For a filly, a trip to Vanhoover brings with it the promise of visiting a toy store, museums, and a hotel room five stories up.
Sea Swirl would never had imagined the voyage there would make her fall in love with the water and what lies beneath.
Written for Quills and Sofas’ 100th contest.
Is this a prequel to The Trek to Ice Cream Rock?
Seriously, I said it before and will again, this fic is well themed, well adherent to that theme in the young yet boundless mind of the narrator, and the character at the center of it is surprisingly well established in the first five hundred words.
Is it weird that this is my favorite part, just before the ending?
Something that shows that, even for all the interest in exploring the ocean, reality still nearly makes so ambitious a pony turn away? Just before the wave crests and they do go in and they find it to their liking?
Because it is. Showing in so few words, the inner conflict to a dream is something that few authors in, or writing about Friendship is Magic, ever do so succinctly.
And that moment, above all else, is what makes me congratulate you once again for a fantastic FIMFic.
Going to Whinnyapolis was a good choice. Swimming in salt water is for sissies.
This is a wonderful little story! I enjoyed learning about Sea Swirl's background and her fascination with sea life. Her ambition and drive really showed through in her pursuit of her dream. And like Vis-a-Versea said, showing her doubt her herself and then have that moment of clarity. I think we've all experienced that at some point and she her face that moment really sold me on her character and made this tale very relatable. Great work, Biscuit!
That brings back happy summer-time memories of going quarry diving and fresh water spring diving with my da.
Very nice bit of Slice of Life. I don't think I'll ever get tired of well-written takes of ponies finding their cutiemarks.
Wait, you wrote this in one hour?
Why'd you only make this story one chapter long?
I bet that dolphins in this world would make perfect life guards.
Incredibly cute backstory that hits home so swimmingly.
10365143
The original version ... this is the longer, improved version.
10365230
Ah, that makes much more sense. I mean, I can barely reach 500 words in an hour.
I'm glad to see more fanfics about Sea Swirl. I hope she gets a tag.
I always did like Sea Swirl, even have a plush of her.
About dolphins though, the one in the story was super nice, but dolphins have a very, very dark side to them as well..
10365958
Well, this is Equestria. Everything here is more forgiving.
10364824
Arguably, yes.
I suppose I could have tagged it as such.
EDIT: and now I have
10364892
It wasn’t a random choice, either. While I was under time constraints for the contest and didn’t have time to do full research, googling ‘best dive schools’ give me a list which included the Minnesota Comercial Diver Training Center, located in Brainerd (which I know isn’t Minneapolis, but I didn’t have time to come up with a ponification). They train in the Cuyuna Mine Pits and the Mississippi, and they do have a hyperbaric chamber; they also teach decompression tables and procedures, and we all know in a later story, Sea Swirl is very aware of decompression stops and the dangers of skipping them.
10364901
Thank you!
We have all had that moment, I think. I’ve had it a few times--heck every time I step out on stage for a performance, I wonder what I’m doing and why I’m there.
10364955
I’ve personally never gone deeper than about ten feet. Even then, swimming along near the sandy bottom of one of the Great Lakes for as long as I can before having to surface, or when I was younger, trying to find the diving dock by swimming there underwater . . . .
10365058
Thank you! I’m happy to keep providing them every now and again.
10365154
Well, first because I only had an hour to write it, and then for the edited version (which contains two major new sections and running corrections/improvements throughout) ‘cause I wanted to keep it as close in spirit while completing it.
There are two other stories of mine of Sea Swirl diving--The Trek to Ice Cream Rock and Sea Swirl’s Dive.
10365162
They probably would . . . and if you’re farther out to sea, merponies <--shameless self-promotion.
10365167
Thank you! It seemed right for her.
10365268
Correction made, thank you!
One of the readers in the contest caught that, and I thought I’d fixed them all, but one slipped by.
10365349
I can hit over 2,000 if all conditions are right, but tend to average between 500-1000 words/hour for finished-quality work (depends a lot on what it is, and how familiar I am with the characters and setting).
10365507
I’m really bummed that she doesn’t have one. She’s been around in the show for a long time, she’s a popular character--there’s no good reason why she shouldn’t have a tag. She’s been around since the very first episode.
<shakes fist>
Dammit, Knighty.
10365958
She’s a cute pony.
Yes, they certainly do. I thought about mentioning that in the blog post, but didn’t.
10366320
Most everything.
10366898
dolphins be like
10366895
I’ve written about Sea Swirl a few times. I’m not happy with any of those fanfics, but still. Do you think we could encourage people to write more Sea Swirl stories, like RainbowDoubleDash did with Raindrops?
10366933
lol
I haven’t watched that show for years.
10367186
I dunno if either of us would have much influence over that . . . as I’m sure you know, there is a Sea Swirl group that’s been around since 2013, although they don’t seem to have a lot of stories.
She should volunteer to help Pinkie set up for Parties. Balloon blowing is great training for the lungs and blood oxygen. Particularly strong, larger ones like the professional grade 32-36 inchers.
Or, she takes up Didgeridoo... and then gets banned from practicing within city limits. So she takes it to the edge of the forest, only for Zecora to chase her off with eloquent, vulgar rhymed couplets.
10368596
That’s actually not a bad idea--that would get her lungs in shape, and of course contribute to parties, so it’s a win-win.
I feel like Zecora would sing along, rather than chase her off. Didgeridoo is a fantastic instrument.
Also, turns out that there are didgeridoo ponies on Derpi.
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I was so excited when I was found this story; Sea Swirl is one of my favorite characters and she hardly gets any attention! This was a great interpretation of her backstory!
I know I'll be writing a story with Sea Swirl eventually.
10370086
Maybe. I still want to hear Zecora talk dirty. She's always had one of the sexiest voices in a show full of sexy voices.
10370154
Best I can come up with is Brenda Crichlow in an Admiral Biscuit shirt.
10370087
Thank you! Sea Swirl is a great pony!
I’ve got two other stories with her diving in them, if you’re interested
Let me know when you do!
10370165
I'll definitely read those stories eventually, and yes, I will make sure to notify you whenever the story comes out! Just need to find some way to remind myself.
10364853
Thank you!
It isn’t weird, because I think it’s a very human thing to be doing something we’ve been looking forward to, something that we think might be our destiny, and then to wonder when we’ve grasped it if we were right. I know I’ve felt that when I’ve stepped out on stage in front of an audience before; I’ve felt it at a job; I’ve even felt and still do sometimes when I hit the ‘publish’ button and then wait for comments and/or upvotes (or downvotes) to come rolling in. And how much more intense might that feeling be if your dream was on your flanks for all the world to see?
Thank you!
10370086
Sadly, one of the top webstores for balloon aficionados is closing down, so if you want to snag a few discounted 36-inch crystal color longnecks for some lung exercise and/or extended birthday partying, get 'em before they're liquidated.
https://balloons-united.com/en/product/cattex-longneck-balloon-36inch-90cm-crystal/
It's rather heartbreaking. Balloons-united has been a fixture with cofounder Maggy Berloon (so nicknamed because she's from Berlin) giving frank, unashamed interviews and blogs about what balloons mean to her.
looners-united.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/balloons-united-slider-free-balloons-de-1030x515.jpg
10370318
I’ll be honest, I didn’t even know that balloon aficionados were a thing until just now. I’m not personally a balloon person, I’m afraid.
That is too bad
10371695
Surely you don't think Pinkie gets hers at dollar stores or Target, or even Party City?
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Party City's in-house brands Amscan and Designware are rather flimsy. They're nicely soft and squeezable, but not up to anything rough like sitting and bouncing.
https://derpibooru.org/images/474755
10371746
Honestly, it’s Pinkie Pie, and it’s canon that she sneezes confetti, at least . . . so her just having good-quality balloons materialize on an as-needed basis isn’t outside the bounds of possibility . . .
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Or trustworthy enough to float a mare aloft.
Good to see some Sea Swirl again. I really like your X gets her cutie Mark stories, and this one is no exception. Have green thumb 100.
10391370
Thank you!
Adorable
10396321
Thank you!
See sea pony