''Hey, Thread!'' a voice called from outside, ''We got a briefing.''

''Yeah, yeah, I'm coming'', I replied in a lazy tone. I was not in the mood for this, I thought, gazing over to the clock mounted above the door. I mean, who wakes a pony up from his beauty sleep at six-thirty AM?

''Alrighty then'', the voice replied smugly. ''But don't blame me when Cap comes for ya."

The room sounded with the clicking of hoof-steps as they trotted away.

After taking a moment to fully wake, taking in the dull, olive green roof that greeted me, I attempted to manoeuvre myself off of the top bunk. Landing on my hooves with a dull smack, I looked around to notice I was the only one in the barracks. Most ponies tended to get up as early as five AM. I thought they were crazy ponies but maybe they knew something I didn't. After all, I had already missed six o'clock breakfast.

After donning my uniform and clearing up my other morning rituals I begrudgingly took a step outside. It was cold, no, freezing, I shivered. A piping hot shower would have been nice. I trotted wearily over to the HQ, the sun peaking over the hilltops to the east, showering the land beneath in an eerie golden streak.
I smirked as I saw a few planes being scrubbed and oiled by the engineers. ''Someone's gotta' do it'' I muttered. Pushing my way through the doors, I nodded to a clerk behind a desk, and proceeded to walk down a grey hallway until I spied a gold-plated label which read: Briefing Room 2 . I turned the door handle to s-

''Thread, you're alive I see'', spoke Captain Typhoon with a face that radiated both anger and amusement.

''As are you, sadly'', I replied with a mutter. Prompting a laugh out of the other pilots in the room.

''What was that son?'', Typhoon called, an eyebrow raised. His face warmed as a smile spread across his face. ''Remember when I said I could have you court marshalled so fast your hooves wouldn't even touch the ground?''

''Yes Sir'', I replied as I took my seat. ''But you won't because you need me'' I quipped.

''Can it boy'', he jabbed back with a chuckle.

''Anyway'', he began. ''We have received word that enemy bombers are en route to the industrial port of Manehatten.''
He pointed at a diagram displaying Manehatten with a stick.

''It is imperative that we intercept them as soon as possible. Those ports are vital to the war effort against the ....'' Typhoons voice blurred as I began to drift off, time starting to catch up with me.

We were a good bunch of ponies, a touch more laid back than the normal branches of the military. It was one of the reasons why I could cheek Typhoon so much. As long as we were on the ball in a fight, he did not mind a bit of slacking off. He believed we deserved that much.

''...That is why, gentlecolts, we must reach the city before they do. These orders are straight from the top'' Typhoon finished. ''So no dozing off like wingman Thread over there''. Laughter sounded again from the room.

As we filtered out of the briefing room, a hazel-coated mare approached me. Her ash mane bobbed back and forth whilst her whirl-wind cutie mark shone against the dreary grey of the HQ. She wore a flight suit with goggles slumped around her neck. She came equipped with a smile but I could see the scene of angst that played out behind those deep brown spheres.

''Hey Thread'' she chimed as we trotted out of the HQ and onto the tarmac, ''Are you ready for the mission?''

The new found sun shone, illuminating her features as I sighed ''As ready as I'll ever be, I guess''.

''Aww, don't be like that Threadster'', she giggled. ''We do this stuff all the time and always make it out unscathed''. She made a hoof pump gesture as she jumped.

''Glad to see you're so optimistic, Hurricane'', I replied with a chuckle. ''Celestia knows we need that kind of happiness every now and then''.

''Maybe you're just too serious'' Hurricane giggled as she jabbed my side. ''At least we aren't the poor saps on foot fighting overseas''.

''Yeah, there is that'', I said, smiling sadly. A pony across from us, who was leaning up against a plane began motioning Hurricane over with a hoof.

''It looks like my baby is all greased up''. She grinned at me and leant over to give me a quick hug before trotting off towards her plane.

''See ya' in the air'', She called over her shoulder.

''Goodbye'', I spoke softly. It always felt so foreboding saying those words.

We had been at war for a while now, a never ending struggle to say the least. It started off with an invasion towards a small pony nation across the ocean, rapidly turning into a global conflict. Borders drawn and re-drawn. Battles for the smallest plots of land imaginable. Princess Celestia mentioned in her opening speech that she and Princess Luna believed they could settle this quickly for the sake of the world. A lot of innocent creatures had already died before we even joined the conflict. Naturally, we Equestrians all agreed that if we could hastily put an end to the ghastly conflict, everything would return to normal. Peace, harmony and the like. Of course, this proved to be a false hope. After Prance fell, alongside a good few of our infantry divisions. We stand as the last bastion of freedom for the world.

''Hey, Thread'', an engineer called, wiping his head with an oily hoof.

''Yeah'', I offered. ''Is she ready?''

''Yup, all primed and ready.''

''Thanks, pal'', I smiled as I clambered up the wing, pulling myself into the cockpit. She was a beautiful plane, The Spitfire. The latest in Equestrian engineering, named after our very own Marshall of the Air-force. She was adorned with six 7.62 mm Browning machine guns
and complemented by two large 20 mm Mage-energy cannons. An admirable armament.

''Good luck out there Thread'', called the engineer. ''Celestia knows you guys need it''.

''It comes with the job", I stated as I pulled the cockpit over me, securing it in place.

Well, here goes nothin'.

Author's Note

This is my first ever work.

If you guys like it, I will carry on. I have actually had a rather large amount of fun writing this.