Rainbow Dash Around the World

by MagicS


Princess Fairscale

“What do we do?” Daylight whispered to Breakwater.

“I don’t know, act casual?” He shrugged.

They were currently being swarmed by a hundred, maybe even two hundred, lizards as they had slowly been brought into the center of the mountain town. Although if it was possible Daylight was sure she, Gilbert, and Breakwater would’ve been tossed out of the crowd so the lizards could focus entirely on Senax. Lizards bowed and hissed appreciatively to her, they brought clothes and food to show her, and of course their hands would run up and down the merpony’s entire body as if making sure she was real.

That last part made Senax thoroughly uncomfortable.

Some of the lizards had also run off to other parts of the mountain society, across the bridges, down the stairs, and even a few had run up to the castle higher up on the mountain. It seemed they wanted everyone to know about the new arrivals.

“I must say, despite the crowding it’s somewhat refreshing to be welcomed so warmly,” Gilbert said.

“That’s all well and good but we need to get them away from Senax to make sure they don’t do anything. Who’s in charge around here?” Daylight frowned as she looked about.

“Hard to figure anything out when they don’t speak our language,” Breakwater said.

“Senax? Do you think you can tell them to give us some space? We’ve got a lot of important things to do,” Daylight said.

“Um… I-I’m not sure I can… or how,” Senax said as she was positively mobbed by a group of lizard children.

But just as quickly as the group of lizards had converged on her, they started to shrink away and gave her (and the others in turn) some space. The hissing had become hushed and for the first time the lizards were looking elsewhere. Daylight was the first to turn and see what had gotten their attention, why had they suddenly changed moods so quickly? It became apparent when she looked up at the great steps leading to the castle.

A procession was walking down towards them.

The lizards who had gone to the castle had apparently come back with some rather important figures.

“What in the world?” Breakwater muttered as he watched them walk down towards them.

In the center of the procession was one lizard wearing a flowing white dress flanked by several other lizards in grey robes that matched their scales. Even at this distance they could all tell that those were some very old lizards. The ones from the mesa were also walking out to the sides, not blocking the view of the lizard in white. All the lizards down around Senax had fanned out to give the lizards coming down from the castle a clear path to her.

When the procession hit the mesa, Senax and the others finally got a close enough view of the one in white. She—definitely a she—had an even more lithe form than the rest of the lizards, and her green scales were mottled with pink spots where they could see. Finally close to Senax, the lizard almost let out a gasp but kept herself composed, still walking the remaining distance until she was face to face with the merpony. The two of them stood facing one another while Daylight, Breakwater and Gilbert just stood there watching silently along with the rest of the lizards.

At last, the lizard in white raised her hands and cupped Senax’s cheeks, leaning down slightly and staring into her eyes.

“Child of Ponyseidon.”

Daylight’s eyebrow’s shot up. “You can speak our language?”

“Yes,” for the first time the pink-spotted lizard looked over at Daylight and the others. She briefly regarded all of them one at a time. “Unicorn. Earth pony. Griffon. It has been many moons since your kind has been here. Not since the Necklace of Ponyseidon was entrusted to us by-” she looked back at Senax. “Your ancestors. And at last you have returned here to us.” A smile graced her face. “We knew you would come, though it has been some time.”

She removed her hands from Senax’s face and stepped back, bowing to the ground just like all the other lizards. In fact, the lizards here watching mimicked her move until they were all bowing as well. “I am Princess Fairscale, it brings me no greater joy than to welcome you here. Child of Ponyseidon—please tell us your name.”

Senax briefly seemed at a loss for words, overwhelmed by what was happening, overwhelmed by being revered to such an extent. Inside her mind there was a chaotic mess of feelings as this was happening thanks to the stories told to her by Coral Sea. Was any of this right? And what if they were disappointed to learn she was just some nobody. Her mouth had gone dry and suddenly she was finding it difficult to breath.

Until the reassuring hoof of Breakwater and talon of Gilbert came to a rest on her back. Senax blinked and looked at them, seeing them smiling back supportively at her.

She swallowed her hesitation. “I am Senax. It’s… it’s wonderful to meet you as well.”

Princess Fairscale got up, though only to one knee, and smiled warmly at Senax. “You cannot know just how special this is to us. That finally, after so long, after so much strife, so much doubt, that a Child has come back to us. Your ancestors said one day you would return for the Necklace but after so long few believed it would ever happen. To see you with my own eyes almost brings me to tears.”

“I almost can’t believe this either… although… I didn’t know you were here until only recently,” Senax said.

“What do you mean?” Princess Fairscale asked. “Surely you came back for the Necklace, didn’t you? Why else would you be here? Did—did the location of the island, the knowledge of how to get here become lost in the chaos of Merlantis’s fall?”

“So the Necklace is here?” Daylight asked before anyone else could speak.

Princess Fairscale now stood up fully. “Of course. We have taken care of it since it was given to us at the end of the revolution.”

“The revolution...” Senax grimaced.

Daylight took the lead again and stood by Senax, speaking to the Princess. “We did come here for the Necklace. We’ve been searching for it for a long time now. I’m sorry but we didn’t know it was here.”

“This island is a myth to the rest of the ocean,” Breakwater said.

“I see...” Princess Fairscale quietly said. “I suppose it should not surprise us that after so long things might have happened off of our island. We both must have much to tell each other. But still!” She clasped her hands and smiled at Senax. “This is still a happy, momentous, occasion! Would you please, Lady Senax, Child of Ponyseidon, please treat with us? You will have everything you could ask for in the castle!”

“I-” Senax glanced at her friends, who all eagerly nodded. “Yes, thank you.”


The walk up the steps to the castle had been an interesting one, what with the entire population of the lizard village following behind them until they reached the castle doors. They were hissing and cheering for Senax the whole way up. Once inside though it was only Princess Fairscale and the old grey lizards. There was still an excitement in the air, practically radiating from the Princess, as she took them through the elaborate insides of the mountain castle. Most of the interior seemed to be carved sheer from the stone, it was impossible to tell exactly how big it was.

Princess Fairscale wasn’t exaggerating about anything either, and “treating” was certainly accurate. Inside of a great hall they were all seated at the end of a long table—and but a few minutes later dozens of lizards came out with silver serving plates filled with every manner of food. They were either offering a feast to Senax or they had no idea what merponies actually liked to eat.

What they brought out was a complete library of food from vegetables, to fruits, to bread, cooked and uncooked—the sorts of things that made Daylight, Breakwater and Senax practically salivate. And then the various fish and meats that was much more appealing to Gilbert, and finally there were the outright weird dishes. Like the bowl of worms, or the skewered centipedes, the soup that had snails in it, and the bread mashed with butterflies. Princess Fairscale spread her hands out towards the dozens of dishes that had been gathered, encouraging them all to eat whatever and however much of what they wanted.

So naturally Gilbert started tearing into a roasted chicken quite quickly. Something that almost made Daylight go green in the face.

“How can you eat something that used to have feathers?” She asked.

He dumbly looked at her. “Why wouldn’t I?”

Senax meanwhile wasn’t feeling that hungry but she still went for a steamed carrot anyways while Breakwater grabbed a stuffed bell pepper.

“Please eat as much as you want, we will prepare anything you desire for your stay here on our island—your island,” Princess Fairscale said.

“T-Thank you,” Senax nodded, fidgeting awkwardly in her seat.

“I um… you seem to know a lot about Ponyseidon and Merlantis… I need to ask you some things first. Please,” Senax said.

Princess Fairscale smiled while the grey lizards leaned in towards her. “Of course. We thought you would know everything, but we would be glad to help enlighten you.”

“First of all, we learned about your island from… others. They gave us an enchanted map so we could safely make it here. But they… they didn’t have anything nice to say about Ponyseidon. In fact they said he was a tyrant who enslaved the creatures of the ocean. But you… you’re so happy to see me, and you love Ponyseidon. Is what they said about him—about the past of my people—true?”

The eyes of the Princess first widened and then narrowed as Senax spoke. “You speak of the Sarraroccons.”

“So you know about them too, huh?” Breakwater raised an eyebrow.

“Yes,” Princess Fairscale nodded. “Their ancestors were the ones who led the revolution. More than once did they try to get us to hand the Necklace over to them as well after things ended.”

“Was their High Priestess speaking the truth to us about everything?” Senax asked again.

“She was. Nothing they told you was untrue,” the Princess confirmed.

Senax shuddered and stared down at the floor, a cold sweat was breaking out over her body and she had to lift a hoof to her head to steady herself and keep from fainting. She wanted it to be a lie. She didn’t want her whole world turned upside-down. The noises of the great hall became muted and Senax’s breath came out in short gasps. Why? Why did this have to be the truth? There was a feeling of vertigo that threatened to cause her to fall to the ground before she felt Breakwater’s hoof on her shoulder.

“Hey, easy there, you doing okay?” He asked.

She weakly nodded. “Yes… I’m okay.”

“I don’t understand,” Daylight said to the Princess. “If that’s all true, all that bad stuff about Ponyseidon, then why do you worship him and his descendants?”

“Ponyseidon and the merponies of old may have enslaved or ruled most of the ocean, but that’s not to say it was a suffering existence for all,” Princess Fairscale looked to Senax. “We were his favored ones. Second only to his progeny like yourself. He uplifted us from a meager existence and gave us everything we have now. Our loyalty and gratitude goes beyond time.”

“Well I suppose that’s… commendable,” Daylight said, though she was obviously conflicted.

“Still doesn’t make Senax evil,” Gilbert shrugged. “I know you won’t suddenly become like your ancestors just because you’re back home.”

“And if you’re loyal to Ponyseidon’s descendants just because of what he did for you then you shouldn’t care that Senax has no intention of being like him, right?” Breakwater said to the Princess.

“Whatever the reason for the Child of Ponyseidon to want the Necklace is no business of mine,” the Princess nodded. “All that matters is that she is who she is.”

“Well that’s good cause actually we really can’t stay here for long. We shouldn’t be lollygagging at all,” Daylight said.

The Princess sat up straight. “Why is that? We were hoping-”

“There’s a friend of ours who came with us to this island. But we became separated and she might be in danger,” Senax explained, finding her voice again. “I’m sorry, I’m grateful for all of this, but we need to find her as quickly as possible. If you have the Necklace… I would like you to give it to me so we can leave and search for her as well. I-If we can, I would like to learn more about Ponyseidon and Merlantis later. When—if—we come back. But right now my friend comes first.”

“I see,” Princess Fairscale bowed her head. “It pains me that you would leave us so quickly but if that is your wish then I will obey. I would give you the Necklace right now.”

“Would?” Daylight raised an eyebrow.

The Princess nodded. “Yes. I do not have the Necklace of Ponyseidon with me. To retrieve it and give it to you, I must speak with the Keeper first.”