The Aviator's Island
It was ironic really. We were always so close. I loved her. I think I was always in love with her, an angel who's name rolls like silver off the tongue. Kei Nagase. But that wasn't the real issue. We spend the war tearing apart a country in war that I could not understand really. It wasn't the soldier's fault really. Instead we're tools of government. The irony was that through all of this, strong bonds were formed. The irony was that when the war ended, Kei and I get married and where do we go...Yuktobania. But it was actually a pleasant visit. That was because we were incognito. But on the flight home, we ended up flying over some islands. So I look down...and there it was. Arcadia. That island that sealed our fate to the world. It is ironic since my grandparents once lived there. So finally I make a mention of it as Kei's holding my hand and leaning on my shoulder. So I tell her, and she says, 'Really? ' I tell her it was where I learned how to fly. The island itself was populated, albeit scarcely though. Mining was a big thing there. My grandparents owned this old Messerschmitt ME-109, which I think is one of the best old planes ever. I loved it despite it's problems. So then I tell her it might be a good place for us to settle down and disappear. And she just smiles and says, "I'm listening..."
-A diary entry written on May 17, 2011.
Introduction
No one really lived on the island. There was maybe a small town here and there, but there was never really more than 4,000 people there. Mallora Island it was called, and it had its own legend. It was created from the fires of the world, and tamed by the sign of time. It also played a significant role in the fates of the "Four Wings of Sand Island". The only thing of significance was the large amount of scrapped planes on the island on the southwestern tip of the island. The island was remote, and most people would simply fly to the mainland. Mining and other industry was located on the eastern side of the island. But many regard it a flyer's paradise. But over the years, the flying decreased. This was mainly due to the enemy of time. A family of five owned the scrap yard and was paid by the government to store discarded planes from over the last 60-70 years. But as the family got older and their children moved away, only an old couple remained. Finally one day, they decided to relinquish the place and it was left abandoned for several years. They moved to a small house about a half-mile away on a hill. And so the place stood dormant.
That would change in June of 2011. The old couple saw a pair of government helicopters pass over their house. They landed at the airfield and several people got out. The one that was most striking was a young couple that was first to emerge; neither looked over 25. They took a tentative look around the place, and began to pantomime to two others; one was a man in his mid-thirties, the other couldn't have been older than 21. The first young man was just under six feet tall, with an unblemished tan skin and glassy blue eyes. His hair was a short, thready black. The young woman was about only five and a half feet tall, with a clear and white skin with deep, brown eyes; her hair was a long, silky brown. They were taking over the place. Eventually, others came. There was a couple in their mid-forties with two girls in tow; one looked about seventeen and the other that looked about ten. Then there was a rather amorous couple in their mid-forties; one was a tall, brown haired man that was the living definition of belligerence. The obviously foreign woman was a long, silky haired woman with a pair of pilot's sunglasses.
The old couple then paid it no attention at first. But slowly, they noticed something different about they place their new neighbors had inherited. They were finding old planes, and slowly fixing them up. They were cleaning up the place. The young newlywed man was painting an old, but well maintained Messerschmitt ME-109 in a black and fiery paint scheme. His young lover was painting a F4U Corsair that was next to the ME-109 a bright, gaudy purple and white. Occasionally, they'd go over and talk and laugh and do all things young couples do. Who were they? What inspired this? What were trying to do? These question flashed through the old couples minds. So they decided to pay their new neighbors an overdue visit...
Meanwhile somewhere on Mallora Island...
It was his day off, his first in months. He worked at a small storage company as the pilot for the supply planes, and was finally looking forward to some much needed rest. But everyone was gone. His wife was at work, the kids were at school. It kind of wished everyone had the day off. This was a far cry from who he once was. He was Claude Picarro, who the Yukes called the "Bleeding Rose", a testament to his flamboyance and ruthlessness in combat.
A year ago, he had been a tour de force pilot in the Yuke Air Force. He'd been combat flying for 15 years, 14 of them with the Yukes. And he wasn't even Yuktobanian. He was a Sapinian Air Force pilot during the Belkan War; he'd shot down 7 planes at the age of 20. He was the youngest ace in history before last year. He was recruited by Yuktobania and trained to fly the Mig-29. He flew against the air forces of Verusa and Erusea in 3 wars and his kill count climbed to 26. He attended college and learned business; he was genius to many. A mechanical failure forced him down after he shot down a vaunted enemy ace in 1999. He encountered the person, a woman named Marimeydia Sophie Kushrenada. A person, who he actually took a liking too, who was about a year his junior and was striking beautiful. She had a grace unlike her fellow pilots. Much to the chagrin of his comrades, he actually courted the woman...and married her a year later. A number of Versuan pilots also defected from the facist state, and the couple were assigned to train them. They led them into combat in 2002 and 2008.
But Marimeydia was injured in a bizarre friendly fire incident, and lost her left eye; she could no longer fly. Ironically, in 2010, another friendly fire incident that nearly took Claude's right eye and some of his right ear. He too, was forced to retire when he could no longer fly effectively because of the injuries. But an old friend got him a job back in Osea that appealed to his excellent flying skills. And the rest was history.
There was nothing on TV, which didn't bother Claude. He hated TV. While the island itself was a serene place, there wasn't much to do. He would mainly just indulge in his favorite activity, flying. When he left Yuktobania, his comrades showed their appreciation for his long service(most served 7-8 years), by giving him and his wife two restored Yak-9s. Although it was pain to ship over, he finally got the opportunity to fly it several months ago.
"Ah, what the hell." he said.
He grabbed his old flight jacket, his other gear, and went out to rule the sky again. He passed by a wall. It was a wall of personal significance. It was a wall of newspaper articles. It was a wall dedicated to "Four Wings of Sand Island" and all the pilot legends of his time. In his plane was a recent picture of his family. Claude was a short guy, 5'4'', with brown hair, blue eyes, and a pasty skin. He was the last person one ever expect to fly a plane. Marimeydia was more up to it. She was six feet tall with green eyes, silk-like blonde hair, and an unblemished skin. There were his two kids, Lina and Van in the photo as well. There was also another picture of his days amongst the Yukes. In it was him, a few former squadron members, one last person. A person he only met once during that meeting. A lady simply named Nastasha. She always wore a set of gaudy sunglasses...
