Statuette - Part Two
Occupied with what she was doing, Statuette's ears flicked as she heard a few odd sounds that she didn't recognize. Dismissing them as background noise, she continued moving in time with the music and giving it her all, even in practice. Gathering her strength, she twisted one way but jumped in another, propelling herself into a lutz---
Her eyes popped open as a pair of somethings gripped her just beneath her wings, hoisting her further into the air before letting go. Forcing herself to stay composed after almost falling victim to a sneak attack, she kept herself balanced and finished the jump the way it was meant to be. What was intended as a double lutz had unexpectedly turned into a triple, which hadn't been part of her routine for the 'Winter' season. Her eyes cast about for what had interrupted her, and she found the culprit quickly.
Took the self-proclaimed General long enough.
A blur of white and blue had joined her on the ice. The robot that she had been sent to kill was gliding alongside her, staying perfectly balanced and mobile despite not having any skates of her own. Leviathan hadn't armed herself yet, but was instead gesturing at the ice with a cheeky little smile. Perhaps picking up on Statuette's now attentive state, she twisted and jumped into a double lutz of her own, landing the way she was meant to.
Respect and anger warred in Agent #4's mind. The liftoff was perfect. The rotations... on point. The landing... is flawless. Is she showing off? She doesn't seem immediately hostile, but sneaking up on me like that was...!
Statuette forced back her indignation at being ponyhandled and skated backwards, intent on salvaging what was left of her routine. Leviathan was watching her and mimicking her movements as closely as possible, trying to match the pony's four-legged movements with her own two-legged stance. Letting myself lose my composure like that would have meant a point deduction if this had been a real competition. I will not repeat that mistake.
...
Making a wide circle around opposite ends of the rink as 'Winter's' final movement ended, both parties slowed down and drifted to a stop on one knee near center ice. Their eyes met across a fifteen-foot gap, exchanging pleasantries and hoofshakes before their owners did. From the seats, the unsure facility staff was applauding politely. Interrupting that quiet applause were several raucous cheers, the source of whom she did not recognize.
Statuette did not let the cheers distract her as they both stood up. "Impressive maneuverability," she admitted. "I daresay your footwear's a match for the genuine article. I would've liked to see what you could have done if you had been present from the beginning."
"Excellent adaptability," Leviathan stated in turn. "You adjusted to my presence quickly. Anypony else would have tried to kick me in the face when I lifted them up."
"To me, elegance means being able to adjust to changing circumstances," Statuette told her, voice cool yet strong. "I will not show weakness to an enemy."
Leviathan shrugged. "I wanted to have some fun before our battle. If I made myself known while you were aware, you would've stopped what you were doing immediately to fight me."
Statuette didn't know what to make of this. "I have made no secret of my connection to yesterday's incident, just as how you have made no secret of your affiliation with the Royal Police. How does 'fun' enter into the equation?"
"I saw you giving it your all out here," Leviathan explained clearly. "Everything you were doing looked enjoyable, and that isn't just my association with the cold talking. The longer I watched, the more I wanted to enjoy myself too. You weren't going anywhere, after all. I could afford to wait."
...Something tingled at the edges of Statuette's hearing. She started to dismiss it, but concluded quickly that it wasn't going to go away. A strange sensation, the likes of which she hadn't experienced since... "And how about it, Siren General? Have you had your fill of fun? It is time we got serious."
Taking part in that performance, even if it was only for a minute or two, had indeed made me happy. It was tricky trying to match Statuette's movements on the fly while skating to the time of an unfamiliar song, but I think I managed it well enough. If it weren't for my present circumstances, I would try to do this some more...
Wait...
What's this feeling? Why does it feel like reality's beginning to twist a little?
Hmm, that 'subtle twisting of reality'. I believe I remember describing it in those words before...
...
I can remember what happened that day at the aquarium. My feelings for my home and my desire to return there were strong enough that this world's magic took advantage of them. I could hear music playing that the surroundings were in no position to contribute.
It's happening to me again. It isn't the same song, but there's an electronic melody trying to build itself up. Was the magic picking up on my desire to continue playing on my home turf? Statuette's ears are flicking and rotating; is she hearing the same thing I am?
Oh, this is wonderful. I can definitely take advantage of this opportunity. "Tell me something," I request of my opponent. My grin's splitting my face so much, it almost hurts. "Are you familiar with the concept of combining work and play?"
So there is a smile behind that frozen mask she's wearing. "I have done so a time or two."
I put a bit of distance between us. It pleases me to know that she has the same thought in mind; if you need to build up speed on the ice, it helps if you have the room. "Just because we're on opposite sides doesn't mean we can't turn our battle into something friendlier. We have spectators to cheer us on. Think of how fun it is to be out on the ice. Is there any reason why your final dance shouldn't be one to remember?"
The music's gaining strength. I don't know how much of it is my doing, or if Statuette's contributing to this feeling. Either way, there's no more doubt that she's aware of what's happening. "Don't feel that you have to convince me, General. I've been wanting to do this from the outset."
My Javelin manifests itself, and I snap into my battle stance. "Then let's not waste any more time on idle chatter. Do your best, and have no regrets!"
"Agreed." True to what the prisoners have told me, Statuette pulls her sword free with her wing and points it at me without fumbling it. It's a shiny stylized rapier, a match for her Cutie Mark from her profile: long, thin compared to the majority of blades, sharp, and better utilized with pokes and stabs instead of swings and slashes. "Our grace will carry the day, and our dignity will earn us the victory!"
With enough power behind it, the heartsong finally takes full effect. It's not as calm and serene as the first one I triggered, but it still somehow fits. It makes me think of the late Poler Kamrous a little, oddly.
With the music backing us up, I raise my voice in unison with my opponent. "LET'S DUEL, AND MAY THE BEST ICE DANCER WIN!"
The enemy agent makes the first move, skating towards me and picking up speed as she goes. Her unburdened wing's aiding her here. With that much velocity, it won't be long until she closes the gap.
I decide to give her maneuverability a quick test as I get out of the way. My recently-gained Gatling Harpoon activates, and I direct five blades her way in rapid succession. I'm not seeing the need to just flood the air with them: I want to let her have fun against me without giving her any sort of edge, and making it impossible for her to move would ruin that.
Statuette's not disappointing me. She scoots right, then left to avoid the first two. For the third, she bends her knees and lowers her head to drop below it, then counters the fourth by jumping and kicking it with one of her skates edge-first. The kicked blade flies out of control back at the fifth, causing them both to crash into the boards.
The skates must've been provided to her by those that sanctioned yesterday's attacks, I hypothesize as she lands. Store-bought sporting equipment shouldn't be sharp or durable enough to deal that sort of damage.
I glide close to the boards, keeping myself out of range of Statuette's sword for the moment. I'm refraining from using my Dash Thrusters; each usage of them creates a short-lived burst of heat, and while they're not enough to warm up the air at large, they would still cause any ice directly beneath my feet to start melting.
As the remaining three blades circle back towards her, approaching her at different angles, Statuette waits, bends her knees... then leaps. Her powerful bound carries her through the motions of a triple axel, the jump that her profile claimed she was the best at. Beneath her, the spearheads crash into each other and break apart as they run out of power. She lands clear of any danger from them, some whistles from those in the peanut gallery following her.
Statuette's momentum is carrying her forward at an angle that will miss me by a hair's breadth. I swing the Javelin in a Water Circle-shaped arc, aiming for her armor's frontal protection when she gets close enough. Instead of trying to stab past the Javelin before it reaches her, she instead strikes the side of the blade with her rapier, forcing it off course just enough for it to miss her.
By the time I'm able to react to the fact that she'd done that, she's past me. I turn and shoot after her---
Statuette stabs the air with impressive speed. Her rapier responds to the motions, creating an odd little crystalline pellet that shoots at me from the tip. Thankfully her aim isn't on point, and it flies past me to strike the glass barricade, vaporizing on impact---
Wait. Vaporizing?
Our respective courses have taken us out of melee range for the moment, with Statuette skating backwards while keeping her eyes on me. I need to find out what it was she just tried to attack me with, and to do that, I need her to continue her assault. "Thank you, miss! May I have another?" I call out, smirking as I beckon her forward tauntingly.
"As you wish," she agrees without any sort of irony---then curves herself back at me. Her hooves are shifting her around in an intricate step sequence that is making it difficult for me to judge what she is going to do next, or determine which angle she's going to try to attack me from.
This is a bit of a surprise given that I was expecting her to keep at range, but it's nothing I can't adapt to. I channel energy into the Javelin and rush to meet her, wanting to see how she'll handle my Charged Slash. As I get near her, I swing the blade down---
Statuette makes a sharp turn and breaks left, leaving the freezing shockwave to envelop the space she was in before. She almost wasn't fast enough, as the tip of her tail has been iced over. "Chilly," she remarks as if commenting on the weather, zig-zagging back at me and lifting off the ground in the pony equivalent of a flying sit spin.
Her hind leg crashes into the Javelin's shaft as I try to parry her strike, and a crescent-shaped wave of frozen carbon dioxide briefly bursts from her skate's blade. It doesn't last long as it is unable to bypass the Javelin, instead shoving me backward before it breaks apart.
Unable to retain her momentum from the spin, Statuette lands on all fours. Repeating her stabbing motions, she fires off a round of pellets from her rapier. Of course, I realize as I drop into my own sit spin, the pellets skimming the top of my helmet in passing. Her weapons are enchanted to create dry ice. I have to assume that sword is well-made, or else the temperatures wouldn't be helping her wing.
I rise up, halting my movement before I can reach the end of the rink. Statuette's driving herself forward again, and from the way her wing's holding her sword, it looks like she's planning on rapier-to-Javelin combat. Ill-advised, little pony.
The Javelin rises, then descends---
And Statuette slams on the brakes, arresting her momentum in time to avoid my swing. Then, before I have time to raise my weapon again, she flings her sword into the air and takes flight. No longer hindered by gravity, she stays airborne long enough to assault me with a pair of those arcing dry ice waves (right in the face, for the love of X!) before catching her rapier on its way down. With her weapon reclaimed, she stabs forward and catches me exactly mid-torso before landing, slamming me against the glass. By some miracle, the barricade does not break.
That's the speed of an athletic pegasus at work. Once she had an opening, Statuette was fast and efficient. Any one of those strikes would have been lethal against an organic target, and while my mind was fast enough to process what had happened, I would've needed to be completely on guard to stop them outright. She's slower than Gray, but not by much.
Unfortunately for her, her attacks are almost completely useless in the face of my elemental affinity. Dry ice is cold, but temperatures at the South Pole are comparable at their worst, and I was built to survive even those. Having those arcs explode in my face was the only really annoying part, and it isn't as if excessive carbon dioxide can cause me any permanent damage.
In addition, while her sword and skates are sharp, my worst fear coming into this battle has not come to pass: they are not capable of penetrating ceratanium. The laws of physics are my only real enemy here, and they did very little harm in this circumstance.
None of this is lost on Statuette as my heartsong slowly fades into nothingness. She remains still for a time, making no further move to attack but instead examining me intently as I push away from the glass. After some deliberation she sheathes her rapier and places it on the ice before me. “I concede.”
Well, now. “Finished so soon?”
“You bested three of my fellow agents, including two that used your biggest weakness against you,” Statuette explains. “The art of swordplay was only ever a hobby for me at best. The thrill of being on the ice was the only thing I had going for me. Your victory was a foregone conclusion from the start. You win, Siren General.”
I chuckle softly. “And I was having all of that fun, too...”
“So did I, truthfully. Sadly, all good things must come to an end.” Statuette turns away, her eyes distant. I don't think she's really seeing the ponies that have started cheering for us, or the signs they're holding up with numbers on them. “Including my career. This isn't how I thought it would end, but life ultimately turns a neutral eye towards our goals. My time on the ice is over. It's time I hung up my skates.”
“Actually, I'm pretty sure the Police are going to confiscate those,” I point out.
Her head's turned away, so I can't tell if she's rolling her eyes or not. “I was speaking metaphorically. ...Though now that you've brought it up, warn the Police to take the necessary precautions in handling dry ice until they can find somepony who can remove the enchantments. Without them, my equipment is nothing special.”
“Noted. Will you be alright?”
Statuette heaves a sigh. “Eventually, perhaps. Not now... but eventually.”
I stoop down and pick my prize off the ice. “I suppose elegance is what you make of it. Are you ready?”
"Almost. Just a moment," Statuette requests, sitting down. She pries open a compartment on her belt and pulls out... a quarter of a sandwich, which she eats with great relish. On finishing she stands back up and nods. "Alright. Now I'm ready."
Huh. Talk about being prepared for anything.
MISSION COMPLETE
MISSION – 100 – 20p
CLEAR TIME – 15'43 - 16p
ENEMY – 1 - 20p
DAMAGE – 2 – 20p
RETRY – 0 - 20p
TOTAL: 96p
AVERAGE: 83p
LEVEL: B
CODENAME: MEDALIST
Shut up, CPU.
My Dry Ice hardware was unlocked as a result of this fight, which shouldn't come as a surprise to anypony. As for my latest weapon, I think I startled Statuette when I jumped to the side and kicked an icy wave out of my foot. My system's calling it the Ice Slasher, which is apparently good against fire...? I don't know. I'm going to have to experiment with that one.
I escorted Statuette off the ice and helped her get her skates off, dropping them into a canvas bag she had available. When I asked her what to do with the half-full jar of jam that was sitting nearby, she said that it would be a shame to let it go to waste and told me to give it somepony else. I made a mental note to pass it on to Drama Heart when I get the chance.
I contacted Coffee-and-Cream and told her that the fourth agent was subdued. By the time we returned to Madisoat's main corridor, my two prisoners and several Police officers were waiting.
Statuette doesn't resist, letting the Police cuff her and restrain her wings. She stands at attention as they read her rights, maintaining her poise even in defeat. She even allows me to search her belt for the Reddocite that the rest of her compatriots had been carrying, which I decide to store away for later. What little damage she did is nothing that a night's auto-repair can't fix.
It's right before the Police are ready to take her away that she opens her mouth. “A question for you, General. You stated in your Minutes interview that seeking a way home was your first priority. What drives you to fight for Manehattan when any of my partners stood a high chance of halting your progress permanently? Why put your life at risk?”
“Leaving the citizens to their own devices in the face of tribulation is not the mark of a good Guardian,” I answer firmly. “And I gained the trust of somepony powerful who wants to see me return home as much as I do. Leaving the citizens without helping them first would've only betrayed that trust.”
“Somepony powerful...” the agent repeats wonderingly. “Anypony that we would be familiar with?”
I gesture at the ceiling... or to be more precise, the sky beyond the ceiling, where the sun is passing by overhead. “The one that matters most. You should know who I'm talking about.”
At this, Statuette's face flickers across an entire range of expressions, from confusion to anger, to thoughtfulness... and finally ending with a resigned sort of satisfaction. "I stand against Princess Celestia," she admits.
Outwardly, I'm expressionless. Inwardly, my thoughts are along the lines of 'What?' Some of the ponies with us are taken back, either gasping in surprise (with just a hint of melodrama) or glaring at her. I can't wait to hear this explanation.
The athlete continues talking. "Ponies need a certain elegance in their lives. A certain dignity. Wherever I go to perform, I see ponies that struggle to survive while others live the high life. Those in their gorgeous dwellings are not doing enough to keep those in their comparatively ramshackle homes from bowing out. I'm a firm believer in the fact that if we're to survive as a species, we need to better understand how to support each other. To lift up those around us when we fall and provide them with the elegance they need.
"I do not feel that the Princess has been teaching this to my satisfaction. All of her majesty, and there isn't enough of it to go around... or she's hoarding it all for herself. The worst case scenario." She hesitates. "And yet... you have been in contact with Celestia? You can confirm that she seeks a way to send you home?"
"That is correct," I tell her with all the certainty I have in that fact. "And if you don't mind an opinion from somepony who knows what it's like to serve a false leader..."
Recognition strikes Statuette quickly. "You speak of this 'Copy X'?"
A nod, then a continuation. "You can easily do much worse than Celestia, believe me. To the best of your knowledge, has she ever decided that murder was the first and best solution?"
"No," Statuette answers firmly. "I have to give her credit for that, at least."
"And answer me this: do you feel that a greedy, selfish, or otherwise tyrannical ruler would go out of their way to hug a private citizen of their country when there was nothing for them to gain?"
Statuette's mouth opens a fraction. It takes a few moments more for her to open it further and say what she wants to say. "...No, but... that feels specific. Has that happened to you?"
"Yes. Today. I was partially melted and nearly eaten by one of your cohorts. Celestia felt bad about it, so she hugged me."
"If you are lying," Statuette breathes, radiating disbelief from her pores, "I promise that I will never respect you as a living being again."
"I am being honest," I say. "And you know what else?" I stoop down near the skater and whisper in her ears. "In Equestria, it's perfectly legal to hug a Princess."
There it is: the total gobsmacked look of somepony whose surprise has overcome their manners. "Wait, what?" she blurts out, startling all of those close by. "Seriously?"
"Something about this feels familiar," Maverick murmurs near-inaudibly.
I stand up straight. "This is not my 'playful' face, so yes."
Statuette falls quiet for a time. The Police near her are tapping their hooves on the floor impatiently; I place a finger over my lips and shake my head, telling them in silence to be patient a little longer. "There is much I need to think about," she admits, regaining her decorum. "But it's going to take more than just a few words for you to change what I believe. If you want to prove me wrong about Celestia, do everything in your power to return to your Neo Arcadia. If your statements are correct, then her support of you is the key to this, I believe."
"That's the plan," I agree with a nod.
Statuette smiles in affirmation. She turns to the officers escorting her, nodding. "Thank you for your patience. I am ready to go now, gentlecolts..."
Ker-thump.
All of us start at the noise, whirling towards the entrance (or half-whirling, in our captive's case). A white-coated, green-maned pony is plastered against the glass outside, resisting the efforts of the facility's staff to drag her back. "Statuette!" she's shrieking. "I love you! Sign something for me! Statu-etttteeee!"
The skater in question sighs in tired irritation and hangs her head. "...though I will not say 'no' to some help getting to the carriage."
I can hear myself speaking, but it's not registering. "I think I may have underestimated your fanbase."
"The loony fan," one officer says sardonically. "The bane of every celebrity. Leviathan, we may require an additional escort, so..."
Wits: 73%.
I said 'Shut up, CPU'. "No kidding."
"STATU-ETTTTEEEE!"
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Pursonaly I think you could have expanded the fight more, but yes Statuette never stod a chance of wining(not just becaous Levi is the portaganist) so why prolong the enevidable.
Aah, their is allways one and never a good way to deal whit that one.
Hmm, quick, but at least Statuette knew she wasn't going to win. Still, she did put up a fight. Like how Leviathan was able to make her think of a different side of Celestia. Normally, I would say four down and four to go, but you give us more than 8 bosses this time. Unless the last ones are meant to be Fortress Bosses.
I'm also thinking that the next chapter is going a be a rest chapter for Leviathan? Fighting off four bosses can get pretty tiresome.
11466826
Most likely, yeah. Might even write a few scenes from other perspectives while I'm at it.
I never cease to be impressed by how well you match the song length to my reading speed.
Oh, and the story is good too :p
11467066
Thanks. :) Though being able to do that first part is entirely coincidental. I just try to make sure that I don't have two songs too close together.
Cheers on her realizing how outclassed she was.
The more important thing is her contributions to intelligence data on the whole event.
This was honestly such a treat to read…
Love the fact that even leviathan’s cpu snarks at her, poor girl can’t catch a break
Haven’t read in a while so i’m honestly curious what or who’s next…
Well, Leviathan can now be rather happy with her Skills, considering that she ended up getting one of the best Weapons against Fire Robots in existence. X must have really liked her to have added Ice Mans Weapon to her systems.
11477591
That has more to do with the V.W.S. than X himself. If Statuette had used a different technique from those kicking slashes, Levi likely would've picked that up instead.
I would absolutely love it if she became an ally. I have loved all of your boss characters so far, but I think Statuette is my favorite based purely on how she thinks and how she approaches problems: With grace. Also she's just a really neat character by concept.
This fight just oozes personality! Statuette's a true character! I hope we'll get to see more of her in the future!