//------------------------------//
// Liftoff [Part 2] 
// Story: Stargate: Shangri-La 
// by Grey Ghost 
//------------------------------//

Floyd gulped, noting how dry his mouth was. The hour had arrived, and at the General's request, he had followed her down to the city's control chair. The room wasn't all that, just circle with a chair in the middle. The oddest, least comfortable chair Floyd had ever seen. He took a deep breath and stepped toward the chair. 

"It shouldn't be too hard," Daniel assured him. "Just keep focused and we'll be fine."

He put his hands on the armrests and slowly lowered himself into it. He felt something whir to life and the chair reclined out. "Okay, I think this thing's working." He gasped, gripping the armrest. Energy surged through him, causing his eyes and hands to glow with magic. His amulet shined away, a deep purple. 

Carter exchanged a look with Daniel, before focusing on Floyd. "Now, just think about getting the city off the ground. Keep an eye on the ice below us. Even if it gives way, we can't afford to abort."

"R-right," Floyd said, sounding very much like he was wired on some kind of drug. He calmed himself down the best he could and focused on the idea of the city slowly lifting off the ground. 

The city shook as the engines kicked off. Carter steadied herself, tapping her headset. "Wilson, this is Carter. I want you to keep an eye on the power levels. This move is probably going to take what the ZPMs have left. Over."

"Wilco," Wilson replied over the headset. "I will inform you if there are any complications. ZPMs are currently stable and systems are optimal for the move. Wilson out."

The city shook again, a sure sign that it was rising up out of the ice. Floyd then took a moment to look around the room.

"S-so uh, how am I supposed to see where we're going?"  The young man asked.

As if to answer him, a holographic map appeared above his head.

"Huh, that's pretty helpful." Floyd examined the map. "General, can you point out on the map where we're going?"

Carter turned to Celestia, who had been standing off to the side. "I think the Princess can help you with that."

Celestia stepped forward and looked over the map. "You will want to go southeast for 300 miles. You can land the city here." She pointed a hoof at a spot off of the coast of the projected landmass.

"Right..." Floyd followed her hoof, leaning back in the chair. He took a deep breath, the city rocking as it finally pulled free from the ice. "That wasn't so hard..." He let his eyes close while the city began its climb into the sky. 

The city continued its rise for a few minutes. There was a sudden jolt, and then the city's movements leveled out, signalling they had reached their cruising altitude. 

"Pity there aren't any windows," Celestia lamented, casting a glance at the walls. "I have always wanted to see the stars."

"Sorry about that," Carter said. "There are cameras but I'm sure video feed wouldn't be the same."

"We could always take you up in a jumper," Daniel offered. He thought for a moment, frowning. "It would probably be really cramped though."

Celestia chuckled, "I think I can put up with that for the sake of looking out at the ocean of stars."

Carter cleared her throat, "Getting up here is relatively easy. It's getting down we have to worry about." She gestured to the map. "When we reenter the planet's atmosphere, we'll be moving too fast for the air molecules to get out of the way. The compression generates incredible heat, more than the simple skin friction. Even with the shield, if we go down at the wrong angle, we won't have to worry about any future complications to the expedition."'

"But no pressure," Floyd grumbled. He gulped, thinking about lowering the city at an angle. In response, the city provided him with what appeared to be the safest route to their destination. "Not gonna lie, I could get used to the mind reading chair," he said, taking a calming breath as he adjusted his route to match the display's. "Just wish it had better cushions." He shifted his position in the seat. He chastised himself internally, returning his thoughts to safely lowering the city.

"You're doing great, Floyd," Celestia assured him. "You're perfectly in control."

As if Celestia had provoked the universe, the city started to shake. Floyd shifted, adjusting the angle slightly. 

"My bad," Floyd muttered, devoting his efforts to avoiding anymore turbulence. Floyd pushed his concentration to its limits, putting everything he had into following the route. He clutched the arm rests, his knuckles turning white and sweat forming on his brow. 

"We've almost completed our revolution around the planet, General." Wilson chirped.

"Perfect," Carter said. She turned to Floyd. "Okay, Floyd, now you just have to land. The general idea is to steepen the angle to bleed off speed."

Floyd nodded and pictured the city angling upwards, much like he had seen in old footage of space shuttle’s landing. In response to the sudden increase in friction, the city began to shake once more.

Carter and Daniel braced themselves on a nearby wall, while Celestia used her magic to keep herself stable. There was one last jolt, signalling the city had made its landing. Floyd sat up, his breathing ragged. He wore a thousand yard stare, trembling slightly. 

Daniel put a hand on his shoulder, "You did well, Floyd. Why don't you go lie down for a while?"

Floyd nodded, stumbling to his feet. "Jesus, is this what cocaine feels like?" The glow in his eyes lingered for a few moments, fading out as he blinked. 

"I wouldn't know on either front. The neural interface takes some getting used to, from what I've been told," Carter replied, putting a hand on his back to help stabilize him. "Though hopefully you won't need to use it again anytime soon."

"It was more than that, General," Celestia stepped closer to the chair, eyeing it critically. "The city channeled a lot of magic into Floyd. I can only imagine how that would feel to someone who had no magic before. A good rest should get him back to normal."

"Yeah... that sounds good," Floyd nodded, looking at the older humans. "I'm going back to the infirmary, get some sleep." He stumbled out the door, leaning on the wall to support himself. He continued down the hall until he reached a teleporter booth. He tapped where he wanted to go and continued to lean on the wall. It took him a while, but he was finally able to get to the infirmary. He collapsed into his bunk and pulled the covers over him. 





Like most pegasi, the idea of a flying city wasn't all that far-fetched to Soarin'. Hell, he was born in one. What he never thought he'd see was a literal city fall from the stars. Like an angry comet, Shangri-La had streaked through the sky, landing relatively gently in the waiting ocean. 

Pulling himself away from the main window, he turned to Captain Sky Line. Sky was one of the few non-pegasi in the Wonderbolts, assigned to oversee the airship Hurricane. She was a rather ornery earth pony, with a bright yellow coat and deep green mane. 

Soarin' stretched his wings, something he always tended to do more when he was thinking for long periods of time. "So, Sky, what do you think about our new assignment?"

Sky snorted, giving him a sideways glance. "I think you lot have been spending too much time doing fancy tricks." She inhaled, spitting into a pot next to the steering wheel. "About time you actually did something useful."

"Can't say I disagree with you there," Soarin' said with a nod. "I just don't know what to think about being part of a regiment that goes to other planets. Though, this does sound like a good opportunity to improve foreign relations, and not just with the humans."

Sky grunted. "Leave the politicking to the princesses."

Soarin' nodded again before smiling. "Sorry, kinda stuck in that mindset, seeing as Spits and I keep having to rub elbows with bigwigs as part of our regular duties. At this point, a tux seems like a third uniform for me."

Sky tsked, altering their course slightly. Soarin' had to admit, for an earth pony, Sky was a natural in the air. He always joked that she'd just spontaneously grow wings out of sheer stubbornness. 

She gave him a flat look, "You should focus more on your flying, eh, 'Clipper'?"

Soarin' chuckled and winced, "Ouch, breaking out that old nickname. And I do focus on my flying. I run through all the old drills and routines until my wings feel like they're about to fall off. It's just that being second-in-command comes with annoying brown nosing duties." 

Sky responded with an exaggeratedly loud spit, "I swear, why they have you two do all that bull pucky is beyond me. You're supposed to be military flyers, not flank kissers."

Soarin' stepped back up to the window, fidgeting his wings. "You know, it's just not going to be the same without you around, Sky. You are the exemplar Wonderbolt after all."

Sky chuckled and gave him a smirk, "If you're trying to kiss my flank, I'm gonna ask you buy me dinner first. I'm not into that kinda arrangement you've got going on with Spitfire."

Soarin' glanced over his shoulder. "I have no idea what you're talking about. Spitfire and I are just friends." It was rather against regulations for senior officers to be involved, and the rumor was starting to get irritating. Even if it was true.

"Fine, Soarin'," Sky relented with a shrug, "whatever you say. But let's just say hypothetically it was true. I'd advise you either get serious or stop screwing your boss. That kinda thing tends to end with at least one party getting hurt."

"Noted." Soarin' pulled away from the window, trotting to the door leading further into the ship. "Give me a call over the PA when we get there. I'm going to make sure everypony is ready."

"You got it," Sky said with a wave of her hoof. "Try to put a little fear in them for me, alright?" She glanced over her shoulder to flash him a toothy grin. "I always love seeing pegasi feathers standing up on end."

Rather used to her bait, Soarin' didn't bite. "Makes preening a bitch." He passed through the door behind him, pushing it shut with a back leg. He continued down the halls, heading for the common area where the detachment would be preparing their gear. He trotted down a couple flights of stairs and went straight down a long hallway.

Soarin' paused at the door, clearing his throat. When he was sure his commander voice was properly set, he moved inside. "Attention!" he shouted as loudly as possible. Like most military commanders, there was a certain satisfaction when one's orders were followed almost instantly. It was Soarin's second favorite perk of the job. Besides getting paid to do what came natural. 

The entire detachment dropped what they were doing and lined up. All eyes were on him as they snapped a quick salute to him. He strode along the line, inspecting them closely. When he was satisfied, he took position in front of them.

"We'll be reaching the city in an hour. I want us ready in half. Is that clear?"

"Sir, yes sir!" a chorus of voices replied instantly.

He stamped a hoof, "Then get to it!"

The detachment snapped another salute before rushing to resume their previous preparations. Soarin' watched them for a few moments before turning to head to his quarters. Most traveling ponies didn't pack a lot, and Soarin' was no exception. Beyond basic necessities and a few spare uniforms, Wonderbolts traveled light. 

Soarin' wasted no time in pulling on his flight suit and settling his goggles on his head. The flight suit felt like a second skin and didn't interfere with his flying. He took a quick moment to make sure the suit was on properly before nodding to himself in satisfaction. He took a seat on his bed, pulling out a book from his bag and deciding to rest for the remainder of the trip.

After a while the PA crackled to life, "We're almost there you lazy bastards," Sky barked, her voice harsh, "get to the exits."

Soarin' snapped his book shut, putting it back in his bag and grabbing his things. He trotted briskly through the halls until he made it to the nearest exit. He was the first one there as far as he could tell. He'd be sure to reprimand the others for that.

Surprise rounded a corner, giving him a salute, "Reporting for duty sir!"

Soarin' nodded to her, fighting off a smile as he saw her. Surprise was the typical trickster of the group. Of course, she always made sure her antics were just within the guidelines. It helped that her skills as a flier matched her skills as a prankster.

"Quick as always, Surprise," Soarin' said, "although you let me beat you here. That'll be ten wingtip push ups once we're settled in the city."

Surprise grinned back, "Only if the general makes me," she reminded him, pulling her goggles down over her eyes.

Soarin's mouth twitched as he held back a chuckle. "I have half a mind to charge you with insubordination," he told her in a harsh tone, though the look on his face betrayed him.

Surprise stepped up to the exit, sliding it open. The wind wasted no time in buffeting them, sending their manes tumbling. Soarin' quickly pulled his goggles on. He spread his wings and angled them to test the wind. He then nodded at her and jumped out of the exit.

A smile worked onto Soarin's face as he allowed himself to freefall. There was nothing that could make a pegasus feel more alive than the rush of air through their feathers. The moment passed and he spread his wings, pulling himself up into a cruise. He angled his wings, feeling the differences in pressure and adjusting himself to keep a steady descent. He looked down, spotting the shape of the Teachers' city. They had been instructed to head to the top of the tallest building. He adjusted his course, keeping the building in his sights. 

Surprise joined him on his left, falling into formation. A few moments passed and then the rest of the detachment fell in behind them, taking their own positions. They passed over the city, more than a few marveling over its design. 

They came up to the central tower and Soarin' threw his head back. Since flying at high speeds precluded verbal communication, pegasi, especially the wonderbolts, conveyed ideas through even the smallest body motion. He pulled his body up, flying straight up, parallel to the tower. The others got the message and followed his lead. They reached the top, slowing to a hover. They found an opening towards the top and flew inside, fluttering their wings as their hooves touched down.

Soarin' folded his wings, pulling his goggles up. Princess Celestia was waiting for them, standing with one of the humans. Soarin' snapped a salute to the princess, and the other Wonderbolts followed suit.

"Commander Soarin', second-in-command of the Wonderbolts, reporting for duty, Your Majesty."

The princess smiled, nodding to them, "At ease."

The Wonderbolts nodded and relaxed their bodies. The human then nodded and looked at Soarin'.

"Hello, I'm General Carter. I'm looking forward to working with you all," The general smiled, offering him a hand.

"Same here," Soarin' smiled and extended his hoof, the general grasping and shaking it. "Captain Spitfire briefed us on our expected duties. We'll follow your orders, General." He pulled his hoof back, saluting. "Altius volantis."

"I'm glad to hear it," Carter replied. "For the moment, we'll be leading you to your quarters. You'll all be put into squads once everyone else has arrived. And altius volantis to you too." She gave him a salute in return. 

Celestia leaned over. "The Wonderbolts' motto, 'Soaring higher'."

"Makes sense for a flight team," Carter replied. She then turned and motioned for them to follow her. "I'll lead you to your quarters now." She led them out of the room, walking down the halls. Looking over her shoulder, she said, "If there are any questions, I'll do my best to answer them."

"Thank you, ma'am," Soarin' gestured to his subordinates, falling in line behind her.

"No problem," Carter assured him. "We're all looking forward to expanding our ranks here. And I think we'll get along, I joined the Air Force long before I joined the stargate program. Not to mention the maneuvers you could teach to Queen Elmis' hive."

"That would be the name of the friendly changeling queen currently residing in the city, correct?" Soarin' asked.

Surprise snickered, "Clipper was too busy trying to fly straight to read the newspaper."

Soarin' shot Surprise a quick look. "Anyway, General, we'll be happy to teach them some of our formations and maneuvers."

"I'm glad to hear it," Carter said. "I was worried that there would be disputes about working with them."

Soarin' shrugged. "The Wonderbolts weren't there during the invasion. Besides, these changelings had nothing to do with it. Why get mad at them?"

Carter nodded and smiled. She continued to lead the ponies down the halls, people making way for their group as they passed. "That's a very reasonable thing to say. I'm sure that attitude will be a big help out in the field," she told them.

Soarin' smiled at the compliment. "As long as they're friendly, we'll be friendly."

"You won't have to worry about that," Carter assured him, "especially if you think happy thoughts around them." Their journey continued for a while until she led them to a hallway with a line of doors on either side. She opened one of the doors, revealing a sparsely decorated room. "These will be your rooms for the duration of your time with the SGC. Personal decorations are allowed. We'll also show you how to get to the major facilities via the teleporter booths. Does anyone have any questions?"

"You said we'd be put into squads," Fleetfoot started, looking up at Carter. "Does that mean our group will be separated?"

"I think that's for the best. We want balanced teams."

"We'll trust your judgement on the matter," Soarin' nodded. "Our dossiers were sent over earlier, correct?"

Princess Celestia smiled. "I delivered them myself, Commander, along with something else for you."

The Wonderbolts all nodded. "Then our skillsets are all available to you," Soarin' said, nodding at Carter. He then turned to Celestia with a raised brow. "What is it, Princess?"

Celestia gestured to a large container inside of the open room. "See for yourself."

Soarin' and Surprise stepped into the room and grabbed the lid of the container. With a heave, they pried the box open and carefully set the lid down. Surprise dipped her head into the crate and pulled out a uniform. It looked like their dress uniform, only with light armor in places. There was also a flight helmet that covered nearly the entire face ,with a visor that could be flipped up or down. On the side of the helmet and on the flank of the uniform there was an insignia: a modified version of the SGC logo, with Celestia's and Luna's cutie marks serving as a background. 

"Those are your new uniforms," Celestia said with a smile. "A perfect showing of the alliance between our peoples."

"Princess, how long have you had these?" Soarin' frowned, looking at the helmet. Being a Wonderbolt, Soarin' met the Princess much more often than the average pony. Despite her kindness, the Princess was always scheming, always planning.

"Oh, not too long all things considered," Celestia dismissed. "Really these are just slightly modified versions of the gear used in the last skirmish we had about eighty years ago."

"Right." He didn't quite believe her, but, it wasn't his place to question the Princess. 

"Anyway, I'm sure all of you can handle your room assignments," Carter said, changing the subject. "You're all free to relax until the other representatives arrive."

Soarin' saluted. "Thank you, ma'am."

The Wonderbolts all saluted and then spread out, talking amongst themselves about their rooms. Surprise and Soarin' turned back to the crate, passing out the new uniforms to each member. Soarin' then claimed the room with the crate as his own, taking a moment to sit and think. He pulled off his flight suit, folding it and setting it next to him.

The Princess never did anything without a reason, he mused to himself. He lifted his new helmet up, looking into its visor. Had she been expecting a war to break out? Did she... have these made in preparation for Sombra's return? Nightmare Moon's? He looked the armored portions of the uniform over, tapping it with his hoof. 

"Hmm, seems like this stuff is puncture resistant," he said aloud. He hefted it for a few moments. "Lightweight too. Guess she was preparing for the worst case scenario." He shook his head, "That mare has a contingency plan for everything." He put the armor down and lay down on the bed.





Floyd stood in front of the doorway, ignoring the many looks at his back. He knew collapsing on a stage would make people talk, but, he wasn't expecting nearly every pony he passed to inquire if he was feeling better. He chalked it up to the more friendly nature of the ponies mixed with how public his collapse was. He adjusted his clothes while he tried to collect his thoughts and what he would say. He knew he'd have to tread carefully given what happened last time. His mind flashed back to an image of Alexandrite leaning in to kiss him. He steeled himself with a deep breath and knocked on the door. He waited for a few moments, hearing the clopping of hooves coming from inside the house.

"Coming!" Alexandrite's voice called. The door opened, revealing the mare. "Hello! How can I-Floyd?!"

Floyd let out a nervous chuckle at the sight of her expression. She stared at him in disbelief with her lower jaw nearly touching the ground. "Hey, Alex. Sorry about collapsing and not telling you I was alright. Turns out, my amulet was doing crazy stuff to my body and the doc wanted to make sure I was okay," he explained quickly.

The mare suddenly pounced on him, knocking him back onto his ass. She hugged his waist, nuzzling it furiously. He let out an "oof" catching himself so his head wouldn't slam into the crystal street. After a moment, he took his hand and patted her head.

"Good to see you too, Alex."

"I was so worried about you!" Alex shouted, looking up at him.

"I bet," Floyd said, flashing her a small smile. "The only reason I didn't come to tell you I was okay sooner was because the doctor kept running the same tests over and over again. He made me a lab rat. On the bright side, I have magic now." He let his eyes glow in demonstration. "But uh, Cadance didn't tell you?"

Alexandrite shook her head. "She and Shining Armor have been busy with the press and some diplomatic stuff." She climbed off Floyd, sitting on her haunches. "I'm glad you're okay."

Floyd got to his feet, brushing some dirt off his pants. "I'm better than ever. Learning how to use magic has been pretty fun." He patted her head. "Wish I could've talked to you sooner though."

Alexandrite smiled, nuzzling against his hand. "Do you want to come in...? My parents are out in the market."

Floyd paused for a moment, an offer to come in while the parents were out? This set off certain alarms considering he knew she was interested in him. He then shrugged and waved it off as him overthinking things. 

"Sure, I can come in for a bit," he told her.

Alexandrite hopped to her hooves, eagerly guiding him inside, "Want some tea?"

"Some tea sounds good," he replied, taking a seat on the couch. "So what have you been up to?"

Alex trotted into the kitchen, busying herself with the tea kettle. "To be honest, I was rather shaken up by what happened." She turned her stove on, letting it heat up while she filled the kettle. "I uh, cut back on my work a bit."

"I'm sorry about that," Floyd said, wincing a bit. "I should've told someone something was up with me sooner. That way I wouldn't have collapsed right in front of you."

"We could have had that kiss," Alexandrite replied.

Floyd flinched, thankful that she couldn't see him from the kitchen. He had no idea what to say to that, he hadn't sorted out his feelings on the whole interspecies relationship thing. 

"Floyd?" Alexandrite peeked out of the kitchen. "You okay? You got a little quiet."

Floyd let out a quick chuckle and rubbed the back of his head. "Sorry about that, I was just thinking about that day. You're right, we could've had it." He had to hold back a flinch, kicking himself for adding that.

Alexandrite smiled, ducking back into the kitchen. "Why don't we set up another then? I'm sure your boss will give you some time off! I know this great place on Topaz street."

He thought quickly, trying to change the subject. "Oh, uh, I should tell you, I actually had my job changed. I'm not gonna be a cameraman anymore. Instead, I'm joining the expedition teams and going through the gate. I'll be gone for a few weeks for training."

"Then I guess we'll have to make the most of the time we have." Alexandrite smiled as she walked into the room, a tray balanced on her back with two steaming cups. She set it down carefully on the coffee table and passed him a cup.

Floyd lifted his cup up, choosing to stare into its depths than look at her. 

Alexandrite frowned, picking up her own cup. "Floyd, is something wrong? You're a lot quieter than usual."

"Alex, I..." He paused, the words dying in his throat.

She offered him a small smile, resting a hoof on his arm. "You can tell me anything."

"Alex, I don't know how I feel about you." There, he said it. He cringed, already feeling the awkward silence falling over them.

Alexandrite's ears pinned to her head. "Oh." She turned her head from him, but kept her hoof on his arm. 

He put his cup down, putting a hand on her hoof. "Look, it's nothing you did alright? It's all on me here."

"Because that doesn't sound like a cliched line," Alexandrite mumbled.

Floyd frowned, "Hey, that's not fair. You live on a planet with more than a dozen intelligent species on it. Earth's just got us humans."

She nodded, turning her head to look at him again. "You're right, it's not fair to expect you to be okay with dating a different species right away." She let out a long sigh, "Sorry if it seemed like I was pressuring you."

Floyd patted her arm. "Don't worry about it Alex." He leaned back, feeling like he had the world lifted from his shoulders. He didn't, however, feel all that great about making her sad. "I just need some time to sort out my head. Things got complicated when the magic showed up."

"Don't worry about it," she told him, brightening up a little. "Take as much time as you need. Still friends?" She held a hoof out, giving him a small smile.

Returning her smile, Floyd bopped a fist against her hoof. "Did I say we weren't?" He lifted his tea, taking a generous sip. "So, did you see the city take off?"

"Are you kidding?" Alexandrite started to laugh. "I'd have to be blind and deaf not to see that."

"Bet you guys felt it taking off."

"Oh yeah, the entire city was shaking like crazy," She giggled as she remembered it.

"Well then, I'm glad I didn't cause too much of a problem over here."

"Huh, what do you mean by that?" Alexandrite tilted her head and arched a brow at him.

Floyd grinned wolfishly, "I flew the city."

"They let you fly the city!" she cried, gaping at him.

Floyd held up his hands, waggling his fingers, "What can I say? I got the touch."

She rolled her eyes, a smile on her face. "Uh huh, I bet the only reason they let you fly the city was because they had no other options."

"Yeah, that about sums it up," Floyd admitted. He set his cup down. "Made it in one piece though."

"I'm glad," she told him. "I mean, I'd hate to lose my alien friend."

"Don't worry, I don't plan on dying anytime soon," He reached over and ruffled her mane. She responded by shoving him off and the two of them broke into a small fit of laughter.