Author's Notes:

OMG! I am so sorry I am late with this chapter. I lost everything as my laptop had to be set back to factory settings. I've also been moving from one room to another.

Selene was standing in front of her father. The nobles had filled the room causing her heart to beat. Her hooves were being held out as she felt another pair on her back. She could feel a sharp pain coming from the gem on her back. Turning her head she noticed another noble standing behind her. Their hooves on her gem.

“Only my family members deserve this gem. You are no longer a part of this family” his voice boomed out causing her to turn back to him. Her breath was stuck in her throat as she felt her gem being ripped from her back. She closed her eyes as her brother’s voices filled her ears.

“You are the sea!”

“You can not leave the sea!”

“You will kill every pony in the sea!”

“You are our sister! These ponies are not your family!”

At that point Selene broke the dream. It’s been a week since the nightmares started. It's been a week since she started waking up in this weird room. It was a dark blue room filled with silver accents. The ceiling had the stars painted on in patterns as the walls were filled with star charts. Looking down she noticed the bed was covered in pillows and blankets that had the faint scent of lavender hidden under a strong scent of vanilla. Looking around the room she noticed the windows were covered in a heavy material as a pair of silver doors crack open. The sound of hooves and a whistle caught her ears.

“Lift her slowly” Ra’s voice broke the silence as she felt a pair of hooves picking her up from the bed. Her hooves started to move as she freaked out a bit.

“Selene its okay” Ra placed his hoof on her shoulder causing her to calm down. It also allowed her to tell that she wasn’t dreaming. Calming down she felt the ponies place her on a stretcher before moving her from the room. Her gills moved a bit as she could taste salt in the air. She kept her head down on her hooves as she looked towards the ponies carrying her. Closing her eyes she could feel the warmth of the sun on her back as she could hear the sound of light buzzing. She kept still as she listened to the ponies talking around her.

“Has she woken up?”

“I’m not sure princess. She started to move when we picked her up. She calmed down when I placed my hoof on her shoulder” Ra spoke causing Selene to open an eye glancing around. She was on the deck of a ship sitting in the middle of the sea. Lifting her head she could see three different size islands sitting around the ship.

“I will say she is up” Luna walked over to Selene causing the merpony to look up at her “Welcome to Nocturn. This is my ship as the other ship was Solstice, my sisters.”

“Where are we? I hear buzzing” her ears twitched as she noticed soldiers walking around placing items on smaller boats sitting outside the railing. The deck of the ship was at sea level allowing some water to roll onto the deck.

“A day after your brother’s visit you seemed to be in an endless nightmare. My sister thought it would best to move the trip up. We tried waking you up but all our efforts were for naught” she glanced towards Selene with a sadden look. Selene shook her head as she looked up at her aunt.

“I been awake but the room was always empty. I was scared to move” Selene sat up as she watched a pair of blue blurs move past the ship while a rainbow blur chased them.

“Get back here bug brain!” Rainbow’s voice shouted out as Selene looked towards the blue blur. Moving from the cot she walked towards the railing placing her hooves on it.

“ZITA!” she bellowed her voice causing the blur to change direction. A smile was placed on her face as she watched the blur move towards the boat causing the ponies on board to run behind princess Luna. A tall dark blue changeling with stain glass wings landed on the boat. His dark blue and yellow mane was braided together as his green eyes shined with a smile. His fangs were showing as he stood there panting in front of Selene.

“Kiadre! Other chiefs worried bout you” he looked around the ship noticing a small patch of shadow. Moving towards the shadow he opened his wings letting a sigh out “Sun too hot to fly like that” he used his wing to cool himself off as the shells in his mane clicked together. Rainbow landed on the deck her wings flared up behind her.

“Changeling” she hissed as Selene moved towards Zita.

“What is a Changeling?” she glanced towards her aunt as Rainbow pointed a hoof towards Zita.

“He is! He will suck the love right out of you Selene” she moved towards the merpony causing her to laugh. Zita let out a chuckle.

“No…no…no eat love. Meat. Rather have fish. We can’t eat love” he tilted his head as Selene nodded.

“Rainbow Dash, Aunt Luna meet Zita. He is a Nightwalker. He is also the chief’s son” she smiled as Zita looked towards Luna his eyes widening.

“You brought night. You brought night! I must get stars ready. Must tell father” his wings buzzed as he flew from the ship causing Selene to look over at her Aunt.

“Be warned, Aunt Luna. Night Walkers are very big fans of the night here. You will be bombarded with many questions about your stars” she turned towards Rainbow “Rainbow please don’t scare the tree walkers off as well”

“Tree walkers?”

“Yes, I don’t know if you have seen them. But they have different color petals around their heads with large green leaves behind them. They hardly speak during the day”

“I think Flutters is with them. I think a stallion caught her eye. She has been hanging out with one of them all day” Rainbow huffed as Selene looked towards her.

“Wait we been here all day?”

“Well yeah. I think Twilight is on” she was stopped short as Selene slipped into the sea. Hearing her aunt’s muffled voice she moved towards one of the islands. Krill was swimming around along with Edan catching a few fish. Moving her head up out of the water she looked towards the shore. Judging on how the trees looked she turned left moving along the island till she heard voices. She saw small ponies wearing wraps around there waist playing in the shallow water as Selene moved closer to shore allowing her fins to be seen. As she moved around in the low surf she heard the ponies shouting.

low surf she heard the ponies shouting.

“Kiadre!”

“Kiadre!” hearing this she lifted her head looking towards the crowd gathering on the beach. Her eyes scanned the crowd noticing Twilight and her friends were missing. Pushing her mane back. Noticing a dark blue unicorn walking towards her.

“Kiadre wek miska (Queen of the sea we missed you)” he smiled as Selene looked towards him.

“NitTa Troola? Purkl uni (NitTa twilight. Purple unicorn) she gestured with her hooves.

“No Troola ork Purkl uni. Yok with skull? (No twilight or purple unicorn. You with child?) he pointed towards her stomach causing her to blush.

“Rool Skulls. Mate Troola fro mainland (Twin children. Mate Twilight from the mainland)” she looked at him as he walked closer towards her. Selene’s ears moved back as she looked up at his disapproving gaze.

“Yok diska for mons. Comk beck skulls and mate (you disappear for months. Come back pregnant and mate) he was huffing as Selene looked away.

“I wek mainland ( I went to the mainland) she moved her hooves as NitTa placed a worried look on his face. He pulled her into a hug as he nuzzled her softly.

“Wek worried. Kiadre famkila (We worried. Queen of Sea family)” As she heard the sound of wings. Looking back she noticed Rainbow Dash pushing a boat with Twilight and Applejack in the same boat. NitTa looked over at the boat as another appeared with Fluttershy and a stallion with purple petals around his head and large green leaves folded over his body. His yellow mane was braided up into a bun. Pinkie was bouncing in the boat as Rarity was trying to hold her down. Princess Luna pushed the boat up on land.

“Selene” she walked up towards the merpony as a white elder unicorn walked over and poked her chest with a stick.

“Troola? Seka grewka an chake (Twilight? She grew and change) he huffed as Selene chuckled.

“No Elkd Sol. Troola sak before (No elder Sol. Twilight same before)” Selene moved over to Twilight pointing towards the purple unicorn “Tk aunkia Lun (That auntie Luna)” she smiled as the elders looked up towards her.

“Night?”

“Yek Night princeka (Yes Night princess)” she moved towards the elder as he moved his stick. He walked over to Twilight placing his stick on her chin. He moved around her glancing her up and down.

“No mate makings. Yok mate cerkmony? (no mate markings. You mate ceremony?)” he glanced back as Selene tilted her head.

“I ased Troola (I ask Twilight)”

“What is he saying” Rainbow leaned over to Twilight as Luna looked at the others who were watching her mane. The little ones were moving with her mane causing her to silently watch.

“I was able to catch the words ceremony and mate”

“He is the Elder. He is known as Elder Sol of the island. His son is the chief and he is NitTa. Elder Sol asked if you wanted to go through a mate ceremony” she looked over at Twilight. The purple unicorn was turning red as the others watched her silently.

“I was going to ask Princess Celestia” she blushed as Selene looked towards her. She sighed as she looked towards Sol.

“Cait aks netka sun up? (Can ask next sun up?)” she watched as he nodded.

“Yek Paki Paki! (yes. Party! Party!) he held his hooves up causing the others to shout with joy. A group of males picked up spears from the ground before moving into the jungle around the village. Selene was pulled by the elder into the village. He placed her on a small awning with a wooden roof and floor. A pile of pillows and blankets were lying around. He placed her on the pile of pillows before sitting down next to her. Some of the fillies and colts went to gather sticks from the edge of the jungle while the others got the fire going. The Pegasus went out with some of the other unicorns to fish. Twilight walked up to Selene smiling.

“So I heard Fluttershy found the tree walkers” she smiled noticing the yellow Pegasus blushing deeply. She moved her head behind the leaf of the stallion that was standing beside her.

“Well, we thought the island of trees was the island of Sol. So we spent the morning over there. They are friendly” Rarity was blushing as Twilight rolled her eyes.

“You four were busy getting to know the locals. I was busy taking notes” Twilight huffed as Rarity and Applejack looked towards Twilight.

“Sug we were trying to get them to talk. Fluttershy was the only one to know the locals”

“I was busy drawing up ideas of different dresses” Rarity flipped her mane as she turned and walked off. Applejack was snickering as Twilight looked towards her friends. Selene moved a bit as she noticed Fluttershy was nuzzling up to the tree walker.

“I don’t understand what is the deal with the leaves around their heads” Twilight sat down beside Selene.

“Well, the Tree walkers are born with the leaves and flowers around their heads. They are apart of them. What else did you notice over there?”

“Stallions outnumber mares and that they love herds” Twilight looked towards Selene as she raised an eye.

“Okay so with Tree walkers yes stallions out rank mares. So many stallions will enter herds to try and populate the island. With the stallions, they have two members. One is normal and the other is a vine. You see the mares have two flowers. The one around their neck and the other shielding their marehood. In order for the stallion to mate with the mare, they use the vine to wrap around the mare. It holds her in place while it enters into a small hole at the base of her neck. This tells the mare the stallion is in the mood to mate. It also tells her second flower to open allowing the stallion to mate with her.” She smiled as Twilight started to turn red. She looked towards Selene who was simply nodding.

“Next you say the changelings on the other island do not eat love”

“They don’t. Nightwalkers eat meat and plants. They have a curved member as the stallions like to mate during a full moon allowing the colors on their wings to shine.”

“How do you know all of this” Twilight glanced towards Selene as she started to blush.

“Well for the nightwalkers. It's part of their mate ceremony. You must not be afraid to mount your love in front of every pony in the clan while giving them a vow. I was the one to officiate most of their ceremonies. While the tree walkers… have you ever seen a merpony in a tree? I mostly stayed with the pregnant mares on the ground in a hut” she watched as Twilight blushed.

“What does the ceremony here constitute?” she looked towards Selene as she pointed towards a mare with a young foal attached to her back. She had white markings along her hoof and stomach as she smiled towards another mare.

“See the markings on her”

“Yeah. The islanders have no cutie marks. So each islander creates one when they go through the mating ceremony. You and I basically will let the elder mare Kika mark her hooves and stomach with the symbol we both chose. Mine might be a wave while she will use your star. She will mark our stomachs and one hoof. Many unicorns here get a small diamond the same color at the base of their horn. That is up to you” she glanced towards Twilight as Sol watched with curious eyes.

“Does it hurt?”

“I am told that it's done by magic and hurts very little. I never got to see that as only mated mares are allowed into the hut when it happens. Stallions are done by Elder Sol.” Selene looked towards Twilight “I asked the elder if we can wait till sun up tomorrow” she noticed Twilight move over and kissed her and smiled.

“Let's do it” she had sparkles in her eyes.

“You just want to learn the magic”

“Maybe…” her cheeks were red as she was embarrassed. The hunters returned with a killed and clean pig. They left it near the fire pit allowing the mares to take over and cover it in spices and herbs before placing it over the fire. The fisher ponies walked back into the village with some nets full of fish. Elder Sol got to his hooves but was unable to move as Selene tapped him on his front hooves. She waved him down causing him to sit back down smiling.

“Troola wakti mate cerkmony. I aks if yok canki takch Troola in magic? She stuka of sun. (Twilight wants mate ceremony. I ask if you can teach Twilight in magic? She student of the sun) she looked towards him as Twilight’s ear went up as she turned towards Selene.

“Selene” she hissed as the elder looked towards him.

“spke sol? (speaks sol?)” he pointed towards Twilight.

“Liekl (Little)” she smiled as the elder chuckled. He looked towards Selene as he nodded his head.

“I wilk takch Troola magic. I wilk do yok mate lines as Elder Kika dske Troola. Wekn moon ik sky I wilk teka Troola tka hut Magic. NitTa wilk trslake. (I will teach Twilight magic. I will do your mate lines as Elder Kika does Twilight. When the moon in sky I will take Twilight to hut magic. NitTa will translate)” he smiled as Selene nodded as she looked towards Twilight.

“What did you not catch” she smiled as Twilight huffed.

“I could understand hut and magic”

“Elder Sol will do my mate lines while Elder Kika will do yours. When the moon is in the sky he will take you to hut to teach you magic. NitTa will translate for you” she watched as Twilight nodded. She smiled as Elder Sol got to his hooves walking away from the two mares. Twilight shifted her hooves as she glanced up. She noticed the elder was speaking to another mare with a smile on his face. The elder mare smiled as she looked towards Twilight.

“I will need a translator won’t I?”

“Well, you can get NitTa. But normally you need a mare” she scratched her head as she looked towards NitTa.

“NitTa! Whitk mare cnke trslake? (NitTa which mare can translate?)” she blinks for a moment as she watched the stallion points towards a silver and white mare with a blue wrap around her waist. Her white blue mane was hidden under a wrap as she pointed towards different boxes. She had two fillies sitting beside her with cutie marks barely showing under there wraps.

“Daughter…SolTre can” he smiled as Selene looked towards him.

“You know mainland?”

“It is broken. Not needed for many moons and suns” he had a smile on his face causing Selene to huff “Your island not bad. Still work” he laughed as Selene looked towards the mare.

“SolTre!” she spoke up causing the mare to turn towards her. She handed the chart she was reading to a filly. She walked towards Selene stretching her hooves as she smiled.

“Kiadre your awake. How are you doing” she had a smile as Selene smiled back.

“Good but I did not think you knew mainland?”

“I live in Canterlot now. I moved there years ago with my husband. My two girls are with me. Since this is the first boat here in years I wanted to show them their GRANDFATHER! And UNCLES!” she turned her head to shout at NitTa and two others causing them to roll their eyes “Also princess Luna asked me to be the chef for the trip since I own an island theme restaurant” she smiled as Selene pointed towards Twilight.

“She will need a translator. She going with Elder Kika as I am going with Elder Sol”

“Oh you will do the ceremony?” she glanced towards Twilight who nodded as she was blushing “Your doing it for the magic? Because if you are the markings will not take” she had a smile causing Twilight glance up.

“What?”

“Yeah Elder Kika is my grandmother. She taught me all about the markings hoping I would follow her hooves. It's complicated since it takes years to learn the magic. But if you are not truly doing this because you love Selene. The markings will not take and the elder will stop using magic. She will then turn to the old method of needles” she smiled as Twilight gulped.

“I am doing it because yes I love her. But I am also curious about the magic.” She let out a huff.

“I will follow you to the hut. I will tell my grandmother to do a few lines to see if they will stay. If the lines do not stay bright and vibrant or if they start to slide off your hoof then you are not in love with her or ready to commit.” SolTre watched as Twilight got to her hooves.

“Lead the way”