"Okay, ladies," Cassie said the next morning as she, Neoma, Della, and Luna were joined for breakfast by Celestia, Summer, and Idalia, "why don't we go to this beautiful little cove that I found online last night? Only the locals really know about it." She pulled up a picture of the beach and began to pass her phone around.
"Oh, wow," Luna exclaimed, clapping her hooves excitedly. "Cassie, this looks divine! I'm in!" Everypony else hastily agreed, and about an hour later, they met in the front courtyard of the Silver Shoals Palace. After about an hour's flight, they landed on a small, secluded, picturesque, tropical beach in front of a crystal clear turquoise cove.
"This. Is. Gorgeous!" Neoma squealed. "Cassie, you did such a great job. You must have searched online for hours to find this place!"
"Actually, I only needed to search for about an hour," Cassie admitted. "Everypony says it's a hidden gem." She sighed contentedly and looked out at the water, which sparkled like a giant aquamarine in the warm, bright sunshine. Luna promptly laid out her towel and spread out on her stomach to sunbathe while Neoma crouched in the sand to play with Della.
"So," Cassie said, looking at Idalia and Summer, "are you two coming in the water with me, or would you rather stay up here and relax?" Celestia's two daughters looked at each other and shrugged.
"Sure, Cass, we'll come with you," Idalia said to her cousin.
"Great," Cassie giggled. "Hey, I have an idea: Let's race to that platform out there. Losers have to do six tequila shots tonight. Who has the lady balls to accept my challenge?"
"Oh, you are so on," Summer said, smirking. "You aren't that fast of a swimmer, Cass. I could beat both of you in my sleep."
"Six tequila shots?" Idalia repeated, her eyes widening. "Is it even possible to drink that many shots without throwing up?"
"I don't know, Lia. Do you wanna find out?" Cassie teased.
"Challenge accepted," Idalia said. "Here's our starting line. Everypony has to wait behind here." She drew a line in the sand with her horn, and the three mares backed up, assuming their positions.
"Too bad Neoma's gonna miss out," Cassie snorted. "I love my niece to bits, but I miss my fun older sister." Her face fell for a moment as she looked over her shoulder at Neoma, who was helping Della build a sandcastle alongside Luna.
"Are we gonna be sappy, or are we gonna fucking race?" Summer asked. "Everypony knows you're gonna win, Cassie; you're a stronger swimmer than all of us combined. You always win."
"Oh, shut up and leave Cassie alone, Summer," Idalia chided, rolling her eyes at her sister. "Ready? On your mark, get set, go!" All three ponies took off, laughing as they splashed into the warm ocean. Summer hit the water first, closely followed by Cassie, who dove underneath the waves, gliding effortlessly as she propelled herself through the water. Cassie won easily and climbed up the ladder onto the floating platform, then raised her hooves above her head victoriously.
"All hail the undefeated swim race champion, Princess Cassiopeia!" she whooped, letting out a high-pitched, triumphant whistle.
"You only won because we weren't allowed to use our wings," Summer huffed as she climbed out of the water. "I guess we'd better prepare to get absolutely plastered tonight, Lia." She and Idalia exchanged smirks, and Cassie lay on her back on the sun-drenched wood of the platform, enjoying the ocean's calm rhythm beneath her.
"What a perfect day," Idalia sighed dreamily.
Without thinking, Cassie sent out a high-pitched signal from her horn, and within seconds, the alicorns were surrounded by the same pod of dolphins that Cassie and Luna had swum with the day before. Cassie's jaw dropped as the dolphins poked their heads out of the water, greeting her with happy little clicks and squeaks.
"Oh, my goodness!" Summer gasped. "Look at all of them! There must be at least a hundred. Cassie, how in Equestria did you do that?" She and Idalia both looked at their cousin, shocked.
"I.. I have no idea," Cassie said, almost stunned. "Why are you guys here?" she asked one of the dolphins. Suddenly, the dolphin released a stream of little clicks and squeaks, and Cassie understood everything the dolphin said as clearly as if he had spoken to her in Equestrian.
"I... I called you?" she repeated his words, still not fully believing that this was happening to her. The dolphin whistled, and Cassie clearly understood a "yes."
"Oh, wow!" Cassie squealed. "This is so awesome!"
"Uh... Cass?" Summer said. "Who are you talking to?"
"The dolphin! I can communicate with dolphins! This is the most amazing thing ever! Can I pet you?" Cassie asked the dolphin, who chattered happily with a resounding "yes." Cassie reached out and gently stroked the dolphin's back, smiling at the wonderfully soft smoothness of his skin as Summer looked on in awe.
"You're the one who saved me, aren't you?" Cassie asked as the dolphin rolled over on his side to be stroked. He responded with an affirmative answer that the others only heard as a few whistles.
"Then we owe him much gratitude," Luna said, smiling as she swam up beside Cassie and reached out to rub the dolphin's side. Immediately, the baby dolphin that Luna had showered with affection the day before shoved Cassie's rescuer out of the way, clearly jealous and wanting Luna's undivided attention.
"Well, hello again, little one," Luna cooed in a singsong voice, chuckling and stroking the young dolphin's back. "You're just a little prima donna, aren't you? I cannot blame you, though; if I were as cute as you are, I would demand everypony's attention, too. How could anypony resist your sweet little face and your huge eyes? You are the most adorable thing I have ever seen, yes, you are." Neoma and Cassie turned their backs to Luna so that she wouldn't hear their laughter.
"Who are you, and what have you done with our mom?" Neoma giggled as the baby dolphin swam in a circle around her, splashing her with her tail.
"She has done nothing with me, Neoma," Luna said defensively. "It is perfectly permissible for the princess of the night to admire one of the most adorable creatures in the ocean, is it not?" Cassie covered her mouth to hide her laughter at her mother's reaction to Neoma's teasing.
"How can you resist this little one's cuteness, Neoma?" Luna continued. "I fear for your sanity if you do not see how utterly precious a baby dolphin is. Are you ill, darling? Do you have a fever?" She held the back of her hoof against Neoma's forehead as the turquoise thestral alicorn rolled her eyes. Cassie lost it, bursting into a fit of laughter as Luna messed with Neoma, who joined her mother in stroking the dolphin. Summer and Idalia returned to shore.
"Hey, I wanna try something," Cassie said thoughtfully. "I've done this plenty of times in my dreams, so I wonder if it will work now." She sent a hot pink bolt from her horn. The bolt exploded with a loud, high-pitched burst of sound. The dolphins all swam off at top speed, and a few moments later, Cassie, Neoma, and Luna were surrounded by a massive pod of orcas.