Songs of the Siren

by Silver Inkwell

The Dream

Chapter Thirteen: The Walk

Sebastian and Forrest were out on a walk when they found Lily washed up on the beach]. But before I get to that let me first explain what had happened before this moment/point.

The day after Forrest’s exploration he managed to recover with the help of Sebastian, but it was very slowly even with the help of his very best friend.

“That storm sure took a beating out of you,” he said as Forrest tried to get up, but he stopped him, “And right now you just need to rest and relax.”

“Why? I want to have fun and I can handle myself,” Forrest said trying to get up again, but his efforts were constantly blocked by Sebastian.

“No, you’re insane, you need rest, get some sleep, please sir,” Sebastian begged.

“But I don’t want to,” Forrest said.

“I know, but is there anything that I can do to help ease your boredom?”

“Yes, there is, if I could see Lily again…”

Sebastian sighed, “I don’t think that will be possible, but please, calm your obsession with her… it’s not healthy.”

Forrest scoffed at Sebastian, “I don’t have an obsession with her!”

Sebastian raised an eyebrow at this comment, “So says the stallion who literally talked with Death just to get the chance to talk with her, yes, I think that’s completely normal and just fine, you were definitely sane then,” he said layering the sarcasm like thick gravy.

“Touché,” Forrest said smiling at his friend.

“Thank you, as your friend I am always right about you.”

“Then wouldn’t that mean that I’m right about you then?”

“Occasionally, not always,” Sebastian teased.

Forrest groaned, “You can’t let me off easy, can you?”

“No sir, that would make my job boring, and I hate boring jobs.”

“Yes, I know,” Forrest said sighing, “Very well then, I accept defeat.”

“Yeah, I win,” Sebastian said halfheartedly.

“Yes, but I can’t stand to be in bed all day…”

Sebastian looked over at his friend with great concern and sighed.

“Well… I could let you do what you want if I say you can,” Sebastian quickly added seeing the glimmer of joy in Forrest’s eyes, “That means no more adventures like sailing, that also means nothing dangerous too, after all, it is still my job to protect you from any and all harm,

“Whatever you say, mate, whatever you say,” Forrest said groaning.

“Don’t worry, I shall try to make your day fun, enjoyable, and also relaxing too,”

Forrest didn’t know that this meant the spa, and at first, he was very reluctant to go, but now he was actually (and surprisingly) enjoying the spa.

“Oh, this is just so relaxing,” Forrest moaned with great pleasure and delight as a mare slowly rubbed his back. “We really should do this more often, remind me when I have free time.”

“I will,” Sebastian said letting out his own moan.

“You know, if I weren’t in love with Lily I might actually be eyeing a few of these sexy mares,” Forrest said.

“If I weren’t so old I would do the same exact thing,” Sebastian said.

Forrest looked over at Sebastian with disbelief and shock, “Exactly just how dirty is your mind?”

“However dirty you want it to be,” he teased as he smiled and enjoyed the hoof massage.

Forrest smiled but let out a groan to tease Sebastian.

They continued to enjoy their message in silence because Sebastian had no need for jokes or ‘the talk’ with Forrest either.

After they were done they politely thanked all the workers currently there, payed the bill, and also left a very generous tip.

“Ah, that was nice, what’s next on the list?” Forrest said still smiling.

“Oh, well that would be uh… well that would be…” Sebastian stuttered very nervously.

“Well, what is it exactly? Just tell me already, spit it out.”

Suddenly Sebastian spit out some chewing gum and a deck of cards.

“I was going to say that the next thing on the list was magic and knitting.”

Forrest tried to process this, but he couldn’t, in despair, he fell to the ground stretching his front hooves in the air as he screamed out very loudly, “NO!!!”

“Well, what that really necessary sir?” Sebastian asked.

“Yes, and I could have done much better you know.”

“Yes, of course sir, you’re right, but let’s go, we’re done here.”

They then went to a magic show… and then knitting.

“See? This isn’t too bad sir,” Sebastian said beaming a smile at him while he expertly knitted a sweater for his teacher.

Forrest however, had no such luck and was in a mountain of unused fabric because he had failed at all of his attempts so far.

"Surprisingly enough, you’re right, and even though I can’t make anything,” Forrest said pointing at the mountain of material, “I still do enjoy this. But honestly, I thought that you were trying to find a new way to torture me.”

“Who says that I’m not?” Sebastian teased as he smiled deviously at Forrest.

“Sebastian, sometimes you can be really scary, never don’t you ever change.”

“Don’t worry sir, I won’t,” Sebastian said still smiling.

After that, they went to an ice cream shop and then back to the castle again.

When nighttime finally came, Forrest decided that he wanted to go out for a walk along the beach hoping to see Lily again.

Sebastian agreed to come along with him to protect him and keep him safe, just in case, after all, you never really knew, especially with fame.

They walked along the beach in silence marveling at the wonders that they saw. Or they did until Forrest thought that he finally saw something… well… different.

“Is that a body on the beach?” he said pointing out to a gray blob of something.

Sebastian squinted towards where Forrest had pointed. “No, probably just a rock or log, sir.”

“Sebastian, I’ve walked this beach many times before and I always made sure that there were no rocks or logs of any kind, especially like that,” he said.

Sebastian looked over at Forrest with worry in his face, “Run,” he said.

They quickly galloped over to her, and that is where our story officially begins.

“She’s…” Forrest said.

“A land pony… yes… I know, we both can clearly see that, and this is real, this isn’t a mirage, it’s actual magic, and please, just don’t ask me how I know that, it’s probably better if you don’t know that right now, understood?”

Forrest nodded, he was too concerned by Lily to even bother questioning Sebastian though. His friend was looking down at Lily very concerned, then he slowly shook his head and sighed.

“Lily, what have you done? Why did you do this, why?” Sebastian said.

“I’m sorry father, I just had to, I just wanted to be with him, Forrest, where are you? Why haven’t you come for me yet? Where are you?”

Forrest looked confused, was she delirious right now? And if so, how? Why?

“I’m right here for you,” Forrest said holding her head up very gently, “What’s wrong with her? Is she hurt?”

“She’s probably delirious and doesn’t even know who we are right now. We need to take her to safety, sir," Sebastian said pointing towards the castle.

Forrest nodded, but he was still confused. “Alright, fine then. But how? Why is she like this and not a seapony?”

“Sir, right now the questions will just have to wait, we have to get her somewhere nice, warm, and with water.”

“Yes, you’re right. But how is she right now?” Forrest said.

She's fine for now, but not unless we get her somewhere else. Now, in case you're wondering, I can think of two ways she could have transformed, and one of them is not good."

“Well then, what are they?” Forrest said very softly.

“One, she could have used the power of Triton’s trident…”

“Try saying that five times faster…” Forrest said trying to joke, but he received a very angry glare from Sebastian. “Okay then, I’m shutting up now.”

“As I was saying there are two options, the second option is much worse, she used the help of the sirens, but knowing Triton, I would most likely say that it would be the second option since I cannot sense or detect any light magic on her,” Sebastian said.

“Oh dear, oh no,” Forrest said.

“Oh yes, but right now we need to take her to the castle, and we must avoid the questions about where she came from, when, and why, for now at least.”

“Yes, you’re right, of course, come on, let’s go.”

Forrest slowly lifted her off the ground using his magic to make sure that she was resting across his back in the very best position of the most comfort.

“Don't worry Lily, you’ll be fine soon enough,” he said as he ran.

“Sir, she probably can't even hear you!” Sebastian exclaimed just barely keeping up with the young and active stallion.

“I don’t care if she can hear me!” Forrest shouted back, “It’s helping me out right now, and I need all the help that I can get when I’m panicking!”

“Yes, sir!” Sebastian said taken aback by Forrest’s very recent actions, Forrest never shouted at him before, even when he was angry, and Sebastian could tell that this was not going to be very good.

Soon enough they managed back to the castle not caring if they were spotted at all, right now Lily’s health was more important.

Forrest finally managed to find a decent room for Lily making sure that the window of it would be facing towards the ocean and not away from it. Slowly he set her down on the very soft bed (which was fit for any pony regardless of their class).

He looked at her and then brushed his hoof across her face as a very small smile then lit up her face. “Sleep well, Lily.”

He left the room very slowly making sure that it was safe, sound, and secure.

Only he and Sebastian knew about Lily right now, not even the guards themselves knew about their strange and mysterious new guest.

However, Forrest would have to find a believable lie to tell all of them.

He sighed, that was going to be very hard to do since he was just a terrible liar, his friend Sebastian, he was way better than he could ever possibly be at it.

He went out to his own window edge balcony and decided to start singing.

Feeling sad and melancholy he went over to his balcony, stared out at the ocean and the moon, and then decided to start singing.

“The moon rises tonight over the water, it shines down with beauty and grace, but oh, how can I compare you to anything else? Shining, shimmering, splendid.

Wonderful and beautiful. You shine with grace and beauty just like the sun, yet so few ponies sing of your praise, why can't they see the beauty? Why can't they see the grace? Everything is special, everything is unique, everything is different. Even if similar because we’re not all made the same. No two snowflakes ever had the same design, no two ponies were ever exactly the same, alike in many ways, yet different in so many more, so why can't they see your ways? Why do ponies fear, what they don't really understand, and why can't we all just get along?

I know that there’s beauty and grace everywhere, in the ocean, in the sea, in the lake, anywhere in nature that you look if you listen then you will hear.

Ponies can't see what’s right in front of them simply because they can't understand, they don't take the time to know the world around them. Why can't we just get along? But when will my time come for me to finally be free?

I’m just so sick and tired of this old life, boring and dull, when will my adventure come, when will I journey on an epic mighty quest, fight the battles and save the mare, marry a princess of my dreams and live in a great big huge castle?

When’s it my turn for something more? Out there on the sea, sailing free to somewhere very far away, I just wish that I could be, finally free.”

He finished up his song and sighed, now it was time to work on the lie, especially about the believable part of it.

Believable, yes, that would be the tricky part of the lie.

Other than that, everything should be just fine and easy.

Yes, it should be just fine and easy, right?

He hoped so, filled with unease he went to his own bed unable to sleep for a very long time, and when he finally did it was only nightmares that he saw.

Author's Note:

"Adagio," Triton said, "I've come to bargain."

I just watched Doctor Strange, okay?