Project Wingpony

CONTRACT FINISHED: Home...

Burning clouds and choking air filled the atmosphere as the two sisters stood above the land, regal yet commanding. Behind them was an eclipse, ever growing in size. One half was engulfed in flames that burned with Daybreaker's fury. The other dark as dark could be, almost vantablack in nature. A void, a never ending chasm only one Nightmare Moon could conjure. Beneath the mountain an army stood at their defense. Ghosts and old phantoms. Ponies who had given their lives as their eternal subjects and soldiers stood ready to defend their corrupted princesses. A legion of black singularity and white hot fury. Hundreds of tanks, tens of thousands of infantry, and dozens of aircraft filled the skies in and around the two sisters as their ritual took hold to end the world they once so benevolently ruled over. The once proud flag of Equestria now flew in the wind tattered and worn amongst the rubble, what was left of the old Canterlot castle. Daybreaker lit it ablaze as it lifted into the air and burned into embers.

Just outside the combat zone a single large aircraft circled above an army ready to mobilize just to the north of Ponyville. A large rotating radome was mounted above the craft and on its tail fin was the emblem of the Equestrian Air Force now painted over with a single white stripe, the universal mark of the rebellion. Down below the forces gathered in formation for one last push to defeat the two sisters. Some wore uniforms of the old world, others clad in makeshift guerilla equipment, all united by the single white strike. The roar of fighter jets above them signaled the start of the operation. Across the battlefield their radios crackled to life with the sound of the AWACS above.

<> A sky blue pegasus flying an SU-33 slid into formation with the rest of the jets all refueling nearby a KC-135 just outside the combat airspace. His folded white wings shuffled as he looked out to his sides. Even through his cockpit canopy the roar of all the jets outside shook through his bones. Down below the troops started to mobilize into combat formations. Dust kicked up from hundreds of treads and wheels as the immense wave of armor and troop transports started their march towards the capital. The smoke of rockets and plumes of artillery arced towards Canterlot as the bombardment began. Through his radio the AWACS plane started up again.

<> the SU-33 went into full afterburner to overtake the tanker aircraft. Behind him to his right a flight of black widows matched his speed and formation.

Sky smiled with a zeal unmatched as a sense of unity filled his head, <>

A flight of transport helicopters and gunships lifted from the forward bases and joined into formation. Their beating rotors buffeted the forest canopy below as their troops readied to deploy.

Broken through the clouds, a flight of strike eagles burned into the fight. Fiery plumes of their furious turbines illuminated the dusty orange skies, <>

Likewise another flight of aircraft, this time Fulcrum-Ds, zoomed in at low altitude. Beneath their wings they held long range anti radiation missiles, like broadswords of old, meant to take down the enemy’s radars, <<1st Solar Carrier Wing here! Callsign; Flounder. You have our swords at the ready.>>

Inside AWACS Nebula the radar operators frantically scanned their screens and had their hooves full to link all the data to all of the forces in the assault. <>

<> Tomcats from a Solar Imperial carrier broke through the clouds to intercept fighters trying to shoot down the anti radar aircraft. Vulcan cannon fire tore through the air as missile trails and smoke wove in and between the planes above.

<> the SU-33 let loose a missile from the rail as Sky kept his head on a swivel. His eyes were locked onto a jet black Gripen on the tail of one of the Flounder planes. The missile curved right into the path of the enemy fighter and eviscerated the aircraft in an explosive plume of tungsten, oil, and steel. <>

<> The missiles carried underneath the lead Flounder aircraft shot forth as he rolled up and to the left in an evasive move to shake off a Stinger fired from the ground. Both missiles impacted their targets and the shadowy simulacra conjured by the Princesses faded with the explosions, <>

Nebula broke through the radio in exclamation as an enemy Raptor slid behind the stallion’s Fulcrum, <>

<> with almost no warning Flounder’s fighter was struck hard with an astral missile from another conjured enemy fighter. This time the corporeal form was that of radiant, burning light.

<> Sky Buster pulled up hard as he climbed into the clouds. His radar warning receiver blared in his ears as a missile ran him down from the same spectral Raptor. In a risky move he punched through the clouds with full afterburner before he cut his engines and let the flares fly from his plane. The missiles took the bait as he flipped down back into the clouds with a post stall maneuver and throttled back up, <>

<> Shadow lead alerted the pilot of the Sukhoi as the enemy jet on his tail kept pace with every maneuver.

Buster was in deep trouble as he saw the raptor’s weapon bays flip open. His eyesight was fading to black as his heart raced, failing to pump blood in the high G turns. On the verge of blacking out the last thing he saw was a missile catapult out of the enemy fighter jet.

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I stirred awake from my nightmare. The blood had left my face and my breathing was rapid and constricted tightly. I grit my teeth together as Dash shot up from her own slumber.

“Hey! Hey! Buster, snap out of it! It’s just another bad dream…” Dash took her place by my side and held me in her embrace. I could feel her warmth as she wrapped her hooves and wings around me, “-Just another bad dream.”

I glanced down to my right side and my missing wing. I still bore the scars from that day I got shot down. I’m lucky-No, everyone who made it out of there is lucky to be alive. Everypony who fought for our future and, somehow, we won. The royal sisters are dead and the world shattered. Lives lost, millions? I gave Dash a sigh as I looked to a map that hung across our shared bunk. A map of the old world. Back before the Infinite Eclipse ripped the tectonic plates asunder. The gentle hum of the carrier brought me back to the present.

“They shot me down. I thought I was dead. I thought the world would end. I wouldn’t get to see our sons and daughters grow up. I thought that in the darkest of nights the morning wouldn’t come. The Equestria we once knew is now gone.”

“I-I was scared too. We all were. That’s why we fought so hard. I can’t wait to see Jet and Avia again now that we’re finally off contract. Just get some rest okay Buddy? We’re launching out tomorrow to go back home,” Rainbow slowly crawled back into the sheets and shuffled herself on her side. I still sat up on my front hooves staring at the old map, “Sky Buster, go to sleep.”

“I will… Can you hold me though?”

“Sure thing. You’re gonna be okay. Just get some sleep. We’ll be home tomorrow,” Dash locked her embrace around me as I started to relax and lull back into slumber. Her warmth was my crutch in times like these.

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<<This is the Fairview Control Tower. Albatross, Crash, you’re cleared to take off from catapults one and two. Thanks for the assist! Head on home,>> the flight controller of the carrier gave us the a-okay. A smile was wide on my face as Dash and I sat on the flight deck to taxi onto the catapults.

<> The catapult crews stood by as they waved their hooves to signal my wife and I to our launch pads, <>

<>

<> I watched Dash taxi up to the catapult as the crews locked her plane into the launch mechanism. The blast deflectors of the carrier lifted up while she simultaneously put her throttle in afterburner.

<> Dash soared into the air from the carrier’s flight deck as the crews scrambled to attend to my plane.

I looked back and forth as one of the crew ponies gave me a salute to launch out. The rush filled my head again as I heard my engines spool and throttle click into full afterburner. Takeoff… Not many times I get to fly again. Not with my broken wings. My jet surged forward from zero to two hundred seventy kilometers per hour. As it left the edge of the deck I tucked my landing gear up into their bays and climbed rapidly to meet Rainbow among the clouds.

<>

<>

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As we flew on the clouds parted beneath us as we neared Ponyville. Below us was a massive scar of the Infinite Eclipse. Ghastly Gorge tore open several miles wide like a deep gash into the earth bleeding red hot magma. Giant eel bones littered the ashen shores as the updraft of hot air casted onto our planes. This fissure and many like it dotted the lands of Equestria now torn asunder.

<>

Rainbow’s radio gave a short crackle for a few seconds before she spoke. Her bittersweet tone carried through, <>

<>

<> Dash gave an audible thud as I heard her hoof slap her face, <>

I tipped my wings back and forth as a retort as we made our final approach, <>

<>

My heads up display updated with two little circles that acted as guides for my landing approach. The trick was to line them up inside each other to touch down onto the runway. The margin for error was more lax for a runway than a carrier. The rest of the numbers and alphabet soup aided my control and input as I touched down onto the runway and taxied to one of the hangars. It was a long day and I’m gonna miss flying, but I was finally home.

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All I can think of is their smiling faces. Each one of them. I could already hear their shouting and hollering right above me as our cloud house hovered above the open field. I wrapped my hooves around my duffle bag as I took in a deep breath and spread my wings. With one strong down stroke I...

“OW!” I planted face first into the dirt as I forgot my missing right wing. My euphoria faded to crippling reality.

“Here, let me help you up. That phantom wing came back again?”

“Yeah. I’m never gonna get used to that,” I allowed Dash to hook me under my forelegs and lift me up right to the door. I dusted myself off as she landed next to me, “Well, here we are. We’re back!”

We both knocked on the door and rushed inside as four of our six children flocked to us as we stepped in. There was JJ, Avia, Cloud, and Watty. Jay and Avy rushed to their mother first.

“Ma’s back! Ma’s back!” Avy exclaimed as she fluttered about Dash.

“Settle down you little Tornado, come on, give me a hug you two,” Rainbow embraced her biological children as I was swarmed by my other two.

“Dad! Did you eat anything weird while you were gone? How was the carrier? Did the boiler room blow up again?” my unicorn son peppered me with questions at my feet.

“No no, we weren’t on a Kuznetsov this time, thankfully. Did you brush your teeth?” I picked him up with my one good wing.

“Yes dad!”

“Did you remember to cast cloudwalk today?”

“Yes!”

“Daddy! Daddy! Avy keeps trying to eat my wings!” Cloud, this time, tugged at my legs.

“NO I DON’T!”

“YES YOU DO!” and cue the back and forth banter of my numerous children. I looked at my other wife and smiled as the chaos started in the background.

She gave a heavy and relieved sigh as she came up to me and hugged me, “If it wasn’t for the insane amount of money you two make for a living I’d be going crazy.”

“I love you too you two,” Dash joined in the three way hug as our nanny chased our kiddos behind us, “How are the twins?”

“I just sang them to sleep before you guys arrived. They’ll be in for a surprise after their nap.”

“Sorry to bust the mood but can I get some help here?” our nanny, Sweetie Bloom, was covered in crayon markings while Avy was chewing on one of her wings. The other three were bouncing on the couch and pillow fighting.

“I’ll deal with this,” I slowly trotted over to look at the four of them. My eyes narrowed as I got their attention. A low and serious rumble reverberated through my voice, “Ahem! Avy, quit chewing on the babysitter! Jet! Watty! Cloud! Sit still! Shut up! The four of you! Stand straight! Form a line! NOW! Which one of you did this?!”

I motioned to the crayon marks in the fur of Sweetie Bloom. All of them shook.

“It was me dad,” Watty stepped forward.

“Well, I appreciate your honesty son so I will spare you the punishment of extra vegetables tonight. Nose on the wall! Thirty minutes! DOUBLE TIME NOW! If I catch you not on the wall there will be no dessert AND extra veggies! YOU GOT ME?!”

“DAD YES DAD!”

“The rest of you! Dismissed! Also, Avy, no pie for you tonight! Don’t chew on your nanny!”

As they scattered my two wives stepped beside me. Dash was the first to speak, “Still got that spark from your flight instructor days huh? Skies aren’t the only thing you bust.”

“Yeah, I was a real ball buster back in my, um, our air force days. I’ll let you two catch up for a bit. I’m gonna go watch our kids with the nanny,” I smiled at the two of them as they wandered off.

“I’m gonna hit the hot tub, you coming Rainbow?”

“Sure thing Pash.”

Despite the anarchy of my family I couldn’t help but feel a sense of peace wash over me.

“Hey Jet, Avy, Cloud. Let’s run a game of CounterStat. I’ll be the Game Master.”

They all gave a cheer as they settled around the dinner table. I got my books and tabletop screen set up as they scribbled down their characters.

Home… Finally home at last.
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