A/N: I'm sorry its been forever since i updated. I had practically abandonded this site but somehow found my way back. I had literally forgotten about this story and couldn't even remember the plotline. I hope you like it. I'm trying to write some new stories, but for now, i'll just try to finish this one. Three years later, i'm pretty sure my writing style has changed. I can only hope that you like it. For any new readers i may get, I really hope this is something interesting to read! :)

Chapter 8...Taken

Hours passed by while Ronny sat curled up on her bed with her head in her knees. She sat there motionless for a long while. Over and over she said into her knees, "He doesn't understand! Who does he think he is? My Father? Well, he's not!" She sobbed harder and harder, "No one will ever understand! He thinks he has authority over me, well, I'll show him!"

The tears on Ronny's face stopped briefly. She looked around her room as she tried to formulate a plan. "I know! I think I'll go visit Hidalgo right now, that'll show him! I can do what I want; I don't need to follow his orders." Ronny jumped up and hurried around her room grabbing all sorts of sheets and clothing. Finally she tied them all together, attached one end to her bed post, and dropped the rest of it out her bedroom window. She made sure all of it was tight enough before hopping out the window and climbing down it.

As she was climbing down the side of the mansion from the second floor, the last person she wanted to see was Will. And speak of the devil, he was standing right there.

"What are you doing, you know we have a front door, right?" Will called out to her.

"I could ask you the same question" She snapped back.

"I was just going for a jog, but what about you? This all looks kind of suspicious." Will said as he surmised the scene in front of him.

"It's nothing really. I'm just going to see Hidalgo. Mr. Hartford can't keep me away from him."

"What do you mean?"

"You don't know? Mr. Hartford banned me from seeing Hidalgo ever again, and now I'm on house arrest by his orders." She grumbled as she walked past Will, "What does he think? I'm twelve?" She ranted on.

Will's eyes dropped to the floor, "Oh I'm sorry."

"Yeah, me too…" She scoffed.

"So, wait." Ronny stopped and turned around to face him, "How have you been able to get so close to that horse, I couldn't get anywhere near him!"

"Will, you really don't know anything," She chuckled, "Well, first off, his name is Hidalgo, and second, I'm his one true rider." She said rather proud of the fact.

"What! You're that horses-"

"Hidalgo's!" Ronny snapped.

"Okay, okay…Hidalgo'sone true rider?"

"Yes I am. So if you'll excuse me, I'm going to go find him." Will stood shocked as Ronny turned around and continued walking. "Wait!" He shouted.

"What?" She turned around annoyed at the fact he wouldn't leave her alone.

"Maybe, I could help?"

Ronny laughed. "What? Will? Help? Didn't you tell me he was a 'dirty, disgusting horse'? Why would you want to help me?"

"I just don't think it's fair to you. You are meant to be with that horse. Mr. Hartford shouldn't keep you away…"

"Really?"

"Really." Ronny was amazed at his sudden change of heart. She didn't know he had a side like this.

"So, tell me, what so special about him?" Will inquired as the two walked along together into the forest. They talked the entire way as Will was genuinely curious about him.

As they walked through the forest, Ronny continued telling Will about Hidalgo, "I've only been with him for a short time but it feels like a lifetime. It feels like we were meant for each other, like I was meant to ride him. It feels like we're one soul each time I get on him. We know each other so well. You know Will, Hidalgo and I…we can talk to each other."

"Are you serious? Like how me and you talk to each other?

"Exactly."

They finally arrived at the center of the forest and Ronny called out for Hidalgo. She waited. She called out again. She waited.

"That's odd. Really odd." Ronny said quietly, "He is usually here. You know, maybe he is in the cave." She looked over at Will, "C'mon there's one other place we can try."

Ronny led Will through the path of the forest until she reached the rock steps. Upon reaching the cave, Will stood in awe that this was really here.

"How on earth, did this get here?" Will asked referring to the blatantly obvious cave in front of him.

"I'm guessing it's been here for centuries," Ronny responded, "but I'm not exactly sure."

When Will and Ronny climbed to the top of the cave, it was empty and dark. Hidalgo was nowhere to be found and now Ronny had run out of ideas. As the two turned around to leave, Ronny paused a moment.

She was on top of the world overlooking the entire town, the mansion, and the forest. She stood there for a while taking it all in. The breeze rushed over her and she closed her eyes. Her heart was mixed with emotions. She worried deeply for Hidalgo to be alright but at the same moment she couldn't feel sad. She was on top of the world! There was something strange about this place; it wouldn't let her feel sad. For a brief moment she felt complete.

"Ronny?" Will questioned breaking her concentration, "You coming?"

Ronny looked at him puzzled.

"We should probably head back to the mansion if he's not here."

"Huh, yeah, we should." Ronny took one final look at the view in front of her. She watched the leaves drift across the tree tops; she watched the critters scurry from tree to tree. Suddenly, the trees stopped swaying and the warm breeze turned to heavy winds. The tree limbs drooped and the bright green leaves turned to a pale brown. The animals hurried off and out of sight. Thick gray clouds moved in and covered the sky.

Ronny's feeling of completeness was replaced with a feeling of emptiness. "Something is definitely wrong." Ronny said to Will as her face became overcome with grief.

"Hurry, let's get back to the mansion," Will said as he grabbed Ronny by the arm and led her down the stairs, "before it starts to pour."

Ronny and Will raced through the forest. It became as dark as night and thunder boomed above them. The forest was much scarier than before but Ronny felt safe with Will. They continued through the forest until they saw the mansion gates in sight. Thunder cackled and a bolt of lightning illuminated the sky.

Through all the noise, Ronny heard something that stopped her dead in her tracks. It was a cry, a cry from Hidalgo! And it came from the Hartford Mansion. She rushed to see him. A spark of hope ignited inside her but only to be replaced with fear in the next second. Hidalgo screamed louder and louder. She heard the stomping of his hooves mixed with his snorting and the yelling of Mr. Hartford and other strange men.

By now, Ronny was standing in the midst of all the commotion; her worst fears were coming true. These strange men had captured Hidalgo and stuffed him into a trailer against his will and all under the direction of Mr. Hartford who was overseeing the whole thing. Hidalgo kept stomping and snorting in the trailer. The men kept yelling at him as he reared and kicked the inside of the trailer walls.

"HIDALGO!" Ronny shrieked. She ran closer to them in protest, screaming the whole time. She ran up to Mr. Hartford who quickly exchanged glances with Mack who was standing by the front door of the mansion. The rest of the team had showed up on the front stairs to see what all the noise was about.

Mack nodded and came up behind Ronny and grabbed her in a bear hug holding down her arms. His super strength was too much for her to get out of.

"Mack!" she huffed, "You're in on this too?"

He didn't answer.

"No, you CAN'T do this!" She yelled half in tears. "Hidalgo! No! No! You can't do this! No! No!" She struggled against Mack's industrial grip. The other rangers could only stand there and watch their friend thrash about in Mack's arms. They looked petrified to go against Mr. Hartford's orders and side with Ronny and they looked too guilty to agree with him. So, they just stood there watching.

"Rose? Dax? Tyzonn? Help! They're taking him! Help me!" Ronny sobbed.

The men continued to yell at Hidalgo, trying to force him to stop kicking the walls. This only made Hidalgo scream louder.

Will looked on in disbelief. He was paralyzed at this moment. He knew this was all wrong but he knew there was nothing he could do about it. Just like the rest of his team, he just watched Ronny struggle and scream. She was beginning to tire herself out.

"Ronny, please." Mr. Hartford interjected, "We're doing this for your own protection. We can't have you wasting your time with this horse when your duty is to your team.

"No," Ronny's voice cracked, "This won't solve anything; you can't take him away like this. No! No! I won't let you! You can't-"

"I can, Ronny." Mr. Hartford cut her off.

"No! No! No!" Ronny began to yell louder again. She looked at Will who stood silent. She hoped he would side with her. "Will, please help me, don't let them take him. Will, help me!" Ronny begged him but he said nothing and her hope died.

The men started up the truck. The thunder boomed boundlessly across the sky. The truck started to drive down the long driveway with a protesting Hidalgo stomping in the back. Ronny pulled harder and harder. Mr. Hartford motioned for all to go in now. Mack loosened his grip and Ronny broke free.

"Hidalgo!" she echoed as she ran with tears in her eyes following the truck and trailer.

The rain poured harder but Ronny continued running with blurred vision. The only thing she saw amidst the rain was the bright lights on the back of the trailer.

"Hidalgo!" She called again. Ronny didn't have the strength to keep running. She slowed down and fell to the ground as the trailer disappeared from her vision.

She sat in a heap on the gravel driveway letting the rain fall on her. She was soaked through her clothes and there was no telling apart the tears from the rain.

"Come back…" She whispered.

Please let me know what you think, i would really appreciate it! I hope to update soon! But who knows what the future has in store!