//------------------------------//
// Resort: Baited 
// Story: Dan Vs. The Magic of Friendship(Season 1) 
// by Barrobroadcaster 
//------------------------------//

While Dan and the others were busy planning, Chrys was trying to keep an eye on Fluffle Puff and also get information from the sea ponies. She wasn't sure if she could turn into a sea pony, but felt as though she could. She still didn't want to risk transforming in front of anypony. It was best to keep the details of her powers secret from those who didn't know.

Khan stood behind her next to Cap. Behind both of them, Tuxley and Reginald were keeping an eye on things. Blast Fuse, Blast Powder and Fluffle were playing with the sea ponies. They didn't need to speak the same language to understand fun.

Chrys held the communicator aloft with her magic. "Why did you come to Ponyville?" she asked. She thought it best to start with non-aggressive questions. A yellow one with a purple mane, a mare if Chrys could tell, looked back at the others and then swam over to her.

"Eeeeessh-allll haasssssssaaaa errrrsssh kolla verrr. Sshaasss sala bassey-neth  ko-korassssss." The sea pony language wasn't one that made much of an audible difference on the surface. Most of their sounds were long versions of the same syllables, a combination of high and low hisses and croaks. Their voices resembled water hitting water, in drips, waves or in streams. It was somewhat like listening to a waterfall with a changing flow.

The translator did its job after a few moments. "Translation: The Seers foretold you would attack us first. Our House was chosen to preemptively strike your invasion force because we were the weakest. The God wished to end your threat."

"The god?" Chrys asked. This could be bad. "What god? You mean your god?"

"Seeeeeeshaaa allla bassy-neth. Koo-kun bashtalla orson bassey-neth." The yellow one swam in a circle while speaking.

"Translation," the communicator piped again, "The god Poseidon is a god from Earth. He was summoned to help us conquer Equestria and then Earth."

"A god? A REAL god?" Chrys asked, stepping closer. "That's incredibly... dangerous. We weren't planning on invading you! And neither was Earth! I think. How did you even summon a god?!"

"Hish! Hish! Hish! Hish!" She laughed, spinning again. A few others nearby overhead Chrys and laughed as well. Part of their communication appeared to be movement. Spinning or swimming in a circle seemed to be intrigue or interest, maybe their way of saying they were happy. There were more pensive-looking sea ponies in the detention retention pond that were either swimming slowly face up on their backs or face down, possibly indicating regret or maybe reflection.

"Kasala horsh bassey-neth. Ke-koon kalla bassy-neth. Orsh orsh essshhhh alla seeeees bah-ralla."

"Translation: You have been stockpiling weapons for some time. We watch you and we have seen this. Your conquest of the griffons and zebras has not gone unnoticed. We realized we were next and so attacked you first." The translator's voice came out stoic, but the yellow mare was smiling at her. She seemed friendly. The translator continued, "We summoned a god to help us invade you, but the god does not listen. It is incomplete and dormant now, but we suspect he is regaining his strength along with the others."

Chrys felt her throat knot. "Others? You summoned OTHER gods?" She shook her head. This was a lot to take in, even for what they normally had to take in. There were now apparently gods among them and more than one, at least to the sea ponies. They could be anything. "So you summoned a god to help you. You don't worship it?"

"Essshhh. Esssh-ala-torssssss. Seeeeg seeeg bassey-neth, tun-tors-tala." Some of the 'phrases' seemed the same, same pronunciation but with a different. Yes, eeeeesh, seeeeesh and essssssh seemed to be similar phrases. Bassey-neth was another phrase repeated often.

"Computer, what does Bassey-ness mean?"

"Translation bassey. Bas is the sea distinguished from the land or sky. Sey is of family or part of, included or one with. Ne is not, combined with ne-eth to form not of. Bassey-neth means "not of the family of sea or seas."

Chrys nodded. She was referring to them. Bassey were the sea ponies, bassey-neth were the not-sea ponies. Her mind chuckled at the way "not-sea" sounded like Nazi. She'd have to tell Dan that one later; he'd probably use it to poke fun at Springer with, even though she wasn't a "nazi pegasus" any more. Nazi ponies had been Dan's name for the Enclave when they were evil, not entirely inaccurate at the time for Equestria.

It sounded like they didn't worship this god, as in, it wasn't a god to them but rather something close to it. God might have a different meaning all together, but it was probably very dangerous anyway. Poseidon... Chrys would have to remember that name Maybe Dan knew what it meant.

Chrys laid down on her belly at the edge of the pond. She stuck a hoof into the water. Her new 'friend' came closer. "What's your name?"

The sea pony mare stuck an elongated fin-leg into the water. "Rrrsshaa. Rsssh qo-cop esssh?"

"Translation: Aura. What is your name." The translator couldn't tell it had been a question.

Chrys smiled. "I'm Chrys. It's nice to meet you, Aura. My friend you were playing with earlier is Fluffle Puff. Are you the leader here?" As she asked, Fluffle Puff came swimming by adorably, carried by some of her foodimal friends.

She dove a bit, lowering herself but her purple eyes kept in contact with Chrys'. Chrys had to admit, she was very cute for an aquatic horse. Diving was apparently a negative response. "Kssss. Ksssss. Krsssss." She tried to say Chrys' name. "Krssss. Krrrrssss." She gargled some water in her mouth and then said a long, "Krssshhhhhhrrssss" but it still wasn't quite right.

"Hehe, that's close enough. Are you all from Canterlantis? If you don't attack us any more, we can let you go," Chrys said.

"Urrssss? Tol-tallas urrssss son shalla. Urrrsssss-aaaaaa allas bassey-neth. Koo-kun tolas. Orson kan-shalla tas. Neth shalla ors."

"Translation: Not Canterlantis aware of. Of new home Rapture. Long before of home here. Home now of apart sea ponies. Only attack to defend of new home. Desire of not attack."

Chrys nodded. The translator still only had a few key phrases and wasn't programmed with their full language. It was reaching the current end of its usefulness, at least until it heard and was able to decipher more of their language. The communicator needed time to process the new information. But Chrys understood and at the same time didn't understand. Not aware of Canterlantis? Or was Rapture their name for Canterlantis? Or another place entirely?

The good news was, they didn't want to attack any more. So there was still a chance for peace, maybe even a good one. There was one thing Chrys needed to ask.

"Thank you for answering my questions. Do you know where your leader is? The leader of the attack, maybe your army here?"

Aura's smile turned into a frown. She swam up to Chrys and touched her hoof lightly. "Ssssrrrr rrrsssssh. Essss eeeeees bassey. Eeeees essss bassey-neth. Orson tun-tola, shalla tol ursssss . Essssss alla essh. Orson-talla."

"Translation: Commander Aura. Of army leader myself. Of Rapture leader Charles Milton Porter. Minerva's Den deep-side, calculations within to predict leadership necessity. He is there. Because instruction attack Charles Milton Porter of myself warriors."

"Charles Milton Porter," Chrys repeated. "That's the name of your leader?"

Surprisingly, the sea pony nodded. She was beginning to understand more of Chrys' mannerisms just from seeing her. She pointed at Chrys.

She shook her head. "No, I'm not the leader here. Our leader is... missing. We're looking for her." Aura dipped the edge of one fin into the water, creating a ring that flowed out from around it. Chrys could tell she meant "I'm sorry."

It was beginning to make sense to her. Subtle gestures were deeper emotions, deeper messages while quicker movements were more excited ones. Touching her meant "I want to know about you" and any abrupt change of motion meant move on or change of subject. Repeating the same motion quicker conveyed urgency and words were centered around details. Probably the reason why the translator had difficulty was that there were many words it didn't know, a lot of details.

"Thank you for talking to me," Chrys said. From having interacted with her, Chrys was confident she could change into a sea pony now. Already she could feel how it would be like to alter her body that way, what she would need to remember to do to adjust her physical structure to get it just right. Changing, as with most forms of magic, were more art than science, but they depended on the target.

"I'll do my best to see about getting you and your friends released soon," Chrys said.

"Has-has-has-has! Hashashashashas! Bassey! Bassey-neth-bassey-bassey-krrss!" Aura clapped delightedly and dove back into the water. Several of the others swam off with her.

Fluffle, Blast Fuse and Blast Powder climbed out of the pool. The Blast Sisters were wearing snorkels for some reason. They were both carrying a pile of foodimals while Fluffle had several foodimals attached to her.

"We're taking them with us."

"Don't judge us!"

"Thppp."

"You three look like you had fun," Chrys said.

Fusey nodded. "They said we had to collect them all. So we're collecting them all."

"I support this entirely."

"Thpp-thpp-thppp-thp." I am their queen now. I shall deliver my people to the promised land.

Chrys smiled. "Well, I can't really argue with that, can I? C'mon, guys. Let's go home." They carried the foodimals back in the direction of the library.

The foodimals themselves appeared after one of the pet stores in Ponyville was demolished. How they came to be at a pet store in the first place was a mystery. They were very much homeless until Fluffle Puff adopted them. The Blast Sisters had become involved with them as well, not hesitating at the chance to play.

Meanwhile, on the other side of the pond, Khan was in his own state of reflection. He was keenly aware of Tuxley and Reginald watching him, but they weren't bothering him. He looked up at Cloudsdale, up at the Reliant-R still docked there. So close and yet so far away.

"It's quite interesting, is it not?" Khan asked. He looked over his shoulder at the tyrannosaurus and crystal pony. "The Starfleet vessel. It's not entirely out of place moored on the side of Cloudsdale, is it? I find it... poetic."

"Poetic. Yes," Tuxley said, not looking up at the vessel. "Equestria is quite accommodating to guests and visitors of all varieties. Traveler, sojourner, wanderer and all, this place is a refuge for the displaced. Within reason, of course."

Khan turned to Tuxley. It was evening now, the moon rising high. The augment's face and the reptile's face were both half-illuminated by the moon, along with Reginald. Half in light, half cast in darkness.

"You don't trust me," Khan said.

"Trust and distrust are both earned," Tux replied. "You've earned neither, Mr. Singh. I remain... suspicious." Reginald cleared his throat.

Khan stepped forward. "Ah, but what have I done to earn your suspicion?" he asked. "I am but one of the humble displaced, as you said. Here not of my own accord but because someone willed it. Surely these... unique circumstances merit the slightest consideration?"

And that was the first time Tux had made a mistake with Khan. A battle of words, he had lost, as a response to Khan's words was lost on him. He had no justification for his own suspicion, nothing but his own prejudgment based on an old VHS tape he kept in his museum. In that moment, Tux began to feel himself do something he knew he'd regret: he began to give Khan the benefit of the doubt. His mistrust began to melt away.

It hadn't just been the way Khan had phrased it, but the way he had said it. It was a genuine question rather than a statement of fact. For the first time, Khan Noonien Singh was being... humble. Sincere. And that disarmed the gentleman dinosaur.

"Perhaps they do, your highness," Tuxley said. "Perhaps they do. There is something you could do to alleviate concerns, Khan."

"And that is?"

"May I inquire as to why you are here? What is it you wish from Equestria?" Tux asked.

Khan looked down for a moment, his folded arms going slack. Instead of a young warrior-prince, he looked like the weary traveler he was, old before his time. "I will tell you... I presume you're aware of my... less-fortunate exploits."

"Very much so, yes."

"Then you're aware of what I have been through. But to actually feel it is... indescribable," Khan said, looking back up at them. "I was born into a world of war, raised to be a conqueror and leader of men. I had wealth and..." he stopped himself, realizing he had said the exact words before. "I lost everything. Three times over... I lost everything."

Tux adjusted his top hat. "Three times, you were born into a world not of your own. Three times you did try to conquer such a world, to subjugate it and bend it to your will. And three times you failed only to be frozen in time to be awakened in yet another world. A man out of time, never quite in the right place."

"No," Khan glared at him, though they knew he wasn't angry at them. "No, I only failed once. I failed to conquer a world once. I failed to receive a second chance twice. Once because of anger... and once because of fate."

"So you want another chance? Another chance to build your kingdom?"

"Another chance to build something... superior," Khan clarified. He nodded. "Yes, that is what I want."

Tuxley turned to look up at the vessel. Moored in the clouds, the moonlight shined off the surface of its hull, almost making it look like it was part of Cloudsdale itself. Not quite, however, for its powerful and recently-repaired engines, Tux knew were ready to take flight. She was almost ready to be launched.

"As you know, Reginald and I are collectors of things from other places. When I first saw your vessel being flown by Gust Grasp over Ponyville, I knew there would be something worth collecting on board," Tux said, looking at the ship. "That's why I became a museum curator. Daring Do and Reginald and I... we believe that collecting these things can show people that all these things that seem so different are all part of the same world, in a way. We're all... connected... in that way."

"Noble," Khan said, hands on his hips again. But he meant it genuinely. "Am I to be part of your collection, then?"

"Your story, perhaps, with your permission," Tux said. "But my museum has much from other places. There are, perhaps, some things that might help you on your own journey."

Khan smiled. "I appreciate that. But I want to tell you something else," he turned and pointed to the ship again. "You were correct in thinking there's something worth collecting aboard that ship. There is a device on board, powerful enough to reshape an entire planet."

Tuxley's jaw dropped. "A Genesis device?! THE Genesis torpedo?"

"That's... oh goodness, sir! That's almost unthinkable!" Reginald exclaimed, breaking his silence.

The tall augment shook his head. "Genesis-2. A successor project." If Tux and Reginald's jaws weren't already on the floor, they'd have dropped further. "That is the purpose of Reliant-R. Her mission, her crew's mission was to continue research on the reborn Project Genesis in order to create a new device capable of creating habitable worlds."

"But... the original project..."

"Was a catastrophic failure, I'm aware," Khan said, holding up his hand. "Undaunted, the Federation is once again trying to continue this program. Unfortunately, their vessel is here... which is why I want it to be sent back. Once our intrepid leader is finished using it, of course," Khan said, looking at them straight in the eyes. "But I want to be sent back to my own universe as the commander of that vessel. To use as I see fit."

"For revenge?"

Khan stared him back firmly. "For a second chance."

They were quiet for a long moment after that. There were no further verbal sparring matches in that time and they simply watched as the moonlight danced across the water and Equestria. A shooting star flew by somewhere in the distance, a meteor hurtling towards Equestria. When they were done, Tuxley told him he would tell Twilight and that they would consider everything he said. For better or worse, Khan had received the benefit of the doubt.

Chrys, the Blasties and their pets arrived back at the library. The foodimals had not been scanned by the security system so Fluffle held them extra tight so they would be protected. Chrys knocked on the door even though she could've just entered.

Dan opened the door. "Okay, now who-AAAAAAAGH!" The foodimals jumped on him. "AAAGH, GET IT OFF! GET IT OFF! WAIT" He stopped struggling, "These are squeak toys." He held up a hot dog-shaped foodimal.

"Brrrrrrbb?"

He squeaked it. "Living food squeaky toys. Why? Why are there living food squeaky toys now?"

Chrys trotted past him. "Because Fluffle wanted them. And our fluffy princess gets what she wants." She kissed her boyfriendu.

Dan held the squeaky toy for a long time. Fluffle Puff rose up from off-camera and placed a cheeseburger foodimal on his head. Dan's eyes went up to it and the creature purred.

"Blasties!" Dan yelled.

The pair popped up and saluted. "Yes, D-Boss?"

"It's just Dan," he shoved the foodimals in their face. "Find someplace to put these. If someone mistakes them for food, I'm not going to be held responsible. In fact," he thought, "I have a plan."

"Ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooh."

"Yes, I'll tell you about it later. Chrys!" He yelled.

"Yes, awesome boyfriend?"

Dan dove onto the couch back in the living room. "Intel from the sea ponies! Were you able to get them to talk, what did they say and how much torture did it require?"

"Yes, a lot and none at all," Chrys said.

"Explain, awesome girlfriend." So she did.