The Quiet Kid: Sicut Vult

by aegishailstorm

Friends With Benefits: Part 2

"Speak like your life depends on it! Because it does!" William continued to tangle with the strange creature. But still, it didn't let up. It's ears stayed perked up, and it growled and bared its fangs.

"William! Let go! You're hurting him!" The Quiet Kid glanced behind him, to find his 3 companions struggling their way out of the water. Joey stepped ahead of the other two, but was slowed down by his fins. He remained just at the water's edge. William's glance of concern turned to anger.

"He tried to kill you! Twilight may be fine letting stuff like that slide, but I take death threats to my friends just a little more seriously than your average pony!" He waved his sidearm around. The shark-pony thing continued baring his fangs. But, this time, he was answered with a growl. Not as pronounced as the one he had gotten when he had first pulled the thing out of the water, this one was more reminiscent of what a cat would make if you tried to get too close to it too quickly.

"Can you even talk in the first place?" William heard a groan behind him.

"He's not going to talk to you, I can tell already." Crimson Starwatcher grumbled, removing her fins and stepping out of the water, she walked right up past William and looked the creature right in the eyes.

"If you won't talk with my... 'Associate' here, how about me." The wolfpony shrank back her lower muzzle, exposing her own fangs." Let's talk, predator to predator. " This actually resulted in an entirely different response then what she had been expecting. The shark stopped growling, and started... Giggling?

"What is-"

"Oh, pardon me Mrs. 'I own everything'. But you're in my reef! What are you doing here!? Oh, just wait until the rest of my pack gets here!" William's eyes widened.

"So you can talk! Huzah!" He cautiously moved the gun barrel away from the creature's head."

"What are you, some kind of surface dweller?" The sharkpony asked, his voice full of both contempt and humor as he spoke to William. Who grinned in amusement at the creature's statement.

" Sweet Lady Liberty! Someone call up Aquaman! But in all seriousness, that was exactly what I expected you'd say!" He turned back to Joey and winked.

"You did tell me after we first met the Hippogryphs and seaponies that if we met any other sentient aquatic species here that they'd probably call us, 'surface dwellers'."

"There's nothing I can do about it." William admitted with sarcasm. "It's better than, 'piece of shit meddling tourist.' Right?" Joey thought for a moment. And then nodded in agreement.

"Absolutely."

"So..." William turned back to the sharkpony. Who grimly stared back at him in return.

"You've got my attention, what do you want?" He sneered, scuffling his muzzle to reveal his fangs. But, oddly enough, he still kept the tone of his voice down.

"What do you want me to say?" The sharkpony replied snarkily, his tail swaying from side to side.

"Why did you attack my friend!? We were minding our own when you came up and tried to drown him!"

"That merpony!? Where is he!?" The creature resumed struggling, pushing and kicking with his hind legs, William adjusted himself, his ears slanted backwards.

"Joey, hold him down with your magic. I don't have time for this!" William holstered his sidearm as Joey leapt out of the water and onto the wet sand. Shaking himself dry, he ignited his horn, and a magical aura enveloped the sharkpony's front legs. The beings gaze instantly shifted from William to the alicorn standing on the sand a few feet away from him.

"You! Agh!!!" William's scowl turned to a grin as the sharkpony began to scream bloody murder at his friend.

"You merpony's and you shapeshifting tricks! Agh! Why can't you just leave us alone!?" William's grin remained.

"Sorry to... Burst your bubble- But that's not a merpony, that's an alicorn. The thing he was wearing was called a monofin. It's designed to help you move through the water faster and more naturally than normal." All of a sudden, the sharkpony's eyes went wide.

"I'm... I'm so sorry. You looked so much like one I thought-" William facepalmed, and stood up, the sharkpony remained where he was. The color drained from Joey's face.

"It's alright, it's alright you made a mistake." The alicorn trotted up and put a hoof on the sharkpony's rough skin.

"I was going to eat you!" Joey's eyes widened, and he backed away. The shark quickly changed his sentence to. " Or-or, I would have eaten you if you were a fish!" He laughed uncomfortably and crossed his forehooves. He began to shake uncontrollably.

"Umm.... listen, you're not going to kill me over this, right?" Crimson Skywatcher didn't look all that amused by that statement.

" Maybe not either of them-" William raised his hand, which was still encased in a webbed glove, making the whole scene look far more awkward than it otherwise would have. "We don't know how many other sharkpony's, or whatever else are out there. If we make him swim with us to shore, then that'll guarantee the safety of all of us that can't fly. He eyed his three companions, who all returned it with faces that ranged from indifference to worry.

"Ugh!" Crimson complained. " Can't you just summon a raft or something? These fins are expensive, and I'd rather not ruin them with shark blood. Although now that I think about it..." She smiled to herself. Nightshine meanwhile, facehoofed and shook her head in utter disapproval.

"We can't obviously just kill him. And we can't let him back in the water either." The creatures face scrunched back into a scowl.

"I said I was sorry! What more do you want from me!? My tail? My gills!? My head!?" The intrusive thought of Crimson Starwatcher mounting the sharkpony's stuffed head up in her front room and kissing it goodnight every single evening passed in and out of William's mind. But he judiciously kept his laughter suppressed.

"Well then, it's settled." William snapped his fingers, and a small rubber package appeared in his hands. He walked over to the water, until he was ankle deep, and gently set it down, he grabbed a cord on its side, and blew the inflation charge on the side, there was a puff of smoke, and William stepped away as it rapidly inflated into a raft big enough for the four of them, one not included.

Crimson, do us all a favor and fly back to shore, alright? Try and see if you can't find Luna. I've got some words to have with her. Actually no, never mind that. She's on vacation. And this doesn't concern her. But I'll find someone who does!" William looked back at the shark pony. He drew his gun again, and pointed at the boat.

"Nightshine, would you mind-" William didn't even have to finish his sentence, the shark pony simply stood up and shambled into the boat.

"Well?" William asked. The shark pony remained silent through the boarding process. And didn't even open his mouth until they were over water.

"What are you going to do to me?" William arched an eyebrow, then laughed. He scrunched down and looked into the shark pony's eyes.

"Well, we ain't gonna hurt ya, if that's what you're implying." The sharkpony's pupils widened.

"There is no way you are telling the truth. Just moments ago I heard you-"

"It's called sarcasm. I'm surprised you of all species don't know what it means. I was not being serious, but simply joking with my friends." The creature turned his head to face Joey and Crimson once again. Who returned his blank and perplexed expression with awkward smiles.

"Um... I have a question about you."

"Go on."

"Have you ever been on land before? I mean, before William wrestled you out of the reef like something right out in a Greek myth." The shark raised an eyebrow. "I don't know what you're talking about, but yes. I have been on land before, that very Island in fact. My pack brought me there when I was young. They wanted to show me that there was nothing up there-here worth staying for. But I was fascinated by the that those land corals."

"Trees?" Joey corrected. The shark quickly nodded. "Yes, trees. I could not simply go and live there, no. I like the sea oh so much more. And so I took up residence in this reef. There is a cave somewhere down there that serves as my house."

"What do you eat? Excluding the odd pony or human passerby, that is." William asked, shuffling his way up to the front to the raft while struggling to keep himself balanced.

"Fish. Mostly fish. And various types of seaweed." The creature responded, curling his tail and gritting his fangs.

"Alright, here's a big one. What's your name?" Joey and William asked in unison. The shark shifted uncomfortably.

" I haven't had anyone ask me that in a while... Sharkponies aren't exactly fond on names, I suppose mine would be... Greytail."

"Well ain't that original." The Quiet Kid mumbled. " It is... Nice to meet you, Greytail." The creature cracked a smile, but remained silent.

About a minute and a half of paddling latter, and their raft came to a stop on the sandbar just 10 feet from where the water met the golden white sand of the beach.

"Now, who do we have here?" A flash of blue light revealed the alicorn form of (former) Princess Luna. Wearing a blue Hawaiian shirt, and a pair of oversized sunglasses.

"Hmm... Facinating." She murmured. William arched an eyebrow." Mornin' Luna. We stumbled across this, um... Sharkpony when he tried to drown Joey." Luna's expression grew stern, she walked around Joey, examining him, and then turned her attention to Greytail.

"This is certainty not what I was expecting when I first came here. You would do well to find Fluttershy, she has experience in this sort of thing. I am not the pony to ask."

"Alright, well..." It was then Crimson Starwatcher walked up from behind them. Soaking wet and with a big grin spread across her face. The Quiet Kid turned to her.

"Where have you been?"

" Finding another shark-" She paused, and bit her lip. All eyes were now on her. William sighed, and rested his hands on his dive belt and holster.

"You found another one? Oh well... I reckon this oughta wait until after lunch. I'll go wind up some Jimmy Buffet, and we'll see what we have in the way of cheeseburger makin' supplies!" He clasped his hands together, and began to walk off, replacing his dive gear with a grenade pattern Hawaiian shirt and a set of cargo pants.

"Is he... Ok?" Greytail asked the others. Luna turned to the sharkpony with smug look on her face. "I've seen his dreams, you wouldn't believe it."

"I just spoke with him. And I can already empathize with you." The sharkpony replied. Nervously glancing about at the dozens of confused and terrified beachgoers.

"We should get you out sight." Joey told him.

"Indeed." Responded Luna, trotting up to Greytail. "Come, I'm sure you have many questions about the surface. Allow me to entertain them."

Comments

[AmlpfanREADER]

" I haven't had anyone ask me that in a while... Sharkponies aren't exactly fond on names, I suppose mine would be... Greytail."

Hmmm...Greytail? sounds like a warrior cats name