//------------------------------// // Bad News // Story: Tales of the Battle Foals // by Sirdubya //------------------------------// Back in the White Tail Woods… “Commencing therapeutic experiment #1. Subject: Basic Knowledge. Patient: Crazylocks.” Quantum Tech began making a log entry in her glasses as Crazylocks sat across from her scratching the back of her head with her hind leg like a dog. Quantum then laid out a series of cards that each had a number on it ranging from one to ten in a random order. “Ok, Crazylocks. Arrange these numbers from lowest to highest.” Crazylocks repeatedly looked up and down between Quantum Tech and the cards for a few seconds, and then gazed at the cards with her manic smile. She then sprouted her horn and magically stacked the cards into a small house of cards. “I CALL IT PITTSBURGH!!” Quantum lightly facehooved and then used her own magic to reset the cards. “Equestria’s next masterpiece indeed….” She muttered. She could hear Turf War snickering a few feet away. “Turf War, when considering what she must have endured, surely you can agree that it’s not appropriate to laugh?” she reprimanded. Turf War calmed himself down. “Yeah, you’re right. I’ll stop. My bad. It just……da f*** is a ‘Pittsburgh’?” Quantum gave him an authoritative glare that shut him right up. “It’s where my earliest ancestor was born and raised!” Crazylocks blurted. “Somehow…..I can believe that.” Spiral Galaxy commented. Kickback walked up to them. “Lemme try somethin’ ‘ere.” He sat in front of the house of cards. “Now Ms. Crazylocks, if Ah were to take this apart, would you be able to rebuild-” “YOU CANNOT HOPE TO GRASP THE CREED OF THE CARDS, YOU TREASONOUS JELLYFISH SANDWICH BLOSSOM!!” Crazylocks angrily shouted. Kickback got up and backed away a little. “Uhh…..well alright then.” He walked over to Fire Fight. “Why does she holler at me every time Ah try to talk to her?” Fire Fight shrugged. “Maybe she just….doesn’t like you for some reason?” “If she can maintain at least one constant behavior, then there is hope for her.” Zebota said. “Well…..If Ah have to be martyr for it all to work out, then Ah have no quarrels.” Kickback said. “Darling, if that’s the case, then you shouldn’t try to interact with her right now.” Quantum said. “Let me try again.” She magically took the house apart and laid them out in a random order again, and then a thought crossed her mind. “Actually, Zebota, do you think you and Greensprout could brew a concoction that might be able to aid in her treatment?” “I am unsure. Greensprout has a greater affinity for healing than I, and as you once stated, wounds we sustain in our minds are not so easily mended.” Zebota said. “Hmm…..true that. Oh! Did Greensprout happen to try using her Gaia Root on Crazylocks to any effect?” Quantum asked. “She did, but….” Spiral said. “We’re not really sure if what we got was progress or just her being her.” Fire Fight said. “Well, what was it then?” Kickback asked. “At first, she laughed maniacally like she’s known to do, but then began bawling profusely, begging her ‘grandpa’ not to do something. That went on for a brief moment, and then she resumed her infernal cackling.” Air Slash answered. Hearing this explanation caused a dim light bulb to turn on in Quantum’s head. “Is that so?....Hmm….” She faced Crazylocks and set her glasses to read any fluctuations in her brainwaves…..which were already constantly fluctuating. “Crazylocks, who is your grandpa?” Crazylocks sat as still as a statue for a few tense moments. Her manic smile slowly began to exert an uneasy feeling from it, and her eyes became bloodshot from being forced open. After a while, she began twitch more and more violently. “Uh oh….” Fire Fight muttered. Quantum had a sedative at the ready……………….. “MISTER PINES, YOUR AIR DUCTS SMELL VERY NICE!!! BE A SHAME IF THE BLEU CHEESE TAXI DRIVER SPAT IN IT!!! HOOOOO-EE! THIS ‘ERE BAR-BE-Z IS SURE FINE N’- YO HOMIE, HOW YOU GONNA SIP JAXLE-LAXLE JUICE WHEN- NILIPOKUWA MDOGO, MIMI NDOA MTI JUU YA VOLKANO- TOADEO! TOADEO! WHERE FORT ART THOU, TOADEO!?!? NO!! YOU CAN’T SLICE WHAT I CAN’T SEE!!!” Crazylocks violently spazzed out as she ranted complete nonsense. Without a moment’s hesitation, Shrapnel held her down so that Quantum could quickly inject the sedative, and the frenzied filly fell into a deep slumber. “Yes……mommy……” Quantum fixed her glasses. “Well then! If that’s not progress, I don’t know what is.” Everypony else had to calm themselves a little after witnessing Crazylocks’ sudden episode. “How is that progress, Quantum? That’s normal for her…….well, about normal as ‘normal’ will get for her.” Fire Fight asked. “Think about it. Greensprout’s Gaia Root is supposed to have regenerative effects on organic life, correct? Well, what if for a moment when Greensprout tried to heal Crazylocks’ mind, for a brief moment, she triggered a repressed memory that Crazylocks had been protecting herself from via her insanity? A coincidence that it involved something to do with her grandfather when my question to her triggered this reaction? I’m not inclined to think so.” Quantum explained. “So she was trying to protect herself from a memory that which she did not want to recall?” Air Slash asked. “Exactly. Believe it or not, everypony does that on occasion. Haven’t you all ever had a moment where you felt like you were about to recall an unpleasant memory and then started thinking random thought just to cast it away?” Quantum inquired. “Hehe. I think we all been d’here, homegirl.” Turf War said. Quantum slightly blushed and cleared her throat. “Erm….yes, I suppose that was a silly question.” She fixed her glasses. “Anyway, it’s also worth mentioning that right after I asked her the question, I could see through my glasses that her neural activity had come to sudden, grinding halt as if her entire consciousness had sensed a threat and subsequently began bracing its defense. But why her grandfather?” Thinking more about it, the foals couldn’t quite get an idea of what her grandfather would have to do with any of what she experienced when it was Gene Splice that tortured her……unless…..“You don’t suppose that…..her ‘caretaker’ was her grandfather?” Air Slash inquired. Spiral gasped. “You mean Gene Splice!? I mean….he was kinda old, and it would explain how he might have easily gotten to her.” “Yo….If dat’s real….” Turf War commented. “Man, I shoulda lodged my axe right into his damn neck o’ somethin’!” “Well, Shroud beat you to the punch, but it was definitely for the better.” Fire Fight said. “Speaking of which, I wonder what she’s up to.” “And I pray for Greensprout’s well-being.” Air Slash said. He and the others perked up when the two aforementioned fillies appeared out of a bush. “Consider your prayers answered, Air Slash.” Shroud teased. Air Slash rolled his eyes while blushing. “Guys, we might have a little problem.” “You said that the last time.” Fire Fight said. “And I mean it once more this time.” Shroud retorted. “Greensprout?” Greensprout nodded. “Fire Fight, do you know three fillies by the name of Applebloom, Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle per chance?” Fire Fight’s heart suddenly kicked into overdrive upon hearing those names. His eyes widened in horror of what might be being implied here. “U-U-Umm….Y-Yes, why?” “Well…..I encountered them in town. They said they had come to Trifectown on hopes of looking for you.” Greensprout said with considerable worry in her tone. “Pfft! Looks like Kickback ain’t the only popular one he’e!” Turf War joked. Fire Fight gave him an annoyed glare. “We were just friends, Turf War!” He then looked back at Greensprout and Shadow Shroud. “O-Ok, uh…..” He had to take a deep breath and process the fact that the worst thing that could have happened was now taking place. “Ok, did you talk to them?” Greensprout nodded. “I’m afraid so. I…..even told them my name.” she said solemnly. Shroud patted her on the back. “Rookie mistake.” “Ah reckon we oughta move on for a li’l while ‘til they do and decide to give up. It’s mighty risky to go back in there now.” Kickback said. “Yeah, but…..Did you find any potential candidates, Greensprout?” Spiral asked. “I may have, a pegasus filly named Bullseye.” Greensprout said. She explained her experience at the archery competition and her ‘conversation’ with Bullseye that took place afterward. “She just…..I could tell that something inside of her was just screaming for help even if she herself is….not the most agreeable pony.” Quantum sighed. “Wonderful. Another potty mouth.” She said as she looked at Turf War, who just rolled his eyes. “Quantum, now’s not the time to be complaining! We might have a foal we need to rescue!” Fire Fight said. “Ok, so going back into town right now is off-limits. Shroud, you think you could sneak around at night and try to find her house?” Shroud nodded. “Always the field foal, aren’t I?” She said with a smirk. Fire Fight smiled and shrugged. “You’ve never once complained about it.” “And I never will.” Shroud said. She then looked back into the bushes. “Wait here. I should probably make sure that nopony was following us.” The others nodded, and Shroud donned her mask before reentering the woods beyond. Air Slash then fluttered up to Greensprout and handed her the Gaia Root. “I believe this is yours, Greensprout.” He said while trying to maintain a proud posture. Greensprout giggled. “Thank you, Air Slash.” She said as she took her magic staff. Air Slash couldn’t help but to gaze into her eyes as she took the staff from him. His heart fluttered along with his wings seeing her gentle smile and soft violet eyes. Her chocolate mane flowed beautifully in the little breeze that swept through the forest. His little moment was interrupted when Quantum Tech cut in and handed Greensprout her robes. “And these too, darling.” “Oh, good. It’s starting to get a little chilly out here.” Greensprout said as she put on her attire. Air Slash privately pouted as Greensprout’s attention was taken from him and could see Spiral snickering out of the corner of his eye. But…..thinking more about it, it really was getting chilly.