//------------------------------// // Darkness Revealed // Story: Tales of the Battle Foals // by Sirdubya //------------------------------// In Trifectown... When Twilight and co. arrived, the town was understandably in an uproar as a result of one of its stars going missing. Many who claimed to be Bullseye’s friends clamored around the regal mares and their companions, hoping that they’d be able to do something about their predicament. The apparent mayor of the town came up to speak with them. “Your Highnesses! Oh, thank goodness you’re here! Please! Do you know anything at all about where Bullseye might be!?” he said. “We came to here to discern just that, so we must ask for your cooperation, sir.” Celestia said. “Of course.” The mayor responded. Twilight stepped up to him with a rather serious expression on her face. “Where might her parents be?” Everypony was surprised and a little concerned when they heard her rather stern tone. During every other investigation trip, she had been a little calmer. “Is everything ok, Twilight?” Cat asked. Twilight eased up a little. “Yeah. Sorry.” She said. She looked back at the mayor. “Now, about her parents…” “Ah, yes! They’re at their house. Surely, they’re lamenting deeply. I-I have no idea what could’ve happened!” the mayor said. Twilight couldn’t believe how ignorant everypony must’ve been. She couldn’t wait to reveal the truth to them. “The class and I are going to go ask around for a bit.” Cheerilee said. “Ok, but I want all of us meeting up at some point.” Twilight said. “A-Alright then.” Scootaloo said. She of all ponies didn’t care to return here due to her unfavorable encounter with Bullseye despite the fact that she wasn’t there. Nevertheless, she and the rest of the class went their separate ways from the adults apart Cheerilee. ***** Much of the foals that the CMC talked to remembered them from their last visit, but they sadly couldn’t say any more than what they already had regarding Bullseye. Not surprisingly, they were all heartbroken that a classmate they saw as an idol had ran away. What Cheerilee and her class as a whole found a little odd was that none of the foals seemed to know anything about what Bullseye’s parents might be like. “So y’all never even really made friends with her ‘r nuttin’?” Applebloom asked. “Nope. She was never very talkative for some reason. W-We just kinda assumed that she was the lone wolf type, so we cheered her on from a distance.” A local filly said. “Did she ever like….threaten you or anything?” Sweetie Belle asked. The filly and her friends gave the CMC confused expressions. “Uhh….no? What are you even talking about?” “The last time we were here, we tried to talk to her, but she threatened to like…shoot arrows at our throats or something and punched me in the eye.” Scootaloo explained. “Whoa! What!?” a colt exclaimed. “Bullseye did that!?” “Did you say something that made her mad?” another filly inquired. “No! We literally just went up to talk to her and ask her if she’d seen our friend, Fire Fight, and she just….Rrgh!” Sweetie Belle scoffed. “I….Wow….I never knew she could behave like that.” The filly said. All of the Trifectown foals were shocked to hear that Bullseye had a dark side. A thought then crossed Applebloom’s mind. “Hey! How’s Greensprout doin’, by the way? Where is she anywho?” The local foals were confused once more. “Greensprout? Who’s that?” “The new filly that moved here. We met her the last time we were here.” Sweetie Belle said. “She’s like all beige and has sorta…pink flower colored eyes, and even has a flower for a Cutie Mark.” Scootaloo said. “Uh……We don’t know anypony like that.” Another colt said. Now it was the CMC who were confused. They were sure that they met a ‘Greensprout’ that fit that description. “Wait a minute! Are you talking about that other filly that was with you guys when we were watching Bullseye compete?” “Yeah! Her!” Applebloom said. “Oh! I thought she was with you guys.” The colt said. “Yeah, I was wondering who she was. I think I saw her talking to Bullseye shortly after the competition. After that, she just….vanished.” a filly said. The CMC were now just completely unsure of what to think. If Greensprout wasn’t some filly that just moved to Trifectown, then who was she? Furthermore, how did she just up and vanish?......unless…..“You guys think we should tell Twilight about this?” Scootaloo said. “Absolutely. I have a strange feeling...” Sweetie Belle said. With that, the fillies agreed to return to Twilight with their newfound intel. ***** Cheerilee and the foals regrouped with everypony else as per Twilight’s instruction. The princess of friendship herself along with the other adults were already outside Bullseye’s house, conversing with her parents. Although, Twilight had a more confrontational expression on her face than anypony else. She then noticed the rest of the gang arrive. “Oh, good! You’re here.” “Howdy, Twilight! Hey, can we talk to you ‘bout somethin’ really quick? It might be important.” Applebloom said. “Not right now, my little foals. We have Bullseye’s parents to tend to right now.” Luna said. She didn’t want to let on that she knew about Bullseye’s pain for the risk of exposing the Battle Foals, much to her regret. “Th-Thank you for coming, Your Highnesses. It’s…..truly been a shock.” Her father stammered. Her mother just stared down at the ground, largely keeping to herself. “You have our utmost sympathies. Our own son has run off, so…I know what you must be going through…” Cat said. “Did you have a falling out with her or anything before she ran away?” Fist asked calmly. “N-N-No! N-Nothing….I-I don’t understand why she would leave!” her father stammered. “Maybe we did do something, honey.” Her mother muttered. “We’re truly sorry to impose when times are this tough for you, but we must ask that you answer our questions. We want to find your daughter as much as you do.” Celestia said. Bullseye’s parents nodded. “Thank you. Now then, do you have any idea where she may have gone?” “We searched every inch of the town and came up empty.” A passerby stallion said. “We even started scouring the White Tail Woods, but it was as if she just disappeared from Equestria!” “It was ominously cold that night too…” a mare commented. “I’m afraid it’s as they say, Princess. Every place we’d imagine she’d be, she wasn’t there.” Bullseye’s mother said. “Seriously? Not even a trace?” Spike asked. They shook their heads. He then turned to the CMC. “Did you guys find anything odd when you were here a couple days ago?” The CMC were about to answer when Twilight spoke up. “I’m sorry, Crusaders, but before we get to that, there’s something very important I should ask.” Again, her tone was stern and serious as she looked Bullseye’s parents in the eye. “What exactly was your relationship with your daughter like?” Everypony was a little concerned at Twilight’s sudden lack of empathy, and Bullseye’s parents started panicking inside. “W-Well…A-About as normal as any parent-child relationship, I’d think.” He father said. “And by that, you mean?” Twilight pressed. “Twilight, what has overcome you? Is there something you’d like to say?” Celestia demanded. “As a matter of fact, there is.” Twilight said. She turned to the crowd. “Everypony, may I please have your attention?” she called out. The crowd around her decided to give the good princess their attention, seeing as it might be important. “How long have you all known Bullseye and her parents?” The crowd looked at each other, as if to decide on an answer. “Well, shucks! We’ve known ‘em fer years! They’re not the most talkative ponies around, but they’re great with a bow and arrow!” somepony said. “Oh, but Bullseye is just a natural! It’s as if she was born with a bow in her hooves!” a random mare said. “What do they say when they do talk?” Twilight asked. The crowd fumbled around for an answer, but nopony could seem to agree on anything in particular. The most interesting thing any of them said was that they’d occasionally discuss the weather or the produce on sale or whatnot. “I see….So they never mentioned their daughter at all?” The crowd shook their heads. “Well! That should come as no surprise.” She hissed. “After all, I’m sure they wouldn’t want you to know the truth!” She glared back at Bullseye’s parents, and she could tell that she was somehow onto them. “Wh-What truth, darling? You’re being rather aggressive.” Rarity said. “Sorry, Rarity.” Twilight said. It was then that she pulled out the black diamond that she mysteriously found in her room. “I don’t know where this came from or who sent it to me, but it’s clear that whoever did had the intention of showing something that needed to be made known.” She handed it to Celestia. “Princess Celestia, for the sake of proving that it’s not tampered with, could I ask you to tell me what this is? I know you’ve never seen it before.” Celestia closely examined the pitch-black diamond. “Well…..It seems to have some sort of photographic recording spell, and it’s been used. But….Twilight, where did you attain this?” “Ooh! That would look ravishing on a Miss Midnight dress I’ve been working on!” Rarity said. “I think your opinion will change drastically once we view its contents, Rarity.” Twilight said. “Could I ask that somepony bring a screen out here?” It took a moment, but the mayor and an assistant of his brought out a rolling presentation screen used in meetings. “Thank you. Now I ask that you all please watch.” Twilight took the diamond back from Celestia and projected its magic onto the screen, allowing the recorded scene to unfold… An ominous silence seemed to slam down on the room along with the front door as Bullseye entered, paying no heed to her parents. Her father put his newspaper down and looked at her. “Where’ve you been?” he asked in an angry tone. It was understandable that he wouldn’t be happy about his daughter being out so late. Bullseye stopped and just barely glanced over at him. “Where I always am…” she muttered. Her tone wasn’t quite so menacing this time. She started walking into the hallway across the living room presumably towards her room when her father used his unicorn magic to grab her by the tail. “I’m not done with you!” he growled. He forcefully pulled her back towards him as he got up from the couch. Bullseye’s mother approached them with the same angry glare that her dad had as he held her suspended above the floor. “How’d that little competition today go, huh!?” Bullseye desperately struggled to fly her way out of her father’s grasp, but to no avail. Her mother then grabbed her medal. “First place again, huh? Of course…” she hissed. She ripped the medal right off of Bullseye’s neck and threw it across the room. “And then you just spent the whole rest of the day at the damn archery range, huh!?” Bullseye mustered a glare at her parents, but the terror in her eyes held back any ability for it to take effect on them. “Wh-Where else!? Here!?” she stammered angrily. She glanced over at the thrown medal, silently lamenting its broken lanyard. “What? You want that back?” Her mother taunted. “Mind letting us have it for once!?” she said as she forcefully smacked Bullseye across the left side of her face. “We were gonna be the biggest stars in archery this century, but we just had to have you, didn’t we!? The second you picked up a bow for the first time, you stole every spotlight, trophy, interview, everything from us!” he dad exclaimed. “Everypony lauded over you while we became chopped liver!” Bullseye let out a scream upon being hit and clutched her eye. A mass congregation of frustration, fear, anger and hate swelled up with her eye. “That’s just your favorite spot, huh!?” she growled. “We’re open to exploration!” her dad growled. He flung her into the wall with such force that it left a hole where she impacted. Bullseye crumbled to the floor, clutching herself in a heap. “Rnnnngh…..” She gritted her teeth and glared up at her abusive parents. “I’ll just be going to bed now…” she growled as she staggered to her hooves before limply walking into the hallway. “Fine. Just don’t bother getting up in the morning.” Her mother hissed. Jaws everywhere had hit the floor. Some even looked away at the graphic content of the recording, but nonetheless absorbed it, however horrific it might’ve been. Even the ever composed Royal Sisters couldn’t believe the absolute atrocity that they had just beheld. Twilight found herself still horrified despite having watched it already. All eyes turned to Bullseye’s parents, who were paralyzed in both panic and confusion. While not even Twilight knew who managed to catch them in the act or how, their priceless expressions betrayed their ability to lie their way out. “Wh-Wh-What the!? Who was at our window!?” her father said. His wife forcefully nudged him. “You idiot!” he hissed. She then turned to the crowd. “Th-There must be some sort of misunderstanding-” She was cut off by her own train of thought as she recalled the night Bullseye disappeared. Something about…..a ‘prodigy’……..and a mysterious set of amethyst eyes. “Wait a minute….” “I-I-If you just listen, I’m sure I can explain-” Bullseye’s father tried to speak, but he was cut off when Fist forcefully socked him in the face, knocking him to the ground and leaving a shiner on his left eye. “OOF!” He found himself gazing up at Fist with the look of a rival opponent ready to finish him on his face, who then grabbed him by the collar and pulled him up to his face. “Mind explaining THAT!? HUH!?!?” Fist exclaimed. “WHAT KIND OF PARENTS DO YOU THINK YOU EVEN ARE!?!?” He threw him back to the ground. Bullseye’s mother went to her fallen husband. The entire crowd shared in Fist’s opinion as they glared down at them. “THEY DON’T EVEN DESERVE TO BE CALLED PARENTS!!” a random mare shouted. “AND I THOUGHT THOSE PARENTS IN CANTERLOT WERE BAD! YOU TWO ARE JUST…..JUST…..YOU’RE NOT EVEN WORTHY OF ANY WORDS!!!” Cat shouted. “I don’t know how you managed to hide this for so long, but I can’t begin to imagine how much your daughter must’ve been suffering inside!! This is just inexcusable!!” Cheerilee said. Bullseye’s mother nervously returned everypony’s glare. “Y-Y-You got proof that diamond wasn’t just set up!? How do we know you didn’t just forge that!?” Scootaloo trudged up to them. “Don’t be stupid! It’s written all over your faces!!” she exclaimed. Bullseye’s mother turned her glare to the orange filly, and her abusive instincts kicked in. “I WASN’T ASKING YOU, YOU LITTLE S***!!!” She raised her arm and readied herself to strike Scootaloo, who ducked under her hooves, but her arm was suddenly held back by unicorn magic. “Huh!?” When she looked up, she could see Princess Celestia’s horn glowing. The solar sovereign had a judgmental gaze affixed on the couple as she held the mare’s hoof back, allowing Scootaloo to retreat. Celestia walked up to them and lowered her head so that she was face to face with them. Her form eclipsed the sun behind her, leaving only her shadow to be cast over the now terrified couple. “To think that such an atrocity existed within my kingdom…I’m truly sickened by the two of you!” she hissed. “You had the responsibility as parents to nurture and guide your daughter with love and compassion, yet you decided to terrorize her and teach her to fear the world.” She raised her head back up, still glaring at Bullseye’s parents. “Guards, arrest them immediately and have them imprisoned in Canterlot. I’ll deal with them personally…” “Absolutely, Your Highness!” The guards were as gung ho as anypony was at the notion of punishing these two, and they took Bullseye’s parents away without a second thought. ***** “Are you alright, Scoots?” Applebloom asked. “Yeah, I’m good. Just….wow….I almost feel like letting Bullseye punch me again if it makes her feel better.” Scootaloo said. “You sure? She hit you pretty hard…” Sweetie Belle said. “I can’t imagine her parents were any better though. Ugh! The poor dear…” Rarity said. “Just unforgivable.” Fist said. “Ehh….Sorry I lost my cool back there…” “You have nothing to feel sorry for, honey. I’d say they had it coming.” Cat said. She lightly pecked his cheek. “You were actually pretty cool.” “Whoa, now. Let’s not risk turning into them!” Fist warned. “That aside…” Luna said. “Twilight, just how exactly did you attain that jewel?” “I’ll have to explain to you and your sister on the train.” Twilight answered. “But first, I want to listen to what the Crusaders have to say. Our train’s leaving soon, so we should get going.” “Very well. Let us board then.” Celestia said. As they made their way for the train station, Luna found herself fighting with her feelings over hiding what she already knew about the Battle Foals. She knew that the current circumstances might impede or even end their journey, so it was then that she thought to herself. “Perhaps it’s time I intervened…”