第二章
第 2 章
4 年前
589没过多久，小蝶就觉得送蛋糕过去是个馊主意，拿着用餐巾盖着的放盘子的一块蛋糕飞行就已经很困难了，当她终于到达艾里斯峰山脚时，她意识到她根本不可能在蛋糕不被打湿化掉的情况下带到水下，她现在该怎么办？给天星和诺沃女王送一份打湿的巧克力樱桃蛋糕？谁会吃得下去啊？
小蝶把蛋糕放到了城门外，小跑地穿过那些依旧和她记忆中一模一样的荒废城市，柱子都倒塌了，建筑物要么坍塌要么就是摇摇欲坠，街上到处都是石头和砖头。她穿过狭窄的石缝，又回到了她们一个月前才来过的城堡，现在她还是需要爬过一些碎石才能挤进去。
那个喷泉看上去依旧跟她上次来的时候一模一样，喷泉中心伫立着一个美丽的莲花雕塑，水晶般清澈的水在围着它打转。她戴上了气泡头盔，看了看池水，深吸了一口气。她和她朋友们第一次从艾里斯峰的这里闯入海底的海马国算是场意外，萍琪当时就直接跳进了水里，她们也跟着她一起跳进水里后就被吸入了海底。而现在，小蝶不得不独自面对这些。
她嘟囔道：“好——好吧——这就上了。”并深吸了一口气，她向前快步跑了几步，突然猛地一跳，一头不自然地栽进了旋转的池水里。她又连做三次深呼吸，连说了四次鼓励自己的话，才鼓起勇气往前游了游。“好吧，出发了！”最后打转的池水直接把她卷到了海底。
她戴上的泡泡头盔，就跟她第一次跟朋友们来到海底戴着的头盔一样，让她能自由呼吸，也能看清海底的一切，虽然这样的感觉比较怪怪的，但小蝶也非常庆幸能有这泡泡。
在不远处，小蝶看到了一长串明亮、五颜六色的灯，在黑暗中闪耀着，这就是海马国！她奋力向前游着，用蹄子轻轻划着水波，一直划到她熟悉的城门那。
海马国街道上熙熙攘攘，海马们都在广场上游来游去，聚集在咖啡馆和餐馆那，沿着海底大道在那些不错的商店里购物。一只尖刺黄蟹站在广场中央，弹奏着三种乐器——吉他、班卓琴还有小鼓。它的六条腿都在有序演奏着，谱写出美妙的音乐，海波也随着节奏摇摆着，让一些海马甚至都开始跳起舞来。
当她看到这一切时，那种兴奋的感觉席卷了她翅膀到蹄子的全身，无论她花了多久、走得多远，一回到这个神奇的地方，都不禁让她感到激动。这里与小马国截然不同，不仅有美丽的景色，还有数百种没见过的生物会在海洋中跟她相遇！当然小蝶并不总是喜欢去一直待在水下原地不动，而现在她依旧在游着，决定顺着水流前进，让水流带着她向前。
海马们的城堡可要比这里其它的建筑物还要独特，她往那游的路上，经过那黄蟹还有跳舞的海马们时，来了个快速的回旋，她已经等不及要见到天星公主了！他们会探索这个地方所有的商店，去尝遍海马国的所有美食。天星之前写信还跟她提过咏叹调剧院——一个由唱歌的海星来表演的剧院。小蝶还从来没有去见过会唱歌的海星，她非常想去问它们一堆问题，也许她们会去那剧院看场表演，或是去天星提到的那些最罕见、最五彩斑斓的鱼儿们喜欢玩耍的珊瑚礁。关于海洋生物们，小蝶想了解的真的太多了。
当她接近城堡的时候，小蝶瞬间觉得自己快开不了口了。面前就有两位海马卫兵站在大门的两边，尽管她之前就已经见过海马了，但她总是会对他们的出现感到吃惊。他们高大威武，没有蹄子而有的是闪闪发光的鳍，尾巴也不是正常的马尾，拥有的也是尾鳍，可以让他们在水里游得更轻松更快。现在面前的守卫们的鳍上拿着珊瑚矛还有贝壳盾牌在门口守着。
小蝶几乎是低声开口道：“呃你好…”他们没有什么回应，连眼睛都没眨一下。也许是她们没有听到她从泡泡里发出的声音。
“我是来见天星公主的。”小蝶大声道：“请你们可以去转告她，她的朋友小蝶来看她了吗？”
那位较高大的深绿色守卫俯下身来，拿她的蓝莓颜色的大眼睛盯着小蝶，她注意到了小蝶的蹄子，皱起了眉头。
“你是哪个王国来的？谁是你那边的统治者？”她看向另外一个卫兵，扬了扬怀疑的眉毛。“你是怎么找到我们王国的？”
“呃…”小蝶瞬间感觉她的脸上开始发热。“其实我以前来过这…我是来自小马国，塞拉斯蒂娅公主和露娜公主是我们那的统治者，但我是天星公主的朋友！”
卫兵们仍然看着她，另一个守卫，那匹闪闪发光的有着巨大绿色翅膀的白色海马绕着她转了转。深绿色海马说道：“之前就是你们小马国那边的小马欺骗了天星公主，还想偷走我们女王的珍珠！”
小蝶想吞咽一下，但她的喉咙紧张到咽不下去。她们上次来的时候，暮暮就让萍琪去吸引天星还有诺沃女王的注意力，当萍琪带她们去城堡周围玩的时候，她就试图去偷走女王的那个可以把骏鹰还有小马都能变成海马的珍珠。
“这可能有点误会了…”小蝶轻声道：“如果你们能让我——”
“恐怕我们是不会让你进去的，”深绿色海马打断了她的话。“我们是奉命要保护诺沃女王还有珍珠的安全。”
“但我是被邀请来这的…”小蝶感觉自己的胃都紧张地打结了。突然她想起了那封信，她赶紧把它拿出来给守卫们看。“你们看！这是天星公主给我寄的信，她想见我们，也许我的朋友当时确实想偷走女王的珍珠，但她也是想去打败风暴大王，你们的仇敌，这应该就能说明一切了，对吧？”
小蝶鼓起了她的所有勇气，想着她的朋友们教给她一切关于自信还有如何捍卫自己的所有教训。她看着那个海马卫兵们仔细研究着这封信，甚至还把它翻来翻去地查看，就好像那信是假的一样。她瞥了瞥旁边的卫兵一眼，然后转过身来。“很抱歉，这确实能说明一切…毕竟现在这么长时间来看再小心谨慎也是为了防患于未然。”她看了看小蝶。“我叫湛蓝，她叫海盐气空。”然后她推开了城堡大门，“跟我们来吧。”她又转过身来，和小蝶的目光对视了。“不要趁我们不注意就偷偷溜到别的地方了，好吗？”
“当然不会！”小蝶微微一笑，深吸了口气，头盔里的气泡飘了出来。
她也不会怪海马们会这么提防她，也许问 ‘你是从哪个王国来的’这事有点过于谨慎，但自从艾里斯峰被狂风暗影还有风暴大王摧毁后，他们对任何外来者都是出了名地紧张不安。或许即便是斯派克那样的小龙来了的话，他们估计也会去怀疑盘问他。
但卫兵们带她进了镀金的大门时，小蝶也紧紧地跟在了他们身后。一进去后，小蝶就忍不住惊讶地倒吸一口气，海马城堡依旧还是跟她记忆中一样美丽，屋顶有闪闪发光的柱子还有彩色玻璃窗，大厅有一个巨大的天花板可以让你直接游上去，她抬头看着它，逐渐迷失在眼前的壮观景象，这时她听到了一个熟悉的声音。
“小蝶！”天星公主朝她游了过来，给她来了个拥抱。“你来看我了！我真不敢相信你真的来了！你会在这待多久？噢我们会玩得非常开心的！我们可以去咏叹调剧院，或是去广场看章鱼跳舞，当然我们也可以去做贝壳项链，或是贝壳相框，或是项链。噢谁知道呢？”
“我们可以去参观珊瑚礁吗？”小蝶笑了笑。“我挺想认识一些新的海洋鱼儿们！”
“当然可以！我可认识好多好多酷酷的鱼儿们！”天星在水里直接做了几下飞速的回旋后空翻，小蝶忍不住地笑了，天星的热情很有感染力，然而她大部分的时间都是在城堡里度过的，所有没有什么要比朋友们来看她更能让她开心了。
天星问道：“其它小马们在哪呢？”她注意到只有小蝶在这。“她们在搬行李呢？”
“她们确实很想来，但她们在帮助狂风在中心城安定下来，所以我们在想呃…”小蝶试图想找到合适的表达方式。“也许在狂风跟我们一起来艾里斯峰前还是过一段时间会更好，她们下次一定会来的，她们也让我转达消息向你问好。”
天星回道：“噢，她们肯定会的！”虽然她还是看起来有点小失望。“记得跟她们说我也挺想她们的，好吗？”
还没等小蝶回答，天星公主就游了起来，挥了挥鳍让她跟上一起穿梭在城堡的走廊里。“我们现在需要马上解决一件事，”她边说边扭头看了眼小蝶：“妈妈！妈妈！”
天星直接游进了诺沃女王的房间，甚至都懒得敲门了。小蝶之前在门口迎接她的那个叫湛蓝的卫兵在女王的面前，她们两马正在紧张地讨论着什么，她们甚至都没注意到天星跟小蝶已经在房间门口徘徊了。
“这一切都是误会，”诺沃女王摇了摇头，重重地叹了口气。“我想再派一位大使去调查一下，我们等待事态自然平息的时间越长，在海马国流传开的谣言就会越来越糟糕。”诺沃女王拿来了一份卷轴，开始潦草地写下一份法令。“我们不需要子民们在大街上恐慌。”
“陛下，我申请能荣幸地代表我们王国参与搜寻。”湛蓝深深地鞠了一躬。“如果能得到您许可的话。”
“许可已经授予，湛蓝。” 诺沃女王郑重地点点头回答道。“但你必须记住，我可不想——”
“妈——！”天星打断了她们谈话。“我知道你很忙，但我们现在需要那珍珠，很快就好！两秒钟就好，行吗？小蝶来这了，她可不能整天都继续戴着那个蠢蠢的头盔了。”
“行吧，天星。”诺沃女王边回答边拿她的鳍挥了挥。“但要小心，你用完后要记得放回去，听到了吗？”
天星游到了女王的床头柜那，把珍珠从床头柜那拿了下来。她脸上带着一种让马有点眼花缭乱的微笑，就把珍珠拿给了小蝶看。“所以你还记得她是怎么运作的，对吧？只要你把你蹄子放这，然后——”
“天星！”诺沃女王叫了起来，她显然现在看起来很紧张。“我们现在在这边有一些非常重要的事情要处理！所以如果你们两个不介意，能不能到城堡的其他地方去聊？”女王说完又转过身看向湛蓝还有桌上的法令。
天星叫着回道：“好的，妈妈！我们不会妨碍你的！”她的大眼睛紧紧盯着珍珠的表面，它正散发着漩涡般、明亮的白光。天星向小蝶挥鳍示意，她们两个又游回了珊瑚装饰的走廊。“准备好了吗？”
小蝶点点头，伸出蹄子放到珍珠上。几秒钟后，她就感觉全身经历了一种奇特的感觉，幸运的是她之前已经经历过一次了，所以她不觉得害怕。她的尾巴还有后蹄变成了个巨大的尾鳍，鱼鳍也从她背上长了出来，现在她跟这里其它所有马一样成为了海马！
小蝶在水里轻松游着，当她摆动她的尾鳍时，她游的速度比之前更快且游得更容易了。她低头，下潜、旋转俯冲，她喜欢这种感觉。这确实有点像飞行，只是现在是水流把她托起来了。天星也加入了进来，在城堡的走廊上飞速游着，一个房间一个房间地转，两个朋友都开心地大笑起来。
“不要在城堡里闹，”诺沃女王从一个房间里喊道。“你是知道规矩的，天星！”
“来吧！”天星叫回了她的朋友，“让我们一起去探索吧！”然后她就冲出了房间门，穿过走廊，游向了城堡门口。
“来了！”小蝶也叫着跟了过去，脸上流露着无法隐藏的微笑，这次的旅行注定会非常精彩。
英文版：
It didn’t take long for Fluttershy to realize the whole cake thing was a bad idea. It was hard to fly with a piece of cake on a plate covered with a napkin, and when she finally got to Mount Aris, there was no way she could bring it underwater without it getting soaked. What was she supposed to do? Present a soggy chocolate-cherry cake to Skystar and Queen Novo? Who would want to eat that?
Fluttershy put down the cake outside the gates and trotted through the ruined city. It was just as she remembered it. Pillars were toppled over. The buildings were broken and crumbling. Stones and bricks littered the street. She wove her way through the narrow alleys, going back to the castle they’d found all those weeks before. She had to climb over some rubble to get in.
The fountain looked exactly the same as it had the last time she’d been there. There was a beautiful lotus sculpture in the center, and the crystal-blue water swirled around it. She put on her bubble helmet, peered into the water, and took a deep breath. The first time she and her friends had gone under Mount Aris, it had been an accident. Pinkie Pie had been goofing around and was sucked under, and they’d all followed her down. But now Fluttershy would have to do it alone.
“H-h-h-here I go,” she mumbled to herself, taking a huge breath. She took two quick steps forward and came to a screeching halt. It didn’t exactly feel natural to jump headfirst into a swirling fountain. It took her three more deep breaths and four more pep talks before she could work up the courage to take the leap. “Okay, now here I go!” Finally, she jumped into the swirling water, letting it pull her below the surface.
Her bubble helmet, just like the one she’d worn the first time she’d come to the underwater world, allowed her to breathe and see everything clearly. It was a strange sensation, but Fluttershy was very grateful for it.
In the distance, Fluttershy could make out a cluster of bright, colorful lights. A beacon in the darkness. It was Seaquestria! She propelled herself forward, pushing her hooves through the water with ease until she came upon the familiar city gates.
The streets of Seaquestria bubbled with activity. Seaponies swam across the village square, gathered at cafés and restaurants, and floated along the aquatic avenues as they window-shopped at all the best boutiques. A spiky yellow crab stood in the center of the plaza, playing three instruments—a guitar, a banjo, and a tambourine. Six of his legs worked in time, creating the most beautiful music. Seaponies swayed in time to the beat, and a few had even started dancing.
As she took it all in, Fluttershy felt the excitement washing through her body, starting from the tips of her wings right down to the bottom of her hooves. No matter how long and how far she’d traveled, she couldn’t help feeling happy to be back in this enchanting place. It was so refreshingly different from Equestria. And it wasn’t just the beautiful sights—there seemed to be hundreds of new creatures to meet in the ocean! Fluttershy hadn’t always loved the idea of being underwater, but now as she swam along, she decided to go with the flow, letting the water carry her in its current, moving her up and down.
The Seapony castle towered above the rest of the village. She paddled toward it, doing a quick spin as she passed the crab and the dancers. She couldn’t wait to see Princess Skystar! They’d explore all the stores in the village and try all the best foods Seaquestria had to offer. Skystar had written her once about The Aria, a theater where singing starfish performed. Fluttershy had never met a singing starfish, but she was quite interested in asking one some questions. Maybe they’d go there and watch one of the shows, or go to the reef where Skystar had mentioned that all the rarest and most colorful fish liked to play. There was so much for Fluttershy to learn about ocean creatures.
Fluttershy felt herself clamming up as she approached the castle. Two huge guards stood on either side of the gate. Even though she’d met the Seaponies before, she was always a little taken aback by their appearance. They were magnificent and tall, with shimmering fins instead of front hooves. In place of tails, they had flippers, allowing them to swim easily in the water. The stoic guards carried coral spears and shell shields.
“Um, hello there...” Fluttershy practically whispered. They didn’t return her greeting. They barely even blinked. Maybe they hadn’t heard her through her bubble.
“I’m here to see Princess Skystar,” Fluttershy announced, a little louder. “Will you please tell her that her friend Fluttershy is here?”
The larger guard was a deep teal, with huge eyes the color of blueberries. She leaned down and stared at Fluttershy. She noticed Fluttershy’s hooves and frowned.
“What land do you come from, and who is your ruler?” the guard questioned. She turned to her partner and raised a suspicious brow. “How did you find our kingdom?”
“Oh...” Fluttershy felt her cheeks get hot. “I’ve been here before actually.... See, I’m from Equestria. Princess Celestia and Princess Luna are the rulers there. But I’m friends with Princess Skystar!”
The guard still just stared at her. The other guard, a shimmery white Seapony with giant green wings, circled her. “You’re one of the same ponies from Equestria who tricked Princess Skystar,” the teal Seapony said. “Who tried to steal the queen’s pearl!”
Fluttershy tried to swallow, but her throat was tight. When they were last here, Twilight Sparkle had used Pinkie Pie to distract Skystar. As they were playing around the castle, Twilight Sparkle had tried to steal the queen’s luminescent pearl. It was used to transform Hippogriffs and ponies into Seaponies.
“It was a bit of a misunderstanding...” Fluttershy said softly. “If you’ll just let me—”
“I’m afraid we can’t let you inside,” the teal Seapony interrupted. ““We’re supposed to protect Queen Novo and the pearl.”
“B-but I’ve been invited....” Fluttershy’s stomach twisted in knots. Suddenly, she remembered the letter. She pulled it out and showed it to the guards. “Look! This is the letter Princess Skystar sent me. She wanted to see all of us. Maybe my friend did try to steal the queen’s pearl, but she was also the one to defeat the Storm King. Your enemy. That counts for something, right?”
Fluttershy summoned her strength, remembering all the lessons her friends had taught her about sticking up for herself. She watched as the Seapony studied the letter, going so far as to flip it over as though it might be fake. She glanced sideways at the other guard, then turned around. “I guess it does. Apologies... You can never be too careful these days.” She paused, staring at Fluttershy. “I’m Cerulean, and this is Salt Air.” Then she pushed through the castle gates. “Follow us.” She turned around and met Fluttershy’s eyes. “No swimming off when we’re not looking, okay?”
“Of course not!” Fluttershy smiled and let out a deep breath, the bubbles floating up from her helmet.
She couldn’t exactly blame the Seaponies for being so protective. Maybe the who-is-your-leader thing was extreme, but since Mount Aris was ruined by Tempest and the Storm King, they were notoriously on edge. They would have been suspicious of even Spike, who was just a baby Dragon.
Fluttershy swam close behind the guards as theyentered through the gilded gates. Once inside, Fluttershy couldn’t help letting out a tiny gasp. The Seapony castle was just as beautiful as she had remembered. There were glittering pillars and stained-glass windows. The great hall had a huge ceiling that you could swim to the top of. She was gazing up at it, lost in the sights, when she heard a familiar voice.
“Fluttershy!” Princess Skystar shot forward and threw her fins around her. “You came to visit! I can’t believe you’re really here! How long can you stay?! Oh, we’re going to have so much fun! We can go to The Aria or see the octopuses dance in the village square, and, of course, we’ll make seashell necklaces. Or seashell picture frames. Or bracelets. Oh, who knows?!”
“Can we also visit the reef?” Fluttershy giggled. “I’d love to meet some new fish!”
“Of course we can! I know sooo many cool fish!” Skystar floated up in the water, doing a few quick spins. Fluttershy couldn’t help but smile. Skystar’s enthusiasm was infectious. She spent most of her time alone in the castle, so nothing made her happier than getting visitors.
“‘Where’s everyone else?” Skystar said, suddenly noticing Fluttershy was the only one there. “Bringing in the luggage?”
“They wanted to come, but they’re helping Tempest settle in, and we thought, well...” Fluttershy tried to find the right way to say it. “Maybe it would be better to wait awhile before Tempest returned to Mount Aris. They'll come next time. They all send their love.”
“Oh, they’ll have to!” Skystar replied. She looked only a little bit disappointed. “Tell them I miss them, will you?”
Before Fluttershy could answer, Princess Skystar swam off, waving for her to follow. She wove through the halls of the castle. “We need to get one thing straightened out right away,” she said, glancing over her shoulder at Fluttershy. “Mom! Moooooooom!”
Skystar swam right into Queen Novo’s chambers, not even bothering to knock. Cerulean, the guard who'd greeted Fluttershy at the gates, floated opposite the queen. The two were deep in discussion and seemed tense. Neither took notice of Skystar and Fluttershy hovering in the doorway.
“This is all a misunderstanding.” Queen Novo shook her head and sighed heavily. “I’d like to send another ambassador over to research the claims. The longer we wait to smooth things out, the worse the rumors in Seaquestria will become.” Queen Novo procured a scroll and began to scribble a decree. “We don’t need our citizens panicking in the streets.”
“Your Majesty, I would be honored to represent our kingdom in the search,” Cerulean offered with a deep bow. “If you’ll allow it.”
“Permission granted, Cerulean,” Queen Novo replied with a solemn nod. “But you must remember that I don’t want—”
“Moooooooom!” Skystar interrupted. “I know you’re totally busy, but we just need the pearl real quick! Super-duper fast! For, like, two seconds, okay? Fluttershy’s here, and she can’t wear that silly helmet all night.”
“Very well, Skystar,” Queen Novo replied with a wave of her fin. “But be careful—and put it right back when you’ re finished, you hear?”
Skystar swam to the queen’s nightstand and snatched the pearl off it. She brought it over to Fluttershy with a giddy smile on her face. “So you remember how it works, right? Just put your hoof there and—”
“Skystar!” Queen Novo barked. She was clearly on edge. “We have some very important matters at fin! So if you two don’t mind, could you please catch up someplace else in the castle?” The queen turned back to Cerulean and the decree on her desk.
“Yeah, of course, Mom! We won’t get in your way!” Skystar chirped, her big eyes staying glued to the surface of the glossy pearl. It glowed with a swirling, bright-white light. Skystar motioned to Fluttershy, and the two swam back out into the coral-encrusted corridor. “Ready?”
Fluttershy nodded and reached out to place her hoof on the pearl. Within seconds, she felt everything in her body tingle with a strange sensation. Luckily, she had been through this once before, so she wasn’t afraid. Her tail and back legs formed one large flipper. Huge seawings sprouted out of her back. Now she was a Seapony just like everypony else!
Fluttershy swam through the water, faster than she had before. It was easy when she moved her tail fin. She ducked and dipped and twirled, loving how it felt. It was a little like flying, only the water was holding her up. Skystar joined in on the fun, darting across the castle corridor and spinning around the room. The two friends giggled in delight.
“Not in the castle,” Queen Novo yelled from the other room. “You know the rules, Skystar!”
“Come on!” Skystar called back to her friend. “Let’s explore!” Then she shot out the door and down the hallway, racing toward the front gates.
“Coming!” Fluttershy called back, unable to hide her smile. This trip was already smooth sailing.
小蝶把蛋糕放到了城门外，小跑地穿过那些依旧和她记忆中一模一样的荒废城市，柱子都倒塌了，建筑物要么坍塌要么就是摇摇欲坠，街上到处都是石头和砖头。她穿过狭窄的石缝，又回到了她们一个月前才来过的城堡，现在她还是需要爬过一些碎石才能挤进去。
那个喷泉看上去依旧跟她上次来的时候一模一样，喷泉中心伫立着一个美丽的莲花雕塑，水晶般清澈的水在围着它打转。她戴上了气泡头盔，看了看池水，深吸了一口气。她和她朋友们第一次从艾里斯峰的这里闯入海底的海马国算是场意外，萍琪当时就直接跳进了水里，她们也跟着她一起跳进水里后就被吸入了海底。而现在，小蝶不得不独自面对这些。
她嘟囔道：“好——好吧——这就上了。”并深吸了一口气，她向前快步跑了几步，突然猛地一跳，一头不自然地栽进了旋转的池水里。她又连做三次深呼吸，连说了四次鼓励自己的话，才鼓起勇气往前游了游。“好吧，出发了！”最后打转的池水直接把她卷到了海底。
她戴上的泡泡头盔，就跟她第一次跟朋友们来到海底戴着的头盔一样，让她能自由呼吸，也能看清海底的一切，虽然这样的感觉比较怪怪的，但小蝶也非常庆幸能有这泡泡。
在不远处，小蝶看到了一长串明亮、五颜六色的灯，在黑暗中闪耀着，这就是海马国！她奋力向前游着，用蹄子轻轻划着水波，一直划到她熟悉的城门那。
海马国街道上熙熙攘攘，海马们都在广场上游来游去，聚集在咖啡馆和餐馆那，沿着海底大道在那些不错的商店里购物。一只尖刺黄蟹站在广场中央，弹奏着三种乐器——吉他、班卓琴还有小鼓。它的六条腿都在有序演奏着，谱写出美妙的音乐，海波也随着节奏摇摆着，让一些海马甚至都开始跳起舞来。
当她看到这一切时，那种兴奋的感觉席卷了她翅膀到蹄子的全身，无论她花了多久、走得多远，一回到这个神奇的地方，都不禁让她感到激动。这里与小马国截然不同，不仅有美丽的景色，还有数百种没见过的生物会在海洋中跟她相遇！当然小蝶并不总是喜欢去一直待在水下原地不动，而现在她依旧在游着，决定顺着水流前进，让水流带着她向前。
海马们的城堡可要比这里其它的建筑物还要独特，她往那游的路上，经过那黄蟹还有跳舞的海马们时，来了个快速的回旋，她已经等不及要见到天星公主了！他们会探索这个地方所有的商店，去尝遍海马国的所有美食。天星之前写信还跟她提过咏叹调剧院——一个由唱歌的海星来表演的剧院。小蝶还从来没有去见过会唱歌的海星，她非常想去问它们一堆问题，也许她们会去那剧院看场表演，或是去天星提到的那些最罕见、最五彩斑斓的鱼儿们喜欢玩耍的珊瑚礁。关于海洋生物们，小蝶想了解的真的太多了。
当她接近城堡的时候，小蝶瞬间觉得自己快开不了口了。面前就有两位海马卫兵站在大门的两边，尽管她之前就已经见过海马了，但她总是会对他们的出现感到吃惊。他们高大威武，没有蹄子而有的是闪闪发光的鳍，尾巴也不是正常的马尾，拥有的也是尾鳍，可以让他们在水里游得更轻松更快。现在面前的守卫们的鳍上拿着珊瑚矛还有贝壳盾牌在门口守着。
小蝶几乎是低声开口道：“呃你好…”他们没有什么回应，连眼睛都没眨一下。也许是她们没有听到她从泡泡里发出的声音。
“我是来见天星公主的。”小蝶大声道：“请你们可以去转告她，她的朋友小蝶来看她了吗？”
那位较高大的深绿色守卫俯下身来，拿她的蓝莓颜色的大眼睛盯着小蝶，她注意到了小蝶的蹄子，皱起了眉头。
“你是哪个王国来的？谁是你那边的统治者？”她看向另外一个卫兵，扬了扬怀疑的眉毛。“你是怎么找到我们王国的？”
“呃…”小蝶瞬间感觉她的脸上开始发热。“其实我以前来过这…我是来自小马国，塞拉斯蒂娅公主和露娜公主是我们那的统治者，但我是天星公主的朋友！”
卫兵们仍然看着她，另一个守卫，那匹闪闪发光的有着巨大绿色翅膀的白色海马绕着她转了转。深绿色海马说道：“之前就是你们小马国那边的小马欺骗了天星公主，还想偷走我们女王的珍珠！”
小蝶想吞咽一下，但她的喉咙紧张到咽不下去。她们上次来的时候，暮暮就让萍琪去吸引天星还有诺沃女王的注意力，当萍琪带她们去城堡周围玩的时候，她就试图去偷走女王的那个可以把骏鹰还有小马都能变成海马的珍珠。
“这可能有点误会了…”小蝶轻声道：“如果你们能让我——”
“恐怕我们是不会让你进去的，”深绿色海马打断了她的话。“我们是奉命要保护诺沃女王还有珍珠的安全。”
“但我是被邀请来这的…”小蝶感觉自己的胃都紧张地打结了。突然她想起了那封信，她赶紧把它拿出来给守卫们看。“你们看！这是天星公主给我寄的信，她想见我们，也许我的朋友当时确实想偷走女王的珍珠，但她也是想去打败风暴大王，你们的仇敌，这应该就能说明一切了，对吧？”
小蝶鼓起了她的所有勇气，想着她的朋友们教给她一切关于自信还有如何捍卫自己的所有教训。她看着那个海马卫兵们仔细研究着这封信，甚至还把它翻来翻去地查看，就好像那信是假的一样。她瞥了瞥旁边的卫兵一眼，然后转过身来。“很抱歉，这确实能说明一切…毕竟现在这么长时间来看再小心谨慎也是为了防患于未然。”她看了看小蝶。“我叫湛蓝，她叫海盐气空。”然后她推开了城堡大门，“跟我们来吧。”她又转过身来，和小蝶的目光对视了。“不要趁我们不注意就偷偷溜到别的地方了，好吗？”
“当然不会！”小蝶微微一笑，深吸了口气，头盔里的气泡飘了出来。
她也不会怪海马们会这么提防她，也许问 ‘你是从哪个王国来的’这事有点过于谨慎，但自从艾里斯峰被狂风暗影还有风暴大王摧毁后，他们对任何外来者都是出了名地紧张不安。或许即便是斯派克那样的小龙来了的话，他们估计也会去怀疑盘问他。
但卫兵们带她进了镀金的大门时，小蝶也紧紧地跟在了他们身后。一进去后，小蝶就忍不住惊讶地倒吸一口气，海马城堡依旧还是跟她记忆中一样美丽，屋顶有闪闪发光的柱子还有彩色玻璃窗，大厅有一个巨大的天花板可以让你直接游上去，她抬头看着它，逐渐迷失在眼前的壮观景象，这时她听到了一个熟悉的声音。
“小蝶！”天星公主朝她游了过来，给她来了个拥抱。“你来看我了！我真不敢相信你真的来了！你会在这待多久？噢我们会玩得非常开心的！我们可以去咏叹调剧院，或是去广场看章鱼跳舞，当然我们也可以去做贝壳项链，或是贝壳相框，或是项链。噢谁知道呢？”
“我们可以去参观珊瑚礁吗？”小蝶笑了笑。“我挺想认识一些新的海洋鱼儿们！”
“当然可以！我可认识好多好多酷酷的鱼儿们！”天星在水里直接做了几下飞速的回旋后空翻，小蝶忍不住地笑了，天星的热情很有感染力，然而她大部分的时间都是在城堡里度过的，所有没有什么要比朋友们来看她更能让她开心了。
天星问道：“其它小马们在哪呢？”她注意到只有小蝶在这。“她们在搬行李呢？”
“她们确实很想来，但她们在帮助狂风在中心城安定下来，所以我们在想呃…”小蝶试图想找到合适的表达方式。“也许在狂风跟我们一起来艾里斯峰前还是过一段时间会更好，她们下次一定会来的，她们也让我转达消息向你问好。”
天星回道：“噢，她们肯定会的！”虽然她还是看起来有点小失望。“记得跟她们说我也挺想她们的，好吗？”
还没等小蝶回答，天星公主就游了起来，挥了挥鳍让她跟上一起穿梭在城堡的走廊里。“我们现在需要马上解决一件事，”她边说边扭头看了眼小蝶：“妈妈！妈妈！”
天星直接游进了诺沃女王的房间，甚至都懒得敲门了。小蝶之前在门口迎接她的那个叫湛蓝的卫兵在女王的面前，她们两马正在紧张地讨论着什么，她们甚至都没注意到天星跟小蝶已经在房间门口徘徊了。
“这一切都是误会，”诺沃女王摇了摇头，重重地叹了口气。“我想再派一位大使去调查一下，我们等待事态自然平息的时间越长，在海马国流传开的谣言就会越来越糟糕。”诺沃女王拿来了一份卷轴，开始潦草地写下一份法令。“我们不需要子民们在大街上恐慌。”
“陛下，我申请能荣幸地代表我们王国参与搜寻。”湛蓝深深地鞠了一躬。“如果能得到您许可的话。”
“许可已经授予，湛蓝。” 诺沃女王郑重地点点头回答道。“但你必须记住，我可不想——”
“妈——！”天星打断了她们谈话。“我知道你很忙，但我们现在需要那珍珠，很快就好！两秒钟就好，行吗？小蝶来这了，她可不能整天都继续戴着那个蠢蠢的头盔了。”
“行吧，天星。”诺沃女王边回答边拿她的鳍挥了挥。“但要小心，你用完后要记得放回去，听到了吗？”
天星游到了女王的床头柜那，把珍珠从床头柜那拿了下来。她脸上带着一种让马有点眼花缭乱的微笑，就把珍珠拿给了小蝶看。“所以你还记得她是怎么运作的，对吧？只要你把你蹄子放这，然后——”
“天星！”诺沃女王叫了起来，她显然现在看起来很紧张。“我们现在在这边有一些非常重要的事情要处理！所以如果你们两个不介意，能不能到城堡的其他地方去聊？”女王说完又转过身看向湛蓝还有桌上的法令。
天星叫着回道：“好的，妈妈！我们不会妨碍你的！”她的大眼睛紧紧盯着珍珠的表面，它正散发着漩涡般、明亮的白光。天星向小蝶挥鳍示意，她们两个又游回了珊瑚装饰的走廊。“准备好了吗？”
小蝶点点头，伸出蹄子放到珍珠上。几秒钟后，她就感觉全身经历了一种奇特的感觉，幸运的是她之前已经经历过一次了，所以她不觉得害怕。她的尾巴还有后蹄变成了个巨大的尾鳍，鱼鳍也从她背上长了出来，现在她跟这里其它所有马一样成为了海马！
小蝶在水里轻松游着，当她摆动她的尾鳍时，她游的速度比之前更快且游得更容易了。她低头，下潜、旋转俯冲，她喜欢这种感觉。这确实有点像飞行，只是现在是水流把她托起来了。天星也加入了进来，在城堡的走廊上飞速游着，一个房间一个房间地转，两个朋友都开心地大笑起来。
“不要在城堡里闹，”诺沃女王从一个房间里喊道。“你是知道规矩的，天星！”
“来吧！”天星叫回了她的朋友，“让我们一起去探索吧！”然后她就冲出了房间门，穿过走廊，游向了城堡门口。
“来了！”小蝶也叫着跟了过去，脸上流露着无法隐藏的微笑，这次的旅行注定会非常精彩。
英文版：
It didn’t take long for Fluttershy to realize the whole cake thing was a bad idea. It was hard to fly with a piece of cake on a plate covered with a napkin, and when she finally got to Mount Aris, there was no way she could bring it underwater without it getting soaked. What was she supposed to do? Present a soggy chocolate-cherry cake to Skystar and Queen Novo? Who would want to eat that?
Fluttershy put down the cake outside the gates and trotted through the ruined city. It was just as she remembered it. Pillars were toppled over. The buildings were broken and crumbling. Stones and bricks littered the street. She wove her way through the narrow alleys, going back to the castle they’d found all those weeks before. She had to climb over some rubble to get in.
The fountain looked exactly the same as it had the last time she’d been there. There was a beautiful lotus sculpture in the center, and the crystal-blue water swirled around it. She put on her bubble helmet, peered into the water, and took a deep breath. The first time she and her friends had gone under Mount Aris, it had been an accident. Pinkie Pie had been goofing around and was sucked under, and they’d all followed her down. But now Fluttershy would have to do it alone.
“H-h-h-here I go,” she mumbled to herself, taking a huge breath. She took two quick steps forward and came to a screeching halt. It didn’t exactly feel natural to jump headfirst into a swirling fountain. It took her three more deep breaths and four more pep talks before she could work up the courage to take the leap. “Okay, now here I go!” Finally, she jumped into the swirling water, letting it pull her below the surface.
Her bubble helmet, just like the one she’d worn the first time she’d come to the underwater world, allowed her to breathe and see everything clearly. It was a strange sensation, but Fluttershy was very grateful for it.
In the distance, Fluttershy could make out a cluster of bright, colorful lights. A beacon in the darkness. It was Seaquestria! She propelled herself forward, pushing her hooves through the water with ease until she came upon the familiar city gates.
The streets of Seaquestria bubbled with activity. Seaponies swam across the village square, gathered at cafés and restaurants, and floated along the aquatic avenues as they window-shopped at all the best boutiques. A spiky yellow crab stood in the center of the plaza, playing three instruments—a guitar, a banjo, and a tambourine. Six of his legs worked in time, creating the most beautiful music. Seaponies swayed in time to the beat, and a few had even started dancing.
As she took it all in, Fluttershy felt the excitement washing through her body, starting from the tips of her wings right down to the bottom of her hooves. No matter how long and how far she’d traveled, she couldn’t help feeling happy to be back in this enchanting place. It was so refreshingly different from Equestria. And it wasn’t just the beautiful sights—there seemed to be hundreds of new creatures to meet in the ocean! Fluttershy hadn’t always loved the idea of being underwater, but now as she swam along, she decided to go with the flow, letting the water carry her in its current, moving her up and down.
The Seapony castle towered above the rest of the village. She paddled toward it, doing a quick spin as she passed the crab and the dancers. She couldn’t wait to see Princess Skystar! They’d explore all the stores in the village and try all the best foods Seaquestria had to offer. Skystar had written her once about The Aria, a theater where singing starfish performed. Fluttershy had never met a singing starfish, but she was quite interested in asking one some questions. Maybe they’d go there and watch one of the shows, or go to the reef where Skystar had mentioned that all the rarest and most colorful fish liked to play. There was so much for Fluttershy to learn about ocean creatures.
Fluttershy felt herself clamming up as she approached the castle. Two huge guards stood on either side of the gate. Even though she’d met the Seaponies before, she was always a little taken aback by their appearance. They were magnificent and tall, with shimmering fins instead of front hooves. In place of tails, they had flippers, allowing them to swim easily in the water. The stoic guards carried coral spears and shell shields.
“Um, hello there...” Fluttershy practically whispered. They didn’t return her greeting. They barely even blinked. Maybe they hadn’t heard her through her bubble.
“I’m here to see Princess Skystar,” Fluttershy announced, a little louder. “Will you please tell her that her friend Fluttershy is here?”
The larger guard was a deep teal, with huge eyes the color of blueberries. She leaned down and stared at Fluttershy. She noticed Fluttershy’s hooves and frowned.
“What land do you come from, and who is your ruler?” the guard questioned. She turned to her partner and raised a suspicious brow. “How did you find our kingdom?”
“Oh...” Fluttershy felt her cheeks get hot. “I’ve been here before actually.... See, I’m from Equestria. Princess Celestia and Princess Luna are the rulers there. But I’m friends with Princess Skystar!”
The guard still just stared at her. The other guard, a shimmery white Seapony with giant green wings, circled her. “You’re one of the same ponies from Equestria who tricked Princess Skystar,” the teal Seapony said. “Who tried to steal the queen’s pearl!”
Fluttershy tried to swallow, but her throat was tight. When they were last here, Twilight Sparkle had used Pinkie Pie to distract Skystar. As they were playing around the castle, Twilight Sparkle had tried to steal the queen’s luminescent pearl. It was used to transform Hippogriffs and ponies into Seaponies.
“It was a bit of a misunderstanding...” Fluttershy said softly. “If you’ll just let me—”
“I’m afraid we can’t let you inside,” the teal Seapony interrupted. ““We’re supposed to protect Queen Novo and the pearl.”
“B-but I’ve been invited....” Fluttershy’s stomach twisted in knots. Suddenly, she remembered the letter. She pulled it out and showed it to the guards. “Look! This is the letter Princess Skystar sent me. She wanted to see all of us. Maybe my friend did try to steal the queen’s pearl, but she was also the one to defeat the Storm King. Your enemy. That counts for something, right?”
Fluttershy summoned her strength, remembering all the lessons her friends had taught her about sticking up for herself. She watched as the Seapony studied the letter, going so far as to flip it over as though it might be fake. She glanced sideways at the other guard, then turned around. “I guess it does. Apologies... You can never be too careful these days.” She paused, staring at Fluttershy. “I’m Cerulean, and this is Salt Air.” Then she pushed through the castle gates. “Follow us.” She turned around and met Fluttershy’s eyes. “No swimming off when we’re not looking, okay?”
“Of course not!” Fluttershy smiled and let out a deep breath, the bubbles floating up from her helmet.
She couldn’t exactly blame the Seaponies for being so protective. Maybe the who-is-your-leader thing was extreme, but since Mount Aris was ruined by Tempest and the Storm King, they were notoriously on edge. They would have been suspicious of even Spike, who was just a baby Dragon.
Fluttershy swam close behind the guards as theyentered through the gilded gates. Once inside, Fluttershy couldn’t help letting out a tiny gasp. The Seapony castle was just as beautiful as she had remembered. There were glittering pillars and stained-glass windows. The great hall had a huge ceiling that you could swim to the top of. She was gazing up at it, lost in the sights, when she heard a familiar voice.
“Fluttershy!” Princess Skystar shot forward and threw her fins around her. “You came to visit! I can’t believe you’re really here! How long can you stay?! Oh, we’re going to have so much fun! We can go to The Aria or see the octopuses dance in the village square, and, of course, we’ll make seashell necklaces. Or seashell picture frames. Or bracelets. Oh, who knows?!”
“Can we also visit the reef?” Fluttershy giggled. “I’d love to meet some new fish!”
“Of course we can! I know sooo many cool fish!” Skystar floated up in the water, doing a few quick spins. Fluttershy couldn’t help but smile. Skystar’s enthusiasm was infectious. She spent most of her time alone in the castle, so nothing made her happier than getting visitors.
“‘Where’s everyone else?” Skystar said, suddenly noticing Fluttershy was the only one there. “Bringing in the luggage?”
“They wanted to come, but they’re helping Tempest settle in, and we thought, well...” Fluttershy tried to find the right way to say it. “Maybe it would be better to wait awhile before Tempest returned to Mount Aris. They'll come next time. They all send their love.”
“Oh, they’ll have to!” Skystar replied. She looked only a little bit disappointed. “Tell them I miss them, will you?”
Before Fluttershy could answer, Princess Skystar swam off, waving for her to follow. She wove through the halls of the castle. “We need to get one thing straightened out right away,” she said, glancing over her shoulder at Fluttershy. “Mom! Moooooooom!”
Skystar swam right into Queen Novo’s chambers, not even bothering to knock. Cerulean, the guard who'd greeted Fluttershy at the gates, floated opposite the queen. The two were deep in discussion and seemed tense. Neither took notice of Skystar and Fluttershy hovering in the doorway.
“This is all a misunderstanding.” Queen Novo shook her head and sighed heavily. “I’d like to send another ambassador over to research the claims. The longer we wait to smooth things out, the worse the rumors in Seaquestria will become.” Queen Novo procured a scroll and began to scribble a decree. “We don’t need our citizens panicking in the streets.”
“Your Majesty, I would be honored to represent our kingdom in the search,” Cerulean offered with a deep bow. “If you’ll allow it.”
“Permission granted, Cerulean,” Queen Novo replied with a solemn nod. “But you must remember that I don’t want—”
“Moooooooom!” Skystar interrupted. “I know you’re totally busy, but we just need the pearl real quick! Super-duper fast! For, like, two seconds, okay? Fluttershy’s here, and she can’t wear that silly helmet all night.”
“Very well, Skystar,” Queen Novo replied with a wave of her fin. “But be careful—and put it right back when you’ re finished, you hear?”
Skystar swam to the queen’s nightstand and snatched the pearl off it. She brought it over to Fluttershy with a giddy smile on her face. “So you remember how it works, right? Just put your hoof there and—”
“Skystar!” Queen Novo barked. She was clearly on edge. “We have some very important matters at fin! So if you two don’t mind, could you please catch up someplace else in the castle?” The queen turned back to Cerulean and the decree on her desk.
“Yeah, of course, Mom! We won’t get in your way!” Skystar chirped, her big eyes staying glued to the surface of the glossy pearl. It glowed with a swirling, bright-white light. Skystar motioned to Fluttershy, and the two swam back out into the coral-encrusted corridor. “Ready?”
Fluttershy nodded and reached out to place her hoof on the pearl. Within seconds, she felt everything in her body tingle with a strange sensation. Luckily, she had been through this once before, so she wasn’t afraid. Her tail and back legs formed one large flipper. Huge seawings sprouted out of her back. Now she was a Seapony just like everypony else!
Fluttershy swam through the water, faster than she had before. It was easy when she moved her tail fin. She ducked and dipped and twirled, loving how it felt. It was a little like flying, only the water was holding her up. Skystar joined in on the fun, darting across the castle corridor and spinning around the room. The two friends giggled in delight.
“Not in the castle,” Queen Novo yelled from the other room. “You know the rules, Skystar!”
“Come on!” Skystar called back to her friend. “Let’s explore!” Then she shot out the door and down the hallway, racing toward the front gates.
“Coming!” Fluttershy called back, unable to hide her smile. This trip was already smooth sailing.