My Little Pony: Third Gear

Chapter 10: Storm Watch

“Tomorrow we’ll be holding the biggest war gaming event of these training sessions,” Spitfire said two mornings later. “Today, an easier group/duo exercise: cloud clearing. Whiplash and Fast Clip will be helping to keep a tally of the number of clouds you manage to clear, both individually, and as groups. At the end you’ll be ranked according to the number you each managed to clear. And again, this is not a race, so feel free to take it at an easy pace.

“You’re all back to your original partners, so there will be no complains about keeping up. Questions? No? I’ll be in my office doing paperwork. Lieutenants Azure and Blue are in charge in my absence. Now get going!”

“Yes, ma’am!” The cadets saluted, and then got into the air, two-by-two. From what Gearhead could see, Lightning Dust was glad to have Dash back on her wing. While Fluttershy had been tickled pink about flying with Dash for the previous exercise, she was also happy to be flying with Gearhead again, even giving him a light hug before they took off.

While Fluttershy usually shied from using violent means, she only hesitated a little before diving into her first cloud to hug it apart. Gearhead could have used his Wind Wings her, but he still did not want to disrupt the others’ efforts too much. At the same time, he was trying something a little new: wings made of sound energy. These Sonic Wings created slight ripples up to a third of a hoof around their own physical manifestation, but since Gearhead was not flying that close to anypony else, nobody showed any mind.

While most of the others were moving slowly and methodically through the cloud banks, Dash and Lightning Dust rocketed about another section of sky. Gearhead saw them slice or punch through cloud after cloud, racking up more points than anypony else. Gearhead looked from the fast flyers back to the rest of the group, up at his wings as he ‘flapped’ them, and then at Fluttershy. He felt the grin sneak onto his face.

“Fluttershy, would you be willing to try something?”

“What is it?”

“An experiment in sound. All you would have to do is say something into the cup created by my wings as they come to the top or bottom of their swing. They should act like a megaphone and amplify the strength of your voice, but I do not know for certain if it will work at all.”

“That sounds... embarrassing.”

“You do not have to say much: just one word to test it, I think.”

“Then, let me try to think of something,”

“Thank you,”

Fluttershy smiled, and when she was ready, she flew up so she was looking at a group of clouds through the tunnel of Gearhead’s rippling, silvery wings. “Yay,” she said.

“YAY-AY-AY-AY!” A tunnel of rippling sound energy shot out, expanding and diffusing as it shot out toward the clouds, which came apart in startled puffs. Other ponies turned, startled, to see a long shaft of clear space in the larger cloud bank: the sonic energy had gone into it without coming out the other end.

“Oh my,” Fluttershy said, covering her muzzle with her hooves.

“I would say that was a perfect success,” Gearhead said. “It was strong enough to break the clouds, but not to harm anypony. I think that is a fitting method for you.”

“But a little embarrassing,”

“Okay, we do not have to use it again so soon.”

Fluttershy seemed to think about it. “But maybe later?”

“If you are up for it,” Gearhead said, smiling.

* * *

“Just like that mad Earth Pony to come up with something crazy like that,” Lightning Dust said.

“Come on, he’s one of my friends too,” Rainbow said. “And anyway, don’t you think we’re far enough ahead already? We can take it easy and still nopony’ll catch up to us.”

“You think we can be the best by ‘taking it easy?’ C’mon, Dash, lets blow all these other ponies out of the sky – and I think I have just the ticket.”

“Seriously?”

“Look, if you don’t wanna push yourself that’s fine by me. I can do this on my own. So decide, Dash: Are you in or out?”

Rainbow remembered what Spitfire had said about why she had given the Lead Pony position to Lightning Dust instead of to Rainbow Dash: Lightning Dust liked to push herself a little harder than anypony else. Her methods were aggressive, but as long as nopony ended up being hurt... “I’m in,” Rainbow decided.

“Alright! Now follow my lead,” Lightning Dust said, and then she started flying in a quick, horizontal circle. After a moment’s more hesitation, Rainbow joined in: she had made her own tornadoes for various purposes before, including to dry Twilight Sparkle’s mane. Admittedly, the most powerful one had been done with help from most of Ponyville’s Pegasi, but Rainbow still had good control over those powerful winds. This should be easy, and it’ll let me understand why Spitfire likes Lightning Dust’s style more than mine, Rainbow thought.

As Lightning Dust sped up, Rainbow matching her, the tornado took shape. It was larger and more fierce than anything Rainbow had made on her own. This sort of strength was more than enough for some clouds, but if this was the sort of thing Lightning Dust did to win, as long as the two of them could control it, it seemed to also be the sort of thing Spitfire approved of.

With her high degree of focus on the project at hoof, Rainbow noticed as soon as the tornado started to wobble. Stray gusts and little sparks started to spray out. “Hey Lightning Dust, could you slow down a bit?”

“You speed up! I’ve got this. I can still control this thing!”

“But it’s getting unstable. Lightning Dust, if we don’t back off now...”

“Stop squawking and speed up! Don’t lose your nerves now, Rainbow Dash!”

A gust came across Rainbow’s flank, sending her on a short skid. She recovered before she could be thrown from the tornado, but in the time it took for her to regain control over her own flight, Lightning Dust had thrown the whole wind system off-kilter. More lightning developed, and barely missed them. Unfortunately, by dodging they got caught more fully by the wild wind, and the tornado threw them out.

“Why didn’t you speed up?!” Lightning Dust glowered at her partner.

“You think that matters now? We need to shut that thing down!”

“Why? It’s clearing out the clouds just like we wanted.”

“That’s not all it’ll clear out,” Rainbow said as Fast Clip had to beat some rapid wings so he didn’t join his chalkboard inside the tornado.

“So it’s made some minor damage,” Lightning Dust said. “Everything’ll be fine once it spends itself out.” They watched the tornado slowly turn, and then it was advancing toward the edge of the Academy, and the open sky beyond.

“I’m not sure it’s getting any weaker,” Rainbow said, frowning.

“It does not look that way,” Gearhead said, coming to land nearby. He was using his magic to place his comm clip into his ear.

“What’re you gonna do with that?” Rainbow asked.

“I need something with the right sensors, so I am calling my Engine.”

“You mean you didn’t modify your goggles?” Rainbow asked.

“If I did that, what would be the point of getting standard-issue equipment?”

“It sure would be useful now,”

“Remedying that should only take a minute.”

“What’s that?” Rainbow asked, pointing to something that glinted in the clouds ahead of the tornado.

* * *

Gearhead finished tuning his earpiece and sent the code to remote-launch the Twin Engines. He followed Dash’s outstretched hoof with his eyes, and found the same rounded, silvery hull, only now two tail-fins and the tips of the wings were also visible. Gearhead used his hoof to tune his comms again, only this time he was looking for a channel that would have a live pony on the other end.

“Silver Wind, Gearhead. You have incoming.”

“Gearhead, Silver Wind. We see it,” Twilight said after a short pause.

“We had no idea you’d be having some crazy tornado drill,” Applejack said. The Twin Engine finally came in, slowing down as it transformed from flight mode to its own version of docking mode. Gearhead used his wings to hold himself aloft so he could easily shrug into the vest-like harness. He noticed that when his wings blended with the cores, the cores caused his magic to swirl around them. But that was a detail for later, as Gearhead used his Light Magic to take his glasses from their case. He pulled his goggles down around his neck, and replaced them with his glasses. Once they were synchronized with the Engine, he looked at the tornado again. “This was not on the schedule,” Gearhead said.

“Well, now it is,” Twilight said.

“Gearhead, we can still evade,” Dawn said.

He was a little startled to find that Dawn was aboard the Wind, but then he had given her the access code, so she could get the Wind to launch and pick her and the others up on the surface if the need arose. Even if it was only by a little, she had also trained on the Wind the most out of all Gearhead’s friends. But knowing Dawn was in danger still made Gearhead’s heart sink. Still, his sensors were showing him other concerns.

“Negative, Dawn. That tornado could turn into a supercell in a matter of minutes if the strength continues to build. Please keep ahead of it so you can warn anypony of its approach. But stay far enough ahead that you can still use the wing turbines for as long as you can.”

“Acknowledged. What will you be doing?”

“Trying to find a way to stop that monster before it turns into a nightmare.”

“I have an idea,” Prism said, and Gearhead turned to see that the others were approaching too. “Rainbow Dash, could you please get the Captain?”

“Yes ma’am,” Dash flew off at top speed.

“What do you have in mind?” Gearhead asked. “Nothing too risky, I hope.”

“As you said, that’s gonna be a superstorm in a minute or two, just like the one Mom sacrificed her flight to stop. We have the opportunity to stop this before it causes any further damage.”

“It’s not that big a deal,” Lightning Dust said. “Now would be a good time to use your magic, Thirdson.”

“I do not have the right magic for that, not on my own, and not from here.”

“None of us are on our own,” Rook said. “This is different from Cloudsdale. Almost completely different.”

“Lucky us,” Contrail grinned.

“Okay,” Spitfire said as she and Dash returned, “Dash explained most of what’s going on, so what’s your plan?”

Prism looked at the flight suit that Spitfire was only partially changed into. “You mean you don’t have a plan, Captain?”

“I’m almost certain it’s the same one as yours, but it’d be more fitting for you to take the lead on this, provided I’m right. So tell me.”

“Okay. Captain, permission to use the Storm Breaker.”

“I thought you’d say that, but it’s still something else hearing it for real. You sure about this?”

“That’s right,” Contrail said, “we just got Auntie’s –“

“What better way to completely defeat the past than to conquer it again today?” Prism asked. “Besides, as you guys already pointed out, nopony’s about to attempt it alone this time. So I know we’ll pull this off perfectly, if we go all-in.”

“Lieutenant Azure, permission granted.”

“Thank you, Captain. Now who’s with me?”

It was not just Rook, Contrail, and Gearhead, or even the rest of the three squadrons of trainees. More squadrons who were training at the same time, together with their instructors, shouted their approval and support. Gearhead had not even noticed them coming in, but now they were shouting “Hurrah, hurrah, hurrah – Storm Breaker!” over and over again.

“Thank you,” Prism said, addressing their full force. Including the instructors they had twenty-four ponies, enough for two squadrons. But today they would form a complete force. “All flyers, follow my lead!”

“Hoo-rah!”

Prism led off in the launch, hurrying to chase the tornado down. The others immediately started to take to the air after her, but first Gearhead used his magic to fish two more objects out of his belt pouches and pass them to Dash and Fluttershy.

“You’re sure these’ll work without all the others?”

“Positive, but they may not have to,” Gearhead said, as they joined the flow. “Wind, Gearhead. Did you, by any chance, bring your Anklets?”

“Why yes, we did decide to bring them, just in case,” Rarity said.

“Then I recommend putting them on, just in case the tornado becomes a supercell before we catch up,” Gearhead said.

“Actually,” Twilight said, “we’ve been wearing them this whole time.”

“Not me,” Applejack said, “harder to work in.”

“And the design’s hard to get used to,” Rarity said. “Why can’t it stay looking like it did when it was active?”

“What are you talking about?” Dawn asked.

“Please focus on the storm,” Gearhead said. “Hopefully we will not even need to use the Anklets.”

“It never hurt to be prepared, though,” Twilight said.

“Oh, I agree,” Dawn said. “Now what were you talking about?”

Gearhead sighed. “I helped make Artifacts of lesser power compared to the Elements of Harmony. These are the Anklets. But I am still hoping we will not have to use them, because that would mean the Storm Breaker alone is not enough.”

“What’s a Storm Breaker?” Pinkie asked. “Is it like a Jawbreaker?”

“It is a special technique Pegasi have for dealing with high-strength tornadoes. It requires high focus, and a number of Pegasi to succeed.”

“I don’t remember seeing anything like that in my books,” Twilight said.

“That is because it is recorded in the Azure Library. The last one to use it was Aerial View, who is Prism’s and the rest’s mother.”

“But you just said it needs a number of Pegasi to work,” Twilight said.

“Which is why she ended up getting injured. I only healed her recently, but now Prism wants to attempt it. So I appreciate having some insurance.”

“Just don’t let Prism hear you say that,” Dash said. “She needs to know that everypony has faith in her for this.”

“Rainbow Dash is right,” Dawn said. “Prism’s mental impression will greatly affect our chances of success here. Having everypony supporting her should do a lot to improve that, but that’s especially true of her closest friends.”

“Speaking of friends or not, has anypony seen Lightning Dust?” Contrail asked.

“Don’t tell me she slipped away,” Rook said.

“Don’t be ridiculous,” Cloudchaser, who was behind them, said. “You don’t see Fluttershy trying to worm her way out of this.”

“I will do my part,” the normally-shy Pegasus said, determination etched on her face.

“Maybe she is merely further behind us,” Gearhead said. “It took some time for all of us to take off.”

“Well, if you don’t catch the tornado soon it’ll touch down near a town already,” Applejack said.

“How long?” Dash asked.

“Five minutes.”

* * *

It was certainly an eye-catching, strange procession: anypony who looked in the right direction would see the metal bird surrounded by blue-green energy. From there, the giant tornado that seemed to follow the bird (which was itself fair-sized) naturally drew the eye. The alarm was readily sounded, and an emergency town meeting convened in light of the coming disaster.

The town that the tornado was heading toward was smaller even than Ponyville. It had enough money and resources to thrive without struggling unduly, but not enough to be of strategic value to potential invaders. The princesses, Celestia and Luna, had therefore determined that it should not need the protection of an Alicorn Array. Any problems it did encounter could most likely be handled by the staff and cadets at the nearby Wonderbolts Academy.

Except the tornado did not care for such considerations. The ponies who lived in the straightforwardly-named Green Field therefore quickly determined that nothing and nopony could stop the tornado. It would be far better to evacuate and save their own lives, and then rebuild the town later than it would be to risk their lives – well, all but the extremely old and infirm agreed. They had to be wrestled out of town, which was the only reason the evacuation took as long as it did.

What was not easily visible was the squadron of Pegasi flying in a tight chevron formation to catch up to the twister, which no longer resembled the little tornado that Lightning Dust and Rainbow Dash had made together: The tornado stretched easily from sky to ground, the earth and plant life it had sucked into itself marking it with browns, greys, and greens. The initially-silvery winds had turned dark grey and black. Jagged streamers of golden and bright blue lightning lit up the interior, and occasionally shot out from the funnel. It had become a superstorm, and it had done so before Applejack had estimated it would.

Unfortunately, although the squadron wanted to strike at the tornado there was the issue of its higher traveling speed, which interfered with their ability to aim the Storm Breaker effectively. In addition, while the technique enjoyed a legendary status among Pegasi, especially those who wanted to become Wonderbolts or Skybolts, few Pegasi actually knew the requirements for pulling it off. As a result Prism, Contrail, and Rook had to explain it to all the other members of the emergency response team that had formed around them.

The team could fly around the tornado to hit it from the same side as Silver Wind, but to do so they would have to fly around it at such a distance as to waste all their remaining time before the storm reached the town. While Green Field was finishing up its evacuation, the more buildings they could save the less time the townsponies would have to spend rebuilding. The team would also lose the advantage of having another unit on the other side of the target.

The other option they had was for Dawn to bring the Wind about so the rest of the Elemental Six could strike the storm with their Anklets. They would have to hope the resulting energy wave could slow it down and maybe even weaken it, and that being subjected to the energy would not allow the tornado to adapt for the big blast Prism also had planned. If the Wind could slow the storm enough, the Pegasi could unleash the Storm Breaker.

By the time the Pegasi all knew the plan and they were flying just outside the tornado’s range, they were already over the town. The twister tossed signs and buildings in every direction, sucking up what it could. Fortunately Rarity reported that the sensors had the townsponies fleeing to a safe distance on a path that was perpendicular to the tornado’s path.

“When should we go?” Cloudchaser asked.

“It’s still moving too fast,” Contrail said. “We need to slow it down first.”

“And then we get started exactly on my mark,” Prism said. “We succeed only when we’re in this together.”

“YEAH!” Snowflake shouted.

“Hoo-rah!” The others responded.

“Gearhead, tell Dawn to signal the others. They should fire on ‘three.’”

“Will do, Lieutenant.” Gearhead had had his comms on standby while the Pegasi hashed out their plan. Now he opened the channel back up. “Wind, Gearhead. Please get everypony ready to hit the tornado with their Elemental power on the ‘three’ count.”

“Gearhead, Wind,” Dawn said. “Okay, I’ve activated the interfaces for them, and we’re charging up. Stand by.”

“Well?” Prism, who did not have an earpiece with her, said.

“They are charging,” Gearhead said. Meanwhile, the tornado continued to chew a path toward Town Square.

“Well, ready or not, we have to move. One...”

The tornado made a hard left turn.

“Eh?” Starry Eyes said.

“Well that’s new,” Contrail said.

“Where’s it..?” Spitfire asked.

“No time,” Prism said, “hit it now! Mark. Three. Go!”

“She is right,” Gearhead said as the Pegasi came about. “It lost most of its speed on that turn alone.”

“Can we hit it?” Spitfire asked.

“Yes, if we launch now.”

“Then do it,”

“YEAH!”

Prism led the team, climbing and spiralling upward. Then she flipped and inverted, heading back down. Midway down, she crossed over her path upward, only to pull up and invert near the ground, before climbing back up. The others followed, all the while trying to maintain their forward momentum so they would not lose their target. Their wind- and tail-trails extended and expanded, bleeding together to create a multi-coloured storm system that had a rotation uniquely opposite to that of the tornado they faced. “Almost,” Prism said. “Keep pushing faster, everypony!”

* * *

Aboard the Silver Wind Applejack, Pinkie, Rarity, and Twilight continued to charge their mana through their Anklets and into the ship’s weapon systems. Dawn brought the ship around in a tight circle and headed directly toward the tornado’s center. She pumped power out through the wing turbines so they would have more particles on the outside before she would have to retract the wings into the fuselage so they did not get torn off.

* * *

Still flanking, rather than following, the tornado because of its sudden and sharp turn, the Pegasus team was still having trouble putting enough power into the Storm Breaker. Without sufficient power, they would not be able to defeat the superstorm. “If we don’t take this now, it’ll pull away from us again,” Wild Fire said.

“Also,” Gearhead said, “it appears to be heading directly for Cloudsdale now.”

“Can we get a second opinion?” Pinkie asked.

“You five have the same map I do,” Gearhead said.

“I confirm its heading,” Twilight said.

“But it won’t get that far,” Dash said. “Lets do this!”

“Yay,” Dash and Fluttershy both pressed ahead as strongly as they could. Their Anklets lit up, transforming from dark and sinister to golden and luminescent. The aura that came off their Artifacts changed gradually from omnidirectional, imbuing those around them with greater power, to focused, gathering at their wings and giving the two of them specifically greater speed boosts.

“More power,” Prism said. “No holding back!”

“Wow, it looks like you really can’t do this without me,” Lightning Dust said, dropping into the flow.

“So you were here after all,” Rook said.

“You said you needed power? Well, here I am!”

“Actually, some of us thought you’d split,” Spitfire said. “I’m glad to be proven wrong, this time.”

“You still owe me five,” Contrail said.

“You made a bet?”

“It seemed fair, considering your attitude,” Rook said.

“Wait, was Blue the only one who bet on me?”

“No, Rainbow Dash, Fluttershy, and Gearhead did as well,” Rook said.

“When you’re a Wonderbolt, others matter,” Contrail said.

“Now lets knock this little storm out,” Prism said.

“HOO-RAH!”

* * *

Wings fully secured, the Silver Wind plunged into the supertornado. Dawn turned slightly to follow the wind so she would not have to fight it completely, working her way to the eye. Once there, she redeployed the wings and put the ship into a holding position, so that it only moved as the tornado was.

Energy flowed along the superconducting conduits into the blade of the prow, but instead of shooting a beam, it radiated the gems’ light in all directions. The winds all around the ship became less furious. The storm began to lose its grip on some of the detritus it had created and picked up, even as its lightning bolts began to splash against the Wind’s particle shields.

* * *

The multi-coloured Storm Breaker wound its way into the tornado’s side, digging in as it spun. It interfered with the storm’s rage, sending some wisps of wind into the air and to freedom. The Pegasi kept digging in, and they kept flying so their technique would continue to merge with their target. As they did, the storm slowed down, became less furious, and shrank. Within moments it had markedly less lightning to sling at its attackers, and the ponies were able to fly much closer to it without being flung away.

And then the tornado split apart into silvery ribbons, the last clumps of dirt and pulverized trees and bushes falling to the ground. “We’re gonna have to clean that up, aren’t we?” Dash asked.

“That would be the responsible thing,” Spitfire said.

Dash and Lightning Dust sighed in exaggerated frustration.

“The sooner we get started, the sooner we finish,” Gearhead said.

“Can’t we do it tomorrow?” Lightning Dust asked.

“And spoil a day of R&R?” Spitfire asked.

“What, really?”

“I admit that taking on a superstorm like this is very fatiguing. Even though two of you caused the thing, you still deserve some rest before this week’s war games. You get an extra day, no more. What you do with that day is up to you completely, but you will clean up this mess. Understood?”

“Yes, ma’am!”

* * *

There were other consequences for the tornado, but Lightning Dust would face most of them alone. On the one hoof, Dash had to help clean up the mess their tornado had made. On the other, there were others, like Gearhead and Fluttershy, who pitched in anyway.

Because she had been the brains behind the storm, Spitfire was demoting Lightning to ‘trainee’ and making her Dash’s Wing Pony. “You’re standing on a quarter of a chance, on Contrail’s word but also on your own merit in dealing with the storm. Don’t waste it,” Spitfire said.

Lightning Dust was determined to make it count.

* * *

“Since everypony’s here,” Spitfire said, “lets get this briefing for the graduation war games underway. Yes, the results here’ll determine whether you can move to the next stage. These war games will use everything you’ve learned, and every rule we’ve brought into the Academy to test you to your limits. It’s a squadron-level exercise, so I hope you’re ready for some tight teamwork.

“As before, this war game is about combat and tactics. Your opponents this time well be, well, us,” Spitfire said. With a wing she indicated all the other Pegasi who had been coming in to stand on either side of her: High Winds, Silver Linings, and Rapidfire; Misty Fly, Lightning Streak, and, Fire Streak, Surprise, Wave Chill, and Blaze; Soarin,’ Hasty Hoof, and of course, Spitfire herself – all of the active Wonderbolts. All twelve of them formed a single squadron.

“Oh come on,” Midnight Strike said, “how’re we supposed to compete with actual Wonderbolts?”

“However you can,” Spitfire said. “You have five hours to gather any and all resources you can. After that, only those things you bring with you to the arena can be used, and a member of your sqaudron has to be using the object, so you can’t get another cadet or officer to hold it and still have it count. Certainly not non-trainees,” Spitfire said, referring to Dawn and the others who had arrived aboard the Wind.

“So it does not matter what it is, as long as we carry it with us?” Gearhead asked.

“We’re Princess Celestia and Princess Luna’s elite flyers. You think we can’t handle a few spells? On second thought, I’m ordering you now to leave the big ones out of it. Also, we’ll be adding your COs to our ranks.”

“Why?” Flowershine asked.

“We’re Wonderbolts too,” Prism said. “I thought you knew. No? Well, now you do.”

“How do we do this without those three against the Wonderbolts?” Thunderlane asked.

“Don’t forget,” Contrail said over his shoulder as he and the others in Prism Flight joined the other officers, “you’re all Wonderbolt cadets. That means something.”

“You have five hours to figure out your strategies and tactics, starting from now,” Prism said. “The arena’s coordinates will be on a flimsy we’ll send you an hour before start time.”

“You’d best get going,” Soarin’ said.

* * *

It took nearly fifteen minutes for everypony to agree to conducting the pre-mission briefing in the barracks. After another five minutes wasted with everypony shouting at each other, Gearhead let the lightning that shot off his stamped hoof speak for his opinion of how things were going. “Pardon me, I do believe I have a way of using our limited time wisely,” he said.

“Do you really think we have a chance of beating the real Wonderbolts even with five hours of planning?” Midnight Strike asked.

“It is actually three hours, thirty-eight minutes.”

“Where’d we lose an hour?” Lightning Dust asked.

“Oh right,” Dash said, “when they send us the flimsy with the location.”

“Three and a half hours should still be enough time for whatever planning we can do,” Cloudchaser said.

“And preparation?” Gearhead asked.

“That depends on the plan.”

“Indeed, so would you like to hear by what mechanisms we can discuss our strategy for defeating the Wonderbolts elite squadron?”

“I’m listening, and all I’m hearing is that you’re crazy enough to think we might actually win,” Midnight Strike said.

“Maybe we ought to hear him out,” Pizzelle said.

“You misunderstand: I may contribute to the overall strategy, but it should come from all of us. I would simply like to share what I believe to be the best method for arriving there.”

“At this point, I’m just tired of all the yelling,” Fluttershy said.

“YEAH!” Snowflake led the others in agreeing.

“Very well. In this case, we can use a simplified version of the parliamentary procedures that Verdant Herd Council uses in their discussions of legislature. We do have the advantage of having a smaller group for these discussions, so they should go more quickly as long as follow the procedure as best as we can. So here is a quick outline:

“One pony will be the Chair for the proceedings. That pony facilitates without controlling, so any time she or he wishes to add something, he or she must temporarily turn control of the meeting to another pony. Only one pony can speak at a time, and that is the pony officially recognized by the Chair, verbally or with a clear gesture. The Chair has the ability to call for a recess if necessary, as well as calling the meeting back to order and adjourning it. The Chair also calls for votes, and for time’s sake I think we should make them open votes with raised hooves, instead of secret ballots.

“Once recognized by the Chair, a pony may rise to make a motion, to make an amendment to the motion that is on the table, to make a Point of Information, or a Point of Order regarding proper procedure.”

“This is sounding a little familiar,” Dash said, nudging Fluttershy gently.

“Is that because of the fan club meeting you were eavesdropping on?” Gearhead asked.

“And how would you know about that?”

“Perhaps a blond colt told me,”

“Touché,”

“Returning to the procedure, to make a motion you just say ‘I move to,’ or ‘I move that’ and then clearly state your motion. The Chair then asks for somepony to second the motion, indicating interest. If nopony seconds, the motion is dropped. If there is a seconder, the pony who made the motion speaks to it, and then there is a discussion, still using the procedure of recognition from the Chair to keep the meeting under control.

“An amendment is when somepony wishes to change, remove, or add a word or small phrase to the motion without changing its nature. Up to two amendments can be made to the same motion, however the most recent one is always resolved first, and then the next-recent one until we get back to the original motion. Once an amendment, or amendment to an amendment, has been passed or defeated another one can be made.

“If we stray too far from the point, anypony may call Orders of the Day, to point us back to where we should be. Normally this would related to a time on an agenda, but our only agenda is this strategy meeting, so perhaps we could make it the original motion and calling a vote on it?”

The others did not know what else to say, so they simply nodded.

“We should also appoint a Secretary to record the motions and amendments, so that when we vote we have a clear idea of how they come down. Apart from Orders of the Day, which we can keep as a non-voting motion, we can use a simple majority ruling for all motions.”

“Wait, what if we want to continue discussions?” Cloudchaser asked.

“In that case, the Chair can ask if there are any objections to Orders of the Day. If there is even one, we can vote to continue the discussion for a further two minutes. This vote would normally need a two-thirds majority to continue. Other questions? Then for a practice exercise in parliamentary procedure, let us vote on whether or not to use parliamentary procedure for the remainder of this meeting. All in favour?”

There was some hesitation, but once hooves started rising most of them quickly followed suit. Gearhead called for ‘opposed’ and ‘abstentions,’ mostly so everypony would know that those were also options. Lightning Dust played Discord’s Advocate, voting in opposition, but she did not have a better idea that would get them anywhere fast either.

“I’d like to make a motion,” Dash said, raising a hoof.

Gearhead blinked, not expecting them to start so soon. “Then as acting-Chair, I recognize Rainbow Dash.”

“I move that Verdant Gearhead act as Chair for this meeting.”

“I second that,” Fluttershy said, softly raising her hoof.

“One minor correction: it is ‘Thirdson Gearhead.’ Also, we could use a Secretary, but that is another motion. Rainbow Dash, would you like to speak to your motion?”

“I would. I think everypony would agree that Gearhead’s the only one here who knows these procedures well enough to keep us from shouting at each other again, so he should be Chairpony.”

“Would anypony else like to speak for or against the motion?” Gearhead waited a couple seconds, but everypony else was silent, so he called for a vote, which was unanimous, making him the Chair. “Is there any other business? Yes, Thunderlane?”

“Mister Chair, I move that we vote on Pizzelle as the Secretary.”

“Elections usually work slightly differently, but why not keep things simple, right? Pizzelle, will you stand for the position?”

“I will,”

“Just as an aside, this will count as the seconder. Are there any other nominations from the floor?”

“Mister Chair, I nominate Fluttershy,” Cloudchaser said.

“Oh my,” the yellow Pegasus said.

Oh, I guess she may not accept, Gearhead thought. “Fluttershy, will you stand for the position?”

“I, um... I will,” Fluttershy said, putting a look of determination on her face. By the gasp around the room, it seemed nopony else had foreseen this, not even Cloudchaser.

“Are there any other nominations from the floor?”

“Mister Chair, I’d like to withdraw if that’s alright. I think Fluttershy would do the better job,” Pizzelle said.

“That is allowed, if you are certain.”

“I am,”

“Then if there are not any other nominations, congratulations Fluttershy: today you are the Secretary.”

“Good job, Fluttershy!” Dash said, patting her on the back.

“I just want to help,” she said quietly.

* * *

“Now that we have our meeting positions squared away,” Gearhead said, “we should probably proceed to our actual strategy session. Are there any objections? There being none, I would like to first lay the foundation with some information before I resume my position as Chair. We could call this the opening remarks, unless anyone objects? No?

“Our situation, as presented with only facts and without speculation, is that we are expected to enter combat against the Wonderbolt elite at a location that is currently unknown to us.” Some of the other ponies whimpered in discomfort at the prospect, and Gearhead could not blame them.

“The fact on the ground, or in the air as it were, is that we number fifteen flyers, and the Wonderbolt elite number... fifteen flyers.” Nearly all the Pegasi gasped, not having realized that the numbers were only even when they were flying against Prism Flight. But Spitfire’s team had known that from the beginning, and had planned accordingly, at least in Gearhead’s opinion.

“Captain Spitfire gave us a total of five hours’ preparation time, however during the final hour she will send notice to us on a flimsy regarding the location of the match. This really gave us four hours’ preparation time, of which three hours, twenty-eight minutes remain. We can use this time for both planning and preparation of whatever we may think we need and can prepare from the resources available to us. Captain Spitfire has further specified that we can use nearly any means, as long as a member of our squadron is attached to that means. Large-scale and powerful spells are explicitly forbidden.

“The rules of engagement are the same as those we used previously, except that there are fifteen on both sides, and that if you would recall, the Captain wants us to treat all situations as truly putting lives on the line: A kill in the war game will equal a kill for real.

“And those are our facts, upon which I believe we can base our team organization and strategy. The floor is now open to motions.”

* * *

“Chair recognizes Rainbow Dash,” Gearhead said, nodding her way when he saw her raise a hoof.

“I move that we reorganize our three squadrons into a single fifteen-pony squadron.”

“

Does anypony second the motion?”

“I SECOND IT!” Snowflake shouted.

The assembled ponies cleared their ears of the ringing. “Rainbow Dash, would you like to speak to your motion?”

“Yeah I will. As you yourself said, our forces will be even, but only if we work together as a united group do we stand a chance of coming out on top. That’s why I think we need to reorganize into a single squadron.”

“Would anypony like to speak for or against the motion to reform into one squadron?”

“Mister Chair, what about leadership and group breakdown?” Lightning Dust asked.

“We can address those after, in their own motions.”

“If we need to make these motions on each little detail, this could take forever!”

“It would take longer to achieve even one step if we were all shouting at each other like before. This way we can use our time more effectively, and plan properly. I believe that nothing less than complete planning can lead us to victory.” Lightning Dust could only shrug, and since none of the others had anything to add, Gearhead called for a vote, which passed with only Lightning Dust and Wild Fire opposing it. Neither had any alternative suggestions that would not end up weakening their forces by dividing them at cross purposes, especially if each group had to come up with its own plans, and Cloudchaser said so. The result was that they kept the group together.

The next pony to raise a hoof was Sightseer. “I move that we subdivide the squadron into three Flights of five, using our previous squadron line-ups.”

“I second that,” Midnight Strike said.

“Sightseer, would you like to speak to your motion?”

“Yes. I think that using the squadrons we’re already used to is the best way to define our Flights. Since we’re already used to flying and fighting beside each other, we’ll take the least time to adjust that way.”

“Would anypony like to speak for or against the motion? Thunderlane?”

“I speak against the motion, Mister Chair. Slipstream, Fortress, and Illusive were assigned and defined by our COs, who are included in the force opposing us. They’ll probably expect it, and what’s more they used to be part of those formations. Not only do they know our weaknesses and strengths, but we could forget they’re not there, and open up gaps ourselves in the heat of battle. I can’t think of a better example of this than Fortress Squadron, which used to have two flyers capable of taking a great amount of punishment. Now it only has one, and he’s a multi-role flyer.”

“Thank you, Thunderlane. Anypony else?”

“Mister Chair, can I make an amendment?”

“Chair recognizes Starburst,”

“Thank you. I move that we subdivide the squadron into five Flights of three each.”

“Seconded,” Lime Jelly said.

“Starburst, would you please speak to your amendment?”

Starburst nodded. “I think that if we divide the squadron further to create more groups we can use our resources more efficiently, in order to carry out wider-ranging plans. Naturally, we can also regroup for when we need a larger force, but if we divide down to smaller numbers, we can think about how to act under less favourable situations, and adapt more easily to different scenarios, which is a skill I think we’ll need in an unknown battlefield. We can also optimize the Flights at the same time, removing the weaknesses that Thunderlane pointed out earlier.”

“Would anypony like to speak for or against the amendment? No? I should take this opportunity to inform you all that in order for an amendment to pass, the original motion must also pass. The motion will then pass as amended, so in this case both options of a three-flight squadron and a five-flight squadron are still on the table. But first, the five-flight squadron.”

Gearhead had Fluttershy read back the amendment, and called for a vote. It passed 13-1 with Midnight Strike opposing. The vote for the main motion passed 12-2, with Lightning Dust and Midnight Strike both opposing. Gearhead did not vote in either case.

Pizzelle rose to move that they elect the new Flight Leads from the pre-existing squadrons and allow them to pre-select the members of their new squadrons. When it looked like many of the others would oppose the motion because of what Starburst had said earlier, Fluttershy made an amendment removing the pre-selection from the table, and that passed 10-2 with two abstentions. The main motion passed only because it was needed for Fluttershy’s amendment to work.

The next step was to actually elect the Flight Lead. “I nominate Rainbow Dash,” Cloudchaser said.

“And I’ll accept,” Dash said.

“I NOMINATE CLOUDCHASER!”

“That’s sweet, Snowflake, but I’ll decline.”

“Yeah yeah, you’re all so sweet,” Lightning Dust said, “why won’t anypony nominate me?”

“Lightning Dust, this is not a conductive comment,” Gearhead said.

“Mister Chair, can I tell her why?” Dash asked.

“Go ahead, Rainbow Dash, with your Point of Information.”

“Thanks. Understand, I’m not trying to be mean here, Lightning Dust. You’re a great flyer,”

“Thank you,”

“As long as you’re flying solo, that is.”

“Excuse me?!”

“I understand your need to push yourself and exceed your limits, but every time you’ve done that since your arrival here, you’ve pushed others aside, sometimes risking hurting them while you did. Especially with that tornado.”

“Then you should’ve objected more strongly,” Lightning Dust sneered.

“Yeah, I should’ve known to refuse, but I thought Spitfire was looking for more flyers who push themselves, like you. But if it’s at the expense of others, that’s not the sort of team I’d want to be a part of, even if that team was called ‘the Wonderbolts.’ Lightning Dust, it’s been my dream since I was a foal to join the Wonderbolts, but I won’t follow you unless you learn to be a team flyer. Right here and now, and when we go up against Spitfire and the others, you gotta know that you can’t win alone. These war games? They’re designed to demonstrate the importance of teamwork. I won’t sacrifice others to advance myself. Not my teammates, not my friends, and not innocent civilians.”

“Hey, sometimes you’ve got to break a few eggs,”

“There’s always a choice, always a better way.”

“Accidents happen,”

“This may sound ironic coming from somepony who’s as much of a daredevil as me, but accidents are avoidable. If you pay attention to the things happening around you. Almost all of us were born to fly, so we take to it more or less naturally. We know how to pay attention to the important details and file the rest away for later. It should be just as natural to you, as long as you can see how important it is to care about other ponies.”

“Well... maybe I’ll consider it,” Lightning Dust said.

“Shall we proceed?” Gearhead asked. The others nodded, and Rainbow Dash became One Flight Lead with Lightning Dust and Fluttershy as her Wing Ponies. Cloudchaser became Lead to Snowflake and Midnight Strike. Gearhead would lead Pizzelle and Flowershine, Thunderlane would lead Starry Eyes and Lime Jelly, and Wild Fire would lead Sightseer and Starburst. While some of them wondered why both Dash and Lightning Dust should be in the same Flight, and with one of the slower ponies, Dash explained:

“Captain Spitfire said she wanted us to learn how to use intelligence and the resources available to us to the fullest, so I say we do just that – because there’s one resource of intel sitting outside this building right now. Gearhead, how many of those comm clips do we have?”

“Enough to supply the Leads, plus a few extras, but not enough to equip everypony.”

“That’s enough. One of the Captain’s rules is that we can use anything as long as it’s a member of the squadron who’s using it. Of those here, only Gearhead, Fluttershy, and I know how to fly it, and I’d prefer two hooves for this thing. B’sides, I’d feel more comfortable not removing our most versatile fighter from the board.”

“Just to clarify, we’re using it only for intel?” Thunderlane asked.

“That’s right,”

“I do not see any reason why it cannot be done,” Gearhead said, “unless... Fluttershy?”

“I’ll do it!”

“Which brings us to the Captain’s last rule, that we treat any kills as real. That being the case, I have a special request for all of you, and especially for our resident inventor,” Dash said. “Think you’re up for it?”

“Always, but just to be sure, let us try to make some plans and divide them into phases.”

“That would help us know where we are in the plan,” Cloudchaser nodded.

“Then lets get to it,” Lightning Dust said.

* * *

They tried to plan for as many different types of battlefields as possible, so they could adapt those plans to any situation: open spaces like the one where the last phase of the previous war game had taken place, places with cloud cover and storms, cities, towns, and villages, and even another tornado. They also made plans for navigating mazes while maintaining a combat-ready stance, and even specific plans for fighting in major cities like Cloudsdale, Canterlot, and Crystal City.

There was also one other step that Cloudchaser insisted was important, and that was to come up with a name for their new squadron. The Fortress, Illusive, and Slipstream Squadrons were gone, a part of their history at Wonderbolts Academy, but not who they would be in the coming engagement. Once again they collaborated to come up with a worthy name, but with the amount of time they had left, Gearhead felt it would be more productive to call for a recess.

The cadets ate quickly, making sure they had enough to take them through the coming trial without also overdoing it. Gearhead then boarded the Wind to start on the special equipment they would be using. Thunderlane and Wild Fire deployed Starry Eyes and Sightseer with their own comms to watch for any Wonderbolt carrying the notice they were all expecting to arrive soon.

* * *

When Gearhead took his next break, they were already ten minutes into the final hour. He walked off the Wind’s ramp, where Dash cantered out to meet him. “Spitfire still hasn’t sent us anything,” she said. “This is probably part of the war game too.”

“I agree. Most likely they are still setting things up for the exercise. But that also means they have the advantage of knowing what the venue is like.” Gearhead thought for a moment. “I would like to send Fluttershy to scout the area with the Wind. The more we can discover about the situation, the more even we can make things.”

“Should we recall the others?”

“Not yet,”

“Okay, I’ll go get Fluttershy,” Dash said, turning.

“I will off-load some of the completed armours just in case,” Gearhead said.

“You think something will happen?”

“I doubt it, but then we do not know what the elite are up to.” Gearhead turned and got back to work. Fluttershy came out in just a couple minutes, and he explained that he only wanted her to poke around a bit. “Please look for anything out of easy sight of the camp, and pay attention in particular to locations with cloud cover. You can use the Memory Recording system as well, to bring back anything you might have a hard time remembering if you suddenly need to run. Can you do this on your own?”

“But I’m not on my own if Dawn and the others are aboard,”

“That is true, however they should not be using any of the controls, just in case this really is part of the exercise.”

“I understand,” Fluttershy drew herself up straight. “I’ll be right back.”

“Fly straight,” Gearhead said.

“Yes sir!” Fluttershy piped, and then she was double-stepping up the ramp.

“She’s gotten much more confident,” Dash said.

“You are right,”

“You’d best be careful, or she might get more aggressive, too.”

“This is Fluttershy, so I am not worried,” Gearhead smiled. “For now, though, we have more work to do.”

Dash nodded and led the way back to the barracks. Behind them, the Wind closed up and lifted off. Fluttershy had begun her mission.

* * *

Fluttershy only took twelve minutes to complete her mission, and there did not end up being any issues regarding attacks on the Wind. The recording she had made, and was showing the others through a portable projector, showed the venue to be a large cylindrical structure constructed high in the clouds. Fluttershy had found it almost immediately by looking for odd cloud formations while flying in a spiral path away from the training camp.

The structure could have been compared to a coliseum if it had been solid all the way through, but there were irregular spokes, channels, and gaps everywhere. The stone-like material from which the arena had been made was apparently impervious to the Wind’s sensor sweeps, so Fluttershy was unable to take a peek inside, however some of its interior structure could be inferred from its exterior appearance. She also pointed out two large gateways, one facing slightly away from the camp, and the other opposite. The arena was slowly rotating, so that when the final hour was nearly up, it would be facing the camp almost exactly, making it the door they were supposed to enter the war game by.

“Nice work, Fluttershy,” Cloudchaser said, and the others chimed in, agreeing with her. The other mare blushed, while Dash hugged her.

“With this intel we can likely discard most of our plans dealing with large, open spaces, although there could still be a few inside here,” Gearhead said. He used his forehooves to manipulate the projected image, focusing first on the top and then on the bottom. “There seem to be matching freight-style entryways on the top and the bottom.”

“The bottom entry might be more exposed, with most ponies automatically looking down,” Lime Jelly said.

“But there might not be that much cover from the top entry either,” Flowershine said.

“We’ll just have to improvise as we go,” Dash said, “and use our plans whenever we can.”

“I’m starting to get nervous,” Fluttershy said.

“Aren’t we all?” Dash admitted. “We’re about to face off against the best flyers in Equestria!”

“Well, if we win we deserve to be called ‘the best,’” Lightning Dust said.

“We’re not there yet, but maybe we will be,” Dash said.

Gearhead sat back from studying the image and rubbed his eyes. “I am going to go through some final preparations,” he said.

“You know,” Dash said, “a power nap might not hurt as a ‘final preparation,” she said. Some of the others laughed, but then more of them thought that might not be a bad idea. First, though, they would send somepony to relieve Sightseer, who was standing guard in the briefing room in case the Wonderbolts left the notice there.

* * *

There was a mere half an hour before the scheduled start time for the war game when Gearhead finished pulling together everything he wanted to, and still nopony had heard or seen any sign from the Wonderbolts elite. The cadets therefore decided, by a vote of 13-1-1 in favour, to take a trip to the arena on their own initiative – the final vote was Fluttershy abstaining, and Snowflake wanted to wait, so he opposed the motion.

As Fluttershy flew the Silver Wind in closer to the arena, Gearhead called up the sensor readings and compared them to the previous set. “The only thing that seems to have changed is the orientation, due to how much it has rotated since your earlier visit,” he said.

“We were far enough away that I doubt anypony noticed us before, Twilight said, as she and the other members sat at the secondary stations, sworn not to interfere unless some catastrophe was to happen – and given the earlier tornado, it paid to be prepared.

“They may notice us now,” Gearhead said, setting off an active ping. Energy waves reverberated outward from the ship. They struck the arena’s outer wall without any ill effect, but now the readings revealed the outer passage, which opened onto a spacious chamber with fifteen passageways just barely visible. The active sensors were unable to penetrate any further, but it was enough. “Call it, Squadron Leader.”

“I say we take the elite’s invitation, and send our main force through the front gate,” Dash said. She was One Flight Lead, and that made her the squadron’s leader. “The bottom entry is too visible, and the top entry’ll be tricky,” she looked at Fluttershy, who hesitated a moment, but nodded. “I think we can handle it. Two Lead?”

“The elite has had a lot of time to set things up in there,” Cloudchaser said. “I’d expect them to be waiting for us, now that we know that they might’ve never intended on setting us notice. Watch your backs and take care of each other.” She nodded to Gearhead.

“I do not doubt that some of us will be priority targets due to our performances in previous exercises. I will make myself into a highly visible target, and Lightning Dust can do the same.”

Taking part in Four Flight, Lightning Dust nodded. Thunderlane spoke up. “Take on what you can, and use sound judgement. Follow the plan, but be flexible in recognizing its flaws. Stay safe, and remember to take each life seriously.”

“Above all, remember that we’re a single squadron,” Wild Fire said. “We’re only a strong as our weakest, most brash flyer. We’re only as smart as our slowest reaction.”

“That said,” Gearhead spoke up again, “I have prepared a few gadgets to help bridge the gap between our skill levels and those of our opponents. Our tools are waiting for us in the hold.”

* * *

Gearhead led the way to the Wind’s rear section, where rows of metallic exo-suits were waiting on a rack. With the ship holding steady and on auto-pilot, Dash and Fluttershy followed.

“I designed these armours mostly as defensive tools,” Gearhead said. “The main part consists of these sheaths, which fit around your wings.” Gearhead helped Dash snap one on. “By positioning your wings in front or behind yourself, you can form your own shield to take a hit. I should caution you, however, regarding the concussive force of larger hits, which can throw you from flight regardless of whether your take damage.

“You will note that while most of these suits have chestplates, Dash’s and Lightning Dust’s do not, because they are designed to promote speed. Hopefully they will be evading hits more than taking them, and I did not want to risk a drop in mobility.

“Additionally I made a special adaptation for Snowflake’s set: he is our main Tank, so I extended and enlarged his wing sheaths to make them into effective shields – the largest of the whole set. He will be able to control them through mechanisms adapted from my Engine’s actuators.

“Regardless, you will notice the gems mounted in the armour – in the chestplate, or in the collar. These contain capture magic, which you can fire at an opponent to render them bound. The spell will fully materialize, and as solid as it is, it is highly unlikely the captured flyers will be able to break free. However I would advise against taking chances, so please be sure to disarm those we capture.

“I have also added helmets with visors. Each suit is connected through a comm system similar to the one we have been using to remain in contact with our sentries waiting for the flimsy. There is also a small sensory array built into the helmet, and all information will be displayed through your visors’ heads-up displays. You may want to take a few moments to get used to them.”

“What’s that one for?” Sightseer asked. Whereas all the other helmets had visors in the shape of a shallow ‘V,’ there was one sitting on a rack with a long visor that went from forehead to nose.

“That one is mine. Since I am used to dealing with large quantities of data, I can use much more of it at once. I will be the secondary battlefield commander and coordinator. Also, each suit includes a small condenser for additional protection as well as being able to power the communication and sensor arrays. Try to use that, and the capture magic, sparingly: I cannot recharge your condensers on the fly, however I can only recharge the capture magic if you are near me and our opponents give us the time to do so.”

“I’d just as soon not give them the opportunity to give us the opportunity,” Dash said. The others nodded in agreement. “Alright everypony, suit up! Quick Silver Squadron launches in five.”