Chapter One
The Ponyville train puffed into the station five minutes late, as usual, the wheels screaming and creaking in protest as it rolled to a full stop. On the platform, a primastic maned pegasus was pacing back and forth, waiting for something with about as much patience as a hungry baby foal wanting its dinner.
The car doors bargain to open to allow the passengers out to stretch thier legs and get some air. Rainbow Dash watched in almost breathless anticipation, her magenta eyes scanning every passenger that alighted.
And then she saw her.
A tall, finely toned figure dressed in something of a pirate outfit, bandanna tied around her head and a sword in a sheath at her side. Her eyes scanned her surroundings, searchingly, waiting.
"Captain Celaeno!"
Celaeno barely managed to locate the caller before a blur of blue crashed into her, knocking her over onto the platform.
"Ugnf!!" She grunted, laying somewhat stunned for a moment.
"Heh heh. Uh, sorry." Rainbow rose and offered a hoof. "Got a little carried away."
Celaeno grinned as she accepted the hoof and allowed herself to be tugged upright. She brushed dust from her clothing and smoothed down her ruffled feathers.
"Good to see you too, Rainbow Dash. It's been a long time!"
Rainbow grinned widely, her eyes taking on a new sparkle as she gestured wildly.
"Its been forever! That whole saving Equestria thing was so long ago I think most of us forgot about it."
"Except you." Celaeno threw a bemused smirk at her. "You keep sending me letters."
It was true. They had last seen each other back after the Storm King's defeat, and since then they had become pen pals of sorts, Rainbow sending letters full of her and her friends' exploits, and Celaeno returning letters full of her crew's exploits. They talked about each friend they had separately, they talked about their plans and future dreams, and somehow they managed to connect on a deeper level than one might expect through mail. In short, they had become very close friends, and acted as each other's confidant as well when Rainbow needed advice for things she didn't want to tell her friends, and the same held true for Celaeno.
"Where's your luggage?" Rainbow asked.
"Oh!"
The flustered captain rushed back onto the train car and returned seconds later bearing a rather large pack over her shoulder.
"I figured you would like to crash at my place." Rainbow said cheerfully. "Though we need to make a quick stop at Twilight's first!"
"What for?"
"You can't stay with me unless she puts a spell on you first. Otherwise you'll be taking a trip straight through my floor and back to the ground. And if that happens in your sleep, well, you're going to be a bird pancake!"
Celaeno snorted. "Oh right, because only Pegasi can walk on clouds."
"Exactly. But Twi will fix that easily. Oh, here."
Rainbow took her pack, despite protests, and draped it across her back.
"Next stop, Egghead's."
"You still call her that even though she's now royalty?"
"Psh. I'd call her that even if she was Equestria's sole ruler. Heck, I've called the Sisters names too."
"Ohhhh yeahhhh. Tell me, how DID you live through calling Princess Celestia Princess Sunbutt?"
"I lived because I'm just that awesome!"
"Ha! Why do I believe you?"
"Because I'm definitely that awesome and you know it."
"Only you would dare insult royalty."
"Nah. Discord dares.
"He's the Lord of Chaos, you're just a mortal."
"Just a mortal?!! I'm offended. I'm an awesome mortal!"
They laughed and continued their banter as they strolled along side by side towards the Friendship Castle.
"Ok, there you go! Now you can walk on clouds as easily as Rainbow."
Twilight's horn gradually decreased its glow til it faded to completely normal as she grinned at the impressed pirate.
"Thanks, Twi!" Rainbow practically beamed.
"You'll need to come back and see me in about three days." Twilight said with a smile. "The spell will begin to wear off around then and will need to be recast."
"Thank you, Princess Twilight." Celaeno said respectfully, with a nod.
"Oh please, call me Twilight. Formalities aren't necessary and can be a bit annoying anyway." Twilight chuckled.
"I bet. Ok then, Twilight."
"Come on, lets go drop your stuff off and I'll show you around!" Rainbow was practically bouncing in place in a manner reminiscent of Pinkie Pie, she was so excited. "There's plenty of time to see the sights and I'll even take you by to see the others too."
"Oh sweet." Celaeno rejoined her hostess and nodded at Twilight. "Thanks again. Hopefully we can talk more while I'm here!"
"Of course. Drop in anytime, Captain."
"Please, call me Celaeno. Or just Cel. That's what Mullet calls me, goofy bird." Celaeno snickered.
"Ok then, Celaeno." Twilight waved her hoof as Rainbow dragged the captain away.
"Well, somepony sure seems excited." Spike commented, grinning after the two.
"Well, Rainbow has been hoping to meet up with her again for quite awhile." Twilight shook her head in amusement. "Come on, Spike. There's still another six shelves to reorganize."
Celaeno was impressed with Rainbow's cloud home, to say the least. She studied her surroundings intently.
"You have quite a mansion!"
Rainbow looked a bit embarrassed. "Not really a mansion. More like a very, very big cottage."
"...it's a mansion, Rainbow."
"Well. Ok fine, maybe it's kinda a mansion!" Rainbow led her into a room. "Here's your room! Make yourself at home. My house is your house. That kinda thing."
She uncerimoniously dumped the pack off her back onto the cloud floor and stretched her body in multiple positions before flapping her wings a few times.
"What did you have in there anyway? Half your ship's cargo?"
Celaeno rolled her eyes. "More like an entire one third of it."
Rainbow blinked, and then laughed outright as she saw the teasing smirk.
"Yeah yeah. Ok." She shook her head. "So! You want to see all the sights first or visit some old friends first?"
"Or a mix. Show me all the sights AND let's visit old friends."
"Sounds like a plan. Do you like cupcakes?"
"Er, yes?"
The jingling doorbell announced their arrival at Sugarcube Corner, and the deliciously intoxicating scent of the many sweets instantly floated into Celaeno's nostrils. She inhaled deeply.
"Oh that smells really good."
Rainbow snickered. "Heya Pinks! You here?"
"Like always!" A pink blur appeared from nowhere, muzzle to muzzle with Rainbow, who jumped. "Hi Dashie!"
"Gah! Pinkie, don't do that!" Rainbow sputtered, panting slightly from the shock.
"Sorry! And who's this-AHHHHHH! OH MY GOSH, CAPTAIN CELEANO!"
"Yes, it-GAH!"
Celaeno let out a shriek that definitely did not befit a tough pirate as she was abruptly tackle hugged to the floor.
"Pinkie!" Rainbow groaned as she went to her rescue, pulling the hyper mare off her dazed victim. "Don't do that."
"Sorry! But it's just really super duper exciting to see her again!!" Pinkie bounced in place as Rainbow helped Celaeno up and carefully smoothed down some of her ruffled feathers. "It's been soooooo long!!"
"It has been, yes." Celaeno shook her head roughly to clear her swirling vision before smiling at Pinkie. "You haven't changed much. Still super bubbly and hyper."
"I never change." Pinkie returned with a giggle. "I just stay Pinkie Pie, the super duper spectacular party pony of Ponyville!"
"Pinkie, we need two cupcakes, please." Rainbow interrupted, before this rant could continue into something much longer.
"Okie dokie lokie!"
Pinkie whizzed back to the counter and rapidly delivered two cupcakes to its top, neatly placed into two small boxes.
"Four bits please!"
Rainbow paid for the treats, and gave one to her companion, who eagerly lifted the lid of the box and deeply inhaled the scent of its decadent contents.
"Chocolate. With chocolate almond frosting." She announced, all but drooling as she gazed at it.
"Yeppers!" Pinkie grinned.
"It looks too good to eat almost."
Rainbow rolled her eyes and took a decent bite from hers, moaning slightly at the burst of chocolatey goodness in her mouth. Pinkie giggled at her thoroughly content expression. Celaeno followed Rainbow's example and sighed approvingly at the cupcake's flavours.
"Delicious." She said.
Finishing off their treats, the two thanked Pinkie and headed out the door to their next destination.
By the time they made the rounds of Carousel Boutique, Sweet Apple Acres, and Fluttershy's cottage, with brief stops in between so Rainbow could show Celaeno various cool spots around Ponyville, both of them were worn out and hungry.
"Let's head back home and make some dinner." Rainbow suggested. "I bought supplies yesterday so there would be plenty of stuff to choose from to make."
"I'll cook!" Celaeno offered.
"You cook??"
"Yes?"
"Uh...it's not uh, like on the ship that one time?"
"I can cook decent food, Rainbow Dash!"
"Ok! Ok!" Rainbow grinned. "Probably just as well. I really can't cook that well."
"Well lucky for you, I'm here." Celaeno snickered.
Rainbow snorted and led the way home.
True to her word, Celaeno prepared a very good meal and they polished it all off with gusto. Rainbow made short work of their dishes and the two of them settled into the living room to reminisce on days gone by. Celaeno shared the latest news of her crew's exploits and Rainbow ended up laughing heartily over most of them.
"Did Mullet seriously think he could talk down a Roc?" Rainbow held her sides, gasping from mirth.
"Dummy was sure it would work." Celaeno answered, wiping her eyes. "He just looked right at it and was all 'Please get out of the way, ya feathered skyblock.' And of course the Roc didn't like it, so we got chased." She shook her head with a fond sigh. "Featherbrain."
Rainbow smirked, the fondness not lost on her. "You really like him, do you?"
"What? Oh. Oh!! No! Wha- of course not! Well I mean..." Celaeno rubbed her beak, willing herself to breathe normally. "N-not like that..."
"I'm not convinced." Rainbow grinned widely. "You're stammering and you're all red."
"Ugh! Fine, ok, yes, maybe I like him. But it would never work. I mean, he's on my crew so that's like, conflict of interest. Or something."
"He could be your first mate, literally and forever." Rainbow snickered at her own joke.
"Well. He does understand me better than any other crewmate. And we're pretty close." Celaeno sighed as she fidgeted in her seat. "It's just a scary thought, you know? I wouldn't object but I wouldn't know how to do it either."
"Do what?"
"The whole romance and dating thing! I haven't ever done it before."
Rainbow rubbed her muzzle and pondered for a bit.
"Well, it's kinda like driving a ship. You set your course for a specific destination and then you hold to it, no matter what storms get blown your way. In this case, you set your course for Mullet and don't let anything stop you. If he feels the same, that is."
Celaeno flushed. "I think he does. At least, if the notes and flowers he's given me are any indication. Unless friends do that sometimes?"
Rainbow arched her eyebrows. "Cel, notes and flowers are typically not a friend thing. That's a 'I like you and want to date you' thing."
"Oh." Celaeno chuckled nervously. "Uh, well, then he probably thinks that I want to date him already."
"Why?"
"Because after the last time I sent him a note and some flowers back."
Rainbow facehoofed. "Cel! You don't send a guy flowers back!!"
"Well I don't know! I've never done this before!"
"Clearly!" Rainbow huffed. "Rarity would faint and Twilight would give you a step by step guide book. Luckily I'm not them, so I'm just gonna tell you a couple do's and don'ts. Don't send flowers back. Do send return notes, ones that are kinda sweet but not overly sappy."
"Like lines of poetry?"
"That works, but nothing ultra romantic. Yet. Get to know each other as love interests first. The gradually up your romance. Or, just do what I'd do and straight up tell him you might be in love with him and just jump right in head first, no holds barred."
"Sweet Celestia, I don't think I could do that!" Celaeno exclaimed in panic.
"Well then. Slightly romantic notes it is."
"When did you get good at romance advice?"
"I'm not really, but I try. Unless you want to talk to Twilight or Rarity?"
"Nonono. This is fine. It's helpful."
"Good. Hey, when you get back, I want to know how all this pays off. And invite me to the wedding!"
Celaeno laughed. "Slow down, Rainbow. We're not even a couple yet."
"But you want to be and you will be!"
"Maybe I could send him a letter from here." Celaeno mused.
Rainbow produced a paper and quill.
"Do it. Make it sound sweet but not like sickeningly sweet."
Blushing, Celaeno quickly penned a letter and then passed it to Rainbow.
Dear Mullet-
Arrived safely in Ponyville. Dash has been showing me around and I'm having a pretty fun time. Just wanted to let you know so you wouldn't worry. Also thank you for those last flowers and the note right before I left. That was really sweet. Maybe when I get back we could go for that ale you asked about?
Looking forward to getting back soon,
Cel
"It works." Rainbow gave it back. "We can drop it at the post office in the morning. Meantime...how about a little one on one dueling?"
She motioned to where Celaeno had placed her sword. The pirate captain smirked.
"You think you can take me on? You don't even have a-"
Rainbow pulled a similar weapon from under her cloud couch.
"-sword." Celaeno shook her head. "Ok then. You're on!"
What followed could only be described as a type of comical warfare as the two friends jumped headlong into a swordfight of epic proportions.