Author's Note

Chapter. Woooot. Finally, this is where all the action is. I had way too much fun putting this down. Even if it took some time. Too many interruptions. Sorry.

Shout out to Pip for verifying the dementedness of WR. You're awesome. But that's nothing I haven't told you before.

Final thanks goes to my Mom for her opinion on one key moment in the story. This is why I love her. Just kidding. Sort of.

Okay, now ENJOY THE CHAPTER!!!!!!

Someone Once Told Me

Spitfire stared Wind Rider down with a thousand knives. He fired back with a glare of his own, one with the strength of a ten-inch thick steel vault. The tension was so thick between them that it couldn’t be cut with a saw.

Spitfire was infuriated. How dare he kidnap her baby?! She leaned in closer.

“I wouldn’t if I were you.” He warned. “Wouldn’t want your precious little princess to get hurt, now would you?”

Spitfire suddenly saw what was under his wing. It was a pair of bolt cutters.

“What are you-?”

She cut herself of when the pair of bolt cutters wrapped around one of Rainbow’s wing bones. Her eyes widened to the size of saucers and her breath caught in her throat.

“I wouldn’t try anything, or your little baby will never fly again. They won’t be able to heal her bones because they won’t be broken, they’ll be crushed.”

Spitfire heard hoof steps and saw from the corner of her eye that the rest of the team assembled.

“What do you want?” She growled.

“You to suffer.” He spat. “You ended my career. You sent my life into a downward spiral. I will never get back what I lost. And it’s because of you two.”

“We didn’t do any of that! You brought it on yourself when you tried to frame B- Rainbow Dash, I just followed protocol.” She retorted.

Wind Rider’s eyes narrowed. He suddenly put the bolt cutter in his hooves and pressed as hard as he could. There was a sickening crunch sound, and Rainbow Dash let out a scream.

“What was that, now?” He asked tauntingly.

Despite it being muffled, it was piercing. Tears started pouring down her face, and she looked up into Spitfire’s face. For a brief second, Rainbow’s little self flashed through her eyes, and she looked so afraid, so… lost. And that look pierced right through Spitfire. She felt herself weaken. Her shoulders slumped, her posture wilted, and her head dropped slightly. Her glare softened.

“I would refrain from anymore cracks at my expense, or the next cracks will be her bones.” He threatened.

“You take me. Just take me. If you took me instead of her, you would have even more power. But that’s only if you take me, and let her go.” She said.

Wind Rider looked contemplative. It was indeed an enticing offer. “Tempting. But… I'll have to say no.” His smile was sickening. Demented. “To see your destruction through her is very fun for me. And should any pony else try and be a hero today, you’ll just be cracking more bones.” He stared each of them, making sure they got the message.

Then, he turned to Rainbow Dash. His face grew mocking. “Awww, poor baby. Looking a little sad there.” He cooed, and put a hoof underneath her chin, forcing him to look at her. “Turn that frown upside down.” She tried to turn her face away and out of his grip. He yanked her chin toward him, and she made a yelping sound. He gave her a smile.

That smug smile was the last straw for Spitfire. Rage exploded like a fireball within her, and coursed through her body. It heightened her senses, strengthened her muscles, primed her nerves, and made her head swim. Her vision took on a reddish tint around the edges, and a burst of energy crashed over her like a tidal wave. She used the moment of distraction on Wind Rider’s part to her advantage. It was only for a second, but that was all she needed. She raced over to where Wind Rider was, and knocked the bolt cutters from his hooves, and then slammed him into the wall.

“Get away from her!” She shrieked.

Unfortunately for Spitfire, the rage took over her, and she blacked out. When she looked back on it, she would not be able to remember what happened during that time. But unfortunately for Wind Rider, he did. Every. Single. Thing.

She slammed him into the wall, Rage blinding her every action and clouding her judgement. She punched him in the muzzle, swept under his front hooves, lifted him up, then used the leverage to kick him in the stomach. She backed away just enough to let him crouch over to hold his stomach, then used it to take a minute to slam his head into the side of the wall. He collapsed in a daze, and she seized the opportunity to leap on top of him. She pinned his hooves to the ground and sat on top of his forehooves. She took a moment, maybe half a minute, to watch the confusion fade from his gaze and be replaced with a look of total terror. She did not remember what happened while she was awake, but that particular image made an imprint on her, and occasionally would come into her dreams. Then, She wrapped her hooves around his throat. She throttled him, slamming his head to the floor several times. Then, she paused, just long enough to possibly give him hope of everything being over. Then, she choked him. She heard the little choking noises, and they were like sweet, sweet music to her ears.

Black spots swam in front of Wind Rider’s vision, And he gave Spitfire one last terrified look before he finally passed out.

When he was finally down for the count, Spitfire let go. The rage ebbed, and that was about the time when she came to, capable of rational thought again. When she turned, she saw the rest of her fellow Wonderbolts staring at her in both shock and utter terror. She turned to Rainbow Dash. Her baby bolt was still hanging there, although Soarin had started to move once he saw her looking at them, and was taking the ball gag out of her mouth. A flash of anger swept through her.

“Don’t just stand there staring at me, get her down!” She demanded.

Thunderlane was quick to start looking for the key to the shackles, as did the other Wonderbolts. Easily enough, they found it lodged behind a crate. They went to Rainbow Dash and unchained her. She dropped to the ground like a sack of bricks. Spitfire raced to her. She set one hoof on Rainbow’s shoulder, and the mare looked up at her. Spitfire took one look at her, and she saw her little space hovering just beneath the surface.

Spitfire had a choice to make. She could give in to the maternal instinct that kept screaming at her, or she could deny it. One could ruin her reputation, but the other could ruin Rainbow Dash. She feared for Rainbow Dash’s reaction when she was back in her adult headspace if she were to reveal them. The condemnation from the other Wonderbolts, aside from Soarin, Thunderlane, and Fleetfoot, might be too much for her to handle. She knew that she could gain her respect back, but Rainbow Dash was still considered a rookie. Something like this could destroy her own reputation before she even had a chance to build it. But on the other hoof, if she didn’t help her now, she might destroy what had basically become the most important relationship in her life. Along with Rainbow Dash’s sense of security in her. Either way, her trust would be broken, and that pained her. But she also knew that Wind Rider would no longer have any sympathy toward her should he wake up, considering she had had no mercy on him. And he would likely reveal them himself. Wouldn’t it be better to hear it from them? Still, she found herself teetering between the two options as if she were walking a tightrope, leaning one way and then the other.

But one more look at her took all her hesitation away, and she knew not just what she wanted to do, but what she had to do.

She wrapped her hooves around Rainbow Dash in a comforting embrace.

“It’s okay, Baby Bolt. Everything is okay now. I promise.”