The Stranded Pilot

A/N: Note to self: Might be helpful if I published the chapter when I was done editing it :P sorry guys.

Maverick yawned and stretched as he woke from his slumber. He looked at the watch on his bedside table. 18:34. He'd slept for about an hour and a half after his shower. He decided to go check and make sure Spike was back. He had to take the train to Canterlot tomorrow, to help set up the wedding. He kicked himself out of bed but winced when he tried to stretch his wings. The hot shower had helped, but he hadn't warmed down, and they felt like deadweight.

He shrugged. Nothing he could do about it now. And there wasn't much to do, except draw. He hadn't tried to draw as a pony. Given he no longer had hands, he didn't know how to draw. He'd hate to lose his ability to draw. He trotted up the stairs.

"Spike! You back yet?" he called out. Spike appeared at the top of the stairs, rubbing his eyes and dragging a blanket.

"Yeah. I'm going to sleep."

"Already? It's only half six."

"I've got an early day tomorrow. Plus I've got to help at the wedding."

"Alright. See you in the morning Spike." Maverick said as he stepped into the library.

"Night." Spike yawned before he turned and walked into the bedroom.

Maverick looked around. After spending most of the last month's spare time reading, it felt like the last thing he wanted to do. On the bright side he'd learnt a lot about Equestria. So many names, similar to Earth. Hoofington, Fillydelphia, Las Pegasus, Detrot, even Manehatten. He'd have to visit some of those places. Especially Cloudsdale, a city literally in the clouds.

He looked round as the door opened. He wasn't surprised; it was a public library after all. He saw Adven come in, the brown pegasus from earlier.

"Adven!" Maverick waved at him.

"Hey, Maverick. What are you doing here?" Adven bro-hoofed him.

"I live here. Well, the pony that's letting me stay here does."

"Cool. So, can you help me?"

"How? Looking for a book?" Maverick asked.

"Yeah, a book of Royal Guard Weaponry."

Maverick looked blank for a second. "Well, I don't work here, but I could help you look."

"Thanks." Adven nodded before stepping up to a bookcase as Maverick did the same with another.

"I saw your aerial display earlier." Adven said.

"I'm guessing most of Ponyville did, the way they were complimenting me."

"Yeah. I also saw a certain mare with a certain neon pink bow looking at you."

"And?" Maverick asked as he replaced a book.

"Isn't it obvious?" Adven grinned.

"Nnnope." Maverick imitated Big Mac.

Adven sighed. "Not so good with girls?"

Maverick chuckled. "Wrong. I know exactly what you're talking about; I'm just messing with you. Hey, this the book you're looking for?"

Adven turned and looked. "Nah, that's Equestrian Military weapons, not Royal Guards. So, if you know she's got a crush on you, why don't you act on it?" Adven walked over to a different section of library.

"I don't know. Guess it'd be a bit much. I, uh, only got here recently. I'm still looking for a place to live, but I got a job today. Part time, on the weather patrol. Still don't know anywhere I can stay though. I don't think I'd be able to afford a place as swanky as where you're staying."

"Guess not. Ah, here it is. A-Z of Royal Guard Weaponry and Armour." Adven held it up.

"Cool. What you gonna do now?" Maverick asked.

"Go back to the hotel and read, maybe. Anyway, nice seeing you again. Remember, meet me at the hotel, noon, and I'll show you the wing-blades."

"Sure thing." Maverick nodded. "See ya tomorrow."

"See ya." Adven nodded at him on his way out.

As Maverick grabbed a quill and wrote down who had taken the book out, he heard voices outside. Adven and someone else, a mare. He smiled. Seemed the old wingman trick was in whatever world you went to. He set the quill down and decided to go draw in the study.

He pushed open the door to the study and looked for the parchment, ink and quills. He'd only been in here twice before but found them soon enough. He tired, and failed twice, to pick up the quill in his mouth. It wasn't as difficult as he'd first thought it would be. He dipped it in the ink and drew an experimental curve. It was fairly simple, and surprisingly easy to do.

It didn't take long to draw a small sketch of Sugar Cube Corner. It was a fairly simple sketch for Maverick, but a good test. It was just like his other sketches, bar a few slip ups from where he was getting used to using his mouth to draw, but ultimately his secret-ish drawing skill was intact.

Satisfied, he laid the quill down and grabbed a larger piece of parchment, then began drawing Canterlot. Halfway in, he subconsciously drew the huge purple-pink shield he had seen, then stopped to look at it. What was it doing over the capital city, of this peaceful land? He HAD to ask Twilight next time he saw her. Well, the wedding was tomorrow, so she'd be back the day after.

He shrugged and carried on drawing.

Maverick shovelled hay into his mouth with a spoon. It tasted little better than normal hay, but it was still better than some of the veggie cereal one of his ex-girlfriends had made him eat. He shrugged as he washed the last mouthful down with a glass of milk, courtesy of Daisy's Dairy Farm. Maverick had almost laughed at the idea that cows sold their milk, but he got over it. It wasn't bad.

He washed the bowl and glass and set them to dry under the window sill. After finishing his drawing, Maverick had grabbed a bite to eat then slept until an hour ago. He went through the usual morning routine: get up, stretch, trot on the treadmill for half an hour then sprinted for a couple of minutes before stepping off to come up and get breakfast.

Nothing to do. It was Friday, the day of the wedding, and he wasn't needed on weather duty until tomorrow. And to top it off he wasn't going to meet Adven for another four hours. After his military training, his body clock seemed to be permanently stuck to waking at 6am.

He sighed to himself. More flying? He thought so, but his wings begged to differ. He felt - and somehow heard - a twang as he tried to flap his wings. Wonderful, he was grounded for the day. But his fighter wasn't.

'Nope. Not doing that, it's not being used without the consent of the Princess.' Maverick thought to himself. Drawing it was then…

Maverick trotted through the archway into Ponyville park, ready to meet Adven and get a display of his wing-blades. It didn't take long to find him, seeing as the park was mostly empty. He was unpacking two parcels. He looked up as he heard Maverick approach.

"Hey Maverick."

"Hey Adven. So, where are these swords you promised?" Maverick asked, peeking around him at the parcels.

"Right here." Adven picked up the sword in his mouth. It was curved slightly and stayed roughly the same width all the way along. The hilt had a small purple gem, one that Maverick couldn't distinguish. The hilt was larger than an earth sword, large enough to fit a wing through.

"Mmmfph." Adven said. He threw the sword into the air and caught it with his wing, grasping it in one go. "I said, you put your two index feathers through the handle, then wrap them around the hilt. That leaves your other feathers free to fly."

"Alright, can I try?" Maverick asked, pointing to the other wing-blade, this one shorter, but more curved, scimitar style. This one had a green gem in the hilt, which Maverick was able to recognize as a jade.

"Knock yourself out." Adven nodded.

"Alright." Maverick tipped his wing down and bent the feathers, trying to get them around the hilt. After a couple of seconds he managed it, and shakily picked up the weapon. Adven laughed and effortlessly twirled his own sword by spinning his wing.

"Ok, you can stop showing me up now." Maverick said as he grasped the sword firmly.

"If you insist. How about a little sparring?" Adven twirled the sword a final time before pointing it towards Maverick.

"I dunno…" Maverick stepped back, unsure.

"Well, alright." Adven asked. He started to turn around, but turned and lunged at Maverick with the sword. Instinctively Maverick swung the sword up and blocked it, making a loud clang.

"I don't know, you seem pretty good." Adven noted.

"Why did you just attack me?" Maverick asked, lowering the sword.

"A little test. And you passed." Adven said, withdrawing his own sword.

"You attacked me!" Maverick frowned at him.

"Pfft. Stop being such a foal. Now, do you want to do some actual sparring?" Adven asked, picking up a wooden staff and dropping the wing blade.

"I guess. What's that for?"

Adven tossed another wooden staff at Maverick who caught it out of the air, copying Adven. "So we can spar safely. Unless you want to use the swords?" Adven raised an eyebrow.

Maverick stepped back, holding the staff with his wing. "I'm good." he twirled the piece of thin oak wood. "En garde!" he shouted.

Adven sighed. "That is SO clichéd I might actually use the sword." Adven stepped forward and swung the staff sideways towards Mavericks right foreleg. Maverick jumped up on his hind legs and countered with his own staff, knocking Adven gently in the side of the torso.

"Alright. Now I'm not going easy on you." Adven stepped forward and swung from below. Maverick managed to swing the staff down in time to block the attack, but it jarred him and left him open. Adven took advantage of it and swept the staff sideways into Mavericks forelegs, knocking him down. Maverick yelped and rolled to the side as Adven swung down again. Maverick used his wings to push himself back to his hooves in time to block another of Advens merciless blows.

"Jeez, you don't let up." Maverick gasped, sidestepping Advens lunge.

"Nope." Adven chuckled as he tapped Maverick on the head with the staff.

Maverick held up a hoof and stepped back, breathing heavily. The minute and a half of dodging blows and returning them had left him breathless, despite his fitness.

Adven tossed him a bottle of water. "Drink up. I've got a couple more swords to show you…"

Maverick nodded to Adven as they went their separate ways. He and Maverick had been sparring and admiring the swords for the last couple of hours, and Adven had even been good enough to teach him some actual moves. Maverick didn't see when he would need them, but it was pretty cool none-the-less.

He shrugged and made his way down the street, not really knowing where he would do for the rest of the day. He had taken Spike to the station where he had boarded the daily train to Canterlot.

Maverick had an idea. A small project…

A/N: Sorry for short chapter, but there's more or less nothing I can do until the next day, when the mane 6 get back. And I have yet another story I'm trying to think of ideas for. If you want your OC in one of my stories, I'm still accepting them.