(STORY EXTRACT)
 
As the buzzing grew louder, though, a roar could be heard growing in the distance as well. Pressing my face into the glass to trying and get a better view, I couldn’t spot anything, and the cold of the window eventually forced me to push back from the glass. The roar grew louder still, and suddenly the sky was full of a black-nosed fireball streaking through it. I drew back in surprise, rushing to the other side of the workshop and the window there, my eyes wide as I watched the plane crash down into the snowbank on the other end of the airfield. Sirens blared out as a small half-track with large tanks of water rushed out of a hangar, ponies dousing the flaming wreck as they approached. My heart pounded in my chest as I wondered what had happened to the huge jet. My ears finally picked the sound of buzzing again and I began to search the skies, moving back to the other side of the shop, now able to spot the silhouette of the Stork against the sky. Something fell from it as it passed low over another snow bank, before it turned around for a landing.
 
The Stork skidded to a stop on the snowy tarmac, the crowd of ponies rushing over to it. I bit my lip, looking between the window and the door as I contemplated rushing outside. If anypony were to get Night Strike out of the jacket, who knows if our plan would work anymore, let alone what they’d do with her… I tried to get a better look through the crowd, but it was impossible to see what was going on amidst the large group of ponies. After a moment, a figure managed to fight their way out of the crowd. The bulky jacket and turned up hood quickly revealed it to be Night Strike as she hurried away, the other ponies taking a moment before they all realized their winner had slipped away.
 
Night Strike broke into a gallop as ponies broke off to chase her, others staying behind to either talk among themselves or to admire the Stork. Crash Dive stepped out in front of the group as they were about to pass her, causing them all to halt in place. Whatever she was doing, it was working. Night Strike managed to kick through the door into the workshop, panting heavily as she tore off the scarf and began to undo the buttons on the jacket. “Sweet Luna above, if you thought I was a fanatic for Vera, these ponies were practically ready to trample me to death!” She threw the jacket to me and I began to throw it on, working to get my hooves through the sleeves quickly as she went to work helping wrap the scarf around my neck, something on it jabbing me in the side. Nngh, couldn’t have pulled Thumper out before you passed it on? “Alright, let’s hope you thought of some good excuse for this, because I sure as heck didn’t.” Before I could respond, she shoved me towards the door, jumping out of sight as it opened and I was yanked out by Serene.