Dan’s eyes peeled open, his blurry vision slowly coming into focus. Cold air blew in from the broken glass all around. Realizing he survived the crash, he lifted a hand up, brought it to his helmet, and pulled it off of his head. The wind blasted his face, causing it to shiver and numb the headache he just noticed he had. As a marine, he visioned dying in a blaze of glory crashing his helicopter to save a friend or perhaps fighting off a squad while already shot and bleeding. Dying in the cold and due to crash landing in horrible conditions, a mistake he ultimately was at fault for, felt like bitter irony.
A bright pink flash poked through the blizzard. “I did it! I can’t believe I did it!”
“Twilight?”
A light “huh? came from outside and a raspberry aura enveloped the entire canopy, slowly lifting it open and pulling away the broken glass. Dan couldn’t tell if he was hallucinating, especially when an adorable lavender face peeked into the canopy. “Yo… you okay?”
Dan froze. “The hell?”
“Oh! Sorry, I…”
Dan shuffled around. “What are you!? Where’s Twilight? What’s going…” Wincing in pain, Dan looked down and saw a chunk of glass sticking in his leg.
“Here, let me get you out.”
“B-but…” Dan stuttered.
“Trust me.”
The same raspberry aura enveloped Dan, gently applying pressure all over his body. He slowly lifted from the seat and levitated out of the cockpit. Once out, the aura guided him to the side and lightly placed him in the snow. It looked like a miracle just occurred.
“Sorry about that, I honestly thought you died.”
Dan turned to look at the… creature. “What are you, a horse?”
It smiled. “Pony.”
“What happened to Twilight?”
It sighed. “I am Twilight.”
Dan’s brain refused to comprehend that statement.
“When I started to lose feeling in my limbs from the cold, I realized I could focus and feel my real body. Once I isolated the feeling, I could use that body and break the enchantment,” she paused and glanced up at her horn, “at least partially.” An aura surrounded her horn as another aura covered Dan, cradling him in warmth. Her face strained from casting the aura. “Worse yet, the enchantment is dampening my magic.”
“Wait, magic?” Dan shouldn’t be surprised considering what he saw in front of him.
“Don’t worry about it.” She looked off into the blizzard. “They’ll come looking for us once the storm clears up.”
Dan stuffed away his confusion of ponies and magic for a moment. “Maybe they think we’re dead?”
“I’m not stupid. We’re famous pilots deep in enemy territory. They’ll come looking even if it’s just for our bodies. I can’t imagine what kind of propaganda victory that would be.”
“So, are we screwed?”
She stared for a moment. “Not unless Blaze comes.”
— — —
Genette noticed a light on in the briefing room sticking out amongst the hallway of dark rooms. The constant hum of rain through the windows blocked whatever sound came from the room. As a journalist with the rare opportunity to see a legendary flight trainer, he never thought he’d be the first to see the outbreak of a war, let alone firsthand. After seeing only three planes return that night, the reality of the war finally dawned on him. He peeked into the room and saw Spike standing next to the couch with a book in hand. He could barely make out the title A Blue Dove for the Princess.
“You know, they don’t mention how the princess dies and the dove is too late to save her,” Spike spoke.
Genette jumped, surprised Spike knew he was there.
“Then again, there’s a lot they don’t tell you when you want to make your wishes come true.”
Genette spoke up, aware that his cover was blown. “That Twilight’s favorite book?”
“Edge’s favorite book, not Twilight’s. Twilight has a lot of favorite books.” He flipped the page. “You know the story?”
Genette walked into the room, keeping his distance from Spike. “Vaguely, to be honest.”
He flipped another page. “I wonder why they write stories like this. It’s almost cruel.”
“Is it though?” Genette posed, careful not to push Spike too far. “Ragriz, the demon from the book, always perplexed me. It’s supposed to return after a period of slumber and be reborn as a hero. Yet there’s no hero of Razgriz after the beginning. I couldn’t help but wonder if the dove is the demon reborn, the hero of Razgriz.
“I see.” Spike closed the book. He placed the book on the couch and walked out of the room, turning the lights off on Genette.
— — —
The briefing room was silent as Perrault stood up and booted up the computer. Spike glanced at Chopper and Grimm, both exhausted and demoralized from day after day of sorties. Without Twilight, Spike finally understood how they felt. “Bring back Captain Twilight. Don’t make us have to give her a posthumous two-rank promotion.”
Spike clenched his fist at the comment. He was done with humor.
The computer spoke as a global map displayed on its screen. “We’ve succeeded in tracking down Captain Twilight’s distress beacon. We will now launch a combat search and rescue operation for the Captain.”
The screen zoomed in on Yuktobania, although Spike barely paid attention. He already knew the route there. “Captain Twilight is currently on the run from an enemy patrol. Although she’s being pursued, her distress beacon is still broadcasting. This transmission is extremely weak, so we cannot confirm her location unless we get closer to the source of the signal. Follow the signal to find Captain Twilight’s concealed location as quickly as possible. Once you find her, report her location to the Sea Goblin Helicopter Squadron.”
The screen shifted to a terrain view. Only three green triangles marked their squadron. “The helicopter search and rescue team is expected to face stiff opposition from enemy air to ground forces. After the helicopter team picks up Captain Twilight, provide air support for them as they airlift her out.”
Spike left the room before the screen turned off. Grimm and Chopper chased after him down the hallway.
“Captain, what’s going…” Grimm asked as Spike held a finger to his face.
He paused for a second, looking into the distance. “Chopper, load up with Sidewinders and Phoenixes. Max out the hard points too. Grimm, Sidewinders and some unguided bombs. You’ll cover the close air support and don’t screw it up.”
“Aren’t you worried…” Chopper asked.
“We’ll need the extra range of the fox three. There’s gonna be a lot more of them than us. Just be careful around Sea Goblin.”
Chopper nodded as Grimm paused for a second. “We’re going all out, are we?”
Spike walked through the door and stared at the sky. “It’s time to see what these broken wings can do.”
— — —
Blinding white reflected the piercing sun across the blue sky. What was a blizzardy hell the day prior had turned to a beautiful winter morning with only splotches of clouds. The chopping of helicopter blades reverberated in the distance as Twilight and Dan trudged through the knee-deep snow. “Is that ours?”
Twilight paused and looked behind. A bark of a dog rang in the distance. “No. They’d be… he’d be here if it was.”
South of them, three F-14s entered the airspace and kicked in their afterburners. As they broke the sound barrier, two Phoenix missiles dropped from one of the planes and hurled themselves into the air. Within seconds, the missiles descended upon two unsuspecting Yuktobanian F-18s.
“Two splashes. Thanks, Chopper,” Spike smiled.
“Hey, did you see something in the trees below us?”
“Hate to say it, but I guarantee that’s not her.”
“How’d you know that?”
“She’ll stick out like a sore thumb when she wants to. I know my Twilight.” A faint beeping began in Spike’s ear. He tilted his plane to the right and listened as the beeping raised in pitch. “Chopper, Grimm, disperse and see what you find. Break away and regroup if you get overrun. We’re not losing another pilot today.”
“Wilco, dispersing and looking for Twilight,” Grimm affirmed as he and Chopper split off from Spike.
Spike blew past a helicopter, smiling from the thought of freaking them out with his sonic boom. The tempo of the beeps rose. He was getting closer to her.
An enemy MiG-31 chased after him, closing in on him fast. A tone rang in the cockpit. Pushing the stick forward, he dove down and hovered just above the terrain. The tone oscillated as his missile warning light flashed. Spike turned and pulled hard to the right and dumped some chaff, flanking the MiG and bleeding the missile’s energy. Leveling off, the warning stopped and the lock broke. Turning in towards the MiG, he pointed the radar up and locked on. Pushing the afterburners to the limit, he pulled and let loose a Phoenix. “Fox three!” The missile climbed after the MiG and disappeared into the sky. Two silent seconds later and a puff of smoke came out of the MiG. Spike grinned. “Splash.”
As Spike regained his bearing and focused on Twilight’s beacon, the beeps tempo rose. She was close.
Twilight and Dan turned their heads to roaring engines and distant thumps. “He’s here,” shouted a nearby soldier with dog barks behind him, breaking their gaze. Twilight horn lit up as she quickly turned over the snow along their tracks. They were losing ground and with Dan’s bad leg and they couldn’t go for much longer.
Spike tuned his radio to the enemy’s frequency and listened in.
“Cut him off up ahead! Don’t let him escape!”
“I just saw something move in the snow over there!”
“I found footprints this way.”
“Sea Goblin to Wardog leader. I’m homing in on your signal.” The transmission caught Spike off guard. “The signal’s changing. Looks like you’re gradually getting closer to Captain Twilight.”
The beeping in the cockpit escalated into a crescendo. He was almost there…
It stopped.
“That’s a jammer craft,” Chopper noted.
“It’s being jammed!” Grimm shouted.
Spike looked up. An E-767 with a giant radar dish sticking out of its back flew above him. It banked hard to the right as he approached. Flying too fast to pull the E-767 into his HUD, Spike pulled up and sped past it. Gray paint covered the plane as a yellow, black, and white triangle sat on the fuselage. “Belkan?!” Why would they be here?
Twilight's voice broke through the radio. “Dan, move! They’re just over that hill!”
Spike broke from his trance and pulled hard on his plane, bleeding speed without ripping off the wings. The g force slammed him into the seat, causing his vision to blur and gray out. Pulling the E-767 into his HUD, the missile growled in his as he pulled the trigger and fired the missile. “Fox 2!” It shot out from under his wing and landed straight into the E-767’s engine, causing it to burst into flames. For good measure, he sent a burst of gunfire into the E-767’s radar dish, knocking it out for good.
A loud thump caused Twilight to pause and look up into the sky. Roaring engines hummed through the trees but one afterburner sound stuck out. “That engine sound… Blaze, no… Spike.”
The beeping sound restarted in Spike’s cockpit. He pulled the plane around and on full afterburner, honing in on the distress beacon. As the tempo and pitch of the beeps increased, he leveled out the plane and skimmed right above the hills.
“The signal’s getting stronger. Twilight’s around here somewhere,” Chopper noted.
Four enemy fighters approached from the front but Spike stayed committed. “I know,” Spike affirmed.
Gunshots cut through the radio. “Enemy’s firing on us. Dan, get down!”
The beeps sped up, crescendoing as they did before. Radar lock tones blared on his RWR.
“Response up… and increasing! She’s right around here!” Grimm squealed.
“We don’t have any time! The enemy’s right there!” Chopper yelled back.
The tone oscillated again. Another missile. “Almost there.”
Twilight looked up. An F-14 roared over her.
“Spike!”
Spike smiled.
Tugging the stick back, the plane pitched up and shot into the sky. Rolling upside down, he released two Phoenix missiles before pulling hard back towards the ground and dumping out chaff, grunting as his finger pulled the trigger. “Fox… three…”
A missile flew past his tail as he approached the ground, rolled the plane to the side, and began to turn. Two fireballs erupted, making two splashes. One of the two remaining enemy planes turned toward him.
“This is Sea Goblin. Wardog, have you found her?”
“Yes, but…” Spike grunted from the g’s. “I’m a bit busy.” Sidewinder growl blared in the cockpit as he shot a missile. The approaching enemy tried to turn before erupting into another fireball.
“Roger, Good job. While we’re…”
“Chopper, cover Sea Goblin and get there as fast as you can. Grimm, clear out any anti-aircraft positions in Sea Goblin’s way. I’ll cover Twilight’s position.”
“Roger,” Grimm affirmed. “I’ll shoot down every single plane that comes near too.”
“Don’t take any chances, kid,” Chopper noted. “You’ll get shot down yourself.”
Sea Goblin chimed in again. “Don’t worry. We’ll take your princess back to base safely.”
Spike chuckled, “You have no idea.”
The remaining plane flew away on full afterburner. Spike locked on and fired his remaining Phoenix at it. Seconds passed but no fireball, no splash. He tuned into the enemy radio and listened.
“It’s them, I repeat. It’s them!”
“Calm down! This is Daredevil of the Yuktobanian Experimental Test Squadron. What’s your situation?”
“All of my wingmen are down! It’s them! The ones who sank the Scinfaxi and Hrimfaxi. The Razgriz!”
“Return to base. I’ll handle these Razgriz.”
Out of Phoenix missiles and down to just two Sidewinders and guns, Spike looked up at the approaching plane. This one was gonna be a dogfight.
He turned slightly to the left, approaching the enemy from an angle on full afterburner. After locking on with radar, he watched the miles count down as the distance closed. Once the distance reached one mile, he pulled up, passed underneath the enemy, and came up behind it.
Spike got a good look at the plane. An X-29 with forward-swept wings. Supposedly very maneuverable but unstable if pushed too far. It pulled to the right and away from Spike’s nose before he could get a shot off. In response, Spike dumped his nose and angled it towards its tail, regaining the energy he spent raising his altitude.
The two of them spiraled toward the ground, just as Spike expected. Right before reaching the ground, Spike pulled up enough to barely scrape the trees and continue the turn. Waiting for the wings to fully extend, Spike engaged flaps. Few aircraft could beat an F-14 with flaps engaged in this fight.
Trees flew past the cockpit as Spike slowly caught up to the enemy plane around the circle. Delicately, he gripped the stick using only slight movements to maintain his angle of attack and roll. Once the enemy pulled into view right above his HUD, Spike yanked the stick back, uncaged a Sidewinder seeker on him, and fired a missile.
However, the enemy rolled, pitched up, and flew out of Spike’s HUD. With a generous dose of flares, the missile flew past his tail. Above Spike, the enemy flipped over and pulled its nose toward him.
Spike yanked the stick back again, bleeding off the rest of his speed and raising him to nearly the enemy’s level. The enemy shot right over and in front of him.
Opportunity in hand, Spike slammed the rudder, placed the radar sight right on the enemy, and fired the gun. The bullets struck the fuselage of the enemy, drawing a line along the plane and setting the engine on fire.
Stall warning blaring in his cockpit, Spike punched the afterburners on and pushed the stick as far forward as he could.
The nose of the plane tilted down as he gradually gained speed. The ground approached quickly, the details of the trees sharpening fast. Spike gradually pulled up, leveling out the plane as best as he could without losing control and bleeding energy.
Still, the trees approached as he fought to bring the plane above level. Branches appeared out of the trees as the plane pointed just above level and the descend rate slowed.
The altimeter stopped just as Spike swore he heard his tail nick the top of a tree. As the speed increased, he relaxed the angle of attack and slowly climbed back into the sky.
Spike lifted up the visor of his helmet and wiped a bit of sweat off of his brow. One of the Sea Goblin marines broke his daze. “Hey, so this Captain Twilight, is she a looker?”
“Why don’t you rescue her and see for yourself,” Chopper snapped back.
Another marine chimed in. “If she’s hot, I’m asking her out.”
“Good luck,” Spike chuckled. “She’s quite a handful.”
Spike circled around Twilight’s position, scaring off any helicopters or remaining fighters. A few enemy fighters hovered around but refused to fly within range. Just a radar lock kept them at bay.
Different marines bantered on the radio. “That’s definitely… huh? What’s that purple speck over there?”
Spike sighed. Did she actually transform back? “Trust me, that’s her alright.”
“Kobold, you deal with the pursuing units! I’ll go save the princess!”
“Sea Goblin, arriving at designated point momentarily.”
Spike looked out the canopy. The helicopter flew in and hovered just above a purple and dark speck on the ground. He did it. He finally protected her for once.
“All right, prepare to drop! Don’t make her wait any longer!”
“Everyone ready? Go, go, go!”
“Rescue team dropping from helicopter! I was really worried there for a while,” Grimm noted.
Little specks dropped from the helicopter and onto the ground. After her comments the day prior and her routine way of plucking Spike out of the gutter and helping him out of his problems, there was an irony to the situation. “I guess it’s your turn for once.”
“Say, Spike, I think that song would be perfect for a time like this, you know?”
Spike paused. “Wait, which song?”
“Face of the Coin, or was it Back of the Coin? I can’t remember.”
“Honestly, I don’t care which right now.”
— — —
On the long flight home, Spike got word of what happened to Twilight on the ground. Apparently, as the enemy soldiers got closer, she used whatever magic she could muster to create apparitions of demons and chase them away. Some of them even surrendered themselves, thinking they were at the mercy of hell itself. The whole situation surprised even her with how easily they bought it.
Spike laughed when he heard the story. There was nothing that could stop her from being Twilight.
“They called us the Razgriz,” she added. “Does that mean anything, Spike?”
“It does,” Spike smiled.
She waited for a moment. “Well, what?”
“You’ll have to read with me to find out.”