Caballeron's Prize

Rainbow Dash corkscrewed through the last collection of lightly colored clouds over Ponyville. Her wings all warmed up from the morning work. She slowed her limbs flapping to land near the train station with an impatient tap on the wooden platform. "They were supposed to be back ten minutes ago. What's taking them so long?" She frowned. Scootaloo told her to be there at that time for her return. She groaned and sat at the nearby bench, her only company being the sound of the nearby booth worker's newspaper.

"Should've skipped practice and gone with them." She grumbled. She wished Applejack and Rarity were with her, just to help pass the time. Applejack worked mornings though and Rarity wanted to sleep in after finally finishing her new seasonal fashion set, leaving the pegasus to pick up the girls.

"Aghhh." She flipped over on her back, laying down as her focus shifted from her impatience to the bird flying in circles overhead. She didn't think anything of it though as the sound of rumbling shifted her focus, the steam stack in the distance making her leap up. "Finally!"

The cyan pegasus danced in anticipation as the train finally screeched to a halt in front of her. A long pause filled the air. What usually was the sound of cheering fillies excited to make it back home was replaced with slow taps of the classes hooves, lead by only Miss Cheerlie. The teachers face seemingly aged a decade with a new grey stripe on her mane, and bags under dehydrated eyes.

Rainbow didn't think to hard on it, given no reason to assume the worst as she approached the teacher. "Heya, Cheerlie! You look like you got hit by a barn. Girls cause trouble again?"

Cheerlie, gulped and met Rainbows eyes. The rainbow maned pegasus noticing the lack of energy in the class finally. The lack of the Cutie Mark Crusaders as well. "Dash. Let's go talk over here." The teacher said bluntly, not really blinking as she lead Rainbow away from the class that sat quietly on the platform, curiously gazing at the two or simply thinking with thier heads down. "Applebloom and Sweetie stayed behind. There was an accident and they refused to leave." Cheerlie choked. Her voice meek and dried up, though her eyes begun swelling again. "Scootaloo wandered off and..." Rainbows heart begun to sink.

"Was it Caballeron? What did he do!" She growled, making Cheerlie shrink in a sobbing mess.

"No Rainbow. He tried to save her. S-she wandered off into the cave nearby and called for help." She spoke softly. Rainbows pupils shrinking at her tone. "W-we think they got crushed by the cave in. It happened so fast. The girls stayed behind to help try and find them." She sobbed, wailing while the class nearby begun tearing up. Rainbow standing frozen in time with ice in her blood. "I have to get this class home and reach her family. I'm so sorry Rainbow." Tears pooled at her feat as she buried her hooves in her face. "I should've paid more attention!" She cried out, making Tiara, Twist and Silver run up and hug around the teacher. "Oh Celestia... They won't stop digging." The teacher sobbed.

Rainbow Dash could only sit down with her guts sinking even further. It had to be Caballeron. It was a trick. It had to be! She begun swelling her own tears. "I-it'll be okay." She spoke stoically, more to herself than the teacher.

Cheerlie was almost carried off by the class as they moved towards the school, leaving the wonderbolt at the station. She had to go get Twilight and the rest of her friends. If this wasn't a trick by Caballeron, then they could get that rubble up in no time! She leaned down to zoom off, ready to save her spirit sister!

Her flight was cut off by a large bird landing in front of her. An owl of all things. It's wide eyed face looking up at her with a few flaps before settling in front of the pegasus. "Owlicious?" The bird gave a few blinks with only a one word response.

"Who?"

"Oh, you're a different one." This one looked similar but much dirtier, and thinner as well. Rainbow noticed the birds claw stepping forward, revealing a tube with a sheet of paper inside. The tube having it's own writing along the outside. "For Rainbow Dash." She cleared her throat and approached to grab it, nearly getting her face nipped off by the beast as she unwrapped it with her teeth, flinching back with a yelp and unrolling it. "Agh!"

"Hello again, Rainbow Dash.

By now you may have noticed a certain small winged filly from your fan club missing.

I assure you she's safe with me. If you warn anyone about her disappearance though I can promise you that will change faster than you can fly. I'd like to invite you back to Somnambula with Daring Do to buy her freedom back. Unlike our last encounters I've lost all of my patience with both of you meddling in my plans. So I offer we settle this affair once and for all.

Bring all your bits to the temple, maybe a few valuables. Between a star wonderbolt and a best selling author I'm sure you can manage parting with it. Then we never need to see each other again.

The deadline is in three days after this letter was sent. I will NOT wait longer. Fly fast.

~You know who"

Her hoof crumbled the paper as her teeth gritted. "I knew it." She growled, her glare stabbing down at the owl. "Blackmail of all things! With Scootaloo!" She shrieked, stomping her hooves on the ground with her wings pounding downward with them. Her Rainbow trail cracking sky with lightning around it as she zoomed for Twilight's castle to gather her things.

"Of all the scummy vile tricks, he uses Scootaloo!?" She growled, feeling her anger alleviate a bit as she finally went over the letter in her head. She couldn't tell Twilight. Despite her magic there was no telling what the old loser had planned for Scoots, he seemed serious.

She had to pack. Maybe Daring could come up with a plan. The letter must've been sent right after thier cave in fake out so she might only have two! Quickly she blazed across the sky to her front door.

Saddlebags, water, jeweled outfits gifted from Rarity, rare books "borrowed" from Twilight, bits, more bits. She paused and looked up in a nervous sweat. Her bags were pretty heavy now. Did she need to withdraw from the bank? They'd know something was up if she withdrew that much, which might stop her on the way.

She gulped with a defeated grimace and made her way to a family photo with her and her parents together. Two adoring parents with thier embarrassed looking Rainbow at the third Wonderbolt Fillies and Colts Derby. An event that only happened once every twenty years marking the next generation of great flyers. Where she took home the third place trophy and received one of her greatest treasures. She took down the frame and smiled at her parents bittersweetly. Her dad's writing on the bottom. "We're cheering no matter what!"

She wiped her face with a sniff and kissed the hugged the photo. "Thanks guys. I'll come back with a shiny new frame for you, I promise." Lifting the picture and busting it open from the back. Carefully she pulled out a covered and aged yellow slip of paper. She couldn't believe this was given to a filly at a young flyers competition.

At the time there was a grand prize of meeting the Wonderbolts, Celestia, and getting one of the largest gold trophies ever made for an event. But she wasn't as fast as she wanted to be at that age and almost ended up in fourth if she hadn't pushed herself. She didn't know it at the time, but the third place winner got a special reward. A signed document by General Firefly himself she was given, worth more than her own house 5 times over.

"I'll track you down once we have Squirt back, Caballeron."

Hours later. Through a train ride southward and a short flight, Dash landed on the soft patch of grass outside "A.K Yearling's" Private home.

She desperately knocked on the authors wood door rapidly, her head almost smacked by the door, greeted by a short tempered yellow mare with grey hair. Her red glasses and purple cloak covering her as she whipped open the door. "I told you, I'm not doing interviews! You can read my autobiogra- Rainbow Dash?"

"You gotta help me." She panted, sweating a storm as she gave the mare the crumpled letter Caballeron wrote.

"Scootaloo?"

"My little sister... Kinda. He took her and he doesn't seem like he's playing around anymore. I was thinking I could distract him with my valuables and you could do some one two, one two hyaaagh! You know, before we capture him and save Scoots!" The wonderbolt pause mid crane stance after her pumped up martial arts proformance.

Yearling a.k.a Daring Do adjusted her glasses as she read the letter, giving a sigh. "He's gone too far. We'll give into his demands and track him once we get Scootaloo to safety. He's definitely going to have a trap set up though. I'll wait outside wherever he wants us to meet while you go in with the goods. With any luck he'll either keep his word, call it off or I'll save you both while he escapes like the coward he is." She smacked her hooves together in a firm and calm smirk, causing Rainbow to dance in place how cool she was.

"We'll catch him once and for all after this!"

"Right. Just let me pack and change. You can raid the fridge before we go." She nodded, letting her inside.

Caballeron returned after bringing back the platter from last nights meal. Seeing the filly seemingly sleeping well under the covers as he poured more water in two glasses. They were coming in to the town as houses passed by the moving trains windows. He approached the snoozing mare and pet her head as she slowly opened her eyes. Clearly confused a few moments before understanding silently her experience wasn't a dream.

"My head... ow.."

"I told the boys not to use the train whistle. Should've given you more water instead of drink." The doctor chuckled, the filly groaned and rolled her head back under the blanket.

"Water is a drink."

"You know what I mean. We've arrived. Drink up and use the restroom. You won't be able too for a bit." Scoots peaked over to see Caballeron dressed in his collared shirt and scarf, bringing a glass to her lips as she took in the hydrating liquid with no questions. She slid out of bed and stumbled slightly to the nearby door next to the exit to the next cart, which was still locked. She glanced back to see the older earth pony combing his mane with a yawn. He noticed her staring in the reflection.

He lifted one of his large eyebrows. "What? Do you need me to hold your hoof? Freshen up." He commanded, making her grumble and enter to relieve herself. A few minutes passing trying not to vomit while doing her business before finally finishing up. "Oh gods, how the hell does Berry Punch do it?" She groaned.

The door opened to the now combed and presentable Doctor, seeming amused by her. "Congrats on your first hangover, but we're moving. Climb on." He ordered quietly, lowering himself next to her. She stared confused as his head waved to his back. Slowly she shifted and collapsed belly down with a light grunt. She was surprised to feel a large coat cover the two of them. Caballeron's hooves lifted the cloaks hood before carrying himself and company outside of the train, greeted with the beautiful desert village with the large statue of thier hero Somnambula far near the town square.

The gleam of the rare glopaz decorating the restored statue that signified the towns hopes.

Scootaloo peaked from behind the stallion in the shadows of his large cloak to see it as well, blinking in awe of the statue, even from far away. "Gorgeous stones. I'd have been settled for life with them, and gold before that, and gems before that." He growled to himself, adjusting her on his back.

Rogue approached with a nervous look, staring behind Caballeron where Scootaloo couldn't see. "Looks like the storms coming early boss."

"Good. It'll last long enough to cover our escape. The spirit of time itself seems to finally be in our favor. Withers! I want everything on the train packed in the caravan by tonight. Tomorrow is a big day and we can't be behind schedule." Caballeron huffed, adjusting his shoulders for Scootaloo's hooves to better hug around his neck.

"Yes sir."

Scootaloo slumped with her heartbeat banging in her ears from the headache as Caballeron walked firmly to the large temple. The sounds of the approaching boiling goo bringing a shameful nostalgia to the Doctor's ears as they entered the temple room. "It's nice the locals fear the stories of this place. Since Somnambula is no longer it's own kingdom they fear the sphinx might return."

"Can only hope. She'd eat you I bet." Scoots grumbled under the cloak. His long fur seemed to stand on end underneath her. Clearly disturbing him, she decided to change the subject to her present affairs before he got too annoyed. "So this is it? You're just going to strap me in where Rainbow Dash was and hope she falls in this time?" She snorted, peaking to see the boiling pits she read about. The room was warm and humid, alleviating her headache slightly as his body shifted to a nearby corner. A map and planning table from thier previous visit sitting in dust. Clearly he had planned this for a good amount of time.

"No." He lowered himself and removed the cloak and her, letting her sit on it over the low stool before approaching the edge of the boiling pit. A sudden flash of finishing this once and for all came to the little filly's mind as she lifted herself up slowly to prepare to charge at him. She could push him into the pit and the others might just abandon this whole situation entirely!

"Don't even bother." The doc turned with a rather unamused look at the presentation of the death pit behind him. "It's clear this entire temple was made to test ponies faith in hope. Even the pit prevents you from falling in all the way. Its ridiculous. Here look." She suddenly watched him jump from the edge and return with a cloud of mist launching him back up unharmed. He adjusted his scarf with a clearing of his throat.

"Turns out it takes energy to keep that goo boiling. When night falls or say... A sandstorm blocks out the sun, the floor closes. Leaving us in a nice, large empty room with plenty of space and ancient magic to prevent any pesky flying." He snickered. The glowing green of his eyes reflected the evil mist rising in the background.

"No. We're not here toss your dearest Rainbow Dash into a boiling pit. She's wasted enough time. My time." As if on que Rogue wheeled in a large hourglass the size of her clubhouse. The top of the hourglass filled with sand, the center plugged to preventing it from falling. Rogue slid it down from the back of his cart near pillars holding the place up as Doctor Caballeron approached the custom glass door, opening it up with a satisfied smile and turning to the young pegasus.

"Get in."