Bladestorm
After the foals went their respective ways, Valkyrie majestically swooped down in front of her opponent and their spectators. She puffed out her chest, displaying her well-established confidence while Air Slash stood tall but humble. “Good day, Valkyrie. I trust you slept well?”
Valkyrie brushed her feathers off. “I might have been kept a little awake from excitement, but all and all, sure. You ready?”
Air Slash nodded. “Of course! I trust you would know a suitable location around your home?”
“Yeah, man. There’s a little field just outside of town, but…..I’m willing to give one last chance to chicken out. I don’t go easy even when it’s a friendly duel.” Valkyrie said.
Air Slash drew one of his swords. “I never back down from a challenge.”
“Yeah! Homie gonna send you back to yo’ coop, homegirl.” Turf War boasted.
Valkyrie gave him a smug grin. “But not you, hammerhead!” she taunted. Turf War’s enthusiasm was suddenly drained. “Hehehe! Anyway, let’s go.” Valkyrie led them through town where she happily greeted by the townsfolk along the way, who of course were kind to the foals seeing as they were acquainted with a griffon who was hailed as a hero. While the foals didn’t quite understand how someone as egotistical as Valkyrie could command respect, they remembered that these were griffons, and it was likely seen as a positive quality. But it raised the question of how respect was thus not publicly shamed. Was there a side to the arrogant avian that they’d yet to see?
After a few moments of walking, the foals and Valkyrie stopped at the base of a field of grass sandwiched by the town and the cliffs that dropped down into the forest below. The gentle breeze swayed the grass, as if to encourage a greeting towards their guests. Its fortified serenity made for a great location for a small battlefield, and the two contenders occupied opposite ends of it. Even with their swords sheathed, the tension between them could be cut easily. Both hovered slightly above the ground as they drew their blades, the sunlight sheening off of them and the wind whistling as it blew against the sharp ends as they did. In that instant, they dropped their proud grins and put their game faces on- they were ready.
“Play nice, you two!” Shadow Shroud called out.
“And be careful!” Greensprout added.
The two combatants nodded to their spectators, and the duel ensued. “HERE COMES THE VALKYRIE!!!”
Both opponents soared towards each other like hornets ready to sting something. They’re collision was followed by an explosive <SHING!!> from their blades striking, and the foals watching could feel the shockwave. Air Slash swiftly soared upward and flew in a loop before diving towards Valkyrie with his sword ready to strike. Valkyrie blocked him easily with her shield, but he used his momentum to gracefully slide across her shield and jump off just before she could counter him. Valkyrie then let her shield drop and swung it by its chain and aimed for the soaring samurai, but Air Slash flipped over it as it came within mere inches of her feathers. He retaliated with a sword beam, and Valkyrie quickly generated a surge of ancestral light from her Valhalla into her sword and blocked it.
“So that’s how it’s gonna be, huh!?” Valkyrie said.
“I certainly hope you intended to fight to the best of your potential!” Air Slash said before soaring towards her low to the ground, his blades charging with magic. When he executed an upward slash, Valkyrie practically slammed her greatsword onto his katana, but Air Slash took the blow completely, and the two found themselves locked in a stalemate shimmering with the ferocity of their magic sparking off of their swords as though they were being welded together. Neither combatant was backing down.
Their staring contest lasted a few seconds before the build-up of energy forced them apart. “EN GARDE!!!” Air Slash exclaimed as he dashed towards her.
Little by little, the townsfolk began to crowd around Fire Fight, Shadow Shroud and Greensprout as Air Slash and their local hero engaged in a titanic hack and slash fest. Air Slash’s grace and dual wielding allowed him to execute fast and complex combos whereas Valkyrie’s strength and matching dexterity let her tank his blows like a brick wall, and counter with such force. Their aerial clashes created ferocious light shows everywhere they flew, yet they were careful not to put their audience into harm’s way.
“Damn! I shoulda brought some popcorn! Dis is lit!!” Turf War commented.
“They look like they’re having fun too!” Greensprout said.
“Classic adrenaline rush for ya! Nothing like it.” Fire Fight said.
Greensprout giggled. “I can see that!”
As she was watching, Shadow Shroud noticed something out of the corner of her eye. “Hmm?” Far in the distance, she could make out a little black speck that seemed to just be floating in place. Squinting her eyes, she could see it in slightly more detail. It was a small orb with a dim red light emanating from it. Nothing immediately obvious was suspending it in place, and it seemed to be quietly observing Valkyrie and Air Slash. Suddenly, it seemed to turn and notice Shadow Shroud looking at it, and it quickly made itself scarce and flew away. It accelerated far quicker than anything Shroud had seen from something that wasn't an athletic pegasus. “Hmm…..peculiar.”
“What’s up, Shroud?” Fire Fight asked.
“Hmm?” Shroud turned to face him. “Oh, nothing. Just thought I saw something.”
At the Pond
Tidal Wave and Spiral Galaxy sat across from each other right at the bank of the pond they’d found with Quantum Tech a few yards away from them stowed away in her mech. The little scientist had activated some measuring applications to scan her two friends during their session, namely Spiral Galaxy, who still had her hornband on. Feeling both excited to gather data and nervous that something might go awry on her behalf, she calibrated her instruments for the umpteenth and gave them the word. “Ready when you two are. Here’s hoping nothing undesirable occurs.”
“Ehehe….. L-Like what?” Spiral nervously, trying to mask her anxiety.
“Like lots of things, Spiral. Just stay calm.” Tidal Wave said. “Ok then. Here we go.” Tidal Wave lit his water brooch and gently lifted a stream of water and let it flow in the air around him and Spiral. He made sure to let it ripple as though it were actually flowing in a river.
Having never actually seen Tidal Wave’s powers in action before, Quantum Tech couldn’t help but to gaze in awe. She’d expect no less from something Zebota created, but the sheer spectacle and the magical readings she was picking up from him left her dumbfounded. “Simply remarkable….”
Spiral took a deep breath and closed her eyes as she entered a meditative state. She gently eased her horn active and just let the water relax her. Quantum Tech could tell from her readings that her hornband was allowing her to vent out safe amounts of magic, but the clogging effect she was afraid of was almost readily apparent. It was pressure valve waiting to pop, but as Spiral relaxed, the intensity of her overflow subsided. If she ever condemned the idea of meditation, she owed Zebota an apology.
Tidal Wave’s mystic stream reminded Spiral of the first time she tried meditating with Fire Fight in the Hoofington woods and with Shadow Shroud on their raft while on the way to Dodge City. The first time was baby steps, the second was a step in the right direction, but this time, she had the aid of somepony who knew whole textbooks worth about magic and somepony who was budding a close friendship with her. With those happy thoughts and the ripple of the water easing her mind, Spiral could feel her churning cosmic wrath stilling into a beautiful sea of stars and celestial bodies one would see in a masterpiece painting. Her horn let off a gentle but brilliant glow, and her cosmo magic flowed along with Tidal Wave’s water to create a truly spectacular effect. Quantum tried to fight off how flustered she was as she monitored Spiral’s magic influxes, and to her further amazement, they were stabilizing quite nicely. It was slow, but the ‘stream of consciousness’, as she internally called it, the two created seemed to be making a safe place to sublimate Spiral’s excess, and it was then that she noticed an unforeseen effect. The intensity of the cosmo magic slowly mitigated as it travel through the floating streams of water, meaning that it could safely vent out given some patience- it was happening at a slow pace.
While he was more a part of the therapy than anything, Tidal Wave himself found the whole thing to be quite enjoyable. Even if he hadn’t had his hydromancy for very long, he found himself becoming more comfortable with it. Being able to use it so calmly when he’s used it for torrential combat was soothing for him. For some reason, it made him wonder if his mother liked water as much as he did, and being able to share it with friends in such a spectacular way made it all the more special.
An alert suddenly resounded in Quantum’s mech. “Unknown airborne entity detected.”
“Hmm?” Quantum looked at the area above them where her scanners were showing, and she zoomed in to see a starnge floating orb that looked like it was flying away as though it were trying to escape detection. It got away too fast for her instruments to make a detailed analysis of it. “Oh dear… I hope that wasn’t anything to worry about.” Once her scanners were able to tell her that it was metallic, her anxiety quickly turned into intrigue. “Ooh! I do hope to encounter it again soon!”
At the Edge of the Forest…
Kickback waited patiently for Zebota and Shrapnel to return for a good half-hour before the mystic duo finally emerged from the brush. They happily approached one another. “Well howdy, you two!”
“Greetings, Kickback.” Zebota said. Shrapnel greeted him with a bark. “Am I correct to gather that you came to search for me?”
“Well ain’t you the sharpest needle on the cactus. How’d ya figure?” Kickback inquired.
“Shrapnel and I noticed that flying sphere while we were hunting. Did Quantum Tech make it?” Zebota asked.
Kickback looked at him confused. “Umm….what ‘flyin’ sphere’?”
Zebota returned the confused expression. “That answers that.” He explained the bizarre encounter he and Shrapnel had when they had just claimed a buck.
“Huh…. Now ain’t that funny. Ah reckon Ms. Quantum Tech woulda said somethin’ if she’d made a little doohickey like that” Kickback said.
“I suppose that’s true. She would not be so absentminded in regards to her technology.” Zebota said. “Speaking of her, I am surprised that she is not with you. Where might she be?”
“She’s lookin’ after Tidal Wave n’ Ms. Spiral Galaxy while they do their li’l sit n’ focus r’ whatever it is down by a pond at the foot of the climb to the city.” Kickback said.
“Ah. I should go there as well. Tidal Wave’s unexpected powers have me intrigued….and concerned.” Zebota said. “Do we have plans for later this day?”
“We surely do. We’re gonna herd back up were Ms. Quantum Tech is once Air Slash n’ Ms. Valkyrie r’ done with their duel n’ all. Ah’m gonna go ahead and see if Ah can’t at least get there late fer the show.” Kickback explained.
“Good. Thank you.” Zebota said. “Perhaps your presence would distract Quantum Tech anyhow.”
Kickback sighed heavily. “It sure is a pain in mah flank…”
“You would scorn such attention?” Zebota asked.
“Well…. I-It’s not so much her as it is…..me.” Kickback said. “Ever since mah mama passed away, Ah’ve been…rather skittish about being close to somepony. Bein’ popular with the fillies back home made things all the worse.”
“And yet you choose to devote yourself to the Battle Foals?” Zebota inquired.
Kickback lowered his hat a little. “It’s selfish, but….Ah thought I could escape it all. Not just mah pa, but all that pressure….” He said. “Ah sure a sunshine care about y’all. Don’t think any different.”
Shrapnel lightly nuzzled Kickback’s neck. “My friend, if this truly distresses you so, then you should discuss it with her. You should not be ashamed to voice your problems.”
“Ah know, but….if anypony here is gonna be the calm one, it might as well be me.” Kickback said.
“Volcanoes exhibit a calmness before they erupt, and the consequences are often devastating.” Zebota said.
“Well….Ah reckon ya might be right. Maybe when we’re settlin’ down that trail to the south, I’ll chat with her. Ah just hope Ah don’t hurt her feelin’s too bad.” Kickback said.
“There are some scars that must be inflicted in order for one to grow. It is difficult, but it would far worse in the long run if such immunities are never built. We have both lost our mothers, and yet our scars have healed, have they not?” Zebota said.
Kickback creased a smile and raised his hat back up. “Even if we still miss ‘em, Ah reckon so.”
Zebota nodded. “Good. Now then, let us be off.” The two went their separate ways towards their destinations.
Back in Griffonstone…
The crowd had grown around the dueling sword wielders, and their excitement was as intense as the fierce bout between them. Furious blows parried and blocked and clashes of magic and light from their swords put on a fantastic show that Griffonstone hadn’t seen since any of its residents could remember. Furthermore, Air Slash’s comrades looked on in awe as their friend was at even odds with the descendant of a legendary warrior. If there hadn’t been proof of his right to wield those dual katanas until now, there was now. Even though some of them had seen her in action before, Valkyrie was certainly not a griffonlet to whistle Dixie. Her arms and armor coupled with the Valhalla spoke where no ego truly could: a battlefield. Whatever odd form of magic the Valhalla possessed to house the spirits of her ancestors, she didn’t let go to waste. Every ounce of their strength combined with her own pretty much did the boasting for her. For a moment, Shadow Shroud could swear she saw another griffon fighting in Valkyrie’s place, one who was bigger and looked more experienced and decorated.
“Yee-Haw! Now this is a rodeo!” The spectating foals looked over to see Kickback trotting up to them.
“Just in time, mah boy! It’s really startin’ to go down!” Turf War said.
At one point in the fight, Air Slash unleashed a flurry of blows that Valkyrie blocked with her shield while charging ancestral light in her sword. When she had built up a sufficient charge, she lunged her greatsword forward and became a gilded comet. Air Slash managed to cross his magic-charged swords to block it just in time, but Valkyrie’s momentum pushed him back with her a good number of yards. He then parried her away, and the subsequent wave of magic caused the avian knight to break her guard, leaving her open for a direct attack. Taking the opportunity, he slashed at her armor where her right shoulder was and tackled her to the ground; he ascended as soon as he slammed her into the dirt, and the spectating griffons all gasped in unison, stunned that Valkyrie could be taken down like that by a pony warrior they’d just seen for the first time.
“Why you little-!” Pain coursed through Valkyrie’s right arm, partially disabling her ability to swing her greatsword, but something so petty as a paper cut never kept her valiance at bay, and she flew back up with ease. She managed to catch him on the return of his ascent and swung shield at him by its chain. It managed to clock him in the jaw just before he could block it. He recovered as quickly as she did, but Valkyrie managed to swing her greatsword at him with such force that it knocked him to the ground even though he blocked that blow.
“Air Slash!!” Greensprout exclaimed.
“He’s fine.” Shadow Shroud said to her. Looking into her shadow-clad friend’s eyes, she could tell that she just knew, being a warrior herself. Even if it brought her comfort, she couldn’t help but to worry a little.
Air Slash struggled a little to get back to his hooves while Valkyrie surged more ancestral light into her greatsword. She then dove straight down and slammed her sword into the ground towards her opponent, sending a shockwave of light his way that tore through the earth it traveled across. Air Slash managed to put his swords up just in time for them to block and absorb the ferocious magic. “Wha-!?” Valkyrie gawked in shock.
With his swords now blazing with golden fury worthy of eternal sunlight, Air Slash raised his swords and with all his strength and let loose a cross-blade beam worthy of an angel. “HYYYYYAAAAAAAARRRRRRRGGGGGGHHHHHHH”
The enormous X-shaped blaze cleaved through the sky as it shot towards Valkyrie, who desperately clutched her Valhalla just before it collided with her. All fell silent as an explosion of light engulfed the armed griffonlet. An exhausted Air Slash took a moment to catch his breath as the mass of light slowly faded away, waiting to reveal Valkyrie’s fate. Had the griffons of Griffonstone witnessed their hero fall in a duel to a pony? The foals were also on the edges of their seats as they could only watch and wait.
After a tense moment of everyone holding their breath, the light faded out to reveal Valkyrie with her shield up and completely engulfed in her Valhalla light. It appeared as though she’d summoned the last of her strength to endure what would have been a decisive blow. “Impossible!” Air Slash exclaimed, dumbfounded.
“Think again, kid!” Valkyrie retorted. Even in her supercharged state, Air Slash could tell that she too was growing weary from their contest. That didn’t stop either of them from making one last charge through the air towards each other with their blades fully charged and poised, ready to strike. Their final dash reminded Fire Fight and Shadow Shroud of their duel back in the Sister’s Castle. With everyone on the edges of their seats once more, the anticipation of the outcome was as heavy as the tension between the two combatants.
<SHING!!!!>
Their crossing slices severed the wind between them as they landed behind one another, neither of them moved a muscle for a few tense moments with everyone watching and waiting in deafening silence that screamed for the outcome. Both of them were exhausted, but who had claimed victory? Valkyrie, the descendant of Siegfried, or Air Slash, the mighty Bladerunner?....... That question was answered when Air Slash collapsed to his knees.
The griffons cheered on their hero as the foals humbly smiled for their friend; Greensprout let out a sigh of relief seeing as none of them were terribly hurt.
Valkyrie ebbed her ancestral light and twirled her greatsword around a couple times before sheathing. “Game, set and match.” She said as she looked back at Air Slash, who shot her a congratulatory grin to which she returned. Both were satisfied with the final result.
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Darn....I was hoping he would win. Oh well. Here's hoping we see what the next step in the adventure is next time! That or Twilight and the gang in their continued adventures of playing catch up, part 47.
Oh and uh...you're being featured. Yay!
That battle had shonen-anime quality animation right there. Also, someone should shank that spy orb.
8507267
Nah. Let the orb go around and cause trouble. That sounds like the better solution.
8507263
Yippee!!!
8507281
Crazylocks: "Hey! No being happy! The Pickle Paste Potato People have spoken and the author isn't allowed to be happy!"
She said it, not me. Oh, and she's mad cuz she wasn't in the chapter.
Well that was one anime-like battle there. I like it. Also, it was weird that Bullseye and Crazylocks weren't in this one. I wonder where they were when this was all happening?
Plot twist: Crazylocks was the flying sphere who unlocked a new form!
Well that was fun, though I was rooting for Air Slash. Though reading this chapter makes me think; so how are we going to justify Valkyrie joining the foals, given she is a celebrated hero who adores the attention. Are we having more abusive parents, going for the those who are put upon pedestals become separated from those who put them there, or going for a failed mission-people turn on her?
As for the orb, its either directly tied to the last foal or a new antagonist (probably only an arc long one). if I had to choose, I would rather It be the latter, as having another tech-focused foal, even if its some sort of ancient lost tech, would kind of overlap with Quantum Tech's territory. that being said so long as the character is interesting, I will not complain if Sirdubya chooses to go down that route.
Who could the last foal be and what type of fighting style? Time Manipulation? Necromancer? White Mage? Dark Mage? Cryomancer? Chi? Assassin? (Not like SHADEWALKER!!!), Explosives Expert? Scythe User? Earth Pony? Crystal Pony? Pegasus? Bat Pony? Unicorn? Alicorn? Zebra? Vampire? Lycan? Griffon? Changeling? Diamond Dog? Dragon? Alien? Mace User? Maybe they attach wing blade's? Body Transmutation? Mind Reader? Speed Blitz? Secret Agent? Religious Peacekeeper? A Spell Casting Earth Pony/Pegasus? (Somehow), Survivalist? Shadow Pony? (Umbrum Soul), Spirit Of Chaos/Destruction/Death? Cyborg? Synthetic Creature? Somebody from the Past? Somebody from the FUTURE!!??!? Conjurer? Void Mage? Rapier User? Roman Gladius User? Mercenary? Some of these are ridiculous I know, but I'm just filled with so much theory's on the next foal!
also I'm surprised you didn't give Shadow Shroud the war fan like her battleborn counterpart! 
8508238
I would have, but I didn't want to just rip-off Deande like that. I figured Shadow Shroud's ability to disguise herself and cleverly conceal her weapons would suffice.
8508238
Its probably one of those...except the pegasus suggestion. The author hates pegasi.
8508422
Turf War's accent is racist? I always thought is was more of a parody of that type of speech.
8508733
lets not start this line of jokes again please? you already did that.
8508238
let me redirect you to my comment I made theorizing on the last foal and we can discuss from there
(8484869)
8509125
Party pooper.
I just realized something. I had always wondered why Air Slash's father, who is one of the many parents who hate their kid until they leave in this story, was just going to get away with hating his son in such a...upfront manner and not get punished for it. I mean, he told a whole group of ponies that he thought his son was useless and he's told us that his wife thinks the same thing!
But now I get it. When Twilight and the gang finally catch up to the foals, he's gonna go on a rampage cuz Shadow's there, isn't he? Then he'll get punished. I'm betting that's also how they're gonna escape Twilight and the others again. Air Slash's dad will have the soldiers switch priorities and just try to kill Shadow, which will make an even bigger mess, giving the foals a chance to escape.
And uh...I'm not trying to be negative. Just stating an observation.
8513725
Wow...I was really negative there. Sorry, I was just...I don't know, just wanting to do predictions. I like trying to predict stories...just a habit of mine.
8515379
Nothing wrong with it at all.
8515900
Thanks. Also, I've been wondering...why hasn't Bullseye asked the others about Crazylocks? You know, why she's...Crazylocks? I mean, she knows that she's been abused because of the context clues Crazylocks gave her, but I'm surprised Bullseye hasn't asked Quantum or Fire what happened to Crazylocks over her grandfather.
Just wondering, and it would show good character for Bullseye. It would show that she really cares.
8517122
She hasn't cared enough to ask yet.
8517556
Okay, yeah...good point. That's fair.