//------------------------------//
// 4 - Deep Waters 
// Story: Bullets of Fire 
// by BlackWater 
//------------------------------//









You're having too much fun, sister."
The voice could only belong to the mare of the moon. Her tone was light but she was right all the same.
"What's your point, your royal darkness?" Celestia taunted in the way only she could. She could be completely carefree and open to Luna and she took advantage of every opportunity to do so. After all, she knew just how to push every single one of her sisters buttons. Luna, however, ignored the jest.
"I'll cover for you again but only if you promise to give me more play time next week," Luna bargained.
"Oh, your precious ideograms?"
"They're called video games, Celly. An old fossil like you would have a hard time playing them. It was hard enough to teach you how to play solitaire."
"And it's hard enough to get you to go outside the palace. The only thing those video games have done other than keep you locked up in your room is relax your speech. I have to admit that the subjects are having an easier time now that you can speak more...normal."
"And who's fault was that?!"
Celestia snickered. She had to admit that she enjoyed the delicious awkwardness that would result when Luna tried solving court problems in her archaic speech. She enjoyed teasing her more, though.
"I must say I'm pleased that there are more interesting things to do," Luna continued. "The 'fun' I remember from the last millennia involved counting the stars. Not very amusing when I'm the one who put them there."
"That was an obscure pastime, Lulu. Nopony actually did that."
Luna's face darkened more than should have been possible.
"Except me," Celestia hastily added. "You know how I love your sky, Lulu."
The dark expression began lifting as quickly as it came. Sometimes her lax attitude got her in trouble with Luna, but what were sisters for? It was natural to want to tease her right? Now, however, the dark mare walked over and hugged her sister. Apparently Celestia's words had struck a cord.
"Thanks, sis," Luna sniffled.
Celestia bit her lower lip when she saw her younger sister's teary-eyed but smiling face. She had to harshly resist the urge to prank her. It was just the sort of face you wanted to mess with...put ink on the rim of her telescope or something.
"You have your fun, Celly."
"Oh, I will," the white mare snickered once again. Only, this time, it was a tad more sinister.









"That was quick," remarked the orange mare.
Celestia had just returned to the garden where she had left Spitfire while she requested a favor from her sister. On her way back she had gotten a few things that they would need - namely the diving suits. They didn't have the air tanks or flippers that normal H2pOny equipment had. Celestia opted instead for special magic to make up for them. It enabled her to move more freely in the water and it allowed her unlimited air supply, which was something the poor diving company had not yet stumbled upon. Daily she wondered which spells to reveal to the public and which not to. Powerful magic was not to be thrown around lightly, after all.
"I take it you're going to keep me from drowning," Spitfire commented worriedly. 
"And make you a natural in the water. You'll be able to move around as if you were in the sky."
Spitfire's mouth formed an O-shape as she marveled at the prospect. This really was something that got her excited - actual and physical fun. It sounded rather dangerous to boot. She would be placing her life in the hands of another pony. But she decided an immortal thousand-year-plus-old alicorn was probably competent enough.
"Wondering if I'm competent enough to keep you alive?"
Spitfire shrieked accidentally. "Did you...read my mind?"
"Never. That would be rude,"the Princess giggled.	
"You keep doing that."
Celestia feigned an innocent look, "What?"
The pegasus didn't take the bait. "Giggling. I don't think I've ever heard anypony giggle that much. It's weird."
Now the white alicorn sighed. "I have to. Spitfire, you have to understand that nothing and I mean nothing is amusing after a few thousand years. I have to make things fun or else I'll go crazy with depression."
Not expecting such a heavy answer, Spitfire just let out an "I see" and let it slide. Maybe living so long wasn't such a great thing after all. What would she do if she had learned every possible trick and stunt and exhausted every bit of fun out of her career? And all other careers for that matter?
Celestia began leading the way into the cave entrance that the diving sign had pointed to. Since the royal palace and the royal garden were not adjacent to a mountain, the path quickly lead downwards. Apparently the palace had been built over the cavern. "Follow me and stay close...or the vamponies might get you," Celestia joked.
"Oh please. I'm a grown-up. You can't foo-" Spitfire was cut short when something dark raced by her. She whimpered just enough that her companion caught it.
"Vamponies meaning normal bats. This is a cave after all, my dear grown-up."
Spitfire's face reddened but she couldn't say anything more on the matter because the mare that had been leading her through the dark had suddenly stopped. There was the sound of a click even as the pegasus was wondering why Celestia hadn't lit the way. Was she using some magic to find her way through the dark? And why didn't someone as rich and powerful as the Princess have the whole cave lighte-
"Gah!" screamed the orange mare as a particularly bright lantern ignited the room with light. It wasn't really that bright but the suddenness of it in contrast to the previous darkness was unpleasant on the eyes.
"I prefer to keep this cave in it's...more original form," Celestia answered Spitfire's unspoken wondering. "This single light will give us all we need to start our journey."
Spitfire, still adjusting her eyes, noted that they were not in a small passageway anymore but rather in a large room-like cave. In spite of being underground, the entire floor of the "room" was occupied by an enormous pool. It was dreadfully dark and wouldn't even be visible save for the lantern that now hung high on the room's ceiling.
"You'll note," the white mare said as she dipped her front hooves in the water, "that the water is warm. This means that there must be a source of heat close by - perhaps a volcanic vent." Celestia was now wishing that Twilight were with them so she could hear one of her little scientific rants. She would have to get Twilight over for a dive sometime soon. The purple mare was just so much fun.
"Well at least we won't freeze into ponysicles," Spitfire commented. "How deep is it?"
As Spitfire moved a few steps in to test the underwater slope, Celestia held her back with her left hoof. "Careful," the Princess warned. "The bottom gives way quickly to a straight drop. It's incredibly deep."
"H-how deep again?"
"Incredibly deep."
Spitfire frowned, "Seriously. How deep is the pool, Celestia?"
The giggle again. "I never counted."
Spitfire just rolled her eyes and snatched her diving suit that Celestia had been carrying on her back. As they both fit themselves into the suits, the pegasus began to realize how funny the other mare looked. Her long legs and flowing mane were an almost comical contrast to the dark form-fitting diving suit.
"Pfft," she snorted accidentally.
Celestia tilted her head, "What is it?"
"Nothing. This suit kind of feels like my regular uniform," Spitfire changed subjects.
"Actually, I wouldn't be surprised if your Wonderbolt uniforms were just modified diving suits," Celestia winked.
So the mare had noticed the little wardrobe secret. Of course, it made sense that an immortal would be able to pick out fabric from a distance. Oh well. It's not like it was that big of a deal. The suit material just happened to work well in wind and storms - especially rainstorms. Other materials tended to get heavy when soaked.
"Ready for an adventure?!" Celestia excitedly started.
"You've already been to the bottom, though." Spitfire seriously doubted there was any possibility that Celestia hadn't already explored every inch of the cavern - underwater or not.
"Let's pretend I haven't," she smiled.
"Just promise me you won't fake getting us lost under there and pretend we're running out of air."
Celestia frowned at getting caught. "Horse feathers," she whispered under her breath. How did the orange wonder catch on so quickly?
"Last one in is a mortal!" Celestia leaped into a pony cannonball before splashing into the black waters.
"How is that a bad thing? Especially when I am a mortal..." Spitfire wondered aloud as she more carefully edged her way into the pool.
The underwater floor was starting to get steeper as she moved forward but she didn't expect to find the drop-down point so quickly, nor did she expect to get purposefully pulled under by her royal companion. Two hooves grabbed her own and she got a deliciously bitter taste of the cavern water. It was kind of gross.
For the slightest fraction of a second she was scared. Her whole body had plunged underwater and she was afraid to open her eyes or mouth. Very slowly she became aware of the fact that she wasn't running low on air. She was holding her breath but didn't suck in water when her nose accidentally breathed in. It should have been water but it was air instead. Air? Oh that's right. Celestia was performing some kind of magic. She heard a familiar voice only slightly altered by the interference of water. "Open your eyes."
Trusting quite literally in Celestia, she did. What she saw might have stolen her breath if it had not been constantly supplied via royal spell. Her sight was not hindered by the effects of the water. It was as if the water barely existed. She could still see it and tell it was there by the feeling and the way it refracted the light and yet she could see straight through it. The water was not murky or dark as it had appeared from above. Celestia floated right in front of her and was apparently getting a kick out of the younger mare's reactions.
"You look like a filly who just learned that she could fly," Celestia grinned. Her mouth moved openly and the words reached Spitfire clearly, in spite of some slight watery distortion. Bubbles escaped the mare's mouth and fought their way to the surface. Afraid of inhaling water, Spitfire didn't reply.
"You can talk and move all you want," Celestia continued. "Don't worry about inhaling because you'll only ever get normal air. I've already cast the magic so you can...how do you put it...chill."
Spitfire returned Celestia's remark with a deadpan gaze. Nevertheless she tried it out. "I can talk?"
Her voice sounded weird to her but it was amazing to be able to talk so freely underwater. She tried it again. "So what are we doing?"
"Teaching you how to swim," Celestia joked as she began somersaulting through the water. Showboating, she glided through some additional underwater acrobatics.
"I think I can swim just fine," Spitfire proved as she waded towards her carefree trainer. "You're just a show off."
Celestia faked a pained expression.
"This is pretty awesome, though. Thanks."
"I'll accept your gratitude," Celestia replied as she swam circles around the pegasus. "If you refer to me as Queen of the Seaponies."
"Now who's being the little filly?" Spitfire blanched.
"Well it won't take that long to reach the bottom and I'm being paid by the hour," complained the alicorn.
"You are not being paid. And are you always this giddy when you're underwater?"
Celestia just pursed her lips, "Cheapskate."
Spitfire took another look around to solidify her bearings. The pool was indeed quite wide and she could only see as far as the lantern cast its light. She couldn't see the bottom. Even though the water itself was as clear as crystal, she did not suddenly have night vision. Celestia's horn began to glow and it illuminated a larger distance around them.
The white mare locked her eyes with her companion's. Her expression quickly turned grave, as if their very lives were at stake. "Stick close and we'll see just how deep this rabbit hole goes..."