Stress Test(By: DICTATORANON)

http://pastebin.com/FcGbvHvX

>”Break right!”
>No sooner had it been said that your missile alert went off, flooding your cockpit with red lighting
>”WARNING: MISSILE”
>You jerked the control stick hard to the right and down, grunting at the immediate g-forces that swept over you
>Thankfully, your flight suit handled most of it
>Now as for the missile, that was on you
>A quick glance at the radar showed that it was still on your tail
>You let it close in on you for a bit as you dived down
>”1,000 METERS”
’Come on, faster!’ You thought
>”500 METERS, COLLISION IMMINENT”
“Shut it!” You yelled as you swiftly tugged the control stick straight towards you and shot upwards
>As your neck was snapped backwards by the g-force, you saw the missile pass you
“Oh man, thank you based Sukhoi!” You said with jubilation, having dodged the missile by the skin of your teeth
>”Enough of that, Anon, help me defend the VIP flight!” Barked your flight commanding officer
“Aye aye, captain.” You responded, adjusting your heading and engaging your afterburners
>You reach him within a moments notice
>And there was your VIP
>Princess Twilight Sparkle
>She had stayed behind to make sure that the last of the injured and her friends made it safely onto the last truck out to Canterlot
>Ponyville and several other cities had recently been under siege from a combined force of Changelings and Griffons, the former of which changed into Griffons due to their superior strength and aerial performance compared to ponies
>This would have been a lot easier had some traitorous humans not leaked the designs to some of the most advanced Anti-Air defense systems currently known to man to your enemies
>At least you’re the only ones with fighter jets
>In any case, you were to ensure her safe transit
>Your radar beeped at you, alerting you of more bogeys
>”Look sharp everyone, coming in from your 2 o’clock!” Said the CO
“I’m on it!” You said as you gunned it towards the adversary
>You looked ahead
>It looked like a small squadron of about four Griffons
>And one larger flyer
>Upon closer inspection, it was another jet fighter
>A J-20, no less
>Your radio crackled as the unknown pilot made contact
>”Guess who’s back, bitches?” Said the pilot with a smug tone of voice
>Your eyes went wide
>That was no ordinary J-20
>It was orange and blue
“YOU!” You screamed as you primed your R-77s
>”TARGETS LOCKED”
>You corrected the lock-on
>”TARGET LOCKED”
>You flipped up the safety cover and pushed the button
>Four streams of white smoke flew from the hardpoints on your wings, all converging on the J-20
>All four of the Griffons flew to intercept the missiles the only way they knew how
>The results were three pink clouds of mist and a green one
>”Was that the best you’ve got, you shitstain?” Jeered the pilot
>You saw his internal weapons bay open up
>A rectangular missile was then deployed, it was 6 times the size of one of your R-77s
>”Anon! Get back here on the double! Worry about him when we can fight him as a group!” Yelled your CO yet again
>”WARNING: MISSILE”
>You hastily made a U-turn and popped chaff, soon engaging full afterburner
>The cabin was once again normal
>”WARNING: MULTIPLE MISSILES”
‘Are you funnin’ me, son?’
>You couldn’t ask for more speed, since the engines were already maxed out
>So instead, you suddenly jerked the stick towards you and shot up, Gees nearly blacking you out
>”WARNING: MISSILE”
>You kept climbing, trying to squeeze your T-50 for every last bit of performance
>”Everybody, break!” Commanded your CO as the other missiles made their way towards your squadron
>”Perfect.” Said the unknown pilot maliciously
’12,000 meters, should be enough’ You thought as you jerked the control stick towards you once again, completing a U-turn as you began hurtling towards the ground
>You got a good look at this guy’s fighter
>Mostly orange, dark blue towards the cockpit, with a jagged line dividing the two
>In the center of the jet was a blue shield with an inscribed lightning bolt
>Yep, you knew exactly who it was
>”Oh, would you look at that, Ms. Sparkle’s all alone and defenseless. Now is this any way to treat your waifu, Anon?” Remarked Flash, clearly trying to get a rise out of you
>It was working, since you kept trying to push the throttle into the wall of the cockpit
>”That’s ok, Anon. If you can’t take care of her…”
>You saw a streak of white head for Twilight
>”…then I will.”
>Oh HELL no
>You primed your R-77s again
>”TARGET LOCKED”
>You fired
>Two white lines traced their way to Flash
>”Oh, this again?” He taunted nonchalantly
>There was no smoke, but your missiles went awry
>Fucking ECMPs
>You saw Twilight shoot a beam of magic at the missile, but it did nothing to dissuade it from its course
>Oh fuck
>You were seeing red because of the g-forces being expressed by your jet’s dive
>”CAUTION: APPROACHING MISSILE”
‘Yes, I see it.’
>”CAUTION: APPROACHING MISSILE”
> You looked up, facing both Flash and the missile, gritting your teeth
>You braced yourself for what was about to happen
>”WARNING: APPROACHING MISSILE, IMPACT IMMINENT”
>Impact
----------
>You bolted upright in your bed, screaming as though in anguish
>You looked around, only to find no one there
>It was just you and everything you had in your chambers
>And a quick, yet frenzied, pat down of yourself revealed that you were still alive, with no shrapnel wounds or gaping holes to be found
>You checked the time on your phone
>04:23
“Uragh! I don’t have time for this, I have to get to bed!” You yelled to yourself
>You flopped down upon your bed and pillow angrily, slamming your eyes shut as you rested on the pillow
>Failing to fall asleep like that, you resorted to tossing and turning in your bed, trying to find a comfortable position
>Stomach? Nope
>Side? Nu-uh
>Back? Nyet
“Gah!” You exclaimed, frustrated by your inability to sleep
‘Well, if my failsafe fails, then I guess I’ll wait for Celestia to raise the sun.’
>You grabbed your phone, unlocked it, and opened the music application
“Let’s see here, A, D, F, aha! H.”
>You scrolled to the song you wanted, set the volume accordingly, and laid back
>“On a dark desert highway, cool wind in my hair. The warm smell of colitas, rising up through the air…”
----------
>A klaxon blared at full blast from your phone, signaling the start of your morning
>Groggily, you reached for your phone
“Uuuuuugh, five more minutes, Princess.” You groaned
>You hit the snooze button and closed your eyes again
>Exactly five seconds later, there was a loud knocking at your door
“Mmh, just a minute!” You called out hazily
‘Fuck’s sake, can’t I get some rest around here?’
>You slowly proceeded to drag yourself out of bed, shuffling towards the door
>You get to the door and open it just enough to see who your visitor was
>It was one of the servants
>”Good morning, Your Excellency! You wanted me to wake you up in case you thought about sleeping through this morning!” Replied the pony
“Oh, right. Thanks for that. Is breakfast being served?”
>”Not yet, but I’m willing to bet you have just enough time to prepare yourself before it is, Your Excellency!” She said
‘How the fuck is she so peppy this early in the morning?’
“All right, then, best not tarry around. Thanks again, Mocha.” You reply, yawning mid-sentence.
>”No problem, Sir!” She said as she trotted happily on her merry way
‘Well, time to get started. A shower sounds good right about now.’
>With that, you closed the door behind you and made your way to the shower, disrobing along the way
>You stepped in, turned on the water, and stood under it for a minute to rinse yourself
“Ah, this feels nice.” You said, entranced by the warmth cascading all over your body
>Your eyelids were feeling terribly heavy all of a sudden
‘I’ll rest my eyes for a second.’ You said, before drifting off
----------
>You managed to eject before the missile hit your jet
>Your ejector seat’s initial upward momentum had now ceased, leaving you to fall down to the earth
>Your parachute deployed within seconds of your initial descent
>You suddenly heard something that wasn’t rushing air going around you or the parachute
>It was steadily getting louder
>You desperately look in all directions, trying to find the source of the noise
>Behind you, Flash’s J-20 was closing in on you
>You looked on in horror, as there were small puffs of smoke coming from the sides of his jet near the cockpit, followed by your parachute became heavily perforated
>Your controlled descent now became a straight drop down
>You exceeded terminal velocity for a human, since you were still in your seat, which lead to you panicking and screaming instead of doing something useful
>You weren’t far from the water now, and your seat had now turned you to face the sky, due to the air resistance
>You saw Flash’s jet pull a few maneuvers, fire its guns, and fly through a pink mist
“TWILI-“ You managed before you hit the water
----------
“AH!” You screamed, waking up from your nightmare
>You found yourself slumped against the wall in the fetal position, instead of your initial standing position
‘Fuck’s sake, I gotta get my shit together!’
>You carried on with the shower quickly
‘I lost 30 fucking minutes because of my episode’ You lamented inwardly, looking at your phone’s clock as you put the finishing touches on your suit for today
>You made a mad dash for the dining hall
----------
>Everyone had left before you got there, leaving just an empty table
‘Ah, fuck’
>”Ah, there you are, Your Excellency-”
“Whoa!” You exclaimed, startled
>It was Mocha again, hazel eyes shining brightly as always
“Oh, hello again, Mocha. You wouldn’t happen to know if I could still get breakfast, would you?”
>”I was actually gonna tell you that I took the liberty of bringing it your room, since you missed breakfast with the Royal Sisters!” She replied enthusiastically
‘Jesus Christ, she makes Celestia’s sun look dim.’
“Well alrighty then. Thanks yet again, Mocha.” You said, now awake
>”My pleasure, Sir!”
>You make your way again to your room
----------
‘Cold pancakes are still pancakes, I guess.’ You contemplate internally about your delayed breakfast
>You decided to place a call as you went to the garage
>RRRRRRRRRING
>RRRRRRRRRI-“Hello?”
“Hey, Twi.”
>”Hi, Anon!”
“Doing anything right now?”
>”Besides being lauded for saving Equestria yet again alongside the gals, nothing much. Why?”
“No reason, just thought I’d head over there and visit my-“
>You looked around the halls to make sure no one was around
“-favorite princess.” You whispered
>”Oh, Anon, you know I’m not better than anybody else! I still have my faults.” She said jovially
>Couldn’t argue with that, could you?
‘Hey, fuck off. I could EASILY argue against it, I’m just able to see past that shit and love her for who she is and what she means to me.’
>Then why don’t you? You just admitted that she’s not the best candidate for a waifu
“Get outta my head and stop derailing the story!” You suddenly shouted out loud
>”What?” Twilight asked genuinely confused
“Nothing! Anyways, I’ll see you soon. Love you, Twi.” You said quickly to save face
>”Love you too, Anon! Bye.”
“Bye.” You said as you hang up
‘I’ll fucking murder you.’
>Hey, you had better watch yourself; I’M the one running this three-ring shitshow
‘…Fuck.’
----------
>You were hurtling down the main highway towards Ponyville in a Mercedes-Benz GL 63 AMG
>It was fast enough to get you there in a hurry, but it also would help you make sure you wouldn’t go drifting off again with its driver alertness aid that checks up on you every now and again
>Your only quip with the car is that it turned down the music way too low when the satnav had to cut in
>”IN ONE KILOMETER, TAKE EXIT 42 TOWARDS ROYAL EXECUTIVE AGENCY: PONYVILLE”
“Well shit, she’s got her own exit ramp now.” You said, thoroughly impressed with the change
>With the exit coming up, you apply the brakes and turn in
>Oddly enough, the onramps and offramps to the highway were paved, but the highway itself was not
>You noticed the transition from dirt to pavement immediately
----------
>The time was now 16:00
>You were now at Twilight’s new castle, pulling up to the ramparts
>”Halt! Present your credentials!” Commanded the guard at the gate
‘Are you fucking kidding me?’
“Yes, just a moment.” You reply, trying to fish out your driver’s license from your pant pocket
>With a little more effort than you had hoped to exert, the wallet was out
>As the guard came to your window, you presented the license to him
>”Ah, your Excellency! No need for that, proceed inside.” He said nervously, not realizing whom he was dealing with
“Thank you.” You replied with falsified sincerity
‘God fucking dammit.’
>You enter the castle and park just past the gates
>You now proceeded on foot towards Twilight Sparkle’s throne
----------
‘God damn, that was a long walk. I wish I could fast travel like the dickwad controlling the story.’
>You then immediately punched yourself in the face for no good reason
“Ow, fuck, that hurt!” You exclaim, rubbing your nose
‘Fine, point taken.’
>With your other free hand, you knock on the door
>The door opens moments later, but not to the sight of your favorite alicorn
>”Hello, sir! How may I assist you?” Said an earth pony in a maid’s outfit
“Do you know where the princess is?”
>”Ah, yes. She’s in a meeting with the city commissioners. Allegedly, it’s an urgent matter.” Replied the mare
“I see.” You said slowly
‘Dammit, that’ll take hours, knowing how Twilight likes to micromanage everything.’
“Well, in that case, could you show me to the dining area? I’m quite famished.”
>”Certainly, sir, right this way!” She saids, with pep in her step as she led the way
‘God damn, do they always act so upbeat?’
----------
>After lunch, you had asked Latte, the servant who greeted you, if there was anywhere in this castle you could kill time while you waited for Twilight
>”Of course! I would take you to the library, but it’s not complete yet. Her Highness isn’t satisfied with it.”
‘Figures’
>”However, the Royal Game Room is finished. Follow me and I’ll show it to you!” Said Latte
“All right, but if I could ask you something, you can answer me as we walk…”
----------
“Really, the entire Coffee family?”
>”Yes, sir! We all work for the Royal Family! The Coffees have always served the Royal throne since it was founded, with the mares serving as maids around the castles and the colts either in the kitchen or keeping the grounds!” She replied
“Wow, that’s some lineage. Don’t you ever get tired of it, though? I’d imagine it’s quite demanding.”
>”I’ll admit, it’s not easy, but seeing Her Highness in the flesh every day and seeing that she’s feeling happy because of what I do is enough to get me up in the mornings! This is what I live for, sir!” She answers, radiant as her cousin, Mocha
>Externally, you didn’t show much emotion, but your heart was melting on the inside
>”Anyways, here we are, the Game Room!”
>You took a good look around
>You could see every board game known to both Human and Equestrian kind stacked on a massive shelf
>Next to it was a big football table
>On the opposite side of the room sat four gaming chairs, each with a pair of headphones on the headrest, all before an enormous projection screen
>Flanking the chairs were two large, comfy couches
“So what can I play in here?” You asked, trying to keep cool, even though you were losing your shit internally
>”Whatever your heart desires, sir!” Said Latte, handing you a small tablet
>On it was a list of every single gaming console known to mankind, listed in alphabetical order, of course
“Oh, I know exactly what I want to play.” You said, grinning maniacally
>You selected your console
>The next screen was for selecting the game
>Again, you made your selection quickly
>Beside the projection screen, you noticed a nook open up, containing an Xbox 360 controller
>”Enjoy yourself, sir! I’ll let Her Highness know you’re in here once she’s done!” Said Latte bouncing off
>”Thanks, Latte.” You said as you activated the controller and put on the headphones
>That familiar blue title screen greeted you
“It’s been a while, Captain Cutter.”
----------
>It’s the late stages of the game, and you were on the warpath to victory
>Your Spartan-controlled Scorpions led the way, due to their high veterancy
>You took sent your Flamethrowers down the left pathway in case they had infantry you needed to flank
>Your three Vultures hid on the right side over a small peak smack dab between one of your satellite bases and the enemy’s main base
>Once everything was in position, you initiated the assault with your Scorpions
>You were greeted by a Scarab and a whole swarm of Suicide Grunts
“FUUUUUUUCK THAT!” You shouted as you desperately tried to take out the Scarab
>You sent in the Flamethrowers to deal with the Grunts while the Vultures and Scorpions fired on the Scarab
>You then quickly opened the Leader Power menu and readied your MAC Blast
>”Spinning up MAC Rounds”
>With four rapid taps of the A button, four green lines appeared on the screen, aimed at the Scarab’s “head”
>”MAC rounds depleted”
>What followed was a small volley of orbital sniper shots, bringing the Scarab to its knees, literally
>With that taken care of, you can take care of the grunts, who were now wrecking your Vultures, because infantry beats air, no matter how badass the aircraft are or how shitty the infantry is, apparently
>Flamethrowers were up to bat, roasting the Grunts with ease
“Juuust to be safe…” you said to yourself as you were scrolling through the Leader Power wheel again after you had commanded the Scorpions to attack the shields
>”In my sights”
>You selected a conspicuous place near the enemy base
>”Breakin’ up the party”
>A disruption bomb soon landed square on the Arbiter’s teleporter pad
>You decided to check back on the second fight for your aircraft
>You won, but it was a pyrrhic victory
>You lost all of your Flamethrowers, save for five squads, each with varying health
>Again, going to your Leader Powers menu, you select the Heal and Repair
>”Regeneration ready”
>Boop
>”Healing targets”
>You ordered your Vultures into the healing circle, since your Flamethrowers healed quickly
>”Enemy engagement”
>You snap back to the base to find the Arbiter has tried to cut down your tanks, to no avail
>With a grin plastered on your face, you select your Scorpions, target the Arbiter, and press Y
>”Canister, yes sir”
>The Arbiter disappeared in a cloud of fire and shrapnel
>Retargeting the base, you set about actually destroying it, now that the shields were down
>”All units”
>You targeted the building once again
>”Good as dead”
‘Might as well be.’
>You sat back as you watched your forces decimate what was left of the Arbiter’s base
>You felt like you were forgetting something, but you couldn’t quite place it
>You looked at the screen, and you saw that you could press Y again
“Fuck it, why not?”
>Boop
>”PAIN INCOMING”
>The tops of your Vultures opened up their missile ports and unleashed hell upon the base in the form of 24 missiles that were two thirds as long as a Warthog
>The health bar then disappeared from the base, as each of the smaller buildings around the Citadel exploded one by one
>Finally, the main base collapsed entirely
>But the game wasn’t over yet, meaning he still had units out on the field somewhere
>It didn’t take long to figure out what was causing the delay in the inevitable, as a single Ghost came and started firing on your Flamethrowers
>You chuckled a bit at this pathetic display
>You selected your Vultures and pressed X
>”Moppin’ ‘em up”
>The Ghost was soon put down by fire from 12 30mm cannons
>”You are Victorious”
>You leaned back and enjoyed the beautiful sight of the carnage you’ve created
>Taking off the headphones, you rubbed your ears a bit, as they were pressed up against the pads for a while
>”You know, you could’ve taken him out before he got that Scarab out if you’d have just attacked him earlier.”
“Yeah, well you know me: I like to take my time with these things, Twi.”
>”Just saying, you could’ve won faster.” She teased
“Ah, come ‘ere, you.” You said as you both leaned in, giving each other a quick peck on the lips
”So how’d the meeting with the city commissioners go?” You asked as you shut off the console and put the controller back where you found it
>”Ugh, don’t even get me started. They were a nightmare to deal with.” Twilight said, clearly exasperated
>You recoiled slightly at the mention of the word “nightmare”
“That so? Well, why don’t you tell me about it?” You offered as you both began walking towards her chambers
>”Well, as you know, this isn’t where I’ve always lived.”
“Clearly.”
>”So I asked the city commissioners if I could rebuild the Library, as it was Ponyville’s only library. Then they brought up the outrageous notion of using the castle for a library!” Twilight exclaimed
“You’re joking.”
>”No, and they said this with straight faces! So I tried to calmly explain to them that the books I keep in my library aren’t for just anypony to look at. Needless to say, I was jeered because of their filthy and depraved imaginations.” She lamented again
“Well, to be fair, you’re not as innocent as you make out to be, Your Royal Hinnyness.” You said with a smirk
>”H-hey!” She blurted out, clearly flustered as she covered her flank with her tail
>You noticed she was completely sidelined by your comment, as well as completely flush, so figured you’d continue the conversation
“So what happened in the end?” You ask
>”Well, in the end, I convinced them not to bulldoze it, having it designated as a protected historical site. It was a bittersweet moment.” She said
“I didn’t think you had such little sway in city zoning, Twi. I’d have honestly thought that they’d pay a little more attention to the Princess of Friendship.” You point out, genuinely surprised
>”Like I said, I’m just like everypony else.”
“Yeah, except you’re freakishly powerful, live in a castle, and are royalty.” You jested
>”Oh, right. There’s that.” She moped
“Oh, come on, I was just kidding.” You said, trying to lighten her mood
>”No, Anon. It’s not just today. It’s been going on ever since my coronation. Ponies either love me or hate me, either bowing down at my hooves as though I were Celestia herself, or outright ignoring me. I don’t want either one, I just want to go back to how things used to be.” She said somberly
“Hey, come here.” You said gently, embracing her as you kneel to her level, wrapping your arms around her neck and head
>You felt your dress shirt begin to moisten through your blazer and waistcoat and you heard her crying softly
“Shh, shh, it’s okay. I’m here.” You said comfortingly
>At this point, some of the servants had stopped to look at the scene
>You gave a quick flick of your head, signaling that you want them to leave
>They understood and gave you two your privacy
>”I don’t want to live like this, Anon! It’s not the life I wanted!” Twilight sobbed
”That’s it, let it out. Let it all out.” You said, attempting to console her
‘Shit, where do I go from here? I can’t just have her sob endlessly in the hallway.’
>You try to think of something, but your mind’s gears were stuck, refusing to budge
>You know you’d go to the ends of the world for her; you’d literally do anything just to see her smile
>But you just couldn’t come up with something to help her out right now
>Just then, a guard passed by you
>Not just any guard, he had an orange coat and a blue mane
>His cutie mark was hidden by his armor, but you knew who it was
>”Anon, stop! You’re tearing my mane out!” Twilight cried softly
>Snapping back into reality from your quick fit of rage, you realize that you had tightened your grip so hard that you actually tore a few pieces of hair from Twilight’s mane
“Ah, shit. I’m sorry Twi, I didn’t mean it.” You apologize, petting the affected area softly “Come on, let’s go to your room and get you taken care of.” You said, trying to hide your eagerness to leave the hallway
>You pick up Twilight in both hands and carry her to her room
“Uh, which way is it again?” You whisper to her, slightly embarrassed
>She points a hoof towards the corridor on the right
----------
>Upon reaching her quarters, you set her down on the bed where she began sobbing again
>”It’s not fair! Why did I have to give up my normal life for this? All I wanted was to learn and live the life of an academic!” Twilight wept
>You took a seat next to her on the bed, once the doors were closed, and offered your shoulder to her, which she gladly accepted
“Come on, Twi, do you know how many ponies would KILL to be in your position? I know Trixie would, and so would Sunset Shimmer. Actually, I’m pretty sure she WOULD have killed you if you hadn’t defeated her.” You claim
>”I-I know, but that still doesn’t mean I wanted any of this.”
“I know you didn’t ask for any of this, Twi. But the mark of a good academic is to not crack under pressure. A good academic can take any obstacle, look it over, and use it to their advantage. Embrace these new duties, Twilight. Embrace your new powers, your new home, and your new adversaries.” You said, trying to rally her into action instead of crippling immobilization
>”I-I suppose y-you’re right. But I just want things back to the way they were!” She sobbed yet again
“Well, as much as I would’ve liked a less hectic life, I can’t go back. And neither can you. You were chosen for this task because you were the best of the best of the best of the best. Celestia chose YOU out of every unicorn that attended school in Canterlot because she saw you as a strong leader. Someone who can survive a trial by fire and then come back, begging for more.”
>You continued to stroke her mane gently
“And I know it’s tough being in charge of an entire abstract concept, but I promise you that things will get better over time. You haven’t experienced everything that comes with being the Princess of Friendship, so it’s obvious that it won’t be a perfect fit for you immediately. You have to give these things time to set into you. And besides, what good academic doesn’t leave room for trial and error?” You told her quietly
>”Y-you’re right, Anon. But it’s just so awkward for me right now.” She said, yawning as she moved from your shoulder to your lap
“I know it is, but again, you just have to give these things time. I promise you’ll get the hang of this soon. Rome wasn’t built in a day, you know.”
>”W-what?” She asked, genuinely confused, looking up at you with bloodshot, puffy eyes
‘Ah, fuck.’
“Oh right, sorry. That was an idiom we use on Earth. Basically, it means that even the mightiest of forces started out as a small entity at some point.” You explain
>”Oh.” She said lackadaisically
>You keep stroking her mane, eventually extending it to her torso
>You soon noticed that her eyes were closed and her breathing slowed
>You checked your watch
‘Hmm, 21:00. Not a bad time to sleep, actually.’
>You were actually quite exhausted from last night’s lack of sleep and today’s drive, as it was more taxing on you than usual
>But you just couldn’t bring yourself to stop petting Twilight’s mane
>It’s texture, sheen, and softness was near that of silk, yet each strand felt thick and durable
>You slowed your stroking to savor the mare’s mane in your hands for just a bit longer
>The soothing sensation of her mane against your skin lulled you into a strongly relaxed state
>Your eyelids were once again sinking to the bottom of your eyes like anchors
>You soon gave in, ceasing your petting and drooping your head over Twilight’s, who’s was still in your lap
----------
>You were still strapped into your fighter’s seat as you were sinking
>You tugged desperately at the seatbelt straps, as the surface of the water was quickly leaving you
>You managed to remember that the release switch is in your lap, but you struggled to remember how it worked
>You tugged on the two red tabs on the side, but it didn’t work
>You pressed down the two tabs and the buckles released, just in time for you to remember that your lungs were desperately crying out for air
>As soon as the last latch gave, you paddled towards the surface, but you weren’t moving up
>You tried kicking your legs as well, which only got you moving slowly
>Ignoring the burning in your arms and legs, you kept at it, slowly releasing the air in your lungs because you only managed to keep it in for so long
>As soon as the last of the air was gone from your lungs, you gave a few quick last-ditch strokes to try and make it to the surface
>You couldn’t suppress the urge to inhale much longer; your body had already depleted what little oxygen you had left in you
>You finally gave in and inhaled, immediately choking on the water all around you
----------
>You shot up from Twilight’s bed, gasping madly as though you had actually been drowning
>”Ow!” Exclaimed Twilight, who was hurting from suddenly being ejected from your lap
>Clutching your chest for a moment, you sank to the foot of her bed, pulled your knees up to your chest, put your head in both hands, and deeply exhaled
”I’m sorry, Twi. I’m just a little on edge because of work. Those griffons don’t really appreciate the fact that we aren’t playing ball with their tech demands.” You said through your hands
>”I’m pretty sure this is a little more severe than just stress form work.” Twilight said, massaging her neck from your sudden motion
>She synthesized a red chaise lounge chair, and appeared seated next to it in formal wear and her mane in a bun
>”Now, now, my dear Anon, since you helped me out with my emotional distress earlier today, I think it’s only fair that I return the favor.”
>You were suddenly teleported onto the chaise lounge
>”So, what seems to be the problem?” Twilight inquired eagerly
“Twi, what are you doing?” You ask, a mix of frustration and exhaustion in your voice
>”Isn’t it obvious? I’m trying to help you.” She retorted
“Why? Shouldn’t you make sure your own house is in order first before helping others?”
>”You have a valid point, Anon, but sometimes you have to put your own troubles aside for those you love. What kind of marefriend would I be if I only talked about my problems to you and I didn’t reciprocate the favor?” She maintained
“Yeah, that’s true. You’re really good at reciprocating things.” You said as you make some highly suggestive eyebrows at her
>”S-stop it!” She manages as she covers herself with her garments and her tail
“No, you’re right. It’s only fair I suppose. But I really don’t want to saddle you with all of my burdens, it seems unnecessary.” You explain
>”Nonsense! Strong friendships and relationships are built off of the ability for both parties to be completely open with one another. So why don’t you lean back and tell me all about why you can’t sleep at night.” She said soothingly
>Now feeling completely reassured, you lean back in the chaise lounge, take a deep breath, and begin recounting your nightmares
>”Uh-huh, I see.” Said Twilight absentmindedly as she scribbled more things into her notebook with her levitated pen
“So that’s that. Now you know why I pulled on your mane before and why I almost broke your neck jetting up from your bed.” You state solemnly
>”Right. Now based off of what you told me, the main premise of these nightmares is that you fear losing me to somepony else. But not just anypony, a particular one named-”
>She paused as she saw you were grinding your teeth already, in anticipation of having his name spoken
>”Actually, you know what? We don’t need to name him, we know who he is.” Twilight said contritely
“Yeah, you got it.” You said through your teeth
>”All right, but if I may ask: Why do you fear losing me to this random guard? It’s not like I have any interest in him other than making sure he’s doing his job.” She inquires
‘Oh boy, here we go.’
“Well, it’s not just him, it’s anyone, really. I’m always on edge because I don’t know if some other stallion is going to just waltz in here and sweep you off your, uh, hooves. There’s a lot of them out there, and now that you’re royalty, I have a feeling that you’ll have quite a few suitors coming to your court.” You explained
>”Oh, Anon,” She sat on the chaise lounge with you and embraced you with both her wings and her forehooves “what gave you these silly ideas? I have no reason to leave you: You match my intellect, or you get pretty close to it; you always support me in whatever I choose to do, even if you don’t personally care for it; you’re always there whenever I need you; you keep Equestria and Earth in harmony; and you’ve loved me with all your heart and soul since the first day we’ve met, which is more than I could ask for from anypony else.” She said to you lovingly
>”I couldn’t love anypony else if I tried; nopony comes close to your devotion and your compassion.’ She reassured
>You were at a loss for words
>You never knew just how much this mare really cared for you
>You breathed a sigh of relief as you reveled in the embrace Twilight held you in
“It can’t be helped, I guess. I’ve just always been paranoid about losing someone I cared this deeply for.” You offered
>You put your arms around her and hold her tightly
“Don’t go. I don’t want to lose you. I deal with losses and victories every day in my business that come and go. My victories are sweet and my losses are bitter, but if I lost you, I’d feel like I lost all sense of taste in a vibrant world; Life just wouldn’t be worth living without you.” You sob out quietly
>”Anon…”
>The both of you just sat there, enveloped in one another’s warm appendages and genuine feelings
>You two stayed this way until Twilight nodded off
>Gently, you carried her to her bed, laid her down, and covered her with her blanket
>Still making sure to maintain perfect silence (or as close as you could get), you disrobed, save for your boxers
>You then covertly got into Twilight’s bed
>Evidently, this wasn’t covert enough, for she had been roused from her sleep, unbeknownst to you
>You got under the covers with her and cuddled up to her
“Thank you.” You gently whispered in her ear
>She then turned so that you were both facing each other
>”You’re welcome.” She replied meekly
>You both drifted off as you exchanged embraces
----------
>Your eyes slowly opened to the sight of a black padded roof
>You also became aware of a buffeting noise, somewhat like a fan but more intense
>You tried turning your head to the left
>There was a window, through which you could see the ocean, which had just tried to consume you
>As you were looking you suddenly coughed up some water from your lungs, which made you feel like you were drowning less
>This caused a commotion on board whatever you were on
>”Ohn zhivoi, ohn zhivoi!” Regaled one of the crewmen
>You looked to your right to the source of the noise
>A soldier kitted out for search-and-rescue operations
>This was a bit strange because he was wearing an orange beret
>His shoulder patch was also signified he was part of Russia’s EMERCOM, which as far as you knew, was only concerned with civilian affairs
>But hey, you weren’t complaining
>Not like you had the energy to, anyways
>All you did was turn your head left again to look out at the ocean, as you were whisked away to a safer place amidst relieved cheering and general helicopter flight sounds
==========
END