//------------------------------//
// Caught 
// Story: A Compass to the Soul 
// by CartoonNerd12 
//------------------------------//

Rainbow Dash and Applejack went around the ship to inspect how the crew was doing. They checked in with Fluttershy first since she was the third mate and it was her job to make sure the ship was safe and that the crew can handle any emergency that may arise.

Dash questioned, "Everything is ship-shape here, Flutters?"

"Oh yes, but I must tell Lyra and Bon-Bon to check the cordage because I think some of the ropes are starting to wear out."

"Good work, Fluttershy." complimented Applejack and she and the captain went on.

Next, they checked on Twilight who was at a table with Moon Dancer and Amethyst Star as they went over the navigational charts.

Rainbow asked, "So how much farther until we reach South Amareica? You know Celaeno doesn't have much time before that poison affects her completely."

Twilight stated in annoyance, "I know that, Captain, but you know it's hard figuring the right latitude and longitude or else we'll be going in a different direction and we end up wasting our time!"

Amethyst magically picked up a chart, "Okay, we left the Sweet Apple Plantation yesterday and that was south of Equestria, now we're heading southwest."

Rainbow motioned, "Just make sure we're going in the right direction and tell Helmsman Night Gilder too."

Twilight, Moon Dancer, and Amethyst saluted and said, "Aye-aye, Captain."

The captain and her first mate went down to the ship's galley next where Pinkie wearing a chef's hat was cooking over a pot and behind her, her helpers Sugar Belle and Saffron Masala were cutting veggies to put in the pot.

Applejack took a whiff, "Mm-hm! That smells great!"

Pinkie giggled, "Sorry but you're not getting free samples. You have to wait for lunch like everyone else on the ship."

They moved on and went to the ship's storage room where Rarity was taking inventory with her helpers, Coco Pommel and Sassy Saddles.

Rainbow asked, "Do we have everything we need?"

Rarity replied, "So far, but we still need new fabrics if we're going to update everyone's wardrobe."

Applejack hoof-faced, "And I keep tellin' ya, we don't need new outfits, what everypony is wearin' now is fine."

Rarity made a humph as the two mares left.

The captain and first mate went toward the cargo hold and climbed down to see the many crates and barrels they got from their recent stop. Applejack grabbed a crowbar with her mouth to open a crate and pistols fell out. She took two of them and put them in her boots. Rainbow bumped into one of the barrels almost making it fall.

"Careful, you know those apples have to last us awhile while at sea."

The captain rolled her eyes, "I know that."

"Hey, those apples came from my family's plantation and it's the only food source we have while bein' pirates."

"Again, I know that. I am the captain after all." she eyed her crewmember suspiciously, "Unless you're planning to take this ship for yourself…"

"Aw, come on, Dash, ya can't honestly think I would plot a mutiny against ya."

"Well… maybe not now but when I first brought you and your sister on this ship, I saw you as a potential threat and that's one of the reasons I made you First Mate so I could keep an eye on you."

"Wow, I don't know if I should be flattered or be upset at ya for not trusting me in the first place. I have always been honest and straightforward with ya."

"Hey, at least I'm being honest now by telling you all this." she nudged her.

"Thanks, now help me move that barrel." she pointed to the apple barrel closest to them. They started to roll the barrel when they noticed how light it was and decided to open it and to their complete surprise they found half eaten apples around a sleeping orange filly with purple hair.

Applejack uttered, "It's a filly…"

Dash stated sarcastically, "I can see that, Applejack. The question is why would there be a filly in an apple barrel on my ship?"

Suddenly the filly woke up and saw the two ponies and before they could react the filly darted out of the barrel!

"Hey!" Rainbow called out and flew after her.

The filly ran out of the cargo hold and onto the deck causing a stir with the crew.

Rainbow yelled out, "Stop her! She's a stowaway!"

The filly looked back for a moment which was a mistake since she didn't see the many ropes lying around and ended up tripping into them thus getting tangled in them.

Lyra and Bon-Bon groaned with the latter saying, "We just organized those!"

The filly struggled to get out and Rainbow landed on the deck to approach her.

"Stop struggling, you're only making it worse."

The filly shouted, "I don't need help from you pirate scum!"

Dash replied casually, "Big talk for someone who snuck on a pirate ship."

"I didn't sneak on your ship! I just want something to eat and I found those apples in the harbor! I must have fallen asleep in the barrel and ended up here!" she continued to stay stuck in the ropes.

Applejack came up to Dash and whispered, "I think we better try a different approach if we want to help this filly…" she motioned Fluttershy over and told her, "Go get Sweetie Belle and Apple Bloom."

The pegasus nodded and went below deck. When she came back two fillies were behind her. The fillies gasped at the filly that was caught in the ropes and Applejack instructed to them, "See if you can get this filly to trust ya."

They obeyed and went toward the filly who saw them and briefly stopped struggling.

Sweetie Belle slowly started toward her, "It's okay… We're here to help you."

Apple Bloom said, "And no one's goin' to hurt ya."

The filly frowned, "Did they tell you to say that?"

Sweetie replied, "No. Because our sisters work on this ship and so do we."

Apple Bloom added, "So we know that nothing's going to happen to you."

"So you're pirates too?"

AB started, "Well kind-of… we're cabin girls so it'll be awhile before we get up there."

The filly eyed them suspiciously.

Sweetie asked, "What's your name?"

The filly debated saying until she stated, "Scootaloo. My name is Scootaloo."

Applejack uttered to Rainbow, "At least we got a name."

Dash nodded and whispered back, "But I would like to know where she came from so we can send her back."

Apple Bloom grabbed for the ropes, "Let us help you."

Sweetie used her magic to levitate the rope up.

Scootaloo got out of her bonds and started running again.

Dash sighed, "Here we go again." She flapped up and chased after the filly again.

Scootaloo made it to the bow of the ship and started flapping her wings furiously as she said to herself, "Come on wings don't fail me now…" she took a leap of faith and for a moment she stayed up in the air until she started falling and let out a scream.

Rainbow had saw the whole thing much to her horror, her mind raced, A pegasus that can't fly?! How's that possible?! Before she swooshed in and caught the filly before she landed in the water.

Scootaloo demanded, "Let me go!"

"Not a chance!" Rainbow declared before landing back on the deck as the crew surrounded them in concern.

Scootaloo struggled to get out of Rainbow's grip.

"Applejack, take this filly to the brig until we decide what to do with her."

AJ gapped, "The brig?! Captain, we can't put a young filly in the brig!"

Twilight spoke, "I have to agree, that's much too harsh."

Scootaloo shouted, "I don't care where you put me! I just want off this ship!"

Dash firmly replied, "Easier said than done kid, so in the meantime, you'll have to stay here so either you behave or we won't let you off."

Scootaloo stopped struggling and lowered her head in defeat. Rainbow slowly let her go to make sure the filly wouldn't run again but to her surprise the filly stayed put. She then ordered, "Sweetie Belle, Apple Bloom, keep an eye on our new friend here while we have a meeting to discuss this."

The fillies saluted, "Aye-aye, Captain!"

Rainbow turned to her first, second, and third mates, "Meet me in my cabin in ten minutes and bring Pinkie and Rarity too." She flew up and went straight to her quarters. She went to a table that was big enough for all six of them and waited. As she did a memory came to her of when she was on a pirate ship for the first time…




Rainbow barely got past the patrol that was surrounding the harbor, she knew she needed to smuggle herself out of Equestria before it was too late. She found a nearby ship and crawled inside a porthole and landed in the cargo hold. She waited until the ship sailed and when they dock into the next port she would get off and start a new life.

But what kind-of life would she have? Everything she had ever dreamed of was stolen from her. Her fiancé, her job… Gone. She sighed deeply.

Suddenly the crates she was hiding behind began to move and three parrots wearing pirate attire as the one called Boyle said, "Well, well, what do we have here?"

The other parrot whose name was Mullet said, "Looks like we got ourselves a stowaway!"

The female parrot, Lix Spittle added, "What are we s'posed to do with her?"

Boyle motioned, "We tie her up!"

Lix gestured, "No, we clip her wings!"

Rainbow gritted her teeth at this, no way was she going to let them clip her wings.

Mullet pointed, "Nah, we scar her, emotionally!"

Rainbow had to roll her eyes at that and commented, "Good luck with that, I've already been scarred and burned so there's not much you can do to bring me down further."

Mullet raised a brow at her, "Oh really, then we'll just have to see what the captain has to say about that…"

Rainbow Dash soon found herself facing a female parrot captain by the name of Celaeno. Rainbow had actually heard of her and her crew through the academy since they were charge with piracy of the highest degree. She had hoped that one day she could capture the pirates and bring them to justice but fate obviously loved irony because now she was captured by the pirates.

Celaeno examined the stowaway before smirking, "So you're that pony that stole money from the Equestrian Navy."

Rainbow retorted, "I didn't steal anything! Especially not from the Navy!"

"And yet there's a large bounty on your head that says otherwise…" Celaeno kept smirking.

"I was framed! But I wouldn't expect you to understand that! You're stealing stuff every single day!"

Celaeno scowled and lowered her face to the pony, "And why do you suppose that is, pony? We don't have any other choice since we are always denide service wherever ponies are concerned. We are a different species from them so therefore we must be evil…"

Rainbow's eyes widen at this. It never occurred to her that other species from ponies were suffering all because they were different.

Celaeno stood up and stated, "Now there's a matter of what to do with you… My crew's suggestions are tempting but I believe you could be used for some good like turning you over to collect the reward."

The parrots murmured in approval.

Rainbow's face was full of fear and she did something she never thought she would do, she actually begged, "Please no… I can't go back there…"

Celaeno faced her again and glared, "And why should I listen to you?"

"I can be a valuable asset to your crew, I studied everything there is to know about ships, I know where the richest ports are for you to steal from, and…" it pained her to do it but she removed her compass from around her neck and handed it to the parrot captain, "You can have my compass, it works very well."

Celaeno looked it over and when she found the inscription, she read it out loud, "With this, you will always find your way to me…" The crew exchanged looks from those words. The captain inquired, "This compass was a gift to you?"

Rainbow nodded, "My fiancé and I found matching compasses and so we engraved those words on them so as it says we would always find our way to each other."

The pirate crew started sniffling, having been touched by the mare's sentiment.

Celaeno asked, "And what of your fiancé now?"

"He's gone. His ship was caught in a typhoon."

The parrots muttered sadly, feeling sorry for the pegasus.

Celaeno's face sagged, "My condolences." and gave back the compass, "A treasure like this should never fall into the wrong hands, keep it close to you at all times."

Rainbow felt relief when she got her compass back and uttered, "Thank you."

"You can consider yourself lucky that I am a sucker for tragic romances and if what you say is true, then you better be prepared to live up to the expectations."

Dash gave off a determined look, "Oh, I know I will be."

Celaeno held out her winged hand and Rainbow held out her hoof so they could shake with Celaeno saying, "Welcome aboard, matey."

The crew cheered on and welcomed their new crewmate.




Rainbow made a sad smile and looked to a picture of Celaeno hanging on the wall, "Just hang in there, Celaeno, the cure is within my grasp. Just a little bit longer…" then she heard the door opening and her six closet friends entered the room. But first I got to deal with this…