A Twist in Evolution

by Dark Nightshade

Cultural differences and indifferences

Flash and Sunset Shimmer were in and out of the scuba diving renting place pretty quick. As they got back into Flash's car, in their own dry cloths, they heard Submersive Exploration's stomach gurgle. They both glanced back at her, who had a rather guilty looking expression.

"Sorry," Submersive Exploration said. "Breathing air always makes my stomach rather upset."

"So the air makes you....airy?" Sunset Shimmer said with a giggle. Submersive Exploration and Flash groaned.

"That was terrible," Flash said. He started the car, the engine purring to life, and started exiting the parking lot.

"Are we able to lower to glass on these doors?" Submersive Exploration asked.

"Yes," Flash said. "Why?" A few seconds later, he got a response. Just not in English. As Flash's and Sunset Shimmer's eyes started to water, Flash used the drivers control all button and rolled all 4 windows down. He stuck his head out of the window, trying to breath in fresh air. But the stench was just too powerful. Sunset Shimmer was doing the same thing on her side.

"Why?!?!" she exclaimed. "How does something so deadly come from someone who seems so innocent?"

"I'm so sorry!" Submersive Exploration squeaked with a massive blush reddening her cheeks. Those weren't the only cheeks that were reddening, as she let out another horrendous fart, releasing another wave of terrible stench.

"Why now?!" Flash asked, his fingers pinching his nose close, as his head was brought back into car. "Why weren't you farting earlier?" Submersive Exploration farted again before answering.

"My gills take in the oxygen that's in the water, but it's sort of filtered. The raw oxygen coming in through my nose and mouth go straight to my stomach, forming bubbles that burst quite easily," Submersive Exploration said. "It's a lot different, farting underwater. How close are we to your house?"

"Fortunately, we're close," Flash said. "Once we get there, we can get you out of Sunset Shimmer's clothes." Sunset Shimmer made a gagging motion outside the car window.

"Oh, no, she can keep them," Sunset Shimmer said.

"No, I can't keep these," Submersive Exploration said. "Although, I will need to keep them until I have some clothes of my own." They turned into a residential area. After a minute of (sort of) quite, they turned into Flash's drive way. As Flash and Sunset Shimmer opened their doors as fast as they could to escape the stench, Submersive Exploration took her time, looking over Flash's house. She didn't know if it was good for human houses, but it was big, and even though it wasn't made of coral, it still looked rather nice. She spotted a small garden in the front. It also looked nice, even though Submersive Exploration couldn't recognize any of the plants growing in it. As Submersive Exploration walked up towards the door, she admired the colored glass on the walls. It was hard making glass in general underwater, what with the danger of broiling yourself by accident. As she continued through the hall, she saw framed images on the walls, some holding what appeared to be a young Flash with two older people, probably his parents, and some with just the two others. They fascinated her. They had something similar to these in Rippling Horizon. None of the cities she knew of did. She continued down the hallway, looking through each open door until she saw Flash and Sunset Shimmer. She entered the door. It looked like a kitchen.

"Do you want to go clothes shopping now?" Sunset Shimmer asked. "I know a great place to get good clothes." Submersive Exploration smiled and nodded.

"Sure, now is good," she said. "Who is this friend?"

---

"Hello, dear, I'm Rarity," said the white skinned girl in front of Submersive Exploration. Rarity turned to Sunset Shimmer. "I didn't expect to see you here today, Sunset Shimmer. I know you went scuba diving with Flash today." Rarity's eyebrows wiggled. "How did it go?" Sunset Shimmer nodded at Submersive Exploration.

"Well, we met her," Sunset Shimmer said. "It's all very interesting." Submersive Exploration shot Sunset Shimmer a dirty look.

"Before you say anything else, can she be trusted?" Submersive Exploration asked. Rarity's eyes bounced between the two, her curiosity aroused.

"Well, I like to think so, especially with my clients," Rarity said. Sunset Shimmer nodded.

"She is, don't worry," Sunset Shimmer said. "Besides, she likes to measure people. She would start asking when she sees." Submersive Exploration sighed.

"Fine," she said. "Please, you can't tell anyone else, Rarity." Rarity nodded.

"Don't worry, around certain things, I am legal bound to not say anything," she said. Submersive Exploration nodded. She pointed at one of the curtained area's.

"Is that where you measure people?" she asked. Rarity nodded. "Then lets get this over with." As they entered the room, Sunset Shimmer sat down and waited. After a few seconds, she heard Rarity gasp.

"Sunset Shimmer, where did you go?" she heard Rarity asked.

"Not important," Submersive Exploration said. "Now, please, I need some clothes." Rarity, now giddy with excitement over meet a mermaid, started measuring. But after a little, another question arouse.

"Um, Submersive Exploration? Can you take your clams off?" Rarity asked.

"Why?" she asked suspiciously. "Why do you need to measure my girls?"

"So I can give you a proper cup size," Rarity said.

"Cup size?" Submersive Exploration asked. "Why do I need a cup?"

"For your breasts," Rarity said. "To help support them. Yours are....sagging....just a little."

"Oh," Submersive Exploration said. "Fine, then." The rest of the measurements took place in relative quietness. Fortunately, incredible fortunately, Submersive Exploration didn't start farting again. That would've been terrible. Especially while Rarity was measuring Submersive Exploration's butt. As Submersive Exploration and Rarity walked out of the measuring room, Rarity told Submersive Exploration to go look at the outfits, and started talking to Sunset Shimmer.

"We should tell the others, or at least Twilight," Rarity said. "Twilight would love this." Sunset Shimmer nodded.

"Twilight would love it," she said. "But I don't think we should tell anyone without Submersive Exploration's okay."

"I know, but it's just so cool!" Rarity said excitedly. "I mean, isn't it every young girls dream to meet a mermaid?"

"I don't know about this world, but I didn't," Sunset Shimmer said. "Although it is pretty cool. According to her mythology, her species was created by the goddess Tanggong."

"This is amazing," Rarity said. "Wait other kind of mythology did she have?" Sunset Shimmer shrugged.

"I'm not sure. Submersive Exploration hasn't said," she said. "But either way, it's fascinating." Meanwhile, on the other side of the store, Submersive Exploration was checking out the shirts, while also listening in on what Sunset Shimmer and Rarity were saying. Sound moved so much easier through air than it did underwater. As they talked about how fascinating it was that she, as a species existed, she thought about how she had been trapped on the coral reef, but she couldn't come up with a logical conclusion. The closest she could come to was a highly advanced form of forced camouflage, or a...no, that was ridiculous. Those weren't common to find, even for a mermaid, so what were the odds a human found one? She was able to camouflage herself against all types of backgrounds, but she had taken on the physical attributes of the coral. How had that happened? And what had that man done to her? The last thing she remembered was his pale brown hand plunging something he had called a syringe into her neck. He attention came back to the present when Rarity started repeating her name. Submersive Exploration looked at Rarity.

"Yeah?" Submersive Exploration asked.

"I've found some clothes near your size," Rarity said. "I should be done with the clothes in your exact size done by tomorrow, though." Submersive Exploration smiled and nodded.

"Thank you," she said. "What do I owe you?" Rarity shook her head.

"No, you don't owe me anything," she said. "First time is always free." Submersive Exploration smiled again.

"Are you sure?" she asked. "I can pay you later, if you'll except crokners, agoms, gongics, or precious gems." Rarity smiled confusedly and nodded.

"Well, I don't know what the first three are, but precious gems...you would be willing to trade cloths for precious gems?" Rarity asked. Submersive Exploration nodded.

"Some of the better clothes in Rippling Horizon cost gems," she said. "Only the finest of the fine, and with the most skill."

"Most skill?" Rarity asked.

"Yes, a few thousand years ago, we figured out how to give them abilities, so the wearer could obtain that ability," Submersive Exploration said. "Haven't humans?" Rarity shook her head.

"You and I need to have a talk later," she said. "I would love to be able to do that to my clothes." Submersive Exploration grinned.

"Well, okay then," she said. "In the meantime, I need to learn more one how the surface world works. Maybe you can join Flash and Sunset Shimmer and help them?" Rarity's eyes widened and she rose her hands up to her head.

"Yes!" Rarity exclaimed. "I would love to!"

---

Meanwhile, near the building where the two men had met, chemicals were being mixed, processed, and finally super-heated before squirted into vials, ready for either consumption or injection. The pale brown skinned man was standing on top of a staircase, watching the vials being loaded into creates, with an evil looking grin. As he stood and watched, one of the scientists walked up to him and started to talk.

"Sir, the results are back. Our study group was most informative," the scientist said. "They all successfully transformed, but there was a side effect on all of them."

"What was it?" the pale brown man said. The scientist gulped nervously.

"Nothing to be too worried about or anything, just a minor setback. We can get it fixed soon," he said. The pale brown man growled and turned angrily to face the scientist.

"What was the setback?" he growled threateningly.

"Death," said the scientist. "The side effect is death _{pleasedontkillme}." The pale brown man growled.

"Just fix it," he finally said. "Fix it, or you'll be drinking it soon." The scientist turn and scampered off, wanting to run, but he knew that it could prove fatal.

Author's Note:

Wow, this was a fun (and funny) chapter to write. I hope you liked it as much as I did.

Comments

[Sudrian Engineer]

Farts... hmm...

[Dark Nightshade]

8586480
Yes, farts. Childish, but funny.