"This is weird, Twilight..."
"Don't worry, I promise you'll like it!"
"Are you sure? It looks kinda...slick."
"Oh, come on! It won't bite! Just press your tongue into it!"
"Well...alright..."
Though uncertainty runs through your mind, you slowly lean your head forward. The surface before you glistens in the light of the setting sun with a distinct moisture. It certainly has a nice scent wafting from it, yet you are still a bit skeptical. As the pink texture of the object before you grows nearer, you begin to protrude your tongue for an experimental lick. The closer your tongue draws to the surface, the more noticeable the temperature emanating from the object becomes.
And then your tongue makes contact. It is certainly sweet, yet at the same time, it's very...
"Woah, that's colder than I expected it to be."
Twilight giggles. "Well of course it is! It's called strawberry ice cream for a reason, silly!"
"Oh...right," you say with a red face.
Twilight continues to giggle sweetly at your revelation. As her short chuckles escape her mouth, you can't help but laugh along with her.
The days seemed to fly by as you visited with Twilight each evening. Each time the two of you would discuss a different aspect of your lives. Most of the time, it ended up with you reveling at her life on the surface. She always spoke of the crazy adventures she had with her friends. The one that stood out to you the most was her quest to stop some crazed draconequus from terrorizing the land. That guy sounded like a riot when she explained him to you!
And every time the two of you talked, you always felt a bit bad. You didn't have any amazing tales to tell her. All you could describe was some of the scenery and life beneath the waves. You always felt like your "stories" paled in comparison to hers. Even then, she never batted an eyelash when you spoke and always gave you her fullest attention. Every time you spoke of your life down there, her eyes would always widen with excitement. Not that you minded. It just let you see more of those gorgeous eyes of hers.
With each passing day, you began to find it easier to converse with her and you hope she feels the same. She began to open up even more, probably finally coming to terms with the sensation of being able to speak with a seapony. You no longer felt uneasy about the whole situation of speaking with a surface-dweller and were glad you finally got to speak to one, let alone a pony as amazing as her.
It's been about a week since the two of you met, yet it seems like it was just yesterday. The time you two spent together flew by way too fast, but you still cherished every single evening. Every story shared, every secret told, every meal she brought for the two of you, you couldn't feel happier about the friendship the two of you shared.
Speaking of friendships, you loved it when she talked about her friends. She often described them as being some of the best friends a pony could ask for, and from the stories she has told you, it certainly doesn't seem far from the truth.
"So," you say as you take another lick of the ice cream levitating in front of you. "What were you saying about Pinkie Pie earlier?"
"Oh, right!" she starts. "Well, she was babysitting for Mr. and Mrs. Cake that day. I went over to Sugar Cube Corner to pick up a box of donuts for Spike, and when I got there, both of the babies were completely covered in flour and Pinkie was stuck to the wall with caramel!"
"PFFFffft-wha-ha-hat?" you say, hardly containing your laughter. "How does that even happen?"
Twilight cups her mouth with a hoof, trying to cease her own laughter. "I don't even know! It's like I said yesterday, remember?"
"When it's Pinkie Pie, abandon all logic." the two of you say in unison, eliciting another round of laughs from the both of you.
"After I walked in on that, I had to help pry her off the wall and get her and the twins cleaned up." She gives a shake of her head, a small smile adorned on her face. "I thought we'd never get it all out of her mane..."
"Oh dear," you respond. "I bet that was a hassle."
"You don't know the half of it..." she continues. "Ah, but still, she's a great friend. She always knows how to put a smile on your face, no matter how you're feeling."
"Heh, yeah." You take another lick. This stuff is actually pretty good. "She does sound like a very nice pony."
Twilight giggles a bit more. "She can have her moments, though. I just wonder how everypony is holding up in...Ponyville..." she trails off slowly.
"Something wrong?" you inquire.
Rather than respond right away, she looks off into the sun as it slowly descends out of view. The calm shifting of the waves and the creaking of the pier above are the only sounds breaking the silence for the next few moments. Twilight's face slowly drops as she lets out a wistful sigh. "I...I actually have something I need to tell you."
A cold rock forms in your gut. Something about the way she says that just doesn't sit right with you. "Uh...what is it?" you ask cautiously.
Her eyes drop to the sand below her. "I...I'm leaving tomorrow."
You freeze up. Did...Did she just say that? "I-I'm sorry?"
Without warning, she throws her hooves up and onto her head. The ice cream she holds in her magical grip drops to the ground unceremoniously. "Ooohh, I should have told you sooner!"
"Wait, woah woah, calm down Twilight!" You wave your fins in an attempt to catch her attention again. "Please, I don't think I quite understand! What do you mean 'leaving?'"
"I was only here for Rarity! She had a fashion line she had to exhibit here, in New Orreins!" She waves a hoof to the city behind her before continuing. "The show is over now, so we're heading back to Ponyville tomorrow..." She drops her head once more, almost to the point where her horn is touching the beach. "I...I'm so sorry...I should have told you sooner..."
One friend. That's it. All you've ever had in your life is one friend. That's all you've ever wanted. One real friend. You had finally made that friend. A true, honest, real-to-the-core friend. And now, she's leaving. You can't seem to focus your eyes on anything for a few seconds. The waves around you seem to halt as the realization dawns on you.
Twilight Sparkle is leaving.
Twilight Sparkle. The beautiful, purple mare you had first laid eyes on but one week ago. The one pony you had shared your true thoughts with. And now, she will be gone.
"Does that mean..." you start nervously. "We won't see each other again?"
She responds with a despondent stare.
"But...i-isn't there anything we can do?" you ask defiantly.
"I'm sorry," she utters. "I just...I have so many things in Ponyville. I can't just simply stay here with you. All of my friends, the library, my studies, I have so many things waiting back at home, I..." she drops her gaze once more, her eyes now on the verge of tears. "I'm so sorry...I should have told you sooner..."
The more she speaks, the more your heart falls. You don't want to push, but you aren't sure if it would even do any good. Twilight can't stay here. Her priorities in Ponyville are far too great for her to just give them up. It would be unfair of you to ask such a thing of her anyway.
That doesn't mean it doesn't hurt, however. You wiggle your fins on your sides idly as you continue to think. You wonder what thoughts might be flying around beneath that mane of hers. Her eyes stay focused on the sand for the next few minutes as neither of you speak. You're almost certain that she is just as lost as you are.
However...that makes you feel happy, in a strange way. If she is truly this upset over her departure, that must mean something. Something about the friendship you share. Even if you've only known one another for a week, she is still depressed by your separation. Does that mean that she holds your acquaintance that close to her heart? Does this situation really strike that hard for her?
"I..." she starts again. "I know we've only known each other for about a week, but...it still hurts having to leave a f-friend..."
You open your mouth to respond, but no words manage to leave your throat. Instead, you just respond with a nod. What words are there to be said anyway?
You watch as Twilight slowly reaches out a hoof. She doesn't slow down at all as her hoof approaches your chest. Your breath hitches in your throat for just a split second as her hoof makes contact with your chest. You don't protest, however. It isn't like she's hurting you.
Just a gentle touch. Her hoof trails across your flesh slowly, taking in the texture of it. Each individual scale tingles as her hoof moves. This is the first time there has been any physical contact between you two since she examined you nearly a week ago. Just like before, her touch is as gentle as can be.
You let out a sigh through your nose and close your eyes. The last moment the two of you would share is happening right now. A pitiful feeling forms in your body, knowing that it will all be over soon...
Twilight's touch grows a little more firm.
"Wait..." she quietly utters.
You feel another hoof press against your chest, albeit with a bit more force this time.
"Wait." she says firmly.
Your eyes open on their own as her hooves move upward and onto your cheeks.
"Wait!" she nearly yells.
Her hooves suddenly begin to examine every portion of your head. She gently prods your ears, one at a time. She delicately presses into your snout. She meekly caresses your jawline. She carefully runs her hooves through your mane. Each of her touches goes without objection. With that excitement in her eyes, you aren't sure if she would even notice (or care) if you said no.
As she feels all of your features, her mouth hangs slightly open. Her eyes never seem to blink, as though she doesn't want to miss a single detail. It's almost as if her life hangs on this sole act of examining your facial features. Her vision darts to and fro, covering every portion of your face with an intensity that could put even Linnaeus' fiercest "gaze" to shame.
"I wonder if that..." she mutters under her breath. After a few more gentle pokes and prods on your face, she retracts her hooves. "I wonder if that would work..."
"What would work?" you inquire.
She shakes her head and looks into your eyes, like she's just come back to reality. "I, I was just thinking." She pulls herself back up before continuing, a peculiar look adorned on her face. "I...might know of a way we can fix this."
"What do you mean?"
"Well," she begins. "There's a spell I know of. A transformation spell."
"Transformation...?" you ask, your voice lingering on the last syllable.
"Yes, a transformation. My memory on it is a little hazy. I only briefly skimmed over it a long time ago. If I recall correctly, it can change a pony into something different, like turning an earth pony into a pegasus!" Her face slowly begins to light up as she speaks. The thought is funny to entertain, that talk of magic can make Twilight happy like nothing else.
"So, you're saying..." you ask, uncertain of what she might be implying.
"If I can get that spell right, maybe, just maybe..." She pauses for a moment, searching for the best way to put it. "...Maybe you could come to Ponyville? With me?"
You feel your eyes widen on their own. The prospect of not only Twilight offering you a chance to accompany her to her hometown, but a chance at finally escaping your dreary life here in the deep blue sea? An opportunity to join the sweet mare who you see as your only real friend in her world? You would have to be insane to turn down such an offer.
And yet, something in the back of your mind makes you hesitate. The teeniest, tiniest voice in your head, telling you to not jump to any brash decisions.
"I...I don't know." you respond slowly.
"Huh?" she says, a quizzical look adorned on her face. "But, why?"
"I just, I'm not sure. This is all really sudden..."
"It has to be sudden. I'm leaving tomorrow, remember?" she says. You pick up a slight hint of desperation in her voice.
"I-I know, but...It's just, well, that's a pretty big change to jump into so suddenly, don't you think?" you respond.
She directs her eyes to the sand beneath her, pondering the situation a bit more. You wait in silence, wondering what the gears behind her violet eyes are churning up. Her eyes flick around as the corners of her mouth slowly push outward, widening her half-frown.
After a moment of thought, she speaks up again. "I admit, it is a lot to ask of you, to leave your life here behind." She stands up again, lifting a forehoof. "But if I'm not mistaken, isn't your life here kind of, well..."
"Dull?" you finish for her. Her ears fold down, but she nods nonetheless. You let out a quiet sigh. "It is, yeah, but this is still my...home."
The last word leaves an unfamiliar itch as it leaves your throat. Considering you have never really had a permanent home in your whole life, it's hard to say that that statement is accurate. Just what, other than your physical form, binds you to this sea? One particularly troublesome sibling, as far as you know. Other than that, the opportunity of a lifetime is standing right before you. Would it really be unfair to him if you took that chance?
Would it even really matter?
A hum from Twilight brings your attention back to her. You look back to her to find a pondering look on her face and a hoof at her chin.
"Well...How about I give you some time to think it over? I'm not entirely familiar with the spell anyway, so I'd like to see if the library in this town has any information on it." She lowers her hoof and looks right into your eyes. The mixture of emotions within them is confusing, to say the least. "What do you think?"
You open your mouth hesitantly a few times without speaking. Unable to find the words, you opt for a simple nod in response.
The corners of her mouth turn up into a smile. "Okay! If, uh...if you do want to go through with it, meet me here tomorrow morning. Early morning. The train leaves no later than seven AM, so we'll have to do the spell long before that, just in case I can't get it right the first time."
You face adorns a confused look. "Uh, Twilight? What and when is 'seven ay ehm?'"
She cocks an eyebrow. "You know, seven in the morn...oh!" Her cheeks turn red as she giggles lightly. "I keep forgetting that you aren't familiar with our time! Um..." She looks around a bit, seemingly searching for something. Her eyes settle on the setting sun to the side, her face lighting up in inspiration. "Just be here as the sun is rising!"
You cast your gaze to the sun, its orange rays painting the ocean's surface gold. As you look at it, the deadline for your choice suddenly feels all the closer. Make the decision before it rears its beauty once more, or it will be decided for you, no ifs, ands, or buts.
You breathe out a sigh through your nose. "...Okay. I'll be here."
With a smile on her face, she casts one last wayward glance to the sun. Her expression sinks a tad as she does so. "It's getting late. I need to get to the library before they close, not to mention Rarity is probably starting to worry..."
You give a nod. "I understand."
Nodding in return, she gets to her hooves. Her horn glows its illustrious shade of magenta as her bags levitate onto her back. Once her belongings are in place, she looks to you. She briefly opens her mouth to speak, but no words manage to find their way out. She instead opts to simply lift a hoof to you, beckoning for your fin.
"See you tomorrow...?" she asks.
You give an earnest smile and return the gesture with a fin, gracing her hoof with your touch. "Yes."
With a smile and one last stroke of her hoof on your fin, she turns around. She slowly begins to depart before turning one more time, exposing her smile to you again. Just before she turns back, a different expression flashes across her face. Before you can make it out however, she's already turned and is now heading to the ramp back up to the dock.
You watch her walk away, up until the point where she is entirely out of view. As she vanishes from your line of sight, you feel a small tugging in the center of your chest. It is very gentle, and only lasts for a split second. Even then, that split second was certainly uncomfortable.
Letting out another sigh, you begin to wiggle your way out of the sand and back into the water. After a bit of struggling, you manage to pull the entirety of yourself back into the ocean. A small dose of hesitance lurks in your mind as you turn and begin to swim back to your cave.
You've got some thinking to do...