“The storms are being moved from the lower valley at this very moment, and should be anchored into place late tonight.”

“What of Flight’s Crescent and Raindrops?” The white feathered pegasus turned to his companion he was sharing the cloud with, and flicked his head toward the vast forest below them.

“They’re still missing. Rumor is Command declared them dead only 4 hours after their failure to report, wanting to save all flights for the attack.” He shifted his weight so it rested on the edge of the cloud, peering over to see if there were any possible ears lingering about. “I say horsefeathers. We all know who led the flights, and their views…”

“Watch yourself, Silent Storm. The forest is a dangerous place after all, and their death is unfortunate.”

“That it is.” Silent Storm agreed with his wingpony, understanding if he kept talking their Flight could be the next one missing. “Should we be heading back to Cloud 9, Chaser?”

“Let's give it another hour before dropping in. We’ll tell Command we were recon the whole time.”

“Sounds good to me.”

Chaser shifted once more so he could lay his head on the cloud, his white feathers and fur providing the best camouflage for their mission, while his wingpony, Silent Storm, laid prone so his faded blue coloring could match the sky backdrop. The two pegasi were silent for the rest of their time on the cloud, but their thoughts were loud, and distracting with questions they knew would never be answered.

The time to return home eventually came, and the entirety of their watch remained uneventful- it was a good day.

Under the cover of the lowering sun, the two pegasi fell off their cloud platform, and using the wind currents to keep them aloft, flew toward the east where the storm clouds were being assembled. Near the tallest mountain in the region, the peaks were near inaccessible to all without wings making the landmark an ideal place for Pegasi Command to set up, creating the largest gathering outside of Cloudsdale. Nearly three years since the annexation of the peak dubbed Cloud 9 into Pegasi Territory, the growing fortress/town proved pivotal in the winged ponies domination of the fertile valley; the Earth Tribe could do nothing but build towers while the unicorns fought hoof and horn to wrestle it from them.

It was the ferocity of these attacks that forced Command to draft the secret plan that is said to break them for good. Morale was at an all time high in Cloud 9 as the Great Grandson of Commander Hurricane claimed to be reworking a plan of his famous ancestor.

Outside of a select few needed for certain resources or extra patrols, none of the Flights knew anything of the pending attack save for an outbreak of rumors that (in Chaser’s opinion) led to the death of two entire Flights. Yet, all of the talk he’d personally heard agreed that unicorn horns attract lightning, but most assumed the lightning disrupts their ability to cast. None of this could be confirmed as all unicorns are killed on sight leaving only the few remaining texts from the Original Unification an extremely valuable source of knowledge pertaining to their ground born cousins.

In essence, Cloud 9 was betting its entire strength on the accuracy of some decrypted texts.

“I don’t like it, Chaser. We should be doing some real scouting instead of flying straight into their horned castles.”

“It’s too late for that cloud puff. The wind changed direction a long time ago, and we missed the free ride, but honestly that’s a good thing.” Chaser replied to his blue colored companion.

“What happened to the two missing Flights…”

“Would have happened to us Silent Storm , and you know it. I’m sorry for your cousin for he was a good stallion, but if you don't want to leave his wife and foals, or yours alone then keep quiet. Command has been stomping out most of the ‘disloyal’ elements the past few weeks, and that only means one thing…”

“That it’s nearly upon us…” Silent Storm finished, eyeing up his speckled gray companion as they ascended further into the sky, readying to pierce the cloud screen.

The cloud screen served two primary roles in the Pegasi Armada: camelflage and temperature control. With the layer of cloud surrounding the entirety of the summit, their earthbound cousins could do little, but speculate the extent of their entrenchment upon the summit’s peak. This concealment gave the pegasi a great advantage, and freedom to operate all of their schemes unhindered while allowing them to peer down below and observe the daily tolls of their pitiful lives.

While more difficult to perform in higher elevations, especially on clouds, a small contingent of farmers managed to take root upon the very peak Cloud 9 was anchored to thanks to the warming effects of the cloud screen. Pegasi can withstand the colder temperatures of the higher elevations better than any creature alive, yet even they would prefer the warming sun to snow caps, and this cloud screen has given them this very comfort. All it took was the cooling of the world below to achieve this pegasi resurgence.

It was this warming comfort the two pegasi felt the moment they broke the cloud screen, and shifted their direction toward the towering sphere of cloud floating above the jagged stone peaks.

As far as their eyes could see there was a literal sea of white clouds with several small ‘cloud islands’ scattered over the expanse, with each serving a number of purposes designated by their owners- home, workshop, farm, training grounds, ect. Even as Chaser, and Silent Storm held their course back to the main citadel, their keen eyes could make out some pegasi on these ‘islands’ watching them, an ever constant reminder their illicit conversation below the cloud screen should remain there. Even amongst their own, the threat of treason was very high.

Adjusting their wings some, the pair began their gradual elevation upwards in an effort to gain the altitude needed to reach the inner city. The warmer temperatures created partially by the cloud screen reflecting the sun light aided in their ascent, and soon they were quickly rising over their peers ending most of the suspicions casted their way- no traitor would willing enter the city.

Unable to ride the warm air any longer, Chaser and Silent Storm had to beat their wings faster than their Flight Training requirements to gain the necessary altitude, and it was this increase in altitude the chilling air finally touched their muzzles.

Cloud 9 was founded on a mountain summit for a reason and even if an invading army could reach the summit, it would still have to either penetrate the giant storm surrounding the city or fly higher into the near unbearable cold air to enter the only known opening from above. There were only two specially designed ships called ‘Arks’ that could sail directly through the storm, but those were saved for prominent figures of the Flight Command or the Cloudsdale Tribunal leaving the average pegasus nearly unable to enter or leave the city unless given permission by the acting Governor.

Chaser and Silent Storm were only two of a small hoofful that could tolerate the ascent and thus enter and leave the city at their discretion.

Even as their breathing became labored, wings became sore, and lungs burned from the cold air, the pair continued their struggle over the spherical storm that protected the very city until finally the storm curved inward toward the only opening…

“By my ancestors, Chaser! There’s an ark!” Silent Storm shouted while turning to his speckled gray feathered companion, not even surprised to see the development of frost along his wings.

“Then the attack really is happening…”

For a few moments the pegasi hovered just over the opening to observe the massive construct of wood and metal being supported by a massive congregation of specially designed clouds that give the ‘ark’ its ability to soar. The design unfortunately had been borrowed from their earthbound cousins, yet pegasus ingenuity turned this otherwise limited vessel into the greatest technological achievement of the age; an elongated bow with two pegasi(one on each side) on the front of the craft, with the rest of the deck being flat to allow (tested) nearly four Flight’s to launch from its deck at a moment’s notice, or carry tremendous cargo.

Six massive oars, three on each side and nearly the entire length of the ship could be seen making slow movements as they churned the magic in the air. The exact learning required to understand this process was lost to the pair, but they knew well enough the process did something to amplify the magic around the ark and allow itself to be bathed in a similar magic pegasi used to fly. It’s rumored the pegasus that came up with this method was graciously rewarded for their service to Pegasi Kind, with one rumor saying they married into Commander Hurricanes’ family while a more cynical theory saying they were murdered to keep the secret from being leaked. A number of theories with no clear answer, yet each one just as possible as the last.

All in all a simple craft with little distinction from a boat a pegasus might glimpse from the air, but somehow the design was very well suited to traversing the skies.

The few times the ark had been anchored in Cloud 9, the massive ark had descended and ascended on its own power, and each time Chaser had noticed the oars faintly glowing. He never voiced his observations out loud for obvious reasons, let alone confined in his wingpony Silent Storm else they both end up ‘missing’.

“That it is. Don’t say anything, just descend toward the outer edge of the storm like before. Slow and steady so they can see us and stop when the Flight on Wing Duty approaches us. We’ll make our report as intended and turn in unless told otherwise. Clear?”

“Clear sir. You want me to take the lead again?” Silent Storm asked his companion who nodded, not wanting a repeat of his first month here when he’d accidentally snuck up on the Patrol Flight on Wing Duty.

Silent Storm took the lead this time, and Chaser followed. Their arc was noticeable as they made sure to veer to the left and right as they descended to alert any patrols of their approach, and this action might have saved them for immediately a wing of four pegasi broke away from the ark to meet them halfway. Unsure what else to do, they continued to veer left and right until the four pegasi were close enough to be heard.

“HALT! STATE YOUR NAMES, FLIGHT FIRST BEFORE YOUR BUSINESS WITH THE CITY!”

Chaser and Silent Storm ceased their descent to hover, and let the armed guards approach them. The one that barked the command wasn’t one they recognized, but based on his high, song-like pitch could guess him from Cloudsdale Proper- a purest. One that likely could trace their lineage all the way back to the First Flight, and naturally looked down on other pegasi anyway, yet his appearance so far away from Cloudsdale did make the attack rumors more true if Flight Command was bringing in additional reserves…

“Chaser of Flight Snowdrift, Second Wing.”
“Silent Storm of Flight Snowdrift, Forth Wing.”

The pegasus that had issued the command turned to the mare on his left who nodded, and then all four resumed their pace until they were directly in front of them. The voice gave it away, but seeing the pegasus up close really exposed his Cloudsdale origins; like Silent Storm, they shared a blue, almost gray coloring that marked his heritage of the early high altitude pegasi, but unlike Chaser whose family adapted to life closer to the ground to better pull carriages and wear armor, this gray-blue stallion was thin, and lean with longer flight feathers. He was perhaps one of a hooful that still clung to the migrate days of their ancestors who would drink the frost built up along their mouth and wings…

“It’s fortunate you returned when you did, else command would have marked you missing.” The stallion almost gloated as he led them into the singular opening of the massive storm, almost daring them to say something. Chaser of all pegasi took the bait.

“I wasn’t aware Command was expecting us so soon. Why the urgency?” Chaser knew the reason, yet his youthful spirit was itching to start something with pompous Cloudsdalian.

“Things change. Ponies go missing all the time, and Command was getting worried two more had done the same. The forest takes the weak, or so I’ve heard.”

The conceited stallion taunted them as he led the wing further into open space of the storm, just above the famed ark. He’s actions were purposeful, and meant to show off the crowded deck hosting an honest to ancestor’s roost upon its deck. He would have known they would see the deck, and when he answered their mind’s questions did the arrogance disperse, leaving behind the cold front behind.

“I’m Sky Runner, and this is my storm. My ark. My deliverance. Congratulations colts, you’ll be among the first Flights to attack Hollow's End. Should you survive the opening attack, then you’ll bare witness to Commander Hurricane's grand plan- The Living Storm.”

Silent and Chaser wisely kept their mouths shut after that egotistical speech, but they knew their flying days were drawing to a close if the stallion was serious. Their partnership, while uncanny to most Flights due to their fierce family rivalry, allowed the two stallions to respect the other, and treat the other more like a distant cousin. This understanding urged the two stallions to quickly glance at the other, and in that moment everything that needed to be stated was said in that one glance.

The attack was upon them and if they somehow survived, they’ll only be sent back into the fry until they were struck down. By friend or foe they knew not, only that this was likely the end of their lives.

Author's Note

I have about 20k of this story written as an experiment with every intent to finish it. These two chapters are just a test to gauge interest, and how high of a priority this story will take amongst my other, unfished stories.