Chapter 6
“Storm of Vengeance”
Luca lead us to an old warehouse just to the south of town. I opened the door with my magic and peeked inside. I looked to Luca “You sure about this boy?”
Luca barked in affirmative. The scent led here and he was sure of it. Luca hasn’t let me down before so I trusted the wolf.
I nodded “Good boy” I looked over at Rainbow Dash “Let’s go and find our lost kids”
Dash nodded and I left Luca outside. The cyan Pegasus and I entered the warehouse cautiously. I got an uneasy feeling we were about to…
ZAP!!!
A bolt of lightning came out of nowhere and hit me and Rainbow hard. I screamed in pain as electricity coursed through my body. When it was over I fell over weakened by the attack.
Dash fell down as she was also hit by that strange lightning. I looked up weakly and saw the culprit of this whole operation standing over me. I smirked with what little strength I had “Hello Rainshower…”
The white unicorn glared at me, she was levitating some kind of staff with her magic. She then smirked confidently “How did you figure it out?”
“You’re dress; it ripped on the door as you left to kill your brother…”
“Why would I kill my brother!?” Rainshower spouted out indignantly
“Vengeance, you killed him because he fell in love with a Pegasus…”
Rainbow glared at Rainshower furiously “You couldn’t stand it! You were close to him and you couldn’t stand the fact he was going to throw it all away for a Pegasus!”
Rainshower glared at the cyan Pegasus. “My brother was a fool in the end! I gave him the option to hand over that little mistake of his! But he threw himself in front of the bullet to protect that mistake!”
“Scootaloo is not a mistake!” Rainbow shouted “You will never understand that it doesn’t matter who your family is! You should still care for them no matter where they came from!”
Rainshower slapped Rainbow on the face. “You will not speak you damn chicken!”
I tried to get up but was met by another blast from her lightning staff. “You bitch…how dare you call her that…”
“It’s thanks to her kind the Loftwing name is in the toilet!” Rainshower glared at me “The Loftwing name was once a proud name! But my brother threw it all away for some tramp!”
My eyes grew in understanding “This isn’t about restoring the family name…”
“What?!”
“If it was you wouldn’t kill off both your parents…you hired those men to erase your family from existence. They disapproved of something…something that would’ve tarnished the name even more…”
“You’re saying…” Rainshower wearily, I was getting close.
“You…loved…Jockey” I said slowly
Rainbow looked at Rainshower with wide eyes “You were in love with your brother!?”
I nodded “Yes, and when he threw away the family name for another mare you couldn’t stand it. You tried to convince your parents to go against it, but they wouldn’t approve of your love for your brother. They ignored you…I remember how dismissive Themeara was of you”
“My mother never could see things for how they were…” Rainshower growled
“You knew that your father was going to try and kill Scootaloo. But you also knew that your mother was planning to kidnap Scootaloo to protect her from him. You knew that Blitzwing’s assassin would miss Scootaloo if the plan went as it did. So you hired Krackle to intervene…he never got to finish the deed”
“No” Rainshower said smirking “But I will…”
She gestured to a cage hanging from the ceiling. She used her magic to remove the cover and I saw Scootaloo and Tailspin inside a small cage. Tailspin saw me and cried out “Bro!”
I tried to get up “You let my brother go now!” I got another lightning bolt to my chest and fell back on the floor. I looked up as my little brother reached out with his front hoof between the bars.
Scootaloo reached as well for Rainbow Dash “Rainbow! Help me!”
“Hang on kid!!” Rainbow got up and charged for the cage. Rainshower zapped Rainbow just before she could reach Scootaloo’s outstretched hoof. Rainbow fell like a rock onto the floor. Her wings singed by the lightning bolt.
Rainshower kicked Rainbow in the stomach “You truly are pathetic…she’s not even your blood and you risk injury to save her…”
“She may not be my real sister…” Rainbow said weakly. She smiled at Scootaloo who was crying at seeing her hero like this “But she may as well be…”
Rainshower laughed out loud “You are all so pathetic! These pathetic chickens aren’t worth saving!” Her horn glowed and a lever was pulled. I saw that a bunch of loose sparks ignited a puddle below the cage with a electricity.
“Squirt!” Rainbow shouted before getting hit in the stomach again by Rainshower.
“Scootaloo can just fly out can she?!” I shouted
“She can’t fly! I knew I should’ve taught her…”
The bottom of the cage had a trapdoor under it. Tailspin and Scootaloo can’t fly…if they fell on the water…oh Luna no…
Scootaloo knew the situation and looked to Tailspin “Tailspin listen…I’m sorry”
Tailspin looked over at Scootaloo “What for?”
The orange Pegasus shook her head “I was so mean to you before…You didn’t deserve to keep getting yelled at…”
Tailspin shook his head and set a hoof on the orange fillies shoulder “You don’t need to apologize…I did all those things for you because…”
“All that helping me stuff?” Scootaloo said with a raised eyebrow “The picking me up when I tripped…the sharing with me…being worried about me when I was asleep back at your house…?”
Tailspin nodded “Yeah…I did it because I thought…you’d like me to…” His sapphire face turned a much darker shade as he confessed his feelings.
“You…like me?” Scootaloo said her jaw dropping and her face flushing.
“Yeah…” Tailspin smiled at her “I think you’re really cool…you don’t let anything discourage you even when all this crap is happening…I admire that”
Scootaloo’s face turned red as well…then she reached over and hugged Tailspin. She cried into his coat and just kept repeating “I’m sorry I’m sorry I’m sorry…”
Tailspin returned the hug and gently held her close. “It’s okay…you don’t need to apologize to me…”
Scootaloo broke from the hug and wiped her eyes “I thought…I thought you were just showing how weak I was…”
Tailspin shook his head “I don’t think that at all!”
“But…I’m a Pegasus who can’t fly…” Scootaloo confessed to my brother.
Tailspin turned around to reveal his brittle and small wings. Scootaloo stared at them as it dawned on her. Tailspin can’t fly at all…she was lucky to have wings at all. Scootaloo reached a tentative hoof and touched Tailspin’s wings. My brother tensed as she did. He didn’t even let me touch his wings and I’m his brother. But he let her hoof run along the brittle feathers gently. I was amazed that Tailspin let her...he must really care for her if he let her perform such a action.
Tailspin turned back to Scootaloo “I think you’re strong Scootaloo…losing your dad…your family…I know how hard it is” His blue eyes met her purple ones “You don’t need to face all that hardship alone…”
Scootaloo hugged my brother again. I smiled a little…Tailspin…I’m proud of you.
Rainshower laughed again “Now that that’s over with! Time to die!”
Scootaloo clung to my brother as Rainshower’s magic wrapped around the trap door. Scootaloo looked at my brother “Tailspin…if we don’t make it out of this…I want to say…I like you to…”
Tailspin’s eyes grew wide as he felt Scootaloo nuzzle him on the cheek. Tailspin returned it and then…the floor beneath them gave way.
I yelled as Tailspin and Scootaloo fell to the electrified puddle below. Dash reached out with her hoof but she knew she couldn’t stop them in time…
Crash!! Whoosh!!!
I looked to see a dark streak breakthrough the window and zoom towards Scootaloo and Tailspin. I blinked and saw Raiden hovering in the air with both foals on his back. Rainbow’s magenta eyes grew wide at the sight of him. Raiden landed on the ground and set the foals down on the ground.
Raiden glared at Rainshower “Nopony hurts foals on my watch…”
Rainshower smirked “Raiden Bolt…I see you felt compelled to play the hero”
“I’m not playing you bitch…” Raiden said dangerously “I may not like getting shot at but…a certain mare taught me something about loyalty…”
Rainbow smiled weakly at Raiden. This was unusual for Raiden; he never wanted to be a hero. I guess Rainbow left an influence on Raiden that can’t be understated.
Rainshower growled low at Raiden “You will die for your insolence!!”
Raiden smirked and lowered into a fighting stance “Hit me with your best shot…”
Rainshower held her lightning staff and fired full force at Raiden. The dark Pegasus simply spread his wings and took the full brunt of the blast. But instead of falling over…the electricity went into Raiden’s wings and the rock star was unharmed.
“What the hell is this?! You dare defy me chicken!” Rainshower exclaimed upon seeing Raiden suddenly becoming super charged.
Raiden smiled “A little trick I picked up from a career in show biz. I have conductors in my wings that allow me to channel electricity through them” He spread his wings to their full length “And send it anywhere I want!” He flapped his wings and twin bolts of lightning fired out of them.
Rainshower didn’t even have time to scream as she was hit by the lightning bolts. Electricity coursed through her until she fell to the floor in a crispy heap. Raiden’s yellow eyes were triumphant and he glared down at the unicorn. “Also…chicken my ass…” He punched the criminal in the face and she fell unconscious.
I got up weakly and ran to my little brother. I held Tailspin in my front legs tightly. “Tailspin…” I said while holding my little brother to me.
Tailspin pressed himself into me and smiled “I’m okay bro…I’m okay…”
I looked up from my brother and saw Scootaloo helping Rainbow to her feet. Rainbow looked over at Raiden her eyes confused “But I thought…”
Raiden shook his head “After I saw how you guys were willing to risk it all I…I decided to come back and help you out”
I let go of Tailspin and walked to Raiden “How did you find us?”
“Well” Raiden explained “After I dropped off Themeara at the hospital some old noble told me where you guys went. He said you guys got a sky chariot to Ponyville so I followed”
“That explains how you got to Ponyville” I said “But how did you find us here?”
“Some wolf started barking at me” Raiden said I could only imagine it was Luca “He pulled on my tail and I followed him here”
Rainbow walked to Raiden “That still doesn’t explain why you came back…”
Raiden’s yellow eyes were downcast “I…I remembered how you called me a chicken and…well I couldn’t stop thinking about how much of a coward I was being. You convinced me to come back…”
Rainbow’s cheeks started flushing at this but then she gave a small smile to Raiden. “Thanks for coming back…”
My friend smiled “Anything for a pretty mare”
Spring!
“Darn it!” Rainbow exclaimed as her wings sprung up. We all laughed a little at Rainbow’s expense. Rainbow joined in after a bit…it was good to have everypony safe and sound.
______________________________________________________
“We’ll take it from here Private” Shining Armor said as they loaded up Rainshower in a police carriage. “Thanks for bringing this case to a close”
I nodded at the captain of the guard “I’m glad you came when you did. Thanks for saving us back there”
“No problem” Shining said smiling “How’s Twili doing?”
“She should be out of the hospital in about a week, the bullet didn’t cause as much damage as was originally thought” I said reassuring the concerned older brother.
Shining nodded “That’s good to hear…because if she died on this case….” He suddenly got within inches of my face “A certain detective would have a little…”accident””
I gulped as Shining laughed at my expression. I knew he meant it as a joke but my mind still remembered the pink explosion from before. The captain of the guard went to speak to some of the other guards. I walked to where Rainbow was with Scootaloo.
Scootaloo was thanking Rainbow for the twelfth time “Thank you guys so much for coming to save me and Tailspin!”
Rainbow flushed at the praise “No problem kid…anything for my number one fan”
I walked to the pair and smiled. “Themeara should be out of the hospital soon…she’s an old horse but she’s tough”
Rainbow smiled “That’s good; it means squirt here has a home”
Scootaloo however looked down at the ground “But…until then I don’t have any place to stay…”
Rainbow thought for a moment then smiled widely. “You can come and stay at my place”
Scootaloo’s violet eyes grew huge in shock “You mean it!? I get to stay with you!?”
Rainbow nodded “While you are…let’s see if we can’t teach you how to fly”
Scootaloo let out a yell of delight then leapt into Rainbow Dash. She hugged her idol tightly and Rainbow wrapped her wings around the orange filly. It didn’t matter if they weren’t related…they still cared for one another. That was Dash for you I guess.
I looked over to see Raiden finishing up his interview with a guard. Raiden nodded to the guard and hovered to me “To think I spent a good part of my life avoiding those guys. Now they treat me like a hero, I guess that’s irony for you”
“Well you did just zap a criminal before she could murder all of us” I said with a smile “You gotta admit that’s impressive”
“Yeah I am awesome like that” Raiden said with his chest puffed out in pride. I rolled my eyes as he continued “I think I might stick around this place for a while”
This took me by surprise “What about your tour and career?”
He dismissed that with a wave of his hoof “I’ll tell my manager I’m taking a break from show biz. Besides there are…” He looked past me at Rainbow who was talking excitedly with Scootaloo “Other things out there that are more important”
I smiled and walked past my friend “You take good care of her Raiden…”
“I will Private” Raiden said firmly “You take care of that violet one to…”
That reminded me I needed to visit Twilight at the hospital. I left the crowd to walk towards Ponyville General. The rain was lighter then normally here. I looked up at the falling rain. You didn’t follow sorrow this time Rain…but renewal. I gave one last look back at Rainbow and Scootaloo…the surrogate sisters were going to be alright.
I was proud of Dash. She really deserved the element of loyalty a dozen times over.