第四章
第 4 章
4 年前
601当她们都回到城堡时，已经有新的卫兵驻守在门外了，他们一句话没说就为天星公主打开了大门。天星的胳膊夹着购物袋直接转着圈游到了大厅里，她给母亲挑选了一条最漂亮又闪闪发光的蓝色围巾，还给城堡厨房里的厨师们带来了一些海藻蛋糕。
“妈——！”她边喊边游到了天花板上。“我们到家喽！我给你带来了一些特别的小礼物，我知道你一定会喜欢的！”
但没有马应答。她游向小蝶建议道：“也许她现在在吃饭？”天星穿过了空荡荡的城堡大厅，向诺沃女王的卧室游去。但在去的路上，她听到了一些声音从艺术厅——王座厅外的一个集会厅传来，而那个集会厅通常是根本不会用到的（除了游戏之夜）所以这让天星觉得很奇怪。当她们听留到了门口偷看时，她示意小蝶不要出声。
艺术厅里面的景象倒是很奇特，诺沃女王还有海盐气空坐在两把巨大的珊瑚雕刻椅上，墙上都是描绘着艾里斯峰不同场景的巨型壁画。诺沃女王看起来非常严肃，大多数卫兵们都站在旁边。
海盐气空喊了起来：“湛蓝失踪的时间已经比预期还要长，我们有理由要去担心！”她的声音要比大了一倍。“当我们完全有能力去帮她的时候，我可不会一直待着这等着她被一条沙龙袭击！陛下，请让我们走吧！”
“够了！”诺沃女王叫了一声，然后平静说道：“我不明白你们为什么都会那么激动，根本就没有什么沙龙！金鳍都已经承认他看到的可能是幻觉。”
“陛下，”一位粉红色翅膀的小海马游上前来向诺沃女王问好。“请原谅我鲁莽上前，我并不是想故意冒犯，但我不觉得这是个幻觉…我认为…海盐气空的话可能是对的。”
“你是？”诺沃女王扬了扬怀疑的眉毛。
“珊瑚玫瑰，新任的海马国历史学家，愿听差遣。”小海马低下了头，鞠了一躬。“我相信沙龙的传言是真的，并且它已经苏醒了。”听到这，海洋气空的脸上闪过一种胜利的表情，但很快就回到之前极度忧虑的状态，湛蓝现在可能真的面临着很大的危险。珊瑚玫瑰紧张地在周围转来转去。“我…我可以证明情况属实。”
女王问道：“可以吗？”她坐在椅子上，身体向前倾了倾，显然脸上有点愤怒。“如何证明？”
珊瑚玫瑰边说边展开了卷轴：“陛下，传说都已经全部写明，我们即将迎来传说所称的‘龙之晨’，每隔一百个月，沙龙就会从沙土深处的冬眠中醒来，而它们醒来后会非常饥饿，就会去寻找——”
“海马？！”天星的声音直接响彻了这一片区域。卫兵们看到天星和小蝶在门口全都愣住了。“这是真的吗？”公主边喊边游进了房间，满脸尴尬的小蝶紧随其后。“整个海马国都会面临巨大危险吗？”
“天星！你回来了啊。”诺沃女王见到女儿瞬间如释重负。“赶紧去你的房间跟小蝶聊会吧，行吗？在我们了解更多情况前，城堡需要封锁起来。”
“但湛蓝还在外面啊…”天星的眼睛都瞪大了。“我想去帮忙！我们会去救她吗？”
“没错，”诺沃女王果断道：“今晚就去。”
“那我马上就去拿我的东西！”天星说话的声音都开始抖起来。“等我！”随后她冲出了房间，身后只留下了一长串气泡…
还有原地愣住的小蝶。她游到了一群卫兵后面，想害怕地躲起来。这可不是她想象中来这度过的夜晚。
“我很了解我的女儿，无论我会怎么做——她都会下定决心要去。”诺沃女王在房间里游来游去思考着。“海洋气空，你一定要保护好她。”
海盐气空把她的鳍举到胸前致敬道：“当然可以，陛下。”
诺沃女王点点头，看向小蝶道：“你也一样，小蝶。”
这一瞬间仿佛房间里的水全都被排干了，小蝶突然就感觉大家的目光全都落到了她身上，这一定是搞错了吧！小蝶甚至都还算不上这个王国的居民，她只是个外来访客，她们为什么会放心愿意让她参加如此重要的救援任务？
她结结巴巴道：“我-我-我吗？”看了看女王的眼睛，小蝶能看出她很担心，眉头都紧皱成一排了。
“是的，天星之前已经跟我说过你在你们那边的很多英雄事迹，我女儿很信任我，可以吗，小蝶？我们已经在艾里斯峰经历了一场与风暴大王的大战，我们不能再让那样的悲剧再让大家经历了。”
小蝶不知道该说什么好，但有一件事她是不会犹豫的——她的朋友需要她。而她也从来不会对患难的朋友置之不理。“好吧，我去。”
诺沃女王说道：“我们尽我们一切所能要解决这个问题。”她的声音充满了悲伤和担忧，她一直都在努力致力于维持海马国的和平，继续维持这种和平对于大家来说都是至关重要的，她把她的鳍放到小蝶肩上。“到外面请一定要小心。”
“当然！我们必须要采取任何预防措施，来保护自己免收怪物的伤害！”海盐气空对站在一旁的海马卫兵们喊道：“全都装备好自己的珊瑚矛、贝壳盾、头盔、护甲还有完整的盔甲，我们一点风险都不能冒！”
背着鞍包的天星突然游了进来，她那鞍包上面还装饰着贝壳。“我有错过什么吗？”
小蝶不知道该怎么描述解决方式的瞬间转变，就这么一小会，方式就从维持和平转向了使用武器对付。她知道自己很难说服海盐气空不去，但肯定会有更好的办法，穿着盔甲去难道不会让情况更糟吗？更何况还要带着长矛和盾牌的一大波卫兵？如果湛蓝还没有陷入什么危险，而沙龙却认为海马们想要去伤害他，那湛蓝绝对会有危险。
小蝶问道：“你们觉得这些长矛不会吓到它吗？”她以前遇到过很多可怕的生物，都还曾经驯服过毒蛇、蝎尾狮，甚至还能和一位龙马做朋友。在小马国就已经有很多凶猛的龙，她敢肯定沙龙与巨龙没多大差别。
海盐气空气呼呼回答道：“也许会吧。”
小蝶皱了皱眉头。“总是会有另外一种沟通方式的，你只需要去尝试理解另一种生物…”她看了看珊瑚玫瑰想寻求一些信息援助，但那小海马只是耸了耸肩。在之前沙龙还只是个从古时候的鱼类还有甲壳类生物流传的传说，现在直接变成真的了。
海盐气空往前靠了靠，说道：“传说中深海巨兽…有着巨大的獠牙！有着又小又像鹰一样锐利的眼睛。”
另外一个卫兵补充道：“还有能把你切成两半的爪子！”其余海马卫兵们都跟着点头，他们的眼睛因为恐惧都瞪得大大的。小蝶试图让自己表现得很正常平静，但她的内心已经在翻腾了。面对一个比你要大十倍的神秘生物怎么可能不会害怕呢，过去小蝶做的时候她也感受过同样的紧张，但以前的她都没有被那些事阻止，现在的她也不会被这种事阻拦住。勇敢不意味着没有任何恐惧，而应该是不要让恐惧去阻止你。
“湛蓝在那个地方每待上一分钟，处境就会多一分危险，”海盐气空补充道：“我们必须要让这个怪物看看海马的强大力量，要让它知道海马可不是好惹的！”
一个离开的海马卫兵也提着一大捆珊瑚矛回来了，每个矛都末端都被雕刻成锋利的肩头，头盔、胸甲、盾牌都堆在了地板上，还有一些小蝶不认识的武器。
“妈！”天星最后问道：“我们不会真要把这些垃圾都带上吧？”
诺沃女王看起来也在纠结这个决定，但最后还是说道：“一定要不惜一切代价来保证你们的安全。”
“我们要担心可不只是沙龙，”海盐气空说道：“湛蓝是唯一一个冒险游出国度海域的海马，我们不知道他会在外面发现什么…”
小蝶喃喃道：“一切都会好起来的。”但看着越来越多的海马卫兵带着更多的贝壳盾牌还有武器游了进来，她不禁开始紧张起来。要保证海马国的安全，就必须要让沙龙保持冷静。海盐气空都已经这么生气了这让小蝶该怎么做？当他们带一支小军队出现在沙龙的巢穴时，沙龙会怎么想？
小蝶去收拾一个装满食物和补给的袋子，努力不去理会内心与日俱增的恐惧感，但她还是感觉有种沉闷的预感，他们可能即将要面对一片漆黑的海底。
英文版：
When they returned to the castle, new guards were stationed outside. They opened the gates for Princess Skystar without saying a word. The princess swam in circles around the great hall, her shopping bags under her foreleg. She’d picked out the prettiest blue shimmery scarf for her mother and brought back some seaweed cakes for all the cooks in the castle kitchens.
“Mooooooom!”’ she called out, swimming to the ceiling. “We’re home! I brought you something really special that I know you’re going to love!”
But nopony answered. “Maybe she’s having dinner?” Fluttershy suggested as she swam after her friend. Skystar wove through the empty castle halls, toward Queen Novo’s bedroom. But on the way there, she heard voices coming from the great gallery—a meeting place off the throne room. There was hardly ever an occasion to use it (other than game night), so it struck Skystar as odd. She motioned to Fluttershy to be quiet as they swam up to the doorway to spy.
The scene inside the great gallery was peculiar. Queen Novo and Salt Air sat in two of the huge carved coral chairs, below a series of giant murals depicting different scenes from Mount Aris. Queen Novo looked serious. The majority of the Seaquestrian guard force stood opposite.
“Cerulean has been gone much longer than expected. There is cause for concern!” Salt Air exclaimed, her voice twice as loud as it normally was. “And I will not sit here and wait to find out that she’s been attacked by a Sand Dragon when we are fully capable of aiding her. Please, Majesty, let us go!”
“Enough!” Queen Novo barked, then spoke more calmly. “I don’t understand why everypony is so worked up. There is no Sand Dragon! Golden Fin even admitted that what he saw could have been an illusion.”
“Your Majesty.” A smaller Seapony with pink wings swam forward and addressed Queen Novo. “Please excuse my forwardness. I don’t mean to swim out of line, but I don’t think it was an illusion.... I think... Salt Air might be right.”
“And who are you?” Queen Novo raised a suspicious brow.
“Coral Rose, the new Seaquestrian historian, at your service.” The small Seapony bowed, eyes downcast. “I believe that the Sand Dragon is real, and it’s awake.” At this, Salt Air’s face flashed a triumphant expression, only to morph back into one of extreme worry. Cerulean could really be in danger. Coral Rose shifted around nervously. “I... I can prove it.”
“You can?” Queen Novo asked. She leaned forward in her chair. Her attention had clearly been piqued. “How?”
“It’s all right here in the legend, Majesty,” Coral Rose said, scrambling to unfurl a scroll. “We are due for what is called the ‘Dragon’s Morning.’ Every hundred moons, supposedly the Sand Dragons awaken from their hibernation deep in the sand. They wake up quite hungry and go looking for—”
“For Seaponies?!” Skystar’s voice echoed through the gallery. The guards froze, noticing Skystar and Fluttershy floating in the doorway. “It’s true?!” the princess shouted, swimming inside the room. Fluttershy followed behind, feeling awkward and out of place. “Seaquestria really could be in danger?”
“Skystar! There you are.” Queen Novo looked quite relieved to see her daughter. “Go to your chambers and visit with Fluttershy there, okay? The castle needs to be on lockdown until we know more.”
“But Cerulean’s out there....” Skystar’s eyes went wide. “And I want to help! Are we going to rescue her?”
“Yes,” Queen Novo said decidedly. She exchanged a look with Salt Air.“Tonight.”
“Then I'll go get my things!” Skystar said, her voice trembling. “Wait for me!” Skystar shot out of the room, leaving only a trail of bubbles behind her.
A trail of bubbles... and Fluttershy. She moved behind a group of guards in a feeble attempt to hide. This was not how she’d pictured the evening unfolding.
“I know my daughter well enough to know that she is determined to go—no matter what I tell her to do.” Queen Novo swam back and forth, then back and forth again, pacing the room. “Salt Air, you must watch out for her.”
“Of course, Your Majesty.” Salt Air brought her fin to her chest in salute.
Queen Novo nodded before adding, “And so must you, Fluttershy.”
It was as if the water had drained from the room. Fluttershy suddenly felt all eyes on her. There had to be a mistake! Fluttershy was not even really a part of this kingdom. She was just a visitor. Why would they want her along on such an important Seapony mission?
“M-m-m-me?” she stuttered, meeting the queen’s eyes. She looked worried, her brows drawn together in a line.
“Yes. Skystar has told me of your many brave pursuits in your land. And my daughter trusts you. Please, Fluttershy? We have already suffered through a great war with the Storm King in Mount Aris. We cannot take another tragedy.”
Fluttershy didn’t know what to say. But she knew one thing for sure—a friend needed her. And she never turned her back on a friend in need. “Okay, I'll go.”
“We have to resolve this however we can,” Queen Novo said, her voice full of sadness and worry. She’d worked so hard to keep the peace in Seaquestria. It was vital that it remain so. She put a fin on Fluttershy’s shoulder. “Please be careful out there.”
“Exactly! We must take precautions to protect ourselves from the monster!” Salt Air said to a Seapony standing in the back of the crowd. “Let’s bring our coral spears and shell shields. Helmets, chest plates. Full armor. I’m not taking any chances.”
Suddenly, Skystar reappeared. She wore a saddlebag that had been decorated with shells. “What'd I miss?”
Fluttershy struggled to find the words to explain the quick turn of events. In a moment’s time, talk had turned from keeping peace to wielding weapons. She knew she’d have a hard time persuading Salt Air to not go at all, but there had to be a better way. Wouldn’t showing up in armor make everything worse? Bringing a small army with spears and shields? If Cerulean wasn’t already in danger, she surely would be if the Sand Dragon thought the Seaponies wanted to harm it.
“Don’t you think the spears will scare it?” Fluttershy asked. She’d encountered so many other scary creatures before. She’d tamed a cockatrice, a Manticore, and even befriended a Draconequus. There were fierce Dragons in Equestria, and she imagined a Sand Dragon must look a lot like that.
“I hope so,” replied Salt Air with a huff.
Fluttershy frowned. “There’s always another way to communicate. You just have to try to understand the other creature....” She looked to Coral Rose for backup, but the Seapony just shrugged. Up until recently, Sand Dragons had only been a legend, passed on to the Seaponies from the ancient fish and crustaceans. Now they were real.
Salt Air leaned in closer. “Giants of the Sea, is what the stories call them...” she said. “Huge fangs! Tiny, beady eyes.”
“And claws that could cut you in two!” another guard added. The rest of the Seaponies nodded along, their eyes wide in fear. Fluttershy tried to keep her expression normal, but her stomach was doing flips. It was always a little scary to confront a creature ten times your size, and when Fluttershy had done it in the past, she’d felt the same nervousness. But she’d never let that stop her before, and she couldn’t let it stop her now. Being brave wasn’t about not feeling any fear. It was about not letting your fear stop you.
“Every minute that Cerulean is near it, she is in danger,” Salt Air added. “We must give the monster a great show of force. It should know that Seaponies are not to be messed with!”
A Seapony who had left now returned carrying a bundle of spears. The end of each was carved into a razor-sharp point. Helmets were piled on the floor. There were chest plates and shields, along with a few other weapons Fluttershy didn’t recognize.
“Moooom!” Skystar finally said. “We’re not really going to bring all that junk, are we?”
Queen Novo looked as if she was struggling with the decision, too. Finally, she spoke: “You must stay safe. At all costs.”
“It’s not just the Sand Dragon we have to worry about,” Salt Air said.“Cerulean is the only Seapony to have ventured that far beyond the village. We have no idea what we’ ll find out there....”
“It’s all going to be okay,” Fluttershy said. But as more Seaponies entered the meeting room with more shell shields and weapons, Fluttershy grew nervous. Part of keeping Seaquestria safe meant keeping the Sand Dragon calm. How would Fluttershy be able to do that when Salt Air was already so angry? What would the Sand Dragon think when they showed up to its lair with a small army?
Fluttershy packed up a bag with food and supplies, trying to ignore the fear that was growing in her chest. But she had the sinking feeling that they were all swimming in the dark on this one.
“妈——！”她边喊边游到了天花板上。“我们到家喽！我给你带来了一些特别的小礼物，我知道你一定会喜欢的！”
但没有马应答。她游向小蝶建议道：“也许她现在在吃饭？”天星穿过了空荡荡的城堡大厅，向诺沃女王的卧室游去。但在去的路上，她听到了一些声音从艺术厅——王座厅外的一个集会厅传来，而那个集会厅通常是根本不会用到的（除了游戏之夜）所以这让天星觉得很奇怪。当她们听留到了门口偷看时，她示意小蝶不要出声。
艺术厅里面的景象倒是很奇特，诺沃女王还有海盐气空坐在两把巨大的珊瑚雕刻椅上，墙上都是描绘着艾里斯峰不同场景的巨型壁画。诺沃女王看起来非常严肃，大多数卫兵们都站在旁边。
海盐气空喊了起来：“湛蓝失踪的时间已经比预期还要长，我们有理由要去担心！”她的声音要比大了一倍。“当我们完全有能力去帮她的时候，我可不会一直待着这等着她被一条沙龙袭击！陛下，请让我们走吧！”
“够了！”诺沃女王叫了一声，然后平静说道：“我不明白你们为什么都会那么激动，根本就没有什么沙龙！金鳍都已经承认他看到的可能是幻觉。”
“陛下，”一位粉红色翅膀的小海马游上前来向诺沃女王问好。“请原谅我鲁莽上前，我并不是想故意冒犯，但我不觉得这是个幻觉…我认为…海盐气空的话可能是对的。”
“你是？”诺沃女王扬了扬怀疑的眉毛。
“珊瑚玫瑰，新任的海马国历史学家，愿听差遣。”小海马低下了头，鞠了一躬。“我相信沙龙的传言是真的，并且它已经苏醒了。”听到这，海洋气空的脸上闪过一种胜利的表情，但很快就回到之前极度忧虑的状态，湛蓝现在可能真的面临着很大的危险。珊瑚玫瑰紧张地在周围转来转去。“我…我可以证明情况属实。”
女王问道：“可以吗？”她坐在椅子上，身体向前倾了倾，显然脸上有点愤怒。“如何证明？”
珊瑚玫瑰边说边展开了卷轴：“陛下，传说都已经全部写明，我们即将迎来传说所称的‘龙之晨’，每隔一百个月，沙龙就会从沙土深处的冬眠中醒来，而它们醒来后会非常饥饿，就会去寻找——”
“海马？！”天星的声音直接响彻了这一片区域。卫兵们看到天星和小蝶在门口全都愣住了。“这是真的吗？”公主边喊边游进了房间，满脸尴尬的小蝶紧随其后。“整个海马国都会面临巨大危险吗？”
“天星！你回来了啊。”诺沃女王见到女儿瞬间如释重负。“赶紧去你的房间跟小蝶聊会吧，行吗？在我们了解更多情况前，城堡需要封锁起来。”
“但湛蓝还在外面啊…”天星的眼睛都瞪大了。“我想去帮忙！我们会去救她吗？”
“没错，”诺沃女王果断道：“今晚就去。”
“那我马上就去拿我的东西！”天星说话的声音都开始抖起来。“等我！”随后她冲出了房间，身后只留下了一长串气泡…
还有原地愣住的小蝶。她游到了一群卫兵后面，想害怕地躲起来。这可不是她想象中来这度过的夜晚。
“我很了解我的女儿，无论我会怎么做——她都会下定决心要去。”诺沃女王在房间里游来游去思考着。“海洋气空，你一定要保护好她。”
海盐气空把她的鳍举到胸前致敬道：“当然可以，陛下。”
诺沃女王点点头，看向小蝶道：“你也一样，小蝶。”
这一瞬间仿佛房间里的水全都被排干了，小蝶突然就感觉大家的目光全都落到了她身上，这一定是搞错了吧！小蝶甚至都还算不上这个王国的居民，她只是个外来访客，她们为什么会放心愿意让她参加如此重要的救援任务？
她结结巴巴道：“我-我-我吗？”看了看女王的眼睛，小蝶能看出她很担心，眉头都紧皱成一排了。
“是的，天星之前已经跟我说过你在你们那边的很多英雄事迹，我女儿很信任我，可以吗，小蝶？我们已经在艾里斯峰经历了一场与风暴大王的大战，我们不能再让那样的悲剧再让大家经历了。”
小蝶不知道该说什么好，但有一件事她是不会犹豫的——她的朋友需要她。而她也从来不会对患难的朋友置之不理。“好吧，我去。”
诺沃女王说道：“我们尽我们一切所能要解决这个问题。”她的声音充满了悲伤和担忧，她一直都在努力致力于维持海马国的和平，继续维持这种和平对于大家来说都是至关重要的，她把她的鳍放到小蝶肩上。“到外面请一定要小心。”
“当然！我们必须要采取任何预防措施，来保护自己免收怪物的伤害！”海盐气空对站在一旁的海马卫兵们喊道：“全都装备好自己的珊瑚矛、贝壳盾、头盔、护甲还有完整的盔甲，我们一点风险都不能冒！”
背着鞍包的天星突然游了进来，她那鞍包上面还装饰着贝壳。“我有错过什么吗？”
小蝶不知道该怎么描述解决方式的瞬间转变，就这么一小会，方式就从维持和平转向了使用武器对付。她知道自己很难说服海盐气空不去，但肯定会有更好的办法，穿着盔甲去难道不会让情况更糟吗？更何况还要带着长矛和盾牌的一大波卫兵？如果湛蓝还没有陷入什么危险，而沙龙却认为海马们想要去伤害他，那湛蓝绝对会有危险。
小蝶问道：“你们觉得这些长矛不会吓到它吗？”她以前遇到过很多可怕的生物，都还曾经驯服过毒蛇、蝎尾狮，甚至还能和一位龙马做朋友。在小马国就已经有很多凶猛的龙，她敢肯定沙龙与巨龙没多大差别。
海盐气空气呼呼回答道：“也许会吧。”
小蝶皱了皱眉头。“总是会有另外一种沟通方式的，你只需要去尝试理解另一种生物…”她看了看珊瑚玫瑰想寻求一些信息援助，但那小海马只是耸了耸肩。在之前沙龙还只是个从古时候的鱼类还有甲壳类生物流传的传说，现在直接变成真的了。
海盐气空往前靠了靠，说道：“传说中深海巨兽…有着巨大的獠牙！有着又小又像鹰一样锐利的眼睛。”
另外一个卫兵补充道：“还有能把你切成两半的爪子！”其余海马卫兵们都跟着点头，他们的眼睛因为恐惧都瞪得大大的。小蝶试图让自己表现得很正常平静，但她的内心已经在翻腾了。面对一个比你要大十倍的神秘生物怎么可能不会害怕呢，过去小蝶做的时候她也感受过同样的紧张，但以前的她都没有被那些事阻止，现在的她也不会被这种事阻拦住。勇敢不意味着没有任何恐惧，而应该是不要让恐惧去阻止你。
“湛蓝在那个地方每待上一分钟，处境就会多一分危险，”海盐气空补充道：“我们必须要让这个怪物看看海马的强大力量，要让它知道海马可不是好惹的！”
一个离开的海马卫兵也提着一大捆珊瑚矛回来了，每个矛都末端都被雕刻成锋利的肩头，头盔、胸甲、盾牌都堆在了地板上，还有一些小蝶不认识的武器。
“妈！”天星最后问道：“我们不会真要把这些垃圾都带上吧？”
诺沃女王看起来也在纠结这个决定，但最后还是说道：“一定要不惜一切代价来保证你们的安全。”
“我们要担心可不只是沙龙，”海盐气空说道：“湛蓝是唯一一个冒险游出国度海域的海马，我们不知道他会在外面发现什么…”
小蝶喃喃道：“一切都会好起来的。”但看着越来越多的海马卫兵带着更多的贝壳盾牌还有武器游了进来，她不禁开始紧张起来。要保证海马国的安全，就必须要让沙龙保持冷静。海盐气空都已经这么生气了这让小蝶该怎么做？当他们带一支小军队出现在沙龙的巢穴时，沙龙会怎么想？
小蝶去收拾一个装满食物和补给的袋子，努力不去理会内心与日俱增的恐惧感，但她还是感觉有种沉闷的预感，他们可能即将要面对一片漆黑的海底。
英文版：
When they returned to the castle, new guards were stationed outside. They opened the gates for Princess Skystar without saying a word. The princess swam in circles around the great hall, her shopping bags under her foreleg. She’d picked out the prettiest blue shimmery scarf for her mother and brought back some seaweed cakes for all the cooks in the castle kitchens.
“Mooooooom!”’ she called out, swimming to the ceiling. “We’re home! I brought you something really special that I know you’re going to love!”
But nopony answered. “Maybe she’s having dinner?” Fluttershy suggested as she swam after her friend. Skystar wove through the empty castle halls, toward Queen Novo’s bedroom. But on the way there, she heard voices coming from the great gallery—a meeting place off the throne room. There was hardly ever an occasion to use it (other than game night), so it struck Skystar as odd. She motioned to Fluttershy to be quiet as they swam up to the doorway to spy.
The scene inside the great gallery was peculiar. Queen Novo and Salt Air sat in two of the huge carved coral chairs, below a series of giant murals depicting different scenes from Mount Aris. Queen Novo looked serious. The majority of the Seaquestrian guard force stood opposite.
“Cerulean has been gone much longer than expected. There is cause for concern!” Salt Air exclaimed, her voice twice as loud as it normally was. “And I will not sit here and wait to find out that she’s been attacked by a Sand Dragon when we are fully capable of aiding her. Please, Majesty, let us go!”
“Enough!” Queen Novo barked, then spoke more calmly. “I don’t understand why everypony is so worked up. There is no Sand Dragon! Golden Fin even admitted that what he saw could have been an illusion.”
“Your Majesty.” A smaller Seapony with pink wings swam forward and addressed Queen Novo. “Please excuse my forwardness. I don’t mean to swim out of line, but I don’t think it was an illusion.... I think... Salt Air might be right.”
“And who are you?” Queen Novo raised a suspicious brow.
“Coral Rose, the new Seaquestrian historian, at your service.” The small Seapony bowed, eyes downcast. “I believe that the Sand Dragon is real, and it’s awake.” At this, Salt Air’s face flashed a triumphant expression, only to morph back into one of extreme worry. Cerulean could really be in danger. Coral Rose shifted around nervously. “I... I can prove it.”
“You can?” Queen Novo asked. She leaned forward in her chair. Her attention had clearly been piqued. “How?”
“It’s all right here in the legend, Majesty,” Coral Rose said, scrambling to unfurl a scroll. “We are due for what is called the ‘Dragon’s Morning.’ Every hundred moons, supposedly the Sand Dragons awaken from their hibernation deep in the sand. They wake up quite hungry and go looking for—”
“For Seaponies?!” Skystar’s voice echoed through the gallery. The guards froze, noticing Skystar and Fluttershy floating in the doorway. “It’s true?!” the princess shouted, swimming inside the room. Fluttershy followed behind, feeling awkward and out of place. “Seaquestria really could be in danger?”
“Skystar! There you are.” Queen Novo looked quite relieved to see her daughter. “Go to your chambers and visit with Fluttershy there, okay? The castle needs to be on lockdown until we know more.”
“But Cerulean’s out there....” Skystar’s eyes went wide. “And I want to help! Are we going to rescue her?”
“Yes,” Queen Novo said decidedly. She exchanged a look with Salt Air.“Tonight.”
“Then I'll go get my things!” Skystar said, her voice trembling. “Wait for me!” Skystar shot out of the room, leaving only a trail of bubbles behind her.
A trail of bubbles... and Fluttershy. She moved behind a group of guards in a feeble attempt to hide. This was not how she’d pictured the evening unfolding.
“I know my daughter well enough to know that she is determined to go—no matter what I tell her to do.” Queen Novo swam back and forth, then back and forth again, pacing the room. “Salt Air, you must watch out for her.”
“Of course, Your Majesty.” Salt Air brought her fin to her chest in salute.
Queen Novo nodded before adding, “And so must you, Fluttershy.”
It was as if the water had drained from the room. Fluttershy suddenly felt all eyes on her. There had to be a mistake! Fluttershy was not even really a part of this kingdom. She was just a visitor. Why would they want her along on such an important Seapony mission?
“M-m-m-me?” she stuttered, meeting the queen’s eyes. She looked worried, her brows drawn together in a line.
“Yes. Skystar has told me of your many brave pursuits in your land. And my daughter trusts you. Please, Fluttershy? We have already suffered through a great war with the Storm King in Mount Aris. We cannot take another tragedy.”
Fluttershy didn’t know what to say. But she knew one thing for sure—a friend needed her. And she never turned her back on a friend in need. “Okay, I'll go.”
“We have to resolve this however we can,” Queen Novo said, her voice full of sadness and worry. She’d worked so hard to keep the peace in Seaquestria. It was vital that it remain so. She put a fin on Fluttershy’s shoulder. “Please be careful out there.”
“Exactly! We must take precautions to protect ourselves from the monster!” Salt Air said to a Seapony standing in the back of the crowd. “Let’s bring our coral spears and shell shields. Helmets, chest plates. Full armor. I’m not taking any chances.”
Suddenly, Skystar reappeared. She wore a saddlebag that had been decorated with shells. “What'd I miss?”
Fluttershy struggled to find the words to explain the quick turn of events. In a moment’s time, talk had turned from keeping peace to wielding weapons. She knew she’d have a hard time persuading Salt Air to not go at all, but there had to be a better way. Wouldn’t showing up in armor make everything worse? Bringing a small army with spears and shields? If Cerulean wasn’t already in danger, she surely would be if the Sand Dragon thought the Seaponies wanted to harm it.
“Don’t you think the spears will scare it?” Fluttershy asked. She’d encountered so many other scary creatures before. She’d tamed a cockatrice, a Manticore, and even befriended a Draconequus. There were fierce Dragons in Equestria, and she imagined a Sand Dragon must look a lot like that.
“I hope so,” replied Salt Air with a huff.
Fluttershy frowned. “There’s always another way to communicate. You just have to try to understand the other creature....” She looked to Coral Rose for backup, but the Seapony just shrugged. Up until recently, Sand Dragons had only been a legend, passed on to the Seaponies from the ancient fish and crustaceans. Now they were real.
Salt Air leaned in closer. “Giants of the Sea, is what the stories call them...” she said. “Huge fangs! Tiny, beady eyes.”
“And claws that could cut you in two!” another guard added. The rest of the Seaponies nodded along, their eyes wide in fear. Fluttershy tried to keep her expression normal, but her stomach was doing flips. It was always a little scary to confront a creature ten times your size, and when Fluttershy had done it in the past, she’d felt the same nervousness. But she’d never let that stop her before, and she couldn’t let it stop her now. Being brave wasn’t about not feeling any fear. It was about not letting your fear stop you.
“Every minute that Cerulean is near it, she is in danger,” Salt Air added. “We must give the monster a great show of force. It should know that Seaponies are not to be messed with!”
A Seapony who had left now returned carrying a bundle of spears. The end of each was carved into a razor-sharp point. Helmets were piled on the floor. There were chest plates and shields, along with a few other weapons Fluttershy didn’t recognize.
“Moooom!” Skystar finally said. “We’re not really going to bring all that junk, are we?”
Queen Novo looked as if she was struggling with the decision, too. Finally, she spoke: “You must stay safe. At all costs.”
“It’s not just the Sand Dragon we have to worry about,” Salt Air said.“Cerulean is the only Seapony to have ventured that far beyond the village. We have no idea what we’ ll find out there....”
“It’s all going to be okay,” Fluttershy said. But as more Seaponies entered the meeting room with more shell shields and weapons, Fluttershy grew nervous. Part of keeping Seaquestria safe meant keeping the Sand Dragon calm. How would Fluttershy be able to do that when Salt Air was already so angry? What would the Sand Dragon think when they showed up to its lair with a small army?
Fluttershy packed up a bag with food and supplies, trying to ignore the fear that was growing in her chest. But she had the sinking feeling that they were all swimming in the dark on this one.