When civil war breaks out in the Griffon Kingdom, Equestria does what the Princesses decide is best- maintain a policy of isolation and observe. Unfortunately, such plans almost never fall through without complications, and an attack on Equestrian soil forces the ponies to take a side. Nimbus and his squadron are swept up into the gathering storm, but the pony soon finds himself questioning whom he can and cannot trust. For in war, nothing is always as it seems...

Nimbus's dreams have finally been realized. He's an Aviator stationed just outside Manehattan with the 132nd Aviator Squadron. Not a day goes by where he isn't flying a patrol or intercepting the occasional Griffon squadron over Manehattan Bay. However, the Awakening have not given up on their task of removing Celestia and now Luna from the throne. Without the presence of Nightmare Moon, the Awakening must find a new edge against the power of Celestia and Luna. They find a lead amongst whispers of Site Echo- an urban myth detailing a long-lost experimental facility housed deep within the Badlands, and soon Nimbus finds himself with his squadron, chasing down a very real enemy consumed with the search of finding an obscure, but powerful secret.

That secret is Project Spark.

(Rated T for mild language)

(New rating- T for violence. one instance of mild language, and mature themes). All his life, Nimbus had dreamed of being a Wonderbolt. He had the flying ability- what he lacked was dedication. It wasn't hard for him to be accepted to the Academy, but when he failed to understand the true commitment it takes to be one of Equestria's elite flyers, Nimbus found himself kicked out just as quickly as he'd been let in. Now, haunted by his failures at the Wonderbolt Academy, Nimbus is once again dedicated to serving in the skies of Equestria, this time as a Royal Equestrian Air Force Aviator- an elite aerial defender of Equestria. Nimbus must confront the challenges he faced at the Wonderbolt Academy again as a cadet in Aviator Training School. ATS, however, has its own unique set of challenges, and predictions of the return of an ancient evil known only as "Nightmare Moon" are beginning to surface, throwing Equestria into a state of anxiety. Through all of this, can Nimbus persevere? Set approximately one year before the events of "Friendship is Magic," in a slightly altered reality, this story marks a new start for a character who's been waiting for his full story to emerge. This is that story.