Band of Five Attributes

by Dragonborne Fox

Chapter 16- Rescue Mission! (edited)

"That everything?" Rainbow asked, preening her wings.

"Yep, it's all the groceries. They've been put up," Tenmei answered, cleaning his glasses.

"Koto, how are you holding up?" Nagare said, tilting his head to the side.

"W-What do you mean?" Koto replied, ears perked.

"Oioioi..... how's the pregnancy going?" Nagare repeated, his hoof connecting with his face.

"Oh. It's going fine. I felt a kick just now," Koto said, now smiling.

"I wanna feel!" Scootaloo said, rushing to the blue mare.

"You what?" Applejack stated, raising a brow.

----

"HYAAAAAAA!!!!!"

Rekka jolted awake, his ears hit with the sound of a scream. He knew who the scream belonged to. It came from outside. He threw the covers off, jumped out of bed, and ran downstairs. "Koto?!" He called. He ran out the door. There was a gold stallion with a scarlet mane levitating Koto in the air, his horn aglow with a dark crimson.

"Maki!" Rekka shouted, rushing to the unicorn. "Put her down!"

Maki only smiled wryly. Suddenly, Saki appeared behind Rekka and levitated him.

"You two annoying lovebirds are coming with us!" Saki barked, annoyed beyond belief.

----

SLAM!

"And you two are staying in that cell. For now, you will be spared from death!" Baki snarled, glaring at the couple now in one of the holding cells. "Guard robots! Come hither at once! Guard the prisoners!"

"Where'd you--"

"SILENCE!" Baki barked, hurling a rock at Rekka before he could even sound a third word.

The Quartet leader then left, and in his place appeared four robots. Two with guns, two without. These were the same robots that helped keep Misaki in check.

Rekka groaned, as the rock hit him smack in the forehead.

"Rekka, what are we gonna do?" Koto asked, her hoof over her mouth. She felt the tears coming on.

"I.... I don't know," Rekka groaned, rubbing his forehead.

"Our weapons have been disabled by these chains on our hooves. Can we really not do anything now?" Koto whispered, trying not to cry.

"It....may seem that way. I think it's best to wait. There will be a time when the guards are distracted," Rekka answered, shifting his legs into a sleeping position.

----

"So, one of the lovebirds is having a baby. I wonder what we'll do with it." Maki said, leaning his head on a hoof.

"We'll deal with it in the same way we deal with the lovebirds themselves: by execution," Baki said, holding both hooves together as if he were human again.

"But we've never executed a child before. At least, not that young. Hence why I agree with Maki," Saki said, lighting a cigarette.

"You and your technicalities. Still, this is relatively new, so I won't argue," Baki nodded in agreement.

"Can I have a smoke?" Maki asked, looking at his partner-in-crime.

"Sure," Saki said, lighting another cigarette and handing it to Maki.

"Thanks," Maki said, taking a huff and then making rings of smoke.

"Ah, screw it. Might as well have one too," Baki said, lighting a cigar.

"So, as I was going to say: I say we dump it in a river before their eyes." Maki said, raising his hoof.

"Nay, I say we kill the male and infant, and lure the other brats here with the girl!" Saki said, shaking her head in disapproval at Maki's statement.

"We keep them alive until her contractions start. We then escort the male to his doom and leave the other to die in labor. How's that?" Baki said, taking in a puff of smoke.

"BRILLIANT!" Maki said, grinning widely. "But, how much longer until she's due?"

"About four months according to the nurse who tested her, give or take a few days or weeks," Saki answered, taking in another huff. "And what if she doesn't die during labor?"

"Infection," Baki said, blowing out rings of smoke. "It's quite common during labor in places that aren't as spick-and-span as a hospital. If that does not work, we starve them out."

"Even better. The word 'brilliant' is but an understatement!" Saki chimed, smiling wickedly.

----

Days turned into weeks. From the marks on the wall, 15 weeks went by. Or, more accurately, 15 weeks and four days. They were fed twice and watered thrice daily.

"Rekka, it hurts," Koto moaned, her legs shifting a bit.

"What hurts?" Rekka asked, somewhat confused.

"Gya!" Koto cried, clutching her engorged stomach with a foreleg. Tears started welling in her eyes.

"You can't mean......!" Rekka stammered, his eyes wide. Koto nodded, then let off another cry of pain, falling over on her side.

"Koto!" Rekka cried, rushing over to the hurt mare.

"Robots! Take him away! Leave the girl in there!" Called Baki via intercom.

The cell opened, and two guards began approaching the couple.

Before the guards could hoist Rekka off the ground, a knife shot out of nowhere, disarming both armed guards in a split second. Another set of knives aimed at the heads shut the robots off. Another set shut off the robots standing before Rekka.

"Twilight! Get them outta here!" Called a familiar voice.

"Applejack!" Rekka shouted, ears perked.

A purple aura surrounded the fallen robots, and in a flash, they disappeared. In their place stood Twilight Sparkle.

"Wh-What's this?! GUARDS! SEIZE THEM ALL!" Baki shouted via intercom.

"Why aren't you getting up, Koto?!" Twilight asked, motioning for the mare to get up.

"Earth to Twilight?! When did you become blind?! She's in labor!" Rekka answered, holding the mare in his forelegs.

Koto let off another pained cry, clutching Rekka's right foreleg.

"I've no choice, then. Applejack, get over here!" Twilight called, turning around briefly to the cell entrance.

The farm mare ran to the holding cell, clutching her modified gun. "What in the world is happenin', sugarcube?!"

Twilight's horn flared purple. With one flash, not one of the four ponies were even laying in the cell.

"DAMN IT ALL! SAKI, MAKI! HUNT THEM DOWN!" Baki called over intercom once more.

----

"Will she be okay?" Yuuki solemnly asked, ears flat.

"We're not sure. All I know is I am not allowed in there," the doctor replied.

"How's Rekka holding up?" Rainbow asked, sitting on her haunches.

"Who?" the doctor replied, raising a brow.

Twilight smacked her hoof onto her face. "The red stallion with the blue hat," she corrected.

"Oh, so that's his name? He's doing marvelous. He's also in there, apparently helping with the ongoing labor," the doctor answered with a grin.

----

Koto was in the hospital bed, fast asleep. The device-restraining chains were removed from her hooves as well as Rekka's. He was sitting in a chair holding a little bundle in his forelegs. The little one was a light lavender, with a red, purple, and blue striped mane. The child, a filly, was asleep.

"Her eyes don't match... one's scarlet and the other oceanic. That's it. Ocean Flame sounds like a good name," Rekka murmured, a grin on his face.