Wild Blue Yonder

“Hello, father.” Turbo's mind was swimming. Nimble’s held was held high, she looked her father right in the eyes.

“What are you doing here, Sky Diamond?” Sky Diamond? The thought was supposed to stay in his head, but Turbo said it out loud.

“I wasn't just going to stay home and not do my part. You probably didn't even notice I was gone.”

“So this is where you disappeared to, eh? Leaving your comfortable home and comfortable life to risk your life in some far off place? Do you ever think about your family?”

Turbo interjected. “Nimble Flight, what the buck is going on?!” She seemingly ignored Turbo's question.

“I do think about my family. These ponies you're standing in front of are my family.” Fort Knox sneered.

“Nimble Flight? Is that what you call yourself? How long have you lied to these ponies? You disobeyed my orders, ran off, lied about your name, and enlisted in the REAF. I'm bringing you home.” Fort Knox lunged forward, as if he was trying to drag her off. Turbo held out his wings, blocking Nimble from her father.

“I'm sorry sir, I can't let you do that. She is my wingpony, she has my back and I have her’s. We've been halfway through Tartarus together, and I made a promise to bring her all the way through. So no matter if it pleases you sir, but she is staying here.”

“Colonel Jack, we should dismiss the squadron.” Major Stars butted in, preventing the situation from getting worse. Union Jack made a face like he wanted to see more, but he nodded and the squadron walked off.

“Listen here, colt,” snarled Fort Knox as he pulled Turbo aside. “You have just made a powerful enemy. As soon as you get back to Equestria, you will find a horrible life waiting for you. Any assets, I'll freeze them. Try to get a job? I’ll block you.” The threat had little weight for Turbo.

“Mr Knox. It's Lieutenant Turbofan. You will address me as such.” The unbridled rage in Fort Knox’s eyes made Turbo wince, but he held his ground. Fort Knox huffed off.

“Alright, you have explaining to do!” Turbo’ gaze softened as he saw her. Nimble was sitting in her bed, head cast down. He flew over to her bed and sat on it, taking her face in his hooves, forcing her to look him in the eyes. “Now, explain, please.” She sighed.

“I was born in Fillydelphia. I was the youngest of three sisters, they all embraced the rich pony lifestyle. All I saw from them and my father were greedy, good for nothing jackasses that would screw over anypony to get their way. And I hated it. I tried to unassociate myself as much as possible. One day, I had enough. War was declared, and they did nothing, I couldn't stand it. So I ran. I changed my name to Nimble Flight, so he couldn't find me. You know the rest.” One question remained in Turbo’ mind.

“If you hated your life, why'd you ask me to get you home?” She looked up at him with sad eyes.

“Because I want an actual life! Every struggle, every victory, I want to experience it! Besides, I want to live to be an old mare, with a stallion to grow old with.” At this, she gave him a hopeful smile. Whoa,whoawhoawhoawhoa. What just happened?

“Did you just?” Nimble laughed and shook her head.

“Maybe another time.”

“Okay. WAIT, WHAT!”

Dawn found 6th Flight on the flight line. A offensive patrol was scheduled for them, flying over both lines and looking for trouble. The green flare flew, and they flew off. The front approached, and no trouble was in sight.

“You guys feeling up for a strafing run?”

“Why not? Let's go.” Wheeling around, they came over the gryphon trenches. Alarms were raised, but not fast enough. In a column, they poured magic into the enemy trenches, obliterating everything in the path.

“New objective, look for their communication trenches, and destroy!”

“You're the boss!” Rolling over to right, Turbo saw a small ditch in the ground with wires in it. Flying over at breakneck speeds, they blasted magic into the trench, melting enough wire to render them inoperable. Flak began to burst, surrounding the four with black smoke, but not hurting them in any way. Turbo's blood was up from adrenaline.

“One more target, guys. Go after that artillery!” There was a slight hesitation. “Did I stutter?”

“No sir! Let's go get em!” Flying extremely low, they blasted over the artillery emplacements, went vertical, and dived on it, MGs barking to life. The artillery crews dived for cover, and it was easy picking to blow up their ammunition, then wrecking the guns.

“I see some gryphons messing with a canvas cover, 100 hooves away from her,” Nimble called over the intercom. “Oh Celestia! It's an AP gun!” The gryphons had uncovered an anti pegasi gun, and it came to life. A stinging pain made Turbo grunt. He looked back and his left flank was bleeding. He cursed. Still low to the ground, evasive maneuvers were hard to pull off, so they did anything to spoil the gun’s aim.

“Ahhhhh!” Golden Wings took a direct hit from the gun, and hit the ground hard.

“Wings! I'm coming for you!” Turbo landed and galloped over to Wing’s convulsing body.

“Ouch.” It was all he was able to say. Inspect the damage! See if he can fly aga- oh Celestia. One of his wings was missing down to his body. All that was left was a bloody stump.

“Hold on, I’m gonna get you outta here.” The wing was not the only thing damaged. Wings had large chunks of metal everywhere in his body, making it hard to grab him without causing huge pain.

“T-t-t-Turbo?” he stuttered. “T-t-t-t-take off, m-m-my gun and p-pack. It'll-it'll be easier to fly.” He nodded and undid the straps holding the MG to the body. Sliding the tank off his back, Turbo knew he was running out of time. They were behind the gryphon’s frontline trench, he was bleeding fast, and ground forces would soon be there.

“You gotta stay with me, I'm going to pick you up.” Wings nodded and then screamed in pain as Turbo hoisted him onto his back. Turbo took off his magic tank, and then turned his head back to Wings. “Don't let go of my neck.” He shot into the air as soon as he felt hooves around his neck, dodging, or trying to dodge, rifle bullets filling the air around him. Turbo didn't expect Golden to be so heavy, and soon was panting for air. A bullet finally found it’s mark, and he howled in pain as one struck his wing. They were over the gryphon trenches at last, but he was losing altitude fast. The ground was coming closer. “Nonononononono!” His “no’s” were silenced as they crashed into the mud.

Turbo awoke in a daze. He was sure he had died and gone to Tartarus, because No Pony’s Land was exactly that. Dead trees, fire, bits of rotting corpses were everywhere. But mostly, it was mud. Sticky, wet, mud. It had cushioned the fall, but not enough. Turbo must have headbutted a rock, because his forehead was cut and bleeding. Scanning the area around him, he saw Golden, sprawled out in the mud. Still breathing, but hurt worse. They were closer to the gryphon trenches than the Equestrian trenches, but he still had to get their. Throwing Golden on his back again, Turbo started trotting towards friendly lines, using cover. After a small amount of time, Turbo cursed and hit the mud. A picket group, 4 gryphons, crouched low in a crater, facing the other way, waiting for an attack to come. He had to think fast. The mud would mute most sounds, so throwing something like a lure was out of the question. He didn't understand Gryphon, so he couldn't give them false orders. Shooting them was out, that would make too much noise. Feeling his service knife in a pocket, he knew what he had to do.

“Ja, ich habe drei Brüder und eins Schwester. Und du?”1

“Ich bin ein Einzelkind, but ich haben ein Frau und wir habt zwei Kinder, WAS!”2 Turbo's knife went into the back of the gryphon, straight into his spinal cord and making his body convulse with spasms.

“Scheiß!” The second gryphon raised his rifle, but Turbo was quicker and slashed his neck, spilling blood all over the crater. The two remaining gryphons were stunned. One of them came to his senses.

“Los für Hilfen! Schnell!”3 The fourth one tried scrambling out of the crater. After stabbing the third one, further covering himself in blood, Turbo threw his knife at the escaping one, stabbing into his neck, killing him. Turbo crawled out of the crater and put Golden on his back once more.

“Halfway there!” It seemed with every step, Golden was getting heavier and heavier. He had lost consciousness and Turbo knew that he was running out of time. “Cmon, almost there!” He wasn't talking to the unconscious Golden as he was himself.

“Halt or we will fire! Oh, it's just pegasi, stand down!” Turbo smiled. They had reached safety. “Celestia, what happened to them? One is covered in blood.” Turbo still smiled. You're darn tootin. Finally, he succumbed to exhaustion and fell unconscious.

Turbo woke up in Ironwood’s infirmary. Nurse Rhinestone stood over him.

“You again? Is this going to become a regular thing?”

“Dunno ma’am. It depends on the gryphons.” She sighed and went over to another bed. Now waiting for him was Nimble. She looked angry.

“You! If you ever, ever, do that again, I will end you.” Turbo chuckled.

“Hello to you to, Nimble.” She spread out and hugged his whole body. He held her close as well. “So, what happened?”

“After you went down to get Golden, the flak became too thick. We had to return to base. They sent you here, you were out for 24 hours, and here you are now.”

“And Golden?” She bit her lip.

“They amputated the rest of his wing. He is on his way home.” It was better news than he expected.

“Alright, I need some rest, see you as soon as I get out of here.” She looked longingly in his eyes, and then kissed him. Turbo's breath was gone. She parted their lips, started a little longer and laughed a little. Turbo figured his face must be priceless. And with one final glance, she left the tent. What just happened?