King Shining Armour charged straight ahead, storming through his castle followed by two of his servants and his wife Queen Cadence.

 "Shining, can't we wait till the sun rises?"

 "No, that boy has kept me awake for days. If I can't sleep neither will he."

 "But Shining. Soarin doesn't love the Princess of Spane. You haven't let him try to find love."

 "Cadence, if he is to become ruler he needs a wife to inherit the thrown. And I am close to my retirement years."

 "Soarin is only twenty-one, and your age is only forty-eight."

 "Well, that doesn't matter; Soarin is to be wed before his next birthday."

Shining Armour stormed into his son's room, only to find it completely empty of any life but himself.

 "Oh dear," Cadence muttered when she saw the window wide open. "Not again."

Outside was a light blue pegaus, flying as far away from his home as possible.

 Rainbow Dash awoke by the fire place, clutching her Daring Do book, the last thing her father gave to her. She opened her eyes, revealing a pure magenta colour. She ground when she heard the endless commands coming from her stepmother Trixie and Diamond Tiara. She got up and hid her book under a floor board.

 "Yeah, yeah, I'm coming." She then began boiling three eggs and slicing bread.

 "Rainbow Dash?" Trixie called harshly.

 "Alright. Alright. They're here." Rainbow muttered not wanting the unicorn to hear her. She placed three perfect looking plates down; each had a knife, fork and spoon placed prissily in their places. Trixie eyed her stepdaughter.

 "Rainbow Dash?" she called before the pegasus could leave.

The cyan mare stared back at Trixie with innocent eyes, a trick Fluttershy used if she was in trouble (well at least Rainbow Dash and Pinkie Pie called it a trick, it was most likely Fluttershy was just scared.)

 "I have a feeling that your work is lacking, tell me girl, how lazy do you think you are?"

 "I am sorry if I displease you madame, but I really do try. I always try to think how I could improve and how I should act around you." Of course not all of this was true.

Trixie's look softened.

 "Darling, I have tried to be a good mother to you, I have given you shelter." Which was partly true but it was Rainbow's home before hoof. "I have fed you." Once a week. "I have bathed you." That wasn't true unless a mud bath with pigs counted. "And have given you clothes." Rainbow Dash only had one item of clothing, her apron for cooking, which she rarely used.

 "Tell me dear, what can I do to make you work harder?"

Rainbow Dash took a deep breath and stopped her trick.

 "Well, maybe I can work harder if Cheese Sandwich returned."

Trixie looked harshly.

 "That thief will not return until he has worked off the debt he owes."

 "Cheese Sandwich is not a thief! You just gave him away because you couldn't pay taxes!"

Trixie slapped Rainbow's face.

 "Do not use that tone young lady."

Rainbow Dash clutched her cheek. Fluttershy quietly entered the room and helped the eighteen year-old pegasus away. Trixie simply glared at her daughter Diamond Tiara with pride.

 "Straighten up dear."

Diamond Tiara obeyed.

            "Rainbow Dash what were you thinking?" Fluttershy asked, gently pressing a wet cloth on Rainbow Dash's cheek. Luckily she didn't bruise, Rainbow had grown a strong mare, and it was hard to actually hurt her.

 "I'm sorry, but she shouldn't have spoken about Cheese like that."

A dull pink pony walked into the room, her mane as straight as the knife she was using to cut bread. A few months ago, Cheese had proposed to her, she had accepted but just recently Trixie hoofed him over to make up for her taxes.

 "Pinkie, I'm sorry, I couldn't get Cheese back. It was wrong of Trixie to treat him like an object."

Before Pinkie could respond, she turned her head and cried.

The two pegasi walked over to her, both hugging the crying maid.

 "He...he...he never did anything wrong." She cried.

The three embraced each over. Fluttershy, Pinkie and Cheese were all the real family Rainbow Dash had left, she tried to hold back her tears as Pinkie would only be sadder if she knew Rainbow Dash was just as sad.

 Soon after, Trixie had requested an apple pie. A servant Apple Jack, who worked two jobs, and her younger sister Apple Bloom, had to collect flour from the market to make it, leaving Rainbow Dash to collect the apples. Rainbow Dash kicked the trunk of the tree, dodging the falling red orbs. Rainbow remembered that her father had said that he had plated these trees with her mother, Rainbow Dash felt guilty about the fact she was picking them for a cruel unicorn and her daughters.

 "Oh Rainbow Dash we need a pie, and we are too lazy to do it ourselves cause we are selfish ponies who don't deserve anything." Rainbow tried to imitate Trixie's voice, but failed. At least it made her laugh slightly. Her laughter stopped when she heard a rustle in the leaves above. Rainbow Dash flew slightly higher to see, and higher, and higher, and higher. She blinked when her eyes met a pair of green ones. The mare and mysterious pony gasped as the fell down. Rainbow hovered before she fell; however the other pony had no time to spread his wings as they seemed to be cover by a cloak. As he fell, Rainbow saw many of the trees apples hanging in his saddle bag. He then quickly ran, Rainbow yelled after him.

 "Hey! Those belong to me! Thief!"

Rainbow Dash grabbed one or two apples and ran after him. The stallion was way ahead of the mare but she quickly lifted her hoof and threw the apple at him. It hit him on the head, causing him to fall over. Rainbow dashed towards him, continuously throwing anything she could grab at him. The stallion's cloak covering his face, he attempted to get up and run from this mare, though it was proving to be difficult. He pushed the cloak aside revealing his green eyes, his pale blue face, his gold suit and his navy mane. Rainbow Dash instantly recognised him and fell to the ground, dropping the apple.

 "Forgive Prince Soarin for I did not see you!" she cried.

He looked down at the pegasus, her rainbow mane falling down, hiding her face.

 "Well clearly you did." He replied. He rubbed his head slightly.

 "I beg of you please don't kill me." She begged.

Soarin looked confused at the mare. She sounded and looked around seventeen. Why would he kill her?

 "Um, you're forgiven?" he said unsurely.

Rainbow Dash tried to look at him but she forced herself to remain on the ground. Soarin then remembered why he was here.

 "You are not tell any pony of my presence here." He commanded as he quickly picked up the apples and stuffed them into his bag. Rainbow Dash nodded, well, as much as she could anyway.

 "We have more apples." She pointed out.

 "No keep them, this is all I need." He pulled out a small sack and poured twenty gold pieces onto the ground in front of her.

 "For your loyalty."

He then flew off and out of sight. Rainbow Dash gasped at the coins. She quickly picked them up in her hooves before she finally smiled.

"Rainbow Dash what took ya so long?" Apple Jack asked as she started chopping the apples.          

 "I'm sorry AJ but," she pulled out the golden pieces and placed them on the table. Apple Jack, Fluttershy and Pinkie Pie, gasped.

 "Where did you get that Rainbow?" Fluttershy asked.

 "Let's just say a merciful angel." She sighed.

 "That's twenty whole bits!" Apple Jack cheered.

 "And I know exactly what to do with them," Rainbow smiled at Pinkie.

 "What?" Pinkie asked.

 "Don't you see? This is enough to pay the taxes!"

 "And get Cheese back!"

The four mares embraced.

 "Rainbow Dash!" Trixie called.

Rainbow pushed the coins into Pinkie's hooves before she went towards her stepmother's harsh voice.