The mare’s lips are parted gently in her awe, the corners curled upwards in a breathless smile. The wonderment in her expression reaches up to her eyes, illuminating them beneath the luminescent glow of night, and the light of her sister stars twinkling above, as though to mirror her amazement. Although she is undoubtedly fond of the ocean and its beaches, Tiamat has never seen a place like this before! It is magnificent, almost a dream with the way the pristine earth sparkles, emulating the glory of the night’s glittery sky.

She lowers her head in curiosity, the pale curve of her engraved horn catching the blushing light of the moon as she does so. Carefully—almost tentatively, hesitant to disturb the enchantment of this spectacular cove—the ocean mare brushes her satin lips against the sand. The grains are soft beneath her skin, giving way easily beneath her weight, much like fairy dust as her breath sends it skittering across the ground. Her smile widens, fluted ears slanting forward to cup the stallion’s deep voice. “There’s more?” It is nearly an exclamation of delight, her head shooting up and her eyes widening in excitement.

It is hard to believe that there could be anything more extraordinary than this, though she waits with baited breath. Stepping forward to the edge of the lapping shores, the ocean mare moves closer to Nox, listening to him when he continues. His words soften her lips into something more tender. “I like the sound of that,” her heart rouses within her breast, warmed by the sincerity and softness of the stallion’s generosity. Any thought that he is—or might have been—a monster, is gone. He is Nox, her dear friend, sharing a bond that she can only assume will last forever. “Thank you, my friend,” she reaches out to press her lips briefly to his neck, “It means a lot to me that you’re sharing this special place; it’s…it’s beautiful.” White eyes glance around them, overwhelmed once more by nature’s beauty.

However, her gaze is drawn back to the black stallion when he (perhaps unintentionally) teases her, taunting her with fantastical mysteries of the waters. “Yes, yes! What is it?” Tiamat laughs lightly, shaking her head and sending the decorated locks of her mane cascading about, before following after him. She lingers on the beach, watching Nox for a moment, too entranced to continue just yet. “What…” her hushed voice fades quickly. There are colors! Colors in the water! How could this be?

And they seem to be dancing!

“Wow—what are they? Is this normal?” Slowly, the blue mare steps into the glistening waters, a cloven hoof hesitating when she lowers her head to inspect the glowing colors more closely. They seem to be living. Tilting her pretty head, white eyes flicker to the stallion when he explains. “Glowing jelly,” Tiamat muses, laughter lacing her voice and a smile returning to brighten her lips. More confident now, and ever trusting of her beloved friend, the young mare wades deeper into the vibrant ocean. She watches with delight as the rainbow jellyfish swim around her, swaying in the gentle tide of the waves, and casting the glittering shores with shifting, prismatic, and brilliant lights.

Tiamat twirls in the water, watching as the colors billow out around her like ribbons of light, the weight of her slender body caressed by her father’s firm and gentle hand. “They’re remarkable, wondrous—beautiful! I suppose nature never ceases to astound us, it’s amazing,” she sighs in her elation, the length of her lion tail coiling beneath the surface, playing softly with the swarm of little jellyfish. It is a moment before she looks to the stallion again, the lines of his coarse features tempered by the rainbow glow. “Nox, how did you find this place?” Tiamat steps towards him, ears pressed forward and a smile on her lips.