> Spike's Little Unsung War
>  by Penguifyer
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

> Intro
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


Spike’s Little Unsung War


By Penguifyer


“Watcha reading, Spike?” Twilight asked.
“The next volume of that sweet comic series I saw at the bookstore the other day.”
Twilight lowered her head and peeked at its cover. His hands obscured the title but she could make out the subtitle “The Unsung War.” “What’s it about?”
“Imagine the human world but in some alternate universe where massive wars break out every couple of years. Better yet, legendary pilots rule the skies and change the tide of battle while some countries build massive superweapons to gain an edge. It’s awesome.”
Twilight didn’t know if she should be concerned or not. It wasn’t exactly like reading a book, but it was close enough for now. Whether it was a step up from the Power Ponies was debatable. “Well, what’s the premise?”
“So, there are these two global superpowers called Osea and Yuktobania. And after a mysterious squadron attacks some Osean planes that shoot them back, Yuktobania declares war on Osea. The series then follows that fighter squadron throughout the war.”
“That sounds… excessive.”
“I know and I love it. I mean, just the last volume they flew way up north and sank a submarine carrier that can also launch burst missiles.”
Twilight did admit that her knowledge of how the human world waged war and resolved conflict was limited. Regardless, she wasn’t sure if it was something she wanted to expose to Spike. “Also, you forgot something.”
Spike put his comic down. “What?”
“Tomorrow is your birthday!” Twilight immediately realized it might technically be called his hatchday or something, but she always called it his birthday.
“Really!?”
Twilight nodded. “Uh-huh. And I bet Pinkie has a big party planned too.”
Spike jumped up and hugged her, nuzzling his head into her stomach. “Thank you, Twilight! I almost forgot.”
Twilight squeezed and rubbed back. “Reading can do that. Believe me, I know.”


—	—	—


Later that day, Rainbow Dash relayed to them that Applejack needed help driving away some timberwolves back into the Everfree Forest since the two of them together couldn’t drive the timberwolves away from the farm. The job wasn’t that hard since all Twilight had to do was bait them back into the forest with some illusion spells. It almost felt like an errand more than a problem.
Afterward, Applejack sighed and smiled. “Sorry for making you come out here but thanks, Twilight. We tried shooing them away for a couple of hours before coming to get you.”
“No problem, especially for you guys. It was rather simple with the right spells.”
“You hear that, Rainbow?” Applejack raised her voice. “Sometimes it’s better to get help rather than bash your head against a fence for an hour.”
“Pfft,” Dash scoffed. “Says the mare who poked at the timberwolves with sticks for an hour before I came.”
Applejack glared. “Says the mare that thought scaring them was a good idea.”
“Girls, girls, calm down,” Twilight cut them off. “It’s over now. No need to fight.”
Dash and Applejack looked away from each other before Applejack smiled back at Twilight. “You’re a real lifesaver, you know? A real hero, too.”
Twilight darted her eyes away. “No need to flatter me. They do that enough at the castle already.”
“I’m sorry if I did but I mean it.”
“Thanks, Applejack. I better get back. Ready, Spike?” Twilight looked around. “Spike?”
Some of the hay ruffled around as Spike poked his head out of a hay pile. Scratching his head, he looked at Twilight and scratched his head. “Uh… you done, Twilight?”
“Yeah, ready to go home.”
“Oh?” He hopped onto his feet and jogged with Twilight out of the barn. “See you later, Applejack, Rainbow Dash.”
“See ya,” Dash and Applejack replied in unison before glaring back at each other.
A little ways from the farm, Twilight and Spike walked down the road back to Ponyville. “So, are we not teleporting back?”
“Honestly, I feel like giving my legs a stretch for once.”
Spiked looked off into the distance. “Hmm.”
After a minute of silence between them, Twilight glanced at Spike. His stoic face barely resembled the energetic and lively dragon he was this morning. “Is something wrong?”
“I don’t know.” He paused, causing Twilight to stop in front of him.
“Am I useless, Twilight?”
“Useless? Why do you think you’re useless? You’re my number one assistant.”
“I know that and all, but you’re so important. You can fix everypony’s problems with friendship, magic, or even both. You’re even a princess for crying out loud and you saved Equestria countless times.”
“Spike, remember the Equestria games or the human world? Even all of your little actions are helpful and change the life of ponies around you. Don’t go doubting yourself just because you’re not the greatest pony who ever lived.”
“It’s a little hard when I live with one of them.”
“Come on, Spike. There are ponies who’d even love to be where you’re at right now.”
“I guess,” he muttered, stepping in front of Twilight.
She sighed before following after him. “Don’t forget, Tomorrow’s your birthday and it’ll all be about you.”
He looked up to the sky. “I’d give anything to be a hero.”
Her ear twitched and turned, hearing him whisper.
“I’d give anything to be an ace.”


—	—	—


That night after Spike curled up in his bed and fell asleep, Twilight eyed his comic on the couch. She remembered the Power Ponies incident from a while back. Once she finally got her hooves on one of those comics without it sucking her in, replicating the enchantment wasn’t that hard. She even added a few improvements to her version that only required connecting a few additional lines and dots here and there. Her overwhelming fluency in magic put a smirk on her face.
She stood above the comic, splayed open on the cushion, and analyzed its panels and arrangement. She hadn’t found a use for the spell yet and hesitated using it with just any book. Still, she felt a bit sorry for Spike. She couldn’t make him royalty nor could she make him a hero. Ultimately, fate had the final say in those opportunities. Maybe she could make her own fate though.
She lit her horn and enveloped the comic in magic. With a bright flash, the comic fell back onto the couch cover as she smiled and trotted away. Fate didn’t let everypony become the princess of friendship. Hopefully, she could give him the chance Equestria would not.


—	—	—


Spike woke up late in the morning and rubbed his eyes. He feigned a smile after remembering it was his birthday. He knew that after today, it’ll all be about Twilight and her friends again. He slogged through the door and plopped stomach first on the couch, eyeing his comic in front of him.
“Morning, Spike,” Twilight called, trotting behind the couch.
“Morning,” Spike mumbled back, reaching for his comic.
A cup of tea levitated in front of him, enveloped in Twilight’s aura. “Guess what day it is…”
Spike smiled for real. Regardless of his bitterness, he knew Twilight still loved him. “Yeah, I know.” He grabbed the tea and took a sip, snatching the comic with his other hand.
Twilight leaned over the couch and hugged him from behind. “And guess what?”
Spike sat his tea and rolled his eyes. “It’s my…”
“It’s your day and it’s all about you!”
“Yeah, yeah,” Spike complied, opening up his comic.
“I can’t say exactly when and where Pinkie’s party is, but I do know that… oh no.”
Spike raised an eyebrow. “Huh?”
Twilight stuttered. “Y-you didn’t just…”
A bright flash blinded him as a force yanked his arm. He gripped onto Twilight as his body pulled away from him. There was no time to speak or even think. As the couch fell away from him, he held on to Twilight as hard as he could before his consciousness slipped.
> An Ice Cage for a Princess
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

A harsh beeping noise tickled Spike’s ear. His mind lingered in a haze. Did he fall asleep again? He slowly opened his eyes, seeing a blinking digital alarm clock on a nightstand beside him.
Wait, digital? He jolted up in his bed and looked around. Around him was a simple room with nothing but a bunk bed, a desk, a single-seat couch, and a small dresser. Behind him was a large window with a pure white glow from outside. It looked somewhat familiar.
He brought a hand to his face. “Is this…” He looked down, seeing a pale and fleshy hand, a human hand. He jumped out of bed and ran to the door, gripping the jumpsuit hanging on a door hook. After a quick search, he found a patch.

Spike gasped at the sight of the patch. It was real, at least it felt real. Looking to the side, he saw another patch with the words “Blaze.” He wasn’t just a part of Wardog Squadron. He was Blaze, the legendary ace. His spine shivered with excitement. This couldn’t be real, a part of him believed it still wasn’t, but here he was in Blaze’s place.
He recollected his thoughts and went over what he could remember before waking up here. It was his birthday and Twilight gave him a glass of tea. Then something blinded him and he woke up here. The more he thought about it, the situation resembled that of the Power Ponies incident he had with Twilight’s friends. He swore he didn’t buy another enchanted comic though. Still, he wanted to make the most of the time he had.
He found a small mirror next to his dresser and got a look at himself. Green and purple highlights accented his darker hair and contrasted against his pale face. He didn’t know how to describe his complexion, but it looked strong and somewhat chiseled. He could get used to this.
A note on the mirror caught his eye reading “Briefing at 0600.” He glanced over at the clock, reading 5:50, and mumbled “shit.” Throwing his uniform on and quickly adjusting his hair, he dashed out the door and jogged down the hallway. Instinctually, as if he already knew where to go, he ran the steps to the main floor and found the briefing room.
Inside, he found two of his squadmates waiting for him. Chopper (or Lt. Davenport, as the higher-ups called him) reclined in his seat with hands behind his head and Grimm slouching over in his chair. His heart almost stopped seeing the two of them in person. Yet, something was missing.
“Where’s Edge?” Spike asked, looking around the room.
“I was about to ask you,” Chopper blurted aloud.
Spike looked at Grimm who just shrugged.
“Kinda strange considering her record. I guess everyone slips up from time to time,” Chopper continued.
“Yeah, yeah, I’ll check real quick.” Spike dashed away and back up the stairs. As he bounced from room to room checking for Edge, some faint yet nonexistent memory brought him to a random room in the hallway. Betting on it, he knocked on the door.
“Spike?”
Shivers went down his spine. Was that Twilight’s voice?
The door opened, the head of a woman poking through. A woman with purple hair just like Twilight. “Spike?”
“Twilight?”
“Spike!” She grabbed his arm and pulled him into the room before shutting it behind them. She turned around and relaxed, sliding down the door. “So, Spike?”
Spike stood there staring at her. Unlike her form in the human world, her skin was pale and her head significantly smaller. She was already in her jumpsuit, Spike catching a glimpse at the badge on it. “What?”
She shrugged. “I don’t know. Would you mind TELLING ME WHAT IS GOING ON HERE!!” She shouted, causing Spike to stumble back. “Here I am stuck in another comic I haven’t read and all you can say is ‘what?!’”
“Your badge…”
“And now something about my badge that’s apparently so important that I…”
“You’re Edge.”
Twilight paused and stared at Spike. “I’m what now?”
Spike pointed to the bag on her chest. “You’re Wardog Two. You’re one of my wingmen.”
“How do you know that I’m…”
“Wardog Three and Four are waiting in the briefing room. I’m Wardog One, callsign Blaze. You’re Wardog Two, callsign Edge.”
She froze, surprised by his control of the situation. “Spike.”
Spike lifted his hands and gestured for her to calm down. “Listen to me, Twilight. The briefing for our next mission is in a few minutes. Follow me to the briefing room and don’t say a word. I’ll explain everything after. You’re Edge now.”
She hesitated and then nodded.
“You enchanted the comic?”
Twilight rolled her eyes. “Not right now.”
“Fine then,” He insisted, pointing at the door.
Spike led her through the halls, down the stairs, and to the briefing room. Although he couldn’t recall what any place looked like, he somehow knew where to go as if he had done it a hundred times. It both perplexed and bothered him a tad, making him wonder exactly how the enchantment affected him.
Spike opened the door two Chopper and Grimm exactly where he left them. He knew he was only gone for a couple of minutes, but even that surprised him.
“Spike, Twilight, you’re…”
The harsh voice stunned Spike for a second. He glanced over and saw Colonel Orson Perrault in all of his bitter and fat glory. And damn did he look uglier in the flesh.
Perrault glanced at the clock and gritted his teeth. Spike glanced at it after him. They were one minute early.
Chopper smiled. “Ha, even when she’s late she’s on time.”
“Cut your yapping. We’re about to get this briefing started.”
Twilight and Spike found two chairs behind a table as the Perrault dimmed the lights. A low hum emanated from a monitor on the wall as it booted up and displayed a map of the world. A voice played out of the speaker.
“Our ground offensive is continuing its fast-paced push into Yuktobanian soil. A POW internment camp was discovered during the offensive, and a team of marines has attacked and captured the camp.”
“POW?” Twilight whispered.
“Prisoner of war,” Spike whispered back into her ear.
The voice went on. “The marines have secured the camp´s radio room, and a flight of helicopters is en route to retrieve prisoners. Your mission is to provide close air support for this rescue and retrieval operation.”
Chopper smiled as Grimm relaxed in his seat. The mission didn’t seem so hard now. Spike wondered why they even needed Wardog squadron for this.
The screen shifted to a terrain view of the mission space with four triangles representing their squadron. “The radio room could be retaken by the enemy at any moment. If it is, the enemy will report the attack and the mission will end in failure. Find and shoot down all enemy aircraft in the local airspace, and secure air superiority across the entire area.”
Twilight winced upon hearing “shoot down.” Like it or not, war was not in her DNA. Spike couldn’t say it was in his, but this is just a fake world in a comic.
After an extra bit of briefing regarding their flight plan, Perault dismissed them and they headed out to the hangar. As they reached the door to the hanger, Twilight pulled Spike aside and glared at him. “You said you’d explain this?”
“Oh, yeah… give me a sec.” He paused. How should he explain this? “So, what exactly do you not get?”
“How about we start with WHY IS THERE A WAR GOING ON RIGHT NOW!!”
Spike shushed her, pointing to a couple of mechanics who stopped, stared at them for a sec, and moved on.
Twilight sighed, one of her eyes twitching. She shot back with a harsh whisper. “Answer the question if you mind.”
“Sorry, Twilight. Just trying not to make a scene. During a patrol, our squadron was attacked by some mysterious planes. Then Yuktobania declared war on us; the country across the ocean. One thing led to another and all of it escalated. Two carrier submarines were sunk, a giant spaceship was outfitted with a laser, a ground invasion, yadda yadda… you get the point.”
Twilight paused, dumbfounded. “Huh?”
“Just go with it, okay?”
“Fine, fine, nothing a little friendship lesson can’t fix.”
“Actually,” Spike trailed off.
“What now?”
“If this is just like the Power Ponies comic, we have to finish the story.”
Her face dropped. “Oh…” She stepped away and paced around in a circle. Her breathing stuttered on the brink of a panic attack. Another circle and she stopped. “Actually, there might be a way.”
“Huh?”
“It’s a little difficult since I’m in human form, but if I can tap into my magic, I might be able to alter or even undo the enchantment. At the least, it’d be nice to have my horn for any magic we might need.”
“But, Twilight…”
“What now?”
Spike nodded to the hanger. “We sortie now.”
“Sortie?”
“Deploy on our mission.”
Twilight froze.
Spike dashed inside. “Save it for later. We gotta go.”
Twilight reached out for him. “But, but…”
Spike grabbed her arm and pulled her in.
Inside, two F-14 Tomcats stood still covered by a dozen mechanics, each inspecting and adjusting the parts of the aircraft. While in the comic they looked cool, the sheer size of the planes shivers down Spike’s spine. Capable of outpacing Rainbow Dash in speed, delivering ordinance on the other end, and pulling over seven and a half g’s in a dogfight, the planes were a marvel to finally see in person. Something about a giant metal machine being able to fly felt wrong to Spike yet fascinated him at the same time.
“Um, how are we supposed to fly?”
Spike pointed at the planes. “With those.”
“But they’re too heavy and…”
Spike cut her off. “Not if you fly really, really fast.”


—	—	—


“Wardog One, callsign Blaze, you are cleared for takeoff.”
Those words rang like music to Spike’s ears. “Roger Sand Island, Blaze taking off.” He gripped the control stick and gradually added thrust to the throttle. The dual jet engines spun up to power, their whining adding texture to the music. He released the gear break and the plane jolted forward, pushing him into his seat. After pages of checklists, this moment felt like heaven.
The airspeed indicator rose steadily. Wind rushed past the cockpit as the afterburners blasted out the back. The wings bent slightly as the plane lifted off the ground and ascended into the sky. The power of the machine gave it a sense of dominance over the sky. And with the sealed cockpit, there was no wind to obscure the buildings and trees flying by.
“Altitude restrictions lifted, Blaze. Continue with your sortie. Good luck out there.”
“Roger, Sand Island. I’ll make sure to come back.”
“You better,” the ATC snarked back at him.
Spike tilted the aircraft, initiating a turn. His body pressed into the seat, the power of the plane outdoing any force he experienced in Equestria. “Hey, Twi… Edge. How are you holding up?”
Twilight’s plane taxied onto the runway. “You left out the part about the checklists.”
Spike didn’t know about them either and he’d admit they were annoying. Still, somehow they didn’t bother him. He plowed through them as if he did them a hundred times. “Can’t say I knew either. I bet you took to them quickly.”
“Yeah, right.”
“Edge, you are cleared for takeoff,” the ATC interjected.
“Uh, copy, Edge taking off.”
The afterburners of Twilight’s plane revved up, blasting scorching hot air as the plane accelerated down the runway. Picking up speed, the plane tilted back and cut into the air.
“Spi… Blaze, can I ask you some…”
“Edge, let’s test the backup radio channel.”
“Uh, okay. Testing the backup radio channel.”
Spike reached down to his left and turned the frequency dial. “Hello?”
“I hear you…”
Spike rolled his eyes. “What now, Twilight?”
“How can I fly this thing? I’ve never even touched a plane before. This isn’t even an unintended stimulus. Like, I know that I improved the enchantment but this is completely…”
“Twilight?”
She paused. “Sorry, Spike.”
He sighed. “I get it. It’s kinda weird actually.”
“Actually…” another pause “…it might make sense.”
“Huh?”
“If you consider that it gave us magic powers before and that it’s even better at responding to unintended stimuli now, it’s not all that crazy. Moreover, if I can figure out what’s me and what’s the enchantment, I might be able to separate myself from it and even control it.”
Just the idea she might take another opportunity away from him yet again stung. “Twilight, we got a job to do. Those POWs are depending on us.”
“You know they’re not real.”
“Let me have my moment,” he murmured.
“What was that?”
“Nothing, you probably shouldn’t mess with the spell when you’re in an expensive jet flying near the speed of sound.”
“Actually, I only see two hundred knots at the moment.”
A glimpse of depression fell over him. He needed this one moment. “I’m switching back to the main channel.”
“Copy that.”
Spike readjusted the dial. “Sorry for the wait. Took a bit to check everything out.”
“Hey, it was getting a bit boring without the two of you,” Chopper snarked.
Spike smiled at the voice. Even for just a moment, he couldn’t miss this.


—	—	—


“This is Archer. Captain, can you see the POW camp?”
Spike looked out of his window. White, gray, and black filled the landscape with no recognizable structures in sight. “All I see are trees and snow.”
“I wouldn’t blame you,” Chopper shot back.
Grimm continued. “You think the Captain… uh… I mean… Captain Bartlett, you think he’s in there?”
Chopper responded. “I bet he is…”
“Who?” Twilight interjected.
Two seconds of awkward radio silence followed.
“You know, our former Captain before Blaze?” Chopper teased.
“Don’t you remember Bartlett?” Grimm’s voice echoed worry.
Spike jumped in, trying to steer the conversation away. “He’s probably giving the other pilots a hard time if you know what I mean.”
“I guess that is a limitation of the enchantment,” Twilight noted.
A new voice came over the radio. “Fighters, I can hear the roar of your engines approaching. Uh… this is Sea Goblin. Yeah, I thought if I joined the Marines I’d get to work on tropical beaches all of the time. We safely recovered the POWs, guess our copter is not here yet.”
“You’re gonna have to babysit them a little longer,” Chopper noted.
Even in the harsh blizzard, a couple of dark blips appeared on Spike’s radar. These were real enemies, at least as real as the enchantment could make it. “Bandits on radar. You’re gonna have to give us a bit.”
“Roger,” Sea Goblin affirmed. “You’re that squadron from Sand Island, right?”
“We are?” Twilight muttered.
“I’ve heard of you guys. Can’t wait to see you do your stuff.”
The radar blips drew near. Spike pushed the throttle forward, engaging the afterburners of the plane. Two black dots appeared within the gray backdrop. “Tally on the bandits. Edge, Chopper, Archer, move to engage.”
“Roger,” Chopper and Grimm responded simultaneously with Twilight awfully quiet.
As the dots passed above him, Spike pulled on the control stick, pulling the plane up and into a half loop. The g meter spiked as the force of the turn slammed Spike into his seat. A grunt escaped his mouth as unknown instincts kicked in. Once behind the bandits, Spike flipped the plane rightside up and listened to the Sidewinder growl. With a constant, shriek tone, he uncaged a missile seeker onto the bandit. A slight hesitation hit him as his finger laid on the trigger. He shoved it into the back of his mind. This was just an enchantment after all.
“Fox two!” Spike yelled, pulling the trigger and a missile at the dot in front of him. The enemy plane banked to the right and tried to turn, but the missile caught up and detonated quickly. After a bright flash and a slight thud, the plane trailed smoke and gradually descended. As Spike caught up to it, he looked to the side and eyed the smoking plane. The white of the blizzard obscured the cockpit making it impossible to see inside. Hopefully the pilot ejected already.
Spike shook his head and knocked his helmet. What did it matter? None of this was real anyway. Nopony would hold him accountable for anything that happened here. He might as well enjoy the moment while he can.
“Fox one,” Chopper called out, sending a missile flying past Spike and into the other bandit in front of him. Another bright flash and low thud and the bandit descended with the first. “Don't lose your focus in the snow, easy way to get shot.”
Chopper was right. Regardless of everything else around, Spike knew he was still real. It was too risky to learn if dying here would actually kill him. “Thanks, Chopper,” Spike nodded as Chopper broke off. “Keep it in mind too, Edge.”
“I uh… I understand.” Her plane sped up and flew past Spike.
A group of three bandits appeared behind him as a beep rang throughout his cockpit. “Nails on my six.”
“Behind you. I'll cover you,” Grimm called out.
The beep oscillated and sawed at Spike's ears. “Shit, spike.” The beep quickened as a light flickered on the radar warning receiver panel. “Missile!”
“Break, Blaze!” Grimm shouted.
Spike turned the plane to the right and pulled on the stick. The g meter shot up again as his body compressed and squeezed into the seat. The plane shook as the wind and snow battered the wings. Out of the corner of his eye, Spike saw the missile shoot past him and wander into the blizzard. A bright flash beside him, a thud, and a bandit, now hostile, descended from the sky.
“Splash on the bandit that went after Blaze.”
Spike sighed in relief. “Thanks, it's great having friends like you guys.”
“Don’t stroke his ego too hard,” Chopper teased, causing Spike to chuckle.
Another voice cut through the radio. “This is Sea Goblin, does it seem like the enemy craft have noticed our infiltration?”
“Welp, the patrol aircraft do at least. Hopefully the word hasn’t spread through the blizzard yet,” Spike noted.
“We’ve cut off their communications here. It’s just unsettling…”
Twilight cut him off. “Stay low and be ready to go when your ride arrives. We won’t have time to wait.”
“Ha, roger that. Once the taxi arrives, we’ll ditch in no time.”
“You know what, Spike?” She continued.
Spike paused for a second, unsure what that meant. “Uh, what?”
“You’re gonna need me, won’t you?”
“I mean…” He fumbled over his words. He didn’t want to push Twilight and make her do something she’ll want to forget. But he didn’t know if this was life or death or not. “Yes… probably… I mean…”
The roar of her F-14’s afterburners cut him off. A bright stream of fire shot past Spike and towards two new radar contacts. Within seconds, she caught the trail of a bandit and shouted “Fox Two” over the radio. With a stream of white smoke and another bright flash, another bandit fell from the sky.
With every member of the squadron engaging and splashing bandits, Spike grinned and pushed the throttle to afterburner. It was time to get back into the fight.
Only a few additional enemy planes were in the area. Within thirty seconds, all bandits were shot down and the airspace sanitized.
“Call in the taxi now,” Chopper ordered as the last bandit crashed into the ground.
“Roger, moving into position now,” the helicopter affirmed.
“This is Sea Goblin, combat has broken out in the camp! We’re gonna get everyone out of here.”
Blips of enemy radio transmissions interrupted the radio. “Don’t let them retrieve the POWs!”
“Uh, Sea Goblin here. The ground is still crawling with weapons installations so they can’t land. Can you clear them out for us?”
 “On it, preparing unguided bomb,” Twilight called as her plane swooped around and pointed at the assortment of SAMs and AA guns around the camp.
“I’ll back you up. UGB on standby,” Chopper chimed, swooping in to trail her.
Smirking, Spike pulled up and followed them. He couldn’t let his wingmen do all of the work. “Count me in too.”
After diving towards the ground and a few seconds of steadying and aiming, the three of them each released a bomb as if on cue. As they pulled away from the dive, Spike tilted his plane to the side and watched the camp. Three bright flashes illuminated the snow, creating black plums of smoke contrasting against the gray snowdrop.
A random soldier’s radio on the ground cut through. “Yeah, allied planes and helicopters are flying above us!”
Sea Goblin’s escort cut through. “This is the gunship. We’re gonna sweep the south end of building B with gatling fire!”
Spike circled around the camp and looked in. Bright lights spewing from the helicopter lit up the camp and the surrounding snow as a low hum accompanied the wind.
“Bring the helicopter into our position,” a marine commanded.
“Keep the landing area secure until they’re on!”
“They’re landing at the designated site. Hurry up and get over here!”
“You got it, now get going!”
Spike smiled at the shouts of marines escorting POWs to the helicopter over the radio. It didn’t matter if it wasn’t real. It felt real enough for him.
Twilight broke his thought. “I wonder what it’d be like, Spike.”
He paused. “Huh?”
“To be one of them. Imagine what it’d be like to break out of a camp you’ve been locked up in for weeks. They must be ecstatic.”
Twilight’s plane dipped and circled around, getting a closer look.
“All right, everyone’s in the helicopter,” Sea Goblin noted.
A few seconds of strange silence followed.
“Um, Captain?” Grimm spoke up. “I feel like we’re forgetting something.”
Spike raised an eyebrow. “Are we? I don’t think… Oh yeah, Bartlett! I wonder if he made it on the copter.”
“Bartlett?” Twilight chimed. “Oh, you mean you—our former cap…”
She stopped.
Spike glanced at the ground, seeing a bright flash and trailing smoke approaching Twilight’s plane. Spike froze.
“Agh, dammit Twilight!” Chopper cursed.
“Spike, something's going…”
“Break, Twilight. Break!” Spike shouted.
As the gunship fired a rocket at the offending SAM, Twilight banked hard and pulled into a circle. The flash and trail of smoke darted closer to her plane as she struggled to keep away. “Not this. All I wanted was to…”
In a last ditch effort, she pulled up as the flash disappeared and the smoke trail ended. Spike held his breath. Her plane climbed into the sky.
A bright flash.
Her plane fell from the climb as a puff of smoke shot off from the canopy.
“Twilight!” Spike shouted. Nothing in this enchantment had any consequence. Nothing, except for this.
“I’m all right,” Twilight assured him, still panting.
“Oh, thank sweet Celestia!” Spike relaxed, letting out a long sigh.
“Almost forgot this thing had an ejection seat. Guess that’s why it was there.”
The radio buzzed Spike’s ear. “Sea Goblin to gunship, we’re taking our guests home now. Can you guys rescue her?”
“Roger, weather conditions are getting worse. We better step on it.”
Spike circled the plane around and tried to peer through the endless gray around him. A black dot hovering over blurry trees below poked through.
“Landing point confirmed. Roger, heading in to pick her up.”
The black lowered into the sea of trees, blending into the dark gray waves. Spike stared down for a moment, unable to discern anything above the trees. Suddenly, a bright flash poked through the gray.
“The gunship crashed!” Grimm shouted.
“What!?” Spike froze.
“Dammit! The storm’s too strong!” Sea Goblin joined.
“We can’t just leave her behind?”
Spike slammed the side instrument panel of the cockpit. “No! We’re not gonna leave her behind. Sea Goblin, swing around and pick her up.”
“Negative, Blaze. I'm having a hard time keeping myself in the air as it is.”
“You kidding me!? Chopper? Grimm?”
“Look, I hate it too but…”
“You hate it too!? We’re leaving her to die!”
“Do you trust her, Spike? Do you trust Twilight?”
Spike teared up underneath his helmet. “But…”
“If we can’t come back, there won’t be a chance.”
Spike leaned over the yoke and cried as he banked the plane away from the camp. “Dammit…”
“You said it,” Sea Goblin agreed.


—	—	—


Spike stood behind Grimm and Chopper at the debrief. Although he stared at the screen watching the AWACS recording of the operation, his mind drifted to Twilight deep in Yuktobanian forests.
“The POW rescue operation was a success and both the marines and our friends held in the camp were safely recovered. As for Captain Twilight Sparkle, who was attacked and bailed out during this operation, Coronel Perrault will issue orders on her behalf. Central command will be replacing Captain Sparkle’s plane that was lost in the crash.”
Perrault continued where the speaker left off. “None of the rescued POWs saw Bartlette at the internment camp. Now where could he be, I wonder. Upon more favorable weather conditions, we will carry out a rescue operation for captain Twilight.
A grin struck his lips. “That’s right, you’ve all been promoted yet again. You guys are burning through the ranks, you know that? You can thank high command for that.”
Spike muttered a soft “pfft” and stormed out of the room. No amount of promotions or praise could make up for leaving Twilight behind.
> Wings for a Dove
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

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.”
> Outro
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Twilight didn’t recall exactly when the enchantment broke. One moment, she sat in a helicopter tending to a wounded pilot while surrounded by a bunch of confused marines. The next, she opened her eyes and found herself laying down on her home couch. It took her a bit to remember the enchantment, fighter jets, and running for her life while being chased by soldiers and dogs.
Wait, she actually was just chased for her life. At least, it felt real enough for her. Just the thought of how horribly that could’ve turned out sent shivers down her spine. If it wasn’t for Spike, she’d be…
Nearly forgetting about Spike, her eyes darted around the room searching for him. He sat on the couch and stared at the comic. His head slumped down as his eyes scanned each page before flipping to the next. Twilight walked over and sat next to him, reading the comic too. She smiled sitting next to him. She couldn’t help but see the egg she hatched so long ago.
When he reached the end, he closed the comic and stared at it. Twilight finally got her first look at the title, Ace Combat. Noticing how still he was, she glanced over and nudged him. “What’s wrong?”
“I don’t know…” he cut himself off, stumbling over his words. “All my life I’ve been your number one assistant. I get how lucky I am and all, but-t…” he stammered off. “I almost lost you.”
Twilight wrapped him in her forelegs and squeezed him. “Don’t worry, I’m right here.”
“I’ve… I’ve never felt like that, so angry and…” He leaned into Twilight. “I read about the horror and frustration, but I never understood it until…”
“It’s okay, it’s all over.”
“Thing is…” He hesitated, shuffling around a bit. “I’ve never felt so alive.”
Twilight sat still for a sec.
“I feel guilty, I know. But I couldn’t help it.”
Twilight rubbed his back. “Come to think of it, I’ve fought monsters and evil magic. I’ve reformed some villains and banished others. But I can’t say I’ve felt like that, like I could actually die. I guess I’m so spoiled with alicorn magic and my princess status. I don’t envy anypony in that role, especially those who don’t have a choice. But they definitely have my respect and a part of me wishes I could be a little more like them.”
“Thank you, Twi, for giving me the chance.”
Twilight smiled. “Thank you, Spike, for reminding me how proud I am of you.”
Twilight gave him a minute and patted him till he calmed down. Despite him still being her baby dragon, she couldn’t help but revel in pride of who he had become.
She also realized that Equestria didn’t have much of an air force. The Wonderbolts existed, but they were a show team and nothing compared to those jets she flew and fought. Come to think of it, Equestria didn’t have much of a defense force at all. It kinda made sense why every villain and their mother could take over Equestria for a day. Perhaps she could find some R and D funding to start looking into this. Best yet, she knew exactly who should head this project.
Twilight broke the silence as Spike settled down. “One last question. Where did you get that comic?”
“At the bookstore back in Canterlot. They said they came from a far-off land and don’t come in regularly. Thinking about getting the next issue?”
She grinned. “No, thinking about getting all of them.”