Firesprite

by SergeantBuck

Uneasy Flight

Firesprite

by Sergeant Buck

Chapter 2: Uneasy Flight

Applejack lay in bed, cold sweat drenching her orange coat. She rubbed at her eye with one hoof, trying to blink away her flashback. That was the second time in a month that she'd remembered the night of her parents' murder.

I'm sorry, Apple Bloom, she thought. I thought I could keep you safe until that damned war. I just hope you're doin' okay with Granny Smith.

She ran a hoof through her mane before reaching for her hat. How long had she been out for? More importantly, how was Rainbow Dash holding up? As she went through the door to check on her rainbow-maned friend, she heard giggling coming from the galley.

I guess I missed dinner. A meal wouldn't hurt before I check on Dash.

The orange pony trotted into the dining area to find Twilight Sparkle and Fluttershy at the kitchen table flipping through a magazine. Twilight was still in her dirty coveralls from two days prior when she had to replace some of the wiring in the Reprisal's starboard engine. It seemed like the lavender unicorn hardly ever changed out of those coveralls, let alone quit reading.

"Hey, Applejack!" said Twilight. "You missed a great dinner! Fluttershy made fresh apple-and-cinnamon-oatmeal."

"With real oats and apples, too," the yellow pegasus said.

"Real oats, huh? Not that bland, dry, just-add-water stuff?"

"There was a merchant out in the port selling fresh grains and fruits, so I thought that a fresh meal would be a nice change from all the processed stuff. I'll get you a bowl."

As Fluttershy went to the kitchen to a retrieve a meal for her friend, Applejack took a seat at the table and rubbed at her eyes again.

"You alright, AJ?" Twilight asked her. "You look like you didn't sleep all that well. Did you have a nightmare or something?"

"Yeah, sorta. I don't really wanna talk about it."

"You sure? Talking about your dreams is a great way to keep them from coming back."

"Nah, it's nothin'. Just a memory that got a little...messed up."

"Alright then," the unicorn said. "I'm going to head back to my bunk for a bit of light reading on jet engine compression systems. Good night, you two."

The two ponies bid Twilight a good night as Fluttershy set a steaming bowl of oatmeal on the table. Applejack took a deep breath of the cinnamon scented steam and stared longingly into the bowl, her mind starting to wander back to the Sweet Apple orchard. She cleared her thoughts and downed the meal, all the while failing to notice Fluttershy hovering beside her.

"Did I do okay?" she asked softly. "How did it taste?"

The captain set her bowl down and smiled at her winged friend. "Shy, that was prob'ly the best oatmeal I've had in a long time. Thanks for savin' a bowl for me."

"Oh, good. I was worried it might not have enough apple."

"You didn't use any of the apples from the crates in the hold, did you?"

Fluttershy's eyes widened. "Oh no, of course not! Spitfire told me that those were for Trixie so I left them all alone. I don't get into something that isn't mine."

Applejack only nodded in approval. As long as everyone stayed out of those crates, nopony had anything to worry about. "Did you meet our new arrival? She's supposed to be gettin' off planetside on Equinox."

"You mean Nurse Redheart? She's spent most of the night in her bunk. I saw her at dinner but after that she went back to sleep. Poor thing looked a little worn out and worried about something. I tried to talk to her at dinner but she didn't seem to hear me."

Applejack chuckled. "With your voice, Fluttershy, sometimes it's a wonder I can ever hear you at all. How was Rainbow Dash?"

"She seemed fine at dinner, but that was a few hours ago. I brought her something to drink earlier and she seemed a little tired."

"I'd better go check on her then," Applejack replied. "Been too long since she's had to make a four-day trip in half the time. Get yourself rested up and I'll see you in the mornin'."

"Okay then. Good night, Applejack."

Fluttershy made her way to her bunk while Applejack headed for the bridge. Rainbow Dash sat in the pilot's chair staring out the windshield, hooves locked to the steering wheel.

"You okay, Dash?" Applejack asked. "Need me to take over?"

The cyan pegasus' head snapped to face her friend, staring at her with bloodshot eyes. "Huh, what? Oh, it's only you. Nah, I think I'll be okay."

"You sure about that? How long you been flyin' for?"

Dash's eyes went up and to the left as if looking at an invisible calculator as she did some clumsy artithmetic. "Let's see, we left port at about...dinner was at...I think, about eight hours now including the ten minutes of autopilot for dinner."

The earth pony shook her head. "Let me take over for you, give you some rest. You could at least use the autopilot and get yourself some shuteye. Can't have my pilot fallin' asleep at the wheel."

"No, no, I switch to the autopilot and we'll be late. It gets all wonky when we try to use it at high speeds. Remember when we tried to make a one day flight out of the three day trip to Firenze? Took us an extra three days to get back because the AI kept saying the planet was dead ahead even though we flew right past it! I can do this. I've flown for a day straight without stopping before and I can do it again."

Applejack stood on her hind legs and crossed her hooves. "Dash, I'm orderin' you to take a break. If you don't wanna leave the helm, fine. I can get you a chair and bring it in here so you won't be leavin' the bridge. But you're gonna need your sleep. I might be needin' you to pick us up when we drop off the merchandise."

The pale blue pegasus shook her head. "I don't care about your orders, I'm not leaving the bridge."

The captain opened her mouth to protest, then she spotted three empty mugs by Dash's feet. Fluttershy must've brought her a few mugs of coffee to keep her alert. Wired was more like it.

"Fine then, but I'm gonna at least stay and talk with you. Everypony else is asleep anyhow." Applejack took a seat in the co-pilot's chair, where she usually sat when Dash was behind the wheel. As long as they kept up a conversation, Dash would stay awake. The two ponies sat in silence for a while before the pilot pony spoke.

"So, I've been meaning to ask you something, AJ?"

"Go ahead."

Dash turned to face her captain. "What made you take the job from Trixie?"

"Money's money, Dash. Ain't that enough of a reason to take a job?"

"She had her thugs put a bullet in your shoulder. Big Macintosh had to carry you back to the ship, remember?"

Applejack shrugged. "Negotiations went a little south, that's all. I promise it won't happen again...at least, I won't be the one makin' things difficult."
` "Maybe I could go with you on this next run? Leave the ship in the hangar with the crew? I'm tough."

The earth pony smiled at her friend. "I think you're better off here. They put a bullet in your shoulder and we ain't goin' anyplace. I can't fly her half as well as you can. You know how Reprisal handles better than anypony else."

Rainbow Dash went back to staring out the windshield of the ship. "I don't remember you being this...suicidal? No, crazy, until you joined the war."

"You coulda been just as crazy, Dash, but I guess the Air Force fit you the best."

"That's not my point. Before, you seemed more rational and level-headed. Now, you're jumping back into a deal with a pony that's tried to kill you."

"We gotta get money somehow, and Trixie was the only one with a good payin' job. I ain't one to take a job and walk away without a good reason."

Dash tried to stifle a yawn. "Yeah, well, it's gonna get you into trouble. I think I'll actually follow that order of yours and head to bed. You think you'll be able to fly her?"

"I'm wide awake," Applejack replied. "You get some rest. She's in just as capable hooves as yours when I'm flyin'."

As Dash went to her bunk, Applejack activated the autopilot and made for the galley. A mug of hot coffee sounded good right about now.

---

It was six in the morning according to the nav system's clock when Rainbow Dash returned to the bridge. Five hours alone in the cockpit seemed like an eternity of silence to Applejack. The rainbow-maned pegasus knocked on the doorway before she entered.

"Hey, Captain," she said. "I'm back."

Applejack ignored her, lost in thought about the night her parents were killed. What she wouldn't give to see the face of that stallion, to look into his eyes as she pressed the trigger of a gun to his head, giving him the same mercy that he wrought upon her family.

"AJ, you there?" Dash's voice snapped the earth pony out of her trance.

"Oh, you're back. Have a nice nap?"

"Yeah, I did! Thanks for coming and relieving me."

"No problem, partner. I think I'll make a quick trip to the galley and see if anythin's cookin'."

Applejack left the bridge and went back to the kitchen. Rarity sat at the table in an elegant indigo silk robe, one hoof wrapped around a steaming mug of tea and the other on her chin. For a pony who obsessed over beauty, she looked rather disheveled after she woke up.

"Morning, Applejack," she said around a yawn.

"Hiya, Rarity. I forgot to ask how business went yesterday."

The unicorn scowled at the earth pony. "Come now, Applejack, you can't be serious. Harvest's spaceport is no place to find an up-and-coming fashion designer in need of a good critique. Nothing there but bars with cheap booze and merchants moving cargo. You should know that by now."

"I just figured you mighta been able to snag a little extra income or somethin'. Ain't no harm in askin'."

"Yes, well..." Rarity's voice trailed off and she took a sip of her tea. "Anyhow, where are we going now?"

"Well, we gotta stop off in Solstice to drop off the apples for Trixie, then after that we're takin' Redheart to Equinox. I'm hopin' we can pick up somepony at the next stop to fill our last empty bunk. You know we could use the extra bits around here what with repairs and all."

Rarity stared into her half-empty mug. "I don't mean anything personal by this, Applejack, but why not save up and invest in a new ship?"

The captain's eyes narrowed as she glared at the fashionista. "You mind repeatin' yourself there, Rarity?"

"Well, the Reprisal is a nice ship and all but she just seems so...aged. You're always spending money trying to keep the engines fixed or replacing panels on the hull. Wouldn't it be much nicer to have a brand new ship to fly around in? I hear those Corvette models are very smooth rides in between atmospheres."

"Them damn Corvettes cost more than I could make in ten years, Rarity. We simply ain't got the right income to be flyin' around like the Regalia elite, and she was the best ship on the lot. Besides, she means something to me and you of all ponies should know that. Not to mention that most places in Republican space always seem so hesitant to take on an ex-Nightcoat."

"And why wouldn't they? You're a war veteran, just like everypony else that served on either side of the war. What makes a Nightcoat so different?"

"I dunno, Rarity, but whatever that reason is prob'ly why you're stuck here with me on the Reprisal instead of some giant city sellin' your clothin'."

The two friends started at each other, caught in an awkward silence. Rarity finished her tea and stood up, going towards the door. "I'll be in my shuttle if you need me, Captain."

Applejack sat back in her chair and watched the unicorn walk away. As much as she admired Rarity's eye for detail, she never found something she couldn't whine about and she always had some sort of problem with the ship. One day it would be rust on one of the rails, another she'd complain about the odor of engine fuel that had become dead to the rest of the crew. If she could go a single day, no, a single hour without a complaint, Applejack could die a happy mare.

Hoofsteps sounded on the metal floor in the direction of the bunks, and Applejack turned to see Nurse Redheart rubbing the sleep from her eyes as she stumbled into the galley.

"Oh, you must be Captain Applejack," she said softly.

"I reckon you're Redheart, the nurse."

"Yes, that's me." She took a seat across from the captain and looked at her nervously. "Is something the matter?"

"Nah, nothin'. Just debatin' on if I should ask you if you'd like to stay on board as our doc."

The white earth pony looked surprised. "You're asking me to join your crew? I haven't even been on this ship for a whole day and you trust me that much?"

"Well, I'll be honest with you," Applejack said. "Fluttershy is a decent doctor but in the experience I've had with her she's not one to hang 'round blood. She's patched us up for one or two jobs, but I usually have to leave her alone for about three days, poor girl. For a pegasus with such damn shaky nerves, she's got very steady hooves."

"I remember quite a few med students at the academy that were like that. Couldn't stand the sight of their own blood, yet they were perfectly calm around anypony else's. It's strange when you think about it."

Applejack smiled. Redheart didn't seem like such a bad pony. "So, any interest in my offer? I can't really give you a pay estimate now since I gotta figure a few more things out regardin' money."

Redheart broke eye contact. "I'm not sure, Captain. I was thrown out of the last hospital I worked at."

The smile on Applejack's face vanished. "Thrown out? A doctor dudn't just get thrown of a hospital for nothin'. What'd you do to screw up that bad?"

"I sort of...well...I...broke medical protocol to...ah....save a patient."

"That dudn't sound like such a bad thing. Hell, you shoulda been given a raise or somethin'."

Redheart smiled back at the earth pony. "Saint Avalon is too steeped in medical codes and traditions, it seems, to simply regard even basic medical practice. I was recommended there after I graduated from medical school, but it wasn't long before I gave up on their lack of common sense."

"How long was it 'fore you got bucked out?"

"Seven months. I've been wandering the galaxy for the last two months just trying to find a quiet job on a clinic or as a doctor in a small town. I'm not exactly of high repute so recently after being expelled."

"Well, maybe you'll find somethin' on Equinox. We'll be touchin' down tonight and you can probably make some calls while we're out and about."

"I appreciate the offer, Captain, but I've...um...already got something in mind for when I reach Equinox."

Applejack stood and went to the cooking area of the kitchen. "Anythin' I can getcha while I'm here? Tea, coffee, water?"

"Oh, no thank you. I'm perfectly content with waiting for Fluttershy."

"Alrightly, then. You need anythin', just holler and one of us will come runnin'." She turned to face Redheart. "One more thing: The only rule I've got for guests aboard my ship is that you stay outta my way and I'll stay outta yours. You follow that one rule and I guarantee we'll be gettin' along just fine."

"Very well, Captain."

Applejack walked out of the galley, ignoring a groggy greeting from Spitfire. What in the hay are you hidin', Redheart? I know liars when I see 'em and there's somethin' you ain't tellin' me.

---

Twilight Sparkle sat in her bed surrounded by a multitude of engineering manuals and books on machines and mechanical theory. Engines had been a puzzle to her before she left Ponyville, but after spending three years a motor was just as fascinating as the magic she'd been studying for her whole life. She knew the Reprisal's insides better than Applejack did and there was almost nothing she couldn't fix. She hardly ever changed out of her greasy coveralls, usually spending her days alternating between eating, reading, and repairs. Sleep had always been an afterthought to Twilight.

As she finshed the last page of her third book on compression systems and reached for a book on the inner workings of jet combustion, a small scrap of paper slipped from between the stacked books. She pulled the paper to her with a levitation spell, assuming it was little more than a misplaced note or a reminder to go to sleep at a certain hour. Her eyes locked with the scrap when she saw it was a small portrait of Spike, her missing assistant.

She dropped her book as her ears folded back in sorrow. She and the dragon had been almost inseparable until the war. Although she didn't like to think about it that way, Spike was a son to her. She had raised him since he was an egg and for the last three years he'd been gone. It was strange that until now she hadn't given it much serious thought.

What in Equestria is the matter with you? she thought. It's been three years and you haven't tried to look for him? Don't even try the excuse that you've been busy. You've had all the time in the universe to look for him, you've got friends that are willing to look for him, and what have you done? Nothing. You're a terrible excuse for a parent. Celestia should have never given Spike to you to take care of...

---

As Applejack walked past Twilight's bunk, her ears twitched at the sound of crying. What about engine books could possibly make Twilight upset? She pressed herself against the door to Twilight's bunk and rapped her hoof against it.

"Twilight, you okay in there?" she shouted.

The crying continued, so Applejack pushed the door opened and poked her head in. The usual towers of tomes were scattered about Twilight's bedroom. The engineer's usually straight mane was frazzled and messy and she didn't even bother to look up at her captain. Applejack noticed she was staring into a small patch of paper. She waited for a moment before going in and sitting beside her.

"Hey," she said softly. "What's got you all worked up? I ain't seen you cry this hard in a while."

The mechanic didn't speak, responding only by suspending the portrait of the small dragon in front of her captain's face. Applejack reached her leg around Twilight's shoulders, gently rubbing them as she held the troubled unicorn.

"It's alright," she said. "We all miss him."

Twilight buried her face in Applejack's shoulder as she continued heaving with each sob. "He was mine. My baby dragon, not somepony else's. Princess Celestia ordered me to take care of him and look at me. Look at what I've done to him. I'm a failure."

Applejack rested her head on the grieving unicorn's forehead. "Quit talkin' like that. You ain't never been a failure to nopony. Spike's a smart young dragon and I reckon livin' with the smartest mare in Ponyville had to teach him somethin'. He's fine, probably with the Princesses on Regalia or somethin'. Definitely ain't stupid."

"How can you be so sure? It's been three years since Canterlot fell and I haven't seen scale nor snout of him." She burst into a fresh set of tears. Applejack pressed Twilight's head into her shoulder.

"Just let it out, Sugarcube. Let it all out. I ain't thinkin' less of you for cryin' in fronta me. We're all missin' someone because of the war."

Twilight looked up from the shirt she'd now soaked at her captain. "You still think about Apple Bloom and Granny Smith?"

"Every mornin' when I get up, Twilight. They're my family. I ain't gonna just abandon 'em. We'll find Spike, just like we'll find Apple Bloom. Granny Smith may be a few apples short of a bushel but she's got enough common sense to get around. Apple Bloom is in capable hooves until then."

The lavender unicorn dried her eyes. "I'm sorry, Applejack. I didn't mean to be a wreck in front of you, but I miss Spike so much."

"It's okay, Twilight. Just because you're flyin' with me doesn't you gotta be tough all the time. Did you 'member to get them replacement parts ordered?"

Twilight sniffed again. "Yeah, I did. There'll be a pony waiting for us when we land on Solstice. I'll get them from him before we leave."

"Alright then. I'm gonna go get Big Macintosh and we're gonna get the guns prepped."

Twilight's eyes grew wide. "Guns? But aren't you just gonna drop the apples off and be done with it? Why would you need to pack a bunch of guns with you?"

"You remember the last time I dealt with her? She tried havin' one of her thugs put me down but he ended up hittin' my shoulder. I ain't takin' chances again."

"Applejack, just because she tried to kill you once doesn't mean you need to meet her armed to the teeth. We're the bearers of the Elements of Harmony, for Celestia's sake! How can we be harmonious if you go around shooting first and asking questions later."

"I'm the Element of Honesty, so pardon me if I'm honest with you. If there's one thing I learned in the war, it's that bein' friendly ain't the answer to every problem. A smile ain't gonna disarm a stallion with a loaded rifle, but a bullet will."

Twilight stood up in her seat. "Yes, I know you've killed ponies in the war but that's not you! You know how Fluttershy and myself are when you pack guns to meet employers!"

The earth pony stepped towards the unicorn and placed a hoof on her shoulder. "Let me makes this clear: I ain't gonna kill Trixie. I may be a gunmare but I ain't no murderer. If I have to pull the trigger, it's because of something Trixie does, not me. I don't get off on pluggin' lead into folks, but if I have to do it then I will. Clear?"

Twilight nodded. "Just promise me you won't hurt Trixie."

Applejack didn't answer. She silently stepped through the door and into the hallway. "I can't make no promises, Twilight, but I'll do my best."

---

The Reprisal landed in the spaceport of Solstice an hour ahead of schedule. Applejack walked to the bridge and cued up the comms system as Rainbow Dash landed the craft in a public hangar bay. Once the ship touched down, she dialed in Trixie's contact number.

"Come on, " Applejack whispered to herself. "Pick up the damn call so I can get these apples off my ship."

The dial tone ended and a very sleepy Trixie let out a yawn before responding. "Hello?"

"Trixie's it's AJ. We just pulled in to port and we got your shipment. Where are we meetin' so I get rid of these things?"

Trixie yawned again. "I hadn't expected you to actually make that deadline, Captain. You really do never cease to amaze. Anyway, I'll get them from you tomorrow afternoon, alright? Now, if you'll excuse me it's three in the morning and I really need my sleep."

The blue unicorn hung up before Applejack could object. She looked over at Rainbow Dash, who was now leaning on the console of the ship. Her eyes were bloodshot from flying for a total of twenty hours in the last two days and she seemed more than welcoming of a night off. It was wonder she even managed to land the ship.

"Dash, you best be gettin' up outta that chair and into a bed," she said.

"No..." Dash groaned. "Just hand me a blanket and I'll sleep here. I don't think I can walk back to my bunk."

Applejack snickered as she fetched a blanket from the storage cabinet in the cockpit, draping around the pegasus' shoulders. The pilot pony was unconscious before Applejack stepped out of the door. Her brother, Big Macintosh, was already waiting for her.

"So, sis," he said as he cradled a lever action rifle. "We gonna go drop them apples off yet?"

"Nah, not yet. Trixie wants to get them from us tomorrow afternoon. You can put all the guns away now."

"What?" Mac asked. "I got the Vindicator all charged up and..."

"Just put 'em back, Mac. We won't be needin' to use 'em until we're there, and even then I'm hopin' we won't need 'em."

Big Mac shook his head. "You 'member what she tried to do to you the last time."

"Yes, Mac, I know she tried to kill me, but that don't mean we can't be civilized the second time around. I can tell you one thing, though: She takes a shot at me and she can find herself a new crew to smuggle gear for her."

Fluttershy opened the door to her bunk and stepped out, freezing when she caught sight of Big Macintosh holding a gun.

"W-What's t-that for?" the shy pegasus stuttered.

"Nothin', Fluttershy," Applejack said. "Don't be frettin' about what the gun's for. Big Macintosh was on his way to put it back, weren't you?"

Macintosh gave his sister an annoyed look. "Yes, AJ," he mumbled before lumbering off to the armory.

"Um...Applejack? Why do you need guns? I thought you were just dropping off apples to Trixie."

Applejack opened her mouth to remind her friend of what happened the last time. It was bad enough that Fluttershy was traumatized enough at the sight of blood. If anypony so much as mentioned it around her, she might as well drop into a catatonic state. And there was no telling what sort of lecture she'd get if Applejack told her that the guns were meant for killing ponyfolk. Then again, that's all guns ever seemed to do.

"It's a...uh...safety precaution." She hated lying, even if it was just a little white lie. "In case somepony tries to take 'em from us."

Fluttershy's expression changed from fear to puzzlement. "Who'd want to take a bunch of apples?"

Applejack couldn't help but smile at the pegasus. "Fluttershy, if there's one thing I've learned in the 'Verse, it's that there's no limit to crazy. But like I said before, it ain't nothin' for you to worry about. You'll be here on the ship, where it's safe."

"Oh, okay then. Promise me you won't come back from this next meeting with more bullet wounds?"

"I can't guarantee nuthin', Fluttershy, but I'll do my best not to get filled with lead."

Applejack walked over to the intercom switch and opened the mic up. "Just so everypony knows, we won't be doin' business until tomorrow. I think we should all get a few hours of shuteye so we can be all set for tomorrow mornin'. Consider that an order, everypony. And as long as we're planetside I don't want anypony off around the ship on their own, especially the cargo deck. It ain't that I don't trust nopony, I just don't wanna be takin' chances."

With that, the crew of the Reprisal went down for a few hours of rest, save of course for Twilight Sparkle who was still skimming manuals in her bunk.

Comments

[SergeantBuck]

374144 I'll pick this up again once I can devote more time to it. Stupid college workloads.