The Brothers Don't

The enormous machine grew larger in the sky. Onlooking ponies tensed up, eyes wide and lungs full. It landed with a brief screeching noise from the wheels. The engines under its wings reversed, slowing the craft as it approached the Crystal Palace along one of the modified, long, straight streets leading up to it.

"Great job on the runway!" Fleetfoot shouted to a team of unicorns behind her. Even from a distance, the machine made a great deal of noise. "For Equestria!"

"For Equestria!" they shouted back, saluting.

Fleetfoot waited until the machine had come to a complete stop before approaching it. A hatch on its belly dropped to the ground. Spitfire, accompanied by a number of other ponies dressed in military garb and two tall unicorns in the rear, descended from the ramp. Some of the soldiers looked dizzy, but Spitfire was beaming.

"So?" Fleetfoot asked.

"It's incredible!" Spitfire yelled. "We were flying over Canterlot in a matter of minutes!"

"Thirty five minutes, to be precise," said a yellow unicorn stallion with a bright, theatrical voice.

"The first flight was flawless, Miss Fleetfoot," said the other stallion, sporting a red mustache.

"Good to know, Flam," Fleetfoot said, nodding. "You two have really outdone yourselves with this."

Flim grinned. "Well, we wanted to do our part to save Equestria, of course," he said.

"What else were we going to do with all our Las Pegasus earnings, anyway?" Flam asked.

Shining Armor marched from the palace and stood beside Fleetfoot. "How many ponies can it carry?" he asked.

"I'd say two dozen, at least," said Flim.

"Three dozen, if you're desperate," added Flam.

"Standing room only, of course." Flim winked.

Spitfire walked under one of the huge engines attached to the bottom of a rigid wing. "How far can it fly?"

"Depends on the unicorns you have piloting it," Flam said with a shrug.

"We could take it all around the world!" Flim bragged.

"What about north?" Shining asked. "Will it work in the cold? Will it get through the storms?"

Flim and Flam glanced at each other. "Uhh... that's not something we're prepared to find out," said Flim with a thin smile.

"We've provided you with the technology," Flam explained, "but we are, uh... unwilling to guide our great troops into battle."

"It got sold, but we're not your soldiers." Flim tipped his hat. "In fact—"

"We've got a train to catch!" Flam said.

They galloped off together. "Au revoir!" they sang in unison.

Shining Armor frowned. "I assume they left some instructions on how to fly this thing?"

"Our unicorns have been properly trained," Fleetfoot said, nodding. "They're confident they can fly this thing as far north as we need to."

Shining Armor nodded. "Good. We leave tomorrow."

Spitfire tilted her head. "Captain? Do you mean you're riding it up north?"

He patted her on the shoulder. "So are you, Spitfire. Team Harmony is back together."

Spitfire winced. "Uh... yeah, I don't think that's gonna fly." She smiled weakly. "Pardon the pun."