---

Today was the day.

The last day for basic training. Graduation. I had endured 3 months of Rainbow Dash constantly barking orders at me, having been inside of a Centrifuge Machine and passing out inside on more than one occasion, and having flown an aircraft (pretty sloppily, I might add) to get the feel for the controls, I was finally at the home stretch.

Before doing that all of that, though, we had to actually learn the controls of an aircraft. It felt more like an institutionalized prison than a training camp during those long weeks. We had to learn the ins, outs, and in-betweens, of most of the planes that we are able to learn about. For 'knowing what your aircraft is,' in their words, 'and knowing your enemies' capabilities will give you the edge you need to survive in combat.' At least that's what they say.

Flying inside the damn thing was actually a lot harder than I could've ever taken for granted. Taking off was hard enough to do, let alone actually flying it. I had crashed nearly three times on takeoff trying to get off the tarmac to no avail. On my fourth and last chance, they told me I wouldn't fly an aircraft again if I couldn't pull it off. Miraculously, I succeeded that day. And had actually managed to fly for over 10 minutes before coming down for a successful landing. Suffice it to say, they gave me another chance to redeem myself.

It was an odd and surreal feeling to see all those ponies cheering me on as I emerged out of it from a successful test flight; Ponies that were rooting for me. For the first time in my life, I had felt gratitude to complete strangers. The odds were stacked against me, and despite that, I emerged from the other side victorious. I couldn't deny the thrill I had afterward. Since then, training had gone along steadily for me. I was taught to fly in formation, how to use the radio, how to give proper orders and callouts, and how to endure high-G environments, and have participated in multiple practice skirmishes. The weeks soon breezed by by that point, and time felt like a blur.

But today - today is supposedly the final day. Everypony will get shipped out for their assignments, their aircraft, their regions, and their squadrons. To be honest, I still have no idea where I am going, what I will fly, and whom I will be flying with. This was the moment I was deeply afraid of the most. This would be the moment I would be thrown into war.

It still seemed surreal to me, after all this time. Even months after I was taken away from my normal life, it felt impossible to wrap my head around the idea that I would be flying and fighting for my life, and for defending my home.

I was going to war.

It was nauseating to think about most of the time, so I chose not to dwell on it. Instead, I chose to focus on the now. The now was all that mattered at the time. Or that's what I told myself, anyway.

Ponies stood in rank and formation, in front of the barracks waiting for Rainbow to show up. There, lined up shoulder-to-shoulder, staring forward with a stern stare, were the class of graduating cadets now who were soon-to-be pilots. Nopony moved a muscle. The number of hardships they had endured from Rainbow had molded these ponies to be conditioned and disciplined if nothing else. Myself included.

Finally, after waiting for what felt like an eternity, Rainbow revealed herself in her usual way. She flew in from overhead behind us, performing an agile loop while in the air, and landed gracefully in front of us in her grand entrance. Upon landing, the formation stood rigid and several standing officers saluted her upon arrival. A brief moment of silence was shared as Rainbow returned the gesture for a short moment. Upon lowering her wings, the officers stood rigid as well.

“Alright Cadets, listen carefully because I am not repeating myself!"

Her usual arrogant bravado was replaced with... something that I couldn't really quite pin on her at the time. Looking back on it, I think it was a sense of pride that strove her to behave as she did there and then. A conviction to drive us to strive for better. Her words afterward only reinforce that reflection. She seemed... proud of us. Proud of what we became. Though she never explicitly mentioned it, she made sure we knew it with her words.

"In a few hours from now, you are no longer rookies! You are now certified, bonafide pilots of the Equestrian Royal Air Force. As of today, you stand here before me now because you have undergone the trials and tribulations of what it means to be a true Pegasus. And true Pegasi never give up! True Pegasi persevere until the very end, even if it feels like they can't keep going anymore! And by standing here before me today, you have proven to me that you have what it takes to be a part of Equestria's finest! Over the past few months, I have turned you from nobodies into Equestria’s Guardians. As a pilot for the Equestrian Royal Air Force, you are the first and last line of defense for our way of life and our future! You are responsible for ensuring that our skies are safe and secure for those that dwell below. You are responsible for not just Equestria, but for all ponykind. Understand, this is no picnic. This is the fate of all of Equestria is solely placed in your hooves - maybe even the world.”

She paused, and looked at each and every one of us, staring at our eyes intensely.

“This will be the last time I will see you, cadets. So, for my final lesson to you as a teacher before you become pilots, I say this: Never lose Hope.” The cadets, moving their heads instead of their eyes, looked at each other, then back at Rainbow. “The enemy will dedicate their lives to literally steal this hope from within you. Only through sheer determination and willpower can you overpower that opponent. But to do so, you must hold onto the hope that one day, the world will be a better place. That this war will finally be over, and in the end, it will not be told by the changelings and how they have conquered Equestria, but instead by how you, the Guardians of the Sky, have fought back against the Onslaught!”

I remembered that I should be feeling scared. I remembered that I should be terrified of such a responsibility thrown on my shoulders…

Yet... I was not. I can definitely see why she was given the Element of Loyalty, in retrospect. Her energy, her undying allegiance, and her confidence radiated off of her like a shining star. And I can tell that the others felt honored and privileged to be mentored by such a pony. Even I have to admit: I felt a sense of grandeur and awe in the presence of such an inspiring figure. I felt... invigorated for lack of a better term. I didn't truly know, deep down, if I was actually prepared for what was to come.

But I was gonna have to prove it one way or another by trying. Either way, I knew that I had to try.

“There are numerous cargo chariots on the western side of the Airbase. The seats have several numbers on them, just find the spot with your number and get in it. When everyone is seated the chariots will take you to your destination.”

Nobody replied when Rainbow stopped talking. So she started to look at the list.

“Cloudy Swirl!” was the first name she yelled.

---

Time had passed as the chariots began to fill one by one. I could sense that I wasn't that long down the list.

“Marine Shores!”

“MA’AM YES MA’AM!”

“Hurricane. Mariposa airbase. Number 7. Squadron 11.”

No reply, only a salute and she flew away to the west.

“Night Light!”

My heart jumped. “MA’AM YES MA’AM!” was all I replied, as I saluted with my wing.

“Fulmar. You'll be onboard the Blueblood docked in Manehatten. Number 8. Squadron 28.”

I saluted once more. I felt a compulsion to... do something to Rainbow Dash before I left. She told me this was the last time I would see her again, and a part of me felt guilty for going on wordless as every other recruit has done thus far.

And I simply walked by.

I just kept going forward, and that was it. I looked back once, and that was the last time I saw her there. Part of me regretted it at the time, but it didn't last long.

Unfurling my wings, I flew to the Western side of the base with haste. There were in fact about ten different chariots lined up, all of them partially full of other ponies with their own destination. Each of them was more spacious than I imagined, fit for at least ten ponies each. They all had four Stallion Pegasi tethered to the harnesses to ensure they would arrive at their destination. Each spot of the singular bench that the chariots hosted had been numbered by a hermetic glyph; glowing numbers told ponies where to sit.

It didn't take long for me to find my seat. I found myself aimless soon after. I didn't know how long I was going to wait, and I didn't really have anything to do. What I did know was where I was going. This chariot contained all the naval pilots for the Blueblood. This means there would be no detours as it was a straight shot trip directly to Manehattan.

Part of me was excited to go to the city. I had always wanted to visit in my youth, and I never had the chance to do so. Then I remembered that I wouldn't really have the chance to explore the city because my curfew has me strictly confined onto the ship and nowhere else. So that plan was shot.

I sighed to myself in anxious exhaustion. Every nerve in my being was tingling with dreadful anticipation as I buckled my seat.

“You’re Night Light, aren't ya?” I heard a stallion speak to my right.

Another pilot tried to socialize with me. He had an amber coat, a beige mane, and green eyes.

“Yes,” I replied atonally, looking back down.

“Well... it’s nice to meet a fellow wing pony.”

“... Well, nice to meet you, I guess. Do you have a name?”

He pointed to his Cutie Mark, which was a Four Leaf Clover. “Four-Leaf is what my parents gave me, but Lucky is what most ponies called me since. I reckon you can guess why they call me Lucky.”

“... I can only imagine." I drolled to him, but I said so quietly that I doubt he heard it.

“You're Flying the Fulmar?”

“Yeah.”

“Neat... Squadron?"

"28th."

"Hm. Me too. I guess that means we'll have to watch each other's backs then, huh?"

"Hm. I suppose so."

More Ponies were loading up in the Carriages. It took about 10 minutes after I sat down before everypony was ready. The Chariot Pullers one by one signaled that they were ready to take off, and proceeded to fly away. My carriage was heading East Bound, to the Ruby mountains first.

Thankfully, there wasn't much small talk after that. I was never good at it, and I preferred silence.

---

The ride to Manehattan was relatively short. It was Late Afternoon by the time we past Whinnysota The trip would last for about 4 hours before we would reach our destination. I took this as an opportunity to try and not talk to the other ponies while we were waiting. There were 9 other ponies who were to be stationed on the Blueblood, and it seemed all of them had literally everything to say.

One of them was Lucky, whom I had already met in the Chariot when he introduced himself. I didn't know anything about him, nor did I feel like inquiring about his history. Something about the way these ponies were talking, as if nothing was wrong with their lives, and yet they are being shipped to possibly one of the most dangerous jobs on the face of the planet right now. Some of them even volunteered. I never understood it. Either they were lying to themselves, or they were just trying to pass the time. Either way, I preferred silence.

It still baffled me why anyone would want to willingly sign up for this terrible war. Protecting your homeland is as good of a reason as you can get. But to risk your life to do such a thing takes serious courage and bravery; something I lacked entirely.

I was just a coward.

Even when Rainbow Dash was giving her speech earlier, I still felt apprehensive about the future - my future. And now that the inspiration wore off, I was starting to have second thoughts.

But there was no running away this time.

I shook my head and tried to think about something else, focusing my attention on the passengers around me. The others were not very memorable, but there were a few faces I remember today.

One was nicknamed “Big Mouth.” Sporting a chocolate brown coat and charcoal mane, he got the name "Big Mouth" because he had always spoken in a very vulgar manner. Memories of him shouting obscenities during practices and workouts were not uncommon, nor were his punishments for doing so (which resulted in even more vulgarities being shouted, which thusly prompted more punishments, and thus the cycle continues.) He would always ramble on the most ludicrous insults anypony had ever heard, only for him to one-up himself with another rare vulgarity that was so outlandish, so obscene, that it couldn't help but be remarked as incredible.

Another face I remembered was a foreigner Mare from Stalliongrad, with a vibrant Crimson coat that complimented her Silver mane. She went by “Naya”, a shorter word for her real name which she also never told. She had a solitary persona about her, but when she did talk she often spoke well-mannered. She never talked about her own past life though, nor her country - mostly out of peer pressure to keep shut about it, from the few ponies who were not sympathetic to the politics of her homeland. There were still some bad memories about the December Revolution that paved the way for apprehension with her and the others.

She stayed reclusive out of necessity more than out of choice.

All of them I knew only because they were in my squadron. For that whole ride in the chariot, I did not pry into somepony else's past life or tried to start a conversation, but they were all eager to give out all of theirs apparently. I never paid attention to it, I had tuned the whole thing out as I lingered on other thoughts. I really only tried to remember Sunshine and her features. Tried to keep my mind off of what was to come. Dread seemed to circumnavigate whatever mental defense I erect for myself, an seep into my soul. No matter what I thought to myself, I couldn't shake the sinking feeling in my stomach.

Several ponies did try to talk to me, of course. I would usually dismiss them with simple answers. The conversations were rather one-sided, and I didn't reveal much of anything for them to go by. Eventually, they gave up. Thank Celestia for that.

The carriage ride was over before I even realized how much time had passed. I was so lost in thought that time passed in a blur. It was about dusk when we arrived over Manehatten. The lights from the city were radiating brightly in the distance, as the sun was slowly being lowered, and the moon rising on the other horizon. It looked bigger than I last remembered. More Buildings and factories were constructed to the south of the city, making the city limits expand for another couple of miles. To the east of the downtown district, I could see the massive harbor, with a number of ships moored in the harbor.

That was when I saw it for the first time: The ERNS Blueblood. The Pride of the Equestrian Fleet.

The Chariot was landing on the carrier itself, as ponies on the flight deck were clearing away for the landing Chariot. I got a good look at the outer shell of the carrier. It was very long and designed to hold more aircraft than its predecessor. There was a Metallic glint coming off of the flight deck itself. It took me a moment to realize that the flight deck itself was armored. The control tower, about 60-80 meters in height, had a spinning radar dish on the top, designed to detect any and all incoming aircraft. And altogether, combined with all of its strengths and its size, it was a very majestic ship. I can definitely see why, having a closer look, why they call it the 'Pride of the Fleet.'

We touched down gently, and the side doors of the Chariot swung open, signaling me and the other ponies sitting with me to exit the chariot. Soon, the chariot took off once more, heading westbound, as the sun finally set below the western horizon, its cerise hue still illuminating the sky.

A Unicorn Pony trots out of the Control Tower onto the Flight Deck, drabbed in what I assume was a naval officer’s uniform. Her eyes were fixed on us as we landed together. Along behind her to the sides were ponies in sailor uniforms.

“At ease, pilots! Welcome to the Blueblood!” She quickly gave each of us a salute with her hoof. “You are here now because you are replacing the last few vacant spots we need to bring our air capabilities to full capacity. And I’m not gonna sugar coat you, this is not going to be easy.”

Everypony gazed at each other in apprehension.

“Now, of course, I can’t see into the future, I’m not a Seer. But that is just about the gist of it around here. You fly, or you get shot down. So try not to get shot down.”

“Charming,” Lucky muttered to himself.

"What's that? Somepony say something?" the officer barked with sudden gusto

Nopony replied, and nopony dared to move a muscle. The officer gave each of us a death stare before continuing.

"Right then." Her attitude shifted gear from foreboding to somewhat merry... which was arguably more frightening. "You’re here now, And we will handle the introductions soon when you are all done getting settled in. For now, though, we have several other sailors who will give you a grand tour of all the ins and outs. Until then, get acquainted.”

Upon mention, the sailors immediately got busy making introductions and indicated to follow. They guided us towards the control tower on the port side of the ship, where a bulkhead door was already open leading downward to the lower levels of the ship.

“I don’t think it’s necessary to give you my name since you won’t be seeing me all that much during your sorties anyway, so we will just go ahead and get started with the tour." One sailor bluntly greets. "Follow us."

Whilst I and all the other ponies lagged behind him closely, he led us further down the deck into the control tower. “The Curfew Quarters are on the starboard side. For Pilots, like yourself, Floor B has your cots. Find your friends or anypony with a maintenance badge, and they’ll guide your way back if you have trouble.”

We trekked down a flight of stairs leading to the lower floors. I saw the Letters Painted on the wall stating what floor I was on. A, B, C, and D - which was where we were heading. By the time we got down to the lowest floor, I was greeted with quite the sight.

Tens of aircraft are all neatly lined up in single-file columns. Ordinance was neatly stacked and oriented in the corners, some looking larger than a pony. Ponies of all kinds - Unicorns, Pegasi, and Earth Pony - were conglomerated together in a synchronized and organized fashion, everypony working around the clock with their own task to focus on without the need for delay. There were some catwalks on the upper levels that led to more bulkhead doors, hosting more ponies waltzing around.

“This is the Hanger Bay. You’ll find your aircraft in here if not outside on the flight deck, or in the air… Sometimes they don't come back.”

I felt a tug of sadness mixed with apprehension wrap around my gut at those words.

“Do you lose ponies frequently at sea?” I asked once more.

“There are ponies who keep track of that sort of thing. Not my job.”

A contingent of ponies from various walks of life worked together in small groups as they performed basic maintenance around the ship. We walked across the entire Hanger Bay to the other side of the room, which was where another staircase was. We trotted up the stairs leading to the catwalks and made our way up, stopping at Floor B. This was where our rooms were supposed to be located. There were several halls with smaller doorways leading into different bedrooms. Each room I noticed had two bunk beds, high enough to fit four ponies per room. Still felt somewhat claustrophobic, especially for a pegasus like me.

“This is the bunk hall. Your beds are whoever gets which one first - first come first serve. If you have any questions about your daily duties, ask one of the naval officers. Or Admiral Cynosura, if you're brave enough.”

“Why do I have to be brave to ask the admiral?” I gave him a curious look.

“I’m pretty sure the admiral has better things to do than answer petty questions, so ask at your own risk.” He answered wittily.

"Are you always this rude to newcomers?”

He gave us a frown of disdain, before relenting with a sigh. “Look, I… I don’t mean to be rude, it’s just… we’ve already lost too many good ponies. I don’t want to lose another one close to me. So I avoid getting close at all. You play with fire, you get burned. So the best piece of advice I can give you is to not get too close to anypony... It’s easier that way.”

I sighed wearily.

“Too late for that,” I muttered.

“Well, my job is done. Find Captain Beaugard in Hanger Bay tomorrow for your assignments."

When he finished, he left with me to my thoughts and everypony else fending for open cots. as I made my way to a random room, I noticed another pony laying in the bunk across my left. Their chest slowly rose and fell with each passing breath. Asleep I reckon.

I lay in the bottom bunk to my right, prodding it with a hoof to test the mattress. Not firm, and not infected with lice at least... and there's a pillow. Good enough.

There, after getting a little comfy laying on the bed, I inhaled a deep breath for a moment before exhaling.

I suddenly found myself alone, staring at the ceiling. And it suddenly hits me, like a silver bullet piercing my mind.

This was my new life now.

And the urge to cry surged back up again in my eyes as I tried to fight it.

My thoughts inevitably drift back to what life was like before. Where I would wake up in the mornings and work all afternoon. A simple lifestyle that I was more than content with living. Even after going through basic training, and even after finally getting situated in where I am supposed to be, I can still say this with just as much confidence as I could on day one:

I was a coward.

I never asked to be here, and I never wanted to be here! I just wanted to live a normal, peaceful life and grow old and die in my bed! Is that so much to ask!?

Apparently so, since now I am stuck here in Manehattan inside some titanic metal... thing that is now about to be my new home, cruising away into a life I have little to no chance of surviving.

Twisting my body towards the wall, I wanted to wallow in my misery and just sleep for... I don't know, hours? Days? I just wanted to sleep, and forget everything for a while.

Maybe I'll write my last will while I'm here, or-

My body suddenly jerks up with a jolt, slamming my head against the cot above me painfully. Wincing and rubbing my head, I reached for my most prized possession; My Letter! Pulling it out of my jumpsuit pocket, I found the unfinished letter I made for Sunshine.

98 days. 98 days later, and I still never finished it.

Odd, wasn't it? It wasn't as if I had never forgotten, it was just that I never felt like there was an appropriate time to properly convey the sensations that I wanted to articulate to her when the time was right. Throughout the training, I never had the chance to do it in a meaningful way. Every time I tried to form the words properly, they never came up in a way that rang true to what I was thinking.

And now here it was, almost taunting me with its sole two words staring back at me.

"Dear Sunshine," I read aloud. It was the only thing I’ve written in the letter so far.

I frowned and reached for my pen that I kept from training camp.

I don't care how long it would have to take, I was intent on finishing this letter

---

As I finished up the letter, I let out a sigh of relief. Hours had passed since I laid down on the cot, and some of my legs had fell asleep to the inaction.

Now, there had to be some way I could get this message to Sunshine. I don’t think it’s possible for me to abandon the ship to go on a quick mail run, however. Quickly milling my options, I realized that I didn't really have any.

I didn't know the first thing about who to talk to on delivering a letter to someone like that. My contemplative gaze shifted into a frown, staring at the floor as if it had offended me somehow.

“Well well, here you are!” A familiar voice erupted from the Bulkhead door, revealing a very familiar fiery yellow pegasus.

“... Spitfire!? What are you doing here?”

“I could ask you the same thing. Are you stationed on the Blueblood for real?”

“Yeah, I... thought that was rather obvious on my graduation.”

“I actually wasn't there during Graduation, I was here all day with my squadron." She glanced me up and down, and gives me a smirk. "Well then, it looks like we won't be so far apart after all.”

“What do you mean? Are you on the blueblood as well?”

“Not me, no. But I am stationed on the Pegasopolis. You do know there are two aircraft carriers in this task force, right?”

“Oh! Uh... well, I don't even know what a task force is, so no... You’re on the Pegasopolis?”

“Not just me. The Whole Wonderbolt Squadron is assigned to that carrier. It’s just been confirmed since last week. Now my whole crew is there... except for a few, like Soarin. I'm gonna miss that bastard.”

“Huh... Small world, I guess.”

“Yeah, but I didn’t think you would be here on the Blueblood - The Pride of the fleet. I must say, I'm a tad jealous.”

... I made her jealous?

I made the captain of the wonderbolts jealous because I am on a different boat than her?

I wasn't sure how to feel about that.

She must've caught my surprised expression as her features soon soured. “Don’t let it go to your head. I am glad to be with my team, as there is no other pony that I would rather fly with than my Wonderbolts. I just wish Rainbow could be here to see that... By the way, how did rainbow treat you while I was gone?”

“Like carrion on the side of the road,” I answered with a pout.

“Heh, oddly specific. But, she does have a soft side, you know, it's just… hard to see it most of the time.”

"You mean ever?"

She snickered at that.

“I mean... I’m not holding grudges, she was just rough on me. I'm fine. She did what she had to do.”

“Yep. And soon, you’ll do what you have to do. Did rainbow give you that whole ‘Guardian of the Sky’ prep-speech?”

“Eh… yes. How did you-”

“A couple of Cadets I bumped into on this boat were quite fond of her. Talking about her quite a lot... Poor colts. anyways, it kinda reminds me of that filly she looked after way back when - Scootaloo, I think her name is. Nice kid."

The name Scootaloo was unfamiliar to me. Dash and Spitfire must've had a unique history together.

"Anyway, I heard your name somewhere when they were talking, so I tried to find you. And here you are.”

“Why me?” I asked.

“Well, truth be told, I want to help you.”

I raised an eyebrow. “Help me? Why would the captain of the Wonderbolts waste her time to help a cadet like me?”

“Because you are not just a cadet."

"Because I see something in you. I see a force to be reckoned with. When you were doing test flights from Los Pegasus, I saw a form of grace and precision that I only see in the wonderbolts. Seeing you, however, I realized something. Not all pegasi who are excellent flyers are Wonderbolts. Sometimes I forget that. But I want you to be a part of our wing.”

I was startled. “Y-you mean… joining the wonderbolts?”

“Whoa, slow down, one step at a time. I meant that you can be a… Wingpony, for us. Fly with us during sorties and all of that. You’ll still stay here with your assigned squadron on the blueblood. But during your missions, you’ll fly with us. What do you say?”

“I… I don’t know what to say.”

“All you need to say is ‘yes’ or ‘no’. There is no in-between. I need an answer.”

I contemplated long and hard. Before looking up at her, with a determined gaze, determined to not fail.

“Ok. I’ll do it.”

“Cool. I look forward to seeing you in the air then.” She turned away to walk out of the room but stopped when her front hooves were outside. “By the way, have you thought of a name for yourself?”

I raised a brow. “A name? I already have one.”

No, I mean your… How do I put this?" She tapped a hoof to her chin. "... Like, your nickname. Your ‘Ace’ name, I like to call it."

Now I was more confused. "... Why would I need an ace name? I haven't even been on a mission yet."

"I don't care if you've never flown an aircraft in your life. I just would like to know in case you survive long enough to have one."

In case.

The words echoed in my head as a plethora of questions bounced around in my head. I struggled to find the words to convey my confusion, and to properly explain why I didn't care.

"I, uh..." was what I got out of my mouth.

"Okay listen," Spitfire interrupted, leaving me dazed and silent, "I know there are some ponies out there that see this war as more guts than glory, And I get that. But sometimes, with a hero in the sky to rally behind, the ponies can be hopeful. And Rainbow did say to never lose hope, right?”

What is it with these famous Pegasi and their spiels about grandiosity and hope? “R-Right, but I am by no means an Ace.”

“You kidding? I saw the way you flew, you were a natural! The way you performed those maneuvers, and your techniques-”

“Again; and Spitfire - I cannot emphasize this enough: I haven't flown on a mission yet!"

There wasn't a word exchanged between us for a little while as both parties stared at each other. Spitfire sighed through her nostrils with her eyes closed.

“You don’t need to be a killer to be an Ace, Night Light."

I didn't respond. I was still like a statue as Spitfire continued.

"You wanna know what I saw in you up there, Night Light? Here's what I saw: I saw grace while under pressure. I saw untapped potential in your skill. I saw a drive to be better; A commitment to be stronger; A determined spirit to succeed. You keep saying that you don't have what it takes and that you are not who I say you are, and that you are just one regular Pegasus - is that right?"

It took me a second to wrap my head around her words, but I nodded along.

"Every legend, every hero, every great figure has a humble beginning. No creature in the world is born like they are, they were molded to be that way. And within you, I see somepony with the mark for greatness Night Light. And I don't say this lightly. Why do you think I came all this way to talk to you?"

"I... don't know."

"It's because I know there is something driving you. Something that forces you to keep going even if you cannot keep going anymore. I know there is something in you that is the fuel to your motivation."

... Sunshine.

Memories of Sunshine Tempest and our time together instantly flooded my brain. I felt my heart sink for a split second.

And then I looked up, with tears threatening my composure, glancing at Spitfire's eyes.

They were hard-pressed and firm, but also endearing; like a tough coach cheering you on by shouting orders at what to do.

Without a second thought, I spoke, "Sunshine Tempest."

Her eyes widened just a tad, her brow raised up she asks, "Who?"

"My Marefriend," I spoke nationally, "She's the reason why I am still going."

Instantaneously, Spitfire's face beams with pride and joy. "See! That's exactly what I am talking about right there! You showed me that you have courage! You've shown me that you have Passion! You have a reason to fight! Don't you understand? You are more than just the sum of your parts. You are the Alpha that is hidden inside of you! A Mare who has everything to gain! That is the greatest motivator that anypony could ask for!

"Never lose it! Never lose that conviction and that drive to keep you going! And I promise that you will go far!"

She panted lightly as she finished. I was somewhat at a lost for words.

Was she right? I don't know. Perhaps. I still felt that same fear. And nothing different changed upon hearing it, except...

Except I now realize that there is more than just one pony that is now counting on me. Not only Spitfire but everypony else above and below the earth.

I had to try. For them, if not for Spitfire; If not for Sunshine.

"Okay. I will try." I replied softly.

"Okay. Okay! That's what I want to hear." She sighs, almost in relief it sounded like. "And I promise I will be there for you when you need help up there. You got my back, I got yours. Alright?"

"Yeah, I can do that," I answered honestly. I would at least try.

She turned to leave the room with a smile. I was about to let her go before a thought crosses my mind. “Wait, Spitfire,” I called out. She stopped and turned to face me. “Can you do me a favor?”

“What is it?”

I grabbed the letter for Sunshine, and folded it neatly, handing it to Spitfire. “I want you to... I don't know, the nearest Postal Office or something. Tell them it’s for Sunshine Tempest. Please?”

She squints her eyes at the font of the letter as I handed it to her. "Uh, you know there are ponies who can do this for you on the ship, right?"

"And how long do you think they will take to get this done?" I asked bitterly. "I know it would be at least weeks before she receives my letter. I cannot wait that long. You are famous though, they might make the process go by faster for you."

“Do I look like a courier to you?”

“No," I answered honestly. "But I need you to do this. Please. I promise you I will not let you down. Just do this for me just this once. Please. It’s…" I stopped. "I don't know if I am ever going to see her again. At the very least I want her to know as soon as possible that I am okay.

Spitfire's face tenses up as she gazes at the neatly folded letter. A sigh escapes her lips. “Normally I don’t do mail pony duty, but… just this once for you, I can make an exception.”

“Thank you, really! I-it means a lot to me.”

“Don’t thank me just yet. I look forward to seeing you in the air, Night Light." she smiled. "Have a good night.”

And with that, she left, leaving me alone in the blank, grey room once more.

Next Chapter: (A1) - Chapter 4: Baptised by Fire [Revised] Estimated time remaining: 17 Hours, 51 Minutes