The Stranded Pilot

A/N This chapter is a PONYMORPH. An alternate chapter in which Maverick leaves is going to be written, so just wait for that if you don't want him to stay in Equestria as a pony. That said, read on:

Maverick woke up from a dreamless sleep, stood up and stretched. Tomorrow Twilights spell would be complete and he would leave.

He sighed and did a full stretch, rotating his arms, ankles, wrists and stretching his digits. He made his way to the wardrobe and changed into the other set of clothes Rarity had made him. Instead of going upstairs to get some breakfast, he sat down on the floor and began reading the book he was half way through. It was about the history of Canterlot, and he didn't feel like eating anyway.

After an hour or so, Twilight appeared in the doorway.

"Hey Maverick. Just come to let you know that Princess Celestia will be visiting soon."

"The Princess is visiting? Why?" Maverick asked, looking up.

"I don't know, she didn't say. I'm gonna guess it's something to with the spell though."

"Alright. Thanks for telling me Twi." Maverick turned back to the book.

Twilight closed the door. There was definitely something wrong.

"Thanks for coming to help clean up guys." Twilight walked through the library door and her five best-friends followed her. "Spikes not feeling too good, and I'd never get the whole library tidied in time for the Princess by myself."

"Please, it's no problem Twilight. I'm having a slow day at the boutique." Rarity said.

"And Big Mac should be able to handle the orchard for a day." Applejack added.

"Well, with all your help I'm sure the library will be ready for 1 o'clock." Twilight beamed and went to work.

Twilight finished re-arranging the libraries books for the Princesses visit just as she heard a noise outside. She opened the door with her magic and stepped out in time to see Princess Celestia step down from the Royal Carriage. Twilight bowed. "Welcome Princess."

Celestia smiled at her prodigy. "Hello Twilight Sparkle. Shall we go inside?"

"Yes Princess." Twilight stood and walked in and the others walked towards her, but she waved them off. The Princess entered behind her and the other bowed.

Meanwhile, Maverick could hear ponies speaking in the library. He looked up towards the door and realized it was now 1 o'clock. He decided to show himself instead of hiding his face in a book for his second to last day in this world. He put the book down and stood up, intending to walk up the stairs. As his foot found the first step, however, Twilight opened the door and peered down.

"Maverick, the Princess asked for your presence."

"Just coming." Maverick nodded and continued up.

He stopped when he reached the top and bowed at the Princess.

"Hello again Maverick." she said, smiling down at him.

Maverick stood again. "A pleasure to see you Princess." he looked at her. Celestia looked him over. "Something wrong?" Maverick asked.

After a second she answered him. "Perhaps. Can I talk to you, in private?" she asked. Maverick nodded and they stepped into the study, Maverick closing the door behind them.

"I wonder what she wants to ask him." Rarity said to no-one in particlur after the door to the study had closed.

Dash looked up. "Why not listen?"

Twilight gasped. "Dash, it's a private conversation. We can't just eavesdrop!"

"Come on Twilight, don't you want to know what they're saying? What if it's about you? Besides, I'm sure you've got a spell that will let us hear them, no problem."

"Well…" Twilight bit her lip.

"Come on, please?" Dash begged.

"Ah'd like to know as well." Applejack said.

Twilight sighed. "Alright." she cast the spell.

"What's wrong?" Maverick asked, turning round from the door he'd just closed.

"Possibly nothing, but probably something." the Princess said.

"Meaning..?" Maverick asked.

"Twilight has noticed your mood has been off, and I must agree."

Maverick sighed. He knew what this was about.

"You don't want to leave, do you?" Celestia asked.

Maverick groaned and ground a hand against his forehead.

"Shall I take that as a confirmation?" Celestia stifled a small smile.

"I don't know. Everything is so… simple, in this here. Nothings complicated, I don't have to do… unsavoury things for Queen and Country." he paced over to the library window. "And the ponies are so much friendlier."

"Like Rainbow Dash?"

Maverick thought for a moment, then nodded. "But what can I do? I have to back tomorrow."

"Maybe not." Celestia said. Maverick spun around.

"Seriously?" he asked.

The Princess laughed at his reaction. "It depends. The decision is up to you."

"Me?" Maverick asked.

"Yes. If you want to stay, you can. I have the power to turn you into a pony, but if I do, there will be no going back."

Maverick thought about it. "No trial period?" he asked jokingly.

"No." Celestia smiled.

"And that will be it?"

"Well, there are certain circumstances if you want to stay."

"What are they?" Maverick asked seriously.

"You have to destroy your weapon and your aircraft. I can't allow machines of war here."

Maverick looked down, mulling over this. After a moment he looked back up, straight into her eyes. "What if I make them passive?"

Celestia raised an eyebrow. "How would you do so?"

Maverick grinned as he thought over his idea. "On Earth, police forces use rubber bullets in dangerous situations. It winds the person, but doesn't kill them. And the fighter is harmless without weapons. All it has is the machine gun," Celestia frowned at him, but he held up his hands and continued. "…but it doesn't have any ammunition. The only way it would be dangerous would be in a crash."

"And when would you ever need to use force like this?"

Maverick shrugged. "It wouldn't hurt to have an ace up your sleeve in a crisis."

"My sleeve?" Celestia asked, raising an eyebrow.

Maverick nodded. "That's the second part. If I stay, I'll dedicate the fighter's usage to you, of course."

Celestia pondered all of this as Maverick sat down on the couch to think things through for himself. Was he really considering staying in this world? A world of ponies, no less? With experimental military equipment? As he thought that, he realized it might do some good. If the experimental fighter disappeared without a trace over the North Sea, it would shut down any further development of electrical fighters. It was almost like he was doing his bit to stop war on his world.

And he didn't have anything to go back to. No pets, he hadn't seen his parents since he was 19, a crummy apartment in London. What was there to lose?

Celestia was the first to break the silence. "Alright, I agree to what you have proposed. But are you sure? Once I perform the spell, and Twilight re-performs her spell, you will permanently become a pony, and your world will continue without you."

Maverick thought for a few seconds longer, but he had made up his mind. "I'm sure. I want to stay." he looked up and smiled. "If you'll allow me."

Celestia smiled back at him. "Of course."

"But can you tell me more about this spell? This spell that will turn me into a pony?"

Celestia laughed. "When I perform it, it will alter your body to that of a pony. I cannot decide what you'll look like; the spell will give you a body based on your human one."

"Alright. But first, can I tell them?" Maverick gestured to the door.

"Oh, they already know. Don't you Twilight?" the door swung open under the influence of Celestia's magic and Maverick saw Twilight standing nearby, a sheepish grin and a pale, fading purple aura around her horn. "I can tell when a unicorn uses magic Twilight." Celestia said.

"Sorry Princess. I won't do it again." Twilight said nervously. Before anyone had a chance to say anything, Dash flew in and tackled Maverick to the ground,

"You're staying!" she asked, standing on top of him.

Maverick rubbed the back of his head where he'd hit the floor. "I guess so, but could you step off please? You're ever so slightly crushing my ribs."

Dash stepped back. "Sorry. But omisgosh you're staying!"

Pinkie bounced in, followed by the others. "Oh my gosh, we totally have to throw you a 'Congratulations on staying in Equestria' party!" Pinkie shouted.

"That sounds very nice Pinkie." Maverick propped himself up using his elbows. "But I think it would be better if the Princess performed her spell on me first." he looked up at her, and she smiled and nodded. Maverick pushed himself to his feet as Twilight and her friends backed up into a semi-circle formation. Celestia stepped forward and started the spell.

"Are you sure you want to do this?" she asked, the magical aura around her horn increasing heavily.

"Now you mention it." Maverick clicked his fingers and grinned. "Ok, now I'm ready."

Celestia raised an eyebrow but continued. "Please bow down." she asked. He did.

After another few moments the light around her horn had built up to an almost blinding level. There was a wind whistling around the room, throwing papers into the air. Maverick was kneeling on one knee, looking down with his eyes closed. Celestia stepped up to him and leant forwards, her horn hover just above his head.

"Welcome to Equestria." she whispered.

She looked down and the tip of her horn brushed against Mavericks head.

Maverick scrunched his eyes tighter as he felt pure, clean energy coursing from her horn into his head. He felt it flow across his brain, prickling at it as it went by. The wave passed down his neck, down his arms and chest, and reached his hands, fingers and waist. It carried on, coursing down his thighs, legs, through his veins. It reached his toes and he felt the energy intensify throughout his whole body with nowhere left to go.

Maverick was becoming detached from his own body, like his blood had stopped flowing. He couldn't feel anything. He had expected it to hurt, but the only thing there was numbness. Except for the energy prickling at his brain. That hurt quite a lot, like a bad hangover.

Maverick felt the energy stop flowing into his head, but the energy already in him just started flowing around him. He wanted to open his eyes but found himself paralysed, unable to even think straight.

After another minute of the energy flowing through him, it slowly began to die down. Maverick could feel his blood flowing and a prickling feeling flew across him in a wave. After a few seconds he could open his eyes again. He looked up at the shocked faces of the ponies. Celestia was standing over him.

"Did it work?" he asked.

Celestia smiled, a single bead of sweat on her brow. "See for yourself." she pointed at a mirror off to Mavericks side.

Maverick looked and saw a pony staring back at him. No, it was him. He now had a light blue coat, a wild, blown back mane, coloured light red and blue. His eyes were a golden-yellow and he was somewhat buff. Turning to the side he saw the best feature. His wings. He was a pegasus.

"Wow." he did a 360, looking at himself in the mirror. He turned back to the others. "This is cool." was all he could think to say.

"That was so super cool!" Pinkie exploded in a fit of bouncing. "Now you're a pony, we can a party, and everypony else can see you're a pony, and-" Rarity cut her off by putting a hoof to her mouth.

"What she means to say is that you look very dashing." she said.

"Yeah. Not bad." Dash muttered as she walked over and looked him over. The others followed. "And you're a pegasus too! This is so awesome."

"You're telling me!" Maverick looked back and gave his wings two experimental flaps, before flaring them and looking at them appreciatively. He nodded. "Not bad." he said before folding them again. "So what now?" he asked.

"I'm going to help Twilight complete her spell, and I suggest you get used to your new body. I'm sure the others will help, won't you?" Celestia smiled at the ponies.

"Sure." Applejack said.

"And I can go get the party ready!" Pinkie agreed before bouncing out of the room

"Ok then, let's go." Maverick stepped forwardly gingerly, stepping on his hooves properly for the first, making a clopping noise as he stepped forward. He was at head height with the others, except for Celestia of course. Dash sidled alongside him, making sure he didn't fall, but he ushered her away.

"It's ok." he wobbled, making his wings extend, then straightened himself. "I'm ok." Maverick stepped forwards toward the door. When he stepped outside, he stopped and sniffed the air, grinning ear to ear. Rarity, Applejack, Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash stepped out behind him. Fluttershy noticed something.

"Where's your Cutie Mark?" she asked quietly.

Maverick looked back at his flank. Sure enough, there was nothing there.

"Well, Cutie Marks are earned when somepony discovers their talent, what makes them unique, so I suppose Maverick will have to find his talent." Rarity said.

Maverick laughed at her. "You seem very knowledgeable in the field of Cutie Marks."

Rarity blushed, not meaning to have sounded like a know it all. "With Sweetie Belle always fussing about it, I suppose it must be drilled into my head." she explained.

"And what about my wings?" Maverick asked. "I don't know how to fly."

Rainbow Dash stepped up to the challenge. "Flying is easy, I can show you."

Maverick smiled. "Thanks Dash, but not right now. I think I need to get walking down first." with that Maverick began walking with the others, nowhere in particular.

THE END

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Had ya for a second there ;D

After walking around Ponyville for a couple of hours, Rarity, Applejack and Fluttershy had gone home and Dash had led him to a wide open field to teach him to fly.

"Ok, first, warm up. Until you start flying regularly, you need to warm up 'cause if you don't, you'll probably pull a wing."

"Alright, like this?" Maverick flatted his wings, each one stretching about a meter if he really stretched. He rotated them, as though doing a breast-stroke.

"Yeah. Ok, next step. You know when you flap your wings?"

"Yeah?"

"When you flap your wings, you move a dozen muscles in your back, for each wing. To make it work, you need to concentrate. After a while, like a few hours, it turns into second nature."

"Ok. So, I just flap?"

"Yeah, but be gentle. Try hovering off the ground."

"Alright. Here goes probably something." Maverick began flapping his new appendages gently. He increased the speed of the flapping, until he felt his forelegs leaving the ground. "I'm doing it!" he shouted. In his excitement he flapped too hard and flew straight up before doing a backflip, a barrel roll and a corkscrew all in one move and ploughing into the ground, making a small trough. Rainbow Dash, for her part, fell onto her back, laughing hysterically.

"Ha ha! The way you- you flipped up, then BOOM!" she threw her hooves up, before falling into another round of helpless laughter.

Maverick pulled his head up and spat out a mouthful of dirt, a daisy sitting atop his head. He shook himself, making dirt fly out of his mane, and stood up. "Hilarious. I'm trying that again." Maverick flapped his wings and in a few seconds, was hovering a couple of inches off the ground.

"I'm actually doing it this time." Maverick beamed.

Dash sat up and watched as Maverick rotated himself, trying to get a look at his wings. He flapped harder, increasing his altitude to a few meters. He looked down at Rainbow Dash, winked and gingerly flew forwards. "This isn't too hard." with that Maverick shot forwards as Dash jumped to her feet and gawped. Maverick flew around her in a circle before landing, running to a stop. He folded his wings and walked over to Dash. He laughed and Dash spoke.

"You must be a really fast learner. It usually takes HOURS for to learn to fly like that."

Maverick rubbed a hoof against his chest and looked at it. "And I did it in, what, five minutes?" he grinned at her.

She punched him playfully in the shoulder. "Look at that ego. Alright then, think you can keep up with me?" she jumped into the air and looked down at him.

Maverick crossed his front hooves. "Challenge accepted." he followed her into the air and hovered.

"Looks like you've got the hang of hovering. What about forwards?"

Maverick scoffed and flew towards her, but she backed up.

"What about sideways and backwards?" she asked. Maverick powered his wings at an angle, and he shot to the left before correcting himself and flying more carefully to the right, then backwards.

"Alright, now what?" Maverick asked. Dash didn't answer, just flew towards Ponyville. Maverick followed, levelling out and holding his hooves forward, superman style. Dash slowed and let him catch up.

"Nothing to this flying business!" Maverick shouted to her.

"Oh yeah? Follow me!" Dash shot upwards, and Maverick followed, pushing his new wings to the limit to try and keep up. He soon realised he'd lost her.

"Dash?" he called out, hovering in place.

The pegasus in question was lying on a cloud, out of sight to him, watching as he hovered, turning and looking for her. When she'd woken up that morning, she'd expected to spend one more day with her friend, then say goodbye. Instead, she had learnt that he was staying, and then he'd been turned into a pegasus before her eyes. It was awesome. She jumped out of the cloud and hurtled towards Maverick, but as she was about to tackle him he dived. She yelped as she flew face first into another cloud.

"I knew you were there Dash." Maverick said, crossing his hooves. "I wasn't born yesterday. Then again, I suppose I was re-born today-" Maverick was cut off by a chunk of cloud hitting him square in the face. Dash giggled and threw the rest of the cloud at him.

"Now, now, Dash, there's no need for violence." Maverick said. Dash flew off and Maverick followed her. "You know," he shouted. "I think I've got the hang of this!" as he said it Dash looked back at him and smirked, before diving towards the ground. Maverick followed her. After a few seconds Dash pulled up, but it wasn't something Maverick could do. He kept going as the ground got closer. He gulped and stopped flapping, holding his wings flat and stretching them as much as he could. Using the finer muscles in his back he tilted them and he pulled up, just a metre off the ground, hurtling along at incredible speeds. He saw a building closing in.

"CRAP!" he banked hard to the right, wings rigid, riding the momentum of the dive. He banked in and out of buildings, trees and occasionally ponies. When he'd finally slowed down enough, he folded his aching wings and landed running through Ponyville Park. When he finally stopped, he collapsed, panting. After a minute, Rainbow Dash landed beside him.

"Oh my gosh, are you ok? I'm so sorry, I should've shown you how to stop first."

Maverick grunted and shakily pushed himself to his feet. "That. Was. AWESOME. I think I'll leave flying for a bit though." he turned around and looked at Dash, but she was staring at his flank. "Look, I know I'm sexy but it's rude to stare." Dash blushed and pointed.

"What about your new Cutie Mark?"

Maverick's eyes widened and he turned to look. It was a pair of outstretched wings, not like normal wings, but bigger, like an Alicorns.

"Nice, guess I my talent is flying, huh?"

"That's the fastest I've ever seen somepony get a Cutie Mark." Dash remarked.

"Thanks. My wings are aching from that, uh, high speed travel."

"I said I was sorry. Wait a minute, if I didn't dive, you wouldn't have done that, and if you hadn't have done that, you wouldn't have got your Cutie Mark. You should be thanking me." she grinned.

Maverick sighed. "Thanks Dash. Hey, the suns setting, what about Pinkie's party?"

"It'll probably be at Sugar Cube Corner. Let's go!" Dash set off towards the bakery.

When they got there, Maverick saw that nearly the whole town had arrived. Most were giving him curious glances, not knowing he'd been turned into a pony. The party went off as most other Pinkie Parties, plus Maverick making a little speech about being turned into a pony. A lot of the town had been shocked, but treated him the same as normal afterwards. It was as everypony started to leave that it got interesting.

Maverick was eating a daffodil sandwich for the first, marvelling at its taste, as Dash approached him holding a jug.

"Hey Maverick. Look what I've got." she said.

Maverick looked into the jug. "Is that cider?"

"Better. Applejack brought a couple of jugs of her hard cider. She makes it herself."

Maverick grinned. "Why not bring it out earlier?"

"We all agreed we should have another party afterwards, just the seven of us."

Maverick nodded. "That sounds like a good idea."

Two hours later saw midnight arrive. Applejack was snoring on a table after a drinking contest with Rainbow Dash. Dash was stumbling around, muttering about Sonic Rainbooms, Pinkie was unusually subdued, Twilight and Fluttershy were having a heated discussion about something or other, and Maverick and Rarity were the only ones who seemed to take their alcohol well. Maverick decided to call it a night when Dash started asking the door what its wing-power was.

"I reckon it's time we called it a night. Or, a morning." Maverick said looking at a cuckoo clock.

"I have to agree with you. Oh Pinkie, darling? Do you think you could look after Applejack until I can send Big Macintosh over?"

"Suuuuure Rarityyyyy." Pinkie slurred.

"Ok then. Come on, Fluttershy dear, let's get you home." Rarity said.

"Ok Rarity. Wow that cider tastes really good, and I just feel like talking on and on and on…" Fluttershy kept talking as Rarity led her out of the bakery.

Maverick looked at the other four mares. Pinkie was sitting next to Applejack, Applejack was still snoring and Dash was talking to Twilight. Maverick stepped forward. "Hey Twilight, Dash, let's get you home."

"Alright, I guess *hic* Spikey Wikey will be wondering where I *hic* am." Twilight slurred, smiling drunkenly.

"Nah, its ok, *hic* I can fly home *hic* myself." Dash said. She flapped her wings and face-planted the floor.

"Sure." Maverick picked her up and placed her on his back. "Come on Twilight." Maverick walked out the door followed by a stumbling Twilight. He stopped and walked alongside her in case she fell. She was mumbling something about magic while Dash wriggled and groaned on Mavericks back.

Maverick dropped Twilight off at the library.

"Thanks Mav-*hic*-erick." Twilight said before stumbling through the door.

"Ok Dash, where's your house again?" Maverick looked back at the lump on his back.

"The sky!" Dash said holding her hooves up to the sky, before letting them drop limply.

"Oh, right." Maverick remembered she lived in a cloud house, somewhere near the field they'd been in most of the day. As Maverick was walking there, Dash started singing.

"It's a small world, after all. It's a small world, after all-"

"Please Dash, don't sing that song." Maverick said, wincing.

Dash grumbled. "You're no *hic* fun."

"Well you're hopelessly drunk." Maverick replied.

Dash giggled. "I know!" she spluttered.

Maverick sighed. He reached the field where they'd been training. He looked up and saw a dark object against the night sky. He guessed it was Dash's house and got ready to fly up to it.

"Hold on Dash." he flapped his wings and flew up as Dash gripped him around his waist, harder then he would have liked. As he reached her house he gingerly touched down on the cloud, stepping on the fluffy substance for the first time. "Here we are Dash."

"I don't want to get up." Dash mumbled. Maverick sighed and walked towards her house, pushing the door open. Maverick slid Dash off his back and groaned.

"You're too heavy."

"I don't see *hic* what the problem is. You're really strong. Like, really strong." Dash stumbled to her feet and looked Maverick over. He'd escorted enough drunken girls home to know where this was going.

"Goodnight Dash." Maverick said before turning to the door.

"Wait!" Dash said. Maverick sighed and looked at her. She was propping herself against the wall. "Don't go. I have a headache."

Maverick sighed and walked into the kitchen, found a glass and filled it with water. He failed to see how a floating cloud house could have plumbing, but he was too tipsy to care. He walked up to Dash and handed her the glass. "There. That should help. Now I've gotta go." he said as she drank it greedily.

"Don't you want to help me into bed?"

Maverick eyes widened. "I'm sure you can do that yourself. Goodbye Rainbow Dash."

"Aw. Alright." Dash ran up to him and threw her forelegs around his neck and hugged him tightly. "You're a good friend."

Maverick nearly gagged at the strong smell of liquor on her breath. "Thanks Dash. I've gotta go." he prised her legs off him, then left, closing the door behind him.

As he flew down towards terra firma, he wondered what the hell just happened.