Practice Makes Perfect (Spring Tide)

[Deleted]

During the Diamond Dog invasion Rapid Quill, his family and mentor were safely hidden away in the family's cellar. Not one of the dogs came even close to discovering their hiding spot due to its concealment. In fact, the only way to find it is to know where to look. From their hiding place the family could do nothing, but listen to the chaos going on above their heads. Unlike his family, Rapid Quill and his mentor both remained unusually calm throughout.

While his family tried to keep themselves calm by pacing and by breathing into paper bags, Rapid Quill and his mentor, Dr. Free Thinker occupied themselves by playing checkers, a strategic game that Rapid found himself pretty good at and Free Thinker often proved himself even better at it. Still, the charismatic engineer didn't ignore his pupil's skill at the game and told him in a teasing way that if he kept it up that he may someday beat him. Words that only served to annoy Rapid prompting the blue unicorn to declare that he will one day defeat his mentor at checkers and it will be when he least suspects it. "Oooh a challenge. How quaint, but I accept. I look forward to you beating me," he smugly told his young pupil. Undeterred the blue unicorn merely grinned. "Well look out old timer cause I'm coming," he warned.

His younger sister. Graceful Swan interrupted, "how in Equestria can you two be so calm at a time like this?" Rapid just looked at her with emotionless eyes. "Mmm...practice and besides I saw all this coming a mile away," Rapid replied smoothly. His sister gave him an inquisitive look. "What do you mean?" Rapid grumbled under his breath as he thought of the best way to explain. "Look, right now war is pretty much all over Equestria, so what made ponies here think themselves immune to the horrors of war? Just because we are Mannehattanites does not make us untouchable. Right now we are no better than Canterlot or...or Ponyville. I simply do not understand everyone else's line of thinking. Of course the Diamond Dogs could reach us. Our shields are not invincible. Any pony with half a brain could have told you that. If ponies are not prepared, if they did not see this coming then it is their own Dang fault! And you guys thought it a crazy idea to build this shelter. Ha! Guess I was right, wasn't I? Otherwise we'd be up there running about blindly like all those other ill prepared idiots up there. Poor fools nothing more than puppy dog chow now," Rapid Quill explained harshly. Graceful Swan nodded. "You...you were right. It was wise to build this place and to make it so hard to find, but must you mock the ill fortune of others? What happened to you Rapid? You used to be so sweet and kind. You were never like this," his sister questioned, clearly concerned about him. Rapid merely stared at her. He honestly wasn't sure what she meant. He wasn't cruel. "I'm just being honest here sis! I'm a writer. It's my job," he calmly explained point blank.

Then Free Thinker whispered into Rapid's ear, "you know you should really do a story on the stupidity of those ill prepared ponies. Perhaps even question the security forces of what exactly happened to the city's shield? What caused it to fail like it did?" Rapid snickered. "Oh believe me I will and it will be delicious fun," he mused darkly.

Some time after it was safe enough to come out and after much of the city had been fixed up, Rapid and Free Thinker were feeling rather depressed. They hadn't been able to get their hooves on any juicy stories. All Rapid had been able to write for the Mannehattan Inquirer were the usual happy, mundane stuff. Sure ponies read it and why wouldn't they? The stories Rapid had been writing lately were nice, positive and full of truth. Because Rapid Quill and his mentor fed off the negative emotions of others and since no pony seemed particularly unhappy, Rapid Quill and Free Thinker felt very meh. Rapid desired very much to speak with Lady Rainlock and her precious security forces regarding the shield going down leading up to the Diamond Dog attack, but wasn't exactly sure how to book an appointment with her. She wasn't exactly easy to get to after all. He prayed very much that it was the fault of some pony then he could write about him or her in the paper and ruin them and thus giving him that euphoric feeling. He yearned for that feeling of euphoria and would do just about anything to get it. The question was how he was going to get in to see her.

Well until he could figure that one out and since stories have been pretty dry lately he decided to use this extra free time to practice forming shields. After all, he needed to prepare himself in case those filthy, walking flea bags returned and since he wasn't much of an offensive fighter defense was his best bet. For years he had been learning and practicing shield spells and though he had been getting better his shields still weren't large enough to cover an entire pony. He stood on the soft sands of the beach. With the soft winds blowing through his mane, the sweet smell of the ocean water catching his nostrils, the soft, white sand touching his hooves the beach was the perfect quiet spot to practice any spell.

Taking a deep breath and concentrating really hard, Rapid Quill aimed his red unicorn magic at a nearby seashell and struggled to form a red shield around it. "Come on, come on," Rapid ordered his spell. "That's it...form."

Dr. Free Thinker boredly watched his pupil struggle. "You sure you studied that spell for years?" he taunted.

Still concentrating on his shield spell Rapid hissed, "yes."

Dr. Free Thinker smirked. "Well, you don't seem very good at it, do you?"

"Just shut your yap old timer! I'll show you yet!" At last a small red shield surrounded the seashell causing a triumphant smirk to Rapid's face. "Ha! Told you I could do it!"

The elder Earth pony merely slow clapped. "Yes, and might I say that next time I have a seashell that needs protecting I'll know who to call," he teased.

Rapid shot a glare at him. "I'm working on it! It's not as easy as it looks ya know. There's a ton of math involved," Rapid pointed out with a sharp almost catlike hiss.

Free Thinker nodded. "Hey, I know all about mathematical equations. I'm an engineer ya know," he reminded.

Rapid's eyes lit up. "That's right! You could totally help me with this."

Free Thinker's smile quickly faded. "Well, I...suppose I could give it a whirl, but I'm no unicorn. I don't really know how your magic works to tell the truth."

Rapid just smiled. "Oh don't be silly. Now just tell me how I can improve. Here's the math on it," he said using his telekenesis to hand him a piece of paper with a mathematical equation on it.

Free Thinker took a moment to look it over. He was so involved in the equation before him that he wouldn't notice if someone approached them. Rapid, on the other hand would due to his high observant skills.

ooc: Rapid Quill is wearing his green fedora and his lucky green scarf. That's all he's wearing. Oh and Free Thinker is a brown Earth pony and he's wearing reading glasses and a business looking grey shirt.

[Spring Tide]

    The Battle of Manehatten had been a brief one. As in, it had lasted a single night before the invading Diamond Dogs had been routed and their leader had been captured. Spring Tide had gotten to enjoy it while inside a commercial freezer alongside a dozen other ponies. They had been strangers and there had been little room to do any moving around, so Spring couldn't help but be uncomfortable. He had never wanted to climb into the ice box in the first place, but there he had ended up when the sound of impending doom had seemed to be just around the corner. The night had been rather uneventful except for the constant fear of discovery, and the incessant crying of the terrified children, who had only quieted when they had fallen asleep.
    
    Spring had done very little sleeping, nor had Bolt, the earth stallion that had been determined to deactivate the thermostat. The others fell asleep at some point in the night. Spring and Bolt had quietly conversed sporadically throughout the evening and became better acquainted. The frightening sounds that had seemed almost on the other side of the freezer door had died down hours ago, but the two stallions decided to wait until morning when Celestia's sun might better reveal any lurking dangers before they would emerge.
    
    Morning eventually did arrive and the other ponies awoke. The foals were thankfully calm and Marina stretched out her legs after the long night on the makeshift bed of foodstuff in sacks. Everypony had some frost on their fur. Summer was eager to see what was going on outside of the freezer, so Spring offered to be the first to go out into the grocery store. Once he had established that the coast was clear, the ponies had breakfast and took turns using the facilities. The grocery had been relatively untouched since the night before, only a few shattered windows a few doors down showed any sign as to what had occurred. There was refuse littering the streets, a broken carriage sat at the edge of the road and there were many ponies milling around. 

    Spring Tide took the time to ask around and ascertain what had occurred and what the current situation was like. He heard many wild rumors, plenty of hoof pointing was had, ponies blaming the mayor or the police chief or their neighbors for letting the dogs get past the city's defenses. There was nothing but praise for the Rainlocks, however. Apparently they had fought the invaders off and rescued many ponies from burning buildings and such. Yes, the battle had done nothing but boost the popularity of Lady Rainlock and her private army.
   
     Spring Tide returned to the grocery to find that the pony family had departed, left for home. Bolt gave Spring his address, which he wrote on his notepad and told Spring to come calling if he ever had the time. Summer and Bauble were heading in the same direction as Spring was to get home, so he walked with them through the city streets. They pondered the circumstances they would find upon returning to their homes and discussed how the rest of the country might be faring compared to Manehatten. The city had suffered some damage, but no buildings had suffered enough to need demolishing. Some would need remodeling or construction work to bring back to the state they had previously been in. The Rainlock soldiers patrolled the streets, keeping the peace or going about their business, whatever it might be.

    Spring parted ways with his companions when they reached their street. He took the time to consult his maps to find a path home then followed it. The inn had not suffered from the fighting the night before. The old donkey landlord had barred up the door and most of the patrons had hid in their rooms.

    It took a few days before Spring Tide realized that pursuing the Gray Shadow was a dead end. He checked in with his acquaintances Bluebelle and Palette to find them safe and sound and would often ask their advice about things in Manehatten. They were also the first ponies he interviewed for his new topic of journalism: the truth about the Diamond Dog invasion. What had truly occurred that night? How had Diamond Dogs managed to breach the city's defenses despite the Rainlocks best efforts to prevent it? The facts were much easier to come by then those related to his previous topic. He learned where the dogs had broken through, who their commander was, and how many Rainlock casualties there had been by interviewing an off duty Rainlock enforcer. He lacked the connections necessary to gain access to any of the city's big names like the mayor, city council members or Rainlock herself.

    Spring took the job at Bridledale's as a means to solve his unemployment problem and got to experience life as a store clerk. He learned first hoof how obnoxious other ponies could be in a high end store. In his spare time he would keep trying to find more information, but for the most part, the Rainlocks weren't speaking, and trying to find someone approachable who might know something became like looking for a needle in a hay stack.    

     On a day when Spring Tide had the day off, he traveled to the beach. It had been some time since he had sat in a place of natural beauty and meditated. His saddlebags sat further up the beach away from the water while the green unicorn rested just within the ocean's surf. With each wave that passed him he took a breath, and when it receded he would breathe out. The wet and cold had ceased to bother him, and though the salt stung his nostrils Spring Tide took comfort in the rhythm of the waves. The sun shone brightly through the breaks in the cloud cover granting a gleam to the waters. Such simplicity was calming. Ebb and flow. Ebb and flow. Breathe in, breathe out. Breathe in, breathe out.
    He had achieved full relaxation when he heard a couple ponies approach. He could tell they were stallions from their voices and one of them was using his unicorn magic to practice a spell. It wasn't nice to eavesdrop, but one of the ponies certainly wasn't being very nice to his struggling companion. Spring opened his eyes and glanced behind him to see the two stallions standing a few yards away. One was a plain looking earth pony in glasses and a grey shirt with a collar. The other was a mass of colors unlike anything Spring had seen outside of artwork. The unicorn stallion had a bright blue coat with a white spot at the tip of his muzzle, a stringy black and red mane and tail, and finally he had two accessories: a plain green hat and and an aged green scarf that looked more than a few years old. The entire ensemble made Spring's eyes hurt a little bit. The two ponies were interrupting his time of respite and relaxation. He reasoned that if he helped the unicorn with his poor spell casting, the stallion might figure out the spell and go somewhere else to practice. Thus with an annoyed groan, Spring Tide emerged from his watery resting place with water dripping from his coat and approached the unicorn. The earth pony was looking at a piece of paper and did not notice his approach, but the colorful unicorn saw Spring as soon as he began to move.

    "Hi. Is today not resplendent with beautiful weather?" He decided to start with small talk. It was the simplest way to break the ice of unfamiliarity, and who could not love a day at the beach? "Say, I could not help but notice that you were using your unicorn magic over here. What were you trying to do?"

[Deleted]

Although the good doctor did not even notice the green unicorn approach them he did not so much as flinch. Instead, he was preoccupied with doing math in his head.

Rapid Quill, however, did notice the green unicorn walking towards them. Due to his good hearing he initially heard Spring Tide coming and glanced over and saw him. Immediately, Rapid Quill stopped what he was doing to size up the green unicorn and look him over. He noticed the other's colorful cutie mark, but had no idea what it even meant. But before rapid could say anything the green unicorn spoke. The blue unicorn just looked at him funny when Spring said what he already knew. He wasn't blind or oblivious to the world around him. He could tell the day was nice and that the beach was so relaxing; which was precisely why he chose the beach to practice his unicorn magic. Surely the green unicorn could understand that. Still Rapid saw no reason why he shouldn't play nice with the stranger...for now. After all, he could very well be a deliciously entertaining distraction and even a way to boost up his own melancholy mood.

So clearing his throat he walked up to him and replied in his thick Manehattan accent, "why yes, yes it is. Isn't it? And that is precisely why we're here. The beach you see is so calming and the air so clear. And just take a nice long look at those ocean waves. Why under the bright sun they sparkle like diamonds. The sand, the wind flowing. I simply couldn't resist. it is simply the perfect spot to practice my..." His face pinked upon the realization of how long he had went on about the beach and he quickly recomposed himself. "That is to say your accent, you...you're not from around here are you?" he questioned. The stranger's voice was one of the first things Rapid noticed about the green unicorn. "Not that there is anything wrong with that, but I am curious. Whereabouts are you from?" he further questioned.

His smile faltered a bit at the newcomer's second question. Face reddening, Rapid thought about how to best answer him without looking like a total novice. He shifted his right forehoof absentmindedly into the sand as he thought. "Oh...that I was just um practicing a...a," his voice then lowered into that of a soft whisper, "a shield spell that I've been learning from one of my books."

Up until now Free Thinker had been quietly mumbling to himself as he focused on trying to improve on his pupil's math despite the fact that he honestly did not know much about unicorn magic being an Earth pony and all. But at the newcomer's second inquiry he was quick to interject. Snickering he set down the paper and turned to face Spring Tide to look him over just as Rapid did. Sitting next to Rapid he smirked. "Oh he was just trying to use his unicorn magic if you can even call it that to protect some very helpless seashells," he interjected before Rapid could stop him and then he busted out laughing earning a glare from his less than amused pupil. Unlike Rapid he himself did not carry a Manehattan accent since he was not from Manehattan. "I'm sorry. I'm sorry it's just hilarious seeing you struggle like that. Seriously, you should just put yourself in the paper," he teased in between laughs. In response Rapid Quill's horn glowed red and lifting up a rolled up newspaper he had he gave his mentor a quick smack over the head. "Doctor please control yourself. Really now I've had just about enough out of you, but I see I am being rude too with my failure of not introducing you sooner. As well as myself." He then paused a moment to clear his throat. "I am Rapid Quill and this rather...charming Earth pony sitting before you is my...mentor and good friend, Dr. Free Thinker. He's a mechanical engineer you see and he's agreed to help me improve my um shield making abilities. After all, we must all be prepared for the Diamond Dogs' inevitable return. I mean really was any pony really surprised that those loathsome fleabags managed to break though our defenses after they managed to attack the rest of Equestria? I know I wasn't. I saw the whole thing coming a mile away. The question after all was not if the dogs could get in here, but when. And I imagine they will not rest until Manehattan falls. Just you wait they'll be back and when they do I..." he stopped upon realizing he had been ranting yet again. "Oh dear I was ranting again, wasn't I?"

Free Thinker finally stopped laughing and nodded. "Yeah you were. But we got ya. You're planning on saving all of us with your minuscule little shields. If the Rainlocks' shield and defenses failed what makes you think you could ever do any better?" he once again teased though this time he admittedly made a good point that not even Rapid could argue. So instead he just stood there silently for a few seconds staring blankly at the ground. "You're right I can't do better. But I can still improve my shield making skills. Surely I can get it large enough to cover a pony. Still, the outer city's shield. I wonder whose fault it was that it went down? I simply must find out and write about them," he happily exclaimed until his mentor interrupted him with a prod reminding him of Spring Tide's presence. Blushing he rubbed the back of his neck. "Oh so that I can warn all of Manehattan of them of course! Ponies have the right to know the truth!" he quickly added looking rather pleased with himself. Unimpressed Free Thinker just rolled his eyes.

Clearing his throat he looked back at Spring Tide. "So you now know our names. What was yours?"

[Spring Tide]

    The unicorn who stood before Spring Tide seemed to enjoy the majesty of the natural world as much as he did. That certainly earned him brownie points. He was quick to change the subject about the magic casting though. That could be addressed in a moment. “I hail from Canterlot originally. I grew up there, though I have been traveling the country for a few years now.”

    Tide’s neutral expression gained a small smile of sympathy when Rapid Quill told him about trying to learn a new spell. The poor colt was embarrassed that he was having a hard time getting the spell to work. Any unicorn mage could relate, because for the most part, ponies usually only had a knack for magic that related to their special talent. A unicorn could still potentially learn a few spells beyond that, but they were not as potent or easily cast as the special spells. Or so Tide had learned in his Arcane Theory courses. An abjuration spell sounded like an excellent choice with which to expand one’s repertoire.

    The rude doctor’s gibe earned a frown of disapproval from Tide. Being an Earth pony, Freethinker could not hope to understand the struggle that most unicorns faced to be able to alter the very fabric of the universe. Still, he had a doctorate in mechanical engineering. Such an impressive feat meant that the pony had intelligence and dedication. Although, intelligence did not presume anything like kindness or courtesy it seemed.

    Quill began to rant about the Diamond Dog invasion. He made a couple fair, if frightening points. “Well, Manehatten is a huge and complex city. I guess for many, the horrors of the war were too removed, too subtle, and it let them pretend that it was not happening or that it was not their problem. In truth, it is all of our problem. I must admit, I was one of those foolish enough to be lulled into a sense of safety. The recent attack has likely broken through that fantasy for most. Whether ponies are willing to face it or not, it is happening and we need to do what we can to stop the conflict before it destroys everything.” Tide had apparently gone on to rant himself. He had not realized that he had much to say on the subject.
    
    Quill’s determination to improve himself was commendable. He would do well to ignore neighsayers like Freethinker. Quill had said that the two were friends, so there was likely more to Freethinker than what Tide was seeing at the moment. He would reserve judgement for more than just general unpleasantness. Still, the doctor did not need to tease his friend about something that he was obviously struggling with, especially when he was ashamed of his consistent failure. “You just keep trying to work that spell, Rapid. From what I saw, you are about half way over the mountain. If you maintain your concentration and keep at it, the manifestation should get easier.” Whether it was true or not, Tide’s natural inclination was to lend his support to the struggling student of magic. He smiled kindly to further convince Quill.
    
    Freethinker mentioned something about Quill writing, which piqued his interest. “I think that getting the word out about what happened prior to the attack is a wonderful idea. Do you… Do you write professionally? I must admit, I have tried my hoof at journalism, but I do not know anyone in the city who could provide me with useful information. It is really hard to start out as a news writer,” Tide explained. “My name is Spring Tide. I am pleased to make your acquaintance.” The green unicorn offered his hoof to Rapid Quill.