“It’s a hard day, right Flash?” asked Yolinda as she knitting along with the group on a beach. They sometimes asked Flash to dream of an activity or a scenery to change the boredom of the “Sunset Realm”, the place where Flash and the group usually meeting. They always fascinated of how his brain can help “creating” magic in the hard time.
“You guys know that Black Wine has declares war on the Alliance, right?” Flash asked.
“Huuhh…” Flash sighed “…war have officially started… It was tragic moment for all of Equus, Flash. Deep inside our heart, we always wish for peace, but…” the light cerise unicorn bite her lips and clicked “You know what, when we met each other at Antarctica, I think if we can form a relationship, our friendship can save Equestria from war…”
“And how was the fight, Flash?” asked Grisela. Flash have specifically noticed her passion for those giant humanoid machine he called “the largest catalyst” of the war. Little did he know that Grisela is a huge engineering nerd. She and Luster have done so much scientific project that involve machine together.
“What do you mean, Grizzy?” Flash called her with her nickname “Do you want to know more about piloting, engineering, or…”
“Yeah! Piloting! That’s one of the most important thing to know how a… an MS work, right?”
“Sure is! I have to responsible to overlook mantainance of those things so I must know a thing or two about it? Let me remember…”
Then, he listed the ways and steps to pilot an MS: the starting procedure, the on/off button, the control stick, weapon’s triggers, etc. It was a rare occasion for him to talk so enthusiastically, and the creatures stop their knitting activity to listen to him with the same manner. “Group meeting”, the name Luster came up for the talks, is the reason why the whole group can maintain their sanity. Being with them almost every night make Flash feel like he has a part of the team. It make him feels relaxing or even sometimes, feel at home. He usually forget that he was under a curse that was setting up by Luster Dawn and her friends. But can it called a “curse” if he don’t get any harm from it?
“…so that’s how it was powered? Like… what it is called?” Luster asked.
“The Minovsky Ultra Compact Fusion Reactor, or MUCFR for short.”
“Okay… so basically that thing can even generates some sort of force to blinds other’s radar? That was… awesome!” exclaimed Grisela.
“Yeah… that’s why in the Earthsphere, they usually close fighting. Basically pilots can use any kind of weapons: beam sabers, rifle, rockets,… as long as they can see eachother. Like how me and that Zeta Plus A1 fighting today. We mostly played cat and mouse on the sky, though…”
Butter Burger then raised his hooves. He asked enthusiastically “Like chasing each other? What do you guys do? Like setting traps, biting?”
“Hold on, hold on, BB! You mistake it with ACTUAL cat and mouse chase!” Flash replied with his fronts hooves doing pushes against him. “That’s not how dog fight work… ehem… so basically we chase each other on the sky to try taken down one another. The winner could be the one who lasted or not getting any shot. The loser are the one who get damaged by the enemy or completely being shot down, depends on the spot that was hits. Sadly… the other pilot usually didn’t make it if they was blew up!”
The group gasped with the statement. Yolinda then continue “So… can any pilot survive if they got shot?”
“Most of the time, since being blew up right at the spot is pretty rare. Usually they got damaged that they have to crash landing or unable to fight back.”
“I see…” the brown yak make a “I understand it” expression.
The group stay silence for a while and thinking. Then, Grisela broke it by asked Flash when can he come to the Cloudsdale.
“I don’t know, but we certainly on the way to you guys?” the yellow coat pegasus said “They will deploy you somewhere in the Alliance’s territory soon, so me and my friends on the Canterlot can come to you and bring you out… May be I’ll get better detail tomorrow.”
…
The war have dramatically change her morning routine.
Rainbow Dash have to wake up 2 hours earlier than during peace time, either for meetings or paper works. Right the day before she travelled to Kirin’s Groove to save Haystack’s squad, she have to addressed a statement before the Harmony Alliance’s security council to call for collective defense.
“We must help protect our friends and harmony, for the shakes of our own citizen’s safety!” she said on the podium “Black Wine will not stop at Everfree and Blue Rock Mine! He will continue to steal the oil rigs in Zebrat, the titanium mines in Griffonstone, and the gold mines in Parrot Peaks. We must not let him do whatever he wanted and get away without consequences! We must act!”
The ship is travelling at a steady pace at that moment with only one target in mind: the Clop class cruiser Cloudsdale and it’s precious Alicorn Gundam. She will come to the mission room to motivate the troops for the upcoming hunt, before letting Lyra and Bonbon discussing the full plan to the crew. But before that, she have to get a personal meeting with her top pilot, Brandon Cultrich and Lieutenant Haystack, his commander, right in her cabin. The rainbow mane pegasi took a sip of coffee as she casually read the morning news on her comfortable chair, in her own dark blue bathrobe.
It doesn’t take long for her to wait after finishing reading news about the stock market before hearing the knocking on the door. “Please come!” she said, as she rapidly take out the bathrobe and wearing her usual black training uniform that was only for the Wonderbolt’s Captain.
Opened the door is Haystack himself and the blue haired pilot, Ensign Brad. The duo kindly bowed at her to show respect, but the blue mare waved her hooves to say “No need for bowing!”. She pointed to the bed and asked them to sit on it.
“Uh… Thank you, Rainbow… Dash for lending sometimes to us…” Haystack said carefully “Me and Brad have came to Kirin’s Groove, as you have known. Yesterday, me and Brad have came to meet the queen. This is the first time we have ever known that he was under a curse that called “The Haunting Curse”!”
“What is “The Haunting Curse”?”
“Basically an entity will haunt the victim’s dream to force them to do whatever they wanted, Miss Rainbow Dash!” answered Flash “They frequently come to just have some… talks, after me and them have understand each other well! They are pretty good friends to me, too!” Flash answered without stuttering, but with a somewhat careful manner. His back are not straight at that moment.
“No need to be careful before me, Brad. We’re friends now!” Rainbow Dash’s words give the blue haired pilot some confident and he sitting straight again.
“So, can you tell me who exactly are “they”?”
Haystack and Flash looked at each other nervously. The gray stallion even have a gulp in fear that “What if she don’t believe?”
“Sorry, Rainbow Dash… but do you really trust me?” asked Flash.
“Seems like you two know each other well. If Haystack can believe it, then why shouldn’t I?” the blue pegasi speak in a friendly manner.
“So… they are Princess… Twilight’s student and her friends…”
“What? Can you say louder?”
“They are Luster Dawn, Spring Garden, Grisela, Yolinda, and Butter Burger!” Flash spitted out all five names in a row. He have to concentrate all of his morning energy to gather the courage to said out loud with his eyes closed.
The room then stay silence for a while, with only the blowing sound of the air conditioner above them blowing some fresh cool air to them. But still, it can’t stop Flash from sweating due to the tension. Rainbow Dash looked down the floor, thinking about what she just heard.
“I knew it!” her voice screamed in her head with frustration. Rainbow Dash have long been struggle to suppress the weird feeling that S.M.I.L.E’s top MS pilot is the infamous banished criminal. And that pilot, Flash Sentry, is the one who is holding the key to rescue Twilight’s best student. She even come up with the idea that if he can somehow bring them out, he can unleashed the Magic of Friendship, the most powerful magic ever, and beaten Black Wine. Her suspicious have been confirmed in a way that was hard to swallow for her.
“Hey…” Rainbow Dash slowly said “…you really know who am I, right?”
“Yes! You are Lady Rainbow Dash. Captain of the Wonderbolts, one of the main lobbyist for the Harmony Alliance!”
“Yep! And you...” she looked straight into his eyes “…you are Flash Sentry, the filthy thieve who stole Princess Twilight Sparkle’s heart AND her crown for your own benefit! You got her crying for days, thieves!”
At the time of the military tribunal of Flash Sentry’s case, ponies were shocked to learn that the Princess of Friendship herself indeed have crush on Flash. But her heart was shattered when she find out the stallion she liked the most have stolen her crown. Little did she known, Flash only do it due to the desperation to save his mother, who has passed away not long before Flash came back to Equus.
“She… my mom… has gone?” Flash stuttering. His tears running down the cheeks and his teeths grinding in utter regret.
“Yep, she has. It’s a shame, a real shame, to witness her death. She has to go down the earth with the shame from her son!” Rainbow Dash raised her voice. She stood up and looked down upon the blue haired pilot, staring right into his eyes.
“Listen, bastard. Creatures have long been know that you are Equestria most noctorious gold digger. You have been wrong when the Princess’s reputation can help you, dude. Listen, creature will think the same after you save them out, saying you only accept to free Luster and her friends, enjoying the “curse” when you know who they are. I want you to stay away from them after all of this had ended. This is for your own safety. If the Royal Guard find you out, you might not as lucky like the last time, got it?”
“What… what do you mean “not lucky”?” asked Flash.
“To Tartarus, or straight up death penalty, kid! This is the military, not the School of Friendship. I hope you understand that well!”
…
Sitting in the corner of the mission room, the words from Rainbow Dash still haunted his mind. He would love to be with them after the war ended, but then…
“I could be charged of being a criminal… again and get kicked out of this world for good. I could ended up with a shot in the head if just keep sticking with them…” he mumbled.
“Flash… Flash!” mumbled Haystack “What’s wrong buddy?”
“Uh… uh… nothing, Sir!”
“Bro, have you stay up late last night again?” asked Blue Thunder “Do you have a girlfriend back in the Earthsphere?”
“Uh… I’m still single, BT!”
“Hey soldier, there they come!” said Haystack with a kick into Flash’s leg.
At usual, the whole room stood up when Lyra, Bonbon and Rainbow Dash came into the mission room. And also as usual, the paper work that contain important information and their stone cold face was carry into the room. Lyra ordered the room to sit down and listen after the salute was over.
“To start this talk first, I have some important information…” said Rainbow Dash “…the Alicorn Gundam is currently being occupied by… ghost! That’s why you can see it travel with such speed and agility…”
“What the… really?” the whole whispered.
“It is not occupied by not one, but 5 ghosts. You have heard them before: Luster Dawn, Spring Garden, Grisela, Yolinda, and Butter Burger. This ship is also having a key to communicate to them: he is Brandon Cultrich, that pilot over there!” she pointed right to Flash.
It was a somewhat embarrassed moment for him, like a child that being exposed of eating too much candy by his parents. Almost the whole room turned their head to look at Flash, staring into his eyes like they are trying to look inside his soul, finding what could make him “communicate” to those so called “ghost”. One minotaur asked her in disbelief.
“Pardon me, madam. But are you sure this is the truth. To what I remember, ghost can’t exist!”
“Not this time, my friend. Now, let me summarized this for you. He is under a curse, actually. It was called the “Haunting Curse”…”
And Rainbow Dash go on to tell them the very same thing that Flash himself have told the kirin queen (which, of course, minus the fact that he is Flash Sentry). The whole room was stunted to hear what Rainbow Dash was told them. Even Lyra and Bonbon are looking at her and Flash with their eyes wide open. They knew Brandon Cultrich is just the name Flash and Haystack make up to hide him, but what Rainbow Dash revealed is the first time they ever knew that. Blue Thunder and Water Vapor make an expression that Flash guess as “Darn it, I always know that douchebag always have something with that MS!”
After finished her explanation, Rainbow Dash turned to the crowd and speak out her own plan.
“Our ship initial target is to not liberate any kingdom right now. We just receive a special permission to continue to hunt down that Cloudsdale and, or the Alicorn Gundam until we got that MS in our control again. It could be the weapon that can turn the tide of the war. Now I know you reindeer are not comfortable with this decision…” she looked towards some reindeer, whose house is in Everfree forest, grinding their teeth, holding the urge to directly liberate their kingdom. After the declaration of war by Black Wine, almost every creature want the ship to stop the hunting mission and just focusing on fighting Black Wine’s Army “…but you can wait: our force is shifting their priority to your kingdom, so don’t worry. But you guys have to be extra careful to Brandon: we need to keep him alive so he could help us freed the Alicorn…”
“But what if he was killed?” a kirin asked “Is that mean we will lost all hope?”
“We can only know until then, but I won’t let that happen. All of our pilots are extremely skillful, they won’t let themselves killed easily. What I wanted to say is that we must be extra careful when travelling across the battlefield, because the enemy have might have known that Brandon is the key to recapture the Alicorn Gundam. Okay, I think you got what I’ve say. Good luck to your struggle for freedom and may the Magic of Friendship be with you!”
After that, Lyra and Bonbon addressed their plan to the whole crew.
“The Cloudsdale is being repaired at Kludgetown, right now! Our mission might just need to sneak into their place and find the Alicorn Gundam. Directly responsible for taken the Alicorn Gundam will be the special infantry squad, led by Lieutenant Gemina. Brad, you will join her team and try to access the Alicorn Gundam…”
“But… how could you know that Brad can easily access to the Alicorn?” asked Blue Thunder in disbelief “I know he had a connection to the Alicorn, but…”
“You mean our enemy still can’t open it’s cockpit?”
Before that, there are several internal allegation that S.M.I.L.E have receive is that AE’s mechanic can’t open the cockpit hatch due to some unknown issue. To them, it was not yet confirmed due to the secrecy of the Black Wine Army, but they do have some evidence to that since they have reports saying it was usually deployed with wires on it’s back. They even saw it moving with unpredictable courses, hinting there’s no one inside the cockpit.
“I know that concern. But sadly… we can only know when we get there! Or Brad… it is true?”
Lyra turned to Flash and questioned. The whole room also do the same with there eyes looking at him with suspicion.
“I still can’t confirm, Miss… I’m sorry…” answered Flash. He started to scold himself for being dumb, asking why he haven’t consider this possibility. He could be seen looked down the floor in guilt of risking his comrades life over something that don’t know. However, Lyra decided to shove his guilt off:
“It’s okay. Being a military commander is a gambling anyway. Sometimes you have to risk to achieve greatness. With that, I will further explained the detail…”
Bonbon continued the speech. The crew could saw her left out a heavy sighed before saying, indicate that she have though enough about her decision. The yellow mare then opens up the map on the main monitor and start to point out the positions.
“My take is that we will entered the ship’s with parachute, landed somewhere near it’s entering door on the starboard side. But before that, the MS squad, lead by Lt Haystack as usual, will open distraction attack on the mobile suit. I could assure you they will gone chaos when that hit…” she said with a smug on her face.
The pier that the Cloudsdale was predicted to dock for it repairing located just outside of the town itself. A pony that used to be a merchant on the sea could tell it was more like a dry dock in the middle of a dessert, which means there is no gate to let the water in. Along with it are some other “piers” for the airships and larger EEU’s warships. Flash knew that they are just special piers for special duty airships or when one of them need special renovation, because there are also piers that is not connect to the ground at all. Some of S.M.I.L.E’s and Alliance’s camouflage warships was docked there, so S.M.I.L.E’s could tell them to stay for the mission.
“By the way, I wanted to say that we have another pilot that will join us in this operation this time. She is Ensign Era Himalaya, ex-Federation pilot that we used to treat her as a POW…”
The room started whispering yet again. Little did the crew know is that she have never join any war crimes committed by Black Wine’s Army. She didn’t even know about it. Bonbon and Lyra have carry their own investigation to find out that fact. Lyra and Bonbon also learned she was one of Flash’s best friend when they are still at Antarctica together.
She have agreed to join S.M.I.L.E’s MS team after the horror she have witnessed at Kirin’s Groove. “I… I just want all of these pointless wars to end…” she said to the duo “…perhaps preserving the beauty of this world when peace eventually came…”
Flash don’t need to turned his head for long before his red head friend winked at him.
“She will be the pilot of the Strike Zeta, to replace Brandon when he will be at Gemina’s squad. Any question?”
“No… madams!” the room said in unison.
“Good… you are dismissed!”
…
“What the… I thought you can brought that white Zeta and it’s friend with ease?” asked Black Wine in frustration.
“Yes… but…” stuttered Font Spaak, EEU’s commander “But her squad have destroy the Kirin’s Groove Port and sunk one of the their ship, right?”
“For what? For a big reinforcement fleet to come and blocked us from taken over that port and establish our military base there? Dude, do you have any idea how much strategic value that port have?”
Kirin’s Groove, just like the Everfree kingdom, is another nation that bordered Equestria. It’s heart land is not so far from the sea, despite being surrounded with rainforest. The port’s location has become a perfect place if a force wanted to assert military dominance in the south east region of the Equestrian continent. This is especially true when Black Wine is carrying out his war with the Alliance with his first target being the Everfree Forest.
“Font, I know you have your own concern and you are also trying to fix some of our ‘short comings’ that plague our forces. But you should put aside those concerns and focus on this campaign right now! I want you to send another ship from the Earthsphere and take care of that fleet, for now! Also, ready my MkII Gundam for me! I’ll go back to the battlefield!”
“Yes, Chancellor! But the Cloudsdale can just be available in Canterlot for about 2 or 3 weeks. The ship is currently try to hunt down the Canterlot too, Sir!”
“What do you mean?”
“I have order them to go to the Southern Region of our Kingdom, Sir. That’s where we are gonna begin our hunting mission. My speculation is that they wanted to take the Everfree Forest before go on and continue the war. If you are a military strategist, it both make sense and not make sense. First, that’s the first target of our war. Kicking us out means the war will ended sooner. We need that kingdom to help us move on to the final target: bring the whole Equestrian continent under our control. The Alliance will keep us at bay easier when we are being entirely locked in this continent. However, what make this decision a dumb one is because basically half of our assault force are concentrate there, so it will risk them a large chunk of their fleet to challenge us at the Everfree Forest. By the way, our kingdom have carry out some assault mission to take control of military bases across Southern Region Kingdoms. It included the Kirin’s Groove and Everfree. Forcing themselves through their enemy line to reach for Everfree will be a bloody path for them, I could assure you…”
“And how about Yakyakistan?”
“Missiles and some of your specially trained pony is enough to take over their kingdom in 2 months max. I know your army is way more superior than them…”
“Yep, the faster the invasion end, the less likely those filthy creature can establish bases and threaten our kingdom from the north!”
“Exactly, however, our tracking system have shown that they are moving towards Kludgetown, the place that we used to fight with them before. Now I don’t know why they are there, but the fact that the Cloudsdale is being repairing at the town’s shipyard definitely connected. What I want is ordered the ship to stay there until the Canterlot arrived. After that, we can call the New Hampshire, which is a Minovsky craft system equipped Salamis class to finish them off.”
“Wait… what is the “Minovsky craft system” thing you just mentioned?” asked Chancellor with his head slightly titled. This make Font have to hold his chuckle until the Chancellor can bring back his normal posture.
“Well… basically it was a system that use the dispersal of a kind charged particles, called the I-field, to generate lift. This allowed ships such as the New Hampshire, Canterlot and the Cloudsdale can easily hovering and moving on environment with gravity without the uses of wings or even… magic. However, it can only be used in low altitude, which is why you will most likely see it flying above your head with their outer detail can be seen with bare eyes. However, ships such as the New Hampshire is impossible to operate here in Equus without that system previously: it was installed on to its hull just for you!”
“Glad to hear such dedication from you, humans! So when can I get to fight those filthy creatures? Did I have to wait for the ship to come back, or…”
“I can ordered my subordinate to carry you right to the frontline if you want! We have something that called the Base Jabber commander. Safe, secure but still have enough room for you and for your Gundam!”
“Great! Prepare all of them for me! I’ll challenged that White Zeta myself!” said Black Wine’s confidently.
“Yes, Chancellor. You will carried along with the New Hampshire.