//------------------------------//
// Flight 45 
// Story: Flight 45 
// by jon_h201 
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It was a long day for Cygnus. He just finished a long presentation at the Equestrian Space Agency center in Hoofston and toured around. He had a blast after meeting three astronauts and touring the facility with his friends, who helped him present on a project that helped him on the project . The day ended with a bittersweet moment. While he enjoyed the time he spent bonding with friends he met online, he would never see them for a long time in real life. With a long drive on the way to the airport, Cygnus stayed quiet worrying about whether or not he could make it through security.

*Ring! Ring!*

"Hello?" Cygnus asked.

"Hey there hon! How are you?" his mom replied.

"Oh mom, its great. I hope I get home though. You know, with what happened."

"So how did it go?"

"It was awesome! I can't believe I got to spend the day with astronauts and got to see where they train! It was super awesome and I simply couldn't get enough of it. I think that I'd love to work here!"

"Well, I'm sure you will get to do that someday! Are you on your way to the airport?"

"Yeah... We are on our way. I'll call you when I am on the plane. OK?"

"OK hon. See you tonight!"

"See you tonight, ma."

An hour later, Cygnus and a friend who he presented with arrived at the airport. He stepped out and went inside, feeling the hot, humid air. As he got inside the terminal, he saw the departure board.

Oh look. Southwest flight 45 to Manehatten. That's my flight.... And it's delayed. Maybe I should get a chicken burger. I feel hungry for one.

As he went through security, he and one of his friends who were at ESA got some chicken burgers, chatted about school and discussed about their lives. They had a great time, since it had been 2 years since they met in another ESA center. They talked about finding love, making great friends, and their experiences in life. Both of them hard to part ways with their other team mates, but now, they both had to part ways and did so when Cygnus' flight was departing soon. 

"Attention, Southwest Airlines flight 45 with service to Manehattan will now be departing from Gate 25. We are sorry for the inconvenience."

Cygnus didn't want to be late to his flight. He rushed as fast as he could after he gave his friend a brohoof and hugged him. He knew that he wanted to get on the plane and get home, so he could finish his studies. It was important that he didn't miss anything. Thankfully, he had just enough time to catch up to his gate. It would be the last time he saw his friend until they would meet up again on another day.

"Mares and Gentlecolts, Southwest Airlines is pleased to announce that we will commence boarding flight 45 continuing service onto Manehattan."

Cygnus got his headphones on as he waited for his time to get on board the small jet. It was the second time he flew alone on a plane alone and felt excited, but wasn't sure how to contain his excitement. He played some music and got his phone out to board the plane. His dilated eyes were ready to see the world at night.

"Welcome aboard Southwest Airlines flight 45 continuing service onto Manehattan. Our flight will be 4 hours long and we will be at a cruising altitude of 41,000 hooves. We apologize for the small delay, but we hope we can use another route to get us to Manehattan faster than usual."

Southwest was a bit chaotic. The sooner one checked in, the sooner they could board the plane. Cygnus was one of the first 60 to board the plane, and managed to get a good seat in the front: 3A, a window seat. He fitted his seat belt and settled down for the long flight.

"Hey ma, it's Cyg. I'm on the plane and I am heading home. Remember to pick me up at Midnight. I'll call you once I land in Manehattan. Love ya."

After the usual safety briefing, the plane quickly got onto the runway and suddenly gained speed. Cygnus was pressed onto his seat has the plane quickly rose, racing down the runway. Right after, the aircraft made a sharp left turn, flying above the airport. The loud engines continued to push the metal body above the Hoofston skyline and above the haze. He could finally see the sun set and the Equestrian Space Agency from the distance.

Slowly, but steady, the plane rose to cruising altitude. The sun was slowly fading as the sky darkened, giving way to a beautiful sunset and view of the horizon. Cygnus decided to take some photos of the sunset and work on some homework on his computer. Although he missed a day of high school, he seriously needed to catch up on late assignments. Finals were coming up, so he also tried his best to study and prepare to do well.

An hour later, He noticed it was dark and wanted to take another peak outside. It was hard to tell what was going on, but he took a look and saw the stars. It was hard for him to see them, but somehow, they were there, shining as brightly as possible. Oddly enough, he just stared at the window and didn't stop. His favorite song was playing by Coltplay, "A Sky Full Of Stars" which came out a few weeks ago. 

"'Cause in a sky, 'cause in a sky full of stars, I think I saw you..."

As he heard the lead singer's voice play through his headphones and the beautiful instrumental part, the plane banked towards the right, heading east. Cygnus' eyes started to water and dilate. Today, it somehow felt like the sky has some sort of meaning that he couldn't figure out. He dropped everything that he was doing and turned off his computer as he continued to stare through the window. 

Little did he know that his blank flank started to become blank no more...