It was an ordinary day for Blue Shell when he was down at the Equestrian seaport. Blue was following his task of collecting beautiful seashells to make jewelry for the Princesses. Getting on his scuba gear, he prepared to go out to his usual spot. He started the boat with his unicorn magic and checked over his equipment a second time before arriving. Blue anchored the boat then put on his scuba tank, mask, and goggles before diving.
Swimming down to a reef, Blue found a few varieties of shells, mostly looking for oyster shells since many had pearls used to decorate the Princesses hair and accessories. Looking around, he found more than he normally found within thirty minutes. He had just found another oyster that was ready to open when something shimmered in the water. Blue looked around, wondering if he had gotten a glimpse of a luminous Dolphin-Shark or even a mischievous fox-fish. Swimming in the direction of the shimmer, Blue Shell looked around, always turning his head when his red and blue mane covered his view.
Venturing further out, he saw the shimmer again and followed it. Getting close enough to hopefully not frighten away what he saw, Blue's jaw almost dropped. The source of the shimmer was a mer-pony, a breed of pony thought to be a myth. The unicorn mer-pony had a medium red coat with a blue pattern on her back extending down to her transparent tail along with a matching blue spot on her nose, slender arms and dark red hooves with a heart shaped birthmark on the left hoof, dazzling light red eyes, and a tri-color mane consisting of dark red, blue, and black which gently caressed the gills on her neck. She was also wearing a matching tiara, necklace, and bracelet set and Blue also swore he spotted a tri-bubble cutie mark. Seeing this mysterious beautiful mare gracefully swim around the gentle rolling waves left him in complete awe. It was as if he had found the most unattainable treasures of the ocean. 'So…beautiful…' was all he could think as he watched her.
The mare, having heard his thoughts, looked in Blue's direction. Blue became startled and his cheeks turned as red as the highlights in his mane and tail. He swam up to the surface and back to his boat as fast as he could, accidentally dropping his bag of shells. "Oh no, the shells! I have to go back, but how can I go back after running away like that!" He climbed into his boat and removed his gear before shaking out his frost blue coat. "Aw man, I can't believe I embarrassed myself like that in front of such a beautiful mare…and on top of that lost my bag down there too. I guess I'll have to go back empty handed to the Princesses." Blue sighed to himself and was about to start his boat when he heard something drop into his boat and a splash. He looked back and saw his bag behind him with more shells than he had while down there. Some shells he had not seen before. Looking back out into the water, he felt a small grin grow. "Thank you."
Starting up his boat again, he rode back to the docks and took his precious shell stash home to clean and inspect them. He also took a bath and had a small meal before finishing up and going to the train station. He boarded a train for Canterlot and went straight to the palace to see the princesses. Being escorted by the Royal Guard, Flash Sentry, Blue made his way to the throne room where he was met by Princesses Celestia, Luna, Cadance, and Twilight. He bowed and greeted them.
"Blue Shell, it is nice to see you. I see you have been successful with your collecting" Princess Celestia said with a bright, approving smile.
"Yes, Your Highness. But this time, I must admit that…it was not done alone." He said, showing them the shells.
"What dost thou mean? We can see thou hast collected twice thine usual bounty…and in such a short time" Princess Luna said in her usual manner.
"Your Highnesses, there was another pony out in the sea with me. She was…not your usual pony though." He admitted, walking a little closer. "She was…a mer-pony with the horn of a unicorn."
Twilight audibly gasped. "A-A mer-pony? A real true mer-pony?! But I thought they were just a pony tale."
"There are some pony tales that do tend to be true. Mer-ponies are quite rare creatures, used to appear occasionally. But then when the Great War broke out, it was assumed they sensed the danger and went into hiding. Or maybe even participated in the war somehow and all died. But if you saw one, can you describe her to us?" Celestia insisted.
"She was quite a sight. She had a unicorn horn, a medium red coat with a blue pattern on her back extending down to her transparent tail along with a matching blue spot on her nose, slender arms and dark red hooves with a heart shaped birthmark on the left hoof, dazzling light red eyes, and a tri-color mane consisting of dark red, blue, and black…and she wore a matching tiara, necklace, and bracelet set. She also looked like she had a tri-bubble cutie mark." Blue found himself blushing, remembering her. But he shook himself out of it quickly. "But when she spotted me, I didn't want to startle her, so I swam back to the surface and to my boat…but I accidently let go of my bag. I didn't think I should go back down to get it, but before I started my boat, I think she came up and dropped my bag into the boat. And that's why I have more than what I usually come with."
"Hm, quite interesting, a unicorn Mer-pony with a tri-color mane with a blue markings and a cutie mark. I wonder if it's possible that she could be the only one of her kind here. Blue Shell, do you think you can find her again? Perhaps try talking to her?" Celestia asked.
"A fine proposition, sister. Speaking with such a mare would be interesting. But wouldn't it pose a problem since the mare would need a substantial amount of water to speak with us?" Luna said.
"Hm, we might be able to figure something out. Of course, we can't rush it. Doing that could frighten her away. So I propose there be no time limit on how long before we meet her. We should allow Blue Shell to as much time as needed to earn her trust." Twilight suggested, trying hard to hide her excitement and utter urge to do a research paper on Mer-ponies.
"That's a splendid idea, Twilight. That way she won't feel threatened or anxious about leaving her home for an unfamiliar land" Cadance smiled. She had watched Blue Shell's movements and expressions when he spoke about the mysterious mare and she could tell it was small sparks of love.
"Then it is settled, you shall find this mysterious mare and get to know her before we meet her." Celestia smiled. "And as for the shells, I believe taking some to the Canterlot Boutique for Rarity. I'm sure she can make a dress with them."
"Of course, Your Majesty. And with the celebration of Princess Flurry Heart's birthday coming up, I'm sure miss Rarity will make beautiful dresses with these shells that would only be outshined by your beauty, Your Highnesses." He smiled and bowed politely. And I will make a tiara that would be sure to garner everyone's adoration. A tiara with small pink shells and a pearl."
"Oh, that's a beautiful idea. I cannot wait to see it." Cadance clapped her hooves happily. "She's going to love it."
Bowing once more, Blue picked up his bag and escorted himself out. He made his way to the Canterlot Boutique and met up with Rarity. Showing her the shells, she immediately saw the rare quality in them and didn't spare a moment taking half of the shells. Blue could see the gears turning in her head as she trotted off to the back room mumbling different patterns and ideas. "Well, I'll leave her to it. I doubt she'll even realize I'm gone." He chuckled a bit and left.
Heading back to the station, he thought he would take a trip to Ponyville. He wanted to see Zecora and ask her for advice on how to approach a Mer-pony. He boarded the train and watched the scenery go by as he headed for Ponyville. "Man things have changed. It feels like just yesterday things were a little too chaotic. Now everything's more peaceful." Blue couldn't help but smile, remembering his dive. "And now somepony more beautiful than any pearl or gem has appeared." He was snapped out of his thoughts when the train whistle blew and the conductor called out the next stop. "Ponyville! Next Stop, Ponyville!" Blue jumped up and grabbed his bag, galloping off the train before the door closed.
Blue walked through Ponyville, greeting every pony he saw. He saw Fluttershy and her animals in Fluttershy's front yard. He greeted her and had a short chat. To which Fluttershy noticed he seemed different than usual. "Blue, I could be wrong but you have a different look to you today. You look almost, how can I put this, dazed and dreamy. Did something good happen to you today?" She asked in her mousy voice.
"Oh um…well no…nothing in particular. I collected more shells than normal if that's what you mean. And I have the honor of creating a tiara for Princess Flurry Heart. I guess this look on my face is just because I'm trying to decide what design to use and what shells would best compliment the design" He said, trying to act as normal as possible. "Anyway, I'd love to stay and chat longer but I really need to see Zecora about something. I'll come by some time in a few days. G-Goodbye." He galloped off quickly.
Getting deep into the Everfree Forest, Blue finally slowed down and sighed. "Aw man, can't believe I reacted that way in front of her. I'll make it up to her on my next visit and treat her to some cupcakes. At least Discord wasn't with her or he'd tease me till I caved in. I'll have to be careful." He walked through the forest, looking around till he finally saw Zecora's hut. Not far off in the distance was Discord's home. He knocked on the door and Zecora answered.
"Well hello there, Blue. Is there anything I can do for you?" Zecora asked, her usual rhymes and riddles were the one thing Blue Shell felt calm with.
"Zecora, it's nice to see you. I need your advice on something." He walked inside and sat down across from Zecora. "On my dive today, I encountered the most beautiful pony. But she wasn't a pony. She was a Mer-pony…they should be extinct but there she was swimming gracefully as the waves gently tasseled her alluring tri-color mane." He sighed contently. "I've never felt this fuzzy warmth inside me before…but how could I not. She so intriguing and I want to try finding her again just to know that I wasn't dreaming. And I will have to since she intrigues the Princesses as well. But when she spotted me today, I made such a fool of myself. I just panicked and swam back to my boat. No doubt she probably won't show up in the same spot again."
"I see that is why you come to me for advice. You wish to know what to do should you meet this mare in the same place twice." Zecora said, receiving a slight nod from Blue. "I know your concern on the matter but I cannot help for you see I know nothing about the behavior of a Mer-pony."
Blue looked down with his ears flat. "Oh…I see. I guess this is a matter I'll have to figure out on my own, huh?"
Zecora sipped some tea. "If you met this mare while on a dive, then perhaps it would be good to do another with a more positive vibe." She smiled.
"So you mean I should do another dive, but don't let what happened today get me down. Just go back more positive than before. Right?" He asked, gaining a nod from Zecora. "You're right. I shouldn't let get me down. If I don't face her sooner or later, I'll never face it. You're really good." He smiled and stood up, grabbing his bag. "Thanks for the advice, Zecora. Farewell." Blue trotted out of Zecora's hut and the Everfree Forest a little more cheerful than when he entered.
On his way back to the train station, Blue went to Sugar Cube Corner and ran into Pinkie Pie with Mrs. Cake. Not really getting a chance to say hi since she was busy playing around with Pumpkin and Pound Cake so Mrs. Cake could work. He made it simple and ordered a few cupcakes before leaving. "Sweet Celestia, those foals are adorable. I wonder what it would be like to have one. Wait wait wait wait! I think I'm thinking about this a little too soon." He trotted to the train station. After boarding, he kept his bag of shells close as he snacked on his cupcakes.
Back in Canterlot, Blue ventured back to his home and started getting his equipment ready for a dive the next day. For the rest of his day and some of the night, he worked on constructing the shells into jewelry and accessories. When he was done, he went straight to bed, but his sleep was restless because his thoughts kept going back to the mysterious mer-pony he was going to see soon. The shimmer that drew him to her, her mane, the sparkle of her eyes, everything about her captivated him. Getting to sleep was definitely going to be difficult.
The next morning, Blue Shell woke up at his usual time to get ready for his dive. Using his magic, he steered his boat to the spot he was at last, anchored the boat, prepared himself and went for his dive. The water was peaceful and clear, but Blue still made it a point to watch out for sudden under currents or anything else that could drag him under. He swam out and searched as far as he had gone yesterday, but had no luck. 'Maybe she was spooked off by me after all. There's no chance of me finding her in the same place twice.' He thought and was about to head back.
As soon as he turned around, he was met with a sudden rush of bubbles and a flash of red and blue. At first he thought it was his mane, but that was too short to rush in front of his face. He looked around almost frantically, hearing and seeing bubbles rush around him like he was being stalked. It was only when he turned around for the fifth time that he was met by a pair of light red eyes very close to him. He was about to scream, but doing so would cause him to lose his air mask. He back away and was able to see her fully, it was the mare that now made him more restless than a herd of cattle after getting spooked. Her eyes stared deeply into his and Blue was so entrances, he didn't dare look away.
The mare circled him twice before floating in front of him again. He looked her over a little, admiring her features. The shimmer of her body was like clouds in the sky, her mane simply danced in the gentle waves and caressed her face, the necklace and bracelet lightly bobbed with the current, and her tail simply swayed lightly to keep her in place. 'Ok I found her…or rather she surprised me…now what do I do? I can't very well talk to her underwater. Can she even go up to the surface? Oh geez, I really didn't think this through!' He thought.
"It's ok, you can talk to me underwater. I can hear your thoughts. And as long as we're together, you can her mine" She said, stunning Blue with her angelic voice.
"So, is that why you turned to look at me yesterday? Because you heard my thoughts?" He asked and she replied with a nod.