It was a crisp, beautiful afternoon. It would have been a perfect day to go outside and play, if it hadn’t rained all morning and the clouds had only just been cleared out. So, not wanting to stay inside or give Rarity a heart attack from all the mud, the three friends had opted to step a little outside their comfort zone. Well, mostly Scootaloo’s comfort zone.
“Ugh…” groaned Scootaloo as she slammed her head on the side of the boat.
Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle rolled their eyes as the tiny vessel rocked at Scootaloo’s angry headbanging. They’d only been on the water for ten minutes and they were already getting tired of this.
“Oh, get over it, Scootaloo. Ya’ve done nothin’ but whine since we got here,” said Apple Bloom.
“Seriously. You lost the bet fair and square, so now we’re fishing for the afternoon,” said Sweetie Belle.
“I would never have agreed to that bet if I wasn’t certain I would win! How the hay did Snails make that shot?!” complained Scootaloo.
“Of course ya wouldn’t take the bet if ya didn’t think it’d go your way. That’s what a bet is, Scootaloo. What’s that old sayin’? ‘Don’t make a bet unless you’re prepared to lose’ or something like that,” said Apple Bloom.
“I don’t think that’s an actual saying, but it fits. You have no one but yourself to blame for taking that bet in the first place, Scootaloo,” added Sweetie Belle.
Scootaloo just continued to grumble. Her friends shared a sigh and turned their attention back to their fishing poles.
“By the way, not that I’m complaining or anything, but why fishing? Didn’t we agree last time that this was one of the most boring cutiemark attempts we’d ever tried?” asked Sweetie Belle.
“Yeah, but that was because we were only there for the marks. This time, we’re just here to sit back, relax, and enjoy this beautiful day. Ah even came prepared to pass the time if it gets to be too borin’,” said Apple Bloom, pulling a book out of her bag.
Sweetie Belle couldn’t help but notice that Apple Bloom had brought the first volume of a fairly dark yet very intriguing fantasy series. A bit unusual for the young apple farmer, but Sweetie Belle always thought it was a good read.
“Seriously Apple Bloom? If you were just going to read, you didn’t have to drag the two of us out here with you,” complained Scootaloo.
“But then Ah wouldn’t be spendin’ the afternoon with mah friends, now would Ah? And would ya stop actin’ like this is torture or something. Ah know for a fact ya don’t need a book to keep yourself entertained,” countered Apple Bloom.
Scootaloo let out a sigh, then seemed to get an idea as she quickly lifted her head.
“Fine. I guess I just have to admit there’s nothing wrong with sitting back and taking it easy for a bit. We don’t have to do something exciting everytime we hang out together. We’re long overdue for some quiet time,” said Scootaloo
A cricket in some nearby reeds began chirping for no reason.
“Drat. Was hoping that would make something interesting happen,” admitted Scootaloo.
“Tempting fate doesn’t always work when you want it to happen, Scootaloo,” deadpanned Sweetie Belle.
While Sweetie Belle could admit that fishing would not have been her first choice of activity either, it hadn’t been that bad so far. They’d had no bites after an hour, but that was fine. The fact that the boat was still afloat was a clear sign this was going better than their last fishing outing. And it was hard to complain when it was so nice outside.
Scootaloo had even stopped grumbling and was taking a nap. Or more likely, she was just turning her attention inward and was busy snooping on her family. Fair enough, considering how often she complained about them doing the same to her.
Apple Bloom had her book out by now, though her expression seemed to frequently switch between fascinated and uncomfortable. Not unsurprisingly really, considering the book in question. When the introduction of the series went into such detail about how unpleasant and dangerous every part of the fictional world was, one should probably prepare themselves for a read with a bit of teeth. Like those monster trees in said world.
As for Sweetie Belle, she was content experimenting with some internal systems she’d discovered recently. Seriously, was she ever going to run out of new things to discover about her robotic body?
Geez, this air pressure reading is useless. Of course my supply is constantly increasing and decreasing. I’m breathing! That’s kind of the entire point! Then again, I guess there’s the fact that I don’t even need to breathe anymore, between the voice synthesizer and alternative fuel systems. I’m just doing it out of habit more than anything, thought Sweetie Belle.
“Wait, did Twig really just accidentally destroy two entire cities?” asked Apple Bloom.
Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo both turned to look at Apple Bloom at her outburst.
“Destroyed two… Oh, are you talking about the goblin colony built over the glass bug nest?” asked Sweetie Belle.
“Yeah. Ah mean, Twig didn’t do it on purpose or anything, and he was clearly in danger if he stayed, but wow. That seems like a bit much,” said Apple Bloom.
“Glass bugs? What the hay are you even reading?” asked Scootaloo.
“Ah have no idea. Ah asked Twilight for something with a little edge to it, and this is what she gave me. Ah know she ain’t the type to just give it to me as a bad pun, so Ah figured Ah might as well give it a read, but it’s been kinda intense so far,” said Apple Bloom with a shrug.
“Yeah, that series can get a bit brutal. Especially for one that has pictures in the books. I remember there was this one really nasty image in book six with…” started Sweetie Belle.
“Hey! No spoilers! Ah didn’t say Ah didn’t like it!” objected Apple Bloom.
“Ok, now I’m curious. Are there pictures of these glass bugs?” asked Scootaloo.
“Oh, yeah. Here, let me just flip back a few…” started Apple Bloom.
Unfortunately, at the same moment Apple Bloom lifted her book, Scootaloo shifted her weight forward, rocking the boat. The three ponies could only watch in horror as the book flew out of Apple Bloom’s hooves, over the side, and into the lake. And during the second it took them to realize what had just happened, the book sank beneath the water.
“Oh, horse apples! That was a library book! Twilight’s gonna kill me!” cried Apple Bloom.
Without another word, Apple Bloom threw herself into the lake and dove straight down. Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo shared an awkward look.
“Whoops. Probably should have let her come to me. Uh… well, I guess I’ll just have to pay for a replacement book then,” said Scootaloo.
“Why would you do that?” asked Sweetie Belle.
“Sweetie Belle, that book just fell into the lake,” deadpanned Scootaloo.
“And ever since Tirek blew up her tree, Twilight’s kept all her books under every protective spell she knows. As long as we get it out of the water before we leave, it should be fine,” said Sweetie Belle.
“Oh. Well, nevermind then. Guess we’ll just wait for her to fish it out, and it’ll be like nothing happened,” said Scootaloo.
“Yeah, but now she’s going to smell like rotting flesh for the rest of the day, so I think you owe her an ice cream,” said Sweetie Belle.
Scootaloo responded with a groan.
A minute passed. Then another. Ten minutes of waiting later, and Apple Bloom still had yet to surface.
“OK, I’m starting to get a little worried, now,” said Sweetie Belle.
“Yeah. The lake isn’t that deep. She could have swam to the bottom and back at least four times by now. You think she’s stuck or something?” said Scootaloo.
“Maybe. Or she could have run into that squid we saw down there,” worried Sweetie Belle.
“I think Fluttershy said she talked it into swimming upriver. But you’re right, she might be in trouble,” agreed Scootaloo.
“But what do we do if she is? Can you turn into a fish or something and check on her?” asked Sweetie Belle.
“Full on fish, no. But I can do gills and a few fins just fine. Give me a sec to reel in the fishing rods to be safe… OK. Just sit tight for a minute, Sweetie Belle. This shouldn’t take too long,” said Scootaloo.
Scootaloo tossed herself overboard. There was a flash of green, and a rather fishy looking pony (Sweetie Belle apologized to herself for that one), swam down into the lake as well.
A minute passed. Then two. Once again, ten minutes passed, and there was no sign of either of her friends.
OK, now I’m really starting to get worried. There has to be something going on down there. What should I do? What can I do? I can’t turn into a fish… wait, or can I? Wasn’t there something in the manual about an aquatic mode? thought Sweetie Belle.
AQC Mode activated.
Wait, no! I’m still on the boat! thought Sweetie Belle.
Alas, the familiar sensation of something inside her moving suddenly ran through her entire body. With a loud clunk, her legs suddenly clamped up tight to her barrel, locking into place as her hooves felt like they snapped open. Something moved into her mouth, forcing her lips open, while also plugging up her throat. She could feel her tail bending in some unusual way, ending in a strange shape she didn’t recognize. And then, the sensation stopped, leaving Sweetie Belle feeling incredibly stiff and unable to move or speak.
Huh. Guess I do have an aquatic mode. Not sure why it’s referred to as AQC though. Or why just thinking aquatic mode was enough to turn it on. Shouldn’t there be some sort of lock to keep it from activating on land or something? Sigh… Good thing I had an extra big lunch today. This is going to take awhile, Sweetie Belle thought to herself.
Luckily, when her legs had locked up, she landed leaning far onto one side of the boat. And with no other ponies to provide a counterbalance, the boat quickly started tilting. So, after a few awkward seconds of being helpless, Sweetie Belle toppled over and fell into the lake.
Immediately, she felt a lot less helpless. Water flowed through her mouth, her legs, and even her tail, giving her the sense she could actually move again. And as she flexed her legs, the water flow seemed to shift, pushing her side to side.
Aw geez, how do I move like this? It feels like… Are my legs and tail working like little fans pushing water around? Note to self, check the manual about this as soon as I get home. Uh… Sweetie Bot? Is there some kind of tutorial or something for this? thought Sweetie Belle.
Processing… AQC tutorial available. Estimated duration: six hours. Would you like you to begin now?
Six hours?! I don’t have time for that! My friends are in trouble! I’ll just have to work it out for myself for now, thought Sweetie Belle.
Are you sure you want to skip the tutorial? You’ll have no one but yourself to blame if you look like a moron.
...
Ok, seriously, why are so many of these automatic messages so snarky? Who the hay programmed this thing? thought Sweetie Belle.
“Take that, you idiot streamers! Spending two hours running in circles because you couldn’t spend two seconds reading the tutorial pop up is not entertainment!”
“Dude, he poked fun at himself for that one. Adding snarky code he’ll never see isn’t going to help. Let it go,”
“He called my favorite game ‘too vague and confusing!’ I will never forgive him!”
“Sigh…”
After wildly flailing about for several minutes, Sweetie at least managed to work out how to dive, turn, and move forward. Apparently, the most important part was the strange shape her tail had been bent into. Her movements were a bit clunky, but good enough to find and help her friends. So, hoping she was now up to the task, she started her descent into the depths.
The Ponyville lake wasn’t that deep. It didn’t take her long to reach the bottom. And when she got there, she found a cloud of murky water waiting for her. It was too thick to see very far, and there was no sign of her friends.
Well, that’s not good. Something must have kicked up a lot of muck from the lakebed. Probably whatever’s keeping Scootaloo and Apple Bloom down here. Hope it really wasn’t that squid. OK, what else can I do like this? A flashlight or some kind of sonar, maybe? thought Sweetie Belle.
There was a click, and suddenly Sweetie Belle could see with much greater ease, as a pair of bright lights suddenly shined out of her eyes. There was also a loud ping noise, and a moment later Sweetie Belle had a faint mental picture of her surroundings.
Huh. That’s convenient. Glad this whole system can be turned on just by thinking of what I need. You know, when I’m actually in the water to use it. Alright, get serious, Sweetie Belle. You don’t know how long you have before you start starving, so focus on finding the girls and getting back up as soon as you can. And the book, if possible, Sweetie Belle reminded herself.
She let out another ping, this time paying closer attention to what it showed her. There didn’t seem to be any sign of her friends, but thankfully no sign of that squid either. Just mud, some fish, a few sponges, and a bunch of seaweed. That last one seemed a little off to Sweetie Belle.
Hm… Guess we must have been on the shallow side of the lake that time we went scuba diving. I didn’t know this stuff grew so thick down here. Just look at the clump over there. It looks less like a natural growth and more like a giant sushi roll or something, thought Sweetie Belle.
It took an embarrassing number of seconds for it to click in her head.
Or… that might not be natural. I should probably check it out, thought Sweetie Belle.
Getting closer, she noticed that the large clump of seaweed was moving, and far too fast to just be water currents. It seemed fairly obvious that there was something tangled up inside. While her legs and mouth were still locked up, Sweetie Belle was able to nudge loose a few leaves with her muzzle, which was enough to ease the knot open to reveal an orange abomination.
Yeesh, Scootaloo. I suddenly get why you never want to show us your disguises until they’re finished. That mutilated body is going to haunt my nightmares for weeks, thought Sweetie Belle.
The mutant half-pony half-fish horror shook her head, turned to Sweetie Belle, and let out a stream of bubbles in surprise. Sweetie Belle responded with an eye roll that was extra noticeable with how her flashlight suddenly flared around.
Come on, Scootaloo, this is far from the weirdest thing we’ve seen this body do. And we still need to find Apple Bloom, thought Sweetie Belle.
Sweetie Belle was about to turn on her voice synthesizer to remind Scootaloo of this, but the orange sea monster let out a bubble filled sigh, then made a follow me motion with one of her hoof-fin things before turning and swimming a meter or two to the left. Sweetie Belle followed, and quickly spotted what Scootaloo was trying to show her: a small yellow sponge that was poking out of the side of a lakebed hill.
What’s so special about a sponge? I mean, yeah, it looks a little funny. It’s a bit round and almost looks like a… Wait a minute… that’s not a sponge, is it? thought Sweetie Belle.
Twenty minutes later, they were back on the surface. Scootaloo was rowing the boat back to shore by herself, as Sweetie Belle was too hungry to help while Apple Bloom swam along at a distance. An unfortunate necessity as not only did Apple Bloom smell like a corpse, but a soggy corpse covered in pond scum. Friendship is a powerful force, but so is overwhelming odor.
“You didn’t pass Murphy Law on the way out here, did you? Because I can’t believe you just happened to get buried in a mudslide at the bottom of a lake,” said Scootaloo.
“It didn’t just happen. Mah book landed at the bottom of a small cliff. When Ah pulled it out of the muck it must have shook the whole thing loose. Glad Ah held onto the book, or we’d have never found it in that mess. Thanks for diggin’ me out, girls. Ah probably would have been stuck down there for days,” said Apple Bloom.
“No problem, Apple Bloom. Though how did Scootaloo even spot your hoof? I thought it was a sponge,” said Sweetie Belle.
“She was still wiggling it like mad when I got down there. The problem is that I didn’t see the seaweed until my tail was caught in it. And when I tried to turn around and free myself, well, you saw what happened. Sorry for messing up the fishing trip, girl. I really should have known better than to tempt fate,” admitted Scootaloo.
“It’s fine, Scootaloo. Ain’t like this is the first Ah’ve stunk to high heavens. But Ah think Ah’ll leave mah book at home next time we get on a boat, fishin’ or otherwise,” said Apple Bloom.
“Yeah, and not a single fish to show for our struggle. let’s just agree that this fishing trip was a bust and never talk about it again,” said Sweetie Belle.
“What, are ya kiddin’? Ya turned into some kind of underwater boat, Sweetie Belle! Ah think that’s certainly worth talkin’ about,” said Apple Bloom.
“Yeah. That was really cool! We’ve got to see what else that thing can do sometime,” added Scootaloo.
“It came with a six hour tutorial, Scootaloo. I really want to check my manual before trying that again. If you’d both been buried in mud I’d have been useless down there. Also, I’m starving. I could really go for a hayburger right now,” said Sweetie Belle.
When they reached the shore, however, they saw a small pink package waiting for them, with a button on the top and a note attached.
“Push the sub button to sub your sub with subs for the sub after subbing? What the hay does that mean, and what the hay is this thing even doing here?” asked Scootaloo.
“Two words: Pinkie Pie,” deadpanned Sweetie Belle.
She pushed the button, causing the package to open up into a pile of long round-edged sandwiches.
“... There’s a pun here. Ah can feel it, Ah just don’t know what it is,” said Apple Bloom.
“Same,” agreed her friends.