//------------------------------// // Leave // Story: Wings of Deceit // by Fyn16 //------------------------------// Book I: The Gathering Storm Leave Targeting alarms were blaring- the comforting green glow of Nimbus’s HUD was quickly being overtaken by panic-inducing amounts of red, hostile blips surrounded him on his madar display, and to make matters worse, his flight suit’s systems were already damaged. Or they would have been if he’d actually been wearing a flight suit. Or if he was in a real combat situation for that matter. As it was, Nimbus was currently engaged in heated aerial conflict with the largest airborne force he’d ever taken on- his brother, Whirlwind, and all of his friends. Currently he was skimming just above the treeline near his home in Hollow Shades with two colts hot on his tail. “This is Dragonslayer, I’m entering the furball!” a voice called from above. Nimbus sighed, shaking his head in amusement. Whirlwind always had a flair for the dramatic. Dragonslayer was clearly his newest ace squadron he’d invented. He’d also been using the word “furball” a lot ever since Nimbus had taught him the Aviator meaning of the term, even though this small pursuit hardly constituted a furball just yet. Almost unconsciously, he began scanning for the new threat, and quickly located Whirlwind and a flight of two other Pegasi diving on him from above. On the ground, a Unicorn was firing harmless spells his way, and two Earth Ponies were sitting in the trees, throwing crabapples his way. Half the school was on him, it seemed. Deciding that it wasn’t time to give up just yet, Nimbus jinked left, diving towards the ground as Whirlwind closed the gap. He blazed past the Unicorn, passing by before she had time to get a single shot off, and started a vertical climb again. “That Griffon’s a tough one, sir!” he heard a filly call out to Whirlwind. “Roger that! Come on, let’s show him how we welcome invaders in Equestria!” Whirlwind replied stoically. Nimbus almost died laughing. It was like listening to one of the cheesy late-night radio dramas that were so popular in Manehattan at the moment. Deciding to play his part, he looked back over his shoulder. “Come and get me, Equestrian cannon fodder!” he called back, “you may have destroyed my squadron, but you still have me to deal with!” Trying something dramatic, Nimbus turned around with the sun behind his back, spreading his wings in a majestic pose. Then he relaxed them, dropping back towards the earth and opening them in time to maintain level flight. He headed straight for the foals like a bowling ball careening towards pins. Some scattered, but others kept coming head-on towards him, Whirlwind included. Just before impact, Nimbus turned sideways, yawing away from the ground in a knife-edge pass. Though the fillies and colts reached for him, he was too quick, and slipped through their ranks. The young ponies scattered, then reformed, heading for Nimbus again. Feigning surprise, he entered a long, slow bank to the right, bringing them in closer. Then without warning, he rolled and pulled up, executing a sharp rolling scissors. Now he was behind the ponies, and instantly began to give chase. Actually catching them wasn’t his plan- kids liked to win after all- but if he could put on a good show before losing, he’d try his best. Picking out a tan Pegasus from the bunch, he came in close, grinning wickedly. The Pegasus let out a little yelp of surprise, then started climbing. Nimbus followed him… right into the path of Whirlwind. This he hadn’t expected at all. He was half-tempted to let his brother take the kill here and now, but he was having too much fun. Deftly slipping to the side, he just managed to avoid his brother’s hooves as he streaked past. He was in for another surprise, though. No sooner had he leveled out when a streak of magic shot past his face. The Unicorn on the ground was zeroing him in. He started rolling left and right, trying to fly as erratically as possible; things were actually becoming challenging now. Deciding it was time to end things before he ended up humiliated by a very real defeat, he made a beeline for Whirlwind, electing to take him on in single combat. Whirlwind saw this and diverted towards him. The others began to close in rapidly, too. Nimbus reached out as if to tag his brother, and Whirlwind took his chance, rolling inverted and dodging the hoof while striking out with his own, tagging Nimbus on the shoulder. The Aviator, recoiled, falling into what looked for all the world like a death spiral, and felt several hooves tag him. “We’ve been defeated,” he choked, heading for the ground, “we- we’ve lost.” Moments before impact, he flared his wings just enough to cushion his fall, landing and rolling onto his back with his eyes closed. He heard his brother cheer and cracked his eyes open quickly enough to see the gray Pegasus perform a tight victory roll over his “dead” body. He felt a hoof prod his side. One of the Earth Ponies looked down at him, then nodded. “Yup, he’s dead!” he called out, “nice work, guys!” Nimbus chuckled as he got back up onto his hooves, and nodded at the ponies as they all gathered around. “Nice job, guys,” he said finally, “you got me. Working together makes things a lot easier, doesn’t it?” Noting the blank stares he was receiving, Nimbus sighed. “Well, sounds corny now, but you have no idea how true that is in real life.” Not far away, the Hollow Shades town bell struck three. With a start, Nimbus realized that he had places to be. “Can we go again?” Whirlwind asked, looking up at Nimbus wistfully. “Er, sorry, Whirly,” Nimbus replied. “I told Mom and Dad I’d be back at the house around three. I have to go do some Aviator stuff, okay?” Whirlwind’s eyes lit up at the mention of “Aviator stuff.” “Of course, Nimbus! I’ll see ya later!” “Bye Whirly,” NImbus said, smiling as he turned and headed down the dirt road back to Hollow Shades. The “Aviator stuff” he’d been referring to was actually quite important to him. Word had spread that civil war had broken out in the Griffon Kingdom, and depending on the outcome, it was entirely possible that the victor might finally be willing to talk peace with the ponies. If so, a new alliance might very well be on the horizon, and Nimbus wanted to be there if and when it was formed. Today, a correspondent had returned to Equestria from the shores of the Kingdom, and he was set to broadcast his report at three o’clock. Flying home would have been both easier and faster, of course, but it was a beautiful summer day in the mountains, and Nimbus had no intention of wasting it. It was on days like today that he could actually truly feel the sensation of living. Everything felt good, from the golden sunshine on his back to the crunching of the gravel beneath his hooves. Birds sang out happily, and a slight breeze caressed the branches of trees he passed. When the atmosphere was this wonderful, Nimbus decided, Hollow Shades became very much like a quaint little storybook town. Everything seemed just right. Up ahead, the path widened, opening up onto the small town’s main street, where ponies wandered to and fro going about their daily activities. The street front was decorated by small shops, all family-owned, which one could easily mistake for being tourist traps. They were far from it, though, as Hollow Shades rarely received any visitors. Instead, the town was at that certain point where it was just beautiful enough to avoid appearing artificial. Ponies smiled at him, and waved as he walked past. Nimbus returned their gestures in kind, as he’d always done. It was no secret that he was an Aviator, one of the first Pegasi from the town to become one, in fact, and the townsponies never ceased to remember this. A lot of them supported his choice to join the military, and some had even suggested making him the guest of honor in their Summer Sun Celebration when he returned from leave a few weeks previous. He politely declined. Nimbus took a right turn down a side street towards the woods, and came face-to-face with his family’s house. It was a nice little abode, it’s log cabin-inspired design blending beatifully with the area’s architecture. Yet despite the house’s well-maintained appearance, it was also simple, and built to withstand just about anything the mountains could throw at it. It was by far the best place he’d ever lived; his apartment in Manehattan simply couldn’t hold a candle to it. Nimbus headed inside, to the kitchen, where his parents were already huddled over the kitchen table with the radio. It was time. “Hey guys,” Nimbus said as he entered, “any news?” “Soon,” Comet Stream replied, head propped on her hooves. Nimbus snuck a cookie from the counter into his mouth, chewed, and sat down with his family. “Whirly’s out with his friends,” he said, moving his chair closer to the table, “he should be back before dinner.” “Alright,” Updraft said, “wait a moment- here we go!” The Pegasus turned up the radio’s volume and the three ponies listened intently. “... has become clear that the rebels are seeking for the demilitarization of a great many zones in the Griffon Kingdom. Apparently squabbles quickly broke out into full-scale combat in the streets only a few weeks ago, and now the Griffon high command has all but declared war on those who oppose it. The rebels are few, but their numbers increase daily. Riots in the streets of Klauhalt, the capitol, have ceased as the rebels continue to retreat. Emperor Razortail has made a public statement to the Equestrian government that an alliance with the rebels will not be tolerated, but we’re seeing many military units calling their personnel back in, anxiously awaiting the crown’s response. Until that time, we’ll be keeping a watchful eye on the Griffon Kingdom, awaiting what may very well be a slim chance at peace between our nations. This is your faithful reporter, Fine Print, of the Fillydelphia News Network, signing off.” Updraft shut the radio off and the three ponies sat in silence for a while, taking in what they had just heard. Finally, it was Nimbus that broke the silence. “Well, you know this means my leave will probably end early.” Comet Stream nodded. “To be honest, I’m not surprised. Maybe you can come back later this summer, or for Hearth’s Warming Eve. We’re always happy to have you here.” “I know,” Nimbus said smiling faintly, “I’m sorry my little summer visit was cut short, but you can’t change the world that easily.” He stood up, grabbing another cookie for good measure. “I’ll go ahead and pack up my things. I’ll probably have to be back at base tomorrow.” “Oh, that’s fine. I’ll get your bags packed,” Comet Stream said, standing as well, “you might want to break the news to Whirlwind, though.” Nimbus nodded. “Will do.” And as quickly as he’d entered the house, Nimbus exited, heading right back up the road the way he’d come. The next few minutes could go several ways, but he was personally hoping Whirlwind would understand his need to leave early. The poor little stallion would probably try hiding his disappointment by saying just how “cool” being an Aviator must be, but it wasn’t hard to see past that. Nimbus sighed. Breaking news like this was never easy, but it was a fact of life for anypony in the armed forces. Maybe Whirlwind would accept what he had to do, or maybe not. Either way, talking it over certainly wasn’t going to be easy, and Nimbus did not look forward to his task.