After dinner, Twilight, Spike and Shimmering Sea met Fluttershy and Applejack at the Ponyville train station to catch the last train back to Manehattan. Shimmering Sea could hear Applejack reassure a terrified Fluttershy that she’d be fine. “Ah promise you sugar-cube. As soon as Ah lose sight of the train, Ah’ll go see Zecora about yer animals: Cross mah heart, hope to fly, stick a cupcake in mah eye.” Applejack did a series of hoof signs that reminded Shimmering Sea of sign language but not quite the same.
Whatever Applejack did, it seemed to calm Fluttershy a lot. Shimmer looked curiously up at Twilight whose face was buried in a piece of parchment. Instead, Spike explained. “Applejack just gave a Pinkie Promise and no pony EVER breaks a Pinkie Promise... not if they know what’s good for them.”
As the train pulled into the station, Shimmering Sea glanced at the horizon and saw how low the sun was in the sky. She saddled up to Twilight and cleared her throat. “Since it will be dark when we get to Manehattan, I suggest we go back to my adopted parent’s place for the night and check out the shore in the morning, your highness.”
Twilight thought about it and nodded. “So long as your parents don’t mind some guests, that sounds good Shimmering Sea.”
Angel Bunny gave Fluttershy one last big hug before hopping onto AJ’s back. AJ gave Fluttershy a hug and smile before waving the tree onto the train. Pinkie Pie appeared out of no-where and threw confetti into the air. “WELCOME TO PONYVILLE SHIMMERING SEA!” Shimmer was the last to board the train and seemed a little surprised. “Umm... thanks?” Pinkie grabbed her hoof and shook it hyperactively before letting go. Twilight double backed and rescued Shimmering Sea. “Sorry Pinkie. We got called by the map to Manehattan. Applejack can fill you and the others in on what happened. We’ll be back when we’ve finished,” Twilight said as she motioned for Shimmering Sea to enter the train.
Pinkie seemed to slightly deflate when Twilight said they had to leave butt she perked up right back when the map was mentioned. “Okie dokie lokie!” Pinkie said as she waved with both front hooves.
The train began pulling out of the station; all three mares hung slightly out the windows to wave goodbye; the two mares & one bunny on the platform followed suit.
The moment the train was out of her sight, Applejack (with Angel in tow) raced to Zecora’s hut in the Everfree Forest to fulfill her Pinkie Promise to Fluttershy. AJ had seen what Pinkie was like when she thought that AJ had broken the promise [Last Roundup] and vowed to never see it for real.
Meanwhile, back on the train, the three mares & baby dragon were seated in a private car reserved for traveling royalty. Rumor had it that even Princesses Celestia & Luna used this same car when going on their diplomatic missions... instead of using the royal chariots.
Spike was lounging in a reclining seat, eating out of a bowl of emeralds, reading one of his many Power Ponies comic books. Twilight Sparkle was relaxing on a double seat that slightly resembled a throne. Shimmering Sea took the longer couch against the side, under the windows, while Fluttershy took the smaller seat across from Twilight.
After levitating a tea tray and magically boiling the water, Twilight gave each of them a cup of tea. A moment pause later, Twilight was ready to get down to business.
“Shimmering Sea, could you please fill us in?”
Shimmering Sea seemed hesitant at first but after a kind look from Fluttershy, she gathered her thoughts.
“About a week ago, my parents told me after my 16th birthday party that I was adopted from the Seashore Manehattan Orphanage. They told me the truth about how I got my cutie mark at only 6 months old. They gave me this box of paperwork, photos and other trinkets.” Shimmering Sea used her own magic to levitate the wooden box out of her saddle bags and opened it facing the other two. She gently tapped the necklace with a hoof. “According to my mother, Ivory Vision, this necklace was found with me by the staff and I was allowed to keep it but she kept it safe in the box. Prior to wearing it, I had been afflicted with a series of nightmares all the same, as Princess Luna can attest to. Even she had no control over the dreams besides making me wake up: drowning in dark water. After I got the box, I started wearing the necklace in the hopes that someone might recognize it. Instead, on my way to Ponyville, the necklace somehow changed the nightmare into a dream with a new voice telling me to keep wearing it.”
Shimmering Sea took a sip of her tea as Fluttershy regained some composure and Twilight thought over what she was just told. “Do you think your dreams could be leading you somewhere?” she asked.
“I'm beginning to think so, princess.” Shimmering Sea set down her cup and settled herself a little more comfortably.
Twilight got up from her seat and approached Shimmering Sea’s seat. “Would you be willing to try? I know a very simple sleep spell that I've used on myself from time to time.” Twilight winked and blushed at the same time.
Shimmering Sea, knowing of Princess Twilight’s affinity for magic, trusted her completely and consented.
Twilight lit her horn and gently pressed it to Shimmering Sea’s head. A few seconds later, Shimmering Sea yawned and fell asleep.
Shimmering Sea found herself swimming in the dark water again, no sign of Princess Luna and only the two lights: moonlight from above and the blue magic light from behind. Her mane & tail shifted in the water as she breathed through brand new gills under her ears, just behind her jaw bone. She could see a silhouette in the blue light coming towards her. The female voice laughed as Shimmering Sea tried to swim towards the silhouette. “Oh my darling; I am pleased to see that you are opening up to me. That will make things easier for all of us. Come to the beach opposite the Orphanage just after sunrise, walk into the water and I will find you there.”
The silhouette’s front hooves lit with some kind of earth pony magic that surrounded Shimmering Sea and the dream gracefully ended.
Shimmering Sea woke to see that all Twilight, Fluttershy and Spike were all staring at her with shocked expressions. “What happened?”
“Umm.... Twilight used her magic and you fell asleep but a few moments later, your... umm... your head came up and your eyes glowed white,” Fluttershy said nervously. “Yeah, and then some magic from your horn went into your pearl necklace. It was totally creepy,” added Spike as he pointed a claw from her horn to necklace.
Shimmering Sea levitated the necklace off her neck in time to see the pearl go from luminescent to its normal shiny surface. She placed the necklace back on and poured herself another cup of tea, recounting what had happened in the dream. “First time I did not see or hear Princess Luna. That must be a good sign.” Pause. “I think we should follow the instructions. When I saw your magical map take those cutie marks, they had jumped from that same beach. I think my dreams and your map are leading us to the same place.”
Fluttershy relaxed and Twilight paced the length of the car; Spike had gone back to his comic but kept eyeing Shimmering Sea from above the pages.
Silence reigned for a period of time where Shimmering Sea finally noticed the tops of the skyscrapers just coming into view now outside the windows. When Shimmering Sea cleared her throat, Twilight took note of the same thing.
“I am inclined to agree, Shimmering Sea. We’ll stay with you tonight and go to this beach in the morning.” Fluttershy smiled and nodded gently as Shimmering Sea simply nodded.
“I should tell you... my father is a pegasus named Dusty Cloud. He works for the Manehattan branch of the weather teams. My mother is a unicorn named Ivory Vision. She has very little vision; can only see dark colours and blurry shapes; she works at a school for the blind. My grandmother is an earth pony named Ribbon Rose.”
“Last stop: Manehattan!” called the conductor pony as the train pulled into Grand Centurious Station. [1] Each of the mares took up their saddle bags and headed for the doors.
The station was a huge sprawling stone building with arched ceilings, stores, restaurants and information booths at each entry. But Shimmering Sea bypassed all of these for one of the doors to the outside and found a taxi line up to join.
Not too long of a wait later, they hopped into the same taxi and headed for Shimmering Sea’s parent’s house. Twilight & Spike admired Manehattan at night while Fluttershy cowered in the back and Shimmering Sea merely sat moodily as the houses and buildings passed by.
Arriving at the house in an urban neighbourhood [2] a few blocks from a beach, Spike imagined how awesome Trick or Treating on Nightmare Night must be here.
Dusty Cloud and Ivory Vision met them at the door, surprised to hear Shimmering Sea return so quickly. “Dad, mom; this is Princess Twilight Sparkle, Fluttershy and Spike. We’ve received a... tip of sorts that led us back here. Is it ok if they stay the night?”
Dusty & Ivory, after finally coming to their sense, graciously bowed to Twilight and invited them inside. “I’ll go prepare the guest bedroom,” Dusty said as he hurried down the hall.
Ivory, seeing only blurs, hugged the two-tone blue first; bowed to the larger purple and shook hooves with the yellow & pink before running a hoof over a wing. When she knelt down to Spike’s level, she tried to smell him. “What are you Spike?” Ivory asked. “I'm a ferocious fire breathing dragon and Twilight’s Number One Assistant,” he said proudly.
Suddenly, Spike burped out a scroll which Twilight took immediately. Ivory chuckled gently. “Well, you got the fire breathing part right,” as she patted his head. “The letter is from Princess Celestia. She did some research for us and found a couple of spells that might be useful for us.” Twilight rolled back up the scroll and slipped it into her saddle bags.
“Does any pony need a night time snack before bed?” asked an older voice; similar to Granny Smith but without the country-isims. Ribbon Rose came out from the kitchen carrying a tray of cucumber sandwiches and glasses of milk.
“Oh Granny Ribbon! Cucumber sandwiches, my favorite,” said Shimmering Sea as she helped take up the tray in her magic and set it on the living room table.
The sandwiches and milk were finished off with gusto; Spike having fallen asleep as Shimmering Sea recounted everything that had happened since she left that morning, including her strange dreams in great detail for Ivory’s sake.
“Those are indeed strange dreams, my dearie,” said Ribbon. “We have decided to investigate the beach in question tomorrow morning,” Twilight said with a yawn.
“Sounds like it’s time for bed,” said Ivory with a chuckle as Dusty gathered up the tray and Shimmering Sea said her good nights.
Shimmering Sea went to her own bedroom; Twilight, Fluttershy and Spike went to the guest room to find that two beds were made up and the day bed was cleared of the extra pillows, covered with a fire-proof blanket. “Why do they even OWN one of these?” Spike asked, slightly confused. “Well, with my son in the weather team and a semi-blind [3] independent daughter-in-law, one learns to be prepared,” said Ribbon’s voice from the hallway as she slowly passed by.
~*~
Shimmering Sea found herself in the same dream again but she was alone. No blue light, no female voice to encourage her or give her instructions. Somehow she knew that the gills had appeared again.
Then she remembered something that Ivory had read from Braille about lucid dreaming. Shimmering Sea concentrated and ignited her horn, lighting up the water all around her.
She found herself about two leagues below the surface, seeing the sandy bottom drop down and spread out in what looked like an underwater boulder city. She watched as dark silhouettes darted between the boulders. At first, she thought that they were fish but she could hear pony voices.
A school of silver fish swam in front of Shimmering Sea, blocking her view. “Come play with us!” they chorused. “Come play! Come play!” The chant continued as Shimmering Sea slowly woke.