Unknown date, 1012 ALB. Somewhere in the Panthalassic Ocean.

The drums of war resound on the three continents, the changeling hosts rush forward against Equestria and its allies; the Kaiser's armies conquer Griffonia and dominate their enemies; and the forces of Khartinia, Colthage and Chiropterra challenge the hegemony of Aris in the sea, land and air.

The war for supremacy on their own continents has dragged this world into a vicious cycle where violence causes more violence.

“Hippogriffia is threatened by enemies on all fronts, Queen Novo wants you to join the army,” or something like that is what that poster stuck on the wall said when Sky Cluster saw it on the street, and driven by the emotion that every young brave, or otherwise stupid, adventurer of his time; had a great idea to join to the Royal Hippogriffian Navy Air Force, because why not?

In the name of "Queen and Country", he left his beloved behind and took that train.

At that station he left part of his heart in exchange for the promise of sending her letters.

“Oh Sky, if you only knew what you had gotten yourself into,” he always said the same thing when he faced death on several occasions in the sky over the seas, facing religious fanatics, some… catbirds?, and horses with stripes; all of them were as skillful in piloting as him.

Every air combat has been an absolute challenge, that's for sure.

“Oh Sky, what have you gotten yourself into now?” he scolded himself when that lunatic, I mean, lunarist fighter shot him and he shot him in return, damaging it as much as he damaged his plane.

That dogfight was a stalemate.

His plane started plummeting to the ground.

Just a few hours ago his squadron had left on a mission from the Trots and Canters Islands to Katren but his squadron was lost in a raging storm that was not supposed to be there on that route, it wasn't forecasted. Maybe it wasn't even the correct route, who knows.

Then they were intercepted by a chiropterran fighter squadron.

Now he had to jump out of a plane that no longer responded to him, those damn religious fanatics had shot them all down.

The mission and his squadron went to tartarus, but they took those lunatics with them, at least.

The jump from his plane was not at all graceful, in fact, it was quite bumpy, Sky Cluster spun many times in the air until he could take the rope of his parachute and begin to descend slowly.

"Is something," he thought, slowly descending towards the ground.

He could have used his wings, I mean, that's why he was born with them, but the truth is that was the last thing he was thinking when he saw that lunatic's plane also fall and let out a dark-colored pony in the distance.

The Hellcat he was piloting crashed savagely on a beautiful white sand beach on an island that Sky didn't even remember existed on this patrol route, it wasn't on the maps... damn, they really got lost in that storm.

The landing was a little softer than his jump, at least.

Panting, he took off his aviator hat and looked at the sky above, seeing a plane very similar to the ones from Equestria plummeting, although this plane had a moon painted on its side; its occupant was further away, slowly falling towards that same beach.

He immediately took off his parachute harness and ran to intercept the newly fallen creature.

Time to finish the job. He thought, while running through that beautiful beach.

He passed a dune and immediately stopped a few dozen meters away from his enemy, that dark-colored unicorn was now perfectly visible, after emerging from its parachute.

They looked into each other's eyes, both with adrenalines coursing through their veins.

The first thing the hippogriff thought was to take his M990 pistol and without checking his aim he fired his seven bullets on that unicorn.

And he saw that he couldn't hit a single shot, heck, he was so nervous that even his grandpa has better aim.

The unicorn, protecting himself with the little magic he was taught in training, he saw that not a single shot hit him, so he also took out his own pistol in response.

Sky began running to where he came from.

Thus began a chase along the beach: a hippogriff being chased by a unicorn whose nervous aim also failed to hit a single shot.

They ran towards the dense jungles of that island.

The unicorn, like a good legionnaire and pilot of Chiropterra, took out his saber, prepared to put an end to this heretic creature who was now running for his life in that leafy jungle that immediately surrounded them.

They run through a stream, a tree path, a crossing and many ferns that now led to an open before a cliff.

There Sky Cluster stopped, on the edge of the void, with the afternoon sun and a valley at its feet; he would stop to admire the landscape if it weren't for the unicorn that wanted to kill him with a huge saber in his back.

He felt his presense behind, that lunatic is willing to cut his throat but wanted to face his victim first.

“This hippogriff is gonna fight." He told himself. "Sky Cluster's not gonna die without a fight."

So he turned around and faced the lunarist, face to face. They both looked clearly exhausted.

He saw the legionnaire's sword that the pony was carrying, the moon carved into the metal of the blade could clearly be seen, as well as the somewhat smug face of his adversary, who now had the advantage over him.

So, he entrusted himself to Aris, the Gods, Celestia, or basically whatever he could think off.

He tried to run, but he was already cornered, a few sword blows here, a stab here, but he dodged them; his mind and heart working at full speed to avoid being stabbed by that weapon.

After the pony went straight to the chest, Sky stopped that sharp blade with his own bare claws.

Searing pain reached his brain, seeing his claws not stopping the sword, blood gushing from between his claws and the blade as the saber came dangerously close to his heart.

With a cry of despair he managed to take advantage of the momentum that the sword bearer had, dodging it, causing the pony to lose his sword on the spot.

Thus, with a well-aimed blow to that horse's face, he took it to the ground, falling together.

However, the lunarist had more tricks; so he took out a knife.

Sky was able to stop his attacker's hoof before the knife he was carrying could touch him.

Now it was upon him, there was no escape.

The edge of the weapon approached his neck and thus, Sky Cluster accepted his fate.

Suddenly a gigantic hand rose from below the cliff, grabbing the edge with a tremendous stomp.

The fight was stopped immediately to look at the hand.

Suddenly a second hand reached up to grab the edge next to them.

Now frightened by the sudden appearance of something they would describe as a huge ape that stood much taller than them and was scaling the cliff.

The pony, stupefied, dropped his knife and stopped applying pressure on his enemy.

Sky Cluster, equally dumbfounded, stared at the enormous animal that had just appeared in front of them.

It seems like there's always a bigger fish.

Author's Note

Well, it's been a semester of writing, hope you like this start.
New Chapter every week!