15 - Descent
Scootaloo whipped her tail left and right. “I never thought I’d say this, but I’ve had enough crusading for one day. Let’s just cut our losses and end it here.”
“It’s not a loss until you quit!” I exclaimed.
She sighed and brushed some mud of her flank with a wing. “The water is way too cold, anyway.”
Apple Bloom shook a few droplets of her still wet hooves and confirmed. “You’re right about the water. We should have known. The winter wrap-up wasn’t that long ago. Maybe we should wait until summer with the scuba diving cutie mar—”
“—No!” I stood on my hind legs and crossed my forehooves on the chest. “We are on a mission here, Cutie Mark Crusaders!”
I raised a hoof in the air and sang to the sky.
“We will never stop the journey, not until we have our cutie marks!”
“And we’re getting them before tomorrow!” I hoped reciting part of our anthem would get their spirits up. Just to make it stick, I reminded them of the horrible alternative. “If we quit at the first sign of difficulty, we won’t be able to earn our cutie marks!”
Scootaloo wiped a big chunk of mud off her mane. Her body swayed left and right while she brushed her face with a forehoof.
Apple Bloom stepped closer to help her. She turned to me. “The water is really cold, Sweetie Belle. Come try it if you don’t believe us.” A yellow hind leg drifted across the surface then jerked back up.
“Quit your lollygagging. We won’t throw in the towel just because you two are afraid to get your coats wet.” I sighed at them. “We’re doing this!”
“We should at least get some wetsuits then,” persisted Apple Bloom.
“No! We don’t have time for that.” I didn’t understand why they stalled. I tried to add more reasons to break their resistance. “And those garments are really tight and uncomfortable.”
“You wore tight clothes for the school talent show,” remarked Scootaloo.
“And I felt trapped every moment of it. Now can we please just—”
“—Maybe you should ask Rarity to make you a soggy bathrobe,” she hissed.
Apple Bloom put on a malevolent smile. She lowered and pressed her eyebrows together as she looked at me. “Or I could ask Granny Smith to lend you her old-fashioned swimwear.”
“Stop it! Both of you. Stahp!” My voice cracked, “The clothes aren’t the point at all!” I hit a hoof on the ground as hard as I could. “Princess Celestia won’t wait for us with her sun. If we want to do this today, we have to do it now. We don’t even need all this cumbersome stuff.” I pointed a hoof at my scuba diving gear. “We just have to jump in and go for the win!”
They shook their heads. It was obvious that I was losing them. Still, our goal was to gain our cutie marks, and we had to see the mission through together. I couldn’t let them abandon me in my time of need. I had to—make them stay in the water!
I had always ended up being an underdog when I tried to play nice. It would stop there and then. Their unreasonable opposition forced my hoof. I would be a pushover no more. They left me with only one option. It was time to take charge. Literally! I plunged myself into a gallop toward the rebels.
My action caught them off guard. They gasped in shock and turned to the sides, trying to escape their wet destiny by jumping out of my way. They reacted too late.
Just before I hit them, I rotated myself sideways. I thrust Scootaloo with my flank and Apple Bloom with a shoulder. The impact got them flying while stopping me in my tracks. I spread all four before the lake and announced, “Diving cutie marks”—both Crusaders splashed into the water—“here we come!”
I stared at the expanding circles dispersing from their bubbly centers. My heart felt heavy as if I did something wrong. But in my mind, I knew it was the right thing to do. Some goals are simply worth the sacrifice.
Scootaloo was the first to surface. “Ugh! What is wrong with you, Sweetie Belle! You shouldn’t have done that!” She swam toward the shore. The flapping wings sprayed water droplets behind her.
Apple Bloom broke through the surface. She shook her head and screeched at me, “Sweetie Belle, how could you!” She kept herself afloat by kicking with her hind legs while covering her chest with both forelegs. Her body shook profoundly.
I thought that they just needed a push. Their reaction, however, reflected no appreciation for my deed. They were resisting me, but I couldn’t let them out of the water. That would mean that it was wrong of me to force them in the first place. I didn’t want to be wrong.
Scootaloo reached the shallow water and tried to walk past me.
“Wait! Just… wait!” I ordered and cut off her path with a hoof. “You’re already in the water now. All we have to do is a couple of dives, and we can go home like winners. Okay?”
Apple Bloom crawled out of the lake as well. Water droplets dripped from her floppy ears. “It’s way too cold!”
“Alright, alright! We do one dive.” I stood on my hind legs and stopped her approach with the other free foreleg. “Just one dive. We didn’t come here for nothing. After we complete our mission, I promise we’ll go straight home; but not before that.”
At that point, I held one hoof under Scootaloo’s neck and one on Apple Bloom’s forehead, physically preventing their escape from the lake.
I tried to boost their morale. “Maybe we’ll get extra points because of the cold water.”
“I don’t think it works like that, Sweetie Belle.” Apple Bloom rolled her eyes.
“This is stupid,” sighed Scootaloo. She cycled in the air with both forehooves, getting ready to push past me.
“Oh, come on! One bucking dive!” I was losing my patience. They were being really stubborn.
Apple Bloom persisted with whining, “Let’s just hold our breath on the shore. We don’t really need to stay in the cold water for that.”
Her idea was ridiculous. We came to the lake for scuba diving and it was obvious that we could only do that under water. What she said didn’t make any sense. I shook my head. “No, no, no! We can’t make bubbles on dry land!”
Apple Bloom widened her eyes. “What are you even talking about?”
I clenched my teeth and pushed harder against the rebels.
“Ugh, nevermind.” Apple Bloom rolled her eyes. She took a step back and nodded to Scootaloo. “Let’s just get this over with.”
Scootaloo growled. “This is pointless…” She puffed her lips and lowered both eyebrows.
“Awesome!” I clapped with my forehooves. “The first one up stays a blank flank!” I dunked a forehoof into the shallow water. Chills shook my body. The water wasn’t just cold; it was freezing. I stopped for a moment to catch my breath.
Apple Bloom tilted her head as she looked at me. Scootaloo raised an eyebrow.
If I admitted that the water was too cold, I would never hear the end of it. They weren’t taking me seriously enough before and that might have been my last chance to show that I was earnest. I had to prove them wrong.
“You call this water cold?” I forcefully stepped forward. “R-refreshing is what it is. You’re both a bunch of chickens.”
“I’m not a chicken!” Scootaloo snarled at me.
“Prove it!” I smirked. My body stiffened, but I tried to act casual.
“Well, I’m not!”
I wiggled my forelegs at my side as I imitated her, “Cheap-cheap-cheap-cheeeeeEEEEEeeasp-cheap."
Scootaloo’s face grimaced as she splashed a hoof through the water, spurting droplets all around and on me.
“I’ll...” My breath ceased when a few of them hit me. “...I’ll believe it when I see it!” When I took a step forward, the cold made me clench my teeth, but I tried to disguise the grimace into a grin. I felt the pain on every patch of my skin that sank below the water. An urge to scream raged in my throat, but I couldn’t let them see my suffering. I had to hide it from them. If I showed any weakness, the whole plan would fall apart. I needed to be strong, for me and for them. “All I see now is a chicken who’s scared of the water.”
They stepped deeper, and so did I. Their bodies were as tense as mine, but I knew it was much easier on them. They were already wet, to begin with. I, on the other hoof, had to withstand both getting wet and the coldness all at once. My struggle was greater!
Scootaloo pushed forward, making waves on the otherwise calm surface. “I’m not scared!”
The rising water encompassed my torso. The shallow breaths became ever more sporadic. I squinted my eyes to see through the moistness that gathered in my eyes because of the sharp coldness of the water and not because I felt like crying.
“Did your tail just shiver?” Scootaloo spewed at me.
“Whaa…” I tensed all my muscles and stiffened my body still. “Did not!” My voice crackled.
Scootaloo turned to Apple Bloom and pointed a hoof at me. “She’s totally shivering.”
I could feel their judging eyes on me, searching for a weakness they could use to bring me down.
Their morale was at its lowest and mine was withering as well. It was my last chance to act.
“Let’s do this!” I proclaimed. “One, two, three, dive!” After filling my lungs with air, I jumped forward, making a splash in the water with my body. I bowed my head and sunk below the surface.
The water was causing me physical pain, but in a way, I felt better. I assumed they had already set up jokes to use against me when I would falter. But it didn’t matter anymore because I’d invalidate all their statements that they may have prepared to use against me. Even if there was a good argument to be made, I couldn’t hear it underwater.
I looked back at them, but my vision was too blurry to see any details. It was their fault that I forgot my diving mask on the shore! The rebels had acted so irrationally that I’d left it behind in the confusion.
Silhouettes of their muzzles rippled above the surface. Their heads faced each other as if they were in the midst of a conversation. No! They can’t do this to me. I’ve made them agree to my deal. They have no right to betray me.
I heard two splashes. Apple Bloom propelled herself through the water, Scootaloo followed her lead. I turned my head forward and jerked with all four legs.
We were finally doing our mission! Perhaps I wasn’t a complete failure after all. Maybe I could still accomplish something if I forced it hard enough.
I slowly swam deeper. Every move I made hurt. Drifting forward through the water was like pressing against needles.
I felt a cold rush on both forelegs as I descended! Freezing liquid engulfed my hooves. It spread up, sipped through my coat and chilled my skin. I jerked. A puff of air escaped my muzzle. The muscles all over my body cramped as I instinctively lifted my legs.
The surrounding water chilled me, but there was an even colder layer at the bottom. I feared that it would freeze me solid if I crossed the boundary.
I looked around. There was a boulder bulging from the wall of the underwater abyss. It was at the same depth as I was, so I considered it safe for approach.
While swimming toward it, I kept my torso above the freezing layer. By casting both forehooves around the rock, I anchored myself to the spot.
Even though my hind legs quivered in the icy layer, resting motionless unstrained me. I pretended to look at the boulder as if it was interesting. I didn’t want them thinking I was slacking on the mission.
Scootaloo slowly passed above my head with her wings tightly folded. She pressed her legs against her abdomen and swam only by galloping in the water with just her hooves.
Apple Bloom turned and swam toward me. She must have thought I had found something of interest. When she drifted closer, her body shook in response to feeling the freezing, bottom layer. She manically wiggled all around, launching herself toward the surface.
Scootaloo sluggishly floated above me for a bit then rolled herself into a ball, hugging her tail. She tardily ascended.
The whole situation with us in the cold water was absurd, and they were clearly expressing it. If I swam up right after them, they would just ridicule me and I would have to admit that I was wrong.
I had to make it significant and there was still a chance for me to do that. If I were to earn my cutie mark right there and then, they’d have to accept that they were at fault to oppose me.
Scootaloo unwrapped herself, lifting her head above the surface. She quickly followed Apple Bloom, who was already jerking and splashing forth toward the shore.
There was no need for me to keep up the act of an underwater explorer anymore because their eyes were out of the water. They couldn’t see what I was doing below. If I managed to stay down for long enough, their jealousy would make them regret doubting me. I positioned myself above the boulder, hugging it with all four legs. That kept me above the freezing layer and still allowed me to anchor myself below the surface. I closed my eyes and relaxed my body.
I had messed up quite a few things in my life, but I couldn’t let myself fail yet again. Convincing myself to stay put was the key. All I had to do was wait there, and my amounting would surely follow suit. I will show them! I will show them all! Those self-motivational words repeated in my mind, keeping me distracted from the instinct to swim up.
The cold water assaulted me and lung-spasms urged me to breathe. My body screamed to get out, but I wouldn’t allow it. The act of joining them above the surface repulsed me. I couldn’t let them judge me based on their rebellious opinions. They needed to be proven wrong. I decided to just wait under water until they’d come to get me. Their defiant stubbornness was unacceptable. I was determined to show them that my idea was a good one.
My attention was spent on fighting the need to breathe, and I didn’t even notice that I no longer held on the boulder. When I looked up, I saw the inviting surface closing in on me. It compelled me to swim toward it and leave all the nonsenses behind. I was losing the fight. My resolve weakened. I surrendered. Yet another failure on the big pile of—
At that moment, my body and mind just stopped. A pressure within me built up and erupted.
The inner force broke out and spoke to me in my mind. Such petty limitations do not befit the swayer of destiny! The glory is bestowed upon those who waver not. Greatness is proven by breaking the barriers.
Brace yourself, foal; I’m assuming direct control! Glimpse at the potential you’ve been blessed with! Embrace it and behold the royal glory coming your way.
My muscles instantly responded, as if by themselves. The corners of my vision darkened and swayed with a purple tinge. Just before breaching the surface, my body arched back. After an underwater somersault my gaze connected to the darkness below. With seemingly unstoppable force, I plunged deeper toward the icy layer that I was terrified of just moments before. Like a dart, I pierced through it. Despite the chill, I kept sinking deeper into the black abyss.
The strains were taking effect on my body. It pulsated and twirled. But that didn’t slow me down. I just kept pushing myself lower into the darkness.
A splash from the surface woke me up from the trance I was in. What caused that sound, I wondered. Are my friends trying to reach me? I looked around. The shadows surrounded me. I floated near the bottom. A source of light lingered above me, but it was distant. A mere flicker from the world above.
I felt tightness all over my body. The need to breathe screamed within me, making me panic.
Launching myself from the bottom, I tunneled straight up. It seemed as if the shadows from below followed along. There was no time to get distracted, though. I kept ascending, focusing only on the light above.
The brightness of the surface spread over my field of view. I was nearly there. Just one more kick! The moment I broke through the surface, I gasped for air. After a cough, I gulped and sucked in as much air as I could before my muzzle sank under the surface again.
“Are you okay, Sweetie Belle?” Apple Bloom shouted from just beyond the shallow water. She swam toward me.
I panted rapidly and splashed with all four hooves to stay afloat. “Yeah—” I lifted my muzzle to breathe in “—why wouldn’t I be—” I sneezed. A smile forced itself onto my lips but was quickly shooed away by a cough.
Apple Bloom turned and paddled back toward the shore
“Do you think we should do another dive?” I jokingly exclaimed toward her and prayed to Celestia she’d say ‘no’.
“Sweetie Bell, no!” yelled Scootaloo, running left and right along the coast, “You promised that we’ll stop after one dive!”
Apple Bloom turned back her head and hollered, “Come out!”
I had no reason to stay in the cold water, but I still wanted to be seen as a winner. Laying on my back, I gracefully pushed myself toward them.
The splashing sounds let me know that Apple Bloom pulled herself out of the water.
I slowly swam backward, blissfully looking at the cloudy sky.
When my mane brushed against the bank, I rolled over and gallantly walked out of the water.
Apple Bloom’s head bowed, yet her eyes kept glancing at me. Scootaloo looked to the side and shoved a hoof in the sand. She bit her lip and squinted her eyes as she focused on me.
I tried to lift their spirits. “The dive was awesome!”
“We didn’t get it,” muttered Apple Bloom.
“What about you? Did you get it?” Scootaloo lifted her head and looked at me. “You were down there for so long; you must have gotten it!”
“Get what?” I pressed my eyebrows together and gazed at her. Did she expect me to get something for her from the bottom?
Apple Bloom gazed at me. “Your cutie mark, silly!” She narrowed her eyes. “You know, the only reason you got us all wet for…”
“Oh!” I’d gotten so lost in my desire to win that I’d forgotten what I was even fighting for. I turned my head around and wiggled my dock to get the tail hair off my flank. “Anything?”
I walked in a circle trying to see more of my flank.
Scootaloo cut off my spinning path with a hoof. “Sorry; there’s nothing there. I really hoped you’d get it. When you hadn’t come up for so long, I figured you were either that good at diving or...” She bit her lip and bowed her head.
“Or what?” I looked at her.
Scootaloo lowered her voice. “Did something happen to you down there?” There was a tinge of distress in her voice. “Did you get your hoof stuck in a cranny, or something?”
“No, why?”
“It’s just—” She paused and glanced at the lake and back at me. “—you’ve been down there for quite a long time and we got worried about you.” She shook her head. “Never mind. It doesn’t matter. I’m just glad you’re alright. That’s what’s important.”
“Sweetie Belle, you know you don’t have to prove anything to us, right?” Apple Bloom stepped beside me. “We’re friends. We’re all in this together. And thanks to you, we get to check the diving cutie mark off our list today.”
I sighed.
“Hug?” she asked.
“Whaa?” I raised my eyebrows as I looked at her.
She jumped at me for a clinging embrace, without giving me any time to defend myself.
Scootaloo looked up at the sky, then to the ground. She shuffled a hoof in the sand. With a sigh, she looked back at us and joined in the group hug.
Muscles all over my body tightened.
The Crusaders persisted in their clenching. “Please don’t do that again, Sweetie Belle,” whispered Apple Bloom. “We were so worried about you.” They squeezed me even tighter.
Personal space—invaded. Smothering hooves on my body. The pressure! Need air!
My thrashing body sent them to the ground. After taking a few steps back to gain some free space, I opened my eyes. My breathing calmed down a little. I sighed with relief.
They gasped, looked at each other then gazed at me.
I tried to shoo away their attention with a wave of a hoof.“Everything’s fine! Nothing to see here.”
They kept looking at me with wide opened eyes as if they were expecting something from me and not getting it.
There was Apple Bloom’s flipper on the ground. I leaned down, picked it up in my mouth and threw it at her. “Let’s wrap things up, Crusaders. Grab your gear. We’re going home now. The day is almost over!”
The two Crusaders looked at each other, then back at me. Their eyebrows were raised.
I kept my serious face to prevent them from relapsing into another annoying hug or pesky interrogation.
They stood still for a few more moments then gave in and looked around for their equipment. I felt their glances on me from time to time as they gathered their things, but no words were spoken.
Scootaloo threw her stuff on her back and walked toward the dirt road leading to Ponyville.
Apple Bloom was packed and ready to go but didn't follow along. She just stood there and stared at me.
I raised an eyebrow.
She broke the silence. “Look, Sweetie Belle. I know lacking a cutie mark blows, but you shouldn’t let it get to you. Besides, we’re making progress. The mission wasn’t a complete failure.”
“How so?” I asked.
“Today’s crusade brought us one step closer to our goal. Because of that, it was actually a success!” Apple Bloom said.
“Really?” I sighed in disbelief.
“We’ve just discovered another way of how not to get our cutie marks. One less distraction on the path to earning them.”
I didn’t say anything. My flank wasn’t adorned with a cutie mark and there was nothing good about that dreadful fact.
“And you also got all the markings from the crayons out of your coat, right?”
My teeth clenched and body shook. The sides of my flanks got whipped by my nervous tail.
“Let me handle the plans for tomorrow, Sweetie Belle. I’ll bring our capes to school.”
I looked up and half-closed my eyes.
“I have a great idea!” She smiled and winked at me.
“Do you?” I kept my serious face.
“Just trust me on this one, okay?” Walking backward, she kept her eye on me. “As mah granny says: everything will work out in the end!” She turned around and trotted to the road.
Such foalish naivety...
Scootaloo declaimed the first stanza of our anthem. Apple Bloom joined in, drowning her out. With each line, they alternately raised their voices as if they were competing with each other.
I looked about to see if I left anything behind. My gaze stopped at the water. Did something happen at the lake?
It looked as if nothing was amiss, but appearances can be deceiving. The surface seemed tranquil. It was so still that it acted as a giant mirror. But things weren’t as uniform underneath. I’ve experienced the coldness deep within. The dark layer lurked below, chilling everything it came into contact with. The icy essence could have stayed there indefinitely, and only a full-blown storm had the power to make it surface.
A cold breeze rifled my mane. The winds were changing fast. Something sinister was brewing. I could smell the shifting in the air.
Nothing was amiss! My head shook and I lost the trail of thought. When I looked at Apple Bloom and Scootaloo, I saw both friends drifting away from me.
My body resisted, but I forced my legs to move from the spot. “Don’t sing it without me!” I exclaimed and trotted forth to catch up to them.
Don't forget to participate in the Comment section minigames when you're done reading this chapter.
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Comment section minigames for the Descent chapter of the story Sweetie Belle Gains a Soul (anypony can play them in the comment section of this story).
GAME 1
Does this story remind you of a song that you know? If yes, post it in the comments in the following format:
- Chapter of the story that this song is relevant to.
- A link or embedded Youtube video of it.
- Percentage of correlation (0% being an unrelated song, 100% being a song written exactly for this story).
- A reason why this song reminded you of this story or the excerpt of the lyrics.
Amaranthe - The Nexus — Correlation: 50% (Lyrics)
I kept the secrets in my mind — There is a voice I can't deny
And as the darkness reveals — I see no reason — For me to reach for the cure — I'm my own demon
GAME 2
Record yourself reading this story aloud. Upload your mp3 to MLP: Audiobooks, for instance, and paste the link to your audio or video in the comments.
Edit: The winner is Deity of a Shadow with his Dramatic Youtube reading:
That cold layer is at 4C:
Water is at its densest at 4C.
That's a very keen observation. The temperature of the bottom layer is indeed just 4°C.
I love how you keep tabs on my story. Every time I publish a new chapter I think to myself, I wonder what 9389705 will comment on this chapter.
Thank you for your everlasting attention, friend.
9390342
It is physics. Deep lakes in temperate and polar climates turn over around the Equinoxes. Deep tropical lakes do not. Rotting organic matter sinking to the bottom of tropical lakes generates carbondioxide. CO2 reacts with H2O to form carbonic acid (H2CO3). Carbonic acid readily dissolves in water. Eventually, something disturbs the deep tropical lake, causing an eruption of CO2, which smothers all animal life in and around the deep tropical lake. Luckily, this is a temperate lake, so it turns over around the equinoxes when its surface is 4C.
Okay.
You are welcome.
Speaking about eruptions of CO2, you might be interested in this video:
9393257 Luckily, Sweetie Belle managed to avoid fossilization. She may have disturbed a CO2 layer that will kill all animal life around the lake, but that's a tale for another time, perhaps.
9393670
Given that Ponyville goes from sub0 in winter to hot in somer, the lake almost certainly turns over around the equinoxes when the surface is at 4 C:
At the equinoxes, all the water is at the same density. Wind driven currents can mix all of the water. Lakes erupting CO2 have these 3 characteristics:
The bottom of the lake is at the record low temperature of the lake from decades ago. Dead matter sinks to the bottom and rots. The methane (CH4) bubbles to the surface, but the CO2 enters solution. The bottom of the lake becomes anoxic and supersaturated with CO2. When something disturbs the lake such as a landslide, storm, earthquake, et cetera, an eruption of CO2 occurs.
The conditions at the lake in Ponyville are just not right for a CO2-eruption.
9393811 Yes, you're right. Sweetie Belle wouldn't fossilize properly if she stayed on the bottom.
9393868
Her bones, teeth, and horn MIGHT fossilize, but she would not leave impressions of soft tissue, fur, and stomach-contents.
I've really enjoyed reading this up to here. It's been written very well, and with a beautiful edge that not every writer can pull off.
Underwater scenes got a bit rough, though. They... rattled me, uncomfortably so. Not quite sure I want to continue, with that in mind.
Very nice so far, I'll stick to that. Upvote from me; your style is nice.
9837000 Thank you for your feedback.
I'm sorry to see you go. If it's any consolation, there are no more swimming/diving scenes after this chapter.
It's interesting how mere words can have such a power, isn't it? Maybe a pen really is stronger than a sword.
Somepony once asked Thomas Edison about the 200 times he failed to invent the lightbulb. He smiled and replied, "I never failed to invent anything! I learned 200 ways NOT to make a lightbulb!"
11143402 You got the reference! I thought nopony would.
11143402
The lightbulb has many parents, but Edison deserves credit for the 1st practicable (does not burn out in less than a minute and can retail at a price most ponies can afford) lightbulb.
The interesting thing about lightbulbs is that they are a source of heat which also gives a little useful light too. LEDs use ⅙th the power for the same amount of light and last 10x longer.