EASA - Friendships Forged in Fire

by Star Scraper

Rating: everyone
Tags: Gilda, Adventure, Slice of Life, Main 6, Princess Luna, Original Character, My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, Comedy
Length: 16105

Mane 6 and others fight to become the best ponies alive to save Equestria from Discord and griffons.

[NOTE: Will be majorly overhauled and renovated in years to come. Currently on Hiatus for "A World Apart"]

With the seeds of disharmony and hate slowly growing, Discord becomes stronger and stronger, and the griffons are ready to take Equestria's fertile lands by force once their disunity makes them weak enough to be overpowered in war.

The world, technology, ponies, griffons, and the mane 6 will all be taken to their very limit, and then further, and further still until they break, so they can become the best, to do the impossible, and to stop the inevitable war.

Their weaknesses and shortcomings must be burned out, grievances cast aside, and the friendships forged in fire, and hardened like steel, or else the entire world will fall into war and chaos.

Published 2012-07-25 02:44:03 UTC
Last updated 2012-07-25 02:44:03 UTC

The Idea, A Hope

Celestia stood on her balcony in Canterlot, overlooking a portion of the city and the distant valley rimmed by mountains. She felt the cold air, and watched the gentle white snowfall, backdropped by the dark evening clouds.

How could my subjects forget so easily? She thought.

Every winter they're reminded, by Hearth's Warming Eve, how important it is that they keep their love and friendship for eachother warm, and the terrible things that happen when that love grows cold.

She sighed.

How could my subjects forget so easily?

The mild bickering, over such small matters, slowly wearing down the bonds of friendship. Then came distrust, and envy, and anger, then...

She cringed.

Hate.

In the street far below, a pony walked briskly on an empty sidewalk, cautiously glancing at the unicorns on the other side of the street, keeping her distance.

They never used to fear eachother...

Once, I wouldn't even have to search, anywhere I looked, my sight would land on a pegasus...

She looked around all of her view of the city before she finally spotted one.

The pegasus was arguing with a unicorn. After a minute of back and forth bickering, the unicorn handed the winged pony a small pouch of coins, only then did the pegasus fly up, sloppily clear a small patch of clouds, then landed to receive another small pouch of coins. Both walked away with spite.

Celestia's eyes were wet.

They used to have such pleasure in serving one another, such love...

A malicious voice echoed from behind: "You know, it's only a matter of time... Hahahahaha!" Celestia's blood ran cold. Discord!

"Discord! What do you want!?"

"Why, only some fun, my dear Celestia! And not to be frozen in stone by your little -ponies!... But no matter. I think you would've learned by now, you can imprison me in stone all you want, it's just another delay, in the end, I'll always come out to play! Don't you get it, Celestia? How could you not? I thought you were so much smarter than this!"

"And every time you come out, you return to your prison. Don't you get that? Aren't you smarter than to keep fighting for something so vile as chaos?"

"Oh, but where's the fun in giving up on that? You see, you turn me into stone, and there's harmony then I break out, and there's Discord! It's just another cycle, like night and day. Your little ponies get tired of friendship and harmony, then it's my turn! And... I think it's my turn, now!"

"Then why don't you show yourself?!"

In the street below, the same earth pony that was afraid, suddenly lightened up, ran towards a unicorn, and they cheerfully greeted eachother, both smiling and talking, then laughing together.

Discord was silent.

What is he up to now?

Celestia returned to her chamber, closing the balcony doors behind her, and approached an enormous candle-lit map of Equestria. In three different places, near the Equestrian border, were clumps of wooden figures of griffon Avian army commanders, with pegasi soldier figurines spread across Equestria.

If Discord is strengthened by disharmony as I suspect, then this war will make him unstoppable. At least he'll be playing games with reality, instead of so many dying in this war.

She looked over the map. In place of one of the gryphon figures was Discord, dressed as the griffon supreme general.

"Oh, look! It's the fertile lands of Equestria! Weakened by disharmony! Let's make it ours!"

All the wooden gryphon figures came to life, slid onto the map, and started to tear apart the wooden figures of pegasi soldiers, then they tore apart newly appeared unarmed pegasi figures, and then earth ponies, unicorns, fillies - A small war of wooden figures erupted on the map, unicorns using magic, earth ponies using weapons.

Broken figures and wood splinters almost covered the map. Celestia took a few steps back, rearing in horror. With a surge of magic from her horn, the wooden atrocities returned to their original forms, all except Discord.

"This is wonderful!" Said the chimaeran wooden figure. "The only thing I love more than making chaos, is watching others make chaos for me! Oh, it's so cute to watch little mortals wreak what havoc they can!"

The figure shot back to normal, only an instant before Celestia froze it in stone.

"Oh, that was close! You little cheater! You're supposed to need the elements to do that!" his voice echoed form nowhere.

"You're weak, Discord! You're still not as strong as you used to be!"

"Looks like you aren't as dumb as you look! Oh, fine, fine! But It's only a matter of time... When they fight, I'll grow in might! And you'll be running from ME! Just like old times, Celly! Oh, hahahaha! I can't wait!"

* * *

Scootaloo's scooter was up in the top of a tree.

Applejack looked in awe at the scooter, as Fluttershy hovered nearby. "How... In all of Equestria did it end up up there?" AJ asked.

"I told you! The ramp!" Scootaloo replied.

Applebloom and Sweetie Belle nodded.

"Sugercube, no ramp would ever launch a scooter that high up there. How fast were ya goin'?"

"Rainbow Dash fast!"

"Huh. Well, I'll go get some rope and see what I can do."

A few minutes later, a scooter, and a length of rope sat tangled up in the tree.

Applejack sighed.

"You musta been goin' fast, I've never picked an apple stuck in a tree THAT tight!"

"What's going on down here?" Rarity trotted down from her nearby house. "What's with all this noise?"

"Well, Scootaloo fell off her scooter pulling a stunt, and it ended up up there. And she hasn't seen Rainbow Dash all day, and Fluttershy wasn't strong enough to pull it out."

Fluttershy, embarrassed, sheepishly grinned at Rarity.

Rarity sighed. "Oh. Alright, then. This shouldn't be too hard..."

Her horn glowed, they could hear and see the magic tugging on the scooter... She strained harder... Even harder, straining with effort. But to no avail. It was firmly stuck in the tree.

"Good heavens! What were you doing to get it so stuck in there!?"

"Oh, it's not her fault, she was just having some fun." Fluttershy defended.

"Let's go get Twilight, she's a mighty good spellcaster. Maybe she can do somethin'." Applejack said.

* * *

As the sun set, it cast dim orange light on the scene of a scooter stuck in a tree, a surprised and hurt Pinkie Pie picking briars out of her mane, a young pony without her most prized possession in the world, and seven ponies and a baby dragon, all almost ready to give up for the day.

"We could just wait until Twilight gets back and she can just teleport it out of the tree." Fluttershy said.

Scootaloo eyed her with a pitiful, sad, almost crying face.

"...Or we could just keep trying."

"When did you say Twilight was getting back from that 'field trip' of hers?" Applejack asked.

"She's gathering some rare herbs from Zachora for some experiment. She said she'd be back by sunset." Spike replied.

They looked up to see the orange sun hanging low in the sky. A small streak of color flew overhead, stopped, and came back.

"Rainbow Dash! Where have you been this whole time!" Scootaloo shouted up at her.

"Uhh... I was just with some friends in Cloudsdale." The pegasus replied.

"R.D. We've been needing your help here all day." There was concern in Applejack's voice.

"Well I'm sorry! Is there a reason I can't have any pegasus friends?"

"I'm a pegasus..." Fluttershy said.

"Is there something wrong with having fun with pegasus friends in Cloudsdale?"

"Rainbow Dash, would you be so kind as to help us please? Scootaloo lost her scooter in there." Rarity asked, nodding towards the tree.

"Alright, why didn't you say so? Get ready for a Dash of Rainbow!" She flew back, rearing back to shoot through the tree.

"Wait! Don't break it in half!" Scootaloo said.

"Oh, yeah... Haha..." She flew closer.

She reared back, then dashed towards the tree in a streak of color.

"WAAIIIT!" Pinkie Pie screamed.

Rainbow Dash came to a screeching halt right in front of the tree.

"What, Pinkie!?"

"It's full of sharp, prickly, ouchie briars!"

Rainbow was shocked.

"And why did no-one ELSE tell me first?"

"Heh heh, I guess I just kinda forgot..." AJ said.

"Okay, we can still do this, though!" Rarity said.

She was silent for a moment. She eyed the tree from top to bottom, looked at everypony as she got lost in thought...

"Idea! Applejack, you use that rope to pull on that big limb, to clear a way to the scooter. I'll use my magic to move the briars out of the way, Pinkie Pie can squeeze in there and grab the scooter, then Rainbow Dash can pull Pinkie Pie, and the scooter, out."

"You want me to go back in the briars!" Pinkie Pie exclaimed.

"Uhm... Yes?..." Rarity nervously said.

Pinkie Pie glared at Rarity.

She smiled back nervously.

The glare continued.

Now Rarity's smile was a nervous grin.

"Oke doke loke!" She said, smiling back.

Rarity sighed with relief.

"That's a brilliant idea, Rarity!" AJ exclaimed.

"But it's getting dark! How are any of you gonna see anything?" Applebloom asked.

"I'll be right back! Wait right here!" Rarity trotted off to her nearby house, and shortly returned with a lamp.

"Fluttershy, hold this lamp, please. Now, is everypony ready?" They all nodded.

"Then let's go... Ready... Now!"

Applejack lasso'd the thick limb, struggling as she pulled it back. Rarity moved all the briars away with magic, making a clear path to the scooter. Pinkie Pie zipped in. "Ow! Ow!" She stepped on some briars. "Mhhmmm! Mhmm!" Applejack grunted through the rope in her mouth as she strained to keep the branch back. "I'm hurrying!" Pinkie replied, grabbing the scooter. "Now, Rainbow Dash!"

"With pleasure!"

Rainbow Dash grabbed Pinkie Pie, and pulled her and the scooter free from the tree, just as Applejack fell forward, the limb snapping back in place. Rainbow Dash, Pinkie Pie, and a scooter landed in the grass, a short distance away from Twilight Sparkle, as she was emerging from the woods with a lantern and a bag of herbs. They all laughed.

"Wow, guys! I forgot how cool you could all be! I guess you don't have to be a pegasus to be awesome!" Rainbow Dash exclaimed. They all grinned with joy and hugged, Scootaloo ecstatically bounced up and down with excitement.

"I can't go to sleep now! We should all celebrate with an all-night slumber party together! We haven't all been together in, like, ever! Come on, Twilight!" Pinkie shouted to Twilight, who had just appeared from the forest. The unicorn smiled. It's been too long since I've seem them all this happy together...

Way too long...

-{[Luna]}-

Celestia spoke to me as we walked: "Thousands of years of knowledge and wisdom... I believe I've read almost every book in this library. And we've both read many more, many that no longer even exist... Many things we've written are now nothing more than myths, legends, and old mare's tales, Luna."

"Then, we will have to write some new histories!" I gleefully answered.

We stopped in the middle of the library.

"New history, is what we're here for. For your next lesson, I want us to work together to bring the ponies of Equestria back together, to weave their hearts back into one, and rekindle the flame of friendship."

I had barely managed to get them to not fear me! How was I supposed to help Celestia unite all of Equestria, when I couldn't even unite a single village, without the help of the bearers of the Elements of Harmony?

"Me? How can I help you? You're so much wiser..." I felt the shame of my rebellion, so long ago. My eyes were wet. I turned towards the floor. "I will always be a fool compared to you..."

She cast a warm smile at me, one that I could feel.

"Luna, how many times need I remind you? Never forget you are forgiven, little sister..." I faced her again. She continued; "Now, we need to find some way to unite Equestria. First, what brings ponies together?"

There was a short pause.

"I... don't know..." I answered.

"Your highness, your honor, the Appaloosa v. Flim Flam case awaits your jurisdiction." said a colt in a red vest, walking in.

"I thought you were going to stay here with me..." I said.

"Luna, I told you we would go to the library... And you would learn a lesson. How could you learn if I did it for you?"

"Couldn't you... help?"

"Luna. I know full well you can do this.", She put her hoof on my shoulder "Have a little more confidence. I know you can do it." she turned and walked out the doors.

When the doors closed, the library was dark, the skylight overhead only let in starlight.

I sighed in the cold air, suddenly felt my eyes become heavy, and sat down.

I couldn't help but think. How could I ever hope to do this? An entire library of books, and a mission to change the course of history. I shivered, it suddenly seemed so much colder as I thought about it.

How much longer will I have to wait for Celestia?

I sighed, and, lying down, rested my head on the ground, and felt my eyes growing heavy... No! I am not going to fall asleep! I have a mission to do for Equestria, and for Celestia!

But the questions came back, running through my mind.

Where can I even begin?...

The last question, what brings ponies together?...

I'll answer that! I'm in a library!

I shot up, and trotted towards the non-fiction section.

* * *

I woke up, lifting my snout out of the latter end of an open book on the floor, with a low-burned candle nearby and another stack of two books on psychology.

Where?...

For a few moments I sat in total, drowsy-delirious confusion. Then I suddenly remembered - The library!

I expected to see sunlight coming in from the skylight, but instead, it was still only starlight, with a faint hint of dawn. I yawned.

I may have fallen asleep, but I got what I needed from the books.

Thank you, William Manes! I mentally said as I put the books away.

William Manes had written that "Wherever you are it is your friends who make your world.", so maybe, I should do the reverse. I should make the world, friends. Or, I guess, Equestria.

But how do I make all of them friends? I can't make them all suddenly treat eachother more nicely.

In a green flash, a scroll appeared in front of me, with a note attached. I read the note:

"I do not trust Equestria with a ruler too tired to keep her eyes open! - So off to sleep for me, sister, I am afraid I can stay awake no longer. Although I can't help you for now, I have read this letter, and I believe it will help you, so I have sent it to you. (what are my students doing sending me letters this early in the morning?)

Your sister, Celestia"

I curiously opened the scroll.

"Dear Princess Celestia, it has been far too long since we have sent you a letter! But today we remembered how magical friendship is, and how wonderful it is! We had taken each other for granted, and forgotten how much we mean to each other. But today yesterday we all had to work together to help Scootaloo get her old scooter out of a tree, and by all of us being together with a common goal, something that was impossible to do alone, that was so very incredibly hard, but together we worked hard and pulled through and remembered how fun it is to work, and be, together.

Your faithful students,

Applejack, Fluttershy, Rarity, Pinkie Pie, Rainbow Dash, Twilight and Spike."

My jaw dropped open. This was about how to bring friends back together again! This is exactly what I needed! But it wasn't written clearly... I have to analyze this to find out exactly what happened, I thought to myself. How is it they "came together"? What did they mean by "together we worked"? Maybe I can even write back to them and ask...

* * *

I yawned as I woke up. This time I remembered everything as I woke up, evidenced by the small stack of psychology books, an enormous pile of historical books I had skimmed through, the parchment, quill pen and scrolls and letters from and to Twilight Sparkle...

But I was snug under a blanket, and had no idea where it came from, or the cup of hot apple cider sitting beside me...

But I couldn't help but grin, lying in a cozy corner of the library, covered with a blanket, drinking hot cider, with an orange morning sun shining on me through the skylight.

Morning? It is hard to tell if it is a morning sun or an afternoon sun, but there's no way I could have slept all night... I thought as I took a sip from the cup.

"Luna," came Celestia's voice. "You are becoming as involved in your studies as Twilight Sparkle was! Do you like the cider?"

She gave it to me! I smiled. "Yes, thank you."

"Good. It was the least I could do, all of your ideas are brilliant. And you have been most devoted to your work! Now, it is time you have a little rest. I am very, very proud of all the hard work you've done, you may have saved Equestria."

I started rambling;

"But, I'm not done. I'm onto something now, I've read about these cycles in pony history, big huge achievements like building Canterlot, a marble city on the side of a mountain! Or, the first railroad to connect all of Equestria through the bison deserts, and every time all the ponies are together on it, and they feel excited and united! We just need a big thing to do, and they can feel united again! But I'm trying to find out what, I've looked at bridges, railways, no need for any amazing cities like Canterlot..."

Now I started to feel confused. It was while I was looking at all that had been done, trying to find a new idea, that I had fallen asleep.

It was all too complicated, there were so many different complicated factors that had factors and they all connected to different things and other factors...

"Luna, I know what you know, you have written quiet a bit, and I have been writing to Twilight, as well, especially since earlier today. I'm very, very proud of all you've done."

Now, bowing, and me bowing back, she tapped her horn on my shoulder, my eyes were wet as she honored me with this graceful gesture, I felt the warmth of her warm smile once more, but so many times stronger.

"But now, your work is finished... for now. I know what we will do, Luna. And I think some of the local ponies want this section of the library back."

I blushed a little.

Three ponies carefully peeped around the bookcase at the end of the row, carefully peering at the two regal alicorn monarchs.

I started to get up from my sleep, "Oh, no, there's no hurry, you can finish your cider first, if you want." She smiled good-humourdly and walked off, almost brushing the small, intimidated ponies.

"Good afternoon" she calmly told the trembling ponies as she passed.

They must be awfully shy!... Wait, did she say afternoon?

-/[Gilda]/-

I stood, facing down into the mud, the rain pouring on me, dripping down my light helmet onto the ground. Beak open, I was wide-eyed and panting. I couldn't believe I had done it. I lifted my right claw and looked at it. Weak! Weak! I looked up at the earth pony running away in the distance.

I still couldn't do it. I couldn't get myself to chase down the innocent creature, and end her life. When she had seen me land, and I pinned her into the ground, that was my chance to kill the witness, so I could complete the mission.

But I lost that chance. There's no doubt my light armor and battle claws were a dead giveaway, and soon pegasi soldiers would be coming after me, and whatever information our informant had on Equestria's soldier movements, wouldn't make it back to Avia.

My tears were lost on my soaked face.

What can I fail at next? Oh, yeah, Gilda, you can kill alright, you can kill helpless tied up griffon prisoners, but not pony civilians!

I knew I could fly away. I had to inform the rest of the troop to go back to Avia, that the mission was compromised.

But I couldn't get myself to do it.

Instead, I just stood, trembling in the rain. This wasn't me. I'm a jerk, but not a killer...

This is it I told myself. This world gets rid of me now. A jerk, a coward, a weak excuse of a soldier... I looked at my prestigious bronze-plated armor, earned by the blood of anarchists, in defense of order in Avia. An elite soldier? Who am I kidding? I'm no soldier. I have no honor, no courage, no excuse to keep breathing.And some part of me knew I was fighting for a ruthless kingdom...

In the distance, through a cluster of trees, I saw two fillies running and playing in the mud. I could see them, I had the eyes of an eagle, but they could not see me. They were laughing, rolling, playing in the mud with eachother.

What kind of cruel world is this?

It reminded me of when I had known Rainbow Dash at flight camp.

Things were so different... She was just a filly, then, and I was an innocent chick.

That was before Krugen had taken the Avian throne, before the anarchists, before I was stuck working for the abusive Kona at the butcher's shop...

Before I tried moving back to Ponyville, and was forsaken by the only true friend I had ever had. And I knew I deserved every bit of it.

I was a jerk then. But at least I wasn't a killer.

There were five notches on my shoulderplates, yet most of the anarchists I had won against, many more than five, would live to fly again. But those few notches weren't murder, that was policing, keeping order in Avia... It was the captured, bound, unarmed anarchist, and Tura's demands I prove my loyalty to Avia that had made me a killer. And it was then, in my anger at having done the deed and betrayed what little integrity I had left, I tore the promotion scroll she had given me in half, then I was assigned these insanely dangerous missions.

It was all a dead end. Like the clouded sky, hopeless. I had betrayed my only true friend, and deserved her rejection, I tried to become strong, and I became a coward and a griffon murderer. It was now time, I was ready to die in battle and leave this disgusting world behind.

The rain stopped, I cleared my eyes and scanned the sky for pegasi, but saw something else. I gasped in amazement; in such darkness as the storm, I had forgotten it's sheer beauty: a distant hole in the clouds let out a brilliant beam of pure, bright, azure sunlight, revealing the beautiful billowing sides of the white ethereal cumulus mountains far above.

The rain started again, the hole quickly closed, and now I saw the small team of armed pegasi approaching.

My heart was racing.

I spread my wings ready for flight.

Old Friends, Old Enemies

Twilight's heart was racing as she walked through a masterfully decorated white hallway of the Canterlot palace. The others were struggling to keep up without running, Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy had given up on walking altogether and flew alongside them instead.

Rarity was eying all the fine décor as she walked.

Applejack trotted up alongside Twilight.

“Twilight, why won't you just calm down already?” she asked.

Pinkie Pie was bouncing alongside them, oblivious of Twilight's anxiety.

“Ugh. Why is nobody listening to me!? I've just been writing all these letters back and forth about us getting together again and psychology and big things in history and then suddenly we're all called to Canterlot, told that we'll be moving – I don't know what's going to happen but it's not going to be good!”

“Well it can't be too bad.” Applejack said.

Rainbow Dash leaned in.

“Yeah! This is just like that time you got all worked up over sending in your letter to princess Celestia late.”

“No! This is serious! She wants to see us in person! Do you know what this means!?”

“No, what does it mean?” asked Pinkie.

“I don't know, but it can't be good!” Twilight was almost yelling as she stopped in front of the huge doors that led to the grand hall of Canterlot tower. She stood at the door for a few moments, frozen.

“Well it can't be too bad -” Pinkie said; “if she had us bring our stuff, and had a courier take it from the train station to-” “Canterlot suites!” Rarity finished.

“Can't be too bad!? We packed our stuff! We're moving! But we don't know where! That's bad! That's very, very bad!”

“Calm down, sugercube, it'll be alright as long as Celestia's in charge.”

“That's right. Celestia won't do anything too bad, like send the army after us or anything.” Dash finished.

Pinkie Pie jumped in front of the ponies and opened the two large doors.

Celestia, a tan colt with a black mane and a pegasi general all stopped talking and turned to them.

Twilight's heart skipped a beat when she saw the general. They all froze, wondering if Twilight could have been right. Fluttershy's wings snapped against her body as she hovered, crashing her into the ground.

“I – huda – bububi...” Twilight tried to get something out of her trembling lips.

Celestia turned to the general; “You have your orders, general.”

“Yes, your highness.” the general bowed and trotted towards them.

The general approached, nodded towards them, and walked by, feeling somewhat uncomfortable at all the wide-eyed stares, and continued down the hall away from them.

Celestia turned to them with earnestness in her voice: “Thank you all for coming. Please, come inside.”

They'd just been standing just outside the doors. As they walked in, the enormous doors closed behind them. Twilight had finally stopped shaking.

“Celestia, is this about us being apart for so long, and the griffons, or the elements, are the elements okay!?”

“All that matters is that your friendship for each other is strong again. As for why you're here, it's about the griffons, the elements, harmony, and Discord.”

Their blood ran cold at the last word.

“Look!” Pinkie Pie said. She was pointing at the stained glass window, that had shown them defeating Discord with the elements – now Discord's figure was in a dancing pose, grinning at the figures of the ponies, which were posed violently fighting griffons. Fluttershy shrieked.

“Tell me Discord isn't! -” Rainbow Dash's trembling voice exclaimed.

Celestia responded; “No, not like before.” She looked at the window. “Last time, he had been rebuilding strength from more than a thousand years, much of his strength he had built from the discord in-between the unicorns, pegasi, and earth ponies before the foundation of Equestria. All it took to free him again was me and Luna's disconnection from the elements, and a small disharmony in his presence. But when you defeated him, he was striped of his magic and power once more. Something – someone has set him free again. But this time he's weak.”

“Oh, but not forever.” All of them froze at his voice.

“Oh, yes, I'm back, and maybe not quiet as... magnificent as before. But this time, I don't need to be!” he finished with glee.

“Discord!” shouted Celestia

“What? Didn't expect me at our old meeting spot? How about another game, Celestia's little ponies? Oh, but this is so much fun! I don't even have to -” “Discord!” Celestia shouted. “Give up now! You've already lost! Twice!”

“So, so rude Celestia!”

“I already told you – nopony insults the princess!” Rainbow Dash shouted.

“You remember! And how did that go for you, Rainbow Dash? Not very well. Kind of like when you tried to join the Wonderbolts, right? Hahaha!”

The pegasus was left gawking speechlessly.

“She'll make it in the Wonderbolts one day!” Fluttershy exclaimed in a soft voice.

“Oh, my! You've changed quiet a bit, Fluttershy! Quiet a monster you are now! Have you finally decided you've been kind for too long?”

The horrors of Iron Will came back to her gentle pegasus' mind as she dropped low and whimpered.

“What do you want this time, Discord?!” Twilight yelled as Pinkie and Rarity moved to comfort Fluttershy.

“Oh, there we go! Go get'em Twilight! I only want some fun, of course, but first, may I speak, most noble Celestia, so we can all know the rules of the game?”

“Speak, Discord!”

With a flash of light, the metal-rimmed stained glass figure of himself appeared in front of Celestia. He spoke quickly: “Now, no turning me into stone right now, you specifically said;” Celestia's voice echoed from the past “'speak, Discord!', which means -” His figure grew and expanded, in a moment the towering, terrible draconequus of the real Discord stood in front of them “- by your little rules – honor, you call it –” he wiggled a finger at them  “-you can't touch me while I speak!” He began to shuffle-dance in front of them.

Rainbow Dash growled.

He shot next to Pinkie and leaned close to her “Oh, little ponies, it's been far too long since we've played together! And I brought a friend, too! Oh, I'm so proud! Everyone say hello!-”

Discord waved his hand, behind it appeared a very young purple earth pony with a curly mane, wearing a propeller cap.

“-to Screwball!”

They looked in awe, her eyes had an insane look of confusion, yet she talked and moved like any other excited young pony.

“Oh, daddy, are these your little ponies?”

She zipped like a slower Pinkie Pie from one to the next.

Celestia was indignant; “Enough, Discord! What are you here to say!?”

“Oh, I have so much to say! But if I remember – you called me weak! But I have a different game to play now!”

“Is it baseball!?” Screwball asked ecstatically.

Discord's expression dropped flat. “No.”

“Aww.”

“It's far more chaotic than that!”

Screwball shrieked with joy.

“What have you done to my little pony, Discord!?” Celestia asked in fury.

Screwball backed up to Discord, scared of Equestria's monarch.

Celestia's expression shrank to horror and sorrow, tears welled in her eyes to see one of her own beloved subjects cower in true mortal fear of her. Screwball's eyes showed nothing but pure terror at the alicorn, total removal from her benign monarch's love.

“Oh, why do you get to call every pony yours but I don't get any, Celestia? It's just not fair. She didn't just choose me over you, princess celery-” He grabbed the twisted pony and hugged her like a small doll while she grinned in delight. “She set me free! My little pony!”

He vanished, dropping Screwball onto the ground. She recovered and grinned.

Twilight started: “But, how!? It would take a powerful magic to...” she trailed off, lost in thought.

“And that's the fun of it all!” Discord took their attention again, lying comfortably on a hammock of cloud by the ornate columns, looking down on the ponies.

“I can't twist reality quiet like I used to – in fact, I believe I might even have less umph than Twilight. Defeating an Ursa Minor! Bravo! – but I don't have to be so strong anymore! You ponies and griffons are doing all the work for me! Oh, and the chaos, the chaos and discord!”

Screwball started hopping up and down with glee.

“And that's the rules of our new game. I don't have to play, but you do! And once the war's over, there will have been plenty of chaos for me to grow – oh so strong off of!” He flexed his muscles, Screwball grinned and nodded.

“How base.” Rarity said.

“Then, maybe we can play some games just like old times! Well, if you survive the war. But there'd be no fun in that if – you know – I protected you or anything. But after it's over, and whether you're alive or not, I can return Equestria to it's original state of Discord!”

“State of Discord!” Screwball started laughing hysterically.

“He's so funny! How can you not love him?! What's wrong with all you ponies, that you hate Discord so much!?” Screwball yelled, straight at Celestia, who gasped with shock.

Discord flew down, “Yes, what's the fun in all your harmony, why do you do it?”

The regal alicorn responded in a warm, powerful tone; “Harmony is powerful, fundamental love, a kind of unity with the universe and an affection you-”

Screwball started making silly, mocking faces. Discord laughed. “Oh, Celestia, you're such a bore!” With a flash and an echoing laugh, he was gone.

“Daddy!?” Screwball called.

“DADDY!” She screeched, and started crying.

She suddenly stopped crying, and grinned.

“Daddy wants me to teach you ponies about discord!” she said ecstatically.

“Oops. I wasn't supposed to say that out loud... Will you be my friends? And we can all be Discord's friends!”

They all looked, wide-eyed and horrified. Twilight stepped forward, and placed her horn on Screwball's head. There was a flash of light. She grinned, the memory spell worked!

Screwball looked her in the eyes with a blank, dizzy look.

There was a pause. Twilight was grinning.

Screwball laughed hysterically.

“What was that supposed to do?!”

“Ca- can I come out now?” They all turned to see the unicorn colt, trembling, coming out from behind a column.

“Oh, Doctor Hoofcolt! I'm so sorry.” Celestia said to him.

He looked at Pinkie Pie.

“Is that – is that that Screwball thing?”

“No! I'm Pinkie Pie!”

Screwball laughed again, a horrible laugh that stole everypony's attention.

Celestia turned back to the ponies. “I'm sorry about the interruption. We have important business to attend to, my ponies. Screwball – these are grave and important matters – allow us to speak.”

“But it'll be so boring!”

“Screwball, you must allow us to speak in peace.” she said in a more assertive tone.

Screwball looked up at the towering, intimidating figure.

“Okay...”

Celestia continued;

“Discord grows ever stronger off of the strife and disharmony in the world. Twilight, those letters you wrote with me and Luna are about finding the solution and how to bring Equestria back together, uniting us once more. Luna's research confirmed everything I thought, to unite Equestria, we will all be joined together in a single mission to do what's impossible, and it will be unrelated to the threat of war. My hopes are, when they see what life has to offer aside from war, war will lose their interest, and maybe even the griffons can be united in this endeavor. My ponies, before the decade is out, we will send ponies to Mars, and return them safely to our world of Terra.”

“Silly princess!” Screwball said. “Why will they care? What fun is hearing about some ponies going off somewhere? - in space!” she giggled.

“The princess told you to be quiet!” Rainbow Dash shouted.

Screwball cowered.

“I appreciate your loyalty, Rainbow Dash, but the bearers of the elements of harmony must not be afraid to ask questions. And Screwball did ask a good question. And the answer is exactly why I've chosen you six to go.”

“What?!” They all jointly asked.

“You are heroes. You are the chosen avatars for the spirits of the elements of harmony. This is a powerful, deep magic that gives you an ability to connect with the entire world. When the entire world watches, and they see your unity, they will feel it themselves, and the friendship in your hearts will spread to theirs. I may be your ruler, but I alone cannot stop a war. The ponies and griffons must not want war anymore, and that is what this will do. You will represent all of us, the best of us, and as we watch, we will all feel your harmony, and feel the best part of us grow stronger within us.

“When they, all the world, sees the beauty and triumph of friendship and cooperation, they will all feel less like fighting each other, when they see how wonderful, how powerful friendship and cooperation really are. And the magic of the elements of harmony will make it so much more powerful, even. I feel sure, that this can prevent a war with the griffons, unify Equestria, and help to bring us all together in friendship, by making the entire world feel more unified. But only if you succeed, and if you stay faithful for the entire -” Celestia nodded towards the colt.

“Two years.” Hoofcolt finished. He continued:

“If we manage to pull it off...” Celestia looked at him. He froze for a moment and looked back. Then continued: “when we pull off this impossible deed, it will be a two year mission. That is the only way we can do it, because of the dynamics of spaceflight.”

“This is kinda like, 'From Equestria to Mars', isn't it?” Rainbow Dash asked.

“Precisely” Hoofcolt nodded, and smiled, “By Robert A. Haynlein. But not really. Lots of the technical details will be different. I don't know how we'll do it – it's impossible, but we'll do it.”

“Why not the moon?” Twilight asked. Everypony looked.

“Something about being a prison for a thousand years.” RD said in a flat tone.

“Oh, yeah, I guess that matters...”

“Twilight Sparkle,” Celestia turned to her protege, “for now, you are in charge of organizing the best scientists and engineers in Equestria, and you need to learn as much as you can, to join them in making the impossible, possible. But you will need to appoint someone to lead the engineers in your stead when you leave for Mars, and to do your work while you train and prepare. For that, I have summoned Dr. Hoofcolt. He will help you in every way that he can, and I believe you will agree he is the best pony to appoint for the task.”

“Yes, Princess Celestia.” She and the doctor replied.

“And many thanks for your kind words, I am greatly honored.” The colt added.

“I only say it because it's true.” the princess replied and nodded.

Celestia continued to all of them with earnestness; “This will decide whether Equestria falls into war, chaos, and discord -” Screwball sniffed, cheering up from crying, it sounded like “- or whether harmony and friendship are restored across the land. This world needs heroes to lead them, and you six will take that role. But to do this, you must become the very best in Equestria. For you -” she looked straight at Twilight and the doctor “-and you-” she looked back to the rest “- there will be times you think it is impossible to do, and you can't go any further. You will be pushed to your limits, and pushed even further. But I know you can do it. I want you all to promise you will never give up – the world is depending on you. I am depending on you, to save it.”

“We promise.” they all said in unison.

“I know you can do it. I've already ordered many of the most brilliant engineers and scientists, currently led by Luna, to go to the coastal city of Brighton. Me, some others and Dr. Hoofcolt have decided that Brighton will be the base for this program. Hoofcolt, familiarize Twilight with the basics of what we're doing, then you two can go to the library and help with the transfer.” Twilight's eyes lit up.

“As for the rest of you -” she turned to the weeping Screwball

“- you have a poor, twisted pony to teach the magic of friendship to. Tomorrow morning, though, an hour after dawn, everypony meet at the skyport. You will be going to Brighton, and meet Luna there.”

“Where will you be, Celestia?” Rainbow Dash asked softly.

“I will attend to Discord, and keep our own pegasi generals from starting war. They are certain it will happen, and that if we don't attack first, we will lose. I'm afraid they're right. If the war breaks out, and we don't attack first, we will lose. But even if we win the war, we have lost to Discord. That is the “game” he is playing with us. This means we are not attacking first. You know what that means.”

They all solemnly nodded.

“Good luck, ponies, Equestria is in your hooves.” She dipped her head, they bowed, and went their separate ways, five ponies pulling Screwball along with them, two discussing space travel, but all of them preparing to travel to Brighton.

~{Fluttershy}~

Me, the other ponies, and Screwball all walked along slowly through Canterlot's streets. Screwball walked with her shoulders slumped, bowed, she looked so sad. I felt pretty sad, too. I missed Angel and the other animals.

I think Pinkie Pie was too confused about Screwball to talk to her. Everypony was. Then it suddenly occurred to Applejack, that Celestia had called Screwball a pony. Before, everypony was thinking of her as some weird monster of Discord, but now, she saw that Screwball was just a pony like the rest of us. “So... Eh... Screwball, I'm Applejack, and this here is -”

“Yeah, I know who you all are. Ugh. Bearers of the Elements of Harmony. You're no fun at all. You hate fun.” Screwball interrupted.

“We love fun!” Pinkie Pie exclaimed. “In fact, tonight we should throw a big party to welcome Screwball!” She started bouncing up and down. “I brought the party cannon!”

“She has a cannon?” Screwball cheered up.

“Yes... Yes She has a cannon.” Rarity said.

“I never leave home without it!” Pinkie exclaimed, “And we're in Canterlot, so we can get all kinds of party goodies!”

“Who's going to pay for all that?” Rainbow Dash asked.

“Well – maybe we can't buy anything – so what? I still have a party cannon! We don't have to buy party goodies, I brought them with me! Party hats, balloons, poppers, a cake, we can play pin the tail on the pony, and twister and...”

She started rambling and I couldn't really understand her, because Rainbow Dash flew over to me.

“What's wrong Fluttershy?” she quietly asked me.

I guess I must've been really slumped over...

“Oh, nothing, it's just...”

“What?”

“I kind of miss Angel. I really hope all the woodland animals are alright without me.”

“I'm sure they're okay. Spike isn't that bad at watching them...”

I really didn't feel any better.

But Rainbow Dash seemed to think for a moment, then she quietly said “I'll tell Twilight to write Spike a letter, as soon as she comes back to our suite.”

“Oh, okay. Thank you Rainbow Dash!” I was really excited to hear about how all my animal friends were doing.

“And, Fluttershy... Uh... Thanks for standing up for me back there... To Discord, about the... You know... Bolts...”

I blushed.

“You're welcome.”

I just felt so good.

“You know you'll get in one day.”

“Yeah...”

She didn't sound too sure.

But at least I had done my best, and I did stand up for her, and I was still there for her.

- -{Twilight}- -

“So, what 'transfer' was Celestia talking about – 'help Hoofcolt with the transfer'?” I asked the doctor while we were walking out.

“We're moving a lot of relevant books to the library in Brighton – it's much easier to do engineering research on-site... So you're Twilight Sparkle, then? Celestia's star student?”

“Yes... That's me.” I laughed and blushed a little at the honor. It surprised me.

“What an honor it is to meet you! I'm doctor Robert Hoofcolt, as you've heard a number of times. Ph.D in engineering... From what I've read you're good in... Astronomy?”

I grinned, and felt a surge in confidence at his praise, and also remembered my telescope at the library in Ponyville, and all I had read and learned about the stars and space.

“Isn't this exciting! Engineering and astronomy together! We're actually going to another world!” I exclaimed. The doctor laughed, I was kinda embarrassed at the outburst.

He was about to say something, then stopped.

I waited for him to speak for awhile. As we strolled through the foyer and out the front doors of the Canterlot palace, he still hadn't said anything.

“I don't see how we're going to do it.” He finally confessed in a despaired voice. “I've run the calculations, analyzed the engineering – it's just not possible. Not with our technology. It's way over our heads – pardon the pun – it's just decades ahead of our technology. We need liquid hydrogen-fueled rockets, and we barely even have working kerosene-oxygen rockets! We're experimenting, and we've found some tricks, but we're still a long ways from even making it into orbit around our own world, Terra, never mind breaking free of it's gravity, going to Mars' orbit, entering orbit around it, landing, going back into orbit, then coming back to Terra. I just don't know how we're going to do it.”

It hurt to see him dejected like that. I couldn't help but feel that way, too, as he said it.

“Well, what's the problem? Can't our rockets do that?”

“It's all in the technical details you'll learn later – but that type of technology is far outside our reach. I don't even know where we could possibly begin to develop it. It's staggering. There's no easy answers, and we'll have to keep six ponies alive for two years in a sealed airtight can zipping through space – and we don't even know how dangerous space radiation or weightlessness is. It's just so far beyond us!... But, Celestia said we're doing it, and the world is depending on us, we can't say it's impossible – but I can't help but ask – how? How will we even know where to start?”

There was a pause in the speech. Our hooves clapped on the cool cobblestone road in the evening air. I looked up and saw straight down a street that went away from the cliffside. In-between the buildings I saw the setting sun, sinking towards the distant mountains on the far side of the valley far below.

Up until the moment Celestia asked Luna to accept her friendship, I never thought it would've been possible for Nightmare Moon to become good, and even become my friend! Going to Mars seemed beyond impossible now, but if Celestia said we could, I knew we could find a way.

But how?

“One step at a time.” I said. “That's how we'll do it... One step at a time.”

- / [ Gilda ] / -

It was so long ago. Rainbow Dash had the Wonderbolts, and I – I never really dreamed of any position or outfit – I just wanted to be great. There were no “Wonderbolts” in Avia.

After we reunited in Ponyville, and I messed up, I decided I wanted to be strong and control my anger, be strong and in charge of myself, so I joined the Avian military. It wasn't long before I heard of the rising star of Tura, and she quickly became my “Wonderbolts”, my idol, hero, role model, hope and dream.

It was her greatness that inspired me to stay, to fight my own way to greatness, that inspired me to keep pushing myself until I became an elite fighter instead of giving up, and eventually, my dreams came true, and I worked for her in the Elite Fighters Division.

Words cannot express the pride I felt at receiving the bronze-encrusted armor. Even if it was the lower ranks of the elite fighters, I was in their league. And, oddly enough, I don't get it, but Tura chose me...

“Gilda...” Tura said, slowly shaking her head. “What am I going to do with this griffon?... Ever since I first heard of you, I knew what I know now. You're, agile, strong, fast, a great fighter. But you have the heart of a coward. Do you cringe when you eat fish?”

It was exactly the sort of comment I'd expect from her. The strong, tough nature of the best aerial killer alive was Tura's. The walls of her office – her office, she had an office! Not a barracks, or even a room in a barracks – were covered with awards, recognitions, and unaccepted promotion offers to the higher-ranked desk jobs in Avia's military. Tura would rather die than have her battle claws replaced with a pen.

I tried to gather a response to her question.

“I -”

“ - hope not, but I wouldn't be surprised if you did. Oh, I know what the report says, that the pony was far off, but that still didn't give you any reason to spare them. This is exactly why you had to pass that test. You have the claws, the wings, the fighting skills of a true griffon, but you have the weak heart of a pony! That little raptor of a friend you once had corrupted you!”

“Who do you think-”

“Rainbow Dash! That's who! The little cyan 'cutie mark'” she said with disgust “-flanked pegasus. Part of that weak program, where Gire wanted to make friends with those inferior creatures, and sent off perfectly good griffons to be indoctrinated in their society. You even surprised me, Gilda, I thought you had more guts than to spare a pony, but I think you're so deeply corrupted that you think of them as griffons! They are not! They are inferior! You should no more hesitate to kill a pony than to hunt and kill a fish!”

She could rant a little, but this took me by surprise.

I couldn't just sit back and take it. I had to respond.

“I am a fighter for Avia! I am no murderer-”

“Did I say you could defend yourself!? Did I?”

“No...”

“Then don't! This isn't a trial, Gilda, you are guilty. The mission called for you to kill a pony, a little pony, and you couldn't do it! What good are your fighting skills if you cower from the kill!? The officers almost laughed when I said, that because you hated killing a griffon, you'd shrink from killing a pony when it mattered. They thought I was exaggerating, to compare the two. And I wish I was! I knew from the beginning, when the report on you said you spared lives, that you were weak. But I also saw the potential. I care about how you preform, Gilda, and if I didn't, you know you'd be dead right now.”

Would that be so bad?

But maybe I do owe her for saving my life.

I definitely can't deny that she does care for me...

“How I preform”? Maybe that's the closest she'll ever get to saying it.

But it had to take guts to testify to a tribunal that I never said things that I actually did say...

Especially since it was her word against his...

She continued more calmly.

“Gilda. I want you to retake the test.”

“No.”

“It's going to be that way, then, is it?”

“It will be.”

“You'll never be promoted, and you'll always be frowned upon until you pass it.” Her voice was rising.

“I passed it! The griffon is dead!”

“But you did more than kill the griffon, and at the same time you did less. Nobody liked what they saw, and the reason is you didn't like what you saw. And I have a torn recommendation scroll to prove it.”

There was a silence.

“It was worth it.” I said.

“But was it worth a pony?” She spat the p-word.

“A pony is nothing less than a griffon!”

Tura furiously grabbed me over the desk, and pulled me close to her, and said in a quiet but intense tone;

“Listen closely, Gilda! Never say that within earshot of anybody but me! Never! Do you understand!? This isn't some kind of game, Gilda! They will kill you if they hear you say that! I saved your tail once because you couldn't keep your trap shut - and I don't know if I can do it again! If I try to save you from them again we'll probably both end up at the gallows!”

She was panting. I don't know if I've ever seen cool-headed Tura explode, or even get scared like that before. She had looked death in the face many times, and had always done so without losing her cool. It was both terrifying, and at the same time... It was like I was looking into her soul, like no other creature ever would, or ever could. What could I say? She just admitted she'd risk her life for me, after months of verbally and mentally abusing me, my role model finally implied she'd die for me.

“Say, 'Yes, Tura'!” She demanded.

“Yes, Tura.”

She pushed me back to where I was before she grabbed me, and regained her composure.

“Good! Now I have a new assignment for you, far from the Equestrian border, try to stay out of trouble this time, you little whelp...”

And she said it without the least bit of affection.

I almost breathed a sigh of relief.

Back to her usual self.

“I've got my claws on some classified info, and me telling you means you're committed to the assignment. The Platinum Bolt Engineers have built some grand, amazing new war machine...”

The Stage is Set

- - { Twilight } - -

The skyport station was bustling with all kinds of enormous crowds of ponies, a few donkeys, zebras, the occasional odd creature and even griffons, almost all carrying or pulling luggage. Enormous open windows and windowed skylights lit everypony as though there were no roof. The walls were enormous arched granite pillars, allowing the crowds, flying mailponies and fresh air to flow through the building, and making the bright blue sky almost as visible as if there were no walls. The grand clock in the center of the station rang noontime.

I sat, slouched over, next to a bulging, ill-packed suitcase and a small stack of bags, all around a numbered sign post, surrounded by six lively ponies. There was talking, excited chatting, but I could barely hear it all as my eyes drooped and my vision blurred. The sounds mixed in with the murmuring of the crowds...

It was like the sound of rain, putting me to sleep. It didn't help that I felt the warm sun from the skylight above. I was finally starting to get some rest, when I noticed Applejack galloping off into the crowd. She came back talking with a small blue pony with a black and red mane, both followed by a large gray pegasus colt.

“Twi! This here-” AJ poked the blue pony “-is Ratchet Wrench, he's an old friend of mine.”

I couldn't help but think Applejack must've had a lot of “old friends”.

“I'm Twilight Sparkle!” I said to both the new ponies.

“And I'm captain Ironfeather.” The pegasus introduced himself.  He had a large gray mane with a hint of blue, completed by a small white cap with a navy insignia on it.

“I'm captain of the Sapphire Skies. This is the right gate -” he glanced at the numbered post

“And you're Twilight Sparkle, so right this way, ma'm.”

As we started walking Ratchet grabbed some of Rarity's heavier luggage “I'll take this for you, lady Rarity.” He then turned to me, “Twilight! As AJ mentioned, I'm Captain Ratchet Wrench of the Equestrian Coast Guard, and you're the famed...” I must've slouched a little at that moment. “You look a bit tired.”

“I... Yeah, heh heh, don't worry about that, I'm fine. I'm what?”

“Celestia's personal student!”

“Oh, well... All six of us are...”

“Six?”

Pinkie popped in: “Oh! Let's introduce everypony!...”

We talked as we trotted towards an armored door flanked by guards, while Ironfeather remained aloof. A simple nod from him was all it took, and the guards stepped aside, while the doors seemed to open on their own.

We stepped outside onto fenced wooden piers, hanging off the side of Canterlot. A cool breeze hit us, and I felt a little dizzy at the extreme height and sheer cliff. The air felt cool, fresh and crisp, and the sun unusually warm. It was like being on a mountaintop.

All around us were small sprucewood ships attached to enormous linen and paper balloons, all tethered to the piers, with a few of the airships flying by far overhead. There was a metalic gleam at the opposite end of the Air Navy's piers, only just visible around the other Air Navy ships. I shot upright and awake. Could it be?...

“The Sapphire Skies... What type of ship is it?”

I was surprised that instead of Ratchet, Ironfeather turned back and answered;

“A very fine military ship. Made of aluminum-copper alloy. Metal. It's a ship-of-the-line, the first of it's class which has been named after it, the Sapphire-class airships. Two lightweight boilers drive four pivoted thirty-foot wide fans for speeds above twenty knots, armed with two 4-inch magazine-fed guns or more than one hundred fifty pegasi soldiers. She's a jewel of the aerial fleet, to be sure.”

I grinned wolfishly. It was enormous, absolutely dwarfing the others around it, looking centuries ahead of it's time, and it was. I grinned at it's enormous, powerful steam-powered  ultra thin linen-paper propeller fans at each side of the Gondola, underneath the six-hundred foot long, one-hundred twenty foot wide aluminum helium balloon with fins on the back. It was a true, modern airship.

The enormous balloon blocked out the sun as they approached the gangway set out towards an open door in the gondola. As we approached the temporary bridge, from inside the Gondola we heard off-key singing from a small feminine voice;

“The winds have welcomed us with softness.

The sun has blessed us with its warm hands.

We have flown so high and so well -”

Pinkie Pie darted inside and joined in;

“- that God has set us gently back into

the loving arms of mother Terra.”

We approached the bridge, and looked inside to see Pinkie singing with a small, dark-green pegasus, almost black, but with a thick, knotty cream-colored mane and a black cap. Her green eyes were bright with life as she cheerfully greeted us with a light Irish brogue: “Hey! 'tis a true pleasure to meet you! So you're the bearers of the Elements of Harmony? The select of Celestia! I'm your navigat'r, Trade Wind! Your rooms are...” she stopped as Ironfeather beamed at her.

“Oh, right. I told'em he would get to guide yall on-board. So I better... Eh... Go calibr'te some instruments'.” She flew out the door towards us, then disappeared over the top of the balloon, leaving Pinkie alone inside without a dance partner.

“Your rooms are inside and to the right.” the captain said.

The last thing I remembered was trotting across the gangway, into the dark, cozy metal gondola, and into a tiny sleeping compartment.

- - { Twilight } - -

I heard a lot of ponies talking a few rooms over. I yawned as I woke up, groggily checked a small mirror to make sure I looked alright, then walked down the tiny hall into the Gondola's foyer where it seemed everypony onboard was gathered, making a good deal of noise with their conversations. Outside the windows, I could see the late afternoon landscape and clouds slowly drifting by far below. I shivered as I felt the cold draft.

“Look who's finally awake.” Rainbow Dash remarked.

“You're the one that wanted me to stay up so late writing that letter last night.” I replied.

“You didn't have to deal with getting Screwball to go to sleep! She makes such a mess, and everypony had to help clean up!” Dash replied.

A burst of laughter came from the corner of the room from Pinkie and Screwball. They seem to get along pretty well I thought, with a little bit of worry. Then I comforted myself with the fact: There's probably not a pony in Equestria that Pinkie can't get along with.

“The altitude makes us non-pegasi tired. Less oxygen this high up. It's a proven fact.” I replied to Dash.

Trade Wind came in carrying a tray full of metal cups full of warm, dark liquid.

“Hot choc'late!” she said. “Because I know, non-peg'si get pretty cold, up this high.”

“Oooh. Hot chocolate.” Fluttershy grinned.

Rainbow turned and started talking to her.

I glanced out one of the many open windows, the ground was a good few thousand feet below.

Ironfeather looked at Trade Wind handing out hot chocolate. He sighed. “And Trade Winds is obviously not an Air Navy navigator.” I couldn't help but giggle a little. “There's no reason not to be nice, is there?” I pulled a cup over with magic and took a sip. Is this hot water? I looked at it. It had the color of hot chocolate, but tasted more like slightly bitter hot water with a little chocolate mixed in...

“How d'ya like it? I tried putting a little tidbit less mix innit, and less sugar in th' cocoa. Last time they said I put way too much in and n'pony liked it, though they tried to be p'lite and hide that they dinnit like it, but I could still tell.”

“Uhm... It's great.” I answered, and took another sip. It was kinda bitter, but I was just glad to drink something warm, and I prefer richer, dark chocolate anyways.

The tray now empty, and everypony served, the navigator set down the empty tray against the wall and joined in the conversation.

“And thats' why I didn't join th' Air Navy.” she said.

“What?” Ironfeather said in a flat tone.

“Oh, ya can't be yerself at all! That's why. You thought it was red'culous that I made everypone hot cocoa. That's just mean. I love it. And I think theh' love it, too.”

At that moment, Rainbow Dash's voice shot through a gap in the noise of conversation, loud and clear; “What is this, hot, bitter water?”

Trade Wind blushed.

“It's really nice to have a warm drink. You're right, Trade Wind, it is cold up here... At least for us non-pegasi.” I said, and made sure my glare in Rainbow's direction was very clear.

Trade seemed to recover a bit of confidence.

“Thank you greatly, Rarity.”

“You're welcome... But I'm Twilight Sparkle. Rarity is over there.”

“Oh... Heheh. Well, you're both unicorns, and from what I read...”

Trade was obviously embarrassed again.

“Don't worry about it, I hadn't introduced myself yet... I'm Twilight Sparkle.” I said and smiled at her. “So how come Trade Wind is the navigator on an Air Navy ship if she's not in the Navy?” I asked both of them.

“She has a special assignment from Celestia. She's filling the role of navigator just for this trip.”

Ironfeather continued; “No matter, Equestria needs the finest at a time like this, Trade Winds, and Wesland certainly does, too. You are one of the finest navigators there are. It's very rare to get a letter hoof-written from Celestia herself, and even more rare for a civilian to be assigned to a navy airship. You should...”

His voice kept going, but I stopped listening when I noticed Rarity was by herself looking out a window. She didn't look alright.

“...E'cuestria needs trade, doesn't it?” the civilian navigator said to her captain.

“Of course, but if Celestia assigned you to a navy airship, don't you think she was trying to get a point across?”

“I s'ppose... Hey Twilight, why don't you ask the pr'ncess? You write to her all theh time, don'tya? She just said this trip whas spec'al. I fig'red it was cause you an' the other bear'rs are on-board, but maybe she does wan me to join theh Air Navy.”

“I... guess I could. It was nice meeting you, captain.”

He tipped his hat in approval and continued talking to his civilian navigator as I walked over to Rarity.

“Rarity, what's wrong?”

“Oh, uhm nothing. Nothing at all, darling.”

Rarity... Hiding her feelings? She had been acting a little unusual these last few weeks...

“Uhm... How's the Boutique?”

“Good... But I'm worried about it, Twilight. What if something happens while we're gone?  And the business - Sky High will be so disappointed! I haven't even finished that new line he wanted – this could ruin the reputation of the boutique!...” She stopped. “Oh, but this is such a marvelous view... I can't possibly wallow in front of this!”

Outside the windowsill she was leaning on, thousands of feet below, were dark lush green hills, an orange sky without a sun, soft orange light coloring the worlds of hills, forests and rivers. They were decorated with occasional lit towns and wagons which could be seen by their yellow lanterns shining like luminescent gold on the dark, distant paths far below that were Equestria's roads, and above it all the sky was almost a rainbow of an orange horizon, almost green as it mixed with a bright blue sky near the orange, which dimmed away into a dark blue sky.

We just paused for a second and admired the view to the rhythm of the airship's windmill-like propellers.

“I'll write a letter to princess Luna and see if there's anything she can do.”

“Oh, really? Thank you so dearly, Twilight!... But, do say – why Luna?”

“Celestia's kind of busy with bigger things right now, like the fate of Equestria and Discord...”

“Oh, I do suppose a letter to Luna would be much more fitting, then. Oh, thank you again, Twilight!”

“You're welcome.”

Thank Celestia for letters!

- [ Applejack ] -

I sipped on the watery hot chocolate and watched Pinkie Pie and Screwball play a game. How in Equestria does that game even work? I wondered. Screwball said something random, Pinkie Pie said something random that either rhymed or sounded funny with Screwball's word. Occasionally they started repeating a word a lot, it got chaotic, then they'd burst into laughter. Silly, silly... I thought with a small smile.

Then I noticed Rainbow Dash hadn't said anything in awhile. I looked to see her silently looking out one of the windows, and so was Rarity. Oh dear I thought. They both seemed to be brooding about something or other. Twilight walked up to Rarity, seeming to not even notice Rainbow, and they started talking. I felt guiltily relieved at not having to deal with the drama queen. I approached the athlete-egghead, instead.

“What's wrong, Rainbow?.. You're not still upset about the Wonderbolts, are ya?”

I gently put my hoof on her shoulder. She had been sad, angry, and even made new friends in Cloudsdale when that happened, and stopped spending so much time in Ponyville.

“They even admitted that I was one of the best flyers alive, I even did a sonic rainboom – three times now! And still they haven't let me in! But I'm the best flyer there is!” She shrugged my hoof off.

What she didn't mention was that they'd told her she didn't work well with a team, and she didn't have enough discipline...

“I'm just tryin' to help, sugercube.”

“I didn't ask for help...” she said under her breath.

I put my hoof back on her shoulder.

“Rainbow Dash, I learned a long time ago - why, it was just after we'd met Twilight -  that you should never be afraid to ask for help. I got all prideful and thought I was a strong pony, I told myself I wouldn't bother anyone by askin' for help, but I just made a fool of myself. Everypony needs help sometimes... Why, that's what teamwork's all about, helpin' eachother, and even the best work in a team. Ya never have to fight your battles alone, that's what friends are for, to be by your side when you need it, and when you don't, and when you need it but don't want it. And darn' tootin I'm always here for ya, Rainbow.”

Woah. Did I just say all that?

It all just sorta came out as I talked.

“I know, I know, it's not the first time you've told me that...”

“RD. I know you'll get into the Wonderbolts one day... Just think of it like, one day you'll prove to them you can work as a team – why, if you've been wondering how to do it – this whole Mars business is probably just the way to prove you can work well on a team.”

“They said it was about discipline...”

“All the better! Why, I bet after this -”

I took my hoof off her shoulder and bumped her side with it friendly-like: “they'll come beggin' for ya to join.”

“Thanks AJ... But that's not really what I was upset about.”

“Uh - It wasn't?”

That took me by surprise.

Ohwell, seemed she could use the talkin' to, anyways.

“What is it then, RD?”

“It's all this stuff about the war with the griffons.”

“There's not gonna be a war with the griffons if we just do what Celestia asked.”

“No, not that. It's just... The griffons...”

She sighed deeply, and rested her head on the windowsill, slouching down.

“Do you ever wonder what happened to Gilda?” She asked.

“Meanest critter to ever set foot in Ponyville!”

“No, Applejack! She wasn't always like that...” her voice started to crack “I didn't become best pals with a griffon who was a jerk. Sometimes I wonder why she was such a jerk when she was in Ponyville, and where she went after she left...”

I made sure I continued much more gently;

“If that griffon wanted to be a good friend, she wouldn't be in Avia. She would've come back long ago... She quit you Rainbow, but we're still here for you, and always will be. Gilda... I don't know what happened to her, but if she was still a good friend, she'd be back in Ponyville with you.”

“Maybe...” Dash said.

“'...and when you need it but don't want it'...” she mumbled.

“What, RD?”

“Nothing...”

- / [ Gilda ] / -

The cold, moist night air blew against my face and over my wings as I flew. I flew directly behind Tura, just a few meters away. I was surrounded in a v-shaped formation of escorts, not that they were necessary, but where we were going, no griffon was allowed without escorts.

The stars and slender crescent moon provided little light compared to the bright yellow glow of the citadel underneath, covered by only scraps of cloud cover passing not far beneath us. Filled with electric lighting, berthing dock to Avia's mightiest airships, and my main concern; Avia's cutting-edge weapons' technology, Maelstrom Citadel was the military stronghold of Avia, but it all seemed to bow to the might of the elite aerial warrior in front of me. We flew lower, and without a single word, in a few minutes we were standing outside a large hanger.

I was shocked at what I saw when we landed. A team of seven griffons, general Tusk and a pony, though they all seemed equally surprised to see Tura. The pony and five of the griffons were wearing the red and gray-striped vests of the engineers, decorated with Avia's insignia of the eagle, but unlike all other eagle insignias, their eagles held platinum bolts in their clutches.

These were a few of the Platinum Bolts, the very best Avian engineers alive. I could see it in their faces, they all had a look of genius and an indominable spirit of engineering daredevils that believed nothing was impossible, and if it could be imagined, it could be created. The dream and envy of every aspiring griffon who valued their craft or machines, they had risen to their place through a long career of extreme excellence.

“Tura.” the general acknowledged his fighter with a nod.

“What you are about to see,” general Tusk started, “Is one of Avia's most vital secrets. If you spill as much as a word of what you see, then much more than words will be spilled. I believe you know our policy on traitors. For Krugen!” “For Krugen!” we all shouted.

As we walked towards the hanger, it's enormous doors began to open. Inside, I saw a strangely shaped gondola, entirely missing the balloon on top. It looked as though the gondola wouldn't even attach to a balloon. As the doors opened further, I saw something even more strange; enormous flat aluminum fins on either side, with boxes built in to their front, and out of the front of the boxes were thin-bladed  propellers. There obviously wasn't a steam engine on it, it looked far too small and light for that.

I just looked in awe. I knew better than to ask questions.

“Adaevice. Explain.” the general told one of the engineers.

“This will lead Avia to victory. Gilda, and you have been chosen as it's test pilot.”

I'd heard of tug boat pilots, but never an aircraft pilot. There were captains of airships, not pilots, and this certainly wasn't an airship.

“That thing flies?” I asked.

“Yes. The same way you fly, through some cutting-edge, but classified, technology. But I can tell you the basics you need to know: the propellers you see push it forward. The wings on the sides, they generate lift, and it flies.”

They're not fins... They're wings. I like that. More like a griffon than a fish.

“And why am I flying it?”

“Beats me. You were just sent here.” The engineer shrugged.

I knew it was a dangerous question. But I didn't care that much about danger anymore. I wanted to see Avia admit that it wanted me dead, instead of playing these games of secrets, and Tura never told me when she put me on an assignment, or when some griffon higher up did it, there was no point in asking her.

As the entire group moved towards it, Tura paced up to me and spoke quietly to just me.

“Because you're a great flyer, and Avia knows it, but they'll keep trying to kill you until you prove you have it all for Avia, and that you have strength.”

I almost stopped with surprise. She just outright admitted it!

But I'd had time to prepare a response:

“Since when has refusing to murder been a weakness?”

She knew better than to respond. There were too many griffons around.

But I wished she had.

Trying to kill me? Is flying in this thing a death sentence?

And what do you mean 'they'?

Adaevice continued; “Now, Gilda, if you come inside with me, I'll show you some of the controls.” He said. “We're not flying them yet, but we will be very soon, and Avia wants you familiarized with it now.”

Without a word, the general left, followed by the escorts I had been flying with. Tura looked slightly confused, paced over to me, and said: “We all deserve second chances, Gilda.” And she shot off. I clenched my claws and huffed at her self-righteousness.

I entered the strange gondola and walked towards the window-covered front. There were strange levers and a whole mess of gauges and switches. I didn't really understand how it worked, but after a long time of explaining and reciting the engineer did teach me how to control the machine. When we were done, the engineer opened a window. “Should we, uh, go for the 'throttle test'?” He asked. One of the engineers outside nodded. Adaevice turned back to me; “Now, show me you learned how to start an engine. Just the left one.”

“Alright.”

I flipped the switches I remembered, opening fuel lines and something about electricity, gave a talon-up through the window as one of the engineers pushed the propeller, and I hit the ignition switch. It roared to life and started spinning on it's own, making a tremendous roar, louder and deeper than a battalion of roaring griffons. The entire gondola shook madly with it's power. I grinned. I loved it. I could barely hear the engineer next to me yelling over the noise; “I'll be right back! Gotta check some things!”

The Platinum Bolts gathered around the engine from behind, opened up a panel, and started talking to eachother, glancing around with serious faces as they talked. What was odd, is they didn't actually seem to do anything to the engine... The general returned. They glanced at him and stopped talking, and began looking at the engine.

One of the engineers gave me the cut-off signal, and I switched the engine off.

As thrilling as it was, I could feel how close this thing was to ripping itself apart, and I was relieved when the engine finally came off.

Me and Tura were going to have to have another talk about this. I'm not going to let them kill me in Maelstrom. I'm sure I can squeeze in one more mission into Equestria before I have to fly this death-trap...

Brighton - Two Overdue Reunions

- { Twilight } -

The Coastal City of Brighton.

Just a few miles south of Brighton, actually. Brighton was just a moderate growing town. But a few miles south of Brighton, next to the road, on the top of a small knoll surrounded by low subtropical bushes, all of us stood under the hot sun and clear blue sky, just looking at the Equatrian AeroSpace Agency facilities in awe.

In just three days, the miles of construction area were fenced off, and far off, amid the dark green wild bushes we could see half-built warehouses amid huge splats of ground where cream-colored dirt replaced the grass. Further in the distance, silhouetted by the blue sky and distant ocean, were enormous red steel towers, or rather, skeletons of towers. They were latticeworks of red beams rather than solid buildings. It was a true modern marvel.

Launch towers! I giggled a little in excitement. Just last night Hoofcolt had been explaining about them. I only learned about the concept a few hours ago, and yet there they were, as real as anything else.

I felt the warm, moist ocean breeze, and the moon hung low in the sky over the facility. Like a Chekhov's gun, I knew it would play a huge role in preparing to go to Mars, and make us the most well-known mares alive, and perhaps even spread our sentiments of friendship, and dissolve some of the feelings of tension in-between Equestria and Avia, preventing this horrible upcoming war.

We could feel the energy of it being rapidly built, the most futuristic place on the planet, and it was huge. Yet, it felt small compared to the ocean on the horizon, the enormous blue sky, and the flat lands all around us specked with tiny towns amid the wild subtropical bush. I looked back, saw a forest afar off, and turned back to see open ocean and the enormous half-built spaceport. It looked almost as if the sky reached down, and that facility was where land and space, the sky's ceiling, bent down to meet Terra, so that we could climb it's great heights that nopony ever had. I giggled in excitement again.

“Heheh...” Applejack sheepishly laughed a little. “There were taller buildings in Manehatten back when I was there. They call'em skyscrapers.”

I couldn't help but look surprised at her as she underplayed this amazing sight. She didn't seem to be bragging, though. Didn't she see it the way I did? How the sky's unreachable ceiling was bending down for us to climb up on top of?

“Skyscrapers, huh?” Rainbow replied, and shot into the sky, leaving a Dash of color in an enormous loop, and landed right next to her friends.

“How's that for scraping the sky!?”

“Heheh, pretty good, Rainbow, but those are still some pretty impressive sights over there.”

Pinkie piped in: “That was amazing Rainbow Dash it was fantastic! It was -”

“Boooooring.” Screwball said.

I know she's too old... But we should've just sent her to a daycare anyways. Or gotten a foalsitter. But who's qualified to foalsit Discord's minion?

“Screwball!” Pinkie started: “It's not boring! It's super! It's spamdifferous!”

“Pinkie, I think the word you're looking for is 'splendiferous'” I corrected her.

“No – it was splendiferously spamdifferous! Super duper-uper splendidly splendif-”

“Can we keep going now?” Screwball interrupted.

“-erous...” Pinkie finished slowly.

“Let's not be late.” I said and we all started walking back towards the bottom of the hill. Pinkie kept trying to cheer up the bored Screwball, and Rarity, Rainbow and Fluttershy talked among themselves.

I turned to Applejack, she'd know more about raising buildings than anypony else; “Can you believe they raised all that in just three days, Applejack?”

“It's mighty impressive what a good team of strong construction unicorns can do in a jiffy! Why – once my granny pa struck a deal with the Riches, and as a return favor, they had just a few construction unicorns come and build us a new shed. They built it in less than an hour! It would've taken us all week! Needless to say they don't pay by the hour, but I wouldn't know for sure since it was a gift and we didn't have to pay an' all. The Riches paid for it.”

As we walked back down to the dirt road, a covered wagon rolled along pulled by stallions. Behind it was a group of newsponies. Among them was the doctor Hoofcolt, chatting with Trixie.

“Woah, nelly!”

Rainbow Dash shot up. “Oh – that little!”

“Rainbow...” I said.

She huffed.

“Maybe she's learned her lesson?” I offered.

“Oh, I'll teach her a lesson alright.” Applejack said.

“Girls, just -”

“Twilight!” Trixie called.

To their surprise, Screwball shouted: “Trixieee!”

I couldn't help but ask; “You know her?”

“Yeah! She does way awesome magic, and even puts on shows!”

I rolled my eyes.

Trixie's gaze snapped to Screwball. She galloped over in a rush.

“Screwball! Who's Trixie's number one fan!?”

Screwball squealed squeakily.

“Memememememe!”

“Right, so why don't you – uh – go take a tour of the wagon?”

Screwball darted off.

I think everyone's jaws dropped. Maybe this is somepony else – but it can't be – even the cutie mark is the same, talking in third person – but – news? I – what!?

We were all so shocked by Trixie acting odd that I think my friends didn't realize how odd Screwball was acting. The only thing Screwball loved was Discord. What does Trixie have to do with discord?

Well, nevermind...

I started: “Uhm. Trixie, you uh...”

“Twilight!” Trixie said back.

“How have things been?” I asked.

“Well, tell your friends to stop giving Trixie that evil glare. Trixie is going to be on camera soon and it's not going to help Trixie's focus.”

“Camera?”

“Yes! It records moving pictures? Ever heard of it?”

She glanced back at the newsponies as Doctor Hoofcolt trotted back up, and back at me and continued,

“And Trixie's been doing absolutely grand, of course, how else does The Great and Powerful Trixie ever do?”

Yep. This is Trixie.

Well, might as well be nice. It's better to make friends than enemies.

But why was she so nice to Screwball?...

Hoofcolt came in the conversation before I could suggest the hill we just came from.

Rarity gaped in horror at Hoofcolt's mane as he walked up. It looked a bit messy, I guess. Looked like he'd had a rough morning.

“Good morning, my future astromares. I see you've been on Eagle Knoll?”

Relief spread through the rest of my friends as he spoke instead of Trixie.

This was my chance: “Uh, yes. Trixie, it's a great vantage point – your camera -”

“Trixie already knew, of course. Doctor Hoofcolt told me. He is a rocket scientist, after all.”

“Uhm... Don't you mean engineer?” Rainbow Dash said.

So she was listening all those times I was telling her about rocket engineering!

“What are you talking about? The hot word for these geniuses is rocket scientist, I should know, I coined it!”

Hoofcolt piped in; “It's not entirely technically accurate... But it is a labcoat environment, and the public gets the right idea...” He turned to Trixie: “Though I think 'genius' is a bit much” he blushed a little.

I felt sick to my stomach as Trixie continued: “Oh, don't be so modest, why, you're such a genius your intelligence almost rivals The Great and Powerful Trixie's!”

Hoofcolt laughed a little, then said in a hushed tone to me: “She really loves that stage show!”

Trixie was too preoccupied with herself to notice.

I had to ask: “What happened to your show, Trixie?”

“Oh, The Great and Powerful Trixie did very well. So well, she became rich, and well-known,-”

Well I've never heard of you, aside from your blunder in Ponyville...

“-and this new radio news company – you do know what a radio is, right?”

“Yes... I know what a radio is.”

“Well, this radio company was just thrilled to have Trixie's voice, and with these big events going on, all the other companies want Trixie, too!”

“Where's your cape, and hat, and wand?”

She looked embarrassed: “Oh, those? I uh - I don't need those to be dazzling!”

She spoke in first person again...

“But she said I could!” They heard screwball wail from the approaching wagon.

“Trixieeeeee!” a camera crewpony yelled.

Trixie sheepishly backed down; “One second.”

She zipped away, talking to the crewponies.

“So you've been talking to Trixie this entire time?!” Pinkie asked.

“Yes, I uh-” Pinkie gasped and darted away to Trixie, leaving the rocket engineer perplexed: “Hmm...”

“Now, Hoofcolt darling, we must address this mane of yours!” Rarity trotted towards him.

“Uh... My mane?”

“Yes! I -”

He cleared his throat.

“No, but thanks, my mane's fine, and I'm sorry but there's some matters we must get to -”

“No, no! I insist!”

“Just wait a bit-”

“This is a fashion-”

“One moment! This is Celestia's official business!” he snapped.

“Uh... Okay... Then.” she backed off, ears drooping.

Hoofcolt sighed.

“I'm very, very sorry Rarity, I just -”

“No, go on ahead.”

Everypony looked around awkwardly.

“It's Trixie. I've had to spend most of the morning with her.”

“Ooooohhhh.” Everypony said in unison.

I informed him: “It's perfectly okay, Dr. Hoofcolt, we understand. So what was it you came to tell us about?”

“She's not that bad...” he mumbled, then continued; “So you've seen the facilities, then, right? Impressive, aren't they?”

We all agreed. I could imagine it again, though a view like earlier would be nice...

“Well you aren't nearly ready to use them. They aren't ready, either, but they'll be ready before you are. Every one of you will need to learn strict discipline, learn one of the most complex arts known to ponydom – one that we are only just beginning to understand, and are inventing as we go along. We have a lot to learn, but this much we know: you'll be spending two years in cramped spaces next to eachother. 'cabin fever' would be a massive understatement, and if you make the single smallest mistake, you're all going to die, and the blunder will probably make Equestria look so stupid the griffons would lose fear of us and invade immediately.

This isn't just a technical challenge. It's going to take you to your limits, and keep pushing, and keep pushing until you become somepony else, because that's what it'll take to survive out there. The smallest weakness, the littlest squabble will quickly become a war, and everyone will die. Either your friendships are perfect, and your knowledge and discipline are secure, or you'll launch this entire world into discord.”

Rainbow Dash stood with her chest puffed up; “You can count on us! We can do it!”

“That's the spirit, RD!” Applejack cheered.

“Wohoo!” Pinkie came out of nowhere. “Who started the party without me!?” she yelled obliviously.

Hoofcolt facehoofed. He later told me he was thinking; “these ponies are dead already.”

“So, you were saying, doctor?” I said.

“Just call me Hoofcolt – I'm sorry I digressed a bit... Uhm... We have some assignments for today!”

Rainbow Dash deflated. “Assignments?... Like what? Breath tests? G-tolerance tests! Speed and agility workouts! Piloting skill tests! Bring it on!” She punched the air.

“No. Not yet. You, Rainbow Dash, are going to record the weather at a few different points.”

“Huh-wha?” She stopped punching and dropped her forelegs.

“Uhm. More detail at the Hoofford building. It's the only one that's finished at the facility. Actually, it's a converted villa so it's rather nice.”

She just looked at him. “So, what do I do, exactly?...”

“Go to the Hoofford building, they'll tell you.”

- / / Rainbow Dash / / -

Of all the things in the world – Weather!?

Why the hay do we even need this? Couldn't the local weather team keep it up? But no, apparently we had to know some other stuff. Oh, they explained it, atmospheric density and vapor and speed of sound with varying weather and high altitude winds, all kinds of stuff, it's just it's not what I wanted to be doing. It was unbearably boring.

But, I flew from one spot to another anyways, and I set the “instrument package” on a cruddy cumulus cloud, and I read it's gauges and documented details at each point on a notepad.

It seemed to take forever. I couldn't take it any longer! I started to feel stuffy in my own skin. It seemed like painful hours and hours passed. I had to do something!

So after a few minutes, I took a little break, and I just shot into the sky, straight up, as high as I could. The wind, whishing through my mane, the ground rushing away underneath me, even the early afternoon sky got darker overhead as I shot higher and higher, and the world got smaller and smaller far below. Ooooh yeah!

I kept going until it was hard to breath. I had gone too high before, it gets harder and harder to fly -  already I was struggling to stay in the air – and if I kept going up, I'd black out, and might not wake up before hitting the ground. I'd gone too high before, a long time ago, and as I was climbing then, by the time I noticed I was blacking out, it was too late, and I woke up just in time to keep myself from hitting the ground.

I wasn't going to repeat that. So I always stopped when it got too hard to fly and hard to breath. So this time, I hovered and rested for a moment. It was always awesome up here, with the darker sky and the world so small far below. It felt amazing, it was exhilarating!

But then I saw something flying by the coast. It was tiny, but I could tell it wasn't a bird or a pegasus. I'd seen enough pegasi to know that, and it was too big for a bird. It looked like it was trying to hide in the clouds. Then it split – it was actually a team of flying somethings. A team of non-pegasi trying to hide?... No, it can't be... Then there was a glint of sunlight off of one – they were wearing metal armor! My heart skipped a beat – Armored, not pegasi? Griffon soldiers! It has to be!... Calm down, Rainbow Dash... They're probably just... Just... I couldn't think of anything benign no matter how hard I tried. -Spying!

I wasn't a soldier! To go against a team of griffon soldiers was suicide. There was no doubt I was the greatest flier in Equestria, but griffons were born better fliers than most pegasi – and a whole team of them against one pegasi...

But I just can't sit and do nothing... I have to get a closer look. Captain Ratchet Wrench will have to know if there's spies nearby. And plus... They might just be pegasi. But I still didn't want to be seen. I grabbed the red hair of my mane and held it close to my head. Against the blue sky, I was hard to see except for the streak of red on my tail. Maybe they were just pegasi, though...

But as I got closer, I saw them stealthily sneaking along, slithering through clouds. They were good, too, and they were definitely griffons. They stayed to more cloudy areas and snuck around, hiding from the land like it was a giant, gargantuan monster. They were definitely deviantly sneaking. So I shot down to a patch of clouds they were moving near. They would wander to a cloud nearby, and from here I could –

The cloud shook as something landed on it.

I turned around just in time to see a glint of armor and a blur of claws.

- { Twilight } -

“Transferred from Farmsville.”

Hoofcolt said, presenting a huge finished rocket, an entire five ponies long, laying on it's side on a metal trailer in the one finished warehouse.

My eyes sparkled.

He trotted over to it's revolutionary liquid-fueled rocket engine: “It has enough power to lift a full two-hundred pound package right to the edge of space...”

Much later, I was jittery thinking about my presentation I'd soon make as we walked through the Hoofford building. It was used like an office building, but it was obvious it was built long ago as a villa.

We had spent a lot longer in the warehouse than anypony meant to, just musing over and talking about the rockets that had already arrived. Test rockets, they called them, to learn more about space, and make sure we wouldn't die from radiation or anything as soon as we left the atmosphere.

There was a murmur of conversation as we sat down in the conference room. I gasped, and everyone bowed as the doors opened and Princess Luna walked in.

“Princess Luna!” I said.

“I am sorry I am late, ponies, there were some matters I had to attend to with security. As you were my little ponies, if you would, please.”

Everypony returned to the way they were as Hoofcolt spoke: “No need to apologize, princess, we could never stand to let a princess wait on us!”

“Thank you, Doctor. Twilight, now you may let us begin.” Luna said, nodding at me.

I squeed and levitated the enormous stack of papers over to me, and straightened them out.

I cleared my throat. “I wrote these theories on astronautical engineering after discussion with Hoofcolt for our review here today. Section one: mission architecture...”

I paced over to the chalkboard, lifted a piece of chalk, and jumped in shock as it made a loud bang when it touched the chalkboard, I accidentally blew the stack into an enormous explosion of paper sheets.

“Twilight!” Pinkie shouted at the door, which she'd slammed open.

It wasn't the chalk that banged! It was Pinkie slamming the door! *Of all the times!***

“Pinkie!...”

“Something's happened to Rainbow Dash! There were big, mean griffons!”