A Running Gag Continues
As large of a city Manehattan was, it had no shortage of schools. Bronclyn High wasn't the most renowned of those schools by any stretch, but it still had a history of both fine education and successful athletics. Banners hung on its gymnasium walls showcasing championships in hoofball and volleyball by the Express against their biggest rivals, the Manehattan Cavalry. Trophies and photographs adorned a display case in a darkened hallway outside the gym, storing the memories of those students who had come and gone.
A pair of doors at the end of the hall opened, admitting two silhouettes. The lights clicked on, revealing the identities of them both.
Captain Shining Armor, currently without his Royal Guard uniform to keep from drawing undue attention to what he was here for, entered the school. Earlier that morning he had paid a visit to a member of the school faculty, requesting to be allowed to enter the building. The principal had been understandably reluctant, but changed his mind after the captain had submitted his credentials and explained his reasons for needing access--and after requesting that the whole thing be kept quiet. After promising that he would lock all the doors and switch off the lights when he finished whatever he needed to do, Shining had received the keys to the building and went on his way.
It helped that the pony who was escorting him was very recognizable and able to speak for him. His girlfriend, Princess Cadance, was officially taking a much-needed break from her duties for the sake of relaxation. Her regalia had even been swapped out for a cap with her Cutie Mark stitched into the front, the item having been purchased from a Canterlot gift shop before their departure. Unofficially, she was here because Celestia had read her a letter from a certain Manehattanite that described the author's love for her family in no uncertain terms. Cadance, being the Princess of love, was curious enough to go and meet her for herself.
"...It's quite a combination," the alicorn said as they walked in. "She's supposed to be a real romantic where her husband's concerned."
"And according to Celestia, she's undeniably fierce in a fight." Shining led her straight to a set of double doors, opening them and heading up the short flight of steps beyond. A distant neighing sound made him flick his eyes about for the cause. "I can see why some would be confused. You normally wouldn't expect the two to go together, but somehow she makes it work."
Upon reaching the top of the steps, the two of them had arrived in the seating area overlooking the school's swimming pool. During the summer, the pool was typically kept available during especially hot days or for those taking swimming lessons; ponies tended to be fine swimmers, but if they wanted to be excellent swimmers, you had to start somewhere. As things stood, the first such class wasn't supposed to start for another few days, and today's temperatures weren't supposed to get unbearably warm.
"Judging from the time, we're here early," Cadance commented, spotting a clock at the far end of the room. "Might as well sit down and wait..."
"Hold on a moment," Shining interrupted, raising a hoof to cut her off. He looked around, suddenly suspicious. "I think there's somepony else in here. There's this odd wheezing noise I can't place, and I don't think it's the air conditioning."
Cadance's ears twitched, and she surveyed the room a bit more cautiously than she had been. Her eyes were drawn to a window situated up near the ceiling, the sunlight passing through it to illuminate the pool's diving board...
She snorted, pressing a hoof against her mouth to suppress a laugh that tried to escape. "Shining, look over there..."
The Guard captain did as his girlfriend suggested. His mouth fell open in an unspoken exclamation of "What am I even seeing...?"
...
The sight they witnessed was their introduction to Gray Ghost. The pegasus was positioned on her back at the end of the diving board squarely in the middle of the patch of sunlight, just a little less than one meter over the water's surface. Her forelegs were curled up near her chin. The wheezing and neighing noise that they'd been hearing was turning out to be her snoring, Gray having been asleep since at least several minutes before they'd arrived. Edging across the seats to get a better view, the two of them were able to discern her contented smile as she slept.
"Now that's funny," Cadance stated, having a smile of her own. "And also adorable. I wish I had been able to bring a camera."
Shining recognized the sleeping pony from the briefing he'd been given prior to leaving Canterlot. "She's the one that Leviathan's supposed to fight! How... how did she even get in here before us?" he murmured, incredulous. "We have the principal's keys, so did she track down the janitor or..."
"Wait, that's her?"
"Gray coat, black mane, and cat's eyes for a Cutie Mark," Shining confirmed. "That's definitely her."
Gray's tail twitched. "Where's my fishy fish dish..." she sleep-mumbled, the words trailing away to nothing as her snoring picked up where it left off.
"..." Cadance regarded Shining questioningly. "So, how do you want to do this? Just let her sleep until the robot arrives?"
"I guess so..." he decided, picking a seat at random and sitting down. "Gotta admit, from the briefing I'd expected her to be a hypercompetent law enforcer. I wasn't expecting her to act like a housecat."
Cadance followed suit. "Maybe this is just one of those 'more than meets the eye' situations?"
"We can hope."
Fun as it was, I left shortly after the match concluded. Something else that I was looking forward to needed to be done, and I didn't want to keep them waiting. The time has come to put my strength to a real test. I said good-bye to Bossa and received directions to my destination from somepony in the crowd before leaving the same way I'd left the Pyre.
My mind goes back to the letter and the package I received in the mail yesterday...
Her Royal Highness Princess Celestia
Canterlot Castle
Fairy Leviathan
Deep Sea Squadron, Neo Arcadia
c/o Burning Salamandra's Pyre of Fears, Manehattan, Equestria
Dear Ms. Leviathan,
It is my understanding that you will be fully recovered tomorrow as of your reception of this letter. After consulting my proxy on this matter, we have arranged for your test battle against this individual to take place at the indoor swimming pool utilized by Bronclyn High School. The time has been set for 10:30a.m.
In addition, please find enclosed a Dragon Fire candle. These candles are specially made to transport letters and small items directly to their intended recipient from across long distances. Simply light it, hold the item over it, and it will disappear in a puff of green flame. While they can be used for their traditional purpose it is not suggested that you do so, as you will need to extinguish the candle quickly to prevent wastage. The purchase of but one of these candles is fairly costly.
I hope to hear good things from you in the future.
Sincerely yours,
Princess Celestia
From what I can tell, these candles are basically this world's closest equivalent to instant messaging. They're basically good for words and tiny files, so to speak, but not much else. I don't know exactly what she means by "fairly" costly, though. By 'fairly' is she understating what she really means, or is 'fairly' just that: fairly?
Well, the gift was still nice in any case.
When reading the letter, I noticed more evidence that my situation is being taken seriously: they're letting me fight someplace where I would have home field advantage. Assuming that the Police interrogated those thieves, they should already know how my fights on the surface would go. By providing me access to a large source of water that I can utilize at any point during the fight, they're giving me the chance to prove myself to them and show that I'm on the same level as their champion. Obviously whoever it is won't be able to join me underwater, but if they've got magic in their corner, then that makes things even.
...Are they going to be having a unicorn fight me? If so, then I have to be ready for anything.
The school is easily identifiable, and not just because of its name emblazoned on a large sign. This building is the only one I've seen yet that spans an entire city block, as well as the only three-story building that feels to me like an actual three-story building. I won't need to worry about accidentally smashing a hole in the ceiling if I do so much as a short jump in the halls.
The main doors are locked, but the ones for the north wing aren't. Once inside, the metal gate separating the hallway in two makes it clear which way I have to go.
At the end of the hall, there's a singular door that looks like it leads into a locker room, and a set of double doors that leads to a seating area. I figure it doesn't really matter since they ultimately lead to the same place, so I opt for the latter and open them. "Hello?" I call. "I was told to meet here! Is anypony there?"
"Up here!" an unfamiliar voice calls in confirmation. Masculine, early-to-mid twenties. "Come on up!"
If that's not an invitation, nothing is.
...
As I enter, I survey the pool area proper. I can see some safety equipment hanging on one wall... life preservers, vests and the like. "Don't Gallop On Wet Tiles" signs are posted at both ends of the room. A large net lays in one corner, with a white ball, a pile of colorful plastic rings, a few other toys, and a set of foam-esque boards close by. A larger sign that shows evidence of age briefly commands my attention:
"Please Obey the Following:
If you're a pegasus, please don't dive-bomb the swimming pool.
Shower off immediately after you're finished using the pool. Chlorine does weird things to a pony's coat.
If you're overweight, remember the boogie boards are there for a reason.
The volleyball net is not a hammock.
The "Don't Gallop On Wet Tiles" signs are not there to make the walls look pretty. If they say not to gallop, you don't gallop.
We don't care how warm the sunshine is: do not sleep on the diving board. And no, you can't use "I didn't see the sign" as an excuse. This means YOU, Gray Ghost.
Bronclyn High School Faculty"
That's... oddly specific. Gray must've went to this school when she was younger, but why would they need to make a specific rule for---
My eyes are drawn to the diving board. Sure enough, Gray's there sleeping in a patch of sunshine. Of course. I don't know what else I was expecting.
"Yeah, I don't get it either," the same voice tells me, prompting me to lower my hand from my face and pay attention to him. He's a fairly sizable and muscular stallion, but not overly so. Those white and blue colors look good on him. He raises a hoof as I approach. "Captain Shining Armor of Canterlot's Royal Guard."
"Fairy Leviathan. Private citizen," I greet him in return, tapping his hoof with a fist before raising my other hand in a textbook salute. "Though you knew that already. It's an honor, Captain."
Shining chuckles good-naturedly. "This isn't entirely official, so don't feel that you have to stand on ceremony with me. I can afford to let that slide in informal situations."
I lower my hand, smiling. "Taking that as an order." I nod at the pink pony behind him, who---... Does she have both wings AND a horn?! "And you are?"
"Mi Amore Cadenza. Just call me Cadance," she tells me kindly as she gestures at Gray. "I'd actually heard stories about her from my aunt, so I decided to go along and see for myself."
Pegasus flight and unicorn magic combined into the same pony. Is she who I'm facing? She says she's not, but I'd better get confirmation. I nod and return my attention to Shining. "So, who am I going to be facing? Am I early?"
The unicorn looks puzzled at this. "You were never told?"
"No," I say. "All that Princess Celestia said to me was that I would be fighting a proxy of her choosing. She didn't say who it was going to be."
Cadance utters a long-suffering sigh, facehoofing. "Not this again, Auntie..."
Double-takes don't come quicker than this. "Wait, she's your aunt?"
"I apologize for not introducing myself properly," she answers, straightening. "I'm Princess Cadance, and I'm Celestia's niece by adoption. If she didn't tell you who your opponent was, I can only figure she was trying to get you to loosen up by having a bit of fun at your expense. She does that sometimes."
Princess Cadance. And without any sort of high-ranking status symbol like a crown or fancy robe, I had no means of determining that. Well-played. "So if you're not who I'm facing, then who is?"
"That would be..." Shining turns and points at the diving board. "...her."
At the diving board... and at the snoozing pegasus over the water. "Zzz... this is my favorite chapter..." Gray mumbles in-between snores.
"..."
"Don't give us that look," Shining complains defensively. "If Princess Celestia tells me that she's top tier, then I believe her." He regarded Gray, curious. "Though I am wondering how she intends to demonstrate it..."
I shake my head. "I'm not accusing you of lying, Captain. I'm more exasperated than anything. Neither of you tried waking her up?"
"She looked happy being there," Cadance admits. "We didn't want to bother her."
"I guess I'll do it then," I sigh, turning towards Gray. Let's see, how did Drama do this... ...alright, here we go. This will work. "Ee-hee... ee-hee... ee-hahahahahaha! Showtime, dearies~!"
"Showtime?!" Gray's eyes snap open, and she springs to her hooves... only to slip and fall off the board towards the water. "WHA--!"
A light blue magic aura snaps into existence around Gray before she can fall in, moving her to safety. "Please don't laugh like that again," Cadance requests, the slightest tinge of annoyance coloring her words. "You sound like a deranged clown."
I'll tell Drama you said that. She says she's going more for 'hyena'. "It was either that or dangle some yarn over her nose, and I've got no strings on me."
"Getting the feeling I should recognize that expression from somewhere," Shining says, almost to himself.
Wasn't aware that it was meant to be an expression. I choose to direct my next words to Gray. "You do know that sign over there refers to you, right?"
She turns, blinking in surprise as she sees that yes, there is a sign on the wall. "Wait, they still have that old thing there? I thought they would've taken that down after I graduated."
"That sign isn't exactly hard to miss," Shining points out. "I can see everything it says from here."
"Well, I didn't see it," Gray scoffs. "And the sunshine was warm. So there." She smiles, eyes glimmering with friendliness. "Captain Armor and Princess Cadance, right? You here to watch me total Leviathan?"
...I was going to say just to call me 'Levi', but...
"In a manner of speaking," Shining answers, "though I wouldn't phrase it quite like that. This is to see what Leviathan can do at her best so I can get a report sent to Celestia. We'd rather that you didn't try to destroy her."
"Fair enough, I guess," Gray says agreeably, though it doesn't keep her from pouting a little. "Give me a moment to get my gauntlets. I left them in one of the locker rooms on the way in." She trots through a doorway behind the diving board and disappears around the bend.
"While she's preparing, I might as well get acclimated," I state, smiling broadly. "Been wanting to do this for weeks now." I slip down through the railing and make tracks for the diving board. "Would you two mind scoring me?"
"Are you sure you don't want to prepare for this yourself?" Cadance inquires. "I have to believe this is serious business."
A reasonable question for somepony who doesn't know me. "Princess, this is the first opportunity I've had to enjoy a good swim since I got here," I say as I walk to the end of the board. Not counting that bit of mischief on the way to Bossa's. "Dry land is too dusty for me. Spending a few minutes underwater is how I prepare."
"...Well, alright. Sure," Shining decides. "Why not?"
I nod in thanks, backing up a few steps. My eyes close for a moment as I figure out how I want to do this.
The board isn't wet or slippery and my balance is good, so there's no danger of me slipping en route; wouldn't seriously hurt someone like me, but it would still be embarrassing. The ceiling in the room is pretty high... probably another reason why this place was chosen, as it would allow complete freedom of flight for Gray. I open my eyes to check the pool's depth: around ten feet down at this end, and four feet at the opposite end. Deeper than I would have expected from somepony half my size, at least over here.
Doesn't matter. What matters is that it's deep enough to meet my standards. "Three... two... one..."
I skip forward and bounce off the end of the board with all of my enhanced strength. I probably could graze the ceiling if I triggered a Double Jump, but I'll forego that stunt for now. One flip, then two. There's just enough time to straighten out in mid-air after, minimizing my impact with the water---
Perfect. Just enough of a splash to show that I'd dived, but nothing too flashy.
I rotate a complete 360 degrees as I shoot down the length of the pool. My boots' thrusters and my helmet's jet work in tandem to propel me through the water. Just before I would hit my head on the wall, I flip around to kick off of it instead, surfacing for a second before going back under.
Swimming around like this makes me feel free, like I have an entire realm all to my own. The pegasi and griffons have the skies to themselves. Everypony who lives on the land sees it as their personal kingdom. As for me, my domain is the sea. This laughter that the Captain and Princess are hearing right now stems from the joy coursing through my systems. For just a few moments, I can forget the problems that wait for me in the future.
Most everypony has their own opinion on what constitutes an escapism. This right here is mine.
I slow to a stop and resurface near the diving board. "So, what's the score from the Canterlot judges?" I call out.
"If I'm being honest... 9.2," Shining declares. "Excellent dive, but not enough splash."
The Captain's got some wit. Either that, or he has some 'kid' in him still. Either way, I think I'm starting to like him. "And how about you, Princess?"
"9.0," Cadance states, smiling like she's not sure what to think of me. "You get style points for the flips, but I'm not sure if they're strictly necessary."
I snap my fingers in mock irritation. "Tch. And here I was going for a perfect ten. I'll get it one of these days."
"Speaking of 'strictly necessary', I have a question for the record," Shining tells me, not quite hiding his smile at my comment. "Those jets on your feet and head. Are those responsible for your ability to swim?"
"Good question, but no," I answer. "My helmet and boots are optional items; I just like to have them on all the time. I can still swim just fine without them. Losing them just means I'd give up any real speed and have to go about it the old-fashioned way." Which is more than I can say for Fefnir and the others, I recall, smiling at a fond memory. Were they ever irritated. "And since I don't require air to live, I'm not in any danger of drowning."
Looking at Shining Armor, I'm getting the same kind of feeling from him that I got from Charity Kindheart: dependable and entirely trustworthy. As for Princess Cadance... well, she's royalty, and I've already agreed to share information with the Crown. Not being honest with them is a poor move, and it's more likely to foul something up in the future than being completely truthful. I think I can trust them with this information.
Before Shining's line of questioning can continue, a soft fluttering of wings directs our attention to Gray, having returned to the room via the door she'd left through. "I'm back. Sorry about the delay," she greets us apologetically. "I had to make sure my gauntlets were still in good repair. I haven't used them in sixteen years."
I take a moment to check out said gauntlets and whoa-ho-ho-ho-boy those look wicked. Metallic bands encase her forelegs up to the knee. Slightly elongated protusions in the general shape of cat's feet (but lacking the fuzziness) jut out from the bottom of these bands, extending into four points. At the end of each point is a claw, none of which are larger than my fingertips but all of which look dangerously sharp. Both gauntlets are made of some sort of silver-like alloy that I'm having some trouble recognizing. When Gray alights on the floor, I note that whatever the alloy is, the gauntlets' "feet" are flexible enough to rest against the tiles instead of poking holes straight through them.
Cadance seems impressed by Gray's commitment to this whole 'cat' thing. "Wow. You like to take your theme as far as it will go, do you?"
"I don't know what you're talking about," Gray denies. "Having these gauntlets makes me feel like I have a chance of winning against Fairy. Without them, I just feel... defenseless."
"You ripped up the Pyre's stairwell with nothing but your hooves and teeth," I remind her. "That's hardly 'defenseless'." Which isn't wrong. She probably wouldn't be able to actually destroy me without the gauntlets, but she'd still be able to do at least some level of damage to crucial components. Depending on your perspective, that could still be counted as a win.
Shining whistles at this revelation, but Gray ignores him in favor of looking put off. "Look. I've had forty years to get acquainted with my strengths and weaknesses, alright? Don't tell me what I can or can't do."
I tap my temple. "My sensors don't lie, Gray. When you charged the Pyre that day, my systems pegged you as a Class 'A' threat. Before that, there were only seven individuals I'd ever met who merited that much attention." I turn to regard both Shining and Cadance, giving them a rudimentary examination. Sure enough... "If it helps with the frame of reference... while I don't know what either of them are capable of, my instincts are telling me that both the Captain and the Princess here could probably take me in a one-on-one fight if they were so inclined. Like you, they both register as Class 'A'." I smile encouragingly. "Don't sell yourself short, clever kitty. You're vicious when lives are on the line."
The three of them take my statements differently. Shining has his chin cupped in a hoof (which is anatomically impressive), appearing contemplative. Whether's it's due to his opinion of me, of Gray or of himself, I don't know; any of them are valid. Cadance doesn't seem too thrilled, which I suspect is because she's a gentle pony at her core despite whatever powers she has. I'm not saying she couldn't fight, just that it wouldn't be her first choice.
...
Alertness. Confusion. So close, but out of reach.
...
Gray is looking me in the eyes, unsure. "I knew I'd caught you off guard, but I didn't think I was that threatening. Am I really that frightening when my family's in danger?"
I pull myself out of the pool and climb to my feet. Water slides off of me, unable to find any sort of hold. "Two unstoppable killing machines failed to scare me. One civilian mother left me at a loss for words."
"Huh." Gray turns her eyes away from me, pointing them towards her gauntlets instead. "My family keeps telling me that. I think even Celestia told me that once. On some level I know they're right, but I've always had trouble believing it."
"That explains why you keep calling yourself a 'humble housewife' in your letters to Celestia," Cadance comments.
"Because I am. There's nothing else I want to be. This is my lot in my life." She closes her eyes and beams brightly. I think I see the fangs that Drama told me about last week, so I can let her know she wasn't imagining things. "And I wouldn't trade it for all the world's treasures."
You can hear the sheer devotion to her family through those words. I know I can, and judging from Cadance's pleased eyes she can hear it as well. Shining notices this and nods approvingly. "Everything settled, you two?"
Gray hovers up to eye level. "Sure am, Captain."
"Leviathan, how about you? Are you done having fun?"
"For now."
"Great. The both of you get over here, please." There's a note of eagerness in Shining's tone. It's probably my imagination, but it reminds me of when I once overheard two of my technicians getting a dice game set up while they were on break. I'd said I liked him before, but that confirms it. "Let's get some ground rules laid out so that neither of you go overboard..."
I giggle at this as the both of us approach the railing. "Kyahahaha! I'm the last one you need to worry about going 'overboard', trust me."
Shining rolls his eyes. "Poor choice of words, yes, I know..."
I heard Cadance murmur something about my laughter being more natural than what I'd woken Gray up with, but I dismiss it. We've had our obligatory contemplative banter and friendly interactions. What say we move on to the main event?
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Five bucks says Levi turns gray into an ice cube in the first minute
Heh, so they're privileged with an Olympic standard pool? Nice.
Gray is ever adorable!
Chapter Update Deadline: March 18, 2022 this i find funny as that is my b-day XD
oddly I suddenly wanna see Levi teach a swimming class for foals
11171896
That is a funny idea, truthfully.
11171866
Actually, I took the details from what I remember of the swimming pool that my own high school used. It had a slope at the bottom of the pool, which let it get deeper the farther along you went until it was around 10-11 feet deep below the diving board. (I never used the deep end much, if at all. My instructors tried, but the swimming lessons just never took.)
11171745
I wont tacke that bet, but my bits are on that the match is going to end in a draw
Hm the combo of Royal title and nickname is a bit odd but could be.
exasperated
11172019
I think that's how she introduced herself in canon too. 💆
I see what you did there.
11439492
I was wondering if someone would.
Water u doing, Fairy?! U no Ultron, don't say that!
Man what is this thing anyways?
Some horses have canine teeth, called wolf teeth. IRL these are generally removed by the owner. I wonder if these are just that, or if one of her great grandparents was a Batpony...