Chapters Author's Note
While this is my first story, I can accept criticism. If you see something wrong please point it out. For updates in the summer I'm looking at one every week at the latest, hopefully every 3-4 days. Once school starts up again, one every week should work out. For any of you interested in planes, Lockheed made a concept hydrogen powered commercial jet called the Stratoliner. Look it up! Oh and before I forget, this applies to all future chapters.: I do not own Lockheed Martin, My Little Pony, or Tara Strong.
How long can it be?
My average day was relatively routine. Fly a new plane here, safely eject there, things that all get rather monotonous after a while. In case you haven’t guessed, I was a test pilot for Lockheed Martin. Like most in my profession, I dreamed of being ‘up there’ as an astronaut. Not that being a test pilot wasn’t great and all. It certainly satisfies the plane-nut in me. Today however was one of those special routine-breaking days. Today was the day I got to fly Lockheed’s hydrogen powered F-35B. Created in complete secrecy for reconnaissance operations, it was designed to replace the hole that decommissioning the F-117 left, and filling the void with a vertical takeoff jet. Needless to say, I was super excited.
I could rant on all day about this plane, but let me give you the quick rundown. The aircraft is powered by hydrogen, an extremely abundant element in space. Doing this was a genius move. The engine produces 0 emissions and runs on, simply, water. Stealth wise, this eliminates jet trails. In case of the need for a ship landing, the vtol function allows it to land on the helipad of a much smaller battleship. Aircraft carriers weren’t required anymore. Fueling is much simpler than on a normal plane. Most of the small cargo compartment was filled with a folded solar panel meant to plug into the onboard fuel cells. Using it is as simple as laying the solar panel out and pouring water in the container. The process of this takes just under an hour.
Enough of the plane, I’m here to tell you of the test. A real-world test they called it. Something great and never before seen. I was here to test the plane for practicality. What better way than to fly it around the world?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
“What’s the time Sarah?” I asked my wife.
“Promise to come back with all your limbs.” she smiled sadly, “A week is a long time to be gone, much less in an experimental jet.”
“I promise, ” I said, “If all works out, we’ll be up there with Amelia Earhart.”
“Just don’t crash and never be found again, ” she said, “That would look bad in history books.”
“I’ll do my best” I turned to walk out the door.
“Wait!” my wife says, “Don’t forget this.”
She hands me my backpack, filled with everything I would need for the trip.
“You really are the best.” I smiled, kissing her goodbye.
As I drive away, I looked back to see her waving out the front door. ‘I’ll miss her, but a week isn’t a lifetime.’ I thought.
Driving up to the air base, I’m torn from my thoughts by the sentry at the gate.
“Better hurry up Mike, the plane’s on the runway.” I heard him say.
“Better get over there then, wish me luck!” I said.
“Will do.”
I parked the car, and walked over to the main hangar doors. Sitting there in all her glory was the plane I was to fly. The F-35H, a real beauty she was. Over on the wall were the flight suits. I step into a stall and quickly put it on. Walking towards the plane top gun style, helmet under my arm, I have been graced with the ever pleasing presence of my manager.
“Now don’t crash it you hear me!” he yelled, “That plane cost more than you make in a lifetime to build!”
“Gotcha, ” I nodded, “I’ll treat it like my first car.”
I guess he didn’t know what to make of it, because as I walked away from the crotchety old man I heard nothing more. The badass walk to the jet I had looked forward to was not to be it seemed. A couple engineers ran up to me, clipboards in hand.
“Don’t forget to refuel Doctor Mike!” one said,
“Don’t go into the light Doctor Mike!” said another.
I turned to the last one, fully expecting more of the same.
“The conditions for today are looking perfect. There are some winds up at 30,000 feet, but that’s to be expected.” he said, “Don’t be too heavy on the elevator, and you'll be just fine.”
“Sounds great.” I said, finally hearing some useful information.
Climbing up the ladder into the cockpit, I take one more glance at home. I’m not sure why I did it, but I had this nagging feeling. ‘Oh well’ I thought, ‘stressing will only make this worse’. I turn on the engines, relishing the sound. Once on, I flip the switch to initiate vertical takeoff. I hear a mechanical sound, followed by a loud ‘Click’ and a buzz signifying that the process was completed. I ease up the throttle until the plane starts to hover a few inches off the ground, and gradually increasing it until I was at an altitude of 100 ft. I turn the switch back, and the jet starts to move forward. I look down as much as I could, and saw the base pass under me. ‘Better get comfortable’ I thought, ‘It’ll be a long flight.’
My starting point was Edwards Air Force base in California. From there, I was flying to my first stop in Sapporo, Japan. 5,093 miles and about a 3hr flight at top speed. The instruments are more than capable of telling me this, but I had a habit of doing the distance calculations in my head. By now I was passing over the coastline, out into the Pacific ocean. For as beautiful as it was, boring was the first word that came to my mind. If you bank a little to get a nice view of the ground, you instead get an endless expansion of water. Kind of sucky in my opinion. ‘Whatcha gonna do though?’ I thought, ‘It’s a good opportunity.’
An hour and a half through the flight I was getting a little uncomfortable. Turning on the primitive autopilot, I reached for my backpack in the compartment behind me, getting a small pillow to put behind my neck. Turning back to the windows, I spotted something flashing faintly on the horizon. Figuring it’s just another plane, I looked down at the radar and prepared to alert it of my presence. Nothing was on the screen. “Making my life difficult, figures” I said to myself.
I fly closer, trying to get a blip on the radar. ‘The sensors on the plane are so advanced they could pick up a B-2’ I thought, ‘So what are you?’ As I flew closer, the light got brighter. I saw a warning light come on. “Lost signal” I said, “How do you lose satellite signal in a plane?” As I got closer, more alarms came on. I was almost upon the light as it filled the canopy. The target lock alarm came on. I tried to move my arms to dump flares, but it was as if the light had become solid. It was as if I was blind, seeing only white. White turned to black as I fell unconscious.
I woke up to the smell of evergreen trees. Quite a wonderful smell my sleep-addled mind thought. 'Wonder if they added air freshener in a plane?' I thought. I opened my eyes, bright sunlight blinding me. Giving my eyes a couple seconds to adjust, I looked over to see my plane safely a forest floor, a log cabin, and a frightened lavender horse. Check that. Unicorn with wings and a pointy ass tattoo.
With that, I slipped under the warm blanket of unconsciousness once again.
Introductions & Explanations
“Oh, ” I groan, still not completely conscious “What happened?”
“Well, I’m not completely sure.” I heard a female voice say “I have a few theories involving theoretical magic, but none of them seem to make much sense.”
My eyes snapped open, as the memories from the day prior rushed into my head. First, I was test piloting the plane, then… just light. After that is all a blur. Eyes still closed, I decided that rather than fainting again, it would be sensible to gather some more information.
“How far are we from Edwards, California?” I asked.
“Not sure where that is in relation to here, or if it even exists,” the voice said “You don’t really look like you’re from around here, no offense.”
“So I’m in Asia then, right?” I say quite stupidly.
“Well, if you meant Equestria then yes.”
Deciding that, because not much was adding up, opening my eyes might be a good decision. I can see that I’m laying on something, presumably a couch. Over to my left is a fireplace, desk, small kitchen, winged unicorn, some stairs stairs... Wait up a minute. A winged unicorn? I look back, only to confirm my fears. Standing next to me, was a creature of myth.
“Well, let’s start this over,” she said “My name is Twilight Sparkle. Best author, physicist, and chemist in Equestria.” her face starts to droop. “And, Celestia’s former student.”
I decided that staying calm was the option that the winged unicorn, Twilight, had chosen, and it would seem to be for the best.
“My name is Mike Harris,” I said “I’m a test pilot for Edwards Air Force Base in California.”
“Wait a second,” Twilight said “In all of my studies, I haven’t ever heard of a place like that.”
“Exactly” she said, “Luna let the hate build up in her, until she turned into her alter-ego, Nightmare Moon, bent on bringing an eternal night. It broke Celestia’s heart seeing her sister like this. Rather than killing her, she gathered 6 ancient artifacts known as the Elements of Harmony to bring the good still in her back to the surface.”
“Trying to peacefully calm her down?” I ask
“She hoped.” she said, “When she encountered Nightmare with the Elements, it didn’t go well.” “Celestia was left with two choices to save Luna. Turn her to stone, or send her to the moon for a millennia.”
“Turn her own sister to stone, or send her to the moon for 1,000 years?” I ask, “Wasn’t there another way?”
“Sadly enough, no.” she explained “With much resentment, she sent Nightmare to the moon, 1,002 years ago.”
“That’s 2 years ago, ” I said, surprised “What happened then?”
“I was the only pony who saw it coming.” she said, “No one believed me. The proof was right there, but by this time everypony thought it was a fairy tale.” “Nightmare captured Celestia, and appeared during the Summer Sun Celebration, a time to enjoy Celestia’s beautiful sun.” she explained “With no princess, we were as good as dead, and Nightmare knew this.”
“Surely one pony isn’t powerful enough to conquer a whole country on her own? I questioned.
“Normally you would be right, but the Nightmare spreads,” she said “Nightmare gathered a group of brainwashed guards, and took over.” “I was banished to the north of this forest for being so close to Celestia as her student.” she said “Change is unlikely, so we need to make the best of it.”
“That’s depressing,” I said “Things like this have happened in my world plenty of times, but not to the extent of this.” "Dictators would rule over countries with extreme cruelty. Famines were common as well as wars." I explained "I lived in a country that was constantly trying to stop this, but ended up spending losing more lives in the process." "I'm no expert in this, but if I’m here I might as well make the best of it." I said "From what I've heard, your world relies very heavily on magic." "My world, had none. We created technology in place of it. The vehicle I came in is a heavily armed, extremely fast, war machine." I said, “If anyone can help you, it’s me.”
“Welcome to the Celestial Rebels Mike.” she said, “You have no idea how much your presence will be welcomed.”
Author's Note
Twilight's character is tough. I went with the method of not freaking out, because that would only delay future events.
“If what you’ve said is true, and I’m sure it is, isn’t surviving your top priority?” I asked
“Normally you would be correct, but survival involves a lot more in an everlasting night.” she explained, “Crops don’t grow like they used to, animals are much more intelligent in their patterns, and worst of all, Nightmare’s guards are bat ponies.”
“Bat ponies?” I asked, “Sounds like a rip off of someone from my world.”
“I don’t think so.” she said, “Bat ponies are similar to our Pegasi, like me, but without the horn, but with bat wings. Their night vision is astronomically higher than ours.” “We band together to survive, but the only way to in the long run is to defeat Nightmare.”
“Do you guys have a base of operations or anything?” I asked
“Fortunately enough, yes.” she said, “We were lucky enough to find an abandoned mine just north of my log cabin. We need to go introduce yourself anyways, so it’s a perfect time for you to see it.” she explained,“I’m not sure how we’ll get your machine over there, but I can figure it out.”
“You don’t get it do you?” I said, smirking, but still being respectful, “It can fly.”
Her expression was priceless. It looked like a cartoon really, her jaw was unhinged and lying on the floor.
“Heya Twilight?” I walked over, poking her in the side, “You okay?”
“But.. but…” she stammered. “How…”
“You remember me saying I was a test pilot right?” I asked
“Yeah…” she said
“In my world, pilots fly planes. However, to be good in my career you need a degree in Aerospace Engineering, the study of planes.” I explained, “And I have one. I would be more than happy to explain them to you.”
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
If only I knew what I had gotten into. The rest of the day was spent teaching Twilight all about airfoils, air pressure, and materials science. A little fun for a lunatic like myself, but insane nonetheless. By now it was rather late, however, much too late to take a trip to the base.
“Wow, that was amazing.” she said in awe, “I never knew that was possible, it was only a theory before now!”
“I’m glad you had fun, but it’s far too late to go anywhere it looks like.” I said, pointing outside
She started to laugh a little, but in a depressing way.
“Remember? It’s always dark out.” She said sadly.
“Oh, forgot.” I said, “Better get going though”
“Let me gather a couple things, then we’ll be off.” she said, going up the stairs.
It gave me a chance to think about the situation alone. The times their world is going through makes Earth look like the Care Bears. Aids and oil have nothing on a sun that will never rise, no offense. I begin to feel an obligation to help them out of this mess. It wasn’t their fault after all, no, it was the fault of Nightmare Moon. I was all fired up. I wasn’t leaving until I fixed this. I heard Twilight coming down the stairs.
“Ready to go?” I hear her say
“Let’s get going” I say.
We walk outside, Twilight following me to my plane. I look back at her, thinking something.
“I have an idea,” I say, “My plane has a small cargo space behind my seat. If I prop my backpack up against the wall, I’d bet you could sit there.”
“Are you sure?” she said.
“Positive. Besides, I have an extra flight helmet back there too per regulations.”
“Really?” she said excitedly, “I get to ride in it?!”
“You betcha.” I said “One thing though. It gets super loud, so the helmets have radios.” I explain, “Simply push the button on the side of it, and you’ll be speaking clearly to me, and vice versa.”
“That’s amazing!” she said.
We arrived at the jet. I hopped in, crawling to the back to move some things around to make a makeshift seat, and finding the helmet in the process. Coming back out gasping for air, I bend down to put the helmet on Twilight.
“Here we are, fits like a glove.” I say, “Are your ears comfy?”
“They fold back naturally, so it’s fine.” she said.
“Let’s get in then.” I told her.
She entered the jet first, folding her wings back to get in. Once she was situated, I sat down in my seat. The first thing I did was activate the radio.
~~~”Can you hear me Twilight?”~~~ I asked
~~~”Loud and clear Mike, this is really great!”~~~ she said
~~~”Just wait until we get flying, that’s the real treat.”~~~ I said.
I flipped open the switch cover, and press down on it firmly. The sound of the engines lighting up could be heard in the background. Once warmed up, I switched the vtol lever.
~~~”What’s that clang noise?”~~~ she said a little scaredly
~~~”You’ll love it, don’t worry.”~~~ I explained
Easing up on the throttle, I could feel the landing gear as they squeaked from the sudden decrease in weight. Pushing the PTT button on the helmet, I decided to explain to Twilight what was happening.
~~~”Here's what’s going on right now, the main thruster is angling downwards. This allows us to take off vertically rather than horizontally. This is referred to as vtol (vertical takeoff and landing).”~~~ I explain
~~~”I was a little worried, thanks for letting me know.”~~~ she said
Once we get to a hundred feet, I switch back into conventional flight mode. We drift forward until another clang is heard.
~~~~”Switched to normal flight. Prepare for sudden death.”~~~ I say ominously
~~~”Whaa?”~~~ is all I hear before we break the sound barrier
Surprisingly enough, I could hear her screams even though the radio was off. She managed to push the radio button in spite of her fears however.
~~~”We’re almost there.”~~~ she said out of breath
I slowed down the jet to about stall, and switched it to vtol. As I angle down, a large mountain comes into view. I deploy the landing gear, figuring that this was the place.
~~~”Is that it?”~~~ I ask
Author's Note
I hope everyone who's checked in is enjoying it so far, I know writing it is a blast. I have tons of ideas, so stick around! I'm finishing it to the end (and maybe a sequel). All of that is to come though, so stay tuned!
‘Why would she hug me like that?’ I wondered, ‘I’m an alien to her, besides, she just met me!’ I looked over to her, ‘She’s just standing there like nothing happened!’ ‘Dammit Mike, you’re an idiot. They are an alien race, who knows what their culture is like!’ I thought, ‘Maybe a hug for them is like a high five for us.’
“Hey Mike, you ok?” she said a little awkwardly, “You’ve been staring at me for the past couple minutes.”
“Fine, I’m fine.” I replied quickly, “Sorry about that.”
“It’s ok hehe, well, we’d better get down there.” she said.
“We work with what we’ve got.” she said, “ As of now, we simply don’t have the resources to stage a full-on attack. This is where I think you could help.”
I saw a group of black ponies with... holes in them. Not sure what that’s about, but I’m sure I’ll find out later. To my left a few strange machines along with a couple workbenches along the wall, but no pony nearby. Twilight took me over to a gap in the wall leading to a smaller room. Inside, it seemed like a conference room. A long wooden desk sat in the middle. Along the right side sat a cyan pony with rainbow hair, a depressed pink pony with a straight pink mane, and a yellow pony who shied away at my gaze. On the other side sat a farm pony bearing a tan Stetson and a white pony with purple curls. The third seat sat empty. At the head of the table sat another horned Pegasus. She looked much more serious than the five seated at the table. Her mane bore purple, violet, and yellow stripes. I was slow to notice her face, but a large gash ran across the side with multiple scars. This pony had obviously been through a lot. I looked over to see Twilight walk over to the empty chair I saw earlier.
“Greetings, my name is Cadence” the pony at the end of the table said, grabbing my attention. “I heard much from Twilight, I think that you could be a big help to us.”
I saw Twilight smiling apologetically.
“Letters are sent faster here than in your world, sorry.” she said
“Wo wo, wait up.” The rainbow maned one said, “What do you mean ‘your world’?”
“What I mean by your world Rainbow Dash, is the world that the human was originally from.” Cadence said.
Something’s not quite adding up here. Twilight not being surprised at making first contact, and Cadence knowing my species? Definitely going to ask once all is said and done.
“You’re an alien?” ‘Rainbow Dash’ said loudly. All of a sudden she was in my face, peering into my eyes.
“Yes, I suppose I am.” I said.
“Wow! That’s so cool!” she exclaimed, “ Where’s your ship?”
“Well, that’s the…” I started to say.
“Ok Rainbow, let’s not get too excited.” Twilight said, “He’s here on official business.”
“I’ll talk to you later.” Rainbow said, imitating a tough guy.
“Alright girls, let’s get to the main agenda for the meeting.” Cadence said, “Mike, you are probably full of questions right now. I will answer them all to the best of my ability after I have a chance to speak.”
“Ok,” I said “Here’s your chance.”
She sat forward a bit, her gaze lightening a little.
“This is not the first time our species have met.” she said, “Many years ago when I was but a little filly, news came to my home of a monumental finding. Celestia, my aunt, had uncovered a mirror.” she explained, “This mirror was much more than meets the eye, however, and Celestia soon found out it was a portal to another world.”
“How did she just find out it was a portal?” Twilight questioned.
“She fell through it.” Cadence said.
I looked around to see everypony there completely engaged in Cadence speaking.
“There was pandemonium afterwards. The leader of a country just disappearing.” Cadence said, “Luna had not succumbed to the hate yet, so she took over in Celestia’s place for the time that she was gone. It was 2 weeks until she was found in the middle of a field, sobbing.” “She wouldn’t stop saying that she had to get back to Dave Harris. Who Dave Harris was, we’ll never know.”
“As much as I would love to refuse, this does seem like a cause worth fighting for.” I said, “I’m in.”
Cadence dropped her harsh demeanor, showing an extremely stressed and broken pony.
“Running the rebellion is taxing on anypony.” she sighed, “Running a military in addition to a pseudo government wears on me.” “I am eternally grateful that you are willing to help out on the military end of things.” she said, “I walk past families struggling to survive every day. Families that look up to me to make everything better.” “I worry that I will eventually slip up.” she lowered her eyes, “One door left unlocked, and the night guard slip in.”
I walk over to her, and look her in the eye.
“Mark my words Cadence, this situation will improve.” I promise, “As long as I am here, things will change.”
“I hope you can live up to that promise Mike.” Cadence said.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Twilight and I were walking out of the conference room discussing what had gone on inside.
“About what Cadence said about Dave Harris Twilight, I want you to keep it on the down-low.” I told her.
“If you’re sure Mike, I’m not sure what to make of it.” she said.
“Well anyways, do you have any advice about my new job?” I asked her.
“Sure do!” she said, seeming to have forgotten the conversation only a moment earlier “We have a militia of untrained civilians currently, they do a good enough job but no where near what we need to take back Canterlot.”
“What’s Canterlot?” I asked, unsure of myself.
“Our capitol, and Nightmare’s headquarters.” she explained, “Taking the city will come much later. What we need now is proper training, tactics, and gear.”
“I believe I can help with all of those things.” I said, “Do you have a tinkerer I could talk to a bit later?”
“Yes we do!” she exclaimed, “Remember the workbenches on the walk here?”
“I was kind of wondering about that myself.” I say.
“A pony works there that can help you, that I’m sure of.” she said, sure of herself “Oh, we have a place to store your jet as well.”
We walked past the holed ponies again.
“Hey Twilight, what’s up with them?” I inquire
“Oh Changelings?” she asked, “Their species came to us soon after Nightmare set the eternal night. They are fierce warriors if trained, but sadly we lacked the resources, until now, to do so.”
“Sounds interesting.” I said
We got to the ladder, and started to climb out of the mountain. Rung by rung, as grueling as before. Finally, we got to the top. I unlatched the iron hatch, bathing the vertical tunnel in light. Stepping out, I look over to see my plane in all its glory. I hear Twilight stepping out.
“Pretty.” she said
“Yeah.”
I opened the canopy and handed the helmet down to Twilight, putting mine on soon after. We stepped in the plane, closing the canopy and starting the engines. I grasped the joystick to control vertical flight, and slowly increased the throttle. I felt the landing gear leave the ground. Once we were high enough, I switched it back to the conventional flight mode and rose the gear up into the plane. The nose dipped down a bit, but an elevator correction soon fixed it.
~~~”Where is this Twilight?”~~~ I ask over the radio.
~~~”To the west halfway down the mountain, there’s a hanger for the Pegasi halfway in the mountain.”~~~ Twilight said.
I do a circle around the mountain, spotting it halfway from where we took off.
~~~”I’m gonna circle around again, and land”~~~ I tell Twilight.
I fly around again like I told her, lowering my altitude once I spot the landing spot. I switch to vtol mode once again and ease the joystick to maneuver the plane directly above it. Easing the throttle down, we began to lower down to the plot. I saw a couple big ponies carrying ropes looking up at us through the front surveillance camera. I lowered the landing gear, and throttled down as we landed next to the hangar. Raising the canopy, I looked back to Twilight.
“How’s my flying?” I asked her, “Think I’m fit for the job?”
“There’s always room for improvement,” she said smugly, “We’ll see how you match up to Rainbow.”
“Twilight,” I start, “I highly doubt she can keep up with this thing.”
“We’ll just have to see now won’t we.” she said.
Just as she finished that, the muscular ponies walked over.
“Where can we hook up these ropes?” one said.
“Right here.” I point to where a small plane tug would hook up.
“Alrighty General.” he said.
“General?” I ask Twilight.
“General.” she said, “You are rather high up in the military now, and they are privates.”
I watch as they attach the rope, and tow it over to the hangar. Twilight and I are behind them as they lower the door.
“I’ll show you to your barracks.” Twilight said.
I look around the hangar. It looks strikingly similar to the ones back home. A couple carriages to the left, and pallet stacks filled with supplies on the right. We walk to a pair of double doors towards the back of the floor. The hallway beyond the doors reminds me of a cold war style nuclear bunker. Lots of beige. Regardless, I can’t complain. These ponies have been nothing but nice to me ever since I arrived.
“Here we are!” Twilight told me, “Right through these doors are your personal quarters.”
“Thanks, Twilight!” I say, “The kindness you ponies have given to me really shows no bounds, I can’t wait until I can repay you.”
“Think nothing of it, you’re doing a huge favor to us.” she said. “Have a good night.”
“You too.”
I enter my room, amazed at what they had given me. I suppose a general gets the best, but this was really something. An 11ft/15ft room with a queen sized bed, a desk, bookshelves, and amenities you would never find in a normal bunkhouse. I look in the wardrobe to find a number of outfits fitted to my body. Not going to ask how they got those, maybe it was the posh white pony eyeing me at the meeting. Thinking nothing of it, I strip down and get into bed wondering what the next day will bring me.
Author's Note
Sorry for the longer update time, life gets in the way sometimes. Longer chapter to make up for it
