Skies of Harmony

Chapter Two

Clouds

"Dear Princess Celestia, although the Empire of Vulcan Sol has not yet reached Equestrian borders I have some news to report to you about our current standing in the war. Recent scouting missions conducted by Mirage Squadron have revealed numerous armored columns moving in from the the north of The Wilds, Trottingham, and Germaneigh. I have asked Prince Micheal of Tidas Aurora to send some of his best forces to assist in these areas," Princess Twilight paced back and forth as Spike recorded everything she said.

"Mr. Spike, care to add my reports as well?" Prince Micheal wanted to add a few notes.

"Yes sir!" Spike gave a quick salute and grabbed some more ink handed to him from Twilight's pet owl.

"Good," Mikey cleared his throat, "Princess Celestia, as Prince Micheal Rivers of Tidas Aurora I would also like to add some notes to the precise deployments of Tidas Aurora forces. I have sent the 1st Panzer Brigade and a handful of Wehrmacht to guard the German borders in case of a flanking attack from the northeast. As of now, many armored vehicles like Tiger tanks and Pz IVs should be arriving into Marelin as I report. In Trottingham I have requested deployments of SAS and the 1st and 4th Commando Brigades to train local defense volunteers. As the mountain passes are too rough for an armored assault I have stationed the finest units of the Royal Air Force Fighter and Bomber Commands as well. Stationed in the back in Stallionrad is the Soviet 8th Army with our brand new T34-85 tanks and batteries of Katyusha rocket artillery. With that out of the way, I have concentrated the 3rd Army to defend against attacks from the west, stationing them north of Cloudsdale near the Griffin border. This unit is primarily Sherman medium tanks and tank destroyers such as M10 Wolverines and M18 Hellcats waiting in ambush. More reinforcements from Tidas Aurora will arrive when the situation escalates. Furthermore, your requests for more lend-leased weapons are underway and being shipped to Manehatten, Canterbury, and New Saddle. Please keep the skies open and patrolled so Tidas Aurora shipping lanes can be kept cleared. Your faithful ally-"

"And loyal student, Prince Micheal-"

"And Twilight Sparkle respectively," Mikey glanced over to the dragon, "Did you get all of that good sir?"

"Done and finished!" Spike burned the letter with a magical breath of fire, sending it straight to Princess Celestia and Luna from the Ponyville Library.

"Prince Micheal, what does the Empire of Vulcan Sol want from Equestria anyway?" Twilight approached him and asked.

Mikey stared outside of the window and contemplated, "It's not what they want... It's what they covet: everything, and anything. Magic, technology, alchemy, knowledge... Slaves... They are barbarians Princess. All they seek is conquest and to make the whole of Realm theirs. Although their native citizens enjoy much benefit they enslave all other races to do all their bidding. They see us as inferior, sub-sentient, only fit for work horses or subordinates to all their whims. Those who oppose are slain by the millions, as what befell the Griffin Kingdoms. They stood united, undivided and strong. They fought bravely but were weakened after the Equestrian War, bringing the country to their knees. The populous was either enslaved or slain, with factory like efficiency."

"In English please," Rainbow Dash flew up to the window and was eavesdropping on the conversation. Mikey was not amused.

"Basically Dashie, The Evil Empire wants everything and anything and they won't stop until they get it, enslave the people, or just kill everypony," A sky blue pegasus flew up next to her. He had a red mane, white wings, and a yellow tail. His cutie mark was that of a stylized sun, patterned in the same fashion as the sun on the Fillypine flag.

Mikey sighed, "Might I ask who your friend is Rainbow Dash?"

"Sky Buster's the name! I'm an old friend of Dash. We met in flight school when we were just foals when I moved to Cloudsdale from the Fillypines. I came back during the EQW when I heard Equestria was under attack. Dashie told me all about you Prince Mikey," Sky Buster gently flew into the window and landed next to him, offering his hoof to shake.

"Um, sorry good stallion, but only my dearest friends can address me by that moniker. Please, be a tad more formal," Mikey slowly pushed away his hoof with his finger, "Now, let's try this again."

"And I thought Rarity was-," Sky talked to himself, "Nevermind! C'mon man! Lighten up! Your friends with my girlfriend you know?"

"You? A suitor for Rainbow Dash? You seem the type."

"Sky! Geez, scream it to the world why don't you," Dash lightly bucked Sky.

"Hey, he's a friend right?" he placed his hoof on Mikey's shoulder and pulled him closer beside him, "Riiight?"

"Ugh, as much as this invades my personal space, I suppose so... A friend of Rainbow Dash is a friend of mine," Mikey gently slid out of Sky's grasp, "You know good sir, you remind me much about my father. Very casual, upbeat, and I assume you're a valiant warrior?"

"One of the finest, but I think Dash gets the honor of the greatest ever," Sky flew next to Dash and gave her a hug.

"Mhm! He's right you know," Dash took the compliment.

"So what is your dad like Mikey?"

Pinkie Pie sprang into the frame to break the forth wall and bursted out, "OO! OO! OO! It's because Sky is really just Buster, not like Sky Buster, but like King Rivers OR OR! President Buster Rivers of the United Planetary Federation! They're all just different personas and OCs of the same person, the author himself! Hey! You're still writing this on an Ipad! Is your computer fixed yet? Why aren't you working on Signs of Decay? WHERE IS SIGNS OF DECAY?!"

The other Tanya from StarFox: Hybrid Ascension ripped open a portal with Aurora from Pokemon: Signs of Decay to step into the scene. They both glared at Pinkie Pie with an intense gaze that pierced into her soul.

"YOU!... TOOK!... OUR!... JOBS!..." they both grabbed Pinkie Pie and pulled her offscreen, a flurry of cartoon dust and beating noises can be heard and seen just to the left of the screen. David from Hybrid Ascension steps from the right and awkwardly smiles.

"We will be back after these technical difficulties!" the view transitions to a screen of a 1940s cartoon style Jolteon trying to fix a broken film reel. It then flashes back to the main plot line with a director's black and white clipper reading 'Take Two'

"SoH Chapter Two: Take Two! Action!" the author's voice announced to get his audience back on track.

"So what is your dad like Mikey?" Sky asked his new friend.

"He's... Unique to say the least. He's not like most kings, he's still a soldier at heart and casual in almost all situations aside from formal attendance. I hear Princess Celestia is the same way and has already considered my family as part of her closer circle of friends."

"Neat," Sky acknowledged, "You busy as a bee Prince?"

"Yes good sir, Twilight and I have much to discuss about the war," Mikey nodded.

"Actually Micheal, I was just about to go to Applejack's place to see if she needs help training for the rodeo coming to town. C'mon! It'll be fun," Twilight invited the prince.

"I guess you're right. I do feel like I should relax for a bit," Mikey, ever formal, paced and stroked his second pair of drooping ears.

"Yeah, chill out Mike-Mike. You are a Glaceon after all," Rainbow Dash patted him on the back.

"Yeah, hang out with Dash and I sometime. Don't forget: Friendship is magic!" Sky joined in to pat Mikey on the back. He was still wearing his royal armor with sheathed and holstered weapons.

"It's quite a shame that magic is banned in my country then. Quite a strange story about it's origin really: my father, having lost his father and mother to an evil necromancer banned the use of magic just because of personal phobia. Quite strange am I right? No matter, alchemy serves as our, how you say, 'bread and butter.'"

"Hm, alchemy huh? I've heard some stuff about it but I've never seen it," Sky Buster commented.

"Shall I give a quick demonstration?" Mikey asked his equine friends.

"Sure! Show us what you got," Sky promptly replied back.

"I'm going to need a bar of metal or a gemstone. Spike, may you spare one from your possessions?" Mikey turned to Spike.

"Huh, sure, here you go," Spike handed him a smaller sapphire from his chest of gems.

Micheal took out a piece of chalk and started to draw an alchemist circle on the floor of the library. He drew some symbols of a sword within some of the triangular marks within the circle. He placed a philosophers stone at the head of the circle and placed the gem in the middle. Mikey concentrated and placed his paws to the sides of the circle. Then the enchanted symbol started to glow a bright red and orange. The gemstone morphed and twisted into what looked like a handle, then it rose up from the ground and formed into a swirling entity that burst out in a blue light, revealing a sharpened and stylized cobalt blue steel sword hovering in the air. He grabbed the blade and examined it. Backing off from his friends he used his waterbending to grab an apple from a nearby table and threw it into the air, slicing the fruit into four even slices before catching each piece on the blade.

"One for each of you!" Mikey gave one piece to each of his companions.

"Wow, a scholar and a swordsman. My kind of guy," Sky Buster was impressed.

"Years of practice my friend. Although my brother, Prince David, is much better than I in the arts of alchemy and science. He is our top researcher and engineer. Here Spike, this shall be your gift," he hands Spike the sword and smiled.

"Thanks Prince Micheal!" the dragon placed the sword in his room and came back to the front door.

"You're welcome. Well, I see we are well and finished with everything here. Shall we proceed to Sweet Apple Acres?"

"We're all set Prince," Twilight grabbed her saddle and checked to see if she had everything she needed.

"Let's take my Panther tank, I have room for all of you."

"It's not gonna be too bumpy is it?" Twilight asked.

"Nay, this fine machine was built by a luxury automotive plant. You couldn't ask for a finer vehicle, smooth as can be Princess," Mikey walked outside and stood next to his green painted Pz V Panther. The marking on the side of the turret was that of two swords crossed with a bright red circle in the background. The rest of his friends walked out with him.

"I call gun!" Sky Buster rushed past Mikey and plopped his butt into the open hatch where the gunner would sit, "Sweet! Kwk 45. This baby's gotta pierce through even the best magical enchantment those Vulkies have on their vehicles."

"Fond of weapons I see?" Mikey hopped in the driver seat.

"He's such an egghead about that stuff. He's got more books about weapons and wars than my novel collection," Dash sat next to Sky on the back of the turret.

"He's a great military asset, a trotting military encyclopedia if I do say so myself. He taught me a lot about how wars are fought outside of Equestria. Since we haven't had any wars since this nation was founded, we were caught off guard when the Griffins attacked. Sky knows more about war than almost anypony," Princess Twilight sat in the commander's hatch, fit for royalty.

"I've served here and there. I was there when the Vulkies first attacked the Republic Sky Realm. I had my helmet and electronic HUD, a winged, armed saddle with 20mm quad rainbow cannons, eight 70mm rockets, and two 250kg 'Hard Candy' bombs. The first battle for the city of Talon! Two hundred magical biplanes, scores of air battleships, and fleets of warships from the Evil Empire. My allies, the dragons, were outnumbered three to one. You know what I said?: 'Fair Odds!' I was there with my buddies Blaze Blitz, a fellow pegasus, and Sytex, a dragon flying a Tidas Aurora built IL-2. There was flak, shrapnel, and burning planes everywhere. The skies turned grey and debris filled the air, my wing mates and I held the skies for what seemed like forever. In the fires and fury of combat we were a three person air force, Blaze Blitz covering multirole, Sytex with ground and sea attack, and I myself cleared the skies. We had underestimated their biplanes at first, but they had enchanted each and every one of them with speed and agility magic, they were more than a match for the exported stock I-16s and Bf 109s in use by the Republic. Their ships, sea and air too, all magically augmented. And so as the battle drew into the night, Sytex was almost out of fuel and had to return to base. He was tailed by a Fokker Triplane and shot right out of the sky. I didn't see him eject and I figured he sank with his plane. Blaze flew down to try and help him but he was going too fast in his dive and also impacted the water. I went over to help, tears in my eyes. I didn't want to believe they were dead but, all I saw was Blaze's helmet float up to the surface. They were never heard from again," Sky Buster went on with his story.

"Wow... I never knew that happened to you Sky, you okay?" Twilight noticed him with some tears in his eyes. Dash came over and hugged him.

"...I'm fine you two... It's nice to get things off my back sometimes. Plus, a soldier like you Prince Mikey should know that feeling all too well," Sky wiped away a tear and looked over to Mikey.

"...Yes, I too have suffered from this war. My aunt and my first squad were executed when they refused to be enslaved. I had escaped my prison and vowed to avenge them all. The Empire has taken from me one of my best friends," Mikey shared as well.

"I'm with you on that brother... Brohoof?" Sky offered his hoof.

"Yes, quite... Say, how do you... Are we, shaking hands?"

"I forgot you're the formal type. You curl your paw into a fist and bump your knuckles with my hoof," Sky explained.

"Oh, you mean what my casual citizens call a 'fist bump?'"

"Yeah! It's called a brohoof here but you get the idea," Sky reached over and bumped his hoof with Mikey's fist.

"But a quick question my good sir, what are these so called 'electronics' you explained in your long tale?"

"Well, you see, Equestria mainly relies on magic in their so called, 'tech tree' but there are a few pieces of advanced equipment that run on electricity called electronics. They're few and far between, only used for civilian purposes mostly. I think we're about to approach an example now," Sky explained more about Equestria.

"What makes you say that sir?"

They were about to approach the house of Vinyl Scratch and Octavia. Mikey could hear the faint sound of a type of music unknown to him.

"Dear lord Arceus, what is that horrid screeching?" the music grew louder as they came into view of the house.

"That's just Vinyl Scratch! She's our radio DJ and her music is AWESOME! She's probably just doing the dishes!" Sky yelled as the music grew louder.

"Good morning Ponyville!" Vinyl broke another window and she looked outside.

"MORNING VINYL! WASSUP?!" Sky screamed at the top of his lungs and started to bob his head hard. Rainbow Dash and Spike started to bob as well while Mikey and Twilight tried their best to cover their ears.

"NOT MUCH SKY! LET'S HANG LATER K?" Vinyl waved back.

"DASH AND I WILL! CLEAN THOSE DISHES WITH WUBS!"

"HELLL YEAH!" Vinyl retreated back into her house and the tank drove away.

"Dear merciful Mew, what a strange manner of sound. Does one even call that music?" Mikey tried to get the ringing out of his ears.

"The best music in all of Equestria..." Sky cross his arms and nodded, barely shaken by the dubstep.

"So awesome," Rainbow Dash agreed.

"We're here!" Twilight could see Applejack's barn in the distance and before long they had arrived to her farm. Mikey parked near Zak and Applebloom who were leaning on a wooden fence watching Ghost and Applejack train for the next rodeo.

"Sup guys?" Zak glanced over to Mikey and the rest of his friends.

"I dare say not much. We just happened to pick up one of Rainbow Dash's closer friends," Mikey turned to Sky Buster.

"Cool, who's your friend Dash?"

"You can call me Sky, or Buster, or as Dashie likes to call me: dumbass," Sky held out his hoof.

"Nice to meet you. You old friends with Dash?"

"Yeah, you could say we're more than friends, hint hint," Sky scooted closer to Dash and gave her a hug.

Dash rolled her eyes, "Yeah, he's kind of my boyfriend. I told you about him a little bit a while ago."

"Oh yeah, you did didn't you. So Sky, tell me more about yourself," Zak turned to lean backwards on the fence.

"My whole life story or just the gist of it?" Sky replied casually.

"Probably cut to the chase."

"I'm an ace, soldier, and as Twilight put it: 'a trotting military encyclopedia.' I'm both an egghead and a badass and no pony but Dashie could ever beat me in the air."

Zak smiled, "Think you could beat me in a dogfight?"

"I'll wipe the floor with you, any day, any time. What crappy little plane do you fly?"

Zak motioned his head over to the green Me 262 parked near the razor wire fence, "That..."

Sky looked in awe and was throughly impressed, "Is that... A JET?!"

"First production model. Brand new right out of the factory."

"Okay, you could definitely give me a run for my money," Sky admitted.

"Damn straight," Zak turned back to see Applejack and Ghost compete with each other on the various rodeo setups. Challenges like hay bail tossing and vaulting over a mud pit with three vertical hurdles.

As Applejack vaulted over the pit she knocked one of the hurdles off, almost clearing her previous best height. Meanwhile, Ghost was sprinting forward at top speed when he touched off from the edge of the mud pit. He thrust himself into the air with enough momentum to clear the third hurdle on his lane set by Applejack, not even touching the carefully balanced pole. In his dolphin dive he hit the other end of the pit, landing with a roll on the dry dirt on the other end. He looked back to see Applejack face first into the mud.

"Aw shucks!" Applejack slapped the mud off her face.

"Need help there cowgirl?" Ghost offered his paw.

"Thanks Ghosty, darn pole threw off my jump," Applejack looked back at the hurdle she knocked off as Ghost pulled her up.

"Maybe next time AJ, how's 'bout I show off some my shootin' skills for free? Maybe it'll cheer ya up a bit," Ghost smiled and dusted off AJ.

"I reckon we have time for that, anything new sharp shot?" Applejack wiped off the rest of the mud off her and smiled.

"Darn tootin'! Zak, throw me my shotties," Ghost waved to Zak to go to the jeep. Zak opened a gun case with two lever action sawed off shotguns.

"Catch!" Zak threw him his unloaded shotguns and Ghost caught them with deft hands.

"Thanks bud! Dual Model 1887s. I call 'em Stuart an' Amish, old time shotguns of mine, had 'em since I was a pup," Ghost could load both guns at the same time with his superior dexterity, "Hey Applebloom! Ya wanna set up some them old bottles you have lyin' round?"

"Sure thing Ghost!" Applebloom eagerly and quickly set up a few whisky bottles lying around in a recycle bin some ways away from Ghost on some fences at the edge of the farm. She joined the others to spectate.

Ghost flip-cocked both of his shotguns and turned to his audience, "How's 'bout some skeets to start!"

Ghost shouldered one of his shotguns and grabbed a few clay pigeons from Zak.

"Count 'em! Seven clays, seven shells in the mag. I'm gonna hit every one these skeets with each slug. I am using slugs, so ya better hold onto ya hats!"

Ghost threw up the seven clay pigeons and dispatched each one with the rapid cycling and handling of his lever action, shooting as fast as a semi-automatic. He flipped out the last empty shell and checked the breach. Smiling to his audience and tipping his hat. Everyone clapped and cheered.

"Thank ya'll, thank ya'll. For my next trick I'ma gonna dual weld good old Stuart and Amish here and see if I can take out those bottles from edge to center, two at a time on opposite ends," Ghost loaded his empty shotgun and twirl-cocked both. He stood about fifty feet from the center bottles and aimed each of his shotguns independently towards the two bottles on the opposite ends. He fired and with unerring accuracy he hit both bottles and flip cocked each gun. He kept up his momentum and dispatched each bottle with lightning quick double bursts going from both edges to the middle. This was extremely difficult and required split second twitch aiming on each gun. Ghost definitely had some reflexes and superior familiarity with his firearms. As he got to the middle bottle, of which there was only one, he twirled his shotguns into the air, took out his revolvers, and quick on the draw, he broke the last one before catching both shotguns and holstering his pistols.

"Ta da!"

"Good show! Good show my friend!" Mikey applauded and gently cheered.

"Nice one dude! You really nailed it that time," Zak clapped as well.

"That there's a fine and dandy talent you got there Ghosty. I ain't seen anything quite like that before," Applejack commented, impressed at the performance.

"Aw shucks AJ, it's nothin' really, you just gotta practice and all," Ghost adjusted his hat. However, there was something that was bugging him, like the sound of distant thunder, "Say, ya'll here that?"

"Hear what?" Zak looked around, "I don't hear a thing."

"Hmm, I kinda hear that," AJ listened close, "Kinda does sound like them planes."

"That is quite odd, Tidas Aurora aircraft shouldn't be flying in or around Ponyville at this time. Could it be a thunderstorm approaching?"

"No way man, the weather patrol's not scheduled any storms for the next week," Sky Buster added, "That does sound like... Radial engines..."

Sky immediately knew what was about to happen.

"I gotta go! Dash, rally the other Mirage Squadron members and meet me in the Ponyville Airbase, hangar two. Those Vukies are here!"

"Applebloom! I want you and Granny Smith to take cover in the cellar, ya hear?" Applejack instructed her little sister.

"Applejack, I'm scared," the normally brave little filly shook.

"Go on now, keep Granny safe okay!" Applejack nudged her to gallop as fast as she could to the house. She turned her attention to her older brother, "Big Mac! Let's warn the mayor! I'm coming with you!"

"Eeyup!" Big Mac gave a quick response and galloped away to Ponyville with AJ.

"Zak, Ghost, ready thine aircraft! Let not a barbarian through!"

"Roger that Mikey!" Zak saluted and jumped into the jeep. Ghost vaulted in as well.

"Go forth! I will meet you two there!" Mikey couldn't leave his tank exposed in the middle of the field so he had to drive it past the chain link fence and took a section down. He drove his tank into the first aircraft hangar and hopped out of the Panther. He quickly dropped his armor and donned a flight suit to climb into his Ascender.

"My sister, Zak, Ghost, are you ready in your aircraft?"

"Yes my brother!" Tanya slipped into her Shinden Kyushu.

"Wilco!" Zak in his Me 262.

"This is Growla' ten four good buddy!" Ghost as well in his Flying Flapjack.

"This is Mirage Squadron! We're taking off now," a pink coated and blue maned mare wearing a pink vest announced over the radio. The pegasi preparing for takeoff had the same helmet mounted displays, armed with winged saddles Sky Buster had explained earlier, with 20mm quad cannons, bombs, and rockets.

"Sky Buster here! See you in the air Pheasants!" Sky saluted his friends as they taxied out of the hangar. The seven pegasi galloped in a rolling takeoff and took to the skies when the air raid sirens finally blared.

Mikey did a few pre-flight checks and taxied onto the runway with his squad, "Tower! This is Pheasant One, requesting takeoff clearance!"

"Pheasants are cleared! Take to the air and defend Ponyville!"

"Roger tower..." Mikey's fighter roared to life and his turboprop engines growled. All of the Pheasant aircraft rolled down the runway and lifted off into battle.

"Altitude restriction cancelled! Good luck!"

"Gladly," Mikey nodded and banked hard to the west, "Give me a sitrep on all allied assets!"

"Sky Buster here! 179th Squadron, Mirage, is flying on your six!" Sky pulled up in formation with Mikey, grinned zealously, and saluted.

"10th Earth Pony Brigade ready fer taskin'!" Applejack announced. She had been appointed by Princess Celestia as a commander in the previous and now current war.

"42nd Unicorn Division is ready to assist in airborne tracking! We count fifty hostile aircraft and three armored zeppelins on our magic sweep," Twilight as well, keeping track of the invading forces with magical radar.

"Tidas Aurora 49th Anti Air Brigade ready! Flakpanzers, quad-fifties, and gun trucks at the ready! Call the word chief!"

"Princess Twilight, I need reports on enemy ground units. Are there any?" Mikey called out to his ally.

"Negative, air attack only. It's strange how they managed to slip through this far."

"Roger that, they're starting their terror bombing campaign."

"You think they got some new stealth magic or something?" Zak suggested.

"I've heard of it, it was an experimental enchantment only found in Equestria. How'd the Vulkies get their paws on that?" Sky Buster commented.

"Hey Chopper, quit with your motor mouth will you?" Firefly, the pink, blue maned squadron leader told to Sky.

"I'm just sayin, maybe we got some traitors within Canterlot," Sky added.

"It matters not as of now! Comrades of Mirage Squadron, let's take down these aggressors before they harm anyone in Ponyville!" Tanya yelled in zealous glory.

"White Pheasant Squadron, engage!" Mikey ordered.

"Mirage Squadron, engage as well!" Firefly too.