Recreation Between Life and Death
Chapter 21: Recreation Between Life and Death
Dawn spread his wings, letting a surging wave catch them, the rush of water carrying his body towards the shore. His hooves trailed over the sandy bottom as the wave pushed him in. Nearby, Scootaloo was doing the same, the two of them competing to see who could get the farthest on the wave. It was a game Scootaloo had taught him the last time they'd visited. Up on the beach, Coco lounged under an umbrella while Perlin was out getting food for everypony.
Dawn's hooves sank into the sand once again and he looked over to see that Scootaloo had beaten him, not that he minded all that much. This game was simply a matter of who could read the flow of the waves with their wings the best and move with the flow of the tide, riding it inwards. Scootaloo's innate sense for such things was considerably stronger than his. Besides, it was all in good fun.
At times, Dawn simply enjoyed the feeling of drifting amongst the surf, losing himself in the feeling of the ebb and flow of the waves until, even when he was asleep in bed, he still felt as though his body was adrift. Dawn had to admit, as much as he loved Ponyville and acknowledged it as his home, he truly adored the sea.
Gallopoli was a quaint seaside village. The climate was warmly temperate, but not to the point of being completely tropical. However, it was sufficiently warm that, even when most of the rest of Equestria was currently covered by snow, here, there were only sunshine and warm breezes. In fact, Dawn felt that it was the perfect temperature, sufficiently warm to keep the water from being too chilly, but not so hot as to be sweltering whenever they stepped out of the waves.
Beyond the beach were rows of small cottages and simple houses, interspersed with larger buildings. Street markets flourished, both along the main cobblestone thoroughfares of the town itself and along the dock where the boats that supported the town's fishing and kelp industry were moored. In a lot of ways, it was very much a seaside counterpart to Ponyville. Gallopoli was a bit more developed, thanks to a modest, but thriving tourist industry. However, it wasn't so popular as to be overwhelmingly crowded, even during the peak of the season.
The four of them had rented a small cottage located along the seawall a short distance away. After a day spent playing on the beach or exploring the town, they'd gather and watch the sunset from the porch before going to bed, the sound of waves crashing against stone like a soft lullaby to their ears. Truly, this was paradise.
That night, they had dinner at a local eatery. Dawn, Scootaloo, and Perlin all enjoyed different fish, freshly caught that day. Coco was satisfied with an excellent kelp stew, not begrudging her pegasi friends their chance to indulge in a delicacy that was rare for them in Ponyville. They talked about the things they had done during the day and the things they planned to do tomorrow. Finally, content with their meal, they paid their bill and made their way back to the cottage.
Dawn sighed and relaxed back into a pile of cushions, looking at the sun as it descended towards the sea, a wash of pastel colors reflected across the water and sky, the light seeming to dance as it passed through the waves. Down below, past the seawall, was a narrow strip of beach, broken by large sections of rock. The waves foamed as they dashed against the stones, the conditions making this an unsuitable place to swim. However, the conditions had created several tidal pools filled to bursting with tiny fish, colorful sea urchins, and other small lifeforms.
Scootaloo wandered amongst the tide pools, eagerly looking at all the different creatures to be found there. Coco wandered the narrow strip of sand, picking through it, looking for seashells, sea urchin spines, and sand bits. She was apparently looking for some inspiration for an ocean-themed line of dresses.
Though this was supposed to be a vacation, Dawn didn't begrudge Coco her efforts to indulge her muse. He and Scootaloo still did their morning training together, though they'd put off their afternoon sessions for now, not certain what places in the area might be suitable for a sparring session. He'd considered the possibility of sparring over the sea, but wasn't sure what repercussions there might be from using their techniques over open water. He didn't want to accidentally wreck the boats used by the town's residents.
"It really is nice, isn't it," said Perlin as he settled down next to Dawn with a contented sigh.
"I love it here," said Dawn, "almost enough to wish that Mom lived here instead of Ponyville."
"I can understand the sentiment," said Perlin. "Perhaps I can convince Coco that this town needs a branch of the Boutique, one that she can run herself."
"That would be tricky," said Dawn with a chuckle. "She likes Ponyville a little too much for that, I think. Gallopoli isn't really an earth pony town anyway."
It wasn't to say that the residents were prejudiced. They'd seen a fair few earth ponies throughout the place. However, the two major products of Gallopoli were fish and kelp. The majority of earth ponies that lived in the town worked the kelp farms. Aside from them, earth ponies, who generally disliked the taste and smell of fish, had apparently decided that life in Gallopoli was not for them. Instead, the majority of the town's residents seemed to be pegasi and unicorns, with numbers favoring the former.
"So what do you think we should do tomorrow?" asked Perlin. "Should we make another trip to the beach? I've seen a couple of boats that offer excursions into the ocean. One apparently goes along the coast to visit a few coral reefs in the area, where we can dive if we want. The other goes out into the open for whale-watching tours."
"There's also the fishing tour," suggested Dawn.
"I'll pass on that one," said Perlin. "I wouldn't subject Coco to that and I don't want to leave her behind."
Dawn nodded. He settled back and considered their options. There was plenty to do around town, but they had plenty of time to enjoy their visit. There was no need to rush through a list of activities (something Twilight Sparkle had done the last time they'd visited).
They sat in silence for a little while, listening to the crash of waves against the rocks and sand and the cheerful voices of Scootaloo and Coco as they continued to explore the strip of land on the other side of the seawall, though their time there was growing short, as the tide was beginning to come in.
"I want to fight you," said Perlin suddenly, making Dawn jolt out of his blissful daze.
"What?" Dawn's head swiveled around as his catlike, turquoise eyes met Perlin's hawklike, yellow ones.
"I want to fight you," repeated Perlin, "not a tame sparring match, but a real fight. I want to do that again."
Dawn blinked and then turned his eyes upward thoughtfully. Now that he thought about it, he and Perlin hadn't fought a serious battle since that day in the Royal Palace, those few years ago. When he'd visited Ponyville in those brief instances while he was living out his sentence, they'd sparred occasionally, but never seriously, barely more than a few minutes spent exchanging mild blows at a pace that hardly counted as light exercise.
To fight, as they had fought back then in the Royal Palace, their lives hanging in the balance, dancing on the razor-thin edge between life and death... As Dawn thought about it, his heartbeat quickened. Though it had been a few years, the memory had not faded. It filled him with a sense of exultation. Despite the fact that their lives had been on the line, or perhaps because of it, Dawn found himself longing for that feeling once again.
"I would like that too," he said.
Perlin's smile widened. "Then we're agreed."
"But when and where?" asked Dawn. "Should we wait until we get back to Ponyville?"
"I thought it might be fun to do it while we're here," said Perlin.
"Um..." Dawn frowned. "Given that we aren't residents, I don't think we should risk destroying their property simply for the sake of our amusement."
"I've been looking into it," said Perlin. "We might be able to do it out at sea."
"I'm not too keen on the consequences of unleashing what amounts to a small storm system in the ocean near a town that's heavily dependent on boats," said Dawn. "We'd have to go a pretty far ways away in order to do it safely."
"From what I've been told, the harbor is fairly safe," said Perlin. "Hurricanes blow through here occasionally, but there's never been any severe damage. Apparently the Mayor and some of the residents would be interested in allowing us to fight. You have a bit of a reputation."
That made Dawn cant his head. "I do?"
Perlin nodded. "You were one of the young ponies specifically invited by Spitfire to participate in the Wonderbolt Academy without even having to apply. That reporter also did an article on your martial arts. Apparently, the Mayor thinks it would make for an interesting spectacle."
"I thought you wanted to fight for real, not an exhibition match," said Dawn.
"I do," said Perlin. "I was just pointing out that the town wants to watch. They seem to think that we'll give them quite a show."
"Have you told Coco about this?" asked Dawn.
Perlin's smile vanished. "I haven't," he admitted. "I'm worried that it would scare her."
"If you really want to do this, you'll have to tell her at some point," said Dawn. "I won't fight you unless you agree to do that."
"I understand," said Perlin, ducking his head.
A few minutes later, Scootaloo and Coco joined them on the veranda. The sun had already set, but they were happy to simply spend the remainder of the evening cuddling as they watched the stars come out. During that time, Dawn watched Perlin quietly as the older stallion exchanged whispered words with Coco in between nuzzles. Scootaloo noticed Dawn's scrutiny, but decided to keep her questions to herself until they were alone.
"Okay, what's up with Perlin?" she asked after they had gone to bed. She was currently cuddled up against Dawn, resting her head on his shoulder as his wings surrounded her.
"He wants to fight again," said Dawn.
"You mean like a real fight?" asked Scoootaloo, frowning.
"Yes," replied Dawn.
"Is that what you want?" asked Scootaloo.
"I think I do," said Dawn. "To be honest...I've been missing that feeling. It's been so long since I've had the chance to really fight against an opponent at my level."
"I'm sorry," said Scootaloo.
"It's not your fault," said Dawn, hugging her a little bit more tightly. "You'll get there soon."
In truth, when it came to technical skills and the basics of the techniques of the Gale King itself, Scootaloo completely matched him. What she currently lacked was the spiritual development to take the Art to its highest levels. It was understandable. Dawn's development had been accelerated by his continuous exposure to life-or-death circumstances, starting with his year spent in the Everfree, followed by the continuous fights between strong adversaries who had pushed him to the limit of his abilities time after time, often in different ways. Perlin had been a major factor in that. Because of that, this particular aspect of her training was taking longer than it had for him.
Not that Dawn had taken it easy on her. In intervening years, he had even occasionally taken Scootaloo for extended stays in the Everfree Forest, where he could teach her the survival skills he'd learned from his Master. It was during those periods that she got more exposure to the forest and all its dangers, which helped her learn to adjust and maintain her alertness. It had also exposed her to plenty of real danger to help her get a feel for what true life-or-death situations might be like, absent an opponent on his or Perlin's level.
The other reason Dawn had never really considered fighting all out against Scootaloo was fairly obvious. He couldn't bring himself to unleash his full strength against the mare he loved and actually fight her in a life-or-death scenario. He supposed that was his weakness as an instructor who had fallen for his student.
"It does sound like a fight between the two of you will be awesome to watch," said Scootaloo. "I could probably really learn something."
"Perhaps," said Dawn.
"So when will you be doing it?" she asked.
"As soon as Perlin works up the courage to tell Coco," replied Dawn.
"Ooh! That could take a while," said Scootaloo with a chuckle. "I hope he can manage it before our vacation is over."
"...and so that's what I was wanting to do," said Perlin, wrapping up his explanation.
Coco had listened to him silently. She was silent for a few seconds longer, during which Perlin found himself breaking out into a mild sweat.
"I don't see anything wrong with that," she said finally. "Just make sure you don't cause any trouble for the ponies in town."
"You're okay with this?" asked Perlin, feeling genuinely surprised.
Coco gave him a sober look. "Were you worried I wouldn't be?"
Perlin sighed and looked away from her. "Well...yes."
Coco sighed and cuddled up against him. "I can understand that," she said softly, nuzzling against his neck, relishing in the warm feeling of the feathers of his wings as they wrapped around her. "I know I was afraid of you when we first...met...and I had to live with that fear for a while. Even after I got to know you better, even after I started to realize I liked you too, that fear was still there sometimes."
"I'm sorry," said Perlin.
"Perlin, you changed for me, but you don't have to become a completely different pony," said Coco. "I understand that being able to fight and use your skills are part of who you are. It was a little difficult to get used to that, but I did. What I realized was that, so long as you were using those skills for the right reasons and the right ends, it shouldn't matter. I love you and that won't change." She planted a kiss on his jaw. "I learned not to be afraid of you, so you don't have to be afraid of me."
"Thank you," said Perlin. "I'm really lucky to have a mare like you in my life."
"And I'm lucky to have you," said Coco.
"Is that so?" asked Perlin, a glint of mischief in his eyes.
"Perlin? What are you-Eep!" Coco squeaked in surprise as Perlin suddenly rolled them over so that she was on her back while he hovered over her.
"I think I need a reminder just how lucky both of us are," he said, grinning.
"Oh you," said Coco with amused exasperation. "Are you sure we should? What if Dawn and Scootaloo hear us?"
"I think this place has decent soundproofing," said Perlin. "Besides, we're on vacation. Let's not worry about things like that."
"I suppose I can't argue with that," said Coco. She stretched up even as Perlin lowered himself down onto her, their lips meeting...
...The next morning, a blushing Dawn and Scootaloo informed the mortified couple that the cottage's soundproofing was not as good as Perlin thought.
"Well now, I'm quite glad to approve this," said Gallopoli's Mayor cheerfully, looking across the desk at Perlin and Dawn. "I must admit that there were quite a few ponies who have been most curious about you, Mr. Lightwing. There has been a growing stir ever since you came to town."
"Scootaloo and I are that famous?" asked Dawn, raising an eyebrow, unable to take his eyes off the mare in front of him.
"Winning the Best Young Fliers Competition is quite a good way to earn recognition," said the Mayor, "until the next one anyway. Then, of course, it became known that Spitfire specifically invited you two and two other young competitors to her Academy on the basis of your performance alone. Amongst many ponies, especially other pegasi, you've become quite the talk of the nation now."
The realization that so many ponies were interested in him was something Dawn still felt was disconcerting. Then again, he supposed there had to be a reason why his biological mother would go to such lengths to try and lure him back into her clan. He traveled outside of Ponyville so rarely that it had become rather easy for him to be blindsided by the fact that his name was known to so many other ponies.
"Now, as for the location, if you hold your match outside the cape, our harbor should be quite sheltered from any inclement weather your...match...might generate." The Mayor's words made it clear that she was a bit skeptical about Dawn's claims regarding what a battle between him and Perlin would create.
"What would be the best time for us to have the match?" asked Perlin.
"At the earliest, I think I can get things set up for the day after tomorrow," said the Mayor. "That's the time I'll need to make arrangements with the fishermares and the kelp farmers. All the farms are inside of the cape, so they should be quite safe from the...weather. However...unless you want to spend the rest of your vacation being hounded like celebrities I suggest you hold off until the day before you depart. A spectacle like the one you two will most likely create is likely to get ponies quite stirred up. They most likely won't leave you alone for the remainder of your time here."
Dawn and Perlin exchanged glances. "I don't think the girls would like that," said Dawn. "Can you wait?"
Perlin raised a wry eyebrow at Dawn. "Why are you looking at me like I'm an addict who can't control himself until he gets his next hit?"
"You're saying you're not?" asked Dawn, raising an eyebrow back.
Perlin's eyebrow twitched. "Of course I'm not," he protested. "It's not an addiction! I can quit whenever I want."
"Sure..." said Dawn with a smirk before turning back to the Mayor. "I think that will work out fine with us. That should give you some extra time to make arrangements with the townsponies."
The Mayor giggled and clapped her hooves together. "Oh my! This should be quite the spectacle. I'm looking forward to this almost as much as everypony else out here."
"That's good to hear," said Dawn, tilting his head.
"Is there something wrong?" asked the Mayor, tilting her own head quizzically. "I feel like you've been staring at me quite intently."
"Um..." Dawn blinked and tried to figure out how to phrase his question.
The Mayor of Gallopoli was an older mare, a pegasus. While she was a ways away from being called elderly, she was probably on the older end of middle-aged. What confused Dawn so much was how familiar she looked, from the wrinkles on her face to her elegantly curled mane of distinguished gray. Aside from her pale-blue coat, brown eyes, and the fact that she had wings, he would have sworn that she could be a dead ringer for a certain civil servant in his own hometown.
"You wouldn't happen to be acquainted with the Mayor of Ponyville?" asked Dawn.
"I don't believe I am," said Gallopoli's Mayor. "In fact, I'm quite sure of it."
"You've never met her?"
"That's quite correct."
"Never mind then. It's just an idle curiosity."
"Oh that's quite all right."
"Now then," said Perlin, rising from his seat, "I believe we promised the girls a whale-watching excursion this afternoon. Thank you for your time, Mrs. Mayor."
"And thank you for going through the trouble to arrange this with me," said the Mayor. "We should all have quite a bit of fun."
Dawn and Perlin left the office, Dawn idly musing about the fashion trends of small-town mayors. Maybe there's some kind of magazine for them, he thought. I was almost on the verge of asking if gray was her natural color. It's probably for the best that I didn't.
"Is it just me, or did she like that word quite a bit?" asked Perlin idly.
Dawn nodded. "Quite," he agreed.
The remaining days of their vacation passed in a blissful haze. The whale-watching tour had been an enjoyable excursion and even Perlin was in silent awe of the massive bulk of the whales that made their way up and down the coast. They were equally fascinated by the pods of dolphins that came to frolic around their boats. Both Scootaloo and Dawn wished that Fluttershy had come with them. They were certain that she would have had plenty to talk about with these remarkable animals, who some held were as intelligent as ponies in their own right.
They took diving trips several times, with their guides taking them up and down the coast to visit a variety of colorful reefs populated by equally colorful fish. The rest of the time was spent strolling along the quaint streets of the town or playing in the waves of the beach. The locals were friendly and more than willing to chat, happy to share special places to visit that weren't in the tourist brochures. As Dawn had come to learn, many of them recognized him and Scootaloo on sight, which might have been a factor in their friendliness. However, they were polite enough not to make a scene.
In a way, it felt strange to Dawn. Back in their home town, everything was buried under a layer of cold white. Yet here, everything was warm, green, and gold. He went to sleep each night with Scootaloo in his arms and the sound of the ocean in his ears. It would be worth it to come back here more often, he sometimes thought.
The day he and Perlin had decided upon for their match dawned bright and clear. The local Weather Team had apparently cleared out all of the clouds in anticipation of the storm to come. Despite the evident skepticism some of them had towards Dawn and Scootaloo's claims of what they were capable of, they had taken all the warnings to heart and removed anything that could have been thrown into disarray by the battle. Even the boats in the dock had been secured a bit more thoroughly than usual, a precaution normally taken when the occasional wild hurricane swept down the coast. Even the waves of the ocean seemed lower than normal and had a certain glassy quality.
"Looks like a good day for a fight," observed Scootaloo with a wry grin as she joined Dawn on the porch.
"It does," agreed Dawn. "Perlin and Coco...?"
"Still sleeping it off," said Scootaloo, her grin becoming a touch mischievous. "They must've been going at it pretty hard last night. I'm glad they warned us about the ear plugs."
"Let them sleep," said Dawn. "We weren't planning on starting until the early afternoon at the earliest."
"From the sound of things, everypony in town is gonna make a day of it," said Scootaloo. "Everypony's planning on go out on the cape to watch."
"We're going to be a ways out," said Dawn. "I doubt they'll be able to see us."
"They'll see plenty," said Scootaloo. "When you two get serious, you can really put on a show. Coco and I'll sit with them. I've also helped the weather team prep a platform to bring out to you two once you're finished. I don't want my coltfriend and Perlin drowning because they wore themselves out several miles away from shore."
"That's good. I was a bit worried about that," admitted Dawn with a sheepish smile.
"That's why you've got me," said Scootaloo, kissing his cheek. "Come on. Let's get some breakfast. We can pick up something for the lovebirds to eat, once they wake up, while we're at it."
Dawn ate a solid breakfast, enjoying the variety of fruits, fish, and grains that the restaurant had to offer. After that, he spent the remainder of the morning at the beach, doing nothing but simply drifting in the waves. By the time he returned to the cottage for a shower and lunch, Perlin and Coco were up. Coco was happily helping herself to all the food that Scootaloo and Dawn had brought back from their own breakfast excursion. Perlin, mindful of the upcoming exertions, was eating a lighter meal. Dawn joined him, picking up a few fruit to munch on.
"Any reservations?” he asked as he settled down on the veranda next to his former enemy.
"None," said Perlin with a smile.
"I'm glad you didn't have to work so hard at telling Coco," noted Dawn.
Perlin ducked his head slightly. "It feels silly of me to still be treading so lightly around her. We know each other so well now. But I sometimes feel that it would be too easy to lose her."
"Maybe it is," said Dawn. "Scootaloo and I have fought over the littlest, silliest things over the years. During our session at the Academy, there were a few times where I felt a genuine disconnect with her, when I felt we might never look at something the same way. Fortunately I was wrong."
"What if you aren't wrong about that someday?" asked Perlin.
"I've wondered about that myself," said Dawn. "I think that it will be inevitable. Ponies are different. Even when we're in love and close as can be, we'll never see eye-to-eye on everything. There's nothing that can be done about that. But that doesn't change the fact that I love her and that I want to be with her. There will probably be things that I will never understand about her, like how she can still eat so many sweets on Nightmare Night and not get sick."
Perlin snorted. "I suppose you have a point. I feel lucky though. I'd be happy to put my skills to use protecting Coco."
"That's good to know," said Dawn.
The two of them waited a little while after lunch, digesting their meal before heading out. Per their request, their battlefield had been prepared for them. Two small clouds had been set out a short distance away from each other at the point where they intended to begin their fight. The strip of land that was the cape that blocked off the view of town loomed up, filling the horizon on one side. On all others, the blue sea stretched out endlessly, the waters seeming even calmer than they had been during the morning.
Dawn had worried about the whales, dolphins, and the reefs. The Mayor informed him that Gallopoli had its own wildlife managers, who had warned the local cetaceans away from the area. Likewise, by moving their fight far enough off shore, they avoided causing any more disturbance to the reefs than the average hurricane did. They had selected their position for the fight carefully in order to minimize the risk.
Dawn settled onto his cloud and took a deep breath, spreading his wings out partially, breathing in and out in a slow rhythm, letting the feeling of each breath flow through his body, sweeping away extraneous thoughts and sending them outward each time he exhaled. Slowly, he stripped away his worries and concerns, his musings and ponderings, anything and everything, each coherent thought that wandered through his head.
Over the years, practice allowed him to perform this exercise on the fly to truly sink into the depths of nothingness very nearly at will. However, it truly felt best when he was able to take his time and slowly let everything go. Everything that he was, everything that was him flowed out and away, leaving only emptiness behind. The world, everything it was, rushed in to take its place, filling him up to the brim...to overflowing. Each breath of air carried with it the smell and taste of the sea, salty and fresh. His feathers were teased by each swirling motion of the ocean breeze and his ears felt as though he could pick up the sound of each dancing wave down below.
He felt Perlin across from him. Even with his eyes closed, Dawn could still see him. He could feel Perlin through the swirling eddies in the air that he generated. He could sense every breath of air that Perlin drew in and breathed out. His awareness followed those breaths down into Perlin's lungs, through his heart, his arteries and veins. Dawn felt as though he knew Perlin inside and out. More than that, Perlin's sheer presence blazed before Dawn's senses, its intensity making him smile. Perlin had gotten much stronger than he had been the last time they'd fought.
Excitement welled up within Dawn, rising like the tide. He let it. He let the feeling sweep through him set his feathers to tingling life and send shivers of anticipation running down his spine. He'd never thought he'd missed the feeling this much. Dawn realized that he was happy, that he'd been looking forward to this. The feeling fell into place like the missing piece of a puzzle, completing and fulfilling him.
Smiling, Dawn opened his eyes. They met Perlin's on the other cloud and Dawn could see that Perlin was smiling too. The other stallion mimicked his stance, standing with wings partly outstretched. Their bluish-silver color seemed more vivid than usual and the air around them seemed to darken slightly as the wings developed a faint luminance. The air between the two of them began to hum, vibrating against their wings.
Perlin grinned eagerly. Dawn's smile widened slightly. He took another deep breath and the faint buzz in the air vanished like an illusion dispelled. Everything went still. Even the water down below went flat and smooth, polished like a sheet of endless glass.
"Show off," said Perlin smugly.
Dawn merely closed his eyes again and continued to breathe slowly and evenly.
"Whoa!" gasped Scootaloo, her eyes going wide. "Just when I think I'm catching up to him, he goes and does something like this."
"Is it really that amazing?" asked Coco as she settled next to Scootaloo. The two of them rested on a bench, watching as their respective coltfriends prepared for their battle. The cape was a well-known scenic spot, one that Scootaloo, Dawn, Perlin, and Coco had visited their third day into the vacation. Because of that, there were benches and gazebos scattered up and down its length to let ponies enjoy the spectacular ocean views. This was a favored venue for outdoor parties when the weather was fair.
"Yeah," she said. "It's hard to put it into words what he does. It's sort of like...uh..." She paused and tried to think about what to say. "It's like a river, right? There's all that water moving and its always flowing down. It hits rocks and it makes a ton of noise."
"Yes," said Coco, urging her friend to elaborate, though she didn't quite understand where Scootaloo was going with this.
"Then it's like having that river fall into a humongous lake," said Scootaloo. "I mean a huge lake! It's so huge that all that water coming in gets swallowed up and then there isn't a single ripple left. Everything just gets really quiet."
Coco frowned, not remotely sure she understood what Scootaloo was saying at all. But, then again, it seemed that maybe Scootaloo wasn't sure that she understood what she was saying.
All around them were other ponies, the citizens of Gallopoli, settling in to watch the fight. The idea made Scootaloo smirk. These ponies had no idea what they were in for. Some of them were even laying out blankets and setting up picnics, clearly hoping to enjoy their lunches as they watched the fight. They probably figured they'd see some fancy hoof-to-hoof combat. Some of them were even complaining that there was no way they'd be able to see what was going on with Dawn and Perlin so far out from the cape. However, once the boys got going, Scootaloo knew that there was going to be plenty to see.
Her ear twitched. Even at this distance, she could feel the change through the air. Dawn seemed to vanish to her senses, blending in completely with the air around him. Perlin tensed. She could feel it all the way from where she was, as though she were merely standing a few meters away from the two of them. Neither of them had budged an inch, but Scootaloo could feel that the battle had begun.
"They're starting," she whispered to Coco.
Coco nodded, not letting her eyes leave the two specks that were Dawn and Perlin in the distance. She trembled slightly, worried about what the next few minutes would bring. However, Scootaloo's wing came to rest over her back and Coco was able to relax.
"I must say, this wasn't quite what I was expecting," said the Mayor as she came to stand next to Scootaloo. "I thought a fight was supposed to be quite a bit more...dynamic."
Scootaloo smirked. "You'll see that soon. They've already started."
"Then why aren't they moving?" asked the Mayor.
"Because they aren't ready to move," said Scootaloo. "They're both waiting for their chance." In her mind, she went back to that day so long ago, back when she and Dawn were still foals. She remembered the battle in the quarry, where Dawn had fought with Storm Front and Red River, the two mercenaries that had come to Ponyville. The battle had begun in a similar manner back then, with all participants standing eerily still.
Ignoring the Mayor for the time being, Scootaloo settled back and enjoyed the show.
"How many times has it been?" mused Perlin.
"Cloudsdale, Ponyville, Canterlot...three," said Dawn.
"It feels like we've been at this for much longer," said Perlin.
"It does," agreed Dawn.
"Don't hold back," said Perlin.
"I don't intend to," said Dawn. "I begin."
Dawn swept one wing around and the sky roared.
Well, at least this should be the last time I pull this stunt.
I think vacationing with Twilight would be a lot like going on vacation with my mother. Whenever we go on a vacation of some sort, we end up visiting a ton of destinations that my mother insists on hitting up, trying to see/do as much as possible, scheduling things as tightly as she can manage. She doesn't exactly know how to sit back and relax unless it's a place we've visited several times. It drives my sister absolutely nuts.
In other news, on Thursday, I will be departing for Austin Texas and RTX/SGC. It's the first actual convention I'll have gone to since I was in college. I wish I could actually get away for more of them, but my paycheck is lean enough...I need to find another job. I will warn you that I'll be trying to do as much as I can while I'm there, which means my update schedule might end up being a little bit spotty...but nothing to severe...I hope...
Next chapter: Dawn and Perlin put on a show.
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My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic Fanfiction
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Well, this is gonna be quite the show. I wonder if some of those ponies on the beach will have to move due to incoming waves...
Still hoping for Twilight to meet with Trixie/Swift Stride again! Melon's boyfriend?
i'd think going on vacation would be like on tour with a inflexible schedule. interesting chapter
Safe journeys and have fun
I am eagerly anticipating this fight, and you know exactly how to build up suspense, tension, and anticipation.
Although I get the feeling that A) the prep wasn't enough and/or B) something is about to go horribly, irrevocably wrong.
and if it goes wrong in the way I think it might, I don't know who I would be more upset about it happening too.
cdn.meme.am/instances/500x/24202372.jpg
And then Perelin either dies or gets very very injured...
It kinda seems like their isn't going to be a villain in this arc, though i'm waiting for the plot twist that might show up...
This is awesome.
7347811 Or they end up in a compromising position and Scootaloo and Coco's inner perverts act up.
what's that? get Hype? nah, I think I'll
GET HYPED
i seriously hope not, a good cliffhanger is hard to find most days and can keep a reader coming back to finish.
I too will be at RTX this year. Will be a grand time I'm feeling.
And the next chapter is going to be a fun one. It'd be nice to see Perlin take this win, considering the last real fight was a Dawn victory.
So... to even it up, a unicorn or earth pony needs to eat garlic bread to combat the fish breath?
7347739
More Melon's boyfriend guesses:
Trixie.
Frosty McBreakphysics the Celestial Knight
Reformed Tirek
Her own mirror pool clone
Discord from a parallel universe
Actual Cannibal Shia LaBeouf
We know the Queen is dead and everyling in the Hive was killed, but....
....are we really sure ALL the changelings have been wiped out?
Have fun at RTX, I wish I could go...
Here's some fight music:
And.... here we go.
Cliffhanger? I'm ok with that. What I'm not ok with, however, is the fact that YOU ARE PUTTING OFF DAWN AND SCOOT'S "FURTHERING THEIR RELATIONSHIP" AND IT SUUUUUUUUUCKS
Rant over. Glad to be reading an awesome series such as this. Keep it up 
7348092 Well it said boyfriend, and we already have seen two instances of gay couples, whereas scootaloo called Melons relationship mystery her "boyfriend", so it can't be trixie or her mirror pool clone(presumably)
I have a very bad, foreboding feeling about all this.
I freaking called it. I knew that they where going to do this.
Here we go...
...cue Godzilla being disturbed by the fighting.
7348092
Upvote on that comment for 'Frosty McBreakphysics' alone. Best nickname for Arcana ever. I vote Arcana as well, although my secondary vote would be Discord. Not even from a parallel universe, as I believe this universes' Discord was reformed at the end of Dark Matter.
7347785 ...Aaand now I'm worried. Ach.
Oh hey, I didn't know we were related.
Said every addict ever
It's spreading
Just a friendly your bout, nothing to see here!