---

“So you found an air wing filled with Aces in that one mission. How was that supposed to help you figure out what the Aigaion was?” Grim asked, clearly impatient with me starting where I did. He didn't know it; of course not. I had to lead it up from the beginning, all the way to the end of it all. If it was all going to make sense in the end, he had to understand everything.

“Be patient with me, I’m trying to make you understand the bigger picture here.” I replied back calmly. An hour or so has passed by since I began recalling my war. The sky didn’t seem to change, but a couple of shadows in the distance that I saw through the window seemed to have shifted.

“I knew those planes were not ordinary from the start. At first, I thought it was nothing. Just like I said, a group of Aces just assigned as escorts for those bombers. It happens. But then it happened again. And again. And again, in each of my Major Missions. I didn’t know where they were coming from, but they were the same each time: Black with Red Stripes, Propeller on the back, with Thinner and Longer Wings. I was beginning to notice a pattern in all of them though.”

“What kind of pattern?” Grim asked.

“Well... a few things. First: they would constantly return again to face us whenever we were on a sortie, even after the rare occasions that we've managed to shoot all of them down. They were like phoenixes, they would just keep coming back. And Second: I would eventually learn later on that these 'Strigons' - as they were called - were the only ones suitable to the Aigaion's needs.”

"Needs? What do you mean by that?"

I paused for a brief moment, trying to piece together the rambling thoughts in my head. So many ways to explain, yet I could not remember everything at the top of my head. I wanted to keep this as brief as I could.

"The Aigaion was... Unorthodox."

"That doesn't help me understand what this Aigaion is, and that is all I am asking of you. Quit stalling.”

“I’m getting there, bare with me." I took a breath. "Ponies recognized what happened over Mead Lake, and also acknowledged the appearance of the Strigon Squadron. Rumors began to spread among the ranks. At first, it was the usual small talk between pilots and other ponies. Everyone thought that it was just a one-time encounter that would inevitably die out, like a flickering flame. But more and more sightings of these Strigons began to pile up, and High Command couldn't ignore their efficiency. Even though they were a formidable threat, High Command issued a grand order to the airforce: Maintain Air Superiority. The reason for their rashness was that something big was about to happen.”

“What happened?”

“Operation: Ursa. That's what happened.”

Grim stopped for a moment, and carefully grabbed one of the Documents that still laid out before the table, reading it silently for a while. “... Participated in multiple Land Operations, including Battle Axe, Ursa, and Condor.” Grim finally read aloud.

“It’s true. All of it is true.” I spoke soon after, breaking the silence. Grim continued to read the Documents.

“... What happened in Ursa, then?”

I paused for a moment, my ears wilting. "... It's where everything went to Tartarus."

---

I stood atop the wing of one of the newly acquired Seafires my Team had been upgraded with. Each of us was called down to the Hanger Bay to inspect the new aircraft. It was chromatic in paint, and it had a recent revision of the decor as well. The Celestial Suns that were on the tips of the wings were neatly painted and placed on each wing. There was also one located in the middle of the fuselage. The Rudders and Elevators were painted Sky Blue, while the rest of the tail was still chromatic. But the real noticeable difference that I saw was the new Insignia painted beneath the cockpit canopy. It was supposedly the new Emblem for our Squadron: a Blue Eagle, stretching its wings and talons out while flying beside three crimson-tinted stars.

Big Mouth (who gained the new and more convenient Nickname of ‘Bigs’) gave a loud, appreciative whistle. Each of my Squadmates was eager to see their new toys, but now they were enthralled with what they saw.

“This is what the Princess herself could use to shoot somebody.” Bigs softly muttered while the rest of us were marveling at our new planes.

“It’s just been Commissioned last month out of development. New 20-millimeter cannons with a more powerful and durable Engine, and much faster turning time. It’s Perfect.” Hawk said with a matter-of-factly tone. Naya was trailing a hoof along the edges of the wingtips. The 20 Mil barrels were poking out from the center of the thin wings, looking intimidating even when stationary.

“I think I just found myself a new damsel,” said Lucky. He was laying belly side atop the wing of his aircraft, looking at the propellers with a certain sense of giddiness.

“It’s certainly better than our old planes, that’s for sure,” I agreed.

“From 7 Mil' machine guns to 20 Mil' Cannons. Lovely.” Naya gazed closely at the thicker barrels sticking off the front of his wings. “This could shred a Plane in seconds if used right.”

“It’s Beautiful... I could marry it.” Bigs muttered again.

“Don’t drool on them please... and I don't think we can marry inanimate objects,” I spoke toward Bigs, who didn't seem to hear me as he was busy kissing the cockpit. “Didn’t you say there was something else you wished to show us, sir?” I turned around and asked Hawk.

“We have new orders from High Command. The fleet was ordered to trail along the Coastline assisting our units on the ground during Frontline Combat. A Major offensive is about to begin, and we’re participating in it.”

“Sir, if I may, what exactly is happening in this Operation?”

“When the time comes, we will explain everything during the briefing. But we still have some time ahead of us, so don’t get excited just yet.”

“Not excited sir, just curious,” I replied.

“Well, your curiosity will stay piqued until I say. And I would prefer if you to leave it at that, Corporal Night Light.”

My recent promotion happened just last week. I was now fully qualified to lead a squadron now, At least in an official standpoint. Mentally though, I felt confused and scared. I tried my best to hide that, though. Spitfire was Major Sergeant, as I also learned last week, so it looked like I was climbing up the ranks. But I had no interest in pursuing military rankings. It wasn’t who I was. I was not meant to be a soldier, nor did I want to.

Then again, Fate has proved me wrong once already.

“This is all I wanted to show you. You may return to your previous duties now.” Hawk spoke, to which I saluted, and my Squad followed behind me as we made our way up to Floor A.

“We’ll finally be able to see the frontlines… I’ve always wondered what they were like. I imagine that they are no doubt hellish, but I’ve always wanted to see for myself.” Naya spoke to us, as we trailed along through Hanger Bay.

“I heard stories of the Frontlines. One time, I heard about something called the ‘Shire Offensive’. Where the Changelings attempted to cross the River but met Brutal and very stiff resistance. Over 40,000 dead I believe.” Lucky softly spoke.

We were all silent after that, pondering the staggeringly high numbers. A grave, sorrowful silence filled the air.

“... Let’s just all agree that the Frontlines is a Shithole, and leave it at that.” Bigs finally spoke. We all nodded. No words were necessary.

We made our way to the Cafeteria just in time for the chefs to be serving out dinner (which was Chili. Despite me eating mostly hay and fruits/veggies all my life, I found that Chili was much more filling. I didn't like the way it slid in my throat, though.) We got in line and waited for our turn to get the bowls of food, and sat down in one of the 4-stooled tables, and ate together.

As we were munching on our meals, A thought came to my mind: What if Sunshine was near the Coastline’s Front? It seemed like an impossible chance, but a part of me clung to that chance. Maybe I could be her Guardian in the Sky. I knew it was only wishful thinking, but I had to hold on to something. Otherwise, I only feel like I'm just blindly following orders, until my probable death may occur. If not for Sunshine, then what other motivation do I have to fight for?

... I looked around at the table I was sitting at, noticing my squad happily eating their meals. Safe and Sound... Me among them. And even after about a monther later, the memories of that skirmish over the gulf were fresh on my mind. The fact I am sitting here thinking about it now was because of my squad... they looked after one another, despite each other's obvious differences.

Maybe... Maybe that was worth fighting for. I clinked my spoon twice on the bowl, using a wing. They each looked to me.

“So… Everypony." I started, pathetically. "I want to make something clear for all of us.” I spoke low enough to mask our conversation amongst the chattering ambiance within our mess hall. Each of them looked up at me, looking puzzled. “The last few weeks have been… uh, Chaotic. To say the least. A-And... I know we’ve been through some great ordeals together… So I just..." I paused for a moment, suddenly feeling... something. Some form of amalgamated emotion of sadness and fear. I took a deep breath. "I just want to say: Thank you.”

My friends each had a look of confusion in their face.

“Whatever for, Night Light?” Naya asked.

“For being the Ponies in my team. I-I... couldn’t have asked for a better set of characters for this shitty performance that we found ourselves in other than you three, so… thank you. For being with me.”

They didn’t reply at first. They just continued to look at me with odd looks on their faces.

“Well... not like we really had a choice." Lucky began. "We were assigned as your squadmates for these missions since Pegasi Gulf. But, for what it’s worth, I’d say your a damn good leader, Night Light. And a damn good Pilot too.”

“Aye. And it ain't so bad flying with you. The only real shitfest I can remember with you was the sortie over the Gulf, but it was a good shitfest. We made it out at least.” Bigs complimented, surprisingly lighthearted for a pony with his kind of vocabulary.

"Well, at least we're not flying directly over where all of the real action is. So I'd say it could be a lot worse." Naya wryly joked.

"A drink is a drink, is a drink. If it ain't got no liquor, I won't lick her! That's a common saying to the bars and pubs in my hometown." Bigs bragged, earning a defeated shaking of the head from Naya.

... I couldn't quite explain it. But... I explicitly noticed that each of them spoke genuinely and honestly. Each of them - in an ephemeral moment in time - revealed something about them to me: No matter how different we were comparatively, we each held the same shared trauma. And that alone made us bond more than any other pony (besides Sunshine,) that I had ever opened up to in my life.

They were my friends, pure and simple. And with that, I couldn't help but smile at each of them.

“... We will survive." I firmly said. "I don’t care what other ponies say, and I don’t care what is thrown at us - I will personly make sure that we will all survive.” I placed one of my hooves in the middle of the table. "I promise you."

Each of them looked hesitant... but one by one, they planted their hoof on mine in the middle of the table. We all looked at each other and nodded proudly. The Red coated Pegasus ‘Naya’, the Brown colored Earth Pony ‘Bigs’, and the Green coated Pegasus ‘Lucky’. And finally… Me. All of us were on this journey.

And it was going to be the most dangerous journey we would ever face in our lives.

---

Later that same night, I couldn’t sleep again. I was shifting in my cot, flailing around in the bunk. But I could not force my brain to shut down. I was still awake. And it still sucked just as bad as before. After about an hour or so of tossing and turning, I was starting to feel frustrated.

Memories of the engagement over the Gulf would not leave my mind. I kept remembering seeing the burning corpses falling out of the bombers, one by one. Even as foreign invaders in our homeland, I could not shake the feeling of guilt that washed over me. I hated it. Every bit of fiber in my being longed to be out of this war.

Yet I was trapped.

I started to think about Sunshine… and how she must be feeling about being on the frontline. I could not stop shaking now. I didn’t know what I would do if I lost her. She was all I was fighting for. If I lost her, but I survived, what was the point?

She was my world to me. And now, I might never see her again. I felt tears pricking my eyes.

I wanted to feel her embrace again. I wanted her to tell me that everything was going to be alright. But she wasn’t here. She was risking her life for me, and I was risking my life for her. And no matter how many times I think about her every day... I'm always petrified. Terrified that in the end, one of us might not survive no matter how hard we tried.

Or worse; that both of us would perish.

I didn’t want to believe that. I wanted to assure myself and to Sunshine in any way that I will survive. And she will too. But she hasn’t responded to the letter I sent her all those months ago. I was starting to get anxious. And there was nothing I could do to help it! Never in my life have I ever felt so helpless.

“You can't sleep either?” Naya spoke in her cot above me.

“You’re still awake?” I sighed, dragging a hoof across my eyes in annoyance.

“Of course. Haven’t we established that I have a hard time sleeping on this ship? I’m sure you remember.”

“I do," I answered. "I’m just not in the mood for talking right now.”

“Might I ask why?” Naya asked.

I paused. "... Do you really wanna know, or are you just trying to pass the time?"

"Can't it be both? Does it have to be mutually exclusive?"

"... Fair." I yawned. “... I’m having memories of Pegasi Gulf. I keep seeing burning bodies bailing out of planes..." I didn't finish. Though I felt queasy inside, I could not for the life of me stop thinking about it.

Naya peeked her head down from the top bunk, looking upside down at me with her curious blue eyes. “You are disturbed by haunting nightmares?” She asked plainly.

“Basically, yes,” I replied. I clutched my head tight with the pillow from the cot, facing away from Naya and laying still. About a minute of silence has passed, and nothing has changed. For a moment, I thought the conversation would end at that. "Nothing you can do about it though."

“I want to help you,” Naya spoke softly, trying to prove me wrong.

“You can’t help me with that. You can’t just make bad memories go away.” I mumbled in my pillow.

“No, that is not what I am saying," she amended, "I am saying..." She didn't go on. There was a brief moment of hesitation in her voice. "... You said you had a loved one, yes?"

... Great.

Not only was I forced to constantly think about her, but I was also now forced to talk about her. Something I would rather not want to do right now.

"Uh... yeah?" I answered tentatively.

"And you said you wished... correct?"

I groaned. "Look Naya, don't take this the wrong way, but I do not want to think about that right now. I just want to sleep." I shifted position again and pressed the pillow against my ears even harder now. I forced my mind to try and count sheep.

Naya was silent for a little while at that... But it didn't stop her.

"I want to help you, on your journey. To reunite you with your Beloved.”

... That got me to sit up, turn and look at Naya, who was not on her bunk anymore and was sitting on the floor next to me. I didn’t even hear her drop down from the top bunk.

I glazed my eyes all over here, trying to find some way how and why she was serious.

“... Why?” I asked. “Why would you want to help me, when you have no reason to? Why would you care about somepony else's love life? Why go through all this effort in the first place?” I asked multiple questions, trying to fathom the reasoning behind her decision. In hindsight, it sounded rude to ask her like that. But I couldn't just fathom it.

She simply gazed at me, emotionless... or perhaps apathetically? I couldn't tell with her half of the time.

“Because You are the only other pony on this ship that makes me feel like I have a chance of survival. And I know Lucky and Bigs feel the same way about you. You are very skilled. And you are kind-hearted by nature, meaning you won’t lead us astray. Instead, you lead us to victory in every mission, and we survive every time. The only reason I want to help you is that…”

She paused for a moment, silently contemplating to herself for a while as if she was trying to carefully pick the words she wanted to say.

“... I'm scared."

That made me flinch a little, as I was taken aback at her sudden revelation. Naya? Scared? She's never shown an ounce of fear from the first moment I met her… why now?

“I’m scared of the fact that I would go through all the hardships and troubles of war, and have it all be for nothing. That I would somehow die before I reached the end, like I was in a hoof race and tripped at the finish line. I’m scared of the fact that I will never see the end… but I don’t want the same thing to happen to you.” Naya sat on her haunches in front of me. I looked at her eyes and noticed tears starting to form up in the corners, yet she managed to keep her voice from cracking. “... I’m scared, Night Light. I’ve never been so scared in my life.”

I’ve never seen this side of Naya before. She was an entirely different pony, it seemed. She was silently heaving tears, as she hung her head below mine.

“I miss my family. I miss my home. I miss my bed, my friends, my town, my...” she didn’t speak for a brief moment, her ears wilted and retracted. "... My mother...“ I was about to open my mouth to speak, but quickly closed my lips as she talked of her mother. "... She was the only other pony who makes me feel like how you make me feel. She made me feel proud, and accomplished… I don’t want to share the same fate as so many others did already... I don’t want you to share the same fate...” Naya finally concluded as she sagged her head down. "I..." She croaked, unable to continue. She soon starting heaving her shoulders, in dead silence.

… I didn't know how to react to this. I was confused and lost on what to do... Worst still, her words reminded me of the same situation I found myself in. I wanted so so badly to go back home, yet I couldn't. I wanted so badly to go back to Sunshine... yet I couldn't.

Sunshine... How Naya reminded me of her was bittersweet... yet also somewhat comforting. I gently hopped off the bed and sat down, scooting closer. I soon fully embraced her. She gasped upon me touching her, clearly not expecting the hug.

“I'm sorry.” Was all I said. I didn't really know what else to say. I felt... very melancholic of the situation, yet also sympathetic. I didn't really know how to convey that sort of emotion. I didn't want to start crying though, so I just kept my words short and simple. "I'm sorry" I repeated, gently brushing her mane with a hoof.

She was shaking in my hooves, but she didn’t resist. Slowly, she began to return the Embrace. Then she just... cried. And cried. She kept mumbling incoherently, and I didn't bother trying to interpret any of it. I simply just held her and stroked her mane and back for... I don't know how long exactly, five minutes? Maybe longer?

But she didn't stop. She just kept crying...

---

One by one, Pilots were walking into the Mission Room once more, ready for another sortie briefing. As the Chairs began to fill up, I couldn’t help but feel more anxious as I heard the Capital ships outside the Carrier, barely hearable through the thick metal walls, continued to fire away, devastating the landscape next to us. We were about 9 Kilos out from Coastline, Near Mead Resort. Whatever Major offensive that Equestria was launching, it was happening now.

And the ponies around me were more nervous than ever.

Major Lieutenant Hawk Eyes Trotted into view, and the Lights Dimmed again as the Projector flickered to life once more, covering the White Screen in front of us. There were photographs of a desolate landscape near a cliff coastline to the left. To the right of it was the edge of a large lake. It was the frontlines, I assumed.

“Orders have come in from Admiral Cynosura for an Emergency Sortie.” Hawk started. “A Major Air Engagement is taking place as we speak over the Mead Lake Airspace, which is currently in the midst of an Extensive Conflict between the Equestrian, The Communists, and the Crystal Armies against the Changeling Forces.

“At first, the Skies were ours, as we had achieved Air Superiority over the Area prior to the Offensive. However, at about 10:56 hours today, about 3 days after we launched ‘Operation: Ursa’, The Changeling Air Force launched a surprise Air Raid against the ground troops in the midst of a storm, the day where we were not flying our planes in the sky due to Bad Weather.

“But it seems the Changelings don’t care, and have attacked anyway. The frontlines are already halted due to the weather. If any of the Air Units attempt to disrupt our operations, it could be disastrous. In short: This will not be a walk in the park.

“We’ve attempted to thwart the Enemy by sending our planes out from land. But they need our participation in the battle as well, to tip the odds. To compensate for the Bad weather, we’ve deployed a Beaufighter Reconnaissance Craft, which is equipped with a Radar mounted on it’s control panel. They will establish communications, and assist you in battle.”

The air seemed to get more thick and humid by the second. Apprehension was also Ripe as well.

“This may be our chance to finally turn the tides of this war. I wish you all the best of luck. 10 minutes to takeoff. Garuda, Wonderbolts, Gryphus, and Dash will be accompanying this mission. The rest of you are on C.A.P. Duty around the fleet in a 5 Kilometer Radius. Garuda will take off first. Dismissed.”

We all got up, and rushed to the Locker Room, not wasting a second to suit up. As I cracked my locker open, and proceeded to suit up, I began to feel twitchy in my tail and mane. There was an electric feel in the air today, obviously due to the storm currently raging on. It was going to be a difficult task to fly in this weather. We would have to climb above the Cloud Layer.

“Time to get fired up! How many do you think there are?” Lucky asked, while struggling to zip his Heavy Jacket. I brought my goggles this time, I might need them for the rain to stay out of my eyes.

“Judging by the urgency in this Operation, and by Hawk using the words ‘Major Air Engagement’, probably a lot.” Naya answered.

“The More the Merrier.” Bigs spoke as he put his life preserver on. Ponies were hectically dashing around us, as they were struggling to suit up as fast as they could. “More Bugs to stomp, it’ll be like we’re exterminators for a day.”

“At least we have the Radar Craft with us. And that is good, because I do not wish to fly around with rain and lightning without knowing where my enemy is.” I finally spoke up.

“Why did the bugs even try to fly in that weather? That’s suicidal. Hell, we shouldn’t even be flying ourselves, let the rain kill them for us.” Lucky commented, as he finally zipped his Jacket.

“Because our orders were to join the fun. We have planes there already juking it out, and we’re there to join in on all of the action.” I answered for Lucky. He scoffed, and proceeded to put on his Life Preserver vest.

“It will not be an easy feat, though. Mother Nature has made sure of that.” Naya spoke softly.

“Yes, well, if any of the pilots over there are as smart as I hope them to be, they would fight above the storm, not in it. But then again, we are expecting Stukas bombing our guys, so I suppose we won’t have a choice in the matter.”

“Storm or not, I’ll still shoot the fockers down.” Bigs boasted. I chuckled softly, still not getting over how he speaks.

“Garuda Team, Assemble near the Runway! Garuda Team, Assemble near the Runway!” the loudspeakers loudly blared overhead, signalling us to suit up at a much faster pace than before. When I was finished, I looked at my squadmates. Only Naya was finished, Lucky was also struggling with his Life Preserver vest as well, and Bigs was securing all of his nozzles and straps in place. I decided to make my way up to the runway with Naya. the rest will have to catch up when they are finished.

Upon walking out of the Bulkhead door leading outside, I instinctively looked up at the sky, goggles on. The rain was starting to come down, but not as heavily as I initially thought. Maybe we were just outside of the storm. I turned to the Starboard side of the ship, and saw the coastline not too far from us. About 15 Klicks out at least. More darker clouds were forming over the area, as the storm continued to rage over yonder. I saw flashes of thunder, and even a streak of lightning.

“Whatever is happening over there, nature is clearly not happy.” Naya softly muttered to my left, as she was also staring at the storm in the distance. I saw other flashes of light on the ground near the cliffy coast, but those were the signs of battle, not lightning. I can already tell by all of the foreshadowing weather that this was going to be a very Chaotic day and an even more Chaotic mission. At least it was daytime. If this was in the evening, or Celestia forbid at night, I would start to think they are trying to send us to our deaths.

Lucky and Bigs eventually caught up to us, and were also standing near me, admiring the powerful weather in the distance. There was a sense of static in the air. Lightning was definitely apparent.

“Whew... that is quite a lot of rain.” lucky softly commented.

“Quite.” Bigs said.

“We may have no choice but to fly into that, so be ready for anything when we reach the airspace.” I spoke.

“Indeed. It is a ferocious storm.” Naya muttered.

“Garuda Team, Embark your Aircraft! Garuda Team, Embark your Aircraft!” The loudspeakers blared again. We all Galloped, just as we had done before, and embarked our aircraft. We wanted to do this more quickly this time to get out of the rain. I fastened myself in, and powered on the Radio Control Panel as soon as I was connected.

“Garuda 1 to Garuda team, give me a clear sitrep. How is my connection? Over.” I asked.

“We hear you just fine boss, though I don’t know if it’ll stay that way in the storm.”

“Well, we’ll just have to find out, won’t we?” I proceeded to set my controls and diagnostics to the appropriate setting, which was different this time considering the new Aircraft we were flying. I powered the engine, which made the propeller spin very rapidly to the point it looked like it was a disc, and set my throttle all the way back, holding the brakes.

“All planes, these Crafts are a little different from the Fulmars we were flying before. Set your Fuel Mix to 97%, and your Radiators to full.”

“Good copy.”

“Garuda 1 to Blueblood control, do we have clearance? Over.”

“Roger Garuda 1, permission granted. You’re Team is clear for takeoff.”

“All planes, we’re on a tight schedule this time. We need to get to the Airspace ASAP, so takeoff as fast as you can.”

“Roger boss.” Lucky answered.

I proceeded to ease my throttle forward, which made me lurch back into my seat a lot quicker this time. The plane accelerated at an extraordinarily fast pace, almost clearing the runway in less than 5 seconds. By the time I was off the Runway, I was already over 250 Kilos in speed. These new engines were good.

“Garuda 2, launching!” I tilted the stick bearing to the north, directly facing the dark clouds at the coastline. I raised my flaps and my landing gear soon after.

“Garuda 3, Launching!” I tilted my head back, and found my Naya’s planes accelerated closer to me, forming on my rear. Lucky’s plane was now off the runway, increasing speed as well.

“Garuda 4, Launching!” Now Bigs plane moved up the runway at a faster pace. He had more space opened to him, and was already lifting off the runway before he ran out of room.

“All Garuda team members launched. Form up on me in ‘Rarity’. Naya, you’re Pink, Lucky is Yellow, and Bigs is Blue.”

“Good copy, merging into formation now.” Lucky responded.

“Blueblood to Garuda 1, Dash will be taking off shortly after you. Proceed to the Combat Airspace due north, and engage any enemies you see. Good Luck. Out.” and with that, he ceased comms. I switched his channel to the new ‘Lead Channel’ that was assigned for this mission. We weren’t flying with our carrier group’s planes, these ponies were from airbases on land. They had different comms channels than we do, to avoid Confusion and Espionage.

“All planes, ascend to 3500, above the storm clouds. I’ll get into contact with the others more efficiently the higher and further away from the storm we are.” I ordered, and tilted my plane’s nose upward, increasing altitude. I eyed my speed gauge, which was actually climbing instead of dropping. These new planes kept getting better and better.

As we were continuing to fly, more and more drops of rain can be seen littering the cockpit canopy. The rain was getting more heavy. We were steadily approaching the cliffs, which were tall, flat white cliffs.

“There they are. The cliffs of Raspberry Cove.” Bigs remarked as we flew over the coast-line. It had a tall white precipice cliffside breaking against the ocean, giving it a unique defense to coastal attacks. It also looked somewhat pretty from the sky, but I didn't have time for sightseeing. I watched as a tiny coastal town pass by underneath me. We continued to climb upward, the rain becoming more and more heavy. It indicated that we were close to the cloud layer by now.

Soon, we passed overhead the large formation of stormclouds, thunder and lightning flashing around us in sporadic bursts. We were at a higher altitude than normal, but it meant we were out of the rain. The Fulmars certainly wouldn't have been able to climb this high and this fast like the Seafire could.

“Wait one, I’ll get in contact with the Recon plane.” I switched to the Lead Channel, and strapped the Aviator mask in place. “Garuda 1 to Long Eye, Rover Crystal. Over.” There was silence for about 15 seconds or so. I spoke again. “Repeat, Long Eye, Rover Crystal. Over.” still no response. I checked my control panel, thinking I was on the wrong frequency. I wasn’t. Whatever was going on, he wasn’t responding. I might be too far still. I changed to my Team Channel.

“I’m getting radio silence from the Recon. We might be too far out still.” I spoke into the mask.

“We’re about 20 klicks. Shouldn’t be too far to be radio silent…” Naya commented.

“Maybe the storm’s interfering with the signal?” Lucky questioned.

“Or maybe it was shot down…” Bigs muttered.

“We’ll find out soon enough, maintain formation and altitude until we reach the combat airspace.” I ordered.

We flew steadily for a solid 5 minutes now. We haven’t seen any other planes in the sky with us. It was blue and sunny above, with the terrible storm below. It felt rather peaceful, come to think of it. Nopony was here but us, and nothing to shoot at us with. We were completely alone in a saturated and colorful sky, the clouds below us masking our sudden appearance to combat airspace.

I took this time to marvel the beauty of the sky during our flight. It was the only time we ever felt at peace. It was this part of the job that I liked about being a pilot - despite all of the obvious negatives. Being a pegasus and all, I’ve always had a love for flying and a fondness for being in the sky. Being in a wartime environment was not what I had in mind when I thought about flying this high into the sky as a filly.

10 minutes have passed now, and I spotted a shape in the far distance, way above us. Several miles higher than us, at least. I believed that was the recon plane. I tried to get in contact again.

“Garuda 1 to Long Eye, Rover Crystal. Do you read? Over.” I spoke into the mask. No answer. More silence, just like before. The plane didn’t change course. “Repeat: Garuda 1 to Long Eye, Rover Crystal! Over.” Still nothing. We were clearly visible above the cloud layer, it was easy for him to see us. Why wasn’t he responding?

“Boss, there’s a plane way up high above. I don’t know if it’s friendly or not though.” Lucky called out.

“I’m trying to get in touch, standby.” I ordered and switched channels again. “Garuda 1 to Long Eye, Rover Crystal! Can you read me? Over.” I asked once again. This time, I was rewarded with static. Not much of an improvement. We flew closer underneath the plane, and I attempted once again to make contact. More static, but it was getting less Garbled. I could make out a couple of indistinct voices.

“-firm our chain o - kzzt - mand! We can- eyoom - track them! There’s - Fszt- !” It was barely understandable. The storm had to have provided some kind of interference. Either that, or we were still too far away. I climbed higher, my Friends following close behind. The static was becoming less concentrated, and soon I could hear clearly again.

“Incoming Message from Long Eye, 30% of Allied air units are already lost. We can’t take much more of this!”

“Where’s Mango 1? Where’s the commander plane?”

“Bug on my tail, fucking shoot him already!”

“Midnight, Shift to attack. He won't let up!”

It was a confusing and chaotic mess of voices fighting for their lives. I could make out only a couple of sentences at a time. Eventually, Another voice came in, silencing all the others.

“All Planes, I’m picking up more spots on Radar, standby for Identification.” Long Eye finally spoke. “It’s coming from the West… I think these are...”

“Long Eye, this is the 28th Fighter Squadron 'Garuda'. We’ve arrived from the Blueblood, and are here for assistance. Requesting Sitrep of the current situation in the combat airspace, over.” I spoke into the mask.

“Long Eye to Garuda, roger that. Enemy currently has Air Superiority at the moment, and our ground units are taking a hell of a beating. Are more of you coming?”

“Affirmative. We aren’t the only ones. The others should be here soon.”

“Ok, Roger that. The engagement is currently taking place below the storm clouds… you’ll have to fly into it to engage.”

I sighed. Of course, it wasn’t going to be this easy.

“How many planes are we expecting?” I asked.

“Unknown. Reports are sketchy, but there's at least a hundred in total.”

Sweet Celestia… that was an astronomically high number of planes fighting in a single. I momentarily let go of the stick, and stared at the storm clouds below. I didn’t expect it to be at this scale. My hooves felt like they went numb for a second.

“Your orders, Garuda 1?” Naya asked.

I shook my head. I couldn’t get distracted now, I have to do this. I needed to see the action for myself.

“... Garuda 1 to all planes, follow in behind me and level out as soon as we breach the cloud cover. Keep your throttles back."

"Roger, boss," Lucky responded.

We all dove downward simultaneously towards the dark clouds beneath us. They were speeding closer towards us, as we continued to speed up. I could hear the thunder even inside my cockpit and saw more raindrops litter my canopy as we broke through the cover. Flashes of light were seen all around us, as different streaks of lightning were seen crackling the sky through the thick clumps of cloud.

When we broke through, we were greeted to the sight of a ruined, and barren landscape, filled with mud and rain. Tracers were everywhere, lighting the entire sky and the ground beneath it. I saw multiple explosions all around us litter the atmosphere, as Flak clouds were spotting up the air. The offensive was already underway, as ponies both in the air and on the ground were engaged in desperate combat.

But I noticed a flash of Red and Black zoom out of the corner of my eye. When I turned and look, I saw the same Red and Black plane from the Gulf, giving chase to a Spitfire. The sky was completely filled with them. There was no sight of a regular 109 anywhere.

It was a whole Battalion or two of them.

“Whoa... Are those the same planes we faced over the gulf?” Lucky asked, clearly not expecting the sky to be filled with them.

“Aye… That they are. What are your orders now, Garuda 1?” Bigs asked.

I was shaking more now. I couldn’t do this! This was madness! Hundreds of little monsters in one airspace? how am I supposed to fight against that?! I felt a tingling sensation riddle my spine and mane. Goosebumps were racking all over my body, as I stared at the rained filled sky, and witnessed the carnage in front of me.

There were so many planes... so much was happening all at once that I felt dizzy just looking at it all.

“Your Orders, Garuda 1?” Lucky asked next.

“Night Light, is something wrong?” Naya then piped up, before a flashing streak of lightning covered the sky, barely missing a couple of aircraft from certain death. The storm alone already made this an impossible task. But the amount of aircraft present in the area? It was too much.

“Night Light, you’re Radio Silent. Please respond.” Naya asked again. I couldn’t stop shaking. My breathing was erratic, and I wanted to jump out and hide in one of the clouds. I was so certain this was where I was going to die.

Yet another blinding streak of lightning trailed the sky, this time directly in front of me. The deafening 'BOOM!' of the thunder shook my plane, and made me jump in my seat from the sudden scare. The Lightning was becoming more frequent than usual.

This almost looked like suicide. It seemed impossible.

When the time comes: Don't think. Just Act.

“Garuda 1, respond! What is going on?” Lucky asked once again.

I was still shaking, and silently watching the battle below.

Don't think. Just act.

“All planes… It’s time to dive into the fireworks!”

---

I gasped and then wheezed, which sent me into a violent coughing fit.

I sat up, and found myself covered in mud and rain… and a bit of blood.

That was before I noticed the bullet wound on my left wither. The pain was pin pricking my left side. I couldn’t remember how I got the wound. Maybe a stray bullet from one of the planes hit me? I slowly got to my hooves, wincing from the pain. I gazed at my aircraft… or what’s left of it. It was reduced to a burning heap of metal and hardened aluminum. I barely got out in time before it crashed. I was still wheezing from the air being knocked out of me though.

I pulled out my first aid kit, from my vest, and opened the contents. It was relatively basic, containing simple bandages, with morphine, and some alcohol with a cloth. I couldn’t let this wound stay open for long, lest it might get infected. I couldn’t just treat myself now in this rain, the alcohol would wash out. I had to find shelter somehow.

Then reality set in. I was behind enemy lines.

I crash-landed in the worst fucking place on the planet, right now. I was alive, but how long would that last? I had to get away from here before anyone else notice my presence. And I also had to get out of this goddess damned rain!

I landed near the base of a lake. A big one. I was also near a mountain as well. I had to be on the North side of Mead Lake. That must be the Smokey Mountains in front of me then. I looked up towards the sky to the East, finding more aircraft still swerving and circling overhead. Thunderous booms from both the storm and sounds of battle were heard from far away.

I saw another plane, one of ours, trailing yellow smoke behind him, as 2 other planes were neatly following behind him. The lead plane then broke off and proceeded to relentlessly chase after more hostile aircraft. He maneuvered up though, and around the chaos that was still in the sky. One by one, more enemies were shot down by this single plane.

It was Naya. It had to be Naya. The rest of my Team was still alive before I bailed. It’s hard to confirm if they know I am alive or not, however. The air battle looked significantly less intimidating for our side after my team arrived, however. Maybe if I live through this, it’ll work out in the end for us.

Maybe.

I contemplated my options. I couldn’t contact my team. The plane, and the radio in it was… well, not in pristinecondition.

I could try to fly using my wings in this rain to make it back to the other side of the frontline. But, it felt too dangerous. I would be flying for miles, over the entire changeling army. While the offensive was still underway. I didn’t like my chances.

I could attempt to hide and wait for the Equestrian Army to come for me, but I have no clue how long that would take. I couldn’t tell myself if they could get here within a week or within a month. I cannot count on it.

I could still try to hide… at least until the storm’s over. Maybe I could re-evaluate my options then. I was getting cold by standing out here in the downpour anyway. I turned towards the mountains, the only place I could think of where the Changelings won't be able to reach me. I don’t believe the frontline is this far, it should be okay.

I hope.

---

Contrails littered the sky.

I was spinning rapidly while being chased and giving chase. two planes were both in front and behind me, and neither of them like me. I burst fired the 20 Mils again at the plane in front of me, missing wildly due to the bandit on my six also shooting at me.

At this point, it was getting ridiculous.

“Garuda 2, I got one on my 6 and I can’t lose him! I could use some help.” I ordered through my mask. I kept inverting halfway, then banking in different directions to avoid his fire.

“I’m on him.” She replied hurriedly.

I saw golden tracers wheeze by over me. Naya was also shooting now. I turned my head back and found the bandit breaking off, to avoid Naya. I then turned my attention to the Bogey in front of me and found him trying to wave off to my left. I pursued behind him quickly, turning much faster than him. I fired a burst, and his plane exploded upon impact, turning it to a Fireball plummeting to the ground.

Another Spitfire flew in front of me, barely dodging me, as I saw a bogey on his six, rapidly closing in. I turned instinctively in his flight path, and fired again. It appeared into view spiraling out of control to the ground, missing a wing.

“Our support is here, who did they send us?” A voice from Lead Channel called out.

“Long Eye confirms it’s Garuda, repeat: the Reinforcement Team is Garuda!”

“The Pilots from Blueblood? I thought they were staying overseas?”

“Who cares? We appreciate the assistance, Garuda!”

I leveled out, looking for more targets. “All planes looks like we got an audience for this performance.”

“Then let’s give them a show to remember!” Lucky called out.

---

I continued to trek my way up the Smokey Mountains for about an hour or so. The downpour was getting less intense, and I saw the fire from my plane wreck eventually burn out, due to the seemingly never-ending rain. I was completely soaked by this point. Mud was stuck to my coat, ruining it’s Lavender color. But at the moment, it was the least of my worries.

The mountains were becoming significantly harder to traverse the higher I got. I was hoping for some kind of shelter, anything really, to get me out of this rain. An old cabin, a cave, or even a large tree. Anything would have sufficed. Instead, I got more rocky terrain.

I found more deadwood along my way up to the top of the Mountain. I collected and stowed it all in the satchel that I had on me, which also held my First Aid Kit. On the off chance that I was gonna have to get crafty in a situation like this, I need all I could get.

I used my wings to hover most of it, but the storm was making it difficult. I wish it would let up already, how long do these things last? I crested over another rocky ridge and found a large hole embedded at the base of a cliff formation. There was nothing else around the entrance, as it was pretty barren. And I doubt nobody would be able to follow me.

A perfect hiding hole.

I galloped towards the cave entrance, finally glad to get out of this awful rain already. Upon entering, I pulled out my mini satchel, and pulled out an unlit torch, and set it beside me. I also pulled out the Deadwood I collected earlier, and also set it next to the torch. I then dug in my pockets, patting myself down for any shapes bulging out. Once I found it, I pulled out the packet of matches. I then gathered all of the Deadwood I could and bound them near the entrance of the cave.

As soon as that was done, I sat down near the torch and grabbed it with my wing. I bit down on the match as I stroke it along the surface of the cave, and carefully lit the torch. I held the flame for a few seconds, until it eventually died out, achieving nothing.

I sighed and spat out the extinguished stick to pull out a new one. I stroke along the cave with my mouth again, and pulled the torch Closer. It steadily burned for another few seconds and then burnt out again, still not succeeding. “Oh for fuck sake!” I sharply muttered as I raised my left hoof up, making me wince from the pain on my bullet wound. Frustratedly, I pulled out another match, stroke the cave again, and attempted to light the torch. After a couple of seconds, it finally caught flame, and the torch was starting to burn. I spat the match away and proceeded to stow my Match pack as I sat up, torch in my wing.

The cave didn’t lead further into the mountain. It was a dead-end that extended on for about 20 Meters or so. There was nowhere to go for me now. I sighed and stared at the campfire. I trotted towards it, as I eased the torch closer to the neatly placed pile of Deadwood. After about 15 seconds of holding the steadily burning torch in place, I noticed a small ember of light emit from the pile, and waved the torch off. It was catching fire now.

I sighed, and sat down against the cave wall near the fire, as the flames grew. I slowly gazed at my wound, knowing that the next few minutes are going to suck. I pulled out the FAK from my satchel and opened its contents. I pulled out the Bandages, the Morphine, and the Alcohol with the cloth. I slowly and steadily opened the alcohol bottle and poured its contents onto the cloth. Then I proceeded to wrap the Bandage around the damp cloth, ready to cover the wound and to be wrapped around my torso quickly.

I grabbed the torch with my wing, and bit on the handle end of it, barely avoiding my face from the flames, and gritted as hard as I could. A cry of pain escaped me, as I slapped the damp cloth on the wound. An overwhelming burning sensation enveloped my side. I felt tears pricking the sides of my eyes, as I continued to wrap the bandages slowly around my torso, and tied it into place, tearing pieces of my flight suit while doing so. The pain still didn’t die down.

I pulled out the morphine syringe, popped open the cap, and jabbed it into my left hoof, almost instantaneously noticing the numbing drowsy effect. Soon the pain will die down. That is 2 of my problems down, and a lot more to go. I fixed my wound, and I am out of the rain. The storm continued to rage onward. I lost sight of the planes, and the sky was soon cleared of aircraft. The battle on the ground continued to rage on in the distance. I didn’t pay attention to it much. I focused on the sounds of fire, and the sounds of the storm.

I felt exhaustion waved over me. I was beginning to warm up from the flames, and feel somewhat at ease.

I was still alive.

---

Droplets of Oil littered my canopy.

As I gave chase to another bandit, it was trailing black smoke, littering oil it was leaking onto the glass of the cockpit. It obscured a part of my vision, but because we were in the storm, the rain could easily wash it off. The bogey was erratically shaking and twisting, using every trick it could muster to attempt to lose me. I banked hard to continue pursuing him, as he desperately rolled for evasion. It proved to be naught, as I fired more golden bullets at him. The black smoke became even darker after I saw flames licking his plane.

“Another one down.” I called out. At that point, I felt my plane violently vibrate and shake, as Green tracers were flying overhead. I inverted, and turned downward slightly, trying my best not to lose acceleration, and darted my head behind me, finding another bogey on my 6.

“Lucky, shift to support, I got one on my tail.” I turned my nose upwards, still faster than him, and proceeded to climb straight up. He followed behind, and more tracers were wheezing by, as he sprayed with no content. I was steadily losing speed, but so was he. I turned behind me and saw Lucky’s plane chasing after him, as the bastard began to stall out. I quickly tilted the stick to the right before I could stall out, and dove downward. Lucky was firing his guns now, and so was I, striking the same target as his plane began to break apart. When one of his wings completely broke off, I banked hard left, avoiding Lucky’s plane, as he barely missed me while climbing upwards.

“I can’t tell who killed him, but that’s another one down!” Lucky cheered.

“Good shooting Lucky, don’t get cocky. All planes, form up on me above the clouds and regroup! We’re too far apart.” I ordered my squad as I proceeded to climb.

“Okay, roger that!” Bigs responded. I looked behind me to find Lucky’s plane following close behind. I then noticed the light grey smoke my craft was trailing behind. I eyed every single gauge, and found that my Water Cooler was leaking, as it’s temperature was increasing higher than usual. I could still fly, but I had to be careful with my throttle management.

When I broke through the cloud layer, I was greeted with the blue sky and the sun. The mountain peaks were also visible far to the Northeast, as its peaks were poking above the storm, just out of reach. I saw my team slowly form up and fly close behind me.

“All planes, the enemy threat level is down, continue to engage!” Long eye spoke on Lead Channel.

“How? There’s so many of them!” Another voice spoke.

“Garuda Team is assisting you so far, you still have a chance to make something happen. Do not allow the enemy to disrupt our operations.” Long Eye ordered.

“Garuda Copies. We’re diving down now.” I switched to Team Channel. “All planes, dive on me, and prioritize on any bombers or attacker planes you may find.”

“Roger that!” They all replied as we dove into the storm once again.

---

The rain didn’t die down. I kept staring at my watch most of the time. About four and a half hours passed by. I couldn’t remember exactly what time it was when I got up here. But whatever it was, it is about a half hour past five about now. The torch and the fire that was burning was slowly dying out.

Nothing seemed to follow me, as I stared at the cliff, waiting for something to come… but nothing came. Instead, the downpour of the storm continued to rage down the mountain. A cold breeze was blowing in the cave. The fire was not as roaring as it was before, making the heat emitting from it not as noticeable. I huddled around it for as long as I could. I needed to savor as much of it as I could.

I was completely dry at this point though. I took off my vest, and my heavy coat, and just laid them atop of my satchel neatly near the fire, waiting for them to cool off. About 2 and a half hours since then, I put them back on, now warm and dry. I was not wet anymore either.

I stared out at the entrance of the cave and stood up. My satchel was empty now, after using the FAK. The bullet wound ceased its pain to an even ‘number’ effect. The worst of it was over, at least. I stretched my wings, and hovered in place for a moment, taking a deep breath in, and a deep exhale out. I then bolted out the cave as fast as I could and proceeded to reconnoiter the mountain around me, looking for any dead trees.

After about ten minutes of searching, I gathered more Deadwood than I did on the first round. I found no signs of life near me as I was gathering. Nobody was around me. I was completely alone up here. The sky was still booming with thunder every now and then, but there was no constant hum of Aircraft engines anymore. Distant artillery shells still hammered the ground to the East of me, but it was sporadic and distant.

When I returned to the cave, I was once again soaked to the bone. The bandages managed to stay tied around my wound, at least. I hurried back to the top of the mountain, to my cave. Using my wings to get there, it wasn’t too difficult to accomplish. I made it back inside, still not being followed. The fire was still burning softly. I dumped the firewood to the pile, and proceeded to blow on it softly, to keep it alive. I spent the next 6 minutes constantly blowing into the fire, roaring it back to life, more intense this time. I was finding myself stripping again, to dry my coat and vest once again. I laid the satchel down, and bundled the clothing atop of it neatly, allowing it to dry up again. I huddle near the burning flame, trying to warm up. It proved to be an easier task now, with the bigger fire.

I stared at my watch once again. It was six now. The sky was getting darker. I was going to have to sleep in this cave, if the rain continued at this rate. How long do these storms last? I poked the fire with a stick, moving the dead logs around just a tad. The flame would probably last all night now. Winter had arrived in Equestria, but the snow hasn’t yet. It was cold outside, but only due to the wetness of the rain, and the icy cold wind to go with it. However, the fire was quite a distance away from the cave entrance, meaning the cold wind would not reach us as easily through the fire, if it burned all night.

I waited for about another hour or two. I kept staring at my watch. It was a Quarter ‘till 8. I patted the Jacket, noticing it to be not quite as damp as before, as I equipped it. The Vest, I left it near the wall. It was some kind of armor, better than nothing at least. But for now, I had no need for it. I proceeded to set my satchel down as an improvised pillow, and laid down on it, my back towards the fire keeping me warm. I felt drowsy. The cave surface was uncomfortable, but the morphine from earlier made me a bit tired and fatigued all day. I listened to the flames burning behind me, and soon, I was out.

---

Bullet holes decorated my wings.

The plane I was in was beginning to slowly deteriorate as the battle continued. My ammo count was low as well, at this point, I’d have to RTB for repairs and refuel.

… If I make it.

I danced around the flak guns that were firing the sky, aiming at me. The tracers were slowly soaring towards me, as I easily dodged it. I tailed after another group of Stukas that were 5 Klicks out from the frontline, and proceeded to softly squeeze the trigger in quick bursts this time, sending tracers striking the tails and fuselages. One caught on fire, two lost their wings, 2 lost their tails, and the last one simply exploded upon contact. The whole squadron was gone, but not before their gunners managed to plug more holes in my craft.

If this battle keeps up, it’s not going to last long for me.

“Garuda 1, you looked badly damaged. Are you alright?” Naya asked.

“I’m fine, it’s just my plane that’s hurt. Not me. I can still fight though. I just need to be careful.”

“Garuda team, more Stukas incoming from the Smokey Mountains. Intercept them!” Long Eye ordered.

“Roger, we’re moving now! Garuda Team, on me; we got more Junkers to take down!”

“Good, I always hated that damn Siren they’ve got on them!” Lucky commented.

We turned towards the North Westish, more leaned towards North. We spotted the Dive Bombers not too long afterwards. I turned behind me to find aircraft on my tail, only it was my Team’s and not enemy. The Air Battle continued to rage farther behind us though. I could see black clouds of AA Flak fire litter the sky.

“We got a visual on the Stukas. Garuda Team, Engage!” I ordered.

“Roger. Firing now!”

---

I woke up to not hearing anything, but birds singing. The fire was extinguished completely, and I heard no more rain from outside. I slowly sat up, still tired even after sleep. The sounds were somewhat peaceful, and I couldn’t hear any gunfire in the distance. Everything was eerily quiet.

I made my way outside the cave, no longer under the threat of constant rain by the storm. There was a lot of morning dew though, I could only imagine how much after a storm like last night. The sky was no longer a depressing grey of rain clouds, but instead looking like white fluffy balls of cotton. The sun was shining down in between a gap of clouds, and the landscape beneath the mountain was a lot more clearly visible.

The Giant Lake that was Mead Lake was now visible from up here. I could also see the battlefield from yesterday next to it, towards the East. It was a muddy, barren landscape, slowly deteriorating from the war that caused it. There were trench lines, massive craters, wrecks of metal tanks that were silently rusting away. It was marred and burned, housing no fauna whatsoever.

It looked like Tartarus invaded Equestria. It was a barren, hellish battlefield

There were no signs of combat. The guns on both sides of the frontlines were silent. No battle was going on, whatever happened yesterday changed that apparently. I needed to find a way back on my side of the front. As long as I am still out here, I was never safe. I could hide more maybe, but who knows how long that would remain effective before the Changelings find me? I couldn’t risk it. I have to escape.

I veered towards the edge of the small cliff I stood near, and scanned the immediate area below the mountain. Still no signs of life. I looked up at the clouds and the sky. No signs of AA fire, or aircraft. Everything around me, for once, was at peace. I closed my eyes, and basked in its silence, knowing that it wasn't going to last much longer and that I wasn’t going to get another chance to enjoy it for a long while.

I sat down near the cliff, staring at the wide-open terrain beneath the mountain, contemplating and analyzing my situation. I wasn’t found, by anyone it seems. No pony knows I am alive, or where I am. I had to change that. I can’t hope for a rescue party, that is not happening. But I’ll be damned if I’m dying out here, by myself!

I considered my options. I could hoof it down the mountain, and sneak my way past no pony’s land across to my frontline, but it was just screaming ‘bad idea’ all over. It was too simple, and I could very easily be spotted and killed if not careful. Plus, who’s to say that the ponies won’t shoot me anyway? What if they got the impression that I was a changeling spy, trying to infiltrate their ranks? I would be executed on the spot before I got across no pony’s land. I had to find another way.

I looked toward the mountains. I couldn’t go back up. It leads to nowhere safe. A dead-end, practically. And there was certainly NO WAY I was going further West. That was a death sentence. I looked towards the sea. I could probably fly over the ocean, and find the Blueblood. But of course, I have no idea where they could be. In the last 24 hours, they could’ve gone anywhere. It would be hopeless to attempt to track them down.

Dammit, this was getting me nowhere! Everywhere I considered going, it was either death or worse. There had to be something I could do! I looked towards the scarred battlefield again. The colossal clouds were casting shadows across the marred landscape.

Clouds…

Finally, I had an idea.

---

A crack obscured the cockpit glass.

A stray bullet had managed to strike the front glass plane of the canopy. Thankfully, the glass was bulletproof, but the crack was still there, blocking half of my line of sight from the front. I was currently dodging and weaving against another Stuka as I gave chase, it’s rear gunner desperately trying to fend me off as I returned fire. The tracers struck the fuselage and tail consistently, making it violently shake and vibrate upon impact. More tracers landed in the cockpit, and soon the Stuka’s nose started to slowly tip down, it’s siren blaring away as it descended. I must’ve killed the pilot.

I turned my attention to the last Stuka of the formation, and proceeded to fire away, delivering more golden tracers of death to the enemy. The plane began to break apart easily, and soon it’s tail was completely detached off, sending the Stuka flipping in multiple directions as it plummeted to the ground below.

“Stuka squadron wiped out!” I called out over Lead channel. “Garuda Team, continue the attack. Wipe them from our-” I was cut off as I heard sounds of scraping and broken metal break off of my plane. I darted my head behind me, and saw two enemy planes chasing me. I Banked hard in their blind spot, and turned to evade, not keeping my eyes off of them while doing so. When they inverted again to chase me, I pulled up hard on the stick, trying to get over them.

I climbed above them, and they pulled up from under me to stay on my tail. I saw one of them speeding ahead of me, about to surpass. I continued to slow down, and maneuvered away from the bullets they were constantly sending out to me. One of them was too fast for me, and was soon surpassing over my plane, and into my crosshairs. I fired, and another plane bites the dust. The second one was still on my six. I inverted downward and dived, to gain more speed after defending against the first one. I rolled smoothly as I dove, to try to make myself as difficult of a target as possible. He was still stuck to my tail though, and more bullets struck my craft.

“Fuck, he’s good…” I muttered, as I inverted and pulled up in his blind spot, but he was quicker. He could roll faster than I could, and he pursued me relentlessly. I lowered the throttle as I pulled up, and trimmed the elevators slightly upward, to give myself any kind of edge I could accumulate against him. I still didn’t lose him. I was flying low over the giant lake heading northbound. I pulled my nose upward, and attempted to stall him out. I was rapidly losing speed now, as he was closing the gap between us. I would only get a small window if I timed this right, so I needed to make it count. I darted my head back behind me multiple times, left right left right, constantly checking if he was getting closer. He was about 20 meters or so now. One good burst from him could finish me off. I had to make this count.

His speed was proving to be his downfall, as he gently soared overhead. I saw writing on the bottom of his plane, and an emblem of a cloaked Pony (or Changeling) holding a scythe. The inscription beneath the emblem read: ‘Strigon’. He was ahead of me now, trying to climb upward to avoid my fire. My plane turned faster though, and eventually the sights glazed over his craft.

Click.

I squeezed the trigger, but nothing happened. Click. Still nothing. At that point, a terrifyingly chilly thought set in:

I was out of ammo.

“Fuck!” I yelled aloud, as I waved off, diving downward to hide from the plane that was now circling in front of me, trying to give chase again. I inverted my nose downward, gaining more speed as I descended, and pulled up again.

“Garuda 1, he’s on your tail!” Naya called out.

“I know!” I yelled back into the mask, as I pulled up away from the ground. “Naya, shift to-” I was cut off as more tracers struck my craft. The ground was getting closer. I pulled up the stick to evade. Nothing happened. I pulled the stick again. Still nothing. At that point, time seemed to slow down. I lost control of my craft, I was out of ammo, I was being chased by another plane, and I was hastily descending to the ground below me.

I was fucked.

“Oh fuck, oh fuck, oh fuck, oh fuck, oh fuck, oh fuck, oh fuck!” I yelled in fear over and over again, as I shakily tried to unbuckle myself. I opened the cockpit canopy, instantly feeling sharp painful pricks of rain strike my face, and stretched my wings out. The ground was getting closer. I saw black smoke behind my plane, as it spun wildly.

“NIGHT LIGHT, BAIL! BAIL OUT!” Naya screeched over the radio, as I leaped out of the aircraft, and opened my wings, gliding downward very fast. I pulled myself up, but it wasn’t enough. I heard an explosion to my left as I was about to hit the ground.

And then the world went black around me

---

I was hovering over one of the smaller pieces of cloud, high above the scarred and ruined battlefield. I sat atop of it, as I stared down at our side of the frontline. The gap of land between our fortifications and trenches was completely void of all life. I could see multiple different colored shapes of ponies moving about in our trench line. I continued to fly East, landing on the nearest cloud as I passed over the landscape. Nothing seemed to notice my presence, so I took that as a sign that this plan was somehow working.

I wanted to try to get as far away from the frontline, at least the dangerous part of it, as quickly as possible. As I flew more and more to the East, I felt more at ease than I did before. I was no longer in changeling territory, at least.

I flew over the entire frontline in over an hour or so, and not a single bullet was shot. I didn’t stop though, I needed to find the nearest military airfield, and get back to the Blueblood. I didn’t know if anybody had the idea I was still alive. Probably not, honestly. But I was about to prove them wrong.

I flew over broken clouds for a few hours now. I didn’t stop to see how many. I was traveling all along the coastline, sticking to the ocean as close as possible. Maybe I could find the Blueblood near the coastline, and board it then? Of course, I was never as lucky as I wished to be. After hours of flying over the coast though, I did find something else… and if I was right, there might be somepony else that could help me as well.

Las Pegasus' Skyline was appearing into view now.

Next Chapter: (A2) - Chapter 2: Wake-up call [Revised] Estimated time remaining: 15 Hours, 36 Minutes