Chapter 16
"Planet Ho!"
The heavy door above the prisoners opened as five royal guards came down. Rainbow Dash worriedly looked at Tick Tock when the light from the lanterns shone onto his face. She could see him equally worried. The guards stopped at the door as Applejack walked in and unlocked the cell. One unicorn shoved Applejack aside as her and two other guards walked in toward Scratch.
“Hey, what’s going on?” Rainbow Dash called out as Scratch’s chains were unlocked.
The unicorn grabbed Scratch and forced him up pulling back his aching arms onto his back. A pegasus royal guard took the chance to kick Rainbow in the stomach, causing her to retch and cough. The royal guards started laughing at her expense as they dragged Scratch away.
“I say!” Tick Tock called out. “Answer the question!”
“We don’t answer to you.” A unicorn guard said pushing Scratch up the stairs. The door shut audibly above them. Rainbow took in slow deep breaths with her legs up to her chest, panting. She turned to glare at Applejack to see her looking at her with worry. She slowly stood up and walked into the cell, checking up the stairs before doing so. She knelt down with the keys and unlocked Rainbow’s chains.
“Here, just for a little while, alright?” Applejack whispered crawling to Tick Tock’s chains and unlocking them. Tick Tock watched as Rainbow started moving her fingers as blood rushed back into her arms, letting her move her dead fingers around.
“Oh Luna, that feels good.” Tick Tock whispered leaning against the wall. Applejack smiled a touch then turned to Rainbow to see her staring at her.
“Why are you doing this?” Rainbow asked confused looking around.
Applejack sighed. “Blueblood decided to take that unicorn back to some place called The Rock. Something to do with some treasure trove in his grasp.” Rainbow Dash looked into her eyes to see her completely scared.
“The Rock?” Tick Tock asked confused. “I remember that place. A horrible place where war prisoners and traitors were kept. Those that were too important to kill off.”
Rainbow was confused. “But wasn’t that place destroyed after the war?”
Tick Tock shook his head. “No, there was a council meeting from the royals to decide the fate of the prison. But at the last second, Queen Celestia ordered the prison to remain in business for special prisoners.” Rainbow blinked wondering what that meant. She turned to Applejack to see her watching the stairs and listening intently for anypony coming. Rainbow sighed.
“AJ, why are you-”
“Shut up,” Applejack hissed. Rainbow glared at her.
“There has to be a reason, you hate my guts.”
Applejack turned to Rainbow with a glare of her own. “True, I did for a time,” she whispered, her glare lessened. “But when you asked about Pinkie Pie... For some reason I just knew you would act like the old you.”
“That was a test?” Tick Tock asked intrigued.
“It was, a test for myself to see if they really did take you away from us.” Applejack said, somberly closing her eyes. “That Lightning Dust is a fine piece of work Dash. I swear if she wasn’t in charge you would have been.”
Rainbow glared at the floor. “She was nothing but a traitor.” She sighed. “Believe me Applejack, I never wanted to back off like I did back there. Spitfire, she told me about what was going on and how every pegasus we knew in the war was going insane or killing themselves because of the war.”
Applejack nodded. “Everypony in my old squad was going crazy too. Not even Pinkie could cheer them up.”
Rainbow nodded. “We knew that something was up with the higher ups in the pegasi guard. We were planning on freeing many of the earth ponies in the prison.”
Applejack’s ears went up as she turned to her. “You better be lying.”
“Would I lie to you, AJ?” Rainbow asked, getting loud, she covered her mouth at the outburst looking around. Once they knew they weren’t heard Rainbow sighed. “Applejack, listen to me. For the last... I don’t know how many years, I always wondered what would’ve happened if I didn’t say those things to you and Pinkie.” She shrugged. “I probably would have been dead or we would have escaped together like in the war. Maybe gather the other Elements then maybe...”
“Yeah,” Applejack whispered. “I always thought about that too. But they were very happy seeing us scream for mercy.”
Rainbow rubbed her face with her tingling hands. “I’m so, so sorry Applejack.” She whispered. “I never was the same after what I did to you and Pinkie. Your words haunt me, her screams just as haunting.” Rainbow whispered shaking. “And I couldn’t do anything to save you. Then things got even worse, with Spitfire and the Wonderbolts dead. It got hard enough to where I just left Canterlot altogether. I’m a coward for leaving you guys behind in Canterlot while I left to try and find a way of coping with the guilt.”
Applejack nodded sadly. “Pinkie and I heard about Spitfire. I’m sorry Rainbow, I know how much she meant to you.”
Rainbow sighed and nodded. “She told me to keep going and keep flying. Stay loyal to those you care about most. But of course I cracked when she was murdered. It took me many years to realize that earth ponies couldn’t have done it. It was too much of a unicorn or pegasus killing than an earth pony.”
Applejack nodded. “I’m happy you started using that brain of yers again.”
The two went silent as Tick Tock watched them with bewilderment.
Rainbow chuckled. “You know something, AJ? While I was stuck in here with nothing to do but mope and look back, I started to realize many things. Especially what a jerk and a bitch I was to everypony I knew.”
Applejack shrugged. “Yeah, well, after seeing you down here I thought this would be my chance to get revenge against you. Dumping that porridge on you was one of the marks of revenge but then I realized I was the bitch, not you.”
Rainbow chuckled. “I guess we were both bitches.”
Applejack smiled. “Yeah,” She paused then sighed. “That still doesn’t change everything Dash. It’ll take a while for me to completely forgive you for what you've done, even if it was for a cause you failed to uphold.”
Rainbow nodded. “I understand completely. If Spitfire hadn’t been killed we wouldn’t be in this situation right now.” Rainbow said rubbing her wrists. “We would probably have the girls with us, fighting against the rules, and protecting all ponies’, not just unicorns or pegasi.”
Applejack cracked a grin. “There’s the Rainbow I remember.”
The door opened and footsteps were heard.
“Shit,” Applejack whispered quickly rushing to Tick Tock getting his wrists up and placing the cuffs over them keeping his arms up. The pirates were coming faster. Tick Tock started coughing trying to make noise to cover up Applejack as she tried to get Rainbow’s shackles on her wrists. The two old mares looked into each other’s eyes. Applejack winked and quickly stood up walking out the cell casually and closing the cell door as the guards walked in seeing her.
“AJ, what’s going on here?” One of the earth ponies asked.
Applejack shrugged. “Just checking on the prisoners. I didn’t want those bastards to untie one of the royals. It turned out that the Prince there got his chains lose. So I locked them back up.”
The three pirates looked at one another with confusion.
“Hmm,” The pegasus mare said walking up to Applejack. “It just seemed like a long time to just tightening up chains.”
Rainbow blinked thinking of a plan as she unfolded her legs and kicked the bars, causing everypony to jump and turn to her. “I’m going to kill you earth shit when I get out of here!” She screamed out struggling.
The pegasus mare chuckled. “Aww, did you made a friend to that unicorn? Well guess what missy, you won’t be seeing him anytime soon.”
“Fuck you!” Rainbow hissed as the guards laughed, Applejack cracked a fake smile as she stared at Rainbow to see her winking at her. Applejack winked back then followed the pirates as they continue to laugh up the stairs. Rainbow looked up to see Applejack tipping her hat as a thanks as she closed the door behind her. Rainbow sighed and smiled. Tick Tock stared at her in the darkness thinking.
“So, I’m guessing you were protecting her?”
Rainbow sighed again. “Yeah, that’s what friends do, Highness.”
Tick Tock smiled. “Rainbow, enlighten me a bit would you?”
“Sure, of what?”
Tick Tock went silent thinking. “What is your story? I know you told me not to go into your past but now I’m curious. You know pirates, you knew of the so called traitor Spitfire and the Wonderbolts,”
“They were not traitors! They were, ponies that fought for the truth and loyalty for Equestrian ponies. Not royalty like they make everypony believe nowadays.” Rainbow said with a huff.
“Well, would you mind telling me a little bit about your past Captain? You were always known as a mysterious pegasus to me while every pony else knows you for being a traitor.” Rainbow sighed.
“Well, before the war, the Third Discordian War, I enlisted as a filly in military school. That was where I was set up with the Wonderbolt squad named after some legendary group of pegasi. Anyway Spitfire, Soarin, Fleetfoot, you name them, they were with me and we trained hard and long until we were sent out into war. We lost three of our best flyers on our first night because of inexperience in the field.
“It was the second year in the war when I was given a letter to see Princess Celestia in Canterlot. It didn’t say anything about awards or gathering pony supporters, but Spitfire got me all prepared for the meeting telling me to just stand at attention, act like I would with any other officer, and above all else, no speaking out of turn to royalty. I left the Wonderbolts that day, never to return. When I went to Canterlot I was told to stand in front of the throne with two other ponies. They were earth ponies,”
“The uh AJ and Pinkie ponies?”
Rainbow nodded. “Yeah them. At the time Applejack was a rank higher than me. I remember she smoked those horrible cigars which I learned later that her superior officer got her into those gross things. Then Pinkamina Diane Pie, a real character but somehow she had the rank of Corporal like me. I’ve never seen a soldier like her. Always smiling and hopping in place with that crazy party mane she had on her head. Upon seeing me she gasped and started hopping around me and started talking real fast that I had to scream out to make her shut up.
"I stood furthest away from them since I was getting looks from AJ at the time. Then we met two other ponies. A pegasus and a unicorn. The pegasus was named Fluttershy. A medic by the badge on her uniform, she was a cadet at the time. I’ve never seen a more beau- Ahem, I mean, a young Pegasus at the time. I mean all pegasi that act like her are dead or worst become traitors because of their natures. She stood next to me in front of the throne. Then the unicorn, a beauty that shouldn’t have been in war but she carried herself as an officer by the way she stood by AJ fixing that stupid mane of hers. She introduced herself as Rarity. And boy what a rarity she was. I even remember seeing AJ’s mouth drop open seeing her.”
Rainbow chuckled at the memory. Tick Tock blinks. “So why were you five called by the princess?”
Rainbow smiled. “At first I said it was probably time that Celestia gave me a medal of honor for my bravery and loyalty to the crown. AJ mentioned I should shut my mouth before I got everypony in trouble.”
“I never knew you to be a smart mouth, Captain.” Tick Tock said smiling.
Rainbow shrugged. “Meh, I matured since then Highness.” Tick Tock smiled chuckling, Rainbow seemed to have loosened up since the first time he met her. She’s actually smiling and telling jokes, that was unnatural of her but yet it made him smile seeing her smile.
Rainbow sighed. “Back when I was younger I was a little immature, but at the time I thought I was getting an award. That was when the Queen entered, well she was a Princess before the rebellion. Man, I remember how elegant she was. She just has this air that she is the wisest creature in the galaxy.” Rainbow sighed. “But that would change later on.”
“Anyway?” Tick Tock asked.
“Right uh, when the Queen came into the throne room she walked up to us and had this smile that made our fear go away. She stood before us and thanked us for coming. I remember her smiling at us. Then she introduced us to another pony, a unicorn. This other unicorn was a shrimp compared to us. Though she was a filly that probably just got her cutiemark. I remember how she was hiding behind the Queen. Immediately Pinkie ran up to her and started scaring the filly with her huge smile.
“That was when AJ asked for the reason for being in her presence. Celestia sat down on her throne and ordered the filly to stand by us. I remember staring at her as if she was just a leech. You see, at the time I believed only well trained ponies should fight, not children. That was when Celesta told us that we were chosen to be a squad of six. A strange number to us in the military. Celestia looked at us and told us seriously that we are to work together to protect harmony and bring that back in the galaxy.
“I was upset, I didn’t want to fight with the earth ponies. I didn’t trust them. Applejack said that she doesn’t trust pegasi or unicorns in a fight. But the Queen said that she understood our differences in training but we must fight together to fulfill this important mission.”
Tick Tock gasped. “Wait a second, you mean that even back then when I was a colt that royals were already making pony armies segregated?”
Rainbow nodded. “Yeah, pegasi guard would fly missions and fight dragons and griffins. Unicorns use their magic as infantry and fighting magical beings like changelings. While earth ponies are more brute force or workers.” Rainbow sighed shaking her head. “It was a mess. After we heard that, Applejack and I immediately started growling at each other. I didn’t want to work with earth ponies nor unicorns, not even with a diva like Rarity.”
“What did the Queen say?”
“She told us to calm down. I asked for an explanation for this ridiculous order. She actually said that she placed the six ponies that were known to be up in their prime in the war. That really surprised me. I looked at Rarity and Fluttershy, even Pinkie. I couldn’t believe at the time that these three were qualified to be as the best! Then the one thing that really got us to yell in protest. She told us that she’ll place her student with us as our sixth member.”
Tick Tock was shaking his head. “What? A child in your squad of what teenagers?”
“We were about our late teens, early twenties I believe. She was twelve, I think, at the time. But anyway she walked over and said that we are now dubbed Squad Six, the Harmony Squad. She ordered us to go into training as soon as possible.” Rainbow chuckled.
“Of course, training wasn’t as perfect but after completing training we were sent off to war again. Applejack and I continued to butt heads. I was ranked corporal still and she was up to sergeant, our commanding officer. Rarity was our top infantry unicorn. Fluttershy our medic and still a lowly cadet. Pinkie was a corporal too. Then the filly, Twilight, she was a cadet, a trainee at best, and a complete green soldier." Rainbow sighed shaking her head.
“Wait Twilight? Celestia’s student Twilight Sparkle, who disappeared from Canterlot?”
Rainbow blinked turning to where Tick Tock would be in the darkness.
“Yeah, Twilight Sparkle. What do you mean she disappeared from Canterlot?”
Tick Tock gulped. “Well, there was a story going through the whole unicorn community that Queen Celestia’s personal student was told to be ready for training in the Unicorn guard. She disappeared after getting the message. Many claim that she was a traitor to unicorns and Canterlot and was never seen again.”
Rainbow was silent biting her lip. “You mean Twilight never joined the Unicorn Royal Guard?”
Tick Tock shrugged. “It was a long time ago, around after the rebellion. There were so many rumors and stories about her reason for leaving and why she left. There were even stories of her committing suicide or killed by an earth pony conspirator.”
“What?!” Rainbow snarled.
“Please, Captain, listen to me. That’s all I heard; like I said, those were rumors of why she left. Nopony ever talked about her anymore.”
Rainbow sighed hitting her head against the wall. “Well, first Pinkie is gone and now Twilight? Who else is missing that I don’t know about? Rarity? Fluttershy?”
Tick Tock sighed. “I’m sorry for telling you that Captain.”
Rainbow sighed. “I don’t want to talk about my friends anymore.” Tick Tock can hear the warning in her voice in the dark.
“As you wish.” He suddenly had a thought. “Rainbow Dash,”
“What?”
“I think you are a brave mare to leave Canterlot like you did.”
Rainbow blinked remembering telling Tick Tock during the rebellion about why she left Canterlot. She smiled.
“Thanks, that means a lot.”
Tick Tock smiled. “You’re a very good and trusted friend Rainbow Dash, more like a mother really.”
Rainbow blushed. “A strange war torn mother?”
Tick Tock laughed as Rainbow chuckled at her own joke. “I am serious though, Rainbow.” Tick Tock said smiling. “You’re great, really great. I’m sorry to say that Celestia made the mistake of letting you go.”
Rainbow snorted. “Please, she didn’t know that I was as important as her student before I left.” she paused thinking sadly. “I always wonder, Highness, what went wrong?” Tick Tock nodded with a hum.
“I know what you mean. It was like there were two Celestias and one of them took over.”
Rainbow nodded biting her lip “I bet it was hard on Twilight. She looked to the Queen as her second mother. I remember the dinner parties we would go to all dressed up in our uniforms all acting so formal until the Queen would step in with a wink at us and a smile that tells us that she was so proud of us.”
Tick Tock opened his mouth to speak but there was a commotion upstairs. The door opened and shut as a pair of boots ran down the stairs.
“Dash!” Applejack whispered harshly.
“AJ? Where’s the light?”
“I don’t have time for lights, listen to me.”
Tick Tock can hear the distress in her voice. “What’s wrong?” He asked.
“That ship uh Fancy Flute I think it’s called, turned towards the east.”
“Meaning?” Rainbow asked cautiously not sure what was so scary about that.
Applejack sighed. “That unicorn that was taken away, he said that if we are close to the Moon then that jewel that tear thingy?”
“Luna’s Tear!” Tick Tock exclaimed.
“Uh yeah that thing, anyway that jewel will tell the ponies where the Moon is if close. And the ship suddenly changing course, you don’t need me to finish that sentence.”
Tick Tock gasped. “Wait so you are saying that the pendant-”
The door busted open Applejack gasped looking up to see a lantern and Nightmare Moon standing at the top of the stairs grinning.
“I knew I smelt a rat.” She said walking down the stairs. At the foot of the stairs two earth ponies appeared, glaring at the traitor. Applejack slowly stood up ready to fight back with her fists in the air standing in a defensive posture. Nightmare Moon chuckled as the two other earth ponies walked up holding on to ropes and chains.
“Captain I was just-”
“Oh please, don’t try and lie your way out of this, it’s not you, Applejack dear.” Nightmare Moon started walking forward as Applejack backed away into the far wall. Rainbow Dash started struggling in her chains trying to get out. She had to help her best friend some way. Nightmare Moon chuckled, leaning forward into Applejack’s face. Applejack turned away shaking slightly.
“I brought you in before you were murdered by those damn royal guards, I made a promise to send your pay to your family, and this is the thanks you give me?” To make her point Nightmare Moon slapped the pony in the face causing Applejack to stumble into the bars next to her, spitting the blood out of her mouth from her cut lip glaring at her. Nightmare Moon chuckled, seeing Applejack glaring at her.
“You think you were sneaky enough to avoid being caught. I have been getting reports that you were visiting the prisoners. Especially after we learned of the princess.”
Nightmare grabbed Applejack by the neck and squeezed. Applejack grabbed the large hand with both of her hands trying hard to pry her fingers off as she started choking.
“Captain!” A voice called out. Nightmare Moon snarled, lessening her grip of Applejack to let her breath as she turned around.
“What?” She snarled at the voice. Applejack closed her eyes taking in another large gasp of air and started coughing. The unicorn pirate came down the stairs panting.
“We caught a body in space.” The unicorn pirate said pointing up at the ceiling.
“Dead?” Nightmare asked, interested.
“Dead, Captain. Blunt force trauma to the back of the head. Likely a bitch that fell off the mast.”
Nightmare Moon turned to Applejack to see her green eyes go wide with fear. Nightmare smirked, then shoved Applejack into the bars hard enough to knock her out cold. Applejack fell forward to the deck her hat lying beside her. The captain pointed to her.
“Pull out the cat.”
The three pirates started cackling with laughter.
“No!” Rainbow whispered struggling in the chains. “Let her go now!” Rainbow screamed out trying to get out of her chains. She won’t allow Applejack to get hurt again. Nightmare Moon laughed, turning to her.
“You have no authority here, Captain Dash. I run my own ship. I would love for you and your friend to watch the show but I’m afraid I have to keep you down here.” She turned to watch the two pirates grab Applejack from under her arms and drag her away, leaving her Stetson hat behind. The pirates struggled dragging her up the stairs to the deck above. The third pirate stepped aside letting the pirates through.
“Captain, there is something else too.”
“What is it?” Nightmare asked with an annoyed tone.
“The body, she’s a pegasus.”
“A she? “Nightmare moon asked intrigued.
“Aye, the Prince recognized her.” Nightmare Moon turned to her raising her eyebrow. The unicorn pirate cleared her throat. “Uh right, the prince said that she was from Canterlot, she had a twin. They were trained in the royal guards’ pegasi branch as assassins.”
“And?” Nightmare Moon asked. Rainbow and Tick Tock stared at one another thinking.
The unicorn sighed. “She was sent by Blueblood himself to kill that Hybrid Princess.”
“Octavia?” Tick Tock whispered with shock. Rainbow gasped. Is Octavia alive or is she dead?
Nightmare Moon blinked with surprise. “Well, what of her twin?”
“Only the body, ma’am. There was even evidence of a blade in her back near her wing. Somepony knew her weakness.”
Nightmare Moon nodded. “Show me.” The unicorn nodded and led Nightmare Moon up the steps leaving the prisoners alone again in darkness.
Nightmare opened the door and walked out, hearing shouts from her crew and turned to see Applejack being shoved into the mast as they tied her wrists together. She was fully awake now, yelling and fighting back. Nightmare Moon smirked seeing that some crew members, even the royal guard ponies around the mast, gave her a beating of disloyalty.
Nightmare Moon smiled following the unicorn to the bow where she could see a pale purple body lying on the deck surrounded by unicorns of her crew and some unicorns and pegasi from the royal guard. Blueblood was staring at her as if spooked.
“You knew her, Blueblood?” Nightmare Moon asked sitting by him watching the ponies finishing up tying Applejack to the mast. One earth pony looked to her holding a knife. Nightmare Moon nodded. The earth pony chuckled madly sawing Applejack’s clothes from her neck down and started pulling the two halves apart revealing her whip-scarred orange back. Another pony, a strong unicorn, holding on to a wicked looking whip with nine leather tails looked to Nightmare Moon for permission to begin. Nightmare Moon nodded.
“Give her twenty lashes!” She yelled out as the crew cheered for blood. Nightmare Moon returned to watching Blueblood as he paled upon seeing the whipping. “Who is she, Blueblood?” She asked getting his attention. Blueblood turned away, shuddering hearing the slap of the whip on flesh.
“I hired her and her twin sister to take care of the bastard and possibly that other bastard unicorn.” Blueblood said looking down at Cloud Chaser’s glazed eyes. “They were trained very well, I watched them kill traitors before I hired them.” Blueblood jumped, hearing the scream from the tied mare. Nightmare Moon smirked.
“Well that took five hits. I say that’s a new record of longest breaks.”
Blueblood looked up to see the blood on Applejack’s back as they continued to slap the whip across her back.
“Anything else?” Nightmare Moon asked. “Like she had a twin?”
“A sister yes, I don’t really pay attention to their names.” Blueblood pointed down at the corpse. “These two were trained well and wouldn't let anypony take them down. So somepony must be very well trained in killing ponies if he or she killed a pegasus by disabling them.”
Nightmare Moon nodded thinking. “Hmm, so somepony on that little boat,” she said pointing towards the direction where the Fancy Flute was at, “has a pony that fought in the wars possibly?”
Blueblood nodded. “Yes, possibly.”
“TWENTY!” The crew yelled out laughing and cheering. Nightmare and Blueblood turn to see Applejack hanging by the ropes on her wrists, unconscious. Nightmare chuckled standing up.
“Release that traitor and see her below and make sure she suffers when she wakes.” Three earth ponies cut down Applejack from the mast and dragged her away, laughing. Nightmare Moon sighed. “And what do we do with this pony that killed this mare?”
Blueblood smiled. “Kill the pony of course or if this pony is a unicorn maybe we can use this pony’s skills for perfect use.”
“And if this imaginary unicorn is a hybrid?”
Blueblood frowned then started to laugh. “Maybe use this imaginary unicorn as a link to finally capture every known hybrid in the galaxy, royalty and commoner.”
Nightmare Moon chuckled, turning slightly to see her crew of blood thirsty pirates. “I would love to finally have a reason to kill this lot of savages.”
Blueblood chuckled with a sigh tapping his boot against Cloud Chaser’s head. “Thanks to this pegasus we probably have a link.”
♫ ♫ ♫ ♫ ♫
Twilight shot up in her bed, panting hard and holding her chest over her rapidly beating heart. She groaned as her back suddenly started to hurt. In her haziness, every time she blinked she was seeing through hazy images through another ponies' eyes.
"Applejack!"
Twilight gasped, opening her eyes again after hearing the voice. She reached for her journal and flipped through pages of writing until she stopped at a page with old pictures she drew in the war. Twilight flipped another page seeing pictures she drew with heavy pencil lines and shadow of trees, Canterlot Castle, the School for Gifted Unicorns. Then she finally reached the place she wanted, pictures of the past.
Portrait drawings of her family, her brother, mother, and father. Pictures of ponies she knew in the school. Then the last few pages were heavily stained with dirty fingerprints, tear stains, and some blood spots and smears. Twilight slowly flipped pages seeing very old sketches of dead pony faces and bodies. Twilight kept back a sob as she pressed her fist to her lips. She hadn't looked at these drawing since she left Canterlot. She went into a state of depression after meeting Daring and couldn’t stop touching up on these old pictures.
She continued flipping past her depressing pictures until she reached the pictures she was looking for, the happy smiling faces of her dear friends. She found a small, sketchy drawing of Applejack glaring at her from under her helmet peeking over a trench. It took many weeks just to get the stature of her shoulders right in the drawing. Twilight roved her eyes to see a drawing of Pinkie Pie sleeping with her arm over her eyes, her mouth open, Twilight even added a bit of detail to her dirty mane and showed a line of drool saliva rolling down the side of her cheek leaving a clean line on her dirty face.
Twilight flipped through more pages and stopped seeing a colorful picture that was colored with charcoal. It was a drawing of Rainbow Dash smiling sleeping against the mast of a ship dressed in her clean uniform. Next to her with her arm around Rainbow's waist was Fluttershy, peacefully sleeping against Rainbow with a smile on her face. Twilight made a sad smile, hoping to get a connection to not just these two pegasi, but to every friend in her old squad.
"Leave her alone!"
Twilight gasped looking around hearing the voice again.
“Rainbow?” She asked standing up dropping her old journal hearing it slap on the wooden floor looking around her room. She rubbed her fingers into her temples trying to concentrate with her magic finding the source of the voice. Twilight sighed, she felt nothing but a splitting headache for her troubles. She sighed again looking back at her journal on the floor to see that it landed open on another picture of Rainbow Dash standing smartly saluting to Applejack as the farm pony was smirking at her holding an old cigar between her fingers.
Twilight soon found herself smiling as she picked up the old journal and sat down on her bed. She wondered if Applejack ever stopped smoking those awful things. Or at least switched to cigarettes like what Vinyl used. But still that voice she heard sounded so much like Rainbow Dash calling to...
Twilight jumped off her bad and ran out of her room, making a bee line to Daring's room. She opened the door to find the room empty with no sign of Daring. Twilight groaned out loud as she left the room and ran to the exit. She opened the door and looked over to see Daring talking to Vinyl at the port side rail.
“Professor!” She called out running to her. Daring and Vinyl looked up as Twilight ran over panting.
“What’s wrong Twilight?” Daring asked worriedly.
Twilight looked up at Daring. “Professor, I felt their presence.”
“Who?”
“Professor!” Vinyl turned blushing to see Octavia running over. “I had the strangest dream but it wasn’t a dream!”
Twilight blinked looking at Octavia. “Wait, could this dream be in some kind of holding area?”
Octavia turned to Twilight with shock even Daring and Vinyl were surprised. “Yes, it was,” Octavia answered surprised.
Twilight turned to Daring and Vinyl with worry. “I had a dream through another pony’s eyes. I felt this horrible pain in my back.” Twilight said quickly.
Octavia shook her head. “I felt numbness in my arms and a very sore achiness.” Twilight blinked in surprise.
“Okay... show me.”
“I beg your pardon?”
“Show me,” Twilight ordered pointing at her wrists. Octavia slowly raised her arms up, crossing her wrists together, then slightly lower. Her arms took the look of what a prisoner would look like while standing wither wrists chained above her head. Twilight gasped, pointing at Octavia.
“That’s what the ponies looked like in that cell I was looking into!”
“Wait, wait, wait,” Vinyl interrupted. “Okay just rewind and pause for a minute and tell us what the heck you two are talking about?”
Twilight cleared her throat. “I was napping in my room and I was dreaming that I was a pony and going through some kind of horrible ship.”
Daring turned to Octavia. “And you?”
“I was chained up in some dark cell. I remember hearing this voice talking to me. Telling me about a ship.” Octavia gasped suddenly turning to Vinyl. “I didn’t get it at the time but that mare said Fancy Flute.”
Vinyl went pale looking around. “Derpy!” She yelled out running off. Daring grabbed Octavia by her arms.
“Tell me exactly what you heard,” she paused to grab Twilight by the shoulder. “And you tell me what you saw.”
Twilight nodded. “I keep hearing Rainbow’s voice, Daring.”
“Rainbow?” Octavia turned to Twilight with confusion. “Rainbow Dash?”
Twilight and Daring looked at Octavia with shock.
“You know Rainbow Dash?” Twilight asked.
Octavia blinked staring at her. “If we are talking about the same Rainbow Dash, she was the captain of my father’s royal guard in Manehattan.”
Twilight and Daring looked at one another then at Octavia. Twilight was shaking biting her lip. “Tell me,” she begged moving away from Daring to get closer to Octavia. “There is only one Rainbow Dash. She has a rainbow mane of course.”
“Of course,” Octavia said nodding slowly.
“Magenta eyes?”
“Yes,” Octavia said turning away blushing. Twilight found this strange.
“Yes, and?”
“She lost sight of her left eye.”
Twilight was amazed turning away thinking. Then one last idea. “Her cutiemark?”
Octavia looked aghast. “Why would I want to know that monster’s cutiemark?” Octavia gasped covering her mouth with both hands. Twilight looked at Octavia with suspire.
“Monster?”
Octavia closed her eyes turning away. Twilight blinked then turned to Daring. “Wait here, I have an idea.” Twilight ran up the steps then to the cabins to her room and grabbed her old journal and ran back to see Daring patting Octavia on the shoulder. “Here,” Twilight said quickly flipping to a drawing of Rainbow Dash with colored charcoal. She shown the picture to Octavia and saw her gasp pointing at the picture.
“That’s Captain Dash.”
Twilight smiled and started laughing, she finally found out where Rainbow Dash was all this time. But then frowned. “But... why did you call Rainbow a monster? Sure, she can be mean sometimes but not horrible.” Twilight said smiling at Octavia. Octavia blinked at her moving away from Daring.
“For all the years I’ve seen her she always hated me.”
“Hated you?” Twilight asked confused. “Rainbow Dash couldn’t have hated you.”
“She does,” Octavia said crossing her arms across her chest bowing her head. “With that snarl of hers and those battle scars, she’s a monster and hated all earth ponies... well hybrids like me and Mother. She only protected us because she and Father were close. I just don’t understand how my father would be friends with such a cold pegasus.”
Twilight was shocked hearing this from Octavia. “But surly,”
“No,” Octavia said shaking her head. “I won’t change my mind about her. I’m actually happy to never see her again.”
Octavia walked away toward Vinyl and Derpy as they seem to be arguing. Daring sighed turning to see Twilight staring at the old drawing biting her lip. Daring wrapped her arm around Twilight hugging her.
“Ponies change, Twilight.”
“I won’t believe it until I see her with my own eyes.” Twilight pulled away walking toward the bow clenching the small journal to her chest. Daring sighed turning to see Octavia trying to control the two spacers. Daring sighed walking up to them.
“Well it seems like Octavia and Twilight are getting connections with...” She paused seeing Vinyl’s worried look. “What’s wrong?” Daring asked.
“The only reason they would know the name of my ship is if they’re watching us.” Vinyl said pointing out at space.
“And I have been telling you we were being followed!” Derpy yelled out staring behind them. “That dream Octavia had is probably a sign that somepony is behind us.”
“But who?” Octavia asked rubbing her temples.
Daring gulped getting a look behind them. “I think I might have an idea.”
“Care to share professor?” Vinyl asked.
Daring opened her mouth then paused looking before them. She walked forward pointing. Vinyl and Derpy turn and their mouths dropped open. Octavia turned around noticing the silence and gasped seeing a giant white moon in front of them surrounded by an asteroid and debris belt.
“Derpy,” Vinyl whispered.
“Gotcha.” Derpy ran to the small speaker tube. “Planet ho!”
Twilight was backing away turning to Daring pointing at the Moon. Daring nodded. Vinyl gulped looking at the white orb with fear. “Is that?”
“That’s it.” Octavia whispered standing with them with her hand clenching around Luna’s Tear. “Luna’s Tear is vibrating right now.” She breathed with a gulp. Daring nodded smiling at Vinyl.
“Captain Scratch, we are the first in over thirty years to see Luna’s Treasured Moon.”
Vinyl gulped, staring at the white moon with dread.
♫ ♫ ♫ ♫ ♫
Nightmare Moon smiled lowering her spyglass laughing.
“I got a hand it to you, Prince Blueblood. You were right to tail that ship.” She handed the spyglass to Blueblood. “See that large white orb over there?”
Blueblood handed the spyglass to a royal guard and pointed out at space. Nightmare Moon rolled her eyes as the royal guard looks through the spyglass and nodded confirming that he can see the Moon.
“Yes, I see it.” Blueblood said haughty grinning. Some pirates were glaring at Blueblood.
“Can you see that black speck in front of the Moon?” Nightmare Moon asked with a quirked brow. Blueblood turned to his guard to see him nod.
“Yes,”
“That’s where that princess is, and that Luna’s Tear you speak of, correct?” Nightmare Moon asked her eyes flashed green and red for just the smallest of moments.
“Of course.”
Nightmare Moon chuckled, placing two fingers into her mouth and blew a loud high whistle. Everypony turned to her stopping what they were doing. “Alright you savage dogs, get the sails ready. Unicorns be ready at nightfall to cloak the lifeboats!”
“Aye!” the pirates yelled out getting ready.
“Get your weapons ready, for those that resist, maim them don’t kill them.” Nightmare Moon ordered chuckling. “What will we find, Blueblood? Treasure?” Nightmare Moon asked her eyes glowing green and red again. She closed her eyes quickly to hide her eyes as the dark power tried to resurface. Sadly Blueblood doesn’t notice, he was too busy licking his lips with anticipation
“More than treasure, Nightmare Moon.” He said smiling. “More treasure than ever. A crystal temple made for the lost race called the Crystal Ponies.”
“Hmm, I think I remember stories of them in the past.” Nightmare Moon said innocently licking her lips as well.
“And there will be treasure and crystals and possibly a long lost treasure that the crystal people locked away before they mysteriously disappeared. According to Captain Scratch that is.”
Nightmare nodded. “This will be fun.”
“Oh yes and you will be paid by the amount of gold and crystals you collect. Is that fair?”
Nightmare chuckled darkly. “That is a fair deal, indeed.” Her eyes flashed again smirking revealing her sharp teeth.