“You made it back all the way to Las Pegasus, after flying over the frontlines, crash landing your plane, and after you suffered a bullet wound? All in one day?” Grim asked me as if he wasn’t able to comprehend the insanity of the situation I just described to him.

“I did what I could do, and did what I had to do. And I probably wouldn’t be alive if it wasn’t for that. I got lucky. Really lucky.” I answered, thinking back to the plane diving down to the ground, and how I was barely able to get out moments before the crash. I was so close to dying so many times that day, I felt like I was teasing death at that point.

Grim continued to read the several documents laid out on the table, as if trying to find a clue or detail. He still couldn’t comprehend how insane all of this sounded. Honestly, I don’t blame him. If I was told by my future self, before the war started, that all of this would happen, I would’ve thought I was dreaming or something, maybe a mild nightmare. Instead, it was a memory, not a dream. I remember it clear as day.

“So, Las Pegasus... Why go there of all places? Why not return to your ship?”

“It was the only place I could think of that had somepony there who could trust me and possibly help me get back to said ship. I had no clue where the Blueblood was, so that was my next best option. It was the only thing that made sense to me at the time, I didn’t know what else to do. If I headed west, I would be in changeling territory. If I headed North, I'd be going AWOL. So I didn't take any risks and flew East instead. Eventually, I made it to Las Pegasus.”

“You said that somepony was there to help you. Who else was there that could possibly help?” Grim inquired.

“My old Instructor, when I was still in training.”

For another moment, Grim took time to read the documents scattered about before him across the table. He suddenly stopped cold and looked like he saw a Ghost.

“Rainbow Dash?! She was your Drill Sergeant?” Grim Stuttered. I could not help but give a small smirk at his reaction. “You mean to tell me that the legendary Rainbow Dash, Bearer of the Element of Loyalty, was your Drill Sergeant?”

“Yes.” I simply replied. He did not follow suit with any other form of reply for a short while before he frowned.

“What else have you been holding out on me?” Grim asked, eyes slowly narrowing.

“I would care to enlighten you on that question if you could only allow me." I replied with only a hint of smugness. "And in order for you to understand what happened, I must take you through this in chronological order. It is because of this that the identity of Rainbow Dash as my instructor has eluded you.

"Now, are you going to let me finish what happens next, or are you going to ask more useless questions?”

He looked away for a moment. The room was dead silent, as I could hear his slow breathing. He turned his head back, before speaking in a gravel-like tone.

“Continue.”

“As I said, I flew to Las Pegasus in the hopes of finding Rainbow Dash. I thought that maybe I could have her help me get back to the Blueblood.” I paused. "... But that didn't work." I concluded.

"Why and how?" Grim pressed.

"It didn't go... particularly as planned."

Las Pegasus. A part of me thought I was never going to see this place again, or at least for a long time, after training. Hard to believe I was back here again, more than a year later. I was currently flying over the northern city limits, which was the ‘cloud district’, as the ponies called it. Large monoliths of reshaped clouds now converted into multiple buildings decorated the sky around me. I was standing atop a smaller puff of cloud as I analyzed the city around me. I could see the Airstrip below me where I stayed during training.

If she was anywhere in this city, she was there.

I took a breather atop that cloud, after flying for so long. I felt exhausted, and pain stung my left side, even with the bandaged wound. I felt exhausted and hurt all over. Stopping on top of a cloud, I took about five minutes to rest for a while.

In the timespan of those five minutes, I took a moment to gently lift open the bandages that covered my wound. It was difficult since my hooves were not great at pulling things. I eventually resorted to using my teeth, gently prying open the red-stained cloth. My Wither has definitely seen better days, but the cleaning and bandaging seemed to have stopped any sort of infection at least. It still looked nasty, though. I unfolded all of the bandages wrapped around my torso and pulled out the FAK from my vest once more. Opening it up, I found one more Syringe of morphine, and one more bundle of Bandages. I decided that since I was already close to Las Pegasus, I would just use them both here and now.

And so, after five minutes of that, I was freshly bandaged and felt somewhat loose on the muscles. I then proceeded to fly Southeast, to the airfield in the sky. The flight took about another five minutes, and as I proceeded to the entrance A pair of Royal Pegasi Guards were standing by the front entrance. As I landed, I was immediately stopped by one of them as he stepped forward.

"Halt! Who are you?"

"Night Light. I need to see Rainbow Dash. She was my drill Sergeant, she should know me.”

They gazed at each other for a while, doubt on their face. “Ok, now I know that’s not true. Why would Rainbow Dash remember you? And why would you want to see her?”

“She was my teacher. You can ask her yourself. Tell her she knows Night Light. She’ll listen.”

“Look, lady, we get you’re a pilot and all, but we can’t let you in without a good reason. And you 'wanting to see Rainbow Dash' is not a good enough reason.” One of them chuckled. “I mean, for all I know, you could be a changeling spy, trying to assassinate her or something. In fact,” one of them leaned closer to me. “Who says you aren’t?”

I sighed, head hanging low. I thought my words carefully for about a minute or so when one of them spoke again. "Just leave, or be prosecuted. Your choice."

... Prosecuted. That word gave me an idea.

“Okay... Look, I get it, you have orders to follow. But I am telling you all the truth." They looked unimpressed.

"Now, maybe to you, that doesn’t matter. But one of two things is gonna happen because you sent me away: Either one, I get in any way without your permission and get what I want, which is seeing Rainbow Dash. Or two, you could send me away, and pretend this whole encounter never happened - and that is also fine." I lied through my teeth.

"But if you do send me away, and if Rainbow finds out that two certain Royal Guards didn’t let a pilot under her guidance through when they wanted to see her about something important - after said pilot, who is standing here now, had just survived an exhibition behind enemy lines..."

Their expressions remained unchanged, but I could see it in the twitch of his eyes: They were definitely afraid of that possibility, no matter how unlikely it would've been.

"Hm, I wonder: what do you think she would say to that? What do you think she would say to you? Because I don’t think she would like that. In fact - dare I say - she may prosecute you two."

The two guards examined me, with conflicting expressions. They did a double-take between me, then each other.

“So let’s make an agreement. For each of us: I stay here, and one of you go find her, and fetch her to me if you’re still hesitant. Or even better, you could just let me in, and I' won't say anything about you two.” I finished and waited for their reply. They gazed at each other again, before slightly nodding, and proceeded to step aside.

“Fine. Go on ahead.” One of them spoke.

“Thank you,” I said to them, gingerly stepping through the gate and inside to the airbase. "I'll be sure to tell Rainbow Dash how well you cooperated." I wryly called back to them.

I noticed not much has changed since the last time I was here, aside from the new and different aircraft in the hangers. But other than that, the rest of the complex remained unchanged for the most part. I could see different groups of ponies frolicking about doing their daily activities, which was either training, maintenance, or test flights. I couldn’t see Rainbow in the midst of it though. She might be inside somewhere, in one of the many buildings. I decided it would be better not to waste my time searching for her without any sense of where she was and decided to ask others who might be more willing to assist me.

One Maintenance Pony guided me towards one of the closed hangers, saying she’s inspecting the new aircraft that had just arrived and gotten into commission. Hanger A2, to be more specific, which was located on the East side of the runway. I looked both ways before crossing and proceeded to make my way to the Hanger.

Ponies all around me were giving skeptical and curious looks, as they see a muddy and bandaged pilot stroll along the runway. Some even dropped their tools to stare. I couldn’t help but pick up the pace. Soon, I was in front of the large sliding door of the hanger that stood closed. I trotted to a much more smaller door off tot he right of it, and opened it slowly. I was greeted to the sounds of voices echoing off the interior walls.

There was an aircraft sitting inside, much like the Seafire in design, but different. It had the same shape and guns, but it boasted a different paint job.

Upon entering inside, the voices became clear and I could make out a passing conversation.

“... New Merlin Engines, with 1,720 wing power, a climbing rate of 22.7 Meters per second, 150 gallons of fuel capacity, and a record turning time of 15.8 seconds to do a whole loop. Rainbow, you might call this ‘just another plane’, to me. This is an achievement for the aviation industry.” A stallion spoke.

“I don’t need all the egghead stuff, Doc. What I need to know is if it's ready to fly. We got newcomers who are anxious to get their hooves on the stick, and they need these planes.” I heard Rainbow reply.

“Of course, it can fly. If you would bother to appreciate the finer details of this, I am simply comparing the significant improvements we made from the Hurricane to this. This is a formidable aircraft, one that can counter the Changeling threat.”

“Here’s hoping. There are more and more of them by the day. The sooner we can find some way to implement Air Superiority across Equestria, the better chance we have to win this thing.”

“Wars are not won just in the air, Rainbow. They are fought on the ground. But it is in the air that wars can change. Aircraft nowadays have a chance to change the tide of battle just by one maneuver. The sooner we adapt to it, and the sooner we exploit it, the better.” The Stallion explained.

I trotted slowly around the aircraft, making my way to the voices as I was silently admiring the plane. Soon, I saw Rainbow and an unfamiliar white Unicorn Stallion wearing a Lab Coat coming into view, the Stallion immediately noticing my presence. Rainbow was facing away from me, as she continued to talk.

“We have ponies who are dying on the frontlines left and right because we can’t find a way to properly dive-bomb without CAS planes, or Bombers. Tell me this thing can at least carry a bomb.”

“It does. And..." he stopped, as his eyes locked onto mine. I then noticed that they - ever so subtly - widened just a tiny bit. "You have a surprise visitor.” The Stallion gazed towards me, rather shocked at my sudden appearance.

Rainbow sighed. “Dammit Corporal, I said no-” She turned to face me, stopping cold as soon as she caught sight of me. We both stood there, staring at each other for seemingly forever. I held my breath, as Rainbow began to speak.

“Who are… wait a minute.” She leaned in closer, noticing my Jade Eyes, my Silver Mane, and my Lavender Coat.

“Night Light?! Is that you?!” She squeaked in astonishment.

I gave a sheepish grin, rubbing the back of my head with a hoof. “Yeah… I can-” A streak of Cyan flashed in front of me, followed by a large force pushing my chest as I was sent flying a few meters back. The pain was roaring from my left side after the tackle, as some of the bandages started to become looser. Rainbow was standing over me on all four hooves, frowning at me. She squinted her eyes and scanned me all over.

“Look look, I know this is weird... And, I know you probably wondering why I’m here and not at the Blueblood, but I promise it’s not what it-”

Pain.

It shot instantly against my face. The speed of it was so quick I barely had time to register that I was being attacked by Rainbow Dash.

Collapsing on my back, I looked up to see Rainbow standing atop of me.

... Now, I think its important to mention here that: I was a coward. I still am in fact.

Yet despite this, I can safely say at that point that I... I guess you can say, had 'grown acclimated' to the fear I was forced to live with - day in and day out. I had learned to be brave.

The look in Rainbow's eyes, however? It screamed 'murder.' It pierced through my soul with the intent to kill.

I had forgotten my courage. And for a moment, I thought I was staring into the eyes of death incarnate.

Another strong force slammed the side of my head, and I fell unconscious.

I woke up to a splitting headache and searing pain on my left side. My head felt like it was constantly being pierced by a hot wire, skewering my skull. I awoke, only to find myself laying on a hard concrete floor. I stood up, finding myself in a small, monotone grey-walled room, with only one metallic door on one of the walls. There were no beds, no chairs or tables, or windows. Just four walls and a ceiling. A single light bulb was hanging from the ceiling, being the only source of illumination in this room.

“Hello?” I called out weakly, shakily getting on my hooves.

The room started to spin, as my head erupted in piercing pain.

I sat hard on my haunches, clinging to my temples. Groaning, I stared at the door. There was literally nothing else in this room, but me. I peered to my left side, finding my bandages to be more secure and clean. They looked like they were redressed... Again. Somepony else must’ve done that.

I gazed around the room once more, still finding nothing. Slowly this time, I stood on my four hooves. My skull felt like it was being constantly pelted with stones. It actually felt nauseating.

Memories came back to me one by one. I remember... Being in a hanger and was knocked out by... Something- no, somepony...

Rainbow Dash! That was it. The Revelation of my former mentor possibly being the one to drag me in here did not do help me feel better about the situation I was in.

There was a soft click emitting in front of me, and a loud groan as the metallic door swung open, revealing the same white Unicorn Stallion that was in the Hanger with Rainbow. He levitated a long rod-shaped object in his telekinetic grasp, with a crystal at the end of it. Some kind of staff?

“Oh, you’re awake.” He spoke, in a more calming and debatable manner. "Good." He closed the door and proceeded to trot toward me, stopping just a few meters in front of my face. "You're probably in pain, aren't you?" He asked, still and quiet. I could only nod. His magic gently set the staff aside leaning against the wall. Then his horn glowed even brighter, as a wave of warm and soothing energy was flowing through me. I suddenly felt lighter in the head, and the pain instantly receded.

"You should feel better now." He spoke again, as his horn glowed softly again. The staff was waved over me, and the crystal began to hum with a soft grey-hued glow. “Hold Still.” He commanded. I felt a wave of vibration resonating me. Then the humming stop, as there was a ‘ping’ noise. The Crystal suddenly blinked green. The white unicorn looked relieved.

“Good. That’s good. You really aren’t one of them.” He spoke slowly.

“What’s going on? Why am I here?” I stared hard at him. “And who are you?”

“Relax, Night Light. I’m not going to harm you. I just needed to make sure you really weren’t a Changeling. Can’t be too careful.” He paused and looked to the side of my head. “And... Sorry about Rainbow Dash. She always acts before thinking like that.”

I rubbed my head softly. “Yeah, I know she does. I was her student once upon a time.” I paused. “Wait. How do you know my name?”

"Rainbow said your name... Before she knocked you unconscious. Perhaps you do not remember." He answered. My mind instinctively wandered back. I do remember her saying that.

"How... How long was I out?"

“Just a couple of hours.” he replied.

"Then can I leave?" Standing up now, I tried to trot towards the door. The Stallion stopped me with a hoof.

“I wouldn't do that. It is not the wisest course of action, right now. She’s still not convinced.” Doc reasoned.

“Convinced of what?”

“That you are not a Changeling Spy. Simply ‘waving a staff’ around you, as she said, is apparently not enough for her.”

What? Why could she not believe that... Never mind, I shook my head. That wasn't important. "I need to see her."

“You can’t.” he interrupted. “Right now, if you tried to ask Rainbow again, by just waltzing through that door, you’ll set off a chain of events that will ultimately lead to your real death. So do not do that.” he turned back and closed the door behind him. “Right now, I’m trying to make sure you make it through this alive. As long as Rainbow thinks you’re a spy, you’ll never be safe. I’ve tried to convince her otherwise, but it is usually like talking to a brick wall.”

“I… what’s happening? I'm so confused right now.”

“I’m saving your life, that's what’s happening. And if I am doing that, then that means you owe me." He turned to look at me in the eyes, his expression hardened, "I need your help with something as well.”

He slowly levitated the square spectacles he was wearing, folding them up neatly before stowing it in his coat pocket. “But first, are you alright? The bandages, they are not too tight, are they?” He asked me. I gazed at my left side, now noticing the numbing effects of Morphine in me. I felt slow and groggy. It could've been mine, but it felt really intense. I might've been dosed again as I was unconscious.

“Tired, but I’m fine. Who patched me up?”

“Well... I did.”

“You?”

“Yes.” He gazed at the bandaged wound. “After Rainbow knocked you unconscious, I talked some sense into her. I told her I would inspect you while you were out, and see if you were a changeling. Of course, it’s not that simple, but lying to her was the only way to calm her down… and to make sure you weren’t dead.” He blankly spoke. “After that, I took a look at that wound of yours. It was getting close to infection, so redressing your wound was a priority.”

“Thank you. Why would she not just listen to you though? Or me, for that matter? I could’ve explained everything to both of you had she not done that.”

It was then that he sighed a heavy exhale as if he was releasing a great burden from himself. “Night Light, we are at war. We currently live in a world that is locked in conflict all across the planet. At least, where we are, that much is true. Who knows what's happening in Griffonia? Or Zebrica? But I digress. In Equestria, we are fighting against an opponent that has been poisoning our land and killing off our population for their so-called and oh-so-coveted ‘love’. A cruel Irony, if you ask me." He mutters darkly.

“My point is; do you think you would be just as suspicious as Rainbow was when she first saw you, were you in her hooves?”

It was a bit extreme, but his argument did make sense. Yet the fact that Rainbow would just blatantly refuse to see reason did not make sense to me.

Why?

Why wouldn't she just hear me out?

“I still could've explained everything. You know, talked some sense into her…” I paused for a moment. My mind was connecting the dots. A feeling of dread swelled up in me as I was afraid to ask.

“... And what did you mean earlier when you said you were trying to prevent my ‘Real Death’?” I asked anyway.

“Night Light, everypony thinks you already are dead.” Doc said with a firm tone.

I stopped cold. My heart sinks to my stomach.

“Wh… What?”

“I remember the Report in my head exactly when I first read it. ‘At 12:54 hours on November 18th, 1012, Night Light was confirmed shot down by a Changeling Aircraft. No witnesses were able to see her bailout of the plane, due to bad weather, thus is assumed KIA.’" he recited. "Night Light, me and Rainbow read that report only about a few hours ago. And as of this moment, you literally just came back from the dead. That’s why Rainbow was suspicious. She thought you were a spy, impersonating a dead mare.”

I felt a heavy weight sink down in my chest.

All of my friends think I’m dead.

“... Does anypony else know?”

“We haven’t sent a letter and a flag home to your mother in a box yet if that’s what you’re saying. But other than that, only Me and Rainbow, and your crew thought you were dead.” He paused, levitated his glasses and put them on. “And it is because of this that you are going to want my help. And it is because you want my help that I need your help.”

He sat down on his Haunches, sitting in front of me now. “Tell me, does the name ‘Strigon’ sound familiar to you?” He asked. My mind instantly raced back to the last image I saw of the plane I was fighting before crashing.

That Insignia. That Reaper.

“Yes. Very much so yes.” I nodded.

“That’s good… because I have a question I think only you can answer.” he cleared his throat. “Are you Garuda 1? Of the 28th Fighter Squadron on the Blueblood?” He asked me.

“How… Who told you that?”

“Nopony did. I have ways of knowing these sorts of things. Anyway, you are Garuda Lead. That means you were there at the multiple Skirmishes and Battles against these ‘Strigons’. You fought against them before. You and your team helped to destroy one of their smaller but deadlier air wings that have caused havoc across Equestria. You apparently killed one of them, and that has made them very upset.

"Then we heard last night that your team had also destroyed about ten or so of their aircraft during the largest air engagements of the war... Well, I guarantee that you have officially pissed them off. And that they are celebrating themselves for taking you down.”

He paused to catch his breath. “But now... You’re here, you’re not dead, and hardly anypony else knows of your fate... This is a perfect opportunity for both of us here."

"What kind of opportunity?" I inquired.

"I want you to do a big favor for me, as a token for me saving your life, and I will help you get back safe and sound. Favor for a favor.” He offered.

“That favor being...?” I asked.

His magic enveloped something from his coat pocket and deftly yoinked it out, holding a small accessory of some kind... It kind of looked like a hearing aid device for the deaf. He then grabs the object in mid-air with a hoof and extends it toward me to inspect.

Doc took a deep breath. “This is something I like to call ‘The Eavesdropper.’ Something a few of the lab ponies made for counterintelligence back where I work. It’s supposed to automatically decrypt and relay enemy communications back to the user, much like a Radar. Only difference is, it can actually translate communications for you. This thing utilizes magical seer crystals on a wide range of frequencies to decipher, track, translate, and relay.

"Anything the Changelings say in radio communication, you will be able to hear and understand... In almost an instant.”

I stared at this tiny object . It was barely big enough to clip behind my ear. It was so small, but yet it could do so much.

“This is the only working prototype we have of such a device. We tested it extensively and it works just as intended as long as you are in close proximity to the enemy. We were hoping that it would be farther, but our range is limited; about five Kilometers or so, give or take.

"What I want for you to do is to use it on these ‘Strigons’ during your missions against them. Equip this in your ear to hear in on their communications. My job in my..." He took a long moment to carefully pick his words. "My Department has elected me to pick somepony qualified to use this for its intended purposes so we can monitor its field performance. Thus far, I have not found that pony.

"... Until now." He locked his eyes on me. "Do you know why I was here in Las Pegasus in the first place? Because this is not where I work at, Night Light."

I shook my head.

"I am here because I was trying to find that somepony, who could help us study this device in the field for the betterment of its intended purposes. I am here because I needed someone to use the Eavesdropper for what it is intended for." He scoffs to himself, as if disgusted. "So far, I saw nothing but green recruits that had barely flown anything in their lives. They would almost certainly lose this tech forever upon being shot down.

"But you?" Doc prodded a hoof at my chest. "I believe you are indispensable for the job. I believe that somepony is you."

I stared at Doc's stretched-out hoof, holding the delicate item in the palm of his hoof.

“Why would I want to know what they are saying? I can't even understand their language.” I asked.

“You probably don’t. But we do. This thing is also connected to the one-band frequency that we will use to monitor and record whatever is being heard on the other side. Hence why I am asking you to do it: You would be helping us immensely.”

“So... You want me to hear what they are saying, so you can hear what they are saying?” I gazed at the small object incredulously.

“Essentially, yes. And as a token for doing so, I’ll help you get back to your friends and the Blueblood with your mortality intact. Do we have a deal?" He asked.

I contemplated his offer for about a minute or so. I cannot say for certain how long I sat there. I didn't really have much of a choice, honestly. It's either me going back to my friends while carrying a piece of plastic or... Celestia only knows what else.

But there was one thing that persistently irked me from the moment he introduced me to the Eavesdropper:

"Why me?"

"... Pardon?"

"Why me?" I repeated in a firm frown. "Why not ask... I don't know, Rainbow Dash, or somepony else far more capable than I am? Why are you asking some random, complete stranger that you had just met to do something so important for you?"

He didn't reply at first. He did a double take on the Eavesdropper in his hoof, and back to me.

"... Normally, you would be correct in assuming that. Normally, I would try to find somepony far more capable to carry out this tasks. Normally, I don't take such... Risks, like this."

He smiles warmly. "And then I found you."

I cocked my head to the side, one brow raised in skepticism.

"Before I came here, to see if I could find anypony else to take on this herculean task, I had heard skeptical reports and even more skeptical rumors surrounding you, Night Light. About how you are among the only few ponies in existence to shoot down a Strigon. About how you are a remarkably skilled pilot. I was almost certainly going to get in touch with you, one way or another.

"Then I heard you were dead." He paused. His eyes seemed to be eyeing me in disbelief as if he still wasn't sure if I was alive or just a figment of his imagination.

"I have to admit I was rather... Distraught, when I heard the news of your death. Your report of you being shot down over Mead Lake had been quite the setback, and I came here to Las Pegasus, to rectify that.

"And who do I see strolling in, after being reported dead, walking in nonchalantly with a bullet wound as if nothing was wrong?"

I glanced down at the bandages hiding my wound.

"You may not be the most resourceful of all ponies, nor are you perhaps the most cunning and dangerous. But you are definitely the most resilient of ponies that I had met. And with this in your possession, you will be one step ahead of the enemy. You will be arguably more dangerous than you could ever hope to be, just with this little gadget."

My eyes were glued to the Eavesdropper. It felt wrong. It felt weird. It felt surreal and impossible to consider.

But I was still alive. I was still willing to get back to the Blueblood. and in his eyes, this perseverance was more than enough to convince him I was the mare for the job.

That did little to ease my worries, as I didn't know if I was convinced.

Yet... What choice do I have? Say no?

... Something. Something pressed me onward. It was inexplicable, and I couldn't for the life of me figure out what it was. But it was as if the very air around me turned static. As if the world itself had stopped moving at that moment in time.

As if the breath of Destiny itself was whispering in my ear, beckoning me forward.

"... You give me too much credit," I muttered I as grabbed the device. "But alright. I'll do it." I reluctantly accepted.

It felt virtually weightless and easy to conceal. Such a seemingly insignificant thing, and yet... So much it can do.

Doc gave no reaction to my acceptance, which was a little unnerving.

"Now in order for this to work, everypony must think you're dead for a little while longer. I need you to wait here for me, I’ll be back.” He turned and trotted towards the door, and proceeded to leave through the door, leaving me alone again.

I noticed a patch embroidered on the left shoulder of the coat. A blank face, with a very wide smile.

The smile disturbed me rather than comforted me.

I trotted towards one of the walls, and sat against it, counting little sheep in my head doing so. Ten. Twenty. Fifty. A Hundred. I was starting to lose count. I had absolutely nothing on me, or in this room with me, to do anything. I was confined in a monotone square box and was starting to feel claustrophobic. Two Hundred Sheep. Three Hundred.

The door clicked, and groaned open once more, revealing the same Unicorn whose name I still don’t know. He had two things in his telekinetic grasp. A Large Bag, and a Gun. The Gun, in particular, looked different. It was some kind of specially shaped pistol, from what I could tell. I shifted back against the wall, clearly skeptical of what the gun was for.

“Alright, I know you’re not going to like the plan I have in store for you, so I’ll just go ahead and do it and tell you what to do instead of wasting time arguing about it. You’re going to wake up and find yourself in an aircraft hanger. Inside that is a plane I’ve assigned you to fly back to your carrier. And inside that plane will be coordinates, informing you on where the Blueblood should be at a designated time frame. Be there at the designated timestamp. Don’t ask how I got the plane, just take it and go.” He paused and lifted the gun towards me. “And sorry for what happens next.”

“Wha-” I could barely get a word out before a soft ‘pew’ noise emitted from the pistol, firing a painful syringe on my right side. I gave a yelp in pain and wanted to curse him, but instead felt an enormous wave of exhaustion crash over me. It was almost blissful. Soon, I was unconscious again

I was starting to get tired of waking up in random places in pain, and by the hooves of ponies who I thought would help me, no less.

I rubbed my mane again as I sat up, and found myself in a darker, but larger room this time. I was staring at a tool bench fixated against the wall.

“You’re awake.” I heard a mare’s voice behind me. I turned to look, only to find a plane parked in front of me… and a griffon laying atop of it.

“You’re a heavy sleeper,” she spoke casually.

“Ow,” I muttered as another headache invaded my skull. “Why does everyone knock me unconscious? It’s annoying.”

“Rainbow did it ‘cause she thought you were a spy. Doc did it ‘cause it’s how he moves things. And ponies, apparently.” she scanned me all over. “But anyway, I did my job, you’re awake, and I can go now. Here,” she tossed a metallic ring with dangling objects attached to it to the ground in front of me. I picked it up, finding multiple Keys attached to it. “Big Blue one opens the Hanger doors. Smallest Key is the key to the plane. And the ‘Blueblood’, as Doc said, is in the plane seat. Enjoy.” She opened her larger fur wings and proceeded to slowly hover towards a large hole in the ceiling, revealing the stars in the night sky.

“Thanks, I guess.” I spoke. She turned to face me, confusion wracked on her face.

“For what?”

“For watching me. And carrying me. And helping me... For everything really.”

She shrugged. “Meh, it’s nothing. Doc usually calls in favors like this, and every time he does I get paid, so I don’t complain. If you wanna thank anypony, thank Doc for caring enough to help you.” With that, she turned and flew away to the sky.

I turned to face the large hangar door that was currently closed. To the left of it, hanging against the wall, lied a Red Button with a keyhole underneath. After trotting towards it and inserting the Blue Key, the button blimped green.

I pressed it, and the door slid open, revealing more of Luna’s beautiful starry night. There was no clouds apparent in the sky, just an abundance of twinkling crystals that decorated the void of the atmosphere, along with a waning moon just off to the northwestern horizon. I was standing in the middle of a dirt runway, made of gravel and tiny pebbles, along with some sand. A derelict airfield. I must be in the San Palomino Desert… or the Badlands. Either way, I was in the middle of nowhere, with no signs of life around me… except myself.

A Coyote howled in the distance, its lonely howl echoing across the barren desert. There were large, some even colossal, Cacti that litter the landscape. Giant Rock Formations, which I assume were ancient, tower over the empty horizon. A humid smell of Sulfur pervaded the air around me. The wind was blowing stray Sand and Dust across the abandoned runway, wherever I was. Sounds of Crickets and Cicadas buzzed all around me.

I felt a sense of overwhelming stillness inside my soul as I basked in the moonlight. Everything was completely still. Not a single Pony, Griffon, Changeling, or otherwise was seen out here. Nothing from the war affected the terrain or the wildlife in any way. It’s as if there was never a war to begin with in the first place. Like it was all just a Nightmare, that felt so real yet distant. You could lose your train of thought and yourself out here… and yet, I feel nothing but peace.

It was a calming, blissful void of silence, one that seemed to stretch on infinitely. I wanted to stay here forever.

But I can’t. There’s still so much to be done for me, I couldn’t stop now.

I turned back to the Hanger, and trotted towards the plane waiting for me inside. I hovered over the cockpit and grabbed the piece of paper that was laying in the pilot seat. It was a neatly drawn paper map of the southern part of Equestria. I was in the San Palomino desert, just as I first predicted.

There was an arrow guiding me Northwest, to the Lunar Ocean. Actually, they were specific Coordinates. There was writing etched next to the Arrow. "Be there by 0600 Hours at the given Coordinates.” was all that was written.

Wasting no time I embarked inside and closed the cockpit Canopy. The internal control panel look more or less the same as the Seafires had from the Blueblood, but the exterior is painted differently. It had a forest-like paint job.

This must’ve been one of the Spitfires that ‘Doc’ was talking about.

I started the engine and waited for the propeller to spin up before slowly easing my throttle forward. The plane gently taxied outside of the Hanger, and I stepped on the right Rudder Pedal to face the runway. When straightened out, I pulled back the throttle and hit the brakes as the plane stopped its movement and faced straight, propeller still spinning. I calibrated the propeller pitch, the Ailerons, Elevators, Flaps, and the Rudder. Guns were on safety still. I didn’t bother to change it, due to the fact that I probably won’t find any planes along the way. But I could always change it when the time does come.

Once I was finished Calibrating, I slid the throttle forward sending the plane speeding along the runway. In less than a minute, I was already ascending in the air. Almost ten seconds flat. Rainbow would’ve been proud of these things, had she seen me flying this.

I ascended to about 800 meters above the ground, and turned the plane Northwest. I checked the clock. It read 4:51. I had to be there by six o' clock. I had over an hour to get there, of which I was confident wouldn't be a problem. The tank wasn't actually fully loaded for this flight, so I couldn't stay up here for more than an hour.

I switched to the Blueblood’s master frequency on the Radio. I was obviously out of range at the time, but I would be ready to respond to his communications when I get close. No doubt they will not be expecting me, so hopefully, nopony shoots me down.

Honestly, considering my luck, they probably would...

An hour had passed, and I was already over the location I was supposed to be at. By this time the sun was coming up, and I could see farther ahead of me now. There was a very thin overcast coalescing in the sky today as I continued to fly.

The still, flat plane of churning water below me was reflecting the dawning light as I soared overhead. There was a sense of tranquility racking over me as I listened to the engine’s constant rumble. Other than that, no other sound was clearly hearable. I also saw nothing but water, cloud, and sky. Not much to listen to, or look at. Still, it was a pretty sight thanks to the sunrise. Intricate, yet simply beautiful.

I kept darting my eyes below me, and around me, eyeing the water for any sight of strange shapes, or silhouettes. Any sign that indicates where the fleet was. The flotilla composition shouldn’t have changed since I last took off from The Blueblood. I didn’t know too much about the other ships. I only caught bits and pieces from the other sailors about a few names: Ursa Minor, Canterlot, Luna, Celestia, Twilight, and Cadance. I couldn’t keep track of all of them. The only ones I knew for certain were The Blueblood, and the Pegasopolis, both of which are Carriers.

More time had passed with me continuing to scan the ocean below me, and still no sign of them. I tipped my nose down, losing altitude, to get a closer inspection of the sea around me. Easing the throttle back as I gained speed, I soon emerged from above the overcast and was now flying low. When I was below 1000 Meters or so, I leveled out and slid the throttle forward again. I did a quick half-roll and stabilized, looking “Below” me through the top of the cockpit.

Still, no sight of any ships was found.

I was running dangerously low on fuel, and if I didn’t find the fleet soon, I may have to ditch the plane and fly on my own. I had about 8 Gallons left. That’s about under 10 minutes of flying time left in this thing.

I veered my head left and right, up and down, continuously searching for the Fleet. Hidden away beneath a small break in between two clouds, I had almost missed a strange shape on the ocean surface gliding below me.

Upon closer inspection, I realized that it was a wake from a moving ship.

The fleet had to be there.

I descended downward again toward the gap in the clouds, revealing more and more of the wake until finally, a lone Destroyer came into view. Diving even further, descending for a few hundred meters before leveling out, I was then met with more than one ship.

The fleet had finally come into view, revealing many small and large vessels cruising apart from one another, separating themselves with a large gap. A gap of about a half-kilometer was in between every ship. I saw no aircraft flying around, which was... Odd.

Because most of the time there would usually be pilots out on C.A.P. (Combat Air Patrol) flying around the fleet for most of the day. The Carriers were located in the middle of this large formation which was shaped into a colossal Diamond shape.

Squelching static emitted from my right earmuff, followed by a stern stallion’s voice. “Attention Unidentified Aircraft, you are violating Equestrian Law and are flying in a Restricted Airspace. State your intention, or divert your course Immediately! Otherwise, we will use deadly force! Over.”

Well, at least they actually tried to talk to me first. That was a good sign for me.

“Might I ask who I am talking to? Over.” I replied.

“That is classified. I will ask again: state your intention, or divert your course. Over.”

“I’m a verified Equestrian Pilot, I am requesting permission to land on the Blueblood.”

“Yeah, that's a hard negative. Only authorized Pilots for the Blueblood are verified to take off and land. And I have no clue who you are. Now Divert your course Immediately!”

“But I am assigned to the Blueblood! I’m from the 28th Fighter Squadron. My name is Night Light! You must have my name on there somewhere!”

There was silence for a long while, and I was worried that I must’ve lost the connection, or that he hung up on me. But about a minute later, he spoke again.

“Garuda 1… Night Light: Confirmed Killed in Action over Mead Lake.” He responds dryly. “... So you mean to tell me that you just... Came back from the dead? And that I am supposed to believe that?”

Dammit, this isn't working. I had to convince him, and fast! I was running on fumes at this point. “I know its hard to believe, but I am telling the truth!”

Just at that moment, two planes buzzed overhead. I didn’t even see them coming. They flew side by side until they broke off and turned toward me. Though. I could tell by their sloppy flying. That they were only rookies.

“Right, and I am Princess Cadence from the Crystal Empire." The voice mocks. "Last chance; Divert your course immediately, or we will shoot you down.” The planes behind me were gaining on me, fixing their sights on me. I slowly set my left hoof on the throttle and kept my right on the stick.

All or nothing, now.

“Okay then, I guess I will have to give my ultimatum as well." I bitterly replied. "I have three other ponies on that fucking ship that need to know I am still alive, and for some reason you are making this very difficult for me to even achieve this simple task, so I will just cut to the chase: If you order those planes to shoot me down, and you’ll be forced to send home two more Equestrian Flags, courtesy of me." I growled my last words to emphasize the point.

There was a long pause. He didn't seem to have a response... Or he was busy giving orders to shoot me down. Either way, I chose not to wait for him.

"All I am asking is for permission to land, or else I'm gonna have to ditch this thing in the Ocean. If you try to take me down, I can and will shoot these pilots down. And I don’t want to do that, so put aside your anxiety for just one moment and actually use your brain to think about this!” I paused to catch my breath.

“There are three Ponies who were with me when they saw me crash, and these are their names: Naya, Big Mouth, and Lucky. Tell them that 'Night Light' wants them to talk to them. And tell them to ask me a question only I would know the answer to.” I paused again.

He hasn’t bothered to speak over me yet, meaning I must be getting to him.

“If you do that, telling them I sent you, they will oblige and will help you prevent a needless tragedy. You have my word on that. The only factor that can change all of that is whether or not you are willing to comply. And if you are really that suspicious of me being a Changeling, then you can always just detain me when I land until you figure that out.”

The two planes behind me were still gaining and were even closer now. There was nothing but the sound of the engine that filled the air, as tension grew. There was no response from the guy on the radio. I checked my fuel; 4 Gallons. For a few eternally long seconds, I flew straight and unmoving as I eyed the aircraft behind me as my heart continued to thunder in my chest.

... Please don’t make me do this.

More Silence, until finally there was another voice, one I recognized.

“Night Light?” She spoke spftly.

“Hey, Naya.”

“Wait, excuse me, hold on, let me through here…” there was a lot of background chatter and commotion before I could hear another voice clearly. “Night Light, is that really you?”

“Yeah, it’s me Lucky.”

“Holy shit, it actually is her! Night Light, we-we thought you were dead!” Bigs then spoke.

“Everypony thinks I’m dead, Bigs, tell me something I don’t know.”

“Whew, uh, where do I start? Uh, well, for one, Naya is now Team Lead… er, well, was, now that you’re back.” Lucky casually nickered.

“Not so fast.” the stallion from earlier then spoke again. “I brought you up here to validate whether or not that is actually her, so I order you three to each ask ‘Night Light’ a question that only you would know the answer to.”

“That's all? Shoot, that’s easy!” Lucky interrupted. “Night Light, what's my real name? Y'know, besides 'Lucky?'"

That was easy. “You said your name was Four Leaf. 'Lucky' was just a nickname that stuck."

A few seconds passes by before Lucky spoke again. “Yep, I’m convinced, can we let her down now?”

“No! We haven’t started with the other two yet. You, step toward the mic.” More sounds of ruckus emitted from the tower, before Bigs’ voice could be heard.

“Shit, uh… I never really told her anything that could be used against us, so I don’t know what to say.” more silence, as Bigs must be pondering to himself on what to say.

“What is my favorite curse word?”

Oh… that was too easy.

“All of them.” I spoke blankly.

“... Yep, that's right.”

“Oh for the love of- move aside!” the stallion barked again. “You, red Pony, over here!” He must’ve been referring to Naya.

I could hear indistinct conversations between my team, and several other ponies, before finally it got quiet again. The silence lasted for about a minute or so.

I checked my fuel, and it read 2 gallons.

Come on Naya…

Finally, I heard her voice. She was far more timid and quiet than I had ever heard her. “Night Light, I…” her voice was quivering as if she was scared out of her life. She didn’t speak again, she was silent.

“Get on with it!” The Stallion prompted.

“Give her a break, asswipe, she’s distressed!” Lucky snapped.

“Shut it!” he barked back.

More silence. At this point, I was starting to get worried. What was going on with Naya? It was very, very odd for her to be this quiet.

“Night Light, Do you remember when I told you what I was afraid of?”

My body recoiled ever so slightly against my seat upon hearing those words.

“... Of course I do, but I don't think you want others to hear that, don’t you?”

“To Tartarus with them, I don’t care. Just answer me… what was I afraid of?”

I didn’t respond right away. I sat there pondering what to say, trying to find the right words.

I knew the answer, but I struggled to find a simpler way to convey it. Finally, I cleared my throat and spoke, “You’re afraid of death; Of death without consequence.”

She didn’t reply, so I continued. “You’re afraid of dying when you reach closer to the end. You’re afraid of tripping at the finish line after going through so much turmoil. But most importantly, you’re afraid of failing. Failing your team, and yourself."

More silence.

"... But Naya? It’s okay... It's not your fault. It’s okay to be afraid.”

She was still silent.

“... Naya, that battle over mead lake, before we all dove down into the chaos? I was terrified at that moment. I was literally paralyzed with fear, and my limbs couldn’t stop shaking. I was on the verge of a panic attack, and I wanted to do nothing but fly away and hide. But... Then I remember what you told me: that I was the one pony who made you feel safe. That you could survive through anything, so long as you followed my way; The pony to follow when there is no other path to heed."

After the tangent was over, I heard nothing from the radio. I was flying over the entire fleet by this point, the escort fighters still on my tail. They were about 50 meters away from me. Despite the tensions, and the fact that an Unidentified Aircraft was flying overhead, not a single ship opened fire on me.

After a long silence, I heard Naya speak again.

“It’s her. It’s definitely her. There is no doubt in my mind about that.”

“Yup, I agree. That is definitely her.” Lucky added.

“Yeah, that is something Night Light would definitely say.” Bigs finished.

“So," I interrupted,"Can I land now? I have less than a gallon left in this thing.” I interrupted.

“But this still doesn’t explain how she is alive, even after the crash. For all, we know it could be a changeling trying to infiltrate!”

... Is he serious? Is he actually serious about this right now?

“And you’re not going to give her a chance to explain? Come on, give the Mare a break, she went through a lot to get to us!” Lucky snapped.

“It doesn’t prove anything! I’m trying to keep this ship, and ultimately the fleet, from being compromised!”

“How would a changeling manage to get a hold of a spitfire then?!”

"How would a pony survive a crash landing in the middle of a warzone?!

“WILL YOU SHUT UP!?”

Everyone on the line was dead quiet.

“I am about to crash land this damn thing because you cannot make up your goddamn minds! Just let me land already, and I’ll tell you everything I know! Worse case scenario, you have to lock me up; fine, whatever, just as long as I am on board! So I ask again: pretty please - with sugar on top - can I fucking land now?!”

“Yeah, enough’s enough. Just give her permission. Trust me, she’s the real deal.” Lucky responded. There was silence for a while before the stallion cleared his throat and spoke.

“Fine." He muttered darkly. "Alright, fine. I’m giving you permission to land on the Blueblood. But just for the record, if this is a trick, you are dead.”

“Yeah, yeah.” I rolled my eyes. A useless gesture, given that nobody could actually see it.

3 minutes, and one empty fuel tank later, I had barely managed to land the thing on the Blueblood in time before the engine died. I glided toward the carrier and landed, though it wasn't without grace.

As my aircraft shuddered and screamed against the carrier and as the runway crew sprinted over to help me get out, I collapsed backwards into my seat out of exhaustion.

I was back home.

sorry for the wait