A United Land

"If at first you don't succeed, call in an airstrike."

                                      -Unknown

    "This is the commander.

     "Moments ago, this ship received word of a Cylon attack on our home world is under way. We do not know the size, or the strength, or the disposition of the enemy forces. All evidence points to a massive assault. A fifty megaton bomb detonated over Caprica City thirty minutes ago. How, why, doesn't really matter. What does matter is that as of this moment, we are at war."

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     Lightspeed groaned as he got up to look at the time.

     "Hmmm...1:28...meh."

     He rolled over getting ready to go back to sleep, when the door creaked open.

     "Bwother?" It was Super Sonic, the adopted baby brother that Lightspeed resented because Lightning dust gave him her entire devotion, while she treated her biological son like, well, crap. "Can I snuggle with you?

      "No. Go to your mother."

      "But I want you..."

      "NO!"

      "WAAAAAAAAAHHHHH!"

      In a flash, Lightning Dust was comforting the baby. When he finally fell asleep, she put him back on his bed and went back to see that Lightspeed had packed a couple belongings and was halfway out the door.

      "Where do you think your going?!" She snarled.

      "To a place where some ponies actually love me, you oversized cunt!"

      "You are staying right here mister!

      "For someone who hates me, they really want me to be close."

      With that said, he turned and galloped into the fog bank that had settled in (dear readers, don't fret, he will return in book two) leaving Lighting Dust with her thoughts.

      Wha....? Wait...no....oh Lightspeed, I'm so sorry. I-*sniff* I don't know what I was thinking...*sniff*

      "WAAAAAAAAAHHHHH!"

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      The next day...

      "Hey, has any of you seen Lightspeed?" Ace Nova was getting increasingly worried at where his new friend could be. It didn't seem like his character to suddenly go running into the night. He saw Lightning dust coming toward the school, and remembered that she was his mother. Her yellow eyes were bloodshot, as if she had been crying for the entire night.

     "Um ma'am, do you know what happened to Lightspeed?"

    "Huh? Oh yeah, he went running into the night and I don't think he will return."

    The narrator stands corrected.

    "But why?"

   "Cuz I'm a TERRIBLE MOTHER-ER-ER-ER-ER! WAAAAAAAAAHHHHH!"

   "Eh...."

   "Look kid, I know you're also sad about this, but let's just all try to forget this, okay?"

   'Talk about a mood swing.' He nodded. This was going to be a really rough month.

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   Ace stood in front of a big metal building. Slowly, the doors slid open to reveal a machine nopony has ever seen before. Sitting in the hanger was a streamlined machine with a propeller with two sets of wings, the first one near the front that was bigger by slot compared to the smaller pair at the very back. A tail about the same size as one of the small wings was set up vertically. It had two main tires at the front, and a smaller one at the back, making the machine go nose up slightly. Painted on the side was small lettering in Aerial font, "Smokepole".

   "Good to see you again, my dear plane. It's been such a long time since my last visit."

   The plane sat there silently.

   "I found a show for mechanical flying machines. We are going to so kick butt!"

   He held a piece of paper in front of the red prop spinner.

   "It's tomorrow at the field across town. I signed us up already, and we're going to make a grand entrance. Maybe I'll impress the Wonderbolts too! Anyway, I'll let you rest for now. Big day tomorrow!"

   Ace waltzed out of the hanger, stopping only to close the door and activate the usual enchantments before heading back towards the alley. He generally took seemingly useless pieces of metal, slowly building onto it until it was a plane. He sold the previous one to a pair of unicorns in exchange for a couple of protective enchantments. His life had been pretty bad so far, but the exhibit tomorrow could change all of that. He said a small prayer before snuggling into the pile of newspapers that he called home.