//------------------------------// // 46~Winding Down // Story: Youngblood // by Centurion Pike-Wall //------------------------------// May 13th, 3096 Imperial Calendar (1523 AD) Sweet Apple Acres Watering Hole "Cannonball!", Pound Cake shouted, tucking his wings and forelegs into his body as he plummeted into the lake. A loud splash rang out in all directions, sending water flying up and out in all directions. Those that happened to be close by scattered, only to be splattered with the falling water. Pound Cake looked up, his normally puffed-up mane was slicked down, sticking to his head. Laying on a towel on the bank, Soundboard yelled, "Roundabouts... 16 feet!" "Ha! Beat that!", Pound Cake yelled, a big smile gracing his lips as he looked up. Danger Zone looked down, a wild grin of her own plastered over her face. "Alright then, Ground Pound, you're on. Hey! Soundboard! You gettin' this!?" The mare held up her hoof and nodded, a yardstick propped in the sand in front of her and a simple spell lighting up her horn. As Danger Zone twisted in the air and got a bit higher, Soundboard turned to the only one of their friends who were sitting on the shore with her. "So, Depressi", she asked, rolling her head slightly. "How come you ain't goin' in?" Depressi sighed, running his paw over the corner of the blanket he sat on. "I... I don't really think this is an appropriate thing to be doing at a time like this." "What do you mean?", Soundboard asked. "School's almost out. We got one more week, then finals, and we're out!" "It's that part in the middle that concerns me", Depressi replied. "Don't you think-" "Hold that thought; Zone is comin' down", Soundboard said. As she spoke, the mustard yellow streak that was his friend sailed down towards the small lake. Flurry, Maraschino, Pumpkin, and Southern all began scrambling towards the bank, while Pound Cake simply stared up with wide eyes. Soon, a geyser exploded out as Danger Zone impacted, sending a large wave rippling out from the epicenter. Water sloshed against the embankment, while Pound Cake washed ashore next to Depressi and Soundboard, catching a mouthful of sand. "Well?", Danger Zone said, bobbing up and down in the middle of the now turbulent lake. "Uh...", Soundboard said, looking at the yardstick. "Maybe... 26?" "HA!", Danger Zone yelled. "Can we just enjoy ourselves!?", Southern yelled, sliding back into the lake as the water stopped sending up waves. "K-know what? How 'bout this? We all just close our eyes, and we swim 'round!" As the others began to talk, Soundboard turned back to Depressi. "Stressed out 'bout finals, yeah?" "Yes, I am concerned about them", Depressi said. Soundboard leaned back on her towel, crossing her hooves behind her back. "Oh, I get it. Not exactly the most comforting thought when you've got a double-digit grade percentage resting on the things." "You sound like you don't have them", Depressi said. Soundboard let out a hearty laugh, closing her eyes and breathing deeply. "No no; I've got them same as you." "Then why are you-" "Because I'm not exactly one to care", Soundboard said. Depressi looked stunned. "What does that mean?" "You ever notice that, whenever school stuff comes up, I zip up like one of Miss Rarity's purses?", Soundboard asked, sitting up and fixing Depressi with a serious look; something he had never really seen on the carefree mare. "I mean, I suppose?", Depressi replied. Soundboard shrugged, "Well, it's simple. I'm an idiot." Depressi opened his mouth to speak, but she cut him off. "I mean academically and stuff. I can hold a conversation and do all sorts of fancy stuff on the piano, but I've always been a bit more towards Momma Scratch's side of things. I'm not that smart, so I don't try to be. And, if stuff comes up that I know I'm basically screwed from all directions at, then I just shrug and push on. Simple as." "That's all well and good", Depressi said. "But I'm not exactly-" "Man, are all Pryhans this hard-wired? I'm surprised that you all don't keel over from stiffness and sudden panic strikes", Soundboard said. "Heart conditions are a leading cause of pre-mature death in Pryhan, especially the Archepeligo", Depressi said. Soundboard blanched slightly, coughing into her hoof. "Uh... Yeah. Anyway, what I'm saying is that stressing so much about it won't do you any good. Calm down a little. Have some fun." "I can do that", Depressi said. "We just don't have this kind of system back home. We have end-of-the-year projects, not high percentage tests." "Well make it work", Soundboard said. "You've got at least a week, and most classes use that for studying time. You can more than make up for it. A few hours swimming and whatnot can't hurt." "I suppose so", Depressi mused. "But, why aren't you swimming in that case." "Oh, I'm going to", Soundboard said, standing up and taking off her tinted sunglasses. "Was just doing this first. Good talk." With that, she entered into a loping stride, hopping into the lake and leaping off the bank. She shifted her legs, kicking them behind her to propel herself towards Danger Zone and Pound Cake, who were tossing a ball back and forth. Depressi stood, looking at the others. Pumpkin Cake was simply swimming around, ducking under the water occasionally. Maraschino, Southern, and Flurry were playing Marco Polo in a shallower section of the lake. Depressi sighed, before removing his belt. With a swift motion of his wings and neck, he shrugged off his tunic, tossing it to the ground on his towel. His trousers were the last to be removed, as he walked to the water's edge. The water of the Sweet Apple Acres water hole was much clearer than that of the Strait of Beccus, devoid of the salt and other aquatic debris that made it somewhat murky. The water was clear, fresh, and not too cold. He slipped in, walking until the water reached the base of his wings, before he crouched down and lunged into the deeper part of the lake. He kicked and twisted in the water, using his wings to steer him towards his intended target. Soon, the treading form of Pound Cake came into view, warbled and wavy from the underwater view. He shifted closer, letting the faint current and the momentum of his previous strokes carry him to his objective. As he got close, he craned his neck up to the sky, seeing the wavy form of the ball sail through the air. In one motion, he twisted upwards and used his wings to shoot out of the water. Pound Cake and Danger Zone both gaped as he shot at least ten feet into the air, grabbing the ball and twisting around. He clutched the ball to his chest as he fell back into the water. Water raced around his body, engulfing him as he once again turned around and surfaced upright. "Whoa", Pound Cake said. "I didn't even see you coming. How did you-" "I may be a city colt, but I'm a port city colt. If I couldn't swim as well as I could walk, I wouldn't be a proper Creuian", he said, tossing him the ball. "Now, let me in. I'll show you how this is done."