Author's Notes:

I wonder how many will get the reference near the end... lol.

Dawn Palace Hall, Canterlot City Equestria #2651915

Alexis exhaled softly, dressed in a similar outfit from the previous day. It was a deep sapphire pair of baggy pants that had fairly large pockets whilst he wore his belt around his hips with his Token acting as the Belt Buckle. He wore a dark cream, almost pale coffee, undershirt with a cream and pale golden edged vest he had cinched shut over it.

He took a deep breath before he felt his bare and calves covered by deep metallic crimson boots and shin guards. He had left his surrogate adopted sister resting as she’d seemed extremely relaxed after the bath, almost catatonic.

“No doubt that I kinda embarrassed Princess Celestia, either that or she’s busy. If that’s the case, I should try…. training. If Sigma is around, we can’t run the risk of fighting him and not knowing what we’re doing,” he muttered. He knew the spectral forms of the Reploids linked to him likely agreed.

He smirked slightly as he noticed a nearby balcony before he darted quickly towards it, hearing hoofbeats growing louder before he vaulted over the railing, somersaulting as his hand reared back, golden red digital flames flaring up before his hand snapped across, a ring of ruby lights flaring forming a screen of energy before he dropped through it, landing in Zero’s armor with a heavy crunch. He heard a gasp before he glanced to the side, seeing Princess Celestia looking mildly startled.

“You just leaped from a fourth story balcony, roughly forty five feet off the ground,” she murmured in mild shock.

“Meh, where’s the fun in taking the stairs? Too boring, in my opinion,” he quipped back, making her laugh as he straightened.

“You do have a point. The stairs are okay for gathering one’s thoughts, yet…. If you want to just forget… no better way than flight,” Celestia teased.

“That or a good, long, steady run. I can never really decide which I prefer more, the night, a good sunrise, or a good sunset. They all have appeal of different sorts, much like a good long soaking bath, a bubble bath, or a shower in comparison,” Alexis said wryly. He noticed the thoughtful look Celestia gained.

“What is the longest steady run you’ve done?” she said curiously.

“Hmmmm. I’m not sure. Only one way to find out, though. I assume you have some sort of course,” was his reply.

Celestia smirked, chuckling. “Perhaps I do, though I will admit that it is rather… fun,” she quipped.

She half turned, glancing from side to side. “Only those elite amongst the Guard know of this. Young Shining Armor is in training to be the upcoming Captain of the Guard, hence why he is not here. He has as much potential as you do, though I must admit that you seem to be instinctively familiar with the aspects of physically enhancing your body with magical energy,” she commented.

“I’ve been thinking back to a comment Shining made when we were on our way here from where the airship landed… he claimed that I somehow propelled myself up the railing rather than running up it as I’d intended. It seems that I can focus the nanites within my body into different forms and, if I’m right, even store weapons within them, hence why I lack the Z-Saber at the moment,” he said thoughtfully.

“Z-Saber?” Celestia echoed blankly. In reply, his hand flicked out, silvery liquid forming into the hilt of a blade before a golden red energy blade of a little over a foot an inch or two shot out, crackling softly with small, luminous arcs of golden flame.

“This. It is Zero’s standard weapon, though as I seem to have the BioMetals of the others, I can access their weapons as well, if I’m right,” Alexis said thoughtfully.

“I assume that they are ranged, as well?” Celestia commented.

“Harpuia’s weapons are mid to long ranged, as are Phantom’s, though I think the latter is more of a close to mid ranged combatant primarily,” Alexis commented, noticing a hidden doorway opening in the wall where the running path seeming curved into the wall. “Nice disguise. Disguise it as the wall, when in fact, there’s much more behind it when most would assume it is merely an area to turn around,” he commented with interest.

Celestia smiled, then laughed softly. “Quite cunning, aren’t you?” she teased.

Alexis shrugged wryly as he focused, the armor dispelling in tendrils of ruby light and flames, leaving him in the clothes he guessed Celestia had had laid out for him, revealing he was barefoot.

“Do you not need hoofwear?” Celestia said curiously.

“Footwear? Meh, I can use the nanites to form them if need be. What sort of course is in there?” Alexis said with a shrug.

“Rather challenging, although I do not know what you would be used to,” she teased with a playful smirk.
Alexis cocked an eyebrow, amused. “Oh? Let’s see it,” he quipped, chuckling. He let Celestia lead the way before his eyebrow rose, seeing the course as it looked like halfpipes turned at a thirty degree angle as well as ramps, jumps, and dips of varied heights as well as staircases and balancing rails as well as vaulting jumps before he tilted his head, noticing quite a few of what appeared to be sprayers for water and streams that emptied into pools.

“What do you think?” Celestia quipped.

“Quite impressive. Looks like it challenges every part of the body,” he said with interest.

He hummed softly, thoughtful. “It’s going to be a challenge to complete, it appears,” he said wryly, rolling his shoulders as he snorted a soft laugh as Celestia trotted regally down onto the stairs onto the course. He took two steps before vaulting off, somersaulting before landing in a low crouch and rolling through the landing.

“You willing to race? Or are you scared?” Celestia teased.

Alexis smirked, chuckling. “Are you? After all, it’s no fun if you run the course alone, unless you’re doing a ‘time trial’, though I have to admit that I am curious which of the BioMetals I have access to are the fastest… though… I do wonder if I can mimic a particular move from another armored individual,” he said his tone amused before shifting to thoughtful near the end. “I doubt I would use a tactic like the Morph Ball, if I can even mimic it… though it’s more likely I’d be a MBB,” he thought wryly.

“MBB?” he heard Zero mutter in his mind, sounding confused.

“Morph Bowling Ball. My ass ain’t that small,” he quipped, before hearing a facepalm.

“Idiot,” he heard Phantom mutter dryly.

“What fun is life if you can’t laugh at yourself?” he chuckled, amused as he bent his legs. He suspected how he’d employ it would more be along the lines of a more armored shoulder roll than as Samus Aran might employ her Morph Ball. As he focused, lightly armored shoulder pads formed over his shoulders and upper back, enclosing the tops of his shoulders and shoulder blades.

He noticed Celestia smirking out of the corner of his eye. “Let’s roll,” he quipped, smirking as he rolled his shoulders, half crouching before he shoved off as Celestia shot forward before he vaulted up the stairs, skipping every other one before he leaped off, managing to keep his balance on the rolling log, glancing momentarily over to see Celestia managing to keep her balance as well before rolling over on her side before regaining her hooves.

“Whew,” she huffed.

“Nice recovery,” Alexis praised, amused. He paused, half turning before an impish smirk crossed his face. “What would really be a challenge… would be doing that on your hands… or… forehooves, I think the word would be?” he said carefully. He saw Celestia grin as if she found that idea hilarious.

“Seems you have a prankster streak in you as well, don’t you, my dear Student?” Celestia chuckled.

Alexis shrugged, smirking. “It’s fairly easy if you expect it or know the course well, as I’m certain you do, but doing it in an unexpected way puts a challenge on it that nobody sees coming,” he said wryly, turning back to the course before darting ahead, amused as he heard Celestia’s sharp gasp as if she were surprised, though he was almost certain it was feigned.

He smirked as he heard her hooves galloping steadily before he pushed off the trampoline, catching the first rail of the tilting monkey bars. He noticed immediately that some of the rungs were missing, though he also noticed that there were two separate sets of bars. “Hmmm, this looks interesting,” he murmured, swinging from one to the next, a bit surprised to see Celestia pulling slightly ahead, swinging smoothly from one foreleg to the other before swinging for a moment; it was then that he noticed the vest that covered her wings, making it so she couldn’t employ them.

“Probably wants more of a physical challenge,” he thought curiously. He caught the final bar, then swung, catching the next set of bars before swinging himself to the next, then skipping one before he attempted to swing to the pad where Celestia stood, watching. He only realized when he let go he did so too early before he grunted, the impact of his hamstrings and lower back somersaulting him backwards into the pool.

“Felt like cooling off, ‘Lexie?” Celestia quipped, giggling as he surfaced.

Alexis shivered as he managed to pull himself out of the pool onto the pad with a bit of help from Celestia. “Do you always have the water cold in here?” he said with a clearing of his throat.

“No, but you could consider it added motivation,” Celestia said with a smirk that made him get the sense she wasn’t telling quite everything.

“That tends to happen when one gets a little heated competition,” he quipped, to which an amused Celestia stuck her tongue out playfully.

He saw her shift her weight before he started forward quickly, hearing Celestia gasp in surprise as he vaulted across the bouncy platforms which were at most half again the size of Celestia's hooves and slightly smaller than his own feet, spinning on the last one before pausing his leap for just a second as he noticed a slight bluish glow before he shot backward and upward in a Dash Jump as he just managed to spin, sliding along the tilted curve before he noticed his feet were gliding along on a slight cushion of glowing pale bluish green air as he pushed off with the balls of his feet before he cut the flow as he planted both feet and shoved off powerfully in a stalled somersault and caught the hanging bar.

“Damn…” he managed.

He rolled his shoulders, his eyes drifting half closed before his muscles flexed, his muscles and core tightening before releasing with the intense power of a coiled spring before he jerked free the bar, then set it higher, repeating the motion several rapid times.

He heard the clacking repeating before he noticed Celestia smirking next to him as he caught the next rail, which he noticed was set on an incline that would swing him down onto a cargo net.

“Over, or under?” Celestia quipped before he saw her sliding down the incline before launching into the net and quickly scrambling up and over before he smirked, snapping his hips forward which sent the rail sliding down before he slid swiftly underneath the net in a few quick shimmies and grabs as he saw Celestia pause, turning to look back up before he saw her blink, noticing he wasn’t at the top of the sliding rails before his hand swatted her flank, amused as she jerked in surprise, looking down where he sat before he rolled to his feet.

“Under, myself. Faster than rolling over, though I can’t shake the feeling I’ve seen a similar course before somewhere,” he said wryly. He sighed softly as he half closed his eyes as he rolled his shoulders.

He smirked slightly as he rolled his shoulders again before he pushed off, sliding momentarily down the short slope before he shot up the sharply curving wall, his fingertips grazing the edge of the top of the warped wall before he heard Celestia’s hooves pounding quickly as he slid back down before he felt the energy cut off from his feet, providing him with more traction. “Just what I need at the moment. Speed is useful, but in this case, traction is more useful,” he thought before he twisted, pushing off quickly, amused as Celestia yelped in surprise as he all but shoved her up and over the wall, amused as she tumbled down the lightly sloping ramp into the pool below as he pulled himself up and over the wall, crouching as he snickered, seeing the soaked Princess push herself out of the pool.

“Did I cool that competitive streak down any, hime?” he teased, unintentionally using the Japanese suffix for ‘Princess’ to tease Celestia further.

Celestia smirked as she shook herself, deliberately getting him soaked all over again. “What competitive streak?” she quipped as she turned, lightly swatting her student across the chest before he pushed off, catching one set of rings on the set of hooks which they’d have to swing from one to the next using the rings, though the second and third sets went at both downward, then back upward angles, the last sharper than the first, which was a gently rising angle. She jumped onto the opposing set of rails, swinging from one to the next, although it was possible to skip one or two with each swing, though she found it more challenging to do each and every hook. She heard her student grunt as she heard a thud before she glanced his direction, seeing him lying half on, half off the mat before he rolled onto it before she blinked, seeing a deep silvery blue aura flickering around him, levitating him to his feet before he exhaled, blinking as if surprised.

“Hmmm, self levitation tends to be a bit tricky, but you seem to pull it off fairly well,” she remarked as she swung off the rings onto the padded mat. “Some of the guards dubbed this the Spider Crawl,” she remarked thoughtfully. It was two walls which one had to press both forelegs and rear legs and shift weight from one to the other to move forward.

Alexis cocked his head, noticing there were sections that had rotating brushes almost like those in a car wash, though he suspected that was more to distract than anything. He glanced at Celestia, seeing her smirking slightly as if she knew something he didn’t. He cocked his head, his irises glowing a warm emerald-aquamarine. Looking closely, every ‘bristle’ of the brushes were soft microfibre cloths. He cocked an eyebrow slightly, his gaze flicking to Celestia again before he darted forward, pushing off before pressing both his feet and hands to the walls before tucking his legs forward, and snapping them outward a couple of feet further down the wall before tightening his core and leaning forward sharply, catching the walls with his hands a second time.

What caught him off guard, however, was that the ‘brushes’ were soaked with warm water, a very noticeable difference to the colder water of the pools. He shuddered slightly as one ran right down his back, though what caught his attention almost immediately were the suds that slid down his arms, trying to make his grip and balance more difficult. He cocked an eyebrow as he glanced back at Celestia, certain she’d known about this before he gasped, surprised as the one right behind it did the same to his front, making him shudder as the ‘brushes’ felt surprisingly good on his body. He cocked an eyebrow as he managed to push past it before he noticed the last few feet of the Spider Crawl was, in fact, a ramp… with three of those rotating brushes in close proximity to one another. “If I didn’t know better, I’d say she was pranking me… probably expecting me to slide headfirst…. Though I won’t say it isn’t tempting,” he thought, managing to catch the edge of the ramp before he heard Celestia giggling as if she too enjoyed the brushes as he just saw her sliding beneath the first brush as she tossed her head, her saturated mane glittering subtly in the light of the tunnel. He glanced up, seeing that it was open to the outside air, though he had to wonder how ponies hadn’t yet noticed the course from the outside as he pulled himself onto the ramp… and the suds coating himself and his clothes almost immediately sent him sliding down into the brushes. He shivered, feeling his clothes almost immediately become saturated with the warm water and whatever detergent or soap was on the brushes as he kept his eyes closed as he felt the brushes massaging almost every inch of his body… and he did mean every inch, even places he knew normally didn’t get anything there. He gasped as he was dumped out onto his back, essentially a pile of soap suds before he managed to roll over as he saw a second, somewhat larger pile of suds slide out before he saw Celestia’s head poke out of the suds, which ran down her mane and face before she laughed.

“Refreshing, isn’t it?” she giggled.

He shook his head, managing to shake off most of the foamy suds from his face. “A bit, though I have to admit that that was… interesting… for an ending,” he admitted. He saw Celestia grinning before she yelped in surprise as the platform dumped them abruptly down a long, winding ramp, landing them into another pool… this time of steaming warm water. He was mildly confused before he spotted Cadence demurely letting go of a handle and cord, a small, playful smirk crossing her face.

“Did I do that?” Cadence said with a straight face.