//------------------------------// // Fair Warning // Story: Tales of the Battle Foals // by Sirdubya //------------------------------// “I’LL SAVE YOOOOUUUUU!!!!!” Crazylocks bellowed as she leapt towards Zebota with her wings spread. Zebota was caught way off guard and tried to react, but the mutant maniac was mere inches from him just as a magic light enveloped her. “Crazylocks!” Spiral Galaxy shouted in annoyance. She had a firm magical grip on her. Crazylocks thrashed around in the magic bubble. “THE AXES HAVE SENT ONE OF THEIR CHILDREN SPIES AFTER HIM! I MUST DESTROY IT!!” she shouted. Quickly realizing what she meant, Fire Fight quickly glanced at Zebota. “Dude! Put that tomahawk away!” he frantically said. Zebota just cocked his head. “Why….” “Just do it! It’s making her go insane!” Fire Fight ordered. Zebota rolled his eyes. “Very well…..” He put his tomahawk back in his bag, which seemed to calm Crazylocks. Seeing as she was no longer a problem, Spiral released her. “Ugh….Crazylocks, what is your deal?” “The axes are evil! THE AXES MUST DIE! THEY TOOK MY PARENTS!! JUSTICE FOR LOST PARENTS!!!” Crazylocks shouted. Everypony was caught off guard by that statement, namely Zebota for some reason. “They….took your parents?” Shadow Shroud said. “Well…..I’d say we’ve discerned our little….‘traumatic event’…” Quantum Tech’s cockpit opened up from the bottom and lowered her seat down to ground level where she jumped out, and ran to her comrades. She embraced Spiral Galaxy and Shadow Shroud. “Oh goodness! Oh, I was so worried about you all! When I woke up, I was all alone! And then I found what happened at the back door, and…..” Shadow Shroud put her hoof on Quantum’s shoulder. “It was good guess of mine that you’re versed in Morse code, huh?” Quantum calmed down. “Yes….very clever of you, darling!” The two shared a light giggle. “Man, f- uh….skip Morse code! How y’all……I mean……DIS THING IS CRAZY!” Turf War said as he pointed to Quantum’s mech. “We’ll talk about that later. For now, our first priority is these two.” Quantum said as she glanced at Zebota and Shrapnel. Zebota lowered his head in light shame. “Why did you capture my friends, Zebota?” Zebota glanced up at her. “I…..I have no excuse for my overreaction. I settled into this forest with my friend roughly a week ago, and…..we were startled to see you all settle in so quickly. When I saw you taking so much of the food that I harvest, I……” Shrapnel gently nuzzled him as if to console him. “Thank you, friend….” He said. He looked back at the Battle Foals. “It angers me when nature is not respected as much as it should be…..I am sorry…..” “Hmm….So he came here while we were gone on our trip. That would explain why I’ve never seen him before.” Shroud said. “Why didn’t you come and discuss this matter with us? We would have lent you our ears.” Air Slash said. “Hmph. You only say that now that you know my plight. You would have attacked Shrapnel and I on sight.” Zebota said. “Shrapnel perhaps, but we ‘ponyfolk’ recognize zebras as people more than I think you realize.” Shroud said. “Where are your parents anyway?” Quantum Tech inquired. Zebota slowly turned his head away from her. “That is…..none of your concern.” His response made the foals concerned. “What about Zecora? She’s a zebra who lives in this forest too. Do you know her?” Fire Fight inquired. Zebota looked back at them. “No. I have never met her personally, but I have seen her. I was surprised to see another of my people here.” “Well, why didn’t you talk to her?” Spiral asked. Zebota didn’t answer her. He just looked away from her and up at his wooden titan, who gently licked his master. Zebota stroked Shrapnel’s jaw in response. He then looked back at the foals. “Why are you all out here anyway? What has compelled you to live in a place like this? I thought that the ponyfolk feared this forest.” Fire Fight explained what he usually did to foals who he’d try to take with him. Seeing as Zebota was a loner, he saw no harm in revealing his activities. Shadow Shroud even explained her nature as a Shadewalker to him. “I…..I see…..” Zebota muttered. “And you truly believe in your conviction?” Fire Fight firmly nodded. “Yeah. We all do. Equestria won’t make a place for us, so we’re abandoning it and saving other foals who are suffering like we were!” he declared. “Seems we’ll just have to be a little more neighborly to one another from now on.” Kickback commented. “Word, son! We both gonna live out here, right? Maybe we can start tradin’ stuff or something. Hell, y’all wanna see our crib sometime? It’s pretty hot!” Turf War said. Zebota sighed. “Actually….” He turned to Fire Fight. “Fire Fight, if you truly mean to remain hidden with the foals that you have rescued, then I must advise you to leave this place.” “What? Why?” Fire Fight asked. “When I first arrived here and stumbled upon the ruins where you now dwell, I witnessed the zebra mare along with a small group of pony foals from the nearby village go there to search for you. They called out to you by name. I wondered who you were and why a ponyfolk would be out here, but now I know. If they came here once, what is stopping them from returning once more?” Zebota explained. The foals’ eyes widened in horror at the thought. “Are you sure!?” Spiral asked. Zebota nodded. “Stay if you want. I cannot force you to leave, but it would be risky to stay here under your circumstances.” “What about you, darling?” Quantum asked. “Do not worry about me, ponyfolk. Shrapnel and I thrive in wild places such as this. He and I know how to remain hidden.” Zebota said as he scratched the timberwolf’s chin. Shrapnel purred. The foals felt a little dejected. They had found a place to make their home, but if what Zebota said was true, then staying here would prove risky. Despite their power together, the Battle Foals were still few in numbers, and couldn’t yet pass as a legitimate civilization. “Well, shucks….Guess it’s time to pick up our roots, y’all.” Kickback said. “I wouldn’t be so quick to give in, friend. If these foals and zebra come around one more time, then I think that should be our cue to search for another place to inhabit.” Air Slash said. “I don’t know, Air Slash. I-I-I don’t want to risk being sent back to Hoofington! I-I know I’ve gotten better, but…” Spiral muttered. “We’ll fight back if need be. We’re well-equipped thanks to Quantum Tech.” Air Slash said. “Bruh, I ain’t about to smack nopony I don’t need to. Dat’s f***ed up.” Turf War said. “What was that, Turf War!?” Quantum reprimanded. Turf War flinched. “Uh! I meant messed up! Yeah….” Quantum fixed her glasses. “I thought so.” She cleared her throat. “But you’re not without sense. We have no desire to become a group of barbarians. Fighting them would almost be an act of war. I vote to take Zebota up on his advice.” “We’ll talk about this at the castle, guys. Come on. Thanks, Zebota!” Fire Fight said. They all agreed, and began making their way back. Quantum remembered the route she had taken and led them that way. Before they left, Shadow Shroud turned to Zebota. “Zebota, may I ask you one more question?” “What is it?” Zebota said. “If you had intended to cast my friends and I into the river, why did you not do so while we were incapacitated?” Shroud inquired. “I wanted to grant you the mercy of knowing your fate before I carried it out.” Zebota answered. Shroud was impressed by his response. “Is that so?.....You have a nice sense of honor, Zebota. I like that.” Zebota’s expression seemed to lighten upon hearing that. He smiled and nodded at her. “Good luck, ponyfolk.” With that, Shadow Shroud caught up with her friends. As they left, Zebota couldn’t help but to feel empty inside. He never expected to have a conversation with the foals. Shrapnel let out a few whimpers as he nuzzled his master. “I know…..I know, my friend…..” ***** The trip back home was….made a little awkward with Quantum’s mech dwarfing the foals, not to mention that it made a lot of noise as it walked. “So uh, Quantum….how did you find us anyway?” Spiral inquired. “I used some sensors built into my machine to detect residual traces of neuromagical activity- namely yours, darling. Once I acquired a signal, I simply followed the trail. Since you always put out so much more magic than a typical unicorn, it was easy to find a trail.” Quantum explained. “Oh!.....Well, uh…..I’m….for once glad that I’m OP!” Spiral said. “Yes, but I care not for that, darling. I was worried sick about all of you, so I came for my friends as soon as I could activate my mech!” Quantum said. Kickback tipped his hat. “We really do owe ya one, Ms. Quantum Tech.” Quantum giggled. “Oh, Kickback! You sweetie pie! I bet I could make some room if you want come up here and keep me company!” she cooed as she fluttered her eyelashes. Kickback’s expression suddenly turned frustrated. “Ah don’t reckon Ah owe ya that much!” he said. Quantum Tech flirtatiously pouted. “Oh, you meanie!” she said sarcastically. Crazylocks then floated around Quantum’s mech. “Hi, new best friend! I’m Crazylocks! Why do you have Quantum Tech inside of you!? Was she tasty!?” She began pecking at it like a bird. “Hello!......HELLO!!!” “Ugh…..Crazylocks, this mech suit is not sentient! I built it.” Quantum begrudgingly explained. Air Slash nodded. “And what an impressive build it is, Quantum.” “Thank you, darling. Although, it’s not quite complete yet. I was going to augment additional weaponry onto it later, but then Zebota and Shrapnel intervened.” Quantum said. “More!?” Spiral exclaimed. “Homegirl, y’all sure dat ain’t a li’l overkill?” Turf War asked. “And your seismic hammer alone is not?” Quantum argued. “Well…..Nah, I guess not. It be kinda whack if he to bash somethin’ tougher that dat crystal monster from before.” Turf War said. “Yeah, I think we’ve through more than enough to know what a tough world this is.” Fire Fight said. “Do you have anything else on there, Quantum?” “I do have some storage compartments in case we find ourselves needing to travel a great distance. There’s even a refrigerator! Apart from that, not really. It’s powered by three of the golem crystals that I personally charge via the conduit you see above me here.” She pointed to a small magic receptor node sticking out of the ceiling of her cockpit. “I also have my medallion built into the back of my seat here.” She leaned out of her seat to show that her Battle Foals medallion was indeed at about where the back of her head would be in her seat. “That’s awesome, Quantum!” Fire Fight said. Quantum giggled. Crazylocks then suddenly got in her face. “MAKE A WEAPON THAT SHOOTS ICE CREAM!!” “Crazylocks….there are countless reasons why I shouldn’t do that, you notwithstanding.” Quantum said. Her sudden outburst reminded the foals about ‘the axes taking her parents’, and Quantum could tell that everypony was thinking about it. “I’ll…..have to be careful about pressing the issue….” “It seems that we’ll have to be more discreet with our foraging. Zebota may have some honor, but I’d rather not risk angering him again.” Shroud said. “Yeah…..but I kinda feel bad for him too. If that timberwolf is his only company……I just wonder what happened to him?” Spiral said. “Maybe he’ll open up to us more and more as we talk with him. It’ll be kinda nice having a neighbor.” Fire Fight said. “Yes, but zebra culture is rather…..strange. It’s by no means harmful, but he seems to embrace his customs more than Zecora. I can only assume that Zecora has become more acclimated to pony culture due to being exposed to them for so long.” Shroud said. “That’s a fair assumption. Ah just wonder what happened to his folks.” Kickback said. “You ain’t wonderin’ how he got a damn timberwolf on a leash? Dat’s what I wanna know!” Turf War said. “AND I WANNA KNOW HIS SECRET RECIPE FOR A DIRT DRINK!!” Crazylocks blurted. “Let’s let him tell us that. For now, we have some discussing to do.” Fire Fight said. Their humble abode finally came back into view, but thinking back to Zebota’s warning, the Battle Foals wondered how much longer it would be their home.....