A crossover fanfic that combines My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic with the Ace Combat series of video games. In this story, the griffins prepare an invasion on Equestria and a team of brave pegasus ponies (Firefly, Rainbow Dash, Lightning Bolt, Cloud Kicker, Fluttershy, Derpy and Medley), known as "Mirage" squadron, is attempting to protect their land and mount a comeback. While not a direct adaptation of any Ace Combat game, the fanfic uses a lot of references to the Playstation2titles, as well as Ace Combat 6 and the latest Assault Horizon.Currently (as of May 27th, 2012), the fanfic has 18 chapters out of about 20 planned (with a possible epilogue). Character sheet can be found here.The story can be found here: [1]Alternate link: [2]
Tropes featured in this story:
Abnormal Ammo: Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo fire frozen apple pies and various other foodstuffs at the griffins.
Ace Fliers: Especially the Mirage squadron, The Wonderbolts and the griffin ace teams. Mobius and the Garuda team count as well.
Action Mom: Derpy. She takes on three griffins all by herself trying to save Dinky.
Adaptational Badass: Several ponies, especially the ones flying in Mirage squadron. From characters who had little screen time and next to no words spoken in the show, they're given distinct personalities and traits.
All Your Base Are Belong to Us: The griffins besiege Canterlot in chapter 16. Earlier, in chapter 8, they take over Cloudsdale. It remains theirs until it's recaptured in chapter 14.
An Ice Pony: Colgate, as shown in chapter 4, is capable of using beams of freezing magic.
Back from the Brink: Several times. The most awesome comeback occurs in chapter 17.
Beware the Nice Ones: The griffin squadron leaders keep reminding their wingmates that ponies are More than Meets the Eye. 90% of the time it falls on deaf ears with dire consequences.
Big Badass Birds of Prey: The griffins, naturally. Even though they are only slightly bigger than the ponies.
Broken Tears: Every main heroine sheds those at least once in the story, with the exception of Lightning Bolt. To elaborate: Firefly in chapters 7, 8 (in the Flashback) and 16, Fluttershy in chapter 10, Rainbow Dash and Medley in chapter 11 (Rainbow carries them to chapter 12), Derpy and Cloud Kicker in chapter 15.
Cerebus Syndrome: Despite several victories for the ponies, they can't seem to get a breather.
Color-Coded for Your Convenience: Said word-for-word by Rarity in chapter 3, when she introduces the vests for Firefly's team, each being colored to match a pony's coat. These vests are used by both ponies and griffins in order to distinguish their alingment and to which unit they belong.
Call Back: Fluttershy uses The Stare to scare two griffins in chapter 3.
Medley, in chapter 4, sneaks between the trees to track the griffins who kidnapped fillies. It may bear resemblance to Apple Bloom doing the same thing while following Zecora.
Pinkie Pie's party for Gilda is mentioned in chapter 11.
Cheerful Child: Dinky tries to remain optimistic despite the carnage of the war happening around her.
Child Soldiers: The Cutie Mark Crusaders. To their credit, they actually want to fight the griffins in chapter 16 and they helped in defending Ponyville.
Continuity Nod: Several events from the show are referenced or mentioned, such as:
The Wonderbolts talk about the Sonic Rainboom that Rainbow Dash performed at the Best Young Flyer competition in Cloudsdale, while Fluttershy mentions the one that helped her and the rest of the Mane Cast earn their cutie marks.
Creator Breakdown: The author has admitted that he was suffering from mild depression while writing chapter 15. It would certainly explain quite a bit.
Curb Stomp Cushion: The second battle of Cloudsdale in chapter 14. Thanks to the support of Mirage squadron, the Wonderbolts and the three foreign aces, the pegasi managed to beat a griffin group army roughly twice their numbers, losing only eight fliers.
The ponies' agility sometimes allows them to get an upper hoof over the griffins, though not always. See below.
Darkest Hour: Chapter 15. Canterlot is seized by the Griffin Army, with the castle being the only save area; many ponies are injured, several died and things generally look bleak for the heroes.
Death from Above: Favored method of attack for the griffins, especially against earth ponies and unicorns. Pegasi are capable of that, too, with griffin heads being their targets.
Demoted to Extra: The Mane Cast besides Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy gets much less focus in the story. The worst offender is Spike.
Ultimately subverted. They become a vital ground support during the Battle for Stalliongrad, help in the liberation of Canterlot and lead the ground forces to the Final Battle. Even Spike gets his moment in chapter 16.
Downer Beginning: The Wonderbolts are taken down by the griffins, leaving Equestrian skies almost completely defenseless. Good thing Firefly returns to Equestria on the same day.
Dude, Where's My Respect??: Beautifully averted, as in the Ace Combat games. Before the Burning Talon was destroyed by Firefly's team, they were just another squadron of pegasi. Aftermath, they are revered as great heroines. And it seems other ponies are aware of the Elements of Harmony and those who bear them.
Hold the Line: The Battle of Stalliongrad certainly seems like that kind of mission.
The plan to liberate Canterlot presented in chapter 16 may count as well, at least for the main defense force.
It's Personal: One of Firefly's reasons for coming back to Equestria.
Knight of Cerebus: Gilda in chapter 11. Earlier, Black Star in chapter 7.
Meaningful Callsign: Lightning Bolt, Cloud Kicker, Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash have their callsigns named after their cutie marks.
Firefly picks her callsign ("Flash") to emphasize on her agility, while Medley, being the youngest pegasus among the seven heroines, is called "Kid".
Mission Briefing: Several, the most prominent ones being in chapters 9, 13 and 16.
My Country, Right or Wrong: Many griffins do not really want to fight the ponies, but they do so because they believe it would bring glory to their kingdom. Also, it's about orders.
Fluttershy: I’m a pony that represents the Element of Kindness! But, to you... I will show no mercy!
No-Holds-Barred Beatdown: Rainbow Dash is subjected into one in chapter 11, with Gilda being the pummeller.
In chapter 17, Night Raven does a brutal one to Fluttershy. But she manages to turn things around.
No, I Am Behind You: That's how Firebolt defeats Greyback in chapter 8. It also happens throughout the story at certain moments with other characters.
Oh Crap: Wonderbolts' reaction when the turrets open fire at them in the first chapter.
That's probably the best way to summarize the expressions of Lightning Bolt, Derpy, Medley and Soarin' when The Burning Talon's laser smashes the Cloudsdale gates to pieces in chapter 8.
The griffins have the same reaction when they see The Burning Talon being destroyed in chapter 10. May count as Ironic Echo.
Firefly's reaction when she notices that Scythe attempts a Suicide Attack to bomb Stalliongrad in chapter 13.
Original Character: All pegasi team leaders. Firebolt and Gale may also count. Same for the griffins (besides "G" (Gilda))
Painting The Medium: Sort of. In majority of the chapters, there are links leading to music themes from Ace Combat series. The author was using these themes when writing the story and wanted to incorporate atmosphere into it.
Playing with Fire: The griffins do that during the scourging of Equestria, as reported by several ponies and Edge. Also, Firecracker Burst can use short-ranged fire streams as a means of offense.
Red Baron: The pegasi from Mirage squadron are dubbed "Angels of Equestria" by Cheerilee and the fillies in chapter 9. She calls them like this again, word-for-word, in chapter 16, though this time, it's the Cutie Mark Crusaders who do the "Angels!" chanting.
Echo refers to a certain pegasus as a Heavenly Ribbon.
Regional Bonus: The Polish version that can be found here is a little more detailed than the original, though most of these details were carried over to the English version after the revision.
Rousing Speech: Twilight Sparkle delivers one in chapter 17. It's epic!
Twilight Sparkle: We have to stand together once more, but this time, not as earth ponies. Not as unicorns. Or pegasi. We must stand together as the ponies of Equestria! It’s true that, on the outside, each of us is different. We live in different parts of Equestria, we have different names, we look differently. But... we have fought, suffered and died together! Deep inside, in our hearts and souls, we are all children of this land! We cannot ignore the time when our land is in danger. We must fight! We must have courage! I don’t know if you will decide to follow me or not, but I want to live in Equestria with my friends! That’s why Iwill keep fighting! To the bitter end, if it must be! [...] Everypony, we’re gonna take back Canterlot today! Let us make haste! The sun and the moon will lead our way to victory! Know that this is not the day we will surrender! This is not the day we fall! This day we fight! FOR EQUESTRIA!!!
Sadistic Choice: In chapter 11, Rainbow Dash faces one: either she could try and stop Gilda which would most likely end in Medley's death or abandon her friends and Equestria to join forces with Gilda. Being the Element of Loyalty, she choses the former. And Medley survives, although with temporarily broken wings.
In chapter 13, Lightning Bolt is torn between saving Cloud Kicker from being killed by two griffins and trying to stop another griffon from bombing the Eastern Sector of Stalliongrad. Though she chose the latter at first, the Garuda team's Big Damn Heroes moment made her go and help Cloud Kicker.
Say My Name: "RAINBOW DASH!!!" "FLUTTERSHY!" "CLOUD KICKER!!!" "Applejaaack!" " CARROT TOP!"
Schizo Tech: There are communicators and radars, the griffins have access to laser technology, but there are no missiles or fighter jets.
Screw the War, We're Partying: At least in chapter 9, thanks to Pinkie Pie (actually, it was the idea of Princess Celestia).
Screw This, I'm Outta Here: Defied with the rookie griffon Slip: he almost deserts, but decides to keep fighting because he knows he'll be executed for deserting. Not to say he's really brave, though, or a good fighter, as he's killed in battle with very little effort. Night Ravendid him in.
Shout Out: Numerous shout outs to Ace Combat series. Justified, considering it's a crossover. They include, but are not limited to:
Mobius to Mobius 1, the player character from Ace Combat 04. He even uses the same callsign. There are also Talisman and Shamrock, the two leading protagonists of Ace Combat 6. Finally, Sky Eye. The two latter characters even mention (though it is not explicitly stated) the respective wars they took part in - Usean Continental War and Operation "Katina" (Mobius, Sky Eye) as well as Anean Continental War (Shamrock and Talisman).
Also, the EAF logo is modeled after the ISAF logo.
At the end of chapter 9, the ponies sing "Gotta Stay Fly" from Ace Combat: Assault Horizon, though with slightly altered lyrics.
The Gult squadron ("Yellow" in Romanian). For that matter, majority of squadrons names are derived from different Ace Combat games.
Likewise, most chapters have their titles derived from various mission names in different Ace Combat games.
Chapter 18 has Lightning Bolt reading a novel about four pegasi ponies who fought in a conflict together. The book's title? The Unsung War.
Sole Survivor: Tornado Swirl and Overdrive are the only original members of their teams who survive the assault on Canterlot. Before her Cruel and Unusual Death, Blueberry.
Time Skip: There's a two-month break between chapters 10 and 11 (due to a temporal armistice)
The Power of Friendship: Twilight and Pinkie put it best in chapter 13, when speaking with Rainbow Dash.
Twilight Sparkle: No matter how far away you would be or how badly things may turn out to be, Rainbow, we’ll always be there for you.
Pinkie Pie: Yeah! That’s what friends are for, right?
The Squad: Mirage, Gult, Talon, Northwind, Racer and Burner just to name a few.
Alternate link: [2]
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