“Silver!” Canvas Splash found the pink-grey haired girl and ran up to walk alongside her. “You heading for fencing practice? That’s cool. Hey, thanks for looking out for me in history class. I knew someone had taken my markers.”
“Hey, I saw Crystal Lullaby sneak them out of your bag, so I had to say something,” Silver shrugged, but sniffed at the gratitude coming from her friend.
Ahh… I don’t think I’ll ever get tired of that taste.
“Well, I just wanted to say thanks. I’ve got some paintings to finish, so I’ll see you around, Silver. Have fun in fencing!”
The pink haired artist waved goodbye as Silver pushed open the doors to the gym. She spotted Sunny Flare watching the basketball team again like on Tuesday, so she quickly sped along to the side where the fencing team was meeting.
Quillion was just putting on his fencing mask when he saw Silver enter the gym.
“Ho, Silver! How are you doing today?”
“I’m fine,” she smiled. “Just another regular day of school. You?”
“Yeah, things are great.” The captain swung his foil from side to side. “Did you study up the book I gave you?”
“Certainly. But studying a book isn’t the same as practical experience. I think I’d like to see how it’s done, before joining in myself.”
“Very well,” Quillion nodded. “Let’s begin practice.”
He led her back to the rest of the fencing team, who traded greetings with her. Silver headed to the storage room and picked out the same suit and helmet, returning soon with her attire and a foil strapped to her side.
The rest of the team had already spread out in twos, throwing practice jabs at each other. Mr. Fowl sat to the side, marking some papers while keeping an eye on the team.
Silver sat down on a bench and watched the team trade blows, taking into account how each of their arms extended back and forward, how their legs shuffled across the floor and how they brought their swords up to parry.
Put all that to memory and you have this, Silver. Just remember not to jump around and slash at them.
When she felt she was ready, Silver got up and crossed over to the team, putting her mask on.
Quillion Riposte saw her and halted his foil, pointing its tip straight up. “Silver Rose, are you ready for practice?”
“I’ll try my best.” Silver readied her sword. “Who do I get to spar with?”
“You can spar with Fleur today. She’s been waiting to see what you’ve learnt.”
The girl in question joined them, waving to Silver.
“Okay. Let’s begin,” Silver said and stood opposite Fleur as Quillion continued his practice with another student.
Fleur lifted her foil across from Silver and prepared her stance. “Do not disappoint me, Silver Rose.”
“Oh, don’t worry. I won’t.”
The two saluted, then pointed their foils at each other, neither of them within striking distance.
This time, Silver attacked first, shuffling forward just one step and striking out with her weapon. Fleur skillfully and elegantly parried her strike and lunged forward, all in a single move, but Silver had studied and in studying, learnt how to react.
She lifted her foil slightly and angled it to the side before striking out, sending Fleur’s arm going wide. The pink and grey haired girl took her chance and dashed in, stabbing her foil against the other girl’s abdomen, just above the hip.
“That was well done, Silver Rose,” Fleur flicked her foil and bowed slightly, then readied her stance once more. “Again.”
The two duelists clashed blades again, this time their foils met in the center, with both of them pushing to try and unbalance the other.
Silver was clearly stronger physically, but Fleur wasn’t going to give up easily. Stepping to the side, she let Silver’s force carry her forward, only to jab her in the chest, earning her point.
“Keep your balance, Silver Rose. Plan out the possibilities in a match. There are many ways to catch your opponent off guard.”
“Right.”
Fleur and Silver went at it again, their foils gleaming in the light as they parried and thrust their foils at each other, neither of them letting their guards down. The air was filled with the clink of swords touching and the patter of footwork. Silver concentrated on her own sounds, bit by bit canceling out the other distractions around her.
Swatting aside another stab from Fleur, Silver raised her foil up and thrust her own foil at her. Fleur rallied and parried Silver’s strike, but then Silver whirled around, stabbing under her arm and touching Fleur’s midsection with her foil.
“You have improved greatly from one session, Silver Rose,” Fleur stopped and pulled her helmet off, adjusting her light pink hair. “You truly have great skill in many areas.”
“You’re not bad either, Fleur. I really had fun just now. Want to go get some water?”
“We should, yes,” the pale-skinned girl nodded. “And to answer your statement, yes, I’m ‘not bad’. I’ve been fencing for a long time to get this good. You on the other hand… I don’t know what to make of it, Silver Rose.”
Silver shrugged bashfully. “Beginner’s luck?”
“I hardly believe that.”
Silver picked up her water bottle from her backpack and took a long deep drink. She envied her mother and aunt, who didn’t need as much sustenance to survive. Since she was only half-changeling, Silver still needed a decent amount of food and water to keep her body going.
“You mentioned you’ve handled a sword before,” Fleur took a drink from her pink water bottle. “That also explains why you fight… differently.”
“Oh yeah… ha ha…” Silver felt her smile grow a little rigid. Forcing herself to calm down, she replied, “I learned a lot from… my sister. Yeah. She takes swordsmanship lessons. Yeah.”
“She does, does she? That might explain it. Maybe now you can teach her fencing, since you’re picking it up rather well. Fencing is so much more graceful than some wild sword-swinging.”
“Not that useful in a real fight, though,” Silver said under her breath.
“What’s that?”
“Uh, nothing. Just woolgathering.”
“Hmm. You’re an interesting character, Silver Rose. And you’re just as skilled as the rest of us. You make a fine addition to Crystal Prep Academy.” Fleur brushed at her hair. “Maybe you can even be one of the Shadowbolts.”
“You really think so?” Silver replied excitedly.
“Why not? I heard what you did to Sunny Flare and what you did on the track. You’re something else, alright.”
“You d-did?” Silver rubbed her head. “About that… Didn’t mean to show off like that.”
“Doesn’t matter. You did. The school knows you’re special, Silver Rose. You’ll be up there one day, just you watch. Now, since we are done resting, again.” Fleur put her helmet back on. “Let’s see what else you can do.”
“And that’s when I found my opening and attacked,” Silver explained to her mother, aunt and the sirens at the dinner table. “And the team says I picked it up really quickly. Fencing, I mean.”
“Well done, Silver.” Ivory Wings gave her a short clap. “I knew you could do it. Your mother said otherwise. She thought you were going to spend months trying to adjust to fencing.”
“Just like your mother and aunt, Silver.” Adagio Dazzle raised her glass to the girl. “You’re quick at learning. Well done.”
“Yeah! I’m sure you must’ve made someone’s jaw drop since enrolling in school, am I right?” Sonata Dusk showed her teeth in a large smile, which was caked with bits of vegetables and chicken.
“A couple, yeah,” Silver answered, then looked to her mother.
“Impressive, Silver.” Ebony Wings had her hands together. “But remember, you are blending in with the human crowd. Do be sure not to do what humans can’t do.”
“Like jumping two building blocks in length.“ Ivory stuck up a finger. “That’ll certainly get people to freak out, but that’s not what you want.”
Silver Rose nodded. Perhaps jumping over the Shadowbolts hadn’t been one of her best ideas.
“But…” Ebony Wings continued. “You have demonstrated you can handle yourself alone, so I think that deserves a reward.”
Silver’s eyes brightened at the sound of the word, ‘reward’, but she kept her excitement to herself.
“Your aunt has been talking to me about letting you go out on the weekends.” Her mother leaned forward and placed her elbows on the table as a maid came to clear her plate. “And I think you’re capable of doing that, so… I’m going to let you leave the house on the weekends.”
“R-Really, mother?” Silver almost couldn’t contain her excitement. She wanted to jump and and down and give her mother and aunt a hug, but she resisted the urge to do so, at least for now.
“Of course, there are conditions to this. First of all, I want you back home by eight PM exactly. No later. Second, while you are allowed to go out on the weekends, you must be accompanied by the sirens. I’m letting you out, but that doesn’t mean you’ll be out alone.”
“Yes mother.” Silver didn’t mind those conditions. She doubted she would ever have a reason to stay out so late. As for the sirens, she liked their company.
“And while you’re out, Silver,” Ebony said. “You might as well head to a video game store and pick up that Neighstation you wanted.”
“You mean it, mother? I get to have one?”
“Of course. What the queen says is law, as I’m sure your aunt knows.” Ebony reached into her pocket and drew out a small plastic card. Sliding it across the table, she continued, “Here’s your credit card. Try not to go too overboard on the spending, won’t you?”
“Thanks, mother,” Silver grinned from ear to ear. “I’ll keep doing my best to make you proud of me.”
“Which persona are you going to use on your weekend forays? Moonglade? Silver Rose? Someone entirely new?” Ivory asked idly, swirling her drink in her glass.
“She might as well use Moonglade,” Ebony answered for her daughter. “People will think Moonglade’s vanished off the face of the earth if she keeps parading around as Silver Rose.”
“As you say, mother.” Truth be told, Silver did want to swap out to Moonglade. She’d been using that persona for pretty much all her life and she was much more used to it. Changing back to the blonde haired girl on the weekends sounded like a marvelous idea, seeing as she still had to go for classes as Moonglade.
“So does this mean I can go tomorrow? Friday evening?”
Ebony Wings hummed ‘This Day is Going to be Perfect’ to herself.
“I don’t see why not. As long as your homework is done, I have no qualms about you going out. Oh, yes. And one more condition.”
“Yes, mother?”
“You’re not to go out unarmed. The city of Canterlot is home to all manner of unsavory characters. Bring a weapon with you. I believe I taught you how to shoot?”
“Wait, wait, wait!” Ivory waved her hands before her sister. “You’re not sending her out there armed! You’ll just make things worse. It’s like her first day of school. Silver, as your aunt, you know I look out for your safety, right?”
“Mhm,” the pink-grey haired girl nodded.
“So take this from me, bringing out a weapon can do a great many things to your image. You’re safer without one. You’ve learnt self-defense. You can handle yourself just fine out there without a gun.”
“Not even a derringer? Those are plenty small enough to fit under a skirt…”
“No guns, Ebony…” Ivory rubbed at her face. “No knives, no weapons, alright? You underestimate your daughter. She can handle herself, just like we can.”
The raven haired actress looked like she wanted to say something, but then leaned back and folded her arms.
Adagio cleared her throat to get their attention. “Honestly, I’ve seen you two fight without weapons, Ebony. I’m sure Silver can manage. Besides, we’re there to look out for her.”
“Yes, you’ve seen us fight unarmed, but Chrysidea can’t grow talons, can she. I still think someone should bring a weapon.”
“But she doesn’t need talons, sister,” Ivory butted back in. “She’s got more strength than any normal human. No one needs to bring any weapons.”
“You can’t grow talons, Silver?” Sonata leaned her head on her hands.
“She’s only half-changeling, snot nose,” Aria Blaze told her. “She can’t do everything a regular changeling can.”
“Hey!” Sonata put her hands on her hips angrily. “I was just asking a question, and I don’t have snot!”
Adagio ignored her sisters and looked back at the family. “Talons would only make it more obvious she isn’t human.”
“Precisely!” Ivory snapped her fingers. “If you want her to blend in, her martial arts skills will suffice, dear sister. And her fangs, if worst comes to worst.”
Ebony Wings looked downright disgruntled, but eventually waved her hand to concede.
“Fine. Unarmed it is. But if anything happens out there…” She let the threat hang in the air, unfinished.
“Oh, relax, Ebony. This isn’t Detrot. Canterlot is much safer. People don’t normally go out armed.”
Silver Rose had sat there, looking from speaker to speaker, keeping her mouth shut. She knew her mother was just concerned with her safety, but she trusted Aunt Ivory. She always knew better.
“I already said it’s fine.” Ebony Wings pushed out from her chair and stood up. “I think it’s time I head to my room. Silver, you remember the rules.”
“Yes, mother,” the girl replied dutifully as Ebony left out through the dining room doors.
“Well,” Ivory said once she was sure her sister was out of earshot. “That went well.”
“It did?” Adagio looked at her squabbling sisters and got up.
“All things considered, it did,” Ivory stood up also. “She didn’t threaten to murder anyone, which is always a plus.”
“True.” Adagio folded her arms. “Well, Silver Rose, we’re gonna have some fun tomorrow, you can count on that.”
“Yeah, I’m looking forward to it!” she smiled and pushed her chair in.
Ivory watched the four girls and stifled a fake yawn.
“Well, all of you still have school in the morning so I think we’d best turn in. Big day tomorrow.”