//------------------------------// // Chapter 1: Flying into The Farm // Story: War, Apples, and Love // by Island_Dancer96 //------------------------------// It was a perfect night for flying: clear skies, bright stars, full moon, and a crisp cold wind. Applejack stared down the ground to the apple tree fields, green and well cared for. She breathed in the fresh air and sighed contentedly. The silver and red biplane she was in inched forward on the runway, the cold wind blowing in her face. The field stretched far in every direction only cut by her house and the runway. Her brother, Big Macintosh stayed under a thousand feet, taking in the night sky. The few minutes of flying felt good on her face. Suddenly a blue and silver airplane screamed past them. It's nose was beginning to fall low. Big Mac increased power, and the biplane streaked across the sky, "Nose up, nose up!" He called over to the pilot in the silver plane next to him. The pilot in the plane next to his did so. "Alright, my runway is just that way," he banked to face the strip of asphalt. "Flaps down, ease off the pitch," his counterpart was struggling to keep his plane's wings steady. "Good, landing gear down." The landing gear extended from the bottom of the blue and silver plane. The silver and blue plane's wheels bounced on the runway as its pilot applied his brakes. Soon, Big Mac and Applejack landed their biplane. Applejack hopped out and ran to see the pilot of the blue and silver plane. He was standing next to the plane, panting with heaving breaths, "Thank you." Now that Applejack could see him properly she was surprised to see the pilot of a P-51D Mustang panting on her runway. "I don't know what happened; I don't think I would've made it without you. The names Riley, Riley Samborski." Riley said, shaking Applejack's hand. "I'm Applejack, Applejack Apple" she said, escorting him to her house. "You've gotta rest and I'm sure Big Mac can fix yer plane right up." Riley shook his nose, "No, I have to get to Galveston before ten. I've gotta train for war." "No, your plane can't fly after a fit of engine failure; you'll end up crashing and in the hospital." Applejack replied. She showed him to a barn where a tall boy around the age of 16 was putting together a jigsaw puzzle. Having heard his sister's footsteps, he looked up from his puzzle with a straw of hay in between his teeth. "Who is this guy and what is he doing here?" He asked. "Engine failure," Applejack explained, "He's gotta be up and runnin' again soon or he'll be late for his training." Riley folded one arm in a salute, "That's right. I'm going ta be deployed to the 826th Fighter Group, the Wonderbolts." He said. "Oh really?" Big Mac said crossing his arms, "So you think just because yer goin' to be sent off to war your plane don't need to be fixed. Listen, buddy, yer not goin' anywhere until I look at yer plane's engine." "I told him," Applejack said smugly. Riley gave her a glare. Big Mac went to go grab his tools. But a few minutes after Big Mac started working on his plane, Riley shut his plane's engine cowling on Big Macintosh's wrench. "Be careful! That plane is United States Air Force property! I don't need your help, thank you very much." Riley said. Big Mac took his sisters hat and slapped Riley's wrist with it and it stung. Fierce pain pulsed through it, "Ow! Jeez, what was that for?!" Riley demanded, clutching his wrist. "Yer a stubborn guy aren't ya. Look, I'm not gonna even let you set one foot in that cockpit until that engine gets fixed. I don't care what important business you have to do." Big Mac replied. Riley groaned but this time he let Big Mac look at his wrist. "Isn't my plane's engine more important than my wrist?" Riley asked. "Sure," Big Mac said, "But yer engine will prevent you from flying. You won't be able to fly if yer plane's engine doesn't work." Riley watched as Big Mac worked on the engine, rubbing his wrist at the spot where Big Mac slapped it with his sister's hat. Before he finished, Big Mac looked at him, "I'm not sure why I'm doin' this fer ya when ya don't even want me to. It seems to be a waste of time." He said. Riley smiled weakly and shrugged his shoulders, "You're a mechanic, what am I gonna do?" As Big Mac worked on his plane's engine, Riley began wondering about the blonde girl that had saved him. It seemed so lucky that she had been flying with her brother that night or that his plane's engine gave out when it did. It was as if she was supposed to be here for some reason, but at the same time, Riley wondered who she was and what her name was. As if it was fate that called him here. A few minutes transpired, when Big Mac's voice shattered the silence, and snapped Riley out of his thoughts. "Typical," Big Mac muttered. "What?" Riley asked. "Using too little oil for quite awhile. Maybe these kinds of things wouldn't happen if ya just put in more oil sometimes. It would be good fer the engine." "I'll keep that in mind." Riley said.