One Last Flight

Chapters

Winds of Change
New Faces, Old Memories
Altered Course
Secondary Front
Occulsion Zone

Winds of Change

-20 years ago-

For Pinkamena Diane Pie, it was an utterly normal day. She shielded her eyes as she scanned the skies, for what, she did not know. Her arms, unusual for a girl of her class, rippled with slender, yet iron muscle. Once, when she had gotten used to walking, her father had brought her out to move a small pile of rocks; they were little more than pebbles and she'd needed help that day. Now eight years old, those same rocks posed little more than a warm up for her. While not readily apparent, her strength was such she'd easily picked up a bully by the scruff of their shirt during recess, earning her the nickname "Dynamo Diane."

She was in the middle of clearing out the east fields when her father, and farm owner, Igneous Pie came rolling up in his pickup. By this time some high, light grey clouds had begun to roll in, accompanied by a light breeze starting to blow made Pinkamena know a storm was going to come up. It was then Pinkamena knew what had caused her earlier apprehension, because she felt this was going to be a gullywasher at the very least.

“Nice work Pinkamena,” Igneous said as he scooped his daughter up in a tight hug. “You never cease to amaze me with how strong you are getting. As a reward for all your hard work, and your good grades, I have bought something that I know you will like.”

“Oh?” Pinkamena asked looking at her father as she brushed some of her long, dark pink hair from out of her vision. “You didn’t have to do that dad…”

“I know my little Dynamo,” Igneous chuckled at his daughter’s reaction to him using her schoolyard nickname, the look of shock making him smile more. “You honestly think I don’t get phone calls from the principal every time you have a fight? Seeing as you only target bullies, that is the only reason why I never punish you. Now for your gift…”

Igneous walked his little girl back over to his truck and opened the passenger door. When he did, a Yorkshire Terrier looked up at Pinkamena with an adorable expression as its tail happily wagged. Pinkamena cutely squealed as she picked up the two toned Yorkie and held it, the dog giving its own form of puppy kisses by licking Pinkamena’s face repeatedly, making her giggle.

“His name is Otto,” Igneous said as he helped Pinkamena and her pet into his truck. Once he made sure that they were secure, he climbed into the cab of his rusty, trusty F100 and started it up. The shocks were worn out from the heavy loads over the years, so every bump felt like a bucking bronco as they carefully made their way back towards their home. As they did, both father and daughter noticed the sky darkening to the point it looked angry.

With the farm spanning five acres in every direction, and being relatively flat, it was easy to see anything coming on the horizon no matter which way you looked. Glancing towards the southwest, the clouds seemed to billow, swirl, and thicken as a sickly green started to advance across the sky. Deep down, both Pies knew that could only mean one thing; a supercell was in the process of forming, and with it the chance of a tornado.

“That does not look good, dad…” Pinkamena said with obvious worry in her voice as the clouds continued to grow and approach. By this point, the dust in the fields was being kicked up into mini dust devils, each causing Otto to bark and the ride just that more tricky as Pinkamena door again. “Think we will get a tornado out of that or will it miss?”

Igneous paused for a moment while he carefully considered how he would answer, and to avoid a rather large hole that nearly swallowed the right rear tire. “I hate to say it, but it looks like it is coming this way… and it could be bad. Listen to me carefully, grab only what you need and meet me, your sisters, and your mom in the living room. We will head there together to ride this out ok?”

“Ok daddy…” Pinkamena replied as she held Otto close for comfort. By the time they reached the house, rain had started falling in thick sheets, and hard enough Pinkamena was soaked just covering the ten feet from the truck to the porch. Her mother Cloudy Quartz was standing in front of the television with the other Pie sisters, whose names were Marble, Maud, and Limestone, as the weather alert blared:

THE NATIONAL WEATHER CENTER IN CLOUDSDALE HAS ISSUED A ***TORNADO WARNING*** IN EFFECT FOR THE FOLLOWING COUNTIES:

APPLELOOSA. PINEVILLE. ROCKVILLE.

UNTIL 0459PM LOCAL TIME.

***AT 0447PM, DOPPLER RADAR PICKED UP ON A FUNNEL LOCATED 7 MILES SOUTHWEST OF APPLELOOSA AND MOVING NORTHEAST AT 35MPH. RESIDENTS IN THE WARNING AREA ARE URGED TO TAKE SHELTER IMMEDIATELY AS A LIFE THREATENING TORNADO IS IN THE VICINITY, SOFTBALL SIZED HAIL AND FLOODING RAINS ARE ALSO POSSIBLE WITH THIS STORM***

Forecaster Windy Whistles

Just as if someone had called upon the devil, the winds and rain reached a fevered pitch. In addition, the unmistakable beat of bouncing hail on the tin roof made Pinkamena’s ears hurt to the point she had to cover them as she bolted to her room.

She know she was against the clock, and with a tornado approaching and the rest of her family waiting, she grabbed the most cherished thing that she could not live without. There, sitting on her bed, was her plush alligator Gummy. Where she had gotten it slipped her mind, for now, due to the flood of adrenaline that was coursing through her body.

Grabbing the plush and running back to the living room, she saw that her sisters already had their item of choice and their rain gear on. Her own rain jacket became a struggle, because the front door had blown in from a strong gust and battered them with a cold, stinging rain.

Time seemed to freeze for Pinkamena as she looked around, and realized that her dad and sisters had already taken off to the shelter. She tried to move, but no matter how hard she tried she seemed to be cemented to the spot she stood. Dark thoughts started to cloud her mind, even with her family being regular church goers, she was scared that the fact that she might die so young. Before she succumbed to the void, however, she was saved by hearing her mother calling for her.

“Pinkamena!” Cloudy Quartz had to yell to be heard over the winds that were increasing by the minute, but she knew her daughter had heard her when the terrified girl turned to her mother. “Come on, we have to get to the shelter!”

“I-I can’t move mom!” Pinkamena said as tears streamed down her cheeks. “I am too scared…”

A mother’s instinct is one of the strongest things in existence. They always knew when their little ones were in danger, and when those moments hit they unlock almost-superhuman strength to protect their cherished miracles. Even if the mother lost her life in the process, they feel like it was well worth the sacrifice knowing that she had ensured a long and healthy life for their child. This was one of those times, as in one strong motion, Cloudy picked up both Pinkamena and Otto.

Cloudy’s toned arm muscles, built and sculpted from a long, hard life on the farm, did not feel the new weight upon them. The pounding rain tried to slow her down as her visibility was reduced to near zero, but she knew how far she had to go as she fought on. It seemed like it took forever to reach their goal, but when they got there Igneous opened the door for them and they climbed down inside.

The shelter itself was twenty foot square, reinforced and designed in a way that minimized the suction effect in the event the door got blown off. As Igneous led his family to the furthest corner of the shelter, they heard it.

It started low and off in the distance, like the faintest whistle of the midnight train, before quickly building. The shelter, even with it being underground, shook as the sound of a powerful locomotive driven by howling demons thundered in their ears and heads. Nobody could talk, and even if they could they would not be heard as the door started to rattle.

Igneous kissed his wife and daughters before climbing up to where the door was. Being a bit curious, he looked out the bulletproof window and saw nothing but a swirling, solid black wall approaching.

“That is an F5…” Igneous thought as he saw his barn get engulfed. Running downstairs to the others, he gave them all one last hug. “I’m going to try and keep the door shut, no matter what happens, just remember I love you all.”

Cold fear set in as each of them got the meaning of his words. Each of the girls tried to jump up and run to her father, only to be stopped by Cloudy Quartz holding on to them. Pinkamena, despite being the second youngest, was able to wiggle her way free and bolt to the base of the stairs.As she did, she saw the void of no return break open the door and carry her father away.

“NOOOOO!” Pinkamena screamed as she was sucked under the metal staircase, which was her only saving grace from sharing the same fate as her father. As quick as it came, it left, the suction decreasing to the point that Pinkamena could freely move. The moment she heard the winds diminish, she ran outside, and the sight frightened her.

The house, truck, and every structure that has been standing were now gone, carried away in the vortex and only the house foundation remained. Rocks from the fields were now scattered around, each landing with a hard enough force to cause an impact crater. To Pinkamena, however, none of those things mattered as she let the rain beat down on her as she dropped to her knees.

The darkness from earlier returned thricefold, and unlike last time, Pinkamena willingly gave in to it. The stronghold that had been keeping her family together had fallen, and she knew it was only a matter of time before her more greedy relatives would descend on the farm to try and force her, her mom, and sisters out all in the name of profit. She was so wrapped up in her personal pit of despair that she did not feel her mother tightly hugging her as she was picked back up and carried down the stairs.

”Hush Pinkamena don’t you cry,
momma’s here with her lullaby.
Giggle at the ghosties and chase them away,
for that is a fight for another day.

I know that in your current state,
your heavy heart can’t take the weight.
But momma’s gonna to bring you cheer,
for I always will love you my dear.”

Cloudy Quartz kept softly singing to Pinkamena, gently rocking the sobbing girl in her arms until she fell asleep. She was hurt herself at the fact her husband was dead, and said a silent prayer for his soul, but she would mourn later. She knew she had to be strong for her girls, and that took top priority.

As for Pinkamena, the last thing she promised herself before falling asleep was to never let a tornado take another person that she held close to her heart. It also meant to give others more warning, or a better warning, so that no one would feel the pain she was feeling now.. It was a promise she swore to uphold and carry out... even if it killed her in the process. From that moment, she knew what she wanted to be in life. She no longer wanted to carry on the family tradition at the rock farm, no…

… she wanted to be a weatherwoman.

Author's Note

I am, by no means, back out of semi retirement. I have been in a good enough mood to write the last few days and this is what I decided to do... Until next time , take care!

As always thanks to my editor Penalt for keeping me on course.

You can see what I offer on Patreon here

New Faces, Old Memories

-present day, 25 miles west of Eldorado, Texas-

It was a perfect day for a drive. The temperature was just right, a few stray cumulonimbus clouds dotted the sky, while a light breeze elegantly made the wheat in the fields dance in place. Amongst the peaceful scene, a solitary Ford-F450 drove along with its driver having only one goal in sight. The driver’s name was Rainbow Dash, newly appointed Chief Meteorologist for the National Weather Service in Dallas, and she was heading to finalize a few loose ends.

“You sure you are up for this, hun?” A tan skinned woman with lavender hair asked from the passenger seat as Rainbow drove along, her eyes locked on a seemingly invisible point on the horizon. “It took you months to get over the break up, and I think it would be in your best interests if we just head on to El Paso for our wedding.”

Rainbow shook her head, parting a few strands of her natural rainbow colored hair, which made everyone new she met surprised with the fact she was born with it. “No Twilight, I owe it to her to have one last meeting before we start our married lives together. After all, teaming with her gave me my first big break in the field and I want to personally thank her. Even you know that is the right thing to do, and you would do the same thing if the roles were reversed.”

Twilight sighed before leaning her head over, and looking out the window at the rolling waves of wheat going by. “Yeah, I would, but if at any point you start feeling uncomfortable, we leave. Remember, we only have two weeks off before we have to head back to HQ and start working on the long range weather forecasting system.”

“Yeah…” Rainbow said with a sigh, as she pulled into an empty field that had several parked vehicles, each with various equipment attached to them. “I am going to miss being on the road as a chaser, just feeling the changes in the atmosphere you know? Looking for the next big storm while clearing out those in a twister’s path to ensure no lives a lost.”

Twilight put a hand on Rainbow’s shoulder. “When we first met you always said you were tune with the weather, so you probably feel like part of you is going to be left behind. However look at what you will be doing instead, making sure that forecasters have enhanced storm imaging further out in time, you should feel proud of yourself.”

“I do,” Rainbow said parking and shutting off her truck. “anyways we are here. Pinks said she had a surprise for me so that is why I agreed to a face-to-face, kill two birds with one stone.”

“I hope you know what you are doing,” Twilight said with apprehension as they approached the cars, each painted the same shade of light blue with a lightning bolt running the length of the sides. “I just don’t want any awkwardness considering I’m meeting your ex.”

Rainbow gave a small chuckle. “I wouldn’t worry about that, if there is one thing that I can say about her, is that she tries to make friends with everyone she meets.”

Any further attempt at conversation was cut off by a woman with curly blond hair running up and giving Rainbow a tight hug. “Welcome back, Dynamo! Pinkie is over at her car looking at the radar to see which direction we should be going today.”

“Good to know Surprise,” Rainbow said after taking a few deep breaths for air, after nearly passing out from how tight the bear hug was, “while I get things sorted how, about you tell Twilight just what you all do as a unit? By the way, tell Spitfire to head northeast back up towards Eden, I got a feeling some storms will be firing up there late afternoon.”

Surprise gave her a small salute before grabbing Twilight’s hand. “Will do! Now come Twilight and let me introduce you to the rest of the team. Consider yourself an honorary Wonderbolt, which is our team name, due to you being engaged to Dash.”

Twilight was shocked, instinct told her to pull away from the stranger, but out of respect for her fiancée she didn’t. “How exactly do you know about that? We really haven’t told anyone except our coworkers.”

Surprise gave an admittedly cute giggle. “Facebook, all of us on the team are still friends with her on there.”

Twilight had no response to that, simply going through the motions as Surprise continued to introduce her to the team. Meanwhile, Pinkamena was in the mobile lab center fuming at the radar.

‘This dumb piece of junk!” Pinkamena said hitting the shock resistant screen with a wrench. “My dead mother could do a better job keeping an eye on the sky! If I had more funds I’d-“

“Ol’ Blindspot still being an ass Pinks?” Rainbow asked cutting her ex’s rant short as she came inside. “I swear this thing never worked right, even when we were together.”

Pinkamena tossed the wrench to the floor in frustration. “It has gotten worse Dashie, everything seems to be falling apart at the seams. Blindspot is useless, the custom barometer shattered, we are out of spare tires from debris run-ins, and we don’t have enough to fund the whole spring.”

Rainbow stood there in disbelief, the normally optimistic female she knew was nonexistent. Sensing her former girlfriend’s inner turmoil, Rainbow pulled her into a friendly hug, one that did its job. “Damn Pinks, that is rough. I saw Spitfire post on Facebook that things looked bleak, but I had no idea it was this bad.”

“What would you have done if you had known the truth sooner huh?” Pinkamena asked while on the offensive, venom in her tone as she made her point. “You just got a great promotion, going to be married soon, and here I am trying to keep my own self together. I’m just your ex, so once I show you what I have been trying for two weeks to give you, you can ride off into the sunset and never hear from me again besides what I put on the web.”

Rainbow felt horrible, despite Pinkamena being the one who called off their relationship, she could tell that the weather chaser was depressed and regretting it. “Listen to me, Twilight has a major in atmospheric science, but she also has a PhD in Psychology. I want you to talk to her, you are still a friend to me, Pinks, that is why I never unfriended you. I am concerned about the way you are acting, not even when your mom died did you look this broken and I would hate to hear that you did… something stupid.”

“I appreciate the offer but I am fine.” Pinkamena said, giving Rainbow a small smile, one that faltered when she realized Rainbow saw right through it. “How about a compromise? We drop it for now and pretend that nothing ever happened, and in exchange I take up your offer if I feel like I need it. So where is she now?”

“I am going to hold you to that deal…” Rainbow’s tone was cold, showing that there was going to be no backing out. “As far as Twi is concerned though, Surprise is introducing her to the others.”

Pinkamena got up out her seat and made her way outside. ”Good, because I want them to see the look on your face when I give you the gift.”

Now Rainbow was confused. Pinkamena had only said it was a “surprise” and now she specifically said “gift.” With several months left until her birthday, and no other holidays upcoming, she saw no reason for Pinkamena to give her a gift. Once they reached the crew, Pinkamena started to jump onto the trailer, but first she made her way over to Twilight.

“You must be Twilight,” Pinkamena said offering her hand. “pleasure to finally meet you in person. Your thesis on how a Serbian high can disrupt the Southern Jet Stream was a very good read, one of the best I have seen in awhile.”

“Thanks,” Twilight said with a small blush as she shook Pinkamena’s hand. “and nice to meet you too. Rainbow wasn’t lying when she said that you give a good first impression, were you just saying that about my thesis or did you actually mean it?”

Pinkamena chuckled as she jumped up onto the trailer. “I was serious, now would you and Rainbow please join me up here.”

Rainbow and Twilight both did as instructed, jumping up to join her on the trailer. There was a brief moment of pause when Twilight’s foot slipped, but luckily she wasn’t hurt thanks to Pinkamena helping Rainbow put her on level footing.

“Rainbow Dash and Twilight, on the behalf of the Wonderbolts, we present to you this gift.” Pinkamena, with some help from Spitfire, started undoing the industrial strength straps that lay across the tarp. Once they were removed, Pinkamena pulled back the tarp with a flourish, and when she did Rainbow’s mouth dropped.

There on the trailer were five containers, each looking like an upside down ice cream cone, and colored with a vibrant array of the color spectrum that made it look like a plane had went supersonic in the middle of a rainbow. On the side, in cyan writing, was the word “MACH” followed by a Roman numeral ranging from “I” to “V”. Rainbow jumped up beside Pinkamena, gently rubbing the cone closest to her.

“Consider it your wedding gift from us boss.” Pinkamena said with a small smile, a few strands of her hair curling up in joy at Rainbow’s reaction to the gift. “I figured that you deserved something truly special, and the others got on board when I presented them with the idea.”

“I-I can’t believe it…” Rainbow said in awe while carefully inspecting the weather package. “It is exact to the details that I had in my blueprints, where on Earth did you get the fund flow for this?”

“Had a few stocks turn a nice profit, so I sold them to cover the costs.” Pinkamena said with a small chuckle, then her face fell into a frown. “Unfortunately, said stocks are now worthless due to a major market crash. That, combined with The Weather Channel reducing our funding to focus more on digital forecasting, is why each of us are looking at the unemployment line in a few months. You don’t happen to have any available spots do you?”

“Look Pinks,” Rainbow said in a professional tone. “as part of my new position, I have been given the liberty of finding a team of my own to have. As much as I would love to get the old squad fully together, I can’t guarantee that since you all will have to go through the standard employment process. Now, my boss Luna said I could have 10 members on my team besides myself, including assistants. There are fifteen of you to only ten spots, so five of you will have to do without.”

“What if you convinced your boss to have a thirty person crew?” Thunderlane asked from his spot near Soarin. “Fifteen in the field and fifteen in the office sorting data? We all know the rivalry between TWC and the NWS, so what would be a better way than to get us? Our track record speaks for itself, you know that.”

“I will make a phone call and ask,” Twilight said as she leaned on Rainbow’s shoulder. “it is the least I can do considering Luna is my boss as well and you gave Rainbow her dream come to life. So what exactly is the contraption anyway?”

Rainbow chuckled as she opened the top of the nearest cone, revealing an array of intricate data spheres. “This is something that I named the Rainboom Special. Each sphere has its own set of programs attached that reads everything from barometric pressure, to wind velocity and shear, and everything in between. One special feature is that it tracks the funnel’s speed along the cloud layer, instead of along the ground like normal, and records real time changes of the funnel itself.”

“Does it have other uses besides tornados?” Twilight asked while picking a sphere, amazed about how so much data could come from such a small package. “Seems like a waste of time and resources if it is only used for one particular weather event.”

“That is the beauty of it Twilight,” Pinkamena answered while Rainbow focused on calculating the number of spheres based on the inside volume of the cone. “the programs can be changed out based on the job needed. When Dashie first designed the Rainboom Special, she wanted it to be used on NOAA “Hurricane Hunter” missions as a modern replacement of the dropsondes that they currently use. Granted, the dropsondes to their job, but the spheres would give a more sustained map of the eyewall structure and dynamics.”

“That’s when Pinks suggested we do tests with tornados.” Rainbow said joining the conversation, satisfied with the sphere count that she had calculated. “They have a very similar set up to an eyewall, plus we could just drive to a supercell and test it. I just never had time to fully commit to the project and thought of it as another unfulfilled dream. I truly am thankful that you all finished what I started, and look forward to tracking your progress on Facebook and expect a fully detailed report when done.”

“That is part of the reason I wanted this face to face, I was wondering if you would take on one last outbreak with us.” Pinkamena said in a level tone, the other Wonderbolts looking optimistic as they eagerly waited for Rainbow’s answer. “So what do you say, one last ride?”

Rainbow thought about it for a few minutes before sighing. “I would love to but-“

“Rainbow and I would be delighted to take up that offer Pinkamena.” Twilight quickly said catching everyone, including Rainbow, off guard. “Besides, I think it is only appropriate that the inventor sees its’ creation in action. Me and her can always put off our wedding to a more covient time, and I am curious myself just how a field operation works nowadays since I never have been part of an active outbreak mission. All my career has been in labs and focusing on models, now this will let me see just what the mobile crews do everyday.”

“Well it seems like my mind has been made up for me,” Rainbow said with a chuckle as she, Twilight, and Pinkamena got off the trailer. “so I guess I’m in. So, for one last time, you all know what to do.”

Each of the crew got in a circle and put a hand into the middle of it, making Twilight feel a bit left out until Pinkamena moved enough for her to join in. “I can’t do it Pinkamena, I don’t even know what to do.”

“Trust me Twilight, it is really easy.” Pinkamena said as, at Rainbow’s urging, Twilight put her hand into the middle with the others. “Dashie says the first bit, then we break the circle by saying out team name at the same time. Got it?”

“I think so…” Twilight said nervously before calming herself with deep, soothing breaths. “Alright, I think I am ready, on your cue Rainbow.”

“Ok Twily,” Rainbow said before bowing her head and saying a prayer, asking the Creator for safe travels while on their upcoming journey. After saying “Amen”, she cleared her throat. “Alright everyone… we’re not your average weather folks, we’re the mighty storm chasin’...”

“WONDERBOLTS!” The whole group, even Twilight, said while throwing their arm up in unison.

“Good job Twi,” Rainbow said giving Twilight a kiss after the huddle broke. “I think it is fair to say you are part of the team now.”

Twilight giggled at the gesture, feeling energized for the first time in years. “Thank you Rainbow, so what are your orders boss?”

Rainbow deadpanned. “First of all, don’t call me that, now here are your job assignments. Me and Twilight will be at the front, Pinkamena right behind us, and then the rest of you fall in line behind. Spitfire will handle radar while Soarin drives the mobile lab, Thunderlane and Surprise will handle navigating, Warm Front and Vapor Trail will monitor the frontal zone, and Cloud Kicker and Cloudchaser will look at the sheer outputs. Misty, Fleetfoot, and Bulk I need to keep an eye on the trailer with the Rainboom Specials on it to make sure they stay secure. Finally I need Sassaflash, Sky Stinger, Stormfeather, and Midnight Strike looking at any ground reports that come in. Let’s go and keep on Channel 5 on our radios during communications.”

The others nodded and got into their respective vehicles, Twilight acting like a kid in a candy store while pouring through all the charts and notes on Rainbow’s iPad. Meanwhile, Rainbow started up their truck and pulled back out on the highway heading east back towards Eldorado. “So what’s the plan hun?”

Rainbow chuckled as she picked up the walkie, the old school method normally reserved for trucker communication being custom built into the dashboard, along with a cheat sheet of codes. “How about you tell Surprise to find us the quickest way to get on Interstate 10, I got a feeling that this is going to be a heavy hitter for a lot of populated areas.”

“Roger that hun.” Twilight said with a smile before speaking into the walkie. “Surprise this is Twilight, can you hear me? Over.”

“Loud and clear!” Surprise said with her normal enthusiasm. “What is it that you need? Over.”

Twilight briefly paused to think about her wording. “Bo-... excuse me, Rainbow says she wants you to find the quickest way to get us on Interstate 10, how soon can you give us a heading? Over.”

“Less than five minutes, over and out!” Surprise said as her end of the walkie went to static as she ruffled the maps.

“I can’t believe I just did that,” Twilight said leaning back into her seat while waiting for Surprise’s reply. “I feel that should not have been my job.”

Rainbow put a hand on Twilight’s shoulder. “You’re the greenhorn Twily, get used to it, we aren’t in the lab anymore and this is the real deal. You know, I normally have a song play at the start of every trip, a bit of a tradition as it were.”

Now Twilight was intrigued. “Oh really, what exactly is the song?”

A grin formed on Rainbow’s face as she pushed a button on the steering wheel. “Siri, play Thunderstruck by AC/DC in Wonderbolt Radio.”

“Playing Thunderstruck.” The monotone female voice replied, and as the first notes started playing Rainbow relaxed into her seat, unaware that she was sharing the same thought as Pinkamena.

“It is just like old times, and it never felt so wonderful…”

Author's Note

Fun Fact: Each of the Wonderbolt members mentioned in this chapter are actual Wonderbolts in the show.

Thanks as always to my editor Penalt for weathering my error storm and coming out unscathed.

You can find me on Patreon here.

Altered Course

-San Antonio, Texas-

It had been several hours since the Wonderbolts hit the road, and all of them were feeling a bit hungry. It had been Stormfeather’s suggestion they stop for lunch, and Rainbow was all too happy to agree, using it as a chance to enjoy some Tex-Mex before stocking up on supplies. The crew pulled into the parking lot of a nationally known restaurant, enjoying the brief moment they had to stretch their legs before being stuffed back into their mobile containment of metal and gas.

“I want there to be a bit of business mixed with this meal,” Rainbow said as the group convened around their vehicles before heading inside. “Spitfire, I am going to have you use my iPad to monitor the Doppler while we eat, I don’t want there to be any unexpected surprises, especially with so much at stake.”

“Got it boss.” Spitfire said pulling up the wide range doppler software that Rainbow had installed. It took only several passes of the radar loop for her to notice something, something that deeply troubled her. “Umm, Rainbow I think you might want to see this, take a look at the Gulf.”

Rainbow look at the area that Spitfire noticed, and what she saw made her feel ill. Clearly visible was a low pressure area center of circulation, the last few frames showing that it looked like it was intensifying as it made its way northwest. Rainbow then had a very disturbing gut feeling, that what was already a bad situation was about to get ramped up to eleven.

“Gulf low coming up, front pushing down…” Rainbow said shaking her head, not quite believing what she was seeing. “This has a very severe set up possible, and by the looks of it, New Orleans will be the first domino to fall. From there, only God knows...”

“That’s not good,” Pinkamena said as she took the tablet, using an overlay feature to draw the path of the circulation, and saw it would just miss south of the New Orleans Metropolitan area. “If this actually happens we are looking at another Katrina or Harvey level flooding event in addition to the tornadic activity.”

“Whatcha think boss?” Vapor Trail asked while leaning back against the mobile lab. “Skip the meal and we go ahead and get a jump start down the road?”

“No,” Rainbow said shaking her head, leading the way toward the front door of the eatery. “This is actually time that we can afford to burn. If we skip the meal, we would pay for it later and will have to stop anyway, and we need to stock up on snacks and essentials for when we stay overnight at hotels.”

Pulling out her phone, Rainbow decided this was a good opportunity to call her boss. The list of people she respected and trusted was short, a result of a life filled with constant backstabbing and betrayals, but Director of Operations Luna Dreamdancer topped that list. The tall, navy blue haired women was one who commanded respect, and due to her wide range of meteorological awards she certainly earned her position.

“Why hello Rainbow,” Luna said when she answered her worker’s call. “Seems you couldn’t just leave work alone could you?”

“No ma’m, not when there is millions of lives on the line.” Rainbow said with a smile, but it faltered due to feeling that her boss gave a sigh. “Listen, get on the line with NWS New Orleans, there is a small low level circulation in the Gulf heading their way. Normally I wouldn’t hit the panic button on such a weak low, but due to the front swinging down this is going to get ugly.”

Luna’s eyes widened, fingers speed typing as she pulled up the radar, confirming Rainbow’s report. “I see what you mean, and I will push through an Invest request to NOAA’s Hurricane Hunter squad. Twilight explained to me what your plan is, and I have to tell you that I do not agree with you diving into this head first.”

“Mrs. Dreamdancer I know that you are not happy at me about this.” Rainbow abruptly said, making Luna’s breathing be the only thing that was on the other end of the line. ”However, I am going to try and deploy one of the Specials into one of the tornadoes, and we both know I give us that best opportunity.”

“You’re right,” Luna conceded as she started working on the Invest request form. “But I expect you or Twilight to remain in constant communication with me every few hours, got it?”

“Crystal clear.” Rainbow said as the group sat down at their table. “Now if you excuse me, we’re all about to eat lunch so I got to run. Before I go, have you given any thought to the Wonderbolt transfer we came up with?”

Luna sighed, knowing that arguing with Rainbow was a very bad idea, the hotshot being the only one who matched her own level of stubbornness. “You’ll have an answer by the end of the week, have to check and see if we have the necessary funding to allow it.”

“Thanks boss, I will call back with an update at 8pm unless we are tracking a supercell. Rainbow out.” Rainbow then hung up, the rest of crew at the table leaning towards her. “Well, my boss said that she is going to look into the funding for you guys, we just have to wait and see. For now, I think we should enjoy this meal, because this is just the calm before the storm.”

They nodded and ate their meal, letting Twilight give some more background as to how she grew up and how she had got interested in her job. Each of them listened in earnest, occasionally asking a question or two that their newest member was delighted to answer. After paying for the meal and heading to the local Walmart, they split up into groups to get their supplies faster, Rainbow purposely setting Twilight and Pinkamena together as she stayed behind to work on the mobile Doppler.

“So…” Twilight said as she and Pinkamena walked down the snack aisle. “How are you handling everything going on?”

“It is an adjustment,” Pinkamena said grabbing some salt and vinegar chips, making Twilight’s mouth water. “But I am glad that I made the choice I did. Ever since me and Dashie formed the team, I always did was required for their benefit, if it means working with Dashie again then so be it.”

“Pinkamena, I know Rainbow told you I am also a psychologist.” Twilight’s words caused Pinkamena to stop dead in her tracks. “That being said I know that you still love her, just as I do.”

“There is a difference between loving someone, and missing someone’s company." Pinkamena’s tone was flatter than normal, showing she really didn’t want to be talking about this topic. “I broke up with her, and we both moved on. Don’t do what I did Twilight, don’t make the same mistake I did, it is something that I regret to this day.”

“Denial and bargaining, that shows you are lying to yourself.” Twilight said while trying to choose between Coca-Cola and Pepsi, Pinkamena being the tiebreaker by putting both in with some RC for good measure. “Look, we both love her, and I don’t want that fact to get between us or potentially ruin our friendship.”

“You don’t have to worry about that, as far as I’m concerned she’s yours. Yes, it is great to be around her and work with her again, but that is as far as it will go. She deserves better than me, and from what I have seen you definitely fill that roll.” Pinkamena then stopped again, this time finding a less crowded area and leaning back against the wall. “I have been depressed Twilight… and Dashie doesn’t need her heart broken twice.”

“I promise you that she won’t,” Twilight said giving Pinkamena a hug, one that the now-sobbing woman gladly returned in earnest. “When we settle down for the night I will give you my phone number, that way you can have a means to reach me even if I am not with you. It will be my personal phone, not the one I use for business, so you won’t have to worry about me missing a call unless I’m with a client.”

“Thank you,” Pinkamena said as she dried up her tears, already feeling better about herself. “I guess I just needed to get that off my chest. I feel better already than before we talked.”

“That’s good,” Twilight said smiling. “It’s the best part about what I do, I enjoy helping others. Therapy isn’t for everyone, and I have had my fair share of less than satisfied customers, but I have an 89% success rate to back me up.”

“Is that so…” Pinkamena said pulling back a bit, looking into Twilight’s eyes but remaining in the hug. “Well, you can add me to that stat, and now it is time I pay you.”

Twilight opened her mouth to protest, but was effectively silenced by Pinkamena’s lips meeting her’s, sealing in a deep French kiss. Twilight tried to muffle a protest, but soon she found herself enjoying the special payment, going as far as poking Pinkamena’s tongue with her own. Fireworks went off inside of Twilight’s mind as Pinkamena pulled away, leaving a thin trail of saliva connecting them.

“Payment accepted,” Twilight said ignoring the few wolf whistles behind her, also ignoring some people’s looks of disgust, she was a lesbian and damn proud of it. “But you do know the next time Rainbow kisses me she will taste you right?”

“That was the idea Twily,” Pinkamena said with a giggle and a boop, a small sway in her hips as they made their way towards the check-out, the cart being hard to push from all the weight. “I can’t wait to see her reaction when she realizes it.”

Twilight blushed, not hearing that nickname since her brother called her that when she was little. “It will be extra special for sure, and I think I know of a way to surprise her even more Pinkamena.”

“What you got in mind?” Pinkamena was interested what Twilight has in store. Her kiss, which was not meant to be lewd, was amplified by Twilight opening her mouth at the wrong time. “I’m all ears, but you do know that if you had waited to open your mouth I was just going to give you a quick, friendly kiss right?”

“Oh…” Twilight’s mental processes derailed, the engine exploding on contact, realizing she had made the situation awkward for herself and now had to face the music. “Well, there is nothing we can do about that now is there? Anyways, we will have to wait until we stop at the hotel for me to show you.”

Now it was Pinkamena’s turn to blush, her cheeks turning the same color as her hair as she caught onto Twilight’s meaning. “You sure that Rainbow will be ok with this though? I mean, you two are engaged to be married and I’m the ex that cut her loose, and you can call me Pinkie by the way.”

Twilight wisely waited until they were in the parking lot before answering, not wanting to deal with anymore awkwardness. “I think that will work the best Pinkie, I love Rainbow, and you and her still love each other. This way, you two can still have each other and no one’s heart will be broken.”

Pinkie gave Twilight a smirk. “You certainly seemed to enjoy that show in there, I know a lot more than that Twily, so mentally prepare for your own plan. Love conquers all right?”

“And life finds a way.” Twilight said smiling, just then Rainbow came up to both of them.

“You two were in there so long, I was starting to think you bought out the store. Glad my pairing system worked, because you look much happier Pinks, talked to Twilight?”

“Yes I did,” Pinkamena giggled, most of her hair having flat curls, but some were sticking up. She didn’t say a word as Rainbow and Twilight kissed, the multicolored-haired girl’s eyes snapped open, cutting over and staring in shock. “Did you manage to fix the Doppler in any way?”

“Yes I did,” Rainbow said after breaking her kiss, both her and Twilight loving the mixed tastes in both their mouths. “Went through and lubricated the gears, so it is functioning fine… for now.”

“That won’t be the last thing you lubricate today.” Twilight said with hunger in her eyes, making all three women blush and most of the Wonderbolts stare with their jaws dropped. “Now come on, we’re burning daylight.”

Rainbow remained frozen in place, caught off guard by the sudden twist in not only events, but also her relationship. Twilight never was one to look at other women, she remained steadfast in believing that Rainbow was the only one for her, but Pinkamena was a known kisser when someone cheered her up.

Everything clicked, Rainbow figuring that Twilight had helped Pinkamena, so Pinkamena returned with a kiss. Twilight having her mouth open, probably to object a possible payment, and that lead to Pinkamena accidentally French kissing Twilight. She made a note to ask for full details from Twilight later, but the only thing on her mind, as the sound of Twilight turning on the truck roared behind her, was that she was in for a long day and longer night.

Author's Note

Obviously my friends, this is where the story diverts from the movie, and was my plan from the beginning.

Solo chapter work here, my editor Penalt’s and his wife Dj Mooncheeks’ anniversary is today so I spared him an edit pass so he could be with her (check them out and drop them a follow if you like their work).

You can follow me on Patreon here.

Secondary Front

Luna was not in a good mood.

Between numerous calls with NWS New Orleans, three debriefing teleconferences with the National Hurricane Center, and having to put New Orleans under a Tropical Storm Watch she was exhausted. The head of the New Orleans branch, an old woman named Eris, who had the attitude to match, had argued that dry air would kill off Tropical Storm Alan but the NHC had dismissed it. The official track was due northwest, making landfall about fifteen miles southeast of the city before moving inland as a strong tropical storm. With those ends tied up, Luna turned to the more daunting task at hand.

It was no small secret of the rivalry between the National Weather Service and The Weather Channel, with TWC claiming the NWS misread atmospheric signals, and the NWS slamming TWC forecasts as byproducts of “homebrewed” models that praised the unreliable GFS and shamed the more accurate EURO. What the public, and most employees, didn't know was the rivalry was deeper on a more personal level for Luna. Her sister Celestia was in charge of The Weather Channel, and ever since they both took the same path into the weather field their relationship had soured tremendously.

Luna remembered fondly of when they both were kids, feeling as if nothing could split the two of them apart, but when the awards started to roll in things changed. Celestia, due to being three years older, got her degrees first, so in her parents’ eyes Luna was always the second to get everything. She didn't get the pride Celestia did, often left with a simple “good job on following Tia” or “your sister is already working on her next BA”. Those things deeply hurt her, and the wedge was finally driven when Celestia didn't have her back when she confronted her parents.

A few years ago, she had to attend her parents’ funeral after they were killed in the flooding from Hurricane Harvey, and to her surprise Celestia had offered her the role of giving the eulogy. Afterwards, the two had dinner, and came to agreement that they needed to work on repairing the relationship they had as children. Now on opposite sides of the Weather Wars fence, negotiations were often difficult unless it was a natural disaster. Swallowing her six cup of coffee, Luna dialed the teleconference number for Celestia's office.

“Director Celestia of The Weather Channel,” The older woman, whose hair often reminded Luna of a tie-dye job gone wrong, greeted as her face popped up on the screen. “How may I help you of assistance to you Director Luna?”

“Drop the professionalism for once Tia, I've been dealing with it all day and need a break from it.” Luna’s tone was edged, like a rattlesnake warning it was about to strike.”A few birdies told me through the grapevine that you are planning on doing away with the Wonderbolt Mobile Unit, I was wondering how much their buyout was.”

Celestia's stoic face lost all complexion, pure shock filling in its place. “Guess Pinkamena told you that?” After Luna shook her head, she continued. “Well then, sooner or later the one responsible for that will be caught and handled accordingly. Yes, it is true that I am doing away with them, but it is written in their contracts that they can't sign anywhere for six months after their release. That being said, the price tag stands at $8.5 million.”

Luna dryly swallowed, the price being way higher than her initial estimate, but she was determined to try and do whatever it took for her most valuable employees. “Tia, I am your sister, and we both swore on our parents’ graves to try and be more cooperative. That price is way outside this center’s budget, surely a more reasonable price can be reached.”

“That may be so Lulu,” Celestia’s heavy sigh was an indication that she knew the situation she was in, but also had to handle it fitting for her position. “That is their salary for the rest of the year, plus the vehicles, and the instruments inside them. I wish I could help, I really do, but that is the bottom line.”

“What about just their salaries?” Luna’s hail mary was a long one, but one she hoped would score. “It should be less than half that.”

“Well under it actually,” Like a cat watching a canary, Celestia knew she had her sister trapped. For some reason, Luna was fully determined to get the outdated group, and she was going to get the maximum trade off as possible. “Their salaries come to $1.3 million, but it will be $1.9 due to early termination on our end.”

Luna bit her lip, something was off about her sister’s composure, but she couldn't place what. She had been granted a special budget of only $1.5 million to seal the deal, and anything over would be taken from the Houston branch’s budget for the following quarter, and $300,000 was no pretty penny. “Can we do an installment? The budget only allows for $1.2 million, or some other arrangements be made?”

“$1.2 huh…” Celestia leaned up in her seat and furrowed her brow. In truth, that would net a $450,000 profit, but wanted to milk every penny out of spite for Rainbow betraying her trust. “$1.25… what's fifty grand among sisters?”

“A lot when it isn't my money I'm dealing with,” Luna sneered, but relaxed when she realized it was that or nothing. “Fine, $1.25 million… I will send the proper paperwork over when this call is finished, should be ready within the next two hours.”

“Splendid, I shall be waiting for the email.” Not giving Luna a chance to tell her bye, she disconnected the call and slung the nearest item on her desk. The gold plated model of a hurricane flew through the air like a heavy set frisbee, embedding itself in the wall by the door.

“She is getting better Celestia,” Platinum Stevens, a woman with long iron straight hair the same color as her name, said as she sat up on the couch. She was a legend in the meteorological community, and owned the National Weather Service itself, Luna’s direct boss. “I thought she was going to make you crack like a hailstone hitting concrete.”

“I know better than that Mrs. Stevens, and is it true you only have her $1.2 million to work with?” Celestia had questioned that figure from the start, considering Luna’s position she should have been approved for more. “Or did you do it as a test in which we both were unknowing guinea pigs?”

“It was a test of her skills Celestia,” Platinum said, her old bones popping as she stood and stretched. “I am not getting any younger, and need a strong, determined individual to take my place eventually.”

“Lulu…” Celestia couldn't believe her ears, and if she had wings they would have been straight stiff from shock. “You used me to test her composure in a difficult situation, didn't you?”

“I did, and she handled herself marvelously,” Platinum's smile seemed to brighten the room, like forty-two supernovae going off at once. “As for the difference needed, send me the bill. I must be off to talk to the Board of Directors for my choice of successor, and remember not to tell anyone of this meeting nor the contents thereof… understood?”

“Yes ma’m,” Celestia stood up and offered her hand, sealing the meeting into secrecy. “I do wish you could visit more Aunt Platinum, but with this rivalry and everything it makes it difficult.”

“Trust me I know,” Platinum's tired chuckle was one of a woman wise beyond her years, wore down by the daily hussle and bussle of life. “That's another reason why I want Lulu to eventually take over, because I think the two of you can out an end to it. We are on opposite sides, but share a common goal, and it was our ancestors of days long past that divided it. We have a chance to change that, to cooperate, and ensure the safety of every citizen.”

Platinum walked past Celestia, gazing out to the horizon through the full sized lookout window overlooking the city before continuing. “The winds are already shifting Celestia, in ways none of us can understand yet. Now, it is up to you if you soar like an eagle…”

“Or crash like a dodo.”

Author's Note

Short quicky chapter while I work on other projects.

Occulsion Zone

Rainbow Dash wandered down the hallways of the Holiday Inn that the Wonderbolts had decided to crash at overnight. She had been the last one up, grumbling when she realized that she had slept through her alarm. Then again, after the night that Twilight and Pinkie had given her, it was expected that she would be extra tired. As she walked, she thought of how the three women had talked the previous night, a talk about the future that gave her a small comfort in her heart for when the chase was over. For now, her thoughts were primarily focused on the day ahead, wanting to cover as much ground as possible with the available sunlight in order to get into a more favorable position. After all, just because they needed sleep, the front and Tropical Storm Alex did not care and kept on moving closer to the Voodoo City.

Entering the lobby where the breakfast bar was set up, she could see the rest of her team was already hard at work, with Twilight and Pinkie discussing the SPC outlook and Spitfire looking on Google Maps for the fastest route east with minimum traffic and Soarin was monitoring TS Alex. The others were doing idle chatter, acting as if nothing was wrong, a strange calmness that Rainbow knew would vanish once they got on the road.

“Attention everyone, a word if you please?” Rainbow’s declaration alerted everyone to her presence, all eyes snapping over and looking at the veteran tornado chaser. Right away they could tell that something was wrong from how set her face was, her words lacking any and all emotion, and silence set upon the team like the eye of a hurricane. “I know that I normally do not do this until later, but I want to give everyone a quick debrief on my thoughts regarding the upcoming situation.”

“Breaking from routine? Must be serious indeed,” Thunderlane said, quickly drawing the ire of everyone else as they deadpanned at his interruption and making him feel rather sheepish as a result. “Um, sorry boss, please continue.”

“Thanks for apologizing,” A smile, quick to form, vanished almost immediately as it showed. It was just enough of a gesture to show that she was grateful for the apology, but was dead set on discussing business. “All of you who have chased with me have seen death and destruction first hand, feeling zero pulses from colling bodies and hearing the cries of despair from those clinging to life buried in the rubble. We have seen crops blown away, foundations slabbed clean, and so much worse during our time as the Wonderbolts. I may have a God-given gift for sniffing out tornados, but as much as it is a blessing to get us in position for our research and for rapid response to towns decimated by Mother Nature, but it is also a curse knowing in my gut that those who are not prepared are likely to die. With that being said, there is someone amongst us who has not seen it in person. So, before we press forward, I ask for her to say her thoughts.”

All eyes went straight to Twilight, waiting for her reaction. While the part of her who had spent her entire career in the lab immediately paled at the thought of seeing such devastation with her own two eyes instead of from the safety of her lab, a new and growing part of her took charge. Aided by the side of her that was a therapist, her mind was instantly made up on what her course of action was going to be.

“Death is part of life, and is something that we all have to face eventually.” Twilight’s answer had an immediate effect, with everyone giving a solemn nod and Pinkie giving her right arm a vice-grip squeeze. Considering that her side job involved helping people through trauma and depression, she saw how those skills would come in handy while the others did clean up and rescue. “While I have been lucky enough to have not experienced the same horrors you all have, that changes today. No matter what I may see, I will not run. I will weep for the fallen, but still help those I still can, I am a Wonderbolt after all. We are all in this together and have each other’s backs, no matter the outcome we will do our part.”

“You are indeed a Wonderbolt Twi,” Rainbow smiled, feeling proud that her fiancee had put together such a morale booster on the spot, and she could see by the others’ reactions that they were pumped at the impromptu speech. “Now then, moving on to our objectives. While New Orleans and the Louisiana coast are our ultimate concern, for now we need to focus on the threat
from the cold front. Alex’s outflow is no doubt throwing more moisture further north, thus raising instability and dews. Therefore, we could have an outbreak before the main event.”

“Me and Twilly have been keeping an eye on that for you Dashie,” Rising up out of her seat, she walked over to Rainbow before turning to look at the others. “The Storm Prediction Center has put out a special advisory Day 1 and 2 outlooks, with an Enhanced Risk starting this afternoon and evening, and a Moderate Risk in effect for tomorrow. Ryan, Reed, and others have already spread the word on their socials, and both will be live streaming tonight and tomorrow.”

“Good, Reed still got his rep as a former Weather Channel employee and the Y’all Squad always shows up in good numbers.” Rainbow said, feeling a bit more confident about people taking the upcoming threat a bit more seriously. “Tag Ryan on Twitter and see if we can be special chasers for the upcoming event.”

“Wait, you serious?” Pinkie asked, slightly shocked that Rainbow even suggested it. It was well known that Ryan self-employed his own team of storm trackers, so to even ask was something that stumped the energetic woman. “I mean, I can ask, but that doesn’t mean that he will respond. He probably is going to be busy organizing his own team and directing them where to go.”

“Then reach out to them too, you know who they are,” Rainbow was determined to get the collaboration going, with the Wonderbolts being affiliated with the NWS, she knew that the Youtube weather sensation would not pass on the opportunity being offered. While Pinkie started reaching out via the necessary channels, Rainbow turned her attention back to the others. “This is going to be a long few days, so I hope that you all got some decent sleep last night, going to need the energy for when we get into the bear cage.”

“It sounded like you were in one last night boss,” Spitfire quipped, making Rainbow, Twilight, and Pinkie all furiously blush as the rest of the group smirked and snickered. “If anyone is going to need energy, its gotta be you who needs it the most. After all, you are our leader, and we are all counting on your guidance.”

“T-true,” Rainbow stammered, suddenly feeling a bit hot under her collar. Luckily for her, she got a welcome distraction when her phone buzzed and seeing the number, she excused herself to deal with an important business matter. “This is Dynamo Dash, how may I be of assistance?”

The following few hours had been done in relative silence, an air of nervousness surrounding the group as they made their way towards their rendezvous point. After Rainbow had received the phone call from none other than Director Platinum herself, the plan that Rainbow had carefully planned had been thrown out the window. Not wanting to draw the ire of the head of the National Weather Service, she had taken the lead and led the team up to Waco. Nobody, not even Rainbow, knew what was in store, but when the person at the top of the organization directly gives you orders, you listen. To everyone’s surprise, Luna was waiting for them at a warehouse rental.

“Hello everyone,” Luna said, waiting for the group to assemble around her before starting to speak. “On the behalf of the Director, we issue our apologies for drawing your attention away from your planning, but we both thought this was pressing enough that gathering you all ASAP was in everyone’s best interest. I heard from a little birdie through the grapevine that some of your equipment is, for lack of a better term, outdated.”

“Yes mam,” Pinkie said, speaking up for the rest of the Bolts since she had been their leader after Rainbow had switched companies and left the crew. Countless hours of trying and failing to fix Ol Blindspot haunted her mind, to the point she had to suppress a shudder. “What spare resources I had went to the Specials, and since that was before we found out our funding had been cut and we were facing unemployment, we have been trying to make do with what we have.”

“I see,” Luna frowned, making a mental note to scold Celestia later for even putting the Wonderbolts in their bind to begin with. She knew how valuable the unit was when firing on all cylinders, from how many articles were available online to the numerous references that Rainbow had on her resume. “Well then, as you all are probably aware, the NWS primarily focuses on post-storm surveys and related damage reports. Verification has always been our top priority, so as such, we really do not have “storm mode” equipment.”

“Madame Dir-” Rainbow started to say, only for Luna to hold up her hand.

“I was not finished Rainbow,” Luna said, lowering her hand and clearing her throat. “As I was about to say, verification has always been our top priority. We have always done this via our survey crews and looking at mPings and relying on radar, but even I have to admit that perhaps the best way to verify our results is by a team on the ground. Now, admittedly, I think that even you all can say that the equipment you are currently using is not cut out for the current situation so I managed to pull a few strings and call in a few favors.”

Hitting the remote that had been hidden in her suit pocket, the doors to the warehouse behind her slowly opened. What Rainbow and the others saw made their jaws job, it was a fleet of brand-new vehicles with top-of-the-line instruments. Each had a custom cyan wrap with twin lightning bolts that entered a custom decal on the hood of the vehicle. The decal itself was a modified version of the NOAA logo, with the lightning bolts replacing the twin wings and WONDERBOLTS arching above the intersection point. Below where the bolts crossed, a tornado twisted to the bottom of the logo, completing the look.

“Woah,” Rainbow was in awe, while several things had crossed her mind on the drive from El Dorado, being gifted with a brand new fleet had not crossed her mind in the slightest. Even her current F450 had been around the office for a few years before she had been hired on, but the truck that was beckoning her looked straight off the showroom floor. “H-how did you manage to get this together so fast?”

“As I said, I managed to pull a few strings with people who had connections,” While the answer was a lie, one that Luna could tell Rainbow was highly skeptical of, she was not about to tell her that Platinum herself had arranged for the fleet to be delivered and covered all the costs. “Anyway, each is equipped with a CB radio, something that I know you take a particular interest in having.”

“For a wide variety of reasons,” Rainbow said, crossing her arms in a slight huff. While she was thankful for the gift, she was set on finding out the truth at some point. “Though, I guess with us getting the new fleet, our proposal was approved?”

“It was,” Luna smiled, seeing the life flair into the eyes of the rest of the Wonderbolts the moment the news registered in their brains. “As of this moment, you are all members of the National Weather Service, and there is something else too. Rainbow, you and Twilight are no longer going to be in the office, instead spearheading our new Mobile Chaser Unit. Included in it is a 10% pay bump and hiring individuals for your own data processing team.”

“That,” Rainbow was at a loss for words. When she had taken the position at the NWS, she had fully accepted that her chasing days were over, which was part of the reason why she did not argue Twilight accepting the proposal to do one last chase. It was a chance for her to relive her glory years one final time before settling in behind a desk and having to analyze models and patterns in conjunction with the SPC. However, now she did not have to worry about that, instead being able to focus on dealing with the chasing aspects herself. “Thank you Madame, you have no idea what this means to me.”

“Pardon, but may I make a small request?” Twilight’s question caught the attention of Luna, who raised an eyebrow as she waited for the woman to continue. “Is it too much to ask that Pinkie be given the same position as me and Rainbow? If we are going to be our own unit, the more we have to split the workload the better. Besides, if it were not for her, Rainbow would not be where she is today. It is a small gesture, but one I find worthy of her station… if it is within the budget that is.”

“Granted,” Luna answering without a second thought gave both Rainbow and Twilight pause, making them both wonder where the sudden influx of funds were coming from. However, with time being pressed, they decided not to push the issue as Luna stepped aside. “Go on, get all your stuff transferred and head out, the front is still coming you know.”

“Yes mam,” Flashing a group salute, each scrambled to get their items and provisions transferred, but with Pinkie and Twilight taking command of that while Rainbow tested the CB systems and transferred the channel sheets over it seemed like it was no time at all before the group was out on the road once more. Feeling a bit bold, and wanting to give the new vehicles a breaking in, Rainbow grabbed up the CB and queued it. “Yo Vapor, do me a favor and see if there are any pop-up showers in the area. Over.”

“Standby, over.” Passing the CB over to Twilight so she could focus on the road, Rainbow relaxed into her seat as all the tension seemed to pour from her shoulders. It was not long until the CB crackled to life. “Boss, there is a storm over near Crockett that looks to be a slow-moving hailer at only twenty-five knots to the Northeast. Shear and updraft profiles match it and a Severe Thunderstorm Warning has been issued. Do you copy?”

“We copy,” Twilight said, glancing over and waiting for the signal from Rainbow, who gave a nod in return as she cued up “Through the Fire and Flames”. “Lets go get it.”

“Roger,” Thunderlane said, cutting in as he assumed his role as navigator. “Fastest route to get in front of it is to continue along Highway 84 through Palestine and Rusk, then bank right onto 204 down to Cushing. Considering how slow the storm is moving, we should be able to beat it there seeing as how we are already over halfway to Rusk.”

“Over,” Hanging up the CB and listening to the rest of the team doing their call outs, Twilight could not help but notice Rainbow was not smiling as she took her lover’s hand. “What is wrong dear?”

“A discrete cell like that in the environment that is being primed is never a good thing, we both know this from HRRR runs,” Rainbow said, pushing the truck’s speed up to 80 as a feeling started to settle into her gut. “This is not even close to the main event and already getting a precursor hail core has me concerned that I initially underestimated the environment. Send out a group text to the offices to increase balloon launches over the next few days, I want to see how the cap is doing aloof.”

“You don’t think that a High Risk should be issued, do you?” Twilight asked, her own worry levels rising as she sent out the text. “You know the implications of that love, a lot of people would freak out.”

“I am not saying that yet, but at minimum it should be a high end Moderate,” Weaving through traffic like water in a river bank, Rainbow could see the building cloud tops off to her southeast. Tranquil, fluffy white mixed in with an angry gray as she felt the pressure slightly dip. “The sooner we get on top of this thing the better, but something in my gut tells me that this setup is different than most, I just can’t shake it.”

“That in itself is concerning,” Twilight frowned, knowing that when her fiancee had a gut feeling it often happened. Choosing to distract herself, she decided to open Twitter, and much to her surprise a DM was waiting for her. “Hey hun, Ryan gave the all clear on the collaboration, he just wants our dashcam stream info and wants to know the compensation price.”

“Tell him this system is free, the lives of the public are more important than monetary gains or losses. Send that word for word.” Rainbow let loose a sigh of relief that she did not know she had been holding in. The collaboration had more than one purpose in her mind, not only giving Ryan a direct relationship with the NWS, but also announcing to the public that the Wonderbolts were back in full force. It was well known, thanks to Pinkie’s post on Facebook, that the group was facing trouble with disbanding lurking on the horizon. With this grand re-debut, she knew that the NWS would soon have new funds rolling in. “While you at it, send him our dash stream link so that it will be up when he goes live, and let him know we are on the hail core.”

“On it,” Following Rainbow’s instructions, Twilight was amazed at how fast word spread amongst wxtwitter like a proverbial wildfire. Soon, it was not long before her own twitter handle started to gain attention, followers racking up in such rapid succession that it made her phone start to overheat from how fast she had to keep refreshing. “Well, it seems like word got out rather quickly, the news has gotten a lot of retweets already.”

“The more that get the info, the more lives that we can save,” Rainbow had done the song and dance many times with severe outbreaks, knowing full and well that outreach was one of the biggest factors in preventing fatalities. With storms having the potential to move at interstate speeds, every second saved with advanced warning was another second that could be used to get out of harms way or into shelter. “Got to ask hun, what do you think of how everything's going so far?”

“Sure does beat sitting at a desk pouring over model data,” Twilight’s answer earning a raised eyebrow from Rainbow as the weather convoy drew closer to the hail storm, turning onto the aforementioned road towards Cushing. “Think about it, even the models struggle at times with latent heat due to how the terrain changes from fields to heat islands from large cities. The resolution just is not there yet, but being out here on the road seems a lot more freeing than the comfort of the lab. Sure, the risk is higher, but it seems like it is more enjoyable in this position.”

“It is, to me anyway,” Rainbow sighed, thinking back to when she was just a greenhorn herself. Her and Pinkie had went through a lot over the years to earn their reputation for being one of the top chaser units in the United States. It had been a brutal grind to get to where they were, and she was thankful for both the experiences and connections she had made along the way. “To be honest? I would have missed every second of this when I was to take my position in the office. Being in charge would have been nice and all, but it still would not compare to being out here on the road. Meeting people, listening to their stories, and helping communities regrow is so fulfilling. “It is kinda funny though, we have not even started a proper chase mode and it seems like you are already hooked.”

“Hooked like an echo top, and can you blame me?” Despite the danger that she knew that she would eventually face, Twilight was feeling like a young girl again like when she had gotten her first home weather kit as a Christmas present. The darkening skies to her right served as a physical reminder that even non-tornatic storms could catch people off guard and cause problems. “If this is going to be part of my new duties, I am going to dive into my duties head-on. Still, I got a feeling that there is something on your mind that is bothering you, want to talk about it now before things get too busy or would you rather wait until after things settle back down?”

“After, I need some time to process my emotions, and I rather wait until I can fully do so,” Slowing down as she entered Cushing proper, Rainbow lead the group down a few side roads and ended up in a field just southwest of town, in perfect position for an intercept as the group got ready to set up. Jumping out of her own vehicle, Pinkie beat Rainbow into getting one of the Specials primed for gathering information. “Need some help Pinks?”

“Yeah, the bottom left strap is stuck and I can’t reach it from here,” Pinkie said, struggling a bit to get the tension out of the anchor cable that secured MACH I to the flatbed they were loaded on, but after a bit of help from Twilight it was free and off the trailer. “Alright, MACH I is deployed, lets move!”

“Boss, we have a problem!” Spitfire said, grabbing everyone’s attention and making everyone rush over to the mobile lab where the radar station was located. “Velos are picking up, 43 inbound and 27 out, this might drop a funnel if it keeps tightening up.”

“You have got to be shitting me,” Jumping into the mobile lab, Rainbow slid Spitfire off to the side as she waited for the next scan to come through. When it did, she could see the tell-tale signs of a forming tornado, with a forming hook on the storm signature and the overall circulation starting to ramp up. Considering the proximity to Cushing, Rainbow looked downstream to see the other cities that may be affected and what she saw made her gulp. While there were several small towns in the storm’s path, including Dotson and Carthage, just across the Louisiana state line lay a major population center. “Shreveport…”

“I noticed that too,” Spitfire said, leaning back in her seat and crossing her arms. “I am sure that the folks back in office can see this too, but it is your call on what we do from here.”

“Reposition a bit south to fully deploy the MACH I for starters,” Rainbow said, taking full control as the others awaited their orders. She knew that there was no way that they were going to get far enough ahead of the storm to deploy more than one, so even if the organizing cyclonic spin dropped after passing the zone, it was still a valuable test run for the sensitive gear. “Twi will be riding with Pinkie while I take point, as for the rest of you, you know what to do.”

“Got it,” Not wanting to make a scene in front of everyone, Twilight got into the passenger seat of Pinkie’s vehicle and waited until the woman got in to finally vent the question. “Pinkie, why did Rainbow have me ride with you instead of her?”

“Just in case the worse happens,” Pinkie did not need to elaborate to get that point across, Twilight shuddering at the implications that were being implied as the team raced down state road 225 to get into a better position. “She even made me ride with the others back before she left, so don’t think it is anything personal. We are both her partners after all.”

“True,” Twilight chuckled, thinking back to the conversation the previous night, and the resulting fun thereafter. “Bet that feels good to say about Rainbow again for you, but the question is, what about us?”

“I am going to treat you the same way I do her, you are my girlfriend after all,” Pinkie giggled, reaching over and ruffling Twilight’s hair with her right hand before placing it back on the wheel. She could hear Rainbow and Spitfire talking back and forth on the CB channel, but for now that was in the background in her mind. “I want to get to know you better, and hopefully we can get as close to each other as we are to Dashie. After this outbreak is over, how about I treat you to dinner, just the two of us so we can have those kind of deep talks between partners as their relationship grows?”

“I would love that,” Twilight smiled, knowing full and well that Rainbow would not object to missing out on the planned date once the purpose got revealed to her. However, her attention was quickly drawn elsewhere as another vehicle passed them to the left, the deep purple paint job making the black lightning bolts almost invisible, only seen by the yellow trim that arched along them. At first, she paid them no mind, that is until she saw the chevy swerve to the right, sending Rainbow off the road in an evasive maneuver and slashing the left front tire while making Twilight hop on the CB. “Holy shit, you ok Rainbow?!”

“I’m fine, just keep driving,” Ignoring the normal protocol for the radios, Rainbow let out an audio sigh before speaking again. “Got a few calls to make and see about getting a tow, meet me up at the tire shop in Mt. Enterprise. This just got personal between me and Dust.”

“10-4 Dashie, over and out,” Pinkie closing the CB made Twilight realize that her partner had taken it out of her hand without her noticing, but Pinkie could tell that the newest member of the Bolts was clearly a bit rattled by what she had just seen. “Relax Twily, Dashie is ok, that is all that matters.”

“B–but,” For a brief moment, Twilight’s mental processing power failed her, but soon rebounded as she started to calm her nerves. “Yeah, you’re right, but who was that and why did they try to make Rainbow crash? It seemed like that was someone she knew to address them by name.”

“An old associate of ours, Lightning Dust,” Pinkie said, a bit of venom seeping into her tone as she spoke the culprit’s name. “Went to school with Dashie, graduated together even, but soon she became jealous of our lovely’s ability to predict tornadoes. So, one day after a huge fight she left us and went and joined Accuweather to try and advance their computer systems to try and outmaneuver Dashie. She is in it for the money and personal glory instead of the science and wanting to save people’s lives.”

“Wow, she sounds like a total bitch then,” Twilight, even though she had never met Lightning Dust, and knew better than to judge a book by its cover, she had a feeling that should the two ever crossed paths that she would need to be held back from doing something stupid. “Still, why would she try and run Rainbow off the road like that? It makes zero sense.”

“It makes a lot more sense than you realize dear,” Banking north up Highway 259, Pinkie noted the radio chatter had switched from the storm to various means of what each would do to Lightning. It set off something deep in her core, long buried in the distant realm of her childhood experiences, and it was something that took control as her curls fully deflated and snatched up the CB. “Everyone, SHUT IT! Yes, what Dust did was bad, but be thankful that it was not any worse. Keep in mind that it was fully captured on our dashcam so if anyone asks or she gets defensive on twitter we will just release the footage. Regardless, that waste of oxygen should not be the primary focus here, there is a developing tornado that could potentially endanger lives. Remember, we are storm chasers, not vigilantes so FOCUS!”

“Wow,” Twilight was surprised at how fast the radio went dead silent at Pinkie’s outburst, only for a flurry of activity to come through regarding the tornado track and velocity couplet. “Does not take much for them to fall in line does it?”

“They know not to get on my bad side,” Pinkie snarled, pausing to calm herself down and collect her emotions before they got out of control. “Anyway, as I was saying, even in this line of work people want to be the first to get a scoop for notoriety and it can be absolutely ruthless at times. TV networks and news stations often do payouts for footage, so broadcasting rights play a part in it trying to get the most photogenic images possible. That, my dear, is the wonder of nature baby.”

Author's Note

Surprised? Considering the recent tornado outbreaks, I decided to dust this one of the shelves and give an update. If you want one of the best weather mets to follow on Youtube, go and follow Ryan Hall here for all your weather coverage and remain weather aware! ~Lily https://www.youtube.com/@RyanHallYall