Caballeron's Prize

The pressure was immense. Not only the sand around, but the burning. It was like fire in the lungs as Rainbow kept her eyes shut and face pressed on the glass near the more top part of the glass. Wedging herself between the glass and Daring. The novel pegasus pushing back to lift the hourglass off it's own trap door.

She'd gotten the bottom hatch open, but one had to push on the floor outside while the other got out. The two on thier last legs for survival.

"Okay! It's cough! open! I can wedge myself while you escape!

"You idiot! Save your breath and go! You were under longer!"

"What are you doing, quit trying to push me out! The hourglass!"

Crash!

A quiet hiss of deadly sand was cut by crashing glass into the sandstone floor, Rainbow landing on her back. What little air she managed to keep escaping from her sand filled lungs as she watched the floor slowly open to engulf the broken hourglass.

Daring...

She could only lay there, fighting for tiny breaths as the shattered hourglass slowly rolled. She had to move, do anything to get back. The sun poked through the door as the floor begun to reopen, revealing the deadly pit again. Her muscles burning as the form of her friend was stuck halfway in the hourglasses bottom trapdoor, unconscious but almost out.

A few inches was all she could do. Her wings flapping to try and fly, even if she could manage it, the temples curse kept her grounded and breathless.

"Wake up! cough Please!" She let out a chopped cry towards Daring Do, not seeing any life. The top part of the hourglass slowly shifting as the floor opened more.

"Nonono, please! cough Don't let this beat you! Get up! *cough" She tried to lift herself, her muscles burning as she tried desperately to bring her body up. It was like a cork was blocking off half of her lungs. In the same push off the ground to try and stand, the dusty particles on the ground thinly covered the floor beneath her hooves. Her limbs tripping under her like ice, letting out a guttural hacking on the temple floor.

She could only stare helplessly as her friend's unconscious body slipped off with the deathtrap into the boiling acid below. The glowing green lighting the room like hell itself. That damn green like his evil eye.

Her hooves went limp until the feeling of another hoof lifted her head, turning her body over. Beige fur... Black and grey mane... A new energy from the very core of her body, burning in rage. Her hooves lifted at his neck, he'd pay! She'll take the other eye!

Her weak grip around the stallions neck immediately became limp as he easily pulled down her arms, getting closer.

"Rainbow?"

Those eyes... They weren't green. They were blue!

Her blurry vision managed to focus one last time to see her friend, a new player on the board. Her old friend Quibble Pants panicked, calling for help towards the temple entrance. She had to tell him. Just his name. Caballeron did it all! He could look into the pit to see! She grimaced to try and get a single word out, finally realizing she was out of breath. All the energy she gained from mistaking her friend for that bastard was now fried.

"Hold on Rainbow!"

Her eyelids lost strength as her conciousness faded. The surrounding darkness closing in before seeing his hooves cover her chest to try to resuscitate her.

"Hold on...!"

Gaaaasp!

Her eyes flew open as she sat up. The feeling of an oxygen mask covering her muzzle as she looked around in a panic. The room was much brighter than before as she saw a yellow furred pegasus standing at the foot of what appeared to be a hospital bed, a bouquet of flowers in her mouth dropping onto the foot of the bed.

"Fluttershy...?" She managed to breathe out. Her body felt like a pile of bricks with her eyelids half closed. All of her energy trying to stay awake before closing her eyes again.

"Nurse!"

An hour later, a collection of all of her friends stood around in the room around Rainbow while the doctor continued his tests. Her mask still on as she deeply inhaled. The air given didn't feel like normal oxygen. It was humid, like a freshwater swamp entering her lungs.

"What is your parents names?" The mint green stallion asked, scribbling on his papers. His dark brown eyes focusing on his list as she impatiently answered questions.

"Bow Hothoof is my dad, and Windy Whistles is my mom." She sighed, tapping her hoof on her thigh with a very impatient groan. "Are we done now!? I'm fine!"

"Rainbow. You've been unconscious for 3 whole years..." A lavander alicorn she recognized as the princess of friendship stepped forward.

"Like in a coma?" She blinked, her memories sinking in. "Doctor Caballeron! cough Daring Do! Scootaloo! cough cough" She threw herself up to get off the bed as an orange and blonde cowpony easily thrusted to push her back down on the hospital bed.

"Hold your horses there. Look down." Applejack more easily pushed her back. Her muscles had taken a hit from the amount of bed rest she had.

Rainbow's panicked gaze slipped over her own body. A deep seated sinking in her barely recognizable stomach filled her with dread. All of the lean muscle and color in her fur was drained, leaving a lithe skinny form barely able to move. "I..."

The doctor leaned from the other side and set his clipboard aside. "You had a heavy amount of sand in your lungs, Dash. It's a miracle you're able to even speak. We have you undergoing a treatment that humidifies your lungs. You'll be coughing a lot but it's one of the reasons you're awake now, since you're getting more properly oxidized blood into your brain. I can't discharge you until your treatment is completed and we perform more tests." He explained, the mumbo jumbo going over her head as she grimaced.

"I can't stay here. I have to save Scootaloo!" She tried to sit up again, getting another hoof from Twilight more calmly holding her in place. Her hoof was like a paperweight compared to her weakened state."

"Rainbow... Scootaloo's gone. The cave collapsed remember? We were afraid of this. The lack of air might've damaged your memory.'"

"No! cough! It's worse than that!" Rainbow gasped, almost hyperventilating as her own body betrayed her, laying on her back with her pupils the size of pins as she seemed to stare up at something beyond the ceiling. Something they couldn't fathom. "It was a trick. gasp He took her with Somnambula's glowpaz. He faked it all!" She explained. The 5 mares and doctor staring dumbfounded.

"He... You mean Doctor Caballeron?" Twilight asked stunned. "We figured. We couldn't find their bodies, and the glowpaz went missing."

"He used her to get to me and Daring. He..." Even Pinkie recoiled to see a face she never seen in her friend. Her body clenched as she gripped the light blue hospital blanket over her body. "He's gonna wish that cave buried him."

Rarity's hoof covered her mouth as the others glanced at each other. The fashionista stepping forward near the foot of the bed with worry. "Darling. Tell us what happened. If Scootaloo is alive and out there then Sweetie and Applebloom need to know!"

Applejack's eyes begun watering while putting her stenson over her chest. "They do, Sugarcube. They wouldn't leave the desert for weeks. Where's Scootaloo?"

Rainbow swallowed through the thick air as she let out a grimace. "Doc. Can you leave us alone?"

He respectfully nodded and took his board. "Of course. Would you like me to contact your parents? They visit often."

"Uh. Later. cough I'll let you know when I'm ready." As much as she hated to make them wait, her mind was still in other places.

"Gotcha. The buzzer is next to you if you need us." He nodded, closing the slide door behind him and leaving the group alone. A long anticipating silence creeping in before Rainbow spoke with her trademark bluntness.

"He has her."

The group stood silent. A sudden change in the air filled the room as understanding at Rainbow's feelings set in. "He somehow got Scootaloo and raped her while watching Daring and I... Damn it." Her hooves lifted to her eyes to wipe away tears. "We thought it was just another stupid Caballeron plot and I went to her instead of you guys and I got her killed!" She begun sobbing, a plush white cloth floating from Rarity as Fluttershy leaned in to hug her.

"No no. Whatever happened was his fault and not yours." She tried to console, leaning her head to her chest while the others watched in disbelief.

"I don't even know if Sombra went that far." Twilight scratched her chin, trying to put together pieces that she had so far. "I know it's hard Rainbow, but we're all here to help now. Scootaloo's still out there in the wind and we have to get her back!" She spoke with a renewed sense of direction. "Tell us everything that happened. From the beginning."

The cyan pegasus wiped her tears and nodded with a more stoic and reawakened determination. A heavy cough left into the tube to clean her lungs before clearing her throat. "Okay... I started off at the train station to meet up with Scoots..."

A good amount of time passed as the light from the window became dimmer from the falling sun. Her friends had sat besides her bed as she told the horrifying events that took place.

"Once Daring pushed the glass over far enough it broke on the temple floor and I fell out. cough It rolled into the pit and I couldn't move in time to save her. Then somebody came... I can't remember."

Applejack's hooves were folded on the side of the bed in thought before remembering. "The doctors in Somnambula said a stallion found you but disappeared in a hurry. They said he was a nerdy, blue eyed-"

"Quibble Pants!" Rainbow smacked her head. "How could I forget!?" She blinked, what else had she forgotten?

"The doc said you could have a teeeeensy little bit of memory loss. Honestly, you seem great besides that so far!" Pinkie smiled optimistically. Even she knew though how messed up the situation was though.

"After that I blacked out... Do you think he heard me and that's why he took off?" Rainbow speculated. If she said it was Caballeron before passing out like she tried, he might've followed the creep!

"If he did, we haven't heard anything. We didn't even know that was him who found you. We thought you got lost trying to find the burial site and got suffocated in the sandstorm!" Twilight sighed, feeling like an idiot for not looking deeper. "But now we have a lead. If Quibble followed him, we can see if he left any clues behin-"

"Hello?" Another voice, not of the group echoed from the doorway as Rainbow turned to see the last pony she expected. A tall, pale orange pegasus with familiar purple eyes that gazed down at Rainbow somberly. Her face sunken with heavy bags under her eyes, clearly weary from crying. "Oh good. I'm so happy you're awake, Rainbow."

"Scootaloo's mom?"

"Mane Allgood. Yes." She nodded. Her eyes were clearly puffy from crying recently as she stepped in. Rainbow's body became cold at the horrible realization that she'd rather see her parents than be in this situation. "I've come to visit you occasionally since um... Well you know." She let out a half laugh, half sob. "Ahem. Sorry if I'm interrupting. I was waiting my turn but couldn't help but overhear Caballeron's name. You know him?" She asked innocently.

The rest of the gang didn't know how to respond as Rainbow's jaw could only give out the most minor of movements behind her breathing mask. "Y-yeah."

"Gosh. Small world. He was one of my old boyfriends back then before I met S-Scootaloo's father. He still donates to our sanctuary even. Imagine that." She somberly giggled, clearing her throat. "I'm glad you're awake Rainbow Dash. Scootaloo never stopped talking about you."

"I uh... Thanks." She desperately turned to any of her friends. She wasn't ready for this conversation. She couldn't even look the older mare in the eye as she silently pleaded for any of them to step in.

"Oh my gosh! You're the famous Mane Allgood? I've heard you met so many animals in your travels, and you have the biggest animal sanctuary in Equestria!" Of all ponies Fluttershy was already nose to nose with the taller mother. "How many critters do you have? Oh no don't tell me, last months article in Mammals and Mommas said you had over 500 various species. You have to tell me all of their names. Each one!"

"O-oh? I didn't know my little family had such a fan. I-I suppose I could start alphabetically..." The tall pegasus hesitated. The door slid closed behind them as Fluttershy basically chased Mane out of the room, leaving the others to recover.

Rainbow put her dehydrated hooves against the side of her head as fresh tears started forming. "I was so focused on Daring I didn't even realize I'll have to tell Squirt's parents about this. I don't know what I'm gonna say!"

"Absolutely nothin'."

Applejack's voice spoke firmly. The other mares looked dumbfounded as Rarity frowned. "What do you mean, Nothing? She's her mother! She has more of a right to know than all of us! I thought you were the element of honesty!"

"Yep, so I can say for certain the truth right now would make her more of a mess. We should find Scootaloo first before givin' her any news." Her hoof tapped on the feminine unicorns chest.

"That's cold, Applejack. What if we did the same to Applebloom and Sweetie Belle? At this point they're as much her family as Mane is!" She argued, getting a deep frustrated exhale from the cowpolk.

"You know for a fact they might do somethin' crazy that got Scootaloo in this mess in the first place!" She hollered. Suddenly two cupcakes got shoved in their mouths as Pinkie emerged with a different outlook.

"Maaaaaybeee we should let Twilight and Rainbow do it and just support them like goody-woody friends?" She blinked rapidly, getting a defeated yet understanding pair of nods from the two of them.

Twilight continued the conversation after the others outburst with a sigh. "You don't have to, Rainbow. I can sit with her outside and explain our situation while you rest up and brainstorm with the others. We'll figure it all out together when I get back." She smiled comfortingly.

"Thanks, Twi. I'll do anything to get Scoots back but... cough I don't think I can look her in the eye right now until I make this at least a little bit right." She sniffed with a few tears, getting a consoling shoulder touch from Twi and the others. Their ears perked up as the sliding door opened back up to reveal only the shy yellow pegasus appearing.

"Fluttershy? Where'd Mane Allgood go?"

"Oh she got to Archemedies when telling me all her little friends names and remembered his mate Flora was having a litter of cubs! She said she would come visit another time when she was less busy. But look! She gave me her patron's info so I can send a request letter for funding to expand my animal sanctuary!"

"Uh... That's great Fluttershy, but we still need to think up a game plan to find Caballeron." Twilight dismissively chuckled.

"Oh that's so funny! Her patron has the same name!" Fluttershy waved the small notepaper in front of the stunned group.

"Do the Snowrock Isles have first class shipping?"