Operation Northstar

Operation Northstar

Ponies have developed the magical equivalent of nuclear technology. A rising fascist zebra regime threatens to take over Equestria, and the ponies must defend themselves. The use of these new weapons of mass destruction seems imminent. This will bring about a new age of fear with the power of self-destruction. It is to be avoided at all costs but peace negotiations are fruitless. Zebra forces are moving quickly, occupying Canterlot, Manehattan, and Phillydelphia. All seems to be lost as the ponies of Equestria fall back to Ponyville to make their final stand. There is only one way to send the zebras away without destroying everything in a nuclear holocaust. Her sister captured by the zebras, Celestia makes the decision against her better judgement. They were barbaric, cruel, and selfish, but the humans were also her only hope. She was left with no other option and conjured a portal to another dimension.

MEETING

He had asked for a casual meeting with her. The President of the United States of America strolled across the Rose Garden, leaving footprints in the morning dew. The first tendrils of yellow-orange had just begun to streak the sky. Mere days ago, they had showed up unexpectedly, giving him the greatest test of his presidency. Perhaps any presidency. No, it was not his test. It was a test for all of humanity.

Barack Obama sat down on the white bench at the end of the Garden. The sun seemed to rise in a matter of seconds as it illuminated the spectra of the flower beds. He had so many questions, so many things he yearned to understand. This morning, he hoped for answers. A billowing, soft-colored mass came into view under the colonnade, shimmering in the sunlight. The princess carried herself with the utmost grace, even in this alien world.

"Good morning, your highness," The president said, bowing. "It is an honor." The fact that their cultures shared these formalities would never cease to amaze him.

"The honor is mine, Mr. President. Please, call me Celestia." She offered a hoof, and the president obliged her. He took his seat on the bench which, in hindsight, was not the ideal place to sit with a pony. Still, Celestia lifted herself up and laid herself on the bench with the greatest of ease. She was more graceful than any human woman, he thought.

"I have seemingly endless questions for you. I was hoping today, we could come to better understand each other." Celestia nodded, grinning.

"I have been looking forward to the time we could have such a conversation for years, Mr. Obama." The question that burned in the back of the president's mind since her arrival had little to do with government interests.

"Did you understand the risks?"

OPERATIN'

"Breaching!" (AJ-Parallel) sprinted and jumped feet-first into the door, bringing it crashing down. The rest of the squad stormed in the house, quickly spreading throughout it.

"All clear," you declared as the squad regrouped after checking every inch of the house in a matter of seconds.

"Sir, you better come ta-" (PP-Parallel) was cut off by a frantic turquoise unicorn who came bursting through the door.

"Bon Bon! Where are you? Bon Bon!" She was no more than waist-high beside you, but pushed by you and your men. As she rounded the corner into the main room, you heard a bloodcurdling shriek followed by pained wailing. No casualties. This was not an assignment where you were going to lose anyone, much less any pony. Your own words echoed in your mind as you brought the stock of your rifle into your shoulder and whipped around the corner. Prepared to drop a zebra that had slipped in, you were instead faced with a pony with a cream-colored coat. She was in the far corner of the room quivering in a growing pool of blood. There was an open wound on her back, clearly the handiwork of a zebra soldier's blade.

You just stood there a second, frozen. Why would anything do this? There wasn't any reasoning behind it. What could drive anything to do a thing like this? Something so innocent, so loving. Why? What could be so soulless? You had the solution, though. You had already let it happen once, but not again.

"No casualties," You said aloud softly, your voice trembling. Seeing Bon Bon had hit you like a freight train and brought back familiar feelings. You could have stopped this. It was on you. You had failed and let this pony down. "Never again," You said under your breath.

Another time you had felt this way was back in '95. You had walked into a basement of a house in a Bosnian town called Srebrenica. The stench still keeps you awake at night. Like now, you were frozen when you saw what it contained. It was occupied by dozens of refugees. Men, women, even children. Their bodies were blackened and disfigured from the blast of a flamethrower. Again you searched for a reason, but found none. You knew then, it wouldn't happen again. It was a promise you made yourself. You wouldn't allow it. You could stop it. Civilian casualties would not happen on your watch. Every time you suited up, you bore this responsibility. How many you killed in retribution for those people was not important to you. What you were driven to do now was the same, find those responsible, and kill as many of them as possible. "Never again."

You neglected to notice how recent the wounds looked as you heard heard the clop-clopping that signaled the approach of a visitor. Snapping out of your daze, you took a position beside the broken door and slung your rifle over your shoulder. You wouldn't want to grant them such a luxury. You always carried your Louisville Slugger on your back. It tended to come in handy. Situations like these were common, and no gun or knife could handle them quite like a bat. "Batter up, mother fucker." You tapped the floor and brought it over your shoulder and behind your head. As soon as you caught sight of your target, you let him have it.

*CRACK!*

You struck the zebra square in the chin, shattering it's jaw and driving broken facial bones through the brain. The hit left blood spattered all over the wall and teeth dislodged on the floor. That was over too quickly for your taste. He didn't feel enough of it. Your bloodrage was insatiable. As you carved another notch in the handle, you remembered to get the injured pony some help. "(FS-Parallel), fix her up."

"Y-yes sir." he responded, equally shaken as you.

"(PP-Parallel), hand me your weapon," you commanded.

"But-"

"You heard me!" You handed (PP-Parallel) your rifle in a reluctant exchange for his M60. What you were about to do went against every iota of training you'd had. It also required a continuous barrage of lead and an insane bloodlust. You would see to it that there were no more casualties to the best of your abilities.

"What are you going to do, sir?" He inquired sheepishly. You shot (PP-Parallel) a fleeting glance and that was all it took. He recognized the look in your eyes. "Oh." He backed away from you. There would be no stopping it.

MAGICAL CAPACITANCE

They couldn't possibly have predicted the implications of their success. This breakthrough in magical technology was a testament to the ingenuity of all ponykind. Throughout its development, only the benefits were considered. The potential devastation it could bring about was not. The capability to store and release magical energy, or magical capacitance, was the brainchild of Equestria's finest minds. Kinetic energy could now be stored and tapped when needed, or released at once. Dumping a capacitor of its charge produced boundless amount of energy, depending on how much it was charged. The possibilities were truly endless, and the future was bright. Ponies could influence nature itself, far beyond simple weather manipulation.

Little did they know, their intentions noble and minds uncorrupted, that they had also granted themselves something else. The power of self-destruction. Dumping heavily charged capacitors had a profound effect on matter itself, something that could never have been predicted. If enough energy was released at once, the effect would be greater than the sum of its parts. Huge amounts of heat, concussive shock, and blinding light were results of the first tests. Such huge discharges would have been beyond the realm of peaceful use and an alterior motive must have led these tests to take place.

The changing political landscape of Equestria may have been the motivator as tensions peaked. The ponies had created the power to destroy anything that stood in their path and this began to influence their actions. This new technology would be the greatest test of Equestrian civilisation to date. At this point in their development as a civilisation, they needed to adapt and handle this new technology. If they could, harnessing such power would lead ponykind to new prosperous heights. If they failed, they would fade away as so many other civilisations had. They wouldn't even be a flash in the pan of the universe as they sputtered and died out.

Humanity had survived this process already, but only just so. For years, world powers had been on the cusp of sparking a nuclear holocaust. After tensions died down, hatchets were buried and they moved on with still greater tests ahead. Still, the humans were a violent bunch. They overcame this test of infinite destruction with the help of their past. They recognized the significance and exercised caution with this new power. The ponies, however, lacked the military past to realize the power they held and what it could entail. They would pay dearly for their foolishness and be forced to do the unthinkable and impossible. As negotiations broke down and a ravaging nuclear war was imminent, only one option remained for the fate of the crippled Equestria.

World leaders of Earth were all too familiar with this situation. They knew that it needed to be defused quickly and decisively. They had to pick a side and end it as soon as possible if Equestria were to be preserved. The leaders saw themselves in the ponies, profoundly naive, noble, and filled with dreams. Their enemies were found to possess less-desirable traits. Unfortunately, the present situation required they pay the steep price of peace. Humanity acted as the mediator in hopes of last-minute negotiations, but they proved fruitless. The enemy factions were simply too unreasonable and power-hungry. The demands were reasonable and stated clearly, but wisdom fell upon deaf ears and United States military prepared to fight alongside the ponies.

BRIEFING

The commander paced in front of the soldiers.

"Today, you're going to be heros. America's not acting in self-interest. This isn't about oil, money, land, or any petty shit like it's always been. She's answering the call for help from a peaceful civilisation on the verge of extinction. If you recall, we were there not too long ago. I remember the drills when we would hide under our desks with the sirens blaring, hoping it was in fact a drill. We expected the world to be incinerated every waking hour. We gave ourselves the ability to self-destruct, to let our differences get the best of us. But since we've always flirted with danger, the stupid sons of bitches we are, we made it. These ponies are what we wanted to be. They're peaceful, loving, and gentle, not that any of you would know what those words mean. How can they know what to do in a situation like ours? If we don't step in, they're going to end up dead, every last goddamn one of them. Imagine if we watched that happen. I know I couldn't do it. Don't think you could, either."

He paused to clear his throat and continued.

"You're going to meet ponies in there and you'll become sympathetic to them real quick. Then you'll see this is no joke. You're not going to namby-pamby land to see some cute ponies. Shit's getting real serious, real quick. Magic isn't to be taken lightly."

Some laughter from the crowd.

"WMDs."

Silence.

"Weapons of mass destruction, you heard right. We've confirmed the tech exists, and it's very fucking real. You've all seen what we can do with nukes. We can blow cities off the map, countries if we're pissed off. They can do that with magic. You think it's funny as hell, sure, but you'll learn. Won't be long before you see one of the heavy incapacitating spells fuck something up real bad. Take one and you'll wish you had your head blown off. But enough explanation and fear-mongering. Time to get down to business."

He did his best to lay out the present situation for them.

"They were peaceful up until not too long ago. Before, the zebras and ponies kept to themselves. But the damn zebras got power-hungry. They wanted to expand their 'master race' worldwide. Sound familiar? They're not so different from us glorified monkeys. The zebras were unreasonable and looking to take over. Of course, the ponies would have none of it. Negotiations got nowhere, and they just kept going. Wouldn't give it up. The ponies weren't ready. They had no weapons and their military atrophied because of the long peacetime. The attacks came sooner than they could have expected. Their cities fell and zebras punched into Equestria. At this rate, it would all be over right quick and the bastards would've won. Good thing the ponies are damn good with magic. They conjured up that portal on the Mall. You can't miss it. The rest you've heard, what with the president declaring interdimensional war and all. This is where you come in. Just a few hours ago, our final attempts at peace were refused. They know what we're with the ponies, but what they don't know is what these do."

He drew his service weapon.

"Your light weapons will have some trouble piercing their body armor. We've proven that your dinky little 5.56 rounds won't drop them unless you hit where they've got thinner or no armor. Target the neck, head, and legs. Easy. Higher calibers have no trouble with the armor. 7.62 x 51 cuts through it like butter. Your mission is to one, engage and kill zebra infantry. Two, protect the native ponies. Three. Perform search and rescue operations for friendlies held captive or in hiding. Four. Provide medical aid and evacs for friendlies in distress. Self explanatory. You can handle it. You are also to accept commands from pony leadership. You're going in blind with no maps and limited comms. We're working on it. You'll be making first impressions in there. What you do will influence our relationship with the ponies in the future. Don't fuck this up for us or them. Don't worry, you'll like them."

He stopped pacing and looked over the assembled troops.

"You're the iron fist of justice, and you're going to go put the zebras in their place. They'll never see it coming. Our technology will send them running back to their shithole. Their body armor's piss-poor, they've got no air support or vehicles, and they fight in legions. That makes it easy for us. Too easy. It's going to be one hell of a bloodbath, but be ready for any shit they pull. You'll have all the air support you can ask for. Napalm, drones, 30mm runs, AC-130s, anything you want. You've got armor parked out there in the motor pool. Just say the word. Ponies willing to fight will be by your side out there. Unicorns can do some crazy shit, you'll see. You'll be going through a lot of ammunition. Pegasus and earth ponies are being trained to resupply you in the field. Come back after the day's done and have a drink."

By day you fight an epic battle for magical ponies, by night you barhop. Hell of a world we live in.

"I don't know about you folks, but it pisses me right the hell off that these zebras have been giving the ponies a hard time. I say we kill 'em ‘til they quit coming. See you all back here at 0700."

The speech had eliminated any apprehension and brought the soldiers down to earth. They were going to fight an interdimensional war in a land of magic and colorful talking ponies, whether they liked it or not.

SHOCK & AWE

Drone patrols had reported that the zebra legions were assembling. Soon, they would begin their march toward Ponyville, expecting little to no resistance. They had been repeatedly warned, but it became clear that a demonstration would be necessary to have any effect. There was one last hope to save the blood of tens of thousands of zebras. If they did carry out their planned assault, there would be no survivors. The lot would never make it more than a mile before being utterly decimated by various forms of air support and artillery. For days, the humans bided their time, fully able to wreak havoc at any notice. Ground-to-ground Tomahawk missiles were trained on their camps and they sensed no danger. Such forms of combat were alien to them and they dismissed the humans' warnings and explanations as lies or impossible.

(RD-Parallel) climbed into the cockpit and was surrounded by complex instrumentation. Muscle memory helped her hands fly over the controls effortlessly as she began pre-flight checks. The A10 Warthog was one of the many planes she knew like the back of her hand. She reached up and pulled the canopy down, sealing the cockpit. As she pulled the visor over her face and strapped the mask on, she became unrecognizable save for her helmet. It was sky blue and adorned with rainbow stripes. She reached up and flipped her comms on.

"Dash, do you copy?" Rainbow Dash would be accompanying the sortie to demonstrate the human alliance with the ponies. She also simply wanted to be part of something so incredibly awesome. She wouldn't miss it for anything. Dash had been fitted with a special visor to let her communicate with base and her partner. The radio buzzed.

"Yep! Errr... Roger!" She replied.

"Are you ready for this? It's gonna get loud!"

"Pssh! Ha! I was BORN ready!" Dash said, like the question was ridiculous. Her confidence was infectious. Time to go to work.

The A10 Thunderbolt roared to life, the twin engines sucking massive volumes of fresh Equestrian air. (RD-Parallel) taxied the menacing feat of human engineering into position at the runway. She looked over her shoulders as she tested the ailerons and flaps. Good to go.

"Base, this is Ambassador one, requesting clearance for takeoff."

"Roger Ambassador one, the sky's all yours. Take it to 'em."

"Solid copy."

She eased the throttle forward and the engines began to scream. The plane picked up speed as the scream grew louder. She pulled back on the stick, raising the front wheels off the ground. The rear wheels followed suit and she was away. A rainbow streak appeared off to her right. Rainbow Dash took her position just off the right wing. (RD-Parallel) gave her a thumbs up as they gained altitude. Dash responded by circling the Warthog and winking at the figure in the cockpit. She had a huge grin on her face. She lived for moments like these. If they happened more often, maybe she wouldn't be caught sleeping on the job as much.

The two were fast approaching the location of the zebra camp. They swooped down, banking to get a good look at the enemy forces. It was a sea of grey organized into square sections. There must have been a hundred thousand of them. Without the humans, Ponyville would have stood no chance against the hordes of fascist zebras. Having seen enough, they began to climb again to make the first pass. (RD-Parallel) was about to show the brainwashed zebras a few reasons to turn around and go home. Those reasons were each a foot long, supersonic, and coming fast at a rate of 4,200 a minute.

She lowered the nose of the plane as she punched through the clouds. The reticle was a safe 100 yards in front of the zebra army. If they didn't believe the warnings now, they would in a matter of seconds. She readied the GAU-8 Avenger to fire. The whirr of the massive weapon could be heard and felt. The A10 is a gun with a plane, not a plane with a gun. She squeezed the trigger.

*BRRRRRRRRRRRRP!*

The plane felt as if it were coming apart at the rivets. Everything shook and vibrated violently as the weapon chewed through ammunition. On the ground, fear suddenly gripped the enemy. As the metal slugs ripped the ground apart at unthinkable speeds, dirt was thrown into the air. The heat from the tracer rounds sent sparks and fire flying. The stream of hot lead came within a few yards of the front line before cutting out. The awestruck and now panicked zebras had just witnessed the awesome might of their new adversary. Their response was to scatter and hit the ground. The fun was not yet over as (RD-Parallel) released the trigger. She had plenty for a few more passes if they were necessary, but she knew the first run would have the desired effect. Pulling out of her dive, she flew low over the ocean of zebra infantry. Nothing like a good buzz to shake them up. Her engines sang as she passed low over their heads. Rainbow Dash followed suit, still on her wing. She left a rainbow trail so the zebras would know who they were messing with. The zebras were thoroughly shaken and began to break ranks and retreat. Leadership could not get control as they were equally terrified.

"Base, this is Ambassador one. Let's get them an escort back to their place." (RD-Parallel) said over the radio.

"Roger Ambassador one, Harbinger one, two, three, and four are on their way. ETA 30 seconds," they responded promptly.

"Roger that." Right on time, four AH-64 Apache helicopters came into view. They flew low and slow to herd the zebras back to their territory. The entire army was now a massive stampede away from Ponyville. The first phase of Operation Northstar had been an incredible success.

ZEBRA PERSPECTIVE

I don't like this at all, probably going to delete it.

The ponies were in every way inferior to the glorious zebras, who were chosen by the gods to rule as masters of their domain. Zola had given him such confidence, such conviction with his speeches. The promises he made were so sincere and so ambitious that he gained support from the start. He was the answer. He would lead the chosen zebras to prosperity and domination of all things they deserved!

When the call to arms came, every able zebra answered it. They would cement their places in history. First came the cleansing. There were those who made the herd weak and they would not be allowed to hold it back. Runt children, those of weak bodies and minds, those born with disadvantages, and the old and frail became targets. The consistency squads came without warning, but were entirely expected. No zebra knew what became of them, but they were reassured that this was a necessary yet unfortunate measure. They had such faith in Zola that it was not questioned. The best interests of the collective herd were in control, they were told. Morale was high, production was up, and the military was crushing every foe. The state news was always right. Zebra prosperity was outpacing the resources of their native land. The gods clearly placed their support behind Zola and his administration.

LUNA SEARCH & RESCUE

This mission was of the utmost importance. During the zebra invasion of Canterlot, Princess Celestia’s sister Luna was captured by enemy forces and was being held captive in the castle. You and your men were the obvious choice for the job. This was what you were trained for and you would execute this mission flawlessly.

It would be easy enough. Zebras were armed with spears and stood no chance. There was a complication to the mission, though. Celestia insisted that the six ponies your squad had become so acquainted with accompany you. You grumbled thinking about it. They were dead weight and would slow down the operation. You loved the ponies, but they were not fighters and had no place in a fight. Nevertheless, you weren’t being paid to offer your opinions or complain. Time to can it and get this job done.

The plan was simple enough. Blackhawks would fly you to the roof of the target building and you would work your way down into the princess’s chamber and get her out of there. On the roof, you would call for exfil. A large enemy presence was to be expected, but your men could handle it. Just save the princess, classic.

The blades of the transport helicopters sliced through the night as they approached Canterlot. They could see its beauty illuminated by the full moon. Shimmering gold roofs, pristine white limestone towers, purple accents, incredible water features, and ornate furnishings. The dreamy city hosted high Equestrian society before the occupation. You hoped your country would be able to restore this place to its former glory.

CHARACTER BONDING

Twilight & ____

"Sweet Celestia! How do I kill it?!"

"Shoot your gun at it!"

"Eeeeeek! Howhowhow?!"

"Right trigger, we've-" (TS-Parallel) was biting his lip and smiling, stifling a bout of laughter. "We've been over this!" Twilight threw a hand grenade at the ceiling.

“It's not working!" She yelled frantically. (TS-Parallel) broke. He couldn't hold it back anymore. "It's going to get m-" The grenade exploded in Twilight's face, which made her jump out of her seat. "AAAH! What just..." She noticed him dying in a fit of laughter on the floor, clutching his sides and on the verge of tears. Twilight stomped her hoof on the couch. "Hey, I'm sure you did the same thing your first time!" She looked indignant and glanced back at the screen. "MISSION FAILED," it proclaimed.

"It's-" He said, recovering after some time. "It's all part of the experience, Twilight."

"But why do you laugh at me when I fail?" She implored. She looked disappointed, almost sad. (TS-Parallel) smiled and chuckled.

"Because when friends play video games together, they mess with each other, of course!" Twiight perked up.

"Let's play a different game, then. I'm ready."

She picked the skills up very quickly, considering she had no digits. "Now, here's what you have to do for this part." Twilight nodded. "First, you gotta shoot one of them right above you on the ceiling."

"OK..." She said as she fired the portal gun upward. "Now what?"

"Now you just shoot the other one at your feet." (TS-Parallel) said, a smirk growing on his lips.

"I don't see what this is going t- HOLY SHIT!" She yelped as her character began to fall infinitely. This was clearly not a sensation she was prepared for. (TS-Parallel) was on the floor yet again, turning beet red from laughter and clutching his burning sides.

"You made me..." She blushed after realizing she'd just screamed an expletive. Her expression quickly changed to something more sinister. "I'll get you back for that. Just wait!" He heard, but was too incapacitated by laughter to respond. Twilight got her chance soon enough.

"Here you just have to stand on the button to open the door while I go get this cube."

"Got it!" The purple unicorn said, excitedly. She'd been waiting for this for some time now. As she stood on the button, the hydraulics engaged and tilted the panels so (TS-Parallel) could pass through. As his robot approached the door, Twilight stepped off the button. "Oh, nope, can't let you do th-"

"Come on Twilight! I just have to go through the door!" He was visibly a bit frustrated, but Twilight was not going to make this easy for him.

"Sorry..." She said with a condescending smile. She stood on the button again, opening the door. Again, as (TS-Parallel) approached the door, she stepped off at the last second.

"God dammit! I just... Ahhh!" He was beginning to rage, but there was nothing he could do about it. Now Twilight was starting to giggle.

"OK. Now, I'm going to walk over to that door and go through it while you stand on the button. And you're going to STAY on the button, alright? If I walk over there again and that shit closes on me, I swear I will make you miserable. I'll go find a saddle, put it on you, and find some kid who wants a damn pony ride." Twilight knew He was all talk. "Now, I'm going to go get my cube." He sounded victorious. Twilight suppressed her giggles for a moment as (TS-Parallel) approached the door. She waited longer than she had previously, allowing him to think he'd won. As he approached the edge of the panels, Twilight quickly stepped off the button. He was too late, and fell into the pit of acid the panels covered while the button was pressed.

"GOD DAMMIT TWILIGHT! WHY?! WHY ARE YOU DOING THIS?!" His face was purple as he raised the controller as if he was going to throw it at the opposite wall. He took a deep breath and slowly lowered the controller. He looked to the other side of the couch. Her controller was there, but Twilight was not.

Applejack & ____

Rainbow Dash & ____

"So what do you humans do for kicks?" Dash said, eying her surroundings with disinterest. She clearly needed something awesome to take her mind off of what was going on back home.

"You like to fly, Dash?"

"Do I?" She grinned and did a few laps around the room. Such a show off, but she saw herself in Dash. Their meeting was no coincidence.

"How about a race?" (RD-Parallel) said confidently, putting her hands on her hips. The sky blue pony rolled over in mid-air and clutched her sides, laughing.

"I've seen how slow you humans are! You're funny, too!"

"So... You're game?" (RD-Parallel) smirked.

"Yeah, prepare to be humiliated!" she scoffed, drunk off her own pride. She'd better sober up, because (RD-Parallel) had something to even the odds.

"Sit tight there, Dash, I'll signal you when to start!" She was visibly impatient, stretching her wings and pacing about. She was far too confident. She stopped in her tracks when the hangar doors opened. Out of the shadows slipped the sleek form of an F-22 Raptor fighter jet. Rainbow Dash's jaw dropped and her knees buckled. What was it? She'd never seen anything like this! Was it a bird? A chariot? Whatever it was, it did not look slow. Maybe this would be interesting. The state of the art fighter jet rolled up next to Rainbow Dash and roared to life. The following high-pitched drone would have sent other ponies running for cover. She was starting to feel a bit apprehensive as her senses were assaulted by this new beast. The sound was deafening, the form was foreign to say the least, and this unfamiliar sky lay stretched before her. Dash was quick to dispel these thoughts of hesitation. She couldn't show her contender her nerves. She spread her wings and pawed the tarmac like a bull. She was ready for anything.

(RD-Parallel) gave the signal from the cockpit and she began to roll forward. Dash tore off, leaving her in the dust with a rainbow trail.

"Hahaha!" Dash cackled as she looked back at her. She was just lifting off and picking up speed. "Those slow humans! I showed them!" She said, doing loops to cement her apparent victory. Nothing to worry about, she thought, as she prepared take a perch on a cloud and enjoy her massive lead. She never heard it coming. How could she have heard it? Sound was slower than it was. (RD-Parallel) thundered past Rainbow Dash, shattering the sound barrier. She was set off balance as her cloud was churned in the backdraft. "Whoaaaooo!" She recovered from her fall. Dash regained control and bore a look of incredulity. (RD-Parallel) was beating her! "This isn't happening. I'll show you..." She tore off after the supersonic fighter jet. Dash saw a white aura form around her, only to disappear with a boom as she shattered the sound barrier. No time to admire her rainboom, she had a pace to keep.

The gap began to close, much to (RD-Parallel)'s surprise. "I'll humor her a little," Both thought to themselves. (RD-Parallel) adjusted her ailerons with a nudge to the stick, sending the jet into a barrel roll as Dash gained on her. Rainbow Dash couldn't help but wonder where the finish line was. There had to be a finish line! Suddenly (RD-Parallel) engaged the afterburner, dumping raw fuel into the engine, and pulled up. Dash was much more maneuverable than the nimble fighter and was soon flying circles around the jet as it climbed. Now the real reason they were out here was apparent. It made for some awesome bonding time!

Rarity & ____

Pinkie Pie & ____

"A little birdie told me you like parties!" Pinkie was suddenly right by (PP-Parallel)'s head. Wasn't she buckled just a second ago?

"Well that little birdie was RIGHT!" She said ecstatically, her mane blown back in the convertible.

"What about surprises?"

"Surprises?!" She squealed from the passenger seat, front hooves on the console. Her eyes were like dinner plates. (PP-Parallel) told herself she should just accept it that Pinkie regularly transgressed the laws of physics.

"You and I are going to get along very well, Ms. Pie!" (PP-Parallel) said, turning the dial on the car stereo up.

"I'm going to show you how humans party!"

"Yay! Am I invited?" She asked, hopefully. (PP-Parallel) produced two tickets from her pocket as a big, silly grin stretched across her face. They were going to the Tiesto concert that night.

"Ummmm, those invitations are pretty boring. I hope this isn't like one of Twilight's parties."

"You have no idea, Pinkie!"

The party pony could just taste the euphoria in the air.

She practically fed on it, bouncing up and down, talking incessantly about how excited she was. They had been in line for an hour, and finally approached the front. Once inside, Pinkie stopped jumping for joy and dropped her jaw to the floor. The lights, the noise, the smiling people, the atmosphere all were unlike anything she'd ever experienced.

"You OK?" (PP-Parallel) asked, smiling. She remembered her first concert. Pinkie's eye twitched.

"Are we... In party heaven?"

Fluttershy & ____