Author's Note

Another Chapter! Woo!

So I was originally planning to have all the action in here, but the chapter kind of got away from me. Ended up being a filler. I enjoyed it though.

Thanks to Pip for your help with this. You are fabulous.

Enjoy the chapter y'all!

Homeward

Rainbow struggled against her captor, but there wasn’t much she could do. Her body was still recovering from her injury, and she felt very weak. She tried to fly away, but after two days of rest, her wings weren’t in top shape. She couldn’t even crane her neck to see who had her, not only because the doctor had warned against it for at least a few days, but because the pain of moving her head hurt too much unless she had just taken her pain meds. And she hadn’t had them for at least two hours. The most she could do in the situation was stare at her kidnapper’s hoof that rested over her mouth. She tried to bite him a few times, but he was strong. The color of him- and she knew it was a him because of the hoof size- was cerulean. Light grayish, to be precise. Something about it seemed familiar, it stirred a memory, but she couldn’t place a face to who it belonged to.

She took a look around and saw that they were headed toward one of the back buildings. She racked her brain trying to remember what was so important that could be back here. Usually this was just the place where they stored the groundskeeping equipment. She heard a door open, and then she was inside. The light of Luna’s moon grew fainter as the door shut, and then there was darkness, and the only light was coming through a few windows. Another door opened, and then, a light turned on. There were clinking sounds, and then, something was wrapping around her hoof. Something cold and metallic. She looked down at it. It was a shackle. Where in Equestria did those come from?! They didn’t have them in here.

“Like the new addition?” Came a voice. Rainbow’s eyes widened. She knew that voice.

“Wind Rider?”

“The one and only.” He said. He threw her out of his grip and she tried to fly away, but the shackle was connected to a chain in the wall. She was reaching forward with one hoof as she tried to reach a pair of bolt cutters resting nearby, which gave Wind Rider an opportunity to shackle the other hoof. She fought against the chains, but they were short and nailed into hooks in the concrete wall. She shot the Ex-Wonderbolt a deadly glare.

“You won’t get away with thi- mmmm!”

A ball gag was shoved in her mouth and she couldn’t spit it out. It was too big. Instinct had her try to suck on it. It didn’t completely work, considering the size, but it was enough to make a suckling noise. Wind Rider smirked.

“Sorry it’s not a pacifier or a bottle. Bet you’d like that, wouldn’t you?”

Rainbow Dash stopped struggling and froze. His smirk grew.

“You thought you could keep it a secret? Next time close your curtains more. Now, if you’re good, and stay quiet, I might consider keeping this to myself. But if you misbehave, or fight me at any turn, not only will your secret be out, but you will be severely punished. Understand?”

“Mmmm!”

He nodded. “Good. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have something else to do.” He turned to walk away.

“Wmmm mmm m gmmmimg?” She asked.

“Where am I going?” He interpreted.

“Mmmm.”

“To leave a little note for your mommy.” He said.

He left to the sound of rattling chains.

When Spitfire came to the grounds that morning, she didn’t go to her office first thing. She went to the barracks to see Rainbow Dash. She wanted to know how her first night out of the hospital went. She checked the barracks, but she wasn’t there. She shrugged it off, figuring that she was somewhere else and she would find her later. So she went to her office. She put her saddlebags underneath her desk, and was about to sit down when she spied a piece of paper on her desk. She pulled it into her hooves.

She’s still here. Come and get her.

It was signed, WR

There was nothing about this that she didn’t understand clearly. There was no doubt in her mind who “she” was, or who WR was. Spitfire only paused for half a second before slamming her hoof on the loudspeaker button.

“Emergency! All Wonderbolts report to the captain’s office immediately!” She thundered.

Within minutes, every Wonderbolt was crammed in her office.

“Listen up! Wind Rider has taken Rainbow Dash. I want every inch of these grounds searched, and I want it done thoroughly. I expect each of you to Patrol a different part of the grounds with a partner, and then rendezvous here. Whoever doesn’t show in here, that’s how you know where to go, if they haven’t been contacted by a partner.” She shot off orders of whom was paired with whom, ending with herself and Thunderlane. And finally, where each team would search. “You all know that the Wonderbolts are a family. No pony gets left behind. Now move out!” She barked.

They did as she asked almost immediately. The only ones who stayed a moment longer were Soarin, and Fleetfoot, who stared at her worriedly before taking off. Spitfire and Thunderlane stared at each other for half a second. He saw the fire in her eyes, as well as the fear. But he knew there was nothing he could say.

“Come on.” She said. It was cold, deadly. He just nodded. They were assigned to the back warehouse because it was locked with the key that only the captain had. She kept it on her desk at night, but if Wind Rider got in there to get the note to her, he could have used it. They flew there at top speed. Thunderlane was fast, but Spitfire was like a comet. Her baby was in danger and she would not rest until she was safe. She used the key to enter, and scanned the halls. Nothing so far. She went further, when suddenly a faint sound reached her ears. She darted toward it, and the sound got louder. She landed, and Thunderlane followed her lead. She opened the door to look inside, and gasped. There was Rainbow, chained up and gagged.

Spitfire could have lit every hearth in Equestria with the fiery flame of her fury. She started in to see her.

“Dash, are you hurt?”

“Gmmm mmm nmmm!” Her expression was panicked. Spitfire saw the fear in her eyes. She stepped forward, and was about to go to her, when a voice said,

“Not another step.” From the shadows, Wind Rider emerged. “Hello, Spitfire. Miss me?”

She turned to Thunderlane. “Get the others, Now.”

He nodded and dashed off, and she turned back, leaving herself, Wind Rider, and Rainbow Dash alone.