestured to Sky Star to follow him. She tilted her head in confusion, only to be surprised when the rest of the Guardians all gave her a friendly push out the palace entrance and swam out the palace and into the seapony kingdom.

The Guardians may have still needed help, but even so, they genuinely wanted Sky Star and her fellow subjects regain something they had lost. It wasn't fair that they were stuck underwater, afraid of the Storm King. They knew they could have their lives back, they just needed some reminding.

And if there was any group that made it their life's mission to make new friends and bring them happiness, it was the Guardians of Harmony!

To start off their fun, the Guardians all did some funny faces on the reflective surface of a small shell, which was revealed to be so small it fit Hiro's palm. He tossed it to Nori, who worked her skills and created a beautiful seashell friendship necklace with seashells that carried the colors that corresponded with each of the Guardians themselves. The green and purple ones made the center. Iris kindly wrapped the new gift around Sky Star's neck.

It was such a small, little gift… and it was more precious to Sky Star than the rarest of ocean pearls.

Both Hiro and Nori took one of Sky Star's fins and spun around her as the other Guardians swam around, encouraging the princess to join them. Maybe they couldn't stay for long, but maybe spending this little time together would be enough. And who knows, maybe these small things can actually become larger than Sky Star had hoped.

One thing was certain, for once in her life she finally felt like she had friends who genuinely wanted to befriend her, rather than treat her with such respect due to her royal tittle. She was not about to waste another moment.

The kids swam alongside some large fish, some even mounted onto them. Hozu even rode on one as if it were a surfboard. Iris giggled at his antics, as did Sky Star. That looked like a lot of fun.

Nori had already made some more seashell necklaces and handed them to the bypassing seaponies, who looked at the children in surprise. Several of the younger seaponies dared to leave their homes and swim out to see what all the fuss was about. These surface dwellers certainly knew how to have fun.

Each of the Guardians took a single fish and when they squeezed it, bubbles came out. They chased one another, squirting bubbles as if they were guns, pretending they were having an all out war to the death. Sky Star laughed out loud at Nori's over exaggerated 'death-scene' at her own fins. Hiro even ambushed the two with a sneak attack of his own.

But, while everyone else was singing, one pony in particular couldn't stop thinking about her dream, the Storm King, the destroyed Hippogriff city… and the pearl.

The Guardians dispersed, only to welcome more of the seaponies to join the fun. Gallant Steed, being the gentlecolt that he was, offered his hoof to a shy-looking seapony, asking her to join along with more teenager seaponies.

Mai and Nori called upon even the adults and the younger ones to come along. They were a bit hesitant at first, until both Mai and Iris showered them with the seashell necklaces Nori had made. Not only were these strangers colorful, fun and charming, but they were kind as well. It had been so long since the hippogriffs had experienced this type of kindness from strangers.

This managed to encourage the shy creatures to join in the simple fun. It wasn't much, just a group of friends doing small things together. And yet, those small things seemed to mean so much more.

Hozu watched in amazement. Their plan was actually working. The seaponies were having fun, and they were glowing.

Their light illuminated the dark ocean, bringing in an assortment of radiant colors.

However, Hozu noticed that somebody wasn't joining the fun. His eyes caught the sight of a familiar pink and blue figure swimming away from the activities. Before he could comprehend exactly what he was doing, he followed the figure, while Queen Novo swam out of her seaweed wrap appointment, narrowing her eyes and looking out to see what all the commotion was about.

To her surprise, she saw all of her subjects not only singing and dancing like they did when they lived above land, but shimmering with bright colors in a way Novo never imagined they could do. And those surface dwellers were right in the middle of it all.

Iris held a floating tiny jellyfish in her palm while a row of seaponies danced behind her.

Mai swam up swaying her hips near a tall jellyfish alongside more seapony singers.

Nori found a microphone and got some teenage male seaponies to form a small band with seashells for drums and a seaweed made guitar. One male seapony was dark blue with warm brown eyes and he swam alongside Nori as she belted it out like the musical diva she was.

Chrysalis swam up, moving two seashells to create a shimmering bubble heart behind her.

Gallant Steed came along with a conga line, as did Chi, only hers was even longer.

Hiro and SkyStar swam around, both holding onto each other's fins, swimming in a circle alongside other seaponies who copied their movements and several sea turtles who's shells began to glow and change colors. Once, the sea kingdom was illuminated mainly by the purplish lights of the palace of the seaponies's homes, but now an array of colors were seen at every turn. Life had been restored to the kingdom, and the seaponies felt alive once more.

Singing and dancing like this, it was just like back above when they flew together, celebrating their freedom to fly. Swimming was a lot like flying, but remaining in the darkness of the ocean sucked away so much of their spirits.

Queen Novo swam up, emerging from the crowd of seaponies, all of which bowed their heads. Their beautiful glows didn't falter, but they ceased their festivities in the presence of their Queen.

Novo was just about ready to school her daughter about interrupting her seaweed wrap, but when she arrived… her stern expression softened.

Sky Star was always such a lively child, but for the first time in so many years, she saw a new kind of radiance shone out of her that she hadn't seen in years. Memories from when little Sky Star would soar above the clouds with such fearless joy came back into Novo's mind, making the hardened edges of her heart slowly start to crumble.

Even her subjects looked different. They were glowing in a way Novo hand't seen in years. She didn't realize just how disconsolate her entire life had become. Seeing her daughter and subjects so content had restored something in Novo she hadn't realized had been forgotten.

Sky Star didn't know how she could ever thank her new friends. To think, this short time together made up for all those years she felt so isolated and bored. The other still shimmeringly colorful seaponies gathered around their new friends as Sky Star took Hiro and Nori's hands and hooves into her fins.

The three twirled together. Sky Star felt her heart swell up with an indescribable joy she was compelled to hug her two new friends a hug. The two felt their own hearts fill up with that same exact joy.

Sky Star's eyes sparkled when she saw her mother, for once, not all stern and disapproving of all the noise, but genuinely happy. She reached out for her mother, inviting her to join the fun. Once she was surrounded by all of her subjects, in that instant, Novo's own scales began to shimmer and glow. Their happiness reached her heart, which was soaring.

The seaponies and the two royals danced and sang the final note. Sky Star and Novo struck a final pose and the queen, much to Sky Star's surprise and delight… She laughed!

Queen Novo was flipping around and laughing as if she were a teenager again. Iris held her hands close to her heart. Her plan worked. They not only gained new friends, but they even helped restore their spirits. This enough to give Iris and the others the hope they needed, and the hope these Hippogriffs needed.

Iris and Mai hugged Hiro, who wrapped his arms around his younger sister and older cousin. Chi hugged all three of them, and Nori, Gallant and Chrysalis joined in. Gallant ruffled Hiro's hair. The children laughed along with the queen and the other seaponies.

Once Novo managed to calm herself, Sky Star swam up, giving her mother a gleeful grin. The queen giggled. "Well, I guess there is one small thing we can do."

The Guardians gasped with delight. The teachings of their mentors rang true in their ears and hearts. Friendship was truly the most powerful magic of all, and it was the kind of magic that would save their home. There was no doubt about it.

"Wait." Iris voiced out, looking around, gently lowering her father's scarf which floated in front of her face. "Where's Akari?"

The sound of an alarm blared, echoing through the waves. Several puffer fish puffed up and one by one the seaponies lost their shimmering glows. Parents gathered their children while others swam in fear back to their homes while frightfully shouting.

The sound of a familiar cry was heard. The other Guardians saw Akari, rolling in the water as if she had been pushed and lost her balance. She was thrown out of the opening of the palace, waving her front hooves in a desperate attempt to regain her balance.

"Akari!" Iris and Gallant Steed hurried to her side to help the dizzy alicorn princess. Akari shook her head, rubbing it with her hoof. She gasped, her eyes staring at the opening of the palace.

Sky Star and Novo exchanged worried looks and swam ahead. The Guardians followed behind them, Akari swimming even faster than the others.

Once they had arrived, the sound of the alarm grew louder to the point it boomed in their ears. The gentle flashing of a red light came from above the throne, from the large jellyfish that guarded the magical pearl. Its tendrils had been extended, holding the pearl in one tendril, while the others had wrapped themselves around the intruder, who struggled to break free. Each movement caused the jellyfish to sting him.

Iris gasped, her head flooding with questions while Akari merely looked terrified. Queen Novo looked equally horrified, which quickly changed into a look of unadulterated outrage. She literally growled like an angry lion, her scales rising and the edges of her wing-shaped fins became sharper.

Sky Star held her fins over her mouth in shock and worry as her mother swam up towards Hozu, taking the pearl away by force. Her movements sending a chill up Hozu's spin and he stopped struggling to break free of the jellyfish. The stings he received couldn't be any worse than what the queen would do to him now.

But Novo didn't listen. She forcibly dragged her daughter away from the intruders. The glow of happiness that once surrounded her had disappeared. Now all that filled her heart was nothing but rage and the sting of betrayal.

"This is why we don't bring strangers into our home!" Novo exclaimed. Sky Star had never felt more afraid of her mother in her life. She managed to pry herself off of her mother's tight grip, but the force of it still lingered.

Iris swam up, daring to speak up to the enraged royal. "Queen Novo, I'm sure this is all a big misunderstanding. Hozu wouldn't--"

"You dare speak to me after what you just did?!" For the first time, Queen Novo's normally leveled authoritative tone grew louder than it ever had. It was enough to make Iris recoil in terror. Chi held Iris back protectively, while a trembling Akari was secured in Gallant Steed's hooves.

"Toying with my daughter's emotions and those of my subjects just to get what you want!"

Akari's eyes widened and she could feel herself shrink in Gallant's embrace. She still couldn't get her voice to work. The Queen towered over them, her wings spread out like a bird of pray ready to attack. The Guardians huddled together, terrified at what she would do. The shadows of the ocean had transformed her face into a horrifying creature.

Novo's voice was ominous as she held the pearl close to her face, the light making the details of her angry expression more defined as the magic swirled within the pearl. The same energy surrounded the Guardians and Hozu, freeing him from his bindings, only rather than the warmth they had experienced during their first transformation, all they could feel was the coldness of the Queen's heart.

The Guardians and Hozu screamed as the energy engulfed them, keeping them contained and ricocheting them out of the palace, out of their kingdom and back to the surface from which they came.

Sky Star reached out her fin in a final desperate attempt to grab at least one of their hands or hooves, but it was too late. They were gone. The seaponies outside watched the whole ordeal and swam back to their homes. The happiness they once felt had evaporated and they returned to their dull undersea lives.

Sky Star's lower lip trembled and sniffed while her mother placed the pearl back into the jellyfish where it belonged.

Sky Star shrunk down, but then something, something she wasn't entirely sure what it was, took over. Rather than succumb to her mother's authority, Sky Star spoke back.

"This isn't our way of life!" Sky Star snapped, for the first time, daring to tower over her own mother. "We don't belong in the ocean, Mom! We belong up there, on Mount Aris! Our home!"

"This is our home now!" Novo exclaimed, both mother and daughter competing to be the bigger pony. "Here we are safe!"

"I am the Queen! I know what's best for my people! I know what's best for you!"

"Didn't you see what happened before?! When was the last time you saw everyone this happy, Mom? When?!"

"I know you want to keep us safe from the Storm King, but this isn't who we are. You might be content with hiding away forever while the Storm King keeps destroying lives, but I'm not! I don't want to live like this anymore, none of us do, and I know you don't either!"

Sky Star finally stopped, her eyes widened in terror and her body shrinking back when her mother, eyes shimmering as if she would cry, raised her fin up in a threatening manner. Novo's fin trembled, her mind debating on whether or not she should act out on such a manner. She didn't even know what came over her, but the idea of facing the Storm King again had triggered something within her she couldn't control until she saw the frightened look on her daughter's face.

Novo finally decided not to act on her impulses and lowered her fin, her eyes filled with regret. "When you're Queen, you will understand."

Sky Star turned away from her mother, refusing to look back as she swam towards the exit of the palace, but not before saying her final words.

With that, Sky Star swam out, her voice trembling and Queen Novo was left alone. She sat on her throne, taking in a deep breath, masking her pain. Just like she always did.

The Little Pony legend: The Guardians of Harmony

by MaggiesHeartLove

Princess Sky Star and the seaponies