第九章
第 12 章
4 年前
465“小蝶？”一个声音正在她耳朵边一直响着。“你能听到吗？”
小蝶的眼睛依旧是紧闭，但她能感觉到周围发生了什么，却说不出来是什么。她的头还在隐隐作痛。她现在在哪？她在这里多久了？她真的需要现在醒过来吗？不管她在哪，她躺的这张床是真的好舒服又温暖…
“小蝶？”那个声音又响起来了。
小蝶慢慢睁开她的眼睛，她现在在一个她从来没见过的房间里。这里看上去很像沙龙的卧室，因为这里的墙壁和之前的主洞穴那一样是灰色的，窗帘也是海藻做的。电鳗们在天花板上像蛇一样游着，它们发出的橙色光芒照亮了这里一切。
“她醒了！”天星都快哭出来了。“小蝶！小蝶！你没事吧？”
小蝶低下头，注意到她刚刚躺的床，那是由苔藓和海绵造的，他们还给她盖了条厚厚的海带毯子。她的头现在还感觉很疼又很痛，但除此之外一切都还好。
小蝶回道：“我想应该没事了…”她看了看周围那些忧心忡忡的面孔。格尼站在天星的旁边，当他看到小蝶醒过来后，他也露出了大大的笑容，他那黄棕色尖牙也露了出来。海盐和卫兵们都站在房间的另一边。湛蓝和珊瑚玫瑰都低下了头，没有看她。
天星笑了：“真是多亏了我的幸运的海星！”然后她瞬间变得严肃起来。“海盐和卫兵们现在知道，没有我的允许他们不能再擅自行动。他们今晚做的那些，就像是，完全不可原谅的那种，你知道吧？”
海盐开口道：“公主陛下，”她的头还是低着，“我再次请求您的原谅，我们以为是沙龙抓走了湛蓝跟小蝶，所以我们觉得必须要做点什么，去救下她们，防止海马国再次受到沙龙的袭击！”
“那你可能会伤到格尼，”天星说道：“因为什么？因为你生气了？因为你想都不想就去做了最坏的打算？因为你什么都听不进去？”
海盐没有回答。
天星游了过去看着她：“你肯定可以小蝶学到些什么！我们都可以从她那学到！”
海盐笑了，“就那个想去偷走珍珠的小马们吗？她的朋友不是趁你不注意就差点偷走了吗？”
“呃，不，也正是这样的小马在其他所有马对你的作为无动于衷的时候挺身而出去阻止你！”天星纠正道：“为什么还要继续纠结那珍珠的事？我想今天晚上在这里的英勇行为已经证明了她是站在我们这边的！”
格尼在小蝶躺着的床边踱来踱去，他那鳞片状皮肤有好几处地方被戳伤了，但除此之外他看起来还行。他眯着眼睛盯了一下海盐，开玩笑道：“看来我应该把你当成我的俘虏！”但在场的没有谁在笑，他无奈地耸耸肩。“咋了？玩笑太早了？”
天星憋住了笑，看来对于这个玩笑，海盐的脸色倒是有点难看。
格尼扑哧一声坐在小蝶旁边，他的脸上露出了一丝微笑，他突然就变得更平静了一些甚至是…看起来更快乐了。小蝶开始觉得他就跟她经历的那么多冒险中遇到的很多生物们一样——只会吼叫，不会去伤害别的生物。看起来格尼也确实是这样，即便在别的生物也想伤害他的情况下。
格尼看了看小蝶说道：“你是个善良的海马，我从未见过像你一样勇敢的海马，我已经活了五百多个月！你宁愿冒着生命危险去拯救一个陌生生物，即便那个陌生生物还绑架过你的朋友。如果布里蟹们还在这的话，他们肯定会给你送一堆海藻泥来感谢你。”
小蝶说道：“因为这么做才是对的。”她说的每个字都是认真的，也许格尼是犯了错，也许他确实是脾气暴躁，但也不意味着可以成为海盐去伤害他的借口。如果小蝶只是留在原地无动于衷地看着这场战斗在这里上演，那她能算得上什么善良小马呢？如果有小马或是沙龙因为这样受伤，她根本不愿意看到这样…或是更糟的景象。
“格尼，”天星开始跟他说道：“我想让你知道，不管今晚这里发生过什么，你都可以把海马们当作愿意交往的朋友，我们很抱歉没能早点找到你来化解这些误会，毕竟需要时刻考虑到搬来海底的成千上万的鹰马们时，我们有时候没办法注意到邻居们的苦衷。”
格尼的眼睛看了看后面，海盐和湛蓝还在那站着，他的表情又严肃起来，他看了看天星，又看了看那边的海马，不知道该相信谁好。
“天星从来都不会说那些言不由衷的话，”小蝶向他保证道：“请你再给海马们一次机会吧。”
天星继续说道：“她说的对！而且我们回到海马国后的明天晚上会给你举办一个舞会！也是一场盛宴！请你来作为我们的特邀嘉宾吧！噢拜托拜托啦！”
“你们都愿意让我去吗？”格尼看了看整个房间，海马们的表情开始从严肃变成了微笑，他问道：“你确定这是个好主意吗？我以为海马们都很讨厌我，会认为我是那种——”他停顿了一下，好像不愿意让自己去说出那词。“——吃螃蟹的怪物。”
“我们会解释一切的，”小蝶说完看向卫兵们。“对吧，各位小马们？”
“呃…我该穿什么去出席好呢？”格尼问道：“我是说，我有很长一段时间没有…你们懂的。”
“你喜欢穿什么样都行！”天星说道：“你可以去见到我妈妈诺沃女王还有更多的海马居民们！”公主靠过去跟他眨了眨眼睛。“当然我想你的朋友们也都要来噢。”
“真的吗？！”格尼傻乎乎地笑了笑，好像他是之前一直憋到了现在但没忍住一样。之后他的目光回到旁边的小蝶身上。“如果有需要的话，你可以留在这休养一段时间，”他跟小蝶说道：“往西游几英里应该有一个不错的金鱼医生，呃…至少在一百多个月以前是有…”
但小蝶已经推开海带毯子起来了，她在房间里四处游了游，尽管她的头还是有点疼，除这个以外，她感觉自己很舒坦。
“我想我应该是没事了，我可以和他们一起回去。”她说道：“而且我相信诺沃女王肯定也很担心你，天星，也肯定很担心我们大家。”
小蝶在这只巨兽面前鞠了一躬，巨兽也朝她鞠了一躬。
他用了一种仿佛很舍不得他们的温和语气说道：“这是我的荣幸。”
天星回道：“我们明天晚上舞会见喽！”她的卫兵们都在她周围排成了两队前进，小蝶和珊瑚玫瑰就留在队尾，珊瑚扶着她的翅膀，以防她摔倒需要稳住自己。
格尼又一次露出了灿烂的笑容，冲他们喊道：“明天晚上见！”当大部分都走出了沙龙的洞穴时，小蝶敢肯定她刚刚能听到那头巨兽开心地在后面咯咯笑着。
英文版：
"Fluttershy?” a voice said softly. “Fluttershy, can you hear me?”
Fluttershy’s eyes were closed. She could tell something was going on around her, but she couldn’t tell what. Her head was throbbing. Where was she? How long had she been here? And did she really have to wake up? Wherever she was, this bed was so cozy and warm....
“Fluttershy?” the voice said again.
Fluttershy slowly opened her eyes. She was in a room she’d never seen before. It looked like the Sand Dragon’s burrow, because it had the same gray walls and seaweed curtains that were in the great hall. Electric eels lined the ceiling, snaking this way and that, lighting up everything with their orange glow.
“She’s awake!” Princess Skystar cried. “Fluttershy! Fluttershy! Are you okay?”
Fluttershy looked down, noticing the bed she’d been sleeping in. It was a mixture of moss and sea sponge. They’d covered her with a thick blanket made of kelp. Her head still hurt, and she was sore, but other than that, she felt okay.
“I think so...” Fluttershy said. She looked around at all the worried faces. Gnash was standing beside Skystar. As soon as he saw her eyes open, he smiled a big, toothy grin, revealing a row of yellow and brown fangs. Salt Air and the guards stood on the far side of the room. Cerulean and Coral Rose both hung their heads. They didn’t look at her.
“Thank my lucky starfish!” Skystar said with a giggle. Then she grew serious. “Salt Air and the guards know now they cannot act without my permission. What they did tonight was, like, completely inexcusable, you know?”
“Your Highness,” Salt Air said, still keeping her eyes on the floor, “again, I beg your forgiveness. We thought the Sand Dragon had captured Cerulean and Fluttershy. We thought we needed to do something. To rescue them and prevent Seaquestria from a Sand Dragon attack!”
“You could have really hurt Gnash,” Skystar said. “And for what? Because you were angry? Because you assumed the worst? Because you didn’t listen?”
Salt Air didn’t answer.
Princess Skystar swam toward her, shaking her head. “You could learn something from Fluttershy! We all could.”
Salt Air laughed. “From the same pony who tried to steal the pearl? Didn’t her friend run off with it when you weren’t looking?”
“Um, nooooo. From the same pony who stood up to you when no other pony would!” Skystar corrected. “And will you let that pearl thing go already? I think she proved she’s on our side here tonight!”
Gnash paced beside Fluttershy’s bed. His scaly skin was scratched up in a few places, but otherwise, he seemed okay. He stared at Salt Air, his dark brows pulled together. “I should take you as my prisoner!” he joked. When nopony laughed, he just shrugged. “What? Too soon?”
Skystar stifled a giggle. Salt Air looked particularly salty about the comment.
Gnash plopped down beside Fluttershy’s bed, and a small smile crept over his face. He suddenly seemed calmer and maybe even... happy. Fluttershy was starting to think he was like a lot of creatures she’d met on her adventures—all roar and no bite. It didn’t seem as if Gnash actually wanted to hurt anycreature, even if they were trying to hurt him.
“You are a nice Seapony,” Gnash said, gazing at Fluttershy. “I’ve never seen bravery like that. And I’ve been alive for five hundred moons! You risked your life for a stranger, and for a stranger who accidentally ponynapped your friend. If the Beezlebugs were here, they would present you with a heaping plate of seaweed mash as a thank-you.”
“It was the right thing to do,” Fluttershy said, and she meant every word. Maybe Gnash had made some mistakes, and maybe he did have a fiery temper, but that didn’t mean Salt Air was allowed to hurt him. What kind of pony would Fluttershy be if she had stood frozen, watching the battle? She couldn’t have lived with herself if anypony or anydragon was hurt... or worse.
“Gnash,” Skystar started, “I want you to know that no matter what happened tonight, you can count the Seaponies as friends. We’re sorry for all these misunderstandings and for not finding you sooner. When you’re moving thousands of Hippogriffs under the ocean, you can sometimes forget your manners.”
Gnash’s eyes darted to the back wall where Cerulean and Salt Air were still standing. His expression grew serious again. He kept looking at Skystar, then back to the Seaponies, as if he wasn’t sure whom to trust.
“Skystar never says anything that she doesn’t mean,” Fluttershy assured him. “Please, give the Seaponies another chance.”
“She’s right! Tomorrow night we will be back in the village,” Skystar went on. “And we will hold a ball in your honor. With a feast! Please come as our special guest! Oh, you just have to!”
“You all want me there?” Gnash glanced around the room. The Seaponies’ expressions began to change from solemn to smiles. “You’re sure that’s a good idea?” Gnash asked. “I thought that Seaponies hated me. That they thought I was a’”—he paused, as though he couldn’t bring himself to say it—‘‘crab-cruncher.”
“We will explain everything,” Fluttershy said. She turned to the guards. “Right, everypony?”
“Hmmm... what would I even wear?” Gnash asked. “I mean, I haven’t been to a ball in... well, ever.”
“Wear whatever you like!” Skystar said. “You can meet my mom, Queen Novo, and some of the villagers!” The princess leaned in and gave him a little wink. “I think some of your friends might be in attendance as well.”
“Really?!” Gnash smiled a big, goofy smile, as if he’d been trying to hold it back but couldn’t. Then he returned to his seat beside Fluttershy. “You can stay here to recover if you need to,” he said. “There’s a good glitterfish doctor a few miles west. Well, at least there was a hundred moons ago....”
But Fluttershy was already up. She pushed back the kelp blanket and swam into the room. Her head still felt a little heavy, but otherwise, she was okay. “I’m all right, I think. I can go back with them,” she said. “Besides, I’m sure Queen Novo is worried about you, Skystar. I’m sure she’s worried about all of us.”
Fluttershy bowed in front of the giant beast, and he bowed back.
“It was an honor,” he said in that gentler tone that seemed to come and go.
“We will see you tomorrow night at the ball,” Skystar said as her guards formed two lines around her. Fluttershy stayed toward the back with Coral Rose, holding on to her wing in case she needed to steady herself.
“Tomorrow night!” Gnash called after them with another huge smile. As they filed out of the Sand Dragon’s burrow, Fluttershy swore she could hear the beast giggling with excitement.
小蝶的眼睛依旧是紧闭，但她能感觉到周围发生了什么，却说不出来是什么。她的头还在隐隐作痛。她现在在哪？她在这里多久了？她真的需要现在醒过来吗？不管她在哪，她躺的这张床是真的好舒服又温暖…
“小蝶？”那个声音又响起来了。
小蝶慢慢睁开她的眼睛，她现在在一个她从来没见过的房间里。这里看上去很像沙龙的卧室，因为这里的墙壁和之前的主洞穴那一样是灰色的，窗帘也是海藻做的。电鳗们在天花板上像蛇一样游着，它们发出的橙色光芒照亮了这里一切。
“她醒了！”天星都快哭出来了。“小蝶！小蝶！你没事吧？”
小蝶低下头，注意到她刚刚躺的床，那是由苔藓和海绵造的，他们还给她盖了条厚厚的海带毯子。她的头现在还感觉很疼又很痛，但除此之外一切都还好。
小蝶回道：“我想应该没事了…”她看了看周围那些忧心忡忡的面孔。格尼站在天星的旁边，当他看到小蝶醒过来后，他也露出了大大的笑容，他那黄棕色尖牙也露了出来。海盐和卫兵们都站在房间的另一边。湛蓝和珊瑚玫瑰都低下了头，没有看她。
天星笑了：“真是多亏了我的幸运的海星！”然后她瞬间变得严肃起来。“海盐和卫兵们现在知道，没有我的允许他们不能再擅自行动。他们今晚做的那些，就像是，完全不可原谅的那种，你知道吧？”
海盐开口道：“公主陛下，”她的头还是低着，“我再次请求您的原谅，我们以为是沙龙抓走了湛蓝跟小蝶，所以我们觉得必须要做点什么，去救下她们，防止海马国再次受到沙龙的袭击！”
“那你可能会伤到格尼，”天星说道：“因为什么？因为你生气了？因为你想都不想就去做了最坏的打算？因为你什么都听不进去？”
海盐没有回答。
天星游了过去看着她：“你肯定可以小蝶学到些什么！我们都可以从她那学到！”
海盐笑了，“就那个想去偷走珍珠的小马们吗？她的朋友不是趁你不注意就差点偷走了吗？”
“呃，不，也正是这样的小马在其他所有马对你的作为无动于衷的时候挺身而出去阻止你！”天星纠正道：“为什么还要继续纠结那珍珠的事？我想今天晚上在这里的英勇行为已经证明了她是站在我们这边的！”
格尼在小蝶躺着的床边踱来踱去，他那鳞片状皮肤有好几处地方被戳伤了，但除此之外他看起来还行。他眯着眼睛盯了一下海盐，开玩笑道：“看来我应该把你当成我的俘虏！”但在场的没有谁在笑，他无奈地耸耸肩。“咋了？玩笑太早了？”
天星憋住了笑，看来对于这个玩笑，海盐的脸色倒是有点难看。
格尼扑哧一声坐在小蝶旁边，他的脸上露出了一丝微笑，他突然就变得更平静了一些甚至是…看起来更快乐了。小蝶开始觉得他就跟她经历的那么多冒险中遇到的很多生物们一样——只会吼叫，不会去伤害别的生物。看起来格尼也确实是这样，即便在别的生物也想伤害他的情况下。
格尼看了看小蝶说道：“你是个善良的海马，我从未见过像你一样勇敢的海马，我已经活了五百多个月！你宁愿冒着生命危险去拯救一个陌生生物，即便那个陌生生物还绑架过你的朋友。如果布里蟹们还在这的话，他们肯定会给你送一堆海藻泥来感谢你。”
小蝶说道：“因为这么做才是对的。”她说的每个字都是认真的，也许格尼是犯了错，也许他确实是脾气暴躁，但也不意味着可以成为海盐去伤害他的借口。如果小蝶只是留在原地无动于衷地看着这场战斗在这里上演，那她能算得上什么善良小马呢？如果有小马或是沙龙因为这样受伤，她根本不愿意看到这样…或是更糟的景象。
“格尼，”天星开始跟他说道：“我想让你知道，不管今晚这里发生过什么，你都可以把海马们当作愿意交往的朋友，我们很抱歉没能早点找到你来化解这些误会，毕竟需要时刻考虑到搬来海底的成千上万的鹰马们时，我们有时候没办法注意到邻居们的苦衷。”
格尼的眼睛看了看后面，海盐和湛蓝还在那站着，他的表情又严肃起来，他看了看天星，又看了看那边的海马，不知道该相信谁好。
“天星从来都不会说那些言不由衷的话，”小蝶向他保证道：“请你再给海马们一次机会吧。”
天星继续说道：“她说的对！而且我们回到海马国后的明天晚上会给你举办一个舞会！也是一场盛宴！请你来作为我们的特邀嘉宾吧！噢拜托拜托啦！”
“你们都愿意让我去吗？”格尼看了看整个房间，海马们的表情开始从严肃变成了微笑，他问道：“你确定这是个好主意吗？我以为海马们都很讨厌我，会认为我是那种——”他停顿了一下，好像不愿意让自己去说出那词。“——吃螃蟹的怪物。”
“我们会解释一切的，”小蝶说完看向卫兵们。“对吧，各位小马们？”
“呃…我该穿什么去出席好呢？”格尼问道：“我是说，我有很长一段时间没有…你们懂的。”
“你喜欢穿什么样都行！”天星说道：“你可以去见到我妈妈诺沃女王还有更多的海马居民们！”公主靠过去跟他眨了眨眼睛。“当然我想你的朋友们也都要来噢。”
“真的吗？！”格尼傻乎乎地笑了笑，好像他是之前一直憋到了现在但没忍住一样。之后他的目光回到旁边的小蝶身上。“如果有需要的话，你可以留在这休养一段时间，”他跟小蝶说道：“往西游几英里应该有一个不错的金鱼医生，呃…至少在一百多个月以前是有…”
但小蝶已经推开海带毯子起来了，她在房间里四处游了游，尽管她的头还是有点疼，除这个以外，她感觉自己很舒坦。
“我想我应该是没事了，我可以和他们一起回去。”她说道：“而且我相信诺沃女王肯定也很担心你，天星，也肯定很担心我们大家。”
小蝶在这只巨兽面前鞠了一躬，巨兽也朝她鞠了一躬。
他用了一种仿佛很舍不得他们的温和语气说道：“这是我的荣幸。”
天星回道：“我们明天晚上舞会见喽！”她的卫兵们都在她周围排成了两队前进，小蝶和珊瑚玫瑰就留在队尾，珊瑚扶着她的翅膀，以防她摔倒需要稳住自己。
格尼又一次露出了灿烂的笑容，冲他们喊道：“明天晚上见！”当大部分都走出了沙龙的洞穴时，小蝶敢肯定她刚刚能听到那头巨兽开心地在后面咯咯笑着。
英文版：
"Fluttershy?” a voice said softly. “Fluttershy, can you hear me?”
Fluttershy’s eyes were closed. She could tell something was going on around her, but she couldn’t tell what. Her head was throbbing. Where was she? How long had she been here? And did she really have to wake up? Wherever she was, this bed was so cozy and warm....
“Fluttershy?” the voice said again.
Fluttershy slowly opened her eyes. She was in a room she’d never seen before. It looked like the Sand Dragon’s burrow, because it had the same gray walls and seaweed curtains that were in the great hall. Electric eels lined the ceiling, snaking this way and that, lighting up everything with their orange glow.
“She’s awake!” Princess Skystar cried. “Fluttershy! Fluttershy! Are you okay?”
Fluttershy looked down, noticing the bed she’d been sleeping in. It was a mixture of moss and sea sponge. They’d covered her with a thick blanket made of kelp. Her head still hurt, and she was sore, but other than that, she felt okay.
“I think so...” Fluttershy said. She looked around at all the worried faces. Gnash was standing beside Skystar. As soon as he saw her eyes open, he smiled a big, toothy grin, revealing a row of yellow and brown fangs. Salt Air and the guards stood on the far side of the room. Cerulean and Coral Rose both hung their heads. They didn’t look at her.
“Thank my lucky starfish!” Skystar said with a giggle. Then she grew serious. “Salt Air and the guards know now they cannot act without my permission. What they did tonight was, like, completely inexcusable, you know?”
“Your Highness,” Salt Air said, still keeping her eyes on the floor, “again, I beg your forgiveness. We thought the Sand Dragon had captured Cerulean and Fluttershy. We thought we needed to do something. To rescue them and prevent Seaquestria from a Sand Dragon attack!”
“You could have really hurt Gnash,” Skystar said. “And for what? Because you were angry? Because you assumed the worst? Because you didn’t listen?”
Salt Air didn’t answer.
Princess Skystar swam toward her, shaking her head. “You could learn something from Fluttershy! We all could.”
Salt Air laughed. “From the same pony who tried to steal the pearl? Didn’t her friend run off with it when you weren’t looking?”
“Um, nooooo. From the same pony who stood up to you when no other pony would!” Skystar corrected. “And will you let that pearl thing go already? I think she proved she’s on our side here tonight!”
Gnash paced beside Fluttershy’s bed. His scaly skin was scratched up in a few places, but otherwise, he seemed okay. He stared at Salt Air, his dark brows pulled together. “I should take you as my prisoner!” he joked. When nopony laughed, he just shrugged. “What? Too soon?”
Skystar stifled a giggle. Salt Air looked particularly salty about the comment.
Gnash plopped down beside Fluttershy’s bed, and a small smile crept over his face. He suddenly seemed calmer and maybe even... happy. Fluttershy was starting to think he was like a lot of creatures she’d met on her adventures—all roar and no bite. It didn’t seem as if Gnash actually wanted to hurt anycreature, even if they were trying to hurt him.
“You are a nice Seapony,” Gnash said, gazing at Fluttershy. “I’ve never seen bravery like that. And I’ve been alive for five hundred moons! You risked your life for a stranger, and for a stranger who accidentally ponynapped your friend. If the Beezlebugs were here, they would present you with a heaping plate of seaweed mash as a thank-you.”
“It was the right thing to do,” Fluttershy said, and she meant every word. Maybe Gnash had made some mistakes, and maybe he did have a fiery temper, but that didn’t mean Salt Air was allowed to hurt him. What kind of pony would Fluttershy be if she had stood frozen, watching the battle? She couldn’t have lived with herself if anypony or anydragon was hurt... or worse.
“Gnash,” Skystar started, “I want you to know that no matter what happened tonight, you can count the Seaponies as friends. We’re sorry for all these misunderstandings and for not finding you sooner. When you’re moving thousands of Hippogriffs under the ocean, you can sometimes forget your manners.”
Gnash’s eyes darted to the back wall where Cerulean and Salt Air were still standing. His expression grew serious again. He kept looking at Skystar, then back to the Seaponies, as if he wasn’t sure whom to trust.
“Skystar never says anything that she doesn’t mean,” Fluttershy assured him. “Please, give the Seaponies another chance.”
“She’s right! Tomorrow night we will be back in the village,” Skystar went on. “And we will hold a ball in your honor. With a feast! Please come as our special guest! Oh, you just have to!”
“You all want me there?” Gnash glanced around the room. The Seaponies’ expressions began to change from solemn to smiles. “You’re sure that’s a good idea?” Gnash asked. “I thought that Seaponies hated me. That they thought I was a’”—he paused, as though he couldn’t bring himself to say it—‘‘crab-cruncher.”
“We will explain everything,” Fluttershy said. She turned to the guards. “Right, everypony?”
“Hmmm... what would I even wear?” Gnash asked. “I mean, I haven’t been to a ball in... well, ever.”
“Wear whatever you like!” Skystar said. “You can meet my mom, Queen Novo, and some of the villagers!” The princess leaned in and gave him a little wink. “I think some of your friends might be in attendance as well.”
“Really?!” Gnash smiled a big, goofy smile, as if he’d been trying to hold it back but couldn’t. Then he returned to his seat beside Fluttershy. “You can stay here to recover if you need to,” he said. “There’s a good glitterfish doctor a few miles west. Well, at least there was a hundred moons ago....”
But Fluttershy was already up. She pushed back the kelp blanket and swam into the room. Her head still felt a little heavy, but otherwise, she was okay. “I’m all right, I think. I can go back with them,” she said. “Besides, I’m sure Queen Novo is worried about you, Skystar. I’m sure she’s worried about all of us.”
Fluttershy bowed in front of the giant beast, and he bowed back.
“It was an honor,” he said in that gentler tone that seemed to come and go.
“We will see you tomorrow night at the ball,” Skystar said as her guards formed two lines around her. Fluttershy stayed toward the back with Coral Rose, holding on to her wing in case she needed to steady herself.
“Tomorrow night!” Gnash called after them with another huge smile. As they filed out of the Sand Dragon’s burrow, Fluttershy swore she could hear the beast giggling with excitement.