Rainbow Dash smiled brightly at her fiancé as they walked down the moonlit beach with a gentle breeze brushing against their feathers, then slowly they lifted themselves off the ground and flew up to the clear night sky.
Soarin was the first lieutenant to Captain Spitfire of the Royal Equestrian Navy Academy while she was a junior officer but before she was that she was a lowly starry-eyed seaman hoping to make it.
Their love story wasn't the most romantic given their positions at that time. But Soarin would remember how impressed he was during her training sessions with the other seamen and that she would stand out the most with her unique abilities and endurance. And Rainbow had always admired the lieutenant along with the other senior officers as they were legends in their own time. But when she committed an act of great courage she was instantly promoted up to midshipman.
As they were running in the same circles now, it gave Soarin a chance to properly court her. Of course, Rainbow was more than happy by this and as time went on, she realized how much Soarin was the right stallion for her and fell hopelessly in love.
Soarin however was already hopeless in love with her when they started courting and had to wait for her feelings to blossom before he proposed to her.
Now they were newly engaged and were preparing for their upcoming wedding.
They found a single cloud in the starry sky and sat on it together as they watched the moon and the stars twinkling.
Rainbow sighed blissfully and turned to ask her beloved, "Soar? Promise me we'll never part from each other?"
He smiled at her and wrapped a wing around her, "I promise, Dash… I love you."
"I love you too…" she smiled back.
They leaned in for a kiss until suddenly lighting clashed and the wind started picking up threatening to blow them away. Storm clouds gathered and swirled above them. Rain fell down as lighting flashed and thunder clashed. The wind picked up more and the lovers clung onto each other but it soon proved to be futile as the wind started to carry Soarin up and out of Rainbow's grasp.
He screamed as he was going up and Rainbow yelled in anguish, "SOARINNNNNNNN!"
"DASHHHHHHH!" he hollered back as he disappeared within the storm.
Tears fell out of her eyes as she called out, "Come back! Come back! Come back!" but when no answer came she screamed in agony with lighting clashing behind her.
Rainbow screamed in her sleep and woke up with a startle. She looked around her surroundings; she was in her captain's quarters of her ship, The S.S Rainboom. She panted heavily from her nightmare. The cabin door opened and six mares entered the room.
"Dashie?" a sweet voice said, "Are you alright?"
The lanterns in the cabin were lit up by magic thanks to a lavender unicorn.
Rainbow faced her crewmates. The one that spoke was Fluttershy, a pegasus and her dearest friend since childhood and was third mate to the captain. Then there was Applejack, an earth pony who was first mate while Twilight Sparkle-the lavender unicorn- was second mate. While Pinkie Pie another earth pony was the ship's cook and Rarity, also a unicorn, was the ship's steward.
She sighed deeply and shook her head.
Rarity inquired, "Oh dear… was it the nightmare again?"
"Yeah… it was…"
The girls gathered around her bed and comforted her, she miserably asked, "Why won't it go away…? I know he's gone, his ship was never found after that stupid typhoon hit."
Twilight said, "Dreams are a mystery, they can mean a lot of different things. Mostly likely it is your subconscious telling you something, perhaps you feel guilty on what happen to him."
Dash hung her head, "Sometimes… I do wish I was on that ship with him… I could have saved him or maybe we could have just… you know…"
Fluttershy gasped, "No, Dashie!" she clung on to her, "Don't ever think that! I would be so sad if something were to happen to you!"
Pinkie piped up, "Me too!" and clung onto the pegasus too only she was squeezing her.
Rainbow wheezed, "Pinkie… too tight…"
"Oops! Sorry!" she let go.
Applejack softly said while touching her captain's chin, "Look sugarcube, I know what it's like to lose love ones at sea but you gotta remember to live in the moment, I'm sure he would have wanted that for you."
She sighed and closed her eyes, her friend was right. Her once fiancé wouldn't want her to grieve over him and move on with her life but it was hard to do that when a stupid nightmare kept bringing him back.
Twilight suggested, "Maybe we should seek out the great moon goddess, Luna who is known to be the keeper of dreams, maybe she can get rid of your recurring nightmare."
Rainbow moved away from Applejack and addressed the unicorn, "No, I don't need help from any divine being."
Rarity pointed, "But darling, if you keep waking up in the middle of night because of this, you could become sick."
"Hey, I'm a lot tougher than you give me credit for. I've been through a lot worse, I had to run from the law for pony sakes! All because I was accused for something I didn't do. If Fluttershy hadn't taken me in when she did…"
"Well I knew you were innocent, I had to do something." The butter-cream mare mentioned.
She smiled at her friend and told the others, "But I didn't want to her to get in trouble for harboring a fugitive so I snuck on a pirate ship…"
Applejack interjected, "But we already know this."
Pinkie whispered in, "It's plot exposition, Applejack, go with it."
Rainbow continued, "Of course at the time I didn't know it was a pirate ship but once I met with the captain we got along pretty good and when she let me joined her crew I was proud to serve under her." Then her eyes went sad and dejectedly said, "Until she fell ill from a poison dart during a raid and now it's up to me to find the cure but I knew I needed a worthy crew to help me get it."
Pinkie gleefully bounced, "And then you found us!"
Dash chuckled, "That's right." Her eyes went soft, "And I can't thank you girls enough for coming with me."
Fluttershy stated, "You were my first friend, Dashie, of course I was going to come with you."
Rarity flipped her mane, "I was but a struggling seamstress when you found me so it's not like I had anything better to do."
Twilight mentioned, "I was ostracized by my hometown all because I could read and write."
Pinkie pointed out, "But wasn't there another reason you left? Didn't you have a baby dragon that you were force to hide because the townsponies would have gotten scared and tried to get rid of him?"
Twilight sighed, "Yes… Spike… He knew he had to leave before the town found him and left on his own accord, I never saw him again…" she turned her head away in sorrow.
Fluttershy patted her back in comfort causing a small smile to play on the unicorn's lips.
Applejack gestured to Rainbow, "And it was lucky that you came along when ya did when Apple Bloom and I were afloatin' on that raft. I don't know if we would have survived a day longer."
Dash smugly replied, "Eh, I'm just awesome that way."
Rarity said, "And it was sweet of you to let me bring my little sister along too."
"Well we needed cabin boys or in this case, cabin girls."
Fluttershy pointed, "See Dashie, look at all the amazing things you have done without Soarin."
Dash made a sad smile, "I know Flutters… but that doesn't lessen the pain any less…" she sighed.
Rarity stated while making a dramatic pose, "When one is in love, one cannot forget."
Rainbow's smile went brighter at her friend's words, "Exactly. Just you wait someday you girls will find someone and you'll know what it is like."
Applejack scoffed, "Like that'll happen, no pony has shown interest in me before, so there's no love in my life happenin' anytime soon."
Twilight shook her head, "I don't think any colt is going to like how educated I am given it's a mare's duty to do housework and serve her husband."
Fluttershy timidly said, "Oh, I'm too scared for someone to court me, there's just so many things that can go wrong…"
Pinkie sighed, "I'm too unpredictable for anyone to fall in love with."
Rarity said, "I on the other hand am waiting for my true love to come but it is rather impossible to meet him given how we're at sea all the time and therefore we cannot start a relationship."
Dash nodded in understanding until she frowned, "Okay, enough of this sappy talk. We got a busy day tomorrow and I don't want my crew being tired all because they decided to stay up to make sure their captain was alright."
Fluttershy inquired, "But don't you want us to make sure you were okay?"
"Not if it makes you lose sleep and you can't do your jobs properly because of that, so I'm ordering all of you to go back to bed." she pointed toward the door.
Applejack saluted, "Aye-aye, captain." and turned to the others, "Alright gals, you heard her. Let's get back to sleep."
Rarity complained, "Honestly Applejack, just because you're the first mate, doesn't mean you have to repeat the captain's orders all the time."
They laughed at that and bade Rainbow good night before leaving. Twilight used her magic to turn off the lanterns leaving Rainbow in the dark once more. The cyan pegasus lied on her side and tried to get comfortable but her thoughts lingered on the nightmare she had. She then grabbed for a compass that was on her bedside table and looked at the inscription on the back.
With this, you will always find your way to me…
She clung onto the compass to her chest and let herself cry to sleep.
Rainbow Dash was excited to be starting another day with the other officers at the academy while wearing her spanking blue frock coat with a white button collar patch. She knocked on the door and entered the room seeing the officers at the head table wearing blue flocks too but with gold navy buttons and with them, her fiancé. The two exchanged brief looks before she took a seat across from him.
Captain Spitfire addressed the room, "Alright, listen up, I'm only going to say this once. Now, we've been assigned by His Majesty, the King to deliver important cargo to Maretonia and I'm assigning First Lieutenant Soarin to the job."
Soarin and Rainbow's eyes widen at the news as the officers congratulated him.
Spitfire shouted, "Quiet!" once the room was silenced, she asked, "Lieutenant, are you prepared to undertake this mission?"
Soarin stood up and saluted, "Yes, ma'am."
Spitfire stood up as well, "Good, now go and get your ship ready to sail tomorrow morning," she turned to the table, "Midshipman Dash, you are to help him in any way you can."
Second Lieutenant Fleetfoot uttered under her breath, "Most likely to help him in bed."
Rainbow heard that and a tint of pink went across her cheeks before she stood up and saluted to her captain, "Yes, ma'am."
Then together Soarin and Rainbow left the room in a professional stance but once she closed the door behind them, they faced each other with a smile.
He commented, "I'm sure the only reason she ordered you to help me was because she knew you would have end up breaking protocol just to make sure you see me before I have to cast off tomorrow."
She agreed, "Yeah, I think so too."
He used his wing to lift her chin and stated with a smirk, "Are you prepared to follow every order I have for you, Midshipman Dash?"
She smirked back, "Yes, sir. I'm more than willing to obey."
He leaned in for a kiss and she happily returned it.
Days had passed since Soarin left for Maretonia and Rainbow was heading to the meeting room as usual but when she entered she noticed the mood was solemn and was cautious of what was about to happen but even then nothing could have prepared her for what she was about to hear.
Spitfire and the officers looked her with somber expressions.
The captain spoke, "Rainbow Dash…"
At her name alone, Rainbow knew something was terribly wrong.
She unsteadily replied, "Yes, Captain…?"
Spitfire went up to her and put a hoof on her shoulder, "A typhoon occurred in the Marediterranean Sea… And Soarin's ship was caught in the middle of it… I'm so sorry…"
The world became a blur to Rainbow as she couldn't believe what she heard. She shook her head in disbelief, "No… no… it couldn't be…"
Fleetfoot came up to her and sadly said, "I'm sorry, Dash… but it's true…"
Rainbow was on the verge of tears and ran out of the room so they couldn't see them.
After that, Rainbow Dash refused to see anyone. She couldn't perform her duties to the academy, not when she was so grief-stricken by the loss of her beloved. Then one day when she was slowly healing she was summoned to the captain's office but the mood was just as somber as the day she received the news about Soarin.
Spitfire and Fleetfoot looked her with concern and suspicion on their faces.
Rainbow slowly started, "You wanted to see me?"
Spitfire nodded, "Yes, and it involves on where you were two nights ago."
"What? Why?"
Fleetfoot stated, "Someone stole funds from the Academy's treasury two nights ago and we have some overwhelming evidence that you did it."
Shock overcame Rainbow and she retorted, "What?! I haven't been near the treasury!"
Spitfire put a dagger on the table, "Then will you please explain why this was in the vault?"
Rainbow examined the blade and her blood ran cold. That was her dagger, she recognized the design she made on the handle during sword-making class in her early days at the academy. How did she not know it was missing in the first place? Was she that lost in her grief that it gave someone a chance to steal it?
She uneasily said, "Okay… I know this looks bad but I swear, I never broke into the treasury's vault! I was in my room all night! Someone stole my dagger to frame me!"
Fleetfoot questioned, "Can you prove that?"
Rainbow started to sweat, "Well, um, no I can't… But I know I didn't do it!"
Spitfire sighed, "I want to believe you, Rainbow Dash… But Seaman Lighting Dust claims she saw you leave your room and when you came back you had two large bags…"
"Oh, come on! You can't be serious! What reason do you have to take her word?!"
The two mares exchanged sad looks making Rainbow realize…
"Wait… If this is about me grieving over Soarin…?"
Spitfire got up and went up to her, "Look, Rainbow Dash, mares who lose their intended tend to be unstable… and will be prone to do things that they never thought that they would do…"
Rainbow was shaking her head, "I don't believe this… This isn't happening…" she held her hooves over her face.
A knock came at the door and an officer entered the room, he said, "Ma'am, we found it." he set down a bag full of coins.
The three mares gawked at the bag and Spitfire wavered as she asked, "And… can you say where you found this?"
He pointed to Rainbow, "In Midshipman Dash's room, ma'am."
Rainbow's eyes budged out and her heart sank.
Spitfire sighed, "Thank you, I'll take it from here."
When the officer left, the captain and the lieutenant faced Rainbow with sadness.
"Rainbow Dash, given the circumstances, I have no choice but to arrest you, however I'm sure if you plead temporary insanity the judge will go easy on you."
"This can't be happening!" Dash shouted out, "I didn't steal that money and I have not gone crazy!"
Fleetfoot started going slowly toward her and Spitfire did the same, "Just take it easy, Dash, we'll help you, all you have to do is come quietly…"
But Rainbow was quick on her feet and made for the window where she jumped, flapped her wings, and zoomed away. And thus was the beginning of her life being on the run.
Rainbow woke up the next morning, got dressed in pirate captain's attire and went straight out to the deck where she ran the ship's bell to wake her crewmates.