//------------------------------//
// Chapter 2 
// Story: Dance of The Waters 
// by Mystic Sunrise 
//------------------------------//

With a start, Twilight awoke with a startled cry, sweat pouring down her brow. After a moment, she came to her senses, but only just, as she looked around the room she had been given.

It wasn't much, to be honest. Just her bed, nightstand, and a bookshelf that had several books lined up along its shelves, several of which she had tried to read the night before. They were interesting to be sure, but Twilight had too much on her mind at the moment to care.

That same dream again had awoken her, but it was getting worse each and every time it felt like.

It started out the same as the Friendship Games finale had been. Right up until Sunset had offered Twilight her hand and her friendship. In reality, she had taken it, and been brought back to her senses.

But in the dream, she had rejected Sunset's offer and instead had. Had...

Twilight didn't want to think about what she had done to Sunset instead, and then to all of reality. All to get to Equestria in the end. But this time, something had changed. To what end, Twilight didn't know, but it felt right.

No one had ever opposed her before in the broken reality of the dream. But now someone did. Or rather, somepony. Princess Twilight had been the only one to stand against Midnight in the end.

But she didn't fight her. No. She had talked to her, tried to see what Midnight saw, and why she was doing what she was. There had been no accusation, no hatred, no spite. Just understanding, and in the end, that had been all that it had taken.

This wasn't what Sunset's own had been like though. As the princess had held her close, letting her tears fall at what she had done, and what she had become, Twilight felt loved. Protected. In a way that reminded her of how her mother had once comforted her when she was young.

But at the same time, it was different. This wasn't a familial love, nor even a love shared between friends. Heck, calling her and the princess friends in real life was a stretch she felt like, even though the two of them got along fine.

No. This felt like something else. Something that she had felt when she and Princess Twilight had been snout to snout the night before. Awkward though it may have been, she had felt comfortable being that close to the princess. Protected. Everything that the dream had been.

What it all meant, Twilight didn't know, as she reached and clumsily slid her glasses over her eyes, and slid out of bed. But she liked this feeling. Whatever it was. If she didn't know any better, she would have said she was developing a crush on her counterpart. But that couldn't be it.

Could it? She had always preferred girls to boys in that sense, and Twilight would be lying if she didn't find the princess beautiful in a way. But that couldn't be right. They'd just met and barely talked to one another up to now.

Any further thoughts were interrupted by a knock at the door. "Twilight. You up?" Spike asked from the other side.

Twilight shook her head to get her thoughts back in line. "Yeah, Spike. I'm up."

Spike's sigh could be heard from this side of the door. "Well, everypony else is up and down in the kitchen. I made my famous Welcome to Equestria! Pancakes if you're hungry?"

Twilight giggled at the thought of special pancakes. But they did sound good, as her stomach grumbled. "Pancakes sound good Spike. But I have no idea where the kitchen is around." 

Spike pushed the door open with a smile. "And that's why you have me. Come on! I'll give you the tour on the way down."

***

Breakfast at the Castle of Friendship was usually a quiet affair, unless the rest of the Mane 7, as Pinkie Pie had begun to call the group of friends, had all been invited over. Today was no different in most ways. But it had changed in a few.

Starlight Glimmer was still settling into living with Twilight and Spike, and the schedule her mentor ran by. Or lack thereof on some days. But she was growing used to it. The addition of Sci Twi, as Spike seemed to be calling her, was something new.

The fact that she was holding her fork in her mouth while trying to pick at the pancakes before her was enough to drive away the sleep from the unicorn. Whatever she was trying to do though, obviously wasn't working as Starlight, Spike, and Princess Twilight shared a concerned look.

Princess Twilight finally sighed and ignited her horn, holding Sci Twi's fork for her, and guiding her counterpart in finally getting food in her mouth. It was awkward, to say the least for both of them, but the contented smile on Sci Tw's face said the food was worth it.

Starlight finally had to ask. "So, you're world doesn't have magic at all?"

Sci Twi shook her head before swallowing. "Not until recently it seems. I only learned about it myself only several months ago. But it seems to have been around Canterlot High for some time before that."

Twilight winced slightly at the reminder. No one though paid it much mind. "So you want to study magic?" Starlight asked.

Sci Twi nodded, as her ears fell. "There's just so much about it that I want to learn about. But I nearly destroyed two worlds once in trying to learn more about it. I don't want to do that again," she sniffed.

Now Starlight winced, for she knew that feeling well herself. Not perfectly the same as her own. But her heart went out to the new alicorn.

Spike placed a claw on her shoulder. "Then you've come to the right place. And you've got the Princess of Friendship herself here to help." His smile grew as he looked around the table. "And you've got me and Starlight too."

Everypony nodded, as Sci Twi sniffed again, but she did smile as she looked at Spike. "Thanks, Spike. You always did know how to cheer me up."

Spike grinned. "That's what I'm here for!"

That got a chuckle out of everyone as they sat back to finish the meal. Sci Twi though poked at the necklace around her neck as she looked at the princess's own as well. "I still don't know how this is supposed to help me though."

Princess Twilight didn't respond for a moment, as she touched her own necklace. In truth, she didn't know how these could help either. But something told her that they would. What form that help would take she didn't know either.

And something told her that it was more important for both of them than either of them knew. "Then I think the sooner we find out, the better. I'm not much of a fan of waiting to find something out."

Sci Twi looked at her, an expectant look in her eyes. "You mean?"

Twilight nodded. "Meet me in the Main Hall in an hour, and then we will find out. Together."

Sci Twi was almost able to keep herself from squeeing like an over-excited filly. Almost.

***

"And that's what happened at the Friendship Games," Sci Twi finished explaining, as she and Starlight trotted down of the castle's many hallways, all of which looked the same.

Starlight shook her head in disbelief, and maybe just a little jealousy. "Wow. And all I did was destroy time for petty revenge. I think you've got me beat."

Twilight sighed as she looked at her hooves. "I don't know about that. It's not something I'm proud of." She looked at her necklace. "I don't even know why I'm here. I mean. Why me?"

Starlight smiled slightly. She knew that feeling well. "You're asking the wrong pony about that. But I doubt Princess Twilight isn't doing the right thing."

Sci Twi nodded, her mood improving slightly. "Maybe. But what is this thing even supposed to do? How is it supposed to help me? I don't understand."

"Then we will find out together," came Princess Twilight's voice, causing the two ponies to halt as they realized where they were. They had come to the Main Hall of the Friendship Castle. In front of the doors, the princess stood, looking almost relieved the two of them had come at all.

Twilight smiled as she walked forward and placed a hoof on her counterpart's shoulder. "I'm glad you came. We have all the time we need to find those answers, together. I cleared as much as time as I could."

Sci Twi's smile grew at the touch, even as her heartbeat wildly in her chest. She did have one question though, as she looked around. "Where's Spike?"

Twilight rolled her eyes. "Gem hunting with Rarity for the rest of the day." She looked at Starlight next. "You sure you'll be fine by yourself Starlight?"

Starlight rolled her eyes. "I'll be fine. It's just for the afternoon. What kind of trouble could I get into?"

You could hear the crickets in the silence that followed. Even Sci Twi was giving Starlight a look.

"Oh. Don't answer that," Starlight added in a deadpan tone of voice.

Twilight giggled as she looked back at her counterpart. "Ready?"

Sci Twi nodded. "As I'll ever be."

Princess Twilight's horn ignited, and in a flash of teleportation, she and Sci Twi vanished from the hallway.

***

When Sci Tw could see again, and her stomach stopped doing flip flops, she found that she and the princess were no longer in the Friendship Castle, or even in Ponyville.

Before them, stretched the ocean, while around them, a sandy beach stretched away into the distance in both directions. Behind them, a lush tropical jungle went away deeper into what looked like an island, if Sci Twi had to guess.

"Where are we?" She finally asked as she looked around. What at first she thought were rocks soon turned out to be what looked like a road that the two of them were on. Looking behind her, she could just make out the ruins of houses and other structures, all overgrown and silent except for the breeze and the calls of birds and other animals.

Twilight looked around as well. She had never thought she would come here. "Mount Aris. For some reason, this is the only place the Dance of the Waters can be done."

Sci Twi blinked as she looked out across the ocean. It was a beautiful sight to be sure. Almost like home. "How did we get here? This doesn't seem like it is anywhere near Ponyville."

The princess nodded. "It's not. This isn't even in Equestria technically." Her smile grew. "And I teleported us."

Sci Twi blinked. She had a basic idea of what that meant for ponies. But it wasn't much. "But that would require a huge amount of magic for you to teleport us both. And especially this far."

Twilight nodded. "Indeed. But being an alicorn means more than wings and a title. My magic has increased quite a bit since I first moved to Ponyville. Unicorns in general don't learn to teleport, because it is so difficult. And it must be precise, so you don't end up in a place you don't want to be."

Sci Twi looked back at her wings. She could feel the massive amount of magic that resided inside her. It was almost like the Friendship Games all over again. But this time, it was comforting. Natural. Strange, but what did she know? "So how did you know to send us to this exact spot here? You need to have a very clear image of your destination in mind. Usually because you have visited that place before."

Twilight grinned. Her counterpart was a quick learner, but she was soon smiling sheepishly. "Honestly? I have no idea of how I knew exactly where to send us. I've never been to Mount Aris in my entire life."

Sci Twi rolled her eyes as she walked over to the nearest house and looked inside. Nothing but green and an occasional stone poked through. Whoever had lived here seemed to have had some wealth for the house was quite large. "What is all this? Who built it?"

The princess joined her, her expression was grim. "We don't know. When ponies first found the island, this was already here. The whole island is full of ruins. The waters around the island are full of ruins as well. Whoever, or whatever lived here, died out a long time before Equestria found this place."

Sci Twi looked around the house, or whatever it might have been, with renewed interest. Her gaze caught sight of a skull lying amongst the weeds, and quickly looked away. "Then where did the pearl come from?"

Twilight looked further inland, to the highest point of the island. Sci Twi soon followed her gaze. They could just make out an even grander set of ruins near the top of the mountain. "From up there. Our best guess is that it is where the ruler once lived. The pearl was found in what we assume was the Throne Room."

Sci Twi's ears drooped. This was not what she had been expecting when she had come here. She was interested of course, for she liked exploring new places. But it was sad that she could never meet those who lived here. Looking around at the other structures, they seemed to have been interesting. Maybe she and the princess could go exploring once they were done with the Dance.

Which reminded her of the whole reason they were here in the first place. "So now what?" She asked.

Twilight blinked, then smiled, as she left the ruined house behind and walked back to the beach, Sci Twi quick to follow her. The two of them walked out into the surf until it was belly high for both of them. 

The princess's smile slipped as she turned serious. "Now, before we begin. I have to ask you." She pulled Sci Twi close so that their muzzles were right next to each other. She leaned in close and whispered. "Do you trust me?"

Sci Twi hesitated for a moment, but in the end, she followed what her heart was saying. Laying her horn against the princess' own, and so that now both of their necklaces were touching, she whispered. "I trust you."

Twilight smiled, as she leaned into the embrace, and together, the princess and her counterpart let their minds go, letting their magic mingle, even as their necklaces glowed with power, a glow that soon covered them as well.

Knowing not why they did so, Twilight and Sci Twi allowed themselves to sink below the waves, not even feeling it as their bodies began to change into new forms.

After a moment, the changes ended, and the girls opened their eyes, taking in each other, and what had happened to them.

Sci Tw could see that Princess Twilight was still mostly a pony. But now her mane seemed to wave on its own in the current. Her wings had become translucent fins. But the biggest surprise was what had happened to her tail and back legs. They had fused together into a fishtail. She could be described as a pony mermaid if Sci Twi had to guess. Her necklace had vanished as well.

Princess Twilight was smiling at her, as she looked down at their bodies. Sci Twi followed her gaze and felt her mouth drop in shock as she saw what had happened to her own body.

She was a mermaid. Her legs had fused together into a navy blue tail, her fins the same colors as the princess. Her own wings had become translucent as well. Her upper body was human again, her breasts covered in a blue seashell bra. Her hair flowed behind her.

And it felt amazing. This wasn't like when she had first come to Equestria and had become a pony. This felt natural. Like her mermaid body had always been her natural body. Sci Twi giggled at the thought, as she looked at the princess, who was smiling. One that she couldn't help but return as well.

They were holding hands and hooves, but neither commented on it or tried to pull themself away. It felt right to be like this, and neither wanted it to be over at the moment.

And then Princess Twilight began to sing. Not with words, but a wordless tune. The song came naturally to her. As if she had known it her entire life. The song filled her, and she needed to share it with Sci Twi, the two of them dancing and swirling around each other

Sci Twi couldn't help but smile as widely as she could. She felt her troubles and worries melt away. Soon, she added her own voice to the song. A song that was beautiful in a way neither of them could describe and neither did they care to.

And so, they danced, their minds only on the girl before them, and for a time, the rest of the world no longer existed for Princess Twilight and Sci Twi. Only each other, and the song they shared.

***

For hours, Princess Twilight and Sci Twi just enjoyed the freedom of the open sea. Playing among the coral, swimming alongside huge schools of fish and other underwater creatures. It was something neither had ever thought would feel so good. 

Twilight had even shown her counterpart the underwater ruins she had mentioned back on the surface. They seemed to be in better shape than those on the island. But they were as empty and abandoned as those onshore.

Sci Twi's curiosity was on high alert as she picked through the ruins. Whatever had happened to those who had lived here, it didn't seem to have been violent or sudden. It just seemed like they had died out. But why? And what happened to them?

Twilight was thinking the same thing as she looked through what had been left behind by those who had lived here. The architecture was almost the same as those on Mount Aris but adapted for use underwater. Strange. Did the same builders make both?

But that didn't make any sense. She and Sci Tw could do this because their bodies had been adapted to allow them to breathe and live underwater as they did. Could the same be said for those who had once lived here?

It was something she made a note to ask the Explorer's Guild about. They knew the most about Mount Aris and what lay on and around it. But even their knowledge was limited. There was only so much that they could learn like this.

While she was looking at what was in front of her, Twilight was also paying attention to her counterpart. She had seemingly become far more relaxed than she had been ever since the two of them had met at Canterlot High. But only time would tell if it was true.

And then, of course, she had tried not to notice how beautiful Sci Twi had become in this form. Twilight had always been attracted to mares more than stallions, but this was something else altogether. 

They barely knew one another as is it was. And there was also the fact that they were basically alternate dimension copies of one another. That just made it weirder. But the feelings Twilight was feeling would not go away. And a growing part of her didn't want them to. 

What the princess didn't know was that Sci Twi was having the same conflict of feelings inside of her for her counterpart but in a slightly different manner.

Finally, as the sun began to sink below the horizon, Twilight and Sci Tw found themselves laying together on a rocky outcropping, looking at the waves above them. They both knew it was almost time to return to the surface and return home, but a part of them did not want to leave the beauty around them.

"Did the Dance help?" Twilight finally asked, looking at Sci Twi, who nodded happily.

"I haven't felt this good since before the Friendship Games." She sighed. "But I can still feel Midnight inside me. I'm still afraid of what could happen. I don't want to be like that ever again."

Twilight placed a hoof on her shoulder. "That's why you have friends. They'll help you no matter what. Go to them if you need help." She smiled. "Ask Sunset to borrow her Cross Dimensional Journal if you need someone to talk to. I can't be there all the time."

Sci Twi placed a hand on the hoof on her shoulder, squeezing it. "Thank you. For all of this. I didn't know how much I needed this until now. I wish it could last forever."

Twilight nodded, as she looked at the surface above. "I do too. I needed this almost as much as you did probably. The mess with Starlight did more to me than I thought." She sighed as her ears drooped. "But we can't stay here forever. No matter how much we want to. I won't take you away from your family."

Sci Twi's smile dropped a little. She didn't want to leave her family any more than the princess did. But it felt like she had two families now. One in the Human World, and one in Equestria.

For a time, they just sat there, letting their tails float on their own. Both knew they needed to be heading back to Ponyville soon, but neither of them wanted this to end just yet.

Neither Princess Twilight nor Sci Twi seemed to notice as their tails began to intertwine with each other. When they did though, it brought a smile to both of their faces, though neither could say why.

Sci Twi looked over at the princess. In the fading light, she was even more beautiful than she had seemed in the light of day. She seemed to be glowing in the evening twilight. How appropriate, she thought.

Looking over at her counterpart, Princess Twilight was thinking the same thing. A part of her knew what she wanted to do, but she was too afraid to do it. To take that next step. What it could mean for them if she did.

Sci Twi too was afraid of taking that step. But at that moment, when their eyes locked together, something awoke inside of her. Maybe it was because she was still on the high from earlier. Maybe the saltwater was finally getting to her. She didn't know, and for once in her life, Sci Twi didn't care.

Wrapping her arms around her pony counterpart, she pulled the two of them close, until they lay belly to belly. Princess Twilight didn't protest, but she was surprised anyway. That was all it took.

Sci Twi leaned in and kissed the princess. Both of their wing fins flared at the intimate contact, but neither paid them any mind, far more interested in each other.

Princess Twilight's eyes widened in shock. Her body seemed to go limp in Sci Twi's hands. For a moment, the girl was sad and heartbroken at the reaction, afraid she had destroyed what they had.

And then Princess Twilight relaxed and let their lips lock together properly, even as she wrapped her hooves around Sci Twi's waist and held her close, their tails intertwining, as the two cemented their bond.

At that moment, both of them felt something new pass between them. Something new and wonderful. A feeling neither of them wanted to lose. And damn any who said otherwise.

After a time, they finally parted from the kiss, though they still held each other close. Princess Twilight had a serene smile on her lips, while 
Sci Twi's was rather goofier. But neither minded as they looked at each other.

Finally, Princess Twilight lay a hoof on Sci Twi's cheek, Sci Twi putting a hand on the hoof. "Let's go home," the princess finally said.

Sci Twi couldn't find a reason to say no. Together, they swam back to Mount Aris, and from there. Home.

***

Rainbow again looked at Sunset Shimmer with an annoyed sigh. "Are you sure she's coming?"

Sunset nodded. "Princess Twilight said that she's ready to come back. I guess their Dance of the Waters must have worked."

It was Monday. The school was about to start for the week, and the Rainbooms were waiting outside the still broken Wondercolt Statue. 

Princess Twilight had written to Sunset the night before that Sci Twi was due to come back this morning. So now, here the girls were, waiting for her.

"You don't think something's wrong do you?" Fluttershy asked, worried.

Sunset shook her head. "I hope not. The princess didn't say anything was wrong. But something might have happened and we just haven't heard about it yet."

Before the girls could worry more though, the portal glowed, and a moment later, Sci Twi came tumbling out. But instead of looking like her usual self, she looked better than ever. In fact, the best way to describe the grin on her face was dopey.

"Someone's in a good mood!" Pinkie Pie sing songed.

Twilight finally seemed to notice the girls around her. "Oh. Hi girls! Am I late for school?"

Rarity shook her head and handed Twilight her backpack, as the school bell rang. "Just in time darling. I must say you do look rather stunning. Do tell. What did we miss?"

Twilight giggled as she twirled a strand of her hair. "Oh, I don't know Rarity. I like my secrets. You'll have to wait for Lunch!"

Sunset crossed her arms in a huff. "Come on Twilight. Spill. What happened to you in Equestria?"

Twilight though just stuck her tongue out at her and all but skipped her way to the front entrance. "That's for me to know and you to find out Sunny!" And was gone.

The girls stood there in stunned silence for a moment before Sunset found her voice. "Did. Did she just sass me?"

"Eeyup," Applejack finally said as she tugged at her hat. "Guess whatever she and the princess did must've worked."

And that was that. At least until the girls all met again during Lunch Break.