//------------------------------// // Chapter five // Story: The Adventure of Galloping Waves // by Evilhumour //------------------------------// The six of them flew the sky as quickly as they could to Sweet Apple Acres, dropping the two Earth ponies to the ground, with the two Wonderbolts floating above. Rainbow Dash looked at Soarin, who shook his head. “Look, Applejack, Pinkie Pie.” Rainbow Dash sighed, clearly hating this. “Once we get near the area, you two must stay there. Me, Twilight, Flash and Soarin need to fly in to not…” She bit her lips, looking at the stern looking, almost glaring Soarin. “I hope to Celestia that kid is just snoozing out there.” “Dash.” Soarin actually glared at her. “No more until we know. Remember the rules.” He then shot a look at Applejack, who was very concerned at this point as well, with Pinkie Pie who’s mane was starting to deflate from worry. “Which way did he go?” “Will you tell us what in tarnation is going on first!” Applejack glared back, very angry at all this secrecy and quietness from Dash. “We think-” “DASH!” Soarin turned heavily towards her. “We can’t saying until we know and if it is what we fear…” He glared at the ground in anger, flapping his wings very hard in lue of being able to hit something. “Let us just see the area first. Now which way did he go!” It was because it was an order that actually scared Applejack, because of how afraid and angry he sounded. Whatever this was, it was bad news. “That way.” She pointed to where Galloping Waves walked off to this morning, into the woodland areas. It was not the Everfree Forest, the squirt wasn’t that stupid, but it was dense and secluded enough that nopony would be there by chance. She was surprised when Dash grabbed Soarin’s head, talked quietly and quickly, while muttering several loud things to him. He sighed heavily, but nodded his head in agreement. “Flash, Princess Twilight. We need you two to carry your friends. Dash and I need to be able to move freely. But you must promise not to touch anything.” He looked at the Earth ponies, his worry peaking out from his professional mask. They nodded their heads, and grabbed their friends, with Flash picking up Applejack tenderly. They then flew over the area, with the two Wonderbolts sighing loudly. “Look, one set of tracks.” Dash pointed out, hovering above it in a manner that wasn’t pushing any dust over it. Something like that must have been taught. “Old, a few hours I think.” She muttered, flying ahead slowly following the tracks. Both Soarin and Dash were waiting for when they got around the bend to where Sweet Apple Acres wasn’t in view and then they would know. “No.” Soarin said softly. It was what they feared. Dash’s heart also dropped heavily and she started to do to hyperventilate, something she had not done since she was a little filly. There was a set of three other tracks. ~°~°~°~°~°~°~°~°~°~°~°~°~°~°~°~°~°~°~°~°~°~ Earlier that morning Galloping Waves smiled as he walked ahead. Applejack had given him great advice and walking through the forest was just what he needed to clear his head. Holding out the paper and pen, he started to make his message. ‘Dear aunt Celestia, Let me just say I am fine and I’m sorry for what mother probably did last night. I know that I acted like foal last night and I’m heeding some good advice to lay low. I’ll be in Ponyville so you don’t have to worry. Gallop PS. Tell mother that I l-’ SNAP Blinking Gallop stopped his writing to dart his head backwards. Blinking in surprise, he saw three other ponies a far distance behind him, one unicorn and two earth ponies looking at him with surprised faces, with the unicorn muttering something angrily to one of the earth ponies who was lifting his hoof up above a broken stick. They had the strangest packs on them, something he could tell due to Rarity’s- All of a sudden, the unicorn threw a net at him saying some magic words. It was ancient magic, something that could only be invoked by words and knowledge of the past. In an instant it knocked him over, wrapping around his midsection and pinning his wings to his side! Groaning in pain from being knocked down and being unable to feel his magic, he grabbed his message and quickly bolting deep into the forest, with the unicorn shouting at his allies to get him! Galloping Waves did live up to his name when he had to; moving as quickly as possible he could away from the ponies chasing him. His one chance was to get to Ponyville, but the earth ponies were on that side of him, to prevent him from reaching the most direct root to safety! Panting in fear, his eyes were able to pick out a puddle of water up ahead. Hoping that his innate abilities were still working, he tossed the message towards the water with the intent to send it to mother, but he was not able to see if it went in or not. Still he ran, getting close to the south end of the forest and a bit into the outskirts of Ponyville. He was close to escap- With a sudden tightening around his ankles, his legs folded inwards together, sending him into the ground hard on his side. Looking down, he saw that there was some rope wrapped around all four ankles of his legs. Looking backwards, he saw that the unicorn was coming up quick to him, holding a magic nullifier horn ring in his magic aura. Eyes wide, he opened his mouth to shout when one of the Earth ponies put a cloth over his mouth, preventing him from being able to scream. Instantly, he began to feel drowsy, slipping away from the waking world. He tried to force himself awake, feeling the nullifier ring being slipped around his horn, his magic further leaving him and then a heavy collar sapped away even more away, which could only mean that it was nullifier for Earth poni- Groaning, Galloping Waves lost the fight against the chemicals and fell asleep, with darkness overtaking him. ~°~°~°~°~°~°~°~°~°~°~°~°~°~°~°~°~°~°~°~°~°~ “Nononononono! BUCKING HELL NO!” Dash swore, loudly as they looked over the scene. They had flown over the tracks, for it to only end abruptly. She looked at Soarin, who had the same angry face. “Dash, Soarin what in Celestia name is going on?!” Twilight asked for the hundredth time, echoing her friends worries. Something bad had happened to Gallop and they weren’t sharing the information! “Twi-” “DASH!” Soarin glared at her, grabbing her to force her to look him in the eyes. “Remember the oaths we took? Remember your duty!” He yelled at her, shaking her. Dash looked at him with such disgust and rage, she was about to deck him right then and there when he continued to speak. “Look, I will go tell Spitfire about this. You need to alert the Princesses.” He shot her a quick wink and smile. Blinking, Dash looked surprised, delighted and relieved all at the same time. “But what about-” She started but Soarin placed a hoof on her lips. “I’ll tell her that I simply didn’t think that you would need to tell Princess Twilight about the message you needed to send to Princess Celestia and that these three simply overheard.” He smiled reassuring at her. “But you could loose-” “If I get tossed out, then so be it.” He smiled sadly, pulling her into a tight hug. “Go tell them Dash. They deserve to know.” He then leaned in and kissed her on the lips. “MAN, I wanted to do that for a while!” He then took off into the air, heading to Wonderbolt HQ. Rainbow Dash stared up at her partner, rubbing her cheek in embarrassment and bliss, so surprised that her idol and partner had KISSED her. She was about to let out the most girliest squee- “Dash?” Twilight’s voice brought back reality to her, sending all happy thoughts away from this development in Soarin and her relationship. “What is going on?” Rainbow Dash sighed heavily and told them. They gasped, in disbelief and outrage at the situation. Rainbow Dash told Pinkie Pie and Applejack to do their best to cordon off the forest, with Twilight and Flash racing back to their house to write an urgent message to her former mentor. She didn’t bother with proper greetings, wrapping it up or putting her seal on it, she told Spike to send it off right away. Celestia! Gallop has been foalnapped! ~°~°~°~°~°~°~°~°~°~°~°~°~°~°~°~°~°~°~°~°~°~