//------------------------------// // Consequences // Story: Tales of the Battle Foals // by Sirdubya //------------------------------// Quantum Tech and the bandits she bandaged ran into the inner room in a panicked state. “BOSS!? BOSS!?!? YOU OKAY!?” “WHAT HAPPENED IN HERE!? WE HEARD THE EXPLOSION!!” Quantum said. “Oh dear!” Greensprout noticed the wounded bandits and went to work right away. The bandits thanked her. Rocky Mountain shot a glare at Quantum Tech, who cowered a little, seeing just what a big mare she was. “Yer little friend there happened, that’s what!” She motioned her head towards Bullseye, who was struggling against Shadow Shroud and Zebota’s grip. Air Slash drew one of his swords and held the blade at Bullseye’s neck. “I think you’ve done enough for one day.” He growled. Bullseye angrily panted and fiercely glared at him. “Whaddya gonna do? Kill me?” she taunted. Fire Fight gently pushed Air Slash’s sword away from Bullseye. “Ease up, dude. We don’t want to provoke her.” he said. While reluctant, Air Slash withdrew his blade from Bullseye’s neck and sheathed it. Fire Fight then turned to the bandit leader. “Rocky Mountain, right?” Rocky Mountain huffed from frustration. “Yeah, that’s me. Mind telling me who you are and why you unleashed this little arrow devil on us!?” Fire Fight sighed. “Sorry…..we didn’t mean for her to do all of this…We found that train you derailed and robbed and it’s dead conductor, so we came to confront you about it. We just wanted you to pay for it…” Rocky Mountain’s frustrated expression turned to being somewhat amused upon hearing that, and she chuckled a little. “You serious? Tch, ha! What are ya, the kiddie cops or somethin’!?” “Boss, they’re way tougher than they look! That one with the hammer right there is the one who caused that little earthquake.” “The zebra’s got a pet timberwolf, and the one with the glasses has a big robot suit outside.” “Yeah! And the blue unicorn there held her own against Rough Soil’s earth magic with cosmomancy!” Rocky Mountain suddenly wasn’t so amused upon hearing her underlings speak of them. She could tell if and when they were exaggerating, and they definitely weren’t. “Yer s******* me…” “I don’t imagine that they’d be stupid enough to lie to you.” Shadow Shroud said. “Tch. Yeah, you got a point.” Rocky Mountain said. “Say, what’s with all the black by the way?” “That’s none of your concern.” Shroud said. “Pfft. ‘kay.” Rocky Mountain said. She looked at Fire Fight. “So, you know my name. I think it’s only fair you tell me yours.” “I’m Fire Fight.” He said. “Fire Fight?.....Hang on! Yer not the same foal from the newspapers, are ya!?” one of the bandits blurted. “Y’all know ‘bout dat?” Turf War asked. “Yeah. We sneak into towns to hear the word on the wind when we can.” Rocky Mountain said. “You better have a damn good reason for jetting from yer parents.” “Speak for yourselves! You’re not exactly upstanding citizens either.” Spiral Galaxy said. Rocky Mountain glared at her. “So you just wanna fight again, huh, punk?” “N-No! Sorry, Rocky. I’ll explain myself if you’re willing to listen.” Fire Fight said. “Spit.” Rocky said. Fire Fight explained just about everything that has happened up until this point bar Shadow Shroud being a Shadewalker, and the fact the she killed Gene Splice. He was sure not to leave out his own history before running away so as explain his motive. Hearing about the trials and tribulations he and his friends had endured seemed to soften the rock solid bandit leader’s expression. “Damn….You guys have had it kinda rough, huh?” “Surely, but we braved through that desert heat no matter how dry.” Kickback said. Rocky Mountain chuckled. “Well, good fer you.” She said. “The ‘Battle Foals’, huh? Heh….I kinda like it.” The foals were rather surprised to hear praise from somepony who was their enemy. Shadow Shroud and Air Slash took it as a euphemized threat and kept their guard up. “What….are you getting at?” Air Slash asked. “Hehe. Sorry. It’s just…..we’re not so different, huh?” Rocky Mountain said. “I mean….we just go wherever the hell the wind takes us, never looking back or really thinking about the consequences, ya know? We’re just…..living without a care in the world.” Fire Fight felt somewhat offended that a bandit leader would compare herself and her lackeys with the Battle Foals, but it took him a few seconds to realize that….she was right. From the moment he first ran away from home, the only time he ever dwelled on what might happen was shortly before he and Shadow Shroud departed for Detrot. After that, his thoughts were with his mission and the adventures that awaited them, even if one or two of them were messes they got themselves dragged into. “Yeah….I guess….” He said. “But that still doesn’t change the fact that you all killed that conductor and robbed his train. He might’ve had a lot of friends and a loving family that’ll be torn apart inside once the news hits them!” “Well, they’ll just have to suck it up, huh!?” Bullseye shouted. Zebota and Shroud tightened their hold on her. “Enough is enough, Bullseye.” Zebota said. “About that, boss…” one of the bandits that came with Quantum said. “I….really don’t want to do this anymore if it means taking more lives so haphazardly. I stared death right in the face today, and……I-I can’t imagine how that conductor must’ve felt.” “Yeah, me too. We were the ones on the receiving end this time, and it sucked a**. It just…..doesn’t seem fair.” Another one said. Looking around, Rocky Mountain could tell that all of her followers unanimously agreed. While the worst she herself experienced was the explosion, she realized deep down that she cared enough about them to not want to see them feel lost. “Well, s***.” She muttered. She then creased a little smile. “Looks like we better hit the road. We got a lot of makin’ up to do….…..Maybe I should start with my brother….” The foals were shocked at what they’d just heard. “Hol’ up! Y’all ain’t ‘bout to rumble wit us?” Turf War said. Rocky Mountain shook her head. “Nah, no point. If just one of you is a major hooffull, I can’t imagine how high we’d have to roll to even stand a chance against all of you.” She said. She then looked at Fire Fight. “Hey…” “Y-Yeah?” Fire Fight asked. He was still a little flustered at this turn of events. “Do me a solid and never become something like me, got it?” Rocky said with a wry smirk. “Uuhh…..Yeah…‘course not.” Fire Fight said. “Pfft! Wow, kid! Way to be tactful.” Rocky joked. “S-Sorry.” Fire Fight said. Rocky waved her hoof. “Ehh, whatever. You can feel bad any time you want.” She then glared at the violent filly who nearly made all of them say ‘hi’ to the dead conductor. “About this little Blood Cupid….” She said. Bullseye seemed to take interest when she called her that. “We’ll deal with her. She’s our problem.” Fire Fight said. “Just don’t go causing more trouble, especially in the places we told you about. If we catch wind of anything like that, we will find you, and we won’t be settling it with words.” “YEAH! WE’LL SETTLE IT WITH A YAK FUR-FLAVORED SNOW CONE FIGHT!!” Crazylocks blurted. Fire Fight just facehooved for a second before regaining his composure. “And don’t tell anypony where we are, okay?” Rocky Mountain just ignored the manic filly and gave Fire Fight a playful salute. “Scouts honor.” She nodded to all of her bandits, who reciprocated, signaling that they agreed. “Alright, we’ll pack up and jet. Later, twerps!” The Battle Foal had a partly heartfelt and awkward goodbye with the Rockslide. Rocky Mountain’s words may have given Fire Fight some food for thought, but his concern right now was the restrained pegasus filly who was foaming at the mouth… On a Train to Trifectown… “Mr. Fight, thank you for choosing to help us. It took a lot of courage for you to face your wife again after what happened before.” Twilight said. She along with Fire Fight’s parents and Cheerilee shared a seating booth across from Spike, Rarity and the CMC. The Royal Sisters were in the car just behind theirs. Fist sighed. “You have no idea….It wasn’t just courage. I had to be able to face myself right in the eye before anypony else. I couldn’t let the old me torment Cat again.” He said. “And please, just call me ‘Fist’.” “I’m sorry I didn’t tell you all about him beforehand. I just….wanted to forget that day, but I could tell that Fire Fight wanted him back more than anything, so….I-I guess it kept my hopes up.” Cat said. Fist held his wife’s hoof. “I wanted him back too, but…..I didn’t realize that he was becoming such a special case.” “Neither did I.” Cheerilee said. “I’m so sorry, sir. I swear I never meant your son any harm.” “I know.” Fist said. “You couldn’t have done much worse than me though.” “I just hope that you’re willing to face him once we find him. I know I am.” Cheerilee said firmly. Fist nodded. “I am….….I just hope he’s willing to look me in the eye again……” “I hope so too, honey…” Cat said. “And I hope you know that this is your last chance. Leave us one more time, and that’s that.” “I do.” Fist said. “So, what’s this about him taking other foals anyway?” “Well, from what we’ve been able to gather, he’s been visiting other locations across Equestria and encouraging foals with problems similar to him to run away with him.” Twilight explained. “We think he might be trying to help them by what he might see as him freeing them from persecution.” Cheerilee added. “Hmm….Yeah, that sounds something he’d do. When he was about eight, one of his classmates got kicked out of an ice cream shop because she’d apparently always beg the owner to let her try the ice cream that was supposedly meant for adults- he was a pretty unreasonable guy. Her parents were gonna talk to him, but Fire Fight rallied the whole class and practically took over the shop until the owner had a change of heart.” Fist explained. “Oh! I remember that! We were a little mad at him for being so brazen, but we were so proud in the end. We knew he could become a strong leader.” Cat said. “Well, did your wife tell you that he protected his classmates in Ponyville from a big, grouchy actor and some thugs he hired?” Cheerilee asked. “Yep. That’s my boy alright!” Fist said cheerfully. “I don’t know how he’s able to keep such a level head even in a situation like that.” “I think it’s because he had a caring father that always encouraged him to do his best.” Twilight said. Fist chuckled a little….and a tear seemed to well from his eye. He thought back to the days when he’d look forward to see his son’s bright smile whenever he hung up his favorite hanging bag. Seeing him tire himself out was tiring in of itself, but worth being able to share a moment between him, his wife and her delicious mushroom omelettes. “Speaking of which, do you still have that same hanging bag that you’d always let him play with?” Cat asked. Fist solemnly shook his head. “Sadly, no. I used it at the gym in Fillydelphia I started working at, and one day, somepony accidently pulled the fire alarm and activated the sprinkler system. The thing got all soggy and started coming apart, so I had to junk it.” He explained. “I’ll get him a new, better one though. The one you got for him in his room is looking pretty worn away, and he’s always loved having a challenge.” Cat lightly pecked his cheek. She then looked at Twilight. “What’s this about bringing the Royal Sisters along with us, and why’re we making the CMC come back? Wasn’t there a really nasty filly that gave them trouble?” Twilight glanced into her bag pocket where the mysterious diamond was. Knowing its contents, she was eager to bring light to a darkness that everypony had to see. “You’ll know once we get there. Trust me.”