//------------------------------// // Chapter 6: Air battle // Story: War, Apples, and Love // by Island_Dancer96 //------------------------------// At the apple orchard, Applejack was in her room, fanning herself with her Stetson hat when her brother walked in. "Letter for you, AJ." He said. "Thanks Big Mac." Applejack chirped. He walked out of the room. Applejack used her finger to open the letter, all the while being careful not to get a papercut November 13, 1943 To: Applejack Apple, Sweet Apple Acres, Ponyville, Texas From: Commander Riley Samborski, Canterlot Airfield, England My dear Applejack, I wish that I was back in Texas with you, I miss you terribly. Oddly, I haven't been on any patrols since October 25. The only flying I've done was not professional. Part of the problem is the weather, as you've asked about. The storms here are wild, nothing like the storms in Texas. They seem to have no limit to how long, or how strong they are. The wind's been keeping everyone on their feet, as some of the worst winds are trying to rip our planes' wings off. There are barely enough patrols and no time to fly for fun. The only reason I've done any flying was for weather observation, photo reconnaissance, and show of force patrols. Let me tell you, AJ, the pilots in the Wonderbolts, the pilots that Spitfire and I are honored to lead, are going to become fast friends. If there were pilots so loyal, I haven't met them. There are seven pilots that Spitfire and I are to lead: their names are Misty, Fire Streak, Fleetfoot, Lightning Dust, Soarin', Wave Chill, and Rainbow Dash, who's from Cloudsdale, it's a small suburb a few miles from Houston. Some of them go by their planes' numbers. As you saw on your orchard, my plane's number is 63, Spitfire is number 8, Misty is number 32, Fire Streak is number 24, Fleetfoot is number 44, Lightning Dust is number 3, Soarin' is number 12, Wave Chill is number 22, and Rainbow Dash is number 11 It will take some getting used to being saluted every time you speak, but I'll manage. There isn't much else to report, other than that I feel like we'll never see each other again. I only long to be back in Texas with you, Big Mac and with Applebloom. I miss you, so much.. Riley Reading that letter made Applejack's heart beat a mile a minute. "Aw, I miss you too, Riley. And Applebloom misses you too." She said to herself, still holding the letter in her hand, and seeing her little sister playing in the garden to the right of the front porch. "I wonder how Riley's doing, fighting for us. What I wouldn't give to be there with him.." She sighed, looking out her bedroom window, her elbows on her windowsill. The day started off perfectly normally for the pilots of the Wonderbolts. Riley Samborski, the squadron's appointed Commander, second in command of the Captain of the squadron, Spitfire, was in his bunk, reading the months issue of Time magazine. As Riley reads his magazine, a calm atmosphere descended on the normally noisy airfield. But suddenly, just as Riley turned a page, the calm atmosphere was shattered. The call to general quarters rang throughout the air base. "This is it! Time to get hands-on." Riley said as he felt a thrill of anticipation as he put on his pilots hood. While he'd flown his Mustang on numerous jobs, this one was different from them all. "Shooting down the Me-109's in an P-51D Mustang: so much more safer and a whole lot easier than in a Supermarine Spitfire." Riley said. Rainbow Dash agreed. "Ready to bask in the greatness of my flying skills Samborski?" She asked. Riley just finished locking into place his life vest. "Ready for me to show you how it's done Rainbow?" He asked. "Hope you can keep up." Riley said. They arched arms in a last salute, then walked for their Mustangs. "The one who shoots down the most planes buys cider at the end of the day." Riley said. "You're on, Samborski!" Rainbow smugly replied. Once they had run out onto the airfield, the nine pilots rushed to their planes. Once she saw everyone were in their planes, Spitfire gave the order for engine startup. "Alright Wonderbolts, start your engines!" She declared. The pilots who started their Mustangs first were Riley and Spitfire. Soon all nine Mustangs had their engines started. Then, once lined up on the runway, the pilots got the green light for takeoff. "Wonderbolts, let's fly!" Spitfire ordered. The 9 Mustangs took off. The crews on the airfield cheered as the formation of nine P-51D Mustangs circled overhead and flew off. As the Wonderbolts flew towards the rendezvous point, Riley looked at a picture of Applejack on the instrument panel, a lone tear ran down his cheek. "Oh Applejack, I shouldn't have left you." He sighed sadly. Then Spitfire's voice crackled over the headphones. "Wonderbolts, control just got unconfirmed reports of Me-109s being scrambled, so keep your eyes peeled." She ordered. "Will do!" Riley said, looking out the cockpit of his Mustang. "Now THAT is a pilot who follows orders..." Spitfire mused as she watched Riley. Then 15 minutes later, Riley pointed out a formation of more than 30 Me-109s at 10:00 low. "Alright Wonderbolts, let's get them!" Spitfire declared. Undeterred by the 23:1 odds, the pilots gun their planes engines. The 9 Mustangs nose over and dive. The roar of 9 Rolls Royce Merlin engines fills the sky. Then once within gun range, the 9 pilots fire. Spitfire, Fleetfoot, Soarin', Wave Chill, Misty, Fire Streak, Lightning Dust all score hits, shredding the enemy planes before their pilots can react. The strike is a success, the German planes scatter. Then Riley saw a pair of Me-109s collide, both planes spiral to the ground in flaming pieces. He then saw a lone Me-109 at 11:00 high, he sped up, flew up and for the first time, he opened fire with his Mustang's six fifty caliber machine guns, and was quickly rewarded when his target went down in flames. "Ha! First kill! Bow before me, Rainbow Dash!" He declared. Rainbow was annoyed, although she tried to hide it. "Hmph! First is only the opening act. The glory goes to whoever downs the most planes. And that pilot will be ME!" "Then you'll need to catch up, because I'm already pulling ahead." Riley said as he turned his Mustang away from Rainbow's Mustang to engage more targets. "Not so fast, Samborski!" Rainbow said turning after Riley. "There goes another one, mine." Riley said as he shot down another Me-109 with another burst of his Mustang's machine guns. The determination from the German pilots was swiftly being replaced with desperation, as the Wonderbolt Mustangs and the Mustangs from other squadrons destroyed more and more of them. It seemed that those that remained were on the verge of fleeing. "Don't let them," Spitfire ordered. "We're here to destroy the Germans, so ensure that they are all shot down." "Alright—wait, look. We've got two Me-109s already flying away." Riley noted as he watched the pair of German planes fly away. "Then let's get them. Or, should I just get them both for you?" Rainbow Dash asked. Spitfire heard them. "Whoever does it, go after them and finish them off." "We're on it." Riley said. He and Rainbow Dash raced after the Me-109s, Rainbow Dash right beside Riley. "Pick a target, and let's see if you can hit anything without anything getting in your way." Rainbow Dash taunted. "I'll take the one further ahead." Riley said. Both pilots focused on their target of choice, and opened fire as they raced over the ground. "They're already fleeing for their lives. It shouldn't be too hard to make them get careless," Riley noted. "I'm way ahead of you. Mine's starting to panic; haven't you noticed?" Riley taunted. "How about yours?" Riley asked Rainbow. "It's a cool one so far, but not for long." Rainbow Dash said. "Maybe you just aren't that good. I guess you'd actually have to be trained for that." Riley said. Riley narrowed his eyes at the enemy plane he pursued. The pilot in it was frantic. "Perfect." Riley said to himself. He opened fire, and as he'd expected, his target burst into flaming pieces. "My kill first… again!" Riley said smugly. "Don't get too comfortable gloating, Samborski. I'll take this one." Rainbow said. For the pilot in the 2nd Me-109, the situation was desperate, the two Mustangs were gaining on him. The German pilot knows a Me-109 can't outrun two Mustangs, he dives for his life. But to his mutant horror, the rainbow haired pilot has anticipated the maneuver perfectly, she dives after him. Rainbow Dash's finger slips over the trigger. The Me-109 gains airspeed, but Rainbow Dash's P-51D Mustang, having a considerable speed advantage, quickly gained on the other plane, the pilot inside is petrified. Once within gun range, Rainbow Dash fires her plane's guns. The German pilot screams as his plane is turned into an inferno as the bullets from Rainbow Dash's Mustang's guns sank into the engine and the cockpit, a few bullets dug deeply into the pilots thighs. "Ha ha! MY first kill!" Rainbow Dash said. "Alright we're done here, back to base everyone." Spitfire said. "But we're not finished yet!" Misty protested. "The other Mustangs will take care of the rest." She said. "I got beaten..by my own second in command." Rainbow Dash said dejectedly as she flew back to base along with the other Wonderbolt pilots. Soon, all 9 Mustangs were back on the base. "Not bad for your first dogfight, huh Samborski?" Spitfire asked Riley, elbowing him in his ribs as they walked away from their planes and back to their bunks. "Yeah, not bad. I took out 3 planes and Rainbow only got 1." Riley said. "We all saw you. You shot down more planes than any of us, Riley!" Fleetfoot said, "Aw shucks, it was nothing, Fleetfoot. Just fly and shoot straight." Riley said shrugging his shoulders. "Riley, just a quick warning. Rainbow can get pretty feisty when someone beats her at just about anything." Spitfire called over to Riley. "Surely she's not THAT bad." Riley said, rather doubtful that Rainbow Dash didn't take being beaten in anything well. "Don't trust Rainbow, Riley, she's a double agent! The moment you turn your back, she'll make her move." Spitfire said grimly, reinforcing her warning. "I'll keep that in mind." Riley assured Spitfire. "You'd better..." Spitfire warned as she went to her bunk. Riley saw Rainbow Dash looking over the airfield from her plane, sitting on her plane's wing. "Rainbow?" Riley asked. "Don't rub it in, okay Samborski? You had your little victory, so go take your gloating elsewhere!" Rainbow snapped. "Rainbow, I won the bet, so I'm paying for cider tonight!" Riley called over to Rainbow. "Oh pooh..." Rainbow Dash pouted, crossing her arms. "Okay, I'll leave you alone, now. I'll have the cider ready for you." Riley said, walking back to his bunk. "Enjoy today, Samborski, because come next dogfight, I WILL beat you!" Rainbow Dash said coldly as she watched Riley walk away.