The Stranded Pilot

The Next Day

Maverick entered the clearing, alone because Twilight and Dash were meeting up with their other pony friends and doing something. He saw Iron Clad at work removing the dents in the wings and body while Engie was laying down more rocks that he had picked up from the Anastasia. Grinder hadn't arrived yet.

Maverick made his way over to the tool pile and grabbed a screwdriver, chisel and hammer and made his way to the nosecone of the plane. He began removing the nosecone, carefully so as not to further damage the equipment inside. The part in question had been smashed to the extent that when Maverick looked closely it was now pointing downwards slightly.

That wasn't a good sign.

3 Hours Later

Maverick turned away from the table covered with delicate wiring and computer equipment. Grinder and Iron Clad were repairing the nosecone itself, Iron Clad hammering it into shape against the runway under Grinders scrutiny and instruction. Maverick meanwhile was salvaging what little equipment had survived the beating of the crash.

He wasn't hopeful. He was no computer whiz. He knew how to wire the pieces together, but when it came to repairing the actual components, he was clueless. He walked over to the Eurofighter, peering into the crevice where the nosecone would go. Wires and small computer pieces dangled out, each wire no more than half a meter long. It was hell. He looked back at the pieces on the table.

He walked back over and began sorting them into piles: Still working, the smallest pile consisting of only the GPS computer and a few other small pieces. The next, Salvageable, was the stuff that would need repairs, but he could get them working. And finally, the Scrap, the biggest pile. It was made of crumpled, smashed and damaged beyond repair pieces.

It was a mess, so Maverick went to work cannibalising the worst of the junk to repair the rest.

Three Days Later

Maverick carefully placed the final wire into the GPS computer. Luckily, it had turned out it was only secondary stuff that had been damaged. He had repaired the radar and a few other systems, but a lot of it was still useless. When everything was in place, he climbed into the cockpit to check the computer systems. Sure enough everything he had fixed was working. He waved over Iron Clad. The unicorn levitated the repaired nosecone against the body, levitated a blowtorch, and set to work putting the two pieces together.

Maverick climbed out of the cockpit and stepped back to look over the Eurofighter. Iron Clad had removed the dents from the wings and body work and Grinder had checked it, making sure it was aerodynamic. Under Mavericks instruction they had avoided the blackened hole where the lightning had hit.

He guessed it would be another week before it would be airworthy. Longer if the engine wasn't fixed.

6 Days Later

It was day 11 of fixing the Eurofighter. Engie had laid a base of cemented rock for the runway, and was finishing by paving his work with another layer of cement to make a perfectly flat surface. He was 500 feet down the runway. Grinder had the day off to catch up on work at his store and Iron Clad had helped Maverick take the right engine apart. The pieces were laid on the runway for inspection. The engine had been messed up. The lightning had blown several coils out of place, and when he had crashed the vibrations had thrown a coil into a turbine, screwing the whole engine up. It looked dramatic and would take a while to fix, but it was a fairly simple repair job.

Iron Clad had spent five of the last six days removing the engine piece by piece and repairing the pieces, reshaping the coils, melting down the turbine blades and letting them set into their designed shape before putting them back together. They had reshaped the stiff coils of wire by wrapping them tightly around a wide steel bar. Iron Clad handed a set wire to Maverick who then went over to the engine and began replacing it, using a blowtorch to melt it to the rest of the wire. Maverick knew trying to repair the engine like this was a long shot, but he had to try. He wasn't paying attention to where he pointed the blowtorch.

"Jeez!" Maverick pulled his hand out of the engine and dropped the blowtorch, waving his burnt fingers in the air before blowing on them and sucking them in a desperate attempt to cool the burning sensation. Iron Clad laughed and Maverick shot him an angry look. Maverick was tired. He decided to replace the last coils and call it a day. He told Iron Clad so.

"The turbines blades will be set in half an hour, don't you want to wait?" Iron Clad asked.

Maverick sighed, massaging his burnt fingers. "Guess I might as well. I'm gonna go get some cream or something for these burns in the meantime." he said and looked over at the pile of cut down trees. Most had been taken away, but there was still enough left for what he was planning to do. He'd get Engie to help him with it soon. For now, Maverick set about fixing the engine.

Two hours later saw Maverick, with the help Iron Clads telekinesis, replacing the final turbine. It was late now and the sun was setting, but at least the engine appeared to be fixed. Maverick would have to test it, but to his eyes it looked fine. He turned to Iron Clad.

"That should do it. Leave the panel off, I'll test it before we replace it." Maverick said. Iron Clad nodded.

They had had to cut off a panel of bodywork to reach the engine. Maverick stepped back and climbed into the cockpit, using the rope ladder he had put together a few days ago. He swung himself over the side into the cockpit seat and engaged the battery.

"You might wanna step back Iron Clad. If I test the coils it's gonna get as hot as hell." Maverick said. Iron Clad trotted to the other side of the runway. Maverick ran a test on the engine, making sure power could flow through it. It could, so Maverick continued. He let power flow through the primary router, through the crudely repaired wires and into the engine. Maverick flipped the switch and powered the coils. The hum of electricity increased, and after a few seconds he saw the coils were reaching the designated heat. They were working.

Satisfied, Maverick cut off power to the coils and activated the turbines. This was the moment of truth. If they worked, the fighter would almost be airworthy. If not, it would take another week of repairs to get it right. Maverick heard the whirring noise as the turbines sped up, the sound emitting freely from the open panel. Nothing went wrong. Maverick put them to full speed, and, slower than when he had last flown, they reached it. Maverick clapped his hands, smiling tiredly.

It was almost ready.

The Next Day

Maverick walked past the Royal Guards at the entrance, Twilight and her five friends behind him. The clearing was utterly changed to when he had crashed. The runway split the clearing in half. On the right was the river, to the left the guard's tent. Between that and the runway were the carts and tools that had been used. The runway extended through the trees and into the field Maverick had first aimed at. There was a Royal-Guard-tent roof over the plane that was sitting on an extended base of flat rock. On top of the tenting were a dozen improved solar panels. Maverick had made them with Engie and Grinder as an improvement to his three arrays of pipes, as well as two additional generators.

"There it is." Maverick stopped and said to the ponies behind him.

Sitting proudly, pointing at the runway was the fully repaired Eurofighter Lightning. Grinder and Iron Clad were looking it over, a final checklist floating above Iron Clads head. The pony in question was clearly proud of his metal work; it was impossible to tell the plane had ever crashed at all. All smelting or welding had been done accurately, and the entire body given another coat of airship paint donated by Grinder.

In other words, it was done.

Maverick watched as the group of ponies walked past him and looked over the sight. Maverick was pleased; he hadn't thought it would be done in just 2 weeks. He had to thank the Princess again as soon as he saw her. As if fate was waiting for him to ask, there was a noise above him and he saw the Royal Carriage descend into the clearing. He saw the Goddess of the Sun and beside her another Alicorn, this one dark with a starry mane. Maverick correctly guessed it was Princess Luna, Goddess of the Moon and Stars. They departed the carriage as everypony in the clearing bowed, Mavrick included.

"I see your craft is repaired Maverick." Princess Celestia said as the ponies and Maverick stood.

"Yes Princess. I'm going to take it for a test flight tomorrow and if it flies well, I'll be able to leave."

"What is this 'craft' Tia?" Princess Luna asked curiously, looking over the aircraft.

"Mavericks flying machine. Humans don't have wings, so they use large machines like this to fly." Celestia answered.

"They're like a more advanced type of airship." Maverick added.

"Intriguing." Luna muttered, before stepping up to it. She pointed at the RAF insignia on the wing. "Is that the flag of your nation?" she asked.

"No, that's the symbol of our air force. Like the Royal Guards." Maverick explained, walking over. He turned to Princess Celestia. "I can't thank you enough for the help and materials you sent me."

"I wouldn't be much of a ruler if I didn't help someone in need." Celestia smiled and turned to Twilight. "How is the spell coming along?"

"It's difficult, but I should be able to perform it in a week." Twilight said.

"That's enough time for me to get a couple of test flights in." Maverick nodded. He was leaning against the cockpit, his arms crossed.

"Why can't you fly now?" Dash asked, hovering above the cockpit.

"I need certain weather conditions to take off. The wind needs to be travelling in the right direction, there has to be a certain air pressure. It has to be precise." Maverick said. "The best I can do now is pre-flight checks."

"Oh oh oh! Can you show us?" Pinkie Pie shouted.

"Uh, I guess." Maverick shrugged before turning and climbing up the rope ladder into the cockpit. Even that had been repaired, the cracked glass on the controls carefully replaced. "I'm going to power the engines, and it's gonna be really loud. You all might want to step back. A lot." Maverick said as he slid the canopy closed over his head. The ponies turned and walked to the Royal Guards tent. When they were clear, Maverick powered the fighter. The hum was a lot quieter with the canopy repaired and shut in place.

Maverick went through the checks. The landing gears brakes released and the engines powered up, giving the plane enough thrust to push the it from under the tent and onto the runway. Using the rudder controls, Maverick turned the plane so it was pointing down the runway. He gazed longingly down the runway, knowing all he had to do was throttle up the engines and pull back on the stick. Take to air. Common sense took over before he did. It wasn't ready to fly just yet.

Maverick went through the standard pre-flight checks, checking the flaps, swinging the rudder, testing thrust. The physical aspects of the plane were fine, and other than the secondary systems that were offline, the flight computer had survived unscathed.

'Gimme the right weather conditions and I'm flying'. Maverick thought. He looked over and saw the group of ponies gawping at the mechanical beast, bar Princess Celestia. Maverick laughed and raised a hand before turning back to the controls and shutting the plane down. When the turbines stopped, the coils cooled and the computer had shut down, Maverick turned off the power. He opened the canopy and slid it back. He stood up and climbed out, sliding down the side of the plane and crouching to soften the fall. He stood and dusted his hands before walking over to the group of ponies.

"Whaddya think?" he asked.

"It was very… loud." Fluttershy whispered.

"But awesome!" Dash shouted, hovering in the air.

"Well, tomorrow you'll get to see it in action. If the weathers good." Maverick said.

"Well I'm sure as Captain of the weather team Rainbow Dash can arrange clear skies. Can't you Dash?" asked Princess Celestia.

"Sure." Dash nodded, smiling.

"Well then, I'll be sure to let the Wonderbolts know they can visit." Celestia smiled. Dash nearly fainted when she heard this.

"The Wonderbolts! Here?" she asked.

"Don't you remember? They said they wanted to see my 'airship'." Maverick said.

"And they'll arrive tomorrow. But I have to go now. I have a meeting in Canterlot. Luna will be staying here in Ponyville to study with Twilight in her library for the night. Now, I have to go." the Princess turned and stepped onto the Royal Carriage. Maverick spoke to the remaining ponies as Celestia ascended into the clouds.

"I've got an errand to run, so I can't show you anything else. Besides, there isn't much else to show without flying."

"I have to go as well. I've just received a large order of dresses." Rarity said.

"And I have to get a party ready!" Pinkie shouted, bouncing on the spot in her trademark way.

"Well, it seems we all have something to do, so let's go. See you all later everypony." Twilight said. The group turned and began walking out of the clearing, the engineer ponies included. Maverick jogged over and stopped Applejack and Engie.

"I need both of your help with my errand. Are you free?" Maverick whispered, kneeling down.

"Sure partner, but why?" Applejack asked, whispering as well.

"I'll explain on the way, but first, where's Applebloom?" Maverick asked, still whispering.

"She's at her friends Scootaloo's." Applejack said.

Maverick nodded. "Good. Are there any trees on Sweet Apple Acres that would be good enough for a tree house?"

"Sure, Ah can find one." Applejack nodded.

"Ok, find one then meet me at your barn."

"Uh, ok. Why?"

Maverick grinned. "I'll tell you when I get there. Engie, can you help me move the last of the trees?"

"Sure can." Engie saluted and went to get a cart.

Maverick rubbed his hands together. "One less loose end." He muttered.

Precisely 57 Minutes Later

Maverick and Engie each carried a cart of trees up to the tree Applejack had pointed out.

"So we're good to build here?" Maverick asked, dropping the harness.

"Yep. I gotta say, it's an awful kind thing yer doin'." Applejack said.

"It's nothing. Besides, I don't want all these trees to go to waste." Maverick said. He pulled out a set of saws from his cart and laid them out.

"I'll leave you two to it then. Ah got some trees to buck." Applejack turned and left.

"Well Engie, let's get to work. You cut the trees into planks, I'll get the tree ready." Maverick picked up a saw and went over to the tree.

A/N Sorry it's late, SO much stuff to do. Read my blog update for the details. Oh, and there's an Easter Egg in this story, a character from another story (not the OC's). First person to PM me with the correct answer gets a shout out. As usual I'm still taking ideas. Just none to do with the ending please :3