"Step up! Give your name assigned from birth! And your serial number!" A drill sarge yelled.

"Cloudy Skies! Serial number 8679342 Sir!" I responded with no thought at all.

"Take your papers and meet the CAG at the hangar entrance! Move out, NO TALKING!" The sarge affirmed with might.

I took the papers on the desk in front of me and ran over to the Commander of the Air Group just as he told. Because in the military you do What your told, When your told to do it. No one asks questions, your there to do a job. I enlisted to do a job for Princess Celestia, That job is flying planes for her Navy. I'm Proud that I was chosen. So I do what I'm told.

"Alright listen up. I'm formally known as High Range, but you will call me Glory.."

"Yes sir!" I said as I piped in with the rest of the 20 or so ponies around me.

"...As you see I have hoof selected all of you for my Air Group. My Air Group Is, will, and ALWAYS will be the best. You all know why you are here gentlecolts... To kill the virus that calls Itself 'The Lunar Empire'. These scourges to Celestia's green earth are reason I personally can't sleep at night. These abominations will stop at NOTHING to kill your mom, dad, brother and rape your sister! Look all across the Pacific. Their cancer is spreading. Almost to our lands even. You all read the papers. Mare Harbor, the largest, most deadly attack on Equestrian soil ever. Our battleship fleet as we speak is wrecked. But Celestia knows better than to let that phase us. She appointed me to lead you stallions in once and for all exterminating them. I plan on Nightmare Moon tasting the four .30 caliber guns of my F4F Wildcat, and I hope you make it your goal as well. Today marks your new lives as Airmen of the U.S.S. Ponyville CV-5. The world's most advanced aircraft carrier. The Lunar Empire throws together these abominations that they pass for 'aircraft carriers' together with tacky designs and no pride. We will destroy them decisively, and quickly. I will teach you tactics on how to fight against the Empire and win every time. You each will be issued a F4F Wildcat fighter, capable of reaching a maximum speed of 331 miles per hour, with a wingspan measuring 38 feet when fully extended. She has an armament of four .30 caliber machine guns, two on each wing. Your plane will be standard issue blue with the United Solar States' Symbol. Gentlecolts do not take this lightly! This is the same symbol that adorns your Princesses flank! fly it with pride! Each F4F wildcat will be personalized to his pilot respectively. You shall put your name on your plane. You shall Name your plane. You will paint a pretty picture on the nose of your plane that corresponds with the name of your plane. I want you to be creative! Love your plane! Your days of getting down and dirty with the mare next door are over! Your plane is your mare now, treat her well and she will treat you well are we understood?"

"SIR YES SIR!" I shouted with pride.

"Good... We might even give the Lunars a run for their money after all..." Glory said in a much more quieted tone.

"This concludes our initial meeting. Until the Ponyville is ready for us, this base is our home. You will take leave for the rest of the evening, but you will meet here with me at EXACTLY 7 A.M. ... Dismissed!" Glory thundered then walked away.

Glory had made an impression on me that day that... he was a rather tall colt, taller than most of the Air Group, myself included. He had a short, black, government issued mane and tail. Deep brown eyes. And no tolerance for failure. But he seemed to have a soft side to him because he gave us the rest of the day off. ...Maybe I shouldn't say soft spot more like a respect for our well being.

It's 1942 in Equestria. We all knew this war was coming. Nightmare Moon made a return to political power in Japan and declared herself empress four years prior. Another pony came to power in Germany named Adolf Hitler. Hitler scrapped the crumbling German economy and replaced it with his own model which he called "Nazism", or the Nazis. Both factions worship their leaders and their quest for world domination. It all started with Germany invading Poland, and nightmare Moon battling China. After success in their first campaigns, they both kept aggressively expanding. The Empire holds pretty much over half of the islands in the Pacific, and the Nazis control most of Europe. Princess Celestia was apprehensive to go to war with either nation, but after Mare Harbor... she was forced into this world war. Two days after Mare Harbor, the Nazis declared war on us to. The United Solar States is the most successful nation to date, the companies started up in our nation not only last... they become wealthy. This is something Germany, and the Empire will never know... Happiness.

I debate what to do with the rest of the day off as I give my papers to the designated secretary. I think I might wright a few letters. I finally decided in my mind. I make my way back to my bunk, in squadron 3. The base In San Fillycisco was rather large, it can hold two entire carrier groups, that's about 340 ponies, and 220 planes. It was the Air Crews of both the U.S.S. Ponytown and U.S.S. Celestia CV-6. Ponies were making their ways about the base, some were throwing a football, others walking with intent. Only by looking around did I really capture the magnitude of the station, about 50 hangars all full of planes were sitting parallel to the three runways. One of the three runways was a simulated aircraft carrier deck, with an arestor cable, Length markers, and even a number 4 painted on it like it was a carrier.

"Hey there Cloudy Skies!" a familiar voice called out.

"How's the High Roller doin'!?" I called back at him as I walked by.

"Ya' know skies, no women here, no worries am I right!?" He laughs as he continues fixing the engine of a Texan trainer.

I let out a laugh and responded "Biff, I've got the rest of the day off so I'll catch up later!" I shout as I walk off.

That was "High Roller Biff", A mechanic who somehow got around really well. Biff knew all the scuttlebutt before everyone else, could fix any engine better than everyone else, and could charm any mare better than everyone else. He was assigned to the Ponytown as well.

I haven't written my mom in forever... I'll write her first. I got up to the 3rd squadron barracks and saw that a few other people had my same idea. I took out my notepad and proceeded to write.

Dear Mother,

I finally arrived at the Naval Air Station. I'm doing well, and quite like it here. Today I met the CAG (Commander of the Air Group). He gave us a general briefing of the situation, and said we will be assigned to the latest class of Horsetown aircraft carrier, the U.S.S. Ponytown. I'll be in the 3rd fighter group and will have my own F4F Wildcat! Remember that was the plane I wanted to fly really badly! After the briefing he gave us the rest of the day off, so that's why I'm writing you so soon. I hope Dad is doing well, also Lavender too. I'll write her separately, but if you see her, tell her I miss and love her. Love you and Dad much!

-Cloudy Skies
With that being written, I made out the rest of the letter and addressed the envelope. I wonder how IS lavender doing? She took the news rather hard that I was going into the Navy. Lavender is my marefriend back at home. She recently moved to ponyville, and I'm kinda moving there too... But this Ponyville is 25,000 tons and the deadliest weapon we have in our arsenal. I gave Lavender my promise that I was going to be safe, and come back alive and I intend on doing so.

"Now what to do with the rest of my day off?"

Let's pay Biff a visit. It would do me good to get caught up on the news. If the CO (commanding officer) was around the "news" was a more suitable word than what it really was... gossip. I made my way over to the hangar closest to the barracks, the maintenance hangar. The sounds of wrenches accompanied by loud music intensified as I approached. The Texan Trainer plane that Biff had been working on was now getting "The Works" as he liked to call it. Every piece and part of the plane was getting checked out, all to the sound of big band radio. The swing craze was in full effect across the nation. Composers like Benny Hoofman and Glenn Miller were common in the list of favorites.

"He hay! look who it is! Mr. Skies can I do anything for you? Biff boomed over the radio.

"Howdy Biff! i just wanted to stop by and 'read the news' you know."

"Ah I see... You know the word around the base is that the Ponytown is going to be the most spacious carrier in the fleet! I hear you can sit up in the bunks and not hit your head." The High Roller remarked as he wiped some grease from his fur.

"Something to look forward to then he heh." I commented slyly "Hey High Roller, I need to start thinking of a name for my plane."

"Let me guess, orders of the CAG?"

"How do you know?.... Wait actually, I don't."

"Smart man. how about something with lavender? Your gal back home."

"I was thinking that actually... Any more suggestions?"

"The Lavender Express?"

"She does want me to come home soon hah!" I laughed to myself as thought the name over intently. "I didn't think the first one would be such a winner..."

"Hey that's why I'm the High Roller baby! Biff exclaimed with a devilish smile on his face.

"Well I'm out'a here, Ring-A-Ding baby!" And with that I left the busy hangar.

I walked back to the barracks feeling very euphoric at just the thought of my Lavender... Activities on the base calmed down since I took my trip to the maintenance hangar, the flights have seemed to die down as the sun began to set. I decided on taking a shower and getting to bed early so I can wake up earlier than the rest of the squadron. After i took a long shower, and dried my fur, I went to bed.

Author's Note

Hello All! It's LambofGod here with my latest war story. I've been wanting to write a story about naval aviation for a while, so here goes This story will pull from historical events in the U.S. campaign in the Pacific, and I will use actual battles that took place... just ponified! Some chapters will deviate from the complete truth of the war so don't treat this as a history book haha. Thanks for the read, and stay tuned to see what all happens in the next chapter of Hostile Skies! Keep it cool Y'all - LambofGod