A/N: So... yeah... this... this is supposed to be depressing. Hopefully I hit you right in the feels, hopefully. But if I don't, I hope everything else is ok then... and I hope Blade doesn't seem OOC. Yeah... enjoy.

The team gets into some deep trouble, to the point where it almost killed more than one of them. Blade almost didn't save them in time, and the realization hits him hard.

Disclaimer: I don't own any of the recognizable characters. Disney/Pixar does.

It was supposed to just be a good time out in the woods, at the lake. Cooling off, having fun, bonding. Of course, Blade had stayed at base, doing paperwork.

He had left his hanger door open, mostly to feel the breeze. It was quite boring standing around and doing paperwork, sometimes it could get hot as well. So the breeze felt nice. On top of that, he could hear his team - barely, but he could. And it settled him.

At the lake, his team enjoyed plowing through the water, sending waves over each other's heads. The jumpers, Dusty, Dipper and occasionally Maru and Patch were happy in the water, while Cabbie and Windlifter were content to just watch them play.

Most times, everything was fine. They went down, played some games, had fun, relaxed, and went back to base. They usually didn't run into any problems, per se, but every once in a while they would. Normally it's something small, like a venemous snake, a wolf or two. It wasn't anything they couldn't handle.

This time was different.

Cabbie had constantly been hearing rustling behind him in the bushes. But since Windlifter, who was next to him, hadn't heard it, he had assumed it was just him hearing things. So, he'd focused back on the group in front of him.

Dusty was chasing Avalanche and Blackout around in the water, powerful body launching himself forward and sending waves around him. Dynamite, Patch and Pinecone stood still in the water, up to their chests, talking and watching the boys. Drip was currently trying to swim under water, much to Maru's amusement.

Nobody could sense the oncoming danger.

Blade could clearly hear the scream from inside his hangar. If he hadn't known better, he would've mistaken it for some type of bird or another horse nearby trapped. But he knew the sound of his team, and he knew that particular scream. As rare as it was heard, he knew who it belonged to.

Cabbie never screamed like that unless something was terribly wrong. That alone almost sent him into a panic, but when he heard Dynamite's shrill scream, and another neigh type sound that he didn't recognize, that sent him into a full fledge panic.

He wasted no time in whipping himself around, bursting out of his hangar and flying across the tarmac. Pinned ears, outstretched neck, muscles tight. He moved as fast as his legs could carry him.

He jumped over bushes, logs, everything that was in his way. He had no time to go around things. He needed to get to his team as fast as he could. Even if it was a false alarm, he couldn't risk it. He couldn't risk losing his team. His family. The only thing he'd ever known since losing Nick.

Nick... he'd been the closest to Blade. They were almost like brothers. The only thing that stopped them from being brothers, was they weren't blood related. And since Blade hasn't grown up with a mother, and had a father that wasn't around often, who also got drunk a lot, Nick was his leader. Nick has taught him most of what he knew now.

He was there for him when nobody else had been.

When he lost Nick, he'd had no one to lean on. He'd had no one to show him the way. He'd built a wall up so nothing could hurt him like that incident had. But, somehow, his little team had fought their way into his heart, and he couldn't bear to lose them. Not now, when Nick's death still haunted him.

He would do everything in his power to save them.

Clearing another patch of shrubbery, he shook the horrifying thought of them dying out of his head. He just could not lose them.

If it meant he had to die to save them, then so be it. He just... could not lose them.

He finally broke through the trees and saw what had been the cause of alarm. Four stallions, one of which he recognized to be Cad.

He didn't know why he was here, or with the other stallions. All he knew was they were trying to hurt his team and he'd do everything in his power to stop them from doing so.

Without thinking, he lunged at Cad. The older stallion didn't seem him coming, and he was able to latch onto the top of his neck. He bit down hard, pushing off with his hind legs and pulling him away from Dynamite.

When he let go of his neck, he whipped his head around.

"Go!"

There must've been so much pain in his eyes, so much worry, because he locked gazes with a couple of his teammates. They looked terrified.

"Now!" He said it with a little more force that time, but still the same pleading tone he had.

Get someplace safe, please.

He locked eyes with Windlifter. Lead them to safety, his eyes held fear and pain in them, pain of the possibility of losing his team, please.

Windlifter, with a look of sorrow and fear, began to run towards base. With everyone on his tail. Blade watched them for a second before turning back to Cad and lunging at him again.

All thoughts turned once again to the enemy before and around him. He pinned his ears to his head and fought. Biting at the opponents neck, face, side and striking at the chest, trying to find a weak spot.

It was four against one, though. That never really worked out well did it. It was never ending, how many times he must've turned sharp to keep from getting bitten or kicked. They each moved in at different moments, trying to wear him out.

Newsflash! He wouldn't give in without a fight. Especially if it meant that his team would get hurt or worse, killed.

He didn't know how long he fought, how long he tried to fend them off. But he could feel his strength slowly ebbing away. But he could also see his enemies strength was fading as well.

Finally, with one last bit to the jugular, Cad went down. He went down with such a loud thud, Blade was sure he'd heard birds scatter from the trees surrounding the edge of the lake.

Everything went still. Nothing moved, nobody spoke. Blade's sides heaved, blood and sweat dripping down his face, his neck, his sides. His nostrils flared, froth just beginning to form on his chest and in between his hind legs.

He stood over Cad, who's white coat was smeared with blood and darkened with sweat. Blade arched his neck, baring his teeth.

Without saying a word, fear in his body and fear in his eyes, he stood up and bolted, heading away from base. The three others turned and headed after them. For extra measure, Blade chased them a ways, biting at their hindquarters.

He slowed down before he reached the lodge. He watched them leave, scampering away like a wounded and afraid wolf.

Once they were no longer in his field of vision, he turned around and began the walk back to his base. He let his head hang low, nostrils flaring. His chest hurt from trying to breathe so hard.

Hell, everything hurt. His legs, his neck, his face. Everything. He had fought for what felt like hours, even though it was most likely only forty five minutes.

It took him another hour to reach base. By then, most of the sweat and blood had dried, exposing fresh wounds. Some were deep, others mere scratches.

Once he reached the top of the long hill that lead to his base, he saw the team. Safe, unharmed, if a bit shaken.

Seeing them, with the adrenaline worn off, the reality of what could have happened hit him square in the face.

He stopped fast, his eyes widening. His four legs stood apart, as if trying to keep himself from falling. His eyes were unfocused, not meeting any of the teams eyes.

Maru was the first to try and approach him, "Are you ok, Blade?"

Blade, sides beginning to heave again and nostrils flaring, looked up at him. He mumbled something unintelligible, before looking away again.

"What was that?"

"I could've lost you," he said it with the painful realization that had he gotten there a moment later, some of his team may have been dead.

"Blade-" Maru tried to comfort him, tried to tell him that he got there in time.

But Blade wouldn't let him. Suddenly, the big stallion was backing up, fast. Stumbling at moments until he reached the edge of the cliff. Where the hill started.

"I could've lost you all," his voice was ragged, tired and pained, "What if I hadn't gotten there in time?"

His head sank below his chest, to the ground. His knees buckled, hitting the ground the same time his nose brushed it. "I could've lost you all."

Maru and Cabbie shared a concerned look. Blade wasn't one to panic over something like this.

"Blade, you did get there in time."

"But what if I hadn't? I could've lost you..." his mouth was hanging open, "And it would've been my fault."

"Blade-"

"My fault."

The team gave each other fearful and concerned glances. They'd never seen their boss like this. So vulnerable, and scared. And when he started shaking, that's when Maru new something had to be done.

Maru moved up to check Blade's deeper wounds. "Dynamite, get me some medical wrap!"

Without a word Dynamite whirled around and raced to the repair bay. Maru searched for anymore deep wounds while talking soothingly to Blade, trying to get him to calm down. He was on the edge of having a panic attack.

Once Dynamite brought the wrap back, he wrapped it around his deep wounds, deciding it would be best to stitch them and treat them when Blade wasn't as jumpy or shaky.

He lead Blade to the main hangar, and got him to lay down. He mostly just let himself collapse, probably from exhaustion, but either way he was down.

Maru laid down next to him, resting his head on Blade's withers. He was careful not to hurt any of his wounds.

Dusty was the next to come over to him and lay down, leaning slightly against him. The rest soon came in after him, pressing themselves against their chief.

Nobody knew how long it had been before they felt Blade relax, stop shaking, his breathing return to normal. His nostrils stopped flaring, and his eyes slid shut. He fell asleep, finally. Not long after, feeling safe now that their boss was relaxed, the rest of his team - family - feel asleep not long after.

Everything would be alright. He'd protected them, he'd protect them till the day he died.

A/N: Sooooooo really had no idea how in the world to end this. And, yeah it didn't really hit the feels did it? No? Oops, ok, I'll try harder next time I decide to write a depressing Fic...