Caballeron's Prize

If these damn trains never existed this might've never happened.

Rainbow thudded her head on cushioned back of her seat while Daring read the newspaper intently. The sands of the deserts sandstorm passing by as the nervous Pegasus gazed up at the ceiling. "We should've stopped at the dig site. The girls think Scoots is buried!"

"If we don't make the deadline she might be. If we did stop this train would be stationed until after the sandstorm." Daring closed the reading material and grumpily looked at thier bags from above. "If we had more time we might've been able to give him something fake. Then maybe whoever he's selling to would deal with him for us." Her hoof rubbed her temple.

The two pegasi sat back with dejected expressions at thier dilemma. Rainbow filled with regret and anger waiting to be unleashed on the doctor, while her present company went over ideas for plans in her head. Whatever trap he'd set would have a flair for the dramatic as usual, possibly even moreso in this new situation. With the kidnapping of a filly from such a high profile member of society, he'd be pulling a hail mary to finish this and escape quickly.

"So what did you bring?"

"I brought some pretzels and juice for us to enjoy. What the hell do you think I brought? Bits!" Daring groaned, tapping her hoof on the seat. A long pause put focus on the wind outside the metal locomotive. They'd arrive soon. The weather wasn't adding any enthusiasm. "I also brought my knife, torches, water, rations and some rope to tie Caballeron up and drag him to the town square." The writer grinned, making her present company feel a bit better. "Don't blame yourself Rainbow. He'd have done it even if you went along."

The rainbow pegasus felt her chest slightly relieved at the words, seeing the nearby dunes pass by through the storm outside. "I still should've been there."

The trip passed quietly as the dark sky fell even blacker. The desert almost apocalyptic as they finally heard the train horn. They had arrived. Daring's hoof rested on Rainbow's shoulder softly, lifting herself up. "We'll play his game. Her safety is worth more than our livelyhoods." Daring affirmed, letting Rainbow's ears rise up.

"I know it. Let's go."

The two put on thier own hoods to cover up from the stinging sand barreling through the air. Thier hooves sinking in the sands from the weight of thier bags as they traversed from the station towards the temple. The lights from the towns houses fading into the sandstorm behind them as they approached the aged temples entrance. The more earthly colored of the two stopping with her eyebrows furrowed.

Her voice shouted through the windy howls of the blinding storm to rainbow. "Remember our plan! You take the bags and I'll stay out here. If you're not back in time or I see someone else I'll go into town for help!" She shouted. Rainbow nodded as her back lowered to take the bag. She'd be a sitting duck but she trusted Daring.

Rainbow grunted she climbed up the steps and opened the large stone doors. The loud rumblind echoing as she was greeted by the short familiar hallway. Instead of seeing the familiar green glow of the chamber she saw a flickering light several torches. Not thinkimg much of the lack of henchponies to meet her, she cautiously trotted towards the main chamber.

Her heart sunk as she looked ahead where the pit used to be. In the landing where she was once held she saw a giant hourglass half full of sand pouring down into the bottom. Scootaloo knee deep with her front hooves resting on the glass shouting, with no sound escaping. "Scootaloo!" Rainbow dropped her bags and tried to fly over, only to feel herself hit the ground with a thud. She sprinted over to the glass encasing, putting her own hooves up to where Scootaloos darkened but terrified eyes greeted her. Her mane was scuffed and fur messy. She was shouting inside as Rainbow begun hitting the glass. "I'm here squirt! I'm gonna get you out of here!"

"It's a trap! Get out of here!"

The older pegasi shook her head confused."I can't hear you! Just hold on!"

"Lovely of you to join us." The sharp voice of a grinning stallion could be heard behind her in the near corner. A wooden picnic table set up with a few lanterns spread about as Caballeron sat casually with Withers finishing up a card game. "I was beginning to have doubts you would arrive on time, but here you are with an hour or two to spare! Congratulations!" He cackled, lifting himself up and walking towards her dropped bags.

"I brought my stuff like you asked Caballeron! Let her out now!" Rainbow growled, almost screaming as he opened up the bags, digging his nose through her saddlebags with a calm demeanor.

"Of course. Though I did specifically request two annoying, irksome, time wasting pegasi." Rainbow felt a rope tie over her neck as she was pulled to the ground. Her focus rose to see another large stallion with red muttun chops and green fur. Rogue's stronger frame easily keeping her down as he tied her wings and hooves up. The doctor approaching as she was pressed into the stone floor by Withers helping hoof, the three surrounding her.

"You'd better let us go! Do's outside right now and if we don't walk out of here, the town will be ones stringing you up!" She snarled, her hooves wringing around the ropes to try and break them.

Caballeron snorted as he put a cigar in his maw, graciously accepting Withers light as he puffed up the smoke. He blew a long drag over her face with a malicious grin. "What kind of criminal would I be without a lookout?"

The wonderbolt's heart dropped as she saw her unconscious friend dragged in by Biff. Another beige stallion in a black fedora covered in sand as he was still spitting out the desert. "Next time one of you guys gets to nap in the sand." He wiped his tongue on his hoof, only to taste more dry mineral.

"There won't be one. Tie her up tight and bring Withers back outside with you. I don't want any surprises." Caballeron ordered, not getting any lip back as Rogue was left to guard the two.

Caballeron glanced at the unconcious Daring giving himself a hearty chuckle before bringing his focus back to Rainbow. "I'm glad she's out. You and I can have a private little chat now." He hummed, setting himself down as the muffled sand pouring into Scootaloo's prison tortured Rainbow's ears.

"Whatever you're thinking of doing Caballeron, let her go. She's been through enough!" Rainbow teared up as she bit into her own grimace, feeling Caballeron's hoof rose her chin.

"Do you think?" He chuckled, licking his cigar as he paused in his thoughts, looking up at the filly. Her chest rising and falling in a panic as she watched Rainbow on the ground. "What do you think Rogue? Should I show or tell?"

"If I'm honest boss, I'd prefer tell." He spoke bluntly, clearly uncomfortable by how far this had gone.

"You're no fun. I'll have some free time later I suppose." He grumbled, biting into his cigar before looking back down at the pegasi. What was he talking about? Show and tell? Her thoughts cut off by another huff of smoke as his aged face caught her attention again. "She was an instrumental variable in getting us to this far. Faking our deaths? Blackmail? I've truly outdone myself." He congratulated himself.

"Hurray for you Cab. It took foalnapping and some blackmail to catch me again. Cut the monolouges! Just take your stupid money and go!" She demanded, lifting her head off his hoof as the two stallions grew quiet. Caballeron gripped her chin again more aggressively this time, exhaling the smoke through his nose like a dragon who caught a tresspasser in it's cave. Her defiance, all her spirit put into that desperate outburst thinking this was the usual, run of the mill villiany from the countless Daring Do novels she'd read.

"I fucked her, Rainbow. I laid her down for several nights of delicious rutting. Over and over until your name became mine.

The blood inside Rainbow became ice as every constanant escaped his lips.

"Open the top. I'm almost done here." She watched in horror as he flicked his cigar onto Daring's back, his hoof pressing onto the lit smoke into her fur. The unconcious mare suddenly lifting her head as a howl of pain screamed against the temples walls, blocked from the outside world by the deserts own windy howls. "Shut her up first for me though."

Rogue put a cloth in her mouth and used some spare rope to quiet the howling author. Lifting off and slowly making his way towards the hourglass.

"Why are you listening to him!? Help us!" Rainbow begged, hearing the panicked breathing and moans from Daring through her gag.

"I'd be sipping coconut juice on the beach if it weren't for you. Help yourself." He grumbled, spitting at her hooves before walking towards the hourglass.

"He's getting our dear Scootaloo out, don't you worry. I'm not letting her die in there." Caballeron sighed, suddenly slamming his hoof on Darings temple to pin her down. "You and this one however aren't so lucky." His limb twisted her cheek into the stone. The pegasus could see Darings eye flick to her rear boot she wore to traverse the desert. The slight protrusion of a knife handle Biff failed to confiscate showing. Rainbow understood immediately, ready to pounce until she heard the familiar voice of the younger pegasi behind her.

"Don't do it Doctor! I'll do anything!" She howled. The familiar scratchiness of her voice bringing out a primitive strength in Rainbow as she managed to twist like a crocodile in the water to Darings boot. Quickly pulling it out and cutting her front hooves loose of the bindings, diving towards Caballeron.

Her head twisted as she thrusted her blade sideways to feel the knife hit something. A wet squelch piercing the air as Caballeron let out his own gutteral howl.

Scootaloo watched from atop Rogues back in shock as Rainbow's mane flapped through the air, stabbing the stunned doctor in the eye with her magenta eyes looking near red with fury. The stallion collapsing with more shouts as the thin blade exited his eye, his hoof covering it.

Rainbow was about to go down for more until a rope with two balls on each end suddenly encircled her. The pegasus falling to the floor as Withers and Biff ran in to subdue her. "No! Stop! Everyone!" Scoots begged, feelimg sick as her body felt mixed from all the fighting.

Withers kicked the knife away to the nearby wall as Biff retied the pegasus, this time checking for weapons as Caballeron slid himself against the nearby pillar. His hoof on his eye while Rainbow growled and attempted to bite and kick his henchponies away with all her might. "I'll kill you all one by one! I'll hunt you all down!"

The doctor calmed himself with a shakey hoof and pulled off his scarf, tying it tightly around his head to cover his injured right eye for the moment being.

"It's time." He huffed, still shaken. The villian rested on his flank as Daring calmy stared daggers at him while being lifted onto Withers back, Rainbow a beast in chains as Biff could only drag her by her bindings against the stone floor after gagging her mouth shut to keep from biting.

Scootaloo fell off the distracted Rogue onto the stone. She was exhausted. She couldn't tell if it was after effects from the love potion, the hangover, exhaustion, Stockholm, or the disbelief this was anything but a nightmare that Nightmare Moon herself conjured up. Her body felt itself carry her somewhere forward as her dehydrated eyes closed to try and summon up fresh tears. Maybe she should get help?

"Scootaloo."

The familiar rasp of that voice reached her ear. The same tone he used on the train right into her ear. The warm voice that was both her defiler and her comfort. Her world. How could this be a nightmare when that voice called her name so wonderfully?

"Come sit with me, mi amor. It's almost over." His left eye seemingly unaffected in a warm, wanting gaze. Her focus glancing at the two mares placed in the chamber above where she was. The henchponies flipping the contraption around to begin filling the prison with sand.

"Yes, Doctor."