"Where would I look? And what would I look for?"
"I'd try out in Hornet, see if there's an C-2 or an E-2 available, I think there's a C-2 out there his name is Grey, he might be available. I don't know, it's been a while since I've been to Hornet. Maybe time away from Avalon's Shadow would help you."
"I don't know Saber, it's kinda far from what I know."
"Osprey, stop the obsession, go to Hornet, get a way for a while. Come back with a new perspective."
"Saber, why are you telling me this?"
"Because I care Osprey, I crash more than you, probably because I keep trying to go super sonic, if it weren't for Rex installing the throttle stop, I'd still be at trying to break the sound barrier."
"Saber, can't one of your younger siblings break the sound barrier?" Osprey asked to which she got a frown and a look of don't remind me from Saber.
"Oh right, they can. Sorry Saber."
"Yea. Thanks for the reminder that I'm almost useless compared to them. Least I can fly in a straight line and am not a pain in the ass for Rex to repair. Compared to them anyways."
"Saber I didn't mean that."
"Well, it's ok, I get harassed about my crashes every now and again anyways. Though the throttle stop itches sometimes."
"Really? Something inside of you to keep you from losing control itches?" Osprey asked in a bit of disbelief before he nodded in a slight shame.
"Try it's not in the most comfortable place for me, center of my damned back, I can't reach it due to my wings, and the last time I used a back scratcher, it came loose. Rex wasn't completely pleased with that, but he said if I knock it off again it stays off."
"Oh, that sounds like it's a pain in the rear."
"You don't even know. So are you going to go out to Hornet or not?"
"I don't know, I don't want to go alone, but I do have a delivery to make out there, to a small repair shop."
"Tell ya what, I've got some old friends down there, mostly F9F's, I'll go with ya but I'm not keeping ya company. Sound like a deal?" Saber asked
"Deal, I just need to get the supplies that were requested from Rex's main storage, hopefully I don't get a bunch of crap for doing this so late."
"Whaddya mean late?"
"I may or may not have been putting this trip off."
"Rex is going to be cranky."
"No he's not, he's never mad at me." Osprey said as the two of them went to get what she needed before heading out on their trip to Hornet.
 
1345 Hrs. VTOL Hangar.
"Sergei, Lightning, need word with two of you."
"Um, Sasha, is everything alright?"
"Da, just get Sergei here. Both of you need hear what I have to say."
"Alright, I'll go pry him away from Ludmila." Lightning said as he went to Edge of Space to pull Sergei away from Ludmila, who actually forced Sergei to go with Lightning because of Sasha.
"Sasha what in fuck you want!"
"Sergei shut mouth, have important news, that must be shared with immediate family."
"Since when Lightning close family?" Sergei asked.
"Since Rex think I pregnant. I went askings of him about odd things I have been wantings to eat. He look very close at me, and noticed buldge of belly. Even I not notice how slight it is."
"Sasha are you sayings of what I think?"
"Yes, Lightning and I having child." Sasha said stunning both Sergei and Lightning.
"Uuuh, Sasha, my tenth birthday is next week." Lightning said rather meekly
"He is not of age? Sasha what in hell you thinkings! If Rex finds out it is the end of both of you!"
"Sergei, he know I may be pregnant. I guess he know father too. Did not seem mad."
"Why?"
"Do not know, perhaps he knowing of Lightning's birthday soon. I think he not care as long as child born after Lightning's birthday."
"Very um what is word Lightning for situation like this?" Sergei said as he was trying to warn his sister
"Delicate? Fragile?"
"First one, is very delicate situation you two. Need not draw attention to selves."
"Sergei, if Sasha's pregnant, we're going to get a whole lot of attention really fast. Not to mention, I'm not ready to be a dad." Lightning said
"But what of gettings married day after your birthday?"
"Sasha, I was always ready for that, but having a kid of my own, I don't know. I mean I'm still really young Sasha."
"You do fine, just teach to learn from mistakes. Just be ready for wedding." Sasha said as Sergei went to the liquor storage and grabbed several bottles of vodka.
"Sergei why you need drink?"
"Who say they for me? Though I do not like situation, is is cause for celebration no?"
"Sergei, Rex say if I pregnant, I should not drink. Flying also a no. I stuck on ground."
"Well, one drink won't hurt, besides you Russian, one drink nothing," Sergei said as he handed out drinks
 
1800 Hrs. Hornet
"Damn you picked a terrible time to go."
"It's not my fault you made me go to Hornet."
"Osprey, you're here to make a very late delivery, one that Rex wasn't pleased about, but you've still got to do that. If you need me, just track down the loudest turbines here, I'll be with the Panthers."
"Right, I just hope the shop's still open." Osprey said as the two of them went their separate ways, Saber to his old buddies, and Osprey to make a delivery.
"You're late."
"I know."
"Two weeks Osprey, these parts are two weeks late."
"I'm sorry I haven't been myself lately."
"I know." the unicorn in charge of Hornet's small shop said as he unloaded Osprey
"Well, why don't you stay the night, I'm sure nobody would mind. I'm going home, but you're welcome to stay in the shop, oh, and there's a pony I've been working on, hope you don't mind sharing a little."
"Thanks, I think I'll be out for a while, but thank you for the place to stay." Osprey said as the small pony finished unloading her cargo before letting her go and explore Hornet
Osprey sat by the lake watching some of the ponies either wade in the water or fly over it.
Nopony really struck her fancy, which made her less than happy with the idea of being in Hornet.
"Oh why did I bother coming out here. There's nopony interesting" Osprey said as she walked in the hangar
"Yea, just a bunch of navy swabbies, nothing interesting."
"Oh, I forgot you were in here."
"Well, I'm kind of stuck here, turbines are exposed and all. Oh, I'm Erwin by the way. May I ask for your name?"
"Osprey. I'm sorry if I offended you when I walked in."
"No, least you're not staring at me." Erwin said as Osprey really hadn't taken a decent look at him.
"I've never seen anything like you, can I ask what are you?"
"Not at all, if you don't mind telling me your designation."
"Ok. V-22."
"VJ-101"
"How come I've never seen you in Avalon's Shadow or even here?" Osprey asked as she found a spot in the hangar where she could sleep.
"Oh, that's because I'm an experimental, need a lot of work to stay in the air. Usually I'm in some shop somewhere."
"Well, I know a mechanic that could probably keep you airborne longer than most of the others."
"You're not talking about THE Rex Tremendae are you?"
"I am, and he's a friend, I'll pull a favor from him, that is if you're willing to go out to Avalon's Shadow."
"Heck I'd do it just to see another tilt rotor pony. Though I've got turbines." Erwin said making Osprey giggle.
"Heh, so I guess you're in here with me for the night?"
"Yea, I guess I am."
"Well, you don't need to worry about me, I can't move, not unless I want to get something snagged on something important and really put myself in a bind." Erwin said making Osprey laugh even more, and this being the first time another pony, other than You made her laugh. She was even intriuged by Erwin's design and wanted to see him in the light of day, not in the bare minimum lights of the shop at night.
 
0800 Hrs. Hornet's repair shop.
"Hey Osprey, you awake?" Erwin asked only to hear her mumble
"Osprey, wake up would ya?"
"Hmm? What is it?"
"Can you slide me that barrel of fuel? I'm hungry and I'm not waiting on that unicorn to bring it to me."
"Sure." Osprey said as she put a big hose on the barrel and slid it over to Erwin.
"Thanks" Erwin said
"Oh Erwin, Osprey, you two are up. I didn't think you'd be up for another hour."
"Oh no, Erwin woke me up. Wanted something to eat."
"Well, as long as he didn't have too much I'm fine with it. Trying to get him ready for the show out in Avalon."
"What show?" Osprey asked.
"The only airshow that we put on for the rest of the world, that airshow."
"Wait, are you talking about Sun 'n Fun?"
"Yea, it's in a couple weeks, and Erwin here is running me out of supplies, I'd figure I'll send him Rex's way and see if he can't get him to stop burning through supplies like he did with you."
"Really? How many accidents has he had?" Osprey asked
"You do know I'm right here. I can hear the two of you. But yes, I'm getting ready for a flight to Avalon's Shadow with a note from Charles here."
"Heh, well, you need more attention than I can give ya Erwin, especially if you want to fly at Sun 'n Fun. Since there's going to be a lot of Royalty there this year. Between Rex and the ponies alone, there's going to be a whole lot of important eyes." Charles said as he got to work, covering Erwin back up.
"That'd be real nice Charles, that is if I even knew where Avalon's Shadow was, I'd probably fly right over it and not even know."
"I could show you. I mean I live there, I could show you where Rex's shop is too."
"Well, that's really nice of you Osprey. If that's your home, what's a cutie like you doing out here in Hornet?" Erwin asked making Osprey blush, from actually having attention.
"I.. I mostly deliver cargo. Like the parts he's using to get you into the air."
"Oh, so you're one of the delivery ponies?"
"No, I don't have the capacity they do, I'm more of a small cargo."
"Still, you could get along well with those heavy lifters."
"Well, they tend to only stick with other heavy lift ponies, that and Galactus bought himself a really nice hangar in Canterlot. He's there more than he is in Avalon's Shadow." Osprey said as Erwin was being covered back up.
Osprey and Erwin talk for the next couple of hours while Erwin's covered back up and cleared to fly, if only to Avalon's Shadow.
There were three ponies flying back, Erwin, Osprey and Saber, and the only one who needed a runway was Saber. So the three of them are back at 1400 Hrs, and stares were had at Erwin.
"You all say I'm weird."
"Falken, don't say things like that."
"Hey, a jet tilt rotor? That's new." Falken said as You gave him a pretty good punch in the side to shut him up.
"So, you must be Erwin? I've heard you're a bit resource heavy. Let's see if I can't stop that."
"And you're Rex, the mechanic that can fix anypony."
"Almost anypony. Depends on the issue really."
"Modest, Think you and I are going to get along just fine."
"What about your companion there? You get along with her alright?"
"Yea, I get along with that cutie."
"You better, last pony that made Osprey cry had his wings bent upwards. Wasn't me who did it either."
"I'll keep that in mind. You think you can get me ready for..... What the hell is that noise?" Erwin asked as the dull thud of helicopter blades were heard entering Avalon's Airspace.
"Sounds like Heliponies. What did you want me to get you ready for?"
"Sun 'n Fun."
"Aw fuck, that's in two weeks isn't it?"
"Yes sir it is." Erwin said as you both look skyward to see who has just arrived. It was an AH-64 and a Mi-28, but there were two others shortly behind them, and one making very distinct thuds as he flew through the sky. Huey, and Mi-24, but Huey was the loudest of the four.
"Looks to me like we've got some early arrivals, I didn't think they showed up until a week out at most."
"Well, I needed some work, maybe they're here for some of the same."
"Who knows. Their mechanic is pretty good, doubt they're here for that." You say as you watch them land a short distance away from you.
 
1410 Hrs. VTOL hangar.
Both Sergei and Lightning are passed out on the couches, having drank to blackout drunk status
1500 Hrs. Your Shop.
"Hey, there's my favorite Yakovlev." You say as you look up from reassembling one of Erwin's turbines.
"Anon, need talk. About condition."
"What condition, oh, have a bit much to drink Lightning?"
"Da, Lightning's condition. Need talk about that."
"Can I finish this turbine first? Should take me another twenty minutes?"
"Da." Sasha said as the two of them waited for you to finish rebuilding Erwin's turbine, to you it was three of six, you were halfway done overhauling the hell out of them. You've told Erwin to leave the hangar for a while, and while he's gone you have a chat with the two VTOLS.
"I'd give you a warning to stay away from alcohol, but it looks like the drink did that for me, Lightning, you're nearly ten. Couldn't you have waited a little longer?"
"I've got a damned headache, what are you talking about?"
"Sasha? Couldn't you have at least waited until your birthday before causing that bulge in her belly?"
"I'm dead aren't I?"
"Lightning, I'm more disappointed than anything else. Because this is cropping up so close to your birthday, I'm throwing out how pissed off I'd be. Where I'm from if this happened and the ages were reversed, I would have shot you regardless what she said, but we're not there, and I have to be reasonable."
"That's great that I still get to live and all, but do you got anything to get rid of a hangover?" Lightning asked as he was still shielding his eyes, you motion for him to follow you over to where you keep a hose, and when he's not looking you spray him with the fire-hose full force in the face.
"You best not have been drunk either of you when she got knocked up."
"No, both sober, had not drink for days when happened."
"Good, How's the water Lightning? Cold enough for you?" You ask as he's standing in shock of the cold water.