Chapter Five
One Small Step...
Failure: a word rarely associated with the F-35E and the pilots that flew them. As soon as Allen pulled the triggers the engine faltered from lack of fuel with the error occurring in the forward lift fan. The result was the nose dipping, making the stream of bullets drop below their intended target. Out of instinct, Allen pulled back on the stick and released the triggers to regain frontal control. He was inching ever closer to the ground, the pegasus closing in nearly fifty feet away. His finger closed on the left trigger, sending a line of tracers toward the ground in front of it in an attempt to scare it away. The bullets struck just in front of the cyan flyer, sending columns of dirt into the air.
Dash weaved around the columns of dirt and debris, forcing her to overshoot her intended target. She pulled up, rocketing into supersonic flight. Allen watched with a sigh of relief as his tormentor finally broke away and headed into the clouds.
Warning. One hundred pounds of fuel remaining. Estimated operational vertical flight time is ten seconds.
A timer manifested on the screen, ticking down from ten... nine... eight...
Allen had already righted the plane and it was now in a nice hover fifty feet above edge of the runway and obstacle course. His rear left tire would plant in the grass, while his front and rear right would be on the tarmac. It'll have to do. He pulled the throttle back, making the timer that had taken most of the screen's space slow in its descent... nine... eight... eight... seven... seven...
Before he knew it, he felt the familiar bump of the tires on solid ground. The dirt was more compact than expected, barely sinking under the immense thirty five thousand pound load. Allen jerked the throttle backward while simultaneously tapping the screen and flipping switches. The engine powered down; the droning of the turbofan deceasing in frequency as it slowed.
Commencing fuel consuming systems shutdown. Extreme fuel shortage. Computer standby mode engaged. When the engine could be heard no more Allen reached for the canopy lever, only to be stopped by a loud clanking sound just to the rear and above him. The unmistakeable feeling of eyes bore into him as he sat there, frozen.
-----
Rainbow Dash had always been one for daring feats. From fifty loops in a row to shattering the fabric of light itself with nothing but her speed. The word 'insanity' to her was like 'ungodly' to her peers. In fact, in Rainbow's book Insanity was the definition of 'fun'. This among other reasons was why she was looked up to by so many thrill seeking fillies and colts of all ages, and even older stallions and mares.
The twin cannons had made a sound so loud that every pony in the Mess had lowered their ears and used their goggles as improvised earmuffs. They were pushing and fighting for the window that, with its heavy tint, could be used to observe outside while remaining hidden.
"Sir, that's Rainbow Dash on that thing!" a younger recruit yelled.
Gasps of shock and panic were heard throughout the Hall as trainee and instructor alike huddled by the window, looking a the scene unfolding outside. Rainbow had landed on all fours on the strange object's back, seemingly frozen with fear.
I can't believe I landed on this thing... Rainbow thought as her eyes squeezed shut and she waited for something horrific to happen. After five seconds of freeze frame, Rainbow couldn't take the suspense anymore and started walking to what she presumed to be the front. The light of Celestia's sun was glinting off of something up there, shining directly into her eyes. She adjusted her head multiple times trying to get a viable viewing angle of what it was reflecting light so well.
Allen was still frozen. Something was walking on top of his helpless aircraft; straight toward the cockpit. He quickly thought of a plan to get a look at what was there. From the sound, it seemed like whatever was there was still toward the rear, and that left the center aligned camera in perfect position to get a shot. He opened the program for optical surveillance and tapped the mini F-35 on the screen on it's back. Another window opened with a short loading screen...
Rainbow never thought her heart could beat as fast as it was now. Each step let out a loud metallic clang, no doubtingly alerting whatever this thing was to her presence. She moved slowly, using her outstretched wings as balance on the narrow hump-like structure. Another thing that bothered her was the heat it gave off; so much she could feel it through her hooves. Suddenly, right in front of her, something opened on the surface. She jumped back with a yelp, ready to buck anything else that moved. Strangely though, nothing else seemed to happen. She regained her composure, slowly moving in to investigate this new tiny appendage.
Confirmed.
Allen now knew Betty was right. As strange as its rainbow colored mane, its cerulean coat, and big bright wine colored eyes were, he knew one fact: pegasi were real. It closed in on the camera, presumably unaware it was being watched.
"Betty, run a biometric scan of the animal on the screen," he whispered.
Scanning.
Light green grid lines formed around segments of the pegasus' visible body, analyzing it from the cellular level. Information began filling the screen and HMD as Betty completed the scan, highlighting important pieces of info in bright green before vocally describing it.
Subject is female, age unknown. Muscular and Skeletal systems seem combined to form a very complex and balanced avian Equus crossbreed. According to human mythology--
"Yea yea I get it. We need to get it off of the hull so I can get out without it knowing."
Roger. Readying defensive countermeasures for effective distraction. Awaiting confirmation to launch.
Allen put two fingers on the screen, expanding them causing the camera to zoom. Outside, Rainbow was mere centimeters from the camera when it suddenly moved forward inside. The movement made Rainbow's head shoot up and her left forehoof slam the camera down as she lightly jumped away. She landed on the thrust nozzle and very edge of the fuselage, breathing like a mad pony.
Shit Allen thought as the screen went to nothing but static. He closed the window, flicking it over to the far right of the screen. He took advantage of the pegasus' distance to begin unstrapping from the ejection seat and getting his gear in order. He reached into the side of his ejection seat and grasped his .45 Taurus ACP, placing it in the holster mounted on his right leg. He flipped a switch allowing the G suit to deflate while simultaneously disconnecting the air hose that supplied it. He unfastened the belts that held his shoulders to the seat, then finally unbuckled the strap that restrained his waist and legs. He removed his helmet and mask, setting it on the control panel.
"Alright Betty," he whispered, removing the magazine of the pistol to confirm it was full, "on my go."
Standing by.
He was tensed for a spring, eying a rather large circular contraption beside the runway. He figured if he could get to that, he could use it for cover. He would then stow away in one of the buildings next to the runway to await further ideas.
"Deploy flares now!"
Rainbow Dash was just beginning to walk forward again as a torrent of loud pops came from underneath her hooves. The sound was accompanied by blinding lights and a screen of smoke. At the same time, she caught a fleeting glimpse of something moving toward the front, apparently opening. Coughing and spitting from the phosphorus fumes, Rainbow shot into the sky once more, this time not intending to find out what was going to happen next.
From the Mess Hall, every pegasus watching shielded their eyes from the intense light while one closed the curtains.
Proximity scan detects contact directly above, ascending rapidly.
"Hah! It worked Betty! Its buggin' out!" Allen yelled over the loud hissing of the flares still burning on the tarmac. "See ya later, sorry about the Valet parking!"
Oh hah, hah.
Allen jumped from the cockpit, landing on the tarmac and rolling as best he could to absorb the lengthy fall. Holding his breath he shot straight toward the machine, the bulky G suit rustling and clanking the whole way. He finally reached his destination, clicking a button on his belt to close the canopy. Facing back to back against the machine, he began stripping from the suit. First, the outer layers including the inflation suit, which was a simple unzip all the way from collarbone to groin. A simpler design than previous models, this G suit was far more streamlined and effective allowing for quick and easy removal and high effectiveness during extreme maneuvers. He unfastened the pistol's holster from his right leg, setting it aside as he removed the flight suit. A black A-shirt, black BDU cargo pants, boots, and his dog tags were the only articles of clothing that remained on his person; along with the gun now strapped firmly to his right thigh.
-----
The lump in Scootaloo's throat felt like she was trying to swallow an apple whole as she tried to think of the words to say. The punishment and possible resentment of her friends was enough to nearly push her mind over the edge. She could feel it; all eyes upon her as she sat there desperately trying to hold back tears.
"I... I don't know..." She stammered, now obvious to everyone there that something was very wrong.
She had to tell them. Her conscious was about to be overwhelmed with guilt and the only to clear it was by telling the truth.
"Rainbow Dash and I were racing--"
"Hold it," Applebloom interrupted, raising a hoof, "you raced Rainbow Dash? You know how competitive she can be!"
Scootaloo cringed at her words, "I know, I know, just hear me out. We were racing because I wanted to show her that her training wasn't for nothing. I thought she doubted me, even though I never showed it."
Sweetie was still eying the devastation while Applebloom just stood there with her expression unchanged.
"If ya know somethin' about what happened to the orchard, spit it out," she said flatly.
Scootaloo made an audible gulp and looked down again. "I did a Sonic Rainboom while in level flight."
She never knew jaws could drop so far.
-----
Rainbow was sitting on a small cloud far above the impending disaster below. She watched, clearly seeing what was taking place. Another creature had climbed from the object, ran across the tarmac and hid behind the Dizzitron. Now she was more confused than frightened.
Something was flying that thing? She barked at the thought.
"Something so small controlling something so big? Yea right," she laughed
Celestia controls the sun right?
She put a hoof to her temple, rubbing in circles. "Shut it."
She hated when her brain was right, but It did have a point. Surely talking to it wouldn't hurt... Right? She lifted off the cloud, the creature still in sight. She gradually sped up angling down, aiming to land on top of the Dizzitron.
Allen heard the beating of wings as he looked up. The pegasus was streaming in, opening its wings wide to slow its descent and landed on top of the machine. Immediately he raised his pistol, clicking the safety to the OFF position. the pegasus landed firmly on the top of the Dizzitron with wings spread wide for balance. It looked down at the strange creature with a mixture of curiosity and anger.
"Alright, start talkin'!" Rainbow commanded.
-----
"You did WHAT now?" Applejack and Applebloom asked in unison.
Scootaloo looked up with tears in her eyes, "I'm so sorry, I didn't know this would happen!"
Both sisters looked at each other, and back to the cowering orange filly.
"C'mon now Sugar cube," Applejack started. "What you did, It... It must've been amazing! I'm actually quite proud of ya."
Scootaloo wiped her eyes with a hoof, "Really? What about the orchard? The clubhouse? The--"
"Aww don't worry, we can have this all fixed up in a week's time," Applebloom chimed. "But I still can't believe you did a Sonic Rainboom! What was it like?"
Scootaloo managed to smile for a fleeting moment before looking up and closing her eyes, "windy."
Applebloom laughed while Sweetie's face went blank. "No kidding," Sweetie said, rubbing her still injured back.
The beating of wings overhead drew all attention upward, where a light blue pegasus was coming in for a landing.
Scootaloo looked down, trying to erase any sign of her earlier crying. "Uh hey, Soarin!" She mused, trying to seem less emotional than she really was at that point.
"Hey Scoots, there's a problem up at the Academy. Rainbow Dash want's you there," He said.
His voice lacked any notion of his usual warmness. Scootaloo nodded and extended her wings, checking them while drying her tears quickly. Soarin looked around while Scootaloo gathered her composure.
"What happened here? Did the Weather Team lose control of another tornado?" Soarin exhaled.
Applebloom stifled a laugh while Applejack simply shook her head and smiled.
"Nope," Big Mac said.
-----
Allen was unsure of what to do. He could pull the trigger and plant a .45 round in this thing's forehead and be done, or just... talk. Again Betty was right. It definitely sounded female even if it had some rasp to it. Another thing that startled him was that she was speaking English.
"What? You thought that little light show would scare me off? Good luck buddy!" Rainbow laughed.
Allen gulped, finger tightening around the sensitive trigger. He aimed for a scare; Just beneath the pegasus' hooves.
"I bet this will!"
He fired, the bullet blowing a hole right next to where Rainbow was perched with a deafening ping!
"Whoa!" She yelled, taking off and hovering.
She looked to the smoldering hole in the Dizzitron's upper frame, then to the creature standing below. She had to admit, if whatever he did that to the Dizzitron had hit her, she would surely have been killed.
"HEY!" She roared. "You want my hoof in your face?!
Allen chuckled at her high-pitched threat, "Unless you want a hole like that in your head I'd suggest you think before you act," he retorted.
In that instant, Allen knew she didn't have the slightest clue as to what a gun was, or what it could do in the hands of a prominent user. The pegasus' face suddenly contorted in pain and sharp gasp could be heard as the animal suddenly fell. Allen positioned his back against the machine, sliding down and sitting in the soft grass. Great, if it didn't want to kill me earlier I'll bet it does now...
The sound of shuffling from the other side gave way to silence as Allen held the gun firmly. He had wasted a precious bullet trying to show off. Great. He weighed the options. He had virtually no fuel, fourteen bullets left and a possible death awaiting.
"So let's talk," Allen said, voice a little shaky.
His response took Rainbow a little by surprise. The creature now wanted to 'talk' after what just happened?
"You first," Rainbow replied.
Her own reply made her blush a little for no apparent reason; probably from embarrassment. She had nothing else to say. She waited, letting her now completely cramped wings fall limp beside her. Each attempt to move them brought a surge of great discomfort followed by a low grunt. It was all she could do to lift them back to their folded positions at her sides.
Allen waited, back firmly against the machine with the pistol gripped in both hands pointing up.
"You got a name?" Allen finally asked, making the pegasus jump a little.
"Rainbow Dash." She replied flatly.
Allen thought for a moment, trying not to laugh. "Seems appropriate, but no really. What's your name?" He scoffed.
A short silence followed by what seemed like an annoyed huff made Allen quake a bit. Don't piss it off dude... He thought to himself.
"Rainbow Dash huh? What happened? Get in a fight with a watercolor set?" Allen asked cheekily.
He was trying to lighten the mood a bit, even though he had no idea who or what he was talking to. All he could do was find a way to keep this thing from attacking. From what he just said, that might be a possibility. He silently cursed himself.
"Whad'ya mean?" Rainbow asked, an offended tone escaping between her words.
Allen opened his mouth to speak before finally thinking on his next words.
"Nothing," he said.
Rainbow shrugged a little before looking to the massive machine parked on the runway. She was in awe as it stood there on three legs, unmoving and quiet. It was sleek, shiny and most of all: downright intimidating. She looked up from the machine to the west, squinting from the setting sun.
"What's taking Soarin and Scoots so long..." She whispered
"You say something?" Allen asked suspiciously. He was on his feet now, looking for a means of escape.
"And if I did?" Rainbow asked, the offensive tone coming back.
Allen said nothing, his mind too preoccupied with sneaking away.
Scootaloo led Soarin in a mad dash toward the Academy. She had only been there once, but her sense of direction had far tuned since then. She weighed the possibilities, shuddering with every one. Could it be King Sombra? Discord becoming evil again? What about those "Diamond Dogs" or whatever Rarity called them...? The list could go on, but why was it when something bad happened Rainbow Dash or her friends was ALWAYS the centerpiece?
Her thoughts gave way to the plateau coming into view as she burst through a cloud bank head first. Uh oh... She could see thick white smoke billowing up from the other side of the tall buildings, and she tripled her speed. A very thin and very visible Mach cone appeared three times then fading before a massive blasting sound.
Allen nearly jumped out of his skin as a massive boom rocked the area. No more than a second later, something landed right in front of him with a loud clop followed by a gust of air that nearly blew him from his feet. He staggered, and in an instant he felt something meet his chest with crushing force. He reeled back, barely holding the pistol by the trigger guard. He used his momentum to spin and counteract the backwards fall. He skillfully flipped the gun, having it land in his hand by the grip with finger on the trigger. Before he could fire however, the thing that had assaulted him was gone. From nowhere, another orange blur made contact, this time with his stomach nearly making him retch. He staggered, falling to his knees and dropping the gun. He held his stomach with one hand while bracing his upper body with his other on the ground. He couldn't look up, as something cracked over the back of his head, making him fall face first to the ground. A noise that could only be described as tinnitus rang in his ears and spots swam in his view as the object that hit him held his head firmly into the grass.
Rainbow Dash was again shocked beyond belief as her student made this creature her plaything. She hadn't noticed Soarin had landed beside her.
"Had enough?" Another feminine voice seethed.
She bent her head down to the immobilized creature beneath her hoof, and blew it's hair from it's face.
"Ever heard of breath mints?" It complained.
Immediately her hoof was thrown off the creature's head and she lost her stance. Allen was up on his feet ignoring the pain from his head and stomach. In a flurry of coordinated motion, he spun on his hands and flung his legs into his attacker's. Time seemed to slow as he let a sly grin spread across his face while watching his foe tumble onto it's side. It hit the ground hard, followed by a loud exhale. He spun to his feet, his back again toward the Dizzitron. It was then he finally got a good glimpse at his attacker. Another pegasus with an orange coat, purple mane and tail.
It, or 'she' rather, regained her composure, using her wing to push from the ground creating a very smooth barrel roll to a standing position. Her her dull violet eyes bored into Allen with the intent of putting him down.
"I'm sick of you evil things constantly terrorizing my friends! I won't let you hurt my sister!"
She charged, covering the ten feet between her and Allen in less than a second. However, Allen had already anticipated this move; nonchalantly stepping aside. Scootaloo didn't have time to think before ramming her forehead into the Dizzitron with an echoing high-pitched ding! The Dizzitron shuddered so hard under the intense impact that bits of dust from the top rained down.
Soarin took a step toward the creature with a scowl as Scootaloo's head simply slid down the metal, leaving a thin trail of blood the entire way down. Rainbow extended her wing with a muffled grunt to stop him.
"I got this, Scoots'll be fine. She's taken worse," she assured him.
Rainbow calmly walked around the Dizzitron, more focused on her student's opponent than Scootaloo herself. The creature turned to face her, small metal plates clinking around it's neck. It raised it's forelegs up, clenching the small appendages into the wide base.
Allen raised his fists, certain of another fight. The wine-colored eyes of the larger pegasus bore into him, almost reading his essence. He stared back with his own eyes wide, desperately thinking of a way out of this. In his line of sight something was flashing in the grass, and his eyes flicked toward it.
"Gotcha," Rainbow whispered as she jumped at her adversary.
Oops, Allen thought as he saw the incoming threat in his peripheral vision. He immediately thought of a plan, letting his legs go limp and falling to his back. The soft grass cushioned his back while he extended a leg straight out. It connected with the pegasus' belly and Allen used her momentum to his advantage, vaulting her head over hooves to her back on the tarmac. She was a little heavier than the orange one but this served in Allen's favor.
Rainbow was again amazed at this bi pedal's maneuverability and strength. She gasped to breathe as the impact forced the air from her lungs in the form of a sharp exhale. Before she could look Allen was again up on his feet; his fighting stance relaxed a bit.
"You done yet?!" He shouted to her.
Rainbow simply blew her mane from her face while looking upside down at him. She tried attempting Scootaloo's maneuver, positioning her left wing for an upward vault. This attempt she immediately regretted, as her wing instantly cramped and she fell back to her side.
"Crap..." She mumbled.
Allen laughed at the pitiful sight, watching as the pegasus finally stumbled to all fours.
"Alright Mr. whatever you are, I'm done playing around. I know what happened to Scoots was her ow--"
"Who?" Allen interrupted.
He suddenly had an epiphany, looking back to the round machine. On the other side, a small groan muffled through the metal.
"Oh..." He chirped.
He turned back around to come face to face with the rainbow-maned pegasus, her large eyes in a very mean looking scowl. He gasped, jumping back.
"I suggest you start explaining before I punch your teeth down your throat."
Trainee and Instructor alike were still huddled by the window, watching as the strange creature held his own against Cloudsdale's greatest flier. Her student had made her acquaintance with the Dizzitron's backside, rendering her unconscious and out of view. No one there knew what actually happened to her.
"Rumble!" An instructor called.
A young grey pegasus wriggled through the mass of trainees to meet the instructor's summons.
"Y-yes sir?" He stammered, raising a foreleg in salute.
"Go out there and back Dash up. Looks like she's trying to get some info from our..." He looked outside again, raising an eyebrow. "Guest."
Rumble bit his tongue not knowing where to start before finally taking off, heading for the door.
Allen's eyes were unlike any Rainbow Dash had ever seen. As she looked, her anger slowly but surely melted away, leaving herself and the creature dumfounded and frozen. Rainbow backed up a bit, still staring into the yellow-green gems before her.
"What?" Rainbow said stupidly
Allen was taken completely aback by the strange question, and simply shrugged. He still knew he needed to escape, and the nearest building was less than twenty yards away. As if on cue, a loud moan echoed through the Dizzitron's metal, and shuffling could be heard as the orange pegasus finally found her way back to reality.
This was Allen's chance to escape. He took off like a bullet, shoving Rainbow aside and running as fast as he could toward the nearest building. He reached the door and not waiting to pause to open it, simply spun and connected his foot to the center. The door let out a shrieking crack as it flew from its hinges. Rumble had no time to think before it crashed into his muzzle sending him back flipping to the instructor's hooves.
Rainbow immediately spun around, running toward the now doorless Mess Hall. The creature's back was to her, and this was the perfect time to end this little "scene". She opened her wings for the last time that day, flapping once, hard and accurate. She was now airborne, extending her hind legs in front of her, acting like a battering ram. Allen's back was the target.
He eyed several other dark figures by the window, "alright! What the HELL is going--" Allen's sentence was cut short as a loud crack filled the room. His eyes glazed, and he fell to the floor, arms above his head.
Rainbow Dash was standing in the doorway, wings limp beside her. Instructors and trainees were gasping and whispering. One even fainted.
"Alright," Rainbow panted, "who's gonna help me move this thing?"