Winter

>December 17, 2021
>1224 hours
>snow depth; 4 foot 6 average
>temperature, -20 degrees
>overcast
>deep within the woods of southeastern Mane laid a small house
>the house was nestled in a nice clearing just up a driveway that was nestled off the side of a long road, which twisted and turned all the way to a nearby town
>through the woods near the house, there laid an old airfield where simple Cessnas and the like would occasionally touch down or take off from
>within an ice-cold garage off the side of the house sat a near-finished, navy blue 1967 Mustang GT500 fastback, sitting directly over an inspection pit, an 80% done 428 Cobra Jet laid upon a set of pallets, numerous uninstalled parts, a reloading bench, and a closet full of tools
>in a small hanger behind the house, nestled near the woods, were well-catalouged parts to sets of T407s, TF34s, and TV3-117s, all hidden away in crates
>had there not been numerous dehumidifiers in either location, perhaps there would be more ice on the walls
>in the backyard of the house sat the small inground pool, long since iced-over, and now covered by a tarp, which in turn was covered in snow
>the house itself, quiet, except for the click-clacking of a keyboard, the quiet chatter of a near-muted TV, and some gentle, satisfied sighing, was cold, and uncomfortably so at that
>of course, the lack of vocalizations of discomfort from 4 of its occupants meant that clearly the sub-30 degree temperature was not a problem
>it was already the afternoon, and yet still, if one were to check the master bedroom, they would find that the pegasus and the A-10 that occupied the room were still in bed, tucked away in eachother's embrace
>if one were to listen closely, perhaps they would be able to hear the gentle, sighing snores emanating from the young mare in the bed
>as for the young stallion, the only signs of life on him was the gentle rising and falling of his chest and flaring of his nostrils
>the smile on his face showed exactly how happy he was to be sharing the bed with the mare
>if one watched long enough, perhaps they would see one stir just enough to push closer into the other before kissing the other for just a moment, pulling away to go back to sleep
>of course, unless one were one of the three other occupants of the house, one probably couldn't do such a thing without falling victim to demands of "WHO THE FUCK-," shrieks of terror, and sudden violent bludgedoning
>in the living room sat two more members of the household
>together wrapped in thick blankets, they sat in the darkened room, illuminated by the quietly chattering TV
>the P-7 held the sleeping Krokodil close, smiling
>their wings, rotors, and tails were all wrapped up in the blankets, creating a tight cocoon of covers around their bodies
>the couple couldn't look any happier
>in one of the bedrooms sat our final occupant of the house, happily debugging a program
>illuminated by his computer screen, he occasionally took sips from a can of off-brand soda
>"old habits die hard," he always quipped
>indeed, even with so many varieties availible at the small town's grocer, from local colas to imported sodas, he still stuck with the cheap stuff out of habit
>"Red always did have some subborn tendencies", Blu would say
>of course, no one in the house minded
>Red kept his off-brand sodas tucked away in his room, and chilled them in his own mini-fridge
>a good thing too, considering how tired Chaser was
>the little Hind had been helping Blu hunt down a rat all night in the hangar
>the damn thing was hard to find, and even harder to catch with wings and hooves, but luckily, Chaser had a good eye, and Blu was agile
>by now, though she had started to stir
>7 years of fighting on the wrong side followed by 5 months of USMC SO basic, again followed by fighting alongside stallions and mares she had been trying to kill mere months prior, topped off with a brief stint in Gitpone and several weeks wrongfully branded an "international criminal" had left her tired
>secretly, she was also scared
>scared of failing to integrate into a society she had been ordered to loathe for years
>scared of being a failed soldier for being scared of something as "lowly" as civilian life
>scared of not even being able to reintegrate into the society she had been torn from as a mere child if she had the choice
>after the five proved their innocence by stopping the attack on Manehatten with no loss of civilian life, they were reinstated at their previous posts aboard the Galaxy
>granted, the NSA, DoD, IRS, and DIA were furious at the destruction of millions of dollars worth in asphalt, plumbing, and automobiles, cleanup crews would need to dig massive amounts of wreckage out of the crater, and major shrapnel damage was caused to multiple buildings, but apparently Presidents tend to be pretty grateful when it came to stopping nuclear attacks and outing moles in major intelligence agencies
>so, the CiC dangled out a string for the five to pull, and they took the opportunity
>they held on to about 15% of the money they had "earned" during their exile, relinquishing the rest to the US government, were given time to do one patrol to ensure that they could still operate nominally, and would be given just enough time to decompress after months of hiding from KGB offshoots, rouge CIA divisions, MI6 and the SAS, and all sorts of undesirables
>however, despite Blu having said that was all he needed, several Medals of Honor and a citizenship were thrown to them, and who could refuse that?
>Blu had always wanted a Medal of Honor, and he wanted his friends to have them too
>as for the citizenship, Chaser needed to have a place to call home, and with Ukraine having registered her as dead nearly a decade prior, she would jump at the chance
>the choice was clear
>[spoiler]also, there may have been something about being allowed to keep the Il-76 they nearly crashed into the Potomac with, but those are just details[/spoiler]
>so, after the ceremony for their receiving of the MOH and their patrol, they came home and were given just enough time to celebrate some holidays with their families [spoiler]and cash in those 30 tickets to the World Series that Blu had stolen from that mob boss in Russia[/spoiler]
>prior to docking in Amashka, though, Chaser had pulled Blu aside, and fearfully told her commanding officer how scared she was
>Blu just stood there, blank faced, before Chaser started to let a few tears flow
>Blu simply called the other 3 in his group up to where he and Chaser stood, and kept looking at her, no emotion shown
>"Stupid," Chaser had thought
>she began to let some tears cloud her vision, sad and angry that she had shown such weakness in front of her captain
>inevitably she would recieve some punishment for being so weak in the face of such a minor threat
>however, despite how much she though Blu would scold her, she heard nothing, but instead felt a pair of hooves wrap around her in consolation
>"Horoshyy, soldat, horoshyy. I promise, you'll do fine. Ne turbuysya."
>she just couldn't hold back the tears anymore
>for several minutes, Blu consoled little Chaser as she cried herself out, before the rest of the gang came up to find out what the problem was
>as Chaser cried quietly, Blu explained how nervous she was, prompting the gang to hug her too, one by one, starting with SeaSprite
>they consoled her, told her how much they cared and how easily she would fit in
>Chaser hadn't been happier in her entire life
>now, about 2 months afterwards, Chaser was waking up, more than happy to be somewhere she felt she could relax and belong
>she had realized that she had never truly felt a sense of relaxation or belonging, even after being recruited by Blu, even after going through the same training as Blu and his group, or even after sharing beds with several of them
>she realized that even though she belonged, she never did realize it
>now, the barrier was torn down, and she felt safe
>no longer would she have to keep her head on a swivel at all times
>although her original family was gone, she knew that this one would always be there
>besides, this SeaSprite was cute
>as Chaser woke up with a yawn, SeaSprite gave her a squeeze and a gentle nuzzle
>his time with Chaser had left him far more confident than even a hundred combat missions alongside the others
>The others had taken notice
>they all found it somewhat jarring to look back on what Sprite once was and to compare it to what they knew now
>Chaser slowly opened her eyes, slowly fading out of unconciousness and into the real world once more
>a yawn and a quick glance around to get her bearings
>"Hey." SeaSprite smiled at her
>"Pryvit, lyuba." Chaser replied quietly, smiling back
>she felt so nice waking up with SeaSprite
>"Lyuba? What's that?" SeaSprite asked, puzzled at the new word
>for a moment, Chaser was shocked she had let that out and considered playing it off as a synonym of "tovarysh," but conceded to translating it properly
>"'Beloved.'" Chaser said, blushing slightly. "'Sweetheart.'"
>SeaSprite blushed back and smiled at her for a moment
>in that moment, he considered what his captain would do if he were in a similar situation with his lover
>he decided on a kiss
>however, the thoughts of such an action left him hesitant to follow through
>"Hesitation is fear. 'Fear is the mindkiller.' A mere instinct. To fall to fear is to be subservient to insinct, and to become no more than a mere animal." his captain had once told him. "Don't let fear lead you into regret."
>the P-7 would not regret what happened next
>and neither did his lyuba
>in the master bedroom, the final 2 members of the household were starting to stir
>the A-10 woke first, belly down, half atop the other, soon followed by the pegasus on his back
>the pegasus took a deep breath of the scent of his bedmate, then started to try to squirm his way out of bed from underneath the A-10's port side wing, nacelle, and stabilizer
>"Mmmnoooooooooooooo~" the A-10 moaned lovingly, her left hoof forcibly latching onto the pegasus's collarbone, dragging him back
>"Hun, it's already-" he glanced at a nearby clock, blinking out some early-morning tears. "-12:30, I oughta make lunch." he chuckled
>"But it's coooooold out there!" she giggled, pushing her face into his chest fluff. "You're so waaaaaarm..." she sighed
>he raised his hoof to her jaw as she nuzzled his chest and gently brought her face up to his
>as their lips met, the she gently pushed her tongue into his mouth
>the pegasus of course, couldn't let such a violation of his mouth's soveriegnty go unpunished
>clearly a retaliatory strike was needed
>as their tounges danced in eachother's mouths, the two held eachother tightly, giggling to one another, for a good 10 seconds
>when they pulled apart, they both opened their eyes, and as the early-morning tears cleared away, they both gazed into one another's eyes
>"I'll be quick." the pegasus said
>with that he slipped out of bed, much to the complaints of the A-10
>as he walked to the door leading to the shower, he stretched out his wings and yawned, rolling his head to get some stretches in around his neck, stretching his shoulders along the way as well, meanwhile picking two recently-laundered towels off a shelf with his wings
>the cold of the unheated house didn't bother him
>with such a thick winter coat, discomfort was minor
>Sierra wasn't so lucky
>starting up her APU in the house was a no-go, so she had to rely on blankets, her own bodyheat, and leeching bodyheat off of others
>in short, she needed cuddles and blankets
>in a house with Blu, both were never in short supply
>as Blu got a shower started and prepped the two towels by the sink in the bathroom, Sierra began to check her phone in the master bedroom
>a quick whizz and a flush later and Blu opened the door to stick a hoof into the shower
>the water was more than hot enough, and with such a cold ambient tempurature, the steam was thick and plentiful, creating a fog that rapidly covered the mirror, filled his lungs, and slipped into every corner and crevasse of the room
>Blu stepped through the door into the stall and started to soak his fur through
>as he lathered up his mane, he heard the door to the shower open up, and a pony step in
>he stepped out of the way as he heard a bottle of bodywash opening up, soon followed by the sound of it snapping shut and being put back
>as two hooves pressed into his back, covered in a thick, slippery liquid, he smiled and chuckled
>as Sierra giggled along, Blu finished lathering his mane and leaned into the stream
>with the shampoo gone, he turned around and gave Sierra a hug as he used his wings to better lather the body wash on his back
>"Today is gonna be a good day." he thought as Sierra started to kiss him
>20 minutes later, the two stepped out and toweled off
>soon, Blu stepped out into the cold bedroom, with Sierra riding on his back sleepily, with the two's towels draped over her back, giggling and sighing in satisfaction to herself
>the muscles in Sierra's back were shivering, and the wet towels lost their heat quickly to the air
>her belly was perfectly warm, however
>Blu passed by a laundry basket, and Sierra tipped to her starboard side, letting the towels fall in
>as Blu passed by a closet, he opened it up and pulled out a set of folded blankets
>Blu threw the blankets on his right wing, using it to move them onto Sierra's back
>as he opened the door and walked through into the living room, he could feel that Sierra was shivering slightly less
>Blu walked past Sprite and Chaser to one of the nearby couches and let Sierra down gently
>Blu sat down alongside Sierra as she started to quietly wrap them both in blankets
>some shifting and shimmying on both their parts, and the blanket was wrapped around them both
>Blu reclined as Sierra laid belly down, half on top of him, nuzzling his neck a moment as she stretched the muscles in her back and legs before relaxing
>Blu wrapped her in a tight hug with both his forelegs and his wings, and both took a deep breath
>as they both sighed, content with the situation, Sprite and Chaser perked up slightly
>"Finally awake, eh?" Chaser asked with a giggle
>"Good morning, sir." Sprite cheerfully said
>"Mmmhmmm." Blu replied, nodding slightly in acknowledgement
>as the TV chattered away, Sierra and Blu laid together, holding one another close, drifting along the edge of unconsiosness
>"Hey Blu?" Sierra asked
>"Myeah?"
>"When are you gonna make some breakfast?"
>Blu took a deep breath, and sat up rapidly, slipping past Sierra and getting off the couch as fast as he could with a grunt
>"Now."
>Blu trotted past the couch where Sprite and Chaser sat, and made a right into the kitchen, brainstorming on what to prepare as Sierra wrapped herself in the blankets once more
>"Lobster Rolls? Nah, too messy, more of a lunch thing. Germane farmer's breakfast? Maybe. Doesn't seem like much of a December thing though. Russian cutlet? Maybe, there should be some of that meat-mix I made left in the fridge. Clam chowder? Couple cans in a pot over the stove and we'll have something perfect for a midday indoors." thought Blu
>eventually, the decision came down to chowder or German farmer's breakfast
>chowder was faster, bauernfrühstück was cleaner
>Blu decided to flip a coin
>if he got heads, he'd go with some hot bowls of store-bought chowder, and if he got tails, he'd go with the omelette-like dish
>Blu got to the counter and looked around for a coin
>standing up and placing his forehooves on the counter, he looked around for a quarter or dollar-coin, but instead only found a squadron-coin his father gave him during their trip to the World Series
>Blu smiled at the memory, how they had to explain to Chaser the rules and some old trivia, how Chaser had managed to sing along to the national anthem for the first time, how Sprite's brother congratulated Sprite on being able to hook up with Chaser and the couple's subsequent attempts at downplaying their relationship, and how Red bumped into that CEO's daughter and managed to charm her into joining the group
>the coin had, on one side, a stylized skull, and on the other, an F-18
>Blu extended a wing and got ready to flip the coin, using his feathers to snap it into the air
>the coin flipped end over end wonderfully, and landed right back into his wing, from which he rapidly flipped it over and slapped the coin down onto his left wrist
>he lifted the wing and folded it back, ready for whatever the coin said
>heads
>"Tails always wins" seemed to not be all too true
>Blu let the coin slide off onto the counter and turned to the pantry
>as he opened it up and looked to the cans, Blu did some quick multiplication to find out how many cans he needed
>5 should be enough for 7 ponies, and even if it wasn't he didn't feel too hungry
>as Blu piled the cans into one of his wings, he used the other to turn on the stove
>Blu set the cans down on the counter and pulled a pot out
>within five minutes, the cans had been emptied into the the pot, and their contents were starting to simmer
>soon, the chowder was hot enough to serve
>as Blu took out a few bowls and a ladle, he used a wing to shut off the stove
>with the same wing he flipped open a cupboard full of serving trays and pulled out 3, using his feathers to grip them and separate them once they were on the counter
>as Blu used the other wing to move the bowls onto the trays, he ladled in the chowder and found some napkins to place on the trays
>with all the bowls filled and on trays, flanked by small stacks of napkins, Blu found some spoons and stuck them in before sliding two trays onto his wings
>carefully balancing them, he carried two trays into the living room
>Blu stepped into the living room and walked to the coffee table, letting the trays slide onto them gently
>as Chaser perked up in curiousity at the soup, Blu walked back into the kitchen to get Red's tray
>Blu carefully carried the last tray through the hall to Red's room, moving fast in hopes of being able to slip back into the comfort of the little blanket-cocoon with Sierra
>Blu knocked on the door, and from inside heard a "Yeah?"
>"Breakfast." Blu said through the door
>"Alright, sure." Red replied
>Blu opened the door and walked to Red's desk, where he let the last tray slide gently on
>"Thanks, dude." Red said
>"No problem man." Blu returned "You gonna come hang out?"
>"Sure, lemme just finish debugging and compiling this program."
>"Alright, see you in a bit then." Blu said
>Blu turned and walked out the door, shutting it behind him
>Blu walked back to the living room and to the couch where Sierra was sitting
>already everyone else had dug into their soups
>Blu decided to get a soda before he got back into the blankets with Sierra
>trotting back into the kitchen, Blu decided on a few cans of Moxie
>Blu opened the fridge and reached for the orange cylinders with a wing, pulling out 3 and carrying them in the same wing
>Blu shut the fridge and rushed back to set the cans on the coffee table and get back into the blankets
>Sierra set down her spoon as Blu set his drinks down on some coasters, and briefly struggled to open the little blanket-burrito for Blu's entry
>Blu slipped in fast, doing his best to slip in behind Sierra without bumping into her wings, stabilizers, or nacelles too much
>as Blu wrapped both himself and Sierra up once more in the blankets, Seasprite piped up
>"Hey, do you guys mind if I check the news and see if they're still talking about Manehatten?"
>"Nah."
>"No."
>"Nemaye."
>"Thanks, guys." Sprite said as he reached for the remote on the table through a hole in his and Chaser's own little cocoon of blankets
>Sprite changed the channel to a well known news channel, where some talking heads jabbered away about the war
>soon enough, they began to mention Manehatten
>as low-quality footage from phones played, showing the plane crash, the voices of the reporters continued on, talking about the things done and said and about their aftershocks
>the footage jumped to two shadowy figures crawling through the crater towards the device as the wreckage burned
>as the footage jumped to the figures beating each other and the device being destroyed, the voices started to get to the questions about what exactly went down
>the talking heads mentioned all sorts of theories, ranging from Avian vigilantes intent on ensuring that their country wouldn't have to go back to being economically dependent on Equestria to benevolent aliens intent on ensuring the preservation of the union
>as the footage switched to new dark shapes marching up Seventh avenue, parting the crowd, one theory from some conspiracy theorist who called in from Miami involved Brazilian Nazis instigating the start of a third world war, which drove Blu to quietly wheeze with laughter, biting down on his lip, lest he howl with laughter, disturbing Sierra and ruining the quiet of the morning
>if one looked closely at the footage, they might have been able to just barely pick out a pale face with navy-blue accents and canards leading the march just before the footage switched to a cut of the explosions in the clouds
>soon enough, the talking heads managed to get back on track and finished talking about Manehatten
>just as the footage cut to reservist ground crews loading up one of the dark figures and the explosions in the clouds, Blu spoke up
>"So was that all you wanted to see, Sprite?"
>"Yeah, were you planning on watching anything else?"
>"Not really, what about you, Sierra?"
>"I'm pretty sure there ares some Never Rainy reruns on right now." she said
>Blu reached a forehoof out through the blankets towards Sprite in a gesture commanding him to throw Blu the remote
>Sprite carefully avoided bumping into Chaser's rotors and pylons with his hoof as he slipped it out of their set of blankets, grabbing the remote before giving it an underhoofed chuck in Blu's direction with a nice and predictable arc
>Blu caught the remote, and with a few upward tosses and imparted spin, it was in the right position in his hoof for easy access to the buttons
>Sierra reached a hoof out and punched the buttons "4" and "2"
>with the channel changed, Blu put the remote on the coffee table and the two got back to eating their breakfast
>as the four ate their soup and watched the characters on the screen screamed and bickered with one another about some small issue, Red finally showed up
>"Why the fuck is it so God-fucking-damn cold in here?"
>"We shut off the heater last night. Wanted to save a little cash." Sierra said
>"We've got loads of cash, Sie."
>"And if we avoid wasting it we can hang on to as much of it as possible." Blu replied
>"I wouldn't exactly consider keeping the rest of the house at room temperature instead of fridge-temperature 'wasting.'"
>"Just get some blankets or a coat."
>"That... Actually sounds pretty comfy."
>"Which is just another reason we did it. Now go get some blankets." Blu finished with a sly smirk
>Red smirked back and went to get some covers
>as Red came back and searched for a seat, Sprite and Chaser scooted to the left
>the four who came into the room prior finished their soups, and Red, who had frantically eaten his after finishing up on his program, simply sat back, got comfortable, and enjoyed the show
>soon enough the episode ended and a second began
>as Blu rubbed Sierra's belly absentmindedly, he considered working on the 428 in the garage
>the Cobra had already had the electronics installed, the chassis restored, the transmission rebuilt, and now only needed the engine compartment to be filled
>Blu really wanted the car finished soon
>then again, Blu also wanted to hang out outside in the snow with the others
>Blu closed his eyes and nuzzled Sierra's neck, taking a deep breath of her scent as he hugged her tightly
>as Sierra closed her eyes and leaned into Blu, Blu decided that the pristine snow outside and his friends around him were more important for now
>soon the episode was over and Blu piped up
>"So, do you guys want to head outside?"
>the others asked each other if they were in agreement, and soon enough said 'yes' collectively
>as the 4 undid their blankets and moved quickly to where their wallets, phones, and other accessories were, before going to where the winter equipment was, Blu rushed to clean up the bowls and cans, and soon enough went to where his accessories were
>Sierra grabbed her phone and wallet, along with some earbuds and a charging battery
>Red grabbed his phone, wallet, holster and personal firearm
>the handgun he had was a Mark 23 rechambered in 10mm, rated for overpressure
>although not as fast as his MAC 11's, it was more than enough to fend off bears, or anything else that may wait for them in the woods
>Sprite got his phone and wallet as Chaser got her wallet
>Blu got his dog tags, wallet, phone, his holster, knife, and handgun
>the handgun Blu picked was an M45 in .45 Super, rated for overpressure, just like the M45A2s he used in the field
>The main differences were the lack of automatic capability, a lack of connection between the trigger and the slide release, and the lack of accurization or a laser in the recoil-spring plug
>with all of them having acquired their items, they all met at the front door
>after putting on some coats, gloves, boots, pants, and scarves, the group followed Red out the door and into the untouched snow
>the 3 plane ponies stopped just short of the white blanket, somewhat scared of the cold
>Red stepped up to the porch's edge and stopped, only to be passed by an airborne Blu
>"WHOO!" Blu yelped as he cannonballed into the meter of snow, shattering the quiet of the afternoon
>as Blu sank into the snow, Chaser smiled and took one of Sprite's hooves, leading them both forward
>Sierra laughed and dove in towards Blu
>Blu reached out and caught her in a hug, and the two tumbled backwards further into the snow, laughing together
>Sprite and Chaser walked through the snow and began talking, and Red wandered off, pulling out his phone along the way
>as Blu and Sierra play-wrestled and tumbled in the snow, they laughed, kissed, and whenever one managed to pull away from the other, snowballs flew like little cannonballs
>in the brief moments between impacts from the snowballs and the victim of the little powdery spheres bringing their focus back to the pony who threw it, the one who threw the snowball would inevitably play-tackle the other back into the snow
>eventually, the two stopped when Sierra came crashing down on Blu one final time
>Blu and Sierra laughed together a while before kissing with a mutual giggle
>the two pulled apart and smiled at one another
>"God, you're cute." Blu chuckled
>Sierra smiled and kissed him on the forehead
>"You're adorable when you're like this." she giggled with a smug grin
>before she knew what was happening, Blu had flipped over on top of her, causing her to yelp
>"What about when I'm like this?" Blu asked, giving a toothy grin as he stood over her
>Sierra wrapped her hooves around the back of his neck
>"I like it." she said
>with a giggle, she pulled up and kissed him
>when they pulled apart, Blu stepped aside, letting Sierra roll backwards and get up
>"You wanna go to the airfield?" she asked
>"Sure." Blu answered as he got up, intent on paying his tab at the bar underneath the inn
>as the two walked to the northern end of the front yard, on the left side of the house, where the trail was, Sprite, Chaser, and Red took notice
>the others followed behind, Chaser called out to Blu
>"Where are you two going?"
>"The airfield" Blu answered
>"I wanna see if my package came in." Sierra said
>"Package?" asked Chaser
>"For h-Hearths Warming." answered Sierra, almost slipping an "i" behind the "h"
>Blu smirked to himself
>he knew what Sierra was going to say
>the question was if she meant to say it, or if she was simply thinking about it so much she nearly had a Freudian Slip
>he gave a 65-35 chance in the former's favor
>the group continued on into the woods, and their conversations drew quiet as they gazed around at the features of the forest
>soon enough, they came to the edge of the clearing where the airfield was
>soon after, they finally showed up to the small inn, off to the side of the small barracks
>Blu and Sierra went in as the others stayed outside to continue their conversation
>soon, the tab was paid, and Blu and Sierra came out the front door with a bottle balancing on Sierra's starboard wing
>Blu plucked the bottle off of Sierra's wing and brought his hoof back for an underhoofed throw
>"Hey, Chaser!" Blu called
>Chaser turned to Blu and saw him winding up, and began to spring up to catch the bottle
>as Blu chucked it, Chaser reached out with both of her front hooves, catching it with relative ease befor transferring the bottle to her right forehoof before landing on her other 3 hooves
>"What's this?" Chaser asked as she shifted her attention to the label
>"The Barkeep's way of saying thanks for helping him fix the tap two weeks ago." Sierra said with a smile
>as Chaser turned it over in her hoof, Sprite peered over her shoulder
>"Gold label Stoli." Blu told them. "Eighty proof. I've heard it's good."
>Chaser smiled before stowing it away in her coat
>"So, you guys wanna go back home?" Blu asked
>before he knew what was happening, he felt a hoof tap his shoulder
>Blu turned with a "huh," only to see a familiar face
>"Dancer?" Blu asked, his eyes wide as dinner plates
>the group was rather surprised at the U-2's sudden appearance
>"Good to see you, Blu." she said with a smile
>"Oh my God, I haven't seen you in months!" Blu laughed as they both went in for a hug. "Jesus, what are you doing here?" he asked as they pulled away
>"I wanted to deliver a few things personally." she replied, reaching for a saddlebag as the group came closer
>after unlocking it and reaching in, she pulled out a set of large pictures and handed them to Blu
>"These are some pictures I took of the area around Avia." She said as Blu unrolled a few for the group, unveiling a set of beautiful shots of the forests and the rocky coastline
>"These are amazing, Dancer." Sierra said
>"For Chaser, I brought a few shots of the rolling hills around Kralicky Sneznik." Dancer said as she gave a few rolled-up pictures to the Hind in question
>Chaser unrolled a photo as Blu rerolled his, revealing to the group the emerald-green fields strewn across the hills of the Eastern Europonian countryside
>with a smile, she rolled the photo back up and stuck it in her coat
>"For Seasprite, I have some shots of pretty much all sorts of places. I couldn't figure out what you would prefer, so I just got you a 'variety pack.'" Dancer said as she gave Sprite his present
>"Thanks, Dancer." Sprite replied with a smile
>Sprite unrolled one of his photos momentarily, revealing a tropical seaside
>Sprite rolled the image back up and once more smiled at Dancer
>"It looks great."
>Dancer smiled brightly and nodded in thanks
>"And for Red, I got some shots of the southwest."
>Dancer handed Red a set, and when he unrolled it, it revealed a shot of a grand, sweeping desert, dotted by vegetation such as greasewood and coachwind
>"Thanks, Dancer," Red said with a smile. "Looks great." he continued as he rolled up the photo's once more
>"What were you doing in the southwest?" Blu asked as he and Dancer started walking in the direction of the minimart
>"Ever since your work after the siege, Avia's been in the limelight. The media's been chalking us up as a nation of mercenaries. Val has been getting more and more calls, so there's basically always at least one or two ponies out of the country. I've been getting commissioned mostly by local police forces for counter-narcotics operations."
>"So, let me guess, new strain of narcotics coming out of Baja and slipping through the Sonoran?" Sierra asked
>"Perceptive." Dancer commented
>"Designer drugs?" Blu asked
>"We think so, but we aren't sure yet."
>"Would make sense. Baja seems kinda far from where most of the drug lords are. Would be pretty expensive to set up there." Red chimed in
>"They could totally sell pretty much anything at a huge premium if it came outta Baja. Designer drugs are one thing, new strains of them outta exotic locations are a much bigger animal." Blu concurred
>"I could definitely see there being a market for Baja-made cocaine in Pegasus and coastal SoCol." Sierra suggested
>"Coca plants would have a hard time growing in someplace like Baja. They're more of a south Amareican plant than central. They have a hard enough time growing in south Mexicolt." Blu continued
>"Really?" Dancer asked. "Do you think they're going with methamphetamines?"
>"Meth doesn't seem like a party drug. They could make a lot more profit with drugs that appeal more to short-sighted idiot rich kids running around with daddy's money than central Colti trailer-trash." Blu replied. "If you marketed it as the next big pick-me-up and told your customers to mix it into energy drinks, you'd be able to gouge the price enough to make back millions more than your BEP."
>"So do you think they've actually managed to grow coca plants in Baja?" Dancer asked
>"Hydroponics isn't all that hard to do if you know what you're doing, but that's not the only possibility. It's possible they're using narco subs to move the leaves and equipment. If I were some cartel leader, I'd be focused on shipping over hydroponics equipment along with the leaves. Either they're manufacturing the coke now and testing the market while setting up the equipment, or they're holding off on getting a permanent coca farm set up until they break even with the coke they're already making."
>"Really now?" Dancer inquired
>"I'd talk to your client the next time you see them, bring up those points, if it'll make your job more profitable." Blu said
>"I will, thanks." Dancer replied with a smile
>the group walked into the minimart, and Dancer began to walk towards the isle where one could find the refridgerators, each filled with locally popular beverages
>Blu and Red peeled away slightly towards where the potato chips were, and each began to search for their individual brands
>Sierra went to an adjacent isle, where one could find mass-produced pastries
>meanwhile, Sprite and Chaser went towards where one could find sandwiches and coffee
>"By the way, while you were missing, a few Equestrians showed up in Avia." Dancer said to the group, her tone shifting to a more serious pitch
>in that moment, Blu, Red, and Sierra felt a burst of annoyance and anexiety
>Blu still, after all these years, held a distaste for Equestria
>he enjoyed the ponies enough, but Equestria's government and major economic powers left a bad taste in his mouth
>not only that, but by now, he had grown to love Avia
>sure, not as much as his own nation, but he still felt protective of the nation of plane ponies, and after helping its leaders escape economic dependence on Equestria, he knew that he couldn't let the nation fall under what he considered an "economic subjugation" once more
>Red felt that the place had some weird vibes, and unnerved him just enough to annoy him, but not enough to cause his distress
>obviously this infuriated him to no end
>Sierra felt more disdain for the large businesses in the country, and considered quite a few to be bad news, and wouldn't put it behind a few of them to have a "shit-list" in case the future was going to be a "post-capitalist future with corporate fuckin' death-squads, 24/7 rain, and Neo-Cowloon," as Blu sometimes called the idea
>Chaser had yet to develop an opinion of Equestria, but she had, by now, decided how much she respected its military
>she considered Equestria to be an isolationist and defensive military power, something that seemed a little cowardly to her, but its military might was undeniable, and a force to be reckoned with in her eyes
>finally, SeaSpite, ever the follower, took after Blu, although he took a more lenient stance than Blu
>his feeling could be described less as "contained anger" and more as "a light dusting of reserved judgement"
>"Who?" Blu asked
>"A few members of the Royal Guard, led by a purple unicorn."
>"Which one?"
>"What?"
>"There's several major unicorns in power in Equestria right now. There's that one chick serving as an advisor to the monarch, the one below her, and that new captain of the Royal Guard who looks like the ass-end of a MiG after a day with an F-4."
>"That first one was an ALICORN, Blu." Sierra corrected with a slight laugh
>"Shit, yeah, wings."
>"Isn't she one of the monarchs now?" Red asked
>"She's been one for a few years now." Sierra said
>"Well anyways, I think that the unicorn who showed up was the last one you mentioned, Blu." Dancer continued
>"Alright, I think I've seen a few dossiers on her. So what happened?" Blu asked
>"They came in uninvited, went around questioning a bunch of ponies, stirred up a big mess. Val eventually got a few ponies together and chased them off, but it really spooked us. They were pretty adamant on finding out if you guys had shown up in Avia lately."
>the hair on the back of Blu's neck stood on end at the thought that the Equestrian guard would throw around their weight so much
>"What, the SAMs around Avia weren't working?"
>"No, they just flew in fast and low, saying over the radio that they were going to land right there on our biggest runway, no matter what we said. Val didn't have time to ward them off properly. Before we knew it, Equestrian royal guards with TQ-160s were hopping off a plane, and right behind them was their leader. Next thing we knew, ponies on the sidelines were getting shoved around and screamed at, Clo says that she was afraid that they'd start beating up on a few of the civilians."
>"Holy shit, and this is all because of us?" Blu asked, mortified at the thought
>all the things that could have gone wrong started playing out in the group's mind
>Sierra thought that beatings could end in the deaths of the guards, eventually resulting in international arrests, possibly of Val, Clo, and the "inner circle"
>in such a situation, Avia would fall apart immediately
>and if that happened, nobody, not even the RQ-170 they rescued, would have come to their rescue in Manehatten
>and if that happened, Blu and the rest would have been finished off by the mole
>and if that happened...
>a wave of heat ran down Sierra's spine, and a ticklish clenching seized at her throat
>Blu tried his hardest to keep the Galaxy's crew close, and while the crew could definitely function as an excelling unit in terms of offensive power and in SIGINT underneath the commands of the Colonel, their old DI wasn't exactly filled in on their traditions
>Sierra would bet that the Colonel didn't know much about their swim calls, or their borderline ritualistic face-paints, or even the ship-wide sea-shanties, and wasn't sure if the crew could handle the death of their "Sarge"
>the crew felt a bit more camaraderie when their CO, XO, and 2 logistics officers were out in the fight just as often, if not more so, than them
>such a situation also drove them to train hard and work harder
>after all, if a few soldiers could command an entire MEU by their early twenties just by being proficient enough, why couldn't the lowliest private, with enough training and combat experience, become an even more powerful commander?
>Red could only think of the possibility of the beatings escalating into a full scale invasion
>he didn't know if Equestria had black-sites, but his training dictated that they had at least a quarter as many as the CIA
>his mind, too, ran down the path of no-rescue
>he could still see the missile zipping up to meet them as they flew over Manehatten
>he remembered Blu screaming at him to put them down in the water as he wrestled with the mole
>he remembered screaming back that they would smash into the city long before reaching the river, and Blu telling him to crash them into the square at the lowest speed possible, giving the civilians time to evacuate before they crashed
>he remembered watching as civilians trampled wildly, directed by MPs and cops alike away from the impact point
>he remembered kicking off of the console of the plane at the last moment in hopes that he could survive the crash, just as Blu activated the artifact, draining it of its power in that moment
>he remembered his head smashing into something, and waking up underneath a panel with no injuries, before crawling out into the wreckage to look for surviving members of the group or the device
>he remembered finding Sierra trapped under a flap from one of the wings, struggling to escape
>he remembered trying to lift the flap off of her before Blu showed up, his wings and ribs broken beneath his shredded plate carrier, and his flesh slashed up by the shrapnel
>he remembered the wound on Blu's brow, pouring blood down over his left eye and the scar
>he remembered Blu rushing over to help as he shed his vest before Sierra told him the direction the device was in and ordering him to leave her and Red in favor of securing and disabling the device
>he remembered Blu hesitating for a moment before Sierra angrily reiterated to leave getting her out to Red, and that they couldn't risk the device detonating
>he remembered Blu rushing off, shaking of the limp he had, scrambling through a tunnel of wreckage, before the fuel-explosion that skewered him
>he remembered watching through the wreckage as Blu, after having pulled the metal shrapnel from his gut, fought to disable the nuke
>he remembered Blu beating the mole into near submission, only to be shot by his own gun, plucked from the crater by the mole
>most of all, he remembered when Val appeared, flanked by her troops
>he remembered how stoic and calm she seemed, as though she had done this a million times before
>he remembered how nonchalantly she called Blu's latest nickname, told him she was paying back a debt, how she demanded that Blu not waste it, and how Blu, despite his wounds, rose up on his shaking hooves and plucked the artifact out of the air
>he remembered Blu healing his ruined body, bullets and metal fragments falling out and away from him, bones mending, wounds closing, and even the scar on his face vanishing, plexiglass fragments falling down, shining like tears in the light of the burning crater
>he remembered it all
>he knew that if Val hadn't shown up, they'd all be dead, Blu finished off by a round clear through the brainstem, then maybe a reload, and soon enough all of them would have been picked off one by one
>sure, Blu would probably give it one last shot, but after getting nearly crushed under wreckage, getting blasted full of more shrapnel, exerting almost everything he had left in a fistfight, and then taking 5 rounds to the chest, what energy would he have left?
>Red hadn't finished freeing Sierra yet, and he wouldn't be willing to leave her behind to die
>as much distaste as he held for the idea, he couldn't deny that Sierra was not just one of his countrymares, but a sister-in-arms
>and Red never left a brother or sister behind
>Red made a mental note to tell Dancer to thank Val for him
>Chaser and Sprite both did their best not to think about what could have happened
>they couldn't feel much aside from guilt
>the fact that bystanders received punishment for something they had no power over made them feel bad enough
>they tried to shift their focus away from thoughts about such punishment's turning into beatings
>Blu was furious
>his dislike for Equestria was partially unfounded, he acknowledged that
>hell, one third of it was his distrust of magic, of which Equestria was known for, another third was his excessive nationalism
>granted, the last bit was how Equestria put Avia on an economic leash for so long, but still
>now Blu had legitimate reason to be pissed off at Equestria
>for a second, Blu almost let his emotions take a hold of his thinking
>"This cannot stand. This WILL NOT stand." he thought as anger crept into his mind
>before his emotion could cloud his thinking, however, he stopped
>"The guards came looking for us. It's possible that tensions were high. I need more information."
>"How many guards showed up?" Blu asked Dancer
>"Quite a few."
>"Can you give me a number?" Blu chuckled
>Dancer put a hoof to her chin and looked away in thought
>"30. I'd clock them at 30." Dancer decided
>"Were any other aircraft detected on radar?"
>"No."
>"30 guards." Blu monolouged internally, beginning to think tactically. "Most you'd need for that is one of their license-built DHC-8-200's. Enough space for the personnel and equipment for a few hours worth of operation. The guards were obviously there to either find us or find out if we had been in Avia recently in hopes of turning us over to INTERPOL. Going after 4 or 5 dangerous fugitives with an extensive background in assymetric warfare, CQC, and ambush techniques would put me on edge. Not like it would be any different for the guards."
>Blu came to the conclusion that the stunt that the Equestrian royal guard pulled was unacceptable, unforgivable, and deserved explanation, but was vaguely understandable
>he made a mental note to contact the appropriate superior officers to report the blatant infringement of the rights of a nation he had worked so hard to create an alliance with
>he owed Val that much
>odds were that the most that would happen would be an investigation, maybe a few members of the guard would get their pay docked, a few slaps on the wrists, and that would be the end of that
>not enough to force Equestria to rein itself in, but enough to cause a few headaches in its bureaucracy
>who knew, maybe the in the process he could rattle the guard's cage, and if he got lucky, maybe even get Avia some political breathing room
>"Has Val complained to the proper organizations yet?" Blu asked
>"No." Dancer replied after taking a moment to think back
>"Do you think she's trying to get an ace in the hole, like we did with the Great Seal Bug back in 1960?" Blu followed up as he reached for a bag of chips
>"No, I just think she's been too busy."
>Blu pursed his lips a moment with a short "hmm"
>"I suppose that's understandable. If all the merc work Avia's getting is as extensive as it sounds, she must be up to her eyes in phone calls and emails."
>Sierra stifled a snigger at the thought of Val, one of the few ponies who could match, let alone dwarf Blu in terms of height, comically being engulfed in a sea of paperwork
>despite almost 5 years of war-fighting, she still had a little bit of childlike joy in her
>that was something she didn't see changing anytime soon
>Blu reached for a bag of jalapeno-dusted chips, and trotted over to where one could find assorted bubblegum, plucking a few packs of shredded gum off the shelf
>Red picked up a bag of BBQ chips, and Sierra found a frosted honey-bun
>meanwhile, Chaser and Sprite found a few shooter-sandwiches, wrapped up tight in wax paper, as Dancer plucked a soda from the refrigerator
>"I just remembered, how's the 'inner circle' doing?" Blu asked
>Sierra's eyes went wide as a single "OH CRAP!" ran through her head when she remembered how long it had been since she heard from their friends
>well, "acquaintances" was what Blu and Red called them
>Blu just didn't feel comfortable enough around Blitz to think of her as a "friend," although he did desire such a relationship
>rather, it was closer to a mutual feeling of respect, most of said respect coming from his side of the relationship
>from Blitz it felt something like 20% hostility, 30% respect, 50% apathy
>Blu felt it was understandable
>hostility was in Blitz's nature, that much he had learned within minutes of meeting her back when he was still new to covert operations, and she had better things to worry about than some dumb kid 4/5ths her age
>Blu felt that he shouldn't label what he had with Blitz or her group a "friendship," yet
>Blitz was a loud player in that group, and Blu felt he could end up overstepping his boundaries if he called what he had with that group a "friendship" if he didn't have a sort of non-verbal agreement with Blitz, Airliner, and Skybreaker
>Red was more apathetic towards their group's relationship with the little group of Avians, although he did feel rather important in the company of Airliner and Skybreaker
>in uniform, the fact that he used such an "official" vocabulary made him seem cool and calculating to those who didn't know him closely, and with the dual MAC-11's and full-length M27, he could come off as a "strong, silent type," like a pillar of strength
>of course, he didn't fancy himself a sort of bodyguard or chivalrous knight, but he definitely wasn't far from thinking in terms like that
>Sierra, however, felt quite at home intermingling with the group
>despite their differences, the mutual respect each group held for the other was undeniable, and if either group were to be harmed greiviously, the other would be rather sad
>"They're fine. Back when you guys dropped off the face of the earth, Airliner started wondering where you were. Eventually, that all spiraled into another one of their little 'adventures.'" Dancer said, smiling at the memory
>"Any changes with 'em while we were gone?"
>"No. Blitz and Skybreaker are still butting heads regularly, Airliner is as sweet as ever, Mayday and Runway are still never out of sight from one another, nothing's really changed?"
>"BD?" Blu asked, more than a little concerned for the little energetic filly's wellbeing
>although, technically, by now, BD was somewhere between 12 and 15
>"Not much of a tiny filly anymore." Blu thought. "She's not gonna be as much of a slippery little bast-ette, but God help us all, if she's got more weight to throw around, she's gonna be a helluvalot more dangerous"
>Blu did not like the idea of an even-more dangerous BD, let alone a smarter, faster one
>"Still as inquisitive and wild as ever." Dancer replied
>"Mhm." Blu said with a smile
>"OH FUCK." he screamed internally
>as Blu began trying to figure out how best to deter about a hundred pounds of physically-manifested ADHD traveling at 25% of C, Sierra spoke up
>"What about Drone?" Sierra asked
>the quite literal poster-child of Avia's next generation was a pony they all worried about sometimes
>the things she had been through were tough, and they all knew it
>it kinda explained why she was so introverted and quiet, although getting a gun jammed into your neck wasn't exactly a good icebreaker
>granted, she was marking them with an infrared designator while they weren't looking, but it was under orders by Val, in case the joint exploration of the ruins went south, but still, it was a little overkill in retrospect
>however, it was no secret among the Galaxy's upper echelon that staff sergeant Anon was, despite being affiliated with the ones who had thrown her to the ground in those caves, was one of her dearest friends
>and more than likely something more
>"She's been out a lot more, and seems a little more cheery. I guess when you guys vanished, Anon didn't have much contact with her."
>"Makes sense. The mole wanted us out of the way, so making sure that we couldn't contact Avia through any moles in the Galaxy's crew seems like it would've been a good idea."
>eventually, the group condensed around the counter to pay, and soon enough they were out the door
>as the group walked along the airfield, Blu and Red packed away their bags of chips, and Sierra, her honey bun, into a single plastic bag as Blu passed around packs of gum
>Chaser and SeaSprite munched away at their sandwiches and stuffed away their gum rations
>Dancer stuffed her ration of gum away into her saddlebags and sipped her soda
>"Hey, do you guys know what time it is?" asked Dancer
>"Uhhh, a quarter till 4." Sierra said as she checked
>"Oh, dammit!" Dancer shouted, cantering off to the empty runway
>"What, what is it?!" Blu shouted after her
>"I have to be in Manehatten by 5!"
>"What for!?"
>"I have a job offer!"
>"Well, she better get a move on." Red mused
>"Hey, Dancer!" Blu called
>Dancer turned back a moment to find out what Blu had to say
>"See you soon!" he shouted with a grin
>"See you!" Dancer shouted back with a smile
>the group waved goodbye as Dancer cantered down the runway and coasted up into the wild blue yonder
>before long, she vanished from sight, obscured by the treetops
>the group stood around for some time, continuing to look up, as though they could still see Dancer
>Blu tore open a pack of gum and threw some of the pink taffy strips in his mouth, and Sierra followed suit, as Chaser and SeaSprite finished their sandwiches
>Blu and Sierra stuffed away the remainder of the gum into their pockets as Sprite and Chaser stuffed the wax paper away into their pockets and Red checked his phone for the time
>eventually, Sierra began to lean into Blu and close her eyes, rubbing her cheek into his neck
"So, do you guys wanna head back home?" asked Blu
>a few noises of agreement were given in return
>"Mmmyeah, okay then." Blu muttered in satisfaction
>with that, the group began to collectively march back towards the trail
>before long, the group was back home and inside, shedding their clothes as the sun was going down, placing the pictures and packs of gum on a nearby table
>Blu started to walk to the kitchen with his chips held in his mouth, equipment in his wings, and hot chocolate on his mind as Red walked to the living room, intent on flopping down, opening up his bag of chips, and watching some TV from under the covers
>Chaser rushed a little towards the hall to head towards the shower, not exactly keen on being slowed down behind Sprite's wings
>Sierra followed behind Sprite towards the hall, but stopped before entering
>she considered heading to the master bedroom to take a shower as she looked to the kitchen, before deciding satiating her curiousity was more important
>Sierra walked to the entrance of the kitchen before looking around to take stock of what Blu was doing
>Blu by now had dropped his weapons on a nearby table, washed his hooves, and started warming the milk and was trying to remember if he had any chocolate bars, searching through the cupboards as the milk started to simmer
>"What are you making?" Sierra asked
>"Just some hot chocolate."
>"By boiling milk?" she replied with a sly look
>"Alright, first off!" Blu shouted with a laugh as he pointed an accusatory hoof at Sierra, "This isn't boiling, this is simmering, and if you were a culinary master like me," he continued, placing his hoof upon his chest and beginning to speak as though with a holier-than-thou attitude, "you'd see how stupid that statement is!"
>"Yes, Master Chef, your skill in the field of burning potatoes knows no bounds." Sierra laughed as she rolled her eyes
>"One time!" Blu half-groaned, half-chuckled. "One time outta a hundred!" he finished as he checked the nearby fridge for some chocolate
>"Oh, I'm sorry, did I strike a nerve?" Sierra asked smugly. "If it makes you feel any better, the noodle incident is FAR more memorable!" she finished with a 'sophisticated' inflection
>Blu began laughing and tried to come up with a response as he grabbed a can of whipped cream and flicked off the top, letting it flip end over end onto the counter, as he swung it tip first toward's Sierra's snout with a laugh
>seeing this, Sierra snatched a wooden spoon out of a case on the counter to parry whatever Blu had in mind, but before Blu could say anything, a voice rang out from the living room
>"Holy fuck! Would you two stop being so fuckin' loud?!" Red roared from under the covers of the blankets he had dragged from his room earlier, freezing Blu and Sierra in place, looking in his direction
>Blu and Sierra snapped their attention towards the living room, startled by the interruption, once more remembering they shared the house with others, before turning back to one another, with Sierra looking at Blu with an amused smile in response to how awkward the situation had become
>Blu was pointing the tip of the whipped cream can right in her face, his right foreleg poised like a cobra halfway through striking, as Sierra had the scoop end of the spoon pointed straight at his throat, taking a stance like a wolf cornered by a bear
>without a word, Blu let a smug smile spread across his face and snapped the tip of the can down across Sierra's nose, leaving a large dollop of cream on her nose
>"Wha-? Hey!" Sierra laughed as she dropped the spoon on the kitchen counter, reaching up immediately after to brush off the dairy product frantically
>Blu set the can down on the counter as Sierra looked to the cream on her hoof before sticking out her tongue and bringing her hoof to her mouth
>Blu looked to her and stared for a moment before she noticed his attention was on her, looking up to him
>the two stared at one another for a moment before Sierra lapped up a small amount, letting out a quiet "Mahlm" noise
>"What are you, fuckin' 12?" Blu asked in a deadpan voice
>Sierra burst into stifled laughter, covering up her mouth for a moment as she tittered away
>Blu chuckled along, returning his attention to the search
>"So, what, you've never had traditional hot chocolate?" he asked
>"I'm sorry, what?" Sierra asked through her giggles as she lapped up more of the whipped cream
>"You acted like you didn't know how to make it the old-fasioned way."
>"I know how to make hot chocolate!" Sierra said defensively
>"First off, wash up, I don't need you tracking sugar and shit into bed, second, you know how to tear open a package and work a microwave." Blu teased. "You use powder, I use the good stuff. I make hot chocolate, you make glorified MRE chocolate milk."
>Sierra shifted over to the sink nearby and rinsed what was left of the cream off her nose and hoof
>"Alright, so how do you make hot chocolate?" Sierra asked as she wiped off her nose and mouth and flicked away the water
>"The way I was taught, you'd melt semisweet and sugar in hot milk."
>Sierra reached up into a cupboard and pulled out a bag of semisweet chocolates and held them up
>"These?"
>"Yeah. Where were they?" Blu asked
>"Just up in the cupboard." Sierra mumbled
>a pause
>"That explains a lot..." Blu muttered
>Sierra gave the bag an underhoofed chuck towards Blu, who caught it and murmured "Thanks" before tossing it to the counter
>before long, the chips and sugar were dumped in and melting into the milk quickly
>Blu took the wooden spoon from the counter and started to stir as Sierra walked back over to him and started to press up against him, resting her chin on his shoulder
>the cold of the house was starting to get to her, but Blu was more than warm enough to make it bearable
>Blu leaned his head into Sierra's as she closed her eyes, and started to hum a deep, low song as he continued to stir
>"There's another side of heaven. This way, to technical paradise...~" he sung in a quiet tenor after a while
>"Find it on the other side...~" Sierra picked up, remembering the chorus of the old classic
>"When the walls fall down.~" They sang together in a quiet duet
>the two smiled in silence, simply letting the hiss of the stove and distant, quiet chattering of the TV
>eventually Blu turned down the heat and opened up a cupboard full of mugs, pulling out 3, before grabbing a ladle from the vase across the counter
>"Hey, why don't you go turn on the shower and I'll get in with you in a few minutes?" Blu asked
>"Sure." Sierra answered
>as Sierra trotted off to get her phone and head to the master bathroom, Sprite and Chaser walked into the living room and laid down together on the loveseat, once more slipping under the covers
>less than a minute later, Blu came out of the kitchen with a tray with 3 mugs of hot chocolate, each topped off with whipped cream, balanced across his back
>Blu tipped the tray slightly on an outstretched wind and slid the tray onto the coffee table gently, steadying it with a hoof
>"Drinks," he announced quietly as Chaser perked up
>"Thanks," Red muttered as he reached for a mug
>Blu rushed off to the shower as Chaser cupped a hot mug and sniffed at it as Red and Sprite took a few cautious sips
>5 minutes later, Blu and Sierra came out and went to the kitchen to get their own drinks
>before long, the two came back into the living room with their drinks, a bottle of whiskey, Sierra's honey bun, and the bag of chips
>the two set their refresments down on the table, laid down on the couch together, near Red, and wrapped up in a blanket of their own
>Blu opened up the whiskey and poured a shot's-worth into his mug as Sierra took a few sips from hers before laying back and looking to the TV
>as Blu craned his neck to reach around Sierra and sipped down some of his drink, he wrapped his wings around Sierra
>after putting down his drink, he ripped open the bag of chips on the table and laid back, wrapping his hooves around Sierra and nuzzling her neck a moment before laying back as well
>Sierra closed her eyes and laid back into Blu, and after some time, gave him a kiss on the cheek
>for the next 45 minutes, Red watched a program on some musical artist he liked and flirted with the CEO's daughter over some chat service on his phone, Sprite and Chaser hugged, Blu and Sierra snuggled and munched on chips and the bun, and the group as a whole sipped down their drinks
>occasionally, somepony would take a swig from the bottle of whiskey, usually Blu, Red, or Chaser, although from time to time Sierra would take a sip
>eventually, the mugs and bottle were empty, the credits were rolling, all that was left of the junk food were the packaging
>by this time, Chaser had fallen asleep on Sprite's shoulder, Red had finished chatting with the mare on the other end, and Sierra had settled on listening to Blu's breathing
>Blu gave Sierra a short squeeze before retracting his wings and slipping out from under her, being careful not to get snarled up in her stablizers or engines
>after dropping off the couch and from under the blanket, Blu began to stuff the wrappers into the empty chip bag, and placed all the mugs back on the tray
>as he did this, Chaser started to wake up and take stock of her surroundings before giving Sprite a kiss on the cheek
>"I dunno about you guys, but I'm gonna go to bed." Blu said as he made his way to the kitchen with the trash and mugs
>Sierra looked out a nearby window to see that the sun had gone down, and a snowstorm had begun to kick in
>soon the wind would be howling and the house would be covered in snow
>"I'm probably gonna watch some more of this trash." Red muttered with a chuckle as he checked the guide for what was coming on next
>"Hey, you wanna head back to the bedroom?" Sprite quietly asked Chaser, who nodded and yawned in response, making a noise that may have been supposed to be a "Da"
>as Blu walked back in, Sierra rolled off the couch with the blankets draped across her back and walked towards the hallway
>"G'night, guys." Blu said on his way out
>a set of "Goodnights" were given in response
>as Blu and Sierra walked into the master bedroom, Blu flopped onto the bed and stretched for a moment as Sierra tossed the blankets
>Sierra crawled into bed, and Blu kicked and shuffled the blanket into position
>after shifting into a comfortable position and adjusting her pillow, Sierra reached over to the bedside table and grabbed a book she had been reading the night before and laying back
>Blu grabbed his phone, which he had dropped onto his bedside table on his way to the shower, and began to pull up a document on intelligence analysis
>the two began to study their respective literature as the hoofbeats of Sprite and Chaser sounded off just outside their door, on the way to their own bedroom
>as time went on, the two began to scoot closer to one another, and before long the two had wrapped their hooves around one another
>Sierra gave Blu a kiss on the cheek as he reached across her for the bookmark on her bedside table
>Blu turned in to give her one on the mouth as he retracted back into his position
>Sierra followed him as he laid back and raised the bookmark to her literature and a hoof to her cheek, letting go of her book with her left hoof and propping herself up with her elbow to try and roll on top of Blu without hurting her wings
>eventually she managed to lift herself up enough to flop down on top of Blu, letting her novel fall shut on the bed
>the two both let out a short "whuff" as they pulled apart and bounced apart off one another's chests
>Sierra propped herself up over Blu as he put one hoof on her hip and one on her waist
>"You taste like shitty booze." Sierra told him with a sultry smile
>"Oh fuck you, you had some too and I'm not complaining." Blu chuckled with a toothy grin
>"Because your taste in alcohol is as shit as your taste in decor."
>"You wound me. This is Prench Country, not your run-of-the-mill 'just put up band posters and be done with it' decor." Blu replied
>"I wasn't gonna put up band posters, I wanted mid-century modern..." Sierra muttered quietly
>"In a bedroom? No way that could work out here." Blu replied, looking to the window as a particularly nasty gust battered away at the walls. "Maybe in the kitchen or living room, but not in here. Might as well be trying googie."
>"Googie? The hell is-"
>"40's through 60's, think Nuketown and the Las Pegasus sign." Blu explained as he looked back to Sierra
>"... Can you be more specific?" Sierra asked with a confused expression
>"Bright pastel colors, cars with fins, weird-looking coffee tables?"
>a pause
>"Rrrriiiight." Sierra began to laugh. "Well either way that trash tastes awful."
>"You say that like its supposed to convince me of something." Blu retorted smugly
>"Why do you even drink it, anyways?" Sierra asked, ignoring Blu's disregard for her abridgement as she adjusted her lower body, shifting her hips to rest over Blu instead of to the side
>"Because it tastes like fuck." Blu sung quietly with a grin as Sierra lowered herself to rest on Blu's body
>"So you just drink that filth because of a song?"
>"Yeah, pretty much."
>"You know, as much time as we spend together," Sierra said as she nestled her head into the crook of Blu's neck, "There are just be some things I will never understand about you."
>"Do you think that's a bad thing?" Blu asked as he wrapped his hooves around Sierra
>Sierra took a deep breath as she mulled the thought over before deciding
>"No." she said as she pulled back to kiss Blu. "It might just be one of the best things." she finished as they pulled apart
>"And why is that?" Blu asked as they gazed at one another
>"Because it fits you!" Sierra began to laugh. "You're always either hiding in dark corners, or doing the stupidest shit when things go south!"
>"Oh come on, 9-banging a room followed by ambidextorous point-shooting is a completely legitimate tactic!"
>"'Ambidextorous point-shooting?' Thats what you call rushing into a room full of guys with machine guns with just 2 pistols?"
>"Shut up, that's a thing." Blu muttered defensively as he looked away
>"Truly, the inner workings of your mind are an utter mystery." Sierra finished with a smug, satisfied smile as she shifted back into a sitting position momentarily to flip back over
>Blu did his best to help out with the ordeal, and in as little as 15 seconds of slightly awkward shifting later, Sierra had taken the role of the little spoon
>the two made a few more slight adjustments to get comfortable as they turned out the lights, and were soon perfectly nestled against one another
>the two snuggled for some time, listening to the sound of one another's breathing contrasted with the howling of the wind
>the noise reminded the two of several other noises that had played the part of their lullabys
>the distant sounds of AA, artillery, and machine guns, dampened by the hull of an IFV
>the muffled scream of the engines of a C-17
>the distant thumping of tires and wailing of engines of Navy jets on a flight deck
>the snow cave on the Fox archipeligo, echoing with the distant howls of wolves and cries of the wind
>the sound of rain on the dilapidated shack on the airfield in Eastern Europe
>experiences like these weren't rare to the two
>at this point, the hostile ambiance contrasted with the comfort of one another's presence was comforting
>eventually, Sierra broke the ambient din
>"Hey, Blu?"
>"Myeah?" he replied
>"Do you like what we do?"
>"What do you mean?"
>"Our job."
>Blu took a deep breath and a moment to mull over the question
>"It's something that only we can do. I think that's enough to justify it."
>"But do you like it?" Sierra insisted
>Blu opened his eyes and took a little time to figure out his response
>"Let me put it this way, I like working in sync with Red. I like getting intel from you and Sprite. I like how you and Chaser are always there to blast our way out if things go south. I like the teamwork and I like protecting good ponies."
>"What don't you like?"
>"The ponies we fight." Blu said dryly. "Those fucking one-liners get grating after year two." he muttered
>"Do you like fighting them?" Sierra asked ask she opened her eyes and glanced back at Blu
>"I like stopping them. I hate seeing what they do." he replied with a tinge of sadness
>Sierra took a moment to digest that information
"How long do you think we'll have to keep fighting, Blu?"
>Blu took a second to make an estimate
>"When we get back into the groove, we'll probably be at it for about a year."
>"You sure?"
>"I can only estimate."
>Sierra took some time to think over that answer
>eventually she decided to ask him something she'd wanted to all week
>"What comes after, if we win?"
>Blu was caught off guard
>he was so used to fighting SOT insurgents that "after" seemed to be a thousand years away
>"I dunno. I guess that I might just stay in the Corps. '5 Star General Blu' has a nice ring to it."
>"Is there anything else you'd want to do?"
>"I guess if I don't stay in I could try and start a buisness or something. Maybe become a bush pilot or gunsmith or something."
>a pause
"What about getting married?" Sierra asked
>Blu hadn't been caught so off-guard in a long time
>"Excuse me?" Blu asked nervously
>"You know, getting married, starting a family, all that?"
>Blu felt the blood rush to his cheeks
>"I... Yeah, I would like that. What about you?"
>"With you..." Sierra said as she guided Blu's left hoof to rub her belly and his right to caress her cheek. "I want that more than anything."
>Sierra looked over her shoulder to see Blu smiling at her as he blushed before smiling back and laying her head back down
>Blu laid his head down and listened to Sierra's heartbeat as he gently stroked her belly
>"Hey, Sierra?"
>"Yeah?"
>"If we h-have, u-uh, kids." Blu stammered. "E-emphasis on IF I mean if you don't want kids anyti-"
>Sierra put a reassuring hoof on Blu's left hoof, silencing him as she looked back into his eyes
>"'When' we have kids." she corrected
>with that, Blu felt the nervousness slip away as he let out a breath with a "Wush"
>"Alright, when we have kids, do you have any ideas for names?"
>"It's a little early to think about that, don't you think?" Sierra laughed
>"I dunno, I just thought the idea would be neat to play around with."
>"Mmmm. I guess that the names would have to depend on whether or not they take after me or after you."
>"I dunno, I feel like 'Frozen Skies' could work for both a colt with fur or with hydraulics."
>"And what if she's a filly?" Sierra asked
>"I dunno, you pick something."
>"I sorta like 'Rainy Skies.'"
>"Ehhh..."
>"What?"
>"... Nothing, I'm just not sure about that name."
>"Well, whatever we pick, we'll have plenty of time to brainstorm." Sierra concluded
>"Yeah. I love you, hun." Blu said as he closed his eyes and nuzzled closer to Sierra
>"I love you too, Blu." Sierra said
>the two laid there in the silence of the night, letting sleep slowly take them
>within their minds laid surprises that they held for one another, hidden away out of sight
>Sierra was looking forward to giving Blu the engraved zippo she had ordered for his birthday
>and Blu looked forward to giving Sierra the ring he had hidden away in a little hidden corner of the house