The Battle Foals fought valiantly through swarm after swarm of the Fallen as they followed the sounds of a pissed off timberwolf that would surely lead them to Zebota. Quantum Tech was more than excited to be back in the hot seat of her walking death machine; she blasted her magic turrets and railguns at her foes with a big smile on her face. It did a lot to clear the front lines of the Fallen along with Kickback’s sharpshooting. “UNCOUTH MONSTROSITIES!!” she shouted.
Air Slash stayed close to Greensprout as he ferociously slashed any Fallen that got within five feet of her. Greensprout herself released another vital pulse that empowered everypony’s parameters save for Quantum’s mech; Quantum was too busy shooting dudes to notice right away. One last line of a few brave Fallen charged them, and Air Slash bravely returned the favor. He charged his swords with magic and executed his spinning blade finisher. “FALL TO ME, YOU VERMIN!!” His swords created quite the light show as each slash released concentrated magic that more or less extended the reach of his swords and sharpened their blades. Once he stopped spinning and the line of Fallen dropped dead, he caught sight of a blue energy bolt flying towards him. He blocked it with his sword and flung the energy back as a sword beam at the source, a Fallen stallion wielding another one of the strange ‘guns’ that the mare had. The stallion jumped out of the way of the sword beam, but was suddenly ambushed when a building next to him was knocked over, and he was caught in the deadly jaws of Shrapnel.
“There you are!” Fire Fight said as they all ran over to Shrapnel. The Fallen had decided to retreat seeing as they were outmatched. Shrapnel whimpered as he gently lowered his gravely injured master to the ground.
“<GASP!> ZEBOTA!” Quantum exclaimed. She quickly got out her mech suit and ran over to him with a first aid kit in tow. “Zebota!”
Zebota weakly looked up at Quantum. “Ugh……Quantum Tech…….”
Quantum Tech was about to open her kit when Greensprout touched her shoulder. “Worry not, sister. I will heal him.” She said.
Without hesitation, she latched her healing beam onto Zebota. Quantum Tech looked on in sheer awe as Zebota’s wounds closed, his skin healed and his strength seemed to return within a moment or so as he stood back up with incident. Zebota himself was stunned that he was healed so quickly.
“Pretty cool, huh?” Spiral Galaxy said. “Greensprout’s Gaia Root is pretty much a magic cure-all.”
Quantum gazed at the mystical wooden staff and the shimmering emerald adorning it. “How remarkable!” Her glasses were picking up odd readings from it. “I do hope that you’d be willing to let me study it further.” She said to Greensprout.
Greensprout giggled. “Your friends tell me that you’re quite brainy. I’d love to hear your insight on this holy item. The other monks and I know little to nothing about it.”
“You’re a monk?” Quantum asked. Fire Fight explained how she and Abbot Meadow rescued them from the river and let them rest in Gardenia before setting out the search for her, Kickback and Zebota and Shrapnel. “So, you all got to relax in an abbey while we had the grand opportunity to escape from a hostile ruin infested with feral ponies that would maul us given the chance…..charming.”
“Well, at least we’re all okay, right?” Kickback said.
Quantum looked over at him and wasted no time pouncing onto him. “My hero!” She said as she threw her arms around him once more, catching the cowpony off guard. She began repeatedly pecking his cheek.
“AAH!! NOW MS. QUANTUM TECH, YOU BETTER CUT THAT OUT!” Kickback shouted as he desperately tried to push her off of him.
She got off of him of her own accord and pouted. “Aww….I only wanted to thank you for saving my life.” She squeaked.
Kickback rolled his eyes. “Ah think Ah get the message. Yer welcome.” He said. “Say….How do y’all know Ms. Greensprout here?”
Zebota looked at them surprised. “Do we?”
“Yes, Zebota! Rememeber? From the journal?”
“What journal?” Greensprout asked.
Quantum looked at her with pity and sighed, worried that she may not be able to handle the truth. “This might be a complete coincidence, but….” She pulled out Stone Century’s journal. “I think it’s best that you see for yourself.” She handed it to her.
Greensprout took the journal and opened it as Quantum told them about the expedition led by Stone Century and his wife, Healing Touch. Greensprout skimmed through the archaeology notes and got to the final pages. When she read the last entry, her heart stopped. “Wha……Wh-What!?”
Quantum sighed. “I’m sorry, Greensprout…..I’m sure they loved you very much.”
“Who did?” Air Slash asked.
Quantum levitated the journal to him. “See for yourself.”
Air Slash let himself and the others read the last few entries of the journal. Needless to say, they were nothing short of shocked. “This….This can’t be!” Air Slash said. He looked up at Greensprout, who had a mortified expression about her face. “Greensprout….I….”
Before Air Slash could speak any more, Greensprout rushed over to Quantum Tech and grabbed her shoulders. “Where are they!?” she hurriedly asked. “Please! Take me to them!” Tears began to well up from her eyes.
Quantum gently pushed her off of her. “Ok…..Ok, darling. We will.”
“Umm…..look, I know dis……kinda…..damn, y’all. I mean……dis joint ain’t exactly safe. Shouldn’t we bounce?” Turf War asked.
“No, Turf War. She deserves this much.” Fire Fight said.
Turf War nodded. “A’ight. Yeah, dat’s fair.” With the air around them heavier than it was before, Quantum Tech and Zebota led them to the university where they discovered the remains of the expedition along with Greensprout’s parents. Zebota had to leave Shrapnel outside since he was too big to fit, but he said that Shrapnel gave his condolences regardless.
They stood in front of the fateful door. Behind was the truth that Greensprout had longed, but…..“Darling, I have to warn you: It’s not pleasant in there. Are you absolutely sure that you’re ready?” Quantum asked her. Greensprout sniffled and nodded as Spiral hugged her. Quantum sighed. “Very well…” She opened the door to reveal the gruesome scene that she happened upon before. Everypony else save for Zebota gasped as they laid their eyes upon the atrocious sight; he only lowered his head.
Quantum and Zebota walked over to a deceased couple holding hooves as they laid frozen in their deceased posture. “Well…..here they are.” Zebota said.
Greensprout slowly walked over to them, still in disbelief. Were these really her parents? Is this how she truly came to be adopted so young by a kindly monk? She stood over the dead couple and gazed at them with tear-filled eyes as she began to lightly sob. “Mother?...<sob>....Father……?” She laid her hoof on her deceased father’s tattered jack, and something fell out of its pocket. Greensprout noticed it and picked it up to see that it was a small photo. When she looked at it, her delicate heart dropped like a rock. It showed the late married archaeologist and nurse lying down at each other’s side. They looked exhausted and slightly wounded from no doubt having to run away from the Fallen. Between them was something they both held wrapped in a cloth- it was a newborn foal with a beige coat, chocolate mane, and soft violet eyes. It was unmistakable….
The whole room fell into a deeper silence than it had ever been in. The answer to every mystery about Greensprout’s origins were all in this dreadful place, all captured on one fateful photo that the emotionally shaken little monk held in her hoof. Greensprout lowered her head down to the point where her face couldn’t be seen behind her fallen mane and slowly put the photo in her robe. The Battle Foals could clearly see her anguish. Spiral went over and gently hugged her. “I’m so sorry, Greensprout….”
“…<sob>…” Greensprout looked up at her with her flooded eyes and leaned into her. She sobbed a little more loudly for a few minutes in Spiral’s embrace. All of the other foals looked on in deep sorrow. Even Crazylocks seemed to express some form of sympathy having been separated from her own parents somehow. Zebota couldn’t help but be reminded of watching his own parents die; he knew the kind of agony that Greensprout was enduring right now, and it was something that he'd never wish on anyone. In a strange way, it almost made him wish that Shrapnel hadn’t come for him when he did….
Air Slash’s heart ached at seeing Greensprout in such pain. Despite not often seeing eye to eye with his father, he couldn’t imagine not having him there to help him grow into the mighty Bladerunner that he had become. He gently put his hoof on Greensprout’s shoulder, and she peeked up at him. “Greensprout…..stay strong…….okay?.......I’m……sure that’s what they would have hoped for…..”
Greensprout seemed to ease up a little at Air Slash’s words. Spiral silently smiled at him and gave a light approving nod. Greensprout broke off from Spiral and wiped her eyes. “…..Thank you….” She muttered. She took one last look at her rotting parents. “Rest in peace……..please…..” All of them held a quick moment of silence for the deceased couple; Shadow Shroud said a silent prayer of her own wishing for their peaceful slumber.
“Alright, well…..we should get going. It’s probably getting late outside, and I don’t want to keep Meadow waiting.” Fire Fight said.
“Yes, especially after all the kindness he’s shown us. Though, if any more of these…..<ahem> ‘Fallen’ are still lurking about, we should take care not to become fallen ourselves.” Shroud said. Greensprout seemed to narrow her eyes at the mention of them.
As they left the heavy room, Greensprout took one last glance at the parents she never knew. Thinking about the pain they must have endured made her want nothing more than to heal them…..but she couldn’t. The only time she’d ever be able to see their faces was one little photo she now had in her robe. The Battle Foals kept an eye on her as they exited the condemned university.
When they came out of the entrance, they found Shrapnel in a predatory stance growling viciously, and it was immediately clear why. Beyond them in the courtyard was a swarm of Fallen waiting for them. They kept their distance having learned just what a mighty force they were, especially Shrapnel. Despite such, they didn’t seem intent on letting them go quietly. “Ok, guys. It looks like we’ve got one last dance with these devils. Be careful, and fall back if things start to get hairy.” Fire Fight said as he ignited his gauntlets.
Air Slash drew his swords. “Understood. Greensprout, stay behind me and continue to heal us, okay?” When he looked at her, she had her head down and seemed to be breathing rather heavily. He grew concerned. “Greensprout?”
The other Battle Foals took notice. Greensprout clutched her Gaia Root more tightly as her breathing became heavier. The emerald adorning the root began glowing a darker, uglier shade of green as it charged with power. As it did, Greensprout raised her head and pointed her staff aggressively at the Fallen. The look on her face consisted of only two things: unbridled fury and pure hatred.
“DIE, YOU LOATHESOME MONSTERS!!!!!!”