private Eastern Skies Ablaze

[FancyHorse 1,209]

The squad remained in silence as they flew. Simply following the rolling plains and near the city scapes close by at the coastline. The lapping waters roaring at the jagged rocks.

 

There seemed to be a growing arise for tension break.

 

"Staying Frosty?... " Razor asked. "You bunch are usually talkative... " She said.

No pony seemed to talk. Not even Kris. Her two squadmates reply with simple acknowledgment blinks.

 

"First kills can be a bit to take in." She said softly, almost motherly. 

[Mentis Soliloquy 3,026]

"Yeah..." Star managed to get out in a cracked voice, nothing like her normal soft spoken words. She really could not shake the images in her mind and just wanted to sleep or rest, or eat or anything but be stuck flying home, to a ship that wasn't her home.

 

She'd been sent to a war she didn't want to go and now had killed in said war.

[FancyHorse 1,209]

Razor did want to speak up, knock some realism into them. But she didn't, couldn't . She could not continue causing a slight uproar.

 

The four approached toward the carrier, flying by first and heading to the rear. At good distance they each turn and begin toward the rear, lining up in single file progressively cutting engine power.

 

"Alright cut full power and go into glide." Razor said extending her wings further. Following in path their engines cut from power they all silently glide along the air approaching closer and closer until their hooves touch gently onto the runway slightly galloping until they halted their momentum. To the side Delphinus squad gathered about watching them. Heavy Cloud smiled to them, more so to Star.

 

"A good mission?" She asked... before noting the gaze in her eyes. The three cadets shared a reserved demeanor.

"I just really... REALLY, wanna lay down." Kris said, trying to muster his humorful side. 

 

Razor approached to her former wingpony, Delphinus 1. Rookie as he was once called. 

"Taking it hard?..." He asked.

"Too hard. I didn't think it'd be that bad? Too fast paced to notice?" She replied watching as the three entered the seal door and filing down the stairs. Soar pressed against Star a slight nuzzle, a small effort to cheer her up. And herself.

[Mentis Soliloquy 3,026]

"Thanks Soar..." She nuzzled back in a similar action trying to do similar to her friend. "W-We'll get over this, I think we will..." She said quietly to them both if Kris was listening to her as well, or not, she was not sure.

 

They made their way to their rooms and found their spots and laid down to rest and think.

[FancyHorse 1,209]

Star and Soar laid about on their bunks, Cirrus perched onto the desk flutters over sitting close to her owner. 

 

The two just laid about unraveling in the afterglow of battle. Their bodies sore to every movement and their minds shaken a little.

"Star? My head hurts.." Soar whispered a little.

----

Outside Sagittarius Squad approached to their carrier end, Razor and the rest outside still watching, noticing immediately only three were present. An array of tension could be felt.  Looked to be their fourth squad mate. 

 

The three aces once at the side unraveled their rigs and removing their helms. Not a word spoken, seemed like everypony was having an unpleasant day. Successful but still bitter. 

[Mentis Soliloquy 3,026]

"Mine is not so good either..." She replied as she rolled onto her back to just stare at the ceiling. A single hoof petting Cirrus to her side as she staredbat nothing. The incident was fading the images not totally life like now, but she knew somthing.

 

They'd never leave her for a long as she drew breath...

[FancyHorse 1,209]

It wasn't rather long till she had drfited away into nothingness of slumber. No dream not much imagery at all just a blank note. 

 

"Just not sure were to take it from here...." Kris' voice could heard faintly,

Hello?

"I-its them or us right?... They're the bad guys.." Soar was next.

Hard not to think on it huh?

"Suck it up cadet! This war. You think I don't like it as much as you?" Razor could be heard scourning.

SQUACK!.... what? A faint huff could be heard. Star swore Cirrus was ment to be a parrot sometimes. With her eyes waking open she sees the feather brained next to her with beady eyes. Obviously wanting to go outside. 

 

In haze she takes her onto her hoof and sliding out of bed. Hazely remembering the path up to the flight deck she approached outside. It was rather dormant. And overcast. A little close to the late evening hours. Cirrus took off into the skies.

[Mentis Soliloquy 3,026]

"Why do I act on the whims of that bird?..." She said half asleep. She sat down on the deck where she'd let Cirrus take off and just looked up to the sky, not really doing anything but stare at the heavens for a while. She was tempted to fly up and sleep on a cloud for a while but that might not be wise above a battle group. 

[FancyHorse 1,209]

From behind she heard hoofsteps approach. Taking seat next to her was the familiar face of Heavy Cloud. From her uniform pocket she pulled out a small little packet; grape scented Poison Joke Branded Cigs, minus the magical side effects of course.

"Do you want one?" She asks, Star declined. Briefly lighting it with a small ember stone in the pack she takes a brief drag.

 

"Thought you would still be asleep..." She whispered. 

[Mentis Soliloquy 3,026]

"I should be... friken bird wanted to have her flying time so I had to let her out." She sighed and sat back. "Why are you up?" She was not a smoker at all so she'd never of accepted a smoke from anyone really. Outside of her squad Heavy was the only pony that seemed to talk to her, it was a little lonely really. 

[FancyHorse 1,209]

Heavy took another drag from her cig. Only two drags before snuffing out her stick placing it back into its box.

Cirrus let out a cry of relief as she soared around in the air flying ahead of the carrier.

 

"Did you hear about Sagittarius? They lost a squad mate..." She whispered in a hint of sadness.

Rather harsh to hear an ace flyer was taken out during their first few operations? Were they just lucky and faced off novice grunts? Just simple cannon fodder? 

 

It wasn't helping their already stressed minds.

[Mentis Soliloquy 3,026]

"One of the aces? No I didn't hear about it, been in a bit of a slump since I came back from my mission." She felt a bit worse now, what if it was 3? Never seeing her again to smooth things out...

 

"Why is there evil Heavy? Why do we have to come here and fight and die against it? Why can't we just be happy and alive..." 

[FancyHorse 1,209]

"Fuck if I know..." Heavy said. "Just... doing like I'm told. That'd be a question you wanna ask the princesses." She said.

 

There was a pause in between.. Star felt as though Heavy had something to say. One of those odd feelings. And as though she were psychic Heavy spoke up. The pegasus looked about around the carrier deck... They were completely alone.. Apart from the patrolling guards but they kept to themselves. She leaned in to her whispering.

 

"Ever thought on... running away?" She asked, a rather tabooish question coming from an experienced flyer. She? Thinking on AWOL? Just abandoning her post? Or perhaps it was just a stray thought, a curiosity. 

[Mentis Soliloquy 3,026]

"What just take off and not come back? Go home?" She paused as she thought, not even concerned by the line of questioning. "Yeah I'd leave in a heartbeat if I were allowed to go home and get back on with my life... but no I can't I'd be found arrested and thrown in jail only reason I stay is because the risk of punishment." 

[FancyHorse 1,209]

Heavy looked around, "Fly straight back to Equestria.. I've got relatives in Trottingham. Its outta-" She stopped herself from continuing.

"Its a dumb idea... F-forget I said. I should'nt even be thinking something like this.." She said. Revealing her cigs again she takes another lit dragging at the last of her unfinished stick.

 

Cirrus swooped down landing gracefully next to Star and taking pirch on her head. 

[Mentis Soliloquy 3,026]

"Silly bird... you ok Heavy, you seem worse than I am and I killed two ponies today..." She snuggled next to her trying to seem kind and such, well she was but not entirely sure why Heavy had taken a shine to her in the first place, she was so negative around here ever since she got here. 

[FancyHorse 1,209]

Heavy pressed her hoof to Star stopping her.

"I-I am good. Really I'm okay. Just... sways in.. eeh emotion I guess. Being stuck here so long can get to you." She says rather hastily. She lets in a deep breathe.

 

"Come on. Lets go inside, its getting a little cold. You can hang around in my quarters a little if you want." She offers to her.

[Mentis Soliloquy 3,026]

"Sure, sounds like a plan, I don't care if Razor wants me later I'm grounding myself for today I'm in no condition to fly." She got up and followed Heavy back down in the bowls of the ship to Heavy's room. "Looks like you've made yourself at home then Heavy, but then your stationed on this big boat makes sense to make this room a little your own." As she walked in.

[FancyHorse 1,209]

Inside her hooves are greeted by the soft lush rugs lining along in an odd pattern. A typical desk mounted with a mobile terminal, various photos and what not. Plushies, a little basket of treats and some other various knick knacks. Her single bed remains lined along the end of the small room. Her wall lined with various magazine clippings, photos, sketches all in a meaning matter to bring a little color to it. Cloud takes a seat onto her bed.

 

"I'm glad you like it. Main flyers get single quarters since we're a permanent detachment. The Ace's get the more... quality rooms as they call em. I don't care. I'm fine with this." She said. 

[Mentis Soliloquy 3,026]

"Better than the crap I have in my shared room with Soar." She walked over and sat down next to her. "But I have no idea where we are going after being here or even when we're leaving actually." She sat there looking at the door they just came in from. "You've done ok to change the room to make it your own." 

[FancyHorse 1,209]

"... I hope you don't leave soon. I like your company. I know we haven't known each other long. " She said. She laid about on the bed looking up into the roof, looking at the Wonderbolt poster.

 

The two sat there for a bit in silence, not exactly sure to know what to say. 

"If you wanna drink, theres a little cooler under my desk. There's cider in it." She offered.

[Mentis Soliloquy 3,026]

"Nah I am ok, for drinks honestly. So your a Wonder fan are you? You know my whole squad are Wonderbolts, well we are in the reserves anyway." She scuffed a hoof on the bed side, she did not really want to boast honestly but maybe it be somthing for Heavy to talk to her about, other than the awkward silence. 

[FancyHorse 1,209]

"Eh I was a fan..." She said a little cold. "Kinda fell out later on in my career. Wonderbolts aren't really doing much. You mentioning strange how they chose reservists but oddly none of the main wonderbolts are apart of this? Captain Dash? Commander Spitfire? Major Soarin?" She sat up, returning next to her, she seemed ready for a rant.

"I mean- w-where the buck are they?! Where are the main wonderbolts or just cadets? They gather reservists and just using the usual Royal Air Units and-" She stopped and grimaced a bit.

She laid back down looking up to it.

"Why do I even have this damn thing?" She whispered.

[Mentis Soliloquy 3,026]

"I don't know about the full Wonders maybe they are somewhere else in the area and we don't know about it?" She was not however in the mood to defend them at all especially if they were not actually even here. "Well think of it as a poster of me? That be something eh?" She giggled.

[FancyHorse 1,209]

Cloud said nothing. She just kinda stared a bit, examining the detail on it. Noting it, Star looked to the poster. Below it read: Gabriel Freeflight. Star wasn't familiar with the name. The stallion had outstretched wings as he adorned his wonderbolt suit. His coat a frost white, an almost angelic appearance accompanied with a blonde short mane. A rather handsome fellow at that.

Cloud sat up and reach under to her desk for a bottle of cider. Cracking open the lid she drank a bit placing it onto the desk

"He use to be Wonderbolt." She said, expostion surely helpful.

"In fact... He was my first flight lead. Transferred to Royal Air." She said.