Tales of the Battle Foals

by Sirdubya

Recompense

Author's Note:

Hi, guys!
Really sorry for the long wait. A lot has been going on in my life apart from obvious current events, and I've been burnt out as a result. If it seems like the story has dipped in quality recently, all I can say is that's probably why. I hope you're all still liking this story, and I promise to finish it. We're almost, almost there!

As the unconscious city ponies slowly started stirring, Greensprout was in high gear healing every one of them, the most horrifically injured taking priority. Spiral Galaxy made a point of gently lifting groups of them into a more concentrated area, being an intersection, so that the little monk could work more quickly.

Everyone went at ease along with the atmosphere, but dark clouds still hung over their heads, blocking out the sun with not even a ray sneaking through. Gentle breezes ominously creeped throughout the streets

Frostbite landed by his friends and let Tidal Wave down. “Thanks, dude.” Tidal Wave said.

The icy drake winked at him. “No probs.”

“Tidal Wave!” Sky Strike called out. He ran to his son excitedly.

“Dad!” Tidal Wave ran to him, and the two warmly embraced each other. “Are you okay? Was it really tough?”

Sky Strike laughed. “I should be asking you that! I did fine out here with your buddies; ‘Battle Foals’ is a pretty appropriate name, I gotta say.” He ruffled his son’s mane. “Just look at Mr. Super Tsunami here, huh?”

Tidal Wave giggled. “Dad!” he said blushing. He then suddenly felt a peck on his cheek, and he blushed more furiously when he saw Spiral Galaxy standing right beside him with a proud and impressed look on her face.

“Oi! Everything alright?” A voice called from afar. It was a crewman of their ship, with their other friends following him.

“Nice of you to check on us!” Valkyrie said.

“Is anypony hurt?” Greensprout called out.

“No. We’re fine honey.” Cat Fight said, prompting the little monk to get back to work. She and her husband then ran over to their son. “Fire Fight!”

Fire Fight hugged his parents. “Hey, guys. Everything ok on your end?”

“Phewy! It was pretty tense in the boat.” Fist said. “So I thought I’d join in on the fun one we started getting momentum!”

Cat giggled. “Honey, you only punched a few of them.”

Fist shrugged. “What? It helped, didn’t it?” He then noticed all of the formerly frozen ponies start staggering to their hooves, as did everyone else. “Well, uh… this’ll be an awkward conversation.” Cat and Fire Fight could sense the lament in his, and they shared it.

“Oof… What was I doing last night?” One mare asked.

Air Slash helped him up. “Are you alright, madame?”

The middle-aged mare stood up. She wore librarian glasses and a plaid scarf. Her coat was pink, her mane was baby blue, and her Cutie Mark was an open book with an apple beside it. “Yes, dear. Thank you.” She looked around her and saw the staggering crowd along with the devastation. “Goodness! Whatever happened?”

“You were all under an evil spell, miss.” Twilight said to her.

“Goodness me! Princess Twilight!? And Luna too!?” she said. “And… even the noble Clan Bladerunner! Hoho! I must’ve had a fantastic horoscope this time around.”

“I assure you, you did not.” Knight’s Soul said. They explained to her their zombie-like state and the ice phenomenon that’d been plaguing Equestria.

“Oh dear…” The mare said. “Well I thank you all for saving us.”

“It wasn’t just us, my good mare.” Luna said. “These brave Battle Foals led the charge.

“Battle Foals?” the mare asked, and then was stunned when her eyes laid on a certain sulking red colt. “Fire Fight!?”

Fire Fight sighed. “Hi, Ms. Thornhill…”

“One of your old friends?” Shadow Shroud asked.

“She was his teacher before we moved.” Cat said with a mellow sharpness.

“Ah, yeah. You used to live here.” Turf War said.

“He sure did!” a small voice said. Out from the crowd came a filly their age with a curly red and white striped mane, and a chocolate coat. Her Cutie Mark was a heart-shaped chocolate box wrapped in a bow. “So what does he think he’s doing back?” she demanded.

Fire Fight got up and looked at her determinately. “Saving you and the rest of Manehatten, Peppermint Patty.”

“Hmph! Well, it’s about time you did something right.” Peppermint Patty said.

“How about a ‘thank you’, you little brat!?” Fist said.

“And your parents have returned as well?” Thornhill asked. “Well, I’m none too happy to see you, but if it was indeed you who rescued us, then I suppose a thank you is order. So… thank you…”

“You could sound a lot more sincere, you know.” Sky Strike said.

“You kidding?” said a stallion. It was the sweetshop owner who’d ousted him. “Did you never see how intense this kid could get?”

“For all we know, maybe he unleashed whatever evil force is causing this mess.” A police officer said.

“I didn’t!” Fire Fight said.

“AHEM!” Luna silenced everyone. “Let us assure you that Fire Fight is in no way responsible for the disasters befalling us. In fact, he and his team of Battle Foals have been fighting tirelessly against them.”

“There’s that term again- ‘Battle Foals’”. Thornhill said. Luna and Twilight briefly explained to her how Fire Fight had run away and gathered his friends in an initial effort to save them, unknowingly leading to the situation they were in now. Thornhill eyed him. “So you formed an army for the sake of fulfillment?”

“That ‘army’ is what saved you all.” Fire Fight said.

“And taking all these other foals… and uh, timberwolf… away from their parents! I ought to have you put away for foalnapping!” the officer said.

“Oh, screw off!” Bullseye said. “It’s not like we wanted to stay our parents!”

“Who asked you, emo?” Peppermint Patty said. Bullseye managed to hide her fury behind a stern glare.

Thornhill turned to the princesses. “Your Highnesses, with all due respect, I would treat this colt cautiously. He and his new friends may have saved us this time, but problem foals-”

“Stay problems foals as long as you continue to treat them as such.” Twilight said, startling Thornhill.

Fire Fight looked at his former teacher determinately. “You can hate me all you want, Ms. Thornhill. Maybe I’m a problem, maybe I’m not.” He then turned to the crowd. “Look, I know I was reckless and made some bad choices here and there, but if I really wanted to be trouble, I could’ve done so much worse. Every one of the Battle Foals could’ve turned on Equestria. Turf War could’ve formed a street gang. Spiral Galaxy could’ve become a mad cosmo witch. Air Slash could’ve betrayed his clan and became a rogue swordsman. Kickback could’ve become a dangerous bandit. Crazylocks could’ve… gone crazier… Quantum Tech could’ve become a mad scientist. Zebota could’ve rode with Shrapnel as he raided villages. Bullseye could’ve become a full-blown psychopath. And Tidal Wave could’ve decided he wanted sick revenge on his bullies. And yet here we are, deciding to fight for you in the most dangerous storm we’ve ever seen. At first, I didn’t want to, neither of us did. But as we travelled, we grew. We grew as friends, and as ponies. We learned to love ourselves and each other despite our differences. If you all are willing to forgive me, forgive us for being problem foals, then at least I’d be willing to forgive you for being our problems.”

“Yeah, seriously! Aren’t you guys supposed to be the post chicks for friendship? Us griffons are supposed to be the gruff douches. Don’t become like us.” Valkyrie said.

Frostbite just shrugged. “Do I really need to say more?”

“It is as they say. You all allowed your hearts to grow cold towards ponies you did not understand. You can’t be faulted for feeling a bit weary, but no well-meaning folk deserves to be put down just because they seem dangerous!” Luna said. “I know acceptance is difficult, but you only make the process more painful when those to be accepted are treated as criminals.”

All the hecklers hung their heads low as they gazed upon Fire Fight, whose steadfast glare had a hint of mercy. All of the other Battle Foals shared his sentiment, and their present parents showed more sympathetic aggression.

“Well… you did go out of your way to save us here.” The sweetshop owner said. “Maybe we were kinda hard on you.”

The policeman took off his hat and put it over his heart. “I… apologize, son. Being weary is more or less your job when you’re an officer.”

“You know…” Ms. Thornhill said. “I suddenly recall an instance where you fought away an angry dog that had slipped it’s way into the playground. All the other foals cowered away, but you faced it without flinching. I… I really should have thought more of you, dear.”

“Oh, wow. Yeah…” Peppermint Patty said. “You might’ve been violent, but… I guess you were pretty cool.” She then walked right up to Fire Fight and suddenly grabbed him by the hoof. “Maybe you and I can-”

<SHING!!!>

A kunai was thrown at her feet, startling her away. Shadow Shroud suddenly appeared beside a rather disgruntled Fire Fight. “I’m taken.” He said. Shroud smiled, and the two shared a kiss.

“Ugh! Well, FINE!!” Patty said before storming away.

Thornhill then looked at Shadow Shroud. “And… what’s your story, young filly?”

“Errm…” Shroud said. “I’m not sure this is the time or place to say.”

“Well… if you insist.” Thornhill said.

Fire Fight’s parents walked up next him. His mother leaned down and pecked him atop his head. “I’m proud of you, honey.”

His father ruffled his mane. “Don’t think she’s the only one.”

Fire Fight blushed as he fixed his mane. “Thanks, guys.”

A stallion then walked up to them, one Fire Fight recognized immediately- it was the one that argued with his father. He was a particularly built stallion with a light gray mane, beige coat, and a barbell Cutie Mark. “Umm… heya.”

“H-Hey.” Fire Fight said sheepishly. The silence between them was awkward.

“You got something to say, buddy?” Fist asked the stallion.

The stallion heavily sighed. “Look, I… I’m really sorry. I… I got word that you guys went through a bad separation after that spat we had, and I… felt responsible for it.” He explained. “But before I could figure how to set things right, you all moved away, all because I decided to get all hotheaded over… I don’t even remember.”

“Oh…” Cat said. “Well… thank you, umm…”

“Rock Solid.” The stallion said.

“Ah, that’s right.” Fist said. “Well, I myself wasn’t so innocent either, but yeah. Thanks for making up.”

Rock Solid nodded. “Sure.” He then looked at Fire Fight. “Knock ‘em dead for us, kid.”

Fire Fight nodded confidently at him. “I sure will.” He said, thereafter watching Rock Solid mosey away. He then looked at his fellow Battle Foals. “I hope didn’t speak for you guys too much.”

“Don’t sweat it, sheriff.” Kickback said. “They only owed you an apology.”

“Yeah. We’ll get to ours when we get to ours.” Spiral Galaxy said.

“Yeah! We got them other refugees to worry about!” Turf War said. “So, uh… where they at?”

“They should be waiting for us at the train station.” Twilight said.

“I pray that they found safety during our battle.” Zebota said.

“Only one way to find out. Shall we?” Quantum Tech said.

“We shall!” Fire Fight said. He then looked back at his parents. “You… You guys should head back to the ship.”

His mother knelt down and warmly embraced him, which he returned. “Go get them, my little fighter.” She said before kissing him.

Fist did the same, but he ruffled his son’s mane again. “Start a fire, son. A big, raging fire.”

Fire Fight fixed his mane. “You know I will. Stay safe.” He said before they solemnly parted ways. The other townsfolk followed them under the princesses direction, thanking the Battle Foals sincerely as they did, namely Tidal Wave.

“NO TIME LIKE THE PRESENT!!” Crazylocks blurted.

“You heard the psycho! Let’s move!” Bullseye said. And they all promptly marched towards the Grand Station. All the while, the Battle Foals’ fiery leader strutting down the desolated roads with a newfound confidence.

Comments

[KingJoltik]

Alright! The finale should be happening soon! At least, it feels like its about to happen.

[HB_DS2013]

Finally, the end is in sight. I’m glad I got to stick around this underrated gem of a fic.

[Quiznak]

I concur with the psycho!

[Nikolas]

10320647
Let just sic her at the enemy after speaking the taboo word. The enemy wouldn't stand a chance.