Maremuda…

King Triton was pacing his room his wife was sitting on the bed watching him. Her body was not fairing to well since leaving the ocean. She was resting while some doctors were checking her out before leaving the room.

“I should have not taken you with me”

“I wanted to see my sisters and my daughter.” Aurora looked towards her husband as he smiled before dropping it.

“You heard what the nobles want of me”

“I have. I think It’s time to hand the throne over husband” Aurora watched as he stopped in his tracks.

“What?”

“If the nobles want you to do something against your will. Then have the peace treaty done in Saluki’s name. They want him on the seat of power then let him”

“My dear they would still want her exiled from Maremuda. What they do not know is what is on her back. Saluki said he noticed the gem. The one I been hiding. The one I made a fake and placed on my back” he sighed as he ran his hoof through his mane before moving towards the side of the bed.

“How is writing the peace treaty coming along?”

“Long my love. I am trying to make sure everything is perfect. I am trying to gather every pony's wants and needs that we may need to cover. This is becoming a long process”

“Have the boys helped” Aurora looked towards her husband.

“They are too busy preparing what they want to take with them to see their sister” he laid his head on his wife’s stomach looking up at her “I feel like everything is falling apart”

“It’s not falling apart”

“What did I do wrong love?”

“You do not want to know my opinion”

“I do my dear” he reached up and places his hoof on her cheek. Aurora closed her eyes and sighed for a moment.

“You screwed up all those nights ago my love. You should have not scolded her for standing up herself. When you taught our sons you taught them to respect their wives and there chosen mates. You made sure they treated them better than what we saw. You should have held her and comfort her after that experience. You should have left her memories alone as well my love. Let her keep the experience and let it help her. You stepping in and scolding her and looking down at her those nights ago just solidified the noble's hate for her. The only thing I can tell you now is to be there for her and to make it up for her” Aurora ran her hoof through his mane as he closed his eyes.

“She will hate me once she finds out about the exile”

“Then go see her and talk to her. Take the boys as you promised” she smiled as Triton opened his eyes looking up at his wife.

“No, I am needed here. Every pony has too many wants or needs and I need to trim them down for the treaty”

“You are going to work yourself to death my love” Aurora kept her hoof through his mane as he snickered.

“I will keep that in mind my dear” he had a smile on his face. He pushed himself from the bed leaning over and kissed her softly “Get some rest, my dear. I need to go and see if the others have come to an agreement” he kept his smile on his face as he left the room. Once the door was shut his face dropped as he moved throughout the castle. His eyes glanced up towards the door in front of him as he could hear the voices from the other ponies. Letting a sigh out he entered the room hoping he can come out unscathed.

Crystal Empire (Sanctuary)

The room had a soft blue glow to it from the mushrooms that were growing from the ceiling mixed with some coral and kelp. Selene was sitting on the bed looking up towards the skylight watching the stars twinkle in the sky. It had been a quiet week for her as Twilight had returned to Ponyvile with the princesses allowing her to rest in peace. If she would call the other merponies bugging her and breaking the peace. Now she was bored. With twilight away and most of the merponies in their groups it was hard for Selene to talk to them. She looked at them and only saw how they looked at her back. The way they looked at her made her realize they saw her like a queen and nothing more. Krill and Edan both tried to ease her mind but nothing helped. Especially now since she was along in the whole Sanctuary. Every pony seemed to leave at the same time leaving Skelly with her. She closed her eyes as she tried to get some rest before Skelly would throw a fit.

Selene let out a small yawn but her body froze as she felt the water rushing over her gills. Her eyes snapped open as she looked around noticing she was in a large tank sitting out in the middle of the gardens. Pressing her face against the glass she heard muffled voices. Her eye was drawn to the blond mane of a white unicorn standing near the tank smiling. He held a glass of wine in his magic as he swirled around before slipping it. Selene moved away from the glass her body shaking as she turned around noticing a pair of glowing blue eyes staring down at her. She moved away from the eyes as she felt the glass on her back causing her to wrap her hooves around her. As she watched the eyes as light blue magic started to appear causing the dream to fade in front of her eyes. The sun was shining in the sky causing Selene to groan as she moved her hoof. Her heart was pounding as she laid there scared to open her eyes. However, she needed and wanted to know where she was. Opening an eye she noticed she was sitting on a large palate of blankets causing her to look around. She noticed she was on a train with silver bracelets with small sapphires on her hooves. Sitting up she noticed she had a bunch of silver necklaces acting like a shawl. Small sapphires sat along with the necklaces braking up the silver. Reaching up she could feel her mane was pulled up with a ribbon while a crown sat on her head. Biting her lip she could hear hooves walking towards her. laying back down she closed her eyes and pulled the blankets towards her. She heard the door sliding open as a couple of ponies walked in. She could feel the cold from the train car causing her to bury herself deeper into the blankets.

“Why is it that I fall asleep in one place and end up waking in another” she grumbled as she sat up a bit looking at the chains hanging around her “I also look like a freaking harlot in a harem” she sighed as she moved from the blankets. She felt the cold blowing over her causing her to shiver. Getting to her hooves she moved towards the door of the car noticing it was locked from the inside. Groaning as she placed her head on the door she noticed some ponies in the car in front of her. Sighing a bit she moved around the car noticing it was bare except for the pile of blankets she was laying in. biting her lip she moved towards the pile of blankets. She sat up noticing her tail had grown longer. Her eyes widen as she let out a soft sigh knowing full well the doctors weren’t lying to her. She turned her head to the opposite side of the car noticing some curtains pulled closed allowing the sun to stay hidden. Moving from the blankets she pushed the curtains to the side as she looked out of the window. Selene could see a meadow of trees as she moved her head out of the train. Her eyes noticed the tall mountain sitting in the distance with a white castle sitting on top of it.

“Is that Canterlot?” Selene spoke up before pulling her head in. Her eyes glanced towards the door before her hooves moved towards the door. Standing up on her tail she noticed some ponies walking around the car causing her to press her face against the glass. Moving the door slightly she could feel the train coming to a slow stop. Keeping the door open she noticed the gap between the cars was sealed off causing her to move towards the other car. She ducked down behind a bench noticing some guards were walking around talking to each other before letting one leave. Keeping her body down to the ground she moved through the car as the train came down to a stop. She was tossed up against the door causing the guards to lean over and look at her. Selene got up and brushed herself off before opening the door behind her. She had a smile on her face as she moved through the door falling on her back as she crashed into another car. Looking up she noticed her aunts sitting in the car as Celestia had some scrolls in front of her while Luna had her eyes closed.

“Sister Selene will be waking…” Luna had opened her eyes before looking towards Selene “Oh she woke up faster than I thought”

“Since you are awake” Luna held her hoof towards an empty chair. Selene moved towards the chair. She sat down looking around as she noticed her aunts fixing some of the items around them before placing a cup of tea next to her.

“What’s going on?”

“We were moving you to Canterlot” Celestia spoke up as she moved some honey and some sugar towards Selene.

“Oh, are you the reason I look like some dancing harlot,” she noticed Celestia was trying to keep her tea in as Luna was trying to hide her giggle.

“No, you were dressed like that when we got to you. Skelly left a note saying you were wearing the royal attire” Celestia smiled as Luna looked towards her. Selene noticed she was staying silent as she kept her eyes on the merpony.

“Is something wrong dear niece?”

“Your eyes auntie they remind me of the ones I been seeing in my dreams” Selene glanced away as Luna let out a light chuckle.

“So I have been able to reach your dreams” Luna had a grin on her muzzle causing Selene to look up at her.

“You can enter dreams?”

“I am the princess of the night my dear. Anything under the night is under my domain” She bowed her head keeping the grin on her muzzle “And your dreams have been the hardest for me to enter.”

“I’ll talk to Star”

“It is not Star that is holding me back. It is you, my dear”

“Me!”

“Well, your mind. You are different than the other merponies Selene. You live in a kingdom outside of my power, so you are not used to my magic presence. I can enter your subconscious while your asleep but I can not enter your dreams allowing me to help you. I been pushing and pushing to enter your nightmares to help you. However, I am glad to see something is happening. Now, do you want to talk about the nightmare you had?” Luna extended her wing as she placed it under Selene’s chin. Selene glanced towards her as the cup in her hooves started to rattle. Placing her cup down Selene leaned into the chair she was sitting in.

“I thought I was back in the tank again. I saw him the one who bought me. The one who placed a collar and tag on me” Selene was gripping the chair as she bit on her lower lip. Luna leaned in and pulled Selene from her seat as she wrapped her hooves around her.

“It’s alright my dear. One question though the pony that you saw in your dream. You said he was the one who bought you. Did he truly look like that?” Selene pressed her face into Luna’s chest nodding causing the dark alicorn to look up towards her sister.

“Do you know his name?” Celestia spoke up as Selene simply bobbed her head as she kept her face hidden.

“Oh Selene” Luna ran her hoof down her back as she kept the merpony in her hooves.

“When you are ready you can tell us their name” Celestia spoke up as the merpony turned around with tears in her eyes. Celestia turned towards the door and motioned one of the guards to come closer. She leaned down and whispered into the guard's ear before they bowed and walked out of the train.

“How about something sweet. We are almost to Canterlot” she smiled as she leaned in and smiled as Selene nodded her head. She moved from Luna’s hooves and moved to the seat she was sitting in earlier. Celestia used her magic to warm the teacup before adding a small amount of honey.

“This will help. Warm tea is also good on a cold day” her smile kind of brighten up her day as she nodded. Selene picked up her cup again as a pony walked in carrying a tray of sweets. Celestia picked up a plate with a vanilla cake with white frosting as Luna picked up a simple moon pie. Selene looked around the plate and shook her head as she smiled towards the pony.

“Nothing to your taste?” Luna tried to speak through the marshmallow.

“I’m in the mood for a certain cake. My grandmother made it for me on the rare time she came with me to the islands. It’s a matcha cake with a lemon or orange frosting. We were trading goods with the elders and my grandmother stumbled on the powder and the islanders taught her how to make a cake. I was banned from making cakes or cooking” Selene blushed as she fixed the necklaces around her neck.

“Oh did you blow up the kitchen?”

“No, I made a fireball out of the campfire. Who blows up a kitchen?” Selene was giggling.

“Twilight. It’s why Spike cooks for her.”

“I thought your student made the magic quesadilla’s?”

“Oh, what did Twilight do?” Selene glanced up towards her aunt causing her to smile.

“Oh, one night while Twilight was on her study binge she grew hungry. Poor Spike needed his sleep so she went to make a quesadilla. She was following the steps that Spike had written down but she confused the steps with a simple animation spell. They let a book from the restricted section out into the open. She happened to pick it up. Well, she created a few talking moving Quesadillas and it scared the living heck out of her. By the time I got there, a few guards were hanging from the ceiling in melted cheese. They were traumatized so badly I had to place them on guard duty in the gardens while they were looked at by doctors. It took the staff weeks to get the melted cheese off the walls. It took me hours to pry Twilight from the cocoon of cheese they made around her. When I broke her free one was chewing on her leg with onion teeth while the other was feeding her cheese” Celestia’s wings fluffed out as she shivered at the memory “I didn’t punish her as she had nightmares about that event for a whole month. Poor thing was throwing up cheese as well for a week and couldn’t eat anything and when she did it was all salad no cheese on top or anything non-cheese related. I also made her write a report when about the effects of dark magic and what could happen” Celestia looked towards Selene as she was simply staring at her.

“Do not tell me you kept that book dear sister”

“I did”

“Sister!”

“Do I need to remind a certain pony what she did with that spell and some vines” Celestia had a smile as she looked towards Luna. The dark alicorn turned a dark red as she used her wings to hide her face.

“What did she do?”

“It was during her heat my niece” Celestia smiled as Selene blinked a couple of times.

“Oh…My grandma did that with seaweed. Mom always kept dad in bed” Selene sipped on her tea. She noticed her aunts were blushing as Selene coughed into her hoof.

“So when we get to Canterlot what is going to happen? Will I return to Ponyvile with Twilight?”

“Well while you were in the sanctuary up north. I and a few other nobles that support your father’s wish for peace made a sanctuary up here with the help of the merponies. A few nobles were shocked at how many that came when they received word that we were building one. I also got a list of ponies that are eager to learn all about merponies and what they can do. As for returning to Ponyvile. I want you to stay in Canterlot until you give birth” Celestia looked towards Selene as she placed her cup down on the table between them.

“Why can’t I stay with Twilight?”

“Well after hearing how bad your health was and after what happened with you being taken in broad daylight. I rather have you in a place where I know you are secure”

“But I can take Skelly with me” Selene glanced towards her aunts.

“She is not trained as a guard.”

“As a surface guard. She knows how to fight. Oh dear, keep her away from any guards. She loves to test her ability against them. She used to do it with Ra and Za every time she came to visit father” Selene looked towards her aunts as Celestia nodded. She was about to say something but the whistle on the train stopped her. Celestia placed her cup down as the train was filled with guards picking up certain items.

“Now, for the time being, you will be staying in the Canterlot sanctuary” She smiled as she lifted Selene from the chair.

“Can I talk to Twilight and the others?” Selene looked towards her aunts as they both nodded “Okay” she watched as Celestia placed her on a stretcher noticing her tail was longer than what they had planned. The guards were having a hard time as the stretcher only fit the upper half of her body. Luna glanced towards her sister causing Celestia to pick up.

“What did they use on you?” Luna walked over to Selene noticing her tail before her eyes glanced towards her fins. Selene stretched her fins out allowing them to pay attention to them.

“Oh, when merponies are pregnant their tails and fins growl longer and wider to help them escape certain dangers in the sea. My mane is longer as well. It should help me blend into the coral if needed.”

“Oh, my” Luna watched as her sister placed Selene on her back before walking off of the train.

“So are you ready?” Celestia smiled.

“Can I say no?”

“No” Luna giggled as Selene braced for what was waiting for her.