//------------------------------//
// Chapter 62: Deadly Storm 
// Story: The Life of Penumbra Heartbreak 
// by Unwhole Hole 
//------------------------------//

The golems thudded through the air, changing angle under impossible g-forces to gain a target lock on the filthy organics intruding upon their sky. The leaders of the formation lowered their cannons, and belts of pre-charged crystals were rapidly fed through the mechanisms. The depleted crystals fell to the ground and the charged spells streaked through the air toward the enemies of the Empire. 
One of the Pegasi was hit hard. Her wing burst into flames, smoking badly. 
“I’m hit! I’M HIT!”
“Buttergust! NO!”
“I’m losing control!” Her body began to shake and her wing gave way. She spiraled downward, trailing smoke all the way. She was only rescued at the very last moment, caught in mid-crash by a bat-stallion in Shadowbolts gear.
“Saved by a Shadowbolt,” groaned the sergeant. “Worse fate than a hard impact...”
The golems reloaded for another barrage. Major Force led a barrel roll, his formation following in perfect unison and barely avoiding the crossfire from the blasts. A spell pinged of Lieutenant Firefly’s armor only inches from his wing, gouging deeply into the matte gray metal. He wanted to cry, but he held on. 
The major kept his eyes front, but shouted over the din of the air-battle to his squad. “We have to keep them busy!”
“No!” replied the sergeant. “We have to take them OUT!”
“And how do you propose you do that? With our HOOVES?!”
“I have an idea!” said Firefly. “I don’t think their wings are retractable, if we can get in position- -”
“With all do respect ‘sir’, this isn’t time for a lesson on DESIGN!”
“No,” said the major. “He’s right. Come on, I have an idea!” 
They ducked down through the flack and lasers. Explosions were all around them, now being lobbed upward by unicorns wearing thrall masks- -some still wearing their Equestria colors. 
Other squads were falling one by one. The golems were cutting through them and there was nothing they could do. Air reconnaissance held no weapons, apart from the occasional spear. The best they could hope to do was swoop in for assistance in a ground battle, but, ironically, they were useless in the air. Still, Major Force saw a few try. They were brave or idiots, and probably heroes either way. There was of course nothing they could do to stop golems; they were knocked out of the sky in an instant. 
“This way!”
“Sir!” gasped Firefly, his breath running out as they rushed forward. “We’re heading farther back into enemy lines!”
“It’s the only place with the right conditions! Come on, Firefly, it was your idea, take some responsibility!”
“Y- -yes sir!”
They suddenly tilted downward and to the side. It was a difficult maneuver, one that most bat-ponies could not even hope to achieve. The golems copied it easily, though, opening fire as they descended. Firefly did not understand at first- -but then he saw it. A gap between two listing crystal buildings.
“I hope you’ve been laying off the cake, sergeant,” said the major. Then, to all of those who still remained: “Quadruple time! Prep vertical form! Retract on my mark!”
“WHAT?!” cried one of the fatter of the group. “You can’t- -we can’t! We just can’t!”
“You’re welcome to stay with the golems! FORM!”
The formation immediately shifted to a vertically oriented V instead of a horizontal one. Some of the squad were doing their very best to suck it in as they forced themselves to accelerate into a dead sprint.
“MARK!”
All obeyed in unison, retracting their wings to their side. Their inertia carried them forward into the gap between the buildings. It was far to narrow to flap, but they kept their angle steady, passing through the hole at high-speed regardless. 
Firefly’s armor struck the crystal walls and rebounded between the two halves. “I’m not gonna fit!”
“Keep it straight! STRAIGHT!”
“I’m too tight!” cried one of the rear ponies. “I’m not going to make it!”
“Sorry Thick Air,” said the pony behind him- -who then promptly punched him hard in the rump, forcing him the rest of the way through the gap- -at the cost of his own inertia. He fell to the snow below, just as the golems entered.
Their superheated wings instantly cut into the crystal of the buildings, and for a moment it seemed as though they would make their way through by brute force alone. Then the cutting slowed, and as their bodies carried themselves forward their wings were drawn back. The instant the wings touched, the golems detonated, splattering metallic shrapnel on the ponies further on in the gap.
The blast took them by surprise, but gave them enough force to get out the far side. As soon as they did, they opened their wings and regained balance, taking flight in a dramatic climb. 
“We did it!” cried Firefly. “We got them!”
The major smiled, but only slightly. “Is everypony- -”
Two of the ponies in the rearmost section of the formation suddenly screamed. Major Force and Firefly both turned back suddenly to see the shrapnel crawling up their bodies. Except that it was not shrapnel. It was tiny metal ponies. 
“I can’t shake them!” cried one of the squad.
“Get them off! GET THEM OFF!”
They took evasive action, but the tiny golems were not perturbed. They sprinted and climbed up the backs of the ponies, reaching their wings. They immediately began taking hold of the feathers and tearing them out.
“GAH! I’m being PLUCKED! Major help me! For Celestia’s sake HELP ME!”
One of them suddenly lost control as a golem severed his flight feathers. He cried out and wept as he plummeted down, unable to even make a proper emergency landing. He hit hard into a pile of icy rubble.
“Major, I’m sorry! I can’t hold on!” cried the next as she fell. She at least tried to execute an emergency landing, but her more complete wing was unfeathered by a sudden blast of crystal-laser force. The golems that had not been destroyed turned around caught up. 
“Major! We have to do something!” Firefly looked up. “Major, please, if we can- -” His eyes grew wide when he saw the tiny ponies crawling on his commander’s wings. There were only a few, but they had already reached his deep violet-red feathers and were beginning to pluck them out. 
“Major! Hold on, I can get them off- -”
“NO. If you touch me, they’ll get you too!”
“But I have to try- -”
A sudden blast traced toward them from behind. Firefly and the sergeant were able to roll out of the way, but with his damaged wings the major could not. He took a hit to the wind and was suddenly trailing smoke. 
“Major!”
“I’m not going to make it,” he said, barely managing to control his flight. “Horsefeathers.” He turned to Firefly. “Lieutenant, you’re the ranking officer now. Congratulations, you’re finally getting promoted to lead-flyer.”
“But- -but sir- -no!” 
“I’m about to do something stupid. If I don’t make it...well...it’s not like I had a wife anyway. Oh well.”
“Sir- -!”
The major suddenly opened his wings. The effect was an instantaneous break, pulling him backward from the front of the V to the rear- -right where the nearest golem was flying. Major Force grabbed onto its neck, dragging it through the air with his own force and turning its cannon on several of the other golems. His target was immediately knocked off balance and sliced into another golem just behind it. The impact resulted in a massive blast of magical energy as the golems simultaneously detonated. 
“MAJOR!” 
It was too late. The major was gone- -and more golems had begun to swarm, dropping from an overhead carrier. 
“We have to get out of here!” The sergeant banked to the left, attempting to assume the lead pony position- -but Firefly passed her. “What are you doing?!”
“If we turn back now, we’re done! We have to go straight through!”
“Are you insane?! Get out of my way! You have no idea what you’re doing- -”
Firefly suddenly cried out. For a moment he was sure he had been hit. The world around him grew quiet, and a strange sound of static began to flood into his mind. Static that sounded disturbingly similar to breathing.
Then a voice spoke inside his mind.
“Hey you,” it whispered. “You with the wings? Ohhhhh how I’d love to cover your skinny rump in butter...not stupid margarine...no wonder they made you a Wonderbolt.” 
“What- -what’s a Wonderbolt?” 
The sergeant looked at Firefly like he was crazy. “Get ahold of yourself, Firefly- -”
“You should boop her in the snoot. Either in the violent way, or the fun way. I don’t care, I like to watch either way. Although I won’t see this one. My time is almost up. And that Wonderbolt thing? Don’t think about that too hard. You will literally vaporize a content if you go full-blown paradox. It’s happened. Or will happen. Or won’t. They can’t expect me to see everything, I’m just a pony!” This was followed by a sound that was either laughing or weeping- -or both. 
“It’s shellshock,” whispered Firefly, knowing he was done for. “It- -”
“You are going to need to listen, Firefly,” said the voice. “That carrier above you? Clover the Clever is about to knock it down in exactly thirty-seven seconds. The vortex will be at angle forty-seven positive, seventeen Z, eighty-two negative. Try to time it right. Or don’t. Also stop thinking about motorboating your sergeant’s wings, it’s disgusting.”
“I- -I wasn’t- -!”
“You are now.” The voice laughed. “Let’s see if you make it.”
The static cut out. As it did, Firefly was sure he saw a strange green light- -and a terrifying face that, for some reason, made him feel only pity. He looked up at the carrier overhead. Clover the Clever was nowhere in sight. But there was no other option.
“Squadron!” he shouted, taking the lead-pony position. “Vertical assent! On my mark!:
“Are you insane?!” cried the sergeant. “That ship has flak cannons, lasers, Celestia-knows what else! If we get close- -”
Bolts of energy flew past them, fired from the golems. 
“I’m the ranking officer here,” snapped Firefly. “And you’re only other option is to turn around and surrender. If you’re lucky, Sombra will let you keep your wings.”
“Are you calling me a coward?! I will put leaves on your mother’s head and tape CHERRIES to her NOSE!” She fell into the wingpony position. “If I’m going down, at least I won’t be going down retreating!” 
“Moooootorbooooating,” whispered a distant voice. 
“MARK!” cried Firefly. He turned up, trying to hide the tears running from his eyes.
Bolts fired from every angle. As the ship overhead drew closer, the impacts became more accurate. Firefly could feel the heat coming off them. The carrier was getting closer and closer, and golems were now pouring out of it. Strangely, Firefly found himself wondering if there were really any ponies on the ship at all. If they were all thralls and golems, was there anypony at all really in command?
“Lieutenant! We’re not gonna make it!”
Suddenly, a burst of green light formed on the side of the ship. Clover the Clever dropped onto a magical construct, carving an enormous complex of runes into the side of the ship as he ran past it. Immediately the vibration from within began to change. Firefly could feel it in his teeth.
Then there was silence.
“ACCELERATE NOW!” 
The order reached his squad just as space opened up. For a brief moment, he saw the horrors that lurked on the other side. They were imperceptible, but palpable beyond measure. That hole led to a place ponies were not meant to be, a place that living beings were not meant to access. And yet the door had been cracked by some depraved soul long before Clover the Clever had slammed it open.
The suction was vast, and Firefly felt himself being drawn in. He compensated, watching as his Pegasi were sucked toward it as well- -but they were farther past it than the golems. Unable to resist the dimensional tug, they were pulled through.
“This was a TERRIBLE idea!” cried the sergeant.
“More power! Give it everything you have!”
The squad obeyed, beating their wings as hard as they could. Even that was only enough to slow their descent- -but then, as quickly as it had come, the portal closed. The entire squad shot forward suddenly, ascending high into the air and past the frigid thunderclouds overhead. 
They had survived, and slowly the descended to the top of the clouds. The golems did not pursue because there were no more golems. They had been pulled to Celestia-knew-where with the carrier craft. 
“Ugh!” said one of the group, collapsing onto the clouds. “That was rough!”
“I’ll say,” said the sergeant. “That was the stupidest, most reckless- -hey! ‘Sir’, are you listening?”
Firefly was not. He was too busy staring into the distance. They had been the first to penetrate the layer of ships and the clouds overhead. None of the others had seen it. None of the others knew it had been there. 
“Lieutenant! I’m trying to say important…things...”
The sergeant looked up and her words slowly trailed off. She saw it too. 
From above the clouds, they could see the top of the Crystal Citadel- -and the storm gathering above it. Even to the Pegasi, the guardians and creators of weather, the sight before them was terrifying beyond measure. Nothing like it had ever existed that they could recall. No one would be insane enough to generate something so horrible.
The clouds trailed high into the upper atmosphere, a vortex of swirling blackness lit almost perpetually from red lightning within. Lightning that buzzed with magic hundreds or thousands of times greater than the electrical power of any normal lightning that was allowed to exist. Never had there been a storm so black or immense, or so outright threatening, as if it were made of fear itself. 
“What...what is that?”
“I have no idea.”
“Look!” A young stallion named Squall ran forward and pointed. “There’s somepony in there!”
That was, of course, impossible, even absurd- -and not at all funny. The very idea of approaching such a storm was disturbing, and the group shivered in unison. The winds alone were enough to rip the feathers from a pony’s wings; there was no way anypony would dare approach it. 
Yet as Firefly stared- -however unwillingly- -he saw the dim light of a flaming contrail. Looking closer, he saw a Pegasus attempting desperately to fly against the current of the storm. Even in the intensity of the wind and ice and electrical fire, he was still able to sustain himself just on its surface- -but not for long. Slowly, the force of the currents overcame him. His struggle was valiant indeed, but quite short. The storm rejected him, sending him tumbling out with extreme force. 
“He’s out of control! We have to catch him!”
Without warning- -or thinking- -Firefly shot forward. His wings felt like pudding from the exertion before, but his course was clear. In a matter of seconds, he caught the pony who had fallen from the storm. 
Immediately, he found that the pony in question was a stallion- -and a stallion dressed in strange armor. It was not Empire armor, nor was it Equestrian. Firefly’s first thought was mercenary, but he had never seen a pony mercenary before.
“Lieutenant!” cried the sergeant, approaching with the rest of the squad. Her voice seemed to make the pony wake up. 
“What where who?!” He sat up, pulling off his mask and taking a deep gasp. His face was immediately met by the sergeant’s hoof.
“Sargent!” cried Firefly, dropping the stallion.
“Do you have any idea who that is?! That’s Spectrum Skyflame! He’s wanted on four continents!”
The pony, now flying under his own power, looked up, frowning deeply. His eyes seemed sunken, but his identity was clear from his mane alone. While it was dyed a deep red color, it had started to grow out, revealing the rainbow of colors beneath.  
“I will motorboat your father’s stubby wings!” he spat.
“Jokes on you!” said one of the ponies in the back. “Her dad’s an earth-pony!”
“Which explains why she’s built like a tank. Stupid F.L.A.P.!”
“I will beat you so hard you’ll WISH you were a dirt-pony- -”
“QUIET!” cried Firefly. 
Skyflame’s eyes narrowed. “And who are you supposed to be?”
“The commanding officer of this squad.”
“Really? They gave a commission to a kid? Ugh. Pitiful. We might as well be earth-ponies at this point. But I don’t have time to care. We have a problem.”
“The only problem,” said the sergeant, “being your impending beating.” 
“From you sitting on me, Bertha? Do you think you outrank me? I’m a grade FOUR weather scientist- -no. I don’t have TIME. LOOK!” He pointed at the vortex above the Citadel. To Firefly’s horror, it had increased substantially in size. “Do you see that thing?”
“How could I not?”	
“That’s a self-propagating, stable nucleation cell. As in the worst. Possible. THING!” 
“He’s speaking gibberish! Somepony slap him! Ideally in the rump!” 
Skyflame rolled his eyes. “That big shiny thing? The Citadel? It’s a massive energy accumulator. It’s how Sombra gets his power.”
“It’s what we were sent to attack,” said the sergeant.
“Well that’s not your immediate concern. That storm is some kind of exhaust. Spare magical energy, entropy from some sort of MASSIVE reaction. Nothing on this scale has ever existed before- -I mean, theoretically, it CAN’T- -”
“Exhaust?” Firefly looked up at the cloud. “What could Sombra possibly be doing that makes that much waste-power?”
“I have no idea, but it can’t be good. But that’s not our problem right now! It’s getting close to critical mass!”
“You’re not making sense,” said the sergeant. “Slow down or shut up.”
“You don’t understand!” cried Skyflame, suddenly panicked. “We’re in the MIDDLE of a Hyperborean polar vortex, and those sky-ships have been dumping magic into the stratosphere for WEEKS- -if it gets to critical mass, we won’t be able to stop it!”
Firefly racked his brain. He was a flyer, not a weather engineer, but the military academy had covered the basics at least. “Meaning? What, it will grow?”
“No. It will become unstoppable. As in, there will be no Crystal Empire. And then Equestria will be next. Until the whole world is plunged into darkness.”
“That’s absurd,” said the sergeant. “You’re making excuses, trying to get out of- -”
Skyflame turned to her, his eyes wide. “Would I fly into something like that if it weren’t real?”
“What were you even trying to do?” asked Firefly.
“If I can reverse the direction, I can draw off some of the energy. Diffuse it before it starts. I’ve done the math.” He held out one of his sleeves. It was covered in equations. “But I can’t get enough force on my own.”
“What about with us?”
The group fell silent. “Lieutenant, you can’t be serious- -”
“If that thing goes up, the war is over. Both sides lose. How many ponies are hurt already? On both sides?”
“Both sides- -they’re the ENEMY!”
“We didn’t come here to destroy the Crystal Empire, we came here to SAVE IT!” Firefly looked up at the storm. “And that’s what we’re going to do. That’s my order. Follow it or don’t.”
“That’s the second time you’ve tried that trick,” muttered the sergeant. She grimaced and sighed. “It won’t work. Not a third time. Flyers!” She raised her hoof. “Fall in line!”
“We’re- -we’re actually going to do it?”
“Probably,” said Skyflame, shrugging. “We’ll see.”