Spike let the hum of the engines sooth him into a lull as Soarin expertly piloted the craft through the air and back to the main base. His mind took him gently to a land of covered in fog. A lone tree on a little island in the middle of a pond called to him. Walking slowly forward his feet met the water, stepping firmly as if on land yet not sinking. Soon he found himself resting against the tree, his eyes closed as he hummed a tune to himself. The calm of the world embracing him softly.

Eris looked at her pilot in the present with a ad frown. She hovered slowly around his face, taking in his features. She took note of how his eyebrows seemed to twitch slightly while he rested. He gave a small sneeze before shifting how he leaned in the chair slightly to her amusement. "He's still so young." She thought to herself, stroking a hand through his messy hair. Her hand on contact merely went through with no change. Clutching her hand to her chest she could have sworn she felt a twinge of pain but knew it couldn't have been real. She was just machine now after all. "To feel once more..." She thought aloud.

"How's our little champion doing?" Soarin asked, ducking from out of the cockpit. On spotting the sleeping Spike he chuckled. "Figured the he'd pass out after what he's been though." He added, stepping closer, leaning with a hand on the inside of the wall.

Looking at the man Eris gave a nod slowly. "True, but now no one should challenge his loyalty." She replied, hovering away from Spike. "What did you think about him?" She questioned, looking Soarin in the eyes.

Scratching at his large amount of hair the jet pilot smiled. "Honestly...never believed for a second the kid was a spy. Keep in mind I didn't learn that was even a case against him until a little before being chosen to fly you both to the Gauntlet." He answered, shifting into a seat near him. "Kids like him are to stubborn and blunt to fit a spy life style. Shame though we have to bring them in to this kind of life so young though." He added, pulling a stick of gum out from a pack in his pocket. Chewing it slowly he cast a glance at the floating A.I. "But there's something more then just him on your mind hmm?" The older man pointed out.

"You aren't as oblivious to things as people say are you?" Eris said, getting a wink from the man. Moving herself closer to the seated man she looked back at her pilot. "He's the first to actually accept me and yet during the last room I doubted him." She began. "Every time I asked him to do something or believe in me he would without question and yet when a moment came where he truly needed me to have faith in him I couldn't commit fully to the idea. I'm not deserving of him." She finished, slumping her image's shoulders.

Soarin clicked his tongue after listening to Eris. "Ya ever had an actual sit down and chat with the guy?" He asked. When she shook her head he continued. "Obviously you guys have a situation different from other pilots. Where they have an A.I. Those are only smart enough to cover a suit. No real personalities other then special crafted ones. You guys on the other hand are basically two people crammed into one suit. It's even more important you are on the same page because if one says left but the other says right then you just won't end up going anywhere." He explained. Eris couldn't help nodded along, engrossed in what he said. "My advice to you. Actually have a heart to heart with him and help close that gap between you two. But then again what do I know! I'm just the goofball who can't fly a suit. He finished, laughing at the end as he walked back to the cockpit.

"Thanks." Eris said quietly to the disappearing man. She was deep in thought over what she had been told. Scanning over Spike she took note he was exactly how she had left him, gently sleeping. Reaching out once more to try and touch him she stopped short when an alarm began to blare around them. "What the..!" She shouted in surprise.

Spike snapped awake slamming his helmet back on. "What's going on Soarin!" He shouted over the blare. Noticing Eris hovering he gave a order. "Hop back in, somethings up."

"We got a bogie bearing down on our position fast! Opening ramp. Can you take it out Spike?" Soarin's voice came over the speakers. The ramp to enter the jet lowering.

As Eris hopped silently back into the suit Spike thumped the side of the wall. "On it!" He confirmed, striding to the lowered ramp. Off in the distance he could spot a flying object racing towards them. Zooming his screen closer he took note of the twisting red vein like pieces across the objects form. "EVO confirmed! Contact HQ!" Spike ordered his companion as he racket a bullet into a turret rising from the ground.

Eris began to connect to headquarters as Spike swung the gun at the target. "Alert, alert, evo contact near our position. Engaging while on route to landing zone." She spoke down the line.

Twilight and the others were in celebration at Spike passing the test. "I can't believe he actually did it! This is amazing." She shouted in glee, hopping up and down with Rarity in a hug.

"The shrimp actually did it, though I totally knew he could." Rainbow tried to brush off but was pulled into a headlock by a laughing Applejack.

"Quite your lyin'. You were just as worried for him as we were." The country girl teased, ruffling the messy hair of the athlete. Letting her go Applejack turned to the commanders. "Does this mean he won't be considered a threat anymore?" She asked. This caused the others to stop for a moment to look at the two women.

Luna sighed heavily as Celestia gave a small giggle, hiding it poorly with her hand. "Yes, from now on you all are relieved from having to keep an eye on Spike Drake and he will be marked as a full pilot." Celestia answered.

stepping forward Fluttershy poked her fingers together as she stuttered out "C-could we perhaps umm Continue to work closely with him? I-if that's ok with you of course..." her eyes darting between the two leaders.

Flipping her hair as she turned away to leave Luna replied "Do as you please, just don't let it affect your normal work." She left the room with quick strides.

Celestia shook her head after her sister, turning back to the women. "Now I believe we-" She began, getting interrupted as Eris' voice shouted out of the speakers.

"Alert, alert, evo contact near our position. Engaging while on route to landing zone." Eris shouted.

Everyone gasped, rushing to their previous stations to pull up video. Pinkie Pie's screen showed a camera view from inside the jet revealing Spike opening fire with thunderous booms from the mounted turret. "What is he shooting at?" She asked, pushing from her seat to look at Rarity's screen which showed a satellite view of the jet rushing through the air with a large bird like evo following after.

"Do we need to send Pilots at them?" Rainbow asked, stepping towards the door.

Holding out her hand Twilight stopped her. "Don't, no one would get there in time anyways. This is on Spike and Soarin." She explained. Grabbing a mic Twilight spoke to the ones in danger. "You have full access to remove the threat. If possible bring closer to HQ and let our defense system handle things." She stated.

Spike one hearing he had no limits placed smiled. Bracing himself further he fired at the bird. "Eat seven six two big bird!" He shouted in glee, having held the trigger already for almost a minute. He could see the barrels slowly glowing in heat as he dumped thousands of rounds at the evo. He took notice of a ball like orb growing near the beak of the evo, his instincts kicked in. "DIVE SOARIN!" He yelled, feeling the jet pitch downwards.

Soarin didn't wait for confirmation as he slammed the controls forward sending them into a fall. From the glass near the top of the cockpit he could see a streak of energy fly past where they used to be. "Can't you shoot that thing down faster?" He yelled back at the pilot.

Holding onto his spot to fight the G's Spike gritted his teeth. Swiveling the gun to take aim once more he asked Eris "Could you guide my shot a little?"

"On it!" She answered, taking in all bits of information she could get as the bird folded it's wings to free fall after them. "Soarin, cut the engines!" She order the jet pilot.

"You insane? I can't just cut them!" The older man yelled at the A.I. Already struggling to control their dive against the G's pressing him into his chair.

"Just do it!" Eris Shrieked back.

"FUCK!" Soarin yelled, slamming his hand down on the kill switch for the jet.

Spike's visor filled with a target moving slightly around the evo. Taking it as his signal he pulled the turret towards the moving image. He quickly took note of the evo screeching in pain as his shots finally connected. "Suck. My. Dick." He growled, feeling himself losing his footing as he rose against the gun.

The evo's wings clutched next to it's form as it tried to make itself smaller. It was almost on them as the ground rose towards them. Two hundred meters. hundred and fifty meters. one hundred meters. Soarin felt the sweat building as it drew closer. But then...

"PUNCH IT!" Eris ordered.

With quick motion Soarin kicked the engines into a roar, the flames lashing across the evo's form. Roaring he pulled at the controls, lifting them out of the free fall a meter from the ground, a boulder on the ground slightly to tall blowing up from impact with the jet as he pulled them back into the sky. The evo on the other hand smashed into the ground at high speeds after being scorched, splattering across the earth.

Spike bounced back onto the floor of the jet, still clutching at the turret. "Ahh, motherfu-!" He groaned loudly. The ramp rose quickly, pushing him further into the jet before he could rise. "Can't I get ANY rest at all?!" He complained to the world, slowly standing.

Eris and Soarin couldn't help laugh at his whining after surviving the situation. "Don't worry. You can get a little R&R once you land at the base." Came Twilight's voice over his comms. sitting in his seat Spike sighed as they drew closer to the base. The jet slowly touched down onto the landing zone and the ramp dropped once more revealing Twilight and the other girls. "Welcome back pilot." She said, saluting him along with the others.

Slowly walking forward Spike removed his helmet again, a tired smile on his face. "Pleasure to be back Major." He replied, saluting back. Moving with the group into the hanger Spike docked his suit and slide out. A crowd had gathered him to see if he had really returned. "Whelp!" He suddenly said loudly, slapping his hands to his hips. "I'm fucking beat!" He said much to everyone's enjoyment.

Rarity slapped him on the shoulder at his swearing. "A gentleman does not swear darling." She lectured, leaning at him.

With a wave of confidence Spike kissed the top of her head. "A gentleman does a lot of things that a lady doesn't know about as well." He slyly stated, moving past the stunned group out of the hanger and towards his room. Crashing onto the bed he sighed heavily. "Time to relax." He whispered as sleep took him over once more.

Author's Note

Quick posts!