“Ocean?” Novo asked.
And Ocean perked up in the office, the royal sisters typing away at their computers but seated on the same couch.
“I’ve called you three times,” she said. Novo closed the program on her screen. “Something wrong?”
Ocean could only fidget. “It’s Sky.”
Her sister could only groan. “Complaining about Sky again?”
“It’s not complaining, and you know it.” Ocean also closed the program on her computer. “This time, it’s missed calls. But they just so happen to—“
“Take place during your Board meetings,” Novo said. “You’ve already told me that it’s hectic in the tourism sector. The new ferris wheel in Silver Bay, getting in touch with the country’s top influencers, protests about visitors overcrowding the Dieffenbach village—“
“Because I’m done with just sitting pretty and just putting my name on programs and sending in money,” she said. “Like I told you, I’m putting in all the work a noble must do.”
Novo’s shoulders slacked as she turned the program back on.
“Don’t worry,” Ocean continued. “I’ll call him after the 18:00 meeting. Hopefully, I can get him before we have that dinner with the new Cambling government.”
~~~
Sky’s lungs burned as he rested his weight on a sturdy oak tree, close enough to the bike trail.
“Hey,” called out Fallow, a fellow biker in Sky’s group, having just stopped beside him. “Something wrong?”
“I... I got a missed call,” Sky managed to breathe out, his sweaty finger swiping on the phone gripped tight onto the bicycle’s handlebar.
“From who?” Fallow said.
“Uh... wife. The miss.” He squinted his eyes to the top of the screen. “Argh, cell coverage here’s dying. Could I back up?”
“We’re already running behind the rest of the pack,” Fallow said, motioning a hand towards the tire marks against the trail, lonely against a scattered sea of rock and grass. “I bet that can wait. ‘Sides, we’re as far enough from civilization as is.”
Sky’s eyes jumped between Fallow and his phone. “I’ve been trying to get her for some time now...”
But after a minute of watching the cell coverage fail on his phone, he gripped the handlebars and pedaled forward.
Ocean Flow had received a lot of gifts until dinner, many wishes for her already finished recovery from the scare back in the marathon. She even got a pillow from the same kid who had questioned her existence. It was the least that Basalt Flow could do for the hands-on noble.
Breezewood returned the next day from a trip to buy batteries, apologizing seven times to Ocean, with bows and kneeling, swearing he’d give a bigger cut of his earnings to the government as “extra retribution tax.” Ocean did not pay him much attention but thanked him for lending the fishbowl.
It was a shame, though. The fishbowl survived even if cracked. Breezewood did say later that he would advertise the Cracked Fishbowl of Basalt to every car passing them by.
Not that she would stay to see the results of that stunt.
“I do apologize for the big delay,” Novo said in a video call, “but we have the hippogriffication team on the way there.”
Ocean let out a sigh. “Finally. Thank you, Novie.”
Novo smacked her own head with her claws. Her talons were fortunately sheathed. “Promise me to not call me Novie until the winter holidays?”
“No promises on that one,” Ocean teased. “Now, anything else?”
Novo scratched her chin. “How’s Sky Beak? It’s been a whirlwind of emergency activity around here, but I heard that he was there.”
“Yeah, he’s doing fine. Nice coincidence, isn’t it?”
“It is, indeed.” Novo checked ruffled some papers and her feathers in the background. “Oh, and she’s coming in an hour. She said that you’ll know it’s her.”
That sent Ocean leaning closer to the computer. “What do you mean? What’s her name?”
Novo’s smile went cryptic. “You’ll see.”
Right before lunch, she did see.
Sky had given her a mirror to look at herself on the first day. There was a special charm to her old appearance blended in with her new aquatic form. Fin-like hair flowed out of her head, while transparent “wings” sprouted from her back, just like in a fairy tale.
So when the hippogrification team member arrived, she had a double take, swearing that she was looking in the mirror once more, though this hippogriff Ocean Flow looked different enough, with a hard beak to replace a soft fishy muzzle, and feathers giving her a rougher aura than with scales.
The greetings were fast and professional. The other Ocean Flow nodded as the seapony said, “I’m more than ready to get out of here.”
And with that, she held onto the firm claw of her other self, and she felt a great thrum of magic overcome her. After a flash of light, Ocean landed. Air rushed into her lungs, freeing her from the sea. She relished the flexibility of her claws, and her wings spread against the sunlight, making her out to be an angel.
“There, there,” Flow said with a laugh. “Feeling better now?”
“Yes, yes. Thank you very much.”
“That’s good. I don’t usually go out of my way to be a hippogriff, but duty calls.” She cocked her head. “And your sister did tell me about you; I just had to see for myself. My sister—er, your sister told me that you hold a great position in this world’s government. I’ll have to go through the rest of the coast, but I think we’ll meet again. Perhaps you can come over and see Seaquestria around.”
Ocean blushed.
“Would you need any assistance? Getting your belongings in order before you move on? I heard you were in the middle of something.”
“No need. I’ll just go. Back to work, finally...”
“Alright, then. If you’re fast enough, I’ll see you up ahead.”
So Flow launched herself into the air, flying fast with a shrilling eagle screech. She then vanished into the horizon.
A minute later, Ocean did the same, the liberating rush of the open air guiding her to the hotel.
While Sky alternated between more paperwork during his lunch break in the diner, the chaos and confusion around the world died down, giving way to friendship through reconstruction between the two universes.
A portal network would be established across the world, starting with the major international cities, including Aris. Guides to magic would be printed out or put up online, and, at least from Equestria, a major initiative would be pushed to incentivize immigration of ponies and other creatures to the other side to help advance the knowledge and development of yet more magic on Earth.
It was while hearing this that he heard of Leeway and Lingon leaving.
“Already?” Sky said, looking at the both of them as they got themselves ready.
“Well, kind of,” Leeway said. “Lingon here’s gonna finish that business trip anyway and see if everyone’s alright at the warehouse. Me? I’m going back to Aris City, then take a plane home.” He slapped Sky on the withers. “Heh, it’s just flying birds here while we’ve got unicorns.”
“Hey, hippogriffs are majestic and you know it!”
Once lunch was done, he accompanied them to the gas station as they left for good in their van. There were thanks for his time and for enjoying Basalt. They’d even bought a postcard: Wish you were here! Though it was just an ink drawing, the souvenir would end up a lovely memento.
After that, the number of Basalt’s outsiders had dwindled down to just him.
~~~
“Glad to see that you’re up and about,” Kiting said in the town hall, looking at Sky’s unfurled wings. “How’s flying treating you?”
“As good as advertised!” Sky said, and he flapped his feathers in joy while finishing some paper work. “They said we’re not going back, right? Back to being human, I mean.”
“Yes, but... I’m fortunate we still have good history teachers and books for that.” Kiting put himself down on a wooden chair. “Ah, and I’ve already informed you, right? A bit of a miracle, I must say, but even with that nasty fall today, I heard you should be fine in just a few more days. You’ll be back to tour guiding by then, no ifs or buts.”
Sky couldn’t hide his grin. “Yes, sir.”
“Oh, that’s... good,” he said. Kiting arched a brow. “Almost forgot... we should give our thanks to Ocean! The marathon was a smashing success, yes, but we couldn’t have done it without her!”
“Oh right!”
After Sky got one more stack of papers signed and checked, he flew straight to the beach.
He didn’t find her.