Rainboom Revolution

"Lieutenant Stratocumulus?"

"All squad members present and accounted for."

"Lieutenant Vesper?"

"All present and accounted for, sir."

"Lieutenant Aldebaran?"

"All accounted for, sir."

"Lieutenant Skyver?"

"All squad accounted for, sir."

"Excellent. Lieutenant Captain Shining Armor reporting all members of Guard Shift Luna are accounted for, sir!"

"Very good, Shining. We'll get straight down to business then. At ease."

The place was the Royal Guard mess hall. The time was just before the night "Luna" shift was supposed to go on duty, the usual briefing routine interrupted by a very important event that had happened earlier that day. Captain of the Guard Gibraltar was facing the shift assembled by squad in the hall, Shining Armor and the Lieutenants of the shift (the four mentioned plus others not as yet named here) at the head of the carefully ordered crowd of stallions.

"As per the request of Princess Celestia, I called all shift members in early for a special briefing regarding something that happened at the Best Young Flyer competition in Cloudsdale earlier today. Details about what exactly happened are still being sorted out, but we do have something to show you for this briefing. Lieutenant, please roll the footage."

"Yes, sir!" Lieutenant Xergraphos calls out from the back of the mess hall, the unicorn stallion posted on a platform so that his talent as a "living movie projector" would not be hampered by the other stallions in the mess hall with him. The standard lighting is turned off, and an image of Cloudsdale arena is projected on the wall behind Gibraltar.

"This footage you're about to see is provided directly by Princess Celestia herself, shortly after returning from following up the incident in Cloudsdale. The information has not yet had time to spread far from Cloudsdale or Canterlot, so you stallions are among the first to get an in-depth briefing on the phenomenon." Gibraltar explains, the "video" beginning to roll after he had finished speaking.

Shining Armor most of all was curious as to what had happened, as he was aware that one of his sister's new friends was participating in the competition. Seeing Rainbow Dash and Rarity performing together though, Rarity "gifted" with butterfly-like wings by what he could only presume was a spell cast by his sister, was a minor shock, and some gasps of surprise could be heard in the ranks behind him.

At first glance, it seemed unbelievable to Shining Armor that his sister would be that careless - or simply unaware of the potential consequences - in spell usage. Even when he later learned the truth about the events largely being the result of the law of unintended consequences, he still privately faulted his sister for not stopping to think things through when it came to that kind of spellcasting. As has been stated elsewhere, "with great power comes great responsibility".

As the footage continues playing, Rarity dropping out of the sky after her magic wings burn away and the three Wonderbolt judging panel going after her - which Shining recognizes as the three leading Wonderbolts Captain Spitfire, Lead Wingpony Soarin' and Second Lead Wingpony Misty Fly - only to get knocked out causes a very uneasy pit to form in his stomach. Most of the concern came from wondering how much Spitfire knew about Rarity only being involved due to a spell - surely the Captain would be able to put two and two together, right?

The wave of surprised gasps that happen when the sonic rainboom goes off in the "video" as Rainbow Dash saves Rarity and the Wonderbolts finally brings Shining back out of his worried thoughts. Captain Gibraltar was speaking again: "Yes, the supposedly legendary sonic rainboom was executed during that rescue operation. And that's what seems to have prompted Princess Celestia to order this meeting. Believe it or not, this is not the first confirmed sighting of that phenomenon. Lieutenant, switch over please."

"Yes, sir." Lieutenant Xergraphos calls out again, the "video" stopping and after a brief moment a still picture in what seemed like slightly faded colors appears, also showing a rainbow-colored ring in the sky. Once again, Shining and his subordinates are in rapt attention due to the image.

"This picture was hastily declassified from Celestia's private archive, and is the first time anypony besides her has seen it." Captain Gibraltar explains. "This picture shows a sonic rainboom happening near Cloudsdale some eight and a half to nine years ago, and it is believed to have been generated by the same pegasus mare as the one that happened today, but obviously as a much younger filly. Celestia has also told me that it has something to do with the current bearers of the Elements of Harmony, although she did not go into further detail than that."

Only Shining Armor himself had an idea what Celestia obliquely referred to, as months before Celestia had personally told him about how that earlier event had connected his sister and her now fellow Element Bearers by earning them their cutie marks all at the same time. Now with this knowledge, the wheels in his head were starting to turn in worrying directions...

"Considering the context of what happened at the Best Young Flyer competition, it seems the Princess is worried the Agents of Chaos, which have been quiet for some time now, will exploit the symbolism to make another attack. We must all be vigilant over at least the next few days, and wary of any symbolism rantings that seem to bend in a treacherous direction." Gibraltar cautions, his very stern expression making it abundantly clear that this is a very serious matter.

The projected picture goes away, leaving a blank wall again, shortly after Gibraltar finishes speaking, and again Shining's thoughts start racing in several different directions, most of them involving a bad reaction from Spitfire. And as if anticipating the next thoughts he had, Shining once again hears his Captain talking: "Now, I have attempted to get an interview about the incident with Captain Spitfire and her fellow Wonderbolt members, but as they have been adamant in their refusal I can give you no more information than what Celestia has provided me. As such, this briefing is over and you are all dismissed to your posts."

It takes a moment for Shining, caught up in his thoughts, to catch up to what the Captain of the Guard wanted him to do, but finally he turns around and gives the order: "All Lieutenants with their squads to normal posts, dismissed!"

"You seem very distracted, Shining." Captain Gibraltar asks worriedly as the Guard Lieutenants begin filing out of the mess hall with their squads.

"I'm sorry sir, it's very difficult not to be considering..." Shining Armor begins to reply, but is cut off by the raising of a foreleg by Gibraltar.

"Considering how central your sister and her new friends are involved in this." Gibraltar finishes in a sympathetic tone of voice. "You don't have to tell me twice, Lieutenant Captain. There's some meetings I would not be relishing in your horseshoes. Not so much Celestia, but definitely..."

"Captain Spitfire and the other Wonderbolts, sir." Shining Armor guesses.

"She already had a tiff with you before this happened, I can't imagine what she'll be like now." Gibraltar comments worryingly.

"Let's just say, sir, I'm glad she's not here right now. Once the emotions kick in and she won't have to hide it under a professional manner..." Shining replies, letting the heavy implications simply speak for themselves.

"Mmmm. Thankfully, you won't have to deal with that, at least not tonight. And there's only so much I can do myself, so I'll just wish you best of luck dealing with her. Good night, Shining." Gibraltar says, starting out of the mess hall.

"Good night, sir." Shining replies, the worry creasing his face again...

Unfortunately for Shining Armor (and as it turned out, Canterlot in general) Captain Gibraltar was wrong in his assessment, as Shining discovered when he ran into a trio of Wonderbolts blocking his way back to his office. Captain Spitfire, her look like fiery daggers, was between a worried Soarin' and a Misty Fly that gave a contemptuous look in Shining's general direction.

"Captain Spitfire, could you please...?" Shining asks gently, hoping against hope that it would turn away her wrath.

"SHUT UP, LIEUTENANT CAPTAIN, YOU WILL NOT PASS UNTIL I AM DONE WITH YOU!" Spitfire shouts as an interruption, prompting an immediate recoil from Shining.

"Captain, please, I..." Shining tries again, only to get interrupted by Spitfire's raging once more.

"NOT ANOTHER WORD, LIEUTENANT CAPTAIN! YOUR SISTER'S RECKLESSNESS NEARLY COST US OUR LIVES, AND I WILL TOLERATE THE ANTICS OF HORNED ONES NO LONGER! I WILL MAKE SURE NO HORNED ONE EVER SERVES IN THE ROYAL GUARD AGAIN! DO YOU UNDERSTAND ME?!?"

Shining Armor is so surprised and shocked by Spitfire's words that all he can do is nod in response. As he does so, he catches a glimpse of Lieutenant Xergraphos behind the Wonderbolt trio, the Lieutenant's horn glowing in a manner consistent with his "recording" special talent, and both shock and worry increase in Shining even more. Upon making eye contact with Shining Armor, Xergraphos turns around and scurries back around the hallway corner he had been hiding behind before.

"Now get out of my sight, Celestia's favorite! I will make sure you aren't in favor with her much longer!" Spitfire finishes off in a slightly lower volume than she had been speaking before.

"Yes... yes, ma'am." Shining weakly replies, his face showing great befuddled worry as he quickly turns around and tries to find another way to his office...

MEANWHILE, IN THE CAVES OF CANTERLOT MOUNTAINSIDE...

"I seriously hope there's a good line to use, sir." Agent 4 says to Agent Snake as the two pegasi, plus Agent X in a pegasus disguise, huddle with nervous anticipation in their hidden base.

"The horned one will still have a use even if he doesn't get a good line, Agent." Agent Snake says to his subordinate. "We need a horned one in the machine for a proper demonstration, after all."

"Are we striking with Whirlwind tomorrow night, sir?" Agent 4 asks.

"Yes. We cannot do it tonight because there is not enough time to gather the forces we need. Tomorrow night, however, we will unleash the whirlwind." Agent Snake eagerly answers, Agent X licking lips seemingly in eager anticipation as Snake speaks. "The rainboom is the sign of a pegasus triumphant we have been seeking, and now we will unleash the whirlwind we have been planning out for so long..."

It was thus that Rainbow Dash's heroism would unwittingly unleash a series of horrors upon Equestria, and many ponies would expend everything they had, including their lives, in the effort to revive their "chaotic one" and end the rule of the alicorns in Equestria, the racial divide a pretext for acts of shocking savagery and blatant treachery. The whirlwind would soon be reaped, and it would not be soon forgotten in the memories of those it affected the most...