Part 16 Highway Through the Danger Zone
 
>Leaving Twilight Sparkle in your hospital room, you go to the throne room
>You were in...an odd mood, to say the least
>Not quite hurting, but not quite over your sister
>You were in a state of emotional purgatory, but you'd be damned if that kept you from performing your duties
>Besides, you still have to plan out the attack with Princess Celestia
>Oh wait, Shining Armor would probably be better suited for that
>But if the princess were as observant as Twilight, you might still want to explain yourself
>As you make your way to the throne room, you give a little thought to Twilight's demand
>You need to see someone about that unpleasant memory
>Fuck that. Who's really going to know how to handle that here?
>No, you're better off coping on your own. You'll find ways. You found ways before...
>Fuck, you can't remember how you dealt with it
>No matter, it'll come to you
>Ah, how'd the throne room door get here?
>You almost smack into the door
>Shit, where in the AFI does it mention customs and courtesies for meeting royalty that you're about to rock their world?
>I believe that was AFI 34-1201, section 8.2.1
>Loading...loading...
>"Juniors shall show deference to seniors at all times by recognizing their presence and by employing a courteous and respectful bearing and mode of speech toward them."
>....Well shit.
>Time to improv
>You open the door and walk in
>Shit, should I have just walked in? Should I have knocked?
>TOO LATE DIPSHIT COMMIT TO IT!
>The two guards on duty seem a little put off that you barged in, but Princess Celestia doesn't seem to mind
>Marching it, you smartly stop, crisp salute, and report in
Princess Celestia, Captain Anon reports as ordered
>She's...smiling? "Anon, you know you can just call me Celestia, right?"
>Fuck...AFI help me out here
>Searching...NOPE. Nothing on this
>Can you get away with it?
>Searching for fucks...Yeah, there's one: makes communication easier. Got it. Ok, you're good
Yes, Celestia. Please excuse my barging in, but I feel I must explain my sudden leave from everyone.
>She nods. "Guards, please leave us."
>They exit the room. Shit, now it's just the two of you
>"What troubles you?"
I... had a flashback. Of possibly the worst thing that has ever happened in my life. I had that flashback almost immediately after climbing out of the jet.
>She looks very concerned. Hell, she's probably more interested in her subjects on an individual level than the politicians are of their voters on your world
I...just couldn't handle all the ponies around. I desperately needed to be alone then.
>"I understand. If there's any help you think you might need, I would be more than happy to provide you with it."
Thanks for the offer Celestia, I might take it one day.
>"I would hope sooner, rather than later."
Depends on how fast we can get this war over.
>Ah, back to the subject you wanted to talk about
Ma'am, please explain to me what you saw regarding the F-22
>"F-22?"
It was the machine that I flew in.
>"Ah, so that's what you call it?"
That's half right. F-22 is what it's designated name is. It's a type of airplane called a jet, because of its jet engines... but anyways, please tell me your impression of it.
>"What I saw was a wonderful invention that one day could give earth ponies and unicorns the ability to fly."
>You shudder at that. You don't exactly like the idea of ponies flying war machines
Between you and me, I think that my F-22 is the only one that should be in existence.
>"Why do you think so?"
First and foremost, it is a weapon. It was designed to ensure air superiority against anything else that flies. You know of the guns that I have here in the castle, right?"
>She nods
Imagine those, specifically the rifle... but much bigger. Both the gun and the bullets. And imagine shooting hundreds of bullets in a matter of seconds. That...that is on the F-22. And there are worse weapons available to the F-22 that can destroy town blocks, buildings, or even an entire city.
>Her eyes widen slightly
That is why I don't want anyone else having anything like it. My job in the past was to pilot it to defend my country from any and all enemies, and to ensure air dominance.
>"I see. I think you are quite right. This sort of weapon bears a lot of responsibility, and I don't believe every pony can be trusted with it."
I'm glad you see it my way, Ma'am.
>Of course, you could always give them propeller planes for recreation
>NO FUCK THAT
>That's how it all started... then we as humans found a use for early aircraft for war
>But they're ponies
>Yeah, but they're... very much like us. The only difference seems to be that they're... what's the word?
>Better?
>No, not quite... They're more accepting and much more tolerant of others, so far as I've seen
>That's your call man.
>Well gee, thanks brain
If there's nothing you need from me Princess, then I'll go find Shining Armor and start preparations.
>"Actually, there are a few thing I would like to know."
>Uh-oh
>"How are you feeling now?"
>Oh
I'm ok. Honestly. I can get back to work
>"That's another thing. I don't believe you ever actually joined my Royal Guard."
>WELL. She's got you there
>She winks. "How would you like a special position in my Guard?"
>Ah, that's interesting...
What do you have in mind?
>"I noticed that you're a very unique soldier. You know a lot about fighting, and that's something we're unfamiliar with in Equestria. We need someone like you help keep peace around. I've noticed that Ponyville in particular has had some rather rough times where my guards had been unable to help. I need you there to keep a watch, and moreover to provide defense for my little ponies."
>You raise a brow...
>Ever since coming here, you never had a formal job. You already held an informal position similar to what Celestia was suggesting. Bits came here and there, just enough for you to survive.
>As if reading your mind, she continues "Along with this position comes a full salary and hazard duty pay."
How many bits a month?
>She tells you.
>Woah.
>You could take a vacation and probably rent half of Canterlot for the summer, if your mind correctly made the dollar-to-bits conversion.
>But you don't need a shit-ton of money. Money never really interested you. Flying, that was what was important to you. You had the same basic necessities as everyone else, but in all honesty, you didn't need a lot of money.
>Which gave you an idea
Celestia, I accept your offer. But I want only a quarter of that salary. The rest, please give it to a couple of charities you think need a little extra help.
>A very sincere smile...Anon, you just impressed the princess
>Honestly, you couldn't think of a better place for money to go. You didn't really care where the money went, but you really didn't need all that money. Giving most of it to charity seemed like a good way to refuse the offer of a high salary without being rude.
>Besides, you were used to serving your country on a salary that, for your line of work, barely compensated you. Such a high salary made you feel uncomfortable
>"Yes, Anon. It shall be so. You will retain your rank of Captain, and you will have a small squad of stallions under your command after we're done with this...situation. For now though, you are subordinate only to Shining Armor in the Royal Guard."
Understood. Thank you Ma'am
>You do an about face and start marching off.
>She's not done though. "There is one more thing."
>Aw shit
My apologies. What else do you want to know?"
>She looks you right in the eyes. "Do you have any plans of settling down after this is over with?"
>Um? Come again?
By that, you mean...?
>"I mean, do you have plans of..well, finding a mare and starting a family?"
>Ok what the fuck.
No, not really. I tried having relationships back home, and I don't think I'm really suited for that sort of thing.
>"Do you not want a family?
It's not that. I wouldn't mind a family, but I'm not suitable to the relationship lifestyle.
>There's that confused look ponies around you tend to have when you talk
Don't worry about it, Celestia. I'm fine by myself. Thank you, again. Now if you'll excuse me, I need to go meet with Shining Armor.
>She nods
>And you make as graceful an exit as you can after having your jimmies rustled
>No, seriously, where the fuck did that come from?
>The guards were waiting outside
We're done, gents. Also, do you know where Shining Armor is?
>"Yeah, he's probably in the garden with his fiance right now."
Thanks.
>Heading over, you can't help but wonder
>Fiance? When did he-oh.
>Damn, your memory kinda sucks as of late
>He mentioned getting married when Virtuous Mission was briefed.
>You arrive in the garden, and the sun is just starting to set
>Sure enough, there's Shining Armor, and a pink...what's the word?
>Winged unicorn? Alicorn? Whatever.
>A pink whatever you presume to be his fiance
>They look rather cute together
>The atmosphere kinda reminds you of the night before Virtuous Mission started, when you were here with Twilight
>Although that was more a platonic night, if your memory serves right.
>The fuck memory? We need more resources devoted to memory allocation. Fix this shit brain
>Does not compute
>Fucking A
>In whatever case, they do look like a rather nice couple
Hey, Captain! Going to introduce me?
>He looks up and seeing you, blushes a bit
>"Of course! Cadance, this is Captain Anonymous."
Just Anon.
>"A pleasure to meet you, Anon."
>Huh. You can kinda see why he fell in love with her. Nice disposition, cheery voice, and cute.
>Almost reminds you of Ashl-
>ABORT RUNNING SCRIPTS
>"Anon, this is my fiance, Princess Mi Amore Cadenza."
>"Please just call me Cadance. I've heard a lot about you, Anon, from Shining Armor and Celestia. You're quite the soldier."
Thanks, but I'm nothing to Shining Armor.
>"I hear you can also be, quick to sacrifice yourself."
>There's that concerned face ponies give you when you start talking. What is this? Why?
It's perfectly normal for a soldier to lay down his life if the mission calls for it.
>"This is true..."
>God damn, can't you have ONE conversation today that you don't make awkward?
>Think brain!
So when is the wedding?
>They both perk up to this, and in unison say "In three weeks!"
>There we go
Have you told Twilight about it yet?
>He looks away. "No, not yet..."
Why not?
>"Well, we've been...kinda busy since Virtuous Mission..."
>Cadance chimes in "What was this Virtuous Mission?"
Don't worry about it Princess.
>"Please tell me."
>God damn women..er, mares
>Shining Armor looks like he's about to talk
>Fucking A, I'll do it
It was our last mission to try to keep peace between Equestria and the Griffon Kingdom. I was the lead operator of the mission, and it failed. Which is why I ask that Shining Armor come with me so we can plan to end the conflict as soon as possible. I would hate for the conflict to be ongoing during your wedding.
>He nods. "I'll see you later tonight, Cadance."
>"Don't stay up too late."
>With that, you two walk towards a heavily guarded room
>Damn this garden is bigger than you remember
She seems pleasant. I'm happy for you, Shine'n.
>Smiling, he says, "Yeah, I'm lucky she's in my life. What about you?"
>Hm?
What do you mean?
>"Don't you have a special somepony?"
>You listen closely...you can almost, no, you can definitely hear sounds in the garden. It sounds like... a million jimmies being rustled softly
>What the fuck is this?
>It seems everyone wants to know if you're single. Who the fuck cares, and why the fuck would they?
Noooooope.
>The rest of the walk is silent
>The two of you reach the room, and the guards stand aside for you
>Inside is a massive table and a giant map, with little figures
Nice war room you got here
>"Well, we don't like to use it very often."
Understandable. Now, when are we expecting the first attack?
>"It should come the day after tomorrow. Our intel suggests they'll send at least 600 griffons to take Fillydelphia-"
>You cringe
>"Is something wrong?"
No...nothing. Please continue
>God damn... Please, no more. No more towns like that.
>"Then we believe after that, they'll regroup and head to Baltimare-"
>FUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU
>Perfectly calm
>"-and then Ponyville. From there, we believe they'll invade Canterlot. We have to stop them from taking over any city at all costs."
Ok. How many guards do we have?
>"Currently, we have 100 earth stallions, 200 pegasi, and including myself, 50 unicorns
>Sigh
Your mission, I take it, is not to fight in wars, but to guard against it, correct?
>"...Yeah. We're not a military force"
>Fucking sigh
Alright, here's what I suggest. You send 25 earth stallions to each of the towns that are considered under threat. That leaves us with 25 stallions here, in case things don't go according to intel. I want all the pegasi flying with me. As for the unicorns, I envision everyone of them flying with a pegasus in a chariot, and firing offensive spells. The way I see it, an aerial war is what it's going to come down to, and we want to have as much firepower as possible.
>"About the unicorns..."
Yes?
>"Not all of us can use offensive spells. Some of us use defensive spells, some of us can use healing spells."
Ok. Break it up. How many of each...specialty is there?
>"There are 20 that can use healing magic, 15 that can use offensive magic, and the other 15, myself included, use defensive magic."
>Damnit captain, I'm a tactician, not a miracle worker
>Settle down, I've got this
>Ok brain, do that voodoo you do
Alright, I'd suggest 5 healers in every town, I want all 15 offensive unicorns flying with me like I described, and I want 3 defensive unicorns in Ponyville, Baltimare, and Fillydelphia. The rest stay in Canterlot, except for you. I'd imagine the captain of the guard would fly into battle with his men. How does that sound?
>"Actually, I'm impressed. I can defend the whole of my troops while everyone attacks. But how can we fight when we'll be outnumbered almost 3-to-1?"
>You explain the machine gun in your F-22 Raptor
>"Even with all the firepower, are you confident we can take them on?"
No. I need every pegasus who isn't dragging a chariot to have a crossbow and a sword. I can only do so much by myself.
>"We..don't use swords."
Knives?
>"No"
What hand-to-hand...er, hoof-to-hoof weapons do you use?
>"For those kind of encounters, we either use our spears or our hooves."
Ok, fine. Just get every pegasus a crossbow
>"I understand."
So when are we expecting this to happen?
>"The day after tomorrow is when we expect their first attack"
>God damn. Good thing you took the time to plan this out at THIS MOMENT
Do you see anything you can improve on?
>"No, everything seems as good as we can make it."
Alright. Sleep well, because tomorrow, we need to prep everything.
>"Will do, Anon."
>You both depart
>Walking back to your room is a solitary experience, with only the moon accompanying you
>There's something about nighttime that you prefer over daytime
>Going back to the room you stayed in before your capture, you noticed everything was left untouched
>Except there's a new tigerstripe uniform on your bed. Other than that, everything is as you left it
>Good.
>Sleep
 
>The next day, you woke up right as the sun was rising
>No PT today, you had to prep your jet
>With a quick breakfast, you nearly run to your pride and joy
>You see Twilight Sparkle studying your jet
>Ok whatever
>"Good morning Anon!"
>Well isn't she so chipper this morning
Good Morning Twilight.
>"You're up early!"
I could say the same about you.
>"Well, I just wanted to study the aerodynamics of your F-22"
>You could sympathize with that. It is a rather beautifully designed aircraft
Alright. But I gotta check on a few things, so feel free to look, but DO NOT touch anything. Got it?
>She nods
Good.
 
>The day goes by...
>You had checked the weapons
>The M61 Vulcan was fully loaded, with 480 shots.
>There confusingly were no missles, but instead, just 2 GBU-39 Small Diameter Bombs
>How the fuck did you get a missle lock on the Wonderbolts yesterday?
>Come to think of it, without the same computer system in place, how would you even use a missle system?
>Thinking more about it, why would you need missles against griffons?
>To blow them the fuck up
>But thinking practically, they would be a wasted effort
>You conclude that the SDB's were perfect for wasting anything on the ground, and the Vulcan was more than perfect for aerial combat
>Still, a missle lock without missles? And a computer network? How-
>Magic
>That excuse isn't going to fly forever
>Neither is your F-22 if you don't take care of it
>Fucking brains, how do they work?
>Damage to the body from yesterday's flight? None
>Structural integrity seems... adequate, but there's some tiny warping around the frame
>And the fuel... gotta get more of that
>Let's see...tomorrow is going to be an air battle, so no need really to fill up on bombs, although you never know...
>If you could keep the internal bays empty, then you could load up more bullets.
>Yeah, let's do that.
Hey Twilight!
>She looks up from her notes. "Yes?"
>You tell her all your observations and tell her what you need.
"Think you can do that?"
>"Of course!"
>Her horn glows, and you see the F-22's frame move slightly, and more bullets and SDB's appear. You assume it has more fuel, but you'll double check once it's done
>The glow disappears, and you turn to her. She appears exhausted and out of breath
Are you ok?
>She takes a moment before answering. "Yes, Anon. I'm fine."
>She can do all this magic...which begs the question
So, just what kind of unicorn are you?
>"Excuse me?"
>Perhaps you had a different tone than you meant.
I'm sorry, I meant to say that I've heard of unicorns that can do only specific types of magic. You however, seem to be able to do everything.
>Her harsh look melts, and she blushes. "Oh, that...well, my special talent is magic. If you've seen my cutie mark..."
>You've heard those two words before. What the fuck
Ok, what's a cutie mark?
>She gasps. "What?"
I've heard you all talk about cutie marks one time or another, but I just don't know what they are.
>"Just look at my flank! Er..."
>Blush
Oh that... Yeah, I was wondering why I see almost everyone have tattoos there
>"Tattoos?"
Yeah, tattoos. Like what I have on my arms.
>"Those aren't cutie marks?"
No... So what's the deal with these cutie marks?
>"Well, when a pony discovers her special talent, she gains a cutie mark symbolizing that talent."
>Well...that's odd
>"What's a tattoo?"
>Hmmm how to explain this
A tattoo is a form of art or expression, where essentially a needle is inserted into the skin many times. With this needle, ink is permanently left behind. So, like how you can draw or write with a quill, basically it's the same concept on a body. In my case, I have one on each arm
>You take off your tigerstripe top, leaving the undershirt, and you push your sleeves up.
>Her eyes widen, looking at your arms...You think. Her eyes seem a little shifty. Na, she's just checking out your tattoos.
>"What do they mean?"
>Looking down, you see ? ??? ? ??? ??? on your left arm and three Air Force stripes
>It comes back to you
On my left is a phrase from my Grandfather's people. He was a Greek, specifically of Spartan heritage. They were one of the ancient Earth's most powerful warriors, and Spartan is now synonymous with toughness. It can even be used to mean "resolute in the face of danger." There's many battles that the Spartans faced, including the Battle of Thermopylae, where a few thousand Greeks, including the infamous 300 Spartans, stood their ground against around 100,000 Persians
>She's enjoying this little piece of history
I'm rambling. Anyways, my tattoo is a Spartan phrase, meaning "With your shield or on it." The context refers to the big shields Spartan soldiers used in combat, and it means to either come back with your shield, or on it. To come back on your shield literally meant you died and your comrades were carrying your body on your shield.
>She gets that concerned look on her face
But it's not suicidal at all. The Spartans knew that war comes with death, and death on the battlefield was honorable. But they fought to live, not to die.
>She relaxes just a little. "What about the other one?"
Ah, this? This was the highest rank I made when I was enlisted in the Air Force. I was a Senior Airman, serving effectively as a buck sergeant. After that, I applied and got into the Air Force Academy and commissioned as an officer.
>Shit. All that came back on the fly. You had a Greek grandfather that you loved. Where is he? How's he doing? What did you do as an enlisted person? You weren't flying, so what was your job? So why did you not go to the Academy upon graduating high school?
>You stop your mind from coming up with more questions
>Figures. The more you remember, the more you question yourself
>"What's wrong Anon?"
Nothing... all that, I just remembered right now. We're done here, so far as repairs on my F-22. Now I need to customize my F-22. Think you can conjure up a few cans of paint?
>She nods, and as you asked, there were quite a few paint cans in a pile.
Thanks Twilight.
>She smiles
>For the rest of the day, you painted your F-22 with a tigerstripe paintstyle so the griffons would know it's you. You also added a shark mouth on the nose, showing that you mean business. On the fins, you did your best to make a badass Thunderbirds logo. Sure you weren't part of the team, but they were an inspiration to you, and they were definitely the best of the best...of the best pilots. In neon blue, you painted the underside of the F-22 the infamous Thunderbird image.
>"Hey Anon?"
Yes?
>"Why are you making yourself more conspicuous?"
Among fighter pilots, it's a sign of confidence, and is a show of strength. Normally, you'd want to keep yourself hidden until you can attack. Now imagine a fighter that is not trying to hide himself at all. He's basically saying that it doesn't matter who spots him or how many see him: he's going to kick ass, regardless of the enemy knowing he's coming or not. In this case, it serves partly to being a confidence check in myself as a pilot, and partly as an intimidation tactic for the the enemy.
>You look at the sky, and notice it's starting to darken
When are you going back to Ponyville?
>"Actually, I'm heading out tonight. I'll be back in time to go to bed."
>Great.
It was great talking to you today, Twilight, and I thank you for assisting me in repairing my aircraft, but I need to sleep for tomorrow. Goodnight
>She looked like she wanted to say something
>"Ok. Goodnight, Anon. Please be safe."
>Turned away from her, you shoot her a Victory sign. Maybe in some parts of your world, that would be considered a rude sign, but here, it had no special meaning.
 
>Remembering some of your heritage gave you a sense of pride for your job, which was lost with your amnesia
>You grab a quick dinner, passing Shining Armor
Hey. How ready are we?
>"We're as ready as we can be on such short notice."
Good to hear. The mission will commence at 0800, with your approval, sir.
>He looks mildly confused.
>"Sir?"
Yeah, I'm your subordinate. The Princess told you, right?
>"No, I haven't spoken with her in since yesterday morning."
You should as soon as possible. She'll give you the details. One more thing. Have you come up with a name for our operation?
>"Not at all."
Good. With your permission, it will be called Operation: Shields of Sparta
>"It sounds...nice, but what is a sparta?"
If you ask your sister, you'll find out. Go talk with Twilight.
>He nods, but you wonder if he'll go through with it.
>"You look tired Anon. We have a big day tomorrow."
You're right. Remember to go talk with Twilight. Goodnight, Captain.
>"Goodnight, Captain"
>Ok, there has to be some sort of rank system here where something like that would never happen again
>Going to your room, you brush your teeth, undress, and fall asleep.
 
>Wake up in a cold sweat
>Damn nightmares
>Shit, feel really sore
>Check watch
>0500
>Three hours
>Get up, shower, and grab a quick breakfast
>You really don't enjoy the lack of protein in the morning
>Grab your magic music player that Twilight gave you and head out
>Go through your pre-flight check
>Done
>The sun is now just starting to rise
>0700
>You head back inside and go to the medical facility
>Ask for some pain relievers
>They offer pills
>Ask for that morphine, because the pain sucks
>Hesitantly, they give you a couple of syringes of the good stuff
>Find a dark room.
>Take out a C-Note, light up, and taste the sweet tobacco
>Meditate
>C-Note is finished
>0720
>One more smoke
>This time, a regular cigarette
>You pop off the cap of one syringe and stick it in your arm
>Sweet relief washes over you as the painkiller numbs you
>Toss empty needle
>Put the other one in your pocket. You might need it for later
>0730
>You always did finish cigarettes faster
>Walk outside to your jet
>You see plenty of guards standing around. The vast majority are the pegasi that will be flying with you, but there's the unicorns as well that are hanging by the chariots. You don't see Shining Armor
>As you come up to them, one of them spots you and yells "Area TENCH-HUT!"
>Huh. Celestia must've told Shin'n and/or the rest of the guard what your position was.
At ease soliders, don't come to attention for me. I'm the deputy commander for right now. Shining Armor is still your commander.
>They slowly accept your command
>Fucking amateurs
>0745
>You see another unicorn in a regal uniform
>Time to show those guards how it's done
AREA! TENCH-HUT!!!
>You nearly yelled your lungs out
>Immediate results
>Shining Armor comes down and places the guard at ease
>He stands in front of all of them, and starts to talk
>"Good morning guards."
>"GOOD MORNING SIR!"
>"As I'm sure you're well aware, Captain Anonymous has been welcomed by Princess Celestia to join our unit. He is my deputy commander, and will be fighting with us today in today's mission. Anonymous, the floor is yours."
>I hate you so GODDAMN much whymakemetalkinfront of these gentlecolts
>Ah, you got something
Good morning guards
>"GOOD MORNING SIR!"
I trust Shining Armor all informed you of the specifics of our mission today. Am I correct?
>SIR YES SIR
Just what I love to hear. Now, allow me to tell you a story of my ancestors, the Spartans. They were a fierce warrior society, where every man would willingly defend his city-state. They had an interesting fighting style, where they would hold a spear or sword in one hand for offense, and in the other, he would hold a shield for defense. Not only was it for his defense, but when in line with his comrades, he could form a more effective shield with their shields. This teamwork is partly what the Spartans are remembered for. Imagine that! Fighting together, defending together, as one. Today, that is just what I intend we will do. We will be fighting as brothers in arms, defending our beloved Equestria from the warmongering Griffon Kingdom! Today, we will channel my ancestors spirit in Operaton: Shields of Sparta! HOOAH!
>"HOOAH CAPTAIN"
>Shit. You weren't expecting that
>Looking at Shining Armor, you nod
They're ready, Sir.
>He stands next to you. "Let Operation: Shields of Sparta commence!"
>Every guard scrambles into formation, and one by one, they lift off. The unicorns, likewise, get in the chariots and take off
>As Shining Armor is about to go, you get his attention.
Hey, Captian. Has your Guard ever fought while listening to music?
>Puzzled, he responds "No, why?"
With your permission, I'd like to blast a song when we're about to go into battle.
>He raises a brow
Sir, I believe it will help us fight better
>"I don't know how, but ok. Permission granted."
>He hops into his chariot and takes off.
>You go to your F-22 and climb in.
>Everything seems good. Turn on the engine
>Good to go, you are cleared for takeoff
>You gain speed and soon find yourself airborn
>YEEEEHAAWWWWWWW
>Falling in to Shining Armor's 9 o'clock, you follow the formation to Fillydelphia
 
>In a matter of 45 minutes, the group arrives at the destination
>You made it just in time, as you see griffons far from the outskirts
>Approaching them, you start your music
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uNofXKppggQ&feature=related
>You see all the guards are jamming to it
>How can they hear this?
>Magic.
>God. Damn. It. I'm a scientist, not a wizard. Quit it.
>No, you shut your whore mouth and start fighting!
>Ok brain
>The griffons are just out of range...
>Now they're in range
>You get to the front of the formation and perform a few aileron rolls for morale support.
>You then fire your Vulcan right at the cluster of griffons
>Several hits, and they fall lifelessly
>This feels good...
>You speed up and fire at the stunned griffon air force. They clearly have never seen an airplane, let alone a machine gun.
>Firing at the group, you take out a good number before they scatter.
>Looking at your ammunition...
>766 shots left
>Well, you've shot almost 100 bullets and maybe hit 60 of them. Not bad. Especially considered that there only appears to be around 400 of them.
>Huh. Weren't we expecting higher numbers?
>Anyways, the remaining griffons start to split up, having learned what happens when they stick close together
>However, just prior to breaking completely, they fire a volley of crossbow bolts at you
>Oh those motherfuckers. If even one hits, it'll mess up the paintjob
>You go into a completely vertical climb, flashing them the thunderbird and avoiding their bolts
>You perform a backflip and immediately fly downwards
>At this point, the rest of the guard has fired their crossbows, taking out a number of griffons
>The unicorns are also firing spells at the griffons, causing a good number of them to fall
>You knew that they'd be effective
>Revving up, you charge straight at the griffons
>They clearly don't know what to do
>You start to fire, and take out a few
>Now they're starting to retreat
>Cowards
>There's still a good couple hundred of them
>You pursue them, and continue firing
>Hahahaha! Fuckers!
>There's just a few stragglers now...
>Shining Armor pulls up next to you, holding a note
>Wait, where'd he get that?
>...
>You better not say it
>I'm not saying it. Because you already know.
>Fucking A
>He points in a direction, and apparently wants you to follow
>You point at what remains of the griffons
>His horn glows...
>And his voice is in your head
>"Captain Anon! Cease engagement immediately and follow me!"
Why? What's going on?
>"Baltimare and Ponyville are both under attack! This was a diversion!"
>Your eyes widen
>You should've suspected this. The lower number of griffons practically shouted false information
Which city are we headed towards?
>"Baltimare. It's closer and is reporting heavier fire."
>So, your friends are going to be left to die?
>Rainbro... Fluttershy...Rarity...Applejack...Pinkie Pie...Doctor Whooves...Twilight
>That last one...
>Never mind brain, I know what I'm going to do
You go on ahead to Baltimare, I'm going to Ponyville
>"Negative Anon! I know it's hard, it's even harder for me, but Baltimare is a higher priority! When we're done with Baltimare, we'll handle Ponyville!"
Are Baltimare and Ponyville in the same direction from here?
>"Yes! If we go that direction, we'll hit Baltimare first, and then if we continue on, we'd get to Ponyville!"
Yes sir!
>You perform an Immelmann turn and take off
>You speed past the rest of the guards
>And now you don't hear anything
>You just broke the sound barrier
>Supercruise mode activated
>None of the guards can keep up with you
>In less than 2 minutes you see a big city with a sizeable crowd of griffons firing en masse below them
>You can see some defensive spells stopping most of the bolts, but some just keep going..
>You fire your Vulcan right at the the group, carving out a hole for you to fly through
>They barely have any idea of what you did before going through them at Mach 1.82
>The shock should kill a good portion of them.
>Haha, what a shameful way to die- by the shockwave of a better flier
>You continue your way onto Ponyville
>Feeling the g-forces on you, adrenaline pumps through your body
>What a wonderful feeling
>In less than a minute, you reach Ponyville.
>Like before, you see a group of griffons firing down upon Ponyville, and some magic trying to keep the bolts from hitting the town
>However... You see a rainbow speck in the sky, being pursued
>And there are a bunch of spells being cast from the ground. You don't think the guards can pull of that variety of spells
>Slowly the music changes, fitting your mood
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8WL5IRrhl20
>Fuck yeah
>You fire into the smaller crowd of griffons, and you see about 10 of them fall
>Check bullets
>300 left
>Ok
>You go vertical, and see the griffons follow you
>Disengage supercruise
>And now everyone can hear your metal
>You flip yourself and dive right into them
>They can't believe what they're seeing
>Apparently, your paint job is more effective than you actually gave it credit for
>You almost release fire into the crowd, but remembering that Ponyville is now directly under you, you stop yourself at the last minute
>You continue your dive, allowing the griffons to split to avoid colliding with you
>WIN OR DIE MOTHERFUCKERS!
>Correcting yourself, you see that the griffons that were previously chasing Rainbow Dash are now coming towards you
>Good
>You've got a good few in front of you, and now that Ponyville isn't in your line of sight, you take comfort in firing
>They all fall down
>The rest seem to be flying away
>No you stay and fight fuckers
>You pursue and fire
>In the corner of your eye, you notice one that's headed towards you
>The fuck? This one doesn't know who the fuck you are
>You break off and you fly head on with this brave fucker
>Getting closer, you see...
>A familiar face
>One that you got to have a good look at for 25 days
>Gilda
>Does she recognize you?
>That angry look on her face seems to suggest so
>Maybe she recognizes the tigerstripe paint scheme
>You begin to fire
>She's actually dodging your bullets
>Wat
>She's dodging your-
>WAT
>She lands on your wing
>She proceeds to punch your wings
>Oh? Fuck me?
>You flip her the bird
>Fuck you bitch!
>Ailerone rolls. Ailerone rolls for every griffon!
>You speed up to Mach 1 and continue your roll
>She can't continue hurting your pride and joy, but she's still holding on
>BITCH YOU'RE SCRATCHING THE PAINT
>Mach 2 it is
>She can't handle it, and she falls off
>You can't handle it...
>You start to see black in the corner of your eyes...
>Your eyes start feeling heavy...
>You cut the engines...
>And you're back to normal
>Too close
>Anyways, no sign of Gilda
>Actually, all the griffons are gone now. Euphoria
>And the rest of the guard shows up
>About time guys
>Shining Armor pulls up next to you, and his horn glows again
>In your mind...
>"What the hell was that?"
I was just following orders sir
>"What?"
I took care of the griffons in Baltimare, and then proceeded onto Ponyville
>"You also cause a lot of damage to the Baltimare!"
>Your euphoria slips away
What?
>"Your little sonic boom broke windows, and preliminary reports are saying that there are at least 100 injured, and 7 dead."
>Dysphoria starts setting in
>"What do you have to say for yourself?"
>You slow down, lower your altitude, and head back to Canterlot
>"Well?"
I'm....sorry.
>There must have been something in your voice that Shining Armor didn't like
>"Are you ok?"
No...I'm not.
>"Listen, for what happened, we're lucky that there's so few casualties. We were expecting the number in the thousands. And there were no casualties in the guard."
>You can't say anything
>"I'm sorry I came off as critical Anon, but you gotta be more careful. Just remember that next time."
Ok...
>Your voice is still weak
>You had never actively defended a place. You were always over enemy territory, never on friendly territory when you fought
>Coming up on your makeshift runway, you land
>Turning everything off, you climb out and notice that you're feeling sore again
>Taking out the other syringe, you pop off the top and inject yourself
>Feels man...Feels good
>As you discard the empty syringe, Shining Armor's chariot lands close by
>And following him is the rest of the pegasi and unicorns
>"Guards!"
>"YES SIR!"
>"Operation: Shields of Sparta was a huge success!"
>"HOOAH CAPTAIN!"
>"We owe Captain Anonymous for his bravery and his skill!"
>"HOOAH!"
>"Tonight, we drink at the Bare Mares!"
>"HOOAH CAPTAIN HOOAH!"
>Jesus, did you teach them that?
>"And I'm paying!"
>Suddenly zerg rush. Zerg rush to that bar...or club..or whatever it was.
>Only you and Shining Armor remain
>"Listen, I know I sounded a bit harsh, but you didn't seem to realize what you did."
I hurt innocent people...
>"And you saved plenty more. Thanks to you, Ponyville had reported zero injuries. If you hadn't gotten there when you did, there may have been more deaths and injuries than you...than what were reported in Baltimare"
But Baltimare-
>"Don't worry about it. Just be aware of what your jet can do. You did great today, and you've earned my full confidence. I can report to the Princess that we succeeded because of you."
But-
>"Anon, listen. You saved my little sister. I spoke with the guards after you chased off the griffons, and one of them reported that Twilight was being swarmed with griffons. She was trying hard to fight back, and they were about to get her, when you showed up. If you hadn't done what you had, she'd be dead. Come on, I owe you a drink, and you look like you could use one."
Ok... So what's the plan after this?
>"What?"
>Wait, what?
We're in a war, right?
>"I...guess so. To be honest, I've never been in a war before."
>GODDAMNMOTHERFUCKINGSHITDICK AMATEURS
Tell you what. We'll have a couple of drinks, but tonight, we'll plan our counter-attack, ok?
>"Sounds good."
>You look at your watch
>1100
>Well, looks like you're not the only one who can drink at anytime
>And you can afford to have a few drinks
 
>A few hours later...
>You're trashed
>So is Shining Armor
>So is everyone who was in Operation: Shields of Sparta
>The mission succeeded, what more can you ask?
>You and Shining Armor head back to the castle, after he talks to the bartender about putting it all on his tab
>The two of you manage to stumble back to the castle... but he passes out
>Ha. Lightweight
>Princess Cadance shows up with a look of concern on her face
Oh don't worry Princess! He'll be fine hahaha. He just needs to sleep. We've had one hellofaday!
>She seems to accept it. "Thank you, for making sure he found his way home. I'll take care of him now."
Yes Ma'am!
>You start to stumble your way to your room
>Find your bed
>Before you lay down, you remember that you had to plan for a counter-attack
>Ideas flash in your mind...
>Suddenly, something stuck out
>Guns of Navarone
>Hmmm....
>You fall on your bed and pass out