//------------------------------// // Chapter 20: Beauty Treatment! Sombra's Ambitions // Story: A Little Girls Love // by darkmage1997 //------------------------------// On board the Pirate Galleon, there was a meeting being held between the captain of the fleet of pirate ships, and his fellow pirates, "I'm not happy. I'm not happy one little bit," the captain said. He was a teenage boy a little older than the Fujiyama brothers. He had wild, black hair, and menacing brown eyes. "We understand your dissatisfaction, but make no mistake. We're already trying to find another mermaid as we speak," a girl pirate said. She had short, purple hair done in a bob with deep, blue eyes. "THAT'S NOT WHY I AM UPSET!" the captain yelled, smashing away all of the plates on the table, "Now that our incompetent crews let that one mermaid get away, it may be a matter of time before she warns the rest of her kind!" the captain yelled. "You worry to much Markus," a boy with a growly voice said. He was wearing what looked to be the pelt of a wolf, "For all we know, she may have been taken to some mainland city that we can't properly attack," he added. "That's a chance I don't want to take, Luke. We can't afford to let our biggest haul to be even further out of our reach," Markus said. It was then, a shadowy mist began to swirl around the meeting room, "What is this?! Did someone burn something again?!" Markus demanded. "Not me! I keep all flammable stuff on a separate ship!" a boy dressed as a chef argued. It was then that the mist solidified into the form of King Sombra. "A unicorn? Their horns go for a high price on the black market! Luke, grab it!" Markus ordered. Like a wild animal, Luke pounced on Sombra, who merely turned back into mist, which caused Luke to phase through. When he solidified again, Sombra fired a small magic blast at Luke, knocking him out. "Hold your fire. I come with a proposition," Sombra stated. "We don't talk with our targets. We only take what we want from them, and feed the rest to the sharks!" Markus declared. "Hear me out. I know of the mermaid you seek, and I have a deal I want to make with you if you wish to capture her," Sombra stated. This caught the attention of the pirates. "You have our attention," Markus said. With a smirk, Sombra began explaining his deal. The next morning arrived quickly, and Mavis was graciously taking her time in getting dressed for her next session with the Nymphs. She eventually settled on an outfit consisting of a grassy green tank top and ocean blue shorts. She packed an additional set of clothes into her satchel, "You seem happy," Shuppet commented. "Oui. Mon teachers are going to continue helping moi out with training today," Mavis replied. "I thought you were done with that yesterday?" Swablu asked. "I was done with Nymph training. But they want to do an additional session today to help me out with... another part of moi, as well as teaching moi about some beauty regiments," Mavis replied, putting a few rubber ducks in her satchel. "I just wish we could go with you," Furfrou commented. "I wish so too, but mon teachers made it clear that males are not permitted in the grotto," Mavis said, nuzzling the Poodle Pokémon. "Well, hopefully whatever they want to do doesn't take terribly long," Togepi said. "I should be back before suppertime," Mavis said, as she and her Pokémon left her room, and made their way to the dining room. Along the way, they met up with Nathan, and his Pokémon Partner, Hawlucha. "Mornin' Mavis. Ya look to be in good spirits," Nathan commented. "Yeah, she's eager to get back to that Grotto place and do something with the nymphs," Swablu replied for Mavis. "She appears to have enjoyed her time there yesterday," Hawlucha commented. "Oui, that I did," Mavis replied. "Well, just as long as ya ain't pushing yourself," Nathan said. "Non, the sessions were not at all difficult. In fact, it was more like, how do you say, playtime," Mavis replied, as they all arrived at the dining room. There, they saw that the chefs had set out a small, buffet style table for the family. Cadence and Shining Armor were already sat down for breakfast. "Ah, good morning Nathan, Mavis. I trust you both slept alright?" Cadence asked. "Yup," Nathan replied. "I went straight to bed after I got home," Mavis replied. "Well, you did have a busy day yesterday," Shining Armor said. "Anyway, be sure to eat a good breakfast, sweetie. I'll be taking you back to the Grotto after breakfast," Cadence said. "Oui Maman," Mavis said, as she and Nathan went to make themselves some breakfast. Mavis settled for a small stack of pancakes and syrup, while Nathan went for eggs and toast. "So, what kind o' trainin' did they give ya yesterday?" Nathan asked. "Well, there were eight of them, each with their own hobby. Sky taught moi about music, Tabby taught moi about natural medicine, and Dana taught moi about how to get natural cooking ingredients, like honey," Mavis explained, as she ate her breakfast. After a few minutes, they had all finished their breakfast. "Let's just freshen up, and we can head out, Mavis," Cadence said. Mavis retreated back to her room, where she brushed her teeth, and brushed her hair. With that, she grabbed her satchel, and made her way to the foyer, where Cadence was waiting, "Alright Mavis, let's get going," Cadence said, as she and her daughter made their way back to the mountains. Back in the Nymph Grotto, The eight Nymphs were all fluttering about, trying to get things ready for the return of their student, "Ok, that takes care of snacks," Dana commented, preparing larges batches of cookies. "I prepared the water baths," Marina added. "All that's left is for Mavis to get here, and we can help her with her gorgon powers," Yuki added. "Yes. That will be our first order of business. Mavis should not fear her powers," Wanda said. "Good thing I still had this book on gorgons in my room," Cosmo said, pulling out a small tome. "Well, I guess we're all set then. I'll go and keep a look out for Mavis and Cadence," Marina said, heading out into the lake. Needless to say, she was pretty excited to spend more time with her student. She resurfaced slightly near the shore. It was a moment before she saw a blur of pink in the distance. Upon closer inspection, she saw that it was Cadence, carrying Mavis in her arms, "YOO HOO! Over here!" Marina waved. "Hello Marina," Cadence greeted. "Bonjour Marina," Mavis greeted. "Hello Princess, Mavis. I hope the trek up here wasn't too terribly difficult," Marina commented. "Not at all. The path was for the most part fairly even, so it wasn't too difficult," Cadence replied. "Well, that's good. So Mavis, are you ready for today's session?" Marina asked. "Oui, Marina," Mavis replied. "Alright, like yesterday, I trust you'll bring her back safe and sound once your done?" Cadence asked. "Of course! She'll be safe and sound when I bring her back," Marina replied. "Ok then. Now Mavis, you be a good girl like always for your teachers," Cadence said, planting a small kiss on her daughter's forehead. "Ok Maman, I will see you later then," Mavis said, hugging the pink alicorn, who returned the hug. "Have fun now!" Cadence called out, as she went back to the Crystal Empire. "Ok then, let's get going Mavis," Marina said, as she and her student swam to the grotto. Back with Sombra and the Pirates, "...And that is what I want out of you. In exchange, you may keep and do whatever you need with the mermaid," Sombra finished explaining himself. "Hmm, a very devious plot, that be. Fortunately for you, we pirates don't give a hoot about civilians, so we can help you by any means to conquer that land," Markus replied. "Of course, if you happen to skimp out on your end of the bargain, ye be in for a keelhauling!" Luke howled. "Ye will be sent to Davy Jones' Locker if we be sensing any foul play!" the girl stated. "I get what you all are saying. And don't worry, it matters not to me what becomes of that girl after I get my land," Sombra said. "Well then, the question now is 'when are we setting sail'?" Markus asked. "Don't worry. Leave everything to me," Sombra mused. "But what about those ponies who made ye walk the plank last time ye crossed them?" the girl pirate asked. "Aoi is right. We have faith in our vast numbers, but we may not be a match for them if they try what they pulled with you," Markus commented. "Don't worry about that either. I have it covered," Sombra said, as he used his magic to summon the black mist. "What are ye doing, ye scurvy dog!?" Markus demanded. "Tell me, do you crave power?" Sombra asked maliciously, as the mist spread across the entire fleet. The agonized sounds of pain from all the pirates echoed through that patch of ocean. Back with Mavis, Having reentered the grotto, Marina dried off Mavis' tail, returning the young girl to human form, "Ok then, let's go meet with the others," Marina said, as she led Mavis into the temple. "Merci, once more lending moi the poncho," Mavis said, pulling the poncho out, and giving it back to Marina. "You're very welcome Mavis. And don't worry. For today's lesson won't require anything special," Marina said, accepting the poncho, as they met up with the others. "Ah, hello Mavis," Wanda greeted. The others also greeted their student. "Bonjour," Mavis greeted. "So, are you ready for today's session?" Kat asked. "Oui. I wish to learn how to keep my powers in check, as not to hurt anyone," Mavis replied. "Well, don't worry. Our magic can help you control your gaze when you don't want it to work," Dana said. "Now then, in order for us to be able to help you, we need to know how you managed to activate your powers," Tabby stated. "Well, it only happened two times, and both times I was under a lot of stress," Mavis replied. "I see. Well, I think there may be a mental block that prevents you from using it on demand. I think we can work around that," Wanda said, placing her hands on either side of Mavis' head. She then began using her magic, sending a warm feeling through Mavis' head, making her a little drowsy, "Ok then, that should hopefully do it. Now then, Mavis, think really hard. How does it feel when you turn into your gorgon form?" Wanda asked. "Well, when ever I turn, my hair feels more alive than usual," Mavis replied. "Hmm, makes sense, as the snakes in your hair are alive," Mavis froze up when Cosmo mentioned the word "snakes". "Mavis? Are you ok?" Yuki asked, snapping Mavis out of her trance. "Oh, sorry, but I am not exactly a big fan of snakes," Mavis replied. "Ah, gotcha'," Yuki replied in understanding. "Well, the snakes in your hair won't hurt you. They are a part of you," Wanda said. "Now then, try to focus on the feeling you have whenever yo use your powers," Dana instructed. Reluctant as she was to do so, she did as she was told. She focused on the feeling she had when she turned gorgon, eventually feeling her hair moving on it's own. Opening her eyes, she saw that her hair had turned into snakes, much to her fright, "You did great Mavis! Now then, as for the stone eye trick, what does that feel like?" the THICC Nymph asked. "I don't really feel anything when I do that, not that I even want to use it," Mavis stated. The snakes in her hair looked just as downcast as she did. "I see. It must be a natural response when you change," Tabby commented. "But if it is natural, then why aren't any of vous turning to stone?" Mavis asked, some of her snakes perking up in equal confusion. "Nymphs are immune to that sort of thing, so of course we won't turn to stone," Kat replied, as Mavis reverted back to her normal form. "But it would seem like your eye trick doesn't work unless you're under some kind of stress," Wanda observed. "But, we're here to make you feel less stress, not more of it. So, I guess we're done with that then," Marina commented. "And it looks like you can't be a Nymph AND a Gorgon at the same time," Sky commented, noticing that Mavis' wings were missing when she changed. "Merci, for everything," Mavis said. "You're very welcome Mavis. Before we take you back home, we did promise to treat you to our beauty regime, so, if you're still wanting to...." Wanda offered. "Oui. I would like that very much," Mavis replied. "Alright, then let's go into the bathhouse," Marina said, as she and the other Nymphs led their student into their bath house. Inside, Mavis saw all manner of bathtubs, which could easily classify as small swimming pools. In some tubs, she saw a variety of water baths, including one that had flowers floating in it. Another tub appeared to have some kind of white liquid substance that kind of looked like milk. "Is that tub filled with milk?" Mavis asked, wondering why they would have such a bath. "Technically yes, but it's a bit stronger than average milk. We conjure up this substance to help with skin vitality. It has more than fifty times as nutrients and vitamins than regular milk," Wanda replied. "We usually save that tub for last, as not to get milk into the water baths," Kat added. "But before we go and bathe and relax, we must first cleanse ourselves," Dana said, pointing to what looked to be a shower area. "Another question about the milk bath, isn't it a little icky to bathe in milk?" Mavis asked, as she got dressed into a one piece swimsuit that Marina gave her. "Not at all. Our magic makes it perpetually pure. It can never go bad, or get 'icky' as you call it," Cosmo replied, as she and Tabby began washing Mavis. Inevitably, Mavis turned into her mermaid form when she came in contact with water. "Don't worry about that then, you can still use the baths even in mermaid form," Marina said, as she and the others all rinsed off. Mavis noticed that the shampoo they were using smelled especially sweet. "What kind of shampoo is this?" Mavis asked. "It's our own specially made blend. We use only the most freshest ingredients to make it," Wanda replied, as she picked up Mavis, and led her over to the bathtubs, "Now then, which one would you like to try?" she asked. "What's that one with the all the flowers in it?" Mavis asked. "Ah, that's another good bath we like! The flower petals are infused with our magic, and it helps to give the water a healing effect that absolves any fatigue one may feel," Sky explained. But the look on Mavis' face indicated the young girl didn't know what her mentor was saying, "Simply put, the flowers help the water so that it doesn't make you feel tired anymore," she simplified. Mavis looked now to understand her mentor, as Wanda set Mavis in the bathtub, following the mermaid in. "Ooh, this does feel nice. My gills are all tingly!" Mavis commented, sounding incredibly relaxed, almost nodding off into slumber. "Careful there, precious. We don't usually stay in these baths for more than two hours," Yuki said, rocking Mavis awake. The rustling of leaves caught all their attention. Dana then threw a fire ball at a ledge, revealing a group of nerdy looking satyrs. "Uh, hey ladies," the lead satyr said, trying to sound pleasant, while sweating profusely. "Trying to get a peek on us during our bath, are you?" Wanda asked, sounding really mad. "We warned you the last time you tried peeping on us," Tabby said, a demonic smile working it's way onto her face. "Now, Tabby, let's be reasonable!" the second satyr pleaded, as they were all dragged off by the medical Nymph. "Who were they?" Mavis asked. "Oh, just some satyrs trying to get a eyeful of us in the bath. Speaking of which, wasn't there a barrier spell put up to keep this from happening again?" Wanda questioned her sisters. "Yeah, I made doubly sure of that," Yuki replied. "Hmm, the satyrs must be getting smarter about our defenses," Wanda commented, as Tabby came back in. "Well, that takes care of that," Tabby said. "What did you do with them this time?" Kat asked. "Oh, after wrapping them up like mummies, I sent them upstream on a boat," Tabby replied. "We need to up our security," Marina commented, as the nine Nymphs went back to their baths. Back with the Pirates and Sombra, "Hah.....hah..... this power..... it's...… overwhelmingly GREAT!" Markus exclaimed, bursting with power. "That should help you with those fools who beat me last time," Sombra said. "Rest assured, we'll keep up our end of the bargain, if you keep up yours," Aoi said. "Of course. Something of equal value must be given for one to gain something," Sombra replied. "But for now, should we go over a strategy?" Luke asked. "Aye, now, how do we do this?" Markus asked, as they began going over a strategy.