Rekindling

Chapters

Chapter 1- The Find
Chapter 2- Waking Up
Chapter 3- Homecoming
Chapter 4- The Chase
Chapter 5- Hope
Chapter 6- Canterlot
Chapter 7- The Incident
Chapter 8- Return to Ponyville
Chapter 9- Meeting of Friends
Chapter 10- Tale of the Skymares
Chapter 11- Life
Chapter 12- Ponyville General
Chapter 13- Aftermath

Chapter 1- The Find

Spitfire paced back and forth on the edge of the Cumulonimbus Cruiser, several dozen Wonderbolts and hundreds of Equestrian Air Force pegasi lined up in formation behind her. She was nervous, and pissed off. Mostly pissed off. She trusted her Wonderbolts, and the Air Force pegasi were practically as well trained as they were, if lacking in experience. No, what had her on edge was the mission itself. Below the Cruiser sat an encampment of Minotaur and Griffons, right on the edge of the border between North Griffonia and Equestria. A slaver encampment.

Slavery had been illegal in Equestria since its formation, and Griffonia had recently outlawed it as well, but Minotaurs still practiced it quite extensively, with a good third of their population being slaves from the various races of Equis. Many of them being foalnapped ponies. To say relations between the Minotaur Empire and Equestria were strained would be quite the understatement. And this encampment took the proverbial cake.

The Wonderbolts captain growled in the back of her throat as she remembered the report that had come in from Princess Luna’s spies: the encampment had been settled here in secret for almost a year, and nearly every pony foalnapped from Equestria was brought through here for “training.” Gallows had been set up within the past month, and the pictures… It still boiled her blood. She had pushed for this assignment, and pushed hard. If anypony was going to end this travesty, it was going to be her.

“Captain!”

Lightning Dust rocketed to Spitfire’s side, saluting smartly.

“What is it, soldier?” she replied tersely, saluting back.

Lightning Dust had come back to the Wonderbolt’s Academy the following semester, with a major lessening of her cocky attitude, and far more humility to spare. It had impressed Spitfire, to the point where she had given the eager mare a position as her adjutant on duty.

“The Admiral says we have a green light, ma’am.”

A feral grin split Spitfire’s muzzle, and she glanced back at her team. They mirrored her look, hooves fidgeting with muskets and blades. It was time to get this show on the road.

“Company, take off positions!” she roared, spinning to take her forward position, while Lightning Dust hurried to take her position with the other Wonderbolts, “Wings… ready!”

Over three hundred wings extended with loud pomfs, static electricity crackling between them.

“Weapons, ready!”

Halberds, muskets, and flight claws were lowered with a loud “hoorah!”

“Launch!”

The fury of a nation launched from the deck with a roar, immediately diving down through the cloudy skies. Thunderheads, launched previously by the Cruiser, were snagged by specially trained teams, dragged to the four corners of the encampment. Spitfire’s muzzle bared in a dark grin as the thunder rolled over the barren landscape. Lightning shattered each guard tower with an explosion of light and flame; the minotaurs in the yard looked up in shock, most likely thinking some kind of freak storm had stricken them. The first volley of diving musket fire obliterated that idea, and a great portion of the Minotaurs on the ground.

“Soarin’, hit it!” Spitfire ordered, diving to give the cloud-toting pegasus a clear shot.

Soarin’ was an artist with a thunderhead, and his powerful buck let loose a single lightning bolt straight into the ceiling of the largest building; intel reported it as the main holding structure. Fixing her goggles tightly and giving her wingmate, Fleetfoot, a terse nod, Spitfire launched into the smoky mess, folding her wings in tight. The bolt had shredded the ceiling and one of the larger wooden doors, leading into one of the holding cells. With a tap of her hoof, her goggles glew a light blue, the enchantment seeing straight through the thick smoke. Spitfire almost wished she couldn’t.

Ponies were chained by the dozen to small stakes in the ground, most of them criss-crossed by whip scars or brands. Cursing under her breath, Spitfire raced over to snap the chain links with her flight claws.

“We’re the Wonderbolts!” she yelled to the group, smiling in relief when the ponies instantly perked up, “I have ponies at the exit, but you need to go now! GO!”

They didn’t have to be told twice, nor did any others from the other cells; the races were a mix of deer and ponies mostly, but the abuse was crystal clear. Seeing many of the mares pregnant nearly sent Spitfire into a rage, but she marshaled her discipline and galloped on, Fleetfoot at her side. She would vent later. As the pair reached the end of the last corridor, a door ahead slammed shut, the sound of a bolt locking into place echoing down the hallway. Spitfire’s eye twitched.

She was Wonderbolt. One of the fastest ponies alive. And with her acceleration, the poor door never saw the buck that shattered it coming. Spitfire spun around and landed in a crouch, flight claws scoring the pinewood floors beneath her. The griffon was on her in an instant. Black feathers and a furiously snapping beak buffeted the Wonderbolt back against the wall, and a lance of pain arced through her side as the wickedly sharp beak tore into her side. Her flight claws sliced up just as a ball of white and blue slammed into the assaulter, tossing her aside.

He was a very large griffon, his black and white coloring spelling out his North Griffonian ancestry. Blood stained his shoulder feathers and chest, and Fleetfoot’s tackle had deeply dented the silver plate he was wearing. Spitfire launched forward before the beast could react, ducking under Fleetfoot’s charge towards his left leg, and leaping up towards his throat. Distracted by the pair of fast-moving ponies, the griffon didn’t see the flight claws that sliced cleanly through his neck. Spitfire grunted softly as she landed in a roll, flopping to the floor with a hefty wince. Ow. She was definitely going to feel that later.

Something shifted under the bed, a strangely colorful mane flicking. Another pony? Must have been the personal slave of this griffon. Putting on the best smile Spitfire could manage at the moment, she crawled over to the bed.

“Hey… hey it’s okay,” she called soothingly, internally wincing at the scratchy, gravelly tone, “We’re with the Wonderbolts. We’re gonna get you home.”

“...S… s-spitfire?”

Every muscle in Spitfire’s body locked up at the voice. No… no, that couldn’t be. She was dead. The reports… everypony had said… But when the magenta eyes turned towards her, full of despair, pain, and the faintest glimmer of hope, the ball of ice in her stomach rocketed through her tense body.

“Rainbow Dash!?!”

Author's Note

I know this chapter is very short, but more will be coming. I couldn't think of a way to make it much longer without it feeling like a combination chapter.

Chapter 2- Waking Up

Spitfire stared down at Rainbow Dash from her seat by the medbay cot, eyes wide as she tried to take the situation in. Rainbow Dash… was alive. It didn’t seem possible, really. She had heard the reports, the crime scene in her cloud home. The blood spatters alone seemed to show more than enough for the pegasus to have bled out. Her friends had certainly believed it to be true. The magical storm that Princess Sparkle had conjured up in her grief and anger had been enough to send the weather teams from Cloudsdale all the way to Las Pegasus into overdrive for months to fix the damage to the weather patterns. Judging from her meetings with the Princesses, her death had effected even them; Princess Celestia had taken firm control of the Royal Guard, spreading them out far and wide to find the culprits. And Princess Luna… well, Spitfire supposed that was the reason she had turned the Night Guard into one of the most feared not-so-secret police in all Equis.

A soft squeak from the sleeping Dash instantly brought Spitfire to her side, a hoof gently settling on her shoulder. The poor mare did… not look good. Her face was badly bruised; some old, some very much new, including a nearly swollen shut black eye. Her hind legs were swollen and crooked, having been broken and healed at wrong angles. ...several times. The doctors had told Spitfire that it would take magical healing at Canterlot to fix that particular bit of damage. But beyond any of it, the most shocking, and noticeable, difference was the swell of her pregnant stomach. a good six months along.

“Wish I had stomped that bastard’s face in,” she growled.

“Tell me about it, boss.”

Fleetfoot stalked inside as quietly as she could, glaring down at the ground. The Wonderbolts were all standing guard outside. Even if Rainbow Dash had only been in the Reserve, she was still one of their own. They had taken the news of her ‘death’ hard, especially Soarin’ and Fleetfoot. Rainbow Dash had inspired all of them; she had even saved all three of them at the Best Young Flier’s Competition. That had more than earned her way into their good books. And after forgiving them for their total stupidity during the Equestria Games qualifiers…

The usually gruff Wonderbolt looked up at her captain, angry tears in her eyes.

“We were at her funeral, Captain… we all were. Hell, you and I spoke at it!”

Fleetfoot’s hoof dug loudly into the wooden floor.

“We shoulda tried harder… she’s been with those monsters for a whole bucking year! A YEAR! How could-”

A hoof to the snout quickly stopped the tirade before it could head down its inevitably self-deprecating path.

“Cool it, soldier,” she interrupted sternly, putting on her best “commanding officer” face.

Well-trained, Fleetfoot instinctively stiffened into a formal stance… though she could not do the same for her outraged tear ducts.

“We made a mistake,” Spitfire admitted slowly, giving a faint sigh, “But those foalnappers did their work well. It was dirty, it was bucking rotten… but we can try to make it up to her.”

She waved a hoof back at the sleeping flier.

“Rainbow Dash is going to need alot of help, and alot of friends to support her.”

Spitfire smiled softly as she saw the rest of her teams peek inside to listen.

“We’re Wonderbolts, colts and fillies. She is a Wonderbolt. And we take care of our own.”
***********************

This wasn’t the floor. The spongy softness underneath her aching body, the warmth… a bed? A BED! Rainbow Dash opened her eyes with a snap, shakily raising her head to peer down at the cotton-and-silk sheets beneath her.. and promptly give a squeak of terror, launching herself off the bed like it was made of acid. Master hated it when she stayed on the bed without permission. Beatings tended to follow when she had a lapse of judgement, or passed out on the bed. Last time, the Master had promised to clip her wings if she was on the bed without proper permission. A horrified shudder ran up her spine at the very thought.

Gulping back bile, Rainbow Dash darted back to the bed, hooves shaking as she struggled to make it appear like she was never there. This bed wasn’t like her master’s bed. His bed was a firm, hard thing- built for griffons. But it was so much more forgiving than the cool wood floor she usually slept on, and with the foal coming… The foal. Lightning raced up her spine, and Rainbow turned to vomit heavily onto the floor. No, no… now she’d have to clean that up too. The foal. The foal. The words lingered in Dash’s mind, battering away every little defense she tried to throw up in its way. The mental images of a little colt… but with a massive, leering face of her master… A clawing, screaming… She turned to be sick again, absently planning how best to clean it up, when the sound of hoofsteps caught her perked ears.

“O-oh no,” she breathed, nausea still burning in the back of the pegasus’ throat as she frantically tried to cover the spot with a pillow.

The steps didn’t sound like her Master, but it could just be another of his minotaur cronies, or even one of those ponies he had as allies. She gave a soft whimper as she remembered the first time she had seen one; a tall, pale grey stallion with a cold smirk, selling a few other ponies to Master. The rage that had filled her… Rainbow could still feel the whip wounds from the punishing she had received for attacking the “client.” She really hoped vomit on floor wouldn’t earn her another beating, she’d have to move fast to please whoever-

The door was swinging open, and Rainbow Dash scrambled to sit on her haunches in front of it, head bowed submissively, wings tucked tightly to her sides and tail around around her legs.

“Woah, kid, what’re you doin’ up?”

No. Nonono… Rainbows magenta eyes slowly peeked up, horror filling them. Spitfire. Leader of the Wonderbolts, in full regalia. Staring at her, biting her lip slightly. Was Spitfire a friend of Master too? Who else was!? Was this some sick joke? Were her friends? Mayor Mare? Did they plan all of this?!

“W-what… why are…”

Tears were filling Rainbow’s eyes as she tried to question, to plead, to beg Spitfire to tell her she wasn’t some kind of messed up pony slaver too. She- The breath was forced from her lungs as the fiery mare slammed into her, strong forearms wrapping around Rainbow’s neck and choking… no, this was… a hug? Rainbow gaped a bit as Spitfire, her absolute idol, hugged her for everything she was worth, and that fell far too much for Rainbow. What was going on?

Her eyes flicked around the room, noticing details for the first time. This wasn’t in the compound. The wood was cedar and oak, where the compound had all been cheap pine. To one side was a small viewport, and drifting clouds could be seen practically at eye level. Two more faces peered nervously into the room; to Rainbow’s stunned eyes, they turned out to be Fleetfoot and Soarin’, other members of the Wonderbolts. Memories were starting to piece together, what she had sworn was a dream.
Thunder and lightning all around, shaking the room Rainbow had been in with her master, waiting for his daily “stress relief.” It had nearly made her sob in longing. She missed flying… she had missed storms, the static electricity rocketing through her wings and along her insulated fur. It had been so long since the wind, her birthright, had kissed her. The loudest crash she had heard in her life had suddenly flung Rainbow off the bed, and she had been more than eagerly to crawl under the bed, listening to the shriek of metal on metal, the roars of her master. Then the thump… the flash of red and orange and that gravelly, familiar voice…

“Y-you came for me,” Rainbow Dash whispered softly, eyes wide as tears flowed down her cheeks like river, “I… I’m…”

“You’re going home, Dash,” Spitfire whispered softly, embracing the trembling mare with her wings.

She was going home.

Author's Note

Sorry for the wait, everypony. This... was hard to write.

Chapter 3- Homecoming

The victorious First Equestrian Air Group was greeted, not by a crowd of cheering, clamoring ponies when they docked in Cloudsdale, but something nearly as memorable in Spitfire’s opinion. As the crew of the Cruiser stood at attention on the bow of the cloudship, with Spitfire and Rainbow Dash at the forefront, they looked upon the entire population of Cloudsdale arrayed before them. Pegasi had long had a martial culture, and even in the peaceful times such as now, they retained a certain respect and tradition for their home, and all pegasi of valor. Now, every citizen of Cloudsdale, from youngest to oldest, stood rigidly at attention around the carrier, wings stiff in salute, eyes raised to the sun-brightened clouds above. Pegasi members of the Solar Guard flew down to fly escort for the craft, faces calm despite the situation. The Captain of the Wonderbolts spared a glance at the young flier currently tucked under her wing.

Rainbow Dash was trembling, tail firmly tucked under her legs and head bowed. Spitfire could practically feel the self-loathing radiating from her.

“Look at me, soldier,” she whispered softly.

Dash instinctively looked up, though her eyes were filled with hesitance.

“You’re a damned hero,” Spitfire told her firmly, holding up a hoof when Rainbow’s face immediately began to scrunch up to protest, “You are. When we thought you were dead, all of Cloudsdale was mourning. Hell, most of Equestria was. This-” She waved a hoof out before them, “Is for you, and you deserve it. You’re home now, among ponies that adore and respect you.”

Spitfire held Rainbow’s gaze, smiling faintly when she saw a little hardness come to her quivery mindset. Better. The ship came to a slow, rolling stop at the dockyards, and as the gangplank fell into place, Spitfire carefully turned Rainbow Dash towards it, ushering her along, keeping pace with her slow, shaking steps. She didn’t have to glance around to know her ponies were following them, step for step, not a look of impatience among them. They would walk for two days to the hospital, if that was how long it took for Dash. An avenue of clouds had been built prior to their arrival, leading straight to Cloudsdale General; the entirety of the Royal and Night Guards, enchanted to stand on clouds, lined the avenue, shimmering spears forming a ceremonial covering over the procession. To Spitfire’s surprise, she saw the guards around the hospital itself were wearing shining cyan armor, their crests a rainbow of colors- the Aurora Guard, Twilight Sparkle’s newly formed unit. Was she here?

Nurses and doctors were waiting for the procession as they arrived, rushing out to guide all the injured- most of them just had field dressings, instead of proper care- into the hospital; Spitfire stayed right beside Rainbow Dash as they were led into the building and guided to a room; the captain was amused to find Fleetfoot and Soarin’ following as well, eyes glued to the increasingly tottery rainbow mare. It ended up taking all three of them to help Rainbow Dash into the bed, something that led to a few mumbled thanks and soft tears from the battered pegasus. And it was, shockingly enough, the gruff Fleetfoot that leaned up to nuzzle the tears away and coax a hoofbump out of Rainbow, grinning up at her.

“Alright you two,” Spitfire piped up after letting the trio reminisce for several minutes; Soarin’ had even managed to get a giggle out of Rainbow, and he was beaming brightly over it, “Get out there and make sure the guard is ironclad. Hell, steelclad. I want NOTHING coming in without my knowledge.”

The fire in their eyes as they left would put a dragon to shame. Spitfire knew her team would follow their duty to the death. Carefully edging her way onto the bed, Spitfire gave Rainbow a warm smile; she’d do everything she could to put this filly’s mind to rest. She had earned that much.
******************

Arcane sparks leaped from Twilight’s hoof as it slammed into the table, outrage blazing from her eyes at the Minotaur ambassador’s casual remark about her friend.

“Just a MARE!?” she snarled, wings flaring out threateningly, “You animals tore Rainbow Dash from her home in the first place, you-”

A white hoof gently settled on Twilight’s shoulder; only Celestia, or Ditzy, could calm down a raging Twilight, and even then it took several moments of silent, deep breathing before Twilight could settle back in her chair, though her piercing eyes never left those of the aloof Minotaur. It had only been her fierce desire for answers that had driven Twilight Sparkle down to the ground-based meeting under Cloudsdale, to treat with the Minotaur ambassadorial team that had stormed into Equestria following Operation: Breaking Chains. And only a Minotaur could deign to call an Element of Harmony- formerly a thought-deceased Element- ‘just another mare slave,’ in the middle of an armed camp of ten thousand angry pegasi and two enraged pony princesses.

The Minotaur’s brown eyes gazed back at Twilight smugly, his thickly built arms crossed over his equally thick chest. The only coverings he wore were a set of finely embroidered pants; Minotaurs preferred bare chests, as muscles were a form of social status among them. From seeing others of his kind like Iron Will, Twilight knew that this particular individual would be very popular in his homeland. In Equestria, he was one of the most hated things breathing in it.

“My point stands, princess,” he replied with a snort, “Three hundred Minotaurs slain, and dozens of griffons beside that, for… what? Twenty, thirty ponies?”

“Fifty-seven ponies, thirteen Deer, and four maredragoras, many of them pregnant, beaten, or near death,” Celestia replied coldly- and not in the emotional sense.

Twilight gave a faint shiver as the temperature of the room dropped, energy soaked up by Celestia’s magic.

“Including an Element of Harmony, who is a personal friend of myself, Princess Luna, and Princess Twilight. I believe it is more than fair.”

The ambassador tensed at this, standing up abruptly; soft creaks told of four crossbows held by invisible Night Guards stationed at each corner of the room. The Minotaur’s massive hands slammed on the oaken table with a loud slapping sound.

“They were my countrymen! You had no right to-”

Twilight’s eyes widened a fraction of a second before the heat soared back with a fiery vengeance, the light of the sun pouring from Celestia’s radiant fur and wings as she in turn rose to her hooves, one shod hoof slamming into the table as well. Twilight could faintly smell the scent of burning wood.

“I HAD EVERY RIGHT!” Celestia roared back, the volume and power of her voice causing even the prideful Minotaur to step back in shock, and caused Twilight to gaze at her teacher in surprise- she very rarely used the Royal Canterlot Voice, “YOUR KIND WERE OPERATING AN ILLEGAL SLAVE PEN IN MY.” Her hoof slammed on the table at each word, burning it further, “BUCKING. COUNTRY!”

Her sun-lit eyes closed after a long moment, and the light faded back to tolerable levels. Celestia’s eyes opened once more, harder than glass as she peered into the Minotaur before her.

“From this point forward, no Minotaur bearing allegiance to your nation will be allowed into Equestria,” she told him coldly, “On the pain of imprisonment and deportation. Slavery is now a crime punishable by death, no matter what country they hail from.”

Her red-hot hood pointed solidly at the stunned ambassador, while her horn glowed in a bright golden aura.

“Get out of my country, beast.”

The teleportation spell flashed once, and each Minotaur of the ambassadorial party found themselves teleported onto the tallest mountain in the Minotaur Empire.
*******************

Rainbow Dash really, really hated hospitals. Heck, she didn’t like them even when she had books, but without them? The pegasus sighed softly, curling up in firmly among the soft sheets, her head buried lightly in the Wonderbolts uniform the team had left for Rainbow. It was signed with all of their names, and even had been sown with the patch for honorable service, one for wounded on duty, and another for the new Ponyville branch of the Wonderbolts. Getting it had been a dream come true, as had the group hug that had followed. But now, with time to think on it…

“I-I don’t d-deserve this,” she whispered to nopony in particular, tears threatening to flow again, “I don’t. I shoulda… I coulda…”

Could have what? Everything Spitfire had told her was making sense, and the memories of her capture… Rainbow closed her eyes. A knock on the door… then a pounding… She had gone to open it, and there was a slash of pain. Her cheek was bleeding. There were ten of them, big griffons in armor, all around her, smashing up her home as Rainbow tried to escape. Could she have been faster? Maybe. She had worked hard that day getting a storm together, and it was late at night… It was all so confusing.

Rainbow’s body jerked as the hospital door opened, and she rushed to wipe her eyes before anypony could see. She glanced up to see a… blur of purple and grey? Fur and feathers entangled as two ponies gingerly slammed into Rainbow, wings and hooves surrounding and hugging her tightly. It was too late to hold back the tears once she recognized the ponies. Twilight Sparkle and Ditzy Do. Her best friend and her best confidant. Neither were speaking, but neither had to. Spreading her wings over the pair of mares, Rainbow closed her eyes… and let out a year of fear, pain, and self-loathing in a long, wordless wail.

Chapter 4- The Chase

Spitfire gave a low growl in the back of her throat as she rocketed through the sky after the fleeing griffon, turning her wings at a slight angle to slice cleanly through the clouds around her. This bitch was not going to get away. A trail of lightning and a line of light blue wind zipped above her head, and Spitfire gave a pleased nod. Her wingmares were getting in position for a diving assault on the griffon; all Spitfire needed to do was keep her attention.

“Stop in the name of the Celestial Sisters!” she snarled loudly, the voice modulation enchantment in her armor sending it clearly down to the fleeing griffon.

Spitfire and her team had been on patrol when they had spotted the griffon sneaking through the cordon around Cloudsdale General; an invisibility charm keeping her out of sight… until she breached Princess Sparkle’s Anti-charm Array. Trying to stop her for questioning had left Soarin’ with a nasty cut across the cheek, and left the rest of the Wonderbolts enraged and in pursuit.

“We’re ready, ma’am!” Fleetfoot called over the radio, “Execute Meteor Maneuver?”

“Take her down,” Spitfire growled back, tucking her wings in for a dive as the griffon suddenly banked for a nearby nimbus.

Spitfire was built for endurance and power, with larger wings than most pegasi, but Fleetfoot and Lightning Dust were speed incarnate; their dual contrails merged together as they blasted out of the high clouds they had been hiding in, flight-claws outstretched to clip the fleeing griffon. Sensing the attack, the griffon suddenly flipped onto her back, and Spitfire paled.

“Disengage, she’s armed!”

The blunderbuss was a new form of musket technology used in the Griffon Kingdoms; a gun that fired a cloud of small pellets at close range. The deep boom was swept away by the wind, but the cloud of pellets slammed into Lightning with a red mist. Her agonized scream cut across the comm, and Spitfire’s stomach dropped as the pegasi began to cart-wheel through the air.

“Fle-”

“Get Lightning, Boss! I’ve got her!”

Nodding once, Spitfire folded her wings to her side, zooming down to the flailing, bleeding Lightning Dust and snatching her close to her chest before spreading her wings once more to catch her momentum. Lightning was alive, for the moment, but her uniform was quickly soaking through with blood, and one wing was fluffed and peppered by the pellets that had struck it. Her amber eyes, cloudy with pain, looked up at Spitfire weakly.

“C-captain…”

Get her Lightning. Spitfire had another friend to save.
************************

Oh, this bitch was dead. She was oh so very dead. Fleetfoot hissed a bit as she dived through the nimbus clouds, feeling the static cling to every inch of her wings and fur. The blades on her hooves were sparking and crackling with it, and Fleetfoot was quite eager to jam them into that damned griffon. The gap between them was fading quickly, and Fleetfoot could see the griffon’s sides were rising and falling rapidly. She was exhausted! Good enough for Fleetfoot. With a cry and a flap of her speed-built wings, she raised her blades over her head, stabbing them into the cloud with all her might.

Though the deceleration was jarring, probably tweaking a few muscles in her back, the results were worth it. The world turned white for a split second, then blew apart. The almighty lightning bolt slammed into the griffon with full force, forcing her wings to extend and burning off a great deal of her feathers and fur. The agonized cry rose to meet Fleetfoot… just as she descended with a snarl, spinning so her back hooves smashed into the griffon’s right wing, which snapped with a resounding crack. The unconscious griffon tumbled end over end out of the nimbus cloud… just in time to caught by several waiting pegasi of the First Air Wing, all holding muskets and halberds.

Fleetfoot sighed in relief at the sight of her comrades… and turned about, powering back towards the hospital. She had to see to Lightning Dust.
********************

Rainbow Dash watched with awe as the three Princesses sat around Lightning Dust, their horns glowing softly, magical auras mingling across the unconscious pony. Dash’s room had gotten very busy, rather quickly. She’d been curled up with her uniform- and a new copy of Daring Do, courtesy of Twilight, when a team of doctors had wheeled a badly bleeding Lightning Dust into the room. Rainbow had been… stunned. She hadn’t seen Lightning Dust since Academy! How had she gotten injured? Did it have to do with that big lightning bolt? With a soft wince, Rainbow Dash buried her questions deep and looked down at her bed. It wasn’t her place to ask that. Let the Princesses do their job.

A soft wing gently folded over Rainbow’s side, and she jerked her head up in surprise. Spitfire. She was smiling softly at Rainbow, hair slicked back from what had to be some extreme flying. A pang of jealousy fluttered across Rainbow’s heart, but something… else was there. Something she hadn’t felt since… flight school… Heartwing? Gah! No no no! No, nope, she could not be getting feelings for Spitfire! If there was anypony that deserved better, it was her! Been even with that screaming in her mind, Rainbow shyly leaned into the wing-hug, a blush lighting her cheeks.

“You okay, kid?” she whispered softly, and Rainbow’s ear splayed immediately.

“I-I… yes! Y-yeah, everything’s… everything’s fine…”

Her eyes peered back over at Lightning.

“I-is… she gonna be o-okay?” she asked worriedly, sniffling.

She may not have exactly seen eye to eye with Lightning Dust at the Academy, but… they certainly weren’t enemies. Rivals, maybe, but… Rainbow looked up and squeaked at Spitfire’s sorrowful expression.

“Dunno, kid. She took… a real bad hit. But with the Princesses here…”

Spitfire shook her head, shaggy mane going every which way.

“We’ll just have to see.”

The door slid open, and Fleetfoot carefully crept past the working alicorns, peeking sheepishly at Spitfire and Rainbow. To Dash’s surprise, the second-best flier in the Wonderbolts hopped up on her other side, her right wing extending to cover Rainbow protectively. Looking between them with wide eyes, Rainbow shyly settled down onto her belly, body warming as the other two pegasi settled down with her. It was like the most comfortable blanket in the world, and she couldn’t help me smile a bit. This… was nice. Very nice. Her eyes crept back to Lightning Dust; she was breathing a bit easier now, and her fur was a healthier color. Come on Twilight… Celestia… Luna… please.
*****************

It had been several hours since they had worked to save the young Lightning Dust, and Princess Luna was not a happy alicorn. She paced slowly in front of the bound and shackled griffon, face locked into that of intense concentration as she studied her captive. Her glowing eyes and flowing mane, combined with the pure darkness of the interrogation room and the deep snorts of her Night Guards tended to do well to unnerve the captives. It also gave Luna time to study her. The griffon was female of about middle age, badly burned and sporting a broken wing. Her injuries had been treated thoroughly, but not gently, and she was rather bruised up.

“L-look just… I-I can’t tell you anything, just… p-put me in prison,” the griffon muttered after a moment, and Luna couldn’t help but raise an eyebrow.

“For the attempted murder of the members of the Wonderbolts? Beast, prison is the least of your worries.”

The griffon honestly looked surprised, then terrified.

“W-wait,” she managed shakily, “P-ponies don’t have the death penalty!”

“Says your government. I’d pray to Death that she does not take Our soldier.”

Interesting. The griffon was certainly no assassin; her paleness and shaking spoke volumes. She had been here for another reason.

“Are you a member of the Griffon military? Was this an act of war on their part?”

“N-no!” the griffon yelled immediately, eyes wide.

“Then who are you, beast?”

She winced, trembling faintly.

“M-my name is Heshra Prou-... j-just Heshra.”

Foal. Luna laughed inwardly at the misspoken word. Proudfeather. She knew the clan well; a noble clan from North Griffonia. But of course, she couldn’t let the griffon know she had spotted the mistake. Her horn’s glow, disguised by the darkness of the room, conjured up dozens of gleaming eyes and teeth, snarls and roars berating the shaking griffon.

“I will call you whatever I wish to call you, Beast.”

And with a soft pop, she teleported out of the room, leaving Heshra with the imaginary monsters. Luna reappeared in front of a cold Celestia and a shaking, fiery Twilight; she nodded slightly to them both.

“North Griffonia. I do not believe she was here to kill Rainbow Dash. But capture again? Possibly. I will be back for the griffon soon.”

Celestia nodded tersely, wings flaring.

“I will muster our military on the borders of North Griffonia. We must stop anything like this from happening again. Ever again…”

Chapter 5- Hope

Her friends arrived in the morning, rousing Rainbow from a bleary, if warm, sleep with a resounding group hug. Judging from the surprised yelps and following giggles, Spitfire and Twilight Sparkle had been roused from their sleep as well. Wiping her eyes with a hoof, Rainbow gulped nervously, slowly peering around at her best friends. How had they taken her absence? Applejack’s farm had to have suffered, only Rainbow Dash had ever figured out the exact weather formula to keep up Sweet Apple Acres’ extreme growth, a point of pride for the pegasus.

At least, had been, she thought sadly, trying hard to will tears out of her eyes.

“Celestia damnit, y-you are here,” the farmpony whispered, voice uncharacteristically husky, head lowered.

No no, she was angry, Dash had… But Applejack raised her head before Rainbow could complete the thought, revealing a tough, weather-beaten face, scrunched up in relief and happiness, tears pouring down her cheeks. Tears. Rainbow Dash had only seen Applejack openly cry once, and that had been at a funeral for her Aunt Orange from Manehatten that she had invited Rainbow to, for moral support. The farmpony had always exuded an aura of strength, like an immovable mountain of the hardest stone. With a small sob, the mountain cracked, and Applejack wrapped her forelegs around Rainbow’s neck, hugging her tightly.

Confused, Rainbow Dash quickly scanned the rest of her friends. Pinkie Pie, hair perked up as usual, was only giving a small, sad smile, bright blue eyes radiating relief born of utter hopelessness only days before. With a small sniff, Pinkie darted her head past Applejack’s shaking shoulder, nuzzling along Rainbow’s ear.

“S-so happy to see you again, Dashie,” she whispered, and the serious conviction of Pinkie’s tone stunned Dash, who had never seen Pinkie Pie take anything seriously except for lying, to her core.

Rarity was shaking lightly, mane covering her eyes, though it did little to hide the tears dripping down to the floor. Rainbow Dash and Rarity had never been the best of the friends, but Dash was just as loyal to her as she was to any of them. Trembling faintly, Rainbow Dash reached a hoof to her fancy friend. The faint tap that rang through the room surprised her for a split second, before she squeaked, slightly stunned. Rarity. High society Rarity… had given her a hoof bump.

“I-I’m so sorry it took us this long to g-get here, darling,” she told her softly, doing her best to keep her tone light, “When Twilight told us you were… w-were back, we were all a tad… split up.”

“S-split up?” Rainbow asked in surprise, noting for the first time the slight shame in the postures of each of them, “W-what do you mean?”

Applejack gave the tiniest shrug, tugging her hat over her eyes.

“W-was hard to stay in Ponyvile,” she explained after several tense moments, “S-seein’ your house… rememberin’ you… I-I’ve been in Appleloosa, helpin’ Braeburn with the apple harvest.”

“I-I’ve been visiting Maud,” Pinkie added softly, a hoof just scuffing the linoleum beneath her, “Helping out the family rock farm.”

A soft, dainty sigh left Rarity’s lips, “And I opened a boutique in Canterlot, catering to the nobility during this… trying time.”

A cold knot of despair rose up in Rainbow’s gut.

“W-what… what about F-fluttershy?” she whispered, looking around almost frantically for the buttery pegasus, “Is s-she okay? D-don’t tell me she’s living in the E-everfree, o-or went to the pegasi c-cities, or-”

The cold flow of terror only deepened as the friends, Twilight included, sheepishly glanced between themselves, mouths opening and closing. If Rainbow had looked any closer, she would have noticed very little pain or sadness about the shy mare, but Rainbow Dash’s mind was far from observant at that moment.

“Actually, Rainbow, Fluttershy is about… what, two floors away? I think.”

Rainbow’s head snapped around in shock. A draconequus head grinned up at her from the bedpost; Spitfire cursed and leaped up from her spot, eyes wide in shock. Discord reappeared over the entwined group of ponies, body coiled about himself as he looked down at them with… a strange amount of sympathy. Of course, all that was very quickly pushed aside by the wave of PANIC that swept over Rainbow Dash.
“Why’s Fluttershy in the hospital!?”
**************************

Despite the foal’s mixed heritage, Twilight Sparkle had to admit that she was utterly, irrevocably adorable. Following Discord’s revelation of Fluttershy’s condition (something Twilight had wanted to break to Rainbow Dash in a… more subtle manner), the injured pegasus had practically killed herself, jumping off the bed and trying to gallop/fly to Fluttershy’s room. Trying being the operative phrase there, as everyone’s hooves and two sets of magic were ready to grab and hold Rainbow still before she could tear something worse. Getting her past the near-frantic doctors and nurses had been quite another challenge, and Twilight cringed as she remembered how she had pulled rank on them all. Alas, the things one does for friends.

Fluttershy had settled down on her side in her bed, mane plastered to her head and pillow with sweat, eyes creased and still half-delirious with strain and weakness. But every little suckle and mew from the little bundle of fur and feathers at her teats seemed to make the meek pegasus stronger and stronger. She and Discord had decided to name the little filly Golden Hope, and Twilight had to say, it fit. While Golden had definitely inherited her mother’s butter-yellow coat, she had also inherited a lion’s paw for a right hoof, and a dragon’s tail. Her wings were yellow feathered, while her head was graced with a pair of spiraling, swept back horns. But even with the chaotic amalgam of parts, her molten gold eyes and beaming smile melted even Twilight’s scientific skepticism. So… bucking… cute.

“W-wow, ‘Shy… she’s…”

Twilight glanced nervously at Rainbow Dash, who hadn’t left the side of her oldest friend since she and Rarity had set her down. Her eyes were wide in shock, and a surprising amount of… ...was it fear? Twilight frowned thoughtfully. Behind the magenta eyes certainly rolled a sea of… uncertainty. Adoration for the tiny filly, relief that her friend was okay. Shock that her friend was with Discord of all… things. Well, that had hit all of them, certainly, when Fluttershy had announced it along with her pregnancy. But beneath it all lurked… fear. And from where her hoof kept going, she knew where.

And why wouldn’t she be worried? Rainbow Dash had no clue about how this was going to go. Griffon/pony pregnancies were relatively uncommon, at least this far from the border, and Twilight had heard they could cause difficulties during birth. Not to mention the father, or the fact she had no family to help her through this. ...no. Not that last one. She may not have family… but Rainbow Dash would always have her friends.

“S-she’s amazing, Flutters,” Rainbow finally managed, a blush running through her cheeks.

“Thank you,” Fluttershy replied breathily, holding up a hoof.

Discord appeared with not even a flash, as to not scare Hope, only molding himself against Fluttershy’s back, tail curled affectionately around Fluttershy’s own. Twilight should not find that so adorable, but… but… ugh. She had to. Far too cute not to feel some “d’awwww.”

“I-it’s so good to have you home, Rainbow,” Fluttershy whispered, a sentiment Twilight shared greatly.

A glance at her hooves was all the proof of that. The day the other Princesses had called off the search… the day they had proclaimed her best friend dead… she had snapped. All the grief, all the anger that had built from the day she found Rainbow’s house trashed and covered in blood… it had exploded. She had whited out in the middle of Canterlot, blasting through the ceiling and screaming her lungs out at the unfairness of it all, at the hate she held for whomever had taken her friend. Her magic had obeyed her whims, and a great amount of mana infused the clouds above she blasted forth over and over. It had taken both Ditzy, who had come along as moral support, and a frantic Celestia, to calm Twilight down enough to bring her back to ground level, but the damage had been done. Twilight’s hooves, thrust forward during the exhalation, would always be covered in glowing lines of magic, and would always be a minor conduit for her magic. And the damage to the skies of Canterlot…

But now was neither the time, nor the place for such dreary memories. Rainbow Dash was home now. She was safe with Spitfire and a team of Wonderbolts, and Twilight would not be letting her go again. Her spell arrays would be watching and on her twenty-four/seven. Bit much? Perhaps. But too bad. When Rainbow Dash got back from her treatments in Canterlot, she would have a cadre of friends around her at all time. She peeked around, and found the eyes of Pinkie, Rarity, and Applejack all focused solely on Twilight, their de-facto leader in the times of crisis. She gave the barest of nods. Rainbow Dash was going to come home, to everything she had been forced to give up… and everypony she had missed, and whom had missed her in return.

And with a glance at a blushing Spitfire in the doorway, and a curiously peeking Fleetfoot, Twilight allowed herself a small smile. And perhaps a few new ponies could come home too.

Chapter 6- Canterlot

Spitfire was… pleasantly surprised by the Royal Canterlotian Medical Facility when the convoy of sky-ships arrived at the capital. Unlike the generic, sanitary feel of Cloudsdale General, the RCMF was far homier, settled in a wing of the Canterlot Castle and made up more like a large home than a hospital. The caretaker in charge explained the change was due to the Princesses having had been its main “customers” over the years, especially during the formative years of Equestria, and they much preferred this style during their recuperation.

Glancing down at Rainbow Dash, the captain of the Wonderbolts had to agree with the Princesses on that. The young flier was far more relaxed in this setting, her trembles from the flight and procession through the city having mostly subsided as the scents of cedar and home-cooked food hit the party like a warm pillow of relaxation.

“How’re you holding up, Dash?” Spitfire asked her softly, draping her wing carefully over the pegasus.

It was… getting really hard to keep her wings from stiffening. Every brush of feather on feather had a tingle that ran into Spitifre’s spine, a pleasant warping of the magical fields that emanated from every pegasi wing. Spitfire was willing to admit that Rainbow was very cute… and also very, very vulnerable. Seeing a wing stiffen could set off some serious alarm bells in Rainbow Dash’s mind, and Spitfire was not willing to jeopardize their friendship and camaraderie over childish impulses. Not that she was going to remove that wing from Rainbow’s back anytime soon though. Nope.

“O-okay,” Dash replied softly, giving Spitfire a tremulous little smile, “Just… just worried about Lightning Dust.”

Spitfire’s mood dropped a bit, glancing back at the stretcher behind them, and the slumbering mare strapped to it. The magic of the Princesses had saved the wounded flier from bleeding to death, but the amount of shrapnel in her body was still severe, and even little movements could cause internal bleeding. The doctors at the Cloudsdale hospital had informed everypony that unless the Canterlotians could get it all out, Lightning Dust would never be able to fly correctly, or even possibly walk. For a proud, hard-working pegasus, Spitfire couldn’t bear to see that dream stripped from Lightning, no more than she could see it stripped from Rainbow Dash.

“Miss Dash, Captain Spitfire?”

A white-furred, blonde-maned unicorn smiled at them from one of the room, a clipboard floating by her side.

“Come on inside,” she told them warmly, “And we’ll get you settled in. We’d like to get your surgery in as soon as possible, Miss Dash, so you can start healing.”

Rainbow Dash tensed beside her, but Spitfire was quick to usher her inside with a squeeze of her wing-hug. She couldn’t blame the poor kid for being scared. Having to get her legs re-broken, then set back into their proper place to heal again did not sound like a fun experience whatsoever. But if it could fix Rainbow’s hobbled gait, or the pain she tried to hide… Spitfire would stay by her, every step of the way. She had to, really. Rainbow’s friends had had to be ordered home by both Princess Celestia and Princess Twilight, and all had been flown back to Ponyville to get their home-town ready for Rainbow Dash’s return. And the arrival of a full wing of Wonderbolts under Spitfire’s command.

“Captain Spitfire?”

Spitfire had looked up in surprise, the cigarette dropping from her lips in her haste and falling straight through the cloud floor. Dangit, that had been her last one, too. Princess Twilight was walking towards her from the entrance to Cloudsdale General, eyes hard and calculating. Had Spitfire done something wrong?

“Y-yes, your majesty?”

Way to go, Spitfire, that was completely professional. Twilight had looked her over silently for a very long moment, then slowly sat back on her haunches. In the light of the midday sun, she looked very much like the goddess incarnate many attributed the Princesses to being.

“Captain… on my authority as a Princess of Equestria,” Twilight started slowly, seemingly still in thought, “...I’m commanding you. Protect Rainbow Dash, with your life. Take whomever you need. My Aurora Guard, other Wonderbolts, Royal Rangers, whomever you need. Someone still wants Rainbow back…”

A hoof smashed into the ground, and the cloud below Twilight turned a dark purple, a magical circle flashed for a split second.

“I won’t let them have her again,” she finished firmly, hard eyes staring fiercely at Spitfire.

Spitfire matched the Princess’ gaze, and smiled faintly, standing up straight.

“Princess Twilight?”

Spitfire’s hoof slammed into her own chest, right above her heart.

“On my honor… on my life… no one will ever take Rainbow Dash away again. If they try…”

She bared her teeth; the sharp cutting teeth of pegasi, usually used for cutting fish for their protein-rich diet, gleaming in the sun.

“They’ll pay for it.”

Spitfire shook herself out of her reverie, leaning down to give a nervous Rainbow Dash a nuzzle along a flattened ear. She had promised to take care of this mare, and by Celestia, she was going to. No griffin, no minotaur, no pony was ever going to hurt her again. Even if it meant giving up her own life for her friend.

****************

Oh man I feel weird, Rainbow thought giddily, wiggling faintly on the bed.

“I think she’s waking up,” somepony said, sounding very far away.

Doing all she could to raise her head, Rainbow Dash blinked slowly around herself. Spitfire was smiling at her warmly from her seat beside the bed, and Dash was pretty sure she saw relief there. That’s awesome! Right? Turning a bit to the left, she could see Fleetfoot smiling at her from the window, waving cheerfully.

“Hey kid, how’re you feeling?”

Rainbow licked her lips a bit. Did her tongue have fur now? Weird.

“Awesome!” she replied, frowning at her slurred voice, “Hey… w-who gave me cider? I didn’t even taste it. S’no fair, man…”

Rainbow had definitely missed the Apple’s cider season. Celestia-damnit… she loved that cider. But each and every time, something- mmf! She looked down in surprised as a thermos pressed to her lips… and even more surprise at the warm, tasty liquid that flowed through the little hole in the metal cup.

“CIDER!” she squealed out, gaping around at the two giggling pegasi, “H-how did…”

“Courtesy of Sweet Apple Acres, kid,” Spitfire told her between giggles and breaths, “Applejack saved it for you, she said.”

She… saved her cider? Really? But…

“They need all the cider bits they can get,” she mumbled, staring down at the thermos with wide eyes.

A hoof settled on Rainbow’s shoulder, and a heavy blush ran through her face as a soft muzzle rubbed an ear. Just how much were her friends giving up for her? She had to be turning everything topsy-turvy… Melancholy was starting to break through the fog around her mind. Coming back was messing it all up. All this fanfare was too much. She’d been foalnapped for Celestia’s sake. Her! The Element of Loyalty! The supposedly best flier in all Equestria, taken by some stupid griffin. Humiliated, beaten, r-ra-
A second muzzle suddenly massaged along her other flattened ear, and Dash’s head jerked up in surprise. Fleetfoot stood in front of her, blue eyes surprisingly stern. Slowly, she raised a hoof, and it took Dash several shaky moments to reach up, and press the flat of her coltish hoof against Fleetfoot’s daintier one.

“I know what you might be thinkin’ there, Dash,” she told her softly, firmness softening to compassion, “Don’t think it. We wanted you home. We’re glad to have you back. And we’re going to pamper you; us, and your friends.”

To Rainbow’s surprise, Fleetfoot's hoof turned to encircle her’s lightly.

“We need you to let us.”

Spitfire’s hoof trailed down to tail Rainbow’s other shaky hoof, and Rainbow turned to look at her in surprise. The captain of the Wonderbolts, her idol, was smiling down at her with a softness she hadn’t seen before.

“We’re Wonderbolts, Dash. We’re a brotherhood, a sisterhood. You’re a Wonderbolt too.”

“I-I’m just a Re-”

She meeped as Spitfire’s second hoof smooshed against her muzzle lightly.

“You’re a Wonderbolt,” she repeated slowly, grinning down at the sheepish mare, “And what do Wonderbolts do?”

Rainbow Dash blinked as Spitfire’s hoof dropped away, and she tilted her head thoughtfully. What they… did? Well, they were the acrobatics team, and the elite special forces of Equestria. What could… Wait… The old motto, from the Academy?

Hesitantly, she peeked between the two Wonderbolts, squirming as she uncertainly replied, “F-fly on… always… fly on?”

“Louder,” both fliers urged as one, grinning widely.

“Fly on, always fly on.”

“Again!”

A grin split across Rainbow’s muzzle. Maybe it was the drugs in her system, but… She sat up straighter, voice growing firmer as she intoned, “Fly on, always fly on!”

“Louder!”

“Fly on, always fly on!”

“LOUDER!”

And even with her hind legs in a cast, and a six month along belly holding her down, Rainbow Dash gave her wings a mighty flap, hovering in the air as her voice drew in all the strength it could, all the dignity she could drag from the depths of her soul, past the crushing depths of the humiliations that had been piled atop it by her Master.

“WE FLY ON, ALWAYS WE FLY ON!”

Chapter 7- The Incident

The ragged form of a griffin shakily tugged her way through the streets of Canterlot, head bowed in the thundering rain that poured down from the skies above. Its wings dragged in the muddy streets, but it seemed to pay them no mind. Just its feet, one step after another. Suspicious stares glared down from slitted windows and half-opened doors, and the griffin could easily hear the whispers and muttered threats all around. But again, it ignored all but the route around. As the Canterlot Castle and its gatehouse came into view, the griffin suddenly broke into a run, and the whispers around became a panicked cry.

“What’s that griffin doing?”

“Is she attacking the Castle?”

“Somepony stop her!”

“Saboteur!”

“Assassin!”

Hoofbeats began to thunder through the cobblestone streets as ponies gave chase, shouts and vengeful curses echoing up to the sprinting griffin. None noticed the blood trail it left behind, or its fumbling, single-minded gait. With a crack of lightning, four Wonderbolts slammed to the ground in front of the Canterlot Castle steps, muskets lowered threateningly, saber-like bayonets shimmering with rain. Two dozen Solar Guardponies stepped out from the gatehouse, pikes and muskets lowered as well, bitter eyes glaring daggers at the panting, shaking griffin. The vigilante crowd formed a half-circle behind it, and circling Night Guard cut off any attempt at escape.

Spitfire and Fleetfoot slid through the ranks of Guards and Wonderbolts, eyes hard as diamonds as they looked the griffin over. Something wasn’t right, though. The white feathers that made up the eagle head were stained bright red in places, and one of the female’s golden eyes was swollen nearly shut. Both wings were popped out of joint and heavily ruffled, and Spitfire quickly saw that she had flown HARD, and fast. The pain she must be in had to be intense, but her beak was clacking, trying to speak past the heavy pants choking her throat.

Fleetfoot growled a bit, taking a step forward, “Who are you, and-”

“Pl-please!” The griffiness suddenly managed to sputter out, good eye wide in panic, “I-I have urgent news! Please!”

“Not until we get your name, and why you’re here,” Spitfire returned coldly, drawing her flight-claw slowly over the cobblestones, “Canterlot is under threat, and-”

“My name is Gilda Proudfeather! A-and… and I have urgent news for your Princesses! There’s a trap!”
*******************

“This is your last chance, Heshra.”

Luna was done playing games. The griffin had been silent during the trip from Cloudsdale to the Canterlot Dungeons, and had yet to break to Luna’s interrogation. Her patience was running very, very thin. A silver-clad hoof slowly pressed down on the table in front of the trembling griffin, and Luna’s visage slid in from the shadows, a glow in her eyes accenting the terrible, bared teeth of her rage. Magical symbols and rings burned into the wood with a soft hiss.

“Why does your clan want Rainbow Dash back? Your patriarch is dead. Your claim to her is nothing, and surely they must know that pressing this matter would be futile to them.”

Her eyes. A small glimmer of pain, just before the griffin glanced away. There we are. Luna’s horn glew brightly in the darkness, and Heshra squawked as her beak was forcefully turned back towards Luna.

“TELL ME!”

“I-I-”

“You will tell me, Heshra, right now or Celestia help me…”

Tears began to flow down Heshra’s cheeks, eyes scrunching up.

“H-he doesn’t want Rainbow Dash, just the hatchling!” she wailed, wincing as Luna’s hoof slammed into the table again, a sizable crack racing through the ancient oak wood.

“Who? His son? Daughter? Give me a name, Heshra!”

“N-neither! S-seth Proudfeather is-”

Her eyes suddenly widened, beak opening in a silent, agonized scream, causing Luna to stumble back in surprise. To her enchanted eyes, a powerful gleam of magic was burning in the center of the griffin’s chest, ley lines creasing down her body.

“Makeitstopmakeitstop!” Heshra was screaming, writhing in her seat even as the power built faster.

Luna’s horn glew, and a magical circle formed in the air…
*******************

Spitfire had just turned to take flight when the entire left wing of the Canterlot Dungeons exploded with a wave of red light and the faintest echo of a scream. The concussion knocked her back to the ground, and the gathered crowd screamed in terror, many of them quickly turning to gallop back into the city. The captain of the Wonderbolts could only stare in horror, the sound of sobbing reaching her splayed ears. Turning, she was surprised to see Gilda, prone on the ground, beak grinding audibly.

“I-I was too late…”

( Normally, I’d end the chapter there… but I won’t be that mean to you guys. )

Rainbow Dash cried out in shock as a violent boom and red flash shook her from a dreamless sleep, lifting her head blearily to stare out the window. Only smoke met her gaze. No… no, no… somepony had attacked the Castle? Was it…

“Oh Celestia, please no,” Rainbow Dash whispered softly, eyes wide in horror.

It was because of her. Somepony was mad that she was back, that she had escaped, and now they were going to take it out on the Princesses? A slam startled the pegasus, and she instinctively began to flail her hooves and wings, sobbing out denials. Everything was happening again! Slamming doors, griffins grabbing her, gravelly voices screaming at her to… to… calm down?

“It’s okay, Rainbow, it’s me! It’s Fleetfoot!”

Slowly, terrified of a trick, Rainbow opened the eyes she had initially closed in terror. It was Fleetfoot, her uniform smudged and dirty, and her eyes red from tears, but it was definitely her. With a lunge, Rainbow tightly wrapped her forelegs around Fleetfoot’s neck, sobbing with utter relief into her shoulder. She knew she had to look a mess, but everything had happened so fast…

Fleetfoot seemed to take it all in stride, scooting a bit to carefully lift Rainbow Dash onto her back, wincing at the jabs of Rainbow’s stiff hindleg casts.

“W-what’s going on?” she mumbled into Fleetfoot’s fur, unwilling to let go in any sense, “W-what happened?”

“Some kind of bomb,” Fleetfoot managed softly, scrambling out of the room and galloping quickly for the Castle docks, “Princess Celestia and Princess Luna want us going to Ponyville right now while they secure the city for anymore bombs.”

Them and all the other patients, it seemed. A massive flying frigate, one of the magical wooden ships built by the new Lunar Aeronautics Initiative and its unicorn backers, was settled at the docks, while dozens of uniformed Solar Guardponies and Wonderbolts ferried and ushered injured foals and ponies onto it. The name of the ship, the North Star, was emblazoned onto the side, and Rainbow Dash couldn’t help but admire it, and relax slightly. With a forty cannon complement and the best fliers in Equestria onboard, it was likely the safest place in the city. With a soft grunt, Fleetfoot landed onto the crowded deck, carefully shoving her way into one of the bunkrooms and hurrying to claim one for the both of them.

Laying in the bunk, with her muzzle pressed firmly into Fleetfoot’s cherry-scented mane, Rainbow Dash relaxed again, closing her eyes. Two forelegs encircled her barrel, one hooves gingerly petting her side. This close together, the pegasi’s magical fields were enveloping, but neither minded for the moment. They could only hold one another, finding comfort where they could as the frightened and injured gathered in the safeness.

*****************

Runic lightning snarled among the dirt as a tarnished hoof slammed onto it. Gleaming eyes glared up at the smoking hole of her home, and a fanged muzzle spread into a snarl. Luna’s armor was dented and smoking, her magical shield having barely saved her life, and those of the two Night Guard with her, though both batponies would be in the hospital for months, recuperating from their injuries. The blast had been a powerful geas, one familiar only to Luna, who had discovered it among the old runes long ago. A dishonorable, forbidden kind of magic. And somepony had given it to the griffins. Her hoof slowly ground into the ashen dirt, and some of it flash-froze into glass.
Luna Aethiras Celene, Warmistress of the Equestrian Empire and Head of the Night Guard, the Royal Rangers, and the New Equestrian Air Navy… was angry.

Chapter 8- Return to Ponyville

The North Star was making good time. Rainbow Dash found that she loved to sit on the deck of the sky-sailer, her head bowed over the side of the railing, eyes closed as she felt the wind blow through her mane and fur. To most ponies, the wind blowing was a singular feeling of force, a light coolness to the skin. But to a pegasus, every breeze was a treat to the senses. Like at that moment, Dash could sense the thunderstorm in the works for the farms below Canterlot, the light crackle of static in the air and the dampness that kissed at her fur. With a breath, she could smell the ozone cracking with mini lightning bolts, the faintest kisses of seawater that the rain was distilled from. With a smile, Rainbow took in a deeper breath, the spicy-sweet smell of liquid rainbow, the fuel of storms, filling her muzzle and racing down her spine. Some ponies say the pegasi race are addicted to rainbows, considering how much they use it as decorations and a fuel source. If Rainbow was honest with herself, they were probably right.

The sharp bite of cigarette smoke wafted into her nose, and Rainbow Dash turned towards its source in surprise, a light blush coloring her cheeks. Fleetfoot was smiling at her from the door to the bunk room, a lit cigarette dangling from her lips, smoking drifting up to tangle among her perked ears.

“How you feelin’, Dash?” she asked her softly, trotting over quickly.

Instinctively, Dash ducked her head, leaning against her fellow mare as Fleetfoot’s wing raised her wing to allow Dash to snuggle against her side. Despite Fleetfoot’s petite frame, it was a nice, comfy fit, and Rainbow Dash gave a contented, if shy, sigh of relief.

“Better. F-fresh air helps, I-I think,” she replied after a minute to acclimate, “W-wish I could fly.”

Fleetfoot’s wing gave Rainbow’s side a gentle squeeze.

“The doctors said you’ll have to wait till after the foal, Dash,” she reminded her softly, seeming rather sad about it herself, “We can’t risk it.”

Dash winced at them, closing her eyes tightly. The foal. The… thing growing in her belly, weighing her down every second with the reminder of… him. Master. She gave her head a weak shake, tears spilling down her cheeks.

“W-why?” she muttered, voice flat even to her own ears.

Fleetfoot lived up to her name. Rainbow Dash barely managed a squeak before she was flipped out from the other mare’s wing, surprised magenta eyes being peered into by firm, glacier blues. Had she made Fleetfoot mad? Had-

“Don’t,” Fleetfoot whispered, a faint, pleading tone coloring her words, “Don’t think down that path, please. T-trust… trust me. When you hold that foal in your arms… stare into her eyes… you’ll love it. No matter who the father is. You’re carrying her. You’re going to raise her, with your friends and us by your side.”

Rainbow’s heart was throbbing, like a giant claw was clutching at it, piercing it. Her left hoof slowly rose to rub a small circle on her swollen stomach. Something pressed back, just barely.

“W-what if I can’t stop seeing him in her?” she mumbled back, shaking under Fleetfoot’s gaze, “What if I-I’m a bad m-mom? I’ll be like one of those… t-those deadbeats from Guards, o-or- mmm!”

Fleetfoot’s hoof had smooshed into Rainbow’s muzzle, stopping the babbling pegasus. Her eyes were comforting, and her muzzle had twisted into a fond smile.

“This is coming from the pegasus who tried to get us to let that scooter filly into the Junior Speedsters early,” she teased, smile widening at the deep blush that raced down Rainbow’s neck, “Or who used that connection with that writer to send Daring Do to all those sick fillies in the Canterlot Hospice.”

“Y-you knew about that?” Rainbow blurted out, eyes wide.

She hadn’t told anyone about that, only Twilight and Ditzy, who had given her the idea in the first place, after Rainbow had overheard Twilight griping about lack of reading material for the chronically sick foals. She had known how it felt to be cooped up and surrounded by doctors day in and day out. Rainbow Dash had just wanted to spread her love of action stories, really. It had felt like the right thing to do.

Fleetfoot winked, eyes shining with pride, “We delivered them, in your name. You should have seen how happy they were, Dash… it made their year. Hell, it probably made their lives, getting those books from you. Foals love you, Rainbow Dash. You gave them hope. You give them hope again.”

The dainty hoof slowly reached around, a warm heat rushing through Rainbow as Fleetfoot’s hoof gave her rounded stomach a pat. To her surprise, a gentle pressure matched the movement. The foal…

“T-think so?” Rainbow whispered, ears laying back thoughtfully, “T-that… I’ll be a g-good mom, I mean.”

Fleetfoot didn’t answer, merely smiling at Rainbow Dash and pulling her into a tight hug, wings folding forward to embrace her vulnerable friend. Rainbow sniffed, closing her eyes and burying her snout into Fleetfoot’s neck. She wasn’t sure how any of this would go. Going home, having the foal… but with her friends at her side… with Fleetfoot and Spitfire… she would give it a chance, at the very least.
******************

Spitfire let out a relieved breath as she and the troop of Wonderbolts broke through the thunderhead above Ponyville, a smile stretching across her snout as she looked the township over. It had definitely undergone some changes since her last visit; a quartet of guard towers, made of purple manabrick, had been set up on surrounding hills, giving the Town Guard an unobstructed view of the countryside. On the western edge of town, bordering the tree-home of the Golden Oaks Library, sat the new air-dock: a floating structure of enchanted boards, set up to handle the bulk of the new sky-sailers that visited from Canterlot. The North Star had already docked the night before and unloaded its crowd of ponies, most of whom had been transferred to the Ponyville General Hospital.

“Hey boss!”

Fleetfoot’s trail of blue wind rocketed down from an overheard cloud, and Spitfire had to grin in relief; four Royal Rangers had been settled in the cloud banks with Fleetfoot, their only visible features being the gleam of their long rifles against the sunlight. The Royal Rangers, a group of snipers formed by Princess Luna during her recent military build-ups, were all highly trained batponies and pegasi, schooled in the ways of sharpshooting and camouflage by the Princess of the Night herself. Having a squad of them assigned to Ponyville, backed up by Princess Twilight’s Aurora Guard, did much to put Spitfire’s mind at ease. She nodded slightly in greetings as Fleetfoot came to a stop in front of the Wonderbolts’ column.

“How is she?” Spitfire asked her second softly, trying her best not to sound as worried as she felt.

“Good, actually,” Fleetfoot replied, and a world of worry lifted off Spitfire’s already weary withers.

She had already been loathe to let the young pegasus go to Ponyville, but the Princesses had needed the Wonderbolts to guard Gilda while they performed a battery of tests on the griffin, determined to make sure their ponies were safe from any hidden geas on her person. After an exhausting- and Spitfire had never seen any of the Princesses physically tired- search, they had declared Gilda safe to be around, and had transferred her to the undamaged portions of the Castle for questioning. Spitfire had only been free to leave once a new squadron of New Pegasus Air Wing had arrived to take up the slack of the re-assigned Wonderbolts.

“She’s staying in the Golden Oaks for the time being,” Fleetfoot continued, wincing, “...she doesn’t want to see her old home.”

Spitfire didn’t blame the mare one bit. Though the Crown had had Rainbow Dash’s home cared for and cleaned, it had always seemed a bit… tragic, lifeless even. Especially when the liquid rainbow had dried up from its reservoir, leaving nothing more than a lifeless, marble-like cloud home in the skies over Ponyville. A mausoleum to a fallen rainbow. Now just a sad reminder of a past Rainbow Dash could never go back to.

“Fleetfoot, get a patrol schedule going and get the boys to a barracks. I’m gonna go see her.”
*******************

Scootaloo did her best to remember the marching cadence as she trotted towards the Golden Oaks. If Princess Twilight wanted to see her, and not during scheduled Twilight Time, it had to be something serious! ...was she finally old enough to join the Aurora Guard? Applebloom certainly thought they were, and so did Sweetie Belle! Heck, most of the foals at school were getting interested in joining some of the new Youth programs that had popped up. The Pegasi Cloud Brigade had been interesting, with alot of the foals who joined up being taught emergency techniques for causing rain to stop fires, or how to send up beacon clouds. But considering that Scootaloo couldn’t fly, she had decided that her interests would be better put somewhere else.

It had been the Aurora Guard that had caught her interest most of all. Created specifically in the memory of Rainbow Dash, with their rainbow crests and cyan armor, they were all trained to be just as fierce and skilled as the Element. Encompassing all the pony tribes, and even the odd zebra or deer, they were widely known as being the best swordsponies in Equestria, and that their unicorns were some of the most skilled battlemages in the world. The thought made Scootaloo smile a bit. Rainbow Dash would be proud.

Rainbow… Scootaloo sniffed loudly, steeling herself before any tears could fall. Losing her big sister, at least in her mind, like that had been a hammer blow. Her idol, her friend, gone? Sweetie Belle had been a lifesaver during that time, sticking by her fillyfriend through it all, dragging her out of her self-induced stupor to keep up with Crusader activities and to do odd jobs around Ponyville with her. It had hurt at first, continuing on without her best “big pony” friend. Somedays Scootaloo even had the notion that Rainbow Dash might be alive, and hiding somewhere, hurt and unable to come home. After breaking her leg during one said “expedition,” Sweetie Belle had made Scootaloo promise never to do that again.

A blush crept across Scootaloo’s cheeks as she remembered that night in particular.

“Are you TRYING to get yourself killed!?” Sweetie Belle had snarled the second after she laid a trembling Scootaloo on the couch in Rarity’s shop.

They were both covered in dirt and blood, coats and manes soaked through by the pounding rain outside. It was dark outside and in the unlit house, but a lightning flash illuminated Sweetie Belle’s face. To Scoots’ horror, tears were streaming down the face of her best friend, green eyes clouded with pain.

“S-sweetie,” Scootaloo started, only to wince as Sweetie Belle’s hoof jabbed her in the barrel.

“NO! Not another word!” the petite unicorn snapped back, voice cracking a bit in not a little hysteria, “Y-you just… you just d-decide to march into the Everfree, on your own? D-don’t even tell us, don’t tell ME! You’re lucky Fluttershy’s birds saw you!”

Sweetie Belle leaned in close, giving a small sob; Scootaloo could feel the tears dripping onto her chest.

“I-I know it hurt losing Rainbow Dash. But h-have you e-ever even considered what it would d-do if we lost you? To Applebloom, or Pip, or… o-or to me?”

The kiss wasn’t planned. A desperate lunge forward by Sweetie Belle, knocking a stunned Scootaloo back against the cushions. Her lips were soft and insistent, and Scootaloo gave a quiet mew as Sweetie’s tongue pried open Scootaloo’s lips, darting into her stunned mouth. Scootaloo’s brain was in a haze, fried. This wasn’t like the Truth or Dare games. These weren’t the tiny pecks and shy giggles, the stolen glances while another of the Crusaders took a turn. This was passion, desperation made manifest, Sweetie Belle doing everything in her power to keep Scootaloo with her, to show her just why she couldn’t leave her like this again. And boy, did it work.

Scootaloo chuckled a bit, pausing in front of the library doors, doing her best to smooth back her stiffened wings. She would definitely have to visit Sweetie after this meeting, and hopefully pry her away from Rarity, who hadn’t left their side since getting back from Cloudsdale. Not that she was against kissing Sweetie in front of Rarity, just… that giant smile got a tad creepy sometimes. Clearing her throat, she reached up to tap her hoof firmly on the solid door.

“Come in!” came the distant reply, and Scootaloo obediently swung the door open, marching in and snapping off a smart salute.
“Hopeful Private Scootaloo, ready for-”
Her world stopped. Sitting on Twilight’s couch, her hind legs in casts, eyesbruised and frightened, and stomach swollen in what could only be advanced pregnancy was… was…
“R-rainbow Dash?” she managed in a breathy, squeaky voice, eyes widening to the size of saucers.
Her idol nodded slowly, a shaky smile spreading across her muzzle, which had a thin scar across the bridge of her snout.
“Y-you got big, Scoots…”
And with the rushing, swooping feeling of falling, the world went black for the filly.

Chapter 9- Meeting of Friends

Sweet Apple Acres. Rainbow Dash had missed this place more than she thought. When the first breeze brought a hint of apples to her nose, she had brought down in nostalgic tears, hugging tightly against Spitfire and feeling vaguely ashamed as she soaked her friend’s coat with her tears. But Spitfire didn’t say a word, or even tense, just gently wrapped her friend in her warm wings, a few primaries interlocking with each other. The intimate gesture was more than enough to dry Rainbow’s tears, a tiny tremor of happiness rolling down her spine like a bolt of fire. She rather wished that Fleetfoot was there as well- her magic felt alot like a strong, cool breeze- but Spitfire needed her to get a proper patrol schedule going.

“Come on, kiddo,” Spitfire whispered teasingly, taking a step back and winking, making Rainbow blush a light pink, “Applejack is waiting, and we should help her get the picnic set up before Scootaloo comes to join us.”

That brought a smile to Rainbow. Scootaloo had grown up so much over the last year, it looked like. She was taller and thinner, and even her wings seemed a little larger. When she had stopped by the Golden Oaks, Scootaloo had been dressed in Wonderbolts Youth uniform, and that had brought even more tears to Rainbow’s eyes. Of course, seeing her pass out hadn’t gone too well, and Rainbow winced at the remembered pain. She hadn’t realized just how painful it would be for her casted hind legs to thump on the wooden floor. Thankfully they had cut them off this morning, but her legs were going to be very sensitive to any kind of shock for several weeks, Twilight had told her.

Upon approaching the farm, Rainbow Dash was actually somewhat amused to find the entire picnic already set up, with a large blanket spread out underneath a mighty apple tree, with a basket and a barrel of hard cider holding it down against the light breeze. Big Mac was already stretched across the fabric, head bowed in determination as he buttered a piece of bread. Applejack spotted them quickly, however, her hoof raising cheerfully.

“Howdy! Come on over, help yerself!” she called out to them, and Rainbow realized just how blazingly hungry she really was.

Apple pies, apple turnovers, apple fritters, apple fries… Drool filled the pegasus’ mouth as she looked the delights over, nostalgia filling her again. An orange snout nuzzled her cheek, and Rainbow gave a sheepish smile.

“S-sorry, just… just r-rememberin’,” she mumbled, looking down at her shifting hooves, “Just… f-feels like…”

“The day before they took ya.”

Rainbow Dash jerked her head up in surprise, eyes widening. Applejack’s head, in turn, was bowed, teardrops dropping down like rain onto the fabric below. Big Mac had turned his head to the side, eyes closed, but a fair bit of pain etched even on his stoic phase.

“ ‘member? Found ya nappin’ in one of my trees, invited ya back for lunch?” Applejack asked softly, voice thick with repressed emotion.

“Y-yeah,” Rainbow whispered, body trembling as the memory crept back, “W-we had apple fritters… Applebloom was wearing a new bow…”

It was surreal. That memory had been an anchor for Rainbow Dash during her darkest days with the Master; Applejack’s honest smile, the innocence shining in Applebloom’s eyes. The taste of Granny’s best fried apples, and Applejack’s special whiskey. The regret…

She chuckled faintly, “W-when you a-asked me to h-help ap-”
“AH’M SO SORRY, RAINBOW!”

Applejack lunged forward with a heart-broken sob, Rainbow giving a startled yelp as she toppled over easily. Applejack’s fore-legs were locked tightly around her neck and, for the first time in… a very long time, someone was sobbing into her fur.

“I-I shoulda made you stay,” AJ whimpered faintly, “M-made more f-food, or c-challenged you to a r-race… i-it’s all my fault, I- mmf!”

Rainbow looked up in surprise, giggling a bit; Spitfire and Big Mac had stepped forward at the same time, both shoving apple fritters into Applejack’s mouth. The two interrupters blinked at each other, chuckles bubbling out the next second, while Applejack worked frantically to chew and swallow the fritters.

“Nope.”

“B-but… B-but I coulda-”

“Not a chance, Applejack,” Spitfire added softly, “Don’t blame yourself for it. Nothing we could have done could have changed that.”

Rainbow nodded, rocking back and forth with Applejack and nuzzling into her mane. She smelled of mulch and apples, and even a little smoke from the wood-burning stove. Applejack, strong, powerful Applejack, was quivering lightly in her fore-legs, leaning back against her. For several minutes, nopony spoke, simply basking in each others presence.

“S’good to be home, AJ,” Rainbow whispered finally, smiling softly as the farmpony turned to look back at her, a smile spreading on her own muzzle.

“S’good to ‘ave you home, RD.”
***********************

The rest of the picnic went rather well. After Applejack’s outburst and the consequent group hug, they all settled back to enjoy their food and company. AJ brought out the old scrapbook, making Rainbow Dash blush furiously and Spitfire howl in laughter at some of the stupid contests they had gotten in together. The Iron Pony, the Running of the Leaves, the Mare-Do-Well fiasco. It was supremely embarrassing, but by Celestia, Rainbow Dash was having the time of her life. It almost felt like the old days, just without the burn of a recent practice session or the haze of a just interrupted nap.

“R-rainbow Dash?”

Rainbow Dash winced at the unfamiliar voice, sighing softly as she began to turn. Another pony who wanted to apologize to her, no doubt. A grey-furred earth pony and a white-furred unicorn were walking down the path towards the farm; the unicorn was sticking close to the earth pony, head ducked down a bit so that her spiky blue mane would cover her face. But when she looked up…

Oh no, Rainbow thought, eyes widening as magenta eyes met ruby, and she rose to her hooves automatically.

The pain and uncertainty in the unicorn’s eyes was identical to Rainbow’s own, and from the half-second, near-despairing glance at Big Mac before logic took back over, she could tell one thing about this pony. She’d been through a trial of her own, one similar to the hell Rainbow had been in herself. After a moment, a spark of recognition arced through her brain. She remembered a poster in Canterlot, a smirking mare with a hoof in the air, eighth notes emblazoned on her headphones…

“Y-you’re… Vinyl S-scratch, right?” Rainbow managed after a moment’s hesitation, blushing as Spitfire gave a small, surprised jerk, “The DJ?”

Did she really not talk to other ponies that much?

“Yeah, that… t-that’s me,” Vinyl replied shyly, her ruby eyes glancing down for a split moment, a dainty hoof raising up to touch her stomach.

Emotion began to rise in both mares; Rainbow’s gut rolling as she saw the self-disgust burn through Vinyl Scratch’s eyes and down her spine. She watched as the earth pony smiled down at Vinyl, and the unicorn met the gaze of her… friend? Lover? Most likely just a friend; but even then, with the pain that clouded the DJ’s face…

“D-don’t… don’t do that.”

The words slipped out before Rainbow Dash could stop them, and she was mildly surprised with herself to be stepping forward, one hoof after the other, her back legs aching from sitting down for so long.

“W-what?” Vinyl snapped out, looking up at Rainbow with some amount of hesitation and surprise.

Rainbow Dash did her best not to wince at the biting tone of the question, knowing it likely wasn’t meant to wound. As she trotted forward, the earth pony slipped a foreleg around Vinyl’s waist, and the unicorn gave a small shudder, the tiniest of smiles playing across her features. Rainbow smiled at the display, confidence emboldened. She needed to say this. She needed to tell this mare exactly what Rainbow had been figuring out over the past few weeks. Taking a breath, she reached out with a shaking hoof, settling it on the unicorn’s soft shoulder.

“D-don’t e-ever let go, M-miss Scratch,” she whispered slowly, conviction lending her tone strength as she began to formulate how she’d explain things to Vinyl, ““F-friends are the best thing w-we have. ‘specially when they want to t-take care of us. But… but it’s r-really hard for them to help us… i-if we can’t help ourselves. Trust me.”

Vinyl’s eyes had closed fearfully during the short spiel, but opened slowly to peer up at Rainbow, who was smiling down at her as convincingly as she could. She could practically feel Spitfire’s proud gaze from the picnic blanket, and heat rushed down her wings. She tried to meet Vinyl’s eyes, but the unicorn was starting to fidget.

“B-but she’s a-already-”

Rainbow shook her head slowly, raising a hoof to stop the flood of self-doubts and bargaining before it could gain a foothold in the mare’s brain.

“W-when they decide to stick around with p-ponies like us, it’s…. it’s special,” she assured softly, ducking her head for a moment as she smiled, remembering Fleetfoot’s strong gaze and Spitfire’s kind smile, “They c-care. If this o-one’s-”

She blinked as Vinyl automatically blurted out, “Octavia,” and a tiny giggle came unbidden to her lips. Now that was kinda cute, she had to admit.

She held up a hoof to Vinyl, a small smile splitting her muzzle as the DJ met it with a soft click.

“Then n-never let her go, Miss Scratch.”

Author's Note

Phew! Well, it's been a crazy few weeks, but Beats of Life and Rekindling are finally caught up! Yay!

I will now be updating both stories on a chapter per story, per week, at a minimum.

Keep up those comments, ponies! :D

Chapter 10- Tale of the Skymares

Spitfire had to admit, Twilight Sparkle had lived a lot cozier of a life than she would have guessed for a Princess of Equestria. She had always heard of the Golden Oaks Library in dispatches, but she had assumed it was like one of the public libraries in Canterlot or Manehatten: massive and opulent, touting the “power of learning” or some other shtick. This one really felt like it could be a home… to a librarian. Not to a new, nervous mother trying to prepare for the birth of her foal in the coming weeks.

“Hungry, kid?” she asked pleasantly, peeking out of Twilight’s attached kitchen and into the expansive study area.

“Hell’s yeah!” Fleetfoot called out cheerfully, smiling up from her spot on the couch.

To Spitfire’s amusement, Rainbow Dash was lounging on her side beside the grinning Wonderbolt, a deep blush covering her face, but a tiny smile had split her nervous demeanor. There were few things in Equestria that could resist Fleetfoot’s casual and personable attitude, and Rainbow Dash, and even Spitfire, were not one of those. Fleetfoot had her wing draped over Rainbow’s side, primaries interlocked and twitching lightly. Magenta eyes sheepishly peeked up at Spitfire, and the smile only grew.

“A-a little, yeah,” Rainbow Dash mumbled shyly, reaching up to paw lightly at her nose.

“Then I hope you guys like waffles!”

Balancing three plates on her wings wasn’t exactly easy, but a shot of pride ran through her at the impressed look on Rainbow’s face, and the sly gleam in Fleetfoot’s gaze. With a sleek spin as she approached, Spitfire slid the plates right in front of her friends, flipped her’s into the air, and was sitting on her haunches with a smug little smile as the plate, and waffle, landed in front of her.

“Woah,” Rainbow breathed, blushing -somehow- even more.

Mentally preening, Spitfire- ...hold the phone. Spitfire’s eyes peered over at Rainbow Dash’s wings, then winced. How had they not seen this coming? Rainbow’s wings were badly fluffed and mattered, full of damaged and broken vanes and feathers. To any self-respecting pegasi, it was an utter mess. Fleetfoot blinked, likely spotting the self-agitated look on Spitfire’s face, and followed her gaze, wincing in turn. Both hadn’t been looking at Rainbow with much in the way of “pegasi hygiene” and it showed. But there was one thing.

Preening was a deeply personal affair for pegasi. Mothers and daughters had long since used it as a way to bond while young, and the same held true for colts and stallions, or whichever pony raised the foal. When they got older, preening took on a role of great intimacy, performed either by the closest of friends or partners. Neither mare was entirely sure how Rainbow would handle being preened by them; but with her condition, preening herself would be a strenuous job.

“G-guys?” Rainbow whispered curiously, trembling a bit in worry, “Everything… everything okay?”

“Oh, yeah!” Spitfire replied immediately, a blush of her own rising, “It’s just uh… well, I just noticed your wings, kid. They could… use a little TLC.”

Blinking, Rainbow raised a wing slowly… and winced at a small flurry of falling down.

“We… wouldn’t mind… helping you, y’know,” Fleetfoot mumbled softly, giving Rainbow a small, but warm smile, “Only if that’s okay, though.”

“We could go get another of your friends, if you preferred.”

An odd look filled Rainbow’s eyes: a nervous, jittery light, with thoughtfulness behind the screen. She was studying the mares, and Spitfire could definitely tell both were being judged, and their relatio-

“P-please.”

And the Captain of the Wonderbolts certainly did not have to be told twice. Waffle forgotten, Spitfire quickly darted to sit on one side of Rainbow, carefully using her hooves to pull the slim wing out from its spot across Rainbow’s side. Even without much use in over a year, the muscles and tendons were firm and taught, and Spitfire could practically feel the sky magic singing through it. Power. With a subtle breath, Spitfire could smell it- like lightning itself, sharp and strong- rolling off her wing, even in its sorry state. It was… heady. With a faint mew, she leaned forward, gently burying her muzzle into the down of fluffy secondaries.

Rainbow’s sides swelled with a sharp intake of breath, releasing with a pleased quiver as Spitfire’s trained tongue and lips worked, plucking loose and broken down, or smoothing out those that could still be saved. Other ponies had a hard time figuring out why pegasi seemed to have a taste for feathers, but pegasi were fine with that. How do you explain to another the taste of sky magic, the crackling of static running to your core that super-charges your heart, your very emotions? Spitfire blushed as she felt her own wings stiffening with blood and raising, but for once she ignored her involuntary response, only focused on the quivering mare beside her.

Slowly nibbling along the wing, Spitfire found her way to Rainbow’s wingshank, and Spitfire’s tongue tenderly traced out, smoothing down the soft-as-silk fur-and-down mix. The tiniest noise of pleasure, a coo of a dove, rose out of Rainbow’s throat, and Spitfire’s tail practically launched off the bed. It was, in a word, the single most adorable sound the older pegasus had ever heard. So she did it again. On her periphery, she could see Rainbow’s tail raising as well, and it was all Spitfire could do to banish the naughty thoughts running through her whirling mind. It wasn’t proper, not for a mare as damaged as Rainbow Dash.

Moving along, Spitfire’s eyes took time to appreciate Rainbow Dash’s primary feathers. Practically the soul of a pegasus, the primaries held the strongest amount of sky magic in a pegasi’s body, and were highly prized by their owners. And while other ponies could definitely say a pegasus primary feather was a beautiful thing, only another pegasi (or perhaps a unicorn) could truly appreciate the art of it. She couldn’t see the lines of magic, but smelling it, feeling it, practically hearing it all… All of this arced through Spitfire’s mind as she slowly took Dash’s primary feathers between her teeth and lips, achingly, tenderly smoothing it down. The fire-orange mare trembled at the tremulous moan from the younger mare beneath her, and her right wing reached to embrace her as Dash pressed to her side. Spitfire could just barely spot Fleetfoot on the other side, her slim head ducked down to get at the sensitive feathers beneath the shank. She smiled faintly at her preening partner, then turned back to tending to Dash.
****************

Fleetfoot was in heaven. Rainbow Dash tasted like ozone, like lightning incarnate, and with each nibble and lap, the arcs and pops of static tickled and kissed down her throat and tongue. She knew she was being fairly hard, tugging and realigning Rainbow Dash’s unkempt feathers, but Fleetfoot also knew that Rainbow needed it. Spitfire would be tender, and judging from the noises from Rainbow Dash early on, she had gotten her well-at-ease. And that was great! But fire and… Fleetfoot gave a shy gulp. And passion. Fire and passion were the pegasus way, and Fleetfoot would always embody those traits. And Rainbow Dash needed a spark to rekindle her own.

With a soft breath, the sky blue mare darted up to nibble and tug lightly at the primaries running down Rainbow’s right wing, and she gave a sympathetic croon at Dash’s small cry. A second croon matched Fleetfoot, and it wasn’t long before she was gasping and quivering again.

‘Thatta girl, Spitfire.’

Compassion had its place too. Compassion and passion. Ha. With a chuckle at her own inner joke, Fleetfoot tugged lightly… and gave a squeak of shock as the primary tugged out. Another squeak matched her own, and quickly turned to find a bewildered Spitfire looking at her as well. Both held matching primaries in their mouths. Primaries very rarely fell out on their own, even after horrendous abuse, and Fleetfoot was absolutely certain that neither pegasus had been tugging hard enough to yank one out, much less two.

“W-what is th-this, the Tale of the S-skymares?” Rainbow breathed, trying her best to chuckle and relieve some tension, but Fleetfoot could spot the bewilderment in her own eyes, and see the massive blush consuming her face and neck.

The Tale of the Skymares was an old pegasus romantic fairy tale, back in the times of pegasus cities and knights, battling it out with the “evil” unicorns. One of the climatic parts of the novel had been two female knights jockeying for the love of a pegasus prince. Both loved him very much, and the prince loved both in turn, and did not wish to choose between either. So the knights decided on a wager. They would preen their prince, and if the sky goddesses blessed either knight, a primary would fall out during the preening (and old fairy tale of its own.) Whomever the magical feather fell for, that was who would marry the prince. And as the fates would have it, when the knights got down to the preening, both rubbing and cooing and doing their best to woo the prince… two feathers fell. And so the three wed, forming the first pegasi herd. As the tale went, anyway.

Nervous glances were exchanged all around. Spitfire had the faintest glimmer of hope in her eyes, and Fleetfoot couldn’t help but grin. She knew quite well that her Captain greatly enjoyed Rainbow Dash’s company. She had before the foalnapping, and now… It was hard to miss her devotion. And Fleetfoot’s heart? She glanced down at the feather protruding from her mouth. A primary feather, arcing and radiating beauty and power. A feather from a mare she had greatly respected, and now cared for. A spark gleamed in her eyes for just a moment, and then hardened. She knew what she must do.

Before Spitfire could react, Fleetfoot lunged over a squeaking Rainbow Dash, grabbing a lock of Spitfire’s mane in her lips and quickly twisting it around the feather. Leaning back, ignoring the stunned look her Captain was giving her, Fleetfoot leaned back to grab her foremost primary feather… and yank sharply. A sting of pain, but one that quickly faded away. That was a good sign for the nervous mare. And with a shy grin to Rainbow, Fleetfoot leaned forward, twisting the sky blue feather into her polychromatic mane, just below her ear.

She squeaked at a blur of red and orange, then blinked at the feather light touch on her slicked back mane. Spitfire leaned back from Fleetfoot with a cheeky grin, winking- the cyan feather was stuck and tied off just behind her ear, following her mane back. And as Fleetfoot slowly began to smile, understanding and elation build, the older mare reached back to yank a primary of her own out, tying it off alongside Fleetfoot’s own in Rainbow’s mane. Two nervous sets of eyes turned to the quiet mare.

The poor thing looked shell-shocked, watery eyes looking between the two Wonderbolts like they had three heads each. Fleetfoot’s elation had begun to ebb. Had she misread it? What if they had misjudged Rainbow Dash entirely, and she didn’t like either in that fashion? Tartarus, she was probably still too frightened of anything resembling romance. Fleetfoot needed to act fast to- ...keep a sobbing, pregnant mare from crushing both stunned mares to death on a sinking couch. Despite their atrophied state, Dash’s forelegs were tightly encircling both her friends, happy tears spilling down her muzzle, past an enormous, beaming smile. A smile that was joined by two others, along with a hug. The bruised ribs were well worth it, it Fleetfoot’s not so humble opinion.

Author's Note

A-anyone else really want some wings right now? :3

Chapter 11- Life

Rainbow Dash, for the first time since her foalnapping, felt truly, wonderfully, terrifyingly alive. On the left side of her head hung two primary feathers; fiery orange and icy blue, glimmering and whispering with sky magic. Biting her lip, shy magenta eyes peered around at her smiling friends. ...her marefriends.

“Y-you want… m-me to be the Primary?” she whispered shyly, eyes wide as both mares gave a happy nod.

“Absolutely, kid,” Spitfire replied cheerfully, giving her ear a gentle nuzzle that made Rainbow shiver in delight.

All this affection was heady.

“You brought us all together, really,” Fleetfoot added, chuckling a bit as she gave her and Spitfire a warm look, “Which is… a little more awesome than I could have thought.”

“Flatterer.”

Rainbow giggled at the pair, eyes bright as she looked between them with awe. Spitfire. Larger, older… her muscles were tight and well-toned, though a little bulkier than Rainbow’s own. Her eyes always held that sly gleam, a coy smile that made Rainbow Dash shiver when she realized… it was for her. Spitfire’s larger wings slowly reached out to drape over Rainbow, and the younger mare was rather frantic to entwine her primaries with the captain’s. Fleetfoot was slim and coltish, but to Rainbow’s eyes, she was beautiful. She could only wish that she had muscles like Fleetfoot’s, or had the same sleek hooves, or-

Lips, soft and warm, gently pressed against Rainbow Dash’s own, and thought flowed out of her. Worries were gone, and her mind was more gibberish than any kind of reasonable thought. A second muzzle gently nudged its way in, playfully batting Fleetfoot’s away before blasting away Rainbow’s mind again. Spitfire’s muzzle was firmer, her tongue gently tracing at Rainbow’s lips, seeking entrance. Rainbow could feel the hesitance, the unwillingness to scare the wounded, pregnant mare. Buck. That. With a needy cry, she pressed against Spitfire, tongue darting out to battle with the surprised elder mare. A giggle sounded off to Rainbow’s left as her hoof pawed Spitfire’s firm chest.

“Dang, boss, you really got her going.”

That brought a blush to Rainbow’s cheeks, and she slowly sat back on her haunches, panting a bit. Spitfire was looking at her with wide eyes, a smile slowly growing on her face, while Fleetfoot was still giggling, looking immensely pleased. Rainbow Dash knew what she was feeling, though it had been a very long time since she had last felt it without an influx of shame and fear. Desire. She wanted the two mares in front of her more than she wanted anything else. More than being a real Wonderbolt, more than fame. More than the last year having been a dream all along. A tiny whimper rippled out of Rainbow’s chest, and she slowly raised a hoof.

“Pl-please,” she whispered, tears welling in her eyes, “I-I want… I w-want n-new memories f-for… I mean…”

Two hooves gently pressed against her muzzle at once, and the mares shared a kind smile, eyes shining with awe and pride at being asked this. And as they moved forward, soft lips and deft tongues kissing and nuzzling Rainbow Dash onto her back, for the first time in over a year, Rainbow Dash let herself be lost in the pleasures of carnal delight.
*******************

Twilight Sparkle sighed in relief as she sat down on the hay bale, smiling brightly around at her friends. It was so nice to be home in Ponyville, away from all the stress in Canterlot, dealing with that… A shiver ran up her spine. Unwitting suicide bombing. But! No point in thinking about that now. One of the Wonderbolts had let Twilight know, as soon as she teleported back into town in fact, that Rainbow Dash wanted to speak to all of her friends about something important. Applejack looked, and panted, like she had sprinted the entire way from Sweet Apple Acres, head hanging as she tried to catch her breath. Pinkie Pie was practically vibrating in her seat, a line of frosting coating her mouth. Of course. Giggling a bit, Twilight turned and waved cheerfully to Fluttershy and Rarity, both of whom were trotting over from the spa, practically glowing from the stress-relieving pampering; while Golden Hope’s pram was settled snugly on her side.

It… it was good to see everyone home again. When the group had split up, it had practically ripped Twilight’s heart apart. She had missed seeing Rarity everyday, listening to her gossip and watching her take care of the ponies of Ponyville. Applejack spent so much time out helping her family around Equestria, that the farm had begun to lose it vibrancy, and Applebloom had been far less spry than normal, even during Twilight Time. Fluttershy had sunk even further into her time at home, and her romantic relationship with Discord. It had been good to see her happy, but only when Twilight COULD see her. Without Rainbow Dash’s passion for life…

“Oh, there she is!” Pinkie Pie suddenly squealed, hopping up eagerly, and Twilight quickly spun to look towards her library.

The Princess noticed a few things right off the bat. One, Rainbow Dash was smiling wider than Twilight had seen her since the rescue. Two, both Spitfire and Fleetfoot were also smiling, giggling, and staying veeery close to her friend. And three… they all were wearing each other’s feathers in their manes. Twilight froze in her seat, eyes widening slowly.

“H-hey guys!” Rainbow exclaimed, and Twilight spotted Rarity sitting down in shock, likely having spotted the feathers as well, “Um… t-thanks for c-coming out for this.”

“No problem, RD!” Applejack replied, a wide smile on her face, “S’good to see you lookin’ like yer ol’ self. ...well, uh, mostly, anyway.”

Twilight gulped thickly, smiling slowly as the two friends talked on. Rainbow Dash… had a herd. No way. She had been terrified that her best friend would never manage to get past what that… monster had done to her. She knew she was frightened of the child, Applejack had let her know about that talk and Twilight already had counselors on standby, in case Rainbow needed them. But judging from the delighted look in Rainbow’s eyes, and the devoted glances Spitfire and Fleetfoot were giving her… Twilight’s smile stretched over her entire face. Her friend was in good hands. She couldn’t wait to tell Ditzy!

“Rainbow Dash!”

Rarity darted to Rainbow’s side, eyes bright in eagerness, “You simply must explain yourself, young filly!”

Her hoof reached out to brush one of the feathers, and Rainbow gave a tiny squeak, ears sheepishly laying back.

“Oh uh… r-right,” she mumbled back, giggling faintly, “That. Well, uh… you see…”

Spitfire grinned and wrapped a hoof around Rainbow’s side, pulling the mare close to her side and sharing a grin with Fleetfoot before replying all at once, “We’re a herd!”

Everypony with earshot froze, looking back at them in shock before starting to smile widely, the happy tension in the restaurant building and building until finally-

Splash.

Eight sets of eyes glanced back behind Rainbow Dash, then slowly looked back at each other in turn. One long, simultaneous gulp later…

“AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!”

Author's Note

That was fun to write. XD

Chapter 12- Ponyville General

Author's Note

Did you guys think I was gone? NEVAH! MUAHAHAHAHAHAHA!

Ahem. Enjoy!

Chapter 12- Ponyville General

“EVERYPONY GET THE BUCK OUT OF THE WAY!”

In what would later be known as the largest pregnancy-induced hospital takeover in Equestrian history, an entire flight of Wonderbolts, fifty in total, launched into Ponyville General. Ten set up shop in the clouds above, muskets and thunderheads ready to intercept any threats, while the rest practically flocked the outsides of the large brick building. Feathers of every hue were raised into the air, crackling softly with ozone and miniature lightning, bespeaking the tense attitudes of their bearers. Not far behind the Wonderbolts came the ground team; fifty fully armored soldiers of the Aurora Guard, rainbow crests slicked back from the speed of their run, dragging the Royal Chariot through the rapidly clearing lane.

Spitfire and Twilight Sparkle led the way; the former cleared the way with the loud trumpeting of her trained, experienced voice. The latter cleared it with sweeps of telekinesis and judicious use of the Royal Canterlot Voice. Twilight glanced back at a frantic Spike, who was carefully wiping down a panic-stricken Rainbow Dash. The young pegasus was not ready for this, it was quite clear in her wide, red-tinged eyes. Fleetfoot was by her side, a hoof firmly wrapped around Rainbow’s own, a gentle smile beaming down at her love.

“Spike, did you send the word to Princess Celestia?” Twilight called out, forcing herself to sound calmer than she truly was.

Spike, visibly steeling himself, nodded back to Twilight, managing a weak smile as he held out a small scroll, which Twilight quickly levitated up to her eyes.

We’ll be right there.
“Good,” Twilight whispered to herself, allowing herself a relieved smile.

With the Celestial Sisters and their magic present, there would be far less worry clouding Twilight’s mind. At least, for Rainbow’s health. Her defense, however… A grey-blonde blur raced overhead, lightening Twilight’s mood considerably more. Ditzy was outfitted in her Aurora Guard Captain outfit- cyan blue leather, tooled to hug her every curve and contour like a second skin. A sword scabbard hung at her side, the bronzed hilt tooled to match her muzzle and teeth exactly. Twilight had enchanted every inch of her love’s arms and armor with the best defense matrices she could find in her repertoire. Ditzy was probably the best defended mare in the entire Guard, not that that had stopped her from training her body and mind as hard as she could.

“Captain Do!”

With hardly a sound, Ditzy fluttered to a stop in front of her Princess, smiling warmly. While some found Ditzy Do’s mismatched stare disturbing, Twilight Sparkle never felt safer than when she looked into their golden depths.

“Yes, Princess?” she purred-

Enough brain, she doesn’t have to be sensual all the time, Twilight scolded herself sheepishly.

Clearing her throat, Twilight stood straighter, letting the magic flow through her horn and hooves and form the magical circle she would need for her spellwork.

“Iron Wall defense matrix.”

With a simple nod, Ditzy rocketed back into the sky, directing each group of Aurora Sky Guard to their proper positions, co-mingling with the Wonderbolts’ positions. For Twilight, her job was to direct the half dozen unicorn Magic Guard into their places within the spell matrix. Their influx of power, control shared with Twilight, would give her enough potential magical power to stop an entire army of griffons, should they show their beaks here. Dark thoughts swirled to the forefront of the Princess’ mind, and she allowed herself a grim smile. She almost relished the chance.
*******************

“OH GODDESSES GET IT OUT!”

Fleetfoot’s ears flattened as she helped the frantic nurses transfer the writhing cyan pegasus onto the bed. Rainbow’s ruby eyes were bright and wide in pain and abject fear, shaking hooves holding her shifting stomach. She couldn’t imagine her herdmate’s fear right now, but what Fleetfoot could do was try to calm her down. The young Wonderbolt quickly scooted up to nuzzle and kiss at Rainbow, whispering soft, soothing words to her ears.

“Just calm down,” she whispered, gently encircling Rainbow’s left hoof and giving it a squeeeeeeow!

Fleetfoot winced, tears coming to her eyes as Rainbow practically crushed her hoof; the cyan mare leaned in close, teeth gritted tightly.

“GET. IT. OUT.”

Well, at least her spine was coming back! That’s good. Right?
********************************

Nurse Redheart hummed softly as she galloped between the VIP room and her station, gathering the proper drugs into her saddlebags; that poor pegasus was in a great deal of pain, and having the proper painkillers was essential. If she passed out, things could get very bad, very fast, especially with a half-breed birth. In Ponyville, hippogryph children were quite rare- indeed, Redheart had only helped in the birth of one before, a pair of travellers who had been blind-sided by the labor before they could return home. But none of her fellow nurses would ever dare call Redheart a coward by nature, and she would be damned if she didn’t do everything she could for a returned Element of Harmony.

Her head buried in one of the medical bags, Nurse Redheart almost missed the stumbling gait of a large stallion, if not for his brown tail flicking in her periphery. Glancing up, the pink-maned mare sighed in relief, setting the major painkiller needle into her bag.

“Dr. Stable, you made it!” she exclaimed cheerfully, “Rainbow Dash is in Room 34, she’s in labor right now. Would you like to help?”

Stable was silent, his stumbling, awkward gait only increasing speed towards Room 34. Frowning, Redheart’s ears slowly laid back.

“Doctor?”

Glancing around slowly, and with a determined flick of her tail, Nurse Redheart reached for the sedative pouch of her saddlebags…
*********************

“You’re doing fine, Rainbow Dash,” Celestia whispered softly, gently nuzzling Rainbow Dash’s mane, her graceful, spiraled horn gleaming softly in the dimmed light of the birthing room.

She and Luna had seemed far more at ease with the situation when they had arrived, having overseen countless births in their lifetimes. Her very presence had seemed to ease the pain coursing through Dash, and her magic worked into her very soul, easing and calming her spirit. Luna had laid her horn over Rainbow’s rotund stomach, eyes gleaming silver as she checked on and guided the infant mind. Despite their bulk, the nurses and doctors were able to work around them easily, ducking nimbly through graceful legs or peeking underneath barrels.

At the window, Spitfire nervously peeked inside, watching the scene closely. The entirety of the Wonderbolts had taken up positions outside Rainbow Dash’s window, all armed to the wings and teeth. Spitfire was supposed to be leading them, but she couldn’t drag her eyes away from the scene. Not a single ‘Bolt minded one bit.

“I-it hurts,” Rainbow wheezed out, “S-spitfire? Fleet?”

“We’re here, Rainbow!” Spitfire called out in an instant, eyes wide, “Y-you’re doing great, hun!”

A brown unicorn stallion in a doctor’s jacket began to trot inside, but a white hoof suddenly dragged him back, and a small, azure blue mare ran inside with a saddlebag, quickly getting to work administering painkillers to Rainbow’s IV line. Spitfire frowned slowly, eying the hallway door. Something didn’t feel right… Maybe she should-

“Captain! A portal!”

Buck.
*********************

Redheart frowned deeply as she dragged a squirming, mumbling Stable away from Room 34’s door. Something /was/ up! Stable’s eyes were clouded and unfocused, but not from drug abuse or alcohol. She had seen enough of that to recognize the signs. No… there was very little of Stable left in those eyes, focused so hungrily on the door.

“Doctor, talk to me!” Redheart hissed urgently, grabbing his chin in her hooves and turning him towards her stern teal eyes, “What’s going on with you?”

“M-must… get inside…” he whispered, struggling against the Earth Pony’s iron-strong grip, “H-have to… must…”

Smack!

Redheart knew her hoof had to hurt like a mother, but she had to do something. This wasn’t like Stable at all… The older stallion grunted at the strike, standing very, very still for several moments. When he turned back towards Redheart, she was relieved to see a good bit more life back in his hazel eyes. He blinked a few times, then his muzzle twisted into a horrific grimace. Light began to spiral from his horn, and he frantically shook his head.

“N-no no no… nononono… R-redheart, ru-”

The sedative needle sank into Stable’s neck, the plunger depressing with a flick of Redheart’s tongue. Trembling in relief, the unicorn collapsed onto his side, the light fading away, and Redheart gave a relieved, if somewhat strained sigh. She would find out what was going on with Stable later. Right now, a foal needed all the help it could get.
***********************

Spitfire and Fleetfoot touched down on the well-groomed grass of the hospital’s front lawn, both mares glaring daggers at the figures stepping out of the shimmering, swirling portal. The first was a massive specimen of the Minotaur race; his body was covered head-to-toe in dull, well-worn armor plates, while his meaty hands clutched at a greataxe as tall as his top horns. Each step thundered loudly, even on the soft grass, and Spitfire could see the gleaming points of his blue eyes beneath his visored helmet. At Fleetfoot’s snort, he slammed his axe handle onto the loamy ground, roaring bestially at the ponies.

At his side stood a griffin, his own body covered almost entirely in plates as well. Well-polished and gleaming in the sun, they protected his chest, withers, and barrel entirely. His beaked head was hidden by a hooked helmet, and Spitfire could spy the razor-sharp wingblades running down the line of his eagle-like wings. The griffin stayed on all fours, but a role of his shoulders made the wingblades hiss ominously through the air.

“Explain yourselves,” Spitfire spat, any decorum she would usually have tossed away in her stress, “Minotaur first. I can have you shot on sight.”

“Go ahead and try, pony,” the Minotaur rumbled, his voice scratchy and deeply baritone, “I will cut you in half before your bullets can break through my armor. I am here to settle the Blood Debt your kind owe mine.”

He snorted loudly, hot mist curling from his helmet slit, “You lead the attack of the camp. You will duel me to the death.”

Spitfire blinked slowly, mouth quirking before she could regain full control. Clearing her throat, she slowly turned her head to the griffin.

“And you?”

The griffin was silent, head tilted as he seemed to be waiting for- A low wail, the high-pitched whine of a newborn, rang out from Rainbow’s room. Both ponies tensed immediately, torn between a desire to rush to Rainbow’s side, and the need to face down these intruders.

“I’m here for the foal,” he replied finally, his voice a smooth tenor, “As he is my blood and clan. Clear a path, if you please.”

“Thaaaat… would be a no,” Spitfire replied slowly, smirking as she looked both males over, “On both challenges. We don’t negotiate with terrorists, and Equestrian officers don’t duel to the death. Sorry. Now-”

A loud hiss interrupted Spitfire, and she tensed at the cruel smile on the face of the griffin, his body already beginning to launch forward. From the portal, grey smoke roared out like a tidal wave… only to curl and spread up and around the hospital, a faint purple dome glimmering on the edge of Spitfire’s vision. The surprise on the griffin’s face when the smoke didn’t obscure his vision was almost comical… till Fleetfoot roared forward, teeth bared in a vicious snarl. Spitfire beat her wings once, launching herself into the sky, just as the Minotaur’s axe sang through the space she had just vacated. Oh, it was on now.
******************

Lightning Dust started awake at the first scream. During one of her lucid moments, the injured flier had begged the staff to bring her to a room as close to Rainbow Dash’s as possible. Lightning knew she had little reason to think she should get to see Rainbow’s foal- she had messed up bad during the Academy, and never had the chance to apologize before Rainbow’s capture. But… she had hoped to get a little glimpse, at least, especially now that she was feeling better. Well… somewhat.

The buckshot had ripped through her uniform and upper chest, nicking her lungs and tearing out a good bit of flesh and muscle. The doctors had told Lightning that it would take a good deal of physical therapy to get back in flying form again. It… stung, but if that was what it took, then Lightning would do it. Flying was her life. Flying, performing, protecting…

Protecting…

The scream rang out again, and Lightning sat up with a pained yelp, eyes wide. That scream had obviously been from Rainbow, judging from the scratchiness and the horrified, pleading tone. She could hear words, but the thick door obscured them. Something was very, very wrong… Lightning Dust peered down at her bandaged hooves and scowled, swinging them over the side of the bed. She could already tell this would be painful; exceedingly so. But she nearly died protecting Rainbow. If someone had gotten into the hospital… She hopped down.

“Nnnnnnngh!” Lightning Dust screamed, doing her best to hold it behind her clenched teeth, tears misting her eyes.

It felt like she was being shot all over again, and each tottering step forward only added to it, like salt on the wound. Lightning’s breath hissed out in loud huffs, and she could barely hold back the pained squeal as she reached up to turn the door handle and tug it open. On the floor in front of her and Rainbow’s rooms, Nurse Redheart was laying in an unconscious heap beside Applejack, both of them bleeding lightly from gashes on the back of their heads. And standing in the doorway was a pony; a unicorn, in fact. A dark red stallion, his mane cut short and colored blue. He was dressed in a doctor’s uniform, obscuring his cutie mark. And he was holding a revolver to the head of a newborn foal.

“If I sense magic from any of you, the foal is dead,” the stallion was saying, the revolver’s hammer ominously clicking back as he began to slowly step through the threshold, the foal squalling and flapping its still-wet wings.

Over his shoulder, Lightning could see the stricken faces of Rainbow and her friends, tears streaming down Rainbow’s cheeks, while the Princesses had risen to their hooves, murder in their radiant eyes. Luna took a step forward, and the stallion ground the barrel against the foal’s forehead, making her squall louder.

“Don’t,” the stallion hissed, “Or I swear-”

Screaming from the agony of the motion, Lightning Dust launched herself against the stallion, teeth clamping firmly to his horn. Her wings burst out from her back, batting the revolver out of the surprised unicorn’s grip and launching the foal back towards the bed. Twisting her head and back, and ignoring the lava flow of agony that the action brought, Lightning let out a violent twist, her sharp teeth grounding on the horn.

Crunch.

The pegasus fell heavily to the floor, practically deafened by the shrieks coming from the de-horned unicorn, his shattered horn still gripped in Lightning’s muzzle, leaking golden fluids. She glared daggers at the stallion, even as the Princesses’ magic slammed him against the wall with bone-cracking force. Finally, she had done something right. Lightning let the horn drop free with a shudder of disgust, closing her eyes as the blackness set in. She thought she could hear somepony calling her name.

Later. Gotta sleep first.

Chapter 13- Aftermath

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