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Romeo and Juliett

Dec 28th, 2014
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  1. >You are Twilight Sparkle.
  2. >And war has Equestria in its iron grip.
  3. >The gryphons are invading.
  4. >Temporal rifts are opening up throughout the kingdom that you and the Princesses govern.
  5. >Welcome to office, Princess.
  6.  
  7. >The Princesses know of your incredible genius and effectiveness.
  8. >They wanted you involved in the war in hopes that you can help Equestria snatch victory from the advancing gryphon army.
  9. >But of course they would not have you in any sort of combat position
  10. >No, they appointed you as the head of the Equestrian Wartime Research (EWR) department
  11. >Since then you have directed your department to developing several weapons key to pushing back the Gryphon offensive
  12. >Many based on colorful descriptions provided by a dear friend and product of the spatial anomalies, Anonymous
  13. >Chemistry had recently been a new field somewhat akin to alchemy and is in its experimental stages
  14. >Thanks to help from Anonymous and his previous experience in chemistry, he helped advance the field decades past the work we already had.
  15. >Your department since then has developed numerous chemical weapons to be used against the gryphons and drugs for medical use, such as painkillers
  16. >New inventions have been integrated into the Equestrian army, from infantry firearms to great swiveling guns that shot pegasi and gryphon alike out of the sky.
  17. >The research department has found out a way to apply magical properties to munitions and the containers that hold them.
  18. >The EWR is responsible for industrial development all across Equestria.
  19. >Factories, as Anonynous would call them, pumping out the new weapons by the masses.
  20. >You remain cold and unfeeling to the losses and suffering on both sides despite the weapons that you and the EWR devise.
  21. >Despite the implications of Anonymous belonging to such a warlike species.
  22. >But what were we now?
  23. >This is a war that that has to be won.
  24. >The gryphons would surely kill us all if we do not.
  25. >You remember how it all started.
  26.  
  27. >It was just a month ago
  28. >Princess Celestia was meeting with the Gryphon emperor
  29. >It was somewhat of a haze in your mind
  30. >You and Luna were assigned to supervise the event
  31. >You had cast a spell to be able to hear what they were saying from afar
  32. >You stood, watching, listening, from your balcony
  33. >"So, Your Highness, are you in agreement with these borders?"
  34. >Unsure with the redefined borders, the Emperor sits quietly for but a moment, then speaks up.
  35. >"I er... suppose it could do with a small amount of revision."
  36. >Celestia sighs quietly in frustration.
  37. >Apparently these talks have been going on for months.
  38. >A break is called, and the two rulers part ways, walking down the steps to separate chambers
  39. >But the Emperor lingers in the main hall
  40. >Possibly for too long
  41. >Shards of glass rain down from above as the skylight is shattered as he speaks with a pair of his guards
  42. >As ducks for cover, several bolts of magic rain down upon the group of three
  43. >You see the Emperor get struck by two, and he collapses.
  44. >A bolt comes in your direction, annihilating the balcony on which you stood
  45. >You hit the ground, and the next thing you remember is waking up in your royal chamber, with a doctor at your side
  46. >The familiar bed
  47. >And a bandage around your head, wrapped just below the horn
  48. >Celestia comes in
  49. >"Twilight, I'm so glad you're awake, but I'm afraid we have urgent matters to discuss."
  50. >She gives you a somber look
  51. >You know she is about to give you bad news
  52. >"The Gryphon Kingdom has declared war."
  53. "... What?"
  54. >"Somepony assassinated their emperor, and they are inclined to believe that we were behind the plot."
  55. "Did we catch the assassin?"
  56. >"All we know is that there were multiple. And no, they seem to have disappeared off of the face of the planet."
  57. >You lay there in your bed, dumbfounded
  58.  
  59. >The heart monitor beside you begins to beep faster
  60. >"I know this is terrible news, but due to the urgency of the situation, we have established the Equestrian Wartime Research department. Luna and I have decided it would be best to place you in charge of it."
  61. >You don't want to, but you know you must accept.
  62. "Y-yes. I accept this duty which you have bestowed upon me. I will ful-"
  63. >Celestia gently puts a hoof to your mouth
  64. >"Thank you, but that is not necessary. You need your rest."
  65. >Celestia trots quietly out of your room to let you consider your next course of action.
  66. >You lay there, thinking
  67. >"Hey."
  68. >Again.
  69. >"Hello?"
  70. >You blink.
  71. >You are withdrawn from your daydreaming by a stallion in a white labcoat.
  72. >"Hey, are you there?"
  73. >You blink again and shake the thoughts out of your head
  74. "Yeah, sorry, heh..."
  75. >"We think it's ready."
  76. >You feel nervous.
  77. >You have directly involved yourself in the research for this project.
  78. >Anonymous once again made himself useful with his detailed description of military technology from his home world.
  79. >The Equestrian military required a new type of flight.
  80. >Pegasi are too feeble and are often outmatched by stronger, faster gryphons in the air.
  81. >Gryphons currently have air superiority in the ongoing war.
  82. >A new development involving cunning design, advanced mechanical science, ingenuity, and arcane magic.
  83.  
  84. >Despite putting all of your heart and soul into this new technology, you bite your lip in hopes that it will work.
  85. >It strikingly resembles a pony in form, even personality, despite being (arguably) mechanical.
  86. >With prehensile wings resembling those of high-speed fighter aircraft as Anonymous described that allow it to maneuver in the air quickly, featuring hardpoints for various armaments
  87. >Twin turbojet engines mounted in the back for high speed
  88. >Vertical stabilizers near the back
  89. >Advanced sensor and communication array mounted on the neck, to serve as the head
  90. >Ground mobility enabled for combat environment flexibility in the form of four legs
  91. >Indeed, its outer anatomy is analogous to a mechanical pegasus
  92. >Made of magically enchanted alloys that grant it the flexibility and range of motion of a regular pony
  93. >7.92mm machine gun mounted in the chest pointing forward
  94. >And here in front of you it stands, in its off-state.
  95. >It is magically enchanted to give it autonomous abilities, emotions, the ability for it to think for itself.
  96. >One could say it is actually a living thing, and you want to disagree.
  97. >But instinct tells you it's alive.
  98. >You go up to it, and mutter under your breath.
  99. "Let's see if this works"
  100. >You and several underlings (You like to think of them as colleagues) hold your collective breath as you open the protective cover and flip the switch.
  101. >It opens its eyes, gathering information about its surroundings.
  102. >It speaks in a vaguely robotic voice
  103. >"Test model 04B active. Reporting for duty."
  104.  
  105. >You look at the small console screen provided near the power switch.
  106. [PLoNY-OS v0.1]
  107. visual_sensors....R-100% L-100%
  108. audio_sensors....R-100% L-100%
  109. vocal_module......100% / M
  110. legs...................RF-100% LF-100% RB-100% LB-100%
  111. ID_FoF...............7B4AE0DA9A5E780EB9B45DC067031DA7
  112. MG...................100% / 400 RND
  113. radar.................100%
  114. >You skim the rest of the numerous readings.
  115. >The readings show that all systems are working at 100%.
  116. >You make a few configuration settings and adjust the vocal module to mode F.
  117. >Nodding to yourself, you flip the cover closed and you order everyone outside for target practice.
  118. >You and the others walk the new machine to the freight elevator.
  119. >You step inside and hit the button to be brought to the surface.
  120. >You look to your left and see the new prototype PLoNY.
  121. >Looking right, you see excited colleagues who smell a turn of the tables in the ongoing war.
  122. >You yourself are nervous just as before. You have never seen technology like this in action, but today is the day.
  123. >The day that the air war changes or the day that you try again.
  124.  
  125. >You can hardly think straight, but you make it to the top of the elevator shaft.
  126. >You take a deep breath of the cool, refreshing night air, knowing that after this test session, you will be retreating back underground.
  127. >You work in a vast subterranean facility located in a mountain a couple hours by train outside Ponyville.
  128. >You suppose it's nice to work close to home, but you have more important things to be doing.
  129. >You and the rest of the group trot out of the elevator
  130. >To your left appears a rack from the floor: aerial targets transported up from underground
  131. >You levitate five into the air and set them on flight paths some distance away.
  132. "Five targets. You know what to do!"
  133. >"ENGAGING."
  134. >This time, its voice is feminine, yet still robotic; it makes you smirk.
  135. >The PLoNY enters a crouched position for a moment, you swear you see a smirk form on its face, and it pounces up into the air
  136. >You hear the engines roar to life and the prototype accelerates quickly
  137. >It banks into the flight path of one of the targets and fires its built in MG
  138. >A short burst on the first target and it explodes
  139. >Firing off two missiles, they both bank and turn and strike their intended targets.
  140. >Targets two and three explode.
  141. >"Oh!"
  142. >"Nice!"
  143. >You smile at your vocal colleagues and watch the PLoNY down the last two targets with its machine gun.
  144. >They both explode a distance over your head, and you cast a shield on your fellow scientists to shelter them from shrapnel
  145. >You take down the shield as the prototype makes its approach to land near you
  146. >You hear its engines winding down
  147. >It hits the ground running and skids to a stop
  148. >Applause erupts from you and your fellow ponies of science.
  149. >A successful test
  150.  
  151. >You trot over to the PLoNY, and you see it smile.
  152. >"How'd I do?"
  153. "You did well, you should be proud of yourself."
  154. >"Sweet!"
  155. >You can't blame it, you're holding back your own excitement yourself.
  156. >You can feel it growing more accustomed to you, and it seems to be speaking more casually.
  157. >You flip open the back panel again that houses the small console and take a look at the readings.
  158. [PLoNY-OS v0.1]
  159. visual_sensors....R-100% L-100%
  160. audio_sensors....R-100% L-100%
  161. vocal_module......100% / F
  162. legs...................RF-100% LF-100% RB-100% LB-100%
  163. ID_FoF...............7B4AE0DA9A5E780EB9B45DC067031DA7
  164. MG....................97% / 363 RND
  165. radar.................100%
  166. >You frown at the machine gun's status.
  167. "97 percent? We'll have to look at that back in the lab..."
  168. >You walk everypony back to the freight elevator.
  169. >You take one last deep breath of the night air and push the button.
  170. >The motors start whirring and you all start descending.
  171.  
  172. >The elevator reaches the bottom of the shaft.
  173. >The lower laboratories for you have become somewhat of your home.
  174. >Not to mention the housing facilities on this level, but that's beside the point.
  175. >You dismiss the scientists and tell the prototype to follow you.
  176. >You're beginning to warm up to it.
  177. >It's your creation, and you can't help but start using different pronouns for her.
  178. >As far as you're concerned, she's alive.
  179. >You both trot along the corridors, wordlessly.
  180. >There wasn't much to talk about.
  181. >Before you know it, you reach the technician's office, and you lay her out on the table.
  182. >You flip open the control panel and turn her off.
  183. >It only takes about ten or so minutes of diagnostics for the technician pony to find the problem.
  184. >"Ah, I see what it is now."
  185. "What is it?"
  186. >"Well, it can be easily rectified. As it turns out, the machine gun was improperly mounted,"
  187. >"The recoil from the gun was damaging the mount."
  188. >"We'll install a new gun and mount it PROPERLY this time, and it should be good as new."
  189. "Perfect! I guess I'll see you tomorrow, then."
  190. >"Oh, no, no, this is a simple fix. I'm thinking this'll only take about half an hour."
  191. >He goes over to the intercom panel in the office.
  192. >He voices a request for replacement parts and a mechanic to help with the installation of the new gun.
  193. >He then turns back to you.
  194. >"I'll get in touch with you once the repairs are finished."
  195. >You walk out of his office and close the door behind you.
  196.  
  197. >You are a technician
  198. >And Twilight Sparkle has assigned you the task of replacing the machine gun
  199. >You think to yourself that this will be a simple process.
  200. >The mechanic walks into your office.
  201. >"So, what do we have to work with here?"
  202. >You look down at your clipboard
  203. "Well, Miss Sparkle wants us to replace the machine gun and mount, it's nothing really."
  204. >"I guess we'll get started, then. I'll take this out first, though."
  205. >The stallion has already taken the liberty of opening the bottom panel and removing the ammunition belt.
  206. >You both get to work
  207.  
  208. >The intercom in your office flicks on just as you finalize repairs.
  209. >"Early warning systems suggest gryphon scouts are in nearby airspace. Re-arm and launch the prototype to intercept."
  210. >The transmission cuts out there.
  211. >You glance at the console screen.
  212. MG....................100% / 0 RND
  213. >You walk over to the phone in your office.
  214. "Yes, Miss Sparkle?"
  215. "It's done, I'm taking it to the hangar now to re-arm. Guess it's already going to be flying a mission."
  216. >She says something that you didn't quite catch, but she sounds pleased.
  217. >You put down the phone and flip the switch on the PLoNY.
  218. >You close up all the panels and tell it to follow you.
  219. >It obliges, and you take it to the hangar to be armed.
  220.  
  221. >You are the prototype.
  222. >You have just arrived in the hangar, excited by the news that your technician has just given to you.
  223. "You mean I'll get to really fly? For real this time?!"
  224. >"I mean, they're just scouts as far as we know, but it'll be good to get you out there."
  225. >You can't contain your excitement
  226. >You bounce on your hooves as a mare is trying to load a missile onto one of your hardpoints
  227. >"Hold still!"
  228. >She sounds mildly irritated
  229. "Heh, sorry..."
  230. >Slightly embarassed, you stay still.
  231. >You've quickly become far more accustomed to being around these ponies.
  232. >Maybe it's the magic becoming stronger over time.
  233. >But this thought is shoved out of your head when the mare announces that the missiles are loaded.
  234. >"Okay, now just for the belt..."
  235. >She flips open your bottom panel.
  236. >A stallion assists her as she loads the belt into you and coils it.
  237. >She closes the bottom panel.
  238. >"Okay, you're ready to go. Now go get 'em!"
  239. >She pats you on the back with her hoof.
  240. >You make a quick check
  241. MG....................100% / 400 RND
  242. >You smile to yourself as you take a confident step forward while the hangar door opens.
  243. >As it does so, target information is loaded into your vision.
  244. >You fire up your engines and just as last time, they spool up with a mighty roar.
  245.  
  246. >You take off into the night and your wings bite into the air.
  247. >You soar up past the clouds and cruise above them and admire the sight of the moon.
  248. >You feel like you can see forever from up here.
  249. >You level off.
  250. >In the distance, you see a few specks. Undoubtedly the enemy scouts.
  251. >You decide to have some fun, since you were given some innate, instinctive hatred of gryphons.
  252. >You engage afterburners.
  253. >They're circling back.
  254. >You wonder why.
  255. >Bullets start whizzing past you.
  256. >You should have realized that the noise from your engines would have gotten their attention.
  257. >You dodge and bank.
  258. >The three gryphons end up behind you, so you loop around to catch them in your line of fire.
  259. >You ready your MG.
  260. >One is unfortunately caught in your line of fire, and you let off a short burst.
  261. MG....................100% / 390 RND
  262. >A spray of blood from the gryphon.
  263. >He plummets to the ground.
  264. >Out of what seems like nowhere, one of the gryphons grabs you by the neck.
  265. >You start spiraling out of control.
  266. >You retract your wings and go into a full nosedive towards the ground.
  267. >The ground is racing towards your face.
  268. >You're not sure if your plan will work.
  269. >Just as you had hoped, he panics and lets go.
  270. >You extend your wings again and pull up as hard as you can.
  271. >You just barely brush the tree canopy.
  272. >Flying back up to meet them, you see them doubling back on their original flight path.
  273. >They must be retreating.
  274. >You can't let them get away.
  275.  
  276. >Keen to keep your distance so they cannot hear you, you climb far, far above them as they retreat.
  277. >Waiting for your chance to strike...
  278. >And you hit the afterburners again.
  279. >You dive at full speed towards them.
  280. >A loud boom emanates from you as you break the sound barrier
  281. >You reel your hoof back
  282. >Your hoof connects with the gryphon's head with a sickening crunch
  283. >The punch was undoubtedly lethal as you see that the gryphon is launched towards the ground, limp.
  284. >Your sonic boom stunned the other, who happened to be flying nearby when you attacked.
  285. >The rush from killing the other has heightened your bloodlust.
  286. >You retract your wings and whip around and unleash another burst of fire onto the disoriented gryphon.
  287. >Ah, the benefits of being a mechanical creation.
  288. >Intense G-forces rarely bother you.
  289. >Still falling, you extend your wings once again and level off.
  290. >No more enemy signatures on the scope.
  291. >Satisfied, you find your way back to the hangar.
  292. >Cleared for landing, you cut the throttle and skid to a stop in the hangar.
  293. >Miss Sparkle was waiting there for you.
  294.  
  295. >You, Twilight Sparkle, have been watching the radar this whole time.
  296. >Your own creation has made short work of a patrol of three gryphons.
  297. >Granted, they were three scouts deep inside Equestrian airspace.
  298. >But this unplanned sequence of events leaves you pleasantly surprised.
  299. >You're proud of her and yourself, and you can't hold back a grin.
  300. >Less because she killed three gryphons and more because she has proven to be extremely functional.
  301. >"Did you see me out there?!"
  302. >"I punched him right out of the air!"
  303. "Ha, you sure did!"
  304. >"What do I do now? Are there more?"
  305. >She starts bouncing on her hooves again in anticipation.
  306. >You place a hoof on her back.
  307. "No, but I think it's time we gave you a designation. A name, if you will."
  308. >"Yeah?"
  309. "I think we'll call you Juliett."
  310. >"I like it!"
  311. "You deserve it."
  312. >You're glad you finally gave her a name. To you, it felt as if she earned it.
  313. >It's not your fault that Anonymous happened to know the NATO phonetic alphabet.
  314. >Whatever NATO was.
  315.  
  316. >It had only been a couple days since Juliett had her first flights.
  317. >News had not gotten out that she even exists.
  318. >Undoubtedly the gryphons know that one of their patrols was taken down.
  319. >But they likely don't know that it was by Juliett.
  320. >However, as of late, the programmers have made adjustments to the PLoNY-OS targeting algorithms.
  321. >You were told that accuracy will increase on the order of 10% on average.
  322. >And that Juliett has been updated accordingly.
  323. >Already, small-scale production of the new PLoNYs has begun.
  324. >And you have just finished enchanting the second model of its kind; you have already designated him Romeo.
  325. >You flip open the back panel and take a look at the console to make sure everything is in working order.
  326. [PLoNY-OS v0.2]
  327. visual_sensors....R-100% L-100%
  328. audio_sensors....R-100% L-100%
  329. vocal_module.....100% / M
  330. legs...................RF-100% LF-100% RB-100% LB-100%
  331. ID_FoF...............7B4AE0DA9A5E780EB9B45DC067031DA7
  332. MG....................100% / 0 RND
  333. radar..................100%
  334. >You turn him off and close it, satisfied with another job well done.
  335. >You levitate a report that has been waiting on your desk since early this morning.
  336. >You bring it closer to your face so that you can read it.
  337. >You skim the paragraphs for key information.
  338. >Thanks again to Anonymous, further advancements have been made over recent days in the fields of polymer chemistry.
  339. >Laboratory scale production of what he calls "kevlar" has apparently begun and patches of it are currently undergoing ballistic testing.
  340. >Laboratory reports indicate that it performs exceptionally well against small-arms fire, but is by no means perfect.
  341. >In addition, you read about gryphons slowly taking up Equestrian technology.
  342. >They're not ahead by any means, but they are able to hold their own on the battlefield.
  343.  
  344. >You begin reading technical specifications for Romeo.
  345. >Design notes state that his 7.92mm ammunition capacity has been decreased to 300 in favor of larger engines.
  346. >Slightly enlarged air intakes.
  347. >The engines are expected to put out 12% more thrust than the prototype's.
  348. >Other technical specifications.
  349. >Your tiredness isn't really helping you comprehend the words on the paper.
  350. >You put down the clipboard and rub your eyes.
  351. >You've been up all night working on Romeo.
  352. >You'll have him deployed alongside Juliett tomorrow.
  353. >You decide to catch some sleep.
  354.  
  355. [PLoNY-OS v0.2]
  356. Booting...
  357.  
  358. Aux power module starting...
  359. Done!
  360.  
  361. DSG
  362. Juliett
  363.  
  364. Loading drivers...
  365. Done!
  366.  
  367. TIME
  368. 10:35
  369.  
  370. Loading inputs...
  371. Done!
  372.  
  373. >Your vision flicks on, and you begin to hear everything around you
  374. >You wake up in the hangar
  375. >You look to your left and see all the ponies working
  376. >Some moving carts filled with munitions
  377. >Some carting crates around filled with unknown items
  378. >Yet others just walking around staring at reports as they walk
  379. >You look to your right
  380. >You see Twilight Sparkle's smiling face
  381. >You shift your attention to something behind her
  382. >It's another PLoNY
  383. >"Well, Juliett, this is Romeo."
  384. >She turns to him
  385. >"Romeo, this is Juliett."
  386. >You take in his full form and you would be lying if you say you aren't impressed.
  387. >He speaks up first.
  388. >"Nice to meet you, Juliett."
  389. >You extend a hoof, and he mirrors the action.
  390. >You shake hooves, and Miss Sparkle speaks up.
  391. >"There's a team coming through a nearby valley, we figure they're coming out to investigate what happened last night with the scouts."
  392. >"They're off the radar, but we think there might be a few pegasus mercenaries with them, so be vigilant."
  393. >You both smile at the news of your new assignment
  394. >The hangar door opens and the location appears on the scope
  395. >You both trot to the edge of the hangar
  396.  
  397. "Ya ready to go?"
  398. >"Hell yeah, let's go!"
  399. >You both laugh and take off
  400. >As before, you soar into the sky in the company of a wingman
  401. ALT 2000m
  402. >You level off and maintain altitude
  403. >You're flying above the clouds.
  404. >It looks far different during the day, and every bit as beautiful.
  405. >You see a few mountaintops rising above the sea of cloud cover.
  406. >You bank and head west towards the valley
  407. >You couldn't really think of anything to say to your wingman
  408. >Oh, well.
  409. >"So, when were you built?"
  410. >Well, then.
  411. "It was a few days ago,"
  412. "They updated the targeting algorithms since then."
  413. >"Oh?"
  414. >"How are they now compared to then?"
  415. "Well, I dunno. Haven't been able to try it yet."
  416. >"Hmm."
  417. >You continue your flight wordlessly.
  418. >Suddenly, the clouds make way for a sight of the valley below.
  419. >HQ radios in.
  420. >"They should be arriving within minutes. I suggest you take up ambush positions."
  421. >The radio flicks off
  422. >"You hear that?"
  423. "Yeah, we'll perch up on those mountains."
  424. >"Go on..."
  425. "I take the west, you take the east."
  426. >"Got it."
  427. >He retracts his wings and makes his way down to the mountain
  428. >You look back and see him perch up on the mountain, keeping watch.
  429. >You make a dive yourself
  430. >You extend your wings again and slow your descent to land
  431. >You perch on a convenient cliff face overlooking the valley just to the east.
  432. >Not much time to admire the view and the vegetation below.
  433.  
  434. >Only a couple minutes pass without incident
  435. >Three blips appear on the scope
  436. >You turn on your radio
  437. "Here they come. Come up from behind at low engine power."
  438. >"Roger."
  439. >You engage your engines and leap off the cliff's edge
  440. >You see Romeo do the same.
  441. >Both of you maneuver into a position side-by-side to one another.
  442. >500 meters to target
  443. >You see two gryphons accompanied by a pegasus flying in formation
  444. "Fire!"
  445. >A burst from each of your machine guns
  446. MG....................100% / 392 RND
  447. >The gryphons fall out of the sky, bloodied.
  448. >The pegasus circles back
  449. >Romeo maneuvers to intercept as the pegasus charges towards both of you
  450. >Gunfire is exchanged from both sides
  451. Romeo - MG......100% / 268 RND
  452. >You flip yourself around to help when two more blips appear on the radar
  453. >You look down to see two pegasi rushing towards you from the trees
  454. >You get hit twice
  455. audio_sensors....R-0% L-100%
  456. legs...................RF-73% LF-100% RB-100% LB-100%
  457. >All you can hear in your right ear is static
  458. >You cut off input
  459. >You growl in anger
  460. >You pull up into a loop
  461. >More gunfire
  462. >This time it's from Romeo
  463. Romeo - MG......100% / 277 RND
  464. >One blip disappears
  465. >You point yourself downwards and max out the throttle
  466. >You focus all your rage on one pegasus
  467. >You see the look of pure terror on his face when you pulverize his ribcage with your left hoof and fling him back into the trees a hundred meters below
  468.  
  469. >The other pegasus tackles you in mid-air.
  470. >You struggle to stay aloft as he tries to ready his gun.
  471. >Romeo sees you in danger and flies just above you.
  472. >He pulls his wings in and positions himself just so in a way that his engines are pointing at you.
  473. >He fuel dumps onto the pegasus on your back and ignites the afterburners.
  474. >The pegasus is absolutely engulfed in flames.
  475. >He lets go.
  476. >You are as well, though to a lesser extent.
  477. >Your engines flame out for a few seconds as the fuel on your back uses up nearby oxygen.
  478. >The flames go out on their own as the fuel is consumed.
  479. >You reignite your engines and regain control not too far above the tree canopy.
  480. >You flip around to see the pegasus still flailing, being consumed by flames.
  481. >One short burst from your MG.
  482. >All five shots land and spray blood out of the pegasus's back.
  483. >He tumbles unceremoniously to the ground.
  484. MG....................100% / 387 RND
  485. >You climb up to Romeo's altitude.
  486. >You and Romeo fly together above the clouds on your way back to the hangar.
  487. >You report your status and request a technician wait for you when you return.
  488.  
  489. >You cut the throttle.
  490. >You collide with the floor of the hangar.
  491. >Your front right leg gives out under your weight.
  492. >You careen to the back of the hangar in a shower of sparks.
  493. >Ponies jump out of the way.
  494. >Romeo, who landed successfuly, runs to your aid.
  495. >He helps you up, helping you balance yourself.
  496. >The technician pony from a couple days ago runs up to you.
  497. >"Don't worry, I'll take it from here."
  498. >Romeo replies to his assurance.
  499. >"Are you sure?"
  500. >"Yeah, we'll take her in for repairs."
  501. >"Follow me, Juliett."
  502. >You limp with him to the repair bay.
  503. >You look back at Romeo, who is still in the hangar, and silently motion a thank you.
  504. >"So what happened up there?"
  505. "They must've been expecting us,"
  506. "Two of them came out of the trees, one of them shot me twice."
  507. >You stop and point to your front right leg and to your right ear.
  508. >You explain the rest of what happened on your way to repairs.
  509. >You arrive in the repair bay.
  510. >Various things were undergoing repairs and construction there, from small weapons for base personnel to scout cars.
  511. >You see ponies moving items back and forth, it feels a lot like the hangar.
  512. >You even spot two PLoNY frames sitting on a rack in the back.
  513. >"Okay, just lay out on this table and we'll take care of the rest."
  514. >You do as instructed, and he opens the back panel.
  515. >He flips a switch and everything goes black.
  516.  
  517. [PLoNY-OS v0.2]
  518. >The usual booting sequence.
  519.  
  520. Loading drivers...
  521. Done!
  522.  
  523. TIME
  524. 18:32
  525.  
  526. >You check.
  527.  
  528. audio_sensors....R-100% L-100%
  529.  
  530. legs...................RF-N/A LF-100% RB-100% LB-100%
  531.  
  532. >The last part troubles you immensely.
  533. >You look to your right to see (or rather, to not see) your right leg.
  534. >It is completely missing.
  535. >"Okay, testing, testing, testing."
  536. >A moment.
  537. >You notice something is plugged into you.
  538. >"Okay, the audio sensors are both working at full capacity. We'll replace the leg tomorrow, eh?"
  539. >You don't know what's happening.
  540. >A flip of the switch and all goes black again.
  541.  
  542. [PLoNY-OS v0.2]
  543. >Another booting sequence.
  544.  
  545. Loading drivers...
  546. Done!
  547.  
  548. TIME
  549. 9:57
  550.  
  551. audio_sensors....R-100% L-100%
  552.  
  553. legs...................RF-100% LF-100% RB-100% LB-100%
  554.  
  555. >You open your eyes, and the technician seems happy to see that you're awake.
  556. "What happened?"
  557. >He looks down at his clipboard.
  558. >"Well, we made basic hull repairs... we replaced your right audio sensor, and your front right leg.
  559. >"It still requires calibration, however."
  560. >You are hooked up to some kind of computer.
  561. >"So, could you move your new leg for me? Try to point at the opposite side of the room."
  562. "Yeah."
  563. >You try to do so, but all you end up doing is jerking your new leg all the way upwards.
  564. >"Mmhmm."
  565. >He types something into the computer.
  566. >"Could you try again?"
  567. >You do so, this time barely able to lift it halfway
  568. >He looks back at his computer and types some more.
  569. >"Again."
  570. >You do so successfully this time, and the new leg feels just like all the others.
  571. >"Alright, everything seems to be functioning just as before. Thank you."
  572. >He goes to the back panel, and everything goes dark.
  573.  
  574. [PLoNY-OS v0.2]
  575. Booting...
  576.  
  577. Aux power module starting...
  578. Done!
  579.  
  580. DSG
  581. Romeo
  582.  
  583. Loading drivers...
  584. Done!
  585.  
  586. TIME
  587. 2:15
  588.  
  589. Loading inputs...
  590. Done!
  591. ...
  592. >Text flashes into your vision
  593.  
  594. [NOTE]
  595. Report to Cloudsdale Air Base under cover of night.
  596. Altitude maximum 150m.
  597. You are being relocated.
  598.  
  599. >The destination's GPS position is loaded into memory.
  600. >You wake up next to Juliett in the hangar.
  601. >Nopony else seems to be here.
  602. >"You get the order, too?"
  603. "Yeah."
  604. >The hangar door automatically opens, as if it knew.
  605. "Well, let's not wait."
  606. >She agrees and you both step to the edge of the hangar.
  607. >You fire up your engines and leap into the air with her.
  608. >You make it a point not to turn the throttle up too much.
  609. >You notice something different.
  610. >Something is off.
  611. >Your engines are much quieter than you remember.
  612. >Hers, too.
  613. "Wait... let's go to full throttle."
  614. >Your engines spool up further
  615. >You notice that your engines and hers are making relatively little noise.
  616. >As it turns out, your engines are putting out about as much noise as they used to on low throttle.
  617. >She points out the change in engine geometry as she flies slightly behind you
  618. >"Your engines look different!"
  619. "Really?"
  620. >You look back, and so do hers.
  621. >More text flashes into your vision
  622. [NOTE]
  623. We have made a change in engine geometry to reduce noise.
  624. You should see no change in performance except for lower detectability.
  625. -EWR Engineering Division
  626. >Neat.
  627. >You look up at the moon and the occasional cloud
  628. >This is your first time seeing the night.
  629. >You look down.
  630. >The darkened trees whiz by, the whistle-hum of your engines being the soundtrack to the whole spectacle.
  631. >The rest of the flight continues without incident as you fly just above the trees all the way to Cloudsdale.
  632.  
  633. TIME
  634. 6:12
  635.  
  636. DSG
  637. Juliett
  638.  
  639. >The sun is just on the horizon.
  640. >You look up to see a giant mass of fluffy white clouds.
  641. >The GPS suggests that Cloudsdale is here.
  642. >You're not sure what you expected, really.
  643. >You and Romeo fly up and towards the GPS destination.
  644. >You see the air base.
  645. >Once the Wonderbolts Academy, the air base is a bustling hub of military activity.
  646. >You see a large, winged machine parked to the side of the air strip, and pegasi unloading various boxes and munitions racks
  647. >You come in to land at the air strip.
  648. >Your hooves contact the ground, and you hit the ground running.
  649. >You slow yourself down and look up just in time to see the great winged machine departing.
  650. >Its engines, once facing downward, were now tilting forward.
  651. >You see it fly away in the direction you came just as another is coming in.
  652. >A strange pegasus runs up to you as you're taking in the sights
  653. >He is dressed in sky blue fatigues
  654. >"Welcome to Cloudsdale, we've been expecting you."
  655. >"Follow me."
  656. >You and Romeo follow this new pony to what you assume will be your commanding officer.
  657. >You walk into an office to be greeted by a yellow pegasus mare sitting at a desk, wearing sunglasses.
  658. >The nameplate on her desk suggests that her name is Spitfire.
  659. >Col. Spitfire.
  660. >"Welcome. This is your new home from now on. Any questions?"
  661. >You both speak simultaneously.
  662. "No, ma'am."
  663. >"You will be deployed alongside other pegasi and provide support."
  664. >She goes into further detail explaining your combat role.
  665. >You realize the implications of flying with actual pegasi.
  666. >You may be faster, tougher, more heavily armoured.
  667. >However, pegasi don't require fuel. In addition, they can hover in place and change direction with ease.
  668. >These things you can manage but not with nearly the grace that a regular pegasus can.
  669. >You're eagerly anticipating for your first such deployment.
  670.  
  671. [PLoNY-OS v0.2]
  672. Booting...
  673.  
  674. Aux power module starting...
  675. Done!
  676.  
  677. DSG
  678. Juliett
  679.  
  680. Loading drivers...
  681. Done!
  682.  
  683. TIME
  684. 7:38
  685.  
  686. LAST ACTIVATION
  687. 961221 sec
  688.  
  689. Loading inputs...
  690. >Your eyes open.
  691. >Gradually, you begin hearing everypony and the activity around the hangar.
  692. >All are going about their business.
  693. >It has been some time since you were last activated.
  694. >The hangar technician who turned you on mentions what happened while you were out as he makes sure everything is in working order.
  695. >"So..."
  696. >He flips open the back panel panel for a cursory check.
  697. >"How long has it been? About 11 days or so?"
  698. "Yeah, why?"
  699. >"Some stuff happened while you were out."
  700. "Like what?"
  701. >"Well, for one, you missed Hearth's Warming Eve,"
  702. >He pauses for a second and you wonder what Hearth's Warming Eve is.
  703. >"Oh! And there was a cease-fire; no fighting. We're back on now, though."
  704. >Why was there a cease-fire? What was Hearth's Warming Eve?
  705. >You decide to speak up.
  706. "Why was there a cease-fire?"
  707. >Good enough.
  708. >"Because of the holiday."
  709. "Why would they stop fighting for the holiday?"
  710. >"They just stopped fighting and started singing, burying their dead and exchanging greetings. Nopony ordered it. It just kinda... happened."
  711. >"From what I heard, the cease-fire is some kind of monkey tradition or something,"
  712. >He explains in-depth as to what Hearth's Warming Eve is and its meaning.
  713. >A couple minutes later, checks are completed and you are enlightened on the subject of this newfound holiday.
  714. >"The Colonel's gonna explain everything you need to do. They're on the airstrip, waiting."
  715. >Not one to keep anypony waiting, you trot off to yet another flight.
  716.  
  717. >You walk into the frigid air that lies just outside the hangar.
  718. >The pegasi have been keeping the weather away from the air base, so the ground is still dry.
  719. >Col. Spitfire appears to be waiting, along with a group of eight pegasi near the end of the airstrip.
  720. >You join the rest of the group, among them is Romeo.
  721. >"So glad that you could join us," she says to you.
  722. >You walk closer and take a spot standing next to him.
  723. >Next to Spitfire stands a map, on which various points of interested have been highlighted.
  724. >She goes on to quickly run over the details.
  725. >"Intelligence suggests that the gryphons will be launching an attack on Canterlot soon. Our job is to gain air superiority."
  726. >"They will be moving down south, we will be getting them before they reach the forest here." Spitfire points to a spot on the map just north of Canterlot.
  727. >"We're relying on the element of surprise here."
  728. >She points a hoof at you and Romeo.
  729. >"These two will lead the way and help you navigate to the area, but in each of your saddlebags are navigational tools that will work in their absence."
  730. >"Once you're there, there will be additional air forces, with ground forces close behind."
  731. >"The Princesses have been relocated to an undisclosed location, but that's beside the point. Royal guards as we speak are fortifying the city and readying their defenses."
  732. >"Any questions?"
  733. >Pause.
  734. >"No? Okay, then move out!"
  735. >Everypony gets up and starts running.
  736. >They fling themselves off the edge of the runway and begin flying in the general direction of Canterlot.
  737. >You do the same and spool up your engines, jumping off of the runway alongside Romeo.
  738. >Before you know it, you and Romeo are ahead of the rest, and you both slow down to accommodate their pace.
  739. >A long flight ahead awaits you.
  740.  
  741. Source: https://archive.moe/mlp/thread/21037430/#21078394
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