The Daylight Flare docked with the sun princess’s castle suite. It sat atop the Trotterdam Sky needle, a large elongated cone with four radial arms extending to an observatory ring. The princess walked through the docking bay and onto the tower. Her flagship detached itself and lumbered over to the shipyard for repairs.

Trotterdam had become the military fortress of the Solar Empire. It was surrounded by a wall which four years ago did not exist. The wall was constantly patrolled and armed with AA batteries to shoot down any attacking craft. The once peaceful city was now a battle ready megalopolitan.

Celestia immediately strode to into her command center. A large table stood in the middle with volumetric projections of past battles warring on over it. A dark figure stood by the table, watching the battles unfold.

“Something has happened, something unexpected,” the sun princess said dryly.

“Yes I know,” the figure replied, pulling up a projection of the battle from the cruiser Corona's point of view. It showed the alien craft zipping away just after the ship crippled a New Lunar Republic heavy destroyer, “This is quite an unexpected turn of events. It adds more complications to the war, as I’m sure you already know.”

“Yes; my sister and I have been locked in a stalemate for six months. I need a game changing victory to throw the scales in my favor. And I need it soon.”

“You will have my results by next week,” the figure said as the princess trotted to her quarters.

“WOW, that was so awesome!” screamed Rainbow Dash.

John hopped out of his jet he’d affectionately named Lightning. The Apple family had been kind enough to allow John to park ‘Lightning’ in their old barn. Pinkie Pie, with the others in tow bounced over, joining the conversation.

“How’d you get that ‘jet’ you called it to go so fast?” Rainbow asked, “I mean, it just pulled off a sonic rainboom without even trying.”

“It’s complicated, but for now, the engine in her worked really hard to pull that off. It looks easy but the plane has to put a lot into it. Kind of like when you did a sonic rainboom, but not that much.”

“Cool, so you won our bet, but I want a rematch,” she affirmed.

“Now Rainbow, don’t go gettin urself into caught up in this. Ya already owe the fella a favor for losin that race,” Applejack added.

“Yeah yeah, but that thing in your barn has been the first real competition in this town for some time. I will beat it in a race,” the determination obvious.

“Just don’t go hurting yourself in the process, darling. We all remember how long you were stuck in the hospital last time,” Rarity said.
“Don’t remind me.”

“Hey, I don’t mean to be a bother, but do you know any good hotels here? I kind of don’t have a place to stay tonight,” John remarked.

“He can stay with me!” Rainbow jumped up enthusiastically.

“Uh, hate to burst ur bubble Rainbow but he can’t walk on clouds,” Applejack cut in, “Why don’t ya stay with us? We have an extra bedroom that nopony’s using, you can sleep there.”

“Sure, I appreciate this, as soon as I have some money I’ll pay you back,” out of the corner of his eye he saw Rainbow slump down slightly, a disappointed look on her face. It quickly evaporated as she put on a poker face.

“And come by my shop tomorrow dear, I simply must get your measurements,” Rarity declared.

“Why?”

“You can’t go around wearing that hideous thing all day can you?”

“Heh heh, no, I guess not,” John chuckled…

John lay on the bed. It was too small for him. His feet stuck out like he was some kind of giant. Which he was here. He thought back to earlier that day. Why did Rainbow ask him to stay over her place? Why did she look depressed after she found out he couldn’t? These questions nagged at the back of his head. He removed his knife and sidearm and placed them on the night stand.

John’s dreams were haunted with war. He was in Equestria. He was a Pegasus flying with Rainbow dash. They were all laughing, everypony was happy. Then the sky went dark, large ships passed overhead. The screaming started. The fleet started firing on the town. War machines crept out of the bellies of the ships. Then the world went black.

John awoke with a start. He looked at the clock. 8:00. a large thudding of hoof steps came to the door. The door opened; Big Mac stood before you.

“Breakfast is ready,” he says indifferent to the alien in the guest bed. John crawled out of bed and made his way downstairs.

Applejack is cooking; the smells of eggs and toast fill his nose. On the table is everything a pony could ask for, eggs, toast, fruit, bagels, crescent roles, and flowers and other unfamiliar pony foods. Applebloom is retrieving a glass of apple juice.

“Morinin partner, how’d ya sleep?” AJ asks.

“Uh, not well. I think that bed is too small for me.”

“Sorry bout that. Not much I can do there. So watcha plannin on doin today?”

John sat down at the table, “I think I’m gonna go look for a job. I need something to do other than flying my jet around, which just doesn’t pay well here.”

“Where ya gonna look? I would recommend the weather patrol, Rainbow could always use and extra hoof with the weather, but since ur not a Pegasus I don’t know.”

“Hey, wait a minute, doesn’t DJ Pon-3 live in Ponyville?”

“Yup, why? Ya thinkin of DJing with her?”

“Yeah, it was kind of a hobby of mine before I ended up here.”

“Well ok then.”

John finishes his breakfast and heads out the door. Better go see Rarity today, I can’t keep wearing this all the time, he thinks. He heads to the Carousel Boutique. The bells ring as he enters.

“Darling, you’re here,” she says, her fancy voice warm and welcoming. She retrieves her measuring tape, “Now stand perfectly straight dear. I must be perfect.” She measures his height and begins writing.

“Now don’t move too much,” she says as she measures his waist, “Now hold your arms out.”

She measures the lengths of his arms and records the measurement.

“I should have your new clothes done by the end of today,” she says.

“Cool, I’ll hopefully have a job by then so I can pay you.”

“Oh, there’s no need darling. Their free of charge,”

“Wow, thanks Rarity. I guess that’s why you’re the element of generosity.”

“Oh you; come back at 4:00 sharp now.”

“I will,” John said as he walked out the door.

John walked through town, soliciting a lot of weird stares and gawks. He blushed at the attention. He quickly ducked into Sugarcube Corner.

“Hi, I’m Pinkie Pie, how may I help y- JOHN!” Pinkie pie yips.

“Hi Pinkie, Do you know where I can find DJ Pon-3?”

“Oh sure, Vinyl is always at The Zone. It’s her club, record store, and home, all in one!”

“Wait, her name is Vinyl? As in Vinyl Scratch?”

“Yup, the very same. How’d you know? Are you physic or something?” Pinkie giggles.
“Lucky guess, can I have directions?” Wow, the similarities are uncanny, John thought

“Sure, take a left and go down five blocks before taking right. It’s on the outskirts of town. Don’t want anypony waking up from too much partying now do we?”

“Thanks Pinkie, I’ll see ya later,” John said as he waved as he left.

Vinyl Scratch had a dilemma. She needed inspiration, new ideas for music. Summer was just around the corner and The Zone would be crowded. She needed something new, something fresh, something alien.

She sighed, as she finished what she’d been writing, ‘help wanted, can’t be tone deaf and must know a thing or two about music.’ She placed the sign on the window of the shop.

A little unconventional, she thought to herself. She had heard of some alien that landed in Ponyville. Hmm if only something interesting like that dropped into this place. Vinyl took out the latest issue of Equestria Daily news magazine and flipped through the pages.

The bells on the door rang, Vinyl lifted her head, and nearly shattered her glasses as her ruby colored eyes processed what just walked through her door.

John approached the club. It was a three story structure at the end of the street. Farther down the street John could see cloud houses of the various pegasi that lived in the small town. He approached the building. There was a sign on the window, ‘help wanted, can’t be tone deaf and must know a thing or two about music.’ Good, he was in luck. He had one more thing from earth that may help him here. His iPhone. He’d always take it with him when he went on a flight. A good luck charm. The device had everything piece of music he owned on it. All sorts of artists, all sorts of mixes, even some of his own. But it also carried a dark history, the memories of the day that changed everything…

One year ago

Hale forward operations base, Kuwait
“Your mission is to recon enemy bases, air fields, and ship yards and assess the likely hood of an immediate strike before returning to base. Any questions? No? Dismissed.”

“Hey, lightning. You got your good luck charm? I got mine, cause I think we’re gonna need all the luck we can get on this one.” John’s wingman Firefly ran up to him holding a small wooden carving. It was a battered fish carving, hand carved by Firefly when he lived in Alaska. One probably couldn’t tell that it was once a shark, due to the large piece of shrapnel embedded deep in the wood.

John held up his, the iPhone 5.

“Dude that has got to be the strangest good luck charm ever. I still can’t believe he lets you bring that thing with you on all you flights. Get a better charm.”

“Hey don’t judge, the 4 stopped a bullet for me that attack in march. Remember? That’s when your shark took one to the head, ya crazy ice hick.”

“Hey, now who’s being judgmental?”

“Yeah yeah, I’ll see ya in the clag.”

John hopped into his plane, the F35A equipped with a surveillance package. In a few minutes he was up in the sky.

The mission went as planned, accept for the fact that both Lightning and Firefly returned with bullet holes and engine damage. The planes landed, John hopped out of his plane followed by Firefly. Firefly stood examining the holes in his craft.

“Well shit,” he said, “CAGs gonna have my ass for this one.”

“Your ass? I was the CO on this one, if anything I’ll be the one hanging from the barracks by his thumbs,” LOUDER, came the Rainbow Dash ring tone, “hold on man I got a call.”

He walked into the mess hall and looked at the caller ID, UNKNOWN. He answered, “hello?”

SSSSSSSSHHHHHHHHEEEEEEEEWWWWWWWW

BOOOM

John jumped along with half the mess hall. He looked back at his plane just as another rocket stuck the wrecks.

Firefly.

“Jacob?! Jacob?!” he ran toward the planes, now flaming hulks. He stared at the spot where his best friend had just stood. Nothing. Not even a piece of his uniform. John sank to his knees.

“NO! NO! NO! NO!” he wailed as alarms blared and search lights looked for the attackers. Shots rang out as a skirmish was fought outside the once safe walls of the base. Damage crews rushed to put out the fires.

John looked at the tarmac. Wait, what’s that? A small piece of charred wood. It was the head of the shark, shrapnel still embedded in its head. He picked it up and held it close, realizing that that random call probably just saved his life…

Present Day
John strode into The Zone, hoping his luck would hold out just once more. The white mare DJ looked up from her magazine and gasped.

Next Chapter: Chapter 5. You've Got the Job. Welcome to the Club Estimated time remaining: 59 Minutes