The Misfortune of Clover the Clever

The night was calm, the air was cool, and they flew so high that it would've been impossible for any earthbound creature to see them. There was still just barely enough moonlight to make each other out as they flew in a loose formation. It was a magnificent sight, pegasi in flight right before a dangerous mission. The only thing that would've made them appear more grand than they already looked was if any pegasus armor still remained in the tribe's possession. However, even if they still had it, they wouldn't have worn it. Not for this mission anyway. It was primarily meant for when pegasi had to fight larger opponents like griffons or dragons, and it wouldn't do anything to stand against the spells these accursed unicorns threw around.

At the front of their group, their newly appointed captain watched the ground carefully. He was eager to taste combat and maybe just a little bit anxious, for he had more than just his own safety to worry about this night.

"Stay alert," Storm Chaser said, never once taking his eyes off the ground. "We still don't know what other spells those horned bastards may have come up with."

"You really think the thestrals will show?" Asked Cloudy from his left.

"They have just as much to gain as we do by showing up," said Storm. "They know what we're after, and it's different than what they're after. Besides, if they're there, they'll have seen us already. Damn bats have that crazy night vision going for them."

A few lights sparked beneath them, drawing their attention. They waited on baited breath before at least a dozen more started leaving the fortress to join the ones on the outskirts.

"That's our cue!" Storm called out to the entire squad. "Clap and Trap, bring the thunder. Silk and Milk, give us some downdraft. Cloudy, Misty, and Haze, do what you do best. Everypony else, let's bring the storm. Don't forget," he said with one last word. "This is a rescue mission. Our only real goal is to free our brothers and sisters being held hostage. If you start getting overwhelmed, you fly. If something feels wrong, you fly. If you see anypony losing control, figure out which unicorn's doing it and break their concentration. They can't do much else while using that weird spell of theirs, so don't give them the opportunity to control anypony for long. Now move!"

Everyone in their formation gave a brief salute, followed by a "sir!", and began their descent. Silk and Milk began spiraling outward, taking hold of errant gusts of wind and bringing it back in to wrap itself around the entire group. Everyone's descent accelerated rapidly after that. The cold air tore at their coats and attempted to rip them out of formation, but they had all been practicing maneuvers like this since they first learned to fly.

The twins, Clap and Trap, slipped to the back of the formation and began bristling their feathers. Normally this would serve in slowing their descent, but with the other flyers in front of them creating a windbreak, this left them free to rapidly collect the static being generated by the group's dive.

As for their vapor guard, Cloudy, Misty, and Haze, they began spinning in the opposite direction of the building cyclone. It slowed them down only slightly, but also served to pull in every stray wisp, every drop of moisture, and every cloud that got even remotely close to them. This created a funnel, further speeding up their descent, as well as generating heat and friction, further building the storm at the center of their group.

Unfortunately for the pegasi, this was enough to make them clearly visible from the ground. The sound of distant shouts echoed upward, barely discernible over the sound of the wind. More lights started appearing beneath them, glowing ever brighter as spell after spell was charged and cast, before being sent up to intercept them.

Unfortunately for the unicorns, this was also the cue for the pegasi to close the wall on their trap. Lightning began channeling forward, passing from the flyers in the back to the ones in the front. Each participant it passed through further added to its intensity, building it further and causing everyone to glow as they closed their formation.

Storm Chaser flew at the front, waiting for the inevitable surge to come crashing into him, and it didn't disappoint. As soon as the rush of electricity smashed into him, every part of his body lit up. Every feather, every nerve, every fiber of his being charged with energy. He held onto the charge as long as he could, refusing to let it go until enough of it had built up.

His instincts screamed at him to let the lightning through, let it pass before it began to threaten his life. However, this technique had been passed down through the generations. A combination of daredevils and suicidal flyers, as well as engineers in pegasus magic far smarter than he was, had eventually come up with this technique. Despite all the work that went into its creation, very few pegasi could actually perform this trick. Storm Chaser was one such pony.

Incoming magic raced at their group, the effects of which were unknown, and it all came down to the lead pony's skill and timing at this point, or else the next moment could very well be their last. But he was feather-flipping Storm Chaser for pony's sake. The one who had broken every record and changed the status quo for what could be possible for a pegasus in flight.

He watched the magic closely, the fevered charge he carried growing ever brighter with every passing moment. It was all on him now, but none of this would be possible without everyone giving him far more lightning than he could've possibly gathered on his own. Only a dozen feet remained before impact, it was now or never. He threw his wings out and clapped his front hooves together, the release of electricity creating a shockwave that stopped absolutely everything in its tracks. Every flyer halted, every spell dissipated, every drop of moisture they had collected now being suspended in mid air.

The silence only lasted for a single, glorious moment where nothing moved. However this was where it got fun, but it as also where they needed to be perfect or else they could end up as nothing more than a smear on the ground.

The void collapsed inward, rocketing the formation forward far faster than they had been moving before the halt. Follow-up spells bounced off the cone they had created, no longer having enough power to penetrate the cone.

Pure white light began to course up Storm's body, starting from his tail and making its way to the front. Every moment was pain for the skilled flyer, but he had to keep this up, he had to hold on. He had to hit the critical moment at just the right time or everyone, including himself, would be dead in half a breath. The ground rushed up to meet them, and only a few feet remaining when the air finally broke.

The second shockwave that followed completely trumped the first one by orders of magnitude. Bodies were sent flying through the air, small buildings were completely decimated, and any unicorn unfortunate enough to be too close to the clap of thunder that echoed from the center immediately stopped moving. Even if said unicorn had a shield up at the time, it wasn't enough for them to escape unscathed.

The pegasi were completely unharmed from their suicidal dive, the final motion creating a cushion for them. None of them were really sure why this trick did what it did, you'd have to ask someone far smarter for that. All that mattered was that it did, and that was enough to make use of it. Unfortunately, it was also something they could really only make use of when the element of surprise was on their side, as it was easy enough to interrupt during the early stages.

As devastating as the attack had been, it was far too early to celebrate. All it really served was to get the pegasi on the ground, and to bring a piece of the sky down with them. The clouds they had been carrying with them spread out over the night, creating a dense fog that would make it difficult for anyone other than a pegasus to move around in.

"Fan out!" Storm shouted into the mist. "Secure the area! Take no survivors!"

His squad moved with efficiency and without hesitation, disappearing into the fog without any further noise. The sounds of combat soon echoed from deep within the haze as he heard the sounds of spells being fired, hooves coming in contact with flesh, and the crackle of the occasion bolt of lightning due to the electrical charge that remained as a result of their dive.

Storm Chaser rushed ahead, diving back and forth to avoid the major sources of confrontation. The orders he had shouted had actually served a twofold purpose, to start their assault, and to mislead the enemy as to what their actual purpose for being there was. Right now the most important thing they could do was keep the ground forces busy while their heavy hitters followed his position from overhead while he located their quarry.

The aftereffects of their entrance had left all of them charged up with more electricity than would normally be considered safe. However, this wasn't a normal situation, and there was more than enough opportunities to bring themselves back down to a safe level. As for the pegasi's leader, any unicorn he found unprepared soon found an electrified hoof meeting the back of their skull. Any that had the opportunity to start casting a spell at him found their target having vanished. Carried as he was by the lightning, he appeared behind them near instantaneously before dispatching them along with their comrades.

Whether or not he killed his opponents was irrelevant, all that mattered was they were out of the fight. He didn't have time to make sure he finished them off, nor did they have the numbers to properly secure the area. The clouds would eventually dissipate, taking their field advantage with them. Also, the unicorns who had gone off to deal with the thestrals would eventually return, leaving his forces completely outnumbered when they did.

There. He finally saw the what he was looking for. A steel grate blocking the entrance to a stone bunker. The two unicorns who guarded the entrance saw him almost immediately, their shields going up just as fast. Storm sent a pair of bolts ahead with what little remained of his overcharge. It wasn't enough to get through their shields, but was enough to light up those shields so they could be seen through the fog.

Clap and Trap both came crashing down out of the fog, breaking through what remained of the guards' shields and squashing them flat before they had a chance to know what was happening.

"Took you two long enough," he jokingly complained to the gargantuan pair of pegasi before nodding to the steel grate. "Did either of you remember to bring a key?"

The only response he got in return was a grunt and a smile as the two brought their hooves down on both sides of the door, cracking the frame, and bending the metal slightly. Normally, feats of strength like this belonged to earth ponies, but someone had forgotten to remind these two of that when they had decided to grow bigger and stronger than the rest of their colleagues. One of the muscle-bound duo grabbed hold of the door, ripping it free from the now broken frame, before the trio headed down into the depths of the earth.

What they had found inside had actually been a little disappointing. Only a single unicorn remained to guard the actual cells holding their comrades. It was a simple matter to dispatch them before opening the cages that held the captive pegasi.

The pegasi themselves, aside from looking disheveled and malnourished, seemed to instantly have their spirits lifted upon seeing the faces of their rescuers. Fortunately, none of them seemed to have any injuries that would keep them from flying away under their own strength. This part of the mission had gone by without a hitch. Now they just had to make their escape.

Something was wrong.

From the moment Storm Chaser and the others stepped back outside, he could tell that some new kind of trouble had picked that moment to reveal itself.

The fog. It was gone.

No...

It was far too soon.

What had originally been a very one-sided fight for the pegasi had immediately turned around in favor of the opposition. With their vision no longer impaired, spells flew across the entire length of the battlefield, making it far harder to dodge projectiles when they came from a dozen locations at once. Pegasi had never been particularly good at ranged combat, unlike the unicorns. While throwing lightning required some prep and carefully monitoring how much you still carried with you, the magic wielded by the unicorns seemed endless by comparison.

However, that didn't mean they were completely doomed. There was an old saying that no plan survives contact with the enemy, so it almost always paid off to keep something in reserve. While Storm's charge had been completely spent, the two pegasi that had gathered the initial charge had yet to spend any. Just as they planned.

"Clap and Trap," he called to the twins. "Rolling thunder. Let's get everypony home."

A grin appeared on both of their faces as they stomped to the front of the group. They both spread their wings and allowed their stored charge to dance through their pinions. This was a trick that was unique to them and only them. Not even Storm Chaser could duplicate this since his technique was built more around explosive speed and agility, and not raw power like theirs was. The two pegasi planted their hooves in the ground and rooted themselves in place, before snapping their wings directly behind them, making it look like a large fin had sprouted from their backs. It wasn't a particularly graceful looking move, and while the resulting effect was far from lethal, it was exceedingly effective.

All the power they had held onto came out all at once, rolling across the emptiness like a billowing cloud. It moved slowly, but anywhere it found something other than a pegasus, it left the recipient feeling dazed, and with their bodies seizing up. This also resulted in any ongoing spells completely falling apart. Various magic bolts turned to mist, one or two errant fireballs fizzled out, and fortunately, any control spells that had been cast on his remaining squad lost their hold. Those same pegasi thanked their impromptu captors with a kick to the face before taking off into the sky.

The only thing that had left Storm Chaser more than a little concerned was that one unicorn seemed to be mostly unfazed by the attack. He couldn't tell much about her other than she seemed to be the only one they'd seen that day wearing a simple cloth wrap as opposed to the bluish armor that all the unicorn soldiers wore. A multicolored shield held firm around her body and only seemed to ripple slightly from Clap and Trap's attack. Apparently, the twin's attack had only been just enough to break her concentration as not one but three of Storm's fellow squad mates seemed to shake themselves free of their trance before bolting into the sky as fast as their wings could carry them.

Storm met her eyes as she glared in his general direction. He wasn't normally a betting pony, actually that's a lie, he totally was, but he'd bet just about anything that she'd been the one to tear their fog apart. With an unknown enemy on the field and approaching lights telling a tale that the unicorns would soon have reinforcements, it was time to go.

"Retreat!" He shouted without any further hesitation. They had accomplished their mission and rescued at least fifty captured pegasi. There was nothing more to gain by remaining any longer.

The signal given, those who still remained on the ground took to the sky at full speed. Storm was pleased to see that almost everyone from his squad had managed to make it out. There had been a scare for a moment there, and if they had returned to the surface even a moment later, they might not have been so lucky.

That wasn't to say they weren't completely without casualties. He could make out two bodies that hadn't taken off with the rest of them. Fortunately, and he breathed a sigh of relief when he saw this, he could make Silk's body out among those who were making their escape.

That relief was short lived when he looked back at the mysterious enemy to find that she had followed his gaze. She watched him with a wicked grin, even as some sick looking purple orb formed at the tip of her horn. He had a bad feeling about whatever that spell was, and an even worse one when he saw who it was heading for.

Storm Chaser put on a burst of speed, as fast as he could manage without any stored power and flew straight for Silk. She hadn't seen the attack, for it was well within her blind spot. It would hit her and take her down without her even knowing what happened. He couldn't let the night end like this. He refused to.

He just barely made it to her in time, eliciting a curse from her as he shoved her out of the way. The spell just barely missed her, but he wasn't fast enough to avoid taking the hit in her place. Stars flew through his eyes, his teeth rattled, his skin itched, and a deep throbbing began to pulse in the back of his head.

But just as fast as the pain had started, everything but a dull throbbing ceased. He shook himself free of whatever had just happened. He didn't know the first thing about unicorn magic, but it didn't seem to do much more than hurt for a brief moment.

"Are you alright?!" Silk called out to him once she saw her dazed friend.

"I think so," he said, still a bit shaken by the whole experience. "Not sure what that was, though."

"Figure it out later," she said. "We need to get out of here."

They both flew off, but not before Storm Chaser stole one last look at his attacker. It was creepy. Even though her attack seemed to have failed, that menacing grin didn't once leave her face.

The flight back had been exhausting. Not just because they had flown a mission in the middle of the night, assaulted a unicorn stronghold, or even because they had used one of the most dangerous moves in the pegasi arsenal, although, his wing joints were still burning from that dive. But because from the time he'd gotten hit by that spell, to the time he had gotten back to base, gave his report, commended for a job well done, and collapsed into bed, his headache had refused to go away.

He had almost forgotten about Firefly as he looked over to her, worried that he might have woken her. However, she seemed to have become a bit of a heavy sleeper ever since she made it to what was likely the final stretch of her pregnancy. It was a good thing too. He wasn't sure he could deal with her nagging right now.

"Are you still awake?" The soft voice didn't come from Firefly, but instead from Silk Sky as she stood in the doorway.

"Yeah," he groaned. "Unfortunately."

"I didn't get a chance to thank you," she said as she sat down beside him. "You really saved my flank out there." Silk seemed a bit nervous as she sat there, shifting uncomfortably on her haunches.

"You're my girl," he said. "I'm always gonna look out for you."

"I appreciate that," she said, blushing. "Really, I do."

Why was she acting so awkward? It wasn't like her to act so strangely around him. Storm studied her, breathing slowly as he did. There was a smell in the air. A distinct smell that every stallion knew, and knew well.

Storm sat back up, his headache momentarily forgotten as he studied her. Her pupils dilated as she looked up at him. Her breathing quickened and her wings began to flare out behind her, completely betraying her emotions.

"When?" Was all he asked.

"On the flight back," she said, her face turning completely red once she realized she'd been caught. "Right after you saved me. I guess it was just the stimulation I needed before... you know."

Storm Chaser pulled her close and listened as her heart began to quicken. "Aren't you worried about ending up like her?" He said, gesturing to the sleeping Firefly.

The only response he got was for Silk to push up against him and press her lips into his. Her taste filling his mouth as her tongue played with his. She pulled away with an audible pop and a dreamlike quality to her eyes.

"Right now," she said with her chest heaving. "The only thing I'm worried about is whether you still have any stamina left. I want you. I need you, Storm Chaser. Right here. Right now."

She wrapped her forelegs around him and fell backwards. Storm for his part, allowed himself to fall with her. She rarely got like this, if ever. Sure they played around from time to time, but when she was in the mood... like really in the mood, then it truly became something special. So despite their mutual exhaustion, they made love deep into the night, and didn't once concern themselves with what tomorrow may bring.

Now if only his damn headache would go away.