Please read the prequels to this story before reading it, otherwise it will not make sense.
Third installment of the One More Day series.
Rainbow Dash has shared her Adult Foal secret with her friends, and a few of her Wonderbolts teammates. But after an injury, her secret may not stay secret from the rest of her coworkers. But how will this effect Spitfire, Soarin, and Thunderlane? Will their reputations be ruined? How will they deal with this wave of emotions? And how will their relationship evolve?
Rainbow Dash, best flier in Equestria (at least in her opinion), took off from her cloud home over Ponyville and flew at a supersonic speed to the Wonderbolts barracks.
It had been a month since that wonderful playdate in the castle with her friends, and so much had changed, not just for her. After their “Foal Day”, Pinkie Pie and Twilight ended up taking to this like a duck to water. Usually they reserved this time for when they were with their mothers, but on occasion, the three of them would hold a playdate in the Castle Of Friendship. Fluttershy, for her part, hadn’t changed very much, although she was able to relate to her baby animals a lot better and feed them more easily. Rarity had only a few days ago met up with her mother and discussed the finer details of a mother-daughter day similar to their “Foal Day” but without the diapers or bottles. There were certain aspects of being an adult foal that she enjoyed, but those two, along with the horrid fashion, would not be missed. And Applejack had simply had more bonding time with her parents- and a good laugh or two when her mother took on her chores for a week as promised on that day when she won their wager.
That left Rainbow Dash. For her part, she hadn’t changed very much. After her parents came home from Manehattan, life had been pretty much the same. She flew home more often to visit her parents, usually on the weekends when she and her friends didn’t have plans. The only thing of note that had really changed for her was her room in her parents home. It had been completely redecorated for her to be a nursery. The crib, changing table, rocking chair, and high chair had all come from the nursery she and her friends had shared, and served as a reminder of that wonderful day.
The one thing that hadn’t really changed that she had thought would, was Spitfire, Soarin, and Thunderlane’s treatment of her. She wasn’t exactly sure what she had expected, but she had thought something would. But nothing happened. Spitfire was still a hard-flanked drill instructor, and Thunderlane and Soarin had continued just being teammates. Her little self had yet to surface around them again, but now she found herself wondering if she had just imagined everything. Maybe they weren’t okay with being her Mama and brothers. The thought scared her more than she wanted to admit.
As much as she wondered, she hadn’t brought things up with them. There were always other ponies around, for one thing. Putting aside the obvious embarrassment that could be heaped upon her if word got out, she knew that were she to discuss this on the grounds, she likely wouldn’t get an honest answer. Just in case somepony happened to be watching or listening. The most communication she ever got from Spitfire outside of instruction was a nod or a glance. It was more than she would give other bolts, though. Maybe that meant something. And as for Soarin and Thunderlane, well, they were boys. She didn’t expect much from them. At least, she didn’t hold them to the same level of esteem that she did Spitfire, for obvious reasons.
Now, She raced through the skies to the Wonderbolts grounds and threw her saddlebag on one of the beds in the barracks. She changed into her uniform, put on her goggles, and went down to the mess hall. She grabbed a few vegtables from the food line and ate a small plate. She had already eaten breakfast this morning, but she figured she could use the extra energy after her flight, just to keep herself energized. When the food was done, she put her plate in the dirty dishes and then trotted over to the runway.
She arrived a few minutes earlier than needed. Fleetfoot and Soarin were already there too, and she struck up a conversation with them. Misty Fly and Blaze arrived soon after, and then everypony else arrived. Spitfire flew down and began instructing. When she finished, they all nodded, and began to fly.
They began with the Icaranian Sun Salutation, in honor of the Princess, who was expected to attend their next show in Canterlot. Then they did a barrel roll. They made a star formation, and used smoke to make it look like it was bursting forth. They flipped, dived, and tumbled through the air with the grace attainable to only the best of fliers. Finally, it was finale time. The Wonderbolts formed themselves into the shape of a lightning bolt. Rainbow Dash was at the very bottom of the bolt. She broke apart from the pack, streaking downward as fast as she could. The rest of them filled in the gap where she had been, then moved as one down toward their teammate, but much slower.
Rainbow sped forward, flying as fast as she could. Her singular focus was getting this finale right, even if it was just their first rehearsal. She expected that of herself. The ground was encroaching, faster and faster, and she just knew she would make it happen.
And then, it happened.
The muscle in her right wing spasmed and cramped harder than it had in a long time, messing up her flight. The barrier she was trying to break suddenly flung her back like a rubber band that had been stretched too far. The snap back was so sudden that she didn’t have much time to react. She tried to right herself, but the wing itself would not cooperate. She whizzed backward, and her fellow Wonderbolts scattered aside to avoid impact. For a split second, she thought she was back in the academy, being thrown off of the dizzitron. Despite being able to right herself that time, she was unable to now. However, there was one important difference between the academy and here.
Here there were no nets.
Rainbow careened backward and down. She tried to turn herself over, hoping to land on her hooves, even though she knew it would hurt, but she ended up spiraling. Eventually, she made impact. But instead of hitting the ground, her head smashed into a tree. It wasn’t hard enough to break the tree, but it was enough to form a small crack and dent. Her body slid down the tree and landed on the ground with a thud. Stars were dancing in front of her eyes, and she could feel herself weakening, the blackness growing closer and she knew fainting was immanent. She heard the sound of hooves galloping toward her, and she looked up, to see her fellow Wonderbolts standing before her, Spitfire leading the pack. Her captain looked down at her, her expression one that Rainbow could not name in her current state. But at that moment, she felt relief. She was here. Rainbow gave a dreamy, half-lucid grin.
“Mama.” It was a whisper, faint as a gust of wind, but Spitfire heard it. Rainbow took in a little breath.
Then, The world tilted sickeningly, blurred for a second, and was consumed by darkness as Rainbow Dash finally passed out.
Spitfire was stunned for only a fraction of a second before she sprang into action. She had to act quickly.
“MEDIC!” She barked. Then, she doled out instructions. “Soarin, you’re in charge here. Keep practice going. Thunderlane, go into my office and grab the bag underneath my desk, and I better see you move that flank! I’ll be at the hospital.” She said. Soarin and Thunderlane nodded, and then set off to obey their captain. They were the only two that knew what was really going on.
Rainbow Dash had wormed her way around the cold steel that was Spitfire’s emotions. Ever since that day- the day she had called Spitfire “Mama” for the first time. It had changed her. However, she had kept things professional on the grounds. But they knew that in private she had made some preparations.
Spitfire had had a feeling that something like this would happen. So she had gotten supplies. Diapers, wipes, powder, a bottle, and a pacifier. She had kept it in her office, underneath her desk. Just in case. Thunderlane flew as fast as he could to Spitfire’s office, and grabbed the bag, then dashed off to the hospital. He wasn’t as fast as Rainbow Dash, but he was no slowpoke. He flew there as fast as he could.
Spitfire herself stayed with Rainbow Dash. Her eyes never strayed from her fellow bolt. As soon as they arrived at the hospital, Spitfire gave rapid-fire instructions.
“I am to be with her at all times. I want her in a private room, no one allowed in unless they’re okayed by me. Soarin and Thunderlane are allowed. I want the best doctor in the house and one nurse- only one nurse while she’s still unconscious. I want X-Rays, Cat Scans, and every scan known to man. And I want it done now.”
The doctors all nodded. They knew better than to disobey Spitfire when they were on the Wonderbolts grounds. She ran beside Rainbow Dash as doctors began running tests. Cat scans, X-Rays, Reflexes. Almost anything that could be thought of. When the battery of tests had been done and Rainbow Dash was resting in a bedroom, Spitfire finally had time to worry. What in the name of Celestia was she going to do? She feared for Rainbow Dash first and foremost. Her safety and health was top priority. But she knew there was something else to worry about.
Just before she passed out, Rainbow Dash had called her Mama again, and this worried her. If her hunch was correct, Rainbow Dash would likely wake up in what her mother had called her “little space”. But that served another slew of problems. How would she protect her reputation and Rainbow Dash’s? She knew that in her adult mind, her fellow bolt would be angry at being revealed. She had to protect her. She just had to.
No matter what else she was, she saw Rainbow Dash as not just a fellow Wonderbolt, but a daughter. Rainbow had made her way into her heart. Despite how she acted professionally, she had prepared to take care of her. She had felt a new sense of purpose in caring for her, and she had planned to do that soon, but she hadn’t found the time. But she had prepared in case of something like this happening.
Just then, Thunderlane returned with the bag. Spitfire took it and nodded. “Nice work. Go back to Soarin and help with practice. You both can come back in here later on.”
Thunderlane nodded. “How is she?”
“She’s… stable.”
Thunderlane nodded. “Let us know if anything happens.”
“I will. Go on and get to practice.”
“Yes ma’am.” He said, and flew off.
Spitfire waited until the door closed before opening the bag. She pulled out a diaper and foal powder, before pulling off the covers.
“Okay, baby bolt. Let’s get you dressed.” She said. She slid the diaper beneath Rainbow Dash and powdered her. Then, she pulled it, and taped it up. She recalled Windy Whistles telling her that Rainbow had developed a bedwetting problem. She wasn’t sure if it would manifest itself while she was unconscious, but she wasn’t taking any chances. She put the covers back over Rainbow, and tucked her in. She ran a hoof through her mane, feeling all sorts of emotions crop up. Fear, Sadness, Guilt, and Anger filled her primarily.
Fear for Rainbow herself, of course. And sadness for her condition. But the guilt and anger were directed toward herself. The guilt for asking Rainbow Dash to perform a sonic rainboom in the show coupled with the guilt of knowing that this would not have happened without her asking, and added to the fact that she did not have any nets around the grounds because she expected more of their higher trained Wonderbolts. Shame sliced through her like a knife. How could she have been so careless? Her high expectations of everypony else had ultimately led to the injury of one of her best fliers. And not just any flier- Rainbow Dash. Her daughter.
The shame and guilt made her want to break, but she could not afford to. She could not blow her cover. She could not change her facade, and risk exposing the secret that she and Rainbow Dash shared. She had to keep her stone face. She wanted to do something- anything. But she feared that even prayer to Celestia or Luna would be enough to break her.
The doctor came in shortly after this. He explained to Spitfire that the X-Rays and Cat Scans, by some miracle, did not show any broken bones. There was a concussion and some bruising, but otherwise she was doing fairly well. Spitfire nodded, thanked him, and watched him leave.
She breathed somewhat easier after that. Her biggest fears had not been realized, and for that she was grateful. Now all that there was left to do was wait.
It seemed like she stayed that way for hours. Asleep. Peaceful. But for Spitfire, when she checked the clock, it had only been a few minutes. She sighed. It was a lot. For a long time, there was nothing. Then, there was a slight hissing sound. Spitfire already knew what was going on, and was grateful that she had put a diaper on her. She was hopeful that this meant Rainbow was close to waking.
A few minutes later, There was a rustling sound. Spitfire’s head shot up at that, and finally, Rainbow’s eyes snapped open.
Rainbow opened her eyes to brilliant white light. Her vision blurred, then cleared enough for her to see that she was looking at fluorescent lights. Then, the pain in her head registered with her, and she let out a whine. She shut her eyes briefly, then opened them. Where was she? The bleating in her head was constant, and wouldn’t be turned off. She tried to turn her head, but it hurt. Suddenly, a hoof stopped her.
“Easy there.” Said a voice. Rainbow looked to the side to see Spitfire sitting there. But… This wasn’t Spitfire. This was Mama. The way she looked at her… There was no doubt in Rainbow’s mind. This was Mama.
“Mama?” Her voice was weak, raspy, but it was enough for Spitfire to hear. The usually hard-flanked instructor gave her a soft smile.
“Shhh, Baby Bolt. It’s okay.” She said. Rainbow seemed to relax marginally.
“Huwts.” She moaned.
“I know.” It was gentle, like spring rain. “The doctor will give you something to make it go away.”
“‘Kay.” She moved a little, and realized something. “Mama, I wet.” She said. She hadn’t realized it immediately because she had been so still and so used to it, but now that she moved, she noticed.
“Okay. Let’s get you changed.” She said. She pulled out the diaper bag and got out the supplies. She was about to close up the bag when she heard suckling sounds. She knew enough to know that that meant Rainbow was sucking her hoof. She pulled the pacifier out, and put it in her lap for a second. She gently pulled Rainbow’s hoof from her mouth.
“That’s yucky. Try a pacifier.” She said. She popped it into Rainbow Dash’s mouth, and she eagerly accepted it. With that done, Spitfire began the change. She pulled back the covers to see the diaper tinted yellow. She undid the tapes and balled it up, throwing it in the trash. She wiped Rainbow clean and slid a fresh diaper underneath her. She put the powder on, and taped it up. Easy as pie. “All done.” She said. Though a niggling voice inside of her head said that she forgot something. Then, she realized what it was. Rash cream. Aw, buck. She thought. She’d have to get that some other time. And as long as she was vigilant about changing Rainbow, she’d be fine.
“Tanks, Mama.” She said. Spitfire smiled at her.
“You’re welcome, little one.”
A growl interrupted them. Rainbow looked down at her stomach. Then she looked up. “Mama, I hungwy.”
“Okay. Mama will get you something to eat.” She said. She looked at the door, then back at Rainbow. “You need to take the Paci out until I come back, okay? I don’t want anypony to see.”
“‘Kay, Mama.” She said. She took it out and hid it underneath the covers. Spitfire nodded approvingly.
“I’ll be right back, okay?” She asked.
Rainbow nodded. She didn’t like being left alone, but she would put up with it for food. Spitfire left, and Rainbow distracted herself by looking out the window to the clouds and trying to see shapes in them.
Spitfire returned a few minutes later, food in hand, and a doctor in tow. The doctor checked Rainbow over, and gave her some pain medication intravenously, and then left her be. Spitfire pulled the top of the tray off to reveal some broccoli, carrots, and corn. There was also some applesauce, and a glass of milk. Spitfire transferred the milk from it’s glass to a bottle, and then mashed up the vegetables for her. Rainbow sat up, and Spitfire started to feed her. She quickly finished her food, and Spitfire tried to hand her the bottle of milk, but Rainbow shook her head.
“You don’t want it?” Spitfire asked, confused. Again, Rainbow shook her head. She put one hoof on top of Spitfire’s and opened her mouth. Recognition flashed through Spitfire’s eyes, and she realized what Rainbow wanted. She stifled a sigh, and sat on the bed. Rainbow crawled into her lap and laid back. Spitfire grunted a bit under the unfamiliar weight, but she didn’t mind it too much. She popped the bottle into Rainbow’s mouth, and watched as she began to suckle. Rainbow stared up into her Amber eyes with a look so trusting and content. It disarmed Spitfire completely, seeing that obvious affection and trust. She felt warmth in her chest, as she stared down into Rainbow’s cerise eyes. It wasn’t until this moment that she realized what being a Mama felt like. It was completeness.
“How are you feeling, Baby Bolt?” She asked. Rainbow hummed in response. She took that to mean that she was feeling better.
When Rainbow finished the bottle and burped, she snuggled into Spitfire’s lap. She looked up at her again.
“Mama sing?” She asked. Spitfire hesitated for a moment, then said,
“I’m not very good.”
“Pease?” She asked. Spitfire sighed.
“Alright.” She said. Her mind scrambled to find a song to sing to her. Finally, she figured one out. She took in a breath, then began to sing.
“Once, there was a way to get back homeward…”
Spitfire quickly got lost in the music, but the song was over quickly, and when she looked down again, Rainbow was asleep. She looked at her, smiling. This time, she could tell that the peace was real. Rainbow didn’t seem to be in any pain anymore. She contemplated moving Rainbow from her lap, but decided against it. She just didn’t seem to have the heart. So she pulled the blankets over Rainbow’s lower half, and continued to hum. She leaned back against the cool plaster of the back wall. She was finally content. Sighing, she shut her eyes, happy with the weight in her lap. She was going to just stay awake, but something about the warm weight in her lap, the coolness of the plaster, and the feel of the bed beneath her gently carried her off to sleep.
Spitfire woke up around an hour later, and momentarily forgot where she was, until she felt a slight movement in her lap. She looked down and saw Rainbow Dash laying there, and then she remembered. She moved only slightly. The weight in her lap had numbed her legs and flank. Rainbow stirred, but did not wake, and she was glad. Rainbow Dash needed a lot of rest for what she was going through. She was feeling peckish, but she did not leave. She wanted to stay. And stay she did. She stayed until Rainbow woke about half an hour later. Rainbow squirmed as she yawned and blinked open her eyes.
“Hey, Baby Bolt.” She said.
Rainbow smiled tiredly and snuggled in deeper to Spitfire. “Hi Mama.”
“You feeling okay?” She asked.
“Mmmm…” She mumbled. It looked to Spitfire like she didn’t feel up to talking yet. But that was fine with her. She thought about what to do next, and then, the idea came to her.
“How about I tell you a story?”
Rainbow nodded and listened.
“Once upon a time, there was a caterpillar. And the caterpillar ate and ate, until it was finally ready to become a butterfly. But first, it had to become a chrysalis. And as it hung there, it thought about it’s life. It seemed to the caterpillar that all there was to life was to crawl and eat. That caterpillar never saw life beyond it’s leaf. Didn’t think there was anything else to it. Until the chrysalis began to break. The caterpillar had turned into a butterfly. And for the first time, as it came out of it’s cocoon, it saw it’s colorful wings. And it realized that it could be so much more than what it thought it could be. The butterfly started to fly, reaching higher than it ever had in it’s life, as it stretched toward the sun. It flew away, and started a beautiful new life among the flowers and trees. And it lived happily ever after. The end.”
Rainbow smiled and giggled, seemingly a little bit more awake. “Pwetty.”
Spitfire whispered, “You want to know a secret?”
Rainbow nodded. “Uh huh.”
Spitfire whispered in her ear, “Mama’s the butterfly.”
Rainbow’s eyes widened. “Weawwy?”
“Mmm hmm.”
“Mama pwetty buttewfwy.” She said. Spitfire grinned.
“Thank you, sweetie.” She said.
“Mmmm…” She said, before smacking her lips.
Spitfire reached down to the bag by the bed and pulled out Rainbow’s pacifier. If she wasn’t up for talking, she figured this would be good. By the looks of things, she was pretty close to putting her hoof in her mouth again. She accepted the pacifier, and suckled happily.
Spitfire wasn’t really sure what to do after that. She sat there, just enjoying the quiet. Rainbow too seemed content with this, although Rainbow was eventually moved from her lap and onto the bed again, simply so Spitfire could move her legs again and get her circulation back. For a while there was quiet, interspersed with occasional growls from Spitfire’s stomach. Then, a knock came at the door. Rainbow hid her pacifier and pulled up the covers, and froze, while Spitfire put on her Captain face.
“Who’s there?” She barked.
“It’s me.” Said Soarin.
“Come in.” She said, shoulders sagging in relief.
Soarin poked his head inside. “She awake?”
Rainbow waved. “Hi.”
Soarin stepped in. “How are you doing?” He asked, before shutting the door.
Rainbow easily slipped into her little headspace again. “I good, bubba. Tiwed.”
Soarin nodded, smiling a bit at the term of endearment, then turned to Spitfire. “Any serious injuries?”
“Just a minor concussion.” She replied. Soarin breathed a sigh of relief.
“Thank goodness. ‘Lane is with the others in the mess hall. He’s pretty worried. Everypony else is too, actually.”
“And you’re not there because…?”
Soarin shrugged. “Wanted to check in.”
“Alright. Can you keep her company while I get something to eat?”
“Yeah, sure. No problem.”
“Thanks.” She turned to Rainbow. “I’ll be back soon. Soarin will keep you company, okay?”
“‘Kay, Mama.”
Soarin saw the glint in her eyes as Rainbow called her that. But, like a shooting star, it quickly faded. Spitfire nodded, looking at Soarin once before she left. She shot him a look that he interpreted as “Take good care of her or you’ll have bathroom duty for a month”, and he was good with that. Spitfire exited, shut the door, and Soarin turned to Rainbow Dash.
“So, what have you and your Mama been up to, Little Bit?” He asked.
“She give me food an’ sing me song, an’ wead me story. An’ cuddwes.” She said.
“Oh, that sounds fun.”
“Uh huh.”
Soarin paused for a second. Then: “Anything you wanna do?” She asked.
Rainbow pondered this for a minute. “Can we pway?”
“Hmmm… not sure what we can play from a hospital bed, but we can sure try!” She smiled.
“‘Kay!” She cheered.
“Oooh, I have an idea. Let’s see who can make the silliest face! First one to laugh wins!”
Rainbow smirked, and for a moment she looked like her adult self. “I gon’ win.”
“We’ll just see about that.” He said.
Soarin pulled down his eyes and made a fish face. Rainbow responded by smushing in her cheeks, sticking out her tongue and went cross-eyed. The funny face war was on. Both parties did their best faces to one another, but in the end, Soarin folded. Rainbow had managed to get one leg behind her head, mouth agape, tongue out, eyes crossed, and other back hoof in her cheek. Soarin bust out laughing, and Rainbow broke her pose and started clapping.
“I win! I win!” She cheered.
When Soarin composed himself, he conceded. “Alright, alright, guess you got me, kiddo.”
“We pway ‘gain?”
“Sure.”
They made funny faces, they played peek-a-boo, and they had a tickle fight or two, though it was definitely was toned down from what it could have been because of Rainbow’s condition. When Spitfire came back, they were still laughing. She smiled to herself and nodded.
“Did you have fun?” She asked Rainbow.
“Uh huh! Bubba an’ me made siwwy faces. An’ did peek-a-boo, an’ tickwes.” She said.
Spitfire smiled and looked at Soarin. “Sounds like you’ve got a good big brother.”
Soarin stayed a few more minutes. Then, he spoke. “Well, I’d better get going. I promised to report back to the other Bolts before lunch was over. I’ll be back later though. Thunderlane might be by too.”
“Good. You two are the only ones authorized to be in here. Everypony else goes through me, for obvious reasons. Pass it on.”
“Understood.” He said, with a nod. Then he turned to Rainbow Dash. “See ya later, Little Bit.” He said, ruffling her mane. The regressed mare giggled.
“Bye, Bubba!” She said with a wave.
“Be good for your Mama.” He called over his shoulder.
“I wiww!”
With that, Soarin exited. Spitfire waited until the door was shut completely before turning back to Rainbow. “So squirt, what would you like to do now?” She asked.
“Mmmm… I dun know.” She said.
Spitfire and Rainbow were both quiet for a moment or two, trying to figure out what to do. Then, an idea struck. Spitfire turned to her daughter.
“Hey Baby Bolt, I have an idea. How about Mama does a special show just for you?”
Rainbow’s eyes grew wide and shining. She nodded vigorously. “Yeah! Pease, Mama? Pease?”
Spitfire chuckled. “Alright, alright. Calm down, sweetie. Just lay back and enjoy the show.” She said. Rainbow nodded, shifted to get comfortable, and watched.
Spitfire soared through the air. Though the room was small, she had enough space to do what she thought of. She flipped and dove and spun and soared. She amazed Rainbow with her precision flying.
Rainbow watched her Mama intently. She looked so happy. She flew perfectly, with joy and exactness. It truly amazed her, seeing Mama like this. It inspired her. It reminded her of why she saw Mama as a hero in the first place. She clapped and giggled, watching Mama do her routine. Then, when she landed, Rainbow gave her a big hug.
“Tanks, Mama.” She said. Spitfire smiled.
“You’re welcome, bug.”
“Do it ‘gain?”
“Oh, alright. Just give me a minute to rest.” She said.
After a few minutes of rest, Spitfire took a drink of water, and then, she was up and flying.
After an hour or so, Spitfire was done, and the doctor came back in. Rainbow kept her little space at bay for the duration of the check. He told her that She could leave in about two days. She would definitely have to stay overnight at least for observation, and get some more tests done in the morning. But as long as her vision wasn’t impaired nor her balance affected, she would be cleared to fly again. That made Rainbow extremely happy. When the doctor left, neither she nor Spitfire noticed that the door had been left open just a crack.
Rainbow easily slipped back into her headspace and patted her bed. Spitfire bent to her will and sat. Rainbow grabbed her pacifier. crawled into her lap again. She made herself comfortable. She had her head on her chest, and was listening to Spitfire’s heartbeat. It calmed her, hearing the strong, and steady beating. She often found comfort in steady beating- not just of heartbeats, but in general. Spitfire smiled, and gave her a hug, then she put the Pacifier in Rainbow’s mouth.
Spitfire wrapped her hooves around Rainbow and started to sing.
“Rainbows in sunny skies
I’ll sing you sweet lullabies
Stars that sparkle in the sky
I have seen you soar so high
You are the sunshine in my world
You are such a perfect little girl
There’s so many things I want to do
And I am lucky to have you
Flying through the skies so bright
I’ll be here with you tonight
So don’t you fear-
No matter what- I’ll be here.”
Rainbow had shut her eyes in contentment by the end of the song. Spitfire knew she wasn’t asleep. She wouldn’t be for a while, if her earlier nap was anything to go by. For now, she just wanted to savor this moment. This shining moment where she didn’t have to be an instructor, or a drill sergeant, or even a Wonderbolt. Right now, she was just a mom, enjoying time with her baby. That felt good- natural even. She looked down at Rainbow Dash and felt herself spanning through a gamut of emotion.
Contentment, Love, Happiness, and Protectiveness radiated from her, and Rainbow felt every bit of it. This moment of peace was the perfect antidote to her usually fast-paced lifestyle. She often felt that she didn’t stop to smell the roses often enough, and although she was happy with her life, she sometimes wished that she had learned to live in the moment more rather than just during races.
The moment of peace was suddenly shot when the sound of a creaking door reached both of their ears. Spitfire’s head shot up. If it was a doctor or nurse, she knew that everything could be explained. The pacifier could be easily hidden under the sheets. The diaper itself didn’t need explaining. Incontinence was something that could easily dismissed. It wasn’t in Rainbow’s medical records, but it didn’t have to be for it to still be there. Plus it could be discounted because of the accident. Spitfire had thought ahead of time about somepony finding or seeing them, and had bought diapers with a more medical look to explain everything away. It didn’t have the foalish designs that Rainbow preferred, but they were diapers, and they were just as absorbent. As long as those two things were in place, nothing else really mattered.
Yes, she was prepared for a doctor or a nurse to come in and see this. But when she looked up, it wasn’t a doctor or nurse standing there. It was Fleetfoot, who had somehow gotten past the rest of the doctors and nurses, not to mention the front desk and her own personal orders (at some point, she was going to have some serious words with the staff because letting her orders slip on her grounds was unacceptable. Besides, even if the hospital was the doctor’s jurisdiction, this was still her show) to get to this room. And for a moment, she considered it. But her body did not respond. Instead she stared up at her teammate.
For about two seconds, there was stillness in the room. Then, movement. Spitfire took Rainbow out of her lap gently and laid her back down on the pillow. Rainbow used the moment she was moved to stuff her pacifier in the sheets when it became clear that she was going to be seen. She kept looking up at Mama, and saw her expression change. The calm, tender, loving face she had on was replaced with a fierce expression. Her eyes were stone cold and merciless. She took no pity on those who disobeyed her. This was not her Mama. This was her Captain, and she knew that she was expected to respond as such.
Spitfire spun on her hooves like a whirling dervish. Her movements were very calm and calculated as she stepped forward. Fleetfoot tensed at the look on her face. She knew this could not be good, but she was not about to stop until she got answers.
“Fleetfoot.”
“Captain. I came here on official business. I have come to report that Fire Streak will be coming tomorrow to watch our practice.”
“When?” The response was terse, clipped.
“Noon, Ma’am. I was told that he would be observing practice to see what funds he would allocate to the Wonderbolts and subsequently the academy.”
`I see.”
“Ma’am?”
“What?” It was said as sharply as a dagger. Fleetfoot gulped silently, but managed to force the words out.
“Why is she wearing a diaper?”
Spitfire cocked an eyebrow. “She was unconscious. They didn’t know how long she would be out. It’s a medical precaution.” The gold pony advanced on her. Fleetfoot’s heart dropped into her stomach, but she swallowed her fear.
“That makes sense. But… Why were you holding her like that?”
While Fleetfoot had been talking, Spitfire had been multitasking. She had been listening to Fleetfoot, but she had also been concocting an excuse for that question. Thankfully, she had thought up one, and thought it up quick. “Her feathers were bothering her, and she asked me to preen her. She couldn’t do it herself because she was asked not to move her head too much.”
“She couldn’t have a nurse do it?”
“Who would you trust more? A nurse or someone you have known for years who has been through the exact same things you have?”
“Okay, okay, I get it, but… why were you holding her that way? There are a ton of ways to preen, and you could have just done it sitting up.”
Spitfire paused for the briefest moment before answering, “Because it was more comfortable for her.”
But that barely detectible pause gave her away. Fleetfoot had known Spitfire for years, and she never paused in her words unless posed with a question which required deep thought. That or she was lying. And Fleetfoot knew it was the latter. She leaned back on her haunches, and crossed her hooves. She would always respect her Captain, but she would not be lied to. Respect was a two way road in her eyes, and she would not be disrespected that way, no matter whom was speaking to her.
“Why are you lying to me?”
“What?”
“I know you, Spitfire. You are always confident. You never hesitate before you talk unless you just got asked a hard question or you’re lying. So why are you lying to me?”
Spitfire’s eyes, if it was possible, got colder, narrower.
"I asked Soarin to have everypony who comes in here approved by me, did I not?!"
"Yes, but-“
"And you did not follow orders, did you?"
"No..."
"And why is that?!"
"Because the halls were empty and the door was cracked, so I thought-"
"Well you thought WRONG!”
“I- I-I…” Spitfire stepped forward, fire in her eyes.
“You what?”
The look Spitfire was giving her made her want to crawl in a hole and die, so she avoided looking her directly in the eye. In fact, she looked almost anywhere else in the room but at Spitfire. Coincidentally, she ended up looking at Rainbow Dash, and what she saw made her pause.
She was staring at Spitfire, and most likely hadn’t registered Fleetfoot staring at her yet. But the way she looked at her… It was with such awe, such loyalty, and such adoration that it just didn’t look right on her face. The awe and loyalty were correct, for sure. That’s how she often looked at Spitfire during a demonstration of a new flying technique. But the sheer adoration in her expression just didn’t fit. At least, it didn’t fit a grown pony. It was more like the way a young filly looked at their mother. Wait… Maybe… Maybe that was…
Everything clicked into place like the last few minutes of a movie, that tied up loose ends. Everything she had seen made sense, and something sparked in her eyes. She turned back to Spitfire. Though she did not show it, the look in Fleetfoot’s eyes made her nervous.
"Are you... Is she...?"
"What? Spit it out!"
"Is she your baby?” The look on Spitfire’s face told her everything she needed to know. It was true. All of it. “It is true.” She said in a quiet voice.
That made Spitfire angry and ferociously protective. ”If you tell anypony about what you've seen, especially since you have disobeyed my orders, you will have to clean the grounds for months. And I will make sure that-"
"Mama, stop.” That was Rainbow Dash. As stunned as Fleetfoot was, she kept watching.
Spitfire turned to her. "What?"
"It's 'kay. I don't care if she knows."
"Well I do!"
"Why?"
"Because- because…” She tried to think up an excuse, something solid that didn’t make her sound so… self-absorbed. Because the truth of it all was that she was afraid for her reputation. And though she was most definitely making emotional strides, her ego was still fragile and shaky. Fortunately, it was about to be boosted.
"Relax, Captain. I don't care, and I wouldn't tell."
“What?"
"I wouldn't tell." She says. "This is between you two. Not me. Whatever you do on your time is your business."
Spitfire stared at her for a long moment, trying to decipher her motives and intent. And then, she finally relented. "Alright. I trust you. But if I hear one word from you about this, it'll be-"
"Yeah, yeah, yeah, barracks cleaning for a month. I heard you.”
“But, for disobeying my orders, you’re on toilet duty until further notice.” She commanded. “I’d be very careful if I were you.”
Fleetfoot sighed.
“Figures. Fine.” She grumbled inwardly to herself for a minute or so, before she spoke again. “So, do I get to meet the cutie or what?"
“Depends on if she wants to meet you.” Spitfire countered. Fleetfoot shrugged.
“Fair enough.”
Finally, Spitfire turned to Rainbow Dash. “You feeling up to this?” She asked.
Rainbow nodded. “Yeah, Mama.”
Spitfire looked at Fleetfoot and made a gesture with her head, as if to say, “Go on”. Fleetfoot nodded, then went to Rainbow Dash. She’d always enjoyed kids. This was bound to be even better.
“How are you, sunshine?”
Rainbow looked at Spitfire for confirmation, and she nodded. This seemed to be enough to reassure her. She gave Fleetfoot a big smile.
The time spent with Fleetfoot was (as her name ironically suggested) fleeting. Since she only came on official business, she had to get back to training shortly after. But despite this, Fleetfoot had gained so much new insight into Rainbow Dash, and the feeling was mutual. For Rainbow, she was getting to see a whole new side to her team when she saw them while in her little space. It was so perfect. She felt love and acceptance wrap around her like a scarf, and she was grateful for it.
The rest of the day was fairly uneventful after that bit of drama. The doctor or nurses came into the room to check up on her, and Mama stayed with her all day. They played games, and sang together, and read stories. When the day ran itself out, Spitfire had to return to her office and the barracks for the evening, but she promised to be back tomorrow. Rainbow nodded, and then gave her Mama a hug.
“Sweet dreams, baby bolt.” She said.
“Ni ni, Mama.” She replied.
Spitfire smiled, and then finally left.
Rainbow had to wait for her last round of pain medication to keep the throbbing at bay before merciful sleep finally took hold.
The next morning dawned bright and early, and Spitfire was up and moving quickly. She went to her office to make the final arrangements to see that Fire Streak would be cared for accordingly. When everything was taken care of, she flew to the hospital to see Rainbow Dash. When she got there, her baby bolt was still sleeping peacefully. She looked at the clock on the wall. She still had some time to kill before it was time to meet Fire Streak, so she stayed.
When Rainbow awoke, it was to Mama’s face, and she cooed quietly. Spitfire smiled at her.
“Morning, baby bolt.” She said.
“Hi Mama.” She rasped.
“How are you feeling?” She asked.
“I tiewd.” She said.
“Yeah?” She glanced at the clock and saw it was almost time to go.
“Mmmm.”
“Why don’t you go back to sleep for a while? Mama has to go do some stuff around the grounds, but I’ll be back to check on you later, okay?”
“‘Kay, Mama.” She said, and easily fell back asleep.
With that, Spitfire left.
The Wonderbolts were all busy scurrying around and practicing and preparing for the performance for Fire Streak, so much so that they didn’t notice a certain Ex-Wonderbolt sneaking around the grounds.
Wind Rider was leaning against one of the barracks buildings. Normally it would be an exposing place to be considering Pegasi could fly up at any moment, but he knew through his inner circle that the grounds were closed today for the performance and the only ponies there were all Wonderbolts and staff on the grounds.
Ever since being caught for framing Rainbow Dash for sending Spitfire away so she could fly in the show- just to be certain that she could not beat his long distance speed record- Wind Rider’s life had been in shambles. Being stripped of his Wonderbolt status meant that he had lost everything he had ever worked for. The private galas, the VIP status, the signings, the fame- all of it was up in smoke the second he framed Rainbow Dash. And now he was left trying to clean up the ashes.
But that wasn’t enough for Wind Rider. Oh, no. He wanted to marinate in the sweet taste of revenge. And he wanted it against Rainbow Dash and Spitfire. The two ponies who had ruined his life. He had considered also seeking revenge on Rarity, but he figured that seeing the complete disintegration of one of her dearest friends would certainly drive it home.
Just then, he heard the sound of a door closing, and looked. It was Spitfire, coming out of her office. He narrowed his eyes at the sight of her but kept quiet. He couldn’t give himself away. He watched where she walked to and hovered to where she turned the corner. He watched her approach Fire Streak, and welcome him to the grounds. And he watched her fly with them. A pinch of nostalgia filled him at the sight, but he tamped it down. He had to stay focused. He kept an eye on her until she landed. He managed to hear her say,
“Excuse me, but I have business to attend to.”
Wind Rider raised an eyebrow. Somewhere to be that wasn’t there? This made him curious. It was also notable that Rainbow Dash hadn’t been flying today. Perhaps she was going to see her? Carefully, he followed. He wound up at the hospital on the grounds. He figured that she would be visiting her. He watched her through the large windows, and the room she seemed to stop at- for she hadn’t gone any further that he’d seen- had the curtains drawn. However, there was a small opening between them, and he caught a flash of Rainbow-colored mane. It was definitely Rainbow Dash and Spitfire in there. He peered in closer and saw more, and what he saw shocked him. Rainbow Dash was in a diaper, being fed a bottle by her captain. Wind Rider did a double take to make sure what he was seeing was correct. And it was.
He had initially planned on getting vengeance on them separately, but now, seeing this, he strayed from his original idea. Why not kill two birds with one stone? This little secret, and he was certain it was a secret, could undo them both. Just a few minutes later, he came up with a sinister plan. But first, he would have to be patient. And soon, so soon, he would have his revenge.
Rainbow Dash spent the rest of the day with her Mama, telling each other stories of flying and adventures. When the doctor came in later that evening, she was told that she was cleared to fly and to go back to the barracks, and training. She was relieved. But also saddened that her one on one time with her mama had ended. Spitfire had had to leave early that day, to go to a press event in Cloudsdale, and asked Rainbow if she wanted to come along, but Rainbow declined. The thought of her comfy bed and a chance to fly again tempted her too much, so she decided to stay. She and Spitfire parted ways (professionally this time), and Rainbow flew toward the barracks.
Then, a sound of somepony speeding along reached her ears. But before she could react, a hoof was placed over her mouth and she was yanked backward and whisked away.
Rainbow struggled against her captor, but there wasn’t much she could do. Her body was still recovering from her injury, and she felt very weak. She tried to fly away, but after two days of rest, her wings weren’t in top shape. She couldn’t even crane her neck to see who had her, not only because the doctor had warned against it for at least a few days, but because the pain of moving her head hurt too much unless she had just taken her pain meds. And she hadn’t had them for at least two hours. The most she could do in the situation was stare at her kidnapper’s hoof that rested over her mouth. She tried to bite him a few times, but he was strong. The color of him- and she knew it was a him because of the hoof size- was cerulean. Light grayish, to be precise. Something about it seemed familiar, it stirred a memory, but she couldn’t place a face to who it belonged to.
She took a look around and saw that they were headed toward one of the back buildings. She racked her brain trying to remember what was so important that could be back here. Usually this was just the place where they stored the groundskeeping equipment. She heard a door open, and then she was inside. The light of Luna’s moon grew fainter as the door shut, and then there was darkness, and the only light was coming through a few windows. Another door opened, and then, a light turned on. There were clinking sounds, and then, something was wrapping around her hoof. Something cold and metallic. She looked down at it. It was a shackle. Where in Equestria did those come from?! They didn’t have them in here.
“Like the new addition?” Came a voice. Rainbow’s eyes widened. She knew that voice.
“Wind Rider?”
“The one and only.” He said. He threw her out of his grip and she tried to fly away, but the shackle was connected to a chain in the wall. She was reaching forward with one hoof as she tried to reach a pair of bolt cutters resting nearby, which gave Wind Rider an opportunity to shackle the other hoof. She fought against the chains, but they were short and nailed into hooks in the concrete wall. She shot the Ex-Wonderbolt a deadly glare.
“You won’t get away with thi- mmmm!”
A ball gag was shoved in her mouth and she couldn’t spit it out. It was too big. Instinct had her try to suck on it. It didn’t completely work, considering the size, but it was enough to make a suckling noise. Wind Rider smirked.
“Sorry it’s not a pacifier or a bottle. Bet you’d like that, wouldn’t you?”
Rainbow Dash stopped struggling and froze. His smirk grew.
“You thought you could keep it a secret? Next time close your curtains more. Now, if you’re good, and stay quiet, I might consider keeping this to myself. But if you misbehave, or fight me at any turn, not only will your secret be out, but you will be severely punished. Understand?”
“Mmmm!”
He nodded. “Good. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have something else to do.” He turned to walk away.
“Wmmm mmm m gmmmimg?” She asked.
“Where am I going?” He interpreted.
“Mmmm.”
“To leave a little note for your mommy.” He said.
He left to the sound of rattling chains.
When Spitfire came to the grounds that morning, she didn’t go to her office first thing. She went to the barracks to see Rainbow Dash. She wanted to know how her first night out of the hospital went. She checked the barracks, but she wasn’t there. She shrugged it off, figuring that she was somewhere else and she would find her later. So she went to her office. She put her saddlebags underneath her desk, and was about to sit down when she spied a piece of paper on her desk. She pulled it into her hooves.
She’s still here. Come and get her.
It was signed, WR
There was nothing about this that she didn’t understand clearly. There was no doubt in her mind who “she” was, or who WR was. Spitfire only paused for half a second before slamming her hoof on the loudspeaker button.
“Emergency! All Wonderbolts report to the captain’s office immediately!” She thundered.
Within minutes, every Wonderbolt was crammed in her office.
“Listen up! Wind Rider has taken Rainbow Dash. I want every inch of these grounds searched, and I want it done thoroughly. I expect each of you to Patrol a different part of the grounds with a partner, and then rendezvous here. Whoever doesn’t show in here, that’s how you know where to go, if they haven’t been contacted by a partner.” She shot off orders of whom was paired with whom, ending with herself and Thunderlane. And finally, where each team would search. “You all know that the Wonderbolts are a family. No pony gets left behind. Now move out!” She barked.
They did as she asked almost immediately. The only ones who stayed a moment longer were Soarin, and Fleetfoot, who stared at her worriedly before taking off. Spitfire and Thunderlane stared at each other for half a second. He saw the fire in her eyes, as well as the fear. But he knew there was nothing he could say.
“Come on.” She said. It was cold, deadly. He just nodded. They were assigned to the back warehouse because it was locked with the key that only the captain had. She kept it on her desk at night, but if Wind Rider got in there to get the note to her, he could have used it. They flew there at top speed. Thunderlane was fast, but Spitfire was like a comet. Her baby was in danger and she would not rest until she was safe. She used the key to enter, and scanned the halls. Nothing so far. She went further, when suddenly a faint sound reached her ears. She darted toward it, and the sound got louder. She landed, and Thunderlane followed her lead. She opened the door to look inside, and gasped. There was Rainbow, chained up and gagged.
Spitfire could have lit every hearth in Equestria with the fiery flame of her fury. She started in to see her.
“Dash, are you hurt?”
“Gmmm mmm nmmm!” Her expression was panicked. Spitfire saw the fear in her eyes. She stepped forward, and was about to go to her, when a voice said,
“Not another step.” From the shadows, Wind Rider emerged. “Hello, Spitfire. Miss me?”
She turned to Thunderlane. “Get the others, Now.”
He nodded and dashed off, and she turned back, leaving herself, Wind Rider, and Rainbow Dash alone.
Spitfire stared Wind Rider down with a thousand knives. He fired back with a glare of his own, one with the strength of a ten-inch thick steel vault. The tension was so thick between them that it couldn’t be cut with a saw.
Spitfire was infuriated. How dare he kidnap her baby?! She leaned in closer.
“I wouldn’t if I were you.” He warned. “Wouldn’t want your precious little princess to get hurt, now would you?”
Spitfire suddenly saw what was under his wing. It was a pair of bolt cutters.
“What are you-?”
She cut herself of when the pair of bolt cutters wrapped around one of Rainbow’s wing bones. Her eyes widened to the size of saucers and her breath caught in her throat.
“I wouldn’t try anything, or your little baby will never fly again. They won’t be able to heal her bones because they won’t be broken, they’ll be crushed.”
Spitfire heard hoof steps and saw from the corner of her eye that the rest of the team assembled.
“What do you want?” She growled.
“You to suffer.” He spat. “You ended my career. You sent my life into a downward spiral. I will never get back what I lost. And it’s because of you two.”
“We didn’t do any of that! You brought it on yourself when you tried to frame B- Rainbow Dash, I just followed protocol.” She retorted.
Wind Rider’s eyes narrowed. He suddenly put the bolt cutter in his hooves and pressed as hard as he could. There was a sickening crunch sound, and Rainbow Dash let out a scream.
“What was that, now?” He asked tauntingly.
Despite it being muffled, it was piercing. Tears started pouring down her face, and she looked up into Spitfire’s face. For a brief second, Rainbow’s little self flashed through her eyes, and she looked so afraid, so… lost. And that look pierced right through Spitfire. She felt herself weaken. Her shoulders slumped, her posture wilted, and her head dropped slightly. Her glare softened.
“I would refrain from anymore cracks at my expense, or the next cracks will be her bones.” He threatened.
“You take me. Just take me. If you took me instead of her, you would have even more power. But that’s only if you take me, and let her go.” She said.
Wind Rider looked contemplative. It was indeed an enticing offer. “Tempting. But… I'll have to say no.” His smile was sickening. Demented. “To see your destruction through her is very fun for me. And should any pony else try and be a hero today, you’ll just be cracking more bones.” He stared each of them, making sure they got the message.
Then, he turned to Rainbow Dash. His face grew mocking. “Awww, poor baby. Looking a little sad there.” He cooed, and put a hoof underneath her chin, forcing him to look at her. “Turn that frown upside down.” She tried to turn her face away and out of his grip. He yanked her chin toward him, and she made a yelping sound. He gave her a smile.
That smug smile was the last straw for Spitfire. Rage exploded like a fireball within her, and coursed through her body. It heightened her senses, strengthened her muscles, primed her nerves, and made her head swim. Her vision took on a reddish tint around the edges, and a burst of energy crashed over her like a tidal wave. She used the moment of distraction on Wind Rider’s part to her advantage. It was only for a second, but that was all she needed. She raced over to where Wind Rider was, and knocked the bolt cutters from his hooves, and then slammed him into the wall.
“Get away from her!” She shrieked.
Unfortunately for Spitfire, the rage took over her, and she blacked out. When she looked back on it, she would not be able to remember what happened during that time. But unfortunately for Wind Rider, he did. Every. Single. Thing.
She slammed him into the wall, Rage blinding her every action and clouding her judgement. She punched him in the muzzle, swept under his front hooves, lifted him up, then used the leverage to kick him in the stomach. She backed away just enough to let him crouch over to hold his stomach, then used it to take a minute to slam his head into the side of the wall. He collapsed in a daze, and she seized the opportunity to leap on top of him. She pinned his hooves to the ground and sat on top of his forehooves. She took a moment, maybe half a minute, to watch the confusion fade from his gaze and be replaced with a look of total terror. She did not remember what happened while she was awake, but that particular image made an imprint on her, and occasionally would come into her dreams. Then, She wrapped her hooves around his throat. She throttled him, slamming his head to the floor several times. Then, she paused, just long enough to possibly give him hope of everything being over. Then, she choked him. She heard the little choking noises, and they were like sweet, sweet music to her ears.
Black spots swam in front of Wind Rider’s vision, And he gave Spitfire one last terrified look before he finally passed out.
When he was finally down for the count, Spitfire let go. The rage ebbed, and that was about the time when she came to, capable of rational thought again. When she turned, she saw the rest of her fellow Wonderbolts staring at her in both shock and utter terror. She turned to Rainbow Dash. Her baby bolt was still hanging there, although Soarin had started to move once he saw her looking at them, and was taking the ball gag out of her mouth. A flash of anger swept through her.
“Don’t just stand there staring at me, get her down!” She demanded.
Thunderlane was quick to start looking for the key to the shackles, as did the other Wonderbolts. Easily enough, they found it lodged behind a crate. They went to Rainbow Dash and unchained her. She dropped to the ground like a sack of bricks. Spitfire raced to her. She set one hoof on Rainbow’s shoulder, and the mare looked up at her. Spitfire took one look at her, and she saw her little space hovering just beneath the surface.
Spitfire had a choice to make. She could give in to the maternal instinct that kept screaming at her, or she could deny it. One could ruin her reputation, but the other could ruin Rainbow Dash. She feared for Rainbow Dash’s reaction when she was back in her adult headspace if she were to reveal them. The condemnation from the other Wonderbolts, aside from Soarin, Thunderlane, and Fleetfoot, might be too much for her to handle. She knew that she could gain her respect back, but Rainbow Dash was still considered a rookie. Something like this could destroy her own reputation before she even had a chance to build it. But on the other hoof, if she didn’t help her now, she might destroy what had basically become the most important relationship in her life. Along with Rainbow Dash’s sense of security in her. Either way, her trust would be broken, and that pained her. But she also knew that Wind Rider would no longer have any sympathy toward her should he wake up, considering she had had no mercy on him. And he would likely reveal them himself. Wouldn’t it be better to hear it from them? Still, she found herself teetering between the two options as if she were walking a tightrope, leaning one way and then the other.
But one more look at her took all her hesitation away, and she knew not just what she wanted to do, but what she had to do.
She wrapped her hooves around Rainbow Dash in a comforting embrace.
“It’s okay, Baby Bolt. Everything is okay now. I promise.”
Rainbow returned the embrace, looking confused. It wasn’t about Spitfire. It was about herself. She could feel herself slipping. But she still had enough of her older self to feel shameful. What if they kicked her out of the Wonderbolts? No, wait, that wasn’t rational. Spitfire would never let that happen. But complete humiliation was absolutely possible. Oh, she could just see it. The laughter. Spitfire wouldn’t have to kick her out. She would be laughed out. But… Spitfire was holding her. She had called her baby bolt. She only did that when she was in Mama mode. And if Spitfire wasn’t embarrassed, maybe she shouldn’t be either.
She melted into her, and felt the last of her older self fade as she gave in the little self that was bubbling beneath the surface. However, she retained enough of her bigger self to use bigger words, but otherwise, she was regressing quickly. She started whimpering, though wether it was out of pain or her littleness was unclear. Spitfire rubbed her back.
“Shhh. It’s okay Baby Bolt. Mama’s here.” She said.
“M-Mama.” She stuttered.
“It’s okay.” She said. Then, she turned to Thunderlane and Soarin. “Can you go find her pain meds and get the bag from my office?” She asked them.
“Sure.” Thunderlane volunteered first, and left. Soarin went over to the both of them. Rainbow looked at him.
“Hey Little Bit. You did a really good job. Really great.” He said.
“I did?” It was very quiet.
“You did.” He said. “You stayed calm, you kept a level head, and you didn’t hurt yourself in the process. That’s what it means to make smart decisions.”
“Yeah?” Hope shined in her eyes.
“Definitely.” He said. He winked at her.
She giggled a little. He cooed at her, then he looked at Spitfire. “Can I hold her?”
Spitfire rolled her eyes. “Fine.”
Soarin gave her a cheeky grin. “Thanks, boss.”
“Be careful of her wing.” She ordered.
“Sure thing.” He picked her up carefully. “You okay, Little Bit?” He asked.
She felt herself slipping further. “Wing huwts.” She pouted.
“I know. But Thunderlane is getting you medicine to take it away and make it better. Then we’ll take you to the hospital.” He said.
“‘Kay, bubba.” She said.
Just then, Thunderlane came back, carrying the pill and Rainbow’s saddlebag. “Hey, Mini Mare. This should help you out.” He said.
She took the pill and swallowed it dry. It got stuck in her throat for maybe a few seconds, then went down hard.
“Good job.” Soarin said. Spitfire came up to her.
“Let’s get you to the hospital.” She said.
“‘Kay, Mama.” She replied.
Together, the three of them headed to the hospital.
Fleetfoot remained behind purposefully, though she desperately wished to be with everypony else. She had taken one look at the shocked and confused expressions of the rest of her fellow Wonderbolts and knew that some explaining was in order. But Spitfire couldn’t do it, for the obvious reason that she wouldn’t leave Rainbow, not in the state she was in. And with Soarin currently holding her and Thunderlane helping her manage her pain, that left her to do the talking.
She explained everything she knew, particularly about how she herself had figured it out, and how they had spent those first minutes afterward. Each one listened, and each had a different reaction at first. But by the end, they all nodded. Each of them weren’t exactly sure of how this came to be or exactly how to take it, but they knew that their teammate needed their support. And they would help her, no matter what.
Meanwhile, Spitfire, Soarin, and Thunderlane were helping Rainbow Dash along to the hospital. Thankfully it was morning and not evening, so there wasn’t much going on there. The moment Spitfire entered, the doctor in the lobby, and a nearby nurse, came to attention.
“A bone in her wing was crushed with a pair of bolt cutters. I want every test possible done on her, and she is not to be left without one of us present, including Fleetfoot. I expect the best care for her. I also expect complete confidentiality here, and one more thing. Should Wind Rider come to this hospital, I want to be alerted, and for him to be transferred to a different hospital after he is stabilized, should he require it. And should he come here, I want him in the room furthest away from Rainbow Dash. Am I clear?” Her orders were crisp and direct.
“Yes ma’am.” They said, fearful of what she might do should they disobey. It was, after all, her show.
“She took some pain medicine a few minutes ago. We need to take her to a room for a moment though.”
“Yes ma’am. This way.” The doctor instructed. He led her to a nearby room and opened the door. “I’ll be making rounds should you need me.” He said.
“Thank you.” She said in a tone that instantly dismissed him. He left, and wisely shut the door behind him.
Spitfire wasted no time. She grabbed the bag from Thunderlane and opened it. She grabbed a diaper from the duffel and some powder and rash cream, and then patted the bed.
“Lay down.” She said to Rainbow, voice sweeter than all the sugar in Sugarcube Corner.
Rainbow did as her mama told her. She winced a little when her wing brushed against the bed in it’s bad spot, but it was okay. She stayed still and stared up at the ceiling as her Mama diapered her. She supposed that mama figured since she had already slipped so far that she would need it. She wasn’t in a position to argue. She knew that at this point it was better to be safe than sorry. Absently, she stuck her hoof in her mouth and started suckling. Maybe fifteen seconds later, Soarin handed her her pacifier to use instead. She looked miffed to have to take it out, but she knew that Mama didn’t like it when she did that, and she knew better than to upset her over even the smallest thing, especially considering what happened. She opened her mouth and accepted it. Just after, The change was done.
Rainbow sat up. Mama looked pleased, so Rainbow smiled.
Spitfire gave her a minute or two to relax, but then decided that it was time to go.
“Come on, baby bolt. Let’s get you checked out.” She said.
Rainbow had taken her pacifier out, having enough of her senses left to feel the shame of embarrassment about that. But the diaper didn’t embarrass her. This was a place of medical practice. If there was a place she wouldn’t be judged for this, it would be here. She followed her Mama and brothers down the hall as the doctors took her for tests. Mama stayed with her in the X-Ray room, and her brothers guarded the door.
The next two hours were a blur of tests, being Poked, prodded, scanned, and scrutinized. Rainbow was annoyed and cranky, not to mention hungry and thirsty, but she kept quiet about it because she didn’t want to make her family sad. When she finally got into a room, Mama made sure she was settled in, then said:
“I’ll be right back. I’m going to get you something to eat.”
She nodded, and watched her leave. Her brothers stayed behind to watch over her. Thunderlane volunteered to guard the door from any unwelcome visitors (namely Wind Rider) while Soarin stayed with her. Sometimes they talked. Other times they played games, and then occasionally they lapsed into silence. Not because there was nothing to talk about, but because Rainbow was clearly tired.
Spitfire had indeed gone to get her little girl some food, but she also had some ulterior motives. She made a pit stop at the front desk and asked the receptionist for a scroll and a quill. She quickly scribbled a note, then went to find a nurse to get a food tray. On the way back to the room, she stopped outside the door to her baby girl’s room, and asked Thunderlane to deliver it personally. He gave a cursory look at what she’d written. He nodded, and then bolted off, following her instructions.
Spitfire came in with a smile, and sat on the bed. She put the food in her lap and started mashing everything that wasn’t already made that way. Soarin helped and put milk into the bottle, and screwed on the nipple. Spitfire nodded her thanks to him, and then she started feeding Rainbow, who looked incredibly grateful for the food. Spitfire could only imagine the depth of that hunger, since she knew she had to have been in that warehouse for several hours, and she highly doubted that Wind Rider would be kind enough to feed her.
Rainbow ate until everything was gone. The plate was spotless. Spitfire praised her clean plate, and then, She carefully positioned Rainbow in her lap, and gave her her bottle.
Rainbow nursed slowly, closing her eyes as she did so. The cool milk soothed her dry throat, and Mama’s warmth enveloped her. She heard the beating of her heart, and the beeping of the heart monitor that kept tabs on her own. The sounds, the warmth, and the pain medicine finally seeming to kick in all combined to send her off to sleep. Though she kept nursing, the bottle soon ran dry and she was just sucking on air. Spitfire was not unaware of this. She quickly replaced the bottle with her pacifier, and the suckling resumed. Spitfire gently moved her off of her lap and onto the bed before covering her up with a blanket.
When she was sure Rainbow was asleep, she motioned Soarin outside the room. She told him of the scroll she sent Thunderwing to deliver. Before he could reply, a doctor came up to them.
“Ma’am, I’m here to inform you that Wind Rider has been admitted here. Per your request we have him in a separate wing of the hospital and will be transferring him after his examination.”
“Excellent. Thank you, Doctor.” She said. “Oh, and one more thing.”
“Yes, ma’am?”
“I realize that I initially told you that myself, Soarin, Thunderlane, and Fleetfoot would be welcome here, but I did send a scroll to a guest about what happened here, and she should be permitted to come in.”
“Whom?”
“Princess Celestia. She should be arriving fairly soon.”
“I’m already here, actually.” Came the imperial voice.
Spitfire and the doctor both turned. Each bowed.
“Princess Celestia. Thank you very much for coming on such short notice.” Spitfire said.
“Of course, Spitfire. I am glad you had Thunderlane give a scroll to Spike to send to me. Would you mind telling me what happened here to cause my presence to be needed?”
“Certainly, Princess. Last Night while she was trying to go home following an injury, former Wonderbolt Wind Rider took Rainbow Dash and chained her up in a warehouse. She was there for hours with no food or water that I know of, and no restroom. He left a note on my desk to tell me to come and get her. I sent all Wonderbolts available in search of her. Thunderlane and I found her. I sent him to get the others. He tried to blackmail me with a secret of ours. I assume you know of it from your sister. When I tried to do something, he took a bolt cutter and crushed one of her bones. We’re still waiting for the x-ray results to see the damage that has been done. I tried to get him to leave her alone through some apparently questionable means. I don’t exactly remember what all that was, but it was enough to knock him out. And if you want to punish me for it, feel free. But I do not regret my actions.”
The Princess’ face was serious. “I understand why you did what you did, whatever it was. And I will not punish you for it.” She said. “Protecting your child is a good reason, particularly under the circumstances. I can’t imagine you didn’t do what any self-respecting parent would. And as for Rainbow Dash, may I see her?”
“I’m don’t think she’s awake, but I can wake her up if you need me to?”
“That’s quite alright, Spitfire. I just wanted to see her condition.”
“If you’re available later, you’re certainly welcome to come and see her.”
“I’ll do my best.” She smiled. She took a second to peek in on the sleeping mare and saw her bandaged wing. She nodded to herself, then she turned to the doctor. “Would you please escort me to Wind Rider’s room?” She asked.
“Certainly, Princess.” He said, and took her to the aforementioned Stallion’s room.
When she walked in, Wind Rider had his head bandaged, and quite a few bruises. Her eyes narrowed. Wind Rider looked over at her with an expression of annoyance, but then realized who she was.
“P-Princess Celestia!” He exclaimed.
“Hello, Wind Rider. How are you feeling?”
“I’m in pain, but I’m handling it well.”
“Really?” She asked and advanced into the room. “Because I know some pony who is tolerating much worse pain than yourself.”
She saw a flash of fear cross through his eyes, and that told her everything she needed to know. “Rainbow Dash is currently nursing a crushed wing bone because of your heinous actions. You were cruel, cold, calculating, and you knew exactly what you were doing when you sought her out. This is one of the most heartless things I have ever seen anypony do. And now only one question remains: How will you be punished?”
Wind Rider’s eyes widened at her question, and his heart began beating faster. Of all the possibilities in how this would end, he had considered many, and planned for some. He had considered Spitfire surrendering to him, and planned elaborate torment. He had considered Rainbow Dash escaping, and had planned a few boobie traps around the grounds to do this. He had considered this ending in him being beaten to a pulp, which had happened. But he had not considered this. In all actuality, he had not thought that this would go all the way up to the Princess. Oh, he had assumed that he would be caught somehow. And he had been prepared and ready for that. However, he had, in hindsight, foolishly thought that retribution would be given at the hooves of Spitfire or maybe Rainbow Dash’s friends.
Not Celestia herself.
Really, though, he should have seen it coming, knowing who her friends were. But he couldn’t think about that now. Now, he awaited his punishment at the hooves of the most powerful ruler of Equestria.
Celestia stared at him for a long time. She had seen creatures commit heinous crimes against ponies, but usually it was in the pursuit of power. And even though this was a crime against one pony and not thousands, somehow, this was worse. Because this wasn’t a quest for power or money, or anything that big. This was about something as petty as revenge for a stolen spotlight. And it sickened her. Because of his actions, Rainbow Dash may very well never recover from these events.
She was a professional at remaining self-possessed, but this time her anger was palpable. A dozen options for punishment floated through her mind. She could have him work in the castle, or she could send him to the edge of Equestria. She could let Discord play with him, or maybe send her sister to haunt his dreams. All of these options came through her mind, but none seemed severe enough. She wanted this to stick.
The tension was electrifying. Wind Rider became more and more uneasy with every minute that passed. Celestia’s stare was absolutely piercing. It was like she was looking straight into his soul. Her lips pursed in a thin line. Apparently she did not like what she saw. After an eternity of silence, she spoke.
“I’ve been thinking, Wind Rider.” She said, slowly. Wind Rider couldn’t stop himself from gulping. “What punishment would best teach you your lesson?” She went forward. She looked utterly displeased, completely infuriated. And he knew exactly what would become of him. In a few words: He. Was. Dead. “I’ve thought over a dozen different punishments in my mind, and none seemed severe enough. So I will give you this. Wind Rider, I hereby banish you to Tartarus!”
“WHAT?!?!” He exclaimed. “You can’t lump me in with those criminals! I’m nowhere near as bad as them!”
“You’re right.” She agreed, and it gave him pause. Was she revoking her words? His erroneous assumption was proven wrong a moment later. She spoke with a snarl. “You’re worse.”
His mouth hung open. “I-“ She raised one hoof and it shut him up.
“Most creatures who incur the punishment of this magnitude have done such atrocities to thousands of ponies on a grand scale. Usually they do it in the pursuit of power, money, fear, things of the like. You did all of this to two ponies for the petty reason of revenge. And to add to it, you meticulously planned out this torment, to one pony. You didn’t like what Spitfire told you so you crushed Rainbow Dash’s bones to torture them both. And you knew that if you did so she may never fly again, and never beat your record. You did all of this over something so small, so trivial, and you knew the exact level of cruelty this required. I have seen many criminals in my time, but you are the worst I have ever seen.” She said.
“Me?” He parroted.
“You.” She said. Her gaze was unremitting.
He resisted the urge to squirm under her glare. She stepped forward.
“Are you sorry for what you’ve done?”
“Yes.” He said.
She looked at him. “No you’re not. You’re just sorry you got caught.”
He almost blushed. She was right. But he would not lose any more of his dignity. He had to have something left.
Celestia never noticed his internal dialogue. “There will be two guards stationed outside of your door, and another in here. When the doctor deems you stable, I will be back to escort you to your new home.” She said. It seemed to him that she was almost smirking as she finished that sentence. But that had to be his imagination… Right? It had to be. Celestia was a royal, she didn’t take pleasure in other ponies’ torment… Didn’t she? Wind Rider swallowed again at her cold and callous demeanor. It was only when she could see the fear in his eyes, that she started back to the door. Wind Rider breathed an almost silent sigh of relief. Celestia smirked a bit to herself, hearing the exhale with her sensitive ears. He was getting exactly what he deserved. She spoke with the doctor for a brief moment about the guards, and he nodded. Then, she sent a scroll to her sister, asking her to send a few of them. She wanted no room for error with this- she had to be sure that he would not escape. Not that he could have done it easily in his current state, but she had learned to never underestimate ponies like him.
Only when the Princess had passed through the doorway and was completely out of his eyeline did he finally relax. He looked around, seeking a way out. There was a window, but not one big enough to fit through. There was a door to a connecting bathroom that seemed to have a window in it judging from the sunlight in there. But he expected that it was too small too. His theory was confirmed when he used the restroom later. Too small. As he climbed into his hospital bed, only one thought went through his head:
In her room, Rainbow Dash was slowly waking. She scrubbed at one eye as she yawned, and moved a little. The sound alerted Spitfire, who had been sitting in the room, watching over her while occasionally flipping through the pages of a book. She went over to her little girl and stroked her mane. Rainbow’s eyes fluttered open, and she smiled.
“Mama.” She cooed.
“Hey Baby Bolt. Feeling better?” She asked.
“Mmmm…” It was a noncommittal response. Spitfire figured it was the best she would get under the circumstances.
“Do you need anything?” Spitfire inquired.
“Cuddwes?” She asked, hopefully. Spitfire smiled and climbed onto the bed, careful of her baby’s wing. Spitfire sidled up to her, and Rainbow leaned in happily, nuzzling her. Finally, after all she’d been through, she was safe. She soaked in the feeling. Spitfire too basked in it. Her baby was out of danger. At last.
Thunderlane and Soarin smiled at the sight, but decided to leave the room and guard the door instead, letting the two of them have their moment. They were sure that Rainbow would need all the protection she could get, especially with Wind Rider in the hospital. They went out, and shut the door, giving the pair some privacy. There were already two guards outside the door, but they decided to join them. The guards were unmoving, as still and as stone faced as statues. The two of them emulated this, for a time at least, before they got bored and started talking. The guards didn’t seem to notice.
Spitfire and Rainbow stayed that way for a long time, just enjoying the closeness. That is, until Rainbow started to squirm. Usually, Spitfire would have passed this off as her being an active pony. Always needing to move. But she knew better now. There was no way that she would interrupt a moment like this without a reason, especially in her headspace.
“What’s the matter, Baby Bolt?”
Rainbow whimpered. “Potty.”
“You’re wearing your diaper, bug.”
“No…”
“What’s bothering you?” She asked.
She started whining and squirming more. “Gotsa potty.”
“Then go, baby. I’ll change you.”
“No… Poopie.” She said.
“I meant what I said. I’ll change you.” She said.
Rainbow looked up at her, and saw nothing in her eyes to indicate that she was lying.
“You dun-“
“I don’t think it’s gross.” She finished quickly. “You’re my baby bolt. You could never be gross to me.” She said.
Hope sparked in her eyes. She looked in Spitfire’s eyes and just saw unconditional love. It relaxed her, and her bowels too.
Rainbow grunted as her mess filled her diaper. Her face was pink instead of the usual sky blue. Spitfire just rubbed her back. When it was over, Rainbow exhaled in relief. Spitfire hugged her.
“Good Girl.” She praised, and moved to get the diapering supplies. Rainbow calmed. This really was okay. She laid back. The mess squished against her and she whined. Spitfire hushed her.
“It’s okay. I’ll change you in just a second.” She said.
She put the supplies nearby, and began the change. Her nose twitched at the smell, but otherwise, she gave no outward signs of being disgusted. She pulled the diaper away, balled it up, and tossed it in the trash. She wiped her off, before sliding a fresh diaper under her. She put on rash cream, powdered her gently, and then taped it up.
“There we go. All done.” She said.
Rainbow smiled, feeling clean again. “Tanks Mama.” She said.
Spitfire smiled, and it was better than winning a race in Rainbow Dash’s opinion. She hugged her and gave her a kiss on the cheek. Spitfire responded by kissing the crown of her head. Her little one was so precious. She was not one for displays of affection, much preferring to give displays of authority, but in this case, she was open to it. Rainbow giggled, finally smiling.
“There’s a smile.” Spitfire said. Rainbow cuddled into her again.
“Mama?” She asked.
“Yes?”
“I firsty.”
“Do you want me to get you something to drink?”
“Pease?”
“Sure. Will you be okay in here by yourself for minute?”
“Uh huh.”
“Okay. I’ll be right back.” She said.
She was about to open the door when it swung open on it’s own. There, stood Princess Celestia.
“Princess.” Spitfire bowed quickly. Rainbow followed her lead.
“Hello Spitfire. Hello Rainbow Dash.” She said. “I thought I would come and see how you were doing, and also come to inform you about my punishment of Wind Rider.”
“Please, come in.” Spitfire said.
Rainbow sat on the bed, blushing at her own appearance. So much for her tough image. To her surprise, the princess chuckled.
“Don’t be modest, Rainbow Dash. This isn’t the first time I’ve seen you like this. You did take me into your dream to care for my sister.” She said.
Rainbow’s head shot up. “That was really you?”
“Sort of.” The Princess replied. “The manifestation of me you created actually came from me, so when it returned I knew what had happened. And Even if it hadn’t been, my sister mentioned the dream the next morning. I must admit, I hadn’t seen her so relaxed in a very long time.” She smiled.
“Really?”
“Really. If it weren’t for our royal duties, I’d dare to think we’d indulge in that.”
“You should try and make time. It’s really fun.” She said.
“I’ll keep that in mind. How are you feeling?” She asked.
“I’m ‘kay.” She said. “Just tired.”
“Any pain?”
“A little. Better now.”
“Good. I hear you have a very good doctor.”
“He’s nice.”
“I’m glad. I came to give you both an update on Wind Rider’s sentence.”
“We’re listening.” Spitfire said, coming over and putting her wing around Rainbow Dash.
“I have decided to exile Wind Rider to Tartarus.” She said.
Their two reactions were very different. Spitfire looked somewhat pleased, but there was also disappointment there. For some reason, the thought did not comfort her. She thought that reason might be for her own need to have revenge. But still, it was satisfying, because she knew he would never get near her baby bolt again. Rainbow Dash, on the other hand, looked worried. If Tirek could escape from Tartarus, what was stopping Wind Rider? True, he needed magic to escape there, but he could very well team up with somepony on the inside.
Princess Celestia sensed Rainbow’s distress. “I assure you both, he will never see the light of our sun again. A few of Luna’s guards will be stationed out side of his cage.”
Rainbow breathed easier after that. “Thank you.”
“Of course. I must return to Canterlot now, but I truly do wish you well, Rainbow Dash.”
“Thank you, Princess.”
“You’re very welcome. Take care.” She said.
“Thank you.” They said together.
With that, Celestia departed.
Just as Celestia entered the hallway, she was greeted with a welcome sight, Her sister was standing outside the room.
“Greetings, sister.” Said Luna.
Celestia smiled. “Greetings.”
“Are you ready to transport our prisoner?”
“Certainly.” They began walking through the hospital. When they arrived at a corridor with no staff, Celestia spoke again. “Do you recall that dream that you had a few weeks ago?”
Luna’s face flushed a light pink. “Yes. Why?”
“Would you… would you like it to happen again?”
“Sister, are you suggesting…?”
“That depends.”
“On?”
“Your willingness to participate.”
“It… It would be fun. But when would we-?”
“We’ll figure it out.” Celestia replied quickly.
“Okay. Let’s try it.” Luna said. They arrived outside of Wind Rider’s room. The two sisters smiled at one another, then went inside.
Wind Rider had spent the time the Princess was away trying to figure a way out of here. The door was out of the question. The two guards would easily best him. Flying was also not an option, considering one of his injuries happened to be to his wing. He could attempt to go through the walls, but considering that he didn’t know what would be on the other side, that opened a whole new slew of problems. There was no closet to go through, no window to open, not even a basement to hide in.
To put it simply, he was stuck. Just stuck.
The reality of the situation was quickly crashing down upon him. If there was no way to escape, then there was no way out of this situation. And even if he did escape, there was nowhere he could go without the princesses finding him. He was screwed. With this perspective, he was able to see enough that he had thrown his life away. Oh, he still did not regret his actions, but he regretted where it had landed him. He did not get to the point where he could be angry at himself. Instead, he projected it onto Rainbow Dash and Spitfire, alongside the princesses. If they hadn’t done what they had, he would have never been in this position! And the princesses- how dare they imprison him with the worst criminals Equestria had ever seen. It wasn’t fair. It just wasn’t fair.
He stewed in his anger for a long while, but eventually the burning anger was reduced to a flickering ember. With his body still recovering, staying too long in one emotion took it’s toll. He was left with an intense sense of indifference. Numbness, more specifically. Every emotion that could have been there, went through him, and left him with a deep nothingness. His outlook was, well, bleak. He may as well have been sentenced to death, because losing his freedom was worse than being dead in his eyes.
He didn’t have time to dwell on it much more. The Princesses entered his room, and he knew he was enjoying his last few breaths of air as a free man.
“Wind Rider. Thy time has come. It is time for you to pay for your heinous crimes.” Said Luna. Her gaze was unrelenting.
She looked to her sister. Celestia spoke. “You will be transported to Tartarus immediately.”
“What about my medical needs?”
“They’ll heal in time.”
“What about-“
“Your affairs are in order. We have taken care of everything. It is time.”
The blazing gazes of the Princesses were on him, and it finally sank in that he had caused their ire.
“I’m sorry.” He said. Their eyes stayed locked on him. Nothing seemed to divert their gazes. It was clear that they did not believe them.
“Come on.” Celestia said.
Wind Rider got up. He took a step toward the princesses, and felt that he was stepping deeper and deeper into the endless void of life ruining despair. He had not noticed that first step into that void, nor the ones that followed, until it was too late, and he was drowning.
Just as he got up to the princesses, he saw Spitfire and Rainbow Dash enter. Spitfire looked on with a satisfied smirk, while Rainbow Dash was rigid at her side. She looked blank. Her eyes were empty. To Spitfire, it seemed that she had shut down emotionally, wether in distress or in shock, she did not know. She wrapped Rainbow in her wing. That seemed to shake her from her daze a bit, and she looked up at her Mama. Mama was looking down at her and nodded, trying to convey a message with her eyes. Apparently it was received, because Rainbow relaxed marginally.
They both turned back, and the Princesses had converged on Wind Rider, Luna’s guards there too.
They all formed a circle around the accused, and he had just enough time to give Rainbow Dash and Spitfire a look. Neither of them were sure how to interpret it. He looked woebegone. But where that came from, out of fear, hopelessness, or perhaps even remorse, remained to be seen.
Once they were gone, Spitfire led Rainbow back to her room.
Celestia, Luna, Wind Rider, and the guards all arrived outside the gates of Tartarus. Celestia used her magic to open the doors. Inside were cages, full of violent criminals. Cerberus was respectful toward the princesses, and even the guards, whom he had seen before. But at the sight of Wind Rider, he snarled. He had a nose for criminals, after all.
Celestia and Luna marched past the cages, ignoring the criminals there. Wind Rider only recognized two of them. A bugbear that had apparently attacked Ponyville at some point (and he only knew that because he read the paper) and Lord Tirek, who had once stolen his ability to fly. Wind Rider scowled at him, but it wasn’t much of a victory. This Tirek was thin, bony, and emaciated. Hardly a challenge compared to the muscular, horned Goliath that had taken the magic of virtually all Equestria. Even the princesses had fallen victim to his tyranny. That in itself was something to admire. But now, looking at him, the word that came to the Pegasus’ mind was pathetic.
Though, he mused, Tirek would likely say the same about him.
For Wind Rider, the trek to his new home seemed long and tiresome. That may have been because all of the criminals he passed. Each of them gave him dirty looks, and the reason why was understandable. Though the princesses were known to come here, it was only to drop off criminals. They never stayed. For him to have been escorted here by both princesses meant that he had to have done something that was worse than kidnapping, murder, torture, and rape combined. At least, that was their opinion. They didn’t know the truth, and the princesses, and certainly not Wind Rider himself were about to correct that misconception.
After walking for what seemed like an eternity, they came to a cage that was separated from the rest. It was isolated, on a higher planed rocky expanse that put it above the rest, like he was looking down on them all. The cage itself was bland. Just metal bars and steel floors meant to fit him. Luna’s guard ponies stationed themselves on both sides of the cage, and Celestia opened the door. Wind Rider hesitated, and Luna gave him a nudge forward. There was nowhere to run, and even if he did, the cage was the safest place for him. With all these criminals running around, there was nowhere safer. He stepped in. The metal was cold against his hooves, and slick underneath them. A clanging sound indicated the door had been shut. Celestia and Luna both were looking at him.
“Welcome home.” Said Luna sarcastically.
“We hope you’ll be very happy here.” Celestia added. Then, the two royal sisters flew toward the exit, leaving Wind Rider with his shame, fear, and broken pride. He had lost everything. Now, there was nothing left to do but sit and wait to die.
The thought didn’t scare him as much as he’d anticipated, and he sighed. It was going to be a long eternity.
Rainbow Dash made it through the hallway, and into her room again before she broke. She curled up on her bed and started to cry. Thing was, she didn’t know why she was crying. Although she wanted to know the reason, another part of her dismissed it. Foals cried all the time for all sorts of reasons, sometimes even for no reason. She just laid there and cried.
Spitfire came over to her foal and curled around her. She stroked her mane with one hoof and patted her back with the other. “Shhh baby bolt. It’s okay. He won’t be able to hurt you anymore, I promise.” She soothed. Rainbow didn’t reply, just feeling her Mama’s presence by her was a relief. She rolled onto her other side and snuggled into her Mama. She felt safe. At last.
It took a while, but eventually she calmed down, and the sobs were reduced to occasional sniffling.
“There we go. That’s better.” Spitfire cooed. “Just let it all go.” There was a faint hissing sound, and Spitfire knew what that meant. She blinked. “Not what I meant, but alright. Let’s get you cleaned up, bug.” She was about to get up, but Rainbow whined and pulled her back down.
“Stay, Mama.” She whined.
“Don’t you want a change, baby? You don’t wanna get a diaper rash, do you?”
“Dun wan diapee wash, Mama. Buh I dun wan changie yet. Jus wan howd me.” It was a whine. Spitfire melted under her sad gaze.
“Okay, little one. But not too long, okay? Mama doesn’t want you to have a rash.” She went back to hugging her.
“‘Kay, Mama.” She replied, cheerfully. A few minutes passed, and Rainbow was happy. Her diaper began to cool, going from warm and comforting to cold and clammy. The second she started squirming, Spitfire was up and moving, despite Rainbow’s whines of protest. Spitfire hushed her and got up, pulling the duffel bag (or, she supposed, diaper bag) out from the bed. She pulled out changing supplies and made short work of changing her. When she was done, she smiled at her. “There we go. All nice and snug, ready for some bonding time with Mama.” She cooed. Rainbow giggled as Mama threw out the used diaper, and then got back into the bag. She cocked her head curiously as Mama pulled something out of it, then hid it behind her back.
“Baby Bolt, Mama has a surprise for you.” She said in a sing-song voice. Rainbow’s eyes lit up.
“Wha? Wha is it, Mama?” She asked.
Spitfire grinned and pulled a Daring Do plushie from behind her back. Rainbow squealed delightedly and pulled the doll into her hooves, clutching it to her chest. Spitfire laughed a little.
“I couldn’t let my little filly be without her best friend!”
“Whewe ou get hew?” Rainbow asked.
“Mama did a little shopping after her interview yesterday. I went back to the grounds after and put her in the duffel bag. It must have been before…” She paused, then shook it off. “Anyways, I just wanted you to have a friend. I was saving her as a surprise for you. I wanted to wait until all the tests were done to give her to you, so you two had time to play.”
Rainbow flung her hooves around her. “Tank ou Mama.” She said.
“You’re welcome.” She said.
Just then, Soarin and Thunderlane entered, as Celestia’s guards had taken off. Supposedly because Celestia had returned from Tartarus and they had to go serve her. With them gone, the two Wonderbolts knew Wind Rider was out of there, and that their little sister was safe.
Rainbow squealed at the sight of them. “Bwodews!” She cheered.
“Hey little bit!” Said Soarin.
“‘Sup, mini mare?” Asked Thunderlane.
Rainbow held up her doll. “Wook! Mama gabe me Dawin’ Do! She my bestest fwiend!”
Soarin pouted dramatically. “Really? She’s your best friend? Not me? Or Thunderlane?”
Rainbow giggled. “No, siwwy! Ou bwodews. Dat bettew.” She explained.
Soarin smiled. “I see.”
Thunderlane was quick to butt in. “So, that’s Daring Do, huh?” Rainbow nodded. “Well, what adventures have you gone on together?” He asked. He used to read the series to his little brother when he was younger and liked stories.
Rainbow babbled excitedly about what they had done together, including the temple that she had gone to with her friends. Thunderlane and Soarin listened as she jabbered on, and found themselves smiling at her joy, her creativity. When she finished, Soarin spoke.
“That’s really cool, little bit.”
Thunderlane asked, “Think she could take us on an adventure right here?”
Rainbow giggled. “Siwwy Bubba! She can do anyfing!” She declared.
“Alright then, where are we going?” He asked.
Rainbow looked contemplative. Then, “We goin’ to da fowest!”
“Really?” Asked Soarin. “What’s there?”
She put the Plushie to her ear like she was talking to her. Then, She nodded. “Dewe’s a tweasuwe dewe!” She said. “Dawin’ says we gotsa fin’ it. ’S in da cave.”
“We better get going, then.” Said Thunderlane.
“Yeah!” She turned to Spitfire. “Ya comin’ Mama?”
“I wouldn’t miss it, bug.” She smiled.
“Wet’s go!” Rainbow cheered, and began the journey into the forest. The four Wonderbolts and their plush leader trekked through brambles and thickets, vines and leaves. They ducked between branches, and finally reached the cave. Daring Do lit the way through the cave, leading them on their dangerous quest. The cave seemed to go on forever. But finally, it split into two paths.
“Which way do we go?” Asked Soarin.
Daring Do spoke up. “Let’s go left. It’s too dangerous to split up.”
“Right.” They all chorused. The Pegasi were all flying. Occasionally, They were hit by a few rocks or falling debris, but otherwise, it was peaceful. But then, everything began to shake.
“The cave is collapsing!” Exclaimed Daring.
“Everypony fly!” Spitfire ordered.
They started trying to fly low, dodging rocks as they fell. However, one caught Rainbow right on the wing.
“Rainbow Dash!” Called Thunderlane. Everypony turned to her.
“Go on without me! Save yourselves!” She said.
Spitfire, Soarin, Daring, and Thunderlane went over to her.
“No pony gets left behind.” Said Spitfire. They all pushed it off of her together, and Spitfire helped Rainbow onto her back. They all ran together, and finally huddled into a nearby hole. The rocks crashed down, and then it was quiet. They poked their heads out of the hole, and saw rocks blocking their path.
“How do we get out?” Asked Soarin.
“I don’t know.” Said Spitfire.
“Hey guys, I think there’s another hole here.” Said Thunderlane. He started digging with his hooves, and everypony else joined in. Soon, the hole was big enough to fit through, and they each made their way in. There, stood the treasure.
“We found it!” Rainbow cheered.
Daring pulled the chest into her hooves. “Now all we have to do is find our way out.”
“Follow the trail.” Suggested Spitfire. Daring nodded.
“Good idea.”
They followed the cave’s trail in the opposite direction, following it diagonally, and then found it straightened out. When they looked back, they realized that they were on the other side of the fork they had gone through. They followed it, until at last, they saw daylight. Finally, when they made it out, they cheered.
“We did it!” Exclaimed Rainbow Dash from atop Spitfire’s back.
They all chuckled. “Yes we did, yes we did.” Said Spitfire.
“Thanks, Daring.” Said Rainbow.
“Anytime.” She replied.
Back in the hospital room, they were all chuckling.
“That was pretty fun.” Said Soarin.
“I’ll say. Haven’t done that in years.” Thunderlane added.
“How was it for you, baby bolt?” Asked Spitfire.
Rainbow responded by wrapping them all in a group hug.
“I wuv dis famiwy.”
The moment was broken when the door opened, and Fleetfoot and the rest of The Wonderbolts came in.
Dashie was frozen, quiet, looking at her fellow teammates with an expression that bordered the line between hope and fear. Hope that they would accept her as she was, and fear that they wouldn’t for whatever reason. Spitfire felt her still, as did Thunderlane and Soarin. Spitfire looked up to see them, and understood. Thunderlane and Soarin took a longer time to look, but eventually they did. For a beat, maybe two, no pony said anything. Then, Fleetfoot came forward.
“Hey cutie. Don’t worry about a thing. They all know. I told them everything I knew.”
Rainbow Dash looked at her, blinking slowly. Then, she gave a tiny, nervous smile.
“‘Kay?” It came out more as a question than a statement, as she intended it. Fleetfoot, however, was a master of interpretation. She understood what it was meant to be, but also why it turned out that way.
“It’s okay with them.” She said.
It always amazed Rainbow Dash how well ponies understood her when she was like this. I mean sure, it didn’t shock her that her Mommy and Daddy could understand her since they had actually heard her speak this way before. But Mama and her brothers and now Auntie Fleetfoot? And maybe even the rest of the Wonderbolts? That was pretty shocking, at least to her. Okay, maybe all of them but Thunderlane. Since he had a little brother, he was probably used to it too.
Auntie Fleetfoot was smiling warmly at her, and it made her smile back. It helped ram the truth of it all home, the truth that no matter what every other Wonderbolt thought, she would always have those four, who accepted her no matter what. Plus, Mama would punish anypony who made fun of her, like she did Wind Rider, and it turned that smile from a weak, uncertain one, to a genuine one. She found herself giggling.
“Awww. There’s a smile.” Fleetfoot said.
“Hi Auntie.” She said.
“Hey little one. How are you feeling?”
“I dun know.” She said.
“Well then, How’s your wing?”
“Huwts a wittle.” She said.
“I bet. You were a superhero back there. Did you know that?”
“Me?”
“You.” Fleetfoot affirmed.
It took a little more than a second to sink in, then Rainbow grinned brightly. She reached her hooves to Fleetfoot and the other mare grinned and wrapped her in a hug. Rainbow let out an involuntary coo at the feeling, and she was happy.
When the hug ended, after about a minute, Rainbow moved her head and looked at her fellow Wonderbolts. Each of them were staring at her. She did a quick sweep over their faces. She saw a mixture of Confusion, surprise, and even resolve. But no expressions of outright disgust. Nothing to blatantly say that she would be rejected by them. She moved just a bit to one side, and Fleetfoot responded by stepping to the other side. Rainbow was in plain view, now. Nothing blocking her view. Or rather, their view of hers.
Her diaper was on display for all to see, but she didn’t seem to mind anymore. Her usual confidence was back in a flash. And the Wonderbolts who had looks of resolve- or better put, acceptance- went over to her. Those were Blaze, Misty Fly, and Surprise. They were able to perceive quicker than the rest that she was happy with what she had. And if their captain accepted it, and several of their other Wonderbolts and friends did, who were they to judge.
The three of them struck up a conversation with Rainbow Dash, while the rest of them worked on coming around.
The ponies who were surprised were the next to understand. Actually, they had understood everything that was going on since Fleetfoot told them. Initially they had been very accepting of this, and they still were, actually. But hearing about something from somepony and then actually witnessing it caused a bit of a disconnect. To imagine something was one thing, but to actually see it was… well, surprising. Not in a bad way, though. But seeing it happen in reality and not in your imagination made it real. Concrete. Something more than just a game of pretend.
But as the surprise and initial shell shock faded, it was replaced with acceptance. If Everypony else was happy, they would be too, and they all joined those who had come to her thus far.
The last ponies to come around were those who were confused. It wasn’t that they weren’t accepting, it’s that they didn’t quite understand what they were seeing. The interactions, the diaper, the baby talk. It was so… odd. What confused them in all of this, was the question of why this all had happened. Oh, Fleetfoot had explained the precipitating events that led to all this, but it was never explained what allured her to this afterward. It took them a little while to realize that they would likely never get an answer, namely because they assumed that she may not have had one for them in the first place.
Once they accepted that, they were able to accept her. It was something they would indulge in themselves, but they saw now that it wasn’t about them. It was about the feelings and emotions of their teammate. And if there was one thing Wonderbolts knew how to do, it was support their teammates.
Though the confusion wasn’t completely cleared, it was pushed aside for the time being. One by one, the last few ponies stepped forward, and showed in their own way that they would be supportive of their teammate.
Rainbow Dash was cocooned in the thick of her family, her friends. It calmed her immensely. Their acceptance, their love, their support, all of it wove itself into a blanket of comfort that wrapped around her and warmed her like a scarf on a cold winter morning. And she knew, in that beautiful moment, that this was the start of a whole new family for her to love and play with.
Rainbow looked around the room at the faces smiling at her. It was breathtaking for her, to be accepted this way. All that time spent worrying about rejection was wasted for nothing. She smiled, a content smile, and felt somepony wrap their hoof around her. It was Mama, smiling at her. She looked at Rainbow with an expression that seemed to say, I told you it would all work out. And Rainbow nodded, because, as usual, Mama was right. Rainbow gave her a hug, feeling safe and loved. This moment was amazing for her. Her guard was down completely, no trace of her bigger counterpart in sight. She was as much a foal right now as she had been as an infant. Just bigger in size. When she pulled away, she began talking excitedly.
“Mama, can we aww pway a game?” She asked.
Spitfire raised an eyebrow. “Sure. But what game would be big enough for all of us?”
Rainbow considered this. Mama had a good point. “We can pway wed wight gween wight?” She offered.
Spitfire shrugged. It was about the best thing that could probably be done at the moment, considering her baby bolt was supposed to be resting. She looked over at her fellow Wonderbolts. “Who’s in?”
Thunderlane was the first to agree. “I’m in.”
Soarin was next. “Sure.”
Fleetfoot came after. “Sounds like fun!”
The others looked a bit hesitant, but after seeing the other three go for it, some of the others had decided to play. Blaze, Misty Fly, Surprise, and others. In the end, everypony in the room had decided to play. Unsurprisingly, Spitfire took charge.
“Everypony, fall in!” She commanded. They all scrambled to form a straight line, which was exceedingly difficult considering that there was only so much space in the room and far too many of them. But somehow, they managed to fit in one single file line. Though that line came with the price of no pony having any personal space. But it was a sacrifice they were willing to make on behalf of a teammate. Spitfire ushered Rainbow back to her bed before joining the ranks.
Rainbow looked excited. “Weady?” She asked. With a practiced skill, they all nodded simultaneously. “Kay!” She said, and waited a few moments before speaking again. “Gween wight!” She said, and they all began walking forward. Two seconds later, she called, “Wed wight!” They all stopped in a uniformed fashion.
She figured none of them would get out on the first try, or even the next few. But she knew her patience would be rewarded, likely with hilarious results. But, as it often was, her patience with this was quite thin. So, she made it a bit more interesting. She sped it up. Not two seconds after she called green light, she called red, and she was rewarded when Surprise wobbled and eventually had to put her hoof down to keep her balance.
“Ou out!” Said Rainbow, smiling. Surprise just rolled her eyes, but a smile still graced her face. The line spread to give each pony a smidge more room, and the game continued.
It was about five rounds after that. Two ponies had been eliminated, and Rainbow had changed tactics, alternating between going super fast between them and slowing between them, just to throw everypony off of their game.
“Gween wight!” She called, and those remaining came forward. Just as she felt they were getting comfortable, she spoke again. “Wed wight!”
It was Soarin who eventually fell victim to his fate. His hoof had been raised high enough in the air, and his weight improperly shifted between legs, that he was about to fall. He reached to try and right himself, but only ended up falling to one side. The ponies beside him- and there were quite a few, perhaps sixty percent of those who were left- toppled like dominoes in a chain reaction Rainbow didn’t think even an egghead like Twilight could have replicated. They all crashed into a gargantuan heap, like bowling pins knocked over in a strike. They all mumbled to one another, wether in protest or pain remained to be seen.
Rainbow, so deep in her foalish mindset, couldn’t do anything but laugh in delight. She didn’t think she could ever see something like that happen and not laugh. She may have garnered the nickname Rainbow Crash, but it was nothing compared to what they had just done. Spitfire smiled at her daughter’s delight, but remained stock still otherwise. Even if it was a foalish game, she played to win. Yet another thing she and her baby bolt had in common.
After a few more rounds (and unfortunately for Rainbow no more hilarious falls) it came down to Thunderwing and Spitfire. Rainbow felt her muscles tense at the heightened sense of competition in the air. One thing about her Mama and Brother were that they played for keeps. Bragging rights were all important, even in a game like this. Although, Rainbow had a feeling that even if either one of them lost, it wouldn’t matter too much. The loss would not be lorded over them- that honor belonged to Soarin for his dramatic and utterly hilarious accident. Rainbow peppered them both with rapid fire instructions, to see whom would break first, while her teammates watched in interest.
About four more rounds of rapid fire orders came around, until finally, one of them faltered. One hoof was in the air, and it ended up shaking a bit from holding it long enough with no action. Conditioned at that point to expect a rapid response, they were ready for anything. The trembling was just visible enough to attract Rainbow’s attention.
“Ou out!” She called.
“What? Why?”
“Ou move. So ou out.”
There was a bit of muttering.
Rainbow giggled. “Sowwy. I dun make da wuwes. I jus fowwow dem.” Then, she went over to the winner.
“Dat means, da winnew is… Mama!” She called with pride.
Spitfire finally broke her stance and smiled. She had figured that that was how the game was going to end. In her endless training to become Captain of the Wonderbolts, she had learned how important posture could be. Her muscles were fine tuned to stop on a dime, her back always ramrod straight, and her joints at the mercy of her responsive and quick mind. She grinned even wider as Rainbow pulled her into a hug.
“Mama, ou won!” She cheered.
Spitfire felt a fluttering in her chest, one similar to the first time her Baby Bolt called her Mama. She was lucky to have such an energetic, fun, competitive, and thoughtful girl for a daughter. She didn’t think Rainbow understood the magnitude of the gift she had given her, and she likely wouldn’t until she had kids of her own someday. She decided to save the discussion about everything between them for another time. Instead, she just curled over Rainbow, and whispered,
Later that night, after all the other Wonderbolts had gone home, Spitfire held Rainbow Dash in her hooves, smiling kindly at her as the rainbow-maned pegasus regaled her with stories of her adventures in saving Equestria. Spitfire listened, fascinated and proud of everything she had done. And yet, even as she listened and heard exactly what she had said, her mind wandered. She thought about her earlier feelings, the ones she had happened upon after the day’s earlier game. And she figured that now would be a good a time as any to do so.
She caught a break. Rainbow had just finished telling the tale of how she had helped defeat Discord.
“…An’ dat’s how I hewped beat Discowd.” She said.
“That’s a great story.” Spitfire praised, and Rainbow beamed. Rainbow hummed, happy with herself. Spitfire looked down at her. “Hey Baby Bolt?”
“Hmmm?” Rainbow looked up at her, smiling.
“You remember earlier when you told me I won the game?” She asked.
“Uh huh.”
“You know, I was thinking. You were right, I did win the game, but I also won something a lot better.”
“Wha?”
“I got you.” She smiled. “The best gift I ever got.”
“Me?” Rainbow looked surprised.
“You.” She confirmed.
“Buh… Why me?”
Spitfire gave her a warm smile and pulled her in close. “Well, let me put it this way: you’re awesome, right?”
Rainbow nodded proudly.
“And everypony knows that you’re awesome, right?”
Again, she nodded.
“Well think of it this way- I already knew you were awesome when I met you, and now I got to be a Mama to this part of you. I know you’re not actually the element of generosity, but giving me the gift of being your mama is pretty darn close.”
Rainbow nodded, but looked unsure. “Buh Mama, Ou da captain of da Wondewbowts. Da best fwiews evew! How’m I bettew den dat?”
“Being the captain of the wonderbolts is pretty cool, but knowing you trust me enough to look after you, that’s the coolest.” She said, ruffling Rainbow’s mane. The regressed mare giggled.
“Tanks, Mama.” Rainbow said, nuzzling her.
Spitfire planted a kiss to the crown of her head. “You’re welcome, baby bolt.” Rainbow yawned a moment later, and Spitfire grinned. “I think it’s bedtime for you, little one.”
“Nuh uh! I no tiwed!” Rainbow protested.
“Oh? Then what was that yawn I heard?”
“Not me!” Rainbow said confidently.
Spitfire raised an eyebrow. “So you wouldn’t get tired if I gave you Daring Do to cuddle?”
Spitfire got up and rummaged around the bag for it. She handed her the doll, but Rainbow remained as stubborn and pigheaded as ever. “No!”
“What about if I gave you a bottle to drink?” She asked, pulling out one that she had been cooling off for a little while.
Rainbow took it and started suckling, her eyes beginning to droop, but she still retained her stubborn streak and shook her head.
“And if I tucked you in? How about then?” Spitfire pulled the covers over her. Her eyes closed, but still she tried to stay awake, though it was mostly in vain at that point.
Spitfire began to sing to her, and before she knew it, soft snores filled the room. Spitfire added one last touch and gave her little filly her pacifier to enjoy, and smiled when she began suckling. Nodding, satisfied with her work, she sat down in a chair and watched over her little one. Luckily for her, Rainbow did not stir all night.
In the days that followed, Rainbow was visited by all of her fellow Wonderbolts every day. They played games, laughed, joked, and just generally raised her spirits. When they were at practice, Mama or one of her brothers or her auntie stayed with her to make sure she wasn’t alone. The day after the Wonderbolts visited her for the first time, the doctors informed Rainbow that she would have to have surgery to repair her crushed wing. She had been anxious about that at first, but Mama had reassured her that she had nothing to worry about, and promised her that she would be there the whole time.
Not too long after, Rainbow was breathing in anesthesia as her Mama held her hoof and told her she was going to be okay. Blackness enveloped her, and kept her down for a very long time. When she finally woke up, the first thing she saw was Mama smiling down at her, and it made her smile too. She just knew that she would be okay. And indeed, when the doctor came by to see her, that’s what he said. After her wing had some time to heal, it would be perfect again. Thank goodness for magical reconstruction.
Following her surgery, Rainbow stayed in the hospital an extra two weeks to monitor how her wing was healing and to manage her pain from the surgery. She wasn’t allowed to use it yet, but the doctor said it was healing up nicely. Thankfully, Mama and her brothers had shown her all the new moves for their latest performance, so she wasn’t really missing out on anything. Mama had assured her that she would be able to do everything just fine. And when the day finally came that she could leave the hospital, Rainbow was eager to spread her wings and practice again. Even though the doctor told her to take it easy on her wing, that didn’t stop her from trying to push her limits. It wasn’t long before she was up and flying as if nothing had ever happened to her. And for that, she was grateful. She was practicing with her team again, nailing moves left and right, and they were all grateful to have her back.
When the time for their show in Canterlot for the Princess came, Rainbow gave a breathtaking performance, along with her fellow Wonderbolts. Princess Celestia had looked pleased with it, and Spitfire had absolutely been proud. After everything that had happened, this was the kind of comeback that dreams were made of.
And Rainbow Dash? She was grateful. She had the best Mama, the most awesome brothers, an amazing auntie, and incredible teammates. They were one big family, and she knew without a doubt that nothing would ever break the bonds of their family ties.
