As Rainbow Dash made her way toward her plane she began to wonder how her friends were doing elsewhere. She never got to see them and although she occasionally gets a letter from one of them, she continues to worry about them and sometimes imagines them fighting and dieing on the front lines. This thought gave her chills as she continued to think about it while walking to the runway which her plane was parked right along side it.

As she approached she saw the other members of her squadron waiting for her. They all eyed her as she walked up to them.

The first pony she instantly recognized as Howling Wind. She was easily able to be seen from a crowd by her light purple coat and seagreen mane. She had been with Rainbow throughout their training and helped support her through many difficult situations that to Rainbow seemed impossible. To Rainbow she was like the sister she never had and always wanted, full of spunk like her and confidence that nearly rivaled her own. If she could trust anypony to watch her back besides the captain, it would be her.

The other member of her team was another pegasus mare named Morning Star. She and Rainbow never got along and always got into fights. She had a dark orange mane with small white stripes and a bright red coat along with an attitude that Rainbow couldn't stand. She could really trust her with watching her back from not experience, but a sheer gut feeling she had about her.

Last but not least was the captain and leader who kept the squadron from falling apart, Captain Thunder. She didn't know his real name, and no matter how many time she asked him, he just kept saying that he'll tell her later. Not much was known about him except that he was in command of her squadron since the start of the war, and she idolized him for that.

" Well, look who finally showed up. What took you so long?" asked Morning Star with a rude tone.

" That's none of your business Star." Wind said defending her, " It's not her fault that she got lost on finding her way here."

" Uh, actually..." Rainbow began but soon stopped to see that Wind and Star were having a heated argument on why I was a little late to meet them.

" Enough." the captain yelled. His voice boomed through our ears and immediately grabbed our attention. " I don't want anymore arguing until we get into the air. Am I understood?" he ordered.

" Sir, Yes, Sir!" we all said at once.

Before rainbow climbed into my plane I first went around it to make sure it was fully fueled and armed. It was armed with 8 air-to-air missiles, 4 air-to-ground missiles and its standard vulcan machine cannon at the front of the plane. She double checked to make sure everything was secure before climbing into the cockpit. She checked every system and being satisfied that everything was green, she turned on the fighter plane on moved it toward the runway.

First went the captain, then Wind, then Star went, Rainbow was the last to lift and join them in the sky for their combat patrol around the three remaining pony cities. As she moved into formation with the others the captain began to speak out to them.

" All right every pony." he began," Our mission for today is to patrol around the perimeter of each city until we are called back. Here are your assignments. Star, you get it easy today and get to fly around Cloudsdale for now."

Rainbow could see Star jumping in happiness in her seat as she got the easy job for today.

" As usual." chipped in Wind from the comms.

" Wind," he continued. " you and Rainbow get to patrol around Ponyville. I'll be flying around Canterlot."

" Sir, wouldn't that make our air forces in each city weaker if we split up?" Rainbow asked.

" Don't worry about it." Star chimed in. " Our air force we'll be able to get to any location in record time if the griffins ever showed up around here."

" Just remember, everypony." Captain Thunder said. " The fate of Equestria may lay in our hooves so keep your guard up alright? We need to protect every innocent pony in these cities if they ever came."

" Yes Sir!" we all answered.

" Alright. Yankee Team, break formation!"

Contact!

As Rainbow and Wind left the formation and flew towards Ponyville for their assignment. Rainbow asked her." So, do you think that the Griffins are going to try and attack us today or what?"

"Beats me Rookie, I can't predict these things that may happen."

"Hey!" Rainbow retorted. " I thought I told you to stop calling me that name, who knows what kind of teasing I'll get from Morning Star is she heard that.

" And I told you before, you have to earn that kind of respect from me." she called back.

Rainbow couldn't believe this. If she didn't get some action soon she would forever be called a 'Rookie' by Howling Wind for the rest of her time flying. All she wanted right now was to shoot down at least a scout plane to get Wind to stop calling her that name.

As the two fighter pony pilots continued their patrols around Ponyville, A ping came up on their radar but they decided that it was nothing. More time passed by and the same ping kept coming up on the radar. Rainbow was getting a little annoyed by the constant beeping and finally said.

" I'm going to check out what that contact on the radar is okay? She asked Wind.

" You better hurry than, I don't want the Captain to return and see his newest recruit not listening to him."

" Don't worry, I'll be back before you know it." Rainbow said.

As she angled her plane toward the pinging contact in the distance she began to notice to the ping from the cockpit. It appeared as a small black speck in the distance among the clouds. When she flew closer though she saw that more specks started to appear along with it. First two, then five, then twenty specks seemed to have been born from the cloud as they all started to converge on her plane.

Rainbow now realized the situation she was in.

" Contact,Contact! Enemy planes appearing and flying en route to Ponyville. The Griffins are attacking!"