As if an arrow, having been pulled back strong and let go swift, the F-35A fighter jet sliced through the blue californian skies
The pilot loved the hum, it was relaxing, it was intense–a dichotomy that should not be possible but was all the same. His heart beat in excitement, blood pumping but his expression beneath the helm was serene.
He was in his element and gladly took every advantage that came with it. Pulling the joystick backward, the craft began slowly banking upwards.
The joystick reaching its zenith, the jet bottomed up and without a second wasted, the craft went headlong towards the Earth.
All his focus was in this moment, everything but the trembling of the fighter was a dull noise, much to the annoyance and worry of the speaker in his ear.
She asked him what the hell he was doing–
"..." BOOM went the sound barrier,
She warned him of the consequences–
"..." The system alarmed, he gave a cocksure smile,
Course language flared up, she sounded anxious–
"..." the ground was two tens of seconds away from meeting him,
A brief respite and sorrow tone, "Please…just listen to me, H–"
With a sudden jolt of the joystick the craft went horizontal and cut the air fifteen from the dusty desert. Trailing dust in his wake, a hearty "WOOOO!" escaped the pilot's lips.
"That was reckless" she stated obvious in the pilot's ear.
Having returned safely to a higher atmosphere, the pilot was casual with his reply "I think what you meant to say was 'good stress test, Highball'"
"Oh it was a stress test alright, stress testing my patience and our budget. At least you didn't crash it…yet" she added plenty of acid to that last part.
"Heh, day's still young, Caro–"
"It's Ms. Ferris or Boss, Highball" she cut him off vehemently.
"Aye, aye Captain!"
He heard her groan, followed by her wishing she had hired Larry Trainor instead of him.
Highball shook his head in good humor, "No buyer's remorse now–not when I'm your best pilot"
"That's because I don't fly anymore," she retorted.
"Ooh~~ Want to put money on that?"
"Tch, and give you the satisfaction? No way"
"Always the tease–what the?"
She was quick to respond, "Keep it formal, our sponsors and contractors do listen to thes–"
It was his turn to interrupt her "Did the weather guy say there was going to be a solstice today?"
"What, what are you talking about?"
"The skies are getting brighter and it's…it's changing colors!" he gasped, truly taken aback at what played out before him. "There's fire!"
It was in a blink of an eye, the once blue stratosphere swirled like an azure/white kaleidoscope at points, other areas were a torrent of what seemed to be hellfire.
They were opposed, actively pushing against each other, plumes of both overtaking each other before breaking free and repaying the favor.
"What are you seeing, Highball?! Our sensors down here are going off the charts"
The pilot, he liked to see himself as fearless, he had to be to live up to the legacy of his father, to make all the strife worth it, to prove he was a cut above the rest. To ignore what happened to his mother, being denounced by his older brother and being kicked out of the air force…
That said, in this moment, he felt fear. A pure fear of a mortal man coming face to face with the unknown. He felt miniscule.
"Highball!"
"..."
"Answer me goddammit!"
"..."
"HAL!?"
"Carol…Is this what they felt like in New York?"
Hellfire overtook the kaleidoscope and then came down upon the jet, the pilot didn't even have a second to brace himself–
It all went black…
Though there was a brief flicker–
The first thing that registered was the pain, and then the discomfort.
His chest compressed and released as he inhaled through the helmet/mask.
Brown eyes adjusted and what he saw wasn't reassuring.
Dark skies above and an ominous red glow upon the ground.
The ground? I landed? He looked to his immediate vicinity, which nixed that possibility entirely. Gauges broken, the window of the cockpit/canopy shattered and the wings torn asunder.
"I crashed…I crashed…" It was unbelievable, moreso the fact he was alive. I am, aren't I? The ground was blackened with cracks going throughout. Some of the cracks pulsed red, others spewed fire.
The world around him was scorched. "This is Hell, isn't it?" he asked, he blinked and began to fidget with his coms. "Carol! Ground control! ANYBODY!?"
No response.
Crap…
Brown eyes shrunk, becoming a thousand yard stare into nothingness
But this can't be real?! There has to be someone–
He blinked and witnessed her, brown eyes met white eyes like chrome.
He jolted up and looked around, there was no one–
And then someone–
Some ten feet, she looked up at him.
Long silver hair that went to the ground, elven ears, pale silver skin with patterns he did not recognize. She had dark limbs that seemed to move like a nebula. A reflective gem-like object rested on her forehead, along with what could have been a plumed headdress (or perhaps it was part of her).
She was definitely not human.
There a heavy pause as he took her in, each moment that passed allowing the pilot to reclaim his will
"Who are you?" Curious/Fear. Followed by, "Did you do this?" Fearful accusation. And then "Please tell me Carol's okay! My family…everyone…" a heartfelt but desperate plea
He got no response, only a quirk of her head.
Anger flared, he threw off the helmet and tore the mask–
The open air tasted like sulfur. He coughed, he gagged and he barely managed to keep himself from hurling. He steeled himself and kept a hard gaze on her.
He hefted himself from the jet and landed with a hefty thud on the ground.
The pilot quickly looked to her, but she was gone.
"The hell?" quickly making pace to where she had stood, he couldn't make heads or tails of it.
She was behind him now, from nowhere.
He did not jump, looking at her in anger, suspicion and confusion. "What is this? What are you?"
She opened her mouth, and there was a subtle humm in the air.
"Walk…South…" her voice was like a chorus from another world. "...find the source…help…find a way in…" her voice ebbed and flowed, in and out of audibility.
"WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU SAYING LADY!" he yelled, but she was gone.
Though she whispered one last thing.
"...Chaos cannot be awakened…of the End…overtake…Demon Gods…normalcy will come…"
With that, the pilot was alone yet again.
He clicked his teeth and took in the scorched earth around him. It was harrowing to say the least.
Looking to the dark horizon, "South, alright, why not?" I better find out what's going on whenever I get to wherever I'm going…
And so, the pilot walked, and the Priestess watched unknown to him–
In turn, and unseen to her was another who observed…