Chapters I was flying toward Ponyville when I was shot down. A sniper from somewhere below took out my wing and I plummeted toward the ground. I hit and the impact knocked the wind out of me and I blacked out.
"What do you think girls?" I heard a voice say.
"I don't know, darling. He seems pretty badly hurt." Another voice said.
I awoke to find three girls standing over me. Instantly, my training took over. I jumped up and reached for my sword only to find nothing there. As I twisted to look for my sword, I was overcome with the pain in my left side. I looked to see that, under my armor, my shirt was soaked in blood.
"Gah! Which one of you did this to me?" I demanded.
"Easy friend. I found you like this laying in a crater. You look pretty bad, let us help you to the hospital." One of the girls said.
She was an alicorn with straightened purple hair that had a pink strip in it. She wore a purple skirt with a design like a magic spark and a white button down shirt.
"Yes. Please let us assist you, darling." Another girl said.
She was a unicorn and had purple hair that was curled at the ends with a beret of three jewels in it. She wore a black skirt and a white blouse.
"Yea, and then after you get better we can have a party!" The other girl screamed.
She had puffy pink hair. She wore jeans with a pink shirt that had a picture of balloons on it. I looked around, across from where I landed, there was a half destroyed oak tree. I looked around for my sword, but, found nothing.
"Okay. But, if any of you try anything funny, I won't hesitate to end you." I said.
"Noted." The girl with straightened purple hair said.
As we walked toward the hospital, the girl introduced herself.
"I'm Twilight Sparkle. These are my friends Rarity and Pinkie Pie." She said motioning to the two standing beside us.
"Wait, Twilight Sparkle? As in Princess Twilight Sparkle?" I asked.
"Yes. Why?" She replied.
"I need to meet with you and Princess Cadence as quickly as possible." I said.
"Okay, but, first we need to get you fixed up. You're in pretty bad shape. What happened to you anyway?" Twilight asked.
"Oh, were you flying to Ponyville as you were shot down by a mysterious shooter. Then you crash landed outside of the old library and injured your wing?" Pinkie Pie asked.
"Pinkie, that's ridiculous." Rarity said.
"Actually, that's exactly what happened." I said.
"How did you know that, Pinkie?" Twilight asked.
"Just a lucky guess." Pinkie replied.
A jolt of pain shot through my side, causing me to collapse.
"Gah! How far away is this hospital?" I asked through gritted teeth and between breaths.
"Not much farther. C'mon." Twilight said as she helped me to my feet and wrapped my arm around her shoulder.
After a few more minutes, we arrived at the hospital. We were greeted by a woman with pink hair tied back into a bun. She wore a plain nurses outfit and a hat with a red cross on it.
"Oh, my what happened to him?" The nurse asked.
"He's been shot and fell a good hundred feet. His wing is broken and maybe a couple ribs as well." Twilight said as she lowered me into a wheel chair.
"We'll get him in to see the doctor immediately. You girls just wait out here." She said as she wheeled me into the back.
They took my armor and put it into my personal affects. They took X-Rays and diagnosed the problem as a fractured wing and three broken ribs as well as the gun shot. The nurse took me to an operating room.
"Sit tight and I'll go get the doctor." She said.
I hopped up onto the table and waited. After a couple of minutes, the doctor came in. He had spiky brown hair. He was wearing blue operating scrubs and a white lab coat. As he came in, he removed the lab coat and hung it on a hook behind the door and began to wash his hands.
"Good afternoon Mr. Stream. How are you today?" He asked as he dried his hands.
"Well, doc. I've been better." I replied.
"I should say so. Three broken ribs, a fractured wing, and a gun shot wound. You are in terrible shape my friend." He said.
"Gee, thanks doc. I already feel better." I replied with a sarcastic tone.
"Just trying to lighten the mood a little. Now, if you'll just disrobe and put on this hospital gown, we can begin." He said as he handed me a gown and stepped out of the room.
I changed and sat back on the table. The doctor came back in and grabbed a pair of gloves.
"Good. Now, just lay back and we'll get started." He said.
I laid back and he put a mask over my face. "Now, just breath deeply and count backwards from twenty." He said.
"Twenty, nineteen, eighteen, seventeen, sixteen, fifteen..." I started to get drowsy. "fourteen, thirteen, twelve..." I blacked out again.
I pulled the gown off and slipped into the boxers that was on top of the pile. I slipped into the black jeans that came next. The shirt was next, it was a black shirt that showed a black and white knife, it was hard to pull over my head. I slipped my wings through the holes in the back and moved on to the last thing. A black leather jacket that I slipped on and pushed my wings through with great effort. I found my black combat boots sitting at the end of the bed and slipped them on over the new socks that Rarity had left for me. I got up and headed for the door. Pain shot through me as I pulled the door open.
"Oh, my. I knew my design was good. But, I never imagined it would look this good." Rarity said as she looked at me.
"Let's just go. I still have to pick up my armor from the front desk." I said.
"Then, we can party!" Pinkie yelled.
"Later, Pinkie. We have to get to the Crystal Empire right now." I said.
We walked down the hallway. Twilight and I were a few feet ahead of the others. I leaned over to Twilight.
"Is your friend Rainbow Dash seeing anyone?" I asked.
"I don't think so, why?" She replied.
"Oh, no reason." I said.
"*gasp* You like her don't you?" Pinkie said from beside me.
I didn't even see her get up here with us.
"Hey, Rainbow Dash, the new guy l..." She started as I clamped my hand over her mouth.
"Pinkie, please be quiet. I will let her know how I feel when I'm ready. It's too early, I literally just met her. Promise me you won't say anything." I said.
"Cross my heart, hope to fly, stick a cupcake in my eye." Pinkie said.
"Umm..." I said.
"That's her way of promising." Twilight said.
"Ah. Okay, here we are. Excuse me ma'am, I need to get my things from you and sign out of here." I said to the nurse at the front desk.
"Are you sure? You just had surgery yesterday." She said.
"Yes, I'm sure. I have other matters that need tended to immediately." I said.
"Okay, then. Here, fill this out and I will go get your things." She said as she handed me a clipboard.
I finished filling it out as she returned with a box containing my armor.
"Here you are sir. We took the liberty of cleaning it up for you." She said.
"Thank you ma'am." I said as I started to strap the armor on. I was fully dressed in no time.
I stood there fully equipped in my black armor that had the same stunt jet in mid loop as on my new shirt. The only thing missing was my sword.
"*sigh* My sword was lost when I crashed." I said.
"Oh, that reminds me." Twilight said as she pulled me outside.
Just outside the door was a girl with blonde hair tied up into a ponytail. She wore brown cowboy boots with apples on them, a white button down shirt, and a cowboy hat.
"Applejack, this is him. He's the one looking for his sword." Twilight said.
Apple Jack handed me a black blade with the same symbol as my armor etched into it.
"Thank you. Where did you find it?" I asked as I slide the blade into the sheath on my back.
"It was lodged into a tree on tha' farm." She said.
"Saw the symbol on the blade an' remembered it was tha' same as tha' one on yer armor." She said.
"Thanks again. Now, we need to get to the train station." I said.
"Agreed." Twilight said.
She pulled out her phone and checked the time.
"We have an hour until the next train." She said.
"That gives us time to get something to eat." I said.
"C'mon, I know a good restaurant." She said as she started to walk off.
I hung back and started talking to Rainbow Dash.
"So, Mrs. Dash, what do you do for fun around here?" I asked.
"Just call me Dash. And if I'm not working, I usually just hang out with my friends or pull pranks on people." She said.
"That sounds awesome. Where do you work?" I asked.
"Well, like most pegasi around Ponyville, I'm on the weather team. But, what I really want to do is become a Wonderbolt. They're like the coolest pegasi in all of Equestria." She replied.
"The Wonderbolts? You mean Spifire, Soarin, and Fleetfoot? Those Wonderbolts?" I asked.
"Yea. You know them?" She replied.
"Kinda. They show up to the yearly meeting of the pegasi council. They seem pretty cool." I said.
"The pegasi council?" She asked.
"It's the meeting that gathers all the most important flying groups from around Equestria. There's the Wonderbolts, the Covert Flyers, the United Alicorn Alliance, and the Royal Guard. We meet to discuss the topics from around Equestria that influence the various kingdoms." I said.
"Which group are you in?" She asked.
"Well, I'm not supposed to talk about it. But, I think I can make an exception for you. I'm part of the Covert Flyers." I said.
"What do you do?" She asked.
"We're a group of stealth pegasi that travel around Equestria covertly and gather intel for the head of the guild." I said.
"Who's the head?" She asked.
"I can't tell you that." I said.
"Why not?" She asked.
"Well, because nobody really knows. No one's ever even seen him." I said.
"How does he get the intel you collect then?" She asked.
"We pass the intel off to a handler, who pays us and we go about our business. We are paid to not ask questions." I said.
"So, you're like a spy?" She asked.
"Yea, I guess we are." I replied.
"That is so cool." She said.
I looked over and saw Pinkie looking at me and smiling.
"What?" I whispered to her.
"Are you going to ask her?" Pinkie asked.
"Not yet. Now, get out of here." I said.
"What was that?" Dash asked.
"Nothing, just a fly." I replied.
"Do you think you could put a good word in for me with the Wonderbolts?" Dash asked.
"I don't see why not." I said.
"Well, we're here." Twilight said.
We were at a small fast food place named, 'Ponyville Diner'. Not very clever.
"So, what kind of stuff do they serve here?" I asked as we went inside, the place was deserted.
"They have pretty much anything. Burgers, soup, fries, etcetera." Twilight said.
"Hmm. Sounds good to me." I said.
We walked up to the counter and was greeted by a guy in a white apron and paper hat that had a burger on it.
"What can I get you today Princess?" He said.
"*sigh* I guess we'll have six burgers and six orders of fries. Everybody fine with that?" She asked.
We all gave a collective nod.
"Okay. Coming right up." The guy at the counter said.
"So, how come you don't have a helmet to go with your armor?" Rarity asked.
"Well, it's because my organization doesn't get helmets." I said.
"Why is that?" Twilight asked.
"Well, as part of the Covert Flyers, we aren't issued a helmet. Our goal is to collect intel without a confrontation. However, we are trained in hand-to-hand combat and sword fighting in the event our cover is blown." I said.
"Oh, I've read about the Covert Flyers. They're like the spy group of Equestria." Twilight said.
"Here's your order. That'll be thirty dollars." The guy at the counter said as he set a tray of food on the counter.
"Thanks. Here you go." Twilight said as she took the food and gave him the money.
We sat in a booth and Twilight passed out the food.
"We may not have helmets, but, we do have something awesome that no other organization has." I said.
"What's that?" Rainbow asked.
I reached into the front of my chest plate and pulled up a strip of fabric and pulled it up over my mouth and nose. They all gasped. I pushed the mask back into my chest plate.
"How does that work?" Twilight asked.
"This type of material was invented by Starswirl the Bearded over a thousand years ago. It's ancient and powerful unicorn magic. Once it comes into contact with a persons skin, it renders that person invisible. It's called Active Camouflage." I said as I took a bite from my burger.
We all ate in silence for a while until I realized something.
"You ladies are the ones that can wield the elements of harmony correct?" I asked.
"Yes, why?" AJ asked.
"I thought there was six of you." I replied.
"There are. Fluttershy couldn't make earlier." Twilight said.
"She has to be at the meeting with us. All six of you need to be there." I said.
"Okay, I'll call her and have her meet us at the train station." Twilight said as she pulled out her phone and dialed.
There was a pause.
"Hey, Fluttershy. Can you meet us at the train station to catch the one thirty train to the Crystal Empire?" She asked.
Another short pause.
"It's really important." She said.
"Good. You said one thirty? What time is it?" I asked.
"It's ten after now. We should probably get going." She said.
We dumped our trash and headed out toward the train station. We arrived after about ten minutes. Sitting in the station waiting for us was a girl with curled pink hair that covered one eye. She was wearing a light green skirt with a butterfly pattern on it, and a white T-shirt.
"Hey, Fluttershy!" Pinkie yelled.
Fluttershy blushed as she approached us.
"I'm going to go get our tickets." Twilight said.
"Okay. I'll try not to let Pinkie throw a train party or something." I said.
Twilight just giggled as she walked away.
"Hello. My name is Jet Stream. You must be Fluttershy." I said holding out my hand.
She looked at the floor and blushed again. She said something that I couldn't hear.
"I'm sorry what was that? You'll have to speak up." I said.
"Hi. Nice to meet you." She said in almost a whisper.
"What's with her?" I asked Pinkie.
"She's just shy around new people." Rarity said as she walked over to Fluttershy.
"It's okay, darling. He's a new friend. Surely if you can trust that dastardly Discord, you can find it in your heart to trust Mr. Stream here." Rarity said as Twilight walked back over.
"Okay, guys. The train will be here in five minutes. Let's get out there." She said.
The train arrived quickly and we boarded. As we headed toward the Crystal Empire, Twilight explained everything to Fluttershy.
"Unfortunately, I do princess. King Sombra is returning." I said.
"But, how can you be sure?" She asked.
"Well, in addition to Ponyville and Canterlot, the Crystal Empire was recently added to my jurisdiction. One of my scouts spotted a suspicious looking black mass forming not far from the kingdom. Upon reviewing the pictures taken, it was decided that this black mass was indeed King Sombra." I said as I pulled out my phone and showed everyone the picture.
It showed a black cloud taking the vague form of a unicorn. They all gasped.
"How is this possible? We saw him vaporized by Cadence's magic." Twilight said.
"Well, perhaps my magic merely vaporized his physical form at the time." Cadence said.
"Perhaps, princess. Either way, I fear for the kingdom. That is why I came myself. I can help defend it in Shining Armor's absence." I said.
"How did you know Shining Armor wasn't here?" Cadence asked.
"Princess, it's my job to know everything that happens within my jurisdition. I wouldn't be captain if I didn't keep up with the latest intel in Ponyville, Canterlot, and the Crystal Empire." I replied.
"Ah, I see. Well, the help is greatly appreciated. Do we know when he will make his move?" She asked.
"No clue yet. But, I have my top agents watching his movements." I replied.
"Good. That means we have time to formulate a plan." Cadence said.
"Exactly why I came." I said as I pulled out a roll of parchment.
"But, what if we can't access the powers?" Twilight asked.
"Then Celestia save our souls." I said.
"How you figurin' on us doin' this?" AJ asked.
"Well, he was spotted off to the North of the kingdom. If Cadence stands within the spire and blasts her magic while at the same time, you six blast him with the elements from the base of the castle, it should sap enough of his power to make him vulnerable to attack. Then, that's where I would come in. I would use my stealth to sneak in behind him and use my sword to cut him down." I said.
"What would your sword do that none of us could?" Rainbow asked.
"Well, my sword is made of a special magic metal, created by Starswirl the Bearded. It's a special issue given to only the captain of a squad. It disrupts, nullifies, and absorbs any and all dark magic. Thus, rendering the host of said magic harmless. He would become just another disgruntled unicorn." I replied.
"Well, I suppose it could work." Twilight said.
"And when it does, we can have a big party!" Pinkie screamed.
"I don't like this plan. Can we do something else?" Fluttershy said quietly.
"I'm sorry Fluttershy, but that's the only way." I replied. She squeaked and hid behind AJ.
"Well, until then, what shall we do?" Rarity asked.
"I guess that we can all go out and enjoy the Crystal Empire. I can get your girls numbers and when I get the message, I can send a mass text to meet back here." I replied.
"Sounds like a plan." Pinkie said.
"Hey, Jet. How about a sparing match?" Rainbow asked.
"Okay. But I must warn you, I have never been beaten." I said.
"Well, that's because you've never faced anyone as awesome as me." She said.
"We'll see about that." I said as I noticed Pinkie behind her smiling at me.
"Where can one spare around here, princess?" I asked.
"We have a wonderful training ground. Just follow me." Cadence said.
"One thing first." I said as I got everyone's numbers.
"Okay, princess. I think we're ready." I said as everybody left and Rainbow and I follow Cadence down the hallway to a large set of crystal doors.
She pushed the doors open, revealing a large field with several types of exercise equipment on it.
"Feel free to use whatever you want." Cadence said.
"Sweet. Thanks princess." Rainbow said as she ran down to the field. Cadence laughed a little.
"Have fun you two." She said. She leaned close to me.
"You really think so?" I asked.
"I know so. My magic can sense love, remember? Don't be afraid to tell her how you feel." She said as she left.
"Wait, what do you mean?" I asked, but, she was already gone.
I turned and ran down to the field. I took off my armor and set it on one of the benches.
"So, what do you want to do first?" Rainbow asked.
"Well, we could start with a race." I suggested.
"Really, you want to race me? You know I'm the fastest flyer in all of Equestria, right?" She said.
"We'll see." I said as I unbandaged my wing and extended it.
"You're wing's healed already?" She asked.
"Not completely. But I can't just let it sit there and be useless. I need to work through the pain. I don't think Sombra will hold off his attack because I have an injured wing." I said.
"So, what's the plan?" I asked.
"Well, this track's pretty big. So, let's say ten laps?" She replied.
"Sounds good to me." I said.
The track was pretty big, at least a mile around. We positioned ourselves at the start line and got ready.
"One, two, three. Go!" We both counted together.
We took off and flew around the track. I passed Rainbow, but she was hot on my heels. We raced around passing each other at various times. We rounded for our final lap and crossed the finish line side by side.
"Not... bad." Rainbow gasped.
"Not... so bad... yourself." I breathed back.
"You... may just... have a future... with the... Wonderbolts." I said as I went over to get us some water.
I grabbed two bottles from a cooler and tossed one to Rainbow. She took a big gulp.
"You really... think so?" She asked.
"Well, anyone that can keep up with the captain of a squad of Covert Flyers, deserves to be in the Wonderbolts. Hell, I bet I could get you into the CF." I said.
"Really?" She replied.
"Sure. You got the right attitude and the flying skills. But, before I can make a decision, let's test those sword skills." I said.
I walked over to a rack of weapons and pulled out two broad swords. I handed her one and assumed a fighting stance.
"Don't expect me to go easy one you. You talked a big game, now put your money where your mouth is." I said as I clanged by blade off hers.
We went back and forth for a few minutes, until I got the better of her. I forced my bladed horizontally against hers and pushed her own blade close to her face. She strained from the force.
"Not bad for a weather pegasus. But, you still need some work." I said as I knocked her blade away.
It sailed over head and stuck in the ground with a thump. She stumbled backwards and was about to fall to the ground. I dropped my blade and ran over to catch her. I caught her around the waist and middle of her back. The sudden stop jolted her. She looked up at me and for the first time, we made complete eye contact. I stared into her magenta eyes. She slowly leaned up towards me and I towards her. Slowly our lips connected and we embraced each other in a long, loving kiss. After about a minute, we pulled apart.
Her eyes widened and she blushed as she jumped back. I could feel that I was blushing too.
"So, about that entrance into the CF?" She asked, looking at the ground and rubbing the back of her neck.
"Yea. You'd be a perfect fit. The academy can help you hone your sword skills." I said, avoiding her eyes as well.
We stood there silent for a minute.
"Look, Dash. I, um, that is, well. What I'm trying to say is..." I said as she put her finger to my mouth.
"Don't talk. Just listen." She said.
I nodded and she took her finger away.
"So, look. You should know, I'm not like other girls. I don't do the frilly froo froo thing. I don't wear dresses or get all mushy over Valentine's Day. I don't like flowers or jewelry." She began.
"What I do like is to fight and race. I like to see things explode and I like to play violent video games." She said.
"I know that, Dash. I felt something spark between us when I first saw you in the hospital. There was a sort of sympathy in your eyes that none of the others showed. I saw something in you, something that I had never seen in anybody else in a long while. I knew at that moment that we were somehow meant to be together." I replied.
She smiled at me.
"I thought it was only me that felt the spark." She said.
"No, I did too." I said.
She hugged me and as I turned, I saw Pinkie peeking in through the door at the top of the bleachers. She had her phone out snapping pictures and smiling. Just as I was about to kiss Dash again, my phone buzzed. I quickly pulled away from Dash and pulled my phone out. It was a message from Pinkie. It was a picture of me and Dash kissing. Dash's phone buzzed too. She pulled it out and looked at the screen.
"Damn it, Pinkie!" She screamed.
My phone rang. It was Rarity.
"Hello?" I answered.
"You two are adorable together." She said through the phone.
"How did you know about that?" I asked.
"I sent out a mass text to all my friends!" Pinkie said from beside me.
I jumped, not realizing she was there.
"Damn it, Pinkie. I wish you wouldn't sneak up on me like that." I said.
"When did you even get here? I saw you leave with the others." I said.
"I did. But then I came back because I knew something would happen between you two and I didn't want to miss it." Pinkie said.
"Hello? Are you still there, darling?" Rarity asked over the phone.
"Yes, I'm still here. So, everybody knows about this now?" I asked.
"Well, if Pinkie sent out a mass text, then its likely that everybody from here to Canterlot knows." She said.
"Great. Well, that didn't take long." I said.
"It never does when Pinkie's around." Rarity said.
"Listen, Rarity. I gotta go." I said as I hung up.
"Pinkie, why do you have to nose in other people's business!?" Dash yelled at her.
Tears welled up behind her eyes.
"I was just trying to help everyone to see that you two were perfect for each other." Pinkie said through sobs.
"Well, next time you want to 'help', don't!" Dash yelled.
"Fine. You don't want my help? Then I won't give it to you. Ever!" She screamed as she ran off crying.
"Dash, why did you do that?" I asked.
"You were upset that she did it too." She said.
"Yea. But, we need her." I replied.
"For what?" She asked.
"Without all the elements of harmony, the plan won't work." I said.
"Oh, yeah. The plan." She said.
I rolled my eyes at her and threw my armor on and ran after Pinkie. I followed her trail to the train station and watched as the train to Ponyville took off.
"Please stay with me. I'll tell them the truth. I don't care if they hate me, I just want you to stay." She begged.
"I'm sorry, Dash. I can't. My superiors probably already know about us. Public displays of affection are strictly forbidden in the CF. I will most likely be transferred to the Appaloosa branch. That's where they send all the pegasi that break the rules and don't adhere to the specific rules of the CF." I said.
"Appaloosa?" She asked.
"Yea. It's a small town that's way out west in pioneer country." I replied.
"I know where that's at. AJ has family out there. So, I'll still get to see you." She said.
"Maybe. They may transfer me somewhere else though. They probably already know about AJ's family out there." I said.
"Please don't leave me. I've never loved anyone as much as I love you." She said.
"I'm sorry. I wish there was something I could do. But, I have to go." I said.
"Dash? C'mon. I'm going to teleport us back to Ponyville. Oh, you're still here." Twilight said.
"Please take good care of Dash for me." I said as I kissed her and pushed her into Twilight.
I walked away.
"Nooo! Let me go! Let... me... go!" Dash screamed from behind me.
I felt tears build up behind my eyes. I blinked them away and took off flying. The farther away I got, the more my heart hurt. As much as I couldn't bear to leave Dash behind, I knew I'd never see her again. My superiors would transfer me as far away from her as possible. Being a member of the CF had it's perks. I could become invisible at will, fly at supersonic speeds, wield any blade with deadly efficiency, and recover from a bullet wound over night. All these things were great. But, the single most important rule that they teach in the academy is this, 'Never give your heart out. Once you give your heart away, you are nothing more than a love sick fool.' I always thought this would be the easiest rule to follow, because you never really had to interact with people in my line of work.
"Jet! Help!" Dash screamed from somewhere behind me, snapping me out of my thoughts.
I turned to see that just a few feet from the castle was Sombra. He stood there with his black hair blowing in the wind and his horn glowing a fierce red. In his silver armor and red cape. Even from this distance, I could feel the evil presence emitting from him. I saw that he was laughing at something, no someone. Dash was pinned against the side if the castle, just by the crystal heart, by her throat. The only thing I could think of was how much I wanted to hurt him. I pulled out my phone and made a call. Then, I flew as fast as I could toward him. My ears popped as a sonic boom went off. I flew straight at him and kicked him in the side. He tumbled down the street several feet as I caught Dash before she hit the ground. As I held her in my arms, she looked up at me with those beautiful magenta eyes.
"You came back." She said.
"I couldn't let that piece of unicorn scum hurt you. I may never get to see you again, but that doesn't mean I'm going to stand by and let you be hurt." I said.
"How sweet." Sombra said from behind me.
I put Dash down and turned toward him.
"You have no right to speak." I said.
"Ooh. I'm so scared. Please don't hurt me. Feh!" He said as he waved his hand at me.
He tried to use his horn, but it had been broken during his impact with the ground.
"You will pay for this. You vile piece of filth. I will leave enough life in your body for you to watch as I kill your beloved pegasus." He said.
"Come at me, brony." I said motioning with my hands.
He charged and I side stepped. He smashed face first into the castle door.
"Rargh! I'm going to kill you!" He yelled as he drew a giant purple crystal sword from his back.
I drew mine as he swung straight down at me. Blocked his blade with no effort. With a sharp thrust, I pushed his blade away and struck, catching his arm.
"Gah!" He yelled as my phone buzzed.
I didn't need to check it. He swung at my side, but, I parried his swing.
"I see we are evenly matched." He said.
"Actually, I'm just biding my time." I said as I kicked him out into the open.
"Now!" I yelled.
He was immediately hit by a blue beam of light.
"Agh!" He yelled as he dropped his sword.
The others stepped out of the castle and came over to me.
"We can't do this without Pinkie." Twilight said.
"I know. That's why she's back." I said.
"Where is she?" Twilight asked.
"Hi guys, I'm right here." She said from behind me.
"Gah! Damn it Pinkie." I said.
She looked different. Her hair was no longer puffy like normal. It was now just a straightened mass of pink.
"Pinkie, I'm sorry." Dash said.
"What are you apologizin' fer?" AJ asked.
"You have nothing to be sorry about, darling. This ruffian, on the other hand." Rarity said.
"No. He covered for me. I was the one that yelled at Pinkie to quit sticking her nose in everyone's business." Dash said.
"Is this true, Jet?" Twilight asked.
"Yes. It's true. I didn't want you guys to blame her for this. So, I took the blame. But, we can talk about this later. We need to help Cadence." I said.
"C'mon, Pinkie. We need you." I said.
"Why? So Dash can just yell at me again when I mess up?" Pinkie asked.
"No, I promise I won't yell at you ever again." Dash said.
"Pinkie promise?" She asked.
"Cross my heart, hope to fly, stick a cupcake in my eye." Dash said.
Almost immediately, Pinkie's hair puffed back up and she hugged Dash.
"I knew you wouldn't stay mad at me!" Pinkie squealed.
They got into position as I pulled up my mask. There was a bright glow surrounding them as they accessed their elements. After the glow receded, they stood there in golden armor. Each had a different stone embedded into the chest plate. Twilight's was a dark pink six-pointed star, AJ's an orange apple, Rarity's a purple diamond, Fluttershy's a light pink butterfly, Pinkie's a blue balloon, and Dash's a red lightning bolt. Together they fired different colored beams at Sombra. There was an explosion of magical power. After the dust settled, Sombra was on his knees. He was fading from smoke to his physical form.
"You will never truly destroy me. I will return." He said.
I drove my blade through his chest and removed my mask.
"Not this time." I said as I twisted the blade in his heart.
"Gah! How?" He asked as he slowly bled out.
"Dark magic absorbing blade. I told you I would make you pay for hurting Dash." I said as I removed the blade.
He collapsed onto the ground. I watched as the life drained from his eyes and his body turned to ash.
"It's over. We won." I said as I walked over to the others.
"You guys probably hate me for almost dooming the empire, huh?" Dash asked.
"Rainbow Dash, we could never hate you. You just made a mistake. It happens." Twilight said as she hugged Dash.
Their armor had already disappeared.
"Party time?" Pinkie asked.
"Yes, Pinkie. It's party time." I said.
"About damn time!" She yelled as she pulled out a cannon and fired it.
Streamers and balloons went everywhere. We partied in the castle for hours. Dash and I danced together and I had the time of my life. But, as the night drug on, I knew it was only temporary. After it was all done, I would have to report to HQ to be reassigned and I'd never get to see Dash again. At around midnight, everybody had crashed. I sneaked past everyone and headed for the door. As I was leaving, I felt a hand on my shoulder. I turned to see Dash standing there.
"Do you really have to go?" She asked.
"I'm afraid so." I said.
"Can't you just stay?" She asked.
"I wish I could, but my superiors summoned me hours ago. I'm probably already in more trouble than anyone in the history of the CF." I said wiping her tears away.
I pulled the necklace I had on from out of shirt and unlatched it. It was a golden broad sword. I hung it around her neck.
"Here, as long as you have this, I will be with you." I said as I kissed her.
We stood there for a few minutes locked in each others embrace. Finally, I pulled away from her.
"Don't forget about me, my love." I said as I started to walk away.
"I'll never forget you." She said as I flew off into the night sky towards HQ. Knowing full well what awaited me there.
"So you just found him like that?" A voice said.
"Yea. He was laying in a crater outside the old library." Twilight's voice said.
"Who is he?" The other voice said.
"I don't know. We didn't have time to get his name. But, he said he needed to meet with me and Cadence immediately." Twilight said.
"You didn't get his name?" The other voice said.
"Well, we needed to get him here before he bled out." Twilight said.
"His name's Jet Stream." Pinkie said.
"How do you know?" Twilight asked.
"It's right here in his file. But, that's all that's here, everything else is blacked out." Pinkie said.
"Pinkie, those aren't for just anyone to look at. It's illegal for anyone but a doctor to go through those files." Twilight said.
I opened my eyes and looked around. Twilight was pulling my files from Pinkie's hand and putting them back at the end of the bed. There was another girl there too. She was a pegasus like me and had rainbow colored hair that was spiked up at the top. She wore a pink and white striped skirt with black leggings underneath, a white T-shirt with a pic of a cloud producing a rainbow lightning bolt, and a blue pull over jacket. She was beautiful.
"Hey, he's awake." The pegasus girl said.
"Good. How do you feel, Jet?" Twilight asked.
"I feel like I fell from a height of two miles and crashed into the ground. Who is she." I asked motioning to the pegasus girl standing beside my bed.
"That's Rainbow Dash. She's the fastest flyer in all of Equestria. But, enough talk. It's party time!" Pinkie yelled.
"Pinkie, he needs time to recover. He's broke several ribs and his wing." Twilight said.
"No, we need to get to the Crystal Empire. Before it's too late." I said.
"What's so urgent?" Twilight asked. "I can't say until I'm in the presence of both you and Princess Cadence." I said.
"Why not?" Pinkie asked.
"My superiors gave me strict orders not to speak a word of my mission until I was in the presence of both Princesses." I said.
"Well, as soon as you think you're ready, we can leave." Twilight said.
"I can leave now. It's super urgent. Now, where's my clothes?" I asked.
"The doctor had to throw them away. They were completely shredded and covered in blood." Pinkie said.
"Well, that's just great. I can't stand before the Princess of the Crystal Empire in a hospital gown." I said.
Just then, the door opened and Rarity came in.
"Sorry, I'm late. I had to put the finishing touches on the outfit for our friend here." She said as she laid a stack of clothes at the foot of my bed.
"Well, that was convenient. If you ladies will excuse me, I need to get dressed." I said as I pulled myself out of the bed. They exited the room and shut the door behind them.
The train pulled into the station and we got off. The crystal Empire was just as amazing as I had imagined. The castle stood in the center of the town. The sun glistened off of the tall spire as if reflecting the happiness and joy the powered the crystal heart. We didn't waste any time getting to the castle. It was almost blinding from up close.
"Geez. Maybe an entire castle made of crystal wasn't such a good idea in hindsight." I said as we entered the doors.
I looked around the huge entryway.
"Twilight! What a pleasant surprise." Someone said from behind me.
I turned to see a female alicorn with long curled hair that was striped with purple, pink, and yellow. She wore a pink dress that had a crystal heart on the hem of it.
"Cadence! I missed you." Twilight said as she ran over and hugged the other alicorn.
"What brings you to the Crystal Empire?" Cadence asked.
"Our new friend has urgent news to discuss with us." Twilight said motioning to me.
I took a knee.
"Princess Mi Amore Cadenza. I am sorry that we could not meet under happier circumstances." I said.
She giggled at me.
"Please just call me Cadence, there I no need for such formalities. Now, walk with me to the throne room. We can discuss this urgent matter there." She said as she started down one of the many hallways branching off the entryway.
We entered the throne room and Cadence took a seat at the throne. There were several other chairs in the room. Everybody sat down, but, I chose to stand.
"Now, brave soldier. Who are you and what is this urgent matter?" Cadence asked.
"Forgive me princess, I should have started with my name. I am Jet Stream, captain of the Ponyville/Canterlot section of the Covert Flyers. My resources tell me that a certain evil unicorn is slowly regaining his power and biding his time." I replied.
"*gasp* Surely you don't mean, Him." She said.
"Damn it!" I said out loud.
Just as the train left I saw the magical barrier around the city flicker. Just outside the barrier was an almost completely formed Sombra pounding on it. I checked my phone, there was a message from one of my scouts. I hadn't even seen it because of the message Pinkie sent. I flew back to the castle and sent a mass text as I did. I burst into the throne room to find everyone already there. They were muttering about Pinkie's absence.
"Ladies, we have a problem." I said breathlessly.
"What is it, Jet?" Cadence asked as I leaned on the table to catch my breath.
"Firstly, Sombra is literally right outside the barrier. Secondly, Pinkie Pie just left for Ponyville." I said.
"What? Why?" Everyone asked.
I looked over to Dash, who was standing in the corner leaning against the wall. She just gave me a depressed look. I thought for a minute. Would I rather have everybody pissed off at Dash, their long time friend and the girl I had come to love. Or did I want them to hate me, the new guy who had come here to help out, only to drive two of the girls apart more than any amount of Discord's magic could ever do.
"It was..." I began.
Dash ducked her head down and tears welled in her eyes. I sighed and kept looking at Dash as I continued.
"My fault." I said.
Dash looked up at me with surprise on her face.
"What?" Rarity asked.
"It was my fault. I overreacted to her sending that picture and I yelled at her." I said.
"But why?" Twilight asked.
"I was afraid that if word got out that I fell for Dash, my superiors would find out. Then, they would move me to a different jurisdiction and I'd never get to see her again." I said.
"How could you?" Rarity asked.
"That's just cruel." Fluttershy said quietly.
"We thought you were our friend." Twilight said.
"I agree. Not very friend-like behavior." Cadence said.
"Well, that was mighty selfish of ya." AJ said.
"I know. That's why I'm going to be leaving the Crystal Empire and Ponyville. I suggest you so the same." I said as I headed out the door.
I walked down the hall and left the castle.
"Jet, wait!" I heard Dash behind me.
I turned and she stopped in front of me.
"Why did you lie to them?" She asked.
"Because, without Pinkie, we don't stand a chance against Sombra. I didn't want you to spend the rest of your life with your best friends hating and blaming you." I said as pulled her into a hug.
"Just go and escape with the others. Soon, there will be no Crystal Empire." I said.
"But, why are you leaving? Stay and escape with us." She said.
"I can't. The others don't want me in there. Not after what happened to Pinkie." I replied.
Dash started to cry.
"Ssh. It's okay. Just remember, we'll always have the memories we shared today." I said as I wiped her tears away and kissed her.
