//------------------------------//
// Cursed 
// Story: Detour 
// by Jetset0099 
//------------------------------//

       Macintosh pounded the last nail into the base of the barn steeple, finishing the week long project. Ever since the race, Jake had grown quite popular around Ponyville, and even some Canterlot Nobles had invited him to a celebratory dinner. But he respectfully declined due to his priorities being set on paying off his debt to the Apples. 
"There we are Jake. It's all finished. The only thing ah need ta get now is a new weather vein."
The pilot looked at their creation. It looked exactly like it did before with the red base and white roof, except they had inscribed the outline of an apple on all four sides of it. 
"Yeah, I think we really came through on this one."
They both packed up their tools and set them in the barn. All of the ammunition crates had been cleaned up and stacked in the back right corner of it. He also managed to haul the rest that were in the C-130 over to the farm and store them there as well. Jake had had Twilight put the same fuel spell on the Dodge and Ferrari, and wouldn't have to worry about it for a good eight months. 
Dinner was already on the table when the two stepped into the kitchen. Granny Smith was gone visiting her sister Aunt Applesauce for the week, and Applebloom was having a sleepover with her friends at Rarity's. So it was only the two older siblings and Jake that night. 
They sat down and served the vegetable lasagne, to which Jake immediately lit up at it's taste. 
"Love at first bite. You really outdid yourself Applejack."
She waved a hoof in the air. 
"Nah, it's nothin'. Jes an' old family recipe."
He took another oversized bite. 
"Well it's a good one none the less."
After dinner, the three decided to play cards in the back den. They were seated around a folding table playing Five Card Draw, and Mac was winning. After a couple seconds of silence and concentration, Jake threw his hand down in annoyment. 
"Damnit! That's the fifth time in a row you've won Mac. What fuckery is this?!"
The workhorse let out a deep laugh. 
"Now where'd y'all hear a word like that?"
The captain shrugged.
"I heard it once way back and thought it was a good one."
Applejack smiled and sat down her cards. 
"Ah normally don't curse. Ah use substitutes like horseapples an' consarnit."
Jake held a hoof to his mouth and made a farting noise through it. 
"Laaaame. You mean to tell me you've never cursed?"

"Well ah have a couple times. But ah don't feel good 'bout doin' it."

"...Well you gotta fucking get the fuck over those gay ass feelings. Cursing is assloads of fun when used in the right context."
The farm mare was taken aback by his choice of words, while her brother was in tears across the table. She decided to join in on the fun. 
"Ah don't...fucking get you Jake."
He raised his hooves up in the air. 
"Hu-fucking-zzah! You did it!"
She laughed and tried again. 
"Yer damn fuckin' right ah did it! Hey, this IS kinda fun."
He held up a hoof in a correcting manner. 
"ASSLOADS of fun my dear Applejack."
Mac got over his laughing fit and joined the cursing war. 
"Y'all need ta shut yer damn mouths! Yer makin' me laugh to hard!"
The three went on like this for another ten minutes before they were interrupted by a knock at the door. Mac stood up to go and answer it. Applejack calmed down from her fits of laughter and sighed. 
"That was fun. Got a lot of stress out o' me in the process as well. But don't be using that kind of language 'round Applebloom ya hear?"
He saluted. 
"Loud and clear ma'am."
After a minute, Mac walked back into the room, behind him were two guests. The first one was none other than Soarin, and the other was still unidentified to Jake. 
He was a black pegasus just a little shorter than Macintosh with a mane and tail that were black as well, except there was a dark red streak down the middle of each one. He had purple eyes, and the leading edge of his wings were covered with red steel plating that matched the color of his mane and tail streaks. Jake assumed they were used as a weapon of some sort. The mystery stallion reached out to him for a hoofshake. 
"Hello Jake, my name is Starfyre. I work for the Royal Guard building and testing new cannons and other defense mechanisms. I also do a little bit of guard work for Princess Luna whenever she goes on long distance trips."
Starfyre turned to Applejack. 
"Excuse me, where are my manners. Who might you be?"

"Mah name is Applejack. Ahm Macintosh's sister."
They shook hooves too. 
"A pleasure to meet you Applejack. May we sit down?"
She gestured them over to the couch. 
"By all means. Make yerself at home. Would y'all like anythin' ta drink?"
Soarin spoke up.
"Nah were fine. We just came from dinner thirty minutes ago."
The two sat down, and Jake turned his chair around to face them. 
"So what brings you two here?"
Starfyre smiled.
"Well Jake I think your going to like it. Soarin and I were talking a couple days ago about you in the Wonderbolts show next month, and it gave me a good idea. You see, I was at your race last week, great job by the way."

"Thanks."

"Yes well, I got a good look at your aircraft, and I think this will work."
He reached into a saddlebag that Soarin had set down and pulled out a picture. On it was a white, slender rocket sitting horizontally on a stand. It was about ten feet long and a foot wide. Jake looked at it with confusion. 
"Uh, what can I do with this?"
Soarin took the picture back.
"You can fly faster and be twice as entertaining to the crowd. Let Starfyre explain."

"Anyways, this rocket is called the Sabre Mach I. We were originally testing it for long distance defense protocol because It's capable of breaking the sound barrier. It has immense power."
He smirked. 
"Of course, it won't be going that fast while two of them are strapped to the sides of your airplane."
The pilots eyes widened and he held up his hooves. 
"Woooah there. What do you mean?"
Soarin explained the stunt to him, and at the end, Jakes skepticism turned into ecstasy. 
"Are you serious?!"
The Wonderbolt nodded. Mac chuckled and shook his head. 
"That's the damnest thing ah ever heard."
Starfyre looked back to Jake. 
"So I take it you're in?"

"Hell yeah I'm in! This will be the best thing I've ever done in an airplane in all my life! When can we start practice?"
Soarin handed him a piece of paper. 
"Here's a schedule of the practice times. The first one is tomorrow evening, but we'll be coming here so you can explain to us in greater detail the inner workings of the plane. If we're going to be flying with it, we need to know what we're dealing with. Anything after that will be at the Wonderbolts practice field which is a restricted airspace just north of our base. Part of the weather team and a couple unicorns with pegasi assistance are assembling a long cloud with a runway on it so you can land the plane. Don't worry, it's safe. Just stay on the concrete and you won't fall through."

"Right, because I'm not a pegasus and I'll die. Got it."
He chuckled to himself at the though of him falling through a cloud to his demise. 
"Well that pretty much covers everything Jake. I can't wait for the show."

"Yeah it should be fun."
Starfyre rose from the couch. 
"Assloads of fun."
He and Jake shared a laugh and shook hooves once more. 
"I'll see you at the first practice at the Headquarters on Friday to show you the Sabre. Have a good night."
They all said their goodbyes, and Starfyre and Soarin left Sweet Apple Acres.
That night, Jake was laying in his bed not getting any sleep due to thinking about how amazing of a stunt he was going to try to pull off. If it worked, it would surely be the best thing that anyone has laid their eyes on in a long time.