//------------------------------//
// Release, Memories, and Ponyville 
// Story: On Lightning's Wings 
// by Seawolf 
//------------------------------//

Sapphire while she knew she had to stay in the bed, that didn’t stop her from becoming extremely curious about her wings and more to that matter her new form. However the more she examined herself the more she realized that she was actually very pretty. She had to admit, the maroon mane and tail really complimented the dark grey fur coat well, although she wasn’t breath-takingly gorgeous by any stretch of the imagination she was certainly pretty.

But it was her new wings that held most of her attention, they were similar to the wings that would be found on birds. Now while she was a fighter pilot and knew maneuvers that could make civilians lose their lunch but when it came to biology? That wasn’t her strong suit.

However, she was ninety percent sure that the wings she had would be more fitting on a bird like a Peregrine Falcon or something. But then again, it seemed like ‘magic’ existed in this world so maybe just maybe it would be possible to fly with the wings she had. Still it was strange going from a biped to a quadruped and one with wings too boot.

Still realizing that she had the ability to fly under her own power, well that was something that most humans dreamed of. To fly like a bird without the use of an engine or propeller. The closest thus that any human had ever come to flying like bird without having to power something was by using a Flying Squirrel Suit better known as the Wingsuit.

But how do I use the damn things? And more to that matter, what dumb is that? Sapphire thought, looking at something that was on her flank. The bird was one that nearly anyone born in the USA would recognize in an instant, a Bald Eagle. But said Bald Eagle appeared to be riding a lightning bolt, which while it looked cool as hell, what did it mean?

She just decided to add figuring out what that flank mark thingy meant to her growing too do list.

That’s when she realized that there was something else. Her hearing was way sharper than it had been as a human, to the point where despite being halfway down the length of the ward from the door, she could hear the sounds of hoofsteps coming down the hall and constantly getting louder.

At that moment, the hospital room door was encased in a sun yellow fiery glow. There was a subtle click as the door knob was turned and then it swung open. The being that then strode through the doorway was a combination of a pegasus and a unicorn. Her fur was a sharp white, while her mane and tail were seemingly ethereal in the fact that they were acting as if there was wind despite being inside and contrasted between green, blue, pink, and indigo, plus she was wearing a crown and regalia that was made out of gold. She carried this aura of power and authority around her, it just screamed ‘national leader, treat with utmost respect.’

But, she wasn’t alone, trailing behind her was half a dozen other ponies. Two were unicorns, two were pegasi like she was, and two appeared to be just regular old ponies. But given that she’d seen some pretty whacky stuff, there was probably something about them that she didn’t know about.

Still wasn’t everyday that you met a national leader. So in her mind, it was clearly a great honor. Still, she was wondering why the Princess or could it be Queen, was actually taking interest in her. But who were the six that were following her?

Her first thought was that they could have been members of the Joint Chiefs. But she quickly dismissed the notion just as quickly, mainly because they didn’t appear to be military nor did they look old enough. Who were they? Another equine walked in right behind them, the medical scrubs and the white medical hat just screamed doc.

Once they got close enough, the pegacorn? Started speaking. “How are you feeling Sapphire?” she asked.

Normally she would have been miffed at someone she didn’t know using her callsign. But at least she wasn’t calling her by her actual name. “Not bad your majesty. Could be feeling a little better, but considering the ordeal that I’ve gone through over probably the last thirty hours, not bad.”

“That’s glad to hear, and please call me Princess Celestia or Princess if you must. It’s how I am with all of my subjects.” The now identified Princess Celestia said.

“Oh, I understand Princess. If anything, I should be saying thank you for this second chance.” Sapphire said with a sad smile.

While the conversation between Sapphire and the Princess Celestia and the mane six started, the doctor busied herself with getting Sapphire ready for discharge from the hospital.

“It’s alright my little pony. Equis is a place for second chances. Plus, Wing Commander Spitfire said that judging from your actions. That if there was anyone who needed as well as deserved a second shot at life it was you.” Celestia said.

“Thanks, but Princess I got to ask who are the six others that are with you?” Sapphire asked.

“Behind me are the bearers of the Elements of Harmony. They are not only an integral part of the Equestria’s defense but also serve in a much different role. Together with my personal Twilight Sparkle, they are working to discover the magic of friendship.” Celestia said.

That made Sapphire look over the six mares with apprehension. Well, that made some sense. “Alright and I bet that the element bearers have saved Equestria more than a couple of times. What does this have to do with me?” Sapphire asked.

Celestia blinked. “I got to admit, you have a sharp wit Sapphire. But, I decided to bring the element bearers into this to help with getting settled and used to living in Equestria.” She said.

Sapphire’s eyes widened. “I, uh, don’t know what to say to that. But, I guess having a place to look forward to live at is always nice, particularly when you're living in a new place. But, how are the element bearers going to help with that?” she asked, shrugging.

“Well, most pegasi when they live in a rural areas actually build their own house thanks to the fact that Pegasi can actually walk on clouds and using magic can even move them and thus most cities have weather teams for controlling the weather. Thus they’ll help with moving in, plus receiving flying lessons and other things, such as receiving a job.” Celestia said.

Sapphire looked thoughtful for a moment. “Ah, that makes sense. Got to admit, learning how to fly would be nice. Although I got to ask, what are the names of the elements bearers?” she asked.

Instead of Princess Celestia speaking, a unicorn with Lavender fur spoke up instead. “Hi, my name is Twilight Sparkle. I am the bearer of the element of magic and Princess Celestia’s personal student. It’s a pleasure to meet you.” Twilight said introducing herself.

“Likewise, it’s a pleasure and a honor to meet you Miss Sparkle. Also, I am sure the Princess told you about the fact that I am military and that my call sign is Sapphire, but I am perfectly willing if you use that. Although if it’s absolutely dire or you need to get my attention in a hurry you can call me by my actual name, Lisa.” Sapphire said with a smile.

“Oh, okay. Makes sense, Sapphire is the sort of name you would encounter here in Equestria. Helps with blending in and please call me Twilight.” Twilight said.

“Right, okay Twilight.”

“The name’s Rarity, I am the element of generosity. Although, I am also a seamstress and I got to admit darling I’ve never seen a pony as pretty as you.” A unicorn with white fur and a purple mane said.

“Nice to meet you.” Sapphire said.

“I am Applejack, element of honesty. However, I am also a farmer.” An orange furred pony said.

“Nice to meet you Applejack. Now that I think of it, I’ve never really seen a farm before, well not in person.” Sapphire said.

“Why’s that?” Applejack asked confused.

“I was born and raised in New York City, to be specific Manhattan Island, and well there’s not a lot of room on that island for stuff like farms. I was the first member of my family to join the military rather than go into business or meteorology and I don’t really like talking about the reason why I made the choice to join the military either.” Sapphire said looking down.

The mane six all glanced at each other nervously. “What do you mean by that? Surely whatever it was it couldn’t be that bad, right?” A pale, light grayish gold furred and pink maned pegasus asked.

“No, it’s bad. All I am going to say is that I was eleven when it happened and the thing that became synonymous with that day was this phrase “Where were you when the world stopped turning?”.” Sapphire said, appearing to hold back tears, a melancholy look clear in her eyes and tone of voice.

“Oh you poor thing. It’s alright, Sapphire.” The same pegasus said, putting a hoof on her shoulder.

“Thanks, uh” Sapphire said, starting recover a bit.

“Fluttershy.”

“Nice to meet you Fluttershy, you're a very kind soul.” Sapphire said, the melancholy look still visible in her eyes.

Twilight made a mental note to ask why she had that look in her eyes when she mentioned why she had chosen to join the military. That and the way she looked utterly heart-broken when she mentioned “Where were you when the world stopped turning?”.

“Thanks Sapphire. It’s my element after all.” Fluttershy said.

Right, so Fluttershy is the element of kindness. Makes sense given how my feelings and emotions over what happened nearly twenty years ago almost got the better of me and she helped me get out of it. Sapphire thought.

“I am Rainbow Dash! I am the leader of the Ponyville Weather Team and the most awesome flier in all of Equestria. I am also the element of loyalty and I promise I'll get you flying in no time, believe it!” A cyan furred and rainbow maned pegasus greeted.

“Nice to meet you. It’s always nice to meet someone who is willing to put aside their schedule to help someone.” Sapphire said.

“No problem, Sapp. Besides, while it sounds hard, flying and manipulating the weather is actually very easy!” Rainbow said.

“Thanks.” Sapphire said.

“HIYA!” A Pink maned and furred pony said, loudly seemingly right next to Sapphire’s ear.

“GAH!” Sapphire yelped jumping nearly a foot in the air. “What the?!”

“The name’s Pinkie Pie! Do you like parties, because I like parties! Do ya! Do ya! Do ya?” Pinkie said and Sapphire quickly got over her shock and burst out laughing.

“Yeah, I like parties. Been awhile since I’ve been to one, but I like them. Pinkie no offense but your a laugh a minute!” she said, getting over her laughter.

“Pinkie is the party pony when it comes to Ponyville. She’s always trying her hardest to make people smile and to make new friends. But it just comes natural to her.” Twilight said.

“I can see that. I guess it stands to reason that she represents laughter or something. Because I haven’t had an honest laugh like that in a while.” Sapphire said.

“You catch on quick.” Celestia remarked.

“You had to be like that in my line of work or the results could be … unpleasant.” Sapphire replied, suppressing a shudder.

“Well, near as I can tell. While you're still healing, you should be back to your full capability within probably six months. This is going to be a slow process, but I will be willing to release you just as long as you promise not push yourself too hard otherwise you’d aggravate your injuries, to be specific the one for your right rear leg. Lot’s of scar tissue and healing ligaments, you aggravate it you're probably going to tear the hell out of something.” The doc said as she completed looking over reports.

“What could aggravate that injury, doc?” Sapphire asked.

“Heavy landings were your rear legs take the brunt of the impact, high speed crashes, any sort of galloping over long periods of time, bucking, and possibly even rearing could aggravate it. Now how badly will the injury get aggravated will likely depend on the activity you were doing. But expect it to be painful and it will most certainly prolong recovery by a substantial amount.” The doc said.

“Great, so basically everything fun that comes with being a pegasus.” Sapphire groused.

“Pretty much. But you're an energetic soul and pegasi generally hate being stuck on the ground.” Doc said.

“Figured.” Sapphire grumped.

“Doctor Heartbeat, is Sapphire clear to go?” Celestia asked.

“My professional opinion is telling me that she isn’t, but just from watching her for the past couple of hours. I can tell that she’s very curious, before you arrived I could clearly tell that she was about ready to call for a nurse to ask to have something to read. Plus, given her background she’s likely smart enough to avoid aggravating her injury, but if she does I will chew her out for it.” Heartbeat replied.

“I’ve never been chewed out by a doc before, but I have been chewed out by a flight instructor once for nearly pancaking a multimillion dollar training jet into the ground when I accidently stalled the thing and it entered a flat spin, that wasn’t fun. So honestly, being chewed out by a doc can’t be that much worse.” Sapphire said holding up a hoof. Before adding “At least I hope so, but I don’t want to find out.”

Her attempt at a joke fell flat for the most part. Although it did cause Doc Heartbeat to chuckle slightly.

“Right, then in that case. I go get the discharge papers and then you can be on your way.” Heartbeat said before leaving.

Once the doc left the ward, Sapphire looked at Celestia. “Princess, I am grateful for all of this. But where I am going to live? I doubt that I can find a flat for cheap when I got no money on me to begin with and no source of income.” Sapphire said her expression flattening.

“About that darling. We decided that we were going to help with getting you settled in for living.” Rarity said and Sapphire’s mood brightened slightly.

“What do you mean?” Sapphire asked in a curious tone.

“What we mean is that we’re going to get you up on your hooves. Just provide a design and Rainbow can have a house for you built within a minute although expect half that time and she along with Fluttershy are willing to take you under her wing so you can learn to fly and become a member of the Ponyville Weather Team. Rarity is going to handle some of the interior decoration if you want her too as well. Applejack is willing to show you around town while the house is being constructed. Pinkie has plans for a party. Also, depending on how long it takes to put the house together, and considering we are taking the afternoon run for the train back to Ponyville your welcome to spend the night at my place.” Twilight said.

Sapphire’s jaw dropped. She hadn’t been expecting this level of support. “Thanks, for the support. It’s heart-warming really, because it lets me know that I am not going to be cast out into this new world alone.” She said.

“No problem, but I got to get back to the castle and host the courts.” Celestia said her expression dropping slightly.

Sapphire’s muzzle scrunched up slightly. “Let me guess, some of the members of the courts are pompous, self-centered, and always looking to see if they can further their own agendas?” She asked.

Celestia nodded. “Let me guess, your government has much of the same problems?” She asked with a slight smile.

“You got no idea how much so. Guess even though I am in a different dimension, somethings never change.” Sapphire said in a deadpan tone.

That sentence despite being stated in a deadpan somehow managed to get everyone in room laughing out loud. The stress that Sapphire felt that building in her shoulders just surged out of her shoulders and back, in it’s place relief swelled up.

I am not being forced to spread my wings, god considering my situation that pun was terrible, I am going to have a chance to thrive and expand my horizons with a couple of friends to begin with! Sapphire thought happily.

At that moment Doc Heartbeat returned, held within a telekinetic grasp was a clipboard and pencil. A moment later Celestia took her leave and left.

Sapphire sighed as she read over the forms including the fine print and then with a little bit of help from the others managed to sign them. “Here you go doc. All the papers have been signed.” She said hoofing over the clipboard back to the doc.

“Thank you, alright you're clear to go.” Doctor Heartbeat said.

Sapphire nodded and with some help got out of the bed. Wincing slightly as her hooves hit the brick floor. What was it with hospitals and having their floors brick? Guess somethings really never did change. While it was tempting to try the normal bipedal standing position, common sense told her otherwise.

She had to admit, the normal walking position for horses felt more than a little weird. But considering how awkward it would feel, she just decided to roll with it. Still, there was something that felt off, that’s when her eyes rested on the bag and helmet she figured it out. “How am I supposed to carry those back to what was it? Ponyville?” She asked.

“Here you go!” Pinkie said holding up what looked a pair of saddlebags that she’d pulled from … somewhere.

“Where’d you get that?” Sapphire asked confused.

“It’s Pinkie Pie, don’t question it Sapphire. Trust me you're better off not questioning it. Just be grateful.” Twilight said waving Sapphire’s question away.

“Right, still thanks Pinkie.” Sapphire said. “You know, you remind of me of my mom. She was prepared for seemingly anything.” she added, her tone growing somber for a second.

“Darling, I have to ask. Did you really wear that helmet when you were in the air force?” Rarity asked as Sapphire calmly put the ziploc bag in one of the saddle bags.

“Yes I did Rarity and I know it’s not the prettiest thing in the world. But when it comes down to it, the military is very much utility over beauty. This mask right here would connect to an oxygen tank that would allow me to breath once I got above fifteen thousand feet or so, it would clip on and cover my mouth and nose while feeding me a steady stream of oxygen, inside is also a mic for the radio. The visor, comes down like so and it provides not only eye-protection from the sun, but also has the heads-up display which shows information like throttle setting, what weapon I have selected, my speed and altitude as well as angle of attack, plus it can allow me to target foes with air-to-air weapons with just a look. Another thing, if I eject, my helmet has a transmitter for radio communications and would constantly transmit my vitals.” Sapphire said as she stowed her helmet into her other bag and then with help of Twilight donned them, it felt a little weird but she wasn’t complaining, a gee-suit could be uncomfortable when it clenched around her lower legs to stop blood from pooling.

Then together they strode out of the room and started heading toward the exit.

“Why would need you an external source? Don’t you already have air inside your cockpit?” Rainbow asked.

“That’s a very good point and believe it or not, when I am not doing high-g maneuvers but just flying straight and level even above fifteen thousand. But that’s because at that altitude you can fly without the aid of external oxygen, however you can’t really do much in terms of maneuvers. Once you decided to put the mask on, it’s either because you're flying above thirty thousand or you're doing high speed and high-gee maneuvers. Hell, I’ve done maneuvers where let’s say in one gee of standard gravity you weigh oh seventy kilos and then you do a turn where you pull 5 gees your weight will go from seventy kilos to three hundred fifty kilos, that sort of maneuver is not fun on the body and stuff as easy as breathing becomes a lot harder. So it’s purpose is two fold.” Sapphire said.

“So wait, you’ve flown at thirty thousand feet?!” Rainbow asked in a stunned voice.

“Yeah, I have. Hell I’ve flown higher than that. But on Earth you can only reach those altitudes if you climb into plane that can reach that altitude. Although I doubt that I’d be able to reach that height here. Hell once you get above I think it’s fifty thousand you need a pressure suit otherwise your internal fluids start to boil, and it’s mostly water at that altitude water boils at body temperature or about 98 degrees. Not a pleasant way to die. Only way that you can reach that altitude and not be riding in a plane is because well you're an astronaut and on your way to orbit or your climbing Mount Everest to the peak.” Sapphire said and Rainbow’s expression softened.

“What is the view like from up there?” She asked.

“Incredible, on a clear day you can easily see over a hundred miles; there is nothing like it. It’s even more incredible during the night, you won’t believe how many stars you can see, plus there is the awe you can get for flying through thunderstorms, the rain pattering the canopy and fuselage of your craft, fighting the winds to keep her level, and naturally the adrenaline rush you get from seeing wicked thunderbolts dancing before your eyes.” Sapphire said.

“Sounds like fun. I got a feeling that you and I are going to get along very well.” Rainbow said.

“We better, you're going to be my teacher after all.” Sapphire said and Rainbow laughed openly as they walked through the doors and out of the hospital.

“Well, this ain’t too bad it actually reminds me of home in a way.” Sapphire said casting her gaze over the hustle and bustle.

“What do you mean?” Twilight asked.

“I grew up in a city with a population that swings between 1.5 and 1.6 million people all jammed packed into an area of 22.83 square miles. There is always a good number of people up and about doing their jobs.” Sapphire said and every single jaw of the mane six dropped, which caused Sapphire to laugh.

“That’s insane!” Twilight yelped.

“No, that’s city living Twilight.” Sapphire said.

“City living?! I would rather move to Cloudsdale and constantly have to cast a cloud-walker spell every seventy-two hours than live in a place like that!” Twilight yelped.

“I can tell you more about city living once we get to Ponyville.” Sapphire said.

“Right, the train station is this way!” Twilight said before starting off.

As they walked, Sapphire made small talk with every member of the mane six. “So Fluttershy, if I am understanding this right, you're basically a veterinarian?” she asked.

“That’s one way of putting it. I absolutely adore animals.” Fluttershy said.

“Although I don’t love animals, well probably not to the extent you do Fluttershy, I am fond of dogs. While we couldn’t have one because the building that I grew up in had a no pets rule; I have always wanted a dog as a pet.” Sapphire said.

“Well, I have a dog for a pet. Her name is Winona, she’s the friendliest and most protective soul that you’ll ever meet.” Applejack said.

“That’s nice, hey Applejack?” Sapphire said.

“Yeah?” Applejack replied.

“What’s it like farming? I’ve never done it myself, well because farms aren’t a thing on Manhattan there’s simply no room.” Sapphire asked.

Applejack’s expression flattened somewhat. “Never been asked that before.” she said before speaking in a louder tone of voice. “Well, it’s an honest life and good for the soul, of course nothing will get you in shape quicker than working on a farm.”

“Sounds interesting, I may have to stop by at some point just to help.” Sapphire thought, intrigued to no end at the thought of farm work.

Rarity blinked at Sapphire. “You seem rather curious about working on a farm Sapphire.” She said.

“City girl remember? We couldn’t do farming on Manhattan Island, there is no room. Plus I went into the military as soon as I was able too, to be specific the air force.” Sapphire said.

“So similar to the Royal Equestrian Air Force?” Rainbow asked as they arrived at the train station and Twilight paid for the tickets.

“In a sense yes. Although it likely hasn’t been around as long REAF. Huh, that’s going to be really damn annoying trying to remember that Equestria isn’t a member of the New Commonwealth, but I digress.” Sapphire said.

“The REAF was founded shortly after the Battle of Marethon. About seven hundred and forty six years ago. But the Wonderbolts, an elite flying corps that specializes in acrobatic displays was founded over a thousand years ago. However the REAF was founded after the Wonderbolts were almost wiped out at the Battle of Marethon.” Twilight said as she handed out the tickets and they started to head toward the platforms.

“Well damn, that makes the REAF older than the oldest air force back home. The Royal Flying Corps of Great Britain which became the Royal Air Force for the same nation was founded in the year 1912 or roughly 108 years ago and thus makes the Wonderbolts way older than any acrobatic team that I can think of.” Sapphire said.

“Now ain’t that something. I guess the Wonderbolts are incredibly awesome if they are older than acrobatic team you can think of. I bet they're better than the acrobatic teams from your dimension.” Rainbow said.

“I don’t know, I haven’t seen them perform. Maybe they are in some ways but I don’t know.” Sapphire said.

“So since you were a pilot did you have anything exciting or memorable happen?” Fluttershy asked, her tone curious.

“Yeah, I was once in the flyover for a NASCAR race, I think it was Aaron’s 499, that was memorable for sure. As for exciting, well nothing beats Air Combat Maneuvering with two planes twisting and turning trying to get a clear shot to down a foe because your allies need…” Sapphire said before trailing off as a memory overtook her.






“Lightning 1-2, where the hell are you?! I got a Flanker on my ass and I can’t shake him!” First Lieutenant Felix “Joker” Miller said frantically, the RWR inside his jet beeping insistently as the Flanker’s targeting radar lighted the Lightning up.

“Hang on Lightning 1-5 I am coming! Just hold out for a minute at most, I am nearly in Sidewinder range!” Sapphire replied glancing at her AESA display and watching as the dot representing Joker’s Lightning II and the dot representing a hostile Su-35S maneuvered like mad.

“Hurry Sapphire! I can’t hold this guy off forever, he’s in a much better jet than I am! SHIT! I am spiked!” Joker said, dropping normal call sign doctrine in his panic. While the RWR changed it’s tone as the Su-35S got a lock-on.

“I am hurrying 1-5! I am almost, there!” Sapphire said as she tried to coax more power out of her Lightning’s singular engine. She didn’t have any AIM-120s and she was still out of range for her sole remaining Sidewinder missile.

“Shit enemy missile launch! I am evading!” Joker yelled as he began to maneuver even more frantically … at least for about fifteen seconds probably before his fighter dropped off of Sapphire’s scope. He hadn’t even ejected.

“JOKER!” Sapphire screamed.






“You alright sugarcube?” Applejack asked and Sapphire blinked shaking her head, dispelling the memory.

“Yeah, just a bad flashback. That’s all.” Sapphire lied, hoping that Applejack didn’t notice the tears or the slight lie.

“Sapphire, that wasn’t a “just a bad flashback”. What’s wrong really?” The orange mare inquired.

Damnit, better tell the truth. “Remember how I said that Air Combat Maneuvering is one of the most exciting things you can do?” Sapphire said, her expression dropping.

“Yes I do. Why?” Applejack said.

“Well it’s not only exciting, but also incredibly stressful and even sad. Because when your Radar Warning Receiver starts beeping at you. Unless it’s a buddy spike, that beep means one thing and that’s death. Unless you manage to decoy the missile or eject before it hits, that sound before you get blown out of the sky by a missile, along with your racing heartbeat and heavy breathing are usually the last things a fighter pilot hear’s before getting blasted out of the sky. That’s the fate that befell three of my squadron mates, three of my friends. Then there is what happened with Captain Byod, Russian Ka-29s armed with rocket pods, they fired at his fighter, scored direct hits, but he managed to bailout then while awaiting rescue a Ka-29 arrived at where he was and unloaded Russian Ground Troops who killed him. I don’t even know what befell Major Halverson or if she’s still alive for all I know she’s dead too, hell it’s more than likely! Why did five of my best friends die but I survived? Why?” Sapphire said holding back tears as they arrived on the platform which fortunately was rather noisy.

“Oh you poor thing! We had no idea, if you want we can avoid that line of conversation.” Fluttershy said, draping a wing across her back.

Twilight bit her lip, but one thing nagged to her about that. “Sapphire, the way you trailed off. It’s almost as if a memory completely overtook you. What caused it?” She asked as they boarded the Friendship Express after getting their tickets punched and headed to the sleeper car. The train was surprisingly empty, with only two or three other ponies onboard and they weren’t even in the sleeper car.

Sapphire sighed. “Twilight have you heard of the condition known as PTSD?” she asked.

“No I haven’t.” Twilight said and her friends nodded in agreement.

“PTSD stands for Post Traumatic Stress Disorder and I’ve been through some pretty traumatic stress recently, what with losing my squadron mates, watching Igloo Base get flattened, and of course nearly dying. It’s something that’s in my mind, PTSD attacks are triggered by either certain types of conversations or more often just certain kinds of sounds; it’s apart of who I am now, there is medical treatments available but there’s no permanent solution. I just got to adapt to it.” Sapphire said, her expression dropping.

“Hey, don’t get so down! Just because you got this slight mental problem it doesn’t change who you are. You're still the same that you were previously, it doesn’t define you. No matter you can still be the adventurous soul you want to be in this new world!” Pinkie said and Sapphire perked up.

“Yeah, you're mad right Pinkie.” Sapphire said as she hopped onto one of the beds. “I can still be the adventurous soul that I want to be. It’s not a factor of my personality but of humanity as a whole, we all got a sense of adventure and curiosity. Why would I suppress that?” she added.

“I wouldn’t, because then how would you be awesome?” Rainbow asked.

“Exactly, if I suppress that; well it’d be taking apart of who I am away. I wouldn’t be able to discover what I can do, particularly now.” Sapphire said, working the muscles in her back and spreading her wings for emphasis before folding them back in.

The train whistle emitted a sharp piercing blast, the conductor yelled “All aboard! Friendship Express departing Canterlot for Ponyville!” and then the train lurched into motion.

“Don’t worry Sapphire! We’ll be able to find out what your abilities are soon, I can tell.” Rainbow said.

Sapphire nodded in response. “How long’s the train ride going to be?” she asked.

“Roughly three and half to four hours depending.” Applejack said.






A food trolley had come by earlier and Sapphire had gotten herself a bottle of root beer, non-alcoholic but it served it’s purpose.

Sapphire gazed out the window of the sleeper car as the Friendship Express headed toward Ponyville. The sun was currently setting and it looked absolutely amazing. But it also reminded her of those who she’d never see again, her family, her friends, her colleagues, and her squadron mates.

Thus she began to sing softly under her breath as she raised her bottle.


“Here’s a toast to the host


Of those who love the vastness of the sky,


To a friend we send a message of his brother men who fly.”


Sapphire blinked and rubbed her eyes with a foreleg in order to wipe away the tears. When she looked back, she would’ve sworn that she saw five ghostly F-35Bs flying proudly in a Vee formation into the sunset.


“We drink to those who gave their all of old


Then down we roar to score the rainbow’s pot of gold.


A toast to the host of the men we boast, the U.S. Air Force!”


With that she downed the last of her soda and set the bottle down. What good was she? She failed Joker, Chopper, Switchback, Ghost Hawk, and Siren. That wasn’t even the worst of it, she was still alive while her squadron mates were dead and she should’ve joined them over Canada.

“Sapphire? Are you okay?” Fluttershy asked as she joined the dark grey mare. Sapphire glanced around and saw that the others were starting to turn in. She didn’t mind, she could finally tell someone about how she felt in a modicum of privacy.

“No, I am just thinking about why I survived when my squadron mates were killed in action. Hell I don’t even know if Major Halverson was shot down or not, so I don’t know if she’s dead or alive, yet I failed her because I was her wingman and I got myself shot down. But I also failed First Lieutenant Miller, Second Lieutenant Davenport, and Second Lieutenant Ramirez.” Sapphire said, her expression dropping.

“What were your squadron mates like?” Fluttershy asked.

Sapphire looked thoughtful. “James Ramirez was a quiet man, only speaking when the situation called for it or when spoken too although he had a knack for always being their, Alvin Davenport was a motormouth he just loved to talk but in a sense when we were in the air he would become sort of the life of the squadron, Felix Miller was the funny guy whenever we weren’t flying he was always playing harmless pranks or telling jokes and when we were flying he would crack the occasion joke, Jake Boyd was a easy going man except whenever he was around Stephanie Halverson those two were most certainly an item, then there was Stephanie the leader of our little squadron she was almost always serious although she did have a slight playful streak as in she loved to play board games like Monopoly and Life. They were good people, every last one of them and now their gone. Of course that’s not even counting the brave souls who were at Igloo Base.” Sapphire said flicking away a tear with a hoof as she remembered the faces of her fallen comrades and friends.

“I get that you miss them. But do you think they would want you to be like this? If I was in their place I wouldn’t.” Fluttershy said, putting a comforting hoof on Sapphire’s back as they looked out into the setting sun.

“True, but you didn’t know them for almost a decade or in Stephanie’s case since you were a kid, nor did you through SERE training together, nor primary flight training together, etc. They were more than friends they were family. Being in the military does that to you and that’s because if you get a bandit on your back it would be up to your fellow airman or airwoman to get said bandit off your six. Have you ever lost family members?” Sapphire asked still gazing out into the setting sun.

“No, but it must be a horrible experience. Is that why you're acting so down?” Fluttershy asked.

“Yes it is. I lost my squadron, my military family in a matter of hours. Hell, Stephanie after we evaded missiles once actually called me sister. Goes to show how being in the military brings you together.” Sapphire said, raw emotion evident in her voice.

“Is there anything I can do to help?” Fluttershy asked.

“Not really, but thanks for thinking about me.” Sapphire said shaking her head.

“Your welcome. One last thing, what were you saying under your breath earlier?” Fluttershy asked.

“That was the third verse to Off We Go…, the march of the United States Air Force. It’s also known as Here’s a toast and it has a more reverent mood compared to the rest of song as it commemorates those who have fallen in the service of the Air Force and the United States. Which considering what I’ve been through recently and the loss that I’ve gone through, it’s fitting. At least I didn’t hum Taps, that would’ve made me break down completely.” Sapphire said.

“Why would have Taps made you break down completely?” Fluttershy asked.

“Because it’s only twenty-four notes, but each only carries so much goddamned emotion that it can make even grown men err stallions cry.” Sapphire said, choking down a sob.

“Who would come up with such a song?” Fluttershy asked.

“I dunno, I am fighter pilot not a music historian. But it’s only played really at funerals mostly.” Sapphire said. “Beside I got to ask, what’s Ponyville like?” she asked.

Fluttershy looked at the sky which was had now mostly turned purple, while on the opposite horizon the moon was starting to rise. “You could say that at first glance that Ponyville is a typical town in central Equestria. But, it seems that Ponyville is the weirdness magnet for Equestria. You name it we’ve seen it, parasprite infestation, Macro-viruses, and whatever the hay Discord counts as.” Fluttershy.

“Sounds interesting at least my life won’t be boring. That’s good at least.” Sapphire said.

“No problem, but how about the two of us work on a design for your house. Mainly because Rainbow won’t be able to build it unless she’s got a design to work with.” Fluttershy said.

“Yeah, I’ll work on that tomorrow. Right now though I am dead tired.” Sapphire said.

But any thoughts of getting to work on that were put to rest when the whistle began to emit sharp blasts and the train began to slow. Sure enough a train station began to come into view, it had a single platform to provide service.

Twilight groggily stood up. “Oh we’re home.” she said as the train lurched to a stop.

After dismounting from the train with all of their belongings and leaving the station. Sapphire got her first look at Ponyville, the town gave her a distinct medieval feel, with timber-framed houses, overhanging second stories, and thatched roofs, the streets were made out of what appeared to be cobblestone. In a sense it was quaint and quiet unlike her hometown of Manhattan were it seemed like something was always occurring, it was nice actually but it was also unnatural at least to her mainly because it was so quiet.

“It’s so quiet, it’s not natural.” Sapphire said.

“I like the quiet it helps one get their sleep, why isn’t it natural with it being so quiet?” Rarity asked.

“They call New York the ‘City that never sleeps’ and truth be told, it never does sleep. Something is always happening with citizens going about their daily lives, police and fire departments responding to calls, ships in the harbor coming and going, trains in motion near constantly, etc. Thus there is always a noticeable level of noise within the city. Still, if there was one thing that Manhattan lacked it was a small town feel.” Sapphire said.

After that the mane six split up and went home. With Sapphire following Twilight. “Hey Twilight, thanks for offering me a place to stay.” Sapphire said as they headed toward the Golden Oak Library.

“No problem Sapphire, I just hope that Spike doesn’t mind if we have company.” Twilight said.

“Spike?” Sapphire asked.

“He’s a baby dragon, but he’s the closest thing to a little brother that I’ve ever had. He’s also my assistant when it comes to working at the Library as well as maintaining organization.” Twilight said with a smile.

“That’s nice, hell it must be nice just running a library; perfectly safe from anything really dangerous.” Sapphire said solemnly as she looked up at the stars that were twinkling in the skies above. She could only think of one possible place where she had seen so many stars: Igloo Base.

“It is nice. But you wouldn’t believe just how dangerous it can get here in Ponyville at times. Most of the danger that comes with living in Ponyville is because of the Everfree Forest, some of the most dangerous creatures in all of Equestria live there and occasionally they’ll wander out of Everfree and attack Ponyville and it’s usually up to us, the element bearers to drive it off. Of course than there are the rogue storms that occasionally strike Ponyville.” Twilight said.

“Rogue storm? You mean a storm that wasn’t created by pegasi right?” Sapphire asked.

“Yeah, they mostly form in places like Horseshoe Bay, the oceans, and the Frozen North, although they can also form over the Everfree Forest for some reason and no one knows why.” Twilight said.

“There maybe a scientific reason for that. To become a pilot you have to know how to read weather maps otherwise it can get unpleasant of course when your mom is a meteorologist and your dad is a Wall Street business man, you tend to have a higher level of knowledge on weather and banking than normal, you can guess they were surprised when I decided to go into the Air Force. Best reason I can come up with is that you having a flow of cold dry air from a mountain range somewhere, a flow of warm moist air coming from most likely the ocean, and a flow of hot dry air coming from a desert. Combine those three and you got a recipe for some real nasty weather.” Sapphire said.

“How nasty can storms back home get?” Twilight asked.

“What’s the most powerful tornado on record here in Equestria?” Sapphire asked picking a topic for extreme weather.

“Most powerful tornado on record happened during the Reign of Discord over a thousand years ago. Peak winds of I think 130 miles per hour, with gusts of 150 miles per hour as recorded by Ted Foaljita, a unicorn who came up with many of the spells used by unicorns today for measuring the intensity of Rogue Storms.” Twilight said before frowning as Sapphire burst out laughing.

Twilight’s ears dropped. “What’s so funny?” she asked.

“130 mile per hour winds sustained? That’s the most powerful tornado on record in Equestrian history, God that’s a mad riot!” Sapphire said, still laughing.

“You see Twilight, back on Earth we have this thing known as the Enhanced Fujita Scale which is an improved variant of the Fujita Scale, with ratings from EF0 all the way up EF5. With EF0 being the weakest and EF5 being the strongest. A tornado with peak winds of 130 miles per hour makes that thing a high end EF2 although those wind gusts put it squarely within EF3 territory. But EF5 tornados, they are monstrous beasts; I think the highest ever recorded wind speeds in a tornado back home was recorded on via a doppler on wheels and it was 301 miles per hour ± 20 miles per hour momentarily during a tornado that completely tore apart an area of Oklahoma City and they can be over a mile wide.” Sapphire said.

“301 miles per hour!? With that sort of wind speed, that tornado could likely pick up the locomotive for the Friendship Express and throw it a mile.” Twilight said gasping after doing some quick mental calculations.

“I guess you can tell why they call EF5 Tornadoes the “Finger of God”.” Sapphire said.

“No kidding, any building hit by that would just be simply swept away and would simply suck anyone out of a basement. How do ponies survive that?” Twilight asked.

“I don’t know, but they do the vast majority of houses in the midwest have either a purpose built below ground or above ground storm cellar, those above ground storm cellars are designed to take a direct hit from a EF5 Tornado with winds in excess of 250 miles per hour and survive.” Sapphire said and Twilight raised an eyebrow.

“How do they manage that?” Twilight asked.

“No idea, best guess is that they use copious amounts of reinforced concrete and steel in it’s construction and it’s so firmly rooted to the structure’s foundation that not even a bulldozer can push it over. As for how they designed it? Likely large amounts of trial and error. But I digress, it sounds like living in Ponyville is certainly adventurous and surprising.” Sapphire said.

“You have no idea!” Twilight said with a slight smile.

After that however the two walked on in silence until they reached the Library where Twilight worked and lived.

Sapphire’s first opinion about the Golden Oaks Library was that in many ways it looked outlandish and a little strange. A library built inside an Oak Tree, the fact it was still living was incredible in itself, well the fact that the tree was still living was incredible until she remembered the Sequoias could be almost completely hollowed out by fire and the tree would still be standing and alive. So it wasn’t that far of a stretch.

However the inside while it would be a little cramped for a human as it was inside a tree. But for ponies, it wasn’t all that bad. “If you don’t mind, I am going to bed.” Sapphire said.

“There’s a guest room upstairs. Come on, I’ll show you where it is.” Twilight said before surmounting the stairs. Sapphire followed, enjoying the smells from the oak tree.

“Here we are. I am sorry if it’s not the best, I don’t have guests often.” The unicorn said.

The room in question wasn’t that big, but it did appear to at least have what had to be likely a bed-size equal to a full. The bed itself was nestled in the corner of the room, next to it was a small nightstand with a lamp. The floors were carpeted and it was moderately warm as well. She trotted over and climbed up onto the bed to her surprise it wasn’t too firm nor too soft but right in the middle. “It’s not that bad Twilight. Plus the bed is really nice and rather comfortable, much better than your standard military bed. Plus it’s quaint, thanks for everything you’ve done for me today, I don’t know how I can ever repay you or your friends.” Sapphire said.

Twilight blinked. “You can thank us by enjoying life to the fullest.” She said in response.

“Thanks, hey Twilight one last thing. If you ever go on an adventure that takes you out of town is it okay if I tag along?” Sapphire asked.

“Why’s that?” Twilight asked.

“I want to see more of Equestria. Call it curiosity, wanting to explore and broaden horizons, you could say that I am an adventurous sort.” Sapphire said.

“We’ll see about it. Still good night Sapphire.” Twilight said with a yawn.

“Same to you.” Sapphire said before rolling over instinctively onto her back and pulling the sheets up to her chin. Within a minute she was sound asleep.

But her dreams weren’t going to be pleasant, far from it.