Battle Ready: Envy

by D101 Reviews

Chapter Eight: Equestria and Warhorse

Chapter Eight: Equestrian and Warhorse

"Oh for Victorium's sake!" Battle cried. "At fucking ease!"

Arson and Merciless looked embarrassedly at their feet, scratching the back of their heads as they waited on the platform. A scorch mark on the ground indicated where a blast of fire had struck the concrete slab. In the middle of the ring of ashes was a web of cracks where something had sunk into the ground. Namely, Merciless' throwing knife. The two unicorns had reacted the way only two soldiers on edge could to a sudden noise. Shoot first ask questions never. Battle however found this annoyingly amusing.

"Listen you two, the only thing that's going to kill me, is having to put up with this nag while we're in Ponyville," Battle reminded the two jumpy Generals, jerking a thumb at Tactical to reaffirm who the 'nag' was.Tactical gave an indignant snort but said nothing.

"Apologies Commander," Merciless said blushing slightly.

"Agreed," Arson murmured.

Battle sighed and put his face into his hand.

"Just.... calm down and.... don't touch anything, okay boys?" he asked calmly.

"I don't know why you dragged me to Ponyville," Tactical sighed.

"Because father asked me to keep an eye on you and Blueprint," Battle snapped.

"Then why not leave me in Canterlot?"

"Because I wouldn't wish that fate on anyone, least of all Celestia," Battle replied. "Now, where the Homucidium is Sky?"

"Do you want us to recover the General sir?" Arson asked. Battle gave him a worn look.

"the last thing I need is you two running around Ponyville trying to murder anything that moves," Battle replied. "Come on. I'll show you around. And keep your cool. 'Kay? Nothing here is gonna try and kill us okay?"

Battle stepped down into Ponyville from the station and looked around, allowing the geography of the small town to return to him. He smiled as he recognised a few faces here and there, walking around doing their daily business as the normally did. A couple of them clearly remember Battle too, for they waved in greeting. Battle felt his smile grow larger when he saw a particular mare walk up to him, smiling with familiarity.

"I haven't seen you in ages!" exclaimed Nurse Redheart as she drew near, spreading her arms as she made to hug him.

"I've been busy!" Battle called back, embracing Redheart in a friendly hug, patting her gently on the back.

"We were busy too you know?" Redheart pointed out. "We had to find a new guard to work the night shift. The one we got now doesn't have to spend half his nights running after the patients thank Celestia."

"Ah, you found out about that did you?" Battle asked.

"That we did," Redheart said. "Still can't be helped, though you did leave quite a mess for us to clean up." She finally noticed Battle's company. "And who are these charming gentlecolts?"

"This is my best buddy Arson," Battle introduced his General, clapping a hand on the red stallions shoulder. "My good friend Merciless." He clapped the other stallion on the shoulder. "And my sister Tactical."

"Nice to meet you all," Redheart said, throwing a few nervous glances at Merciless.

"Ah you don't need to worry about him," Battle said tousling Merciless' hair a bit. "He's a big softie. Although, he has got one heck of an itchy trigger finger of late." He flashed a knowing grin at Merciless who bowed his head slightly.

"I see," Redheart said softly, before she brightened again and held out her hand to each of them in turn. "Pleased to meet all of you, I'm Redheart. I'm a nurse at Ponyville General Hospital."

"Nice to meet you ma'am," Merciless said, smiling, shaking the proffered hand.

"Likewise," Arson agreed, following Merciless' example.

When tactical was offered the hand, she looked at it for a few moments before rolling her eyes and giving it a limp shake. "Charmed," she muttered.

"Don't mind her," Battle said. "It's not that she doesn't like you. It's that she hates everypony."

"I see," Redheart said, turning back to Battle. "Well, I've still got things to do, but if you ever want to chat you know my lunch-breaks."

"See you 'round," Battle said smiling.

"Bye Battle! Bye boys!" She gave a flirtatious wink to Arson and Merciless. There was silence for a few moments.

"Do you just find these people on the street and you take pity on them?" Tactical asked.

"Shut up and let's go find Sky," Battle sighed stepped down the high-street...

...

... And was thrown to the ground by a flying tackle hug from a pink blur.

"Ohmygoshohmygoshohmygosh!" came the cried from the excited mare. "You're actually here! I knew my Pinkie Sense wasn't wrong!"

Battle looked down into a frizzled curly pink mane practically shoved straight into his snout. He smiled as he returned the hug.

"Nice to see you two Pinkie," Battle said. In an instant Pinkie was on her feet and helped Battle to his feet.

"Why didn't you tell us you were coming?" Pinkie asked as Battle dusted his sleeve off. Before Battle could answer, Pinkie's eyes sparkled as she gasped in realisation. "Wait wait don't tell me I can guess... Oh oh you were planning a surprise party!"

"I wish Pink's," Battle scratched the back of his head. "You haven't seen Sky anywhere have you?"

"Oh oh I know this one! I'll go get her for you!" And with that Pinkie was away.

Battle watched her zoom away, smiling slightly. Arson stepped up next to him and looked sideways at his Commander.

"No wonder we beat Wrath when she moves like that," he said.

"Aye," Battle agreed

"We're just meeting your friends left and right aren't we?" Tactical muttered with disdain. Battle ignored her. When Battle didn't say or do anything for a few moments Tactical cleared her throat. Still Battle did nothing. Tactical frowned. "Are we going to find Sky then?" she demanded.

"Sky will be brought to us," Battle replied simply.

"How?" Arson asked. "Not the pink mare surely?"

"You clearly underestimate the power that is Pinkie Pie," Battle smirked. He checked his wrist, before remembering he didn't wear a watch. He looked back up the high-street and smiled. "Right on time."

Pinkie, or at least some pink blur, was racing back up the street like a pink tornado. Battle took a well judged step back before Pinkie stopped a yard in front of him and Arson, two figures sent sprawling at their feet, one of them being Arson's general, the other being another familiar Ponyville face: Applejack. Battle smiled and looked at Pinkie.

"Thank you Pinkie."

"No problem," Pinkie beamed. "Gotta run! Need to help back at Sugar Cube Corner!"

And then she was gone, leaving a trail of dusk in her wake. Battle smiled before helping Sky to her feet as Applejack had already pushed herself to her own and was already dusting herself off.

"What in tarnation was that girl thinkin'?" Applejack muttered to herself.

"Hey Applejack," Battle said as Sky began to dust herself off as well, embarrassed at being dragged across Ponyville by Pinkie.

"Hey Battle," Applejack said without much attention. Then she did a double-take looking up at Battle with surprise. Battle smiled.

"Nice to see you too," Battle said at Applejack's shocked expression. Applejack shook her head before she smiled and spread her arms wide. Battle repeated the gesture and the two embrace.

"Nice to see ya'll again partner!" Applejack cried.

"And you!" Battle said. "Have you been pumpin' iron? You're a lot bigger than I remember."

Applejack blushed as the two parted.

"I may have put on an extra bit of muscle yeah," Applejack admitted. Battle patter her shoulder.

"You remember Arson and Merciless don't you Applejack?" Battle asked. Tactical coughed and Battle rolled his eyes. "And my sister."

"Yep," Applejack confirmed, tipping her signature Stetson to the unicorns. "Nice to see ya'll again. And nice to meet another member of your family B."

"B?" Battle said, raising an eyebrow, before shrugging it off and saying, "I take it you've met Blueprint then?"

"Cute li'l fellar with the family eyes? He's not hard to miss," Applejack admitted.

"Speaking of Blueprint," Battle said turning to Sky. "Where did you leave my brother?"

"Our brother," Tactical reminded.

"Yeah yeah whatever where is he Sky?" Battle asked, waving Tactical away. Sky opened her mouth but Applejack cut her off.

"Ah left her with Applebloom," Applejack explained. "She'll see the li'l guy right don't you worry."

Battle cocked his head. "You left Blueprint with Applebloom?"

"Yeah?" Applejack said slowly.

"Any idea where they'd go?"

---

Twilight slid one last book into place in her library and smiled. A quill and scroll floated up to her and she grasped both, before checking off one last entry on her check list for the morning.

"That's the last thing for now," she said to herself, double checking her list. "Books have been dusted, shelves have been cleaned, library sanitised from top to bottom, branches trimmed, leaves plucked and books reorganised. All ahead of schedule."

She smiled to herself again as he scroll and quill disappeared in a flash of light and stepped down from her position on the ladder. She dusted her skirt off from imaginary dirt and looked around the library. It took her a full thirty seconds to sit down behind the desk bored. She checked her 'to do' list for the rest of the day. She had a full hour's free time to do whatever she wanted to do. The only trouble was, Twilight didn't know what she could do that would occupy her time for a whole hour.

"I suppose I could always read," Twilight said to herself. Her horn glowed faintly and a book floated down off of a shelf and onto her desk. For perhaps the hundredth time she flipped open the cover to Daring Do and the Sapphire Stone and began to read.

Or at least she would have done had the door to the library not swung open at that exact moment to reveal three excited filly's and a bemused looking colt.

"Howdy Miss Twilight!" Applebloom announced as she and the other Crusaders raced into the library, bouncing off of every available surface.

"Oh, hello girls," Twilight said smiling weakly. "What can I do for the Cutie Mark Crusaders today then?"

"We're looking for a book on different kinds of drawing!" Sweetie Belle exclaimed. Twilight blinked.

"Drawing?" she asked, surprised that the Crusaders would be interested in such a... safe past time.

"Yeah, drawing!" Scootaloo confirmed. Twilight smiled, pleased that for once the three young fillies wouldn't wreck her perfectly tidied library. Still, she felt she had to ask.

"Why drawing girls specifically?" Twilight said slowly.

Applebloom bounded over to the colt they had dragged in with them, wrapped her arm around his shoulders and pulled him over to Twilight.

"And who's this?" Twilight asked.

"Blueprint ma'am," he muttered quietly.

"He just came to Ponyville today!" Applebloom cried.

"And he doesn't have his Cutie Mark either!" Scootaloo added.

"But he thinks his Cutie Mark might be something to do with drawing!" Sweetie Belle finished. "Look!"

She lifted up the drawing of the Eye of Equitem for Twilight to see. The alicorn took the drawing and examined it, her eyes and mouth going wide at the beauty of the drawing she was currently presented with.

"You drew this?" she asked the young colt, starring at him. He blushed and nodded. Twilight smiled in awe and looked at the drawing again. "What's your name?"

"I'm Blueprint," he said softly, hands behind his back and scuffing his feet on the floor.

"Nice to meet you Blueprint," Twilight said. "I'm Twilight Sparkle."

"Oh I know," Blueprint said looking up at Twilight, smiling broadly. Twilight blinked, confused. "My brother talks about you a lot," Blueprint explained. "He thinks fondly of you."

"Does he now?" Twilight was still getting used to the idea of being the fantasies of half of Equestria, especially since her disastrous attempt at a relationship with the guard Flash Sentry a few months after she had become a princess. The idea that this little colt's brother had spoken about her was a touch off putting.

"Yeah!" Blueprint said excitedly. "Big brother used to talk about you a lot before he went away. Still does actually.."

Twilight smiled nervously but then her eyes fell upon the colt's. They were a deep, innocent, navy blue. A very familiar shade of navy blue. Twilight's nervous smile was replaced by a more relaxed and flattered one. She knew those eyes.

"And how is Battle these days?" she asked, smiling.The Cutie Mark Crusaders looked confused, while Blueprint's smile widened.

"Big bro said you were smart," he said quickly. "He's been acting all serious ever since he got back from his expedition though. Something about the ice planes. I wasn't listening."

"I see," Twilight muttered, a small shiver running up her spine. She didn't remember the ice planes. But she remember what lay at their heart. The Tomb of Wrath. Her prison for an unknowable amount of time, where she had been trapped in a cocoon of darkness and fear. It was not a pleasant experience.

"So, a book on drawing," Twilight said suddenly, forcing a smile back onto her face. "Let me have a look."

After a few moments of searching she had set Blueprint and the other Crusaders down with a decent stack of books Twilight sat behind her desk and began to think. Only a few days ago had Tactical been in Equestria to tell her that Battle had undergone an expedition that had taken him away from Warhorse. An expedition she had now just found out had been to the ice planes north of the Empire, no doubt to the Tomb of Wrath itself. And not only that, Battle's younger brother, someone she had heard of but never met, was now in Equestria. Why? Was he here by himself? Or was Battle himself here?

Twilight sighed and set her head in her hands, not noticing the door open. She did however notice the cry of surprise from Applebloom.

"Applejack!"

Twilight didn't look up, merely pressing her head further into her hands and thinking. Until she heard Blueprint cry out.

"Battle!"

Twilight's hands slipped and she nearly head-butted the table before she looked up as Blueprint raced at his older brother, who knelt down and picked Blueprint up under the armpits and lifted him into the air.

"I haven't been gone that long have I Blue?" he chuckled, flicking Blueprint on the nose. Blueprint's response was to attempt to bite Battle's finger. Battle smirked and set his brother down again before noticed the pile of books. "Apparently I've been gone long enough for Twilight to set you homework," he muttered. He looked up at Twilight and smiled warmly. Twilight got to her feet and walked slowly around the desk before running at Battle and wrapping her arms around his neck.

"It's so good to see you again!" she cried.

"And you!" Battle chuckled, squeezing Twilight tightly. The remained like that for a few moments before a noise behind Battle reminded them they had company.

"Do you mind not showing your affection in such a sickening fashion?" Tactical asked, her voice clipped and filled with the air of one who was about to be sick. "Especially when we have such serious matters to discuss?"

Battle set Twilight down and gave Tactical the look only an older sibling can when annoyed with their younger family. Tactical, responded with the reverse. Battle sighed and turned back to Twilight.

"We may have a bit of a problem."

Author's Note:

Thanks to Whitewolf_Stormrunner and Charge Star for favouring.

Comments

[PhycoKrusk]

"We may have a bit of a problem. You see, Twilight, it's a bit nippy out, I'm evidently allergic to radishes, and the world might be ending. You know, just little things, mostly. Nothing worth getting worried over, certainly."

[D101 Reviews]

3067284
The weather in Ponyville is fine what are you talking about?

[PhycoKrusk]

3067290
Well, it's just that this weather report says otherwise, although upon taking a closer look, it does seem rather suspect. For starters, the signature is just a failed game of Hangman, where the code phrase seems to be "BATTLE _EADY."

I'd say there's foul work afoot, and we should at once seek out and inform this Eady character that their life may be in danger.

[D101 Reviews]

3067435 Eh?

[PhycoKrusk]

3067446
Uhm. That is to say that, the weather in Ponyville was part of a joke that didn't SMOKE BOMB! *escape*

[D101 Reviews]

3067462 *cough cough* Ah. She got away!