Tales of the Battle Foals

by Sirdubya

Before The Storm...

Everypony who wasn’t knocked out cold helped those who were waking up, and one of the Bladerunners applied much needed first aid to Rainbow Dash after carefully removing Bullseye’s arrow from her shoulder; a movement-restrictive series of bandages had to be wrapped around it, much to her dismay. What made things worse was that her belly still ached horribly after the punishment it received from the Blood Cupid. Cheerilee managed to calm her class down pretty quickly, especially after Rarity, Applejack and Twilight woke up. Fire Fight’s parents woke up with them, but they looked frantically around the room for their son…..only to discover that they had pretty much covered their tracks…..permanently.

Cat ran up to the destroyed portal and gawked at it in horrified disbelief. The one gateway between her and retrieving her son had been forever locked, and all she could do was fall to her knees in sheer grief. “NO!!!” she screamed as she punched the ground in frustration. She couldn’t help but start crying. “HE WAS RIGHT HERE!!!”

Fist ran up to her and immediately embraced, trying to hold back his own tears. "Honey! Honey….” He tried to calm her down, but he too was frustrated with letting his son and the other runaway foals slip right out from their hooves. “He’s okay….He’s alive…..We can still find him. We can still bring him back home!”

Cat forcefully shoved him off of her. “THEN TELL ME WHY WE DIDN’T STOP HIM JUST NOW!!!” she shouted. “HE WAS RIGHT HERE, FIST!! RIGHT HERE!!!! AND WE LET HIM GET AWAY!!! HE’S STILL TRYING TO RUN AWAY FROM US!!!!”

“C-Cat!” Fist tried to find the right words to calm his enraged wife.

“WHY DID YOU JUST STAND THERE LIKE AN IDIOT!?!? YOU HAVEN’T SEEN HIM FOR HOW LONG? AND ALL YOU CAN SAY IS ‘HEY CHAMP’!?!?!” Cat scolded.

Fist was starting to let his own frustration get the better of him. “Well, what was I supposed to say!? ‘Please come home so we can talk about this’!? He wouldn’t have listened to me right away, Cat!”

“AND DO YOU KNOW WHY!?” Cat shouted. “IT’S ALL YOUR FAULT THAT HE’D EVEN WANT TO RUN AWAY!! YOU CALLED HIM A DELINGQUENT AND WALKED OUT THE DOOR, AND HE SPENT THE REST OF HIS FOALHOOD SHAMING HIMSELF BECAUSE HE THOUGHT HE COULD EARN YOU BACK SOMEHOW!! YOU MADE HIM THINK HE DIDN’T BELONG!!” Cat then just started bawling as she fell into her husband’s arms, who embraced her.

Fist couldn’t refute his mistake, and thinking back to that dreadful day was the straw that broke the camel’s back in that moment, breaking the seals over his eyes and releasing his tears. Ever since he’d lived on his own in Fillydelphia, his thoughts were only with his son, worrying about how he was faring without him, but he knew that he’d be anything but welcome back right away. He stroked his flustered wife’s back and calmly shushed her. “Honey…..I know I screwed up…..but I wouldn’t be here if I was genuinely worried about him. I want our son back as much as you do; I want to atone any way I can for what I did so we can just be happy again. You want that too, don’t you?” He gently lifted her by the chin so that they were face to face.

Her face was soaked in tears, and her angered expression had turned to that of near hopelessness. It was only her determination as a mother that kept her from going over the edge. “I-I….<sob>….I do, but….<sob>…..Now I don’t know what Fire Fight wants….”

“Then let’s find him and ask him.” Fist said as he wiped away his wife’s tears. She calmed down and nodded.

Cheerilee walked up to the two of them. “Mr. Fight….” She said. “I’m as much to blame. Fire Fight wouldn’t have cracked had I been more understanding.” She said.

“I know….Thank you, Ms. Cheerilee.” Fist said.

Scootaloo rushed up to Rainbow Dash, worried sick about her idol seeing as she too succumbed to Bullseye’s wrath. “Rainbow Dash! Are you alright?”

The athletic pegasus struggled to stand with her shoulder and stomach pain holding her back, but she showed no weakness in front of her biggest fan. “Y-Yeah, kid. Don’t worry. How about you?”

“I-I’m ok, but….” Scootaloo found herself frustrated with Bullseye again. She wondered how far the berserk filly would really go seeing as she harmed a Wonderbolt.

“You weren’t kidding about that Bullseye. She’s pretty nasty.” Rainbow Dash was trying to play it cool, but deep down, she could feel the pain the little archer must have endured from her parents all in that one gut punch if the arrow to the shoulder wasn’t enough, and she wouldn’t wish it on her worst enemy. She put her hoof on Scootaloo’s shoulder. “All the more reason to find her and fix her up, right?”

Scootaloo looked up at her idol and smiled. “Y-Yeah…”

Cheerilee’s class came together back into the portal chamber now that Shrapnel was no longer there, but the thought of such a terrifying beast being so close to them was almost traumatizing. “I stared death right in its jaws….” Button Mash muttered in a horrified daze.

“Yeah….but what was it doing with Fire Fight? And who was that zebra it was with?” Diamond Tiara asked.

“Yeah. Ah reckon Ah saw a mighty big robo machine r’ whatever ya wanna call it.” Applebloom said.

“I think I saw a filly inside of it. <gasp!> You think maybe it was Quantum Tech?” Sweetie Belle inquired.

“I swear! If she seriously built something like that considering those hornbands we learned about in Canterlot….” Silver Spoon commented.

Button Mash managed to regain his composure. “What even was that…..ninja pony that came and nearly knocked us all out? What all was even happening at once!? That was just insane!”

“Ah know! Ah was half-expectin’ some kind o’ snow monster to suddenly bust through the walls with all that was goin’ on. That was a bigger hootenanny than mah family reunions!” Applebloom said.

Sweetie Belle sighed. “Why are they still running away? We came face to face with them, but….they still got away from us like we were going to arrest them. Fire Fight knows we’re his friends.”

“I don’t think they realize how much we want them back.” Diamond said.

Scootaloo joined them after checking on Rainbow Dash. “Crusaders, I think we’ve got another Cutie Mark mission ahead of us.”

They all looked at her. “What do you mean, Scoots?” Silver Spoon asked.

Scootaloo cleared her throat. “Fire Fight ran away because he felt that he had no place in Equestria because of his Cutie Mark, and all of those other foals came with him because they felt the same way. We’ve got to show them that they do mean something! That they can be happy!”

“Well, yeah, but…..what about ponies like my mother?” Diamond asked. “She was the one-”

“They’re the real problem.” Scootaloo interjected. “Everypony else here admitted that they were wrong even if Fire Fight doesn’t know that. We have to show him somehow that we’re willing to listen so we can remind him that he earned that mark, not cursed with it. We’ll deal with Spoiled Rich afterwards.”

Their friend’s confident tone and powerful words reignited their wills. She was right. Fire Fight was going to be the biggest they’d ever face, but the outcome would be of significant magnitude. They did their cheer, sealing their vow to help Fire Fight and his runaway friends.

Knight Soul approached Twilight, who was being tended by Spike. While still shaken himself, the little dragon did what he could to keep his cool, but Knight Soul was in no mood for feeling good about himself. “Princess…..forgive me. I failed to protect you and apprehend the foals…..” he bowed his head in shame.

“It’s ok, Knight Soul. I don’t think we were expecting any of what happened just now.” Twilight said. “Namely your son countering my magic with his sword…..”

Knight Soul bolted his head back up when he suddenly remembered that. “Oh! Y-Yes. That frazzled me as well. I was not aware that his blades held such an attribute…….nor would I even begin to imagine how he did that.”

“Well, if they’re equipped to deal with even alicorn magic, I’d say they’re gonna be pretty ok until we find them again.” Spike said. “Where does this portal even go to anyway?”

“Didn’t Aesir say that they were looking for a griffon named Valkyrie?” Sky Strike asked. “I think I saw a griffonlet with them, so that might have been her.”

“Yeah, but was it really necessary? Seems like they could’ve popped it open and walked through.” Spike said.

“Unless….” Twilight said as she inspected the keystones. “They needed a griffon to activate it.”

“Huh? But why would a griffon-activated portal be here in Equestria?” Sky Strike asked.

“There’s only one logical conclusion: It goes to the other side of the realm, to Griffonstone!” Twilight declared.

“Umm…..are you sure, Twilight?” Maybe you should go talk to that ‘Aesir’ guy again. He’d know for sure” Spike asked.

Twilight sighed. “We probably should….” She muttered, not that she was entirely unamused. Aesir was a fun fellow to talk to anyway.

“Well, let’s get that info as fast as we can! I want to find my son and makes things right with him!” Sky Strike declared. He then sighed as he recalled his face before leaping through the portal. “He must feel so guilty for everything that’s happened….”

“Yes….My own son and I need a heart-to-heart…..So let us make haste!” Knight soul declared.

Twilight nodded. “Alright. Ms. Cheerilee, take everypony back to Ponyville. Spike, Sky Strike and myself have further business in Yodelneigh. Until then, I’m afraid the search will have to be off.”

Cheerilee sighed heavily. “Understood, Twilight…” she muttered. She knew that everypony around her felt her anguish as they had no choice but to uncover whatever trail Fire Fight might have possibly left.

......Mere moments after they all exited the temple, a black shadow dropped down onto the ancient floor in front of the destroyed portal before removing his mask. His magenta eyes gazed upon the portal as if he were interrogating somepony suspected of murder. "What are you up to, little miss prodigy?"

Gleams and glistens of the crystalline nation spoke volumes of its seemingly eternal serenity. Within the their small patch of paradise surrounded by a landscape of tundra, the crystal ponies carried out their lives and traditions that were still relatively foreign to their Equestrian neighbors, including the married rulers that lived high in their tower in the center of their land.

Cadance found herself able to relax for the day with so little going on, so she decided to spend what time she could with her infant daughter. Her attendants usually kept the child alicorn entertained, but the princess of love decided to take her responsibility of a mother as much as she could. Shining had told her a couple of times that she needed to anyway. Flurry Heart played joyfully with her favorite toy while her mother laid down next to her. The plush snail had already suffered a negligible tear from the abuse it endured from the miniscule matriarch.

Cadance lowered her head when her daughter presented it to her. “<giggle> Is that one your favorite, sweetie?” she asked. Flurry Heart nodded. “Is it a snail?” Flurry looked at it for a moment as of to think, and then nodded back at her mother. “Good! Can you bring me a bear?”

Flurry put down her snail and looked at her toy chest. She opened it using her magic and effortlessly lifted out all of the stuffed animals in its inventory and searched for the type Cadance requested. When she found a bear, she presented to her mother, who smiled. “Very good, honey!” She kissed her baby, inciting a giggle from the little princess. “Now how about an alligator?” With her toys still afloat via her magic, Flurry Heart traded the stuffed bear for an alligator and presented it to her mother, earning her another kiss. “Good job, Flurry! What about a fish?”

Flurry seemed a little unsure of herself this time, and she searched through her toys diligently before deciding that she had found a fish, two fish as a matter of fact. She confidently presented them to her mother. “That’s good, honey!” She said before kissing her daughter once more, but then she looked at one of the toys she’d brought. “But whales aren’t actually fish.” Flurry looked up at the stuffed whale she’d brought in confusion, and then back at her mother. “Whales live in water, but they’re not fish. Isn’t that funny?” Flurry, feeling as though she’d failed her mother, looked at the ground dejected, but Cadance picked her up and repeatedly kissed her. “It’s okay, sweetie. Everypony learns.” Smiles quickly returned to Flurry’s face as she giggled, causing her to lose her focus on her toys and drop them. “Whoops!”

The door to their room suddenly opened, and in walked Shining Armor. “Hey, you two!” he said before he saw the minefield of toys before him. “Whoa! Having a safari in here?”

Cadance giggled. “Hi, honey.” She said as she stood up. Flurry held her arms out, excited to see her father.

Shining walked to them and wasted no time greeting his daughter. “Hey, little pumpkin.” He gently nuzzled his daughter before kissing her, and she hugged his muzzle. “Aww! Thank you, honey.”

“Why don’t you pick up all of your toys for daddy, Flurry?” Cadance suggested. Without hesitation, Flurry Heart shined her horn and effortlessly lifted all of her toys back into their chest.

“Thank you, Flurry.” Shining said before giving her another kiss. Flurry then yawned and relaxed herself in her mother’s arm as she drifted off to sleep.

“Aww….Looks like it’s naptime.” Cadance said. She then looked up at her husband. “Can you believe how talented she is already, Shining?”

“I know.” Shining said, gazing proudly down at his daughter. “I mean, her being an alicorn might have something to do with it, but still. She’s gonna be a great princess in the future.”

The door then suddenly slowly creaked open, miraculously not waking the baby, and a guard peeked her head in. “Umm, sir?” she whispered. “I-Is this a bad time? I have something I think you’ll need to hear.”

Shining nodded to her. “Ok.” He said before kissing his wife. “I’ll be right back.”

Cadance nodded. “Okay.” She shivered a little. “Goodness. It’s getting a little cold in here.”

Shining walked through the doors and gently closed them before joining his subordinate. “What is it, Steel Sheen?”

Steel Sheen stood in firm attention. “Sir, our most recent exploration team of the Frozen North’s tundra reported upon their return that they detected a strange anomaly somewhere in the ice fields. Unfortunately, the surrounding terrain was dangerously frigid and lined with all sorts of nasty hazards, making it impossible for them to get anywhere near whatever they picked up.”

Shining cocked his eyebrow. “What kind of anomaly?”

“A magical anomaly, sir.” Steel Sheen said. “They couldn’t discern much, but it seemed to be generating the dangerous terrain around itself, as it was protecting itself.”

“Do we believe that it’s dangerous?” Shining asked.

Steel Sheen gulped. “There…..is a possibility of this being a threat, sir.” She said nervously.

Shining couldn’t blame her for being worried. With whatever this was being so close to home and his family, he had to make this ‘anomaly’ his priority. Furthermore, whatever evils that might befall his empire might set their sights on Equestria, so he’d have to inform his sister so that everypony was ready. “Send word to the Royal Sisters and Princess Twilight. Bring me to this exploration team as well. I want them to take me to the sight where they found this anomaly.”

Steel Sheen saluted. “Yes, sir!”