The wind.
Yes, perhaps that was it, thought Captain Rainbow Dash. Perhaps it was the roaring winds that made flying so exciting.
Her wing still hung limp and useless at her side, but standing on the bow of her airship, she could hardly tell the difference. Rainbow Dash closed her eyes, allowing the wind to sweep over her, blowing away all her doubts and fears. The clouds rose like great mountains in all directions, framed by a sea of endless blue. Now the ship began to dip down, nearly skimming the ocean.
Things hadn't been easy since the Crystal War. Emperor Sombra had annexed most of civilized Equestria, and ruled over it with an iron hoof. Celestia, her name now banned from public speech, had been banished to the sun for a thousand years. But Dash's fate hadn't been quite as bad.
After the Battle of Alicorn Peak, the Royal Army of Equestria was forced to surrender, but King Sombra had merely paroled them. This was not an act of mercy, but simple economics: if he had executed the entire Royal Army, there would be nopony left to rule over. He didn't want to raze Equestria, he wanted to rule it. And that required an able-bodied population.
So Dash signed a little slip of paper that said she would never again take up arms against the Sombra the Great, and was granted freedom. Not willing to live under Sombra's rule, she wandered south to the independent city of Appleloosa, and worked odd jobs until she was able to afford an airship.
The Alicorn was its name. It was a grizzled old freighter that used to haul cargo across the South Mountains. It had a few cabins, a dining room, a kitchen; all the normal things you needed to live in the sky. She still remembered the first time she took Maud aboard.
"Sir?" said the ex-corporal, raising an eyebrow, "You dragged me all the way out here for this? If I wanted to look at decrepit machinery, I would have stayed at the factory in Manehattan."
"It's a little beat up." Rainbow had replied defensively, "So what? This is our ticket to freedom, Maud! No more living by Sombra's laws. We'll wander the sky, take jobs as they come. It'll be awesome! You can be my first mate!"
It was a job that Maud had taken, and not a single day went by that Rainbow wasn't thankful for it. There was a lot of evil in the world, especially on the fringes of civilization. But having an old war-buddy to stand beside her... it just added security. And in Captain Dash's profession, security was the best advantage to have.
It wasn't easy being a smuggler, but it was familiar; the danger, the uncertainty, taking massive risks for massive rewards. It wasn't quite like the sergeant's life Rainbow had before, but it sure beat being a civilian.
Presently, Maud spoke. "Are you sure this is a good idea, sir? Scavenging isn't our normal skill-set."
Surveying the sunlit horizon, Captain Dash inhaled one last breath of fresh air, then turned and walked towards the helm. Maud fell in behind her.
"Maud, if we wanted an easy job, we could go do paperwork in Canterlot. Besides, those dealers are paying us a fortune."
"That's what worries me, sir... it seems too good to be true. Why would they pay us so much just to recover cargo from a sunken ship?"
"Yeah, I'm not real clear on that myself." admitted Rainbow, "and I'd be lying if I said I trusted those bozos. But for that many bits, we have to try."
Rainbow walked to the small cabin which contained the helm. It was a tiny room, containing a large panel of dials and switches, and two massive plush chairs. Pinkamena, the third member of their little crew, was looking over the instruments. Suddenly, Pinkamena shook her right leg and tail in some sort of ritual. "Twitcha-twitch!" she exclaimed, "Twitcha-twitch! My Pinkie-Airship-Pilot-Sense says four points to starboard!"
Rainbow rolled her eyes, but knew better then to doubt Pinkamena's navigational skills.
"Just a few more minutes, captain, and we'll be there!" exclaimed the pink pilot cheerfully.
Since The War, Pinkie had gotten a lot better. She had lost the foal-like innocence she had before, but her sense of humor had returned. She was less silly these days, and more wry in her attitude. But somehow her optimism still remained intact, which was more then Rainbow could say for herself.
A young yellow mare stepped into the doorway, the fourth and final member of their crew. "Just finished sub-routin' the gas release chamber to the primary exhaust valve." she said, a slight twang in her voice, "Should help hold things together 'till we get a new exhaust core."
Her name was Apple Bloom, and she was an interesting case. She had been too young to fight during The War, but her siblings had served with distinction: Colonel Macintosh was one of the best-known commanders of the Western Front, and Brigadier General Applejack was part of the Second Highland Campaign. Apple Bloom was sent far from her home because it was too close to the front, and had been living with family in Appleloosa. When an add came in the paper, talking about a job as a ship's mechanic, she joined up instantly.
That was two years ago now, and to Dash, hiring Bloom was one of the best decisions she ever made. She was kind, loyal, and had a certain something about her, an innocence that came with never seeing the horrors of battle. This alone gave a certain spark to the crew, and Bloom was a pretty good mechanic to boot.
"You know, cap'n," she continued, glaring at Rainbow Dash, "if you would just buy a new Fuel Injector Coil, you'd save me a whole lot of trouble."
"Hey," said Dash irritably, "I'm not sure if you've noticed, but times have been tight. If we get through this job, I'll revamp the whole engine. Scout's honor!"
"You weren't even a scout!" exclaimed Apple Bloom, "you were in the infantry! Besides, you've been saying that for the last three jobs!"
"And I intended to," snorted Dash, "but there have been more important things to buy. Like food! You like to eat, don't you?"
Apple Bloom rolled her eyes. Most likely, she wasn't actually angry with Dash... just a little irritated. When it came to the prismatic captain, most ponies felt that way. Even the ever-loyal Maud probably got sick of Dash from time to time, even though she didn't show it. But still, Dash was their captain, and despite their complaints, she was a pretty good captain at that. Impulsive and irresponsible, maybe, but what she lacked in patience she made up for in courage and loyalty.
"Twitcha-twich! Twitcha-twitch!" exclaimed Pinkie, "my front left hoof is shaking! I think that means we're in position, captain!"
Rainbow Dash grinned. "Well, Maud, I guess it's time to suit up. Ready for a little scuba-diving?"
"Yes, sir." replied Maud in her usual deadpan, "you know how much I love deep-sea exploration."
Apple Bloom leaned uneasily against the worn wooden walls. Gummy, Pinkie's pet alligator, sat quietly on the dashboard, rhythmically swishing his tail. It had only been five minutes since Maud and the Captain had started their dive, but something didn't feel right.
"Hey, Pinkie." Bloom asked quietly, "what are they looking for down there, anyways?"
Pinkie looked up from the controls, and swiveled her chair towards the young Apple. "Well, we got a job from our contacts in Griffonstone. They say that one of Sombra's patrol boats crashed near here. If that's true, there'll be all sorts of stuff under there. Weapons, ammunition, spell books, rations... lots of stuff that could fetch a fortune on the black market."
"Still..." replied Apple Bloom, "something just don't seem right. What if it's an ambush? What if a half-dozen Crystal Cruisers descend from the sky right now?"
"Don't worry, the Captain will think of something... but fortunately Maud will stop her and come up with a plan that actually works." Pinkie giggled at her own joke, before turning back to the controls. The helm was equipped with a magic voice transmitter that she could use to check in on Maud and Dash. Flipping the switch, she spoke into the microphone. "Pigpen, this is Rubber Duck. Do you have a copy on me, Pigpen?"
Dash's annoyed voice came through the speaker. "Pinkie, what the blazes are you talking about?"
"Awwwwwwwwww, I wanted to practice my trucker lingo." whined Pinkie. "Fiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiine. How are things going down there, captain?"
"It's going pretty well." replied Dash, "we've found the sunken cruiser, and we've been scouring it for supplies. Is Apple Bloom ready to hoist this stuff onto the boat?"
"Yup-a-doodle." replied Pinkie. Bloom walked outside and stood on the deck, next to the crane. "She's ready whenever you are."
Suddenly, Pinkie stopped everything, and stood rigid. Her ears began to flap. Once. Twice. Three times. Uh-oh.
"Get out of there!" she screamed into the microphone, "We've got a crystal patrol boat coming from starboard!!"
"Pinkie," growled Dash, "patrol boat or not, we're not going home empty-hoofed. If we don't get this score, we're done for. Tell Apple Bloom to start the crane."
"Captain..." argued Pinkie weakly. It was no use. She shouted to Apple Bloom, "Get the crane started! And double-quick, we have a patrol boat bearing down on us at two points to starboard!"
Bloom nodded, and powered up the crane that was built onto the side of the ship. With an agonizingly slow grinding noise, it began to pull the chain upwards from the unseen ocean depths. "Captain, there's no way we're going to get that stuff hauled up here before they see us!" yelled Pinkie.
"Then stall them!" came the reply, "keep them at bay!"
Pinkie fumed. "Cap', we're on a rickety old freighter, not some kind of juggernaut you flew during The War. I can't just "stall" a freaking twenty-four gun crystal patrol ship!"
"Get creative!"
"Captain..." growled Pinkie.
A low humming was heard, and a few hundred yards away, a dark zeppelin broke through the clouds. It was black as night with purple trim, and the iron crown of Sombra was displayed proudly on the side. A dark, gravely voice came through the magic transmitter.
"This is Commander Crimson Shadow of the INS Stormglider. Your vessel is in restricted airspace. We demand to board you for a cargo check."
Pinkie was never at a loss for words. "This is Captain Wiffle Springs of the Daisyflower" she said in a deep voice. She certainly wasn't going to give the real identification of the ship, and she needed to stall. The crane on the deck continued to slowly grind away. "We, er, didn't know this was a restricted area. A storm blew us off course."
"All the same, we'll have to board you."
"And if I refuse...?"
There was a moment of silence. "Then we'll blow your sorry hides out of the sky with a full-port broadside, and cheer as the splintered remains of you and your vessel fall into the water." came the dark reply. "Prepare for boarding, now."
"OKAY!" Pinkie yelled, flipping the transmitter back to Dash's magic. "We're out of time, captain!"
But even as she spoke, the crane had nearly completed its task. A huge pallet of metal crates and boxes rose out of the water, Captain Dash and Maud standing on top.
"Go now, Pinkie." said Dash.
"But-"
"GO NOW, PINKIE!"
Pinkie pulled the engines up to full blast, and the ship rocketed into the sky. The pallet trailed behind the ship like a runaway kite, but Dash and Maud clung to the chain with grim determination. The Crystal Cruiser immediately roared out in pursuit, outraged at their audacity.
Dash clung to the pallet for dear life. "Hey Pinks," she screamed over the roaring winds, "that Cruiser doesn't have front-facing canons, does it?!"
A sound like thunder was heard, as a cannonball with a ballistic spell roared through the air. It barely missed The Alicorn, exploding on a cloud to the left, and sending the vessel lurching towards the right.
"That was way too close for comfort!" screamed Dash, "Pinkie, you have to find a way to loose these guys! You're the best pilot I know! Come on, you can do it!"
Pinkie stuck out her tongue in concentration, and grabbed the wheel with both hooves. "Time to be a hero!"
The airship whirled to the right, avoiding the path of another cannonball. It soared into a cloud, as explosions rocked the air around it. Yanking hard on the altitude switch, Pinkie whirled in a loop through the cloud, the massive zeppelin following close behind. Pushing the engine as hard as she could, she sent the ship sprawling towards the sea in a tailspin, the furniture only staying in place because it was nailed down for these kinds of situations. The ocean came rushing towards her vision, expanding at a frighteningly exponential rate. "Now!" she whispered.
She pulled the controls, blasting the rear engines and stabilizing the ship a mere yard from the water. The zeppelin, unable to recreate her feats, came screaming down from the sky and crashed into the ocean, sending massive waves in all directions.
With the threat gone, Pinkie slowly decreased the acceleration and slowed to a stop.
"You okay, captain?" she asked. She doubted those fancy maneuvers did much for Dash and Maud, who were dangling from the pallet of boxes.
Slowly, Captain Rainbow Dash and Maud Pie crawled over the railing, and collapsed on the deck of the ship.
"I think... I think I'm airsick." muttered Dash. "I didn't even know that was possible."
Pinkie just giggled, leaping out of the control room to hug her sister and the captain. "I can't believe you're alive!"
"I'll say." said Apple Bloom, limping up the stairs from the lower deck. "I had a heck of a time in the engine room, just trying to keep this thing from exploding."
"Yeah..." replied Captain Dash, "I'm just glad the cargo is still intact. Most of it, anyways. Apple Bloom, you'd better get it hauled up and stored away."
"Aye, cap'n."
"And Pinkie...?" said Dash, looking queasy, "if it comes to a decision between doing that maneuver again and dying...
"Let's just go ahead and take the 'death' option."
Three days later, Dash stood on the bow of her ship. The Alicorn was in as good a shape as ever. In front of her, the harsh grey mountains of Griffonstone rose like jagged teeth from the landscape. "The Griffon Lands aren't much for beauty, are they?" asked the Captain.
"No." replied Maud, standing behind her. "If they were, Sombra would have probably conquered them by now."
"Yeah, that's the trade-off, I guess. So, did you have Pinkie send a message ahead for our contacts?"
"Yes, sir. I'm sure they'll be happy to know that we have the goods... I still don't trust them."
"Of course not." snorted Rainbow Dash, "I mean, with names like 'Flim and Flam', they're bound to be trouble."